High School Football
Valdosta Wildcats Strong Start
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Opening the season on the road is never easy, especially with a young defense and a lightning delay that pushed kickoff all the way to 9:20 p.m. Valdosta handled both challenges Friday night and came away with a solid 52-14 win at Jones County.
The Wildcats treated the game like a business trip. They went on the road, took care of business, and left with a victory despite the late start and the usual early-season social media noise.
The offense looked ready from the start. With most of its key pieces returning, Valdosta rolled up 426 yards of total offense — 251 through the air and 175 on the ground. Marquis Fennell and Deron Foster once again formed one of the most dangerous backfield combinations in the state.
Fennell scored four touchdowns just about every way a running back can. He rushed for the game’s first points, caught touchdown passes from two different quarterbacks, and returned a punt 55 yards for another score. He finished with eight catches for 143 yards and two receiving touchdowns, plus nine carries for 48 yards and a rushing score.
Special teams for the Wildcats was solid as well. Along with Fennell’s punt return touchdown, sophomore kicker Alans Garcia handled the kickoffs and made a 36-yard field goal with plenty of distance to spare. New punter Freddy Poole had two punts and averaged 30 yards per punt, with veteran Troy commit long snapper William Mosley handling all the snaps flawlessly.
Oregon State commit Deron Foster did the lion’s share on the ground, carrying 18 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. Senior center Austin Spray and the experienced offensive line helped create running lanes and gave the quarterbacks time to work.
Speaking of the quarterbacks, Tripp Perry delivered the best game of his career. He completed 9 of 12 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns while showing the leadership and command he has displayed throughout the offseason.
When sophomore Lamar Thomas got his opportunity, he answered with a sharp 5-of-8 performance for 84 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Sophomore Quincy Hunt added a hard-running 30 yards on five carries, and senior wideout Jamarian Mingo hauled in five catches for 87 yards, scoring from both quarterbacks.
Before the game, head coach Shelton Felton was asked what he wanted to see from his young defense. His answer was clear: “I want to see a physical, fast and detailed defense. They could make mistakes but make them full speed… new season, want them to have fun and run to the football.”
Outside of a couple of missed fits on run defense that led to long runs, the defense answered the call. Jones County finished with just 14 points and 245 total yards.
After the game, Coach Felton praised the unit for making adjustments at halftime. When asked how he sees them growing, he said, “One play at a time, one week at a time and one game at a time… gotta stay with us. Growing pains. A lot of guys this is their first time playing big-time football.”
It was not a perfect night, but it was a professional one. The Wildcats did what they were supposed to do on the road in Week 1.
Next Friday night they return to the friendly confines of Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for the home opener against Howard.
After a businesslike start on the road, the Cats will look to keep the momentum going in front of the home crowd over this 5 game home stand.
1-7A Week One
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If the opening weekend of Georgia high school football told us anything about Region 1-7A, it’s that nobody should expect many easy Friday nights once region play begins.
Camden County, Valdosta, Lowndes and Richmond Hill all opened with victories, while Colquitt County suffered the region’s lone defeat. That makes Region 1-7A a combined 4-1 after week one.
Of course, we’re only talking about one game. Nobody wins a region championship in August. But first impressions are still important, and each of the five teams gave us something to think about.
Let’s start close to home with Camden County. The Wildcats’ 35-21 victory at Brunswick might have told us something about Tucker Pruitt’s first Camden team that won’t show up in the box score.
Camden led 14-7 Friday night when lightning interrupted the game. After a lengthy delay, the decision was made to suspend play and resume Saturday morning.
Think about that from a high school player’s perspective. You prepare all week, travel to a rival’s stadium, get yourself emotionally ready, play one quarter….. and then go home. A few hours later, you’re getting up, loading the buses and doing it all over again.
Brunswick tied the game at 14 before halftime Saturday, but Camden responded by taking control in the second half.
That’s a pretty good first test for a new coaching staff.
Valdosta probably made the loudest statement of anybody in the region. The Wildcats went on the road and absolutely dismantled Jones County, 52-14.
It’s only Week One, but putting 52 points on the scoreboard away from home gets my attention. If anyone wondered whether Valdosta would once again be a serious factor in Region 1-7A, the first answer appears to be yes.
Lowndes wasn’t quite as explosive, but the Vikings did exactly what good football teams are supposed to do.
Jenkins scored first, but Lowndes responded with 31 unanswered points and cruised to a 31-6 victory.
The game itself was delayed nearly two hours by lightning, so apparently Mother Nature decided everybody in South Georgia needed a little extra adversity on opening night.
Richmond Hill had a much more stressful evening. The Wildcats escaped Effingham County with a 22-21 victory after Effingham scored on a long touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining. The potential tying extra point was blocked, allowing Richmond Hill to survive.
It wasn’t pretty, but I’ve never seen a standings column that asks how pretty the win was.
And then there’s Colquitt County. The Packers drew easily the toughest opening assignment of anyone in the region, facing defending Class 5A state champion Thomas County Central. Still, I don’t think anybody expected a 57-21 final score.
I’m certainly not ready to write off Colquitt after one game against one of Georgia’s best programs. The Packers have earned far too much respect over the years for that kind of overreaction. But 57-21 is still 57-21.
So what did we learn? Maybe nothing. It’s August. But we did get our first clues.
Camden showed resilience. Valdosta showed firepower. Lowndes took care of business. Richmond Hill found a way to survive. And Colquitt discovered it has some work to do.
The best part is that none of these teams have played each other yet. Eventually they will. And judging by the first weekend, Region 1-7A might be every bit the fight we expected it to be.
Pack Of Wolves
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This is my favorite time of year, the beginning of football season. Let’s take a look at the top program in 7A and see how they started the season.
#1 Buford: The Wolves were undefeated in 2025 and won the national championship. They won the 6A state championship against Carrolton, 28-21.
Georgia has reintroduced the 7A classification this season and Buford is starting ranked at the top.
They did lose a lot of talent from that team. Some of the key players that graduated were starting quarterback Dayton Raiola, four-star safety and running back Tyriq “Ty Boogie” Green and leading rusher and three-star RB Dylan McCoy
“The biggest goal is being able to reset from last year with us being national champions,” said DJ Hunter, Buford’s starting quarterback and James Madison commit. “We want to create our own team instead of living off of the success from last year.”
There are some players with limited playing time that are expected to step up this season. Seniors Jameer Cantrell and Silas Nuckles bring some experience in the ground game. Cantrell, an Arkansas commit, had 43 carries for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while he also had 41 tackles as a defensive back in 2025.
Junior WR Braylon Williams is expected to be a top target for Hunter. He had 199 yards and four receiving touchdowns in seven games last year before missing the rest of the season due to injury.
Some additional highly ranked recruits on the roster are: LB Brayden Watson (Michigan), LB Ethan Hauser (Vanderbilt), S Jameer Cantrell (Arkansas), DE Luke Nabors (Offers from Auburn, Florida State, Miami (FL), Penn State and Georgia), DL Krystian Walcott (Boston College) and OL Noah Nixon (Pitt).
“They’re doing a good job of not making it all about what we did last year, because last year is not going to help us right now,” said head coach Bryant Appling. “So, I’m excited for the fact that they’re trying to be their own entity within the realm of beautiful football and start this campaign off the right way.”
They opened the season last week against the #3 team in 6A, Gainesville with a nationally televised game on ESPN. The Red Elephants advanced to the 5A state championship game last season.
Gainesville also added former Grayson head coach, Santavious Bryant. He coached the Rams from 2023-25 and led them to the 6A state championship in 2024. They were the top team in the state for most of 2025 until they lost to Carrolton in the playoffs and finished the season 12-1.
Buford won the game, 39-19. The Wolves pulled away in the second half. Gainesville turned the ball over five times and Buford scored 29 unanswered points.
Gainesville allowed two special teams touchdowns because of bad snaps that its punter could not catch, and both times Buford recovered in the end zone. They also had a third special teams’ turnover when their kick returner, Legend Wilmont fumbled during a punt return.
This was a big win and a great start to the season. Somehow, things got even better for them after that.
The nation’s No. 1 defensive lineman and No.4 overall recruit for the class of 2027, Jalen Brewster announced he’s transferring to Buford over the weekend. The 6’3, 300 lbs. Texas Tech commit is transferring from Cedar Hill (TX).
The only other tough game on the schedule appeared to be the September 18th matchup at #2 Grayson before the season started. The Rams are 0-2 so now that looks like a cakewalk.
I expect Buford to repeat as national champs.
South Georgia Friday Night Lights
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The High School Football season is now in full tilt. Both the GISA and GHSA are fully underway for the 2026 season.
Some games this past weekend that caught my eye are the following:
Calvary Day @ Glynn Academy: Despite Calvary Day being a AA team and Glynn Academy residing in 6A most experts thought that Calvary Day would come out victorious.
However, the Red Terrors led the Cavaliers 22-7 with under 2 minutes to go in the first half and had really stymied Calvary Day’s high powered offense to that point.
The Cavaliers put up a touchdown right before the half and the Red Terrors carried a 22-13 lead into the locker room at the half.
However, from that point on it would be all Calvary Day. The Cavaliers outscored the Terrors in the second half 36-0 and closed with 42 unanswered points on their way to a 49-22 defeat of the Glynn Academy in the opener for both teams.
Frederica Academy @ Pinewood: Both the Knights and Patriots entered week 2 of the GISA season with blowout losses from the previous week.
Frederica was dropped at home by Bethesda 55-7 and Pinewood fell to Bulloch Academy 44-6 on the road.
The Knights traveled to Bellville to take on the Patriots with both hoping to get their season back on track. It was Frederica that succeeded in that getting a big performance from several key players to blow out the Patriots 42-6.
Camden @ Brunswick High: The Pirates and Wildcats took the field Friday Night in a premier game in south Georgia.
Both programs debuted new coaches and new quarterbacks. Tucker Pruitt took over as the head man for Camden and Byron Slack took over for the Pirates.
The game was postponed early in the 2nd quarter due to lightning and both teams had to come back to Glynn County Stadium to finish the game on Saturday morning.
The Wildcats led at stoppage of play 14-7 with 11:35 left in the 2nd quarter.
When play resumed on Saturday morning the Pirates tied the game at 14-14. With the game tied at 21, the Wildcats scored the last 14 points giving Tucker Pruitt his first win as Camden County Head Coach 35-21.
Some other interesting results from across the state were as follows:
The Coffee County Trojans traveled up to Atlanta to play the Parkview Panthers and completely dominated the Panthers 49-14.
The Toombs County Bulldogs took the trip to Savannah to take on the Benedictine Cadets. Despite the Cadets being a 5A school and Toombs only being 3A, Toombs pulled away from Benedictine for a convincing 58-21 victory.
One of the premier games of the night saw Thomas County Central hosting the Colquitt County Packers. Both are power houses and everyone expected a very competitive game. This was not the case.
The Yellow Jackets blasted the Packers 57-21 in game that was never really close.
The Pierce County Bears took a trip over to Alabama to take on the Coosa Christian Conquerors. Most expected a very tight game between these two power houses. However, the Bears woodshedded the Conquerors 55-0.
Bulloch Academy Gator Chomp
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Bulloch Academy Gators have started their 2026 football campaign with a 2-0 start.
In the first game of the regular season, the Gators handled their rival Pinewood Christian Academy in The Battle for I-16, winning 44-6. For this senior class, this makes them 4-0 in the rivalry series.
This past Friday, after an extensive rain delay (9:17pm start time), the Gators rallied back to beat Brentwood. Brentwood led 33-14 in the 3rd quarter before the Gators scored 22 unanswered points to move to 2-0 (final score: BA 36-Brentwood 33).
Both Pinewood and Brentwood compete in 2-A in the GIAA; Brentwood is the defending back-to-back AA State Champions.
Over these first couple of games, there have been a few standout Gators I want to make note of.
First, running back B.J. Smart really has filled into the starting role nicely and seems to be capable of helping the Gators run all the way to the playoffs.
The next 2 are what I call Swiss Army knives, meaning they are very versatile and make plays all over the field.
Connor Perry is very shifty and can make defenders miss in the open field. Rocco Reiss is a tough runner but can also be a deep-pass threat, as he had a 50+ yard touchdown reception this past Friday. Maddox Lee is also one of the very versatile players who the Gators will look to throughout the season.
Sam Hubbard, as we have seen for the past couple of years, is a very capable quarterback and shows he has ice in his veins and can take off and run for big gains when needed. He is committed to play baseball for Georgia Southern.
Nick Eason Jr. has also been playing exceptionally well on the offensive side of the ball and as a key defensive back, making several touchdown-saving pass breakups. He also had an interception against Brentwood.
Georgia Southern commit Billy Crider came into the season known for his catching ability, but he has also found success as a return man on special teams and a quick edge on the defensive line.
The offensive line up front has led the way to the Gators putting up 80 points over their first 2 games. Some of the key guys up front are Griff Sumner, Bryce Parish, Bo Crider, James Lee, and Slayton Roberts.
On the defensive side of the ball, the guys up front are rounding into mid-season form. Colin Grooms had a game-changing 15-yard tackle for loss against Brentwood. Kennesaw State commit Braylon Cone is taking command of the nose-guard position and basically eliminating any up-the-middle runs.
Whit Olliff has really impressed me so far this season; he has been a vocal leader on defense and has made impactful plays over these first 2 games.
I also want to mention sophomore Cannon Vickery, who is a spark plug for the Gators whenever he is in the game and brings a lot of energy to his teammates.
The 2-0 Gators will travel next week to take on fellow unbeaten team Tattnall Square Academy in Macon.
With a win next week, it will set up what many have dubbed the GIAA game of the year in Milledgeville on 9/4 between defending AAA State Champs John Milledge Academy and the Gators, who are one of the AAAA State Title favorites.
There are still a few things the Gators would like to sharpen up, as well as reduce the number of penalties as they continue the season, but so far this has been a positive start for the Gators.
Gators Are For Real
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
To start off the 2026 football season, the Bulloch Academy Gators took on the Jenkins County War Eagles in a scrimmage game in Millen, GA, on Friday, 8/7.
Jenkins County is a GHSA school that plays in 1-A Region 5 against teams like Johnson County and Twiggs County.
I always like to use the term “watered-down” when talking about a scrimmage game because plays are normally scripted, coaches are sometimes on the field, most of the key players don’t play the entire game, and there are some odd elements in the kicking game.
There were a few minor things the Gators may need to sharpen as we head into the regular season, but for the most part it was business as usual.
Quarterback Sam Hubbard hit Georgia Southern commit Billy Crider for a long touchdown pass, as it looks like the Gators may try to slip in a few more passing plays than in years past.
Running back Danye Garvin has graduated out and is now a part of the Wingate University football team. So, one of the big questions this offseason was who would be taking the lead role running the ball in the Gators’ Wing-T offense.
B.J. Smart answered that question as he looked like a strong and capable running back to carry the ball for the Gators this season.
I expect the running game to take center stage again this year as we look to have a very solid offensive line consisting of: James Lee, Griff Sumner, Bo Crider, Slayton Roberts, and Bryce Parrish. A strong offensive line is very crucial for the Gators to do what they want to do on offense this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a few names stood out to me; of course, Collin Grooms and Kennesaw State commit Braylon Cone were a part of several big stops for the Gators.
Whitt Oliff made his presence known throughout the scrimmage, and Nick Eason Jr. displayed his speed chasing down a ball carrier, thus saving a touchdown. Billy Crider also took some snaps as an edge rusher and looked very solid.
The Gators also have quite a few very versatile guys that you will see making plays in several different aspects of the game, including: Cannon Vickery, Jace Farmer, Rhett Morgan, Maddox Lee, J.B. Roach, and Rocco Reiss.
Overall, I think the Gators are really going to make a run at the GIAA 4-A State Title this year, but now their attention must turn to the Battle for I-16. The Pinewood Patriots will make their way to the Swamp on Friday 8/14, where regular season play will kick off under the lights in Statesboro.
Normally this matchup takes place at the end of the year during region play, but with Pinewood moving down to GIAA 2-A, these two teams will no longer be region opponents.
Anytime a team comes down from a larger classification, they always have to get other teams’ attention, so I would not be surprised if Pinewood makes a playoff push later this season and finds themselves on the 2-A playoff bracket.
The Gators have been the better team for the last couple of years, winning both at home and on the road in Bellville. However, the BA/Pinewood games always come down to the wire, and I don’t expect this year’s matchup to be any different.
Top Receiver Transfers To Camden County Wildcats
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The excitement surrounding Camden County football has continued to build throughout the offseason, and the Wildcats may have just added another major piece to the puzzle.
Sophomore wide receiver Ayden “Pocket” Robinson has officially transferred from Sumter County High School to Camden County, giving first-year head coach Tucker Pruitt another explosive weapon as he begins his first season in Kingsland.
According to Sumter County head coach Will Rogers, Robinson’s transfer is the result of a bona fide family move, as a member of Robinson’s family accepted an employment opportunity in the Brunswick area.
Regardless of how he arrived, there’s little question that Robinson immediately upgrades an already intriguing Camden County offense.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Robinson is an impressive physical presence for a player who will only be a sophomore this fall.
Last season as a freshman at Sumter County, he wasted little time showing why many believe he has a bright future.
In 10 varsity games, Robinson hauled in 27 receptions for 356 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 13.2 yards per catch. He also contributed on special teams, finishing with 379 all-purpose yards during his freshman campaign.
Those numbers are impressive on their own, but they become even more intriguing when considering Robinson was producing against varsity competition as a ninth grader.
His combination of size, athleticism, and ability to find the end zone gives Camden County another legitimate playmaker on the outside.
And perhaps the most exciting part for Wildcat fans is who he’ll be lining up alongside.
Robinson joins a receiving corps already headlined by Sean Green, one of Georgia’s top receiving prospects and a Florida State commitment.
Green has developed into one of the most dangerous receivers in the state with his ability to stretch the field, make contested catches, and create explosive plays after the catch.
Now, opposing defenses will have to account for both Green and Robinson. That challenge becomes even greater when you factor in another major offseason addition.
Transfer quarterback Xavier Collins arrives in Kingsland after throwing for more than 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns last season at Columbia High School in Florida.
Collins gives Camden County an experienced signal caller with the arm strength and confidence to distribute the football all over the field.
On paper, it’s a combination that should fit perfectly into Tucker Pruitt’s offensive philosophy.
Since taking over the Wildcats program, Pruitt has emphasized playing fast, physical football while creating opportunities for his athletes to make plays in space.
His offenses have consistently featured balance, but they’ve never been afraid to attack defenses vertically when the opportunity presents itself.
With Collins delivering the football and Green and Robinson stretching defenses on the perimeter, Camden County suddenly possesses the kind of offensive firepower that can force opposing defensive coordinators into difficult decisions.
Double-team Green, and Robinson could find himself in favorable one-on-one matchups. Roll coverage toward Robinson, and Green becomes even more dangerous. Play too many defensive backs, and Pruitt’s offense can attack with the running game. That’s the kind of balance every coach hopes to build.
Of course, Robinson is still just a sophomore, and expectations should remain realistic. There will undoubtedly be an adjustment period as he learns a new offense, develops chemistry with Collins, and settles into a new school. But his potential is undeniable.
When you combine Robinson’s arrival with Collins at quarterback, Green’s star power at wide receiver, and Pruitt’s reputation for developing productive offenses, it’s easy to understand why optimism continues to grow around Camden County football.
The Wildcats have undergone significant changes since last season, but each new addition appears to move the program one step closer to becoming a serious contender once again.
If Robinson develops the way many expect, Camden County may have landed one of the biggest impact transfers in South Georgia, and one that could help shape the future of the Wildcats’ offense for years to come.
Colquitt County Packers 2026 Preview
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Colquitt County Packers enter the 2026 season coming off a solid 9-3 campaign that included a 4-1 region mark and a second-round playoff appearance.
Under head coach Sean Calhoun, who is entering his fifth season at the helm, the Packers continue to rank among South Georgia’s most consistent programs and one of the toughest outs in the state’s largest classification.
2025 Season Recap: Colquitt finished 9-3 overall and tied for one of the top spots in Region 1-AAAAAA.
The Packers handled most of their schedule with physical play on both sides of the ball and showed they could compete with top competition.
Their three losses came against strong opponents, all of which made deep playoff runs.
Running back Jae Lamar, a Georgia commit, led the way with 1,015 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in just 10 games.
Quarterback Cohen Lawson threw for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns in his second year as the starter, while wide receiver Antwan Lockett provided a big-play threat with 40 catches for 811 yards and 10 scores.
Key Returners and Leadership The biggest losses are Lamar and Lawson (who has transferred to Lee County). Both will be hard to replace.
However, Lockett is back to stretch the field, and the Packers have depth at the skill positions along with returning offensive linemen who should help maintain continuity up front.
Dual threat QB Khi Mitchell transferred in from Mt. Zion and should contribute early and often.
On defense, several experienced linebackers and secondary players return to keep the physical identity Calhoun has built.
Colquitt usually excels in special teams as well, producing strong field goal kickers, returners and a physical front with blocked punts and field goals every year.
Emerging contributors who saw significant snaps in 2025 will be asked to step into larger roles, including the competition at quarterback.
2026 Schedule Highlights: The Packers open with one of the toughest non-region games in the state, a road trip to defending Class 5A state champion Thomas County Central on August 21.
Home games against Monroe, Cook County, and Lee County follow, along with Florida tests against Lincoln and Rickards.
Region play includes trips to Richmond Hill and Camden County, a home date with Valdosta on October 16, and the season finale at home against Lowndes on November 6.
This is a challenging slate that features multiple quality opponents. Under the new PSRF playoff seeding formula, the strength of schedule should help Colquitt if they take care of business against the tougher teams on their schedule.
Outlook: Colquitt County has the experience, coaching stability, and talent to contend again in Region 1-AAAAAA.
Replacing the production of Lamar and Lawson will be a major focus, but the returning skill players, key transfers and depth give the Packers a chance to remain competitive on offense.
The defense should continue to play with the physical style that has defined the program under Calhoun.
South Georgia fans can look forward to the traditional matchups with Valdosta, Lowndes, and Camden. These games will tell the tale for the Packers’ postseason, similar to the other teams in this stacked region.
The Packers enter 2026 looking to improve on last year’s 9-3 mark and make another deep postseason run.
Mack Tharpe Stadium will be ready for another exciting fall. The Pack is loaded with opportunity.
Gator Bait
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Jason Strickland’s 2025 edition of the Ware County Gators was a senior led group that rolled into the GHSA playoffs with an 8-2 record in a very tough region and title aspirations.
After a first round dismantling of Flowery Branch the Gators moved on and ran into a juggernaut in the Creekside Seminoles. One of the top high school football programs in the nation took it to the Gators early and often. The result was a 9-3 final record for a great group of seniors at Ware County High School.
Now looking toward the 2026 season, the Gators will be young, very young.
Gone are Ja Mario Rice, DL Walker Hudson, DL Seth Seuss, LB Nick Grant, LB Avontae Ballentine, RB Jamir Boyd, RB Tayshaun Franklin, OL Landon Smallwood, OL Carson Hall, and OL Kyler Matthews.
There are others but needless to say that’s a long list of experience and talent that has moved on. The question is are the Gators gonna reload or rebuild?
Several quality players are back for the ‘26 season and Ware is a talent hotbed so the cupboard is definitely not empty.
Leading the 2026 Gators will be returning Quarterback Isaiah White. He was an All-Region player last year and should be one of the top players in south Georgia this year.
And he will have Ja’Londi O’Hara, and Gunter Fore back at wideout. Both were All-Region last year.
Several other pieces of the puzzle are back also on offense so the Gators should be ok. Replacing those 3 All-Region linemen will be key.
Returning are RT Jaylen Sturdivant and OL Kydarian Bennett. These guys will be the leaders with a bunch of young Gators vying for playing time behind them.
At running back look for Moomoo Mckoy and Jimmy Taylor to step in and fill some big shoes from last year. Coach Strickland thinks both of these guys could be special. Great ability and good speed. Coach called them slashers. The offense will be good and look for White to have an All-State type of year.
The defense will be a work in progress with most of the front 7 graduating. There is talent all over and while these aren’t the biggest group of Gators we’ve seen on defense, they are fast and strong.
Jamarion Keyhay returns at linebacker and is a team leader. Add in Rod Lewis and Jameer Barkley who are coming back from injury and this defense could be good.
Davion Jones returns at corner and will also handle kick returns and punt returns.
One big returning piece to the puzzle is Jeffery Gonzalez. The veteran will handle the kicking and punting for Ware and should be one of, if not, the region’s best.
Landon Smallwood will be missed at snapper and there are three young ones trying to fill those big shoes.
Ware County Gators 2026 Schedule
8/7 vrs Brunswick (scrimmage)
8/21 @ Bainbridge
8/28 @ Coffee
9/11 vrs Richmond Hill
9/18 vrs Groves
9/25 @ Statesboro
10/2 vrs Richmond Academy
10/9 @ Evans
10/23 vrs Jenkins
10/30 @ Wayne County
11/6 vrs Benedictine
The 2026 edition of the Gators will be fun to watch. The backfield could be electric. Add in the returners on the O-line and at wide receiver and Coach Strickland has a lot to work with.
Defensively the Gators will be just as fun. With a good returning group of leaders, the Gators will fly all over the field with stunts and slants, using that speed and power.
Add in very good special teams play and the Gators will be a force in the region and a dangerous group of reptiles come playoff time. The Gators are reloading!
Wayne County Yellow Jackets 2026 Preview
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Wayne County Yellow Jacket Football Program is a very proud program full of tradition and fan fever.
The Yellow Jacket program has fallen on hard times the last few years and is looking to get back to being a perennial state power.
Two seasons ago the Yellow Jackets hired John Mohring who had been the head coach at Calvary Day. Mohring did not survive his second season in Jesup.
Mohring resigned midseason after an 0-4 start to the 2025 season. Mohring’s only full season came in 2024 in which the Yellow Jackets ended up 1-9 and that one win was a forfeited win over Appling.
So overall, Mohring’s short stint in Wayne County saw the Yellow Jackets go 1-13 under his leadership.
After Wayne moved on from Mohring they stunned Warner Robins 32-10 but were unable to build any momentum after that and finished 1-9.
If you do the math the Yellow Jackets come into 2026 with a 2-18 record in the past two seasons and remember one of those games was not an actual win but a forfeit by Appling for playing an ineligible player. Appling did win the game on the field.
The Yellow Jackets made a big time hire snagging Scott Roberts away from Swainsboro.
Roberts had two stints with the Swainsboro Tigers. First in 2008-2009 and then again in 2017 through 2025.
Roberts comes to Jesup with an overall record of 92-43. Most importantly the Yellow Jackets are looking to Roberts to supply some stability to the program; Roberts will be the fourth Yellow Jackets Head Coach in four seasons.
Wayne County will not have an easy road in 2026 to right the ship. The Yellow Jackets will play in Region 1-5A for the next two seasons. Region 1-5A will consist of Benedictine, Jenkins, Ware County, Statesboro, Groves, Richmond Academy, and Evans.
Wayne’s 2026 schedule is as follows:
8/21 v. Liberty
8/28 @ Bradwell
9/4 Bye
9/11 @ Appling
9/18 v. Richmond Academy
9/25 @ Evans
10/2 v. Jenkins
10/9 v. Groves
10/16 Bye
10/23 @ Benedictine
10/30 v. Ware
11/6 @ Statesboro
This is a pretty tough schedule for a program in rebuild mode. However, it is not completely unmanageable. I can see a possibility for a 6-4 season for the Yellow Jackets if they find some fortunate bounces in a couple of games.
A 6-4 season would likely mean a playoff berth for the Yellow Jackets and their first trip since 2023.
I definitely see four concrete wins on the schedule for Wayne and as I said, with a little luck six wins is a possibility.
Even if Wayne only wins four games it would be a great step forward. The Yellow Jackets would double their total win number from 2024 and 2025 combined.
Scott Roberts will return Wayne County back to respectability at the bare minimum.
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