By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

To say that there is a lot of excitement on Altama Avenue regarding the 2017 Brunswick High football season would be an understatement.

The anticipation is through the roof. New head coach Sean Pender has the Pirate Nation fired up and with 35 seniors retuning on a talented roster, most loyal Pirates feel like the program can bounce back from back to back dismal seasons.

Let us take a look game by game and predict how the Pirate season will play out.

August 25^th @ Coffee: Jardine Stadium in Douglas has not been too kind to the Pirates over the years. In fact, it has been a complete disaster as the Pirates have never won there.

Pirates get an extra week to get ready for the Trojans and BHS has on open date on 8/18 as Coffee plays Effingham in Statesboro at the Erk Russell Classic.

Coffee has a history of slow starts and the Pirates under Pender give Coffee fits and find a way to win 35-28 to set the Pirate nation on fire and send a message around the State.

September 1^st vs. Cook: Pirates play their first home game in the Pender era and flat out blister Cook 49-7 to go to 2-0 on the season.

September 8^th @ Wayne County: Pirates travel to Jesup for the annual game against the Yellow Jackets. The Pirates have owned the Jackets of late and that trend will continue as Pirates win 35-17 to go to 3-0 on the season. I get to fill up on the buffet at Sybil’s which is a huge treat.

September 15^th @ Camden: Not wasting time here. Pirates have not beaten the Wildcats since 1999 and I am not picking BHS again in this series until they do. BHS lost 7-6 in 2016 to the worst Camden team I have seen in 30 years. Camden 21-20. Pirates are 3-1 on the season.

September 22^nd vs. South Effingham:  Pirates will blow out the Mustangs at home 42-7. BHS goes to into the bye week at 4-1 and gets ready for the region schedule.

October 6^th vs. Bradwell: Worst performance of the year in 2016 and cost Larry Harold his job. The Pender led Pirates beat Bradwell 35-8 to clinch a playoff spot in a five-team region and go to 5-1 and 1-0 in region play.

October 13^th @ Glynn Academy: Friday the 13^th with the City Championship on the line and maybe the region championship on the line.

Pirates gained some confidence with a strong spring game performance. The Terrors have won three straight in the series, but something just keeps telling me that this is the Pirates year.

Don’t know why but I’m picking the Pirates to win 42-35 with a late Glynn fumble sealing the deal and the Pirates are City Champions. Pirates go to 6-1 and 2-0 in region.

October 20^th vs. Effingham: Circle game for Pirates. They don’t like the Pirates and the Pirates don’t like them. How BHS lost to this team in 2016 is beyond me. Pender takes ownership of this series again and the Pirates clinch a home state playoff game with a 28-7 win over the Rebels to go 7-1 and 3-0 in the region.

October 27^th @ Richmond Hill: Pirates have been in some wild shootouts with the Wildcats over the years especially at Richmond Hill. BHS will clinch their first region title since 2009 with a 38-35 wild win on the road and Sean Pender becomes the region coach of the year.

The BHS seniors will forever be known as the group who righted the Pirate ship. Pirates go to 8-1 and 4-0.

November 3^rd vs. Osborne: Senior night and these seniors are honored and BHS routs Osborne 55-0.

There you have it. 9-1 region champion Brunswick High Pirate squad enters the State Playoffs, and will host in maybe rounds 1 & 2.

I have been drinking the Blue and Gold Pirate Kool-Aid for over 40 years and I’m drinking it by the cooler full in 2017.