‘The game you dream about coaching.’ New leaders clash in Northside-Warner Robins game

The stakes for a first-year head coach in a rivalry game tend to be thought of as diminished.

While the rabid passion of the fans may be the same regardless of who leads their team into battle, many might posit that a coach’s contempt for a nemesis might not rise to the rivalry’s requisite level when he is navigating his first year with a team.

The Warner Robins-Northside rivalry is different, a testament to its monolithic status among those familiar with Middle Georgia high school football. For two coaches in their inaugural seasons, the stakes of Friday’s gridiron showdown will be lofty.

“It’s the game you dream about coaching in,” said Warner Robins head coach Shane Sams.

Sams and his counterpart, Northside head coach Ben Bailey, are both in their first seasons with the teams that split the city of Warner Robins in two on a single night each year — though many who grew up in the area would tell you the rivalry stays intense year-round.

“I watched my whole family play football (at Warner Robins), grew up watching this rivalry game,” Sams said. “This is a family tradition, watching all these coaches for Warner Robins. You want to be like that, you want to coach here.”

Sams replaced Marquis Westbrook, the championship-winning coach who left for Peach County in the offseason, to start 2023. He’s been a football coach since he was 19 years old.

Bailey comes in after longtime Northside coach Chad Alligood moved on to become the athletic director at Jones County. He has fewer personal ties to the historic feud, but said the gravity of the game is still eminently clear despite the fact that the two teams aren’t in the same region or even the same classification.

“To be honest with ourselves, Northside hasn’t beat Warner Robins in six years. So we got a little chip on our shoulder,” Bailey said. “But we do still take every game a week at a time. We treat every opponent with respect.”

Last year’s matchup was an all-timer, as the two sides battled into overtime before Warner Robins came away with a 17-10 win. Despite Bailey noting that his team stays focused on every opponent equally, both coaches acknowledged the fire behind Friday’s game.

“You don’t take these jobs if you don’t want the pressure,” Sams said. “This year, we have the winning streak, but that goes out the window. It’s a rivalry game. Every team is giving everything. You got to bring the best you can bring.”

Sams and Bailey both inherit skilled squads. Warner Robins made the 5A state title game last year, while Northside earned a 6A playoff spot as well. The Eagles started their 2023 season 2-0 with impressive wins over Peach County and Jones County, while Warner Robins had a bye after losing a close fight to a strong Lee County team.

Both coaches acknowledged that the game can change the momentum of an entire season and end up changing the year’s outlook. But really, what could be sweeter than getting to hold a win in one of the most ancient, contemptful games over said rival’s head?

“Coming away with bragging rights is always a great feeling,” Sams said. “That’s something that’s always on the table regardless of what the rest of the season looks like. It’s pretty sweet to carry that for the rest of the year.”

With the good-old-fashioned hate of such a feud, though, comes an expected dose of respect. Sams and Bailey both went out of their way to complement one another amid conversations about the aforementioned bragging rights.

“All the respect to Coach Bailey and his kids, they’re off to a great 2-0 start,” Sams said. “They’ve got great momentum and a great team.”

That momentum is something both coaches are vying for as they try to fill the shoes of highly-touted coaches that preceded them, and Friday’s game could be the key to it.

With all the respect and long-term aspirations aside, both coaches acknowledged perhaps the most meaningful piece of machinery that fuels the Northside-Warner Robins bout – the kids. They’re excited to play in a matchup that means so much to their friends and families.

As a coach, how do you contain such emotion in your players, keep them focused?

“I don’t know,” Bailey said with a chuckle. “The kids are naturally excited, and there’s that edge to it because it’s a rivalry game, and it’s really good. But at 7:30, when they snap that ball, it turns into another football game… we just try to play four good quarters of football and win.”

The two rivals meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at McConnell-Talbert Stadium in Warner Robins.

This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 2:18 PM.