Frederica Academy Knights advance to GISA Final Four
Onward Knights
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This past Friday night, the Frederica Knights exorcised some playoff demons.
Goddard Field on the campus of Valwood School is a place that holds equal amounts of joy and heartbreak for the Frederica faithful.
In a rivalry that dates back to the 2014 season, this is the place where Jordan Triplett broke the all-time rushing record in the state of Georgia – albeit in a 56-30 semi-final round loss.
The fact that the Knights have had playoff hopes dashed more than once at the hands of the Valiants is one that is not lost on quarterback Stanton Beverly.
“I just want to beat them,’ the Junior signal caller said during the bye week. The Valiants had a five-game win streak in football against Frederica, and the four-sport player Beverly had never won against the team in orange and blue on any field, court, or diamond.
That changed this past Friday.
The crowd that made the trip to Hahira from St Simons was sizeable – quite possibly the largest since the 2018 state championship game. In addition to being large, they were also loud.
The Knights fans provided an early game atmosphere that led to the first two plays from scrimmage result in Valwood false start penalties.
After the Valiants went 3 and out in their opening drive, Frederica embarked on a 9 play 69-yard drive that was topped off with a 2-yard Stanton Beverly touchdown run.
While it looked like the game would be lopsided from the onset, the remainder of the first half wound up being a war of attrition, going to the halftime locker room with a 7-7 tie.
The Knights would get the ball first to start the second half but unfortunately would go 3 and out when a potential touchdown reception fell through WR Jayden Gibson’s fingers.
Gibson would make up for it in the next drive, taking an interception back 46 yards for a score. It would be the second most important of the four interceptions the Knights would have in the game.
With less than four minutes left in the 4th, Stanton Beverly would connect with Jaylen Baldwin on an 18-yard TD to put the Knights up 28-14. Valwood would take the ensuing kickoff back for a score and then followed that with a successful onside kick.
Valwood was able to move the ball another 30 yards before Gibson had his second interception on the night, this time in the red zone and securing the Frederica win.
Frederica now moves to the semi-final round of the GIAA Class AAA playoffs to face a foe with another lopsided rivalry in the form of the John Milledge Academy Trojans.
Apart from the 2018 State Championship game win, the Knights are winless against the squad coached by JT Wall, including the last four in a row.
After an aberrant 2-9 season in 2024, the Trojans were back to form in 2025, posting a 9-1 record in the regular season and opening the playoffs with a 56-0 walloping of Piedmont Academy.
JMA is led on offense by QB Lewis Cheney. The 6’4” 187 lbs. Senior is 95 for 150 on the year with 1773 yds/21 TDs/4 INTs.
The main beneficiary of those stats is Sophomore TE Asa Wall, who has 40 receptions for 830 yards and 9 TDs. Wall has also carried the ball 54 times for 494 yards and a gaudy 13 TDs.
Elsewhere on the ground, Sophomore Javaris Hurt and Junior Jamel Cooper have combined for over 1400 yards and 14 TDs.
Asa Wall is also a force on defense, leading the Trojans in tackles with 76 and sacks with 5.
The winner of Frederica vs. JMA will face the winner of the Deerfield-Windsor vs. Westfield game in the State Championship at Mercer University on November 21st.
Frederica Gallops Past Valwood
By: Rich Bontrager
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The last time Valwood and Frederica met it was game two of the 2018 football season.
The game was a defensive battle and had to go to overtime to be decided. Eventually, Valwood would defeat the Knights 7-6.
However, that was not the case this week, as the Valiants returned to Frederica Academy in the second round of the GISA football playoffs.
Frederica received the opening kickoff, a rare occurrence this season. Several plays later, Frederica would score on a 5-yard TD pass from Jaylin Simpson (QB) to Harry Veal, who lined up as a secondary receiver. With the extra point made, the Knights led 7-0.
The rest of the first quarter settled into a seesaw battle of defensive stops by both teams, as well as many penalties.
Then in the second quarter, the Knights game plan seemed to emerge and they would score another 20 unanswered points. Many of the points came as Frederica’s defense continued to stop Valwood’s offense and force them to punt.
The offense exploded as Jaylin Simpson connected twice with fellow Auburn commit, Jashawn Sheffield, once on a 33-yard pass completion and then another on a 55-yard pass.
Senior RB Isaiah Jackson would add two other short yard TD scores, one for 2 yards and another for 6 yards.
Most of the offensive production was due to the offensive line producing massive holes for the running backs and exceptional blocking for Simpson to find open receivers.
Head Coach Brandon Derrick had said prior to the game, “For the Knight’s to win, we must get up on Valwood early and not let them find their rhythm”. It was evident that Frederica was doing just that in the first half.
As the Knights kicked off to Valwood to start the second half, they were hoping to build on their 33-0 lead and make a historical statement to one of their most heated rivals. Two costly turnovers early in the 3rd quarter gave the Valiants a fresh blast of energy as they scored off a short TD pass making it 33-7.
Valwood would try an onside kick, but Frederica would recover it and had another series of downs on a short playing field. Isaiah Jackson would add his third TD score, as he rushed for 44 yards. That play was highlighted by a great downfield block Patrick Brunson (WR). Jackson would score a total of six times and help lead the way for the decisive 60 – 27 win.
With this win, Frederica advances to the third round of the GISA playoff and will travel to Heritage Hawks in Newman, GA next Friday night.
If the Knights can defeat the Hawks they will play in the Championship game on November, 30th
