By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

(Editors Note: This is the first of a six part series on how the schedule for the six new head football coaches in the “Southern Six” shape up for next season.)

LUCEDALE — After a four month saga that featured three different men serving as the head football coach at George County High School, the Kelly Causey era is set to begin in just about 11 weeks.

Causey was named the new Rebel leader in early March, after being elevated from the defensive coordinator post after serving one season at GCHS under former headmaster James Ray in that role.

And the schedule that awaits Causey and his first squad in Lucedale will look vastly different than the one the Rebels faced over the past decade or so.

First of all, George County is changing regions once more and is headed “north” again. Last Fall, the Mississippi High School Activities Association moved GCHS from Region 4-6A to Region 3-6A during its bi-annual reclassification process.

Secondly, the Rebels decided to appeal said decision to the MHSAA delaying the final decision for another month or so before the appeal was denied. During that time, the Rebels thought they had a new head coach when Biloxi defensive coordinator Eric Collier was lured away from the Indians and named as Ray’s successor as Ray became the new COO/Athletics Director.

But Collier later changed his mind and returned to BHS when then George County Superintendent Wade Whitney suddenly resigned his post paving the way for Causey to step in a month or so later.

So it’s possible that region realignments along with the delays involved in all of those situations caused even more fluctuation in compiling the GCHS football slate for next season, resulting in one less game overall and just three common opponents carrying over from last years schedule to the upcoming one.

Only arch-rival Greene County, Wayne County and Hattiesburg are holdovers from last season. Also, the Rebels weren’t able to keep neighboring rival East Central on the new slate nor Vancleave or Pascagoula.

It marks the first time in five years that the Rebels won’t face the Hornets or Bulldogs, and George County and Pascagoula have met 14 times in the past 20 years.

Gautier returns to the GCHS schedule and the Rebels will host the Gators to kick off the season on Friday, Aug. 29th. The Rebels will only play 10 regular season games this upcoming season after playing 11 in the past two campaigns.

Also in non-region action, Causey and his troops will meet Greene, South Jones, Wayne County and Stone. It marks the first meeting on the football field in 11 years against the Braves and the Tomcats for the Rebs.

In Region 3-6A action, West Jones won the Class 6A state championship two years ago and Hattiesburg played for it last season. George County upset the Mustangs on the road to open the postseason last year.

Hattiesburg beat GCHS the past two years in regular season non-region play.

Here is the revamped alignment:

Region 3-6A:

George County

Hattiesburg

West Jones

Terry

Jim Hill

Forrest Hill

Causey returns to a head coaching position for the first time in six years, since ending a three year reign at Kosciusko. He also has prior stops at Cleveland High, Pass Christian and St. Martin.