As the four-game race for the championships begins Friday, we’ll get some perspective from three of the coaches involved. Jimmy Hughes talks about how Dooly County, seeded No. 12 on the public side, righted their ship after a slow start; Matt Burleson talks about getting Telfair County, No. 15 on the public side, back into the playoffs after a long absence; and Mark Stroud of Calvary Day talks about being seeded No. 7 on the private side in spite of a 9-1 record.
But first some house cleaning, which provides a hot topic for discussion aside from the playoffs.
The Georgia High School Association on Wednesday released the lists of schools in each of the now seven classifications, and the public schools in Class A were impacted severely particularly in football. If the new classification plan, which increased the enrollment cap for Class A to 520 students and includes a 7A division to separate the state’s largest schools – Mill Creek of Gwinnett County is the largest in the new class at 3,998 students while Westlake of Fulton County is the smallest at 2,092 – is approved in January, Class A public will grow from 39 football-playing schools to 53. Some of the teams dropping down from AA include B.E.S.T. Academy of Atlanta, Greene County, Macon County, Gordon Lee, Manchester, Washington-Wilkes and Seminole County.
Class A private will grow to 36, adding four football-playing schools that drop back down from AA – Darlington, Holy Innocents, Pace Academy and Wesleyan.
The disadvantage for Class A public is that next year there will be 14 extra schools competing for the 24 playoff spots that will be available. Regions will be assigned early next month, and then schools will be given an opportunity to appear before everything is solidified in January.
Hughes is not pleased.
“How is that fair,” he asked. “We have 53 teams or whatever the number is with just 24 playoff spots, while in AA and other classes they have roughly the same number of teams but 32 playoff spots. It’s not right.”
We’ll have more from Hughes and his peers on this issue after the playoffs are done. But feel free to discuss!
Jimmy Hughes, Dooly County (7-3), Public No. 12
After an appearance in the finals in 2012 and quarterfinal appearances in 2013 and 2014, a young Bobcat team started this season 2-3. The average score in the losses was 43-8. But Dooly closed the season on a five-game winning streak to earn a 12 seed in the tournament.
“It really came down to our players. Players play the game and they were the ones who turned things around for us. We had some injuries early and we played two outstanding teams in Turner County and Marion County. And we had to replace more players than we ever have since I came here in 2010. So we were very young in the beginning. I mean, we start four freshmen on defense and we had to replace all of our skill players, including our quarterback, who is a freshman. But those kids grew up and matured after a rough start, and we think eventually they are going to be really good players. We told them they were not practicing or playing like a Dooly County football team, and they responded.”
Matt Burleson, Telfair County (5-5), Public No. 15
In three seasons in McRae, Burleson had improved the program to the level of being respectable. The Trojans were a combined 4-26 in the three seasons prior to his arrival. But Telfair remained on the outside of the playoffs, until this season, where the Trojans are in the post season for the first time since 2004 and just the fifth time in 48 years of football.
“We were looking at the power ratings really close and keeping an eye on the scores of some of the teams we played. Things didn’t turn out like we wanted in our last game (a 46-13 loss to Clinch County) but Clinch is one of the best teams in Class A. But fortunately for us the teams that we needed to win won their games. I guess it really hit me the first day of practice when our guys were a little sluggish, and they said coach, this time of year we’re playing basketball or wrestling. I thought to myself, they’re right. That’s when it hit me. We told them how they are now a special team in the history of this program and they should take pride in that. The community is really excited. We’ve got full buses going over to Twin City (to face No. 2 Emanuel County Institute). It’s really great.”
Mark Stroud, Calvary Day (9-1), Private No. 7
The Cavaliers might be the most underrated one-loss team in the history of Georgia high school football. They averaged nearly 40 points this season with a defense that posted four shutouts, including three in a row, and yielded a total of just 45 points in 10 games. Calvary Day posted four shutouts, including three in a row during one stretch. Yet, because of the power ratings, the Cavs’ award for all of that is a seven seed and the honor to host Stratford Academy (7-3), one of the most physical and well-coached teams in the state.
“It is what it is. You can’t spend time thinking about that. I think the [power rating] system works. We’re thankful to be 9-1. We have a lot of talented kids who have played a lot of games. We’re not going to use this as some sort of rallying cry. All we can do is prepare the best way we can for whatever team we play.”
PRIVATE
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian (10-0) vs.
No. 16 First Presbyterian Day (6-4)
Skinny: The teams met for the first and only time in the first round of last season’s playoffs. PAC won 55-28.
No. 8 Savannah Christian (8-2) vs.
No. 9 Landmark Christian (7-3)
Skinny:The only time the teams have met was in the 2011 finals, the last season public and private schools competed for the same title. In the game, Savannah Christian won its only Georgia High School Association championship, 20-3.
No. 5 Mount Paran Christian (9-1) vs.
No. 12 St. Anne-Pacelli(7-3)
Skinny: This is the first ever meeting between the two teams, both looking for different forms of redemption in the post season. Mt. Paran, the defending private school champs, looks to shake off the sting of having its 23-game winning streak snapped last week by Pinecrest Academy in the Region 6 championship game. Pacelli last won a playoff game in 2006. The Vikings are 0-3 since then.
No. 13 Mount Pisgah Christian (6-4) at
No. 4 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (7-3)
Skinny: The teams last met on Sept. 11, when ELCA won handily, 56-6, in McDonough. This is the first time they have met in the playoffs.
Lower Bracket
No. 3 Aquinas (9-1) vs.
No. 14 Brookstone (6-4)
Skinny: This is the first meeting between the two teams. Aquinas, the 2013 private champs, has won eight straight since falling 42-12 to Prince Avenue back on Aug. 28. Under first-year head coach Scott Pethel, Brookstone is looking for its first playoff win since 2008.
No. 6 Athens Academy (9-1) vs.
No. 11 Christian Heritage (5-5)
Skinny: Largely overshadowed by the performance of Prince Avenue in Region 8, Athens Academy had the quietest 9-1 season of any team in Georgia. The Spartans’ only loss was to Prince Avenue, 45-14, on Oct. 9. This will be the first meeting between the two teams. Christian Heritage, located in Dalton, is back in the playoffs for the second consecutive season despite a 5-5 regular season both years.
No. 7 Calvary Day (9-1) vs.
No. 10 Stratford Academy (7-3)
Skinny:Calvary Day is the lowest ranked of the five one-loss teams in the private school bracket. The teams last faced each other in 1987, when both were in the Georgia Independent Schools Association. Stratford won that game, 14-3.
No. 15 Athens Christian (6-4)) at
No. 2 Pinecrest Academy (9-1)
Skinny: The teams have split their two previous meetings with Pincrest winning 28-26 in 2013, while Athens Christian prevailed 31-14 in 2012. Pinecrest, which had its best regular season ever, is trying to follow the trend of each of the last three state title winners– ELCA (2012), Aquinas (2013) and Mt. Paran (2014). Each had their best regular season the same year they won the title.
PUBLIC
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Marion County (9-1) vs.
No. 16 Twiggs County (4-6)
Skinny: Marion County, the 2013 champion, suffered its only loss of the season to Class AAAAA Columbus (7-3), a team that had a breakthrough season, making the state playoffs for the first time since 1994. In the four years prior to Mike Swaney taking over in Buena Vista, the Eagles were 21-20. Since then, Marion County is a combined 64-9 with four region titles. Twiggs County is the only team, public or private, in the playoffs with a losing record. The Cobras are in the post season for the first time since 2009.
No. 8 Charlton County (7-2) vs.
No. 9 Commerce (7-3)
Skinny:Charlton County has advanced to the playoffs every year since 1990, the first year head coach Rich McWhorter took over. It is one of the longest playoff streaks in Georgia high school football. Commerce’s three losses came to teams with a combined record of 28-2 – Class AAA Jefferson (9-1), Athens Academy (9-1) and Prince Avenue (10-0). The Tigers closed the season strong, winning their last four games by a combined score of 167-12.
No. 5 Clinch County (9-1) vs.
No. 12 Dooly County (7-3)
Skinny:Clinch closed the season on a six-game winning streak. The Panthers’ only loss was to Irwin County, 28-12, on Sept. 18. Dooly County was 2-3 in the first half of the season and was blown out in all three losses before a big 35-7 win over defending champion Hawkinsville sparked a five-game winning streak.
No. 13 Johnson County (6-4) at
No. 4 Randolph-Clay (7-3)
Skinny:Johnson County’s only state title came in Herschel Walker’s senior season, 1979. Trojans are back in the playoffs after missing the post season last year. Randolph-Clay had a breakout year, its best season since 2005. The Red Devils won the most regular season games since finishing 10-2 in 2005, and won the school’s second region championship, the first coming in 2005.
Lower Bracket
No. 3 Irwin County (7-2-1) vs.
No. 14 Wilkinson County (6-4)
Skinny: Irwin County, last season’s runner up, lost to just one Class A team this season, Charlton County, 28-14, on Oct. 2. Wilkinson County comes into the playoffs having loss two of its last three games. Irwin has won both of the previous meetings between the two schools – 41-14 in 2013 and 41-34 in 2012.
No. 6 Turner County (8-2) vs.
No. 11 Trion (7-3)
Skinny:Turner County had a breakout season, the first for head coach Ben Simmons. The Rebels won the most games since 2008. Two of Trion’s losses came at the hands of two of the top private school teams – 27-24 in overtime to Region 6 champion Pinecrest Academy (9-1), and 7-6 to defending private school champion Mt. Paran Christian. This is the first meeting between Turner and Trion.
No. 7 Lincoln County (9-1) vs.
No. 10 Mt. Zion-Carroll (6-4)
Skinny:After two 7-4 seasons, subpar by Lincoln County’s standards, the Red Devils’ only loss this season was to Region 7 champion Aquinas (9-1), 24-3 on Oct. 30. Prior to Keith Holloway’s arrival in Carrollton four seasons ago, Mt. Zion had not finished above .500 since 1996. Holloway has the Eagles in the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time since 2000-2001. This is the first meeting between the two schools.
No. 15 Telfair County at
No. 2 Emanuel County Institute
Skinny:After coming close to leading Telfair to the playoffs in his first three seasons in McRae, Matt Burleson finally has the Trojans in the post season for the first time since 2004. After losing to Class AA Vidalia, 28-29, in the season opener ECI rolled to the Region 3 championship, its first since 2012, when the Bulldogs won the public school state title. ECI has won all four previous meetings between the two schools, including the last game, 25-9, in 2003.
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