Ping JoninmiddleGA: Q on Georgia Football

[SirFozzie]

Got a question for you. I was home today, trying to get my computer fixed (drive issues), and they had a repeat of a Georgia HS Football game back from October, Lowndes (who was #2 in the nation at the time) versus Valdosta on ESPNU

Now, it was a close game but I found myself wondering a few things.

A) Do a lot of GA teams run the wishbone or other such run-heavy offenses? Because from watching games on Fox College Sports (which is what we have on Verizon FIOS) from out west, they run a lot more Pro Set stuff.

B) Lowndes beat Valdosta 14-7. Wasn't exactly a game for the neutral, if you know what I mean.. How did the two teams finish?

[JonInMiddleGA]

You'll see some wishbone, still quite a few Wing-T or variants of, but over the past few years there's starting to be more passing teams than we've ever had.
Still, it's not uncommon to see teams win consistently in most classifications throwing fewer than five times a game. Generally speaking, the lower the classification or the smaller the school, the more likely you'll see something with 90-10 run/pass split.

For Lowndes, it was a season of disappointment, finishing 12-1 with a 17-7 loss in the quarterfinals to Grayson. Of even more concern to some was the bench-clearing altercation that ended the game & really has put a good bit of negative attention on them both locally & statewide. There are quite a few clips of the incident on the 'net, one of the more pointed is this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PYN_qd5Mwo) that not only includes the game ending fight but several incidents from earlier in the game as well. It's obviously not put together by anybody impartial but the video don't lie either.

As for Valdosta, their brightest spot might have been Lowndes flameout. Another 5-5 season, just 2-5 in region play, another season missing the playoffs.

Adding insult to injury was the success of former coach Mike O'Brien -- who was fired after going 8-3-1 (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/2006-02-19-valdosta_x.htm) in 2002, leaving with a career mark of 70-20-1, 1 state title, and 6 region titles in six seasons --. He took Woodstock from a 26 game losing streak in 2005 (before he arrived) to a one point loss to eventual champ Camden County in the quarterfinals this year. In between current coach Tomberlin & O'Brien was Rick Darlington, who lasted three seasons but was fired with a 26-14 record and returned to Apopka, FL who he led back to the elite eight this year. While Darlington wasn't much mourned, it's the ghost of O'Brien that some believe has put a bit of a curse on "Winnersville".

[Recoil]

Valdosta - has-been

GA high school football is no joke. A quote from JIMG's article says it all...

"Any job in Georgia comes with pressure. If you don't believe it, just go somewhere and lose and see what happens," says Tomberlin, who had a 157-31 record at Washington County.

"I think the expectations are high (at Valdosta). They are used to winning, but that's the kind of thing that attracts me to the job. It's the Notre Dame of high school football."

Rick Darlington, Tomberlin's predecessor, resigned last November after three seasons. He had records of 11-4, 8-5, and 7-5.

[digamma]

Most of the passing offenses aren't pro style offenses though. They are more college spread type offenses. Ware County and maybe Northside WR come to mind.