Georgia 2011-2012

[Khanate]

Since its not here yet, I guess I'll create it.

I believe that next year a new generation rises for GA quizbowl with the graduation of William, Abu Bakr, Andrew, Dawit, and me and the other four CHS seniors. Therefore, I believe that the overall strength of the GA field will drop next year (Although Adam does return for Centennial); however, I think it will become quite strong again as the next 2 years progress.

I definitely see Georgia quizbowl heading in the right direction next year with a couple of teams producing housewrites of their own. I also saw the rise of non-single elimination formats in GA tournaments last year, and I hope that trend continues next year. However, I fear that GATA and its coaches may be holding this move toward better quizbowl back - with a strange distribution for the GATA State Championship that has been even further corrupted with the addition of "technology" to the science distribution, its splitting of teams between A-5A (causing teams like Lakeside, Marist, and Chattahoochee to not have to compete with Alpharetta, Brookwood, Centennial, and Norcross for a state title), and its refusal to sponsor a NASAT team despite its interest in regulating it (to list a few). I appreciate GATA's role in maintaining pyramidal quizbowl throughout the state; however, I believe it needs to move with the rest of quizbowl and the rest of the state in promoting more modern quizbowl in the future.

That said, here are my rankings

1. Centennial
Um, they return the number one scorer at HSNCT from this year. I don't think any other explanation is necessary. Centennial could definitely place in the top 4 next year at HSNCT or PACE (depending on which they go to)

2. Norcross
They lose Andrew, but return Mostafa and other high scorers. Plus they are writing a set next year. I see Norcross being a major powerhouse next year.

3. Alpharetta
Kunal is an excellent player, doing quite well at a handful of tournaments w/o William this year. I see Alpharetta still returning strong next year.

4. Brookwood
Honestly this is a close call. Brookwood could emerge above Alpharetta and Norcross next year, as they return all players from their A team. However, I don't know how much they will improve over the summer and throughout next year. If they write another set of the same quality

5. Chattahoochee
4/5 from their HSNCT A team are gone, but Sophia is very good, and they return a good handful of sophomores plus David and Jimmy. At this point I'd say CHS is #5, but I have no doubts in my mind that by the end of next year, they could be #2. However, this may not be possible if they keep reading ancient (3+ years old) IS, SCT, and ICT sets from NAQT.

6. Walton
Honestly, they are a top 100 school academically (which typically have good teams), and they have returned top teams for years. Given another housewrite next year, and their tradition for success, I wouldn't count Walton out even with Abu Bakr leaving.

Teams to look out for:
Lakeside
Bainbridge
Marist A - I don't know how many seniors they return, but they finished with a 5-5 record at HSNCT which is quite impressive
If I left anyone out, it was just my forgetfulness

[Blau Space]

MIght as well add my thoughts, too. I've not seen all of these teams play, but I've kept up-to-date on most results/discussion so I'll give it a shot:

1. Centennial - They've got Adam Silverman. 5A state title.
2. Alpharetta
3. Norcross - Mostafa's a great player and an extremely hard worker. Put him on a team with Hernan and other good players, and you've got a really good team.
4. Brookwood
5. Chattahoochee - Although they lose most of their A-team, I've got full confidence that they'll still be an extremely strong team. 4A state title.

Teams to watch outside of those top 5...not in any particular order. I'm just going to rattle off those that come to mind:
Walton - They lose Abu Bakr, but they had an awesome JV team. I'm sure they'll still be awesome.
Lakeside - Anne Grosse is a very good player. I don't know how many players they are graduating, though (I seem to remember that they also had a pretty good science player? Not sure what grade he was in.)
Bainbridge - We're returning all four members of our A-team. Our two freshman (one of whom had not picked up a buzzer before this year!!) averaged slightly over one tossup a game and picked up several powers at the HSNCT. I also plan on working extremely hard this summer. With a lot of work, I think we could beat Lakeside next year and inch into 2nd place in the 4A division. I'll be the only senior next year.
Marist - An extremely well-rounded and all-around good team. I put Bainbridge slightly over them due to the fact that we played them twice and won both times at GATA Varsity State this year (although each time, the score was very, very close.) Honestly, though, those games could have easily gone in Marist's favor.
Central Gwinnett - I don't know what their team makeup will be like, but they've always been a strong team, from what I know.
Cedar Shoals - Evan Knox played awesome at the HSNCT. I think they're going to have a great season next year.

I really wish South GA Quiz Bowl could experience some sort of revival, haha. Ware County's a good team - I've been playing against their captain, Zubair Akram, since middle school - they just don't play in many tournaments. Baconton's also got a very good program and good coaching. Savannah Country Day's also very good, too. It's just so hard for all of us to travel up to Atlanta on a monthly basis! 5 hours on a bus (10 hours total, I suppose) and several hotel rooms really takes a toll on a rural school team's budget. Tournaments in South GA often don't make the cut, as the few teams that there are are so spread apart (Baconton's 30 min from Bainbridge, Ware Co.'s almost 2 hours, SCD is on the opposite side of the state.)

edited: for relativity.

[BlueDevil95]

I guess I'll add in:

With the graduation of William (Alpharetta), Abubakar (Walton) , and all of Chattahoochee A, second best in state looks pretty open right now. I say second because Centennial's got that first spot set in stone right now.

1. Centennial
Adam. He was a junior and he was the best individual player at HSNCT. He practically got a tied for 5th by himself at HSNCT and was at least competitive with the teams ranked above them. If Adam keeps on improving at the rate he's been at (which I have no doubt that he will), I see Centennial with at least 3rd in the nation.

2. Brookwood
They return their entire crew of juniors who put up over 15 PPB at HSNCT, as opposed to Norcross' 13.85. They have valuable experience and their many dedicated coaches will continue to push them to become the best they can be. Everyone knows stuff on their team, so they can back each other up. Travis is a good literature player, as is Brady, and everyone else knows the other areas. I can't see them pushing to number one though.

3. Norcross
We had what I consider a poor performance at HSNCT, and Andrew's going to be a huge loss. With his graduation goes a lot of our history, physics, and other small stuff that makes the difference in games. I'm going to study a lot to make sure Norcross stays in the thick of things, and I'm writing the majority of the BDAT set. But without other people to support me in areas I'm weak in, Norcross will not do very well.

4. Alpharetta
William's gone, which isn't a good thing. However, Kunal's a great player with lightning fast buzzer skills and should still be a factor. I think he'll be playing solo the majority of the year. I won't be surprised if he's able to crush Norcross. He's already good at literature and fine arts.

5. Chattahoochee
Well, all the seniors are gone, and how many juniors are there to fill in? David and Sophie will continue to contribute to the team, as will as the sophomores. They look to be solid in literature and fine arts, but the teams above them are also proficient in those areas.

Teams to look out for:
Lakeside: They lose a senior, but they retain Anne. I think that she is their only scorer now, but I could be wrong. They'll still be a factor at tournaments.

Walton: They lose everyone on their "A" team except for Slok. They had a solid JV team that won State this year and came away with valuable nationals experience. I wouldn't count them out just yet.

Cedar Shoals: Evan Knox had an impressive performance at nationals, and he was only a freshman. I think it'll take some time, but they'll be strong in the future.

Bainbridge: Their captain, Anne, is a good player, and everyone on their team averaged at least a tossup every game at HSNCT. Mr. Alday's a dedicated coach who will continue to foster their growth.

[CSQuizJags]

Georgia competition calendar thus far (Aug 30). Events are still subject to change:

September
3- Labor Day Weekend
10-
17- Ezell-Harding, GATA Fall Conference
24- Gwinnett County
28- WSB HighQ taping season begins

October
1- SAT, Paideia MS
8- Walton
15- Chamblee MS, GATA Fall
22-ACT JV Jag
29-Cedar Shoals World's Largest Indoor Quizbowl Party (MN Novice Mirror)

November
5- SAT Central Macon Varsity, History Bowl/Bee Fall Tournament @ Cedar Shoals
12- North Gwinnett MS, ANGST at NGA, Harvard Fall at Collins Hill
19- Brookwood BISB
26- Thanksgiving Weekend

December
3- SAT, MS Jag Bowl, Norcross BDAT I
10- ACT, CATT VII

January 2012
7- Savannah Country, PAGE Regionals
14- MLK Weekend Centennial Tournament
21- State Beta, PAGE State Semis, Dorman, Region 8-AAAA Tournament @ Heritage (?), History Bowl State Spring Tournament at Ola HS
28- SAT Bulldog Brawl at Cedar Shoals

February
4- Bleckley MS/HS event NAQT SCT
11- ACT PAGE Finals
18- Brookwood JV BISB,
25- GATA JV State at Chattahoochee (A-AAAAA)

March
3- Jag Bowl VII/TBS IX
10- SAT, NGATT (?)
17- Norcross Prison Bowl (?), GATA MS State
24- GATA Varsity State at Flowery Branch (AAA-AAAAA) and Bleckley (A-AA)
31-NAQT ICT weekend

April
7- Easter Weekend Cedar Shoals Hybrid (?)
14-ACT Cedar Shoals Hybrid(?)
21-NAQT MSNCT weekend
28- History Bowl and Bee Nationals, DC

May
5- SAT, GATA State Board Meeting
12-
19-
25- NAQT HSNCT Weekend

[BlueDevil95]

Here are the results from this Saturday's Gwinnett County tournament:

Varsity:
1. Norcross
2. Brookwood
3. GSMST
4. Parkview

JV
1. Duluth
2. GSMST
3. Brookwood
4. Norcross

[wareagle]

Here are full stats from the HFT VI (for those of you who did not find it a couple of pages in on the HFT discussion), hosted by Collins Hill HS. Congrats to Centennial for emerging far ahead of the pack with 603 PPG!

http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/webpages/rrichards/files/HFT_combined_standings.html

1) Centennial (5-0, 5-0)
2) Brookwood A (5-0, 4-1)
3) Alpharetta (4-1, 3-2)
4) Athens Academy (5-0, 2-3)
5) Bainbridge (4-1, 1-4)
6) Chattahoochee A (4-1, 0-5)

7) Norcross (3-2, 5-0)
8) Marist A (3-2, 4-1)
9) Brookwood B (2-3, 3-2)
10) Marist B (2-3, 2-3)
11) Chattahoochee B (2-3, 1-4)
12) Rabun Gap A (3-2, 0-5)

13) Paideia (1-4, 4-0)
14) Etowah A (1-4, 3-1)
15) Rabun Gap B (0-5, 2-2)
16) Etowah B (1-4, 1-3)
17) Jasper County (0-5, 0-4)
18) Woodward (0-5, left after prelims)

[Grams's Go-Go Boots]

Did the HFT mirror have bouncebacks? Were those numbers incorporated into the ppb?

[Andrew's a Freshman]

Did the HFT mirror have bouncebacks? Were those numbers incorporated into the ppb?

There were no bouncebacks.

[centralhs]

I am very much in need of experienced readers for the AAAAA Region tournament that I am hosting on Saturday, February 4. The tournament is being held at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville. Please contact me if you are available to work at the tournament: cathy_hirsch@gwinnett.k12.ga.us.

[cchiego]

Who is Whitefield Academy and what's the story of their rise to QB prominence? Neat to see a new team up there at the top of the brackets. Also nice to see Etowah doing quite well. What's the rest of the news from GA?

[Grams's Go-Go Boots]

For what it's worth, the Berry tournament incorporated bouncebacks into their PPB numbers.

[centralhs]

Who is Whitefield Academy and what's the story of their rise to QB prominence? Neat to see a new team up there at the top of the brackets.

Whitefield Academy's team has been around for a while but they have shown up at more tournaments this year than in the past and have shown great improvement. I read for them several times at the GATA Fall tournament in October (which I think they won) and was pretty impressed.

[Standard-winged Nightjar]

Just wondering what was behind the decision to schedule the GA Prison Bowl mirror the same day as the long-scheduled GA NHBB A set. See under: purpose, defeating the...

[CSQuizJags]

Just wondering what was behind the decision to schedule the GA Prison Bowl mirror the same day as the long-scheduled GA NHBB A set. See under: purpose, defeating the...

It's been moved to April 21, so we can now file it under point, moot. :)

[BlueDevil95]

Here are the prelim stats from yesterday's 5A Regionals Tournament that was played on HSAPQ-23. The tournament was played with bouncebacks, but those have been accounted for. In other words, PPB doesn't include bouncebacks. The SQBS link will be added at a later date.

Region 5
# Team W L T Pct PPG PAPG Mrg 15 10 P/B
4 Etowah 5 0 0 1.000 402.0 174.0 228.0 24 37 17.87
7 Woodstock 4 1 0 0.800 291.0 211.0 80.0 13 36 15.92
11 Walton 2 3 0 0.400 261.0 328.0 -67.0 9 29 15.26
16 Cherokee 0 5 0 0.000 138.0 400.0 -262.0 8 14 13.18

Region 6
# Team W L T Pct PPG PAPG Mrg 15 10 P/B
3 Alpharetta 5 0 0 1.000 511.0 143.0 368.0 35 30 22.46
6 Roswell 4 1 0 0.800 294.0 259.0 35.0 6 38 100 16.82
12 Duluth B 1 4 0 0.200 184.0 348.0 -164.0 12 24 13.33
15 Centennial 0 5 0 0.000 177.0 320.0 -143.0 7 23 14.00

Region 7
# Team W L T Pct PPG PAPG Mrg 15 10 P/B
2 Norcross 5 0 0 1.000 560.0 116.0 444.0 36 36 23.75
5 North Gwinnett 4 1 0 0.800 309.0 231.0 78.0 21 32 15.47
8 Collins Hill 3 2 0 0.600 261.0 252.0 9.0 19 25 14.77
10 Duluth A 2 3 0 0.400 293.0 280.0 13.0 15 33 16.46
14 Mountain View 1 4 0 0.200 133.0 311.0 -178.0 7 15 13.64
18 Stephenson 0 5 0 0.000 23.0 389.0 -366.0 1 6 2.86

Region 8
# Team W L T Pct PPG PAPG Mrg 15 10 P/B
1 Brookwood 5 0 0 1.000 617.0 97.0 520.0 45 32 23.64
9 Grayson 3 2 0 0.600 206.0 231.0 -25.0 10 31 12.68
13 Parkview 1 4 0 0.200 152.0 375.0 -223.0 8 27 8.86
17 Archer 0 5 0 0.000 81.0 428.0 -347.0 3 14 8.24

[centralhs]

In case people are wondering why Centennial's stats weren't higher, Adam Silverman was not on their team. He helped us out by reading at the tournament instead of playing.

[Mr. Scogan]

In case people are wondering why Centennial's stats weren't higher, Adam Silverman was not on their team. He helped us out by reading at the tournament instead of playing.

How much of their A team was playing then?

[BlueDevil95]

In case people are wondering why Centennial's stats weren't higher, Adam Silverman was not on their team. He helped us out by reading at the tournament instead of playing.

How much of their A team was playing then?

I believe it was their standard "A" team, minus Adam.

[adamsil]

In case people are wondering why Centennial's stats weren't higher, Adam Silverman was not on their team. He helped us out by reading at the tournament instead of playing.

How much of their A team was playing then?

It was our #2, #4ish, and a player from our JV team. They played short-handed for all but two rounds, I believe (one other off-and-on player was there early in the morning).

[centralhs]

Here are the preliminary round stats from the 5A Region Tournament:

http://hsquizbowl.org/db/tournaments/86 ... ournament/