By: Jason Bishop

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Brantley County Herons Football Program is one in transition and is looking for stability.

This offseason former Brantley Head Coach David Shores accepted a job on the Camden County staff and resigned from being the Herons head man.

Shores was a splash hire two offseasons ago in Nahunta and came with big time experience at Camden, Lowndes and Brunswick.

In two seasons Shores went 2-18 with the Herons, including a winless 2025 campaign.

Enter new Head Coach Matt Hickox. Hickox is a Brantley County Alum and is coming over from Pierce County. Hickox spent seven seasons in Blackshear serving as the Bears Defensive Coordinator and won two state titles at Pierce in 2020 and 2023.

Hickox is looking to provide some stability to the Heron program as he is now their 3^rd coach in 4 years.

In reclassification the Herons find themselves in Region 3-3A. This region is tough at the top with Appling, Pierce and Toombs but leaves room for the Herons to possibly be a playoff team if they can handle business against everyone else, which is very possible.

Outside of the aforementioned big three the rest of the region lines up with Beach, Islands, Johnson, and Tattnall.

The Herons will take on these region foes along with Bacon County, Lanier County and Claxton.

The Brantley Herons 2026 schedule is as follows:

8/21 @Bacon

8/28 v. Lanier

9/4 @Claxton

9/11 Bye

9/18 v. Islands

9/25 @ Appling

10/2 v. Toombs

10/9 @ Johnson

10/16 Bye

10/23 v. Pierce

10/30 v. Tattnall

11/6 @ Beach

The Herons have a tough first half of the schedule but I expect the Herons to be a playoff contender.

I am not sure this will be the year for the Herons to make a return to the playoffs but they will be in the mix down to the wire.

I definitely see at least four wins on the schedule for Brantley, which would be a huge step in the right direction coming off of an 0-10 season.