There were plenty of surprises in the opening week of the football season. But not at Coffee, where the Trojans looked on-point in their first game, an indication that second-year coach Mike Coe’s program is off and running again.
Coffee opened the season with a 38-13 win over Tift County, which caused Coe to praise his team for their effort and energy in the opener.
“Our energy was good, we played with great force and with great tempo,” he said. “We’ve got a real good group of kids. They were 100 percent involved in the summer and we’re in really good shape.”
The offense got a great effort from running back Fred Brown, who carried 27 times for 234 yards and scored two touchdowns. The senior is only 5-foot-8, but he carries a compact 226 pounds of muscle. Brown has posted a 600-pound squat and a 365-pound power clean.
“He’s worked hard to get faster, too,” Coe said.
Quarterback Maurice Hansley had a nice opener, completing 11 of 15 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense showed signs of progress after giving up an early score. Coffee’s first-team defense allowed only one score. Coe was especially pleased with the defensive backs. Jyarius Carter led the team with eight tackles and Jaylon Simpkins had seven tackles.
“Our defense, after the first drive, was able to make some adjustments and started tackling better,” he said. “I’m proud of our defense. They didn’t panic and they came up with some big stops on third and fourth downs.”
Coe is in his second season at Coffee; the Trojans went 10-3 in 2022 and reached the state quarterfinals. He had been head coach at Madison County (Fla.) for the previous 12 years, compiling a 136-27 record with four state championships.
“We’ve had a full season and the kids know what to expect,” he said. “We’ve got a great group of coaches. There are five former head coaches on the staff and there’s no ego at all, just people who are willing to work hard. The kids see that and they feed off that.”
This week Coffee hosts Bainbridge, the No. 4-ranked team in Class 4A. Bainbridge won last year’s game 24-21.
Five other games to watch this week:
Ware County at Richmond Hill: Expect some head-knockin’ in this game between these two outstanding defenses. Ware County (1-0) got a stellar defensive effort from Nick Simmons (eight tackles), Nazyah Adamson (seven tackles) and E.J. Mathusla (one interception). On offense, running back R.J. Boyd went for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Ware County is 10-0 all-time against Richmond Hill and won last year’s game 20-7.
Tucker vs. Southwest DeKalb (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Morehouse College): The two longtime DeKalb County powers – the two winningest programs in DeKalb history -- meet for the 24th time. The two programs have a combined 1,092 wins, 36 region titles and four state championships. Tucker has won eight of the last 10 meetings, including 31-29 in 2022,
Tucker is led by running back Jordan McCoy (five touchdowns in opener), quarterback Jamar Graham (221 yards passing) and Hasaan Sykes (a touchdown reception and pick-six). The Tigers routed Miller Grove 54-13 in the opener. Southwest DeKalb beat South Atlanta 20-6 last week. Tre Alexander had a 65-yard pick-six, Josh Jones scored on a 48-yard run and BriShaun Reese ran for a 3-yard touchdowns.
Oconee County at Clarke Central: The Gladiators (1-0) opened with a steamy 28-7 win over rival Cedar Shoals and moved into the state rankings at No. 10. Clarke showed it could run the ball behind Corey Watkins Jr. (215 yards, two touchdowns) and Kendrick Curry (78 yards). Quarterback transfer Chase Berrong had a solid debut, throwing for 50 yards and one touchdown. Oconee County has won the last three meetings, including 33-9 in 2022.
Flowery Branch at St. Pius: After a disappointing 3-7 season, Flowery Branch came out strong with a 38-7 win over Decatur. The Falcons showed the ability to run it, with Malik Dryden rushing for 144 yards, and throw it, with Josh Oliver tossing it for 134 yards and one touchdown. The Branch will get a stiff challenge on defense from the St. Pius option offense. The Falcons are led defensively by Cam Haynes, a three-year starter at inside linebacker, and defensive linemen Ethan Fetterman and Tony Mejia.
Northgate at Starr’s Mill: Northgate (1-0) opened the season with a 31-18 win over Whitewater. The Vikings were poised and effective on offense, with Evan Garrett scoring a couple of touchdowns and Ishan Metts showing his maturity at quarterback. Starr’s Mill lost its opener to East Coweta on a late kickoff return, but made an uncharacteristic number of mistakes. Starr’s Mill has won the last four meetings – all via shutout. The Panthers won 19-0 last year.
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