Top stories from the offseason as new campaign draws near

*The GHSA did a mid-cycle adjustment resulting in the reclassification of 11 schools. Most notable among them were the lowering of Flowery Branch to AAAA, Jefferson to AAA and Bremen to AA and the elevating of Benedictine to AAA. (See the full list by clicking here.)

*Four football programs joined the GHSA football ranks, bringing the number to 422. Newcomers include newly opened Denmark of Forsyth County (Region 7-AAAA) and Cherokee Bluff of Hall County (7-AAA). Trinity Christian of Coweta County (5-A) made the jump from the Georgia Independent School Association, where the Lions were Class AAA runners-up last season. And ACE Charter of Macon (7-A) will play varsity football for the first time.

*Billy Henderson, one of the state's most revered former head coaches, died on Feb. 14 at age 89. A Macon native and former University of Georgia player, Henderson won 286 games and three state championships (1977, 1979, 1985 Clarke Central) as a head coach. The state also lost James "Friday" Richards, a former star running back who coached at his alma mater for 30 years; Johnny Stallings, a former Woodward Academy head coach and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame; and Calvin Hartness, head coach of North Fulton's 1966 Class AA championship team.

*Howard's Barney Hester (340-167-9) and Gainesville's Bruce Miller (225-126) - who had ranked second and fourth, respectively, among GHSA head coaches in victories - retired. Hester is now athletics director for Bibb County schools. Rick Tomberlin (246-119) unretired and reassumes his third-place standing among active coaches in wins. Tomberlin is head coach at Appling County, his alma mater.

*About 85 teams hired new head coaches. That's one in five, about typical. Among the new hires are Westover's Olten Downs, who won a state title at Creekside in 2013 before venturing into the college coaching; Veterans' Milan Turner, who won a state title at ECI in 2007; Thomas County Central's Ashley Henderson, who won three GISA championships at Valwood in Valdosta; and North Paulding's Jim Bob Bryant, who won three state titles in North Carolina. Each coaching change, including the whereabouts of the former coach, will be chronicled in the first seven issues of GHSF Daily.

*The GHSA voted to add a seventh on-field official for the playoffs. The new official - a back judge - will be positioned behind the defense. The GHSA's decision resulted from controversial play in the Class AAA championship game in which TV replay showed a Peach County receiver catch a pass that was ruled incomplete at the 1-yard line by an official trailing the play. Calhoun got possession and held on to win 10-6.

*The GHSA released the 2018 football schedules in April. They include lineups for the Corky Kell Classic, which expanded into Rome's Barron Stadium and Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the new six-game Freedom Bowl at Milton High School. The most power-packed schedules are those of Grayson, Marietta, Buford, Archer and Colquitt County. The Grayson-at-Marietta game on Sept. 7 is ranked the eighth-best game in the nation this year by MaxPreps. Grayson is No. 5 in MaxPreps' national rankings. Marietta is No. 15.

*Thirty-two of the state's top 50 senior football recruits made commitments in the offseason, according to Rivals.com. Seven others, including Rivals' No. 1 prospect Jadon Haselwood of Cedar Grove (to Georgia), were already committed, meaning 39 of the top 50 are pledged. Grayson's Owen Pappoe, ranked No. 1 by ESPN, chose Auburn on May 1. Upson-Lee's Travon Walker, ranked No. 1 by 247Sports, chose Georgia on July 24.

*Marietta was forced to forfeit its eight football victories from 2017 when the GHSA ruled that two starting players were ineligible because of residency issues. Marietta had finished 8-5 and reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994. The ruling marked the first time in GHSA history that playoff victories were nullified in the offseason. Marietta has appealed, and the investigation continues.

*The GHSA added alternate dates for the eight 2018 state-championship games in case of interference from weather or soccer. Atlanta United will get dibs on Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 7-8 if the soccer team makes the MLS Cup championship game. In those cases, the football championships will be played on Tuesday, Dec. 11, and Wednesday, Dec. 12. Recent odds of United winning the MLS Cup were placed at 11-2, meaning soccer is a decidedly bigger threat than sleet or snow.

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