Prep Zone

By dge

January 14, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

Schools should have whatever stadium their community decides to build. If they earn a home playoff game, they should host it no matter their facilities.

Who’s Ed Pilcher?

By bob williams

January 14, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this

The Legislature Has no business in high school sports, they can’t even get the laws they vote right.

By Pat

January 14, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this

Of course there should be reasonable, minimum seating requirements for playoffs. Yes the General Assembly should state out of HS athletics. With that said the GHSA needs to worry more about students than making money for a large in-house and supplementary staff. There should be term limits for Congress, Ga. General Assembly and GHSA Executive Committee.

By dawg1212

January 14, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this

All schools should be required to seat at least 6000 fans. If a school makes it to the playoffs,anyone wanting to attend should have ample room to see the game from a seat if they desire. It hurts the school by not having enough room. Look at the revenue that is lost in ticket sales. There were schools at the dome that had 6000 fans there just to support them. It is not right for a team to make it to the playoffs and not be able to bring all there fans to the game to support them because the school is to cheap to add enough seating.

By South Jaw JA Football

January 14, 2008 1:33 PM | Link to this

Ed Pilcher is gentleman so we will never know the full extent of why he is leaving, but I do NOT buy that “I need to stroke the fire”, reason that was given. A local issue that will stay local. We, the Jacket Nation wish Coach Pilcher all the best and will pull for him for 9 games a year. GO Jackets!

By rambo

January 14, 2008 1:36 PM | Link to this

If they had just used a little common sense, they could have avoided this issue. When other business’ decided that people are larger than they were decades ago, they increased standard seating by about 2 inches, but the GHSA in all their wisdom jumped the requirement a full 30% by adding 6 inches, thereby dropping everyone’s stadium capacity by one third.

By Todd Holcomb

January 14, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this

Ed Pilcher won five state championships at Thomas County Central in the 1990s but is leaving that Thomasville school for Bainbridge unless he changes his mind today. Except for Larry Campbell, Pilcher has more state titles than any active coach.

By some sense

January 14, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this

Doesn’t make any difference whether the legislature “has any business i9n h/s sports. They’ll make it their business when they deem the issue affects the state’s people, culture, etc.

This is the GHSA’s fault. When they let poor ol’ Tom Murphy stare them down on the private school issue of several years ago. Several state senators and congressmen had children in private schools and raised subsequent hell about their kids and their schools having to “play up” in higher classifications.

Better not ever suggest the Georgia legislature won’t make any issue in this state “their business”.

By tyre

January 14, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this

I attended Newnan HS in 68-69. I am a little surprised that the stadium hasn’t been enlarged since then. Why couldn’t they have brought in temporary seating the way Gwinnett schools have done. BTW GHSA is a “political” organization, they fit with the gold-domers quite nicely.

By dawg1212

January 14, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this

Look at the ECI and Wilcox Stat Championship game. Wilcox’s stadium could not accomidate but 3500 to 4000 max. The game was moved to Cordele. That stadium could not nowhere seat all the fans with standing room only and there were aprrox. 10,000 fans there.now the way I look at that, by the game be held at a bigger stadium where more fans could come, that is $60,000.00+ swing in revenue. And any highschool football fan that wanted to attend could. There needs to be a 6000 seat minimum.

By dawg1212

January 14, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this

What is you opinion on it Todd?

By dawg1212

January 14, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this

What is your opion on this Todd?

By James

January 14, 2008 2:31 PM | Link to this

Hey Todd,

Should the officals in the payoffs be regulated? Not from the same county or region, as what happen with the Cobb County officals at the Walton/ML KIng game.

By beau vighn

January 14, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this

It is ironic to hear Ralph Swearingin talk about not liking to be threatened. The whole ghsa is nothing but a dictatorship run by one guy who has absolute power. That is not a good thing in any respects. I have a problem with non elected officials making policy for public schools. I think we should do away with the communistic ghsa and have high school athletics run by a group that is elected by the principals and superintendants of the schools. Right now there is no accountability as far as the ghsa is concerned. They are getting fat and rich at the expense of the local schools.

By uncle bs

January 14, 2008 4:10 PM | Link to this

Larry Campbell may be a great coach but he is a bigger cry baby.

By Todd Holcomb

January 14, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this

What is your opinion on this Todd?

I think it should be determined by the consensus of member schools in the GHSA, not the legislature.

I’d probably lower the minimum to 5,000 for AAAAA schools. About half of schools in the highest class don’t meet the 6,000 requirement, so that might be too high (although even 5,000 wouldn’t have helped Newnan). I’d also allow schools to count temporary bleachers. Currently, it’s only permanent seating that counts.

But there does need to be a minimum, and something needs to be done to prevent a school from manipulating the rule to force its opponent to move the game unnecessarily.

One idea: In order for a school (i.e., North Gwinnett) to invoke the rule to move the game, that school must guarantee that it will buy half the tickets of whatever that minimum is. In the case of North Gwinnett-Norcross, move the game only if North Gwinnett can buy 3,000 tickets up front. This was discussed at a GHSA meeting last year, but some schools worried that big-money schools could then buy a team out of its home game without intending to sell those tickets. So no rule is perfect.

And finally, schools that complain about having their home playoff game moved want to argue that they are entitled to host the game for having won their region. Isn’t it just as valid for the visiting school to say that it is entitled to have a minimum number of their fans accommodated with visiting seats for having made the playoffs? You’ve got to compromise, and there’s no way to do that without a minimum requirement for seats.

Should the officals in the payoffs be regulated? Not from the same county or region, as what happen with the Cobb County officals at the Walton/ML KIng game.

Not sure what you mean by regulated, but the GHSA does assign crews (or associations) to playoff games beginning with the quarterfinals, if not for all rounds, and the GHSA assigns ”neutral” crews for those games.

By ‘neutral,’ I mean that the crew assigned to the Walton-MLK game should not have been one that worked Walton or MLK games during the regular season.

I just spoke with an official who told me it would be surprising and unusual for a Cobb-based crew to work a quarterfinal game involving a Cobb team. But I don’t know if that actually did happen with Walton-MLK, or if it did, whether there’s a reasonable explanation. When I have a chance to ask the GHSA, I will.

By dawg1212

January 14, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this

Todd, If you thinks 5,000 is eough for a AAAAA school, then what do you think is enough for a single A school?

By 89viking

January 14, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this

the GHSAA needs completely overhauled along with the “powers that be”. the schools can get together and decide whats best for everyone,,not one school,,,or 1 area. of course there will always be “politics” played, no one person should have the power that the head of the GHSAA does over ALL athletic events. how can they do it and be fait to all? thats the real question.

By James

January 14, 2008 7:57 PM | Link to this

Hey Todd,

If would be interesting to know if those were Cobb County Officals for the Walton/ML King game. When you find out “please by all means” share this info with us.

By trojanfan

January 14, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this

If you think Ralph is a dictator you should have experienced Sam Burke. It has always been run with a heavy hand.

By Dave

January 15, 2008 12:00 AM | Link to this

**That stupid seating rule practically gave Peachtree Ridge a share of the AAAAA championship in 2006. They forced Wheeler, Campbell and Roswell to neutral sites. And North Gwinnett forced Etowah to a neutral site in the second round last year, just as they did to Newnan this past season.

The GHSA should not be allowed to make such a move unless the visiting team GUARANTEES that it will sell 200 more tickets than seats available. In other words, if the visiting side can seat 2,500, the visiting team had better sell / make up the difference on 2,700 tickets.**

By Dave

January 15, 2008 12:17 AM | Link to this

Again, that was FOURTH SEEDED Peachtree Ridge forcing all of those changes on their way to a share of the 2006 AAAAA state championship.

Also, considering that the semi-final was in the GA Dome, did Peachtree Ridge even play in a higher-seeded team’s stadium in their 2006 playoff run? Todd, can you answer this??

By politics strikes again

January 15, 2008 5:43 AM | Link to this

If a school team wins the right to host the big game then it should do so seating requirements be dammed. Yes fans like to go to games but it is the team playing the game not the fans. If any kind of requirements ae going to be established then one I would like to see is that the visitors side should have at least 80-90% the seating capacity of the home side. There is nothing wrong with having a few more seats for the home team to give the so called “home team” advantage the example given earlier about a field with almost nil seats on the visitors side is not only poor planning on the part of the school it should be considered bad manners.

By John Barnett

January 15, 2008 7:09 AM | Link to this

The GHSA and the legislature should be more concerned with players being out of zone and recruiting, even across county lines. The GHSA makes no effort to curb this practice. It’s wide spread among multi-school districts and city systems not only allow people from county school zones in to play, but also allow people from neighboring counties.

By Andy

January 15, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this

If we’re talking about standards for HS football facilities, why isn’t anyone up in arms about having several thousand visiting fans being forced to use a handfull of those unsanitary porta-potties. Far more people go to HS football games in this state than to College or NFL, so its about time to force schools to get proper sanitary facilities for the visiting stands.

Now here’s so

By Won'tBeFooled

January 15, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this

The GHSA wants to force schools to increase seating capacity ENTIRELY for increased revenue. And don’t forget: 100% of ticket revenue goes to the GHSA. None of it goes to the host school (except for miscellaneous costs). This is nothing but a revenue driver for the GHSA.

By high school fan

January 15, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this

Fisrt of all the Legislature has more to do than regulate High School Sports, but because this guy was in the legislature he decided to “throw his weight around” and show the voters of his district that he “could get things done.” I really wonder how many High School games this clown really attends every year? Secondly, the GHSA is an organization that regulates the public schools competitions in the state of Georgia. Each region has a rep and these reps make up the Executive Committee, which in turn makes the rules and policies. No rule is ever made without a vote of the Executive Committee. Dr. Swearingin and his staff just enforce and oversee the day to day operation of the GHSA. Finally the GHSA is a volunteer oragnization and no-one and I repeat no-one is required to participate. If you don’t like the rules, then go play in the GISA or another State organization. Nobody is forcing any school into the GHSA. By the way for all you critics who think the GHSA is sitting on a gold mine, you need to remember that they pay all the catastrophic insurance premiums for all sports in the state of Georgia as well as many other costs that are not published by the News. However if you want to see a budget and expenditures, ask your Region Rep or call the GHSA, I’m sure they will point you in the right direction.

By high school fan

January 15, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this

Won’t be Fooled…You are an idiot! Please go read the By-Laws and Constitution on the GHSA website before you make stupid comments and show everyone just how ignorant you are! Or better yet, call Wilcox County who had to move their CHAMPIONSHIP game and ask how much they made! You know their is an old saying that goes something like this, “it’s better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you are an idiot, rather than open it and let people know for sure.”

By tee

January 15, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this

the issue is $$$$. 12% goes to the ghsa. the more fans that attend, the more they make. it’s gotten so bad, they supply the ticket takers for the finals……… talk about micro-managing.

By Todd Holcomb

January 15, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

Also, considering that the semi-final was in the GA Dome, did Peachtree Ridge even play in a higher-seeded team’s stadium in their 2006 playoff run? Todd, can you answer this??

Peachtree Ridge played Stephenson at Hallford Stadium, which is Stephenson’s ”home field” but not on the Stephenson campus. PR played Campbell and Roswell at McEachern and Wheeler at Sprayberry.

The GHSA wants to force schools to increase seating capacity ENTIRELY for increased revenue. And don’t forget: 100% of ticket revenue goes to the GHSA. None of it goes to the host school (except for miscellaneous costs). This is nothing but a revenue driver for the GHSA.

The GHSA gets 12 percent of the gate, not 100 percent.

If we’re talking about standards for HS football facilities, why isn’t anyone up in arms about having several thousand visiting fans being forced to use a handfull of those unsanitary porta-potties. Far more people go to HS football games in this state than to College or NFL, so its about time to force schools to get proper sanitary facilities for the visiting stands.

That’s another pertinent point. Plus, parking becomes a real strain at many of the high school stadiums when the crowds are overflowing.

Todd, If you thinks 5,000 is eough for a AAAAA school, then what do you think is enough for a single A school?

The former standard was 4,000 for AAAA, then 3,000, 2,500 and 2,000. That seems adequate except perhaps for AA, where the average QF attendances the pat 4 years has been 2,400. …

I should also note that seating requirements will be in place for the semifinals this year, but not for the first three rounds. The finals are in the Dome, of course.

It is ironic to hear Ralph Swearingin talk about not liking to be threatened. The whole ghsa is nothing but a dictatorship run by one guy who has absolute power.

Where does he get his power? A military dictator gets his power from the military. What does Swearngin have to force people to vote to go his way? There are 50 members of the executive committee who vote. Swearngin doesn’t have a vote. He certainly has an agenda and many opinions and preferences, but what gives him dictator status?

If would be interesting to know if those were Cobb County Officals for the Walton/ML King game. When you find out “please by all means” share this info with us.

Will do.

By dawg1212

January 15, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this

How much did Wilcox make? Don’t they get like 40 percent of ticket prices and what about consessions?

By dawg1212

January 15, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this

Todd, try taveling to a Lincoln county or ECI or Savannah Country Day or even at Metter game next season and see if you still think 2000 seats is enough. I know that you are talking on averages, but these schools have a large fan base. They fans always follow them where ever they are playing. Single A schools should have a minumum of 3500 seats with the visitors having at least 1200 to 1500.

By Todd Holcomb

January 15, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

If a school team wins the right to host the big game then it should do so seating requirements be dammed.

From a philosophical standpoint, what gives a team the right to host a playoff game? Basketball teams don’t have the right to host quarterfinals. They’re all played at neutral sites. So what we’re calling a ”right” in football is really just a rule that was established long ago by a vote of member schools. When the GHSA first began running the state playoffs in 1948, all games were at neutral sites unless the opposing coaches agreed to flip a coin to decide which school got to host it.

Then, in the ’50s or ’60s, the GHSA voted to designate a home team on the bracket.

So, if a vote of member schools gave teams ”the right” to host a playoff game in the first place, can’t member schools now decide to take away that right based on inadequate facilities?

Right or wrong, seating requirements don’t violate anyone’s rights in the playoffs, IMO. Lots of sports use neutral venues for state playoffs.

If would be interesting to know if those were Cobb County Officals for the Walton/ML King game. When you find out “please by all means” share this info with us.

Just spoke with Dennis Payne, associate director of the GHSA and the one who assigns officials for playoff games. He declined to tell me which officials association worked that game, but he did say this: “It wasn’t a Cobb County crew working a Cobb County team. … The headquarters for that particular association is in Gwinnett County.’’

It’s possible that members of an association with a mailing address in Gwinnett actually live in Cobb, as the GHSA doesn’t monitor that.

The GHSA requires only that an official not be assigned to a game for a school that he (or she) attended, or a school where his (or her) kids attend, but in this case, it would seem doubtful that the majority of these officials (if any) were from Cobb, but I can’t confirm that.

Also, every school in Georgia is assigned an officials association that will work that school’s home games in the regular season. The GHSA will not select that association for a home playoff game for that school. The GHSA must pick a ‘’neutral’’ association, one that has not worked a home game for that school previously that season.

Hope that helps.

By BEARMAN

January 16, 2008 3:13 AM | Link to this

BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN GRIFFIN MADE PLAYOFFS EVERY YEAR AND HAD FANS TO STAND FOR BLOCKS TO BUY TICKETS. GRIFFIN WOULD BRING IN TEMPORARY SEATS FOR FANS BECAUSE THE VISITORS SIDE WAS SMALL. GO TO YOUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND ASK TO BORROW BLEACHERS OR WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HOLD A HOME GAME. IT’S CALLED GETTING OFF YOUR RUMPS BOOSTER CLUBS AND MAKE IT HAPPEN. I SUPPORT A NEW STADIUM IN GRIFFIN EVEN WITH PLENTY OF SEATS NOW, BUT IT CAN HAPPEN WHETHER YOU BRING SEATS IN OR REMODEL IF YOUR FANS AND COMMUNITY WANT TO DO SPEAK OUT AND DO A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THE KIDS.

By TCCjacketfan

January 16, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

Why did Ed Pilcher leave TCC? Again, as an earlier post said there are alot of reasons. I know just about all of them, and if I were him I would be leaving too.

The majority consisted of changes in Superintendent, Board Members,a new Principal will be named in Feb.,and alot of unfufilled promises that have been made. He has been told that there would be upgrades in athletics for 8 years. One of them would be the building of a new athletic facility at the school for all spring and fall sports, not just football. Right before christmas he was told by the Superintendent that she has no plans to build it or to make any improvements to athletics anytime in the forseeable future. To some schools that’s not a big deal. But TCC is still using much of the same weights and workout equipment as when the school opened almost 20 years ago. The wrestling team has to leave and go practice at the elementary school because of the lack of space. The baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and other second tier sports have no lockers and must change in the bathroom for practice or games. The total athletic department doesn’t have the adequate space it needs to function properly. And it has nothing to do with money. They have built 3 new schools, moved and remodeled the admininstration offices, built a new 9th grade wing, a new band and music complex, they are about to build a new gym for the elementary school, a $3 million vocational building at the high school, and new projects are about to begin. These are only a some of the upgrades, with more to come shortly.

Turns out there was alot of “false” promises between both administrations.

By Camden Boy

January 16, 2008 8:52 PM | Link to this

Todd, Off Topic, But Thought I’d Let You In On Something.. September 12 is a game for the ages,

Camden at Hoover, Alabama, yes the hoover from MTV 2 A Days!!!! ESPN will be covering it!!

By We Grow Idiots Here

January 16, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this

Why doesn’t the GHSA just give the home team a 7 point head start in a playoff game…that’s about as much sense as the idiot Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) makes. The folks in GA that think a playoff game should be played on one of the two team’s home field are idiots. It makes the playoff winners meaningless. Stick the stadium size issue in your nose. No play-off game should be played on either team’s home field. Get out of the dark Georgia and play neutral fields throughout the playoffs to determine true state champions. All state champions should have an * next to their names to indicate ‘home field playoffs’. Our football playoff format is a joke!!

By Todd Holcomb

January 16, 2008 10:13 PM | Link to this

A few drive-by comments —

Hoover vs. Camden: I saw that today. Might call Coach Herron tomorrow and find out more about it. Great matchup. I can’t wait to see how top schools from ALA and GA compare. …

Re: temporary seats:

Schools can and do bring in temporary bleachers, but the GHSA’s requirements were based on permanent seating. So no matter what Newnan had imported, it wasn’t going to matter to the GHSA.

The GHSA also now is considering adjusting those requirements based on bleachers that are put in place. We might hear something on that by spring. Remember that the seating requirements still exist for the semifinals, and I wouldn’t be surprised if temporary seating is added to the equation.

Re: Home field

An e-mailer has let me know that Texas puts every playoff game on a neutral site. It’s like I was saying above: Georgia schools think they are entitled to a home playoff game. But in reality, the GHSA runs the playoffs in the best interest of all the schools, and if the majority of member schools wanted the playoffs to go neutral all the way, then that’s the way it would be.

That is, until a legislator got wind of it, of course. Aren’t there legislators in Texas?

By CamdenvHoover 08

January 17, 2008 6:45 PM | Link to this

I do not care who you cheer for in Ga but you should be cheering for Camden when they play Hoover. The ENTIRE STUDENT BODY IS GOING NUTS AT CAMDEN.

By Todd Holcomb

January 18, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this

I do not care who you cheer for in Ga but you should be cheering for Camden when they play Hoover. The ENTIRE STUDENT BODY IS GOING NUTS AT CAMDEN.

I think you can count on Georgia fans’ support of Camden in that game. … Fans from both states will be following it.