Middle Ga. Bulldogs open season Saturday
Aug. 23—Local youth football talent from Baldwin and three surrounding counties will be on display in town Saturday.
The Middle Georgia Elite Bulldogs, a youth travel organization, opens the 2023 season out at the Baldwin County track/soccer complex off of Highway 212. The program founded last year by Derrick Watson, Dante Holsey, Leah Jackson, and Deiona Cummings has 12U, 10U, and 8U teams. All told there are about 70 kids in the entire organization hailing from Baldwin, Putnam, Hancock, and Jones counties.
Players and coaches have been busy in this Georgia heat preparing for the regular season that begins Saturday against the NLA Redhawks out of Hinesville. Play begins with the 8U game at 9 a.m., 10U at 10:30, then 12U at high noon. Admission is $10 for the day and there will be a concession stand selling food and drinks.
"We're trying to get as many people as we can to come out," Watson said.
The Bulldogs compete as part of the Florida/Georgia Football Alliance. The Georgia teams based out of Baxley, Macon, Warner Robins, Hinesville, Pooler, and Thomasville play amongst one another in the regular season, then it's everyone in the pool together (in their respective age groups) come playoff time this fall. The three Bulldog teams all made the championship last year. They fell in the final, but even making it that far in the first season is a point of pride for the organization. But results on the field are not all coaches and players strive for.
"The kids are great," Watson said. "All of them are excelling in the classroom. We're really strict on that because that comes first."
Updates on the teams can be found on the organization's Facebook page, "Middle Georgia Elite Bulldogs."
