One of the things we want to do at Gnat Country is pretty simple: when somebody is doing good work covering the people, schools, and communities of South Georgia, we want folks to know about it.
That brings us to Phil Jones and the folks at ITG Next – Georgia.
If you follow high school football around these parts, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve already run across Phil’s work. If you haven’t, you probably ought to.
They Aren’t Just Talking About Atlanta
One of the frustrations South Georgia sports fans have had through the years is watching statewide coverage become awfully Atlanta-heavy once you get very far north of Macon.
That’s certainly not the case with ITG Next.
Take a look through the ITG Next Georgia page and you’ll find plenty of attention being paid to the schools down here where the gnats know your blood type.
Phil Jones has been especially busy covering Georgia high school football. His recent work includes preseason team previews, predictions, stories about issues affecting coaches and players, and updated 2026 rankings covering classifications throughout Georgia.
And quite a few familiar Gnat Country names keep showing up.
They’re Talking to Our Coaches
This may be the part of ITG Next’s operation that impresses us the most.
ITG Next isn’t simply writing about South Georgia football. They’re giving South Georgia coaches an opportunity to speak directly to the fans.
Their lineup of football coaches’ shows includes Appling County, Colquitt County, Crisp County, Lee County, Lowndes, Tift County, and Worth County, among others.
Those aren’t occasional mentions of our part of Georgia.
That’s a substantial investment in covering it.
The Tift County show, for example, sits down with Blue Devils head coach Jeff Littleton to discuss the previous game, the next opponent, and what’s happening inside the program. Crisp County gets the same treatment with Cougars head coach Justin Newman.
That’s the kind of coverage high school football fans want.
Phil Jones Has Built Quite a Football Porch Himself
Phil’s work goes well beyond the coaches’ shows.
His “Extra Point! With Phil Jones” program covers news, issues, and opinions surrounding Georgia high school sports. During football season, ITG Next also has Friday-night scoreboard coverage.
Think about what that means.
Phil can spend the week talking with coaches, studying teams, writing previews and rankings, and following stories across the state. Then Friday night rolls around and he gets to watch all of that preparation turn into actual football.
That’s not somebody parachuting into South Georgia when there’s a state championship game.
That’s somebody following the teams week after week.
We appreciate that.
This Is Exactly What Gnat Country Wants to Point You Toward
We need to make something clear about what we’re trying to accomplish here.
Gnat Country isn’t trying to replace ITG Next.
We’re not trying to replace your hometown radio announcer, your newspaper reporter, the television sports department, your favorite photographer, or anybody else who spends Friday nights working while the rest of us are enjoying the football game.
Quite the opposite.
We want to point you toward them.
Our idea of Gnat Country is becoming more and more like a big South Georgia front porch.
Pull up a chair.
Tell us what happened at your game.
Tell us who played well.
And when somebody else has already done a good job telling the story, we’re perfectly happy to say:
“Go read this. These folks did a dang good job.”
That’s why ITG Next belongs on our radar.
Good Work Deserves an Audience
There is more high school sports content available today than at any point in history. Oddly enough, that can make finding the good stuff harder instead of easier.
It’s scattered everywhere.
One story is on a television station’s website. Another is on Facebook. The coach is talking somewhere else. Somebody has highlights on X. The radio crew has an interview. Another outlet has a podcast.
Part of our job at Gnat Country is going to be helping sort through all of that and saying, “Here’s something worth your time.”
Phil Jones and ITG Next are producing plenty that qualifies.
Their Georgia operation covers far more than just our little corner of the state, and that’s fine. But when you browse their coverage, there’s no mistaking the fact that South Georgia football matters to them.
We notice that.
And we appreciate it.
So from our little spot on the Front Porch, here’s a tip of the cap to Phil Jones and the entire ITG Next – Georgia crew.
Keep telling the stories.
Keep talking to the coaches.
Keep shining the light on these young athletes and communities.
And when you’re doing good work down here in Gnat Country, don’t be surprised if you hear us hollering from the porch:
“Hey y’all, come look at this.”
That’s what neighbors do.
— Gnat Country
