Free-For-All Forum: Georgia high school football quarterfinals playoff scores, updates, photos and chat – LIVE!
The AJC's Michael Carvell
It’s the quarterfinals of HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS. AJC high schools beat writer Michael Carvell is off this week but when he returns, he’ll try to blog live and take your questions about high school football and related topics.
We are here to talk football, football and more football. Going to a game? Take the cellphone or PDA and let us know what’s going on at YOUR game. Got a score update, see a killer play? Keep it clean, and POST IT HERE.
GHSA BRACKETS: AAAAA | AAAA | AAA | AA | A
Here are the quarterfinals playoff games you can find stories and photos from later tonight on ajc.com…
Newnan vs. Grayson
Camden Co. vs. North Gwinnett
Peach Co. vs. St. Pius X
Clinch Co. vs. Holy Innocents’
Don’t forget to check out these quarterfinals gamers…
Colquitt Co. vs. Lassiter
Peachtree Ridge vs. Northside-Warner Robins
Don’t forget to check out our roundups from around the metro area. Here’s what you’ll find…
Rockdale at Westside-Macon
Griffin at Apalachee
North Clayton at Clarke Central
Flowery Branch at Carver-Columbus
Cook at Buford
Wilcox at Wesleyan
Eastside at Jackson
Cairo at Gainesville
Sandy Creek at Thomasville
GHSA BRACKETS: AAAAA | AAAA | AAA | AA | A
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1,201 comments Add your comment
Haiku-575
November 27th, 2009
9:15 am
WARNING TO THE CHEE:
MIGHTY GRIFFIN BEAR EXPRESS
ROLLS IN THERE TONIGHT!!!
BulldawgGirl
November 27th, 2009
9:15 am
Camden posters,
NG will be ready. The team doesn’t need you to tell them what to expect, that’s why they prepare.
I really hope NG pulls out this hard fought game to shut up everyone who hasn’t seen NG play and considers them “soft” or discredits their work by saying they aren’t fast, haven’t played stiff competition, etc. NG is just as qualified to be here in the playoffs as Camden–please spare us all anymore of the North GA vs South GA football B.S.!! it doesn’t mean squat at this point. South GA teams can play AND so can North GA teams!
That being said, I’m looking forward to a close and intense game Friday night. And you Camden fans enjoy your trip to Suwanee- it’s not nearly the congested urban area or traffic nightmare you south Georgians stereotype metro Atlanta or north Georgia to be.
GO NORTH GWINNETT!
Bear_Backer
November 27th, 2009
9:26 am
Region 6AAAA Fan : we recounted…you still lost.
Griffin’s vaunted AIR-BEAR express makes a visit to the Chee tonight. I’m looking forward to being there and seeing our Mighty Bears and fans. Best thing I’ve read on these lame blogs lately is from GRIFFIN GUY: “Time to Shut up and Play.” and of course that Haiku-575 person always chimes in with some appropriate witticisms. GO BEARS!!
GHS#22
November 27th, 2009
9:27 am
I can’t wait until the games tonight……..
all the games will be fun, hope all the kids play hard and remain injury free.
it’s going to be cold so I hope the fans still come out!
Grayson 10-7 over Newnan
NG 21-10 over Camden
NSWR 28-17 over Ridge
Colguitt Co 28 – 21 over Lassiter
GHS#22
November 27th, 2009
9:30 am
Justing thinking………….. MAN if Gwinnett was a County School!!!!
The Truth
November 27th, 2009
9:38 am
Quinn: Yes it was by far the most obvious pass interference call I have ever seen. By the way NG’s Defense is one of fastest defenses Ive seen in a while. They close to the ball extremely well. That is why no one runs outside on them including Peachtree Ridge. The year after Lowndes beat NG so bad in the state championship game the coaches immediately ,in that next Spring, started practicing for the Wing T. So they will be ready for the Wing T.
AA Region 6 Fan
November 27th, 2009
9:48 am
Davis Mann, The only one of all those athletes I saw compete was Chalonda as a junior at the State Championship Meet. She is the USA’s Usain Bolt! She is AMAZING and UT(Texas) pulled out a major victory when they got her. We Auburn fans were heartbroken hoping she would choose to stay near home and run in front of all her family and friends. For true HS football fans, the disappointment at this time of the year is “So many games, so little time”. May the refs have no favorites, may the fans cheer loudly and often, may the coaches have a plan B when plan A isn’t working, may the players leave it all on the field except for their memories, and may the best teams win!!!
grayram
November 27th, 2009
9:52 am
Brickwall:
If you are an assistant coach i hope you don’t tell your players before a game that they have it won because they beat another team that happened to beat the team you are about to play. You will not be a head coach anytime soon if you believe that it works that way. Good luck tonight!
Bart Sibrel (ENR)
Grayson opened in 2000 the same year as class AAAAA
Northside has played for the title once and lost (to a Gwinnett team)
So Grayson has the same number of AAAAA titles as NSWR
There are two teams in South GA. Lowndes and Camden.
If you want to count the lower division games Northside plays then you can count Buford and there would still be a Gwinnett team with more championships this decade.
Matt
November 27th, 2009
9:59 am
Northside 31, Peachtree Ridge 14
Lassiter 56, Colquitt Co 35
North Gwinnett 24, Camden Co 21
Newnan 31, Grayson 24
NG Dad
November 27th, 2009
10:11 am
Quinn– You seem to want to make excuses for every game you guys have lost. The North/PTR game was won by North 21-7. You say it should have been 27-14 PTR. That is the same thing as me saying that without the 5 turnovers North committed, North would have won 42-7. The reality is North won. Quit making excuses and get ready to beat NSWR. I really am pulling for PTR. You guys have a very good team and would love to get the opportunity to play again this season.
Matt
November 27th, 2009
10:15 am
Colquitt fans,
Your reference to the pre-season scrimmage is irrelevent. First off, the game was not even completed due to lightning. Secondly, both teams have come a long way since then. Lassiter struggled to win its first 3 games, but after that they have put up atleast 42 points per game. Im sure that Colquitt Co has progressed and grown together more throughout the season. Both teams are better than they were in the scrimmage, who has improved more??? I do not really know. But I do know that Lassiter has outscored its opponents 515-256, they practically double their opponents score, and that is pretty impressive. And Lassiter’s avergage margin of victory is 19.25 points per game. So unless Colquitt Co plans on putting 50 or so points it wont be close. You can say your D will stop us, but everybody said that South Gwinnett’s D would match up well with us, but as you can see that prediction didn’t come true because we put 70 points up on them and our starters didn’t even play the 4th quarter. Not trying to take away from yall’s win, but if you look at the Stephenson stats, they rocked yall’s defense, they just turned the ball over alot. So yall will have to win a shootout in order to advance to the semifinals. Anyways, it should be a good, exciting, offensive, and competitive game. I look forward to seeing everyone out there supporting their teams, and GO TROJANS!
Chee Fan
November 27th, 2009
10:21 am
Chee’s “O” line is very strong you don’t win state weightlifting championships for nothing! They will do what they did to Marist wear you down in the middle and run to the outside. It’s going to be a good game to the finish. Go Chee!
Christy
November 27th, 2009
10:25 am
WE ARE……….THE CHEE! What a beautiful day for some good ole high school football! We at the Chee welcome all you Bear Fans. I am sure that we will have a great game tonight. Let’s pack out the stands and cheer our team to a win! The Chee has such awesome talent, players and coaches alike. Coach Shane has a HUGE heart, he is passionate about his team! Turkey on Thursday and Bear on Friday! Let’s roll Apalachee WildCats!
Matt
November 27th, 2009
10:26 am
Brickwall,
Don’t you know that Lassiter’s coach was the offensive coordinator for Hoover and Propst. So you can’t say that Lassiter’s coach hasn’t been there on a national scene.
Stophating
November 27th, 2009
10:28 am
colquit fans are putting a lot of faith on a scrimmage that lasted 1 series over 3 qts. With that said as far as I remember colquit only scored 1 offensive TD. I cant wait till the game starts so Lassiter can continue killing the haters. They wont beat Walton, or Roswell who barely lost to Grayson, or South Gwinnett who barely lost to Grayson! We have heard that before. If Lassiter comes to play early we win mark that down.
Bear_Backer
November 27th, 2009
10:29 am
Hi Chee Fan! I’m looking forward to visiting your place…and seeing your “Cardiac Cats” take us on. Hope I can find that place ok..thank goodness for google!
cane fan
November 27th, 2009
10:34 am
Fitzgerald class 1AA hurricane is just starting to churn, callaway is just like swainsboro and fitz will redeem itself on your qb, I am sure fitz will dominate callaway and our “O” will come out clicking,I saw where charlton in moving down to A, I see good things happening for them in the future, I would like to see them in the finals.
Christy
November 27th, 2009
10:35 am
Bear Backer,
Which direction will you be coming from….maybe I can give you some pointers, google sometimes makes you go funny ways.
Bear_Backer
November 27th, 2009
10:39 am
Hey Christy, yes I concur, I figured i’d get on 316 (university pkwy) off 85 after that wind my way patrick mill, tom miller and then onto heymon…..im leaving early so…??
BulldawgBite
November 27th, 2009
10:45 am
brickwall, NG lost to lowndes 2 years ago? how does that affect this season in any way? quinn your team lost and there is no excuse for that. NG dad has a point about our turnovers. my point is that every game could have a million alternate endings. dont focus on the past and go out there and get after northside.
Christy
November 27th, 2009
10:48 am
Hey Bear Backer – 316 to Patrick Mill, take a right, make first left on to Tom Miller, when you get to stop sign take a left, you will see the stadium lights. There will be free parking at the Elem, middle schools that are right next to the Chee. The only parking that we charge for is at the back of the school right near the field. Come early, bring your tailgating goodies and let the fun begin! We Are The Chee!
LHS
November 27th, 2009
10:52 am
Offenses win championships…Defenses only give you a chance. The team with the most points wins…1999 St Louis Rams, 1980 Oakland raiders, they go on and on. Lassiter by 14!
Bear_Backer
November 27th, 2009
10:53 am
Thanks Christy…I will most likely just park and tailgate some at the pay lot to allow my dear Mom easier access….stop by for a visit and say hi if you can…ill have a “Bear_Backer” sign made up and hoisted! We Are—-THEY MIGHTY BEARS!
Russell
November 27th, 2009
10:57 am
Calhoun vs Jefferson County tonight…Go Jackets…we knew this game wouldn’t be part of the AJC’s coverage…Maybe at the Dome the writers will take notice of the number one team in AA…
Georgia Football
November 27th, 2009
10:59 am
Lassiter just scored
Grey Lion
November 27th, 2009
11:03 am
The St. Pius/Peach Co. matchup tonight will be a great game that features opposing styles of play.
Both teams have outstanding defenses, but they are very different on the offensive side of the ball. Pius runs the Wing-T option with discipline, and eats the clock with ball control. In the 2nd half against North Hall last week, they held the the ball for over 17 minutes and could have put 7 more on the board but opted for the knee.
Peach County has a good running game for balance, but their forte is throwing the ball ALL OVER the yard. They will present matchup problems for Pius’s secondary. Their receivers are fast, and break big plays with alot of yards after the catch. If they are on their game, Peach can score quickly, and often.
If you are coming up I-75 from Peach County be sure to hit the concession stand for some hot Gumbo and BBQ, it will be just the thing to warm you up on a cold Friday Quarterfinal night.
Good luck and may the best team win!
BulldawgBite
November 27th, 2009
11:08 am
LHS i think you have to have both to win. if lassiters offense struggles one night then the defense wont be able to pick up the slack. look at mceachern they looked great too. im not saying that you cant keep winning im just saying that the offense has to click every game here on out
BulldawgBite
November 27th, 2009
11:11 am
LHS, look at our most recent prolific offense the new england patriots lost to a well balenced giants team
oldschooldog
November 27th, 2009
11:21 am
The high school beat writer is off the week of the quarters?
eagleforlife
November 27th, 2009
11:26 am
I try not to get involved in the south vs north debate, but u Lassiter people are annoying as he**! Shut up, I cannot wait for Colquitt to beat u! Who is a Lassiter?? U Atlanta fans live in a fantasy world!!
LHS
November 27th, 2009
11:34 am
Safe travel to all players, coaches, and fans. Tonight should be fun!
ghsclassof2012
November 27th, 2009
11:49 am
brick, there is a reason warner robins struggled against grayson. BEST DEFENSE THEY PLAYED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fear the Veer
November 27th, 2009
11:55 am
HSFootball lover,
Ask Westside-Macon if TCC has any speed and see what they say. They were #2 in the state until they came down South to T’ville, and guess what? We beat them with greater speed. I sure hope the SC coach is telling the players that TCC doesn’t have good speed.
In addition, have any of the SC players ever played against a Veer team? It’s an offense many in Ga haven’t ever seen, and nobody in Ga runs it better than TCC.
Black is Back
November 27th, 2009
11:57 am
Had to do the BLACK FRI Duty…. GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE SOUTH TEAMS!!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!! CAN’T WAIT FOR KICK OFF, IT IS GOING TO BE ROCKIN’ IN THE SWAMP TONIGHT!!!!! GO INDIANS !!!! GOOD LUCK CAMDEN, CLINCH, AND FITZGERALD,ECT…!!!!!!
Callitlikeitis
November 27th, 2009
12:08 pm
Grayram, I played H.S. football in middle Georgia so I know about the big rivarly between Northside WR and Warner Robins. It is obivious that you are not very familar with it. During rivarly games, both teams step it up no matter what their records are because it is for pride. In other words, you can not judge Northside WR’s overall season performance based on that one game alone. Northside has a very long tradition of outstanding football unlike Grayson who has just began. Talk to me in about 20 years and let us see if Grayson has established a great football tradition.
AA Region 6 Fan
November 27th, 2009
12:14 pm
Russell, You’re right; the ajc writers will definitely notice the @1 AA team after the dome game. I don’t expect it to be Calhoun, even though you have another great team, as always, but it could be. To do that, you have to beat Jefferson County which no one in NGA knows anything about, but they must be good. Then, if you get by JC, you have to play either Charlton County, which always has a few surprises for the playoffs and a ton of speed which is not common in Region 7, or Lovett, which “ain’t just a bunch of sissy rich kids” as I’m sure the Chatooga County and East Jackson coaches have already told your coach. The winner from your side has to play Buford, or whoever is man enough to beat them. By the way, how many schools in your region have chosen to move up to AAA just to avoid playing Calhoun in every sport? If you really want bragging rights, tell the GHSA Calhoun wants to move to Region 6. We went from 12 teams to 8 so we have plenty of room, and Calhoun’s consistently great football and baseball teams would be a better fit for Region 6 than 7. For all the remaining #1 seeds, who romped through your region opponents, and their enthusiasic fan bases, Round Three is when the rubber starts meeting the road, and when teams start bragging about being Region Champs and writing their letters to Santa. For all of us fans who just love great HS football no matter who is playing, now is when the fun begins. Like USC and Ohio State, and UGA last year, have learned, being ranked #1 during the season is meaningless.
Reeze
November 27th, 2009
12:30 pm
I was Kind of wondering why you lassiter folks were having a hard time digesting that Colquitt’s defense might give you a little trouble tonight ……Looking at region 6’s stats ,I understand now……..Lassiter sports a 23.0 PAPG and the rest of the region anywhere between a 17 – 37 PAPG . It’s no wonder why the Mason kid can throw 50 plus TD’s in a season. The entire region has no defense……Here’s something to chew on ,Lowndes, 30 , 40 ,50 points against their opponents. Lowndes against Camden and Northside ?….. 7 points in each contest …DEFENSE!…….Stephenson , 20 ,30 ,40 , points vs opponents…….Against Colquitt 21 , tight contest , but Stephenson’s home enjoying the holidays……My question , how deep can a team expect to go in the playoffs with a 23.0 PAPG ?……..Something has to give tonight , The Pack’s defense is no Joke ,neither is the Offense……You Lassiter folks here are the real playoff teams PAPG’s….. Newnan 6.0 , Grayson 8.0 , Camden , NG , Pridge 9.0 , Northside , Colquitt 11.0…..Good luck tonight all !
Jefferson
November 27th, 2009
12:33 pm
6AA fan, Calhoun is wanting the rematch bad, do your part & we’ll do ours. I don’t care who we play, the road to the dome is in sight and mind. Cook is out of their league, looks like Buford’s loss this year was a blessing in disguise. 1aa makes some noise, but never makes it to the finials. I don’t think Charleton is there yet this year and doubt Lovett can get that high 2 weeks in a row.
Rematch, and this time leave the chop blocks at home.
EagleNationRising
November 27th, 2009
12:38 pm
GrayRam: Grayson has had ample opportunity to have signature wins. Peachtree Ridge just opened and they already have a State Championship trophy at their school. Don’t make excuse, just get your mind around Newnan coming to town.
The weather is clear and the energy is high in Warner Robins. The Big Blue is going to roll, as the Big Blue always does at McConnell-Talbert.
GrayRam, stop your shameless cheerleading for Peachtree Ridge. Everyone on this board knows that you are simply afraid to play Northside.
Suwanee 0wnz
November 27th, 2009
12:39 pm
Perhaps somebody will know. Isn’t it true that recently Newnan went into the MAC and beat the tar out of NSWR? Wasn’t that since 1996? Seems to me that vaunted “MAC Streak” doesn’t apply to the playoffs.
There is almost no chance NSWR puts up more than 21 points in this game. This season NSWR only scored over 21 points in about half their games, and only against weaker teams. Against teams with real defenses, they just cannot score that many points. I think that leaves this game wide open for a win by P Ridge.
I also had the impression there are a lot of people in GA who felt Lowndes was the best team out of 1AAAAA despite the fact that NSWR eeked out a win over them. I did not see the game, but I vaguely recall that Lowndes had some missed oppotunities with field goals?
I couldn’t care less about this North v South thing. It is an artificial construct in the minds of some posters. We are all Georgians. But I would be pleased to help ENR move on to his enjoyment of basketball a little sooner. It is a shame his “rebuilding”, and “young” football team keeps distracting him.
And Quinn, that was a pretty clear interference penalty that was not called. I suspect the reason it was not called is that both the receiver and defender had turned to look at the ball when the defender yanked down the receiver by his shoulder pads. Perhaps you have seen the women’s soccer play where a defender yanked down a player by the pontytail? It was about that blatant, but the official was screened from view and did not see it or call it. So it turned out to be great defense of an otherwise sure touchdown.
Go Lions!
grayram
November 27th, 2009
12:41 pm
good story in a local paper about Grayson’s Joseph Champaign.
“So when he broke his hand in the 2008 season opener against McEachern, he had it taped up and returned to the game. He continued to wrap it each week through a season-ending loss to Peachtree Ridge in the Class AAAAA semifinals.In that playoff game, he got a finger from his opposite hand stuck in a Lion facemask and endured a nasty break. But he taped that one up, too, and finished the game.
Each hand was casted up after the season following surgery to put a screw in his wrist and a pin in his finger. Those are some of the battle scars that are expected, given the Grayson senior’s intensity.
He’s a straight A student and in the weight room, he’s worked his way into being a big, physical player. His work ethic in the weight room is amazing. And he just plays with reckless abandon. He just plays so hard every play.
Chasing down a play against rival Brookwood on Oct. 9, Champaign was hit with a crack-back block by a Bronco lineman. His cleat stuck in the ground and wrenched his knee. Though he returned for a few more plays, this one wasn’t a tape-it-up injury. He had torn his ACL.
However, the 6-foot-1, 245-pounder didn’t let it sideline him for long. Rehabbing with teammate Nick Benzor (also recovering from an ACL tear), he returned for the end of the regular season. Though he’s limited to mainly fullback duties and fitted in a knee brace, he still is expected to be an impact player Friday when top-ranked Grayson hosts Newnan in the AAAAA quarterfinals.
grayram
November 27th, 2009
12:46 pm
Callitlikeitis
I took a look at your 20 years and Nortside is a very impressive AAAA team.
Every team has rivalries, it doesn’t mean you don’t count the losses.
EagleNationRising
November 27th, 2009
12:49 pm
Ironically, the Peachtree Ridge cheerleaders are wearing Green and Gold.
It is absolutely hilarious that so many Grayson Rams are putting so much support for a team that Grayson rarely sees. It is not as though, Grayson and Peachtree Ridge are even region rivals.
At the end of this day, shameless bandwagon Lion backers wearing Green and Gold will join the top Peachtree Ridge cheerleader in this state, Todd Holcomb. Then, Todd along with the PRidge “bangwagoners” will join one another in a classic “excuse thread” that we have not seen since Lowndes County was ranked third in the nation.
The truth of the matter is this weekend became basketball season at Peachtree Ridge as soon as the GHSA reconfigured the state playoff brackets to avoid Northside, Lowndes County, and Camden County all having an opportunity to reach the semifinals. Ironcially, four teams remain in spite of the pro-metro Atlanta brackets. The Gwinnett County football hype comes to an end.
Our young Eagles at Northside will do our part, Middle and South Georgia. I guarantee it!
I fully expect the same from the Wildcats of Camden County and the Packers of Colquitt County.
grayram
November 27th, 2009
12:51 pm
Bart Sibrel”ENR”
I would much rather be facing Northside tonight than Newnan.
I guess Grayson will have to settle for 3-0 vs reg 1AAAAA for signature wins for now.
sanborn121
November 27th, 2009
12:55 pm
Let’s go Syrupmakers!!! So much for a rebuilding year for our Cairo team. They’ve shown themselves well. They had to play against the Braves and the officials to beat Baldwin last week. Let’s see how many “homer” officials Gainesville has.
grayram
November 27th, 2009
12:55 pm
Bart
You seem to be quite the expert on Ptree Ridge and i’m willing to bet i see them a little more than you do.
sanborn121
November 27th, 2009
12:56 pm
Let’s go Syrupmakers!
EagleNationRising
November 27th, 2009
12:58 pm
SuwaneeOwns: Newnan vioilated our Eagles in the playoffs about six years ago. The score was 24-0. It was against an undefeated Northside team.
Notice how Eagles do not make excuses for our losses. We take them, get back on the horse and start working towards our goals, which are more State Championships. Unlike Peachtree Ridge supporters who blamed the distance of the trip and then crowned Lowndes County as the greatest team ever, Northside took a look in the mirror and got focused. The following four seasons, Northside reached 3 State Championship (won two State Championships) games and had a record of 54-3.
We have had our look in the mirror moment against our cross-town rivals. We led 20-0 in the 4th quarter. Our young Eagles were all smiles on the sidelines and we believed that we were going to cruise to, yet another, undefeated regular season. Reality set it. All the fears of Eagle fans who saw this youthful excuberance for weeks, came to reality as Warner Robins put up 21 points in 10 minutes.
That, my friend, was our mirror moment. Peachtree Ridge believes that North Gwinnett or Lowndes County was the Lions moment. Tonight, Peachtree Ridge will get a taste of this state’s mirror that provides the most clarity…that is a game at McConnell-Talbert.
To answer your question, Newnan beat us badly. That was then. Tonight at McConnell-Talbert against a hapless Peachtree Ridge team is the now. Over that past 5 seasons, Northside has either won the State Championship or lost to the eventual State Champion. Peachtree Ridge, my friend, is not an eventual state champion!
Are you coming down to the War Town, Suwanee Owns?
AA Region 6 Fan
November 27th, 2009
1:01 pm
Jefferson, Well said. The best thing about the finals in the dome, is that tens of thousands of fans, most impartial, will be watching the game and the refs, so there should be no homecooking by refs who let critical things slide for some teams in front of a loud home crowd. No interest in coming over to Region 6? And for all you Lassiter/Colquitt fans, Colquitt could be right like UF embarrassing OK and the Heisman winner last year and Ole Miss doing the same to TT, or Lassiter could be right like Utah embarrassing The Tide – man that was ugly! Saban’s actual quote was “Give me an extra $1mil each year and I won’t let that happen again.”. The point is you might as well keep bragging and enjoy it, because in ten hours one school is going to be embarrassed, or maybe not, it could be a close game. Regardless, when football is over, Lassiter will still be in the mix for State Champs in baseball and lacrosse, as they are every year, and Colquitt will still be closer to the beach. So there it is, both will still have something to be happy about.
Ogletrees Fan
November 27th, 2009
1:05 pm
How do you get to Grayson from Newnan?