A curious set of coincidences faces Matt LeZotte. LeZotte is the first-year coach at Aquinas. He set all kinds of passing records at Westside — he was a senior in 1999 — before playing at James Madison. The high schools have met only five times since Westside began football in 1970, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.

Yet this Friday, in only his second game as head coach, LeZotte could make his first career win over the school he once played for.

"I haven't slept much this week thinking how much this win could mean for our program," said LeZotte, whose team opened with a 27-7 loss to Treutlen and was off last week.

"How much it could mean for our program, our fans, our alumni to go out and get this win."

LeZotte was a first-team all-area quarterback as a senior at Westside in 1999, when he passed for an area-best 1,525 yards and accounted for 19 touchdowns. His final game at the school was a 42-22 loss to Laney at ARC Stadium.

Westside is in a new era now. It runs the ball almost every down -- it has attempted 17 passes in two games and won't come near LeZotte's senior-season yardage total.

It has its own stadium and is among the smallest schools in Region 3-AAAA. Gerald Barnes is the team's coach, as he was during three of LeZotte's four seasons.

"Matt did a good job for us here," Barnes said. "He's a good person and we hope he does well, just not this week."

Westside won last season 35-21 at Aquinas, scoring two late touchdowns to pull away.

LeZotte was an assistant coach then — so was his brother, Tony, another former Westside standout who is now Aquinas' defensive coach — and does not see this year's game being any different just because he is returning to play at the school he once starred for.

"It's a great opportunity for a small school like us to compete with a larger school and maybe get a victory," LeZotte said.

"We're not going to change anything we do for anybody, any team. We're going to do what we do and do it well.

"Aside from everything else, I just want us to get a win. Even though I'm coaching Aquinas, the Westside faithful are going to be there pulling for Westside. It's going to be fun."

Source: The Augusta Chronicle