Father-son coaching duo create 'backbone of the team' for this Savannah-area football program

Caleb Womble grew up with football running through his veins and an appreciation of how the game is won and lost in the trenches by oftentimes unheralded linemen.

His father, Kempie Womble, starred for Benedictine in his prep days, earning a scholarship to South Carolina, where he became a standout offensive lineman for the Gamecocks.

Kempie Womble became a high school assistant coach at Savannah Christian in 2001 and had a chance to coach both of his sons. His youngest, Caleb, was a right guard for the Raiders playing under his father who coached the offensive line under head coach Donald Chumley.

Caleb played in two state title games, losing to Wilcox County and Clinch County, before seeing his alma mater win it all the in 2011, the season after he graduated, with his father still coaching alongside his good friend Chumley.

He went on to play at Shorter University, and has been coaching alongside his dad at SCPS since 2020, leading the offensive line for a Savannah Christian squad that entered the playoffs ranked No. 4 in the state among Class 3A teams. Caleb also works with his father as the Youth Pastor at the Seed Church, where his dad and mom, Lisa, are pastors.

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"Playing for my dad was fun, we've always had a great relationship and he coached me in different sports since I was five," said Caleb, 30, who is married with three children. "He was always hard on me, riding my tail, but I could take it.

"We had moments when we would argue, but I tell our players now that we were engaging in 'intense fellowship,'" he said with a laugh. "But I wouldn't want to play for, or coach, with anyone else."

Kempie Womble is an easygoing man away from the football field, but he taught his son, and all the players he coaches, how to survive on the line.

"He taught me about being nasty when you're competing in a game," Caleb said. "But that's different than playing dirty. You have to go full speed and be aggressive, and finish through the whistle, but you never take a cheap shot on an opponent. Making sure to play low, with that mindset, has helped a lot of undersized lines at Savannah Christian be successful."

Caleb said he took his father's coaching for granted when he played for him, but now that he coaches he appreciates him more.

"I'm older now and see the example he sets and how he teaches the kids about more than football," Caleb said. "He teaches them lessons about life that apply beyond the football field."

Caleb said his dad knows how to coach with balance.

"We crack jokes and have a lot of fun, but when it's the right time we both know when to get down to business, we have that same mentality," Caleb said.

Kempie Womble, 61, said he loves football because there's no other sport where the team concept is more important, and that sense of team extends to his family.

"Caleb started playing when he was really young and he always loved playing on the line because that's where I played, and he always loved it," Kempie Womble said. "To watch him grow up and fall in love with the game was awesome. There's no question that I was tougher on him than the other players when I coached him. He took his share of abuse from me as a coach, but he understood why I did that from a young age.

"I never showed any favoritism as a player, he earned everything he got," Kempie said. "It's been great to coach with my son and see how well he relates with the kids. He's able to recognize things with the guys that they might be trying to hide. He coaches them well on the field, but it's the spiritual side that's even more important."

Kempie Womble said his father, James "Juggie" Womble, had the size and athleticism that could have led to a future in football during his days attending Savannah High. But James' father had problems with alcohol and was abusive with his family.

"My dad had to throw his own dad out of the house when he was in high school, and he had to start taking care of the family — and that took away his opportunity to play football," Kempie Womble said. "I have lived a blessed life because of the sacrifices my dad made. I'm trying to work hard and pass along those blessings to the next generation."

SCPS Coach Baker Woodward, in his sixth year leading the program, said the Raiders are lucky to have the Womble father-son duo as part of the team.

"We're pretty fortunate to have a former SEC offensive lineman working with our guys, and Caleb played college ball himself at Shorter," Woodward said. "They both know how to coach the physical aspect of the game — and instill that toughness you need to play the line. That's the backbone of the team and you have to have a tough mindset.

"But they're also both pastors, and men of God, and they coach and teach our kids with their hearts. They want to win, but they are also teaching the lessons of Jesus Christ to our players."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Christian football OL coached by Kempie Womble and son Caleb