Lee Chomskis, Lincoln County head coach
Today’s interviewee is Lincoln County coach Lee Chomskis, whose team has defeated top-10 opponents Washington-Wilkes and Aquinas in consecutive weeks and will play Greene County on Friday for first place in Region 8-A Division II. A region championship would be the first since 2012 for Lincoln County, a program with 33 region titles and 11 state titles since 1970. Chomskis is in his third season in Lincolnton. He coached at Vidalia from 2007 to 2019 and has 124 career victories.
1. You beat Aquinas 28-24 last week with a late touchdown. How would you describe the game, and what gave your team the edge in the end? “The game was certainly one for the fans. Two contrasting styles of offense for sure. Aquinas does an incredible job of spreading the field and finding the open man. Their receivers are all talented and never seem to drop a pass. We on the other hand are a running football team and were able to run it very effectively most of the night. Our defense was able to hold them to a field goal in the fourth quarter, and that proved to be the difference in the end. Our kids came from behind twice on Friday, and for that I am very proud.”
2. What did Friday's victory over Aquinas mean for your team? “The victory on Friday gives us a 2-0 record in the region with three region games to go. It is the first time since 2011 that Lincoln County has defeated Washington-Wilkes and Aquinas in the same season. We feel like that is a big step in the right direction for our program. We must continue to improve on a daily basis if we are to accomplish the goals that we set at the beginning of the season.”
3. What's the state of Lincoln County football in year three for you and your staff? “The state of our program is good. We had 25 players in the program in year one. Our numbers have nearly doubled this season. Our junior varsity team has been able to have a full schedule for the first time in seven years. This is critical for sustaining growth for the coming seasons. It also allows you the opportunity to develop your younger players. I truly believe the most critical part of our growth and development has been with our staff and our weight room. Everyone on our staff is a head coach of another sport in our school. This enables us to develop a consistent standard of work ethic and discipline. Everyone is on the same page, and this affects each team and our hallways. Having defensive coordinator Doug Huff and offensive coordinator Sonny Spurlock leading our young men on a day-to-day basis has quickened the process. I am very blessed to have these two men in leadership roles at Lincoln County High School.”
4. How do you feel about the creation of Class A Division II? [Lincoln County is a school of about 350 students.] “The creation of Class A Division II is a victory for all of the smaller schools in the state. So many times it seems that the larger schools dictate the direction that we take as an association. This gives the little guy an opportunity to compete for championships at the region and state levels. It certainly helped to level the playing field for those schools with very little enrollment. We are battling issues that larger schools do not have to consider. I truly hope that in the coming years that the powers that be will continue to fight for the small rural schools of Georgia.”