GUYTON, Ga. – When a team wins, there’s no shortage of pats on the back.

Fail to win a game, and it’s a completely different story. South Effingham football players know the latter all too well after their 0-10 season a year ago.

“It’s hard having people come up to you saying, ‘Hey, are you actually going to win a game this year?’” Mustangs senior linebacker/tight end Corey Woods admitted.

Teammate Kadin Ward, a senior running back/nose guard, hears harsher words.

“I’m tired of people saying we stink,” he said.

SEHS players mostly refrain from using the winless label. They see a chance to be remembered for doing something about a season to forget.

Seeking more grit

Head coach Loren Purvis, now in his third year, has seen the good and the bad. His Mustangs posted six wins in 2022, and the 6-4 record was the school’s best winning percentage in eight years.

But realignment to a stronger region and a tough nonregion schedule led to a hard fall in 2023. Purvis is looking for players with the resolve and mettle to get back up.

“Kirby Smart might be the best at (keeping his team on an even keel),” Purvis said. “He always makes his players seem like they’re the underdog. The underdog works harder. Well, we didn’t win a game last year and we’re picked to finish last this year. We’re the underdog, and whether we’re winning or losing, we have to keep working hard.”

A turnaround won’t be easy. The number of players in the program – varsity, junior varsity and freshmen teams – has dwindled from 110 to 85. Twenty-nine are freshmen, and 12 of them are linemen.

Only 13 seniors return.

“(Having fewer players in the program) isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Purvis said. “We weren’t trying to weed out players, but we wanted to make sure the kids who are here are the ones who have bought in to be here.”

QB job open

Heading into the season opener, Purvis hasn’t decided on a starting quarterback. Neither freshman Liam Coburn nor sophomore George Bushatz has varsity experience.

Junior Kiran Boggess transferred from Thomas Heyward Academy in Ridgeland, S.C., and led the Rebels to a SCISA Class A state championship while throwing for 698 yards and 10 touchdowns in a run-first, wing-T offense.

“They each bring something different to the table,” Purvis said. “We’ll be tougher up front, and we’ve shown a propensity to catch the ball better, so all those things – no matter who the quarterback is – will make us better.”

Line gets boost

Senior guard David Lane, who returns from an injury, anchors the improved offensive line.

“(Lane) is the best leader we’ve had here in my three years,” said Purvis, who named Lane a team captain along with Woods, Danny Murtha and Khyran White.

Junior Tanner Horton and senior Noah Hallman are back at left tackle and center. Freshman Sam Blaine has been impressive at right guard, and senior Damein Washington, sophomore Karter Wilson and junior Nathan Salter are battling for the right tackle job.

A talented stable of running backs – Ward, White and Calvary transfer Maddox Vasquez – will look to control the ball. Ward, a hard-nosed inside runner, led the team last season with 465 rushing yards and four touchdowns. White, a junior with speed, added 413 rushing yards and a score.

At receiver, senior Jayden Hair, a sprinter on the track team, has shown big-play ability during summer practices. Senior Hayden Still and juniors Benja Crofts and Landyn White are solid on the outside.

Woods returns as the starting tight end after leading the team with 175 receiving yards on six catches and two touchdowns last season.

Defense gets help

Defensively, Purvis added coordinator Carson McClellan, who gained experience as an assistant at Georgia Southern, to tighten a unit that allowed 46 points a game last year.

Many of the offensive starters will see double duty. At 5-foot-9, 205 pounds, Ward has shined in his new role at nose guard. Woods moved to middle linebacker last season and led the team with 68 tackles.

Washington, one of the fastest players on the team, will double at defensive end. Vasquez will be used as a nickel defensive back, and Landyn White will play safety.

“This team has a different feel,” Purvis said. “They seem to care a little more across the board. We have guys who want to play every down.”

Defensive starters lineman Gage Roberson and end Alex Cabrera will back up on the offensive line and at tight end, respectively.

Junior linebackers Murtha and Michael Camacho surround Woods. Seniors Landon Wells and Silas Certo bring experience to cornerback.

Rising baseball star James Brooks, a sophomore, is expected to help at safety and can also punt.

Purvis hopes to use soccer players Broddie Whiddon and Murtha in the kicking game.

Hair will handle the returns.

Changing the story

The Mustangs face the daunting task of changing their narrative, but Woods won’t shy away from the weekly challenge.

“People have been holding the 0-10 over our heads since last season,” Woods said. “You have to ignore what they think of this program, what they think of us. The team morale has been far greater than any other team I’ve been on. My motivation this year is my teammates. I want to make sure I’m getting better so I can make them better.”