First-year starting QB Perkins has Rebels offense in full throttle

Effingham County quarterback Tucker Perkins, shown here against Statesboro on Nov. 1, ranks fifth among the state leaders with 2,619 passing yards this season. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)

Effingham County quarterback Tucker Perkins, shown here against Statesboro on Nov. 1, ranks fifth among the state leaders with 2,619 passing yards this season. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)

Published: Nov 12, 2024, 4:52 PM

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD – Tucker Perkins is almost surprised to be asked if he’s surprised at his success.

The Effingham County High School first-year starting quarterback targeted immediate success like his approach to throwing pinpoint spirals – it’s what he’s worked for during the long, hot days of the summer.

So Perkins remains unfazed by the statistics rarely, if ever, seen before in Springfield. He’s thrown for 2,619 yards and 32 touchdowns while suffering just six interceptions.

According to MaxPreps, as of Nov. 6, he was fifth in the state in passing yardage despite missing three quarters against Brunswick because of a shoulder injury.

“We had thoughts of a 3,000-yard season. We’re just making it happen,” he said after a Rebel practice last week crept into the recent early evening darkness.

Perkins will have a chance to reach that goal when ECHS begins postseason play on the road Friday night against East Paulding.

“I had a lot of confidence in Tucker,” Rebels coach John Ford said. “He had a good offseason. I felt he had good symmetry with the offensive line and wide receivers. I thought we’d be very diverse offensively and he’d be a great point guard-type quarterback and he’d get the ball where it needed to be.”

Perkins replaced graduated star Nate Hayes, who led ECHS to a region title in 2023 while earning region Offensive Player of the Year honors.

But if any doubts about Perkins’ inexperience surfaced, they were erased when he threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opener against Houston County.

The next game, Perkins led the high-powered attack to an extraordinary 41-point surge in 16 minutes while erasing a 30-point deficit in the home opener against New Hampstead.

“He’s a perfect fit for the offense and actually makes it better, with his legs and ability to throw the ball,” ECHS assistant quarterback coach Matthew Ford said. “With the offensive line giving him time, he can get the ball downfield because his arm strength is huge. He’s done a great job since Day 1. He’s filled the quarterback shoes well.”

With Perkins percolating, the Rebels are averaging a school-record 37 points a game. He’s thrown three or more touchdown passes in eight games, a touchdown pass of 59 or more yards in seven games, 378 yards or more in four games.

It’s been a perfect offensive storm. ECHS has an experienced offensive line that continues to get better, running backs who can take advantage of pass-worried defenses and a stable of speedy wide receivers who stretch the field.

And the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Perkins distributes the ball without favoritism. Five receivers have 20 or more catches, four have six TDs catches or more, four have 489 or more yards.

“We’re definitely an air-it-out team,” he said. “It’s awesome throwing the ball a lot but we have a good mixture going on right now.”

Against Statesboro, Perkins attempted only 13 passes when the Blue Devils loaded the secondary with a zone defense. But that strategy gave ECHS running back Jmere Doe-Davis room to run for 219 yards.

“I have no issue (throwing just 13 times), whatever it takes to win,” Perkins said.

Perkins comes from an athletic family. His father played high school football and baseball and sister Emily was a key performer on ECHS’ volleyball team.

As a youth, Perkins played recreation football, starting as a wide receiver before moving to quarterback.

He led the Rincon Colts to an 18-0 record and a state championship in the under-12 recreation division.

“Tucker doesn’t stop working and he hates to lose,” said Matthew Ford, who spent hours each day throwing with Perkins after the Rebels’ speed training this summer.

Perkins’ bond with his receivers grew during 7-on-7 competition also in the summer. The Rebels advanced to the championship of the game of a tournament at Georgia Southern University.

ECHS’ season could hinge on its passing game as the state playoffs begin. East Paulding allowed less than 15 points a game while finishing with a 9-1 record during the regular season.

“East Paulding, they have a good team obviously,” Perkins said. “If we can do what we do, it will be a good game.”

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Rebels, Mustangs Clash in 32nd Effingham County Rivalry Game

Bragging Rights on the Line Friday at The Corral

J.R. McKenzie of Effingham County and Christian Magwood of South Effingham face off in a rivalry that turns friends into fierce competitors every fall.

Effingham County vs. South Effingham — J.R. McKenzie of Effingham County and Christian Magwood of South Effingham face off in a rivalry that turns friends into fierce competitors every fall.

Donald Heath

Updated: Sep 18, 2025, 5:43 PM

Published: Sep 18, 2025, 5:46 PM

GUYTON, Ga. – The stadium begins to fill before warmups have started. Kickoff is still more than an hour away. Players return to the locker room for final preparations, and the next time they run onto the field, the band is playing, and the stadium is packed.

“It’s cool because you don’t see any silver,” said South Effingham football coach Loren Purvis, referring to the silvery aluminum bleachers now covered with excited football fans in anticipation of the Mustangs’ showdown with Effingham County High School.

A Longstanding Rivalry

Friday night at the Corral, the two schools meet for the 32nd time. The Rebels hold a 19-12 edge in the annual series. Effingham County won 47-0 last season.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” ECHS running back Doe-Davis said. “You can’t overlook them, or they might beat you. You can’t overlook anyone in the region.”

Since 1996, the game between Effingham County and South Effingham has been a natural rivalry that rewards the winner with bragging rights for a year. At one time, ECHS was the only high school in the county. As the rural county grew, a new high school was formed by splitting the district.

Players from the new school donned new uniforms and colors, and the Effingham County–South Effingham matchup became the high school version of the Army-Navy rivalry, swapping Cadets and Midshipmen for Rebels and Mustangs.

Friendship Off the Field, Battle On

“It’s not like that everywhere,” Purvis said. “You don’t always see a town or a county with only two schools. These are the two schools in the county, and the rivalry is rich.”

“I love that the kids are still good friends afterward, but when the ball is kicked off, everything changes. I like (ECHS coach John Ford) a lot, but I want to beat his tail, and I know he wants to beat mine.”

Purvis and Ford experienced rivalries firsthand in their playing days. Purvis played at Irwin County, less than eight miles from rival Fitzgerald. Ford played at Brookwood, six miles from rival Parkview.

“It was a battle every year,” Purvis said.
“It was a heavyweight prize fight every time,” Ford said, recalling losing to Parkview in the second game of the 1996 season before upsetting them in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs en route to a state championship.

Unpredictable but Intense

“(The ECHS-SEHS series) is a spirited rivalry, one of the best in Georgia,” Ford said. “There’s a lot of passion, a lot of intensity. It means a lot to the community.”

During Ford’s five-year coaching stint in Springfield, the Rebels have brought some predictability to the series, winning all five matchups and outscoring the Mustangs by a combined 162-10.

Purvis has also experienced victories in the series. As SEHS’ offensive coordinator in 2019, he helped the Mustangs roll to a 41-27 win over the Rebels.

Both Teams Riding Momentum

For the first time since 2022, the two teams will enter the game on winning streaks. ECHS (2-2, 1-1 in Class 5A Region 1) topped Bradwell Institute 43-35 last Friday. SEHS (1-2, 1-0) snapped a 13-game losing streak by beating Lakeside 20-14 in overtime.

The Mustangs can point to scores against New Hampstead to make a case for a competitive battle with the Rebels this year. South lost 14-6 to the Phoenix in the season opener. ECHS held on for a 23-20 win against New Hampstead two weeks later.

“It gives you some confidence that they barely won it, and we felt like we could have beaten (New Hampstead), so maybe we’re fairly even,” Purvis said. “But I think you can play ‘would’ve, should’ve, could’ve’ with a lot of games.”