LEESBURG, Ga. (WALB) — Undefeated Thomas County Central and Lee County meet Friday night in a Week 6 matchup between two of the state’s top-ranked teams, with the region championship on the line.

The game will be played at Lee County’s Trojan Field. Thomas County Central enters as the defending state champion.

A rivalry with regional stakes

Thomas County Central head coach Justin Rogers said the game is a “must see for South Georgia football fans” because “it’s legit.”

“It really is,” Rogers said. “I mean, the winner of this game has won the region the last four years. Whoever won this has won it. Both teams have always made deep runs in the playoffs, and both teams are traditionally known to be really good. So, it’s always a really good game when Lee and Central play, and it’s always a really tight game.”

Last year, the teams met in Thomasville, where Lee County trailed by seven points entering the fourth quarter but Thomas County Central prevailed. The Yellow Jackets went on to win the region and the 2025 state championship.

Revenge not the motivation, coach says

Lee County head coach Dean Fabrizio said the previous result is not what is driving preparation for this year’s game.

“Some people have asked if that’s extra motivation, and you know, you really don’t need any extra motivation for a game like this,” Fabrizio said. “There’s enough on the line; it’s going to be a big time atmosphere. I mean, a game like this is motivation enough.”

Thomas County Central is riding a 19-game win streak. The team’s last regular-season loss came in 2024 at Trojan Field against Lee County.

“I mean, that’s been our biggest fight to do that,” Rogers said. “I think the climb to the top is always hard for sure, but I think staying on top is even harder. That’s a testament to Lee. Lee stayed on top for a long time, been a really good program. So, that’s us now just trying to build that consistency every single year.”

Different paths to Friday night

Lee County enters week 6 after second-half battles against Carol City and Sequoyah, along with a difficult road win over Colquitt County.

“When you play like we have, the Carol City game, when you go and play over in Moultrie like we did two weeks ago, and then a big game like this, we’re used to the big atmospheres,” Fabrizio said. “That’s so important come playoff time because when you play in games like this, your kids get used to atmospheres like this and it’s not a shock to play in a big time atmosphere in a big playoff game.”

Thomas County Central has outscored opponents 224-42 this season, including a 69-0 win over Brooks County. The team’s closest game was a 36-point win over the Packers in Week 1.

“I don’t think it makes a difference at all, it hasn’t made a difference in the past,” Rogers said. “This game comes down to what you’ve done way before this week right here. And that’s what makes this game so good. This comes down to what you’ve been doing since January. And with Central and Lee, they’ve been doing it right since January.”

A statewide spotlight

“We think the football here in Georgia is some of the best in the country and especially South Georgia, and all these communities are really proud of that,” Fabrizio said. “And this is going to be a showcase game for South Georgia and really for the state of Georgia. It will be one of the top games in the country if not the top game in the country Friday night.”

Lee County hosts Thomas County Central on Friday, September 25. Kick off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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