This new weekly roundup delivers a complete look at Coastal Empire/Savannah-area high school football matchups. Every Monday, the Prep Sports Report will bring you scores, highlights, and standout performances from the previous week’s matchups. All information is based on reports submitted directly by each school’s football program, ensuring accuracy straight from the source. From Friday night lights to Saturday scores, the 912 Xtra Point delivers every highlight, every stat, every week.
New Hampstead 14, South Effingham 6
The Phoenix overcame a late start and a mistake-filled game to earn a hard-fought win. Christian Kinlaw led the way with 127 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, while Jamuari Williams added four tackles and an interception on defense. A botched fake punt by South Effingham turned the momentum, and New Hampstead sealed the win with an onside recovery.
Coach’s Quote: “We have a lot of things we need to work through, but you will always take a win where you can get them. The guys played a full 4 Quarters of football, and that is something that you can build on for the next nine games!”
Next Up: New Hampstead (1-0) vs. Savannah Christian (1-0). South Effingham has a bye week before traveling to Toombs County.
Photo: New Hampstead’s defense closes in on a South Effingham ball carrier during Friday night’s matchup. Courtesy RDP Productions LLC (Kyunnie Shuman)
Charlotte Country Day 28, Savannah Country Day 10,
The Hornets fought through adversity after QB Devin Trawick exited early with an injury. RBs Najee Young (84 yards) and Thomas Holland (54 yards, 1 TD) powered a 184-yard rushing effort, but two special teams scores and a late pick-six proved costly. Hayes Beaver anchored the defense with eight tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss.
Coach’s Quote: “Not how we hoped to start out the season but we can't wait to handle the adversity!” Head coach Joey Blackmore
Next Up: Savannah Country Day School hosts Athens Academy
Bryan County 21, Johnson 6
In a game delayed nearly two hours by lightning and played in muddy conditions, Bryan County leaned on its ground attack and stingy defense to secure a 21-6 win over Johnson.
The Redskins rushed for more than 200 yards, paced by Gerome Lee’s 68 yards and a touchdown on just five carries and Ger'bravion Collins’ 61 yards and two scores. Collins also anchored the defense with 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. Freshman kicker Will Summerford was perfect in his varsity debut, converting all three PAT attempts.
Johnson’s defense battled hard, holding Bryan County ground game for much of the night and forcing multiple key stops. Standouts included Devrin Davis (8 tackles, 2 Tackle for Loss (TFL) ), Zarian Reynolds (5 tackles, 2 TFLs, fumble recovery), and Immanuel Smith (7 tackles, forced fumble, recovery). Offensively, Shamari King carried the load with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown, but four turnovers and drive-killing penalties hampered the Atom Smashers’ chances.
The turning point came when Bryan County’s defense clamped down after halftime, setting the tempo and keeping Johnson in check aside from a late big play for its lone score.
Coach’s Quotes
Johnson coach: “We must clean up our offensive play in order to progress forward. If the defense can build from this performance and we can limit self-inflicted wounds on offense, we’ll be a dangerous team.”
Bryan County coach: “Kids responded well and showed improvement from two scrimmages. Three freshmen and two sophomores started on defense. One freshman and four sophomores started on offense. A lot of very young kids playing varsity football snaps. Need to keep working them and coaching them up.”
Next Up: Bryan County hosts Aquinas at home on August 22. Johnson has a bye week before facing Long County.
Edmund Burke 30, St. Andrew’s 6
The Lions opened strong, driving the field for an early touchdown and stopping Edmund Burke on its first possession. However, turnovers and errors gave EBA short fields, and the Spartans capitalized on them with a 23-6 halftime lead. SAS moved the ball in the second half but couldn’t finish drives, while cramping and injuries slowed the attack. Pat Jackson scored the lone touchdown and added an interception on defense, while Darius Chapman (59 yards) and Joe Frazar (41 yards) contributed on the ground.
Defensive Standouts: Pat Jackson (1 solo tackle, 2 assists, 1 sack for loss of 14 yards, 1 Interception (INT) returned for 25 yards), Landen Buchmann (4 solo tackles, 3 assists), Joe Frazar (1 solo tackle, 5 assists, 1 forced fumble), and Jack Kelley (2 solo tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack for loss of 9 yards).
Coach’s Quote: “I’m proud of how our kids battled in the second half after a horrendous second quarter. We went toe to toe with the 2 time defending state champs for 3 quarters and kept playing hard. We will work to clean up our miscues and look forward to playing Hilton Head Prep this week.” Head coach Wes Worthington
Next Up: St. Andrew’s hosts Hilton Head Prep.
Calvary Day School 37, Beach 0
The Cavaliers turned in a dominant all-around effort, shutting out Beach behind a balanced offense and a swarming defense. QB James Mobley led the charge with 135 passing yards and three touchdowns, including a 67-yard strike to Marlon Knight that broke the game open. RB Ca'Den Jones added 81 yards and a touchdown, while Jalen Hicks and LaVon Owens also found the end zone.
Defensively, Calvary forced key turnovers and kept the Bulldogs’ athletic quarterback contained. Scottie Walker returned an interception for a touchdown, Jay Varner posted four TFL, Jeffrey McCormick recorded a sack and forced fumble, and Davis Witherington chipped in six tackles.
For Beach, the defensive front produced bright spots despite the loss. Ke’Juan Ferguson made nine tackles with a forced fumble and two pass breakups, Jordan Newton had 12 tackles with three TFL, and Rashawn Thompson added five tackles with a fumble recovery.
Coach’s Quote (Calvary): “We need to continue to improve on all 3 parts of the game. Oceanside Collegiate Academy is a really good football team ranked #1 in SC 1-3A. We need to continue to improve our pass coverage and overall offensive line play.” Calvary coach Jason Cameron
Next Up: Calvary has a bye before facing Oceanside Collegiate Academy. Beach travels to Savannah High on August 22.
McIntosh Academy 43, Islands 21
The Sharks battled throughout but couldn’t overcome turnovers and missed opportunities in a 43-21 loss to McIntosh Academy. After a scoreless first quarter, MCA struck first with a touchdown pass, then capitalized on an interception to add a 70-yard screen pass for another score. Zyon Patrick answered with a 60-yard touchdown run for the Sharks, but the Buccaneers carried a 19-7 lead into halftime.
In the second half, MCA extended its advantage with a pair of touchdowns, including a key score at the end of the third quarter that pushed the lead to 27-7. Islands fought back with a touchdown pass and another rushing score late, but MCA sealed the game with a touchdown run in the final minute.
Offensive Standouts: Zyon Patrick (60-yard rush TD, 1 receiving TD) and Chet Bachman (1 rushing TD).
Defensive Standouts: Whit Perry (13 tackles), Patrick Dowling (13 tackles), Jackson Tripp (13 tackles), Luke Thompson (fumble recovery).
Special Teams: Josh South delivered a 50-yard kickoff return, and Thomas Giovannini was perfect on three extra points.
Coach’s Quote: “Tough game. Played hard. A lot of positives on both sides of the ball. Have some things we need to improve on both sides of the ball.” Islands coach Rusty Perry
Next Up: Islands have a bye week before hosting Southeast Bulloch.
Savannah Christian Preparatory School 38, Whitefield Academy 28
The Raiders opened their season on the road with a strong win over Whitefield Academy, coached by former SCPS defensive coordinator Robert Walsh. Quarterback Blaise Thomas was the difference-maker, throwing three touchdown passes and adding a rushing score.
Thomas connected with Weston Hughes for an 8-yard strike, hit Andrew Goodman on a 25-yard scoring pass, and added a 17-yard touchdown to Athen Hudspeth before breaking free for a 37-yard rushing touchdown that gave SCPS a commanding 28-0 halftime lead. He finished with 187 rushing yards on 19 carries, plus 91 yards and three touchdowns through the air on 7-of-11 passing.
Freshman Wesley Dinkins impressed in his high school debut, rushing for 102 yards as part of SCPS’s 382-yard ground effort. Hudspeth added a short rushing score in the third quarter, while Hughes caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders held off a late rally by Whitefield to secure the victory.
Next Up: Savannah Christian (1-0) hosts New Hampstead (1-0) in a non-region matchup at Pooler Stadium on August 22.
Colquitt County 27, Benedictine 24
Benedictine suffered a tough road loss, falling 27-24 at Colquitt County on a last-second field goal. It marked the Cadets’ second straight year dropping a one-score road game against a top-10 Class 6A power, after last season’s 29-28 defeat at Buford.
Quarterback Stephen Cannon led the offense, completing 13 of 19 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 34 yards. Stan Smart anchored the ground game with 83 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Eron Mallard added 54 rushing yards on just three carries. In total, the Cadets racked up 357 yards of offense.
Cannon spread the ball around through the air, connecting with Bubba Frazier for a 43-yard score and Shawn Dunn for another touchdown. Frazier finished with three catches for 43 yards, while Smart chipped in 24 receiving yards, and Josh Washington added 32 total yards.
On defense, the Cadets had strong performances despite the narrow defeat. Jayden Houston posted a team-high 12 tackles with two tackles for loss, LaDamion Guyton tallied nine tackles, two tackles for loss, and a half sack, and Kam Cody added nine tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Special teams were steady as well, with Parker Lewis going 3-for-3 on extra points and drilling a 22-yard field goal.
Next Up: Benedictine (0-1) hosts Buford (1-0) on Friday, August 22, in a rematch of last year’s thriller.
Lowndes 43, Jenkins 20
Jenkins made the long trip to Valdosta to open the season but fell 43-20 to Lowndes, which entered the year ranked No. 9 in Class 6A by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Senior quarterback Demetrius Holloway Jr. led the Warriors (0-1), throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 66 yards on nine carries. Despite a slow start, Holloway Jr. connected with his teammates to help Jenkins finish strong in the second half.
Holloway Jr.’s 50-yard strike to Dominique Johnson set up a short touchdown run by Brandon Brown for the Warriors’ first score. Later, he found Jayden Elliot twice for touchdowns, as Elliot finished with a team-high seven receptions for 192 yards. Johnson added four catches for 92 yards.
Next Up: Jenkins has a bye week before facing Groves at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 29.
OTHER FINAL SCORES:
2025 Week 1 Schedule Final Scores
Frederica Academy 34, Savannah High 0
OTHER FINAL SCORES:
2025 Week 1
Aug. 15
Frederica Academy 34, Savannah High 0
Photo: Courtesy Kyunnie Shuman RDP Productions LLC
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