Dave Sundin | Special to the TimesThe region will have a much different look this year following the departure of Brooks County to Class A. Cook and Worth County join the region this year that also includes Berrien and Early County.

The start of the 2020 season is still more than two months away…hopefully. The start of the region season for the Cook Hornets is more than a month after that. 

But that hasn’t stopped coach Jamie Rodgers from looking ahead to his team’s new-look Region 1-AA that will involve games with familiar foes Thomasville and Fitzgerald.

“It’s awesome, it’s the way it should be. You should be competing with schools that are your size. Last year, we were, it looked a couple of times like we were a couple of hundred kids behind in our region, as far as attendance wise,” Rodgers said. “It’s more of a fairer playing field (now), and that’s where I think Georgia does a really good job of compared to some other places. Usually, they get it right with people playing in regions that they’re supposed to be in. For us to be back down with guys that are comparable in size to us with great rivalries throughout the years; gates and ticket sales should be better. Everything is better when the rivalries are good and you’re in the region you’re supposed to be in. I think it’s awesome, and I’m ready to compete against those guys.”

The region will have a much different look this year following the departure of Brooks County to Class A. Cook and Worth County join the region this year that also includes Berrien and Early County. Thomasville is probably the favorite to capture the region title for a second straight season. It didn’t win a game last year until Sept. 13 but reeled off seven straight wins en route to a region title and berth in the state semifinal round. Fitzgerald advanced to the second round of the state playoffs. Region 1-AA should once again be one of the state’s premier regions.

“The way that I look at it is it’s probably a tougher region when you look at it from top to bottom. But I also think, if you get out of our region and you get into the playoffs, you’ve got a chance to make a little bit of noise. I think it’s probably going to be one of the better regions in the state,” Rodgers said.