ITG Next South Georgia February/March 2024 Magazine by ITG Next Magazine

Pierce County Football Wins 2nd State Championship in 4 Years 11 Former Georgia High School Quarterbacks Enter Transfer Portal

FEB/MAR 2024

Michael Barrett Prepares for NFL Combine After Winning 2024 College Football Championship

ITG Next Sends Middle and High School Student-Athletes to 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl for Free

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Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes

Feature Stories 7

11 Former Georgia High School Quarterbacks Enter Transfer Portal

Brooks County RB Chris Cole Jr. Named Farah and Farah Forward Progress Award Winner

Pierce County Football Wins 2nd State Championship in 4 Years

Graphic Design Mandy Rodriguez

Benedictine Basketball Standout Caleb Jones Gets It Done With Mind and Body

Player Spotlight Photography Sean Perry

4 Questions With Buford Football & Gwinnett Stripers Baseball Announcer Cary Clayborn

Feature Photography Sean Perry Jycobi Williams Aaron Musgrove Marque Milla Reese Brandon Pham

Excitement Abounds in 2023 GHSA Football State Championship Games

ITG Next Sends Middle and High School Student-Athletes to 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl for Free

Camden County Head Football Coach Jeff Herron Quiets the Critics

Michael Barrett Prepares for NFL Combine After Winning 2024 College Football Championship

Glynn Academy Wrestling Standout Marigona Lau Stays Busy with Sports, Family

4 Questions With Bainbridge Boys Basketball Coach Kelvin Cochran

ITG Next Hosts 16th Annual South Georgia High School Football Banquet

Editor Anna Limoges Copy Editors Phil Jones Anna Limoges Allen Allnoch

Feature Writers Phil Jones Dhruv Mohan Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes mark@itgnext.com

ITG Next is published bi-monthly. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. Dykes Media Group LLC makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2024 Dykes Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.

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Player Spotlights: 8 Jabari Williams | Valdosta 15 Rodge Waldrop | Brookwood

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11 Former Georgia High School Quarterbacks Enter Transfer Portal Written by: Dhruv Mohan

ER. TRAIN SMARTER. SMARTER. TER. N FASTER. College football’s transfer portal received a record-setting number of entries in its opening week of 2024. Of the more than 1,200 players currently in the portal, 11 are quarterbacks from the state of Georgia. Brock Vandagriff is the most notable portal entry of the former Georgia high school quarterbacks. The 2021 four-star from Prince Avenue Christian saw limited playing time at Georgia, resulting in his transfer to Kentucky. Vandagriff filled the high school record books with the Wolverines, and he still ranks within the top 15 all-time in career passing yards, career passing touchdowns, and passing yards in a single season. Three other SEC quarterbacks entered the portal within the last month. Former Oconee County star Max Johnson was the earliest, announcing his transfer from Texas A&M to North Carolina. Vanderbilt’s AJ Swann (Cherokee) and South Carolina’s Colten Gauthier (Hebron Christian) followed suit a week later. All three quarterbacks were prolific passers at their respective high schools, combining for more than 19,000 yards and leading their squads to playoff berths. Johnson lead the Warriors to the state championship game in 2019. Two MAC quarterbacks also elected to find new homes for next season. Cedar Grove alumnus Austin Smith turned in two solid years with the Eastern Michigan Eagles; he has yet to announce his transfer destination. In high school, Smith won back-to-back state championships with the Saints, defeating Peach County in 2018 and Crisp County in 2019. Kent State’s Griffin Brewster (Darlington) nev-

er won a state title, but he did enjoy some postseason success. His sophomore and junior seasons both ended with quarterfinals appearances, and the Tigers never lost before the playoffs’ second weekend under his command. More notable figures have emerged into the portal recently. NC State’s MJ Morris was a household name during his time at Pace Academy and Carrollton. Morris passed for 3,081 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2021, and, more importantly, he managed to lead the Trojans into the semifinals for the first time since 2013. Fulton and Cobb County residents may remember Jarrett Guest (Kennesaw Mountain, Coastal Carolina) and Max Brosmer (Centennial, New Hampshire). Brosmer recently committed to Minnesota, while Guest is still exploring options. Also in the portal is former South Paulding and Colorado quarterback Kasen Weisman. Weisman was a dynamic playmaker for the Spartans, and he was instrumental in ranked upsets of Rome and Douglas County in 2021. Lastly, Dexter Williams II entered the portal in late November. The Mount de Sales passer announced his transfer from Indiana after seeing limited playing time. With the Cavaliers, though, Williams was borderline unstoppable. In 2019, when Mount de Sales remained in the GHSA, Williams led his squad to an undefeated regular season and the school’s first region championship since 1997. The college football transfer portal officially opened on December 4. With much time remaining before the start of next season, who will be the next among former Georgia high school quarterbacks to join these 11?

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PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

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PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

Brooks County RB Chris Cole Jr. Named Farah and Farah Forward Progress Award Winner Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Sean Perry

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Congratulations to Brooks County rising senior running back Chris Cole Jr., this year’s recipient of the Farah and Farah Forward Progress Award. Chris finished his junior season in 2023 with breakout numbers: 18 touchdowns and 1,726 yards rushing on 262 carries. That was a big improvement compared to Cole’s 2022 season, when he ran for 805 yards and 12 TDs on 192 carries. But this has really been the story of Chris Cole from the very first day he suited up for the red, white, and blue Brooks County Trojans. He has had to fight to show that he deserves the chance to be the guy. Cole started his career at Brooks County in the shad-

ow of two highly talented Trojan rushers. One was Amari Arnold, who was a senior during Cole’s freshman year, and who was one of the big reasons for Brooks County’s state championship that season. Arnold also became the school’s all-time leading career rusher that season. The player he passed on that list? Chris Cole Sr. That’s right – Chris Cole’s father, the other big shadow Chris Jr. was playing in, and maybe the biggest of the two. To long-time Brooks County fans, the man with the same name who played the same position for the same program is still considered – despite losing the school rushing record to Arnold – as perhaps the best rusher in Trojans history.

Brooks County head football coach Maurice Freeman, who coached Chris Cole Sr., acknowledged that while he understood the natural comparisons of the son to the father, there were some distinct differences between the two players. “Chris Cole Jr. is a completely different runner than his father,” Freeman told ITG Next last year. Freeman explained how the elder Cole was a “power runner with a straight-ahead style of running the football,” while Chris Jr. has more of a “slashing style when carrying the football.” Chris Jr. saw little time on the field as a freshman, when he played behind Arnold. The next season, with Arnold having graduated,

Chris was set to take over as the team’s feature back. But an early-season MCL sprain set him back before the Trojans even got into the meat of their schedule. Still, Chris managed to battle through the injury, running for more than 800 yards and 12 TDs. The 2023 season brought another tough start as Chris and his teammates all had to work hard to climb out of a big hole they dug for themselves in losing five of their first six games. But Chris was determined to get the Trojans back on track, and he did his part with a great season. After receiving the Farah and Farah Forward Progress Award, Chris told ITG Next that he was excited to not only wind up with a great season personally, he also was proud that the Trojans were able to overcome their slow start. “First of all, it was an honor to receive the Farah and Farah Forward Progress Award, because I’ve worked so hard this season to be

recognized, and it finally happened,” Cole said. “It was a great feeling to have the breakout season that I did, but it wasn’t easy. Even though we started off 1-5, we overcame those losses and bonded with each other, then went on a long run in the playoffs.” Like any good running back, Chris was quick to give praise to the guys in the trenches.

“I could not have had the season I did without my offensive line,” he said. “Those guys blocked with everything they had in them this year.”

As Chris Cole Jr. prepares for his senior season at Brooks County, will we see even more from the Trojans’ feature running back? “Play for the name on the front, and they remember the name on the back,” Chris simply said. Whatever happens in the upcoming 2024 season, we definitely will remember the name Chris Cole Jr. for what he accomplished in 2023.

Following that 1-5 start, Chris Cole Jr. and his teammates rallied to win seven straight games, advancing to the Class A semifinals, where they came up a touchdown shy of making it back to the state title game. It was a great comeback, led by a player who knows a little something about making comebacks.

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Pierce County Football Wins 2nd State Championship in 4 Years Bears Coach, Athletic Director Reflect on Class 2A Title Run Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Brandon Pham

The road to the football state championship for Pierce County High School began with a little luck – as in the luck of the draw. After that, it was all hard work and talent that paved the way for the Bears to capture the 2023 GHSA Class 2A title. The 48-45 triple-overtime thriller over Rockmart gave coach Ryan Herring and his Pierce County Bears their second state championship since 2020, when they won the Class 3A crown over Oconee County 13-7. That game also was an OT victory. The 2023 regular season saw Pierce County finish in a three-way tie with Appling and Toombs County for the Region 3-2A top seed. That meant a literal luckof-the-draw would determine playoff seeding for each team. “At the end of the season, all three teams were tied for the region lead, so we had to draw names from a hat for seeding purposes,” explained Pierce County athletic director Brandon Jernigan. Lady luck would be with the Bears. “Drawing the No. 1 seed, we were able to host the first four rounds at home, which was huge,” Jernigan said. 12 | itgnext.com

Home-field advantage indeed was an important factor for the Bears, but it would take much more than luck the rest of the way; it was now up to the Bears’ talent to take over, and it did. Their postseason march to Atlanta began with a win over ACE Charter, followed by victories over Laney and Fellowship Christian, with the latter coming into Blackshear sporting a 10-2 record. Pierce County took care of the Paladins, setting up a home semifinal battle with Fitzgerald. The 35-7 win over the Purple Hurricanes meant a trip to the GHSA Class 2A state championship, where Pierce County would face Rockmart at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game proved to be one of the most exciting state championship games in Georgia high school history. Herring reflected on what it takes to reach the top for Pierce County – or any school, for that matter.

“I chased after one [state title] for basically 20 years,” he said. “Patience was a big part of it, but perseverance was the secret – perseverance by the players, in the

weight room, and on the practice field. You win with people, and there are a lot of moving parts that have to work together. You have to have people pulling in the same direction, and most of all you have to have good kids.” Herring added: “If you win a state title, you must’ve had great players.” Looking back on the 2023 Pierce County Bears, no one is going to doubt that was the case.

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When Benedictine head basketball coach Frank Williams saw Caleb Jones play as an 8-yearold, he knew right away that this young man had a bright future on the court. Only thing is, at the time Williams had no idea Caleb would be playing for him. Caleb’s older sister, Kayla, played for Savannah Christian Preparatory School, and Williams happened to attending a game when, during halftime, Caleb jumped onto the court. “Before I began coaching, I would watch a lot of basketball around the Savannah area, and I went to a game Kayla was playing in,” Williams explained. “[Caleb] must have only been 7 or 8 years old, but there was something about him.” A few years later, a friend of Williams who was a local coach asked him to help scout some younger kids. “I wasn’t coaching at the time, but I would go to games with my coaching friends and help them scout the younger players, and just keep up with their development,” he said. And there was Caleb, this time as a middle school-age player. Williams’ reaction was the same as watching him years earlier, and now he could see the evolution of the youngster’s basketball skills.

“The thing I noticed was how his mind worked – the mental part of his game,” Williams remembered. “He could manipulate and control the game, and he was just able to engineer wins with both his mental and physical approach to the game.”

Pretty heady stuff for a middle school player. But Wiliams was right about Caleb, and now he gets to see those gifts night in and night out with Jones an integral part of the Benedictine basketball program. Caleb Jones is his third season at Benedictine, having arrived at the Savannah school as a freshman. Jones played football and basketball that first year at Benedictine, and while he eventually decided to stick to just basketball, his short time on the gridiron made an impression on Cadets football coach Danny Britt. If you listen to Britt describe Jones’ talents and skills, it’s much more than just how fast he could run or how well he could tackle – in fact, Britt’s comments are similar to how Williams describes his star player.

“Caleb is a very fluid athlete with a tremendous understanding of angles and movement,” Britt said. “He is also a fine young man who is a joy to coach.”

“Caleb isn’t jumping out of the gym, and he isn’t the best shooter on the court, but it’s his ability to score that sets him apart, and he does that by knowing the strengths and weaknesses of those opponents guarding him,” Williams said, adding that teams are still trying to figure out the best way to try to stop the talented guard. “Our opponents keep throwing different defensive looks at Caleb every night to try to stop him, but Caleb is so smart, he just finds a way around it.” Caleb was an All-Region selection as a freshman, and he was selected as both All-Region and All-State as a sophomore

last year. Heading into the 2023-24 basketball season for Benedictine, Jones was preseason All-State pick, and he has not disappointed. Through the Cadets’ first 11 games, Jones is averaging just over 26 points per contest. His career average is right at 20 points per game. Williams says he has continued to improve each season, and he doesn’t expect anything different with Caleb’s game the rest of this year and into next season and beyond.

Benedictine Basketball Standout Caleb Jones Gets It Done With Mind and Body Written by: Phil Jones Photography submitted by: Frank Williams

“We are continuing to build Caleb’s game at both ends of the court, because we want to prepare him for the player we expect him to be in college,” Williams said.

Right now, Williams said Caleb is best at the two [shooting)] guard, but the plan is to move him to point guard next season, where the coach expects him to play in college. “Caleb can score like crazy, but with his basketball smarts and abilities to see the floor, he needs to learn to also guard his position,” Williams explained. “And he has all the tools to do that.”

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4 Questions With Buford Football & Gwinnett Stripers Baseball Announcer Cary Clayborn Written by: Phil Jones

Cary Clayborn serves as the PA announcer for Buford Wolves home football games. Cary isn’t limited to just Buford sports, however; he fills the same role as the PA announcer for the Gwinnett Stripers, the Minor League AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Clayborn recently tried out for the Atlanta Braves PA announcer position, making it to one of the final rounds before being eliminated from competition. Now Cary is ready to take on yet another exciting chapter behind the microphone, which we’ll let him tell you all about here.

Cary, thank you so much for agreeing to be our guest for this week’s 4 Questions segment. I do believe you are the very first public address announcer we have featured in this space. Can you tell us a little about yourself, particularly how you got into public address announcing? What was the first job you had, and when was that?

I have always been an avid sports fan, and while in college at Georgia Southwestern, I got my first taste of sports production as the play-byplay announcer for the live TV broadcasts of our men’s and women’s basketball teams. I learned a lot and we had a blast doing those games. Then “life” happened, and I got married and had two 18 | itgnext.com

beautiful daughters. Several years later, when my oldest daughter started cheerleading for Buford youth football in first grade, I noticed that the PA announcing for those games was, shall we say, sub-par. So I volunteered to be the PA announcer for their Buford team the next year. After other teams heard my announcing, I began to be asked to do more and more games on Saturdays. This year I announced for my youngest daughter’s team (fourth grade), as well as fifth grade, sixth grade, and both of Buford’s eighthgrade teams. When the opportunity to be the PA announcer for Buford’s varsity football games came, I jumped at the chance and threw my name in the hat. I consider it an honor to be in the press box on Friday nights at Buford. I have announced for Buford football, filled in for Buford men’s and women’s basketball, called too many youth football games to count, and announced for the Southeast regional tournament of FBU’s national championship.

At Buford, which spent much of the 2023 season near the top of our Classes 4A-7A rankings, is football the only sport in which you serve as the PA announcer, or are there more, and what goes into the preparation to do the games? It’s a bit more than meets the eye, I would guess?

I am the primary announcer for varsity football, but I have also filled in for some basketball games. Buford has a great team of announcers across the various sports, and they all do a fantastic job. I am blessed with a phenomenal athletic department that ensures everything is ready to go by gametime on Friday nights. They always have a binder ready for me that includes any promotional reads, both teams’ rosters, and any special announcements being made that week. I always take time during the week to look over the rosters of the visiting team coming in the following Friday. I try to familiarize myself with the names, and especially try to focus on the skill players who seem to get most of the playing time. If I know there is a big announcement happening that week, like Senior Night or recognitions of special guests, then I try to get that script ahead of time so I can read through it and be ready.

I mentioned the fact that you work with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves’ minor league affiliate, but you also tried out for the Braves’ public address announcer spot when the position came open recently. What was that whole process like, trying out to be the voice of the Braves home games?

Prior to January of 2023, I had never pursued any announcing opportunities outside of Buford. I received an email about the Atlanta Braves looking for a new PA Announcer, so, completely on a whim, I filled out the application and recorded my audition at my dining room table. I had never announced a single baseball game in my life, but I figured why not? A few weeks later, I got an email that they wanted to move forward with a virtual interview. I did the interview, and then later that night, I was told they would like for me to come to Truist Park for an in-person audition. That audition was crazy! They whisked us in, sat us in the booth, a script would pop up on a screen for me to read, and that was that. They never asked if I had ever announced a baseball game before. Regardless, I made it to the Final 12 out of over 500 applicants, and it was all a lot of fun. In the end the gig went to their Stripers announcer, and he obviously left a vacancy in Gwinnett, so here we are. 2023 was my first season announcing in professional baseball and it was a blast. I got to introduce players like Michael Harris II, Travis D’Arnaud, Max Fried, Kyle Wright, Jazz Chisolm, and my childhood hero, Dale Murphy. The highlight was getting to introduce White Sox pitcher Liam Hendrix as he made his

first appearance back in baseball after a cancer diagnosis. That’s one I will never forget.

I mentioned that you have just landed a new position in the world of public address announcing. I’ll let you tell our ITG Next readers about that.

There are always new PA announcing opportunities popping up, but most of them are too far away from where I live north of Atlanta. A few months back, I found out that Georgia Tech was looking to add new announcers to their PA announcing team, so I sent in an audition. As far as I can tell they had about 30-40 of us come in for in-person auditions based on our online submissions. I gotta admit, it was pretty cool to audition at the scorer’s table at McCamish Pavilion – that was a thrill in and of itself. I recently found out that I am officially on their team, that I will be announcing eight home baseball games for Georgia Tech this spring at Russ Chandler Stadium, and I am very excited about that opportunity. This will be my first experience announcing for a D1 university and I am looking forward to it.

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EXCITEMENT ABOUNDS IN 2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES Written by: Dhruv Mohan

Another season of Georgia high school football is in the books. The 2023 GHSA state championship games, played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time since 2018, brought endless entertainment. Here’s a look at the eight title games, ranked in terms of the excitement each brought.

8. WOODWARD ACADEMY VS. THOMAS COUNTY CENTRAL (6A)

The 2023 GHSA state championship games produced two 49-28 outcomes. In this one, the Yellow Jackets controlled the game from their opening possession. They built a 28-0 late into the first half and never relinquished, routing the War Eagles by 21 points. Since 2018, only last season’s Langston Hughes squad has managed to score more on Woodward Academy’s defense.

7. CEDAR GROVE VS. SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN (3A)

Each offense quickly scored two touchdowns, but key stops by the Cedar Grove defense ballooned the Saints’ lead to 28 by the end of the third quarter. Quarterback EJ Colson, a UCF commit, passed for 259 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Saints rolled to a 49-28 victory.

6. PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN VS. SWAINSBORO (1A-DI)

Much like they did in last year’s title matchup between these teams – Prince Avenue Christian won that one 52-34 – the Wolverines notched a shootout victory, winning 49-32. A 98-yard pick-6 by Georgia commit Demello Jones prevented a first-half blowout, but Prince Avenue was able to pull away in the final quarter. In the process, quarterback Aaron Philo set the state record for career passing yards, breaking the previous mark held by Trevor Lawrence.

5. COFFEE VS. CREEKSIDE (5A)

Once again, Coffee’s defense stood tall, this time holding Creekside (41 PPG) to just 14 points to seal an undefeated season. Aided by timely offensive playcalling and RB Fred Brown’s 183 rushing yards, the Trojans suffocated the Seminoles in earning a 17-point win.

4. STOCKBRIDGE VS. PERRY (4A)

The Panthers took a three-point lead into the half. They built on it in the final two quarters with sustained drives, keeping the Tigers’ explosive rushing attack off the field. A fourth-down stop early in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference as Perry held off Stockbridge, 38-27.

3. BOWDON VS. MANCHESTER (1A-DII)

Bowdon avenged an early-season loss to Manchester with excellent defense in the second half, holding the Blue Devils to one score. On that touchdown, a 15-yard penalty made the extra point try 35 yards, and Manchester chose to run a fake and go for two. It proved unsuccessful, and the Red Devils edged out the Blue Devils, 28-27.

2. WALTON VS. MILTON (7A)

A talent-rich nightcap saw a 31-21 upset of the state’s top-ranked team, Walton. A swarming Milton defense forced three Jeremy Hecklinski interceptions, including the title-clinching pick-6. The Raiders built a seven-point cushion at the half, but a fumble and two interceptions on consecutive drives handed the Eagles 17 points and the eventual margin of victory.

1. PIERCE COUNTY VS. ROCKMART (2A)

Undoubtedly, this 2023 matchup ranks as one of the best games in GHSA state championship history. The teams traded touchdowns throughout four quarters, sending the game to multiple overtimes. In the third extra period, Rockmart’s go-ahead field goal was answered with a game-winning rushing touchdown by quarterback Caden McGatha, earning the Bears a thrilling 48-45 title victory. McGatha added 126 passing yards and 2 touchdowns to his impressive 258 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 53 carries.

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ITG Next Sends Middle and High School Student-Athletes to 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl for Free Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Phil Jones and Flynt Dykes

ITG Next welcomed hundreds of high school student-athletes and their coaches to the 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Takeover at Everbank Field in Jacksonville on December 29. As in past years, the students came from various schools around South Georgia and North Florida, and they were treated to a great day of football, food, and fun. This bowl game has become one of the premier contests in college football, growing in popularity and fan attendance while hosting great teams every year. The 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl was no exception as the Clemson Tigers and the Kentucky Wildcats gave fans on both sides plenty to cheer about. An exciting, back-and-forth second half ended with Clemson winning 38-35. Prior to the game, ITG Next provided the students and their coaches with convenient parking, game tickets, and a meal, all at no cost to them.

Be sure to ask your school about joining the ITG Next TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Takeover next year!

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20th BRIDGE RUN

SATURDAY, FEB. 17, 2024 The Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation Bridge Run across the scenic Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia, has been certified by the U.S. Track and Field Association as “the toughest 5K in Georgia.” The Bridge Run also includes a walk and a family-friendly festival, featuring vendors, food and drinks, entertainment and children’s activities. Proceeds benefit the Health System’s cancer and cardiac care programs.

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Camden County Head Football Coach Jeff Herron Quiets the Critics Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: ITG Next Archive

Jeff Herron

and his Camden County Wildcats had heard it all before: the comments from high school football fans and pundits alike who said Herron’s run-heavy, triple-option Wing-T attack would never work at the Class 7A level. Sure, Camden won numerous region titles and three state championships under Herron with this same offensive approach before, and the Wildcats are still the third-winningest team this century in the state’s largest class. (Lowndes is No. 1 with 228 wins and Grayson is No. 2 with 227. Camden is now at 226.) But hey, things were different now. If you were going to win and survive in today’s highest classification, you’d have to learn to start throwing the football. Well, so much for the so-called experts. When it comes to experts, Herron is one of the best at winning football games when it counts, and the 2023 Camden County team definitely won when it mattered. Following a 1-1 start to the season, Camden would win six of its final eight games, including key region matchups against Richmond Hill and, in the regular-season finale, against Lowndes, to finish 2-2 in region play. That was good enough to make the playoffs, but only as the No. 3 seed, which meant Camden County would have to play away from the friendly confines of Chris Gilman Stadium, where the Wildcats won five of seven home games in 2023. Camden County entered the playoffs at Newton, a team that had spent much of the season in Class 7A Top-10 rankings and had impressive wins over the Grayson Rams and Westlake Lions. But the Wildcats pulled off the first of three stunning playoff wins against the home Rams, scoring 29 unanswered points after falling behind 15-0.

Camden had entered the game as a 21-point underdog. Next, it was Camden County’s defense that rose up against the McEachern Indians. The Wildcats defeated the Region 3-7A champions 26-0 in the second round of the state playoffs. As with their first-round game, the Wildcats entered the game as an underdog but proved everyone wrong once again. Next up, in a third-round quarterfinal matchup, Camden County traveled to take on the defending state champion Mill Creek Indians. It was Camden’s first quarterfinal game since 2012, which was the final season of Herron’s first tenure at the Kingsland school. Entering the game as a double-digit underdog again, the Wildcats pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the state playoffs with a dominating 39-20 victory. The 333-mile trip was well worth it for Herron and his Wildcats. This magical season came to an end with a semifinal loss against the Walton Indians by a 41-25 score. It concluded a successful 10-4 season and a playoff run like Camden County hadn’t seen in a long time. “It was very enjoyable and gratifying to watch our team mature and start believing they could beat anyone again like the Camden County of old,” Herron said. “Going on the road and winning like we did in the playoffs was quite a ride.” Quite a ride indeed. Herron said the total round-trip mileage his Camden County team covered in its final two regular-season and four playoff games was the equivalent of traveling from Kingsland to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Whatever it takes. Never count out Jeff Herron and that triple-option Wing-T, Veer – or whatever you want to call it – ever again. Editor’s note: Since the writing of this story, Jeff Herron has announced his retirement from teaching and coaching. ITG Next | 27

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Michael Barrett Prepares for NFL Combine After Winning 2024 College Football Championship

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Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Aaron Musgrove & Marque Milla Reese

Michael Barrett’s college football career has ended with what many players only dream of: a national championship. Now, Barrett will try to realize yet another dream, which is to play in the NFL. I had a chance to catch up with Barrett as he prepares for the upcoming NFL draft, and the former Lowndes High School and University of Michigan great reflected on the path that has brought him to this place in his life and his football career. I also spoke with the coaches who mentored Barrett in middle school and high school, and none are surprised that he has landed on the doorstep of a possible professional career.

MICHEAL BARRETT ON HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL RIVALRY GAMES Barrett said his fondest memories of playing at Lowndes High School were the games against two of the Vikings’ biggest rivals. “Of course, there is nothing like the Winnersville Classic against Valdosta,” Barrett said. “But playing Colquitt County for the region championship (in 2017), that was one of the craziest games I have ever been a part of.” He even compared those games to what is perhaps the biggest rivalry in college football. “Coming up to Michigan and playing versus Ohio State is the best way to compare playing in those (high school) games, but as big as that (Michigan-Ohio State) game is, it’s hard to beat the games against Colquitt and the Winnersville Classic,” Barrett said. “That’s as good as it gets.”

HOW PLAYING MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL PREPARED MICHAEL BARRETT FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL Barrett played linebacker and quarterback at Lowndes, and he excelled on both sides of the ball. “That (playing multiple positions) gave me a lot of confidence in high school, and that helped me when I got to Michigan because they did the same thing with letting me play multiple positions,” Barrett said. “They put me everywhere when I got to Michigan: slot, LB viper, wildcat QB, and back to receiver.”

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Barrett said that as he began to get settled at Michigan and the coaches became more familiar with his strengths and comfort level, he made the move to the defensive side of the ball. “I kept moving around a lot, and I went to playing at nickel and dime,” Barrett said. He also saw a good bit of time on special teams before settling in at LB during his final two seasons at Michigan.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES RECALL MICHAEL BARRETT’S CAREER AT LOWNDES The coaches who mentored Barrett in middle school and through his years as a Lowndes High standout all remember Barrett fondly for the obvious talent that he displayed, but former Lowndes head football coach Randy McPherson said it was much more than talent when it came to what made Michael Barrett special. “Everybody knows what a great player Micheal Barrett was and still is, but I will tell you what I first noticed about him that set him apart, and that was his mindset,” McPherson said. “I saw it the first time I met Michael and saw him play. I have seen a lot of great players, but Micheal was different. His mindset was that he was going to be the best he can be, and wherever we (coaches) wanted him to play, he was going to be the best at that position – better than anyone else – and he was.” The now retired and longtime head coach at Lowndes said that Barrett’s will to be the best he could be came from qualities he learned from his parents. “It all started with how Mike was raised by his mother and father,” McPherson said. “He learned great qualities like character and loyalty from his parents, and Micheal did not want to let his family, his coaches, his teammates, and his community down,” McPherson said. “That’s what really drives Mike, and that’s what is going to make somebody take a shot on Mike in the NFL. He will find a way to get on the field.”

“I WANT TO MOVE MICHEAL TO QB” Former Lowndes assistant coach Jim Henry recalled the day when McPherson wanted to move Barrett to QB. “Coach Mac (McPherson) had just hired me as the QB coach, and he came up to me and said, ‘I want to move Mike to QB,’” Henry said. “I thought, ‘Well, this is a unique situation, taking our best defensive player and making him your top player on offense.’” But McPherson was adamant about the move. “We are moving Mike to QB, and we are not looking back,” McPherson said. It was a rough start for Barrett. “Mike had a terrible spring game at QB,” Henry said. Barrett then made himself a student of the game. “Michael began to sleep and breathe everything about the QB position,” Henry said. “He started from ground zero and became one of the best we have ever had at Lowndes.” How good? 30 | itgnext.com

The offense enjoyed their two highest scoring seasons (2016 and 2017) in Lowndes football history when Barrett played QB his junior and senior years, said Josh Akers, a Lowndes associate athletic director and assistant coach who served as an offensive coach during those two seasons. Steve Holley, who coached Barrett in middle school, said he remembers thinking even at that point in Barrett’s young career that he was different. “I could tell even then that Mike was going to be a generational-type player, and that’s exactly what he has become,” Holley said.

MICHAEL BARRETT ON PREPARING FOR THE NEXT STEP OF HIS FOOTBALL CAREER: THE NFL Barrett said that he is currently in South Florida working out and preparing for the NFL Draft, and while he considered coming out for the draft a year ago, he is glad he stayed at Michigan – for more than one reason. “Of course, I got a chance to play for and win a national championship, but the extra year has helped me a lot,” Barrett said. He said that he would have likely gone in as an undrafted free agent had he declared for the draft last year, but the additional experience that came with waiting another season to finish out his college career helps him now. However, he said his future mostly depends on how well he impresses the scouts at the 2024 NFL Combine. “It’s game time for me,” Barrett said. Barrett said he credits his coaches at Lowndes who helped him get to this point. “Coach Terry Quinn, Coach Mitchell, Steve Holley, Jim Henry, Coach Akers, and Coach Mac, they all kept me on the right path and are a big reason why I am where I am,” Barrett said.

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Glynn Academy Wrestling Standout Marigona Lau Stays Busy with Sports, Family Written by: Phil Jones | Photography submitted by: Haley Bumgardner

Glynn Academy sophomore Marigona Lau began wrestling in elementary school, but other interests took over. She began surfing with her father, something she still does today, and she began playing volleyball, another sport she continues to participate in. But the urge to begin wrestling again returned when Marigona began high school, and despite the long layoff, when she did start back, it was as if she had never left. “Marigona decided to start wrestling again last year, her freshman season, and it had been probably 10 years since she last wrestled,” said Glynn Academy girls wrestling coach Haley Bumgardner. “She took to the sport right away despite the long layoff, and she dominated. She is very athletic in general, and everything just comes so naturally to her.” A look at her 2023 season shows just how naturally Marigona was able to return to wrestling after the long layoff, and just how much she dominated. The Red Terror freshman, competing in the 125-pound class, won the county’s first-ever female region wrestling tournament with three straight shutout matches to qualify for the sectional tournament, then the state tournament. She ultimately placed second in the GHSA state standings, but that was only a part of her 2023 success. Competing in various open tournaments, she kept up her championship-cal-

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iber performances, taking first place last summer in the 2023 Tyrant Poseidon Open Class tournament and again placing first at the Knockout Christmas Classic in December. “It’s one of the biggest girls tournaments in Florida, with about 300 girls competing,” Bumgardner said. “Marigona was seeded first in the 130-pound class, and she wrestled five matches that day and went undefeated against some of the best competition in the state.” Marigona’s first year back on the wrestling mat was a success, as she finished with a 16-2 overall record. And so far this season, there has been no sophomore slump for the Red Terror student-athlete. She’s picked up where she left off with another impressive showing at the Brawl at the Beach open tournament, once again posting a first-place finish in her weight class at the Northeast Florida competition earlier this year. That was one of several wrestling victories so far in 2024 for the talented sophomore. Through January 21, her overall record was 14-3. Marigona reflected on her decision to return to wrestling. “I wanted to try something new and challenging when I came to high school,” she said. “I was playing volleyball and wanted to continue doing that, but I wanted to do another sport, too.”

As good as she is on the wrestling mat and the volleyball court, there’s another place Marigona loves just as much: the ocean. “I love to surf,” Marigiona said of a sport that allows her to enjoy the ocean with her family, especially her father, Kawika. “My dad was in the Army and we surf together with a group called Task Force Hydro One in Jacksonville, which is a veterans and first responders group,” she said. Marigona has a younger brother, Kainoa, who is an eighth-grader and also wrestles, and another younger brother, Kamalei. She and her family spend summers visiting Kosovo, the native country of her mother, Hamide. With wrestling, surfing, and volleyball taking up a large part of the Glynn Academy student- athlete’s time, is there one sport she sees in her future? Marigona is keeping all of her options open – wide open. “I want to wrestle through high school and see where it brings me,” she said. “I definitely want to go to college near the coast so I can surf, so if that is something I can do and still wrestle, that would be cool.”

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4 Questions With Bainbridge Boys Basketball Coach Kelvin Cochran Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Ross Roddy

Our ITG Next Georgia 4 Questions with the Coach guest this week is Bainbridge High boys basketball coach Kelvin Cochran. The veteran coach reached quite a milestone last year when he picked up his 200th career victory at the southwest Georgia school. Cochran knows the Bearcats basketball program as well as anyone, having served as assistant boys coach for 24 of his 27 years there, and as girls basketball head coach for 11 years prior to being named the boys head coach. The Bearcats had another successful season last year, including a 21-1 start and a berth in the region championship game. In chatting with coach Cochran, we ask him about the 2022-23 season, as well as how things are going so far this year.

Coach, thank you for joining us for our 4 Questions spotlight. With the core starters of your Bainbridge basketball team returning last year,

you guys wound up having a great season, finishing with 26 wins, including a 9-0 region record. That’s a lot of wins, and it was a solid season, but with a tough two-point loss to Fayette County in the second round of the playoffs, would you describe the season as bittersweet? What was your assessment of the season as a whole?

Yes, most definitely a bittersweet feeling, considering the way the season ended last year. We suffered a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer to a good Fayette County team after feeling like we had a chance to make a run to the championship game. Last year's team was led by a selfless group of seniors who just wanted to win. They didn't care who scored the points each night, and they loved to compete, especially on the defensive end. Seniors KJ Cochran, Dontae Broadnax, KJ Bryant, VJ Erving, and Amarion Ford all had the ability to make

plays for their teammates and themselves, and they will definitely be missed. They left a lot of good basketball memories for our Bearcat faithful.

One player who really came through for you was AJ Grant. He was a solid contributor last year as the only junior in the starting lineup. It’s got to be encouraging to have him play well, right?

Yes, AJ was the little brother of this group of seniors, dating back to middle school. His ability to shoot the three-ball and his basketball IQ made him a great fit with that senior-laden squad. As being the most experienced player returning, it will be mostly on his shoulders this year to lead the Bearcats.

Let’s talk about this s e a s o n , Coach Cochran. You guys started off 8-3 through the first month, then hit a bit of a rough patch.

There’s a lot of basketball left to play, but how would you describe the performance of your Bainbridge basketball team so far?

I would describe our team performance so far this year as inconsistent, even though we have a good number of seniors who were a part of the team's success last year. It has been a challenge for some of them to step in the bigger roles vacated by our graduated seniors. We play well in spurts and have been getting off to slow starts during this rough patch. We turn it on in the second half and give ourselves a chance to win, but we run out of time. We have to find some consistency down this stretch run to the end of the season.

this Bainbridge basketball team the rest of the way in 2024?

As I mentioned earlier, we have several seniors who were a part of last year's successful season. Hopefully the experience of practicing against last year's seniors will give us a chance to compete for another region championship and state playoff berth this year. Along with AJ Grant, seniors Zyrell Williams, Keith Gaines, Gabriel Smart, Cam Sanders and sophomore Ty Jones are tasked to lead the 2023-24 Bearcats.

Besides AJ Grant, who else are you depending on to lead

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ITG Next Hosts 16th Annual South Georgia High School Football Banquet Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Sean Perry

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The 16th annual ITG Next South Georgia High School Football Banquet, presented by Georgia Sports Medicine, returned to The Patterson in downtown Valdosta in 2023, with hundreds of high school football players from across south and middle Georgia, along with their coaches, parents, and event sponsors, gathering to celebrate another successful season. ITG Next founder Mark Dykes opened the evening by welcoming everyone and talking about how the event has grown over the years. Former FCA area director Bobby Willis gave the invocation before attendees enjoyed dinner. The keynote speaker for the 2023 ITG Next South Georgia High School Football Banquet, presented by Georgia Sports Medicine, was Georgia Tech head football coach Brent Key. Key had the crowd hanging on his every word as he talked about the dedication it takes to build a winner on and away from the field and the many lessons he learned from those who made an impact on him growing up. Following Key’s address, the event recognized the top offensive and defensive players from more than 30 schools, as well as several major award winners, including the top overall offensive and defensive players and the Coach of the Year. All award winners were selected by the ITG Next staff, and they ranged from clear-cut choices to a couple that required some candid conversations before a consensus was reached. Taking home the Offensive Player of the Year award was Coffee High running back Fred Brown, while Defensive Player of the Year went to Valdosta High defensive end Eric Brantley. The Forward Progress Award winner was Brooks County running back Chris Cole, and Perry High tight end Donovan Funsch took Scholar Athlete of the Year honors. The Top Middle School Player award went to Hahira Middle School two-

way standout Malik Roman. Colquitt County kicker Brett Fitzgerald was named the Special Teams Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. A championship feel permeated this year’s event, with a total of five state champion teams in attendance. The group included the GISA Class 3A state champion Valwood Valiants, along with the GHSA Class 5A state champion Coffee Trojans, Class 2A state champion Pierce County Bears, Class 4A state champion Perry Panthers, and Class 6A state champion Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets. With so many state championship teams and their coaches present, it made our last major award – the Hughston Clinic Coach of the Year – a tough choice. After considering each of the state championship head coaches and the fine work they did in leading their teams to a title, the ITG Next staff selected Thomas County Central head football coach Justin Rogers as our Hughston Clinic Coach of the Year. In just his second season as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach, Rogers led them to the school’s first state championship since 1997 and the sixth in school history. ITG Next looks forward to next year’s South Georgia High School Football Banquet, and we thank the sponsors who make this great event possible each year.

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FRED BROWN Coffee High School

OFFENSIVE Player of the year

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