Effingham Co. football preview: Here are five reasons why the Rebels can win region title
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SPRINGFIELD – The Effingham Rebels are a high school football program on the rise and come into the 2022 season with aspirations to win the Region 2-AAAAAA title.
The Rebels open the season Friday at Richmond Hill. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 a.m.
Here are five reasons why Effingham County can contend for the region championship.
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1. Rebels should return with confidence
Certainly someone can find three more points out there. That’s what the Rebels might be thinking after falling three points short of a Region 2-6A title in 2021.
ECHS lost the regular finale to fourth-ranked Brunswick 21-18, but if the Rebels had won, both teams would have had 5-1 region records and ECHS would have had the tiebreaker.
The Rebels won just three games in 2020 and two in 2019, but shot to six wins overall in head coach John Ford’s first season.
Like most coaches this time of the year, Ford doesn’t want to speculate on the future.
“I say all the time, this year doesn’t care about last year,” Ford said. “Today doesn’t care about yesterday. Last year is gone, buried, whether it was good or bad. We’re just trying to work on being an elite version of ourselves.”
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2. Top WR/DB Keion Wallace is healthy
After missing a year because of a shoulder injury, Wallace gives the Rebels another playmaker.
Make that two playmakers, says Ford, because Wallace is expected to be a standout as a wide receiver on offense and a safety on defense.
According to Rivals.com, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound three-star senior has 11 Division I offers, including Louisville, Texas A&M, Mississippi and Georgia Tech.
Wallace gave a glimpse of his talents during a memorable 10-catch, 3-touchdown, 193-yard performance as a sophomore against Statesboro.
3. Wallace isn’t the only talented pass catcher
Some colleges wish they had ECHS’ stable of wide receivers. Less than two minutes into a spring scrimmage with Bleckley County, Ashley Thompson ran a short slant route and caught a pass in stride for a 53-yard touchdown.
Timmy Brown (first-team all-region), Messiah Bacon (honorable mention all-region) and Zach Gant have similar abilities to make short pass receptions big plays in the spread attack. Ty Ergle, a transfer from South Effingham, will figure in the mix.
“Last year, we rolled nine out there (to get snaps),” Ford said. “We’ll roll kids in on waves. We’re like a hockey line change.”
4. Quicker feet at QB
Gone is all-region quarterback Matthew Ford, a stationary performer who seemed to be a perfect fit for the quick, short-passing spread. Welcome junior quarterback Nate Hayes, whose elusiveness provides an added dimension in the run game.
Hayes spent last season behind Ford learning the system and has been a leader on and off the field in the spring and summer.
Recently, Hayes, a scholar athlete, represented ECHS at the prestigious Georgia Hugh O’Brian Youth Southeast Leadership Seminar.
“Nate is obviously very smart and he’s hard working,” John Ford said. “He has a strong arm and good feet.”
5. Doesn’t defense win championships?
A year ago, ECHS’ defense surrendered 181 points – 103 less than the previous year and the fewest points allowed by the school since 2015.
The Rebels lose top linebackers Tucker Wilson (Mercer University) and Tyler Wells (Gettysburg College), but return first-team all-region inside lineman Keysean McCarr and another defensive playmaker on the outside, honorable mention all-region Cooper Nease.
And the secondary looks stronger than ever with ECHS’ talented wide receiver group moving across the line of scrimmage. Thompson (first-team all-region) and Wallace are at free and strong safety.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Effingham County Rebels to contend for GHSA region 6A football title
