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August 2008
AJC high school football rankings: August 31, 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s a new No. 1 in AAAA - Tucker. Last time the Tigers were No. 1 they had Patrick Pass and Corey Robinson and went 10-0 but lost in the second round. That was 1995.
Some tough calls in the new rankings - I went w/ Coffee over Tift to take the place of North Gwinnett. Some might say NG should stay.
Three AAA teams lost but stayed in the Top 10 (Shaw, Flowery Branch, Perry), but not LaGrange. I’m sure I’ll have to answer to that.
On to our “Famous Last Words’’ segment …
‘’Are you crazy Todd? Don’t ever bet against LaGrange - even though Newnan is a good team. LaGrange always find a way to win.’’ - Kew
(Newnan beat LaGrange 31-7.)
Absolutly shocked not to see Calhoun on this list. … Do you get out of the perimeter much? 7 straight Region Championships should mean something.” - Joe
Where’s Calhoun High School ? You know, the Double A powerhouse that just held pre-season #5 ranked AAAA Rome to three points in a scrimedge? - Old Gold
(Calhoun lost to Dalton 30-7.)
‘’rome over east paulding by 14. just think of the fun AAAAA is going to have with these east paulding boys.’’ - Extiger
(Rome lost to East Paulding 10-7.)
”with a much improved offensive line and a stronger defence, LANDMARK CHRISTIAN should be ranked in the top 10, especially with tanner bryant returning @ quarterback.” - Richard
(Brookstone beat Landmark Christian 34-14.)
‘’St. Pius??? Come on, I know they are new to AAA, but why are they added to the top ten list?’’ - Football Fan
(St. Pius beat Marist 21-10.)
‘’don’t be surprised if you get there late and NSC (Carver) is already up by 28. It’s not going to be a close game. I think the battle between the bands will be a better show.’’ - Panther Fan
(Mays beat Carver 37-19.)
‘’ML King will lose Big-Time. They lost too many players and coaches.’’ - Tj
(MLK beat SWD 21-12.)
‘’Way off with Harrison! are you kidding me? Campbell beat them the last two years, they lost alot of players and have a new coach. They be doing good to break .500 this year.’’ - Xplayer
(Harrison beat Peachtree Ridge 13-3.)
‘’Coffee, NOT.’’ - slalom1
‘’I agree with you on Coffee, it wouldn’t surprise me by year end if they aren’t at the bottom of the barrel except for possibly HoCo.’’ - yo
(Two Poll Talk Hall of Fame posters finally agree on something, and they’re both wrong. Coffee beat AAAA’s No. 1 team, Ware County, 24-0.)
Of course, a few people were astute when they said …
‘’I don’t know much about Timberview, but I just don’t see Buford losing.’’ - whs’86
(Buford beat Mansfield Timberview, a ranked Class AAAA team in Texas, 42-21)
‘’Here’s hoping none of the kids at Woodland-Stockbridge get seriously hurt vs. Lowndes. Yikes.’’ - Ken
(Lowndes led Woodland 56-0 at halftime.)
‘’ Rome high school … They are rated @ #5 BUT will drop after the beat down East Paulding will put on them.’’ - EPRAIDERNUT
(It wasn’t a beat down, but EP did beat Rome.)
‘’It will be a very long drive home for the Grangers.’’ - Dawgsig
(It was.)
‘’North Gwinnett and Norcross are way too high on the list. And Brookwood have something going on we do not know about? And the question on Parkview, they are wallowing in the basement with South Gwinnett now.’’ -T.J.
(North Gwinnett, Norcross, Brookwood and Parkview are 0-1. Parkview is history.)
‘’Okay, all this AAA talk and one team gets no ink? “Dunwoody” - DeKalb
(Dunwoody beat Griffin, a ranked team from a higher class, 41-34. Of course, Dunwoody did get some ink beforehand with an AJC preseason ranking.)
Todd talks back: Holcomb mixes it up with you all week long. Catch his running commentary in Poll Talk Monday-Friday. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about this week’s rankings.
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AJC RANKINGS - WEEK OF AUG. 31
Class AAAAA
1. Lowndes (1-0) vs. Peachtree Ridge
2. Northside-Warner Robins (1-0) vs. Washington (Fla.)
3. Camden County (1-0) vs. Columbia (S.C.)
4. Newnan (1-0) at Chapel Hill
5. M.L. King (1-0) at North Cobb
6. Grayson (1-0) at Warner Robins
7. Valdosta (1-0) vs. Windsor Forest
8. Walton (1-0) vs. Kell
9. Harrison (1-0) OFF
10. Coffee (1-0) vs. Pierce County
Class AAAA
1. Tucker (1-0) vs. Lakeside-Atlanta
2. Westside-Macon (1-0) vs. Forest Park (Thu.)
3. Thomas County Central (1-0) vs. Cairo
4. Chamblee (1-0) at North Springs
5. Bainbridge (1-0) vs. Lee County
6. Whitewater (1-0) vs. Upson-Lee
7. Ware County (0-1) vs. Burke County
8. Cedar Shoals (1-0) at Apalachee
9. Dalton (1-0) at Sprayberry
10. Statesboro (1-0) vs. Groves
Class AAA
1. Cairo (0-0)
2. Carver-Columbus (1-0) at Tri-Cities
3. Baldwin (1-0) at Troup (Sat.)
4. St. Pius (1-0) at GAC
5. Dunwoody (1-0) at Oconee County
6. Stephens County (1-0) vs. Seneca (S.C.)
7. North Hall (1-0) at Buford
8. Shaw (0-1) at Sandy Creek
9. Perry (0-1) vs. Wilcox County
10. Flowery Branch (0-1) vs. Lumpkin County
Class AA
1. Buford (1-0) vs. North Hall
2. Charlton County (1-0) at First Coast (Fla.)
3. Westminster (1-0) vs. Woodward Academy
4. Henry County (1-0) vs. Decatur
5. Fitzgerald (1-0) vs. Hawkinsville
6. Lovett (1-0) at Callaway
7. Thomasville (0-1) at Colquitt County
8. Dublin (1-0) OFF
9. Cook (1-0) vs. Brunswick
10. Jefferson County (1-0) vs. Dodge County
Class A
1. ECI (1-0) vs. Savannah Christian
2. Wilcox County (1-0) at Perry
3. Lincoln County (1-0) at McCormick (S.C.)
4. Clinch County (0-1) at Irwin County
5. Athens Academy (1-0) vs. Whitfield Academy
6. Savannah Christian (1-0) at ECI
7. Bremen (1-0) at Central Carrollton
8. Twiggs County (1-0) vs. Hancock Central
9. Brookstone (1-0) vs. Chattahoochee County
10. Wesleyan (1-0) at Darlington
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Take 10: What we’d like to see during the 2008 football season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We here at Take Ten have undergone a bit of facelift (bye, Jeff) but you’ll find that we bear the same passionate love of high school football. We’ve had enough of baseball, golf and Michael Phelps’ abs. (We could never do that many crunches.) It’s time for football. We’ve all waited long enough.
That said, here are 10 things we’d like to see happen this football season:
10: An undefeated season in Class AAAAA — Last year was a mess in the state’s highest division. We think, at some point, everyone in the state was ranked No. 1. North Cobb held that title the longest, only to get bounced in first round of the playoffs. Lowndes walked away the champs and currently sit in our top spot. The Vikings were the last team to go unscathed back in 2004.
9: Someone to kick a 68-yard field goal — Don’t laugh. The state record is held by Duluth’s Rusty Curry, who made a 67-yarder against Norcross in 1999. Curry was also the first man to successfully undergo a leg transplant with a horse. Just amazing. There is precedent for this. Walton’s Adam Shreiner kicked a 58-yard field goal with some room to spare to take down top-ranked Roswell a year ago.
8: Coaching stability — There were 95 head coaching changes during the offseason. Then the coach at Meadowcreek quit on Monday. Enough already. Among those lost were some legends and mainstays, including long-time McEachern coach Jimmy Dorsey, Harrison coach Bruce Cobleigh and Roswell skipper Tim McFarlin.
7: Championships in the Georgia Dome — Actually, this is going to happen. The GHSA voted to move the title games to the Dome. Finally, the state’s biggest games will be played on the state’s biggest stage. And it will only cost you $20 ($15 in advance). Now if we can only get them to lower the price of a hot dog and Coke. We had to mortgage our house after visiting the Corky Kell Classic last weekend.
6: A scoreless season from the Tucker defense — This really isn’t absurd. Until the Tigers classic semifinal loss to Northside-Warner Robins, Tucker had only allowed 53 points in 13 games. That included five shutouts to start the season and seven oh-fers total. Jonathan Davis, the ball is in your court.
5: A reality TV show for a Georgia football program — You remember “Two-A-Days” on MTV? We’ve always been impressed by the Hoover football program, but a team with that much money behind it should never lose. How about a reality show based on a real program and not a school that looks like “The Hills” with jockstraps.
4: Football stealing athletes from baseball — You’ll have noticed a trend this offseason. Some of the state’s best talent is jumping ship to focus on baseball. Sandy Creek wide receiver Braxton Lane and Cartersville’s Donavan Tate are skipping their senior football seasons to focus on baseball. We say, fight back. Rent a van, drive up to East Cobb and start kidnapping baseball players.
3: Realignment every year — Why not? Who needs traditional rivalries? The GHSA opted to make realignment every four years starting in 2010. We think drawing names from a hat would be more fun. Why not have that epic showdown between Camden County and East Paulding be a region game? Who doesn’t like the short road trip from Valdosta to Murray County?
2: New touchdown king — Last year, ECI’s Washaun Ealey topped Darius Walker’s mark of 46 touchdowns in a season with an amazing 58 of his own. That’s impressive, but we’d like to see someone shoot for the 60-plus range.
1: Better Take Ten ideas — Seriously, if you have a suggestion, email us. Last year, we covered everything from best football helmets to top sports movies. We’d love to hear from you.
Go on. Take Ten. What are some of the things you’d like to see this football season? Were we not ambitious enough? What should we add? Let us know. Here’s your chance to voice your own dreams for the season.
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Georgia high school football report: Teams around the state
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coastal Georgia — with the exception of Camden County — doesn’t get a lot of respect in the state because its success is rare in high school football. Matched up in the playoffs against the other “South” Georgia regions, Region 3-AAAAA (as a whole) pales in comparison. But even though success hasn’t been there, don’t think that football in the Coastal Empire is completely dead … or even on life support this year.
Here’s the hot/not for the area:
WHO’S HOT
• Bradwell Institute — Coach Jim Walsh Jr.’s Bradwell Institute has a history of solid football that goes back to the late 1970s and mid-’80s when Raymond Gross was running the offense for Clifford Johnson. The Tigers have been mainstays in the playoffs, but they haven’t played past the first round in more than a decade. Back-to-back 5-6 seasons have been something of a disappointment, but last year’s team suffered injuries. Starting quarterback Wilson Brown and twins DeMario and DeAnte Day will keep region defenses off balance, and a 14-0 scrimmage victory over Statesboro could be the sign that the Tigers are back to a higher level. When asked if it was just a matter of Statesboro being down, one area coach said, “Bradwell is loaded.”
• Savannah Christian — The sixth-ranked (and only Coastal Empire team earning a ranking) Red Raiders’ two losses to Charlton County in the regular season and Thomasville in the second round on the road. Moving down to Class A in Donald Chumley’s fourth year should offset the loss of a talented senior class. Even with a young team, defending state champ and new region foe ECI should be the only loss in the regular season. “We are a young football team, but we have some talent,” said Chumley, who has improved his victory total in each of his last two seasons after going 6-4 in his first year. “They haven’t been in the fight yet. I expect us to get better by the end of the year, but the first half of the season we are going to have to grow up on the job.”
• Liberty County — The Panthers have a program winning percentage of .309, but Kirk Warner’s team (yes, that Kirk Warner for all you Georgia fans) have had back-to-back seven-victory seasons, including the school’s only trip to the state playoffs in 2006.
• Benedictine — After making the Class AAA playoffs last year, Benedictine moves down into classification into Region 2-AA, making a strong region even stronger. The Cadets likely will be better this season under Bob Herndon, but that might not translate into victories in a region that is stacked with Charlton County, McIntosh County Academy, Pierce County and Appling County.
• South Effingham — It might say something about the area that a team that was 5-5 last season is considered “hot.” The Mustangs should make the playoffs, but can they can move above Statesboro and top-ranked Ware County?
WHO’S NOT
• Savannah public schools — Windsor Forest and Jenkins were outscored 87-0 last year in the first round of the playoffs. During the last two years, five first-round playoff games for Savannah public schools have resulted in a grand total of six points.
• Richmond Hill — The Wildcats — traditional state powers on the basketball court — haven’t had a winning season since 1996, which also happened to be the only time the school has ever made the state playoffs in the 22-year history of the program.
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Bainbridge-Cairo game called off
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The high school football game between state-ranked South Georgia powers Cairo and Bainbridge, originally postponed to Monday from Saturday due to Tropical Storm Fay, won’t be played after all.
Cairo has canceled classes Monday because many roads are dangerous or impassible after the city got high winds and 22 inches of rain Friday and Saturday, said Cairo coach Tom Fallaw.
”I don’t think there’s anybody that doesn’t want to play, but if our school superintendent cancels school, it wouldn’t be smart of us to play a game,” Fallaw said. “Most of the time, you wouldn’t even think about playing on a Monday, but it was such a big game [that it was re-scheduled]. But nobody was prepared for us to get 22 inches of water.”
Cairo is ranked No. 1 in Class AAA. Bainbridge is No. 8 in AAAA.
The game was scheduled to be played in Bainbridge and would’ve been the Bainbridge debut of new coach Ed Pilcher, who left Thomas County Central, where he won five state championships.
Neither school has a common off week, so the game cannot be rescheduled.
Bainbridge will open Friday against Early County. Cairo opens at Thomas Central on Sept. 5.
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AJC high school football rankings: August 25, 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s say Buford loses to Mansfield Timberview this week. Are the Wolves still No. 1?
I was going to ask the same about No. 1 Cairo and its game against Bainbridge, but it was called off due to Tropical Storm Fay. They should’ve played in the Georgia Dome.
But Buford, the No. 1 team in Class AA, is playing a good Class AAAA team from Texas this week in Texas Stadium. Mansfield Timberview, ranked No. 20 in Texas in one poll I found, will be playing in its hometown. Would Buford still be No. 1 in Georgia despite a loss?
Those are the kinds of questions we’ll be looking at this weekend. The rankings will face some re-shuffling after seven games between ranked teams — all from different classifications.
Those games should stoke the debate about whether one classification is significantly stronger than another.
Here’s the list of games between ranked teams:
Perry (No. 7 in Class AAA) at Northside-Warner Robins (No. 2 in AAAAA)
LaGrange (No. 4 in Class AAA) at Newnan (No. 5 in AAAAA)
Thomas County Central (No. 4 in Class AAAA) at Thomasville (No. 3 in AA)
Griffin (No. 6 in Class AAAA) at Dunwoody (No. 8 in AAA)
Marist (No. 10 in Class AAAA) at St. Pius (No. 6 in AAA)
Carrollton (No. 9 in Class AAA) at Westminster (No. 5 in AA)
Charlton County (No. 2 in Class AA) at Clinch (No. 2 in A)
I think the lower-class teams have a pretty good shot in every game except LaGrange and Perry. We’ll see.
In this week’s rankings (below), note that Norcross got bumped out and Walton moved in.
There are three games this week that probably will put the winner in the Top 10 and knock the loser out. They are Harrison at Peachtree Ridge, Flowery Branch at Stephens County and Brookstone at Landmark Christian.
Todd talks back: Holcomb mixes it up with you all week long. Catch his running commentary in Poll Talk Monday-Friday. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about this week’s rankings.
AJC RANKINGS - WEEK OF AUG. 25
Class AAAAA
1. Lowndes (0-0) vs. Woodland-Stockbridge
2. Northside-Warner Robins (0-0) vs. Perry
3. Camden County (1-0) Off
4. M.L. King (0-0) vs. SW DeKalb (Hallford Stadium)
5. Newnan (0-0) vs. LaGrange
6. Grayson (1-0) Off
7. North Gwinnett (0-0) vs. Byrnes (S.C.)
8. Valdosta (0-0) vs. Jenkins
9. Walton (1-0) Off
10. Harrison (0-0) at Peachtree Ridge
Class AAAA
1. Ware County (0-0) vs. Coffee
2. Tucker (0-0) at Brunswick
3. Westside-Macon (0-0) at Central Macon
4. Thomas County Central (0-0) at Thomasville
5. Rome (0-0) at East Paulding
6. Griffin (0-0) at Dunwoody (North DeKalb Stadium), Sat.
7. Chamblee (0-0) vs. Douglass (North DeKalb Stadium)
8. Bainbridge (0-0) at Early County
9. Habersham Central (0-0) at Cedar Shoals
10. Marist (0-0) at St. Pius
Class AAA
1. Cairo (0-0) Off
2. Carver-Columbus (0-0) vs. Spencer (Memorial Stadium)
3. Baldwin (0-0) vs. Glenn Hills
4. LaGrange (0-0) at Newnan
5. Shaw (0-0) at Central-Phenix City (AL)
6. St. Pius (0-0) vs. Marist
7. Perry (0-0) at Northside-Warner Robins
8. Dunwoody (0-0) vs. Griffin (North DeKalb Stadium), Sat.
9. Carrollton (0-0) at Westminster
10. Flowery Branch (0-0) at Stephens County
Class AA
1. Buford (0-0) at Timberview (Texas Stadium), Sat.
2. Charlton County (0-0) at Clinch County
3. Thomasville (0-0) vs. Thomas County Central
4. Henry County (0-0) vs. Eagle’s Landing Christian
5. Westminster (0-0) vs. Carrollton
6. Fitzgerald (0-0) vs. Irwin County
7. Lovett (0-0) vs. Woodward Academy
8. Dublin (0-0) vs. Screven County
9. Cook (0-0) at Pierce County
10. Greater Atlanta Christian (0-0) at Hart County
Class A
1. ECI (0-0) vs. Savannah Country Day
2. Clinch County (0-0) vs. Charlton County
3. Wilcox County (0-0) at Seminole County
4. Lincoln County (0-0) vs. Greene County
5. Athens Academy (0-0) at Southwest Atlanta Christian
6. Savannah Christian (0-0) vs. Montgomery County, Sat.
7. Bremen (0-0) vs. Alexander
8. Twiggs County (0-0) at Wilkinson County
9. Brookstone (0-0) at Landmark Christian
10. Wesleyan (0-0) vs. Clarkston
Todd talks back: Holcomb mixes it up with you all week long. Catch his running commentary in Poll Talk Monday-Friday. Leave comments, questions, etc., here and return to talk about this week’s rankings.
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Tropical Storm postpones Bainbridge-Cairo game
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tropical Storm Fay has forced the postponement of Saturday’s football game between Cairo and Bainbridge in South Georgia.
‘’We’re sitting down here now with about 50 mph winds and power out in half of our town, and they say it’s going to continue through tomorrow night,” Cairo coach Tom Fallaw said Friday evening about an hour after the decision was made. “We can’t load up the buses with kids in that weather.”
Cairo is ranked No. 1 in Class AAA. Bainbridge is No. 8 in Class AAAA. The makeup game will be Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Bainbridge.
There are six other games schedule for Saturday, all in North Georgia, and all are on as scheduled.
They include the four Corky Kell Classic games in the Georgia Dome. East Hall is playing at Murray County, and North Cobb Christian is playing Mount Pisgah Christian at Allatoona High in Cobb County.
With the postponement, Bainbridge now must play two games in one week. The school’s game with Early County next week has been moved to Aug. 30 from Aug. 29 to give the players more time to recover.
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AJC High School Football rankings: August 18, 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I read Saturday where only five college teams in the last 30 years have won national championships after starting the season No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. In Georgia high school football, it’s not that unusual. This decade, 15 of the 40 teams that we’ve picked No. 1 in preseason won state championships.
That’s good news for Lowndes, Ware County, Cairo, Buford and ECI — our No. 1 teams to start the 2008 season.
ECI is the closest thing to a lock, but for the rest, I think the chances are less than 50-50. Lowndes should be tremendous, but the return of Northside-Warner Robins and the depth of Class AAAAA will make it tough for anybody. Ware is the team to beat in Class AAAA, but it never has won a state title, and there’s a new coach. I almost put Tucker No. 1.
In Class AAA, everybody likes Cairo, but Carver-Columbus is the defending champion with Jarvis Jones, perhaps the best player in the state. In Class AA, Buford returns only five starters in a classification that picked up Henry County and Westminster from AAA.
OK, let’s hear it: Which teams are overrated? Which teams were snubbed?
Class AAAAA
1. Lowndes
2. Northside-Warner Robins
3. Camden County
4. M.L. King
5. Newnan
6. Grayson
7. Norcross
8. North Gwinnett
9. Valdosta
10. Harrison
Class AAAA
1. Ware County
2. Tucker
3. Westside-Macon
4. Thomas County Central
5. Rome
6. Griffin
7. Chamblee
8. Bainbridge
9. Habersham Central
10. Marist
Class AAA
1. Cairo
2. Carver-Columbus
3. Baldwin
4. LaGrange
5. Shaw
6. St. Pius X
7. Perry
8. Dunwoody
9. Carrollton
10. Flowery Branch
Class AA
1. Buford
2. Charlton County
3. Thomasville
4. Henry County
5. Westminster
6. Fitzgerald
7. Lovett
8. Dublin
9. Cook
10. Greater Atlanta Christian
Class A
1. ECI
2. Clinch County
3. Wilcox County
4. Lincoln County
5. Athens Academy
6. Savannah Christian
7. Bremen
8. Twiggs County
9. Brookstone
10. Wesleyan
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Georgia high school scrimmages
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday
Heritage-Ringgold vs. Trion, Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, 6 p.m.
Chattooga vs. Northwest Whitfield, Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, to follow
Adairsville vs. Cass
Banneker vs. Troup
Brookstone vs. Northside-Columbus
Carver-Columbus vs. Central (Phenix City, Ala.)
Central Carrollton vs. Temple
Dawson County vs. Sonoraville
Decatur vs. Holy Innocents
Eagle’s Landing Christian vs. Monroe Area
Fannin County vs. Pickens
Flowery Branch vs. Winder-Barrow
Forest Park vs. Osborne
Glynn Academy vs. Long County
Hebron Christian vs. Prince Avenue Christian
Lee County vs. Eufaula (AL)
Luella vs. Stockbridge
North Oconee vs. Oconee County
Portal vs. Southeast Bulloch
Swainsboro vs. Westside-Augusta
Friday
Alcovy vs. Maynard Jackson (formerly Southside)
Alexander vs. Haralson County
Alpharetta vs. North Forsyth
Apalachee vs. Westminster
Appling County vs. Vidalia
Aquinas vs. Richmond Academy
Athens Christian vs. Jackson County
Bacon County vs. Telfair County
Baldwin vs. Wilkinson County
Banks County vs. Johnson-Gainesville
Benedictine vs. Jenkins
Berrien at Turner County
Bleckley County vs. Hawkinsville
Blessed Trinity vs. Elbert County
Brantley County vs. Brunswick
Brooks County vs. Colquitt County
Bryan County vs. Metter
Calhoun County vs. Lanier County
Callaway vs. Greenville
Calvary Day vs. Montgomery County
Carrollton vs. Villa Rica
Cedartown vs. Darlington
Central Gwinnett vs. Wheeler
Chapel Hill vs. Douglas County
Chattahoochee County vs. Columbus
Clarke Central vs. Lovejoy
Claxton vs. Wheeler County
Clinch County vs. Pierce County
Cook vs. Irwin County
Creekview vs. Woodstock
Dodge County vs. Northeast Macon
Douglas County vs. Chapel Hill
Douglass vs. Grady, Lakewood Stadium, 5:30 p.m.
Druid Hills at Athens Academy, 8 p.m.
Dutchtown vs. Woodland-Stockbridge
Eastside vs. Heritage-Conyers
Fayette County vs. Jonesboro
Fellowship Christian vs. Lakeview Academy
Forsyth Central vs. South Forsyth
Franklin County vs. Madison County
Glascock County vs. Jenkins County
Glenn Hills vs. Greenbrier
Gordon Lee vs. LaFayette
Harrison vs. Ringgold
Henry County vs. Ola
Hillgrove vs. North Cobb
Howard vs. Taylor County
Johnson County vs. Warren County
Johnson-Savannah vs. Savannah Christian
Kell vs. Sprayberry
LaGrange vs. Westlake
Lakeside-Atlanta vs. Our Lady of Mercy
Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe vs. Model
Lamar County vs. Rutland
Landmark Christian vs. Walker
Liberty County vs. Wayne County
Lincoln County vs. Thomson
Lovett vs. Wesleyan
Lowndes vs. Thomas County Central
Mays vs. Therrell, Lakewood Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
McIntosh County Academy vs. Toombs County
McIntosh vs. Rockdale County
Mill Creek vs. Parkview
Milton vs. Northview
Mt. Zion-Carroll vs. North Paulding
North Gwinnett vs. Pelham (Ala.)
North Clayton at Tri-Cities, 7:30 p.m.
Pacelli vs. Seminole County
Putnam County vs. Social Circle
Rabun County vs. West Oak (S.C.)
Riverwood vs. South Paulding
Salem at Sandy Creek
Savannah Country Day vs. Windsor Forest
Schley County vs. Wilcox County
Screven County vs. South Effingham
Southwest DeKalb at Peachtree Ridge, 7 p.m.
Stephenson vs. Tucker, Hallford Stadium, 7 p.m.
Thomasville vs. Westover
Saturday
Stone Mountain vs. Avondale, Hallford Stadium, noon
Redan vs. Columbia, Hallford Stadium, 2:30 p.m.
Miller Grove vs. McNair, Hallford Stadium, 5 p.m.
Cedar Grove vs. M.L. King, 7:30 p.m.
Newton vs.Shiloh
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Stephenson-Tucker tops scrimmages
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of the best-kept secrets in high school football is the scrimmage season before the first real games.
This week, for example, Dacula is playing at Buford. If you want to know how Buford might do against Class AAAAA competition, check that out.
In Macon, coaching legends Robert Davis and Conrad Nix renew their rivalry when Westside-Macon plays Northside-Warner Robins.
And farther south, Camden County is playing Charlton County.
The only problem with these scrimmages is that there’s no official schedule. Most coaches typically don’t alert the media when they’ve planned one or offer information if times and venues change. Perhaps that’s because of the informal nature of the events, which are more like spring games at Georgia and Georgia Tech instead of the real thing.
But the good news is that my friend Steve Slay, a big Tucker Tigers fan, has taken hours, if not days, of his time to research and compile a list of scrimmages. He has about 90 percent.
Meanwhile, poking around at Mr. Slay’s list, here are the 10 scrimmages I’d most want to see.
The best …
Stephenson vs. Tucker (Aug. 22) — These are the two most winning programs in DeKalb County this decade. And they’ve never played each other. It’s a chance to see Nigel Mitchell-Thornton and Jonathan Davis, two of the best linebackers in the South.
Westside-Macon vs. Northside-Warner Robins (Friday) — There’s Nix, there’s Davis, and these are two of Middle Georgia’s finest. Both have teams good enough to win state this year.
Camden County vs. Charlton County (Friday) — These two played each other most every season through 2003, and while Camden dominated the series (31-3), the most recent games were usually pretty good in seasons in which Charlton had a team that could contend for a state title in its lower class.
Ware County vs. Tift County (Aug. 22) — Will Ware be ranked No. 1 in AAAA? Would you favor Ware over Tift in a real game? I wouldn’t.
Griffin at Marist (Aug. 22) — Too teams that had ‘’off’’ seasons by their standards in 2007. I’m convinced that Griffin will be back on top. Not so sure about Marist. It’s not as easy to out-coach people as it used to be.
Lowndes vs. Thomas County Central (Aug. 22) — The Bill Shaver era begins at Thomas Central. I know Lowndes is loaded. Can TCC contend this year without Smiley and Pilcher? I’m not seeing it.
Newnan vs. Whitewater (Friday) — Among good teams in Class AAAAA last season, Newnan has the most returning. Whitewater was one of my controversial Top 10 picks last season in AAAA. That’s a program with a nice future.
Peach County vs. Warner Robins (Thursday) — Both were state champions lately, Peach in 2005-06 in AAA, Warner Robins in 2004 in AAAA.
Dacula at Buford (Friday) — The Class AA champs test themselves against one of Gwinnett’s big schools.
Lincoln County vs. Thomson (Aug. 22) — Another cross-class battle of traditional state powers, this one in East Georgia. Almost gave the nod to Coosa-Rome, a similar thing in Northwest Georgia.
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Georgia high school football coaching changes: Who went where?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There have been 101 Georgia high school football coaches hired since the 2007 season — 95 coaching changes and six hires at new schools or programs. Below, the 101 are broken down into where each school got its new coach. Most were promoted from within.
The 2007 whereabouts of two coaches — Greg Busby of Montgomery County and Jim Morrell of Pelham — have not been confirmed.
Kick off the debate: Let us know which school(s) made the best hires/promotions and which coaches you’re surprised to see somewhere new.
Schools that hired another Georgia head coach (25)
Bainbridge — Ed Pilcher (Thomas County Central)
Berrien — Ryan Branch (Brooks County)
Brooks County — Maurice Freeman (Brunswick)
Calvary Day — Mark Stroud (Toombs County)
Chamblee — Michael Collins (Pebblebrook)
Dade County — Bradley Warren (Gilmer)
Dodge County — Lee Campbell (Hawkinsville)
Douglass — Kenny Barrow (Mundy’s Mill)
Franklin County — Tommy Welch (LaFayette)
Hardaway — Jeff Battles (Pacelli)
Houston County — Greg Robinson (Dodge County)
Rabun County — Danny Durham (Franklin County)
Howard — Bobby Hughes (Macon County)
Jones County — Dwight Jones (McIntosh)
Kell — Derek Cook (South Cobb)
McEachern — Kyle Hockman (Campbell)
North Clayton — Rodney Hackney (Lithonia)
Northside-Columbus — Paul Cates (Columbus)
Northview — Jim Sowfety (Chamblee)
Riverdale — Nick Davis (Shiloh)
Rutland — George Collins (Houston County)
South Forsyth — Wendell Early (Berkmar)
Toombs County — Shane Williamson (Swainsboro)
Union County — Brian Allison (Winder-Barrow)
Union Grove — Steven Collins (Stockbridge)
Promoted an assistant (32)
Banneker — Ed Gosa
Central Gwinnett — Ed Stokes
Coffee — Ken Eldridge
Collins Hill — Billy Wells
Cross Keys — Anwar Heard
Dalton — Adam Winegarden
Decatur — Price Jones
Duluth — Gary McDonald
East Coweta — Clint Wade
Fellowship Christian — Terry Luck
Gilmer — Wesley Tankersley
Greater Atlanta Christian — Ken Robinson
Greenbrier — Brian Smith
Hancock Central — Zachary Harris
Harrison — David Hines
Hawkinsville — Cam Black
Jeff Davis — Jason McBride
Lakeside-Atlanta — Jeff Joiner
Mays — Dominic Callaway
Mundy’s Mill — Dorwyn Lyles
Ola — John Kovzel
Our Lady of Mercy — Chad Flatt
Pacelli — Bryan Eason
Roswell — Leo Barker
South Cobb — Ed Koester
Thomas County Central — Bill Shaver
Tri-Cities — Kenneth Miller
Upson-Lee — Tommy Watson
Ware County — John Stephens
Westlake — Greg Minnis
Westside-Augusta — Ivery Hugee
Winder-Barrow — Ben Corley
Hired another school’s assistant (29)
Allatoona — Gary Varner (Roswell)
Avondale — Michael Carson (MLK)
Berkmar — John Thompson (Valdosta)
Campbell — Shawn Campbell (Cass)
Cedar Shoals — Xarvia Smith (Camden County)
Chapel Hill — Chris Parker (Sequoyah)
Columbus — Brian Barnhill (Franklin County)
Eagle’s Landing — Joe Teknipp (Henry County)
Forest Park — Rod Perrymond (Jonesboro)
Kendrick — Jerry Dukes (Carver-Columbus)
Lamar County — Jason Strickland (Charlton County)
Lithonia — Earl White (Norcross)
Macon County — Matthew Lester (Northeast Macon)
McIntosh — Glenn Griffin (Starr’s Mill)
Montgomery County — Greg Busby
Morrow — Larry Mortonson (Pelham)
Mount Paran Christian — Mitch Jordan (Darlington)
North Cobb Christian — Terence Lott (Jackson County)
Pebblebrook — Randall Smith (Troup)
Pelham — Jim Morrell
Randolph-Clay — Kerry English (Albany)
Riverwood — Robert Ingram (Dutchtown)
Rockdale County — Mike Etheridge (Salem)
Spalding — Clint Ashmore (Jackson)
Stockbridge — Don Vandygriff (Dublin)
Swainsboro — Scott Roberts (Cairo)
Washington - Stanley Pritchett (Douglass)
Wayne County — Mark Daniel (Thomson)
Wheeler — Tom Flugum (Sprayberry)
Hired out-of-state head coach (8)
Brunswick — Victor Floyd (Chester, S.C.)
Colquitt County — Rush Propst (Hoover, Ala.)
Heritage-Ringgold — Tim James (East Ridge, Chattanooga, Tenn.)
North Atlanta — Brian Montgomery (Selma, Ala.)
Oconee County — Mitch Olson (Kennedy, La Palma, Calif.)
Pope — Matt Kemper (Lake Howell, Winter Park, Fla.)
Shiloh — Keith Wilkes (Carver, Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Walker — Ben Williamson (Christ School, Arden, N.C.)
Hired an out-of-state assistant (2)
LaFayette — Perry Swindall (Spain Park, Hoover, Ala.)
Lassiter — Chip Lindsey (Hoover, Ala.)
Hired a college or professional coach (5)
Central Carrollton — Mike Ledford (West Georgia)
Mitchell County — Dondrail Pinkins (not in coaching) and Derrick Silas (Pikeville College)
Southeast Whitfield — David Crane (Presbyterian)
Trion — David Humphreys (Georgia Force)
Kick off the debate: Let us know which school(s) made the best hires/promotions and which coaches you’re surprised to see somewhere new.
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Clayton superintendent blasts recruitment of district’s athletes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clayton County’s school superintendent estimates the district has lost 200 to 300 high school students, including athletes and some academic achievers, because of the possible accreditation loss. Superintendent John Thompson told the school board Monday that he plans to contact the Georgia High School Association about how to retain Clayton’s star athletes.
“Our enrollment is not where we want it to be. I found out tonight there is a lot of recruitment for our athletes. It’s disgusting,” Thompson told the board. “Those are some of the battles we will have to fight.”
Thompson said area school systems are recruiting Clayton’s “marquee” athletes, particularly juniors and seniors. He said Clayton has enough players for each team, but the transfers will hurt the district.
Kick off the debate: What’s YOUR opinion? Is Thompson right to criticize what he deems ‘recruitment for [Clayton] athletes’? Should the GHSA step in and investigate the charges? Do you think the student athletes’ exodus has more to do with sports opportunities, school accreditation or does it all factor in? What’s the solution? Tell us.
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2008’s best high school football coaching hires: Pilcher, Propst head list
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There have been 95 coaching changes in Georgia high schools since the 2007 season, plus another six schools hired head coaches to start programs. That’s 101 new coaches in all.
Below are the 10 most intriguing coaching hires of the off-season. Here are my questions for you:
Why were there so many changes for 2008? There were only 66 new coaches hired for 2007. Are schools not patient enough with head coaches?
Consider this quote by Wendell Early, new coach at South Forsyth: “A lot of times, communities and administrators or boosters, they all say they’re excited about building character and discipline and helping their kids grow up, but the bottom line is a lot of them really just want to win. … Everyone always thinks the fix is to get a new coach.”
It’s not only schools looking for change. About 25 Georgia coaches moved to other Georgia schools. The turnover is most pronounced in metro Atlanta. In East Cobb, only Walton has held firm lately. Four of the other five schools have new coaches, and the fifth (Sprayberry) got a new coach last season. All have had at least three coaches in the last five years.
Here are my 10 top hires of 2008. Which coaches do you think will have the most impact? Did I forget somebody?
Kenny Barrow, Douglass - One of the top young coaches in metro Atlanta, Barrow is the coach who started M.L. King’s program and took it to the Georgia Dome semifinals in 2004. He had pretty good teams at Mundy’s Mill but never had a breakthrough. Now, he’ll have all the talent in the world at Douglass. He’s replacing Gary Cantrell, who took a job in administration.
Wendell Early, South Forsyth - Early put Berkmar in the playoffs twice in his last four seasons. That’s not an easy place to win. Now, he’ll have more resources and community support at a school that’s struggled the past four seasons and never been a big winner.
Victor Floyd, Brunswick - Floyd was head coach at Chester High in South Carolina and made the Class AAA championship game in his third season. His teams improved each season: 2-9, 6-5, 7-4, 12-3. Brunswick has no shortage of athletes. Remember that this was the last school to beat Parkview in 1999 before the record winning streak.
Kyle Hockman, McEachern - Hockman was 15-7 in two seasons at Campbell in Smyrna. Now, he takes over for a legend in Jimmy Dorsey, who won 219 games in his 24 seasons in Powder Springs. But McEachern was 4-6 in 2007, the school’s first losing season under Dorsey. More than 225 applied at McEachern, probably the most for any vacant job.
David Humphreys, Trion - Trion bottomed out at 2-9 last season just four years after reaching the Class A semifinals and taking Lincoln County to the brink. Humphreys was 42-8 in four seasons at Rome (2001-04) before venturing into the Arena Football League. He was an assistant with the Georgia Force last season. I’d buy stock in Trion right now.
Mitch Olson, Oconee County - Olson comes from California, where he won eight league titles in 21 seasons as head coach. His J.F. Kennedy team last season was 8-4. At Oconee County, he inherits Zach Mettenberger, the state’s top-rated quarterback recruit. He has committed to Georgia. Oconee County has been mediocre (and impatient with coaches) since winning a Class AAA state title in 1999 under Jeff Herron.
Ed Pilcher, Bainbridge - Pilcher made the most startling off-season move in Georgia this year when he left Thomas County Central, where he won five state championships in the 1990s and led the Yellow Jackets to the Class AAAA semifinals in 2007. There were rumors of tension with administration at Central, but Pilcher just said he needed a new challenge. Bainbridge, which went 9-4 last season, is putting tons of money into its athletic facilities and is viewed as a state power in the making. Bainbridge plays at Thomas Central on Nov. 7 in a game may expect will decide Region 1-AAAA. Bill Shaver, Pilcher’s former offensive coordinator, has taken over at Central.
Rush Propst, Colquitt County - The most famous and controversial high school coach in the country, Propst won five state championships at Hoover High of Alabama. He had become a star of the MTV reality TV show, “Two-A-Days,’’ which chronicled Hoover’s 2005 and 2006 seasons. Propst resigned after the 2007 season. There were allegations of professional misconduct, including involvement in a grade-fixing scandal, but nothing was proven, and Propst maintained his innocence.
Jim Showfety, Northview - The former Marist assistant was 12-2 in his only season as Chamblee’s head coach. Now, he’ll bring the option offense to Northview in Alpharetta, which has not had a winning season in its six years of varsity football.
Perry Swindall, LaFayette - Swindall is widely known in Alabama, where won a state title in Alabama at Daleville High in 1992. He was the defensive coordinator at Spain Park (arch-rival to Hoover High) last season. He’s taking over a Georgia program that has won only 26 games the past 10 seasons.
Kick off the debate: You’ve seen Todd’s list. Now give us yours. Which coaches top your list of best new hires? Are you surprised by all the turnover in 2008?
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