Chattahoochee is a big player in AAAA

Back then, Chattahoochee was teeming with some 2,600 students. For a brief time, it was the fourth-largest high school in Georgia.

Relief came from the opening of Northview in 2002, Alpharetta in 2004 and Johns Creek in 2009.

The football team, which won five region titles under Bill Waters, has had its ups and downs under Terry Crowder, who came in 2004, just when the school’s enrollment was beginning to plunge, taking some of his better football prospects. The Cougars were 4-6 last year in strong Region 7-AAAAA.

After years of slicing and dicing, Chattahoochee was projected this fall to have 1,891 students. That’s a magical number because the Georgia High School Association this year raised the floor for schools in the highest classification, AAAAA, to 1,900.

Chattahoochee became big again — the largest school in AAAA.

“Last year, we didn’t get blown out by anyone,’’ said Tim Skillingstad, whose son, Travis, plays right tackle. “We had three losses by a total of eight points by the big schools. We stayed with them for three quarters. In the fourth, we couldn’t. When they have 4,000 and we have 1,800, they’re going to have a lot more depth.’’

This season, the first-place teams in four of the eight regions in Class AAAA are schools that dropped in classification. They are Northside-Warner Robins (Region 1), Lovejoy (4), Kell (5) and Chattahoochee (7).

But there’s more to Chattahoochee’s resurrection than dropping down.

Aside from Kiefer and Dixon, who have schools such as Ole Miss and Arkansas after them, Chattahoochee has a quarterback in Tim Byerly, who runs like a tailback in Crowder’s spread offense but has thrown for more than 1,000 yards this season despite rarely playing in meaningless fourth quarters. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more Friday.

Kane Whitehurst, a transfer from Northview, is a wide receiver with 10 touchdowns. Whitehurst is the cousin of former Chattahoochee quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who plays for the Seattle Seahawks. Whitehurst played quarterback at Northview, but he’s been a difference-maker for Chattahoochee.

“The addition of Kane really helped us because he gave us a downfield threat,’’ Byerly said. “We know he can burn people deep.’’

The Cougars’ best finish in the state playoffs was a run to the semifinals in 1999, when that was the largest class. This current team might not go that far, but it’s already beaten expectations.

Byerly noted that his senior class has never experienced a winning season, dating to the sixth grade, but it has kept the faith.

There are 14 three-year starters this season.

“I knew this senior crowd was a special bunch,” said Crowder, who is two wins from his first region title. “We hung in there through Region 7-AAAAA, and everybody hung in there behind me. Now they’re reaping the rewards for their hard work.’’