The Knights’ Quest

By: Rich Bontrager

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

For Frederica Football the 2017 was a season of injuries, adjusted lineups, severe weather and a heart-breaking loss to end an amazing season.

While the Knights’ season may have come to a tough end in a come-behind victory by Valwood in the third round of the GISA-AAA playoffs, it was a season of vast growth which brings them into 2018 with extremely high expectations.

Last year started with big adjustments as starting QB Gavin William received an injury that cost him the entire season. While star receiver JaShawn Sheffield was limited for much of the season with an injury, the team and coaches rallied around Junior QB Jaylin Simpson and formed a slightly different offensive scheme. This scheme emerged as a very mobile and exciting one.

While the offense had to adjust early on, the defense seemed to only gain speed and strength behind a then junior squad that featured emerging stars such as Harry Veal, JT Elliot, Isaiah Jackson, and Cameron Gardner. This Defense often made great plays that helped set the offense up for easy scores.

This season sees the return of many of last year’s junior class now playing as seniors and veteran leaders, headed by Simpson and Sheffield, who have both committed to Auburn Football in 2019.

With an experienced senior class all back on the field the Knights are heavily favored to make another strong march to Mercer for a State Championship. However, this run will not be easy.

The Knights will open the 2018 Campaign at home in a non-GISA game vs Charlton County Indians, from Folkston, GA., on Friday, August 17th at Frederica under the oaks. The Indian’s are in the A Region 2 and in 2018 posted a 9-3 record.

Then on Friday, August 28th, the GISA 2017 State Champions, Valwood returns to SSI. This game is a rematch of last season’s heart-breaking GISA Playoff game. It was an intense defensive battle with all scoring taking place in the second half. Expect nothing less in the early season key matchup.

The third week has the Knights hitting the road for the first time and traveling to play Lanier County in Lakeland, GA on Friday, August 31.

September starts with Frederica hosting Bethlehem Christian Academy. In 2016 the Knights defeated them in the first round of the playoffs 52-21. In that game QB Gavin Williams was 8 of 11 with 2 touchdown passes and 197 yards.

Friday, Sept 14th Augusta Prep Day will welcome the Knights to their home turf. This game is highlighted as Augusta’s toughest potential match up in 2018 with Frederica favored by over 30 points.

Friday Sept 21 is an open date and may be much needed as the following week will be “Rivalry Game” against Pinewood Christian in Bellville, GA.

In 2017 the Knights won this same game 30-17! It was a balanced attack as JaShawn Sheffield caught 2 TD passes, Jaylin Simpson ran for 2 touchdowns and Junior Running Back Isaiah Jackson rushed for 102 all-purpose yards.

Week 7, Oct 5th will see the Knights back under the oaks hosting Westfield School. While the Hornets posted a 2-9 season in 2017, this is the kind of opponent that Frederica does not want to potentially play down to.

Friday, Oct. 12 and the second half of the season is on as the Knights stay under the oaks and welcome Trinity Christian to the island. In 2016, The defense played a key factor in this 40-20 victory over the Crusaders, as Frederica claimed 2 interceptions and tacked on 3 sacks.

Oct 19th has the Knights back out on the road as they face Westminster School of Augusta. The Wildcats have a tendency to field a very small number of players. A late season matchup such as this may be timely to help rest the starters and get healed up before the final two games and playoffs.

Friday the, “Drive to Mercer”, heats up as the perennial powerhouse John Milledge Academy Trojan’s come into Frederica. 2016 saw the Trojan’s crowned State Champion and last season marked the sixth straight 10-win season. This is a battle not to missed!

The regular season closes out on Friday, Nov. 2nd with a road trip to Statesboro to once again face Bulloch Academy. The last two seasons Frederica has split this match up in fierce competition. Losing by one in 2016 (7-8) and winning in 2017 (28-21). This year’s game should be nothing less than another nail bitter.

While the Knights have grown to be one of the GISA top contenders, 2018 will cause this veteran team to be extremely challenged.

One missing piece of the puzzle for the Knights is who will fill the kicking shoes of last year’s graduate, John Mitchell Brock?

His foot and aim were a weapon that few High Schools have the luxury to rely on. Such a weapon may be the key to late game victories and a march to Mercer.

 

 

 

 

 

Coastal Buzz

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

No matter the level of sports you play and no matter what conference or division you play in, you’re going to always have one group that is more dominant than the other; beside the whole “sports camaraderie” thing it’s kind of the purpose of playing, right?

When it comes to ACC Football, the more dominant division, historically, has been the Atlantic. The Coastal Division, which Georgia Tech won in four of the first seven seasons after Paul Johnson was brought in, has played the role of the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

Basically, the Coastal has been the little brother that keeps swinging at the older brother (Atlantic) but is always kept at arm’s length, just far enough to never really land blows.

This bodes well for Johnson and the Yellow Jackets, who after a seventh, fifth, and third place finish in the Coastal over the past three years and a new extension for the aforementioned head coach, need to see continued improvement as they try to regain that early success.

At first glance, Georgia Tech’s schedule seems fairly daunting, however I think it’s more than manageable. Like most college football teams, the difference between a successful season for the Jackets and one that ends in everyone eating away their pain at the Varsity, will come down to handful of games.

I know it’s dangerous to assume, but let’s roll the dice and assume they defeat Alcorn St., USF, Pittsburgh, Bowling Green, and Virginia. And that they lose to Clemson and Georgia. This leaves them with a 5-2 record, with 5 games up in the air; all five of which happen to be in row.

The first of the five is against Louisville, at Louisville. With Lamar Jackson in the NFL and the Cardinals matador style defense, I like Tech’s chances. This is one I would not be surprised to see them leave with a win.

The next opponent is Duke, at home. Now, before David Cutcliffe arrived this would be more of a guaranteed win than the Alcorn St. game, but Duke has played Tech well over the last few years, winning in Atlanta two years ago.

After the Blue Devils come to town and a bye week, there are back to back road games against Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Truth be told, the season could come down to these two games.

As tough as the Hokies are at home, the Yellow Jackets have always played them tough since Johnson’s arrival and have won three of the last four. A win won’t be easy but it won’t be stunning either.

There’s absolutely no telling which Carolina team will show up this season but the games always seem to be close, a common thread with Georgia Tech and I would expect nothing different when they meet in November.

This stretch of five games concludes back in Atlanta, against Miami. The Hurricanes have looked good since Richt’s return and I know the expectations are high in Coral Gables. I almost included this game in the loss column but with it being at home and the potential for a first-place division title on the line, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t think they will win, I’m just not convinced a Georgia Tech loss is a sure thing.

So, there you have it; a Coastal Division title, right in their grasp.

Of course, now that I’ve said all this, you realize Alcorn State is going to win that first game, don’t you?

Falcons To Soar

By: TJ Hartnett

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The only team from the NFC South that has made the playoffs the last two seasons, the Falcons are locked and loaded to make another run at that elusive Super Bowl victory.

They will face plenty of challenges from the rest of the improved division but they have the tools to be a force in 2018.

They have some questions as well. With training camp rapidly approaching, let’s take a look at where the Falcons stand now.

First off, the biggest news of the offseason was Matt Ryan’s massive contract extension. Matty Ice inked the richest contract in the history of the NFL to the tune of $150 million. That kind of contract tends to come with an added level of pressure.

However, as his nickname suggests, Ryan will likely be able to go about his business without it weighing too heavily on him. He’s still the elite quarterback the Falcons need to lead their charge.

On less sturdy ground at the moment is Julio Jones. He has been a no-show at all of Atlanta’s offseason preparation events so far in 2018, due to an ongoing contract dispute.

While there is no real reason to doubt that this will be an issue that blows up to the point that Jones ends up in a different jersey, there might be cause for concern with all the time he’s missing.

He may be the best wide receiver in the NFL right now but he also had a year in which he only scored three times and that was after missing significant offseason time with an injury.

A player of his caliber might not necessarily need the practice reps to be good to go for the season but you have to wonder how well he’ll be used if he’s not around to train.

From that we come to Steve Sarkisian. Sark was the scapegoat for a lot of people who saw the Falcons underperform the year after a Super Bowl appearance and it is certainly true that the record-breaking 2016 offense took a step backward.

Despite a lot of noise calling for his head, Sark is going to get another chance to move the stellar offensive pieces he has at his disposal into position in which they can win.

Coaches, and especially offensive coordinators, can get too much blame when things go badly and too much praise when things go well. Sark has got too much talent on his hands to not be overly praised for their success in 2018.

Something to keep an eye on at training camp and the season draw closer is the health of Devonta Freeman. Two concussions and an injury to his knee took their toll on him last season and to put a cherry on top he tore his MCL and PCL in the last game before going into the playoffs.

All signs point to him healing quickly and being ready for the start of the season but having such an injury-plagued campaign in 2017 is concerning and something to be monitored.

On the other side of the ball, drafting Calvin Ridley did not shore up the defense, and the lack of depth at linebacker is still a concern.

De’Vondre Campbell and Deion Jones are a strong duo but beyond the two of them are question marks on question marks.

Duke Riley will likely start the season’s early games and he showed last year that he was still a work in progress.

The defensive side of the Falcons’ game as been a concern for a while now and while the offense can shoulder a lot, the issues of stopping the other teams will likely continue.

There is plenty to be excited about as the end of July nears, especially for a Falcons team that expects and should be expected to make the playoffs a third consecutive time.

I’m Coming Home

By: Josh Aubrey

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Football season hasn’t even begun but there’s already talk of a homecoming at Bulloch Academy, as after nearly 25 years there will once again be a Shaver coaching on the sidelines in Bulloch County.

Bill Shaver, son of legendary Southeast Bulloch head coach Fred Shaver, left Statesboro High in 1993 to take over as offensive coordinator at Thomas County Central.

As OC, under Yellow Jacket head coach Ed Pilcher, Shaver helped Thomas County Central to five state championship appearances and three state titles.

Shaver took over the head coaching reigns from Pilcher in 2008 and over the past 10 years helped TCCHS to 3 region titles and a record of 74-40.

Despite that success, at the end of last season school officials felt it was time for a change and Shaver was relieved of his coaching duties.

“The folks down there felt it was time for a change,” Shaver said. “I guess it was a time for a major change in my life. Luckily the good lord opened a door for me back here in Bulloch County.”

Shaver and Bulloch Academy head coach and athletic director Pat Collins were both on head coach Charles Webb’s staff for two years at Statesboro High in the early 90’s. The two remained friends and their paths have crossed many times over the past 25 years.

“We have remained good friends throughout the past 25 years,” Collins said. “I approached him in the spring and asked him to be a part of our staff and he flat out said no.

I asked him again a month later and got the same response. We ran into each other recently at a quarterback and receiver camp and I asked him again and he said I’ll think about it. A little later I got the call I was hoping for and he said yes.”

“I decided to retire from public school and looked around southwest Georgia for a job,” Shaver said. “Nothing came up, but I kept getting calls from coach Collins. I prayed about it, and then just felt the lord working on me to come back home to Bulloch County.”

While Collins persistence was important in keeping Bulloch County on Shaver’s mind, the quarterbacks at Bulloch Academy were also instrumental in getting Shaver to Bulloch Academy.

“I saw Don Aaron, Fisher Oglesby and Tyler Willoughby at a quarterback and receiver camp a few weeks ago,” Shaver said. “When I got home I told my wife how much I enjoyed working with those Bulloch Academy kids and how talented they were as well. Soon after that I made up my mind to come.”

Shaver will not be teaching at Bulloch Academy, giving him time to spend with father and his sister Linda, whose family lives in town.

“I got to go with dad to a Kiwanis Club meeting the other day, and out to eat,” Shaver said. “I also get to see Linda and will spend time with her. I will still be commuting a lot back to Thomasville to see my son and his family, and my grandchild as well. My wife is retired too, so she has the opportunity to come here as well from time to time.”

As for the football side of things, the change will actually be greater for coach Collins who has been running a power offense for years, as he will be turning over the offensive reigns to coach Shaver and his veer option attack.

“When you have the chance to bring on Bill Shaver I feel you have to trust him and give him latitude with our offense,” Collins said. “I think he will make us more diverse and dynamic than any team I have had in the past.”

Shaver feels optimistic about what he has to work with and doesn’t think the learning curve will be too difficult for the players.

“We have three talented quarterbacks who all have plenty of ability to do the things we will need,” Shaver said. “If we can blend the option attack I have used the past 24 years with the power game coach Collins has used and throw in a little play action passing, I think we can be successful.”

The Gators open the season August 18 at 9:00 am as they kick off the annual Erk Russell Classic in Paulson Stadium against Pinewood.

 

Pirates Sailing On New Tides

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Sean Pender finished 7-3 in his first season on Altama Avenue. He is entering his second season at the helm with many new faces especially on the defensive side of the ball.

While youth and inexperience may be a factor going into the 2018 season the head coach is excited about the opportunity to build and grow with his young Pirates. “We have some good talented kids, but keep in mind there will be some growing pains, but the work ethic is there and I’m looking forward to see these younger kids develop”.

The most experienced position group returning in 2018 is the offensive line. The offensive line is led by who Pender calls the best offensive lineman he has ever coached in Warren McClendon. At 6’6 and 300 lbs. McClendon is a four-star recruit by all the recruiting services and can play anywhere in the country.

McClendon will play right tackle. AJ Kirkland at 5’8 225 will move over to center and has the versatility to play guard as well. Brett Hall 6’1 240 will start at left guard. Xavier Ramsey 6’2 252 will start at left tackle, and Caleb Cook 6’2 280 will start at right guard.

Pender says his run game will be very effective this fall. Offensive Coordinator Garrett Grady commented about his OL group “They have been the hardest working kids on the field and I am expecting big things out of this group this fall”.

A name to watch is freshman Kanaya Charlton who just turned 14 years of age and is already 6’6 310 with great feet and has future start written all over him will provide depth at the position.

The QB battle is heating up this summer with KJ Lee and Anthony Mountain. Lee played some as a freshman in 2017 has a quick release and has a solid grasp on the offense according to his head coach.

Mountain is getting better every single day and his head coach loves his competitive spirit. Both struggled in the spring game but have gained confidence over the summer. If the season started today Lee would more than likely get the nod under center but keep an eye on this position battle.

Jaylen Trimmings will be the man at RB and has looked very good this summer according to his head coach, but a kid who caught my eye in practice is freshman Chucobe Hill who Pender says is his back up RB going into the fall.

The Pirates will be raw and talented at WR. Marlon Carmena, Jailyn Jones, Che Foy Xavier Beane, Amarion Whitfield, Syveion Ellis, Michael McGee, and Mitchell Richburg at hybrid TE/FB will get reps at receiver. There is a lot of speed in this group.

Richburg, and Kyle Rayburn will handle the punting duties, and Avery Yoak will be the FG kicker in 2018. Look for the kicking game to much improved this fall.

On defense, Justin Akra will be the leader in the defensive line. Pender thinks Akra will have a big season in 2018.

Keith Garrett, Xavier Stevens, and Jaylen Carter will provide depth on the defensive line. Carter looks like a potential stud at 6’3 265.

Stacy Young is back at OLB/S and is a major college prospect. Devin Lafayette, Freddy Towns, and Demetrius Hardee will make the Pirate secondary a solid group in the fall.

Billy Anderson has earned a starting job at one of the corners and Pender is looking for Peter Sheffield to step up and make an impact the back of the defense this fall. Brunswick has a proud history at DB if you look at current NFL rosters in Detroit and Seattle.

AJ Wilson and Octavious Butler will have to grow up fast and contribute right away at the LB position.

Kick returners will be Carmena, Hardee, and Sheffield.

Schedule is brutal early with road trips to Coffee and Bartram Trail in Florida. Both squads lost state title games in their classifications in 2017.

Much improved Camden comes to Glynn County Stadium in September and region road games at Effingham and Bradwell. BHS will try to avoid a 5th straight loss to Glynn Academy in the City Title game.

When asked if this is a rebuilding year Pender offered “I hope everyone feels that way about us this fall. I like the work ethic and talent on this football team. Yes, we are young but I’m excited to see this group’s potential once we get some good game experience under our belts”.

 

 

 

Tough Voyage For Buccaneers

By: Jason Bishop

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The MCA Buccaneers finished the 2017 season with a 4-6 record and a 1-4 record in region 3-A.

The Bucs have since fired or accepted the resignation of (whichever story you choose to believe), Terel Toomer. Toomer was an assistant under former coach Robbie Robinson and was the Defensive Coordinator 2 years ago for the Bucs, during the state finals appearance.

Enter Tony Glazer. Glazer was hired from Liberty County, where he served as the Defensive Coordinator and coached Raekwon McMillan and Richard LeCounte. Both, of course, have moved on to bigger and better things.

Glazer is the 5th coach the Bucs have had in 7 years and he will mostly be charged with adding stability to a job that coach’s keep getting fired from.

The Bucs also had former starting QB, Denver Anthony, leave the program for Frederica.

With only a few weeks left before the start of the season, MCA currently only has 23 players on the roster.

With so few bodies it will likely make for another long season in Darien.

The Bucs will open at home at The Ship against Pierce County. The speed and depth of Pierce will be too much for MCA.

MCA will then host the Brunswick High Pirates, a 6A squad that has around 100 players on the roster. Too much depth for the Bucs and they will fall to 0-2.

In the third game of the season they again host, but the result should not be any different against Jenkins County.

McIntosh County Academy will then take to the road for their next two contests against Calvary Day and Brantley. The Brantley County game may be close but I still think the Herons will be too much for the Bucs.

MCA will get back to The Ship in Darien on October 5, but another loss awaits against region foe Savannah Country Day.

On October 12 MCA travels back to Savannah for a date with Savannah Christian, this should result in the 7th straight loss of the season.

Back home on October 19 against Claxton. Normally, I would take MCA in this game. However, with only 23 players on the roster and nagging injuries having set in by this point the depth will be an issue.

On October 26 the Bucs will play their most winnable game on the schedule in Portal. They will have to travel to just outside of Statesboro to play that game.

Then of course, MCA will wrap things up with the cross-over game as they play in a sub region. I don’t see that going well either.

Prediction: 1-9 for the Bucs. It is hard to win with only 20-ish kids on a roster in GHSA.

There will be some bright spots. You will see the Buccaneers become much better defensively under Glazer and, if healthy, you will come to know the name Josh Amerson at linebacker.

Braves Run Over?

By: Mike Anthony

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

For any Braves fans out there, who haven’t been kicking around the Earth for the same 32 years that I have, this season has to be a strange and exciting one.

You grew up rooting for a juggernaut of a team that was a threat to win it all throughout the 90’s. There were also some truly bad stretches of play where Braves hats were traded out for the fan’s college football team of choice by the Fourth of July. And there were a few years mixed in where Atlanta was expected to be thoroughly average and did just that.

But this is something new. Many preseason predictions had the Braves as a young team still squarely in the middle of a rebuild. While they weren’t expected to lose 100 games, they were overwhelmingly picked to finish third or worse in the National League East.

I’ve encountered plenty of Braves fans who aren’t sure what to think. Sure, they’re excited, but it’s hard to look at some teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros with a lineup full of superstars and not wonder if the other shoe is set to drop.

Braves fans in the 25-35 age group spent the first half of their lives knowing that the regular season was a formality leading up to another division championship. Following that long run, there were a few lean years that everyone saw coming.

A bounce back from that saw an improved lineup from 2010-13 that was expected to contend and did, making a wild card game and two division series while winning another division title.

Then came another swoon that was expected to only be showing the first signs of a turnaround in 2018. Instead, the Braves are on pace for 90 wins.

Only time will tell in that matter, but I’m here to tell you to enjoy it, because these surprise seasons are the best of all.

If you’re around my age and a Braves fan, the only comparable season to 2018 that you might remember is 1991.

It’s my reference point as one of my first concrete memories of watching a game was seeing Kirby Puckett hit his Game 6 home run. Sorry for the cheap shot, but that really is the first baseball memory I can put into context.

I’m sure that the summer of ‘91 was spent with a lot of Braves fans not quite sure if they should allow themselves to get wrapped up in a run that always feels like it could stop at any moment.

Don’t do that. Lean in. It will be a summer to remember. And if not. Well, there’s always next year.

Go Dogs!

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

We are about one month away from the 2018 high school football season. North Gwinnett won the 7A state championship last season. The Bulldogs beat Colquitt County 19-17 on a last second field goal to win the game.

Coming into the season, they are ranked as the preseason No. 1 team. They will have a very tough time defending the title but I think it is possible.

The top recruit on the team is cornerback DJ Turner II. He’s a three-star prospect and committed to Michigan. He’s 6’0 tall so has good size for a defensive back. The other corner, Warren Burrell is also 6 feet tall and ranked the 66th recruit in Georgia. He received offers from Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, NC State, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

There is another highly recruited member of the secondary, safety Quinton Newsome. He fits in the new mold of bigger safeties like Keanu Neal, standing at 6’2 and 180 pounds. He has 20 offers from schools like Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Cal. North Gwinnett has one of the best secondaries in the state.

Running back Tyler Goodson is also a three-star player and he committed to Iowa. He’s 5’10, 192 pounds and he’s a quick, shifty back. Last year he rushed for 1,315 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also had 18 receptions and 4 receiving TD’s.

The season begins with a tough opponent, No. 3 Brookwood at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Broncos were 11-3 last season and won their region. They advanced to the state semifinals, so they plan on building on that in 2018.

Both teams are very talented so I’m not sure who will have the advantage in this early season match up.

After a bye week, the second game is in Apopka, Florida versus Wekiva High School. The Mustangs should be a pretty good challenge and Florida teams are known for speed. I expect North Gwinnett to come out victorious.

Norcross comes to town the following week. The Blue Devils are looking to bounce back and return to being an elite team. After winning back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013, they’ve been relatively quiet. They are talented but I don’t think they have what it takes to beat North Gwinnett.

Game 4 is at Walton, a Cobb County powerhouse. Walton beat North Gwinnett in last year’s season opener, 31-28.

This should be a very tough game and the Raiders have one of the best players in the state, wide receiver Dominick Blaylock. He is the No. 4 prospect in the state and a four-star recruit. He committed to UGA and I know he will want to shine against this secondary. I think the Bulldogs will be too strong for Walton.

Discovery High is the next game. The school opened in 2015 so it’s one of the newest schools in Gwinnett County. The Bulldogs beat them 41-7 in 2017 and this year will be the same.

On September 28th they travel to Lawrenceville, GA to play Mountain View. The Bears are led by defensive tackle Jaelin Humphries.

The four-star recruit has committed to Florida and he’s one of the best defensive linemen in Georgia. This will be a close game.

The remaining four games are against Mill Creek, Collins Hill, Duluth and Peachtree Ridge. The only easy win in the group is Duluth. The remaining teams should compete and play well but I give the Bulldogs the edge.

They should finish the season 9-1, 8-2 at the worst. They will be in position to make another run in the playoffs to win the championship.

Home Grown

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

When my wife and I moved to Glynn County back in 2003 we didn’t know much about the area at all.

Over the three years we spent in the “Marshes of Glynn” we learned all about Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon and 25 cent oysters during Happy Hour over on St. Simon’s.

We also became very aware of the importance and pride among all the high school athletic programs; a knowledge, along with an immense amount of respect, that has only grown over the years.

Most counties the size of Glynn are lucky if they have one or two athletes that make it to the professional level.

As comparison, the county in I live in now has roughly half the population and the biggest athlete they’ve produced has been St. Louis Cardinals reliever, Greg Holland. Granted, being the hometown of a three time All-Star certainly isn’t anything to scoff at, but it pales in comparison to Glynn County.

The first athlete I was aware of was Davis Love III. I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing someone talk about him; he was like the human embodiment of Starbucks.

Next, was Kwame Brown. Now obviously, I knew of Brown beforehand, but I didn’t realize he was from Brunswick until moving. I know his career didn’t wind up exactly like the locals wanted it to but being the number one overall draft pick is impressive, nonetheless.

Now, most communities have their own version of the “white whale”. And by that, I mean there’s always an athlete that is just mediocre, but over time the stories have taken on a life of their own, to point where he or she is the greatest athlete to have ever been born.

During our time in Brunswick, Adam Wainwright was that guy. I heard stories of what a tremendous pitcher he was and that he was destined to be an All-Star; all stories that I believed to be told in an attempt to hype up a local legend.

It’s rare that someone can live up to the reputation, but Wainwright has done that and more. Being a 2-time World Series Champion, to go along with 3 All-Star appearances, has a way of showing people the light.

If that list of players isn’t impressive enough, I did a double take, Bugs Bunny style, while watching the Women’s World Cup a few years ago. As I’m watching I swear I hear that one of the women is from St. Simon’s.

So naturally. I hop online and take a look. Of course, that player was Morgan Brian. For my money what Brian has accomplished is the most impressive, when you consider she is playing for our country in the World Cup.

You’ll notice I haven’t even mentioned a player like Darius Slay Jr., someone whom if he came from 95 percent of the towns across the country would have a key to the city and his own holiday.

Unfortunately, for him he’s up against a #1 draft pick, an All-Star, and a World Cup participant. Oh, and the human version of Subway (seriously, I couldn’t go anywhere without Love’s name being brought up).

The point is, there are a lot of things to like about Glynn County and a lot the residents of that area should take pride in.

Sure, it’s not nearly as big as Atlanta, Miami, or those other big cities, but when it comes to big time athletes, they take a back seat to no one.

Giving Back

By: Josh Aubrey

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Once again, one of the top football players in the NFL was in Bulloch County, giving back to the community where he grew up, as Kansas City All-Pro linebacker Justin Houston held his annual Faith Before Fame weekend.

Over the past four years Houston’s event has grown, from a free youth football camp, to adding a celebrity basketball game, and now this year the addition of a cheerleading and dance clinic, a three on three basketball tournament, and a kickball tournament.

“This is about trying to reach as many people as we can,” Houston said. “Trying to get everyone to come together as one community. We continue to expand what we are doing in order to reach more kids.”

“As a kid I dreamed one day of being able to play in the NFL,” Houston said. “Now that I have reached that goal, anything I can do to help another kid reach their goal, or just put a smile on a kid’s face, I’m happy to do it.”

The football camp saw a few hundred kids turn out and once again there were many current and former NFL players on hand to give them instruction.

“A lot of these guys played at Georgia or have ties to the state of Georgia,” Houston said. “I try and help a lot of these guys when they have their camps and they are happy to help me out. The NFL players are good about giving back and helping one another.”

Among the former University of Georgia NFL players that have helped Justin the past four years is Akeem Dent, who played for the Falcons and the Houston Texans.

“It’s so important to try and give back to the communities where we grew up,” Dent said. “You can tell when we talk to these kids they really listen to what we are saying. Just getting them to come out of their houses – in this kind of heat – where a lot of them are playing video games, shows they at least want to try, and there’s a great turn out here.”

Some of the kids at the camp will also want to follow in Houston’s steps and play at Statesboro High. Many of the younger current Blue Devil players participated in the camp, while many of the older ones helped work.

“It’s such a fantastic opportunity for our kids,” said Statesboro High football coach Jeff Kaiser. “Our kids love being around Justin and the other NFL players he brings here. He emphasizes the importance of hard work and pushing through the tough times. He also brings his message of faith before fame, and that is the same type of message we try and bring to our players as well.”

Houston’s volunteer staff is full of former University of Georgia players and with the Bulldogs nearly winning the national championship last year Houston and his former teammates have high hopes for this year’s team.

“It was amazing to watch how close they got to winning it all this year,” Houston said. “They have a lot of talent coming back. I went down and watched a practice session and I’m really impressed by the coaching staff. They really pay attention to detail during practice and I’d be surprised if they don’t make another run this year.”