David Coleman, Cairo head coach
Today’s interviewee is Cairo coach David Coleman, whose team upset then-No. 2-ranked Peach County 38-31 in a Class 3A game last Friday. Cairo beat Peach County for the first time since 2008. Junior running back Bryian Duncan scored five touchdowns. Cairo can clinch the Region 1-3A championship with a victory Friday against Westover. A loss could cause a three-way tie among Cairo, Peach County and Westover. The Syrupmakers have not won a region title in seven years. Cairo is 29-5 against Westover all-time but lost last year’s game 29-10.
1. What is the biggest improvement in your team this year compared to last season, when you were 7-4 and lost to Peach County 48-17? “I think this year's team has shown a lot of resiliency, overcoming adversity throughout the course of the season. Family is a big word for us, and we preach family and try to live that on a daily basis, and our kids have bought into that. They’ve done a good job, and you can see they stay together in football games, and I think that's something that can help you, and it's helped us. Also, looking at last year into this year, our team has grown. A lot of sophomores that played last year for us are juniors playing this year for us, so just that natural growth and experience as younger players now turning into older players, you can't duplicate that any other way.” [Cairo returned eight of its 11 all-region players this season.]
2. What kind of resilience did you see from your team in the back-and-forth battle against Peach County? “There were some big moments out there where some players stepped up and made big plays, and that's what you want. We have some guys that didn't wait for the next guy to make the play, for someone else to make the play. They chose to step up and make the play when those times came, and that was a good thing to see. Peach County is a very good football team. Very talented, very well-coached, a great program and a very tough football team, one of the best in the state. So it was good to see our guys play well in that football game and have some big moments.”
3. Bryian Duncan had five touchdowns against Peach County, two on special teams. What does he mean to your team? “First and foremost, he's a great young man. He’s very humble, and God has blessed him with a lot of ability. He was able to show that last year as a sophomore. This year is his junior season, and he plays all over the field for us. He plays receiver, plays running back, plays wildcat quarterback, plays some defensive back for us. The other night, he had some big plays on offense, a big play on special teams, and he's humble enough to realize it's not just him. He's got a group around him, great teammates that are doing a great job and facilitating a lot of these things. The other night, it was his time to make plays, and he made the plays.” [Duncan rushed for 1,795 yards and 20 touchdowns in nine games as a sophomore last season before an injury shortened his season. He’s being used more broadly this season and had five receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt and a blocked field goal for touchdowns against Peach County.]
4. What would a region-winning win over Westover mean to this program? “Westover is a very good football team. Very sound, very physical, very tough football team with a big challenge for us. They beat us last year in the last game of the year, so we have to do a great job of preparing for this football game and be as focused as we possibly can be. Just focus on taking one play at a time and do our jobs, and that's our focus. We can maintain that focus as a football team. I think we're headed in the right direction.”
