Time to look
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 23 | October 5 - October 11, 2016
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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA
TRADING PLACES | Pg. 9 Region tournament drama structures the softball and volleyball state playoffs.
CAUGHT UP | Pg. 4 Kyle Sandy looks ahead to opening tipoff and outlines the Hawks’ active offseason.
HOW GREAT Which team has raised the bar to new heights in Class 7A? | Pg. 7
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Vol. 12 Iss. 23 | October 5 - October 11, 2016
STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR: I.J. Rosenberg
ART DIRECTOR: Rhonda Rawls
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Jermaine Edwards
MANAGING EDITOR: Craig Sager II
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COLUMNISTS
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ON THE COVER
PREP COVER
ASST. MANAGING EDITOR: Kyle Sandy
MARKETING/
PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR: Steffi Sorensen
BUSINESS MANAGER: Marvin Botnick
BEAT WRITERS: Craig Sager II
Kyle Sandy Zach Sabatini
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TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES
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TOP TEN PICKS | NUMBERS
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GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH
COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ROB SAYE, JOSH D. WEISS / SPECIAL AJC, AND
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Vol. 12 Iss. 23 | October 5 - October 11, 2016 GHSA TRANSFER CORNER
GWINNETT COUNTY SWAPS TALENT BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM
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he most in-depth GHSA basketball coverage ever can be found on sandysspiel.com. Here is what you missed over the summer with big name transfers. Grayson hopes the second time is a charm as D-I prospect Travis Anderson is back playing with the Rams in the offseason. After starting at Holy Innocents’, Anderson played with Grayson last offseason into the fall before jettisoning at the last moment to go play at East Jackson. Anderson, who averaged 18 points per game, is back in Gwinnett County and will provide a major boost in the Grayson backcourt after the graduation of Alphonso Willis and Austin Dukes. Anderson’s experience could be invaluable for a young guard rotation consisting of freshman Deivon Smith and sophomore Justin Fleming. Joseph Toppin joins the Norcross Blue Devils across the county after leaving Meadowcreek. Toppin is a long and raw athlete
that has a chance to polish his game his final two seasons at Norcross. He has put in a lot of work over the summer and should be an integral piece moving forward for Coach Jesse McMillan. The emerging standout has garnered D-I offers from a handful of SEC schools and has a chance to cement himself as a top junior now that he’s in the spotlight at Norcross. Woodstock clinched a state playoff berth for the first time in school history – 20 years – last season and looks to continue building. Dylin Hardeman makes the move from St. Francis back to Woodstock and will have an opportunity to take the scoring burden off Tyreke Johnson’s shoulders. Hardeman is coming off a strong summer season with 16U Team Atlanta where he was counted on being a top backcourt option. The 6-foot-3 guard should pair up with Johnson
WHAT DID I MISS? BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM
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ROLL THE DICE
I guess you could say trading known commodities such as Horford and Teague is a gamble, but let’s take off the rose colored glasses and see
LATE BLOOMERS
JaQuan Morris exploded this summer as a name to keep an ear out for. Morris was consistently seen pouring in 20+ points on a regular basis at HoopSeen tournaments. The 6-foot-2 guard blows by defenders with his quickness and ability to finish at the rim. when faced with physical interior play, leading to a 13.4 point and 6.5 rebound per game average in 10 playoff games this year. Hardly All-Star numbers and worth the foolish four-year, $113 million dollar deal the Celtics signed him to. Thank goodness Atlanta resigned Kris Humphries who blew Horford’s production out of the water, averaging 23.8 points and 15.4 rebounds Per 36 Minutes compared to Horford’s 14.8 points, 7.2 rebound projection.
HAWKS
t’s been a while but the NBA is nearly back, the preseason opening on October 6 and the regular season on October 27. A lot has changed with our hometown Hawks. New to the fold is eight-time NBA All-Star and Atlanta-native Dwight Howard. Joining him is former Georgia Tech standout Jarrett Jack and rookies Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry. Lopped off the roster are Al Horford and Jeff Teague. When Teague was traded to Indiana and Horford left for Boston, fans started to panic. Don’t worry. I’m here to tell you Atlanta is in a better position today than they were last season.
to form one of the best backcourts in Cherokee County with their diverse ways of scoring the ball. Caleb Holifield brings over a deft touch from beyond the three-point line to Peachtree Ridge. Holifield played at Pace Academy last season but lost eligibility coming down the stretch. He gets a new lease on life his junior season and should bring a nice scoring punch to the Lions backcourt. First rumored to head to Jonesboro, Isaiah Miller instead lands at Newton where the Rams backcourt is now as good as anyone’s in the state. The unapologetic pure bucket-getting senior is starting to heat his recruitment up heading into his final season. Miller was among the state’s top scorers last year, pouring in 25.3 points per game while adding 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 4.3 steals and 1 block. Couple him with Ashton Hagans and JD Notae, and the Rams have a dynamic backcourt that should overpower teams at times if Miller can fit into Coach Rick Rasmussen’s system.
what the Hawks really lost. Gone is Teague, a tantalizing point guard that teased fans in Atlanta for seven years and never got over the hump to establish himself as a true perennial All-Star and top 10 guard. Sure, he averaged 15.7 points and 5.9 assists, but please don’t forget his paltry 2.16 assist-to-turnover ratio which ranked below the likes of Raymond Felton, Cory Joseph, Shane Larkin, T.J. McConnell, Steve Blake, Matthew Dellavedova, Langston Galloway, Donald Sloan and …. You get the point. And how can you forget the lasting memory he emblazoned in Hawks fans’ brains when he fumbled away a last second shot opportunity against the Celtics in Game 4, Teague always known for his final possession miscues. How about Horford, Mr. Charmin himself. Atlanta’s veteran leader and top post presence that wilted time and time again in the postseason
STATS ARE FACTS
So who replaces these two? Dennis Schroder and Howard. Deemed wild and unreliable, Schroder projects to average the same production Teague gave Atlanta but with a higher ceiling. The two produced at nearly the exact same rate based on their Per 36 numbers. They ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in scoring on the team with Teague posting 19.8 points compared to Schroder’s 19.5. Teague averaged 3.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.5 steals while Schroder’s Per 36 read: 4.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.6 steals. Howard? The numbers don’t lie folks. Howard’s worst season, last year in which he was easing his way back into the full-time rotation averaging 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, is still arguably better than Horford’s best year in 2012-13 when he averaged 17.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while playing five minutes more per game than Howard did last year.
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He’s also shown he can bang home threes in bunches as a deadly shooter. Morris averaged 11.6 points per game at Central Gwinnett last season and after his meteoric rise with 17U God’s Property, he should raise his output his senior season back at Collins Hill, where he played his freshman and sophomore seasons. Meadowcreek receives a boost in the form of 6-foot-7 juniors Amari Kelly and Cory Hightower along with 6-foot-4 sophomore Jamir Chaplin. Kelly averaged 6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game with Brookwood and is continuing to learn the game and improve his skillset. Kelly has a chance to be a key cog in the Mustangs’ attempt at a turnaround while Hightower, another former Bronco, is wet behind the ears with limited quality varsity experience. Chaplin is the best of the bunch, averaging nine points a game as a freshman at Stephenson last year. With Coach Curtis Gilleylen in Year 1 at the helm, Meadowcreek is hoping its influx of talent will boost them back into the postseason for the first time since 2013, even after the loss of Toppin. Photo courtesy of Ty Freeman
THE FUTURE
Atlanta finally has a physical presence inside and an upside-laced point guard. Don’t forget that the majority of the core is still intact and has built a chemistry over the past three seasons under Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. Bud’s unselfish system makes sure that every player has ample opportunity to score on offense with their free flowing approach. Detractors might argue that Howard has been a drama queen and won’t fit into the Hawks’ floor spacing offense but don’t fret. Much of Howard’s antics have been overblown. Upon leaving Orlando in 2012, Howard has been in a revolving door with mismanagement and egos that far surpass his. The Lakers sideshow act with Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant was a disaster while in Houston Howard was stuck with another “Me-First” type player in James Harden. Now that Howard joins a franchise with stability, he will have a chance to buy into his role and flourish in a team-first culture. The Larry O’Brien Trophy might not be in the wings just yet, but Atlanta fans should be booking on a tenth straight trip to the NBA Playoffs. You got to be in it to win it. Sign me up. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye
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MLB Postseason
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Falcons
The Hunt for October is back as the MLB Postseason kicks off this Tuesday with the AL Wild-Card game featuring the Orioles and Blue Jays. On Wednesday, Queens sets the scene for Giants vs. Mets. Anything goes in the playoffs as the Cubs enter with the best record in the bigs, searching for their first World Series in 108 years.
The future might not be here just yet, but a glimpse of it came down the stretch for the Braves as they finished 59-65 under manager Brian Snitker. Atlanta played the role of spoiler on the final day of the season, beating the Tigers 1-0 behind Julio Teheran’s 12 strikeouts. It was a sweet capper on Turner Field as SunTrust Park opens next season.
Matt Ryan threw for 503 yards and Julio Jones recorded 300 yards receiving in a 48-33 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers. Both players shattered franchise records as the league’s best offense continued to roll. Atlanta will be put to the test on Sunday as they travel to Mile High to play the Super Bowl champion Broncos.
SCORE LIST By Craig Sager II ROSWELL’S RACE
The Roswell Hornets have been the most dominant team in a state filled with talent through the first half of the season. It seems like Roswell has every piece of the state championship puzzle, but it’s defense especially has been unstoppable. The Hornets have allowed just 16 points this season, despite playing Buford, Central Gwinnett, Colquitt County, Archer and Milton.
MATT’S YEAR
Matt Ryan’s first quarter of the 2016 season has been a far cry from what many considered a disappointing 2015 campaign. Ryan tops the NFL in every major passing category and is coming off a 503-yard performance against Carolina last Sunday. A trip to take on the defending Super Bowl champs this weekend should gauge just how successful Ryan will be this season.
GEORGIA’S LETDOWN
For those that witnessed Tennessee’s incredible 34-31 victory over the Bulldogs this weekend, that is a game that will not be easily forgotten. A win would’ve put Georgia in control for the SEC East title and now, the Dawgs toe a line that could spiral to another disappointing season. To make things worse, Georgia saw a 17-0 lead disappear before the deciding hail mary.
GRAYSON’S GREAT
While Roswell has been the most impressive this season, let’s not forget how much talent Grayson has, and that’s its only loss came to IMG Academy. The Rams were explosive last Friday in a 60-0 win over Rockdale County. Grayson led 32-0 after the first quarter and had the lead at 53-0 by the half. This year’s Class 7A playoffs are going to be a can’t miss event.
CARTERSVILLE’S TRANSFER
Avery Showell’s decision to transfer from St. Francis to Cartersville has been paying off. After a dominating performance in the season opener against Allatoona, Showell continues impacting the game on both sides of the ball. He hauled in a 15-yard touchdown catch and returned a fumbled 23 yards for a touchdown in last Friday’s 59-9 win over Central-Carroll.
NFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who caught 12 passes for a franchise-record 300 yards in a 48-33 victory over Carolina on Sunday, was named the NFC’s offensive player of the week on Wednesday. This comes the week after Ryan was awarded player of the month for September.
WHO’S NOT
By Kyle Sandy
WHO’S HOT
SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com Georgia Bulldogs
Justin Upton
Georgia State
Different year and coach, same old disappointment and overhype. Now sitting at 3-2, the Dawgs have mercifully been dropped from the Top 25 after a last second Hail Mary from Georgia-native Josh Dobbs stunned the pups 34-31, completing a 10-point fourth quarter comeback. Maybe Mark Richt wasn’t the problem after all?
With the Detroit Tigers needing a win to force a one game playoff, all they had to do was beat the Braves. The final at-bat of the season came down to former Brave Justin Upton against closer Jim Johnson. Upton, who had a rough first year in the Motor City, struck out looking as Detroit lost 1-0. Upton went 0-4 with three strikeouts.
The Panthers sank to 0-4 overall and had to bare some insult to injury after their 17-3 loss to Appalachian State. Star wide receiver Penny Hart broke his foot and is now out for the year. The Panthers haven’t been able to regain their stride. The graduation of Nick Arbuckle has crippled the offense, Conner Manning tossing four interceptions vs. the Mountaineers.
NUMBERS
OUR TWO CENTS
By Kyle Sandy
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.
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TRIVIA QUESTION
HOW MANY DIFFERENT FALCONS PLAYERS HAVE CAUGHT TOUCHDOWN PASSES THROUGH ATLANTA’S FIRST FOUR GAMES? ANSWER ON PAGE 14
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SANITY AT LAST
"I think it's Matt's second year in the system, which always helps anybody. I think that has a lot to do with it. I think he has a greater personal connection with the offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan. I think that's helped a good bit."
- Arthur Blank on Ryan’s hot streak
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Passing yards per game by Matt Ryan this season (1st in NFL) Passing touchdowns by Matt Ryan this season (tied 1st in NFL)
126.3
Quarterback rating for Matt Ryan this season (1st in NFL)
72.1
Completion percentage for Matt Ryan this season (1st in NFL)
503
Passing yards by Matt Ryan in Sunday’s 4833 win over Carolina (franchise record)
300
Receiving yards by Julio Jones in Sunday’s 4833 win over Carolina (franchise record)
478.8
Total yards per game by Atlanta this season (1st in NFL by 83 yards)
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Sacks by Atlanta’s Week 5 opponent Denver this season (1st in NFL)
Vol. 12 Iss. 23 | October 5 - October 11, 2016 No. 4 McEachern paced by Florida State-commit Bailey Hockman? Is it No. 5 Norcross, a program with a rich history of hanging championship banners? No, no, no.
ON THE COVER
PREP FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT
ROSWELL REIGNS 7A; CLASS 4A’S PLOT THICKENS BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM & KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM
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he toughest question to answer in the state each year is who is the best football team in the GHSA? The newly established Class AAAAAAA houses 48 teams, some regarded as national powerhouses meaning the competition is as good as it gets in the Peach State. Colquitt County staked its claim as the best-of-the-best the past two seasons, repeating as state champions in the midst of a dynasty. This year, however, it looks like the Packers have passed the torch. But to who? Grayson brought in a stable of DivisionI recruits, putting a target squarely on their back. On paper, the Rams might have the most talent in the state and are off to a 4-1 start, the No. 3 ranking in the state and are coming off a 60-0 shutout of Rockdale County. Grayson’s only loss has come to IMG Academy, Fla., 26-7 on ESPN. If you like flash and sizzle, Grayson is your pick for the state’s best. But for me, that’s not my style.
How about No. 2 Mill Creek? The Hawks sit at 6-0 and defeated the Wicked Witch of the East, also known as Colquitt County in the Corky Kell Classic, 34-27. Coach Shannon Jarvis’ team is a true no-nonsense, get the job done type unit. They don’t put up monster individual stats, instead grinding teams out by spreading the wealth around on offense and thoroughly dominating teams physically with their defense. Cameron Turley made some big throws against Colquitt County and is steady veteran under center. I love what the Hawks are doing, but are they the best in the state? They very well may be, but let’s see who else is out there. Colquitt County is still Colquitt, shaking off an unfathomable 0-4 start and winning three straight. If there’s one coach you don’t want to bet against come playoff time, it’s Rush Propst. But alas, I’m a real riverboat gambler and I’ll take that bet this year. So who’s the best team in the state? Is it
My pick is No. 1 Roswell. The Hornets are 5-0 and ranked No. 6 in MaxPreps Xcellent 25 poll. You want the resume? You got it. A dominating 24-7 Corky Kell Classic victory over Class AAAAA No. 1 Buford. A 34-3 shellacking at No. 8 Colquitt County, yes, at Colquitt. A 47-0 win at Archer and wins over Central Gwinnett and Milton. Through five games the Hornets have allowed only 16 points. That’s a 3.2 point per game average. Defense wins championships right? Justin Ellis has emerged as a feared pass-rusher with five sacks with Mitch Stone tallying four himself. Roswell has eight interceptions with blue-chippers LeAnthony Williams Jr. and Xavier McKinney powering the secondary. Offensively? Dual-threat dandy Malik Willis is elusive, throwing for 739 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 320 yards rushing and two scores. Bowling ball Sheldon Evans has 652 yards on the ground and seven scores. And through the air, Corey Reed Jr., Jayden Comma and Kentrell Barber give Coach John Ford more than enough weapons. Right now, Roswell is the team to beat.
CLASS 4A STORYLINES
Region 1 gets a vacation this weekend as all eight teams enjoy a bye. Elsewhere in the classification, Marist, Jefferson, Madison County, Salem, Gilmer and Troup will also be off until Week 9. The rest of the Week 8 slate will be packed with region matchups and three storylines in particular stand above the rest when it comes to the playoff picture. SPALDING AT WEST LAURENS After falling 17-14 to Mary Persons in its region opener last Friday, Spalding faces a pivotal region matchup against a West Laurens team coming off a 46-14 win over Howard to open a clean region record. A second loss in this sixteam region could fissure Spalding’s bid for a top 2 seed, which could be problematic with the first
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round pairings. Region 2 is paired up with Region 4 in the first round and the Jags don't want to have to take a trip to an Eastside, Woodward Academy, Salem or North Clayton. West Laurens has a bye next week, before taking on Mary Persons on Oct. 21. A win over Spalding could ultimately make that matchup the path to the region title. Mary Persons has won 11 of its 13 alltime meetings against West Laurens, but a hot start and extra week to prepare for the Bulldogs would be a timely boost. REGION 7'S BATTLE FOR PLAYOFF POSITIONING BEGINS When it comes to a five-team region with four playoff spots, every game matters. Marist is off while the weekly serving of two Region 7 games that will take us into the postseason starts with Blessed Trinity at White County and West Hall at Chestatee. Blessed Trinity, Marist and West Hall each went 4-2 in non-region play, while Chestatee sits at 3-3. White County wears a 1-5 record, but don’t overlook the Warriors. Despite White County’s 1-5 record and 0-4 all-time record against Friday's opponent Blessed Trinity, the Warriors do have a history of success that favors them for a playoff berth. White County has an 8-game winning streak over West Hall and a 7-game winning streak over Chestatee, which they will face in backto-back weeks following a Week 8 bye. As for Chestatee and West Hall, the teams enter Friday’s matchup with an even 6-6 all-time series. STEPHENS COUNTY AT ST. PIUS Stephens County and St. Pius meet for the first time in program history on Friday in what is sure to be a tense playoff-like atmosphere. The Golden Lions are winless at 0-5, but that was in non-region play and as frustrating as the season has been, a bye last Friday has St. Pius refreshed for an attempt at a restart. Stephens County has been dominant defensively in its last three games, holding Flowery Branch, Habersham Central and Hart County to a combined 20 points. This will be a great measuring stick for both the Indians’ dominant defense and the St. Pius struggling offense, which has been shutout twice and found the endzone just twice in its last four games. Photos courtesy of Josh D. Weiss / Special AJC and Steve Knight/Crescent Buzz
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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com
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14 NEIGHBORHOOD LOCATIONS IN METRO ATLANTA
Vol. 12 Iss. 23 | October 5 - October 11, 2016
is back as well at No. 10, replacing Union County. No. 1 Gordon Lee is still the heavy favorite to win it all. They took care of No. 8 Bowdon 8-0, 7-4. No. 10 Trion takes over the last spot in favor of Emanuel County Institute, who lost to Calvary Day 7-4.
PREP CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT
DUST SETTLES AS PLAYOFF SEEDING UNFOLDS BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM & KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM
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e are in the middle of region tournaments with a bulk of region championships already set. On the diamond, the No. 1 ranking in Class AAAAAAA is up for grabs after Lassiter slips to No. 3 following losses to South Forsyth (2-0) and Etowah (8-2) over the past week. No. 1 North Gwinnett meets No. 2 Mill Creek in the Region 6 Championship. The series has been as even as it gets, both teams earning 5-4 wins at home during the regular season. Another momentous Gwinnett County showdown takes place in the Region 7 Championship with No. 8 Parkview clashing with last year’s state runner-up No. 10 Brookwood, who is peaking at the right time, winning five straight games and reentering the top 10 for the first time since they dropped out after the opening week of the season. In Class AAAAAA, Harrison is red-hot with nine straight wins, moving the Hoyas up to No. 3. They face Region 6 leader No. 2 Creekview for a chance to cement themselves as a state title contender. The Region 7 Championship sees No. 4 Pope kick off a
three-game set with No. 1 Cambridge. The Greyhounds have been up and down lately, going 3-3 in their last six games. The bottom of the poll sees Chattahoochee and River Ridge replaced by No. 9 Alexander and No. 10 Richmond Hill. Walnut Grove takes over No. 1 in Class AAAAA with a 7-0 shutout of bitter rival No. 2 Buford. The Region 3 title is on the line as new No. 10 Starr’s Mill has forced a championship deciding Game 3 with No. 4 Whitewater. No. 5 Thomas County Central skyrockets back into the top 10 after sweeping No. 9 Wayne County 5-4, 10-7. In the Region 5-AAAA championship, No. 4 Central-Carroll has a rubber match with No. 5 Chapel Hill after the Panthers scored a 6-5 victory in nine innings to force Game 3. No. 2 Westminster leap frogs No. 3 Lovett in Class AAA after serving up a 10-2 beat down. The Wildcats also dispatched of Class A-Private power Wesleyan, 4-1. No. 9 East Jackson is back in the top 10 after beating No. 5 Morgan County 5-3. Pierce County
VOLLEYBALL ACTION In Class AAAAAAA, nothing shifted in the rankings since last week as 10-time state champion Walton leads the field entering Area Tournaments. Harrison held off No. 5 Dunwoody 3-1 last Thursday to remain at No. 2 in Class AAAAAA, but a River Ridge win over Sequoyah did shift the standings as the Chiefs slid to No. 10. Class AAAA defending champion Buford continues its wire-to-wire No. 1 ranking in Class AAAAA as 31-4 Whitewater hangs tight at No. 2. McIntosh was able to beat Whitewater 2-1 last week, but a 20-6 record wasn’t enough to edge the Wildcats just yet in the poll. Flowery Branch dropped out of the top 10 after losing its final five matches of the season and Riverwood used a big win over Decatur to debut at No. 9. Class AAAA No. 1 Blessed Trinity held off Columbus 2-1 in the Serve for the Cure Finals and solidifies its top-ranked status. Woodward Academy, which has wins over Columbus and St. Pius comes in at No. 2. No. 3 St. Pius took 2-of-3 against No. 4 Marist this
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season and Columbus rounds out the top 5 at 38-11. Northwest Whitfield replaced Jefferson in the poll and debuts at No. 9 after scoring a (25-22, 25-14) sweep over No. 10 Ridgeland. In Class AAA, Redan suffered its first loss of the season in a 2-0 sweep to No. 1 Westminster. The 25-12, 25-5 victory was enough to drop the Raiders to No. 9. North Hall scored back-to-back sweeps over rival East Hall this week and come in at No. 6. Harlem jumped to No. 4 in Class AA and Mt. Pisgah made a strong push to No. 2 in Class A after closing a 27-4 regular season record with sweeps over Holy Innocents’ and Lovett. Photos courtesy of David Buschell/GHSA, Walton HS and Sonny Kennedy
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Vol. 12 Iss. 23 | October 5 - October 11, 2016 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
HEARTBREAK IN THE CLASSIC CITY BY ZACH SABATINI | INFO@SCOREATL.COM
ast week, head coach Kirby Smart and the Lunteers Georgia Bulldogs hosted the Tennessee Volin a dramatic conference matchup.
Sony Michel capped off a 10-play, 79-yard, 5:32 drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to put the Dawgs up 7-0 early in the first. Georgia continued the onslaught off a Jacob Eason fumble recovery for a touchdown to put UGA up 17-0 with two minutes left in the first half, but the Volunteers refused to go away. Joshua Dobbs showcased his two-minute drill skills as he led the Volunteers 64 yards down the field and capped off the nine play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs were up 17-7 heading into halftime. Tennessee wasted no time and cut the deficit to three points, but Georgia would respond. On the ensuing drive Eason hit freshman TE, Isaac Nauta for a 50-yard touchdown to expand their lead to 10 points.
VOLS SEIZE THE DAY
Dobbs and company stormed back and scored two unanswered touchdowns to give the Volunteers their first lead of the game.
GEORGIA STATE
VOLLEYBALL SERVES AS SILVER LINING BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM
G
eorgia State football sank to 0-4 with a 17-3 loss at Appalachian State on Saturday. Conner Manning tossed four interceptions while the Panthers defense allowed Jalin Moore to rush for 159 yards and one touchdown. "Defensively, I thought we had a great plan and the guys did a good job," head coach Trent Miles said. "We gave up the one long run and then the jump ball there at the end to ice it, but for the most part, I thought our defense was sound all day." In the loss, star wide receiver Penny Hart injured his foot and is now likely out for the season. "It was very difficult losing Penny Hart so early in the game," Miles said, "but our kids battled. Offensively, we just struggled. We ran the ball better in the beginning, but then they started loading the box and we were ineffective throwing the ball down the field. We've got to coach better and get them ready for Texas State."
Jacob Eason was sacked by Derek Barnett for a fumble recovered by Corey Vereen, but the Volunteer lead did not last very long. In just 51 seconds the Bulldogs drove 81 yards down the field to retake the lead 31-28 with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, ten seconds was plenty of time for the Vols. Dobbs launched a 43-yard Hail Mary as time expired caught by Jauan Jennings giving Tennessee a victory in dramatic fashion. Kirby Smart and his troops travel to Columbia, South Carolina this weekend to take on Will Muschamp and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Last week South Carolina lost 24-13 to #9 ranked Texas A&M. Although the Gamecocks kept the game close their offensive struggle continues. Starting Quarterback, Brandon McIlwain is 56-of-106 passing for 567 yards, two touchdowns and one interception this season. A.J Turner has 57 carries for 270 yards and two touchdowns and Hayden Hurst has 24 receptions for 302 yards, but has yet to record a touchdown. The Bulldogs are out of the AP top 25 for the first time this season so expect them to go into Williams-Brice Stadium with some fire burning inside of them. Eason has had some moments of excellence this season and has somewhat shown that he can dominate at the college level. If the South Carolina offense continues to struggle expect a needed win for the University of Georgia.
Georgia State now sets its sights on Texas State who invades the Georgia Dome at 3:30 P.M. on Saturday.
TIGERS VS. PANTHERS
Elsewhere in Panther sports, the men’s soccer team fell to 6-5 on the season following a 2-1 loss at home against Pacific on Sunday. The loss marks the first home defeat of the year for the Panthers. The Tigers struck first in the 23rd minute with Anthony Orendain beating his man on a 1-on-1 to give Pacific an early lead off the Camden Riley assist. In the 46th minute to start the second half, Spencer Vue found Julio Cervantes to make it 2-0. Liam Fitzsimmons threw in an assist off the head of Max Hemmings 14 minutes later to draw within a goal. Hemmings’ header was his fifth goal of the season, but the Panthers could not find an equalizer down the stretch.
VOLLEYBALL CRUISES
Georgia State polished off a perfect 2-0 homes stand on Saturday night taking care of South Alabama at the GSU Sports Arena in four sets, 24-26, 25-23, 25-12 and 25-20. The Panthers advance to 6-9 overall and 2-2 in the Sun Belt. Crystal Lee, Kristina Stinson and Eliza Zachary paced the Panther attack, all recording double digit kills against South Alabama. Lee, a sophomore, totaled 13 while seniors
GEORGIA TECH
HURRICANE RICHT SWEEPS THROUGH BOBBY DODD BY ZACH SABATINI | INFO@SCOREATL.COM
weekend the Georgia Tech Yellow L14ast Jackets hosted Mark Richt and the No. ranked Miami Hurricanes at Bobby Dodd
for an in-conference matchup. Richt is no stranger to victories in Bobby Dobb Stadium and he has been coaching against the Yellow Jackets since 1993. In fact, Richt has not lost a game there since he started coaching college football and his overall record there is 21-2. While at Georgia he was 13-2 against the Jackets and won six out of eight games since Paul Johnson became the head coach. The Hurricanes opened up the scoring in Atlanta off an eight play, 85-yard drive capped off by a Joseph Yearby 27-yard touchdown run, but the Wrambling Wreck were not phased. Dedrick Mills punched in a one-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive and tied the game up at seven a piece. Miami scored the next three touchdowns and expanded their lead to 28 points, but Tech would cut the deficit to 14 heading into half time.
KENNESAW STATE
OWLS HOST MISSOURI S&T BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM
S
aturday's matchup versus Missouri S&T marks the third home game at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, and the Owls remain home next Saturday to open Big South Conference play against Liberty at 7 p.m. on Homecoming Weekend. The Owls are fresh off an impressive 52-42 road victory at Furman last Saturday, which marked the team's second road victory in as many weeks. The Owls won just once on the road in their inaugural season. Kennesaw State enters the game leading the Big South Conference in both scoring offense (38.5 points) and scoring defense (23.2). The Owls have scored at a 45.7 points per game clip over their three-game winning streak. Over this three-game winning streak, the Owls have outscored opponents 93-34 in the first half -- including a 41-7 margin in the first quarter. Kennesaw State also leads the Big South in total offense (482.2 yards) and rushing offense (282.0). The Owls rank 12th nationally in rushing. Last week, Furman became
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Georgia Tech came out of half time with a little extra jump in their step and opened up the scoring in the second half. Dedrick Mills recorded his third touchdown of the game and put the Yellow Jackets within one touchdown, but the Hurricane offense would prove to be too much for Techs defense to handle.
MIAMI MAGIC
Miami put the game out of reach in their next possession when Brad Kaaya hit Stacy Coley for a 31-yard touchdown pass and the Hurricanes went on to win 35-21. Justin Thomas was 11-of-19 passing for 94 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Dedrick Mills recorded 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Mills also added a nine-yard receiving touchdown. This weekend Paul Johnson and company are headed to Pittsburgh to take on Pat Narduzzi and the Pittsburgh Panthers. Senior, Nathan Peterman leads the Panther offense and is 75-of-117 passing for 923 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions through five games this season. James Conner and Jester Weah haven been major producers for the Pittsburgh offense as well this season. Conner has recorded 90 carries for 381 yards and five touchdowns while Weah has fourteen receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Expect Johnson and company to get back on track and bounce back after two consecutive losses.
the third straight opponent to not surpass 100-yard rushing against the Owls. For the year, Kennesaw State leads the conference in rushing defense (90.5). After forcing just one turnover over the first two games, the Owls have generated eight takeaways over the last two. KSU is tied for the conference lead in turnover margin (+4) and is +21 in points-off-turnover scoring (31-10).
OWL HOF
The membership of the Kennesaw State Athletics Hall of Fame will grow by six following the induction of the 2016 Hall of Fame class on Saturday (Oct. 8). The class of 2016 includes Spencer Askew (men's golf; 1996-2000), Kennesaw State benefactors Carl and Karen Hames, Terrence Hill (men's basketball; 2002-04), Mackenzie Howe (cross country and track & field; 2008-11) and Stan Sims (Head Coach: cross country; 1994-2010; Head Coach: track & field; 2006-10). Askew, Hill and Howell are being inducted under the Former Student-Athlete/ Professional Achievement category, while Carl and Karen Hames are being recognized for their Distinguished Service to Kennesaw State Athletics and Sims is being honored under the Coach or Administrator category. Hill helped Kennesaw State to the 2004 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball national championship. He also earned 2004 Division II All-American honors and tabbed the 2004 Atlanta Tip-Off Club Naismith Award winner as the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year.
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