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Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Take 10: Why Georgia FB rules
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sure, WE know Georgia is a great state for high school football. The best, even. But there are still states like Texas, California and Florida that want to claim that mantle — and Take Ten is here to defend Georgia’s honor.
Don’t get us wrong. High school football is just fine in those states, but we can see their fatal flaws and expose them for the masses. And there are plenty of reasons Georgia beats them all down.
10: The Dome
When teams advance far enough in the playoffs, they get a chance to play at the Georgia Dome. Not every state gives its players a game on an NFL field, and it’s a great experience for those who get there. Starting next year, the Dome will host the state finals.
9: Coaching
Larry Campbell. Robert Davis. Luther Welsh. Conrad Nix. Buck Godfrey. Cecil Flowe. Those are just a few of the coaches who have become legends of sorts in Georgia football. According to the records at FootballFridayNights.com, only Iowa has more coaches in the list of top 25 active coaches by number of victories.
8: Athletes
You can’t sling a football in this state without hitting a big-time athlete or two. They’re everywhere. South Georgia. North Georgia. And, as Atlanta threatens to annex the entire state through relentless expansion, it starts to seem more and more that there isn’t a town in the state that doesn’t have a Division I-A prospect … or 30.
7: Parity
Especially in Class AAAAA, the debate rages whether this is a good thing for the state or if it would be better to have a powerhouse or two. But from a “this is fun to watch” standpoint, it’s great to have teams like North Cobb sneak up to the top. The powerhouse programs are having a harder time staying at the top, and everybody feels like they have a chance.
6: Weather
Everybody talks about how great the football in Florida is. Just try to make it through an entire summer and fall in central or south Florida. “Football weather” there means they have to wear t-shirts instead of tank tops. A “brisk fall evening” is one where the humidity drops to 99 percent. In Georgia, late-season football weather is chilly — like it should be. But it’s not brutal. Just cold enough to feel right.
5: The Southeast
This is the place where football is king. No region of the country has more of a rich football history than this one. Texas tries to claim itself as its own region, but even they can’t match the football pedigree of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, a triumvirate that has been competing in and watching the game for more than 100 years and takes it more seriously than anyone reasonably should.
4: Passionate fans
Goes hand-in-hand with No. 5, but it’s important to note for high school football in particular. Especially when comparing Georgia to California. Out there, they’ve got their pristine beaches, Hollywood, massive cities, hordes of people, activists and professional/college sports teams bursting at the seams. Fans there are known for having a laissez-faire attitude toward the teams they follow. Not in Georgia. Even the people in Atlanta have been accused of not being loyal enough to their pro teams. But there’s no such accusation at the high school level. The passion is always there.
3: No long, lonely drives
Ever driven down the highways in Texas? Some of them make the moon seem congested. You could fall asleep at the wheel, and it probably wouldn’t matter. Trying to follow Texas high school football outside of your hometown team takes several bottles of caffeine pills and a few gas cans. In Georgia, you can get just about anywhere without driving down lonely, deserted highways. You don’t have to sleep for 17 hours to prepare for a playoff road trip.
2: North vs. South
The rivalry has lost a bit of its intensity as the styles of play have become less identifiable to each region, but the North Georgia vs. South Georgia rivalry still brings plenty of debate from the state’s fans. It’s a debate that is uniquely Georgian, and it does its part to make Georgia high school football what it is.
1: Valdosta
They’re the top program in the nation, and the road trip to Bazemore-Hyder is a pilgrimage even out-of-state football fans want to take at least once. Other states certainly have their historic teams, but there’s only one Valdosta. And we have them.
Go on. Take Ten. Are you convinced yet? What did we miss? Is it even possible we’re wrong? Is there another state you can make a case for? Here’s your chance.
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