Todd Holcomb, ace AJC writer covering high school football, made my day this week. Todd conducted a survey to determine the best coaches. He took votes on current and all-time best. Who voted? Coaches, of course. Anyway, the names of 3 Valdosta High coaches appeared. 
   After just one season at Valdosta, Rance Gillespie placed 8th on the current list. And what an outstanding job he did this year. Turned the 'Cats around quickly. Led'm to the state quarterfinals. Got'm back to playing exciting offense. He gets my HS Coach of the Year vote. 
   I owe Wright Bazemore so much, even though he retired two years before I would get to 9th grade. I was a safety on the 7th grade team, when Baze instructed Coach Waters to move me to QB. And I was lucky to have Coach Bazemore coaching me up at practice, when I did arrive in high school.  I loved his pro-set offense, which was ahead of the curve. His base running play was the fullback off tackle. He motioned the halfback towards a 1-or-2 WR set and threw it deep. His playmaker got the ball consistently in the quick pass. He got his QB on the edge with a run-pass option. 
   Baze won 14 state titles in 28 years. Amazing.
   Coach Hyder was more conservative with his play-calling, but showed us what an unselfish man he was by adopting the "Bazemore Offense", when he arrived. He taught us all about commitment and hard work. Nick implemented an off-season strength and conditioning program, which took place at 6 a.m. I can still hear him blow the whistle and say, "Gentlemen, we work, while the opponent sleeps." What a great lesson to learn as a young man. And he was a man of God. Preached to us everyday about priorities. And Coach Hyder was tough too. No one was going to call this man soft. He had us in full pads everyday, except the day before the game.
   Hyder won 6 titles in an eleven year span. He was amazing too.