Hawks soaring with 3-1 start
It drove him to leave Valdosta, home of the winningest program in Georgia high school football, to coach an HVA program that is still seeking its first playoff appearance since 2018.
After narrowly missing the cut last season, the Hawks have high hopes of getting there this year.
They sit at 3-1 right now, having bounced back from a 43-40 loss to Bradley Central by routing West Ridge 45-14 last week.
It is Hardin Valley’s best start since 2023, the best four-game start of the Wynn era and the team’s second start of 3-1 or better since 2013.
“We just tried to wipe everything out that happened last week,” quarterback Riley Matz said last Friday, Sept. 11. “We realized we played a good game, just not enough against that team. I think we knew we had it going into this game; it’s just a mindset we have to flip to.”
“We saw resilience,” Wynn added. “We had a great week of practice, and our kids were extremely focused. Our kids did everything they could’ve done to be ready, and when that comes to fruition, you’ve got to be proud.”
In that win, HVA reeled off four first-half touchdowns before stacking on two more with a field goal in the final two quarters.
Matz led the Hawks with a 4-for-7 passing clip, hitting Witt Joseph and Cade
Evans for touchdowns en route to 76 passing yards with a rushing score for himself, too.
Tailback Ayden Perry rumbled for two more scores on 22 carries for 181 yards.
But perhaps the most telling score came in the first quarter, as Jeremiah Brown knocked the ball loose from West Ridge’s Jackson Price after a towering punt by Logan Holbrook.
Once Brown slammed into Price and the ball fell to the ground, the HVA sophomore picked up the pigskin and stepped into the end zone.
