Justin Elder, Upson-Lee head coach
Today’s interviewee is Upson-Lee coach Justin Elder, whose team defeated Savannah Country Day 46-45 after trailing 45-22 in the fourth quarter in a Class 3A playoff game. Upson-Lee will play at Carver of Columbus this week. This is Elder’s seventh season as the Knights’ head coach.
1. How would you describe Friday's game? What was the atmosphere like? “The atmosphere was very similar to the last time we had a home playoff game in 2018 against Thomson. It was misting rain that night, and a lot of the fans stayed home and listened to the game on the radio. We got behind that night 27-0 at half and tried to make a comeback but fell short 34-28. Friday night, the weather was just like that and very similar circumstances with the score and the fans. We lost our kicker in the Mary Persons game with a concussion and were having to go for two-point conversions every time we scored. We fell behind 45-22 with 11:40 to go in the fourth quarter and were able to score 24 unanswered points with three touchdowns and three two-point conversions. There weren't as many fans there as I would like to have had, but the ones that were there were loud and going crazy. It was an awesome high school game. Savannah Country Day was well-coached, and they played great. It was one of those games where you hate that someone had to lose.”
2. What was the single biggest play of the game? “It was such an emotional game with lots of big plays for both teams and on both sides of the ball. After we went up 14-0, they took a 21-14 lead then we went up 22-21. Then they dominated for the next quarter and a half and took a 45-22 lead in the fourth. With us being down so much, there had to be a lot of big plays for us to come back and win, so it’s hard pick just one. The two-point conversion to take the lead was probably the biggest because if we don’t get the conversion, we don’t take the lead and more than likely the season is over. The play was a throwback lateral screen to a tackle [Niko Wells passed to Campbell Hinson]. We put that play in earlier in the year and figured there was no need to work on something that much and not run it. Our rover Michael Foster also made an incredible interception with less than two minutes left in the game that allowed us to run out the clock and win the game.”
3. You've got one of the top running backs in the state, Ja’Quan Bentley. What's his skill set that allows him to be so successful? “Ja’Quan has been a big part of our offense for the last three years. He has always run hard, but his vision and balance have improved so much. His ability to see the cut and then explode after the cut has been fun to watch. He has also worked really hard on catching the ball out of the backfield and made a big 41-yard catch on the last drive. But what I'm most proud of from Ja’Quan is how he has matured mentally. He has always been a good player but has turned into a good young man and teammate.”
4. You're a Mary Persons graduate. Lots of good coaches have come out of there. Could you talk about your biggest coaching influences and what each taught you? “I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by some unbelievable coaches my whole life. I was able to play under legendary coach Dan Pitts and was able to have a relationship with him that I will always be thankful for. I was able to come back to my alma mater and coach under Steve Chafin, who is like a second dad to me. They both taught me work ethic and consistency. You have to get up and go to work, and your players need to know that they can count on you to be the same guy every day no matter what. I also worked under head coaches Eddie Payne, Tommy Watson and Tommy Parks. They all impacted me, and I was able to learn and grow from each of them. Lee Chomskis [current coach at Lincoln County] is like a big brother to me, and I can always count on him for advice and support.”
