High School Football
I’m Coming Home
By: Josh Aubrey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Football season hasn’t even begun but there’s already talk of a homecoming at Bulloch Academy, as after nearly 25 years there will once again be a Shaver coaching on the sidelines in Bulloch County.
Bill Shaver, son of legendary Southeast Bulloch head coach Fred Shaver, left Statesboro High in 1993 to take over as offensive coordinator at Thomas County Central.
As OC, under Yellow Jacket head coach Ed Pilcher, Shaver helped Thomas County Central to five state championship appearances and three state titles.
Shaver took over the head coaching reigns from Pilcher in 2008 and over the past 10 years helped TCCHS to 3 region titles and a record of 74-40.
Despite that success, at the end of last season school officials felt it was time for a change and Shaver was relieved of his coaching duties.
“The folks down there felt it was time for a change,” Shaver said. “I guess it was a time for a major change in my life. Luckily the good lord opened a door for me back here in Bulloch County.”
Shaver and Bulloch Academy head coach and athletic director Pat Collins were both on head coach Charles Webb’s staff for two years at Statesboro High in the early 90’s. The two remained friends and their paths have crossed many times over the past 25 years.
“We have remained good friends throughout the past 25 years,” Collins said. “I approached him in the spring and asked him to be a part of our staff and he flat out said no.
I asked him again a month later and got the same response. We ran into each other recently at a quarterback and receiver camp and I asked him again and he said I’ll think about it. A little later I got the call I was hoping for and he said yes.”
“I decided to retire from public school and looked around southwest Georgia for a job,” Shaver said. “Nothing came up, but I kept getting calls from coach Collins. I prayed about it, and then just felt the lord working on me to come back home to Bulloch County.”
While Collins persistence was important in keeping Bulloch County on Shaver’s mind, the quarterbacks at Bulloch Academy were also instrumental in getting Shaver to Bulloch Academy.
“I saw Don Aaron, Fisher Oglesby and Tyler Willoughby at a quarterback and receiver camp a few weeks ago,” Shaver said. “When I got home I told my wife how much I enjoyed working with those Bulloch Academy kids and how talented they were as well. Soon after that I made up my mind to come.”
Shaver will not be teaching at Bulloch Academy, giving him time to spend with father and his sister Linda, whose family lives in town.
“I got to go with dad to a Kiwanis Club meeting the other day, and out to eat,” Shaver said. “I also get to see Linda and will spend time with her. I will still be commuting a lot back to Thomasville to see my son and his family, and my grandchild as well. My wife is retired too, so she has the opportunity to come here as well from time to time.”
As for the football side of things, the change will actually be greater for coach Collins who has been running a power offense for years, as he will be turning over the offensive reigns to coach Shaver and his veer option attack.
“When you have the chance to bring on Bill Shaver I feel you have to trust him and give him latitude with our offense,” Collins said. “I think he will make us more diverse and dynamic than any team I have had in the past.”
Shaver feels optimistic about what he has to work with and doesn’t think the learning curve will be too difficult for the players.
“We have three talented quarterbacks who all have plenty of ability to do the things we will need,” Shaver said. “If we can blend the option attack I have used the past 24 years with the power game coach Collins has used and throw in a little play action passing, I think we can be successful.”
The Gators open the season August 18 at 9:00 am as they kick off the annual Erk Russell Classic in Paulson Stadium against Pinewood.
Pirates Sailing On New Tides
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sean Pender finished 7-3 in his first season on Altama Avenue. He is entering his second season at the helm with many new faces especially on the defensive side of the ball.
While youth and inexperience may be a factor going into the 2018 season the head coach is excited about the opportunity to build and grow with his young Pirates. “We have some good talented kids, but keep in mind there will be some growing pains, but the work ethic is there and I’m looking forward to see these younger kids develop”.
The most experienced position group returning in 2018 is the offensive line. The offensive line is led by who Pender calls the best offensive lineman he has ever coached in Warren McClendon. At 6’6 and 300 lbs. McClendon is a four-star recruit by all the recruiting services and can play anywhere in the country.
McClendon will play right tackle. AJ Kirkland at 5’8 225 will move over to center and has the versatility to play guard as well. Brett Hall 6’1 240 will start at left guard. Xavier Ramsey 6’2 252 will start at left tackle, and Caleb Cook 6’2 280 will start at right guard.
Pender says his run game will be very effective this fall. Offensive Coordinator Garrett Grady commented about his OL group “They have been the hardest working kids on the field and I am expecting big things out of this group this fall”.
A name to watch is freshman Kanaya Charlton who just turned 14 years of age and is already 6’6 310 with great feet and has future start written all over him will provide depth at the position.
The QB battle is heating up this summer with KJ Lee and Anthony Mountain. Lee played some as a freshman in 2017 has a quick release and has a solid grasp on the offense according to his head coach.
Mountain is getting better every single day and his head coach loves his competitive spirit. Both struggled in the spring game but have gained confidence over the summer. If the season started today Lee would more than likely get the nod under center but keep an eye on this position battle.
Jaylen Trimmings will be the man at RB and has looked very good this summer according to his head coach, but a kid who caught my eye in practice is freshman Chucobe Hill who Pender says is his back up RB going into the fall.
The Pirates will be raw and talented at WR. Marlon Carmena, Jailyn Jones, Che Foy Xavier Beane, Amarion Whitfield, Syveion Ellis, Michael McGee, and Mitchell Richburg at hybrid TE/FB will get reps at receiver. There is a lot of speed in this group.
Richburg, and Kyle Rayburn will handle the punting duties, and Avery Yoak will be the FG kicker in 2018. Look for the kicking game to much improved this fall.
On defense, Justin Akra will be the leader in the defensive line. Pender thinks Akra will have a big season in 2018.
Keith Garrett, Xavier Stevens, and Jaylen Carter will provide depth on the defensive line. Carter looks like a potential stud at 6’3 265.
Stacy Young is back at OLB/S and is a major college prospect. Devin Lafayette, Freddy Towns, and Demetrius Hardee will make the Pirate secondary a solid group in the fall.
Billy Anderson has earned a starting job at one of the corners and Pender is looking for Peter Sheffield to step up and make an impact the back of the defense this fall. Brunswick has a proud history at DB if you look at current NFL rosters in Detroit and Seattle.
AJ Wilson and Octavious Butler will have to grow up fast and contribute right away at the LB position.
Kick returners will be Carmena, Hardee, and Sheffield.
Schedule is brutal early with road trips to Coffee and Bartram Trail in Florida. Both squads lost state title games in their classifications in 2017.
Much improved Camden comes to Glynn County Stadium in September and region road games at Effingham and Bradwell. BHS will try to avoid a 5th straight loss to Glynn Academy in the City Title game.
When asked if this is a rebuilding year Pender offered “I hope everyone feels that way about us this fall. I like the work ethic and talent on this football team. Yes, we are young but I’m excited to see this group’s potential once we get some good game experience under our belts”.
Tough Voyage For Buccaneers
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The MCA Buccaneers finished the 2017 season with a 4-6 record and a 1-4 record in region 3-A.
The Bucs have since fired or accepted the resignation of (whichever story you choose to believe), Terel Toomer. Toomer was an assistant under former coach Robbie Robinson and was the Defensive Coordinator 2 years ago for the Bucs, during the state finals appearance.
Enter Tony Glazer. Glazer was hired from Liberty County, where he served as the Defensive Coordinator and coached Raekwon McMillan and Richard LeCounte. Both, of course, have moved on to bigger and better things.
Glazer is the 5th coach the Bucs have had in 7 years and he will mostly be charged with adding stability to a job that coach’s keep getting fired from.
The Bucs also had former starting QB, Denver Anthony, leave the program for Frederica.
With only a few weeks left before the start of the season, MCA currently only has 23 players on the roster.
With so few bodies it will likely make for another long season in Darien.
The Bucs will open at home at The Ship against Pierce County. The speed and depth of Pierce will be too much for MCA.
MCA will then host the Brunswick High Pirates, a 6A squad that has around 100 players on the roster. Too much depth for the Bucs and they will fall to 0-2.
In the third game of the season they again host, but the result should not be any different against Jenkins County.
McIntosh County Academy will then take to the road for their next two contests against Calvary Day and Brantley. The Brantley County game may be close but I still think the Herons will be too much for the Bucs.
MCA will get back to The Ship in Darien on October 5, but another loss awaits against region foe Savannah Country Day.
On October 12 MCA travels back to Savannah for a date with Savannah Christian, this should result in the 7th straight loss of the season.
Back home on October 19 against Claxton. Normally, I would take MCA in this game. However, with only 23 players on the roster and nagging injuries having set in by this point the depth will be an issue.
On October 26 the Bucs will play their most winnable game on the schedule in Portal. They will have to travel to just outside of Statesboro to play that game.
Then of course, MCA will wrap things up with the cross-over game as they play in a sub region. I don’t see that going well either.
Prediction: 1-9 for the Bucs. It is hard to win with only 20-ish kids on a roster in GHSA.
There will be some bright spots. You will see the Buccaneers become much better defensively under Glazer and, if healthy, you will come to know the name Josh Amerson at linebacker.
Go Dogs!
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are about one month away from the 2018 high school football season. North Gwinnett won the 7A state championship last season. The Bulldogs beat Colquitt County 19-17 on a last second field goal to win the game.
Coming into the season, they are ranked as the preseason No. 1 team. They will have a very tough time defending the title but I think it is possible.
The top recruit on the team is cornerback DJ Turner II. He’s a three-star prospect and committed to Michigan. He’s 6’0 tall so has good size for a defensive back. The other corner, Warren Burrell is also 6 feet tall and ranked the 66th recruit in Georgia. He received offers from Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, NC State, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
There is another highly recruited member of the secondary, safety Quinton Newsome. He fits in the new mold of bigger safeties like Keanu Neal, standing at 6’2 and 180 pounds. He has 20 offers from schools like Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Cal. North Gwinnett has one of the best secondaries in the state.
Running back Tyler Goodson is also a three-star player and he committed to Iowa. He’s 5’10, 192 pounds and he’s a quick, shifty back. Last year he rushed for 1,315 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also had 18 receptions and 4 receiving TD’s.
The season begins with a tough opponent, No. 3 Brookwood at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Broncos were 11-3 last season and won their region. They advanced to the state semifinals, so they plan on building on that in 2018.
Both teams are very talented so I’m not sure who will have the advantage in this early season match up.
After a bye week, the second game is in Apopka, Florida versus Wekiva High School. The Mustangs should be a pretty good challenge and Florida teams are known for speed. I expect North Gwinnett to come out victorious.
Norcross comes to town the following week. The Blue Devils are looking to bounce back and return to being an elite team. After winning back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013, they’ve been relatively quiet. They are talented but I don’t think they have what it takes to beat North Gwinnett.
Game 4 is at Walton, a Cobb County powerhouse. Walton beat North Gwinnett in last year’s season opener, 31-28.
This should be a very tough game and the Raiders have one of the best players in the state, wide receiver Dominick Blaylock. He is the No. 4 prospect in the state and a four-star recruit. He committed to UGA and I know he will want to shine against this secondary. I think the Bulldogs will be too strong for Walton.
Discovery High is the next game. The school opened in 2015 so it’s one of the newest schools in Gwinnett County. The Bulldogs beat them 41-7 in 2017 and this year will be the same.
On September 28th they travel to Lawrenceville, GA to play Mountain View. The Bears are led by defensive tackle Jaelin Humphries.
The four-star recruit has committed to Florida and he’s one of the best defensive linemen in Georgia. This will be a close game.
The remaining four games are against Mill Creek, Collins Hill, Duluth and Peachtree Ridge. The only easy win in the group is Duluth. The remaining teams should compete and play well but I give the Bulldogs the edge.
They should finish the season 9-1, 8-2 at the worst. They will be in position to make another run in the playoffs to win the championship.
To The Plains
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Jashawn Sheffield, 4-star athlete from Frederica Academy, has made his college decision.
In a video that has been watched over 100,000 times, Sheffield announced his decision to further his academic and athletic career at Auburn University.
His final decision came down between Auburn and South Carolina and both schools made it very difficult for him.
Sheffield has been on the recruiting scene since his freshman year at Frederica Academy. He received over 10 offers from colleges from across the country before starting his sophomore season.
For a while everyone thought he was destined to be a Florida State Seminole. If you ask him he would tell you that he always thought he would wear the garnet and gold as well. What a lot of people do not know is that Sheffield was once committed to Florida State.
He committed to Jimbo Fisher the spring of 2017. A lot changed at FSU in the fall that led to Jimbo Fisher taking a job at Texas A&M. The move of Fisher allowed Sheffield to open things up and give other schools a closer look. He was able to take several visits to different colleges and ultimately, he decided that Auburn was the best fit for him.
Sheffield will join his teammate, Jaylin Simpson, at Auburn. These two have been teammates since the 6th grade. Simpson will suit up on the defensive side of the ball and there is a chance that Sheffield could join him.
Sheffield is ranked the 10th ranked athlete in the country. This was appealing for Auburn. They feel as if he can play the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side. He is not sure which side he prefers. One day he will tell you wide receiver and the next day he will tell you safety. This will be something that Gus Malzhan and his staff will figure out when he arrives in the Plains.
The recruiting process has not been one that Sheffield has been a fan of. A lot of fans do not really get what some of these recruits go through during the process.
Recruits have to try and figure out who is telling the truth and who is flat out lying. This decision is the first real adult decision some of these prospects will make in their lives.
Sheffield will join some of his Cam Newton 7v7 teammates on the Auburn commitment list. Quarterback Bo Nix, WR George Pickens, CB Jaylin Simpson and TE Tyler Fromm.
He will also join his longtime friend, Owen Pappoe. Auburn is not finished on the recruiting trail. They have their eyes on several other Georgia Prospects.
Frederica now has two prospects committed in their 2019 class. These two will not be the last. Harry Veal, Patrick Brunson, Michael Tindle, Cameron Gardner, JT Elliott, and Cole Hinson will all look to add their name to a college’s commitment list this year.
The 2020 class has some players that will play on Saturdays as well. Denver Anthony and Deke Jernigan will have the opportunity to play as well.
Brandon Derrick’s program has 3 student athletes playing football on Saturdays. Tony Heyward is at Rhodes College, Austin Skelton is at Samford, and Santana Clark will attend Jacksonville University.
Frederica Academy is at the top of GISA when it comes to sending its players to the next level to play football.
Wolves On The Hunt
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Buford High School has been a football powerhouse since the turn of the century. The Wolves have won 11 state championships, 10 of them from 2001 to 2014. During that stretch, there were three different three-peats.
For a program of this caliber, not winning a championship since 2014 is a long drought. In 2017 they went 11-2 and lost to Rome in the AAAAA state semifinals 45-7.
Buford has produced several Division 1 prospects over the years and this season will be no different. Center Harry Miller is the No. 8 ranked player in the state of Georgia. He’s 6’4, 310 pounds so he has great size and he verbally committed to Ohio State.
Running back Derrian Brown is a four-star recruit and the 24th ranked player in the state. He received 34 offers from major programs like Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, LSU, Notre Dame, Georgia, Arkansas, Penn State and Florida.
Last year as a junior, he shared carries with Anthony Grant (Florida State) and Christian Turner (Michigan), who have both graduated and gone to the next level. Brown ran for 844 yards on 94 carries, which translates to 8.9 yards per carry. He will be the featured back this season so expect his numbers to be drastically better.
“He’s just becoming a complete back,” head coach John Ford said at the Corky Kell 7-on-7 tournament. “He can run with power, he can run with vision. He can run with patience. He’s doing some things in the passing game where he’ll be a threat in that too.”
The Wolves lost to Corky Kell champion Marietta in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Buford features another top 50 state recruit, guard Riley Simonds. He’s a three-star recruit and verbally committed to Florida.
They typically play a very difficult schedule and this year is no different. The season kicks off August 17th against Tucker in the Corky Kell Classic. The game will be played at Georgia State Stadium, formerly Turner Field. The Tigers are an elite 6A program so this should be a very competitive game. Tucker also has a star player, defensive end Derrick McLendon has committed to Florida State.
The following week is at home against Jonesboro. This will be an easy win.
Deerfield Beach (FL) comes to town August 31st. The Bucks were 8-3 last season so they should be pretty good in 2018. I still give the advantage to the Wolves.
After a bye week they face Newton at home. The Wolves will destroy Newton by 40-50 points.
September 21st is a huge match up in Lawrenceville at Archer. The Tigers are a 7A school with a ton of talent. They have stars like Andrew Booth, he’s a five-star corner back and the No. 6 player in the state.
They also have three-star players like Safety Jalyn Phillips and wide receiver Braylen Weems. I expect Archer to win but the game should be close.
Johnson (Gainesville) comes to Buford after that and region play begins. Buford beat the Knights 70-0 last season and I expect a similar result.
The Wolves then travel to Athens to play Cedar Shoals. They beat them 56-0 in 2017 and we can expect more of the same.
The final three games are at Loganville, Walnut Grove and Clarke Central. The combined scores against these 3 opponents last year was 136-7. These will all be huge blowouts again.
Buford will make the playoffs and compete for another state title. I’m not sure if they have what it takes to overtake Rome but we will see.
Spring Terror
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors are looking forward to another successful season in 2018.
Since Rocky Hidalgo was named the Terrors head man, Glynn Academy has won at least a share of the Region Title three straight years. In the previous four years with Hidalgo at the helm GA has finished in the Elite Eight twice, made a Final Four appearance and played for a state title.
The Red Terrors will enter the 2018 season in somewhat unfamiliar territory, Glynn will enter the season without having a clear-cut starter at QB.
GA just wrapped up Spring practice, finishing with the annual Spring game.
With so much young talent Hidalgo elected to play an intrasquad Spring game instead of scrimmaging another team. This allowed Coach Hidalgo to get as many of his players on the field at the same time to analyze what he has on the roster.
The QB competition certainly heated up in the Spring game. Senior Sam Wagner had taken most of the snaps in the Spring with the first team offense. However, Wagner did not play QB in the Spring game.
Instead, Hidalgo went with two younger QB’s both competing with Wagner for the starting job.
Sophomore TJ Lewis may have taken the lead in the competition with a pretty good performance in the Spring Game.
Lewis threw for 2 TDs and rushed for 1. The touchdown passes were long passes and put right on the money, one down the sideline and the other right over the middle. Lewis also scampered two yards for his rushing TD.
The final score was Red Team 4 TD’s and White Team 1 in the varsity segments of the game.
The Red Terrors will have Nolan Grant, Quantavious Bostic, and Caden Hutchinson taking the lion’s share of carries at RB.
One thing Rocky Hidalgo is very good at is getting his defensive unit to buy in to his system. Year in and year out Glynn has been a top 10 defense in the state and this year should figure no different.
A name for Red Terror fans to remember is Marlon Taylor. Taylor is a senior DT with great size and speed and already has offers from Cincinnati and Tulane, just to name a couple. He will be a nightmare for opposing QB’s and a bad match up for Offensive Coordinators.
There is still a long way to go before the season starts as the Terrors still have to go through Summer practice and then get ready come August to kick off.
One thing is for sure though, Rocky Hidalgo has built a perennial state power on Mansfield Street and the rest of the state has taken notice.
Readying The Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you sit down with Brunswick High head football Coach Sean Pender the first question on your mind is how you replace 31 seniors from a 7-3 football team that shared a region championship from last season.
Pender is very optimistic about the 2018 Pirates as they conclude spring drills.
While youth and inexperience may be a factor going into the 2018 season, work ethic will not. “Our kids come out to practice and compete hard and listen, and this has been a fun group to teach since our winter program started in January” says Pender.
One position group that has a lot of experience returning in 2018 is the offensive line. The offensive line has four experienced players returning led by who Pender calls the best offensive lineman he has ever coached in Warren McClendon.
At 6’5 and 300 lbs, McClendon is a four-star recruit by all the recruiting services. He can play anywhere in the country that he chooses after the 2018 season is complete.
McClendon will play left tackle. AJ Kirkland will move over to center and has the versatility to play guard as well. Brett Hall returns at guard after bulking up to 250 pounds with the off-season strength and conditioning program. Xavier Ramsey will contend for All Region honors at the other tackle position, and Caleb Cook may win the other guard position. Pender thinks his run game will be solid in 2018 with this group leading the way.
Pender who coaches his QB’s really hard thinks he has some quality at the position in KJ Lee and Anthony Mountain.
Lee played some as a freshman in 2017 and has a quick release. He has a solid grasp on the offense according to his head coach. Mountain, a transfer, played the backup role in 2017 at Glynn Academy. He is learning the offense and a new set of fundamentals as he goes from a run-oriented attack to a spread offense. Both will get some serious looks at QB. Watch this battle as it develops over the summer.
Jaylen Trimmings will be the workhorse at RB and has worked really hard in the offseason for the role. The Pirates will be young and talented at WR. Marlon Carmena, Jailyn Jones, Xavier Bean, Amarion Whitfield, Syveion Ellis, Tyrease Jones, Michael McGee, and Mitchell Richburg will get reps at receiver as this offense gets the ball in a lot of hands. Pender is really high on Che Foy who will see double duty at slot and RB in 2018.
Richburg and Mountain will handle the punting duties and Avery Yoak will be the FG kicker in 2018.
On defense the Pirates lost 13 of 15 players who saw varsity action in 2017.
Justin Akra will be the leader in the defensive line. Pender thinks Akra will have a big season in 2018.
Stacy Young is back at OLB/S and is a major college prospect who Pender calls the leader of the defense. Devin Lafayette, Freddy Towns, and Demetrius Hardee will make the Pirate secondary a solid group in the fall.
Keith Garrett, Xavier Stevens, Jaylen Carter, and George Humphries will provide depth on the defensive line.
The Pirates lost a ton at LB due to graduation, but some talent is ready to step in make a name for themselves. AJ Wilson, Octavis Butler, and Ryne Buckley will have to grow up fast and contribute right away.
Offensively, Pender wants to run his base offense and expects his run game to be solid and is looking for consistency in the passing game.
Defensively the head coach says he wants to see his young kids flying to the point of attack in a bad mood and playing fast and physical.
Knighted For Next Level
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It seems like it was yesterday when Jaylin Simpson received his first division 1 offer from Ohio State.
The smile he displayed that day was visible when he committed to Gus Malzahn (Auburn) earlier this month.
Simpson visited Auburn for the first time last month. He knew then that Auburn would be his next home after he leaves Frederica Academy. After visiting with the coaches and taking the tour on the first visit, he knew he wanted to get his mother on campus to check everything out before making a decision. That visit was a slam dunk for Simpson’s mother.
We all have seen a lot of the commitment videos from kids over the last month. I have always wondered what the reactions were when recruits tell the coaches at these colleges that they are committing to their school.
I actually got to be present for this one. Simpson actually walked right into Gus Malzahn’s office, hugged him and said, “Coach I am a Tiger. I am committed.” Coach Malzahn’s face lit up and he and his wife yelled with excitement. It was a pretty cool moment to be a part of.
At Auburn, he will look to play either safety or corner. The Auburn staff loves the versatility that Jaylin brings to the table. Simpson has played multiple positions while at Frederica. He has played quarterback, wideout, safety, corner, and has been the Knights punt returner. This versatility makes him very appealing to the Tigers.
What made Simpson choose Auburn? Jaylin has told several people that he loves the relationship that he has formed with the coaches. Kevin Steele (Defensive Coordinator), Kodi Burns (Wide Receiver Coach), and Marcus Woodson (Defensive Back Coach) all have done a great job building relationships with him. He knew that these coaches he could trust.
Simpson has already turned into a recruiter for the Tigers. If you check his twitter you will see that he is going after some of the top targets in the 2019 class.
He has the type of personality that others want to be around, so him helping out the Auburn coaching staff should be helpful.
So, are schools backing off since Jaylin’s commitment? Absolutely not. There have been several schools who have picked up the communication with Jaylin Simpson since last week.
Simpson has said that he is 1000% committed but things might get interesting as this year goes.
Right now, Simpson’s main focus is finishing off this semester strong and getting back on the field with the rest of the Frederica Knights. Brandon Derrick’s Knights will look to win it all this year after suffering a heart breaking lost in the semifinals against Valwood.
Simpson is the first of Frederica’s talented 2019 class to commit to a school. Coach Derrick hopes that a good bit of his players will sign athletic scholarships next year.
Jashawn Sheffield has several power 5 offers. He has no timetable for a decision.
Harry Veal is starting to get a lot of buzz. The talented linebacker will be highly recruited in the near future. Veal scored a 29 on the ACT and several Ivy League schools have noticed.
Patrick Brunson will also have the opportunity to play at the next level. Before missing last season, Brunson received interest from several division 1 schools.
Shifty back, Isaiah Jackson, has shown on several division 2 boards. His vision and quickness will land him a spot on someone’s college roster.
Talented offensive lineman, Michael Tindle will also have a chance to suit up on Saturdays if he chooses. Tindle is one of the best offensive lineman to suit up for the Knights.
Next year has the potential to be a very fun and productive year for the Knights.
Steering The Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In sports, usually the leader is the coach, but sometimes certain players are appointed team leaders and must possess some of the same leadership characteristics as an effective coach.
Coaches and team leaders are typically respected by other team members not only for their sports skills and abilities but also for other qualities, such as responsibility, work ethic and attitude.
For the 2017 Brunswick High football team that team leader was Ty Hinson. Hinson started 31 games at center for the Pirates during his career, and some things I noticed during his career:
Led by example: Ty Hinson was a picture of this during his time at BHS. I noticed Hinson at all off-season workouts even when BHS was in a coaching transition. First in line at football drills, and always carried himself in a positive manner off the field.
Passion: You cannot fake passion in sports or life. I don’t know another kid off the top of my head that loves Brunswick High School more than Ty Hinson. That passion always showed up on Friday nights during football season.
Ability: As I said earlier, Hinson made his first start in a playoff game in 2014 as a freshman and never left the starting line-up after that. That football ability was rewarded in February as Hinson signed a football scholarship to Valdosta State University.
Communication: Hinson played center and has great communication skills and his fellow offensive lineman depended on those communication skills every Friday. Hinson was a key piece in a record setting offense in 2017. The non-verbal communication skills are important as well. Hinson always seemed confident and poised when adversity hit, and his teammates took notice.
Will to Win: No person in the program wanted to win more than Ty Hinson. Hinson led a group of seniors to a 7-3 record in 2017, and got Brunswick High Football back on track after two tough seasons.
At 6’2 and now 275 pounds Hinson worked his tail off in the weight room to get bigger and stronger, and the younger kids in the program took notice and followed.
Hinson’s leadership skills were noticed early in his recreation football league days. His youth league coach State Court Judge Bart Altman said the following about Hinson, “Hinson is a natural born leader and he laid the foundation as an 11 year old for kids who followed him on the Red Death offensive line. I still talk about his leadership qualities to my current team and will do the same to future Red Death players. Hinson is a kid that will be a future leader in this country, and I’m proud to have coached him at an early age”.
Hinson’s principal Dr. Scott Spence added “Ty is a campus leader and anything he chooses to do in life will reflect positively on Brunswick High School”.
His football coach Sean Pender added “Ty was a leader in this program from day one when I arrived a year ago, and his leadership helped get our football program back on track last season. I’m going to miss him, but he’ll do well at VSU”.
Hinson comes from a family line of educators. His dad is a middle school principal and his mother an elementary school teacher. Ty is the role model of what a student athlete should be. Ty will graduate in May and head to Valdosta State and will have a solid career there. He will graduate from college and be a productive leader in society as an adult.
One lucky mom and dad will get the blessing of their life one day when their daughter brings Ty Hinson home to introduce him to the family.
Ty Hinson thank you for your commitment to Brunswick High School. You leave BHS football in a better place for others to follow.
