Bishop Media Sports Network
Frederica Gets Knighted
By: Rich Bontrager
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Frederica Academy Knights had one goal all season; to finish what they started last season and actually make it to Mercer University for the State Championship.
Six years to the day that the Knights earned their first Championship in the GISA, they did so again but this time in the AAA Class.
The match up was built as a potential grudge match with John Milledge Academy. The Knights had lost to the Trojan’s only a month ago on a questionable call that cost them a 1-point loss.
However, in this rematch for the GISA title, there would be no doubt! The Knights dominated in all aspects of the game as they shut out John Milledge 48-0.
Frederica would score the only points in the first quarter on an explosive 7-yard TD run by Patrick Brunson (Sr). After that score, it looked like the two may be ready for an intense
defensive battle. Instead, the Knights would tack on another 21 points before half-time and show that they clearly were in control of the game.
Second quarter scores were all rushing touchdowns. Simpson, Veal, and Jackson all found their way to the end zone, as each point after the kick was successful. Frederica went into the locker room at the half stunning most of the fans with a 28-0 lead.
Much of the scoring in the first half was made possible by exceptional defensive plays and stops that forced the Trojans to punt or turn the ball over on downs.
The first half defense featured outstanding plays by Deke Jernigan (Jr), Patrick Brunson, and Cameron Gardner (Sr). The only bright spot for John Milledge was the 46 yards rushing by sophomore running back Amaad Foston.
The second half exploded with a trick play on the very first play from the line of scrimmage, as the Knights ran a double reverse flee-flicker route and scored. Patrick Brunson was left wide open down the middle of the field, as the double reverse unfolded, and caught a 52 yard pass from Jaylin Simpson.
After the game Coach Brandon Derrick said, “We have practiced this play a lot, but never really completed it well enough. Tonight, we did it just perfect.” Simpson completed the game executing 14 of 15 pass attempts.
In the third quarter the Knights would add on another 13 points to extend their lead. John Milledge threatened briefly as they got the to the 5-yard line, but once again the Knights defense held. The Trojan’s would miss the field goal attempt and the Knights would again get the ball on a turnover of downs.
Overall this game was a total team effort that showcased how unselfish play can make a great team even greater. The defense got an interception, sack, and kept Brandon Bellflower (QB) of John Milledge on the run all night long.
The defense made stop after stop. Five different Knights would score on offense and eight different players would rush for yardage. Frederica wraps the 2018 season with a 10-3 record and Championship trophy coming home to Saint Simons Island.
Congratulations to Coach Brandon Derrick, his coaching staff, players and entire team for overcoming early season adversity to make the “March To Mercer” and achieve the goal of winning the GISA title. This will be a season to remember.
Brave Moves
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The MLB Hot Stove seemed like it had gotten overstuffed on Thanksgiving Day turkey as it trudged into December with nary a big move in sight.
Clayton Kershaw decided to forego hitting the market and resigned with Los Angeles; after that, it was all rumor and no action for baseball.
Then the Atlanta Braves decided to strike a match and light up the stove. Alex Anthopoulos welcomed home Brian McCann after five years away, signing the former All-Star backstop to a one-year, $2 million contract.
Before the dust could settle on that acquisition, the news broke that the Braves had also signed third baseman and 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson to a one-year, $23 million deal.
Let’s tackle these both briefly for now and chronologically.
McCann’s return managed to be both inflated and a little deflating at the same time. For the past several months it seemed like Atlanta might be able to pry JT Realmuto, arguably the game’s best catcher, away from Miami.
McCann, a fan favorite from 2005-2013, is beloved by the Braves’ fanbase, but is past his prime. While this signing doesn’t mean that Anthopoulos is 100% not looking for another catcher, it’s likely that Atlanta will see a third year of platooning behind the plate. This time with a lefty/righty combination with Mac and Tyler Flowers.
I love Brian McCann. I think his presence in the clubhouse can only be a good thing for this young team. However, my excitement for his return is more reserved than it would be if he were being signed to serve as the backup catcher for someone in their prime.
The Donaldson signing came seemingly out of nowhere. It seemed like the Braves’ lineup focus would be at catcher and replacing Nick Markakis with a stud outfielder.
Third base wasn’t an area of need, with Johan Camargo capably manning the hot corner in 2017. But sign a third baseman they did, and it’s a lineup-changing acquisition.
Donaldson is coming off an injury-plagued year in which he played in just 52 games and didn’t come close to putting up his usual high-caliber numbers.
That being said, this is a great signing. It’s a low-risk, high-reward situation, with Donaldson potentially providing the Braves with 30 home runs and 95+ RBI from the cleanup spot behind Freddie Freeman; if he can stay healthy and return to form. And if he can’t? The Braves still have Johan Camargo.
That may be the best part of both of these signings, but Donaldson’s in particular: we gave up nothing. No prospects sent off, no part of last year’s NL East-winning team shipped away.
All it cost was $23 million dollars for a player who, when he was healthy for the five years prior to his injuries, averaged hitting .282/.377/.524 with 33 bombs and 98 runs driven in. Not to mention, top 10 MVP rankings in four of those years (the fifth, 2017, was the first sign of his injury problems: he hit 33 homeruns in 113 games and got some MVP votes anyway).
If those days are behind him, so be it. It’s one-year, so the deal doesn’t hurt the Braves long-term. Plus, $23 million is barely more than this year’s free agent qualifying offer, which players with worse track records than Donaldson’s rejected.
Some maniacs may think that if the Braves spent $23 million on an aging, potentially broken-down superstar, they should have just ponied up and signed the likes of Bryce Harper.
Don’t pay attention to those maniacs. If Bryce Harper for some reason wanted to take a one-year deal from someone, it would cost, AT LEAST, $40 million dollars. He won’t get that annually on a multi-year deal, but for just one season? He’d hit that mark easily.
That price for the potential that Donaldson offers is a drop in the bucket, even for the Braves, who should still have enough spending room to address the other holes (bullpen, a starter) on the roster.
Whatever happens with the rest of the NL East (the Mets are apparently trying to trade for Robinson Cano, which is the most “Mets” things I’ve ever heard in my life), the Braves are making it clear that the rebuild is over, and they are looking to repeat.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick November 28
Eagles Hard-Court Landing
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In a back-and-forth ballgame, Georgia Southern rarely had the upper hand and couldn’t find a way to come out on top in the end.
Georgia Southern battled East Tennessee State on Tuesday night at Hanner Fieldhouse. The Buccaneers held a small lead throughout most of the game, but the Eagles fought hard and edged ahead several times down the stretch.
Georgia Southern took a 59-58 lead with 5:17 to play, but East Tennessee powered through the final minutes to claim a 69-64 victory and hand the Eagles their first loss of the season.
“I thought we battled and I thought we showed toughness,” GS coach Mark Byington said. “This will come back and help us later on. We missed some shots late and they made them. We did a lot of things right. The things we did wrong that cost us, I know we can fix.”
Tookie Brown led the way for the Eagles (5-1) with 16 points and Quan Jackson added 13 more in his return from an ankle injury suffered last week, but Georgia Southern was never able to turn the game into the free-flowing and high-scoring contests that it has benefitted from so far this season.
The slower pace was, in part, due to a solid effort from the Buccaneers (6-2), who utilized a big lineup to out-rebound the Eagles on both ends of the floor and prevent Georgia Southern from cranking up its transition game that has been a huge weapon so far this season.
At the same time, an Eagle lineup that saw the return of Jackson and the first minutes of the season from junior forward Simeon Carter may have also played a role in keeping the Eagles from finding their rhythm.
“I like our depth, but that means that we’re having a lot of guys working their way back from injuries and getting everyone involved,” Byington said. “We’re going to be a work in progress for a couple of weeks. We were out of rhythm in spots. We just need to learn what we’re like as a whole team.”
Tray Boyd III led ETSU with 17 points, with Isaiah Tisdale adding 15 and Patrick Good chipping in 13 more.
Neither team led by more than seven points during the game and the lead shifted several times in the middle of the second half.
The Bucs took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Boyd with 4:27 to play.
Brown made a pair of free throws to close within 66-64 with 57 seconds to play. Solid defense by the Eagles appeared to force a few extra steps by Mladen Armus, but no whistle sounded and Armus found Good for a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left that sunk the Eagles’ comeback hopes.
Georgia Southern began Tuesday night as just one of 25 Division I squads that were still undefeated. That lofty title is now gone, but the Eagles still have plenty to prove as they continue a very challenging non-conference schedule.
The Eagles won’t have to worry about Tuesday’s loss for long as travel plans are now in order. Georgia Southern is scheduled to catch a 5 a.m. flight out west as they now look forward to a Thursday night matchup against perennial national power Arizona.
“We want to improve on where we’ve come up short, but we don’t have time to dwell on this loss,” Byington said. “Arizona will be a tough test. East Tennessee will win 20 games and maybe be a tournament team.
“We don’t have a single second to feel sorry for ourselves. The games will keep getting tougher, but we’re going to be battle-tested by the time we get into conference play.”
Who Is In?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If Georgia upsets Alabama Saturday night, then the playoff field will be set, I believe, regardless of any other outcomes: Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Clemson. (And yes, even if Clemson were to lose to Pittsburgh- which I don’t think will happen- I would still put them in ahead of both Oklahoma and Ohio State.)
If the SEC Championship game winds up being a repeat of last year’s national championship, and Alabama escapes victorious, I don’t think all is lost for UGA fans.
However, I will admit there’s a better chance of me waking up tomorrow with Brad Pitt’s “Fight Club” body than the Bulldogs joining the playoffs for the second straight year. I just don’t think it’s impossible.
The obvious way it could work out is that Georgia plays Alabama tough and both Oklahoma and Ohio State lose their respective championship games.
Georgia’s overall body of work would be better than Ohio State’s and it would be difficult to put in an Oklahoma team that would’ve lost twice to the same team, Texas.
To be honest, even if Ohio State wins, I’m not sure I put them in over Georgia. (I realize I may be the only non-Georgia fan who believes this. I don’t know, maybe after all these years I’m finally starting to warm up to the ol’ Dawgs. Nah, it’s probably the egg nog speaking.)
I don’t think OSU beating a Northwestern team that basically won their division by default is that much of a game changer. I’d still take a two loss Georgia team over a one loss Ohio State.
So, in my eyes, it really comes down to the Oklahoma/Texas game.
The Sooners are in a very similar situation to the one Georgia was in last year; a one loss team, playing in their conference championship game against the team that gave them their only blemish on the season. And much like Georgia last year, it will be nearly impossible to keep Oklahoma out of the playoffs, in this particular scenario, if they win.
As I alluded to above though, if Oklahoma loses I would still go with a two loss Georgia over a two loss Oklahoma.
The Big 12 title game will take place before the SEC, so Georgia fans will have a better idea of the scenarios that may play out, before their game begins.
Look, as difficult as it is for me to say this, I just feel Georgia is the better team between them, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. So, unless it’s just obvious that one of the latter two is more deserving of a playoff appearance than Georgia, the Bulldogs should get the edge.
I don’t think Georgia will win, but I do believe they’re good enough to play the Tide close. When you consider how Alabama has pretty much steam rolled through their schedule, being able to keep close will say an awful lot, if Georgia is able to do that.
Of course, they could completely take away all the suspense by just winning the damn game, but obviously that’s a little bit easier said than done.
If it does play out where there is no clear cut fourth team, it will be interesting to see what the committee does and what they prioritize. I’ve made it clear I think Georgia should be the team, but then again, I also think UCF should be in the conversation, so what do I know. But, that’s an entirely different story for another day.
Trading Places
By: TJ Hartnett
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
Look, we all knew that the 2018-19 season was going to be a tough one for the Atlanta Hawks.
We hoped for the best; not that they would contend, but that they would show some sparks and some reasons for future excitement.
At the very least, the front office would be able to get a feel for what they were working with and how they could start making improvements during the rebuilding process.
And it’s been tough.
Now that is bad news. However, it provides the front office a place to start as they look for trade options to improve their struggling roster. So where will they look? The key is looking at where some of the pieces the Hawks might see fit to move could end up and what those trades could bring back to Atlanta.
As a team in the middle of a rebuild, the Hawks’ rookie core is where Atlanta will hang their hat and they will try to strengthen that core with even more young talent.
They don’t get much younger than the 76ers Markelle Fultz, who can’t legally drink until next May. With Jimmy Butler arriving in Philly, Fultz is going to get even fewer touches, and his relationship with the Philadelphia brass is fairly fraught after an injury that neither side thinks was handled well by the other.
If Fultz wants to start over with a new franchise where he is sure to spend a fair amount of minutes on the court instead of the sidelines, Atlanta is the best location.
He’ll have the added bonus of being a key player on a team with none of the associated stress, since Atlanta has already been written off and forgotten about by pretty much everyone. Fultz could use that breathing room to regain his college form.
What might it take to pry Fultz away from the 76ers? How about some insurance at center? When Joel Embiid leaves the game for Philly, he leaves a void that Amir Johnson and Mike Muscala just can’t fill. However, Dewayne Dedmon might be able to handle it. Dedmon can play the position plus hit a three when he needs to.
The lanky center is far from the only moveable piece on the Hawks’ current roster. The other notable veterans that might benefit the Hawks move by being shipped off are Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Lin.
Lin isn’t the kind of superstar that would bring back an incredible haul, but if the Hawks can find a partner that desperately needs a point guard, they could fetch themselves a young player with a high upside.
Bazemore has been the Hawks’ sole constant during the last few years, the final remaining player from brighter days in Atlanta’s NBA history (and he only arrived in 2014), but his stellar defensive play is being wasted.
He’s a starting player for a team that needs one. The Pelicans need one and would likely be willing to part ways with a future first-round pick to get their hands on a player like Baze.
As tough as it might be to see some of the more experienced players depart from a team that is lacking in bright spots, the Hawks have to consider 2019 and beyond.
This season was a lost cause before the very first tip-off; this double-digit losing streak has only brought that into clearer focus. If the Hawks want to improve, they’ll need to start by trading players who are more valuable to others than to Atlanta.
The Jason Bishop Show with Kipp Branch
Balance Of Power
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Before the season started, all you heard is how dominant the SEC West was and that division carried the entire conference on its shoulders, while the SEC East was the weaker of the two.
Let me let you in on a little secret going into the final weekend of the season, the SEC East holds an 8-5 edge on the SEC West going into this weekend’s matchup with Arkansas and Missouri. If Missouri wins as expected then the east will win the crossover game series 9-5 in 2018. How can that be?
Is there a power shift occurring in the SEC? Let’s take a look at the state of the SEC East going into the last week of the season.
Georgia: Right now, UGA is king of the east and defending SEC Champions and most of their current roster is underclassmen.
The future is bright in Athens with Kirby Smart bringing five star athlete after five star athlete. Smart is building a monster in Athens and look for the Dawgs to be national power for some time to come.
Florida: The Gators under Dan Mullen have a chance to win 10 games in a season most experts wrote them off.
Mullen is a quality coach and the Gators are a QB away from being dangerous.
Florida may be the most fertile recruiting ground in the United States, and with both Miami and FSU struggling it could mean the Gators get all the way back really quickly.
Florida had a signature win at home this season against LSU, and a potential dream matchup with UCF in the Fiesta Bowl could shut up the smack talk coming out of Orlando once and for all.
Kentucky: The Wildcats are 8-3 and also have a chance to get their first ten win season since 1977. Yes, I said 1977.
Mark Stoops will be on top of many SEC coach of the year ballots. The Cats played UGA for the SEC East Championship on November 3rd, 2018. Kentucky football is ascending and Lexington will not be a fun road trip in the near future.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks are going to win seven games under Will Muschamp in 2018. Carolina was a dumpster fire after Steve Spurrier bailed on the program in 2015 in the middle of the season.
Muschamp is slowly building this program from the inside out. Be patient South Carolina fans, you have never been a great football program to begin with.
Missouri: The Tigers are 7-4 with with 2-9 Arkansas left on the schedule. A win by the Tigers means that every SEC East team will have beaten an SEC West Team in 2018.
Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State all failed to beat and SEC East teams in 2018. Barry Odom is doing a fine job in the Show Me State, but who is going to replace Drew Lock when Lock replaces Blake Bortles in Jacksonville?
Vanderbilt: The Commodores are sitting at 5-6 and should have probably beaten Missouri, Florida, and Notre Dame in South Bend. A win over Tennessee this week and Vandy goes bowling. This team is not a cupcake anymore.
Tennessee: The Vols went 0-8 in the SEC in 2017, but beat Auburn, and Kentucky in 2018. Pruitt needs two more recruiting cycles to get this team back to being Tennessee again, and when he does look out.
The SEC East went 3-11 against the West in 2017, and looks like they will turn that into 9-5 in 2018. If Georgia beats Alabama in Atlanta then you can say the balance of power has shifted in the SEC. Tua will have a huge say about that.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show with Brandon Derrick November 21
Picking Off The Panthers
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
By any measure imaginable, the 2018 Georgia Southern football season has been an overwhelming success.
The Eagles entered the fall with their third head coach in four seasons and their fifth offensive coordinator in the same span. The team went a program-worst 2-10 in 2017, losing its first nine games as one of the youngest rosters in the country was thrown into the deep end and struggled to stay afloat.
Those two wins came only after Chad Lunsford was named interim head coach midway through the season. Lunsford was given the official head coach title just before the final game of the season. He promised a return to the winning culture that Georgia Southern is synonymous with and he has delivered.
Armed with some new faces on the coaching staff and a team that has had an extra bounce in its step since before spring practice began, the Eagles currently sit at 8-3 and have a chance to notch their third nine-win season in five years at the FBS level.
But for all the success, there is one glaring wrong from the past few years of GS football that need to be righted.
On Saturday, the Eagles head to Atlanta to take on Georgia State and will try to end a three-game losing streak that stems back to the 2015 regular season finale.
The Panthers haven’t been the cause of the Eagles’ recent struggles. After all, a program with a lifetime record of 29-76 isn’t the cause of anyone’s main problems. But Georgia State has been there to rub salt in the wounds over the last few seasons, making all of the negatives sting just a bit more.
Georgia Southern has exceeded even the most optimistic of expectations this season and will soon receive an invitation to is second bowl game in program history.
The Eagles were in contention for the Sun Belt championship game into November and a still relatively young squad figures to keep the positive momentum rolling into 2019.
But there’s still a looming, panther-shaped box remaining to be checked off on this season’s list of goals.
College teams are often remembered season by season, but individual classes of players also take plenty of pride in what their group was able to accomplish during their time.
This year’s seniors already have a roller coaster resume. They signed on and took a chance with a team in its FBS infancy and were immediately part of a bowl winner. Then they endured a coaching change and – over two seasons – saw the team sink as low as it ever has.
But in their final season at Georgia Southern, this class has flipped the script. In less than 12 months, they have guided the Eagles from the depths of national bottom 10 lists to plenty of accolades about a team from Statesboro that is on the rise.
The one thing this class has left to do is to take down that team from Atlanta.
And based on how this season is going, those seniors are probably thinking the same thing as their fans.
Is it Saturday yet?
