Jones County is home to Brandon Hamilton. For that reason, the co-owner of the Georgia Ravens, a local semi pro football team, is excited for Saturday when the Ravens, comprised heavily of those from Jones County, opens the season at the Winchester Ducks.
That will precede the July 22 home opener against the Cherokee Cardinals for the Ravens current roster of 61 players, ranging from ages 18 to 45. The Ravens got a small taste of what to expect last month when they scrimmaged the Bruins in a 28-14 loss. Even in defeat, Hamilton said much was learned.
“We learned quite a bit. We learned that we had more strengths than weaknesses to only to have been together for about a month. We looked like a solid football team,” Hamilton said. “With the additions we have had, we feel very confident that we’ll have a winning season.”
There’s a significance for Hamilton to be able to represent Jones County, as the 2019 JCHS graduate comes from a family that’s been heavily involved in Jones County previously.
“It’ll be great to represent this county. I’ve grown up here, my dad was involved with the school board and I kind of grew up playing football,” Hamilton said. “I’m excited to try and leave a legacy.”
Hamilton is a co-owner of the Ravens with Ron Lee. Both are players with Hamilton on offensive line and Lee on the defensive line. Playing for a previous semi-pro football team actually led to the Ravens being started, Hamilton said.
“I was on another semi-pro team that disbanded, and there was nowhere within an hour to play, so me and Ron Lee decided to get together with a few coaches we know and try to have a place for guys to show their talent,” Hamilton said.
And there’s been an interest in showing that talent, with more than half of the Ravens roster being those who have opted to come out of retirement and play football again for a team led by head coach Joseph Mann.
“It’s so great to hear everyone’s life stories with football being something so many people are passionate about,” Hamilton said. “It means something to everybody.”
