Whitefield Academy continues building off 'brotherhood and culture' foundation
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After an historic 2025 season in which they reached the quarterfinals of the Georgia High School Association football state championship tournament for the first time in program history, Whitefield Academy head coach, Robert Walsh says there is one thing in particular he has seen throughout summer workouts, which has him looking forward to what the new season may bring.
"Our turn out for offseason training just gets better and better with every year," Walsh said, praising his players for how they have "bought in" since back in January, when they began team lifts and carry their efforts over into their summer program, which Walsh said he challenged his players "mentally in the weight room to build mental toughness.
"Every team's different. This year's team is going to be a lot different than last year's team so we're trying to figure out how far we can push them. See what they can really do," Walsh said. In 2025, the Wolfpack's program history making season saw them finish at 9-3, marking their first nine win season since 2008 when they finished 10-2. And while Walsh believes the success of last season is key for his team to build off of, "the brotherhood and culture" they have established within the program is just as important.
"All the way down from our fifth and sixth, all the way up to our high school program, I think that has a lot to do with it," Walsh said, crediting his middle school staff for their roles in creating excitement for football among the younger players prior to their arrival to the high school level. "And then it's our job as a staff and as players to have that culture right to keep kids out for football," Walsh said.
Now, heading into this season, after graduating several players, as the Wolfpack will look for new players to step into leadership roles, Walsh says he and his staff will focus on the "intensity" level of practices in order to prepare their team for Friday nights during the regular season. "Our intensity has to be like it's a Friday night and we have fans here and we're playing a different opponent. That's the way we have to approach practice every single day," Walsh said.
However, of returning players the Wolfpack will be expected to turn to from a leadership perspective will be rising senior, Landon Ryan, who will enter the season as a third-year start and threw for 15 touchdowns and rushed for seven last season. "He really understands the offense and what we're trying to do, but he's also grown a lot as a passer," Walsh said of Ryan.
"It wouldn't shock me if on a Friday night, you see us throw it 25, 30 times this year just because of the trust I have with him now that we've built over the last three years. He's come a long way," Walsh said, adding all of the Wolfpack's senior players have shown great leadership throughout the entirety of their summer workouts.
Whitefield Academy will open the regular season on August 21 against Wesleyan.
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