VIEWS - Coach Webb continues tradition of hard work

Patrick Conarro / Guest Columnist   -------------   Everybody loves a good encore.  And local high school football fans are hoping for one soon. How so?  Start with this. 2022 was a big year for Lumpkin County High School football head coach Heath Webb.
On January 4 last year Webb began teaching and coaching at LCHS. He took over a football program that had seen limited sporadic success. It had been 10 years since the last winning record.
Five different head coaches had been at LCHS in the preceding decade. Webb’s goal was to attain success and create stability. He was eager to take on the challenge. As it turned out, he and his staff delivered in year one.
Lumpkin’s head coach brings a pleasant blend of energy, enthusiasm, confidence and humility.
In an interview last week, Webb was asked about his first season at the helm of the team.
“Better than I expected,” was his concise reply. His Indians finished 8-3 overall. They played for the region championship and even hosted a playoff game. All of that was a huge step forward for the Lumpkin program. “By season’s end, I was very pleased,” he said.
In particular, he was pleased with the buy-in that he saw from his players—especially the small but stellar senior class.  Only nine seniors were on the roster last season, one of whom missed the entire schedule with a knee injury. But the remaining eight contributed far out of proportion to their numbers, including quarterback Cooper Scott, the Region 7-AAA player of the year.
Webb came in knowing that the Indians had that small senior class for 2022. And he also knew that rebuilding a football program “from the ground up” often takes several years to show much progress in the win column.
Eight wins in the first year. What was the secret? His answer: “Hard work pays off.”  It’s a phrase he repeats often, and his staff and players believe it too. Certainly 2022 was evidence of that belief.
And now the Indians are looking for more success ahead. Step one is to realize that last season is in the rear view mirror. Last year’s glory holds no promise for a great 2023 season.
What feeds the optimism then? How about a bigger roster and a bigger senior class, not to mention bigger players. Since that first day on campus back in 2022, Webb and his staff have encouraged—and really, insisted on—vigorous weight and nutrition plans to help maximize the football talent available at LCHS. It has worked. Hard work does pay off.
Last week, the varsity coaches formally recognized all the players in the program who had 100 percent attendance in scheduled offseason workouts. There were 52 players in that group, dubbed the Champions’ Club. Each player has gotten bigger and stronger, some dramatically so. That’s a substantial accomplishment and it makes Webb proud.
Of course, all by itself, such an off-season commitment doesn’t win a single game. But it speaks strongly to the type of sacrifices a big group has been willing to make. And over time it can predict success on future Friday nights in the fall.
Many high schoolers would rather spend their summers swimming, fishing, traveling, or just sleeping in and hanging out. It says much that 52 players did not miss a workout.
As for strategy, Webb has always endorsed the philosophy that he will fit his system to his available players, rather than the other way around. And with veteran players leaving and new players arriving and developing, some systems will need to be changed. In turn, that will change some people’s roles.
Which brings this question: How do you keep everyone happy?
Webb realizes that keeping everyone happy all the time is not possible. He quotes Nick Saban: “The only guy who makes everybody happy all the time is the guy who sells ice cream.” Point well-made.
Standout junior Cal Faulkner will move to quarterback this year, meaning he obviously will not be at wide receiver.  So there are transitions to be made. Both the offensive and defensive lines feature many returning players, and the kicking game should again be strong.
But above all else, Webb loves the deep commitment from his players and from the community. He still smiles at recalling the crowd support at the big win over Temple last fall.
“That’s the loudest crowd I’ve ever heard at an outdoor stadium!,” said Webb.
He and his players hope for more of that as they prepare to launch the 2023 season against Riverside Academy on August 18 in Gainesville.
They know that there will be challenges along the way, including a schedule with only four home games and an early Homecoming date (August 25 vs Union County).
But they will be playing with the confidence that thorough preparation brings. They know that the secret to success is really no secret at all. Hard work pays off.
It’s time to tee up that football.