By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Coach Bradley Warren has done a fantastic job at McIntosh County Academy.

He begins his fifth season with the Buccaneers this fall. MCA finished 10-2 last fall winning the region championship.

Coach Warren said this about his football team: “We currently have 50-55 players on the roster. I feel like we have a solid core of young men to work with. They work hard and respond well to what we ask them to do. I have a great staff that devotes time to these young men and these kids respond to that. We have six starters returning on defense and four starters on offense coming back this fall. When you look at our region Jenkins County and ECI will be very good. We travel to both this fall. Portal is improving every year and Montgomery County was a playoff team last fall. I feel good about our football team and overall program. We have good younger talent coming through our program as well. Also, we have a great support system at MCA. Our fans are great, and we get great community support for all aspects of our football program.”

2023 Schedule/My Predictions:

8/18    At Johnson, Savannah: MCA opens the season in Savannah against Johnson. This game should not be much of a problem. Look for MCA to start the season 1-0.

8/25    Glynn Academy: The Terrors travel up Highway 17 to Darien to play MCA. 1A MCA always gives 6A Glynn Academy fits. Could the Bucs pull the huge upset? It is possible but not likely. MCA drops a close one to GA to go 1-1 on the season.

9/09    At West Nassau Florida (Brunswick, GA -Glynn County Stadium): MCA drilled West Nassau 42-8 in 2022 and will do the same in 2023. 2-1.

9/15    At Lanier County: Lanier County made the playoffs in 2022 and the bus must travel to Lakeland for this one. MCA finds a way to win. 3-1.

9/22    At Bradwell Institute: Another big jump in classification as MCA travels to Hinesville to play the Tigers. Bradwell is an enigma to me. Hinesville has historically been a tough place to play at. Bradwell has been down for years, but they have athletes. Based on how both programs have trended lately give me MCA in his contest. MCA beat Bradwell 40-13 at home in 2022. MCA goes to 4-1 on the season.

9/29    Atkinson County: ATCO will get drilled in Darien. MCA goes to 5-1 on the season and gets ready for the region schedule.

10/06  At Jenkins County: Coach Warren tells me that Jenkins County returns their entire offense from a 7-4 playoff team in 2022. A region opener on the road against a team that will contend for a region championship will be tough. Last season was a classic 4-OT thriller that MCA won 27-21 in Darien. MCA finds a way to win these types of games under Coach Warren. Give me MCA in another war. MCA is 6-1 on the season.

10/13  Montgomery County: The Bucs shut out the Eagles last season in Mt. Vernon and will win this one to go 7-1.

10/20  At Emanuel County Institute: ECI has been a good football program for a long time. Coach Warren corrected me when I said they were down in 2022. I glanced at their 2022 schedule, and they played Metter, Swainsboro, Lincoln County, Dublin, and Johnson County in non-region games. That is a brutal non-region schedule in single A football. This one will be tough for MCA. Going to be hard to beat both Jenkins and ECI on the road so I think ECI pulls this one out. The Bucs fall to 7-2 on the season.

10/27  Portal: MCA is not losing to Portal at home on Senior Night in Darien. MCA finishes the season at 8-2.

I have MCA, ECI, and Jenkins County all beating each other to finish 3-1 in the region standings. Region tie breaker scenarios will determine the playoff seeds 1-3 with Montgomery County being the four seed.