Following a disappointing season a year ago, going 4-7 and losing to Bainbridge in the first round of the playoffs, the Baldwin Braves are looking for much more in 2023.
“Yeah, 4-7 is definitely not where we want to be,” Baldwin head coach Jessie Hicks said of his team’s previous record. “I think the biggest thing we can do is get stronger and we’ve done that. A lot of our young guys have also gotten a lot of reps over the summer, and that’s going to help us.”
The Braves will be returning some of their top talent from last season as well, highlighted by four-star running back Micah Welch. But Welch is not the only returning player with a lot of talent. Cousins Jonquavious and Devarious Russell are returning defensive linemen, and Decori Elum will be moving from offensive guard to tight end. Last season Elum was a First-Team All-Region lineman.
“He’s going to help us set the edge,” Hicks said of Elum. “You think about a guard who was All-Region that you can put at tight end, that guy going to be able to keep guys out and face defensive ends and go set the edge.”
Also, Lamar Pounds will head into his second season as the starting quarterback for Baldwin and Hicks is excited about his upcoming season, too.
“It’s been good,” Hicks said in assessing the Braves’ quarterback situation. “Lamar’s been having a great summer. He’s been going to different camps and learning different things and he’s been really good at our padded camps and 7-on-7 (camps).”
But it’s not necessarily all about Pounds taking the snaps.
“Monte Palmer, who played a little quarterback for us last year, adds another dimension of being able to throw and run,” Hicks said. “And our offense has been a little bit of a different offense when he’s not there, because he does give us the option to do both, he’s dangerous doing both. But right now, the number-one guy is going to be Lamar Pounds.”
As for running backs, Welch will be leading the pack. Last season, Welch averaged 6.1 yards per carry, 124.8 yards a game and rushed for 1,373 yards, which was fourth-best in the state. He also scored 16 touchdowns, the most in Class 4A last season. Welch also can be a threat in the receiving game, catching seven passes for 107 yards last year.
“[Another] guy I’ve been really impressed with is Johnathan Butts,” Hicks added. “Now, he’s played behind a guy that’s a four-star kid and gets all this attention, and it can be tough, but he’s showed up big. He’s had a great offseason.”
On the offensive line, Howard Clark and Jace Powell will be the Braves’ leaders in the trenches this season. Overall, Baldwin will have some challenges ahead of them with a tough road schedule that includes games at Peach County, Ware County, and Perry, all of which are considered to be among the top teams in the state.