Deerfield-Windsor Knights check boxes in preseason tuneup

MACON — The scoreboard wasn’t important Friday night.

Learning was.

Deerfield-Windsor got its first look at the 2026 football team in live competition during an informal preseason scrimmage against Tatnall Square Academy, and while the host Trojans found the end zone more often, Knights coach Jake McCrae left Macon encouraged by what his young team accomplished.

The scrimmage featured a series of controlled 10-play offensive possessions rather than a traditional game, giving both coaching staffs an opportunity to evaluate personnel before the regular season.

“Our inexperience showed at times,” McCrae said. “But we did a lot of good things and checked a lot of boxes. It really helped us see what we really need to work on heading into the season.”

The evening also came with a price.

A pair of Deerfield-Windsor players left with injuries, though McCrae’s biggest takeaway centered on the valuable experience gained by a roster replacing one of the most accomplished senior classes in school history.

Among the bright spots were the Knights’ perimeter blocking by the wide receivers, something McCrae said stood out throughout the scrimmage.

He was equally pleased with the depth displayed along the defensive line, a unit expected to become one of the team’s strengths this fall.

Those positives came despite expected growing pains from an offense breaking in several new starters. Deerfield-Windsor enters the season with only four offensive players who have significant varsity experience, making Friday’s live repetitions especially valuable.

The Knights now turn their attention to preparing for what McCrae believes is one of the toughest opening stretches on their schedule in recent memory.

Deerfield-Windsor opens the regular season Aug. 14 against longtime rival Valwood in Valdosta before returning home Aug. 21 to host First Presbyterian Day School of Macon.