MOULTRIE – Twelve years after the Rush Propst era opened in Colquitt County, the Rush Propst era in Valdosta is scheduled to begin on Friday.

Propst had a 119-35 record from 2008-2018 with the Packers, winning back-to-back state championships in 2014-2015, going 15-0 each season.

He led the Packers to the state championship game three other times, coming up short in 2010, 2017 and 2018.

But several months after the Packers’ 14-13 upset loss to Milton in December 2018, the Colquitt County Board of Education released Propst, alleging ethical improprieties.

He was out of coaching in 2019, but in April, Valdosta hired him to become the 17th coach in school history.

He succeeds Alan Rodemaker, who went 36-17 in four seasons and won the 2016 Class 6A state championship. It was Valdosta’s first state championship since 1998.

The Wildcats were 10-3 last year under Rodemaker, who was released from his contract in January, paving the way for the hiring of Propst.

Rodemaker is now the defensive coordinator at Colquitt County.

Propst inherits some outstanding talent at Valdosta and at least one poll has the Wildcats ranked No. 1 heading into the 2020 season.

The Wildcats should benefit from a number of transfers. including Southern Cal quarterback commit Jake Garcia, who has moved from California to Lowndes County.

Valdosta already had two outstanding receivers in Javonte Sherman and Aalah Brown, and added another All-State caliber pass-catcher when Tajh Sanders transferred from Colquitt County.

Propst and his first Valdosta team face a challenging opener, taking on Warner Robins on Friday at Bazemore-Hyder Field.

The Demons went 13-2 last year, losing to Colquitt County 31-14 on Sept. 20 and then not stumbling again until falling to Buford in the state championship game, 17-14.

Warner Robins is ranked No. 1 in Class 5A to start the season.

In addition to Valdosta and Region 1-7A foes Camden County, Lowndes and Tift County, two other Colquitt County opponent will open this weekend.

Northside-Warner Robins, which will play host to the Packers on Oct. 9, will open at home on Friday against Veterans High.

Northside is coming off a 3-7 record and will have a new coach in Chad Alligood running the program.

Alligood was the head coach at Washington-Wilkes, posting a 10-12 record in 2017-2018.

Veterans went 9-3 last year and is ranked No. 7 in Class 5A.

Alcovy, which will be Colquitt County’s Senior Night opponent on Oct. 23, will open on Friday at North Forsyth.

The Tigers were 2-8 last season.

North Forsyth, which is coached by former Packers assistant Robert Craft, was 7-5 last season, reaching the second round of the playoff before being eliminated by McEachern.

Now is his fifth season at North Forsyth, Craft has a 19-24 record.

Five other former Packers who are now head coaches in Georgia will open their seasons on Friday.

• Sean Calhoun will send his fifth Carrollton team out on Friday to play its first game of 2020 at Collins Hill.

Carrollton was 12-1 last year and Calhoun has posted a 43-9 record in four seasons since leaving Colquitt County after helping lead the Packers to back-to-back state championships in 2014 and 2015.

The Trojans are ranked No. 4 in Class 6A.

Collins Hill was 6-5 last year.

• Zach Grage’s Thomasville Bulldogs are ranked No. 3 in Class 2A heading into their Friday opener at Brooks County.

Thomasville started 0-3 last year, but got on a roll and had won seven straight games when it reached the semifinals, where it was eliminated by Dublin.

Grage is 33-16 at Thomasville.

Brooks County, which reached the state championship game in Class 2A last year before it, too, was eliminated by Dublin, is in Class A this year and is ranked No. 2 behind defending champion Irwin County.

• Tim Cokely is in his fourth year at White County, where he has posted a 15-17 record.

The Warriors, who were 5-5 last year, will open on Friday at home against Stephens County, which was 1-9 in 2019.

• Peachtree Ridge, under the direction of Reggie Stancil, will open on Friday at home against Pebblebrook.

Both teams finished 3-7 last year.

Stancil is 6-24 in three years as the Lions’ head coach.

• Jason Nash, who coached the outside linebackers at Colquitt County in 2017, is in his first season as the head coach at South Paulding.

The Spartans were 9-3 last year under Jason Thompson, who left to become head coach at Central Gwinnett.

Nash’s first team will open on Friday at Hiram, which went 6-6 last year.

• Phillip Hale, another former Packer, is in his first season as the head coach at Dooly County.

The Bobcats, who went 4-6 last year under Ashley Harden and Quinnen Peavy, do not open until Sept. 25, when they travel to Montgomery County.

Hale coached Colquitt County’s safeties during the 2018 season.