Trinity, state champ Brentwood kick off Heart of Georgia’s football season one week early

Two area GIAA members will get a head start on the rest of the Heart of Georgia as they make their 2026 season debuts with home football games – and some marquee matchups, at that – Friday night. 

The local Trinity Crusaders open with a rematch from last year’s playoffs against Briarwood (7:30 p.m. at Cleve Warnock Field), while two defending state champions collide in Sandersville with AA’s Brentwood taking on AAA’s John Milledge (7:30 p.m. at the Eagles Nest). 

Trinity, back at full-strength with a healthy quarterback-turned-receiver Asher Evans and lineman Corbin Albritton among its returnees from last year’s scourge of season-ending injuries, will take a considerably rejuvenated squad up against the Bucs, who were by far the better one in their last meeting that had a final score of 51-9. 

“We open the season the way we ended it,” Trinity head coach Bruce Lane said during the Dublin Rotary Club’s coaches forum earlier this month. “Hopefully the results are going to be different. We were very shorthanded that game, but we feel excited about the opportunity.” 

Though the Crusaders lost some big names to graduation and transfer, they’re adding some big ones as well with the pickup of Dublin’s Will-J Harris and emergence of a promising freshman passer in Jude Evans to join returning tailback Tayt Evans, and receivers Mason and Griffin Lane in leading the attack. 

The pass rush of Harris and Tayt Evans complement the tackling of junior inside linebacker Andrew Helton on the defensive side, where any of the three could be headed for a breakout year. 

Their strong four-quarter performance may be pivotal Friday in keeping enough contain of Briarwood’s senior quarterback Cutler Fleming – who ran for 200 yards with two touchdowns and threw for another 185 with three in last year’s rout – to give the young Trinity offense a shot to keep pace. 

Though the Bucs, off a nine-win season that concluded with just as one-sided a game against the eventual champs Brentwood the week following the first-rounder, are more than just a one-man show (as top defenders and skill guys Carson Callaway, Caden Johnson and Banks Demore are also back in the fold for a quick lineup), finding a way to defend that top QB play effectively will be of principal importance. 

A clash of champs, and more preseason action…

Both Brentwood and Milledge are back, and loaded for bear this fall with plans of contending for it all once again, JMA with Georgia-committed tight end Asa Wall, 1,000-yard rusher Javaris Hurt and defensive stopper Abe Gainous among its highest profile returning standouts. 

The Trojans represented Brentwood’s only loss – in a close one, 31-28 – of last year’s once-beaten run. 

For the Eagles, there’ll be some big pressure early on a rebooted offensive line, though feared playmakers Baylor Cobb, at QB, and Tristan Robinson, at wingback and receiver, along with nine out of 11 starters on the other side of the ball, should give them plenty to hang their hat on as they work out some limited inexperience under the gun of several tough games out of the gate. 

“We don’t have a whole lot of time to cut teeth,” said Brentwood head coach Adam Lord. “We’re going to have to go right from the rip, and hopefully our defense can keep us in some games early.” 

Scrimmage action resumes for the remainder of the GHSA, with exhibitions including Dublin at Jeff Davis, West Laurens at Putnam County, ECI at Johnson County, Toombs County at Dodge County, Washington County at Jefferson County all set for Friday. Wheeler County will also play host to Brantley County and Butler, and Bleckley County will combine with Taylor County and Southwest Macon in jamborees.