The Georgia High School Association is considering postponing the football playoffs one week to accommodate schools that need to make up games because of Hurricane Helene, executive director Tim Scott said Monday morning. Scott said he hoped to have a decision by noon Tuesday.
“We’re looking into that and working on it right now, trying to figure out what we can do to support our schools and give them some relief,” Scott said. “It’s not just football. Don’t forget we’ve got girls flag football, softball, volleyball, cross country and cheerleading. We’re looking at all of it.”
Postponing the football playoffs is a practical option this season because of an unprecedented playoff bye week over Thanksgiving. The playoffs historically are five rounds in five weeks. This season, for the first time, there is an extra week built in between the third and fourth rounds. It is a schedule fluke associated with the availability of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will stage the championship games Dec. 16-18.
The playoffs are scheduled to start Friday, Nov. 8, but could start Nov. 15 and finish on time.
The GHSA is still assessing how last week’s schedule played out. Postponements are still happening. At least four games scheduled for Monday night were called off Monday morning. The schedule damage is not easily compiled since the GHSA’s 415 football-playing schools can negotiate makeup games on their own and report scores later.
According to AJC research, only 16 of last week’s 170 games were played as scheduled Friday night, and 16 were played Wednesday to get ahead of the storm. A record 54 games were moved to Saturday, and another 34 were scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. Six were canceled and won’t be made up.
About 45 games are postponed beyond this week, and about 20 of those are postponed indefinitely. Indefinite postponements involve teams whose schools remain closed or that do not have common open dates. When that occurs, teams often are forced to play two games in one week, usually Monday and Saturday games, or face a forfeit.
Lingering school closings make matters worse. South Georgia schools that are closed this week include Lowndes, Valdosta, Clinch County, Cook, Brooks County, Fitzgerald, Lanier County, Berrien and Atkinson County. Irwin County returns Thursday. Tift County will be back Wednesday. In the Augusta area, Richmond County’s eight public schools and Columbia County’s five are closed this week.
Schools typically don’t allow their sports teams to play games when school is out, but Scott noted that school districts make those rules, not the GHSA.
Coffee, despite an indefinite school closure, was playing last week’s scheduled game Monday night against Northside, though the game was moved to Warner Robins because of storm damage to Coffee’s field. Goal posts are bent, and half the scoreboard has been blown off.
Coffee also plans to play Lee County in Leesburg on Friday night despite extensive storm damage through Coffee County.
Stanley Lott, who hosts a Coffee County sports radio show, said the county has no power and limited cell service Monday morning. He said 80% of homes in the county had wind or tree damage. That includes the home of Coffee coach Mike Coe, who posted a photo of his house that was struck by a tree.
“The team is meeting this morning (Monday) at the field house, and the players will be able to take cold showers there due to no hot water and no running water in most of Coffee County,’’ Lott said. “Coach Coe and his coaching staff have been going door to door of each player to inform them and to check on them. Lots of players’ family homes have trees down in their driveways and can’t get out. So, the coaches are taking them to the field house. Coach Coe is having every player to take extra clothes with them.”
Scott said Coffee’s situation is not uncommon.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those communities,” Scott said. “We’ll do the best we can to give those people some relief. Right now everybody needs to be thinking about helping those communities and keeping them safe.’’
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