Four questions with Lee County coach Dean Fabrizio

GHSF Daily asked each of Georgia's eight 2017 state-winning head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.

Dean Fabrizio, Class AAAAAA champion Lee County

1. With a full offseason to reflect, what is the most memorable or special thing that you take from your championship season? "The whole experience was a very special one. This will be my 10th year at Lee County, and I think the fact that I have known most of those seniors since they were in elementary school and have seen them grow up made it an even more special experience. The other thing was winning the championship right here in Leesburg on our home field. What an unbelievable atmosphere it was that night. Also, playing a region opponent for the championship in Coffee, whose coach Robby Pruitt I have known for a long time and have a great deal of respect for. This is the fourth year in a row the state champion has come from the region we have been in. The fact that it was an all-Region 1 final really made it a showcase to great South Georgia football. One other thing that made it so special was just how far we have come here at Lee County in the nine years I had been here. Lots of people thought you could never get close to winning a state championship at Lee, so to see all the hard work put in by so many people culminate in that championship was really special."

2. What did winning this championship teach you about what it takes to win a championship that you didn't already known? "I have been close to winning one several times, but this is the first state title I have been a part of. It really confirmed a lot of what I already thought. To win a state title you need great players, great assistant coaches and great support both from administration and community. And you need a little luck, too."

3. The 2017 finals had some controversies. One was the weather postponement of several games out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The other was a call in the Peach County-Calhoun game that sparked a debate about the use of instant replay. How would you critique the GHSA's handling of those situations? "The GHSA has a very tough job and is put in positions where it is impossible to make everyone happy. Dr. [Robin] Hines and his staff do an outstanding job. I feel they made a great call in putting safety first in postponing the games. I know there was a lot of controversy surrounding moving the games to home fields, but there really weren't many options with the weather postponements. They went by the rule that was in place and stuck by that. Obviously we benefited since we were able to host, but like I told our kids when we found out we wouldn't get to play in the Mercedes-Benz, 'We are playing for a state title and that is a special honor. It doesn't matter where. They tell us to play and we have to be ready.' The GHSA had moved the games from home fields to the Dome before I got to Georgia. In Florida, the state finals I coached in previously were at neutral sites (Doak Campbell and The Swamp). I have heard a lot of people talk about wanting to move the finals out of the Dome and back to home fields. I always kinda thought that the championships should be at the 'Big Stadium,' but after this past year's experience, I am a convert. The atmosphere at our stadium that night was unreal. In my opinion, you could not replicate that atmosphere any place but a high school stadium. Coffee brought a great crowd, and by all accounts everything went very well. Both sides were treated to a great game that night in an incredible atmosphere. I know a lot of people would think I am only saying that because we got to host it, but there is something special about walking out for pre-game warmup over an hour before game time to 12,000-plus people cheering, packed into a high school stadium that you just can't replicate in an NFL or major college stadium."

4. What's the outlook for your team this season? "We lost 41 seniors, so we have a lot to replace. We are looking at over 40 seniors again this year, though. Just like last year (and previous years) we aren't talking about state title. I know it sounds like coach speak, but we're just focusing on getting a little bit better every day. Shoot, with the non-region schedule we have and the brutal region we are in, you can't afford to look past anything."