
NUC Sports High School Football – South Georgia Poll – Week 1
Large SchoolsFootball is finally back! In South Georgia nine of the Top Ten teams in the two largest classifications will be display this week. The only Top Ten team not playing week one is #10 Brunswick. #1 Colquitt County will be locking horns with Mill Creek in the Corky Kell Classic on Saturday. This is a rematch of last year’s GHSA AAAAAA Semifinal game which saw the Packers pull away with a dominating 52-31 victory. #3 Lowndes will start their season off Friday night in the battle of Titletown versus cross city rival Valdosta, #7 in Medium Schools. This will be the 55th meeting between these two schools and the first time they have ever faced each other week one. Valdosta holds the series edge (36-18) and Wildcats have won the last two meetings. #4 Northside-WR will host bitter rival Warner Robins, #8 in Medium Schools this Friday. This is the 59th meeting and is also the first time they have met in week one. Warner Robins leads the series (34-24), but Northside has won the last two meetings. In the NUC South Georgia Game of the Week #6 Glynn Academy takes on the #2 ranked small school Benedictine. This is the 62nd meeting between these coastal foes and the Cadets hold a (40-20-1) edge in the series. Note: The original 2016 NUC Sports South Georgia Poll came out before star running back Brandon McMaster announced his transfer from Camden County to Brunswick. This should have a major impact on both schools. Medium SchoolsIt will be a bit of a quiet week in South Georgia Medium Schools as six of the Top Ten teams are idle. #1 Bainbridge, #2 Ware County, #3 Peach County, #7 West Laurens, #9 Liberty County and #10 Pierce County are all off. That being said there are four very intriguing matchups this week. #4 Thomas County Central takes on Worth County. The Yellow Jackets hold the series edge (21-11-1) but have fallen to the Rams the last two seasons. #5 Carver-Columbus heads out of state to take on Opelika (AL). The Tigers hold the series edge (2-0) but that was way back to 1980-81. Last year Opelika went (12-1) falling to eventual AHSAA 6A State Champion Spanish Fort in the quarterfinals. #6 Cairo host long-time rival Thomasville. This will be the 72nd meeting between these two opponents; the Bulldogs hold the series edge (39-26-6). Last year’s meeting ended in a no contest due to lightning with the Syrupmakers up 26-0. Small SchoolsOnly two Top Ten teams have a bye week one. Both #1 Fitzgerald and #4 Macon County will be on display for the first time next week. There are two really interesting matchups in small schools; not counting the before mentioned matchup between #2 Benedictine and Glynn Academy. In a border war #5 Brooks County hosts Cook. The Trojans hold a slim (25-24) lead in the series and have won the last three meetings. These two teams played each other 14 years in a row from 2000-13, but did not meetup the last two seasons. #6 Vidalia travels to #10 Dodge County Friday in the battle of the Indians. Vidalia holds a (6-5) edge in the series; they last played each other in 2009 with Vidalia outscoring Dodge County 49-36. |
Large School’s Top 10 (AAAAAAA/AAAAAA) |
Head Coach: Rush Propst, 9th Season (86-25) Last Season: (15-0/5-0) First Game: 8/20 vs. Mill Creek (Corky Kell Classic/Georgia Dome) |
Head Coach: Welton Coffey, II, 4th Season (25-9) Last Season: (10-2/4-1) First Game: 8/19 @ Oak Leaf, FL |
Head Coach: Randy McPherson, 15th Season (136-37) Last Season: (6-5/2-3) First Game: 8/19 @Valdosta |
Head Coach: Kevin Kinsler, 7th Season (68-9) Last Season: (9-2/8-1) First Game: 8/19 vs. Warner Robins |
Head Coach: Von Lassiter, 4th Season (28-9) Last Season: (11-2/8-1) First Game: 8/18 vs. Mary Persons (Corky Kell Classic/Mercer) |
Head Coach: Rocky Hidalgo, 3rd Season (21-7) Last Season: (12-3/7-1) First Game: 8/19 @ Benedictine (Savannah State) NUC Game of the Week |
Head Coach: Alan Rodemaker, 1st Season Last Season: (8-4/3-2) First Game: 8/19 @ Lowndes |
Head Coach: Dean Fabrizio, 8th Season (44-31) Last Season: (6-4/1-4) First Game: 8/18 vs. Jones County (Corky Kell Classic/Mercer) |
Head Coach: Robby Pruitt, 5th Season (30-12) Last Season: (10-2/7-1) First Game: 8/19 vs. Effingham County (Erk Russell Classic/Georgia Southern) |
Head Coach: Larry Harold, 2nd Season (3-7) Last Season: (3-7/2-6) First Game: 8/26 vs. Coffee |
Just Outside: Bradwell Institute (0-10); Effingham County (7-3); Richmond Hill (3-7); Tift County (5-5) |
Medium School’s Top 10 (AAAAA/AAAA/AAA) |
Head Coach: Jeff Littleton, 4th Season (24-12) Last Season: (13-1/4-0) First Game: 8/26 vs. Lee County |
Head Coach: Franklin Stephens, 3rd Season (22-4) Last Season: (11-3/6-2) First Game: 8/26 vs. Glynn Academy |
Head Coach: Chad Campbell, 10th Season (95-19) Last Season: (9-3/7-1) First Game: 8/26 vs. Houston County |
Head Coach: Bill Shaver, 9th Season (63-28) Last Season: (6-5/3-1) First Game: 8/19 vs. Worth County |
Head Coach: Dre’mail King, 1st Season Last Season: (9-2/6-0) First Game: 8/19 @ Opelika, AL |
Head Coach: Steven Devoursney, 2nd Season (4-6) Last Season: (4-6/3-1) First Game: 8/19 vs. Thomasville |
Head Coach: Stacy Nobles, 6th Season (30-25) Last Season: (8-4/4-2) First Game: 8/26 vs. Wayne County |
Head Coach: Mike Chastain 1St Season Last Season: (7-4/6-3) First Game: 8/19 @ Northside-WR |
Head Coach: Kirk Warner, 15th Season (64-82) Last Season: (8-4/3-1) First Game: 8/26 @ Bradwell Institute |
Head Coach: Sean Pender, 6th Season (45-14) Last Season: (7-4/4-2) First Game: 8/26 vs. Bacon County |
Just Outside: Appling County (5-5); Cook (7-4); Monroe (6-4); South Effingham (7-4); Southeast Bulloch (7-4); Worth County (8-4) |
Small School’s Top 10 (AA/A) |
Head Coach: Jason Strickland, 5th Season (41-12-1) Last Season: (13-2/5-1) First Game: 8/26 vs. Irwin County |
Head Coach: Danny Britt, 6th Season (51-14) Last Season: (12-1/7-0) First Game: 8/19 vs. Glynn Academy (Savannah State) NUC Game of the Week |
Head Coach: Jim Dickerson, 13th Season (116-39-1) Last Season: (13-1/6-1) First Game: 8/19 vs. Bleckley County |
Head Coach: Dexter Copeland, 2nd Season (10-3) Last Season: (10-3/5-0) First Game: 8/26 @ Dooly County |
Head Coach: Maurice Freeman, 9th Season (81-24) Last Season: (10-3/6-0) First Game: 8/19 vs. Cook |
Head Coach: Lee Chomskis, 10th Season (71-31) Last Season: (8-4/5-2) First Game: 8/19 @ Dodge County |
Head Coach: Rick Tomberlin, 1st Season Last Season: (9-2/4-1) First Game: 8/19 vs. Islands |
Head Coach: Chris Kearson, 6th Season (47-13) Last Season: (11-2/4-0) First Game: 8/19 @ Metter |
Head Coach: Buddy Nobles, 3rd Season (21-5-2) Last Season: (10-3-1/6-1) First Game: 8/19 @ Berrien |
Head Coach: Rex Hodges, 6th Season (34-22) Last Season: (11-1/6-0) First Game: 8/19 vs. Vidalia |
Just Outside: Charlton County (7-3); Dooly County (7-4); Early County (7-4-1); Hawkinsville (5-5); Marion County (10-2); Pacelli Catholic (7-4); Savannah Christian (9-3); Spencer (8-4); Turner County (8-3) |
Note: Special thanks go out to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association (ghsfha.org)