The wait is over. It’s high school football season and it’s game week for nearly every one of the 412 Georgia High School Association football teams across the Peach State. All of the Savannah area teams are playing this week, and the opening slate provides plenty of intrigue with non-region matchups across the board.
Here’s a look at six of the most interesting matchups for Week 1.
NOTE: All games are on Friday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of MaxPreps.
THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022
MAY RIVER (SC) at NEW HAMPSTEAD
The season kicks off Thursday night (7 p.m.) at Pooler Stadium when the Phoenix host the visitors from Bluffton, South Carolina.
New Hampstead (6-4 in 2021) should be expected to win this one as the Phoenix have not lost a season opener at home since 2016. In three years under head coach Kyle Hockman, NHHS is 15-13 overall with back-to-back six-win seasons.
Senior quarterback Pauly Seeley (a Wofford commit) won’t have his top-two receivers or the leading rusher from 2021 after the departure of receiver Toriano Bias (graduated), tight end Kaden Sonnabend (graduated) and running back Samari Dowdy (transferred to Johnson). Seeley threw for 1,995 yards and 22 touchdowns (12 interceptions) as a junior.
Maxwell’s preseason computer projections give New Hampstead a 70.3% chance of making the postseason out of region 3-4A. The Phoenix are projected to finish fourth in the region, behind Benedictine, Burke County and Wayne County.
Playing in South Carolina’s Class 4A this season, May River (8-3) lost its final preseason scrimmage last week versus Beach, 14-13. Take from that what you will, but the Sharks have been excellent in the last four seasons under head coach Rodney Summers. Beginning with the 2018 season, May River has an overall record of 34-9 (.790).
May River graduated 100% of its passing yards from 2021 and 97% of its total rushing yards (3,123). Thomas Raisch returns for his senior season after leading the team in total tackles (66) last year as a junior.
MaxPreps has NHHS as Class 4A’s No. 18 team in the website’s preseason computer rankings. May River comes in at No. 22 in SC’s 4A classification.
JENKINS at BENEDICTINE
An old-school Savannah matchup at Memorial Stadium between the city’s best private school program and (arguably) its best public school program should tell us a lot about each team. In seven previous matchups between the Cadets and Warriors since 2006, Jenkins holds a 5-2 advantage. Benedictine has won two of the three matchups since 2018, including a 49-6 victory in October of 2021.
Benedictine (13-2) is the reigning Class 4A state champion and Danny Britt’s Cadets are the preseason No. 1 team in the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s preseason 4A poll. Jenkins (6-5) has over 125 players on the roster as it enters year two under head coach Tony Welch.
Junior quarterback Luke Kromenhoek will start his first ever high school game behind center for BC. He is committed to Florida State and his top weapon is Minnesota commit Za'Quan Bryan. Bryan is a preseason Class 4A all state selection after his 95 catches and 1,376 yards as a junior in 2021. Senior defensive lineman Cole Semien is also a first-teamer and junior linebacker Bryce Baker anchors the BC second-level on defense.
The Warrior defense led by brothers Tavion Gadson (FSU commit) and Lorenzo Cowan (who could commit soon among offers from Kentucky, Minnesota and others) will try to slow a Benedictine offense which averaged 47.5 points per game last year. HVJ’s offense will be led by junior quarterback Jeremiah James, but it’ll be primarily centered around senior running back Joshua Pridgen (108.7 rushing yards per game last year).
EFFINGHAM COUNTY at RICHMOND HILL
It’ll be the first time these two teams have played a non-region game in quite some time. Effingham (6-4) remains in region 2-6A this season but Richmond Hill (4-6) has moved up one class and will play in region 1-7A.
The Wildcat offense is led by senior quarterback Ty Goldrick and senior receiver Ravon Grant. Sophomore athlete Caleb Easterling should also be a primary weapon and the trio will have their work cut out for them against a stingy Effingham defense which allowed 18 points per game in 2021.
Goldrick threw for 1,537 yards and 10 touchdowns (10 interceptions) as a junior. Grant caught 46 balls for 793 yards and five touchdowns while Easterling rushed for 238 yards and five scores in his freshman campaign.
Effingham is predicted to finish fourth in its region and is No. 40 in Class 6A, according to the Maxwell projections. Richmond Hill is ranked No. 28 in Class 7A and predicted to finish fifth (of five) in region 1-7A, one of the most difficult regions in the state of Georgia.
The Rebels and head coach John Ford are hoping for a big season from senior receiver (and cornerback) Keion Wallace who missed most of his junior season due to injury. Wallace has college scholarship offers from Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and West Virginia. Nate Hayes is expected to start at quarterback after the junior played backup to Matthew Ford last season. Safety Ashley Thompson – who has an offer from Air Force – leads the secondary while Keysean McCarr (12 sacks) anchors the defensive line.
Richmond Hill is 4-8 all-time versus Effingham County, but head coach Matt LeZotte has led RHHS to three straight wins over the Rebels in the last three seasons. In those three wins, Richmond Hill has outscored Effingham 114-20.
CALVARY DAY at ISLANDS
Calvary enters this season with high expectations and there is plenty of talent on Mark Stroud’s roster to warrant that. The Cavs (12-1) begin the season ranked No. 6 in the AJC’s preseason Class 3A poll.
Islands (4-6) and head coach DeShawn Printup will play in a difficult region 3-4A again this season alongside Benedictine, New Hampstead, Burke County, Southeast Bulloch and Wayne County. Although the Sharks are projected to finish last in the region (21% chance to make state playoffs), they have enough talent to get Calvary’s full attention in Week 1.
One key matchup to monitor in this one will be that of IHS defensive lineman Sha’ron McGert up front against Calvary’s excellent offensive line anchored by Jalin Scott. Calvary has lots of options in the passing game for junior quarterback Jake Merklinger, but the running game paced by Antonio A.J. Butts may have to be creative to open up running lanes against McGert and the Sharks’ defensive front.
Technically, Islands has never beaten Calvary (0-4). But in 2019, Islands’ 42-21 victory over CDS was eventually changed to a forfeit loss after IHS suffered GHSA sanctions stemming from transfer violations.
WINDSOR FOREST at SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY
A Savannah southside battle between the Knights and Hornets will serve as the first high school start for sophomore SCDS quarterback Barton Mixon. Mixon takes over for four-year starter Barry Kleinpeter at quarterback for head coach John Mohring’s club. Across the field, Donte Dorman is expected to start at quarterback for Jeb Stewart’s Windsor Forest team after the senior missed most of last season with a broken collarbone.
Country Day (4-7) has made the state playoffs for six consecutive seasons, but that streak might be in danger now that the Hornets have moved up to region 3-3A. Windsor Forest (5-5) is 11-7 in two years under Stewart and the Knights have made the state playoffs in five straight seasons, losing in the first round in each of those years.
According to Georgia High School Football Historians (www.ghsfha.org), the two schools have never met in a regular season game.
JOSEY at SAVANNAH HIGH
The first ever game at the newly opened Savannah High School Football Stadium is one that the Bluejackets will expect to win. Both teams were 2-8 last year. Josey will travel from Augusta to Savannah for the non-region affair. The Eagles averaged 14.6 points per game in 2021 while the Bluejackets averaged 10.1.
SHS figures to be led by senior dual-threat quarterback Khaleel Polite and junior receiver Terrance Edwards. On defense, the Bluejackets will rely on sophomore Malachi Grant.
WEEK ZERO SCHEDULE
AUG. 18 (Thursday)
May River at New Hampstead (Pooler Stadium)
AUG. 19
Effingham County at Richmond Hill
Jenkins at Benedictine (Memorial)
Calvary Day at Islands (Islands)
Josey at Savannah High (Savannah High)
Hilton Head Christian at Savannah Christian (Pooler Stadium)
Windsor Forest at Savannah Country Day
Thomas Jefferson at St. Andrew's
Hilton Head Prep at Bethesda (Daffin Park)
South Effingham at Vidalia
Beach at Bluffton
Johnson at MCA
Bryan County at Lincoln County
Memorial Day at Palmetto Christian
FOLLOW Travis Jaudon on Twitter/Instagram @JaudonSports. Email him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.
PHOTO CREDIT - RDP Productions
Optim Orthopedics supports Benedictine Military School, Calvary Day School, Richmond Hill High School, Savannah Country Day, South Effingham High School, and St. Vincent's athletics. Benedictine Military School's team doctor is Dr. David Sedory. The team doctor for Calvary Day School, South Effingham, and Richmond Hill is Dr. David Palmer. Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's team doctor is Dr. Thomas Alexander. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game!
