High School Football
Brunswick’s Season Ends
By: Teddy Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Unfortunately, when you start talking about the 2025 Brunswick High football season, you have to talk about the last game of the season.
With 1:57 left in the third quarter, and the Pirates trailing Gainesville 42-0, the biggest fight I’ve ever seen in high school football broke out.
Players from both sidelines ran onto the field at Glynn County Stadium. Players shoved players from the other team, helmets were ripped off, and punches were thrown before officials, coaches and police were able to restore order.
To their credit, not all players participated in the melee.
When a shaky calm returned to the field, the officials conferenced for several minutes before calling the game—and rightfully so. The 42-0 score with 1:57 left in the third period became the final score.
This article is not the place to assess blame—the Georgia High School Association is, of course, dealing with that, and I suspect the consequences will be severe for both schools—and rightfully so.
Unfortunately, the fight distracts from the stellar season that Brunswick High had.
Head Coach Garrett Grady’s Pirates went 9-3 for the season, winning the Region 1-5A championship; the City Championship (beating Glynn Academy); and a first-round playoff game (beating Winder-Barrow 78-30) before losing the second-round game to the Gainesville Red Elephants.
(All of the following stats are unofficial.)
Senior quarterback Grant Moore claimed every passing record in BHS history except for total yards in a season. He needed 99 yards going into the Gainesville game to claim that record but couldn’t quite get there against the rugged Red Elephants defense.
The records for career touchdown passes, career passing yards, and single-game passing yards do, however, now belong to Grant Moore.
Moore also had over 300 yards rushing for the season.
Senior tight end Heze Kent also had an outstanding year, catching 40 passes for nearly 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. Kent has committed to take his talents to a different Gainesville city—the Florida Gators.
Brunswick High’s running backs duo of Josiah Gibbons and Nigel Gardner, both juniors, also had very good seasons. Gibbons ran for over 1300 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Gardner rushed for over 1200 yards as he scored 17 TDs.
Waseem Murray, a junior, had well over 700 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns.
Dontre’ Butler, only a sophomore, had over 500 all-purpose yards as he scored six touchdowns.
Defensively, BHS was paced by Braylen Johnson, Adrian Volland and Zi’yan Rankin. Johnson and Volland were the leading tacklers, while Rankin led the Pirates in interceptions with five.
Rankin and Johnson are juniors, while Volland is a senior.
Senior Aviyon Addison also contributed heavily to the defensive success of the Pirates,.
Senior kicker Landon Ethridge capped off a very good career at BHS, even though he missed some time with a leg injury.
And, thus, the 2025 football season for the Brunswick High Pirates is at an end.
With a lot of talented underclassmen returning next year, BHS figures to be very good again.
The consequences for the fight BHS were severe. The GHSA find Brunswick High $5,000, suspended 41 players from their next GHSA sanctioned event and banned the Pirates football team from the 2026 playoffs.
Red Terrors Moving Forward
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 season is in the books for the Glynn Academy Red Terrors.
Jackson County ended the season with a first round romp over the Terrors.
The top seeded Panthers moved to 10-1 on the season and the fourth seeded Terrors take a long bus ride home ending at 6-5.
Looking back, it truly is a season of ups and downs for Glynn. I had predicted at the first of the year that the Red and White had a great chance to go 7-3 or 8-2 on the season.
Well, as the saying goes ‘close…….. but no cigar’.
Glynn dropped three games by 7, 4, and 3 points. It’s the difference between a winning season that the Terrors are very used to under Rocky Hidalgo and a very good season which was oh so close.
Let’s take a look back at the crazy wacky season that was Red Terror football in 2025.
Wayne County and Richmond Hill started the season for the Terrors. They split these first two games.
They take down Wayne County as expected 38-14 in the season opener and then stepped up in class and dropped a 21-0 game to a very tough Richmond Hill squad.
Next up was the shocker…… Glynn traveled to Hinesville to take on the Bradwell Institute Tigers. The Red Terrors have more infractions and yellow flags thrown at them than some of the inmates down the road in Reidsville and lost their second game 35-28.
How they committed a dozen or so penalties in the second half is beyond me. Bradwell finished the season 2-7. I could go on but it is what it is.
Next up was the Statesboro Blue Devils and the Terrors took care of business 36-8. Funny that the next week Statesboro took care of Bradwell 38-28. I could go on….
The Red Terrors took out Lakeside the next week and put 54 points on the board in a 54-28 victory.
Next is the City Championship game with the Brunswick High Pirates. Besides the Bradwell loss, here is the stunner.
Glynn led and controlled the game for three quarters and looked to close out the Pirates; driving down to the Brunswick goal line to really put the game away when they fumbled inside the Brunswick 3-yard line.
Brunswick proceeded to score, and score, and score in the fourth quarter and came back to take down the Terrors 41-37. It truly was a heartbreaker for the Terrors who gave up over 300 yards passing with much of it in the last terrible 12 minutes.
To the Terrors credit they bounced back and took 3 of the next 4 games.
They beat Evans, South Effingham, and Greenbrier and lost only to Effingham in a close one 45-42.
Glynn ended the regular season 6-4 and the region 4th seed.
After the long bus ride to Jackson County the Red Terrors failed to really get off the bus and gave up big plays and fumbled their way to a season ending loss.
The Terrors finished 6-5 on the year.
Looking ahead to 2026 the Red Terrors should be solid.
They played a large number of sophomores and juniors.
Back on offense will be 7 or 8 starters and 6 on defense plus Patrick Coyle with the kicking duties.
Terror fans are looking forward to seeing Max Noonan progress and get better at quarterback.
The junior to be had a solid first season and gives the Red Terrors a solid foundation on offense. Add in Caiden Robinson, Grant Ferrell, Zamir Bell, Ian Pomiechowski and others and the Terrors should be solid on offense.
Defensively the Terrors will return 6 starters including Cooper Reiss, Kori Roman, Sam Ricks, Cam Cleghorn, Aaden Ward, Amari Moore and several youngsters who got valuable playing time.
The key here will be restocking the DBs.
All in all, the Red Terrors look to be in good shape moving forward after another winning season on the Southside.
Bracket Busters
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are entering the second round of the GHSA football playoffs. Let’s take a look at some of the premier 6A matchups.
Brookwood (9-2) @ #5 Valdosta (10-1): Brookwood is the No. 2 seed from Region 7. Valdosta is the No. 1 seed from Region 1.
Last week the Broncos beat Archer 42-21. They rushed for 366 yards. Brayden Tyson had 144 yards and Jeremiah Brinson had 129.
Valdosta beat Dacula 56-28 in the first round of the playoffs. The Wildcats rushed for 335 yards in that game. Marquis Fennell led the team with 165 yards and Deron Fennell had 116 yards.
Valdosta’s lone loss this season was to #9 Colquitt County, 18-17.
The last time these teams played was 2014. The series is tied 3-3 and I think the Wildcats will win this matchup.
#9 Colquitt County (9-2) @ #1 Grayson (11-0): Colquitt County is the No. 3 seed from Region 1. Grayson is the No. 1 seed from Region 4.
The Packers beat Mill Creek 35-24 last week.
Jae Lamar rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Cohen Lawson was 12-of-24 passing for 226 yards and a touchdown. Antwan Lockett had five receptions for 128 yards and a TD.
The Rams beat Norcross 44-7 in the first round. They scored all of their points in the first half.
Deuce Smith was 12-of-14 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
The last time these teams met was in 2019. Colquitt County leads the series 4-2. I believe Grayson will win.
Newton (8-3) @ #2 Buford (11-0): Newton is the No. 2 seed from Region 4. Buford is the No. 1 seed from Region 8.
Last week the Rams beat Peachtree Ridge 33-14.
They rushed for 373 yards and were 2-of-9 passing. Kevin Hartsfield rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Darius White rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
The Wolves beat Richmond Hill 45-0 last week. They held them to 96 total yards. Dayton Raiola was 12-of-20 passing for 204 yards and four touchdowns.
The last time these teams met was 2019 and Buford leads the series 2-0. This is Buford’s 27th straight second-round appearance. I think Buford will win big.
#10 Harrison (10-1) @ #3 Carrolton (11-0): Harrison is the No. 2 seed from Region 3. Carrollton is the No. 1 seed from Region 2.
In the first round the Hoyas beat Marietta, 45-35. Aiden Watson was 17-of-23 passing for 194 yards and rushed for 180 yards and six touchdowns. D.J. Huggins had nine receptions for 95 yards.
The Trojans beat North Forsyth 58-17 last week. Ryan Mosely had five receptions for 112 yards. Cam Wood rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
These teams have only played once before in 2023 and Carrolton leads the series 1-0. This is Carrollton’s 11th straight second-round appearance. I expect the Trojans to advance.
#6 Lowndes (10-1) @ #8 North Gwinnett (10-1): Lowndes is the No. 2 seed from Region 1. North Gwinnett is the No. 1 seed from Region 7.
The Vikings beat Collins Hill 37-16 in the first round. Jayce Johnson passed for 131 yards and rushed for 36 with three total touchdowns. Lowndes was outgained in this game but they had two interceptions.
The Bulldogs beat South Gwinnett 49-16 last week. They were balanced, with over 200 yards passing and receiving.
Elam Rahman was 12-of-16 passing for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Kalil Mazone rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
Lowndes leads the series 2-0 and they have not played since 2019. I think North Gwinnett wins a close game.
Piracy
By: Teddy Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Brunswick High Pirates sailed into the 2nd round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs with a 78-30 thumping of the Winder-Barrow Bulldoggs. (You read it correctly, 78-30, and it wasn’t a basketball game.)
The 78 points is a single-game record at BHS. The previous high was 70 points in 1998 and again in1999, against Windsor Forest and Liberty County, respectively.
As region champions from 1-5A, Head Coach Garrett Grady’s Pirates earned a #1 seed and hosted the #4 seed—Winder-Barrow—from Region 8-5A.
Taking advantage of failed onside kicks by the Bulldoggs, the Pirates used the short field to score on their first four possessions, building a 30-15 advantage after one period.
Winder-Barrow pulled within eight points at 38-30 midway through quarter two, but didn’t score again, as the Pirates posted 40 unanswered points.
Brunswick High led 54-30 at the half and 70-30 after three quarters, sending the game to a running clock for the fourth quarter.
A Pirate TD with 2:40 to go in the game put the final 78-30 tally on the scoreboard.
Senior quarterback Grant Moore entered the game needing 443 yards passing and 3 touchdown tosses to surpass 2017 BHS quarterback Jamarius Stevens in those categories for best all-time.
Already holding the Pirate records for career passing yards and career touchdown passes, Grant Moore rose to the task against Winder-Barrow. He completed 12 of 14 passes, shredding the Bulldogg defense for 344 yards passing and 5 touchdowns, with no interceptions.
He now needs 99 yards passing to complete a sweep of individual passing records for quarterbacks at Brunswick High, and he will get that opportunity Friday night when BHS hosts the Gainesville Red Elephants at Glynn County Stadium in a second-round matchup.
With 78 points showing on the scoreboard against Winder-Barrow, you would expect that many Pirates had big nights, and they did.
Dontre Butler, Nigel Gardner, Josiah Gibbons, Heze Kent, and Waseem Murray all scored touchdowns for the Pirates.
Kent and Gibbons each scored three TDs, while Gardner had two.
Brunswick High also converted 9 of 10 two-point conversions following touchdowns.
Defensively, Zi’yan Rankin had two official interceptions, but he also had a pick-six nullified by a penalty.
Samir Dobbins also had an interception.
The Pirate defense was tasked with limiting the success of Winder-Barrow running back Demetrius Dowdy. Dowdy was the leading rusher in all of 5-A, averaging 185 yards per game, while scoring 20 touchdowns.
He ran for 98 yards against the Pirates in the first half, but the Pirate D held Dowdy to only 14 yards rushing in the second half, for 112 on the night.
The Pirates defeated South Effingham in the regular-season finale on October 31. That victory, coupled with Effingham’s upset of Statesboro the same night, put Brunswick High at the top of the region standings.
The Pirates will undoubtedly find a much tougher opponent in Gainesville this Friday night at Glynn County Stadium.
The Red Elephants will come in with a 9-2 record. They are the #2 seed from Region 7, and defeated Dunwoody 48-3, the #3 seed from Region 4, in the first round.
Quest Over
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Although it heartbreakingly ended one week from the goal, the 2025 season for the Frederica Knights was one of legend.
As with seemingly every Brandon Derrick-coached squad, the 15th edition of football under the oaks had to do more with less.
Entering the season with around 30 players on the roster, the goal was the same as always; win the region and complete the March to Mercer and a trip to the State Championship game.
The season kicked off with a trip to Savannah and a lightning-delayed matchup with the Savannah Blue Jackets. Junior QB Stanton Beverly threw for three touchdowns, Jaylen Baldwin and Jayden Gibson added two scores on the ground, and the Knights defense took a shutout late into the fourth quarter and left Chatham County with a season opening 34-7 win.
Problems with the weather continue into week two, when lightning in the area once again impacted play, this time delaying and eventually canceling the game against West Nassau with minutes left in the first quarter and a 14-7 deficit on the scoreboard. The controversial loss would impact the Knights and their playoff seeding later in the season.
A pair of familiar foes were on tap for weeks three and four. The Valwood Valiants would stretch their win streak against the Knights to 5 games in the form of a painful 33-14 home loss, while the Tiftarea Panthers would fall to Frederica a week later in a complete team effort 24-21 come-from-behind 4th quarter victory.
Week Five came in the form of a painful road loss to Stratford Academy. A pair of red zone INTs cost the Knights a comeback attempt as they fell to the Eagles 28-13. The game was a catalyst for Frederica, however, as they went on to finish the regular season on a five-game win streak.
After a 42-13 dismantling of Brookwood, the Knights traveled to Lyons, GA to give Robert Toombs a 28-12 defeat, as well as give Coach Brandon Derrick his 100th career win as a head coach.
Region play started with a highly satisfying 35-20 home win against the hated Bulloch Academy Gators and continued with wins against the Pinewood Patriots to the tune of 28-14 and the annual shellacking of St Andrews: the 49-16 victory being the second largest win margin in the history of the rivalry.
With the regular season wrapped up, region honors were handout and the Knights were very well represented. All in all, eight Frederica players were given All Region honors – Fuller Wimberly, Gavin Grantham, Jaylen Baldwin, Eli Middleton, Jayden Gibson, JC Wessel, Eric Alford, and Hudson Carter. Stanton Beverly was unanimously selected as Region Player of the Year.
Once the playoffs were set, the Knights drew the 5th seed, which meant a first round bye and a second-round matchup on the road, again Valwood. This was a tough draw, considering the Valiants had knocked Frederica out of the playoffs the previous two seasons, but the Knights responded with a game for the ages.
With the game tied 14-14 at the half, Beverly and Gibson led the Knights to a 28-21 win in front of possibly the loudest and largest road crowd the Frederica Faithful has ever produced.
Making it to the Final Four for the 6th time under Coach Derrick, the Knights’ March to Mercer would once again end at the hands of GIAA powerhouse John Milledge Academy with a 35-7 final score.
While it’s always heartbreaking for the seniors that won’t get another chance at a title, the fact that the majority of the offensive skill players and defensive playmakers are juniors and sophomores gives the Frederica family well-founded hope that the 16th season of football under the oaks will wind up with the hoisting of a third state championship trophy
New Cat Is No Kitten
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Just days after announcing that Travis Roland will not return for the 2026 season, Camden County has wasted no time charting its future.
Jon Lindsey, a familiar and respected figure, has been hired as the Wildcats’ new head football coach.
For a community where football is woven into local identity, the move feels both forward-thinking and rooted in tradition.
Lindsey brings a wealth of experience, a history of success, and most importantly, deep ties to Camden County football. He is not an outsider stepping into a high-pressure job. He is one of the architects of the Wildcats’ proudest eras.
Lindsey served as Camden’s defensive coordinator during the 2008 and 2009 state championship seasons, and returned years later to help guide the Wildcats to the Final Four in the 2023 GHSA 6A state playoffs.
His defenses were known for their toughness, discipline, and physicality. These were the hallmarks of the Camden program at its peak.
Beyond his work in Kingsland, Lindsey has built an impressive statewide résumé. He took Irwin County to the Final Four in 2013, earning Gatorade Class A Coach of the Year honors during his tenure.
In 2014, he led Cook County to the Region 1-3A championship and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
He has also headed programs at East Paulding and Appling County, and most recently contributed to Coffee County’s rise, helping the Trojans reach the quarterfinals twice and the semifinals once in three seasons.
Camden County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tracolya Green praised Lindsey as the right leader at the right moment, citing his understanding of Camden’s expectations and the defensive tradition that has long defined Wildcat football.
“Coach Lindsey has been a critical part of establishing our identity,” she said. “His leadership is grounded in simplicity, grit, and discipline. He knows what it takes to build a championship culture.”
With Camden now on its fourth head coach in seven years, Lindsey arrives as both a steadying presence and a familiar voice. His return signals a commitment to the values that built the Wildcats into one of Georgia’s premier programs: defense, discipline, and physicality.
Though the decision to move on from Roland closes the book on a two-year tenure that included a playoff berth in 2024 and a 6–4 season in 2025, the focus this week has quickly shifted toward the future.
Camden County believes Lindsey is the coach best equipped to restore consistency and reassert the Wildcats as a contender in what will be the newly realigned Region 1-7A starting in 2026.
The Lindsey family is already deeply ingrained in the community. His wife Melissa is a member of the Camden County High School faculty, and their son Jake, a Wildcat graduate, is now a linebacker at West Point.
That community connection, combined with Lindsey’s experience and track record, gives the Wildcats confidence that they have found the leader to guide the next chapter.
A public introduction event is planned for December, giving players, families, and supporters their first chance to officially welcome Coach Lindsey home.
After a fast-moving week, Camden County has a clear direction and has put its trust into a coach who knows exactly what Wildcat football is built on.
Head Cat Out
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Camden County Wildcats will once again be looking for a new football coach.
It has been announced that Travis Roland, Camden’s Head Coach for 2024 and 2025, will not be returning for the 2026 season.
Roland went 13-8 in his brief tenure with Camden.
In 2024 Camden made the playoffs under Roland and went 7-4 overall. The Wildcats lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2024 to North Cobb, 28-7. The Cats got into the playoffs as the #4 seed from Region 1-6A..
In 2025 the Wildcats started off 5-0 and we’re ranked in the top 10 in the state in 6A. Things did not go as well in the second half of the season as Camden notched a 1-4 record.
Camden County finished the season 6-4 and did not make the playoffs in 6A.
Roland was 0-6 against Lowndes, Colquitt and Valdosta. He went 1-1 against Richmond Hill and 2-0 against Tift County in his two years as head coach.
Travis Roland was hired out of Mainland High School in Florida. He won the 3-S State Title in Florida in 2023. Roland’s Buccaneer’s went 14-1 in 2023 and defeated St. Augustine 21-19 in the title game. He was the Head Coach at Mainland High School from 2021-2023 where he went 30-10 overall.
He was the Head Coach at Flagler Palm Coast in Florida before he took the job at Mainland High School and went 58-22 overall at Palm Coast.
Roland finishes his tenure with Camden with an overall record of 101-40 as a Head Coach.
Roland took over the program after legendary Coach Jeff Herron retired after three seasons in his second stint with the Wildcats.
Heron took the Wildcats to the second round of the GHSA Playoffs in 2022 and then the Final Four in the playoffs in 2023.
In 2025 the Wildcats lost to Lowndes, Valdosta and Colquitt, their main rivals in the region, by a combined score of 143-61.
The next coach at Camden will be the fourth in seven years with the Wildcats.
With the tradition of the program and Camden only being two years removed from a Final Four appearance in the GHSA Playoffs, the Wildcats should have several elite coaches to choose from in the hiring process.
Wildcat 2025 Rewind
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 Camden County Wildcats season was a rollercoaster ride that started hot, hit some bumps in region play, and finished strong with a big win on the road.
Coach Travis Roland’s squad showed plenty of heart, grit, and flashes of the old Wildcat magic, closing the regular season with a 6-4 record and a lot to build on for the future.
The Wildcats came out firing in August, outlasting Brunswick 44-35 in the Frank Smith Classic.
Quarterback Will Jackson made an instant impact with five touchdown passes in his Camden debut, while running back Antwan Williams pounded out 158 yards on the ground. It was the perfect tone setter for what looked like another big year.
Week two was the David “D.C.” Coleman Show. The junior speedster returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, one 91 yards and another 97, as Camden blasted East Lake from Florida 57 to 33.
Jackson threw two more scores, and the Wildcats’ offense piled up nearly 500 yards. Coach Roland called Coleman special, and fans in Kingsland were already nodding in agreement.
Camden stayed red hot in week three, handling West Broward 32 to 13.
The defense completely shut down the run, holding the Bobcats to minus two rushing yards. Jackson tossed two touchdowns, ran for another, and special teams chipped in again when Trent Hamilton housed an 80-yard kickoff return.
By week four, the Wildcats were in full throttle mode. On Senior Night against Ribault, Camden fell behind early but then rolled to a 56 to 13 win.
Coach Roland broke out the Rhino package, a power formation that sparked a 49-point outburst. Coleman scored three different ways, and Dailey added two rushing touchdowns.
At 4-0, Camden hit the bye week averaging over 44 points per game.
Homecoming was next, and the Wildcats sent Royal Palm Beach back to Florida with a 37 to 20 loss. Jackson opened the game with a 40-yard run followed by a 39-yard touchdown pass to Sean Green, and the rout was on.
Coleman scored twice, the defense racked up six sacks, and Camden moved to 5 and 0 for the second straight season.
Then came Region 1 6A play, and the road got a lot rougher.
Camden dropped three straight to Valdosta, Richmond Hill, and Lowndes, all ranked opponents.
Valdosta racked up over 600 yards in a 63 to 19 loss, but the Wildcats bounced back the next week with a strong defensive showing at Richmond Hill, losing a close one 24 to 20 despite 285 passing yards and two touchdowns from Jackson.
Against Lowndes, Camden again fought hard, cutting a 21 to 0 deficit to 21 to 14 before the Vikings pulled away late.
Colquitt County was next, and the Packers once again proved why they’re one of the state’s top programs, beating Camden 45 to 28. Jackson accounted for all three Wildcat touchdowns, but the defense couldn’t slow down Colquitt’s ground game.
It was a tough stretch, but Roland’s team kept battling every week.
Then came a chance to finish on a high note at Tift County, and Camden took full advantage. The Wildcats capped the regular season with a convincing 35 to 17 win.
Jackson threw for 212 yards and two scores, Williams rushed for 141 yards, and Coleman added another touchdown to his growing highlight reel.
The defense came up big too, forcing three turnovers and holding the Blue Devils to just 10 points after halftime. It was the fast, physical, and disciplined kind of performance Roland had been pushing for all season.
Jackson finished the year with more than 1,500 passing yards and over 20 total touchdowns. Coleman proved to be the ultimate playmaker, scoring in just about every way possible.
Green was a steady deep threat, while Williams and Dailey powered one of the most dangerous backfields in Georgia.
The final record might not jump off the page, but this Camden County team showed resilience, toughness, and a lot of promise.
The Wildcats started strong, stumbled in the middle, and finished the right way, with a road win and renewed confidence.
As Coach Roland said more than once this fall, “Winning is hard to do, and you’ve got to enjoy your wins when you get them.”
Realignment
Realignment
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The GHSA has announced the preliminary 2026-2028 region alignments. While this is not 100% final, by in large this will be the region alignments for the next two football seasons.
Regions with south Georgia teams will look like the following.
1-7A: Camden, Lowndes, Valdosta, Colquitt, Richmond Hill.
1-6A: Brunswick, Glynn Academy, Bradwell Institute, Effingham, South Effingham, Grovetown, Lakeside-Evans, Greenbriar.
2-6A: Coffee, Thomas County Central, Lee, Tift, Houston, Northside Warner Robins, Veterans.
1-5A: Benedictine, Evans, Ware, Wayne, Groves, Jenkins, Richmond Academy, Statesboro.
2-5A: Warner Robins, Perry, Eagles Landing, Jones County, Locust Grove, Ola, Union Grove.
3-4A: Southeast Bulloch, Harlem, Liberty, Long, New Hampstead, West Laurens, Windsor Forest
1-3A: Carver-Columbus, Cook, Crisp, Jordan, Kendrick, Sumter, Worth.
3-3A: Appling, Beach, Brantley, Islands, Johnson-Savannah, Pierce, Tattnall, Toombs.
1-2A: Fitzgerald, Berrien, Brooks, Bacon, Jeff Davis, Thomasville.
2-2A: Bleckley, ACE Charter, Dodge, Dublin, East Laurens, Vidalia.
3-2A: Bryan, Calvary Day, Metter, Savannah, Savannah Christian, Screven, Swainsboro.
2-1A: Atkinson, Baconton, Charlton, Clinch, Irwin, Lanier, Mitchell, Pelham.
3-1A: Claxton, ECI, MCA, Montgomery, Portal, Treutlen.
4-1A: Dooly, Hawkinsville, Telfair, Turner, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox.
Onward Knights
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This past Friday night, the Frederica Knights exorcised some playoff demons.
Goddard Field on the campus of Valwood School is a place that holds equal amounts of joy and heartbreak for the Frederica faithful.
In a rivalry that dates back to the 2014 season, this is the place where Jordan Triplett broke the all-time rushing record in the state of Georgia – albeit in a 56-30 semi-final round loss.
The fact that the Knights have had playoff hopes dashed more than once at the hands of the Valiants is one that is not lost on quarterback Stanton Beverly.
“I just want to beat them,’ the Junior signal caller said during the bye week. The Valiants had a five-game win streak in football against Frederica, and the four-sport player Beverly had never won against the team in orange and blue on any field, court, or diamond.
That changed this past Friday.
The crowd that made the trip to Hahira from St Simons was sizeable – quite possibly the largest since the 2018 state championship game. In addition to being large, they were also loud.
The Knights fans provided an early game atmosphere that led to the first two plays from scrimmage result in Valwood false start penalties.
After the Valiants went 3 and out in their opening drive, Frederica embarked on a 9 play 69-yard drive that was topped off with a 2-yard Stanton Beverly touchdown run.
While it looked like the game would be lopsided from the onset, the remainder of the first half wound up being a war of attrition, going to the halftime locker room with a 7-7 tie.
The Knights would get the ball first to start the second half but unfortunately would go 3 and out when a potential touchdown reception fell through WR Jayden Gibson’s fingers.
Gibson would make up for it in the next drive, taking an interception back 46 yards for a score. It would be the second most important of the four interceptions the Knights would have in the game.
With less than four minutes left in the 4th, Stanton Beverly would connect with Jaylen Baldwin on an 18-yard TD to put the Knights up 28-14. Valwood would take the ensuing kickoff back for a score and then followed that with a successful onside kick.
Valwood was able to move the ball another 30 yards before Gibson had his second interception on the night, this time in the red zone and securing the Frederica win.
Frederica now moves to the semi-final round of the GIAA Class AAA playoffs to face a foe with another lopsided rivalry in the form of the John Milledge Academy Trojans.
Apart from the 2018 State Championship game win, the Knights are winless against the squad coached by JT Wall, including the last four in a row.
After an aberrant 2-9 season in 2024, the Trojans were back to form in 2025, posting a 9-1 record in the regular season and opening the playoffs with a 56-0 walloping of Piedmont Academy.
JMA is led on offense by QB Lewis Cheney. The 6’4” 187 lbs. Senior is 95 for 150 on the year with 1773 yds/21 TDs/4 INTs.
The main beneficiary of those stats is Sophomore TE Asa Wall, who has 40 receptions for 830 yards and 9 TDs. Wall has also carried the ball 54 times for 494 yards and a gaudy 13 TDs.
Elsewhere on the ground, Sophomore Javaris Hurt and Junior Jamel Cooper have combined for over 1400 yards and 14 TDs.
Asa Wall is also a force on defense, leading the Trojans in tackles with 76 and sacks with 5.
The winner of Frederica vs. JMA will face the winner of the Deerfield-Windsor vs. Westfield game in the State Championship at Mercer University on November 21st.
