Here are 14 questions entering Week 3 of Savannah-area high school football
Week 3 of the high school football season is here in the Greater Savannah area and it looks like the show will go on after Hurricane Idalia blows through the area Wednesday, hopefully weakened to tropical storm status by the time it reaches the Coastal Empire.
Here's a look at 14 questions that are ready to be answered in Week 3.
How the Benedictine machine's road warrior mentality is being set
A week after a 536-mile round trip to Charlotte, North Carolina where the Cadets rolled to a 42-9 win over Chambers, Benedictine takes another long trip (a 522-mile round trip) as it travels to Atlanta to face Westminster.
The two-time defending state champion Cadets (2-0) are ranked No. 1 among Class 4A teams by the AJC and Westminster (1-1) is unranked. The Wildcats beat Lovett 41-8 in their opener and lost to Pace Academy 33-31 in a thriller last week.
The question entering the season was who would take over as offensive playmakers for BC, with FSU commit Luke Kromenhoek behind center for his senior year. A few players have stepped up to answer — last week it was senior receiver La'Don Bryan, who had a pair of scoring catches, including a spectacular grab where he tipped the ball up before snagging it and keeping his feet in the end zone. Sophomore Bubba Frazier added an 87-yard run and has three touchdowns in his first two varsity starts. And senior RaSean Matthews had a kickoff return for a score, a TD reception and an interception last week.
Westminster quarterback Michael Buhay will be a focus for the BC defense. Last week he had a pair of scoring runs, including a 60 yarder, and a 55-yard touchdown pass to Brand Morgan. Westminster's senior safety Armstrong Jones has offers including App State, Navy and Colgate.
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Will Jenkins keep momentum going against a tough Richmond Hill squad?
Jenkins looked strong on the road in a 41-30 win at Bluffton as Ryan Scott ran for 144 yards, leading a ground game featuring Jayaun Albert, Trenton Rhodes and Jeremiah James that racked up more than 300 yards. Senior defensive lineman Lorenzo Cowan knocked down four passes and had 2.5 sacks to lead the defense.
Richmond Hill is coming off a 28-7 loss against Ware County, the No. 1 ranked Class 4A team, in a game that was much closer than the score indicated after a pair fumbles led to two touchdowns within two minutes in the final six minutes of the game. Gabe Bauman, Lee Johnson and Phoenix Emberton are part of a fierce front seven for the Wildcats, while senior Nick Bliss is a jack-of-all trades threat offensively.
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Will Bradwell continue to improve vs. visiting New Hampstead?
Christopher Garrett has been impressive at quarterback as the senior has thrown for 383 yards and three scores, while rushing for 91 yards in the first two games for the Tigers, who beat cross-town rival Liberty last week.
It will be a good QB matchup as New Hampstead's Rashawn Truell gets his second varsity start after throwing for 210 yards and three scores in his debut last week as the Phoenix rolled to dominating win over Windsor Forest. He has two of the top receivers in the area in Jaylen Hampton and Malachi Lonnon.
How will Calvary Day respond on the road after a bye week?
The Cavaliers (1-0), ranked No. 2 among Class 3A teams by the AJC, will be on the road to face Eagle's Landing Christian (0-2) after a bye week. Calvary dominated in its opener against visiting Islands as Jake Merklinger threw for `199 yards and four scores. The Tennessee-bound senior announced on X this week that he will be playing in the Polynesian Bowl in January, a high-school All-Star game held in Hawaii.
Thomas Blackshear, the junior transfer from Benedictine, had a stellar debut for the Cavs with five catches for 150 yards and two scores. Eagle's Landing Christian (0-2) has struggled as the Chargers have been outscored 101-3 against Bainbridge and Blessed Trinity.
How will Savannah Christian respond to toughest challenge yet?
The Raiders have dominated outscoring Islands and Hilton Head Christian 105-14 in their first two games. SCPS is ranked No. 5 among Class 3A teams in the state by the AJC and has been getting excellent play from freshman defensive lineman Damion Guyton, who has 5.5 sacks in his first two games. Five-star junior defensive lineman Elijah Griffin has 3.5 sacks for a squad with 13.5 sacks.
Junior running back Zo Smalls has already rushed for seven scores with 247 yards rushing and Kenry Wall has 247 all-purpose offensive yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Blaise Thomas has been strong in his debut as a starter — throwing for 330 yards and four touchdowns.
Marist (1-1) lost to Gainesville, the No. 2 ranked team in Class 6A, 34-26 on the road last week. Quarterback Jack Euart leads an effective triple option offense for the War Eagles.
Will Effingham break through for first win?
Effingham County (0-2) lost 34-7 to visiting Richmond Hill in its opener, and fell to Burke County 10-6 in the Erk Russell Classic at Georgia Southern Saturday. The Georgia High School Football Daily reported the Rebels had a first-and-goal in the final minute of the game, but Burke County's defense held on for the win.
Now the Rebels host Statesboro (1-1) in a non-region matchup. Nate Hayes, Effingham's senior quarterback who recently got an offer from Coastal Carolina, has thrown for 257 yards and a touchdown and run for 44 yards and a score.
Will Bryan County continue to roll?
Bryan County has been on fire early on as Cherard Freeman's squad beat then No. 4 Lincoln County on the road in Week 1 before dominating Treutlen last week.
Senior Austin Clemons has come on strong after a season-ending injury in Week 4 last year. He has rushed for 296 yards and four scores and has 20 tackles, a sack and an interception. Tanner Ennis, last season's region defensive player of the year, leads the team with 28 tackles and has four catches for 107 yards and two scores.
Now Bryan County is primed for its home opener against Wheeler County (1-1).
Who will come out on top between Groves and Savannah High?
These teams have combined for nine wins since 2018, with Savannah winning six times and Groves winning three.
Groves broke a three-game losing streak in the series with a 28-0 win last year. Savannah leads the overall series 27-24-1. Savannah is 0-2 under first-year coach Bud Tolliver, as the Blue Jackets were edged 28-26 against Josey before losing 41-0 to Richmond Academy last week. Groves, under second year coach Calvin Wells, lost to Brantley County 30-0 in its opener last week.
What will Mixon do next for Savannah Country Day?
Junior quarterback Barton Mixon has been on fire for the Hornets as he has thrown for 476 yards and eight scores in wins over Windsor Forest and Pinewood Christian.
Senior K.J. James leads SCD with eight catches for 191 yards and two scores, while Hyers Holland has rushed for 241 yards and a score as the Hornets have outscored their opponents 100-0.
Aquinas (2-0) will be the toughest test yet for SCD. Aquinas beat Jefferson County 49-20 and Westside Augusta 14-12. Junior QB Jim Franklin has thrown for 173 yards and a score and has rushed for two touchdowns and 113 yards.
How will South Effingham do on the road at Islands?
The Mustangs beat Vidalia 21-15 in its home opener in the debut of head coach Loren Purvis, and had a bye last week. Islands has struggled as the Sharks have been outscored 105-22 in losses to Calvary Day and Savannah Christian.
South Effingham rushed for 308 yards with four runners gaining more than 40 yards in the win over Vidalia, led by senior Gannon White, who had 79 yards and a score. Junior Jayden Sutton has six catches for 109 yards and a score for Islands.
Who will notch first win? Johnson or Windsor Forest?
Although the teams aren't in the same region this cycle, they have maintained their cross-town rivalry. Windsor Forest has had a rough go of it being outscored 107-6 in losses to SCD and New Hampstead. Johnson lost its opener to MCA 26-0. Who will be the team to take advantage and get the W in this matchup?
Can Beach gain momentum at Brantley County?
Beach has struggled early on as the Bulldogs have been outscored 102-6 in losses to Bluffton and Vidalia. Now they are on the road to face the Herons (2-0). Brantley County is averaging nearly 200 yards rushing per game, led by Gavin Batten who has rushed for 170 yards and a score.
How will St. Andrew's bounce back from loss?
Coach Kevin Prisant was encouraged by his squad's effort in a 50-29 loss to a strong Valwood team last week. The Lions (1-1) are set to host John Paul II, which lost to Bethesda 44-0 last week.
Richard Williams has 259 combined offensive yards and five touchdowns for St. Andrew's and junior quarterback Zayden Edwards has rushed for 84 yards and a score, while throwing for 177 yards and two touchdown.
Why Bethesda's opponent cancelled in Week 3
The Blazers (2-0) have outscored opponents 94-7 in the first two week and were set to go on the road to face Thomas Sumter (0-2).
But Thomas Sumter backed out of the game, citing illnesses and injuries within its ranks. Bethesda coach Antwain Turner said his squad is disappointed, but will regroup to prepare for a home game against Carolina Academy next week.
Sept. 1
Jenkins at Richmond Hill
Statesboro at Effingham County
South Effingham at Islands (Islands)
New Hampstead at Bradwell
Benedictine at Westminster
Beach at Brantley County
Calvary Day at Eagle's Landing Christian
Savannah High at Groves (Memorial)
Windsor Forest at Johnson (Savannah High)
Savannah Christian at Marist
Aquinas at Savannah Country Day
Wheeler County at Bryan County
John Paul II at St. Andrew's
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 14 questions entering Week 3 of Savannah-area high school football
