GHSF DAILY: McNair’s Moore puzzled by dismissal, talking with Bob Sphire and more

The following is an excerpt from the August 28 edition of the Georgia High School Football Daily, an e-mail newsletter compiled by longtime Georgia high school football writers Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye:

In The News

McNair’s Moore ‘upset,disappointed’ by dismissal
McNair head coach Roderick Moore tells GHSF Daily that he’s puzzled by his dismissal Thursday, two days before McNair plays Stephenson in its opening game at Hallford Stadium.

“I’m upset, I’m angry, I’m disappointed,” Moore told GHSF Daily on Thursday night. “Why would you dismiss somebody a couple of days before the first game unless it’s something bigger than that? Why would you hurt kids this close to the game by relieving them of their coach?”

McNair principal James Jones declined comment and referred questions to DeKalb County spokesperson Dale Davis. Davis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Michael Carvell that the decision was the principal’s prerogative.

Moore, who was 26-18 in four seasons at McNair, told GHSF Daily that Davis met with him Monday and expressed concern over a team meal and the choice of music played at a scrimmage against Carver of Atlanta on Saturday at Panthersville Stadium.

Instead of having the meal at the stadium, the booster club had the cookout on school grounds because transportation to the stadium was delayed. Davis asked Moore on Monday why he wasn’t notified and told him Moore job was in jeopardy.

Moore, who has been assigned to Redan Middle School to continue as a teacher, said he was given no other reasons for his dismissal other than failure to communicate well.

“I’ve never had a reprimand on my record, never been written up, never been put on probation,” Moore said. “I’m going to let the public decide. I’m going in a new direction. If any school out there wants a coach who is committed to their school and student body and community, I’m the coach for them. I’m here to help mold young men to have character. I’ll land on my feet.”

John April, who is McNair’s athletics liaison, will serve as interim coach. Moore indicated that other members of his staff had resigned or been let go, but he couldn’t confirm it.

North Oconee principal on administrative leave

North Oconee principal John Osborne, who told his school’s coaches not to schedule rival Oconee County due to a disparity in facilities and training equipment, was placed on administrative leave by the school board, on Thursday, according to the Athens Banner-Herald and the Oconee Enterprise. A school board spokesperson would not say whether the discipline was due to Osborne’s controversial stand on competing against the only other high school in Oconee County.

Coaches’ Corner: North Gwinnett’s Bob Sphire

Doubleheader ‘helped putour program on the map’
For the second season, North Gwinnett is staging a doubleheader that brings in out-of-state teams. In this year’s event on Saturday, South Carolina champion Byrnes takes on Central Gwinnett at 5 p.m. and Alabama champion Prattville meets North Gwinnett at 8 p.m.

The out-of-state teams are nationally ranked and feature many big-time college recruits. The games will be televised by CSS and broadcast by 680 The Fan.

GHSF Daily had a conversation on Wednesday with the event founder, North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire. Here are his comments on:

Starting the Progressive Football Challenge: “It goes back to my experience 15 years ago this week. We had our first Bluegrass Bowl in Lexington, Ky. [Sphire was head coach of Lexington Catholic from 1991 to 2005, winning a state title there in his final season.] We started that event. It’s a similar format, although it had more of a Corky [Kell Classic] flavor in that it was mostly in-state teams. In terms of building a program in Lexington, it went a long ways into a thinking-big standpoint for our fan base, playing the best competition early, getting ready for the region race. That was one of the things on my docket when I interviewed here: Did they have interest in that kind of event? And could we make the event more nationally recognized? It would help put our program on the map pretty quickly in terms of persuading our community and program to raise the bar of expectations in every phase.”

Prattville: “Between them and Lowndes, those are the best teams I’ve played since I’ve been here. Byrnes is right there, too. We played Prattville in a scrimmage two years ago, and I’m not sure if they’re not better now. The quarterback [Sam Gibson, who has committed to LSU] is a threat every time it’s snapped. They’ve got about as good a defense as I’ve ever seen. Their corners get up in your grill and challenge you one-on-one. There’s speed at every position. They’ve won 44 of the last 45 games, and they don’t think anybody can beat them.”

Byrnes: “Very similar to Prattville. They rely more on their front pressure than on their defensive backs [as does Prattville]. Byrnes is trying to make things happen up front, a lot of stunts. Prattville doesn’t have any qualms with lining up in a base 5-2 or 3-2 and playing technique football, a lot like Lowndes. Prattville can beat you one-on-one instead of doing the fancy stuff. When you watch Byrnes, you’re going to be more enamored with their offense. Marcus Lattimore [a running back] is the highest-rated recruit in the country [according to The Sporting News], and rightly so.”

Who’ll like these games: “There are two different kinds of fans who’ll come. Some are team-oriented. They want to know who the best teams are. They’re going to see great teams, like Prattville and Byrnes. They’re like the Roman army. Others look at it like a basketball game. They’re looking for those prime-time players. You could see seven or eight guys this weekend who might play on Sundays.”

Football in Georgia: “The one thing that impresses me the most is it’s good all across the state in all classifications. In Alabama, for example, obviously Prattville has one of the best programs in the country, them and Hoover. But my sense is that it’s more feast or famine there. In Georgia, it’s strong everywhere, in AA, AAA, the Dublins, the Calhouns. Kentucky is like Alabama. You had some really good programs. Georgia is one of those any-given-night scenarios. I feel like I’m coaching in the SEC of high school football every Friday night. I’m sitting here like a Mark Richt and [Keith] Maloof over at Norcross is Urban Meyer and [Peachtree Ridge's Bill] Ballard’s like Nick Saban. Even the teams that haven’t competed for a region championship over here, they’re going to have guys going to Notre Dame and Alabama. A lot of weeks in Kentucky I had to manufacture reasons for my players to be motivated. I don’t find myself doing that here.”

Thursday Wrapup

Arnold leads Newnan past LaGrange
Backup quarterback Lendell Arnold ran and passed for touchdowns and Newnan held LaGrange to two first downs in a 26-15 victory Thursday at LaGrange’s Callaway Stadium.

LaGrange kicker Joe Mansour, who has committed to Kentucky, made a 57-yard field goal in the first half. Only six kicks in state history have been longer, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.

The victory was the first at Newnan for Mike McDonald, who replaced retired Robert Herring after Newnan’s 13-1 finish in 2008.

“We played really, really well on defense,” McDonald told GHSF Daily. “The offense moved the ball, but we had too many penalties in the first half. It’s just a good win. Any time you can beat LaGrange, you know you’ve beaten somebody pretty good.”

Arnold was playing for starter Zach Farmer, who injured an ankle on Monday. He led two 80-yard drives in the second half and scored on a 3-yard run and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Ogletree.

Jamal Ransby returned an interception from midfield for Newnan’s first touchdown to tie the game 6-6.

Denzel Smith’s interception and return inside LaGrange’s 10-yard line set up Chris Robinson’s 4-yard run that made it 13-6.

On the first play of the second half, LaGrange ran an interception for a score to make it 13-13. But the long drives put Newnan in control.

*Grady 29, Maynard Jackson 0: Darius Hawkins scored two first-half touchdowns for Grady at Lakewood Stadium. Grady, predicted by GHSF Daily to win its subregion of 5-AAA, scored on its first possession, a 70-yard drive, and led 16-0 at halftime. Lightning delayed the game for 40 minutes in the first half.

Other scores
Americus-Sumter 23, Dougherty 7
Westside (Macon) 34, Central (Macon) 0
Hardaway 33, Columbus 0
Monroe 40, Kendrick 0
Northside (Warner Robins) 42, Perry 10
Benedictine 7, Windsor Forest 6

Weekend Predictions

Each week, GHSF Daily’s Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye will pick which teams they think will win in some of the bigger games around the state. Starting next week, we’ll be keeping a running tally for the season, so you’ll know if your team is in trouble if one of our staffers picks it to win.