High School Football
Brooklet Buzz
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2023 season welcomes in high hopes for Southeast Bulloch football as they enter year two as a 4A program.
Before reclassification from 3A to 4A prior to the 2022 season, the Jackets spent the previous 6 years (2016-2021) in region 3-3A where they were one of two teams that owned the region with Liberty County.
After the magical 10-2 2021 season where the program recorded their first state playoff victory since the state championship season of 1973, the 2022 campaign was a whole different ballgame in the toughest region of the 4A ranks that saw SEB post a 2-8 record.
That record can be a little misleading, with SEB having an opportunity to sneak into the state playoffs in the final matchup of the season, but a record is what it is. A 2-8 record, however, does light a fire under the Jackets and third year Head Coach Jared Zito.
Year three for Zito, will see his third different starting quarterback taking snaps for the Yellow Jackets. All Region selection, Kristian Clark graduated after the 2021 season and continued his football career at Savannah State.
Gage DiGiovanni then took the reigns in 2022 as a senior and is now headed to South Georgia College on the baseball diamond.
This year, all indications point to one of the key leaders for the Jackets, Will Nelson. Nelson served as the QB-2 last season, as well as anchoring the defense as a safety during his junior year. This year it appears Nelson, a three-sport standout at SEB, will be given the keys to the offense.
Last season, due to injuries and just sheer numbers, the Jackets were forced to play A TON of underclassmen especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Although the Jackets will feel the loss of names like Terry Mikell, Damion Donaldson, and Collin Jackson up front on the D-Line, there is still experience with Michael Dixon, and Jayden Brown.
The back 7, for third year defensive coordinator Jason Anthony, is primed to take a huge step forward because of that underclassman experience.
Colby Smith took the linebacker spot by storm as a freshman racking up 10+ tackles three times even though missing three games with an injury in 2022.
Kyle O’Brien turned into a sophomore beast in the secondary with 5 games of double digit stops including 15 against Wayne County.
These two in addition to rising sophomores like Chase Douglas, Jeremiah Williams are set to have the Jacket defense a huge strength of the squad.
Offensively, there are a lot of questions to be answered of who will step up and fill roles vacated by graduation.
The Jackets will have 6 seniors to replace in the “skill” positions and 3 of the 5 starting offensive linemen, losing Cleve Hart at center, and the McMillian brothers (Quenton and Quintez) on the right side of the line.
Kyon Taylor does return at running back after an injury riddled 2022, while still posting 3 games of 100 yards or more.
Taylor will be likely paired with wide-outs Easton Phillips, and Gage Newsome to reshape the offense.
Finally, not many season previews hit on special teams, but it has been a huge part of the Jackets identity.
Coach Zito has put an emphasis on all parts special teams and shows with the development of kicker Cole Snyder with the help of special teams coordinator Randy Lee.
Snyder, an all-region kicker and punter in 2022, has a big leg that has been a weapon for Southeast Bulloch both flipping the field on punts, and also booming field goals.
So, what’s the outlook for SEB in 2023?
There’s a lot to be excited about in Brooklet. Do we know how many wins that translates to?
No, but being around this program there’s hunger to prove 2-8 is not the norm.
Ramming Through
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Grayson Rams have been an elite program for over a decade now.
They won state championships in 2011, 2016 and 2020. They will be legitimate contenders to win this season.
In 2022 they were 10 – 3, so they have a solid team. On paper they have one of the most talented teams in Georgia.
Four-star senior tight end Kylan Fox is the No. 19 recruit in the state for the class of 2024. He’s 6’4 and 208 pounds so he’s a man amongst boys at the high school level. He is currently committed to UCF.
Inside offensive lineman Waltclaire Flynn Jr. is also a four-star recruit and UCF commit. He’s a mountain of a man, standing 6’2 and weighing 305 pounds.
Defensive lineman Nasir Smith is a three-star recruit. He has offers from Georgia, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Michigan, and Florida. He’s 6’4 and 290 lbs. so he will be hard to block for most teams.
Senior wide receiver John Cineas is another three-star player. He also has great size, he’s 6’2 and 195 pounds. He has offers from Georgia State, Auburn, Georgia Southern, Louisville and Cincinnati.
Myles Woods is listed as an athlete. He plays running back and wide receiver. The 5’8, 153 lbs. Woods is committed to Coastal Carolina.
Junior cornerback Jaylen Bell is one of the best players in the class of 2025. He’s currently committed to LSU.
The Rams are in region 4 AAAAAAA. It’s a pretty tough region that features another team that will be ranked in the top 5.
They kick the season off August 19th against Walton at Mercedes Benz Stadium. This is part of the Corky Kell Classic. The Raiders were 10 – 3 last season and they upset undefeated, No. 1 Buford in the Playoffs. Walton is normally ranked in the top 10 in Georgia and that will also be the case in 2023.
Week two is a home game against Eagle’s Landing. The Eagles are a 5A team so Grayson has an advantage over them.
September begins with another home game against Fort Dorchester (Charleston, SC). The teams played last year and Grayson won, 28 – 0. The Patriots were 11 – 4 in 2022 so they are a good team.
The first road game of the season is Week four, at Spartanburg (South Carolina). The teams played in 2022 and Grayson won, 51 – 24.
After a bye week the Rams play Lowndes at home. The Vikings won the 2022 matchup, 24 – 14. Grayson will look to avenge that loss.
Region play begins at home against Newton. The other Rams were 6 – 5 last season but they are no match for Grayson.
After another bye week, the Rams play South Gwinnett. The Comets might be the worst team in the region so this will be an easy win.
Grayson makes the short road trip to Snellville on October 20th to play Brookwood. The Broncos are normally a playoff caliber team so this could be a tough game.
The season finale is at Parkview. I expect these teams to compete for the No. 2 ranking in 7A, behind Buford.
I think the worst-case scenario for Grayson is eight regular season wins. I think they will probably win nine games and make a deep playoff run.
The Big Sting
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Wayne County Yellow Jackets enjoyed a 10-win season in 2022. This was a huge accomplishment as the 2021 season had been a terrible year for the Yellow Jackets.
Wayne brought in a new Head Coach and the Yellow Jackets were a real force in 2022.
Jabo Shaw took over the reigns in Jesup in 2022 after three great years in Rabun County. A stint that saw Coach Shaw develop, now UGA QB, Gunner Stockton.
The Yellow Jackets finished second in their region and made the Elite Eight in the 4A GHSA playoffs.
Wayne bowed out to North Oconee, a traditional powerhouse.
2023 is also full of promise as Wayne County looks to take the next step and win a Region Championship.
The Yellow Jackets reside in region 3-4A, which also consists of the Benedictine Cadets, the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets, the New Hampstead Phoenix, The Burke County Bears, and the Islands Sharks.
Here is how the Yellow Jackets 2023 schedule stacks up.
August 18 Bradwell @ Wayne: This is a game Wayne dominated last season in Hinesville, 34-12. It should be more of the same, especially at home at Jaycee Stadium.
August 25 Brooks @ Wayne: The Yellow Jackets took the trip to Quitman last year and fell to the Trojans 39-25, despite not giving up a defensive TD. Brooks returns the trip to Jesup.
September 1 Wayne @ Appling: Rivalry games don’t get much better than the Jackets and Pirates. Wayne battled Appling to 7-0 win last season at Jaycee Stadium. This will be another great one.
September 8 Bye:
September 15 Wayne @ Statesboro: The Yellow Jackets will take the trip to Womack Field to take on the Blue Devils. In years past going to Womack Field was an automatic loss for everyone, it is still a tough place to play. Statesboro also has a new Coach, which means a new style.
September 22 Jenkins @ Wayne: The Yellow Jackets will finally be back at Jaycee Stadium after not playing at home in almost a month against the Jenkins Warriors.
September 30: Wayne @ Burke: Region play open for the Jackets on the road all the way up in Waynesboro, near Augusta. The winner of this game likely will be the 2 seed in the region and will have scopes focused on Benedictine.
October 6 Wayne @ Islands: The Islands is coming off probation sanctioned by the GHSA for an ineligible player and should be better in 2023. Wayne will head to Savannah to find out how good the Sharks are.
October 13 Wayne @ New Hampstead: The third straight region game on the road for Wayne County and the second straight trip to the Savannah area, this time to play the Phoenix. New Hampstead is not your typical Savannah push over.
October 20 Benedictine @ Wayne: If all goes according to plan for Coach Shaw, this game could be for the region title and it will be played at Jaycee Stadium. The Cadets took this game last season in Savannah 31-10.
October 27 Southeast Bulloch @ Wayne: Southeast Bulloch was a very young football team last season. Over a dozen freshman saw critical time for the Yellow Jackets. Wayne will be looking to get playoff ready and end the regular season at home on a high note.
I think an undefeated regular season could be in the works for Wayne County if all goes well. The Burke County game and the Benedictine game will be the biggest hurdles for Wayne.
I’m picking the Wayne County Yellow Jackets to go 9-1 in the regular season and grab the #2 seed in the region. Wayne will make another deep playoff run.
The Cats Are Back
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2023 season was a breakout season for the Camden County Wildcats.
The Cats went 8-4, including a trip to the second round of the playoffs. The 2023 season also saw wins over both Valdosta and Lowndes, something that has not been accomplished since 2015.
Thus, to say the expectations are high for 2024 is drastic understatement.
Legendary coach Jeff Herron returns for his third season as the head man in Camden and has rebuilt the identity of the program in two short years. The Wildcats are back to playing ‘tough, grind it out’ football.
Camden will return Mason Robinson at QB for his senior campaign. The Wildcats Wing-T rushing attack will be led by standout running back Jaden Daily.
On defense the 2024 Cats will be very fast and physical. The defense will be led by senior linebacker Cooper Thornhill.
Here is how the schedule pans out for Camden.
Week 1: Columbia Eagles: This is a game Camden has circled on the calendar as the Eagles came to Chris Gilman stadium and stunned the Wildcats in a massive upset.
Week 2: Brunswick High Pirates: Another game that is circled in the schedule after the Pirates won in a nail biter last season at Glynn County Stadium by making a goal line stand at the end to win. This contest will be held at the friendly confines of Chris Gilman Stadium.
Week 3: @ Glynn Academy Red Terrors: The Wildcats blistered the Red Terrors last season, but that was at Chris Gilman Stadium. This game will be at Glynn County Stadium against a hungry Red Terror squad that will be looking to prove its’ metal early.
Week 4: New Hampstead Phoenix: New Hampstead is coming off of a 6-5 campaign and a playoff appearance. The Phoenix are an underrated team and not your typical Savannah public school push over.
Week 5: Somerset Academy Panthers: The Wildcats made short work of the Panthers last season despite Somerset being a playoff team in their classification last season. The Panthers make a second straight trip to Kingsland.
Week 6: Atlantic Coast Stingrays: The Stingrays also make their second straight trip to Kingsland. Last season the Wildcats won 47-6 in a game that wasn’t even that close. The Stingrays did not win a single game last season.
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: Richmond Hill Wildcats: Region play begins for Camden against Richmond Hill. Last year Camden County went up to Richmond Hill and escaped with a 21-14 win. Richmond Hill returns the trip to Chris Gilman.
Week 9: Colquitt County Packers: The Colquitt County Packers are the best team in South Georgia. The Packers went up and down the field last season on Camden’s defense in Moultrie. The Packers head to Kingsland this season.
Week 10: @ Valdosta Wildcats: Valdosta will be looking for revenge against Camden. Camden grabbed the attention of the state last season beating ranked Valdosta 17-14 in Camden last season. Camden will take the trip to Title Town this season.
Week 11: @ Lowndes Vikings: The Lowndes Vikings got blown out in Kingsland last season and will be looking to earn some respect back after winning only one region game last year.
Jeff Herron and the coaching staff have things on the right track in Kingsland. Look for the Camden County Wildcats to go 9-1 on the season and make a deep playoff run. I expect Camden to at least be an Elite Eight team come playoff time.
In The Hunt
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s been a while since Parkview has been a serious contender to win a state championship. The Panthers have won four state championships. The last is from 2002, when they won three consecutive state titles. They are looking to change that in 2023.
They were 8 – 4 in 2022 so they do have a solid team. The Panthers are led by five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews. He’s rated as the No.4 player in Georgia for the Class of 2024.
Matthews earned all-region, all-county and all-state honors in 2022 after catching 48 passes for 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also starred on defense with 23 tackles and two interceptions. He’s 6’1, 180 pounds and he’s a member of Parkview’s basketball team.
Matthews prides himself on his work ethic. “I want people to know you can always count on me,” Matthews said. “I want to be one of those guys. To be known for that rather than just being one of those five-star guys. I don’t really take breaks, even during the week. After practice, I’m always working and making extra effort. I’m about the effort and extra work.”
Senior corner back Jalyn Crawford is a four-star player and ranked No.21 in state.
“I’ve been working hard at off-man (coverage),” Crawford told 11 Alive. “In the (NFL) and in college, they do more off-man coverage. Some teams do press, but it’s more off-man systems. That’s why it’s something I’ve been really working on and trying to get better at.” While at Parkview, Carter earned a reputation as a press coverage corner that can lock anybody down. “I love to compete,” he said. “That’s what I love best about playing cornerback. When the ball is in the air, it’s mine.”
They have another playmaker, three-start defensive back/wide receiver Antonio White. He’s committed to Rutgers.
Senior offensive tackle Jordan Floyd is also a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Georgia Tech. Floyd is 6’5 and 295 pounds so he has great size.
Junior offensive tackle Cortez Smith is a four-star recruit and he’s the same size as Floyd.
They begin the season by playing at Kell in the first game of the Corky Kell Classic. The Longhorns went 10 – 2 last year so they are a good team. I give the edge to Parkview but this should be a close game.
Week two is at home against Shiloh. The Generals finished the regular season 5 – 5 and made it to the playoffs last season. Parkview beat them 20 – 8 in 2022.
After a bye week the Panthers play North Gwinnett. The Bulldogs also won ten games last season. Parkview beat them 48 – 21.
Week four is home against St. Pius X Catholic. St. Pius is a 6A school so Parkview has an advantage.
The following week is another home matchup against the defending state champions, Mill Creek. The Hawks won big in 2022, 40 – 17. A lot of players from that team graduated so I expect the Panthers to get revenge.
The first region game is against South Gwinnett. That’s followed by playing Archer and Newton. These should all be easy wins.
October 27th is against archrival Brookwood. I expect it to be close because it is a rivalry game.
The season finale is at home against Grayson. I expect the Rams to be ranked No.2 in the state. This is the first time that Parkview will play a team with more talent than them.
I expect Parkview to win nine regular season games and make a deep playoff run.
X Marks The Spot
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Garrett Grady begins year two as the captain of the Brunswick High Pirate football program. Year one was a solid success with a 10-1 record with a heartbreaking 29-28 loss to Houston County in the playoffs.
I sat down with Coach Grady to discuss this upcoming season. “I am excited for this fall. I like the fight in this football team. We have some talented players returning on both sides of the ball. I thought we had a great spring practice, and we have picked up on that this summer. We had a tough contact camp with Thomas County Central, Ware County, and Cedartown recently and our kids competed hard. The programs we competed against are elite and we found out plenty about our guys. We know they want to compete, and the effort was outstanding. Effort is something we can control. If we bring max effort, then we can overcome some inexperience we have in a couple of position groups.”
“Our program had a tragedy this summer where we lost a super young man and great human being MyKal Ellis. We are going to dedicate our 2023 season to the memory of this young man. He was such a pleasure to coach and be around. This adversity has brought our kids and all the Pirate nation closer together.”
Let us look at the position groups:
RB: Jamarious Towns and William Heck return for their junior seasons. They combined for right at 1,300 yards rushing and 11 TD’s last fall.
Grady added “We have two solid running backs in those two, and we expect and demand great things from them. The remarkable thing about them is they come to work daily and want to be great.”
QB: Jarrod Elkins returns for his senior season after passing for 1,500 yards and 19 TDs in 2022.
“JR has a cannon for an arm, and he can make any kind of throw we need him to make. He is more experienced this fall, and we feel he can get us where we need to go as a football team.”
WR: TJ Mitchell known in the Golden Isles as “Touchdown Terry” is a game changer.
“There is nothing he cannot do with the football in his hands” added his head coach.
“He can make people miss him in a phone booth. We have some talent in this group.”
OL: Jack Hunt will lead a talented but young inexperienced group. “We must grow up fast this fall in the OL.”
DL: “Donyea Broughton and River Creel have played a lot of football for us over the past three years, and they will lead solid group I feel very good about.”
LB: Devin Smith, the returning region defensive player of the year will anchor a solid Pirate defense.
Grady says “If you produced an all-time Brunswick High football team, he would be on it. He is our team leader on defense and in the locker room. He is a dude and QB’s do not pat the ball when he is coming off the edge.”
J’shawn Towns led the Pirates in tackles with 88 last fall, returns for his junior season.
“He is a thumper. When he hits folks, they go down in a hurry” added Grady.
DB: “Tavion Gadson and Tyler Sams give us a solid core in the secondary.”
Special Teams: “Nobody works harder at their craft than Mcclain Fineran and he has developed into a solid kicker for us.”
Grady added that “Our schedule is tough. We open at Camden and that will tell us all we need to know about our football team right out of the gate. We travel to Effingham to close the regular season and the last two years that game has been for the region championship. These seniors have a chance to go out as 4-time region champions. We shared the title when they were ninth graders and have won it outright the past two seasons. There is a lot to play for. And of course, nobody around here is happy with our playoff results lately. That has really eaten at us this offseason.”
The Hunt
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Buford Wolves are always contenders to win the state championship.
They have won from the smallest classification up to 6A. They have won 14 football state championships and only one of those was before the year 2000.
Last year was the first season in Georgia’s highest classification, 7A. They were the No. 1 team all season and went 10–0 in the regular season. They lost to Walton in the second round of the playoffs, 42–35.
This season they look to win again and they have the most talented team in the state. They have three players ranked in the top six in the Class of 2024.
The first player to mention is the top ranked recruit in the nation, quarterback Dylan Raiola. He’s from Arizona and committed to Georgia, so it looks like his family moved here to get acclimated to living in the state. He did attend three high schools previously so I’m not sure what that says about him.
Raiola is 6’3 and 220 pounds so he has prototypical size that should help him adjust to playing tougher competition.
Safety KJ Bolden is a five-star recruit and the No. 3 player in the state for the 2024 class. He has also committed to UGA. He’s a playmaker and stands 6’1 and 185 pounds.
They have another five-star recruit and the No. 6 player in the class of 2024, defensive lineman Eddrick Houston.
Houston is 6’3, 255 lbs. already, so he’s a man amongst boys on a high school field. He will be in the opponent’s backfield all season getting sacks and tackles for loss. He has committed to Ohio State.
Senior safety Tyshun White is a three-star recruit and the No. 56 player in the state. He’s currently committed to North Carolina.
Junior linebacker Jadon Perlotte is the No.4 player in Georgia for the class of 2025 and a four-star recruit. He is also a UGA commit.
Fellow junior corner back Devin Williams is also a four-star recruit.
Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is the No. 24 player in the class of 2025. He’s 6’7, 310 pounds so you can expect him to dominate 99% of the competition based on size and intimidation alone.
Junior linebacker Mantrez Walker has committed to Michigan.
They have a stacked team and that will come in handy based on their schedule.
They start the season at home August 18 against St. Frances Academy (MD). St. Frances Academy finished their 2022 season ranked No. 8 by MaxPreps and had a 9-1 overall record. I think this will be a close game that the Wolves will lose.
The following week they travel to Mallard Creek (NC). Last season, Buford thoroughly defeated Mallard Creek with a score of 56-7. Expect a similar outcome.
September 1 is at North Cobb for the third matchup in three seasons. Buford won last year to tie the series up and they will win again.
They have a bye week then return to Tom Riden Stadium to host Carver-Atlanta, a AAA team. Last season Buford won 44–16.
Marietta travels to Buford on September 22. Last season the Wolves won 14-0 at Marietta.
The Wolves begin region 8-AAAAAAA play on Sept. 29 at Collins Hill.
They have another bye week then Oct. 13 travel to play the defending state champs, Mill Creek. Mill Creek lost several players from last year’s team.
The final three games are against Dacula, Mountain View and Central Gwinnett. They should finish the regular season 9-1.
The teams with comparable talent are Grayson and Parkview, so I look forward to them meeting in the playoffs.
Running Wild
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the last three years I have had the pleasure of watching Jaden Dailey progress as a player for the Camden County Wildcats.
The Camden running back began getting carries for the Wildcats on the varsity level as only a freshman and has evolved into the main weapon at running back for Camden.
Dailey was born in Camden and then moved to Valdosta shortly after. Fortunately, for Camden fans, he moved back to Camden at the age of six. At age seven Dailey began playing football and immediately was a natural. By the time Dailey was eight years old his father, Michael Dailey, saw his son had a gift as a football player.
His father began working with his son on becoming a better running back and harnessing his talent.
Jaden Dailey was a freshman in Bob Sphires last season as Camden County Head Coach in 2020 and earned the trust of the coaching staff.
Dailey had a great mentor as he often shared the same backfield as Jamie Felix. “Jamie was a great motivator and was like an older brother to me. He would always tell me stay positive and keep my head up.” Jamie Felix is now playing on Saturdays at Georgia Tech.
In 2020 Felix went down for a portion of the season with a hamstring injury and Jaden Dailey was given the opportunity for some carries and he never looked back. By 2022, Dailey was a tough ‘between the tackles’ runner with great vision in Jeff Herron’s Wing-T offense.
Herron took over the program in 2021 and installed his signature Wing-T offense.
“My first impression of Jeff Herron was he was tough and serious. As I have gotten to know him I have seen some funny moments out of him too. He wants us to be physical as offense and pound the ball. He sets the tone.”
Jaden is the oldest of three brothers: Julian and Noah. Fourteen-year-old Julian also plays for Camden and plays running back. Noah is 11.
Jaden has some lofty goals for 2023 on the field. “I want to rush for 2,000 yards this coming season. I would also like to have 3,000 all-purpose yards.” If Dailey accomplishes those goals you will probably see the Wildcats in Atlanta in December.
He is a good student as well. He has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and hopes to graduate with honors.
The plan after high school is to attend college and major in Business Marketing.
He will have a big decision as several schools have shown interest in offering Dailey a football scholarship. Some of those schools include Navy, Stetson, Tennessee Tech, Kennesaw State, UConn and Georgia State.
I expect a ton more offers to follow and for Jaden Dailey to have a monster 2023 season.
The Prince Of Terror
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Glynn Academy Red Terror Senior wideout David Prince looks to make some noise in his final season as a Terror.
A four-year starter at the receiver position and standing 6 foot 4 inches 220 pounds, Prince is an imposing force at wideout.
Glynn Academy used his size advantage last year, as he became a regular jump ball target on the goal line for Quarterback Tyler Devlin. Prince’s wider catch radius makes him a perfect target for an inexperienced quarterback, which the Terrors will be rolling into 2023 with.
After starting high school with Louisville commit, TJ Lewis at QB and the stability of the last two years with Devlin, Prince will be looking to Ryan Schueneman as the new signal caller.
Schueneman, who played a similar role to David Prince last season, will now be the third starting quarterback to play with David Prince.
While out at practice, Prince and I talked about where he got his love of football from. He attributed it to watching his brothers play when he was growing up. Prince said after he started playing in the sixth grade he just fell in love with the sport.
Prince embraced the run-first identity of Glynn Academy’s offense in our interview saying: “Our number one thing is running the football; we ain’t ever going to change that.”
Despite playing in a run-first offense, Prince put up impressive stats last season, totaling up 28 catches for 607 yards and 7 touchdowns. That includes an explosive performance against Northside in round 1 of the playoffs last year, where he caught 3 passes for 120 yards and 1 touchdown.
Prince also played two ways last season, embracing being a team player and plugging in as an outside linebacker on defense. Prince told me he expects to play on defense again this season, once again playing outside linebacker for the Terrors. Another year’s worth of experience at the position, colleges are sure to take notice of both David Prince the tight end and David Prince the linebacker.
He talked about his goals and the team’s heading into 2023: “Get stronger, faster, and try to win a region championship. First day of spring we came out here with a mindset to win a region championship.”
Those kinds of goals are the right mindset to have and are warranted when you look at Head Coach Rocky Hidalgo’s track record. Coach Rocky Hidalgo has won a region title, or tied for one, five times in his career at Glynn Academy.
Coach Hidalgo himself had this to say about Prince: “He is an amazing kid, he is a lot of fun to be around. Anything he does is going to automatically be more energetic, it’s going to be more enthusiastic, and it’s going to be more fun. He’s just kind of naturally got one of those personalities. Great kid, got a good heart, and he’s a great teammate.”
Prince talked a little bit about the college recruitment process and told a story about receiving his first offer from Troy: “I was in class, [Troy coach Evan McKissack] texted me and asked if he could call me. So, I went somewhere and called him, he was telling me that I was going to be the first tight end that they offered.”
Prince went on to say the current state of his recruiting process felt “regular,” saying that it hasn’t changed who he is as a person. He is also interested in making the most of his coming college experience, possibly pursuing a business degree.
David Prince is a bright young man, who will turn some heads in high school ranks and with more college coaches very soon. Look for him to not only have a great senior year, but also be a steal for whatever college is lucky to get him.
Farewell, George
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s been an incredible time of ups and downs recently.
This world has lost some fine people; Vince Dooley, Charley Trippi, Mike Leach, Devin Willock, and Chandler LeCroy all in just the last 3 months. Just a crazy time.
But to me, this one hurt worse than anything. We recently lost the great George Rose.
Not only was he one of the top athletes to come out of South Georgia EVER, but he was one of the nicest and most genuine people you would ever want to meet.
Throughout our latter time together whenever we saw each other it was……….” Hey Coach!!!!!” “Hey Joe!! How’s Kim doing?” The guy was just solid gold.
When I learned of his passing it brought tears to my eyes. He was my coach but through everything he was my friend.
If you know anything about Glynn Academy Red Terror football, then you know who George Rose was. I’m not going to list everything here that he accomplished as a player at Glynn, Auburn and the NFL. It would take up the whole column and more.
Just a few superlatives were, he was a team captain at Glynn, and Auburn. He was the 34th overall pick in the NFL draft and played for Minnesota, New Orleans and San Francisco. He gave up ONE pass completion in his senior year at Auburn as a defensive back, ONE! He was that damn good and just purely fast as hell.
After the pros he came back to Glynn County and coached the Red Terrors during my senior year. I played QB that year for the first time and the truth be told I was pretty good and terrible. George got handed a mediocre bunch of Jimmys and Joes with a few good players sprinkled in that year.
But we worked hard and had a lot of fun. I remember one day at the end of practice we were doing extra passing drills and were all needling coach about playing DB and got him to go over and cover a couple of guys.
We were all laughing and having a good time and I went over to the receivers’ line and got lined up with George and he started laughing. I said come on Coach I’m gonna burn you! Well, I looked over at Coach Hudson, who was throwing and nodded my head. Coach Hudson goes “HUT ONE” and I take off……. huh wait a second……. I take one step and all of a sudden, I’m looking at the sky on my back. I don’t think they called it bump and run back then but I guess I’d call it bump and dump because I didn’t run anywhere!
Next thing I know George is looking down at me laughing, Coach Hudson is about to fall out laughing and next thing you know I’m laughing with everyone else.
I’d love to say we won all the close games and had a great year, but we didn’t. But what we did do was get better. Our last game of the year was against Brunswick High and they were the sub region champs and everyone from Murray Poole to my 12-year-old little brother said they were going to beat the snot out of us. And probably badly.
Well, between George, Marvin Hurst, Herman Hudson and the other coaches, they got us ready.
We beat the Pirates 26-21 at old Lanier Field in front of a standing room only crowd, coming from behind in the fourth quarter. We were the city champs.
After the game I went over to George and hugged him and told him thanks for everything he had done for us that year. He looked me straight in the eyes, smiled and said “Joe you played your best game tonight.” I’ll never forget that……. It brought tears to my eyes then……….and it brings tears to my eyes now.
God bless you coach, War Damn Eagle! Rest easy.
