By: Teddy Bishop

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

As the Brunswick High Pirates get ready to set sail for the 2024 football season, I sat down with Head Coach Garrett Grady for an exclusive interview.

“We’ve had 110-115 guys show up for practice every day,” Coach Grady related.  “The players have been working hard, and we’re looking forward to getting back ‘Between the Bricks’.”

Brunswick High is looking to improve on last year’s 7-4 record, which included a second-round playoff appearance.

BHS will be playing in a new classification this fall, which also means a new region, 1 AAAAA.

The Georgia High School Association decided to eliminate the 7-A classification, which moved Brunswick High from 6-A to 5-A, still the second-highest classification.

There are nine teams in Brunswick’s new region:  Brunswick High, Bradwell Institute, Effingham, Evans, Glynn Academy, Greenbrier, Lakeside, South Effingham, and Statesboro.

“We’re bringing back in Statesboro, and we’re bringing back in Bradwell,” Coach Grady said. “Grovetown is going out, but Greenbrier is coming in, so we replaced one Augusta school with another.”

The two non-region games will be against Camden and Wayne. Camden will travel to Brunswick to open the season on August 16, while Brunswick will travel ‘Jesup’ the road to Wayne the next week.

“We got a scrimmage against Ware, game 1 against Camden, and game 2 against Wayne,”  Coach Grady told me, “and then region games from there on out.”

BHS will have a bye week following the Wayne game, and then, “We’re starting out of the gate with a really tough region opponent in Effingham.”

It’s worth noting that BHS and Effingham have developed a pretty strong rivalry over the past few years, and it will be interesting to see how that game plays out September 6 when the Pirates travel to Rebel Field at Bob Griffith Stadium to take on the Rebels.

The Brunswick High-Glynn Academy City Championship game is slated for September 27 at Glynn County Stadium.

When I asked Coach Grady if Brunswick, Effingham, and Glynn would be the favorites in the region, he agreed.

“I think that’s a fair assessment,” he said.  “When Brunswick, Glynn, and Effingham play each other, it’s been for the 1, 2, or 3 seed.”

I also asked Coach Grady about trying to replace players like “Touchdown” Terry Mitchell, River Creel, Devin Smith, and others that graduated.

“Instead of replacing those guys, we’ve got to develop other players,” he said.  “We have a lot of talent returning, plus some new faces that could make an immediate impact.”

One returning talent is junior Heze Kent—All-everything from a year ago. “He’s going to have a big year,” Coach Grady predicted. “We can split him out wide, play him at tight end, or put him in the backfield.

“Plus, he’s a leader in the locker room as well. His voice carries, and he echoes what the coaches say. That’s what we want.”

Another returning starter is quarterback Grant Moore, also a junior.

“He’s definitely a voice on offense,” Coach Grady said. “When tough times happen, he can get the guys to rally behind him.  He works hard and always does the right thing.  He’s the type of leader you want.”

Also returning for the Pirates are Jamarius Towns, Waseem Murray, Jashawn Towns, William Heck, Caleb Butler, Kregg Richardson, Jordan Hicks, Jeremiah Robbins, and others, all adding significant talent and leadership for BHS.

“All of the coaches have been working hard, too,” Coach Grady lauded, praising their dedication.

Mitch Belker returns as Offensive Coordinator for the Pirates, while Thomas Tedder is back as Defensive Coordinator.

It says here the Pirates win the region and make a deep run in the playoffs.