AAAAAA blog: #1 Camden falls … Grayson wins region after all … South Gwinnett denies Parkiew … Check out the playoff draw
Four newsworthy happenings from Friday –
- No. 1 Camden County goes down – Camden had clinched a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs, but don’t think the Wildcats didn’t want to beat Colquitt County to run the table in their first season in vaunted Region 1. Instead, it was 10th-ranked Colquitt pulling the upset, 13-12. John Boatright’s 3-yard run in the fourth quarter and the ensuing extra point gave Colquitt the final margin in the final minute. Camden missed an extra point and later a two-point conversion and then a desperate 55-yard field goal in the final seconds. Camden County was ranked in the top five of four national polls with a high of No. 2 in the CNN/SI rankings. The seedings for the state playoffs in Region 1 remained the same. Camden is No. 1 and will play at home against Hillgrove, and Colquitt is No. 4 and will play on the road at McEachern.
- South Gwinnett denies Parkview’s Region 8 title – South Gwinnett upset No. 9 Parkview 16-14 on a field goal in the final seconds. Parkview (7-3) could’ve clinched its first region title since 2004. Parkview drove for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, but South Gwinnett (8-2) had the final say and wound up with the No. 2 seed in Region 8 and a home playoff game next week. Parkview fell to No. 3 in the region standings and must travel in the first round.
- Grayson wins Region 8 after all – Grayson, the 2011 champion of AAAAA and the preseason No. 1 in AAAAAA, fell out of the Top 10 briefly after a 22-7 loss to Parkview on Sept. 7. Since then, the Rams have taken it out on seven straight opponents, winning by average of 48-7. They gave Brookwood a taste o it 42-13 on Friday. But Grayson still needed Parkview to lose twice to claim the region title. Parkview slipped to Central Gwinnett 30-27 on Oct. 26, then to South Gwinnett. The drama of Robert Nkemdiche’s de-commit from Clemson wasn’t a factor Friday night. The Grayson defensive end and running back rushed for 74 yards and had two sacks.
- Playoff teams nearly set – Except for Region 5, the four state-playoff teams from each region are set. Valdosta eliminated Coffee in Region 1 with an impressive 44-8 victory. … Rockdale County took Region 2’s fourth playoff berth with an 18-14 victory over Druid Hills. … Tri-Cities took the final playoff berth in Region 3 with a victory over Douglas County. … Wheeler apparently made it in Region 5 despite talk of mini-games. … South Cobb has a small chance of slipping in from Region 4, but Hillgrove got the fourth seed despite losing to region champ McEachern 33-30. Hillgrove will travel to angry Camden County in the first round. Make that doubly angry Camden. Hillgrove stunned No. 1-ranked Camden on the road in the second round in 2010.
DRAW (unofficial)
(R3 #4) Tri-Cities at (R2 #1) Lovejoy
(R4 #3) Marietta at (R1 #2) Lowndes
(R5 #4) TBA at (R8 #1) Grayson
(R6 #3) Johns Creek at (R7 #2) North Gwinnett
(R2 #4) Rockdale County at (R3 #1) Hughes
(R1 #3) Valdosta at (R4 #2) North Cobb
(R8 #4) Brookwood at (R5 #1) Lassiter
(R7 #3) Mill Creek at (R6 #2) Alpharetta
(R4 #4) Hillgrove at (R1 #1) Camden County
(R3 #3) East Coweta at (R2 #2) Newton
(R6 #4) Chattahoochee at (R7 #1) Norcross
(R5 #3) Milton at (R8 #2) South Gwinnett
(R1 #4) Colquitt County at (R4 #1) McEachern
(R2 #3) Alcovy at (R3 #2) Newnan
(R7 #4) Collins Hill at (R6 #1) West Forsyth
(R8 #3) Parkview at (R5 #2) Walton
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323 comments Add your comment
The Cross
November 11th, 2012
10:38 am
GwinnettDumbDumb-I don’t believe I said a scrimmage is the same as a game. I promised that I wouldn’t spar with you anymore. It is just too easy. Kind of like boxing a man with no arms, the first 50 or so head shots is kind of fun but then you realize that he just can’t do anything else but take the punishment it is not really fun or a challenge. I am betting that you were the kid in second grade that picked his nose and ate his boogers. Am I right? Your Dad made your sister into a tomboy because she threw the ball better than you. You took tap dance and piano 4th through 8th grade? They still walk by you at Thanksgiving to give your sister the jar to open? You are weak…..
The Cross
JustHere
November 11th, 2012
11:25 am
Watch out for Valdosta….they are really playing well…and peaking during playoff time. Their Offense is loaded/full of weapons (more than 2010) and the Defense keeps getting better.
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
11:42 am
Lovejoy is getting ready for Tri-Cities. Last season, they were our running partners until they fell to NSWR in round 3. Don’t know what the problem is this year. They still have those huge linemen. Maybe there are areas that lost talent, such as at the skill positions. Can’t take anyone lightly now.
BamaBoy
November 11th, 2012
11:54 am
I’ve waited two days to allow my brain to process what I witnessed in Colquitt Co. Friday night. I have no dog in this hunt, just love going to watch great match-ups every Friday night. Here is what I came away with; Camden has better athletes, but way too conservative play calling. It was as if their philosophy was,”We’ll out athlete you.” Secondly, the officials on numerous occasions should have thrown flags on the Colquitt coaching staff for coming onto to the field ALL NIGHT! Thirdly, Rush Probst can coach, but that’s all he gets from me.He’s full of himself. If they were to meet somehow in the playoffs, I really believe Colquitt wins that one as well. Now to decide where to head to this Friday night.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
11:57 am
To ALL Veterans and Active Duty Military Personnel: THANK you for your SERVICE and SACRIFICE to OUR Country and OTHERS!!!!
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
12:31 pm
Hey 74, are the Camden faithful worried about a repeat ?
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
1:30 pm
sportsnut…..Worried about a repeat of what?
bksmith14
November 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
@SPORTNUT……..nobody on this board with any sense feel lovejoy has the best defense or scoring defense in the state…..yall play a haradaway every week and the only 2 times yall played anyone yall wewre 1-1..gave up 24 to alpharetta and lost 14-7 at colquitt…….
lets throw valdosta…colquitt…coffee…camden…lowndes and even brunswicks onto lovejoye schedule…..and guess what…..you arent leading in all those categories
now i will say lovejoy has a very very good football team and it will be hard to beat them
Stooge
November 11th, 2012
1:53 pm
If we meet ‘em again in the quarters they’ll be on Cole like a cheap suit. Fool me once etc etc
bksmith14
November 11th, 2012
1:56 pm
Yo…..norcross is good. this is their best chance to make some noise as of yet. but i dont feel they can beat camden or colquitt( if colquitt plays at the level they did this past fri) but we shall see
cross is not as confident as he sounds….we all know that.
north gwinnett i feel can give grayson a game…but they will haveto move the football……if it becomes a 3 and out contest and they are constantly punting to grayson then they lose bc grayson will just tire the north defense out
herewego……..the spread has not been winning state titles…..sorry my friend……grayson is wing t….so is camden …lowndes and brookwood wins it by running the ball….7 out of the last 10 titles were won with the wing t
yo
November 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
HereWeGo if you like that modern girly boy football I understand. Bet you like to see the 2 teams kiss and make up when the games all over with too.
I must confess I actually enjoy seeing a little contact in a football game.
Big Blue Fan
November 11th, 2012
2:10 pm
@ IndianPride That was well said. I’m with Marietta all the way, but I’m supporting all of Region 4. At this point we have to represent our region which is being looked and given no respect. I predict some big surprises in the this first round. I will be out of town and will not get back in time to go down and support Marietta, but in that case I will go over and support the Indians. #goregion4
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
2:11 pm
sportsnut……You talkin bout Hillgrove? If so, my answer is H NO! Hopefully, Coach Herron will turn em loose and let the boys do their thing!
fan
November 11th, 2012
2:17 pm
Camden74….. there is no turning them loose. It is a wing t. they run run run run run then catch the defense slippin with a touchdown pass. Which your wing t is very good and have a great quarterback but Like herron said at the beggining of the year The only weakness bryce ramsey has is he doesnt know how to use him.
NGHS 09
November 11th, 2012
2:18 pm
Lets not get ahead of ourselves now…too much predicting of who will play who in the 3rd round. Win the first two and then beat eachothers brains in.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
2:30 pm
fan…..Hopefully, and I’ve said this before, Coach Herron has learned his lesson and has a change of heart/attitude. Just let the kids play and allow the chips to fall where they may…….Release the CATS!
camdenfan2013
November 11th, 2012
2:32 pm
Its playoff time, everyone is 0-0 now, but I have to say I was at the Camden Lowndes game. I am taking nothing away from the Colquitt County players. I enjoyed watching their QB and that #52 is special on defense. But that was one of the worse officiating games I have seen in a longtime. The head official overruled several flags against Colquitt, coach probst was out on the field in the official face at the 40, 30, and 20 yard lines and no flag was thrown. He has no respect for the game. The stadium was separated along the color lines, and I am not talking about Colquitt Black and Camden Blue. I travel to every Camden away game and Moultrie is a place I will never ever go back to. Our friends in the north often clown us on how backwards we are in South GA, on this subject I will have to agree. As a Black man, who’s served for two decades, I was thoroughly disgusted and I am from South GA. That’s my rant. Again those kids played their hearts out on both sides, I was proud of our kids and theirs in the end, but NEVER AGAIN.
fan
November 11th, 2012
2:33 pm
Camden74 He is to stubborn. Just like them shorts he wears. lol
camdenfan2013
November 11th, 2012
2:33 pm
Disregard. Its playoff time.
fan
November 11th, 2012
2:36 pm
Camdenfan2013 with comments like that yeah its best you dont come back to moultrie.
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
2:38 pm
74 == That is what I referring to. Just wanted to know if anyone has forgotten. @ Bk, You live in a world of supposition. The facts are what they are. We did give up 24 to Alpharetta. They have the states leading passer in Joshua Bobbs and an all-state Wr in Carlos Burse. Putting that aside, the final score was 43-24. That is the most scored on Lovejoy this year. You gave up 26 to Luella, whom we beat 60-0. Just so I’m sure, how many teams on your schedule are in the playoffs ?
camdenfan2013
November 11th, 2012
2:41 pm
I apologize Lowndes. I meant Colquitt.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
2:42 pm
fan…..Who knows, he might surprise us all. Stranger things have happened!
HSFootballFan
November 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Camden74…It’s been a while since I’ve been on the blog! We’re (Hillgrove) looking forward to coming back this year. I’ve heard you all were hoping we would get the 4th seed and it looks like it happened. Gotta promise to be gentle with the Hawks this year as it is our rebuilding year and we don’t have the talent we did last time we met.
Here is the low-down on Cobb: Lowndes will not have to worry about Marietta as the team is overrated, but, excellent coach at the helm that gets the most from his players. Lassiter is a good team but if you stop their QB…You win. Valdosta will have their hands full with North Cobb. They have good size and well coached and in my opinion one of the toughest teams in Cobb Co. North Cobb has a Sophomore QB that is a dual threat with his arms and legs. McEachern is the real deal – Size, speed, athletes and excellent coach. They also hit hard and if you blink, can/will score three TD’s on you before you know it. If you had asked me to project a winner between McEachern and Colquitt before Friday’s results vs Camden, I would have said McEachern by a TD…Now I’m not sure. Walton is nothing without their RB Jones and will loose to Parkview by two TD’s. Hillgrove is a good team and fights to the end. Their losses this year came to two #1 seeds (McEachern, Lassiter), both games the final score was close. HG was beat pretty well by North Cobb (#2 seed) and should have beat Marietta (#3 seed).
I love the Region 1 vs. 4 for the playoffs. I think it takes two of the stronger regions and match them up for great early playoff games. Camden has a great program deep in tradition, excellent coaching and tough athletic disciplined players and to top it off, great fans!
We’ll see you next Friday Camden74!!! I’d love to meet you and shake your hand before and after the game…
camdenfan2013
November 11th, 2012
2:51 pm
@Fan. You are right. I will not be coming back and it is not because of any comments I posted on here or anything you have said. Now back to football.
fan
November 11th, 2012
2:52 pm
Coming from a colquitt fan i can’t stand when probst whines on the sidelines all night but if i had to choose between that and one who stays mute on the sideline i will stick with probst. Our defensive coach Travis Pearson should get most of the credit for what we did against Lowndes and Camden. I don’t look for him staying in Moultrie long he will be a head coach somewhere and a good one. Very passionate coach.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
3:14 pm
HSFootballFan……..You’re correct in your analysis of Region 4. I watched all of the teams in the playoffs earlier in the season. I believe any one of them is capable of pulling off an upset/win. I’m sure Camden will not take Hillgrove lightly. We all remember what happened the last time. IMO, McEachern will be a very tough out. I picked them earlier in the season as one of the teams to watch. But they will have their hands full with Colquitt, especially if the game is close! I believe all of the games will be competitive. Hopefully Region 1 will go 4-0. Unfortunately, due to prior commitments, I won’t make the first playoff game. Hopefully, the Cats will still be rolling in December. If so, I’ll be there! Thanks!
HereWeGo
November 11th, 2012
3:22 pm
I didn’t say the spread has been winning championships in GA yet, only that it has helped schools with less size and more speed compete much better than in the past. And every year, the spread gets better. The big difference comes when you have a mobile QB running the spread as Camden just learned. If you thought Seagraves was impressive when he ran the ball then you really ought to see film on Haynes @ North, Dobbs @ Alpharetta, and Ramey @ South Gwinnett.
The spread boggs down in the post season when it gets cold and wet outside. This is the biggest obstacle to overcome and usually a big reason spread teams haven’t done well in December.
HereWeGo
November 11th, 2012
3:28 pm
@yo, no lack of contact coming at you from Norcross or North. Both of those teams play serious D. But they won’t be satisfied grinding it out in the trenches when they’re on O. They’ll be happy to soar over your grunts. Better hope for bad weather.
NGHS 09
November 11th, 2012
3:29 pm
@ HereweGo…The dome is nice and cozy for a spread team to break the score board…the only problem is that most spread teams don’t have the defense to stop a power-ball control running attack for 4 qrts. In high school it’s either great defense or great offense…the teams with both are rare, but they consequently win state titles.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
3:39 pm
There’s something you all are not understanding about the Wing-T Offense. You can do almost anything from the Wing-T, run or pass. It’s just that most coaches don’t choose to!
Marietta fan
November 11th, 2012
3:43 pm
Do any Lowndes fans know what time the game starts on Friday? 7:30 is normal for us but I heard y’all sometimes start at 8.
bksmith14
November 11th, 2012
3:45 pm
sportsnut….lowndes will beat lovejoy in rd 2 if we beat marietta. now lets talk some more if you want to. Lowndes played the 2nd string mosf of the 2nd half against luella. Yall played the starters the whole game……..i dont care what you say. i know bc i have been told. Had lowndes played its starters we would have scored 70 or more. the best defense you have seen is coming to town in rd 2 most likely…..marietta is a good team with a d-1 qb so i dont want to overlook them but we should win that game
the truth
November 11th, 2012
4:04 pm
This is what I take going into the playoffs after watching game this season. Colquitt has a good chance to get to the semifinals. They may be the 4th seed but they have an easier draw than Lowndes and Valdosta. The travel may be trouble for them and coming off of an emotional win on Friday. McEachern is pretty good and can score but is lacking on defense. West Forsyth may be a player. They made a good playoff run last year. They can score but may lack the defense to win much like McEachern. Bamaboy made an excellent point that Camden really needs to open up on offense. They have very good athletes and defense will keep them in every game. They could have been much more successful against Colquitt throwing but they did not take advantage of it. That said, they are favorites to get to the semifinals. Watching bits and pieces of Grayson/Brookwood, Brookwood did have success passing on Grayson in the 1st half but could not sustain it. That will be something to watch if they play N. Gwinnett. Lowndes will have a defense to keep them going in the playoffs, but they can not throw (less than 600 yds on the season from what I can see) and that will hurt them against Grayson. If they find a way to mix that in like they did against Valdosta, they have a chance. Lassiter is set up for a run to the semifinals. They made it to the semifinals as a 4 seed last year and I think they have the best team on that side of the bracket. Mill Creek is an up an coming team and could be a surprise. Valdosta has a shot, but travel may be a problem like Colquitt. 3-4 hour trips to the Atlanta area for 3 straight weeks to get to the semifinals is tough. Norcross is a question mark I give them all the credit for going undefeated, they just do not have a good playoff record. If they manage to get to the quarters and get the home field I would give them a shot but they have to show me something in the first two rounds. If they struggle to get to the quarters, I would not give much of a chance against Camden. Lovejoy is another question mark. They won an easy region. Their only loss was at Colquitt early in the year but they only gave up 207 total yards in the game which was Colquitts’s second lowest total of the season. They tough road with possible games against Lowndes and Grayson.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
4:08 pm
Is there anyone on this forum who attended Henry County Training in the late 50s or early 60s?
NGHS 09
November 11th, 2012
4:09 pm
@Camden74…I was actually in agreement with the wingT argument bud. Grayson, Camden and Lowndes all had great defense to back up their great offense.
Cobb fan
November 11th, 2012
4:19 pm
Mceachern will surprise you big fast and strong. Marietta will give Lowndes more than they think and that will be a very good game Lowndes just doesnt impress me.. Hillgrove should have beat Marietta??? That game was completely controlled by Marietta. North Cobb also strong, just not sure any of our defenses in Cobb can handle some of the offensive lines in Gwinnett and S. Ga. If we can make them play from behind and actually have to throw the ball it could be interesting…Time will tell.
Cobb fan
November 11th, 2012
4:26 pm
Lowndes has only beat 2 teams with winning records this year? That is a stunning fact. Opponents combined records 52-58..Feeling much better about Marietta chances!
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
4:34 pm
@ Bk == Lowndes and Lovejoy must both get there first. As far as who would win is up for grabs. When you talk about Lovejoy, you have to understand that in 8 of our 10 games, our starters play only 2&1/2 quarters of football. The running clock was imposed in all games except Colquit and Alpharetta. You have a worry about Marietta and their D-1 Qb, then you should be terrified by Lovejoy and it’s D-1 prospects. Six are already commited. They are skill positions. Qb, WR, TE, RB, D-Linemen, DE Linebacker. I’m just saying, if you are worried about their Qb, you should be afraid, be very, very afraid. You can go by what someone tells you who may have seen Lovejoy on video feeds or on Television a time or two, or listen to someone that has been around the program for 12 years. We will not be an easy out.
bksmith14
November 11th, 2012
4:35 pm
Cobb fan…..marietta does have a shot. Lowndes cant help who they play. We have a very very good football team and it will be the best “team” marietta has played all year . marietta had better get out all the speed they have and then some. Lowndes wins 27-14
Stooge
November 11th, 2012
4:35 pm
Camdenfan 1213- Fans separate themselves along “color lines” as they do elsewhere. You make it sound like it was an institutional edict.
bksmith14
November 11th, 2012
4:37 pm
sportsnut……i have not been impressed with your qb……good defenses have made him look bad. (colquitt and tucker) and lowndes is just as good if not better on d .
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
4:37 pm
@ Cobb Fan == Those are my sentiments exactly on getting ahead and forcing them to throw. Region 1 is a running region. Good run defenses. Put it up early and often and who knows what might happen.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
4:46 pm
I realize Region 4 teams can move the ball, they have good passing games. But where they fall short is defense, and in the playoffs, defense is key. The further you advance, the more difficult it becomes without a good defense. I expect some really good games on Friday night.
NGHS 09…….Most people don’t know or believe for that matter, how diverse the Wing-T can be. Camden County Schools have won 4 State Titles running the Wing-T……
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
@ Bk == Now think, those two schools you mention that made him look bad are his only two loses as a starter. He is 22-2 as a starter.He controls the game. He does what he has to do and no more is asked of him. He has much help.This, I continue to say is a TEAM. There are underclassmen that are being offered. Should we meet, come ready because Lovejoy will be.
NGHS 09
November 11th, 2012
4:52 pm
All I know is that if you put 8 in the box against the wingT, you better have an all-american secondary or else it’s an easy TD. Check the replay of the TD passes Grayson threw in the Dome, or the one Ramsey through on Lowndes. If you can stop the run and defend the pass consistenly, the wingT become a mute point, however lol when was the last time that happened when it really mattered?
NGHS 09
November 11th, 2012
4:54 pm
@ Cobb fan…Cobb teams DO NOT want to make South Gwinnett, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Collins Hill, or Mill Creek win from behind by throwing the pig skin trust me.
sportsnut
November 11th, 2012
4:59 pm
@@ Bk == How many teams on your schedule are playoff teams ?
NGHS 09
November 11th, 2012
5:03 pm
@ Camden74…Hold on a minute lol it’s Camden County School not School(s). Nice try there lol.
Camden74
November 11th, 2012
5:05 pm
Release the CATS!