By Kevin Price For GCS Athletics The Brunswick High Pirates are set to embark on the 2022 season with their opening game on Friday night. And the Pirates are looking to go deeper into the postseason this year than they have in the last three seasons. Brunswick has been beaten in the second round of the Class AAAAAA state playoffs each of the last three seasons, but last year’s ouster in round two hurt a little more than the previous two. That’s because the Pirates were favored to win at home and advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since the 1999 season when they went all the way to the state title game in the Class AAAA ranks. The two previous years, BHS was a road underdog in the second round when it saw its season come to a close. The Pirates of first-year head coach Garrett Grady return a wealth of talent and experience from last year’s Region 2-AAAAAA championship team which marched through the regular season unbeaten before also decking Tucker at Glynn County Stadium in the opening round of the state playoffs. The next week, though, the Pirates were tripped up by Dacula, bringing the 2021 campaign to a sudden and surprising ending. Several experience players return for the BHS defense which once again will be coordinated by Thomas Tedder. The defensive front is stacked and anchored by senior nose tackle Ka’Shawn Thomas, the reigning Region Player of the Year who is committed to Wake Forest. Also returning up front is River Creel and Jordan Jimmerson. The Pirates lost a good group of linebackers, but they still have some good ones including junior major-college prospect Devin Smith and senior Lionell Twitty who is also a college prospect. BHS is athletic and deep in the secondary. Two of the top players in the defensive backfield are senior safety Ivan Johnson and junior safety Ty’ler Sams. Also returning to the starting unit for the Pirates are senior cornerbacks Keon Leggett and Nick Gray. The BHS offense now has a new coordinator with Grady moving into the head coaching position after serving in that role as well as coaching the offensive front previously under former head coach Sean Pender who left in the offseason to take over as head coach at North Hall. Grady hired Mitch Belker from Lee County to call the plays in the team’s new offensive system which is still a spread-style attack. The Pirates also will open with a new quarterback as junior J.R. Elkins becomes the starting signal-caller. The left-hander shined for the BHS junior varsity last season and has displayed a strong arm and confidence throughout spring and summer camp. Brunswick will also have new running backs following the graduation of seniors Chuckobe Hill, Ree Simmons and Leon Charlton who carved up defenses the past two seasons. The Pirates like their new ballcarriers, though. Sophomore William Heck reminds folks of Hill while Nashik Cohen, a junior, is also a promising rushing threat. BHS is also planning to bring the talented Jamarious Towns, a sophomore, into the mix in time. He is still recovering from an ACL injury. Ivan Johnson also will see some time in the offensive backfield for the Pirates. The team also has weapons at receiver. One of the top threats, senior Jayden Drayton, will line up in the slot. Drayton is already committed to Harvard and will primarily play on the offensive side of the ball for the Pirates this season after playing in the defensive backfield last season. He also gives the Pirates big-play ability as a kick and punt returner. Another big-play receiver for BHS is Terry Mitchell who became a starter last season as a sophomore. Kevin Thomas, a 6-foot-3 target who can also win jump balls in the air, has enjoyed a good offseason and may emerge as a star for the Pirates, too. The Pirates have some good size up front despite losing Kayana Charlton, now at Florida State, to graduation. Jamal Meriweather, a Central Florida commit, anchors the offensive line at right tackle. He stands 6-7 and weighs 270 pounds. The other tackle is senior Josh Walker who is 6-5, also 270. The starting guards for the Pirates are senior Quan Gibson (6-2, 275), now in his fourth year as a starter, and senior Eli Smith (6-2, 223), going into his third season as a starter. The starting center is senior Jonathan Welson (5-6, 250). McClain Fineran will handle the kicking and punting chores for the Pirates. A look at Brunswick’s Opening Game Opponent: Andrew Jackson High (Jax., Fla.) When: 7:30 p.m. Friday Where: Glynn County Stadium TV/Radio: ContinentalSportsNetwork (Click Here); 107.7 FM. Last year/All-time: Friday’s game is the first meeting between the teams The Skinny: Friday’s game will be the first regular-season game on the new field turf installed this summer at Glynn County Stadium. It also will be the first game as a head coach for BHS coach Garrett Grady. Andrew Jackson will make the short trip up from Jacksonville to play the Pirates. The Tigers finished 7-4 last year and lost in the first round of the state playoffs. They compete in Florida’s 4A ranks. A player to watch for the Tigers is senior Grayson Howard, a 6-3, 225-pound linebacker who is committed to South Carolina. He is listed as a four-star prospect by 247Sports.