LaGrange-Carver Notebook

•LaGrange leads the all-time series with Carver, 8-2. The two schools first met in 1992, following LaGrange's 1991 GHSA 4A state championship and USA-Today national championship season...LG won the first seven games of the series ('92 to '98, then '06) until Carver ended LG's winning streak in 1999 with a 26-16 win...LG won the region in '06 with a pivotal 13-6 win over Carver at Callaway Stadium and Carver defeated LG 19-10 in 2007 en route to a 15-0 3A state title season...In '95 and '96, LG teams faced coach Wallace Davis'
Carver teams with All-American running back Jasper Sanks...LG's standout and region championship team in 1996 used a suffocating defense led by LBs DeMorrio Shank and Ashante Woodyard and Marcus Blandenburg in the secondary in shutting down a very strong Carver team, 27-6...LG's super fast and physical defense in '96 stopped Sanks cold in a decisive LG win...LG's '96 team led by QB J.R. Revere was one of the most talented teams in school history until a stunning second-round playoff loss to Benedictine at home ended a brilliant season at 11-1 and No. 2 ranking...Benedictine used a Notre Dame box and held a wide range time of possession advantage over LG which contributed much to the upset loss...

•Other LG regular season games of great significance with region titles, playoffs and state rankings on the line include the following:
In 1953, LG beat Gainesville 14-7 in Game 9 for the region title but lost to Valdosta for the second straight year in the state championship. LG lost to Valdosta in the '52 title game, 30-0 and lost to Valdosta in '53 title contest, 48-7.
In 1955, LG defeated Columbus 20-14 in Game 9 and Griffin 13-10 in Game 10 to win the region. LG would go on to tie Rossville 13-13 for the '55 state title.
In 1958, LG beat Columbus 7-0 in Game 9 and edged Valdosta 23-21 on Jerry Buttrum's FG late in the game to win the region title and later defeated Decatur 26-12 in the state finals...This is the 50th anniversary of coach Oliver Hunnicutt's '58 state championship Grangers.
In 1959, LG went 9-1 bid DNQ for the playoffs as LG fell to Albany in Game 4, 19-10. LG defeated Valdosta 7-0 in Game 10.
In 1960, LG went 8-2, led Valdosta 13-0 in the fourth quarter in Game 10 but fell, 14-13 and DNQ for the playoffs.
In 1961, LG was 7-1-2 but lost to Valdosta in Game 10, 35-0 and DNQ for the postseason
In 1964, LG was 8-1-1 tied Columbus in Game 9 and beat Valdosta 13-0 in Game 10 but again, DNQ for the playoffs.
In 1968, LG was 7-1-2 but fell to Lakeshore 7-0 in Game 9 but rebounded to beat Troup Co. in the first-ever meeting in Game 10 but DNQ for the playoffs.
In 1969, LG went 8-2 but lost to Lakeshore, 17-8 in Game 9 and DNQ for playoffs.
In 1973, LG's region title team went 9-2 but lost to Rockdale Co. in Game 9, 42-28 and defeated Thomaston-Lee, 14-7 then was upset by Henderson, 8-7 in the first round of the playoffs.
In 1981, LG was the sub-region champion under Danny Cronic, now in his second season and went 10-2. LG was 7-0 when they lost to Riverdale, 21-14 then rebounded to defeat back-to-back Griffin (16-7) in Game 9 and an outstanding and 9-0 Newnan team in a 25-7 thrashing in Game 10. Newnan, the '81 4A state runner-up at 13-2, avenged the loss to LG with a 21-0 win in the region playoffs.
In 1982, LG was again the sub-region champion and beat Forest Park
26-7 in Game 9 and Jonesboro in Game 10, 14-6. LG was again 10-2 in falling to Riverdale in Game 3 and lost to an outstanding Griffin team 35-10 in the region championship game.
•LG won region titles in '83, '85, '86 and '89.
In 1983, LG went 14-1, won the region, defeated then No. 1-ranked Clarke Central 28-20 in the playoffs before falling to Tift Co. in the 4A state championship game. The '83 Grangers led by consensus All- Americans in QB Vince Sutton (Alabama) and Nate Hill (Auburn) were one of the LG's greatest teams. Sutton fired a school-record 30 TD passes in '83, attempted over 350 passes in the season and only had three INTs, two of which came in a playoff game when both were tipped. The '83 Grangers celebrating their 25th anniversary this year and honoring the memory of Hill, who died in the last year. LG's 2008 team sports a black No. 77 sticker on their helmets this fall in memory of Hill. Jimmy Yancey, another member of the '83 Grangers, also died in recent years.
In 1985, LG won the region in a 12-2 season, whipped Riverdale 31-7 in Game 10. LG lost to Clarke Central in the state semifinals.
In 1986, LG again went 12-2, was ranked No. 1 in the 4A preseason poll and No. 4 in the USA-Today preseason poll. LG won the region and fell to Clarke Central in the state semifinals. The '86 Grangers were certainly one of the most talented teams, if not the most talented in school history and led by consensus All-American DE/LB John Johnson (Clemson and NFL).
In 1989, LG went 10-4, won the region and lost to Valdosta in the 4A state semifinals. A 6-2 LG team had to beat Fayette Co. in a wild
41-36 OT game in Game 9 just to have a chance at making the region playoffs. LG lost to nemesis Morrow led by All-American Andre Hastings in another wild game, this one was 36-29 for Morrow in Game 10 and the Mustangs third straight win over the Grangers in what was for a 3-4 year period, LG's most bitter rival. LG had to travel to the Bears Den at Griffin under Lloyd Bohannon and won a decisive 26-9 game over a very strong Bears team to advance to the region title game against nemesis Morrow. In one of LG's finest moments in school history, then sophomore linebacker Rico Baker and the super quick LG defense hounded Hastings and RB Peady Hardy all game in a 48-9 blowout win for the LG in the region championship game. LG's defense was so dominant , in fact, that it was Hastings' worst-ever showing in his final high school game. LG then traveled to Warner Robins and defeated coach Robert Davis' vaunted Demons, the '88 defending state champions, in a terrific and physical 16-10 game and headed home to host Valdosta in the semifinals. LG trailed 12-0, then rallied to take a 13-12 lead in the second half, trailed 18-13 with under a minute left in the game. A mid-air fumble recovery and 40-yard return on the game's final play by a V LB ended LG's season in a hard- fought 24-13 final score.
In 1991 and 1992, LG and Newnan each meet with perfect 8-0 marks. LG won 20-14 in '91 and went on to a 15-0 season and state and USA-Today national championship. Newnan gained revenge with a 19-3 thumping at Drake Stadium in '92 en route to the region title, No. 2 ranking in the 4A polls behind Valdosta and as high as No. 8 in the USA-Today poll before losing a stunning first-round state playoff game at home to Jim Hughes' Colquitt Co. Packers.
In 1996, the J.R. Revere-led Grangers...."the Grangers are coming, the Grangers are coming..." gave Newnan its worst-ever home loss at Drake Stadium (1966-present) in a 49-0 pounding in Game 9 and set up a showdown with rival Troup in Game 10, now led by former LG assistant and DC Rob Ridings, for the region championship. It was a total mismatch as LG's speed on both sides of the ball overwhelmed Troup in a 31-0 halftime score and final of 52-6 for LG.
In 1997, LG defeated Newnan and Troup to win the region title and led by All-American RB Bruce Thornton (Georgia).
In 1998, LG fell to East Coweta and former coach Danny Cronic in Game 8 by a staggering score of 67-41 at Shoemake Stadium in Sharpsburg as EC won the region title.
In 2000, following a 2-8 season in '99 when LG used primarily sophomores and freshmen, LG rebounded with a sensational region title and state second-round team at 11-1 led by all-state star LB Sam Olajubutu, considered by many LG fans as perhaps the best all-around player and leader in LG's history. The key game in '00 was a dramatic 9-0 vs. 9-0 showdown against Jackson at Callaway Stadium in Game 10 for the region championship. LG's defense was superb in shutting down the high-powered Jackson attack in a stunningly easy 28-0 LG win for the title. It was a masterful defensive gameplan designed by LG's DC Donnie Branch.
In 2001, LG led by all-everything senior LB Olajubutu, LG went 14-0 and won the 3A state championship with a dominating second-half performance in a 22-19 win over Cedartown for the 3A state championship, in the 10th anniversary season of LG's '91 state and national championship team. Down 19-7 at half, LG controlled the second-half in a dominating performance on both sides of the line in coming from behind for the 22-19 win. Olajubutu closed out a sensational career at LG in fitting style with a perfect season and state championship and over 20 tackles in the game, a performance that ranks as the one of the greatest ever in LG's history.
In 2002, LG returned to Cedartown again in Game 9 to clinch yet another region title with an impressive defensive performance in a
19-9 LG win.
In 2003, LG won it's fourth straight region title in a 31-0 shellacking of Cedartown in Game 9 at Callaway Stadium. LG would go on to post 14 straight wins after an opening season loss to Troup, to win the 3A state title in a memorable 16-7 win over No. 1-ranked Peach Co. in Fort Valley for a 14-1 season and the 3A state title.
Former Kentucky and now Denver Broncos LB Wesley Woodyard earned the lone points of the game with a second-half safety in a memorable 2-0 playoff win over Swainsboro while then junior LB Tray Blackmon made an amazing athletic play in jumping over a Hart Co. lineman, belting the HC QB and then recovering the football in the HC end zone for a LG TD in a stunning, last-minute, come-from-behind 12-7 win over Hart Co. at Callaway Stadium. LG trailed HC 7-6 when Blackmon made his play to give LG the thrilling 12-7 win.
In 2004, LG had one of its all-time greatest teams in a No. 1 to No.
1 wire service polls season sweep in a 15-0 3A state championship season as LG was nationally-ranked in four different polls and as high as No. 9 in one poll. LG's 2004 defense was called by many coaches around the state as one of the best all-time in GHSA history.