The Statesboro Blue Devil boys’ golf team had a solid season, but fell just short of advancing to state. One of the biggest bright spots was the play of freshman Joshua Smallman, who led the way for the Blue Devils throughout the season and fired a 76 in the region tournament.

“Obviously Josh is an excellent talent on the golf course but I was really proud of his growth off the course as well," said coach Michael Edwards. "It’s not easy to come in as a freshman and be a leader of an established team. He showed maturity by coming to me and asking for ways he could lead. He worked on the mental part of his game as much as he did the physical part this year. He’s never content with where he is. He’s always striving to get an edge and to get better each day. Our team was young this year with four freshman and several juniors leading the way, but we have a bright future with those guys and can’t wait to see how far we can go.”

"The school season was a good learning experience,” Smallman said. “We started four freshmen so we had some ups and downs, but have plenty of time to grow in the future. Individually, I've worked on focus and my short game and course management. I’m trying to feel sharp going into summer with competitive junior tour events.

“I hope to qualify for the GSGA junior this summer. I'm grateful to have a great place to play and practice at Forest Heights, and feel thankful for all the encouragement people there give me and the resources they have."