Class A: No. 13 FPD over No. 4 Brookstone biggest upset, other top seeds advance
By S. Thomas Coleman
For the AJC
The first round is in the books. Both top seeds – Athens Academy (barely) and Lincoln County – will move on. While the higher seeds went 6-2 on the public school side, the lower seeded teams split with the higher seeds on the private side.
Here are the quarterfinal match ups, followed by some observations from the first round and a look at how the regions fared as well.
PUBLIC
No. 9 Wilkinson County at No. 1 Lincoln County
No. 5 Dooly County at No. 4 Seminole County
No. 11 Trion at No. 3 Emanuel County Institute
No. 7 Marion County at No. 2 Wilcox County
PRIVATE
No. 9 Prince Avenue at No. 1 Athens Academy
No. 13 First Presbyterian Day at No. 12 Landmark Christian
No. 11 George Walton Academy at No. 3 Walker
No. 7 Savannah Christian at No. 2 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy
Top 4 public seeds roll, Commerce’s struggles continue
The top four seeds on the public side all cruised to wins in Round 1. No. 1 Lincoln County (21-0 over Hancock Central), No. 2 Wilcox County (42-14 over Greenville), No. 3 Emanuel County Institute (46-12 over Gordon Lee) and No. 4 Seminole County (36-7 over Commerce) all won by an average margin of nearly 30 points.
The biggest surprise was probably Seminole County’s blowout of No. 13 Commerce, a proud program that is sliding a bit. Seminole (9-2) handed the Tigers (5-6) their worst playoff loss since a 1991 loss to Oglethorpe County (36-8). Commerce, which won two state titles and 17 region championships since it began competing in football in 1909, is a mediocre 32-35 since 2007, and has not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2006.
FPD over Brookstone biggest of four private school upsets
First Presbyterian (7-4), the No. 13 seed on the private school side, raced to a 21-0 lead and hung on to knock off No. 4 Brookstone (8-3), 49-33, in Columbus. The lower seed was victorious in three other private school first round contests.
No. 9 Prince Avenue Christian (9-2) took out No. 8 Darlington (7-4) in Rome, 42-21, as Bryce Huff ran for three touchdowns. No. 11 George Walton Academy (8-3) got 224 yards rushing and four touchdowns from junior Stanley “Boom” Williams, en route to a 38-12 win over No. 6 Aquinas (8-3). The Bulldogs rolled up more than 400 yards on the ground while holding the Irish’s Brendan Douglas, who committed to Georgia Tech, to just 56.
And Landmark (8-3) is at it again. The War Eagles, who won four road playoff games last season before falling to Savannah Christian in the state title game, defeated Calvary Day (9-2), 10-7, in Savannah, on the strength of 223 yards of total offense for junior running back Jeremiah Kirkland – 187 yards rushing on 31 carries and a touchdown, and 2 catches for 36 yards. The game wasn’t as close as it seemed as the Cavaliers didn’t score until there were 13 seconds left in the game.
Athens Academy, Walker remain perfect
The two undefeated teams in Class A remain that way after Round 1. Athens Academy (11-0), the No. 1 seed on the private school side, trailed 13-0 going into the fourth quarter but willed itself to a 17-13 win over Mt. Pisgah (6-5) to move into the quarterfinals. Sophomore receiver Eric Williams and senior quarterback Austin Schulte got the Spartans’ comeback going when they hooked up on a 61-yard touchdown to narrow the gap to 13-7 early in the fourth quarter.
Walker (11-0), the No. 3 seed, also trailed early – 7-6 at halftime – but rallied as well to take a 28-7 victory over Athens Christian (4-7). Senior Evan Kasian led the way for the Wolverines with 183 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 21 carries. It was the first playoff win in the 12-year history of the Walker program.
ELCA, Savannah Christian advance
No. 2 seed Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy and No. 7 Savannah Christian both built 28-point halftime leads and cruised to first round victories. ELCA (10-1) got 80 yards rushing on 8 carries from senior Keyante Green, a Purdue commit, and held off No. 15 Our Lady of Mercy (6-5), 42-14. Savannah Christian (8-3) drilled Holy Innocents (6-5) 35-17, behind senior Ivan Reese’s 87 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Savannah Christian, the defending Class A champions, will travel to McDonough next week to face ELCA in a game many believe will produce the eventual private school champion.
Trion triumphs, Wilkinson rallies, Marion dumps Charlton
Trion, the No. 11 seed, pulled the biggest upset on the public schools side as the Bulldogs (9-2) continued their best season since 2003 by blasting No. 6 Irwin Co., 31-6, in Ocilla, nearly five hours from home. Cory Bethune ran for two scores the passed for another the lead the way.
No. 9 Wilkinson County (8-3) got a late touchdown to prevail over No. 8 Miller County (8-3), 27-26, in Colquitt. No. 7 Marion County (9-2) brought the nightmare season for Charlton County (5-6) to an end as the Eagles prevailed 31-12 in Buena Vista. Charlton finished below .500 for the first time since 1989, the year prior to the arrival of head coach Rich McWhorter.
Region records
Region 8 has the bragging rights after the first round of the playoffs going 3-1 as Athens Academy, Prince Avenue and George Walton all advanced. Meanwhile, Region 2 went 1-3 as Wilcox County is now the only team from that league – made up of all public schools – left in the tournament. Here are the other records (*keep in mind that Region 5, Mercy-ELCA, and Region 7, Hancock Central-Lincoln County, were at a disadvantage as two teams faced each other in the first round):
Region 1: 1-1
Region 3: 2-1
Region 4: 2-2
*Region 5: 2-2
Region 6: 2-2
*Region 7: 3-2
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109 comments Add your comment
J.T. Walker
November 26th, 2012
9:48 am
@bulldog1984- Thanks for the info and sorry for the intrigue. I’m looking forward to seeing Williams play Friday.
@Swamp Lizard- Best of luck to UF as well. I hope the SEC rolls through the bowl season. Funny how everyone points out Georgia didn’t play Bama, LSU, or A&M but no one noticed Bama didn’t play UGA, UF, or USC. Speaking of weak schedules, this Friday will definitely be Walker’s toughest game to date- I’m hoping we prove we belong. My ELCA-Sav. Christian pick is totally selfish- I’d love another home playoff game. If not, Walker Fan and I will sit next to you on 12/7 and tell you how great the Chargers are the whole game!
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
9:51 am
@BehindEnemyLines: Thanks for the background info. At some point in the next few weeks, I plan to do a blog piece on the subject “Where Do We Go From Here?” where I talk to coaches from the traditional powers that struggled this season (Savage at Commerce, Dickerson at Clinch, McWhorter at Charlton) and ask them what they think went wrong the season and what needs to happen to get the program back to its tradtional level, and I also talk to coaches with teams on the come up (East at Walker, Earwood at Mercy, Brooks at Athens Christian, etc.) to get their thoughts on how they take their programs to the next level.
Thanks for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
gh2o
November 26th, 2012
10:30 am
STC, appreciate your coverage. I think it’s apparent that much of the “where do we go” is largely dependent on population growth in some of these areas. Also, the talent pools of schools with 250 TOTAL kids in their high school varies greatly from year to year. To be able to reload every year is simply not a possibility with these teams. Some years, there are just great band members and not so good football players! In the end, what I hope to see is kids graduating and moving on to college to improve their conditions. Everyone wants/strives to win the championship (as it should be). However, winning and losing with grace is far more important than a trophy. Here’s to getting these kids a solid eduation with the added benefit of what is learned on the football fields!
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
10:39 am
@1gadawg: I was covering what will go down as one of the top 10 games in Georgia high school playoff history — Carrollton at Marist. Awesome game!
Unfortunately, I missed all but two Mercy games this season — Mt. Paran and Mt. Vernon. Next season, my plan is to not cover games but still do the Class A blog, so that I can see my son’s senior sesaon.
As always, thanks for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
11:03 am
@gh2o: Very well said, gh2o. Very well said!
Thanks for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
Steven
November 26th, 2012
12:35 pm
I am a savannah Christian fan. However, I have heard that the public school in that county lost its certification and Elca recruited the public school players and paid them cash!! Can someone verify this.
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
12:53 pm
@bulldog 1984: Thanks for the inside info. Very interesting. But unless there was an official from GWA at the “lunch” who was actively trying to get Williams and his dad to transfer, there’s nothing wrong here.
If he lives in Barrow County, he would have needed a waiver from the GHSA in order to be eligible to play varsity last season. Did he suit up for GWA last season? I don’t remember. The GHSA has been known to grant such waivers, if a legitimate case can be made for not forcing a kid to sit out a season.
Not sure why he left The Chee, but I guess he and his family had their reasons. And I’m curious, why do you think him moving over to GWA will eventually “curse” your program? That’s interesting coming from a GWA supporter.
Thanks as always for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
J.T. Walker
November 26th, 2012
12:58 pm
@Steven- I think Swamp Lizard will verify most of what you write about. I hear they all get a new car and live in a luxury condo right on campus too. If you hear rumors of classes being optional, those are unfounded but I believe a State Championship earns everyone straight A’s!
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
1:03 pm
@Steven: I have NEVER heard of a school losing “certification.” Perhaps you meant “accreditation,” which comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and a handful of other agencies (although SACS is the most widely known in the South).
School districts are “accredited” by SACS and there is an individual school “accreditation” as well. But the individual accreditation is more of an “honor” or an extra feather in the cap of a school. It does speak to school quality, but not being an “accredited” school does not mean that the school or the students suffer some penalty because of it. This is counter to a school DISTRICT loosing “accreditation,” which can mean that graduates from high schools in that district may be prevented from receiving federal aid.
So to answer your question (sorry for the diatribe), NO, the Henry County Schools DID NOT lose accreditation. Clayton County (one county north of Henry) did for a few months, but had their accreditation reinstated.
As for the “cash payments” to students, that’s pretty funny. I’m sure that didn’t happen. Please don’t sully ELCA (or any other private school for that matter) with such nonsense.
Thanks for reading and posting.
S. Thomas Coleman
Monroe's First Redcoat
November 26th, 2012
1:08 pm
Thomas – Williams did play toward the end of the season last year after the transfer.
Also, Savage retired at Commerce after the ‘10 season. HC now is Marvin Justice.
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
1:14 pm
@Monroe’s First: Thanks for the info on Williams. If he lived in Barrow County at the time he transferred to GWA, his family must have made a strong case to the GHSA in order for him to be granted a waiver. That would not be unprecedented. It happens.
And you’re right. I meant Coach Justice, not Savage. Thanks again for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
J.T. Walker
November 26th, 2012
1:19 pm
@STC- Please clarify the transfer from public to private eligibility rule. Everything I’ve read or been told makes believe a student would have to sit a year unless they officially change residences or are granted a hardship waiver. Under what rule can a student transfer public to private and not sit if he/she does not move? Also, boosters and alumni are considered extensions of the school for purposes of finding undue influence according to the GHSA constitution. Do you know of any examples of this rule being enforced?
1gadawg
November 26th, 2012
1:28 pm
@steven – If that’s the case, I want my money back. My son is a D-1 athlete and did not receive a penny when they recruited him for 1st grade 12 years ago. Seriously, I think you are trolling but my son did sign D1.
@swamp lizard – I’m trying to get some of the Savannah fans to come up early and eat. Are you in?
@s Coleman – which game will you be attending this week
Walker Fan
November 26th, 2012
1:43 pm
Regarding the GHSA waiver thing…I believe the reason it often works when transferring from public to private is that most private schools have specific religious affiliation. If a student cites religious reasons for the transfer, it is always approved immediately such that there is “sit out” year. The GHSA will not touch the transfer based on religion reason with a ten foot pole and would never do anything that seems to conflict with it…like making a player sit for a year…they would not want to appear to be against someone’s religious committment…even if based on football. FYI, Walker is one of three non-religion affiliated private schools that I can think of (most of which are Christian), hence the strong student populations of Muslim, Jewish, and other faiths at Walker…along with Christian. Last year, we had a junior transfer from California. GHSA told Walker he could not play football for Walker for a year because he did not reside in Cobb County…even though his family moved from California for work reasons. We did not have the religion fast-pass transfer option and still do not that the various Christian schools have.
Walker Fan
November 26th, 2012
1:45 pm
I meanto to say NO sit-out year in the prior post!!!
Walker Fan
November 26th, 2012
1:54 pm
By the way, besides the Religion fast-pass waiver that GHSA grants without question, I believe the one other significant way to fast pass the waiver process is to cite lack of a specific academic program at one’s home school as the reason for transferring and thereby gaining immediate waiver…as in, “my local public school has no program in ancient cuniform writing practiced by the long defunct Sumarians and therefore I need to transfer to xCA (fill in the x Christian Academy), where they have a burdgeoning program filled with football playing, budding ancient Sumaria scholars…and oh by the way, I should not have to sit out a year, because I plan on carrying by deep knowledge of Sumarian cuniform writing to my D1 college team from whom I already have an offer.
Red, White, & Blue
November 26th, 2012
2:03 pm
@Walker Fan – Definitely think your team is a solid contender and being overlooked. Y’all are definitely the best we played and the only other team besides Athens Academy we lost to when going in at full strength. Kasian is the real deal and is like trying corral a greased pig, but you are right- your “bookends” are the key to your team as they tend to disrupt an offense before it can get going. I think if you were on our side of the bracket, y’all could book your tickets to the dome and a date with ELCA! My advice for GWA would be to run that big fullback of yours McPherson more often and keep em’ guessing when Kasian will get the ball. As good and effective as he has been, I bet he would end up with more yards on less carries. Good luck- we’re hoping you continue to sneak up on folks and show em’ what weak little ol’ Region 6 can do- we almost did!
gh2o
November 26th, 2012
2:09 pm
Williams didn’t play until the school notified him he was able to play. My understanding is the family moved into Walton County, from Barrow. Somehow, I don’t think anyone has more information than the schools have on this transfer. If Chee were upset about it, they know the route in which to file a formal complaint. Do these schools recruit? Sure. I have seen several billboards from GWA, Prince Ave, ELCA, et al. But they aren’t running around football fields trying to pull kids into their programs. I watched a public school coach directly approach my son at a FCA meeting to tell him he’d like to have him back in his program. I just shook it off and moved on.
Swamp Lizard
November 26th, 2012
2:10 pm
@ 1gadawg ….. yes, I’d love to meet any and all Sav Christians fans coming up for the game. Set it up !!
Swamp Lizard
November 26th, 2012
2:18 pm
@ Steven & JT Walker …… it is true about ALL ELCA players …. I’m curretly working 60 hours a week to do my part …. I have sponsored three very good football players this year ….. all with hopes of signing with SEC schools. They are also driving new F-150s ( sponsored by Allen Vigil Ford ). It’s also true about the condo’s ….. that’s where my OT money goes …. for rent.
……. Steven, come up and eat dinner with us Friday night before the game ( details to come ).
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
2:50 pm
@J.T. Walker: When transfering from public to private, if you are moving to a private school in a county other than the one in which you live, then you must sit out a year UNLESS you file a request for a waiver from that rule.
“Walker Fan” talks about one of the grounds — religious preference — that some families use as the grounds for that appeal. However, there are many others. For instance, if you can show proof/stats that the public school you were attending has “discipline issues” and you would like to be in a “more safe” learning environment, the GHSA might be willing to grant your waiver on those grounds as well.
Mercy Fan
November 26th, 2012
3:00 pm
Red, White and Blue: I beg to differ. Our Lady of Mercy could have scored 60 on you guys if Coach Earwood hadn’t called off the dogs. As it was, you scored a late touchdown on the JV to make the score a bit more respectable — 42-14.
Truth be told, WE were the first team to “expose” Athens Academy, and their fans will tell you as much. They got a 60-yard touchdown on a missed tackle by a back up DB (kid had never played corner before until this year) with a minute left in the game to beat us. We could have put the game away on the series prior to that one but they got a bogus block in the back call on a 70-yard punt return down to their 4 yard line. They were cheering when the final Power Ranking came out and showed that we had moved up to No. 15, and they didn’t have to face us again.
If the Power Ranking system didn’t have us playing ELCA in the first round, Mercy could have made a very deep run. In fact, put Mercy in Region 6 and we win the league going away, including whoever we would have met in the crossover game. If you don’t believe it, go ask the coaches at Whitefield Academy, WHO REFUSED TO SCHEDULE US this season after we destroyed them on the last game of last season. Instead they agreed to a scrimmage that we would have won 50-0 if it were played like a real game.
jocotrojan
November 26th, 2012
3:13 pm
JOCO could of played Seminole a heck of a lot better than Commerce… 5-5 scrub team!
Walker Fan
November 26th, 2012
3:59 pm
@Mercy Fan…regarding putting you in Region 6 and you winning going away…actually, if you had been in region 6, you would have become magically much worse than the entire rest of georgia Class A, just like the other 14 teams in Region 6 are, or so all of the folks on this forum claim. Be glad you were not in region 6, or you would have magically sucked, and not been the great team that you are…because remember…all teams in region 6 are bad…i finally understand it and accept what I have been told.
Red, White, & Blue
November 26th, 2012
4:38 pm
@Mercy Fan – Was definitely impressed with your running backs and team speed, but the game would have been much different had our starting QB had been able to go, along with a few others against you. (Remember, we went right down the field against your starting defense on the opening drive and scored with our backup QB.) Unfortunately, we do not have the depth that even most A schools have, so when one of our skill starters goes down like in our game with you or in the 2nd half against Athens Academy, we really suffer. Definitely think y’all would have made some noise in the playoffs if you had not been paired with ELCA, but as far as running away with Region 6, I think y’all would have been surprised with Walker’s defense as I’m expecting GWA and possibly more will be.
bulldog 1984
November 26th, 2012
4:46 pm
STC….the round real estate agent is the guy doing the dirty work. Just like college football. Alumni are taking care of all needs through this guy that has a very close relationship with the coaches or should I say the head coach. Williams did move abruptly from Barrow County to Walton County. He moved about 8 miles from Apalachee to an apartment complex owned by the round real estate agents good friend. I do not believe the administrative staff at GWA knows very much about what is going on with their student athletes. That is smart on their part.
STC….The curse has already hurt moral among other players their families and the young (future Bulldogs) that see that working towards earning a position on the varsity playing field will depend on who the round real estate agent pulls in from year to year. I want my child to have an opportunity to represent his school whether or not a state championship is involved or not. It has become all about winning and I do not believe these are the standards that the administrative staff at GWA wants to represent. GHSA HAS TO DO MORE!! There was no hardship. His parents did not change jobs. They just found someone that would help them bend the rules. GWA is not the school that was founded in 1969. I know times change things but it is hard for me to sit back and watch as the school changes its code of ethics.
Mercy Fan
November 26th, 2012
4:46 pm
Walker Fan: Ha-Ha! Sarcasm will get you nowhere!
Just stating the facts. We pounded three of the top four teams on your side of the region (Mt. Pisgah, Mt. Paran and Whitefield Academy). In fact, playing those teams HURT our power ranking. We would have been better off playing teams in our county from higher classifications, like McIntosh and Starr’s Mill — two teams I think we would have beaten, by the way, this year.
And STC has the Region 6 playoff record wrong. You guys went 2-3, not 2-2. Sorry, but the fact of the matter is that your region was weak this season. It is what it is. The Power Ranking Gods smiled on you and pitted you against an Athens Christian team in Round 1 that was the ONLY team in Class A to make the playoffs with a losing record!!! They got in by playing three AAA teams and racking up points.
Still, Region 6 was the weakest in Class A, except for maybe Region 1. But congratulations on winning the region title (sincerely). That’s something I nor anyone else can take away from The Walker School, your kids or your coaches. Good luck on Friday night.
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
5:02 pm
@bulldog 1984: Thanks for your candor. As for the GHSA, I think they are showing that if they are presented with enough hard evidence, they will act. Not sure how much “hard evidence” you have on this matter though. And at this point, even if they found there was something illegal done, all they would most likely do is make GWA forfeit the games he played in LAST season. He’s been there a year now, legally.
And if the morale of the program is suffering, that’s sad. If what you are saying is true, maybe you and other like-minded parents need to have a conversation with your administrators.
Thanks for reading and posting.
S. Thomas Coleman
S. Thomas Coleman
November 26th, 2012
5:04 pm
@bulldog 1984: And your “round real estate agent” reference is hilarious! Priceless!
S. Thomas Coleman
Walker Fan
November 26th, 2012
5:13 pm
@Mercy Fan…what hurt your power ranking more than your wins over Class A teams, was the losses to Class A teams. You would have been better off winning those games as well…then your power rating would have been higher.
innocent bystander
November 26th, 2012
5:13 pm
@ Redcoat………I totally agree that S.C is a super program that has been nearly unstoppable for the past 3 yrs., but graduating the whole Championship run team is hard to recover from in 1 season. Have you actually watched ELCA ? I know big game experience helps, but very few of the S.C kids have it, since most of them didn’t see the field last year. Chumley and his staff are second to none, but ELCA has WAY too much talent and Gess & his staff are no joke ! One common theme in theses posts is everyone’s eagerness to bring up the past or last year. This is THIS SEASON, and history or tradition aint gonna be dressing out Friday night ! ELCA gave up 86 point all season,!!! Less than any other team in the state ! 24 were to WACO & 20 were to Clinch Co. on our J.V after we had them 40-0 @ halftime. Why isn’t anyone mentioning that DEFENSE in their posts ??? It could obviously go either way Friday, but don’t be surprised if ELCA hangs 50 on S.C.
Mercy Fan
November 26th, 2012
5:15 pm
Red, White and Blue: That was a nice opening drive. But like all good coaches do, we made a couple of adjustments, mostly with our pass rush, and that was that. Our corners, Rashard Fant (should be All State, committed to Indiana, fastest kid in Class A football) and Christian Coleman (just a JUNIOR) but your kid Oz Dixon into cold storage. They took it personal how one of the reporters in the North Fulton paper talked about Oz’s great playmaking ability and how the new Patriot spread offense was proving to be unstoppable.
Not to take anything away from Walker, but if we played them 10 times we probably win 8 or 9. Not saying we would have blown them out. But we would have beaten them.
And we won games this year without consistent QB play, which is nearly impossible. Watch out for our QB next season, Jamison Vest, who didn’t become the fulltime starter until Game 7 or 8. He’s just a sophomore, but he is a legit BEAST. So for those out there thinking that Mercy is just a flash in the pan that will fall off after Rashard moves on to resurrect the Hoosier football program, think again!
Mercy Fan
November 26th, 2012
5:25 pm
Walker Fan: You are exactly right!! We lost to Landmark in OT and should have beaten them in regulation. We had a long touchdown run called back in that one on a bogus blocking below the waist call when one of our kids fell and a Landmark kid tripped over him.
We lost to Holy Innocents by 6 without Rashard Fant (one of the best players in the state), but still should have beaten them. Too many missed tackles by us and inconsistent QB play. And as I’ve said previously, Athens Academy ESCAPED more than they actually WON the game. Even though they soaked the field prior to the game to slow us down, we still had them on the brink but let them off the hook.
And ELCA is ELCA. People can hate on them all they want, but those kids work hard, they play hard, they are abundantly talented, have size and speed and they are well coached. Put that all together and you have the 2012 Class A champion, in my opinion. I thnik they beat anybody on the public school side by at least 10 points — that includes Lincoln, Wilcox or ECI.
We lost to good Class A teams but should have beaten three of those teams (Athens Academy, Holy Innocents and Landmark). But wudda, cudda, shudda doesn’t get you any Power Ranking points.
innocent bystander
November 26th, 2012
5:28 pm
@ J.T Walker……….I would like to know what on earth makes you think S.C, or any other team, is going to score 28 on ELCA’s defense ??? Is there any type of statistic to substantiate that insanity ? WACO couldn’t do it & we gave them a TD on a bad snap to our punter. That is probably the boldest statement anyone has made yet ! Refer to my post to Redcoat and look at how ELCA’s Defense absolutely DOMINATED ALL YEAR ! S.C is real good, but not that good.
gh2o
November 26th, 2012
7:13 pm
@nonBulldogfan1984….how about you take your accusations to the administration. I’d be happy to sit in the room with you and listen to what you have to say, as someone not on the administration. I know Williams’ parents and godfather (who, by they way, attended GWA and wanted to see Williams reap the same benefits). You are barking up the wrong tree. I can’t beileve you actually attended GWA and have ANY real idea of what’s going on at the school. I commend parents who wish to see that their son is able to pass classes once he gets to UGA. I’m sorry you have a problem with that. And I don’t see any of the kids having problems with Williams, as he is a wonderful kid to be around and fits in great with the others. GWA has sacrificed absolutely NOTHING to accept this nice, polite young man into its fold, and for you to suggest otherwise is plain igorance.
gh2o
November 26th, 2012
7:21 pm
@STC….i’m disappointed you are encouraging the comments made my bulldog1984. He is clearly disgruntled. You seriously don’t think that GHSA didn’t sniff that Williams transfer every which way to Sunday? The kid had verbally committed to UGA before transferring. He DID move. He DID have very valid reasons for wanting to attend the school. And he IS a great kid, who has had nothing but positive rammifications on the program. Of course, he could also be some idiot parent from another school who is unhappy they didn’t win a game or two. Who knows why someone would feel the need to make such disparaging comments about a young man!? And cryptic comments about a real estate agent is about as nuts as it comes. Some people are just haters.
innocent bystander
November 26th, 2012
7:29 pm
@ Walker Fan…. I like your picks for this Friday. I would love to see ELCA vs Walker. Good luck with G.W !
gh2o
November 26th, 2012
7:41 pm
Oh, and I still think the biggest statement game on Friday came from the 38-12 (could have been worse than the score) win by GWA over a very strong Aquinas team, who was at full strength for the first time since early in the season. Take a look at the Augusta Chronicle and read the Aquinas’ coach comments. He didn’t whine about anyone playing unfair. He basically said that GWA came in and smacked them in the mouth…that they hadn’t seen anything like that this year. And that was after the boys road about 3 hours on a bus to face an opposing team that the AJC said would win by 10. Props to their players, fans and coaches for having class and being wonderful hosts (I sure do wish they would get some lights down there, though).
J.T. Walker
November 26th, 2012
8:51 pm
@Mercy Fan- If brevity is the soul of wit, sarcasm is her evil twin. We both beat our common opponents and, although you spanked our rival MPCS a little harder (thank you, btw), we beat SACA by 50 while you squeaked by with a one point win.
Seriously, I’m interested in how your JV team compares with your Varsity. How much of a dropoff is there? We have several common opponents on the JV schedule with similar outcomes and the game at Walker was pretty close. Might bode well for some great games in the coming years…
J.T. Walker
November 26th, 2012
9:05 pm
@ innocent bystander- Read my subsequent post. That pick is based entirely on my selfish desire to have another home playoff game. But for that, I’d rather see ELCA win. For you I will revise my prediction: ELCA will struggle offensively but dominate on D not letting Sav. Christian past the 50 all night. Up 7-0 late in the 4th, ELCA snaps the ball over the punter’s head and Sav. Christain recovers in the endzone for a TD. Fake PAT kick for 2 pt conversion. Sav Christian 8 ELCA 7.
If that doesn’t happen, ELCA rolls 42-0 and I’ll sit between you and SL on 12/7 and tell you how good ELCA is the whole game!
J.T. Walker
November 26th, 2012
9:31 pm
@STC- So if a kid tranfers from Pope to Mt. Paran without his family changing residency he can play right away, but if a kid moves to Woodstock in Cherokee County from California and chooses Walker he has to sit a year because Walker is in Cobb County?
If a kid tranfers from Whitefield to Pebblebrook (without moving) does he have to sit a year?
Thanks for the memories
November 26th, 2012
9:49 pm
Good luck to all the teams this week. I hope the boys enjoy every minute of the playoffs. To the seniors, thanks for all your leadership over the years. You have set a high standard for the players follwoing in your large shoes or spikes as the case may be.
Let’s hope sportmanship prevails this weekend regardless of the outcome.
red raider for life
November 26th, 2012
10:03 pm
why is SCPS playing ELCA in the 2nd round ? Did old man Larry from Lincoln County draw up this bracket to get SCPS out early ? He has controlled and Jim Jones’ed the whole GHSA . I heard he demanded the state title be sent to him or he was going to demand every single public and private school be banned from the playoffs next year with his team Lincoln being the only team in the playoffs.
red raider for life
November 26th, 2012
10:07 pm
If old man Larry at Lincoln or his disciples read this…..all time record SCPS 3 WINS, Lincoln County ZERO…..if you can’t beatem whine and cry so you don;t have to play them again….LOSER
Monroe's First Redcoat
November 26th, 2012
11:57 pm
@ Innocent bystander: FWIW, I have no dog in either team’s fight. Just looking at records and scores past & present. Either way, ought to be a great game, but the only one I’m really interested in is in AAAA with Monroe Area – South Effingham. Pulling for my Hurricanes, baby!!!!!!
Innocent Bystander
November 27th, 2012
6:59 am
@ J.T Walker………..Me & Swamp Lizard will save you a seat !
Swamp Lizard
November 27th, 2012
7:46 am
@ Walker Fan & J.T. Walker …… I do wish Walker well this Friday …. I have a close friend, his son plays at GW. I’ve seen them play this year and believe me, it’s not a one man team, they have a few “players” …. I think you’ll be very impressed with the QB too. Either way, if y’all want to hook up the following Friday we will.
Swamp Lizard
November 27th, 2012
9:07 am
@ Innocent Bystander …. you going to meet us before the game Friday night and eat with the Sav Christian fans?
S. Thomas Coleman
November 27th, 2012
9:36 am
@J.T. Walker: Let me try to tackle your questions.
You Said: So if a kid tranfers from Pope to Mt. Paran without his family changing residency he can play right away, but if a kid moves to Woodstock in Cherokee County from California and chooses Walker he has to sit a year because Walker is in Cobb County?
Answer: The first part is a “yes,” because Mt. Paran is in Cobb County, same as Pope. The second part is a bit trickier, but I think the kid would be eligible to play right away because he moved from out of state and was never a Cherokee County School System student. I think that kid would be OK to play right away at Walker, even though he/she lives in Woodstock.
You Said: If a kid tranfers from Whitefield to Pebblebrook (without moving) does he have to sit a year?
Answer: No, I don’t believe he/she would have to sit out. Same rule applies because both are in Cobb County. If there were some question as to why the kid was leaving Whitefield, the family could say the paying tuition is hurting the household finances. There is a very prominent senior player in Georgia right now who went through this and was allowed to play.
Hope that helps.
S. Thomas Coleman
S. Thomas Coleman
November 27th, 2012
9:39 am
@gh2o: I don’t believe I “encouraged” bulldog 1984’s comments at all. I simply told him that if he had hard evidence, he needs to submit it to the GHSA, and if he and other families don’t like the way GWA is going about its business with transfer student athletes then they need to speak with the administration. I don’t see that as encouraging him/her at all.
Thanks for reading and posting.
S. Thomas Coleman