It’s everything you want in a coach’s interview. Tough going after a tough loss. South had crawled back in front 31-30 with 90 seconds left in regulation. All they had to do was D-UP! But North Coach Robert Kraft turned to Offensive co-ordinator
Troy Morris, who is the former Head Coach at South. Break their Hearts, he said. Using the sideline over and over to stop the clock, Morris directed the team 75 yards into the end zone with two seconds left to go up 5. In a gutsy just in case call, Morris went for two and got it. South Forsyth had no miracles on the sideline. There was your final, 38-31 North.
So many subplots. The Civil War: North vs South. The intense long standing rivalry. Morris’ return to the Eagle’s nest. But perhaps the most compelling was this. North would be the second team in a row South would play whose backs were up against the wall. Denmark sat at # 31 of 32 teams in the playoff format. Lose and they were done. Two weeks later, North came in ranked # 32 of 32. Lose and they were done. This week, West comes in 36, outside looking in. Lose and they’re done. Win, and South might be done.A bit of our conversation rervolves around this. We think you’ll enjoy it.
So here is your Coaches Corner. We leave nothing on the field. Greg Golden returns to join with his partner Doug Thomas and Coach James Thomson in delivering a terrific Coaches Corner.
Before our interview, while Coach Thomson was on the phone, Doug and I had a chance to talk with three young men who play football for Coach Thomson and the War Eagles.
We chatted with senior defensive back Ethan Smith in the hallway, and then in the team room with sophomore running back Masi Tupuola and soph All-American quarterback Khayel Sam-Fong-Talia. All three were on their lunch breaks.
Smith, who has worked his way back from a tough knee injury, is getting ready to look at colleges. He wants to continue his career at an FCS or small FBS institution. I asked him what he thought was the biggest difference in the locker room this season. He said it’s about a better chemistry. Khayei is a great leader, guys are playing for each other as well as the school.
Tupuola, Coach T’s son and a Soph, is just enjoying his teammates and his role, which has been expanding every week. He just wants to keep getting better.
And Khayel, in spite of his lofty rankings and multiple Player of the Week awards, is warm and sincere. We talked a bit about him being coached by Kordell Stewart. He said he just watched Coach Stu’s HBO documentary and, of course, he mentioned the Michigan Miracle. As most of you know, he just had a visit with Kirby Smart. I asked him how many offer letters he had, and he just smiled and shook his head — too many to worry about. Then I asked him if Georgia was his leader. Again, he kind of shyly looked at me and winked, which means it’s too early to tell. Right? (He’s a Dog!)
All three of these guys were just fun to talk to because they’re enjoying themselves and they were engaged. They’re enjoying the surroundings. They’re enjoying the game. And Coach says all the kids are like that. A great bunch of student-athletes at South Forsyth. If Coach Thomson’s big goal is to help grow these boys into men, this small sample size speaks volumes.
And stupid me didnt think about breaking out the camera. 😛