Spalding head coach Nick Davis (left) and Griffin head coach Steve DeVoursney (right) pose for a photo with Bill Haisten (center) on Saturday at Griffith’s Drive-In after the Morning After Show on WHIE, 1320-AM. Haisten is holding the Bill Haisten Award, presented by the Griffin-Spalding Athletic Hall of Fame. The trophy goes to the winner of the annual Griffin-Spalding game which takes place 7:30 p.m., Friday at Memorial Stadium.
Going into the next-to-last game of the regular season, both teams are heading in opposite directions. While Steve DeVoursney-coached Griffin (7-1) clinched first-place in Region 4-AAAA Div. B with a 28-14 win Friday at Upson-Lee, Spalding (1-6-1) assured itself of finishing last in the subregion with a 12-0 loss to North Clayton on homecoming night at Memorial Stadium.
But this week you can throw out the records.
This is a game built on emotion, not prior record.
Consider it a chance for redemption.
Nothing would make Nick Davis-coached Spalding smile more than a victory against No. 8-state ranked Griffin. The feeling is mutual across town where Griffin wants to teach Spalding a lesson for taking it scoreless into overtime last year.
That’s what makes it a rivalry.
Heck, if they loved each other the game wouldn’t be much worth playing.
The truth is they despise each other.
Lose and there is a bad aftertaste left on the palate until the following year. Win and all is right with the world despite what has come before.
While Griffin has won four in a row — 62-13 in 2008, 42-10 in 2009, 40-0 in 2010 and 3-0 in overtime last year — since the rivalry was renewed after a 56-year hiatus, the all-time series, which Griffin leads 5-3, hasn’t been a one-sided affair. While Griffin won the inaugural game 21-19 in 1949, Spalding scored wins of 12-0 in 1950, 21-13 in 1951 and 19-7 in 1952.
However, since then Griffin has dominated the short but illustrious series during which time the Bill Haisten Trophy — which goes to the winner — has been parked on the shelves at Griffin High, not once moving. If Spalding, which led at the half in 2008 and carried Griffin into overtime last year, wants to move the hardware it’ll have to post its first win in the series since 1952.
John Sullivan is the sports editor at the Griffin Daily News.
REGION 4-AAAA STANDINGS
Division A
School |Overall |Region PF PA
Stockbridge |7-1-0 |3-0 23 11
Locust Grove |6-2-0 |2-1 23 20
Dutchtown |5-3-0 |1-2 32 23
Woodland-Stock. |2-6-0 |1-2 19 28
E. Landing |1-8-0 |1-3 26 39
Division B
School |Overall |Region PF PA
Griffin |7-1-0 |4-0 35 17
Riverdale |6-2-0 |3-1 24 20
Jonesboro |6-1-0 |2-1 33 15
N. Clayton |2-7-0 |2-3 14 22
Upson-Lee |3-5-0 |1-3 24 24
Spalding |1-6-1 |0-4 7 18
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Griffin @ Spalding
Locust Grove at Stockbridge
Woodland-Stock. at Dutchtown
Upson-Lee at Jonesboro
Bye: E. Landing, Riverdale and N. Clayton
LAST WEEK’S GAMES
Griffin 28, Upson-Lee 14
No. Clayton 12, Spalding 0
Stockbridge 34, Woodland 7
Locust Grove 35, E. Landing 34
Jonesboro @ Riverdale (Sat.)
Bye: Dutchtown
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