Georgia Sports Edition
Georgia Bulldogs 2018 Season Opener.
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A frenzied crowd awaited the 2018 kickoff for the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium.
The Bulldogs hosted the Austin Peay Governors from Clarksville, TN.
In the thirty minutes leading up to kickoff we saw video after video on the jumbotron in reference to the 2017 season and championship game run.
And why not it had been almost 30 years since Georgia had a chance to win a National Championship.
During the player intros on the video board it was very obvious there were several familiar names returning on offense.
However, not so much the case on the defensive side of the ball. It looks to be a very young Georgia defense.
Jake Fromm started the game for the Bulldogs at QB and Georgia scored 17 points in the 1st quarter to lead 17-0 at the end of the 1st.
Fromm led Georgia to 10 of those points of offense and the other TD was due to a turnover by Austin Peay inside the Georgia 15-yard line.
Justin Fields came out and started the 2nd quarter and on his first drive at the collegiate level, Demetris Robertson scored on a 74-yard running play.
The Dawgs would also score on Fields’ 2nd drive to go up 31-0.
Fromm returned to the game with a little more than 2 minutes to go before halftime. The Georgia QB would promptly hit Mecole Hardman for a 59-yard touchdown in the middle of the field. Hardman would simply outrun the angles for the TD after the catch. Georgia led at the half 38-0.
Fields would start the second half at QB and throw a 12-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to TE Isaac Nauta. That would end any chance of a miraculous comeback for Austin Peay, looking at a 45-0 deficit.
Matthew Downing would come in after the TD pass from Fields at QB for some late game playing time.
One thing is for sure, Georgia is loaded at RB. D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield, Brian Herrien, James Cook, and Demetris Robertson all had impactful carries.
Georgia would go on to win the game impressively. It was a positive season opener for UGA, a big win against a team they should blowout and no serious injuries.
The South Carolina Gamecocks await the Bulldogs next week in Columbia for a key SEC East matchup.
Red Terrors Hitting Their Stride?
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors improved to 2-1 on the 2018 season with 49-0 win over the Groves Rebels.
The Red Terrors were coming off of a 42-6 woodshedding of the Washington Bulldogs.
Groves had given 77 points the week prior to the Effingham Rebels and came into Glynn County Stadium winless on the season.
The game was called after the first half due to inclement weather. Groves was more than happy to get out of Glynn County Stadium after a half.
Rocky Hidalgo’s Red Terrors, once again, dominated on the ground and ran the ball at will.
Glynn QB TJ Lewis continues to improve a weekly basis. The growth of Lewis will prove more and more important as the playoffs approach and into the playoffs.
The Red Terrors will now get a week off to rest and get ready for the South Georgia Gauntlet.
The next time the Red Terrors will take the field it will be against undefeated Wayne County in Jesup.
The Terrors took on an undefeated Yellow Jacket team last season in Jesup and when the night was over Glynn had handed Wayne their first loss of the season (6-1).
The week after that Glynn will once again take to the road, this time to Waycross to take on Ware in the Swamp.
The Terrors have had a great deal of success against the Gators, reeling off four straight victories against Ware.
In case that wasn’t a stiff enough test, Glynn will then travel down to Chris Gilman Stadium in Kingsland to take on the resurgent Camden County Wildcats.
The Red Terrors have picked off Camden two straight years and it hasn’t been close either year.
These three games could go a long way in determining how good these young Terrors will be moving forward into the playoffs.
For now, Rocky Hidalgo’s young Red Terrors sit at 2-1 on the young season
Knights Back On Horse
By: Rich Bontrager
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 0-2 Frederica Knights Football team took to the road for the first time this season to face 0-1 the Lanier County Bulldogs. This was the third non-region game for the Knights and the first time these two teams have ever met.
The Knights came into the matchup short-handed as starting Quarterback Jaylin Simpson, wide receiver Jashawn Sheffield, cornerback Avery Cobb, and several others were out after last week’s intense loss to Valwood. The Knights would have to rely on their underclass and a few key players to carry the load.
The field was wet due to a brief rain shower prior to the start of the game. Regardless of the challenges, the Knights scored nine unanswered points in the first quarter, a field goal plus a 4O yard TD run by senior running back Isaiah Jackson.
During the second quarter, the scoring improved by both teams. The Bulldogs would go deep and score off of Brockington’s (QB) throw to Sirman (WR). The extra point was no good and Frederica maintained a 9-6 advantage. Moments later, Isaiah would score his second of four touchdowns as he returned yet another kickoff, running 80-yards up the middle.
Jackson would gain over 220 yards rushing off of more than 20 carries in the game. At halftime, starting QB Denver Anthony snuck into the end zone on a 1-yard sneak.
The Lanier Bulldogs got back into the game after their defense recovered a Knight’s fumble.
Their offense scored, making it 21-12. The Bulldogs then added another 2-yard TD pass
making it a 21-18 game late in the third quarter.
Jackson helped put the Knights back on top with his third TD run. This time Brock kicked the extra point and the Knights were up 28-18.
The heat, humidity and tough plays by Frederica’s defense began to affect the Bulldogs as they abandoned their running game and threw pass after pass. The Bulldogs had to make that adjustment after Patrick Brunson (Sr) ran back a 55-yard punt making it 34-18. The extra point was good and the Knights expanded their lead to 35-18 at the end of the third quarter.
Lanier County would score again in the 4th quarter. However, Isaiah Jackson responded with another TD run.
Junior transfer, Denver Anthony (5’8, 180 Ibs), had an excellent start for a second week in a row as the QB to lead Frederica. The Bulldog fans saw hope as they scored again on a long 55-yard pass from Brockington to Baker.
The Knights added two more rushing touchdowns by Harry Veal (10 and 8 yards). The Knights scored one more time in the fourth quarter to seal the victory as Kyle Perez (So., RB) ran for a 30-yard touchdown, making the final score 60-40.
Perez’s scores highlighted how coach Brandon Derrick, of Frederica, used every player
possible at just the right moment to secure the win. This strategy was evidenced, as well, by
the extra point kicked through the uprights by young Logan Bower, #99.
Lanier County falls to 0-2, while the Knight now stand at 1-2.
Next week the Knights are back at home to face Bethlehem Christian Academy. These two teams have not met since the first round of the 2016 season. The game will begin at 7:30
Statesboro Bedevils Liberty
By: Josh Aubrey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It may be only two games into the season but it looks like the Statesboro Blue Devil football team may be back. On the heels of a 7-3 victory at Greenbrier, the Blue Devils welcomed in a highly touted Liberty County team and whipped them pretty soundly 23-6.
“These kids have really bought into what mental toughness is all about,” said Statesboro coach Jeff Kaiser. “We finished, we finished it the way we are supposed to. This is the way things are supposed to go at Statesboro High School,”
Once again it was the Blue Devil defense leading the charge. Liberty came in featuring one of the state’s top running backs in Kris Coleman, who was coming off a 350-yard, five touchdown performance. The Blue Devils held him to only 93 yards and held the Panther offense to just 124 yards of total offense.
“Our defense came ready to play once again, and never hung their head,” Kaiser said. “Liberty made an adjustment in the third quarter but we came right back and countered that move and I’m so proud of them and our entire coaching staff.”
The Blue Devil offense, who struggled mightily last Friday, rebounded nicely as they finished with 209 yards of total offense which included their first passing play of the season – which resulted in a touchdown – and their first big yardage play. That was a 74-yard Davardrion Lipsey touchdown run.
“Our offense line, who played pretty bad last week, really responded well tonight,” Kaiser said. “I know people want us to throw the ball but I think we are running it pretty well.”
The Blue Devil defense actually came up with the first points of the game, which was set up by the special teams.
A Hunter Saussy 48-yard punt pinned the Panthers on their own five-yard line. Two plays later Dake Williams wrapped up Coleman in the end zone for a safety.
“Hunter Saussy is just a tenth grader, but he has ice water in his veins,” Kaiser said. “He punted great and he typifies what we want out of all of our players.”
“Sometimes even kids who are just 16 or 17 years old say enough is enough,” Kaiser said. “Tonight, we saw the kind of fight I’ve been wanting to see out of this team. I couldn’t be prouder of this team, this coaching staff, this school, and these fans for turning out.”
The emotional game was capped off by an emotional moment after the game as coach Kaiser handed out his first ever game ball to O.J. Watson, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.
“He’s a tenth grader and is a part of our team whether he’s out there or not,” Kaiser said. “He’s got a hard battle ahead of him, and I feel like our kids were as excited to see O.J. out here tonight as they were to win this game.”
The win improves the Blue Devils record to 2-0 for the first time since 2013. Up next, Statesboro travels to Veterans Friday for a 7:30 game.
Righting The Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Brunswick High traveled to Darien and beat a young MCA squad 49-7.
The Pirate offense set the tone right after the opening kickoff with a 77-yard TD drive, all on the ground to race out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back.
The win put BHS at 1-2 going into a bye week before the home opener with Camden at Glynn County Stadium on September 14th.
Pirate Report Card:
Offense: A-. The Pirates did it all tonight on offense against MCA.
KJ Lee tossed a 90 and 28-yard TD pass to Marlon Carmena. Freshman Chucolbe Hill got the start at RB and did not disappoint.
Carmena has become the number one receiver in the program and threw the key block on Lee’s 73-yard TD in the third quarter.
The offensive line dominated MCA up front as the Pirates rushed for over 230 yards on the night.
Two fumbles in the 3rd quarter were the only negatives of the night on offense. Anthony Mountain saw his first action of the season after he sprained his knee in the Beach scrimmage and tossed a 20-yard TD pass to Xavier Bean.
MCA was just what the doctor ordered for the BHS offense after scoring only 13 points in the first two games.
Defense: A. This unit gave up a short 30-yard TD drive after the offense fumbled deep in Pirate territory.
Justin Akra and Keith Garrett played their best games of the year so far. Demetrius Hardee was much improved against MCA as well.
The pass rush was solid all night, rush defense was much improved and pass defense rebounded from a week ago. Best effort of the young season so far by this group.
The defense has an off week now to prepare for Camden County. Billy Anderson played well in his first start at CB.
Special Teams: B. Brunswick made all XP attempts, but kickoffs need to be deeper and kickoff coverage needs to improve.
Mitchell Richburg punted well once again. This unit made great strides this week.
Coaching: A. This team was ready to play. The game plan was solid and the kids responded well to a very intense week of practice.
Some starters did not start this week but the message from that was received loud and clear and when they got their opportunities to play they played with a chip on their shoulder.
Overall: A. This team beat an overmatched team handily and looked good doing it.
MCA was just in the wrong place at the wrong time on the schedule and BHS put this team away in business like fashion.
This is a young football team that is growing and will continue to improve week by week. This team will be dangerous when region play rolls around.
The Pirates are solid in the power run game and once the passing offense starts to click, look out.
KJ Lee looked very good against MCA and Anthony Mountain played well also in his first action.
Jaylen Trimmings and Hill are a solid running back core, and Marlon Carmena is having an all-region type season.
Next up, Camden County. The Pirates finally have a home opener one month into the season against the much-improved Wildcats.
Brunswick beat Camden 43-27 in Kingsland last year. This should be a good one folks and could set the tone for the Pirates for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Flying Around
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Heading into any new college football season, teams must always deal with graduated seniors from the previous year while leaning heavily on returning starters who know how to get things done in games.
Georgia Southern isn’t quite sure what to expect in 2018, after a 2-10 showing last year that included a mid-season coaching change and more coaching hires in the offseason. However, one point of continuity is a roster that returns the vast majority of its starters for a chance to get the program moving back in the right direction.
Nowhere is the retention of talent and playing experience greater than on the Eagles’ defensive front. Of the 17 players listed on the official depth chart for the Eagles’ front seven in this Saturday’s opener against South Carolina State, 14 saw appreciable playing time last season.
Of course, for all of the returning talent, the offseason coaching shuffle means that the veterans will have to learn a new playbook. Specifically, they’ll have to learn new defensive coordinator Scott Sloan’s 3-4 scheme after years of the Eagles lining up in a four-man front.
“I think they’re coming along really well,” Georgia Southern defensive line coach Vic Cabral said. “We want to play athletic and fast and we’re starting to do that. The next step is picking up some of the nuance and the pre-snap reads that can help us make plays.”
The change in scheme isn’t immediately evident when looking at the roster. Many players are listed at familiar positions but those positions carry different responsibilities than in last year’s 4-3 alignment.
Sophomore Raymond Johnson III is still a defensive end, but instead of lining up wide to rush quarterbacks, he will now set up on the interior and have many more reads and assignments.
“It’s different, but I’m comfortable with it,” Johnson said. “I played the same system in high school, so I think it’s been a little easier to learn the new things. I worked hard to get on the field last season and I worked hard to improve for this season, so now I’m just ready to see what we can do.”
The change in scheme also affects the next line of defense. In previous seasons, the Eagles utilized three linebackers when setting up against the run and two (in a nickel-type scheme) when looking out for the pass.
This year’s base setup will feature a pair of middle linebackers, as well as an ‘Anchor’ and a ‘Dog’ – linebacker positions that skew toward pass and run defense, respectively.
“This is a faster scheme,” middle linebacker Tomarcio Reese said. “If we’re doing everything right, there’s going to be room for everybody to fly around and make plays.”
Of course, the 3-4 scheme depends on the linebacking corps to do everything from stuffing the running game, to covering crossing routes, to pressuring the quarterback on the edge. It’s a job they’re up for, but one that requires constant discipline to execute throughout an entire game.
Rising Up?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Super Bowl LIII is going to be held in Atlanta February 3, 2019. I have to wonder if the Atlanta Falcons can be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium?
The Falcons have some key pieces in place like quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan signed a five-year, $150 million contract making him the highest paid player in the league. I’m a fan of Matty Ice but it’s going to be tough for him to live up to that contract.
Expectations were raised since he is now paid more than Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and any other QB that won a ring.
Ryan was league MVP in 2016 and led the team to Super Bowl LI. Last year under new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian there were some growing pains.
He threw for 4,095 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 65% of his passes. The numbers are not bad but they are all worse than 2016. Under his second year with Sark he should improve.
We all know Julio Jones is the best receiver in the NFL and he looks to have another big year. Jones had 1,444 yards last season but only 3 TD’s. I know he plans on getting into the end zone more in 2018. Mohamed Sanu had 5 touchdowns so he scored more than Jones and added 703 yards.
They also drafted Calvin Ridley in the first round to form possibly the best receiving corps in the league. Defenses will not be able to double Julio anymore.
The offense also features two versatile backs, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The pair combined for 1,493 yards rushing and 63 receptions for 616 yards. Atlanta should be a top five offense this season.
The defense ranked 9th in total defense in 2017, giving up 318 yards per game. That was a drastic improvement.
Vic Beasley Jr. led the league in sacks in 2016 with 15.5. He only had 5 in 2017. Defensive end Takk McKinley had 6 sacks as a rookie. If he progresses as expected they should wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
The secondary is led by safety Keanu Neal and cornerback Desmond Trufant. The weak unit on defense is the linebackers. Duke Riley needs to improve in his second year. Riley missed 8 of 31 tackle attempts, the worst rate for any linebacker in the NFL.
An indoor team like Atlanta needs home field advantage in the playoffs. They will struggle playing outside in cold weather in January.
The schedule looks tough at first glance. The NFC South sent three teams to the playoffs last year. The games against New Orleans and Carolina will be difficult. Even Tampa Bay plays well against the Falcons.
The season begins on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. That is where the season ended with a playoff loss. Atlanta is matched up with the NFC East and AFC North.
The rest of the NFC East teams like Washington, Dallas and New York present a challenge. The Giants drafted running back Saquan Barkley and they have Odell Beckham Jr. as a weapon on the outside.
Dallas will have Ezekiel Elliott at their disposal this year and they have a great offensive line.
The only tough team in the NFC North is Pittsburgh. Cleveland looks to be much better on paper but we will have to see if it materializes.
Another noteworthy game is Week 14 at Green Bay. The Packers are expected to be very good.
The Falcons have the chance to make history but it won’t be easy.
Just Kickin’ It
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If defense wins championships and offense puts butts in the seats, what does special teams do?
Oftentimes the difference in winning and losing isn’t all that exciting. It could be your team showing discipline and not shooting themselves in the foot with stupid penalties. Or maybe it’s just being “fundamentally sound”; a coach’s favorite catchphrase.
More times than not it’s the difference between the place kicker consistently connecting on a 45-yard field goal and kicking like how your uncle throws darts, five beers into a six pack.
For the past nine years that’s an area fans of the Atlanta Falcons haven’t had to worry about, thanks to Matt Bryant.
Now, before I go on I completely understand that reading about the accomplishments of a kicker isn’t nearly as engaging as reading about Matt Ryan or Julio Jones but that doesn’t mean his contributions aren’t valuable.
In Bryant’s case, he has played a huge part in Atlanta’s success and basically been about as good, if not better, at his position than anyone else on the team.
Excluding the 2009 season when Bryant was brought in to replace Jason Elam over the last five games, he has converted just under 89% of his field goal attempts since joining the Falcons.
I feel pretty confident saying that if you were told at the beginning of the season your place kicker was guaranteed to hit 90% of their field goal attempts you’d take it and not think twice.
Plus, he’s only failed to convert on one extra point attempt, out of 330, over that same time frame.
Normally I wouldn’t put too much stock into extra points but since the NFL moved the distance back on those attempts in 2015, Bryant’s numbers are pretty impressive.
He signed a three-year extension this offseason and based on the last few years, even at the age of 43, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
In 2016, arguably the best year of Bryant’s career, he led the NFL in scoring, received his first Pro Bowl invite and surpassed Morten Andersen as the Falcons all-time leading scorer.
Place Kickers are kind of viewed like children were a hundred years ago; they are to be seen, but not heard. If they’re doing their job they go largely unnoticed, except for game winning field goals.
If they’re not, they suddenly become the “drunk, idiot kicker” whose position needs to be eliminated because they’re ruining the game.
Over the course of the upcoming season most of the success, or failure, will be placed on the shoulders of guys like Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Vic Beasley. And don’t get me wrong, that’s the way it should be; those guys are more instrumental in a team’s success than a punter or place kicker.
Panic Button?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Don’t panic.
The Falcons dropped to 0-3 in preseason games on Saturday with a 17-6 loss to Jacksonville, but that is no cause for concern for the Atlanta faithful.
After all, the Falcons themselves do not seem to be taking the entire notion of winning preseason games very seriously anyway. If you need proof, note who started the game against the Jaguars and who did not. Atlanta sat seven of their key starters.
That is not the kind of team that seems concerned about wins and losses as they are about working on specific needs and figuring out who will come out on top of positional battles prior to the first game of the regular season.
Yes, the result was a pretty ugly display against Jacksonville, despite Falcons fans hoping that Matt Ryan would shut down and shut up Jalen Ramsey after Ramsey call the star QB “overrated.”
Atlanta’s efforts against Jacksonville’s defense proved to be futile but it is worth mentioning that the Jags fielded their starters. Jacksonville adapted quickly and pressured the Falcons’ offense in a way that prevented the Dirty Birds from adjusting.
Atlanta only managed 261 total yards during the game and their rushing yards were abysmal, the majority coming from a big Tevin Coleman run.
Take that out of the equation and the Falcons only picked up 48. Overall the team only moved the ball an average of 4.7 yards per play. For good measure, Matt Ryan was also sacked three times. It was ugly.
But it’s okay.
Did you see Julio Jones on the field? Devonta Freeman? No, you did not. They haven’t lined up for a single snap during the first three preseason games and word is they may not see the field for the last tune up before the season starts either.
They don’t need to and Dan Quinn isn’t concerned about wins. So, the offense looked like a mess but they were missing two of the most dynamic pieces – just like for those first two losses.
Looking back on the games against the Jets and Chiefs, it’s more proof in the pudding.
In the game against New York, Atlanta’s starting defense made what amounted to a cameo appearance, disappearing quickly after just a handful of snaps.
The Falcons lost that game, of course, but what’s important is that when the team’s actual defense left the game, the Jets hadn’t put a single point on the board.
The players that ended up losing that game, to New York’s starters, are not going to be making an on-field impact during the regular season.
This kind of thing is par for the course for Dan Quinn and the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn likes to run prospects out during preseason and the results are what you would expect.
There are plenty of reasons for it. Julio Jones doesn’t need to prove anything, for example and it isn’t hard to imagine that Freeman’s preseason concussion from a few years back is a factor in the decision making. Why risk injury to your impact players when the wins and losses don’t matter?
It is also worth pointing out that last year the Falcons laid an egg in the preseason, going 0-4 and everything turned out fine to the tune of a 10-6 season and a playoff run.
There is always a sense of disappointment in a poor preseason showing. They are the first competitive football games since the Superbowl in the winter, after all.
However, the record isn’t the result that matters. This Falcons team is shaping up to potentially be a dominant force in the NFC, 0-4 or otherwise.
So, don’t panic.
Knights Un-horsed By Valwood
By: Rich Bontrager
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Friday night, on Saint Simons Island, fans were treated to an almost perfect rematch of last year’s playoff season-ending loss to Valwood.
Not only was it scoreless at half-time like last year, but it was scoreless through regulation.
The game began with high emotion and back-to-back turnovers. First, Jaylin Simpson of the Knights intercepted Valwood’s Quarterback, Caleb Burns. The very next play, Frederica’s QB
Denver Anthony lost the ball as Valwood stripped it from his hands.
The rest of the game became a war in the trenches of the front lines. While both teams
struggled to find any offensive rhythm, both defenses played extremely well.
Cameron Gardner (Sr., 6’1, 210) of Frederica made his presence known on several occasions, including a goal line stand that forced the Valiants to turn the ball over on downs.
Head Coach Brandon Derrick praised his team for playing, “a hard-fought game.”
Throughout the game, the Knight’s offensive line struggled to keep Valwood from breaking
through and getting into the backfield. With the Valiants breaking the line regularly, Frederica
found it hard to get any consistent passing or rushing game going.
At half-time, the Knights had only managed one first down.
The second half started with Frederica receiving the opening kickoff and putting together a solid series of plays until QB Jaylin Simpson took a hard sideline hit and an injury forced his removal from the game. Injuries mounted for the Knights all evening and forced the team to adjust to mostly a running attack.
With the game tied at 0-0, late into the fourth quarter, Frederica’s Head Coach called for a long pass toward the end zone and it appeared to have been caught but was waved off by the
referees at the two-yard line.
Penalties filled much of the second half, which caused setbacks
to both team’s momentum.
The high emotion of calls affected several of Frederica’s players and resulted in two penalties that cost them 30 yards and another stalled out drive.
In overtime, Valwood received the ball first and scored with starting QB Caleb Burns
connecting with Willie Robertson for a touchdown. The extra point counted making it 0-7.
The Knights finally scored on Isaiah Jackson’s 16-yard run, making the score 6-7.
Head Coach, Brandon Derrick, chose to go for the win and attempt a two-point conversion rather than kick the extra point and be tied once again. Valwood’s defense stopped the attempt and gave Frederica another difficult loss.
Not only did the Knights suffer their second loss of this early season, but the team also has injuries to assess and heal before going on the road to face Bethlehem Christian Academy next Friday night.
