QUITMAN, Ga. (WTXL) — For high school football teams in the state of Georgia, it is almost go time. The first official week of the season is here, and for Thomasville and Brooks County, two teams that played for state titles last season, they want a week one challenge.
They're going to get it.
The War on 84, Thomasville at Brooks County, it's our Friday Night Overtime Game of the Week.
Both of these programs, were in Atlanta last year and both have the same goal this year. The best way to get there? To challenge yourself, and this game does exactly that.
Thomasville's Jonathan DeLay makes his debut as a head coach Friday night, while Brooks County's Maurice Freeman looks to start strong on the hunt for a repeat state title. Over the past six seasons, this game has been settled by eleven points or less four times. It's always close, and it's always a dog (or a Trojan) fight, and it's a game both coaches are excited to play.
"I'm an old school football coach," said Freeman. "This is what you look for. Don't cheat your fans, don't cheat your team, play the best team swinging. Thomasville is the best thing swinging around here for us, it's a rivalry game, let's play."
"The very first game I saw Thomasville play in person was Thomasville-Brooks 2016," remembered DeLay. "I knew then that this was a big game, this was a rivalry game. Opening up against them is huge."
"Man, we're going to play like hell. We got to!" added Freeman. "You can't make any mistakes and you have to get the big plays and you have to play tough for four quarters. If you don't do that, you're probably going to lose."
"The most physical team is going to win the football game," said DeLay. "We have to be physical and you have to take care of the football. That'll be the team that wins the game."
Thomasville at Brooks County kicks off at 7:30 Friday night in Quitman.
