We had a losing streak come to an end this past week in Georgia high school football that went for a while.

Dalton had a 16-game losing streak come to an end a few weeks ago. But two others were still going ... Savannah and Jordan out of Columbus. Savannah beat Claxton, 19-6, on the Tigers homecoming night and it was their first win since Sept. 17, 2021, when they beat Groves. Five losses to end 2021. Ten losses in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Five losses to start the 2025 season and, then, the win... 

It happens in Moses Green’s first season as head coach there, taking over for Anthony Tolliver. Green was the Defensive Coordinator for Tony Welch at Jenkins before moving over for his first head coaching job. Green graduated from Bethesda Academy back in 2011, so he knows about football on the coast and what it means.  

“After the win, naturally, the kids were really excited,” he tells me. “I had to get them calmed down to get into the handshake line. They were hopping up and down so much.” 

Savannah football

Lamon Mitchell (12) goes up against teammate William Scruggs in preseason practice.

Credit: WTOC-TV

But the task on the long road that ends at 40 starts all over again at “one” and how you progress from here. 

“They did really well,” Green admits. “We cleaned up some mistakes that we had made in past games. But, at the same time, you want to make sure you clean up the fumbles you have during the season and fix the missed tackles, too. We have to focus on us with the game coming up with Screven County because we know we can be a better team.” 

The run-in for Savannah is difficult, no lie. It’s Screven, McIntosh County Academy and Jenkins County -- two of the three ranked teams. Green knows the task going forward. 

“It has been difficult this season,” he tells me. “That first win is always the toughest and you try to stop the losing mentality and grow the winning mentality. The kids have stuck it out and the way we’ve been playing, we’re close but we have to stop hurting ourselves on the field.” 

Coach Green admits that his team is “right there” in games if they’re clean and cut out the simple mistakes. After the first three losses this year, the Blue Jackets took Portal to overtime before the loss two weeks ago to ECI. Green is seeing progress on the field- --before and during game days. 

In his first tour after graduating from Bethesda, he spent time under Welch at Savannah. That time included the last two playoff berths in school history in 2016 and 2017 (under head coach Deuce Roberson).  

“It was attractive football when we were here as a staff before and we knew we were supposed to play a certain way. Now, it’s difficult because you can’t control the talent. So, you just focus on what you can control.” 

Savannah high

Savannah linemen go through their paces at summer practice.

Credit: WTOC-TV

Green gets advice from Coach Welch over at Jenkins- and he had talked to him earlier in the day when we caught up. Green calls Coach Welch a “cheat sheet” for everything in coaching. He’ll also talk to Antwain Turner over at Bethesda each week and ask about how they built their programs and how to move forward.  

“Depending on the day, our calls can go hours or something a lot quicker,” Green says. “I’ll tell them what’s going on and, because they come at it from different places, they’ll give me some good feedback on everything and give me ideas on ways to go and grow.” 

Green looks to build more confidence in the Savannah program and wants to get the feeling back in the school that has been there in the past. The approach this week does feel a little different after a win. Remember, none of the current roster had ever won a football game in their high school years. So, they’re a little more focused, maybe, than they have been in weeks past. 

But, that asks another question... 

What goes on if a losing streak continues and it’s past the Savannah point? 

Aaron McDaniel gets to face those questions and doubts every week at Jordan as the Red Jackets are now at 52-in-a-row on the underside of the ledger. The school’s last season of .500 or better was all the way back in 1996, when they went 5-5 and had their last playoff berth in Region 1-AAA. The streak started back in 2020 and has come all the way to the present.  

Undaunted, the retired Army veteran wanted to be an educator and a football coach after he served his country. He got a job as an assistant at Columbus before the head coaching position opened at Jordan. 

Jordan

Jordan players continue to fight to end their losing streak.

Credit: Instagram

“It has been very eye-opening for sure,” he admits. “I was a part of leadership in the military and now get to take care of our most precious resource -- our children and their futures.” McDaniel spent his time in military police for two decades after a career as a talented running back in Louisiana and in college in Division II. He has goals at Jordan, both obvious and long-term. 

“We do want to break the losing streak, true, but I also understand that you’re looking at something that is a parable to life itself. We’re getting the chance to shape lives and have these students be productive members of society once they leave us here.” 

The roster at Jordan started at 42 and has dropped to 31 here at the midpoint of the season but there are some windows in the latter part of the year where they can learn more lessons in 2025.  

“Last year was my first year as head coach here,” McDaniel says. “We had our seniors last year go on and do other things away from school. But when they come back and say, ‘Coach, let me introduce you to my parents.’ And they tell you about all the things their sons picked up when they were a part of the team, it’s huge. 

“You look at the results on Thursday and Friday nights. You look back at the long drives going home and you do beat yourself up. You think you’re not having an impact and then a parent comes to you and says they see a difference in their son. That’s amazing.” 

With the losing streak being as big as it is, you want to keep teaching the messages of the larger picture trying to take the off-the-field stuff and what people on the outside say on social media as just noise from people who aren’t there and don’t know.  

Yes, it’s hard... 

“We have a great faculty and staff here and we all try and encourage those ‘micro-successes' knowing the online stuff is going to be there. We all believe if you have enough reinforcement in the right direction, you’ll learn valuable lessons. 

“You’ve got to make sure you’re in this for the right reason -- looking after the student first versus the athlete. If all you do is fight for wins, you get lost in the process. You need to take care of the student’s well-being first.” 

And I have no doubt Aaron McDaniel and the Jordan administration are on that path for the rest of us to learn from and learn about every day.

Next up for them are two Thursdays with Hardaway and Carver before finishing the 2025 season with Shaw... 

Play it safe, everyone... I’ll catch up with you soon...