Georgia Elite Classic to exceed record number of players

The 10th version of the Georgia Elite Classic will have rosters filled with some of the top players in the state as well as more than 350 athletes from all parts of Georgia. One of the new additions to the players’ swag will be a beanie provided by GeorgiaConstructionCareers.com. The beanie will coordinate with the color of the players’ team uniform. The games will be played on Thursday, Dec. 29, at historic Barron Stadium in Rome. Gameday will start with an eighth-grade matchup at 10 a.m., followed by a Senior All-Star Game, a Junior game and then a battle between the freshmen and sophomores. Spots have held back to be given out at a showcase this Saturday at Fellowship Christian School at 10 a.m. The Showcase is sold out. All four of the Classic games will be broadcast on Peachtree TV and digitally on the Atlanta News First app and the National Federation High School Network. GPB’s Matt Stewart will handle the play-by-play duties for the first three games, and DawgNation’s Brandon Adams gets the finale. Kaylee Mansell will host the halftime and between-game shows along with Craig Sager, who will be doing one-on-one interviews all day with the players. Rusty Mansell of 247Sports will take his usual analyst seat in the booth, and Score Atlanta’s Najeh Wilkins will make his debut in that spot for the seniors game. All games will be played with NFL timing rules. The eighth-graders will play 12-minute quarters, while the clock will be set at 15 minutes per quarter for the high school games. Also, for the fifth consecutive year, instant replay will be used, as each head coach will be able to throw a challenge flag in each half. Tickets are $15 if bought before the day of game. Click here to buy tickets.