Update (4:35 p.m.)- The Georgia High School Association announced Monday that Gainesville and Langston Hughes will play their Class 5A quarterfinal next week, despite GHSA’s ongoing appeal of a court order that reinstated 34 Gainesville players suspended after a sideline altercation earlier this month.
GHSA Executive Director Tim Scott said the game is officially rescheduled for Dec. 5 and that Gainesville will be allowed to compete with its full roster under the existing injunction. A Superior Court judge ruled last week that GHSA could not enforce the player suspensions while the case proceeds, prompting the association to file an appeal Wednesday.
The new ruling also triggers significant changes across the 5A bracket.
On the opposite side of the bracket, the Roswell–Thomas County Central semifinal will not be played Friday as originally planned. GHSA has moved that game to Dec. 11.
The winner of Gainesville–Langston Hughes will also face Rome on Dec. 11 in the other semifinal. Rome advanced after defeating Jackson County last week.
GHSA said both semifinal winners will advance to the Class 5A state championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. The 6A championship game will swap places with 5A, moving to the earlier slot previously set for Dec. 16.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
GHSA appeal postpones Class 5A quarterfinal and semifinal games
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) has filed an appeal of last week’s court ruling that cleared 34 Gainesville High School football players to compete, forcing the postponement of multiple Class 5A playoff games and throwing the remainder of the postseason into uncertainty.
GHSA filed its notice of appeal Wednesday, challenging Superior Court Judge Clint Bearden’s injunction that barred the organization from enforcing player suspensions stemming from an October sideline altercation. Until the appeal is decided, the scheduled quarterfinal between Gainesville and Langston Hughes is postponed.
The game will be rescheduled once the appellate court rules, GHSA told schools.
Semifinals Now Affected
The postponement immediately rippled through the Class 5A bracket. The winner of Gainesville–Langston Hughes is slated to face Rome High School in the semifinals; Rome defeated Jackson County 31–17 Friday night. But that semifinal cannot be played until the appeal is resolved and the quarterfinal is completed.
On the opposite side of the bracket, the semifinal between Thomas County Central and Roswell is also postponed. Both programs were notified that no Class 5A semifinal games can move forward until the Gainesville eligibility case is settled.
Meanwhile, multiple sources told Now Habersham that GHSA has informed semifinalists to prepare for a possible relocation of the 5A state championship game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to a home-site venue. The association has not issued a public statement, and the situation remains fluid.
State Leaders Weigh In
As the postseason stalls, state leaders are weighing in. Georgia Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte criticized GHSA’s handling of the case Wednesday, saying it was “shameful” to delay a playoff game after a judge ruled the Gainesville players did nothing wrong.
“Instead of doing the right thing they want to double down and hurt the kids and community,” Anavitarte wrote. “That’s poor sportsmanship that should not exist in our state.”
Gainesville was previously granted an injunction to restore its full roster for the quarterfinal. GHSA is now seeking to overturn that ruling.
Further updates are expected once the appellate court issues a decision and GHSA finalizes the revised playoff schedule.
