Coming into Week Four for the 2025 Football season, our four Bulloch County football teams prepare to prove their worth. The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets look to avenge a lopsided loss from last season, while the Portal Panthers, fresh off a decisive win, gear up for a high-stakes rivalry game. Meanwhile, the Statesboro Blue Devils look to bounce back from a recent loss as they kick off region play, and the undefeated Bulloch Academy Gators aim to extend their dominant run against a tough region opponent.
SOUTHEAST BULLOCH YELLOW JACKETS
The SEB Yellow Jackets head into this Friday’s showdown looking to rebound from a mixed start to the season. After a 21–10 season-opening loss at Statesboro, they roared back with a dominant 41–7 win over Islands, propelling them to (1–1,1–0) overall and in region play. Key returners like Jayden Murphy are delivering strong production as he leads the team with 103 rushing yards per game, 13.5 receiving yards, and 4 total touchdowns, while Brant Horst anchors the defense with 8 tackles per game.
Their next test arrives this Friday against the Calvary Day Cavaliers, an opponent that handed the Yellow Jackets a 40–6 loss on the road last season, building a dominant 33–0 halftime lead and capitalizing on Jackets turnovers and big passing plays.
According to head coach Jared Zito, after watching film on last season’s matchup the few things that stuck out was how the Jackets turned the ball over, especially in their own territory and how they didn’t play well defensively.
“They’re going to make some plays and the big thing we have to do is get after their passer,” Zito mentioned. “Their quarterback is a really good player, so we’re going to try to disrupt him if we can and be competitive when the ball’s in the air and if guys make catches, we have to tackle the football so we don’t let a 10-yard pass turn into an 80-yard touchdown.”
This week marks a pivotal opportunity to show growth—especially since this contest kicks off region play. As SEB looks to flip from last year’s struggles to a stronger response, execution and composure will be key on both sides of the ball.
PORTAL PANTHERS
The Portal Panthers enter this week’s rivalry game with momentum after a 42–20 win over Twiggs County, where the offense showed balance and explosiveness through both the air and ground. Quarterback Gideon Fulcher connected on big passing plays, while the run game, led by KJ Hunter and Zeke Percell, provided steady production. Defensively, Portal forced key turnovers early to set the tone.
On the other side, Jenkins County sits at 1–1, with a convincing 28–7 win over Glascock County but a lopsided 37–6 loss to Lincoln County that exposed some defensive vulnerabilities. Last season, Jenkins County topped Portal 48–19, though the Panthers trailed by just one point at halftime before turnovers and a strong second-half run game allowed the War Eagles to pull away.
According to head coach Jason McEachin, the key for his team to have success is sustaining drives. The Panthers have struggled with turning the ball over and not converting on third downs offensively or defensively. In this same matchup last season, the Panthers were only down by a touchdown, 27-19.
“They’re going to make us earn what we get,” said McEachin, “We’ve got to be able to put enough plays together in a row to sustain some drives and that’s what hurt us last year: we couldn’t match their execution in the second half.”
This year’s matchup not only renews a local rivalry but also doubles as the first region contest between the two foes, giving it added stakes. Both teams will be looking to set the tone early in what promises to be a physical, emotional clash.
STATESBORO BLUE DEVILS
The Statesboro Blue Devils enter this week’s matchup at 1–1, looking to bounce back after a tough 29–22 loss to the Veterans Warhawks. In their opener, a 21–10 win over Southeast Bulloch, the Blue Devils showed off their defensive toughness and discipline, but their most recent outing revealed some inconsistencies on both sides of the ball. Head coach Matt Dobson has emphasized the importance of leadership and execution as Statesboro begins region play, where every game carries added weight for playoff positioning.
The Greenbrier Wolfpack also came in at 1–1, having opened the year with a 26–0 loss to Harlem before responding with a narrow 14–13 victory over Grovetown. While the Wolfpack have struggled to find consistent offense—scoring just 14 total points in their first two games—they’ll look to build on the confidence of last week’s close win.
Head coach Matt Dobson knows that in order for his team to have success, they have to win this game in the trenches with the offensive line and defensive line.
“We have to win this game up front so we have to stop the run and eliminate offensive turnovers, so that’s been our focus all week,” Dobson stated.
This matchup presents a clear contrast: Statesboro’s more experienced, defense-first identity against a Greenbrier team still searching for rhythm but anchored by momentum. For the Blue Devils, setting the tone early and avoiding the lapses that hurt them against Veterans will be key, while the Wolves will try to harness their recent success into a complete performance against a tougher opponent.
BULLOCH ACADEMY GATORS
The Bulloch Academy Gators continue their undefeated 2025 campaign at 3–0, entering the week off back-to-back dominant wins: a 49–20 season-opening victory over Portal, followed by a 34–0 shutout of Claxton. Their offense has been particularly potent on the ground, while the defense has delivered two consecutive shutouts.
All eyes are now on their next challenge: the Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders (RTCA). The Crusaders sit at 1–2 overall, having prevailed 41–19 over Thomas Jefferson Academy, but also suffered losses in their first two games of the season. Their offensive production has featured balanced play, led by Sophomore quarterback Drew Edwards, who is contributing both on the ground and through the air.
The Gators have yet to play under the Friday Night lights this season, but head coach Aaron Phillips doesn’t allow for that to derail his team’s mindset going into this next matchup.
“We say it every week, a lion uses all of his might even when it kills a rabbit, so it doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” Phillips said. “We have a level and a standard we have to play to, so we remind them of that everyday and we try to practice that way.”
This game represents a face-off between the Gators’ championship-tested dominance and physicality, both offensively and defensively, against the Crusaders’ resilience and rising balance under pressure. The Gators’ focus will be on sustaining their physical run game, finishing drives, and continuing defensive execution. RTCA will look to hang in by leveraging Edwards’s dual-threat ability and finding consistency in all phases.
Up Next
All four teams will be back in action for Week Five on Friday, September 12, 2025. The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets will host the Johnson Atomsmashers, the Portal Panthers will host the Bryan County Redskins, the Statesboro Blue Devils will travel to Brunswick to take on the Glynn Academy Terrors, and the Bulloch Academy Gators will host the John Milledge Academy Trojans. All matchups will kick off at 7:30 pm.
Live Score Updates
Once again this football season, Grice Connect Sports will offer live scoring powered by ScoreStream. To get live scores during the game or anytime you want local sports scores, go to the Sports link on the Grice Connect website.
Parents and Super Fans
We always love to hear from parents (or other super fans!) who would like to send us photos and live game updates from home and away games for each school this season.
If you're interested, please contact sports@griceconnect.com or Blake Williams at Blake@griceconnect.com for more information.
Help us expand our coverage
Grice Connect Sports is proudly supported by Optim Health System, the Press Forward Foundation, and other generous community partners who help make this local sports coverage possible. We are grateful for all financial support, which will allow us to bring Statesboro and Bulloch county even more sports and local news coverage!
But we need your help also to continue this coverage. Please support us now by clicking here and help us tell the remarkable stories of our youth making a difference for their team, their school, and our community.
If your business would also like to support our coverage, please contact Fred David at sponsor@griceconnect.com.