Coastal Pines Technical College

   By Kevin Price

Keon Childers has been a key cog in Statesboro’s offense this season.

And this past Friday night the senior running back for the Blue Devils played a key role in the team’s upset-victory over the Brunswick High Pirates at Womack Field in Statesboro. 

Rushing for all four of the team’s touchdowns, Childers helped Statesboro knock off the Pirates 28-21 in their Region 1-AAAAA contest, giving the Blue Devils a chance to now capture the league championship. 

For his clutch performance, Childers has been chosen as the Coastal Pines Technical College Player of the Week by 912 Sports. 

“He ran tough and hard and made plays we needed to make to win the game,” said Statesboro coach Matt Dobson. “Keon is a great leader for our team and does everything the right way.”

Childers ran for 76 yards in the game and also had 71 receiving yards for the Blue Devils who burned the clock with a ball-control offense to keep the ball away from the Pirates who have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the state. 

The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, recovering an onside kick to start the game and turning that takeaway into a touchdown. They scored their second touchdown in the first quarter after recovering a Brunswick fumble on its side of the field. 

Brunswick did pull within 20-14 before halftime and took its first lead early in the third quarter with a touchdown and the extra-point. 

But Statesboro regained the lead when the Pirates lost the handle on a punt snap, giving the Blue Devils a short field to cover for their third score of the game. They recovered another onside kick after this score and burned more clock before pinning the Pirates deep in their own territory.  Statesboro’s final score came on a safety in the closing moments when Brunswick’s quarterback was flagged for intentional grounding. 

With the win, Statesboro improved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the region. The Blue Devils close with games against Evans, South Effingham and Effingham the next three weeks and would win the region if they win out.

The loss ended a six-game win streak for the Pirates who had not lost since dropping the season opener at Camden County. Now 6-2 on the season and 5-1 in the region, the Pirates have league games left against Lakeside-Evans and South Effingham. They need to win both and hope for a Statesboro loss to regain the region crown. 

Brunswick won the region going 8-0 last season. 

For Statesboro, Childers is averaging 127.7 yards per game on the ground. He has carried 178 times for 894 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games. He averages 5 yards per attempt. 

He has 10 catches for 140 yards on the season. Childers played wide receive last year for the Blue Devils. 

“He has had a tremendous year,” Dobson noted.”

Other Noteworth Performances from Week 9

* Max Noonan, QB, Glynn Academy: Rushed for 171 yds. and 3 TDS in 28-2 win over South Effingham.

* Kobe Hill, FB-LB, Jeff Davis: Ran for 125 yds. and a TD on 24 carries, also had 5 tackles, a pass breakup and 3 QB hurries in 34-17 win over Bacon County.

* Fred Causey, FS, Clinch County: Blocked a late field-goal try that Clinch returned for a TD and later intercepted a pass to seal a 6-0 win over Brooks County. 

Coastal Pines Technical College Male 

Student Athlete of the Week

Week 1 - Fred Causey (Clinch County) 

Week 2 - Terron Birden (Ware County)

Week 3 - Santiago Bizzell (Bacon County) 

Week 4 - Traviion Miller (Clinch County)

Week 5 - Elijah Brown (Liberty County)

Week 6 - Jaeveon Williams (Pierce County) 

Week 7 - Grant Moore (Brunswick High)

Week 8 - Jaylon Deal (Richmond Hill)

Week 9 - Keon Childers(Statesboro)  

   By Kevin Price

With Talia Johnson leading the charge, the Richmond Hill volleyball team has put together another impressive season. 

The Lady Wildcats won their fourth straight region championship this season, and on Tuesday, the team won in the opening round of the Class AAAAAA state tournament, defeating Dacula 3-0 to advance in the brackets. 

Johnson, a senior outside hitter, led the Lady Wildcats in kills this fall and was also the kills leader in Region 1 for a senior-laden Richmond Hill team that ran its record to 39-2 for the season with the tournament victory on Tuesday. 

912 Sports has selected Johnson as the Coastal Pines Technical College Girls Student-Athlete of the Week here in Southeast Georgia for her tremendous play this season for the powerful Lady Wildcats. 

Danielle Ennis, the first-year head coach at Richmond Hill, had high-praise for Johnson who went into the state tournament with 305 kills for the season while averaging 3.4 kills per set. Through the league tournament, Johnson also ranked sixth in Class AAAAAA in kills. 

“She consistently demonstrates an exceptional understanding of volleyball, showcasing smart game play and strong court awareness,” Ennis said. “Talia has had an impactful presence on the team that uplifts the players on and off the court.”

Johnson is set to play college volleyball at Coastal Carolina. Going into state, she also had 60 aces, 511 assists, 319 digs and 44 blocks for the season. 

Ennis said Johnson sets a great example as a student-athlete. 

“Beyond her athletic skills, Talia maintains an impressive balance between rigorous practice, team commitment, work and academic responsibilities,” the coach noted. “Her dedication both on and off the court exemplifies the qualities of a true student-athlete and team leader.”

The Lady Wildcats were a perfect 10-0 in region matches this season. Their losses were non-region matches against Alpharetta in mid-Augusta and Savannah Christian in mid-September. 

They are scheduled to play North Gwinnett in the round of 16 on Saturday at home. North Gwinnett is 23-18 for the season and defeated Grovetown 3-0 in a first-round match on Tuesday.

Coastal Pines Technical College Female 

Student-Athlete of the Week

Week 1 - Maggie Brown, softball (Coffee)

Week 2 - Cheyenne Crosby, cross country (Brunswick)

Week 3 - Chloe Miller, cross country (Richmond Hill)

Week 4 - Danni Lynn, softball (South Effingham)

Week 5 -Olivia Bennett, softball (Pierce County) 

Week 6 - Jada Boatright, softball (Glynn Academy)

Week 7 - Cassidy King, cross country (Glynn Academy)  

Week 8 - Maddalyne Jones, softball (Appling County)

Week 9 - Talia Johnson, volleyball (Richmond Hill)