Kipp Branch
Rough Launch For Pirates
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
On a rainy night in Douglas the Brunswick High Pirates fell to the Coffee Trojans 20-7 in the season opener for both schools.
The Pirates started out slow going down 13-0 with 9 minutes left in first quarter and then failed to cash in on a couple of scoring opportunities late in the half with a dropped TD pass and a missed FG on the last play of the half.
The Pirate run defense made some improvements in the second half. Coffee cashed in on a fumble and scored a touchdown to make it 20-0 early in the 4th quarter. Brunswick answered with a 10-yard TD pass from KJ Lee to Xavier Bean to make the final score 20-7.
Pirate Report Card.
Offense: C+. The offense moved the ball well most of the night. It was a wet night and the Pirates committed three turnovers and dropped a punt snap that resulted in two Coffee TD’s.
KJ Lee looked good for his first varsity start. Jaylen Trimmings looked very good running the football. The offensive line did a decent job against a championship caliber defense and Xavier Bean had his coming out party at WR. Che Foy looked good in space with football in his hands.
The Pirates need to clean up the drops as they dropped two TD passes. The penalties, turnovers and drops will get cleaned up with more game experience. This unit is going to be very good by the time region play starts.
Defense: C. Run defense needs to be cleaned up. The secondary did not play as well as I expected. I was proud of the effort on this side of the ball however. More game experience and an upcoming addition at middle linebacker will improve the run defense.
This group hung in there when things looked bad early. It was 13-0 before the BHS band took their seats; gutty effort to keep BHS in the game.
Special Teams: D. Poor snaps all night, dropped snap that led to a TD, and a missed 27-yard FG. Special teams will get better as last night was first live action for this group for the season.
Coaching: B. The team had a good game plan. Coaching made some good adjustments all night and the improvement from spring to first game against #2 ranked Coffee was significant.
Overall: C. A loss is a loss, but the young Pirates have good talent and good coaching.
The future is bright and this edition of the Pirates will be fine when region play starts.
Brunswick High Pirates Coach’s Show with Sean Pender
Blazing To Playoffs?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
How many people can say they witnessed the first win of a football program? This writer can say that. I was there as new freshman living in Patterson Hall as me and my friends watched Valdosta State College beat Troy State 24-21 in the fall of 1982.
Fast forward to 2018 where Head Coach Kerwin Bell enters his third year and the Blazers are projected to be in the middle of the pack in the annual poll taken of Gulf South Conference head coaches throughout the league.
The Blazers garnered 38 points, finishing 24 points behind league favorite West Alabama with 62 points and 6 first-place nods. West Florida, the 2017 national runner-up, was picked second with 59 points and 3 first-place votes, while West Georgia was picked third with 44 points.
Delta State was selected fourth with 41 points, followed by VSU and Florida Tech was sixth with 32 points. Rounding out the final three teams, league-newcomer North Greenville was seventh with 24 points, followed by Mississippi College with 16 and Shorter was ninth with 8 points.
2018 FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL
School Total Points
- West Alabama (6) 62
- West Florida (3) 59
- West Georgia 44
- Delta State 41
- Valdosta State 38
- Florida Tech 32
- North Greenville 24
- Mississippi College 16
- Shorter 8
On offense, the Blazers will be led by senior offensive lineman and team captain Jeremy King and running back Kenny Benjamin.
On defense, the Blazers are led by senior defensive back Raymond Palmer from Darien who starred for MCA.
Valdosta State was active in Glynn County during the last recruiting cycle as they signed Ty Hinson, DJ Whitfield, George Mincey Jr. and Tevin Small all from Brunswick High School.
I have VSU beating Albany State, Fort Valley State, Shorter, Mississippi College, Delta State, Florida Tech, and North Greenville. Wins: 7
I can’t see VSU winning in week 3 at West Alabama or beating West Florida on the road on November 3rd. Losses: 2.
The West Georgia game at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on November 10th is a toss-up right now to me at this moment in time. A win here and the Blazers could get to 8-2 and make the 28 team Division II Playoffs.
Valdosta State is a three-time national champion in football 2004, 2007, and 2012.
The New Trick Dawgs
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I know many of you Dawg lifers like me are wondering if last year was a fluke.
Let me ease your mind and tell you all that UGA, under Kirby Smart, will be in position to compete for National Championships for years to come.
Georgia just hauled in the best recruiting class in the nation during the last cycle and has five 5-star recruits committed for the next cycle so the talent pool is as deep as it has ever been in Athens, Georgia with top talent at every position on the two-deep roster.
At QB, Jake Fromm is the starter after that fantastic freshman season last fall that came a blown coverage away from a Natty. Fromm will be a starting NFL QB one day and then you have a once in a generation talent in Justin Fields that UGA will have to figure out ways to get in the game in special packages that will make opposing defensive coordinators binge eat at night trying to keep their jobs.
UGA is running back U. Sony and Chubb are gone but Swift, White and Cook to the rescue. Oh yeah, Georgia still has Holyfield too. This is a nasty sick positional group.
Now that UGA has a head coach that knows how to recruit offensive lineman, the run game looks unstoppable. D’Andre Swift may be in Heisman discussions in October. Wow, I left out Brian Herrien.
Where’s the beef? That used to be the question, but not anymore. Sam Pittman may the best offensive line coach in the business. Andrew Thomas moves to LT, Kendall Baker, Lamont Galliard, Ben Cleveland, and stud recruits coming in like Jamaree Salyer, and Cade Mays make this group a team strength. UGA has recruited this position well and has quality SEC depth in place now.
Terry Godwin leads a talented WR group. Mecole Hardman, Riley Ridley and if transfer Demetris Robinson can get a favorable hardship ruling from the NCAA then this unit will be the best UGA has had in a long time.
Isaac Nauta looks to play a huge role at TE this season. Watch out for newcomer Kearis Jackson.
The Dawgs are going to need more production in the passing game this fall. Yeah, I know that sounds like I’m looking for something to be critical about but better balance makes this offense almost unstoppable.
On defense, UGA lost 6 out of its top 7 tacklers in 2017. Am I worried? No, I am not because talent is ready to step in.
On the defensive line, look for Tyler Clark to have a big season. Notre Dame Transfer Jay Hayes will provide depth. Jonathan Ledbetter will clog the middle. Oh yeah, I almost forgot Julien Rochester.
UGA lost some awesome linebackers from last season. Get ready to hear the name Monty Rice who will step in and be the next all conference LB for UGA. Natrez Patrick has all-American potential on the inside if he can get his head straight. Walter Grant, D’Andre Walker, and newcomers Brenton Cox and Adam Anderson make for a deep and talented unit but very young.
Georgia could be special at DB. Deandre Baker is the best corner in the country. J. R. Reed could make many All-America teams. Richard LeCounte is a potential superstar at safety, William Poole, Tyrique McGee and some talented others provide depth. Watch out for incoming freshman Tyson Campbell at CB.
Mecole Hardman could end of being the best kick returner in the SEC. Rod Blankenship will be the best FG kicker in the conference. Punter will sort itself out in fall camp.
Road games at LSU, South Carolina and Missouri will be tough. Auburn at home in November will not be easy. Florida and Tennessee are still a year or two away.
Georgia wins the East with an 11-1 record and plays Alabama for the SEC title and playoff berth. This team could go 12-0, but will slip up against someone in the rugged SEC.
Enjoy this ride Dawg fans. You have suffered long enough. In Kirby we trust. Georgia begins the season ranked #4 in the first coach’s poll just released.
Family Tradition
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia football program added a huge commitment to the recruiting class of 2019 last week with the pledge of offensive tackle Warren McClendon Jr. of Brunswick, Ga., who picked UGA over South Carolina.
“First, I would like to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to play on the next level,” McClendon wrote in a tweet. “I would like to thank my parents for supporting me during the recruiting process. Also, I would like to thank all my coaches and teammates. With that being said I’m 100% committed to … THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.”
Sam Pittman has and is assembling the most talented offensive line position group in the nation. McClendon is a four star recruit out of Brunswick High and his head coach Sean Pender calls him the best offensive lineman he has ever coached.
So, what are the Dawgs getting in McClendon? I have watched the kid for four years now pretty close and they are getting a quality young man from a great family.
UGA is getting a good student who will graduate in four years from the University of Georgia. UGA is getting a humble young man with a competitive mean streak that can’t stand to lose at anything.
UGA is getting a kid that is a leader that you don’t have to worry about making bad decisions in his free time. UGA is getting a pretty good athlete at 6’5 310 who plays basketball during the winter for the best high school basketball program in Southeast Georgia.
McClendon will now turn his focus to his senior football season at Brunswick High School. He will lead the young Pirate squad into the 2018 season.
He will play right tackle this fall for BHS. Look for the talented senior to lead BHS to a playoff berth this fall. The recruiting services have McClendon rated as the 26th best tackle in the country. The senior should be awarded with several post season honors after his senior season is complete.
McClendon will join a star-studded class of offensive lineman at UGA and will develop under Pittman, who is the best offensive line coach in all of college football.
Kirby Smart and his staff in Athens now are recruiting 4 and 5-star talent at every position on the roster and that will tough to beat over the next 5-10 years in Athens, Georgia.
One thing Warren McClendon Jr. is not afraid of is competition and look for him to compete hard and become a starting offensive lineman at UGA. Also, don’t be surprised to hear the commissioner call the name of Warren McClendon Jr. at the 2022 NFL draft.
McClendon said UGA felt like home and that led him to choosing the Dawgs. His uncle Willie was the SEC Player of the Year in 1978 at UGA and another uncle and cousin were starters and producers at UGA.
A McClendon wearing the red and black at the University of Georgia is a family tradition.
Terrorizing 2018
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the 2018 football season rapidly approaches, I had the opportunity to sit down with Glynn Academy head football coach Rocky Hidalgo to chat about the 2018 Red Terrors.
Hidalgo is entering his 5th season at GA with a 41-13 record, a couple of region championships and 4 deep runs in the state playoffs. It is safe to say Glynn Academy is a state football power now under Coach Rock’s watch.
The coach says this about the 2018 team “We are young in spots and could end up starting 7-8 sophomores and could struggle some early, but the key for us is to use that time to peak for region play and have that carry over into the state playoffs”.
On offense the Terrors will be led by Nolan Grant at RB, who his coach describes as “special” and is as good as any running back in these parts. Allen Partin, Caden Hutchinson, and Tyshawn Wallace may give Glynn the best running back position group in South Georgia and maybe the state.
Shane Wells is returning on the OL and Hidalgo thinks his offensive line will have a lot of upside this fall. “We may have as many as three new starters on the offensive line, but our strength and conditioning program gets our kids in position to play early in our system”.
At QB the battle comes down to Sam Wagner and TJ Lewis. Hidalgo is watching closely as the battle progresses over the summer. Lewis is tall and athletic at 6’3 and Wagner will start at WR if he doesn’t win the QB job.
At WR Hidalgo spoke about Deandre Frazier doing a fine job and thinks TJ Bradley and Jaden Miller will develop into fine players at the position.
On defense, Hidalgo raved about DL Marlon Taylor. At 6’2 265 the head coach called him the best defensive lineman in this area.
The junior is a two-year starter with a great attitude. James Dyal, Torrez Davis, Kedrick Adams, Jordan Swain, and Drez Wilcox make this talented group as deep as any position on the roster. The head coach says they will rotate 9 players on the defensive line.
AT LB look for Jamarcus Sims, Johnny Bradley, Tashaun Lane, and Miles Smith to get snaps at the position. Hidalgo thinks he has some good talent at the position. AT DB Byron Bacon and Travis Clinch will lead a talented unit this fall.
“One thing we are going to do here is play defense and this group has the potential barring injuries to be the best unit we have had here”.
Chase Gabriel will handle the punting and place-kicking duties this fall.
Hidalgo raves about his coaching staff. “I have the best coaching staff in the state and they work their tails off and the kids believe in what we are doing here and that makes all the difference in the world”.
The early part of the schedule is very tough. Fort Dorchester a South Carolina state power in the opener at Glynn County Stadium. Fort Dorchester went 13-1 in 2017.
Three straight road games with Camden, Ware, and Wayne in September.
The region slate has Glynn traveling to Richmond Hill and Bradwell while playing Effingham on the road. Glynn will be the designated road team in City Title game with Brunswick.
This writer sees 9-10 regular season wins for this Red Terror squad and a region championship. Hidalgo says the Terrors have 3 goals every season.
“Our goals here never change here and they are 1. City Championship 2. Region Championship 3. State Championship”.
Don’t be surprised if you see the 2018 Glynn Academy Red Terrors playing in Mercedes Benz Stadium this December. Glynn doesn’t rebuild anymore they reload.
Pirates Sailing On New Tides
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sean Pender finished 7-3 in his first season on Altama Avenue. He is entering his second season at the helm with many new faces especially on the defensive side of the ball.
While youth and inexperience may be a factor going into the 2018 season the head coach is excited about the opportunity to build and grow with his young Pirates. “We have some good talented kids, but keep in mind there will be some growing pains, but the work ethic is there and I’m looking forward to see these younger kids develop”.
The most experienced position group returning in 2018 is the offensive line. The offensive line is led by who Pender calls the best offensive lineman he has ever coached in Warren McClendon. At 6’6 and 300 lbs. McClendon is a four-star recruit by all the recruiting services and can play anywhere in the country.
McClendon will play right tackle. AJ Kirkland at 5’8 225 will move over to center and has the versatility to play guard as well. Brett Hall 6’1 240 will start at left guard. Xavier Ramsey 6’2 252 will start at left tackle, and Caleb Cook 6’2 280 will start at right guard.
Pender says his run game will be very effective this fall. Offensive Coordinator Garrett Grady commented about his OL group “They have been the hardest working kids on the field and I am expecting big things out of this group this fall”.
A name to watch is freshman Kanaya Charlton who just turned 14 years of age and is already 6’6 310 with great feet and has future start written all over him will provide depth at the position.
The QB battle is heating up this summer with KJ Lee and Anthony Mountain. Lee played some as a freshman in 2017 has a quick release and has a solid grasp on the offense according to his head coach.
Mountain is getting better every single day and his head coach loves his competitive spirit. Both struggled in the spring game but have gained confidence over the summer. If the season started today Lee would more than likely get the nod under center but keep an eye on this position battle.
Jaylen Trimmings will be the man at RB and has looked very good this summer according to his head coach, but a kid who caught my eye in practice is freshman Chucobe Hill who Pender says is his back up RB going into the fall.
The Pirates will be raw and talented at WR. Marlon Carmena, Jailyn Jones, Che Foy Xavier Beane, Amarion Whitfield, Syveion Ellis, Michael McGee, and Mitchell Richburg at hybrid TE/FB will get reps at receiver. There is a lot of speed in this group.
Richburg, and Kyle Rayburn will handle the punting duties, and Avery Yoak will be the FG kicker in 2018. Look for the kicking game to much improved this fall.
On defense, Justin Akra will be the leader in the defensive line. Pender thinks Akra will have a big season in 2018.
Keith Garrett, Xavier Stevens, and Jaylen Carter will provide depth on the defensive line. Carter looks like a potential stud at 6’3 265.
Stacy Young is back at OLB/S and is a major college prospect. Devin Lafayette, Freddy Towns, and Demetrius Hardee will make the Pirate secondary a solid group in the fall.
Billy Anderson has earned a starting job at one of the corners and Pender is looking for Peter Sheffield to step up and make an impact the back of the defense this fall. Brunswick has a proud history at DB if you look at current NFL rosters in Detroit and Seattle.
AJ Wilson and Octavious Butler will have to grow up fast and contribute right away at the LB position.
Kick returners will be Carmena, Hardee, and Sheffield.
Schedule is brutal early with road trips to Coffee and Bartram Trail in Florida. Both squads lost state title games in their classifications in 2017.
Much improved Camden comes to Glynn County Stadium in September and region road games at Effingham and Bradwell. BHS will try to avoid a 5th straight loss to Glynn Academy in the City Title game.
When asked if this is a rebuilding year Pender offered “I hope everyone feels that way about us this fall. I like the work ethic and talent on this football team. Yes, we are young but I’m excited to see this group’s potential once we get some good game experience under our belts”.
Don’t I Know You?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Have you ever sat down and tried to come up with top 5 lists? I got the thinking as I write for the Georgia Sports Edition as of July 1st (changed from Southern Sports Edition) who are the top 5 current sports figures in the State of Georgia. Here goes my totally subjective list:
- Jake Fromm QB UGA: The starting QB for the flagship university always makes an updated list of top sports figures in the State.
Fromm goes into his sophomore season at the University of Georgia as the starting QB after leading UGA to a 13-2 record, Rose Bowl win, and national title game appearance as a freshman in 2017.
Fromm is loved throughout the State and the Dawgs are loaded going into 2018 on offense. Fromm looked a little rusty during the spring game, but this kid has something you can’t coach and it is called the WOW factor.
Nothing seems to bother him and that is a good thing because Justin Fields is nipping at his heels now in Athens. UGA is set at the QB position for the next few years, and Jake is the golden boy around the State right now.
- Ozzie Albies 2B Atlanta Braves: Albies is taking not just the State of Georgia by storm, but the nation by storm as he is the front runner for the National League Rookie of the year.
The kid is around 20 homeruns and his enthusiasm for the game has helped ignite the Braves nation in 2018.
Albies will likely be the starting second baseman for the National League All Stars in this year’s game in Washington DC. At 5’8 and 155 lbs. the power numbers are off the charts and the excitement is back in the State for Braves baseball.
- Matt Ryan QB Atlanta Falcons: Matty Ice is the highest paid player in the NFL. Ryan just became the NFL’s first 30 million per year player and his current deal guarantees him $100 million.
Football is king in the State of Georgia and Ryan will lead the Falcons to the playoffs in 2018. Possibly, back to the Super Bowl and redemption from blowing the 25-point third quarter SB lead two years ago. Ryan is putting together a potential Hall of Fame career in Atlanta that could be cemented with a Super Bowl ring.
- Freddie Freeman 1B Atlanta Braves: Freeman is currently batting .311 with 16 HR and 56 RBI for the division leading Atlanta Braves and is the face of the franchise.
The Freeman led Braves are in first place in July for the first time since 2014 and Freeman is having an MVP season in 2018. If the season ended today Freeman would probably be named National League MVP.
Freeman has been a regular in Atlanta now since 2010 and is one of the most recognizable sports figures in the state. If Freddie leads the Braves back to the World Series he might have a future in Georgia politics one day.
And the most recognizable sport figure in the state of Georgia currently is: Kirby Smart Head Football Coach University of Georgia: Smart is the face of UGA Football.
Born and raised in Georgia, played and earned All-SEC honors at UGA, and now has UGA competing for national championships in a State that is football crazy and championship deprived.
The 2017 UGA football season was magical and Smart had the Dawgs a blown coverage away from its first National Championship since 1980.
Smart is the best recruiter in the business and now has UGA reloading every year. Georgia season football tickets are the most treasured possession in the Peach State currently all because of the monster Kirby is building in Athens.
Kirby Smart is the most popular and most recognizable sports figure in the State of Georgia and if he wins a national title in the near future your future Governor when he retires from coaching football.
Bullpen Needs Horses
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sam Freeman came in with a 5-3 lead to start the seventh inning Wednesday and gave up a leadoff walk and a pair of two-out singles, all those runners eventually scored and sent the Reds to a series-clinching win at SunTrust Park.
This all of a sudden is becoming a recurring theme for the Atlanta Braves. The starter gives you 6-7 quality innings and the bullpen comes in to blow it.
The Nationals went out and got Kelvin Herrera from the Royals and looked poised to make a run now in the NL East with that starting pitching they have.
Sam Freeman had a 2.94 ERA through May. Since then he has an 8.16 ERA with 13 earned runs and 6 walks allowed in 14-1/3 innings. The Braves are 4-11 in those games and he got three of the losses.
It appears I am piling on Sam Freeman, but the entire bullpen is struggling right now. The Braves still lead the NL East going into July so what will they do to address the issue?
Doing nothing is not an option at this point. Freddie Freeman is having an MVP season, Ozzie Albies is having a ROY season and the rotation is providing quality start after quality start. Braves have lost back to back series against the Orioles the worst team in baseball and the last place Reds who are hot currently but still in last place.
Look at these ERA’s over the past 7 appearances by these bullpen members:
Dan Winker: 8.10
Sam Freeman: 10.57
Peter Moylan: 12.46
This Braves team is good enough to contend but has to get better production out of the middle relievers. Yes, I know pitching staffs struggle from time to time but this is becoming a trend that needs to be addressed.
So, what do the Braves do before the deadline for bullpen help? Arodys Vizcaino is on the DL and he worries me every time he pitches. With no true closer available the woes of the bullpen are magnified.
I was in San Diego last week and caught a Padres game while in town. San Diego is in last place but has one of the best bullpens in baseball. Braves need arms in the pen. Why not call the Padres and ask for Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates or both?
How about Joe Jimenez from the Tigers? Jimenez has 43 strikeouts in 38 innings this year for the Tigers who are not going anywhere fast. The Tigers also have Shane Greene, who is their closer currently, but could step in as a setup or middle relief man in Atlanta.
Yates has a 0.82 ERA in 33 games for the Padres this year. Stammen has a 2.65 ERA in 34 games this year in San Diego.
These are all options for the Braves to pursue. Not to pursue bullpen options to match what Washington did with Herrera would infuriate the Braves fan base after such a great start to 2018.
Braves front office please go out and get some pitching help for the stretch run. Don’t waste this great start.
King Koepka
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the first time since Curtis Strange in 1989, Brooks Koepka has won the United States Open in consecutive years.
Koepka fired a final round 68 to beat Tommy Fleetwood by a stroke and World #1 Dustin Johnson by two strokes. Fleetwood who played earlier in the day on Sunday shot a record low round of 63.
Koepka with the win jumps to number 4 in the world rankings and looks like at age 28 he will be a force in American golf for at least the next decade.
Shinnecock Hills hosted another memorable US Open. Rounds 1 and 3 brought the best players in the world to their knees. Johnson was running away with the title after 36 holes but fired a 77 on Saturday to come back to the pack.
Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball and took a lot of criticism from the golfing media.
The USGA took a lot of heat from media and players regarding pin positions and baked out greens that made good approach shots into bad shots.
Shinnecock is a beast when the wind blows and after Koepka won at Erin Hills at 16 under in 2017 who did not see this coming? The US Open is regarded as the toughest test of golf in the world and the USGA likes the winning score to be around par.
Koepka has now won the toughest golf tournament in the world in back to back years.
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Koepka was raised in Lake Worth and attended Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach. He played college golf at Florida State University, where was a three-time All-American.
Koepka started his professional career on the European tour, where he won three times before coming to the PGA tour.
Koepka now has a reputation for being able to win on the toughest courses in the world. The Open is being played at Carnoustie this year, which is also known as the toughest course in Scotland so expect Koepka to contend there as well.
Some players just are built to compete for major titles. Koepka at 28 has won two, has 5 top five, and 7 top ten finishes. He has made the cut in straight majors dating back to the 2013 PGA Championship.
When you can do that you build a reputation as being a closer and that was evident in the final round at Shinnecock when he stuffed a short iron to 4 feet and drained a birdie putt to pretty much seal the deal playing alongside Dustin Johnson.
Willie Anderson of Scotland is the only man to ever win three consecutive US Open titles in 1905. Koepa can become the only American to accomplish that with a win at Pebble Beach in 2019.
Life is pretty good for Brooks right now, back to back US Open champion, top 5 golfer in the world, and a beauty pageant winner as a girlfriend.
Look for Brooks Koepka to help lead the US Ryder cup team this fall to a much needed victory on European soil. Something that has not happened in 25 years.
The future of US golf is pretty bright currently.
