Catfish Finish Strong Season
by Martha Michael • photography by Micki K Photography

The Valdosta High School swim team had exceptional results in the Region 1-AAAAA swim meet January 29, including a first-place finish in the girl’s 50 meter freestyle, second place in the boys 200 meter freestyle relay, and third in both the boys 500 meter freestyle and the girls 200 medley relay.  Since it was the team’s inaugural year, the outcome was better than expected.  

“I feel that we have created such a strong foundation that only improvement will follow,” says swimmer Doyle Wallace of his success in the 500m freestyle.  The girls relay team of Nadine Fares, Kirsten Kielma, Cassie Geltner and Rebecca Reinhard, and the boys relay team of Hunter Bailey, Austin Wallace, Chaker Fares and Justin Owens, worked extremely hard, especially on timing their dives as it is easy to be disqualified in relays.  The Catfish are also proud to have the best girl 50 freestyler in the region, freshman Cassie Geltner.

The Catfish are prepared to step it up next season.  “Most of us didn’t care about competing, we just came to stay in shape for whatever sport came next.  But after realizing the potential we all have, especially after the results from regions, we are really determined to improve, score more points and win,” says freshman swimmer Claire Kirkpatrick.

This season the Catfish practiced outdoors five days a week, excluding the few days when the weather was at its worst.  For several swimmers, school practice was followed by training time for their YMCA team.

As the swimmers move on to other spring sports and activities, they will always remember their first year with the Catfish and how hard they worked to make their first year a successful one.

The VHS Track Team
by Neha Gupta

Perseverance. Endurance. Commitment. Strength. A good athlete needs all those qualities in order to achieve success in his or her respective sport. One of the best ways an athlete can train is through nothing other than good, old-fashioned running. While running builds the perseverance, endurance, commitment and strength an athlete needs, running is usually the most dreaded part of practice. Whether it’s laps around a field, court or track, coaches of many sports use running as a punishment for bad behavior at practice or dreadful performances in competitions. However, what may be one person’s punishment can be another’s pleasure. Such is the case for the Valdosta High School track team.

The VHS track team, under the direction of girls coach Brad Kight and boys coach Alan Rodemaker, runs four to five times a week after school. Some Wildcats supplement school practice with additional running. Their dedication to their sport leads to many team successes. Last year, the boys track team earned fifth place in region and participated in four events at state competition. The best state finish last year was fourth place in the triple jump by Chris Brown.

This year, the team has high hopes for its returning athletes as well as new talent. Rodemaker, who is also the defensive coordinator for the Wildcats football team, has recruited many football players to compete in track and field this season. Kight says, “The boys look great … Coach Rodemaker is really able to tap into that football speed.”

The first meet in the VHS track and field season is the Tifton Invitational scheduled for March 5. The region meet for the boys will be April 20 and the girls will compete April 28. Athletes on both teams are looking forward to their future meets and are working hard to prepare for them.

A high school track and field meet includes 15 different events. The top seven competitors in each event are awarded a specific number of points. At the end of competition, the total number of points a school earns in each event is tallied and the school with the most points wins the meet. At region and state meets, an athlete’s time is taken into consideration.

Since running is dreaded by many athletes in other sports, the effort and passion exhibited by the Wildcats track team is admirable. Summing up the VHS track and field attitude, Kight says, “You don't play track and field. It is truly a pure sport with a unique form of competition. You race your opponent but also the clock and yourself.”

Valdosta High School Basketball Cheerleaders
by Chandler Williams

Basketball is the second-most popular sport at Valdosta High School after football. When the Wildcats enter the gym, all they hear is a roar from the crowd, which is led by the basketball cheerleaders’ chants and cheers.

The basketball cheerleaders are coached by Elisha Turner, a VHS math teacher. Carmen Marable serves and head captain of the cheer squad while Tisharae Jones is co-captain. According to Turner, Marable and Jones have the leadership skills required to be captains and they have worked hard to deserve the title.

Marable says, “Working with the girls is a challenge due to we are all individuals. It’s tough but we all have great personalities and we have an amazing time together.”

Turner enjoys the girls’ company. They practice two days a week in order to prepare for their next game. They also use that time to create new cheers, which gives them their own unique style.

Although the girls are spirited, the VHS boys and girls basketball teams add to the cheerleaders’ attitudes. The score of the game plays a role as well.  Either way, the girls find ways to motivate their team and lead them to victory.

Basketball cheerleaders also know how to energize the crowd with their cheers. VHS cheerleaders and those of the opposing team often have “cheer battles” that are popular with Wildcats fans, who often assist in defeating the other teams’ cheerleaders.

Valdosta High students and fans enjoy watching their athletes in action and the basketball cheerleaders hope to lead the boys and girls teams to victory throughout this basketball season.  “I expect my cheer mates to cheer loudly and represent Valdosta High School with pride and prestige,” says Marable.

The Not-So-Quiet, Behind-the-Scenes Team: The VHS Marching Cats
by Neha Gupta

The atmosphere at a football game is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience.  The crowd yells and the cheerleaders chant while football players battle each other on the field.  But the quality of a football game lies not only in the skill of the football players, the energy of the cheerleaders and the size of the crowd. Without a great band, the football experience loses a distinctive quality.

Valdosta High School is renowned for its distinguished football program and an equally reputable band program. The VHS Marching Cats have been under the instruction of Michael Thomas since 2006. Contrary to popular belief, the band does more than play upbeat songs at school pep rallies and perform snazzy halftime shows. Every year, the Marching Cats attend three competitions, some of which are outside Georgia.

In Thomas’ first year with the Marching Cats, they captured Grand Champion (first place) in their competitions and held that title for four consecutive years. This year, the band competed in Warner Robins, Lowndes County and Dothan, Alabama, with their theme “Born Free: The Music of Madagascar.”  The Marching Cats placed second at Warner Robins and Lowndes, and fourth at Dothan.

While halftime shows are intricate, competition performances are longer and more embellished. This year’s competition performances included extra dance sequences, which included “I Like to Move It, Move It.”

The excellence achieved by the Marching Cats is a result of effort. The ‘Cats practice every Monday and Tuesday from 3:00-5:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 3:00-6:00 p.m.  Band members are required to take a band class or dance class (for Dance Line and Color Guard) during school. In addition to mandatory after-school practice and classes during the season, band members are required to attend Band Camp every summer of their high school career. During school practices, the band primarily focuses on its football halftime show.

While the Marching Cats don’t receive a lot of recognition outside their competitions, their presence would be greatly missed. The band is the driving force behind the VHS spirit seen at pep rallies and football games. The band encourages athletes when they are winning and motivates them when they are losing. The band is the not-so-quiet, behind-the-scenes sport. The athletic atmosphere of Valdosta High School would not be what it is today without the practice and effort of Thomas and the VHS Marching Cats.

New Door Opened at VHS
by Martha Michael

Valdosta High School has been known as the athletic powerhouse of South Georgia for many years, but for a select group of students, one sport has been missing.  VHS has joined the other Region 1-AAAAA schools with the establishment of their first swim team.  VHS employees Shawn Sharp and Carmen Batch will coach the swimmers, most of whom have never swam competitively before.  Both coaches were surprised by the outpouring of interest to join, and the team now consists of 33 swimmers.

The ‘Cats first meet was held Saturday, November 6 at Darton College in Albany. The team had only been practicing for a few weeks and was uncertain how well it would perform. Among 11 teams, the boys placed seventh and the girls placed eighth, surprisingly well for their first competition.  The Wildcats’ enthusiasm and excitement for the remainder of the season has also spread to other students, who are encouraged to become a part of the team in future years. The swimmer’s success has led to a team nickname – the Catfish.

VHS Wrestling Cats: True Dedication
by Neha Gupta

Imagine a wrestler circling his opponent like a lion surveying his prey. His skintight singlet moves in tune with his body; the noise from the crowd is blocked by headgear. His arms rise automatically as his opponent’s hands move toward his head. As soon as he feels the flesh of his opponent, his hands latch on, holding on for dear life. At this point, one of two things will happen: either he will gain the upper hand or he will fall to his knees, his opponent holding him in a headlock. Scrutinizing his options, he makes a daring attempt to grab his opponent’s knees. Both wrestlers fall to the mat, struggling to hold on to each other. His opponent’s arm finds its way around his neck. The only thing he can see is the referee, like a vulture, circling the ensuing battle. He feels helpless as he struggles, trying to free himself from his attacker’s grip. He haphazardly wracks his brain, hoping a strategy will materialize in time.

The 31 wrestlers at Valdosta High School undergo the pressure of such quick-stepped maneuvers every day. Under the guidance of coaches Benjamin Scarbor and Randy Drew, the wrestling ‘Cats depend on their learned strength, strategy and cunning in order to gain an advantage over their opponents. In order to hone their skills, the dedicated wrestlers of VHS practice every day after school until 6 p.m.

“I see a lot of potential in these athletes,” says Scarbor. Three of his wrestlers placed at state competition in the 2009-2010 season: Jamel Sharp (fifth), Robert Sharp (fourth), and State Champion Jovan Scott. The 2009-2010 team earned the title of Region Champion as well as fifth place at state competition and fourth place at state duals. To crown their achievements, the ‘Cats are ranked third in the AAAAA division.

“Every year, we have been getting better and better. I think this year we can set even higher standards than before,” Scarbor says. So far, the wrestling ‘Cats are on their way to a successful season. Some of their wins include second place at the Ware County Duals and second at the Kennesaw Mountain Duals in Atlanta.

The VHS mat girls motivate the wrestlers, who constantly dedicate their time to excellence. The mat girls, under the supervision of sponsor Erin Gaskins and assistant sponsor Tanya Majeski, are responsible for keeping score and working the concession stands at each match and tournament. Perhaps most important, the mat girls cheer for their ‘Cats at wrestling events. “Even though we aren’t the one on the mat, I feel like we motivate our wrestlers. We love our Wildcats, and we love our wrestlers!” says four-year mat girl Fantasia Williams.

The VHS wrestling ‘Cats rely upon quick thinking and agility while heading straight toward adversity. Junior wrestler Jay Dennis says, “When you meet an opponent by yourself, neither of you has an advantage, only practice. So when you win a match nothing is more rewarding, and when you lose, then you are fueled to do better in practice.” His attitude explains the dedication of the wrestling ‘Cats and the meaning of their athleticism: their never-dying spirit.

Cross Country Sets Tone for 2011
by Martha Michael • photography by Aaron Anderson

The running Wildcats’ season was triumphant, to say the least. In the team’s first race at the Tift County Invitational, the Wildcats varsity boys took first place, the varsity girls took second and the JV team took first. However, the Lowndes and Tift teams remained close behind and the ‘Cats knew they had to work hard to stay ahead.

When the teams arrived at Packer Park in Moultrie on Thursday, October 28, the cool air and light rain was a great gift to the nervous and excited runners. Only a couple hours later, a new kind of excitement filled the air. Valdosta’s hard work had paid off.  First place in the JV race went to sophomore Clarence Smith. Junior Chelsea Walker finished third individually among varsity girls. Kirsten Kielma and Donjhae Jones also finished in the top 10, placing seventh and eighth, respectively. The varsity boys had four finishes in the top five: Timmy Evans, Doyle Wallace, Joel Aguilar and Austin Wallace placed second through fifth, respectively. Overall, the girls team placed second behind Lowndes and Tift was third. The boys team became Region Champion, beating Lowndes, Tift County, Colquitt County and Coffee. It was time to go to state.

The ‘Cats went from perfect running weather to unbearable weather during the GHSA state cross country meet in Carrollton on November 6, but the frigid temperature didn’t bring them down. Of the 32 AAAAA teams competing, Valdosta’s boys placed 17th overall. Doyle Wallace came in first for the ‘Cats with a time of 17:18. The girls finished 22nd with Chelsea Walker leading the way and finishing 36th individually. These results didn’t earn the running ‘Cats a trophy, but they show just how far the team has come this season.

James Eunice: Dedication on the Field and in the Classroom
by Neha Gupta • photography by Narci Drossos

For many Valdosta High School students, starting the day at 7:30 a.m. is difficult enough. But some begin the school day at 6:30 every morning. Although this might seem extraordinary, the most dedicated VHS football players start their day with “Zero Block,” an additional class period before school devoted solely to weight training. In addition to this physically demanding, sleep-depriving endeavor, the Wildcats not only endure the seemingly endless school day but also the arduous hours of intense football practice. An average school day is enough to drain a student’s energy and not surprisingly, many VHS football players would love to end their day after conditioning, drilling and running at practice. However, one player goes home – but not to his pillow.

James David Eunice, jersey number 23 and two-year football letterman, commits himself to Zero Block, football practice and his academics. Eunice is a senior International Baccalaureate (IB) student. The IB Program at VHS is made up of rigorous, internationally-based courses. While most students at Valdosta High take four classes a semester, Eunice has seven college-level academic classes and an academic elective. “I’ve got such a course load, which is hard enough for anyone without extracurricular activities,” says Eunice. “I play hard at practice and then I have to go home and do homework. It just adds extra stress on me every night.”

In addition to his heavy course load, Eunice is actively involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and CrossPointe Baptist Church. Eunice was also selected to attend Boy’s State, a one-week enrichment program that introduces young men to the political atmosphere of Georgia and the United States.

Eunice recently earned a Great American Rivalry Scholarship for having the highest grade point average on the Wildcats football team. The scholarship is given to one player from each team of the Great American Rivalry Series, in which Valdosta High School and Lowndes High School participated this year. Eunice received a $500 scholarship on October 8 during the Lowndes versus Valdosta game. “Receiving this scholarship made all of my hard work from the past four years of my high school experience pay off,” says Eunice. “It makes me really proud of myself to have achieved such an accomplishment.”

After football season, Eunice plans to continue participating in sports and studying for his final IB exams, which he’ll take in May 2011. When reflecting on his last football season and senior year so far, Eunice says, “I was really skeptical about playing football at first, what with my work load. But playing in the games on Friday nights and hearing the crowd cheering for my Wildcats makes all my struggles completely worth it.”

January 2011 update: In The Game High School Sports Magazine was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely loss of James Eunice. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as well as the entire Valdosta High School community. - B. Dykes, Editor

Wildcat Chris Brown
by McKenzie Asbell • photography by Narci Drossos

Despite being hearing impaired, junior Chris Brown is an active part of the Wildcats football and wrestling programs at Valdosta High School. He has participated in both sports since middle school. Playing defensive tackle for the football team, Brown says, “I think we will have a really good season. We have a great team and we could go all the way.”

Brown has a passion for football but enjoys wrestling more. “The practices are really hard, but I like the matches,” he says. Brown’s love for wrestling has resulted in him placing third in the region for the 140 and 160 weight classes and qualifying for the state tournament.

According to wrestling coach Benji Scarbor, Brown is a tough competitor who makes the most of his sense of balance, a crucial quality for any wrestler.  Scarbor adds that Brown knows how to use his hips on the mat, making him a formidable opponent.  Scarbor’s goals for Brown this season include helping him become more aggressive, which will give Brown the edge he needs to win.

Brown’s goal is to place first in the region for his weight division. He would also like to receive a wrestling scholarship. Brown adds, “I would like to attend Gallaudet University. It is a deaf college in Washington, D.C.”

The inspirational young man faces obstacles every day but never quits. Brown says, “Do not give up. It will be hard, but you have to keep going.” Assisting Brown with VHS sports is his interpreter, Cindy Horne, who attends every game.

Winnersville Week: A Celebration of an Epic Football Rivalry
By Neha Gupta • photography by Narci Drossos

There are few rivalries in history that stand as monumental: Spartans vs. Athenians, Alien vs. Predator, and Microsoft vs. Apple, to name a few. There is one rivalry, however, that runs deep in South Georgia: the competition between the Valdosta High Wildcats and the Lowndes High Vikings.

Winnersville Week honors the athletic prowess of the Valdosta-Lowndes County community, allowing fans to demonstrate their pride and spirit for their respective team. On Thursday, October 7, the Wildcats celebrated with Plowboy Day, where students dressed up as rednecks. Valdosta High pumped up the excitement with Spirit Day on Friday, October 8. Students supported the Wildcats by dressing in black and gold, the legendary school colors. The Wildcats ended the day with two energetic pep rallies.

Winnersville Week concluded with the rivals meeting head-to-head on Friday night. This year, the epic game was played at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, the domain of the ‘Cats. This year’s game, perhaps one of the best in years, brought fans on both sides of the stadium to their feet. The Valdosta Doopsters and Lowndes fans cheered their players until the final second of play. The adrenaline-filled game ended with a 24-17 score and a Lowndes High Vikings victory.

Our Sport is Your Sport’s Punishment
by Martha Michael

To many people, running might be considered a punishment.  For cross country runners, practice is a time to release daily worries and focus on the path ahead.  “We don’t have time to worry about what happened today or what’s going on this weekend. We are so focused on getting our mileage done and pushing ourselves to the limit every day,” says Valdosta High coach Brad Kight.

For Valdosta High cross country team members, pushing themselves to the limit every day seems to have paid off. During the 2009 season, the girls team placed second in the Region 1-AAAAA race while the boys team placed fourth. Both teams went to the state meet in Carrollton, Georgia.

“Coach Haworth and I are very excited about this year. Our numbers are up. Our boys and girls look strong. And everyone is working really hard,” says Coach Kight. “We plan to go to regions and win. Then we plan to go to state and win.”

Valdosta lost a few team members to graduation last year and the remaining teammates are working hard to fill the vacancies. Another change for Valdosta is the size of their region. Strong rival schools such as Houston County, Warner Robins and Northside Warner Robins dropped down to Region 1-AAAA. Valdosta now has fewer competitors in their region, but they also know that the quality of the remaining schools is very high. Cross-town rival Lowndes proved ready to take on the ‘Cats, as their girls team recently won the Mid-State Cross Country Classic in Perry.  But Lowndes’ win only inspires Valdosta High runners to run faster and harder.

Team members have a variety of reasons for returning to practice every day. Some said they run to stay in shape.  Some participate to get stronger. Some go to see their friends, to have a good a time or maybe just to be involved.  “But when it comes down to it,” they say, “we’re here to see how far we can push ourselves … until we can’t get up.  Because we know that in the end, we’ll have that great feeling. We’ll have that feeling because we won.”

These are words that the Wildcats live by.  While pushing the limits sounds like punishment to most, for cross country runners, this is as good as it gets.

Coach Edward Wilcox
by Alden Force • photography by Alden Force

Valdosta High Lady Cats basketball coach Edward Wilcox hails from Bradenton, Florida. Entering his second year as the head coach, Wilcox is hoping to “win some games and bring more excitement to the court.”

Wilcox began his basketball career in high school. He attended Southeast High in Bradenton, played basketball four years and was named Northside All-Star. After high school he began looking at colleges. “I had never even heard of Valdosta,” says Wilcox. “I was just looking around on the internet and came across it [Valdosta State University]. It was just a real pretty campus.”

Wilcox applied and was accepted to VSU.  He enrolled with the intention to play basketball all four years, but his plan changed when he tore his ACL as a freshman. The injury required extensive reconstructive surgery and ultimately left him unable to play. Shortly after his injury, Wilcox changed his major from psychology to sports medicine. After beginning the course, he decided to major in education.

After graduating college in 2000, Wilcox returned to Florida and taught at an alternative school for a year. His coaching career began in 2001 at Kendrick High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he served as assistant coach for the girls basketball team under head coach Sterling Hicks. During his four years with the Lady Cherokees, the team made it to the Final Four or beyond in state playoffs. Wilcox was then offered the head coach position of the boys team, which he accepted.  After realizing how much of an undertaking it was, Wilcox resigned at the end of the season and headed back to Valdosta.

Wilcox began his career at Valdosta High School as an economics teacher and assistant coach of the Lady Cats under head coach Rufus McDuffie. Wilcox served in the position for one year, then became head coach of the JV boys and JV girls. At the end of the 2008 season, he took over as varsity girls head coach.

The 2008 season ended 9-17.  The 2009 season ended 16-8, a considerable improvement since Wilcox’s installment as head coach.  Last year’s season included a first-time win against Lowndes. This year Wilcox intends to continue that improvement and progress even further into the playoffs. Wilcox knows what matters in Valdosta: “Without a state championship, we have not achieved our goal. First step is to get into the playoffs, and then we can see where to go from there.”