East Forsyth Opens Class 4A Playoffs at Home Against Wayne County

East Forsyth opened the Class 4A playoffs at home against Wayne County with a 21-9 record, but the Broncos’ road looked tougher than a No. 4 seed might suggest. Wayne County arrived at 17-13 from Region 1-4A, and the bracket around it was crowded with ranked teams and programs that have made deep postseason runs.

The case for East Forsyth was built on what it had already survived. Led by Wofford commit Grant Barden, the Broncos beat 11 playoff teams during the regular season, including Troup, Cherokee Bluff, North Hall and Denmark. That kind of list showed a team that had been tested against quality opponents instead of cruising through a soft schedule, and it gave coach Kyle Counts a roster with real postseason scars and confidence.

Counts has been backed by assistants Robby Boudreau, Taylor McGilvray, Johnny Hernandez and Billy Kleninger, and East Forsyth’s rise has come quickly for a school that officially opened on July 17, 2021 as Forsyth County Schools’ seventh traditional high school. The Broncos were not only a recent addition to the county’s athletic landscape; they had already reached the Class 4A Elite Eight in 2023, a run that included an 8-6 Game 3 comeback over Holy Innocents’ after trailing 6-0. That history gave this group a clear example of how far the program could push in May if it handled pressure early.

The path ahead is demanding. GHSA’s baseball finals are scheduled for May 22-23 and May 25-27 at AdventHealth Stadium in Rome, Synovus Park in Columbus, Georgia Southern University and Gwinnett Field, which means every early-round game matters for a team trying to extend its season into the state’s championship weekend. East Forsyth’s home game against Wayne County was the first hurdle, but it was also the first real measure of whether Forsyth County’s strongest local contender could turn a strong résumé into another deep run.