Colquitt County has canceled its opening games against Marietta and Brookwood because of multiple players in quarantine for possible exposure to the coronavirus, the Moultrie Observer reported Thursday.
“Most of our offensive and defensive linemen have been ordered to quarantine for 14 consecutive days, due in part to a strong recommendation from the Department of Health out of Albany, Georgia,” Colquitt principal Jamie Dixon stated in a letter Thursday as quoted by the newspaper.
Colquitt coach Justin Rodgers texted his thoughts of disappointment to GHSF Daily: “Just a terrible situation. Our guys have been working so hard.”
Colquitt’s first scheduled game is now a Sept. 18 home date against Banneker, a Fulton County school that also is not playing the first two weeks. Next for Colquitt would be Valdosta in a Sept. 25 homecoming for former Colquitt coach Rush Propst, now Valdosta’s coach.
Pinecrest begins eight-man season tonight
The first GHSA football team will open its season tonight when Pinecrest Academy of Cumming plays Harvester Christian Academy. It won’t be a GHSA game, however. With lower participation numbers and the COVID-19 pandemic bearing down, Pinecrest decided this season to play eight-man football with the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools (GAPPS). “You still have to block and tackle, catch, throw, run and cover,” Pinecrest coach Shawn Coury told S. Thomas Coleman of ajc.com. “We watched a lot of film over the summer. We’re excited about being the only game in town [tonight].” Coury, an assistant on Cherokee’s staff last season, said Pinecrest planned to play a GHSA non-region schedule in 2021 and a region schedule in 2022 and beyond. Pinecrest was 2-8 last season but has fielded several GHSA playoff teams. The Paladins won Region 6-A in 2015.
ELCA replaces Irwin with Woodward
Irwin County had to pull out of its Sept. 4 opener with Eagle’s Landing Christian this week because of players in quarantine, but ELCA acted swiftly and picked up Woodward Academy as a replacement Thursday. “Going to be a tough one,” ELCA coach Jonathan Gess said. “But at this point, we are excited to play.” The Woodward game will be at ELCA. The ELCA-Irwin game would’ve been a matchup of Class A champions, ELCA from private, Irwin from pubic. ELCA played Woodward in 2014 and 2015, losing 27-7 and 20-10. Woodward is expected to be a top-10 team in Class 5A this season. ELCA is the five-time Class A Private champion.
680 The Fan to air Scoreboard Show
Sports Radio 680 The Fan in Atlanta will broadcast the Georgia High School Football Network Scoreboard Show on Friday nights from 10 to midnight beginning Sept. 4. Hosts will be Steve West, Chris Mooneyham and Brandon Joseph. They’re taking over for the popular Tommy Palmer, who retired after 15 years. Palmer, also a color commentator for GPB-TV’s coverage of the state football finals, has been in hospice care since May, when he revealed he was battling a late stage of cancer. This show, which features reports from correspondents from games and interviews with coaches, will feed live from the studios of 680 and Southern Sports Today in the Battery Atlanta. It will be distributed in partnership with Georgia News Network and hosted online at southernsportstoday.com.
GHSA sets re-acclimation guidelines
The GHSA on Thursday established guidelines for quarantined players returning to practice afterbeing sidelined for five days. Those players must undergo five days of re-acclimation, the last of which allows full pads but no game, so that means the first three days are helmets only.
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