High School Playoffs Primer: Semifinals

Grayson and Wesleyan are in the semifinals for the first time. What does that do for Gwinnett County’s football reputation?

Newnan is allowing 2.4 points per game? How does that rank in Georgia?

What state record did Marist set last week, and what’s the latest milestone for Emanuel County Institute’s Washaun Ealey?

Find answers in these charts, facts and statistics. They’ll tell what you didn’t know about the 20 teams in Friday’s high school football semifinals:

All Gwinnett

Wesleyan and Grayson are the ninth and 10th Gwinnett teams to make the semifinals this decade:

Brookwood (2002, 2005)

Buford (2000-04,2007-08)

Dacula (2005)

GAC (2002)

Grayson (2008)

North Gwinnett (2007)

Parkview (2000-02, 2004)

Collins Hill (2001)

Peachtree Ridge (2006, 2008)

Wesleyan (2008)

Sorry, no scores

Newnan leads the state in scoring defense:

1. Newnan, 2.4

2. Lincoln County, 5.8

3. Westside-Macon, 6.0

4. Carver-Columbus, 6.5

5. Jackson, 6.6

Kings of Kingsland

Camden County has the most victories in Class AAAAA since 2000:

1. Camden County, 106

2. Parkview, 98

3. Lowndes, 96

4. Stephenson, 88

5. Brookwood, 85

Coaching two-fers

Peachtree Ridge and Rome have coaches who have taken two schools to the GHSA semifinals. The last six to do it:

Bill Ballard (2003 Tucker, 2008 Peachtree Ridge)

Sid Fritts (2003 Vidalia, 2008 Rome)

Dan Ragle (1996 Americus, 2004 Ware County)

Bruce Miller (2001 North Forsyth, 2002 Gainesville)

Danny Cronic (1983 LaGrange, 2002 East Coweta)

Jeff Herron (1999 Oconee County, 2002 Camden County)

Home-field advantage

Marist holds the record for consecutive home victories in the state playoffs:

1. Marist, 25 (1996-current)

2. Thomas Central, 24 (1987-06)

3. Parkview, 19 (1995-03)

4. Buford, 16 (1999-04)

5. Valdosta, 15 (1952-69, 1989-96)

Level two

Griffin has sent more players into the NFL than any other Georgia school:

1. Griffin, 16

2. LaGrange, 13

3. Valdosta, 11

4. (tie) Marist, 10

4. (tie) S.W. DeKalb, 10

4. (tie) Warner Robins, 10

Ruling DeKalb

Tucker has the most victories this decade by a DeKalb County school:

1. Tucker, 98

2. Stephenson, 88

3. McNair, 69

4. M.L. King, 64

5. S.W. DeKalb, 63

At home in the final

LaGrange, Buford or Marist can become the latest school to reach 10 GHSA state championship games:

1. Valdosta, 27

2. Lincoln County, 18

3. Carrollton, 11

4. Washington-Wilkes, 10

5. (tie) LaGrange, 9

5. (tie) Buford, 9

5. (tie) Marist, 9

A Hall County first?

Flowery Branch can become the first Hall County school to win a state title in the GHSA. Hall County state champions:

Fair Street, 1956 GIA

Fair Street, 1957 GIA

Riverside Military, 2005 GISA

Repeat performance

Carver is the only team that has made the semifinals each of the past three seasons. Schools that are back from 2007:

Buford

Cairo

Camden County

Carver

ECI

Tucker

The unbeatens

Cairo can become the third school to go undefeated in each of the past two decades. Those that did it:

Clinch County (1991, 2002)

LaGrange (1991, 2001, 2004)

Bridging the gap

Brooks County coach Maurice Freeman won a state title in 1994. The longest span between first and second state titles:

1. Charlie Brake, 16 years (1955, 1971)

2. (tie) Alan Chadwick, 14 (1989, 2003)

2. (tie) Weyman Sellers, 14 (1955, 1969)

4. Wayman Creel, 13 (1957, 1970)

5. Buzz Busby, 10 (1991, 2001)

Farm system

Buford has more players in college football than any other playoff team:

1. Buford, 31

2. Tucker, 26

3. Camden County, 22

4. (tie) Grayson, 20

5. (tie) Marist, 20

Owning the state

Fitzgerald coach Robby Pruitt won seven state titles in Florida. Most state titles among semifinal coaches:

1. Larry Campbell, Lincoln County, 11

2. Robby Pruitt, Fitzgerald, 7

3. Robert Herring,Newnan, 5

4. Steve Pardue, LaGrange, 3

5. (tie) Alan Chadwick, Marist, 2

5. (tie) Jeff Herron, Camden, 2

Making it to 10

Calhoun has the third-longest streak in Georgia of winning at least 10 games in a season:

1. Northside-W. Robins, 11

2. Buford, 10

3. (tie) Calhoun, 8

3. (tie) Camden County, 8

5. Lincoln County, 6

A semifinal mainstay

Lincoln County’s Larry Campbell has been in more GHSA semifinals than any other coach:

1. Larry Campbell, 25

2. Wright Bazemore, 16

3. (tie) Charlie Grisham, 14

4. (tie) Bill Chappell, 14

5. Robert Davis, 12

Making a statement

Wilkinson County is one of four semifinalists that were unranked in preseason:

Peachtree Ridge (AAAAA)

Brooks County (AA)

Calhoun (AA)

Wilkinson County (A)

Running, running

ECI running back Washaun Ealey became the second-leading rusher in state history last week:

1. Monte Williams, Commerce, 8,844

2. Washaun Ealey, ECI, 7,878

3. Robert Toomer Worth County, 7,841

4. Chris Clay, Randolph-Clay, 7,695

5. Eddie Dixon, ECI, 7,322