By: Jason Bishop

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2022 season has come to an end for the Camden County Wildcats.

Camden traveled to Loganville, outside of Atlanta, to play the Grayson Rams in the second round of the GHSA playoffs. The Rams ended the Wildcats season with a 28-10 win.

Camden ended the season with an 8-4 record and the Wildcats accomplished a lot this season.

The Wildcats earned a two seed in Region 1-7A, upset the #3 ranked team in the state in the Valdosta Wildcats, beat the Lowndes Vikings for the first time since 2015, won three region games and won a first-round playoff game for the first time since 2015.

Camden is on the right track to becoming a state title contender again and the future is bright.

The Wildcats will only graduate 22 seniors and will 44 replace them next season. The rising freshmen and sophomore classes are loaded with talent and those will classes will contribute heavily next season as juniors and sophomores.

Expect a deep playoff run in 2023.

Let’s take a look back on the amazing 2022 campaign.

August 19: Columbia @ Camden: The season got off to a rocky start as the AA Columbia Eagles came to Chris Gilman Stadium and stunned the Wildcats, upsetting them 13-10.

August 26: Camden @ Brunswick: The Brunswick High Pirates were expected to compete for a state title in 6A. The Pirates dropped Camden 16-10 on a goal line stand at the end of the game.

This is the game that turned the season around. You could tell the kids in the locker room came together after losing this tough game.

September 2: Glynn Academy @ Camden: The Glynn Academy Red Terrors walked into an ambush that night. They were expecting a struggling Wildcat team ripe for the taking.

Instead, they got a vicious, angry, physical team that sent them home with a 37-7 drubbing.

September 9: B.E.S.T. @ Camden: This would be more of the same. B.E.S.T. Academy, out of Atlanta, came down and were overwhelmed by the Wildcats, 45-0.

September 16: Somerset Academy @ Camden: The Wildcats woodshedded the Somerset Academy Panthers 48-21, but the game wasn’t even that close.

September 23: Atlantic Coast @ Camden: This wrapped up the trio of games against Florida schools and the result was the same as the priors. The Wildcats dominated Atlantic Coast, 47-6.

October 7: Camden @ Richmond Hill: Wildcats v Wildcats. Camden did not play well in this game but found a way to win and earn their first region victory of 2022, 21-14.

October 14: Camden @ Colquitt: The Wildcats headed over to the Hog Pen and found out what Colquitt was for real. The Packers outpaced the Wildcats, 49-21.

Colquitt was ranked #2 in the state at the time and this game was a flag-a-thon by the zebras. Most of the calls going against Camden. It’s tough to win at Colquitt for a reason.

October 21: Valdosta @ Camden: Another Wildcats v Wildcats matchup. Camden kicked a Field goal to take a 17-14 advantage.

Valdosta marched down the field to attempt their own field goal to tie the game, which Camden blocked and then ran out the clock on the folks from Winnersville.

When it was all said and done Camden had knocked off the #3 ranked team in the state, 17-14.

November 4: Lowndes @ Camden: The Lowndes Vikings were hoping take the #2 seed away from Camden by beating them at home. Instead, the Vikings were run out of Chris Gilman, 48-21 and the game was not that close.

November 12: East Coweta @ Camden: The East Coweta Indians made the long drive from Atlanta to Kingsland. The first half ended with East Coweta up 21-14.

In the second half the Wildcats outscored East Coweta 30-12 and ended their season with a 44-33 win.

November 18: Camden @ Grayson: Jeff Herron returned to place where he won his last state title in 2016. The Rams were a solid team and the Wildcats couldn’t quite find that one big play to get them going.

The Rams eliminated Camden 28-10.

See you next Spring.