How can you guys say this is a bad pick? They dominate where it counts, they win championships. Why does it have to be pro sports only for you guys?
+1
After seeing ESPN's explanation I understand their selection.
This is a Division II High School Football Town. In some cities in the deep south and up here in the midwest, high school football is huge! If anyone is from the Massillon, Ohio area (#4 on the Titletown rankings), you can attest to this. Have any of you ever seen the Friday Night Lights movie or TV show?
Anyways, this team from Valdosta Georgia is the winningest high school football program in the country. Their record from 1913 through 2004 includes six national championships, 23 state championships, and 41 regional championships. Cross-town rival Lowndes High School has also built a strong program, winning four state titles since 1980, including 2004, 2005 and 2007.
In 2001, Valdosta High School's football coach, Mike O'Brien, told a national gathering of coaches:
"Our program is 86 years old, and has been through 12 head coaches. We have only been below a .500 winning percentage five out of the 86 years. We have accumulated 39 region championships, 23 state championships, and six national championships. Here is a little fact to help you better understand how tough our region is. A team from our region has either won or played for a state championship 40 times in last 52 years. Valdosta is the winningest high school football team in America. Our record is 782-160-33. To put that into a better perspective for you, we could lose every game for the next 60 years and still have a winning percentage above .500. Of course if this were to occur I would no longer be the coach."
