Georgia High School Football Daily Spotlight: Reclassification in Class AAAAA — Will Camden move to Region 1?
The Georgia High School Association will place schools in regions for the 2010-14 academic years on Dec. 2. Each day this week, the GHSF Daily staff is going to look at a different classification and tell you how we’d do the regions, starting with Class AAAAA.
These are not projections. We’d have more luck predicting the exact scores of every game this week than how the GHSA will divide up the regions. Our goal is simply to bring to light some of the questions and challenges that define the GHSA’s task next week.
Here’s how we’d do Class AAAAA:
1-AAAAA (6 teams)
Camden County (moved from 3-AAAAA)
Coffee
Colquitt County
Lowndes
Tift County
Valdosta (playing up)
Going down: Houston County, Northside, Warner Robins
Notes: Four current 1-AAAAA schools were assigned to Class AAAA because of declining enrollment. Schools may choose to play in higher classes than the ones they’ve been assigned. We expect Valdosta to play up while the Houston County schools (Warner Robins, Northside, Houston County) play in AAAA. Do we think the GHSA is going to put Camden County in this region? We’ll believe it when we see it. But here’s the logic: The average road trip for Camden County in the new Region 1-AAAAA would be 121 miles. The average trip in Region 3-AAAAA would be 107 miles. But in 1-AAAAA, there are only five opponents. Let’s do the math: Five road trips times 121 miles is 606. Seven road trips times 107 miles is 749. In other words, Camden will travel less in a six-team Region 1-AAAAA than an eight-team Region 3-AAAAA. We realize that Camden pays many Savannah schools to give up their home football games and come to Camden, but that’s irrelevant because the travel for the region overall is the same whether Savannah comes to Camden County or vice-versa. GHSF Daily asked Camden County football coach and athletics director Jeff Herron about his school moving to Region 1. His answer: “I still don’t see how we could with the consideration we must give to the other sports. It would force all of our other sports to play all of their games on the weekends [because of long travel on week days]. But, with that few of schools [in Region 1], the region schedule might be easier to pull off. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.”
2-AAAAA (7)
Luella
M.L. King
Newton
Redan (playing up)
Shiloh (moved from 8-AAAAA)
South Gwinnett (moved from 8-AAAAA)
Stephenson (playing up)
Going down: Douglass, Greenbrier, Union Grove
Notes: Five of the eight current Region 2 schools have been dropped to AAAA, leaving Luella, M.L. King and Newton as the only legitimate AAAAA schools. We suspect Stephenson and Redan will play up and remain with M.L. King, their DeKalb County neighbor. We see Douglass, Greenbrier and Union Grove taking the plunge, although Union Grove might want to stay with fellow Henry County school Luella. Regardless, the big question is how to fill out this depleted region. There are two ways to do it: One is to merge what’s left of Region 2 with what’s left of Region 4, as both regions lost significant membership. That would form a catch-all southside metro Atlanta region that stretches 67 miles from Newnan to Covington. The alternative? Force some Gwinnett County schools to join. Those Gwinnett schools that border DeKalb (in order of the likelihood of joining Region 4) are South Gwinnett, Shiloh, Parkview, Meadowcreek and Norcross. It’s only 42 miles from Luella to South Gwinnett. Also don’t rule out Brookwood and Grayson, though neither borders DeKalb.
3-AAAAA (7)
Beach (playing up)
Bradwell Institute (playing up)
Groves (playing up)
Jenkins (playing up)
Johnson, Savannah (playing up)
Savannah (playing up)
Windsor Forest (playing up)
Moved: Camden County (to 1-AAAAA)
Notes: It’s expected that the seven Savannah-area schools will play up again, leaving this region intact except for the possible move of Camden County to Region 1. One source in Savannah told us that even Richmond Hill from Class AAA and Benedictine from AA are considering AAAAA. If that happens, the GHSA will have even more reason to put Camden County – which is isolated in the southeast corner of the state – in Region 1.
4-AAAAA (8)
Campbell (from 6-AAAAA)
East Coweta
Langston Hughes (new to AAAAA)
Marietta (from 5-AAAAA)
Newnan
Pebblebrook
South Cobb (from 5-AAAAA)
Westlake
Going down: Chapel Hill, Lovejoy, Morrow, Mundy’s Mill, Riverdale
Notes: Region 4 picked up Langston Hughes from South Fulton but lost four Clayton County schools, plus Chapel Hill, so it needs rebuilding. Unless this region merges with Region 2 (as discussed above), there’s no alternative but to draw from Cobb County schools. Note that Pebblebrook, a school in south Cobb, already competes in Region 2. South Cobb is the most eligible candidate. After that, we picked Marietta and Campbell, but McEachern and Hillgrove are suspects, too.
5-AAAAA (8)
Cherokee
Etowah
Harrison
Hillgrove (new to AAAAA)
Kennesaw Mountain
McEachern
North Cobb
Woodstock
Going down: East Paulding
Moved: Marietta, South Cobb (to 4-AAAAA)
Notes: Region 5 would love for the GHSA to let Hillgrove (promoted) replace East Paulding (demoted) and let that be that. But holes in regions 4 and 2 make this complicated. Southern Cobb County schools such as South Cobb, McEachern and Marietta are nervous that they will be moved to Region 4. Meanwhile, the Cherokee County schools (Cherokee, Etowah, Woodstock) might hope those Cobb schools remain in Region 5, freeing them up to play in a region with Forsyth County and North Fulton schools.
6-AAAAA (9)
Alpharetta
Centennial
Chattahoochee (playing up)
Lassiter
Milton
Northview
Roswell
Walton
Wheeler
Going down: Kell, Pope
Moved: Campbell (to 4-AAAAA)
Notes: Kell and Pope are now AAAA material, and they might be content to play in the smaller class because East Marietta neighbor Sprayberry already is there. But they also have strong rivalries with Walton and Lassiter in all sports and might choose to remain in AAAAA. Campbell, a Cobb school that’s the geographical odd ball in the current 6-AAAAA, could end up in Region 5 or even Region 4. Also pay attention to Chattahochee, a North Fulton team that was demoted to AAAA. The largest school not assigned to AAAAA, Chattahoochee has reason to play up and compete with most of the other North Fulton schools (Alpharetta, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Northview and Roswell).
7-AAAAA (9)
Collins Hill
Duluth
Mill Creek
Mountain View (new to AAAAA)
Norcross
North Forsyth
North Gwinnett
Peachtree Ridge
West Forsyth (new to AAAAA)
Going down: Chattahoochee, South Forsyth
Notes: This might be a simple trade of Chattahoochee and South Forsyth for Mountain View and West Forsyth. But if Region 8 loses a couple of southern Gwinnett teams, those most subject to moving from 7 to 8 are (in order) Norcross, Duluth, Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill and Mountain View. Meanwhile, North Forsyth and West Forsyth would prefer to play with North Fulton and Cherokee schools, so there could be a shift in that direction. Current region member Chattahoochee was dropped to AAAA but could play up, but we’re putting the ‘Hooch in 6-AAAAA for now.
8-AAAAA (8)
Archer (playing up)
Berkmar
Brookwood
Central Gwinnett
Dacula
Grayson
Meadowcreek
Parkview
Moved: Shiloh, South Gwinnett (to 2-AAAAA)
Notes: Archer, which opened this year in Gwinnett County, is the second-largest school assigned to AAAAA and might opt to play in this Gwinnett-dominated region rather than AAAA. Gwinnett would love to have two regions of nine Gwinnett schools each. Lanier High will open as Gwinnett’s 18th school next year and would project to go in Region 7. But the trouble is the void in Region 2 with DeKalb and Newton county schools. See Region 2 notes for that explanation. South Gwinnett and Shiloh are anxious. Also keep an eye on Stephenson and Redan. If those DeKalb schools choose to leave AAAAA, then Region 8 could simply absorb M.L. King, Luella and Newton but at the expense of sending a few of its current members over to 7-AAAAA, setting off a domino effect that could open the door for a Forsyth-Cherokee-North Fulton region.
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273 comments Add your comment
Todd Holcomb
November 23rd, 2009
8:34 pm
The GHSA does have a new isolation rule. I’ll be curious to see if there’s a case where it will be applied.
sav'h dawg
November 23rd, 2009
8:46 pm
Benedictine has realized that AA and AAA football is much better than the AAAAA football played in the Savannah region. BC moved to those regions thinking that they could win and move on in the playoffs. They found out that over the last few years that AAAAA teams in Savannah area are much easier competition, so they are headed back to that region.
city slicker
November 23rd, 2009
9:46 pm
I WAS LOOKIN HOW CALIFORNIA DOES IT THEY DIVIDE IN SECTIONS NOT IN CLASSES WAT IF WE DID THAT….INSTEAD OF A, AA, AAA, AAAA, AND AAAAA WE HAD SOUTH GA, WEST GA, MIDDLE GA, NORTH GA, METRO ATL AND ALL SECTION HAD 4 OR 8 REGIONS AND EACH SECTION HAD A CHAMPION JUST THINK HOW WOULD IT BE IN SOUTH GA TCC, VOLDOSTA, THOMASVILLE, BROOKS COUNTY, BAINBRIDGE, CARIO, WOULD ALL BE IN 1 REGION ALL LESS THEN 30 MILES APART WOW. ALL THE APS AND SOUTH FULTON SCHOOLS WOULD B IN THE SAME REGION DEKALB ONE REGION SAME WITH GWINETT AND COBB IT WOULD CUT DOWN ON TRAVEL COST AND EVERY GAME WOULD BE A RIVAL AND INSTEAD OF THE NUMBERING THE REGIONS LET GIVE THEM NAMES LIKE IN COLLEGE IMAGINE IF THEE SEC WAS CONFERENCE 1 AND THE ACC WAS CONFERENCE 3 ETC. THE VOLDOSTA LOWNDES REGION CAN B CALLED THE COTTON BELT REGION THA SAVVANAH CAMDEN CO WOULD BE THE COASTAL CONFERNCE THE ATL DEKALB CAN B CALLED THE URBAN REGION JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND EACH REGION SHOULD HAVE AN OFFICAL LOGO
city slicker
November 23rd, 2009
9:46 pm
O MY LAST POST WAS TO TODD
cchs_fan
November 23rd, 2009
10:01 pm
Here’s a region lineup that would be more competitive for camden and their all nearby schools.
It would also benefit region 1 by not having a quality football team not make the playoffs.
some schools would have to move up though.
camden 5a
coffee 5a
charleton 2a
ware co 4a
glynn 4a
brunswick 4a
we could leave charlton in 2a (so Buford won’t win the state every year), and put wayne co(4a) or just add them
wildcat fan
November 23rd, 2009
10:56 pm
Fact of it is those Savannah Schools care less about football, They play up to compete in Basketball, in region 1AAAAA and in Camden the school sport is football. Savannahs school sport is Basketball, In your schools sport would you not, want to play in the biggest classification. Say what what you want, about it not to many regions can win in FOOTBALL and BASKETBALL at a high level. Of course we have no state championships in basketball, but we do compete with them very well in Basketball, we have beaten them on more than one occassion.
M Corbitt ATL
November 23rd, 2009
11:46 pm
AA Benedictine to AAAAA? wow. Granted they did beat Windsor Forest and Savannah but they lost to the likes of Brantley Co, Mcintosh Co Acad., and Tattnall Co,…….. They’ll get flattened by Camden and in the playoffs.
It’s sad…..when the worst teams in 1-AAAAA can and do beat the best teams of 3-AAAAA that are not named Camden. You have to go back to 2003 to find a non-Camden region 3 team that beat a region 1 team and that was Wayne Co who is no longer in 3-AAAAA.
Was looking over the historians site. Bradwell Institute nor a Savannah school that currently makes up the nonCamden portion right now has beat one of the “”core”" 1-AAAAA teams since like 1984 or 1983. That was a lot of looking so I stuck with Brad. and current Sav schools and, when I say core region 1, I am talking about the teams that have been in Region 1 in the top classification constantly since the like 88-89. That would be Coffee, Colquitt, Lowndes, Tift, and Valdosta. Others have come and gone like Bainbridge, Ware, Americus-Sumter, Lee Co, HoCo, Northside, Warner Robins,
SGT CHRIS
November 24th, 2009
4:45 am
Actually Camden is a perfect fit for 1-AAAAA..all they have to do to cut travel, is get on I-10 west to 75 North, then they would be in the heart of 1-AAAAA country seeing how most of the schools branch off 75..just an observation
Sugar Hill Dawg
November 24th, 2009
8:53 am
I had no idea a topic such as this would draw so many posts! I taught in the Gwinnett County Public Schools for 34 years – coached several sports, so I’ve had a reson to stay abreast of the situation. My kids graduated from North Gwinnett – never have enjoyed having to make the ten mile drive to Chattahochee or Northview (usually takes one hour plus on a Friday) – I hope NGHS will be in an “All East Of The Chattahochee” region this time. (Feel kinda bad whining about the hassle of going to South Forsyth or North Forsyth, compared to the travel involved in regions 1 and 3.) Sounds like the solution to Camden County’s problem is to let them play Jacksonville area schools in the regular season (football only), then award them the # 1 seed in region 3 of the GHSA playoffs, since it sounds like their JV team would be the # 2 seed every year if they were allowed to play a region schedule! We’re looking forward to welcoming our Coastal Buddies to Suwanee Friday night! (Sure am glad they have to make that trip rather than the other way around!)
Jamie
November 24th, 2009
9:51 am
Todd, when looking at AAA regions, please remember that Woodward’s “service region,” as defined by the GHSA, is Fulton Co.; as well, 300+ parents have asked the school’s administration to support the GHSA, should it move Woodward to a metro Atlanta region. Those parents want to ensure the excessive travel required in the present 4-AAA — 90 miles to Rutland or 80 to Mary Persons, anyone? — isn’t repeated in a new region. That sort of travel may be required for a school that’s geographically isolated, like Camden Co., but anything over 15-20 miles is silly if your school sits inside the perimeter. (Not only is it silly, but it’s at odds with the first factor the GHSA uses to create regions.) Thanks.
Ryan
November 24th, 2009
10:36 am
South Gwinnett and Shiloh will NEVER leave region 8 and move to play Dekalb County schools. Talk about losing all tradition. Who exactly comes up with this garbage??
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
10:48 am
Bryan,
Benedictine in Region 3-AAAAA : Benedictine would beat the Savannah Schools but nothing outside of Savannah. That is what I am saying.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
10:57 am
M Corbitt ATL,
Great Job might I add. I cant see Benedictine being competitive outside of Savannah. But saying Benedictine jumping from Class AA to Class AAAAA with only 630 students in the whole school? Heck, when I was at Bradwell Institute, we had graduating classes close to Benedictine’s entire school enrollment. Benedictine could compete with the Windsor Forest, the Jenkins, J9ohnson, Beach, etc. But outside of Savannah, would be the exact same thing as a result of them playing in Class AA.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
11:02 am
I will tell you this: If Camden County moves to Region 1-AAAAA, then it will Bradwell Institute, and Bradwell Institute only that will assume the winning of Region Titles as Camden has done for this past 10 years. The last time Bradwell Institute had beaten Camden County was about 10 years ago. Since then, it was no one other than Camden County. With the competition being so easy, and the strength of schedule being so low, I’m afraid that Bradwell Institute will become complacent, and then be nothing more than a one and done team with Region Title after Region Titles From Region 3-AAAAA.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
11:09 am
M Corbitt ATL,
The last time Bradwell Institute had beaten a Region 1 team was 89 when Bradwell Institute beat a Nick Hyder’s Valdosta Wildcats Football Team.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
11:12 am
M Corbitt ATL,
In 1996 Bradwell Institute beat Warner Robins, but I don’t know whether or not Warner Robins was in Region 1 at the time.
Bryan
November 24th, 2009
11:15 am
Sportsfan – yea for the most BC has a lot of difficulty outside of 3-AAAAA, but has had state championships before and the occasional playoff football run. But as I’ve said, the tradeoff is worth it. Do you disagree? And I’m fairly certain BC had over a .500 record against Camden and Bradwell before they dropped down classifications.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
11:40 am
Bryan,
Maybe the trade off will be worth it for Benedictine, but it says nothing for Camden County and Bradwell Institute. Already they criticize Camden County for winning against teams that are very weak in football competition out of Savannah. Now we have Benedictine with a 630 student enrollment. If Camden County, and Bradwell Institute beat Benedictine (Of Course They Will) it mean nothing for both schools. Benedictine over the years has pretty much dominated the Savannah Schools but outside of Savannah, they are only average on occasion in winning outside of Savannah.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
11:44 am
M Corbitt ATL
That does not say much when the worst teams in 1-AAAAA can beat the best teams in 3-AAAAA. Region 1-AAAAA (called little SEC) is by far the toughest and the strongest region in the State. The worst team in Region 1-AAAAA can beat some of the best teams in any Region in the State.
grayram
November 24th, 2009
11:58 am
Sportsfan
Didn’t someone post earlier that Benedictine 630 students are all male?
How many Male students are at Bradwell?
Also isn’t Houston County in 1AAAAA ? Thet surely could not not beat the best team in any region or the 2nd best or 3rd best.
Neither could Cofee or Tift or Warner Robins.
1AAAAA has good teams at the top and weak teams also just like any other region.
Exception being 3AAAAA where other than 1 team no others would make the playoffs anywhere else.
Bryan
November 24th, 2009
12:09 pm
There are actually only 315 males at BC. You multiply by 2 to get 630. It may not mean anything of any consequence to Camden for BC to move back to 3-AAAAA, but it’s wrong to say it hurts Camden or Bradwell. How could it? BC will now be one of the top SAV football teams in that region and the last SAV team to beat Camden. Also, I can’t think of a single sport other than football that Camden or Bradwell will “dominate” BC in. As I said earlier, before the move out of AAAAA, BC regularly posted a winning record against both schools in numerous sports.
grayram
November 24th, 2009
12:32 pm
Paul Cook
November 23rd, 2009
3:35 pm
Benedictine’s enrollment is all boys so it is factored to get an equivalent enrollment. Benedictine competed with the Savannah schools for years and only changed regions a few years ago. They have had mediocre results at the lower level and have had to travel quite a bit more. the move back to AAAAA probably makes sense even if Camden stays in the region.
so are there only 315 in the whole school??
Jim
November 24th, 2009
12:38 pm
Only 315 males in the whole school. Used to be considered the best team hands down in SAV. Might not be the case anymore.
Old Cat
November 24th, 2009
12:40 pm
I can not beleive so many folks worried about what Region Camden plays in. Year in year out we beat most people we play, so who cares about what Region, it is not about competition it’s about travel for all sports except football. If we could not compete you think The AJC would be asking this question? It could be that the folks in Atlanta see the hand writting on the wall. Camden could win The AAAAA State Championship this year and if they do, you got to know with so many underclassmen playing it will be a while before any Metro teams take the crown. By the way the other sports and academic teams at Camden can compete with any school in Georgia, so put us in any Region, line em up and GO CATS GO !!!!
Marty
November 24th, 2009
12:43 pm
here’s what yall are missing. except for basketball, camden runs circles around every other competition in this region. why not give the other school’s a chance to compete for something other than second place?
Pat
November 24th, 2009
12:57 pm
Marty –
I can only speak for what BC did in the four years prior to dropping out of AAAAA, but during that time they had an overall winning record against Camden when looking at sports competition as whole. So you won’t be running circles around the competition any longer…
crash001
November 24th, 2009
12:59 pm
City Slicker – unless there has been some rezoning Stephenson has over 2,000 students and if SWD Deklab will opt to play up it would be great. Have anyone heard that Stephenson coach will be reassign?
Todd – Camden County travels to Hoover Alabama, SC and Atlanta every year not for sure what is the complaint about traveling 121 miles other than tougher competition. The other question is why would Northside even consider moving back to 4-A?
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:00 pm
grayram,
I was the person that posted it. What does all males has to do with it? You all are missing the point. All males or all females or males and females. 630 is 630. That is the point that I am trying to make.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:02 pm
grayram,
I stand by my statement: Region 1-AAAAA (called little SEC) is by far the toughest and the strongest region in the State. The worst team in Region 1-AAAAA can beat some of the best teams in any Region in the State.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:06 pm
Bryan States:
There are actually only 315 males at BC. You multiply by 2 to get 630. It may not mean anything of any consequence to Camden for BC to move back to 3-AAAAA, but it’s wrong to say it hurts Camden or Bradwell. How could it?
I explained it in my earlier comment.
“Already they criticize Camden County for winning against teams that are very weak in football competition out of Savannah. Now we have Benedictine with a 630 student enrollment. If Camden County, and Bradwell Institute beat Benedictine (Of Course They Will) it mean nothing for both schools. Benedictine over the years has pretty much dominated the Savannah Schools but outside of Savannah, they are only average on occasion in winning outside of Savannah.”
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:07 pm
Bryan States:
I can’t think of a single sport other than football that Camden or Bradwell will “dominate” BC in
Brayan,
Try Football For starters.
Bryan
November 24th, 2009
1:11 pm
Sportsfan. Your logic is irrefutable. Except that I said “other than football”.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:11 pm
Marty
That is not accurate. Camden County does not run circles in every other sport in this region.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:13 pm
Bryan,
I understand….
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:13 pm
Bryan,
Do you think that BC would beat the Savannah in Basketball? How about track?
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:15 pm
Bryan, How about outside the Region. Will BC beat the Schools hands down in other sports outside Of Savannah? ie Track, Basketball etc?
Bryan
November 24th, 2009
1:16 pm
Sportsfan – I see what you’re saying. CC is hurt by adding another team that can’t really compete outside of its region because people say, “CC plays in a region of teams that can’t compete at the state level”. I get it. I think it’s a stupid thing for people to say about CC. It doesn’t diminish how good CC is. They still take care of their business in the playoffs and we root for them. On a whole, BC will make the competitive nature of the region go up.
grayram
November 24th, 2009
1:18 pm
SportsFan31313
The point is if we are talking about high school football and comparing a school with 600 students to a Bradwell or similar school with 1800 its a different comaprison if 1/2 of the 1800 are girls.
As far as your other statement the first half ok 1AAAAA is a tough region, considered by many the toughest.
The second part i would still theres no way the worst teams in reg 1 which this season was Houston, Coffee, and Tift could beat any playoff team from another region with the exception of Bradwell, Windsor, and Jenkins from reg 3.
Which one of the “best teams” from reg 7 or 8 do you think would lose to Houston co?
Bryan
November 24th, 2009
1:19 pm
Sportsfan. BC, in general, will not be very competitive on the state playoffs in AAAAA. There are definitely exceptions. BC would rather be at AAAA, but it’s going to do what the SAV public schools do. All the SAV public schools could play AAAA, and all but one could play AAA. They don’t. Don’t ask me to explain why.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:23 pm
grayram,
I believe that a Tift County Football Team or a Coffee County team could beat a North Gwinette, or a South Gwinette. How about that for starters.
NHS#1
November 24th, 2009
1:24 pm
If the GHSA would put the Houston County schools in region 2 they would play up. No one want to make those long trips down to South Georgia aka the boonies.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:25 pm
Bryan,
I understand why, it has to do everything with travel expenditures. ie Fuel, Food, etc. I just don’t agree with such a high jump. With the student enrollment they have.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:27 pm
NHS#1
Thats not nice…. If it wasn’t for Robins Air Force Base which is responsible for a lot of growth and development, Warner would very well be the boonies too.
Bryan
November 24th, 2009
1:30 pm
From the numbers perspective it’s a shocking jump. But you have to understand, up until 2004, BC had spent their entire history in the highest GHSA classification. They won’t be out of their league in the region, in fact they’ll do quite well from an overall sports perspective. Shame on the SAV public school system for not moving ALL the schools down to AAAA and playing each other. Not really any travel issues there. SAV B-ball schools could do some amazing things in AAA or AAAA even.
Brian
November 24th, 2009
1:40 pm
First of all the old Savanah area AAAA region included Statesboro, Effingham and Brunswick. BC has always stayed with the Savannah schools and have competed well over the years. After the realignment a few years back the rural county schools dropped to AAA when 5(A) was created. Everyone is building new schools and enrollment is being cut. Efingham used to have one highschool now they have two. Savannah High’s enrollment used to be high as well. They built a new school, that cut enrollment drastically. Savannah football used to compete well in Region 3, it was not until 1996 that Camden placed the Region in a choke hold. For Basketball, Savannah sends just about every school to the playoffs and one usually finishes no worse than three in the state. Fact is football is down, for several reasons in the area. But I agree, you put Lowndes, Valdosta and Camden in the same region and you are sure to have an Metro-Atlanta area contender for the state crown every year. It’s bad enough you make a team from the southern region square off against each other before making it deep in the playoffs. Logical solution is to bring BC back to AAAAA leave Camden in Region 3 and nmove on. What happens when the Savannah schools begin to revive there football programs, realign again. The criteria for clasification is not smart, logically the metro teams with higher population will remain in AAAAA, while rural areas with one very large school will follow suite. What about the schools which can and should compete at the highest level? They shouldn’t be disqaulified due to enrollment. Camden has eough competition within the existing region and its non-region schedule. It is not about putting on a show. If the schools in the region can’t cut muster they should get better.
grayram
November 24th, 2009
1:44 pm
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:23 pm
grayram,
I believe that a Tift County Football Team or a Coffee County team could beat a North Gwinette, or a South Gwinette. How about that for starters.
The North Gwinnett or South Gwinnett team from what year? Surely not this year.
The North Gwinnett that is undefeated and just shut out a strong woodstock team and their former region 1 coach 24-0?
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:44 pm
Bryan,
I agree with you.
Savannah Schools will kick butt in any Classification.
grayram
November 24th, 2009
1:47 pm
Brian
You already have a metro atl contender for the state crown every year.
Since AAAAA was created in 2000 there has only been 1 year where a Gwinnett team wasn’t in the final.
SportsFan31313
November 24th, 2009
1:48 pm
grayram,
Well we will never know. They haven’t played each other this year. But if they had, I believe that they could have. But lets look at this year. Your North Gwinette will not beat South Georgia Camden County.
Brian
November 24th, 2009
1:49 pm
Who says enrollment and size equals wins?? This is the old argument from years gone by. Big Metro school comes to country and gets whipped. Size does not matter..I think the classification should be based upon competition. Can you compete at your current level? Not can you compete against the best team in the region. .If you know your school can’t compete with every other school in your region you should be in a lower classification. That is not the case in Savannah. Camden is just better than the other schools in Football..If you look at it the way you guys do, Camden shouldn’t be in AAAAA for basketball purposes. Savannah schoold dominate that sport.