Alex Mathis
To The Plains
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Jashawn Sheffield, 4-star athlete from Frederica Academy, has made his college decision.
In a video that has been watched over 100,000 times, Sheffield announced his decision to further his academic and athletic career at Auburn University.
His final decision came down between Auburn and South Carolina and both schools made it very difficult for him.
Sheffield has been on the recruiting scene since his freshman year at Frederica Academy. He received over 10 offers from colleges from across the country before starting his sophomore season.
For a while everyone thought he was destined to be a Florida State Seminole. If you ask him he would tell you that he always thought he would wear the garnet and gold as well. What a lot of people do not know is that Sheffield was once committed to Florida State.
He committed to Jimbo Fisher the spring of 2017. A lot changed at FSU in the fall that led to Jimbo Fisher taking a job at Texas A&M. The move of Fisher allowed Sheffield to open things up and give other schools a closer look. He was able to take several visits to different colleges and ultimately, he decided that Auburn was the best fit for him.
Sheffield will join his teammate, Jaylin Simpson, at Auburn. These two have been teammates since the 6th grade. Simpson will suit up on the defensive side of the ball and there is a chance that Sheffield could join him.
Sheffield is ranked the 10th ranked athlete in the country. This was appealing for Auburn. They feel as if he can play the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side. He is not sure which side he prefers. One day he will tell you wide receiver and the next day he will tell you safety. This will be something that Gus Malzhan and his staff will figure out when he arrives in the Plains.
The recruiting process has not been one that Sheffield has been a fan of. A lot of fans do not really get what some of these recruits go through during the process.
Recruits have to try and figure out who is telling the truth and who is flat out lying. This decision is the first real adult decision some of these prospects will make in their lives.
Sheffield will join some of his Cam Newton 7v7 teammates on the Auburn commitment list. Quarterback Bo Nix, WR George Pickens, CB Jaylin Simpson and TE Tyler Fromm.
He will also join his longtime friend, Owen Pappoe. Auburn is not finished on the recruiting trail. They have their eyes on several other Georgia Prospects.
Frederica now has two prospects committed in their 2019 class. These two will not be the last. Harry Veal, Patrick Brunson, Michael Tindle, Cameron Gardner, JT Elliott, and Cole Hinson will all look to add their name to a college’s commitment list this year.
The 2020 class has some players that will play on Saturdays as well. Denver Anthony and Deke Jernigan will have the opportunity to play as well.
Brandon Derrick’s program has 3 student athletes playing football on Saturdays. Tony Heyward is at Rhodes College, Austin Skelton is at Samford, and Santana Clark will attend Jacksonville University.
Frederica Academy is at the top of GISA when it comes to sending its players to the next level to play football.
Knighted For Next Level
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It seems like it was yesterday when Jaylin Simpson received his first division 1 offer from Ohio State.
The smile he displayed that day was visible when he committed to Gus Malzahn (Auburn) earlier this month.
Simpson visited Auburn for the first time last month. He knew then that Auburn would be his next home after he leaves Frederica Academy. After visiting with the coaches and taking the tour on the first visit, he knew he wanted to get his mother on campus to check everything out before making a decision. That visit was a slam dunk for Simpson’s mother.
We all have seen a lot of the commitment videos from kids over the last month. I have always wondered what the reactions were when recruits tell the coaches at these colleges that they are committing to their school.
I actually got to be present for this one. Simpson actually walked right into Gus Malzahn’s office, hugged him and said, “Coach I am a Tiger. I am committed.” Coach Malzahn’s face lit up and he and his wife yelled with excitement. It was a pretty cool moment to be a part of.
At Auburn, he will look to play either safety or corner. The Auburn staff loves the versatility that Jaylin brings to the table. Simpson has played multiple positions while at Frederica. He has played quarterback, wideout, safety, corner, and has been the Knights punt returner. This versatility makes him very appealing to the Tigers.
What made Simpson choose Auburn? Jaylin has told several people that he loves the relationship that he has formed with the coaches. Kevin Steele (Defensive Coordinator), Kodi Burns (Wide Receiver Coach), and Marcus Woodson (Defensive Back Coach) all have done a great job building relationships with him. He knew that these coaches he could trust.
Simpson has already turned into a recruiter for the Tigers. If you check his twitter you will see that he is going after some of the top targets in the 2019 class.
He has the type of personality that others want to be around, so him helping out the Auburn coaching staff should be helpful.
So, are schools backing off since Jaylin’s commitment? Absolutely not. There have been several schools who have picked up the communication with Jaylin Simpson since last week.
Simpson has said that he is 1000% committed but things might get interesting as this year goes.
Right now, Simpson’s main focus is finishing off this semester strong and getting back on the field with the rest of the Frederica Knights. Brandon Derrick’s Knights will look to win it all this year after suffering a heart breaking lost in the semifinals against Valwood.
Simpson is the first of Frederica’s talented 2019 class to commit to a school. Coach Derrick hopes that a good bit of his players will sign athletic scholarships next year.
Jashawn Sheffield has several power 5 offers. He has no timetable for a decision.
Harry Veal is starting to get a lot of buzz. The talented linebacker will be highly recruited in the near future. Veal scored a 29 on the ACT and several Ivy League schools have noticed.
Patrick Brunson will also have the opportunity to play at the next level. Before missing last season, Brunson received interest from several division 1 schools.
Shifty back, Isaiah Jackson, has shown on several division 2 boards. His vision and quickness will land him a spot on someone’s college roster.
Talented offensive lineman, Michael Tindle will also have a chance to suit up on Saturdays if he chooses. Tindle is one of the best offensive lineman to suit up for the Knights.
Next year has the potential to be a very fun and productive year for the Knights.
The Star Are Out
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It is almost time for the most exciting all-star weekend in professional sports. The top players in the NBA will spend All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles this year.
The NBA all-star break is quickly approaching and there will be a lot of different changes. The traditional all-star weekend consisted of the top players from the Eastern Conference versus the top players in the Western Conference. That format is getting old.
Fans were getting tired of seeing the same thing over and over, so the NBA has decided to throw a monkey wrench into the process. The NBA allowed the fans to vote for two captains to represent the two teams. This year those two captains are Lebron James and Stephen Curry.
These two were tasked with drafting their all-star super team. The talent pool consisted of the players who were voted on by other NBA players and fans. Lebron James’ squad consists of his former teammate Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins.
These four were picked by LeBron to be the starters. James, however, will have to make some roster adjustments already because Demarcus Cousins is lost for the season after tearing his achilles tendon against the Rockets.
LeBron’s bench will be loaded. LaMarcus Aldridge, Bradley Beal, Jose Calderon, Victor Oladipo, Kristaps Porzingis, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook will try to help lead team LeBron to victory.
Team Steph will be star studded as well. Joining the captain will be James Harden, Demar Derozan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid.
Stephen Curry hopes his bench will help lead his team to victory. His bench will include Al Horford, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Draymond Green.
After examining the rosters, I would give Team Lebron the slight edge. Lebron has some of the top guards in the NBA on his team. Stephen’s team is loaded with a bunch of go getters. A bunch of hard working NBA players. This all-star game may be one of the ages.
The NBA will also have some familiar events that fans enjoy. The NBA All-Star Celebrity game will also be back this year. Fans will get to see their favorite tv stars, politicians, and musicians compete in a basketball game.
The NBA will also have the Rising Stars Game. This game will consist of the top youngsters in the NBA. There will be a USA team versus a World Team. Players like Lonzo Ball, Ben Simmons, Dennis Smith Jr., and Buddy Hield will be some of the stars that will suit of for the Rising Stars Game.
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will also take place this year. Some of the best ball handlers in the NBA will take on the difficult obstacle course. The three point contest will also be an event this year. Devon Booker, Kevin Love, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal, and Wayne Ellington.
The Slam Dunk competition has been down as of late. There has not been the excitement that Nate Robinson, Dwight Howard, and Vince Carter once brought. This year participants hope that they will be able to bring some of that excitement back to the event.
High flyers Dennis Smith Jr, Larry Nance Jr, Victor Oladipo, and Aaron Gordon will be looking to make this an event that fans love again.
The changes to the NBA All-Star weekend could be a huge success this year. The MLB made changes that made their game more exciting for the fans. It gave the players more motivation to participate. The NBA is hoping for the same thing with their All-Star weekend.
Local Star Wars
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Signing day is quickly approaching and several of Glynn County’s football players are looking for a college home.
These student athletes are taking official visits (visits paid for by the college football program) and unofficial visits (prospect pays for visit out of their own pocket).
Glynn County has been a major hotspot for college coaches this past week. There have been over 30 colleges visit the 3 high schools in Glynn County. Brunswick High, Frederica Academy, and Glynn Academy have seen some of the biggest names in their hallways this week.
The most notable being the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, Kirby Smart. Glynn County is Dawg country and you could not log onto any social media platform and not see a picture with Kirby Smart with a Glynn County resident.
Coach Pender’s Pirates have seen a lot of traffic as of late. The Pirates have one the largest senior classes in the school’s history.
That senior class is loaded with talent. Jaylen Jackson is committed to Georgia Tech and Kam Futch is committed to West Georgia.
Several other prospects are being heavily recruited as well. Djay Whitfield is coming off his official visit from Albany State. Aubrey Williams recently visited Rice University and has interest from other schools as well. Sharrod Frazier has several division 1 offers as well. He should start traveling soon for his official visits.
Brunswick High also has several others who could potentially go play college football next year.
Tevin Small, Jalen King, Alonzo Brown, Rudy Nixon, Ty Hinson, and John Cano should all suit up for a college football team next year.
Warren McClendon will be one of the biggest recruits in South Georgia next year. He has several Power 5 conference offers and he is completely open to all schools at this point in his recruiting process.
Glynn Academy Coach Rocky Hidalgo has also had a lot of visitors. Last year Glynn was able to send Deejay Dallas and Zalonte Hillary to the University of Miami.
Dallas made an immediate impact with the Hurricanes. Miami coaches expect Hillary to make an even bigger impact next year upfront.
Coach Rocky still has a lot of talent on his team that college coaches are coming by to see. Randon Jernigan was highly recruited but decided to sign and play baseball at the University of Georgia.
Marvin Dallas is a long and athletic corner that college coaches love on the outside. He is receiving a lot of attention from several schools.
Dynamic running back, Caine Crews, is a stud running back that will be a major contributor for whatever school he decides to suit up for.
Hunter Hall might be the most underrated recruit in South Georgia. This four-year starter has all the tools that will make him a successful college linebacker. All he needs is a chance.
Frederica Academy has been busy as well. The Knights have 3 seniors who are being recruited to potentially play football in college.
Santana Clark received and offer from the prestigious Rhodes College. He will travel next weekend to Memphis to check out the campus.
Tyler Pierce has received some attention from D3 and NAIA schools.
John Mitchell Brock could possibly kick at the next level of he chooses. There are some D3 schools that are interested in his services.
Jashawn Sheffield and Jaylin Simpson are going into their last year at Frederica. Power 5 schools have been coming in packs to check on this duo.
The 2019 class also has another potential D1 player. Harry Veal has found his way on the radar of college coaches as well. Veal finished the season with 120+ tackles and this has not gone unnoticed by college coaches.
New Chief In Tallahassee
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida State has found their new coach. Willie Taggart will take over the head coaching job at FSU.
Taggart has had an interesting coaching journey. Taggart got his first head coaching job at Western Kentucky. After leaving Western Kentucky, Taggart moved on to University of South Florida.
He was able to turn the Bulls around and make them a powerhouse in Florida. His work at USF led to him taking the head coaching job at Oregon. Though only spending a year at Oregon, Taggart was able to turn the struggling Ducks program around.
Now, the next program he has to turn around is Florida State. Florida State is coming off one of their worst seasons in decades. The team is loaded with talent and now it is Taggart’s job to lead it.
In Taggart’s introduction interview he said that FSU was his dream job. He grew up a Noles fan and told stories of wearing garnet and gold and pulling for the Noles when he was coaching at USF.
FSU has a guy who loves FSU now. Current players are saying there is a different attitude in Tallahassee now. Deion Sanders, Peter Warrick, and other past FSU stars are back around the program. Taggart has the support from current players, past players, and the fans. All there is left to do now is win.
Taggart has also done a great job assembling his staff. He has raided Michigan State of their defensive coordinator, Harlon Barnett.
Bennett is a proven defensive coordinator and has had Michigan State ranked high in a lot of defensive categories nationally. With the speed and talent at FSU, the defense should reminiscent of the Mickey Andrews defenses of the Bowden era.
Donte’ Pimpleton will coach the running backs. He is following Taggart from Oregon. Telly Lockette will coach tight ends. He coached with Taggart as well. Greg Frey will coach the offensive line. He coached at Michigan last year. Odell Haggins will be the only member to from the previous staff. Haggins has been at FSU 20 plus years coaching defensive line. The linebackers will be coached by Raymond Woodie. Woodie is also coming from Oregon. Alonzo Hampton will be the special teams coach. Hampton has some Georgia ties, where coached at Tift County. There are a few more sports left open on Taggart’s staff. He is in the process of filling out that staff now.
Taggart was also able to come in during December and get some big recruits to sign letters of intents to play at FSU. He is known for being able to recruit and he will definitely be able to do this at FSU as well.
FSU is ranked outside of the top 25 in recruiting at this moment. I expect the Noles to be in the top 25 and maybe top 10 when the February signing day gets here.
There is definitely a different feel in the Tallahassee air. There will always be high expectations in Tallahassee and their new coach is a big name that has assembled a bunch of big names to accompany him in Tallahassee. Now it is time to see if this hire will be a homerun or a strikeout.
Glynn’s Deep Talent Pool
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Football in Glynn County has come to an end and a lot of seniors are wondering if they will ever suit up in a football uniform again.
Over the past few years, Glynn County has been the home of some of the top football prospects in the state of Georgia. Just last year, Glynn County had 4 recruits go on to play division 1 football.
Deejay Dallas and Zalonte Hillery both attended The University of Miami. Shawn Smith attended the University of Virginia and Denaja Gammage attended Mercer University. This year’s cycle will have even more Glynn County student athletes attend college to play football next year.
Brunswick High has one of the most talented group of seniors in Georgia. Coach Pender believes he could possibly have double digit players sign scholarships in the spring.
Jaylen Jackson is already committed to Cincinnati. He visited the campus this fall and fell in love with the staff and committed while on his visit.
Since his commitment, he has had several Power 5 conference schools show interest. His recruitment is one to keep an eye on.
Sharrod Frazier is another baller who is being recruited by a lot of top schools in the country. Frazier is set to visit Colorado State in January. If this visit goes well, we could see the BHS athlete move out west. We could also see Frazier end up somewhere closer like Georgia Southern.
Aubrey Williams is another defensive standout getting a lot of interest from colleges. Rice and Elon are recent schools who have offered Aubrey.
Kam Futch has also earned a chance to play football on Saturdays. Valdosta State and The University of West Georgia are two schools who are vying for his services.
There are also several of guys on the BHS roster who are going to play on Saturdays. DJ Whitfield, Telvin Smith, Alonzo Brown are a few names to keep an eye on as National Signing Day approaches.
Glynn Academy also has some 2018 prospects that will play past high school.
Randon Jernigan had a ton of offers to play college football but chose to go the baseball route. Jernigan will play baseball for the University of Georgia next year.
Marvin Dallas is a name that is on a lot of college boards as well. Marvin Dallas received an offer from Valdosta State earlier this week.
Dallas is a long defensive back. He has the measurables that a lot of colleges are looking for at that position.
A sleeper at Glynn Academy this year is Caine Crews. Crews had an amazing year rushing for the Terrors. He was a defensive player last year so he did not have much film running the rock, but this kid is good. Whatever team takes a chance on Crews will be getting a diamond in the rough.
Frederica Academy also has prospects that have been receiving some college attention. Santana Clark has played two great seasons at Frederica Academy. Earlier in the spring, Clark received his first offer from the University of Central Michigan. He has since received a lot of attention from some schools a little closer. Clark is a kid that can go and he will be someone who suits up on Saturdays.
Glynn County also has a very talented rising senior group. Three of those 2019 prospects have a combined for over 50 offers.
Frederica’s Jashawn Sheffield is rated the number 3 wide receiver in the country.
Jaylin Simpson of Frederica is rated the 20th best athlete in the country.
Brunswick High’s Warren MccClendon is rated the number 26 offensive tackle in the country.
All three players are really special and highly recruited. There is also a good possibility that all three players end up playing at the same school in college. It is going to be fun watching their recruitments take place over the next year.
Chief-less Noles
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It looks like the Jimbo Fisher and Florida State relationship has come to an end.
Jimbo Fisher took over for the legend Bobby Bowden in 2010. Jimbo has been pretty successful while being the head man in charge. His record was 83-23 with a national championship to his name.
He has turned a program that was somewhat struggling into a program that is in the top 25 every year and a program that has a top 10 recruiting class yearly.
So, what happened? There are a lot of rumors going around Tallahassee the last few days. Those rumors range from problems with administration, booster members, and also assistant changes.
Whatever the reason is, Jimbo Fisher will be in College Station next year coaching the Texas A&M Aggies.
This breakup has not been a pretty one. Coaches, players, and recruits have been out of the loop.
Florida State will always be Florida State. A program that is expected to compete for an ACC Championship. A program that is expected to compete for a National Title every year as well. The next head coach will have to come in and expect to achieve these same goals.
At this time there have been a few names that have been thrown around for potential replacements for Jimbo Fisher.
The name that you will hear in every conversation is Oregon’s Willie Taggert. Coach Taggert has proven that he can turn programs around and recruit at the highest level.
He was able to turn around a struggling Western Kentucky football team, a struggling University of South Florida team, and a struggling Oregon football team.
Coach Taggert is from Florida and has several connections when it comes to recruiting in Florida. Taggert is supposedly at the top of the list for FSU. Fisher and Taggert both share the same agent.
Surprisingly, another name being thrown around is the once Texas A&M coach, Kevin Sumlin. This one be an interesting move if it were to happen.
Coach Sumlin is a good coach. The expectations at Texas A&M maybe were a little high for him. His Aggies played in the SEC West. It is hard to compete with Alabama, Auburn, and LSU every year. Maybe a change of scenery would benefit Coach Sumlin.
The last name that is floating around is Bob Stoops. Coach Stoops stepped down at Oklahoma this year.
Coach Stoops is a proven winner. He is also a proven recruiter. Maybe Coach Stoops was tired of being in Norman and is looking for a new challenge. Tallahassee could be that challenge for Coach Stoops.
At the end of the day, the Florida State job is a good job. The team is loaded with talent and can compete each year for a championship. Florida State is also a school that recruits tend to gravitate to. Whomever comes in to be the next head coach has to salvage a diminishing recruiting class.
The next coach will have to build a staff quickly in order to get on the road and prove to recruits that Florida State is still Florida State.
Look Back At Knights’ Crusade
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Knights season ended in the semi-finals in heartbreaking fashion.
Many are wondering what is next for the Frederica Academy Knights in the 2017-2018 season?
There will be high expectations for the Frederica again next season. At the last Southern Sports Edition Coaches Show, Brandon Derrick quoted Ric Flair, “If you want to be the man you have to beat the man.” Then he decided to add his own ending, “And we are the man!.”
Coach Derrick is fired up already for next season, and he expects to win it all next season.
The Knights will have to replace some talented seniors who finished their final season last week. FA will lose 3 offensive linemen, 1 wide receiver, 1 fullback/tightend, 1 defensive lineman, and 2 outside linebackers.
Each of these seniors played a vital role in Frederica’s success this last season. With that being said, the Knights will return some very talented players and return 2 who missed the entire season due to injury.
The Knights’ offense will be just as explosive, if not more, than last season.
Rising seniors Jashawn Sheffield, Isaiah Jackson, and Jaylin Simpson hope to put up more numbers than they did this past season.
Jaylin Simpson was able to rush for over 800 yards and threw for over 800 and Isaiah Jackson rushed for over 600.
These two put up these astonishing numbers while missing 2 games due to the hurricane evacuations.
Jashawn Sheffield will also be ready to put up more numbers than he did last year. He missed 4 games this season due to injury and the hurricane.
He was able to lead the team and catches and receiving yards. Avery Cobb also hopes to make an impact in the Knights offense. Frederica used the tight end position a lot this year.
Trace Dorminy will return for his senior season and hope to make a difference catching and blocking from the tight end position.
The offensive line was led by rising senior senior Michael Tindle. Tindle dominated the entire season. He will have help front from rising senior Mason Neubauer and junior standout Josh Elliot.
FA will also have Gaven Williams and Patrick Brunson back in the fold.
The quarterback position will have several different packages. Opposing coaches will have their hands full when it comes to game planning against the Knights offense.
Having Patrick Brunson on the field will make the Knights offense better. Patrick is explosive and a threat to score at anytime.
Frederica’s defense will look to start where they left off this season. Everything seemed to be clicking for Ben Burkett’s defense at the end of the season.
Led by Harry Veal, the Knights defense will have a pretty good unit next year. Veal and Deke Jernigan will lead the Knights linebacker group.
FA will have the most talented linebacker group in GISA.
Upfront, Cameron Gardner and Cole Hinson will look to dominate in their senior seasons.
The Knights’ secondary hopes to have a major spark with the return rising senior safety, Patrick Brunson.
Brunson is one of the most talented safeties in South Georgia.
Jaylin Simpson, Jashawn Sheffield, JT Elliott, Isaiah Jackson, and Avery Cobb hope to hinder opposing offenses from beating the Knights through the air.
The Knights have one goal next year, and that is a state championship. FA will have a challenging schedule once again, but Coach Derrick believes his team can handle it and be successful.
This time next year, Brandon Derrick and his Knights expect to be in Mercer hoisting the GISA State Championship Trophy. They expect to be “The Man!”
Frederica Falls
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This was a heavyweight title fight. Two of the best teams in GISA went toe to toe the entire 48 minutes and unfortunately the Knights ended up with the short end of the stick.
The Knights saw their season end in the semifinals against the Valwood Valiants by the score of 14-10.
Frederica led the entire game until the final 25 seconds. Afterwards, an emotional Coach Brandon Derrick told his team that he was proud of them.
He was proud of all the work that they have put in since May and up to this point. He was proud of how they fought through adversity and proved so many people wrong.
He told his Knights to remember the feeling of defeat because this is the feeling that will drive this team next year. The Knights get to match up against the Valiants week 1 next year.
Frederica’s offense was outstanding this season. The offensive line helped pave the way to nearly 350 yards a game.
Jaylin Simpson rushed for over 900 yards and Isaiah Jackson rushed for over 650 yards.
The Knights had a lot of success on the ground throughout the season. Frederica was able to have some success in the air as well as Simpson threw for over 800 yards during the season. These stats include missing two games because of Hurricane Irma.
Jashawn Sheffield led the Knights in the receiving category. He had over 500 yards on the year. Rett Thompson and Trace Dorminy also did a great job helping lead the way for rushers.
Frederica’s defense had its ups and downs during the season but seemed to peak at the right time. The Knights greatest outing came in the final game against the Valiants.
The Knights held the Valiants scoreless for 46 minutes. Valwood is a team that normally averages close to 40 points a game.
Frederica’s defense was led by stud linebacker Harry Veal. Veal was as physical as it gets all season long.
Deke Jernigan was also able to make a major impact from the linebacker position. Jernigan and Veal are a duo that will be a force to reckon with next year.
Santana Clark, Trace Dorminy, Jashawn Sheffield, and Rett Thompson also played great at the outside linebacker position during the season.
Cameron Gardner, Tyler Pierce, and Cole Hinson did a great job on the defensive line this season. They all made timely plays during the season.
Frederica’s secondary struggled at times during the season but finished the season well.
The injury to Patrick Brunson really changed the way Coach Burkett’s secondary looked.
Jaylin Simpson had to move to safety and JT Elliott had to move there as well. They were able to make a lot of plays during the season. The cornerback position was played by a lot of players including Avery Cobb, Josh Meadows, Jashawn Sheffield, Jackson Wetzler, and Isaiah Jackson.
The Knights finished their season 7-4(Missed two games due to hurricane). Frederica’s schedule does not get any easier next season.
They start the season off with Valwood and they also have Charlton County and possibly Brantley County on their schedule next year.
Coach Derrick knows how to get the best out of his players and next year will be no different.
The Knights will be hungrier next year. If you are a part of the Frederica family, you surely have a bad taste in your mouth after the way things ended last night.
The Knights lost that game themselves and will use their disappointment to fuel them next season.
Knights Gallop Into 2nd Round
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One down and 3 to go.
That’s the message Brandon Derrick preached to his team after the game. The Knights were able to defeat Tiftarea Academy, 49-36. Frederica now advances to round two of the GISA state playoffs against Heritage High School.
The Knights were coming off of a difficult loss to Edmund Burke Academy. This loss might have been a blessing in disguise for the Knights. The 21-19 defeat got the Knights attention.
Coach Derrick used this moment as a great coaching moment. His Monday speech after the EBA game sparked a different attitude at practice for the last two weeks. Coach asked for more from his team and the Knights stepped up in practice.
The Knights came out of the locker room fired up and it showed on the field. The Knights defense forced a fumble on Tiftarea’s first possession. Isaiah Jackson was able to score a few plays later.
After a huge run inside the 10 by Spence Massey of Tiftarea, the Knights defense was able to keep them out of the endzone. Frederica’s next score came when Jaylin Simpson connected with Jashawn Sheffield for a 59-yard touchdown.
The Knight defense was able to hold Tiftarea’s offense once again on their next possession. Great plays by Rett Thompson, Santana Clark, Cole Hinson, Cameron Gardner, Deke Jernigan, and Harry Veal helped shut down the run. Isaiah Jackson was able to scamper for a 51-yard touchdown on the Knights next possession.
Tiftarea was able to score on their next possession but the Knights answered on the ensuing kickoff with a return for a touchdown by Isaiah Jackson. Tiftarea was able to tack on one more score before the half. The score at the half was 28-14.
The 3rd and 4th quarter saw a lot of offense from both teams. The Knights finished with 454 yards of offense with 363 of those yards coming from the ground.
The offensive line had an amazing game on Friday. They helped open up holes the entire night. This group hopes to do the same thing next week.
The Knights defense played great. They seem to be in position the entire night. A few missed tackles here and a few missed tackles there made this game way more interesting than it had to be. The Knights hope to make those corrections next week before the second round matchup.
Last year the Knights fell to Deerfield Windsor in the second round.
Before the second round matchup, the Knights faced Edmund Burke Academy and Bethlehem Christian. The Knights won both of those game convincingly and went into the second round matching relatively unchallenged.
This year will be a little different. The loss against Edmund Burke and the tough matchup against Tiftarea should keep the Knights focused going into the second round.
Frederica hopes to build off of this past week’s performance. The Knights have been challenged throughout the season. Next Friday will not be any different. The Heritage Hawks will bring their best game to the island. The Knights have to prepare with this in mind.
