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Professional Eye Care of Statesboro presents Prep Sports Spotlight
Brylie Ray – Senior, Guard, Bulloch Academy
Brylie Ray
JOSH AUBREY/staff
jaubrey@statesboroherald.com
Published: Mar 1, 2024, 2:47 PM
The Bulloch Academy Lady Gators basketball season ended Thursday night when they lost to George Walton in the GIAA State Final-4 in Milledgeville. They finished the season at 22-7.
One unsung hero on this year’s squad is senior Brylie Ray. The team’s leader in 3-point percentage has come through with some big game in the state playoff run and head coach Chandler Dennard feels she is a vital part of the team.
“Bryley doesn’t have eye popping stats, but she does all the little things that make us a winning team,” Dennard said. “Diving for loose balls, setting screens, and rebounding are some of the key things she does. She does anything it takes for us to win. She’s really worked hard this year to make her senior year a success.”
“I have kind of just followed the lead of the other seniors the past few years,” Ray said. “This year I feel like I have had to step it up and gotten out of my comfort zone to be a leader. I feel like one of the biggest strengths of the team is how close we are and there is no drama. I feel like it is a little sad the season is coming to an end.”
Blue Devils continue summer preparation for 2025 football season
Statesboro quarterback Beckham Jarrard throws a pass to receiver Gage Newsome as the Blue Devils participated in a padded camp at Screven County High School against Dublin last week in Sylvania.
- photo by JOSH AUBREY/staff
JOSH AUBREY/staff
jaubrey@statesboroherald.com
Updated: Jul 21, 2025, 7:17 PM
Published:
The Statesboro football team continues to get in summer work in preparation for the 2025 season. After advancing to the second round of the state playoffs in coach Matt Dobson’s first season the Blue Devils missed out on the playoffs last year. Last week Statesboro was putting in the preseason work as they were at Screven County for a padded camp.
“Coach Ron Duncan does a great job with this camp and there are some really good teams here this week,” Dobson said. “The GHSA allows us a few days in the summer to put on shoulder pads and helmets and hit so it’s great to be able to do that. We were able to get quality work against some quality opponents. The benefit is to be able to work on the physicality of the game which is something you just can’t do without putting on pads and hitting.”
The Blue Devils have participated in various 7-on-7 camps and have worked hard in the weight room and conditioning but Dobson says there’s nothing like lining up against another team. Among the teams the Blue Devils went up against Dublin, Screven County and Swainsboro on Thursday.
“Any time you get to play teams who run different offenses than what we run and different defenses than what we run it’s important,” Dobson said. “They see our offense and our defense every day so it’s good to see a different look. Dublin does a great job with their Wing-T offense and we will see that opening the season. Playing teams like Swainsboro and Screven who are very physical and run even fronts unlike us was also helpful.”
Gage Newsome leaps high to corral a pass as the Blue Devils participated in a padded camp at Screven County High School against Dublin.
Dobson said the Blue Devil coaching staff is pretty set on their two-deep roster but padded camps like the one this week give them a chance to retool things if players jump out at them.
“These days could be looked at as the most important evaluation days for us,” Dobson said. “I think a lot of positions are kind of set in stone after our June padded camp, but this one will give us more film to look at. We still have some pieces on the defensive side of the ball we are still moving around to get the best 11 out there. You can watch film from 7-on7 camps but this is where you really see what the players can do.”
The Blue Devils don’t have much time before they hit the field for a scrimmage game at home August first against Harlem.
“We are really only going to have a few days in full pads before playing Harlem on August 1,” Dobson said. “We will then get one week off before we play Southeast Bulloch on the Aug. 15. It feels like it gets here quicker and quicker every year so that is another reason a camp like this at this time is so important for us.”