Two seasons. Two silvers. The 10U Wildcats are still searching for that elusive first state championship for their age group. Led by head football coach Patrick Pittman, the Wildcats have made it to the state championship the last two years running, but have come up just short in both seasons. ”We have been right there in back to back years, but we just have not walked away with the gold,” Pittman said. “I am hoping to change that this year.”
Pittman has coached for the rec department the last four years, and has enjoyed every moment of it. “I tell these guys all the time, hey man, this is bigger than ball,” Pittman said. “I tell them, you know, football is just a tool. It is a tool that will allow you to learn life skills along the way, if you pay attention to the way it is done.”
The Southern California transplant came to Richmond Hill in 2010 and has seen a lot of growth in the area, as well as the growth in youth sports in the area. “I have seen the city and county itself grow a lot over the last few years,” Pittman said. “While it has grown, you get the feel of being in a small town, but the growth of a bigger town. I think it has been great for the area and for the kids playing sports to get more exposure.”
As an Instructor Pilot for the military, Pittman thoroughly enjoyed being able to teach and coach other individuals on how to do things, and that enjoyment brought him to coach youth sports in Bryan County. “The teaching aspect of things has always been a passion for me,” Pittman said. “That has carried over for me with these young men that I get the chance to mold and grow. I enjoy the mentoring aspect of it as well, and there is always a chance to be that male role model in the lives of young athletes, that father-figure that some of them may not have. That is a big thing that keeps me going.”
While the Wildcats start of this season has been less than ideal, they are looking to turn that around and make another run at a state championship. “Well, we are 0-4 right now,” Pittman chuckled. “It has been a bit of a rough start for us offensively. We are trying to find the best offense to fit what we have skill-wise. We have several good tailbacks and a pretty good quarterback. We are running some Spread, I-Formation, Base-T and Shotgun stuff. Our defense has been great all year, thanks to our Defensive Coordinator Marcus Page. We have only given up 36 points in the four losses, so about 9 a game, which is great. Now if we can put some points on the board, we can turn this thing around.”
The 10U Wildcats look to get their first win this Saturday, as they take on the 10U Rincon-Colum football team at Henderson Field in Bryan County. Kickoff is set for 9:30am.