Atlanta and the Rest of Us?

June 3, 2016

696

There is a saying that pertains to Georgia and it goes like this, “there’s Atlanta and there’s the rest of us”. This saying implies that Atlanta is far and away the most superior city in the state and sets the standard for all other cities in Georgia. This is true in many ways, for the most part Atlanta is the most superior city in Georgia.

This is also a common thought among high school football. You often hear the media, coaches and even players talk about how dominant the Atlanta area is in terms of championships, recruiting and tradition.

I wanted to look at how dominant the Atlanta area has been in the top 2 classifications since the turn of the century in the year 2000. In my analysis I looked at ESPN 300 recruits, playoff appearances and state championships. This is what my study shows:

*ESPN 150/300 Recruits:

Atlanta Metro Schools: 161 – 64%

Non-Atlanta Metro Schools: 93 – 36%

Playoff Appearances:

Atlanta Metro Schools: 609 – 60%

Non-Atlanta Metro Schools: 415 – 40%

Overall State Titles (2000-Present):

Atlanta Metro Schools: 15 – 47%

Non-Atlanta Metro Schools: 17 – 53%

What jumps out immediately is that Atlanta Metro Schools have a near 2-1 advantage in elite talent with 161 ESPN 300 recruits. The reason for this is that the Atlanta-Metro Schools are in such close proximity to each other that it is easy for the players in this area to get exposed to scouts and college coaches. This gives Atlanta Metro Players a decided advantage in being recruited simply because it is easier for coaches and scouts to reach and evaluate them.

The next thing that jumps out is that Atlanta Metro Schools outnumber Non-Atlanta Metro Schools by almost a 2-1 margin as well. There is a simple answer for this, there are far more Atlanta Metro Schools than Non-Atlanta Metro Schools. For the 2016-2017 GHSA year there are 164 total schools in the top 3 classifications**. Of those 164 total schools, only 34 were outside of the Metro-Atlanta Area. The region alignment has 18 regions that are Atlanta area majority while having 6 non-Atlanta regions. Each region allows 4 teams into the playoffs each year so Atlanta Schools get a big advantage in that department as well.

However, what I found most shocking is that the non-Atlanta Schools hold the advantage in state championships. Atlanta Schools have 15 state championships and non-Atlanta Schools have 17 state championships. This shows that when it comes to postseason play, non-Atlanta schools are slightly superior to the mighty Atlanta schools.

Life in small town Georgia truly revolves around high school football and it shows on Friday nights. The players here live and breathe football and so do their friends, family and fans. Shops close down, the entire police force escorts the players to the stadium, mayors and city councilmen show up and it is truly a community wide effort. That’s something you just don’t get in a busy city like Atlanta. It can truly be said that nothing beats a fall Friday night in small town Georgia.

Other Tidbits and Information:

Robert Nkemdechie (Grayson) is the only #1 overall recruit from Georgia
Since 2000: Region 1-AAAAAAA is the most decorated with 8 state championships Lowndes (3) Camden (3) Colquitt County (2)
Since 2000: South Georgia Schools have accounted for 10 state championships

*ESPN 300 did not start until 2006. In 2011 the ESPN 150 changed to ESPN 300

**The top 3 2016-2017 classifications are comprised of the top 2 classifications of 2015-2016