Joe Delaney
Georgia Memories
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, here we are with the latest installment pf the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”.
This year’s edition has twist and turns as is usual in this heated rivalry.
Gone is Billy Napier and the Gators are in disarray. The Dawgs are ranked #5 and should win easily right? Not so fast………….
When you look at the history of the rivalry it makes you realize how scary a game this is for the Dawgs.
The Gators have absolutely nothing to lose and that makes them very dangerous. The Dawgs better be ready to play because this IS the biggest game for Florida and stranger things have happened.
Let’s look at a few of the great games, notes and players in Georgia Florida history through the Bulldogs eyes.
Let’s start at the beginning. Did you know the two schools can’t even agree on how many games have been played?
Florida says that the 1904 game doesn’t count because that was the University of Florida Lake City. Well Georgia won the game 52-0 played in Macon. The great UGA historian Dan Magill remarked many years later, “that’s where Florida was back then. We can’t help it if they got run out of Lake City.” Now that’s how you start a rivalry!
Who can forget the 1975 game and the amazing Larry Munson. Yes it’s the Appleby to Washington game with Larry being ……well Larry!
With 3:10 left in the fourth quarter Vince Dooley calls an end around pass. Larry takes it from there………“and Washington caught it thinking of Montreal and the Olympics and ran out of his shoes right down the middle 80 yards!” Georgia goes on to win 10-7.
A year later it was Florida leading the Dawgs 27-20 in the third quarter. Head Coach Doug Dickey has a brain fart of epic proportions and goes for it on 4th and 1 from his own TWENTY NINE yard line. Florida gets stuffed and Georgia goes on to win 41-27. The play and the game are always remembered as “fourth and dumb”.
Ah yes, 1980. No column on the Georgia/Florida game is done without it. A strong dose of Herschel and a shot of Buck and Lindsay! The great Larry Munson ends the call of Buck and Lindsay with “man is their gonna be some property destroyed tonight! I gave up….you did too….out of it…..out of it and gone. Miracle!” Nuff said.
In 2007 it was the “Gator Stomp”. Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno dives into the endzone for a first quarter touchdown and the ENTIRE Georgia team runs on the field. Georgia goes on the sack Heisman winner Tim Tebow 6 times in the 42-30 Georgia win.
And who can forget the “evil genius” aka Steve Spurrier. Ole Stevie went 11-1 against the Dawgs in his Tenure as Head Coach of the Gators.
He was a brilliant coach and probably loved beating the Dawgs more than anything. His “fun and gun” offenses had some of basics of what offenses run today.
So why did Spurrier have such a distain for Red and Black? It goes back to 1966.
Dooley’s Dawgs roll into the old Gator Bowl to face the Heisman winner Spurrier and the Gators. Well, the Dawgs intercept Spurrier 3 times and he was constantly harassed by Bill Stanfield, the Georgia great.
In the funniest quote I’ve ever seen the good old country boy Stanfield would say, “holding pigs for my dad to castrate was quite a challenge. I can’t say that it helped me prepare for football, but it sure did remind me an awful lot of sacking Steve Spurrier”!
Yeah its Georgia Florida. The old boys from Florida have their share of golden memories also. That’s what makes it so great. For many it’s the biggest game of the year.
No matter what the records are. Its Georgia Florida, a great big slice of Americana. Strap em up Dawgs and don’t forget that injured Gators are dangerous.
The First 100
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Frederica Knights defeated Bulloch Academy 35-20 recently to move to 5-3 on the season. As a result, the Knights coach Brandon Derrick reached the 100-win plateau in his career. After talking to Coach Derrick, I’m getting the feeling it’s just the start.
I’ve had the pleasure of watching him coach and mentor young men since he came to Glynn Academy as the Offensive Coordinator a dozen or so years ago. He coached my son Preston Delaney as the quarterbacks coach and OC at Glynn. And trust me, Preston absolutely loves the guy. I sat down with Coach last week and had a great conversation.
Brandon told me that while, yes, he was the Head Coach at Frederica he was really in the “kid business”. His real job was getting those young men ready and prepared for life.
He said, “Once you get on the Frederica Family Bus, you’re on it from now on and everyone is welcome”. He told me that sometimes the bus ride can be bumpy with a lot of hard work and some tribulations. But he added that there is a standard at Frederica to be held to and that requires kids to work every day to get a little better at football and life. He said that sometimes holding on to that standard can be tough and you learn more when you lose. But you get better.
Derrick spoke of the early days at McMinn Central in Tennessee where he was the Head Coach from 2006-2008. He took them from a 3-7 record to back-to-back 9-2 seasons. From there it was on to Glynn Academy and finally to Frederica.
The Frederica Coach spoke of the special teams at Frederica and included the 2018 squad with the great Jaylen Simpson. The 2020 state runner up squad and the 2021 team nicknamed the “mean 19”. Yes they only had 19 players!
I put him on the spot and asked who were the top 5 kids he had coached and he immediately told me that they were Jordan Jackson from McMinn, James Dean and Joe Nathan Alford at Glynn. Jaylen Simpson and Jordan Triplett from Frederica. That’s a great top 5!
We went on to talk about all the great high-quality players and kids he has had on the Frederica Bus. Names like Patrick Brunson, Jayshawn Sheffield, Harry Veal, Isiah Jackson and Michael Tindle. The list went on with Will Counts, Deke Jernigan, Josh Meadows, Thomas Veal, Garrett Squire, Brice Riley and Sam Norris. All great players and young men.
What struck me as I left his office was that we hadn’t really talked about the great games, wins and losses. We had mostly talked about the kids.
Brandon Derrick is indeed in the “kids business” and that’s a great big bus he’s driving. The Frederica Academy Knights, players, coaches and fans are very lucky to have him.
Congrats on the first hundred coach!
Back To The Top?
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
War damn Eagle! After a disappointing 2024 season the Auburn Tigers are looking to take a step back up to the first tier in the SEC.
The slide over the last few years has been directly correlated to an overall lack of talent and depth for the Tigers.
The Bryan Harsin debacle was just that. Two straight 7-loss seasons got him a pink slip and the real issue was Hugh Freeze stepped into a mess.
If you look at the two seasons under Freeze you still see 7 losses in 2023 and 2024. Not any better? The difference is that Freeze is rebuilding the program.
Most pundits think this is the year that the Tigers step back up. Freeze has done a great job recruiting with two top ten classes and some stellar portal additions. The Tigers will be dangerous this year.
That all starts with transfer Jackson Arnold at Quarterback. The former Oklahoma QB is a killer dual threat, ask Alabama.
In the 2024 Oklahoma Alabama game, Arnold rushed for 131 yards and was 9 of 11 throwing it. The result was a 24-3 thumping of the Tide.
Receivers for Auburn will be a strength. Cam Coleman, Malcom Simmons are All-SEC caliber players. Add in portal addition Eric Singleton Jr and this group ranks as one of the best in the country. There is depth and talent here.
Back at tight end is Brandon Frazier after missing much of 2024 with an injury.
The running backs are solid though not spectacular. Look for Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb to tote the load. Jarquez Hunter will be missed.
The line should be solid with Dillon Wade, Connor Lew, and Jeremiah Wright all back. Add in Xavier Chaplin and Mason Murphy via the portal and you have 5 returning starters.
The bottom line is that this should be a much better offense. If Jackson Arnold brings it, then the Tigers should be very good. This will also help the defense who played steady last year.
The Auburn defense was solid in 2024. Can they do the same in 2025?
They have one guy who says YES. That’s Keldrick Faulk. The Jr. defensive end is a Bonafide All American.
At 6’6” and 270 lbs he looks the part and plays the part. He has NFL written all over him. Throw in Malik Blocton and Bobby Jamison-Travis and the Tigers will be solid on the defensive line.
Auburn does have to replace talent at the linebackers. Demarcus Riddick was an ALL-SEC freshman last year and will be joined by Caleb Wheatland and Champ Anthony who is returning from an injury.
If this group steps up then the Tigers may be able to keep opponents at that 21.3 points per game on defense that they surrendered last year. That was good for 28th in the country. We’ll see.
All the Defensive Backs return. Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, Kaleb Harris, and Sylvester Smith are solid and this should be a team strength. Add in Champ Anthony back from an injury at Nickel Back and this is one of the better groups in the league.
Back for the Special Teams is Alex McPherson. McPherson was one of the best around before a severe illness sidelined him for much of the 2024 campaign. His return brings stability back.
In 2023 he was 13 for 13 on FG’s and 40 for 40 on PAT’s.
Hudson Kaak takes over the punting chores and Jeremiah Cobb is slated to kick return although one of the talented wideouts could make a move here.
The schedule is grueling. Welcome to the SEC.
A season opener against Baylor on the road will be telling. Then throw in road trips to Oklahoma and Texas A&M before the end of September. Ouch.
Add in Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt and there is no rest for the weary. Ohhhh, and Auburn hosts Alabama at Jordan-Hare for the Iron Bowl. A game that Auburn has not won in 5 years.
The bottom line is that this should be Hugh Freeze’s best team. There are quality players throughout the roster.
Freeze has recruited well and worked the portal hard. Now let’s see if the Tigers can start winning again.
Elite Or Not?
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In 2024 the Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC Championship and went to the College Football Playoffs. They won 11 games and beat the 2025 consensus number 1 team Texas twice.
What a great year, right? Not hardly sports fans. Such are the expectations in Athens, Ga these days. It doesn’t matter that many of the 2024 starters are in NFL camps right now. And the 2025 schedule has top twenty teams all through it. The Dawgs are expected to win and win big!
This all starts with Kirby Smart. Widely acknowledged as one of if not the best college coach in America. Kirby has built a dynasty.
And while the Dawgs annually reload, this year’s edition has more young gunslingers than in the past. That means Kirby will have to be at his best. And that goes for Bobo, Schuman, and the rest of staff.
There are holes to fill and changes to be made. The talent is younger than ever. Georgia will be very good. But will they be elite? That is probably Kirby’s’ favorite phrase. With the schedule they play they had better be.
For me there are 4 critical keys for Georgia in 2025. If these end up positive then the Dawgs will be hell.
First is the offensive line. Georgia lost 4 linemen to the NFL this year. And yet they underachieved. Rushing per game was horrendous. Especially in the 3 losses.
Granted many of Georgia’s second teamers would start for many SEC schools. Well, it’s time for some young pups to get rabid.
Monroe Freeling, Micah Morris (Camden County), Drew Bobo, and Ernest Greene all have starting experience. Add in Daniel Calhoun and these guys have got to be better in the rushing game and protecting the QB.
Secondly is the defensive line. Kirby Smarts Dawg teams have regularly sent D linemen to the NFL. This year was no exception.
And while Christen Miller, Gabe Harris, Xavier McLeod and Jordan Hall have all played extensive minutes for the Red and Black. They and their cohorts will need to step it up in 2025. The linebackers and defensive backs should be solid. So how the defense plays will rest on how the line plays.
Next is Brett Thorson. What? The punter? YEAH…… Think how many times Thorson flipped the field against teams. It’s a big difference to have to drive 80 or 90 yards as opposed to 50. He was missed terribly in the Playoff loss to Notre Dame. How he returns from ACL surgery is critical for the Dawgs.
And last but not least is you guessed it……. Gunner.
Is he serviceable or is he elite? We’re about to find out. With an improved rushing game and receivers who don’t lead the nation in drops, Gunner could be very good.
They have brought in help for both of those shortcomings from last year. If he plays within himself and limits his mistakes, he could be very good.
Throw in the best tight end room in the nation and it’s there for him.
He is completely different from Carson Beck and the team loves the guy. How he held on to the ball on the run to inside the 5 against Texas I’ll never know.
The Dawgs need to run the ball and catch the ball. That’s bottom line. Do that and Gunner has a good chance to shine.
The schedule gets Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas at home.
Alabama and Texas will see Athens go completely crazy.
Road games at Tennessee and Auburn are scary.
Throw in the Gators and Jackets and the pups had better be DAWGS by the time they head to Knoxville.
The Dawgs have the talent. They also have two home games to start the season that should help them fix any issues. After that all hell will break loose one way or the other.
Hoping For New Sting
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you play high school football for over 100 years and win a lot more games than you lose, the expectations are always high.
The town of Jesup, Georgia absolutely loves the hometown Yellow Jackets. And fall in the air in Jesup means FOOTBALL.
The Wayne County Jacket faithful are some of the most knowledgeable and gung-ho around. They live and breathe it.
That makes things a lot harder to stomach when you have a year like the Jackets had in 2024. It was ugly and brutal. And those are some of the nicest things a lot of people would say.
The Jackets lost nine games. A very tough pill to swallow.
Even worse was the fact that they were largely uncompetitive in the majority of those games. The Jackets scored a total of 51 points in 9 games while giving up 356. They gave up 40 points or more in six of those nine games. Like I said, it was ugly.
Coming off of a seven-win season the year before, hopes were high with a new Head Coach in John Mohring.
Mohring is a well respected young coach. Having been a small college All-American linebacker right up the road at Georgia Southern. He knows the X’s and O’s.
What he ran into was unexpected. The Jackets were young and played a very tough schedule. It showed particularly on offense.
The question is can the Yellow Jackets rebound? A lot of young kids got playing time in 2024. Let’s hope it helped because most of those same teams are on the 2025 schedule.
Throw in a 33-9 loss to Crisp County in the spring game and It’s time to batten down the hatches in Jesup.
Below is the 2025 schedule along with results from last year if applicable.
8/15 @ Glynn Academy: (lost 16-10) Red Terrors should be better this year than last.
8/22 @ Brunswick High School: (lost 49-7) Pirates are VERY good.
8/29 Appling County: These teams don’t like each other.
9/5 @ Pierce County: (lost 35-0) Pierce was 11-2 last year.
9/12 Richmond Hill: (lost 42-0) Always a powerhouse and growing.
9/26 Warner Robins: (lost 36-3) No rest for the weary
10/3 Perry: (lost 56-7) Ditto.
10/17 @ Benedictine: (lost 40-0) Cadets are always tough.
10/25 New Hampstead: (lost 40-7) a chance here?
10/31 @ Ware County: (lost 42-7) No chance.
It is an incredibly difficult schedule with teams with an overall record of 73-44 from last year.
Work hard and play hard. Good luck Jackets.
Walking Terrors
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Summer is upon us and while most people plan vacations, go to the beach, cookout and enjoy the Golden Isles etc, there is a large group of teenage boys who are focused on one thing. That thing is high school football.
So, I wasn’t surprised when I pulled up to the Glynn Academy fieldhouse to meet with Red Terror Coach Rocky Hidalgo that there were 50 plus kids working out in the hot sun with another 30 inside lifting weights.
For the really good teams, this is the time they get ready. Glynn wants to be a really good team.
In my conversations with Coach Hidalgo, he was very upbeat about the 2025 edition of Red Terror Football.
While last year’s team had a winning record and went to the playoffs, you could tell the Terrors and Coach Rock wanted more. With multiple returning starters, they have a chance to be much better.
Offensively, the Terrors return multi-year starters in Aiden Ward and Josh Baker up front. Add in starter Grant Ferrell and this offensive line could be very good. It is a great nucleus to start with.
Running the ball behind these guys are returners Dasean Howard and D J Creighton. These guys are quick and fast and should be fun to watch. Veterans make a difference.
Outside are returning starters Sean Wallace at the slot, Lavonte Lockett and TY Chisholm at the wideouts.
The key to the offense will be the play of incoming quarterback Max Noonan. He has looked great in practice and the young 5’11” 165 lb QB just needs to distribute the ball to all those playmakers and limit his mistakes.
He has a lot of players around him and doesn’t need to make a ton of plays. If he limits the mistakes this could be a very good offense.
Defensively, everything will rest on the play of the young D-line.
Glynn will be very solid in the back seven with returning starters all over the place.
If young bucks like James Kennedy, Amahray Moore, and Zamir Bell step up on the defensive line then the Terrors will be very good.
Smith Whitehead, Anson Gallon, and Cooper Reiss all return at linebacker. Throw in returning starters Sean Wallace, and Quan Coleman at DBs and it should be a solid unit.
The kicking game is always a strength for Glynn Academy and 2025 shouldn’t be any different. When the Glynn Academy Soccer team wins about 15 games every year…well you get the idea. Patrick Coyle is the next man up.
The Red Terrors will face stiff competition in the region with Effingham and Brunswick the region co favorites.
Add in Richmond Hill and some of the games will be brutal.
But with a nice group of returning starters and solid coaching staff, Glynn should be competitive in every game. The play at QB and on the D-line will have a lot to say about how far this Terror team will go.
They don’t have to be great. They just have to be solid and let the veterans make plays and the Terrors will be dangerous.
Schedule
8/15 @ Wayne
8/22 @ Richmond Hill
8/29 Bye
9/5 @ Bradwell
9/12 v. Statesboro
9/19 @ Lakeside
9/26 v. Brunswick
10/3 @Evans
10/10 v. South Effingham
10/17 Bye
10/24 v. Effingham
10/31 @ Greenbriar
Glynn Goals
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I had a chance to sit down recently with one of the greatest high school coaches in the state and southeast.
Yes, I’m talking about our own Bobby Brockman from Glynn Academy.
We had a great conversation the other day and could have talked for hours. Brockman and I go way back as both my sons went to Glynn and Knox played for Bobby some 15+ years ago.
Growing up every kid wanted to go to the soccer camps on Jekyll. It was amazing on those Saturday mornings. Bobby Brockman was a major player in all of this.
I was fortunate to live in Clearwater, FL for 3 years in my late 20’s and became enamored with pro soccer, as this was the prime time of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Watching pros like Rodney Marsh and Steve Wegerle from the Rowdies take on Giorgio Chinaglia and the New York Cosmos in front of 60k fans was a great way to get indoctrinated into the game.
Years later I was fortunate enough to coach youth soccer on Jekyll and our 3 v 3 team was you guessed it………The Rowdies.
We had a ball and finished 7th in the 3 v 3 nationals in Disney. I don’t think I’ve ever seen 11 and 12 year old kids have so much fun. Well, seeing as though the Rowdies had something going, the next year the Rowdies coach was Bobby Brockman! We laughed and laughed about those good times.
Brockman and I grew to be good friends over the next few years and I watched the guy accomplish great things on the southside of Brunswick.
How is a 462-95-22 record over 31 years? Well, that’s a start but it may not be Bobby’s true legacy.
Bobby Brockman didn’t coach games, he coached players. And that was his greatness. Go find somebody who played for him. Ask them about Bobby. They will all tell you the same things. Simply the best. Over 500 kids and they all love the guy.
He always had his teams ready to play. A worker, a mentor, and a leader. Let’s look at some of the good times and what Coach Brockman had to say.
Glynn had many good players who Brockman brought up through the Jekyll league.
The best? Bobby mentioned the following and said, “I know I’m gonna miss some but here I go.”
Let’s start with the Craven boys. Enough said. Ritchie and Andy had it all. How about Lee Swafford, David Blackshear, Matthew Lee, Johnny Melcher and Connor Behrend? All great players for the Red and White.
Brockman also mentioned the families that were entwined with the program over the years. Names like the Fendigs, Cravens, Plotners, Swaffords and Bulataos. It truly was more than a team. It was a family that went on for 31 years.
Glynn flourished under Brockman. Try 17 region titles, 9 elite 8 appearances, and 3 Final Fours in 31 years. Add in 15 Region Coach of the Years. So, I had to ask Brockman who were his favorite teams and he said every one of them.
The best teams? Coach Brockman mentioned the 2002 final four team and the 2011 final four squad.
Last but not least was Glynn’s Final Four team from last year.
Favorite wins? He mentioned Shiloh in 2002, when we went to Atlanta and took out a good Atlanta squad 4-0.
More recently, Richmond Hill for the 400th win and last year’s team taking out St Pius and Lassiter, two very good Atlanta Schools.
Brockman was particularly happy with the Lassiter win. Seems as though Lassiter came down to Brunswick with a bad attitude and talked all through the game how Glynn wasn’t very good.
I can’t say what they were really saying but you get the drift. Well Lassiter, the two-time defending state champs, had a long bus ride back to Atlanta losing 3-2. Don’t mess with Coach Bobby!
So now the 2025 season is in the history books. A tough second round loss to Veterans 1-0 ended it.
And all good things must come to an end. Brockman has coached his last game for Glynn.
After 31 years, he is retiring and moving to the Ocala area. Family issues necessitate the move but he will be back often with camps and visits.
Coach Brockman will go down as one of if not the greatest soccer coach in South Georgia.
He built the Glynn Program and through the liaison with Jekyll had a profound impact on soccer growth in south Georgia.
But his lasting impact is that 31-year-old family he built. Safe travels my friend and God Bless.
The Players
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
While the locals throughout north Florida and South Georgia are currently shaking off the February blues weather wise. They know it’s time to get going!
One of the major weeks of the year for this area is right around the corner. Yes it’s time for the Players Championship.
This year’s edition brings in some real drama. And that’s before anyone has pulled a stick out of the bag and ripped one down the Par 4, 423-yard first hole.
Let’s get right to it. Can Scottie do it again? In 2023 Scheffler got hot mid round on Sunday and walked away with his first Players.
The next year it was Scottie coming from behind and going low in the final round to win his second in a row. Now begs the question? Three in a row? It’s never been done.
In order to break new ground at Sawgrass with a third in a row, Scheffler will have to be on his game. The consensus World’s #1 has lately been just that, on his game. Can anyone knock him out in Jacksonville? There are quite a few wanting to take a shot.
THE BIG BOYS:
BRIAN THOMAS: The 2021 champion has been playing well. With 3 top 10s in 5 starts this year, Justin can come in and let her rip. He knows the course well and is a crowd favorite. If he can get in the mix on Sunday, watch out.
RORY: Well, of course.
LUDVIG ABERG: Guess I should put him in here since he won the RSM in 2023 right? Not hardly, the young Swede is cool, calm and dangerous. He is rapidly becoming one of the best of the rising young guns in the game. If he plays his game watch out!
XANDER: Coming back from a rib injury. He may be in the field but I think we are asking a little much.
DON’T BET AGAINST:
BRIAN HARMAN: A tough go for the St Simons Island pro recently. But his last 4 results have gotten consistently better. If he is in it on Sunday, there will be a lot of people pulling for this guy.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: No one scares this guy. He hasn’t made any noise lately but if he can just take out that one bad round he seems to be having in the last few weeks, he could surprise.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: He has been around the top 10 numerous times. Consistent, calm, and lethal. I would not give this Brit a break. Do so at your own peril guys!
LONGSHOTS:
SAHITH THEEGALA: The steady, young, 27-year-old pro. A win here would really move his career forward. He’s definitely a long shot, but he is due.
HARRIS ENGLISH: Another veteran St. Simons pro who is playing well with a win earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open. He has all the tools and temperament to have his time to shine.
RICKIE FOWLER: It feels funny making Rickie a longshot, but the former winner is that. Put him in the final grouping on Sunday and then watch him drop one real close on 17! How much fun would that be!
So, can someone above or in the field catch Scottie? Well, the odds say that a three-peat would be very difficult.
My vote? Let er rip Scottie. The guy is on fire. He won 7 tournaments last year. In 5 years on the tour, he has played in 133 events and made the cut 114 times! His winnings over that time are over 70 million dollars. When you’re hot, you’re hot!
If you get a chance to get tickets to the Players, by all means GO! It is everything a great tournament should be.
The Fans, the golf course, and the community all come together. And a Sunday final with a seat on the hill at the 17th should be on every golfer’s bucket list.
Terrors Downed
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors saw their 2024 season come to an end.
After a long 7-hour bus trip to Rome, the Terrors ran into a bunch of hungry Wolves and the outcome wasn’t pretty. The turnover plagued Terrors fell 49-17 and it really wasn’t that close. The number 1 seeded Wolves feasted on those Terror turnovers early and often.
While the Terrors had shown resiliency and fight throughout a tough season, this one was over quickly.
The superior Wolves broke a 47-yard touchdown in the first minute of the contest. It was 7-0 before everyone had gotten into their seats.
Two Red Terror turnovers on the next two Terror possessions in the first quarter doomed the Terrors as Rome quickly went on scoring drives breaking off chunks of yardage and going up 21-0.
By halftime the Terrors had fallen into a 42-3 hole and the second half was played with mostly Rome second teamers.
While the Terrors were outgunned and outclassed they never quit against a much better team and put two scores on the board in the second half.
The first was on a blocked punt. Cooper Reiss blocked the punt and scoop and scored to put Glynn on the board and then T. Y. Chisolm scored on a determined 33-yard run in the final minute to put the final points on the board.
The first-round playoff loss left the Terrors with a final 6-5 record and a long bus ride home.
The Terrors final record included wins Wayne County, Bradwell Institute, Statesboro, South Effingham, Greenbrier, and Evans.
The losses were to Richmond Hill, Lakeside Evans, Brunswick, Effingham County, and the Wolves.
The win over Wayne County was a milestone as the Red Terrors became the 25th school in the state of Georgia history to win 600 games! Yes that’s SIX HUNDRED!
The Glynn seniors ended up going 20-13 for their 3 years and will be sorely missed.
The Red Terrors of 2024 showed remarkable poise and determination.
They were knocked down and always got back up. Having a winning season and making the playoffs for the 17th season in a row was a testament to the grit, determination, and hard work of the boys and the coaching staff.
When you reach the playoffs in any sport for over 15 years in a row, it says something about your team and program.
In the Rome Wolves, the Terrors took on a hot team. After losing their first 2 games, the Wolves had been on a 7-game winning streak, now 8.
The Wolves are prolific on offense scoring 59, 28, 70, 63, 35, and 50 in their last 6 games going into the 1st round matchup with the Red Terrors in the first round of the GHSA 5A playoffs.
Defensively in those six games, they’ve given up 35 points total. The Terrors definitely hand their hands full.
After a long season full of highlights and a few lowlights the Terrors can begin looking toward the 2025 season.
The old adage that says winners never quit and quitters never win was never more appropriate than with this outfit. So now the Terrors will look to off season workouts and start laying the foundation for the 2025 edition.
Terror Character
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you reach the playoffs in any sport for over 15 years in a row, it says something about your team and program.
That was all on the line last Friday night for the Glynn Academy Red Terrors.
After an up and down season, the Terrors found themselves down 24-21 late in the fourth quarter to the Evans Knights.
It was literally win and you’re in or lose and close but no cigar. The winner would be the region’s last team in and the loser could start pumping up basketballs.
With under 6 minutes to go in the game and trailing, the Red Terrors reached down and found that little extra they needed. They stood up and took charge of a game that they had made close with some crucial mistakes in the 3 ½ quarters before.
Behind the play of T. Y. Chisholm, Da’Sean Howard and Sean Wallace on offense and Tae Green on defense the Terrors came back to take a 28-24 victory and win a trip to take a six-hour bus ride to take on the Rome Wolves in the first round of the state playoffs.
In those final 6 minutes the Terrors showed the character of a team full of winners.
First, Howard put the team on his back and carried the ball on pretty much the same play three times in a row. The third one, a tackle breaking run went for 39 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Tuck Tuckers extra point made it 28-24.
That left it up to the Red Terror D that had played well all night but had given up several big plays for scores.
They responded by making interceptions the last two times Evans had the ball. The last by Ervan Rowe on a 4th down and 28 Hail Mary pass. That 4th and 28 was set up by Tae Greens’ SIXTH sack of the night. The guy was a true Terror, all over the field.
Coach Rocky Hidalgo was “relieved” that the Red Terrors had won but bemoaned the errors that his Terrors had made.
All teams make errors and nobody is perfect but character stands out. In the last 6 minutes with the season on the line the Red Terrors showed character.
Can they stand up to the 5A #1 seed Rome Wolves? We will see. But the Terrors definitely have the right attitude and it begins with Coach Hidalgo’s comments following the game.
He stressed that the Terrors had to be ready not only for next Friday night in Rome but on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on the Glynn practice field. That’s why the Terrors are in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season.
In the Rome Wolves, the Terrors will take on a hot team. After losing their first 2 games, the Wolves have been on a 7-game winning streak.
The latest being a 50-3 pasting of Kennesaw Mountain. The Wolves are prolific on offense scoring 59, 28, 70, 63, 35, and 50 in their last 6 games.
Defensively in those six games, they’ve given up 35 points total. The Terrors definitely will have to play their absolute best to hang with Rome.
If they make crucial errors at times in this game they could get hammered. The Terrors will head into the game at 6-4 and the regions 4th seed.
After a long season full of highlights and a few lowlights the Terrors can head up north knowing they are big underdogs.
The official website for Rome says they are playing the GLYNN COUNTY SCHOOLS. They evidently don’t even know who Glynn Academy is! Glynn should go and let it all hang out.
As the old saying goes, they’ve really got nothing to lose.
