Today’s interviewee is Richmond Hill coach Matt LeZotte, whose team defeated fourth-ranked Valdosta 35-14 last week. Richmond Hill is one of three Region 1-6A teams with 7-1 overall and 3-1 region records. The others are Lowndes and Valdosta. Colquitt County (5-3, 2-1) and Camden County (6-2, 1-2) are also contending. This is LeZotte’s 10th season at Richmond Hill.
1. What was the difference in this game, and what got your offense back on track after struggling a bit the week before against Camden County? “The biggest difference in the game, aside from Todd Robinson [Valdosta’s quarterback] being injured, was our overall team physicality. We won the line of scrimmage on both sides, and I was proud of our boys’ focus and execution on the field. Against Camden, we made just about every mistake you can make to ensure we didn’t win the game and still had a shot late to make it happen. Our guys knew we missed a great opportunity and wanted to get out on the field again to prove we can be a pretty good team when we hit on all cylinders.”
2. You have a team that many closer to Region 1 and south Georgia football knew would be a strong team, capable of beating anybody in the region, but to the rest of Georgia, Richmond Hill is a bit off the radar. What is the scouting report on the team? What do you do well? What’s your identity? “Anyone that faces us knows our boys are going to play hard and be very well-coached. I think we have the best coaching staff in the state. We may not show up with guys who have endless recruiting sheets or offer lists, but all our players pull in the same direction, and that is a powerful trait.
“Our team has some non-negotiables when it comes to being a member: 1. You’re going to be selfless. We are going to set the standard for serving others, in our school and community, and there will be no gray area. 2. You’re going to play hard because of the love you have for your teammates. We use the saying ‘A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.’ It is a hard concept to accept given the times we are living in, but our coaches and players have bought into this fully, and the results show. No one is bigger than our team, and our players understand that.”
3. So you beat an undefeated team, but despite that and a 7-1 record, you likely have to win at Lowndes or Colquitt County to make the playoffs. What is the message to the team to get them in the right frame of mind for what’s ahead? “If I have to say much then I have failed as their leader. We are going to be ready to play both those games. The last two we play on the road, and everyone in the state knows those are two tough fields to win at. Richmond Hill football only focuses our attention on things we have control over, and all the other noise is just noise. This program has been built on a belief we can be competitive at the highest level, and we continue to answer the call.”
4. When you took the Richmond Hill job in 2015, the Wildcats were coming off a 2-8 finish in the class two from the top. Did you anticipate that 10 years later you’d be in the highest class duking it out with the likes of Valdosta and Colquitt County? What are the most important things that you and your staff did to get it to the point where Richmond Hill could go toe to toe with those kinds of programs? “I knew when we came to Richmond Hill that the place was blowing up population-wise. I learned long ago that if you believe you can win, you can win anywhere. The early years were very difficult and took a lot of planning and determination to get our guys prepared. You cannot be willing to quit or give in.
“We took a lot of lumps in the early years and got over some hurdles of beating teams in our former region/schedule. Those were great accomplishments at the time [a 2019 region title and state semifinal appearance among them], but we always knew there was something bigger on the other end. You learn a lot by playing the teams in our current region. We continue to grow and adapt while always thinking ‘what’s next?’
“What makes you great is your focus. Our focus will always be on preparation. We prepare these guys’ minds and bodies to compete, but most importantly we prepare their hearts. We focus on the 24 hours in front of our face, and we try to nail it. We created a motto for 2024, ‘Greater Than One.’ It’s a trust equation that our team has instilled where we consciously try to make sure we are doing trustworthy actions over selfish ones. Most everything we do is because of a decision we make, and empowering our athletes with this mentality continues to allow us to grow in a positive manner. Build The Hill!”
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