Richmond Hill has a lot to be excited about after a tremendous 7-3 season in 2024. The Wildcats opened their season with a 6-0 start and defeated arch-rival Valdosta 35-14 when the Wildcats were ranked No. 4 in the classification. Ultimately, Richmond Hill narrowly missed out of the postseason after tough losses to Lowndes and Colquitt County to close out the year, but the foundation built in 2024 is something that the program is excited to build upon in 2025. Head coach Matt Lezotte has seen the program and school make tremendous progress since accepting the job in 2015 and says the goal this year is to “win them all”. We witnessed Calhoun High School go from a team that missed out of the playoffs in 2023 to go on and win the state title the very next season and Richmond Hill is ready to make noise when they kickoff 2025, putting last season behind them and preparing to take on one of the toughest regions in the state.
“It’s really tough with six very talented teams in our region,” said Lezotte. “Someone is going to be sitting at home and all we can do is work on the things we can control and that is our effort.”
The Richmond Hill school zone is in the midst of a booming population growth and that has run parallel to the upward trajectory of the team’s success on the football field. Feeling confident in the foundation that has been laid during his tenure, coach Lezotte and his team have much to look forward to including a brand new school building and state-of-the-art facilities that are set to open.
With the new facilities, Coach Lezotte has used a ‘cleaning house’ approach and has made sure the team is taking the positives into the future and leaving the past in the rearview mirror.
Not only is the school going to look much different with the new building, but the team is also going to have a new identity and group of leaders in 2025. The graduation of Joshua Troupe has opened up the opportunity for Amir Miller to step in as the premiere running back and Coach Lezotte is excited to see what Miller can accomplish this season.
“Joshua Troupe was great with our gap run scheme and he had as good as a back half of the season that is possible,” said Coach Lezotte. “With Amir Miller, he is a four-down back and the big difference with him is the top-end speed. He was a backup to Joshua last year, but we feel good about him and believe he has what it takes to surpass what we saw last year. He is great catching out of the backfield and is a power back at 200 pounds and is a low 4.5 40-yard dash guy.”
Last year, Troupe finished with 139.9 yards per game and led the way with 18 rushing touchdowns off of 221 carries. There is no doubt that the Wildcats will continue to play their brand of football that includes an emphasis on running the football, however, the passing game is going to play a larger role this year with the pass catching ability of Miller, the arm talent of quarterback Gunner Mobley and an offensive line that has been working relentlessly on pass protection. Coach Lezotte is also pleased with Mobley’s grasp of the offense and its goals.
“He has an understanding of what we are trying to do and what we are trying to accomplish offensively,” said Lezotte. “As far as being a student of the game and understanding the why we do things, Gunner has stood out in that capacity.”
The success that Richmond Hill has experienced over the last several seasons can be characterized by the program’s ability to make great strides forward and avoiding taking any steps back. Now, the Wildcats have a fresh opportunity to establish themselves as a premiere South Georgia program and Coach Lezotte is excited with what he has seen this offseason. After hosting a youth camp that had record attendance and support from the Wildcats community, Coach Lezotte shared that enthusiasm.
“Our team is going to look a lot different this year,” said Lezotte. “Up front, both lines of scrimmage are not as big as some of the previous teams, but the athleticism is greater with this group. We are going to be able to move a lot better and the offensive line has shown that they are improved in pass pro.”
The Wildcats will have a Week 1 bye before opening the season at home against Glynn Academy on Aug. 22.
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