GHSA delays putting schools in classes

The Georgia High School Association's reclassification committee delayed the assignment of schools to their 2012-13 classifications on Tuesday.

Instead, the full GHSA executive committee will meet Monday to review an appeals process over how to count special needs students. Earlier this year, the GHSA allowed schools not to count certain students with disabilities in their enrollment numbers, the idea being that those students were unable to participate in sports and that some schools had higher populations of those students than others.

On Tuesday, the reclassification committee became concerned that classifying these students might vary from system to system, allowing schools to manipulate their enrollment numbers. The executive committee will meet Monday to debate the issue and will place schools in classifications at that time.

Schools will have until Dec. 5 to decide whether to play up or possibly play down in classification, if that policy is not rescinded. The schools will be placed in region on Dec. 6, with appeals for lateral transfers to be heard on Dec. 19. Ratification of the reclassification is expected to come on Jan. 10.

Woodward Academy at Burke County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Bear Den, Waynesboro

Records, rankings: Woodward Academy is 8-3, the No. 2 seed from Region 5-AAA and unranked; Burke County is 10-1, the No. 1 seed from 3-AAA and ranked No. 4.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Woodward Academy built a 31-0 lead and held on for a 44-25 victory over LaGrange in the first round. Jollyce Myrick scored touchdowns on a 29-yard reception and a 1-yard run for the War Eagles. 2. Burke County built a 28-0 first-half lead and cruised to a 42-7 victory over Drew in the first round. Donquell Green rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns, and Burke County had 532 yards of total offense, including 454 on the ground, according to the Augusta Chronicle. 3. A victory would give Burke County 11 wins for the second consecutive season. The only time Burke County has won more games was in 1997, when the Bears lost to Thomas County Central in the state championship game and finished 13-2. Woodward Academy is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999.

Winner plays: Mary Persons/Allatoona winner

Mary Persons at Allatoona

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Buccaneer Stadium, Acworth

Records, rankings: Mary Persons is 9-2, the No. 3 seed from Region 2-AAA and unranked; Allatoona is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 7-AAA and ranked No. 5.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Mary Persons' 54-20 victory over Americus-Sumter in the first round made Rodney Walker the 10^th coach to reach 300 career victories in Georgia (he has 302 overall). Walker is 300-140-3 in Georgia, with stops at Villa Rica, Gilmer, Habersham Central, West Rome, Cartersville, Stephens County, Peach County, Sandy Creek and Mary Persons. 2. Allatoona's Miles Jones rushed for 256 yards and three touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 47-21 victory over Franklin County in the first round. He has 1,935 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns this season. 3. Allatoona, a fourth-year program playing its second season of region competition, is one of three Cobb County teams that will take an 11-0 record into the second round. (Walton and Hillgrove are the others). Cobb teams won a county-record nine games in the first round last week.

Winner plays: Woodward Academy/Burke County winner

Monroe at Gainesville

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bobby Gruhn Field, Gainesville

Records, rankings: Monroe is 6-5, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-AAA and unranked; Gainesville is 10-1, the No. 1 seed from 8-AAA and ranked No. 6.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Monroe pulled off perhaps the biggest first-round upset in Class AAA, beating ninth-ranked Baldwin 12-9. Baldwin scored a touchdown with 1:20 remaining for a 9-6 lead, but Monroe's Charles Stafford threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Williams with 12 seconds remaining for the victory. 2. Gainesville quarterback Deshaun Watson passed for 269 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 156 yards and two scores in a 48-27 victory over Dalton last week. Watson has 3,067 yards in total offense this season, according to AccessNorthGa.com. 3. Gainesville is ranked No. 2 among the remaining AAA playoff teams in scoring, averaging 44.5 points per game. Monroe has the lowest average at 17.5 and has not scored more than 29 points in any game this season.

Winner plays: Troup/Sandy Creek winner

Troup at Sandy Creek

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Battlefield, Tyrone

Records, rankings: Troup is 9-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 6-AAA and unranked; Sandy Creek is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 4-AAA and ranked No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Troup reached the quarterfinals in 2003 and finished with an 11-2 record, but the Tigers were 0-6 in first-round games since then until beating Cedar Grove 28-20 last week. 2. Reuben Foster, a junior who has committed to Alabama to play linebacker, had touchdown runs of 2 and 55 yards and Eric Bridges passed for one TD and ran for another in Troup's victory. Foster's 55-yard run with 1:32 remaining put the game away. 3. Sandy Creek extended its winning streak to 40 games with a 55-12 victory over Butler last week. Only Buford (47 wins from 2001-2004), Parkview (46, 2000-2003) and Lincoln County (44, 1989-1991) have longer streaks. The Patriots led Butler 55-0 at halftime.

Winner plays: Monroe/Gainesville winner

Stockbridge at Carrollton

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Grisham Stadium, Carrollton

Records, rankings: Stockbridge is 9-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 4-AAA and unranked; Carrollton is 10-1, the No. 1 seed from 6-AAA and ranked No. 3.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Stockbridge won its first playoff game in history in the first round, a 26-17 victory over Washington County. Carrollton has reached the playoffs each season since 1988 and won its fifth state title in 1998. 2. Carrollton DL Tevin McCoy has 14.5 tackles for losses in only eight games, some of which he played only a half. He had 25 tackles for losses in Carrollton's 14-1 finish last year. 3. Stockbridge RB Evans Jones scored four touchdowns in the first round. Carrollton has allowed six rushing touchdowns all season, only two during the current 10-game winning streak.

Winner plays: Ridgeland/Peach County winner

Ridgeland at Peach County

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Anderson Stadium, Fort Valley

Records, rankings: Ridgeland is 7-4, the No. 2 seed from Region 7-AAA and unranked; Peach County is 10-1, the No. 1 seed from 2-AAA and ranked No. 8.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know:1. Both teams had quick knockouts in their first-round games. Peach County led 20-0 in the first quarter of a 36-7 victory over Worth County. Ridgeland led 28-0 in the second quarter in a 35-21 victory over Monroe Area. 2. Peach County is a middle Georgia school with 13 region titles and three state championships since 1991. Ridgeland is a northwest Georgia school that has made the playoffs each of the past six seasons but  won only two playoff games in its football history, which began in 1989. 3. The marquee players on both offenses are juniors. Peach County WR Demarcus Robinson has 41 catches and is considered the top receiver in middle Georgia. Ridgeland FB Darrell Bridges, the starting quarterback for the first three games, rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in the first round. He also threw for a score against Monroe Area and frequently passes on sweep plays out of Ridgeland's Wing-T offense.

Winner plays: Stockbridge/Carrollton winner

Stephens County at Cairo

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, West Thomas Stadium, Cairo

Records, rankings: Stephens County is 9-2, the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AAA and unranked; Cairo is 9-2, the No. 1 seed from 1-AAA and ranked No. 7.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know:1. Stephens County junior RB Chaz Thornton has 2,056 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns. He rushed for 165 yards in the 21-14 victory over Cedartown in the first round. 2. Cairo's top player is probably Terrell Cason, who reportedly has a scholarship offer from Illinois. He was a preseason all-state linebacker, but he's also one of Region 1-AAA's top running backs. He ran for 104 yards in the 23-9 victory over Perry in the first round. FS Tim Gurley (committed to South Carolina), DE Randy Wooten and QB Steven Branch also are FBS (formerly Division I-A) prospects. 3. Cairo is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive season. No other Class AAA school has a streak that long. Stephens County is trying to make the quarters for the first time since 2005, which was Travis Noland's first season as head coach.

Winner plays: Henry County/St. Pius winner

Henry County at St. Pius

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, George B. Maloof Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Henry County is 7-4, the No. 3 seed from Region 4-AAA and unranked; St. Pius is 11-0, the No. 1 seed from 5-AAA and ranked No. 2.

Last meeting: Henry County won 17-15 in the 1995 regular season.

Three things to know:1. St. Pius rushed for 460 yards on 64 attempts and did not attempt a pass in the 48-14 victory over Shaw in the first round. QB Trey White is the leading rusher with 907 yards, but watch for HB/DB Geno Smith, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 pick who has committed to Alabama. Smith has 729 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on 67 carries. 2. Henry County also has an AJC Super 11 player in DL Dalvin Tomlinson, who is uncommitted. Tomlinson had 10 solo tackles - six behind the line of scrimmage - in Henry County's 28-7 victory over Thomson in the first round. 3. St. Pius and Henry County have been in the same region for six seasons through history, most recently in 1995 in 5-AAA. The series between the two is tied 3-3.

Winner plays: Stephens County/Cairo winner

Four-TD effort puts Jones back on top

Tyren Jones' four touchdowns in a first-round playoff victory over Milton helped boost the Walton junior tailback back into the lead of GHSF Daily's Player of the Year Watch. Stephenson running back Mike Davis, who was No. 1 last week, dropped several spots after his team was shut out by Lowndes 7-0.

Moving into the rankings is a long-shot candidate whose season is over - Putnam County's Marteze Waller. His final game produced 324 yards rushing and gave him more than 6,000 yards for his career, one of the top efforts in Georgia history.

1. RB Tyren Jones, Walton: Jones, a junior, scored four touchdowns and rushed for 131 yards on nine carries in a 48-14 first-round victory over Milton. On the season, Jones has rushed for 1,742 yards and a Class AAAAA-best 27 touchdowns on 230 attempts (7.6 yards per carry). He has 10 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Walton is 11-0 and ranked No. 5 in AAAAA.

2. RB Kenyan Drake, Hillgrove: Drake, who has committed to Alabama, rushed for 86 yards on 10 carries and had 53 yards receiving in a 49-12 victory over Beach. On the season, Drake has rushed for 1,571 yards on 154 carries (10.2 yards per carry). He also has 271 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Drake has scored 20 touchdowns. He is averaging 33.5 yards per return on eight kickoffs and has an interception. Hillgrove is 10-0 and ranked No. 4 in Class AAAAA.

3. DT/RB Robert Nkemdiche, Grayson: Nkemdiche, a starter at noseguard and part-time running back, had a sack in a 32-7 victory over Collins Hill. Nkemdiche also rushed for 65 yards on 10 carries. On the season, Nkemdiche has 47 tackles, 14 for losses, and 12 sacks for a team that is allowing 28.5 yards rushing per game. He has rushed for 277 yards and eight touchdowns on 48 carries. Nkemdiche is the top-rated junior prospect in the county, according to 247sports. Grayson is 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAA and No. 7 nationally by USA Today.

4. DE Darius English, McEachern: English had two sacks, two tackles for losses and caused a fumble playing only one half of McEachern's 56-12 victory over Benedictine in the first round. For the season, English has 88 total tackles, 21 sacks, 15 tackles for losses, four caused fumbles, two blocked punts and a fumble recovery for a touchdown for a team that is 10-1 and ranked No. 6 in Class AAAAA. English has committed to South Carolina.

5. RB/DB J.J. Green, Camden County: Green, a junior, rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and made four tackles, one behind the line of scrimmage, and broke up three passes in a 34-0 victory over North Cobb. On the season, Green is averaging 14.1 yards per rush (47-664) and 21.0 yards per reception (10-210) and returned eight punts for 215 yards (26.9) and three kickoffs for 175 yards (58.3). He has scored 19 touchdowns, at least one in every game. On defense, he has three interceptions on a team with five shutouts. His time has been limited by blowouts and running clocks, as Camden has beaten nine of 11 opponents by 42 points or more. Camden County is ranked No. 1 in AAAAA and No. 6 nationally by USA Today.

6. RB Miles Jones, Allatoona: Jones rushed for 256 yards and three touchdowns in a 47-21 victory over Franklin County. He has 1,935 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns on 234 carries (8.3 ypc) this season. His team is 11-0 and ranked No. 5 in AAA.

7. NT DeAngelo Brown, Savannah Christian: Brown had 3.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in a 37-0 victory over Dooly County, which completed no passes and had minus-two yards rushing. For the season, Brown has 55 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for losses and two caused fumbles. He has not played in the fourth quarter of any game, or the second half of five, because of his team's blowout victories. He's the ring leader of a defense that has not allowed a touchdown in the first half of any game, or until Savannah Christian has led at least 21-0. Brown has scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Louisville and others. Savannah Christian is ranked No. 1 in Class A.

8. RB Mike Davis, Stephenson: Davis, who has committed to Florida, rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries in a 7-0 loss to Lowndes. Davis finished with 1,918 yards - the most in Class AAAAA so far - and 21 touchdowns on 213 carries, an average of 9.0 yards per rush. Stephenson was 9-2.

9. QB Kevin Ellison, Habersham Central: Ellison rushed for 214 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in a 65-48 loss to Chattahoochee. For the season, Ellison finished with 2,183 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns in 11 games. He was 58-of-126 passing for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns with only one interception. He returned a punt for a touchdown. He had 3,208 yards of total offense and 3,319 all-purpose yards. Habersham finished 6-5.

10. Marteze Waller, Putnam County: Waller rushed for 324 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 49-26 loss to Jefferson County. Waller finished the season with 2,180 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns on 249 carries. He has 6,620 yards rushing in his career.

List

Marteze Waller of Putnam County finished his career last week with 6,260 yards rushing. That ranked No. 13 all-time in Georgia, according to records reported to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association:

8,844 - Monte Williams (Commerce) 1997-2000

7,841 - Robert Toomer (Worth County) 1988-91

7,695 - Chris Clay (Randolph-Clay) 2004-07

7,322 - Eddie Dixon (ECI) 1980-83

6,923 - Brett Millican (Parkview) 1992-95

6,920 - Greg Williams (Metter) 1980-83

6,429 - Micah Andrews (GAC) 1999-02

6,385 - Charles Grant (Miller County) 1994-97

6,374 - Don Calloway (Miller County) 1996-99

6,349 - Audell Grace (Screven County) 1991-94

6,338 - Darius Marshall (Baldwin) 2003-06

6,279 - Travis Evans (Westside-Macon) 2000-03

6,260 - Marteze Waller (Putnam County) 2008-11

6,155 - Chris Cole (Brooks County) 1991-94

6,137 - Herschel Walker (Johnson County) 1976-79

Rodney Walker of Mary Persons last week became the 10th head coach to achieve 300 Georgia victories. Alan Chadwick of Marist has 299. Which active coach is next in line? (Answer Thursday)

Answer to Tuesday's question: The last time South Cobb and Walton played, in 2003, the game featured Walton's Aaron Kelly, who would become the ACC's all-time leading receiver at Clemson, and Kenny McKinley, who would become the No. 3 all-time receiver in the SEC at South Carolina.

To see complete brackets for each classification, click here. 

Class AAAAA

First round

Camden County 34, North Cobb 0

Marietta 48, Centennial 27

North Gwinnett 49, Archer 3

Colquitt County 31, East Coweta 10

Grayson 32, Collins Hill 7

Lowndes 7, Stephenson 0

Hillgrove 49, Beach 12

West Forsyth 13, Etowah 7

Lassiter 17, Alpharetta 16

McEachern 56, Benedictine 12

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