Joseph Stuckey
Bulloch Academy Gators Swimming Toward Playoffs
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This past Friday, the Bulloch Academy Gators made a statement win on the road in Locust Grove, defeating Strong Rock Christian 42-7. With this win, the Gators moved to 6-1 on the season with only their 3 district games left to play before moving into the playoffs. Before district play starts, the Gators get a much-earned bye week.
In their last 2 contests, the Gators have outscored their opponents 98-7 with dominant wins on the road over both Strong Rock and Robert Toombs. It’s hard for me to put my finger on which side of the ball is most dominant for the Gators.
On offense, the Gators keep humming along, with very few possessions that don’t end in points. The Gators have adapted into a little more of a balanced attack this season, adding some efficient passing elements.
On defense, the Gators basically eliminate running plays with a “swamp of gators” tackling the ball carrier, limiting one-on-one tackling. At the same time, the secondary looks improved from last season and is doing a better job of not giving up long passes.
The big question mark for the Gators defense this season is whether they can get back to the defensive standard that led to the state championship in 2024.
In 2024, the Gators allowed only 6.5 points per game in the regular season; currently, they sit at 16.4 points allowed per game. That is still a very impressive number because it’s basically telling the Gator offense that if they want to win the game, all they have to do is score 17+ points, which the Gators have been doing in the first quarter alone recently.
For playoff seeding, the GIAA uses MaxPreps rankings to determine the brackets based on their rating. The Gators currently have a 46.87 rating, which is #4 in all of the GIAA. Just for reference, John Millege Academy, which handed the Gators their only loss this season, is currently #1 with a 52.66 rating.
The 3 remaining opponents for the Gators have an average rating of 22.39, with only Frederica Academy currently in line for a playoff spot. So, I say all of that to say it should be a smooth ride to the playoffs for the Gators.
The goal for the Gators is a top-2 seed in the playoffs, as that would let them host the quarterfinals and semifinals in Statesboro, and then, coincidentally, the state championship would be in Paulson Stadium. The Gators won the 2024 state championship at Paulson Stadium as well.
In my personal opinion, if the Gators win out, there should be no issue locking up a top-2 seed, as Strong Rock was ranked #3 in AAAA and #4 First Presbyterian Day recently lost to Frederica Academy on 9/18.
This means that as the rankings get updated, there will be a major separation between the Gators and their challengers in AAAA.
The Gators could end up as the #1 seed, as current #1 Stratford Academy is 5-1 but does have to play John Milledge in a few weeks.
So if the Gators handle their business and win out, they will be looking at 3 playoff games in Statesboro to potentially capture their 2nd state championship in 3 years.
Best Of Bulloch
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A lot of emphasis gets put on Bulloch County’s current collegiate prospects, but over the past few seasons there have been quite a few players who have made the jump and now play on Saturdays.
With college football in full swing, I thought it would be a good time to highlight some of these players. Below is a list of some of Bulloch County’s standouts at the FBS level organized by graduation year.
First, let’s start with the class of 2026, which produced current Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Bear Fretwell. The 6-7 true freshman lineman was rated as a unanimous 3-star and the 47th-ranked player in the state of Georgia for the 2026 class. The Crimson Tide will look to contend for the SEC title as well as a berth in the CFP.
The class of 2024 was one of those once-in-a-generation classes that produced 3 Power 4 (P4) players at the time. To start with, Portal High School produced Amir Jackson, who took his talents to Gainesville, FL.
The 6-5 tight end was a consensus 4-star and was ranked as a top-15 player in the state of Georgia. Jackson has appeared in 15 games for the Gators and scored a touchdown last season against Texas A&M. Under new head coach Jon Sumrall, the Gators will look to make a run at the SEC title and potentially sneak into the CFP.
Also in the class of 2024, Statesboro High School produced Kam Mikell and Amontrae Bradford. They were a part of the Statesboro team that gave coach Matt Dobson his first postseason win as a Blue Devil.
Bradford was a consensus 3-star and the No. 41-ranked edge rusher in the country. He has appeared in 26 games for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and has accounted for 25 total tackles. He will be a big part of the Yellow Jackets’ defense that will look to bring the first ACC title to The Flats since 2009.
For Kam Mikell, his journey has been a little different. He committed out of SHS to Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes. During his time there, he appeared in 8 games and then decided to transfer this season to play for his hometown Georgia Southern Eagles.
Mikell was a consensus 4-star and was the number 31 player in the state of Georgia for the 2024 class. His commitment to GSU really energized the fanbase, as he was their highest-rated transfer this past cycle according to 247Sports.
Under head coach Clay Helton, the Eagles have set their sights on winning their first Sun Belt title since 2014.
The final Bulloch County native is from the class of 2023. Jordan Lovett has spent his entire collegiate career with the Troy Trojans.
Lovett came out of Statesboro High School, and picked Troy over Georgia State, Charlotte, and Georgia Southern, among others.
During his time at Troy, he has appeared in 25 games and has 700+ all-purpose yards. This season, the Trojans will be looking to claim their first Sun Belt title since 2023.
As you can see, Bulloch County has quite a few alumni at the FBS level, and the current group of prospects will only add to its growing reputation as a pipeline to the collegiate level.
Showdown At Womack
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Friday night lights will shine brightly in Statesboro this week as the undefeated Blue Devils welcome in perennial powerhouse Benedictine Military School to Womack Field.
This will truly be one of the marquee matchups this week in the state, as both Statesboro (#6) and Benedictine (#4) are ranked among their top-10 teams in 5-A.
Statesboro has really impressed a lot of people so far this season, as they currently sit undefeated at 3-0. They have wins against in-county rival Southeast Bulloch, and they also got strong measuring-stick wins against Burke County and ECI.
They also got an early bye week before this big-time matchup, which should have them ready to go at nearly full strength.
Benedictine comes into the game 2-1 with wins over Hebron Christian and a big statement win over 7-A Camden County. Their lone loss came to the 3-A state title favorite Toombs County, which has a roster loaded with FBS commits and prospects.
Speaking of prospects, Benedictine has 2 Power-4 commits on their roster: wide receiver Eron Mallard, who is a 3-star committed to the Purdue Boilermakers, and 3-star safety Stanley Smart, who is committed to the Hokies of Virginia Tech.
Benedictine has been built as a powerhouse that has constantly sent players to the FBS level. Some argue it is the most successful program in Southeast Georgia over the last decade or so.
The Cadets have captured state football championships in 2022, 2021, 2016, and 2014. In years they did not win the state title, they have made deep playoff runs, including last year, when they finished runner-up to Creekside by just 3 points.
Speaking of sending players to college, here are a few notable cadets at the next level: Bubba Frazier (Notre Dame), Luke Kromenhoek & Za’Quan Bryan (USF), Stephen Cannon and Ladamion Guyton (Texas Tech), Third & Ralph Scroggins (Miami), Jacobe Ward (Auburn), Kameron Cody (Clemson), Bryce Baker (Georgia Southern), & Holden Geriner (Pitt).
Statesboro also has a couple of notable players currently on FBS rosters as well. Edge rusher Amonntrae Bradford is currently with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and all-purpose athlete Kam Mikell plays for the hometown Georgia Southern Eagles.
Most likely, this game will be a major factor in determining who the region champion is for class 5-A region 1. This region also consists of perennial favorites Ware County and Jenkins (Savannah).
However, with the new rankings formula being implemented in all of GHSA, a loss in this game will not be detrimental to either team if the status quo holds. I predict each one of these teams to be in the 7-9 win range, so as each team moves on after this game, their ranking should continue to improve as the other team keeps winning.
With this being a home game, the Blue Devils are hoping the hometown fan base will bring a lot of energy and rally them to a seismic win that will show the rest of 5-A that Statesboro plans to make a run at the state title this year.
Bulloch Academy Gators Another Big Win
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Bulloch Academy Gators came into this past Friday’s game with a 3-1 record. This game came the week after the hard-fought loss to John Milledge Academy, 23-35 in Milledgeville.
The good news is the Gators have played a really tough schedule, and their MaxPreps ranking is taking note as they came into this game #2 in the AAAA rankings and #4 in all of GIAA.
With their win on Friday over the Westfield School Hornets out of Perry, GA, the Gators improve to 4-1 and look well on their way to locking up a top seed in the GIAA AAAA playoffs.
Westfield came into the game ranked #2 in AAA and #6 in all of GIAA. This game featured playmakers in all aspects of the game.
The offense was able to control the clock by running the ball consistently and getting big runs when needed from impact players like Connor Perry and quarterback Sam Hubbard.
Hubbard continues to show how impressive his ability to make decisive runs and calculated throws is.
The offensive running game also felt an impact from Rocco Reiss, B.J. Smart, and Nick Eason Jr. The offensive line upfront also continues to show why it is the most consistent group for the Gators year after year.
The Gators’ defense was able to capitalize on the Hornets playing from behind the sticks most of the night. They allowed minimal big plays and implemented a bend-but-don’t-break mentality.
The defense only allowed a couple of big receptions and tried to keep everything in front of them. The defense allowed the Hornets to make mistakes and then capitalized for big stops.
The defense had several playmakers, including Jayce Farmer, Tate Williams, and Colin Grooms.
Also, the quarterback felt pressure all night from Braylon Cone at nose guard and Billy Crider off the edge. Crider also knocked down a pass late in the game to help seal the victory.
On special teams, the Gators relied on good returns from Perry and Crider as well as consistent kickoffs and extra points from Case Woodrum.
Special teams seem to be an area where the Gators find an advantage over other teams, and with a little fine-tuning, it could become their best aspect of their team.
The game against the Hornets basically ran at a 2-score deficit most of the night; even though they scored a late touchdown, which made the score look closer, the Gators controlled the game from start to finish.
Westfield also had a failed 2-point conversion towards the end of the game, which all but put the final nail in the coffin, as the Gators offense was able to run out the clock.
Outside of a few minor errors and slip-ups, the Gators seem to have rebounded well from the loss to JMA and look to have their eyes set on going for the big GIAA prize.
Now that this game is in the book, the Gators will travel next week to Robert Toombs in Lyons and hope to avoid a 3-overtime marathon game like last season. After that, the Gators will travel to Strong Rock Christian in Locust Grove for their biggest AAAA regular-season matchups of the season.
Georgia Players Commitments To Georgia Schools
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we are less than 100 days away from Early National Signing Day on December 2nd, I thought it would be a good time to examine the recruiting rankings of the 5 FBS teams in the State of Georgia.
To start with, the Georgia Bulldogs sit at number 14 in the country with two 5-stars and eight 4-stars.
Their class is highlighted by the #1 running back in the country, Kemon Spell, and the #1 tight end, Jaxon Dollar.
They also have a local verbal commitment from Abram Eisenhower, who is a consensus 3-star offensive lineman from Lowndes County.
Next are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who posted an impressive 9-4 record last season under head coach Brent Key. They currently have the number 26 overall recruiting class, which is headlined by nine 4-star recruits.
They do have local standout offensive lineman Jordan Dillon from Effingham County verbally committed to them; he is a 3-star. Also, 3-star wide receiver Antwan Lockett from Colquitt County is verbally committed to the Yellow Jackets.
Next, I will dive into the three Group of 6 Schools in the state. It is always interesting to see which of these 3 finishes on top each year. I say this because they are all in some of the highest recruited areas in the country.
Georgia Southern is in the 912 area code, which has produced a top-3 overall recruit for the past 2 recruiting cycles. Both Kennesaw State and Georgia State are in the Metro Atlanta area, which produces a top-25 overall recruit basically every year.
First is the Georgia Southern Eagles, who have the highest average recruit rating of the three. They do have a couple of local wide receivers verbally committed to them: 3-star MJ Knight (Calvary Day) and 3-star Billy Crider (Bulloch Academy).
They also have verbal commitments from 3-star tight end Elan Jones (Ware County) and 3-star running back Josiah Gibbons (Brunswick).
Next is fellow Sun Belt school Georgia State, which has the highest-rated overall class of the three schools on both On3 and 247Sports.
Head Coach Dell McGee was able to reel in a verbal commitment from 4-star athlete Justin Murphy, who plays at nearby North Clayton High School.
They also do have a couple of local verbal commitments: 3-star wide receiver Jamarian Mingo (Valdosta) and 3-star running back Donterrius Mincey (Toombs County).
Last but not least is the defending Conference USA Champion, the Kennesaw State Owls.
Right now the Owls are basically tied with Georgia Southern in both overall recruiting class ranking and average recruit rating.
They do have a local verbal commitment from 3-star Braylon Cone (Bulloch Academy), who is the highest-rated defensive lineman in the 912 area code for the 2027 cycle.
There is not much of a surprise with where these teams currently sit in the rankings. If you look at last year’s recruiting cycle rankings, it is very similar to this year’s rankings.
UGA is normally near the top, and Georgia Tech is trying to crack the top 25.
For the G6 schools, they usually finish close together in the rankings, so it will be interesting to see which of the 3 ends up on top this recruiting cycle.
Bulloch Academy Gator Chomp
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Bulloch Academy Gators have started their 2026 football campaign with a 2-0 start.
In the first game of the regular season, the Gators handled their rival Pinewood Christian Academy in The Battle for I-16, winning 44-6. For this senior class, this makes them 4-0 in the rivalry series.
This past Friday, after an extensive rain delay (9:17pm start time), the Gators rallied back to beat Brentwood. Brentwood led 33-14 in the 3rd quarter before the Gators scored 22 unanswered points to move to 2-0 (final score: BA 36-Brentwood 33).
Both Pinewood and Brentwood compete in 2-A in the GIAA; Brentwood is the defending back-to-back AA State Champions.
Over these first couple of games, there have been a few standout Gators I want to make note of.
First, running back B.J. Smart really has filled into the starting role nicely and seems to be capable of helping the Gators run all the way to the playoffs.
The next 2 are what I call Swiss Army knives, meaning they are very versatile and make plays all over the field.
Connor Perry is very shifty and can make defenders miss in the open field. Rocco Reiss is a tough runner but can also be a deep-pass threat, as he had a 50+ yard touchdown reception this past Friday. Maddox Lee is also one of the very versatile players who the Gators will look to throughout the season.
Sam Hubbard, as we have seen for the past couple of years, is a very capable quarterback and shows he has ice in his veins and can take off and run for big gains when needed. He is committed to play baseball for Georgia Southern.
Nick Eason Jr. has also been playing exceptionally well on the offensive side of the ball and as a key defensive back, making several touchdown-saving pass breakups. He also had an interception against Brentwood.
Georgia Southern commit Billy Crider came into the season known for his catching ability, but he has also found success as a return man on special teams and a quick edge on the defensive line.
The offensive line up front has led the way to the Gators putting up 80 points over their first 2 games. Some of the key guys up front are Griff Sumner, Bryce Parish, Bo Crider, James Lee, and Slayton Roberts.
On the defensive side of the ball, the guys up front are rounding into mid-season form. Colin Grooms had a game-changing 15-yard tackle for loss against Brentwood. Kennesaw State commit Braylon Cone is taking command of the nose-guard position and basically eliminating any up-the-middle runs.
Whit Olliff has really impressed me so far this season; he has been a vocal leader on defense and has made impactful plays over these first 2 games.
I also want to mention sophomore Cannon Vickery, who is a spark plug for the Gators whenever he is in the game and brings a lot of energy to his teammates.
The 2-0 Gators will travel next week to take on fellow unbeaten team Tattnall Square Academy in Macon.
With a win next week, it will set up what many have dubbed the GIAA game of the year in Milledgeville on 9/4 between defending AAA State Champs John Milledge Academy and the Gators, who are one of the AAAA State Title favorites.
There are still a few things the Gators would like to sharpen up, as well as reduce the number of penalties as they continue the season, but so far this has been a positive start for the Gators.
Miami Hurricanes 2026 Preview
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Miami Hurricanes are looking to build on their momentum from last season’s success. They made it all the way to the National Championship game but fell short to the Indiana Hoosiers.
This season, they are reloaded and are looking to bring home the trophy.
To start with, there is a new quarterback for the Hurricanes as Carson Beck has graduated out and is now with the Arizona Cardinals. If I may add, Beck looked very promising in the Hall of Fame game against the Panthers.
Darian Mensah has been the story of the offseason in college football, and his saga of leaving the Blue Devils of Duke and coming to Miami has certainly been interesting to follow.
He led the Blue Devils to the ACC title last season and originally committed to come back, but in the end transferred to Miami.
Mario Cristobal is the head coach of the Hurricanes and is entering his 5th season, and during his tenure has brought them back into the national spotlight. Currently, according to 247sports, the Hurricanes have the #2-ranked recruiting class for the 2027 cycle, headlined by 5 five-star recruits.
On a local note, former Benedictine Cadet standout Herbert Scroggins III is set to make a real impact on the defensive line this season for the Hurricanes.
As the Hurricanes look to return to the National Championship game, they will start week 1 in conference play as they will take one of the longest trips in college football this season from Miami, FL to California and take on the Stanford Cardinal.
Next, they will welcome the Rattlers of FAMU to Hard Rock Stadium before traveling to Deac Town to take on Wake Forest, which is coached by Jake Dickert, coming off a 9-4 record.
Then the Hurricanes will come back home to host Central Michigan before heading to Death Valley and taking on Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers in what will be a key early-season matchup.
The Pitt Panthers will then make a trip to South Beach before the Hurricanes head to Chapel Hill to take on Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels in what could potentially be a must-win game for Coach Belichick.
Next, a trip to South Bend is in store for the Canes in what will be one of the top matchups in college football this season.
To end the season, Miami will host 3 ACC games that will have a lot of ACC Championship and CFP implications on the line
The Duke Blue Devils will head to Hard Rock Stadium in what will be a very interesting game for the Dariah Mensah saga.
After that, both Virginia Tech and Boston College will make trips to South Beach.
This is a very manageable schedule for the Hurricanes, and there is a strong possibility they will go 12-0; however, I see them closer to the 10-win mark.
There are some tough road games: at Wake Forest, at Clemson, and at Notre Dame, it would be very east for them to drop a couple of these tough road games.
Now, with that being said, I think Miami has one of the best chances to make the CFP, and if they do what they are supposed to do this season, they will find themselves right in the playoff mix at the end of the season.
Gators Are For Real
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
To start off the 2026 football season, the Bulloch Academy Gators took on the Jenkins County War Eagles in a scrimmage game in Millen, GA, on Friday, 8/7.
Jenkins County is a GHSA school that plays in 1-A Region 5 against teams like Johnson County and Twiggs County.
I always like to use the term “watered-down” when talking about a scrimmage game because plays are normally scripted, coaches are sometimes on the field, most of the key players don’t play the entire game, and there are some odd elements in the kicking game.
There were a few minor things the Gators may need to sharpen as we head into the regular season, but for the most part it was business as usual.
Quarterback Sam Hubbard hit Georgia Southern commit Billy Crider for a long touchdown pass, as it looks like the Gators may try to slip in a few more passing plays than in years past.
Running back Danye Garvin has graduated out and is now a part of the Wingate University football team. So, one of the big questions this offseason was who would be taking the lead role running the ball in the Gators’ Wing-T offense.
B.J. Smart answered that question as he looked like a strong and capable running back to carry the ball for the Gators this season.
I expect the running game to take center stage again this year as we look to have a very solid offensive line consisting of: James Lee, Griff Sumner, Bo Crider, Slayton Roberts, and Bryce Parrish. A strong offensive line is very crucial for the Gators to do what they want to do on offense this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a few names stood out to me; of course, Collin Grooms and Kennesaw State commit Braylon Cone were a part of several big stops for the Gators.
Whitt Oliff made his presence known throughout the scrimmage, and Nick Eason Jr. displayed his speed chasing down a ball carrier, thus saving a touchdown. Billy Crider also took some snaps as an edge rusher and looked very solid.
The Gators also have quite a few very versatile guys that you will see making plays in several different aspects of the game, including: Cannon Vickery, Jace Farmer, Rhett Morgan, Maddox Lee, J.B. Roach, and Rocco Reiss.
Overall, I think the Gators are really going to make a run at the GIAA 4-A State Title this year, but now their attention must turn to the Battle for I-16. The Pinewood Patriots will make their way to the Swamp on Friday 8/14, where regular season play will kick off under the lights in Statesboro.
Normally this matchup takes place at the end of the year during region play, but with Pinewood moving down to GIAA 2-A, these two teams will no longer be region opponents.
Anytime a team comes down from a larger classification, they always have to get other teams’ attention, so I would not be surprised if Pinewood makes a playoff push later this season and finds themselves on the 2-A playoff bracket.
The Gators have been the better team for the last couple of years, winning both at home and on the road in Bellville. However, the BA/Pinewood games always come down to the wire, and I don’t expect this year’s matchup to be any different.
New Gator Era
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Swamp in Gainesville is buzzing as the Billy Napier era ends and the Jon Sumerall era has begun.
Coach Sumerall comes to the Gators from Tulane, where he was head coach for 2 years; prior to that, he was head coach at Troy for 2 years. He has a record of 43-12 and led Tulane to a CFP berth last season.
The Gators have also been hot on the recruiting trail this summer, and according to 24/7Sports, they are number 11 in the country and number 6 in the SEC; their class is currently headlined by 5-star O-Lineman Maxwell Hiller.
But the focus is starting to turn to their 2026 campaign as the Gators look to turn this recharged energy into wins on the field.
To start, the Gators are moving forward Lagway-less; their quarterback of the future is now a Baylor Bear. So, at the quarterback position, the Gators will look to either Tramell Jones Jr., who was a 3-star recruit for the Gators in the 2025 class, or Aaron Philo, who many Georgia Tech fans thought would replace Haynes King in Atlanta.
The new Offensive Coordinator for the Gators also came from Georgia Tech, as Buster Faulkner will be calling plays, and if I had to bet who was going to start game number 1 against Florida Atlantic, it would be Philo.
It’s also worth noting from a local perspective that former Portal Panther and Redshirt Sophomore Amir Jackson has a lot of signs pointing his way towards being an impact player this season at Tight End.
According to ESPN, the Gators have the 7th toughest strength of schedule in the country; as a side note, 14 of the top 15 are all SEC teams.
To start off the season, the Gators will host Zach Kittley’s Florida Atlantic Owls and their high-octane offense. He is currently the youngest coach at the FBS level at age 34. I am putting the Gators on upset watch for this game.
Next, they will host FCS opponent Campbell University Camels before a trip to The Plains of Auburn for their first SEC matchup of the season.
Then they will get deep into SEC play as they will host Ole Miss, who is fresh off a trip to the CFP. This will be followed by a trip to take on Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Tigers squad in Columbia, Missouri.
Then Shane Beamer’s squad will come to town in what will probably be a must-win game for both squads.
This will be followed by a trip to Austin, Texas to take on the Longhorns.
Next is what is slated to be a “neutral site” game against the Georgia Bulldogs at The Benz in Atlanta.
Following that game, the Sooners of Oklahoma will visit The Swamp, also fresh off a CFP appearance.
The Gators will then travel to Lexington, Kentucky for what will most likely be another must-win game for both squads. Then, for the final home game of the season, they will host the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Then, for rivalry weekend, they will travel up the road to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles.
With a first-year head coach, there is always a big unknown, and anything can happen.
The Gators return a lot of talent and have good coaches in place, so I set the ceiling at 9 wins and the floor at 6-6, which would put the Gators headed to a bowl game in the first season under Coach Sumerall.
Richmond Hill Wildcats 2026 Preview
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Richmond Hill Wildcats football team is looking to take a big step in 2026, building off of their success in 2025.
The Wildcats play in the newly added 7-A class, which is GHSA’s highest classification. Their region is one of the most competitive in the state and consists of: Camden County, Colquitt County, Lowndes, and Valdosta.
Last year they made the state playoffs as the 4 seed coming out of Region 1 in 6-A (was GHSA’s highest classification at the time). The Wildcats would take an early exit after drawing national power Buford High School in the first round on the road.
This year, they look to play well during the regular season and use the GHSA’s new power-ranking formula for playoff seeding to their advantage.
To do this, they will rely heavily on senior quarterback Gunner Mobley. Last season, he got region honorable mention, and during the season he threw for over 1400 passing yards and was responsible for 13 touchdowns. He was also named a top-5 quarterback in the greater Savannah area.
The schedule sets up pretty well for the Wildcats. By being in GHSA’s highest classification, most of their games outside of region play will be against lower-classification teams and should favor the Wildcats.
They will take on a nearby opponent in the Effingham County Rebels. In this game, On3 gives the Wildcats an 86% chance to win this game. Effingham County is a solid opponent that hosted a first-round playoff game last year in GHSA’s second-highest classification (5-A).
They will also take on another nearby opponent with Liberty County; according to On3, this game should be all Wildcats as they are given a 99% chance to win this game.
The Wildcats will also take on Jenkins out of Savannah, who has become one of the toughest opponents for any team can face in the 912 area code. Another one of South Georgia’s perennial powerhouses is also on the schedule for Richmond Hill.
The Wildcats will take on the Gators of Ware County in what is sure to be one of the top games of the year in South Georgia.
The Wildcats will also compete in a border-battle game as they take on Wando High School, which is located near Charleston, South Carolina. This is the only out-of-state game on the schedule for the Wildcats in 2026.
Richmond Hill will also take on West Georgia powerhouse East Coweta in what is sure to be one of the top games of the week in the state. On3 has this game at basically a coin flip, with it being listed as 41-59 favoring East Coweta.
Finally, to end the season, the Wildcats will take on the South Georgia Gauntlet; their region play will consist of games against Colquitt County, Camden County, Lowndes, and Valdosta in that order to end the season.
The bonus here is that each of those teams has the potential to be a playoff team, which should boost Richmond Hill’s power ranking under the new GHSA formula.
I see Richmond Hill as a team that, based on its strength of schedule, is able to compete for a top 16 seed and could potentially host a home playoff game in the first round of the GHSA state playoffs.
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