Jones County does things right

I have been in the Middle Georgia area for all of my life, which by the way my eyes are failing, has been quite a long time. I remember over the years a few things about the high school program in Jones County, but mainly that they probably had one of the coolest nicknames in the area. I wish I would have thought to ask the question to the many Jones County people I talked to last night while I was watching the Greyhounds sweep Grovetown to advance to the state baseball playoffs for what must be the 90th straight year. Why the greyhound as a mascot ?
Jones County has always played great baseball, Willie Green and Rondell White both had long MLB careers and now Terrance Gore just got called up by the Royals, and it seems like we have always had one guy from that school doing something playing pro baseball. But all of a sudden, the football team had a legitimate chance to make it to the championship game, the basketball team made it to the elite 8, the wrestling team had a state championship winner, and the baseball team is doing its thing with a 19-3 record. Where is it coming from ?
First of all Jones County is probably the BEST venue for high school football. They have packed the place for years, even though the teams have usually been only average. They have added seats to the place over the years, and the fans tailgate, they are loud, and they are very hospitable to the press. It is a great way to spend a Friday night. But this year, something different happened. its like someone gave a breath of fresh air to the city of Gray, and they became this areas winnersville. Sure Warner Robins had Northside winning state and Warner Robins in the elite eight in basketball and HO CO winning state in baseball, but Jones County is one school doing crazy things.
So the question is why? Why all the winning ?
Winning is contagious that's why
And it all starts with football
Justin Rogers
Justin Rogers
Justin Rogers
That is the answer I continuously got when I asked Jones County people where all the winning started. This guy changed the feeling in the school when he immediately came in and declared that he would win football games.
Rogers is the new football coach that led the Hounds somewhere they have never ever been, which is deep in the playoffs before losing on the the last play of the game to a team that made it to the state finals and had Northside on the ropes. Northside, a team that Jones County beat.
Rogers comes in , immediately loses his best offensive threat in Walker Juhan, puts in a crazy spread offense and beats almost everyone on his schedule. And that my friends, has changed the persona of Jones County High School.
I salute Jones County High School, where they don't have metal detectors in school and have only one security officer, where the principal and assistant principal handles discipline, where everyone plays a sport, and now where they have figured out how to win .