Just announced on Thursday afternoon, the GHSA, in discussions about fall sports for 2020, determined to stick with their September 4 opening date for football contests. The original date for first football games WAS August 21. GHSA made the two-week delay announcement July 20.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the Georgia Department of Health commissioner, had voiced concerns to GHSA Executive Director Robin Hines about fall sports, in particular football and competition cheerleading. To that end, Hines met Wednesday with his sports-medicine advisory committee, and Thursday afternoon emailed member schools.

Hines and GHSA announced that the September 4 plan remains on track, along with all other fall sports remaining on schedule. However, GHSA determined that all scrimmages for football prior to September 4 would be called off.

All teams are impacted by this decision. Here are the original scrimmages that were in place for all the local programs:

• BANKS: vs Stephens AUG 28
• COMMERCE: @ Apalachee AUG 21
• DAWSON: vs North Forsyth AUG 21
• HABERSHAM: vs Hart AUG 21 & North Oconee AUG 28
• JEFFERSON: vs Buford AUG 27
• LUMPKIN: N/A
• RABUN: vs St. Francis AUG 28
• STEPHENS: @ Banks AUG 28
• TOWNS: vs Union AUG 21
• UNION: @ Towns AUG 21 & @ White AUG 27
• WHITE: vs Union AUG 27