The Bulloch Academy Gators are coming off one of their best records in school history as they finished the 2023 campaign at 11-1.

The Gators lost some key skill position players off of last year’s team but head coach Aaron Phillips is happy to be returning leading rusher fullback Danye Garvin who gained nearly 1,000 yards rushing last year.

“Danye is a great young man,” Phillips said. “He’s a kid every coach wants in their program. If you didn’t see him play or watch how hard he works on the field, you would never know he’s there. Danye is a quiet young man that keeps his head down, and just works.

“He has grown so much this year in his leadership role by helping our younger guys. In the weight room Danye just continues to work hard and grind. He’s the kid that pushes everyone in his group to keep up. I think he is going to have an unbelievable season surpassing all of his accomplishments from last year.”

 “I feel my role on the team is to be a leader even if I’m not a senior I will still help the young guys learn and get acclimated to varsity football,” Garvin said. “I feel like the summer helped us with toughness and perseverance especially in the heat while we conditioned. We will do anything to win a championship.

“I feel like the strength of the team is chemistry because we’ll always go out and eat and bond together so we can trust one another. I would also like to thank my coaches for helping us with life and how tough football will get once we get to the next level.”