Rocky Hidalgo
Terror Character
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you reach the playoffs in any sport for over 15 years in a row, it says something about your team and program.
That was all on the line last Friday night for the Glynn Academy Red Terrors.
After an up and down season, the Terrors found themselves down 24-21 late in the fourth quarter to the Evans Knights.
It was literally win and you’re in or lose and close but no cigar. The winner would be the region’s last team in and the loser could start pumping up basketballs.
With under 6 minutes to go in the game and trailing, the Red Terrors reached down and found that little extra they needed. They stood up and took charge of a game that they had made close with some crucial mistakes in the 3 ½ quarters before.
Behind the play of T. Y. Chisholm, Da’Sean Howard and Sean Wallace on offense and Tae Green on defense the Terrors came back to take a 28-24 victory and win a trip to take a six-hour bus ride to take on the Rome Wolves in the first round of the state playoffs.
In those final 6 minutes the Terrors showed the character of a team full of winners.
First, Howard put the team on his back and carried the ball on pretty much the same play three times in a row. The third one, a tackle breaking run went for 39 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Tuck Tuckers extra point made it 28-24.
That left it up to the Red Terror D that had played well all night but had given up several big plays for scores.
They responded by making interceptions the last two times Evans had the ball. The last by Ervan Rowe on a 4th down and 28 Hail Mary pass. That 4th and 28 was set up by Tae Greens’ SIXTH sack of the night. The guy was a true Terror, all over the field.
Coach Rocky Hidalgo was “relieved” that the Red Terrors had won but bemoaned the errors that his Terrors had made.
All teams make errors and nobody is perfect but character stands out. In the last 6 minutes with the season on the line the Red Terrors showed character.
Can they stand up to the 5A #1 seed Rome Wolves? We will see. But the Terrors definitely have the right attitude and it begins with Coach Hidalgo’s comments following the game.
He stressed that the Terrors had to be ready not only for next Friday night in Rome but on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on the Glynn practice field. That’s why the Terrors are in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season.
In the Rome Wolves, the Terrors will take on a hot team. After losing their first 2 games, the Wolves have been on a 7-game winning streak.
The latest being a 50-3 pasting of Kennesaw Mountain. The Wolves are prolific on offense scoring 59, 28, 70, 63, 35, and 50 in their last 6 games.
Defensively in those six games, they’ve given up 35 points total. The Terrors definitely will have to play their absolute best to hang with Rome.
If they make crucial errors at times in this game they could get hammered. The Terrors will head into the game at 6-4 and the regions 4th seed.
After a long season full of highlights and a few lowlights the Terrors can head up north knowing they are big underdogs.
The official website for Rome says they are playing the GLYNN COUNTY SCHOOLS. They evidently don’t even know who Glynn Academy is! Glynn should go and let it all hang out.
As the old saying goes, they’ve really got nothing to lose.
Terror-tory
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Its July and its hot and sticky. The weather forecast says RAIN every afternoon.
Lazy summer days with afternoon thunderboomers. But for so many of us it’s really time to start thinking about FOOTBALL. And today it’s specifically GLYNN ACADEMY RED TERROR football.
The Red Terrors of Rocky Hidalgo had a very successful 2023 campaign. 8-3 with an ohhhhhh so close agonizing first round loss in the playoffs.
The Red Terrors picked a bad game to play mediocre football and it cost them in a one point first round loss. On the positive side was another city championship running Rocks record against the Brunswick Pirates to 7-3. But let’s move on and look at 2024. As of today the Terrors are undefeated.
Defensively the 2024 squad should be good. While the number of returning starters may not be overwhelming. The fact is that this Terror team has a lot of juniors and seniors who have played a lot of minutes for the Red and White.
A few years ago as we came out of the pandemic, the Red Terrors were looking at maybe a dozen or so juniors and seniors on the team.
That has drastically changed in the past couple of years and the Terrors will have close to 50 juniors and seniors ready to play on Friday nights.
It’s a big difference. Especially on defense where there are holes to fill.
Quay Evans and Tay Green return on the D-line for the Terrors and Ty Chishom returns in the defensive backfield.
Several other of last year’s contributors will step into starting roles this year. With the depth the Terrors have built recently, Coach Rock feels the defense will be very good.
I think that the key for Glynn will be having some linebackers step up and play big time. If that happens the Terrors could be dangerous.
They could be dangerous because the offense will be lethal.
On offense the Terrors return a great mix of players including 3 offensive linemen.
The games are won or lost in the trenches and this group of road graters should be good.
Add in Josh Baker at center and this group should be solid. They are definitely going to have some guys in the backfield that can take advantage of every crease or hole the Oline gives them.
Returning are TE Deuce Hidalgo, WR Sean Wallace, QB Jayden Ellis and RB Greg Peacock. That’s 7 returning starters and a dozen or so with experience from last year. The Terrors will be fun to watch fosho!
And keep an eye out for Nico Nikomunoz. He’s a young QB who can sling it. If he gets on the field and can distribute the ball it will free up Ellis and Peacock to wreak havoc. Either way this offense has the potential to be VERY good.
Special teams are just that at Glynn and it’s just a question of how good. Returning will be Tuck Tucker to do the punting, kickoffs and FGs. Any time the Red Terrors get in the red zone it should be at least 3 with Tuck.
And keep an eye out for up and coming Patrick Coyle. He would start for most teams in the region but will give Glynn a great backup.
The return teams should be emphasized by Rocky and the staff. They could be electric this time around! Peacock is being recruited by all the D1’s. So, lets hope the Rock puts him back deep and lets the opposing teams kick it to him.
Glynn rolls into 2024 with several new coaches on staff including Steve Sigemund with the DB’s and all important Weightroom. Matt Moore comes on board with the RB’s. And Gage Sills heads up the QB’s. Welcome to the Terrortory gentlemen!
While I’m not going to break down the season game by game, the schedule is formidable.
Richmond Hill returns 18 starters and is in one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Ditto for the Rebels of Effingham. Evans will be loaded this year and Brunswick has talent.
Eight wins for Glynn Academy in the regular season again would be workable if things fall into place. Now let’s see if they can make a playoff run.
Terror Town 2023
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, as we head toward the holidays, it’s time to take a look back at the 2023 Red Terrors football season.
The Terrors rolled to a successful 8-3 campaign, claiming the second seed in the region, and barely missing out on another playoff win. And while the Red and White southsiders would have loved a few more W’s, it was all and all a great season capped off with an overtime sinking of a Pirate ship. Any season with a city championship win over the Brunswick Pirates is considered a successful campaign for the Red Terrors. Trust me, I know!
So, let’s do a quick recap of another fine season for the Terrors and take a quick look at what’s coming back for the 2024 outfit.
8/18 Glynn Academy vs Statesboro Blue Devils. Terrors roll in the opener 21-0.
8/25 Glynn Academy @ MCA Buccaneers. The Red Terrors cruise up Highway 17 and take out the always tough Buccaneers in a close one 14-6. McIntosh Academy always plays bigger than they are and this one was no exception.
9/1 Glynn Academy vs Camden County Widcats. The Terrors find out on this Friday night that they aint the biggest boys on the block as the Wildcats rough up the homestanding Terrors 44-13. The Wildcats and Jeff Herron go on to the Final Four of the 7A playoffs.
9/7 Glynn Academy vs Baker County (FL) Wildcats. Glynn grounds out a tough 27-20 win over the Wildcats to bounce back into the win column and all eyes turn to the Pirates, who have already taken out a Camden team that ripped Glynn the week before.
9/22 Glynn Academy vs Brunswick High Pirates. Ahhhhhhhhhhh lets enjoy this one again. The Red Terrors sink the Pirates in a 22-15 overtime thriller.
The City Championship once again resides in the Glynn Academy trophy case. In this one the Terrors and Pirates find common ground from the top down to the 3rd stringers. We don’t like them and they don’t like us. Agreed……. Once again GLYNN 22 Brunswick 15.
9/29 Glynn Academy @ Effingham County Rebels. What goes up………… The Red Terrors play like they have a hangover that a whole bottle of aspirin won’t help. 49-3 Rebels, who go on to win the region championship.
10/6 Glynn Academy vs South Effingham High School Mustangs. The Terrors regroup and pulverize the Mustangs 35-0.
10/12 Glynn Academy @ Grovetown Warriors. Glynn has a nice trip up north and walks and runs all over Grovetown 43-3.
10/20 Glynn Academy @ Evans Knights. Another road trip and another win as the Terrors take out a tough Evans team 22-14.
11/3 Glynn Academy vs Lakeside Panthers. The Terrors get tuned up for the 6A playoffs with a 50-7 pasting of the Panthers at Glynn County Stadium.
11/10 Glynn academy vs Jonesboro Cardinals. Let’s see, what do you get when you fumble 3 times and have 2 punts blocked? It doesn’t matter who you are. 98% of the time you lose.
Well, the Terrors did their absolute best to be in the 2% but fall short in a heartbreaker 32-31.
Too many mistakes to overcome against a team that took advantage of them.
The Terrors lose at home in the final game of the year and end up with an 8-3 record. Not what Coach Rock and the Terrors wanted but another successful campaign for the Red and White.
The Terrors graduated some real leaders in 2023. Kids that worked their tails off and stuck with the program.
Among them were Peyton Parker, who earned Region Defensive Player of the Year, and David Prince Glynn’s great wide receiver.
The all-region team was well represented with Jayden Ellis at QB, Parker, Prince, RB Willie Butler, Max Poysky OL, Quay Evans DL, Da’Vontae Lang ILB, Trent Tankersley OLB, Ryan Young DB, Marshan Turner DB and Tuck Tucker P all First Team selections.
Second teamers included Deuce Hidalgo TE, Harrison Knight OL, Camden Wilson DL, Gavin Wells OLB and T.Y. Chisom DB. Honorable Mentions were Michael Torello FB, Zeb Jackson WR, Sean Wallace WR, Caziah Alston, Benton Dyal and Josh Baker all on the OL, Tae Green DL, Chandler Owens LB, Bruce Edwards DB and LS Jeb Carson.
Quite a list and a testament to the consistent work ethic put in by the Terrors and the coaching staff.
As the Terrors look forward to 2024, they do so with a great nucleus to build on. The Offense has 3 linemen and 4 of the best skill players in southeast Georgia coming back. If the young line develops the Terrors will be very dangerous next year.
Defensively it’s the same story, 3 seasoned linemen, a linebacker, and a very good DB form a solid group to build around.
Tuck Tucker returns to kick and punt also. The coaching staff has a lot of work to do but a great core to work with.
Look for Rocky Hidalgo and the Terrors to build on the success of the young 2023 outfit and fight for more in 24!
Teachers Of Men
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I have lived in Glynn County my entire life.
I have a passion for football; that maybe my parents, wife, and close friends understand.
I was blessed as a youth to play high school football for a man that I idolize; recent Glynn County Sports Hall of Fame inductee John Willis.
Other than my father who turned 80 years old this week I consider John Willis the greatest influence in my life. The life lessons I learned playing for him prepared me for life. In my mind the things I learned from John Willis are bigger than football he helped develop me into a man.
As I look at the state of high school football in our community today, we are blessed to have three outstanding football coaches charged with developing men in our community.
Brandon Derrick/Frederica Academy: You talk about a coach who can take a little and turn it into a lot, then look no further than Derrick who has consistently developed winning teams at Frederica Academy.
With a State Championship in GISA and numerous region titles, Derrick takes teams that have low numbers and competes with schools with twice the number of players.
A trademark of Derrick football teams is tenacity. The Knights play with a mettle, spirit, and resolution that many of their opponents do not possess and late in ball games that shines through at clutch time.
The values that Derrick teaches will carry with these kids for the rest of their lives. Name me a more tenacious football team than the Frederica Knights? You have Brandon Derrick to thank for that.
Rocky Hidalgo/Glynn Academy: Coach Rock has been at Glynn Academy since 2014 and the fortunes of the program turned immediately.
By the end of the 2015 season Hidalgo had Glynn playing for a State Championship. A trademark of Hidalgo teams is that they are fundamentally sound, which speaks to discipline.
Discipline is a character trait this is seriously lacking among our youth today. Hidalgo teams are prepared down to every little detail.
All Glynn Academy teams I have witnessed are sound in all three phases of offense, defense, and special teams. If a game is tight then it is hard to bet against a Rocky Hidalgo team down the stretch.
Discipline is a trademark of Glynn Academy football and that is because of Rocky Hidalgo.
Garrett Grady/Brunswick High: You talk about a young dynamic coach who knows how to motivate his kids, look no further than Grady.
Grady is a grinder who has a work ethic that is second to none.
Since Grady was named the BHS coach in 2022, he has had the magic touch with the program. Community service, player exposure, everything Grady does he does at 100%.
The key character value I see at BHS currently under Grady is commitment. Grady is committed to these kids at BHS and the kids see that and are totally committed to him.
I’m a Pirate until I die, and Grady is the perfect man to head the BHS football program for years to come. There is a commitment to be great a BHS currently because of Garrett Grady.
Tenacity, discipline, and commitment. Strong core values. Values that are taught to young men on the football fields of Glynn County.
If you don’t think we are blessed on the head coaching front for high school football in Glynn County, then you are not paying attention.
Come out and enjoy a high school football game in Glynn County soon where you will see a collection of head football coaches that I would not want to trade for anyone.
Core values are being taught and all you must do is pay attention. For $10 you can see the hope of our future locally on Friday Nights. That is not a huge investment.
Wave Of Terror
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Glynn Academy finished the 2022 season with a record of 6-5, after losing a close game in the first round of the playoffs at Northside-Warner Robins.
Throughout the 2022 season, Glynn evolved as a team and really found their offensive identity in the latter half of the season with a focus on getting the ball into their best playmakers’ hands.
Two of those playmakers will be back this season in junior Greg Peacock and recent Georgia Tech commit, senior David Prince.
This shift in offensive philosophy took the Terrors from averaging 20 points per game in their first seven games to 31.5 points per game in their last four.
August 18th – Glynn vs Statesboro: Last year in Statesboro, the Terrors won in a 43-42 shoot-out to begin their season. Since that game, the Terrors found their offensive identity and ended 2022 looking like a better team. While the Blue Devils of Statesboro ended their season on a disappointing note, finishing the year 3-8. I have Glynn picking up the win at home this year.
August 25th – Glynn @ McIntosh County Academy: The MCA game in 2022 was a game that felt like Glynn had full control of, but Glynn never pulled away. MCA is a solid 1A team, but I have Glynn picking up the win in Darien.
September 1st – Glynn vs Camden County: Last year’s Camden County game felt like a wake-up call for the Terrors. They were shut out until a long run from Hank Noonan in the fourth quarter. I expect the game to be closer this year, but don’t know if they will pull off the upset.
September 7th – Glynn vs Baker County (FL): A part of the 2nd Annual Florida-Georgia Border War Classic, this will be a Thursday night game for the Terrors. Last year they took on Creekside (FL) in the first Border War, losing 21-20 in a torrential downpour. Baker County beat Richmond Hill in the Classic last year and seemed to be a solid team in their division in Florida. I expect this to be a tough contest for the Terrors, and the homer in me wants to say they’ll pick up a hard fought win before the bye week.
September 15th – Bye Week: Region play starts after this bye week.
September 22nd – Glynn vs Brunswick High: Glynn will be the home team this year for the City Championship. Glynn has now lost three in a row to Brunswick, but last year was the widest margin of the three with Brunswick winning 55-21. Glynn will need to dominate time of possession and get some key turnovers if they want to win this year’s City Championship.
September 29th – Glynn @ Effingham County: Last season, with worries of Hurricane Ian threatening to impact South Georgia, the game was moved up to a Wednesday. After a disappointing loss in 2022, I expect Glynn to be hungry to get after Effingham this season.
October 6th – Glynn vs South Effingham: Though the scoreboard does not reflect it, this may have been the game where Glynn figured out their offensive identity last year. I expect this to be a bigger win for Glynn in 2023.
October 13th – Glynn @ Grovetown: The game where it seemed to all come together for Glynn in 2022, winning 46-13. Though the drive to Augusta will be long, I expect Glynn to pick up the win again this year.
October 20th – Glynn @ Evans: After a comeback 25-22 win against Evans last year, Glynn kept their #3 seed hopes alive. I expect Evans will put up a tough fight after last year’s win.
October 27th – Bye week
November 3rd – Glynn vs Lakeside (Evans): Glynn finished up the regular season last year, with a 42-20 win over Lakeside (Evans). A team that had some young stars, I expect the game to be a little closer this year but for Glynn to get the win.
For now, I have Glynn going 8-2 with losses to Camden and Brunswick High. This team will have a chance to make a legitimate run in the playoffs, like a lot of past Rocky Hidalgo-coached teams have.
The Prince Of Terror
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Glynn Academy Red Terror Senior wideout David Prince looks to make some noise in his final season as a Terror.
A four-year starter at the receiver position and standing 6 foot 4 inches 220 pounds, Prince is an imposing force at wideout.
Glynn Academy used his size advantage last year, as he became a regular jump ball target on the goal line for Quarterback Tyler Devlin. Prince’s wider catch radius makes him a perfect target for an inexperienced quarterback, which the Terrors will be rolling into 2023 with.
After starting high school with Louisville commit, TJ Lewis at QB and the stability of the last two years with Devlin, Prince will be looking to Ryan Schueneman as the new signal caller.
Schueneman, who played a similar role to David Prince last season, will now be the third starting quarterback to play with David Prince.
While out at practice, Prince and I talked about where he got his love of football from. He attributed it to watching his brothers play when he was growing up. Prince said after he started playing in the sixth grade he just fell in love with the sport.
Prince embraced the run-first identity of Glynn Academy’s offense in our interview saying: “Our number one thing is running the football; we ain’t ever going to change that.”
Despite playing in a run-first offense, Prince put up impressive stats last season, totaling up 28 catches for 607 yards and 7 touchdowns. That includes an explosive performance against Northside in round 1 of the playoffs last year, where he caught 3 passes for 120 yards and 1 touchdown.
Prince also played two ways last season, embracing being a team player and plugging in as an outside linebacker on defense. Prince told me he expects to play on defense again this season, once again playing outside linebacker for the Terrors. Another year’s worth of experience at the position, colleges are sure to take notice of both David Prince the tight end and David Prince the linebacker.
He talked about his goals and the team’s heading into 2023: “Get stronger, faster, and try to win a region championship. First day of spring we came out here with a mindset to win a region championship.”
Those kinds of goals are the right mindset to have and are warranted when you look at Head Coach Rocky Hidalgo’s track record. Coach Rocky Hidalgo has won a region title, or tied for one, five times in his career at Glynn Academy.
Coach Hidalgo himself had this to say about Prince: “He is an amazing kid, he is a lot of fun to be around. Anything he does is going to automatically be more energetic, it’s going to be more enthusiastic, and it’s going to be more fun. He’s just kind of naturally got one of those personalities. Great kid, got a good heart, and he’s a great teammate.”
Prince talked a little bit about the college recruitment process and told a story about receiving his first offer from Troy: “I was in class, [Troy coach Evan McKissack] texted me and asked if he could call me. So, I went somewhere and called him, he was telling me that I was going to be the first tight end that they offered.”
Prince went on to say the current state of his recruiting process felt “regular,” saying that it hasn’t changed who he is as a person. He is also interested in making the most of his coming college experience, possibly pursuing a business degree.
David Prince is a bright young man, who will turn some heads in high school ranks and with more college coaches very soon. Look for him to not only have a great senior year, but also be a steal for whatever college is lucky to get him.
Raising Terror
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to call Glynn Academy’s 2021 football season underwhelming. Coach Rocky Hidalgo is out to change that.
Last year got off to a baffling start in the form of a 14-point tie to our northern neighbors in McIntosh, the MCA Buccaneers.
That was quickly followed by a shellacking at the hands of our southern neighbors from Camden, the Camden County Wildcats.
Compile that with an overtime loss to the Brunswick High Pirates in the City Championship Game, and it’s pretty obvious the season never fully got on track.
The Terrors followed up a pedestrian 4-5-1 regular season with an early playoff exit, losing in the first round to Langston Hughes on the road 42-14.
Flip the calendar forward eight months, and Big Red seems to be ready to turn the page and get back to basics. Local football afficionados have noticed a more hands-on approach from Coach Hidalgo this offseason and hints of a more “in-the-trenches/wing-T” style of play on offense.
That should prove to play to the strengths of his returning offensive stars. Rising Senior QB Tyler Devlin developed a solid rapport with receiver David Prince last year and looks to build upon that in the coming season.
The Terrors look to be sturdy up front with big guys John McCleod and Jack Hunt leading the line & opening some big holes for the multifaceted sophomore RB Greg Peacock.
On defense, familiar names like William Tankersley, D.J. Riley, J.T. Gibbons, and Hugh Edgy will be filling in the gaps left by last years’ graduating class. All in all, the 2022 season looks to be much more satisfactory for Terror Nation.
Here’s how we see Glynn’s season unfolding:
WEEK 1 – @Statesboro – It’s tough to pick when you have two teams trying to rebound from a disappointing season. We’ll go with the Terrors over the Devils in a close one on the road, 21-17.
WEEK 2 – vs. MCA – That draw from last year still stings. Hidalgo & company will make sure that outcome isn’t anywhere close this time around. Glynn wins big, 49-9.
WEEK 3 – @Camden – Last year’s drubbing had folks wondering if the Wildcats really were back or not. No more of the same this year, Glynn flips the script in a shootout 51-45.
WEEK 4 – vs. Creekside – A tough non-region opponent in a tough spot on the schedule. The Knights hand Glynn their first loss on the year 35-21.
WEEK 5 – CITY CHAMPIONSHIP vs. Brunswick – As a Pirate alum it pains me to say this, but I fear the streak for the Blue & Gold ends here. Coach Rock hoists the trophy once more, 31-28 (OT).
WEEK 6 – vs. Effingham – Glynn always seems to lose one game a year they have no business losing. This one seems as good a candidate as any. Terrors still feeling hungover from the victory over BHS put up an uninspiring effort in a 17-3 loss.
WEEK 7 – @South Effingham – The boys in red get back on track and avoid going “Oh-for-Eff,” breaking the Mustangs bigly 56-14.
WEEK 8 – vs. Grovetown – The first of three home games against new region opponents to end the season sees the Terrors notch their first shutout of the season, embarrassing the Warriors 34-0.
WEEK 9 – vs. Evans – All cylinders will be firing as the regular season winds down, but the Terrors let this one slip by. Glynn falls in a close one 24-21.
WEEK 10 – vs. Lakeside – Coach Rock fixes the issues from the week before and sends the Terrors to the playoffs riding high. Terrors over Panthers by a decisive 42-14 score.
FINAL RECORD – 7-3, 2nd place in the Region, playoff bound.
Red Devils
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors finished the 2020 season on a down note.
After a lopsided home loss to Langston Hughes in the 2nd round of the GHSA Playoffs, Terrors Head Coach Rocky Hidalgo had some rather pointed words to some unnamed players and parents.
Seven months later, Coach Hidalgo feels much more positive about his team.
“This is a different football team than what we had last year,” according to Coach Hidalgo. “These kids have been great to work with. We don’t have a lot of the issues that we dealt with last year. “Last year, I was frustrated because I felt like there were some people pulling us in opposite directions from where we needed to go. I think we got some of that stuff corrected. Our kids and parents are ready to go.”
One of those “ready to go” players in particular is newly minted starting Quarterback Tyler Devlin.
“(Tyler) is going to be really good,” beams the Head Coach. “I think when the dust has settled, he looks like he’s going to be a really special player at Glynn Academy. He has the bearing of a leader, leading by example.”
The rising Junior’s targets look to be in good shape as well. WR David Prince is “going to be a really good player” per Coach Hidalgo, but he won’t be the only one.
“Tyson Rooks coming over from the basketball team has a chance to be really special, and Jordan Johnson & Daniel Smiley both had a really good offseason.”
As a coach who has a reputation as a “run first” coach, Coach Hidalgo seems to be leaning towards a committee approach at RB this season.
“We feel like John Moody did some good things for us last year, same thing for Zech Ellis. Jackson Wakeland (who took a year off to focus on wrestling) is back and is really going to help us in the backfield.”
Coach Rock doesn’t seem concerned about the apparent lack of an obvious RB1.
“I like our running backs,” he said without hesitation. “I don’t think we really have a bellcow like we’ve had in the past, but we have some good solid players in the backfield.”
On the defensive side, the biggest question seems to be in the Linebacker stable.
“We’ve got kids right now that are competing for playing time at MLB,” replied the Coach when asked about Da’Vontae Lang. “(Da’Vontae) is one of them, and he’s got a chance to be really, really good, but you could say the same for Colin Fox, Eriq Cash, Peyton Parker, and Cab Cabiness. We just have to see who’s going to step up & win those jobs.”
There’s somewhat less concern in the defensive backfield, but still room for development.
“We feel good about our Cornerback situation. Tate Rhodes & Kannum Warren played a bunch for us last year at Safety, we feel like we need to develop some depth.
JT Givens and DJ Riley will have a chance to get out on the field and do some good things. I feel good about everything but our depth.”
On Special Teams, “there’s going to be some competition with the Field Goal kicking role,” speculates the Coach.
“Jonathan Sasser is really accurate, whereas Kody Arnold has a really big leg. We like both of those guys, but we have some young kickers that are really good, too. There’s going to be some competition.”
Coach Hidalgo has set some pretty high expectations in his career at Glynn Academy, and those high expectations are ones he welcomes.
“If the expectation isn’t to win the region championship and win the state championship, what do you do this for? Our goal is to go out and win a region championship every year. We’ve been fortunate enough to do that five of the seven years I’ve been here. Our plan is to go out & do that again this year.”
Red Terrors’ Devlin
By: Buck Blanz
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The last few years the Glynn Academy Terrors have had successful seasons, but often ending just short of their goals in the GHSA Playoffs.
Rocky Hidalgo and his staff are hoping to continue the regular season success and make a deep playoff push. They will put their best foot forward heading into the 2021 season with a new name under center.
A season ago the Terrors were able to win a share of the region championship and are only looking to build on that success with rising Junior, Tyler Devlin at the helm of the Glynn Academy offense.
Rocky Hidalgo and his coaching staff are looking forward to seeing how exactly Tyler’s game can help propel the Terrors into a state title contender.
Devlin began his high school career at the GISA-AAA School, Frederica Academy, starting as a freshman before deciding to transfer out and attend the much larger Glynn Academy.
Devlin said “he just felt like it was the right time” when asked why he decided to transfer and has done considerably well with all of the different hats he’s had to wear since arriving last fall.
Outside of his baseball season, which he is currently in the middle of, Devlin played JV for Glynn Academy a season ago while also being the backup for the Terrors Varsity team at Quarterback.
Devlin split time with the JV and Varsity team, which had to be difficult while learning a new system but he never shied away from doing what was asked.
Devlin played both safety and wide receiver for the Terrors, while also learning a brand new playbook, further demonstrating to his teammates and coaches that no task is too big for the talented young athlete.
In just a few months, Devlin has created an outstanding reputation within his coaching staff labeling him as a ‘competitor’, as well as gaining the trust of each one of his teammates. This has earned him the opportunity to lead the Terrors out onto the field on Friday nights.
Hidalgo said “he reminds me a lot of Randon Jernigan with how he carries himself and is able to make his teammates around him better”.
Once again demonstrating Devlin’s will to win, but in the right way. Hidalgo also mentioned that while Tyler is not the most outspoken player, he is highly respected due to the fact that when he speaks his teammates listen.
With such high praise from his head coach, Tyler is hoping to make waves throughout the State with his innate leadership skills and how he demands the best from his teammates every day in practice.
In previous years under coach Hidalgo the Terrors have been known for their offensive attack through the speed option, but look for Glynn Academy to have a few new tricks up their sleeves in the upcoming season.
With an elusive man behind center like Devlin, who likes to think of himself as a Johnny Manziel-Esque’ style quarterback, it allows the play calling to be much more creative.
Fortunately for Tyler. these plays will allow him to get outside the pocket often and showcase his skills with his speed and elusive nature.
Although Devlin is a young quarterback, he has a considerable amount of experience in big games. From starting as a freshman at Frederica Academy to seeing some action late last season in the playoffs, Devlin is looking to put his best foot forward heading into his junior season.
Devlin and his coaches have already begun working on his footwork as well as taking the time to sit down and dissect some film to help slow the game down for a talented young man like Tyler.
After the Terrors finished 8-4 a season ago and lost to Langston Hughes in the second round of the Playoffs, Tyler Devlin still has a bad taste in his mouth and has his sights set on something much bigger for next season.
Monday Morning QB’s
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the color commentator for Brunswick High football radio broadcasts for the last 13 years I see good trends and bad trends during football seasons.
A disturbing trend currently is attendance for home football games for our two public high schools in Glynn County.
Currently the two high schools in Glynn County average around 1,000 spectators for a home football game. That is pretty embarrassing for high schools that play in the second highest classification in the state.
Yet, in spite of poor attendance many seem to be an expert on the direction the local programs should take and offer these takes on social media outlets and really have no idea what they are talking about.
Example, I was surfing the internet after Brunswick’s loss to Richmond Hill last week and a nameless expert hiding behind a computer said the program was trash and has been trash since a previous head coach was in charge five years ago.
Here is a nugget of wisdom for this expert, who claims Brunswick wastes so much talent and wants to throw every single head coach under the bus, the school has an all-time football record of 271-274-6. Chew on those facts for a moment, expert.
Brunswick High School has been playing football for 52 years and the historical average is five wins and five losses per season, but yet this expert expects a state title every season. However, won’t give a dime of support, or time to the program.
I’m tempted to name names here but I will refrain. Brunswick High has not played past the second round in the state playoffs since 1999 and has only accomplished that feat twice in its history.
Glynn Academy is in the best run of their football history and you hear people in the community starting to complain about the program but yet 900 people show up to a game on Friday night to support a program that has won over 50 football games over the past five seasons.
What is the deal here people? Prior to the current head coach arriving, Glynn had not won a region title in football since 1972. Now they have won four region titles in a row. Are the GA faithful a spoiled now?
Do local football coaches come to your job and boo you for missing a revenue target? Do they show up at your sales meetings and provide insights to how you should do your job better? Do they show up and yell at your kid at the recreation level when they make a mistake? Do they go on Facebook and say the North Glynn Recreation league Yellow Jackets are trash and need to fire their volunteer coach? Of course, they don’t so why is everyone an expert at football?
Kirby Smart is 37-11 at UGA, yet experts on Facebook say he is a bad coach after a loss.
Did UGA deserve to loss to South Carolina last week? Hell yeah, they did because South Carolina wanted it more on that particular day.
Programs are built through blood, sweat and tears and over time, but it can be destroyed at one family dinner by the most destructive thing in the history of mankind, the tongue. Many a Church sermon has been preached regarding taming the tongue but the lesson never seems to be learned.
When mean-spirited people bad mouth a football program it affects the bottom line for Glynn County Athletics, which depends on football to fund all other sports.
When people don’t attend games, revenue is not generated. Coach Rocky Hidalgo at Glynn told me about three years ago that when people outside the program come to him with coaching suggestions, he gives them a magic marker and tells them to draw it up on the chalkboard. I wonder how long those conversations last.
There are two pretty good head football coaches in Glynn County, and dedicated players who work their behinds off who never walk on a field intending to lose on Friday night.
Give them your support, or like my granddaddy always said “roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches with me, or keep your damn mouth shut”.
The kids in Glynn County community need your support on Friday nights. Will you support them? Wins, losses, style of offense, who is the QB, all of that stuff really doesn’t matter to a true supporter.
Are you all in Glynn County? Your support is needed.
