27
Sep
You can’t talk about Colquitt County, the roots of Southern Valley, without talking about high school football. And if there’s anything you can say about Colquitt County football, it’s that it’s earned quite the reputation over the years. A reputation surrounding a strong work ethic, a wide pool of talent, and a passion for the game that’s incomparable to others.
The Colquitt County football program has the kind of work ethic that doesn’t just come around when the mornings get cooler and the leaves change color. It’s work ethic that stems from two-a-days, spring and summer practices, and a coaching staff that invests countless hours year-round. Colquitt County’s talent pool isn’t recruited last minute from a sign-up sheet in the school gym. It’s years of preparation and practice from those that dream of becoming superstars under Friday night lights. And it’s a passion for football from not only the players and coaches but from the Packer Nation.
From the outside looking in, it’s easy to see the passion that Colquitt has for the game. Every home game on Friday night has a stadium full of fans decked out in black and gold ready to cheer on the Pack. And when I tell you the noise coming from this stadium could rival any college game, that’s not an exaggeration. But it’s the work ethic and the behind-the-scenes talent that’s harder to see. We’re not there at 6am for morning practice while the players run drill after drill. We’re not there at 2am with the coaches watching film tapes. We’re not there at the 7th grade football game deciding who will be the future quarterback. And it’s this kind of work ethic and raw talent, along with intense passion, that wins games.
And while football is not the game we play here at Southern Valley, the game of produce isn’t far from it. Much like Colquitt County football, it’s our passion for farming that’s easy to see. You can see it in our enthusiasm when we watch the soil turn with the promise of fruits and vegetables in the coming season. You can see it in the way the office buzzes with excitement when it’s time for harvest. It’s the way we stop and look when the morning dew and sunshine reflect off rows of lush greenery on our way to work. And it’s the passion in the way we talk about the Southern Valley story.
Here, work ethic looks like late nights at the office and countless hours poring over crop reports and field projections. It’s early mornings in the fields because the crops aren’t going to hand-pick themselves. It’s meetings and trade shows and getting our boots dirty. Our talent looks like good, honest people with a passion for produce. It’s teams of people brought together for one purpose – to win the game.
And just like our Colquitt County football team, Southern Valley is still the team to beat.