By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

By B.J. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor

SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor B.J. Bennett takes a look at Titletown USA, Valdosta, Georgia. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin. Become a fan of us on Facebook at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

Small southern towns are always known for something. From the World Grits Festival and The Okra and Chitlin’ Strut in South Carolina, to the RC and Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle, Tennessee to the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, folks in the south have passionate interests that are deeply intertwined in their history and upbringing.

Dothan, Alabama has deemed themselves the “Peanut Capital of the World”. Careful where you mention that though; Ashburn and Blakely, Georgia share that title as well. While Spinach, Strawberries and Watermelons are also squabbled over, Stuttgart, Arkansas wears a less common crown: the “Rice and Duck Capital of the World”. Lexington, Kentucky, home of the world’s most famous derby, is the “Horse Capital of the World”. Don’t confuse that with Columbia, Tennessee, however, the “Mule Capital of the World”.

Breaux Bridge, Louisiana stands as the “Crawfish Capital of the World”, while Belzoni, Mississippi claims to be the “Catfish Capital of the World”. The battle for bass is a more touchy subject; good luck deciding between the anglers in Eufaula, Alabama and Palatka, Florida.

Being the best is quite the claim around here. People in the south will fight to be the leader in just about anything. In High Point, North Carolina, they’ll come to fists over furniture. In Dalton, Georgia, you better talk nice about their carpet. In Malvern, Arkansas, bricks bring out applause. Tarpon Springs, Florida considers themselves the “Sponge Capital of the World”, no holes in that claim, while Fort Payne, Alabama enjoys the comfy title “Sock Capital of the World”. Write it down, Shelbyville, Tennessee is your home for pencils in the USA. Say it don’t spray it, Albertville, Alabama is the “Fire Hydrant Capital of the World”. Folks jump for joy in southern Louisiana where Rayne is the “Frog Capital of the World”. Bet the bugs aren’t bad there.

In Tampa, Florida, locals consider the bay area the “Lightening Capital of the World”. Oddly enough, just 20 miles down the road in St. Petersburg, it’s sunshine that best describes the region.

From dirt and rocks to bourbon and whiskey, folks in the south take the streets to celebrate their specialties with various carnivals, jubilees and good ole-fashioned ho-downs throughout the year. Folks in Valdosta, Georgia take to the field.

The makeshift capital of the southern portion of the Peach State, Valdosta is one of the few places in the southeast where Friday evening trumps Saturday afternoon. College football is without question important there as Valdosta is located just an hour north of Tallahassee and is home to one of the most powerful Division II programs in the nation, but, high school football is the catalyst of this community. In 2008, ESPN named tiny Valdosta Titletown, USA. Fans in south Georgia appreciated the attention, but, with no disrespect to the worldwide leader, they had felt this way for years. Valdosta’s official nickname for quite some time has been Winnersville. Either description works. 

In many southern towns, there is a big high school football stadium, Valdosta, home to both Valdosta High School and Lowndes County High School, has two. The Wildcats routinely play in front of crowds of 11,000 or more while the Vikings often push capacity to over 10,000. Together, the two powerhouse programs have won 28 state championships. Valdosta High, the winningest high school program in the nation, has 23 of those state titles and has won six national championships. The ‘Cats have a record 845 career wins, an 80% winning percentage. Lowndes, who has taken control of the series in recent years, has won state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2007.

Valdosta High School has their own Walk of Pride, their own museum and a booster organization that rivals those of small colleges. On their website, game tapes dating back to the 1952 and 1953 Peanut Bowls are for sale. In many towns, high schools are fortunate enough to get to play in larger college stadiums. In Valdosta, it’s the other way around. The aforementioned Division II power Valdosta State Blazers play in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Former ‘Cats include former veteran NFL kicker Todd Peterson, Clemson and Kansas City Chiefs receiver Stan Rome, Georgia Tech and New York Giants defensive lineman Coleman Rudolph, Georgia and Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Brice Hunter, former national championship winning quarterback at Georgia Buck Belue and former SEC passing leader at Kentucky Dusty Bonner.

“Valdosta is the winningest high school football team in America. Our record is 782-160-33,” then head coach Mike O’Brien told the media in 2001. “To put that into a better perspective for you, we could lose every game for the next 60 years and still have a winning percentage above .500. Of course if this were to occur, I would no longer be the coach.”

This proud history was started by legendary coach Wright Bazemore, a a Fitzgerald, Georgia-native who forever changed football in a town now nationally-known for its gridiron obsession. After his career was interrupted early by World War II and service in the North Atlantic, Bazemore returned to Valdosta and furthered a legitimate football dynasty before retiring early at age 55.

“I cried when he quit, because it meant my son would never play for him,” former touchdown club president David Waller told Sports Illustrated in 1988. “I played for him in the late 1940s, and I still consider it one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

A former state championship winner for Bazemore and a college football player at Southeast Missouri State, Michael McMillan told SI about his experience playing for the Wildcats.

“I scored my first college touchdown in Soldier Field in Chicago, and it wasn’t anything close to the thrill I felt when I scored here. Nowhere close. I’d give my whole college career just to play one more game in a Wildcat uniform, and that’s not just me. That’s anyone who ever wore that uniform. I promise you, that’s true,” he explained.

At nearby Lowdnes High School, the Vikings, who just began play in the late 1960s, have emerged as a consistent state contender since the mid 1990s. Lowndes first won a state championship in 1980, but has begun to bypass rival Valdosta as one of the premier teams in the state in recent years. Lowndes went 29-1 in 2004-2005 and 26-2 in 2007-2008, winning three state championships in that stretch. Top booster level access at Lowdnes is $600 a year, and that doesn’t pay for your tickets. NFL veteran linebacker Randall Godfrey and current Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tackle Jay Ratliff are among the standout alumns of this powerful program. 

In 2009, Lowndes handed Valdosta their worst lost in school history, winning 57-15 on their home turf. Days later, VHS head coach Rick Tomberlin was fired.

Valdosta-Lowndes is arguably the premier high school football rivalry in the nation. Known as the “Winnersville Classic”, this series annually gathers more than 15,000 people for one of the most impressive prep sports spectacles held in the United States. Fans stuff southern football cathedrals, creating a bowl game type atmosphere that draws media from hundreds of miles away. The facilities are top-notch, the bands as large as you will find, the sidelines packed with current and former college stars. Thousands of fans setup tents hours before kickoff, creating a traffic jam that extends miles down the road right after school gets out. No series in the game, even at the college level, better encompasses what football means to this part of the country. 

“We deserve to be recognized as TitleTown USA,” the former Viking Godfrey told the Valdosta Daily Times. “We have the winningest high school in America, and if you look at the state of Georgia, and its high school football, its right here in Lowndes County. We have to get recognized. I don’t think this is going on anywhere else in the nation. I think we deserve it.”

Winnersville success isn’t just limited to Valdosta and Lowndes. As mentioned above, Valdosta State has won two national championships and has become a landing ground of sorts for Division I transfers and breeding ground for young, elite coaches. Former Georgia Southern head coach Chris Hatcher, former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach, former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme, current Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and current Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart have all had stops at VSU. Five-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jesse Tuggle of the Atlanta Falcons played for the Blazers. GISA member Valwood School, of whom this author’s father is an alum, along with the Georgia Christian School, have had major success on the gridiron as well. 

This south Georgia city, charming and filled with history, is in some ways stuck in an earlier time. Friends still gather at small town diners like Bynum’s on North Ashley Street. “Bynum’s has been around for many years. They offer breakfast and lunch only. For breakfast try the fried egg sandwich. Just the right amount of mayo and crispy bacon! Lunch is a meat-and-3-sides affair. I’ve never been disappointed and you won’t be either! Prices are great and the waitstaff treats you like your mom would,” exclaimed an online review.

Here questions about where you went to school shouldn’t be answered with college degrees or university stints, the donning of a gold or silver helmet is your passage into manhood and letter jackets are the only wardrobe fixture that’s good yearround. 

“I’m overwhelmed,” ESPN reporter Wendi Nix said at the Titletown event that the network televised. “It’s such a privilege to be here, and be in a place that has so much pride in who they are and what they do. It’s nice to see there is still a place like this.”

Little Valdosta, Georgia has lamented its place on the map. And unlike many small southern towns, it’s not just a few miles off the interstate or a few minutes off the highway, either. Fans, football purists from around the country, know of the passion, enthusiasm and cultural relevancy of football in Lowndes County. Every small town in the south prides themselves on being the best at this or the first to do that. Local southern communities take part in various carnivals, celebrations and parades throughout the year, gathering once a year to commemorate what makes their area special. As for the folks in Valdosta, they get together once a week.

…..

Share your thoughts on the SouthernPigskin.com Message Boards or email us at [email protected]