Frederica Academy Knights
To The Plains
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Jashawn Sheffield, 4-star athlete from Frederica Academy, has made his college decision.
In a video that has been watched over 100,000 times, Sheffield announced his decision to further his academic and athletic career at Auburn University.
His final decision came down between Auburn and South Carolina and both schools made it very difficult for him.
Sheffield has been on the recruiting scene since his freshman year at Frederica Academy. He received over 10 offers from colleges from across the country before starting his sophomore season.
For a while everyone thought he was destined to be a Florida State Seminole. If you ask him he would tell you that he always thought he would wear the garnet and gold as well. What a lot of people do not know is that Sheffield was once committed to Florida State.
He committed to Jimbo Fisher the spring of 2017. A lot changed at FSU in the fall that led to Jimbo Fisher taking a job at Texas A&M. The move of Fisher allowed Sheffield to open things up and give other schools a closer look. He was able to take several visits to different colleges and ultimately, he decided that Auburn was the best fit for him.
Sheffield will join his teammate, Jaylin Simpson, at Auburn. These two have been teammates since the 6th grade. Simpson will suit up on the defensive side of the ball and there is a chance that Sheffield could join him.
Sheffield is ranked the 10th ranked athlete in the country. This was appealing for Auburn. They feel as if he can play the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side. He is not sure which side he prefers. One day he will tell you wide receiver and the next day he will tell you safety. This will be something that Gus Malzhan and his staff will figure out when he arrives in the Plains.
The recruiting process has not been one that Sheffield has been a fan of. A lot of fans do not really get what some of these recruits go through during the process.
Recruits have to try and figure out who is telling the truth and who is flat out lying. This decision is the first real adult decision some of these prospects will make in their lives.
Sheffield will join some of his Cam Newton 7v7 teammates on the Auburn commitment list. Quarterback Bo Nix, WR George Pickens, CB Jaylin Simpson and TE Tyler Fromm.
He will also join his longtime friend, Owen Pappoe. Auburn is not finished on the recruiting trail. They have their eyes on several other Georgia Prospects.
Frederica now has two prospects committed in their 2019 class. These two will not be the last. Harry Veal, Patrick Brunson, Michael Tindle, Cameron Gardner, JT Elliott, and Cole Hinson will all look to add their name to a college’s commitment list this year.
The 2020 class has some players that will play on Saturdays as well. Denver Anthony and Deke Jernigan will have the opportunity to play as well.
Brandon Derrick’s program has 3 student athletes playing football on Saturdays. Tony Heyward is at Rhodes College, Austin Skelton is at Samford, and Santana Clark will attend Jacksonville University.
Frederica Academy is at the top of GISA when it comes to sending its players to the next level to play football.
Knighted For Next Level
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It seems like it was yesterday when Jaylin Simpson received his first division 1 offer from Ohio State.
The smile he displayed that day was visible when he committed to Gus Malzahn (Auburn) earlier this month.
Simpson visited Auburn for the first time last month. He knew then that Auburn would be his next home after he leaves Frederica Academy. After visiting with the coaches and taking the tour on the first visit, he knew he wanted to get his mother on campus to check everything out before making a decision. That visit was a slam dunk for Simpson’s mother.
We all have seen a lot of the commitment videos from kids over the last month. I have always wondered what the reactions were when recruits tell the coaches at these colleges that they are committing to their school.
I actually got to be present for this one. Simpson actually walked right into Gus Malzahn’s office, hugged him and said, “Coach I am a Tiger. I am committed.” Coach Malzahn’s face lit up and he and his wife yelled with excitement. It was a pretty cool moment to be a part of.
At Auburn, he will look to play either safety or corner. The Auburn staff loves the versatility that Jaylin brings to the table. Simpson has played multiple positions while at Frederica. He has played quarterback, wideout, safety, corner, and has been the Knights punt returner. This versatility makes him very appealing to the Tigers.
What made Simpson choose Auburn? Jaylin has told several people that he loves the relationship that he has formed with the coaches. Kevin Steele (Defensive Coordinator), Kodi Burns (Wide Receiver Coach), and Marcus Woodson (Defensive Back Coach) all have done a great job building relationships with him. He knew that these coaches he could trust.
Simpson has already turned into a recruiter for the Tigers. If you check his twitter you will see that he is going after some of the top targets in the 2019 class.
He has the type of personality that others want to be around, so him helping out the Auburn coaching staff should be helpful.
So, are schools backing off since Jaylin’s commitment? Absolutely not. There have been several schools who have picked up the communication with Jaylin Simpson since last week.
Simpson has said that he is 1000% committed but things might get interesting as this year goes.
Right now, Simpson’s main focus is finishing off this semester strong and getting back on the field with the rest of the Frederica Knights. Brandon Derrick’s Knights will look to win it all this year after suffering a heart breaking lost in the semifinals against Valwood.
Simpson is the first of Frederica’s talented 2019 class to commit to a school. Coach Derrick hopes that a good bit of his players will sign athletic scholarships next year.
Jashawn Sheffield has several power 5 offers. He has no timetable for a decision.
Harry Veal is starting to get a lot of buzz. The talented linebacker will be highly recruited in the near future. Veal scored a 29 on the ACT and several Ivy League schools have noticed.
Patrick Brunson will also have the opportunity to play at the next level. Before missing last season, Brunson received interest from several division 1 schools.
Shifty back, Isaiah Jackson, has shown on several division 2 boards. His vision and quickness will land him a spot on someone’s college roster.
Talented offensive lineman, Michael Tindle will also have a chance to suit up on Saturdays if he chooses. Tindle is one of the best offensive lineman to suit up for the Knights.
Next year has the potential to be a very fun and productive year for the Knights.
Glynn’s Deep Talent Pool
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Football in Glynn County has come to an end and a lot of seniors are wondering if they will ever suit up in a football uniform again.
Over the past few years, Glynn County has been the home of some of the top football prospects in the state of Georgia. Just last year, Glynn County had 4 recruits go on to play division 1 football.
Deejay Dallas and Zalonte Hillery both attended The University of Miami. Shawn Smith attended the University of Virginia and Denaja Gammage attended Mercer University. This year’s cycle will have even more Glynn County student athletes attend college to play football next year.
Brunswick High has one of the most talented group of seniors in Georgia. Coach Pender believes he could possibly have double digit players sign scholarships in the spring.
Jaylen Jackson is already committed to Cincinnati. He visited the campus this fall and fell in love with the staff and committed while on his visit.
Since his commitment, he has had several Power 5 conference schools show interest. His recruitment is one to keep an eye on.
Sharrod Frazier is another baller who is being recruited by a lot of top schools in the country. Frazier is set to visit Colorado State in January. If this visit goes well, we could see the BHS athlete move out west. We could also see Frazier end up somewhere closer like Georgia Southern.
Aubrey Williams is another defensive standout getting a lot of interest from colleges. Rice and Elon are recent schools who have offered Aubrey.
Kam Futch has also earned a chance to play football on Saturdays. Valdosta State and The University of West Georgia are two schools who are vying for his services.
There are also several of guys on the BHS roster who are going to play on Saturdays. DJ Whitfield, Telvin Smith, Alonzo Brown are a few names to keep an eye on as National Signing Day approaches.
Glynn Academy also has some 2018 prospects that will play past high school.
Randon Jernigan had a ton of offers to play college football but chose to go the baseball route. Jernigan will play baseball for the University of Georgia next year.
Marvin Dallas is a name that is on a lot of college boards as well. Marvin Dallas received an offer from Valdosta State earlier this week.
Dallas is a long defensive back. He has the measurables that a lot of colleges are looking for at that position.
A sleeper at Glynn Academy this year is Caine Crews. Crews had an amazing year rushing for the Terrors. He was a defensive player last year so he did not have much film running the rock, but this kid is good. Whatever team takes a chance on Crews will be getting a diamond in the rough.
Frederica Academy also has prospects that have been receiving some college attention. Santana Clark has played two great seasons at Frederica Academy. Earlier in the spring, Clark received his first offer from the University of Central Michigan. He has since received a lot of attention from some schools a little closer. Clark is a kid that can go and he will be someone who suits up on Saturdays.
Glynn County also has a very talented rising senior group. Three of those 2019 prospects have a combined for over 50 offers.
Frederica’s Jashawn Sheffield is rated the number 3 wide receiver in the country.
Jaylin Simpson of Frederica is rated the 20th best athlete in the country.
Brunswick High’s Warren MccClendon is rated the number 26 offensive tackle in the country.
All three players are really special and highly recruited. There is also a good possibility that all three players end up playing at the same school in college. It is going to be fun watching their recruitments take place over the next year.
Frederica Falls
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This was a heavyweight title fight. Two of the best teams in GISA went toe to toe the entire 48 minutes and unfortunately the Knights ended up with the short end of the stick.
The Knights saw their season end in the semifinals against the Valwood Valiants by the score of 14-10.
Frederica led the entire game until the final 25 seconds. Afterwards, an emotional Coach Brandon Derrick told his team that he was proud of them.
He was proud of all the work that they have put in since May and up to this point. He was proud of how they fought through adversity and proved so many people wrong.
He told his Knights to remember the feeling of defeat because this is the feeling that will drive this team next year. The Knights get to match up against the Valiants week 1 next year.
Frederica’s offense was outstanding this season. The offensive line helped pave the way to nearly 350 yards a game.
Jaylin Simpson rushed for over 900 yards and Isaiah Jackson rushed for over 650 yards.
The Knights had a lot of success on the ground throughout the season. Frederica was able to have some success in the air as well as Simpson threw for over 800 yards during the season. These stats include missing two games because of Hurricane Irma.
Jashawn Sheffield led the Knights in the receiving category. He had over 500 yards on the year. Rett Thompson and Trace Dorminy also did a great job helping lead the way for rushers.
Frederica’s defense had its ups and downs during the season but seemed to peak at the right time. The Knights greatest outing came in the final game against the Valiants.
The Knights held the Valiants scoreless for 46 minutes. Valwood is a team that normally averages close to 40 points a game.
Frederica’s defense was led by stud linebacker Harry Veal. Veal was as physical as it gets all season long.
Deke Jernigan was also able to make a major impact from the linebacker position. Jernigan and Veal are a duo that will be a force to reckon with next year.
Santana Clark, Trace Dorminy, Jashawn Sheffield, and Rett Thompson also played great at the outside linebacker position during the season.
Cameron Gardner, Tyler Pierce, and Cole Hinson did a great job on the defensive line this season. They all made timely plays during the season.
Frederica’s secondary struggled at times during the season but finished the season well.
The injury to Patrick Brunson really changed the way Coach Burkett’s secondary looked.
Jaylin Simpson had to move to safety and JT Elliott had to move there as well. They were able to make a lot of plays during the season. The cornerback position was played by a lot of players including Avery Cobb, Josh Meadows, Jashawn Sheffield, Jackson Wetzler, and Isaiah Jackson.
The Knights finished their season 7-4(Missed two games due to hurricane). Frederica’s schedule does not get any easier next season.
They start the season off with Valwood and they also have Charlton County and possibly Brantley County on their schedule next year.
Coach Derrick knows how to get the best out of his players and next year will be no different.
The Knights will be hungrier next year. If you are a part of the Frederica family, you surely have a bad taste in your mouth after the way things ended last night.
The Knights lost that game themselves and will use their disappointment to fuel them next season.
The Jason Bishop Show with Kipp Branch Nov 11
SSE Minute Nov 11
Brandon Derrick Show Nov 8
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch Nov 4
SSE Minute Nov 4
Brandon Derrick Show Nov 1
