Issuu

Time to look great!

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 4 | FEBRUARY 4 - FEBRUARY 10, 2016

How Do You Do It | Pg. 4 Lincoln County’s Ahmad Rand continues leading the surging Red Devils

All Together Now | Pg. 4 Allatoona’s state championship brings excitement to Cobb County’s annual awards banquet

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

YOU’LL BE MINE

Records and championships up for grabs as the GHSA Swim & Dive Championships return to Atlanta | Pg. 7

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Vol. 12 Iss. 4 | Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2016

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock

MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II

COLUMNISTS

ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Sandy

MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

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 Ned Kaish

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404.256.1572

Copyright 2016 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is digitally published every week on ScoreAtl.com. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

06 10 11

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF TY FREEMAN, SONNY KENNEDY AND TERESA PENLEY SHEPPARD.

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE Score Atlanta is looking for interns. Please visit www.scoreatl.com/ internships for more information on our program. Visit our website, ScoreAtl.com for the our weekly sports rankings. Download the free Georgia High School Scoring App www.scoreatl.com/mobile-app/ or in the app store for live scores all year long.

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MercedesBenzStadium.com

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SANDY’S SPIEL

STAT-STUFFING STAR LEADS SURGING LINCOLN COUNTY BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

oming off of its biggest win in school hisC tory, a 61-59 upset of No. 1 Hancock Central, No. 10 Lincoln County (14-5, 7-3) had

won two straight games entering Saturday’s rematch with Georgia Military (10-7, 5-3), who had beaten the Red Devils 75-68 in overtime two weeks prior. With region seeding on the line heading into the Region 7-A tournament, upstart Lincoln County was looking to ride its momentum to another important victory. They did so, using an explosive first quarter to hold on 61-54 in Lincolnton. The Red Devils came out and punched the Bulldogs in the mouth, opening up a quick 7-0 lead before Head Coach James Lunsford burned his first timeout. Just 55 seconds later, Lunsford called his second as Lincoln County

led 9-2 after a Zach Crite And-1 at the 6:02 mark. Sophomore point guard Maciah Gunby tacked on Lincoln County’s third And-1 of the first quarter to go up 16-2, but he would later pick up back-to-back charge calls, sending him to the bench with three fouls in the first quarter. Georgia Military’s Luke Lawson entered the game third in the state in scoring at 25.7 points per game. The free shooting guard got his first hoop with 2:32 left in the opening quarter to make it 20-5, but he would not score again as Zae Gartrell shut him out the rest of the way. The first quarter ended with the Red Devils in control 23-8. With Gartrell locking up Lawson on the perimeter, it was Ahmad Rand

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

CALL FOR GEORGIA ARTISTS TO SUBMIT PORTFOLIOS IN THE SEARCH FOR WORLD-CLASS ART BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

tlanta, Georgia (February 2, 2016) – AMB A Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE), comprised of the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United

FC and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), today announced an open call for Georgia artist portfolio reviews as part of an effort to identify and acquire leading edge local art for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium collection. Artists of all levels and experience are eligible to submit work, which can explore a variety of themes including, but not limited to, football, soccer, the history and culture of Atlanta and Georgia, fan excitement, and community activity. This call is limited to Georgia-based artists. “We are looking for local talent to bring a unique perspective to the stadium,” said Laurie Ann Farrell, SCAD’s Executive Director of Exhibition Initiatives. “If your art has game, we want to see it.”

AMBSE announced a partnership with SCAD in November 2015 to incorporate worldclass art into the new multi-purpose stadium. The agreement includes commissioning, acquiring and installing original artwork, as well as the selection and installation of memorabilia. Mike Egan, Senior Vice President of AMBSE, a subsidiary of AMB Group, parent company of Arthur Blank’s businesses, is organizing the art initiative. “We’re excited to partner with SCAD to enhance Mercedes-Benz Stadium with locally sourced art,” said Egan. “This will be an iconic building for the city of Atlanta and we are proud to support Georgia artists who will bring a unique perspective to the fan and guest experience.” To submit work for consideration, artists are asked to email a portfolio of up to five JPEGs representative of their style, along with an artist statement and CV including contact information. The deadline for submissions is 5

patrolling the paint. The 6-foot-7 junior has been deemed as the ‘best kept secret’ in Georgia, but won’t be much longer. He finished the night with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks to stifle GMC. Halfway through the second quarter Lincoln County was cruising up 318, but Coach Lunsford’s Bulldogs began to claw back. An 8-0 run cut the lead to 31-16 before Rand found Crite in the corner for three. The Red Devils took a 35-21 advantage into the half, but since trailing 18-3 to open the game, the Bulldogs had outscored Lincoln County 18-17. The Bulldogs canned three three-pointers in the second quarter and 6-foot-6 senior Alex Moss began to go to work inside, finishing with eight first half points to breathe life into GMC. With Gunby on the bench, Coach Wesley Wuchte’s main ball handler, Ty Elam stepped in. The dreaded 5-foot-10 guard scored seven of his 15 points in the first half to keep the Devils in front. In the third quarter, Von Holloway started making things happen in the high post. He caught and looked diagonal, hitting a cutting Javon Reid for two. Then he took it himself and drew his second And-1 opportunity on his way to finishing with eight points and six rebounds.

BLOCK PARTY…

p.m. EDT on Friday, February 12, 2016. Submissions should be sent to ATLstadium@scad.edu. Please ensure that email attachments do not exceed 10 MB, and note that only portfolios received via email will be considered. Artists selected during this review will have the opportunity to put forward formal proposals for potential commissions to display in the stadium’s interior public and private spaces. The final selected Georgia-commissioned works will be exhibited alongside memorabilia and original art from around the world. The deadline to submit portfolios is Friday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. and accepted artists will be notified via email by April 1. The medium for submission can be a painting or drawing, photography, sculpture, mixed media, installation or digital art. “The aesthetic design of any space, public or private, has the power to teach, influence, and inspire,” said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. “By collaborating with the Mercedes- Benz Stadium development team, SCAD has a unique opportunity to elevate the guest experience through unforgettable, dynamic art in Atlanta’s new superlative stadium.” The multi-purpose Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be home to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United and will also serve as host venue to global, marquee sports and entertainment events. The artwork and memorabilia will be installed prior to the stadium opening in 2017. For more information on Mercedes-Benz stadium and to view project renderings, photos

and construction progress, or to learn how to secure seats in the stadium, visit www.mercedesbenzstadium.com and follow #MBStadium.

Late in the third quarter, Rand continued his block party, picking up his seventh swat of the day before Lincoln County entered the final frame with a commanding 49-31 lead. Things soured for Lincoln County in the fourth. Moss began to take over, playing the passing lanes to pick off a pass and score two of his game-high 23 points, 13 which came in the final eight minutes. The onslaught was on as the Red Devils tried to weather the storm which came in the form of Moss, Malik Foston and the Bulldog press. Foston drilled four threes and finished with 15 points and five steals, keying the GMC pressure. With 2:37 remaining, Lincoln County held a 57-42 advantage but the lead did not feel safe, especially after Rand had to come out of the game after cutting his hand on the rim while blocking a shot. GMC made it 57-50 with 41.9 seconds to play, a frantic 14-4 run but Bulldogs would never climb any closer than a seven-point deficit as the Red Devils survived the late rally which saw the Bulldogs gain a 23-12 scoring edge in the fourth quarter. Photo courtesy of MaxPreps.com

ABOUT SCAD

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees at distinctive global locations to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors. With 32,000 alumni worldwide, SCAD demonstrates an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. At locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning, the diverse student body consists of more than 12,000 students, from across the United States and over 100 countries. The university, students, faculty and alumni have garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications worldwide including four consecutive years of No. 1 rankings for the undergraduate interior design program by DesignIntelligence, recognition as one of the 2015 Red Dot Design Rankings’ Top 5 Universities in the Americas and Europe, and the No. 1 graduate fashion program in the U.S. as determined by London-based Business of Fashion. For more information, visit the official SCAD blog. Photo courtesy of MercedesBenzStadium.com

Vol. 12 Iss. 4 | Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2016

This comeback athlete had a long road back. Today it’s 8.5 miles. Know a young athlete who overcame a serious injury or illness? Nominate them for Comeback Athlete of the Month at choa.org/comeback.

Lincoln County

Norcross Basketball

The Kansas Chiefs tight end scored two touchdowns in the Pro Bowl and scored his own dating reality show on E! “Catching Kelce”. Kelce has become a household name over the past two seasons with his athleticism, hands and touchdown antics. Let’s just hope he can handle all these women and still stay focused on perfecting his craft on the field.

The little Class A-Public school is home to 11 state titles and 500 wins in football, but the basketball team is making noise this year as well, ranked No. 6. The Red Devils upset former No. 1 Hancock Central 61-59 on Tuesday, their first win against the annual power in over 25 years.

The boys team has taken over the No. 1 spot in the state while the girls team has now won 11 straight and moved to No. 2 in Class AAAAAA. The Blue Devils are as prestigious a program as they come, always finding a way to have a say in who wins the state title.

By Ned Kaish

WHO’S HOT

Travis Kelce

SCORE LIST By Craig Sager II DECISION DAY

Georgia’s top 3 ranked seniors are ready to make their final college decisions. Lanier’s Derrick Brown leads the trio of five-stars and is a top target for UGA’s already loaded Class of 2016. Brown was named AJC AllClassification Player of the Year and at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds is expected to be an impact player at the college level. All eyes will be on Brown this next week.

SUPER BOWL WEEK

Cam Newton has a chance to become the second player in history with a Heisman, National Championship, Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP. After winning three-straight division titles, Newton is on the cusp of completing one of the most impressive seasons by an individual the League has seen in years. If the Panthers beat the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, that will leave Atlanta as the only team without a Super Bowl in the NFC South.

SIGNING DAY FRENZY The third annual National Signing Day Frenzy brought together the Peach State’s future college stars. The comprehensive coverage includes the entire state as we track down every commit and signee. Visit signingdayfrenzy.com for our list of Georgia signees and any late additions to the list as the signees get sorted out.

PRO BOWL BIRDS Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman scored the first two touchdowns for Team Irvin’s 49-27 victory over Team Rice. Jones found the end zone first with a 14-yard TD grab from Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. Freeman’s touchdown also came through the air as he hauled in a 6-yard reception from Wilson.

COACH OF THE YEAR

The 13th Annual Cobb County Touchdown Club Awards Banquet was held Monday and the Allatoona Bucs led the honorees. Allatoona head coach Gary Varner received the Corky Kell Excellence in Coaching Award and Orasi Software/Bruce Cobleigh Coach of the Year after leading the Bucs to the Class AAAAA state title.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Westlake

Johnny Manziel

Shiloh

The Lions relented their hold on the No. 1 ranking in Class AAAAAA, falling to Campbell and Douglas County by a combined three points last week. Westlake now finds itself ranked fifth in the state with the region tournament looming. They will need to recapture their magic for the state tournament.

Clubs beware. The embattled partying quarterback will released in March by the Cleveland Browns. A litany of immature off the field issues has plagued the youngster. It seems he was more content with just making the league and gaining more stardom than actually making a difference.

Eight spots. That is how far the Generals basketball team is sank in the Class AAAAAA rankings. New No. 8 Brookwood upset Shiloh 62-59 last week. Darnell Rogers and Khalil Richard, two D-I signees, left in the first month of the season. The Generals rolled without them, but have hit a bumpy stretch late in the season.

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.

TRIVIA QUESTION

“

SANITY AT LAST

WHAT GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL HAD THE MOST FORMER PLAYERS ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROSTERS THIS PAST SEASON?

“Just be aggressive, play with a lot of energy and play with a lot of speed. When we do that, we feel like we’re a pretty good team.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

- Jeff Teague on the Hawks’ recent struggles

Losses suffered by the Atlanta Hawks (60-22) all of last season

Losses suffered by the Atlanta Hawks (28-22) this season

Times UGA-signee Julian Rochester was named Cobb County Defensive Player of the Year

Season-high points for Jeff Teague in Monday’s win over Dallas

Combined point differential in Georgia Tech’s six ACC losses

Georgia Tech’s Class of 2016 Rankings entering National Signing Day

Georgia’s Class of 2016 Rankings entering National Signing Day

SEC teams in the top 10 National Recruiting Rankings

Vol. 12 Iss. 4 | Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2016 The 46th Annual Metro Swimming and Diving Championships held last week showed that not much has changed since last season. The Marist girls dominated the pool yet again with 172 points, followed by Westminster (135), Wesleyan (106) and Alpharetta (76.5). The foursome of Leona Harper, Gracie Crump, Elizabeth Bailey and Tori Lauterbach finished on top for the Marist girls in both the 200-medley (1:52.88) and 400-freestyle relay (3:43.02). Two Marist girls won individual events, Senior Hannah Lagod in the 200-freestyle (1:58.31) and the 100-breaststroke (1:08.13) and Junior Bailey was awarded a pair of gold medals in the 200-IM (2:08.54) and the 100-butterfly (56.29). The diving portion of the meet was cancelled due to weather; however, Junior Gardner will come to the State Championships as a back-to-back state champion in the one-meter dive, looking for her third consecutive title.

ON THE COVER

COVER STORY

LASSITER BOYS TAKES DOWN FORMER STATE CHAMPIONS

SWIMMING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

new dynasty of girls swimming has emerged since the installment of Class AAAAAA in 2013. Lambert High School has reined Georgia’s highest classification, winning three consecutive state titles. Last season, the Lady Longhorns dominated the Georgia Tech Aquatics Center, finishing with a total of 433 points, 78 points higher than runner-up Brookwood. The Longhorns’ rise to the top has not been an easy road, as other swimming powerhouses across Georgia have put up a great fight. The last team to win four in a row was Lassiter High School from 2008-2011. The Trojans’ streak was brought to a halt when Brookwood took home the title in 2012. Lambert enters the State Championships after winning the program’s seventh county title. With the dream of their fourth state title on the horizon, the Longhorns are ready to compete. At the helm of the Longhorn swim team are seniors, Katherine Alkins and Danielle LeBleu, who will be swimming for University of Georgia and Hillsdale College next year, respectively. Last year’s state runner-up, Brookwood, will be looking for redemption. Brookwood

girl’s repeat victory at the Gwinnett County Championships marked their fourth title in six seasons. The Lady Broncos swept all their relays and won four individual events, which will put them on pace to contend at a high level at this year’s state championships. Junior Maddy Cohen clinched first place in the 50-freestyle (23.47) and in the 100-freestyle (51.30) for the second straight year. Virginia Tech commit Erin Scott won the 100-breaststroke (1:04.99) for the third straight year, an event that she placed second in as a freshman.

A-AAAAA…

Unlike Class AAAAAA, the A-AAAAA classifications have seen three different state champions since the reclassification. Last year, Marist, a team very familiar with first place after winning five straight state titles from 20072011, finally took home gold after a three-year dry spell. Following the Lady War Eagles’ 2011 state title, Westminster won the following two state titles in 2012 and 2013. Woodward Academy changed the hierarchy again by taking home the title in 2014.

The battle for the Class AAAAAA title will not come with ease this year. Gwinnett County schools had a strong hold on the Georgia high school swimming record books from 2001-2013 until Walton swooped in and took home the title in 2014. The 2014 State Championships marked the first time a Cobb County school was awarded a state title in swimming. In 2015, Walton edged Alpharetta 310 to 303.5 to win back-to-back state titles. However, this year it looks like the Walton Raiders are going to have some stiff competition coming out of their own county. At the Cobb County Championships last week, Lassiter showed that they are a force to be reckoned with at state this year, winning their first county title since 2011. The Trojans triumphed at the Cobb County Championships totaling 513 points, ending Walton’s four-year stint of county titles. Walton finished with 449.5 points followed by Pope (342), Hillgrove (313) and Wheeler (302.5). The Trojans were led to victory with a win in the 200-medley relay by foursome Andrew Yap, Jordan Dunn, Nick Loprinzo and Colin Riley (1:37.12) and in the 400-freestyle relay by Yapp, Parker Ciaramella, Loprinzo and Riley (3:14.13). Riley also took home a pair of blue ribbons in the 50-freestyle (20.96) and the 100-freestyle (45.85). Gwinnett County schools are determined to take back the trophy that belonged to them for 12 years straight. At the Gwinnett County

Championships, Brookwood and Collins Hill swam a close race from the beginning but the Broncos took home the Gwinnett County title for the first time since 2009, ending Collins Hill two-year streak, with 974 points, 2.5 points higher than the Eagles. The 200-medley relay swam by Alex Taylor, Marci Barta, Andrew Huenniger and Jacob Rees (1:34.54) set a new meet record. Collins Hill finished runner-up in the relay with a time of 1:34.73, both times were below the previous 2012 meet record set by the Broncos.

A-AAAAA…

When it comes to swimming dynasties, Westminster has solidified their place in this category after winning six consecutive boys state championships from 2003-2008, in addition to last year’s title edging foe Marist 309 to 293.5. The Wildcats enter the state meet after prevailing at the Metro Swimming and Diving Championships with 200 points followed by Alpharetta (114), Centennial (101) and Wesleyan (83). The quartet of Owen Downs, Derek Cox, Erek Cox and Joseph Rodriguez led their team to victory in the 200-medley relay (1:33.09), setting a new Metro Meet and pool record. Senior Erek Cox brought home gold in the 200-freestyle, breaking the Metro Meet record with a time of 1:41.42. He also placed second in the 100-butterfly (52.22). Princeton bound Derek Cox won a pair of events, the 200-IM (1:52.47) and 500-freestyle (4:40.77). Rodriguez placed second in the 50-freestlye (21.61) and was also part of the foursome made up of Jack Stone, Max Hromis and Philip Stith who won the 200-freestyle relay (1:28.24). Dalton High School standout Ethan Young will be another favorite to watch at the State Championships. Young, headed for University of California-Berkley next year, broke his own 2014 state record at last year’s state championships in the 100-backstroke (47.47) and tied for first place in the 100-butterfly (48.92). Kell diver Anthony Musciano returns to the State Championships as a swimmer to watch in the boys Class A-AAAAA diving competition. After finishing runner-up in last year’s contest, Musciano has since improved and even broke a 17-year-old Cobb County record (516.05) to win the Mustang Diving Invite last month. Photo courtesy of River Oak Photography.

BE A PART OF THE WORLDâ€™S LARGEST

SIGNING DAY CELEBRATION

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY

Join us for an afternoon of celebration: FEB. 3 | 11am - 5pm *Schools will be assigned specific times

All Metro Atlanta High School Recruits, Coaches & Teams are Invited! Parents, Friends, Cheerleaders, Family & Fans - Come Show Your Support!

STARS & STRIKES 8767 Roswell Rd. | Sandy Springs, GA 30350 Sign your team up for a time by calling Lauren Goldstein at 404.256.1572 or email her at lgoldstein@scoreatl.com

W W W. S I G N I N G D AY F R E N Z Y. C O M

PREP SPORTS

STATE CHAMPION ALLATOONA HIGHLIGHT’S COBB BANQUET BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he 13th Annual Cobb County Touchdown Club Awards Banquet was held Monday at Piedmont Church in Marietta, Ga. and the county’s standouts on and off the field in 2015 were recognized. All 20 Cobb County programs were represented in the audience. To no surprise, Allatoona was honored for individual and team awards after the Bucs’ incredible run to the Class AAAAA state championship this past December. Head coach Gary Varner received the Corky Kell Excellence in Coaching Award and Orasi Software/Bruce Cobleigh Coach of the Year and he took the time to thank his assistants and players for a remarkable year. Allatoona is just eight years old as a school, but as Varner pointed out, his coaching staff has remained nearly the same since the school’s opening and a tradition and shared vision was present with a senior-led team. Allatoona quarterback Brandon Rainey was

named Cobb County Schutt Sports Player of the Year for his incredible season and the leadership that allowed the Bucs to win the state championship, despite devastating injuries to star players nearly every round of the playoffs. Allatoona offensive line coach Mike Dennison won the Tripp Allen Offensive Coach of the Year Award and Bucs’ defensive coordinator Troy Petersen won Cobb’s Doug Orebaugh Defensive Assistant award. Kell’s Bryson Armstrong was named the 48-minute man, an award to the player that never came off the field. Armstrong’s role as a defender, quarterback, running back, receiver and special teams star throughout the season made him the clear top candidate. “We’ve had a lot of great players and great guys at Kell,” explained head coach Derek Cook. “But Bryson Armstrong is the greatest I’ve ever been around.” Mount Paran running back Taylor Tram-

mell may be a first round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, but his incredible past two seasons in the Eagles’ explosive offense garnered a 10yard per carry average and Cobb County Offensive Player of the Year. McEachern defensive tackle Julian Rochester won Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight time but was unable to attend because he is already enrolled early at the University of Georgia. Walton’s Ryan Roegge was named Defensive Back of the Year and North Cobb junior Chandler Wooten was named Linebacker of the Year. Dartmouth-commit and scholar athlete Seth Simmer (Harrison) was named Cobb County Defensive Lineman of the Year and Walton’s Sam Letton was named Tight End of the Year. Letton also announced during his acceptance of the award that he committed to Troy. Lassiter’s Cole Taylor earned Receiver of the Year and will play for Elon next fall and McEachern’s Sam Jackson took home Running back of the Year but remains undecided. Junior Bailey Hockman won Quarterback of the Year and McEachern teammate Tremayne Anchrum won Offensive Lineman of the Year. Lassiter’s Mitchell Wasson is Cobb County Kicker of the Year and Kell’s Julien Chang took home Cobb County Punter of the Year. McEachern’s Tyler Simmons was honored with Returner of the Year.

The All-County teams were also announced and a mix of familiar faces and new stars accepted their plaques. Penn-commit and Walton running back Karekin Brooks was named All-County for the second straight year with Arizona-commit and Allatoona running back Russell Halimon. Brooks’ freshman teammate and wide receiver Dominick Blaylock was the only ninth grader that made the AllCounty list. Mount Paran standout Allen Cater was there to accept his All-County honors and Bennett Bay of Wheeler was honored for AllCounty defensive back. The most impressive part of the night is always the scholar athletes and this year’s list showed the surface of a long list of amazing student athletes coming out of Cobb County. Sprayberry’s Corey Atkins won his third straight Cobb County Scholar Athlete Award and his resume continues to impress. Atkins has never received anything lower than an A in his high school career and carries a 4.6 GPA. Allatoona’s Danny Tesler (4.0) and Wheeler’s Bennett Bay (4.3) were also recognized for their academic excellence along with McEachern’s tackle leader Michael Nwagbara, who will play at Rhodes next year. Osborne’s Ayo Ashi and Walton’s Alex Roegee comprised the 20 total scholar honorees along with two-time recipient Jesus Izaguirre out of Pebblebrook.

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Vol. 12 Iss. 4 | Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2016 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS AIM FOR IMPACT RECRUITING CLASS BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

ednesday is a huge day for Georgia football and especially new head coach Kirby Smart. The former Dawg is rounding up his first recruiting class and has a chance to add the finishing touches to a class already filled with some of the nation’s top prospects. Gatorade National Player of the Year Jacob Eason is already enrolled, along with McEachern defensive tackle Julian Rochester, Deerfield Beach (Fla.) wide receiver Riley Ridley and Peachtree Ridge cornerback Chad Clay. Former Buford star and IMG Academy’s Issac Nauta is settled in at Athens and leads the class as the top-ranked tight end in the nation. On the offensive line, Ben Cleveland is a massive 6-foot-6 tackle out of Stephens County that is getting a head start. With early enrollees at quarterback, tight end, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, wide receiver and cornerback, the Bulldogs have one of the most secured top classes in the country heading into signing day. The Bulldogs also have 10 hard commits heading into decision day. The list includes Clinch

GEORGIA STATE

ROAD WOES DOOM PANTHERS BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

hree consecutive road games have resulted in three straight losses, plummeting the Panthers (12-7, 5-5) to sixth-place in the Sun Belt after a 12-3 start to the year. A bad 76-67 loss at Appalachian State (6-15, 4-5) started the spiral two Thursdays ago. Last Thursday didn’t treat the Panthers any better, losing to Arkansas State (10-11, 6-4) in overtime 75-69. This Saturday Coach Ron Hunter’s team finished up their nightmarish roadtrip with a 63-53 loss to firstplace Arkansas-Little Rock (19-2, 9-1). The Panthers led by 10 points in the first half against Arkansas State but poor shooting sunk Georgia State. While the Red Wolves were held to 39 percent shooting, they were able to make life even tougher on the Panthers, holding them to 33 percent. Frederic Dure and Charles Waters scored in the final 17 seconds of regulation to give Arkansas State a 57-56 lead, its first since early in the first half, but Isaiah Williams tied it by making 1-of-2 free throws with seven seconds left sending the game to overtime for

County’s Chancey Manac, a four-star defensive end. Rabun County’s Charlie Woerner brings size to a much-improved receiving corps with his 6-foot-5 frame and Elijah Holyfield brings a physical runner to lead the class. As of Tuesday, Georgia ranked eighth in the nation with six enrollees and 10 hard-commits and fifth in the SEC. These rankings are likely to change as players like

PLAYMAKING POTENTIAL…

Five-star Mecole Hardman Jr. out of Elbert County will have the college football world also keeping track of his decision this Wednesday. Hardman is a U.S. Army All-American that is being heavily recruited by Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee and Ohio State. Hardman practiced at defensive back before moving over to wide receiver at the U.S. Army All-American game, where he accounted for 143 all-purpose yards with three catches for 36 yards, one carry for five yards, two punt returns for 57 yards and two kickoff returns for 45 yards. Hardman is coming off a senior season that saw him pass for more than 700 yards and rush for more than 2,100 yards. Further south, Savannah Christian star Demetris Robertson is waiting to make his anticipated college decision. The five-star receiver could also play a multitude of positions depending on his development. Robertson has narrowed his choices down to Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia and Stanford.

the Panthers. Jeremy Hollowell scored a team-high 15 points while Kevin Ware chipped in 14. “We are obviously disappointed by the loss,” Coach Hunter said. “We did what we needed defensively for most of the game, but too many open looks did not fall. You cannot expect to shoot 33 percent from the floor and to win. There are still a lot of games to play and I know this team will continue to improve.”

NEVER LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH

The Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock had three players reach double figures led by Josh Hagins’ game-high 18 points and five assists. Roger Woods added 16 points and six rebounds in the win. Georgia State led 46-43 with 10:24 left in the second half before the Trojans ripped off a 14-0 run to take a 57-46 edge with 4:30 remaining. “I thought we battled and played well for portions of the game, but when you play a talented team like Little Rock, you have to play great basketball for 40 minutes,” Hunter said. “After the tough loss on Thursday, I liked the way our guys bounced back. Even when we got down by double digits, they didn’t gave up and we had our chances.”

HOME SWEET HOME

This Thursday the Panthers return home to end their swoon, hosting Texas State (9-9, 3-6) at 7:30 P.M.

GEORGIA TECH

JACKETS DROP TO 2-6 IN ACC PLAY BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia Tech lost its sixth single digit conG ference game on Saturday and heads into Tuesday’s home matchup with Duke wearing a

2-6 conference record. Tech and Syracuse took a 35-35 tie into the second half, before the Orange escaped with a 60-57 home win. Our defense was outstanding,” said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, “Like Wisconsin (a 66-58 overtime loss), we missed some free throws down the stretch and the only way we overcame it was our defense -- it was spectacular.” Georgia Tech had a chance to tie it at the buzzer but Adam Smith missed the desperation 3-pointer. “Trevor (Cooney) and Mike (Gbinije) are so good at the guard spot and they did such a great job defensively on (Adam) Smith there at the end, I can’t even tell you,” Boeheim said. “They couldn’t even get the shot. That was as good a defense at the end there as I’ve ever seen.” Nick Jacobs, who finished with 14 points, scored a layup to give the Yellow Jackets a

KENNESAW STATE

OWLS COMPLETE SEASON SWEEP OF USC UPSTATE BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

or the second time in five days, Kennesaw Fcomplete State picked up a win over USC Upstate to the season sweep. Yonel Brown led

Kennesaw with a team-high 22 points and seven of the Owls’ 33 rebounds as they held on for a 75-62 win. KSU opened the game with a 9-2 lead that lasted throughout much of the first half until USC Upstate made a late run and eventually took the lead. The Spartans’ 26-25 lead was brief and Bernard Morena netted a pair of free throws to put the Owls back up 27-26 at the half. In the second half, Kennesaw quickly grew the lead back to nine points as Kendrick Ray hit a three. The Spartans tried to remain in striking distance, but Kennesaw pushed the lead to 6950 with 4:34 left and effectively iced the game. “It’s probably the most energy we’ve played with on the defensive end,” said head coach Al Skinner. “Even though there shooting percentage doesn’t indicate that we played good defense, it really was a good effort. We contested shots and didn’t give them any easy looks. Guys really hustled and it helped our rebounding. That was a big key for us. Upstate

53-49 margin with five minutes to go. However, Syracuse freshman Franklin Howard later added to his career-high six assists with a free throw that tied the game at 53-53. Later, Mike Gbinije’s two free throws gave the Orange a 57-55 lead with 1:25 to go, setting up Malachi Richardson’s foul shots. “At times it wasn’t the most fluid game but it was a tough, hard-nosed game,” said Tech coach Brian Gregory. “We just didn’t make enough plays down stretch We’ve got to make teams earn shots, earn baskets, instead of them getting shots at the free-throw line.”

ROUGH NIGHT…

Georgia Tech’s leading scorer Marcus Georges-Hunt had averaged 25.3 points over his last three games, including 26 in Wednesday night’s win at N.C. State. However, he managed to net just six points in the loss to Syracuse. Georgia Tech’s six ACC losses have been by a combined 29 points.

SIGNING DAY…

Georgia Tech entered Signing Day with the 51st ranked class in the nation but looks to make its usual late additions. Newnan linebacker Emanuel Bridges is the Jackets’ topranked instate prospect as he currently sits as the No. 50-ranked prospect in Georgia. Buford’s Xavier Gantt, Ware County’s Dedrick Mills and Northview’s Jair Anderson are offensive standouts the Jackets have highlighting this year’s class.

is a very fine rebounding team, particularly on the offensive boards and because of our hard work, it limited them and took those opportunities away. Overall, I was very pleased with the effort and the hustle that we gave for the 40 minutes.”

BRING THEM HOME…

The Kennesaw State football program has formalized plans for its third annual National Signing Day Presented by Fifth Third Bank that is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb.3. The KSU Department of Athletics will have a number of events scheduled throughout the day and will provide up-to-the-minute coverage of all the signees. A special “Signing Day Central” page will be available at www.KSUOwls.com. Beginning at 7 a.m. (ET), KSUOwls.com will provide live updates, along with comprehensive social media coverage via Twitter (@KSUOwlNation and @KennesawStFB). A press conference officially announcing the recruiting class will be held at the coaches office beginning at 11 a.m. Highlights of the press conference will be posted to www. KSUOwls.com shortly following the conclusion of the press conference. Per NCAA rules, the Kennesaw State Department of Athletics will announce a signee when the program has received and KSU Compliance has verified the signee’s National Letter of Intent. Signees are not officially Owls until approved and listed on KSUOwls.com.

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ATLANTA HAWKS

TIME TO SHAKE THINGS UP BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

istakes happen. They can be forgiven. M Danny Ferry made a mistake when he was fired from the Hawks as General Manager.

Now it turns out that firing has been an Atlanta mistake as the Hawks find themselves sporting a 28-22 record; the same amount of losses as last year’s 60-22 team. Coach Mike Budenholzer has failed the team since taking over player personnel decisions. Tiago Splitter has been miserable, averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds while making Hawks fans long for the days of Pero Antic roaming the perimeter. The trade of their first round pick for Tim Hardaway Jr. has been equally as bad, but honestly worse. He has split time in the D-League and has poured in just 4.2 points per game with the big league team. When will Atlanta own up to its mistakes? We all knew the Hawks would take a step back, but did most people think it would be this drastic? I did.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Now Budenholzer and the Hawks are

ATLANTA BRAVES

COPPOLELLA REFLECTS ON BUSY START TO OFFSEASON BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

he official website of Major League Baseball published its latest list of the top 100 prospects last week and five Atlanta Braves players are part of this current installment. Four of the five register in the top 56. Shortstop Dansby Swanson is No. 8 overall and fourth at his position. Sean Newcomb comes it at 21st, good for No. 4 among left-handed pitchers. Shortstop Ozzie Albies is 29th, right-handed pitcher Aaron Blair comes in at No. 56 and Kolby Allard rounds out the team’s top five at 89th overall. A strong farm system was not always the case in Atlanta, of course. But a fire-sale of veteran talent over the past 12 months has revamped the franchise’s core of prospects in what has become a comprehensive rebuilding effort. Swanson was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Shelby Miller deal made in December, one month after the Braves got Newcomb from the Los Angeles Angels in a trade that sent Andrelton Simmons to L.A. Blair also came over from Arizona in the Miller deal, while Atlanta got its hands on Allard via

faced with more crossroads. Do they overpay and sign Al Horford to a max deal? Do they cut bait and make some trades to strengthen the team or do they start planning for the future and ship away some expiring contracts such as Big Al and fish Jeff Teague around in order to make way for heir apparent Dennis Schroder? If I were in charge, I’d act on the latter. Atlanta is too familiar with mediocrity, making the playoffs eight-straight seasons but not grabbing a top seed until last year’s magical run. Teague and Horford need to go. Let Schroder take the reins and see what the young German has to offer. Let’s face it. Fans don’t want to hear it, but the truth is Zaza Pachulia is producing at the same rate at half the price of Horford. Why not try and swing a traded based around Horford for Zaza and some filler/draft picks while clearing up space for a big free agency push once the salary cap increases? Horford averages 15.1 points and 7 rebounds while Zaza has put up 10.3 points and 10.9 rebounds. It’s not a sexy move, but Pachulia was a fan favorite after his run-in with Kevin Garnett and brings much needed toughness inside. Just a thought, but it might be time to shake things up and look beyond 2016. And remember, you can always ask for forgiveness after making a mistake; it just might cost you your job.

the draft (14th overall in 2015). The Braves signed Albies, a Curacao native, in 2013 when he was just 16 years old.

CRIME DOG …

Former first baseman Fred McGriff, who helped Atlanta win its only World Series in 1995 during his four-plus years with Atlanta, is heading into his second season as a special assistant with the franchise. So far this offseason he has attended the Winter Meetings, served as a part-time hitting instructor for minor leaguers and has scouted at both the professional and amateur levels. McGriff will also write and file reports during the 2016 campaign. “Half of these guys weren’t even born when I was playing or they were in diapers or something, so they have to go and Google you or something,” McGriff told atlantabraves.com. “They come back the next day and say something like, ‘Yeah, dude, I saw a highlight of you.’ So that part keeps me young, just messing with these kids.” President of baseball operations John Hart thinks McGriff could excel as a full-time coach, as well. “Fred could get a job in a minute if he wanted to get back into the grind as a hitting coach or something along those lines,” John assured. “But his real desire is to get involved in the inner workings of the game, where he could understand everything that was happening within a front office.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

JONES, FREEMAN SHINE AT PRO BOWL BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he Falcons were well-represented in SunT day’s Pro Bowl. Jones and Freeman scored the first two touchdowns for Team Irvin to help

the former Cowboys’ receiver best Jerry Rice’s squad in the 2016 Pro Bowl, 49-27. Jones found the end zone first with a 14yard TD grab from Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. Freeman’s touchdown also came through the air as he hauled in a 6-yard reception from Wilson. Jones tallied a pair of receptions for 26 yards and Freeman gained 17 rushing yards on five carries to go along with two catches for 17 receiving yards. Freeman also saw snaps on the defensive side of the football and recorded a tackle. Fullback Patrick DiMarco ran the ball three times for 15 yards. Cornerback Desmond Trufant also saw playing time but was not targeted. Wilson was named the game’s MVP after completing eight of his 12 pass attempts for 164 yards and three touchdowns. The other five quarterbacks combined to throw seven touchdowns but also threw seven intercep-

GHSA BASKETBALL

RANKINGS ADD RELEVANCE AS SEASON CLOSES BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

lass AAAAAA No. 2 Norcross won its 11th straight game, beating 5A No. 2 Southwest DeKalb 70-60. The Lady Blue Devils are putting major heat on No. 1 Archer, who continues to answer the bell by passing every test Region 8 presents them. The Lady Tigers knocked off Parkview for the second time this year, 47-44 on the road and in the process dropped the Lady Panthers from the top ten. No. 10 Woodstock clings onto the final spot following a 53-49 loss at home to No. 3 Collins Hill, proving that the Lady Wolverines are deserving as being considered one of the state’s best and can play with anyone. No. 5 Tucker moves up a spot ahead of No. 6 Harrison after their impressive 59-53 win over 2A No. 4 Holy Innocents’. No. 3 Flowery Branch scored a pair of important wins in Region 8-AAAAA, easily the state’s strongest region in terms of depth with five teams over 15 wins. The Lady Falcons got revenge against Gainesville, their only previous

tions. Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin ran in the only rushing touchdown and finished with 20 yards off seven carries. Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce finished with five catches for 91 yards and two scores.

WORDS OF WISDOM…

During the month of February, students all over the state of Georgia from the ages of 13-18 are invited and encouraged to write an original essay or poem (500-word minimum, 1,500-word maximum) on one of the following questions: 1. Why is it important to encourage diversity around the world? 2. If Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive today, he would think…. 3. Who is the most influential historical African American figure to you and why? Those who enter have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes courtesy of the Falcons, including four tickets to a 2016 Atlanta Falcons home game (sideline passes included), an official Atlanta Falcons autographed item and a chance to be featured on the AtlantaFalcons. com homepage. Second place winners will be awarded a VIP experience at XFINITY® Atlanta Falcons Training Camp and an autographed item and a $50 gift card. Third place will receive $50 and an autographed item. The deadline for submission is Friday, Feb. 19 at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be notified by phone and email during the last week of February.

loss, beating them 45-42 on the road, dropping the Red Elephants from the top ten. Flowery Branch also picked up a win at Winder-Barrow, 56-41. Sequoyah falls from No. 2 to No. 7 following a surprise loss at Rome, 64-51. Region 7A first-place is up for grabs as the War Lodge will be packed for rival Creekview. Both teams are 19-4 and 10-1 in region play. The Lady Chiefs disposed of the Grizzlies 43-28 in their first meeting. No. 10 Mays claws its way back into the top ten after a long absence.

A NEW NO. 1

Marist takes over No. 1 in AAAA after a 44-34 win at Redan that knocked the Raiders out of the poll and a Buford loss at the Wesleyan Showcase to 2A No. 1 Wesleyan, 58-39. With Redan’s departure, No. 10 Bainbridge debuts. They visit No. 2 Americus-Sumer on Friday for the most anticipated game of the night. Both teams are 13-0 in Region 1. AAA saw No. 5 Johnson-Savannah take care of No. 6 Beach 53-41. The Atomsmashers jumped three spots for their resume building win. No. 1 Wesleyan’s case for being not only the best team in AA but the best regardless of classification has gotten stronger. Routs of Buford and Lovett has the Lady Wolves looking better than ever. No. 4 Holy Innocents’ falls one spot for its loss to Tucker. No. 5 Jeff Davis beat Vidalia 43-41 and dropped the annual power form the top ten.

Vol. 12 Iss. 4 | Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2016

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Vol. 12 Iss. 4 | Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2016