Brunswick High Pirates
Pirates Signing Day
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Coming off of a disappointing 5-5 last place region finish, the Brunswick High Pirates had 7 players sign Letter of Intents to further their education and football careers.
D’Ante Demery- University of Georgia: The 4-star recruit signed with the UGA’s top 5 class. The 320-pound offensive tackle is part of the best OL group ever assembled in UGA recruiting circles and whether Demery gets on the field as a freshman will be determined. This kid has a chance to be in the NFL in 3-4 years.
Shawn Smith- University of Virginia: Great pickup by UVA. Smith is fast and a great athlete and could be a good WR at the college level. I think Smith is a pretty good DB and could land there. Virginia has a great athlete in their program. Smith might possibly return some kicks as well. He will bulk up quickly in a college strength and conditioning program.
Danijah Gammage- Mercer University: Mercer got a great football player. Gammage is a hitter and has great ball skills. I think Gammage has the potential to develop into an NFL caliber player while he is in college. He reminds me a lot of Tracy Walker coming out of BHS. He will get bigger and stronger in Macon.
Deqwan Chapman- Albany State University: Chapman was a solid corner for BHS now he heads to a solid college football program and I think he will end up being at ASU. Good kid and a good player.
Wiley Golden- Tusculum College: Golden will take his talents to the prestigious private college in Greeneville, Tennessee. Golden is an excellent student and has great hands at the TE position. Golden’s academic accomplishments are stellar and he is a pretty good football player on top of it. I’m very proud of this young man.
Jabori Williams- Hutchinson Community College: You can’t teach size and at 6’4 330 pounds Williams is huge. I expect him to contribute right away and bigger things will happen for this young man in a couple of years. He is just learning how to play OL.
Brandon McMaster- University of Georgia (Preferred Walk-On): What if this young man did not battle injuries his entire senior year? He goes to UGA as a PWO because this kid has a 3.5 GPA and has already graduated and is the example of opportunities that come around to folks who get it done in the classroom. This kid is a great football player and it would no surprise me one bit if he does not end contributing in Athens. UGA got a steal here.
BHS has talent and has kids that get it done in the classroom. The future is bright for the Pirates as they could sign 10 or more players next February with the huge senior class returning.
But for the seven that signed on signing day, as a Pirate alum I just want to thank you for all of the blood, sweat, and tears you shed to lay the foundation for future Pirates. Thank you and as always Pirate Pride!
Former Pirate Coach Maurice Freeman Helps After Storms
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last weekend as I was watching the news and the devastation that storms had taken lives and ruined the American Dreams for hundreds of families in South Georgia I started thinking how could my organization MAP International help those in need.
I have worked at MAP International for 23 years and I have traveled to over 30 countries globally as a representative of MAP and our organization has shipped over 6 billion dollars of medical supplies to those in need.
As I was following the events in South Georgia over the weekend, I got to thinking about how sports particularly High School football is woven into the fabric of unity of the small rural communities all over South Georgia.
On every Friday night in the fall a high school football game takes place in a small town like Adel, Georgia that brings these communities together in fellowship.
I read where a couple of people had lost their lives on Monday morning in the small town of Quitman, Georgia. The only connection I had in Quitman was a dear friend and former Brunswick High football Maurice Freeman who now leads a very successful football program at Brooks County.
Maurice Freeman is a good, godly man who was our football coach from 2002-2007 at BHS, who built a solid program at BHS before he was called back home to his hometown of Quitman where he led Brooks to a state title in 1994 as a young head coach.
Freeman and I became very good friends while he coached the Pirates. We helped start the Brunswick Quarterback Club; a football only booster club back in 2005. We fished together, shared meals, raised money in the Brunswick community. I hated to see him leave in 2008 but I understood and wished him well and we have stayed in contact ever since.
I texted Coach Freeman at 10AM on Monday morning and asked him if Quitman needed help, and he immediately responded back and said yes, but Adel needed it more. He was headed to Albany for a coaching clinic, but would connect me to some of his contacts in Adel.
I said that would be great, and within 15 minutes we had a plan in place to deliver relief hygiene supplies to Adel. We loaded the goods on my truck and by 1:30 that afternoon I met Coach Freeman in Adel and we off loaded the supplies at the drop off center in Adel. And best of all we were able to have about 30 minutes of time to visit and catch up on life.
Football in South Georgia teaches life lessons you use every single day of your life. Football teaches teamwork, unity, to strive for goals, and when your back is against the wall to fight like a mad dog to be successful.
The biggest most wonderful thing I saw was how the Cook County Football and other Athletic teams banded together as brothers and sisters to meet the needs of their own, and worked their tails off to help those in need. Brooks County and Cook County are rivals in sports, but you throw that out of the window when people are in need. I watched an entire county mobilize in a very short amount of time.
I was reminded of some great lessons through sports connections I have made in my life. Maurice Freeman and I were able to organize and complete a relief response in about three and a half hours because of our connection we made as part of the BHS football program many years ago.
From this day forward Brooks County will be my second favorite high school football team other than my Pirates.
I love you Maurice you are the best in my book.
How Good Will Sean Pender Be?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
New Pirate head coach Sean Pender has met with his new players and current assistant coaches’ at BHS. The meeting in the words of one of the top returning players was he connects with players, and they loved his plan for the upcoming season, and he knows what he is talking about.
Pender met with the entire team and then met only with the returning seniors for next season. By my count Pender will have seven starters returning on the offensive side of the ball, and seven returning on defense from a talented 5-5 team that underachieved in 2016.
I was fortunate enough to sit down to dinner with him, Athletic Director Steve Waters, Jerry Mancil, Keith Reddings and myself. Pender’s football IQ is off the charts. The man flat out knows the X’s and O’s side of the game of football.
He talked about certain looks a defense will give you and then the amazing part was how they can run 3-4 different plays based on the look. Pender’s offense will create a lot of nightmares in this region in 2017.
Pirate fans can you picture top rated safety Sharrod Frazier in special packages on offense running speed sweeps with 4.48 speed? Not saying this will happen at all, but with anything new comes excitement.
Can you see Jaylen Jackson at WR wreaking havoc on an opposing defense? Can you see DJ Whitfield touching the ball 10-12 times a game on offense? Can you picture RB Shaq Robinson being involved in the passing game? Then once everyone is spread out in space watching Ben McCloud destroy the middle of a defense running between the tackles.
On defense can you see Kam Futch at 225 pounds making 12-15 stops a game with Frazier playing a hybrid LB/S spot drilling an opposing QB?
Exciting times are upon us at Brunswick High School. Pender will get to work fulltime at BHS on February 1st. The off-season program will be implemented and the assistant coaches will be coached up on the offensive and defensive schemes. Pender will start rounding out his football staff as he meets with current assistants and other candidates for potential staff openings.
In 2017 per a new GHSA rule schools can have a spring football game with another opponent. That game is scheduled for May 19th at Glynn County Stadium with opponent to be determined for the Pirates. Between now and the start of Spring Football practice Pender his to get as much of his system in place as fast as he can.
This man drips passion as he talks football and that enthusiasm is contagious. He has a unique way of connecting with players, administration, alumni, and boosters that in just two days has created quite a buzz around the program. My phone has been blowing up with former alumni and players that I have not seen in years asking how to get involved with the program.
Times are exciting again as a buzz surrounds the BHS Football program. The Pirates open the season in August with a road game at Coffee. I bet the Coffee coaches are blowing up the Pierce County Hudl account now trying to watch as much film as they can to try to defend Brunswick.
I can hear the Coffee coaches now saying “How are we going to stop this with the athletes Brunswick has?” Yep that’s your problem 2017 opponents. We’ll meet you at the 50 on Friday Night’s for the coin flip.
Brunswick High Pirates Hire New Coach
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Three years ago the Glynn County administration made the decision they wanted both Glynn Academy and Brunswick High to contend every year for state titles. Glynn Academy hired Rocky Hidalgo and that is what Glynn has become, a perennial state title contender.
Two years ago the Brunswick High Pirates made the playoffs and lost in the first round to the Stockbridge Tigers. The administration then made the decision to fire Victor Floyd, who was the BHS coach at the time. One of the reasons given for the decision to let Floyd go was his lack of success in the playoffs.
The Pirates then hired a young and upcoming coach from AA Macon County, Larry Harold. Harold had turned around the Macon County program and was coming off winning a region championship with the Bulldogs.
However, Harold never did duplicate the success he had at Macon County with the Pirates and had a losing record after two years. Larry Harold resigned at the end of this past season.
A search committee was formed to find the next Pirate coach, but not just any coach would do. Remember, the administration wanted both the Glynn and BHS programs to contend for state titles, so hiring the right coach would be paramount this time around.
The job opening received 32 applications from, not only Georgia, but from around the country. The search committee weeded through every application and created an interview list that only consisted of five candidates.
Those five candidates all had a ton of playoff success on their resume and resided over powerhouse programs.
The search committee wrapped up their interviews in a week and have offered the job to the Pierce County coach, Sean Pender; pending approval by the Glynn County Board of Education.
Pender is coming off taking the Bears to the Elite Eight this past season in AAA and has had a ton of success during his time at Pierce. When Pender took the job with the Bears the program was not nearly as respected as it is now under his guidance.
Pender will inherit a much deeper talent pool at Brunswick High than he ever had at Pierce. There is no coach in the state that has done more with less than Sean Pender.
He is an offensive specialist and will make the BHS offense fun to watch, especially with the athletes he will inherit. The Pirates will have 35 seniors return next season and will be positioned to make a deep playoff run with the talent returning.
Sean Pender spent eight seasons at Brantley County going 35-43 for the Blue Herons; one season at Crisp going 4-7 and five seasons at Pierce going 54-18.
The Game w Jason Bishop and Drayton Hogarth – January 7
Santa Wish List From A Southern Sports Fan
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Christmas is upon us once again. My girls have given me their annual list of items they want from Santa. I have dropped a few hints about things I want Santa to bring me as well.
I want to shake things up and come up with a sports list of things I would like Santa to grant in 2016 and 2017.
Santa please bring Brunswick High a new football coach with a championship resume. 30 plus juniors return from a talented squad that underachieved in 2016.
Santa please not a fourth straight loss to Glynn Academy in football. Life as a Pirate has been tough around here Santa.
Santa please deliver a City Championship and a deep playoff run to Altama Avenue next fall for the Pirates.
Region Championships for Pirate girls and boys basketball
A winning season for the Pirate baseball team to set the table for a title run two years from now.
A State Football championship for the MCA Bucs this weekend.
A 9-1 regular season and a deep playoff run for the Glynn Academy Red Terror football team in 2017.
State Titles in golf, tennis, and soccer for the Spring Sports Monster known as Glynn Academy Athletics.
A State Title for Glynn Academy baseball in 2017
Santa please a total house cleaning in Jacksonville and a new coach with a championship resume for the Jaguars.
Please Santa deliver at least one home game sellout for the Jags in 2017.
Santa please deliver a SEC Football Title to Athens, Georgia next fall.
Please Santa not a fourth straight loss to Florida for my Bulldogs, and please Santa while we are at it how about a 0-12 record for the Gators in football in 2017.
Please deliver a top 3 recruiting class for UGA in February.
Santa please bring some power to the Atlanta Braves roster, and please not another last place finish.
Please solve the traffic issues in and around the Braves new stadium in Cobb County
A March Madness Berth for the UGA men’s basketball team
A College World Series Berth for the UGA Baseball team.
A NL Cy Young Award for Adam Wainwright
A Pro Bowl Berth for Darius Slay, and Super Bowl for my Detroit Lions
One more PGA tour win for Davis Love III, and then he goes on the Senior Tour and beats the brakes off of everyone.
A LPGA tour win for Katie Burnett.
Southern Sports Edition to take the Southeast by storm
A NFC South title for the Falcons.
An Eastern Conference Finals berth for the Atlanta Hawks.
Please make Coastal Georgia a place where college recruiters set up shop to recruit local athletes.
An ACC Title for the GT Yellow Jackets in football in 2017
Losing seasons for Auburn, and Tennessee in football in 2017.
Santa please let Nick Saban retire.
State Titles across the board for Frederica Academy in 2017.
State Titles for all local recreation teams in Glynn County.
Championships for all College of Coastal Georgia in all sports.
A US Open title in 2017 for Zach Johnson and a Green Jacket for Matt Kuchar.
A fat free agent contract for Justin Coleman of the New England Patriots
A call up to AAA for former Red Terror Bo Way, and a ticket to the show in the near future.
Well there you have it Santa. I hope I haven’t asked for too much or left anyone out. Thank you for 2016 and I hope you make all of the requests in 2017 come true.
Santa I know I already asked but please not another loss to the Red Terrors in football.
Merry Christmas to all.
Former BHS Pirate Darius Slay Makes Big Play For Lions
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Former Brunswick High Pirate Darius Slay had quite a Thanksgiving as he led the first place Detroit Lions to another comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings yesterday to keep the Lions moving towards a playoff berth.
The interception with 30 seconds left in the game set up a Matt Prater 38 yard field goal that gave the surging Lions its sixth win in last seven games.
This Lions team without Slay would probably have at least two more losses on the season as Slay’s late game heroics also sealed a win against the Eagles earlier this year. The season sweep over the Vikings now gives the Lions basically a two game lead in the NFC North Division.
Nothing I see out of Darius Slay ever surprises me. He is quite frankly the most gifted athlete I have ever seen walk the halls at Brunswick High School. His 4.3 speed and ball hawking skills make him a super athlete and well worth with the $50 million extension he signed before the season.
Coming off the hamstring injury that caused him to miss two games, Slay seemed to struggle a bit against the Jaguars last Sunday. He more than made up for that yesterday, as he continues to play a big role on a Lion defense that just rises to the occasion when it needs to.
He made a great play in the first quarter that forced an interception that was flagged for a bogus pass interference call, and just seemed to be on top of every snap that went in his direction.
The Vikings appeared to pick up a third-down conversion with less than a minute left, but Cordarrele Patterson lined up illegally on the play. After the illegal formation penalty, Slay picked off Bradford, who the Vikings traded a first-round pick for right before the season started.
The Lions’ schedule isn’t easy the rest of the way. They still have road games left at the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. But now they have a margin for error. They lead the Vikings by a game and have the tiebreaker. They have a two-and-a-half game lead over the third-place Green Bay Packers. It’s their division to lose now.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Lions have just three division titles: 1983, 1991 and 1993. Slay’s big play yesterday keeps the Lions on track to win a division title for the first time in 23 years. Yes 23 years which happens to be Big Play Slay’s number.
Nobody picked these Lions to be special this year. Heck, they have not won a championship in almost 60 years, but little did I know that a former BHS Pirate would be their lock down pro bowl type CB.
When Slay jumped that route yesterday I sprang to my feet and yelled “that’s a Pirate who made that play”.
Slay even gave a shout out to the Glynn Academy Red Terrors in his post game interview on the field just after the game. That is hometown pride from a home town hero.
BHS Show October 30
SSE Minute October 29
BHS Show October 23
