Doug Griffin
Gilmer County football pioneer Doug Griffin passed away Tuesday, June 23.
Griffin, 88, passed at his Chastworth home following a life of serving Gilmer and Murray counties as educator, coach and superintendent.
He was a 1950 Ellijay High School graduate and quarterbacked the county’s only team to win an outright region football championship and finish with an undefeated regular season record of 9-0.
Griffin scored the second touchdown in school history as a freshman in 1946, and his senior season saw Ellijay finish as the Class B Region 4 champions.
“Doug played quarterback on the ’49 team and it was the only undefeated team Gilmer’s ever had,” said John Sluder, who was one of Griffin’s teammates before eventually becoming a teacher and coach in Gilmer. “He was a good quarterback and he’d still come out to Mike’s Restaurant and eat lunch about twice per week. He’d come and meet with us once a month at the hall of fame meeting.”
EHS was a juggernaut on both sides of the ball. During the regular season, Ellijay averaged over 36 points per game while holding opponents to less than four. EHS shut out four foes and never surrendered more than seven points through its first nine games.
Ellijay stormed through region play with wins over Hartwell (26-7), Jefferson (35-0), Elberton (21-7), Cornelia (35-7) and Lavonia (26-7).
EHS did not meet its match until the Class B state semifinals where they fell to Newnan, 24-6. Newnan went on to lose to Cook in the state championship game, 19-7.
Griffin was a veteran and served as co-captain on South Georgia College’s football team. He returned to Ellijay as a teacher and coach in 1956. He made his way to Murray County for his first season as the Indians’ head coach in 1959.
Ellijay businessman Robert Westmoreland first met Griffin as a child. They crossed paths again when Westmoreland took the field as a football player for Gilmer against Griffin’s Murray.
“He used to teach swimming lessons and taught me how to swim at the old Ellijay pool that’s long gone and has been covered up,” Westmoreland recalled.
“Then when we played against his Murray County teams, you knew you’d been in a game come Saturday morning when you tried to get out of bed. He had them ready to play and his teams were well conditioned and well coached.”
East Ellijay mayor Mack West was lifelong friends with Griffin.
“We grew up across the street from each other on what’s now Mulberry Street,” West said. “We had the same birthdays and were good friends all of life. As young boys grew up in the river swimming, boating and fishing. I have so many fond memories of him. He was a wonderful person and wonderful coach.”
Griffin spent 10 seasons at Murray before leading the West Fannin High School Yellow Jackets for three seasons.
Griffin returned to Murray and eventually served as its superintendent for 16 years. He was a member of the Chatsworth First United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday school for more than 50 years.
Griffin was honored for his on and off the field accomplishments and inducted into the Murray County Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Gilmer Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.