Prep Zone

By Old timer

February 9, 2009 10:57 AM | Link to this

I think it is tremendous that the AJC reports on this. There are too few high school coaches in the state that go the extra miles to afford players the opprtunity to go to college who wouldn’t have had that opportunity if it weren’t for football. Shane Queen-North Cobb is one on my side of the state.

These coaches are here to serve, not be served like so many. These coaches are creative and work long hours and 12 months out of the year to help as many of there players advance as possible. Some even help kids from other schools more than their own coaches. All for about minimum wage if you really do the math.

While the self serving “that’s noy MY job” coaches can’t figure out why all the move ins and transfers end up elsewhere. LOL.

Congratulations to all the GA high school coaches who still have that passion to inspire and serve!

By Shane

February 9, 2009 12:40 PM | Link to this

Good stuff Todd! People always tell me that I make too big of a deal about Texas, Florida and California advantages. this is just proof again of their total stranlehold on sheer numbers or volume…

By Inside Man

February 9, 2009 5:08 PM | Link to this

Franklin Stephens, why isn’t Tucker on this list. Is because you spend more time applying for other jobs than you do trying to get kids into school? Fact is, you and your coaching staff have not been responsible for getting any of aprox(60) seniors from the last 2 years into school. Yes, 12 or 13 have signed, but that was the seeds planted by Bill Ballard and his staff. It’s ok to look out for yourself and your family but as coach of these boys that have made you look good, you owe them an opportunity to keep moving forward.

By BallistiCAT

February 10, 2009 1:33 PM | Link to this

Hey Todd, I told you I would run with this moniker in 2009

Camden has signed 15 so far, Greg Baker hasn’t signed yet, and Josh Dickerson signed from JUCO to South Carolina. I think the CATS can hit 20 signees!!!

By newnan cougar

February 10, 2009 5:54 PM | Link to this

Ya sorry but your data is definitely not official because Newnan signed 15 players as well and our QB Russell Powell chose to play basketball in college rather than football. But he did have many offers to play d 1 college football.

By DeKalb Question

February 10, 2009 9:23 PM | Link to this

Why is it that DeKalb often has the most signees but the majority of their high school programs stink?

By bigjew

February 11, 2009 1:35 AM | Link to this

dekalb questiuon…… the reason dekalb has the greatest number of players but have the lower school programs is that being in the inner city area there is not a big emphisis on school work and as mucj money put into the programs for the right eqiupment and stuff like that and the coaching is not as good as in areas like gwinnet which always has powerful teams and not just players.. dekalb has great players but there just that.. players not teams.. were these players learn to play as a team once in college

By 89viking

February 11, 2009 3:47 AM | Link to this

camden got it right getting coach coffey. the man gets players a chance at a higher education.

By Old Timer

February 11, 2009 9:10 AM | Link to this

89viking made a great point!

“camden got it right getting coach coffey. the man gets players a chance at a higher education”.

This should be in every hs coaches top 3 goals each and every year (regardless of sport). But it requires motivation, creativity and time. And time is money and many don’t feel like the extra $500 they get for coaching covers their time coaching much less busting their can to get as many of their players a chance at the nect level. Only the really special coaches do this.

I personally think principals should factor college signees into the coaches stipend but it’s the booster Clubs that can make the biggest difference. AND, it’s THEIR kids that will be the main beneficiary. What if Camdems entire coaching staff netted an extra $10,000-$15,000 this season? I bet their coaches would be working the phones, internet and camp circuit extra hard every offseason.

By Todd Holcomb

February 11, 2009 12:37 PM | Link to this

Why is it that DeKalb often has the most signees but the majority of their high school programs stink?

Lack of funding and community support. But there are several outstanding programs in DeKalb, of course - Tucker, Dunwoody, MLK, Stephenson, Marist, SPX.

Hey Todd, I told you I would run with this moniker in 2009

Yep, BallistiCAT is strong.

Franklin Stephens, why isn’t Tucker on this list. Is because you spend more time applying for other jobs than you do trying to get kids into school?

I went to a gathering of high school coaches in Douglas County in preseason who were there shopping their prospects to college coaches. Franklin Stephens was there. He gave me a list of about 12-15 prospects, each w/ quite a bit of information on their academics, statistics and weight lifting totals, etc.. He was giving out film of his players. Those are things that coaches are required to do.

re: Newnan

This is the list Newnan sent us. I found one more somewhere to make 11. I don’t doubt there might be more, however.

Ray Beno, Newnan, OL, 6-2, 285, Georgia Tech

Alan Bonner, Newnan, WR, 6-1, 195, Jacksonville State

Josh Buchanan, Newnan, OL, 6-2, 270, West Alabama

Adam Calhoun, Newnan, OL, 6-6, 320, Alabama State

Braland Geter, Newnan, DL, 5-10, 265, Minnesota-Crochston

Durlandis Hill, Newnan, DE, 6-4, 220, Chattanooga

Antwon Johnson, Newnan, WR, 6-4, 195, West Georgia

Dustin Russell, Newnan, DE, 6-0, 205, Savannah State

Laland Russell, Newnan, LB, 5-10, 215, Savannah State

Kendreas Wynn, Newnan, RB, 5-11, 200, Fort Valley State

By NativeAtlantan

February 11, 2009 1:34 PM | Link to this

Why is it that DeKalb often has the most signees but the majority of their high school programs stink

I think this is largely due to how the Dekalb county athletic department handles the football programs. The schools get no money from the gate or concessions. All of this money if funneled into the county athletic department—where it goes nobody knows. Some will tell you they handle conditiong of the equipment and other things with this money but you don’t have to look very hard to see this is not done very effectively. The stadiums are a mess and the school facilities are in terribly shape. During the playoffs teams were playing on fields with the mesh from the sod sticking up all over the fields. As Todd has stated there are several schools that compete despite the lack of support from the county but unfortunately most get by with little to nothing financially.

By Inside Man

February 11, 2009 2:12 PM | Link to this

Todd, if I went to job fair and handed out my resume and never did any follow up, I would not get a job. All coach stephens did was hand out information at this coaches gathering. He did only what was required and he did no follow up. He must be a salesman and an advocate for these kids or they don’t get to move on to the next level. He like so many other coaches feel it’s their job to win games, not to get kids into college. I hope that he changes but I belive that he will change jobs first.

By Yo

February 11, 2009 7:50 PM | Link to this

Good to see so many good AAAAA teams graduating so many seniors. Also, the best way to track this is not by total number but by percentage of seniors from the football team graduating.

By Yo

February 11, 2009 9:56 PM | Link to this

Lowndes 2010 class Ed Christian 6’ 5” 280 lb. offensive lineman just committed to Fl. State according to Rivals.

By sidewalk74

February 12, 2009 11:05 AM | Link to this

Hey Shane, The 3 states with more signees than GA have more than double the population of GA. Based on population % GA would be #1 on this list.

By Todd Holcomb

February 12, 2009 11:57 PM | Link to this

Hey Shane, The 3 states with more signees than GA have more than double the population of GA. Based on population % GA would be #1 on this list.

I think this was Shane’s point about the ”advantages” of those states. They’re much more populated. Those are great football states, but per capita, Georgia is on par with anyone.

By goldenLion

February 13, 2009 8:34 AM | Link to this

St. Pius had one signee. That would be WR Matt Pierce to Valdosta State… and we still went 9-1 against the other 43 signees in 5-AAA. haha thats what smart white kids will do for ya… play like a team..

By anonymous

February 14, 2009 3:23 PM | Link to this

ok, i see that georgia was in the top 5 as far as recruits going division 1 in football. I live with this annoying pennsylvania yankee who only talks about how great high school football is in PA. seriously, can they hang with georgia? NOPE.. let me know what you think about that. gets annoying listenin about PA..