By: Joe Delaney

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Jason Strickland’s 2025 edition of the Ware County Gators was a senior led group that rolled into the GHSA playoffs with an 8-2 record in a very tough region and title aspirations.

After a first round dismantling of Flowery Branch the Gators moved on and ran into a juggernaut in the Creekside Seminoles. One of the top high school football programs in the nation took it to the Gators early and often. The result was a 9-3 final record for a great group of seniors at Ware County High School.

Now looking toward the 2026 season, the Gators will be young, very young.

Gone are Ja Mario Rice, DL Walker Hudson, DL Seth Seuss, LB Nick Grant, LB Avontae Ballentine, RB Jamir Boyd, RB Tayshaun Franklin, OL Landon Smallwood, OL Carson Hall, and OL Kyler Matthews.

There are others but needless to say that’s a long list of experience and talent that has moved on. The question is are the Gators gonna reload or rebuild?

Several quality players are back for the ‘26 season and Ware is a talent hotbed so the cupboard is definitely not empty.

Leading the 2026 Gators will be returning Quarterback Isaiah White. He was an All-Region player last year and should be one of the top players in south Georgia this year.

And he will have Ja’Londi O’Hara, and Gunter Fore back at wideout. Both were All-Region last year.

Several other pieces of the puzzle are back also on offense so the Gators should be ok. Replacing those 3 All-Region linemen will be key.

Returning are RT Jaylen Sturdivant and OL Kydarian Bennett. These guys will be the leaders with a bunch of young Gators vying for playing time behind them.

At running back look for Moomoo Mckoy and Jimmy Taylor to step in and fill some big shoes from last year. Coach Strickland thinks both of these guys could be special. Great ability and good speed. Coach called them slashers. The offense will be good and look for White to have an All-State type of year.

The defense will be a work in progress with most of the front 7 graduating. There is talent all over and while these aren’t the biggest group of Gators we’ve seen on defense, they are fast and strong.

Jamarion Keyhay returns at linebacker and is a team leader. Add in Rod Lewis and Jameer Barkley who are coming back from injury and this defense could be good.

Davion Jones returns at corner and will also handle kick returns and punt returns.

One big returning piece to the puzzle is Jeffery Gonzalez. The veteran will handle the kicking and punting for Ware and should be one of, if not, the region’s best.

Landon Smallwood will be missed at snapper and there are three young ones trying to fill those big shoes.

Ware County Gators 2026 Schedule

8/7     vrs Brunswick (scrimmage)

8/21   @ Bainbridge

8/28    @ Coffee

9/11     vrs Richmond Hill

9/18     vrs Groves

9/25     @ Statesboro

10/2     vrs Richmond Academy

10/9     @ Evans

10/23   vrs Jenkins

10/30    @ Wayne County

11/6      vrs Benedictine

The 2026 edition of the Gators will be fun to watch. The backfield could be electric.  Add in the returners on the O-line and at wide receiver and Coach Strickland has a lot to work with.

Defensively the Gators will be just as fun. With a good returning group of leaders, the Gators will fly all over the field with stunts and slants, using that speed and power.

Add in very good special teams play and the Gators will be a force in the region and a dangerous group of reptiles come playoff time. The Gators are reloading!