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Mustangs show signs of progress in loss to Yellow Jackets
Corey Renfro
South Effingham receiver Corey Renfro (22) works to get past Wayne County defensive back Elijah Lott (20) on the first offensive play of Friday’s non-region contest in Jesup. - photo by Photo by Gilbert Miller
Effingham Herald
Published: Sep 28, 2020, 8:03 AM

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald


GUYTON — For a half, South Effingham had the better of play against perennial power Wayne County. Through three quarters, the Mustangs were still within striking distance of an improbable win.

But two or three forgettable minutes of the fourth quarter ruined a potential memorable Friday night as SEHS fell to Wayne County in Jesup 31-17.

The Mustangs (0-3) will have a bye this week before meeting their next opponent, rival Effingham County, on Oct. 9.

SEHS coach Nathan Clark saw positives.

“We made progress this week and that’s something you can build on during a bye week,” he said.

In two of the last three years, Wayne County under coach Ken Cribb won the Region 2-AAAAA title — a region that also included SEHS.

Only a week earlier, the Yellow Jackets took Richmond Hill, a Final Four state playoff team in Class AAAAAA a year ago, to the wire before missing a late, game-tying field goal.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs had 26-3 and 42-7 losses to Class A Metter and Class AAA Appling County in consecutive weeks on their 2020 resume. They had a total of 103 offensive yards in the two games and never held a lead.

But in high school football, you never know. Three of the last four games between SEHS and Wayne were decided by four points or less. Last year’s game was decided by a blocked field-goal attempt in overtime.

The Mustangs weren’t backing down this year either after taking a 7-3 halftime lead. They weathered a one-hour lightning delay and trailed only 10-7 after three quarters.

But that’s when “the wheels came off the bus there in a two- to three-minute period,” Clark said.

A long touchdown run for the Jackets, followed by an interception returned for a touchdown and a punt returned for a touchdown — all within the opening minutes of the fourth quarter — made it 31-7.

“We understand we’re a different team than last year,” Clark said. “We took two pretty good beatings and we had to refocus and try to figure out what we could do to play harder.”

Friday’s task became harder without six major contributors — Desmond House, Buck Johnson, Nick Milbrandt, Antonio Queen, Jamarie Mitchell and Jake Kerns, who were out for the game.

SEHS still produced its best statistical effort of the season. The Mustangs finished with 184 yards of total offense. Cameron Edwards scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter and Larry Scott completed an 80-yard, fourth-quarter drive with a 13-yard TD run.

Liam Rickman kicked a 44-yard field goal.

Scott finished with nine carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Alex Cela completed 9-of-22 passes for 74 yards. Corey Renfro had four catches for 30 yards.

Defensively, Clark noted the play of Malcolm Brown, Malkolm Stephens, Hunter Slater, Cole Herrington and Brayden Bell.

On the line, sophomore Jah’Tavion Weickerson, who was seeing his first action of the season, caused a fumble and recorded a sack.

“I think the kids were disappointed they lost but at the same time everyone should feel good about playing better,” Clark said.
Volunteers hold 'Demo Party' to help Rincon Woman Rebuild Storm-Damaged Home
Miss Peggy
Matt Evans, owner of Centaur Home Renovations, consults with volunteer Janel Kearney while directing the demolition process. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)
Mya Taylor
Updated: Aug 28, 2025, 3:11 PM
Published: Aug 28, 2025, 2:43 PM

RINCON, Ga. — Volunteers attended a “demo party” over the weekend to help demolish the interior of 82-year-old Miss Peggy’s home, which was left severely damaged by a storm years ago.

A gloomy forecast and threat of rain did not deter the group from working. When the seven volunteers arrived, they were greeted by Centaur Home Renovations owner Matt Evans, who is leading the renovations. Masks, trash bags and tools were handed out as music played from a large speaker and fans helped keep volunteers cool in the summer heat. Orange arrows painted on the walls directed workers to the areas slated for demolition.

Miss Peggy
Leigh Carter strips wallpaper as part of the interior demolition of Miss Peggy’s home during a community ‘demo party’ in Rincon. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Leigh Carter, the first to arrive, was one of several who stripped walls and tore out drywall. Carter’s efforts go beyond renovations — she has also driven Miss Peggy to doctor’s appointments and helped her get rehoused last week at Family Promise of Effingham after a brief displacement.

“We want to get Miss Peggy back home in a safe place to live,” Carter said.

Volunteers spread out through the home, removing damaged drywall and hauling debris to a dumpster in the driveway.

“I decided to join because I thought helping somebody would be a good thing to do,” volunteer Sydney Kearney said. “I just thought it would be nice to volunteer.”

Miss Peggy
Grayson Heaton uses a crowbar to help remove damaged walls during the volunteer demolition day. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Repairs underway
Michael’s Roofing of Meldrim completed the first major repair by rebuilding and installing a new roof. The previous roof had been damaged by a fallen tree, which led to water leaks, mildew and mold spreading through the home.

Now Evans and Centaur Home Renovations are leading the next phase of work. Evans joined volunteers in the demolition and said community support has been growing since news of Miss Peggy’s situation was first reported in the Effingham Herald. 

“Since the article was first published, we’ve gotten quite a few reach-outs from people willing to donate their time,” Evans said. “We’ve also had four different dumpster companies donate dumpsters for the cause as well.”

Community organizations are also pitching in. Family Promise and the Manna House Food Pantry and Thrift Store have pledged to provide furniture and other materials once renovations are complete.

The most recent setback came when the septic tank lids collapsed, causing the system to stop working. Evans said crews are now cleaning the tank and clearing the lines.

Miss Peggy
Benny Carter tosses an old mattress into a dumpster as part of cleanup efforts at Miss Peggy’s storm-damaged home. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

What’s still needed
“After the demo is completed, we can start looking for more materials we’ll need like lumber, drywall, paint, flooring and more to get the house back together,” Evans said.

Additional materials still needed include:

  • 25 2x4x8 studs

  • Four sheets of OSB sheathing

  • Twenty 12-foot deck boards (5/4)

  • Twelve 12-foot sheets of sheetrock

  • 36-inch vanity

  • Two toilets

  • Four ceiling fans

  • Two bathroom fans

  • 60-inch vanity

  • 60-inch fiberglass tub and surround

  • 60-inch fiberglass shower and surround

  • 1,600 square feet of LVP flooring

  • 36-inch exterior door

  • Rolls of drywall tape

  • Buckets of drywall mud

  • Bags of 20-minute drywall joint compound

  • 100 linear feet of baseboard and quarter round

  • 10 gallons of Kilz or Cover Stain

  • 10–12 gallons of white paint

There is no estimated timeline for completion, as more funds and supplies are needed. The GoFundMe campaign for Miss Peggy’s home renovations has raised more than $1,400.

Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/help-ms-peggy-return-to-a-safe-home.

Miss Peggy
The interior of Miss Peggy’s home shows ceiling stripped and debris cleared in preparation for renovations. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)