TheSouthernSportsEdition.com
Former Pirate Coach Maurice Freeman Helps After Storms
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last weekend as I was watching the news and the devastation that storms had taken lives and ruined the American Dreams for hundreds of families in South Georgia I started thinking how could my organization MAP International help those in need.
I have worked at MAP International for 23 years and I have traveled to over 30 countries globally as a representative of MAP and our organization has shipped over 6 billion dollars of medical supplies to those in need.
As I was following the events in South Georgia over the weekend, I got to thinking about how sports particularly High School football is woven into the fabric of unity of the small rural communities all over South Georgia.
On every Friday night in the fall a high school football game takes place in a small town like Adel, Georgia that brings these communities together in fellowship.
I read where a couple of people had lost their lives on Monday morning in the small town of Quitman, Georgia. The only connection I had in Quitman was a dear friend and former Brunswick High football Maurice Freeman who now leads a very successful football program at Brooks County.
Maurice Freeman is a good, godly man who was our football coach from 2002-2007 at BHS, who built a solid program at BHS before he was called back home to his hometown of Quitman where he led Brooks to a state title in 1994 as a young head coach.
Freeman and I became very good friends while he coached the Pirates. We helped start the Brunswick Quarterback Club; a football only booster club back in 2005. We fished together, shared meals, raised money in the Brunswick community. I hated to see him leave in 2008 but I understood and wished him well and we have stayed in contact ever since.
I texted Coach Freeman at 10AM on Monday morning and asked him if Quitman needed help, and he immediately responded back and said yes, but Adel needed it more. He was headed to Albany for a coaching clinic, but would connect me to some of his contacts in Adel.
I said that would be great, and within 15 minutes we had a plan in place to deliver relief hygiene supplies to Adel. We loaded the goods on my truck and by 1:30 that afternoon I met Coach Freeman in Adel and we off loaded the supplies at the drop off center in Adel. And best of all we were able to have about 30 minutes of time to visit and catch up on life.
Football in South Georgia teaches life lessons you use every single day of your life. Football teaches teamwork, unity, to strive for goals, and when your back is against the wall to fight like a mad dog to be successful.
The biggest most wonderful thing I saw was how the Cook County Football and other Athletic teams banded together as brothers and sisters to meet the needs of their own, and worked their tails off to help those in need. Brooks County and Cook County are rivals in sports, but you throw that out of the window when people are in need. I watched an entire county mobilize in a very short amount of time.
I was reminded of some great lessons through sports connections I have made in my life. Maurice Freeman and I were able to organize and complete a relief response in about three and a half hours because of our connection we made as part of the BHS football program many years ago.
From this day forward Brooks County will be my second favorite high school football team other than my Pirates.
I love you Maurice you are the best in my book.
Who Will Jaguars Take In NFL Draft
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
While the Jacksonville Jaguars were no where near the playoffs this season, they have continued to be in the news as they finally made the call to show Gus Bradley the door.
Now, Doug Marrone will take the helm of the Jaguars franchise. Marrone served as the interim coach toward the end of the 2016 season, and Shad Kahn saw enough to make the call to give him the head coaching job.
While, Marrone likely doesn’t excite the masses, what should get the fan base in an uproar is the upcoming draft. The Jaguars yet again have a top five selection in the upcoming draft and are poised to add a big-time difference maker to the roster. Who should that difference maker be? Let’s take a look at some potential options that the Jaguars should be considering.
Dalvin Cook is a major running back prospect from Florida State. Jacksonville has a dire need for play makers on offense. As well, if Blake Bortles is to ever become the quarterback that he was drafted to be, he must have someone he can simply turn and hand the ball off to that can take it to the house at any time.
It also wouldn’t hurt the season ticket sales bringing in the Florida native, and someone that played for a school that has a massive fan base built in Jacksonville already. As most should know by now, it doesn’t matter who is at quarterback or running back if they are behind an offensive line that is unable to take care of the line of scrimmage. This leads me to the next candidate that the Jacksonville front office should consider drafting, Cam Robinson.
Cam Robinson is the massive offensive tackle prospect out of the University of Alabama. Robinson has the prototypical build for an NFL tackle, and has been a three year starter in Tuscaloosa since his freshman season.
While he may not have quite the footwork to remain at left tackle, Robinson can move to right tackle and be the dominant piece along the Jacksonville offensive line. The biggest concern for Jacksonville, or any NFL franchise looking to select Cam Robinson, most likely will stem from off the field issues; before teams dole out millions of dollars to a rookie, they want to be as certain as possible of that player’s decision making.
If the Jaguars and their general manager, Dave Caldwell, feel comfortable in Robinson’s character and off the field choices, his on the field abilities could allow him to be a cornerstone for the franchise for the next decade or so.
Under former coach Gus Bradley, one thing that the Jaguars did do well was to draft good defensive talent. Jalen Ramsey and Dante Fowler the last two seasons have become stalwarts for the Jacksonville defense, especially the ultra talented Ramsey.
The Jaguars could fortify the secondary, by pairing Ramsey with another playmaker in Jamal Adams out of LSU. Adams shows a rare combination of physicality and ball skills that would help round out the Jacksonville secondary. The Jaguars will likely be allowing longtime safety, Johnathan Cyprien, to leave in free agency, so Adams would make a lot of sense for a myriad of reasons.
As you can see, the Jaguars have several ways that they can go in this year’s upcoming draft. Many feel like they have gone so defense heavy the last few years that a boost on the offensive side of the ball is necessary.
In particular, now that an offensive minded coach is in charge with Doug Marrone, the team needs to bring in some help for struggling quarterback Blake Bortles.
The best route that the Jaguars could take could end up trading down in the draft and accumulating more picks to boost the overall talent of the roster. It is much needed.
The Falcons Fly To Super Bowl
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There is an episode of Scrubs where Dr. Cox sings to JD; “Wrong wrong wrong wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong…..You’re wrong….You’re wrong….You’re wrong.” I mention this for two reasons.
First off, I try to take any opportunity I can to throw in a Scrubs reference. Second, and most importantly, that whole sequence may as well have been directed at me and just about every single prediction I’ve had for the Falcons throughout the year.
Before the season started I figured the Falcons would be lucky to finish the year at 9-7, and I certainly didn’t expect them to sniff the playoffs. I was wrong.
I wrote an entire story about Matt Ryan and whether or not he was worthy of being the number three pick in the draft. I’ve always thought he was a good quarterback, but I didn’t believe that he would be able to lead a team to the Super Bowl. Little off on that one, wouldn’t you say?
I had a little to zero confidence that Atlanta’s backfield would have any type of positive impact on their offense. Nobody’s going to mistake Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman for elite running backs, but both are much better than I’ve given them credit for, and they are perfect for this particular system.
I patiently waited for the Ryan/Shanahan relationship to quietly, or not so quietly, implode. It never happened.
I knew Dan Quinn would have the defense playing better, but I assumed they would just continue to be an afterthought. I halfway expected them to be detrimental to the Falcons over the course of the season. Granted they’re not the ‘86 Bears, but they are anything but an afterthought.
Even though I thought this year’s team was better than last years, I just knew that 4-1 start wasn’t going to last. After the Falcons dropped their next two games I almost wrote about that very thing. After winning 9 of their 11 remaining games since that time, I’m glad I kept my mouth shut.
Even after being wrong on all those things I just listed, and having a much greater appreciation for what Atlanta had accomplished this year, I still picked them to lose to Green Bay. I don’t think they’d be able to pull it off. It’s a good thing I don’t gamble.
In fact, the only time this year I’ve actually been right about the Falcons was their playoff game against Seattle. And truth be told, my picking Atlanta had more to do with my lack of confidence in the Seahawks than it did the Falcons.
Putting all my horrible prognostications aside, I’m happy for Atlanta. Participating in the Super Bowl is always a huge deal, but when you look at this franchise over the last two decades, this trip is all that much sweeter.
There was the blowout loss to the Broncos in ‘99. The rise and complete collapse of Michael Vick. Multiple seasons of mediocrity and underachieving. And lest we forget- and I don’t think I need to delve any deeper than these two words- Bobby Petrino.
Regardless of the outcome on February 5th, this season has been a success for Atlanta. They have surpassed basically everyone’s expectations and are more than deserving of being the NFC representative.
If you happen to be wondering, or even care, who I’m picking to win the big game, let me ask you this: After everything I’ve just written, do you really want me to start rooting for the Falcons now?
How Good Will Sean Pender Be?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
New Pirate head coach Sean Pender has met with his new players and current assistant coaches’ at BHS. The meeting in the words of one of the top returning players was he connects with players, and they loved his plan for the upcoming season, and he knows what he is talking about.
Pender met with the entire team and then met only with the returning seniors for next season. By my count Pender will have seven starters returning on the offensive side of the ball, and seven returning on defense from a talented 5-5 team that underachieved in 2016.
I was fortunate enough to sit down to dinner with him, Athletic Director Steve Waters, Jerry Mancil, Keith Reddings and myself. Pender’s football IQ is off the charts. The man flat out knows the X’s and O’s side of the game of football.
He talked about certain looks a defense will give you and then the amazing part was how they can run 3-4 different plays based on the look. Pender’s offense will create a lot of nightmares in this region in 2017.
Pirate fans can you picture top rated safety Sharrod Frazier in special packages on offense running speed sweeps with 4.48 speed? Not saying this will happen at all, but with anything new comes excitement.
Can you see Jaylen Jackson at WR wreaking havoc on an opposing defense? Can you see DJ Whitfield touching the ball 10-12 times a game on offense? Can you picture RB Shaq Robinson being involved in the passing game? Then once everyone is spread out in space watching Ben McCloud destroy the middle of a defense running between the tackles.
On defense can you see Kam Futch at 225 pounds making 12-15 stops a game with Frazier playing a hybrid LB/S spot drilling an opposing QB?
Exciting times are upon us at Brunswick High School. Pender will get to work fulltime at BHS on February 1st. The off-season program will be implemented and the assistant coaches will be coached up on the offensive and defensive schemes. Pender will start rounding out his football staff as he meets with current assistants and other candidates for potential staff openings.
In 2017 per a new GHSA rule schools can have a spring football game with another opponent. That game is scheduled for May 19th at Glynn County Stadium with opponent to be determined for the Pirates. Between now and the start of Spring Football practice Pender his to get as much of his system in place as fast as he can.
This man drips passion as he talks football and that enthusiasm is contagious. He has a unique way of connecting with players, administration, alumni, and boosters that in just two days has created quite a buzz around the program. My phone has been blowing up with former alumni and players that I have not seen in years asking how to get involved with the program.
Times are exciting again as a buzz surrounds the BHS Football program. The Pirates open the season in August with a road game at Coffee. I bet the Coffee coaches are blowing up the Pierce County Hudl account now trying to watch as much film as they can to try to defend Brunswick.
I can hear the Coffee coaches now saying “How are we going to stop this with the athletes Brunswick has?” Yep that’s your problem 2017 opponents. We’ll meet you at the 50 on Friday Night’s for the coin flip.
Brunswick High Pirates Hire New Coach
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Three years ago the Glynn County administration made the decision they wanted both Glynn Academy and Brunswick High to contend every year for state titles. Glynn Academy hired Rocky Hidalgo and that is what Glynn has become, a perennial state title contender.
Two years ago the Brunswick High Pirates made the playoffs and lost in the first round to the Stockbridge Tigers. The administration then made the decision to fire Victor Floyd, who was the BHS coach at the time. One of the reasons given for the decision to let Floyd go was his lack of success in the playoffs.
The Pirates then hired a young and upcoming coach from AA Macon County, Larry Harold. Harold had turned around the Macon County program and was coming off winning a region championship with the Bulldogs.
However, Harold never did duplicate the success he had at Macon County with the Pirates and had a losing record after two years. Larry Harold resigned at the end of this past season.
A search committee was formed to find the next Pirate coach, but not just any coach would do. Remember, the administration wanted both the Glynn and BHS programs to contend for state titles, so hiring the right coach would be paramount this time around.
The job opening received 32 applications from, not only Georgia, but from around the country. The search committee weeded through every application and created an interview list that only consisted of five candidates.
Those five candidates all had a ton of playoff success on their resume and resided over powerhouse programs.
The search committee wrapped up their interviews in a week and have offered the job to the Pierce County coach, Sean Pender; pending approval by the Glynn County Board of Education.
Pender is coming off taking the Bears to the Elite Eight this past season in AAA and has had a ton of success during his time at Pierce. When Pender took the job with the Bears the program was not nearly as respected as it is now under his guidance.
Pender will inherit a much deeper talent pool at Brunswick High than he ever had at Pierce. There is no coach in the state that has done more with less than Sean Pender.
He is an offensive specialist and will make the BHS offense fun to watch, especially with the athletes he will inherit. The Pirates will have 35 seniors return next season and will be positioned to make a deep playoff run with the talent returning.
Sean Pender spent eight seasons at Brantley County going 35-43 for the Blue Herons; one season at Crisp going 4-7 and five seasons at Pierce going 54-18.
Falcons vs Packers Preview
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
So, here we are. After 17 weeks of the regular season, plus another two weeks in the playoffs, we finally arrive at the NFC championship game with the two teams we all thought would be there from the beginning: the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons?
Well, I’m sure some people thought the Packers would be here, but I doubt anyone outside of the most optimistic Falcon’s fan thought that Atlanta would. Of course, I don’t really think Atlanta cares all that much-as they say “that’s why they play the game”.
It’s going to be pretty easy to look back to the Falcons week eight matchup against the Packers in preparation for the NFC championship game, which would make some sense. For one, it was a tremendous game. But, almost more importantly, it was around that time that both team’s seasons really took off.
The Falcons were in the midst of trying to prove to themselves, as well as the rest of the country, there would not be a repeat of last season’s collapse. Rodgers’ game on the other hand, while he played great against Atlanta, was in the middle of its own “Where’s Waldo” saga.
Since that game Atlanta’s offense has been arguably one of the best in the league and Ryan has put up MVP type numbers. The only other quarterback and team that has come close to matching them; Rodgers and the Packers.
If you’re looking for defense you may want to YouTube videos of ESPN’s “Jacked Up” because you won’t find much of it in this game. I’m halfway expecting to see Sterling Sharpe and Brian Finneran’s name show up in the box score.
The best approach to slowing down both of these offenses is ball control and doing everything you can to keep their respective offense off the field. Well, since that is how neither of these teams play, and it is certainly not in their best interest to do so, I really have no idea what to tell you on how to stop them. It’s kind of one of those “You can’t stop them, you can only hope to contain them” type games.
For this reason, and this reason only, is why I give the Packers a slight edge. I mean absolutely no disrespect to Matt Ryan at all- I think he is having the best season of his career and is more than deserving of the MVP- but right now nobody is playing better than Rodgers. At this point I just trust him a little more than I trust Ryan.
I’m thrilled for the fact that Atlanta is getting to host the game, particularly this season. The Falcons will have to make sure they use home field to their advantage though because I don’t necessarily think it will be a disadvantage to Green Bay, if that makes any sense. The Packers have been in this type situation before and I just don’t see the pressure of playing on the road affecting them all that much.
Their initial meeting this season was one of the better games I saw all year. Since both teams are currently playing at an even higher level I fully expect this one to be just as good, if not better.
Neither of these teams may have been popular choices at the beginning of the season to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but whoever comes away with the win on Sunday will certainly have earned it.
The Game w Jason Bishop and Drayton Hogarth – January 14
2016 SEC Rankings
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Now that college football season is over and we must wait another 9 months for the joy of fall to arrive back in God’s Country also known as the SEC. Here are my final 2016 SEC power rankings.
14. Missouri: The Tigers finished the season with the worst overall record in the SEC, but closed with a big win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. Mizzou will always be decent on defense, but must find a way to score points in 2017.
13. Ole Miss: Yes, the soon to be NCAA poster child for sanctions finished at 5-7 with all of that talent. The Bears/Rebels will bounce back hopefully in next 5 years after sanctions beat them to a pulp.
12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks will get better under Muschamp. The Ole Ball Coach left a mess behind for will to clean up. A loss to a directional Florida school during the bowl season lands South Carolina here.
11. Mississippi State: Tough year in Stark Vegas, but a bowl win and winning the Egg Bowl helped the Bulldogs stay out of the number 13 spot in these rankings.
10. Vanderbilt: Wins over UGA and Tennessee and a trip to Shreveport made the season one to remember in Nashville. I like Derek Mason and think he will continue to do a fine job in the Music City.
9. Arkansas: How do you blow a 24-point lead at the half in a bowl game? Well the Piggies did, and this team is hard to figure so they land here.
8. Kentucky: The season was a success for the Wildcats. The Cats made a bowl. Now just go do your job its basketball season.
7. Texas A&M: Start fast and finish slow is the Aggie blueprint. Top 5 in October and unranked in the final polls. Kevin Sumlin’s seat is red hot going into 2017.
6. Auburn: You finish the season with a loss to UGA, Alabama, and Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl a place you had no business being at. Florida should have received the Sugar Bowl bid.
5. Georgia: A nice win over TCU in the Liberty Bowl. But 8-5 with home losses to UT, Vandy, and GT just will not cut it moving forward Kirby. Help is on the way with this monster recruiting class. This is a team on the rise.
4. Tennessee: Who did less with more than the Vols in 2016? The jury is out on Butch Jones. 2017 will be a make or break year for Butch.
3. LSU: Coach O turned it around down the stretch and the Tigers looked great in their bowl game in Orlando. A team to watch in 2017. I like the Coach O hire.
2. Florida: Back to back East titles and a nice win in Tampa during Bowl season. I think the Gators drop back a little next year.
1. Alabama: The gold standard of the SEC. The Tide just keeps on winning. The title game loss to Clemson which I predicted in the preseason by the way does not tarnish a great season. Alabama is not going anywhere soon. The rest of the Sec must catch up.
The SEC was down in football in 2016. It was Alabama and the 11 Dwarfs. The rest of the SEC must pick up its game in 2017.
The ACC from top to bottom was the best football conference in America in 2016. Ouch!!!!
New Lead Wildcat
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia high school football coaches carousel has been spinning all over with coaches coming and going since the close of the football season.
When Camden County’s previous coach, Welton Coffey, decided to make the move to the office of the athletic director, it opened a vacancy at one of the premiere coaching jobs in the southeast.
Well, that job has now been filled, and what a job the search committee did by bringing in Coach Bob Sphire, previously the head coach at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia.
There are many times when a coach will not want to enter a situation where the former coach is the new coach’s boss. Coach Sphire brings such a resume to the Camden program that there is not concern for being intimidated by that position.
Plus, Coach Sphire has a huge advocate in his corner in Coach Coffey. I reached out to the future Athletic Director Coffey to get his thoughts on the hire. “We are excited to be entering a new era of Wildcat football that is coming to Camden County. The committee did a great job in identifying the best candidate for the job. It was not an easy decision because of all of the tremendous candidates that had applied for this job. Coach Sphire brings a great pedigree, not only in the state of Georgia, but also while coaching in Kentucky as well. Coach Sphire and his family are very excited about the opportunity at Camden.”
I asked what factor pushed Coach Sphire to the top of the list? “It wasn’t just about his on the field record or accolades, but it was his ability to work and mold young men,” Coffey replied.
Of course, the question had to be asked as to what the Wildcats would look like on offense next year, given that the wing-t has been a staple for Camden, while Sphire was a big proponent of the spread offense. “The great thing about Coach Sphire is his ability to adapt. He will be able to meld his offense to the talent that we have coming back. The players will also be able to fit to his style of play. I will say there will be some philosophy changes both on the field and off, but most importantly any coach needs to be structured for his players.”
Coach Bob Sphire brings a high school career coaching record of 250-79 spanning over 26 years. Sphire has been the coach at North Gwinnett since 2006, leading the Bulldogs to the state title game in 2007 and 2013.
North Gwinnett would win five region championships in 7-AAAAA, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014. Sphire’s record at North Gwinnett was 110-28. Coach Sphire has had notable players such as CJ Uzomah, Ja’wuan James, and Scott Hosch go on to play in both college football and in the NFL.
Camden County has made a big-time hire to help get the Wildcats back to the upper echelon of high school football. The Eastern Kentucky graduate is coming to Kingsland at a great time. The Wildcats have taken their share of lumps the last couple of years given a rare dip in football talent at the massive high school.
However, the rising junior and sophomore classes are chock full of big time athletes that should thrive in the spread and defensive system implemented by the tough-minded coach.
This is a time for Camden County to be excited! Coach Sphire should bring the Wildcats back to prominence once again and compete in the ultra competitive region 1-AAAAAAA. As everyone knows, if you can win in that region you can beat anyone in the state.
What’s Next For Bama and Clemson?
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
What a game, right? Clemson came from behind twice in the fourth quarter to take down the Giant Alabama, 35-31.
Whether you like Alabama or not, the truth of the matter is the last two touchdowns passes for Clemson were illegal rub routs that were not flagged. That is not to say Clemson still would not have scored if they had been called by the officials, but we will never know. Nor, is that taking away from the amazing game the Tigers played.
The difference was, of course, Deshaun Watson. Watson threw for over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. For those of us that have followed Watson his entire career we should have seen that final drive coming.
When Watson was a senior at Gainesville he eclipsed record after record in the state of Georgia for the Red Elephants. Watson and Gainesville found themselves in the GHSA State Finals in the Georgia Dome against the Ware County Gators and what was then, the best defense in the state.
Most said Ware would shut down Watson and that he had never seen a defense as fast or as physical as what the Gators put on the field that season. Ware was led by two amazing linebackers that season, Xavier Tobler and Dedrick Mills. Tobler is now at Georgia Southern and Mills at Georgia Tech.
None of that would matter as Watson carved up that vaunted Ware defense en route to a 49-13 woodshedding of the Gators and State Title.
So, what is next for both programs? Obviously, Watson will head on to the NFL and will likely not only be the first QB taken but probably the first pick overall.
If Clemson is going to stay at the elite level and build a juggernaught as Bama has they will have to reload at QB.
On the other side, Alabama will lose a good bit on defense but they have shown us the program is littered with 5-star talent up and down the roster and will not skip a beat.
That coupled with Jalen Hurts only being a freshman the Crimson Tide program will continue to dominate the SEC west and likely the SEC.
Bama may start getting a challenge out of Athens in the next few years as Georgia looks to be in good shape to make huge strides in where the program is.
