Madison County Red Raiders

Reprinted from the Madison County Journal July 27, 2006, edition

Raider coach says he’s not a fan of 8-AAAA’s new system
BY BEN MUNRO
Sure, Madison County’s 2006 schedule has a number of alterations — three new foes, one less region game and sub-region play. But it’s game 10 — 8-AAAA’s new region playoff week — that causes a double-take.

“You don’t know who you’re going to get. You hope you’re in the top four and competing for a spot in the playoffs,” Raider head coach Randell Owens said. The newly realigned and sub-divided region will use the final week of play to determine its four playoff teams with a series of cross-over games between the sub-regions. Based on sub-region records, the no. 1 seeds will play the no. 4 seeds in the opposite sub-region and the no. 2 seeds square off against the three seeds of the opposite sub-region. The four winners of those games move on to the state playoffs. If needed, a tie-breaker system will determine how they’re ranked.

So is Owens a fan of the new system? “No, not really,” he said. The coach said the glaring flaw in all this is that it puts too much emphasis on a single game. Owens notes that a 9-0, top-seeded team could have a bad night against a four seed and find itself locked out of the state playoffs. “The fact that it could happen, it’s kind of nauseating,” Owens said.

The coach said such an upset isn’t out of the question in 8-AAAA, pointing out that a one-win Jackson County team knocked off talented Heritage last year. “With the parity in our region, it can happen,” Owens said. Not only will the top four teams in each sub-region square off, the remaining five and six seeds will also cross over and play each other in a consolation round of sorts. Since the sub-regions are uneven, the seventh seed from 8A-AAAA, Madison County’s sub-region, moves on to face 8-AAA Hart County for game 10.

Owens said he felt spoiled under the old system because every region team played everybody and the final standings from those games determined the state playoff teams. “Because every game counts,” Owens said. “… Every week, you knew it mattered. It gave you a little bit more to play for.”

Madison County’s new-look schedule starts in traditional enough fashion with the Raiders opening against non-region Franklin County (Sept. 1) for the fifth-straight year. Week two, however, sees Raiders revisiting an old foe, Elbert County. Madison County hasn’t tangled with the 8-AAA Blue Devils since 1997 when it lost 42-14 to the Elberton outfit. The contest will also reacquaint Owens — a former Blue Devil assistant — with Elbert County. Madison County has its first region crossover game Sept. 15 against Eastside, followed by its sub-region opener with 8-AAAA newcomer Dacula on Sept. 22. The Raiders haven’t played the Falcons since 1999 when Auburn standouts David and Kenny Irons starred in the Dacula backfield. “I’m excited because of the challenge with Dacula coming down (to the region) and having played in the Dome last year and being one of the biggest Class AAAA schools in the state,” Owens said.

That game starts a string of seven-straight sub-region dates in which Madison County will also face Clarke Central (Sept. 29), Habersham Central (Oct. 6), Loganville (Oct. 13), Jackson County (Oct. 27) and Winder-Barrow (Nov. 3) which has made the jump back into the region after a two-year stint in 8-AAA. Then comes the new region playoff week. Owens said the new system has at least one thing going for it since region eight teams are still alive for the state playoffs after nine games. “That game 10, it makes it exciting for the fans,” he said. “Your team still has something to play for.”

NOTE An intra-squad weightlifting competition for the Madison County football team starts tonight (Thursday) at 6 p.m. A parent meeting will follow.