By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          What was only speculation for a few days became fact a little after 7:30 p.m. Monday night.

          Jones County’s Justin Rogers was approved unanimously by the Colquitt County Board of Education to replace Rush Propst as Colquitt County’s head football coach.

          And he starts Tuesday.

          The immediacy is reportedly because of spring football and a contract with ESPN to televise the Packers’ spring game.

          The Sports Report of Central Georgia was the only media outlet to report the impending move, doing so on Saturday after a Friday of failed texts and calls to Rogers.

          Jones County athletics director Barry Veal said Friday that Rogers was still the Greyhounds coach. That was, by all accounts, true but only apparently in technical terms.

          Rogers, according to OpenGeorgia.gov, made $94.699.24. Propst’s salary was $141,870.13. The new job will push Rogers way over $100,000, but nowhere near Propst’s salary

          Rogers was not the athletics director at Jones County, nor was Propst at Colquitt County before he was fired late last month after being suspended in February.  Greg Tillery has been the Packers’ athletics director in 2017.

          Veal told The Sports Report on Friday that he’d comment if and when something happened with Rogers, and text Monday night that he would comment on Tuesday.

          Probst was successful but controversial, and was dismissed a month ago for a variety of transgressions, the least of which was insubordination. He also owes more than $300,000 in state and local taxes.

          He was 119-35 at Colquitt County, with undefeated seasons and state titles in 2014-15. Since 2009, Propst’s second year, Colquitt County reached the quarterfinals once, semifinals four times, and the championship five times.

          Rogers was 45-15 in five seasons at the Class 5A program, which put him in second place all-time in wins at the school, one behind John “Bubba” Williams, who went 46-57-1 in 10 years.

            Rogers was the most successful head coach in Jones County history by far at 75 percent, followed by G.M. Charles Sr., who won 58 percent of his games from 1930-40. Rogers was one of only four coaches in Greyhounds history above .500.

          Jones County is scheduled to start spring practice on April 24th with the spring game on May 10 at Peach County.

          Information on Colquitt County’s spring game is tough to find. The Twitter feed for the Meridian, Miss., football team noted on March 4 that the Wildcats and Packers would hook up for a spring game on May 18 at Troy University in Alabama.

          The Colquitt County football team website as of Monday night had added Rogers. The team’s MaxPreps page listed 17 assistants.

          Still listed on the team’s website Monday night:

Earl Jefferson, director of football operations; Troy Hobbs, assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and inside wide receivers; Dextra Polite, Sr., cornerbacks and strength/conditioning; Mo Dixon, co-defensive coordinator and safeties; David Hill, Jr., outside wide receivers; Buck Hanson, tight ends; Seneric McCurdy, defensive line.

Also: Marcus Rice, defensive backs; DeRyhan Arnold, defensive line; Nick Hartuvel, wide receivers; Kirk Woodall, ninth-grade head coach/offensive line; Blair Lampkin, ninth-grade linebackers/ defensive coordinator; Lee Caquelard, ninth-grade offensive coordinator/ QBs/ RBs.

          Listed as “to be determined”: offensive coordinator/QBs; offensive line; co-defensive coordinator; running backs; outside linebackers.

          Offensive coordinator Jeffrey Hammond was hired as Spalding’s head coach in February.

          Joey Bennett was the offensive line coach, Jeff Kent a co-defensive coordinator/ILBs, Phillip Hale outside linebackers, JR Ragan running backs.

          The only assistant coach sources say almost sure to join Rogers is Jimmy Dudley, the Greyhounds’ offensive coordinator.

          The rest of the Greyhounds’ staff, as per a preseason questionnaire returned to The Sports Report of Central Georgia: Jay Floyd, offensive line and strength/conditioning; Jay Jones, running backs; Chance Scott, wideouts; Butch Bryan, tight ends and fullbacks.

Also, John Abernathy, defensive tackles; Mike Malcolm, defensive ends; Ross Rothar, inside linebackers; Rob Daughtry, outside linebackers; Will Gallamore, defensive backs; Robert Welton, defensive backs; Patrick Bloodworth, freshmen.