Less than two years ago Nick Garrett arrived on the campus of Riverside Military Academy and said he felt the foundation and support to build a consistent winning football program already were in place.
It’s not that no one wanted to believe him, but in an ultra-competitive Region 8-A and with limited summer practice and one of the smaller rosters in Class A, it seemed a steep uphill climb for a program that had not sniffed the playoffs in nearly a decade.
However, a shocking win over then-No. 6 Commerce three weeks ago in the final subregion game helped propel the Eagles to their first playoff appearance since 2009.
Now, after last week’s stunning 24-14 win over No. 10 seed George Walton Academy in the first round of the Class A Private playoffs -- their first ever in Georgia High School Association play -- Garrett and Riverside find themselves as one of the feel-good Cinderella stories of the entire state. The Eagles (6-5) now have won five of their last seven games, with both losses coming to No. 3 Prince Avenue Christian.
Do we believe him now?
AccessWDUN’s Jeff Hart caught up with Garrett this week to talk about how they managed to pull off perhaps the biggest first-round upset of the entire playoffs and what lies ahead. The Eagles, a No. 23 seed, take on No. 7 seed Fellowship Christian on Friday in Roswell in the second round of the Class A Private playoffs
QUESTION: Coach, first off, what a tremendous win last week. Did y’all consider that as big of an upset as many around the state? Also, what was the mood like in the locker room afterward?
ANSWER: Well, others around the state, I’m sure, think it was a huge upset and I can see that. Riverside had never won a playoff game and (George Walton) was ranked in the top 10. But honestly, we felt going in we could compete with them and felt we had a real chance to win the game. I think one of the big things that had a huge impact was that (senior) Khalid (Duke) got up and spoke to the team about playing for each other and making history. I didn’t know it at the time, and now I see why it was a big deal, Khalid rarely gets up in front of the team. He leads with his play and work ethic. So when he got up to speak, everyone listened. It obviously had a big impact on the younger kids.
As for afterward, the kids obviously were very excited. They waited, though, until they got back to the locker room and just went crazy. It was a lot of fun to be around. We have a saying in our locker room, “A vision with no belief is a waste of time.” They had the vision. Now they have the belief.
Q: You did say last week when we talked that you felt this team was capable of pulling off the upset. What was the strategy among the coaches and players coming into the game?
A: We have to give a lot of credit to our defensive coordinator Jason Pleasant. They had a great plan to eliminate the gaps with the linebackers to try and take away their big plays. Our linebackers made plays, the (defensive) front did a great job of opening things up for our linebackers. We forced them to throw the ball and that really played into what our strengths are.
On offense, our plan was to try and stretch the field so that we could open up the run game. They executed it perfectly and did a great job all night. (Running back) Jordan (Battles) had a huge game (191 yards rushing).
Q: What, in your mind, was the key play or sequence that helped get that first-ever playoff win?
A: I think there were three major things in that game. First, Jordan had multiple big runs in the game and kept their defense on its heels most of the night. Second, Khalid perfectly executed a fake punt on a 4th-and-8. He popped off a 45-yard run and that set up a huge touchdown for us. Third, (sophomore defensive back) J.T. Thomas just had a monster game. He really stepped up. He had a forced fumble and recovery on a big George Walton run that turned the momentum. He also had two big pass breakups, and one of them was probably a touchdown if he doesn’t make the play. J.T. hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time on but we had an injury and he was forced to play more. Sometimes it just seems like fate lends a hand.
Q: Defensively y’all have been pretty stout over the past two months (19 points or less allowed six times with two shutouts in a seven-game span) take away one half against No. 3 Prince Avenue. Has that been the key to the turnaround this season and what or who has been the catalyst?
A: I think the defense is the strength of our team. Coach Pleasant has them prepared every week and they work extremely hard to get better each week. When you can hold teams to 21 points or less, it gives you a better chance to find some offense and win the game. I don’t know if has been any one thing or person. I just think it’s that they play well together and have a desire to win.
Q: Fellowship Christian leads the state in rushing (sophomore Murphy Reeves in 2nd in Class A with 1,702 yards and 18 touchdowns). You knocked off Commerce earlier and then George Walton last week, two predominantly heavy rushing teams. Does that play to your strengths, especially since you now have success and believe that you can beat the top teams?
A: Fellowship is a very disciplined team. They don’t make a lot of mistakes, they don’t throw much, they play sound defense. Obviously, we’re going to have to stop the run and make them throw the ball against our secondary, which we feel is the strength of our defense. The kids have had success of being able to slow teams down so it will just come down to how we execute. But if we execute like we have been the last couple of months I think we have a chance.
Q: George Walton was a fellow Region 8-A team. Six Region 8-A teams advanced last week and will be playing in the second round. How good is this region and how much did playing such a tough region schedule prepare y’all for the playoffs?
A: To me, in my two years here, and getting a look at Georgia football, I think is by far the toughest region in Class A and one of the best regions in any classification in the state. You play so many talented teams each week it’s hard not to be prepared for the playoffs. I’m not surprised at all that there are still that many teams left.
Q: Finally coach, you have 19 seniors on this team. Talk about this group and how much they mean to you personally and to the program and its future success.
A: It’s a special class. In my 15 years of coaching it is one of the most driven groups I’ve ever seen. I’ve just been blown away with how they take on the pressure and challenge and encourage their teammates to keep them going and to help them improve. Stephen Aleandre got up and gave an emotional speech to the group. Basically, he told the younger guys that no matter how long we go (in the playoffs) this is their program and we’re passing it on to you. Take care of it and move it forward for the next group. There weren’t too many dry eyes. He’s the heartbeat of the team and the kids listen to him. The coaches could see that the younger guys took it to heart.
