Welcome to Winnersville

By Greg McIlvain
greg.mcilvain@gaflnews.com

Whether you want to cheer on your favorite team or play your favorite sport, there's a place for you in Winnersville.

WINNERSVILLE

A nickname a Valdosta Daily Times sports editor penned to describe the community in the late 1970s — has stuck these many years.

The sport most associate the Winnersville name with is football. When one mentions Valdosta, Ga., to a sports fan across the country, the response usually is, “isn't that
where the good high school football team is?”
Yes!

HIGH SCHOOL

The Valdosta High School football program has brought much of the attention to the community.

The Wildcats, during the 2002 season, became the first high school football program to win 800 games. Valdosta High has won 23 state championships, and has been recognized as the nation's top team six times.

Two of its legendary coaches, Wright Bazemore (268 wins) and Nick Hyder (249 wins), were honored when the school renamed its football stadium in their honor.

But there’s more. Lowndes High School has become a force in Georgia football in recent years. It has won two football state titles (1980, 1999) and had defeated Valdosta High for three-straight years until the 2002 game.

VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY

And Valdosta State University is adding its own success to the Winnersville lore. The Blazers have been ranked No. 1 in the nation twice entering the 2002 season and
have won three Gulf South Conference championships. Two of their quarterbacks, Chris Hatcher and Valdosta native Dusty Bonner, have won the Harlon Hill Trophy as
Division II's best player.

Those high schools, plus other private schools, offer a full range of athletic teams which compete in their respective state athletic associations. All schools can tell their own stories of success on regional and state-wide levels in many sports.

WANNA PLAY?

Wanna play? There are many outlets, starting with the growing recreation department run by Valdosta and Lowndes County.

The department's softball facility, Freedom Park, has played host to state and national tournaments in recent years. There are spring and fall adult softball leagues available. The department also sponsors activities in other sports, both competitive and recreational.

TOMORROW’S STARS

Tomorrow's stars get their starts in youth sports programs run by both Valdosta/Lowndes County and the Boys and Girls Clubs. The Boys and Girls Club has added to the Winnersville lore with state and regional success on the baseball field. A number of players have gone on to college and professional athletic careers.

And there's other recreational opportunities, from golf and tennis to bowling and fitness, at both the public and private levels.

To contact sports editor Greg McIlvain
call 244-3400 ext. 246.