'Big boy football'? How Richmond Hill's Gilliard has become one of Savannah's top runners
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Zion Gillard has been good for Richmond Hill football but Richmond Hill football has also been good for Gillard.
The senior running back transferred from Long County last year and made an immediate impact as he ran for 574 yards to help the Wildcats obtain a No. 2 seed in the Class 6A state playoffs. It was the sixth straight year Richmond Hill was a playoff team.
This year the Wildcats moved up to Class 7A and Gillard has produced. His 727 yards currently leads Region 1-7A running backs, 44 yards ahead of Colquitt County’s A’Marius Pace.
Richmond Hill needs for him to have a big game Friday night at Lowndes County. A win over the Vikings (4-4, 0-2) in the Region 1-7A matchup will give the Wildcats (3-5, 0-2) a spot in the state playoffs.
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There’s no question the 5-11, 215-pound running back is a key player in the Wildcats program but Coach Matt LeZotte prefers to look beyond the playing field when talking about Gillard.
“It’s not necessarily what Zion means to the program as much as what Zion means to himself,” LeZotte said. “The growth and discipline he’s put himself through the last calendar year he’s changed probably more than anyone else in our program.”
Steep learning curve for a transfer
In making the jump from a Class AAA program that was 0-10 his sophomore season to Richmond Hill was a learning curve for Gillard who last year shared running back duties with the since graduated Ryan Dekle.
“My work habits haven’t changed,” Gillard said, “I’ve always been a hard worker but I feel like since coming here I’ve learned how hard you have to work to play up to a level where you can compete against good teams. We play a good team every week.”
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It’s the playing-a-good-team-every-week part that opened Gillard’s eyes, LeZotte said. He saw each week what it took to compete at a higher level.
“He’s become more disciplined, his work ethic has gone up, his production has gone up and his results in the weight room have gone up,” LeZotte said. “His attitude is fantastic. I am so proud of him for that over anything he does on Friday night or what he does in practice for our team.
“I’m proud of the adjustments he’s made in himself to become a better version of himself,” LeZotte said. “There’s been tremendous personal growth.
“Honestly, I don’t know (coming from a Class AAA program) if he understood what big boy football was about, what big boy work ethic was about. Things are a lot different in higher classifications. That’s just the reality of it.”
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Gillard is a power back who grinds out the tough inside yardage and is difficult to bring down. While not a gazelle he is capable of breaking off long runs.
“He’s a downhill runner,” LeZotte said. “We don’t have any plays for him to run outside. We want him running north to south, not east to west.
“He’s a Big Body Ben. Guys get tired tackling him. We want him to punish guys, to break it straight up the middle. He’s bought into that wholeheartedly.”
Gillard may be the least vocal player in the huddle but there’s no question he’s one of the Wildcats’ leaders.
“I fee like I bring a level of toughness and hard work to the team and leadership,” Gillard said. “I lead by example, by working hard.”
Gillard knows his strengths and he plays to them. He doesn’t try to be something he isn’t.
“I feel like I’m a strong guy,” he said. “I keep my legs moving and I run the ball pretty hard. I can lead block as well.”
As to playing college football Gillard said that is definitely in the picture.
“I definitely want to continue my education,” Gillard said. “I haven’t made any decisions but it’ll be there. I want to play at a school in either Georgia or Florida.”
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Richmond Hill football's Zion Gilliard leads the way after transfer
