Today’s interviewee is Irwin County coach Casey Soliday, whose team successfully defended its Class A Public championship in 2020. Soliday is in his sixth season overall at Irwin. He became interim coach in 2019 and ultimately succeeded the late Buddy Nobles in 2020. He previously was on staffs at Turner County, Americus-Sumter, Perry and Henry County.
Casey Soliday, Irwin County head coach
1. Now that you’ve had time to let the 2020 season sink in, what was the legacy of last year’s team and season? “I believe it will be all the obstacles they had to overcome to get there. All teams had a time with COVID, but that summer and the beginning part of that season we were hit extremely hard with quarantines. These kids with good senior leadership overcame and did the things they had to do to stay in shape and learn a new offense. We lost a game early, then picked another game up with Cook County and had to play it without five of our best players. We learned a lot from that game. Then we had our region where three of the semifinalists for single A were from. Then through the playoffs, I believe it was our hardest playoff stretch ever. We had Wilcox County, who I believe was a top-five team, at home, then Commerce and Metter on the road. They’re top-five teams. Then we had to beat Brooks for a second time, which is extremely difficult to do. I hope the ‘want to’ and toughness of that group is passed down to these next classes.” [Irwin has reached the state finals six of the past seven seasons.]
2. What do you have coming back this season? Can Irwin contend for a state title again? “We have about five starters returning on defense, led by linebacker Nemo McCoy, along with Bryce Clements, Marcus Edwards, Eli Roberts and Matthew Payne. We have about five on offense, with Noah Brown, William Johnson, Toby Brown [who missed most of the 2020 season with a broken ankle] and Antawii Deans. Skill-wise, we have two back, with starting quarterback Cody Soliday along with Malachi Hadden. We can contend, but some players are going to have to really step up, and we’ve got to survive our tough non-region schedule so we can make it to our tough region schedule.” [Four of the top eight teams in the classification are in Irwin’s Region 2, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Irwin opens against Fitzgerald on Aug. 27.]
3. In what area do you feel like Irwin will be good this season, and what area gives you the most concern? “Many concerns right now until we get some games under our belt to figure out who should be where. Many new faces in the secondary and defensive line. I feel like we should be solid at the linebacker position. Offensively, our line will need to carry us until we figure out some skill position spots. It is really nice to have our quarterback back for a couple more years and a very good receiver. Offensively we have some guys that have been behind the Benyards [Garland and Gabe, now at Kennesaw State] and Kam Ward for a couple years. I am excited to see who will step up now that they have their chance.”
4. What teams do you expect to be the toughest in Class A Public this year? And what about them makes them formidable? “Brooks would have to be the favorite right now. They have many returners to that [state runner-up] team and are always talented at the skill position. Clinch will be good this year also because of their tradition. Wilcox will be tough along with Metter, who has many returners, and Charlton seems to be getting back to old times. You include Dublin and Lincoln and you got a talented pool of teams.”
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