Goodbye to South Georgia’s reign of dominance in Class AAAAA? Or is 2010 just a fluke?
Is the balance of power finally shifting in Georgia’s largest classification for high school football?
South Georgia teams have ruled in recent years, winning 6 out of the last 7 state championships in Class AAAAA. South Georgia was expected to be a top contender again this year with both Lowndes and two-time defending state champion Camden County. However, both have been eliminated in earlier rounds of the playoffs and Colquitt County is now the South’s last hope for 2010.
FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS OF GEORGIA’S LARGEST DIVISION
2003: Camden County
2004: Lowndes
2005: Lowndes
2006: Peachtree Ridge/Roswell (tie)
2007: Lowndes
2008: Camden County
2009: Camden County
2010: ???
2011: ???
Is this year’s playoffs a fluke? Or is the Atlanta area about to have a dominant reign in Class AAAAA? The other three semifinalists are Brookwood, Grayson and Collins Hill.
What do you think? Is the North finally taking control of Class AAAAA? Or is this a one-year wonder? State your case below.
Note: In this particular post, we’re only talking about the state’s largest division.
[The AJC's Michael Carvell is out while recovering from surgery, but you can follow the AJC's coverage of the high school playoffs by clicking here .... and here.]
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164 comments Add your comment
Grayson Nation
December 4th, 2010
4:44 pm
@plowboy- I wonder what it would take to bring all of these issues with this group of refs to the GHSA. These refs should not be allowed to get away with this year after year…Every team deserves a fair and unbiased officiating crew.
@GoPackGo- Very happy to hear that you felt welcomed and were treated with kindness. Colquitt definitely came to play, and their fans were loud and stayed up and on their feet for a majority of the game. I did not see any bad conduct from either side of the field between the players and the fans were all respectful. Of course, It is always hard to watch the young men deal with defeat at the end of the game, but time heals wounds.
Congratulations to Colquitt and Good Luck!
Ramses
December 4th, 2010
5:11 pm
Brookwood is only around 25 years old and is made up of part of Parkview & South Gwinnett. It is at the top academically in Gwinnett which is a big draw for the sports programs as well. There are no apartments that feed into Brookwood, practically all single family homes. Very tight-knit middle to middle upper class community.
Classof2k11ATLvike
December 4th, 2010
7:16 pm
Goodbye to South Georgias reign of dominance? In the words of the great Lee Corse, Not so fast my friend! Congrats Pack, this just goes to show that the south is the sec of Georgia high school football. Colquitt is in the finals, not Lowndes or Valdosta, who the Pack lost too. Shows that any one can win on any given day, and playing with the big dogs really does make you a better team. Go Pack!
Classof2k11ATLvike
December 4th, 2010
7:16 pm
Corso
GoPackGo
December 4th, 2010
9:05 pm
We are always loud Grayson Nation. We will be back on turf in the Dome. That should be an advantage for us. Not to mention the dome is loud! Go Pack Go!
grayram
December 4th, 2010
10:18 pm
Colquitt was really good. Can’t see how they possibly lost to Valdosta. Grayson lost a good game to good team. I’m glad it didn’t come down to a kick again. It’s to bad we were a year late to the semi’s or we could have easily advanced with a win over the JV team from North Warner Robins.
The fans from Colquitt were great. Good luck in the Dome.
maurice
December 5th, 2010
12:01 pm
yeah its ah fluke next year newnan will rise again with a top def
Source of info?
December 6th, 2010
10:24 am
The numbers are in metro-Atlanta’s favor…period. Half of the state’s population comes from several counties in and sorrounding Atlanta. With that said, most state championships in the higher classifications come from the south! Forget about the last 7 years alone and look at the history! Someone stated that North Georgia creates professional players and now Heisman Trophy winners. Once again, not a valid argument. Charlie Ward is from Thomasville (TCCHS). One of the best cover corners in the history of the NFL (Champ Bailey) is from Charlton County High School. The list is endless for South Georgia and North Georgia. We have great football in our state. The basis of this blog is about South Georgia’s reign of dominance being over. If you are writing about it because one year South Georgia might not win a state title (Colquitt, Clinch, Savannah Christian still playing), then “YAY” North Georgia! There is always a chance for the “inferior” underdog, right?
WisconsinPacker
December 6th, 2010
12:02 pm
Reading the comments from the cold in Wisconsin (15 above at noon), got to love the fan support for both sides! I was raised in Moultrie (go Pack!) and lived in Roswell in the mid 80’s. Heck, I remember when Moultrie went to the state finals in the early 60’s only to get killed by Avandale (?) 45 to 7…or something along those lines. Now I go to Friday games here in Cedarburg, Wi. (this year, our boys went to the state finals, 1100 students, so not sure where they would fit in your system, at Camp Randell stadium (home of the Wisconsin badgers). Sometimes, I feel like the guys that watch high school FB practice in “Friday Night lights” thinking we have one more game in us….
All that said, our Wisconsin boys would struggle to play equivilent Ga. teams in football head to head. (Hockey….now that would be different!)
Good luck to both teams this week, however my heart is with the Packers…both C.C. and Green Bay!
Chuck
December 6th, 2010
3:53 pm
What does it matter that it is “one county, one school” or that a school has a radius of 15 miles or 50. Larger schools have a better opportunity to have more quality players. The south Ga teams have dominated over the years and one or two years out of eight does not change that. Don’t count Colquit out. That region they are in is good and they could win it all.
packer03
December 6th, 2010
4:05 pm
go pack go
Reeze
December 6th, 2010
5:08 pm
Granted over the last few years a few Metro AAAAA programs , Grayson , Ridge and NG for example have really stepped up their game…..But if my memory is correct the four semi finalist’s In AAAAA in 2009 were Northside W.R, Colquitt, Camden and Newnan ( Two from region 1 , 1 each from region’s 3 and 4) and the AAAAA champions 2007, 2008 and 2009 were Camden and Lowndes…… before you ask whether South Georgia’s domination is over in AAAAA , I think we should at least get a Metro Champion in AAAAA (Not Shared either) and wait and see if Camden and Lowndes bounces back ………If Colquitt wins this weekend , this entire piece will be for not….
SHOTGUN
December 6th, 2010
8:59 pm
man its almost over, cant wait till next year ,time 2 reload
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