Hall honors 2025 Ambassadors from local high schools with ceremony

The Glynn County Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors is pleased to announce another outstanding group of student-athletes who comprise the 2025 Ambassadors.

These graduating seniors from Brunswick High, Glynn Academy and Frederica Academy are the 12th Ambassadors group the Hall of Fame has honored since beginning its outreach program back in 2014.

In all, the Hall of Fame recognized 25 student-athletes from the local high schools Tuesday evening during a reception and ceremony held at the Glynn County Stadium Athletics Center. Dr. Tracolya Green, the current superintendent of schools in Camden County was the featured speaker. She previously was an assistant superintendent in Glynn County.

Local radio personality Joe Sousa served as the Master of Ceremonies.

 Toward the end of each school year, the Hall of Fame works in conjunction with the three local high schools to identify senior athletes who have excelled both academically and athletically at their respective schools.

Since the inception of the Ambassadors program, the Hall of Fame has honored about 275 student-athletes from the three local high schools. With generous support from several donors, the Hall of Fame has been fortunate to award scholarships to 54 student-athletes since a scholarship component was added to the program in the second year of its existence.

 One boy and one girl from each school were selected for a $1,000 scholarship award this year as six scholarships were award at Tuesday’s event.

The Hall of Fame would like to thank the high schools along with Servpro of Brunswick and Maggie Dutton, a local State Farm Insurance agent, for helping fund the scholarship awards.

For the second year in a row, the scholarships were presented in memory of Jim Hackendale, a longtime supporter of high school athletics in Glynn County. He passed away in early 2024.

The  Ambassadors from each school are listed below with biographical sketches for each student-athlete. The scholarship winners from each school are also noted. 

Hall of Fame president Kevin Price praised the Ambassadors for their accomplishments.

“Again, these student-athletes are to be commended for a job well done,” Price said. “They all have excelled at high levels in the classroom and in their respective sports. We always look forward to honoring these student-athletes each year. They’re great examples for the younger athletes still at the three local schools to follow in the years to come. And, that’s how we look at them. They’re great Ambassadors for their schools. We wish them all continued success going forward as well.”

The Hall of Fame Board also would like to thank Brunswick High, Glynn Academy and Frederica Academy for their continued support of the Ambassadors program which includes the contributions from each school that the Hall has used toward the scholarships.

“The schools and their administrators have always been very supportive of our efforts with this program and have always been willing to help us as we spotlight these exceptional student-athletes,” Price noted.  “We’re very thankful for their help and continued support.”

For more information on the Hall of Fame, the Ambassadors Program and a list of past Ambassadors, please go to our Ambassodors tab under the Programs link on the website.

Meet the 2025 Ambassadors below:

Frederica Academy 

Jackson Byrd

Jackson has put together a record-setting career with the Frederica Academy golf team. He has been a four-time all-region selection. He also won a state individual championship and two region individual championships. Just last week, Jackson tied for low medalist at the GIAA Class 3A state tournament with a 5-under 67 score in regulation but settled for second overall after dropping a playoff. He was still one of only six golfers named all-state.

Jackson has the lowest career scoring average in Frederica history which also includes the lowest single-season scoring average of 69.6. He also posted a 64 score over 18 holes which is the second-lowest score in program history.

Outside of high school golf, Jackson is ranked No. 1 in the country in the senior class by the American Junior Golf Association. He has been named an All-American three times and has competed for national teams in several prestigious events including the Junior Presidents Cup and Junior Ryder Cup. He won the 2024 Ping Invitational and made the semifinals of the Polo Match-Play event.

Jackson is a member of National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. He has made the Head of School list all four years at Frederica. He also is involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Health and Wellness Club, Environmental Club and the Ambassadors Club.

He has signed a letter of intent with Clemson where he will continue his education and golf career.

Max Byrd

Max has played soccer all four years at Frederica Academy and has served as team captain for the Knights as well. Max also ran cross country for FA as a sophomore and junior. He also has played club soccer for the SSA Coastal Georgia Team and has been captain for this team as well.

Max has been on the Head of School list all four years. He also won the Presybeterian College Academic Achievement Award and a Spanish award for his exceptional grades and knowledge of the Spanish language.

He has volunteered for the Beloved Soccer Clinic and volunteers regularly at his church. He also has served as a volunteer and speaker at the Young Life banquet. Max is a member of the Environmental Club and 707 Bible Study group which also volunteers at Manna House.

Max will attend the University of Georgia, majoring in biology while on a Pre-Med track.

Hayes Carter

Hayes has played football at Frederica all four years, earning all-region and all-state honors this past fall while playing for the Knights. He also was team captain and won the Coaches Award this past season.

Hayes also has played baseball for the Knights for four years and has been team captain as well. He has played travel baseball for Florida Burn. Hayes was a founding member and team captain for the varsity clay shooting team as well.

Hayes has been on the Headmasters list and is a member of the National Honor Society. He has won an AP Scholar Award and placed third in the National Congressional Essay contest. Hayes participates in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Health and Wellness Club, Environmental Club, Ducks Unlimited Youth Program and serves as Yearbook editor.

Hayes has mentored middle-school baseball players and has volunteered for hurricane cleanup in Glynn County and other surrounding counties. He also volunteers with the American Red Cross.

He has earned a veterinarian internship at Golden Isles Animal Hospital and will attend the University of Georgia in the fall. Hayes plans to major in animal science while on a Pre-Vet Track.

Katherine Head 

Katherine is a standout member of the Frederica girls soccer team. She has been a starter the last two years, has served as team co-captain and has helped the Lady Knights to state championships in 2023 and 2024 while twice being named an all-region player. The FA girls are playing for a third title in a row this spring. She also is captain on her club team in the Southern Soccer Academy.

Katherine is a member of National Honor Society. She is involved in Stem Club, Model U.N., Math Team, Ambassadors Club and serves as Science Bowl captain.

She has been named a Georgia Certificate of Merit Scholar. She has won an AP U.S. History Award, AP English Language Award and AP Scholar with Distinction Award. Katherine was also a Georgia Governor’s Honors Program nominee.

She volunteers regularly at her church, is a certified lay chaplain at the hospital and serves with BlueSkies, an organization dedicated to kids and families with children who have cancer.

She plans to attend the University of Florida and is currently undecided on her major.

Isaiah Preston (Scholarship Recipient)

Isaiah has been a member of the Frederica boys basketball team for four years, serving as team captain this past season as a senior. He helped the Knights to the state semifinals as a junior and a berth in the Elite 8 as a senior. Isaiah also has competed in track and field for the Knights the last three years.

This year, he was chosen for the all-region and all-state basketball teams. He also made the GIAA all-star game this season. Isiah has twice been voted all-region in track. He also won a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Award as a junior.

Isaiah is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Health and Wellness Club and Ambassadors Club. He also has served as a counselor at Frederica’s annual summer basketball camp.

Isaiah will attend Toccoa Falls Christian College where he will continue his education and basketball career. He plans to major in marketing.

Sophie Price (Scholarship Recipient)

Sophie is a standout basketball player at Frederica. She has been the varsity captain all four years, while being named all-region three times and earning all-state honors as a senior. She also played in the GIAA All-Star game this season. Last year, she helped the Lady Knights to the Elite Eight while leading them to their first-ever Four Four this season.

Sophie also plays soccer for the FA girls who have won the last two state titles and are shooting for a third in a row this spring. She is a three-year letter winner in soccer and a two-year starter. She also competed for the school’s clay shooting team this year.

She has been on the Head of School list and is a member of National Honor Society. She also has been chosen as a P.E.O. Star Scholar and a Centre College Fellows Award winner.

Sophie is involved in the Environmental Club, Ambassadors Club, Health and Wellness Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Spirit Club. She also volunteers with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

Sophie will be attending ABAC this fall on a basketball scholarship. She plans to major in forestry.

 Audrey Shingler

Audrey is a standout member of Frederica’s girls soccer team. While helping them to the back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024, she was voted both all-state and all-region. She also has played club soccer for Southern Soccer Academy and has been a team captain.

Audrey is a member of National Honor Society, serves as Model U.N. president and captain for the Science Bowl team. She also participates in Stem Club, Ambassadors Club and literary magazine. She is also involved in the Brown University Public Health Pre-College Program and the UNC Wilmington Marine Biology Research Pre-College Program.

She has earned University of Georgia Certificate of Merit distinction, AP Scholar with Distinction recognition and an AP Biology Award.

Audrey will attend Georgia Tech in the fall and plans to major in biomedical engineering with a Pre-Med track.

Carolina Wessel

Carolina has competed in cross country and track while at Frederica. She received the Rookie of the Year Award in cross country as a freshman along with the Cheetah Award. She was recognized as the Model Runner for the Lady Knights as a junior. Carolina was also chosen for the Altamaha All-Area Cross Country Team and earned all-region honors in cross country as well.

She also has played basketball for the Lady Knights, helping them to the Elite Eight as a junior and then the Final Four this past season.

Carolina is founder and president of the Enviromental Club at Frederica. She has interned at the Nature Conservancy, Coastal and Marine Conservation Division. She also started the St. Francis Xavier 5K and Fun Runs to raise money for the school.

She is a member of Pirates of the Spanish Main, United Community Bank Junior Board and member and youth volunteer at St. Simons Presbyterian Church. She also has been on Frederica’s Service Council.

Carolinawill attend Wake Forest in the fall and is currently undecided on a major.   

Glynn Academy

Jeb Carson

Jeb has been a dual-sport athlete for Glynn Academy who played  football and baseball all four years. He was the starting long snapper for the GA football team and a starting pitcher for the Red Terrors baseball team his junior and senior years.

 He lettered all four years in both sports, receiving all-region honorable-mention for football and second-team all-region for baseball as a junior. This past fall, he was an all-region pick in football.

Jeb has a 4.4 GPA and has completed 14 Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment classes. He is a member of both the National Honor Society and Beta Club where he did over 30 hours of community service.

Jeb was involved in the Terror Buddies his freshman through junior years where he had the opportunity to help with Special Olympics and Access Prom. Jeb is active in his youth group

at First Baptist Church in Brunswick which has given him the opportunity to go on mission trips to Alaska and

Puerto Rico.

Jeb was nominated to the Homecoming court this fall. He was selected as a Senior Superlative - “Best to take home to

Mom and Dad” - and was also named as an Outstanding Senior.

Jeb will be attending the University Of Georgia in the fall and plans to pursue a major in biology with hopes of attending medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Zion Gervais (Scholarship Recipient)

Zion has been a multi-sport athlete in his career at Glynn, competing in football and track all four years while wrestling his last three years and also playing basketball as a freshman.

His athletic accomplishments include earning all-region honors at safety in football, winning a region championship in wrestling in the 144-pound weight class and helping the GA 4x200 relay team to a school-record time.

Zion holds a 4.2 GPA and will graduate with 24 college credit hours from taking dual enrollment courses. He volunteers regularly at his church and for various non-profit organizations.

Zion will attend Berry College in Rome and will play football and also will join the school’s track and field team.

Deoni Hacker (Scholarship Recipient)

Deoni is a dedicated student-athlete at Glynn Academy who has  participated in three sports including basketball, track and field and cheerleading. She earned second-team all-region honors as a senior in basketball while helping Glynn to the Class 5A state tournament.

Deoni maintains an impressive 4.1 GPA while taking multiple Advanced Placement, honors, and duel enrollment courses. She is actively involved in numerous student organizations, including Future Business Leaders of America, Spirit Club, Key Club, DECA and National Honor Society.

She also serves on the Junior Board of Directors for South Coast Bank and is a recipient of the College of Coastal Georgia Black Scholar Award while also earning the prestigious Windward Scholar recognition. In November, she was honored as the Rotary Club Student of the Month.

Deoni plans to attend Fort Valley State University to study Veterinary Technology with the goal of becoming a veterinarian.

 Deuce Hidalgo 

Deuce is a student-athlete with a passion for both academics and competition. He played football at Glynn for four years, starting as a varsity tight end and outside linebacker from his sophomore through senior years. He was named second-team all-region at tight end both his junior and senior year. He was also nominated as a Spotlight Student-Athlete of the Month.

Deuce has maintained a 4.4 GPA while taking over 15 AP classes. He earned a 33 on the ACT. He has been recognized as an AP Scholar during both his sophomore and junior

years and was nominated for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program in his junior year for both chemistry and environmental science.

He has been heavily involved in DECA, where he placed in the top 10 in the state two years in a row and competed at the international level both years.

He will be be attending Georgia Tech and plans to study electrical engineering. He is also excited about staying connected to football, a game he loves, by assisting the Georgia Tech football team in the film room.

Emma Hill

Emma has been a standout member of the Glynn Academy girls golf team throughout high school. She's been the captain for the Lady Terrors the last two years and helped Glynn win back-to-back state championships her freshman and  sophomore years.

As a sophomore, Emma was second low medalist at the state tournament and earned all-state honors after shooting a 79 and also a career-best 73 to lead Glynn to the state championship. As a junior, she carried the Lady Terrors at the area tournament as they qualified for the state where she finished in the top 15 and made all-state team for the third consecutive year.

Emma was also invited to play on Team USA for the Scotland Junior Golf Invitational. She's currently in her last season with the Lady Terrors who are looking to qualify for state once again.

Emma played soccer as a sophomore and ran cross country as a junior. As Glynn’s top runner, she was named Female Runner of the Year by the Brunswick News and also was named to the Altamaha all-area first-team.

She holds a 4.48 GPA and has taken 14 Advanced Placement courses and seven dual-enrollment courses. She is a member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, Spirit Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and 707 Bible Study group. She is active in her church and has volunteered at the RSM Classic and also as a guest speaker at the Gathering Place fundraising event.  She also has received a Champions of Character award from FCA.

Emma has accepted a Merit Scholarship to Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she plans to major in biology as a Pre-med student and then pursue a degree in naturopathic medicine.

Alexis Veal

Lexi is an accomplished varsity cheerleader at Glynn, having served as the captain of both the varsity sideline and competition teams at the school. A standout leader, she has

earned numerous accolades, including the Rookie of the Year as a freshman, the Spirit Award as a junior, and also the Captain’s Award and All-Region team her senior year.

She was also named Glynn Academy Cheerleader of the Year and earned the prestigious recognition of being a Top 30 finalist for Georgia Cheerleader of the Year, an unprecedented achievement in Glynn school’s history. A key contributor to the co-ed competition team’s back-to-back top-10 finishes at state, she plans to compete with the University of Georgia competition cheer team next year.

Lexi holds a 4.3 GPA and is involved in many extracurricular activities. She serves as historian of the Beta Club, is a member of the National Honor Society, and President of Future Business Leaders of America. With FBLA, she has four first-place finishes in region competition and five second-place state finishes. She made Glynn Academy FBLA history as one of only two

students to be a four-time National Qualifier and will compete in Broadcast Journalism this summer in California.

Also, she is a competitive dancer with Southern

Strut, where she performed the lead role in the 2025 ballet of Moana, and actively participates in her youth group at First Baptist Church in Brunswick.

Lexi plans to attend the University of Georgia and major in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports and Media Broadcasting.

AJ Waters

AJ has been a member of the Glynn Academy wrestling program since the eighth grade, starting on the junior varsity team for two years before going up to varsity. He has earned three varsity letters while qualifying for the state tournament in both his junior and senior years.

As a junior, AJ placed fifth in the state tournament in his weight class and was named the team’s Most Improved Wrestler.

He returned for his senior season and posted a 35-1 record, winning an individual region title in his third appearance in the region finals and securing his second Sectional Championship. In February, he capped off his high-school career by winning the Class 5A state championship, becoming only the fourth male state champion in Glynn Academy history. His

outstanding performance also earned him the title of Most Outstanding Wrestler in Class 5A.

AJ has maintained a 4.42 GPA while completing 18 Advanced Placement and duel enrollement courses. He is an active member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, and DECA, and has contributed nearly 100 hours of community service during his time at Glynn Academy. AJ serves as president of

the Spirit Club and is the founder and president of Glynn Academy’s first-ever Student Mentorship Program.

 AJ will attend the University of Georgia, where he plans to study Landscape Architecture in the College of Environment and Design.

Abigail Winford

Abigail is a standout student-athlete and leader at Glynn who competed in cross country and track, lettering all four years in both sports and receiving numerous awards. Her cross-country career at Glynn began in eighth grade when she was

invited to run with the Lady Terrors. She concluded her cross-country journey as a four-time state qualifier, two-time team region champion, and a two-time recipient of Altamaha all-area first-team honors. She served as Glynn’s team captain as a junior and senior.  

On the track, Abigail set the school record in the 3200-meter event during her junior year and advanced to sectionals in that race. She also contributed to her team qualifying for the state meet in the 4x800 relay. She was recently selected as a Georgia Army National Guard Positive Athlete Nominee.

Abigail maintains a 4.5 GPA and ranks 10th in her class. She has held various leadership roles, including Vice President of the Future Business Leaders of America and has qualified for nationals in Social Media Strategies. Her other honors include earning the CASE Mercer Award, Georgia Certificate of Merit,

the Rotary Scholarship, and Rotary Club Student of the Month.

She is a member of First  Baptist Church in Brunswick and has volunteered at many local non-profit organizations.

Abigail will attend Mercer University, where she plans to major in neuroscience while continuing her athletic career as a member of the cross-country and track teams.

Brunswick High

Caleb Butler 

Caleb has been a standout football and basketball player at Brunswick High. He finished his basketball career with the Pirates scoring 953 points, averaging 12.5 points a game this past season for a BHS team that posted a 22-5 record. He earned all-region honors once again this season while helping BHS reach the Sweet 16 of the state tournament.

Caleb started out his football career playing on the BHS offense, but switched to defense and blossomed this past season as a standout linebacker for the Pirates who won the Region 1-5A championship. He recorded close to 100 tackles including several for loss and earned all-region honors on the gridiron.

An Honor Roll student, he’s an active member of the Social Justice Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and The Gathering Place. He serves faithfully in his church, Greater Works Ministries, and has a huge family support system. He’s also attending the College of Coastal Georgia where he’s pursuing his degree in Business Management with a minor in Communications. 

Caleb is set to attend Georgia Southern University in the fall after signing a football scholarship with the Eagles.

Sydney Haywood

Sydney has been a member of the girls varsity cross country and track teams all four years at Brunswick High. In cross country this past fall, she ran her personal-best time at the state sectional meet as she covered the 5K distance in 21 minutes, 33 seconds. Sydney has also competed in the state meet held annually in Carrollton during her career. Sydney was named to the all-region second team during her freshman, sophomore and senior seasons.

 In track, Sydney has been a part of the BHS 4x800-meter relay team, 4x400 relay team, and individually has competed in the 800-meter run. This season, the Lady Pirates’ 4x800 and 4x400 teams both qualified for the state sectional meet held this past weekend.

 Sydney has taken both dual enrollment and Advanced Placement classes while in high school. She is set to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. She is a member of Beta Club, National Honor Society, the BHS Student Council and also the United Community Bank Junior Board of Directors.

Sydney will continue her education and track career at Albany State University starting this fall.

Clayton Hicks

Clayton has wrestled all four years while attending Brunswick High. He finished his standout career with the Pirates accumulating a won-loss record of 203-21. In his final two seasons, he posted an amazing 118-5 record while claiming two state championships.

This past season, he went 62-0 as a senior, with an 100 percent bonus-point finish. He broke the Glynn County record for most career wins with 203 in his prep career, and he also set a new record with the most matches won in a season with his 62 victories this year.

Clayton also was the first wrestler in county history to place at the state tournament four times, was the third wrestler to win two state titles, and was only the second to have an undefeated state championship season.

Clayton has a 3.5 GPA and will attend Life University on a wrestling scholarship starting in the fall.

Benjamin Jaudon (Scholarship Recipient)

Ben played football at Brunswick High as a freshman while competing in track all four years for the Pirates. A standout hurdler, Ben won the region championship in 2024 in the 110-meter hurdles, and this season, he won the region championship in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Ben will compete in the Class 5A state meet for the Pirates this coming weekend after qualifying last Saturday through sections in both events.

He is the current school record-holder in the 110 hurdles and also has held the school record in the 300 hurdles. Twice he has earned all-state honors, finishing fifth at state in both hurdles races. Ben also has placed fifth at the Adidas Nationals. He qualified for the Junior Olympics in 2024.

Ben currently holds a 3.0 GPA. He is undecided on his college plans, but will pursue a degree in architecture or civil engineering. He also plans to run track in college.

I’vion Johnson

I’vion competed in track and field as a freshman and has been a cheerleader at Brunswick High all four years. She was the varsity captain as a junior and senior. She won MVP her junior year and made the 2024 all-region competition cheerleading team as a senior.

I’vion has taken several dual enrollment courses and is now actively taking Certified Nurse Assistant dual enrollement classes as she finishes out high school.

She plans to attend Georgia State University in Atlanta to further her education and plans to purse a degree in radiology technology.

Joss Lawless (Scholarship Recipient)

Joss ran cross country her freshman through junior years and competed in state with the Brunswick High girls as a junior. She’s played soccer throughout high school with the Lady Pirates. As the team’s standout goalkeeper, Joss has been named team MVP and also been the team captain for two seasons.

Joss maintains a 4.0 GPA, taking Advanced Placement and dual  enrollment classes. She also has been involved in Work Based Learning as a Youth Apprentice at Gulfstream. She is also an active member of Beta Club, frequently volunteering and finding ways to give back to the community.

Joss plans to get her Airframe and Powerplant license. While employed as an aircraft mechanic, she plans on graduating college with a degree in mechanical engineering. She is currently planning to start her post-high school journey at Wichita State University Tech, and also hopes to join the Women's Soccer Club at the school.

Jordan Lodise

Jordan has been a standout baseball player for Brunswick High all four years. He has started and lettered on the Pirates varsity team since his freshman season. He was voted all-region as a sophomore and junior and was named Region Player of the Year as a senior. He was also the BHS team captain this year.

Also this season, he was named the Large School Player of the Year by 912 Sports for its Southeast Georgia coverage area as a smooth-fielding shortstop and standout starting pitcher. This season, while helping the Pirates to the Sweet 16 of the Class 5A state tournament a second straight spring, Jordan batted .394 with 10 doubles, three triples, and four home runs. He walked 18 times and also scored 34 runs and drove in 25. As a pitcher, he finished with a 2.88 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched.  

Jordan is set to graduate with a 3.5 GPA. He will attend the University of Central Florida on a baseball scholarship. He plans to pursue a degree in criminal justice while in college.

 Patrice Mungin

Patrice has played basketball all four years at Brunswick High. This past season, he became a full-time starter for the first time and averaged 10.4 points a game for the Lady Pirates to finish as the team’s second-leading scorer. She played a key role for BHS as a team captain, ball-handler and shooter as the Lady Pirates posted a 22-8 overall record, finished second in the region and made a run to the Elite 8 of the Class 5A state tournament. She was voted all-region after the season.

Patrice owns a 3.8 GPA and has taken dual enrollment classes at College of Coastal Georgia. She was chosen as a Coastal Pines Technical College Girls Student-Athlete of the Month by 912 Sports this year and also was featured in 912 Sports Magazine as a Scholar-Athlete during basketball season. Patrice is active in the Social Justice Club where she does a lot of hands-on work out in the community.

Patrice plans to attend college and major in kinesiology while also pursuing a minor in biology.

 Nija’ Story 

Nija’ played softball and basketball and competed in track and field all fours years at Brunswick High. As the starting center fielder on the softball team, she was awarded first-team all-region, Defensive Player of the Year, and team MVP.

She served as the softball team captain as a senior and was track team captain as a junior and senior. She has also made multiple appearances at the state track championships in the 4x800-meter and 4x100-meter relays.

An Honor-Roll student, she will graduate with a 4.0 GPA. Nija’ has taken Advanced Placement classes and duel enrollment courses at College of Coastal Georgia. She is a member of National Honor Society, the Social Justice Club and Future Business Leaders of America. She was fourth runner-up on the BHS Homecoming Court this fall and was an honorary member of the Abbott Institute Panel as well.

Nija’ plans to enter the U.S. Marine Corps reserves and also will attend Florida A & M University where she will pursue a degree in psychology.