Southern Sports Edition
Jackets Stung
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When word finally came down from the GHSA office that the 3A bracket didn’t include Southeast Bulloch, there were questions being asked and directed toward Thomaston (where the GHSA office is).
The fact that SEB was left out of the bracket wasn’t so much of a gripe, but who did get in was more the issue.
Beach High School out of Savannah received an at-large spot as the 29th seed in the 3A playoff bracket despite only playing 9 regular season games and being beat by the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets 48-8 just two days prior to the bracket coming out.
Southeast Bulloch finished the season 5-5 and 5-4 in Region 3 play after the 48-8 victory over Beach and ended up 5th in the Region (out of 10 teams). After falling to the Jackets, Beach finishes in 6th place behind SEB.
Beach only played 9 regular season games because their week 2 matchup with Savannah High was declared a no-contest after player ejections and coaches’ arguments broke out in the second quarter of the game in Savannah.
While Beach highly likely would have gone on to win that game against a Savannah team that finished 1-8, the game itself would have played a bigger factor than just a win for Beach.
The PSR (Post Season Ranking) metric that the GHSA uses to determine seeding for 3A and also is the only factor that is used to determine at-large bids is a formula that is 35% based on your win percentage, but is also 35% based on your opponents’ win percentage and 30% based on your opponents’ opponents’ win percentage.
The only comment made by the GHSA has been GHSA associate director Don Corr, who oversees the GHSA’s PSR Ratings and sets the playoff brackets, when he put out a generic statement of “The region followed their procedures to provide the GHSA office with their results, and the GHSA followed the PSR rules as approved by the GHSA state executive committee.”
In the current system, the top four seeds in each region make the playoff field, then at-large berths (due to having to pull the private schools out) are determined by the PSR ratings.
While this year, this flawed system negatively affects the team that I’m tied to with me being the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Jackets, I’ve said this system is incredibly flawed since it was introduced.
First off, teams in SEB’s region are at a disadvantage because they are in the only 10-team region in all of 3A, so teams only have one non-region game they have control of to increase the PSR ratings, and the way the recent history of the teams in the region has been, there’s only four or five teams that actually can help improve your PSR in region.
With the current region’s makeup, there are two regions that only have six teams in it (so two-thirds of the region make the postseason bracket), and two others that have seven teams.
Aside from that issue, the PSR is an extremely complicated but lazy answer for the GHSA. While the current PSR counts road games more than home games (1.1 to 0.9 in the formula), there is no differentiation between non-region games against a higher classification team. In SEB’s case, they opened the season with the lone non-region match-up against the 5A Statesboro squad, but if you just looked at the PSR formula, it would look like any other game on the schedule.
While the system itself is flawed, the execution and transparency by the GHSA leaves a lot to be desired and caused confusion at the end of the season.
Throughout the regular season on the GHSA website, fans can go online and see the PSR ratings and how each team got to their PSR number, but for some reason, the GHSA took the Football PSR page down Thursday evening before the final games of the regular season, and still remains hidden.
In SEB’s case, the week began with thinking there was no chance at an at large, but as the week went on, a member of the SEB community dove into the numbers and discovered there was a path just to be denied and no explanation of the PSR numbers.
At the end of the day, yes, if SEB wins another game or two, they’re in the top four of the region, and it’s a moot point…..in Brooklet at least, but the scary part is that beginning in 2026, the GHSA has approved to go to the PSR for all classifications (oh yeah, PSR only comes into play for 3A and lower….) and region finishes won’t matter.
Beginning next year, the region champions will get an automatic berth, then everyone will be seeded, and all other at-large berths will come from the same PSR that has failed them this year.
Lead Knight
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At the beginning of this season, Frederica Academy quarterback Stanton Beverly had several goals he wanted to achieve. He’s already accomplished several, plus at least one he wasn’t aware of.
At the completion of the regular season, the coaches of the GIAA AAAA/AAA District 2 named their All-Region Team as well as their Region Player of the Year.
While eight of his teammates were named to the All-Region team, seniors Gavin Grantham and Fuller Wimberly, juniors Jayden Gibson, Jaylen Baldwin, and Eli Middleton, sophomores Eric Alford and JC Wessell, and freshman Hudson Carter, Beverly was unanimously selected as the Region Player of the Year.
When asked about the post-regular season laurels, Stanton was more than willing to heap further praise upon his teammates.
“Everybody deserved it, but I think even more people deserved it,” the junior signal caller said recently. “I think Jordyn Rollins and Travis Garland deserved it as well. Honestly, every single person on this team could have deserved it.”
And he would know. According to a trusted member of Frederica Head Coach Brandon Derrick’s staff who keeps track of player history on HUDL (okay, fine. His wife Becky…), Beverly spends far and away more time viewing film than any of his teammates. According to Stanton’s family, he’s been that way since he was a child.
“When Stanton was 5 years old, he came to me and said that he wanted to play football,” recalls his father Corey Beverly. “I despise flag football, and at the time the local rec department in Nashville only had flag football for ages 5 and 6, so I told him no. The next year I got a call from the rec and they said they’re adding tackle this year. So, I said, ‘yeah, I’ll sign him up.’”
“So, I pick Stanton up from school and we miss the road to home and Stanton asks where we’re going. I told him we were going to the rec department to sign you up for football. I looked over and he had tears running down his face. He said, ‘I’ve waited my whole life for this!’” This year, opposing defenses have been driven to tears.
In the regular season, Beverly has gone 62-108 passing for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns. This places him at #4 all time in Frederica history behind Jalin Simpson (2018) and Gavin Williams (2016 & 15).
Combine that with the fact that he also leads the team in rushing: 113 carries for 751 yards and 10 more touchdowns and you can see why he’s drawn comparisons to another recent scrambling signal caller from Southeast Georgia.
“I love Stetson,” Stanton replied when made aware of the comparisons. “I think he’s the greatest UGA quarterback of all time. I kind of style my game after him. That’s who I want to be; go to Georgia as an underdog story. Stetson Bennett is my hero.”
On defense, Beverly has put up decent stats at Safety as well. His 38 total tackles has him tied for 3rd on the team and is also tied for 1st with 2 INTs.
Much like former Knight Jordan Triplett (who Stanton got to play with his freshman year), Beverly believes his time on defense makes him a better player on offense.
“Safety is almost all about coverages. When I drop back to pass, I can sort of see the demeanors of the cornerbacks and the safeties and it all clicks for me. That also comes from watching film as well.”
After a first round bye in the playoffs, the Knights will take on Valwood Academy, a team that currently is on a 5-game win streak against the Knights. “This team has come such a long way from the beginning of the season. We’re not even comparable to the team we were when we faced Valwood the first time.”
Empty Plains
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was fired after losing to Kentucky at home recently.
Freeze was 15-19 in his two-plus seasons at Auburn. He will be owed $15.8 million in buyout money, with no mitigation, after he signed a six-year, $49 million deal to replace Bryan Harsin in 2022.
“I have informed Coach Freeze of my decision to make a change in leadership with the Auburn football program,” athletic director John Cohen said in a statement. “Coach Freeze is a man of integrity, and we are appreciative of his investment in Auburn and his relentless work over the last three years in bolstering our roster. Our expectations for Auburn football are to annually compete for championships, and the search for the next leader of Auburn football begins immediately.”
Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin was named interim coach of the Tigers.
“It’s my fervent belief that great days are ahead for the Auburn football program,” Freeze wrote in a statement. “Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this chapter. I love this place, and I’ll carry the friendships with me always.”
Freeze is the eighth Power Four coach to be fired this season. That now makes four open positions in the SEC, which include Florida, Arkansas and LSU. If we are ranking these positions, obviously Arkansas is the worst job. Auburn has to be the second worst behind Florida and LSU. What direction will Auburn move in for their next head coach?
Lane Kiffin is being talked about for every major job opening. He has guided #7 Ole Miss to an 8-1 record so far. Kiffin has been mentioned for the Florida and LSU positions already.
Curt Cignetti (Indiana) is the best coach that we expect to leave for a bigger program. The Hoosiers are having a great season. He has won over 20 games at Indiana and he’s in his second season there. He should be a top candidate but he might consider other Big Ten programs like Penn State or UCLA as his top destination.
Eli Drinkwitz (Mizzou) is another good candidate. He’s a Gus Malzahn disciple and he became the head coach at Missouri in 2020. The Tigers have been very succesful over the past three seasons, including a Cotton Bowl victory and AP Top 10 finish in 2023. They have been in the upper tier of the SEC for most of the season.
Former Penn State coach James Franklin was fired earlier in the season but he still wants to coach. His record at Penn State was 104-45. He cannot win big games but he typically wins against lesser opponents. He also coached at Vanderbilt from 2011-13 with a 24-15 record. He led the Commodores to a bowl game each season.
Auburn used to be a program that would have one great season every few years. Some examples of this are the 1993 team that was 11-0 and finished #4. They were on NCAA probation so they were banned from postseason play.
In 2004, they went 13-0 and finished the season #2. In 2010, they won the national championship and went 14-0. In 2013, they made it to the national championship game but lost to Florida State 34-31. They were 12-2 and finished the season #2.
Their last season with at least ten wins was in 2017 when they finished 10-4. It will be interesting to see who they hire.
Georgia Florida Game Hall Of Fame Class
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Florida-Georgia rivalry is one of college football’s most enduring traditions, and each year the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame honors former players, coaches, and contributors.
Established in 1995 by the City of Jacksonville’s Office of Sports and Entertainment (later associated with Jacksonville’s sports and tourism arms), the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame celebrates those who left indelible marks on the Florida–Georgia rivalry.
Each year, two representatives from the University of Florida and two from the University of Georgia are selected and formally inducted at a luncheon held on the Friday before the annual Florida-Georgia football game in Jacksonville — a weekend now embraced by SEC fans as part of the “Florida-Georgia Weekend.”
Jacksonville plays host to fan events and the buildup to what is often called “the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party” in college football lore. Here are 2025’s honorees:
Brandon James: James might be the most electric return specialist in Southeastern Conference history. Competing for Florida from 2006 to 2009, he appeared in 50 games, leaving a statistical legacy: four SEC records and eleven Florida records, including career kickoff return yards (2,718), punt return yards (1,371), most total kick returns (229), and total return yardage (4,089).
He is among the select few Gators to have returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown, finishing with five return scores in total.
His accolades include 2008 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, FWAA All-America honors, and multiple All-SEC designations.
Beyond special teams, he chipped in offensively (as a receiver and rusher), contributing more than 700 yards and additional scores.
During his era, Florida claimed two SEC championships and a 2008 BCS national title — and James was a key weapon in shifting momentum and field position.
Todd Johnson: A stalwart in Florida’s secondary from 1999 through 2002, Todd Johnson started 35 games and played in 47.
He was twice named First-Team All-SEC (2000, 2001) and Second-Team in 2002.
Over his career, Johnson amassed 284 tackles, executed 40 “big plays” (including nine interceptions, eight fumble recoveries, and three blocked kicks), and led the team in total plays two years in a row.
His 2000 season was a highlight: 102 tackles and 5 interceptions in a single year.
Off the field, he earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.
After college, he was selected in the 4th round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and went on to play in the NFL with the Bears, Rams, and Bills, totaling 80 games and accumulating 196 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a sack.
Freddie Gilbert: Gilbert was a rock on Georgia’s defensive front from 1980 to 1983.
Notably, he posted an undefeated 4–0 record against Florida during his career, anchoring some of Georgia’s most memorable rivalry victories — including a 44–0 shutout in 1982 and a tight 10–9 win in 1983. In 1981, he logged eight tackles (three for loss) against Florida, prompting then-coach Vince Dooley to laud his “outstanding” effort.
Over four seasons, Gilbert racked up 233 tackles and 26 sacks, ranking sixth all-time at Georgia, and set the school’s single-game sack record with five against Temple in 1983.
He earned two First-Team All-SEC nods and was a 1983 All-American. After college he played professionally in the USFL and later in the NFL, including appearances in Super Bowls XXI and XXII with the Denver Broncos.
Sony Michel: Michel was a prolific running back for Georgia from 2014 to 2017, and his performances in rivalry games and postseason matchups cemented his place in Bulldog lore.
In his final Florida–Georgia game, he rushed for 137 yards and scored two long touchdowns in a dominant 42–7 win.
During his collegiate tenure, Michel amassed 3,638 rushing yards, 33 touchdowns, and added more than 600 receiving yards, becoming the third-all-time leading rusher at Georgia.
He was a two-time permanent team captain, and he led Georgia to the 2017 SEC Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Michel’s final college season included a standout performance in the Rose Bowl with 181 yards and three touchdowns, propelling Georgia to the national title game.
In the NFL, Michel was selected in the first round by the New England Patriots and went on to win two Super Bowls — famously scoring the only touchdown in Super Bowl LIII — before later joining and winning another title with the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2025 inductee class continues the Hall’s mission to spotlight those whose impact rippled beyond individual games.
Their achievements in Florida–Georgia matchups, on broader stages, and in post-collegiate careers embody the rivalry’s blend of excellence, drama, and enduring loyalty.
The Jacksonville luncheon remains more than an award ceremony — it’s a gathering of the rivalry’s past and present, connecting generations of fans, players, and media in celebration of one of college football’s greatest traditions.
As October 31 approaches and fans flock to Jacksonville, the 2025 Hall of Fame class will be immortalized among the legends of the Florida-Georgia rivalry — their stories woven into the fabric of one of the sport’s most storied matchups.
Brantley County Herons Coach’s Show w David Shores October 30 2025
McIntosh County Academy Buccaneers Coach’s Show w Bradley Warren October 30 2025
Jason Bishop Show October 30 2025
The War For The Oar
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Few games in college football have the same feel as Georgia–Florida.
Every fall, the Bulldogs and Gators meet in Jacksonville for a border war that splits families, fills the stands with half red and black and half orange and blue, and reminds the rest of the country how much fun a real rivalry can be.
Depending on which record book you believe, the two first met in either 1904 or 1915, but since 1926 they’ve battled nearly every year, taking only one break during World War II.
The matchup has lived in Jacksonville since 1933, which is considered neutral ground right on the border, and the party that surrounds it is legendary.
For years, fans called it The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and while the schools have dropped that name officially, the energy hasn’t gone anywhere.
This rivalry has always swung in streaks. Georgia owned the early years, Florida took control in the ’50s and early ’60s, then Vince Dooley’s Bulldogs flipped the script through the ’80s.
The ’90s were all Gators thanks to Steve Spurrier, and Urban Meyer kept it rolling into the 2000s. But lately, it’s been Kirby Smart’s world. Georgia has won seven of the last eight, and they don’t look ready to give it up.
Still, there’s more to this rivalry than touchdowns and bragging rights.
Since 2009, coincidentally around the time the Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party moniker was abandoned, the Okefenokee Oar has added a unique twist to the Georgia–Florida story.
The Oar is exactly what it sounds like. It is a 12-foot wooden oar carved from a 1,000-year-old tree pulled from the Okefenokee Swamp, that massive wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border.
The swamp’s ownership was once disputed between the two states, which makes it the perfect symbol for this tug-of-war rivalry.
Nobody’s really sure why an oar was chosen. The story goes that an anonymous Florida donor came up with the idea in 2009, and student leaders from both schools ran with it.
One side of the Oar features Georgia’s Bulldog and state crest; the other side shows Florida’s Gator and seal. Down the handle, every score since 2009 is carved in, with enough space to keep track for another 150 years.
Florida won the first two “Wars for the Oar,” but Georgia brought it home in 2011 after a 24–20 win.
Since then, it’s traded hands a few times, usually staying with the winner for three-year stretches.
When the Bulldogs have it, you can find the Oar proudly displayed in the Tate Student Center in Athens, Bulldog side facing out. When the Gators win, the Gator side gets the spotlight in Gainesville.
The original idea for the Oar didn’t come from the athletic departments, but instead came from the students. The University of Georgia and University of Florida student governments teamed up to make it official with a joint resolution in 2011.
Ever since, the winning school’s students have been in charge of hauling the massive thing to Jacksonville for the next game.
When Georgia wins, the Redcoat Band usually gets the honor of bringing it back home on the bus.
The Oar started as a quirky idea, but it’s grown into a genuine part of the rivalry. ESPN’s College GameDay has featured it, fans use the hashtag #WarForTheOar, and it’s become one more layer of pride in a matchup that already oozes history and heart.
This year’s game kicks off November 1, and the stakes are as high as ever. Bragging rights, playoff hopes, and a little piece of carved swamp history are all on the line.
When Georgia and Florida meet in Jacksonville, it’s never just a football game. It’s the annual border battle for the Okefenokee Oar, and there’s nothing quite like it in college football.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick October 30 2025
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick October 30 2025
