Video: Colquitt County highlights
See why Colquitt County is regarded as one of the nation's top programsDefending Georgia Class AAAAAA champion
Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) will host Florida powerhouse
Plant (Tampa, Fla.) in a huge interstate matchup on Aug. 28.
The game became official on Thursday after it was cleared by Plant's school board.
The showdown is a rare matchup between two highly successful large school programs in two of the nation's most football-crazed states.
Robert Weiner, Plant
Photo by Marc Estrada
Colquitt County finished 15-0 last season en route to a state title and No. 6 finish in the final Xcellent 25 National Rankings.
Plant, which captured state titles in in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011, finished 11-2 last year, losing to Dr. Phillips in the Class 8A playoffs. It should be improved in 2015 and is looking forward to the challenge of traveling to take on one of the best from the Peach State.
"I think when you get to play one of the top teams in the nation, and you aspire to be in that position yourself, it becomes a great opportunity for your kids and your program," Plant coach Robert Weiner said.
Colquitt County head coach Rush Propst is excited not only for the challenge, but for the unique opportunity to play one of Florida's best.
"I think it's a really good program out of Florida and a really good program out of Georgia that should draw national interest," Propst said.
Propst is hoping that a network will pick the game up for national television.
"I think this is a game that needs to be shown live on national TV," he said.
The game fills a major void in each team's schedule, a void that is difficult to fill with the start of the season in such close proximity. MaxPreps helped connect the programs in March, recognizing they each shared an open date.
"Sometimes I don't think people know that these national games don't just come about. It's a delicate balance," Weiner said. "There's no way this game would have happened at all without the help of MaxPreps."
