High School Football
Killer Bears
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sports fans across the landscape will say that “nobody cares if you didn’t win the last game.”
Well, that’s exactly what Pierce County did in 2023 by winning the 2023 AA State Championship against Rockmart.
The shootout 48-45 victory for the Bears capped off the stretch of winning the final nine games of the 2023 season behind quarterback Caden McGatha who ran for 258 yards against Rockmart to bring the title back to Blackshear.
Now the Bears turn the page but will reading from a very similar book with the majority of the production back from the State Title team.
This includes standout quarterback Caden McGatha who will be entering his senior year in 2024. McGatha accounted for eleven yards shy of 2,000 on the ground while also throwing for 1,950 yards.
McGatha was accountable for 51 of the 71 touchdowns scored by the Bears on the season with 23 coming through the air and 28 on the ground.
Running backs Marquez Leggett and Jah Evans are also back in the fold and look to be a key factor in the Pierce success again in 2024.
Leggett was the Bear’s second leading rusher with 482 yards and 5 rushing scores teaming up with Evans that recorded 304 yards and second best on the team with 6 rushing touchdowns.
The Bears also return the top two receivers in Joe Drew and Nigel Brown. Drew goes into his senior season after 663 yards receiving with 10 TDs.
Brown followed up with 372 yards last season with 5 scores.
Virtually the only impact player not returning on the offensive side from the 2023 championship team is Carson Sloan who hauled in seven receiving touchdowns in conjunction with 365 yards before graduating after the 2023 magical season.
The 2024 slate kicks off on August 24th with the lid lifter against Coosa Christian who make the trip to Blackshear from Gadsden, Alabama.
Brantley County, who was a region counterpart last year, will return the trip to Pierce after the Bears pummeled the Herons last year 56-6.
Wayne County, New Hampstead and Brooks County will follow before a renewal of a rivalry against Vidalia to round out the non-region slate.
Vidalia, who has dropped down to single A in the GHSA reclassification, fell to the Bears to the tune of 35-7 when the two were region foes last year.
Because of the reshuffling of the GHSA classifications and regions the new Region 3 in AA Class is now only comprised of 5 teams with Cook, Crisp County, Tattnall County and Appling County in addition to Pierce with Tattnall, Appling and Pierce the only holdovers that have stayed since 2023.
Last season Pierce County defeated Tattnall County 31-0 to cap off the regular season in 2023.
2024 regular season will finish up with a highly anticipated rematch of Pierce and Appling County. Appling was the lone blemish on the 14-1 record of the Bears with the Pirates getting the best of Pierce 17-14 last September.
2024 looks incredibly bright for 6th year head coach Ryan Herring as the Bears look to continue the streak of already 13 straight years of playoff football in Blackshear.
Already two state titles on the resume of Ryan Herring at Pierce County, and the Bears look poised to continue the legacy that has been exhumed the last more than a decade.
The Bears have had a double figure wins in each of the last six years and look to replicate that on their way back to Atlanta for another trip to the GHSA mountain top.
New War Chant
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Charlton County High School Indians are heading in the 2024 football season with a new chief.
After finishing the 2023 season with a disappointing record of record of 2 – 9, and what has admittedly been a difficult last few years, the Charlton County Indians made a change at the top.
In December, the Tribe hired Demario Jones as their new head football coach. Coach Jones arrives in Folkston after spending the last two seasons as the head man at Godby High School in Tallahassee, FL.
Jones spent those two years at Godby working to put the once-proud Cougar program back on the track to success. Even though the win/loss record wasn’t what fans might have hoped for right away (the Cougars finished last season 3-6), Coach Jones is confident they were moving in the right direction.
Jones said, “At first things were a little rough out on the football field, but a lot more competitive this past year. I knew what a rebuilding job it was going to be coming into Godby, maybe not a lot of people would have wanted it considering it wasn’t going to be instant success.”
Coach Jones is a native of Jacksonville and played football at Raines High School. He was a walk-on defensive lineman at Valdosta State University. He worked hard and played well, eventually earning All-Gulf South Conference status. He ultimately received two first team all-conference nods in 2008 and 2010, and won a national championship with the Blazers. Jones was also the president of the Student Government Association at VSU.
After spending eight years as an assistant coach at Valdosta High School, Coach Jones became familiar the region Charlton plays in (GHSA Region 2, Single A Division II) by spending a couple of seasons calling the defense for Charlton’s long-time region foe, Turner County.
Coach Jones is known as a defensive coach, but he has made a splash on the offensive side of the ball by bringing in new Offensive Coordinator, Arturo Meza.
Coach Meza will handle play calling duties for the Indians after spending last season as an offensive assistant at Lowndes High school.
The Indians will be expecting continued growth out of sophomore QB A.J. Glover, who accounted for 6 touchdowns and finished his freshman year with the third most passing yards in the region.
Also returning is last year’s leading rusher, Omari Wilson, who carried the ball for 453 yards, averaging 56.6 yards per game played.
The defensive unit will be young and hungry. Only a few starters from last season will return for 2024. Junior free safety Brandon Woolard returns for the Indians as one of last year’s leading tacklers, along with senior outside linebacker/running back Maurice Sims and sophomore defensive tackle, Tim Sapp.
As with all GHSA regions, there will be realignment in 2024 for Region 2-1A Div. II. Along with Charlton County, the region will include Lanier County, Turner County and last year’s region champ, Clinch County.
New for this season will be the removal Atkinson County, while adding Irwin County and Brooks County to the group. The region will now have six teams, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.
With a 2-2 record in the region last year, Charlton qualified for the playoffs but fell in the first round to Jenkins County.
There is a new attitude in Folkston this summer, and certainly a new energy. Coach Jones is focused on getting his team prepared to compete for region championships for many years to come. His philosophy is to empower his young men. He plans to use his experience to give his players the tools they need to be successful and then hold them to that expectation.
The 2024 Schedule for the Indians:
August 16th vs Brantley County
August 23rd at Mcintosh County Academy
August 30th at Jeff Davis
September 6th vs Yulee
September 13th vs Toombs County
September 27th at Lanier County (Region Opponent)
October 4th at Clinch County (Region Opponent)
October 11th at Irwin County (Region Opponent)
October 25th vs Brooks County (Region Opponent)
November 1st vs Turner County (Region Opponent)
Pirates To Set Sail
By: Teddy Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the Brunswick High Pirates get ready to set sail for the 2024 football season, I sat down with Head Coach Garrett Grady for an exclusive interview.
“We’ve had 110-115 guys show up for practice every day,” Coach Grady related. “The players have been working hard, and we’re looking forward to getting back ‘Between the Bricks’.”
Brunswick High is looking to improve on last year’s 7-4 record, which included a second-round playoff appearance.
BHS will be playing in a new classification this fall, which also means a new region, 1 AAAAA.
The Georgia High School Association decided to eliminate the 7-A classification, which moved Brunswick High from 6-A to 5-A, still the second-highest classification.
There are nine teams in Brunswick’s new region: Brunswick High, Bradwell Institute, Effingham, Evans, Glynn Academy, Greenbrier, Lakeside, South Effingham, and Statesboro.
“We’re bringing back in Statesboro, and we’re bringing back in Bradwell,” Coach Grady said. “Grovetown is going out, but Greenbrier is coming in, so we replaced one Augusta school with another.”
The two non-region games will be against Camden and Wayne. Camden will travel to Brunswick to open the season on August 16, while Brunswick will travel ‘Jesup’ the road to Wayne the next week.
“We got a scrimmage against Ware, game 1 against Camden, and game 2 against Wayne,” Coach Grady told me, “and then region games from there on out.”
BHS will have a bye week following the Wayne game, and then, “We’re starting out of the gate with a really tough region opponent in Effingham.”
It’s worth noting that BHS and Effingham have developed a pretty strong rivalry over the past few years, and it will be interesting to see how that game plays out September 6 when the Pirates travel to Rebel Field at Bob Griffith Stadium to take on the Rebels.
The Brunswick High-Glynn Academy City Championship game is slated for September 27 at Glynn County Stadium.
When I asked Coach Grady if Brunswick, Effingham, and Glynn would be the favorites in the region, he agreed.
“I think that’s a fair assessment,” he said. “When Brunswick, Glynn, and Effingham play each other, it’s been for the 1, 2, or 3 seed.”
I also asked Coach Grady about trying to replace players like “Touchdown” Terry Mitchell, River Creel, Devin Smith, and others that graduated.
“Instead of replacing those guys, we’ve got to develop other players,” he said. “We have a lot of talent returning, plus some new faces that could make an immediate impact.”
One returning talent is junior Heze Kent—All-everything from a year ago. “He’s going to have a big year,” Coach Grady predicted. “We can split him out wide, play him at tight end, or put him in the backfield.
“Plus, he’s a leader in the locker room as well. His voice carries, and he echoes what the coaches say. That’s what we want.”
Another returning starter is quarterback Grant Moore, also a junior.
“He’s definitely a voice on offense,” Coach Grady said. “When tough times happen, he can get the guys to rally behind him. He works hard and always does the right thing. He’s the type of leader you want.”
Also returning for the Pirates are Jamarius Towns, Waseem Murray, Jashawn Towns, William Heck, Caleb Butler, Kregg Richardson, Jordan Hicks, Jeremiah Robbins, and others, all adding significant talent and leadership for BHS.
“All of the coaches have been working hard, too,” Coach Grady lauded, praising their dedication.
Mitch Belker returns as Offensive Coordinator for the Pirates, while Thomas Tedder is back as Defensive Coordinator.
It says here the Pirates win the region and make a deep run in the playoffs.
Terror-tory
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Its July and its hot and sticky. The weather forecast says RAIN every afternoon.
Lazy summer days with afternoon thunderboomers. But for so many of us it’s really time to start thinking about FOOTBALL. And today it’s specifically GLYNN ACADEMY RED TERROR football.
The Red Terrors of Rocky Hidalgo had a very successful 2023 campaign. 8-3 with an ohhhhhh so close agonizing first round loss in the playoffs.
The Red Terrors picked a bad game to play mediocre football and it cost them in a one point first round loss. On the positive side was another city championship running Rocks record against the Brunswick Pirates to 7-3. But let’s move on and look at 2024. As of today the Terrors are undefeated.
Defensively the 2024 squad should be good. While the number of returning starters may not be overwhelming. The fact is that this Terror team has a lot of juniors and seniors who have played a lot of minutes for the Red and White.
A few years ago as we came out of the pandemic, the Red Terrors were looking at maybe a dozen or so juniors and seniors on the team.
That has drastically changed in the past couple of years and the Terrors will have close to 50 juniors and seniors ready to play on Friday nights.
It’s a big difference. Especially on defense where there are holes to fill.
Quay Evans and Tay Green return on the D-line for the Terrors and Ty Chishom returns in the defensive backfield.
Several other of last year’s contributors will step into starting roles this year. With the depth the Terrors have built recently, Coach Rock feels the defense will be very good.
I think that the key for Glynn will be having some linebackers step up and play big time. If that happens the Terrors could be dangerous.
They could be dangerous because the offense will be lethal.
On offense the Terrors return a great mix of players including 3 offensive linemen.
The games are won or lost in the trenches and this group of road graters should be good.
Add in Josh Baker at center and this group should be solid. They are definitely going to have some guys in the backfield that can take advantage of every crease or hole the Oline gives them.
Returning are TE Deuce Hidalgo, WR Sean Wallace, QB Jayden Ellis and RB Greg Peacock. That’s 7 returning starters and a dozen or so with experience from last year. The Terrors will be fun to watch fosho!
And keep an eye out for Nico Nikomunoz. He’s a young QB who can sling it. If he gets on the field and can distribute the ball it will free up Ellis and Peacock to wreak havoc. Either way this offense has the potential to be VERY good.
Special teams are just that at Glynn and it’s just a question of how good. Returning will be Tuck Tucker to do the punting, kickoffs and FGs. Any time the Red Terrors get in the red zone it should be at least 3 with Tuck.
And keep an eye out for up and coming Patrick Coyle. He would start for most teams in the region but will give Glynn a great backup.
The return teams should be emphasized by Rocky and the staff. They could be electric this time around! Peacock is being recruited by all the D1’s. So, lets hope the Rock puts him back deep and lets the opposing teams kick it to him.
Glynn rolls into 2024 with several new coaches on staff including Steve Sigemund with the DB’s and all important Weightroom. Matt Moore comes on board with the RB’s. And Gage Sills heads up the QB’s. Welcome to the Terrortory gentlemen!
While I’m not going to break down the season game by game, the schedule is formidable.
Richmond Hill returns 18 starters and is in one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Ditto for the Rebels of Effingham. Evans will be loaded this year and Brunswick has talent.
Eight wins for Glynn Academy in the regular season again would be workable if things fall into place. Now let’s see if they can make a playoff run.
Build The Hill
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.”
What’s Next?
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When Frederica Academy fell to the eventual State Champion Valwood Valiants in the semifinals last year, the mood was still celebratory.
Jordan Triplett had set numerous state records for both the season and his career. His high school football career, however, was over, and the question started to get asked. It’s a question that Coach Brandon Derrick is used to hearing. ”What is next year going to be like?”
“Well, we’re going to be young, very, very young,” Coach Derrick told me recently. “You know, I think that’s our biggest thing is youth.”
And as usual, he’s not kidding. Heading into final preseason practices, the Frederica roster consists of four seniors, three juniors, 12 or 13 sophomores, and 8 or 9 freshmen.
For those of you scoring at home, that’s a best-case scenario roster size of 29 players. Another season of being David to everyone else’s Goliath seems to be on tap.
“Well, the way it’s set up right now offensively, we’re going to have to have multiple people,” Coach Derrick explained.
“(QB/DB) Jaylin Baldwin’s going to have to be a big-time player. He’s got to make big plays. (WR/DB) Jayden Gibson’s got to make big plays. He’s got to be very productive, and he’s worked on it. He’s really worked on being a bigger part of the offense because he was just really focused on defense a lot last year as a freshman. So, he’s focused this year on the offensive side of things.”
One new face on the offense that should make some noise is rising Sophomore WR Jordyn Rollins, a transfer from Brunswick High.
According to Coach Derrick, “he’s pretty athletic and could be a really, really good player. He’s just got to get in there and get in the weight room and be physical and learn what we’re doing.”
Rounding out what Coach Derrick refers to as the “4 Js” is 6’4” 200 lb freshman JC Wessel. The Coach explains that “he hasn’t played football in a while, but he’s a guy that could be a big-time player.”
And then of course Hayes Carter. “He’s played the sniper back and blocked for Jordan Triplett the last two or three years, but he’s got to be able to run the ball some, and he’s going to be moving to different spots on offense,” Derrick says. “But we’ve got to keep him healthy, too, because he and Gavin Grantham are the two anchors on the defensive side, too. We’ve got to be very good at what we do.”
Thankfully, one of the strong points of the ’24 Frederica squad will be the lines. “Our biggest area that we have depth is the offensive and defensive line, which is helpful” according to Coach Derrick.
“That’s where our most experience is going to be. We’ve got three of our seniors that are offensive and defensive line, and so, that’s big for us. But, you know, those young kids have been working pretty hard. So, I feel pretty good about playing some of those sophomores in their offensive line right now as well. They’ve done a good job this off-season. The ones that have been here really have focused on what they need to do.”
Coming into the final weeks of the offseason, the main person they’ll be protecting is still up in the air.
“Right now, it’s a three-dog race for QB – Jaylin (Baldwin), Davis Durkin, and Braxton Sykes.”
On special teams, Mary Ford Fitzjurls should be returning if her national soccer team responsibilities don’t overwhelm (they shouldn’t), and A.J. Manning has been working on punting duties as well.
The schedule will be your typical Frederica buzzsaw lineup. The Knights will have scrimmages against Bethesda and Brantley. And then, Savannah High’s going to come in and West Nassau’s going to be big and athletic. Frederica also has Valwood, who’s the state champ. Not to mention games against Pinewood and Bulloch Academy.
In short, expect more fun, Frederica style football from the boys (and girl) in green and grey.
Chasing Perfection
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The “buzz” (pun intended) around Brooklet is palpable heading into the 2024 season.
Although the 4-6 finish in 2023 for the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets wasn’t the wins and losses numbers that Jackets Country was hoping for, SEB was in the running for a playoff spot until the final horn of the season in arguably the most difficult region in the GHSA.
Entering 2024, SEB seems poised to make a huge jump in the win column and looks to hold Head Coach Jared Zito’s 2024 slogan true and be “Chasing Perfection.”
GHSA reclassification and restructuring greatly impacts the Jackets schedule in a few different ways.
First off, SEB won’t be running through the gauntlet of the former region 3 in the 4A ranks. Reclassified to 3A, SEB enters region 3 with high hopes in 2024.
The other significant impact of the state restructuring is the sheer size of the new region. Region 3 consists of ten teams and with that Southeast Bulloch’s schedule will feature nine region contests and only non-region affair.
Although there is only one non-region contest on the regular season schedule for SEB, it’s a big one! The Jackets will host nearby rival Statesboro at Fred Shaver field to kick off the season on August 16th.
The two rekindled the rivalry back in 2022 after not playing for just shy of 20 years. After the past two years took place as part of the Erk Russell Classic at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, this year’s matchup will head back to campus in Brooklet.
The past two years have gone the Blue Devil’s way with 2022 meeting going sideways to the tune of 55-14 Statesboro. That said, SEB was a late fumble away from upsetting the 5A Blue Devils while driving inside of two minutes left in the game, but fell 12-7
After starting the season 4-2 in 2023, SEB fell in their final four games last season, but learned a lot about what the future holds.
The most notable lesson learned is what the quarterback position looks like (hopefully) for the next couple of years. Former quarterback Will Nelson missed the final two games of the regular season with an injury and allowed the Jacket faithful to see then freshman Rhett Morgan.
Morgan split time with Colby Smith as signal caller against Wayne County then started his first varsity game against Burke in the finale.
Between the two, Morgan rushed for over 100 yards combined, which doesn’t jump off the page, but the way he commanded the offense as a freshman was impressive. All indications coming from Brooklet say that Morgan has physically made huge jumps and look to have a big year as a sophomore for the blue and gold.
The past couple of years, many folks around the SEB football program have said that the 2024 season will be one to watch.
A huge core of Jackets will hit their senior years in 2024 led by linebacker Kyle O’Brien who finished 2023 with 98 tackles and 6 TFLs.
A few other names that will be playing their final season in Brooklet are wide receiver Easton Phillips, tight end/defensive lineman Forest Fretwell along with linemen Jotavion Gaines, Deacon Craig, and Michael Dixon.
Through spring football and summer workouts a number of players have made a huge jump and are expected to make an impact in 2024.
Tyrone McGee is a junior wide receiver standing 6’2” and just shy of 200 pounds and has burst onto the scene. While a couple of receivers have looked good, the success of SEB looks to stay in the backfield as Jayden Murphy, Colby Smith, Quentin Reed, Chase Douglas, and Rhett Morgan seem to be the names to look for running the football in 2024.
The last few years, you have seen flashes from the Jackets, but 2024 seems to be the season that SEB puts those flashes and pieces together. Less than a month away from kickoff and the Brooklet community can’t wait to get back into Fred Shaver Field and “Chase Perfection”!
The Wildcat Way
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Following the retirement of legendary Wildcats head coach Jeff Herron at the end of 2023 high school football season, which included a trip the GHSA 7A semifinals last November and a career that included three state championships at Camden, the Wildcat Way is going to have a new look for 2024.
Enter new Camden head coach, Travis Roland.
After spending a little time with him, you begin to understand that he doesn’t feel the need to fill the huge shoes left by his predecessor. Instead, the 2023 Florida High School Athletic Association 3S Coach of the Year is bringing his own pair of shoes to Kingsland.
Roland comes to Camden County after three years as the head man at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, FL where his Buccaneers finished last season as the Florida 3S state champions after a dramatic come-from-behind victory against St. Augustine.
Daytona was home for Coach Roland and he finished his time at Mainland High School, which is also his alma mater, with a 30-10 record. Prior to Mainland, he spent four years as the head coach at Flagler Palm Coast. His career record as head coach stands at an impressive 58-22.
Anyone who has followed Camden County football over the years knows that the Wildcats’ signature has been as a power running team, mostly operating in the Wing-T. Coach Roland will begin to evolve that system by including more passing concepts and spread formations.
The Wildcats also have a new offensive coordinator in Grant Alford, who comes to Kingsland after spending eight years as an assistant coach at Florida’s Lake Minneola High School.
Starting quarterback Parks Riendeau returns for his junior season and is looking to continue the momentum from last year’s deep playoff run.
Riendeau is a tough-as-nails kid with all the leadership qualities you could ask for.
In addition to the QB, the Wildcats offense will undoubtedly benefit from the play of senior athlete, Elyiss Williams. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound tight end has a 5-star rating from most major recruiting services and has committed to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs beginning in 2025.
Coach Roland is known as a defensive coach, and all signs point to him being the one to call plays on that side of the ball.
The Wildcats will be looking to replace the entire defensive front as that group consisted of all seniors last season.
Big things will be expected this coming year from Jam and Jav, the Daley twins, who are rising seniors. Ja’maric Daley saw action last year at the safety position, while twin brother, Ja’varis Daley, contributed as a linebacker.
Xavier Brown should step in and fill the spot at inside linebacker for his junior year, but I expect this defense to be led by senior Wayne Austell who showed incredible improvement throughout the season last year as an outside linebacker.
The Wildcats finished last season with an overall record of 10-4, earning playoff victories against Newton, McEachern and Mill Creek before losing to Walton in the state class 7A semifinal.
After all of that, Camden will enter the 2024 season in a new classification. The Georgia High School Association has done away with class 7A in an effort to decrease the distances between schools in its highest classification for football, which will now be 6A.
In addition to Camden County, the new Region 1-6A will include Richmond Hill, Colquitt County, Lowndes, Valdosta, and the return of old region foe, Tift County.
The top four teams in the region will be eligible for the 2024 playoffs.
The Wildcats schedule for 2024 is:
8/9 at Benedictine (Savannah) Scrimmage
8/16 at Brunswick HS Brunswick, GA
8/23 vs East Lake HS, FL Kingsland, GA
8/30 vs West Broward HS, FL Kingsland, GA
9/6 vs Ribault HS, FL Kingsland, GA
9/13 vs Spruce Creek HS, FL Kingsland, GA
9/27 at Valdosta HS (Region) Valdosta, GA
10/4 vs Richmond Hill (Region) Kingsland, GA
10/11 at Lowndes HS (Region) Valdosta, GA
10/25 vs Colquitt HS (Region) Kingsland, GA
11/1 vs Tift County HS (Region) Kingsland, GA
Soaring Eagles
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last season Milton won the final 7A state championship.
They beat Walton 31-21 to capture their second state championship. They also won the state championship in 2018. It looks like Milton has become an elite program.
They have a lot of talented players that are looking to repeat as state champions in 2024.
Tight end Ethan Barbour is the 18th ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. The four-star tight end is 6’3, 235 pounds and he’s a great pass catching tight end. Last season he had 49 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s committed to UGA and he also plays basketball.
As good as Barbour is he’s the second target on this team. Four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley is the primary target. He’s 6’4, 195 lbs. and he has the great combination of size and speed. He also runs track and he ran 100 meters in 10.83 seconds. In 2023 he had 68 receptions, 1,473 yards, 14 TD’s and he averaged 21.7 yards per catch. He’s committed to Florida State.
Quarterback Luke Nickel is a three-star recruit. The 6’2, 205 pound signal caller made the Elite 11 finals roster in 2024. He was named MaxPreps Junior All-American second-team in 2023. Last season he passed for 3,914 yards, 39 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and he completed 66.1% of his passes. He also ran for 181 yards and 6 scores. He’s committed to Miami.
Three-star tight end Ryan Ghea should see his role expand this season. In 2023 he caught 32 passes for 273 yards (18.2 ypc) and 3 TD’s. He’s 6’5, 231 pounds and he also plays basketball and baseball. He’s committed to Auburn.
Corner back Tyler Redmond is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He’s 6’1 so he’s a big corner.
Defensive lineman Caleb Bell is also a three-star player. At 6’3, 270 pounds he’s one of the biggest guys on the field at the high school level. He’s committed to Arkansas.
They have another corner back that’s also committed to Tennessee, Dylan Lewis.
Safety Ma’khi Jones is a three-star player that’s committed to Duke.
This is their schedule:
August 16- Buford: This will be a tough game. The Wolves were 11-2 last year and one of the most talented teams in the state. I give Milton the slight edge since their at home.
August 23- American Heritage (Plantation, Fl): The Patriots were 10-2 last year and they are an elite program from Florida. I think American Heritage will win this game.
August 30- Alpharetta: The Raiders are solid but no match for Milton.
September 13- @Blessed Trinity: The Titans are pretty good but the Eagles will win.
September 20- Chattahoochee: The Cougars have been struggling recently so this is an easy win.
September 27- @Seckinger: Seckinger is the newest school in Gwinnett and they just started playing football in 2022. This is a blowout win.
October 4- @Lanier: The Longhorns are tough but give the W to Milton.
October 11- @Gainesville: The Red Elephants were 12-1 in 2023. This will be a close game but I give the edge to Milton.
October 25- Johns Creek: This is another blowout win.
November 11- Roswell: This might be for the region title. The Hornets were 11-2 last year. This is too close to call.
I believe the Eagles will finish the regular season with eight wins and repeat as state champions.
Buc-ing The Trend
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There was a point, not too long ago, where the McIntosh Academy Buccaneers’ football program was as unstable as it came. The Bucs football program suffered through 5 head football coaches in 7 years.
Then entered Bradley Warren. Warren has now been the head man in Darien entering his sixth season. During that stretch the Bucs have made the playoffs every year that Warren has been the coach for MCA.
This season’s expectations are no different. Every year for the past several MCA has been talked about as being capable of making a deep run in the playoffs and even a dark horse for a state title.
Last season, it was a bit of an underwhelming season, at least by the standards that now exist with the Bucs program. MCA went 4-6 in the regular season, including a 14-6 loss to 6A Glynn Academy and a loss to 5A Bradwell Institute. McIntosh Couty Academy also suffered a loss to rival Emanuel County Institute and took shut-out losses from Lanier, Jenkins County, and Portal.
Despite the tough losses, MCA still made the playoffs as a lower seed. However, just to add insult to a far less than stellar year, the Bucs were eliminated in the first round by Clinch County. It was the third time in four years that Clinch had eliminated the Bucs from the playoffs. Rough.
MCA was young in 2023 and 2024 promises to field a much more mature and older group. I actually think this team will be contending for a region title in 2024.
New regions were announced for the next seasons and MCA’s region (Region 3A DII) will consist of Bryan County, Claxton, ECI, Jenkins County, Metter, Portal and Savannah
Here is the schedule.
August 16-@ Islands
August 23-Charlton @ The Ship
August 30-Bye
September 6-@ ECI
September 13-Claxton @ The Ship
September 20-@ Screven
September 27-Bye
October 4-Jenkins County @ The Ship
October 11-@Bryan County
October 18-Metter @ The Ship
October 25-Savannah @ The Ship
November 1-@ Portal
Again, I think MCA will be very good and contend for a region title. It will be tough though. That region is stacked.
I think MCA will go 8-2 in the regular season.
Maybe the Bucs will see Clinch in the playoffs and shake that albatross on the way to a state title.
