Rockdale County sports teams can resume conditioning

Rockdale County Schools' fall sports teams, shut down for nearly five weeks, can resume conditioning next week, district athletic director Kechia Rowles confirmed Thursday.

Rowles said that district superintendent Terry Oatts would make an announcement Friday afternoon that would give ''a better breakdown on the decision.'' Rowles emphasized that no determination had been made regarding participating in games.

Rockdale’s high schools are Salem, Heritage and Rockdale County.

On Aug. 7, Oatts postponed fall sports until the second semester, effectively canceling the seasons for football, cross country, competitive cheer, volleyball and fastpitch softball. Now, it appears there’s a chance that teams may still compete in competitions.

Salem football coach Jarrett Laws said he got word Thursday from his school’s athletic director that he could resume conditioning and planned to have his first workout Tuesday.

''I’m more than excited to connect with my kids again because it’s bigger than football for us,'' Laws said. "It’s family.''

Salem, the county’s smallest high school, is in Region 5-3A. Its first region football game was scheduled for Oct. 2 against Douglass.

Rockdale County and Heritage are in Region 2-6A. Heritage’s first region game was Oct. 23 against Lakeside of Evans. Rockdale County’s region opener was Oct. 9 against Alcovy.

Rockdale was one of several school systems to delay football season but the only one with multiple schools that effectively canceled games. Football schedules for Rockdale’s teams are no longer on the GHSA’s website.