Patterson's club wraps spring ball wrapping up Hawks

May 21—Now, it's time to settle in to a new home in Milledgeville.

Since the early portion of the year 2024, Kevin Patterson has made the personal transition as a head football coach, and thus is transitioning Baldwin High football to his way of doing things. On Friday at Braves Stadium, it wasn't just the end of spring practice in a game against Washington County, but an end to that first phase of making the Braves an annual contender in a new GHSA AAA classification and region.

In three quarters of varsity action with Washington County, Baldwin scored two offensive touchdowns (both in the third period) while the defense kept the Hawks at zero the entire night. The only things separating this scrimmage from regular-season action were no pressure on punters or placekickers, no return of kicks and touches indicating a stop on a ball-carrying quarterback.

"Things have been good overall," said Patterson, once a high school assistant at programs like Tucker and Jones County. "Almost solidified on the coaching staff. The players have been working hard. They've done a good job in the weight room. They've been consistent, dedicated. I think it showed (Friday). The team camaraderie is coming together, and in the third quarter we got jelling. If we do that, we can be a good football team."

It was on May 1 that Patterson and staff could go from the conditioning work and film study to actual work on the field with helmets and pads.

"We did it all," said Patterson. "We threw the ball, ran the ball. We were organized and rotated kids. We started out with everybody playing both sides of the ball to see who could do what, what kids need to be playing both sides. We chipped it down, this kid needs to stay on offense or this kid needs to continue flipping, over a span of three weeks.

"The sky's the limit. I think they've seen the numbers in the weight room increasing. They've seen themselves get better. It was good to come out and go against somebody else. I think we got good energy, and that's going to push out into the crowd. I think the crowd's will get bigger. That's my expectation, and I expect to win here. We're working to win.

"Saw a lot of good things (in the scrimmage), but there's a lot of stuff we can get better on. We are going to watch the film, and I think we know everything for the most part we need to fix. We can put a good plan together on how we need to get it adjusted and things corrected."

For the first quarter, Baldwin's plan was to run the ball, quarterback Lamar Pounds giving it to Sadur Salahuddin and Johnathan Butts. The Braves bulled their way to the WC 6 yard line before penalties stalled things out with no resulting points.

Washington County also had the first turnover to stop the second BHS drive. It was a pass intercepted on the 29 and returned to midfield. The Golden Hawks of Sandersville were not getting much, though, moving the ball against the likes of Gavin Jarrett, Kemon Russell and Charvez Driskell up front. At the second level, key tackles came from Brandon Whisby and Brandon Dixon.

It was more fouls that hurt Baldwin despite the consistent catching of Jaylen King at tight end. The Braves lost a 60-yard touchdown run from Butts on a holding call in the second quarter. Still with possession, the hosts moved forward for four more first downs but ran out of time when Butts caught a pass on the WC 16.

To start the third quarter, Pounds hit King again on a play-action dump off on the Braves' 45, then Salahuddin carried the ball non-stop for a touchdown.

The second touchdown was set up by a long Pounds completion to Kielan Walker to the WC 11. On fourth down, Pounds found King for a six-yard score.

Patterson is now looking for a little sleep amid his relocation plan to Milledgeville.

"I think we all need to recharge," he said. "I'll be spending time with my family, get rested up and put the plan together for when we come back after the 'dead week.'"

Things can get going again June 3, and Patterson said they are going to the University of Georgia's 7-on-7 competition, an OTA padded camp at Burke County High and will try to get other schools at Baldwin for combined practices in June. Another OTA camp is set at Putnam County High in July.

Opening day for the 2024 season is against defending AAAA champion Perry at Ft. Valley State University Aug. 17.