GHSA moving football titles games to Georgia State Stadium
The Georgia High School Association announced last Tuesday that all eight state championship football games will be played at Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta (formerly Turner Field) on Friday and Saturday, December 13-14, 2019.
“We are excited to announce that the GHSA/TOMMY Guillebeau Football State Championships will be held at Georgia State Stadium,” said GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines said in a press release on the organization’s website. “Charlie Cobb at Georgia State University has been tremendously supportive in planning with the GHSA an event that will provide a first class experience for our student athletes and benefit our participating schools. We look forward to our partnership with Georgia State University.”
The titles games had been played at the Georgia Dome from 20082016 and were moved to the new Mercedes-benz Stadium in 2017. However, issues would hamper the efforts to play the games in the new stadium.
Snow and inclement weather affected six of the eight games in 2017, causing them to have to be played at local high school venues, while last year’s contests had to be moved to a Tuesday and Wednesday because of a weekend conflict with the Atlanta United soccer team’s Major League Soccer Cup final, a move that was very unpopular with high school football fans around the state.
According to the release, exact game times at Georgia State will be announced at a later date, but it is anticipated the usual schedule of four games on Friday and four games on Saturday will be maintained.
“We thank Dr. Hines and the Georgia High School Association,” said Georgia State Athletic Director Charlie Cobb. “Georgia State is honored to host the eight GHSA state championships this December. It is exciting for us to know that the culminating point for high
After tasting defeat for the first time all season late last Tuesday night, Gordon Lee Middle School head baseball coach Jeff Guffey said he was interested to see how his Trojans would respond on Wednesday.
They responded with arguably the most thrilling victory in the long history of the program.
Trailing 3-1 and down to their final out against a Ringgold team determined to win a second consecutive North Georgia Athletic Conference championship, the Navy-and-white pulled off a comeback that folks in Chickamauga will be talking about for years as the Trojans scored three times to pull out a dramatic 4-3 victory in the third and deciding game of the championship series.
Guffey called it one of the most exciting games he’s ever coached.
“I was really curious how we were going to overcome the loss last night, especially not having been in that situation all season long,” he explained. “But these kids had the heart and the desire and they got the job done. They did an amazing job of not giving up, rolling with the punches and continuing to fight.
“I really hate it for Ringgold. They are a great team with some really great players who are going to do a lot of big things in high school, like our guys. I’m sure we sparked a fire in them after Game 1 on Monday and they really took it to us, but obviously I’m happy that we won.” school football throughout the state is Georgia State Stadium. Our staff will showcase a firstgave up three earned runs on four hits with one walk.
Hudson led the Tigers’ offense with a pair of singles. Ty Gilbert and Dawsyn Ware each had a single and an RBI, while Hudson Moss also picked up a single.
In the nightcap, the Trojans — playing as the visiting team — were nursing a 3-1 lead after the top of the fifth inning, thanks to an Rbi-triple by Rhudy in the first and a two-out Rbi-single by Genter in the fifth. Dunfee also scored on a wild pitch in the third.
The Tigers would cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth as two hit batsmen and an error loaded the bases for Ware, who drew a timely walk.
Then in the bottom of the sixth, Ringgold manufactured two more runs, again without the benefit of a hit. They drew two walks in the inning, advanced a runner on a fielder’s choice and took advantage of two errors, one of which scored Sam Crew with the tying run. Conner Christopher later delivered a sacrifice fly to bring in Brady Hermann with the go-ahead run.
Dunfee would draw a one-out walk in the top of the seventh. He stole second before moving to third after tagging up on a flyball. Genter then dropped in a bloop single to right to bring in Dunfee with the tying run. A double and a walk would load the bases for Gordon Lee, but Gilbert, the Tiger pitcher, ended the threat by picking off a runner at second base for the third out.
Two more walks and a Gordon Lee error would load the bases for Ringgold in the bottom of the seventh before Hermann worked his way for a final walk that brought in the game-winner.
Gilbert and Ware had the only hits of the game for Ringgold, both singles, while Norman and Moss were also credited with RBIS in the victory.
Crew started on the mound and pitched the first 4.2 innings. He gave up three earned runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout. Gilbert pitched the rest of the way and earned class experience for the players, coaches, and fans of the participating teams.” the victory. He allowed one earned run on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Genter was 3-for-4 with two RBIS for Gordon Lee in Game 2. Rhudy had a double to go with his triple, while Cowan was 2-for-4 with a double.
Rhudy pitched the first three innings. He gave up an earned run on two hits and one walk. Cowan pitched the next three innings. He allowed three unearned runs on three walks and two strikeouts, while Dunfee walked three batters and struck out one in his inning of relief. The run he allowed was unearned.
The Trojans’ defense committed six errors in Game 2 after the Tigers committed six errors in the opener.
The Tigers, the visiting team in Wednesday’s championship contest, took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. Gilbert scored in the first on a wild pitch before delivering an Rbi-single in the top of the second to score Moss, who had doubled and stole third earlier in the frame. That duo added to the lead in the fourth as Moss got a single before later scoring on Gilbert’s sacrifice fly.
Cowan delivered an Rbi-single to score Jackson in the bottom of the fifth to get a run back for the Trojans, but that would be all Gordon Lee would get in the inning. Moss likely saved a run with a great sliding catch in left and the Tigers would flash more leather in the bottom of the sixth.
Sebastian Haggard gloved a tricky hop at second base before throwing to first for an out, while the inning ended with Hermann’s tough diving catch in center to preserve the 3-1 lead.
Jackson, the third pitcher of the day used by Gordon Lee, escaped a jam in the top of the seventh as he stranded two runners in scoring position, but things looked bleak for the home team after the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh were retired in order.