TIFTON — In 1997 the Tift County Blue Devils football team was a part of Georgia Public Television (GPTV) history as the Blue Devils played at the Georgia Dome in one of the first state semifinal games ever broadcast live across the state of Georgia.
It is now 10 years later, and Tift is back at the Dome, and GPTV will again be there to send the game back live across the state.
“Since they were here for our first year, maybe it is appropriate to have Tift County back at the Dome on our 10th anniversary of doing semifinal games,” GPTV’s Tom Vardase said Monday.
Vardase will be the producer this weekend as the network broadcasts all 10 state semifinal contests.
“I don’t know of any network in the nation that does 10 football games in two days,” Vardase said.
Tift’s 6 p.m. contest Saturday against the Roswell High Hornets will have Dave Garner doing play-by-play, Cory Kessler on the color and Phil Proctor as the sideline report.
“This is the seventh year Dave has worked with us in not only football but basketball as well,” Vardase said. “Cory is coming in to help us from Fox SportsNet.”
Vardase, who is also in his 15th year as the coordinator of GPTV’s “PrepSports Plus” show, also pointed out Saturday’s game would be on the Internet.
“The games will be live on www.gpb.org/ghsa,” Vardase said. “Anyone in Tifton who can’t make the game should be able to either watch on television or on the Web.”
If Tift defeats Roswell, the GPTV cameras would next come to Tifton to show the state title game on Dec. 16. Tift’s state title contest against Parkview in 1997 was also broadcast on the network.
“We were in Thomasville on Friday night that year to do the Class AAA game and went back to Parkview that night,” Vardase said. “I don’t think any of us got any sleep, but it was fun.
“If Tift defeats Roswell Saturday, we would love a chance to come down there to do the state championship game this year.”
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