By Barry Every
SouthernPigskin.com

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As a sophomore Fogle ended the year as the team’s second leading tackler with 69 stops, six TFL’s and four sacks.

Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County won 13 consecutive Region Titles from 2001 to 2013 to go along with three State Championships. But in 2016-17 seasons the Wildcats went (0-6) in Region 1-AAAAAAA, missing the playoffs completely.

Not all is lost; Head Coach Bob Sphire in his second season at the helm broke the hapless streak versus region foes with a 28-24 comeback victory over Tifton (Ga.) Tift County. The win propelled the Wildcats to their first playoff appearance in two years. With a talented group of young athletes coming back the future looks bright.

One senior Coach Sphire will be counting on to continue momentum for the upcoming season is 6-foot-2, 210-pound inside linebacker Desmond Fogle. He missed half of last season with a minor injury but proved his value as an impact player with 32 tackles, five TFL’s and one sack in three full games versus region opponents.

As a sophomore Fogle ended the year as the team’s second leading tackler with 69 stops, six TFL’s and four sacks. His abilities on the field of play did not go unnoticed earning Second Team All-Region.

“There is no question that Fogle is one of our bell cows, a leader that simply sets the tone,” Sphire said. “He is a hard working player in the weight room and the point person for our FCA program. He is a faithful young man with high character, a strong work ethic and he just happens to be a very good football player.”

Currently Fogle has a 2.9 core GPA, but that should increase as he finished the spring semester with A’s in AP Language Arts and AP Chemistry. Colleges wondering what kind of student he is only need to look at his class schedule for the fall; it includes AP Economics, AP British Literature and AP Statistics.

His strength numbers are also impressive as he boasts a 305-pound bench and a 285-pound power clean. Fogle did wrestle as a sophomore but decided to give it up in order to gain weight for football.

“He’s been playing inside backer for us this spring and has proven to be our most physical player,” Sphire said. “We even had to tone him down some because his energy and physical style of play were over the top. He has great length and is very good in pass coverage while still being able to take on blockers in the box. He’s been showing out in the weight room and this is a kid that will be part of all our special teams.”

Fogle’s lone offer came just a couple weeks ago from UConn, a school that made the trip south to find South Georgia difference makers. He is also receiving heavy interest from Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, Wake Forest and Wofford. Fogle has made unofficial visits so far to Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Western Kentucky.

“I’m taken back a little bit by the lack of offers he has received to date,” Sphire said. “I realize he missed half the season last year, but he has had a tremendous spring and we have had a parade of coaches come through our doors. So yes, I’m surprised and what college coaches need to know is the challenging schedule this young man is taking in school. They will also be surprised by his length and frame when they lay eyes on him.”

He has not hit any camps this spring, but plans on heading to Statesboro this Sunday to show off his football skills. Fogle is also making plans for an official visit this summer to UConn.

“I plan on hitting some camps in July, I just wanted to make sure I was completely healthy before I performed in front of coaches,” Fogle said. “As far as the offer from Connecticut, I was taken by surprise when Coach Corey Edsall called to offer me. Distance will not be a factor in my recruiting and I’ll play whatever position on defense I fit best at.”

Though the recruiting process has not been as active as it should be for a talent like Fogle, it could really take off with a couple excellent camp performances this summer. Recruiting has to take a backseat as the Wildcats have an extremely talented group of underclassmen that are ready to bring Camden County back to football glory.

“We have to give effort in the weight room first while having the mentality that we have each other’s back,” Fogle said. “We have to believe in each other and communicate while showing up each day with the mindset of working hard. We have to be more self-sufficient and not always rely on coaches to get us going. Being more knowledge and responsible will lead us to winning ways.”

Having evaluated Fogle in person on two occasions I can only share what I saw. As a sophomore versus Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes he recorded 12 tackles and one QBH. This past year he recorded 11 tackles, two TFL’s, two QBH’s and one sack versus Tifton (Ga.) Tift County. The tackle totals were team highs in both contests and these are high end opponents.

Fogle is a high character student-athlete with the moral fortitude to change lives. Oh, yeah he just happens to possess the length, frame and athleticism to be a difference maker on the gridiron.