Road Trip!

For the second year in a row, the Columbia Eagles opened their season flying south to Camden County. Actually, this flock took the bus. It’s a five-hour drive that covers just over 300 miles from Decatur to Kingsland and once you get there, there is a game to be played. Columbia Coach Greg Barnett insists that the trip is about more than just football.

"I like having exposure for my kids," says Barnett. “I have several kids who hadn’t been outside of I-285 and I-20 before, so it’s about seeing different atmospheres, like a program that is legendary in their own right. I just want to create experiences for my players."

Columbia

The scoreboard shows the happy story for Columbia's trip to Camden County,

Camden County has a well-earned reputation for being a very tough place to get a win. Jeff Herron coached the Wildcats to three state titles during his first tenure there. Last season Herron returned to Kingsland and with his return came expectations. There is an anticipation of the Camden program returning to prominence, and you can feel it in the air.

"There is no better atmosphere to be a part of," says Barnett. "There were between 3,000-4,000 people there. It was definitely electric. It was great exposure for our kids to get to see. They really love their Camden County football, I can tell you that. "

Last year, Columbia’s visit to Camden County didn’t go so well. The Eagles were grounded by the Wildcats 31-0, making a long ride home seem even longer.

"Getting whipped last season was not a good feeling," recalls Barnett. "I’ve been preaching to our guys the importance of hitting first. We were able to put up points on the third play of the game. Jadan Baugh took it 83 yards to the house. That particular play injected our team with some momentum and confidence."

Eli Morgan scored on a 1-yard run to finish the Eagles second drive, making it 13-0. From there the Columbia defense took over.

"They put one together before halftime," recalls Barnett. "It was 13-7, it was still a ball game. At halftime we had to make adjustments, because offensively they run the wing-T, it’s hard to stop. To get a wing-T team, you have to play assignment football and the guys were able to get it done."

Columbia football

Coach Greg Barnett confers with Jadan Baugh, a battle-tested athlete, during practice.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

The 13-10 final score got the bitter taste of last season’s loss out of the Eagles’ mouths. It’s a landmark moment for Columbia football and Barnett, who got to record a victory over a Georgia high school coaching legend, someone Barnett has established a strong relationship with.

"Coach Herron is a great guy," says Barnett. "He calls me often and gives me advice. Having a relationship with any coach is important to me, because we are doing a tough job. He took a liking to me and he checks on me. After the game he told me that if i don’t win the state he will be upset with me. Now there are a plethora of great teams in Class 2A, so I don’t want to be disrespectful. I do have a pretty good team and I just want to take it a game at a time. "

Columbia is renowned for its boys basketball program that is a perennial state championship contender. Junior Jadan Baugh brings some of that drive and desire to win from the hardwood to the gridiron.

"He is a battle-tested," exclaims Barnett. "He is the point guard of our basketball team. Everyone knows how strong our basketball program is, so he is definitely battle-tested. He has Power 5 offers on both sides of the ball, as a defensive player and a running back. He is a special talent. We were able to put those talents on display early at Camden County. He really came through. His freshman year he blossomed. Last season he was injured the first five games, so he was one of our players who didn’t get to play against Camden last year."

The 2021 Columbia Eagles had a seven-game winning streak plus a first-round playoff win over Elbert County and finished at 8-4. An off-season to remember would follow.

Columbia weights

The new weight room has created great interest among Columbia students.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

"We got started pretty early after the playoff game against Swainsboro,” says Barnett. "Spring was pretty good. We had a couple guys who ran track and made it to the state championships. We played Stockbridge and they gave us what we needed to work on. This summer we were averaging between 50-60 kids per practice, and that was new for Columbia, with a smaller number of students in our building. So those numbers allowed us to accomplish quite a bit. "

It was during the spring that something truly amazing happened. A much-needed facility upgrade took place, thanks to the support of a rap music superstar who just so happens to be a Columbia High School graduate.

"The weight room is very important to any football program’s success," says Barnett. "I have a good friend, a lot of people know him as the rapper Future. He has supported me throughout my endeavors and he asked me what did we need as a program, and I asked for a weight room. In a month’s time frame, he got it done for us. Now I can’t keep the kids out of the weight room, so I am very appreciative of that."

Barnett took over at Columbia before the COVID-plagued 2020 season. He appears to have things turned around and the sky seems to be the limit. It’s heartfelt and the players can tell. This is Greg Barnett’s home and to borrow the slogan of the Southeastern Conference, “It Just Means More.”

"It means a lot," says Barnett. “Practicing on the same practice field, walking the same halls and putting on those colors, it definitely means a little bit more. Rallying the community behind us, along with some of my former teammates, makes me proud. It makes you want to just keep it going. We have always had the talent, but now we are putting some wins with that talent. "

This week the Columbia Eagles will host Woodland-Stockbridge, which beat New Manchester 25-6 in its opener.  

This week Football Fridays In Georgia will feature Crisp County at Westlake. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on the Great GPB!