By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          Jones County has been playing football, as Jones County, since the first third of the last century.

          And here comes the biggest game in program history.

          Some work awaits as No. 7 Jones County prepares to welcome state powerhouse No. 5 Buford to town for Friday night’s GHSA Class 5A semifinal.

          The largest crowd in Jones County history will be on hand, thanks the school adding about 700 seats to the visitors side. That happened on Wednesday.

          Athletics director Barry Veal said the official capacity of The Barking Lot is 3,700, about 300 short of the minimum required by the GHSA to for a Class 5A (and 4A) team to host a semifinal.

          The GHSA measures seats, except for chairbacks, as 24 inches per seat, so capacities differ with fire marshal standards. The GHSA minimums for semifinals: Class A, 2,000; AA, 2,500; 3A, 3,000; 4A and 5A, 4,000; 6A and 7A, 6,000.

          Veal said two sets of bleachers, seating 525 and 222, will accompany the approximately 900 permanent seats on the visitors side, which includes a small set of end-zone bleachers on the concession stand side of the field.

          Jones County’s band currently sits in bleachers in the opposite end zone, but it will move to the main home stands to give Buford more seating, about 200 seats worth.

About those tickets
Fans are advised to purchase tickets online ahead of Friday night’s games.
Cost for the Class 5A semifinals are $15.00 with a surcharge on gofan.co. Tickets are unlikely going to be available on game day. For more information, call Jones County at 986-5444.

          The new configuration puts the seating at close to 4,500, as per GHSA measurements. But the reality is that probably more than 6,000 will squeeze in, which would mean about 21 percent of the population of Jones County and nearly twice that of Gray will be on hand.

          “We’re short on the visitors’ side,” said Veal, who has been at Jones County for more than two dozen years, the last several as full-time athletics director. “You don’t really have to have (a minimum) until the semifinal game, and we’ve never hosted a semifinal game.”

          Well, that may be about semantics, and true in the remotely modern era of football.

          The Georgia High School Football Historians Association lists Jones County has having hosted a Class 1-C semifinal against Lincolnton (now Lincoln County) in 1961, a 33-0 loss. In 1961, according to the site, the classifications were 3A, AA, A, B, and C, and only two playoff rounds in Class C.

          Veal didn’t know about that matchup, and isn’t alone.

          Linton Jordan was the head coach of that team, and he went on to become the county superintendent. The high school’s overall complex is named after him for his work as superintendent.

          “He’s a legend here,” Veal said. “He lives in Monticello, and still comes down from time to time. He is held in reverence around here. I’m blessed to know him.”

          Nevertheless, there will be a few thousand more people on hand for this matchup.

          Veal said the school met GHSA standards for parking as well, with a large lot between the school and stadium. He said the entire practice field will be used for parking, and there will be a shuttle for those parking at the start of the overall campus near the pre-K building. Veal said security is being doubled, too.

          “We feel good about it,” said Veal, whose Greyhounds are 17-3 in their last 20 home games, the losses all to ranked teams. “We’re ready to rock and roll.”

          The new configuration puts the seating at close to 4,500, as per GHSA measurements. But the reality is that probably more than 6,000 will squeeze in, which would mean about 21 percent of the population of Jones County and nearly twice that of Gray will be on hand.

          “We’re short on the visitors’ side,” said Veal, who has been at Jones County for more than two dozen years, the last several as full-time athletics director. “You don’t really have to have (a minimum) until the semifinal game, and we’ve never hosted a semifinal game.”

          Well, that may be about semantics, and true in the remotely modern era of football.

          The Georgia High School Football Historians Association lists Jones County has having hosted a Class 1-C semifinal against Lincolnton (now Lincoln County) in 1961, a 33-0 loss. In 1961, according to the site, the classifications were 3A, AA, A, B, and C, and only two playoff rounds in Class C.

          Veal didn’t know about that matchup, and isn’t alone.

          Linton Jordan was the head coach of that team, and he went on to become the county superintendent. The high school’s overall complex is named after him for his work as superintendent.

          “He’s a legend here,” Veal said. “He lives in Monticello, and still comes down from time to time. He is held in reverence around here. I’m blessed to know him.”

          Nevertheless, there will be a few thousand more people on hand for this matchup.

          Veal said the school met GHSA standards for parking as well, with a large lot between the school and stadium. He said the entire practice field will be used for parking, and there will be a shuttle for those parking at the start of the overall campus near the pre-K building. Veal said security is being doubled, too.

          “We feel good about it,” said Veal, whose Greyhounds are 17-3 in their last 20 home games, the losses all to ranked teams. “We’re ready to rock and roll.”