The Brunswick High School football team wasted no time setting the tone on Friday, Sept. 12, at The Castle, jumping on Evans early with big plays on both sides of the ball en route to a 65-0 win over the Knights.
Quarterback Grant Moore got the Pirates (2-0 in the region, 3-1 overall) going on their opening drive, and the defense immediately followed with a pick-six to put the Pirates firmly in control.
From there, the Pirates poured it on. Moore, a 6-foot-2-inch tall, 195-pound senior, added another score on the ground, while running backs Nigel Gardner and Josiah Gibbons each punched in touchdowns to extend the lead. Brunswick’s defense chipped in again, scooping up a fumble and returning it for a touchdown that silenced the Knights’ home crowd before halftime.
The second half was played under a running clock, allowing Brunswick to lean on its ground game and give opportunities to backups while maintaining control. The Pirates added another interception return for a touchdown and a rushing score, keeping Evans off the board and demonstrating depth on both sides of the ball.
When asked about the defensive impact, Brunswick coach Garrett Grady praised the way the unit set the tone.
“Our defense continues to play well week by week and tonight, it even showed more,” Grady said. “That guys scoring, getting the end zone. Anytime that we get points defensively, that helps us continue to put drives together on offense. And it was great to see different guys score, whether it be interceptions—and we had the fumble recovery for a touchdown. It was huge. And then just to see those guys get better every single week, that’s where we want to do it, and that’s how we want to progress.”
Even with the game well in hand, Grady emphasized focus and giving opportunities to the full roster.
“Even when we had subs in, seeing those guys, when they get a chance to get on the field, take full advantage of their opportunity,” he said. “Those guys practice just as much as our ones do, and they deserve opportunities to get in there as well. Our backup quarterback, Keegan Walker, does a really good job coming in the game. And, you know, those guys deserve a chance to show what they can do on the field, and they got that chance tonight.”
Looking ahead to a home date at Greenbrier next week, Grady stressed the importance of preparation.
“It is a new week,” he said. “It’s a new opponent in Greenbrier, which, you know, they’re a great opponent. We’ve got to prepare every single week, and we got to do our job. Our coaches are doing a really good job with that, and our players are responding very well.”
With contributions from all phases of the game, Brunswick left The Castle with a decisive victory and plenty of momentum as the season moves into more challenging matchups. The Pirates have won three straight games and will host Greenbrier next week at Glynn Academy Stadium on Sept. 19.
Evans falls to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in Region 1, 5-A and will face South Effingham back at The Castle on Sept. 26.
(Rodrigo Burgos Avila is editor in chief of the Bell Ringer student newspaper at Augusta University.)
