Voting day: Which of Georgia’s five classifications has the best football?
It’s the great debate every year: Which of Georgia’s five classifications has the best football? The big boys of Class AAAAA? They usually get the nod because of the sheer size of schools that provide a bigger talent pool of athletes.
Can Georgia’s smaller high schools compete with the state’s biggest programs in football?
Last week, there were some David vs. Goliath-like results that turned heads: Then-unranked Cook of Class AA had a 15-9 win over then-No. 5 Colquitt County of Class AAAAA, which advanced to the state semifinals; Fitzgerald (AA) also knocked off Tift County (AAAAA) 40-26.
Jess Simpson is coach of Buford, the three-time Class AA state champions. “Class AA is dadgum tough. We lost an outstanding program in Charlton County (dropping to Class A) but gained another great one in Carver-Columbus (dropping from Class AAA). Yes, look what those two teams — Cook and Fitzgerald — did last week. I don’t know, but that will get your attention. Class AA is pretty salty. You take the top 10 teams in AA and they will compete with most teams around the state. The top 10 teams in Class AA, I’m not saying they will win every game, but they would be competitive in most every game against any team from any classification on Friday night.”
Jeff Herron is coach of Camden County, the two-time state champions of the state’s largest classification (AAAAA). “There are several AA and AAA and maybe an A team that compete with a lot of teams, especially when it’s an one-night thing. We played Charlton County my first four years … and we were fortunate to win [in the two road games], and one of those years we went to the state semifinals. I didn’t read a whole lot into [the upsets] this early in the year. Certainly, you’re talking about some good schools. Cook and Fitzgerald has some good players and good coaches, they could compete with anybody. Now could they go into Region 1-AAAAA and win it? No, I don’t think so. Could they beat anyone in that region on a given night? Yes, it could happen.”
Now it’s YOUR turn: Which of Georgia’s five classifications is the strongest? And what is your best memory of a David beating a Goliath over the years? Please post below.
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91 comments Add your comment
spwhite
August 26th, 2010
9:09 pm
Now this thread is making me laugh. All I ever hear and read is that the only reason Camden wins every year is because we have sooo many students and it is just soo unfair for the other teams. Yet here we are saying just the opposite now. Its not about size its about talent.
AAAAA
August 27th, 2010
9:22 am
Without a doubt AAAAA, Are you guys serious? We talking in Georgia…Right!
EagleNationRising
August 27th, 2010
9:39 am
Thank you for the warm welcome (Old Wildcat, SportsFan31313, Pack Man, AVikingFan, Wolverine2Blazer, & Quinn of the Ridge). It is great to see you guys. I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful off-season. We are preparing for another State Championship run in Warner Robins. The Kevin Kinsler era begins. The Eagle Nation is VERY excited! This guy can coach!
EagleNationRising
August 27th, 2010
9:42 am
@ Pack Man and AVikingFan. How can our Northside choke against Lowndes be considered David vs. Goliath. I though they post was about a David and Goliath game. By the way, Region 1-AAAAA must be way down. What in the world is going on at Tift County? Have those guys just thrown in the towel, like Valdosta, in football. Their pride is becoming questionable. I told you guys that this guy from Alabama is way overrated. He obviously spent more time reading his own press clippings instead of preparing his team. Cook HS??? Seriously?
EagleNationRising
August 27th, 2010
9:48 am
@ Quinn of the Ridge: I was at the Northside vs. Peachtree football game. I am still scratching my head as to how we pulled it out…with a backup QB.
We were outmanned and really outmatched. I am a firm believer that players win games. However, the Ridge coaching staff should have never taken their foot off of the gas. I left that game very impressed with the Ridge (players…not their coaches).
Yes, I bashed the Ridge all season. Even the most loyal fans at the Ridge had to expect a little ribbing. The manner that the Ridge represented themselves at one of the most historic venues in the state (Lowndes County HS) was shocking, especially considering the hype that Peachtree Ridge was receiving. You can roll over like that and allow the Vikings to hang 51 points.
That is a darn good program. If I had of known what I learned at McConnell-Talbert Stadium, I would have probably teased Ridge fans even more last season. I like what I saw from Peachtree Ridge. They were very physical, very big, and well organized.
EagleNationRising
August 27th, 2010
9:55 am
@ AAAAA: The overwhelming number of AAAAA programs are in metro Atlanta. History suggests that you are foolish to place your eggs in a hat marked Atlanta area high school football. Stephenson would choke against any good team. Lassiter? Lassiter? You can go up and down the list. In general, teams from outside of Atlanta would win. Logic says AAAAA. However, when two of the top five falls to AA and A programs, you have to question AAAAA.
I saw our Northside team (that was clearly one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the state) get played completely even by Carver-Columbus. Carver did not even win the state championship. The only difference between Carver and Northside is community support, size of the team, and tradition. Otherwise, all is equal…including coaching. I am beginning to reevalute my long held belief that the largest classification is the best. Seeing Northside beat multiple nationally ranked programs, while barely beating Carver has made my think twice.
AVikingFan
August 27th, 2010
10:38 am
Some great posts and well put EagleNationRising!! Most Viking Fans will certainly be pulling for your guys to go 15-0 this year.(
I’d like to see last year’s Stephenson team be coached by Randy McPherson for three or four years, or the guy that just retired from your program, or the guy over in St. Marys.)
I don’t know how to respond to the question about Tifton and have they thrown in the towel. I really think some changes will be made there and at Coffee unless they have a lot of success this year. But I don’t see success on their horizon. I can’t figure it out. Good size towns, one football team in each county and good fan support. Must be bad coaching. Coaches are good guys, BUT!??
In GHSF there have been lots of good games thru the years and big upsets. One of the biggest I remember was when Washington County went to Forsyth County and played Mary Persons when Dan Pitts was going for his 300th win. Washington County upset’em in a huge upset win for Rick Tomberlin. I was there.
Best win for Lowndes against valdosta was not 7-2 our first win against them, but last year. The score being 57-15 was not the big thing. The BIG thing was we beat’em and they walked off the field with 3 time outs on the score board. I have a photo of that scoreboard! That means they QUIT. They even left 2 time outs on the score board the first half! Leaving 5 time outs on the score board and losing is BAD. John Gruden says the best play in football is when the QB backs up 4 yards and takes a knee. He went on to say the best win in football is when you beat somebody and they leave time outs on the score board.
Our proud region (1AAAAA) is down. Hopefully not out, but we are down.
Hope everyone gets to and from the games safely tonight. Especially the Pebblebrook people traveling all the way down here to meet my Vikings.
mike
August 27th, 2010
11:19 am
7-AAAAA top to bottom best region in the state. North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge, Norcross, Collins Hill, Mill Creek. Go Collins Hill Eagles!
EagleNationRising
August 27th, 2010
11:45 am
Mike: Is this some sort of attempt to get a gig at the Punchline?
Is this some kind of a joke? There is only one State Championship in the history of the programs that are a part of 7AAAAA. I was raised in a town that my high school were laughed at and we have 2 State Championships. Heck, Warner Robins has 2 National Championships. How can a region with one state title between all of the team be Georgia’s best? We have 2 different State champions in my little hometown.
Of course the conversation is about classification, not region. Do they even play football at Mill Creek? Is that tingling feeling annually lodged in the throats of programs like Norcross, Collins Hills, & North Gwinnett? 7-AAAAA…man you are funny.
EagleNationRising
August 27th, 2010
11:53 am
LaGrange won when they were in the top classification. Truth of the matter, you can take the top AAAAA programs this decade and the top AAA have more high level college players. Take a look at LaGrange and Carver. The numbers are much higher than we might think. These guys at smaller classification schools should be respected. Last Friday night confirmed what I felt after seeing Carver for a few years. I am even at a point that I will reconsider my long belief that Buford was too small to compete against the top team in AAAAA and AAAA. I believe that I have been mistaken.
Mark Mallory
August 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
Any 6 man football team in Texas could beat any team in Georgia
Oops
August 27th, 2010
12:19 pm
Mark,
6 man team maybe….but your Texas team lost to Buford 2 years ago in Dallas. Are your 6 man teams better than your 11?
joe
August 27th, 2010
12:27 pm
4AAAA is the best division in Georgia High School Football. The last couple of years the champions have changed( Sandy Creek,Tucker,Northside Warner Robins) and u have the elite teams that are always close(Marist,Griffin,Thomas county central) 4AAAA is clearly the best division in football
SportsFan31313
August 27th, 2010
1:42 pm
Greetings EagleNationRising,
But the question is “Which of Georgia’s five classifications has the best football?”
Although I truly believe a lot of the smaller Classification Teams can beat some Class AAAAA teams example:Class AAAA Northside Warner Robins, Warner Robins, Griffin, Class AAA Sandy Creek, LaGrange, Gainesville and Class AA Cook, Fitzgerald, Charlton County, Thomasville, Carver Of Columbus, and Buford, I still believe Class AAAAA. dominates the State playing the best Football.
Indians 88
August 27th, 2010
2:55 pm
AAAAA
Quinn of the Ridge
August 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
ENR, I was even more shocked that you all pulled that out…. The players played a great game, and the coaches lost it for them. Anyways, had I known that you didn’t honestly think the Ridge was a terrible program I wouldn’t have been so…. confrontational to put it nicely
. Anyways, best of luck to your Eagles, they have a good shot at 15-0.
HighSchoolFootballFan
August 27th, 2010
4:06 pm
Of all the schools in Newnan’s region, or MLk’s and Stevenson’s Regions, how many State titles have they won? With that in mind, how can anyone criticize Camden’s region? One or two teams in those regions have been somewhat successfull, but how many titles do they have? Goes to show that playing in a weak region is not always the best thing. And trust me, those regions ARE weak!
AVikingFan
August 27th, 2010
4:08 pm
Good luck tonight Quinn of the Ridge. If you know one of your coaches named Boo Mitchell, tell him a Lowndes fan said hello!
Quinn of the Ridge
August 27th, 2010
4:47 pm
I believe Boo is no longer with us. I believe he was really only coaching with us while his son was playing for us. But I’ve heard from many players about him being a great guy. It shows what a small world it is
bleed red
August 27th, 2010
5:04 pm
Hay wolverine dont tute your horn to loud cause this is probley ur last good year for a long time. you only made it to the elite 8 one time WARRIOERS dominated in 2001 ‘2002′2003′2004 every body fall sooner or later. and getowah .cant make it past first round chs elite8 twice/sweet 16 3times so untill u can put better numbers than that your just Average
The TRUTH
August 27th, 2010
5:25 pm
Region-1 AAAAA: Valdosta Wildcats is still the best program in the state despite a set back in the past 6yrs…
camdenite
August 27th, 2010
5:31 pm
Last year 5A had the best class, it’s 4A this year bc of the reclassification. 4A is really deep this year; I can’t wait to see how it will shape up. 2A and 1A have some really really good teams
cougar fan
August 28th, 2010
12:07 am
newnan 27 lagrange 13. since 07 newnan is 38-4. 29 regular season wins at home in a row new county record. can we get a little respect. stephenson game later in the season is going to be a tough good game.
NewnanGoHard 2011
August 28th, 2010
12:37 am
We will get some respect if we can get the Offensive play calling balanced and win the BIG ONE!
Greg
August 28th, 2010
12:43 am
Didn’t Marist beat TCC in 03 to get to state?
cat doc
August 28th, 2010
5:22 am
5A will allways win in the long run, due to size of the student body.
SGT CHRIS
August 28th, 2010
8:42 am
cat doc, you werent paying attention when a couple of AA teams beat some AAAAA teams last week, even if the AAAAA teams were bottom rung, well not in Colquitt’s case.
But anyway, take away regions 1AAAAA and 3AAAAA and what do you have, a class for the atlanta area schools…and you mean to tell me thats where the best football would be played? With the addition of Sandy Creek Eastside, AND westside macon to AAA, theres no doubt as to what class is the best and deepest!
SGT CHRIS
August 28th, 2010
8:44 am
Correction to my post–Eastside was AAA last year, but you get my point.
TheFan
August 28th, 2010
10:35 am
Buford could play and beat anyone.
TheFan
August 28th, 2010
10:38 am
None of the AAAAA teams look like world beaters this year.
TheFan
August 28th, 2010
10:43 am
Buford is a different animal from the rest of the AA schools. I absolutely think they get could line up and play any team in the state including Lowndes and Camden.
B Nasty
August 28th, 2010
11:07 am
In all honest AAAAA has got the bigger schools and in most cases the best teams..but i wouldnt object to taking schools and like Buford or Tucker and letting them play AAAAA schedules every week..The debate could go on for ages but the bottom line is AAAAA will always dominate across the board but there are teams in lower classifications that are just as good
Cane91
August 28th, 2010
3:34 pm
Hold on lets put some breaks on this posting everyteam has good years and bad. To put Brayson and Peachbee Ridge in a power house catagory. 1-AA alone has sweeped the first round the last two years and AA is by far the the toughest class. The bigger schools seem to be better becuase they have more players that play one position, AA go both ways. The Maxwell ratings are by who has produced more college recruits, in the south many players go un-noticed bc of lack of marketing.
LIONKING reggie
August 28th, 2010
3:39 pm
lmao!! wooooow r yall serious!! ok 1st off let me start off by sayin 5A tops all you know this i know this so this goes out to all the 5A fans and haters.. 2NDLY 2-5A is and has NEVER BEEN no region to sleep on! yea ok so they might have never accomplished a title yet but look how long these schools have been open amongst the other regions! Majority of the schools in 2-5A have been open for at least 8-15 yrs (MLK,STEPHENSON,ETC) vs any other region or school 15-35(lowndes,valdosta,etc) or more yrs giving them yrs and yrs to accomplish at least 1 title! HOWEVER: when have u known for 2-5a not to be a playoff powerhouse?? if no region makes the playoffs we know at least 1 team 4rm 2-5a is goin to attend it..AND NOW that newnan and east coweta( powerhouse teams) have been added, could u really doubt the potiential hidden in 2-5A?? PERSONALLY I THINK the championship this yr is hidden somewhere in 2-5a this yr, not bashing any of the other teams in 5a bcuz like i said REGION 5A is just the all out region of GA! n please please please NOBODY FALL ASLEEP on M.L.KING and STEPHENSON. Altho M.L.KING have a new coach this yr and loss many great seniors they have always been a school of yrly improvement and potiential title contenders so dont be fooled by ajc… Other than that i wish all schools a great football yr and a great finish! see yall at *DA SHIP*!!
Enough is enough
August 28th, 2010
4:17 pm
It’s old news saying AAAAA always gets the nod because of a bigger student body…lower 5A teams recruit and have move ins all the time…Buford has taken players from north gwinnett for years and weslyan, Blessed Trinity, Lovett, all small private or city schools do the same through out Georgia.
the truth?
August 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
wooo go coach simpson! he’s so right. AA is beast.
Trojan56
August 28th, 2010
10:53 pm
I’ll make an argument for AAA. Last night Carrollton beat down Oxford (AL) 43-21 and it wasn’t that close. It was 36-7 at one point late in the 3rd quarter. I know what you’re thinking, Oxford is not in Georgia. But they are a 6A team in Alamba who is a perrenial top 10 team and they have 5 D-1 prospects, four of which are on defense. Now consider this, the “experts” here at the ajc didn’t even have the Trojans in their preseason top 10. Go figure!
MMMMMM
August 29th, 2010
8:59 am
TheFan
August 28th, 2010
10:43 am
Buford is a different animal from the rest of the AA schools. I absolutely think they get could line up and play any team in the state including Lowndes and Camden.
They oughta be able to…….they, along with GAC are the two best at recruiting of all the High Schools in the State of Georgia. The GHSA turns a blind eye toward these and all the rest of the private schools. Buford’s got a good, no, make that great, athletic program, but their ethics stink and so do the “Christian Spartans”……ewwww!!!!!
wolfbait 67
August 29th, 2010
9:42 am
Dear MMMMMMMMMMMMMM: sounds like you have been eating sour grapes….I paid tuition in the 60’s to go to Buford to get a better education and a better sports program and I believe that is still the reason why students go to the school……….lots of tradition and pride here in Buford……we are still waiting of a call from NGHS puppies to resume the rivalry that was one of the best in the county
JAyBee
August 29th, 2010
6:02 pm
At playoff time it becomes a numbers game. How many players you can dress out at the end of the season makes the diference. For that reason I give the nod to the bigger schools. Camden County can dress out 150 athletes and if fifty of them gets hurt, they still have 100 players left. Not so with the smaller schools. Bigger schools can keep fresher players on the field longer. Hence, no contest.
mike
September 2nd, 2010
12:21 am
8-AAAA….when you look at this region 3 of the 4 teams made it to the final four in the state…. Appalachee, Clarke Central and Rockdale…. Clarke Central and rockdale had top defenses in the enitre state…. this year you add flowery branch to that region, another top team from AAA last year and you possubly have four teams ranked in the top 10 in the coming weeks…..