The Statesboro Blue Devils got their 2023 regional schedule off to a good start with a 10-3 win over the Greenbrier last Friday night.
Statesboro’s offense has been hit by injuries, but the defense has been playing pretty solid. One of the players who stepped up Friday was senior defensive back Corey Badgett, who scored the only touchdown of the game with a crucial 92-yard interception. Badgett hasn’t played football in recent years, but Statesboro coach Matt Dobson has been impressed with how quickly Badgett understood what was expected of him.
“Corey was a guy we trusted and really helped us out on Friday,” Dobson said. “He’s a good guy and has elite speed. He showed natural ball skills and helped us right away in the secondary. He decided the play of the game with that touchdown Friday night. We’ve been talking about disrupting the ball and creating takeaways, and that’s something we struggled with in the first five games. Getting turnovers is great, but we don’t want them to be touched. It’s even better to convert it on downs.” “During the interception, I was reading the quarterback’s movement and I could see him coming to my side,” Badgett said. “I just jumped the route and started running. I could see the field in front of me wide open and it felt great to cross the goal line for a touchdown. It was really fun to play soccer again and I was so excited. I think we have a good chance of winning a few games and getting back to the state playoffs.”