Today’s interviewee is Rabun Gap-Nacoochee coach Derek White, whose team will play Benedictine on Saturday night in the Erk Russell Classic at Georgia Southern’s Paulson Stadium. Rabun Gap, a Georgia boarding school in Rabun County that plays in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, is ranked 81st nationally by High School Football America. That’s 10th-highest among Georgia teams. Five Eagles players are committed to Power 4 Conference teams.
Derek White, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee head coach
1. What would you like to tell us about Rabun Gap? “It’s the best-kept secret in north Georgia, maybe even the Southeast. It’s a very special place that’s in a beautiful location. We’ve been doing it since 1903 [when it was founded]. The football program is in its 12th year. In the past five years, it’s grown into a more national-type scale and gotten better every year, and it’s a great education. It’s hard to find those two in combination together. Our last two trimesters, our football program had a 3.57 and a 3.59 GPA. But not only in football but other sports, the environment, the arts. It’s the total package.”
2. How did Rabun Gap become a national football program? “I have to give credit to those before me. Coach Dale Earnhardt [now the school’s athletic director] started the football program. Coach Shawn Bryson [a former NFL player] followed him and started dipping into the international aspect because of our mission of being a boarding school. Coach Joe Sturdivant [currently Parkview’s coach] attracted the high-level international prospect. He had coached in Germany. I’ve tried to build on those things and add my flair. [White succeeded Sturdivant in 2022.] The thing that’s changed since I’ve been here is getting more domestic prospects. Mix that in with the international prospects, and it’s really grown. We’re blessed to have families that really had the right mindset of high-level academics to go along with football. What we preach here is to use football as a vehicle to get somewhere that’s going to change your life.” [The team’s 53 players are from the Bahamas (1), California (1), Canada (9), Florida (3), Georgia (8), Germany (4), Japan (1), Korea (1), Maryland (1), Mexico (1), Mississippi (3), North Carolina (7), South Carolina (9), United Kingdom (3), Virginia (1).]
3. How good is your team, and is this the best team you’ve had? “If you’re in the top 300 in the country in high school football, you’re pretty darned good considering 28,000 people play high school football. Our goal was to get into the 100 last year, and we got in the top 50. Anybody in the top 300 can beat anybody on a given night. I do think our strength of schedule is going to help us this year. We know we have a really talented team but we’re more proud that all are going to college. ... Talent-wise, yes, it could be best we’ve ever had. I don’t know if it can be the best team. A lot of things have to come together, and we don’t have a lot of depth. We don’t have great numbers, but if you look at sheer talent, this is probably the most we’ve had. That might not be reflected in our record. We try to play the best.”
4. Why don’t you play in the GHSA? “We would no doubt love to be in the Georgia high school league. That’s something that definitely would arouse us. But with restrictions of being a boarding school, some international students would be ineligible because their educational system doesn’t match up with ours. Our league has done a great job, and there’s great competition. Charlotte Day, Charlotte Christian and Christ School, all are great football programs.” [Rabun Gap played and defeated GHSA opponents Sequoyah and Mays last season and scrimmaged Rabun County last week.]
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