The GHSA Daily newsletter has named its Class A Decade Selections for 2000-2009, and Lincoln County is Well-Represented
The Lincoln County football program, winner of 2 state titles, more games than any other Class A team, and 27 playoff games, was selected as the "Program of the Decade."
Red Devil Head Coach Larry Campbell was named "Coach of the Decade."
The Class A Team of the Decade includes:
Jarius Wynn, a two-time all-state defensive lineman (2003, 2004), played at the University of Georgia before playing for the NFL's Green Bay Packers this past season.
Brandon Barden at tight end, a position where he now starts for Vanderbilt University. Brandon was a quarterback and tight end for the Devils.
Rontae Norman as a defensive back. Rontae was the 2006 Class A defensive player of the year.
The staff at GHSA Daily also noted that only four schools have won 100 or more games in each of the past two decades: Lincoln County (124, 110), Charlton County (101, 117), Peach County (105, 102), and Marist (113, 111).
Here's the all-class list of top winners for the 2000-09 decade: 1. Buford, 139-7 (AA) 2. Camden County, 121-13 (AAAAA) 2. Northside WR, 121-14 (AAAAA) 4. Charlton County, 117-17 (AA) 5. LaGrange, 114-17 (AAA) 6. Calhoun, 112-19 (AA) 7. Marist, 111-20 (AAAA) 8. Lincoln County, 110-28 (A) 9. Tucker, 109-17 (AAAA) 9. Statesboro, 109-22-1 (AAA) 10. Fitzgerald, 106-21-1 (AA)
Other notables: Lowndes 121-14 Parkview 103-26 Peach County 102-27 Washington County 97-30 Thomson 88-29-1 Valdosta 76-44-1
When you consider all Georgia schools for the last 20 years (1990-2009), our Red Devils have won more football games than anyone with 234. Here's the two-decade tally for other prominent teams:
Marist 224 Charlton County 218 Buford 217 Peach County 207 Northside WR 203 Camden County 201 Washington County 198 Lowndes 196 LaGrange 195 Thomas County Central 189 Parkview 188 Clinch County 187 Valdosta 186 Warner Robins 174 Commerce 168 Statesboro 168 Thomson 164 Washington-Wilkes 153
UPDATED 12/16: Region 7-A Same Next 2 Years With Only 1 Addition: Twiggs County
(UPDATED after GHSA Dec. 16 meeting) While the final reclassification vote is not until January 12, Region 7-A now looks almost the same as the past two seasons after GHSA Reclassification Committee action December 16.
The GHSA released the region alignments for 2010-2012. [Click for the UPDATED full list as of Dec. 16] The final reclassification assignments will be approved by the full GHSA Executive Committee at its January 12 meeting.
The four-year reclassification cycle that was approved last year apparently will not make it into reality. Also up for approval on January 12 is a change to GHSA By-law 4.21, returning the reclassification cycle to two years. Also, playoff brackets for Class A Regions 5 through 8 may be adjusted based on the number of teams in 5-A.
Region 7 is shown split into two subregions, but regions can vote to not split for certain sports. As currently shown, Subregion A will include our Devils along with Washington-Wilkes, Warren County, Aquinas, and Taliaferro County. Subregion B includes Twiggs County, Wilkinson County, Glascock County, Hancock Central, GMC, and the Georgia Academy for the Blind. If only the schools that played region schedules in 2009 do so in 2010, Region 7 will have 7 teams competing for the title, and thus a 6-game region schedule will be possible.
Johnson County was initially shown in the region with our Devils, but the Wrightsville school appeal to return to 3-A was approved. The region designation of 7-A was also returned after initially being shown as 5-A.
Interestingly, Washington-Wilkes appealed to move to Region 8-A, the Athens area region, but the Tigers' appeal was denied.
Other changes of note in Class A include Mitchell County playing in Region 1 with Miller County. Clinch County moves to Region 2 along with AA power Charlton County and current 2-A team Wilcox County. Region 3 remains pretty much the same.
Region 4 sees the addition of Hawkinsville, Dooly County and Macon County to the Columbus-area region. Region 6 will also remain the same with the west Georgia small schools.
Region 5 is the largest region with 25 schools, although most don't play football. Wesleyan moves from Region 8 to this Atlanta all-private school region. Region 8 gets two additional schools, Riverside Military and George Walton Academy.
For other area schools of interest, Jefferson County, coming off its best season evr, will be in Region 3-AA with Laney, Swainsboro, and Dublin. Greene County will be in 4-AA with Macon-area schools.
Region 3-AAA will be only Augusta-area schools: Burke County, Butler, Cross Creek, Glenn Hills, Hephzibah, Washington County, Grovetown, Harlem, Josey, Richmond Academy, Thomson, and Westside.
Evans, Greenbrier, and Lakeside will play in 2-AAAA with Statesboro and the Brunswick-area schools.
Valdosta, with a AAAA enrollment, chose to play up and will be in 1-AAAAA with Lowndes and Colquitt County.
Current reclassification news is available at [www.GHSA.net].
If you have news on Lincoln County athletic or academic competitions, please email us. We're always looking for new content. Football is and always will be our primary interest, but we will always post other news when we can get it.
