ITG Next South Georgia June/July 2024 Magazine

Immediate Results: 5 Impactful Coaching Hires for 2024 Georgia High School Football Season Crisp County Baseball Player Braiden Rouse Battling Through Crohn’s Disease Diagnosis

Defending Football State Champions Cedar Grove, Pierce County, Prince Avenue Christian, Bowdon to Be Tested in 2024 JUNE/JULY 2024

Shaniria McCormick on Fast Track to Success With Cook Hornets as 2-Sport Athlete

ITG Next | 1

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Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editor Anna Limoges Copy Editors Phil Jones Anna Limoges Graphic Design Mandy Rodriguez Cover Photography Jycobi Williams Player Spotlight Photography Jycobi Williams Feature Photography Erica Coleman Micki K Photography Jycobi Williams Carlos Rojo Becky Batey Juliana’s Photography & Videography Jessica Humphreys Chris Bell Charles Smith Zeke Best Feature Writers Phil Jones Dhruv Mohan Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes mark@itgnext.com

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Feature Stories 7

USC Football Makes Strong 2025 Recruiting Push in Georgia

8

Crisp County Baseball Player Braiden Rouse Battling Through Crohn’s Disease Diagnosis

11

Top 10 Toughest Schedules in 2024 Georgia High School Football Season

15

Immediate Results: 5 Impactful Coaching Hires for 2024 Georgia High School Football Season

17

Shaniria McCormick on Fast Track to Success With Cook Hornets as 2-Sport Athlete

21

Defending Football State Champions Cedar Grove, Pierce County, Prince Avenue Christian, Bowdon to Be Tested in 2024

30

Fitzgerald Striker, Forward Phoebe Prescott Voted ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month for April 2024

32

Baseball Player Ryan Wallace Feels at Home With Calvary Day Teammates

35

Monroe Senior Quaneisha Sims a Major Part of Lady Tornadoes’ Final 4 Finish

39

Jordan Triplett: The Quiet Record Breaker

40

Rebuilding Bradwell Institute: Head Football Coach Deshon Brock Has Team Believing

44

Wilcox County Baseball Player Jake Howell Voted ITG Next Georgia Male Athlete of the Month for April 2024

Player Spotlights: 5 Carson Page | Lowndes 28 Jordan Hudson | Lowndes

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“Winning the state championship at Truist Park in 2023.”

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“I’m a smaller guy, so I make up for that with how competitive I am and how much I hate losing.”

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“It has taught me to learn how to fail and learn from those failures.”

4. What is your greatest strength in your sport?

“My competitive attitude.”

5. If you could play with one professional athlete in your sport, who would it be?

“Ozzie Albies. We have a lot of things in common, so I would like to play with him.”

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or the past few seasons, the USC Trojans have been known for their high-octane offense, led by Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. It was the defensive side of the football, however, that cost the Trojans a chance at a national championship. Last season, 11 of USC’s 13 opponents managed to score at least 28 points, and the Trojans ranked 116th out of 130 teams in total defense. Recently, though, a pair of commitments from 2025 Georgia high school football recruits drives hope for future defensive improvements at USC. On March 24, the Trojans earned the commitment of Warner Robins edge rusher Isaiah Gibson.

Gibson is ranked within the Top 10 nationally at his position as he enters his last spring session.

The careerlong Demon has posted impressive stats the past two seasons, notching 17 sacks and 55 tackles in 2023 and six sacks and 24 hurries as just a sophomore in 2022.

Gibson has also been seen as somewhat of an athletic freak; he clocked a top speed of 18.6 mph in-game last year.

If he remains committed to the Trojans, Gibson’s arrival will mark back-to-back recruiting classes with an edge rusher from the state of Georgia (Kameryn Fountain, 2024 commit) for USC head football coach Lincoln Riley.

USC struck gold by flipping five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry from Georgia on March 24 as well. Terry, a standout at Manchester, committed to the Bulldogs in January to join a talented front-seven room, but surprisingly altered his college choice after just two months.

Just like Gibson, Terry was immediately known as an athletic phenom even before his first varsity snap with the Blue Devils. His muscular build drew attention from college coaches early on in his career, and he has now supplemented that by wreaking havoc on opponents on the field.

Last season, Terry led Manchester to the Class 1A-DII state championship while racking up 78 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He is currently rated as the second-best defensive lineman in both the state and the nation behind Savannah Christian’s Elijah Griffin.

These two commitments have begun to lay the groundwork for a potential shift in defensive efficiency for USC football. However, that doesn’t mean Riley has forgotten about the offensive side of the ball.

The Trojans have managed to hold onto Carrollton star quarterback Julian Lewis since August of 2023, impressive considering the caliber of player Lewis is and the proximity of SEC powers like Georgia and Alabama.

As of now, Lewis, Gibson, and Terry are the only three commitments that USC has managed in the 2025 Class. They are sure to bolster the defense with impact transfers next offseason, as they did with former Georgia defensive lineman Bear Alexander.

It remains to be seen if the Trojans will improve their front seven, but USC has taken steps already to secure Georgia’s best football talent at those positions.

ER. TRAIN SMARTER. SMARTER. TER. N FASTER.

Written by: Dhruv Mohan Photography by: Sean Pierce

USC Football Makes Strong 2025 Recruiting Push in Georgia

ITG Next | 7

Crisp County Baseball Player Braiden Rouse Battling Through Crohn's Disease Diagnosis PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

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Crisp County High School junior Braiden Rouse was pitching in a game earlier this season when he began experiencing a severe headache. That was on March 8 in a non-regional contest against Irwin County.

“I could barely see,” Rouse said.

Crisp County head baseball coach Kyle Kirk said he could tell even before that day that something was not right with his top starter.

“I could tell something was off with Brandon,” Kirk said. “He was trying as hard as he always does, but he came to me and said he was having really bad stomach pains.”

Rouse went to the local hospital to get checked out, and when the doctor pressed on his stomach, he said it was almost too painful to bear.

“I just about jumped out of the hospital bed,” Rouse said. “It hurt so bad.”

That led to follow-up visits with a gastroenterologist in Macon, Georgia, who ran several tests and came up with a diagnosis: Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract and can lead to severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss, all of which can lead to malnutrition.

Rouse was checking all of those boxes.

“I stopped eating because I felt like that would just make it worse,” Rouse said.

Following the diagnosis, Rouse was admitted to Atrium Health Levine Children’s in Macon for an intestinal scope to determine the severity of the disease. It didn’t take doctors long to find out just how bad things were. The inflammation was so bad that doctors were not able to guide the scope through his small intestine.

Rouse received infusion therapy, which alleviates inflammation and other symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

Kirk said Rouse was able to rejoin the team, and the Cougars pitcher went out and pitched masterfully against Dougherty in a key region matchup on March 15.

“He threw a shutout, and we won 7-0,” Kirk said.

But Kirk knew his player pretty well, and even though Rouse was pitching great, he was not feeling that great.

“I could see that he

was having to tough it out,” Kirk said. “He was really having to work through the pain.”

That led to yet another trip to the hospital and another round of infusion therapy. This time, however, doctors realized that it would take more to control the recurring swelling and pain.

Rouse will now undergo surgery to remove a 10-centimeter portion of his intestines. That will hopefully give the Crisp County 11th-grader the ability to return to a normal life and the game he loves.

“Braiden was on the JV team in my first year here at Crisp, and you could see how good a pitcher he was, so we moved him to the varsity right away,” Kirk said. “He’s our best strike-thrower.”

In his first season, Rouse finished with a 3-2 overall record with a 2.83 ERA in 37 innings pitched. He had a .233 batting average.

Last season he improved to a six-win season with just three losses and a 2.60 ERA in 43 innings pitched. He hit .248 with a homerun.

This season, despite struggling through Crohn’s disease, Rouse finished with a 3-3 record with a 5.6 ERA in 21 innings pitched. At the

plate he hit .245.

Kirk said Rouse was able to play at a high level despite struggling through a debilitating disease.

“He is always playing at game speed,” Kirk said.

“You don’t have to coach his effort.”

But it’s time now to shut it down, the coach said.

“Braiden’s season is done,” Kirk said. “He has a feeding tube that he has to refill every five hours just to keep nutrients in his body.”

Kirk has encouraged Rouse to attend practice and games whenever he can, making sure he knows his teammates have his back.

Hopefully, he can make a full recovery and come back strong for his senior season and maybe beyond.

Rouse knows he will have to work hard to get back, but he is ready for the challenge.

“One of my goals is to go on to play college baseball,” Rouse said. “But I know I’ve had a lot of setbacks, and I have a long way to go. But I’m just going to keep working and trusting the process.”

Rouse’s parents are Ryan and Dawn Rouse of Cordele, Georgia.

Crisp County is 1410 overall and sits atop the Region 1-3A standings with an undefeated 6-0 region record with a week remaining in the regular season.

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Top 10 Toughest Schedules in 2024 Georgia High School Football Season Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next Archive

The 2024 Georgia high school football schedules have been released. Reclassification has given us one less classification, which in turn has produced more teams per region across the board and grouped championship-caliber teams together in the same region. That will make for some highly competitive region games this year. Add to that teams with strong non-region games, and the result will be some difficult schedules in 2024. Some are harder than others, but here are the 10 Georgia high school football teams we think will have the toughest week-by-week tests from start to finish.

Better buckle up!

10. Gainesville (Region 7-5A)

The Red Elephants and head coach Josh Niblett will open the season with four straight road games, with five of their first six games away from the friendly confines of their home stadium of City Park.

Those away games will be challenging, as they travel to Marietta; Moody, Alabama; Wetslake; and Carrollton. In fact, Gainesville will have seven road games this year, including at Roswell.

They’ll have defending state champion Milton as one of their home games.

Gainesville’s 2024 Football Schedule:

8/16 at Marietta

8/23 at Moody (Moody, Alabama)

8/30 at Westlake

9/13 at Carrollton

9/20 vs Lanier

9/27 at Johns Creek

10/04 vs Seckinger

10/11 vs Milton

10/18 at Chattahoochee

10/25 at Roswell

9. Ware County (Region 1-4A)

The Gators will take on state champions Coffee and Perry this year, with a home game against Benedictine, who has won a state title in two out of the past three seasons.

Ware County will play Jacksonville’s Bartram Trail and Lincoln from Tallahassee in the middle of the season. Both teams advanced deep in the 2023 FHSAA state playoffs.

Ware County’s 2024 Football Schedule:

8/16 at Appling

8/23 at Coffee

8/30 vs Bainbridge

9/6 vs Bartram Trail (Jacksonville, Florida)

9/13 Open

9/20 vs Lincoln (Tallahassee, Florida)

9/27 vs Benedictine

10/4 at New Hampstead

10/11 Open

10/18 At Perry

10/25 vs Warner Robins

11/01 at Wayne County

ITG Next | 11

8. Milton (Region 7-5A)

The defending state champions from Class 7A have moved to Class 5A for the 2024 season, and head coach Ben Reaves and his Eagles will be tested with games against three nationally ranked teams.

Milton opens up with a home game against Buford before traveling to South Florida for the second straight season to play American Heritage in the Broward County High School National Football Showcase.

After returning home to face Alpharetta, Milton will be looking at four of their next five games away from Eagles Stadium. That includes games at Blessed Trinity and nationally ranked Gainesville before ending the regular season against the always dangerous Roswell Hornets.

Milton’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 vs Buford 8/22 at American Heritage (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) 8/30 vs Alpharetta 9/6 Open 9/13 at Blessed Trinity 9/20 vs Chattahoochee 9/27 at Seckinger 10/4 at Lanier 10/11 at Gainesville 10/25 vs Johns Creek 11/1 vs Roswell

7. Coffee (Region 2-5A)

Defending state champion Coffee will have a tough road if they are to defend their 2023 Class 5A football state championship.

Coffee moves to a new region this season, which includes another 2023 state champion in Thomas County Central.

The Trojans start off with a road game at Bainbridge in what will be coach Jay Walls’ first game as the Bearcats’ new coach.

After Coffee’s home opener against 2022 Class 5A state champion Ware County, the Trojans welcome three Florida teams to Jardine Stadium, including defending FHSAA Class 3S state champion Mainland from Daytona Beach.

They then begin region action, which includes a regular season finale against defending Class 6A state champion Thomas County Central in a battle of undefeated champions from a year ago.

Coffee’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 at Bainbridge 8/23 vs Ware County 8/30 vs Columbia County (Lake City, Florida) 9/7 Open 9/13 vs Gadsden County (Havana, Florida) 9/20 vs Mainland (Daytona Beach, Florida) 9/27 vs Warner Robins 10/04 at Lee County 10/11 Open 10/18 vs Houston County 10/25 vs Veterans 11/01 at Thomas County Central

6. Bainbridge (Region 1-3A)

New head coach Jay Walls will be greeted with one of the state’s toughest slates of opponents waiting to welcome him back to Georgia.

Walls and his Bainbridge Bearcats will take on defending Class 5A state champion Coffee to open the season at home. They’ll also welcome Class 2A semifinalist Cook the following week.

Former head coach Jeff Littleton brings his new team, Tift County, to the team he coached at and won a state championship with in 2018 on Sept. 6. The next week, the Bearcats can have no letdown as they must visit defending Class 6A state champion Thomas County Central.

Welcome back to Georgia, Coach Walls.

Bainbridge’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 vs Coffee 8/23 vs Cook 8/30 at Ware County 9/6 vs Tift County 9/13 at Thomas County Central 9/27 at Cairo 10/4 vs Westover 10/11 Open 10/18 vs Peach County 10/25 at Monroe 11/01 vs Dougherty

5. Appling County (Region 3-2A)

The Pirates must face off against two state finalists, including a state champion, along with two semifinalist teams in 2024. Pierce County won the Class 2A state championship last year, while Swainsboro played in the Class 1A-DI championship game, losing to Prince Avenue Christian. Cook and Fitzgerald were each Final Four teams a year ago.

Ware County won a state title in 2022, and both the Gators and Crisp County were second-round playoff teams last year.

Suwannee from Live Oak, Florida, was a regional quarterfinalist in the 2023 FHSAA state playoffs and is one of the Pirates’ opponents this year.

Appling County’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 vs Ware County 8/23 Open 8/30 Wayne County 9/6 at Swainsboro 9/13 at DeLand (DeLand, Florida) 9/20 vs Suwannee (Live Oak, Florida) 9/27 vs Fitzgerald 10/11 vs Crisp County 10/18 at Tattnall County 10/25 at Cook 11/01 vs Pierce County

4. Lee County (Region 2-5A)

Head coach Dean Fabrizio’s Trojans’ non-region 2024 schedule includes two of the state’s most dominant programs in the first month of the season with the opener against Warner Robins, then at Colquitt County two weeks later. Lee County then plays defending state champions Thomas County Central and Coffee in back-to-back weeks to open their region schedule.

Lee County’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 vs Warner Robins 8/23 vs Hapeville Charter 8/30 at Tift County 9/6 Open 9/13 at Colquitt County 9/20 vs Wekiva (Florida) 9/27 vs Thomas County Central 10/4 vs Coffee 10/11 Open 10/18 at Veterans 10/25 at Northside (Warner Robins) 11/01 vs Houston County

3. Wayne County (Region 1-4A)

Region 1-4A could be the state’s toughest region top to bottom, and Wayne County could have the state’s toughest schedule with a challenging non-region slate as well.

The Yellow Jackets head into the 2024 season under new head coach John Mohring, who has been the head coach at Savannah Country Day for the past three seasons.

He’ll lead his new team through a schedule that includes five state champions from the last three seasons in Pierce County (2023), Perry (2023), Warner Robins (2021), Ware County (2022), and Benedictine (2022). All except Pierce County are region foes.

New Hampstead was a second-round playoff team in 2023.

Wayne County’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 vs Glynn Academy 8/23 vs Brunswick 8/30 at Appling County 9/06 vs Pierce County 9/13 at Richmond Hill 9/20 Open 9/27 at Warner Robins 10/04 vs Perry 10/18 vs Benedictine 10/25 at New Hampstead 11/01 vs Ware County

2. Benedictine (Region 1-4A)

Benedictine’s 2024 football schedule includes a first-ever meeting against Buford and a trip to face Ohio powerhouse Archbishop Moeller.

Head coach Danny Britt’s Cadets not only have tougher region foes to get through this season compared to last season, but they have one of the hardest non-region schedules of any other Georgia team, regardless of classification. Their non-region opponents include the aforementioned Buford Wolves and Archbishop Moeller Crusaders, as well as Rabun Gap, a powerhouse in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association that went 13-1 in 2023.

Every opponent on Benecitine’s 2024 schedule made the playoffs last season.

Benedictine’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/17 at Rabun Gap (Statesboro, Georgia) 8/23 at Buford 8/30 vs Burke County 9/7 Open 9/14 at Archbishop Moeller (Ironton, Ohio) 9/20 vs Westminster 9/27 at Ware County 10/4 at Warner Robins 10/11 vs New Hampstead 10/18 at Wayne County 10/25 vs Perry 11/1 Open

1. Veterans (Region 2-5A)

Take one look, and there’s certainly an argument for the Veterans Warhawks having perhaps the toughest 2024 schedule in Georgia.

Here’s why.

After opening the season at Jones County, a second-round playoff team in 2023, Veterans stays on the road for two more weeks, which includes a Week 3 game against 2023 Class 4A semifinalist Starr’s Mill.

In their final seven regular-season games, Veterans will play three 2023 state champions, with Perry at home followed by road games at the Jackets’ Nest against Thomas County Central and at Coffee in Douglas.

Throw in two-time state champion Lee County, who was a quarterfinal playoff team last season, plus Houston County and Northside (Warner Robins), and you have quite a daunting test awaiting head coach Josh Ingram and his Veterans squad in 2024.

Veterans’s 2024 Football Schedule: 8/16 at Jones County 8/23 at Statesboro 8/30 at Starr’s Mill 9/7 Open 9/13 vs Perry 9/20 at Warner Robins 9/27 vs Houston County 10/4 at Thomas County Central 10/11 Open 10/18 vs Lee County 10/25 at Coffee 11/1 vs Northside (Warner Robins)

ITG Next | 13

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Immediate Results:

5 Impactful Coaching Hires for 2024 Georgia High School Football Season Written by: Dhruv Mohan Photography by: Micki K Photography

With spring practices well underway, almost every school in Georgia searching for a new head football coach has found one. Each year, several of these hires prove fruitful, whether as a long-term rebuild or an instant jolt of success. In 2022, that impact hire was Thomas County Central’s, as they snatched Justin Rogers from Colquitt County. Last season, Umbrah Brown led Central (Carrollton) to a 12-1 record with just one year of previous head coaching experience at Paulding County. Here are five 2024 offseason hires that could result in similar success for these Georgia high school football teams and their new head coaches.

Harrison Hoyas Hire Luqman Salam

In 2021, Luqman Salam inherited a dismal Osborne program, one that had not had a winning season since 1994. Just two seasons later, the Cardinals stood at 7-4 and had clinched their first state playoff berth in school history.

Salam now takes the reins at Harrison, a once-legendary football program that has fallen into a rough patch. With his recent experience and a buy-in from the entire program, a rapid return to success is possible.

Jackson Red Devils Hire Thomas Clark

Thomas Clark spent his previous three seasons at Stockbridge, where he led the Tigers to the Class 4A state title game last year and a quarterfinals appearance the year prior.

Now competing in Class 2A with the Red Devils in 2024, Clark may have little resistance to an immediate turnaround.

Jackson went 2-9 last season and struggled to score offensively. Clark’s last Stockbridge squad averaged just under 42.5 points per game. Hope is on the horizon.

Tift County Blues Devils Hire Jeff Littleton

The longtime Bainbridge head football coach will now make the hour-long trip northeast to Tift County. With the Bearcats, Jeff Littleton amassed an impressive resume, winning a state title in 2018 and clinching five region titles. His squads were always challenged in non-region play, but still recovered to enjoy playoff success annually.

Resurrecting Tift County is an arduous task, but a seasoned coach with experience facing talented competition may be the breakthrough Blue Devils fans need.

Camden County Wildcats Hire Travis Roland

Replacing Camden County legend Jeff Herron was going to be tough, but the hire of Travis Roland from Mainland in Florida may be the answer.

Roland won the Class 3S state championship with Mainland last season and compiled a 30-10 record with the Buccaneers in his three seasons there.

Schematically, there may be a slight adjustment period from the former wing-T, but after, the Wildcats should maintain success for the next half decade.

Banks County Leopards Hire Todd Winter

Banks County has never seen a 10-win football season.

Holy Innocents’ had only seen one until Todd Winter took over. In his seven seasons with the Golden Bears, Winter reached the quarterfinals thrice and won three region titles.

His 2019 squad went 12-1 and defeated top-ranked ELCA, becoming just the second team to do so since 2015.

With a favorable 2024 schedule and a sizable group of returning seniors, Winter and Banks County could make history en route to their first playoff berth in three years.

ITG Next | 15

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Shaniria McCormick on Fast Track to Success With Cook Hornets as 2-Sport Athlete Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Jycobi Williams

Cook High School student-athlete Shaniria McCormick has made quite the impression in her first year competing at the varsity level. She earned First Team All-Region honors as an outfielder for the Cook softball team, and most recently she competed in not one but three separate events at the GHSA Class 2A Track and Field State Championships.

With three more years of high school remaining for McCormick to grow and get better, there’s a lot that should both worry opponents and make her Cook coaches smile.

McCormick is the starting center fielder for the Cook softball team and bats ninth in the order. She was a First Team All-Region selection for her standout performance this past season in which she helped lead the Lady Hornets to a region title with a 16-1 record in Region 1-2A and a 28-3 overall record.

On the track team, McCormick participates in three events: the 100-meter dash, the 200, and the long jump. She recently competed in all three events at the 2024 GHSA Class 2A Track and Field State Championships held at East Jackson High School in Commerce, Georgia, and qualified for the finals in the long jump and the 100.

McCormick finished 10th in the state in the long jump with a distance of 16 feet, 4 ½ inches. She finished sixth in the state in the 100 with a time of 12.29 seconds. Although she did not advance to the state finals in the 200, her time of 25.28 was good enough for 10th place overall.

Tya Brown, who teaches at Cook Middle School and is in her first year as a coach with the Cook High School track program, said she could tell right out of the gate that McCormick was going to be a special athlete to work with.

“My first impression of Shaniria was that she was going to be one of the top standout athletes on our team,” Brown said. “When I first saw her run I thought, ‘Man, she is fast!’”

Cook head softball coach Rusty Beale said that McCormick is just as impressive away from the field as she is when she steps between the lines.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Beale said. “Shaniria is a great athlete in the sports she plays, but what really sets her apart from other talented athletes ITG Next | 17

is that she is simply a special person. She really is unbelievable. People tend to gravitate to her wherever she goes because she is just that kind of person.”

McCormick grew up in Cook County and began playing T-ball as soon as she was eligible to.

Her track career came around a little later when she was in the fifth grade. She said it was during field day events that she really learned how fast she was.

“I kept winning the 40-yard dash against everybody else,” McCormick said.

She joined the middle school track team the next year as she entered sixth grade. Taking advantage of her newfound skill, McCormick was drawn to the 100, the 200, and the 4x100 relay in her first year of running track. She soon dropped the relay event and began competing in the long jump.

Beale said that McCormick stood out when she made the jump from middle school to the varsity team; it was, of course, her speed that got his attention in the beginning, but he also was struck with her maturity, a rare trait for a freshman.

“Sometimes when freshmen come out to play with the varsity that first year, they can be shy and kind of stay to themselves, but Shaniria didn’t do that,” Beale said. “She is very easy to get along with.”

McCormick said that math and language arts are her two favorite subjects. She also said that while any decision about what she wants to do after graduating is a long way away, she has thought about an area that interests her.

“I think I would like something in healthcare,” she said.

Whatever she decides to do as she continues to enjoy her high school days, both of her coaches agree that McCormick’s future is certainly a bright one.

“She will have the capability to go do something special when her high school career is done,” Beale said.

“I think she has the potential to do whatever and go wherever she wants to,” Brown said. “The sky's the limit.”

You can expect to hear college coaches knocking on her door very soon as well.

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DEFENDING FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS CEDAR GROVE, PIERCE COUNTY, PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN, BOWDON TO BE TESTED IN 2024 Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: ITG Next Archive

With the GHSA reclassification process reducing the total number of classes from eight to seven starting with the 2024 season, the landscape for many Georgia high school football teams has changed. Along with changing classifications, many teams will see changes to their existing regions as new teams join and longtime region foes leave.

We’ve already given you previews of the changes awaiting four other defending state champions: the Milton Eagles, the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets, the Coffee Trojans, and the Perry Panthers.

This time we look at the changes awaiting the Cedar Grove Saints, the Pierce County Bears, the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines, and the Bowdon Red Devils. Here’s a look at their 2024 schedules, including matchups that many fans will have circled as “can’t miss” games this season, and key players returning and departing.

ONLY 3 NON-REGION GAMES FOR CEDAR GROVE IN 2024

Cedar Grove won the Class 3A state championship last season, their fifth state title in the past eight seasons, but it didn’t come easy.

The Saints started the 2023 season with a 2-5 record with a brutal non-region schedule. They then responded with eight straight wins, including five consecutive playoff wins. The Saints put the exclamation point on the incredible comeback to end their season with a 49-28 win over Savannah Christian in the Class 3A state championship game.

However, things will look very different for the team in 2024, and that’s not a bad thing for the Saints. In fact, the path to a fourth consecutive trip to the state title game may be less daunting than it's ever been.

Cedar Grove remains in Class 3A and will technically still be a member of Region 5, but that’s where the similarities to last year end. Cedar Grove’s only returning region opponent from last year is Douglass. Sandy Creek and Carver (Atlanta) will not be back in the region.

The new Region 5-3A will have twice as many teams as last year. Those teams are Cedar Grove, Douglass, Luella, Mt. Zion, North Clayton, Riverdale, Stephenson, and Stone Mountain.

Yes, it’s more teams, but the 2023 combined record of Cedar Grove’s new region mates was 28-48 overall and 13-24 in region play.

With an eight-team region, the Saints will play seven region contests. That leaves three non-region opponents: Collins Hill, Monarch out of Florida, and Heath out of Texas.

Stephenson will likely be the main challenger to Cedar Grove for the 2024 region title, unless the Saints have a major collapse this season. But with the amount of returning talent, that doesn’t look likely for the defending state champs.

RB BO WALKER LEADS CEDAR GROVE’S OFFENSIVE RETURNERS IN 2024

Leading the eight returners on offense this season is senior running back Bo Walker. The University of Georgia commit finished last season with 1,480 yards rushing on 250 carries. That includes a sensational performance in the Saints’ 49-28 win over Savannah Christian to clinch the Class 3A state championship; he rushed 18 times for 129 yards and two TDs. The other returning seniors are wide receiver Andrew Leslie, athlete Lemacio Martin, and offensive lineman Javon Braden.

Also back this year on offense are juniors Devin Carter at wide receiver and Desean Hendrix at tight end.

Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Christie is back, as is fellow sophomore tight end Quentavious Price.

SAFETY TONY “NINE” FORNEY LEADS CEDAR GROVE’S DEFENSIVE RETURNERS IN 2024

Junior safety Tony Forney leads a group of five returning starters on defense this season. The standout defensive back has offers from Pitt and Temple.

Forney had a big interception at the end of the first half in last year’s state title game versus Savannah Christian, which led to a TD one play later and gave the Saints a two-touchdown lead headed into the locker room.

Other defensive starters returning are defensive end and inside linebacker Javon Beckford, inside linebacker Keith Bass, defensive back and linebacker Zsewaun Smith, and defensive back D’Marcus Clements. The four returning defenders are all seniors.

The Saints players, coaches, and fans enter the 2024 season remembering LeMarcus Parks, a defensive end who died this offseason in a car accident in the Atlanta area.

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NEW LOOK REGION FOR PIERCE COUNTY INCLUDES 3 PLAYOFF TEAMS FROM 2023

The Pierce County Bears enter the 2024 football season looking to defend their state championship from last year, and they’ll have to navigate a region that looks quite different with the new reclassification taking effect.

They remain in Class 2A and will return to Region 3 for the 2024-2026 seasons, but it will look very different compared to last year.

The only other returning region teams are Appling County and Tattnall County.

Pierce County and Appling County have battled for region supremacy as region foes. Appling County was the only team to hand the Bears a loss last season with a 17-14 win in Week 6. Pierce County defeated Tattnall County 31-0 last season.

Joining the region this season is Cook, who won the Region 1-2A title with a perfect 6-0 mark while finishing 11-3 overall and advancing to the Class 2A semifinals in 2023. Cook actually defeated Appling County last year 24-14 in the second round of the playoffs.

Crisp County moves from Region 1 in Class 3A to join Region 3-2A this year. The Cougars advanced to the Class 3A quarterfinals last season.

2024 SCHEDULE INCLUDES TRIPS TO BROOKS COUNTY, WAYNE COUNTY

The Bears’ non-region schedule includes a semifinalist from 2023 and a team that played for a state title last year.

Pierce County will open the season at home on Aug. 23 against Coosa Christian from Alabama. The Conquerors played for the Alabama Class 1A state championship in 2023, losing in the title game and finishing the season 9-6 overall.

After the home opener against Coosa Christian, Pierce County will host Brantley County, who will be led by new head coach David Shores, on Aug. 30.

Pierce County will then hit the road for three of their next four non-region contests, with trips to Wayne County on Sept. 6, Brooks County on Sept. 20, and then to Vidalia on Sept. 27. Brantley County and Vidalia are no longer in the same region as Pierce County.

A home game on Sept. 13 against New Hampstead will break up the road trips between Wayne County and Brooks County.

The region schedule will open up with the Bears hosting Cook on Oct. 4. Following an open date the next week, Pierce County returns to region action with a trip to Cordele to face off against new region foe Crisp County on Oct. 18. Pierce County returns home to face Tattnall County on Oct. 25 before closing out the regular season at Appling County on Nov. 1.

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PIERCE COUNTY MUST REBUILD LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, BUT RETURNS SKILL PLAYERS IN 2024

According to Pierce County head football coach Ryan Herring, the line of scrimmage on both sides has to be rebuilt.

“We will return five offensive starters and six defensive starters,” Herring said. “We lost all but one player on both offense and defensive fronts, so we will return one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman.

That’s it. We’ve got to rebuild both front lines almost totally.”

The good news is that many of the skill players who helped the Bears score 502 points last season are returning this season.

“We return our QB and three wide receivers, plus a left guard on offense,” Herring said.

The quarterback is Caden McGatha, who returns for his senior season. In 2023 McGatha rushed for 2,155 yards while throwing for 2,053 yards to become just the second QB in Georgia high school football history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing in a season.

In the state title game against Rockmart, a game that went into overtime three times, McGatha took over, rushing 53 times for 244 yards and four TDs. He also threw for two TDs. Two-way standout Carson Sloan will be missed. He also came up big last year and in the state title game.

He had nine tackles with four sacks in the championship game and scored two TDs. He also handled the punting chores last year for the Bears.

PIERCE COUNTY HEAD FOOTBALL COACH RYAN HERRING ON THE 2024 SEASON

“With Appling County, Cook, Crisp, and Pierce County all in one region, it’s definitely the toughest region in 2A,” Herring said. “It’s gonna be a war every week.”

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PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN MOVES TO CLASS 2A IN 2024

The Wolverines made their final season in Class 1A one to remember. Prince Avenue Christian head football coach Greg Vandagriff’s team won their third state championship in four seasons, becoming just the eighth school in GHSA history to play in four straight title games.

This season Prince Avenue Christian will move to Class 2A and, thus, into a new region. As part of Region 8-2A, their new region mates will be Hart County, who went 3-6 in 2023; East Jackson, who went 6-4; Hebron Christian Academy, who went 6-5; Stephens County, who went 10-2; and Franklin County, who went 1-9.

Hebron Christian is the only other private school in the region.

PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN’S REGULAR SEASON FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ONE OF STATE’S TOUGHEST IN 2024

The reward for Prince Avenue Christian’s three state championships over the past four seasons is a difficult time finding opponents who want to play the Wolverines during the regular season.

“Last year we had to go all over the Southeast to play teams,” Vandagriff said.

And this season?

“Nobody wants to play us,” he said. “I’d like to play every team in our county, but I emailed every team in our county asking to play us, and none of the school’s ADs called me back.”

Vandagriff has had to put together a 2024 schedule that includes two state powerhouses from South Carolina: Class 4A defending state champion Westside and Mallard Creek, who has played Buford the last two seasons, losing a close game to the Wolves last year 10-7.

“Tell me another Class 1A, 2A, or 3A team that has a tougher schedule than we do,” Vandagriff said.

The season will open with Prince Avenue Christian taking on West Forsyth in the Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic in Forsyth County on Aug. 15.

“We wanted to play in the Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic, but we had to play a 5A team to get in,” Vandagriff said.

Prince Avenue Christian will travel out of state to Anderson, South Carolina, on Aug. 24 to take on Mallard Creek in the Turf King Invitational.

“Turf King called us and asked if we would play Mallard Creek,” Vandagriff said.

“It was either play them or not have a game, so we decided, ‘Why not?’”

The Wolverines will play their first home game in Week 3 against Class 4A’s Blessed Trinity, followed by an open week. They will then remain home to host Class 5A’s Johns Creek on Sept. 13.

Prince Avenue Christian will make their second trip to Anderson, South Carolina, to play Westside on Sept. 20.

The Wolverines will open region play with a new slate of region opponents, starting with Hart County at home on Sept. 27.

Prince Avenue Christian will then travel to Toccoa, Georgia, to play Stephens County, who was a 10-game winner in 2023, before returning home to take on the Franklin County Lions.

The Wolverines will host East Jackson on Oct. 25 in their final regular-season home game.

Vandagriff’s team will wrap up the regular season in Dacula, Georgia, against Hebron Christian.

STATE PLAYOFFS TO INCLUDE PRIVATE-PUBLIC SPLIT IN CLASSES 1A-3A IN 2024 FOOTBALL SEASON

Following a brutal 2024 regular season schedule that will include larger public schools from higher classes in Georgia and South Carolina, the Wolverines should be well prepared for the new playoff format in 2024, which will see all private schools in Classes 1A-3A split from the public schools into their own playoff bracket.

There will be 26 football-playing private schools from Classes 1A-3A vying for a single state championship in the state playoffs this season. A points-based power ranking system will be used to seed the 26 private schools in their playoff bracket.

The public schools in Classes 1A, 2A, and 3A will be competing for individual state championships in their respective classifications.

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PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN RETURNS 15 OF 22 STARTERS FOR 2024 FOOTBALL SEASON

The Wolverines will return 15 of 22 starters for the 2024 football season, but they face the big question of replacing their quarterback.

“We return seven players on offense and eight on defense, and our strength will no doubt be our offensive line this season,” Vandagriff said. “But we lose our record-setting QB.” That is, of course, Aaron Philo, who overtook Trevor Lawrence as Georgia’s all-time career passing leader with 13,922 yards. He also tied the single-season record for most passing TDs in a season with 56 TDs last year.

“We have two guys who will battle for the position in sophomore Ben Musser and senior Jake Bobo,” Vandagriff said. “We think we’ll be OK with either of those guys taking snaps for us this season.”

Bobo transferred from North Oconee last season and started the entire year on defense at outside linebacker for the Wolverines. He was also Philo’s backup QB. Musser is a freshman who came over from Jefferson County this offseason and was the MVP in the Georgia Elite Classic, which features the top freshmen and sophomores from across the state.

Returning on offense will be three of the top four wide receivers in Vandagriff’s pass-friendly system: sophomore Hudson Hill, who had 84 catches and 1,230 yards receiving last year; junior CJ Dockery, who has 1,096 yards receiving with 15 TDs so far in his career; and senior Thorton Hester, who had 521 yards receiving and five TDs last season.

Among the eight returning defensive starters from last year’s state championship squad will be the team’s leading tackler, senior outside linebacker Kyler Giddens. Giddens tallied 159 tackles with four sacks and two interceptions in 2023, finishing the season third in overall tackles in Georgia.

ITG Next | 25

BOWDON SEEKING 3RD STRAIGHT FOOTBALL STATE TITLE IN 2024

The Red Devils have won back-to-back state titles, have won four straight region titles, and are undefeated in region play over that period. It’s a long way from where the Bowdon program was when head football coach Rich Fendley arrived to take over in 2018.

“We had 27 players and finished 1-9 that first year,” Fendley said.

He went to work and took the Red Devils to an 8-3 season the following year. In his third and fourth seasons at Bowdon, Fendley led the Red Devils to region championships. That led to back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023.

Bowdon also won four straight weightlifting championships during that time. Fendley said the strength and conditioning program has been a big part of turning things around at Bowdon.

“It’s great for our kids,” he said. “There is nothing better for building their confidence.”

Fendely said the other major factor in turning around the Bowdon program has been the coaching.

“The type of coaches and the relationships we have with these kids is a big part of it here,” he said. “We are more than just coaches. We strive to be father-like figures to these players.”

This year Bowdon returns to Class 1A-Division II and will once again be a member of Region 7. Joining them will be Trion; Manchester, whom Bowdon faced off against in last year’s state title game; and crosstown rival Mt. Zion (Carrollton).

“We met as a team and set our goals for the season, and it was pretty simple: win our fifth straight region championship (and) go win a third straight state championship,” Fendley said.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING FOR BOWDON IN 2024 FOOTBALL SEASON

The Red Devils will bring back 17 starters from last year’s team, including all five offensive linemen. The team will also return their top eight defensive linemen and top three linebackers.

“We feel like we will be a pretty good football team,” Fendely said.

Linemen Stewart Powell and All-State selection Jackson Edwards will return along the OL and DL. The LB corps will welcome back All-State senior Dylan McGrinn and outside linebacker Kaiden Prothro, who is also one of the state’s top tight ends.

Fendley said the team will “lose two really good players” in quarterback Kyler McGrinn and tailback Jordan Beasley.

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REGULAR SEASON AND REGION OPENER WILL BE HUGE TEST FOR BOWDON IN 2024 FOOTBALL SEASON

Bowdon will play two scrimmage games in the fall, one at Adairsville and one at home versus Calloway, before beginning their regular season schedule.

“We are playing larger schools in our first five games to get us ready for region play,” Fendley said. “Hopefully this will get us better for when we start region play.”

Bowdon will get a major test right out of the gate in Week 1 as they host Fellowship Christian, who finished 10-3 in 2023 and has won 55 games over the past five seasons.

Week 2 will be another tough one as Bowdon hits the road to face Macon County for the first of three consecutive away games. Macon County finished 10-3 a year ago and will have former Lakeland head football coach Kurt Williams taking over this season.

The Red Devils will then travel to Bremen to take on the Blue Devils, who finished 9-3 last season.

One of the state’s winningest programs and coaches will welcome in Bowdon on Sept. 6; Class 2A’s Westside (Macon) finished 8-3 last season and is one of Bibb County’s most successful programs under head coach Sheddrick Risper.

Bowdon will finally return home for the first home game in a month as they host Heard County in the first of two straight home games.

The second home game will be against Bowdon’s only out-of-state opponent, the Tanner Rattlers from Alabama. Tanner is a Class 2A school in the Alabama High School Athletic Association and finished 8-4 in 2023.

A familiar foe will come to town to open up region play on Oct. 4: the Manchester Blue Devils. That’s right, the same team that Bowdon defeated for the state title a year ago is now in the same region as the Red Devils. Manchester finished 11-3 last season following the 28-27 loss to Bowdon.

Bowdon won't have to travel too far the following week as they take on crosstown rival Mt. Zion in their second region game of the year Following their second open week of the season, Bowdon will stay at home to take on their third region opponent of the season as the Greenville Patriots visit the Red Devils in the next-to-last regular-season week of the season.

Bowdon will close out their region schedule as well as the regular season with quite the challenge as they host the Trion Bulldogs, an 11-1 team from a year ago and the Region 7 champions for Class 1A-DI. Trion finished with a perfect 6-0 region record in 2023.

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ITG Next | 27

Lowndes Vikings Baseball Outfielder

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT 1. What is the most memorable moment of your sports career to date?

“Winning the ‘23 state championship and a two-HR game versus Camden in region play.”

2. What sets you apart from other athletes in your sport?

“My knowledge and passion for the game, OF arm strength (95 mph), and ability to track balls in the OF.” 3. What has playing your sport taught you as a person?

“Having fun is most important no matter how bad or ugly the situation can get.”

4. What is your greatest strength in your sport?

“My attitude to win, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help my team win.”

5. If you could play with one professional athlete in your sport, who would it be?

“Julio Rodriguez. He has a go-get-it attitude in center field, and he plays the game with extreme passion.”

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ITG Next | 29

Fitzgerald Striker, Forward Phoebe Prescott Voted ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month for April 2024 Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Carlos Rojo

Congratulations to Fitzgerald High School soccer player Phoebe Prescott, who is the April 2024 ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance.

Prescott received the most votes among the four candidates who were nominated for their outstanding performances in April. In addition to Prescott, the other candidates were Druid Hills High School track standout Sole Frederick, River Ridge High School lacrosse player Kaitlyn Manderano, and Oglethorpe High School track standout Kenzie Henderson.

Prescott is in her senior season as a four-year starter on the Fitzgerald girls soccer team, and her

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presence has certainly been felt in each of those seasons.

Along with girls soccer head coach Jahyna Anderson, who is in her third season as the Fitzgerald head coach, Prescott has led the team to four straight region titles, including one this season.

Currently, the Purple Hurricanes are 16-2-1 and are preparing for a second-round playoff game with Toombs County after defeating Thomson in their first-round matchup with a 13-0 shutout victory.

Prescott has 70 goals and 26 assists so far this season through 20 games.

Her career scoring total sits at 230 goals so far.

“Phoebe hit program history with 200 goals this year, which had never

been done at Fitzgerald in 23 years,” Anderson said.

Prescott also has 86 assists over the same period.

In addition to her duties with Fitzgerald’s soccer team, Prescott also plays with club program United Futbol Academy during the school team’s offseason. Fortunately, the teams’ seasons do not overlap, with the UFA season wrapping up in November.

“I get Phoebe when we start back in January,” Anderson said.

Prescott plays striker and forward for Fitzgerald, but Anderson said one of the things that makes Prescott such a great player is her versatility.

“She is pretty quick to jump in at any position I need her when I ask,” Anderson said. “She is able

to execute very well at any position on the pitch.”

With Prescott leading the charge, Fitzgerald has advanced to the GHSA Class 2A Final Four twice over the past three seasons.

“We are hoping to go to the finals for the first time this year,” Anderson said.

Whatever happens, Prescott is ready for the next step in her life following her final season of high school soccer. She has an offer to play collegiately at Valdosta State University, but Prescott has decided to focus on her academics.

“Phoebe is in the top 10 in her class with her GPA,” Anderson said.

Prescott has been accepted to the University of Georgia, where she will

begin studying toward a career as an ophthalmologist.

Prescott said that her decision to give up playing competitive soccer has been hard.

“It was one of the hardest (decisions) I’ve ever made, giving up the sport I’ve loved my whole life, but I wanted to focus all of my attention on becoming a doctor,” Prescott said.

She said that she’ll find a way to keep soccer close by one way or another.

“I’ll definitely keep soccer in my life throughout college,” she said.

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Baseball Player Ryan Wallace Feels at Home With Calvary Day Teammates Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Becky Batey

Changing schools as a high school student can be tough.

Making new friends and learning your way around isn’t easy. But as part of a military family, Ryan Wallace has learned to adapt to wherever he and his family settle.

“I am from an active-duty military family, and we have lived all over the country,” Wallace said.

And Wallace has been welcomed with open arms as the newest member of the Calvary Day School baseball team.

Wallace and his family moved to Savannah earlier this year, and after touring the school, he knew they were in the right place.

“It has been great since arriving here at Calvary,” Wallace said.

“They have been very welcoming.”

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Baseball has been a big part of Wallace’s life; he’s always played the sport, no matter where he and his family have lived.

“It was very important to my family to find a school with a great baseball program and high academic standards that would help me follow the path that God has created for me,” Wallace said.

Wallace previously attended Union Pines High School in North Carolina, located just outside of Fort Bragg in the town of Whispering Pines. He had grown comfortable learning to be a better baseball player there and liked the team, his teammates, and coaches.

“Union Pines was a talented team with many upperclassmen to look up to and a very good coaching staff,” Wallace said.

He also played for a travel team there.

“I found my travel organization there, and they helped me grow and develop as a player,” he said.

Wallace said that leaving his North Carolina home was not easy.

“It was very hard to leave because I loved my home, my friends,” he said. “The transition to the new school was rough at first.”

But his Calvary Day teammates and coaches made him feel better about his new surroundings.

“I have adjusted well thanks to my new teammates accepting me and taking me into a very tight family,” he said. “That means a lot.”

Now, feeling comfortable as a member of the Calvary Day baseball program, Wallace has had the chance to continue to

grow as a player while helping the Cavaliers as an all-around talent.

“Ryan has been an unbelievable addition for us since arriving here last summer,” said Calvary Day head baseball coach Phillip Lee. The coach said there is always a bit of uncertainty when it comes to having a new player join the team.

“You never really know when you have a new kid transferring in how they are going to fit in with our system and their teammates, but Ryan came in and hit the ground running,” Lee said. “He has fit in very well with his teammates here.”

The Cavaliers head coach said Wallace is one of the top pitchers in the team’s fiveman rotation, and when Wallace isn’t on the mound, he is the team’s starting third baseman.

“He’s right up there as one of our top two starters, and he’s been lights out over at third base,” Lee said.

Wallace has also done his part at the plate this year.

“Ryan can do a little bit of everything as a hitter,” Lee said.

“He can hit for power, and he can bunt a guy over when he needs to. He’s kind of been a do-it-all player for us so far this season.”

So far through the Cavaliers’ first 16 games of the season, Wallace and his teammates are off to a 13-3 start and riding a 10-game winning streak. They lead their region with a perfect 6-0 record.

Wallace has done his part.

He is perfect on the mound with a 5-0 win-loss record. He has pitched 29.2 innings so far and has faced 109 batters, with 40 strikeouts. He has allowed 11 hits, four walks, and just one earned run. He has a .236 ERA, and opposing hitters are batting just .112 against him.

At the plate, Wallace usually bats in the middle of the order.

He is hitting .346 and has 16 RBIs. Wallace is looking forward to the rest of

this year and his senior season in 2025.

Following his high school career, Wallace said he hopes to continue playing the number one sport that he has played his whole life.

“It is my goal to attend college and play college baseball,” Wallace said. “I want to pitch in college, but would be open to being a twoway player. I love to hit and play the infield as well, but ultimately pitching at the highest level is my dream.”

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Monroe Senior Quaneisha Sims a Major Part of Lady Tornadoes’ Final 4 Finish Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Juliana’s Photography & Videography

Monroe High School senior Quaneshia Sims isn't the girls basketball team’s top scorer, she’s not the tallest player, and she didn’t lead the team in rebounds or assists this year. She averaged 2.7 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and one steal per game for the season. But Monroe girls basketball head coach Jennifer Acree said that if it wasn’t for Sims, her Lady Tornadoes would have never had the season they did, which included making it to the Class 3A state semifinals.

“Without Quaneisha, we would have never made it as far as we did this year,” Acree said.

The Lady Tornadoes finished the season with a 22-10 record, and the Final Four appearance was the first time Monroe’s girls basketball team had advanced that far in the playoffs in 26 years, Acree said.

“This was the best finish we have had in a long time,” she said.

Sims was the team’s center and power forward and started al-

most every game this season, missing only a three-game stretch earlier this season due to an illness.

Sims was a crucial part of the team’s success this year. It’s especially satisfying for Acree and Sims, considering the fact that she missed practically the entire 2022-23 season due to a serious knee injury suffered during the first week of last season.

After the 2022-23 season opener against crosstown rival Westover, a game that saw Sims score 4 points, pull down two rebounds, and have an assist and a blocked shot, Acree said the team hit the road for an away game.

“It was at New Manchester on Nov. 19 of last year,” Acree said. “Quaneisha went down. She took a bad fall.”

Sims was playing well up to that point, with 4 points, three rebounds, and a steal before she was injured.

“We weren’t sure how bad it was because she is so tough,” Acree said.

An MRI soon after ITG Next | 35

confirmed the worst: a torn ACL. Sims’ season was over after it had just started.

Despite the season-ending injury, Acree said Sims stayed positive.

“She could have hung her head, but instead of pouting, she just supported her teammates and focused on getting back to the court,” Acree said.

That was no surprise for the coach.

“Quaneisha has an uplifting personality and is always smiling,” Acree said. “She stuck with her rehab and was ready on day one this season.”

Acree said Sims' impact goes beyond what any stat sheet could ever show.

“Quaneisha plays power forward and center for us, and she’s not that tall, which is what you usually look for in that position,” Acree said. “But she is the strongest, toughest player on the court, and she has the physical tools and heart to get the job done, and she did that all season long for us.”

Sims' experience is another major factor that her coach points to as one of the intangibles that, again, isn't measured by any stat, but was critical to the team’s success.

“Quaneisha was one of just two seniors for us this year,” Acree said. “We had a very young team, and she became like a mentor for her teammates. She was there 36 | itgnext.com

to provide leadership and guidance for our younger players. She is very protective of her teammates.”

The Monroe roster was made up of just 10 players, with six freshmen, one sophomore, one junior, and two seniors, including Sims.

“Because our roster was so young and inexperienced, we were limited,” Acree said. “Only seven of our players played real minutes.”

And Sims definitely played real minutes.

Acree said Sims started every game and played “about 28 minutes of every 32-minute game.”

“We had to have the leadership on the court, and she rallied the team,” Acree said.

As Monroe’s magical season was coming to an end after falling in the Final Four to Hebron Christian Academy, Acree approached Sims with a heartfelt message.

“I told her that she was the perfect teammate,” Acree said.

“She was the difference-maker.

“I am thankful for the time I spent with her as her coach.”

In addition to basketball, Sims plays third base and catcher for the Monroe softball team and throws discus and shot put for the track team.

“Quaneisha plays power forward and center for us, and she’s not that tall, which is what you usually look for in that position. But she is the strongest, toughest player on the court, and she has the physical tools and heart to get the job done, and she did that all season long for us.”

— Jennifer Acree, Monroe girls basketball head coach

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JORDAN TRIPLETT: The Quiet Record Breaker Written by: Dhruv Mohan | Photography by: Jessica Humphreys

If you were to ask a Georgia high school football fan who the state’s all-time leading rusher is, you are likely to get the answer of Monte Williams. The Commerce ball carrier rushed for 8,844 yards in his four seasons with the Tigers and helped earn four region titles and a state championship during his senior year. But Williams’s record no longer stands. It was broken this past season by Frederica Academy’s Jordan Triplett.

There was no fanfare when Triplett broke the career rushing record by almost 200 yards. There was no spotlight when he tied Daccus Turman’s mark for single-season rushing yards at 3,172.

There was no attention

when he passed Williams, Jamious Griffin, and Robert Toomer to move into third place for career rushing scores.

Triplett worked in silence, and the praise reflected that.

Granted, Triplett’s Knights squad competes in the GIAA, not the GHSA. The most notorious GIAA school is John Milledge Academy, whose 62-game win streak set numerous records in Georgia.

However, with the Trojans’ streak over following a defeat against Valwood, Triplett’s record-shattering career totals should have taken center stage.

Still, on a statewide scale, it did not.

Now it’s time for proper recognition. It’s time to truly marvel at

his accomplishments.

Triplett’s senior campaign itself could be considered a successful career for a high school tailback. He opened the season with two 300yard performances and even managed 177 yards against the GHSA’s Clinch County.

After being held to just 62 yards on 20 carries against Tattnall Square, Triplett exploded. He rushed for 340 yards and six touchdowns the following week and 404 yards and seven scores two weeks later.

In a season-ending loss to eventual champion Valwood, Triplett still posted 316 yards and two scores on the ground, tacking on one more through the air.

As a junior, his marks

were a little less otherworldly. He managed to rush for 2,300 yards and post a four-game stretch with 1,417 yards and 17 touchdowns. Those numbers were still among the best in the state as a whole; he ranked sixth in season rushing yards.

A year prior, Triplett formally announced his presence on the statistical stage with a 442yard, six-touchdown performance against St. Andrew’s. His 1,699 yards rushing were a slight regression from the 1,852 he had as a freshman, but the St. Andrew’s game performance appeared to instill a resiliency that he has maintained to this day.

Now the record books are littered with Triplett mentions. He appears twice on the single-sea-

son rushing yards list and three times on the 400yard single-game rushing performance list. His 41 rushing touchdowns this past season also cracks the list for that category, and so does his seven touchdowns in a single game (also in 2023).

Triplett’s career at Frederica Academy has been nothing short of legendary. While recognition may not be prominent now, his name will be etched into the minds of fans in the years to come as they marvel at his accomplishments.

Just as his rushing leader predecessors did, Jordan Triplett has changed the game.

ITG Next | 39

Year 1: A Cultural Shift

When Deshon Brock was hired as the new head football coach at Bradwell Institute in 2020, he knew he was coming into a program that needed lifting up.

The Tigers were coming off a winless season and, like everyone else around the state, were battling through the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought both on and off the football field.

40 | itgnext.com

Brock’s first season was 2021, and while wins are always important in any high school competition, he knew that putting Bradwell Institute’s football program on solid ground was the first step before they could even think about anything else.

“When I got here that first year, it was all about changing the mindset and culture to try to move forward, but I felt I owed it to the guys that were there to help them make the most of their time at Bradwell,” Brock said.

He recognized a handful of players who wanted to be a part of trying to make a change, even if they were set to graduate.

“We had a great core of guys that I felt could help me rally the team,” Brock said.

Those players turned out to be five seniors: Mikah Kent, KJ Melvin, Michael Prince, Ormondo Hall, and Elijah Leataua.

While that first year didn’t yield any wins on the scoreboard, Brock and his players had created a culture of buy-in

that resonated with the team and its returning roster of players.

“Those guys were part of a great group of seniors who bought in to what we were trying to do here to change the culture, and I wish we could have had more time with them to continue to build on what we started with them that first year,” Brock said. “We may not have won a game, but you could see glimpses of better things to come.”

Kent is now playing football at Davidson,

and Leataua is doing the same at Kennesaw State University.

Year 2: Building Confidence

Year 2 saw a more competitive Tigers team under Brock, and it finally paid off at the end of the season with a 20-9 victory over Greenbrier.

“That was the first win for this program in a while, and the timing of it, coming at the end of the year, allowed us to go

Rebuilding Bradwell Institute: Head Football Coach Deshon Brock Has Team Believing Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Chris Bell and Charles Smith

into the offseason with a renewed confidence that these kids had never felt before,” Brock said.

Indeed, that confidence came through in a big way in the team’s spring football game versus Windsor Forest.

“We had an offensive explosion in that game and scored 49 points, while our varsity defense gave up one touchdown,” Brock said. “Windsor Forest was able to score a touchdown late on our JV guys, but 13 points was all the defense gave up.”

Bradwell had not only won a game, but they had now won the last two games they had played.

With the last regular-season win from the 2022 season coupled with a blowout win in the 2023 spring game, the Tigers were finally starting to believe in themselves, which carried over into summer workouts.

“Our guys were now starting to see their hard work was paying off,” Brock said.

The team visited a few summer camps, and

Brock was pleased with how his team represented themselves.

“We went to a Florida State 7-on-7 passing camp and did really well, then went to Camden County’s contact camp and competed well there too,” Brock said.

The team was ready to enter the 2023 season with a new outlook.

ITG Next | 41

Year 3: Competing for a Playoff Spot

With their confidence building, Brock could finally see things beginning to take shape with the team, and the Tigers rode that momentum into the 2023 season. They finished 3-7, and that includes a region win.

“We had a great year,” Brock said of the 2023 season. “After a tough

42 | itgnext.com

opening loss to Wayne County where we competed well, we won our second game of the season against our big rival, a 26-13 win over Liberty County to start the season at 1-1.”

Liberty County had won 10 of the last 11 games between the two teams.

The Tigers put themselves in a spot to actually compete for a playoff spot. Although the team

couldn’t get the wins to clinch a postseason berth, it was the first time since 2019 that Bradwell Institute could even think about playing for a shot at the playoffs.

“It was just a great year for our team as a whole, and we had several players really make a name for themselves, including All-American offensive lineman Elyjah Thurmon, who signed with Clemson,” Brock said.

In all, six Bradwell Institute players signed college scholarships to play football.

Year 4: More Growth in 2024

As Brock prepares for his fourth season at Bradwell Institute, it’s safe to say that things are better now than when he started, and the support he has received has helped.

“Our administration has been so supportive,” Brock said. “I never have been told that we needed to win a certain number of games. They just wanted to see incremental growth and improvement throughout our program, and I think we have been able to do that so far.”

Interest in the football program has definitely

grown since Brock first arrived at Bradwell Institute.

“We had 55 players that first year, and that has grown every season,” Brock said. “We went from 55 to 75 to over 100 last season. So far we have around 75 players out this spring, but there are quite a few athletes who are playing other sports, so we’ll get them back before the season starts.”

Brock will have most of his defensive starters back from a year ago, and if the offense continues to get better, 2024 could be the year that Bradwell Institute and head coach Deshon Brock say, “We are back!”

ITG NEXT videos • podcasts • live broadcasts newsletters • magazines • events ITG Next | 43

Congratulations

to Wilcox County High School baseball player Jake Howell, who is the April 2024 ITG Next Georgia Male Athlete of the Month, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance.

Howell, a junior, received the most votes among four candidates who were nominated for their outstanding performances in April. In addition to Howell, the other candidates were Buford baseball player Nate Taylor, Etowah track athlete Luke Stradley, and South Forsyth soccer player Ethan Elmore.

Howell is a standout left-handed pitcher for the Wilcox County Patriots. He is also the team’s starting right fielder when he’s not on the mound and currently serves as the team’s leadoff hitter.

So far this season, Howell has eight wins and just one loss with a 1.77 ERA. He has 89 strikeouts with only 35 walks.

Howell’s pitching has been a major factor behind the Patriots’ 22-3 overall record this season. That includes a perfect 15-0 region record, which gave Wilcox County the region title and the top seed entering the state playoffs, where the Patriots faced Early County.

Howell was on the mound in Game 2 of the first-round playoff matchup, and the lefty ace pitched a complete game to lead his team to a 12-4 win and a sweep of the opening playoff series. He also came up big at the plate, going 4-of-7 with a triple and two doubles to help his team advance to the next round of the Class 1A-DII state playoffs, where they’ll host Jenkins County.

For the season, Howell has a .360 batting average with an on-base percentage of .540. He has three home runs on the season.

Wilcox County head baseball coach Stephen McDuffie said he has known and coached Howell and several of his teammates as they have grown up playing rec ball and travel ball. McDuffie said that Howell is one of the “top five players” he’s ever coached in over 20 years of playing and coaching baseball.

“His potential and ceiling is still really high,” McDuffie said.

That’s particularly the case with Howell’s pitching.

“He has done a great job for us here at Wilcox,” McDuffie said.

In addition to his stats so far this year, his career numbers reflect just how solid Howell has been during his time at Wilcox County. In three seasons, Howell is 15-1 overall as a pitcher with a 1.34 ERA. He has 169 strikeouts with just 64 walks. He is batting .355 with a career on-base percentage of .540.

This success has attracted the attention of colleges and pro scouts. Howell has verbally committed to Georgia State University, but McDuffie said that has not kept other schools away.

“Many of these other schools are not happy,” McDuffie said with a chuckle about Howell’s early commitment.

But the coach is very happy that he’s got Howell for one more year.

Howell said that he’s grateful to be nominated and to win the Athlete of the Month honor.

“I want to thank the ITG Next Georgia staff for nominating me, and also thank you to everyone who voted me for this award,” Howell said. “None of this would be possible without God, my teammates, and my coaches. It’s an honor to be named the Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.”

Wilcox County Baseball Player Jake Howell Voted ITG Next Georgia Male Athlete of the Month for April 2024 Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Zeke Best

44 | itgnext.com

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