Sandalwood Saints head coach Malik Reaves wanted his team to understand that a new season must mean a new standard.
After going winless a year ago, the Saints opened their 2026 campaign with a statement, rolling past the KIPP Bold City Greyhounds in a convincing Kickoff Classic victory.
Sandalwood jumped on KIPP early and never let up, taking a commanding 27-0 lead into halftime. But for Reaves, the biggest victory was not simply the scoreboard. It was seeing his players respond to the accountability, discipline and expectations he is demanding as he works to turn around a storied Sandalwood program.
At halftime, with his team firmly in control, Reaves reminded the Saints that the work was far from finished.
That message is at the heart of the rebuilding process.
Those are the standards Reaves is attempting to establish, and the Saints showed flashes of what that approach can produce.
Accountability. Discipline. Execution.
Quarterback Jarelle Sims was one of the biggest difference-makers on the field. Sims repeatedly broke loose for long runs and added a touchdown on the ground, displaying the athletic ability that made him difficult for the KIPP defense to contain.
Sims also has football in his blood. He is the younger brother of quarterback Jeff Sims, and like his older brother, Jarelle showed the ability to make plays with his legs and create explosive moments when the offense needs them. Big bro acknowledged the effort.
‼️‼️‼️ https://t.co/tTWRaRf7Ag
— Jeff Sims (@JeffSims_10) August 15, 2026
The Sandalwood defense was just as impressive.
Jordan Washington delivered a major turning point in the second quarter when he scooped up a KIPP fumble and returned it for a touchdown, putting the Saints ahead 14-0. Washington also established himself as one of Sandalwood’s physical defenders, delivering several hard hits throughout the night.
Jordan Washington with the scoop and score!! Sandalwood leads 14-0 over KIPP, 2nd pic.twitter.com/HldIZip3sJ
— Duval Sports D1 (@DuvalSports) August 14, 2026
The fumble was particularly costly for KIPP.
The Greyhounds had moved the ball into position near the Sandalwood 1-yard line with a chance to potentially tie the game at 7-7. Instead, a bad snap resulted in a fumble that Washington recovered and turned into six points.
Later, Michael Hills added another explosive play when he took a punt 21 yards to the house, helping Sandalwood stretch its advantage to 27-0 at halftime.
For KIPP Bold City, the loss showed both the potential and growing pains of a young program.
Head coach D’Angelo Jordan is working to build a steady pipeline of athletes who can compete at a high level. The Greyhounds showed that they can put together stretches of competitive football, but mistakes are especially difficult for a young team without a deep collection of established playmakers.
KIPP’s path forward will require confidence, discipline and, most importantly, playing together. The Greyhounds briefly showed what that can look like when they drove deep into Sandalwood territory. Players like Bishop Borger, Isaiah Carr, Deangelo Ware and Braylin Robertson will have to lead the Hounds on the hunt. The next step is sustaining that level of execution for four quarters.
For Sandalwood, however, the attention now turns to Week 1 and a matchup that carries plenty of emotion.
The Saints will face Fletcher, a program with deep personal connections to Reaves. He previously coached at Fletcher and is also a former student-athlete there. He played defensive back for the Senators and would go on to play for Villanova.
That makes the matchup more than another game on the schedule.
It will be a reunion, a challenge and an opportunity.
After going winless last season, Sandalwood has already shown that this year’s team intends to play with a different identity. Now the Saints will get an opportunity to prove how far that transformation has come.
If Sandalwood can pull off an upset against Fletcher, it would immediately become one of the biggest surprises of the young 2026 season.
But for Reaves and the Saints, the turnaround is bigger than one game.
It is about building a program where accountability becomes the standard, discipline becomes the identity and winning becomes the expectation.
