By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com

          Baldwin’s new head football coach won’t have far to drive to get acclimated and start work.

          The county school board approved Kevin Patterson as the Braves new head coach on Tuesday night at its regular meeting. The school made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

          Patterson replaces Jesse Hicks, who was released two months ago in a roundly unexpected move, and was hired within a month at East Laurens.

          Patterson departs Jones County, where he was assistant head football coach, in charge of wide receivers as well as strength and conditioning, for 2023.

          Patterson is a 2004 graduate of Camden County High School in Kingsland, where the all-stater and region defensive player of the year he helped lead the team to an undefeated season and a GHSA Class 5A state championship during his senior year. The Wildcats gave up on 47 points all season, beating Lowndes twice (7-0 and 21-14) and topping Valdosta 21-7 in the championship game.

          He played defensive back at Wake Forest, helping the Demon Deacons to an ACC title and three straight bowl games, picking off eight passes during his career and scoring three times. Patterson went from player to coach after a stint in the Indoor Football League, with Amarillo.

          His coaching resume is one loaded with stops at successful programs, his career starting in 2012 at Wake Forest as a graduate student, and earned a Master’s in 2015.

          Patterson’s first job was at Tucker, and he was promoted fairly quickly to defensive coordinator. From 2015-17, Tucker went 33-8, and gave up 14.9 points a game, the Tigers reaching the finals and semifinals the final two years.

          He moved to T.L. Hanna in South Carolina as defensive coordinator for three seasons, helping the Yellow Jackets to a state runner-up finishes and an Upper State championship.

          Back to Georgia he came, to Class 7A McEachern, the Indians going 11-11 under former Lamar County and Tucker head coach Franklin Stephens, but winning the Region 2-7A title in 2021.

          Stephens left for Burke County, and Patterson head to Jones County.

          The Greyhounds went through an early-season quarterback drama before junior Devin Edmonds took over. As teams focused on Oklahoma commit Zion Ragins, Tyler Stewart developed into a top-flight receiver, with 1,265 yards and 21 touchdowns on 59 catches during the 8-4 seasons. Ragins caught 45 passes for 720 yards and seven scores, with junior Jaivon Solomon adding 39 receptions for 671 yards and seven touchdowns.

          Jones County passed for 2,690 yards and 35 touchdowns.

          Baldwin finished 6-5 in 2023, losing 41-0 to Benedictine in the first round of the playoffs. Led by Colorado signee Micah Welch, the Braves lost a few players to transfers, and only one of the five losses was by less than 17 points.