By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Sean Pender starts year three at Brunswick High with 16 starters from 2018 returning with a year of varsity football experience.

The 2019 Pirates expect to compete for the Region 2-AAAAAA football championship.

When asked about what to expect from the 2019 Pirates Pender said “We have had more intensity and competiveness than we had in all of last year in our spring and summer program. The kids have worked extremely hard and I expect good things out of this football team once we get healthy at the QB position.”

Schedule and my predictions:

August 23^rd vs Coffee: The Trojans look very good along the lines of scrimmage. Coffee is always big and strong. This will be a tough matchup for the Pirates, but Coffee has historically struggled at Glynn County Stadium. Give me Coffee 28-20.

August 30^th vs Bartram Trail: Brunswick moved the ball up and down the field last year in St. Augustine. Bartram makes the return visit to Brunswick and I think the Pirates will be ready and beats a solid Florida state playoff team 34-28 to go 1-1 on the season.

September 6^th vs MCA: The Bucs from Darien come “Between the Bricks” and get drilled 49-7. Pirates go to 2-1 on the season.

September 20^th @ Camden: The Pirates tangle with the Cats in the first road game of the season and it will not end well for the Pirates. Camden is on the way back to being a factor in 7-A and the Pirates get clawed 38-20 to go to 2-2 on the season.

September 27^th@ New Hampstead: Pirates travel to Savannah for this one and I’m putting them on upset alert. Pirates win an exciting game on the road 35-22 to move to 3-2 on the season.

October 4^th@ Monroe Albany: Long drive to Albany, Georgia and the Pirates roll home with a 42-14 win to go to 4-2 on the season.

October 11^th @ Richmond Hill: The Wildcats embarrassed the Pirates in 2018, but lost pretty much their entire offense to graduation. Brunswick returns the favor on the road at a place they have never lost. Brunswick beats Richmond Hill 28-21. Pirates go to 5-2 on the season.

October 18^th vs Effingham: The Rebels ran up the score against the Pirates in Springfield last year throwing TD passes with less than two minutes left up by 24 points. Circle game at home for Brunswick. Expect Brunswick to return the favor if that opportunity presents. Pirates go to 6-2 with a 38-21 win.

October 25^th @ Glynn Academy: In a game with the region championship on the line BHS tries to avoid a sixth straight loss. Anything can happen in a rival game but I will not believe it until I see it. Glynn 27-20. Pirates drop to 6-3

November 8^th vs Bradwell: BHS locks up a number two seed with a 41-14 win over the Tigers and finishes the regular season at 7-3 and will host a first-round state playoff game.

Opposing Coaches view on Brunswick: “When Sean gets solid QB production his offenses are the best around.

I know he made some really good hires on the defensive side of the ball during the winter and I think they get a lot better there because they played a lot of sophomores on that side of the ball last year.

Will that community let Sean build this thing? You will see this team get a lot better this fall and Sean has worked hard to keep his kids from being cherry picked by the private school in the county.

They are on the way back. Maurice and Victor built a solid program there and they made a mistake letting Victor go, and the guy behind him ran that thing over a cliff.

Sean is the right man for that job, and he has some nice young talent cycling his way in that school system. They will be a playoff team this fall then that program takes off in 2020.

They have good facilities down there and they have those kids all on the same NFL team in Detroit. The skill talent is always there.

Sean built that thing in Pierce and will do the same in Brunswick.”