Braves to begin season vs. Perry at FVSU

Published 1:30 pm Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Somehow, someway defending state champions keep cropping up on the Baldwin High football schedule.

Last year it was Ware County in Waycross. Later on in 2023, the Braves faced Benedictine in the first round of the playoffs.

O.K., so last year was actually an anomaly when it comes to defending champions. It carried over into 2024, however, with the season-opener at the new high school football classic being staged at Ft. Valley State University. It’s there that the Baldwin Braves take on a former region rival, the Perry High Panthers, that made school history one year ago with its first-ever state title.

Perry, for 2024, remained in the AAAA classification while Baldwin dropped to Class AAA. The two will square off in the final game of the two-day showcase in Peach County Saturday with a 6 p.m. kickoff.

One year ago in Perry, the No. 3 ranked Panthers scored 24 unanswered points in the second half after trailing Baldwin 16-9 at halftime to win 33-16. Perry did not have regular starting quarterback Colter Ginn but relied on a running game to get back into the contest and eventually win it.

Ginn is now in the quarterbacks room with Carson Beck as a walk-on at The University of Georgia.

“We want to make it exciting,” said first-year head coach Kevin Patterson of Baldwin. He wasn’t just talking about his football players, but the Baldwin fan base as well. “Being the last game on Saturday, I think that brings a different dynamic to it. The kids are going to be fired up. We no doubt have to bring our ‘A’ game. They are not going to give us anything. We are going to have to earn it. We are not going to back down. I believe the kids are going to fight. We are going to take our best shot.”

It’s been a long transition for Baldwin since Patterson arrived from Jones County in January. He had some solid pieces in the foundation to begin with, including Lamar Pounds at quarterback and a veteran defensive line anchored by Jonquavious Russell.

If Perry was successful running the football on Baldwin one year ago, expect the Panthers to try it again. Ahmad Gordon was the heart of that rushing attack, scoring 34 total touchdowns, and he is back for his senior year. Cullen McDaniel started last year’s meeting at quarterback, and now he looks to be the full-time signal-caller.

Also playing on Saturday at FVSU is another Baldwin region rival, Howard High of Macon, taking on Westside-Macon and Bleckley County from Cochran against Macon’s Rutland High.