Class A Blog: Unbeatens Athens Academy, Walker fall hard, Grace and Howard put on a show
By S. Thomas Coleman
For the AJC
Remember last week when it looked like all the parity was on the private school side? That theory went out the window in the quarterfinal round as all four games were won by at least two touchdowns, and both previously undefeated teams were thumped soundly.
On the public school side, two of the games were decided by 14 points or more.
And it looks like Regions 5 and 8 have lived up to their billing as the two best in Class A. Region 5 teams, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy and Landmark Christian, went 2-0 on Friday while Region 8 teams – Athens Academy, George Walton Academy and Prince Avenue Christian – were 2-1. Here’s a look at the region records after two rounds:
Region 1: 1-2
Region 2: 2-3
Region 3: 3-2
Region 4: 3-3
Region 5: 4-2
Region 6: 2-5
Region 7: 4-4
Region 8: 5-3
Undefeated no more
The dream seasons ended for No. 1 Athens Academy and No. 3 Walker. In Athens, No. 9 Prince Avenue Christian (10-2) avenged a regular season loss to the Spartans (11-1) by turning up the defensive intensity in a 24-7 win. The Wolverine defense held Athens Academy to just 24 yards rushing and forced three turnovers in a game PAC dominated from the outset. The Wolverines will host Landmark Christian in next week’s private school semi finals.
In Marietta, Walker (11-1) was drilled by No. 11 George Walton Academy (9-3), 37-7, as Stanley “Boom” Williams ran for 225 yards on 18 carries, including touchdown runs of 60 and 65 yards. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs held Walker’s Evan Kasian, the leading rusher in Class A, to 99 yards on 17 carries, with most of it coming later in the game against GWA reserves. In the first half, Kasian had 21 yards on 10 carries. Still, the senior made a strong case for being named Class A Offensive Player of the Year by finishing the season with 2, 081 yards, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. GWA will travel to McDonough to face No. 2 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy in next week’s private semi finals.
ELCA still rolling
They say you have to beat the man to be the man. No. 2 ELCA (11-1) trounced the man on Friday. The Chargers knocked off defending Class A champion No. 7 Savannah Christian 42-7. Junior quarterback Dalton Etheridge led the way with 251 yards of total offense, which included completing 15-of-20 passes for 177 yards and two touchdown passes — one to Davis Carrandi and one to DJ Curl.
Defensively, ELCA held the Raiders (8-4) to less than 100 yards, as the Chargers forced two turnovers including an interception by Curl.
What is even scarier is that ELCA was without All State linebacker/running back and Purdue commit Keyante Green, who sat most of the game due to a leg injury he suffered in last week’s win over Our Lady of Mercy. Filling the void with stellar play was running back Lane Timpson (56 yards on nine carries and a touchdown) and linebacker Alex Jerreat. The Chargers will host George Walton Academy in next week’s semi finals.
Grace, Howard propel Wilcox
Simply put, Wilcox County (10-2) quarterback Mikail Grace and receiver Johnathan Howard are the best 1-2 tandem in Georgia high school football. Period. End of story.
Grace completed 27-of-33 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns, and still found time to run for 129 yards and a score, while Howard caught 12 passes for 140 yards as the Patriots downed No. 7 Marion County (9-3), 39-21. Wilcox led 14-0 early and 26-7 by halftime. It was win No. 100 for Wilcox head coach Mark Ledford. The Patriots will host No. 3 Emanuel County Institute in next week’s public semi finals.
Landmark won’t go away
Last season, No. 12 Landmark (9-3) won five consecutive road games to advance to the Class A final. This season the War Eagles earned a home game in the second round and made the most of it, pulling away from No. 13 First Presbyterian Day (7-5), 38-24.
Junior running back Jeremiah Kirkland did most of the damage, rushing for 214 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns. Kirkland gained 142 yards in the second half as he helped Landmark increase a 14-7 halftime lead to 38-17 at the end of the third quarter. Landmark will get back on the road next week to Bogart, to face Prince Avenue Christian in the semi finals.
Lincoln still alive and well
While the top seeded private school went down, No. 1 on the public side, Lincoln County, remains in the hunt for a title.
The Red Devils (11-1) edged Region 7 foe No. 9 Wilkinson County (8-4), 28-22, to advance to the public school semi finals. With the score tied at 14, Lincoln’s Jamar Norman returned a punt 37 yards for a touchdown to give the Red Devils a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Lincoln offensive line, which paved the way for more than 300 yards of offense, took over in the game’s final 5 minutes, helping running back Mike McIntire, who finished with 139 yards rushing and two touchdowns, run out to clock and keep Warrior senior quarterback David Whipple and his offense off of the field. Whipple finished with 237 yards passing. Lincoln will host No. 5 Dooly County in next week’s semi finals.
ECI feels good
Emanuel County Institute running back James Brown scored on an 80-yard touchdown in the third quarter to help the No. 3 Bulldogs (11-1) pull away from No. 11 Trion (9-3), 27-10. Brown finished with 179 yards rushing. ECI will travel to Rochelle to face Wilcox in one public semi final.
Dooly moves on
AJ Smith helped No. 5 Dooly County (10-2) erase a two-touchdown deficit and advance to the semi finals with a 34-28 win over No. 4 Seminole County (9-3). Smith finished with 255 yards passing and four touchdowns, including a 24-yarder to Kris Lundy early in fourth quarter to provide the margin of victory for the Bobcats, who will now travel to Lincolnton to face Lincoln County in the semi finals.
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75 comments Add your comment
digging deeper
December 4th, 2012
8:24 pm
Mr. Water
Your son is a great player and a good kid. Explain to him the truth about what is going on around him. It will make it easier on him.
Innocent Bystander
December 4th, 2012
10:50 pm
@ nourstuff……….like i said. Everyone knows someone who knew someone that got recruited. That’s usually code for “my team sucks and I’d rather blame it on another school than to think that maybe we’re not that good”. Is your real name Larry Campbell ????????
S. Thomas Coleman
December 5th, 2012
9:10 am
@digging deeper: Could you email me and let me know more about your previous post, mentioning evidence that was supposedly submitted to the GHSA on Monday? I’d like to look into it.
Thanks for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
s.thomascoleman@yahoo.com
S. Thomas Coleman
December 5th, 2012
9:36 am
@nourstuff and @Walker Fan: Again, CAREFUL with the “recruiting innuendo.” (Walker Fan, I brought your name into this — please, don’t take offense — because you have made comments in the past about it being statistically impossible for a team like ELCA — or GWA, for that matter — to have so many good football players with such small student populations — which implies recruiting, somewhat.)
If the familly of a good athlete makes the first contact with a school/coaches, public or private, and the school/coaches accept the call and then go on to talk about what the school has to offer in terms of academics, athletics, social life, college readiness and other extra curricular activities, that is NOT recruiting, UNLESS the school aids the family in moving or provides some sort of other illegal benefit that helps enhance or expedite the process of transfering.
On the OTHER HAND, if the school/coaches — public or private — approach the family first, THAT is recruiting.
Does real recruiting go on in Georgia high school sports? Yes, but on both sides — public and private. When the GHSA is provided with sufficient evidence (Dr. Swearngin has said on many occasions that the organization does not have the resources to investigate claims, i.e., they don’t have the money to hire a private investigator or keep one on staff) it has shown that it will act accordingly.
Which is why I’m very curious about the comments made by “digging deeper.”
S. Thomas Coleman
Walker Fan
December 5th, 2012
10:16 am
@STC…let me clear. I can only speak to Walker. It is my opinion that Walker, given a large range of factors such as location, price, student body makeup, parents, avaiable activities, etc. etc, cannot achieve the highest level in class A (e.g. making the dome) without adding players from outside the current student body. I have excellent visibility into the athletic talents all the way down to the 2nd grade and although there are fine athletes, sufficient athletes who are appripriate to football do not exist to take that final steps up the mountain. We DO have everything we need to have winning seasons, to make the playoffs occasionally, to have great football experiences for the boys. Heck, it is apparent to me that just getting a 50+ man roster in Class A is a giant leap towards making the playoffs.
I do not know how the top football playing schools achieve the level they achieve. I can assure you that additional time in the weight room, etc. is valuable, but it would not get us there…apparently it gets others there…it does not get us 4.23 speed though, nor does it yield 345 poound lineman. Swamp has said repeatedly that success causes players to come to your school. I hope that is true for us. All I can speak to is Walker, given the range of factors involved. I do believe there are other similar schools with these same factors involved (e.g. Pace comes to mind and is especially interesting given their killer region…I will bet they wish for their old region).
gh2o
December 5th, 2012
11:09 am
Walker fan, I can tell you one of the reasons GWA has seen an increase in scholar atheletes. The strength of programs in neighboring areas allows for spill over to GWA. They draw students (and always have) from several different counties. Rockdale, Gwinnett, Barrow and Walton counties all send students there. It is a great, cost-effective alternative to some of the poorer public schools in those counties (I will exempt Gwinnett from that statement). But, if you look at nearly 4000 kids attending Grayson and Archer (Grayson community high schools), there are a LOT of atheletes at those schools who are looking for a place to play sports. Some go to GAC. Some go to GWA. Some go to Hebron. But the point is, with that many students, there are more than 2 quality quarterbacks roaming the halls. There are always going to be kids who aren’t given the academic attention they deserve at those schools. GWA offers a unique environment of about 15 kids per class room. THAT was a huge determining factor for where we sent our children. The fact that they could also play sports at a competitive level was not one of the top 3 reasons for sending our kids to that school, but it may be for others. I would not waste my time responding to idiotic claims by some on this board unless I truly believed in the quality of the school and its administration. And nobody cares more for their kids than the coaches at GWA. I feel that while my kids might receive better atheletic instruction at a large public school, they are receiving a superior education, provided by quality individuals who truly care for the kids. I can’t imagine the coaches or administration ever jeopardizing the current student atheletes by recruiting. I truly see their love for those kids. A desire to ruin that is simply not there.
gh2o
December 5th, 2012
11:12 am
@innocent bystander: Amen!
S. Thomas Coleman
December 5th, 2012
11:16 am
@Walker Fan: Point well taken. It’s just that previous statements you’ve made appear, to me and to others, to imply that it is nearly statistically impossible given the small student bodies for Class A private schools to have an abundance (I believe the number you used was 5 or 6) of top-flight players in each class that will allow it to get to the “mountain top” (i.e., win a championship) every year.
In reference to Swamp’s point, because of your success this season under Coach East, I’ll bet you have more than one or two parents pay a visit to the offices of Walker, either next semester or at the end of the school year, for the purpose of learning more about the school because they have an interest in possibly having their son attend.
In all of my years covering Georgia high school sports, this edict rings very true: “If you build it (i.e., a successful program with a track record of helping student-athletes get college scholarships) they will come.”
Thanks for reading and posting!
S. Thomas Coleman
S. Thomas Coleman
December 5th, 2012
11:20 am
@gh2o: To be fair, the VAST MAJORITY of coaches, teachers and administrators at public schools care deeply about their students and their students’ future success as well. Not that you were implying that public schools don’t care, but I wanted to make it point to point out that they do indeed.
Thanks for reading and posting.
S. Thomas Coleman
gh2o
December 5th, 2012
11:36 am
@STC: Certainly did not mean to imply otherwise. I know many public school teachers and they care deeply for their students and do everything possible to prepare them for life. I was only speaking to my experience with the GWA faculty. I will try not to give them any further accolades, as I wouldn’t want anyone to miscontrue it as “recruiting”!
S. Thomas Coleman
December 5th, 2012
1:11 pm
@gh2o: Oh by all means, continue to sing their praises! Educators at public and private schools deserve all the accolades that can be extended to them.
S. Thomas Coleman
Innocent Bystander
December 5th, 2012
5:15 pm
We have 2 great games coming up this Friday & we’re wasting time talking about why some schools can’t compete or pointing fingers at other teams for being good. Let’s talk about the match ups and who’s going to be in the Dome next Friday !!! I have ELCA vs Landmark, mainly because I don’t know a whole lot about Prince Ave. Someone please enlighten me.
Walker Fan
December 5th, 2012
7:20 pm
OK…ELCA by 21 and PAC by 7
gh2o
December 6th, 2012
12:28 am
@Walker Fan: have you seen ELCA play? @Innocent: Prince is fairly one dimensional. Their QB is small, but quick and a good ball handler. They stretch the field from East to West, but not North to South. Defense is well equipped and well coached. I haven’t seen Landmark, so I have no reference for comparison to say whether or not Prince can take them. You’ve seen GWA play and I would say GWA would beat Prince 8 or 9 out of 10 this year. But, again, they are very well coached, so expect them to hang in there. I understand that ELCA is good, but I do think GWA can hang in there against anyone in A or probably AA ball this year. If they play well, they can hang with anyone. I hope to see a little more from the QB this game. He hasn’t had to show much and is finally at 100%. It adds a whole new dimension when he can throw and be a threat to run. I think he only threw twice against Walker, simply because there was no need to run up the score. You probably noted his strength and accuracy with the 40 yard flag route. I have a tough time believing ELCA will win by 3 scores or by 40 as someone else said. But it’s nice being the underdog. Hope to see some of you guys in the dome for the championship game.
Innocent Bystander
December 6th, 2012
6:54 am
@ Walker Fan……I like your picks, but think ELCA will do way more Damage than that, @gh2o………I look forward to seeing G.W in person. What I’ve seen of them on youtube looks good, but not super impressive, which doesn’t mean a whole lot. I just haven’t seen the explosiveness on O or D that ELCA has shown all year. I may be wrong, but either way I hope its a great game. Best of luck
Walker Fan
December 6th, 2012
6:59 am
I watched three complete games on video of ELCA…I stand by my pick of ELCA by 21…they are a juggernaut for Class A ball. With that said, I think the state championship is really the game between GWA and ELCA in the semi’s. I think they are the two best remaining teams. WIth that said, I saw Landmark at the beginning of the season and it sounds as though they have really ramped it up since then. I know nothing of PAC…just picking them because I do not want to see a Landmark/ELCA final.
backrowobserver
December 6th, 2012
8:10 am
@gh2o. I also hope our QB will come to play this week. He has been inconsistant all year. Thank goodness for the addition of Williams. With the backfield we had last year it was evident that we were a “one and done” playoff team at best. The addition of Williams at running back, Demetrious at WR, OLB Holden and Brown at free saftey we now have a shot at a state title. Go Dawgs
hitsthefan
December 6th, 2012
8:50 am
@backrow I am pretty sure that was a dig at the newcomers. Sometimes people hear about a good thing and want to go. I think the team unity and team bonding is why GWA is deep in the play offs. Maybe walkers success will bring in superior athletes who want a great education. THe GWA education puts 100% of their graduating seniors in college!!! Maybe there is more to a transfer than football. The boys have embraced their new teammates and now the chemistry is perfect. Mason is a freshman so your dig their is unwarranted… “Holton” wanted a better education and so did Williams. Is it so bad that parents move to get their kids a better education? Go Dogs! Don’t let the outsiders bother you.
hitsthefan
December 6th, 2012
8:58 am
oh yeah and our QB play has been FINE!! He has played thru injury and sickness like a true competitor. These boys need our fans to be supportive, not feeling jilted because new people came in. They are 18 and under! KIDS!! Enjoy the playoffs stop trying to create drama!
gh2o
December 6th, 2012
1:29 pm
@hitsthefan: well said!
backrowobserver
December 6th, 2012
2:37 pm
@hitsthefan
You make it sound as if no school in the metro Atlanta area can offer an education except GWA. Stanley Williams could have gotten a great education at Apalachee highschool if that was his main objective. You can’t continue to be in such denial about his situation. Attending GWA for a better education has been abused to the point that is is unbelievable. You can’t make me believe that Holton was in a terrible learning enviroment either. As for Mason, his Bonafied Move is being looked into as we speak. Why did he practice with Apalachee last spring and just suddenly decide to transfer to GWA? For a better education. I know the line. “GWA education puts 100% of their graduating seniors in college!!!” I’ve been by that billboard several times myself and if you ride by and read it enough you start believing in this absurd statement. Don’t believe every billboard you see on the highway. The one new starter you did not mention was Brown at free saftey. A Monroe Highschool transfer that had no Bonafide move. I’m confident that his parents still live in the same homes they lived in prior to his transfer. I’m sure you’ll say Brown did it for a better education also. You continue to deny deny deny but sooner or a later this will be revealed. Sad
hitsthefan
December 6th, 2012
3:18 pm
@backrow by the way kids and their parents can choose any school they want to attend! It is a free country and you can choose what school you want for whatever reason you want! After choosing said school you must meet eligibility requirements for sports. They are kids, not property. They may have changed churches. Look into that too!!! Yes the education at GWA is a ton better than the Barrow County high schools!
hitsthefan
December 6th, 2012
3:20 pm
There are other schools, but they chose the one they wanted!
backrowobserver
December 6th, 2012
4:21 pm
So, let me get this straight, these athletes chose GWA for the superior academic achievements. I fully understand now. Sorry for thinking otherwise. Go Bulldogs. Ruff/Ruff
gh2o
December 6th, 2012
4:29 pm
@backrow: I will state it, again. I know, from the personal choices we made, our children attend GWA due to the academic environment. That is the FIRST criteria in selection of a school. I wanted them to attend a college prep school. They had the class size we preferred. In Barrow, the teachers have to teach to the lowest quartile. In a private school, they do not. They can ask a particular student to do additional work to catch up. They can provide tutors. They can, in effect, teach without having to teach only to the lowest quartile.
In this case, GWA was also a choice over others in the area (such as Loganville Christian Academy or Covenant Christian) because they DO have strong extra-curricular activities. The price was reasonable and teachers are willing to go the extra mile to work with parents/students. There’s not a student in that school (from K-12) who won’t look you in the eye when they address you. They say “yes sir” and “no sir”. There is structure and rules. Sure, the kids hate the uniforms, but as a parent, I think I probably save half the tuition just in clothes savings!
I’m sorry if you have issues with GWA. Nobody will be 100% happy in any situation. But please don’t detract from what these kids have done this year by your incessant whining and complaining about transfers. There are 22 starting positions in football and probably only 200 (max) eligible kids walking around GWA. If any young man wants to play football, they can earn a position. I think there are something like 12 or 13 seniors this year, and this is a VERY heavy year for seniors in the football program. Plenty of open spots on the 2013 squad.
What truly makes GWA is the effort of ALL of the administration, faculty, students AND parents. They all pull together and support their children. The VAST majority of games where we were visitors, we had more parents and fans attending the game than did the home team. Maybe THAT is why students and their parents make the choice to come to GWA?
As for any further response to ignorant accusations, I will simply ignore them. If there’s proof, I will be one of the first parents to want to see such proof. Until then, let the kids play and enjoy the sport!