SPRINGFIELD, Ga. – Effingham County has a must-win game against Brunswick on Friday night at Glynn County Stadium.

To come out on top, the Rebels must slow down the Pirates’ experienced quarterback Grant Moore, combat the size of tight end Heze Kent, and contain explosive running back Nigel Gardner.

“Coach Garrett Grady and his staff do an amazing job,” ECHS coach John Ford said. “They’re big. They’re physical, and they have a lot of firepower.”

Brunswick’s recent dominance

Brunswick (1-1) has won the region championship three of the last four years – the outlier being 2023, when the Rebels captured their first region title since 1995 by defeating the Pirates 31-28 with a late field goal in the regular-season finale.

Three of the last four Brunswick-ECHS games have determined the region championship, with all three decided by a field goal. The Pirates won 21-18 in 2021 and 30-27 in 2022.

“It’s the first region game, and we’re excited,” ECHS defensive back Daimir Hicks said. “They’re a tough team. We have to execute like we did against New Hampstead and start off faster.”

Pirates present challenges

Moore and Brunswick’s passing game are likely to keep the Rebels’ defensive backs on edge. The Pirates’ aerial attack averaged more than 46 points per game last season. Moore threw for 394 yards and five touchdowns in the 2025 season opener against Camden County.

The Pirates are also effective on the ground. Gardner had 147 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Wayne County. Kent, at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, presents a major challenge at tight end. Online recruiting site 24/7 lists him as a four-star recruit committed to Florida.

Rebels’ recent form

Brunswick will be coming off a bye week. Meanwhile, the Rebels are coming off a wild 56-42 loss to Houston County on Aug. 15 and a narrow 23-20 win over New Hampstead last Friday.

ECHS quarterback Tucker Perkins has seen only one quarter of action after suffering a sprained ankle against Houston County. He took a single snap in the second quarter against New Hampstead when backup Kris Swinney had to come out for a play after his helmet came off.

Ford dismissed any suggestion that Perkins was being saved for Brunswick. The Perkins-led offense averaged a school-record 35 points per game last season.

“We need all our players. It wasn’t like we were discounting this one against New Hampstead. That didn’t go into the thinking process,” Ford said. “If he progresses at the same rate, I would imagine he’d be back to play Brunswick, but I’m not a doctor.”

Perkins was injured early in last season’s Brunswick game, and the Rebels lost 42-20.

Run game key

ECHS has leaned on a run-oriented attack with Swinney at quarterback. Junior Jmere Doe-Davis rushed for 90 yards and the game-winning touchdown against New Hampstead.

Doe-Davis said the Rebels will need to be more multi-dimensional to succeed against the Pirates.

“This is a must-win game for us. We have to come out firing on all cylinders,” he said.