Bishop Media Sports Network
Trojan Quest
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 high school football regular season is over for the Carrollton Trojans.
The top team in 6A is Carrolton (10-0) and they finished the year undefeated. The season finale was against #4 Douglas County (8-2) last week and they won 49-28.
Douglas County got within 27-21 in the second quarter before Carrolton scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half.
The Trojans are led by four-star quarterback Julian Lewis. Lewis was 21-of-26 passing for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Kimauri Farmer rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns and caught a 47-yard TD pass.
Messiah Satterwhite rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 26-yard pass. The game decided the No. 1 seed from Region 2.
Lewis is ranked as the #14 player in Georgia for the class of 2025 and he is committed to USC. Lewis did take his fourth visit to Colorado in late October so he might not stay committed to USC for much longer. He turned seventeen in September and he reclassified in January 2024 to graduate one year early.
After the Elite 11 Finals in June he ranked seventh out of that group. He also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in October 2023. I’m saying that to say, he’s kind of a big deal.
Julian’s father, T.C., has spent a lot of time preparing him to be a big time QB prospect.
Carrolton’s head coach is Joey King. King spent five years as the head coach at Cartersville, where he won two state championships with Trevor Lawrence. He was the fastest in state history to reach 50 wins, in 52 games.
King left high school to become the wide receivers coach at Coastal Carolina from 2019-21. Once King took over as Carrolton’s head coach T.C. moved Julian to Carrolton for eighth grade.
Lewis attended Pace Academy before that, which is a private school in Atlanta.
“If a kid is trying to go to Harvard, I need him enrolled in that kind of [school],” T.C. says, “but if he’s trying to go play at Alabama, Georgia, wherever, then let me put him in AP Football.”
The GHSA moved the start of the playoffs back in early October due to Hurricane Helene. They moved the end of the regular season from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8 and pushed the opening round of the state playoffs back to Nov. 15 and16.
GHSA said the week of Nov. 8 will be used for makeup games. Schools that completed games without schedule interruptions and are advancing to the postseason will have an open week before the first round of the playoffs.
Carrolton’s next game will be 11/15 against Dacula. The Falcons are 4-6 and ranked fourth in Region 8. This should be an easy blow-out win for the Trojans. They advanced to the state championship game in 2022 and they look to do that again in 2024.
I think they are talented enough to reach the state championship but I think #2 Buford (9-1) is the best team. Their only loss on the season was the season opener to the top team in 5A, Milton.
Jason Bishop Show October 31 2024
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick October 30 2024
Lost Luster?
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For almost every year of my five decades on this planet, the end of October has been a time of the year I have enthusiastically anticipated.
As a young boy, it was the sirens call of Halloween, with the annual trip to Gibson’s to select the perfect Ben Cooper costume and the anticipation of how many houses in Northwood Estates would have full-size candy bars this year (we could always count on a couple).
As I grew older, the building anticipation came from when we would be making our annual trip to the Jaycees haunted house.
I think my dad and I had more fun laughing at the other people scared out of their wits than we were ever actually scared by the experience.
At least once he tried to chase down a group that literally ran screaming from the exit just so he could offer to pay to let them go through again. Fifty-two years and I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed harder.
After that, it became a matter of wondering if I was going to get invite to the good Halloween parties in high school. Think post-pubescent Charlie Brown obsessively checking his locker to see if any notes had been slipped in between classes. Spoiler alert: they rarely were.
The one constant through all of those eras – as well as every era since – has been the heady anticipation of the one UGA football rivalry that hasn’t been shuffled and re-dealt by the SEC home offices.
The one game that we could pretty much always count on being on TV, even in the four channel days when our Dawg fix would usually come from WGIG via the global band AM radio in my dad’s workshop.
From the Dooley days to Goff, on through Donnan and Richt, and finally the arrival of King Kirby, the end of October meant one thing and one thing only to the mean machine in Red & Black – the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Border War. The Georgia Florida game.
During the lean years, Ga/Fla was our SEC Championship before there was such a thing. It was the Super Bowl, Worl Series, and Daytona 500 all rolled into one. It was the pinnacle of the football year. We could go 0-11 the rest of the year as long as we beat Florida…okay 1-10. Still gotta thump Tech. Priorities, man.
It’s a well-established fact that the Spurrier years were rough for the rivalry. Ole’ Satan in a Sun visor had our number just about every single year, and hope was hard to come by.
I was briefly involved with a Florida fan once, and she said that in those days, Florida fans didn’t care about the game because they knew they were going to win, they were just glad to be able to drink at the tailgate.
Ouch. Not inaccurate, but ouch, nonetheless.
Those days are thankfully a thing of the past, and the tables have turned just about as much as any table could.
Dawg fans are living through the golden years and should appreciate them as such.
Gator nation on the other hand is suffering through one off the worst SEC coaching administrations for someone not named “Dave Shula.”
Billy “Swing blade” Napier is bad. Really bad. Historically so in the annuls of Gainesville programs. Recruiting, coaching, PR, the Gators are stinking up the joint on all points, have been since the end of the Mullen run, and there is no real sense of hope that it will get any better anytime soon.
Considering all of this, has the WLOCP lost some of it’s luster? Does a massively lopsided matchup make this game anything less than “Must See TV?”
What, are you kidding me? Did you not hear me mention Spurrier a few paragraphs back? Remember those years. Remember the mocking, the sneering, the drunken gator chomps you endured walking back to the parking garage from the Gator Bowl/AllTel/EverBank.
Revel in the fact that we’re the ones barking now while the jorts-clad masses are weeping into their Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
And Go Dawgs!
MCA Buccaneers Coach’s Show w Bradley Warren October 29 2024
Camden County Wildcats Coach’s Show w Travis Roland October 29 2024
Stars To Align?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida head coach Billy Napier probably didn’t save his job by drubbing Kentucky.
But maybe he did enough in a must-not-lose game to think maybe, just maybe, there’s maybe a path to a fourth season for Billy.
The beatdown provided a dose of optimism that Napier can coach a high caliber team in the future, if not this season.
Injuries to veteran starters Graham Mertz and Montrell Johnson meant Florida had to start true freshmen at quarterback (DJ Lagway) and running back (Jadan Baugh) for the first time in program history. That duo sparked the Gators’ best offensive performance in years.
Beating Kentucky is a baseline expectation at Florida. It used to be, at least; the Gators won 31 in a row before Mark Stoops snapped the streak in 2018.
Stoops won his first two against Napier. No Florida coach has lost three in a row to Kentucky in more than 70 years (Bob Woodruff, 1948-51). Napier, compared to his expectations, merely avoided ignominy with a win Saturday.
Besides, the real tests are still ahead. The 4-3 Gators were off last week before the daunting, season-ending stretch fans have been dreading for months: No. 2 Georgia in Jacksonville, at No. 5 Texas, home against No. 8 LSU and No. 18 Ole Miss and at rival FSU.
In Austin, TX, in front of a stadium-record 105,215 fans, Kirby Smart’s Dawgs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) unleashed the most havoc-wreaking defensive performance of the season in a 30-15 win.
It got so bad, so fast for Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC), trailing 20-0 in the second quarter, that Steve Sarkisian briefly benched starting QB Quinn Ewers for, only to go back to Ewers after two series.
Neither QB had a chance, given the Horns offensive line had no answers for Georgia pass rushers Jason Walker (three sacks, four QB hurries), Mykel Williams(two sacks) and Damon Wilson (one strip-sack).
Georgia may well turn around and lay an egg against Florida, but they can afford it. Kirby Smart will not allow the Dawgs to be flat in Jacksonville.
The Dawgs open up as a 17 1/2 point Favorite against the Gators.
Florida hasn’t played a team as talented on the roster as Georgia. The Gators will need the stars to align to have a chance at the cocktail party.
If Billy Napier can pull off a miraculous victory over the heavily favored Dawgs, he may be able to save his job for one more season.
Georgia just has way way way too much talent for this game to even be close. Also, this game is personal for Kirby and Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck.
To quote Clubber Lane from Rocky III my prediction is PAIN!
Georgia 47
Florida 20
Hope
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” “An Essay On Man”, Alexander Pope, 1732.
There’s a fun little recurring character in the “SEC Shorts” video series named Hope. She premiered before the 2021 Georgia championship season and spent most of the season hyping up the Dawgs’ national championship aspirations.
While it eventually turned out that those hopes were well-founded, Hope left at the end of the season for Texas A&M. While that seemed like the most likely fanbase in need of some hopefulness, there were several other destinations she could have landed – Tennessee, Kentucky, or Missouri for example.
Florida, however, was firmly not on that list.
Hope hasn’t dared to set foot in Gainesville for a while now. The Gators have not had bonafied National Championship aspirations since Urban Meyer’s alleged “cardiac incident.”
While Muschamp, McElwain, and Mullen managed to have more wins than losses in their alliterative runs in the swamp, Florida now finds Billy Napier at the helm.
O Hope, where art thou?
Not in Gainesville, that’s for sure. Although the 2024 Gators go into the WLOCP with a surprising 4-2 record (3 more wins at this point than I predicted in the preseason), the high point of the season may have already passed them by.
Consecutive matchups against UGA, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss await the Gators in the month of November.
Granted their regular season wraps up against the even-bigger-dumpster-fire that is the 2024 FSU Seminoles, but it looks like once again the 2024 Florida gators Bowl Game t-shirts are gonna be plain white Fruit Of The Looms, straight out of the cellophane wrapper.
The future isn’t looking much brighter. The 2025 Gators recruiting class sits at 33rd in the nation, 15th in the SEC.
The 2026 class is better, clocking in at 11th nationally and 7th in the conference, but if Billy Napier somehow manages to avoid the axe this postseason, expect some of those commits to bail and those rankings to take a tumble.
For the moment, let’s look at the here and now. In this, the greatest of all border war matchup in CFB, it is well known that the records do not matter.
Upsets aplenty when these two teams mix it up on the banks of the St. John’s; Florida costing the Dawgs a shot at the National Championship in 2002, UGA knocking off #1 Florida in 1985, and the “unsportsmanlike conduct on the entire team” game all come to mind…but what about 2024?
Let’s be honest. This is a weird season. Army & Navy are both undefeated. Alabama has two losses. Vanderbilt made an appearance in the Top 25, for crying out loud. Would a Napier defeat of Kirby be too far out of the question?
To be blunt, yes.
The Dawgs are on the hunt after the Alabama loss. The defeat of top-ranked Texas shows that they are still an elite program. Above everything else, Kirby Smart’s hatred of all things blue & orange is well documented. I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d be selling off a few semi-vital organs on the black market just to put more down on the Dawgs to walk away from EverBank Stadium with the W.
Yes, hope springs eternal, but if you’re looking for Hope in Florida this weekend, I’d try Mons Venus in Tampa, maybe the pickleball courts in The Villages.
Not Jacksonville, though. Hope doesn’t live there for the Gators.
Tail-Gate Time
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The annual Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville is widely regarded as the ultimate tailgating event in the country, surpassing even the most celebrated sporting events.
Once known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” this pre-game celebration transcends traditional tailgating, turning into a multi-day festival of food, drinks, and camaraderie between two of college football’s most passionate fanbases: the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators.
Tailgating for the Georgia-Florida game begins almost a full week before kickoff. Fans start arriving in RVs, buses, and other vehicles days before kickoff, setting up camp in various lots around Jacksonville’s EverBank Field.
By Wednesday, the first official RV lots open, and the party kicks into high gear, lasting through Saturday’s game.
Fans drive golf carts decked out in team colors, move between lots to socialize, and stock up on supplies like champagne for gameday mimosas.
Police officers and city officials embrace the event, recognizing its massive economic impact on Jacksonville, while tolerating the raucous behavior of nearly 100,000 attendees.
The scale of the event is mind-boggling. RV lots cater to every type of tailgater, from the all-out party enthusiasts to families seeking a quieter experience.
Tailgating setups are often elaborate, with some fans renting train cars or docking yachts along the nearby St. Johns River for a “boatgating” experience.
The floating tailgates offer a more refined experience, often featuring gourmet options like pickled-okra deviled eggs and oyster tacos, accompanied by drinks such as grapefruit-rosemary mimosas.
The river itself plays a key role in the event, with slips at the Metropolitan Park Marina booking up within seconds once they’re available in early September.
While the game takes place on Halloween weekend, the tailgating scene also embraces the holiday spirit, with lots decorated in spooky themes and children trick-or-treating among the RVs on Friday night.
Families and friends gather year after year, creating traditions that are passed down through generations. For some fans that have attended the tailgating festivities for decades, the event is almost like a family reunion where memories are constantly made and new experiences are discovered.
One of the most impressive aspects of the tailgating event is the mostly peaceful coexistence between two bitter football rivals. Despite the intensity of the Georgia-Florida rivalry, fans from both sides share food, drinks, and good-natured banter, with little to no hostility.
The atmosphere remains one of mutual respect, making the tailgate an enjoyable experience for everyone involved, regardless of which team wins.
The Georgia-Florida game, held at a ‘neutral site’ in Jacksonville since 1933, has evolved into a hallmark of college football culture, representing the best aspects of tailgating.
As kickoff approaches on Saturday, the energy builds to a fever pitch. Marching bands begin to play, fans fill the stadium, and the food and drink continue to flow.
The aroma of Southern staples like Brunswick stew and turkey fryers wafts through the air, while fans sip on signature drinks like “Gator Punch” or a Bloody Mary to prepare for the game. The tailgate atmosphere follows fans into the stadium, where half the tickets are allocated to Georgia fans and the other half to Florida fans, creating an electrifying environment inside EverBank Field.
This event, while ostensibly about football, has become so much more. It’s about the experience, the friendships, and the memories that are forged in a multi-day celebration that brings thousands of people together.
Jacksonville’s unique role as the host city enhances the grandeur of the event, and for anyone who loves college football or tailgating, the Georgia-Florida game is a must-see spectacle that should be on every sports fan’s bucket list.Top of FormBottom of Form
15 Yellow Hankies
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Every time she sees Mark Richt on TV, my mom says, “Ain’t he so cute.” My dad would have no choice but to just laugh it off.
One of the greatest shots of Richt’s famous dimpled smile, was in 2007 against Florida. Knowshon Moreno had just opened the scoring in the 1st quarter. Then, came one of the most iconic rivalry moments.
CBS’s Verne Lundquist: “Moreno. Did he break the plane? Yes…Touchdown! The entire team is coming out! We may have 15 yellow hankies!”
Then, a perfect example of why I always say TV production crews for college football run circles around NFL.
Perfection. Video went to a high overhead shot, a perfect storm of red, white and silver, storming the end zone.
Some demean color analyst Gary Danielson. I say they’re crazy. Perfect example? Danielson follows during this overhead shot; “This was all absolutely planned. Mark Richt has decided he is tired of the Florida Gators having the psychological advantage over UGA.”
As Danielson was saying that, video went to UGA senior defensive end Marcus Howard. He was banging his chest with both fists. His 27 2-foot-long dreads were bouncing. Dude looked like a crazed madman! The Dawgs had psychologically released.
Then, the video got Tim Tebow and two teammates on the Gator sideline. Everybody remembers how animated Tebow was.
Not this time. You’d think Tebow would be gathering his guys in their own sideline huddled mass and doing that thing where he looked in their eyes and pointed to the heavens.
But this time, he just stood there, with his eyes and mouth wide open. Kind of like Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning looked like against Georgia.
Tebow was stunned. The Gators were stunned. This was the moment the rivalry turned.
That’s right. The majority of the Dawgs team had stormed the end zone and was dancing like it was 1999. At first, I was like “What in the world are we doing!”
Then my brother Chad started getting jacked up! “This is a message! We’re not taking it anymore! Let’s go. Go Dawgs!”
The cameras panned to the normally reverent and serene Mark Richt on the sideline. He was clapping and had this sly grin on his face.
There wasn’t a single UGA coach scurrying out to pull players back. Normally, you’d see that in a situation like this, right? Not this time!
Danielson was right. It was planned. UGA initially denied it, but everyone knew. And I don’t care what Richt said after the game, we all knew.
In the following off-season, Richt pretty much admitted, players pitched it during the annual pre-Florida game off week. Richt initially said no way. But he eventually ruled in favor of the players, with a few restrictions.
It had to be with the Dawgs in an early lead or tying situation. No celebrations, down 21 in the 4th quarter. No direct taunting of Florida players in the end zone, or toward their sidelines.
To their credit, players did follow these guidelines. But the funniest shot was of 320-pound OL Trinton Sturdivant breaking out in what can only be described as his own “Big Boy” version of River Dance.
The Dawgs went on to win 42-30, but it really wasn’t that close.
Under Spurrier and Meyer, the Gators dominated the series, 15-2. So often, though, it wasn’t because of dominating rosters. The Gators simply were in the Dawgs’ head.
Annually, tight games would turn on a dime with one UGA mistake. Then the wheels would come off.
But the Dawgs have gone 10-6 against the Gators since then. This was the day the series turned.
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