Six weeks in the books. Four to go. And things just got a little more interesting.
Richmond Hill, South Effingham and Bethesda walked into Week 6 without a loss. By Friday night, all three had their first one. Richmond Hill and South Effingham lost by a single point, while Savannah Country Day went to Bethesda and handed the Blazers their first loss, 20-16.
Meanwhile, Effingham County kept rolling, Benedictine needed 52 points to get another region win, Jenkins posted a shutout, and Calvary Day took care of business.
Some big numbers, too. Two Effingham County running backs went over 200 yards. Benedictine put up 556 yards. Calvary Day threw for more than 300, and Islands ran for 375 yards and still came up short.
That’s Friday night football.
So, six weeks in, what did we learn?
1ST QUARTER | BIG STORY: WHAT MATTERS
Three unbeaten teams go down.
Three Savannah-area teams went into Friday night undefeated. All three came home with one.
Richmond Hill traveled to East Coweta and fell one point short, 24-23. The Wildcats moved the football, had their chances, and were right there until the end.
South Effingham knows the feeling. The Mustangs led Grovetown 15-6 before the Warriors came back in the fourth quarter and won 16-15 on a late field goal.
Then there was Bethesda. The Blazers came into Week 6 at 3-0 before Savannah Country Day went on the road and beat them 20-16.
Three unbeaten teams. Three losses. Two by one point. That’s how quickly a Friday night can change things.
Effingham County keeps going
Remember when Effingham County started 0-2?
The Rebels have now won three straight, and Friday night’s 55-36 win over Bradwell looked a whole lot different than the two shutouts that came before it.
This time, the offense had to carry the load. Effingham County moved the football all night and answered whenever Bradwell threatened to make things interesting.
The Rebels are 3-2 and heading into October in a much different spot than they were three weeks ago.
Benedictine finds another way.
A week ago, Benedictine fell behind Statesboro 14-0 before scoring 42 points in a row. This week was different.
Richmond Academy kept coming, and Benedictine had to keep scoring. The Cadets did just that, leaving Augusta with a 52-49 region win.
It wasn’t easy, but that’s two straight region road wins for BC. The Cadets are 4-1, and now they finally get to come home.
Jenkins has turned things around
Jenkins started the season 0-3. Now the Warriors have won two straight.
After getting that first win on homecoming night against Evans, Jenkins followed it with a 51-0 win over Groves. That’s 86 points scored over the last two games, and the Warriors didn’t allow one Friday night.
More importantly, Jenkins is 2-0 in region play.
That’s a pretty good way to turn things around.
Savannah Country Day does it again.
One win can change how a team feels. Two in a row starts looking like something.
Savannah Country Day went to unbeaten Bethesda and came away with a 20-16 win. The game came down to the final play, and the Hornets made the stop they needed.
Think about where Country Day was two weeks ago. The Hornets were 0-5 and still looking for that first win. Now they’ve beaten Savannah Christian and handed Bethesda its first loss of the season in back-to-back weeks.
Country Day started 0-5. Now the Hornets have won two straight.
Funny how quickly things can change.
Beach wins a wild one.
Beach and Islands gave everybody at Memorial Stadium plenty of offense.
The Bulldogs came away with a 48-35 region win in a game where Islands still rushed for 375 yards. Think about that. The Sharks put 35 points on the board, ran for 375 yards, and still lost by 13.
Sometimes the other team scores more. Friday night, Beach did
2ND QUARTER | ROLL CALL BY THE NUMBERS
Enough about the games. Let’s get to some of the guys who filled up the stat sheet Friday night.
307 PASSING YARDS, 3 TDs — James Mobley IV, Calvary Day
Mobley completed 16 of 23 passes as the Cavaliers beat Rockdale County 35-10.
249 COMBINED YARDS, 2 TDs — Eron Mallard, Benedictine
Mallard had 141 receiving yards, 29 rushing yards and 79 return yards. He also caught 11 passes.
238 PASSING YARDS, 2 TDs, 2 DEFENSIVE INTs — Devin Trawick, Savannah Country Day
Now that’s a two-way Friday night. Trawick threw two touchdown passes and picked off two passes on defense.
213 RUSHING YARDS, 2 TDs — Jordan Mydell, Effingham County
Mydell carried 33 times and helped the Rebels put 55 points on the board.
204 RUSHING YARDS, 3 TDs — Jmere Doe-Davis, Effingham County
One 200-yard rusher is usually enough. Effingham County had two.
204 RUSHING YARDS, 2 TDs — Jordan Turner, Bethesda Academy
Turner also threw for 98 yards, giving him 302 combined rushing and passing yards.
190 TOTAL YARDS, 2 TDs — DJ Porter, Richmond Hill
Porter rushed for 127 yards, had 39 receiving yards, and added 24 more on returns.
167 RECEIVING YARDS, 2 TDs — Amir Atkinson, Savannah Country Day
Four catches. Two touchdowns. That’s making your opportunities count.
158 RUSHING YARDS, 1 TD — Nathan Tulloch, Islands
Tulloch led an Islands rushing attack that finished with 375 yards.
150 RUSHING YARDS, 2 TDs — Stanley Smart, Benedictine
Smart carried 23 times as the Cadets put 52 points on the board.
DEFENSIVE ROLL CALL
21 TACKLES, 2 TFL — Pat Jackson, St. Andrew’s
Jackson also scored a rushing touchdown and threw a 76-yard touchdown pass.
19 TACKLES, 4 TFL — Eli Koskela, Bryan County
17 TACKLES, 1 TFL — Thomas Kirk, St. Andrew’s
16 TACKLES — Darius Chapman, St. Andrew’s
14 TACKLES, 3 TFL — Thomas Holland, Savannah Country Day
13 TACKLES — Cole McMurry, South Effingham
ONE MORE NUMBER
417 RUSHING YARDS — Jordan Mydell and Jmere Doe-Davis, Effingham County
Mydell ran for 213. Doe-Davis ran for 204. Together they scored five touchdowns. Two running backs combined for more than 400 yards.
That helps explain 55 points.
HALFTIME | WEEK 6 SCOREBOARD
Friday, Sept. 25
CLASS 7A
East Coweta 24, Richmond Hill 23
CLASS 6A
Effingham County 55, Bradwell Institute 36 *
Grovetown 16, South Effingham 15 *
CLASS 5A
Benedictine 52, Richmond Academy 49 *
Jenkins 51, Groves 0 *
CLASS 4A
Liberty County 30, New Hampstead 14 *
CLASS 3A
Beach 48, Islands 35 *
Tattnall County 24, Johnson 6 *
GHSA/GIAA/SCISA NON-REGION
Warren County 21, Bryan County 0
Calvary Day 35, Rockdale County 10
Claxton 28, Savannah High 6
Savannah Country Day 20, Bethesda Academy 16
Augusta Prep 29, St. Andrew’s 14
*Region game
3RD QUARTER | PREP SPORTS REPORT TAKE
Six weeks into a football season, we should know better than to think we’ve got everything figured out.
Richmond Hill and South Effingham lost Friday night. Bethesda did, too. All three walked into Week 6 without a loss.
Does one Friday night remove what they did before it? No.
Now we get to see how they respond.
On the other side, look at Effingham County. The Rebels started 0-2 and have won three straight. Jenkins started 0-3 and has won two straight. Savannah Country Day started 0-5 and has won two straight.
See where we’re going with this?
Don’t get too high after a win, and don’t bury a team after a loss. There is still a lot of football left, and now the region games really start to matter.
August gave us first impressions. September gave us a better look.
October will tell us who can finish. That’s the Prep Sports Report take.
4TH QUARTER | WEEK 7: WHAT’S NEXT?
October football is here.
Savannah Christian and Savannah High get things started Thursday night. Then Friday brings a full slate, with Effingham County trying to keep rolling, South Effingham looking to answer its first loss, Jenkins taking its two-game winning streak on the road, and Benedictine finally coming home.
Here’s Week 7.
THURSDAY, OCT. 1
Savannah Christian at Savannah High * (SHS), 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCT. 2
All games kick off at 7:30 p.m. unless noted.
Brunswick at Bradwell *
Effingham County at Glynn Academy *
Lakeside-Evans at South Effingham *
Evans at Benedictine (MS) *
Groves at Statesboro *
Jenkins at Wayne County *
Liberty County at Windsor Forest * (GS)
West Laurens at New Hampstead (PS) *
Beach at Pierce County *
Tattnall County at Islands * (IS)
Appling County at Johnson (SHS) *
Screven County at Bryan County *
Calvary Day at Metter *
Bethesda at Camden Military
Piedmont Academy at St. Andrew’s, 7 p.m.
* Region game
FOUR THAT HAVE THE PSR ATTENTION
Effingham County at Glynn Academy
Three weeks ago, Effingham County was 0-2. Now the Rebels have won three straight and head back on the road for another region game.
The last three weeks have also shown us something. Effingham won with defense in back-to-back shutouts, then turned around and scored 55 against Bradwell. Now comes Glynn Academy.
Let’s see if the Rebels can keep it going.
Lakeside-Evans at South Effingham
Here’s one we’re watching because now we get to see how South Effingham responds.
The Mustangs were 4-0 before losing by one point at Grovetown. That’s the first time this season they’ve had to walk off the field after a loss.
Good teams lose football games. What they do the next Friday tells you a little more.
Jenkins at Wayne County
Don’t overlook the Warriors. Jenkins started 0-3. Now it’s won two straight, sits 2-0 in region play, and just scored 51 points while pitching a shutout. The Warriors have quickly changed direction.
Now they take it on the road.
Evans at Benedictine
Benedictine has scored 94 points in two region games.
The Cadets scored 42 at Statesboro and another 52 at Richmond Academy. Both came on the road, and both ended with BC getting on the bus with a region win. Now Benedictine finally comes home to Memorial Stadium.
Can that offense keep rolling? We’ll find out Friday night.
OPTIM ORTHOPEDICS
Optim Orthopedics presents Prep Sports Report’s 2026 high school football coverage.
Optim Orthopedics supports high school athletics throughout the Savannah area and Coastal Empire, helping local athletes stay healthy, recover from injuries, and get back to doing what they love.
PSR appreciates Optim Orthopedics for supporting our coverage and, more importantly, supporting the athletes, coaches, and programs that make Friday nights special throughout our area
Optim Orthopedics wants you in the game.
FINAL WHISTLE
Six weeks down. Four to go.
We’re into October now, and the region games are taking over the schedule. Every Friday gets a little more important from here.
Week 6 reminded us not to get too comfortable. Three unbeaten teams lost. Three teams that had rough starts are now putting wins together. There is still enough football left for a lot to change.
That’s why we keep watching.
Which Savannah-area team showed you the most in Week 6, and which Week 7 game has your attention?
Let us know. October football is here.
SOURCES & EDITOR’S NOTE
Information in this week’s Friday Night Huddle was compiled from area coaches and schools, team-provided statistics, Savannah Morning News reporting, Effingham Herald reporting, MaxPreps and Prep Sports Report’s own coverage and schedules.
Statistics and records are based on information available to Prep Sports Report at the time of publication. If a player, statistic, or performance was missed, coaches are encouraged to send verified information to Prep Sports Report so the athlete can be recognized.
PHOTO CREDIT: Calvary Day School Athletic Department
Follow Prep Sports Report on X @PrepSav and Instagram @savannahsportsreport.
To share scores, story ideas, or corrections, email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com or text 912.507.9158.
Optim Orthopedics team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
