Richmond Hill football preview: Here are three reasons the Wildcats can be a Class 7A power

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Richmond Hill has joined the ranks of big boy football and it’s done it in a big way.

The Wildcats, who open their season  at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Effingham County, have moved up to Class AAAAAAA. They will compete in Region 1-7A, which may be the strongest and most competitive region in the state.

Two teams in the region, Colquitt County and Lowndes County, are ranked No. 3 and No. 8 in the state, respectively, in pre-season rankings while Valdosta and Camden County are schools with a rich football tradition.

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Colquitt County has made the state playoffs the last 13 seasons and Lowndes has won 10 or more games the last six years. Valdosta's reputation speaks for itself and Camden is looking to regain past glory under Coach Jeff Herron who returned last year to the school he built into a state power.

So, is it going to be all doom and gloom for the Wildcats? Or will they make their seventh straight playoff appearance in eight seasons under Coach Matt LeZotte?

Here are three reasons why Richmond Hill expects to show out and make the playoffs in 2022.

1. A culture of confidence

LeZotte and his players are undaunted by what lies ahead.

“Everything we have done over the past four to five years has been geared towards this jump,” LeZotte said. “Scheduling of opponents, travel to opponents, outside the box preparation and training, and most importantly gearing up our Touchdown Club for the expenses associated with all of these things.”

In a GHSA reclassification two years ago Richmond Hill was bumped up to 7A but successfully appealed to remain in 6A due to extended travel. The closest region opponent would have been Camden County.

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At that time LeZotte correctly predicted when the next reclassification came up the fast-growing school would definitely be joining the ranks of Class 7A. Last year in Region 2-6A Richmond Hill had nearly 600 more students than the next largest school.

“I think our student population has increased by 700 or so since I’ve been here,” LeZotte said. “We knew it was ultimately going to happen.”

Camden County is still the closest region opponent while the others mean a drive of between three and four hours.

2. A schedule that will sharpen their focus

Quarterback Ty Goldrick and his teammates are looking forward to the challenge.

After the spring game Goldrick said he believes the move up will bring more recognition for the program which has won one region title and posted five playoff wins under LeZotte.

“Everyone in the state follows 7A, especially the region we’re going into,” said the senior who started last year. “Not too many people know what’s going on in 6A.”

Goldrick is one of several players who are going to have to follow a good season with an even better one if the Wildcats are to be successful against what is one of the strongest schedules in school history.

Effingham County is the only holdover from last year and every team on the schedule made the state playoffs last year. The top non-region game will be against Baker County, Fl., which made the Class 5A semifinals in Florida last year. That game will be played in Brunswick on Sept. 10.

Other strong tests will come from Ware County and Coffee County which are pre-season Top 10 teams in Class 5A.

3. A youthful and hungry roster

The Wildcats are dotted with youth throughout with 80% of the roster made up of underclassmen, 40 percent of it being sophomores.

“Our skill positions have the most experience returning,” LeZotte said. “I feel as though our youth is going to be an area where we continue to grow and develop throughout the season which could potentially become a strength.”

Goldrick threw for 1,537 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, completing 110 of 175 pass attempts. He also threw 10 interceptions.

Senior wide receiver Ravon Grant established himself as a player to be watched when he caught 46 passes for 793 yards and five touchdowns while compiling 1,068 all-purpose yards. He returned nine kicks for 220 yards including one for a 75-yard score. Grant also had two interceptions at cornerback.

Zion Gillard is in his second year after transferring from Long County. He ran for 574 yards on 111 carries and his 205-yard night at South Effingham clinched a second-place region finish for the Wildcats.

The offensive line is led by sophomore Thomas Zimbalatti, who was an all-region pick last year and at 330 pounds he is a people mover, and junior center Landen Hurst, who was also all-region.

Sophomores dominate the defense with five penciled in as starters and another three as backups. The only senior starter on defense is Dontae Goodner at defensive end.

Cornerback Caleb Easterling is the best known of the group as he was a lockdown cornerback last year as a freshman while also serving as the backup quarterback. He had two interceptions to go with 10 pass deflections and 26 tackles.

“Defensively we’re filled with youth,” LeZotte said. “We are counting on our defensive front to have improved play and create negative plays.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Richmond Hill football team to compete in GHSA Class 7A in 2022