Carlos Robertson, the older brother and guardian of Demetris Robertson, expressed “relief” with the decision made Tuesday afternoon by the Georgia High School Association’s appeals committee to grant eligibility to his younger brother.
The junior all-state DB/WR/ATH will now be able to suit up for his new school for the first time this season on Friday, when the Raiders host Portal. Demetris Robertson, who committed to Alabama over the summer, transferred to Savannah Christian from Savannah Country Day when his family, headed by Carlos Robertson, moved across town to be closer to Carlos’ job as a special education instructor at Groves High School. Demetris was originally granted eligibility by the GHSA but it was rescinded when Savannah Christian self-reported that the Robertsons had only signed a new lease and had not made a physical move.
Then, while the Robertsons were in the process of the move, the GHSA’s executive committee deleted the decades-old bylaw that originally allowed Demetris Robertson to be eligible for varsity competition immediately. He was denied eligibility on two occasions prior to Tuesday’s hearing before the appeals committee, which unanimously voted (4-0) to uphold Robertson’s appeal.
While he is grateful for the ruling, Carlos Robertson said the decision is a bitter sweet one.
“It was definitely a big relief, but it’s bitter sweet because of what will happen to the kids that come behind Demetris,” Carlos Robertson said. “Demetris’ case was unique because we started the process before the rule was changed, but now [the change] will have an effect on some kids and their futures.”
Robertson complemented the appeals committee, made up of four members of the GHSA executive committee, for “looking at the facts, not the perception” that Demetris’ transfer was rooted in football. That perception was bolstered further earlier this week when a Savannah television station reported that Savannah Country Day athletic director Lamar Kirkley wrote a letter to the GHSA in which he said “Carlos Robertson informed [Country Day] that he was transferring to another school in Savannah to better prepare Demetris to play football at the University of Alabama.”
Carlos Robertson vehemently denies Kirkley’s accusation.
“I don’t want to be too nasty here,” Robertson said, “but this is nothing but he said/she said nonsense. [Kirksey] never said who I supposedly said this to. You would think that if I had said something like that he would have been a lot more specific. He would have said who I said that to. What he wrote has no substance at all.”
But Carlos Robertson said he and his family are ready to put the whole situation behind them now that Demetris will finally get to suit up in the red and black of the Raiders.
“My lawyer, Joseph Cronk, [Savannah Christian upper school] principal [Ashley] Barnwell, assistant principal Wade Wright, I can’t thank them enough,” Carlos Robertson said. “And coach [Donald] Chumley fought his butt off for Demetris, just like a great coach does for any of his players.
“It’s a great day for Demetris,” Carlos Robertson said. “It’s like he had a 100-pound weight lifted off of his shoulders. Now he can just go out, let loose and play. All the doubt is gone. He can just focus on school and football.”
GHSA executive director Gary Phillips has said he will not comment on the situation, as he was not a member of the four-member appeals committee.
Claxton making noise in Region 3
Roderick Williams was an assistant at Claxton in 2001, the last time the Tigers won double-digit games, 11, and won a region championship.
Since then Claxton really hasn’t been a factor. Over the 13-year stint, the Tigers have advanced to the post season just three times – once after finishing 2-8, but having the luxury of playing in a bad region – and had five seasons where they failed to win more than two games. But things appear to have turned around this season as Claxton is 6-1, 3-0 in Region 3, Division A, and sitting at No. 5 in the public school power ratings.
After serving as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach last season, Williams has taken over the lead role this season. He said he wanted to instill more discipline and accountability this season, but he believes the key reason for this season’s success has been team chemistry. Williams said this year’s club reminds him of the group from 2001.
“With that team, when you saw one of them, you saw all of them,” Williams said of the unit that finished 11-1, losing in the second round of the state playoffs to eventual semi-finalist Clinch County. “They were very close. This team is just like that. They are very unselfish.”
Williams said that close bond has been forged over several years of playing together. The current group of juniors and seniors won a middle school title four seasons ago.
“They support each other and care about each other a lot,” Williams said. “They don’t care who gets to ball or who makes ‘Player of the Week.’ They play well together and just want to win.”
Leading the way is senior running back Zach Grant. He was a 1,000-yard rusher as a freshman and sophomore at Claxton before transferring to nearby Statesboro when his family moved after the holiday break of his sophomore year.
But his family relocated back to Claxton this summer and Grant is back with his middle school buddies. Grant, the bell cow of Claxton’s traditional I-formation/wing offense, missed the first game of the season – a 22-6 loss to Class AA Metter – while the GHSA confirmed his family’s move back to Claxton.
“He’s gotten a few letters [from colleges] but I think his size is a concern for some,” Williams said of the 5-8, 180-pounder. “But he’s strong and explosive. He can really go. He’s just a pleasure to coach.”
Williams said playing without Grant in the lineup was a factor in the Tigers’ lone loss this season.
“We had to play our leading receiver [junior Darvis Small] at running back. When Zach is back there it gives us so many more options on offense, so it made a difference,” Williams said. “But we made some mistakes in that game, too. I think we were a little nervous in the first game of the season.”
But the Tigers have not tasted defeat since. Along with Grant, Williams said QB/DB Cornelius Taylor (6-0, 190) and OLB Marty Chapel (5-11, 195) – along with head-cracking fullback Tevin Turner (5-10, 225) are all having great seasons.
“[Taylor has] provided us with great leadership from the quarterback position, and gives us a real weapon there,” Williams said. “People can’t just focus on Zach because Cornelius is able to hurt you with keepers and bootlegs. And also leads our secondary with five interceptions.”
Williams said Chapel leads the defense with 70 tackles and six sacks. He lines up in several spots on the field in the Tigers’ 3-5-3 defense, which allows Claxton to take advantage of their smaller, but faster more athletic players.
“He is our quarterback on defense,” Williams said. “He gets us lined up and we move him around in a lot of positions. He plays a lot of rover for us.”
The town of Claxton (population 2,600), just south of I-16 between Vidalia and Savannah, has responded with a lot of support for the team during its first six-game winning streak since 2001. But the road is about to get a lot rougher for the Tigers over the final three weeks of the regular season. Claxton will travel to Savannah on Friday to face undefeated Calvary Day (7-0), last season’s private school state runner up, ranked No. 4 in the AJC Top 10 and No. 2 in the private school power ratings. Then next week the Tigers will host Savannah Christian (6-1), No. 10 in the AJC poll and No. 6 in the private school power ratings, before closing out the season with the Region 3 crossover game.
“We know we play in the SEC of Class A,” Williams said. “We expect these next two games to be really tough. Calvary Day and Savannah Christian are great programs with great players and coaches. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us.”
With the private and public schools competing separately in the playoffs, Claxton should be lock to advance to the post season. But Williams said neither he nor his team is looking too far head.
“Our goal is to host a playoff game and see how far we can advance,” Williams said. “But right now we’re just taking things one game at a time. That’s been the way we have approached every opponent every week.”
Power ratings
Here are the GHSA/Max Preps power ratings for this week, with a look at teams that rose, fell, dropped out or jumped into the coveted group of 16.
Private
1. Aquinas (7-0) (No. 1 in the AJC Top 10)
2. Calvary Day (7-0) (No. 4 – AJC)
3. Tattnall Square Academy (7-0) (No. 8)
4. Landmark Christian (6-1) (No. 7)
5. Mt. Paran Christian (7-0) (No. 3)
6. Savannah Christian (6-1) (No. 10)
7. Pinecrest Academy (5-2)
8. Pacelli (5-2)
9. Mt. Pisgah Christian (5-2)
10. Prince Avenue Christian (6-2)
11. Our Lady of Mercy (6-2)
12. First Presbyterian (4-3)
13. Brookstone (4-3)
14. Stratford Academy (4-3)
15. Athens Christian (5-3)
16 St. Francis (5-2)
Who fell: Pinecrest Academy (No. 3 to No. 7); Prince Avenue Christian (9 to 10); Brookstone (10 to 13); St. Francis (15 to 16)
Who rose: Tattnall Square (6 to 3); Savannah Christian (7 to 6); Mt. Pisgah Christian (11 to 9); Our Lady of Mercy (13 to 11)
Who dropped out: Christian Heritage
Who jumped in: Athens Christian
Public
- Marion County (7-0) (No. 2 in the AJC Top 10)
- Irwin County (5-1-1) (No. 6)
- Charlton County (6-1) (No. 9)
- Hawkinsville (7-1) (No. 5)
- Claxton (6-1)
- Emanuel County Institute (6-1)
- Commerce (5-2)
- Mt. Zion-Carroll (6-2)
- Calhoun County (5-2)
- Dooly County (4-3)
- Clinch County (4-3)
- Greenville (4-3)
- Telfair County (5-2)
- Lincoln County (5-2)
- Jenkins County (4-3)
- Atkinson County (4-3)
Who fell: Hawkinsville (No. 2 to No. 4); Emanuel County Institute (No. 5 to No. 6); Commerce (No. 6 to No. 7); Dooly County (7 to 10); Jenkins County (13 to 15); Atkinson County (12 to 16)
Who rose: Irwin County (No. 3 to No. 2); Charlton County (4 to 3); Claxton (8 to 5); Mt. Zion-Carroll (9 to 8); Calhoun County (10 to 9); Greenville (14 to 12)
Who dropped out: Wilcox County; Hancock County
Who jumped in: Telfair County; Lincoln County
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