The newest round of reclassification by the Georgia High School Association last year was one of its toughest in recent memory. While the final decisions left most institutions satisfied, it certainly did not come without some heavily debated controversies.
How many classifications?
There was talk early of maybe dropping back to six, and even five. Eventually, the GHSA settled back on seven, but with Class A divided into public and private divisions -- something most of the small public systems in the state had been advocating for years.
Both private and public domains across the board?
Before the GHSA decided to split Class A into public and private, an early debate raged on whether the organization would follow what many states around the country have been doing for decades with all public and all private schools divided accordingly. But with only seven private schools playing in the GHSA above the Class A level -- Benedictine, Blessed Trinity, Lovett, Marist, Pace Academy, St. Pius and Westminster -- it was once again decided to keep those within the larger classifications but with the multipliers in place.
Power rankings?
Power rankings have been used for the last several years to determine playoff spots in Class A as a whole and for Class 3A and 7A to select one at-large team each. It was certainly not without its flaws and had more than its share of detractors. Can any mathematical equation ever truly measure whether one team is more deserving, or better, than another? Out-of-classification games and weak schedules many times weighed heavily and oftentimes one upset of a higher classification team could boost a team’s rating enough to throw them into the playoff mix. The GHSA did away with the power rankings during the newest stint of reclassification, leaving the playoff fate in the hands of region performances for all teams.
For northeast Georgia, the new configurations have scattered the 23 teams in the AccessWDUN coverage across nine different regions in all seven classifications. The old configurations had the same 23 teams in just seven regions spanning six classifications.
And while that might suggest an initial over-saturation for fans, more than half (14) are now housed in just three regions. The new alignments have kept many current area rivalries alive, created what should be some interesting new ones, and even reignited one old classic that has been dormant for nearly 30 years.
The new alignments also have created what could be some of the more powerful regions in their respective classifications. Northeast Georgia programs seem well-placed to show off their stuff.
Region 8-6A has three teams that have been to the state semifinals in the past two seasons, including one, Buford, that is a reigning state champion. Region 6-7A will have Gainesville taking on all of Forsyth County and rekindling some old rivalries with North Forsyth and West Forsyth. Region 8-4A includes Jefferson and Flowery Branch, who are linked by current and former coaches, and the region as a whole could lay early claim as one of the most athletic and talented fields in the state in any classification. Region 7-3A has six area teams, and with four-time defending region champion Greater Atlanta Christian now gone, it is wide-open with virtually every team bringing in playoff aspirations. Region 8-A now has a collective group that has captured 18 state titles in their combined histories.
Region 8-6A, which has added Buford and a pair of Class 7A teams to an already stacked region, could offer the area’s most compelling race. The Wolves are the reigning Class 5A state champions and now are in a region with nearby programs Dacula and Lanier, both of whom have been to the semifinals in the past two seasons.
The Falcons are the four-time reigning region champs and have won five of the last six titles overall. They have advanced to the state semifinals each of the past two seasons. Lanier has three runner-up finishes and a region title since 2015 and made the state semifinals in 2018. Buford is coming off its first state title run since 2014 and has made the quarterfinals are better each season since 2000.
Dacula and Lanier will open region play on September 25 at The Ranch. The Falcons and Buford, who have not met since 1993 while both were in Class A, will close out the season on November 20 at Tom Riden Stadium – two weeks after the Wolves head to Lanier, which is less than two miles from their new home on Buford Highway.
Buford coach Bryant Appling almost sounded giddy thinking about the new/old rivalries for his program.
“We’re very happy to have some good neighborhood rivalries,” Appling said. “I think both Dacula and Lanier will be great rivalries for us. This is going to be one of the best regions in the state.”
Gainesville, the largest school in northeast Georgia, will now get to play “with the big boys,” as Red Elephants coach Heath Webb said about his team’s jump into Class 7A, and Region 6-7A in particular. And with two-time defending region champ and 2018 state champion Milton gone, this region could resemble the Old West.
Gainesville joins the entire Forsyth County system -- Denmark, Forsyth Central, Lambert, North Forsyth, South Forsyth and West Forsyth -- to make up an interesting mix of teams that have been on the rise. But none of the seven teams have made it past the second round of the playoffs in any classification since 2015 (South Forsyth). None of the four playoff teams in 2019 made it out of the second round.
The Red Elephants are no strangers to this group, having been a part of old 7-3A along with Forsyth Central, North Forsyth and South Forsyth in the early 2000s.
“We’re very excited about being a part of the largest classification and this region in particular,” Webb said. “I think week-in and week-out every game is going to be ultra-competitive. Anyone will be able to beat anyone in this region and everyone should be in the (playoff) race.”
But Gainesville is a combined 8-10 all-time against the rest of the region and 0-6 lifetime against North Forsyth. The Raiders finished second in 6-7A in 2019. However, Webb said West Forsyth may be the early front-runner, and the Red Elephants begin a three-game stretch to finish the season against the Wolverines on Nov. 6. They will close things out against North Forsyth on Nov. 20 at City Park Stadium with Denmark sandwiched in between.
Other key games will have North Forsyth traveling to West Forsyth on Oct. 16. Denmark, in just its third season and considered by many last year to be one of the most athletic teams in the state, figures to be an X-factor. The Danes, who have seen an exodus off some key players since last season, open region play on the road against the Raiders on Sept. 18 and finish the season at home against Gainesville and on the road at West Forsyth.
One of the most anticipated matchups in northeast Georgia in 2020 will take place in Region 8-4A. Jefferson and Flowery Branch will meet in Flowery Branch on Oct. 9 to open what is expected to be more than just a competitive region race. It will take on supreme importance since both teams are expected to battle for the region title.
That matchup also features former Jefferson head coach Ben Hall, now at Flowery Branch, against his former team and assistant in the Dragons’ Gene Cathcart. The Falcons have never beaten Jefferson (0-2), and Hall is 0-1 versus his former assistant.
But don’t expect it to be just a two-team race. Rising stars like Jefferson junior Malaki Starks, which has garnered multiple Power 5 offers, and East Hall sophomore quarterback Clete Cooper, who finished 12th in the state in passing in 2019 (2,499 yards) return, as does Branch senior running back Jaizen Ellingham (818 yards, 14 TDs in just 7 games). Cedar Shoals junior running back Jerdavian Colbert (1,342 yards, 13TDs) and Chestatee senior quarterback Christian Charles (3,013 all-purpose yards) also plan on giving fans plenty to watch. Any of those guys can alter any game at any time against any opponent.
“This is a deep, deep region,” Cathcart said. “There are great coaches at every school with some great players all over the place. It’s going to a huge battle every week.”
The Dragons will have a tough finish hitting the road for their final two games against 2019 playoff teams North Oconee and Madison County. The Red Raiders advanced to the quarterfinals last season and have a favorable schedule opening region play against North Oconee and closing it out against Jefferson, both at home. After Jefferson, the Falcons play host to North Oconee but also close out the season on the road with games at Chestatee and East Hall.
Cedar Shoals gets the Falcons and North Oconee at home in back-to-back weeks but travels to Jefferson on Oct. 9.
“Very athletic teams and a lot of teams that are used to postseason play,” Hall said. “It’s going to be super competitive every week no matter who you play.”
Region 7-3A features the most area teams with six and with four-time defending region champion GAC gone, it’s anybody’s guess on a clear-cut favorite.
The new-and-improved 7-3A is anchored by four 2019 holdovers – Cherokee Bluff, Dawson County, Lumpkin County and North Hall – and has added newcomers West Hall and White County from the old Region 7-4A as well as Gilmer, which moved from Region 6-4A.
The new configuration also is highlighted by several current and old rivalries, including North Hall-White County and Dawson County-Lumpkin County. The Cherokee Bluff-West Hall showdown could become a new south Hall rivalry as well.
With so many key matchups, any one of them could prove to be the decider, which makes this one of the more entertaining, and competitive, regions in the area. However, only two teams in the new alignment advanced to the playoffs in 2019 regardless of classification.
North Hall finished second and Dawson County took third in 7-3A in 2019 and both advanced to the second round and both should be considered playoff contenders in 2020. Those two close out the season at The Brickyard on Nov. 20.
“I think every team has a chance to win this thing,” North Hall coach David Bishop said. “There are no super powerhouses like GAC and with so many good, local teams, this should be a lot of fun every week. I’m excited to see what it will look like.”
The way-to-early talk has the Tigers and White County, which comes in with perhaps the best quarterback in the region in senior J. Ben Haynes, as the favorites. Those two will kick off the region schedule Oct. 9 at Tiger Stadium.
Third-year program Cherokee Bluff, however, maybe the most intriguing of the bunch. The Bears are on the rise and have garnered a lot of preseason talk with a rising crop of young but experienced talent, including the region's top running back in Jayquan Smith, who had nearly 900 yards in 2019. They also have added former Riverside Military Academy standout and Kansas-commit Shad Dabney.
But the Bears also have the toughest finish traveling to Dawson County on Nov. 6 before playing host to North Hall and White County in the final two weeks of the season.
Region 8-2A has been massively streamlined. Banks, Rabun, Union, and Elbert County all return to a region that has been trimmed from eight teams to just five. Gone is Monticello, Oglethorpe County, Putnam County and Social Circle. Riverside is the only new addition.
However, before the season could even get going Riverside, because of time concerns related to the COVID-19 virus, has already announced that it has dropped fall sports for the upcoming season.
That still leaves what should be a fun playoff race despite the fact that all four teams left will qualify for the postseason. Rabun County is the six-time defending champion and has advanced to the quarterfinals for five consecutive years. Union County is coming off its best season in program history (10-2) and snagged its first-ever GHSA playoff win in 2019.
“First, we hate it for Riverside and for those kids,” Rabun coach Jaybo Shaw said. “But no matter who is left this is going to be a good region. Every game will be a challenge, and we’re looking forward to it for sure.”
Elbert County has a new coach in former Mill Creek coach Shannon Jarvis and features at least two, and maybe four, Power 5 players. Banks County returns 14 starters to a squad that was just two plays from a .500 season and possible playoff berth in 2019.
But with Gunner Stockton, the nation’s No. 1 quarterback prospect and recent South Carolina-commit at the helm, Rabun County is once again a heavy favorite to win its seventh consecutive region title.
And the new Region 8-A Public has old 8-A holdovers Commerce and Towns County. It is a power-packed region with four of the six teams combining for 18 state titles in their histories. The Tigers, who won two state titles, and Indians will be joined by Lincoln County (11 state titles), Washington-Wilkes (four championships), Greene County (one title) and Socal Circle.
Lincoln County and Commerce both won nine games in 2019 and the Tigers were ousted by the Red Devils in the second round of the Class A Public playoffs. For 20 years it was one of the state’s premier rivalries as they met 12 times from 1986 to 2009, six times in the playoffs. And you can bet the Tigers surely will be looking to end its stunning nine-game losing streak to the Red Devils.
They close out the season on Nov. 20 at Tiger Stadium.
“We haven’t played some of these teams in a while,” Commerce coach Michael Brown said. “I think it will be just as tough as in the past few years but a little different animal. I expect that everyone will be in the (playoff) race the whole way. It’s going to be fun I think.”
