It’s coaching: Semifinal teams have a common edge
We can talk north-south this week. (Does metro Atlanta get credit for Newnan?)
We can talk public-private. (Did two injuries last week prevent a private school sweep of Class A?)
But here’s what strikes me about the semifinals:
Coaching.
How does Camden County struggle to gain positive yardage on Aug. 29 and win 35-0 on Nov. 27?
How does Colquitt County, after years of mediocrity, go from 2-8 to 11-2 in two seasons?
How do Lassiter and North Gwinnett go decades without winning a state playoff game and become region champions?
Fizgerald in nine seasons under Robby Pruitt: 99-15-1.
Fitzgerald in the nine seasons before Robby Pruitt: 32-63.
Gainesville in eight seasons under Bruce Miller: 83-16.
Gainesville in eight seasons prior to Bruce Miller: 35-48.
Calhoun has won 111 games this decade under Hal Lamb.
Calhoun won 50 games in the 1990s and 39 games in the 1980s.
Savannah Christian has won 48 games in five seasons under Donald Chumley. Savannah Christian won 25 games in the five years prior to Donald Chumley.
Darlington? Really? Didn’t its best player transfer to Calhoun?
Did I mention Conrad Nix?
Do you really think Wilcox County is just having a run of good athletes?
What do you think of Lovett’s athletes?
How does Rockdale County go 1-9 in 2007, hire Mike Etheridge, and go 10-3 in 2009?
Has Chip Walker at Sandy Creek or Steve Devoursney at Griffin or Chad Campbell at Peach County or Jim Dickerson at Clinch County ever had a losing season?
Has any other coach ever started his career winning 66 of his first 69 games?
Will Mike McDonald at Newnan ever lose a game?
Was high school football so special in Hall County seven years ago that everyone just knew Flowery Branch could open in 2002 and win 52 games from 2005 to 2009?
Even Cinderella needs a fairy godmother.
Eastside’s Rick Hurst took over a team that went 0-10 in 2004, and his Cinderella is 11-2 for the second straight year in a county that has its first-ever semifinal team.
At Clarke Central, the Athens Cinderella, Leroy Ryals took over a 4-6 team and has improved the victory total in each of his four seasons – 6-5, 7-3-1, 9-2, 11-2.
How many of these teams wouldn’t be playing this week if they hadn’t hired the coach they did?
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261 comments Add your comment
Jefferson
December 2nd, 2009
4:15 pm
Northside is on the wrong side of Green St. — Again I ask “Where is Downtown Warner Robins?”
Cougar Fan
December 2nd, 2009
5:07 pm
Newnan’s 9th Grade Team held it down all season, offense led by QB Bryce Benton, WR Devin Henry (Ran a 4.4 40 time in Little League Baseball) who also returns kicks, WR/FS Tray Matthews (hitting power and ablity to play many positions reminds me of Alec Ogletree), RB Quinton Dix (running style reminds me of Adrian Peterson),whose older brother Trell, is the starting corner on Varsity and RB Okoye Robinson (who is was real maker this year) Defense led by LB/FB Maurice White (who was a big playmaker on defense), DT Xavier Phillips(who was a real force in the middle of the line of the cougars 3-5 defense), DE Tay Kemp(who was also key part to the cougars 3-5 defense), and WR/FS Tray Matthews(could be the next Alec Ogletree) Defense avg. 8 poins a game. Offense avg. 35 points a game. Newnan could win a national title within the next 3 years.
ImaTitleTownBaby
December 2nd, 2009
7:11 pm
The Lowndes High JV and Freshmen squads were undefeated also…watch out for the juniors and sophomores on nest years varsity squad…we don’t regroup…we reload…and the whole state knows it!!
Jefferson
December 2nd, 2009
7:58 pm
Who’s Lowndes playing this week?
Newnan Fan
December 2nd, 2009
8:38 pm
Not Trying to beat a dead horse, but Newnan’s 9th Grade Team has a quality that most team’s dont have; NO DROPOFF IN PERFORMANCE FROM THE BENCH!!!!! LB’s #25 Darius Martin, #26 Chaz Ferdinand, #36 Cameron Walker sit among the starting defenders on the leading tacklers list on this team and they are on 2nd defense!! on 2nd Offense RB #30 Okoye Robinson had maybe 6 or 7 TD’s 3 of which came in games where he DIDNT start, and RB/LB #26 Chaz Ferdinand had one of the longest runs of the season from a RB against EC again from off the bench. too much talent on this team, starter and backups to ignore. great thing in these freshman cougars future. just saying.
Cougar Supporter
December 2nd, 2009
10:03 pm
Newnan Fan…You and the 9th grade parents ARE definitely beating a dead horse!!!! This is about the VARSITY team and not the 9th grade team. Let it go until next year when they are in JV or the Varisty. A lot can happen in 2-3 years.
GO Cougars!
GAIL
December 2nd, 2009
10:33 pm
Anyone interested in talking about this Friday’s game? Let’s focus on the present and not what might be one of two years away. Newnan vs NSWR should be an exciting game. Hope everyone is healthy. I’m going w/ the Cougars.
Cougar Supporter
December 2nd, 2009
10:57 pm
Preach on Gail…Here is to a 2009 Semi-Final Victory for the Cougars!
Cougar Supporter
December 2nd, 2009
10:59 pm
Brookwood Mom…Been a while since we have heard from you. I know you son is ready for GSU. Any love for Newnan??????
Eagle Fan
December 3rd, 2009
7:47 am
Jefferson Warner Robins has no downtown…….but they do have the best 1AAAAA school around that is Northside High School. Go Big Blue..
TRUE BLUE
December 3rd, 2009
9:55 am
JAGUAR FOR LIFE, I AM NOT GOING TO BLAME EVERYTHING ON COACHING. PART OF IT IS COACHING AND HAVING YOUR TEAM FOCUS AND READY TO PLAY. I HAVE WATCH STEPHENSON FOR OVER 8 YEARS AND BEEN IN THE PROGRAMS FOR 4 YEARS. SWD, STEPHENSON , AND MLK IS IN SOUTH DEKALB AND SOUTH DEKALB WAS ONCE ONE OF THE RICHES AFRICAN- AMERICA COUNTY IN AMERICA. WE LIVE IN THESE BIG HOUSE AND DRIVE THESE FANCY CARS. OUR KIDS DRESS TO IMPRESS AT SCHOOL,BUT WE DON’T HAVE LIGHTS ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD. WE WILL GO TO BOARD OF EDUCATION ABOUT SCHOOL UNIFORM BUT WANT GO TO THE BOARD ABOUT OUR SCHOOL FACILITY. YES A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE BUT AS PLAYERS YOU HAVE TO STAY FOCUS AND KNOW WHO’S IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING. PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT NOTHING, WE WERE WINNING AND STILL HAD PARENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THEIR KIDS NOT GETTING ENOUGH PLAYING TIME. PARENTS THAT ARE COMPLAINING YOU DON’T SEE THEM VOLUNTEER FOR NOTHING. ITS ALWAYS THE SAME PEOPLE DOING EVERTHING. YOU SAID THE COMMUNITY IS TIRED AND WANT BETTER,HELL THE KIDS WANT BETTER TOO. WHAT I MEAN ABOUT BETTER IS A BETTER WEIGHTROOM , A BETTER PRACTICE FACILITY WITH LIGHTS , A BETTER LOCKER ROOM , A BETTER FOOTBALL FIELD WITH GRASS , AND BETTER SCHOOL SUPPORT AT THE GAME. STEPHENSON FANS DON’T COME TOO THE GAME TO CHEER BECAUSE IT BE QUIET IN THE STAND. YES THEY COME TO THE GAME BUT THE KIDS WANT TO HEAR SOME SCHOOL SPIRIT FROM THE STAND. THEY HEAR WHEN YOU CRITICIZE THEIR COACHES OR TEAMMATES.