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October 2007
Take 10: Best surprise games
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At Take Ten, we love a good surprise. Even as kids, we didn’t go snooping through the closets looking for our Christmas presents because we’d rather tear off the shiny paper and find out Christmas morning. (“Ooooo … an Ewok Village!”) So, naturally, we enjoy it when games turn out how we didn’t expect. This year, like pretty much every year before it, has given us its share of surprises: Chattahoochee over Camden County, Avondale over Greater Atlanta Christian, Sandy Creek over Carrollton. Who’da thunk it?
As the playoffs creep up on us, we decided to put together our list of the top 10 Biggest Surprise Games of the past 10 years. Did any of those games from this year make the cut? Keep reading to find out.
10: 2003 regular season — St. Pius 20, Marist 17
It had been 21 years since the Lions had taken down their rivals, and this didn’t look like a likely candidate for their streak-breaking victim. The Eagles were undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the state when they made the short trip over to St. Pius for the regular-season finale. And when Marist dominated the first half, taking a 17-6 lead, it only added to the shocking nature of the result.
9: 2003 quarterfinals — Newnan 20, Parkview 14
The biggest surprise here came in what it meant and how it ended. The Panthers were the three-time defending state champs and had only lost one game since 1999. Newnan was a top-10 team, but finally slaying the Parkview dragon was going to take a Herculean effort. The Cougars got that effort from Santez Mays, who ran a fumble back for a touchdown with 7 seconds left for the win.
8: 1999 semifinals — Lincoln County 35, Commerce 21
Commerce had been No. 1 the entire year, entering the game 13-0 and was the solid favorite to win it all. Lincoln County was only 7-3 during the regular season, but this was one of the games that helped build the Larry Campbell legend in the postseason.
7: 2005 first round — Southwest DeKalb 17, Tucker 2
For all of Tucker’s regular-season success, the Tigers have only been to the Dome once for the semifinals, in 2003. After three straight trips to at least the quarterfinals, though, this looked like it might be the team that would turn the corner. Instead, the Panthers shut down a Tucker offense that was averaging 38.6 points per game and did just enough offensively to claim the upset.
6: 1999 semifinals — Lowndes 31, Northside 28
Before the game, Lowndes looked like it might have a chance if the Vikings could play a flawless game against the undefeated, No. 1 Eagles. That chance was gone once Lowndes fell behind by 25 at halftime against a team that had dominated its opponents all year. Somehow, the Vikings charged back to win and shut out Brunswick the following week to win the school’s first state title in 19 years.
5: 2002 quarterfinals — East Coweta 35, Harrison 28
East Coweta’s was one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory. The Indians started the year 0-3 and only went 5-5 in the regular season but got hot in the postseason. This was the culmination, taking advantage of some Hoya injuries to take down undefeated Harrison. No previous opponent had scored more than 17 on the Hoyas, as the Indians got in the way of a much-anticipated Harrison-Parkview showdown.
4: 2005 first round — Douglas County 24, Warner Robins 20
The Demons were the defending state champions just starting another run. Douglas was a solid but unranked team that looked like it might be overmatched going into the game and definitely looked overmatched as Warner Robins jumped out to a 17-point lead. But the Tigers charged back, and then-coach Phil Williams called it “The greatest win in the history of our school.”
3: 2006 quarterfinals — Warner Robins 14, Norcross 3
If the Demons’ win over No. 2 Camden County the previous week was surprising, this one was downright eye-popping. A Warner Robins team that only went 6-4 in the regular season, losing two of its last three, was a giant killer all of a sudden. The Blue Devils were unbeaten, No. 1 in the state and No. 15 in the country before the loss in a game Warner Robins dominated without a single complete pass.
2: 2005 regular season — Ware County 28, Lowndes 7
Ware simply wasn’t in the same class as Lowndes - literally. Ware was a good AAAA team, but the Gators weren’t supposed to be anything more than a warmup for region play for the AAAAA No. 1 Vikings. In retrospect, it’s even more shocking than it was at the time. Lowndes didn’t really come close to losing the rest of the year, not giving up more than 18 points to any opponent on the way to the state title.
1: 2005 second round — Cook 20, Dublin 14
The Fighting Irish dominated their first 11 opponents, giving up 10 total points while scoring at least 45 points in each game while ascending to No. 1 in AA. Cook was a solid but seemingly unspectacular team on the road. Surprising doesn’t begin to describe it. The Hornets scored double the number of points Dublin had surrendered all season while holding the Irish to just 14 points. Cook then got beaten soundly the following week, 27-6 by Greene County.
Go on. Take Ten. Which ones did we leave out? And what do you remember about these games? Surprise us with your insights. Give us YOUR take.
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Extra Point: No tiebreak solution set
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With just two Fridays left in the regular season, it’s the time of year that fans start dreaming of what the playoffs will bring.
Will your team make it into the postseason? Which teams are going to see their season end next week? Who will your team match up with in the first round? It can be fun to scan the region standings and see that your team controls its own playoff fate or that maybe they’re going to need a little help to get in.
But each year, there’s a problem when looking at tight region races: No one seems to know the tiebreaking formulas for each region.
Each region has a representative who is responsible for knowing his region’s tiebreakers but, with 40 regions in the state, it’s difficult to keep track of them all.
While the Georgia High School Association has its own default tiebreakers, the GHSA allows each region to use any tiebreaking method it wishes. GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin said a little less than half of the state’s regions use its recommended tiebreakers, meaning most of the schools and their fans are dealing with whichever method region representatives determined in a preseason meeting.
But Swearngin says the GHSA doesn’t want to wield too much control over what regions do.
“We feel very strongly that there should be a distribution of powers,” Swearngin said. “We feel like the people that are involved in the region need to make the decision that works best for their region. We like the individual autonomy.”
Roswell coach Tim McFarlin - a coach who may end up dealing with one of the more complicated tiebreaker scenarios in a couple of weeks if his Hornets tie with Chattahoochee and Centennial - said he appreciates the GHSA allowing regions to decide these matters for themselves but that something needs to be done about the wildly varying region sizes, complicating playoff scenarios while 5-5 teams go to the postseason and 8-2 teams stay home.
Swearngin said the confusion is mostly an issue of poor communication, and he agreed that posting each region’s tiebreaking formula on the GHSA Web site could be a viable option.
You make the call: What do you think? Should the GHSA decide on one uniform tiebreaking formula for each of the state’s regions? Would placing each region’s formula online be a good compromise? Is there another solution? How much worse does region size make this problem?
Pile on! Got a high school sports issue for Jeff to tackle? E-mail him here.
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Ramblin’ thoughts…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s get ready to ramble … Watch your step for sentence fragments …
Carver of Columbus is the club in AAA. … Pollmeister finally convinced. …
Region 2-AAA triangle of Carver, LaGrange, Shaw on 50-game winning streak when not playing another member of The Triangle. Or Peach County. …
All-class player of the year … DeRon Furr? Tijuan Green? Debrale Smiley? Matt Roark? Tavarres King? … Nominees being accepted. …
Kenny Miles, 200-something yards rushing per game at Brookwood. Brookwood’s best running back ever? C. Smith? P. Freeman? M. Townsend? K. Miles? …
Brookwood, unranked. …No. 9 Chattahoochee d. No. 10 Roswell d. No. 11 Brookwood. Gut feel: Brookwood d. Roswell d. Chattahoochee. …
Hoping Cougar Mom’s Internet is down. …
Thomasville. … A two-loss team ranked No. 3 in Class AA. The tradition is back. Two schools from the Rose City coming to the Dome. …
Dooly vs. Wilcox. State game of week. …
Tucker. … Can’t pass, won’t win state. AAAA = TCC, Northside, Habersham. …
Discuss.
Talk back to Todd: Holcomb chats live with YOU each Monday, starting at 7 p.m. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about the rankings.
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Mundy’s Mill has uphill climb
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s time for the Mundy’s Mill Tigers to be greedy.
At 4-2-1 overall and 2-1 in Region 4-AAAAA, they’re all but certain to make the playoffs, closing the seasons as they do against struggling Morrow and Paulding County.
It’s likely, then, that their game Friday at Newnan will decide second place in the region. Win, and three weeks hence you’ll likely be playing at home, and you keep your region championship hopes alive. Beat Newnan and then Newnan beats East Coweta, and the possibility of a three-way tie for first is in play.
All of which makes this next fact unfortunate: The Tigers will be without multi-talented quarterback Miguel Starks, who was ejected from last week’s loss to East Coweta. If this is going to get done, the defense will have to have a stellar game and running back Quintory Braswell will have to have a big game.
Newnan, meanwhile, has outscored its opponents 246-61. Says here, Mundy’s Mill is in for a difficult night, and a loss is on the way.
MOVING ON …
Of the three teams in 4-AAAA Division A that have two losses, Jonesboro has the toughest path to a region playoff spot. The Cardinals face a road game at a hot Griffin team this week and a grudge match against Mt. Zion. Clint Satterfield’s club has a chance, but it’s hard to see them sweeping the next two …
FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK
Mt. Zion vs. North Clayton
7:30 p.m. Friday, Tara Stadium
RECORDS: Mt. Zion (2-4, 2-2 Region 4-AAAA Division A); North Clayton (4-3, 3-1).
COACHES: Mt. Zion, Jarrett Laws (2-4); North Clayton, Don Shockley (81-64-1).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mt. Zion — RB Martin Ward (Sr., 5-10, 195), WR Rashad Boone (Sr., 5-10, 170), OL Gideon Scott (Sr., 6-3, 305); North Clayton — DB Edward Ndem (Sr., 6-1, 190), DT Albert Carlisle (Jr., 6-0, 245), WR Daamon Cooper (Sr., 5-10, 160), OL/DL Devin Redmand (Soph., 6-1, 260).
LAST YEAR: North Clayton won, 32-14.
LAST WEEK: Mt. Zion beat Forest Park 20-12 in overtime; North Clayton beat Jonesboro 17-0. THE SKINNY: Currently sitting in a three-way tie for third place in the division, Mt. Zion can scarcely afford another loss. The Bulldogs breathed life into their fading playoff hopes by beating Forest Park in overtime last week, and picking up a third sub-region win would solidify their chances.
North Clayton, meanwhile, rediscovered its defense in a 17-0 victory against Jonesboro last week, the Eagles’ third shutout. With a win they virtually assure themselves of playing host to a region playoff game.
PREDICTION: North Clayton, 21-12 .
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Fayette Co. seeks playoff homefield
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It might not have been much of a reach to say Fayette County was the region favorite, given the lay of the land in Region 2-AAAA. Fayette County had virtually everyone back from last year, while most of the rest of the region suffered mightily from graduation.
Still, taking a page right out of the Jimmy Rollins playbook, Fayette County coach Tommy Webb said he felt his team was the team to beat, which surely generated no small number of arched eyebrows. This was, after all, Fayette County, they of the occasionally competitive, but often sordid, football history. If ever a program was worthy of taking a wait-and-see attitude, this was it.
The arches have all but disappeared now, for the Tigers (7-0, 5-0) indeed are the team to beat. They face Banneker Friday with a chance to clinch a home playoff berth. Get by the Trojans, and they’ll be favored in their final two games against McIntosh and Starr’s Mill.
10-0? Fayette County? Well, even I’m not willing to put the cart that far in front of the horse. We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it. Says here, though, the Tigers will be 8-0 come Friday night.
MOVING ON … Starr’s Mill has made seven playoff appearances in the past eight years, but that run is in jeopardy. The Panthers, who play host to Woodward Academy Friday, lost head-to-head against Creekside, the current fourth-place team in Region 2-AAAA, which means they must win two more games than the Seminoles.
Says here, Starr’s Mill takes care of Woodward and survives in the hunt for the playoffs another week.
DIGGIN’ IT
Whitewater’s Casey Howett made 18 digs from the libero position, helping the Lady Wildcats to a third-place finish in the Area 3-AAAA Tournament …
FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK
Sandy Creek at Haralson County
7:30 p.m. Friday
RECORDS: Sandy Creek 4-3, 3-1 Region 6-AAA; Haralson County 5-2, 2-2.
COACHES: Sandy Creek, Chip Walker (18-11); Haralson County, Frank Vohun (117-69).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sandy Creek — OL Chris Spaulding (Sr., 6-0, 270), TB Josh Williams (Sr. 5-9, 180), DE/TE Alex Green (Jr., 6-0, 240), CB Josh Holt (5-10, 175), S Jeremy Hold (Sr., 6-3, 185).
LAST YEAR: Sandy Creek won, 37-7.
LAST WEEK: Sandy Creek beat Carrollton 28-14; Haralson County beat Villa Rica 44-41.
THE SKINNY: Suddenly, Sandy Creek is a region championship contender. The Patriots’ upset of then-No. 3-ranked Carrollton last week not only contributed to the juggling of the Class AAA rankings, it put The Creek in control of its own destiny.
“If we win them all, we take the top spot,” said Walker. Not a fait accompli, to be sure, for Cass and Cedartown are both much-improved over last year, as is Haralson County, which is averaging more than 30 points per game. Walker said the Rebels have the best collection of skilled players his club has faced, but Sandy Creek’s defense has been solid all season.
PREDICTION: Sandy Creek, 23-17.
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ELCA has great Hope in softball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Question of the week: Can anyone in Class A softball handle Eagle’s Landing Christian pitcher Hope Rush?
The Class A North Sectional gave little indication that they could. Rush struck out 34 batters of the 45 outs she recorded in three games at the sectional, during which she tossed two no-hitters.
The competition this weekend in Columbus undoubtedly will be stiffer, but with Rush toeing the rubber, the Lady Chargers, who are 31-6 overall, have to be considered the favorite to repeat as state champions. Rush has allowed three earned runs in 206 innings and has 25 shutouts.
MOVING ON… O-la, OlaOlaOla, O-la, O-La. OK, it’s volleyball, but the soccer hooligan chant seems in order for the Ola’s team, which won the Region 4-AAA title over the weekend. If that’s not the school’s fight song, it should be considered …
Speaking of fledgling programs … The Woodland volleyball team, which qualified for the state tournament, almost defines fledgling with seven freshmen, one sophomore and two juniors.
FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK Henry County at Mary Persons 7:30 p.m. Friday
Records: Henry County 6-1, 3-0 Region 4-AAA Division A; Mary Persons 5-2, 3-0.
Coaches: Henry County, Mike Rozier (17-50); Mary Persons, Rodney Walker (269-125-3).
Players to watch: Henry County - WR/DB Chris Jackson (Sr., 6-1, 195), WR Jamal Patterson (Jr., 6-3, 205), QB Drew Little (Jr., 6-4, 240). Eagle’s Landing - LB/RB Ben Barnes (Sr., 6-2, 185), WR/DB Brock Callahan (Sr., 5-10, 170), QB Dylan Shaddix (Soph., 6-2, 200).
Last year: Henry County won, 22-14.
Last week: Henry County beat Spalding 21-10; Mary Persons beat Eagle’s Landing 28-7.
The skinny: The Warhawks make the short trip down I-75 with a chance to make history by the helmetful. They’ve won six straight, and haven’t won seven in a row since 1993. They can clinch the sub-region crown by beating the resurgent Bulldogs, which might well be the first time ever Henry County and football championship are words that can be paired in a truthful sentence. They’re also going for their third seven-win season since 1969.
On the other side of the field, Mary Persons coach Rodney Walker goes in search of his 270th career victory. Henry’s biggest hurdle has been special teams. The Warhawks have adjusted to moving with the underneath passing game and have continued to be productive, and the defense has been deceptively good all year; opponents have consistently burned Henry in the return game. If they get that squared away, Little, Jackson and Patterson should be enough to make that historical mark.
Prediction: Henry County, 27-23.
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Extreme team makeovers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
America loves a makeover.
Nip and tuck! Pimp my ride! Move that bus! And to tell the truth, high school football fans here are no different. And we have just as tough a time believing what we see of the “afters” when we remember what the “befores” looked like.
Time was — and I speak of the not-too-distant past — that “undefeated” and “Carver-Atlanta” did not belong in the same sentence. But after the Panthers defeat Southside on Saturday, they’ll be a sparkling 7-0 and a cinch to claim one of Region 5-AAA’s playoff berths.
I can remember watching Carver practice when 19 players would be on the field and only a handful of those knew which end of the helmet faced forward. They weren’t dumb. But the way they would get plowed weekly, the facemask was as likely to face forward as backward.
And what of Fayette County, East Paulding, Cross Creek and Jenkins? Does anybody recognize these guys? Teams that were once but one step ahead of the Winless Protection Program’s special agents sport unblemished records. These are they that bring hope to the Meadowcreeks, Cross Keyses and Druid Hillses of the world.
Fayette County takes on Banneker today, and the special thing about this stop on the Tigers’ Loss-Avenging Tour of 2007 is that this one should all but clinch the Region 2-AAAA championship free and clear. They were 2-8 a year ago, helped into that pit by Banneker, which spanked them 36-20. Everybody else who roughed up Tommy Webb’s team last season has paid the price so far. So now shall Banneker.
None of the makeover unbeatens has it particularly easy today. Glenn Hills will give Cross Creek a battle. Cherokee, smarting from last week’s 48-21 rout by Douglas County, will probably go to the wire with East Paulding before falling short.
Jenkins will have it even harder because only the Warriors from among the aforementioned bunch won’t escape tonight unscathed. But when was the last time Jenkins and Camden County went into a late October game tied for first in their region, with their game deciding its No. 1 playoff seed?
Fitzgerald at Thomasville: Couldn’t let this one pass, since you won’t find it in type this big anywhere else on the page. But a pair of Region 1-AA heavyweights (5-0 in league play) go at it.
I started the season on the wrong foot, giving Irwin County too much credit in opening its new stadium, against Fitzgerald, which won that day and every outing since. The Purple Hurricanes have done nothing but win — including last week’s 24-21 victory on the road at formidable Early County. That having been said, it says here that the homestanding Bulldogs will finally snap their string of futility against them.
They are too evenly matched for one team to maintain an extended domination. Thomasville has had an extra week to focus on nothing but Fitzgerald and it’s about time that pays off.
LISTMANIA: And now, without further delay, The Weekend Predix. Check the list, then return to scream, rant, holler, praise, genuflect at the shrine of, give shoutouts to or mount a protest against Maxie right here.
Video: Lights! Camera! MAXIE! See Darryl prognosticate.
Mad about Maxie? Our fearless prognosticator awaits YOUR comments. Are his patented Predix right on or way off? Throw down with D-Max now!
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Take 10: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My fellow fans, if you make Take Ten the Grand Poobah of Georgia high school football, you will not regret it. We will make changes that benefit the masses and entertain ourselves at the same time. As great as the sport is around here, there are ways to make it better. And while Take Ten’s self-serving nature would give each stadium comfy recliners for the press and professional stat-keepers to make our jobs simple, these changes go beyond that.
We want to make Georgia a better place for high school football with our magic wand. These are our promises to you, the fans, if you vote to help put Take Ten in office.
10: No more “top two teams qualify from each subregion”
As of now, regions that divide into subregions are given the choice of how they want to determine their playoff participants. Many of them send the top two teams from each subregion to the postseason. But the goal of each region should be to send its best representatives to the playoffs, and subregions too often are unbalanced. Three teams from a subregion must be allowed.
9: Teams can’t play up
Under our rule, teams won’t have the option to play in a higher classification than the one to which they’re assigned. As the ultimate ruler, we sometimes have to save schools from themselves when they’re drawn by the allure of Class AAAAA. Everyone stays where they belong.
8: Eliminate neutral-site counties
DeKalb is the biggest example of a county where the schools play at neutral-site municipal stadiums. No more. Overnight, we would give each school its own stadium, complete with Sprinturf, a JumboTron and plush carpeting in the press box. And each DeKalb football coach would love us unconditionally.
7: Tigers, Bears and Eagles not allowed
There are too many of these team names at the pro and college levels. In fact, all the copied names would be tossed aside, while teams like the Atom Smashers and the Syrupmakers would be spotted 10 points in every game until their opponents came up with a name worth having.
6: Coin flips are gone
Sure, we’ll keep them for determining possession at the beginning of a game or overtime, but that’s it. No flipping coins for playoff tie-breakers or for home-field advantage. We’d find some tie-breaker, no matter how convoluted it seemed, or just rule by fiat if necessary. And if we had to use something completely arbitrary like a coin flip, we’d turn to Paper-Rock-Scissors.
5: Dump the PAT kicks
What’s the point, anyway? Even at the high school level, they’re pretty rarely missed. It’s such a simple kick that we might even be able to make it every once in awhile. Let’s either make teams go for two every time or just have six points be the end of it.
4: No more automatic touchbacks
Why is it more dangerous for kids to run back kicks from the end zone than it is for them to run them back from the 1-yard line? Let them play. If a returner thinks he can get the ball out past the 20, he should be able to go for it. And if the coverage team can snag the guy before he gets there, they should be rewarded for that too.
3: Put microphones on the officials
If you’re looking down or sitting on the visitor’s side, you often can’t tell what the call is on a penalty, even if you do know what the hand signal for an equipment violation is. So why not give the officials a microphone like the college and NFL referees use? Even if our heads were buried in a vat of greasy nachos, we could still hear the call loud enough for us to scream about how wrong they were.
2: Instant replay for semifinals (and maybe the finals)
Some other states are already doing it, and it’s time for Georgia to give it a shot. You can’t hold back technology, even though we love to try. The semifinals at the Dome would be the perfect time to have it as an experiment because the technology is in place. The GHSA could provide it for the finals, since there are only five games.
1: Give us a play clock
It’s about time to get this done. Coaches and players don’t know how much time is left on the play clock. There’s too much opportunity for officials to give, or not give, leeway on the issue. Officials call delay of game, and everybody’s confused. There would be some cost, but it seems like that’s something that can be overcome. An electronic play clock could open up offenses, allowing for more opportunities for shifts and complex sets.
Go on. Take Ten. What would you do if you had the job of changing high school football? Let us know.
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Football fights cause GHSA concern
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For two weeks in a row, fights have ended high school football games early.
First, it was Luella-Union Grove, resulting in 10 suspended players and triple-digit fines for both teams. Then, it was Glenn Hills-Thomson, where a smaller, but still alarming, altercation led to one suspended player.
Two fights does not necessarily equal a trend, but it does mean coaches and administrators should be turning their awareness levels up a notch or two.
“One way of looking at it is [that] two [fights] out of 300 games isn’t a big deal,” Georgia High School Association executive director Ralph Swearngin said. “Our standpoint is that one is too many. We don’t think it’s a trend, but we’re concerned.”
While Swearngin was quick to point out that the administrators at the schools handled the incidents as well as they could, he also had to levy punishment on Luella and Union Grove after watching video of Union Grove players entering the Luella sideline to initiate the altercation two weeks ago.
Those two schools are now on watch for the next calendar year, with much stiffer penalties to come if they have similar issues.
GHSA rules state that players who are ejected from one game must sit out the next game. A second ejection during the same season would result in at least a two-game suspension, and the school may have to show cause why the student shouldn’t be out longer. A third ejection would be an automatic season-long suspension.
Penalties for teams can include everything from small fines to shutting down the entire program, with postseason ineligibility being a reasonable middle-of-the-road option.
You make the call: Are these penalties strong enough? Does something need to be done to prevent fights like these from occurring in the future? If so, what can the GHSA or schools themselves do to take preemptive action on in-game fighting like we’ve seen the past two weeks?
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4 questions, including who will win Grayson-Brookwood
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who wins the Grayson-Brookwood game?
For the record, I have been on the Grayson bandwagon from the start of the season. I also have been one of Brookwood’s biggest doubters. I even picked the Broncos to win less than six games.
But unlike a stubborn coach who continues to run dive plays up the middle with no success, I’m not afraid to make an adjustment.
I’m taking the Broncos, but still believe they’re out in the second round of the playoffs.
Kenny Miles is on top of the MVP race, and coach Mark Crews is my Coach of the Year right now.
Should be a dandy.
What’s your biggest coaching pet peeve?
I do not understand how coaches choose not take a shot at the end zone on the last play before half, even if you’re ahead.
I’ve seen it several times in high school games this season, where coaches elect to allow the clock to run out rather than throw a Hail Mary. I realize high school quarterbacks might lack the arm strength to attempt a deep ball from anywhere beyond midfield. But doesn’t tossing one deep have more potential of getting lucky than kneeling down?
I don’t buy the fear of an interception being returned for a score, either. How many successful Hail Mary’s have you seen? Now, how many have you seen intercepted and returned for touchdowns?
Whose offense is worse: Georgia’s or Georgia Tech’s?
At first glance, I would have said the Yellow Jackets are much worse. But there’s really not much difference between the two.
Georgia is tied for 55th in the nation in total offense, averaging 28.14 points per game.
Georgia Tech is 57th, averaging 28.13 points.
Still, I’ll take Stafford over Bennett any day.
Am I the worst high school fantasy football player ever?
Yes.
Am I still giving it 110 percent? Absolutely.
Am I Meadowcreek? Only time will tell.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Dork Off Results
SEASON SCOREBOARD Gwinnett 4, State 3
The Kurt Dynasty — 4
Karl Werl’s (680 The Fan) Wrecking Crew — 3
DP’s Dandies — 0
Week 7 Results
Karl Werl’s Wrecking Crew — 100 + Jarboe
Matt Roark — 39 points (5 TDs 215 yds passing)
Tijuan Green — 27 (3 TDs 113)
Kenny Miles — 30 (3 TDs 186)
Rico Mack — 18 (77 yards 2 TDs)
Josh Jarboe — who had at least one touchdowns and likely over 100 yards in 56-3 win over North Springs
Tucker D — 14 points allowed
Kurt Dynasty — 54
T.J. Smith — 6 (176 yards)
Cisco Berry — 9 (131)
Demetris Murray — 18 2 TDs, 62)
Brice Butler — 21 (116, 2 TDs)
Devonta Bolton — 0 (23 yards)
Buford D — 0 points allowed
DP’s Wilting Dandies — 53
Brent Snell — 0 (22 yds)
Kenny Miles — 30 (3 TDs, 186)
Tyler Jarryn— 20 (2 TDs,64)
Christian Robinson — 12 (TD, 74)
Isaiah Jupiter — 6 (78)
Dacula D -15 points allowed
Want to prove yourself worthy of taking on staff writers David Purdum and Kurt Aschermann, as well as 680 The Fan’s Play-by-Play voice Karl Werl in a game of high school fantasy football?
Post your team —- 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WR, 1 defensive team —- on Purdum’s blog on ajc.com/sports/content/sports/highschool before 2 p.m. Thursday. (Look for the cool-looking bald guy on the left side of the page to find the blog.)
Feel free to e-mail your team to dpurdum@ajc.com or kaschermann@ajc.com as well.
You can use any combination of players from across the state, while Aschermann and Purdum will use only Gwinnett County players. Because, as everyone knows, Gwinnett plays the best brand of football.
One reader-submitted team will be selected each week based on the creativity of the team name. That selected team will be posted on Friday’s blog and in the Gwinnett News, along with Aschermann’s and Purdum’s teams.
If that reader’s team outscores both of the writers’ teams, they will receive a special prize from the wardrobe of Aschermann and Purdum.
Scoring System
(Note: Due to limited stats, QBs/WRs do not receive points for rushing yards; RBs no points for receiving yards)
Passing
100-200 yards - 6
200-300 yards - 9
More than 300 - 15
Rushing/Receiving
50-99 yards - 6
100-150 - 9
151-199 - 12
More than 200 - 15
Rushing/Receiving/Passing TDs - 6
Defense: Every point the opposing team scores is subtracted from your total.
Permalink | Comments (25) | Post your comment | Categories: David Purdum
Ranked or not, Broncos title contenders
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More and more, it’s looking like Brookwood.
I’ve looked into the Poll Talk crystal ball, forecasting the Class AAAAA playoffs through to the state championship, and the most surprising thing — and I’m just as shocked as you will be — is that Brookwood is going to play for the title game.
I know, I know. The PT crystal ball is the most metro-biased, Gwinnett-loving, Brookwood-snuggling prognostication tool this side of AJC sportswriters. Brookwood isn’t even ranked in this week’s poll!
But here’s how it’s going down:
Brookwood wins at home Friday against Grayson, essentially locking up the No. 1 seed in Region 8. My colleagues from Gwinnett, David Purdum and Larry Hartstein, who watch their games and then study film on Sundays, each tell me that Grayson wins this one, but that’s not what I saw in the ball. Sorry.
Then, after getting the No. 1 seed in Region 8, Brookwood has a sweet draw:
Round One: Sprayberry. Easy win.
Round Two: North Gwinnett. It was 22-21 the first time the two met, but this time, it’s a BCS game. (Brookwood Community Stadium). This time, it’s Broncos by one. It’s just too hard to beat a good team twice.
Quarterfinals: Valdosta. The Wildcats will beat the spread this time but won’t beat Brookwood.
Semifinals: Harrison. Tough game. Real tough game. Especially now that I’ve awakened to realize this will be at the Georgia Dome and not at BCS. But the ball is still picking BW. When’s the last time a Cobb team beat a Gwinnett team in the playoffs? Probably when Harrison beat Brookwood a couple of years ago, but that was at Harrison. Brookwood gets revenge.
Final: Lowndes or Norcross. This is where the luck runs out, but you can bank on this much: It’s Brookwood to the title game.
Now, for the rest.
The state champion is going to be Lowndes. I really think the Poll Talk ball favors Norcross but is afraid that South Georgia would boycott Poll Talk if it was an all-Gwinnett final.
Oh, I forgot to mention: Norcross is going to beat North Gwinnett in Game 10 and get the No. 1 seed in Region 7. If that doesn't happen, the whole house of cards collapses and Brookwood is out in Round Two. (I've since been told that coin tosses will decide the No. 1 seed in R7, so apparently Norcross will be winning that lottery, as well.).Couple of other things:
Valdosta lost on purpose to Lowndes on Friday.
That’s right, the ‘Cats tanked it.
By losing, Valdosta remained in prime position to get the favorable No. 3 seed in Region 1-AAAAA, which puts the ‘Cats in line to face a soft No. 2 seed (Jenkins), then a soft No. 1 seed (East Coweta).
You’d rather not be the No. 1 out of Region 1 because that means a second-round game with Stephenson.
In fact, the recent MLK-Stephenson game was huge because the loser (Stephenson) is probably headed to Lowndes in round two, while the winner (MLK) stays home for the second round against probably Coffee.
OK, here’s how it goes:
FIRST ROUND:
Lowndes d. Windsor Forest 37-0
Stephenson d. Mundy’s Mill 21-7
North Cobb d. Mill Creek 38-21
Chattahoochee d. South Gwinnett 26-7
Camden d. Tift 21-6
Douglass at Newnan 7-6
Norcross d. Etowah 34-14
Grayson d. Roswell 13-10
Parkview d. Walton 23-21
Harrison d. Peachtree Ridge 17-16
MLK d. Hiram 7-0
Coffee d. Bradwell 42-14
Brookwood d. Sprayberry 35-3
North Gwinnett d. Marietta 28-17
East Coweta d. Redan 21-6
Valdosta d. Jenkins 24-20
SECOND ROUND
Lowndes d. Stephenson 14-0
North Cobb d. Chattahoochee 27-21
Camden d. Luella 34-6
Norcross d. Grayson 21-14
Harrison d. Parkview 17-10
MLK d. Coffee 19-14
Brookwood d. North Gwinnett 22-21
Valdosta d. East Coweta 21-0
QUARTERFINALS
Lowndes d. North Cobb 20-13
Norcross d. Camden 28-14
Harrison d. MLK 21-6
Brookwood d. Valdosta 27-7
SEMIFINALS
Lowndes d. Norcross 14-13
Brookwood d. Harrison 10-9
FINAL
Lowndes d. Brookwood 14-7
(Editor’s note: Join Todd Holcomb live Monday nights from 7-9 to discuss his poll rankings.)
Permalink | Comments (288) | Categories: Poll talk
Find balance, go far; Fantasy line-ups
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Balance. Mr. Miyagi wanted it for Daniel son, and I want it from my offense … unless I have Kenny Miles.
But even with Miles, teams without balance will struggle, come playoff time. A lack of balance is why as good as Brookwood and Grayson have been I believe neither will make it out of the second round of the playoffs.
In contrast, North Gwinnett, Norcross and Peachtree Ridge will be advancing at least to the quarterfinals on my bracket.
But is having balance more important than fitting your system to your personnel? Most coaches would disagree. Habersham Central coach Gene Cathcart scrapped his power running game for a wide-open, four-receiver spread offense this season.
“It’s really not that different,” said Cathcart. “We didn’t switch a lot of our terminology, but this just allowed us to get our best 11 players on the field at the same time.”
It’s certainly working. Habersham was extremely impressive in last week’s demolishing of Dacula.
In Gwinnett, coach Dennis Roland, a spread aficionado, installed his offense at Central Gwinnett, which, for years, had been a power running team. I’ve heard grumblings that the offense doesn’t fit the personnel and that it is one of the biggest reasons that Central is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time four seasons. I don’t necessarily agree, because as I pointed out, having some sort of balance is a must in the long run, in my eyes.
(Central side note: Former Black Knight Danny O’Rourke, a 1994 graduate, is now the linebackers coach at Navy.)
So my question to you guys and gals is: Which is more important — having a balanced offense or fitting your system to the personnel?
Fantasy Line-Ups
Last week ended in a thrilling tie. Thanks to everyone for helping w/ stats. You’re welcome to play again and try to beat my colleague Kurt Aschermann, 680 the Fan’s Play-by-Play Voice Karl Werl and yours truly. Post your team—1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 Defense—on the blog anytime before Friday’s kickoffs, and I’ll do my best to track down stats.
Season Scoreboard
Gwinnett 4, State 2 w/ 1 tie
Kurt 4, Karl 2, DP 0, but still trying hard
Here are this week’s lineups (I’ll add yours as entries are received).
Karl’s Wrecking Crew
QB Matt Roark, N. Cobb
RB Tijuan Green, Northside-WR
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood
WR Rico Mack, N. Cobb
WR Josh Jarboe, Cedar Grove
Def Tucker
The Kurt Dynasty
QB T.J. Smith, Berkmar
RB Cisco Berry, Dacula
RB Demetris Murray, Buford
WR Brice Butler, Norcross
WR Devonta Bolten, Norcross
Def Buford
DP’s Wilting Dandies
QB Brent Snell, South Gwinnett
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood
RB Tyler Jarrey, North Gwinnett
WR Christian Robinson, GAC
WR Isaiah Jupiter, Berkmar
Def Dacula
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: David Purdum
Warhawks will squeak by Jags
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On the one hand, it’s tempting to ponder whether anyone can slow down Henry County. The Warhawks are 5-1, have won five straight, and are averaging 35 points per game. On the other hand, the six teams they’ve played are a combined 10-26, and it’s reasonable to wonder when the bubble might burst; four of Henry’s games have ended with a margin of a touchdown or less. Without question, Spalding will be the best defensive team QB Drew Little and company have faced. The Jaguars (4-2, 1-1 Region 4-AAA Division A) have allowed just 38 points through six games and have two shutouts. Plus, there’s the question of whether multi-talented WR Chris Jackson will play after suffering a leg injury last week. Says here, Henry squeaks by yet again.
REIGN OF TERROR
Eagle’s Landing Christian pitcher Hope Rush enters the state sectionals as the one pivotal player in Class A, and if her performance in the Region 5-A tournament is any indication, the other teams, including opening opponent Aquinas, better be ready. Rush allowed one hit in four games and struck out 40 in four games, lowering her ERA to 0.11 as the Lady Chargers won their third consecutive region title …
GAME OF THE WEEK
Jackson at Ola — 7:30 p.m. Friday
RECORDS: Jackson 1-5, 0-2 Region 4-AAA Division A; Ola 2-4, 1-1.
COACHES: Jackson, Mike Parris (119-58); Ola, Jack Hines (4-12).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: WR/P Cameron Bennett (Sr., 6-2, 170), LB/FB Kenny James (Sr., 6-2, 220), QB Dylan Jones (Sr., 6-1, 180), DT Jake Hollingsworth (Sr., 6-1, 270).
LAST YEAR: Jackson won, 28-7.
LAST WEEK: Jackson lost to Mary Persons 24-21; Ola beat Spalding 7-6.
THE SKINNY: In all likelihood, this game is the “we get to face defending state champion Peach County in the region playoff” sweepstakes. Both of these clubs have struggling Eagle’s Landing left on their regular-season schedules. Jackson has won at least nine games each of the past five seasons and hasn’t had a losing year since 2001, when it went 4-6. The Mustangs snapped a four-game losing streak with their 7-6 victory against Spalding last week, their best defensive effort of the season.
PREDICTION: Jackson, 20-12.
Permalink | | Categories: Henry
Cards-Eagles battle for second
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They play in the weaker half of Region 4-AAAA — at least, that’s the conventional wisdom — so everything here is kind of relative. But when Jonesboro takes on North Clayton Saturday at Twelve Oaks Stadium, second-place in 4-AAAA Division A will be on the line. If the playoffs started this week, the difference between second place and third place is a home game vs. Baldwin (second) as opposed to a road game at Upson-Lee (third). Frankly, Jonesboro would probably be happy with either, but to make the state playoffs, a win in this game is almost certainly mandatory. Says here, North Clayton’s defense will be too tough for Jonesboro to crack.
MOVING ON …
Morrow has lost three straight, so the Mustangs really can’t afford to take anyone lightly. That said, this weeks opponent, Paulding County, is 0-6 and four of those losses have been by at least 23 points. The Patriots come to Tara Stadium Saturday night as perhaps the most struggling team in 4-AAAAA. Says here, Morrow grabs a W.
GAME OF THE WEEK
East Coweta at Mundy’s Mill, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Twelve Oaks Stadium
RECORDS: East Coweta (6-1, 3-0 Region 4-AAAAA) Mundy’s Mill (4-1-1, 2-0).
COACHES: East Coweta, Danny Cronic (213-108-1) Mundy’s Mill, Kenny Barrow (40-23-1).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: East Coweta - RB Tim McGill (Jr., 6-1, 235), LB Joe Frazier (Sr., 5-10, 215). Mundy’s Mill - RB Quintory Braswell (Sr., 5-9, 180), QB Miguel Starks (Sr., 6-2, 204), OL Darius Mitchell (Jr., 6-0, 390).
LAST YEAR: East Coweta won, 49-6.
LAST WEEK: Mundy’s Mill beat Tri-Cities 37-6; Mundy’s Mill beat Hiram 27-10.
THE SKINNY: Yes, Mundy’s Mill lost to a rebuilding Riverdale club and tied a winless Forest Park team. But sit that aside for a moment. The Tigers take the field Friday at Twelve Oaks with a chance to seize first place in Region 4-AAAAA. It’s a daunting task; they’ll have to slow down East Coweta’s Tim McGill, which basically no one else has done yet. But Mundy’s Mill is coming off its most impressive performance in a whipping of Hiram and has won three straight.
PREDICTION: East Coweta, 24-20.
Permalink | | Categories: Clayton
Fayette not ready to fold
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Fayette County Tigers are in that place now where it’s tempting to ponder a season for the ages. Given that Fayette has had precious few seasons that were good, let alone special, that’s reasonable. The challenge, then, becomes whether they can maintain the one-game-at-a-time focus. Yeah, it’s cliché, and I’m not gonna shy away from it since, you know, it’s my blog. But it’s also proven to work, particularly in football. But I digress. The Tigers face for the first time a Westlake team that may be more talented than they are, but this Fayette group seems to be coming up with answers to all the questions. Says here, Fayette moves to 7-0 for the first time since 1980.
MOVING ON …
Set aside winning for a moment. The question for McIntosh is when will points come? The Chiefs have suffered three straight shutout losses, the last two to county rivals Starr’s Mill and Whitewater. So whether they can open the bagel on the scoreboard and staving off the ignominy of an extended shutout streak is a compelling reason to pay attention to their game against Woodward Academy. Says here, the Chiefs will lose and fall to 1-7. But I really think they’ll score at some point and find a way to make this game competitive.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Starr’s Mill at Whitewater — 7:30 p.m. Friday
RECORDS: Starr’s Mill 3-3, 2-2 Region 2-AAAA; Whitewater 5-1, 4-1.
COACHES: Starr’s Mill, Mike Earwood (171-72-1); Whitewater, Amos McCreary (101-47)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Starr’s Mill — QB Matt Sweat (Sr., 6-0, 185), LB Parker duPont (Sr., 6-0, 210), CB Santrez Collier (Sr., 6-10, 165). Whitewater — FB Collin Wooddy (Sr., 6-1.210), CB Chris Asbury (Sr., 5-9, 175), DE Thomas Richard (Jr., 6-1, 200).
LAST YEAR: Whitewater won, 15-14.
LAST WEEK: Starr’s Mill was off; Whitewater beat McIntosh 27-0.
THE SKINNY: It’s the battle of Georgia Highway 85, and in a scant two years it may have become the county’s most heated rivalry. This is a season-defining game for both teams. Whitewater is a solid second place in 2-AAAA, has won four straight and has not allowed more than two touchdowns since a season-opening loss to Newnan. Meanwhile, Starr’s Mill has been up and down, commensurate with a team that has just two senior skilled players on its two-deep depth chart. The Panthers, though, have a bitter taste in their mouths left over from a narrow loss to Whitewater last year that turned on a disputed call. Starr’s Mill has been a little more consistent on offense and also has had two weeks to heal and iron out trouble spots.
PREDICTION: Starr’s Mill, 14-12.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Fayette
UG-Luella FB fight: Were you there?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Officials at Union Grove and Luella await possible penalties from the GHSA after this past Friday’s game was halted following an altercation on the Luella sideline that resulted in 10 players being ejected. Were you there? If so, what did you see? Keep comments clean and respectful.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Forum
Mays coach should return - pronto
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Floyd Mack. Terry Davis. Darrell Caldwell. Rodney Hackney. Jesse Solomon.
Mays has had a long line of head football coaches in a short time — since 2001. And now, the aforementioned Jesse William Solomon is wondering if the players of whom he is so fond, the players for whom he has gone the extra mile and then some, will have yet another football coach.
That depends on Atlanta Public Schools. It has a hearing scheduled in which it will decide whether Solomon should be let go, or — more correctly, it says here — allowed to resume his duties.
APS is concerned that Solomon might’ve been less than forthcoming about his past when it hired him. It learned that the state of Florida was trying to contact the coach about a pair of incidents in which he disciplined a student in Palm Beach in 2003.
The Palm Beach board had investigated and found Solomon had done nothing wrong in either case. Solomon thought that was the end of that, but concern about whether he would continue to enjoy the support of his administration led him to resign. He spent two years as a Cairo assistant. Then he began building at Mays.
He left Florida with a valid certificate and, to his knowledge, no pending cases against him. A year into his work at the southwest Atlanta school, he learned different.
Don’t cast APS as the heavy for trying to make sure things are kosher. But it seems to be asking: Why didn’t you tell us when we hired you that which you first learned from us a year later?
In less than two years, Solomon, who turns 44 next month, has done a stellar job — and not just because he’s produced the winningest program among the Atlanta public schools over that span. He’s raised more than $50,000, including $5,000 in an NFL celebrity golf tournament, using contacts from his pro football-playing days with the Vikings, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Falcons and Dolphins.
Pre-Solomon Mays didn’t have a weight room, a water fountain for the practice field, video equipment or a tower from which to tape practices. It has that now, and more — including a jacuzzi to help prevent and treat injuries.
In short, Solomon is good news for Mays the way Darren Myles is for Carver-Atlanta, the way Rodney Cofield is for Washington and several other coaches who could be named here.
There seems no need to drag Solomon through the same kind of process that former McNair coach Johnny Gilbert had to endure two years ago in DeKalb County. The charges against Gilbert were infinitely more titillating, but after being arrested, held without bond and enduring months of trying to clear his good name, the coach finally won. But what price, vindication?
Here’s the most important prediction for this week: If APS digs deep, does its due diligence and resists the urge to take action for the sake of appearances, Solomon will be back on the sidelines. Post haste. In his absence, Mays beats Miller Grove.
MAXIE’S WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 126-42 (.750)
Season: 880-236 (.789)
FRIDAY
Winner / Loser
Alexander / Osborne
Athens Acad. / Athens Chr.
Atkinson Co. / Pelham
Avondale / Decatur
Bainbridge / Lee Co.
Baldwin / Jones Co.
Banks Co. / Union Co.
Banneker / Northgate
Benedictine / South Effingham
Berkmar / Parkview
Brookstone / Cent.-Talbotton
Brookwood / South Gwinnett
Buford / Walker
Burke Co. / Hephzibah
Cairo / Worth Co.
Calhoun / Adairsville
Camden Co. / Beach
Campbell / McEachern
Carrollton / Sandy Creek
Cartersville / Cedartown
Carver-Columbus / Harris Co.
Cass / Cent.-Carroll
Cedar Grove / North Springs
Cedar Shoals / Alcovy
Chamblee / Grady
Charlton Co. / Brantley Co.
Chattahoochee / Northview
Chattahoochee Co. / Stewart-Quitman
Chattooga / LaFayette
Cherokee / Douglas Co.
Chestatee / White Co.
Claxton / Portal
Clinch Co. / Seminole Co.
Coffee / Warner Robins
Collins Hill / Forsyth Cent.
Columbia / Stone Mountain
Cook / Brooks Co.
Coosa / Temple
Creekview / South Paulding
Cross Creek / Butler
Dacula / Winder-Barrow
Dade Co. / Sonoraville
Dalton / N.W. Whitfield
Dodge Co. / Bleckley Co.
Dooly Co. / Irwin Co.
Douglass / Luella
Dublin / Vidalia
Duluth / North Forsyth
East Coweta / Mundy’s Mill
East Laurens / Tattnall Co.
East Paulding / Chapel Hill
Eastside / Heritage
ECI / Bryan Co.
Effingham Co. / Wayne Co.
ELCA / Whitefield Acad.
Fannin Co. / Dawson Co.
Fayette Co. / Westlake
Fellowship Chr. / Landmark Chr.
Fitzgerald / Early Co.
Franklin Co. / Elbert Co.
Gainesville / Pickens
Glascock Co. / Mt. Zion-Carroll
Glynn Academy / Lakeside-Evans
Gordon Cent. / Lakeview-F.O.
Grayson / Cent. Gwinnett
Greene Co. / Oglethorpe Co.
Greenville / Schley Co.
Griffin / Riverdale
Groves / Savannah
Habersham Cent. / Clarke Cent.
Hancock Cent. / Ga. Military Coll.
Harrison / Kennesaw Mtn.
Hart Co. / Monroe Area
Hillgrove / Woodland-Stock.
Jackson / Ola
Jefferson / Social Circle
Jefferson Co. / Swainsboro
Jenkins / Windsor Forest
Jenkins Co. / Calvary Day
Johnson-Gaines. / West Hall
Kendrick / Northside-Col.
LaGrange / Shaw
Laney / S.E. Bulloch
Lanier Co. / Calhoun Co.
Lassiter / Pope
Liberty Co. / Richmond Hill
Lincoln Co. / Wilkinson Co.
Loganville / Jackson Co.
Lowndes / Valdosta
Lumpkin Co. / East Hall
Manchester / Macon Co.
Marietta / Etowah
Marist / Lakeside-DeKalb
Mary Persons / Eagle’s Landing
Mays / Miller Grove
McIntosh Co. Acad. / Appling Co.
Miller Co. / Terrell Co.
Milton / Centennial
Mitchell Co. / Albany
Model / Armuchee
Morgan Co. / Rabun Co.
Mt. Pisgah Chr. / Our Lady of Mercy
Mt. Zion-Jonesboro / Forest Park
Newnan / Tri-Cities
Norcross / Mill Creek
Northeast-Macon / Cent.-Macon
North Cobb / Murray Co.
North Gwinnett / South Forsyth
North Hall / Gilmer
Northside-WR / Upson-Lee
Pacelli Catholic / Taylor Co.
Peach Co. / Perry
Pebblebrook / Woodland-Cart.
Pierce Co. / Jeff Davis
Prince Ave. Chr. / Commerce
Randolph-Clay / Berrien
Ridgeland / S.E. Whitfield
Rockmart / Pepperell
Rome / Ringgold
Roswell / Alpharetta
Rutland / Crawford Co.
Salem / Rockdale Co.
Sav. Chr. / Long Co.
Screven Co. / Josey
Sequoyah / Lithia Springs
Shiloh / Meadowcreek
South Cobb / Woodstock
Southside / Clarkston
Southwest DeKalb / St. Pius
Spalding / Henry Co.
Spencer / Jordan
Statesboro / Richmond Acad.
Stephens Co. / Oconee Co.
Stephenson / Redan
Telfair Co. / Montgomery Co.
Thomas Co. Cent. / Americus-Sumter
Thomson / Glenn Hills
Tift Co. / Houston Co.
Towers / South Atlanta
Treutlen / Wheeler Co.
Tucker / Washington
Turner Co. / Hawkinsville
Twiggs Co. / Aquinas
Villa Rica / Haralson Co.
Walton / Kell
Ware Co. / Greenbrier
Warren Co. / Monticello
Washington Co. / Harlem
Wash.-Wilkes / Putnam Co.
Wesleyan / GAC
West Laurens / Southwest-Mac.
Westminster / Blessed Trinity
Westside-Augusta / Metter
Westside-Macon / Dutchtown
Wheeler / Sprayberry
Whitewater / Starr’s Mill
Woodward Acad. / McIntosh
SATURDAY
Bradwell Institute / Johnson-Sav.
Carver-Atlanta / McNair
Dougherty / Westover
Dunwoody / Riverwood
Lovett / Holy Innocents’
M.L. King / Newton
North Atlanta / Druid Hills
North Clayton / Jonesboro
Paulding Co. / Morrow
Troup / Columbus
Union Grove / Lithonia
Permalink | Comments (33) | Categories: Darryl Maxie
The search for stats
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sorry to report that I’ve been unable to gather all the stats from last week’s fantasy football showdown. As of now, we have a tie between Karl and Kurt.
680 The Fan’s Karl Werl’s Wrecking Crew — 96
QB Matt Roark, North Cobb — 39 (215 yards, 5 TDs)
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood — 45 (234 yards, 5 TDs)
RB Derrick Harris, Tucker — 0 (38 yards)
WR Chris Jackson, Henry County — 12(at least 70 yards and a TD. Unofficial)
WR Isaiah Jupiter, Berkmar — 6 points (1 TD)
Def. LaGrange — 6 points surrendered
DP’s Dandies — 17
QB T.J. Smith, Berkmar — 6 (1 TD, 50 yards)
RB Demetris Murray, Buford — 18 (88 yards, 2 TDs)
RB Ean Pemberton, Grayson — 6 (53 yards)
WR Isaiah Jupiter, Berkmar — 6 (19, 1 TD)
WR Ed Russ, Mill Creek — 0 (38 yards)
Def. Brookwood — 22 points surrendered
Kurt’s Resurgent Dynasty — 96
QB Twoey Hosch, Buford — 12 (81 yards, 2 TDs)
RB Diante Drake, Central Gwinnett — 27 (286, 2 TDs)
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood — 45 (234 yards, 5 TDs)
WR Christian Robinson, Greater Atlanta Christian — 0 (38 yards)
WR Melvin Harris, Buford — 12 (2 TDs)
Def. Grayson — 0 points allowed
READERS’ TEAMS
T.J. Top Tiers — 60 + McConico
QB Caldwell Anthony, Douglas County — 12 (2 TDs, 90 yards)
RB Tijuan Green, Northside-WR — 21 (127 yards, 2 TDs)
RB Sam Burkhalter, Blessed Trinity — 33 (289,yards, 3 TDs)
WR Donte McConico, Mundy’s Mill —
WR Kevin Cooper, Northside-WR — 0 (16 yards)
Def. East Coweta — 6 points surrendered
Will’s Weapons — 75 + Middleton
QB Jaybo Shaw, Flowery Branch — 36 (169 yards, 5 TDs)
RB Kevin Middleton, North Cobb — (NEED STATS)
RB Tijuan Green, Northside-WR — 21 (127 yards, 2 TDs)
WR Demarcus Watts, Grady — (NEED STATS)
WR Tavarres King, Habersham Central — 24 (173 yards, 2 TDs)
Def. LaGrange — 6 points surrendered
Jenn’s Gonna-Jack-U-Up Lineup
QB Lorenzo Dennard, Wilcox County — (NEED STATS)
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood — (234 yards, 5 TDs)
RB Demetris Murray, Buford — (88 yards, 2 TDs)
WR Keegan Hughes, Roswell — (NEED STATS)
WR Dion’is Bryant, Early County (NEED STATS
Defense Brookwood — 22 points surrendered
MCs Sweet 6 — 8
QB- TJ SMITH: BERKMAR — 6 (1 TD, 50 yards)
RB- LENNY BROOKS: MILLCREEK— 6 (1 TD)
RB- TYLER JARRY: NORTH GWINNETT — 12 (59 yards rushing, 1 TD)
WR- ED RUSS: MILL CREEK — 0 (38 yards)
WR- DERRICK BRYANT: PEACHTREE RIDGE — 0 (0 receptions)
Def — Buford 14 points surrendered
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: David Purdum
New strategies at Milton, Hooch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Northside
After being burned by Roswell quarterback Dustin Taliaferro last year with several long passes, Chattahoochee’s defense came up with a new scheme for Friday’s 13-10 win: The safety played 30 yards away from the line of scrimmage on each down.
Coach Terry Crowder said: “We’ve struggled versus the deep ball. I know with [our safety] playing back there at 30 yards, someone had to have a lot of courage to go after us. It worked for us. Roswell did a good job coming up with some other stuff that hurt us, but having that guy back there [to prevent the deep ball] just made me feel better.”
With Riverwood being a heavy underdog against Dunwoody, Raiders coach Kent Sparks joked about his team’s chances: “If I were to get into a fist fight with (professional wrestler) Ric Flair, I’d lose because I’m a bald, fat old man. But before I go down, I’d hurt him. I might go down, but I’d get in a good shot. Who knows? I might get lucky and get in one good shot and knock him out.”
Milton tailback Lance Martin ran with purpose Friday night. That purpose?
“We haven’t won five games as long as I’ve been here,” the senior said. “I’d like to get to five, then win a few more.”
Martin is on his way. The Eagles senior ran for 161 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns in a 21-14 win at Northview. The win was Milton’s fifth of the season. One more victory and the Eagles will tie their win total for the past two seasons combined.
Gwinnett
Quarterback Michael Tamburo, who has led North Gwinnett to a 7-0 start and Class AAAAA’s No. 2 ranking, likely will miss Friday’s home game against South Forsyth after suffering a concussion against Peachtree Ridge.
The junior was hurt on a 19-yard keeper early in the fourth quarter. Senior Patrick Thompson replaced Tamburo and completed both his passes for 41 yards in the Bulldogs’ 31-19 win.
North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said he expects to start Thompson Friday.
Northwest
Hillgrove junior Synjyn Days became the first running back in Cobb County to break 1,000 yards rushing on the year. Days had 183 yards on 10 carries for 1,054 yards on the season…. Lassiter’s Schuyler Vaughn became Cobb’s first quarterback to pass for more than 1,000 yards on the season. Vaughn passed for 103 yards and two touchdowns to move to 1,056 yards and 10 touchdowns in a loss to Sprayberry…. Harrison is averaging 46.75 points per game in its last four games since a 13-12 loss to North Cobb.
Cherokee is one of handful of AAAA teams that are undefeated and unranked in the state rankings. The Warriors (6-0) have faced a schedule with only one opponent (Sequoyah at 4-2) sporting a winning record. The rest of Cherokee’s opponents are a combined 7-23. The next three weeks will be the true test as the Warriors face Douglas County, East Paulding and Pebblebrook — a combined 13-5.
Southside
Dominique McDermott has caught at least one pass in each of Our Lady of Mercy’s six games, and had his first 100-yard receiving game against Eagle’s Landing Christian last week, the largest portion of QB William Pearl’s 247 passing yards … While six of his defensive teammates were collecting turnovers, Fayette County’s Devontae Patridge piled up the stops, finishing the Tigers’ 28-0 win over Creekside with five tackles, six assists and two sacks.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Football Report
Take 10: Our dream games
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Such great matchups last weekend. Tucker-Mays. M.L. King-Stephenson. Parkview-Grayson. North Gwinnett-Peachtree Ridge. Just to name a few.
At Take 10, we’re a sucker for a big game. Give us two great teams, an electric atmosphere, some overpriced nachos and we’re set. And while the schedule always gives us plenty of those each season, there are always games out there we dream about. Maybe we’ll see them in the playoffs; some of them, we know we’re not going to get this year without a genie bottle.
So here are the top 10 games we’d like to see played in the metro area this year … if we suddenly had our dreams come true.
10: Washington-Douglass
It’s one of the state’s best rivalries when they actually play, but they haven’t been on each other’s schedules since the last reclassification. The crowd at these games gives it an atmosphere you won’t see in too many places on a Friday night.
9: LaGrange-Chamblee
It may not seem an obvious one, but this would give us Class AAA’s top scoring offense (Chamblee) against its top scoring defense and No. 1 team (LaGrange). Both teams are undefeated and ranked in the top 10. For those saying Chamblee hasn’t faced a great defense, this might just answer that question.
8: Thomas County Central-East Paulding
Region 5-AAAA has two 6-0 teams in East Paulding and Cherokee, but neither is getting much attention. The Raiders have wormed their way to No. 7, but they’re still ranked behind three one-loss teams. I think we’d all like to see if they should be higher.
7: North Cobb-Walton
Let’s decide the Cobb County title here. North Cobb already has beaten Harrison, so this could be a Round Robin-style finale. Plus, the Raiders already have knocked off one No. 1 team this year — Roswell. Why not another? We’re not quite confused enough about Class AAAAA yet.
6: Stephenson-Southwest DeKalb
If it’s not enough to pit two of DeKalb County’s best programs against each other and see the county’s two longest-tenured coaches match wits, the battle of the bands at halftime would be enough reason to be there. At the end of the game, at least 10 percent of the crowd won’t even know what the final score is.
5: Camden County-Tucker
This could be a preliminary test for Tucker’s defense before the big one down the road against Northside-Warner Robins. Camden has put up huge offensive numbers against some inferior competition, averaging more than 55 points in its past four games. But could the Cats keep it up against a Tucker D that has allowed seven points all year?
4: Northside-North Cobb
Is Northside the best team in the state regardless of classification? There might be a few people who think so. But isn’t it easier to decide these questions on the football field than in silly, amateurish blogs? I reckon so. And matching up the two No. 1 teams seems logical enough. If Northside beat North Cobb, we could set up a game for Northside with Georgia or Georgia Tech the next week.
3: Buford-North Gwinnett
Many of Buford’s fans seem to think their team could be one of the best in any classification. Beating that team out in Ohio and a decent Class AAA Cartersville squad did nothing to quell that belief. So let them prove it on the field. Call it the Cross-Class Gwinnett Clash. It’ll draw a crowd. Trust me.
2: Northside-Tucker
The Tigers’ D looked impenetrable until last week, when Mays erased the scoreless streak on a short drive to the end zone. Northside still looks like, well, Northside. Could Tucker’s defense shut down the Eagles, and do the Tigers have enough firepower to score points if the defense couldn’t clamp down? Hopefully, we’ll find out in seven weeks or so.
1: Peachtree Ridge-Roswell
This might have been better as an opening-week showdown, but it could still be a tiebreaker of sorts after last year’s title game tie. Sure, they’re different teams than they were last December. But this could be a theraputic experience for all those who left the 2006 title game in a zombie-like daze.
Go on. Take Ten. What are your dream matchups? Which games would you like to see that aren’t scheduled to happen this year? Which teams need to find a way to get each other on the schedule, even if it means giving up someone’s first-born child? Here’s your chance to plant the seed in the head of your favorite school’s athletics director.
MORE PREPS: Video | Rival Smasher | Send photos!
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No, really — who’s REALLY good?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maybe it’s just me.
In a season and a half of doing the AJC rankings, I’ve changed No. 1 teams in Class AAAAA eight times.
There had been only eight lead changes in the highest class in the previous seven seasons combined.
The latest No. 1 is North Cobb, a school that hasn’t been atop the rankings since 1959.
What do North Cobb, North Gwinnett and M.L. King — the Big Three unbeatens — really have in common? Yes, they’re undefeated, but more telling is that each has a one-point victory this season. North Cobb beat Harrison 13-12. North Gwinnett beat Brookwood 22-21. MLK beat Redan 14-13 and Douglass 22-21.
What I’d like to hear is which teams you think are really good enough to win state, and which teams are being propped up in the rankings because of reputation, an undefeated record or one lucky win.
Talk back to Todd: Holcomb chats live with YOU each Monday, starting at 7 p.m. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about the rankings.
Permalink | Comments (319) | Categories: Poll talk
Fantasy FB Blowout — Everyone’s In
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m acting like the replay ref at last year’s Oregon-Oklahoma game and throwing out the rulebook — EVERYONE is in for this week’s Fantasy Football Dork Off.
That’s right, Jenn, Will and T.J., you have the opportunity of a lifetime. Defeat the Kurt Dynasty, DP’s Dandies and Karl’s Wrecking Crew and you get an item from our wardrobe. For that matter, anyone that posts a team on the blog before tonight’s 7:30 kickoffs can play too. I’m taking on all comers — Bring it.
There is one condition: Help me dig up some of the stats for you players, please.
Thanks and good luck to everybody …
This Week’s Lineups
680 The Fan’s Karl Werl’s Wrecking Crew
QB Matt Roark, North Cobb
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood
RB Derrick Harris, Tucker
WR Chris Jackson, Henry County
WR Isaiah Jupiter, Berkmar
Def. LaGrange
DP’s Dandies
QB T.J. Smith, Berkmar
RB Demetris Murray, Buford
RB Ean Pemberton, Grayson
WR Isaiah Jupiter, Berkmar
WR Ed Russ, Mill Creek
Def. Brookwood
Kurt’s Resurgent Dynasty
QB Twoey Hosch, Buford
RB Diante Drake, Central Gwinnett
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood
WR Christian Robinson, Greater Atlanta Christian
WR Melvin Harris, Buford
Def. Grayson
READERS’ TEAMS
T.J. Top Tiers
QB Caldwell Anthony, Douglas County
RB Tijuan Green, Northside-WR
RB Sam Burkhalter, Blessed Trinity
WR Donte McConico, Mundy’s Mill
WR Kevin Cooper, Northside-WR
Def. East Coweta
Will’s Weapons
QB Jaybo Shaw, Flowery Branch
RB Kevin Middleton, North Cobb
RB Tijuan Green, Northside-WR
WR Demarcus Watts, Grady
WR Tavarres King, Habersham Central
Def. LaGrange
Jenn’s Gonna-Jack-U-Up Lineup
QB Lorenzo Dennard, Wilcox County
RB Kenny Miles, Brookwood
RB Demetris Murray, Buford
WR Keegan Hughes, Roswell
WR Dion’is Bryant, Early County
Defense Brookwood
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: David Purdum
Ship’s back on course at Whitewater
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whitewater is 4-2, which is amazing considering how the Wildcats’ offense struggled to score the first four games. But they seem to have righted their ship now, having put up 51 points in the past two. Not record-setting, but sufficient.
Last week, they won 20-12 on the strength of two Thomas Frierson touchdowns and two field goals by J.C. Jennings, including one from 43 yards. If they can do that week-in and week-out, their defense should be good enough to make it stand up.
Whitewater’s defense has held its last five opponents to 47 points. That’s not LaGrange-esque — the Grangers have hung up five straight shutouts — but if you give up fewer than 10, your chances are great.
Which brings us to the Wildcats’ game with McIntosh. The hope spawned by the Chiefs’ season-opening victory against Sandy Creek has given way to struggle. The Chiefs had a tight loss to East Coweta, then had Westlake on the ropes in the final minute before losing. They managed just 113 total yards in last week’s 27-0 loss to Starr’s Mill. Facing another quality defense against Whitewater, more struggles could be in the offing. Says here, Whitewater rolls.
MOVING ON …
Our Lady of Mercy has strung a series of school firsts together during the past three weeks. First three-game winning streak. First three-victory season. First back-to-back (to-back) 30-point games. They’ve set the school’s single-game scoring record three weeks in a row, which says something about how they’re playing (and who) but says more about the floundering history of the program.
Now, the Bobcats have their first Region 5-A game. This is not exactly Towns County, Mt. Zion-Carroll or Glascock County they’re playing. Eagle’s Landing Christian comes to Fairburn to do more than gawk at Evander Holyfield’s mansion across Highway 279. The Chargers are smokin’ hot on offense. Says here, Mercy will have beaucoup trouble slowing down ELCA QB Wes Carter, who amassed 561 total yards in a win over Bremen last week.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Fayette County at Creekside, 7:30 p.m. Friday
RECORDS: Fayette County (5-0, 3-0 Region 2-AAAA); Creekside (5-1, 3-1)
COACHES: Fayette County, Tommy Webb (36-50); Creekside, Kevin Whitley (48-14)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Fayette County — QB/DB Brandon Boykin (Sr., 5-10, 175); FB/DB Matt Daniels (Sr., 6-1, 195); HB Cuincy Carruthers (Sr., 6-11, 175); Creekside — QB/DB Terrance Parks (Sr., 6-2, 200)
LAST YEAR: Creekside won, 35-14
LAST WEEK: Fayette County was off; Creekside beat Northgate 18-0
THE SKINNY: This is Fayette County’s chance to assert itself as a legitimate region title contender. Creekside won the region crown last year and has three straight 10-win seasons. Unlike years past, though, they’re having to rely much more on defense with the graduation of the electric Eric Berry. Their defense has not disappointed, allowing just 26 points through six games. Expect this one to be low-scoring, for Fayette (49 points allowed) has also been stellar on defense.
PREDICTION: Fayette County, 13-6
Permalink | | Categories: Fayette
Mercy’s good but ELCA’s better
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two streaks enter. Only one will emerge.
ELCA has taken the best shots of its only two scheduled public-school opponents and has put up 77 points. Now, the Chargers enter their Region 5-A schedule riding a three-game win streak and having scored 127 points in those three games.
Our Lady of Mercy is the region-opening foe for ELCA, and this is not your older brother’s Mercy team. Whereas ELCA has outscored the Bobcats 110-32 in three previous meetings, the Fairburn Catholic school is 3-2 in 2007 and has scored 118 points in its last three games — all wins. Mercy has not played the toughest of competition in that span, and thus ELCA has to be considered a solid favorite with quarterback Wes Carter (388 yards passing, 173 rushing last week) at the controls. Says here, Chargers bolt to win.
MOVING ON …
Stockbridge all of a sudden finds itself reeling after two straight losses. Now they face their third straight powerhouse program in Upson-Lee, which visits the Tigers Friday. At 1-2 in Region 4-AAAA, Division B, the Tigers probably have to win out — and they still have No. 6-ranked Westside-Macon on their schedule — to earn a spot in the region playoff and a chance to go to the state playoffs. They’ll have to contend with Upson-Lee’s Phillip Searcy, who rushed for 204 yards in a blowout win over Dutchtown last week. The Knights have already lost to Westside and still have Northside-Warner Robins and Baldwin to play, so this one has the feel of an elimination game. This was a shootout last year, with Upson-Lee winning 41-34. If Stockbridge quarterback Tyler Bass plays — he missed last week’s game while recovering from a concussion — it could be again. Says here, Stockbridge in a mild upset.
ACES
ELCA pitcher Hope Rush might be tempted to pull the Satchel Page trick of pulling her defenders of the field, what with the one-person wrecking crew she has been this fall. Rush has allowed just three earned runs in 177 innings of work and has struck out 316 of 624 batters faced, all while batting .459 herself with nine home runs and 34 RBIs … Ola hurler Allie Raines had a bid for a third straight no-hitter fall in the fourth inning of the Mustangs’ Region 4-AAA Tournament opener against Peach County, a game Ola won 3-2 in eight innings …
GAME OF THE WEEK
Henry County at Eagle’s Landing, 7:30 p.m. Friday
RECORDS: Henry County 4-1, 1-0 Region 4-AAA Division A; Eagle’s Landing 0-5, 0-1
COACHES: Henry County, Mike Rozier (15-50); Eagle’s Landing, Bob Stinchcomb (43-73)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Henry County - WR/DB Chris Jackson (Sr., 6-1, 195), WR Jamal Patterson (Jr., 6-3, 205), QB Drew Little (Jr., 6-4, 240). Eagle’s Landing - LB/RB Ben Barnes (Sr., 6-2, 185), WR/DB Brock Callahan (Sr., 5-10, 170), QB Dylan Shaddix (Soph., 6-2, 200)
LAST YEAR: Eagle’s Landing won, 25-15
LAST WEEK: Henry County beat Jackson 24-14; Eagle’s Landing lost to Spalding, 28-0
THE SKINNY: On paper this one looks like a mismatch because Henry has put up 182 points in five games while Eagle’s Landing has been outscored 175-17 so far. Nonetheless, Henry has likely had this game in the back of its collective mind for a year. The Golden Eagles claimed their only win of 2006 against the Warhawks, a loss that contributed to Henry missing the state playoffs. Had they won, they might have avoided playing eventual state champion Peach County in the region playoff. The Warhawk offense is spearheaded by Little, who has more than 1,400 passing yards and has thrown just one interception in more than 150 attempts. Special teams have been a trouble spot for Henry, which gave up a punt return for a touchdown and had a punt snap recovered in the end zone for another in its win over Jackson last week.
PREDICTION: Henry County, 34-7
Permalink | | Categories: Henry
Long, strange trip awaits FPK
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Forest Park football coach Demarco Mitchell looks at the schedules of other county schools, he must wonder how this came to be.
I mean, Lovejoy will play its last nine games at Twelve Oaks Stadium, so Forest Park will travel a greater distance to any one of its home games than the Wildcats will ride the entire regular season. That seems to be generally accepted as a fact of life among county coaches. But then there’s this: 228.95. That’s the distance in miles between Forest Park’s campus on Phillips Drive and Bainbridge High School, where the Panthers play Friday night. It’s so far away that Bainbridge has a Mississippi ZIP code. Most of the rest of Georgia has ZIP codes that begins with 30 or 31. Bainbridge? 39819. Biloxi? 39530. This is fitting, since Bainbridge’s coach, Ricky Woods, just came to Georgia from Mississippi.
None of which, of course, means much Friday, except the Panthers will spend somewhere in the neighborhood of eight hours on a bus round-trip to play a two-hour football game. For the second time. They also played at Americus-Sumter in the opener, which didn’t turn out so well. Bearcats roll.
MOVING ON … If there is a good time for Lovejoy to be playing Griffin, this might be it. The Wildcats throttled Riverdale last week and have put up back-to-back wins after an 0-4 start, restoring some confidence. Damion Peterson had a breakout — breakway, even — game with 239 yards on 20 carries against the Raiders. Is that enough for them to beat the Bears? Well, Lovejoy lost to Mt. Zion, which Griffin blitzed 62-28 last week. Says here, Wildcats fall at home, though it could be close.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Mundy’s Mill at Hiram, 7:30 p.m. Friday
RECORDS: Mundy’s Mill (3-1-1, 1-0 Region 4-AAAAA); Hiram (4-2, 2-0)
COACHES: Mundy’s Mill, Kenny Barrow (39-23-1); Hiram, Andy Dorsey (11-6)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mundy’s Mill - RB Quintory Braswell (Sr., 5-9, 180), QB Miguel Starks (Sr., 6-2, 204), OL Darius Mitchell (Jr., 6-0, 390). Hiram - FB Coshik Williams, QB Tripp Mitchell, LB D. J. Green
LAST YEAR: Hiram won, 7-6
LAST WEEK: Mundy’s Mill beat North Clayton 28-27 in OT; Hiram beat Tri-Cities 5-0
THE SKINNY: By now, Mundy’s Mill should know what to do in a close game; the Tigers have had three contests that were three points or closer, including a 12-12 tie against Forest Park and their win over North Clayton last week. Which is good, given that the Hiram game a year ago was exactly that sort of game. But where Hiram struggled on offense last week, Mundy’s Mill seems to be hitting its stride on that side of the ball, and it comes at a great time. The Hornets figure to wind up next to them in the 4-AAAAA standings, and that makes this a swing game. The key will be how the Tigers handle Williams, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards last year.
PREDICTION: Mundy’s Mill, 16-14
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Clayton
Time for another wake-up call
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
North Gwinnett ran the table last season, right up to the moment it went into a 9-0 vs. 9-0 game against Norcross and went thud in the night.
The Bulldogs get another chance tonight when they play host to Peachtree Ridge, in a battle of teams that enter the game with unblemished Region 7-AAAAA records.
Nothing in 7-AAAAA happens the easy way. Thoughts that Peachtree Ridge would enjoy a defending champion’s honeymoon were squelched in the second week, when Grayson defeated the Lions in a nonregion game.
And just when it looked like Norcross had what it took to run the table again, only a week later Peachtree Ridge rose up and knocked the Blue Devils off their perch.
Now, comes North Gwinnett into this mix, looking as impressive as ever. The Bulldogs started the season with quality wins over Walton and Brookwood. Since then, they’ve played 7-AAAAA foes Mill Creek, Collins Hill and Duluth — a combined three wins among them. They’re members of the region, so it was required duty, but that’s the kind of thing that can make your feet fall asleep.
North Gwinnett does a lot of things right. On the strong left arm of Michael Tamburo, it passes as accurately and more often than anybody in the region. With Tyler Jarry leading the way, the Bulldogs run the ball effectively. They are unbeaten, unblemished and until Friday night, as untouchable as ever, lacking only the thing that’s fueling Peachtree Ridge.
The wake-up call. Losing to Grayson wasn’t pleasant at the time, but Peachtree Ridge has been a house afire since. And, as evidenced by its victory against Norcross, it has the kind of defense that can shut a pass-happy team down.
Beating Walton and Brookwood shows that the Bulldogs are for real and should be included in any discussion of title contenders. Strange as it may sound, they should be all the moreso after Peachtree Ridge gets their attention and issues a wake-up call they can’t get anywhere else. It also happened to Lowndes, Roswell and Harrison, so a one-loss North Gwinnett will still be in some pretty good company.
•Stephenson vs. M.L. King: Here comes the biggest threat to Stephenson’s status as Class AAAAA’s No. 1 team. And the Jaguars know it. This one’s on the defense. It says here Stephenson has what it takes to remain king of the mountain, especially after Douglass almost clipped King last week.
• Flipping the script: I’m trying to hold off on sentencing teams to the anonymity the Winless Protection Program affords, although soon picking against the 0-fers will become too easy and they’ll require official shielding for their own good. Wins this week will help Clarkston, Lakeside-DeKalb, Lithonia, Montgomery County and Northside-Columbus avoid that fate.
Friday’s games
Winner/Loser
Adairsville/LaFayette
Apalachee/Elbert County
Armuchee/Temple
Athens Academy/Prince Ave. Christ.
Athens Christian/Mt. Zion-Carroll
Atkinson County/Terrell County
Bacon County/Lanier County
Bainbridge/Forest Park
Banks County/Rabun County
Banneker/Woodward Acad.
Benedictine/Hephzibah
Berkmar/Shiloh
Bleckley County/Dublin
Blessed Trinity/Riverwood
Bremen/Jefferson
Brookstone/Stewart-Quitman
Brookwood/Meadowcreek
Brunswick/Greenbrier
Bryan County/Portal
Buford/Holy Innocents’
Cairo/Westover
Calhoun/Sonoraville
Callaway/Lamar County
Camden County/Savannah
Carrollton/Cedartown
Cartersville/Haralson Co.
Carver-Columbus/Kendrick
Cass/Villa Rica
Cedar Shoals/Eastside
Centennial/Alpharetta
Central Gwinnett/South Gwinnett
Central-Macon/Southwest-Mac.
Chamblee/Dunwoody
Charlton County/Savannah Christ.
Chattooga/Dade County
Cherokee/Lithia Springs
Chestatee/East Hall
Clarke Central/Jackson County
Clarkston/Therrell
Clinch County/Calhoun County
Coffee/Tift County
Collins Hill/North Forsyth
Commerce/Social Circle
Colquitt County/Houston County
Creekview/Towns County
Cross Creek/Washington Co.
Darlington/Pepperell
Dawson County/Union County
Dodge County/Tattnall County
Dougherty/Crisp County
Douglas County/Chapel Hill
Early County/Brooks County
East Coweta/Tri-Cities
East Paulding/Woodland-Cart.
ECI/Claxton
ELCA/Our Lady of Mercy
Etowah/Murray County
Fayette County/Creekside
Fellowship Christ./Mt. Pisgah Christ.
Fitzgerald/Berrien
Flowery Branch/Gainesville
GAC/Avondale
Gilmer/Lumpkin Co.
Glascock County/Hebron Christ.
Glenn Hills/Harlem
Glynn Academy/Effingham Co.
Grady/North Atlanta
Grayson/Parkview
Greene County/Morgan County
Greenville/ChattahoocheeCo.
Griffin/Lovejoy
Habersham Cent./Dacula
Harrison/South Cobb
Hart County/Franklin County
Hawkinsville/Irwin County
Heard County/Manchester
Henry County/Eagle’s Landing
Heritage/Rockdale Co.
Hillgrove/East Jackson
Jefferson County/Metter
Jenkins/Johnson-Sav.
Johnson County/Wheeler County
Josey/S.E. Bulloch
Kennesaw Mtn./McEachern
Lakeside-DeKalb/North Springs
Landmark Christ./Whitefield Acad.
Laney/Screven County
Liberty County/Burke County
Lincoln County/Hancock Central
Lithonia/Newton
Loganville/Madison County
Long County/Jeff Davis
Lovett/Decatur
Macon County/Crawford Co.
Marist/Stone Mountain
Mary Persons/Jackson
McIntosh Co. Acad./Brantley Co.
Mill Creek/Forsyth Central
Miller Grove/Columbia
Milton/Northview
Monroe/Worth County
Montgomery Co./Treutlen
Monticello/Wilkinson Co.
Mundy’s Mill/Hiram
Newnan/Morrow
North Cobb/Woodstock
North Hall/White County
North Oconee/Gordon Lee
Northside-W.R./Baldwin
N.W. Whitfield/Gordon Central
Pacelli Catholic/Central-Talbotton
Peach County/Northeast-Mac.
Peachtree Ridge/North Gwinnett
Pebblebrook/Osborne
Pickens/West Hall
Pierce County/Appling County
Randolph-Clay/Bowdon
Ridgeland/Lakeview-F.O.
Ringgold/S.E. Whitfield
Rockmart/Coosa
Rome/Dalton
Roswell/Chattahoochee
Rutland/Pike County
Salem/Alcovy
Sandy Creek/Central-Carroll
Sav. Cntry Day/Jenkins County
Schley County/Taylor County
Seminole County/Pelham
Sequoyah/Alexander
Shaw/Hardaway
South Atlanta/Southside
South Effingham/Richmond Hill
South Forsyth/Duluth
Southwest DeKalb/Washington
Spalding/Ola
Sprayberry/Lassiter
Statesboro/Evans
Stephens County/Monroe Area
Stephenson/M.L. King
Swainsboro/Westside-Aug.
Thomas Co. Cent./Dutchtown
Thomasville/Mitchell County
Thomson/Butler
Toombs County/Vidalia
Trion/South Paulding
Tucker/Mays
Union Grove/Luella
Upson-Lee/Stockbridge
Walton/Pope
Ware County/Lakeside-Evans
Warren County/Aquinas
Wash.-Wikes/Oglethorpe Co.
Westlake/Northgate
West Laurens/Perry
Westminster/Druid Hills
Westside-Macon/Jones County
Wheeler /Kell
Whitewater/McIntosh
Wilcox County/Turner County
Windsor Forest/Bradwell Institute
Saturday’s games
Beach/Groves
Cook/Albany
Douglass/Redan
McNair/Towers
Northside-Col./Jordan
Riverdale/Jonesboro
St. Pius/Cedar Grove
Valdosta/Warner Robins
Walker/Cross Keys
Permalink | Comments (61) | Categories: Darryl Maxie
Lack of EMS at games a bitter pill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Stockbridge running back Dominique Smith was injured during last week’s game, it looked serious.
There was no ambulance nearby, and it took emergency medical personnel a long time to reach Smith, who had a broken leg.
Fans and school officials became concerned.
“I think it took too long,” said Stockbridge principal Eric Watson, who was at the game Friday. “Coach [Steven] Collins and I are in contact with [Henry County athletics director] Justin White to find out why we can’t have medical personnel at the games. I think I know the short answer: there’s not enough of them. I was shocked myself.”
Watson estimated it took about the same time as a normal emergency call, but he doesn’t think that’s fast enough.
Neither does White, who said he is working to improve response time.
“I’m in the process of gathering additional information about it,” White said. “It’s something I felt was a need, but it’s a matter of funding. I’m going to set up a meeting with the public safety person in our county. I was told by my supervisor that the local EMS director made a decision not to have ambulances at the games several years ago.”
You make the call: Have you had injury problems and slow responses at your games? Should all counties figure out a way to staff high school football games with ambulances and medical personnel? Is there a way to make this happen?
Permalink | | Categories: Jeff Haws
Time for a play clock, some say
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Watching Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning orchestrate his offense each week by changing plays and moving players around until the play clock winds down can be mesmerizing. But without an electronic play clock for Manning to monitor, it would be impossible to execute.
High school offenses in Georgia may not be that complex, but they are limited by not having a play clock. And coaches and officials have differing views on whether Georgia should take a step similar to the one taken by a neighboring state.
Alabama has made the 25-second clock optional for home teams, and several schools are using the play clock this season. Ralph Swearngin, executive director of the Georgia High School Association, is against the idea. He mentions problems of cost and consistency.
“I’d be very much opposed to it [because] if you can’t do it everywhere, you shouldn’t do it anywhere,” Swearngin said. “We think it would be an imposition on schools to do that. Where the smaller schools have discretionary income, we’d like for them to be able to use it on other things. The only time we hear about it is when a team gets a new scoreboard that has capabilities for a play clock.”
But area coaches say adding the play clock might be a good idea.
Marist coach Alan Chadwick: “I think that [a play clock] would take a lot of the guesswork out of it from an officiating standpoint. I see a lot of inconsistencies right now with the way it’s done. I think I would want it mandated, though, if we did it. It would be tough to have it one week, then not have it the next.”
Tucker coach Franklin Stephens: “I would love to have play clocks because you can run into a situation where you misjudge when the referee spots the ball. As a football coach, if you can see time is running down, you can run a play in quickly. I don’t think cost is a big factor. I think if they want to do it, they’d do it. Whatever you mandate, teams will have no choice.”
Banks County coach Blair Armstrong: “I wouldn’t be against it. The biggest thing that would be prohibitive would be the cost for some of the smaller schools. I would be surprised if it got implemented at the lower classifications. Just the logistics of installing it would be tough. Fifty to 60 percent of the stadiums have a track, so you’d have to tunnel under that. You have to have it on both sides of the field. You need to find someplace for the operator to sit.”
Grady coach Ronnie Millen: “If you could see it, it would make it easier. I think definitely some officials start the whistle quicker than others. Some give you a little more time than others. Having a clock up there would take all that away. A lot of time, with the crowd and the band and everything, you really don’t hear the whistle to set the ball. It would definitely be something that I would support.”
St. Pius coach Paul Standard: “I’d be all for it. I think if you had a 25-second play clock, that takes out another human-error possibility. It’s something [officials] don’t have to worry about. I think it allows the coaches and players to be fully informed of the time to get the play in. I would rather it be something mandated, like anything else they come in with.”
Report back: Is it time for the GHSA to give home teams the option of using a play clock? Tell us. (You have more than 25 seconds to respond, of course.)
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Football Report
Take 10: Houses of horror
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Watching the Florida-LSU game last weekend, witnessing the sheer intimidation factor of Tiger Stadium at night, we at Take Ten couldn’t help but think, “Which high school stadiums in Georgia can stand up to Tiger Stadium in an ability to make opponents want to turn the bus around before they even hit the field?”
So we set out to answer the question. There are a lot of stadiums in Georgia, but only a few have been a house of horrors for the opposition. These are places where opponents rarely escape unscathed. Maybe it’s because of ghosts. Maybe it’s because of the crowd. Or maybe it’s just bad hot dogs.
Some of the stadiums on this list surprised us, as did some of the ones that didn’t make the list. We looked at the past 10 years and tried to identify teams that were nearly unbeatable at home and significantly better at home than on the road.
At last, here it is. Don’t go into these places without a helmet.
10: Jackson’s Red Devil Hill
The Red Devils are in the midst of the best 10-year stretch in school history, and even with a subpar start to this season, seeing that wild-eyed, pitchfork-wielding red devil at midfield still has to make opponents’ hearts skip a beat. Jackson wins more than three out of every four games at home, while losing more than one out of three on the road.
9: Thomson’s The Brickyard
The brick wall around the perimeter adds to the ambiance here, where the Bulldogs have won more than 82 percent of their games since 1997. Between 2000 and 2002, they won 16 straight home games, and they haven’t lost more than two home games in a season since 1994.
8: Statesboro’s Womack Stadium
It was refurbished last year, but that didn’t make it any easier to win for those who made the lonely ride down I-16. The Blue Devils had a 22-game home winning streak from 1999-2002, including a state championship game in 2001.
7: Washington County’s House of Pain
Winning the prize for the most aptly-named stadium is Washington County. They shoot off an old cannon every time they score, and they put up tombstones for every team they beat. All this seems to make a difference in the past 10 years. The Golden Hawks are have won 86 percent of their home games while only winning at a 68 percent clip on the road.
6: Commerce’s Tiger Stadium
Between the glowing green lights and the fabled “Run down the hill,” there seems to be something going on here. The population of Commerce just about doubles every Friday night, and the atmosphere is a little crazy. The Tigers are 59-9 (.868) at home since 1997 and just 45-22 (.672) on the road.
5: Lowndes’ Martin Stadium
This place is loud. You probably can’t hear your radio if you drive by the stadium on the interstate on a Friday night. It’s also huge. We’re not sure if The Concrete Palace is the most flattering nickname for the place, but it seems fitting all the same. Lowndes only gets nipped about once a year here.
4: Northside-Warner Robins’ McConnell-Talbert Stadium
Of course, Northside isn’t the only team that plays here, but the Eagles have clearly made it into a home during the past decade. Sure, this team would win a lot of games playing in a vat of quicksand, but they’ve been practically unbeatable at home. They’re 73-5 at home in the past 10 years and haven’t lost a regular-season home game to anyone other than Warner Robins since 1997.
3: Valdosta’s Bazemore-Hyder Stadium
No, the team hasn’t been quite as good lately. Yes, the stadium was finally renovated. But this is still Valdosta, and the Ghost still lurks in the East end zone. Nobody goes here without knowing the history of the place on some level. It may not be the hands-down toughest place to win right now, but a 5-0 home start to this season isn’t hurting its cause.
2: Thomas County Central’s Jackets’ Nest
Few crowds can compare to TCC’s in terms of enthusiasm. The Jackets had won a state-record 27 consecutive home playoff games before losing to St. Pius in the quarterfinals last season. But the real kicker is here: Since 1997, the Jackets are 55-11 at home (.833) and 39-25 on the road (.609). There’s something about this crowd and the Nest that turns TCC into an elite team at its home stadium.
1: Marist’s Hughes-Spalding Stadium
The place seems innocent enough. Old-style concrete stands, the school flanking the East side of the field. No shooting cannons. No intimidating-sounding name like “The Eagles’ Claw Sharpener” or whatever. Just victories. An astounding number of victories. Marist is 68-3 at home since 1997, with all three losses coming to Tucker. If there’s a better home record in the state during that time period, Take Ten can’t find it. The Eagles lose one out of every 23 or so home games while losing more than one in four on the road. If Marist ever figures Tucker out, the Eagles may never lose another game there.
Go on. Take Ten. Yeah, I know. We left YOUR stadium off the list. So why should it be there? What makes it so tough to win there? And why should we bump one of these guys off the list? Jump in the fray and let us know.
MORE PREPS: Video | Rival Smasher | Send photos!
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Losing on purpose, dumb rules, MVPs and fantasy results
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the record, I’d rather be on the losing end of Friday’s Region 7 showdown between Peachtree Ridge and North Gwinnett.
Losing that game gives me an easier path in the playoffs, especially if I fall all the way to the third seed out of the region.
The Region 7 champion likely will face the second seed out of Region 8—maybe a Brookwood or Grayson—in the second round of the playoffs.
In contrast, the third seed out of Region 7 likely have to contend with the top seed out of Region 6, maybe a team like Roswell or Walton.
The same type scenario awaits the top seed out of Region 8, which will face the second seed out of Region 7—maybe a Norcross—in the second round.
So what I’m suggesting with my tongue firmly in cheek is that Grayson and North Gwinnett should both fold in their upcoming region games in order to put themselves in better position in the playoffs.
Remember, Peachtree Ridge won (or tied) the whole thing as a fourth seed last year.
Dumbest Rule in High School Football
The dumbest rule in high school football is the “band” rule, which dilutes any kind of atmosphere.
At last week’s Clarke-Central-Dacula game, the visiting Gladiators were rocking some “ESPN Sportscenter” theme song like nobody’s business, only to be told to stop by the referees.
It just seems childish. Coaches run plays in with players or signal them from the sidelines, so added noise really isn’t that much of an issue. And believe me, if you’ve seen some of the blowouts and sloppily played games I’ve witnessed this year, a little music is a welcome site.
I also think the no kickoff return rule if the ball goes past the goal line is dumb.
Last Year’s True MVP
Norcross quarterback Bryce Dykes and Peachtree Ridge defensive tackle Cameron Heyward were the 2006 offensive and defensive players of the year in Gwinnett.
But it’s becoming pretty clear who the real most valuable player of last season was — Dacula’s Cameron Kenney.
Without Kenney, the Falcons (3-3, 2-1) have struggled to put together any form of a passing game. Dacula’s leading receiver Marshall Steed has just over 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns; Kenny had close to 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions.
Fantasy Football Results
At least I beat, Karl, who in his infinite wisdom managed to pick a defense that was on a bye week. Technically, I guess LaGrange didn’t give up any points, but I’m docking him 20 just because.
Kurt wins again, thanks to Diante Drake’s season-high 45-point outburst.
Again, you can join in all this fun by simply posting a team—1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 Defense—on the blog or by emailing me at dpurdum@ajc.com. The team with coolest name will get a chance to take on the AJC’s finest, yours truly DP and Kurt “Smells Like” Aschermann and maybe even 680 the Fan’s Karl Werl. Beat us all and receive a prize.
Post your team before Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Last Week’s Results
DPs Dandies — 51
QB —- Nick Sorel, Norcross — 6 points (54 yards, 1 TD)
RB — D.J. Adams, Norcross — 30 (185 yards, 3 TDs)
RB — Deren Evans, Wesleyan — 21 (138 yards, 2 TDs)
WR —- Devonta Bolton, Norcross — 0 (24 yards, 0 TD)
WR —Zac Johnston, Wesleyan — 0 (0 TDs)
Defense —- Buford — -6 (points allowed to Decatur)
Kurt’s Crumbling Dynasty — 87
QB —- T.J. Smith, Berkmar — 6 (171 yards, 0 TD)
RB — Diante Drake, Central Gwinnett — 45 (230 yards, 5 TDs)
RB — Tyler Jarry, North Gwinnett — 12 (43 yards, 2 TD)
WRs —- Brice Butler, Norcross — 0 (34 yards, 0 TD)
WR — Christian Robinson, GAC — 24 (161, 2 TD)
Defense —- North Gwinnett — 0 (points allowed to Duluth)
Karl Werl’s Wrecking Crew — 49
QB —- Mike Tamburo, North Gwinnett — 30 191 yards, 4 TDs)
RB —- Kenny Miles, Brookwood — 27 (273 yards, 2 TDs)
RB —Tauren Poole, Stephens County — 0
WR —- Brice Butler, Norcross — 0 (34 yards, 0 TD)
WR —Melvin Harris, Buford — 12 (71 yards, 1 TD)
Defense —- LaGrange -20 (penalized for playing defense that was on a bye)
Permalink | Comments (14) | Categories: David Purdum
Your pitch: Fast vs. Slow
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fast-pitch softball now rules in Georgia high schools with 387 teams. Slow-pitch, once the dominant prep game, is offered at only 14 schools and is no longer a GHSA championship sport. Fast- or slow-pitch? Which is your favorite and why? And can’t these sports - and their proponents - just get along?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Forum
NWR among state’s all-time greats?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I saw Northside-Warner Robins play for the first time this season last week and wrote a story about the team’s fans and their high opinion of their undefeated, nationally ranked, reigning Class AAAA champions.
Funny thing was that the first two guys I spoke with had seen perhaps the two greatest Georgia teams ever — 1976 Warner Robins and 1971 Valdosta.
One was a Northside grad who played against the ‘76 WR team with James Brooks and Ron Simmons, and the other was a Northside fan who grew up in Valdosta and was a student at Valdosta High in 1971. He reminisced about Stan Bounds and Stan Rome.
The former Northside player thought the current Eagles team was better than ‘76 Warner Robins, but the Valdosta alumnus still favored the ‘71 Wildcats. All that leads up to this:
If Northside goes 15-0 again, can this team be considered one of the 5 or 10 best teams in Georgia history?
Or will Northside have played a schedule that’s tough enough to justify those comparisons?
For me to put them in my Top 10 all-time, I think they’d need to win every game by 10 points or better. That’s not asking for much. Thomson did it in AAAA in 2002.
I don’t think that AAAA is as deep as it was last season, although Tucker and Thomas County Central are dropping hints that they’re better than any non-Northside team from 2006 in AAAA. (Marist people don’t visit my blog much, so I can say that.)
Here’s my off-the-top-of-my-head Top 10 teams in Georgia of the last 40 years (integration era):
1971 Valdosta
1976 Warner Robins
1986 Valdosta
2002 Parkview
2005 Lowndes
1975 Americus
1973 Thomasville
2003 Camden County
1973 Southwest Atlanta
1993 Dunwoody
Talk back to Todd: Holcomb chats live with YOU each Monday, starting at 7 p.m. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about the rankings.
Permalink | Comments (140) | Categories: Poll talk
Two paragraphs lead to 180-degree change
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sometimes you do things that later you reconsider. That unfortunately placed tattoo … the macarena … the blind date with the bearded girl… you get the idea.
In this space, there sometimes is the unfortunate prediction that goes, uh, slightly awry.
Two paragraphs ago, it was my intention to write a make-good column topic for a few of the wrong teams I picked against last week. Alas, I cannot because ….
• That would mean I’d have to pick, say, Berkmar to beat Brookwood.
How tempting that is. Berkmar just got through beating the fool out of Central Gwinnett 38-12 last week after losing five in a row to the Black Knights. The Patriots are 4-0, riding as high a streak as they’ve ridden in recent memory. They have legit players, legit threats. With every week that passes, they keep hammering home the point that, yes, they are legit.
Which is something Brookwood has already proven, time and time again. The same Brookwood that is 19-3 against Berkmar. It is almost inconceivable that the Broncos will also succumb, but the the Patriots are making the inconceivable conceivable. I … just … can’t … pull … the … trigger. And going against the grain would be so faux genius it would be just like me to try to fake it. But I’m not feeling this one.
• That would mean I’d have to pick Lovett to beat Greater Atlanta Christian.
The Lions played a great defensive game last week against Wesleyan and after nearly 45 1/2 of scoreless battle, pulled out a 7-0 victory. Their history against Greater Atlanta Christian isn’t full of highlights. In fact, they’ve never beaten the Spartans.
But GAC just learned yet another lesson at the hands of Class AA’s No. 1-ranked and most likely champion in waiting, Buford. Jimmy Chupp’s Spartans even hung with the Wolves … that is until Buford cleared its collective fog and won by 35. A team that gets beaten by Buford plays better against Lovett the following week. Avondale and Wesleyan did. GAC will play well enough to win.
• That would mean I’d have to pick Campbell to upend North Cobb.
Etowah was living on borrowed time and I failed to pick up the signs when I picked the Eagles to beat Campbell last week. They’d barely survived against Kennesaw Mountain the week before, kicking a late field goal to pull out a 22-20 victory and preserve their undefeated start.
Then, they tried a similar stunt against Campbell. It didn’t work. I shouldn’t have doubted Campbell. But beating North Cobb, which may be the best team in the county? Naaaaah.
• That would mean I’d have to pick McEachern to beat Marietta.
OK, I can almost get my head around this one. I had Woodstock beating McEachern last week and the Wolverines didn’t pick up the vibe until it was too late. Down 19, they rallied to lose 31-28 to McEachern.
Marietta’s coming off its least impressive game, a 45-18 loss to Harrison. It would be so easy to see the Blue Devils losing to McEachern again — since they did it last year after beating the Indians three in a row.
But McEachern’s up one week and down the next. This is the down week. Can’t cheat the calendar, can they?
MAXIE’S WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
FRIDAY: Winner / Loser
- Americus-Sumter / Dougherty
- Appling Co. / Jeff Davis
- Athens Acad. / Whitefield Acad.
- Banneker / Whitewater
- Bleckley Co. / Toombs Co.
- Bremen / ELCA
- Brooks Co. / Berrien
- Brookstone / Greenville
- Brookwood / Berkmar
- Brunswick / Lakeside-Evans
- Bryan Co. / Wheeler Co.
- Buford / Decatur
- Burke Co. / Harlem
- Calhoun Co. / Pelham
- Callaway / Pike Co.
- Camden Co. / Johnson-Sav.
- Carrollton / Cass
- Cartersville / Sandy Creek
- Carver-Atlanta / Clarkston
- Carver-Columbus / Troup
- Cent. Gwinnett / Meadowcreek
- Cent.-Macon / Perry
- Cent.-Talbotton / Stewart-Quitman
- Chamblee / Druid Hills
- Charlton Co. / Long Co.
- Chattahoochee Co. / Taylor Co.
- Chattooga / S.E. Whitfield
- Cherokee / Sequoyah
- Clarke Cent. / Dacula
- Clinch Co. / Bacon Co.
- Coffee / Colquitt Co.
- Columbus / Northside-Col.
- Commerce / Towns Co.
- Cook / Thomasville
- Crawford Co. / Heard Co.
- Creekside / Northgate
- Creekview / Sonoraville
- Cross Creek / Richmond Hill
- Darlington / Armuchee
- Dawson Co. / Rabun Co.
- Dodge Co. / East Laurens
- Dooly Co. / Hawkinsville
- Douglas Co. / Woodland-Cart.
- Dublin / Tattnall Co.
- Dunwoody / Blessed Trinity
- East Paulding / Osborne
- ECI / Calvary Day
- Etowah / S. Cobb
- Evans / Richmond Acad.
- Fannin Co. / Union Co.
- Fitzgerald / Albany
- Gainesville / Chestatee
- Glenn Hills / Liberty Co.
- Gordon Lee / Dade Co.
- Grady / Westminster
- Grayson / S. Gwinnett
- Greater Atl. Chr. / Lovett
- Griffin / Mt. Zion-Jones.
- Habersham Cent. / Madison Co.
- Haralson Co. / Cent.-Carroll
- Harrison / Murray Co.
- Hart Co. / Apalachee
- Henry Co. / Jackson
- Hillgrove / Woodland-Stock.
- Hiram / Tri-Cities
- Holy Innocents’ / Cross Keys
- Jefferson / Trion
- Jefferson Co. / Josey
- Jenkins / Bradwell Inst.
- Jenkins Co. / Claxton
- Landmark Chr. / Bowdon
- Lee Co. / Worth Co.
- Lincoln Co. / Monticello
- Lowndes / Houston Co.
- Luella / Newton
- Lumpkin Co. / Johnson-Gain.
- Macon Co. / Marion Co.
- Marietta / McEachern
- Mary Persons / Ola
- McIntosh Co. Acad. / Pierce Co.
- McNair / S. Atlanta
- M.L. King / Douglass
- Mill Creek / N. Forsyth
- Miller Co. / Atkinson Co.
- Montgomery Co. / Johnson Co.
- Mt. Pisgah Chr. / Social Circle
- Newnan / Paulding Co.
- Norcross / S. Forsyth
- N. Atlanta / Riverwood
- N. Clayton / Mundy’s Mill
- N. Cobb / Campbell
- NE-Macon / SW-Macon
- N. Gwinnett / Duluth
- N. Hall / Flowery Branch
- N. Oconee / Mt. Zion-Carroll
- Northside-W.R. / Stockbridge
- Oconee Co. / Monroe Area
- Our Lady of Mercy / Glasock Co.
- Pacelli Catholic / Schley Co.
- Parkview / Shiloh
- Peach Co. / West Laurens
- Peachtree Ridge / Forsyth Cent.
- Pebblebrook / Alexander
- Pepperell / Coosa
- Pickens / Gilmer
- Prince Ave. Chr. / Athens Chr.
- Putnam Co. / Oglethorpe Co.
- Randolph-Clay / Mitchell Co.
- Redan / Union Grove
- Riverdale / Lovejoy
- Rockmart / Model
- Rutland / Lamar Co.
- Sav. Chr. / Brantley Co.
- Sav. Cntry Day / Portal
- Seminole Co. / Terrell Co.
- Spalding / Eagle’s Landing
- Spencer / Harris Co.
- Starr’s Mill / McIntosh
- Statesboro / Greenbrier
- Stephens Co. / Franklin Co.
- Stephenson / Lithonia
- Swainsboro / Vidalia
- Telfair Co. / Treutlen
- Thomas Co. Cent. / Cairo
- Thomson / Benedictine
- Tift Co. / Valdosta
- Towers / Therrell
- Twiggs Co. / Hancock Cent.
- Upson-Lee / Dutchtown
- Villa Rica / Cedartown
- Ware Co. / Wayne Co.
- Warren Co. / Ga. Military Coll.
- Washington Co. / S. Effingham
- Wash.-Wilkes / Morgan Co.
- Wesleyan / Avondale
- Westlake / Woodward Acad.
- West Hall / East Hall
- Wilcox Co. / Irwin Co.
- Wilkinson Co. / Aquinas
- Winder-Barrow / Loganville
- Woodstock / Kennesaw Mtn.
SATURDAY
- East Coweta / Morrow
Permalink | Comments (38) | Categories: Darryl Maxie
Days of No. 1 dominance? Done.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
To Stephenson coach Ron Gartrell, the No. 1 ranking in Class AAAAA is a point of pride for a program that attained it for the first time this week.
To Roswell coach Tim McFarlin, whose team has fumbled the No. 1 ranking twice in two years, it’s a distraction.
What’s more certain is that the top spot never has been harder to maintain.
For only the fourth time since the AJC began ranking high school football teams in 1952, there have been three No. 1 teams in three weeks in the highest class — Roswell, Norcross, and now, Stephenson.
It also happened in 2006, when there were four No. 1 teams in a four-week stretch.
The only other times that the No. 1 team in the highest class has lost in consecutive weeks were 1954 and 1976.
“It’s parity,” McFarlin said. “Years in the past, there were one or two dominant teams you could count on. That’s not the case anymore, certainly not this year. You’ll see no fewer than 10 to 12 teams that have a legitimate shot of winning this thing, and the polls will reflect that.”
The polls already are reflecting it.
In the 1980s, the No. 1 ranking was shared among only eight schools: Clarke Central, Griffin, LaGrange, Lowndes, Morrow, Tift County, Valdosta and Warner Robins.
In just the past year and a half, there have been seven schools to achieve No. 1.
Peachtree Ridge, Norcross, North Gwinnett and Stephenson have become No. 1 for the first time in their schools’ histories, and Roswell ended a 35-year drought last year.
The other No. 1 teams were old standards Camden County and Lowndes, but not for long. Camden lasted for three weeks, Lowndes for one, in 2006.
Roswell has served three terms at No. 1, and Norcross has been there twice.
Unmoved by history, Stephenson’s Gartrell is eager to try his luck.
“It’s a good thing around here,” said Gartrell, whose team is 4-0. “We’re excited about being No. 1. Your goal is always to get the program to the top.”
North Cobb coach Shane Queen has mixed feelings. His team — which has not been No. 1 since 1959 — is No. 2 this week after the school’s first 5-0 start in 10 years.
“Thanks for not putting that pressure on us,” Queen said jokingly of this week’s AJC rankings. “You can move us down a slot each week if you would like. That would keep [the players] motivated. I think [being No. 2] is great for the kids and the community. I just hope we can keep it up and not fall into that trap.”
McFarlin understands. His team stayed No. 1 for only one week last season, but came back and shared the state title with Peachtree Ridge.
His advice for Stephenson is to call a team meeting.
“Coaches spend a lot of time trying to minimize distractions, and the No. 1 ranking, although it’s something you strive for, is a distraction,” he said. “You can’t pretend it didn’t happen; it’s something that needs to be addressed.”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Football Report
Fayette’s 5-0! Film at eleven!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The only thing that was missing was the director’s chair and the grip yelling “Tigers First-and-10 take two!” Using their week off for the greater good, the Fayette County Tigers took a foray into filmmaking Tuesday, shooting footage for an inspirational video for use by a local church. And why not? Fayette’s play to this point has been inspirational. The Tigers are 5-0 for the first time in basically forever, and when you’re 5-0, you feel a lot better about things like video shoots. And people with cameras want to be associated with you …
Moving on …
After a frustrating 0-2 start in which they played dominating defense, the Sandy Creek Patriots are back to even. They’ve avenged a loss to Villa Rica from last year, and now have a chance at more vengeance, with perennial power Cartersville coming to Tyrone for the first time. The Hurricanes whipped the Patriots 31-0 last year in Cartersville, and Sandy Creek can solidify its playoff chances with a win Friday. The ‘Canes, meanwhile, are looking to break even themselves. They’re 1-2-1, with blowout losses to Buford and crosstown rival Cass. This one’s your upset special. Sandy Creek wins in a close game …
Break up the Bobcats
Our Lady of Mercy has won two straight and stands a good chance to make it three for the first time in school history. The Bobcats are on the road Friday, taking on 1-4 Glascock County, which has allowed 148 points in five games. They have one common opponent, Athens Christian, which beat Mercy 35-24 and whipped Glascock 35-8.
Irresistable/immovable
Banneker has scored 100 points its last three games. Whitewater has allowed 36 in its last four. Whitewater coach Amos McCreary goes for career win No. 100.
At the net
The Whitewater volleyball team won the Silver Bracket at the Spikefest over the weekend, getting 61 digs from senior Casey Howett in seven matches and 107 assists from Anna Wilson.
Football Game of the Week
McIntosh at Starr’s Mill — 7:30 p.m. Friday
Records: McIntosh (1-3, 0-2 Region 2-AAAA); Starr’s Mill (2-3, 1-2)
Coaches: McIntosh, Dwight Jones (81-75); Starr’s Mill, Mike Earwood (170-72-1).
Players to watch: McIntosh — DE/TE Nick Popiel (Sr., 6-1, 210), RB Qua Mack (Jr., 5-7, 180), DB/RB Daiyaan Epps (Jr., 5-8, 150). Starr’s Mill — QB Matt Sweat (Sr., 6-0, 185), LB Parker duPont (Sr., 6-0, 210), CB Santrez Collier (Sr., 6-10, 165).
Last year: Starr’s Mill won, 21-0.
Last week: McIntosh was off; Starr’s Mill lost to Banneker, 40-27.
The skinny: It’s the rare year when both McIntosh and Starr’s Mill are struggling, and this game, which will be a serious blow to the playoff hopes of the loser, is 48 minutes (or more) of torment avoidance. In McIntosh’s case, it’s avoidance of more torment; the Chiefs have never beaten the Panthers, and they’ve really never been close. “It’s really not a rivalry until you beat them,” said Jones, whose club may be as close to Starr’s Mill as ever. That said, if Starr’s Mill doesn’t commit turnovers — as it did last week in falling behind early at Banneker — it will in all likelihood make it six straight over their closest rival.
Prediction: Starr’s Mill, 21-16.
Permalink | | Categories: Fayette
‘Stangs stuck in losing rut
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Morrow coach Daryl Steward insisted that the Mustangs would make the playoffs. They’ve only played one region game — a 31-7 loss at Hiram last week — but with Region 4-AAAAA frontrunners East Coweta and Newnan (the defending region champion) visiting this week and next, the Mustangs must find some solutions to their woes with great haste. Since losing its season opener to Oxford (Ala.), East Coweta has outscored its opponents 139-16. Playing on Saturday won’t help the Mustangs. Says here East Coweta wins …
Moving on …
Look out, Martin: It was difficult to envision Mt. Zion having difficulty scoring coming into the season, but the Bulldogs entered last week averaging 9.5 points per game despite the presence of speedy tailback Martin Ward. They scored 30 against Riverdale in a game that was not close, but now they face a Griffin team that has allowed just 50 points in five games. The Bears will no doubt focus a lot of attention on Ward.
Football Game of the Week
Lovejoy at Riverdale — 7:30 p.m. Friday, Twelve Oaks Stadium
Records: Lovejoy 1-4 (1-1 Region 4-AAAA Division B); Riverdale 2-2 (1-1).
Coaches: Lovejoy, Al Hughes (61-62); Riverdale, Jamie Reed (2-2).
Players to watch: Lovejoy - OL Andre’ Harris (Sr., 6-4, 320), QB Kyle Lacy (Sr., 6-1, 190), WR T.J. Brown (Sr., 6-2, 190). Riverdale - OL/DL Cordy Glenn (Sr., 6-6, 315), DB Jordan Simmons (Jr., 6-2, 205), WR/DB Fletcher Redd (Jr., 6-0, 190), OL/DL Lawrence Perry (Sr., 6-3, 240), RB Demario Askew (Sr., 5-8, 170).
Last year: Riverdale won, 20-14 in overtime.
Last week: Lovejoy beat Jonesboro 26-16, Riverdale beat Mt. Zion 47-30.
The skinny: Lovejoy, which had lost three games by a touchdown or less in its first four contests, finally got some validation last week, while Riverdale hit its stride with a big offensive performance. With both Griffin and North Clayton left to play, the Wildcats control their own destiny, while Riverdale needs to win out to have a chance at hosting in the region playoff, having already lost to North Clayton. This one went down to the wire last year and figures to do so again. Look for Riverdale’s speed to make the difference.
Prediction: Riverdale, 27-21.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Clayton
Finally, it’s Lions’ time to roar
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Because we here at the Southside Blog Lounge have the luxury of comparing scores, we can look at Luella’s game Friday against Newton as a reprieve. Since the Lions are coming off back-to-back shutout losses to Stockbridge and No. 1-ranked Stephenson, Luella coach Paul Burgdorf likely doesn’t look at it that way. Nonetheless, the Rams have offered little resistance to their first four opponents, scoring just 13 points through four games. Says here Luella rolls.
Moving on …
There’s No. 1 with a bullet, and then there’s facing No. 1 with a less than a full complement of bullets. Stockbridge plays host to top-ranked Northside-Warner Robins Friday, and the job is tough enough because the Eagles are loaded and seem to do everything right, evidenced by their 20-game winning streak. The Tigers have the added challenge of doing so without star quarterback Tyler Bass, a threat as both a passer and a runner, who left last week’s game after the first series with a concussion. He’ll be replaced by senior Ben Jones, a starter on defense who now takes the offensive focal point. “We’re not going to ask him to do the same things Tyler does,” said Stockbridge coach Steve Collins. “We just want him to do the things he can do.”
On the diamond
Audra Brinkley belted a three-run homer for Luella, giving the Lions a win over Whitewater Monday. Andrea Sullivan has led Luella to a 19-5-1 record, compiling a 0.5 ERA … Union Grove’s Monica Perry is 11-3 with a 0.26 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched. She has thrown a perfect game and two no-hitters …
At the net
Ola’s Hayli Hanekamp has recorded 48 kills and Meghan Dyer leads the team with 14 blocks …
On the course
Henry County’s Darnell Brown has consistently run in the low to mid 18-minute range and took 11th at the Aubrae Gunderson race in Conyers over the weekend … Eagle’s Landing’s Joe Cromer has four meet wins this season and owns the school record for a 5k race with a time of 16:25 … Union Grove’s boys finished third at the Gunderson race, led by Daniel Kilfoye, who finished in 17:55 …
Football Game of the Week
Bremen at Eagle’s Landing Christian — 7:30 p.m. Friday
Records: Bremen 5-0, ELCA 3-1.
Coaches: Bremen, Ricky Tolleson (80-32); ELCA, Jonathan Gess (3-1).
Players to watch: ELCA — QB Wes Carter (Sr., 6-1, 180), OL Travis Rogers (Sr., 6-4, 265), DE/TE Andrew Fields (Sr., 6-3, 240).
Last year: ELCA won, 24-21.
Last week: Bremen beat Landmark Christian 27-7; ELCA beat Social Circle 44-20.
The skinny: The Chargers seem to be hitting their offensive stride, having scored 94 points their last two games, and this presents their last chance to fine-tune before entering Region 5-A play next week. In Bremen, they also face what may be the biggest challenge remaining on their schedule. The Blue Devils are averaging 30 points per game and are 5-0 for the second straight year. The Chargers spoiled their Homecoming game last year, and Bremen seeks a measure of revenge. ELCA will not sneak up on the Devils this time around, but Carter and company will cause their visitors some defensive headaches.
Prediction: ELCA, 21-16.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Henry
Controversial Gwinnett Power Rankings; Deadline approaching for fantasy FB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before I release this week’s controversial Gwinnett rankings, I need to revisit the No. 1 factor in my criteria.
The most important thing I consider is simple: Teams will be ranked above only teams I believe they would beat on the field. Therefore, even though Grayson beat Peachtree Ridge, I have the Rams ranked behind the Lions because I believe if the two teams met again, Peachtree Ridge would win.
Please consider that last reason carefully, before proceeding to rip me to shreds.
Also, anyone interested in taking on Kurt and I in high school fantasy football this week has until 4 p.m., Thursday to post a team. Details below.
Gwinnett Power Rankings — Week 6
Peachtree Ridge: The Lions will beat North Gwinnett to clinch Region 7.
Norcross: Who lasts longer in the playoffs: the Devils or Peachtree Ridge?
Grayson: Yes, the Rams beat the Lions. But could they do it again?
North Gwinnett: The definition of a well-coached team.
Buford: Some say the 2002 and 2003 Wolves were better, but that’s hard to imagine.
Brookwood: As usual, offensive line is dominating.
Berkmar: Early is leading coach of the year candidate.
South Gwinnett: Is a playoff run on the horizon?
Parkview: Don’t write off Flowe’s Panthers just yet.
Central Gwinnett: Playoff aspirations are in serious jeopardy.
Mill Creek: Playoff aspirations are about to be realized.
Dacula: Big game with Clarke Central Friday.
Shiloh: Generals have improved, as demonstrated in loss to Brookwood.
Collins Hill: Eagles first win comes Friday.
Greater Atlanta Christian: Spartans have a bright future.
Wesleyan: Offense sputtering.
Duluth: Thank heavens for Meadowcreek, or Wildcats would be staring at winless season.
Meadowcreek: Desperately looking for any signs of improvement.
Fantasy Football: It’s official. The Kurt Dynasty is back
Thanks to the lovely Jenn’s help with Wilcox Co. stats, we were able to determine that Kurt reclaimed his title by knocking off 680 The Fan’s Karl Werl last week. There is still time for you to submit your team this week.
If you want to take on AJC dorks Kurt Aschermann and David Purdum in a rousing game of high school fantasy football, simply post your team— 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WR, 1 Defense—on the blog before 2 p.m., Thursday. Feel free to email your team to dpurdum@ajc.com or kaschermann@@ajc.com as well.
You can use any combination of players from across the state, while Kurt and DP will use only Gwinnett County players.
One reader-submitted team will be selected each week based on the creativity of their team’s name. That selected team will be posted on Friday’s blog (and in the Gwinnett News), along with Kurt and DP’s.
If that reader’s team outscores both Kurt and DP, they will receive a special prize from the closet of Kurt or DP.
Scoring System
(Note: Due to limited stats, QBs/WRs do not receive points for rushing yards; RBs no points for receiving yards)
Passing
100-200 yards - 6
200-300 yards - 9
More than 300 - 15
Rushing/Receiving
50-99 yards - 6
100-150 - 9
151-199 - 12
More than 200 - 15
Rushing/Receiving/Passing TDs - 6
Defense: Every point the opposing team scores is subtracted from your total.
Results will be posted on Tuesday’s blog and in Friday’s edition of the Gwinnett News.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: David Purdum
Take 10: Georgia’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here at Take Ten, we’re selfish.
It’s not enough for “Friday Night Lights” to be airing its season premiere this week. It’s not even enough that NBC moved FNL, fittingly enough, to Friday nights.
No, we want the show here. What does Texas have over Georgia anyway? Our high school football fans are just as passionate. We’ll put the quality of play here up against any state in the country. Plus, there’s the added incentive of not having to drive five hours down a dark, deserted, smashed lizard-covered highway to get to the game you want to see.
But who are the Dillon Panthers of Georgia? What’s the high-profile program of ours that could fill those shoes? Here are our top 10 choices. NBC, we hope you’re reading this.
10: Thomas County Central — This is a program with great tradition (five state titles), a great stadium in the Jackets’ Nest and some very strong support in Thomasville.
9: Carrollton — Even as Atlanta growth turns Carrollton away from being an isolated town and more toward being part of Atlanta-West, seven state titles, a long tradition and a tight community give the Trojans plenty of TV cach&eeacute;.
8: Parkview — With four state titles, the Big Orange Jungle and an entire neighborhood built to honor the program, Parkview has to be one of the top choices to fill Dillon’s shoes. Plus, they could bring in Jeff Francoeur for an “as himself” guest spot to rein in the all-important female demographic.
7: Dublin — In Dublin, it’s all about the new Shamrock Bowl, which may very well be the nicest stadium for any Class AA team in the state. When the Redneck Games aren’t in town, life is all about Dublin football here. Come to think of it, the Redneck Games would make a great episode.
6: Gainesville — Show up to a game at Bobby Gruhn Field, and you’ll know why the Red Elephants belong on this list. It’s a scene, with all the red, the cars parked all over the place at the off-campus stadium. They’ve been playing forever, and they still have enough buffer room from Atlanta to be their own little enclave.
5: Lowndes — You certainly can’t miss the stadium. Anyone who has driven down I-75 near Valdosta has seen the huge Concrete Palace lurking off the side of the interstate. Four state titles aid the cause. And the annual Winnersville Classic against Valdosta, with everyone in the area in attendance, would make a great season finale for the show.
4: Northside-Warner Robins — They’ve got one of the biggest parking lots we’ve ever seen for a high school stadium, the site of much tailgating, and hopefully, overly dramatic high school breakups and shouting matches that would work great for TV. Bonus points for an intense rivalry with crosstown Warner Robins, which used to be especially nasty a few decades ago. For TV’s sake, we could pretend it was just as nasty as ever.
3: LaGrange — Another team that has been playing since the Stone Age, the Grangers may be the most consistently successful program this side of Valdosta. They have collected 11 state titles, and they’ve maintained their supportive community. With four Final Four appearances since 2001, the Grangers would be bound to provide a cliffhanger finale.
2: Lincoln County — What do people in Lincolnton do when the football team isn’t playing? Yeah, we don’t know either. The seating capacity at Buddy Bufford Field seems to be twice the population. And they’ve been known to lure 6,000 or so for the biggest games. Legendary coach Larry Campbell is almost Pope-like in Lincolnton, having won 14 state titles. This place would be nearly perfect.
1: Valdosta — But this place actually would be perfect. We wanted to come up with an upset No. 1 pick, but this has to be the choice. Maybe the most successful program in the nation. An insane 24 state titles. Historic Bazemore-Hyder Stadium has seen more than its share of huge games. It’s in the middle of an otherwise non-descript neighborhood, and cars fill up the area for every game. Heck, there’s even a ghost. There’s no better TV than that.
Go on. Take Ten. What do you think? Who have we missed? Who would you want to watch? Or which ones of these would make you want to flip off the TV in disgust? Come on. Surely, we can top Texas.
MORE PREPS: Video | Rival Smasher | Send photos!
Permalink | Comments (124) | Categories: Take Ten
Gasp! Fantasy FB Controversy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Kurt Dynasty may have resurfaced, but, alas, we won’t know until someone can find out stats for Wilcox County receiver Alfonzo Dennard in last week’s game against Ttreutlen.
Wilcox won 52-0, so the chances of a big performance are there. Defending champion Karl Werl needs just 12 points (50 yards and a TD) to repeat. Otherwise, our worst fears may be realized with the revitalization of the Kurt Dyansty.
If you know how to find out the stats, please contact me ASAP. Until then, I’m going to consider myself the winner. — DP
DP’s Dandies — 50
QB — Twoey Hosch, Buford - 18 (129 yards, 2 TDs)
RB — Diante Drake, Central Gwinnett — 15 (133 yards, TD)
RB — Tyler Jarry, North Gwinnett — 12 (87 yards, 1 TD)
WR — Brice Butler, Norcross — 0 (22 yards)
WR — Ed Russ, Mill Creek — 15 (144 yards, 1 TD)
Defense — Brookwood — 10 (Points allowed)
The Former Kurt Dynasty (Aschermann) — 69
QB — T.J. Smith, Berkmar - 33 (233 yards, 4 TDs)
RBs — Brandon Jacobs, Parkview - 6 (50 yards)
RB — Demetris Murray, Buford - 18 (65 yards, 2 TDs)
WR — Devonta Bolton, Norcross - 0 (O yards)
WR — Isaiah Jupiter, Berkmar - 12 (57 yards, 1 TD)
Defense — Grayson — 0 (points allowed)
Karl Werl’s Wrecking Crew — 57 + Alfonzoe Dennard’s Stats
QB - Mikey Tamburo, North Gwinnett - 18 (149 yards, 2 TDs)
RB - Kenny Miles, Brookwood - 18 (196 yards, 1 TD)
RB - Tauren Poole, Stephens Co. - 21 (138 yards, 2 TD)
WR - Alfonzo Dennard, Wilcox Co.- ????? (Anyone know Alfonzo’s stats?)
WR - Jarmon Fortson, Caver-Columbus - 0 (0 TD)
Defense - LaGrange - 0
Want to prove yourself worthy of taking on staff writers David Purdum and Kurt Aschermann in a game of high school fantasy football?
Post your team —- 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WR, 1 defensive team —- on Purdum’s blog on ajc.com/sports/content/sports/highschool before 2 p.m. Thursday. (Look for the cool-looking bald guy on the left side of the page to find the blog.)
Feel free to e-mail your team to dpurdum@ajc.com or kaschermann@ajc.com as well.
You can use any combination of players from across the state, while Aschermann and Purdum will use only Gwinnett County players. Because, as everyone knows, Gwinnett plays the best brand of football.
One reader-submitted team will be selected each week based on the creativity of the team name. That selected team will be posted on Friday’s blog and in the Gwinnett News, along with Aschermann’s and Purdum’s teams.
If that reader’s team outscores both of the writers’ teams, they will receive a special prize from the wardrobe of Aschermann and Purdum.
Scoring System
(Note: Due to limited stats, QBs/WRs do not receive points for rushing yards; RBs no points for receiving yards)
Passing
100-200 yards - 6
200-300 yards - 9
More than 300 - 15
Rushing/Receiving
50-99 yards - 6
100-150 - 9
151-199 - 12
More than 200 - 15
Rushing/Receiving/Passing TDs - 6
Defense: Every point the opposing team scores is subtracted from your total.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: David Purdum
No. 1: Blessing, curse or both?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It seems like it happens multiple times every year. A team gets hot early in the year, starts a winning streak and climbs up the polls. But when the team finally makes it to the No. 1 spot, that’s the week the team’s winning ways come to an end. It makes you begin to wonder — should coaches and fans even want their team to be No. 1 during the season?
It happened two weeks in a row last year, first with Lowndes in Week 4 and then Roswell in Week 5. Teams like Northside-Warner Robins, which held the top spot in Class AAAA for a solid calendar year, seem to be the exception rather than the rule.
That occurred again last week, when Norcross found its way to No. 1 in the polls and then promptly suffered a 24-16 loss to defending state champion Peachtree Ridge.
The recipient of Norcross’ defeat is Stephenson who, despite winning 10 or more games five of the past six years, had never reached No. 1 before this week. And coach Ron Gartrell isn’t turning it down.
“I want to be No. 1,” Gartrell said. “Everybody else has had a shot. Why not Stephenson? You only get the chance to play a guaranteed 10 games. You prepare all year. You want 10 good games. If being No. 1 brings about the best in your opponent, then you really find out how good you are.
“There’s no sense in sugar-coating it and saying we don’t want to be No. 1 because there’s a jinx or whatever.”
On the other side of that is Roswell’s Tim McFarlin, who saw his team get upset by Wheeler before running the table for a state title last year.
He knows how tough it can be.
“If you’re climbing the mountain, you fix your eyes on the top spot,” McFarlin said. “When you’re on the top, where do you look? You don’t look up because there’s nothing else there. I think it’s a unique set of circumstances that you have to deal with.”
You make the call: Do you want your team to be No. 1? Would you rather your team lurk a few spots down and fly under the radar? Do the losses by new No. 1 teams make that top spot less attractive?
Permalink | Comments (34) | Categories: Jeff Haws
Jags take over top AAAAA slot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No matter which team you think is No. 1 in Class AAAAA this week, most people will disagree.
That was what I gleaned from the AJC’s online fan poll. No team got more than 50 percent of the votes.
The candidates were Stephenson, North Cobb, North Gwinnett and M.L. King.
My choice is Stephenson. Not sure that Lowndes or Harrison wouldn’t have received quite a few votes, even if they’ve lost games.
Among the undefeated teams in Georgia , the Jaguars are the one that I thought was best in preseason, and they’ve done nothing in four games to dispute that. They’ve also done nothing in four games to prove it, either, so that’s why the debate is such a good one. The Jags have not played much of a schedule yet.
North Cobb and North Gwinnett have scored bigger wins than Stephenson — N.C. over Harrison and N.G. over Walton and Brookwood. But they’ve also each had one-point victories. So they’re much closer to 4-1 than Stephenson is.
One other talking point: With few big games in AAAAA this week, I’m looking forward to Baldwin-Westside and North Hall-Flowery Branch.
Curious what fans who have seen those teams think. I’m siding with Westside and North Hall. North Hall was a team that many complained that I ranked too highly in preseason. I looked good last week when the Trojans handled Gainesville , but Flowery Branch is a bit tougher.
I’m really liking Westside in AAAA. That might be a team that can stand up to Northside.
Talk back to Todd: Holcomb chats live with YOU every Monday, starting at 7 p.m. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about the rankings.
Permalink | Comments (179) | Categories: Poll talk
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