AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2005 > November
November 2005
Smith’s options run east to west
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1. Where will Cameron Smith be playing next season?
Anywhere he wants — if you believe in recruiting Web sites.
According to scout.com, Brookwood’s slippery smooth running back has offers from — drum roll, please — Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee, LSU, Michigan, UCLA and Virginia. Another site, rivals.com, has
Oregon and Arkansas in the mix.
However, Smith has not made any recruiting visits. That suggests, to me, that his mind is already made up. That means somebody has done a great selling job on Smith, who is keeping other suitors at bay.
I’d say Smith has all but settled on casting his lot with a school — and program — he is already quite familiar with. If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I would put the Bulldogs at the head of the pack.
However, scout.com indicates Georgia is also in the hunt for Knowshon Moreno (Middletown, N.J.) and Heard County’s Carlos Brown. Three other running backs — Fred Munzenmaier (Norcross), Ronnie Tyler (Wagener, S.C.) and Shaun Chapas (Jacksonville) — have committed to play for the Dogs. That’s according to scout.com.
The other guys, rivals.com, say Tyler has not committed. Plus, UGA’s top current tailbacks — Thomas Brown, Danny Ware and Kregg Lumpkin — are underclassmen.
However, Smith is ultraconfident in his abilities, and such heavy competition would not make him shy away from Georgia. Then again, I suspected Stephenson would be Smith’s choice to play his senior season instead of at Brookwood.
Most likely, only his barber knows for sure.
2. You picked Brookwood tops in the state before spring practice. Still feel that way?
Of course.
What’s not to like about the Broncos? They are huge, quick on their feet, versatile and mobile. Lowndes does not stand a chance. The Vikings should do themselves a favor and not take the field.
At halftime, that is.
It’s now official: The Brookwood band is the best around. Sorry about that Stephenson. You, too, Southwest DeKalb. Your guys and gals had a nice run and are still superb. Brookwood’s band is just better.
Rudy Wilson has his bunch at the top of its game. Jazz. Pop. Gershwin. They cover it all. And they don’t just stand there. You should have seen them busting moves Saturday in the Dome.
3. Get serious: Who will win the Class AAAAA title game?
Gee, on the one hand, it would be awful hard to choose against Lowndes — a defending state champion playing at home.
But on the other hand, it would be just as hard to pick against Brookwood — a team still unbeaten in the final day.
However, the Vikings already have something the current Broncos long for — a taste of state championship victory.
Yet Brookwood players can call upon something perhaps even more compelling — hunger for a state championship victory.
OK, enough fence straddling.
Here goes:
Hope they bring two trophies.
THEY SAID IT:
“I just love my line.”
— Cameron Smith, on the Brookwood unit that boosted him to a 2,000-yard season.
Something’s got to give
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
It’s safe to say the best teams made the Class AAAAA finals: defending champion Lowndes and undefeated Brookwood.
As I look at this classic matchup, I keep coming back to this question:
Can the Broncos do what they’ve done all season — run the ball and control the clock — against the Vikings?
Lowndes completely shut down Stephenson’s running game in the semifinals. But stopping Cameron Smith, Matt Covington, DeVion Moore and David Pittman (if he’s healthy) is another story.
Something has got to give. And I can’t wait to find out the answer.
Until then, I look forward to reading your breakdowns of the championship game.
Permalink | Comments (187) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
Lowndes blanks Stephenson 14-0
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A pair of big plays – one for a touchdown and one to set up a touchdown – gave Lowndes a first-half flead it never relinquished, as the Vikings beat Stephenson 14-0 in the Class AAAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Lowndes will host Brookwood for the state championship on Saturday in Valdosta.
The No. 3-ranked Vikings, the defending state champions, scored with 1:50 left in the first quarter on a 28-yard run by Darriett Perry.
Lowndes (13-1) then converted a turnover into a touchdown, as the Vikings took advantage of a fumble of Stephenson’s Marcus Ball. Stanley Dickson broke a 41-yard run to the 14 and Devaris Leonard finished it two plays later with a 6-yard touchdown run.
No. 4-ranked Stephenson managed very little offense against a Lowndes defense that has now shut out its last three opponents. The Jaguars (12-2) hardly resembled the team that eliminated Parkview a week ago.
Lowndes missed one scoring chance in the third quarter. The Vikings drove to the 1, but Leonard came up short on fourth down.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: State Semifinals
O-line plows toward state title
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They are 14-0, ranked No. 2 in the state and have one more game to win to wear the championship crown. And yet, these are the numbers by which Brookwood lives: 280, 270, 250, 230, 260 and 275.
That’s the poundage, respectively, of the Broncos’ offensive front: tight end Matt Long, right tackle Chris Fowler, right guard Nick Biggee, center Joey Robinson, left guard John Milner and left tackle Mitchell King.
That burly, committed group — plus invaluable fullback Matt Covington, 195 pounds — makes it happen. It paves the way for the talent of Cameron Smith and David Pittman to shine.
Ultimately, it paved the way to a 23-14 victory over Dacula at the Georgia Dome on Saturday and a place in the AAAAA title game.
In high school football, two truths are indisputable: You must be able to run the ball and stop the run. Well, the Broncos’ front line actually serves both purposes, to an extent. Brookwood runs the ball so well behind its line and Covington that it devours the game clock with sustained drives, which, in turn, limits the opponent’s opportunity to establish its own ground game.
Dacula was outweighed by as much as 70 pounds to a man across its defensive line. Tough and very well-coached, that unit just could not overcome the physical deficit at the critical closing moments.
And so, Smith, the sensational back who rushed for 214 yards, chalked up 80 on the clock-chewing final drive. Playmaker quarterback Pittman, playing more than half the game with a gimpy ankle, still managed to create when needed.
With the line providing supreme protection, Pittman tossed a beautiful pass up the right sideline to DeVion Moore for a 44-yard gain to the Dacula 3 early in the third quarter. Covington scored to make it 17-7, and the Broncos were seemingly in command.
But Dacula showed it belonged where it was. Being outsized seemed to matter little to the Falcons. They fought with a purpose and put a cardiac arrest kind of scare in Brookwood.
Down 10 in the fourth, Spencer Landis keyed an impressive drive that ended with him crossing the goal line from 3 yards to make it a three-point game with 7:11 to play.
Then, the Falcons stopped Brookwood and moved the ball to the Broncos’ 3. There, though, a couple costly penalties and a few solid defensive plays forced a 30-yard field goal try, which was wide right by Joe Carithers.
With the ball back with 3 minutes left, the Brookwood offensive line had a talk with itself. “We’ve got to score, put this thing away,” the talk went, Biggee said. “We’ve got to play with heart. Our quarterback is out there on a rolled ankle. We have to take over the game.”
It did. Following Covington and his line, Smith went for 5 yards on first down to the right, 47 left on second down to the Dacula 28. Two plays later, he went that distance for the score with just :59 left.
“We’ve got a lot of heart on that offensive line,” Biggee said.
“We’ve got great chemistry and we’re committed to doing our jobs.”
A job well done — again — against a worthy opponent in Dacula.
Whatever happens next weekend for Brookwood, it’ll start and finish with its sizable front line — plus Covington.
Just as it did Saturday night.
Permalink | Comments (32) | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Lowndes leads Stephenson at half
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A pair of big plays – one for a touchdown and one to set up a touchdown – enabled Lowndes to take a 14-0 lead over Stephenson into halftime of its Class AAAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
The Vikings, the defending state champions, scored with 1:50 left in the first quarter on a 28-yard run by Darriett Perry.
Lowndes then converted a turnover into a touchdown, as the Vikings took advantage of a fumble of Stephenson’s Marcus Ball. Stanley Dickson broke a 41-yard run to the 14 and Devaris Leonard finished it two plays later with a 6-yard touchdown run.
Stephenson managed very little offense against a Lowndes defense that has shutout its last two opponents.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Brookwood wins cliffhanger
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dacula missed a field goal with 3:06 left that could have sent the game into overtime and went on to lose a 23-14 decision to Brookwood in the Class AAAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Brookwood will play the Lowndes-Stephenson winner for the state championship on Saturday.
No. 5-ranked Dacula drove to the Brookwood 3 with less than five minutes left, but penalties and the strong Brookwood defense forced the Falcons to try a 30-yard field goal that would have tied the game at 17. Joe Carithers pushed the kick wide right.
No. 2-ranked Brookwood (14-0) then used three plays to drive 80 yards, with Cameron Smith finishing the drive with a 47-yard run and 28-yard touchdown that iced the game with 0:59 left.
Smith scored on a 3-yard run to give the Broncos their first touchdown and set up Zach Simmons’ 24-yard field goal with a 52-yard run.
Dacula quarterback Spencer Landis connected with Cole Brodie on a 36-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second period.
Brookwood led 10-7 at halftime and extended it to 17-7 when Matt Covington scored on a 1-yard run after a 52-yard pass from David Pittman to Devon Moore.
Dacula answered with a drive that culminated in Landis scoring on a 1-yard option keeper.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: State Semifinals
Brookwood leads 10-7 at half
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cameron Smith was the difference maker in the first half, as the senior helped No. 2-ranked Brookwood take a 10-7 lead over No. 5 Dacula in the Class AAAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
The winner will play the Stephenson-Lowndes winner for the championship on Saturday.
Smith scored on a 3-yard run to give the No. 2-ranked Broncos their first touchdown and set up Zach Simmons’ 24-yard field goal with a 52-yard run.
Dacula quarterback Spencer Landis connected with Cole Brodie on a 36-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second period.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Washington-Wilkes tops Bowdon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Washington-Wilkes scored two second-half touchdowns, the last on a 55-yard screen pass, to overtake No. 1 Bowdon 18-14 in the Class A semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
No. 8 Washington-Wilkes (12-2) will play at No. 5 Lincoln County in the championship game.
Wilkes trailed 14-3 at halftime, but got closer when Jareon Small scored on a 69-yard run with 5:54 left in the third quarter. A two-point pass from Clete Wilson to Small cut the lead to 14-11.
Wilkes took the lead with 8:14 left in the game. Wilson threw a screen pass to Small, who followed two blockers down the left side for a 55-yard touchdown that gave the Tigers an 18-14 lead.
Bowdon (12-2) had three chances to counter, but came up short. A 42-yard screen from Jake Rolllins to A.J. Cooley put the Red Devils in scoring position, but they were stopped on downs at the 10.
Bowdon then forced Wilkes to punt, but Travis Nunn fumbled on the return and Trey McCants recovered for Wilkes at the 45.
Bowdon had one last chance to win the game and roared down the field with a minute left. With the ball at the Wilkes 12 and only one second left, Rollins threw an incomplete pass in the end zone.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: State Semifinals
Bowdon leads Washington-Wilkes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bowdon’s A.J. Cooley scored twice in the first half and helped the No. 1-ranked Red Devils post a 14-0 lead over Washington-Wilkes in the Class A semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Bowdon began to move the ball effectively in the second quarter, with Cooley scoring on runs of 2 and 20 yards. Cooley did most of his damage with runs up the middle, while halfback Travis Nunn had success getting to the outside.
Washington-Wilkes scored first, driving to the 4 before settling for a 21-yard field goal from Mark Tench.
The winner will play Lincoln County for the state championship.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Dougherty beats Shaw 30-14
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quarterback Ronnye Nelson ran for three touchdowns to lead Dougherty to a 30-14 win over Shaw in their Class AAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Dougherty (13-1) will host Peach County (11-3) for the championship.
Nelson scored on runs of 20 and 26 yards in the first half, then clinched the outcome with a 1-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
Dougherty also scored on a 5-yard run by Xavier Cheevers and a 34-yard field goal by Haywood Foggy.
Shaw (12-2) scored on a 3-yard run by Lamar Holland and an 84-yard quarterback keeper by Cam Greathouse.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Dougherty takes halftime lead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quarterback Ronnye Nelson ran for second-half scores of 20 and 26 yards to give Dougherty a 21-14 halftime lead against Shaw in the Class AAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Dougherty also scored on a 5-yard run by Xavier Cheevers.
Shaw scored on a 3-yard run by Lamar Holland and an 84-yard quarterback keeper by Cam Greathouse.
The winner hosts Peach County for the championship.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Peach County beats LaGrange
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quarterback Antonio Henton ran for two touchdowns and threw for two others to lead Peach County to a 35-17 win over LaGrange in the Class AAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Henton, who has commited to Ohio State, scored on runs of 6 and 8 yards in the first half. He threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Duranzo Brown and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Slaughter. Mareo Howard scored the Trojans’ other first-half touchdown on a 15-yard run.
Peach County (11-3) will play the winner of the Shaw-Dougherty game for the state championship.
Two-time defending champion LaGrange (10-4) scored on a 36-yard field goal by Tommy Taylor, a 53-yard pass from Travis Tucker to Mario Poythress and a 1-yard run by Tucker. It was the worst loss for the Grangers since 1999.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: State Semifinals
Peach leads LaGrange at half
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Peach County used a pair of touchdown runs by quarterback Antonio Henton and took a 21-17 lead over LaGrange at halftime of their Class AAA semifinal game at the Georgia Dome.
Henton, who has commited to Ohio State, scored on runs of 6 and 8 yards. Mareo Howard scored the Trojans’ other touchdown on a 15-yard run.
Two-time defending champion LaGrange scored on a 36-yard field goal by Tommy Taylor, a 53-yard pass from Travis Tucker to Mario Poythress and a 1-yard run by Tucker.
The winner will play the Shaw-Dougherty winner for the state championship.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: State Semifinals
Statesboro shuts out Griffin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Statesboro’s defense used a combination of big plays and determination to turn back Griffin 7-0 in the Class AAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome. It was Stateboro’s sixth shutout of the season.
No. 2-ranked Statesboro (14-0) will host No. 1 Northside-Warner Robins (14-0) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. for the championship.
Statesboro allowed Griffin (12-2) to move the ball, but always came away with the big play when it mattered. Twice the Blue Devils stopped Griffin on fourth down in the fourth quarter.
With 6:48 left, Michael Rollins broke up a potential touchdown pass to Leon Berry in the end zone. With 1:32 left, three Statesboro defenders prevented Griffin’s fourth-down pass from being completed and saved the victory.
In the first half, Statesboro’s Justin Houston pressured Griffin quarterback Wade White and forced a bad throw, which was intercepted by Jaudon Butler at the Statesboro 22.
Late in the first half Prathon Wilkerson caused Griffin’s Sidney Harris to fumble a pitch, which Josh McCook recovered at the Statesboro 4.
Statesboro’s touchdown came with 9:35 left in the first half. Charles Rock scored on a 6-yard run, a score set up by a pair of nice completions from quarterback David Cone.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Statesboro leads at halftime
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Statesboro made two critical defensive plays to stop Griffin in the first half and the Blue Devils took a 7-0 halftime lead in their Class AAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Justin Houston pressured Griffin quarterback Wade White and forced a bad throw, which was intercepted by Jaudon Butler at the Statesboro 22.
Late in the first half Prathon Wilkerson caused Griffin’s Sidney Harris to fumble a pitch, which Josh McCook recovered at the Statesboro 4.
Statesboro’s touchdown came with 9:35 left in the first half. Charles Rock scored on a 6-yard run, a score set up by a pair of nice completions from quarterback David Cone.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Northside beats Baldwin 28-7
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Northside’s Byron Hunter carried 17 times for 207 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 28-7 win over Baldwin in the Class AAAA semifinals at the Georgia Dome.
Hunter had runs of 57, 49 and 24 yards and scored on runs of 12 and 13 yards as the Eagles reached the championship game for the first time since 2001.
The Eagles (14-0) scored on a 12-yard run by Hunter with 8:29 left in the first period, then added a touchdown on quarterback Jacobi Rodriguez’s 1-yard sneak.
Baldwin could have been in more trouble had its defense not stopped Northside on fourth-and-1 at the 8 with 2:57 left in the second quarter.
Northside added a 13-yard Hunter TD run and a 27-yard touchdown run by David Everett.
Baldwin (10-4) scored with 4:31 left on a 27-yard pass from Patrick Spears to Wayne Bonner.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Calhoun writes own fairy tale
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As it turned out, the journey to the Georgia Dome — which galvanized neighboring communities and a vast alumni base — ended up being more fulfilling for Grady than actually being there Friday.
The semifinal berth and first Atlanta Public School appearance in the Falcons’ home stadium brought together all the elements that make sports so special: school pride, reconnection of old friends, recognition of talented athletes.
Getting to the Dome was almost like a four-month parade, building in prominence, size and significance each week. The Grey Knights, with an opportunity for history, handled Macon County, and a celebration ensued in Midtown and beyond that will be recalled for lifetimes.
Unfortunately for Grady supporters, the memory will include the actual game at the Dome. They’ll have to remember shaking their heads as Calhoun put a definitive end to the hoopla.
Using misdirection plays that puzzled the Grady defense and forcing four turnovers at pivotal moments, the Yellow Jackets made it happen in a big way. Their 42-20 domination put them in the AA championship game next weekend — a spot they truly earned.
In fact, Calhoun — located 70 miles northwest of Atlanta — quietly has been working on a piece of history itself. Check it: The Yellow Jackets have not won a championship since 1952. That’s one year before Grady last captured a title.
So, as much hype as there was surrounding Grady’s 13-0 run to the Dome, it was equaled in Calhoun. And the Yellow Jackets get to play on and add something even more significant to their story.
“They have a great program, and we shouldn’t be ashamed,” Grady coach Ronnie Millen said.
Indeed, Millen’s post-game discussion with his team centered on the depth of their run — not one defeat Friday.
“I don’t want them to hang their heads,” Millen said. “We’re proud of this season. We didn’t play our best against a very good program, and we got beat. But it doesn’t take away from this season.”
Actually, Friday served as a new benchmark for the Grady program. No longer are five-win seasons considered OK. “We’ve got to go back to work,” Millen said. “Our goals are to shoot for the Dome and championships. That’s where we are now.”
The afternoon Friday started for Grady the way its season had been: wonderfully. Darryl Farley blocked a punt, setting up Dexter Barnett’s 7-yard touchdown run. The Grey Knights led 7-0, and the big Grady crowd at the Dome was ecstatic.
But there would not be many more gleeful moments. By halftime, Calhoun had racked up 211 yards rushing, most of the damage done by 10th-grade running back Adam Urbano.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder blasted through gaping holes in the line of scrimmage as if flung by a giant slingshot. Urbano tallied 185 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a superlative performance.
There are a few elements that make Urbano outstanding. One, he’s fast — you cannot put a value on breakaway speed; two, he’s tough — the little guy is just as effective running between the tackles as he is on sweeps; and three, he’s a smart player — he follows his blocking masterfully.
He and Calhoun play on, seeking to pen new history for their program. Grady goes home defeated and disappointed, and yet it accomplished far more than losing at the Dome could erase.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Northside leads 14-0 at half
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Northside Warner Robins used its stellar defense and a pair of touchdown runs to take a 14-0 lead over Baldwin in the Class AAAA semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
The Eagles scored on a 12-yard run by Byron Hunter with 8:29 left in the first period, then added a touchdown on quarterback Jacobi Rodriguez’s 1-yard sneak.
Baldwin could have been in more trouble had its defense not stopped Northside on fourth-and-1 at the 8 with 2:57 left in the second quarter.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Lincoln County wins semifinal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lincoln County, which started the season 0-3, earned a spot in the Class A championship game with a 48-21 win over Johnson County at the Georgia Dome.
The Red Devils (11-3) got two touchdown passes and a touchdown run from Brandon Barden as they qualified for their 17th championship game under coach Larry Campbell.
Lincoln County scored first on an 11-yard pass from Brandon Barden to Alex Barton, but Johnson County answered with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Cordele Johnson to Brad Jefferson.
Johnson County took the lead early in the second quarter on a 43-yard pass from Johnson to B.J. Murray, who caught the ball in stride after it was tipped by a Lincoln defender around the 10. Lincoln responded by scoring on a 27-yard run by Shawntavius Jennings with 10:04 left, then took the lead when Barden threw to Rontae Norman for a 15-yard touchdown.
Lincoln tacked on another touchdown with 4:06 left after Jeffrey Porter stripped the ball from Cordele Johnson and Franklin Jones recovered for Lincoln at the 5. Barden scored on a sneak from the 1 on third down. Rontae Norman ran for a two-point conversion after fielding a bad snap on the extra point.
Johnson County (12-2) was making its first trip to the Georgia Dome. The Trojans pulled to within 29-21 when Harvey Harris returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.
But Lincoln tacked on an 84-yard run by Shawntavius Jennings, a 10-yard run from Darell Norman and a 3-yard run by Jones.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Lincoln Co. jumps on Johnson Co.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lincoln County’s Brandon Barden threw a pair of touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Red Devils to a 29-14 halftime lead over Johnson County in the Class A semifinal at the Georgia Dome.
Lincoln County scored first on an 11-yard pass from Brandon Barden to Alex Barton, but Johnson County answered with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Cordele Johnson to Brad Jefferson.
Johnson County took the lead early in the second quarter on a 43-yard pass from Cordele Johnson to B.J. Murray, who caught the ball in stride after it was tipped by a Lincoln defender around the 10.
Lincoln responded by scoring on a 27-yard run by Shawntavius Jennings with 10:04 left, then took the lead when Barden threw to Rontae Norman for a 15-yard touchdown.
Lincoln tacked on another touchdown with 4:06 left after Jeffrey Porter stripped the ball from Cordele Johnson and Franklin Jones recovered for Lincoln at the 5. Barden scored on a sneak from the 1 on third down. Rontae Norman ran for a two-point conversion after fielding a bad snap on the extra point.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Calhoun ends Grady’s season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Calhoun dropped the curtain on Grady’s unbeaten season, beating the Grey Knights 42-20 in the Class AA semifinals at the Georgia Dome.
Calhoun (14-0) will host defending state champion Charlton County (13-1) in the championship game.
Calhoun was led by sophomore running back Adam Urbano, who scored four touchdowns: a 75-yard run, a 3-yard run, a 24-yard pass and a 36-yard pass. Both passes were thrown by Cody Worley. Calhoun also scored on a pair of Haggan Spector runs from 2 and 4 yards.
Grady’s Darryl Farley blocked a punt in the opening quarter that the Knights (13-1) converted into a touchdown on Dexter Barnett’s 8-yard run. Grady also scored on a 40-yard pass from Simeon Kelley to Demarcus Watts.
Calhoun will be playing in the championship game for the first time since winning it all in 1952.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Calhoun leads Grady 21-14
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Calhoun controlled most of the first half of its Class AA playoff game against Grady. The Yellow Jackets led 21-14, as the Grey Knights used a pair of big plays to stay close.
Grady’s Darryl Farley blocked a punt in the opening quarter that the Knights converted into a touchdown on Dexter Barnett’s 8-yard run. Calhoun rebounded to scored 21 points: a 75-yard from sophomore Adam Urbano, a 2-yard run by Haggan Spector and an 3-yard run by Urbano, which completed a 15-play, 98-yard drive.
Grady got back in the game on a 40-yard scoring pass from Simeon Kelley to Demarcus Watts.
Calhoun’s Scott Blair missed a 48-yard field goal in the final minute of the half.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: State Semifinals
Charlton Co. edges Greene Co.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Greene County missed the tying extra point kick with 2:00 left, allowing defending champion Charlton County to escape with a 34-33 win the Class AA semifinals at the Georgia Dome.
Greene closed to within a point on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Josh Nesbitt to Demarcus Blake. But Eric Tabler’s extra point kick barely cleared the line of scrimmage and never had a chance.
Greene tried an onside kick, but Charlton recovered and ran out the clock.
Greene (13-1) wasted a fine performance by Nesbitt, who completed 27 of 41 passes for 326 and four touchdown passes: 18 yards to Marcus Foster, 7 yards to Christian Harrison, 9 yards to Emanuel Drake and 16 to Blake. He also rushed for 69 yards and scored on a 1-yard run.
Charlton (13-1) trailed 21-14 at halftime, but made it up quickly on a 56-yard run by Lemuel Walker (who rushed for 197) and a 55-yard interception return by Justin Williams.
After Greene tied the game on Drake’s 9-yard reception, Charlton took the lead for good on Walker’s 2-yard touchdown run. It was the fourth touchdown for Walker, who scored on a pair of 1-yar runs in the first period.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
Greene Co., Charlton Co. tied after 3 quarters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Greene County and Charlton County entered the fourth quarter of their Class AA semifinal Friday tied at 27.
In the first half, Greene County quarterback John Nesbitt completed 19 of 27 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns to give the Tigers a 21-14 halftime lead at the Georgia Dome.
Nesbitt threw an 18-yard touchdown to Marcus Foster and a 7-yard scoring pass to Christian Harrison; he also ran for a 5-yard touchdown.
Charlton County scored on a pair of 1-yard runs by Lemuel Walker.
Permalink | | Categories: State Semifinals
‘I’ve seen this before’ could be rallying cry
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You won’t hear too many newspapermen say this, but good thing I missed deadline.
Readers of long memory will recall my brackets stapled out of order serving as a precursor to all kind of things going awry in the playoffs they represented — which has indeed happened. Only it didn’t happen to my bracket, it happened to the Georgia High School Association’s.
I had planned to see Carrollton, Dublin and Camden County among the in crowd — or at least the indoor crowd — for this weekend’s semifinals at the Georgia Dome. Only one of their immediate replacements showed up.
Cook, which replaced Dublin, didn’t make it here. M.L. King, which replaced Carrollton, didn’t make it to the place it would have had to go first to get here second. Dacula’s here, but there hasn’t been time to eliminate the Falcons since they replaced Camden County.
My bracket would’ve reflected exactly none of this. It never made it to the finished pile, and that turns out to be a good thing.
Somebody looking at what would have been there certainly would have pulled a muscle in mid-guffaw.
Oh, sure, I could have belatedly completed a bracket using my published first-round picks — since, like the Thanksgiving turkey, my neck’s stuck out to be cut off every week. But everybody else who filled out brackets in my little group wouldn’t have had the same advantage of seeing who the first-round losers are. My advantage would have been in the second round, because my brackets would have had surprisingly few first-round losers posing as, say, quarterfinalists.
So, no bracket for me. No sea of red-inked X’s. No mangled piece of paper to be used for shooting 20-foot jump shots into the trash can. Or, more honestly, no mangled piece of paper shot toward the trash can and ending up 4 feet away.
Not filling out a bracket is a first, but this weekend isn’t about firsts. It’s about repeats. What you’ve witnessed once, you will behold again. So if the fan sitting next to you says, “I’ve seen this before,” it should come as no surprise.
You saw Lowndes beat Stephenson last year? Here it comes again. You saw Brookwood win Dacula’s season-opener? You’ll see the Broncos win the Falcons’ season-closer, too. You saw Calhoun end Grady’s season last year? Second verse, same as the first.
Some of the losers are better teams than the winners. I’m not convinced Carrollton, Dublin and Camden County are absent because they don’t have championship-winning talent. I’m convinced they’re absent because they didn’t exhibit said talent when it had to be submitted into evidence.
Three No. 1 teams have placed their names on playoff brackets only to have other teams erase them. By this time next week, we’ll be worried about one fewer.
Though one coach swears Washington-Wilkes is the best Class A team standing, the pick is not based on that. The last No. 1 saw the previous two get vacuumed out the playoff window, and still couldn’t withstand the suction turned in its direction.
Such is Bowdon’s fate.
It was tempting to go with Griffin’s offense against Statesboro, but defense will make the Blue Devils the last No. 1 left. If Griffin had the kind of offense that didn’t shut down in the face of stiff opposition — like say Brookwood’s offense, the way it hung 42 points on Stephenson’s quality defense in the opener — the Bears would have been the second team picked to knock off a No. 1.
If the last No. 1 is to tumble, there’s time. No rush.
DOME PREDICTIONS
FRIDAY
Class Winner Loser
AAA Peach County LaGrange
AAA Dougherty Shaw
A Washington-Wilkes Bowdon
AAAA Northside-W.Robins Baldwin
AAAA Statesboro Griffin
SATURDAY
Class Winner Loser
AA Charlton County Greene County
AA Calhoun Grady
A Lincoln County Johnson County
AAAAA Lowndes Stephenson
AAAAA Brookwood Dacula
Permalink | Comments (21) | Categories: 2005, Darryl Maxie
The Rematch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
While I wouldn’t discount it, Brookwood’s 34-13 win over Dacula in August is no guarantee of a Broncos’ win in Saturday’s Class AAAAA semifinal.
The Falcons were playing their season opener, while the Broncos already had a big win under their belts (42-21 over Stephenson, another semifinalist).
Dacula’s defense has gotten very stingy against the run, and the Falcons operate a distinctive veer that is hard to prepare for. And they don’t beat themselves.
Above all, any team that goes to Camden County and leaves with a victory is capable of winning it all.
Not to mention, Dacula has the revenge factor.
Having said all that, I believe Brookwood has a speed advantage that the Georgia Dome turf will accentuate.
Those are my thoughts. Yours?
Permalink | Comments (70) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
These memories won’t fade quickly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anticipation met reality Friday in Stone Mountain. That mighty granite rock may still be quaking. High school football was made for games like this.
For teams that had never met, Parkview and Stephenson carried a lot of pent-up feelings into their playoff game. Mostly of the heavy-hitting kind.
Throughout this century, the Panthers and Jaguars seemed headed toward monumental collisions, only to have Stephenson fall to other teams twice in the quarterfinals and both go down in the third round on another occasion.
Finally, in front of 12,000 at Hallford Stadium and a CSS-TV audience, they got it on. Hope you set your TiVo.
Stephenson’s breakthrough 20-14 win over Parkview will be replayed for a long time coming. Even Panthers fans should relish seeing it again.
Caleb King, and his 2K legs, had carried Parkview into its 11th straight quarterfinal. A fine distinction, but for a program with four state titles — including three since 2000 — this is not the round that’s targeted.
Yet to make it to the Georgia Dome for the Class AAAAA semis, the Panthers would have to topple perhaps the most talented group of seniors in the state.
Most any state.
Marcus Ball, who plays where he wishes and does as he wills, is every recruiter’s dream. Lining up at safety, linebacker, running back and, yes, even punter, Ball commands opponents’ attention — and respect.
But against the talented Jags, tunnel vision will get you blindsided.
End Jermaine Cunningham can pick his next stop. Linebackers Perry Riley and Kelvin Sheppard are LSU-bound, and end Bruce Ervin and cornerback Mario Tynes also have BCS offers.
Oh yes, running back Andre Anderson has D-I assurances.
Whew! What would Parkview do?
Duh. Hand the ball to King.
Ball, though, would be the man of the hour.
Almost by his lonesome, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder turned a white-knuckle affair into the first semifinal appearance in the history of the vaunted program coach Ron Gartrell birthed just 10 seasons ago.
Ball’s 18-yard run led to his 1-yard, over-the-top TD in the first quarter. Then his 45-yard, coffin-corner punt buried Parkview (10-3) at the 1, and the Jags subsequently gained possession at the Parkview 38.
The Panthers forced Stephenson (12-1) into three plays and a punt. Or so most everyone thought. Ball and Gartrell had different ideas.
Ball took the deep snap, raced around left end, cut back, bowled over a teammate at the 5, spun around and dived in for the score.
With Stephenson ahead 13-0 at the half, it seemed that only a breakout from King of epic proportions would be enough to lift Parkview’s title hopes.
It almost happened.
Trailing 20-0 in the fourth, King broke off a 74-yard TD run. And after the Panthers were backed to the 11, out of timeouts and 2:22 to play, the junior rose once more. King’s 52-yard run got Parkview close, and his 14-yard TD catch made things very interesting with just 23 ticks on the clock.
Sheppard, however, recovered the onside kick, and Stephenson’s long postseason ordeal was done.
But, thankfully for us, there will be more Caleb King to behold.
Jaguars register biggest win ever
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In Stephenson’s football history, mark Friday night as the moment its program truly arrived to prominence. The impressive years of high rankings cannot be dismissed, but they were mere indicators of the Jaguars’ potential. Now, it is confirmed: They are legit.
On a cool, crisp night when a full moon illuminated the sky, Stephenson defeated Parkview to get to the Georgia Dome. Considering that the Panthers have been one of the best programs in the state during the past seven years or so, the 20-7 victory was the Jaguars’ validation.
For years, lots of folks have been waiting for Parkview-Stephenson. Well, maybe it was just me. Whatever the case, there was a whole lot of buildup for a meeting that turned out to be anticlimactic: The Jaguars handled the Panthers with relative ease.
There have been significant victories in Ron Gartrell’s outstanding tenure as Stephenson’s coach. None bigger than Friday night. After his team got whacked by Brookwood in the season-opener at the Dome, everyone but Gartrell and his staff panicked. Instead, he redoubled his commitment to hard work and tough play, and now the Jaguars return to the Dome a far different team.
Friday confirmed it. When was it apparent this was Stephenson’s moment? When the prolific Marcus Ball, serving as punter, launched a kick 48 yards and out of bounds at the 1. The defense held on three downs. The offense, inexplicably ignoring the running game, did not gain a yard on three passes.
Back to punt again, Ball instead took off running up the right side, across the field, bumping into a teammate and knocking him down before spinning and diving into the end zone for a dramatic touchdown.
Stephenson led 13-0, and in the process, Ball cemented himself as the best player in Georgia. A phenomenal linebacker last year and a devastating safety this season, Ball affects the game just as much when he fills in part time as a running back — and even did damage as a punter Friday night, too.
Simply, he’s a playmaker and leader. And his control of emotions typifies how far Stephenson has come as a disciplined group. The Jaguars did not get outwardly frustrated when a series of questionable calls late in the third quarter nullified big plays. Instead of whining, Stephenson continued to play — and give the ball to Ball.
On second-and-20, he got 22 yards. Then he dismissed would-be tacklers for another 25 yards, to the Parkview 15. Finally, he went 3 yards for his third touchdown and the exclamation point. It was 20-0 with 8:48 to play and all over for Parkview.
At least for me, this was not a surprise. The Panthers had shown vulnerability all season. But to say it was a down year for the Panthers would be a disservice to the players who competed with a determined heart.
The reality is when you are Parkview, you get the opponent’s best game each week, which is a challenge for any program.
And even with the victory, Stephenson is still trying to be what Parkview has been four times over — champions.
Friday night was a monumental step. It is not a title, but you have to get to the semifinals in order to have a chance at all. For sure, it’s much harder to get there than it is to win one game.
Having finally cleared that quarterfinal hurdle, the Jaguars have legitimized all their fine play over the years. Rest assured, however, now that they have a date at the Dome, the Jaguars are not content just to finally get there.
Permalink | Comments (104) | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Road suddenly steeper for Gwinnett teams
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was called a homer by readers and colleagues last week.
Five Gwinnett teams were left in the second round of the football playoffs, and I picked all five to win. Funny, nobody called or e-mailed an “attaboy!� after all five picks were correct, nor commented about how remarkably close my predicted scores were. That’s cool. I’m OK with letting my 80 percent prediction average do the talking.
So, here we are again, with five picks to make. Will I be a homer, or a cranky sportswriter looking for the football season to end so we can get on with the winter games?
You be the judge:
Charlton County at Buford
The Wolves are undefeated and seemingly on another run at reaching the state final. But last week, despite beating Lovett 21-7 in the second round of the Class AA playoffs, they looked more vulnerable than they have in a half-dozen years. Buford lost four fumbles and star tailback Matt Pridemore (shoulder), and still beat Lovett. But Charlton is a world (literally and figuratively) apart from Lovett, and if the Wolves repeat the same problems with turnovers and penalties, they’ll be in serious trouble. Charlton won at Buford 35-20 for last year’s state championship. The Seminoles will do it again.
Charlton County 35, Buford 31
Brookwood at Starr’s Mill
It’s been a relatively easy ride for the Broncos en route to their 12-0 record. Their closest margin of victory has been 11 points (17-6 on Oct. 7 vs. Central Gwinnett), and while some teams actually stayed within striking distance until halftime, Brookwood’s OL strength and active defense ran away in second halves. No. 2 Brookwood simply is the class of North Georgia football right now, and until the Broncos face Camden County (oops, gave away the next pick) in the Georgia Dome in the semifinals we won’t know if it can win it all. Starr’s Mill is a lot like Brookwood in what it does best — run the ball on offense, play tough defense — but there’s only one Brookwood this year. And Starr’s Mill doesn’t have a David Pittman taking snaps.
Brookwood 33, Starr’s Mill 20
Dacula at Camden County
We suspect that coach Kevin Maloof knew all along his team was good enough to reach the quarterfinals, and it didn’t take rocket science to figure that meant a game at Camden County this weekend. So, the question is: Are the Falcons good enough to reach the Dome? I say yes, but only if they were positioned on the other side of the bracket. Camden’s the odds-on favorite to win the AAAAA title, and its fans will be the first to tell you that. Dacula must keep this game close and stay focused, especially at the beginning of both halves, when the Wildcats have been known to run away from opponents. But I just can’t pick against No. 1 playing at home.
Camden County 27, Dacula 17
Central Gwinnett at Lowndes
Another underdog ventures south to play a state power. Defending champion Lowndes has had an easy time reaching the quarters, outscoring opponents 83-18 in two games. Central Gwinnett, on the other hand, needed last-second heroics to beat Collins Hill 17-14 and Walton 27-24. Those numbers aren’t enough to pick Lowndes to win, so consider this: The Vikings have played on the road only three times this season and are 9-0 at home. They outscore visitors 40.7 to 5.3. In football, coaches love to keep players on task by keeping everything the same leading up to a game. This is the 10th time Lowndes can do that. Central hasn’t been this far in the playoffs in more than a decade.
Lowndes 38, Central 21
Parkview at Stephenson
This is the best matchup of the five playoff games involving Gwinnett teams. If we’ve found out one thing about the Panthers as a whole — we all know RB Caleb King will be the best player on the field — it’s that they’re resilient. Perhaps they’re also flying under the radar. Two regular-season losses for a mighty program will tend to do that. The Stephenson Jaguars, loaded with Division I prospects, lost their opener to Brookwood and have reeled off 11 straight wins. Both teams have had stretches of inconsistent play on offense, and neither can afford that this week. This is a toss-up game. Go with the home team.
Stephenson 21, Parkview 20
Scott’s scorecard
Last week: 5-0
Overall: 111-26-1
Best take last week: “Central’s RB tandem of Beau Johnson and Yusuf Holloway gives it an edge … Central 28, Walton 24.â€? (Holloway had 143 rushing yards, Johnson had 132, and Central won 27-24.)
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Gwinnett Picks
Comedy herein purely unintentional
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was unaware the 1995 movie “Casino�? was ha-ha funny. It probably wasn’t, the way Martin Scorsese originally intended it. But once these movies leave the big screen, end up in the clubbed paws of some cable network and get worked over by the censors, chances they will become unintentional comedies increase by a factor of four.
New words and expressions are invented just for these movies.
Did Sharon Stone really shriek, “Freak you!�?
And what’s a “mickey fickey?�? My recollection of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing�? never included those words, but they were repeated constantly in the sanitized version.
This is the long and lighthearted path to the subject of unintentional comedy — particularly relevant when you’re doing high school football picks that weren’t supposed to be funny at the time. Picking Dublin to go all the way? Guess we can cue the laugh track on that one. Class AA is wide open once again, and nobody’s slapping their knees harder than they are at Grady.
Yes, that Grady.
The Grey Knights are 12-0. The Georgia High School Football Historians Association’s won-lost records for Grady date to 1980—each year containing single-digit figures for victories, so if ever there’s a time for the Grey Knights to yuk it up, strutting into these quarterfinals would seem to be the optimal time.
But reverse psychology is so unbecoming now, isn’t it? A Paideia man in the giddy armor of the Grey Knights approached me the other day touting the virtues of all things Macon County. Which, of course, is peculiar but not necessarily ha-ha funny, until you examine one of the next 20 games on the schedule.
Macon County at Grady.
See, the idea is that I pick Macon County, the little team that could from Montezuma, and all the Grady fans breathe easier because, well, they always win when I pick their team to lose.
Ha ha.
Of course, once giddy man’s nefarious plot had fully come to light, I had my own version of Montezuma’s revenge to drop on him. For every Macon County alley he could toss up, bolstering the Bulldogs’ case, I had the Grady oop. I was actually picking Grady to win. As what little color he had drained from his face, I settled firm on my selection.
I’m not trying to be funny. Maybe Grady’s the real deal now.
Actually, this is a lesson I should’ve learned back in late September, when Grady played Decatur, a game that was broadcast on cable. I’d picked Decatur to win, having heard through the grapevine how comfortable the Decatur fans were when they read that the other team was supposed to win.
Grady laid some pretty hard licks on Decatur that night, pulling off a 35-13 rout that is partly responsible for where the Grey Knights are today.
In all fairness, Grady fans aren’t the only ones who’ve tried this little stunt. Coaches at other schools — and I hasten to exclude Grady’s Ronnie Millen from any guilt here — have tried to plant little seeds that they hoped would grow into full-fledged picks for the other team. That has the doubly positive effect of deflecting overly high expectations while making pregame motivation pretty simple: Take one predictions column. Add one copier. Sprinkle a little tape and a few locker room stalls. Mix liberally.
But every now and then reverse psychology backfires. Time and space prevent me from recounting all the failed reversals, because they aren’t quite as relevant with the quarterfinals upon us.
See, those teams aren’t with us anymore.
Ha ha.
A closer look at Class A
Bowdon: The Red Devils have one of the tougher paths to the final, but if they get past Hawkinsville and either Washington-Wilkes or Savannah Country Day, they’d host the final.
Bremen: No home game possibilities remain. If the Blue Devils reach the final, load up the bus.
Hawkinsville: The only co-champion left trying to repeat. It would surrender home-field only to Lincoln County or Johnson County.
Johnson County: The Trojans haven’t had this much fun since Herschel left. An all Region 4-A final remains a possibility, and Johnson won the first meeting.
Lincoln County: Never count out Larry Campbell. Early-season losses for Class A teams often prove deceiving.
Savannah Country Day: Trying to recover 1980 magic, when it was a semifinalist.
Twiggs County: How much further can the last remaining No. 4 seed go?
Washington-Wilkes: A second 378 War — the rivalry with Lincoln — could be the final.
The picks
CLASS AAAAA Winner/Loser Brookwood/Starr’s Mill Camden Co./Dacula Lowndes/Central Gwinnett Stephenson/Parkview
CLASS AAAA Winner/Loser Griffin/Dalton Marist/Baldwin Northside-WR/Rome Statesboro/SW DeKalb
CLASS AAA Winner/Loser Dougherty/Flowery Branch Shaw/Hart Co. LaGrange/Gainesville Peach Co./Stephens Co.
CLASS AA Winner/Loser Charlton Co./Buford Fitzgerald/Calhoun Grady/Macon Co. Greene Co./Cook
CLASS A Winner/Loser Bowdon/Hawkinsville Bremen/Johnson Co. Lincoln Co./Twiggs Co. Wash.-Wilkes/Sav. Country Day
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: 2005, Darryl Maxie
Could it happen?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
County football fans are dreaming about an all-Gwinnett semifinals at the Georgia Dome next weekend.
As remarkable as that would be, it’s unlikely to happen.
Not with all four teams — Brookwood, Dacula, Parkview and Central Gwinnett — playing on the road this weekend.
So do you think Gwinnett will send 1, 2, 3 or 4 Class AAAAA teams to the Georgia Dome?
Permalink | Comments (97) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
Making a Statement
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
There has been talk the past couple years — since Parkview beat Brookwood for the 2002 title — that Gwinnett football has slipped a notch.
After Friday, Lee Corso might say, “Not So Fast My Friend.”
Gwinnett went 5-for-5 in the second round of the playoffs. Has one county ever sent half the teams to the quarterfinals? That’s what we’ve got in Class AAAAA with Brookwood, Dacula, Parkview and Central Gwinnett. And don’t forget about Buford, which just keeps rolling.
So I ask you: did this past Friday re-establish Gwinnett’s supremacy? Or will it take another championship to do that?
Permalink | Comments (77) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
Stephenson Six an unshakable core
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From the first weekend of the season to now, Stephenson has gone from shaky to unshakable. Week by week, the Jaguars gradually cemented their play, to the point where they now have as much chance as anyone to be the last AAAAA team standing.
If the number of Division I-A players on the roster were the barometer, Stephenson assuredly would wear the crown. A half-dozen big-college athletes make it happen for the Jaguars, almost certainly more than any other team in the state.
And come the playoffs, when the deeper into it you get the tougher the competition, having six studs is quite a luxury.
Friday night at Hallford Stadium, the Stephenson Six — Marcus Ball, Jermaine Cunningham, Kelvin Sheppard, Mario Tynes, Andre Anderson and Perry Riley — held together a team that was challenged throughout by game East Coweta.
In that core of talent lies Stephenson’s heart. Oh, the Jaguars have loads of skilled players who contribute mightily to their cause. But the aforementioned seniors ignite the fire.
Their 46-22 victory over East Coweta was a case in point. The Indians made a strong statement to open the game, marching down the field mostly with power runs by splendid Stanfred Philpot for a field goal and 3-0 lead.
Stephenson looked lackluster, to say the least. But then the game turned in a matter of minutes. Underrated quarterback Michael Harper connected with Sheppard, a linebacker playing tight end, for a 52-yard gain, to the Indians’ 4 to get things going. Anderson used two plays to score the touchdown and Stephenson led 7-3.
On the ensuing possession, Cunningham led a defensive surge that allowed East Coweta only three plays. The punt to Stephenson was received by senior Jordan Jackson, who split three defenders, broke a tackle, cut left across the field and sprinted to paydirt — a 67-yard touchdown return that moved the Jaguars in front, 14-3.
Suddenly, the Stephenson contingent, which had been rather subdued, warmed itself in the cool night air by exchanging high-fives and hugs. Resilient, East Coweta battled back to within four, but the Jaguars’ leaders led.
Riley took the kickoff 41 yards to the Indians’ 49. On third-and-8, Ball received a pass in the flat with no blockers in front and fought his way to a 10-yard gain and first down. Anderson burst for a 24-yard gain. Finally, Ball took it 6 yards for the touchdown and a 20-10 cushion.
That’s leadership. One of the top players in the country, Ball is the ultimate leader. He moved from linebacker to safety, allowing him to cover more ground. Translation: He could wreck more havoc.
Ball, who scored three touchdowns Friday, has his choice of the top programs. Sheppard and Riley have committed to LSU. Tynes might end up at Central Michigan. Cunningham is debating among Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. The hard-running Anderson is considering Georgia Tech, Stanford, Ball State and Boston College.
“Those guys lead us,” coach Ron Gartrell said. “We have better chemistry on this team than we did on the other really good teams we’ve had in the past. And it’s the best defense we’ve ever had.”
Big things were expected of Stephenson four years ago, when Ball’s brother, Reggie, and Kregg Lumpkin led the Jaguars. This Stephenson team is better. It’s still well-coached, but more sound defensively, more diverse offensively and more explosive on special teams.
From a 21-point loss to open the season to Brookwood to one more victory to get to the Georgia Dome. That’s a lot of ground covered by a team with realistic visions on traveling even further.
Permalink | Comments (70) | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Hoops rankings: Repeat champs popular picks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eight of the 10 defending high school basketball champions have been picked to defend their titles, according to the first Georgia Sports Writers Association poll.
The Wheeler boys and Collins Hill girls, last year’s Class AAAAA winners, were unanimous choices by the selectors.
Also picked to defend their boys titles are Dunwoody (Class AAA), East Hall (Class AA) and Randolph-Clay (Class A). Girls predicted to defend their championships are Etowah (Class AAAA), Hephzibah (Class AAA) and Wesleyan (Class AA).
Pollsters thought a pair of runners-up would get a measure of revenge. They selected the Tucker boys, last year’s runner-up in AAA, ahead of defending champion Mays. Voters chose the Calhoun County girls, runner-up last season in Class A, ahead of defending champion Terrell County.
The rankings are based on votes tabulated from writers throughout the state, including the AJC’s Derrick Mahone.
Boys
Class AAAAA
Wheeler (13) — 130 points
Norcross — 117
Stephenson — 74
South Gwinnett — 73
Tift County — 60
Savannah — 51
South Cobb — 50
Newton — 34
Peachtree Ridge — 32
Tri—Cities – 19
Others receiving votes: Riverdale, Centennial, Douglass, Kennesaw Mountain, Houston CounÂty, Pope, Beach, Lowndes, Johnson
Class AAAA
Tucker (3) — 119
Columbia (2) — 95
Mays (8) — 92
Griffin — 73
Baldwin — 55
Chapel Hill — 51
Stone Mountain — 44
Sandy Creek — 30
Lee County — 28
Carver, Columbus – 18
Others receiving votes: Rome, Lithia Springs, St. Pius, Chamblee, Etowah, Bainbridge, Douglas County, Statesboro, South Atlanta, Clarke Central, North Clayton, Wayne County, Southwest DeKalb, Woodland.
Class AAA
Dunwoody (10) — 121
Westlake (3) — 104
Dougherty — 92
Peach County — 72
M.L. King — 59
Troup — 52
Butler — 46
Monroe, Albany — 35
Banneker — 32
Crisp County — 23
Others receiving votes: Perry, Oconee County, Johnson of Gainesville, Chestatee, Spencer.
Class AA
East Hall (12) — 129
Greenville — 110
Dublin (1) — 107
Buford — 90
Josey — 55
Wesleyan — 51
East Laurens — 32
Coosa — 31
Tri-County — 27
Greater Atlanta Christian – 23
Others receiving votes: Greene County; Manchester, Albany, Calhoun, Fitzerald, Brantley County, Pierce County, Cook, Lovett, Thomasville, Metter.
Class A
Randolph-Clay (12) — 129
Southwest Atlanta Christ. (1) — 113
Whitefield Academy — 75
Hancock Central — 68
Jefferson — 65
Wilkinson County — 56
Terrell County — 48
Calvary Day — 45
St. Francis – 38
Athens Academy – 13
Others receiving votes: Bremen, Seminole County, Clinch County, Turner County, Washington—Wilkes.
Girls
Class AAAAA
Collins Hill (12) — 120
Redan — 106
Stephenson — 94
Campbell — 71
Beach – 61
Marietta — 50
McEachern — 43
South Gwinnett — 42
Brookwood — 20
Tift County — 19
Others receiving votes: Riverdale, Morrow, Sequoyah, Central Gwinnett, Lowndes, Houston County.
Class AAAA
Etowah (9) — 122
Jones County (1) — 79
St. Pius (2) — 78
Stone Mountain — 63
Mays — 54
Northside, Warner Robins — 54
Westside-Macon — 53
Greenbrier — 41
Jonesboro — 34
Marist – 26
Others receiving votes: Dalton, Thomas County Central, Warner Robins, Rome, Salem, Lakeside—DeKalb, Stockbridge, SW DeKalb.
Class AAA
Hephzibah (10) — 118
Kendrick (2) — 110
Johnson, Gainesville — 81
Avondale — 80
Westminster — 71
Gainesville — 52
Cross Creek — 20
Carrollton — 19
Worth County — 17
(tie) Columbus — 17
Others receiving votes: Dunwoody, Liberty County, Franklin County, Westover, Fannin County, Flowery Branch, Cairo, Towers.
Class AA
Wesleyan (12) — 129
Dade County (1) — 111
Dodge County — 91
Greater Atlanta Christian — 64
Dublin — 60
Josey — 51
Laney — 36
East Hall — 34
Buford — 33
Early County — 25
Others receiving votes: Calhoun, Pace Academy, Appling County, Greene County, Fitzgerald, Brantley County, Macon County, Screven County, Holy Innocents, Jackson.
Class A
Calhoun County (7) — 123
Terrell County (6) — 116
Hebron Christian — 98
Jefferson — 72
Randolph-Clay — 58
Lakeview Academy — 39
Atkinson County — 34
Wilkinson County — 31
Gordon Lee — 28
Bowdon — 25
(tie) W.D. Mohammed – 25
Others receiving votes: Hancock Central, SW Atlanta Christian, Bryan County, Savannah Country Day, Washington-Wilkes, St. Francis, Clinch County, Montgomery County.
Permalink | Comments (34) | Categories: Basketball rankings
Upsets, like predictions, are inevitable
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The beautiful thing about being a lower-seeded team in the Georgia High School Association football playoffs is you’re playing with the house’s money.
If you lose, it was expected. If you win, you can crow about shaking up the world, mug for the cameras and act like it’s completely unthinkable for anybody to have doubted you in the first place.
The other beautiful thing about being lower seeded is, upsets are inevitable. This year’s no different.
Those no longer among the playoff living are easily recognized names — Carrollton, Warner Robins, Tucker. And there’ll be more.
In fact, there’ll be an upset in every class. Today.
I tend to shy away from picking as many upsets in the lower classes because with fewer available student-athletes, every disparity is magnified. Think of it this way: If I have eight players and you have seven, I have a one-player disparity in my favor. But if I have two players and you have one, I still have a one-player disparity, but this one player makes me twice as strong. Chess players make a killing on that kind of math.
This week’s predictions come down to which is stronger: my penchant for being correct, or my power to fire up the team that is being picked against? In which classes will the underdog be strong enough to overcome the favorite and bulletin-board inspiration that is certain to be taped up in the their locker room?
Here are the ones I think can handle it.
Class AAAAA: Roswell. Even I’m surprised to be saying this. When the Hornets were stumbling over the Waltons and Sequoyahs of the world last month, they hardly looked like a team that could stand toe-to-toe with Parkview and exit with their mouths unsmashed.
The Hornets have pulled off playoff upsets before — a 9-7 victory against Southwest DeKalb in 1996 immediately comes to mind, though the best they’ve done in three playoff trips to Parkview is come close once. Parkview remains formidable, even coming off an unusual two-loss regular season, but the Panthers are susceptible to the same kind of shocker that befell top-seeded Harrison last week.
Class AAAA: Chamblee. Twenty-three years is a long time between playoff victories, so don’t expect the Bulldogs to be in any hurry to leave. They have a difficult trip to Rome, which narrowly averted an upset by fourth-seeded Madison County last week. The Bulldogs have shown flashes of being a major player. They were the first to expose Tucker’s vulnerabilities before losing a game they appeared well on their way to winning. Although Tucker held Chamblee off, Southwest DeKalb picked up where the Bulldogs left off and finished the job. With Roddy Jones leading the way, Chamblee will usher Rome off the playoff stage the same way Warner Robins went.
Class AAA: M.L. King. Can the Lions really do it again? When do you cease to call their road victories in the playoffs upsets? The Lions can’t be any more confident than they are after knocking off top-ranked Carrollton last week. By now, coach Corey Jarvis has instilled in them not only the belief they can prevail, but also how to behave after doing it. So, when they beat Hart County, forgive them if they act like they knew it was going to happen. They did.
Class AA: Heard County. There are few places more difficult for a visitor to win in South Georgia than Charlton County. So Heard County is fortunate to be getting the defending champion Indians on their turf back home in Franklin. Home turf alone won’t win this one, however. The Braves are better than the standard second-round fare that Charlton County plays this time of year and almost never has to visit.
With multiple threats like Super 11 back Carlos Brown, Dre Ware and Dontavious Jackson, Heard County at least has a better chance at matching up with a potent Charlton offense than just about anybody this side of Dublin. And remember, few expected No. 6 Vidalia to be home right now, so it shouldn’t be a shock when No. 7 Charlton follows.
Class A: Twiggs County. Until last week, McIntosh County Academy was one of the teams being touted as a possible champion. Twiggs County took care of that with a convincing 32-13 win that avenged last season’s 30-0 second-round defeat.
Now, the Cobras find themselves facing Clinch County, a co-champion alongside Hawkinsville, but like Hawkinsville not as dominant as last season. The Cobras will have to maximize every chance they get because disparities in Class A are more pronounced.
CLASS AAAAA
Winner/Loser
Brookwood/Marietta
Camden Co./Valdosta
Central Gwinnett/Walton
Dacula/Kell
Lowndes/Union Grove
Roswell/Parkview
Starr’s Mill/Colquitt Co.
Stephenson/East Coweta
CLASS AAAA
Winner/Loser
Chamblee/Rome
Lee Co./Griffin
Marist/Salem
North Forsyth/Dalton
Northside-WR/Thomas Central
Southwest DeKalb/Rockdale Co.
Statesboro/Douglas Co.
Upson-Lee/Baldwin
CLASS AAA
Winner/Loser
Central-Carroll/Flowery Branch
Dougherty/Thomson
Gainesville/Westlake
LaGrange/Mary Persons
M.L. King/Hart Co.
Peach Co./Northside-Col.
Shaw/Perry
Stephens Co./Cartersville
CLASS AA
Winner/Loser
Brooks Co./Macon Co.
Buford/Lovett
Calhoun/Morgan Co.
Dublin/Cook
Fitzgerald/Jackson
Greene Co./Darlington
Heard Co./Charlton Co.
Laney/Grady
CLASS A
Winner/Loser
Bowdon/Warren Co.
Bremen/Social Circle
Hawkinsville/Randolph-Clay
Johnson Co./Seminole Co.
Lincoln Co./Gordon Lee
Turner Co./Sav. Country Day
Twiggs Co./Clinch Co.
Wash.-Wilkes/Temple
Permalink | Comments (39) | Categories: 2005, Darryl Maxie
Gwinnett vs. Cobb
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
My colleague Todd Holcomb points out that Cobb teams haven’t fared well when visiting Gwinnett in the playoffs.
They’re 2-15, to be exact.
Now Marietta travels to Brookwood, Kell goes to Dacula and Walton plays at Central Gwinnett.
Will Cobb be 2-18 late Friday night? Or 5-15? Or something in between?
Permalink | Comments (35) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
Jukes is the whole package for college
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Avery Jukes easily could have given up. Just like so many others. Instead, Jukes kept his head in the books — even as his eye stayed on the ball.
Wednesday night, Avery Jukes was set to sign a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Alabama.
Yet, for the South Gwinnett High power forward, the occasion was as much to seal an opportunity to pursue an engineering degree as it was to highlight another step at fulfilling a hoops dream.
“The NBA is still a goal of mine,” Jukes said, “Whether that chance comes first, or I stay three or four years, I will get that degree.”
Which is my cue to give a belated thanks to the NCAA.
Make that, very belated.
Way back in the early 1980s, when college presidents first started floating the establishment of academic eligibility standards (which became known as Proposition 48), I was among the chorus of naysayers.
My take was that implementation of minimum requirements would bar the college door to too many athletically gifted kids from inadequate educational backgrounds. Kids who, given the opportunity, would benefit from college.
But as reams of study results continue to verify, our kids — and their supporters — have risen to meet the challenges. Not only are athletes arriving on campuses better prepared academically, but they also go on to graduate at rates higher than the general student body.
If, that is, they maintain focus.
Tony and Kathy Jukes’ son is focused upon becoming an engineer, so he turned down offers from schools that did not offer the degree. Some recruiters warned Jukes that taking on such a challenging academic load might impair his progression as a ballplayer.
Avery Jukes, however, did not fall for the okey-doke.
Give the kid a standing ovation.
Avery Jukes has swatted away the notion, held by many, that young black males put way too much emphasis on athletics over academics.
It all depends, his family says, upon the youngster — and those involved in his life. Avery Jukes, who has taken honors and Advanced Placement classes since he was in the third grade, is a product of his nurturing.
His mother graduated cum laude from Morgan State University. She and her Navy veteran husband are catastrophic insurance adjusters.
And, yes, they have been busy lately helping with claims of Gulf Coast hurricane victims. Not so much so they couldn’t offer sage advice on other topics.
“Not only black kids, but kids in general sometimes place too much emphasis on athletics,” Kathy Jukes says. “And black males may tend to place more emphasis on athletics because they can see the chance/opportunity/hope of playing as a professional.
“We, as parents, coaches, teachers and other positive adult influences, [should] make sure that kids focus on their academics.”
Then they can get by — with a little help from our NCAA friends.
Only winners boast of bulletin board’s power to inspire
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1. Has a bulletin board ever won a football game?
Coaches will tell you — after a win, of course — how inspired the players got over reading some slight (real or imagined) written by some smart aleck sportswriter. Funny, though, you never hear a coach say how inspired the players got over reading some slight (real or imagined) written by some smart aleck sportswriter — after a loss.
The next bulletin board to throw a block or make a tackle will be the first one.
Some people have all the nerve.
Can there be a more critical creature on Earth than a coach? I mean, the job description calls for him to drive people to succeed by pointing out (repeatedly) the error of their ways.
But woe to anyone else brash enough to relay shortcomings. Watch out, or you just may find your literary efforts (OK, scribbling) nailed up on some coach’s bulletin board. However, you will never know unless that coach’s team actually wins.
Don’t be so touchy, people.
It’s only a game.
Yeah, right.
2. Can Gwinnett really have half the teams making the Class AAAAA quarterfinals?
Sure, if the ball bounces right — and the bulletin board doesn’t miss a block or blow a tackle.
Parkview beats Roswell if — and only if — the Panthers remain acquainted with the TD pass. Caleb King is magical, but the further Parkview advances, the more the Panthers will confront foes capable of running him down.
Brookwood beats Marietta if Rennie Curran doesn’t injure himself during pregame drills. Marietta had way too much trouble running the ball (63 yards) against Woodstock. That will get them skunked against the Broncos’ defense.
Central Gwinnett beats Walton if — and only if — the Knights remain acquainted with the TD pass. Beau Johnson is a stud, but the further Central advances, the more the Knights will confront foes capable of slowing him down.
Dacula beats Kell if both Israel Machovec and Spencer Landis show up. The Falcons impress as a team that’s greater than the sum of its parts, including at quarterback with Machovec and Landis. Dacula is so flexible it’s frightening.
So, there you have it.
Gwinnett can indeed swamp the quarterfinal field — if and only if — those bulletin boards don’t fail.
3. Are you about ready for some basketball around here?
Most def. Gwinnett’s rep is growing as a hoops hotbed.
You may know of Norcross’ Jodie Meeks, bound for Kentucky, and teammate Brenton Butler (Fordham). They, along with fellow seniors Avery Jukes (Alabama) and Delano Howard (Georgia State) of South Gwinnett, are set to sign scholarships this week.
Those coming behind them are being as hotly recruited.
Get to see Gani Lawal ASAP. The 6-foot-8 Riverdale transfer, now at Norcross, is only a junior and has already been offered by Kansas. But not very long after his 19th birthday — and the requisite year removed from high school — Lawal will be NBA-bound.
At Meadowcreek, scout.com reports junior guard Chris Allen has drawn interest from Michigan State, and the stock of 6-8 junior forward Bassey Inameti is also on the rise. Also, Zack Graham (Peachtree Ridge) and John Overton (Buford) are on scout.com’s list of top juniors in Georgia. Six-foot-7 Al-Farouq Aminu (Wesleyan) and Chase Anderson (Mill Creek) are sophomores to watch.
As for girls, Marvelous Maya Moore says it all.
Playoff drama
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
Central Gwinnett’s comeback win over Collins Hill undoubtedly was the most exciting playoff game involving Gwinnett teams.
With five second-round games on tap, I think Brookwood-Marietta has a chance to be the best. It pits the undefeated Broncos against the 10-1 Blue Devils. Brookwood is ranked No. 2, Marietta No. 9.
Which game do you think will be the most compelling?
Permalink | Comments (77) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
Discipline carried Banneker to playoffs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The job at Banneker, as Benny Crane saw it, was bigger than the games, bigger than the potential victories and definitely bigger than the inevitable losses.
More importantly, he insists, it was about changing the perception that had long dogged the Trojans as a perpetually undisciplined and underachieving program.
“Banneker always has been blessed with a lot of good athletes, year after year,” Crane said. “But we just haven’t been able to hit it.”
Crane took the route of changing the core, which, with the talent on the roster, would ultimately change the results on the field. After four losses to open the season — one to rival Westlake, the Trojans’ first-round playoff opponent Friday night — it would have been easy for him to question his philosophy.
But three times after defeats, referees sought out Crane to share the kind of sentiment that moved the coach.
“They said we were one of the most disciplined teams they had seen,” Crane recalled. “After reading blogs in the past calling us dirty and everything else, to have impartial referees notice how we conduct ourselves meant a lot. I knew it, but it just validated it for me and made me feel good.
“We do a lot of life-teaching,” he added. “Of 90 players, only about nine will go on and play in college. So we talk a lot about preparing for life, growing up to be solid young men. And the kids have done a great job grasping those things.”
The players seemed to grasp that they were letting their season get away from them after the winless start. But they came together to take four victories in the final six games, earning another shot at neighborhood foe Westlake.
Although he attended Lovett and was a star linebacker there, Crane grew up in the Banneker neighborhood, which means he grew up in the Westlake area, too.
In 15 minutes, you can get from one school to the other. “These kids have gone to elementary school and middle school together. They’ve gone to camp together and talk to each other every night on the phone,” Crane said.
So to “circumvent some of the hype,” Crane had his team show up just 45 minutes before kickoff. “Roll off the bus and play the game,” he said. “I wanted to separate the emotion of the kids from the game.”
Hard to say if it worked. His players seemed as charged as Westlake’s, and the schools put on an exciting display of offense. Westlake just had more, and came away 34-28 winners.
On both sides of the ball were skilled playmakers that made the interminable game tolerable. The Lions sported spectacular junior running back Mychal Harrison, 11th-grade quarterback Cameron Newton and a fleet of fleet-footed receivers — Jamal Washington and Antonio Glover, among others. All of them broke through many Banneker tackles for huge gains.
Their efforts made obsolete the stellar talent of Trojans quarterback Jason Rogers, awesome running back Andrew Ramsey and receivers DeAnthony Houston and Deshon Lawrence.
Banneker held a 21-14 lead with 4:05 left in the first half. But Westlake, playing at home, answered with a 69-yard run by Harrison, and then, after an Addison Williams interception, took a 27-21 halftime advantage on a Newton quarterback sneak.
Try as they might, the Trojans did not have enough to extend their season. But Banneker’s defeat was not an underachievement. The Trojans were overwhelmed by a better, faster and more opportunistic team. And there’s no shame in that, especially considering from where the Trojans have come.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Beware of bad signs if you fill out bracket
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the most part, I don’t subscribe to the notion of bad signs except for three times a year. One is the day before the NCAA tournament. Another is the day before the GHSA football playoffs. The third, of course, is any time the Georgia Department of Transportation is responsible for the directions.
The bad signs the day before the NCAA basketball and GHSA football events are strikingly similar. It has to do with my brackets. The bad signs are that I actually fill them out.
If your school’s name ends up in the center of my bracket, where the projected champions dwell, the best you can do is pray you’re not a senior. You can kiss your high school career sayonara if you are.
Here’s a worse sign, the most certain omen I have that my brackets are wastebasket-bound: My five pages aren’t even stapled in the correct order. How hard can it be to go Class AAAAA, Class AAAA, Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and then — click! — fasten them together?
Stapling five pages is akin to lotioning your elbows. Whittling 160 teams down to five happy champions is much more akin to sticking your freshly lotioned elbows in your ears.
And while trying to do that might otherwise provides hours of endless fun, today’s task is to ferret out other bad signs that involve the GHSA football playoffs.
Bad sign No. 1: The other team’s name is Dublin. This means it’s time to turn in your uniforms and get ready for basketball season. The Fighting Irish have given up three points all season. The one time someone was supposed to hit them in the mouth was when then-No. 2-ranked Vidalia came to town.
The genius I see in the mirror said Dublin would win but tried to throw Vidalia a bone by saying at least the Indians would score, ending the shutout streak Dublin had going. The Irish left Vidalia boneless, filleting them by 58.
Big, bruising Greene County is likely to give Dublin the best game in the quarterfinals.
Of course, what do I know? The Class AA page was the one that was out of order. Maybe somebody’s trying to tell me that something will happen that will make Class AA stand out.
Bad sign No. 2: Your best shot to beat your opponent came two years ago. Only 48 minutes and Camden County stood between Newnan and a spot in the Class AAAAA final in 2003. But Camden County won 20-10 in the Georgia Dome and went on to the state championship. Newnan dropped to 6-5 last year and 4-6 this season as it prepares for a Camden rematch.
Newnan’s 66-point outburst against East Coweta in the regular-season finale last week speaks to the Cougars’ ability to do the unexpected with Thomas Darrah leading the charge. But let us not get carried away here.
Bad sign No. 3: You’re one of DeKalb County’s two all-time winningest teams. Southwest DeKalb and Tucker, the county’s only 400-game winners, have to play each other in the first round. Southwest DeKalb has gotten past the first round only once in the past five years as newer schools have chipped away at the Panthers’ talent pipeline. Tucker hasn’t gotten past Statesboro, period. And those three teams all are situated in one-fourth of the Class AAAA bracket. With defending champion Warner Robins. Say good night, Gracie.
Bad sign No. 4: The one team that you’d like to sneak up on is the one team against which you’ve already pulled that stunt. How Crisp County would love to saunter into its first-round game, proudly touting itself as just a little ol’ 2-8 team that’s happy to be here.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, they’ve already played that card, and the element of surprise is gone. In 2001, they blindsided Shaw 20-17. If that works twice, it’s an even worse sign for Shaw.
Bad sign No. 5: You’re not taking Washington-Wilkes seriously. With no clear-cut favorite in Class A, and a loss to Lincoln County notwithstanding, the Tigers may be the most dangerous small school still standing.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
CLASS AAAAA
Winner-Loser
Brookwood-Norcross
Camden Co.-Newnan
Central Gwinnett-Collins Hill
Colquitt Co.-Tri Cities
Dacula-Berkmar
East Coweta-Groves
Harrison-Walton
Lowndes-Douglass
Marietta-Woodstock
Parkview-North Gwinnett
Roswell-McEachern
South Cobb-Kell
Starr’s Mill-Brunswick
Stephenson-Tift County
Union Grove-Glynn Academy
Valdosta-Riverdale
CLASS AAAA
Winner-Loser
Chamblee-Mays
Creekside-Upson Lee
Dalton-Habersham Central
Griffin-Sandy Creek
Lee Co.-Wayne Co.
Marist-Columbia
Northside Warner Robins-Haralson Co.
Rockdale Co. -Murray Co.
Rome -Madison Co.
Salem-Gordon Central
Statesboro-Bainbridge
Thomas Central-Effingham Co.
Tucker-SW DeKalb
Ware County-Baldwin
Warner Robins-Douglas Co.
Washington-North Forsyth
CLASS AAA
Winner-Loser
Cairo-LaGrange
Carrollton-M.L. King
Cartersville-McNair
Central Carrollton-Blessed Trinity
Dougherty-Troup
Elbert Co.-Flowery Branch
Gainesville-Oconee Co.
Hart Co.-Pickens
Jefferson Co. -Mary Persons
Northside Columbus-Monroe
Peach Co.-Cross Creek
Perry-South Effingham
Shaw-Crisp Co.
Stephens Co. -Chestatee
Thomson -Washington Co.
Westlake-Banneker
CLASS AA
Winner-Loser
Brooks Co.-Appling Co.
Buford-Westside Augusta
Calhoun-Walker
Charlton Co.-Early Co.
Cook-Bacon Co.
Darlington-Decatur
Dublin-Manchester
Fitzgerald-Thomasville
Grady-Rockmart
Greater Atlanta Christian-Morgan Co.
Greene Co.-Wesleyan
Heard Co.-Dodge Co.
Jackson-West Laurens
Laney-East Hall
Lovett-Pepperell
Macon Co.-Vidalia
CLASS A
Winner-Loser
Bowdon-Whitefield Academy
Bremen-Mt. Zion Carrollton
Clinch Co.-Brookstone
Dooly Co.-Savannah Country Day
Gordon Lee-ELCA
Johnson Co.-ECI
Landmark Christian-Temple
Lincoln Co.-Jefferson
McIntosh Co. Academy-Twiggs Co.
Portal-Hawkinsville
Randolph Clay-Lanier Co.
Seminole Co.-Terrell Co.
Social Circle-Aquinas
Turner Co.-Pacelli
Warren Co.-Commerce
Washington Wilkes-Athens Academy
• Last week: 137-26 (.840) • Season: 1,231-370 (.769) • Reasons to mention Winless Protection Program: 0
Permalink | Comments (53) | Categories: 2005, Darryl Maxie
Gwinnett vs. Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogging about football in the Big G.
I didn’t realize how rare Gwinnett vs. Gwinnett playoff football was until my colleague Buddy Pinkston told me about research he did on the Georgia High School Football Historians Association Web site.
Buddy found that Gwinnett schools have played each other in the biggest classification just twice. Brookwood beat Parkview in the 1996 quarterfinals, and Parkview returned the favor in the 2002 championship game.
We’re about to double that.
So how do you think these games will shake out?
Berkmar at Dacula
Central Gwinnett at Collins Hill
North Gwinnett at Parkview
Norcross at Brookwood
Permalink | Comments (31) | Categories: Gwinnett Grid
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