High school football in Georgia began on Friday, Aug. 1, as teams across the state participated in scrimmages.
This week, scrimmages will continue. Three Lake Country teams – the Greene County Tigers, the Lake Oconee Academy Titans, and the Morgan County Bulldogs – will host scrimmages at their home fields this week.
Each team will begin the regular season on Friday, Aug. 15.
Cherokee Bluff at Morgan County, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Morgan County and Cherokee Bluff are familiar with each other. The two teams have scrimmaged against each other the past few seasons, as head coaches Clint Jenkins and Tommy Jones used to work together at Norcross.
Bluff, a quarterfinal team like Morgan County last season, will be talented again in 2025. The Bears’ only two losses were to region opponent Jefferson, which lost to Calhoun in the Class 3A state championship game.
Jenkins, Morgan’s head coach entering his fourth season, knows it will be a physical battle for his team.
“Cherokee Bluff will be a big challenge for us,” Jenkins said. “They were a quarterfinals team in 3A last year.”
The Bears finished 11-2 last season, driven by a tough, physical defensive effort and quarterback Brooks Brien, who has graduated. They’ve replaced a few other key pieces, but the ‘Dogs will have their hands full.
The exciting matchup in the scrimmage will be Morgan’s offense against Bluff’s defense.
The Bears lost their top four tacklers from last season, but like Jenkins, Jones’ strength is defense.
Morgan quarterback Davis Strickland and wideout Ty Tillery will be responsible for stretching the field. The Dogs’ veteran offensive line will also need to open up holes for tailback Christian Monfort to run through.
“(Bluff) is always very well-coached and physical,” Jenkins said. “It will be fun to see how we match up.”
Northeast (Macon) at Greene County, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Greene will host Northeast (Macon), last year’s Class A Division’s runner-up. The Raiders will be a tough test for the Tigers.
Northeast finished 12-3 last season, losing in the state championship game to Toombs County.
Greene’s first-year head coach, Darius Robinson, said this scrimmage will serve as a “measuring stick” for his team.
“1,000 percent,” Robinson said. “When you face a team like that coming to town, it’s a great measuring stick to see exactly where you stand because the ultimate goal, whether you’re playing or coaching, is to win the top prize. And someone who played to win that prize last year is a great benchmark to start the season.”
The Raiders returned a majority of their starters, including dual-threat quarterback Reginald Glover, who passed and rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2024. Glover will test the Tigers’ defense, which lost several starters.
The Greene defense will be tasked with stopping Glover, who the Raiders relied on a lot last season. They will depend on defensive tackle Demond Copeland and safety Jailen “Hitman” Ruff to fill the gaps and stop the run.
“I want for us to come out there and be highly competitive,” Greene’s coach said. “We are a tough, gritty football team that will fight through all four quarters and see where the scoreboard stands when the clock hits zero.”
Social Circle at Lake Oconee Academy, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
LOA will host Class A Division I’s Social Circle. The Redskins will be a formidable opponent for the Titans.
Social Circle went 7-4 last year and won a region championship before losing to Bleckley County in the first round of the state playoffs, but the Redskins have a few question marks surrounding them heading into this year.
Social Circle lost several key starters, including quarterback Logan Cross, running backs Jaylen Victor and Jameccus Hardge, and wide receiver Jude Nelson, along with four of their top five leading tacklers on defense.
Lake Oconee head coach Patrick Stewart recognizes how talented Social Circle will be, even after losing a few crucial playmakers from last season. He anticipates that Redskins’ head coach Rob Patton will have his team ready.
“He has done a tremendous job over there, so I’m sure there will not be any drop off with the way he prepares his team,” Stewart said. “We are very excited for the scrimmage this Friday to be under the lights again.”
LOA also lost several starters, including quarterback Ike O’Neal, running back Cam Kelley, tight end Reid Davis, as well as linebacker Mason Salemi, and defensive tackle Kaleb Mathis from last season’s team that went 5-5.
Like Patton, Stewart expects his veterans and some of the younger guys to step up.
“Social Circle will be an excellent test for us going into week one,” Stewart said.