CAMILLA -- The Long County Blue Tide sports programs have a lot to be proud of. Former stars like Jamin Davis and Henry Blair have gone on to have successful careers on the gridiron and court, but Ricardo Rivera is having equal success leading an uprising power in high school basketball.

Rivera, most affectionately known as Ricky to the Blue Tide faithful, has been the head coach of the Mitchell County High School Eagles boys’ basketball team the last four seasons and has turned the team into a competitor.

In the last four years, the Eagles have made the state playoffs the last three seasons, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen each time. This season, the Eagles were Region 1-A Public runners-up and hosted the first round of the state playoffs for the second time in three years.

The Eagles have improved every year, going from 9-16 in Rivera’s first season to 19-6 in 2019-2020, 5-5 in the Covid-hampered 2020-2021 season, and 20-9 this year.

“A huge part of our success is the amount of work that we put in during the off season,” Rivera said. “I'm a firm believer of grinding and putting in the work and allowing the results to speak for itself. Having 3 seniors that have been with me since day 1 and them being the ‘proof in the pudding’ and setting a standard for the younger players also helps.” 

Throughout his career with the Blue Tide, Rivera played on some of the best teams in school history. In his junior year in 2007-2008, the Tide went 23-8, won the region championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the AA state playoffs. They again won 20 games in his senior season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

Rivera was a starting guard for the Tide in those two years and was a vocal team captain through the years. He said that playing under coach Deshon Brock, who brought Rivera with him to Mitchell County when he took the head football coach and athletic director position in 2017, was an elevator to success and that he can see a lot of his former teammates in his players.

“I feel as if I ran into some very similar situations that Coach Brock had to deal with when I was his player,” Rivera said. “Almost the same type of discipline on the court problems and classroom work ethic. I think the biggest difference between the team I played on and the team I coached is that when we were kids, we loved to play hard and didn't care how cool or not cool we looked. But It's funny because I can almost go down the list on my roster and give them one of my former teammates' names because they either act alike or have the same game.”

Rivera played college basketball at junior college Middle Georgia College (now four-year school Middle Georgia State University) in Macon and NAIA Division I school Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina and eventually played professionally overseas for Sabios de Manizales and Cafeteros de Armenia in Colombia as well as playing for half a season in the Dominican Republic. He believes that his experience is invaluable and can never be replaced.

“Being that I played at different levels (in college), I was taught that your success in basketball is only what you put into it,” Rivera said. “You can't cheat the grind. I busted my tail to become a better basketball player and a better person in all aspects and it changed my life.”

Rivera said that playing professional basketball showed him what it truly takes to get to the level past college, and he can show his players how hard they have to work to achieve their dreams.

“Playing professionally overseas taught me that you can never show up half stepping in this game. You have to bring it every single time you step on the court and off the court, you have to take care of your mind, body, and spirit more than anything because not all professional teams are the same and everything that glitters ain't gold. So, I bring that same attitude/energy that I played with to the coaching stage. I just try to prepare my guys for the bigger picture.”

The Eagles have slowly grown to be a contender in A Public boys’ basketball, and it does not look like they are going anywhere. Losing region Offensive Player of the Year 6’6” wing Xzavier Wilcher and first teamer Desmeyan Daniels will hurt, but Rivera is confident in the young, experienced players on his team.

“I try not to look towards the future too much, but I have a very talented young group of hoopers that are ready to get in the lab this off season and I expect great things from them,” Rivera said. “I personally would like to reach my own goals and get back into college coaching or even at the professional level, whether it be the NBA or anywhere overseas. And I love the developmental side of the game, so there's a possibility that I move into larger roles with that as well.”

Rivera has done a great job getting his athletes to the next level in his time at Mitchell County. He helped Derrick Harris Jr. get to Georgia Southern University on a basketball scholarship and eight former football players have gone on to college with five more class of 2022 seniors signing scholarships as well. Rivera is also the wide receivers coach for the Eagles.

In four years, Rivera has racked up a 53-36 record as boys’ basketball coach while also helping the Eagles’ football program continue to be successful.