MACON, Ga. — They say pressure is a privilege. No one knows that better than the FPD Vikings.
“We've made some big plays in pressure situations and learned earlier in the year what happens when you don't do that and how you build up problems for yourself,” head coach Greg Moore said. “We've done a good job particularly in the last two or three weeks of handling pressure situations well.”
The Vikings are now set to play for their third state title right in their own backyard at Luther Williams Field in Macon.
It’s a place they've already played once this season – back on March 8 against Westfield – and once is all this team needed.
“We all had this thought in the back of our head like, 'we'll be here again,'” senior pitcher Hayes Bryant said. “We kind of all were aiming at being there again and luckily that's where we are now.”
FPD lost in last year's state semifinals.
The difference a year makes?
“We have a lot of guys back and guys that have a lot of experience,” senior outfielder Cody Strandmark said. “We all just got older. Usually when you get older you get a little better. More experience under your belt gives you a lot of confidence.”
Because these seniors have grown together their whole lives, going back to a World Series title in Mississippi as eight year-olds.
Now they have the chance to cap it all off with one more.
“We know each other better than anybody else,” Bryant said. “We're able to pick each other up easily, have hard conversations with each other easily, and we just get each other easily.”
The last time the Vikings won state, back in 2010, also happened in Macon. In fact it happened on FPD’s home turf at Ben Harden Memorial Field.
And while the home field advantage won't be quite the same down the road at Luther Williams, it's still got FPD feeling right at home.
“We get to hit here before the game then we're going to go over there and just chill out,” Strandmark said. “We've got a lot of people that are going to be there to support us and we appreciate that.”
The Vikings are playing close to home at a park where everyone – including Coach Moore – feels pretty good.
“I didn't have a lot of good games but that was actually the best game I ever played,” Moore said. “My claim to high school fame is I had one really good game and it was at Luther Williams so I'm kind of excited about going back.”
The Vikings open up their state championship series against Brookstone on Thursday night at 7:00. Game two of the series is scheduled for Friday, with a possible game three scheduled for Monday at Luther Williams Field.