GHSF Daily's Four Questions feature historically poses the same questions to a different Georgia head coach each issue. This season, head coaches are being asked Four Questions tailored to current events. Today's interviewee is Hebron Christian head coach Jeff Saturday, whose team won its first-ever playoff game last week in a 20-10 victory over Mount Paran Christian. Saturday played 15 years as an NFL center and made six Pro Bowls while with the Indianapolis Colts and still works as an NFL analyst for ESPN. This is his second season as Hebron's head coach.
Jeff Saturday, Hebron Christian head coach
1. What did the school's first playoff victory mean for your program, and what has been the response among your fans and community? "Just the sheer excitement and celebration of winning that first one in school history, it's been an awesome moment. It's the reward for all the hard work that started way back in the spring of last year. To taste the fruits of your labor was an incredible feeling for our kids because we haven't had that much success in the football program. We had not had that signature win. They've played so many close games with competitive teams and hadn't found that 'it' to get over the hump and win the big game. Our coaches did a fantastic job with the game plan. I'm proud of the way our players played. They gave it their all. As for the school, we have a new head of school, Dr. Tracey Pritchard, and principal, Matt Annett, and they're doing a great job supporting us and helping get the program to where we all want it to be, which is making deep runs in the playoffs and hopefully winning championships."
2. You've had three near-misses against really good teams (Clinch County, Commerce, Athens Academy). Similar story last year, too. How has that affected the team? "We talk about it all the time, about being battled-tested. We play in the best region in the state as far as our classification goes. We're going to face high-quality opponents regularly. It's clearly evident to us the type of teams you have to beat if you want to compete for a state title. As we progressed and saw ourselves get so close, the kids talked about it. They were tired of getting so close and never getting over it. We had a good week of practice. We were down 3-0 and then 10- 3 in the fourth quarter, and it was a question of whether we were willing to dig deep and push for this thing, and the kids did. They were not going to be denied. I was proud of that response. They believed in each other, and we finally saw them executive it to perfection to get the victory." [Hebron Christian had been 0-17 against ranked teams, including 0-6 this season, a testament to a strong schedule. Four of those losses this season were by 10 points or less.]
3. What led you to Hebron Christian and to being a high school head football coach? After leaving the NFL, did you quickly know what you wanted to do, and how did that evolve? "I knew that I was going to coach because I coached my kids - Jeffrey, Savannah, Joshua - even when I was playing in the NFL. I wanted to be a part of all three of my kids' sports experience, whether it be football, soccer, basketball, you name it. I look back at the coaches that I played for and wanted to make the same contribution, not just for my kids, but kids in the community. I have so much respect for what coaches do and the impact they have in molding kids into great community leaders. And I'm from a family of teachers. My mom, sister and aunt have all been teachers. I'm so proud to be a part of the high school community. It's where we need the best of the best, and I'm a small part of that group of people. It's a calling that I have, and I'm grateful to do it at a Christian school where I can share my faith."
4. What are your own best memories of high school football when you were at Shamrock? "I was part of a program that struggled to win but then got to where it was competitive in the region. We were 7-3 the last two years. We went to the playoffs one year and played Lakeside, which knocked us out. Even though we lost, it was special. Lakeside had a great player, T.J. Johnson, and went on to play for the state title. I have good memories of those Friday night locker rooms with the guys and so many great coaches. Coach [Ron] Gartrell was my head coach. Coach [Mike] East was my defensive coach. Coach [Cookie] Ramos was the line coach. Cookie has passed away, but I still talk to all my high school coaches. There's not a purer form of football than in high school." [Shamrock closed in 1995, having played just that one playoff game in its 29-year history. Lakeside beat Shamrock that year, in 1991, and went on to the Class AAA championship. T.J. Johnson would play at Georgia Tech. Saturday would play at North Carolina.]
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