The Georgia Military Prep Bulldogs are coming off a historic 2021 season on the gridiron.
They went 10-1 overall last season enroute to capturing the GHSA Region 7A-Public title, their first region championship since 1960. It also marked GMC Prep’s first double-digit win season since 1934, which is when former University of Georgia great Wally Butts was roaming the sidelines in Milledgeville.
Entering his fourth year, head coach Lee Coleman was proud of the team’s accomplishments.
“It’s been a while since there has been a season like that,” he said. “We were the first team (in school history) to finish the regular season undefeated.”
The Bulldogs had one of the best defenses in Class A-Public last year, limiting opponents to about six points per contest. They ended up making the state playoffs, but lost to a talented Manchester team in the first round.
It was a somber end to such a successful season, but the Bulldogs have been grinding ever since. After losing only four seniors, they enjoyed a great spring, wrapping up practice and workouts in May.
For the past month, GMC has been holding summer workouts, plus participating in padded and 7-on-7 camps. According to Coleman, taking part in these types of camps has helped change the culture around the program, exactly as intended.
“The first thing I wanted to do was change the culture my first year,” Coleman confirmed. “I told those guys that the losing is stopping. I’m a competitor and I hate losing. That was the mentality. We had to set the standard. It is not going to be losing, and this is how we are going to do things. If they didn’t want to do these things, then I told them (former players) that the program wasn’t for them.”
Coleman said the reaction was well-received by GMC players overall.
“I had a bunch of kids buy in, which I think contributed to the first year when we went 3-7,” he said. “I saw improvement when we were getting our heads beat in. You could see them buying in and showing up, even when we were getting embarrassed. They kept showing up. And last year’s senior class leadership was phenomenal. That’s the result of the change of culture. Both our kids and staff alike did a great job of believing in the new standard.”
The GMC Bulldogs return 24 players from last season’s team, which Coleman calls “a good problem.” This group is now tasked with carrying on that standard and repeating as region champions, while also seeking a return to the state playoffs.
However, Coleman highlighted that this squad needs a few leaders to step up. He believes he’s seen potential in some players, but he needs them to be more vocal. Coleman is looking at his sophomores and juniors to lead.
“Out of that senior class last year…they knew how to lead, which is what we lack the most right now,” he said. “That’s what I am going to miss the most about last year’s seniors. Their leadership was infectious, contagious and amazing.”
The fourth-year head coach said his current team doesn’t lack in the talent department, but no one has taken the initiative to lead quite yet.
New seniors Tyler Saunders, Caleb Bush and Camden Bentley are among the names Coleman mentioned as potential upperclassmen leaders. Even so, he is hoping that underclassmen such as Jessie Washington, Noah Williams and Jonathan Roach also step up and fill the void for the younger players.
“Those kids are good football players and they can be leaders, but they’re also quiet,” he said. “Jessie (Washington) is more of a leader. He is now trying to get the others to understand that they have to lead off the field as well as on the field. He gets that everyone is now paying attention to their actions and that other kids are going to follow what he’s been doing. He is trying to teach (his teammates) that they have a standard to uphold.”
One thing GMC can’t afford now is to get complacent. The Bulldogs main competition this upcoming season will be Class A juggernaut Johnson County, which moved from Region 4 after the GHSA reclassifications.
That’s why Coleman thinks it’s so important for his players to take these summer camps seriously. So far, the results have showed, especially at Baldwin’s 7-on-7 camp last Thursday. The Bulldogs left the field with a positive attitude.
“We’re not where we need to be right now, but we’re working towards it,” Coleman said. “This past 7-on-7 was a great experience for our guys. Last year we did an OK job, but this past one, we saw some things that need fixing. It was a great teaching moment.
“I told the guys ‘We’re fine, but we just need leadership.’ Now, they see they’re not invincible and aren’t the best thing since winning the region. The urgency has to step up and pick up.
“Before you know it, we will be in game one. Newflash: when you win 10 games, people take notice. We are no longer a GMC that teams are circling on the schedule because we’re an easy win. Now that we’ve won (that many) games, everyone wants to beat us,” he said.
“After that last 7-on-7, some guys started to realize that. The guys competed and are getting better. The vibe is urgency. We have a sense of urgency that we have to pick up.”
The GMC Prep Bulldogs will continue summer workouts following the GHSAmandated dead week to start July. They will then start fall practices next month before going on the road Aug. 19, to open the season against Wheeler County.