Today’s interviewee is Westlake coach Bobby May, whose team defeated Colquitt County 31-24 last week in a game that ended Colquitt’s 23-game home winning streak and marked Westlake’s first victory in South Georgia since 2006.
Bobby May, Westlake head coach
1. Where was the game won Friday night? What was the different-maker? “I think the difference was our conditioning and our veteran leadership on the offensive line and quarterback. We made less mistakes than them at the end of the game.”
2. Aside from getting the victory, what did going to Colquitt and having success do for your team? “Hopefully, it shows our kids that we can win tough games on the road. We haven’t won many big games on the road in years past, certainly not in South Georgia.” [Westlake lost at another South Georgia school, Lee County, in the 2020 Class 6A semifinals.]
3. You made the semifinals last year, but you graduated quite a few major Division I players, especially at wide receiver and tight end. How has the 2021 team been able to pick up where you left off despite those losses? “We lost a lot of great players, but overall we were actually pretty young, especially at defensive back, offensive line, quarterback and running back. Having experience at those positions right now is making the difference. I think we cover well on defense and we can run the ball on offense, which opens up our passing game.”
4. One question mark this season might’ve been how your quarterback, Georgia Power 100 player R.J. Johnson, would respond now that he doesn’t have so many great WR/TE targets. Is his start this year proof of how good he was all along, or has he taken a step forward in his skills? “That wasn’t a question mark for us. We’ve known R.J. has been special, and he’s only gotten better. We still have some very good receivers. They just aren’t as well known. R.J. is a better leader this season. Our wide receivers are smaller guys this year, and he still fits the ball in smaller catch windows. He’s also showing he’s a threat to run the ball, which makes our offense hard to stop when we are firing on all cylinders.”
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