In Countdown to Kickoff, WALB Sports’ Aaron Meaux and McKenzie Blaze break down everything you need to know before football season in South Georgia. Watch LIVE and view previous episodes on WALB.com, the WALB News 10 app and on streaming apps at 7 p.m. every weekday from July 28 to Aug. 12.

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — GIAA Class 2A is one of the most exciting regions in South Georgia heading into 2026, and the landscape has been reshaped before the first snap.

Sherwood Christian brings back-to-back 8-man state championships into 11-man football for the first time. Valwood drops into the classification after a numbers decline. Brookwood looks to rebrand. SGA has unfinished business and Southland Academy wants revenge.

SGA Warriors: Unfinished business

Southwest Georgia Academy has appeared in back-to-back state championship games, losing to Brentwood both times. Head coach Kerry Morris said the offseason message to his players has been direct: the window is now open.

“It’s really about the kids and the nucleus of the team is still here,” Morris said. “We made it a point to really kill it in the offseason and push, push, push, because if we’re going to do it, it’s time to go.”

The Warriors’ offense runs through running back Colt Williams, who is committed to Harvard. The senior has taken on a vocal leadership role heading into 2026. Brody Enfinger and quarterback John Mason Calhoun are also expected to factor into the backfield.

Morris said the team’s identity will not change.

“You do what brought you to the dance, and you just keep working and doing what you do,” Morris said. “Our kids, we had that mentality. We’re going to line up and try to hit you in the mouth and see what you can do with it.”

The Warriors’ run-heavy scheme will again lean on the offensive line, with Brody Rogerson listed as a key piece up front. Morris acknowledged the injury risk tied to Williams carrying such a heavy load and said health will be a determining factor in SGA’s postseason run.

Southland Raiders: Reloading after a Final Four run

Southland reached the Class 2A Final Four in 2025 before losing to SGA for the second time that season, including a region championship defeat. The Raiders graduated 12 of roughly 30 players, including four ball carriers from last year’s backfield.

Head coach Chancelor Jones returns senior two-way starters Jamarcus Walker and Christian Short. Walker, a running back and defensive back, is expected to carry a heavier workload in 2026. Short, a guard and linebacker entering his third year as a two-way starter, is the anchor of the defensive unit.

“The biggest thing was SGA was just a little bit better than us,” Jones said. “They ended up beating us twice, beating us for the region championship, and then putting us out in the final four of the playoffs. So we just, we’re going to need to get a little bit better and adjust to their power football and be able to compete at a higher level.”

The quarterback position is in competition. Junior Hays Hagerson is the current front-runner, with freshman Lyle Griffin also in the mix. Jones said the summer workload has focused on conditioning and preparing a smaller roster for the two-way demands of a full season.

Valwood Valiants: Dropping down with a young roster

Valwood moves from Class 3A to Class 2A after a decline in roster numbers. The Valiants graduated 12 seniors, including former starting quarterback Tayt Snellgrove.

Head coach Brad Wells announced during the broadcast that Stanton Beverly will likely start at quarterback. Senior offensive linemen Bo Shenton and Jack Shepard are three-year starters up front. Running back Kamari Jackson, who totaled 865 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season, returns as the offense’s primary weapon.

Junior Peyton Watson led the team in tackles as a sophomore and is expected to take on a larger defensive role in 2026.

Wells said the classification change does not alter his program’s approach.

“Double A, triple A — I tell our guys, it’s going to be football,” Wells said. “We’re going to have to line up, we’re going to have to win the line of scrimmage, and be sound defensively.”

Valwood opens the season Aug. 14 against Deerfield-Windsor in a long-standing rivalry matchup.

Sherwood Christian Eagles: A whole new game

Sherwood Christian won back-to-back GIAA 8-man state championships before moving up to 11-man football for the 2026 season.

“We don’t have a guy on this team who’s played 11-man football before,” Head coach Doug Eason said. “So it’s been a process of just teaching them the game on defense. It’s no longer just straight man. Now you have cover one, two, three, palms, offense.”

The Eagles carry more than 30 players on the roster — an increase from the 8-man program — and have spent significant time in the classroom learning new schemes on both sides of the ball.

Former running back Chuck LaGrange moves under center in 2026, replacing graduated quarterback Tripp Roberts. LaGrange rushed for 1,500 yards last season. Chris Reed returns in the backfield. Freshman receiver Dyson Harris, slot receiver Bryson Gay and veteran Hunter Gregg are among the pass catchers on the roster.

Eason said the offensive line group has the physical tools but needs time to develop chemistry.

“We have a good core group. Just hadn’t been together long,” Eason said. “Their productivity and their growth is going to take a little time. It’s going to take time for them to gel.”

Eason’s standard entering 11-man play remains the same: games are won in the trenches.

Brookwood Warriors: Reset under an alumni head coach

Brookwood posted one win over the past two seasons and enters 2026 under first-year head coach Jason Hurst, a Brookwood alum who played both football and baseball for the program. The Warriors carry a smaller roster with only two seniors.

Hurst said he is not framing 2026 as a rebuilding season.

“Our message has tried to be that this is not a rebuilding phase,” Hurst said. “We’re going to rebuild this summer so that when the season starts, we’re ready to win games. We’re not going to accept this whole rebuilding tag. We’re going out to win and win right away.”

The quarterback competition is between junior Jack Tyson, who did not play football until last year and has never played quarterback before this offseason, and Bainbridge transfer Aiden Austin. Hurst’s offensive plan is a spread, pass-first attack.

Tyson Cochran, who scored a team-high five touchdowns as a sophomore last season, returns as a key weapon. Jaden Mathis, son of the new defensive coordinator, is expected to play running back and slot receiver. Three returning linemen — center, left tackle and right tackle — anchor both the offensive and defensive lines.

“I think they can expect to see a team that moves around with urgency, a team that plays with a lot more passion than they’ve seen,” Hurst said. “We’re going to create a lot of turnovers and put a lot of points on the board.”

The GIAA season kicks off Friday, Aug. 14.

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