Today’s interviewee is Casey Soliday, head coach of Irwin County, the defending Class A Public champion. Soliday was interim coach during Irwin’s 2019 champion run, filling in for Buddy Nobles, who stayed involved while battling terminal cancer, which took Nobles’ life in January. Soliday was Irwin’s defensive coordinator the past three seasons, and this will be his fifth season overall in Ocilla.
Casey Soliday, Irwin County head coach
1. Looking back on that team one more time, how would you put into words that magical 2019 season? “That team was so special. Not only were they talented, but they worked really hard and had good senior leadership that pushed everybody. That group had a very next-guy-up type of attitude, also. We started our season without D.J. Lundy [star fullback/linebacker, now at Florida State], and that forced a lot of other guys into action. We also played the championship game without three of our starters on defense, and one of them was a big part of our offense. That run last year could not have been any more special with all the adversity we had. For Coach Nobles, to win that big one here at Irwin and for that group of kids to give it to him was so special. So many moments that tugged on those heart strings and gave you goosebumps just thinking of them now.”
2. What are your prospects this season? “This team has all the tools to be special. It could be as good as last year. The mental side of the game and that desire to win another one has got to start to drive this team more. We have some good leaders on this team, like Kam Ward and Gabe Benyard, but we need to see this group start to hold others accountable more.”
3. What have been the challenges you’ve faced this offseason dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic? “There have been so many challenges this year, so many new things that as coaches we have to learn to do, and so many new things for these players to learn to do. Something as simple as getting water has a whole new procedure now. I worry about how far behind we are, not just in terms of football, but conditioning and the weight room. The spring is so important to us strength-wise, and missing that was big. Missing out on conditioning at that time was big. Missing days due to COVID protocols are big. This puts our kids behind in a game that is very physical and played at the hottest time of the year.” [Irwin County is one of several Georgia teams that have suspended practices temporarily at some point this summer.]
4. What are your expectations for how this season will play out, given all the uncertainty? “We are preparing as though it is going to start. The GHSA and superintendents have very difficult jobs. No one answer will make everybody happy. I believe that the GHSA wants to play, but I also believe that there will be games missed or seasons shortened. As coaches, it is tough because everybody has a different set of rules. Some protocols that shut one team down may not shut another team down. I am just looking forward to a safe and exciting season.”
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