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Arvel Holmes leaves lasting impression
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| Coach Arvel Holmes, far right, stands with members of his 1981 Rabun County Wildcats football team during a recent reunion. Coach Holmes, who passed away Tuesday, left a lasting impression on his former players and friends in Rabun. |
By Justin Raines Staff Writer
He was a football coach from the old school who demanded the most from his players. He was a country farmer who loved his horse and drove a tractor. In the vineyard and on the sidelines, he left a lasting legacy in Rabun County.
On Tuesday, former Wildcats head coach Arvel Holmes died of liver cancer at his sister's home in Glencoe, Ala. He was 87.
Holmes was a longtime resident of Rabun who transformed a football team and showed his players how to win on the field and in life.
"You learned a lot of character, that was one of the words he used back then," former RCHS lineman Byron Youngblood said. "The things he instilled in us carried on into everyday life."
Holmes' grueling early-morning workouts are legendary, and his players still remember running their miles each day.
"That spring practice was probably the three toughest weeks of football we ever endured," former RCHS player Jeff Reeves said. "You had to run a mile in under 6 minutes in full pads. You kept doing it until you did. He was a tough football coach, but he also taught us something about life."
Holmes took the reins after the 'Cats' disappointing 1975 season that saw the team finish 2-8. He lifted the program's record to 5-5 in his first season, and went on to command a .609 winning percentage during his seven seasons at RCHS.
Under Holmes, the 'Cats won their subregion in 1977, '78, '81 and '82.
"He came into a losing program when he first came into Rabun County," former player Shayne Beck said. "We had a history of losing a lot. When he came in, he changed the whole program."
The Holmes philosophy involved toughness, discipline and superior conditioning. Since his players usually saw action on both sides of the ball, Holmes insisted that they were in better shape than the opposition.
"He instilled a pride in us," former RCHS player and coach Lee Shaw said. "Rabun County teams were not known to outrun you, but we would outhit you. He brought a tough persona to the game, and we took that on."
Horace Ramey played quarterback for Holmes and remembered the new attitude "Coach" brought to the field.
"I played for him as a junior and senior, and he took us to the playoffs every year," Ramey said. "The teams that knocked us out of the playoffs, Buford and Jefferson, went on to win the state championship. He was an excellent conditioning type coach. He always had the team in good shape. In my tenure under him, no one was carried off the field. We were in that kind of shape."
When he arrived at RCHS, Holmes' game plan contained only four running plays. He insisted that his players learn the fundamentals of football before bringing in a passing game.
Mack Burroughs, a four-year starter at RCHS and a standout player at the University of Georgia, defined Holmes' old school mentality.
"To me, it was like the Bear Bryant, Vince Lombardi style of football," Burroughs said. "There was not a lot of flash, just line up and knock somebody off the ball. It was three yards and a cloud of dust."
Holmes left Rabun in 1982 to coach at Towns County High School, but he returned two years later to retire and seek the life of a gentleman farmer, a life he had known in his youth growing up on his family farm in Gadsden, Ala.
Coach worked in Tiger for Colonel W.T. Ezzard. When John Ezzard took over his father's farm, Coach was there to help plant the grapes for the future Tiger Mountain Vineyards.
"He was an institution on this farm for 30 years," Martha Ezzard said. "We really missed him when he was gone, and we missed Crown, his horse."
Martha Ezzard fondly recalled seeing Coach on his tractor jokingly teasing her about having to mow around her planted flowers.
"He was great," she said. "He was part of the earth here, part of the farm. He was never happier than when he had the rooster, horse and cat in the barn."
In 1943 while stationed in New York with the U.S. Coast Guard, Holmes received considerable notoriety after he and two fellow soldiers helped rescue a young boy who had fallen through the ice at Bronx Park Pond.
Many of his former players had never heard the story, which didn't surprise them. Coach was not one to brag.
It was just another lesson he passed on to the young men who knew him.
"He taught me to believe in myself," former RCHS player Paul Griggs said. "He taught me to believe in the men who stood beside me. I still hold this true today."
On Tuesday, former Wildcats head coach Arvel Holmes died of liver cancer at his sister's home in Glencoe, Ala. He was 87.
Holmes was a longtime resident of Rabun who transformed a football team and showed his players how to win on the field and in life.
"You learned a lot of character, that was one of the words he used back then," former RCHS lineman Byron Youngblood said. "The things he instilled in us carried on into everyday life."
Holmes' grueling early-morning workouts are legendary, and his players still remember running their miles each day.
"That spring practice was probably the three toughest weeks of football we ever endured," former RCHS player Jeff Reeves said. "You had to run a mile in under 6 minutes in full pads. You kept doing it until you did. He was a tough football coach, but he also taught us something about life."
Holmes took the reins after the 'Cats' disappointing 1975 season that saw the team finish 2-8. He lifted the program's record to 5-5 in his first season, and went on to command a .609 winning percentage during his seven seasons at RCHS.
Under Holmes, the 'Cats won their subregion in 1977, '78, '81 and '82.
"He came into a losing program when he first came into Rabun County," former player Shayne Beck said. "We had a history of losing a lot. When he came in, he changed the whole program."
The Holmes philosophy involved toughness, discipline and superior conditioning. Since his players usually saw action on both sides of the ball, Holmes insisted that they were in better shape than the opposition.
"He instilled a pride in us," former RCHS player and coach Lee Shaw said. "Rabun County teams were not known to outrun you, but we would outhit you. He brought a tough persona to the game, and we took that on."
Horace Ramey played quarterback for Holmes and remembered the new attitude "Coach" brought to the field.
"I played for him as a junior and senior, and he took us to the playoffs every year," Ramey said. "The teams that knocked us out of the playoffs, Buford and Jefferson, went on to win the state championship. He was an excellent conditioning type coach. He always had the team in good shape. In my tenure under him, no one was carried off the field. We were in that kind of shape."
When he arrived at RCHS, Holmes' game plan contained only four running plays. He insisted that his players learn the fundamentals of football before bringing in a passing game.
Mack Burroughs, a four-year starter at RCHS and a standout player at the University of Georgia, defined Holmes' old school mentality.
"To me, it was like the Bear Bryant, Vince Lombardi style of football," Burroughs said. "There was not a lot of flash, just line up and knock somebody off the ball. It was three yards and a cloud of dust."
Holmes left Rabun in 1982 to coach at Towns County High School, but he returned two years later to retire and seek the life of a gentleman farmer, a life he had known in his youth growing up on his family farm in Gadsden, Ala.
Coach worked in Tiger for Colonel W.T. Ezzard. When John Ezzard took over his father's farm, Coach was there to help plant the grapes for the future Tiger Mountain Vineyards.
"He was an institution on this farm for 30 years," Martha Ezzard said. "We really missed him when he was gone, and we missed Crown, his horse."
Martha Ezzard fondly recalled seeing Coach on his tractor jokingly teasing her about having to mow around her planted flowers.
"He was great," she said. "He was part of the earth here, part of the farm. He was never happier than when he had the rooster, horse and cat in the barn."
In 1943 while stationed in New York with the U.S. Coast Guard, Holmes received considerable notoriety after he and two fellow soldiers helped rescue a young boy who had fallen through the ice at Bronx Park Pond.
Many of his former players had never heard the story, which didn't surprise them. Coach was not one to brag.
It was just another lesson he passed on to the young men who knew him.
"He taught me to believe in myself," former RCHS player Paul Griggs said. "He taught me to believe in the men who stood beside me. I still hold this true today."
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of theclaytontribune.com.
jw wrote on Jul 3, 2008 10:52 PM:
" I played on the 75 team that was 2 and 8. I did a lot of work with the team over the next couple of years. I really wish I had the opportunity to play on one of his teams. North Georgia lost a good one in Coach Holmes! "
Jami Holmes Frizzell wrote on Jul 7, 2008 9:05 PM:
" On behalf of the Holmes family, I want to express my gratitude in the kind words of the staff writer, the paper, the players and friends of my Uncle Arvel. All of you knew him as Coach. I knew him as Uncle Arvel. He was a tough bird and when he coached briefly at my high school (Southside High), he gave me my one and only paddling. I was upset and told him that just because I was his niece that he was using me as an example. His response was that I had disobeyed and I was no exeption. The only example was that he followed the rules. I will never forget that lesson. I had the opportunity to meet the Ezzards at the funeral and I just want to express my thanks to them and their family for making my uncle a part of their lives and their family. I only wish that I could have known my uncle like your community has. Thank you for loving my uncle. Jami Holmes Frizzell, Southside, Ala. "
dick pearson wrote on Jul 3, 2008 11:45 AM: