After four seasons of incremental improvement under coach Matt LeZotte, the Richmond Hill football team took a huge step forward in 2019.
The Wildcats finished 9-4, the second-most wins in school history, trailing only the 10 produced by the school’s 2013 team. They dethroned three-time defending 2-AAAAAA champion Glynn Academy to capture their first region championship since 1996 and second in program history. And they defeated M.L. King, Lanier and powerhouse Valdosta in the playoffs for their first trip to the semifinals, where they were knocked out by Allatoona 17-14 in overtime.
Richmond Hill has come a long way since 2015, when LeZotte inherited a team that finished 2-8 the previous year. His first team doubled the win total and finished 6-4, then followed with a 7-3 season and playoff berth in 2017. The wins dropped back to five in 2018, but the Wildcats won a playoff game for the first time in five years. Then came the historic 2019 season.
Much of the success last year was driven by running back Jalen Rouse, who was named the region player of the year and was a first-team all-state selection. The Tennessee State signee rushed for 1,754 yards and 24 touchdowns on 248 carries (7.1 yards per carry) and had at least 124 yards in 10 of 13 games. Ashaud Roberson, who rushed for 526 yards and six touchdowns on 85 carries last season, could be in line to carry a big workload in Rouse’s absence.
“Jalen was a heck of a player,” LeZotte said. “His work ethic in the offseason leading into his senior year really prepared him to have a tremendous season. However, we feel really good about the players we have coming back on offense. Jalen‘s most valuable asset was the example that he set for his fellow teammates, especially the ones returning for the 2020 season. We will continue to adapt what we do to the personnel we have in place.”
Despite losing Rouse, Richmond Hill will bring back a lot of talent as it attempts to defend its region title. Of the nine players earning first-team all-region honors last season, only Rouse and linebacker Timmy Fortson, the team’s leading tackler, were seniors. Among the returnees is Nathan Vickers, the region’s defensive player of the year. Vickers put up big numbers as a junior, finishing with 57 solo tackles, 27 assists, 25 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and 17 QB hurries.
Other all-region first-team returnees are Roberson, who got the honor at the athlete position, wide receiver Isaiah Allen, offensive lineman Joe Fusile, defensive lineman Shaquan Brooks, and defensive backs Kenyan Hunter and Jordan Clark.
And while the sports world has been brought to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic, LeZotte remains optimistic that it won’t derail the Wildcats’ momentum.
“As a program, we have worked extremely hard to reach this point in our growth and development,” he said. “Prior to the break, we were stronger than we’ve ever been, faster than we’ve ever been, and as well-versed schematically as we’ve ever been. With that being said, we return a great group of players who I feel are intrinsically motivated to be successful in 2020. With that kind of motivation, I feel they are putting in the work and have the discipline to make sure we don’t skip a beat when we are given the green light to go. Our coaches have done a good job in maintaining communication with both sides of the ball and being involved in the educational process with all of our athletes. This is an unprecedented and unique situation, and I feel we are handling it as well as we possibly can. Regardless of what happens, Richmond Hill will be ready to go when we reach the point of return.”
*Coming Tuesday: A complete look at Region 2-AAAAAA
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