Savannah Christian’s game against Whitefield Academy had more of a backstory than other non-region football games, but it was still very much a season opener for both teams on Friday night.
There were well over a dozen penalties between the squads – some that negated some big offensive plays.
“This is kind of what’s expected,” Savannah Christian coach Baker Woodward said. “The penalties that we did have, I feel like were effort penalties.”
There was no shortage of effort as Savannah Christian gained control early and scored methodically in a 35-7 victory at Pooler Stadium.
The Raiders, who advanced to the GHSA Class 3A state championship game in 2023, graduated several key contributors but return many more as they play this season in Region 3-A Division I.
Senior Zo Smalls is workhorse who rushed for 89 yards in the first half and 86 in the second to total 175 yards, including a pair of 6-yard touchdown runs, on 23 carries. The Charleston Southern commit might have had more but left the game very early in the fourth quarter with a leg cramp, Woodward said.
Senior Jaden Miles had a unique statistical line going with one carry for one 20-yard touchdown in the first half, and he made it 2-for-2 with a 2-yard TD in the third quarter. Miles accumulated 112 yards, including his third score of the night on a 10-yard run on his eighth and final carry.
Senior wide receiver and running back Kenry Wall offers a change of pace to those bruisers with his elusive style and speed to the outside. Wall finished with eight carries for 67 yards.
The Raiders didn’t throw the ball much – nor need to with their ball-control offense under new offensive coordinator Dominique Allen, a former standout quarterback at Richmond Hill High School and The Citadel. Junior quarterback Blaise Thomas was 5 of 9 for 72 yards and an interception, and he also gained 31 yards on the ground through scrambles and designed plays.
Woodward said he was happy with the offensive line, whose starters average 280 pounds, as well as the defense, which basically pitched a shutout. The Wolfpack’s lone touchdown came on special teams when an ill-advised onside kick bounced perfectly to Whitefield Academy’s Carter Scott for a clean, 45-yard path to the end zone.
Woodward said he talked to his players at halftime about self-inflicted mistakes being costly. “Raiders don’t beat Raiders, and we’re killing ourselves,” he said. “The thing about it is you still win 35-7 and you did not play well. There’s a positive there. Now, our offensive line, they started to become what we feel like they are. I’m very excited about that. I’m proud of our guys. You win 35-7 and you didn’t play your best.”
The Raiders played without senior defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, who watched from the sideline with a walking boot on his left foot. The five-star prospect is the No. 4 player in the country, No. 1 defensive lineman and No. 1 player in the state of Georgia in 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Woodward said it was a precautionary measure as Griffin is dealing with a bruise.
“Basically, it hurts a little bit when he pushes off,” Woodward said. “I said, ‘Hey, we’ll just shut you down.’ He’ll be back next week.”
The Savannah Christian defense picked up the slack with the efforts of Miles at middle linebacker, junior defensive lineman Isaiah Redmond and many others, including LaDamion Guyton, who on Friday was voted to the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first-team defense.
Whitefield Academy head coach Robert Walsh said he wanted his players to compete against Griffin, “a great football player” that he knows well. Walsh coached with Woodward for five years at Savannah Christian and was the defensive coordinator (as well as the varsity boys basketball coach) when he left before the 2023 season for Whitefield in Mableton.
“I knew we were going to get tested the first week against a really good football team,” Walsh said. “I want to see where we match up. I also want to show our program what a great football program looks like. A great match-up, a great friendship, so that’s what we wanted.”
Former SCPS assistants William Bell and Ray Orio also went to Whitefield, where they are co-offensive coordinators. There were plenty of handshakes to go around when the game ended.
“Our kids fought,” Walsh said of his team’s effort. “You look at our team and you look at these guys here, they’re a little bit bigger and stronger than we are right now. We want to get to that point.
“Savannah Christian is a great football team. I think they’ve got a bright future, and I think they’ll probably be competing for a state championship. Maybe we’ll see them in the playoffs later down the road.”
SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN 35, WHITEFIELD ACADEMY 7
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| WA | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| SCPS | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
First quarter
SCPS—Jaden Miles 20 run (Christian Johns kick)
Second quarter
SCPS—Zo Smalls 6 run (Johns kick)
Third quarter
SCPS—Miles 2 run (Johns kick)
SCPS—Smalls 6 run (Johns kick)
WA—Carter Scott 45 kickoff return (Cole Rabalais kick)
Fourth quarter
SCPS—Miles 10 run (Johns kick)
Final Scores HS Football Scores
WEEK 1
August 15 (Thursday)
New Hampstead 56, South Effingham 35
August 16 (Friday)
Bradwell 11, Liberty Co 3
Calvary Day 27, Beach 0
McIntosh County Academy 22. Islands 0
Lowndes 49, Jenkins 7
Bryan County 20, Johnson 12
Savannah Christian 35, Whitefield Aca 7
Charlotte Country Day 22, Savannah Country Day 21
Frederica Academy 55, Savannah 12
Edmund Burke 42, St. Andrew's 0
Citizen's Christian 30, Memorial Day 8
August 17 (Saturday)
Rabun Gap- Nacoochee vs. Benedictine (at Georgia Southern), 6 pm
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- Dr. Don Aaron: Bryan County Middle/High School
- Dr. David Sedory: Benedictine Military, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County
- Dr. David Palmer: Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham
- Dr. Thomas Alexander: Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent's
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