The 2015 High School Football season is finally here!!! After checking out several teams during spring practice,  going to some 7 on 7 tournaments during the summer, and then visiting training camps as teams prepared for the new year of gridiron play, then some scrimmage games,  the time is now here  for toe to meet leather and time for teams to hit the field in games that count.

GPB will kick off the new season at Roswell High School on August 21st when the Hornets host the Vikings of Lowndes High School.  Matt Stewart will be back behind the microphone again this year as our play by play man with Larry Smith and former Falcon Chuck Smith splitting the color commentating duties just like they did last year.  My old friend, Jon Nelson will be once again patrolling the sidelines and bringing you news from around the state like no other.  Jon has finished writing another new sports book, so make that 5 books published overall,  two on high school football in the great state of Georgia.

He will once again bring us Jon’s Georgia, and also his Backroads and Backfields segment at halftime where he will travel the state finding us interesting stories of  personal achievement and overcoming adversity.

I will have a new co-host this year and she is a familiar face.  Jackie Brittain worked with us three years ago.  She then traveled to the East Coast to cover the New England Patriots for three seasons.  She has returned to her roots fired up to cover high school football in Georgia and waving around a Super Bowl Championship ring that appears to be as big as a grapefruit.

If you are in to the two screen experience, and who isn’t these days, Rayven Tirado will be at the controls of our social media coverage.  Rayven went to high school at Collins Hill,  ran track at the University of Alabama has worked with us on our state championship coverage and is now back every Friday to keep us posted and up to date with everything going on, on the internet.

Our production team is second to none.  Kevin Gerke has done an outstanding job of bringing together a terrific crew of photographers, technicians, audio guys, directors, producers, tape operators and all the folks behind the scenes that make sure the viewers at home enjoy the games with all the bells and whistles.   Take it from me, this crew is second to none…….they are all outstanding professionals and Bob Brienza our VP of Sports and Local Productions  will be at the controls to make sure everything goes according to plan.

As for me, this will mark my 23rd year of covering high school football in the great state of Georgia.  We have a great lineup of games this season including a trip to Moultrie on October 16th to bring you the defending Class 6A state champion Colquitt County Packers as they take on their arch rivals, the Wildcats of Valdosta High School.  You can check out our entire schedule on line and the last three weeks of the regular season will be a “flex” schedule this year so we can bring you the top games down the stretch that will have the biggest impact on region titles and the playoffs.

But as for now, I am not thinking playoffs just yet, I am thinking kicking off the season.  This will be season five off Football Fridays in Georgia………………..all I can say is

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!!!!