Kipp Branch
Glynn Set To Terrorize 2019
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I sat down with Glynn head coach Rocky Hidalgo a few weeks ago he said the following: “The 2019 edition of Red Terror football will be exciting. Who plays a tougher non-region schedule than us? We are going to be a good football team”.
That about sums it up for the Glynn Academy faithful. This team is solid across the board and the clear favorite in Region 2-AAAAAA this fall. The Wayne, Ware, and Camden games will have this team peaking by region play in October.
My Regular Season Prediction: 9-1
Game by Game Predictions:
8/23 @ Fort Dorchester SC: The Red Terrors travel to the Charleston area and play a seasoned South Carolina playoff team. Fort Dorchester beat GA on the field in 2018 but had to forfeit the win later.
Glynn sets the tone early in this one with the power run game and wins a tough one on the road 31-21.
8/30 vs Washington: GA blows out this team 49-7, and everyone in the program plays in the contest. Glynn goes to 2-0 on the season.
9/6 @ Groves: Glynn could beat Groves 80-0 if they wanted to do so. Coach Rock calls off the Terrors midway through the second quarter as GA hammers Groves 56-6. The Red Terrors go to 3-0 on the season.
9/20 vs Wayne County: The Jackets beat Glynn in Jaycee Stadium last year, but the 35-mile trip to Glynn County Stadium won’t be kind to the Jackets in 2019.
The Red Terrors physically whip Wayne and win a 28-14 ball game to go to 4-0 on the season. By this point Glynn should be ranked in the top 3-4 teams statewide in 6A.
9/27 vs Ware County: This will be a huge one between the bricks. Quote me later on this “no first-year coach is coming to Brunswick and beating Rocky Hidalgo and Glynn”. Glynn beats the Gators 24-17 to go to 5-0 on the season.
10/4 vs Camden: Camden is going to be really good in 2019. I think the 7A Cats with more depth than Glynn win a tough 24-21 contest on the road. Glynn drops to 5-1 on the season.
10/18 @ Richmond Hill: The Wildcats should be good on defense but can they contain Glynn enough and score enough points to win?
The answer is no, as Glynn goes to 6-1 with a 30-14 win over Richmond Hill.
10/25 vs Brunswick: Glynn owns the town and series at the moment. Brunswick will be improved but not enough.
The Red Terrors win the sixth straight game in the series 27-20 to go to 7-1 on the season.
11/1 @ Effingham: Effingham can’t match Glynn on the line of scrimmage and GA rolls into Springfield and clinches a fifth straight region title 35-10.
The Red Terrors go to 8-1 on the season.
11/8 vs. Bradwell: The Terrors roll over the Tigers 42-7, and enter the state playoffs as a number one seed from region two at 9-1 on the season.
Opposing Coach View on Glynn: “Rocky has built a solid program from the inside out down there. They are always going to be solid on defense, and how far they go depends on how far the QB position takes them.”
They have a good chance to make a run this year and when I say run, I mean final 4 or championship game. They play a great schedule that gets them peaking come region and playoff time.
Camden should be getting close to being the Camden we all know again so watch that game to get a gauge on where Glynn is.
Outside of Benedictine this has been the best program in Southeast Georgia for past 4-5 seasons. They have tough kids who have bought into what they are teaching down there. This is a good high school football program. They have been close a couple of times there.
That 2015 team was better than the team they lost to in the dome, and that 2017 team was peaking and the wheels fell off late at Lee County. This 2019 team has the potential to be better that both.”
Look for Glynn to make a deep playoff run in 2019.
Pirates Set To Sail In 2019
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sean Pender starts year three at Brunswick High with 16 starters from 2018 returning with a year of varsity football experience.
The 2019 Pirates expect to compete for the Region 2-AAAAAA football championship.
When asked about what to expect from the 2019 Pirates Pender said “We have had more intensity and competiveness than we had in all of last year in our spring and summer program. The kids have worked extremely hard and I expect good things out of this football team once we get healthy at the QB position.”
Schedule and my predictions:
August 23rd vs Coffee: The Trojans look very good along the lines of scrimmage. Coffee is always big and strong. This will be a tough matchup for the Pirates, but Coffee has historically struggled at Glynn County Stadium. Give me Coffee 28-20.
August 30th vs Bartram Trail: Brunswick moved the ball up and down the field last year in St. Augustine. Bartram makes the return visit to Brunswick and I think the Pirates will be ready and beats a solid Florida state playoff team 34-28 to go 1-1 on the season.
September 6th vs MCA: The Bucs from Darien come “Between the Bricks” and get drilled 49-7. Pirates go to 2-1 on the season.
September 20th @ Camden: The Pirates tangle with the Cats in the first road game of the season and it will not end well for the Pirates. Camden is on the way back to being a factor in 7-A and the Pirates get clawed 38-20 to go to 2-2 on the season.
September 27th@ New Hampstead: Pirates travel to Savannah for this one and I’m putting them on upset alert. Pirates win an exciting game on the road 35-22 to move to 3-2 on the season.
October 4th@ Monroe Albany: Long drive to Albany, Georgia and the Pirates roll home with a 42-14 win to go to 4-2 on the season.
October 11th @ Richmond Hill: The Wildcats embarrassed the Pirates in 2018, but lost pretty much their entire offense to graduation. Brunswick returns the favor on the road at a place they have never lost. Brunswick beats Richmond Hill 28-21. Pirates go to 5-2 on the season.
October 18th vs Effingham: The Rebels ran up the score against the Pirates in Springfield last year throwing TD passes with less than two minutes left up by 24 points. Circle game at home for Brunswick. Expect Brunswick to return the favor if that opportunity presents. Pirates go to 6-2 with a 38-21 win.
October 25th @ Glynn Academy: In a game with the region championship on the line BHS tries to avoid a sixth straight loss. Anything can happen in a rival game but I will not believe it until I see it. Glynn 27-20. Pirates drop to 6-3
November 8th vs Bradwell: BHS locks up a number two seed with a 41-14 win over the Tigers and finishes the regular season at 7-3 and will host a first-round state playoff game.
Opposing Coaches view on Brunswick: “When Sean gets solid QB production his offenses are the best around.
I know he made some really good hires on the defensive side of the ball during the winter and I think they get a lot better there because they played a lot of sophomores on that side of the ball last year.
Will that community let Sean build this thing? You will see this team get a lot better this fall and Sean has worked hard to keep his kids from being cherry picked by the private school in the county.
They are on the way back. Maurice and Victor built a solid program there and they made a mistake letting Victor go, and the guy behind him ran that thing over a cliff.
Sean is the right man for that job, and he has some nice young talent cycling his way in that school system. They will be a playoff team this fall then that program takes off in 2020.
They have good facilities down there and they have those kids all on the same NFL team in Detroit. The skill talent is always there.
Sean built that thing in Pierce and will do the same in Brunswick.”
The Question Of The Day
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are a lot of questions that need answers in the regional sports landscape. Here are 50 questions that need answers:
- Do the Braves stick with Luke Jackson at closer or do they get one at the trading deadline?
- Will Austin Riley win the NL Rookie of the Year?
- Will Freddie Freeman win the NL MVP?
- Will the Braves run away with the NL East?
- Will the Atlanta Falcons get back to the playoffs in 2019?
- Will the Falcons make Julio Jones the highest paid wide receiver in football?
- Will Matt Ryan get back close to MVP form?
- Can the Falcons win with defense when it matters the most?
- Will Georgia Tech make a bowl game in 2019?
- How many recruiting classes with it take for GT to be competitive in the ACC with a pro-style offense?
- Who will be the starting quarterback for Auburn?
- Will a quality running back surface for Auburn in 2019?
- If Auburn struggles early will Gus Malzahn get fired before November?
- How much longer will Nick Saban coach?
- Will the Alabama defense have any drop-off in 2019?
- Will Tua win the Heisman?
- Will Willie Taggart make it through year two at FSU?
- How bad of shape did Jimbo Fisher leave FSU in?
- How obsessed is Dan Mullen with UGA?
- How good will the Gator offensive line be?
- Will UF win the SEC East with Feleipe Franks at QB?
- Will UF lead the SEC in QB sacks in 2019?
- Will we be hearing UCF deserves to be in the college football playoff talk in 2019?
- Do the Miami Hurricanes get blown out by Florida in their opener?
- Will Jameis Winston make it through 2019 as Tampa Bay’s starting QB?
- Will the Dolphins tank in 2019 to draft Tua or Jake Fromm?
- Will the Jacksonville defense play up to 2017 standards in 2019?
- Is Nick Foles the missing piece of the puzzle in Jacksonville?
- If the Jags struggle does Doug Marrone get fired by mid-season?
- Can the Jags beat New England, Kansas City, or even Tennessee when it matters?
- Can South Carolina navigate a brutal schedule to play in a bowl in 2019?
- Will the Gamecocks be patient and let Muschamp build the program?
- Is Trevor Lawrence the most prized QB prospect since Peyton Manning?
- Will Clemson take a step back on defense in 2019?
- Should we go ahead and pencil Clemson in the college football playoff now for 2019?
- How is Cam Newton’s shoulder?
- Can the Panthers make a run in the NFC South?
- Will the Brunswick High Pirates make the state football playoffs in 2019?
- Will the QB position be more productive for Sean Pender in 2019?
- Will the BHS Pirates be much improved on defense?
- Will Glynn Academy win a fifth straight region football championship in 2019?
- Will Glynn make another state title run in 2019?
- Will Glynn beat Camden County at home this fall?
- Will UGA win the SEC in 2019?
- Who will step up at Wide Receiver at UGA this fall?
- Will Georgia be able to pressure the passer better in 2019?
- Will the UGA/Notre Dame game atmosphere be the most electric ever in Athens?
- Will UGA win a National Title in the next 3 years?
- Will Jake Fromm return for his senior season in 2020?
- When will UGA fans stop talking about 1980?
Some things to ponder Southern sports fans.
How The West Was Won
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Why don’t we take a look at the toughest division in all of College Football and that, my friends, is the SEC West.
Here are my SEC West Predictions for 2019:
Alabama 12-0: Tua will be the frontrunner for the Heisman, and Najee Harris may be the best overall running back in the SEC when it is said and done production wise.
The Alabama receiving corps with headlined by Jerry Jeudy are the best in college football.
Nick Saban is the best in the business, and the Tide has the best starting 22 players in the country.
LSU comes to Bryant-Denny, but dangerous road trips to Texas A&M and Auburn seem to be the only hurdles on the regular season slate. Alabama heads to Atlanta for another epic showdown with Georgia for the SEC Title.
LSU 9-3: Coach O has got the Tigers headed back in the right direction.
Joe Burrow is back under center for a second straight season. John Emery is coming in at running back, and LSU has the best defensive backfield in the conference.
With that said this team is not going to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. A tough road game at Texas in week 2, and dangerous SEC road trips to Starkville and Oxford in mid-season. I think the Tigers drop one of those Magnolia State road trips.
Texas A&M 8-4: This schedule is brutal with the SEC West slate plus Clemson and Georgia. Is this team ready for primetime?
The Aggies lost their leader rusher and tackler from 2018. Is Kellen Mond an elite SEC QB? Jimbo Fisher is an elite coach, but it’s still too early to proclaim the Aggies as great in this division.
The Aggies will lose to Alabama and LSU in the West this year.
Auburn 8-4: Gus Malzahn is sitting on the hottest seat in the conference.
Who is going to be the starting QB? Will a running back up to Auburn historical standards surface? The front seven on defense will be solid and Derrick Brown may be the best defensive lineman in the conference.
Who knows about this team? Georgia and Alabama come to Jordan-Hare. Brutal schedule with the opener in Dallas against Oregon and a trip to Florida make it hard to predict big things for the Tigers in 2019 which usually means they play in the National Title game right?
A lot of questions right now in Auburn, Alabama. Gus is feeling the heat.
Ole Miss 8-4: This is my SEC West sleeper team. Yes, I see 8 wins on the schedule.
This team has some talent on offense with Matt Corral at QB. Ole Miss always has productive wide receivers. Can this defense hold up is the question?
I think the Rebels come back in 2019 after the probation period and go bowling.
Rich Rodriguez may have struggled as a head coach, but he is one of the best offensive coordinators in the business. This offense will cause problems in the SEC.
Mississippi State 6-6: The Bulldogs are going to struggle in 2019.
How do you lose three first round draft picks on defense from 2018 and improve on that side of the ball?
MSU gets in a bowl at 6-6 and the heat starts getting turned up on Joe Moorhead in 2020. Keytaon Thompson has talent at QB. The jury is out on the Bulldogs.
Arkansas 4-8: Chad Morris is in a total rebuild in Fayetteville.
It is going to take a couple more recruiting classes for Arkansas to be competitive again. Proud program that let a Big 10 coach come in and drive it over a cliff. Hog fans need to be patient with Chad Morris.
Bowl Teams: Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Division upset of the year: Ole Miss over LSU in Oxford on 11/16. LSU suffers a letdown after losing to Alabama on 11/9.
SEC Championship Game: Georgia over Alabama
The SEC East Crystal Ball
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are now under three months and counting until the start of College Football Season.
As far as I’m concerned, no other sport compares to College Football and the best conference from top to bottom is the SEC.
Clemson from the ACC won the Natty in 2018, but the ACC is nothing near the caliber of the SEC in football. If that previous statement bothers you then get some sensitivity training. We will take a look at the SEC East.
Here are my SEC East Predictions for 2019:
Georgia 11-1: Kirby Smart is the best recruiter in the business. Georgia has the best 85-man roster in the country.
Jake Fromm could be a sleeper contender for the Heisman. The offense could be scary good with the best offensive line coach and players in the country.
Will this team lay an egg against someone they are not supposed to? History says yes.
I’m dreading the Auburn trip on 11/16. This team will play for the SEC title and will contend for the College Football Playoff. If the Dawgs win the SEC, they are in. This could finally be the year. The pass rush must improve in 2019.
Missouri 9-3: Kelly Bryant will be at QB in 2019. Barry Odom is doing a fine job in Columbia. Could the Tigers be 8-0 coming to Athens on November 9th? Florida comes calling on November 16th for second place in the East. Give me the Tigers over the Gators.
Florida 8-4: Two words, Feleipe Franks. Will Franks lead the Gators to back to back 10-win seasons?
Dan Mullen has trolled UGA in the off-season, but the schedule is tough. The Gators open against Miami and have Auburn, LSU, and Georgia in the heart of the SEC schedule.
Florida is putting all of its’ eggs in the Georgia basket, but they better be careful.
They have a solid defense, but again Feleipe Franks. If this team contends in the East it will be because of improved QB play. Can Mullen recruit with Kirby? Time will tell.
Tennessee 7-5: If the Vols win in Gainesville on 9/21 then excitement goes through the roof in Rocky Top.
Jeremy Pruitt is a fantastic coach and he is starting to put some pieces together in Knoxville.
Will Tennessee ever beat Alabama again in football? Pruitt needs two more top 15 recruiting classes to get Tennessee back to being Tennessee again. Be patient Vol fans you are on the way back.
South Carolina 6-6: The Gamecocks have a brutal schedule. Alabama and Texas A&M from the west and Clemson to close out.
I think Will Muschamp is a pretty good football coach, but with Georgia being a national power, and Florida and Tennessee on the way back it is going to be hard for Carolina to get any traction in the division.
South Carolina is putting together a good 2020 recruiting class. This team will upset someone in 2019, and ruin their season.
Kentucky 5-7: The Cats will come back down to earth in 2019. Benny Snell is gone.
The Cats host Florida early in the season after breaking a long losing streak that stretched over 30 to the Gators in 2018. Basketball is king in Kentucky. Cats go back to being a bottom feeder in football.
Vanderbilt 3-9: Vandy hosts UGA in the opener and LSU in week 3. This is going to be a long season for Vandy football.
Vandy fans might better tune into the College World Series starting this weekend as that may be the high-water mark for the athletic program for the rest of 2019.
Biggest division game: UGA vs UF in Jacksonville
Division upset of the Year: South Carolina over Texas A&M. The Aggies get caught overlooking Carolina at home the week before playing Georgia in Athens.
Bowl Teams: Georgia, Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
Diamond Dawgs
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As I sat at the campsite on beautiful Lake Oconee last Sunday evening, I got on my phone and watched UGA fall to a hot hitting FSU squad in the finals of the Athens regional and it was obvious that this UGA baseball program is on the right track. Even Captain Obvious would be in agreement with me on the subject of UGA baseball.
The 2019 Bulldogs finished the season with a 46-17 record after reaching the NCAA Athens Regional final.
The 46 wins is top 5 in school history and the 21 SEC wins is the most ever in a season for the baseball Dawgs. Georgia earned a National Seed two straight years and played host to an NCAA Regional in back-to-back seasons.
Yeah, The Dawgs lost to Duke and FSU at home over the last two seasons as a regional host, but baseball may be the greatest game on the planet. If a team gets hot at the right time and just goes on a tear, they are tough. That is what has happened to UGA over the last two baseball seasons.
I laugh at people who say this team choked without doing the research on how this baseball program has evolved.
As a fan of the program you hate to see your favorite team lose to anyone, but realize that prior to hiring of Scott Stricklin the Bulldogs had gone 42-72 the previous 4 years in SEC play and had conference records of 5-23 in 2011, and 7-20 in 2013. When Stricklin was hired the program was a dumpster fire.
It takes time to build a quality baseball program and when Strickin was hired in 2014 the rebuild was put into motion.
It took four tough years to start seeing results, and those results came in 2018 when UGA went 39-21 and 18-12 in the SEC. Anyone who follows UGA athletics can see that the program is rising to being one of the elite baseball programs in the conference.
The 21 SEC wins this season show that the program is on a solid foundation. I personally believe that a baseball rebuild is much harder than a football or basketball rebuild job.
Give credit to Greg McGarity, the UGA AD, for giving Stricklin the opportunity to put his stamp on the program. The results are starting to come in. Look at the Dawgs drafted in this week’s MLB draft.
Georgia’s draft picks were junior third baseman Aaron Schunk (2nd Round, Colorado), junior pitcher Tony Locey (3rd Round, St. Louis), junior pitcher Tim Elliott (4th Round, Seattle), senior second baseman LJ Talley (7th Round, Toronto), junior pitcher Zac Kristofak (14th Round, L.A. Angels), junior shortstop Cam Shepherd (20th Round, Tampa Bay), junior outfielder Tucker Maxwell (22nd Round, Philadelphia) and redshirt sophomore outfielder/infielder Riley King (26th Round, Atlanta).
When you have 8 players drafted from your current program things are clicking. Georgia has great pitching coming back in 2020, young talents like Randon Jernigan, and 12-13 new players coming in the 2020 recruiting class.
This team isn’t going anywhere folks except a Super Regional or a College World Series in the near future.
Scott Stricklin deserves a raise for the job he is doing in Athens. 85-38 overall and 39-21 in the SEC over the past two seasons. The rebuild has turned into reload mode now.
Georgia baseball is firmly on the right track.
Swinging For Omaha
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
College Baseball National Top Sixteen Seeds came out this week and they are listed below for the NCAA Baseball Tourney.
The top 16 seeds host a regional and then the winners of the regionals go to the Super Regionals the following week with the 8 winners advancing to the College World Series in Omaha on June 15th.
Sixty-four teams are chosen for the NCAA baseball tourney. Top 16 Seeds:
- UCLA (47-8) 2. Vanderbilt (49-10) 3. Georgia Tech (41-17) 4. Georgia (44-15) 5. Arkansas (41-17) 6. Mississippi St. (46-13) 7. Louisville (43-15) 8. Texas Tech (39-17) 9. Oklahoma St. (36-18)
- East Carolina (43-15) 11. Stanford (41-11) 12. Ole Miss (37-25) 13. LSU (37-24)
- North Carolina (42-17) 15. West Virginia (37-20) 16. Oregon St. (36-18-1)
Regional Winners:
UCLA: Top ranked Bruins look very good in 2019. Baylor could pose a problem but look for UCLA to advance to the Supers.
Vanderbilt: Vandy should coast through the Nashville regional.
Georgia Tech: The Jackets have Coastal Carolina and Auburn in the Atlanta regional. This one could get interesting. Give me GT to move on the Super Regional.
Georgia: The Dawgs have a future major league rotation playing currently in college. FSU in Mike Martin’s last year could cause some issues. Mercer playing in the Athens regional has nothing to lose. What if the UGA/Mercer game comes down to a Randon Jernigan vs Will Bowdoin matchup of former Glynn Academy Red Terrors teammates? Dawgs move on to host a Super Regional.
Arkansas: Are the Hogs on a mission in 2019? They were a foul ball catch away from being National Champs in 2018. Hogs win the Fayetteville Regional.
Miami: The Canes upset Mississippi State in the Starkville regional. State will choke at home.
North Carolina State: The Wolfpack beat East Carolina on their home turf to win the regional. This is a sleeper team folks and not a huge upset in the Greenville Regional.
Stanford: The Cardinal get a scare from UC Santa Barbara but move on.
Clemson: The Tigers win the Oxford regional over Ole Miss who have no business hosting a regional with 25 regular season losses.
Arizona State: Call me crazy but I think ASU beats LSU in the Baton Rouge regional.
Tennessee: The Vols shock the Tar Heels in the Chapel Hill regional and move to the Supers.
Louisville: The Cardinals coast through the regional they host.
Oklahoma State: Solid baseball program that will win their home regional and move on.
Oregon State: The Beavers have a great baseball program and will have no problem at home.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are solid, but the committee sent Florida to Lubbock. Texas Tech advances.
Texas A&M: The Aggies win the Morgantown Regional and send West Virginia packing. Solid pitching for A&M
Super Regionals Best 2 of 3:
Vanderbilt hosts Texas A&M: SEC Matchup. The Commodores are thinking Omaha and National Championship. Vandy in 2
NC State at Louisville: Wolfpack wins in 3
Miami at Stanford: Canes have to travel too far and get swept in 2.
Tennessee at GT: Going to be a great Super. Give me the Jackets in 3.
Oregon State at UCLA: Pac-12 matchup. UCLA in 2.
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: Big-12 matchup. Give me Oklahoma State in 3 in an upset.
Clemson at Arkansas: The Hogs beat Clemson in 2, and roll into Omaha.
Arizona State at Georgia: Dawgs pitching gets by the Sun Devils in 2.
College World Series Teams:
Vanderbilt
NC State
Stanford
Georgia Tech
UCLA
Oklahoma State
Arkansas
Georgia
Your 2019 National Champions: Vanderbilt. College baseball is a great game to watch.
Best Of SEC
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2019 College Football Magazines have landed in the book stores.
I get most of my sports information on the internet nowadays but I still like to pick up a magazine or two when the SEC editions hit the stores. Here are my top three’s in selected topics. What makes this fun is everyone has a different and strong opinion one way or the other.
Top Game Day Experiences:
- Baton Rouge: if you have never attended a LSU home game in Red Stick you are missing a treat.
The Cajuns know how to put on a party and carry that intensity into the stadium. It is loud in Baton Rouge and the Tigers will be a pretty good football team in 2019. Best road trip in the SEC. This place is the best tailgating experience in all of college football.
- World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party: The UGA/UF games in Jacksonville have it all drinks, food, dancing, brawling (I got spit on in 2008 and you know that got addressed) and a heated football rivalry.
I have fraternity brothers on both sides heated up about this game already this fall and it’s only May.
- Athens: Best college town in America. Weather and atmosphere are great for big fall games in The Classic City. Can you imagine what it will be like on 9/21 when Notre Dame rolls into town?
Best Student Sections:
- South Carolina: Carolina students get to the game early and they rock “Sandstorm” in Williams Brice and wave those white towels.
- Ole Miss: If you want to see former and what future Miss America’s look like head to Oxford this fall and hang out in The Grove. A feast for your eyes.
- Florida: The Gates are on the way back and when they are good the student section there rocks. It helps that you can leave the stadium and return more juiced up than before. I don’t know if they have changed that policy or not since I went there last.
Best Defense:
- Alabama: The Tide have been checking into this spot frequently. Can the Tide continue to produce first round defensive lineman?
- Auburn: The Tigers have Derrick Brown back and maybe their best defense in years. Gus needs a great season and this defense will do its part.
- Florida: The Gators will be able to rush the passer as good as anyone and the SEC is a pressure league. Can Florida hold up at cornerback is the question?
Best Offense:
- Georgia: Jake Fromm is the best QB in the SEC. Yes, I said it Alabama fans. The Dawgs have the best offensive line and best set of running backs as well.
- Alabama: Tua is injury prone, but is a big play QB when healthy. Best set of wide receivers in the SEC. Very Good offensive line.
- Texas A&M: Jimbo can coach up some offense. The Aggies will put up some points in 2019 with Kellen Mond at QB. This team is on the rise.
Best Team:
- Alabama: Best starting 22 in the country. Saban is maybe the greatest head coach in college football history.
- Georgia: Best 85 man roster in the country. Kirby has assembled a monster.
- LSU: Don’t sleep on this team. Coach O has them almost back to being the LSU we know again.
Best Head Coach:
- Nick Saban: Nick is on the Mt. Rushmore of College Football coaches.
- Jimbo Fisher: Jimbo has a Natty at FSU and will build the Aggies into a beast.
- Kirby Smart: Best recruiter in America and has turned this program into a national power in just 3 years.
College Football starts in less than 100 days.
Readying The Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Brunswick High Pirates had a rough season in 2018 finishing 3-7 and missing the playoffs for sixth time since 2011.
Sean Pender hates losing more than anyone I know and you can see a fire in his eyes during the spring drills.
The Pirates started as many as 12 sophomores in 2018 and the inexperience showed, but those baby Pirates have grown in size and experience this offseason and are primed to turn the tables in 2019.
When asked about Spring Practice Pender said “We have had more intensity and competiveness than we had in all of 2018 in our two weeks of practice. The kids have worked extremely hard and it is showing”.
Brunswick has 16 kids coming back in 2019 with starting varsity experience. BHS will be going to a new 4-3 defensive alignment in 2019.
When you ask Pender about his defense the first named mentioned is Devin Lafayette. The rising senior defensive back is 6’2 and 190 pounds and runs a sub 4.5 forty-yard dash.
“This kid is a quiet leader that leads by example and his worked his way into being a division one football prospect”.
Look for Lafayette to lead a talented back end of a much-improved Pirate defense. Lafayette is fully qualified with a 3.3 GPA.
Freddy Towns is a lock down All-Region corner returning for his senior season. Pender says Towns can lock down one side of the field every Friday night.
AJ Wilson looks good at safety and at 200 pounds can bring the lumber in run support and he runs really well.
Octavis Butler, Ryne Buckley, and Camron Crump played a lot of snaps in 2018 at LB and have bulked up in the offseason.
Demetrius Hardee will also be counted on in the secondary. Keep an eye on newcomer Devonte Gadson at safety.
Trevon Smith has impressed Pender at one CB position, and Michael McGee will get looks at both CB and WR. Pender really likes McGee’s speed and length in the secondary.
Justin Akra will lead the Pirate defensive line and a name to remember is incoming freshman Kayshawn Thomas on the defensive line.
On offense the Pirates are stacked at wide receiver. Look for a huge break out season from Amarion Whitfield, and Marlon Carmena to return to the form he flashed in early 2018 before a high ankle sprain derailed his season.
Che Foy is great in space, and look for a huge season from “The Touchdown Machine” Xavier Bean, who can catch anything in his area code according to his head coach. Kyle Patterson is developing at the position as well.
Mitchell Richburg is a hybrid FB/TE and could be a factor in both the run and pass game.
Xavier Ramsey, Caleb Cook, and Kanaya Charlton will anchor the Pirate offensive line.
Charlton could be a 4 to 5-star recruit during the 2022 recruiting cycle. He is currently 6’5 and 330 pounds with very good athletic ability. Roderick Jones will also see significant playing time. Pender thinks this group can be really good barring injury.
Chuckobe Hill and Khamori Simmons will handle the running back position as both played significant downs as freshman in 2018. Pender like the toughness of his running backs.
Look for Jashawn Wilson to insert himself into the running back mix this fall.
At QB you have returning starters Anthony Mountain and KJ Lee, but both are battling injuries this spring.
Mountain had offseason ACL surgery and should be cleared to return by September. Pender loves his leadership qualities. Lee is battling a foot injury this spring, but has an elite arm.
With the injuries Jeffery Way has been getting a lot of first unit reps and the rising sophomore has worked hard according to his head coach.
Tyrease Jones has moved over from WR and has shown tremendous foot speed in space.
Kyle Rehberg will handle the PK/P duties and has a great work ethic.
Pender says “if we play like we have been working then we have a chance to be a pretty good football team in 2019, and we’ll definitely be much, much improved from 2018”.
Pender enters his third season as Pirate head coach this fall.
Terror Town 2019
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I think the word consistent in sports is not as valued as it should be.
On the state high school football scene, the Glynn Academy Red Terrors have been consistently good for the past five years.
Good to the point where the Terrors are enjoying their best football run in the program’s proud 106-year history. The reason for this consistency is Head Coach Rocky Hidalgo.
I had an opportunity to sit down with Coach Hidalgo and talk Spring Football with him.
College recruiters were in and out of his office during that window, which means the Red Terrors will be very good again in 2019.
The Terrors had 130 kids out for spring, and Hidalgo likes what he sees so far. “The kids are competing hard, working hard, doing everything we ask of them, and we’re going to be a really good football team this fall”.
Glynn has won four straight region championships in football. High School Football is the program that stirs the drink for all sports in the Glynn County School System. Glynn will be the favorite to capture its 5th straight title this fall.
At QB Hidalgo speaks highly of TJ Lewis. At 6’4, Lewis is improving his mechanics and is looking good throwing the deep ball. Hidalgo also raved about Jayden Drayton, who looked good as a freshman in 2018.
The Red Terrors are very good at running back with the trio of Caden Hutchinson, Nolan Grant, and Alan Partin. Hidalgo says Grant is blessed with great foot speed, and called Hutchinson a tough kid with a mean streak that you want running between the tackles who also has good speed. Then you have Partin who is big and strong who can get the tough yard or lead block in the run game.
Glynn Academy is going to run the football. Period. End of story. If you are going to beat Glynn Academy then you will have to match their physicality.
At WR Hidalgo raved about the speed of the group and how they can separate from defenders. He thinks his skill people are as good as anyone in the region.
The Terrors return most of the offensive line from 2018. Look for Drez Wilcox to have a big season. Trevor Timmons, Jack Fendig, Nick Demarzo, and Nick Muchinson are the best returning offensive line in the region and one of the better units in all of Georgia.
Chase Gabriel has a big leg and carries on the long tradition of great Glynn FG kickers. He is a weapon.
At defensive line Jordan Swain, James Dyal, and Torrez Davis will lead a physical group with some of the offensive lineman mentioned above providing depth. Hidalgo calls this a good deep position group.
Glynn has some young talent at linebacker like Tywon Melvin, Ryan Seay, and Miles Smith ready to step up and contribute to a position group that has been very good over the past five seasons.
In the secondary, Byron Bacon is the leader on the back end. Bacon has good size and great speed and will play division one football. Hidalgo called Bacon a very good football player who has great leadership qualities.
JuJuan Floyd is a very fast corner who will also play some WR.
Hidalgo says the 2019 edition of Red Terror football will be exciting. Hidalgo also raves about his 2019 schedule and how it gets them peaking by the time region play comes around.
Glynn plays Valdosta in the preseason scrimmage, South Carolina power Fort Dorchester, Wayne, Ware, and Camden County by the first week of October. Hidalgo asked “who plays a tougher non region schedule than us?”
Glynn Academy doesn’t rebuild any longer they just reload. Red Terror Football is consistently good.
When a head coach of a successful program points out leadership, work ethic, and enthusiasm as team strengths then the rest of Region 2-AAAAAA better look out. Glynn will have the Red and White game on May 17th at Glynn County Stadium.
