Author: Robert Preston

The Coffee Trojans showed why they are the state’s #1 5A offense on Friday night. Coffee defeated the visiting Statesboro Blue Devils 35-3 in another dominating region performance. The Trojans are 2-0 in region play and outscored their opponents 77-16 over the last two games. Coffee jumped out to an early lead on a slow, methodical march downfield after holding the Blue Devils on their first drive. The drive ended on a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Maurice Hansley to receiver Billy Simpson. James Jarrard, who has been handling most of the kicking duties in the absence of…

Last week, I went to Harvey’s on Ward Street. As I stepped out of my vehicle, a terrible odor hit me. Without thinking, I stopped in my tracks and uttered, “What is that?” Then I realized where I was — Pilgrim’s Pride wasn’t far away and the wind was blowing from that direction. I’ve lived in Douglas my entire life. There has always been some kind of chicken processing plant here so this is not a foreign odor to me. Some days it’s worse than others. Much of the time, there is no smell at all. But when…

In last week’s junior varsity tilt, it was the Coffee Trojans who couldn’t capitalize on an inordinate amount of turnovers. This week, it was the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes, who lost 14-13 to the Trojans in Fitzgerald, despite four Coffee turnovers in the first half. While Coffee’s four giveaways weren’t quite as many as Ware County’s six for the game a week ago, four turnovers is four too many. But if you’re going to gift the other team the ball, they better get some points out of the freebies. But Fitzgerald managed just one touchdown from Coffee’s…

Willie Spence, 23, a former Douglas resident who made national headlines when he finished as runner-up on last year’s Season 19 of American Idol, lost his life in an auto accident on Tuesday, October 11. The accident occurred in Marion County, Tenn., on I-24. According to a preliminary report issued by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Spence, whose place of residence is listed as Dunwoody, Ga., on the report, was traveling on I-24 East when his vehicle, a 2019 Jeep Cherokee, left the road and struck the back of a parked tractor-trailer. The truck, a 2023 International, was operated…

Friday night’s game between the Coffee Trojans and the Bradwell Institute Tigers wasn’t supposed to go this way. Yes, the Trojans notched their first region win of the year, defeating the Tigers 42-13 in a game in which the outcome was never in question. It just seemed . . . different. Even though the Trojans scored 42 in a region game on the road, Coffee could have put up 60. Two touchdowns were called back on penalties, one of which was a punt return, and Coffee missed another opportunity to get in the end zone late in the…

The Coffee Trojans and Lowndes Vikings junior varsity squads fought to a draw for 38 minutes Wednesday afternoon at Martin Stadium in Valdosta. Then, in the last two minutes, the teams started swinging — and both landed haymakers. It was the Trojans, however, who came away with a 7-6 win. In a game originally scheduled for Thursday but moved to Wednesday due to Hurricane Ian, Coffee and Lowndes battered and bruised each other without scoring until the final two minutes. It was a hard game to watch — physical, violent, punishing. Both defensive units had their ways with…

Special teams and defense set the tone for the Coffee Trojans 51-17 win over the 7A Richmond Hill Wildcats on Homecoming at Jardine Stadium Friday night. Of the Trojans’ seven touchdowns, special teams and defense combined for four. The special teams unit added another three points on Coffee’s first field goal of the year, a 33-yard kick by Jonah Saylor with 92 seconds left on the clock. “In spite of some penalties, I thought we played pretty well tonight. I’m proud of our kids. They’re really starting to understand what it takes to get better and they’re getting…

The Coffee Trojans and Salem Seminoles had played each other four times heading into Friday night’s matchup at Jardine Stadium. The Trojans were a perfect 4-0 and had outscored the Seminoles 186-14. You can add a win and a record-setting 65 more points to Coffee’s total. The Trojans defeated the Seminoles for a fifth straight time, this time 65-0. Coffee matched its highest first-half point total of 51. In 2019, Coffee led Salem 51-8 at halftime, eventually winning 64-8. Though the Trojans equalled 2019’s first-half total, Coffee has never led by 51 at the half —…

The Coffee Trojans battled a two-week layoff thanks to a bye week and a 2:15 weather delay en route to a 34-14 win over the St. Augustine (Fla.) Yellow Jackets in the first ever Border Classic Saturday afternoon in Brunswick. Hosted by Glynn Academy, the Border Classic began Thursday night and featured seven games between teams from South Georgia and North Florida. Coffee’s game was the sixth on the schedule and kicked off at 4 p.m. Saturday. If you were watching the weather on Saturday you know the rest of the story — it wasn’t a matter of…

A reunion of sorts at Jardine Stadium on Thursday turned into a one-sided affair when the Madison County Cowboys junior varsity came to town to play the Coffee Trojans junior varsity squad. The Trojans won 41-0. Coffee High head coach Mike Coe won five state championships at Madison County — one as offensive coordinator and four as head coach. After winning a state title last year with the Cowboys, he took the Coffee job after then-head coach Robby Pruitt left for Williston, Florida. Thursday’s game was the third meeting between teams from Coffee and Madison County; the varsity…