One team has has established itself as one of the top programs in the state, while another has shown it can compete consistently at the highest level. Two other teams had breakthrough seasons last year, and are looking to build on them.

Benedictine, Liberty County, Jenkins and Savannah High caught the imagination of high school football fans across the Coastal Empire last year and the teams cant wait to get their seasons started.

In his seventh year at the helm at Benedictine, Danny Britt is looking to follow up on a perfect season as the Cadets rolled through Class 2A beating Fitzgerald handily in the title game for the GHSA state championship and finishing 15-0.

The title run came two years after Britt led the Cadets to their first football crown, also in Class 2A in 2014 when they beat Greater Atlanta Christian in the championship game.

Britt (66-14 through six seasons at BC) is stressing that this season has nothing to do with last years success.

Trying to do the same thing we did last season, going undefeated, is virtually impossible, Britt said. But we never come into a season setting a certain number of wins or a championship as a goal. We have more internal goals like how we run practice every day, and who is going to become our leaders. That way we can always be successful and improve every day.

Britt said that his goal when he started at Benedictine was to build a program rather than a team.

In essence that was the big picture of what I wanted to accomplish when I got here, Britt said. I wanted the freshmen who entered BC to grow as a player and a person in their four years here. I wanted something that was year-round and consistent so we could develop and grow.

With a senior class featuring quarterback Nick Iannone, running backs Terrick Smalls and Travis Blackshear and free safety Jonah Griffin, the Cadets are stacked and ready to make another playoff run.

Libertys legacy

Liberty County has been on the way up the last few years under Kirk Warner, who enters his 16th year leading the Panthers. Last season, Liberty County advanced to the Class 3A quarterfinals, losing to Greater Atlanta Christian in triple overtime to end the year. The Panthers have posted a 19-6 record in the last two years and developed stars such as Raekwon McMillan, who went on to Ohio State and is now a rookie with the Miami Dolphins, and Richard LeCounte, now a freshman at Warners alma mater of Georgia.

The No. 1 key to our success is that we have been blessed with some excellent players, but I think another factor has been our coaching staff, Warner said. We have had a lot of stability there and not much turnover. I think our staff does a great job keeping our kids on track in school with their academics as well as working well with them on the field. Its twofold, we have the talent and we have the coaches to push the players to be the best they can be.

The talent train keeps rolling into Hinesville at the Liberty County Station. Defensive tackle Tramel Walthour looks to carry on the tradition McMillan and LeCounte created of top national recruits. DE Traveon Freeman and DB Josh Washington will also be standouts along with running back/receiver Kris Coleman.

Jenkins and Savannah gave public school fans something to cheer about last year on the football field in addition to the basketball court, where the city schools have traditionally excelled. And both schools have new coaches this year.

Back at Jenkins

Jason Cameron, 31, takes over at Jenkins. The New Jersey native was the offensive coordinator for the Warriors for five seasons before stepping away last year. Hes back after veteran coach Tim Adams took an assistant coaching job at Effingham County, leading a team that includes some top-notch talent including wide receiver Tyrone Scott, quarterback Javonte Middleton and linebacker Kareem Bailey.

It was s a great experience working with coach Adams and Ive played for and worked with a number of excellent coaches, Cameron said. Im going to take some of the things I have learned from them and add in my own style and mesh it together.

Were coming into the season with high expectations, but were setting our goals on a day-to-day basis. We want to win each day in the weight room, each rep in practice and move on from there.

Last year, the Warriors edged Savannah High 21-20 and won their first region crown since 1966. They went on to beat Dougherty County in the first round for the first postseason win in school history.

Milestones for SHS

Savannah High had a similar breakthrough last year under coach Tony Welch. The Blue Jackets went 9-3, making the playoffs for the first time since 1993 and winning a postseason game for the first time since 1969.

Welch left after three seasons to take the same post at his alma mater, Claxton. David Roberson, 31, a former assistant at Lithia Springs and player at Savannah State, is now in charge.

Roberson has a strong group of returning athletes including Region 3-3A player of the year Malik Nesbitt and quarterback Dezmond Brinson, who recently received a scholarship offer from Cornell. The Blue Jackets picked up a big-time player in Fred Nunn, a linebacker/fullback who transferred from Benedictine.

We have a lot of guys coming back, so were not going to try to reinvent the wheel, Roberson said. Were going to try to accentuate on the positive things we did last year. We worked on some deficiencies that we had. But these kids have been in this system for three years. They are comfortable with it. Were going to introduce a few new formations, but were also going to stick with the things that we did well.

The big date on the Savannah High schedule is Oct. 20, when the Blue Jackets face Jenkins at Memorial Stadium in a rematch of last years classic. They also will host Claxton and coach Welch on Sept. 1 at Memorial.

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Benedictine, Liberty Co., Jenkins and Savannah High construct programs for long-term success - Savannah Morning News