Apalachee coach says first win since 2021 was ‘just a relief’

Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Apalachee coach Kevin Saunders, whose team defeated Chattahoochee 29-9 on Saturday to end the Wildcats’ 29-game losing streak. Saunders, who holds a 193-103 career record as a head coach in four states, was hired in late March. Apalachee is his fourth Georgia team, each a rebuilding job. Saunders was Gilmer’s coach in 2019 when Gilmer ended a 31-game losing streak. Apalachee’s last victory had been Nov. 5, 2021. Apalachee was 0-8 last season and canceled two of its games in the aftermath of a September school shooting that took the lives of two teachers and two students.

1. What does this victory mean to the team and for the spirit of the players and community?

“It meant a lot to the community and these kids. It had been a long time, and the school has been through a rough patch both on and off the field. The kids really needed it. There’s talent at this school. That’s one reason I took this job. The kids have a good work ethic, and the school and administration are really behind the program, which makes it fun to watch. We were really ready for the game Friday, and then lightning held us back [the first delay occurring during warm-ups, ultimately postponing the game until Saturday]. I didn’t know how they’d handle that after getting up for the game, but they got their minds ready to play. We had a good student population at the game and a good amount of fans, and they got to celebrate in victory after the game, which was great for everybody.”

2. What’s been the response to the victory? How have people expressed what it means?

“I got handshakes by people I hadn’t met yet. Students that aren’t in my class come up to me and say thank you. They were thanking all the players. It was very emotional for a lot of the kids. There were lots of tears shed by players and students and families. Once Chattahoochee left the field, I just stood back and watched it. We let the community come down on the field. It was a very emotional happening. It was a lot of people hugging and saying thank you and I appreciate what you’ve done. These kids just want to be normal. They just want to play ball. They don’t want to be known for losing 29 games. This was the first win since 2021, and then you pile on top of that the tragedy we had, it’s just a relief to get some normalcy.”

3. What do you feel has been the most important thing you and your staff have done to get the program in a better place?

“Having a new coach staff has helped. We kept only two from the previous staff, and one had only been here a year, and the other is now my director of football operations. We brought in new coaches that had no attachment to the school and community, and the kids have enjoyed that part. Everything is new for them. That’s helped a lot. I felt that was something that was really important for this school. I brought in two coaches who played for me (Tre Pinkney and Jaquavious Jones) when I was at Pebblebrook (from 2015 to 2018) when we turned around that program. These guys know how to win and turn a program around from a player’s perspective and have been really good at relating to the players. I have a couple of former head coaches (defensive coordinator Chuck Kenyon and special teams coordinator Kyle Hutchison). This staff is a good combination of older and younger, and they’ve gelled really well with the kids. It might be the best staff I’ve ever been around.”