Southeast Georgia September 2016 Edition

MEDIA DAY MARKS UNOFFICIAL START TO SEGA GRIDIRON SLATE

A BADGE IN HIS FUTURE INCREDIBLE RESOLVE FRED CARSWELL MCINTOSH COUNTY ACADEMY

HAYDEN BLACKBURN WARE COUNTY

MAXWELL MEMORIAL COLLEGE SCOUTS MARCUS MAXWELL GLYNN ACADEMY

COME TO SEGA

DIVINE INTERCEPTION

COACH DEREK CHASTAIN WAYNE COUNTY

The Future Is Back In His Hands

GAME SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

$4.00 / Issue

IN THE

September 2016

NATE MCBRIDE I VIDALIA HIGH SCHOOL

2 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab 2004 Pioneer St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-284-2410 phone 912-284-2386 fax

Neurology 1921 Alice St., Suite B4 Waycross, GA 31501 912-285-5690 phone 912-285-1753 fax

Primary Care 1921 Alice St., Suite B4 Waycross, GA 31501 912-490-0722 phone 912-490-7227 fax

Cardiology 2004 Pioneer St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-284-2460 phone 912-284-2389 fax

Obstetrics & Gynecology 505 City Blvd.

Waycross, GA 31501 912-490-2229 phone 912-490-9023 fax

Pulmonary Medicine 2005 Pioneer St., Suite C Waycross, GA 31501 912-338-9704 phone 912-338-9758 fax

Express Care 1921 Alice St., Suite A4 Waycross, GA 31501 912-283-5616 phone 912-287-0788 fax

Occupational Medicine 1921 Alice St., Suite A3 Waycross, GA 31501 912-283-3136 phone 912-287-0788 fax

Radiation Oncology 1451 Church St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-490-9729 phone 912-283-7337 fax

Family Psychiatry 1707-A Boulevard Sq. Waycross, GA 31501 912-490-0078 phone 912-490-0083 fax

Ophthalmology & Optometry 413 Lister St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-490-0041 phone 912-490-0042 fax

Satilla Advocacy Services 1908 Tebeau St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-285-7355 phone 912-283-4570 fax

Hematology/Oncology 1706 Alice St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-490-4673 phone 912-490-4674 fax

Orthopedics 305 Pineview Dr. Waycross, GA 31501 912-283-8444 phone 912-283-7132 fax

Satilla Care Center 1600 Riverside Ave. Waycross, GA 31501 912-283-1182 phone 912-285-1554 fax

Multi-specialty Physician Office 316 South Shirley Ave. Douglas, GA 31533 912-383-0815 phone 912-383-0826 fax

Outpatient Laboratory 1921 Alice St., Suite A2 Waycross, GA 31501 912-284-2335 phone 912-283-8788 fax

Surgery (General & Vascular) 1908 Alice St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-338-6010 phone 912-287-2796 fax

111 Colonial Way Jesup, GA 31545 912-810-6296 phone 912-810-5329 fax

Pierce County Nursing Home 221 Carter Ave. Blackshear, GA 31516 912-449-6631 phone 912-449-2640 fax

Hospital 1900 Tebeau St. Waycross, GA 31501 912-283-3030 main

IN THIS

ISSUE 16 College Scouts

Come to SEGA

18 The Future Is Back

In His Hands

Nate McBride Vidalia High School

22 Maxwell Memorial Marcus Maxwell Glynn Academy

24 Incredible Resolve Hayden Blackburn Ware County High School

26 Divine Interception Coach Derek Chastain Wayne County High School

30 A Badge in His Future Fred Carswell McIntosh County Academy

34 Media Day Marks

Unofficial Start to SEGA Gridiron Slate

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8

Shawn Hardy Camden Middle School

In The Game | 5

FROM THE PUBLISHER FindYourTeam’s

PreviewInside!

Richard

LeCounte

player spotlight

10GAMESTOSEE THIS SEASON ITG KICK OFF DINNERASUCCESS top10PLAYERS TO WATCH

Can you feel the excitement in the air? It’s football season!

All the SEGA teams have at least one game under their belt as everyone journeys toward the Dome and the 2016 State Titles.

Some big games and some big time performances have already taken place. Glynn Academy lost in their season opener to AA Benedictine but went to Waycross in week two and defeated Ware County for the third straight time. The Brantley County Herons went to Darien in week one and got beat 46–12 by McIntosh County Academy but got a huge monkey off their back by beating Charlton County for the first time in 22 tries winning 32–29 over the Indians in week two. August’s Player Spotlight, Richard LeCounte started his senior season off in scary fashion being taken off the field in an ambulance after taking a big hit in a scrimmage game with the Pirates on the fourth play of the game. He came back stronger than ever in week one scoring 4 touchdowns against Liberty’s cross-town rival Bradwell Institute. LeCounte scored two on pass plays and 2 on kick returns, one on a punt and one on a kickoff, both for 75 yards. It’s going to be a special season here in SEGA and you can keep up with all the action with In The Game Sports Network.

We hear coaches talk about intangibles all the time regarding football players. Vidalia High School’s own Nate McBride has all the intangibles a coach could want coming from a coaching family but what separates Nate is his tangibles. He’s the prototypical NFL linebacker playing

6 | itgsportsnetwork.com

could barely walk play lights out football for four quarters against some of the best completion in the state. It was the single most courageous thing I’ve ever witnessed a high school football player do for his team.

There’s something in the water in coastal Georgia. There continues to be a steady stream of great student athletes coming out of the marshes of SEGA and Camden Middle School’s Shawn Hardy is the latest to fill that bill. A leader both on and off the field, Shawn embraces the expectations placed on him for this eighth grade season. He plays both sides of ball but loves the quarterback position. Off the field Shawn is an FCA leader and enjoys watching his favorite team, the Florida Gators.

We hope you enjoy reading In the Game as much as we enjoy producing and publishing it. We would like to thank our friends at the Georgia High School Football Historians Association (ghsfha.org) for their assistance. We are always open to suggestions as well as story ideas or ways you think we can improve our magazine. Please visit our website at www.inthegamemagazine.com and Facebook at www.facebook.com/inthegamemagazine.

Follow us on Twitter @SEGAInTheGame and on Instagram at inthegamesega. You can now keep up with all the Friday Night scores across SEGA and the state with our new partner App Scorestream. Download the scorestream app at Google Play or the Appstore today. Join us every Thursday evening live from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. as we broadcast live from Firehouse Subs in Waycross. Listen to “In the Game on Radio” on WWUF 97.7 FM or stream the show live on www. waycrossradio.com. While you’re online, don’t forget to nominate a deserving student-athlete or coach for one of our feature articles. You’ll be glad you did.

FOOTBALL 2016

August 2016

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

high school football. Great size, speed, and football instincts, a rare combination at the high school level. It only takes watching him play to understand why virtually every school in the nation wants him to play for them at the next level.

Chasing quarterbacks today may turn into chasing bad guys in the future. McIntosh County Academy’s Fred Carswell plays inside linebacker for the Bucs and uses all his knowledge and ability to take down offensive ball carriers. Fred hopes to attend Valdosta State and major in Criminal Justice to use all that knowledge and ability to take down bad guys. Coach Robby Robinson feels his players who focus in the classroom will focus on the football field. It’s this dedication exhibited by Carswell that will allow him to excel in whatever he chooses to do after high school.

It’s been a rough couple of months for everyone in Jesup especially those directly affected in the Wayne County football program in the aftermath of the Grooms’ scandal. Kids have transferred to other programs and the administration was left to scramble for a replacement after the school year. The silver lining in that dark cloud was the hiring of Coach Derek Chastain.

Chastain was the assistant head coach at Camden County prior to taking over the helm for the Jackets. Being the second man at a winning program and learning under the leadership of Welton Coffey has prepared Chastain for the challenge of righting the program at Wayne County.

Moxie, determination, drive, heart call it what you will but this kid has it by the truckloads. Ware County’s senior center Hayden Blackburn, affectionately called Wobbles, is the epitome of a team player. The kid is a stone cold warrior. I witnessed firsthand in last year’s playoff game between Ware and Northside Warner Robins a young man who

TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS! Email us at info@itgsportsnetwork.com to let us know what you thought of the August edition of ITG

Contributors Publisher Shawn Smoak Editor Mark Dykes Graphics Mandy Douthit Cover Photography Ginger Russell Feature Photography Ginger Russell Jennifer Carter Johnson Michael Brinson Jeffrey Griffith Feature Writers John DuPont Rob Asbell John Wood Copy Editor Cole Parker Advertising/Marketing Shawn Smoak shawn@itgsportsnetwork.com Mark Dykes mark@itgsportsnetwork.com Website Manager Cole Parker SEGA Prep Sports P.O. Box 2960 Waycross, Ga. | 31502 Corporate Office: Dykes Media Group LLC P.O. Box 812 Valdosta, Ga. | 31603 In the Game is published monthly (excluding July). The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without consent from the publisher. Dykes Media Group, LLC makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisments are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2015 Dykes Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.

Calling the

signals Written by: John Wood Photography by: Michael Brinson

presented by

8 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Playing quarterback at any level of organized football is definitely a task that not everyone can handle. To be a good quarterback you have to understand the play book as well as the coach and make sure that you can execute the plays athletically. But your actions on and off the field must be consistent with the voice of leadership with which you call the plays.

Camden Middle School quarterback Shawn Hardy exemplifies that statement.

“Shawn is very loving and humble,” Chantell Hardy, his mom, said.

“He cares about everyone. My son always puts others first and is not self-centered. He has never been a ball hog.

He truly enjoys helping his teammates achieve their highest potential in every sport. Shawn has shown that he is a leader, and I am so proud of all his accomplishments.”

An eighth grader, Shawn understands the importance of the role of quarterback.

Since he was born and raised locally, he also knows the importance and expectations that come with football in Camden County, and Hardy embraces those expectations. “My favorite sport is football, and I play both sides of the ball, but I love playing quarterback,” Hardy said. “At quarterback, I like to throw, and we have designed run plays for me, but what excites me most about being the quarterback on the field is being a leader. Sometimes my teammates don’t know what to do and get nervous, but they need to look up to someone that can lead them. I feel like I am a person

that is in that position to help lead them."

Though he plays defense too, Hardy is quick to remind that you can score on offense and offense wins games. Scoring is even one of his favorite middle school sports memories, when Camden Middle School scored 50 points against rival St. Mary’s Middle School.

“That is something that I can never forget,” Hardy said. “We scored 50 points before halftime. That is something you don’t see every day at any level. I was so proud of my teammates and what they accomplished, and being able to accomplish something like that against our rival made it even better.”

Before Camden Middle School’s regular season starts, Hardy had a chance to test his skills

against other teams in the Tyrone Jones Classic Jamboree.

“I think my team did really well,” Hardy said.

“We won three out of five of our games. We showed a lot of team work. We made some mistakes, which we saw on film and we will correct in practice.

But overall I think the way we performed, we knew what to do. I was happy with the way I played personally, too, but I can’t run the ball myself. My teammates are the ones that block for me and make sure I don’t get tackled and am able to score.”

During the jamboree, Hardy scored five rushing touchdowns and threw for one touchdown in the three games his team played.

Besides playing football for Camden Middle School, Shawn also plays basketball and

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soccer. In soccer, his favorite position is forward, and in basketball, he plays small forward and center. Off the field, Hardy enjoys math because it’s a hard subject that challenges him. Hardy is also an FCA leader at Camden Middle School and enjoys seeing people starting to bring God into their lives.

“Shawn has been an inspiration to me,” his father said. “He is very calm under pressure. He understands that his talent comes from God. We have taught him not to take it for granted and to work as hard as anyone to be the best at whatever he chooses to pursue. He loves to spend time with family watching movies, playing family games, or his favorite thing to do, eat.”

Even though he lives in Georgia and not far from Florida, his favorite team is the Gators, and his favorite Florida Gator is Percy Harvin.

“I hope to go the University of Florida, and if not at Florida maybe an Ivy League school, like Harvard or Yale, and then hopefully the NFL,” Hardy said.

“I wouldn’t be as motivated if it wasn’t for my family,” Hardy said. “They are always helping with football, school, and homework. They do a lot for me and always encourage me.”

Away from school and sports, Hardy enjoys hanging out with friends and playing with his little sister, who is his best friend. He also has two older sisters and a brother who works in New York.

“When I get to high school, I think I will be able to help because I am going to keep working on my skills as a football player, but I also want to be a good student,” Hardy said.

In The Game | 11

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

PRINTING AND EMBROIDERY: CS HEWETT ADVERTISING “LUV THIS PLACE,CUSTOM SHIRTS WITH GREAT QUALITY, NOBODY DO IT LIKE HEWETT.” written by: Rob Asbell Their products can be found on heads and backs throughout the area, from elementary school field day t-shirts to Ware County Gator fans at Memorial Stadium on Friday nights in the fall. Hats, t-shirts, signs and banners: If it shows local pride chances are it came from CS Hewett Advertising.

The Waycross store specializes in personalized promotional items that can be worn or seen: If it’s printed or embroidered, CS Hewett Advertising creates it.

“We service all of southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida as well,” said Marilyn Hewett who has owned and operated the business with her husband, Sean Hewett, for the past 11 years. “Both of us are local alumnae of Ware County (High School).

We’ve lived here all our lives.” CS Hewett Advertising creates t-shirts for businesses and events in Jesup, Douglas, Brunswick and, of course, Waycross. They print t-shirts and hats for everything from school functions to car dealerships. And of course, CS Hewett Advertising is the place for Ware

County High School items. Fridays in the fall at Memorial Stadium in Waycross would not be the same without CS Hewett Advertising’s specialized products.

Gators’ accessories are available during the week at the store at 211 Knight Avenue. During football season, they are open at the stadium on Fridays starting at noon.

CS Hewett Advertising also provides some of the items for sale at the Gator Gear store at Ware County High School. Viewers can “like” their Facwebook page which has examples of their work like custom t-shirts for the Ware County Gators 2015 final four football playoff run. “This year we will start out with four or five basic designs and then every week we will include another design,” Marilyn Hewett said, adding that they will add new Gator shirts for events like Homecoming and playoff games.

Last year they designed shirts for specific games including the Ware/Coffee County game. And when the weather gets cool, they also have hoodies, sweatshirts and

long-sleeved shirts.

Not all of their designs are focused on the Ware County Gators. CS Hewett Advertising is known for doing team uniforms for baseball and softball teams. All manner of groups and individuals come to CS Hewett Advertising because of their prompt service and attention to quality.

They also add their personal touch to custom screen printing, embroidery, promotional items like t-shirts and hats and signs and banners. CS Hewett Advertising also does sublimation printing on dry mesh jerseys and shirts. The printing never cracks, fades or peels. “It lasts for the lifetime of the shirt,” Marilyn Hewett said.

Stop by their location at 211 Knight Avenue in Waycross or call (912) 5480082. You can also shoot them an email at cshewettad@gmail.com. Check their Facebook page for pictures, specials and sales. As one Facebook reviewer said, “Luv this place,Custom Shirts with great quality, Nobody Do It like Hewett.”

In The Game | 13

APPLING COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

FOOTBALL & SOFTBALL OFF TO FAST STARTS

written by: Rob Asbell | photography by: Rob Asbell Fall has arrived, and with it come Pirates’ football. Coach JT Pollock enters his 12th season at the helm of the Pirates’ ship. Several players return this year, including quarterback Keelan Crosby and running backs Japheth Morris and Devon Moore, both of who did well as members of the track team last season.

Appling County opens at Vidalia and then hosts Charlton County and Dodge County. They travel down Highway 341 to Jesup to face Wayne County and then are back in Baxley to play Statesboro. The final five games are region-tilts at Long, Brantley, and Tattnall and hosting Liberty and Pierce. The annual border war with the Pierce County Bears is scheduled for Halloween weekend, Oct. 28.

The junior varsity football team also got started in August against Brantley County. The JV will also play Pierce, Wayne, Jeff Davis, Long, Vidalia, and Tattnall this year.

The Lady Pirates’ softball team got its season underway in August, opening on the road in Brunswick against Glynn Academy. Head coach Linsey Tillman has the team fired up after a 17-12 record last year, 12-7 in the region, before falling to Southeast Bulloch in the region playoffs. This season, Appling County moves from Division A of 1-AAA into a new Region 2-AAA. The new region includes Brantley, Liberty, Long, Pierce, and Tattnall. Tillman has a young team with only two seniors returning this season.

2016 JUNIOR VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Aug. 25 Brantley Sept. 8 at Pierce Sept. 15 Wayne Sept. 22 at Jeff Davis Sept. 29 Long Oct. 6 at Vidalia Oct. 13 Tattnall County

2016 LADY PIRATES’ SOFTBALL SCHEDULE Aug. 2 at Pinewood (scrimmage) Aug. 11 at Glynn Academy Aug, 15 Jeff Davis Aug. 19-20 Watermelon Tournament at Crisp Co. Rec. Dept.

Aug. 23 Southeast Bulloch Aug. 30 Pierce* Sept. 1 at Tattnall* Sept. 2 Jeff Davis Diamond Day at Hazlehurst Rec. Dept.

Sept. 8 Long* Sept. 12 at Jeff Davis Sept. 13 Brantley* Sept. 15 at Liberty* Sept. 20 at Pierce* Sept. 21 Glynn Academy Sept. 22 Tattnall* Sept. 27 at Long* Sept. 29 at Brantley* Oct. 4 Liberty*

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College Scouts Written by: Rob Asbell | Photography by: Rob Asbell

A hot day in the Golden Isles became a great day for the University of Georgia as one of their top prospects verbally committed to becoming a Bulldog next year. It all took place at the Golden Isles Satellite Exposure Camp in mid-June at the Brunswick High football practice fields as more than 120 players showed up to work on new techniques and showcase their talents in front of college coaches from Georgia, Miami of Ohio, Presbyterian College, Mercer, Savannah State, and Central Florida.

Satellite camps were allowed this off-season to let coaches and recruiters travel to high school campuses to have face to face contact with athletes without having to lure them to their colleges for an official visit. Students ranging from elementary school to seniors in high school attended the satellite camp, which was the first in the Brunswick area. Players from Florida, South Carolina, Pierce County, Bradwell Institute, Brantley County, Burke

16 | itgsportsnetwork.com

County, and a selection of Savannah schools took part in the camp on a 93-degree day.

After being divided into offensive and defensive units, players stretched and went through basic drills. Later, they ran one-on-one drills to show the college coaches what they could do. University of Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann were on hand for the camp and got to see a great deal of local talent. One of Brunswick's big offensive linemen, Jabori Williams, was offered a scholarship to Central Florida during the camp. Many others caught the eyes of the college coaches, who will follow up with the players in the future.

The highlight of the day came at the end of the camp when "Big Man" D'Antne Demery announced his college plans. After receiving 40 offers, the 6'6" offensive lineman announced that he is verbally committing to the University of Georgia.

COME TO

SEGA

WARE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

LADY GATORS SOFTBALL LOOKS FOR DEEP RUN IN PLAYOFFS written by: Rob Asbell The Lady Gators softball team of coach Rebecca Kirkland is geared up for another playoff run in 2016. Last season, the Gators were the number two seed from Region 3-AAAAA by virtue of a one-run loss in the region championship. As the number two seed, they hosted a playoff series against Jones County but fell in three games. “Last season started out pretty rough for us,” Kirkland said. “We had so much talent, but felt that we were being defeated mentally. We really started playing much better towards the end of the season and when playoffs rolled around. We ended up playing Richmond Hill for the Region Championship, only losing it off a solo homerun.”

The Gators lose just three players from last year’s team and return five seniors: Emily Oliver, Amber Holley, Lizzie Shubert, Kennedy Sanders, and Alexis Trusty. With experience on the field, they are concentrating on being more mentally prepared this year. One major change will be the effects of region realignment by the Georgia High School Association. Ware County will remain in AAAAA but will move from Region 3 to Region 2, which includes New Hampstead, South Effingham, Statesboro, and Wayne County. “Our region will be competitive for us,” Kirkland said. “Wayne and South Effingham always have a competitive program. Statesboro has been improving year to year. I honestly do not know a whole lot about New Hampstead.

My focus as a coach is for the girls to play hard no matter who their opponent is at the time.”

This year the team will take it slow and work toward a region championship and a playoff spot. “I think with any coach and program, we have to think one game at a time, but ultimately we are all striving for that goal at the end,” Kirkland said.

The Gators football team got the season off to a rousing start with a strong showing in a preseason scrimmage against AAAAAAA Camden County.

While Friday nights have the spotlight on the varsity football team, Thursday afternoons belong to the junior varsity and ninth-grade teams.

2016 JV Football Schedule Aug. 18 vs. Tift County @ Tifton, Ga. Aug. 25 vs. Camden County @ Kingsland, Ga. Sept. 1 vs. Coffee County @ Douglas, Ga. Sept. 15 vs. Benedictine @ Savannah, Ga. Sept. 22 vs. Bradwell Institute @ Waycross, Ga Oct. 6 vs. Camden County @ Waycross, Ga Oct. 13 vs. Bacon County @ Waycross, Ga

5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 TBA

Ware County Girls’ Softball Schedule Aug. 3 Scrimmage vs Bacon County Aug. 9 @ Bacon Alma, Ga 5:45 Aug. 10 vs. Tift County @ Tifton, Ga. 5:00 Aug. 11 vs. Coffee County @ Douglas, Ga. 5:45 Aug. 16 vs. Camden County @ Waycross, Ga. 5:45 Aug. 18 vs. New Hampstead @ Savannah, Ga. 4:30 Aug. 19 vs. Cordelle Tournament @ Cordelle, Ga. TBA Aug. 20 vs. Cordelle Tournament @ Cordelle, Ga. TBA Aug. 22 vs. Coffee County @ Waycross, Ga. 5:45 Aug. 25 vs. Wayne County @ Jesup, Ga. 5:45 Aug. 30 vs. Statesboro @ Waycross, Ga. 5:00

SENIOR NIGHT Sept. 1 vs. South Effingham @ Springfield, Ga. 6:00 Sept. 7 vs. Tift County @ Waycross, Ga. 5:00 Sept. 8 vs. New Hampstead @ Waycross, Ga. 4:30

CANCER AWARENESS GAME Sept. 10 vs. Lowndes Co. Tournament @ Valdosta, Ga. TBA Sept. 13 vs. Camden County @ Kingsland, Ga 6:00 Sept. 15 vs. Wayne County @ Waycross, Ga. 5:45 Sept. 20 vs. Statesboro @ Statesboro, Ga. 5:00 Sept. 22 vs. South Effingham @ Waycross, Ga. 4:30 Sept. 26 vs. Lowndes County @ Valdosta, Ga. 5:30

2016 9th Grade Football Schedule Aug. 18 vs. Tift County @ Waycross, Ga Aug. 25 vs. Benedictine @ Waycross, Ga Sept. 1 vs. Coffee County @ Waycross, Ga Sept. 8 vs. McIntosh Academy @ Darien, Ga. Sept. 15 vs. Charlton County JV @ Waycross, Ga Oct. 6 vs. Camden County @ Kingsland, Ga. Oct. 13 vs. Charlton County @ Folkston, Ga.

5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 TBA

presented by

Meeting the Vidalia Indian's Nate McBride face to face for the first time can be intimidating. He stands 6'3" and weighs a solid 230 pounds. He is built like a prototypical NFL linebacker even though he is still a senior in high school. His golden locks of hair pulled back from his face, he gives off an almost Herculean presence filled with self-confidence. He is one of the most highly recruited football players in the nation, and he has mailbags full of scholarship offers to prove it – one bag for regular letters, another for hand-written notes from college coaches. With a resume like his, McBride is fast becoming a local legend of sorts. But speaking with him reveals a surprisingly humble young man who is just as serious about his faith and academics as he is about football.

Among the highlights of his young life was a week-long camp sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Epworth By The Sea on

18 | itgsportsnetwork.com

The Future Is Back In His Hands Written by: Rob Asbell

|

Photography by: Ginger Russell

St. Simons Island. "It changed me and my walk with Christ," McBride said. "We had to wash feet just like Jesus did because that shows true leadership because you've got to be a servant to be a leader."

When Vidalia High School's jerseys were no longer up to par, McBride asked Coach Lee Chomskis if they could buy new ones he had designed on the Adidas website. Trying to quash the idea at the start, Chomskis told him that if he could raise the money he could get the jerseys, but he could not use current sponsors. McBride asked the National Recruiting Director of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Erik Richards, if Adidas would give the Indians a

discount for McBride playing in the 2017 game.

They agreed, and Coach Chomskis gave him the name of a Vidalia alumnus who helped. Adidas visited the school and verified everything, a check was written, and now Vidalia will debut their new McBride-designed jerseys on Aug. 26 during their home opener against Appling County.

This intelligent and spiritual young man becomes a beast when he steps onto a football field. Stories started circling about Nate McBride shortly after his freshman year when he attended four daycamps and received offers from each one: Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The senior is one of the fastest and hardest-hitting defenders in the class of 2017. "Nathan McBride is certainly an incredi-

ble football player,” Chomskis said. “He is a highly ranked linebacker and an incredible halfback, too.

His size, speed, and athleticism set him apart from most." As a sophomore, McBride had 128 tackles and two interceptions and also ran for 402 yards and five touchdowns as a running back, leading the Indians to the third-round of the state playoffs. In a game against region foe Bryan County, McBride had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a 50-yard catch for a touchdown, a 25-yard run for a touchdown, and an interception. He was all set to play his junior year after overcoming a broken left hand he suffered at a training camp. But it wasn't to be.

On Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, McBride was driving home following an after-practice dinner. It was just eight days before Vidalia's home opener against Swainsboro and the day before the team's preseason scrimmage. He was almost home when he dozed off and his Dodge Ram truck slammed into a tree. "I felt the bump of hitting the dirt road and then saw a tree coming at me," McBride said. The collision sounded like an explosion and was heard by a pastor and his wife who live nearby. Dazed and in pain, McBride called his father and told him. His dad rushed to the scene and found an ambulance, sheriff's deputies, and his son with his hand on a pillow.

“He is a highly ranked linebacker and an incredible halfback, too. His size, speed, and athleticism set him apart from most.”

Fast Facts About Nate McBride: He is a senior linebacker at Vidalia High School, north of Hazlehurst and south of I-16.

According to rivals.com, McBride is the nation’s top ranked inside linebacker.

BENCH PRESSES

4 50

RUNS A

4.4 - 40

YARD DASH LASER-TIMED

10.68 SEC.

IN THE 100 METERS He missed his entire junior year recuperating from injuries suffered to his hand and wrist in an auto accident. He has now made a full recovery.

RECEIVED

77

DIFFERENT RECRUITING LETTERS FROM A SINGLE

ACC

SCHOOL IN ONE DAY

3.8 GPA He is a member of the National Honor Society.

He will announce his college decision during the season or maybe as late as Jan. 7 at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl where he will represent Georgia.

20 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Fortunately, his injuries were minor compared to what could have happened. He had severely injured his right wrist and re-broken his left hand.

"As soon as I looked at my wrist, I knew something was wrong with it," McBride said. He went to the hospital, and before long, the news spread like wildfire through Toombs County. The hospital waiting room soon filled with team members and well-wishers from the community. Word also got to college coaches who showed their concern.

His dad took a call from, then, Georgia coach Mark Richt while Nate was being prepped for surgery and then another from coach Kirby Smart on behalf of Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Doctors reset the bones in his wrist and then used nine pins and an anchor to hold them in place while they healed. McBride had casts on both hands for three months. The cast on his right wrist stayed on another two months and was replaced by a brace. McBride underwent extensive physical therapy to return the strength, mobility, and motion to the wrist. By February, he was given a "yellow light" to begin lifting small amounts of weight.

"There was no yellow light for me,” McBride said. “As soon as I started lifting again, I was going as heavy as I could." McBride knew he was back to 100 percent when he was able to bench press 405-pounds once again, the bench he attained prior to the accident. Now that bench is up to 450 as he continues to get stronger. He is chomping at the bit to get back on the football field.

"I feel like he's 100 percent," Chomskis said. "He's full speed in the weight room doing all the things to put stress on that wrist. He's been cleared by the doctors and been given the stamp of approval, so we feel good about him."

CHECK US OUT ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

MAXWELL MEMORIAL Written by: Rob Asbell

|

Photography by: Michael Brinson

On July 4, 2016, the Terror Nation got the bad news that one of their own had passed away. Marcus Maxwell suffered from scleroderma, a rare condition that attacked his heart and kidneys. The Glynn Academy offensive lineman will be missed by his friends, family, and teammates.

Take a Knee We got the sad news about one of our best Number 72 has gone, on now to rest His pain has subsided, his soul now free Marcus has gone, and we take a knee From down in the trenches, he has risen above To rest on the wings of eternal love A player, a friend, a student, a son Taken too soon, his race has been run He played on a team, together as one Toiling through practice in the hot summer sun Over and over, repetition is key Until the drill is done, and we take a knee Hard work paid off week after week, A team on a mission, playing at peak Community support, victories they sought, Still praying for Marcus in the battle he fought An offensive lineman, so proud til the end Never giving up or refusing to bend, On the field of play, warriors are we Until one of us falls, and we take a knee Go now with your Father, He's prepared you a place, We will miss your light and the smile on your face We will always remember, together we've cried Saying goodbye to a friend who was just at our side But it's not about football or the games that we play, His good deeds and his light have shown us the way He stood so strong for all to see Now we pray for his family, and we take a knee 22 | itgsportsnetwork.com

WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

WAYNE COUNTY Begins the Derek Chastain Era written by: John Wood When Wayne County finally found the person that would lead the Yellow Jackets this season, Derek Chastain knew he was less than 75 days out until the start of the season. The Yellow Jackets also lost a number of seniors to graduation. The most glaring holes for Wayne we are at quarterback and on the offensive line. Not to complicate things further, but with many years on at “Wing T central,” otherwise known as Camden County, Chastain understands the importance and power of a run-oriented offense.

"Without a doubt the offensive line and quarterback…We have really only one person on the line with significant game experience,” Chastain said. “We are getting better every day at practice, but it is still a huge adjustment.

We are asking the inexperienced offensive line to do things they have never done before, so that will cause some

headaches at times.

However, we are shuffling personnel to try to find the right fit for our scheme. Our defense and special teams will have to play extremely well while we get progressively better on the offensive side of the football.”

As the Yellow Jackets are learning a new offensive scheme and the ways of a new head coach, Chastain is working to learn his personnel and trying to get players to embrace the vision that he has for the Wayne County program.

“I believe they are all trying to buy in and ignore the noise of the naysayers and have a very good football season,” Chastain said. “No one is really giving us a shot because of the late coaching change.

However, our seniors who stuck around without knowing who their coach was going to be have really practiced hard and led this team throughout camp. I

would be wrong if I mentioned just one or two of them because they all have made a significant impact since before I came this summer.”

One change that Chastain did not have to make was to the base defense that Wayne County veteran defensive coordinator Roger Creager has greatly attributed to the rise of Yellow Jackets over the past few seasons.

"Coach Creager has always done a good job on defense while being at Wayne,” Chastain said. “So, with that said, I did not tweak anything on that side of the ball.

I voiced my opinions and concerns at times, and we worked them out. However, I wanted something to stay pretty much the same for our kids. I don’t think it would have been wise to come in and change every phase of our football program in June.”

The learning curve for a head coach is about so much more

than the Xs and Os and getting the players into the right positions; the head football coach also has to put together the travel plan for away games. Wayne’s first two contests are on the road. The Yellow Jackets traveled to Thomas County Central for a scrimmage and will open the 2016 season at West Laurens High School.

“I learned to plan my travel itinerary better,” Chastain said. “We were rushed on a long trip and played like it.

This was my fault. Our kids showed a lot of relentlessness that night because after getting punched in the mouth early, they stood their ground and didn’t quit.

They played hard and forced four turnovers with one spectacular play down by the goal

line. Our cornerback was beat on a play but chased the receiver down and stripped the ball on the two-yard line before he goes in to score. This was an incredible play by one of our senior DB’s that have led us in camp this summer.”

Coming out of the Thomas County Central game, Chastain saw a lot of things that could be corrected with false starts and offside penalties. He is also trying to get the right players in the right spots so they can be successful.

“Our goal each week is to go 1-0,” Chastain said. “We don’t want to look at anything else but ourselves and the next opponent.”

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RESOLVE Written by: John DuPont Photography by: Jennifer Carter Johnson

presented by: 24 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote. Such thoughts hit home with Ware County High senior Hayden Blackburn, whose passions include both literature and line play.

A second-year starter at center for the Gators, the 5-foot-10, 215-pounder has steadily ramped up his play in becoming a catalyst for the perennial title contenders from the swamp.

“I just want to be remembered as someone who works his tail off, whether it’s in the weight room, on the field, or in the classroom,” said Blackburn, the son of Jim and Beth Blackburn. “One of our team goals has been about the seniors being able to lead. We’ve not always been good leaders, and lately we have been getting better. But our team goal – yeah, it’s to go 15-0. We all hold each other accountable in the classroom and on the field. If you see someone doing something wrong, you tell them to cut it out. If you see someone struggling, you help them out.”

Ware head coach Franklin Stephens offers this assessment of Blackburn: “Hayden is indicative of what we want our program to represent. He is the model of consistency and dependability. With Hayden, you know exactly what you are going to get every day in every activity. He's a kid that goes unnoticed because he does everything he is supposed to and does it well. He's what we as coaches call a ‘do right’ kid.”

In the classroom, Blackburn has fashioned a 3.6 GPA, which now ranks him among the top 35 members of his class. He also scored a 20 on the ACT. His favorite subject is English, and he has an affinity for the likes of the aforementioned Emerson. The Crucible ranks among his favorite reading titles, but Blakburn basically is a non-fiction guy with an eye for online news.

“Although one academic area – math – has not always been the easiest for him, he has always been one to not give up, “ said mom, Beth, who teaches in the Ware County School District. “When Hayden was in second grade, our school system began a basic math fact fluency assessment for students in grades one through eight.

Second graders were expected to complete 50 basic addition and subtraction problems in three minutes.

This initially presented a challenge for him. However, he continued working to become successful, even though

this meant missing a few minutes of recess time so that he could practice his math facts.”

On the field, Blackburn’s level of participation has steadily risen the past few years. He played his first snap at age five and rose through the ranks from Upward and the recreation department.

Then came a year on the freshman roster before playing in a half-dozen varsity games as a sophomore. A former guard, he switched to center upon coach Stephens’ arrival and started every game at that position a season ago. Blackburn said accolades for his success go out to his head coach and the guy who preceded him at center.

“I learned some stuff from Blaine Harper, fundamental stuff, like when you have to step with a certain foot,” Blackburn said. “Some plays you have to bear crawl to get past a nose guard – because he might be slanting a certain way – to get to the linebacker. Coach Stephens has taught me how to get off the ball as fast as I can, keep a low pad level, and be aggressive. One thing he really keeps telling me is that I have to get into a guy’s hips.”

Stephens’ arrival in 2014 brought changes that included a new offensive approach. Blackburn was trying to catch the coach’s eye and said he thinks the tide turned at a defensive camp at Spaulding County. “It was helmets and pads, but we were going full tilt,” Blackburn said. “Our starting center wasn’t there, and I had to step up. We were playing against Tucker, and I had to go against Jonathan Ledbetter (future Georgia Bulldog). I don’t think Coach expected me to hang in there with Ledbetter the way I did, but I think after that, he knew from there on out I could be ‘that guy.’”

Already with a proven reputation on a number of fronts, in the weight room Blackburn has recorded maximum hefts of 265 pounds on the bench press and 330 on the squat rack while cleaning 215. A two-sport athlete, Blackburn will return to the Gator baseball team in the spring with hopes of battling at first base or serving as a designated hitter. Beta Club and National Honor Society memberships highlight his resume, as well as his appointment to the First Southern Bank's Jr. Board of Directors. He attends Second Baptist Church in Waycross, where he participates in youth group activities and helps maintain church grounds.

Blackburn, whose father is a firefighter and whose grandfather was a police officer, said wearing a badge could be in

his own future. “I’m still looking, but ABAC has what I want,” Blackburn said of a future career path. “I’ve thought about DNR (Department of Natural Resources), but my dad tells me to go federal, like with the National Forest Service. But I like being outdoors and around animals. I like to hunt and fish.”

Regardless of the future path, Blackburn’s current road reflects great credit upon him.

Stephens readily acknowledges the support of the center’s parents as having been instrumental. Blackburn’s father points to his son’s passion for the game as another key. Both men look to the Gators’ opening playoff game last year, a 16-7 win over Northside (Warner Robins), as proof of the younger Blackburn’s mettle.

“Hayden has a distinct passion for football,” his dad said. “His work ethic to me has been phenomenal, and I attribute that to Coach Stephens. Hayden has just sold out to Coach Stephens. Two days before the Northside game, Hayden suffered a high ankle sprain and by rights probably should have never played. It was swollen, and he was still wearing a boot right up until game time. I don’t know how Hayden was able, but it was just incredible resolve.”

Adds Stephens: “As if I wasn't already a fan of Hayden, I truly became a fan of his when he sprained his ankle two days before the Northside game and played well against a tremendous opponent. Hayden shows up for everything on time and with a positive attitude of, ‘It's time to get better.’ I don't believe he's ever had a discipline infraction at school. He is a great example of how a student-athlete should function.”

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Interception Written by: John Wood Photography by: Jeffrey Griffith

Faith is an absolute requirement in the coaching profession.

Any given Friday night coaches have built a game plan, but they have to have faith that their teams can execute that game plan. Those touchdowns aren’t lighting up on the board until that execution comes, and the end result – plagued by penalties, false starts, dropped passes, and fumbles – can only be seen by the faithful.

That same belief in the unseen allows a coach to refocus after an unusually bad season. In 2014, Camden County, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s 2000 AAAAA Team of the Decade, finished 5-5, missing the Wildcats’ annual playoff run since what seemed like the Reagan Administration. As the former assistant head coach of the Wildcats, Derek Chastain spoke about that season at the First Annual SEGA In the Game Media Day. “When you finish 5-5 at Camden County, people are surprised,” Chastain said. “We know we have expectations to be a good team every year. To know that we have the history to compete at the highest level, I can promise you we understand about those expectations."

Camden County helped make that promise true going 9-0 in the regular season before losing to eventual Region

1-AAAAAA and state champs Colquitt County. The Wildcats finished 10-2 overall.

"We tried to teach our kids that just because you’re at Camden doesn’t mean you are going to be good,” Chastain said. “You still have to embrace the process of what made Camden successful in the first place."

Derek Chastain was born in the tall pines of Thomasville, but moved to Madison and went to Athens Christian School where he played football, basketball, and baseball. Once he finished high school, he got a degree from the University of Georgia.

His experience as an athlete and playing under impactful coach-

presented by

es at Athens Christian helped solidify his life calling.

“One of my high school coaches, Richard Allen, taught me that you could make an impact on many lives as a high school coach,” Chastain said. “He asked me when I started coaching to not let wins be the focal point of my career goals."

Chastain never shirks from expectations of excellence; he embraces them. Lessons he learned sharing a sideline with such coaching luminaries as former Camden County head coach and current Grayson head coach Jeff Herron and current Camden County head coach Welton Coffey.

The head coaching pipeline that Camden has created has been one of the strongest in the state of Georgia, and Chastain became the most recent product of that pipeline, landing the Wayne County head job.

“I interviewed on a Wednesday; my wife and I met with other officials on Monday; and (I) was hired on Tuesday, June 14,” Chastain said. “You are trying to keep it under control and not crash and burn until you can get to the bottom and slow things down a little bit. I don’t expect that will come until at least December, if that. I wouldn’t call the hiring process a debacle for Wayne County because I truly believe it happened at the time God had planned for it to happen for myself.

Wayne County was right where the Lord wanted me, and I believe with all my heart that this is the Lord’s will for my life. I had kind of grown frustrated with searching for that right

He didn’t promise that it would be easy. He promised that He would be with me wherever He leads me.”

Landing a head coaching job is an accomplishment in itself, but coming into a program under the clock is tough, not knowing the kids or even the staff. It’s hard to put tape with players’ names across their helmets when it’s not even July.

“It’s always hard on players to have to learn and trust a new coach coming in,” Chastain said. “They were anxious to get a coach in here because they want direction and leadership. The best thing that happened here is that the staff that was here did not stop working. They didn’t let the kids relax and wait until a coach had been named. They just kept working. I have NOT inherited a staff; I have been blessed

“athletics can help improve the climate of the school as well as enhance student achievement in the classroom.” opportunity that every assistant wants at some point in their career. I literally had just prayed the night before, surrendering my desire to be a head coach to the Lord and trusted in Him to either keep me in Camden and raise my family or move right where he wanted me.

The next day I received a call from Mr. Bo Adams, Principal at Wayne County about the job.

It was confirmation that this is right where God wanted me to be as a head coach. It is not going to be easy, but

with a very quality staff that was already here under the previous head coach." He also got to hire three coaches in June, which is tough to do anywhere, but he had to choose the right coaches for the positions that fit the program.

“There is great support from the community and administration here in Wayne County,” Chastain said.

“The administration understands that athletics can help improve the climate of the school as well as enhance student achievement in the classroom. The support from the Wayne County community is second to none. They love Wayne County football and have high expectations here."

While the game has changed a lot since he was in high school – at 205-pounds he was the biggest player on his team – the life lessons that he learned from Allen and the others he has worked with have rang as true and crystal clear as a bell.

“Don’t get caught up in chasing titles,” Chastain said.

“Just work the field that God has given you, and your opportunity will come.”

28 | itgsportsnetwork.com

CAMDEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

CAMDEN COUNTY Wildcats Upended Early written by: John Wood All of the message boards and sports media had it wrong. Nearly five to one most people picked Camden County as the two-touchdown favorite over host Oakleaf High School. Oakleaf surprised the Wildcats at the Dungeon Aug. 19 at Zaxby’s Field in Orange Park, 27-13. It was the first of three Friday night trips in a row that Camden County will make to Florida to start the season. Cam-

den will not make it back to the friendly confines of Chris Gilman Stadium in Kingsland until the fourth game against their neighbor to the north, Glynn Academy.

The Wildcats rebounded last year after a dismal 5-5 season in 2014. Last season, the Wildcats went on a nine-game win streak, not losing its first game until game number 10 when the Colquitt

County Packers won the region title and eventually the AAAAAA state championship. Camden is now part of the “Big 44” according to the Georgia High School Association’s last reclassification effort, which placed the Wildcats in the newly created Class AAAAAAA. After finishing the 2015 campaign, 102, the Wildcats were ranked number six in the preseason polls by Georgia High School Football Daily.

As both teams readied for kickoff, the game

was delayed by thirty minutes due to lightning and storms in the area.

The real lightning was about to hit, and it wasn’t out of the sky but on the ground in the form of senior quarterback Jordan Johnson, leading an 83-yard drive including a 22yard rushing touchdown to give Oakleaf the lead in the first quarter. Johnson completely froze the Wildcats and scored his second touchdown when he ran a 14-yard bootleg.

Camden showed some defensive prowess in the first half, but the Wildcats were victims of big plays by Oakleaf that would keep drives alive instead of getting the defense off the field and forcing the Knights to punt.

“Defensively, we have been playing well, but we cannot give up big plays on third down,” Camden County head coach Welton Coffey said. “We must get off the field. Giving teams extra plays gives them more opportunities to score.”

Offensively, Camden was held to only three first downs, 46 yards, and no points in the first half. “It is vitally important for us to do a better job of executing offensively,” Coffey said.

“This is at every position on the field”.

Camden added a pair of scores from Devegas Austin and John Jones, but Oakleaf added two more late touchdowns, putting the game out of reach. Senior pony Cole Loden led the Wildcats on the defensive side of the ball with seven tackles.

The Wildcats travel to Venice in Sarasota County and finish the three-game Florida swing with a trip to Columbia.

“Special teams have been pretty solid, but we have got a better job of covering punts,” Coffey said. “We allowed Oakleaf to get field position, so we have to get that fixed this week in practice.

One of biggest problems on coverage and defensively was not getting off blocks, and we have to do a better job of that to be successful.”

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He has the ability to sniff out and find the ball carrier and bring him down quickly. He can ward off blockers and still have the presence of mind to go after the ball.

He is a man on a mission, and one day that mission could be catching criminals instead of running backs. McIntosh County Academy senior Frederick Carswell plans on attending Valdosta State University to major in criminal justice so he can track down bad guys in the future. For now, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound inside linebacker for coach Robby Robinson's MCA Buccaneers will concentrate on running down quarterbacks and anyone else who wants to come

across the line his way.

"After I break the huddle and I'm lined up on the field, the only thing on my mind is 'winning this play,'” Carswell said. “Playing defense, it's like every snap is a battle and you have to attack your enemy with no fear or you lose. So I remove all sense of fear from

my body and play ball."

Fred, as friends call him, is the son of Ulysses and Tamika Carswell of Darien and is an Honor Roll student at MCA with a 3.5 GPA. "With the good grades, I meet the requirements you need academically to play,” Carswell said. “Also, paying attention in class and getting good grades means you're focused in the classroom. If you're focused in the classroom, when you step on to that field you'll have that same mindset of ‘I need to pay attention and know what to do.’ Coach Rob always says that how you act in the classroom will affect how you play on the field."

Still, there is a difference between being smart in the classroom and being smart on the football field. "His intelligence goes

go both ways," Robinson said. "From a football standpoint, he was raw, but it doesn't take him long to catch on to stuff. He's a very vocal leader as well, so the combination of his brains and his being a vocal leader is a win-win."

Carswell got his start playing football in Alamo, Georgia. Once he moved to Darien, he took a break and returned to football his freshman year. He felt it wasn't working for him, so he took another season off and focused on academics. After learning to balance both academics and athletics and still have some "down time," he returned to the game thanks to the cajoling of Robinson, who returned to MCA last season.

"His personality, his energy, his enthusiasm: It was an attention grabber,� Robinson said. “He did not play football the year before, so I began immediately to recruit him, so to speak."

Carswell has an older brother who played for MCA and later at Shorter University.

Still, he didn't show for his first day of practice.

That's when his mother stepped in and spoke to him.

"She is very supportive and stays on top of him academically and athletically and wants nothing but the best for him," Robinson said.

"She came up here the very next day at school and talked to him, and he showed up at practice, and the rest has been history."

Coaches consider Carswell an outstanding young man of char-

In The Game | 31

acter and leadership, and it didn't take long for him to become a starter. "We knew he had it in him, but he didn't know he had it in him," Robinson said. In the weight room, Carswell can bench press 240 pounds, squat 400, and clean 265. He has a 4.6 40-yard dash, giving him the speed to pursue running backs and receivers who get through to the second level.

He works closely with Defensive Coordinator Terrel Toomer and inside linebackers coach William Ragen. It earned him All-Region Honorable Mention in region 2-AA for his junior year. "I'd like to say that my linebacker coach, Ragen, has helped me the most,” Carswell said. “Everyday at practice he makes sure we understand our duties on the field and that we execute them precisely. He also makes sure we get stronger in the weight room, and believe me: We do with his workouts.

They are no joke. He also gives us diet plans on how to put on weight the healthy way and other basic knowledge of eating right."

Over the past year, Carswell has improved on the field mentally by better understanding the game and physically in the weight room. He started eating healthier and working out more.

“Playing defense, it's like every snap is a battle and you have to attack your enemy with no fear or you lose.

So I remove all sense of fear from my body and play ball."

He became a starter after last year's scrimmage against Glynn Academy. "My favorite part of the game has to be the feeling of going against a really good team and just having a great physical game," Carswell said.

Currently, Shorter University and LaGrange College are looking at Carswell. "I believe I have the potential to play in college, but only if I continue my hard work on the field and off," Carswell said. Robinson believes that in the future, people will be calling Carswell "boss." He could become the head of a company, an attorney, an accountant, or an FBI agent. "He can be whatever he wants to be because he's very intelligent,” Robinson said. “I do believe he has the ability to play at the next level. It will come down to where his fit is. I do believe that he will be able to pay for his education due to his academic and athletic abilities."

32 32 || itgsportsnetwork.com itgsportsnetwork.com

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Media Day Marks Unofficial Start to SEGA Gridiron Slate Written by: John DuPont Photography by: Michael Brinson & Jennifer Carter Johnson

It was a rite of passage, a gala event that included players, coaches, cheerleaders, and even a mascot or two.

The smoky aroma of grilled meats rose from the grill. Enthusiasts swapped stories and challenged each other in cornhole. Parents and supporters cheered.

And that was a good month before regulation high school football kicked off in southeast Georgia.

The 2016 In The Game High (SEGA) Media Day, sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System, served as a fitting precursor to the gridiron slate now underway.

The second annual event was held July 23 at the historic Waycross City Auditorium featuring coaches and players representing 17 schools from the ITG (SEGA) coverage area. Coastal Pines Technical College, Sea Palms Resort, Robbie Roberson Ford, Lee & Davis Meats, and Lang BBQ Smokers also sponsored festivities enjoyed by fans young and old.

“Around here we like to say that football season doesn’t actually have a beginning or an end,” said Shawn Smoak, publisher of ITG’s Southeast Edition.

“We just have that time of the season where we play the games.

And if you didn’t know any better from looking around here today, you’d wonder what time kickoff was.”

Coaches took to the podium in providing snapshots of their teams for the coming season. Key players also took the stage as journalists from media outlets throughout southeast Georgia and northeast Florida took notice. Meanwhile, the Coastal Pines Technical College mascot entertained fans and posed for photos. Elsewhere, the Ware County High cheerleaders served as hostesses while all attendees were treated to tailgate treats, courtesy of Lee & Davis meats and expertly cooked on a state-of-the-art smoker from Lang BBQ Smokers.

Thanks to our Corporate Sponsors www.seapalms.com

34 | itgsportsnetwork.com

All head coaches entered a drawing for a smoker giveaway by Lang’s in a drawing that featured a “final four” cornhole competition.

Ultimately, the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets emerged victorious in winning the smoker for their head coach, Ed Lovvorn. Sea Palms Resort also awarded a vacation getaway, won by Robbie Roberson.

Head coaches on hand included Brandon Derrick (Frederica Academy), Derek Chastain (Wayne County), Rocky Hidalgo (Glynn Academy), Larry Harold (Brunswick High), Greg Hill (Bradwell Institute), Franklin Stephens (Ware County), Welton Coffey (Camden County), Rich McWhorter (Charlton County), Kyle Langford (Bacon County), Lee Chomskis (Vidalia), Eric McNair (Long County), Mark Walker (Brantley County), and Sean Pender (Pierce County).

Garrett Cranford, offensive coordinator for Appling County, represented the Pirates. Bluechip player and Univer-

sity of Georgia signee Richard LeCounte represented his team, the Liberty County Panthers.

J.T. Pollock and Kirk Warner, head coaches for Appling and Liberty, were unable to attend due to prior commitments, as was McIntosh County Academy’s Robby Robinson.

“It’s hard to put into words just how much we appreciate our sponsors, the coaches, and these players,” Smoak said. “They all make the game of football possible for fans to enjoy.

We are indeed thankful that we can get together for a couple of hours before the first Friday night whistle blows to help showcase talent and to say thanks.”

In The Game | 35

PIERCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

P

GARNER HIRED TO COACH BOYS HOOPS written and photographed by: Jaron Raulerson

Jaron Raulerson PCHS student writer

“I am very excited. Our numbers are good, we had a very successful summer and that leads me to believe we can do good this year.”

As the Bears Basketball team is in a rebuilding stage, they now have a new coach: Joseph “Shan” Garner. Coach Garner, who has had large success as a coach in the past, is coming to the Pierce County Bears basketball team. Coach Garner is hopefully the cure for the unproductive basketball team.

Coach Garner is excited to see what the team can do this year, saying, “I am very excited. Our numbers are good, we had a very successful summer (17-10 record) and that leads me to believe we can do good this year”.

Coach Garner and his wife individually have jobs at PCHS. His wife Maria is the Spanish teacher for Pierce County High in her 20th year. The Garners have two kids at PCHS, with their daughter Gabby and son Grant (11th and 9th). Coach Garner has had a great history in success with an overall record of 216-90 in 18 seasons as a basketball coach (Lowndes girls, Echols County boys). Garner spent 10 of those years as a girls’ basketball coach, and eight as a boys’ basketball coach. Coach Garner has been coach of the year three times and is easy to respect as a person and coach.

Garner has had 28 students earn scholarships to play basketball for numerous schools including Arkansas and West Kentucky.

The Bears look forward to what Coach Garner has to offer for the basketball team and for the community, including player Ziggy Shider (#12) who believes the Bears are “gonna be great”. Coach Garner will have our trust to help the PCHS basketball team become something to watch. You can expect Coach Garner to revamp the Bears into something special in time to come and make the students and families excited for what is to come for the Pierce County Bears.

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