Grage lands job as Valdosta co-OC

Published 5:18 pm Sunday, April 9, 2023

MOULTRIE — Former Thomasville and Lowndes head football coach Zach Grage has been named the co-offensive coordinator at Valdosta.

Grage, a former Colquitt County assistant coach, was let go after Lowndes went 5-6 last year in his first season as the head of the Vikings program.

According to reports, Grage will work with current Lowndes offensive coordinator Nick Harduvel.

Grage and Valdosta head coach Shelton Felton worked together as assistants at Colquitt County under Rush Propst.

Grage left Colquitt County following the Packers’ undefeated state championship season in 2014 to become head coach at Gilmer County.

He returned to South Georgia in 2016 to take over the Thomasville program and led the Bulldogs to a 54-23 record and a berth in the 2021 Class AA championship game before leaving for Lowndes.

Grage will help Valdosta prepare for its 2023 season-opener against Ohio’s winningest high school football team from Massillon, Ohio.

Of this and that:

• Colin Kirkland has led the Centennial High School baseball team to an 18-7 record and 12-3 record in Region 6-5A in his first season as the program’s head coach.

The Knights, who were 10-17 last year and 8-21 in 2021, are ranked No. 5 in Class 5A.

• Henry Daniels is hitting .366 with nine doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in for the University of West Georgia baseball team.

The Wolves are 25-11.

• Former Lady Packer Maggie Rae Parker has appeared in nine games this season for the East Georgia State softball team.

The sophomore outfielder has a double and an RBI for the Lady Bobcats.

• JT Whatley continues to have a strong sophomore season at Andrew College.

The first baseman is hitting .318 with three doubles, six home runs and 27 runs batted in.

He is tied for the team lead in homers and is second in RBIs.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Gavin Steptoe, Whatley’s Andrew College teammate, is 2-1 with 15 strikeouts in 23.2 innings of work.

• Jeb Johnson, a sophomore right-hander, has a 7-3 record for the ABAC baseball team. He has made 13 appearances, including 10 starts, for the Stallions. He has struck out 64 batters while walking just 18 in 55.2 innings.

• Also at ABAC, Abby Plymel is hitting .298 with seven doubles and 11 runs batted in for the Fillies’ softball team.

• Freshman Hayes Lightsey has played in 10 games for the Salem (W.Va.) University baseball team and has gone 1-for-2 at the plate.

• Freshman catcher/third baseman Cole Whatley has red-shirted this year at Tallahassee Community College.

• Right-handed pitcher Cameron Summerlin has made six appearances for the East Georgia State baseball team, posting a 1-0 record. A freshman, he has struck out 16 batters in 12 innings.