Jackson County's staff ready for taste

Posted: Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Terence Lott is embarking on a new journey. This Friday will mark the first time he gets to experience coaching a regular-season football game in Georgia.

The Jackson County offensive coordinator and assistant coach moved to Georgia a few months ago to work under head coach Billy Kirk. The two met each other while coaching at Center Hill High School in Olive Branch, Miss., and instantly clicked.

Lott, who has goals of becoming a college coach, knew that Kirk's connections could eventually open doors for him. The decision to pick up and move from everything he once knew was difficult, but Lott said he's ready for the challenge.

In the year the tandem coached together in Mississippi, Lott heard countless stories from Kirk about what high school football is like in Georgia. The Mississippi native got a small taste of the differences last Friday when Jackson County competed in a scrimmage game against West Hall.


So how does Georgia high school football measure up?

Lott said that Georgia has better strength and conditioning and coaching, while Mississippi has better athletes and speed. And Kirk, who grew up in Cobb County and left Georgia for Mississippi to gain experience as a head coach, feels the same way.

"Mississippi football has some of the best athletes I've ever seen in my life," Kirk said.

While most Georgia high schools can produce one to two Division I athletes a year, Kirk said that Mississippi schools can average about eight to nine athletes at the Division I level.

The talent pool in Mississippi is deep, and Kirk believes the number of athletes with talent can be attributed to socioeconomics.

"For a lot of kids in Mississippi, football is their way out," Kirk said. "There's a ton of kids on NFL rosters and college rosters from Mississippi. They have huge numbers of athletes. But a lot of them don't have any home lives.

"Georgia has the family values. In Mississippi, a lot of these kids live in shacks. There's a lot of free and reduced lunch out there. It's a completely different world from Mississippi to Georgia."

Lott said he's noticed that the level of coaching in Georgia is top-notch.

"Some kids can make a mistake, but they can make up for it because they are so fast (in Mississippi)," Lott said. "But if they aren't as fast, it requires you to make sure that your kids are coached up so that you don't make the mistakes. You have to focus on the little fine details (in Georgia). You can't afford to lose a step."

Another reason why Lott feels the coaching is better in Georgia is because of the coaching supplements. From what he's experienced, Georgia high school football coaching positions pay better than Mississippi, which can attract better coaches.

Regardless of the differences, Lott is ready to get back on the sidelines.

"When it's Friday night and the lights come on, it doesn't matter where you're at," Lott said.

"There's no difference in the psyche of the kids and how the fans enjoy the game. They are just as excited about it here as they are in Mississippi."

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