The Wilkinson County Warriors will play for a spot in the class 'A' state championship Friday night, but it's not just the achievements on the field that head coach James Hagins is proud of. It's the guys whose grades match their statistics, like Patrick Reynolds, who is our Athlete of the Week.
It's a dreary Monday afternoon at Wilkinson County High School.
It's football season, but the team hasn't put on the pads. They're studying, but for a test that won't impact their grade point averages. Head Coach James Hagins has them in game planning. "That's a good learning tool for them," he said.
Long before the players put on their helmets and the fans fill the stands, coaches draw out a blueprint for that week's opponent, and players like Patrick Reynolds take it all in. "Try your best to learn it all in the short period you have, and go out and dominate," Reynolds said.
Reynolds has been a force on 'D' for Hagins' team since he earned a starting spot as a freshman. As a senior, he's tops on the team with 112 tackles, to go with 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. His task as a do-it-all linebacker is one he doesn't take lightly. "When he leaves out this dressing room, it's all business," Hagins said.
Patrick's leadership qualities have earned him captain honors, as well as a few friendly nicknames: "They call me 'Sir' and 'Mr. Reynolds,' so I feel like I have to be an example to the younger kids as well as the older ones," he said.
That influence extends beyond the white lines of the football field and into the classroom where he maintains a 3.4 grade point average, thanks in part to a pair of motivators at home. "My mom and my dad, they always taught me the right thing to do, and I knew that I had to get my grades," Reynolds explained.
"The main thing we focus on is education first and football second," Hagins said.
That's been a successful gameplan for Reynolds, who says he wants to play college football for the best academic school that offers him a scholarship. But first he wants to finish strong for the Warriors, who have a chance to win the program's 1st state championship.
The Warriors host Clinch County Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The winner is headed to the Georgia Dome.