Author: Robert Preston

In the early hours September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on south, southeast, east and parts of central Georgia and made an exceptionally damaging impact on farms.  Affected producers are reporting yield losses ranging from 35 percent to a total loss, depending on location in the state.  Producers are also reporting significant losses in farm structures, equipment, and infrastructure. Official reports of losses will be coming in the coming weeks as University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service personnel collect data. It is however, without question that losses will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Losses will extend…

Coffee County is reeling from the fury Hurricane Helene unleashed the community. Widespread power outages, tens of thousands of downed trees, and millions in property damage are but a few of the effects felt locally. Officials have also confirmed one fatality as a result of the storm. Hurricane Helene brought sustained winds in excess of 90 mph, with gusts likely in the triple digits, as she downed power lines, snapped poles, destroyed homes, and toppled trees throughout Coffee County. She left a swath of destruction the likes of which Coffee County has never seen. Now that Helene has moved on,…

The Coffee Lady Trojans defeated the Bacon County Red Raiders 12-1 in five innings on Saturday to improve to 11-6 on the season. Two Coffee pitchers – Erin Robinson and Maggie Brown – combined for a 90-pitch no hitter. Coffee scored runs in every inning except the second while holding Bacon scoreless. Allie Pridgen drove in four, three of which came on a fifth inning home run. She also walked with the bases loaded in the fourth, driving in another run. Ella Edge, Ella Winters, and Jocelyn Fender each had two hits for the Lady Trojans. Winters and Karlee Thomas…

Friday night’s game between the visiting Mainland High School Buccaneers and the Coffee Trojans went about like you might have thought a game between two defending state champions would. It was a clash between two good, physical, tough teams that battered each other for four quarters. Every drive was an emotional roller coaster, every play significant and deliberate. Mainland had the only real scoring opportunity of the first half but was unable to capitalize. On Coffee’s second possession of the game, the Buccaneers’ Zyquan Neal picked off a pass and returned it to the Trojan 38. A keeper by quarterback…

Tuesday, Abrah Harris walked off the Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders, the #1 team in single-A, in extra innings. Wednesday afternoon, it was Emma Gourley’s turn. For the second consecutive day, the CCA Lady Patriots walked off a higher ranked opponent with a double. Tied 17-17 in the bottom of the seventh inning – yes, you read that score correctly – Gourley laced an RBI double to defeat the Pinewood Christian Academy Lady Patriots 18-17. Pinewood, located in Bellville, is the #3 ranked team in 3A. “It was a great game. We forgot how to play defense for a little…

The CCA Lady Patriots improved to 9-3 on the season Monday afternoon with a 14-10 win over the Crisp Academy Wildcats in Douglas. Emma Gourley and Emy Lowery paced the Lady Patriots at the plate with each collecting three hits. CCA tallied 12 total hits in the game. The Wildcats scored one run in the top of the first. The Lady Patriots answered with three in the bottom of the inning. Lowery doubled to score two. One more crossed the plate when Cadence Cravey was hit by a pitch. In the bottom of the second, CCA scored five runs to…

During Friday night’s 27-14 win over the Havana, Florida-based Gadsden County Jaguars, one Trojan broke a significant 49-year old offensive record. And he’s on pace to break another big record, although this one hasn’t stood for nearly as long. Against the Jaguars, senior running back Tyrese Woodgett rushed for 278 yards on 33 carries and scored all three of Coffee’s touchdowns. He scored on runs of 52 and 80 yards, respectively. His other touchdown came on a 28-yard pass from quarterback Bray Coe. Woodgett’s 278 yards is a new single game rushing record, eclipsing the old record of 262 yards…

The well-traveled and diminutive Brahminy blind snake has made its way to Coffee County. These tiny burrowing snakes are native to Asia and Africa but have been found all over the world, including the southeastern United States. Sunday afternoon, the first specimen was reported locally. Teri Day, who lives in the Baymeadows subdivision, was working in her garden when she dug up what appeared to be a blue-ish colored worm. Her son, Jones, picked it up and noticed it flicking its tongue like a snake. “She was just turning the soil getting ready to plant something and she noticed a…

In two of the Coffee Trojans’ first three games, the first half was a slow burn. But in neither of those games did the Trojans take as long to get going as they did in game number four. And the opponent in game number four wasn’t one to go to sleep on. Yes, Coffee won 27-14 Friday night over a tough Gadsden County Jaguars team from Havana, Fla. But they navigated a slippery slope over the first two quarters. The Jaguars were big, physical, athletic, and undefeated. They came to Jardine Stadium 3-0 and having beaten McCallie, one of Tennessee’s…

A storm system predicted to move through the area on Friday night led Atkinson County school officials to move the Rebels’ Homecoming game with the Pataula Charter Academy Panthers to Thursday night. The move didn’t seem to affect ATCO one bit; they defeated PCA 27-12 to improve to 3-1 on the season. For the Rebels, the Roberts twins – Darrian and Laderien – did much of the work. Darrien, who has been on a tear this season, rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Laderien, meanwhile, had 20 carries for 80 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Zy…