Column: GHSA needs to wake up and smell the coffee

Published 11:01 pm Saturday, December 8, 2007

At 9:08 Saturday morning Buford and Dublin kicked off their Class 2A state football semifinal playoff game at the Georgia Dome.

There actually were some people in attendance — loyal students, parents, grandmothers and grandfathers. You know, the usual crowd, although it was hard to call the turnout a crowd in the cavernous $214 million indoor football facility, which last week hosted 73,000-plus fans for the SEC Championship game.

Undefeated Buford had little trouble routing defending champion Dublin, 48-0, to reach the state championship game. Dublin looked like it was sleepwalking in the Dome. Buford got its wake-up call and will host Friday’s state championship game against Lovett, which beat Cook, 29-16.

Saturday’s final game between Class 5A powers Lowndes and Camden County was scheduled to start at 9 p.m. The same five-game schedule was in place on Friday night.

There’s two bones to pick here.

First, what sound-thinking person came up with the idea to play state playoff semifinal games in the Georgia Dome in the first place? Everyone understands the carrot dangling at the end of the stick — that championship trophy. To play a semifinal game in the Dome and then head back home and prepare for a championship game that could be played in a small rural stadium in southwest Georgia seems like a pretty big letdown.

Secondly, isn’t there a better plan out there that would prevent teams — usually the Class A or Class 2A schools — from playing a football game in Atlanta at a time they should be having a peaceful breakfast with their families? Think about the difficulty of getting to the Dome, not to mention the expense of getting there and perhaps spending the night on Friday.

Those two bones could be buried by this time next year.

Actually, one is already pushing up daisies.

All five Georgia High School Association championship football games will be played at the Georgia Dome in 2008 on Dec. 12-13. On that Friday, Class 2A and 4A titles will be decided. On Saturday, 1A, 3A and 5A championships are up for grabs. The only other hope is that the 2A and 1A title games will not be played so early as to make it nearly impossible for some fans to reach the Dome by kickoff time or get there in an awakened state. Alternating the early games might work.

Young teenagers who performed in the Dome on Friday and Saturday will never forget their experience, even a team like Dublin which was drubbed right out of the building. Think about it. Dublin’s players played on the surface where some of the greatest NFL players have performed — a few of them were even Falcons.

The GHSA has been behind the times when it comes to showcasing its state championship football games. Look around at state associations surrounding Georgia.

North Carolina plays its championship games at Carter-Finley Stadium on the North Carolina State campus in Raleigh.

South Carolina’s championships are decided at Williams-Bryce Stadium, home of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Florida’s title games are played at the Citrus Bowl. Alabama stages its championships at historic Legion Field in Birmingham. Mississippi holds its title-deciding games at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson. Tennessee has its championship games at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, the geographical center of the state. Kentucky’s title games were played Friday and Saturday at Papa John’s Stadium in Louisville, home of the University of Louisville Cardinals.

Georgia high school football teams next season will have one collective goal — get to the Dome. Those that succeed will be gunning for a state championship on the biggest stage in the state, the bright lights of downtown Atlanta and the hair-raising thought of playing in the Georgia Dome for the game’s ultimate prize.