The Long County Blue Tide flag football team has arguably been the most successful athletics program at the school in the last five years. Since its inception, the team has made the playoffs every season, won a region championship and made the semifinals in 2024, the first Blue Tide team to do so since the 2001 baseball team and the first girls team to advance that far.

Now, the team is taking another step to get recognition on a large stage. The Tide will be one of the 10 teams to open the 2026 season at the Corky Kell and Dave Hunter Flag Football Classic.

On Saturday, September 19, the Tide will travel to West Forsyth High School in Cumming to play in one of the five games to be played that day.

The Tide is slated to take on McEachern High School. The Tide is coming off an 18-2 finish in 2025 in which it made the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five years and finish as the Division 3 Area 2 runner-up.

They lost to eventual state champion North Oconee - the team that ended Southeast Bulloch’s streak of four straight state titles - in the third round.

McEachern is one of the more successful programs in the state. In 2024, the Indians won the Division 4 state championship and then fell in the Division 5 championship game against Cobb County rival Pope 14-13.

It will likely be a matchup of two very different teams. The Indians had 16 shutouts in their 22 wins in 2025 while the Tide were led by quarterback Mallory Skipper, who threw for over 3,200 yards and 35 touchdowns, 17 of those to twin sister Alyssa.

The Tide and Indians will face off in the second game of the classic at 10:45 a.m.