Rambling the backroads of north -- as well as middle and south -- Georgia over the past few weeks has allowed plenty of time to ponder a few questions, and one in particular crops up each time I set out on assignment:
How incredible has the 2012-13 school year been for area sports teams.
As far as I can tell the best answer for that is: Historic.
Consider that northeast Georgia prep programs have tallied an incredible nine GHSA championships so far this campaign:
-- Banks County wrestling (duals)
-- Buford football and softball
-- Gainesville football and boys golf
-- Jefferson football and wrestling (duals and traditional)
-- Towns County girls cross country
And, thanks to North Hall baseball's impressive postseason run, that total has a good chance of extending to 10 when the Trojans play host to Cartersville in the Class AAA championship series -- with first pitch set for 5 p.m. Saturday in Gainesville (EDITOR'S NOTE: The series will be broadcast live on WDUN 102.9 FM).
There was also a near miss for Gainesville's boys basketball in the Class AAAAA finale, as well as a runner-up finish for Dawson County girls basketball. Meanwhile, six other area teams made state semifinal appearances: North Hall football, Towns County girls basketball, Buford and North Hall boys basketball, East Hall boys soccer and Buford girls soccer. Commerce wrestling also took third in both the Class A duals and traditional meets -- as did the Banks girls in the Class AAA golf tournament, as well as the Towns girls and the Commerce boys in Class A public tourney.
That doesn't even include the numerous individual titles for area athletes in cross country, swimming and track -- which were no less breath-taking thanks to standouts such as White County runner Jenna Gearing, West Hall sprinter Maia Caldwell-Booker and North Hall swim powerhouses Paul and Ty Powers.
The last 10 months represent an unprecedented success, and in my nine years of covering sports in and around northeast Georgia there is not another school year that even comes close to comparing. And, while I have missed my family on numerous occasions, it has been a pleasure covering it all.
Which leads to another question: Is this becoming more the norm for area athletics, or have we simply been blessed with an extraordinary campaign?
Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question, but as I have toted up nearly 1,400 miles in local coverage over the past week alone, I have had plenty of time to ponder the possibilities.
While this season has truly defined one of the most over-used descriptives in sports -- "great" -- I don't think that it will prove a wayward outlier.
Certainly area sports fans may never approach nine to 10 titles in one school year again. But, as the population continues to grow in our section of the state, exceptional athletes and the desire for exceptional coaches to lead them will only increase. The taste of this year's success will also help -- remember the old phrase: success begets success? And those who have won titles will only work harder to get there again, while those who came close will spend months of preparation driven solely by thoughts of reaching the pinnacle.
That stated, I think it is clear that we have all experienced something that should live in our memories for years to come. It certainly will in my own after witnessing the exploits of our area's title contenders and champions. And while there will no doubt be more success in future years -- many of this year's victors feature returning stars for the 2013-14 campaign -- this year's senior class of athletes can look back with pride that they have, as a group, accomplished more than any other in recent memory -- and likely beyond.
-- Morgan Lee is sports editor for Access North Georgia
Tuesday
May 6th, 2025
2:38PM
