Effingham County High School football plays biggest rival South Effingham
Effingham County High School’s first-year football coach John Ford hasn’t been on the sidelines for a game against South Effingham, but he has an idea of what to expect.
“Just the little knowledge I have of this county, the passion people have for this game, how excited they are, it’s big,” Ford said. “Since Day 1, they’ve been talking about it.”
Friday night at the Corral in Guyton, bragging rights for a year will be decided for the counties’ two high schools.
The series began 25 years ago when the area’s increasing enrollment led to the split of Effingham County High School, begetting South Effingham High School.
Suddenly Rebels became Mustangs.
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Over the years, local fans have attended the game in droves, providing a nice economic boon for the schools that split the gate. The last time the game was played in Guyton (in 2019), more than 8,000 fans jammed the stands.
Ford has coached in the Roswell-Milton rivalry games and played in the Brookwood-Parkview battle for Gwinnett County.
“Honestly, (the Effingham County-South Effingham rivalry) is one of the most underrated rivalries in the state,” Ford said. “Everyone knows about the South Georgia rivalries and the Metro Atlanta rivalries. Emotion carries the day. This will be an unbelievable atmosphere for our kids, for our school and our community and we have to make sure we’ve done a good job preparing.”
The Rebels have won seven of the last nine games played between the two teams, taking last year’s contest 10-0 at Rebel Field in Springfield.
ECHS holds a 15-12 edge in the all-time series.
South has struggled in recent years, winning just one game last season. But the Mustangs are coming off a dramatic 33-30 win over Wayne County and have had an off-week leading into the game with the Rebels.
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“Everybody is going to feel good for two weeks going into our rival game,” SEHS coach Nathan Clark said after the Wayne County win. “Everyone is excited about playing Effingham and they’ll have a good taste in their mouth.”
Effingham County won only three games last season and failed to make the state playoffs for the second straight year. But the Rebels had one of their best defensive efforts in years while blanking Lakeside 20-0 on Sept. 10.
Like all good rivalries, records are forgotten at kickoff. Both teams might as well be 14-0 and playing for a state championship.
They will be playing for a 4-foot high trophy — symbolic of the county champion — that will be displayed in the winning school’s trophy case.
It’s also the first Region 2-6A game for both teams this season.
“We have to make sure we focus on what we have to do; that’s the key to rivalries,” Ford said. “I’m excited to get in there and experience this one.”
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