Bishop Media Sport Network
Georgia Bulldogs 2018 Season Opener.
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A frenzied crowd awaited the 2018 kickoff for the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium.
The Bulldogs hosted the Austin Peay Governors from Clarksville, TN.
In the thirty minutes leading up to kickoff we saw video after video on the jumbotron in reference to the 2017 season and championship game run.
And why not it had been almost 30 years since Georgia had a chance to win a National Championship.
During the player intros on the video board it was very obvious there were several familiar names returning on offense.
However, not so much the case on the defensive side of the ball. It looks to be a very young Georgia defense.
Jake Fromm started the game for the Bulldogs at QB and Georgia scored 17 points in the 1st quarter to lead 17-0 at the end of the 1st.
Fromm led Georgia to 10 of those points of offense and the other TD was due to a turnover by Austin Peay inside the Georgia 15-yard line.
Justin Fields came out and started the 2nd quarter and on his first drive at the collegiate level, Demetris Robertson scored on a 74-yard running play.
The Dawgs would also score on Fields’ 2nd drive to go up 31-0.
Fromm returned to the game with a little more than 2 minutes to go before halftime. The Georgia QB would promptly hit Mecole Hardman for a 59-yard touchdown in the middle of the field. Hardman would simply outrun the angles for the TD after the catch. Georgia led at the half 38-0.
Fields would start the second half at QB and throw a 12-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to TE Isaac Nauta. That would end any chance of a miraculous comeback for Austin Peay, looking at a 45-0 deficit.
Matthew Downing would come in after the TD pass from Fields at QB for some late game playing time.
One thing is for sure, Georgia is loaded at RB. D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield, Brian Herrien, James Cook, and Demetris Robertson all had impactful carries.
Georgia would go on to win the game impressively. It was a positive season opener for UGA, a big win against a team they should blowout and no serious injuries.
The South Carolina Gamecocks await the Bulldogs next week in Columbia for a key SEC East matchup.
Righting The Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Brunswick High traveled to Darien and beat a young MCA squad 49-7.
The Pirate offense set the tone right after the opening kickoff with a 77-yard TD drive, all on the ground to race out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back.
The win put BHS at 1-2 going into a bye week before the home opener with Camden at Glynn County Stadium on September 14th.
Pirate Report Card:
Offense: A-. The Pirates did it all tonight on offense against MCA.
KJ Lee tossed a 90 and 28-yard TD pass to Marlon Carmena. Freshman Chucolbe Hill got the start at RB and did not disappoint.
Carmena has become the number one receiver in the program and threw the key block on Lee’s 73-yard TD in the third quarter.
The offensive line dominated MCA up front as the Pirates rushed for over 230 yards on the night.
Two fumbles in the 3rd quarter were the only negatives of the night on offense. Anthony Mountain saw his first action of the season after he sprained his knee in the Beach scrimmage and tossed a 20-yard TD pass to Xavier Bean.
MCA was just what the doctor ordered for the BHS offense after scoring only 13 points in the first two games.
Defense: A. This unit gave up a short 30-yard TD drive after the offense fumbled deep in Pirate territory.
Justin Akra and Keith Garrett played their best games of the year so far. Demetrius Hardee was much improved against MCA as well.
The pass rush was solid all night, rush defense was much improved and pass defense rebounded from a week ago. Best effort of the young season so far by this group.
The defense has an off week now to prepare for Camden County. Billy Anderson played well in his first start at CB.
Special Teams: B. Brunswick made all XP attempts, but kickoffs need to be deeper and kickoff coverage needs to improve.
Mitchell Richburg punted well once again. This unit made great strides this week.
Coaching: A. This team was ready to play. The game plan was solid and the kids responded well to a very intense week of practice.
Some starters did not start this week but the message from that was received loud and clear and when they got their opportunities to play they played with a chip on their shoulder.
Overall: A. This team beat an overmatched team handily and looked good doing it.
MCA was just in the wrong place at the wrong time on the schedule and BHS put this team away in business like fashion.
This is a young football team that is growing and will continue to improve week by week. This team will be dangerous when region play rolls around.
The Pirates are solid in the power run game and once the passing offense starts to click, look out.
KJ Lee looked very good against MCA and Anthony Mountain played well also in his first action.
Jaylen Trimmings and Hill are a solid running back core, and Marlon Carmena is having an all-region type season.
Next up, Camden County. The Pirates finally have a home opener one month into the season against the much-improved Wildcats.
Brunswick beat Camden 43-27 in Kingsland last year. This should be a good one folks and could set the tone for the Pirates for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Brunswick High Pirates Coach’s Show with Sean Pender August 29
NFC South Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft is April 26, 2018. So, it is approaching soon.
This can change the fortune for several franchises. The best division in 2017 was the NFC South because they had three playoff teams. Let’s take a look at the division and their 1st round picks.
No. 7 Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers (5-11) were the only team in the division with a losing record. They took a step back because they were 9-7 in 2016. We expected them to improve and make the playoffs. They also added speedy wide receiver DeSean Jackson to pair with Mike Evans but it obviously did not work.
The biggest team needs are defensive back, running back and offensive guard. Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick would be a great pick. He played both safety and corner in college. He can cover and he’s physical and can make tackles. He also has very good size at 6’1, 201 pounds.
No. 24 Carolina: The Panthers (11-5) rebounded last year after regressing in 2016. They addressed a need by drafting running back Christian McCaffrey in the 1st round last year. He was very good as a pass catcher but he did not run the ball well. He only rushed for 435 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry.
The biggest team needs are wide receiver, offensive line and defensive line. The Panthers traded their #1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo on Halloween.
Cam Newton needs a good WR so I think they will go in that direction. Courtland Sutton from SMU should still be available. He’s 6’4, 225 lbs. so he’s a big target.
He caught 68 passes for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017. Newton struggles with accuracy so having a tall receiver with a big catch radius is a good move.
No. 26 Atlanta: The Falcons (10-6) had an up and down year coming off last year’s heartbreaking Super Bowl meltdown. They did win in the first round of the playoffs against the LA Rams. They came very close to beating the eventual world champion Philadelphia Eagles in the second round, losing 15-10. Atlanta should return to being an elite team if they make the right personnel moves.
The biggest needs are defensive line, WR and offensive guard. Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst would be a good fit. Putting him next to Grady Jarrett might give the Falcons one of the best young defensive lines in the league.
No. 27 New Orleans: The Saints (11-5) had a great season. They have the best running back duo in the NFL and an elite veteran quarterback. They lost to Minnesota in the divisional round of the playoffs on the last play of the game. The defense ranked 16th in total D and 17th in run defense.
They need to improve the defensive front seven, WR or slot corner. Boston College defensive end Harold Landry might be selected here. He showed he could rush the passer in 2016 when he recorded 16.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. Landry is a bit of a one-year wonder though because he did not have a season with more than 5 sacks outside of 2016.
Jason Bishop Show Oct 21
Terel Toomer Show Oct 18
Knights Need Help
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Knights traveled to Edmund Burke Academy to attempt to wrap up its second consecutive region championship.
Coming off of a tough and emotional win against Bulloch Academy last week, Frederica turned their focus to a determined EBA team. The Knights beat EBA 34-7 last year, but this is not the same EBA team from last year and Coach Derrick stressed that to his team throughout the week.
Frederica would start off slow this week just as they did last week against Bulloch.
Frederica’s offense saw their first two drives end in punts. John Mitchell Brock did an excellent job helping flip the field position for the Knights.
Early on, Frederica’s defense struggled with the option offense of Edmund Burke. It’s all about eye discipline and assignment football when facing an offense like this. Edmund Burke was able to find success early on running the ball.
Frederica was finally able to move the ball on their 3rd drive. It started with a long pass from Jaylin Simpson to Jashawn Sheffield to the 4-yard line. Rett Thompson was able to punch it in from there.
A botched snap on the extra point attempt made the score 7-6, EBA. EBA would tack on one more score before the half. Their QB was able to break outside containment and make some nifty moves to score. At the half the score was 14-6, EBA.
The second half started off a little rocky for Frederica. The opening second half kickoff was a pooch kick that ended up in the hands of an EBA defender.
The Spartans scored on their next drive making the score 21-6. The Knights were able to tack on two more scores.
Jaylin Simpson connected with Jashawn Sheffield for a long touchdown, and then Jaylin Simpson scored the next touchdown but the Knights failed to convert the two point conversion.
Frederica got the ball back one more time with 4 seconds left in the game. Jaylin’s pass came up short and the Knights dropped their first region game of the season, 21-19.
Frederica will now play the waiting game for second consecutive year. Last year, the Knights needed Pinewood to help them win the region championship.
This year it will be the Trinity Christian Crusaders. If the Crusaders beat the Spartans, the Knights will be the region champs. If EBA wins, the Knights will be the number 2 seed going into the playoffs.
Frederica will have their work cut out for them in round 1. Their first-round matchup will not be like the first-round matchup of last year.
No matter the seeding, the Knights will face a pretty good opponent in the first round. Coach Derrick’s message to his team was a simple one. “Prepare each week like you’re the Alabama Crimson Tide. We are going to get everyone’s best shot.”
The Knights must take advantage of the bye week next week. The injured and the sick get a week to heal up. The Frederica will also have a week to work on the small things before their first-round matchup.
Frederica finished the regular season 5-3. Two of those losses coming against (out of conference) Parklane Academy and Wesleyan School. The Knights have been tested this year. Now it is time to see if those tests will pay off in the playoffs.
Pirates Report Card Against Glynn
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In the most anticipated City Championship game in years the Brunswick High Pirates dropped their 4th straight to the Glynn Academy Red Terrors 26-13.
The Pirates were whipped in every phase of the game. Brunswick came into the contest as the highest scoring team in their classification, and when the clock struck zero this senior class left as the first senior class since 1974 to not beat Glynn Academy in football during their high school career.
Pirate Report Card:
Special Teams: F. BHS had a punt blocked that set up the touchdown that put Glynn up 19-7.
Special Teams had been much improved in 2017 but in the biggest game of the year you can’t have kicks blocked and give a team like Glynn the ball on your 1 yard line. Maybe this grade is harsh, but the punt block was a major turning point in the game where you cannot afford any margin of error.
Defense: D. Who has the dang pitch man? Who has the pitch man? A question that was asked all night long by the Pirate nation.
Third down defense was not good as Glynn converted too many third down medium to long plays.
Coach Pender talked all week about the trick plays and Glynn used two to set up their first two TD’s. In the first half BHS struggled stopping the dive play. BHS struggled stopping the pitch man the entire game with Glynn’s read option.
The frustration also comes from the fact that Glynn only threw the ball maybe four times the entire game which means that they ran the ball right down the Pirates throat.
In a game where talent level is very similar for both teams it just means Glynn physically dominated BHS on the line of scrimmage. Who has the pitch man???
Offense: D. The highest scoring team in 6A football was held to 13 points. Nobody saw that coming.
The bright spots were Shaq Robinson, who sparked a TD drive right before the half to cut it to 12-7.
Alonzo Brown had another big game receiving. Jamarius Stevens was under pressure most of the night. Game plan was there but just not executed.
BHS dropped a wide open TD late in the game that could have been a huge. I’m not going to mention the kids name because I know he feels awful today. Give Glynn credit they kept everything in front of them and did not miss tackles. Very disappointed in the fact that this unit got shut down in this contest.
Coaching: C. I thought the game plan was solid and adjustments were made, but coaches can’t get on the field and make plays. When it came down to it Glynn players had the mental edge in the contest, which is why they control the series currently.
Overall: D. You can’t lay an egg in a game of this magnitude. Glynn continues to be the gold standard in this region and BHS just did not get it done last night. You can learn from this and get ready for a playoff run but these seniors will never have a chance to beat Glynn again in football.
The team fought hard and never gave up which is something the Pirate nation is proud of.
Up Next: Effingham. This game is a must win at home next Friday if BHS wants to host a playoff game.
Finally, as a former BHS football player it hurts to say Glynn flat out owns us in football, but got to give credit to GA for punching us right in the mouth for the fourth straight time.
Something that has not happened in over 40 years. When these seniors see their GA counterparts in the grocery store in 2047 they will understand and will think about this everyday of their lives.
Only thing left to say is GATA! Outstanding job Glynn Academy.
Still a lot to play for Pirates. BHS will not lose another game in the regular season.
Red Terror’s Pitchfork Games
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If you asked any coach they’d tell you every game is a must win. If I was being completely literal I’d tell you only region and playoff games are must wins.
But every team has games on their schedule that hold more meaning than just the win and loss columns; games that can swing the entire momentum of your season. This is a look at the three games that can be the difference between another exceptional season for Glynn or a mediocre one.
Smart Recruiting
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As our access to recruiting information continues to grow, so does our tendency to overreact. A lot of dawg fans are worried about the lack of action in Georgia’s 2018 class.
With only seven commits thus far, only one of which is in the top 300, the worry is building. Well Georgia fans, take a deep breath and relax. You know who else has started off slow? Alabama and the perennial number one ranked recruiting class.
Top recruits typically like to wait until their season at least kicks off, so the lack of movement isn’t anything to be concerned by.
The signing of the nation’s number one back, Zamir White, was a huge get for Kirby Smart and the Dawgs and should do a ton to quell the tide of negativity.
White is just the start of what should be another great class for Georgia. Today we take a look at the top 5 dream prospects for this year’s class.
Justin Fields (Dual #1) / Matt Corral (Pro #1): Georgia hasn’t had consistent quarterback play since the final days of Aaron Murray. Kirby Smart is doing his best to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
With the signings of Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm in back-to-back years, Georgia is set at the position for the next four years, but becoming complacent in recruiting during those years can be devastating.
With the signing or either Fields or Corral, Georgia’s QB depth chart would become elite. Fields represents the higher rated prospect with his versatility and maturity. While Corral is more of what UGA traditionally sees as their style of quarterback. Either one would put Georgia in a great spot heading into the future.
Projection: Fields – Fla St 50%, UF 30%, UGA 20%
Corral- UGA 90%, UF 10%
Jamaree Salyer (OG #1) : The offensive line was a huge problem for Georgia in 2016. Lack of depth and experience cost Georgia greatly.
The dawgs did a great job of addressing the problems in the 2017 class with signings like Isaiah Wilson and Andrew Thomas. Salyer would be another top notch offensive lineman to add to a unit that could become UGA’s strength with Coach Sam Pittman at the helm.
Projection: UGA 80%, Clemson 20%
Tyreke Johnson (S #2) : The “No Fly Zone” between the hedges is well in effect. Senior Dominick Sanders is a ball hawk with 12 career interceptions. Incoming freshmen Richard LeCounte and DeAngelo Gibbs should be able to fill the void Sander will leave after this year, but the SEC is all about depth.
Tyreke Johnson is just the guy to add to what could be a truly dominant secondary. He is big at 6’1 190 and would be a great fit at the strong safety spot, stepping up to the line or dropping back into coverage. His range is what makes him a must have safety.
Projection: UGA 70%, Fla St 20%, UF 10%
Kearis Jackson (WR #21) : It’s no secret that Georgia’s passing game has struggled these past few years and a good amount of the blame falls on the quarterback position. However, not all the blame can be placed on the guys under center. They need someone to throw to after all.
There hasn’t been a real go to wide out in Athens since Chris Conley. Kearis Jackson wants to be that dude. A hard UGA lean, Jackson has a build like Anquan Boldin and the ability to match. He can play the X,Y, or Z spot from day one.
Projection: UGA 100%, others need not apply.
James Cook (RB #3) : Can you say thunder and lightning? If Cook and Zamir White were both to commit to Georgia, the dawgs would have a future backfield comparable to the current Michel/Chubb combo.
A firm Florida State commit, Cook shocked everyone last week when he backed out of his commitment to the Noles. Georgia has emerged as the favorite. Need a player comparison for his style of play?
Look no further than his older brother, Dalvin Cook. Yeah, the guy who torched college football for three years and was the first round pick of the Vikings. If Georgia was able to complete the flip it would signal the arrival of Kirby Smart as the nation’s best recruiter not named Nick Saban.
Projection: UGA 60%, Fla State 20%, Bama 20%
