By: Charlie Moon

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

So, what does the Richmond Hill football team have in common with Ray’s Boom Boom Room? Yeah, I get it. You’re wondering what drug flew into my coffee this morning, but just stick with me.

If you don’t know about Ray’s Boom Boom Room, it comes from the classic comedy, “LIFE.” Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and several others are in prison for life during the Civil Rights era.

Murphy’s character Ray, describes a fictitious place called Ray’s Boom Boom Room. It’s a Harlem jazz dinner club that has it all. Serving such a harsh sentence, The Boom Boom Room takes them to a dreamy place, which has it all and that’s what the 2024 Richmond Hill football team has.

Having been the Cats’ play-by-play voice for six years and knowing the program from Head Coach Matt Lezotte’s tenure, I believe this is the best team the Cats will field.

Even better than the 2019 squad that was one play away from making it to a state title game? YES!

Now, will that equate to a similar run at a state title? Who knows?

A couple major differences abound. Then, there were 7 GHSA classifications. The Cats were in 6A and a much different region than the current. Now, GHSA only has 6 classifications (not including A-Div 1).

Plus, there’s the elephant in the room, a region that I believe is the top-ranked public school region in the entire country. Region 6-AAAAAA includes Colquitt County, Valdosta, Camden County, Lowndes, Richmond Hill and Tift County. Tell me another region that has 36 state titles and 7 national titles; can’t find one.

Lezotte says, “The level of talent we play week in and week out is second to none. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen this, but Lezotte says, “Depending on the personnel we’re running, we’ve got 26 returning starters.”

Of those, the number that are receiving serious college interest is in the double digits.

So…back to The Boom Boom Room.

The offensive line are the servers, the guys roaming around serving food and drinks and usually not getting the big-time praise. They make the party go! Thomas “Zimbo” Zimbolatti and Cameron Jackson headline a group that boasts over 100 career starts.

Asked how this line compares to 2019, Lezotte says, “We’re deeper – 8 guys that play on Friday nights.”

The skill players (RBs/WRs) are the live band. They’re the ones everybody is watching with names in lights.

RBs are led by 2023 800-yd rusher Josh Troupe and 4-year starter, DB Caleb Easterling, who had 27 carries in 2023. But look for young and talented Amire Miller and DJ Porter to get significant carries. Sophomore Porter may be the youngest, but he may have the biggest upside.

Wideouts are led by 2-way star Brandon McDonald, one of the most heavily recruited defensive players in the area. All 18 2023 catches came in the last half of last season. But I call him SLASH, because he plays both ways.

The defense is akin to The Boom Boom Room security, always keeping everyone in check and going after the bad guys.

The LB core could also be one of the best in the Region. Gabe Bauman (114), Lee Johnson (74) and Aiden Grant (59) were the 2023 top 3 tacklers.

In his 2nd year as starting QB, Kirk Scott is the “Ray” of The Boom Boom Room. Ray is the orchestrator of everything in the room. He’s got to be cerebral, direct traffic, and deliver on all the stars. Scott returns from 899 yards, and 8 TDs in 2023.

Make no mistake, this is the deepest and best roster that the Cats have probably boasted in the school’s history.

As they always say in their parts, “Build the Hill.”