New GHSA Rules Takes Effect this Week

This weekend’s games will be the first played under the GHSA’s newly adopted “mercy rule.”

In a plan approved by the organization Monday night, if a team is losing by 30 or more points after halftime, the trailing coach may elect to play the second half with a running clock that stops only for timeouts, after touchdowns and during penalty deliberations.
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If a coach chooses not to exercise the option, but his team still trails by 30 or more points after the end of the third quarter, the game automatically goes to a running clock.

Region play continues to be the focus of area high school football teams as the 2003 season moves along.

Last week, in region 7-AA, while Washington-Wilkes handled Monticello, Putnam County claimed its first win of the season by shutting out Oglethorpe County 12-0.

Morgan County remained unbeaten in the region, using a late field goal to edge Greene County 10-7. Wilkinson County also earned its first win of the season, beating Hancock County 36-20.

Elsewhere around the area last Friday, Eastside needed overtime to defeat Loganville 23-17, Newton County topped Jackson County 31-16 and Winder-Barrow edged Rockdale County 26-21.

This Friday night, while Monticello (3-2) hosts Oglethorpe County (1-4), Washington-Wilkes (4-2) plays at Greene County (5-1), Morgan County (4-1) goes to Sparta to face Hancock County (0-4-1) and Wilkinson County (1-5) plays Putnam County (1-4) in Eatonton.

Other games of interest around the area include Jackson (4-2) hosting Callaway (3-4), Eastside (3-3) at Cedar Shoals (5-0), and Newton County (3-3) versus Rockdale County (2-3) in Covington.