TheSouthernSportsEdition.com
The Game November 5
Knights Crusade Ends
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As I sit down to write this, it has been about twelve hours since the 2016 season came to an end. Twelve hours since Deerfield-Windsor came to St Simons and left Frederica with a heartbreaking 28-14 defeat. Twelve hours since the drive for a state championship ended two weeks short of the goal. Twelve hours that I have spent wondering what I wanted to say to all of you, because I knew that this was how I wanted to handle this column.
I could have written the standard game summary article, focusing on game highlights such as Jashawn Sheffield’s 85-yard touchdown run or Tyler Pierce’s fumble recovery, but I felt that I needed to do something a bit more personal because that’s what this season needed; something personal.
I can only imagine what you are feeling. Literally so, because I never played the game. My athletic “career” consisted of one tee-ball practice; coach yelled at me and he wouldn’t let me get Gatorade when I wanted it, so my mom didn’t make me go back. I was way more brainy than I was brawny, so I was okay with that. I didn’t have the dedication that any of you have when it came to playing the game we love, so I am resigned to watch from the booth.
And watch I have. As the radio play-by-play voice of the Knights since the 2012 season, I’ve watched every moment of Frederica Knights Football over these past five years. The victories, the losses, the injuries, the highlights, the legendary comebacks, and the comebacks that fell just short. There has been glory, and there has been agony, and this season had a little bit of both.
The glory is what I want you to focus on. There is plenty of glory to focus on because this truly was an amazing season. Look at the things you accomplished; first ever school victories over Valwood and Pinewood. Back to back victories over defending state champions. A victory over the defending region champion. The 2016 Knights season was one to be proud of.
To the Frederica seniors, I know this day is toughest for you. Some of you may go on to play college ball, and some of you may never put on pads again. The thought of “what could have been” will always sting, but that will abate with time.
What you will always hold most cherished will be the sense of team spirit that you built this year. That much was evident to everyone who watched this team. You all have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
To the juniors, I say to grasp this moment. Use it as motivation for your 2017 campaign. Remember the feeling of being this close and use it to take it even further next year. You’ve got one more chance, so make the best of it.
To the sophomores, it’s gut check time. You are now at the midway point of your high school careers. Things look very promising, that much is evident. The talent in this class alone makes me extraordinarily confident that there will be a trophy hoisted before you trade your pads & cleats for a cap & gown. I challenge you to prove me right.
To the freshmen, please take notice of your school history. You have just started your football career, and there is still time to make an impact. For every highly-touted player like Eli Yarborough, Max Bourne, and Shaun Tatum, there have been players that seemingly came out of nowhere and stepped up. Some for years like Luckett McKeown, others for a game like Pierce Gunderson. You can make a difference in this program, and I have every faith that you will do just that.
I feel confident that I speak for your families, your coaches, your teachers, your classmates, and your community when I say hold your heads high, Knights. This season may not have ended the way you wanted it to, but you left your mark on this school, and we are all absolutely proud of you. This season will not be forgotten. The Knights teams to come will make sure of that.
Now then…is it August yet?
Here Come the Terrors
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors took the field Friday night against the Bradwell Institute Tigers with the region championship already wrapped up in a little bow.
Bradwell was able to stay in the game through the first quarter; at the end of the first it was only 7-0 Glynn.
However, the flood gates opened in the second quarter and the Terrors had given themselves a 34-0 halftime lead. When all was said and done Glynn had defeated Bradwell by a score of 41-0
Coach Rocky Hidalgo elected to sit out RB/WR Randon Jernigan due to a sore hamstring and RB Jeremiah Anderson made his return to the team from an injury that kept him out since the first week of the season.
Jernigan’s return in the first round of the playoffs is questionable.
The final region standings saw the Red Terrors finish first, The Effingham Rebels finish with the two seed, the Richmond Hill Wildcats with the three seed, the Bradwell Tigers as the fourth seed, finishing last in the region with no playoff berth are the Brunswick High Pirates.
The Red Terrors will now turn their attention to the Jonesboro Cardinals, who upset Drew on Thursday night 38-26 to secure the number four seed in their region.
Jonesboro is loaded with athletes but is not nearly as physical as the Red Terrors.
Another great thing is that with Glynn securing the number one seed means they will be guaranteed for the first two games to be at home at Glynn County Stadium. A much different dynamic than last year’s run.
This Red Terror team is a very different team than last year’s. This team can score at will and can run the ball on anyone. Glynn Academy has rushed for more yards through 10 games than all of last year through 15 games. The Red Terrors are very dynamic on offense.
In other words, this team is better; still among the state’s elite on defense and now an explosive offense.
If you are a Terrors fan look for another deep run in the playoffs and maybe a State Title when the smoke clears.
SSE Minute November 5
SSE Minute November 4
Jags Next Head Coach?
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After an offseason of pundits and media touting the Jacksonville Jaguars as sleepers to win the AFC South, and possibly make a run in the playoffs, it now appears that owner Shad Kahn will look to replace head coach Gus Bradley.
The team has regressed, especially offensively, and time seems to have run out on the Bradley experience. With that being said, the question is of course, who should be the next coach of the Jaguars?
One candidate that makes the most sense is former Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith. While in Atlanta, Smith rode with young Matt Ryan at quarterback to very successful seasons early on.
Smith finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 66-46 record, and won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year once and The Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year three times.
Mike Smith earned the Falcons head coaching job by building a resume with stops at college and in the NFL. Smith is currently the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In fact, Smith has several ties to the Jaguars organization, including being the defensive coordinator under former head coach Jack Del Rio. Smith also has a solid working relationship with current Jaguars general manager, David Caldwell.
He is a solid defensive mind, but has shown a propensity to bring in the right offensive coordinator to make his team difficult to stop. Mike Smith’s tenure in Atlanta came to a negative close, as the team took a precipitous downturn record wise.
However, much of that had to do with injuries and poor draft picks by Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Smith deserves a second opportunity to be an NFL head coach, and Jacksonville could be a great fit for both Smith and the franchise.
If the Jaguars do not listen to me and decide to go in another direction, there are others that could be the next coach in Jacksonville. Who are they? Let’s take a look at a couple of them.
The first place to start would be in the Northeast, specifically New England. The Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, has reestablished himself as a legitimate NFL head coaching candidate.
McDaniels got the head coaching job of the Denver Broncos and flamed out faster than water on a campfire.
McDaniels went back to New England, with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, that tends to make one look better, and that is why McDaniels is a big-time risk as a head coach.
It is not only the offensive coordinator, but the defensive coordinator Matt Patricia who will get a definite look for several head coaching jobs in the NFL this offseason. Patricia has done a stellar job running the defense for the Patriots, and tends to get overlooked as Tom Brady and the offense get most of the attention.
Patricia is intense and seems to have the loyalty of his players, but again similar to McDaniels, Belichick deserves the bulk of credit for the Patriots’ success. Especially the defense, as that is Belichick’s expertise. Be careful going after Patriots coordinators, the Patriots have not missed a beat when replacing seemingly irreplaceable coordinators over the years.
One sentimental choice may be the very first head coach in Jacksonville, Tom Coughlin. Coughlin had a strong run as the head coach of the New York Giants and feels as though he was forced out too soon.
How much does he have left in the tank at over 70 years of age? Players tend to tune the hard-nosed disciplinarian out over time, but if he can get the results that a Coughlin-coached team usually has, would it be worth it?
It is always a gamble when rolling the dice on a new head coach, and they often are a roller coaster ride of highs and lows.
The best bet for the Jaguars would be to give Mike Smith a second chance as an NFL head coach. Smith has the resume and the previous relationships with the Jaguars front office to make it a great fit.
Grades for the NFC South
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re in Week 8 of the NFL season so it’s about half way over. We have an idea who the contenders and pretenders are around the league. I’m going to take a look at the NFC South and see what grade each team earns on their midterm.
Atlanta (5-3) is first place in the division. Last season they had the same record after their first eight games. We all remember them starting hot and winning their first five games but only finishing 8-8. It appeared they might be doing the same this year after loses to Seattle and San Diego in consecutive weeks.
They scored in the final seconds to beat Green Bay 33-32. We think of Green Bay as an elite team but they are dealing with several injuries. Their top two running backs were out and they also did not have two receivers (Randall Cobb & Ty Montgomery). So, Aaron Rodgers was still able to throw for 246 yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, complete 74% of his passes and rush for 60 yards with a depleted offense. That’s scary.
The defense is 25th in the league in total defense. The offense ranks first. The defense has to play better to make the Falcons contenders. They gave up a 17-point lead to the Chargers last week. They also came back to take a fourth quarter lead at Seattle but they could not stop the Seahawks offense. They could easily be 7-1 right now. I give them a B-.
Tampa Bay (3-4) is tied for second in the division. The Buccaneers are dealing with injuries to their top two running backs, Doug Martin and Charles Sims. Jacquizz Rodgers played well the last three weeks but suffered a foot injury in Sunday’s overtime loss to Oakland. He may also miss some time. Receiver Vincent Jackson was placed on injured reserve with an ACL injury.
The Bucs are shorthanded so understandably they are having problems moving the ball and being consistent on offense. Their ranked 16th in total offense and 26th in total defense. They swept Atlanta last season and beat them in the season opener. They play the Falcons at home Thursday night and a win will put them back in the playoff hunt. Expectations were low before the season started so I give Tamp Bay a C.
New Orleans (3-4) is tied with the Bucs. They had the upset of the week, beating Seattle at home. The Saints are second in the NFL in total offense and Drew Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks even in his late 30’s. He’s third in the league in passing yards and he’s completing 70% of his passes.
Have you noticed a theme yet with the defenses? It’s like a competition to see who can do worse. New Orleans is winning that with the 28th unit in total defense. The Saints finished 7-9 the last two years. I think head coach Sean Payton is in danger of being fired with another losing record. Grade: C-.
Carolina (2-5) has not lived up to expectations in 2016. The Panthers are the defending NFC Champions and they had the best record in the NFL last year at 15-1. They used to take team pics on the sideline and Cam Newton would smile and ‘dab’ after scores. Now things aren’t going so well. They lost cornerback Josh Norman and the secondary really misses him.
They gave up 300 yards to Julio Jones in Week 4 and currently rank 20th in total defense. Grade: F.
The Game October 29
Best QB Division In NFL?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When it comes to sports, it feels like we have a statistic for just about everything. Such and such is shooting this particular percentage from beyond the arc in the right corner. This particular batter has a certain batting percentage when there are two on two out, facing a left handed batter. That team has a record of whatever when playing on the third Sunday of the month of the season, on the road, against a divisional opponent, when the game is at 4:00 and nationally televised.
For the most part, all the stats that teams take a lot of stock in are useful, but to me, nothing beats the eye test. So, I am going to attempt to write about why I think the best collection of quarterbacks in the NFL currently reside in the NFC South, without using a single stat to back it up.
To start with, let’s go ahead and eliminate the obvious divisions that are inferior when it comes to the overall play of their QB’s: NFC West (Rams and 49ers), NFC North (Bears), and the AFC North (Browns).
That’s not to say there isn’t some fantastic quarterback play coming from those divisions. It’s just that when you’re receiving the type of craptastic play those teams I mentioned are giving, you can’t really argue they’re stronger than the NFC South.
The next two divisions that won’t make it past the second round are the AFC East and AFC South. The East has arguably the best quarterback in NFL history with Tom Brady, but Fitzpatrick is playing like the guy nobody wanted to pay this offseason; Tannehill is inconsistent, and Taylor’s play gets me about excited as watching Once Upon A Time with my better half.
As for the South, I like Luck, Mariota, and Bortles, but I’m not sold on Osweiler. Throw in Blake’s disappointing season so far, and they’ll be getting their “Thanks for playing” card in the mail any day now. I will say this though, in another three years or so you may not find better quarterback play than in the AFC South.
Now, if my math is correct that leaves only two divisions left: AFC West and NFC South. I like all the quarterbacks in the West, but Winston, Brees, Newton, and Ryan are better than anyone Denver or Kansas City can throw out there. Carr is probably the only one I’d halfway consider taking over any NFC South quarterback, and that would probably be just Winston.
The NFC East is the only division I think comes all that close. Prescott and Wentz have both surprised me with how quickly they have adjusted to the league and look like they are going to be around for a while.
Cousins seem to be able to play the part, but there’s just something about him that prevents me completely buying in. And as much as I have rooted for Eli over the years, his statute of limitations for his two Super Bowls has about run out. He can still be an effective quarterback, but as of right now, he’s probably the worst of the four. Ok, maybe they’re not as close as I thought.
When they’re all on their game, the NFC South has three of the top quarterbacks in the NFL (yes, this year I’m including Ryan in the conversation) and a young QB with tremendous upside. They may not be the league’s strongest quartet down the road, but for right now they are. If you don’t believe me, I’m sure there are some stats out there to prove my point.
Glynn Show October 30
