Games To See This Season
August has arrived and with it, high school football. More than 1,000 football games will be played in Southeast Georgia between now and December. Every Friday night, there will be games to see; some of them cross-county rivalry games, others region showdowns. There are also border wars, in which Georgia teams face Florida teams. Here is a preview of some of the standout regular season games scheduled for the 2015 season.
August 21 – Ware County at Brooks County
Ware looks to keep its 19-game regular season winning streak alive by defeating the always-tough Class AA Trojans, led by head coach Maurice Freeman. A good game to get the season started in Quitman.
August 28 – Glynn Academy vs. Brunswick High
The annual cross-town rivalry is always hard-fought and is usually the year’s biggest game at Glynn County stadium. The Terrors won by seven last season. This year’s contest will help settle the seeding for Region 3-AAAAA.
August 28 – Bradwell Institute at Liberty County
After going 0-10 last season, the Tigers get the season started with a chance to break the losing streak against the cross-town rival Panthers. Liberty is loaded this season, so it will not be an easy task.
September 4 – Toombs Co. at Vidalia
Another fiercely contested inter-county rivalry; The Indians have owned this game the past few years. The Bulldogs see this as a big step toward rebuilding. Nate McBride will have college scouts in attendance to watch Vidalia.
September 11 – Ware Co. vs. Coffee
Last year this game was decided by just three points, but it determined the first- and second-place state AAAAA rankings for most of the season. This year, it will be played in Douglas, giving the Trojans home field advantage.
October 9 – Glynn Academy vs. Ware County
A tough region battle played on the Gators’ home turf. Last year, the Terrors were just another step toward an undefeated season for Ware.
October 16 – Benedictine at Vidalia
The defending state-champion Cadets come calling to Buck Cravey Field in a game that could decide the Region 2-AA championship. Last year, the Indians held off Benedictine to finish the season undefeated, but BC eventually won the state crown.
October 23 – Vidalia at Bacon County
Last year’s top seed in Region 2-AA visits Alma for a region showdown that could decide seeding for the playoffs.
October 30 – Charlton County vs. Clinch County
The annual Swamp War looks to be exciting again this year as the two rivals go head-to-head in Homerville on Halloween weekend. Coach Rich McWhorter hopes to snap the recent string of home teams winning this annual rivalry.
November 6 – Colquitt County vs. Camden County
The final showdown in Region 1-AAAAAA in the final game of the season. The battle between the Wildcats and the defending state champions in Kingsland could be a battle for the ages.
Florida vs. Georgia Border Wars:
August 22 – Tallahassee-Lincoln vs. Camden County
Once again this year, Tallahassee, Florida powerhouse Lincoln travels to Kingsland for the Frank Smith Classic in a great Georgia-Florida rivalry game.
September 4 – Santa Fe (Florida) vs. Charlton
The Santa Fe Raiders visit the Indians this year. It’s a two-hour trip up Highway 121 from Alachua, Florida, to “The Swamp” in Folkston.
September 11 – Oakleaf (Fla.) at Wayne County
Last season, the Yellow Jackets traveled south to fall to the Knights by six in Orange Park. This year, they will play at Jaycee Stadium in Jesup.
10 Players to Watch
Southeast Georgia is a hotbed of high school football prospects, and once again this season there is another bumper crop of blue-chip athletes. It is rich with talented players who have caught the eyes of college scouts over the years. Some have been on college radars since their freshman seasons. This season looks to be another outstanding year for the college scouts. One of these players has already committed to Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, while others are still considering their options. In The Game Magazine has consulted with area coaches and college scouts to determine the players that we expect big things from in 2015. These are ten players to watch in Southeast Georgia this fall.
Andrew Lee
Senior
Charlton County Indians
Folkston, Ga
Running back
Andrew Lee is 5’11”, 207 pounds, and moves like a runaway locomotive. He runs a 4.47 40-yard dash and is as elusive a runner as you will see. The centerpiece of Charlton County’s offense the past three seasons, he has put up impressive numbers despite dealing with injuries.
Lee broke his arm as a freshman and, after surgery, broke it again. He had to wait until the seventh game of his sophomore year to return to full speed, and he helped lead the Indians to the state title game. Last season, he returned at full strength and had 1,465 yards on 205 carries for 19 touchdowns. Lee is being recruited by several Division I schools, including the University of Georgia, Clemson, Florida, and FSU.
Dedrick Mills
Senior
Ware County Gators
Waycross, Ga
Running back/linebacker
Dedrick Mills has been a standout since he was in middle school. Now, he has grown into a full-fledged college prospect, playing both offense and defense the Ware County Gators. Before summer workouts got started, Mills verbally committed to Georgia Tech as a running back. He was being recruited as both a running back and linebacker by Auburn, Florida State, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Mills is a three-star recruit, standing at 5’11” and 203 pounds, and runs a 4.56 40-yard dash. Offensively, he is a power and speed threat out of the backfield. Defensively, he has the speed to cover a lot of ground at linebacker.
Mack Nash
Senior
Camden County Wildcats
Kingsland, Ga
Tight end
Scouts were gathered at Camden County’s spring practice to get a glimpse of senior tight end Mack Nash. The 6’5″, 245-pound, tight end can catch passes and block and has been part of Welton Coffey’s Wildcats’ offense the past two years. He will again be catching passes from quarterback Antonio Hamilton and opening holes for Brandon McMaster in 2015. Nash is also a star in the classroom with an outstanding academic record. The big pass catcher/blocker is being recruited by Army, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Navy, Northwestern, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Virginia.
Martial Washington
Senior
Liberty County Panthers
Hinesville, Ga
Safety
College recruiters took notice of Martial Washington last year when he had a stellar season. He will be a major impact player for Kirk Warner’s Liberty County Panthers this year. At 6’2″ and 198 pounds, Washington has the speed to cover at safety and has proven his ability to hit. The senior is being recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, and Ohio State, along with many other schools that have contacted him. Washington is already academically eligible and is waiting for the right offer.
DeeJay Dallas
Junior
Glynn Academy Red Terrors
Brunswick, Ga
Safety
Glynn Academy junior Deejay Dallas is a playmaker. He plays defensive back, receiver, and even quarterback, and also serves as return man for the Terrors. He really started attracting attention when he electrified the crowd with an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against top-ranked Ware County last season. At 5’11” and 182 pounds, he is being recruited as a safety and says that hitting is his favorite part of the game. “He is an impact player,” Coach Hidalgo says of Dallas. He has a 4.5-40 yard dash and also gets it done in the classroom with a 3.3 grade point average. Schools looking at Dallas include Georgia, Florida, Georgia Southern, and Missouri.
D’ante Demery
Junior
Brunswick High Pirates
Brunswick, Ga
Offensive tackle
If you want to find D’Ante Demery, just look down in the trenches of the offensive line. Although just a junior, the Brunswick Pirates’ tackle is attracting a lot of attention from college scouts. The offensive lineman has the size, standing 6’6″ and 310 pounds, to move defenders out of the way, coupled with the ability to pass block. He will be the focal point of new coach Larry Harold’s Pirates’ offensive line this year, keeping defenders away from quarterback Randon Jernigan. Demery has already caught the eyes of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia. Look for big things from the big man this season as he impresses the college scouts.
Richard LeCounte
Junior
Liberty County Panthers
Hinesville, Ga
Safety
Colleges will have to wait another year before they can get Liberty County’s Richard LeCounte on their campuses. They have been watching the athletic defensive back since he first stepped onto the varsity field. Now a junior, LeCounte is part of an impressive secondary for Kirk Warner’s Panthers that also includes Martial Washington. LeCounte is being recruited as a safety at 6’1″ and 171 pounds with a 4.5-40-yard dash. LeCounte is already attracting attention from Akron, Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.), NC State, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina, and UCLA.
Nate McBride
Junior
Vidalia Indians
Vidalia, Ga
Linebacker
Nate McBride started attracting attention as a freshman and has continued to impress scouts going into his junior year. The 6’2″, 221-pound linebacker clocks a 4.4 40-yard dash and is a major factor in Vidalia’s strong defense. McBride helped lead Lee Chomskis’ Indians to the third round of the state playoffs last season. He is a force in the second level, stopping runners who make it through the line and defending receivers. He is a multi-faceted player and is being recruited as one of the top linebackers in the nation. He has offers from the University of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida, FSU, Penn State, Michigan, Stanford, Duke, Oregon, and Ole Miss; a few of which began courting McBride when he was just a freshman. He will represent Georgia at the Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas, in 2017.
Brandon McMaster
Junior
Camden County Wildcats
Kingsland, Ga
Running back
The Camden County Wildcats’ leading rusher last season, at one point in 2014, Brandon McMaster led Region 1-AAAAAA in yardage. Now a junior, the 6’1″, 200-pound running back has a 4.6-40 yard dash. He will team with quarterback Antonio Hamilton to return Welton Coffey’s offense to greatness this season after a year that saw the Wildcats miss the playoffs for the first time in over 30 years. McMaster was one of the pleasant surprises for Camden County in 2014 and looks to continue rolling up yardage in 2015. McMaster also maintains a 3.6 grade point average.
Randon Jernigan
Sophomore
Brunswick Pirates
Brunswick, Ga
Quarterback
With over 1,000 yards passing and over 1,000 yards rushing last year as a freshman, big things are expected from Brunswick High quarterback Randon Jernigan in 2015. The first hurdle for the sophomore will be to overcome a high ankle sprain he suffered in the final regular season game last year. At 5’10” and 160 pounds, Jernigan is a threat to throw the ball or tuck and run with it. He will be especially dangerous now that he has a year’s experience under his belt, but he will also have to adapt to a new system under new coach Larry Harold.
Honorable Mention:
Garrison Hurd (Glynn Academy), Antonio Hamilton (Camden), Shawn Smith (Brunswick), Jacob Carver (Bacon County), De’Andre Gardenhire (Camden), Jeremiah Littles (Wayne County)
