Author: Robert Preston

Chris Hobbs, a former Douglas resident and Coffee High School graduate, placed sixth in the National Physique Committee (NPC) Nationals bodybuilding contest recently in Miami. Hobbs, 38, who stands 5’8” and competed in the Heavyweight division at 215 pounds, came up just a few places short of earning a pro card at Nationals. To turn pro, a competitor must place in the top two in his or her class. During the course of his career, Hobbs has competed in a number of contests at the local, state, regional, and national level. His list of titles includes Mr. Teen Georgia, Junior…

I don’t know what to say. I’ve covered a lot of ball games over the years and I’ve never been at a loss for words. I’ve always had an angle, a lead, a story after a game. Tonight, however, I don’t. The Kell High School Longhorns inexplicably defeated the Coffee Trojans 14-7 in the second round of the state playoffs at Jardine Stadium. It was tough to watch. It’s even harder to explain. “I’m disappointed. I’m heartbroken. We just made too many mistakes. There’s not a whole to say,” said head coach Robby Pruitt following the game. Coffee came into…

Larry Parker, the husband of former Coffee County Chief Magistrate Loretta Parker, lost his life in a tragic auto accident on Interstate 10 in Florida Tuesday afternoon. Larry Parker’s nephew, Lamar “Monkey” Parker, suffered serious injuries and was life-flighted from the scene of accident to a hospital in Panama City. Details of the crash haven’t been released. However, apparently the Parkers, who haul mobile homes, were parked on the side of I-10 changing a flat tire on the house they were transporting. While they were changing the tire, a motor home veered into the emergency lane and struck the back…

Friday the 13th proved to be the Coffee Trojans’ lucky day. Friday night, the Trojans throttled the Warner Robins Demons 37-10 at Jardine Stadium in the first round of the state playoffs. The win was Coffee’s 10th of the season; it’s the first time since 1981 and 1982 that the Trojans have had back-to-back 10-win seasons. The Demons looked like they would play the Trojans tough. On their first possession, the Demons kicked a 28-yard field after a long but quick drive. Early in the game, the Demons had a 3-0 lead. Coffee answered with a 28-yard field goal attempt…

For the first time since 2002, the Coffee Trojans are region champions. All the Trojans had to do in order to secure their first share of the region title in 13 years – and the first championship they have won outright since 1982 – was defeat the embattled Bradwell Institute Tigers Friday night in Hinesville. Smart money said the Trojans would win the game going away. After all, the Tigers were 0-9 going into the game and hadn’t mustered much offense during the entire season. But this is the kind of game in which a team can easily slip up,…

Another Friday night, another Coffee Trojans victory. The Trojans improved to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in region play after a dominating 41-14 win over the Richmond Hill Wildcats at Jardine Stadium. The Trojans scored on their first two possessions of the game and never looked back. Sophomore running back Tywone Brewton scored twice while Demetrius Davis, Jeremiah Ashley, Thomas Spencer, and Tray Bryant each found the end zone once apiece. Three of those scores came on plays close to 50 yards or greater. Ashley ran 48 yards for his touchdown. Spencer covered 62 yards, and Bryant’s score came on a…

The Coffee Trojans won big Friday night over the Brunswick Pirates 27-3. But that’s not how the game started. In fact, for most of the first half, it didn’t look like either team was going to score. The Trojans finally broke the scoreless tie late in the second quarter when Demetrius Davis scampered 22 yards into the end zone on a Statue of Liberty play. The extra point was good and Coffee had a 7-0 lead with just over a minute left in the quarter. Seconds later, Tray Bryant recovered the ensuing kick on the Pirates’ 17-yard line to set…

There were certainly some tense moments during the Coffee Trojans’ 34-22 win over the South Effingham Mustangs Friday night. At halftime, the Trojans held on to a slim 14-7 lead. With about five minutes left in the game, Coffee was ahead by five points with South Effingham across midfield and driving. The Mustangs were moving the ball seemingly at will, with Coffee offering little resistance to a surprisingly effective South Effingham passing attack. However, an incompletion on a big 4th and 6 with the Mustangs in Trojan territory gave Coffee the ball and, for all practical purposes, the win. “We…

It’s not often that a team can lose the turnover battle yet still win a game. Yet that’s exactly what happened Friday night in Statesboro as the Coffee Trojans defeated the Statesboro High Blue Devils 39-20 in what started out as a very close contest. Once again, special teams plagued the Trojans. Coffee missed three extra points, was on the wrong end of a blocked punt that led to a Statesboro touchdown, dropped two punts, and made a mental mistake on blocked field goal that nearly led to another Blue Devil score. Almost amazingly, however, Coffee managed to pull it…

“If you’re going to win, sometimes you’ve got to win ugly.” Those were the words of Coffee Trojans head football coach Robby Pruitt after Friday night’s 20-14 Homecoming win over the Effingham County Rebels. Coffee had indeed won. And was indeed ugly. The Trojan offense sputtered all night and never seemed to hit its stride. And the lightning bolt that ignited the Trojans came from an unlikely place. Coffee fans haven’t heard much from junior wide receiver/quarterback/running back/defensive back Jeremiah Ashley this year. Originally penciled in to be the Trojans’ signal caller after Tyree Paulk graduated, the Coffee staff decided…