Since coach Lee Shaw arrived ahead of the 2012 season, the Rabun County Wildcats have improved their record each season. In 2017, they won their first 14 games before coming up short in the Class AA finals, the only championship appearance in school history. They were led by senior quarterback Bailey Fisher, who shattered almost every passing record in program history in addition to being named an AJC Player of the Year nominee and Class AA offensive player of the year.
Given that the Wildcats graduated Fisher and 13 other seniors, it wouldn’t be unfair to expect somewhat of a drop-off from last season’s success. Yet, when Shaw talks about 2018 expectations, they’re as high as they’ve ever been and he doesn’t flinch when proclaiming the goal.
“It’s to win a state championship,” Shaw said. “That’s our goal. It was our goal the previous year. We want to find a way to beat the teams that need to be beaten and to get to the level of play needed to get that ring. That’s why we work hard — to bring a state title to Rabun County.”
While the Wildcats lose a lot of talent, plenty remains. All-state honorable mention Austin Jones, who plays receiver and defensive back, returns along with WR/DB Braxton Hicks and defensive tackle Shawn Lovell among others.
But the obvious question is who replaces Fisher? The answer, if all goes according to offseason plans, is Gunner Stockton, who will be a freshman in 2018. Stockton, who stands at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, is not the average freshman. Football is in his bloodline. He’s the son of Wildcats defensive coordinator Rob Stockton, who played for Georgia Southern from 1992-95 and was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2008.
Stockton came up through Rabun County’s feeder program and knows Shaw’s up-tempo, pass-heavy spread offense and has been groomed for this opportunity for some time. And unlike Fisher, who started three years, Stockton could be a four-year starter, meaning he could break Fisher’s school passing records.
“He’s a very humble kid but he’s also competitive,” Shaw said. “Like any competitor, he wants to break the last person’s record. He wants to be the best in Rabun County history and he’ll have a chance to do some special things. But as talented as he is and despite how good I feel about where he’ll take us, he still hasn’t played on a Friday night.”
That’s what the offseason is for — to prepare the team so that it will be ready for Friday nights. The Wildcats will begin spring practice on May 2 and will have 13 days to get in 10 practices, per GHSA bylaws. Spring practice will conclude on May 18 with an intrasquad scrimmage.
“We’ll work on developing individual skill sets, fundamentals, efficiency and playing at a fast pace,” Shaw said.
The Wildcats open the season 229 miles from campus, when they play Bremen in the Erk Russell Classic at Georgia Southern’s Paulson Stadium on August 18.
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