The 2025-26 school year was one to remember for Morgan County High School athletics, highlighted by GHSA Class 2A playoff appearances across multiple sports and state championships in volleyball, boys basketball, and baseball.
The Bulldogs will face a new challenge during the 2026-27 school year as they return to Class 3A competition.
As part of the GHSA’s reclassification process for the 2026-28 cycle, schools across the state were reassigned to new classifications and regions. The reclassification brought back a seven-class structure and eliminated the split divisions in Class A.
Morgan County athletic director Greg Thompson said the move will not significantly impact the program, but returning to Region 8-AAA is a change the school is eager to embrace.
“We are excited to be back in this region, and our coaching staff overwhelmingly supported the change,” Thompson said. “We appealed to the GHSA to be in this region, and it was approved. We felt like this was good for our fan base, which travels well to away games, and it will also help our home games because all of these teams travel well, too.”
With the move to Region 8-AAA, Morgan County joins Barrow Arts & Sciences, Elbert County, Franklin County, Hart County, Stephens County, Lumpkin County, and Hebron Christian.
“We had many healthy rivalries in the past with teams like Elbert, Franklin, and Hart, and we are excited to have the opportunity to restore them,” Thompson said. “All of these schools have great athletic programs, and we look forward to the competition, which will only make us better as we prepare for the state playoffs.”
Looking back on the 2025-26 school year, Thompson said he is proud of the accomplishments of the MCHS student-athletes and coaches. He noted that coaches dedicate an “unbelievable” amount of time to their programs and often do not receive enough credit for their efforts.
“Our coaches take pride in what they are doing and truly have the best interests of our players in everything they do,” Thompson said. “Our kids in all three programs that won state championships really bought in, and that is what it takes to be successful. They also happened to be pretty dang good.”
Thompson believes the new region will provide stronger competition across all sports because of the member schools’ traditions and resources. He added that moving up a classification should not dramatically change the postseason landscape.
“As for the new region, I think there will be a noticeable difference in the stands at our home games,” Thompson said. “These schools are like us. They have a strong tradition in athletics, and we are expecting great crowds at our events over the next two years.”
Thompson also believes the community’s support, particularly at road games, plays a major role in the success of Morgan County’s athletic programs. He said he is looking forward to renewing old rivalries and making trips north to compete against familiar opponents.
“We have a really good fan base in Morgan County that will drive just about anywhere to watch our kids play. That is not always common in high school athletics,” Thompson said. “It’s not just parents, either. We have long-time supporters of our programs who follow our teams everywhere they go. It’s really cool to see and to be part of a community that is so supportive.”