Football Player of the Week

By Kevin Price

912 Sports will name a Coastal Pines Technical College Player of the Week each week during the 2020 high school football season. 

Meet the winner of this week’s award:

Bryson Benton

Senior, Fullback

Appling County 

Rick Tomberlin admits to changing with the times in some ways as a longtime football coach in Georgia.

But in many ways, the Appling County head coach is still an “old-school” coach. For instance, he still uses a fullback on offense.

And on Friday night against Benendictine, Appling County senior fullback Bryson Benton played a big role in helping the Pirates knock off the Cadets 28-21 in a down-to-the-wire game in Baxley.

Benton carried the ball eight times for 85 yards and a touchdown, breaking three tackles on his way to the end zone. He also caught two passes for 8 yards and had three knock-down blocks for the Pirates which his head coach loved as much as anything he did all night.

“He ran and blocked amazingly,” Tomberlin said. 

For his contributions in the victory, Benton has been named the Coastal Pines Technical College Player of the Week by 912 Sports. 

With the win, the Pirates, who are ranked No. 6 in Class AAA, are 5-0 on the season. Benedictine dropped to 5-2 with the loss and fell from third to fifth in the Class AAAA state poll. The Cadets’ only other loss this season came at Ware County, which is 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA. 

Friday’s game between the Pirates and Cadets was tied at 21-21 in the fourth quarter. Appling took the lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jeremiah Holmes to Jaylen Johnson with 52 seconds left.

Benedictine drove to the Appling 23-yard line in the final moments, but the Pirates intercepted a pass to hold off the Cadets. 

Benton is 5-foot-8 and weighs 205 pounds. 

Appling will be at home this week for its annual Homecoming game against Long County. The game is also the first Region 1-AAA game for the Pirates this season. 

Players of Week

Week 1 - Shaquan Brooks (Richmond Hill)

Week 2 - Thomas Castellanos (Ware County)

Week 3 - Tony Cobb (Charlton County)

Week 4 - Trent Johnson (McIntosh County Academy)

Week 5 - Mason Mikell (Bacon County)

Week 6 - Tyrease Jones (Brunswick)

Week 7 - Bryson Benton (Appling County)

By Kevin Price

Savannah Jeffers unfortunately did not win her final few games with the Ware County softball team this week.

But, she did close her senior season with some big moments that will make for good stories when she’s perhaps teaching her own kids or grandchildren how to play the game one day down the road.

Last week, Jeffers was 4-for-4 at the plate against Appling County and 2-for-5 with a home run against Bacon County as the Lady Gators closed out their regular season. 

She finished the regular season batting .418 with five doubles, two triples, four homers and a team-best 22 RBIs. 

For her strong performance with the bat, 912 Sports has named Jeffers the Coastal Pines Technical College Female Athlete of the Week. 

“Savannah is very deserving of this award,” said Ware coach Rebecca Kirkland. “She has had a great season offensively and defensively. She has also shown tremendous leadership and encouragement throughout this season. I am very proud of her.”

The Lady Gators were on the road Monday in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs and lost 10-8 and 4-1 to Locust Grove in their best-of-3 series to see their 2020 season end there.

In the first game of Monday’s doubleheader, the Lady Gators were losing 8-4 late when Jeffers roped a grand slam over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 8-8 before the home team would end up plating two more runs to still take the opening game.

To see the senior with the big bat deliver in the clutch was not surprising to the Lady Gators.

“She has come through in some tough situations at the plate,” Kirkland said. 

Athletes of Week

Week 1 - Avien Trull (Ware County, Softball)

Week 2 - Cheyenne Ryan, Tyler Phillips (South Effingham, Cross Country)

Week 3 - Rebecca DeLoach (Pierce County, Softball)

Week 4 - D’Najah Boyd (Ware County, Volleyball)

Week 5 - Kamari Strozier (Bacon County, Softball)

Week 6 - Natalie Herrin (Pierce County, Softball)

Week 7 - Lily Hidalgo (Glynn Academy, Volleyball)

Week 8 - Savannah Jeffers (Ware County, Softball)