SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — Social Circle High School will be tasked with hanging numerous championship banners before the 2022-23 school year commences. The Redskins enjoyed great success across multiple sport this past year.
Upon reflection, athletic director Craig Hargrove said he was still amazed by what each team was able to accomplish.
“Wow, I think every program experienced success at some level or another,” Hargrove said. “What a great year we had starting with the fall, winter and finishing up with the spring. Teams and individuals going to the postseason and getting as far as they could was fun to watch.”
State championships were captured during the 2021-22 year by the girls soccer team, and individuals on the boys and girls track team and wrestling team.
Additionally, the wrestling team was state runner ups in the dual and traditional tournament.
Final Four appearances were made by the softball, boys basketball, boys golf and baseball teams. Such appearances were firsts for the boys basketball and baseball teams in their programs’ histories, too.
Both track teams had seven state medalists while wrestling also had 11 individual state medalists. Swimming had its first state medalist in the 1-meter dive.
Numerous teams also claimed area/region titles in 2021-22, too.
Boys basketball, softball, wrestling, boys soccer and girls soccer each won their respective Region 8A-Public crowns. Girls golf was area runner-up.
While other programs didn’t bring home any type of championships, each program obtained its own success.
For instance, the Redskins football team placed third in the region standings while qualifying for the postseason for the second straight season. That is the first back-to-back appearances for the football team since 2008 and 2009.
Girls basketball earned its first postseason berth in six years and finished third in the region. The Redskins’ rifle team finished sixth in the state.
Rounding out the athletic programs’ success were the tennis and cross country teams.
Each cross country team had runners qualify for the state meet and the Social Circle tennis team earned a spot to compete at the state meet.
As a result of all success achieved this past school year, Social Circle finished second overall in the Georgia Athletic Director’s Association (GADA) Director’s Cup scoring a total of 936 points. In the boys’ division, Social Circle claimed first place with 539 points.
Hargrove categorized the 2021-22 school year as “one of the best years athletically in Social Circle history.”
“I think you attribute to the great kids we have,” Hargrove said. “You see how bought in they are in, not only their individual program, but supporting one another. They’re showing up and supporting their classmates. And that is important.”
But Social Circle does not plan to rest on this year’s success and come away satisfied. Over the summer, each program has a summer workout scheduled outlined as well as camps they’re doing to help bolster the future of Redskins athletics.
As a matter of fact, the athletics program is growing with the addition of a volleyball program starting in the fall.
So, Hargrove believes that the future of Redskins athletics is shining bright.
“We’ve got to continue to find ways to make athletics appealing for all kids,” Hargrove said. “We know next year, we’re going to have a strong senior class across a lot of the programs, but make it where the ninth and 10th graders are still a part of the program. They may not be a starter year one, but sticking it out and seeing it long term.”
