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DEL.ICIO.USTake 10: Georgia’s football coaches who could win titles at two different schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are 13 coaches in GHSA history who have won state championships at two Georgia schools. Which coach is most likely to be the 14th on that list? At Take Ten, we think we know. Vote which coaches are Hot or Not in our photo gallery.
But first, here are the 13 who have done it: Charlie Brake (Morgan County, Westminster), Gene Brodie (Central Macon, Tift County), Buzz Busby (Kendrick, Statesboro), Wayman Creel (Northside, Lakeside), Jeff Herron (Oconee County, Camden County), Dwight Hochstetler (Bowdon, Greenville), Mike Hodges (West Rome, Thomasville), Jim Hughes (Thomasville, Colquitt County), Ralph Jones (Bainbridge, Cairo), Ray Lamb (Warren County, Commerce), Milt Miller (Worth County, Lowndes), Jerry Sharp (East Rome, Darlington) and Charlie Winslette (West Rome, Greene-Taliaferro).
Who’s next? The drum roll, please …
Tie-10: Mike O’Brien, Woodstock - It’s not going to happen, but what a story it would be. Valdosta fired O’Brien four years after winning the school’s last state title, in 1998. Valdosta was 70-20-1 under O’Brien and is 39-27 since. Woodstock was 15-47 before O’Brien and is 25-29 since.
Tie-10: John Starr, Chattooga - Starr’s Indians are 3-0, but they’ve never been out of the first round in Starr’s 12 seasons in Summerville, and they’re never going to have the talent Starr had with Deon Grant and Josey in 1995.
9: Blair Armstrong, Banks County - The former Peachtree Ridge coach left Gwinnett for the green acres of Banks, a Class AA program with some promise but no history of winning. Armstrong has been coaching close to 30 years, and the 4-6 record in 2007 was only his third losing season. Don’t put it past Armstrong, who also won a state title in Florida in 1982, but the clock is ticking on a long career. Note that Buzz Busby is the only coach to win titles at two Georgia schools and another in a second state (Alabama).
8: Mike Earwood, Starr’s Mill - Won with Cartersville in 1991. Time might be running out on Earwood, too, but he’s been close a couple of times, reaching the semifinals in 2000 and the quarters in 2005. Starr’s Mill is 0-4 this season, however.
7: Lee Campbell, Dodge County - Dodge is 0-4, a disappointment in Campbell’s first season, but the coach of Hawkinsville’s state champs in 2002 and 2003 is young enough, and Dodge has been a solid program for years, so the potential is there.
6: Charlie Flowers, Dougherty - A 2000 champion at Shaw, Flowers is in his second season at Dougherty, which won Class AAA in 1998 and made the final in 2005. But Dougherty is down, and it’s going to take time to fix.
5: Erik Soliday, Turner County - Turner is ranked this week after a big victory against Brooks County. Soliday, who also coached Turner from 1989 to 1996, won with Americus in 2000 and 2001 with John Harris and Leonard Pope. He’s definitely got a shot.
4: Ed Pilcher, Bainbridge - Pilcher surprised many when he left Thomas Central after 17 seasons. He won five state titles at TCC, all in the 1990s. Bainbridge’s support for football is at an all-time high, but losing to Harris County last week was sobering.
3: Rick Tomberlin, Valdosta - Tomberlin won state titles at Washington County in 1994, 1996 and 1997 with Takeo Spikes and Terrence Edwards. Tomberlin has things turned around at Valdosta after a 1-9 start in 2006, but times have changed, and state titles are no longer a matter of time in Valdosta.
2: Robert Davis, Westside-Macon - Davis won three titles at Warner Robins (1976, 1981, 1988). He’s now the second-winningest coach in Georgia behind Lincoln County’s Larry Campbell. Westside is 4-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class AAAA. This would be the No. 1 choice, except that Davis is in his 36th year. This might be Davis’s last good shot.
1: Rayvan Teague, Carrollton - Teague won at Swainsboro in 2000, and he’s averaged more than 10 victories in six seasons at Carrollton, which won a title under the late Ben Scott in 1998. Teague should have many years left in coaching. He’s the odds-on favorite.
Photos: Vote which coaches are Hot or Not!
Go on. Take Ten. Which of these coaches would you love to see go head-to-head in a dream title matchup? And name some other Georgia coaches you think could win anywhere, anytime.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Take Ten
Comments
By JAYBO
September 23, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
I just want someone from Bainbridge to tell me what in the world happened in the lost to Harris Co. last week!!!! I do think if anybody on your list gets it done, its Ed Pilcher Todd!
By EagleNationRising
September 24, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
No doubt on Rayvan Teague at Carrollton, a town full of football tradition. Robert Davis has all the tools (school choice basically in Macon. Practically any student can go to Westside in the entire city.). Time is not on Coach Davis’side. I would not count out Charlie Flowers in basketball crazed Albany to build a football winner at Dougherty.
By Chattoogaman
September 24, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
John Starr has a very good team at Chattooga this year that has the POTENTIAL to go deep in the playoffs. Unfortunately they play in class AA so they would have to beat Buford, which I just don’t see anybody doing.
By DEMON FAN
September 24, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
COACH ROBERT DAVIS HAS A POWERHOUSE AT WESTSIDE THIS YEAR AND I HOPE HE WINS IT ALL!HE IS THE BEST COACH IN WARNER ROBINS DEMON HISTORY.THANK YOU COACH FOR ALL THE MEMORIES.I WILL BE AT THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME CHEERING FOR YOU AND THE NOLES.
By Stoneking
September 24, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
My money is on Blair Armstrong. I’ve seen how he motivates, and the boys respond. In the end it’s how the boys respond to the coaching. With Coach Cole and Coach Hudson assisting, The boys could do it all, if only they believe…
By dre
September 24, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
turner county football and boy’s basketball program one of the best program in the state.coach soliday football and coach eric holland basketball.a great young player breon dixon 6’8 forward,center chris spears 6’9.guard terell davis 6’2,guard trey pearce 6’4 and a deep bench.
By dre
September 24, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
turner county football and boy’s basketball program one of the best program in the state.coach soliday football and coach eric holland basketball.a great young player breon dixon 6’8 forward,center chris spears 6’9.guard terell davis 6’2,guard trey pearce 6’4 and a deep bench.
By AVikingfan
September 26, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
Didn’t Nick Hyder win a championship in Rome, Ga before comkng to Valdosta?
By AVikingfan
September 26, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
Didn’t Nick Hyder win a championship in Rome, Ga before coming to Valdosta?
By HCDad
September 27, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this
To the first comment. Harris County beat the snot out of Bainbridge. HC was taking a knee deep in Bainbridge territory with around 2 minutes left. Bainbridge had timeouts left but did not call them. Tommy Parks (HC coach)is a class act and did not run the score up. We will see if HC has got it. With TCC and Westside back to back we have our work cut out for us. Coaches and players are stepping up. Keep it up. We are behind you. Always remember Character Counts HC Fan and HC grad.
By DDSTODD
September 27, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this
Teague picked the right school to come get his second title. It may not be this year but he is doing a great job with the very young team he has. With the nicest brand new stadium, he will have many years here and many talented kids to coach.
By BHS fan
October 19, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this
Bainbridge had 7 turnovers enough said. If we were to play now the out come would be different.
By BHS fan
October 19, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this
Bainbridge had 7 turnovers enough said. If we were to play now the out come would be different. Pilcher will lead us to a title.