Game day arrives for Lee County, Mary Persons

LEESBURG — All the offseason work and all the offseason hype surrounding the Lee County football program can now be put to rest.

After a summer in which five Lee County players committed to NCAA Division I programs and the program moved into a state-of-the-art training facility, it’s time for the Trojans to take the field. They kick off the GHSA season at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at Five Star Stadium in Macon against Mary Persons in the opening game of the Corky Kell Classic.

“It’s a great honor to be invited to play in the Corky Kell Classic,” Lee County head coach Dean Fabrizio said. “Mercer’s got a beautiful facility. We’re excited about it; to be the first game in the state is also a special experience.”

It’s the second straight season Lee County (8-3 in 2016) has started the season at Mercer. Unlike last year, when the Trojans beat Jones County 20-13 under the lights in the second game of the doubleheader, Lee County will play under the hot twilight sun that comes with the opener, with Houston County and Jones County meeting in the 8:15 p.m. contest.

According to The Weather Channel website, the forecast for 5 p.m. Thursday calls for a temperature of 91 degrees with a heat index of 101 degrees. The temperature is expected to remain in the upper 80s and the heat index is expected to stay in the upper 90s throughout the game.

“Our kids are excited about it,” Fabrizio said. “Mary Persons has a great program, traditionally one of the top programs in Georgia. We know we’re going to have to be ready to play.”

Lee County faces a Mary Persons team that has few starters returning. According to the Macon Telegraph, the Bulldogs have just two offensive starters and three defensive starts back from last season.

That inexperience, however, can be deceptive.

Last year, Mary Persons entered the season with similar returning numbers on offense. Despite having to break in a new quarterback and several other starters, the Bulldogs went 11-3, won Region 2-4A and advanced to the Class 4A semifinals.

“Mary Persons’ defensive line slants really well,” Lee County tackle Griffin McDowell said. “They are really quick and on their feet. We’ve been working hard on having better feet than them and not getting beat.”

Lee County, meanwhile, is eager to get back into things after finishing tied for second last season in super-competitive Region 1-6A.

“The nature of high school football is you’re going to lose kids every year,” Fabrizio said. “If you have a good program, you’re going to lose good players every year. The good programs are ones that have kids waiting in the wings to take their places, and that’s where we’ve strung together several good years in a row.”