Michael Holland, Oglethorpe County head coach
Today’s interviewee is Oglethorpe County coach Michael Holland, whose team pulled off one of the top upsets of the season last Friday. The Patriots defeated Class A Division I's then-No. 5 team, undefeated Rabun County, 28-19. This is Holland's fifth season. He has led Oglethorpe County to two playoff berths, but this year's team is back strong after an 0-10 finish in 2024. Holland spoke about how his team shocked the state and what the win can do for his program moving forward.
1. What was your message to your team before taking the field against Rabun County? “My message to them is always kind of the same. I try to keep it consistent and just say we're going to play a quality opponent and what a great opportunity to show what we can do. I told them that there was no pressure because, if I'm being honest, nobody expects us to beat Rabun County, being a ranked opponent and being where we are with our win-loss record. But I just wanted the guys to play free and just have fun, like I preach to my guys all the time. I say, ‘You guys put your pants on the same way everybody else does, and you work hard.’ We’re in a great situation where we're a one-school county, and there's no reason we can't be successful.”
2. Your team led 21-7 at halftime, but Rabun County kept the pressure on with two second-half touchdowns. How did your team keep responding well in the second half? “Well, when we went in at halftime, it was different. It was a calm confidence with the guys, and we've played some good teams this year up to this point. So, at halftime, I felt like we were ready to finish the game. So, it was one of those things where we were coming out, we were playing hard. All three of our coordinators had great game plans, and we just came out and played. The moment wasn't too big for them, and we were ready for the moment.”
3. What does this upset do for the program you’re trying to build at Oglethorpe County? “We've been up and down. We’ve had some really good wins, and we've had some losses that were tough losses. But overall, I think it just validates the message that we and the coaching staff try to send to the kids, (which) is we work hard. We practice just like everybody else does. Why not us, you know? Why can't we be as successful as everybody else is? So I think this just kind of gives them that validation of we can play with anybody. I hope it does, anyway.”
4. Your team has the No. 4 spot in the region with three weeks left. How does Oglethorpe County finish strong and make the playoffs? “We’ve got Commerce coming up next. Commerce is a very talented team, and they've played tough teams before they play us. So my message to the team is just going to be don’t look at the record. Commerce has talented players, and we're going to have to play our best to beat them. And really, it's just one game at a time, because you can't look forward. I just want to take them one day at a time, and hopefully, we can put together a good game plan. We've been working on it today, and, we got a good idea of what Commerce wants to do, but they're very explosive. And they're one play away from a touchdown every play. So I just hope our guys don't think that we don't have to practice hard and play hard and things like that. So my message is just don't look at the record right now.”
