Viewing of the football finals will be available on demand at GHSA.tv (Web) and rebroadcast on GPB Knowledge (TV) on Atlanta Comcast channel 246 or statewide on over the air service at .3 digital channel. The GBP schedule will be in ascending order with the Class A championship on Monday and progress through to the Class AAAAA final on Friday with all games at 8:00 p.m. DVDs are available for purchase at GHSA.tv.
The 2009 GHSA State Football Championships will be December 11-12, 2009 at the Georgia Dome. Click on the links below for the football playoff bracket in each classification.
Important Notice
Purchasers of pre-sale tickets for the state football championships at the Georgia Dome this weekend will notice that the times listed for kickoff each day on the tickets are INCORRECT. The first game begins at 4:30 p.m., on Friday. And the first game begins at 1 p.m., on Saturday.
Admission
$15.00 Pre-Sale / $20.00 at Gate & Ticketmaster
Schedule
Class AAAAA
Championship
Northside, Warner Robins (13-1) vs. Camden County (12-2)
Dec. 12, 8 p.m., Georgia Dome
Class AAAA
Championship
Sandy Creek (13-1) vs. Clarke Central (12-2)
Dec. 11, 8 p.m., Georgia Dome
Class AAA
Championship
Peach County (14-0) vs. Gainesville (14-0)
Dec. 12, 4:30 p.m., Georgia Dome
Class AA
Championship
Buford (13-1) vs. Calhoun (14-0)
Dec. 11, 4:30 p.m., Georgia Dome
Class A
Championship
Wilcox County (12-2) vs. Savannah Christian (14-0)
Dec. 12, 1 p.m., Georgia Dome
Media
TV (Live) - Georgia Public Broadcasting
Web – GPB.org
Radio - 680 The Fan (AM) - A & AAAA; 1230 The Fan 2 / 1340 The Fan 3 (AM) - AA, AAA & AAAAA
For additional information, including brackets, scores, team rosters and schedules please go to GaSports.com
For more info about the Georgia Dome go to GaDome.com.
CHICAGO (December 3, 2009) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Hutson Mason of Lassiter High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year. Mason is the first Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Lassiter High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Mason as Georgia’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award, to be announced in mid-December, Mason joins an elite alumni association of past state football award winners, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich).
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior quarterback had completed 312-of-432 passes for state records of 4,560 yards and 54 touchdowns this season, leading the Trojans (12-1) to the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals, where they eventually fell to Colquitt County, 46-17. The returning Class AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year as named by the Associated Press, Mason also produced 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 73 carries. He recorded Georgia’s top two single-game passing yardage performances of all-time this fall, amassing 545 yards and 552 yards, respectively, against Milton and South Gwinnett. He also tied the single-game state record for passing touchdowns in throwing eight against South Gwinnett.
Mason has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has donated his time as a mentor to local elementary school students in addition to volunteering at churches and shelters as part of service mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
“He is a special player,” said Rocky Hidalgo, head coach of rival Walton High. “As a player, he’s the best quarterback I’ve faced as a coach in 15 years. He’s got great pocket awareness. He’s incredibly difficult to sack. He has an incredible ability to feel the pressure and keep his eyes on his receivers downfield. He’s something else. He is their football team.”
Mason remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Mason joins recent Gatorade Georgia Football Players of the Year Branden Smith (2008-09, Booker T. Washington), Tavarres King (2007-08, Habersham Central), and Eric Berry (2006-07, Creekside) among the state’s list of former award winners.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
The 2009 GHSA High School Football Schedule is now available.
Football season starts August 28. Make sure you know where your team is playing each and every Friday night. Click on the link below for schedule details.
Some confusion has arisen about the participation of players in both varsity and sub-varsity games. Some situations reported to the GHSA office violate GHSA rules. Here is a summary of the applicable rules from the 2009-2010 GHSA Constitution and By-laws:
(Page 65 – C4: Football Section) A player may play on one sub-varsity team only during the week in addition to playing on the varsity team.
(Page 66 – C6: Football Section) JV (and 9th grade) games must be played with 10-minute quarters unless 8th grade students are participating.
(By-law 2.92) Games must be played according to the rules published by the NFHS.
(GHSA Interpretation) Any sub-varsity game using two 12-minute quarters is not a game under NHFS rules, and the GHSA does not allow interscholastic scrimmages for sub-varsity teams.
This means that a player may not play in a “modified” 9th grade on Monday, a JV game on Thursday, and a varsity game on Friday – even if the quarter total does not exceed six.
The Atlanta Falcons are requesting your school’s football helmet to add to the GHSA Helmet Wall at the Georgia Dome. Currently there are 120 schools whose helmets are not included in the display. Click here for a list of missing schools as of 1-21-09. The helmet can be used or new, but must be a large size. Those high schools that have not sent their helmet are encouraged to contact Kendyl Moss, Director of Community Relations for the Atlanta Falcons at 404-367-2064 or kmoss@falcons.nfl.com; 4400 Falcon Parkway, Flowery Branch, GA 30542.
