Mary Persons, Peach County rivalry has more on the line this year in region opener
Mary Persons and Peach County have met 16 times, but when the two teams square off on Friday night more than bragging rights will be on the line in this rivalry.
At the end of last season, the GHSA, the governing body over high school sports in the state of Georgia,l realigned its classifications and regions, and Mary Persons moved down from class 4A. The Bulldogs were slotted into the same region as Peach County, now considered one of the toughest regions in the state with Crisp County, the 3A state runner-up in 2019 also moving into it.
Mary Persons head coach Brian Nelson said that being in the same regionadds a little more emphasis on a rivalry that he feels is one of the more competitive in the area. Peach County leads the all-time series 9-7.
“Peach County and Mary Persons have always had kind of a rivalry,” Nelson said. “You add in the fact that it is a region game it increases the stakes, especially being the first region game… whatever happens Friday night, someone is going to be one step closer to getting a playoff berth.”
COVID-19’s impact on Mary Persons
Mary Persons enters the game with one additional game played under its belt than its opponents and are currently 2-1 following a blowout loss last week to Newnan. In a season impacted by COVID-19, the additional game has given them a chance to get some additional players some experience.
But Nelson said that he biggest challenge is that the Bulldogs haven’t played a game yet this season with with all of their starters. Players have had to miss games either because of injury, COVID-19 or quarantine due to possible contact with someone with the virus.
“We have played three games, but we have played every game this year down two, three, four, sometimes five starters,” Nelson said. “It is going to be a crazy year and if anything that kind of stuff levels the field out a little bit more as opposed to giving someone an advantage. It is nuts. There are some days we don’t even know who is going to be at practice.”
In last year’s matchup, Peach County knocked off Mary Persons 44-13. The Bulldogs had over 10 starters from the previous year graduate and sign to play at the college level. Nelson said that his team is still young and growing each week.
Last year was step one in the rebuilding process as the Bulldogs finished 6-6 and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. The pandemic has forced Nelson to lean even more on his youth. They began the year with 11 seniors to start the year but on Friday night, they are currently projected to only have five available due to injuries and COVID-19. Nelson said that can change before Friday; early in the season a pair of starters was forced to quarantine just hours before the game.
“We are having to put freshman and sophomores in positions that maybe in years past they would have never been put in, but we’ve got to,” Nelson said. “I am not saying that to make any kind of excuses or anything but it’s 2020 I guess. And you still don’t know what’s going on to happen.”
Peach County focused in on region play
Peach Countycomes into the matchup off an open week and are 1-1 on the season following an opening loss to Northside and a blowout win over Griffin. The Trojans head coach Chad Campbell said that as they enter region play, each game has a little more added emphasis, especially in a rivalry game to open up region play.
“It is always a good matchup. They know us well. We know them well. Coach Nelson and his staff do a really good job year-in and year-out,” Campbell said. “They are in the region now. It is even more important. It ain’t just bragging rights now. I have told our kids it is the biggest ball game of the year so far. Every week becomes the biggest ball game of the year. There is a little more emphasis on your play because you can’t go out there and stink it up and start off region play with a loss.”
Much like Mary Persons, Peach County is a young team after graduating a group of key contributors including Clemson linebacker Sergio Allen, Western Kentucky running back Noah Whittington and the Trojans veteran quarterback Jaydon Gibson.
Campbell said that the biggest key for them is execution on both sides of the ball as players grow into their positions. He said that they can’t afford to turn the ball, something that plagued them in the opening loss to Northside when they had four.
“When you have got a young team it is a week to week process trying to get better,” Campbell said. “A lot of it boils down to mental toughness and mental preparation and focusing on what your assignment is on each and every play.”