With the 2019 high school football season rapidly approaching, BLITZ Sports takes a look at North Georgia teams to see which teams have had the richest history. Habersham Central comes in at number five on the list.
#5 – HABERSHAM CENTRAL
- RECORD: 261-254-2
- WIN %: .501
- STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
- REGION TITLES: 5
- STATE PLAYOFFS: 8
- STATE PLAYOFF RECORD: 7-8
- BEST STATE FINISH: SEMIFINALS (1973)
- 10-WIN SEASONS: 5
- HEAD COACHES: 9
- ALL-STATE PLAYERS: 22
- AJC STATE RANKED: 43 TIMES
50 years of football has been played at Habersham Central going back to 1970, which equates to 517 games. The Raiders have gone 261-254-2 overall, and have laid claim to five region titles (’73, ’84, ’90, ’06, ’07). The school has had few head coaches, and perhaps one of the greatest was Larry Black, who from 1984-94 went 75-45 and winning two region titles. However, Habersham made the playoffs just once in that span (prior to the current format). In 1990 they made the quarterfinals, and Black orchestrated a pair of 11-plus win seasons (’84, ’90).
Habersham has five 10-win seasons and a 7-8 playoff record across eight playoff appearances. Perhaps the most thrilling three-year span was the 2005-07 run under Gene Cathcart, where All-State players Tavarres King and Bo Hatchett led the Raiders to three straight playoff trips, including 21 wins from 06-07 alone (winning region titles in both of those seasons) and making the quarterfinals both times.
King, Kevin Ellison, and Anthony King are some of the most dominant in program history. All told, there have been 22 All-State players and the team has been state-ranked in the top-10 on 43 occasions.
To see how Central stacks up historically against other teams in the region, click HERE.
