Another big stage awaits Greyhounds in opener

The bright spotlight of big-time moments is like nothing new for Jones County.

With a run to the GHSA Class 5A quarterfinal round of the playoffs and having prevailed in big showdowns against teams such as Northside and Houston County during the past two seasons, high-pressure situations are hardly uncharted territory for the Greyhounds. After all, the Greyhounds have set a program record with 19 victories the past two years.

On Thursday, however, the spotlight will burn bright once again for Jones County, ranked sixth in the Georgia Sports Writers Poll in Class 5A, as it kicks off the season in the Corky Kell Classic against Lee County at Five Star Stadium. The broadcast on Fox Sports South gives Jones County added exposure.

“Even though these kids are different starters and didn’t play many meaningful minutes in those games, they still experienced that atmosphere,” Jones County head coach Justin Rogers said. “Being in that atmosphere, it won’t shock them.”

The Greyhounds and Trojans follow Houston County and Mary Persons in the season-opening doubleheader.

“It’ll be a fun experience,” Jones County quarterback Bradley Hunnicutt said. “It’ll be on TV; everybody’s pumped up about it.”

Given the attention of Thursday’s game, there has been an understandable buzz around the campus at Jones County and within the program with a clear and tangible motivating factor during the offseason.

Now, the wait is over for the Greyhounds, who in the past only had a week or so to prepare for pivotal matchups.

“Instead of over a week, it’s been over six months,” Rogers said. “There’s more buildup because of that. But there’s a different magnitude. Those games, they were for playoff spots. If we win or lose this game, it doesn’t mean anything as far as the playoffs.”

To win, Jones County’s defense must adjust to a new crop of starters while also looking for its wide-open offense led by Hunnicutt to gain traction against a star-studded Lee County defense that features a total of four players with commitments or offers to LSU and Michigan.

Lee County on the other hand, likely will rely on its heralded defense to carry the load with a majority of last year’s offensive starters having graduated.

Defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon, the top-rated defensive tackle in Georgia according to 247Sports, has committed to Michigan, as has linebacker/safety Otis Reese. Another defensive line stalwart, Tory Carter has committed to LSU, with linebacker Akileis Leroy, an offseason transfer from Monroe, having received an offer from LSU.

Like Jones County, Lee County is looking to carry forward its recent success. The Trojans have posted winning records the past four years, advancing to the playoffs three times. The past two years, Lee County competed in GHSA Region 1-6A against powerhouses such as Valdosta, Lowndes and Colquitt County. The Trojans remain in 6A — and are in the same region with Houston County and Northside — with its former region teams moving up to 7A.

“They are just so good on defense. They attack, are aggressive and are extremely physical,” Rogers said. “They’ll put that pressure on and try to force you into making critical mistakes. Early in the year, that can be nerve-wracking.”

Regardless of Thursday’s result, the Greyhounds figure to be battle-hardened, given that they’ll dive into Region 4-5A play after the first two games of the regular season.

“This game won’t do anything but make us better,” Rogers said. “We’ll face an offense that will test you and a defense that’s going to be nitty gritty. It’ll be an awesome test for our program and prepare us for September.

“We play two non-region games and then we start region play in September. This game will prepared us for that run.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 10:02 PM with the headline "Another big stage awaits Greyhounds in opener."