Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Iss. 39 by Score Atlanta

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 | NOVEMBER 19-25, 2015

You Win Again | Pg. 4 Craig Sager II looks at the unstoppable force that is Falcons wideout Julio Jones

Give Your Best | Pg. 9 Rivals square off to open up 2015-16 basketball season

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

STAYIN’ ALIVE Gwinnett powers cruise into second round in state’s top class | Pg. 7

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Vol. 11 Iss. 39 | November 19-25, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

COLUMNISTS

ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock

MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Sandy MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rhonda Rawls

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

BEAT WRITERS: Ricky Dimon (Braves) Colin Hubbard (GA Tech) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons, Kennesaw) Kyle Sandy (Transfer Corner, GSU, Hawks) STAFF WRITERS Tyler Andrews

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TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

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COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA FALCONS, TY FREEMAN AND SONNY KENNEDY.

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SAGER SAYS

JONES SHOWS NO LIMITS TO RECORDSETTING SUCCESS BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

t took just nine weeks into the 2015 season Iceiving for Julio Jones to log the third 1,000-yard reseason of his young five-year career.

Putting up numbers at a League-leading pace is something that is now expected from the 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver. In a sport where film study dissects game plans and strategy, Jones continues to be one of the most unstoppable forces the League has ever seen. Jones’ skill level is rare because he is embodies all the traits of what many consider a ‘complete’ receiver to have. When a defense puts size to defend Jones, he can match it with this powerful frame and then beat the coverage with game-breaking speed. When speedy defenders are put on Julio, he matches it with his own set of wheels before using his physicality

to attack the ball and pluck it out of midair. Teams can go with the more conservative plan and back off a couple yards to play it safe, but then Jones can take a quick screen pass and force a defender into a dangerous one-onone situation in the open field. Even when the correct coverage is called and defenders shadow Jones’ every move, he can still be trusted to make plays. With veteran fundamentals, a voracious work ethic and his crisp route running, Jones is prepared for anything. “I think it’s just that he [Jones] doesn’t back down,” said head coach Dan Quinn. “Any challenge there, he’s ready to go. It’s one of the things that I most respect about his game. He’s one of those kinds of competitors that is ready for it every time. He’s the guy that wants it

SANDY’S SPIEL

BRIAN COFFEY JR. SET TO ENERGIZE GAC BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

Class AA, No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian I10nhasseason seven state titles to its name. After a 19and a second round exit a year ago,

former two-time region champion as a player, David Eaton, steps in to try and capture the school’s eighth championship. Coach Eaton replaces Eddie Martin, the maestro behind numerous state championships, most recently during his tenures at GAC and Norcross. With a new head coach in place, leading scorer Garrett Covington, Jacob Hoffman, Charlie O’Briant and Brian Coffey Jr. all return. Coffey, a junior, holds offers from North Florida, UNC-Asheville and Presbyterian already. When asked about becoming an upperclassman and playing for a new coach, Coffey said that learning how to play for Eaton has been an easy transition. “So far everything has been running smooth.

He definitely trusts me with the ball, so our relationship can only grow from there,” explained Coffey. “He puts his trust in me and I trust his system so as the year goes on we’ll be fine.” With a new coach in place, 2015-16 looks to be a little different. “It’s not necessarily a big transition but it’s definitely not the same. Last year I usually ran the offense and looked for the open man first. But this season coach wants me to make some of the calls and make some of the decisions on the fly when I’m out there on the court…It’s basically having a lot more freedom to lead the team and have a say.” With Coffey’s expanded role as a floor general, he feels like his leadership is ready to take the next step. “They encourage me to talk a lot and I can sense guys looking up to me and turning to me

thrown to him and wants to take the last shot. I can’t say enough about him as a competitor.”

history, but Jones is on pace to break that this season while leading the NFC in receiving.

RAISING THE BAR Jones has made a tremendous impact on the franchise since being drafted in 2011 and was rewarded for it before this season. After a record-setting 1,593 receiving yards last year, Jones and the Falcons agreed to a five-year deal on Aug. 29 that would keep the Pro Bowl wideout in Atlanta for the long-term. Jones showed his worth right away this season as he got off to one of the greatest starts in NFL history. In Atlanta’s first three games this season, Jones caught 34 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns. He became the first Atlanta player to start a season with three straight 100-yard games and the first player in NFL history with at least 135 receiving yards in each of his team’s first three games in a season. His 34 receptions stand as the most an NFL player has had three games into a season. The fast start helped Jones join Antonio Brown as the only two receivers in the League to surpass 1,000 receiving yards just nine weeks into this season. Jones led the league at 1,029 yards before the bye week, while Brown sat second at 1,002 yards. The 1,700-yard mark has been surpassed just five times in NFL

JONES THE TEAMMATE There is a quiet confidence about Jones that manifests from an intense focus. Whether it is pre-game drills or a third and long in the fourth quarter, his positive outlook and confidence embraces any challenge. His lead by example attitude is something that is respected not only in the Atlanta locker room, but around the League. Former Falcon Harry Douglas knows first hand the type of player and teammate Jones is. “I know how much he puts into it,” said Douglas of Jones. “I know how hard he works and how much he loves the game. He does everything in his power to be successful and help his team in any way possible. That’s not just catching balls. That’s blocking, putting in time at the complex and in the weight room. Being able to play with him for all those years I did, I know his work ethic. I know he’s an unbelievable player. Like I said, he has a chance to be the greatest player to ever play this game.” Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

for calls. I feel like they accept me as a leader on the team.”

a personal challenge to everybody because you’re measuring how you are against top competition. You should stand up to the challenge and not be afraid to play,” stated Coffey. “I like playing against top competition. It’s just a chance to make me more focused and more ready to play the game.”

NO DAYS OFF Coffey and the rest of the Spartans will be challenged each and every night playing in the tough Region 6-AA which features the likes of No. 2 Pace Academy, No. 6 Holy Innocents’ and Lovett. Going up against some of the best talent the classification has to offer brings out the best in the competitive Coffey’s game. “It’s definitely fun. You want to play against the best, not only to measure yourself against the best but just for the simple fact that it’s fun,” said the point guard who averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 assists per game as a sophomore. Coffey received an early season litmus test against the defending Class A-Private state champions, St. Francis, on Saturday. The Knights boast five-star senior guard Kobi Simmons and Duluth transfer Anthony Showell, who together form one of the most potent backcourts in the state. In the end, the Spartans rallied from a three point halftime deficit to upend St. Francis 77-69. Covington led GAC with 22 points while Coffey added 21. For the Knights, Simmons poured in 23 and Showell paced all scorers with 24. Does playing against highly touted prospects motivate Coffey? “It gives me an extra drive. It should be

THE NEXT LEVEL Brian’s play has not only gained respect from his coaches and teammates, but has also piqued the interest of college scouts. His recruiting has heated up and with a few offers already in hand, I wanted to find out exactly what the recruiting process of a high school basketball player is like. I asked Brian whether the process was what he imagined growing up or a whole different animal. “It’s definitely different. I remember when I was a kid I was just hoping to get a letter, but now I know that letters don’t really mean anything,” explained Coffey. “The recruiting process is something cool to go through but it can be stressful sometimes. At the end of the day you do enjoy it. I never knew it would end up like this but I’m happy with my progress so far and so far it seems to be picking up a lot and I just hope to continue to get better and earn more looks.” Photo courtesy of GACSpartans.com.

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The Steelers wide receiver has been on a tear the last three games catching 9 or more passes in all three. Throughout that span Brown’s numbers read like a video game as he has 29 receptions for 436 yards and two scores. Brown also became the league leader in receiving yards during this stretch.

Another wide receiver who has been on fire lately, Hurns has caught a touchdown pass in the Jaguars last seven games. The 2nd year man out of Miami now has 41 catches for 697 yards and the seven touchdowns to go along with three games of 100 or more receiving yards.

Although basketball season is underway and their hoops team is ranked preseason #1 the North Carolina football team has been making some noise lately sitting at 9-1 and moving up six spots in the CFP rankings to No. 17. UNC will need to win out and knock off Clemson in the ACC Championship game if they want to hear their name called in the Final Four at the end of the season.

SCORE LIST By Ned Kaish

CHAMPIONS CLASSIC

College basketball season is underway and on Tuesday night we had the chance to see four of the top programs in NCAA basketball history square off. In the first No. 2 Kentucky led by sophomore Tyler Ulis and freshman Jamal Murray knocked off No. 5 Duke 74-63. The second game knotted No. 4 Kansas against No. 13 Michigan State. Kansas led most the game but senior Denzel Valentine would lead the Spartans back for a 79-73 win.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

The college football playoff was announced Tuesday and it looked very similar to last week’s poll, in fact it didn’t change. Clemson and Alabama were ranked one and two respectively while defending champion Ohio State came in at three and 9-1 Notre Dame captured the 4th spot. Undefeated Iowa is in 5th and on the outside looking in as is other undefeated Oklahoma State.

WARRIORS UNDEFEATED

The Golden State Warriors are now 12-0 and being led by the defending league MVP Steph Curry who is averaging a league leading 33.7 points per game. The Warriors also rank tops the league in assists per game. Keep in mind all this is being accomplished while head coach Steve Kerr is on a medical leave from the sideline. The best start to a season is 15-0 set by the 1994 Houston Rockets.

GA’S TOP TEAMS SQUARE OFF

No, it’s not “Good Old Fashion Hate” just yet, instead Georgia welcomes Georgia Southern and their 7-2 record to Athens on Saturday. Southern is led by running back Matt Breida who has run for 1,242 yards and 14 scores on the season. Georgia’s defense that is giving up 139.6 yards per game on the ground will have to contain Breida if the Bulldogs want a win.

BRAVES TRADE SIMMONS

Braves general manager John Hart has shipped another Braves staple out to the west coast. This time it is twotime gold glover winner shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels. In return the Braves received top pitching prospect Sean Newcomb as well as shortstop Erick Aybar and pitcher Christopher Ellis. Although Braves fans are upset they need to realize that Hart is building from the ground up and developing minor league talent.

WHO’S NOT

By Ned Kaish

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Hawks

Falcons Off Bye Week

Houston Rockets

The Hawks have lost their last three games and dropped four of their last five contests. After jumping out to a quick 7-1 start the team has cooled down as of late. Atlanta is surrendering over 100 points per game during this stretch while failing to reach the 100-point average offensively.

Since 2005 the Falcons are 3-6-1 coming off bye weeks, which does not bode well for them against the Colts on Sunday. Sitting at 6-3 the Falcons desperately need a win to keep pace with undefeated and division leading Carolina. Good news for Falcons fans however, the Falcons won coming off their bye week last season beating Tampa Bay 27-17.

The Houston Rockets led by MVP runner up James Harden have not gotten off to the start they hoped for as they sit at 4-7. With the slow start comes a coaching change as Kevin McHale was fired on Wednesday after five seasons with the team. Harden and his 27.3 points per game will look to clean up the mess in Houston.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Ned Kaish

Our email newsletter is something we take a lot of pride in at Score. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a high school sportsheavy publication that we produce each day to fill in our readers on the latest happenings in Georgia prep sports. We send it out Monday through Friday throughout the year and Monday through Saturday during the fall. Not only do we cover popular sports like football, basketball and baseball, we also cover every other varsity sport the GHSA fields. If you like Georgia high school sports at all, sign up for our email newsletter by visiting www.tinyurl.com/scorenewsletter and enter your email address(es) that you’d like added to the distribution list.

TRIVIA QUESTION

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME DAWSON COUNTY FOOTBALL ADVANCED TO THE SECOND ROUND? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

“

SANITY AT LAST

“We didn’t take care of the ball. So we’re going to have to clean that up.” - Mike Budenholzer after Atlanta’s 17 turnovers against the Nets

56 7

Playoff matchups slated for Friday night Touchdowns thrown by Central Gwinnett quarterback Micah Maxey in the Black Knights first round win over Walton.

26.3

Assists per game for the Hawks, which ranks 2nd in the NBA.

Percent on 3rd down this season for the Falcons who rank 5th in the NFL.

5,977

Total rushing yards by Georgia’s next two opponents, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, both triple option teams.

Remaining unbeaten teams in college football while only two of the five have a spot in the CFB Playoff as of this week.

Number of four seeds that advanced in past the first round

397

Miles between Glynn Academy and second-round opponent Dalton.

Vol. 11 Iss. 39 | November 19-25, 2015

ON THE COVER

COVER STORY

PLOTS THICKEN AFTER THRILLING OPENING ROUND BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

n Class AAAAAA, all eight top seeds advanced and Gwinnett County dominated the early action with Grayson, Mill Creek, Peachtree Ridge, Archer, Collins Hill and Central Gwinnett all advancing to the second round. Central Gwinnett’s 49-20 win over 9-1 Walton was one of the most surprising outcomes. The Black Knights dominated from the start and the game was over before halftime. Quarterback Micah Maxey finished with 454 passing yards and seven touchdowns, despite resting in the second half. Central Gwinnett faces defending champion Colquitt County this Friday looking to pull off what would be the biggest upset of the season. Grayson sprinted past Wheeler 38-10 in its first round victory. Demetrius Mason returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and the Rams led 21-0 before Wheeler had any answers. Peachtree Ridge scored 51 unanswered points to dominate West Forsyth 51-3. Seven different Lions scored touchdowns. Mill Creek held Northview to just 81 total yards in its 46-13 victory and Collins Hill led Lambert 28-0 before coasting to a 35-13 victory. South

Forsyth’s 20-14 win over Norcross was the only game that saw a Gwinnett team lose. Archer at McEachern, Camden County at Roswell and Valdosta at Grayson are three of the must-see playoff matchups in Class AAAAAA Friday night. WIDE OPEN FIELD In Class AAAAA, Kell pulled off a thrilling victory over 2013 state champion Creekside. What began as a scoreless battle through one quarter turned into an offensive thriller as Kell outlasted visiting Creekside. The Longhorns led for approximately six total minutes in the entire game, but they led when it mattered most after scoring what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with little more than one minute remaining. Creekside enjoyed a 27-10 advantage midway through the third quarter but could not seal the deal. Glynn Academy pulled off a 28-22 win over a dangerous Jones County team that sets up a second round tilt with Dalton. With four seconds left in the game Glynn Academy stand-

out Deejay Dallas (UGA commit) intercepted a Bradley Hunnicutt pass in the end zone to secure the win in walk-off fashion. Dalton held on for a 17-7 win over Carver-Atlanta in the first round. Travis Nielson intercepted a Carver-Atlanta pass with 1:51 left in the game to seal the victory for Dalton. This followed a 27-yard field goal by Isai Hernandez to make it a 10-point game. Drake McCowan put Dalton on the board in the first quarter with a three-yard touchdown run. The Catamounts took a 14-0 lead into halftime thanks to a fake punt that resulted in a Jase Chastain touchdown pass to Jake Myers. Fourth-seeded Drew exploded past Region 1 champion Carver-Columbus 70-34 behind the rushing of Quarderman Sloan to capture the school’s first playoff win. Drew outscored Carver 46-14 in the second half. Sloan rushed for 294 yards and four touchdowns to lead Drew, part of their 550 total yards of offense. Class AAAAA’s Lanier improved to 11-0 with another strong defensive performance and 27-13 victory over East Paulding. Lanier forced three turnovers and did not have any giveaways of its own. The Longhorns trailed 13-7 after the first quarter but ran off 20 unanswered points by scoring one touchdown in each of the second, third, and fourth quarters. Ethan Wilson returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown to give Lanier an early 7-0 lead. Marko Baity rushed 25 times for 151 yards and one touchdown to lead the Longhorns’ offensive charge. Tahj Tolbert completed 5-of-13 passes for 66 yards and threw an eight-yard scoring strike to five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown. Tolbert’s four other completions went to Marcella Baity, who capped off the scoring with a six-yard touchdown run. STAYIN’ ALIVE Jonesboro managed to survive a 17-14 victory over Thomas County Central to advance to the second round. Asael Castaneda capped the Jonesboro comeback by nailing a 35-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining to complete the Cardinals’ comeback after trailing 14-0 at the half. Montralius Mosley Jr. ran home a 23-yard score for the Cards first score of the game with 6:01 to play in the third. Zerrick Cooper knotted the game up with 2:28 remaining in regulation when he found Jordan Griffin for a 10-yard touchdown. With 1:10 left in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals forced a fumble and Kali James recovered, setting up Castaneda’s game-winning

field goal with 32 seconds left. Jonesboro will host Carrollton, which topped Stephens County 34-7 last Friday. The Trojans outgained Stephens County 414-to-158 and used a balanced offensive attack. Jarvis Terrell, who committed to Arkansas State earlier in the week, ran for 115 yards and one touchdown. Angelo Osorio gained 91 yards on 11 carries and found the end zone and teammate DeMarcus Mitchell ran in a 23-yard touchdown. Carrollton quarterback Mark Wright threw for 132 yards and two touchdowns. In Class AAA, Dawson County head coach Sid Maxwell continued his Cinderella first season at the helm of the Tigers and rode his son Tucker and quarterback Coey Watson to a 63-40 victory over Rinngold, the school’s first playoff win since 1999. Watson accounted for six touchdowns, five passing and one rushing. …Tucker Maxwell caught four touchdowns and added a 19-yard interception return for a score. Devan King and Hunter Mitchell both tacked on rushing touchdowns. Darlington’s bid for perfections was ended in convincing fashion as fourth-seeded Pace Academy dominated 31-0. Pace Academy took a 28-0 lead two minutes into the second half with a 69-yard touchdown run by Deon Jackson. A Samuel Sloman third quarter field goal gave Pace a 31-0 lead heading into the final frame. Gunnor Faulk threw a 47-yard and 17-yard touchdown pass to Trey Blount to give Pace Academy a 14-0 lead. Tony Addison ran in a 28-yard touchdown and Deon Jackson added a 69-yard Knights’ score. Photos courtesy of Sonny Kennedy.

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er early dry spell to open the half while Roberts began to dominate inside. He scored seven of his 11 points in the third and finished the night with seven boards. The Raiders went on a 16-5 run to go up 40-25 and had Holy Innocents’ on the ropes as entering the final quarter it was a 47-31 advantage for the host Raiders.

PREP HOOPS

RIVERWOOD IMPRESSES IN SEASON OPENER BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

talented Riverwood program looking to establish itself as a playoff regular in Class AAAAA got off to a great start by beating rival Holy Innocents’ in an exciting affair. The Bears entered ranked No. 6 in Class AA and had to travel all of 0.9 miles to make it to Riverwood. In my preview of the game, the center of attention was split between big men Brent Duncan of Holy Innocents’ and Kohl Roberts of Riverwood. In the end, a particular X-factor I singled out helped keep the Bears in the game while Duncan struggled inside. Riverwood held a 13-12 lead after the first period and drilled three three-pointers, an aspect of the Raider offense that wasn’t necessarily a strength in 2014. Charnchai Chantha provided a major lift off the bench for Coach Buck Jenkins’ team, hitting three treys on the

night and finishing with a team-high 13 points. While Chantha and the rest of the guards were cooking on offense, Roberts picked up his second foul at the 6:35 mark of the second period with the Raiders leading 13-12 still. He would sit the remainder of the half and enter the break with just two points. The Raiders extended their lead with Roberts on the bench and went on an 8-0 run to make it 21-12 before Cole Smith would score the Bears’ first points of the second quarter at the 2:54 mark and would go on a personal 5-0 run to draw closer. Holy Innocents’ cut the lead to 21-20, but Isaiah Gaddy, who’s play and energy while Roberts was on the bench was paramount to victory, drilled a three at the buzzer to take a 24-20 lead into the half. Much like the second, the Bears hit anoth-

THE FINAL FRAME In the fourth quarter, Jules Erving took over. Three and-ones in the period helped spurt a 10-0 Erving run all by himself as he drew the Golden Bears within seven at 47-40 with under five minutes to play. Erving went off for 11 of his game-high 19 points in the final frame and willed the Bears back into the game. Roberts however, would silence the run with a coast-to-coast drive inside and began matching Erving play for play with incredible skill, blocking shots and leading the charge down the court. Roberts’ bucket stunted Holy Innocents’ momentum and Coach Terry Kelly’s team would never get closer than six points, 52-46 with 33.6 seconds remaining. My Take: I knew Riverwood had a horse inside, but I wondered what they could do from the outside. It was baptism by fire for Coach Jenkins’ bunch as Kohl Roberts hardly made an

impact in the first half due to foul trouble. Elijah Jenkins, Charnchai Chantha and Elijah Johnson did a wonderful job of controlling the tempo and swinging the ball around the perimeter for open looks. The Raiders hit seven big threes on the night. The unsung hero for me was Isaiah Gaddy, who’s athleticism took over defensively. Gaddy finished with six points on two deep balls (one at the buzzer) and also added four rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Roberts is deserving of Division-One looks. He might not be as athletic as some other top flight athletes, but he understands how to use his body and is extremely strong. His ball handling skills are underrated as he was not afraid to speed the ball down the floor and find the open man. On the Holy Innocents’ side of things, Cole Smith proved deadly from deep and finished with 13 points. Ibrahim Shabazz started out strong with five first quarter points but did not score again. Both Harrison Cobb and Richard Surdykowski hit the boards well. Jules Erving showed that he is dripping with potential. Photos courtesy of Kyle Sandy and Ty Freeman.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 39 | November 19-25, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

GEORGIA PICKS UP BIG WIN AT AUBURN BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia got a much-needed 20-13 win over G Auburn on Saturday, keeping the Bulldogs bid for back-to-back ten win seasons alive.

Head coach Mark Richt said everyone savored this road win. “That was a great victory for Georgia,” Richt said. “A lot of fun afterwards in the locker room. I got a chance to celebrate with the players and coaches. Just seeing a smile on everyone’s face.” JUNKYARD DAWGS Georgia was able to force three turnovers in the win. Sophomore defensive back Malkom Parrish intercepted Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins sacked and forced Sean White to fumble when he came in to play quarterback. Then, sophomore outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter forced a fumble on Tigers wide receiver Ricardo Louis on the goal-line to thwart their final chance at a touchdown. Jenkins had been dealing with a groin/ abdomen issue that either kept him off the

GEORGIA STATE

OFFENSE BREAKS RECORDS; BASKETBALL TIPS OFF BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he record might not show it, but after T Georgia State’s 41-19 win over Texas State (2-7, 1-4), the Panthers (3-6, 2-3) continued

their successful season. Georgia State hung a school-record 643 yards of offense as Nick Arbuckle threw for a Panther-record 471 yards and four touchdowns. The Panthers’ receiving trio of Robert Davis, Penny Hart and Donovan Harden combined for 16 receptions, 348 yards and four scores as Arbuckle tied his own school record for touchdown passes. With five catches for 177 yards, Davis came within nine yards of the GSU receiving record. Hart added onto his historic freshman season by catching six passes for 113 yards and one score. On the ground, Georgia State moved the ball well rushing for 172 yards on 37 attempts. Both Antreal Allen and Chandon Sullivan picked up interceptions in the Panthers’ all-around performance of the year. HAPPY LOCKER ROOM “Our kids did a great job of coming to-

field or limited the past few weeks. He not only factored in a huge way to get this win. He also knows what it means for the program. “This win makes up some of the way the season has been going,” Jenkins said. “Definitely getting wins help. But this win in particular because of the way we won and it being the last SEC game, it was a great win for the seniors. (We) walk out with a good SEC record. We are happy with the turn out. We just want to keep fighting for the rest of the season and for the seniors.” You cannot talk about this win, without mentioning the play of sophomore wide receiver/return specialist Isaiah McKenzie. He scored both of UGA’s touchdowns on a four yard end-around and then a 53 yard go-ahead punt return with under 10 minutes left in the game to put them up 17-10. CLOSING TIME Now, Georgia will close out their home portion of the schedule next week with senior night under the lights at Sanford Stadium against Georgia Southern. The following weekend, Georgia will try to exact revenge on Georgia Tech. If Georgia can win out this regular season and win the bowl game, it would give them 10 wins for the second straight year. It would also be the tenth season with 10 or more wins in the Mark Richt era. Even though some think this season might be lost, these numbers tell a different story.

gether and playing four quarters,” Head Coach Trent Miles said. “We preached all week about starting fast and finishing strong. We were able to do that. We started fast and we finished strong. My hats off to our kids. I think our defense was outstanding, our offense was outstanding and our special teams were outstanding. They could have come out today and felt sorry for themselves and they didn’t. They came out and they battled and they got the reward they were looking for.” We’re all about trying to win games and making this a great college experience for these young mean, which it was today. This foundation has been built extremely strong. We’re excited for what Coach [Bill] Curry started and what we’re taking and building. It starts with great young men.” OPENING TIP Georgia State scored a 73-54 win over Middle Georgia State to open up the 201516 college basketball season. Senior Kevin Ware paced the Panthers with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. Indiana transfer Jeremy Hollowell saw his first action in the blue and white and turned out 12 points, five rebounds and five steals. “I thought Middle Georgia State did some really nice things tonight that made it tough on us,” Head Coach Ron Hunter said. “With all of the new guys, I keep telling myself that I am going to have to be more patient this year. I thought we took a lot of good shots that just didn’t fall tonight, but those will come. It is just part of the process.”

GEORGIA TECH

2015 IS A SEASON TO FORGET BY COLIN HUBBARD | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

he Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ chances of making a bowl game in 2015 are officially over after suffering an agonizing 23-21 defeat last Thursday night against the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Yellow Jackets led for much of the game, but two fumbles late in the game gave the game to the Hokies which left an extremely sour taste in everyone’s mouth. “I have never had a season like this,” Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said. “I had a couple of bad seasons while at Navy, but I’ve never had anything like this season.” With the loss, the Yellow Jackets fell to 3-7 on the year and have only one ACC win on the year. On a season that many believed to be one to remember, everyone is hoping for the season to be over and prepare for next year. The Yellow Jackets have two games left on their schedule. Georgia Tech travels to Miami for the first time since defeating Mississippi State in the 2014 Orange Bowl a season ago and finish their sea-

KENNESAW STATE

OWLS OUTMATCHED AGAINST COASTAL CAROLINA BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

ennesaw State suffered the largest defeat in school history on Saturday as host Coastal Carolina cruised to a 45-13 victory. The Owls’ previous largest margin of defeat was 14 points, which came against Charleston Southern the previous Saturday. Coastal Carolina quarterback Alex Ross threw for 262 yards and tied a school record with five touchdown passes. Ross also became the Big South’s all-time leader for total offense. He now has 10,689 career yards of total offense and surpassed previous record-holder Collin Drafts of Charleston Southern (10,571). De’Angelo Henderson added 103 yards rushing on 18 carries with a touchdown for the Chanticleers (9-1, 4-1 Big South), his 24th consecutive with a touchdown. Coastal Carolina scored 24 straight points in the first half, capped off by a 41-yard touchdown toss from Ross to Chris Jones. The score put the Owls in a 31-6 deficit at the half.

son with a home game against the Georgia Bulldogs. If the Yellow Jackets are able to finish the year off with two wins, that would help mask the horrendous season they have had. SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO Nobody expected the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team to have a fighting chance this year in the ACC, but so far the Yellow Jackets are showing that they do in fact have a chance to make some noise. The Yellow Jackets opened their season with a blowout win over Cornell 116-81, the most points they have scored under head coach Brian Gregory in his 5-year career at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets followed that with a 69-67 win over Tennessee last Monday. Through two games the Yellow Jackets are shooting better than 50 percent from the field and have turned the ball over just 10 times. Jacobs is leading the team in points per game with 17.6 while Marcus Georges-Hunt is averaging 17. Charles Mitchell is leading the team in rebounds per game at 11.5 and is averaging 16.5 points per game as well. The Yellow Jackets are pounding the ball inside and getting easy buckets. This Georgia Tech team can run with anyone in the country and should turn a lot of heads as the season progresses.

Kennesaw State quarterback Jake McKenzie threw for 136 yards and ran for 85 yards in his first career start. NEW FACES After Coastal Carolina took a 7-0 lead, Kennesaw State answered with a notable touchdown. McKenzie completed a 32-yard pass to Tremayne Trawick to the 11-yard line. Two plays later, McKenzie was sidelined after his helmet came off and Chandler Burkes got to see his first collegiate action. Burks broke the huddle and hit Justin Sumpter for a nineyard touchdown pass on his first career pass attempt. Burkes is a red-shirt freshman. Despite the loss, there is plenty for the Owls to be proud of. Kennesaw State amassed 433 total yards of offense, marking the sixth time in 10 games it has surpassed 400 yards. The Owls have totaled 350 or more yards nine times. Defensively, KSU forced at least one turnover for the ninth time in 10 games when former Kell star Taylor Henkle forced a fumble that was recovered by Dante’ Blackmon. Freshman running back Darnell Holland out of Bowdon High School scored on a 15-yard run for his fourth touchdown of the season. The 6-4 Owls finish the season at Presbyterian this weekend for a 2:00 pm kickoff The game can be seen on the Big South Network and listened to at KSUOwls.com.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 39 | November 19-25, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS FIND TURBULENT EARLY SEASON WEATHER BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

aybe the season started off too perfectly. After an 8-2 start to the year, the Atlanta Hawks have now dropped three straight games to teams they were expected to beat. The Celtics began the slide with a 106-93 win, the Jazz made it a losing streak with a 97-96 win in Philips and the lowly Nets, who pick up just their second win of the season, downed Atlanta 9088 on Tuesday. With the recent skid, Atlanta’s hold on the division lead is down to half a game. CONCRETE JUNGLE Brook Lopez gave the Hawks fits all night in Brooklyn’ two-point win. He scored a game-high 24 points and added 10 rebounds and three blocks. Lopez’s great effort got the Nets into a position to win the game and it was Thaddeus Young, the former Georgia Tech standout, who would seal Atlanta’s fate. Young sank two free throws with 1.4 seconds left to give the Nets a rare win.

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES TRADE SIMMONS TO ANGELS FOR AYBAR, PROSPECTS BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

ust a few days after calling Andrelton Simmons “the best defensive player in the history of the game,” general manager John Coppolella and the Atlanta Braves traded the shortstop to the Los Angeles Angels. In return, the Braves received veteran shortstop Erik Aybar and pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis. They also threw in minor-league catcher Jose Briceno, while Los Angeles sent $2.5 million to Atlanta to offset the difference in salaries between the two shortstops. Simmons was a two-time Gold Glove Award winner with the Braves. He did not win it this year despite compiling a career-best .988 fielding percentage and making only eight errors in 687 chances. The 26-year-old also turned a career-high 126 double-plays and led all National League shortstops with 25 defensive runs saved. Although he got snubbed of a third Gold Glove, Simmons was honored with a Fielding Bible Award as the best defensive shortstop in all of Major League Baseball. At the plate, the Netherlands Antilles native is a

“My mindset when I got the ball was I was going to score the ball,” Young said about his drive to the hoop. “I potentially knew I was going to the free-throw line, so I was prepared for that also. But, at the end of the day I can say we won the game.” Atlanta led 88-86 on a Thabo Sefolosha three-pointer with 41 seconds left, but Jarrett Jack, another former Yellow Jacket, stung the Hawks with a game-tying jumper with 33 ticks remaining to set up Young for his late game heroics. “I give Brooklyn credit,” said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. “They played well. They forced the turnovers. We didn’t take care of the ball. So we’re going to have to clean that up.” SINGING THE BLUES Paul Millsap missed a 16-foot jumper as time expired on Sunday as the Jazz dumped the Hawks to 4-3 at home this season. Millsap led all scorers with 28, but the biggest shot of the game would not go down. “I got the look I wanted,” Millsap said. “It just didn’t go in. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” In the loss both Kent Bazemore and Al Horford added 16 points apiece. For the Jazz, Derrick Favors, another Georgia Tech star, posted 23 points and nine rebounds. UP NEXT Atlanta travels back home to complete its back-to-back, hosting the Kings (4-7) on Wednesday at 8 P.M.

career .256 hitter following three full seasons in Atlanta. He batted .265 in 2015 with four home runs, 44 RBIs, 60 runs scored and five stolen bases. “I didn’t expect it, but if you see what’s happening in Atlanta…you won’t be surprised when you hear it’s happening,” Simmons told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I’m happy to be part of an organization that’s trying to win, win right now.” NEWCOMB AND ELLIS The Braves, on the other hand, are in complete rebuilding mode with an eye on 2017—or beyond—after the new SunTrust Park opens in Cobb County. They hope Newcomb and Ellis will do wonders for that effort. Newcomb, the true gem of the deal, was the 15th overall pick in round one of the 2014 draft. In his first full minor-league season, the 22-year-old southpaw reached Double-A and compiled a 2.38 ERA while ranking second in all of the minors with 168 strikeouts (11.1 per nine innings). Ellis, 23, stands one inch shorter than Newcomb at 6-foot-4. The righty was taken in round three of the same draft before posting a 3.90 ERA and striking out 132 batters in 160 innings while working in A and AA. “We didn’t want to move Andrelton,” Coppolella claimed, adding that he was bombarded by calls regarding Simmons from 15 different clubs. “Of the teams that really wanted to step forward and made really strong offers, we felt that this was the best of those offers.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

DIVISION MAKES IMPRESSIVE LEAP IN ONE SHORT YEAR BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

s the NFC South enters Week 11, the division has more than doubled its combined wins from this point a year ago (23-to-11). Undefeated Carolina has paced the way with a franchise-best 9-0 start after seeing just three wins after 10 weeks last season. Atlanta’s six wins double its three wins from last year’s first 10 weeks. The Saints have matched their victories with four as they enter the bye week, while Tampa Bay has improved tremendously. The Bucs built from last year’s 1-8 start by posting a promising 4-5 record this season. SUPER CAM While quarterback Cam Newton continued his MVP campaign in Sunday’s 27-10 win over the Titans, running back Jonathan Stewart notched more than 20 carries (22) for the fifth consecutive week. Stewart finished with 91 yards and a score off his 22 rushes, his secondhighest total this season. Stewart ran in two touchdowns in Carolina’s thrilling victory in Seattle Week 6 and added a 125-yard perfor-

THE TRANSFER CORNER

THOMSON AND THOMASVILLE ADD BITE BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

ach week I will highlight some GHSA basketball transfers across the Peach State here at The Transfer Corner. NOT JUST BARK Class AA Thomasville landed a key piece to add with Jordan Willis and the 22-9 Bulldogs who fell to eventual state runner-up Crawford County 80-65 in the quarterfinals after being tied 47-47 heading into the final frame. Alex Perry is a long, versatile forward who can stretch the floor and score inside. Perry averaged over 17 points and 10 rebounds last season as a junior at Maclay High School in Tallahassee, FL. He joins Willis, a strong point guard that averaged more than 14 points per game last year. FROM SAN ANTONIO TO THOMSON Aquinas suffered a major loss with the transfer of San Antonio Brinson. The long senior has the ability to play the one through

mance the following week in the 27-16 victory over the Eagles. The eight-year pro is on pace for a career year with 169 carries for 662 yards after nine games. Cameron Jordan has been a bright spot in a struggling Saints defense that desperately needs more consistency. The 6-foot-4, 287-pound defensive end was a disruptive force in Atlanta’s 31-21 loss in New Orleans after sacking Matt Ryan three times. Jordan followed the season-high performance with two sacks in a 27-21 win at Indianapolis. Jordan has not posted a sack in the last three weeks, however, and five of his team-high six sacks came in that two-week span. Jordan posted five tackles last Sunday, as the Redskins gashed New Orleans for a 47-14 victory. YOUNG LOVE Mike Evans has been a consistent target in the Bucs offense, despite his pattern of dropped passes. The young wideout matched his season-high receptions in Sunday’s 10-6 win over Dallas with eight catches, while leading the Buccaneers with 126 receiving yards. Evans has 276 receiving yards in his last two games and has been targeted by quarterback Jameis Winston 32 times. Evans was a force in the red zone last year as he capped off a 12-touchdown rookie season. Although the 6-foot-5 target has just one touchdown through his eight games played this season, his 662 receiving yards puts him on pace for a very productive second year in Tampa.

four and has a unique skill set that can blend into any system. At first there were rumblings he would head to Thomson, but instead he landed at 22ft Academy in South Carolina. On September 21, San Antonio went to Twitter to announce that he is indeed heading to Thomson for good after spending time with the 22ft program this offseason. Brinson is an interesting prospect who should see a major bump in his recruitment now that he is playing on a bigger stage with more exposure. He has improved his range and handle and is coming off an All-State Honorable Mention campaign in 2014. Thomson is coming off an 8-21 record and will turn the keys over to Brinson to get the Bulldogs back into the postseason. In 2013-14, Thomson lost in the second round of the state playoffs and finished 19-5. The Aquinas Fighting Irish dealt with more move ins and move outs this offseason. Guards Khamron Gordon and Jalen Holbrook also departed the program. Gordon landed at Cross Creek while Holbrook’s new home is at Butler. To replace them, the Irish added Cameron Gardner and Gerald Merriweather, both from Hephzibah. Gardner is a rangy shooter while Merriweather can handle the ball and find the open man. They will need to provide balance around Tre Gomillion. Gomillion, a well-built slasher that played critical minutes as a freshman, will be asked to carry the load his sophomore season and advance the Irish into the post season.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 39 | November 19-25, 2015

HIGH SCHOOL 2015

INAUGURAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SUMMIT

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7:30 AM TO 12:00 NOON COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE This one-of-a-kind event will focus on the business of high school sports in Georgia and its impact on our business and community. This event takes a look at the niche market of high school sports, which continues to grow at an exponential rate with support from major corporate partners and local businesses as well as an overwhelming support from Atlantaâ€™s professional sports teams.

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