High School Football Returns to Georgia on Thursday Night

While many football teams in Georgia are still holding scrimmages this week, the Woodstock Wolverines will kick off their regular season at home Thursday night against the Johns Creek Gladiators. Kick-off is at 7:00pm Thursday with a delayed telecast beginning at 7:30pm on WSB TV-2. Woodstock High School is located at 2110 Towne Lake Hills South Drive Woodstock, GA 30189.

The Wolverines are coming off a 4-6 finish last season in which they only won one region game. Following GHSA realignment, the Wolverines will compete in Region 5 of the newly formed class AAAAAA. Despite the change in classification, Region 5-AAAAAA closely resembles last year's Region 5-AAAAA except that Marietta will be in Region 4-AAAAAA and will be replaced by Roswell and Milton. This year's schedule will be tough for the Wolverines as they will face perennial powerhouses Kell, Walton, and Lassiter on the road and back-to-back with a bye week between the games at Kell and Walton.  After a three-game home stand that includes Cherokee, Roswell, and arch-rival Etowah, the Wolverines will finish the season on the road against Wheeler and Milton.

Woodstock Wolverines 2012 Football Schedule:

08/23 Johns Creek
08/31 Harrison
09/07 @ Kell
09/21 @ Walton
09/28 @ Lassiter
10/05 Cherokee
10/19 Roswell
10/26 Etowah
11/02 @ Wheeler
11/09 @ Milton  

The Gladiators, meanwhile, finished 9-2 last season losing to Flowery Branch in the first round of the AAAA playoffs.  This year the Gladiators will likely experience growing pains as they move up to Region 6-AAAAAA.  The Gladiators' schedule will feature several familiar opponents as Lambert, South Forsyth, and arch-rival Chattahoochee will also move up from the old Region 7-AAAA.  New region opponents include Alpharetta, Roswell Centennial, West Forsyth, and North Forsyth. In addition to their opener at Woodstock, the Gladiators' non-region games include contests at Milton and at home against Roswell. In all, six of the Gladiators' opponents made the playoffs last season.

Johns Creek Gladiators 2012 Football Schedule:

08/23 @ Woodstock
09/07 @ Milton
09/14 Roswell
09/21 Centennial
09/28 @ Chattahoochee
10/12 @ West Forsyth
10/19 Lambert
10/26 South Forsyth
11/02 @ North Forsyth
11/09 Alpharetta