Savannah High School volleyball coach George Johnson says he tries to keep his emotions on an even keel at match’s end, win or lose.
The GHSA Class A state playoff contest at Brooks County on Saturday in Quitman was not one of those matches.
The Blue Jackets showed no quit, rallying from two sets down to beat the Trojans 3-2 and advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since Johnson started coaching the team in 2012 and, from his understanding, perhaps the longest run in program history.
Savannah High’s (22-3) third playoff road trip is to Mount Pisgah Christian (37-9) at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, in Johns Creek.
Savannah High School Volleyball Team at Georgia Christian School in Valdosta Ga preparing for the state playoff game against Brooks County High School In the picture - Head Coach George Johnson, Assistant Coach Lauren Denson, Host at Ga Christian Cathy Lee, Nyla Nelson, Christiana Roberts, Bobbi Mack, Sahriya Andrews, Ernajah Mallard, Ashanti Thompson, Tania Bryant, Deangelae Middleton, Kennedy Williams, Makayla Oats
That didn’t look likely when the Blue Jackets lost the first two games to Brooks County 25-23 and 26-24 before winning the next three, 25-18, 25-17, 15-11, for the victory.
“That was exciting for me because we’ve been on the other side of that, where we’ve been up two twice and lost three in a row,” Johnson said in reference to two matches with Woodville-Tompkins. “It was devastating to see that. But to see them not put their heads down, and I’m just reminding them, ‘Hey, now we’re on the other side of the coin. We know it can be done. It’s been done to us. So it’s our turn, it’s our time. Stay focused.’ You could see the emotion in them.”
The coach urged his players to keep fighting, putting aside any physical or emotional bruises. They got mad and played better, Johnson said, noting they continued to hustle and use their athleticism and speed.
“Nothing different than they’ve been doing all year,” he said Sunday. “Where another team thinks that ball is out, I got kids that go get it.
“They were making some immaculate plays and it was exciting. And yes, I let out some exerted energy that the kids don’t normally see from me. It was exciting to watch them get past that mental part of that wall that they run into. To know that they can do it, that was exciting as a coach to see.”
The Blue Jackets are having an exciting season that has exceeded expectations after graduating several starters from last year.
“I lost like four seniors and I gained two seniors and a junior that had some volleyball IQ,” Johnson said.
Seniors Bobbi Mack and Makayla Oats and junior Sahriya Andrews hadn’t played for the school team and are making an impact. The team returned veterans in seniors Ernajah Mallard, Tania Bryant and Ashanti Thompson.
“… with our aggressiveness, speed and athleticism, I know we’re able to compete, especially in our region,” Johnson said. “This (playoff run) wasn’t on my radar at all. I just wanted to be in the running for the region.”
SHS finished in a three-way tie for first place in Area 3-A at 6-2 with Bryan County and Woodville-Tompkins. After numerous tiebreakers were tried, Johnson said he was fine with Bryan County seeded first and Woodville-Tompkins second for the region tournament. A road trip to Woodville in Savannah was much shorter than to Pembroke.
“Sometimes the bracket falls for the best,” Johnson said. “Third (seed) is working out great for me.”
Though host Woodville rallied from down two to win 3-2, SHS swept McIntosh County Academy 3-0 in Darien to qualify for the state tournament.
The Blue Jackets opened the playoffs with a 25-16, 25-6, 25-20 win over Chattahoochee County High in Cusseta on Oct. 18, then eliminated Brooks County on Saturday, making nicer the long bus trips back home from the Columbus and Valdosta areas.
“I just take my extra pillow and a Tylenol and we’ll make it happen,” Johnson said.
Mount Pisgah Christian figures to be a major pain to Savannah High, having won 37 games including sweeps of Darlington School and Barrow Arts & Sciences Academy in the first two rounds.
“We’ve been facing challenges since I’ve been in the (volleyball) program,” said Johnson, who also coaches the SHS girls basketball and track and field teams and has taught health and personal fitness there since 2010.
He said that a lot of dominant volleyball programs have players who also play on club teams during the year.
“These are kids that play volleyball. I’ve got kids that learn to play volleyball,” Johnson said. “From my understanding, (Mount Pisgah Christian) is a school that has club volleyball-caliber kids.”
He said one of his players said the Blue Jackets fear no team and go in expecting to win. All he asks is they give their all Wednesday in what he expects to be a hostile environment with a berth in the state semifinals on the line.
“We’re going to go with our game plan, and we’ll make adjustments as we go,” Johnson said. “If we’re outplayed and got our butts whooped, it’s because they were better than us, not because we didn’t put forth an effort.”
The winner plays in the Final Four on Oct. 28 in Marietta against the winner of Mount Bethel Christian of Marietta and host Heard County of Franklin.
To follow the playoff matchups click on this link - GHSA Class 2A Bracket Link
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Lauren Denson Savannah High School assitant Coach
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