TIFTON — Football is not just reserved for Friday nights in Tift County.

There are middle school teams, recreation teams and the newest youth program in town: the South Georgia Blaze.

Managed by Zack Brown and Torrance Galmer, The Blaze belongs to the United Youth Football League as part of the Peach State conference.

The squad is about more than football, said Brown.

“The kids had to turn in their report cards,” he said.

If grades are not high enough, a player is put on probation.

“It’s all about education,” said Brown, “keeping kids off the street.”

The games are also about inclusion.

“Every kid must play at least 10 plays,” Brown said. Late in the game, officials check to see who has not been in the required amount of snaps. Once everyone has been in 10 plays, coaches can use their rosters how they wish.

The policy is one Brown likes.

The Blaze are divided up into three teams: one for ages 7-8, one for 9-10 and one for 11-12. The squads are a mix of players from different cities in the area. The 7-8 team, Brown said, had one player from Sylvester; the 9-10 team has five.

Saturday, they squared off against three teams from Warner Robins. The Blaze fell in the 7-8 division, 6-0, and in the 9-10 game, 19-0, but were triumphant in the 11-12 game by a score of 35-0.

Impressively, Brown said it was the second game they had played. Most teams, he said, had at least three years of experience. One of the few exceptions are the Valdosta Vipers, who are another first-year group.

Valdosta is the next team on the schedule and will play the Blaze Saturday morning at E.B. Hamilton Park. The 7-8 game starts at 10 a.m., with the other age groups following.

Valdosta and Warner Robins are just two of the cities the Blaze are playing. They have a game scheduled against the MOT Cowboys, who are based in Jacksonville, Fla., and will also play the Waycross Cowboys and squads from Thomasville and Macon.

At least two of the teams — 9-10 and 11-12 — have a chance to play for the UYFL’s national championship, which Brown said takes place Dec. 2-9 at Tampa, Fla.

The operation of the South Georgia Blaze is an impressive one, considering the team is mostly boosted by volunteers. Most of those, Brown said, are the players’ parents.

“We have team moms,” he said.

Besides himself and Galmer, Brown said Cherie Moore had been a big help to the team.

The team has been getting bits of support through raffles and bake sales.

“We’re looking for anything,” Brown said. “Most of our equipment came out of our pockets.”

Many parents, he said, do not have the funds to pay for gear.

Brown and Galmer would like to form partnerships and hopefully get sponsorships to support the program. Brown can be reached at (229) 472-2051.