Just three weeks into the 2009 season, the people surrounding the Gainesville High and Creekview High football teams are wondering what if?
What if both Gainesville (3-0) and Creekview (3-0) finish the regular season undefeated and atop the subregion standings and how will the Region 7-AAA title be determined since the two schools don’t play each other this year?
The answer? No one is really sure, and the coaches of both teams don’t care.
“I’m not really thinking about that right now,” Gainesville coach Bruce Miller said. “I’m unsure how it would all play out.”
So is Creekview’s Al Morrell.
“If that happens on our end it’ll be a small miracle,” said Morrell, whose team’s 38-31 win over Flowery Branch on Friday stirred up the what-if scenario. “All we’re worried about right now is West Forsyth.”
While the coaches may not be thinking that far ahead, some fans are. So here’s how the region title may be decided if both teams finish with perfect regular season records:
Tiebreaker No. 1: Subregion record — That wouldn’t break a tie if both are 10-0.
Tiebreaker No. 2: Head-to-head matchup — The two don’t play this year.
Tiebreaker No. 3: Total points scored in subregion contests — Each team is awarded a maximum of 13 points per large win, which could benefit Gainesville, which has an average margin of victory of 32 in its first three games. Creekview’s margin of victory is only 4.5. If Gainesville continues to blow out its opponents and the Grizzlies keep winning close games, the Red Elephants would win the region with this tiebreaker.
If those three situations fail to break a tie, the teams would then match winning percentages against Class AAA teams and then the region title could come down to a coaches vote according to Miller.
But he’s not sure, and he said that end-of-the-year scenario talk is premature. One thing’s for sure, regardless of how the region title will be determined, the outcome of the already overhyped Nov. 6 game between Gainesville and Flowery Branch just got a little more important.
THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN TOO OFTEN: As Creekview was finishing off its comeback win against Flowery Branch, the top-ranked team in Class AA Buford lost to Lovett in a rematch of the 2007 title game. The loss for the Wolves snapped a 32-game winning streak and it was their first loss in the regular season since Sept. 10, 2004 when they lost 20-14 against Central Gwinnett.
Ironically, that was the last time that Flowery Branch and Buford lost on the same night. Even though the Falcons were not the established program that they are now, it’s still quite the rare occurrence that both of these teams lose on the same night and nearly five years to the day it happened the first and only time.
Both teams haven’t lost too often since that night, as Buford has gone 67-4 and Flowery Branch has gone 46-14.
GROUND GAINS EQUAL GOOD GAMES: The biggest factor in Creekview’s win over Flowery Branch was the running attack of the Grizzlies. Eric Smith led the ground assault with 21 carries for 199 yards as Creekview ran all over the Falcons to the tune of 61 carries and 402 yards. Flowery Branch was surrendering 166 yards a game on the ground prior to Friday’s loss.
The Grizzlies needed that big night on the ground in order to overcome another strong performance from Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw, who went 27-for-32 for 351 yards and two touchdowns.
Lakeview Academy also found out that success on the ground led to success on the scoreboard. Lakeview entered Friday’s game against Hebron Christian Academy averaging 267 yards rushing but were held to just 62 while allowing 245 to Hebron in a 31-7 loss.
Banks County also relied on the run in its 32-21 win over Dawson County. The Leopards were led by Dylan Lackey, who rushed for more than 100 yards and had four touchdowns in the win.
While Creekview, Hebron and Banks County all found success on the ground Friday, the White County Warriors added their name to the list of teams that have struggled to run the ball against Gainesville’s defense.
Fresh off a 93-yard, three touchdown performance against East Hall in Week 2, the Warriors’ Ashely Lowery was held to just 16 yards on eight carries against Gainesville, which held White County to 45 yards rushing Friday in Cleveland. Lowery isn’t the only top-notch running back to struggle against the Red Elephants, who limited Chestatee’s Ben Souther to 23 yards on 14 carries in Week 1 and held Franklin County’s Matthew Jackson to 27 yards in Week 2.
Gainesville has yet to allow a team to gain 100 yards on the ground, and is surrendering 65 yards on the ground per game.
ONE CARRY, TWO RECORDS: The bye in Week 2 must have given Chestatee’s Ben Souther some renewed energy. The senior running back rushed for 157 yards and two scores in the War Eagles’ 22-12 win over Johnson on Friday, but those numbers aren’t what made the night memorable for Souther.
Entering the game 60 yards shy of Jo Jo Sweet’s career rushing record of 2,286 yards, Souther etched his name in the Chestatee record book not once, but twice on a 98-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The 98-yard scamper upped his career total to 2,383 yards rushing, putting him past Sweet and breaking his own longest rushing touchdown record of 85 yards from last year.