Summary of last season:
It was the season that could have been for the Pirates. There were high hopes with the number of Division I prospects on the Brunswick team. But then the Pirates lost four games by a total of seven points, knocking them out of playoff contention. There were flashes of what could have been, but the Pirates were never able to live up to their potential. The final straw was a three-point loss to Bradwell Institute, who had been winless the previous two years. The result was the ouster of second year coach Larry Harold and the hiring of former Pierce County Coach Sean Pender.
The New Coach:
Sean Pender comes to Brunswick from Pierce County, where he had been very successful with the Bears for the past six seasons, posting a record of 54-18 including three straight 10-win seasons. He made the playoffs every year in Blackshear and had two appearances in the state quarterfinals, one of which was last year. Prior to his stint at Pierce, Coach Pender had a playoff season at Crisp County and eight years at Brantley County where he led the Herons to their first ever playoff appearance in 2006.
Outlook for this season?
“We have high expectations for this team,” Pender said. “We have 35 seniors in this class with something to prove. This group of seniors have seen more than their fair share of adversity.” The last two years Brunswick has missed the playoffs with 3-7 and 5-5 records and now they want to prove they are different.
“We have a new era starting in Brunswick and this team wants to be the team that jumps start this era of Brunswick football to greatness,” he said. “Prognosticators say it will come down to Glynn and Brunswick in mid-October to determine the champion.”
Big games this year:
“The first game against Coffee County,” Pender said. “All region opponents, and of course the cross town rivalry with Glynn Academy.” The Pirates go into region play in October hoping to regain the playoff berth they missed last year. The big game is the City Championship against Glynn Academy on October 13. Brunswick closes the regular season with a visit from the Osborne Cardinals of Marietta.
SE-SF-0817-Brunswick
Pirates Pick Pender
