GHSF Daily asked Georgia head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.
Mike McDonald, Newnan
1. What is the most memorable game you've been a part of as a player or coach?"As a player, it would have to be the 1987 state AAAA championship game vs. Effingham County played at Tara Stadium. [McDonald was a defensive back for Morrow.] Great atmosphere and a great night for Clayton County football! [Morrow won 21-0.] There have been a lot of memorable games as a coach, but a couple really stand out. One was 1995 Forest Park vs. Valdosta quarterfinal game also played at Tara Stadium. We won [22-21] on a field goal that night, and it was only the second field goal we had made all year. The 2009 Newnan vs. Grayson quarterfinal game. We won a really tough, physical game that night 9-7. Alec Ogletree made a great one-handed catch in the end zone and also blocked a last-second field goal to help seal the win." [Morrow's 1987 state-championship team was the first from metro Atlanta to win the highest class in 15 years. It remains Clayton County's most recent state title.]
2. Which high school coach would you want your son to play for, and why?"There are too many good coaches that I have worked with or coached against to name just one. Two coaches had a huge impact on my life. Danny Langford at Morrow Junior High was a tough, in-your-face kind of guy. A lot of that old stuff about sucking it up and trying hard that we learned from Coach Langford sure has stuck with me throughout my life. We all loved to play for Coach Langford. Mike Creasman was my secondary coach at Morrow High School. He later went on to be the head coach at Stockbridge, Berrien and Dutchtown High School. After retiring from public education some years ago to get more involved with his church, I have heard that he will be back on the sidelines this fall at Strong Rock Christian n Locust Grove. Coach Creasman was a great man that I learned way more from than just how to play defensive back! Coach Creasman had a huge impact on my life and really gave all who played for him a great role model to look up to!"
3. What is your favorite saying/motto?"Winning is not a sometime thing: It's an all-the-time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. - Vince Lombardi."
4. Which GHSA policy or high school football rule would you most like to see changed?"With the GHSA allowing spring games to once again take place, I wish they would allow two-three more practice days during spring practice. Spring practice should be about fundamentals and teaching! How much of that are we going to lose because now you will have to game-plan for an opponent. I think coaches are really going to have to be careful about who they scrimmage with. Is a spread team going to want to play a Wing-T team? If you really look at it, you will only have eight practices to try and get ready for a game. How much fundamental time and teaching time will be lost because you're worried about trying to stop the G-Belly or the bucksweep so you don't get embarrassed in a scrimmage. I think an additional three practices would really be beneficial!"
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