Jon Nelson, GPB Sports broadcaster and host
Today’s interviewee is Jon Nelson, a high school sports correspondent and show host at Georgia Public Broadcasting for more than 20 years. He’s co-host with Hannah Goodin of the “Football Fridays in Georgia” podcast and part of the coverage team for GPB Sports’ game of the week, which tonight is Blessed Trinity vs. North Forsyth.
1. Why did you pick Blessed Trinity-North Forsyth as your game of the week, and what are you looking forward to in that game? “In our team analysis, GPB thought the BT-North Forsyth game was the most evenly matched and competitive game in Round One of the playoffs. As a side note, everyone in the North Forsyth community is incredibly excited to have us there for the first time on our air in the history of “Football Fridays in Georgia.” We're really looking forward to being on Coal Mountain.”
2. What has been the most interesting story line or trend of the 2022 season entering the playoffs? “Wow. I think it's the variety of what we're seeing. With reclassification, we have some new teams that are making statements in the regular season. Can they keep it up in the postseason? We also have three teams in Georgia high school football ranked in the top 25 nationally – Buford, Mill Creek and Hughes – and I think it speaks well of where the state stands in the discussion. Can those teams finish what they started with all the expectations and eyes on them?”
3. Who do you have to win it in each class? “The team that scores the most points in the last game of the year! As I always say: I love all of my children equally! I think, looking at my brackets as we talk, there's a handful of teams in each class that, if the bracket works their way, have a chance at a title. And I also think that in the lower classifications, you'll have really competitive run-ins for a lot of talented teams.”
4. GPB is broadcasting loads of flag football games this season on Thursday. Why, and what are your impressions of the games you've watched this year? “I love it. Ever since Ernie Yarbrough, assistant executive director at the GHSA, brought this idea to the table as a sport he wanted to have officially sanctioned, we have seen flag football grow from just under 20 metro Atlanta-area schools to over 200, and it's still growing. When we started showing the title games as a part of championship weekend, we seriously had comments on our social media platforms telling us that ‘the sport was the guilty pleasure I didn't know I had ’til I started watching it.’ And to see something like flag grow as exponentially as it has, complete with scholarships awarded when games were over, it's been really cool. GPB understood the importance of showing these games from the beginning as an integral part of celebrating our student-athletes. The 2021 state championship replays are some of the most popular downloads on our YouTube channel, and the athleticism is off the charts.”