While High School football teams can’t start officially practicing in Georgia for 13 more days, it is never to early to look ahead to this season.

And what better way to do that then to glance at the schedule awaiting the Bulldogs this fall?

The Cedartown High School football schedule for the 2006 season will delight longtime Cedartown fans. Back on the schedule are old rivals Rockmart and Pepperell while Haralson County and Villa Rica return to the schedule.

Nearby Darlington along with Central-Carroll, Cartersville, Cass, Carrollton and Sandy Creek make up the remainder of the 2006 slate.

Not only will the Bulldogs be returning to playing nearby and rival schools, but they will also benefit from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) moving the season back.

No longer will regular season games kick off in the dog days of summer in August but they will be returning to their more traditional roots and kick off on Labor Day weekend.

That means the regular season will not end until Nov. 10 and more regular season games will be played in the cool fall nights instead of the steamy late summer nights.

And not only will the Bulldogs be playing a new schedule for 2006 but they will also be competing in a revamped Region 6-AAA with a new head coach in Mark Loudermilk.

“I’ve waited 15 years to be here in this position,” Loudermilk told the crowd back during his January "meet and greet" with parents and players after recently being named head coach. “I have a lot of great memories of Cedartown.”

Loudermilk, who made a brief stop as assistant coach at Cedartown during the 1990s, will feel as if he is stepping back in time as the Bulldogs face a lot of old nemesis.

The Banneker Trojans have left the region and Haralson County along with Villa Rica and Sandy Creek have joined the fray.

That means the region will go from its current six team alignment to eight and teams will now have to win four or more region games to make the state playoffs.

Last year, teams only needed two Region 6-AAA wins to qualify for the Class AAA state playoffs.

Also, besides moving the regular season starting dates back the GHSA has eliminated the two scrimmage games and teams will only scrimmage once this year. CHS is planning to scrimmage Class AAAAA Kennesaw Mountain.

Cedartown kicks off the 2006 regular season by playing the Pepperell Dragons at Doc Ayers Field on Sept. 1.

The following week, Sept. 8, the Bulldogs will travel to Chris Hunter Stadium to tangle with the Darlington Tigers.

On Sept. 15 Cedartown will make their much anticipated return to “The Rock” in Rockmart where they will take on the rival Yellow Jackets.

After taking a week off on Sept. 22, the Bulldogs will enter Region 6-AAA play against the Central-Carroll Lions on Sept. 29 at Central High School.

The Wildcats will then be the next opponent for the Bulldogs as Cedartown will travel to Villa Rica on Oct. 6.

Loudermilk and his players will end their four game road swing on Oct. 13 as they return to the friendly confines of Cedartown Memorial Stadium to host the Carrollton Trojans.

Oct. 20 has the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes coming to town. Cedartown then goes on their last road trip of the season on Oct. 27 when they travel to Earl Cunningham Stadium to face the Cass Colonels.

Haralson County will arrive at Cedartown Memorial Stadium on Nov. 3 to see what the Bulldogs will have and then the Sandy Creek Fighting Patriots will show up on Nov. 10 at Doc Ayers Field to end the regular season.

“First I want to get us back to the playoffs,” Loudermilk said earlier this year. “Then our goals are to win the region, make it to the semifinals in the Georgia Dome and then hopefully win a state championship.”

2006 SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 vs. Pepperell

Sept. 8 at Darlington

Sept. 15 at Rockmart

Sept. 22 OPEN WEEK

Sept. 29 at Central-Carroll

Oct. 6 at Villa Rica

Oct. 13 vs. Carrollton

Oct. 20 vs. Cartersville

Oct. 27 at Cass

Nov. 3 vs. Haralson County

Nov. 10 vs. Sandy Creek

All games begin at 7:30 p.m.