In sports, does history truly matter? Recent history can play a part, especially for teams that have experienced certain situations, good and bad.
But most, if not all, coaches will tell you no because each team is different and what a team did 50 years ago or 10 years ago has no bearing on current and future teams.
Or does it?
The Boston Red Sox (Curse of the Bambino) and Chicago Cubs (The Billy Goat Curse) may disagree. Real or imagined, it took decades for both of those franchises to exorcise their history or curses or demons or whatever you want to call it.
The Lumpkin County football program is not cursed, that we know of, but is chasing history, whether they want to or not. First-year coach Heath Webb, who moved over from Gainesville after four seasons, has the 2022 edition of the Indians off to a 3-0 start, their best since 2003.
Lumpkin County had not started a season 2-0 since 2011. They play host to Temple tonight at The Burial Grounds with a chance for their first 4-0 start since 1988.
But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts and that 1988 Lumpkin County squad, which eventually won its first five games, did not finish well. They lost four of their last five and did not make the region playoffs. The 1967 Indians opened the season 8-0, their best-ever start to a season, but dropped their final two games and also did not make the playoffs.
Lumpkin County isn’t alone with possible historical starts. Several other teams have a chance to reach some long sought-after milestones tonight as well.
-- Gainesville is 3-0 for the first time since 2009 and has a chance to match that same group’s 4-0 start tonight against Clarke Central at home. The 2009 Red Elephants won their first 14 games before losing a heartbreaker to Peach County in the state championship game (13-12) to finish 14-1.
-- Banks County (2-0) has a chance for its best start since 1997. Those Leopards began the season 3-0 and eventually lost in the first round of the playoffs
The 1991 Leopards opened the season 6-0. The 1969 team started 5-0. The 1985 Banks County squad still has the program’s best-ever start winning its first nine games. But none of those teams made it out of the region playoffs.
-- East Hall is looking for its first 3-0 start since 1990. The Vikings opened that season 7-0 and eventually made it to the Class 2A quarterfinals. The 1987 Vikings are still the standard-bearer for the program. They completed their only perfect regular season and won 12 straight before losing in the Class 2A semifinals to Central-Carrollton that season.
NOT QUITE BUT ALMOST HISTORICAL: Senior Rabun County quarterback Keegan Stover had the 33rd-highest passing game in state history with 481 yards last week against Adairsville. He tossed 8 TD passes, which tied him for second on the all-time list for TD passes in a game. Ed Staten of North Whitfield had 9 vs. Valley Point in 1962.
The 8 TD passes in a game puts him ahead of some notable names on the all-time list like Deshaun Watson (7) of Gainesville. Current Georgia Bulldogs Brock Vandagriff (Prince Avenue Christian) and Stetson Bennett (Pierce County), Trevor Lawrence (Cartersville), Hutson Mason (Lassiter), and Jake Fromm (Houston County) all had 7 in a game.
The Rabun County record had been 6 TD passes in a game, with current Georgia Bulldog Gunnar Stockton doing that on 9 separate occasions. Bailey Fisher had 6 TD passes in a game once for the Wildcats.
Stover leads Class A, Division 1 in passing with 979 yards and 13 TDs. He is second in the state, all-classes, behind Douglas County's Sire Hardaway, who has 1,002yards through the air.
SOON TO BE LEADING THE PACK: Banks County senior running back Andrew Shockley is second in Class 2A in rushing with 477 yards and is tied for the lead in TDs with 7. His 238.5 yards/game average leads the classification. But he has played one fewer game than Ace Charter’s Aaron Davis, who has 553 yards and 7 TDs in three games.
OTHER TOP PERFORMERS: Union County quarterback Caiden Tanner is second in Class 2A in passing with 590 yards and 5 TDs.
Lanier Christian has a pair of guys near the top in the 11-man GAPPS league. Freshman quarterback CJ Britt is 3rd in passing with 249 yards and 4 TDs and no interceptions in just two games. Running back Zeke Clanton is 2nd in rushing with 208 yards and 6 TDs.
Gainesville senior Naim Cheeks sits 4th in Class 6A in rushing with 384 yards and 4 TDs. He's also added another 107 yards on 7 catches receiving.
Lumpkin's Cooper Scott is 6th in Class 3A in passing with 405 yards and 2 TDs.
North Forsyth' West Roberts is 4th in Class 6A with 700 yards passing. He has thrown 7 TDs but has been picked off five times as well, which also leads the classification.
Jefferson junior Sammy Brown is 5th in rushing in Class 5A with 486 yards and is 3rd with 8 TDs so far.
SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER 9
Banks County at Franklin County
Central Gwinnett at Habersham Central
Cherokee Bluff at Madison County*
Clarke Central at Gainesville
East Hall at Chestatee*
Jefferson at Oconee County
Mountain View at Jackson County
North Forsyth at Creekview
Providence Christian at Riverside Military
Rock Springs Christian at Lanier Christian
Stephens County at Dawson County
Temple at Lumpkin County
Union County at Armuchee
Walnut Grove at North Hall*
(* -- denotes region contest)
