The Bulloch Academy Gators enter the 2025 season riding the momentum of an unforgettable 2024 campaign that saw them dominate their schedule, remain undefeated in the regular season, and bring home the state championship. Under Head Coach Aaron Phillips, the Gators combined a relentless defense with explosive offensive playmaking, cementing themselves as one of the most disciplined and dynamic programs in the state. In this year’s preview, we break down the full 2025 schedule, revisit key moments from last year’s championship run and share insight from Coach Phillips in an exclusive Q&A.

10-18-24_bafb-lineup-line-of-scrimmage — . Bulloch Academy Athletics

2025 Schedule with 2024 Recaps

Aug. 16 – at Portal, 9:00 p.m.

The Gators opened the 2024 season in championship fashion, edging Portal 19-18 to claim the Erk Russell Classic trophy. BA set the tone early, forcing multiple turnovers in the first half and jumping ahead 13-0 on touchdowns from Danye Garvin and Shamar Jenkins, plus key defensive plays from Ike Hubbard and Braylon Cone. Jenkins also snagged an interception before halftime to preserve the shutout through two quarters.

Portal fought back in the second half, but Garvin’s second touchdown and the Gator defense’s ability to come up with stops when it mattered most sealed the win. Hubbard delivered the final dagger with a late first down run that allowed BA to run out the clock.

Head Coach Aaron Phillips praised the team’s energy and defensive play, but said the focus heading into the rest of the season would be on sustaining drives and finishing in the red zone. The victory not only gave BA a 1-0 start, but also set a winning tone heading into their Week 2 matchup at Claxton.

Aug. 22 – vs. Claxton, 7:30 p.m.

Bulloch Academy stayed perfect on the young season with a dominant 38-13 road win over Claxton. The Gators’ ground game was relentless, led by Shamar Jenkins, who scored three touchdowns — including a highlight 60-yard run — while Danye Garvin added two more scores.

The defense stifled the Tigers and even contributed to the scoring with a fourth-quarter safety. BA led just 15-7 at halftime but exploded in the third quarter with back-to-back touchdown drives from Jenkins and Garvin to pull away. By the time the final period began, the Gators were firmly in control at 29-7 and never looked back.

Head Coach Aaron Phillips praised the team’s physicality and balanced attack as the Gators improved to 2-0, setting up a road matchup with Augusta Christian in Week 3.

Sept. 4 – at Robert Toombs Christian Academy (RTCA), 7:30 p.m.

The Gators kept their hot streak alive with a dominant 42-7 home win over Robert Toombs Christian, improving to 4-0 on the year. We set the tone early with a sharp opening drive capped by quarterback Sam Hubbard’s touchdown run, then extended the lead behind a powerful ground attack from Shamar Jenkins and Danye Garvin. The defense was relentless—Braylon Cone and William Polk led the charge up front, while Parker Chance’s interception return set up another score. Even in sloppy, wet conditions, we controlled all phases of the game, adding two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Coach Aaron Phillips praised the effort but stressed the need to protect the football and execute better inside the red zone.

Sept. 12 – vs. John Milledge Academy (JMA), 7:30 p.m.

The Gators stayed perfect at 5-0 with a commanding 35-6 road win over John Milledge, fueled by a balanced offense and a stingy defense. Shamar Jenkins opened the scoring late in the first quarter, and Ike Hubbard followed with a 63-yard sprint to the end zone in the second. Danye Garvin added another before halftime, giving BA a 21-0 lead at the break. In the fourth quarter, Sam Hubbard punched in a score, and Jenkins capped the night with his second touchdown. The defense held the Trojans to just one late score, marking the third straight game the Gators allowed fewer than 10 points.

Sept. 19 – at Strong Rock Christian, 7:30 p.m.

The Gators kept the win streak alive with a dominant 49-14 home victory over Strong Rock Christian, scoring in all four quarters. Ike Hubbard and Shamar Jenkins set the tone early with first-quarter rushing touchdowns, and Jenkins added another in the second before Danye Garvin broke free for a 19-yard score. After halftime, Sam Hubbard powered in from 2 yards out, and senior Parker Chance capped the night with his first career touchdown run. Head Coach Aaron Phillips praised the team’s depth in the backfield but warned against complacency, reminding the Gators that “you win these games Monday through Thursday, not just on Friday nights.”

Sept. 26 – at Tattnall Square Academy (TSA), 7:30 p.m.

Bulloch Academy didn't play the Tattnall Square Trojans last season, however their record ended 7-3 overall, 3-1 in the region.

Oct. 3 – vs. Hilton Head Christian Academy (HHCA), 7:30 p.m.

Bulloch Academy didn't play HHCA last season, however their record ended 7-4 overall, 2-1 in the region.

Oct. 9 – at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

After a three-week layoff caused by Hurricane Helene, the Gators returned to the field and kept their undefeated season alive with a hard-fought 14-0 home win over Frederica Academy. Shamar Jenkins provided the spark with a 52-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and BA added one more score before halftime to build their final margin. While the offense went scoreless in the second half, the defense locked in to preserve the shutout — their second of the season — and push the Gators to 7-0.

Oct. 17 – vs. St. Andrew’s School, 7:30 p.m.

The Gators rolled to their eighth straight win with a complete 55-0 shutout on the road, dominating all three phases against St. Andrew’s. Danye Garvin led the charge with multiple first-half scores, Ike Hubbard added two touchdowns of his own, and Shamar Jenkins found the end zone before halftime as BA jumped to a 48-0 lead at the break. Connor Perry and Keonte Mayner came up with interceptions, and Rocco Reiss capped the scoring in the third quarter. Head Coach Aaron Phillips praised his team’s physicality and execution, but made it clear they’d continue to push hard heading into their rivalry finale with Pinewood Christian.

Oct. 24 – at Pinewood Christian, 7:30 p.m.

On Senior Night, the Gators capped their second straight undefeated regular season with a decisive win over their rivals from Pinewood Christian. Shamar Jenkins opened the scoring and added multiple touchdowns, Danye Garvin, Ike Hubbard, Billy Crider, Parker Chance, and Rocco Reiss each found the end zone, and Case Woodrum nailed most of his extra point attempts. The defense was anchored by JT Lee, Rocco Reiss, and Conner Perry, holding PCA scoreless until the final seconds of the third quarter. Postgame, seniors from football, cheer, and the shotgun team were honored on the field as BA celebrated a perfect 9-0 regular season and looked ahead to the playoffs.

09-13-24-bafb-teamrunout — . Bulloch Academy Athletics

Playoff Season Recap

St. Anne Pacelli

The Gators opened the playoffs with a statement shutout, overpowering the Vikings in all phases of the game. Shamar Jenkins scored three first-half touchdowns — two through the air from Sam Hubbard and one on the ground — while Case Woodrum went perfect on extra points to give BA a 21-0 halftime lead. The defense was relentless, with big stops from Danye Garvin, Parker Chance, and Braylon Cone, plus a key pass breakup by Hamp Haralson. The third quarter featured a safety and a score from B.J. Smart, and JB Roach put the exclamation point on the night with a pick-six in the fourth. With the win, the Gators moved to 10-0 and earned a semifinal rematch with Brookstone.

Brookstone

In a rematch one year in the making, the Gators avenged last season’s controversial semifinal loss by grinding out a hard-fought win over the Cougars. Shamar Jenkins opened the scoring with a 1-yard run in the second quarter, and Billy Crider extended the lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Sam Hubbard in the third. Hubbard then added a 4-yard rushing score to make it 20-0 early in the fourth. Brookstone rallied with two late touchdowns, but BA’s defense — led by Ike Hubbard’s two interceptions, Parker Chance’s pick, and key stops from Braylon Cone, Keonte Mayner, and JT Lee — shut the door. With the win, BA punched its ticket to the GIAA State Finals at Georgia Southern’s Paulson Stadium.

First Presbyterian Day

Bulloch Academy capped a perfect 12-0 season by winning the 2024 GIAA Class AAAA State Championship, defeating First Presbyterian Day 14-10 at Georgia Southern’s Paulson Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Vikings struck first, but BA answered with two touchdowns from Shamar Jenkins — one to tie the game in the third quarter and another to take the lead in the fourth. The Gators’ defense sealed the victory with relentless pressure, sacks from William Polk, and two interceptions from Ike Hubbard, delivering the school’s first state title in 28 years.

11-13-24_bafb_1 — The Bulloch Academy Gators practice for semi-final game against the Brookestone Cougars. Destiny Hartwell

Q&A with Coach Phillips

How do you feel about your team so far heading into the season?

Kids have worked really hard this summer in the weight room. We still have a lot of work to do but I’m proud of the progress and I’m proud of the kids that have stepped up and are filling some of the leadership roles left behind by the graduating class we had last year.

What’s the energy been like during practices this summer?

For the most part, we’ve had great energy. We had a great camp at Georgia Southern and we’ve been blessed with some really good weather for this time of the year so morale and energy has been up.

Who are some key players you lost from last year, and how are you filling those spots?

We had 14 seniors last year and most those guys were starter on one side of the ball. I don’t think we will feel that we’re just one guy this year but I like the stable of guys who have taken that role? I think that production could be better. We lost two linebackers, Josh Mager who was the Statesboro Herald athlete of the year and an Allstate linebacker in Parker Chance. We have four talented guys that are rotating in those two spots and they’re getting better with each practice.

Which players have stepped up the most in the offseason?

Jack Lanier is doing a great job of anchoring on office of line. He’s a senior and a starter from last season who’s taking a leader ship role. Braylon Cone has done a great job in the off-season getting in shape and really sharpening his game. Sam Hubbard , the quarterback, has continued to develop into an office of threat even more so than he was last year. Having your center back and your quarterback is vital for not fence but we also get back Danye Garvin. Danye has rush for almost 3000 yards the last two seasons. Those guys are gonna play big roles in our success.

Are there any younger players or newcomers we should keep an eye on this year?

We have a couple of newcomers to our team this year and some young guys stepping up. One newcomers Maddox Lee. Maddox comes in as a running back and a great athlete. He catches the ball really well and has a great football mind. We look for him to have a great year. We also picked up Colin Grooms. A defensive end an offensive tackle with good strength and is very raw with a lot of upside. He’s going to continue to get better and better and he’s done a great job thus far this season.

112423-ba-final — Bulloch Academy Gators Friday night. Destiny Hartwell

What are some things you focused on improving in the offseason?

Getting as much experience as we could in the off-season with some of our young guys since we graduated a big class. Really focused on not being complacent.

Do you feel like the team is more confident going into this season?

When you have a team that has a lot of young guys they are hungry to prove themselves and they have a lot of confidence. We also have a pretty good mixture of some older leadership guys and I think the combination of the two is really good.

What game are you or the team most looking forward to and why?

I don’t think our kids are looking at any one game in particular. We really focused as a team and as a football family on who’s next and that’s all we’re looking at. We try to treat every single game the same.

Do you think you’re stronger on offense or defense right now, or are things pretty balanced?

Obviously early on with having your quarterback return your starting center from last year and one of your leading ball carriers that’s going to naturally my office a little bit ahead of the defense. But we’ve done a great job defensively this summer. Coach Chris Kearson, longtime head coach at ECI joined us as a Defense a coordinator and he’s doing a great job developing and coaching our kids.

What’s something you’re trying to do differently this year compared to last season?

We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything like that. We’re gonna do what we do and try to be the best we can be at it. We’re gonna try to play physical and tough. Be very good on the fence and if we can do that we like our team and our chances

How do you keep the team motivated during the grind of the season?

It’s not just during the season for us it’s all the time. In the off-season in the summer we really talk to our kids about how hard football is the life lessons you get out of it. There is no elevator to the top. You have to take the stairs. We think this is true in life also. If you make 30 workouts in the summer, do all the team runs, make 180 lifts during the school year I think on Friday nights that’s all the motivation you need.

What would you say is the identity of your team this year?

I think we really taken ownership of BET. Our teams motto. Which stands for brotherhood, effort, and toughness. You’re going to fight for your family harder than anybody. You can only control a few things and effort is one of them. It’s not about how many times you can get knocked down it’s about how many times you can keep getting up.

Bulloch Academy Gators — 2025 Varsity Football Roster

Official roster as provided by Bulloch Academy. Erk Russel Classic Roster

#	Name	Grade	Height	Weight	Position(s)
1	Cannon Vickery	9	5'9"	150	QB/DB
2	Reid Williams	9	5'9"	163	RB/SS
3	Jayce Farmer	9	5'8"	148	RB/DB
4	AK Watkins	11	6'3"	175	WR/DB
5	Maddox Lee	11	5'7"	160	RB/DB
6	Sam Hubbard	11	5'10"	170	QB/DB
7	J.B. Roach	11	6'1"	177	QB/SS
8	Whit Olliff	11	5'8"	165	RB/LB
9	Tate Williamson	10	6'0"	185	TE/LB
10	Billy Crider	11	6'3"	191	SE/FS
11	Brenigan Priest	12	6'1"	172	ILB/WR
12	Landon Mitchell	10	5'7"	140	QB/DB
13	Mason Wills	11	5'7"	155	OLB
14	Connor Perry	10	5'9"	170	RB/SS
15	Omar Cruz	11	5'11"	210	RB/OLB
16	Case Woodrum	10	5'7"	145	K
17	Rocco Reiss	11	5'8"	176	RB/SS
18	Jonah Burns	10	6'1"	160	WR/DB
19	Nash Motes	9	5'7"	125	WR
20	B.J. Smart	11	5'9"	187	RE/OLB
21	Jon David Burns	12	5'7"	125	WR/DB
22	Danye Garvin	12	5'8"	190	FB/OLB
23	Nick Eason Jr.	10	5'11"	175	RB/CB
24	Brady Popkin	12	5'10"	175	P
25	Hunter Chance	10	5'7"	135	WR/DB
26	Hudson Shingler	9	5'7"	141	RB/OLB
27	Harold Park	11	5'8"	150	WR/DB
28	Camden Mager	9	5'7"	125	SE/OLB
29	Edward Nguyen	10	5'9"	163	RB/SS
30	Kellen Banks	9	5'8"	160	RB/LB
32	Cale Hardy	9	5'9"	165	FB/LB
33	Brantley Wiggins	9	5'8"	145	WR
34	Parker Walden	9	5'8"	160	RB/LB
35	Angelo Pereira	12	5'10"	180	K
37	Charlie McNeal	10	5'8"	160	OL/DL
42	Rickey Jeffcoat	12	5'10"	170	DE
44	Cohen Hendrix	10	5'9"	180	FB/LB
45	Bobby McCormick	9	6'0"	150	DE
46	Jace Williams	12	5'10"	181	NG
50	James Lee	11	5'6"	200	C/DL
52	Griff Sumner	10	5'8"	227	OL/DL
54	Jack Lanier	12	5'9"	235	OL/DL
55	Brian O'Sullivan	10	5'8"	150	OL/DL
56	Colin Grooms	11	6'3"	210	OL/DE
57	Alec Franklin	9	5'9"	160	OL/DL
60	Finley Stewart	11	5'9"	150	OL/DL
63	Bo Crider	10	5'10"	228	OL/DL
67	Slayton Roberts	9	5'10"	260	OL/DL
72	Bryce Parish	10	5'11"	215	OL/DL
73	Wesley Whang	9	6'0"	205	OL/DL
82	Henry Wells	9	5'9"	140	WR
88 / 58	Braylon Cone	11	6'2"	294	DE/OL

Once again this football season, Grice Connect Sports will offer live scoring powered by ScoreStream. We are also looking for parents (or other super fans!) who would be willing to send us photos and live game updates from home and away games for each school this season. If you're interested, please contact [email protected] or Blake Williams at [email protected] for more information.

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