The Valdosta Wildcats have won 24 state championships. That’s more than any team in the country. No wonder they call their hometown “Winnersville.” The South Gwinnett Comets have won two region championships. That’s in the program’s entire 67-year history.

FFIG

Tonight’s GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia at South Gwinnett Community Stadium in Snellville is a historical mismatch. But that’s not unusual for any team that lines up opposite the Wildcats. Fortunately for the Comets there are no time-traveling DeLoreans or no space-time continuum travel for the Wildcats. They bussed the 248 miles from South Georgia to Gwinnett County.

That’s not to say this year’s version of the Wildcats isn’t reason for concern. In his fourth season as Valdosta’s head coach Shelton Felton has slowly put the pieces back together after the Coach Rush Propst scandal left the program on the rocks and banned then from the playoffs by the GHSA for the 2021 season. It’s the only time in the last 15 seasons the Wildcats haven’t reached the GHSA postseason and just the fourth time in the last 49 years.

By contrast the Comets have missed the playoffs four of the last five seasons and haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. So by now you might be asking why is this the GPB Sports Game of the Week?

That’s because for the first time since the days of legendary Coach T. McFerrin, South Gwinnett could be poised to make some noise here in 2024. Led by Coach Bryan Lamar it’s been a slow build for one of the finest and most respected coaches in the state. Lamar twice led Tucker to the state finals and in fact played Valdosta for the title in 2016 in what was the Wildcats 24th state championship and most recent championship game appearance out of their 30 all-time.

But things have been tougher in Snellville and Lamar has gone about the task of building up numbers and quality depth in the program and instilling in those players the mental toughness to compete against the power teams in Gwinnett County and the state. Tonight will be a big test for the 3-0 Comets and the 27 seniors and 34 juniors to see how far they’ve come before diving into region play next week.

The Wildcats are off to a 4-0 season start, ranked ninth in this week’s GPB Sports 6A Top 10 and have outscored their first four opponents 198-69. They are 20-7 since that humbling 2021 probation season that Felton says is now in the rear view. They are a hardscrabble, rough and tumble, lightning fast, hard-hitting team reflective of their coach’s personality, the first African American coach in Valdosta history. An honor Coach Felton doesn’t take lightly.

So put down your history books. The only history that will matter tonight will be the 48 minutes that are played on GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia.

So that’s the game story. Here’s the many top prospects to watch tonight on GPB.

Valdosta Wildcats

Seniors

Todd Robinson, Valdosta

Todd Robinson, Valdosta

Credit: 247 Sports

Todd Robinson – 6-0, 190, Senior – Committed to Georgia June 10th over 16 other offers including Alabama and Florida State – Highest Rating On3 Recruiting 4-Star and No. 7 ATH (Wildcats QB) in the country 2025.

Nykobi Brown – 6-3, 252, Senior OLB/DE (Wildcats Jack LB) – Committed to UConn June 24th over four other offers including Troy and Western Kentucky.

Juniors

Jaylon Copeland – 6-0, 175, Junior – Highest Rating Rivals 3-Star CB – 16 Offers including Florida A&M, Georgia State, Western Kentucky and Georgia Southern.

Prince Jean – 6-0, 176, Junior – Highest Rating Rivals 3-Star ATH (Wildcats WR) - Nine Offers including Alabama, Auburn, UCF, and Georgia Tech.

Camron Brown – 6-1, 172, Junior CB (Wildcats STAR) – 10 offers including Georgia Tech, UCF, Georgia State and Georgia Southern.

Corey Howard – 6-5, 235, Junior Edge (Wildcats DE) – Offered by UAB.

Sophomores

Deron Foster – 5-8, 171, Sophomore RB – Six offers including FAU, UCF, and Maryland.

Marquis Fennell – 5-9, 175, Sophomore ATH (Wildcats WR) – Offered by Georgia State and Florida A&M.

 

South Gwinnett Comets

Seniors

Jaiden Braker, South Gwinnett

Jaiden Braker, South Gwinnett

Credit: 247 Sports

Jaiden Braker – 6-4, 215, Senior – Committed to LSU July 31st after originally committing to South Carolina over 15 other offers including Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Georgia – Consensus 3-Star LB.

Jackson Cook – 6-2, 190, Senior – Committed to Kansas June 21st over 8 other offers including UConn and Maryland – Consensus 3-Star WR.

Jalen Shivers – 6-4, 250, Senior – Committed to SMU April 6th over 11 offers including Georgia Southern and App State – 3-Star Edge (Plays DE for the Comets).

Jarrad Turner – 5-9, 165, Senior WR – Six offers including Georgia Tech, Alabama State and Wright State.

Tyquan Smith – 6-4, 310, Senior OL – Committed to Concord University.

Michael Anderson – 6-0, 275, Senior OL – Seven offers including Morehouse and Reinhardt.

Jaden Holder – 6-2, 200, Senior Safety – Committed to Wesleyan University August 20th.

Juniors

Mycah Mitchell – 6-3, 215, Junior DE – Offered by Indiana, Miami-Ohio, and Buffalo.

Terrence Penick – 6-3, 200, Junior LB 4.6 (40) – Offered by Indiana and Morehouse.

Zedrick Patterson – 6-0, 215, Junior LB – Four offers including Miami-Ohio, Liberty, and FAU.

Evin McDowell – 6-2, 175, Junior CB – Offered by Miami-Ohio and Eastern Kentucky.

Desmonte Brown – 5-11, 170, Junior WR – Offered by Miami-Ohio.

 

So, join Wayne Gandy, Jon Nelson, Hannah Goodin and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the 6A No. 9 Valdosta Wildcats play at the 3-0 South Gwinnett Comets. Remember at halftime Hannah will highlight this week’s Make That Kid an Offer nominees.

You can watch Football Fridays in Georgia in so many ways. You have traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch.

Now if somehow, you miss it live or just want to watch it again, don’t worry, we replay the entire Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week at 11:15 p.m. or you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org. 

Enjoy your September 13, 2024, Football Friday in Georgia!