Georgia High School Football Daily Spotlight: Grayson makes move in national rankings
Lowndes’ hopes of a national title evaporated with a loss to Northside-Warner Robins, but another Georgia team is now in position, the GHSF Daily staff notes.
Grayson, the new No. 1 team in Georgia’s Class AAAAA, jumped 12 places to No. 3 in the RivalsHigh 100 released Monday. Grayson is No. 10 in the National Prep Poll and No. 15 in three other national rankings.
Northside, which beat Lowndes 10-7 last week, entered three national rankings but remained behind Lowndes in two polls, including USA Today.
RivalsHigh 100
3. Grayson (+12); 21. Northside (un); 38. Lowndes (-35); 58. North Gwinnett (-18); 68. Gainesville (-13); 79. Peachtree Ridge (-13)
MaxPreps Xcellent 25
15. Grayson (+3); 18. Lowndes (-14)
ESPN Fab 50
15. Grayson (+3); 35. Northside (un); 45. North Gwinnett (-1)
National Prep Poll
10. Grayson (+8); 21. Northside (un)
USA Today
15. Grayson (+1); 25. Lowndes (-16)
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180 comments Add your comment
Northside Observer
October 8th, 2009
9:04 am
Okay guys, enough about the Lowndes-NSWR game. It’s over, the score won’t change, 2 Oct. 2009 will never come again. As we said in the Marines—I got another battle to fight on the next hill. That hill for NSWR is Coffee. For Lowndes–Valdosta? In any event, NSWR, Lowndes, Grayson,Brookwood, Newnan fans, etc. need to worry about this week’s game. Don’t get complacent because of your team’s early success–There is still a lot of football to play in 2009…
RealityBites
October 8th, 2009
9:16 am
GHS #22 –
Don’t realize Grayson has played Lowndes, WR, and McEachern this season. Last I checked, WR and McEachern are undefeated and Lowndes has only one loss, to WR. How then are your Rams still undefeated as well. OHHHHHHH, you must be talking about the past. I get it now. The past means squat! If this was last year, McEachern would be 3-3 right now and go on to finish 5-5 and they wouldn’t even be mentioned in this discussion. Let’s stick to this year….
Just wondering, how many yards does your 2,000 yard rusher have as of today? I think the back from McEachern is sitting over 1,000 through 6 games. And I think he has around 16 td’s….
K-MAN
October 8th, 2009
9:46 am
GHS#22…you make a good point in talking about the past and the present teams of LOWNDES…however…(remember) you also said that GRAYSON has TWO good seasons! Lets discuss them please…#1 GRAYSON (past) team went 13-1…and NO CHAMPIONSHIP…#2 this years team is 5-0 so far…So my point is…UNTIL this (present) team of GRAYSON wins a championship…they are no better than the rest of the top ten or anybody else that made it to the semi-finals! It seems everybody wants to reward GRAYSON a ring of some-kind without them actually doing the WORK! (PAST or PRESENT)
RaidersAreLosers
October 8th, 2009
9:49 am
If there was a field goal kicker anywhere in Lowndes county NSWR would have two losses and be needing help to get a home playoff game! My suggestion for Lowndes and Valdosta is to check the girl’s soccer teams. Seriously, ever see girls shoot free throws? A girl would definitely do better than what you got, what is it like 2 for 12 and 1 for 9?
GHS#22
October 8th, 2009
9:56 am
Realitybites……….if this post was just talking about this year, then very few people would be talking. Fact is Grayson CAN talk about this year and last year!!! The other teams can’t!!!!!
And as far as this year, Mceachern is in Region 5!!!!!! so just enjoy your record so far this year. Maybe at this point next year you can talk, once you have been consistant.
07 Grayson 10-3 08 Grayson 13-1 09 Grayson 6-0 and still climbing, not to mention the top state ranking right now!!
congrats to your RB’s award this week, Alongside Coach Conn (of grayson)
GHS#22
October 8th, 2009
10:06 am
K-man, thanks for the good points compliment.
I never said Grayson is better than any team, I realize this is HS and any team can be beat at anytime. if you read any of my past post I talk about the teams Grayson has beating in defense of where we are in the rankings today. (present) So just so you know The top spot belongs to Grayson now because of the last season and the present one. so others are looking back in the past alittle to.
oh Lowndes has lost 2 in the last two seasons……
K-MAN
October 8th, 2009
10:24 am
GRAYSON and the top national ranking is like having a top notch job with no benefits! Working without pay! Sleeping without rest! A vampire with no teeth! A millionaire with no money! A voice without sound! Food but no mouth! JUST DOESNT MAKE SENSE! ALL OF THESE REWARDS FOR WINNING A FEW GAMES< EXCEPT THE BIG ONE! Get to the dance first!
eagleforlife
October 8th, 2009
10:25 am
WR is not undefeated! What in the world ate u talking about GHS#22? And NSWR fans could care less if you beat the Demons… Why do ya’ll keep talking about that? WRHS is not ranked this year.. I really hope Brookwood puts it to you Grayson folks this week in order to bring ya’ll down a notch.. Goooo Brookwood!
RealityBites
October 8th, 2009
10:41 am
Yes, I know the Indians are region 5. Are you really going to say that region 8 is better than 5? You are dilusional. The Indians dismantled region 8’s Broncos in the dome. The score was closer than it really was after a late surge against the back-ups…
And wait until next year to talk? I’m sorry, I must have missed that state championship trophy you have over there… Last I checked, the Indians were undefeated as well. And unlike yourself, the only polls that matter to us are the ones that come out in December… We will see what happens in the playoffs. If the sites are right, Region 5 #1 gets region 8 #4 first round. And it could be set up that you have to go through all the teams you are calling out to just get to the dome.
And you still haven’t answered my question about how many yards your 2,000 yard rusher has up to this point….
RealityBites
October 8th, 2009
10:49 am
I hope everyone the Indian’s face think they are the same team as last year and that region 5 is a joke. If so, those teams will get a slap in the face of reality that this years team has no resemblence of the team that finished 5-5 last year, or the team that played snap for snap with the mighty Grayson in the dome but lost by 10 while running a new offense and defense…..
cougarfan
October 8th, 2009
11:03 am
newnan will win there region. newnan will be in the playoffs. the cougars will play hard and give it everything they have got. we will finish where we finish and be proud of our boys no matter what. we will play anyone and play our best.
eagleforlife
October 8th, 2009
11:19 am
Lol! Ohhhhhh, I see now, you were talking about NORTHSIDe.. We are NOT WR! That will spark A LOT of emotion, lol! But still.. There was a post boasting how Grayson beat WRHS in our beloved Houston county.. And NS fans could care less about that fact.
GHS#22
October 8th, 2009
11:28 am
Realitybites
He has a 1000 already as well…….
Maybe you don’t know how rankings work, but if you beat the higher ranked teams (state or national) you move up!!! SIMPLE. Grayson is proving themselves right now.
Yes region 8 is better than 5. S.gwinnett, parkview, and brookwood would beat any team in Reg 5, and Grayson has already beaten E. Paulding and Mceachern!!
and if you get out of the first round you still have NSWR or Lowndes to deal with. We should make quick work of your #4 team!
GHS#22
October 8th, 2009
11:42 am
Eagleforlife
I don’t know who said that, but Grayson knows which WR they played.
Grayson Student
October 8th, 2009
12:12 pm
I never said we have a hard schedule here on out. i was commenting on the overall easiness of their schedule… playing a mediocre AAA team is almost unfathomable at this level of play, u put grayson or lowndes or camden or even northside the AAA team doesnt stand a chance. And drock 09, never said any of that stuff, said that your defense has yet to see an offense like graysons and wil not until a possible matchup in the playoffs and if i recall camden showed you how it was done last year. The ogletrees are amazing but they are 2 players, you should no that doesnt make the team… Also if your going to throw stats at me please try and do it with a respectable opponent such as camden (which GHS22 did) not lagrange
grayram
October 8th, 2009
2:43 pm
Grayson #24 829 yards on 142 carries a little over 138 per game or right at 6 yrds per carry
GHS#22
October 8th, 2009
3:12 pm
Really good considering once Grayson is shutting a team out #24 is taking out of the game. He didn’t even play the entire 2nd half against Shiloh.
grayram
October 8th, 2009
3:39 pm
Pemberton is an amazing player. When you see how much smaller he is than the players he’s running thru its really hard to believe how many yards he gets after contact. Some colleges out there need to wake up and notice this kid. You can’t beleive the amount of heart he plays with.
Fred
October 8th, 2009
3:45 pm
RealityBites, as grayram points out above, #24 is at 829 yards so far. And that is with him sitting at least 4 quarters due to the score being too high and the second/third strings going in. Unlike some, Coach Conn doesn’t believe in running the score up just to win by 50-60 points. At 9:16 you also said that WR is undefeated – on 9-4-09, Grayson beat WR 10-0 at Grayson. Not sure where your numbers are coming from.
You know, I wasn’t too sure about the Rams having arrived at the big time but I am now convinced they have. After all, if you are not the top dog, no one cares enough to talk smack about you!
The Rams are taking it one game at a time. While their schedule after this Friday may have turned out to be somewhat easier due to other teams having an off year (but never make the mistake of looking past your current opponent!), the first part of the schedule has been tough. I think it takes a lot of guts to schedule the defending state champions and other perennially strong teams for non region games. For Grayson to be a relatively young program AND having gone through a redistricting split this year to feed the new Archer High School (1,000+ were supposed to transfer), I think the coaching staff and young men of the team have done quite well for themselves.
See y’all at the game Friday night!
BROOKWOOD MOM
October 8th, 2009
3:48 pm
eagleforlife!! Thanks for cheering for my BRONCOS!!!
slalom1
October 8th, 2009
3:55 pm
Sanity Rules, 1983 state title game. I was in the press box sitting near Coach Pat Dye and Coach Bill Curry for pre-game. As you are aware the game was played in LaGrange. The Grangers had been dominent all season, beating Clarke-Central who was ranked #1 nationally at the time. The Grangers had 2 first team Parade All-Americans: QB Vince Sutton and the late Nate Hill.(I believe that the Grangers were nationally ranked #8 at the time.) I made the reference to the 2009 LaGrange vs. Newnan game as being the first time since the 1983 game against Tift County when I knew for a fact that the Grangers would lose and lose badly. The quickness of the Tift County players during warm up was obvious. The Tift County fans were LOUD and there were lots of’em. There were news helicopters flying overhead. The Grangers were heavily favored. During pre-game, I asked Coach Dye, “Coach, what do you think about the game?” His answer was, “Son, this ain’t gonna be no game.Tift County is way stronger than LaGrange”. I concurred. After pre-game I sat next to the late Coach Oliver Hunnicut for the first half. All he could do was shake his head at the pathetic play of the Grangers. He left at half time after bidding “goodbye” and saying: “Son, this game is over.” To sum up, the LaGrange program had been down since around 1959. Not much to brag about. This was the Grangers’ first BIG game since 1958 (when they won the state title over Decatur). But to get back to your question as to “what happened?” The atmosphere was foreign to the Grangers and the young coaching staff led by a young Danny Cronic, whom I admire greatly were simply not ready for a game of this magnitude. The players became unglued as well as some of the assistant coaches. One could observe Coach Cronic trying to settle down not only the players, but the assistant coaches as well. Bottom line was that 1983 LaGrange was capable of playing Tift County a much more competitive game. Could have even been a close game. But Tift County brought a battle tested team that was unintimidated by the bigness of the event. The Grangers simply played a horrible game and lost to a better team. There were only 2 things that left a bad taste in my mouth after the game: 1-How Coach Gene Brodie shamelessly ran up the score on a thoroughly beaten LaGrange team. 2-The disgusting letter written by our LDN sports editor to the Tift County paper following the game. As for 2009 Newnan, my feelings were the same, but for different reasons. Newnan just looked impressive.LaGrange Looked like a D-II college team going up against Florida. Luckily for LG it was only an 11 point loss.
slalom1
October 8th, 2009
4:10 pm
Sanity Rules, I believe that the former LDN sports editor I referred to is now with the Newnan paper. Just for kicks and giggles, why not ask him to post the letter that he sent to the fine people of Tifton, Ga. following the 1983 loss?
randy p
October 8th, 2009
5:05 pm
I still say Lowndes is the team you will see in the dome. Grayson is riding an easy schedule. I love Camden, but Grayson saw a weak Camden in the dome, plus they don’t play any tough teams. Wait till Nov. then the cream will rise to the top. Gotta love highschool football.
Sportsfan31313
October 8th, 2009
5:49 pm
randy p,
What Camden County not playing any tough teams has to do with them playing great football? What was the excuse when they won an undisputed state title last year?
Sportsfan31313
October 8th, 2009
5:49 pm
randy P,
Don’t under estimate Camden County. They are still a good football team….
slalom1
October 8th, 2009
6:03 pm
Grayson Student, You are quite obviously a bright young man. Just remember these few things and you will do well in life:
1-”No matter where you go, there you are”. (Buddy Hackett)2-”Pi R square. Not round”.(Don Rickles) 3-”The future ain’t what it used to be”. (Yogi Berra)
eagleforlife
October 8th, 2009
7:48 pm
GHS#22.. U said WR in an earlier post.. However (as I corrected myself) I realized that u made a typo.. =)
Tazz
October 9th, 2009
11:02 am
The handshake between Conn and Crews did not take place last year because the Grayson fans stormed the field. The coaches were busy addressing the safety of the players, which should be their first priority. I know that Bwood will not storm the field, so hopefully the handshake will take place between both teams.
AStephensonFanFoSho
October 11th, 2009
12:12 am
Go Malcolm keep playing like you’re doing you’llget your props … all your sacks … fumble recoveries …TFL’S …PUnt blocks………
North Georgia
October 11th, 2009
10:39 pm
I am a North Georgia fan of atlanta football; but I tell you guys that Colquitt County is going to surprise alot of people even thought lowndes beat them 30-6 colquitt county threw and ran the football against these guys; lowndes did not beat these guys; these guys beat themselves with fumbles in the red zones; not making any excuses this team have proven itself to be a powerhouse and I bet you my life that this team is going to give Northside W.R. Hell; Northside my hat’s off to you but Colquitt County gotten better and it is going to be very tough; no one is paying a attention watch out for Colquitt County This year folks.