Editor, After this past football season, there was a comment in the Sound off asking, “Why doesn’t Bradwell win region championships in football anymore?”
First, we play 5-AAAAA football with a 4-AAAA enrollment. But the main reason is we are in the region with the best 5-AAAAA team in the state, that being Camden County. When we played Camden this year we had about 40 players dressed out. I quit counting Camden players at 125.
As long as we play in the same region as Camden, there will not be any region championships. They have built a program down there like Valdosta High used to have. Parents move there so their kids can play there.
With one high school, they will be in the mix for state championships every year. But it starts with a system and commitment from the school board, principal, middle schools and coaches. The head football coach at Camden has 26 coaches under him from high school down through the middle schools and recreation program. When these kids reach ninth grade they know the system, then Coach Herron and his staff start the “fine tuning.”
With two high schools in Liberty County that play football, you couldn’t use the Recreation Department. We have three middle schools here which were supposed to be the feeder programs when football was started. When Coach Walsh was hired 16 years ago, he was told by the BoE that he would have control of the two schools that feed Bradwell. That has never happened.
Now what Coach Warner does with Midway Middle is up to him.
At Bradwell, we need the BoE to back us on the feeder program. For our program to be able to at least compete with Camden it has to start at the middle school level.
Myself and a “few” supporters of Bradwell football met with Coach Walsh a couple of weeks ago. We voiced our concern about the effort of the players, the discipline, and the commitment of the coaching staff. Losing to Savannah schools is not an option anymore and Coach Walsh agreed. We might not beat Camden, but we don’t have to be embarrassed because lack of effort or commitment. We asked Coach Walsh to inform his staff that if they were not 100 percent committed to turn our program around then we need to find coaches who are. We have no problem if a team beats us and we’ve played as hard and given everything we can. But the lack of effort and commitment doesn’t cut it anymore.
It all starts at the top — the BoE, Principal Albritton, and Coach Walsh. To get back the respect and tradition this program once had it has to start now. When Beach High School calls you out in the paper, you know that the respect and “not wanting to play Bradwell Institute” is not there anymore.
If we need our supporters to come to the BoE meeting about the middle school program, then, Mrs. Baker, please call me.
First, we play 5-AAAAA football with a 4-AAAA enrollment. But the main reason is we are in the region with the best 5-AAAAA team in the state, that being Camden County. When we played Camden this year we had about 40 players dressed out. I quit counting Camden players at 125.
As long as we play in the same region as Camden, there will not be any region championships. They have built a program down there like Valdosta High used to have. Parents move there so their kids can play there.
With one high school, they will be in the mix for state championships every year. But it starts with a system and commitment from the school board, principal, middle schools and coaches. The head football coach at Camden has 26 coaches under him from high school down through the middle schools and recreation program. When these kids reach ninth grade they know the system, then Coach Herron and his staff start the “fine tuning.”
With two high schools in Liberty County that play football, you couldn’t use the Recreation Department. We have three middle schools here which were supposed to be the feeder programs when football was started. When Coach Walsh was hired 16 years ago, he was told by the BoE that he would have control of the two schools that feed Bradwell. That has never happened.
Now what Coach Warner does with Midway Middle is up to him.
At Bradwell, we need the BoE to back us on the feeder program. For our program to be able to at least compete with Camden it has to start at the middle school level.
Myself and a “few” supporters of Bradwell football met with Coach Walsh a couple of weeks ago. We voiced our concern about the effort of the players, the discipline, and the commitment of the coaching staff. Losing to Savannah schools is not an option anymore and Coach Walsh agreed. We might not beat Camden, but we don’t have to be embarrassed because lack of effort or commitment. We asked Coach Walsh to inform his staff that if they were not 100 percent committed to turn our program around then we need to find coaches who are. We have no problem if a team beats us and we’ve played as hard and given everything we can. But the lack of effort and commitment doesn’t cut it anymore.
It all starts at the top — the BoE, Principal Albritton, and Coach Walsh. To get back the respect and tradition this program once had it has to start now. When Beach High School calls you out in the paper, you know that the respect and “not wanting to play Bradwell Institute” is not there anymore.
If we need our supporters to come to the BoE meeting about the middle school program, then, Mrs. Baker, please call me.
Robert Darby
H.O.B.B.C.
H.O.B.B.C.