High School Football
The Cats Are Back
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2022 season has come to an end for the Camden County Wildcats.
Camden traveled to Loganville, outside of Atlanta, to play the Grayson Rams in the second round of the GHSA playoffs. The Rams ended the Wildcats season with a 28-10 win.
Camden ended the season with an 8-4 record and the Wildcats accomplished a lot this season.
The Wildcats earned a two seed in Region 1-7A, upset the #3 ranked team in the state in the Valdosta Wildcats, beat the Lowndes Vikings for the first time since 2015, won three region games and won a first-round playoff game for the first time since 2015.
Camden is on the right track to becoming a state title contender again and the future is bright.
The Wildcats will only graduate 22 seniors and will 44 replace them next season. The rising freshmen and sophomore classes are loaded with talent and those will classes will contribute heavily next season as juniors and sophomores.
Expect a deep playoff run in 2023.
Let’s take a look back on the amazing 2022 campaign.
August 19: Columbia @ Camden: The season got off to a rocky start as the AA Columbia Eagles came to Chris Gilman Stadium and stunned the Wildcats, upsetting them 13-10.
August 26: Camden @ Brunswick: The Brunswick High Pirates were expected to compete for a state title in 6A. The Pirates dropped Camden 16-10 on a goal line stand at the end of the game.
This is the game that turned the season around. You could tell the kids in the locker room came together after losing this tough game.
September 2: Glynn Academy @ Camden: The Glynn Academy Red Terrors walked into an ambush that night. They were expecting a struggling Wildcat team ripe for the taking.
Instead, they got a vicious, angry, physical team that sent them home with a 37-7 drubbing.
September 9: B.E.S.T. @ Camden: This would be more of the same. B.E.S.T. Academy, out of Atlanta, came down and were overwhelmed by the Wildcats, 45-0.
September 16: Somerset Academy @ Camden: The Wildcats woodshedded the Somerset Academy Panthers 48-21, but the game wasn’t even that close.
September 23: Atlantic Coast @ Camden: This wrapped up the trio of games against Florida schools and the result was the same as the priors. The Wildcats dominated Atlantic Coast, 47-6.
October 7: Camden @ Richmond Hill: Wildcats v Wildcats. Camden did not play well in this game but found a way to win and earn their first region victory of 2022, 21-14.
October 14: Camden @ Colquitt: The Wildcats headed over to the Hog Pen and found out what Colquitt was for real. The Packers outpaced the Wildcats, 49-21.
Colquitt was ranked #2 in the state at the time and this game was a flag-a-thon by the zebras. Most of the calls going against Camden. It’s tough to win at Colquitt for a reason.
October 21: Valdosta @ Camden: Another Wildcats v Wildcats matchup. Camden kicked a Field goal to take a 17-14 advantage.
Valdosta marched down the field to attempt their own field goal to tie the game, which Camden blocked and then ran out the clock on the folks from Winnersville.
When it was all said and done Camden had knocked off the #3 ranked team in the state, 17-14.
November 4: Lowndes @ Camden: The Lowndes Vikings were hoping take the #2 seed away from Camden by beating them at home. Instead, the Vikings were run out of Chris Gilman, 48-21 and the game was not that close.
November 12: East Coweta @ Camden: The East Coweta Indians made the long drive from Atlanta to Kingsland. The first half ended with East Coweta up 21-14.
In the second half the Wildcats outscored East Coweta 30-12 and ended their season with a 44-33 win.
November 18: Camden @ Grayson: Jeff Herron returned to place where he won his last state title in 2016. The Rams were a solid team and the Wildcats couldn’t quite find that one big play to get them going.
The Rams eliminated Camden 28-10.
See you next Spring.
Resurrected Terrors
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors went through a 6-5 season in Coach Rocky Hidalgo’s 9th season as the head man at the school.
It was another winning season for Coach Rock and the Terrors, who have made the state playoffs every year during his tenure. However, it was not what the Red Terrors wanted in the form of a region title and deep run in the playoffs.
In my conversation with Coach Rock, it was apparent how very proud of this team he was. Especially how they fought like hell in the first-round loss on the road 18-13 to the second seeded Northside Eagles.
The Brunswick Pirates were bounced out by a fourth seed and the Effingham Rebels were hammered by the three seed from 1-6A. The Red Terrors acquitted themselves well on the road against the Eagles.
They had real chances and only a missed field goal kept them from potentially taking control of the game late in the fourth quarter.
Coach Hidalgo said the game showcased how far this edition of the Terrors had come and how it bodes well for the 2023 season.
While the Terrors will say goodbye to a small core group of seniors led by Tyler Devlin, Hank Noonan and others, they will return a large group of seasoned sophomores and juniors led by the electric Greg Peacock. They all played major roles in the teams’ 2022 success.
Let’s take a quick look back at the 2022 season.
8/19 Glynn at Statesboro. The Red Terrors squeak out an exciting 43-42 win on the road against the Blue Devils to start the season.
8/25 McIntosh Co Academy at Glynn. The Red Terrors make it two in a row, pulling away with a win over the tough Buccaneers; 22-13 at Glynn County Stadium.
9/2 Glynn at Camden County. The Red Terrors take their first loss of the season with an away loss at Chris Gilman Stadium to the 7A Wildcats.
9/8 Creekside (FL) at Glynn. In a pouring monsoon the Red Terrors lose a heartbreaker 21-20 to fall to 2-2.
9/23 Brunswick High at Glynn. The powerful Pirates drop the Terrors to 2-3 on the season with a dominating 55-21 win.
9/28 Effingham County at Glynn. The Terrors fail to bounce back and drop a fourth straight game. The Rebels take it by a 31-14 score. The second loss in the region puts the Terrors in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time under Coach Hidalgo.
10/7 Glynn at South Effingham. The Terrors taste victory again with a 13-9 victory over South Effingham
10/14 Grovetown at Glynn. The Terrors turn it around and level their record at 4-4 with a 46-13 pounding of the Warriors between the bricks.
10/21 Evans at Glynn. In a pivotal region game, the Red Terrors come from behind to take a thrilling 25-22 win over the visiting Knights. Its Senior Night and the Terror Nation shows its appreciation with a great crowd.
11/4 Glynn at Lakeside Evans. The Terrors win their fourth in a row as the Panthers are declawed 42-20. The Terrors finish out the regular season at 6-4 and head into the playoffs again.
11/11 Glynn at Northside. The Terrors go on the road and put up a great fight against the second seeded Eagles. They have real chances to win the game going tooth and nail with Northside.
In the end a missed field goal and an interception hurt the Terrors and they lose late 18-13. It’s another tough loss that the Terrors couldn’t quite pull out. The Terrors end the year at 6-5.
As I mentioned above, when I talked to Coach Rock you could see how proud he was of this outfit and how they came back and played hard after being 2-4.
They could have folded up and headed home but didn’t. He was very proud of what they had accomplished. They were winners!
Rocky Hidalgo is one of Glynn’s winningest coaches ever. He has region championships and a state championship appearance under his belt.
He has averaged over 8 wins per season in his nine years with the Red Terrors. So, when he says he is looking forward to this sophomore and junior dominated team coming up big next year. I’m all in. Let’s do it Rock!
Pirates’ Journey
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Year one of the Garrett Grady tenure at Brunswick ended in heartbreaking fashion with a gut wrenching 29-28 loss to Houston County in the first round of GHSA 6A state playoffs.
The Pirates finished the 2022 season with a 10-1 record. The Pirates were crowned Region 2-AAAAAA champions with a 30-27 win over Effingham County.
Let’s look at the 2022 season:
August 19, 2022: The Pirates hosted Andrew Jackson from Jacksonville at Glynn County Stadium. The Tigers finished 7-4 in 2021 earning a playoff berth.
Jayden returned a punt for a touchdown and the Brunswick Black Flag defense held the Tigers to 200 yards of total offense on the night in a 23-13 opening night win. The win was Grady’s first win as a head coach. Andrew Jackson finished the 2022 season with an 8-3 record and playoff berth in Florida.
August 26, 2022: The Pirates hosted Camden County at Glynn County Stadium. Most pundits picked BHS to lose this game, but a strong defensive effort and second half power run game propelled BHS to a 16-10 win.
Lionel Twitty made the play of his BHS career by deflecting a Wildcat pass inside the Pirate 10-yard line to preserve the win. Camden was the #2 seed in Region 1-7A.
September 9, 2022: BHS played in the inaugural Georgia/Florida High School Football Classic at Glynn County Stadium. The Pirate defense completely shut down Bolles in a 20-3 win. This was another game the experts predicted BHS to lose.
September 16, 2022: BHS beat Islands High School 49-0 in a very lopsided contest. Outcome was never in doubt.
September 23, 2022: BHS hammered Glynn Academy 55-21 to win its third consecutive City Championship.
The Pirate offense was clicking throughout the contest and Glynn’s only scores came on trick plays and a fluke pass deflection.
The 55 points scored by BHS were the most ever for the Pirates in the long and storied history of the City Championship Series. BHS leads the all-time series 40-37-2.
September 28, 2022: BHS traveled to Grovetown in Augusta for a Wednesday contest that was moved up due to Hurricane Ian.
Touchdown Terry Mitchell scored 4 TDs on his birthday and the Pirates won a 56-39 shootout to stay undefeated on the season.
October 7, 2022: BHS hosted Lakeside Evans at Glynn County Stadium. The Pirates took control of the game early and cruised to a 44-10 win.
The Pirate defense dominated the contest.
October 21, 2022: BHS traveled to Guyton and hammered South Effingham 42-3.
BHS scored 6 touchdowns in their first 19 offensive plays. Mitchell caught a 54-yard TD pass from JR Elkins on the first offensive play of the game.
The Mustangs kicked a 42-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining on a running clock to avoid the shutout.
October 27, 2022: BHS traveled to Evans and lost LB Devin Smith for the remainder of the season with a broken ankle just two minutes into the contest.
The Pirates turned it over 6 times on the night in an ugly 28-7 win to stay unbeaten.
November 4. 2022: The Pirates held on late to beat Effingham 30-27 for the region championship in possibly the worst officiated game I have ever witnessed in person.
The story of the contest was yellow flags that wiped out two Pirate scores in the contest.
November 11, 2022: First round playoff game with Houston County.
The Bears rolled up 600 yards of total offense and led 21-7 in the fourth quarter.
The Pirates put on a furious rally and tied the game with 48 seconds left, and HOCO missed a 32 yards FG to win it with one second left on the clock to win it in regulation.
BHS scored to lead 28-21 in OT and Houston scored to cut it to 28-27 and went for two points and converted to end the BHS season with a 29-28 win.
This senior class won 35 games and three city and region championships. That ranks this group as one of the best in BHS history.
Garrett Grady should be region coach of the year.
Ka‘Shawn Thomas should be your defensive player of the year in the region.
Terry Mitchell should be your offensive player of the year in the region.
Things are looking pretty good right now on Altama Avenue.
Let’s Get It On
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The high school football regular season is over and the playoffs are now here. Let’s take a look at some of the top 7A teams and their road to the state championship.
#1 Buford: The Wolves (10-0) just moved up to 7A this season, but they have not had any trouble adjusting. They have won three consecutive state championships in 6A and 5A.
They have won state championships in every classification prior to moving up to 7A.
They are the number one seed in region 8-7A and they are playing Peachtree Ridge.
The Lions (6-4) are the No. 4 seed from region 7-7A. In their four loses the closest margin of victory was 21 points. I expect Buford to beat them by a large margin.
The second round will be against the winner of South Forsyth/#8 Walton.
#2 Colquitt County: The Packers (10-0) are region 1-7A champs. They are led by senior running back A’Marius Pace, junior quarterback Neko Fann and junior wide receiver Ny’Quavion Carr. They host No. 4 see Pebblebrook (4-6) from region 2-7A.
Colquitt County only has one win by less than 20 points this season. They will beat up on Pebblebrook. The second round they will face the winner of Harrison/Brookwood.
#3 Carrolton: The Trojans (10-0) are not a team we typically see ranked at the end of the season. They have had an impressive season and won region 2-7A. They host Lowndes (5-5) in the first round. This is a down year for the Vikings so I expect Carrolton to beat them. The next round will be against Marietta or Newton.
#4 North Cobb: The Warriors (8-2) had high hopes coming into the season. They played #1 Buford in the second game of the season and lost 21 – 14. Unfortunately, four-star senior quarterback Malachi Singleton played the entire second half with a broken foot. That was his last game of the season and he has had surgery.
Even with their best player sidelined North Cobb has had a good season and they won region 5-7A.
They host Denmark (6-4) from region 6. The Danes have some talented players on their team. This could be a close game. If the Warriors win, they will face the winner of Mill Creek/Meadowcreek.
#5 Mill Creek: The Hawks (9-1) have the top player in the state, five-star safety Caleb Downs. They also have three-star linebacker and Clemson commit, Jamal Anderson Jr. As you can guess, he’s the son of the former Atlanta Falcons running back.
Their only loss was to Buford, 39 – 27.
Mill Creek hosts another Gwinnett County team, Meadowcreek. I think the Hawks are actually the second-best team in 7A and I expect them to make a deep playoff run.
#6 Grayson: The Rams (8-2) were undefeated and won the state championship in 2020. They are trying to get back to that in 2022.
The best player on the team is four-star safety Michael Daugherty. They are the top seed in region 4-7A and host No. 4 seed Hillgrove. If they win that game, they will play the winner of East Coweta and Camden County.
#7 Lambert: The Longhorns (9-1) seem to be flying under the radar despite having a great season. They play 3 seed Wheeler in the first round. If they win, they will face the winner of North Gwinnett/Dacula.
I think Buford will win the championship but I’m ready to see how these teams perform.
Camden Resurgence
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It has been a tough road for the Camden County Wildcats over the past few years.
The Wildcats have suffered through back-to-back losing seasons in 2020 and 2021. The program has not beaten the “big dogs” in region 1-7A, the Colquitt County Packers and the Lowndes County Vikings, since 2015. The Wildcats knocked off the Vikings that year 38-19 en route to a 10-2 season.
2015 is also the last time Camden won a playoff game. The Wildcats hosted the Hillgrove Hawks and handled them 38-17.
Since 2016 Camden has amassed a record of 29-34.
Here’s my point…last season Camden hired Jeff Herron as their head coach to turn the program around and put the Wildcats back on an elite trajectory.
There has been a change in Kingsland in year two and it has been impressive to this point.
The Wildcats got off to rough start. Camden dropped their opener to the Columbia Eagles. A team most predicted they would have on a running clock by the 4th quarter. Instead, the Eagles shocked the Wildcats and won a 13-10 contest.
The following week the Wildcats went up to Brunswick and lost a hard fought 16-10 contest to the Brunswick High Pirates. That was the turning point.
It has almost been that the proverbial switch got flipped after that loss.
The next week the Wildcats hosted the Glynn Academy Red Terrors and played with a chip or edge or what ever you’d like to call it. But it felt different. The Wildcats trounced the Red Terrors 37-7.
Since that point the Wildcats have played B.E.S.T. Academy, Somerset Academy and Atlantic Coast. While none of these schools are state powers, the Wildcats did what they were supposed to do in these games, win convincingly and more importantly, get better.
Since the BHS game, Camden’s varsity has outscored their opponents 177 to 7.
The defense is flying around the field making plays, the kids seemed to have gotten comfortable with the Wing-T on offense and things are beginning to feel normal again around Camden County.
Camden has won four in a row entering region play. Richmond Hill is up first. Camden will head up I-95 to take on the other Wildcats in a couple weeks. This may end up being the most important game of the season.
After that the Wildcats travel to Moultrie to take on Colquitt County, then back at home against Valdosta and Lowndes to wrap up the regular season.
Is this team going to win a state title, probably not. Are they going to win the region, they are not expected to.
However, what this team will be is…..the team that turned the program around and got Camden moving back in the right direction and becoming a state force again.
Oh, and as far as beating Lowndes and/or Colquitt and winning a playoff game, those droughts end with this team as well.
The River
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It has been said that you won’t get recruited to play college ball if you play at a small private school with less than 400 students.
Jordan Triplett’s texts at 12:01am on September 1st would say otherwise.
“We had been sending out stats and video clips for years, knowing that no one could reply,” says the Junior phenom running back from Frederica Academy. “At the end of last year, I was really wondering if anyone was watching. (Frederica Head Coach) Brandon Derrick just said to be patient. When midnight on Sept 1st hit, it exploded. It was such a relief.”
“Coach Derrick just said ‘told ya so.’”
Nicknamed “The River,” the Class of 2024 offensive star of the Knights has been putting up staggering numbers since his freshman year. Thrust into the starting role in the fourth game of the year, he never looked back.
In his first start against Brantley County, Triplett put up a staggering 163 yards on 26 carries. By the time the year was over, Jordan was the #1 RB in the nation for his graduating class.
“All this time, I knew I was putting up the numbers but I wondered what I was missing?”
It seems all he was missing was time. September 1st was the first day that college coaches could reach out to high school juniors in regards to recruiting. As soon as the clock hit midnight, Triplett had a good idea his work was going to pay off.
“The first message that came at midnight was from Mercer,” says his father, Mark Triplett. “Then came Princeton, then Dartmouth. Florida Atlantic invited him to Junior Day & their invite only camp. The next morning there were a dozen schools in just the first day.”
As of three weeks later, a total of 15 schools have reached out, including Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt in the SEC, Iowa State in the Big 12, UConn from the AAC, and a laundry list of Ivy League & service academy squads; Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, Penn, Air Force, and Army.
Of the schools that have reached out so far, Jordan, his dad, and his mom all have their favorites (although they won’t be revealed here).
“Yes, I have a preference, but honestly I don’t think past the scholarships,” according to his mom Becky, a teacher at Frederica Academy. “Jordan wants to play, and mom doesn’t want to have to pay for it if she doesn’t have to,” she said with a smile.
The Ivy League schools aren’t a stretch for Jordan. He currently has a 4.2 GPA with a full load of AP classes.
“I’ve got to give that credit to mom and dad. We knew I wasn’t going to be the fastest or the biggest, but they knew that if I was a little good at football but had the academics, I’d have a chance to go play at the next level at some of the finest schools in the country.”
His father has been not only his biggest supporter and chauffeur, but his social media hype man as well.
“I’ve been doing this for a while,” says Mark. “Frederica has a small staff, no designated recruiter like some schools. I was really excited that over the last year that we sent out all these questionnaires and film, not knowing what they think about it since they couldn’t reach out. Then on the first day to finally hear from 12-15 teams that did like it, it was confirmation.”
Jordan obviously appreciates the effort.
“It’s funny, when I heard from Iowa State, I was like ‘how did THEY hear about me?’ and Dad said ‘I filled out a recruiting questionnaire.’ I said ‘when?’ He said ‘Ninth grade.’”
Jordan does have an as-of-yet unnamed dream school. They’ve made no official contact with him, but they have spoken to Coach Derrick about coming to a game.
The final goal is, of course, setting himself up for a chance at the NFL.
“I remember sitting in my bed in Montana with my six Cam Newton FatHeads, telling mom I was going to play in the NFL while jumping into a Carolina Panthers bean bag. I’ve always had that dream. Mom and Dad have driven me to all these camps, spent all that registration money. I’m going to have to eventually mow the lawn a lot.”
If the next six years go as planned, he’ll be able to buy them a new house to go with that lawn.
Wind In The Sails
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The high school football regular season is already a third of the way finished. One local team sailing high are the Brunswick High School Pirates.
First year head coach Garrett Grady has the Pirates sitting at 3-0 on the young season with back-to-back impressive wins against Camden County and The Bolles School out of Jacksonville, Florida, which have a combined 14 state titles.
What is impressive about this group of Pirates is that these kids have bought into everything Coach Grady has instilled this offseason.
Off season conditioning, where the entire team improved on their strength numbers. BHS has ten players currently in the 1000-pound club. Last season the program had three players in the club. The 1000-pound club is a combination of max bench press, squat, and power clean in the weight room.
Most players increased their strength individually by 20 to 25% during this past offseason. The benefits of that show up in the second half of games like the Camden and Bolles contests where BHS wore these quality opponents down when it matters the most.
Off the field during the spring and summer the football program was very visible in the community. Community service projects, volunteer opportunities the Pirates have been seen around town this offseason.
Garrett Grady has instilled a culture of helping and mentoring kids around the community. I personally saw Harvard commit Jayden Drayton teaching kids’ proper fundamentals at a 7–8-year-old football camp this summer.
I was told by a family member that senior LB Lionel Twitty provided them with the best customer service experience they have had in years at Home Depot on a blazing scorching summer day when Twitty refused to let them assist him in loading materials on a trailer for a big home project under construction.
The program motto is “All About the Family.” This is not just a catchphrase folks these kids live it because their coaching staff coaches them on this every single day.
Character education is huge aspect of this football program, and the culture of the Brunswick High football program revolves around this.
Just this past weekend, BHS coaches worked at The Georgia/Florida football classic at Glynn County Stadium in supporting roles making sure the event was as success. BHS staff was there from start to finish on Thursday and Saturday for the seven-game event.
Brunswick had a game on Friday night but worked to support the school system for the other six games that were played. That speaks volumes about the quality of the BHS coaching staff. Twelve to fourteen hour days on Thursday through Saturday, then a long workday on Sunday getting ready for the upcoming opponent.
On the field, BHS may field the best defense the school has seen since 1999. Unsung heroes like Jordan Jimerson, Ivan Johnson, Zion Turner, and Keon Leggett do not get all the headlines but make their presence felt every Friday night.
Did you see that hit Leggett made on a Bolles receiver last Friday night? Ronnie Lott would have been proud.
On offense, unsung heroes like OL Eli Smith, OL Jonathan Welson, OL Quan Gibson, and OL Josh Walker wear down opposing defensive fronts every week. They just do their job.
QB J.R. Elkins is getting better every single week. You have young running backs in William Heck and Jamarius Towns that will be household names in Brunswick soon.
The Pirates also have a young LB on defense J’Shawn Towns that will knock you into next week.
Then you have a kid who waited his turn in Taivon Gadson, who made the game changing play last week against Bolles when he returned an interception to the goal line that changed the complexion of the Bolles game. The Pirates went on to win 20-3. BHS was trailing 3-0 in the third quarter when Gadson rose to the occasion when his team needed it the most.
Every good football team is full of unsung heroes. I just highlighted a few this week.
It is really “All About the Family” for the BHS football program.
Garrett Grady was a great hire by BHS.
Raising Terror
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to call Glynn Academy’s 2021 football season underwhelming. Coach Rocky Hidalgo is out to change that.
Last year got off to a baffling start in the form of a 14-point tie to our northern neighbors in McIntosh, the MCA Buccaneers.
That was quickly followed by a shellacking at the hands of our southern neighbors from Camden, the Camden County Wildcats.
Compile that with an overtime loss to the Brunswick High Pirates in the City Championship Game, and it’s pretty obvious the season never fully got on track.
The Terrors followed up a pedestrian 4-5-1 regular season with an early playoff exit, losing in the first round to Langston Hughes on the road 42-14.
Flip the calendar forward eight months, and Big Red seems to be ready to turn the page and get back to basics. Local football afficionados have noticed a more hands-on approach from Coach Hidalgo this offseason and hints of a more “in-the-trenches/wing-T” style of play on offense.
That should prove to play to the strengths of his returning offensive stars. Rising Senior QB Tyler Devlin developed a solid rapport with receiver David Prince last year and looks to build upon that in the coming season.
The Terrors look to be sturdy up front with big guys John McCleod and Jack Hunt leading the line & opening some big holes for the multifaceted sophomore RB Greg Peacock.
On defense, familiar names like William Tankersley, D.J. Riley, J.T. Gibbons, and Hugh Edgy will be filling in the gaps left by last years’ graduating class. All in all, the 2022 season looks to be much more satisfactory for Terror Nation.
Here’s how we see Glynn’s season unfolding:
WEEK 1 – @Statesboro – It’s tough to pick when you have two teams trying to rebound from a disappointing season. We’ll go with the Terrors over the Devils in a close one on the road, 21-17.
WEEK 2 – vs. MCA – That draw from last year still stings. Hidalgo & company will make sure that outcome isn’t anywhere close this time around. Glynn wins big, 49-9.
WEEK 3 – @Camden – Last year’s drubbing had folks wondering if the Wildcats really were back or not. No more of the same this year, Glynn flips the script in a shootout 51-45.
WEEK 4 – vs. Creekside – A tough non-region opponent in a tough spot on the schedule. The Knights hand Glynn their first loss on the year 35-21.
WEEK 5 – CITY CHAMPIONSHIP vs. Brunswick – As a Pirate alum it pains me to say this, but I fear the streak for the Blue & Gold ends here. Coach Rock hoists the trophy once more, 31-28 (OT).
WEEK 6 – vs. Effingham – Glynn always seems to lose one game a year they have no business losing. This one seems as good a candidate as any. Terrors still feeling hungover from the victory over BHS put up an uninspiring effort in a 17-3 loss.
WEEK 7 – @South Effingham – The boys in red get back on track and avoid going “Oh-for-Eff,” breaking the Mustangs bigly 56-14.
WEEK 8 – vs. Grovetown – The first of three home games against new region opponents to end the season sees the Terrors notch their first shutout of the season, embarrassing the Warriors 34-0.
WEEK 9 – vs. Evans – All cylinders will be firing as the regular season winds down, but the Terrors let this one slip by. Glynn falls in a close one 24-21.
WEEK 10 – vs. Lakeside – Coach Rock fixes the issues from the week before and sends the Terrors to the playoffs riding high. Terrors over Panthers by a decisive 42-14 score.
FINAL RECORD – 7-3, 2nd place in the Region, playoff bound.
Frederica Academy Knights 2022 Preview
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the first time in his 10-year tenure, the season is approaching too quickly for Coach Brandon Derrick.
Thankfully, it has nothing to do with the status of his players. During the offseason, Frederica started a massive multi-million dollar renovation of their football facilities. Upgrades to the bleachers, press boxes, and a massive stone & cypress pavilion will make the home of the Knights one of the premier facilities in the GISA.
But the recent ongoing spell of rainy weather has delayed completion of the projects, and the Knights have had to take to the road for their Week 1 matchup against Brookwood and delay their home opener until Week 3 versus the Valwood Valiants.
Regardless of when they get it, the Frederica faithful are in for a treat under the oaks this year, both on the field and off.
“If we have some good luck the first three games we’ve got a good chance,” said Coach Derrick. “We’ve got a pretty good group of kids, and we have an opportunity to be right in the middle of it at the end of the season.”
Leading the charge this year will be new QB Sutton Ellis, who transferred to Frederica from Brunswick High after last season. Speaking about his new signal caller, Coach Derrick is quite complimentary.
“I think he fits in perfectly. He’s learned the offense; he knows what he’s doing out there. The biggest thing will be can he take some of the pressure off #4.”
Of course, the #4 in question is “The River,” RB Jordan Triplett. At the midway point of his high school career, Triplett has notched just over 3,400 yards rushing on 463 carries, averaging 7.4 YPC and finding paydirt a gaudy 47 times.
“To me he’s a Christian McCaffrey type. He’s gotten a step faster; he’s great coming out & catching the ball. He’s going to be lining up not just in the backfield this year. (New Offensive Coordinator) Bo Yeargan is going to get him in some matchups with people that they’re not going to like.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Coach Derrick is expecting big things from some of his rising freshmen.
“Down the road, I think Connor Pope could be our new Ashton (Frankel, c/o ’21 defensive powerhouse). He learned really fast this summer at camp. He and (fellow freshman) Fuller Wimberly could be difference makers.”
Here’s how we see the 2022 season shaping up for the Knights:
WEEK 1 – @Brookwood – Playing on the road will make things tougher against the Warriors, but the Knights find a way, starting the season with a 27-17 victory.
WEEK 2 – @Tiftarea – Chula, GA is never a n easy place to play, but the boys in Green & Grey get it done, 35-28.
Week 3 – vs. Valwood – Flipping this game to a home stand will help tremendously against one of Frederica’s toughest non-region rivals. The Knights christen the new facility with a hard-fought win to the tune of 42-31.
Week 4 – vs. Calvary Day – The Cavaliers finally make the trek to play under the oaks, but unfortunately the result doesn’t change. Calvary Day stretches their win streak against the Knights to three, beating the home squad 34-17.
Week 5 – @John Milledge – They still haven’t forgiven us for 2018, and they’ll remind us of that fact. It’ll be closer than the last two games, but JMA knocks Fred to 3-2 on the year, 45-28.
Week 6 – vs. Clinch County – Home cookin’ makes the difference this time, Knights win in a defensive struggle, 17-14.
Week 7 – @Tattnall Square – Frederica heads to middle Georgia for the second game in three weeks. That much time on I-16 isn’t good for anybody, and the Knights will struggle with this one, falling 41-17.
Week 8 – vs. Robert Toombs – An old rivalry gets renewed, and the Knights get back on track. The River hits a highwater point on the year, and the rest of the team follows. Big win, 55-10.
Week 9 – @Bulloch – the home team always seems to struggle in this most heated rivalry. This one will be no different. Knights over Gators 33-18.
Week 10 – @Pinewood – The schedule won’t hurt the Patriots as badly this year, but it won’t be enough. Frederica with a close win against a talented squad, 35-31.
Week 11 – vs. St. Andrews – The Lions have a new head coach this year and will be better for it. Not enough to keep Coach Derrick from securing another region crown, however. FA wraps up the regular season with a 48-21 win.
FINAL PREDICITON – 8-3, division champs, deep run in the playoffs.
The Return Of The Cats
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Camden County Wildcats finished last season 4-7 overall. Camden started the year 4-1 and then lost 6 straight games to close the year, including going 0-3 in the region. The Wildcats fell to the North Cobb Warriors in the first round of 7A playoffs to end the year. In fairness, 2021 schedule was extremely tough.
Region 1-7A got a little make over in the offseason. Camden, Lowndes and Colquitt all remained. Tift County dropped to 6A and both Valdosta and Richmond Hill moved up and will play in Camden’s region.
Camden will have new signal caller this season in junior, Mason Robinson. Robinson is a tall, athletic kid with a cannon for an arm. Robinson will be getting his first varsity experience when the season opens, but Coach Herron believes he will turn some heads. “He is a really smart kid that runs well and is a great athlete. He has gotten a good grasp of the offense and I think he will surprise some people.”
The Wildcats will see a new running back rotation out of the Wing-T. Deonte Cole will return at RB for the Cats and Coach Herron plans on using six different backs to run the ball. Quan Floyd will join Cole in the backfield and will play both ways. Brayden Ritz will also see time running the ball and Floyd will also start at corner back for Camden. Jaden Daily will get reps at fullback with Jordan James. A name to remember in this group is JaMarley Riddle according to Coach Herron.
“JaMarley Riddle will play on defense some and will the run the ball for us and is special. I wish I had played him more last season at the varsity level but he is a next level type of kid.”
The offensive line rotation will be Caden Thompson, Zack Owen, Caden Whitfield, Gavin Wright, Caden Copeland. Cameron Chandler will suit up at tight end.
Christian Dallas returns at Nose Guard for Jeff Herron’s group. The defensive end rotation will be Roland Baker, Demeri Thomas, DeNigel Cooper, Dylan Higginbotham and Canaan Graham.
Ian Pederson, Cooper Thornhill, and Nick Petiote will play the new “Cat” position for Herron on defense.
The secondary for the Wildcats will be led by S Jake Lindsey. Coach Herron believes Lindsey will be an anchor for his defense. “Jake is back and will keep everything moving and guys on their assignments.”
Xavier Holzendorf will also be at corner with Tyree Young and Ronald Spradley-Pettus. Riddle will play S along with Jake Lindsey.
Camden’s linebacker core will look drastically different from last season. The rotation will be Logan Hilliard, Christian Gaitlin, EJ Kerbo, Caden Evanson, and Alex Chaney.
“I like this team. I think we are young but will grow and be really good.”
Camden hosts Columbia, Glynn Academy, Dade Christian (Miami, FL), Somerset Academy, First Coast, Valdosta and Lowndes.
The Wildcats will travel to Brunswick High, Richmond Hill and Colquitt County.
I think the Wildcats will post a winning season and the influence of Jeff Herron will become very evident in this group. Camden will be in the mix for a region championship and another playoff berth.
Games that will be key for the Wildcats this season will be Brunswick High, Glynn Academy, Valdosta and Lowndes.
In the end, this team is going to surprise a lot of people. I am predicting the Wildcats to go 8-2 and finish with a #2 seed in the region. I also expect Camden to win at least one playoff game, if not make an Elite 8 appearance.
