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Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 37 | OCTOBER 10-16, 2014

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

PREPARING FOR Hall of Fame | Pg. 4 Our Matt Cason gives college football legends the acclaim they deserve.

Getting Past 1967 | Pg. 8 Craig Sager II discusses Cobb Countyâ€™s quest to end championship drought.

TAKEOFF We preview the 2014-2015 Atlanta Hawks. | Pg. 5

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GEORGIA NATIONALGUARD.com Skip the minimum wage job and jump right into a career with many financial benefits, including programs that pay or college, scholarships, retirement pay and more. The National Guard offers real, tangible rewards for serving in defense of your country. Yours will be a serious commitment, and one that will be rewarded. Contact a National Guard Gua Recruiter today! www.NATIONALGUARD.com

Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

COLUMNISTS

ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Black ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves) Matthew Cason (Hawks, Tech) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons) Kyle Sandy (Silverbacks) Jalisa Smith (GSU) STAFF WRITERS Darrin Heatherly

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Copyright 2014 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published in print every other week on Fridays and a digital version is posted to ScoreAtl.com in-between print issues. 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 12 13

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROB SAYE, DEANNA FIVEASH AND NBAE/GETTY IMAGES.

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE Score Atlanta is looking for interns. Please visit www.scoreatl.com/internships for more information on our program. Send us your softball and volleyball scores for Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday games and we will add them to our scoreboard, which is featured on AJC.com, ScoreATL.com and on our new HS sports app. Call 404-2561572, email Scores@scoreatl.com or tweet @scoreatlanta to report final scores. Please do the same for any varsity football scores you may have, but do so immediately after the game ends.

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SAGER SAYS

EARLY COMMITS TRENDING IN 2015 BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he Class of 2015 football recruits have been all about business. Unlike the 2013-14 T classes that saw dozens of midseason flips and some hard-to-believe storylines, players have been committing early this year and sticking to the course. We’ve come a long way from two years ago when five-star Reuben Foster flipped from Auburn and signed to play at Alabama with an Auburn tattoo visibly on his arm. All the hat shuffling and games seem to be a thing of the past and it is saving time and energy for universities and, more importantly, the athletes that are focusing on finishing out their varsity careers strong. We’ve reached the midpoint of the 2014 football season and National Signing Day is less than four months away (Feb. 4). Five-star defensive end Lorenzo Carter from Norcross

picked UGA in a televised last-minute signing last year on National Signing Day and the year before Robert Nkemdiche, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the nation out of Gwinnett County’s Grayson pledged to Ole Miss on the final hour of signing day. This year’s top recruit out of the Peach State is defensive tackle Trenton Thompson out of Westover High School in Albany, and the 6-foot-4, 292 five-star recruit committed to UGA in August. The state of Georgia will still be a centerpiece of this year’s signing day, but the attention will not be as centered on a particular superstar holding off his decision like past years. The fact that most of the Class of 2015 prospects are making early decisions has benefitted UGA the most. The Bulldogs already have 22 commits and is the No. 2-ranked re-

fore the Hall of Fame. In today’s sports world, the number of players that are labeled “great” is insurmountable thanks to the amount of media that is available compared to 50-60 years ago. Yet, I feel that college football fans should make the effort to learn the history of this sport in order to appreciate truly great players like Meilinger and Choate. The best thing about the Hall of Fame is that the true greats are recognized and appreciated as they become immortalized for the rest of time.

CASON’S CORNER

GREATS OF THE PAST NEED EARLIER RECOGNITION BY MATT CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

s I sat at a press conference showcasing members of the College Football Hall of A Fame Class of 2013 on Tuesday, SEC Network’s

Tony Barnhart, spoke about the greatness of the members of this class. While wrapping up his opening introduction, he proclaimed “the Hall is better because these guys are in it.” While it seems cliché when it comes to Hallof-Fame ceremonies, these were names that I couldn’t connect with greatness. The 14-member class boasts seven unanimous All-Americans, four national champions and three Heisman Trophy winners. Yet, when I think back on great college football players, I think of who played from 2005 to the present, Heisman Trophy winners or college players that went on to be an NFL greats. Yet I sat there looking at players like former

SURPRISE STANDOUTS … The first seven weeks of the high school football season have seen teams and individuals emerge. Here are the biggest surprises that have caught my eye this season. Hapeville Charter finished 1-8-1 last season and the Hornets looked to be back in the basement of the region this season. Hapeville bounced back from a 1-3 start with consecutive wins over Holy Innocents’ and Wesleyan. South Carolina commitment Arden Key, a 6-foot-5 defensive end, has been big for the Hornets. Key’s stock has jumped and he is now ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the state according to the 247sports rankings. Key’s teammate Antoine Wilder is also committed to the Gamecocks and is having a solid season starting at safety for the Hornets. These two stars have helped put Hapeville Charter on the map in the program’s third full varsity season. Northview High School is 5-0 this season and one win away from the first six-win season in school history. The Titans are averaging 42 points per game while allowing just 5.6 points per game on the defensive side of the ball. Sixfoot-three, 198-pound senior quarterback D.J. Pearson has been a catalyst to the success and has made a giant leap into the recruiting scene

Kentucky Wildcat Steve Meilinger, legendary Navy coach Wayne Hardin and Baylor quarterback Don Trull as they reflected on their careers, I felt that only the most die-hard fans of my generation could possibly recall these Hall-of-Fame names. I talked with Meilinger at the end of the press conference and asked him about his thoughts and his feelings about finally being inducted and one thing he said struck me: “I sort of wish that I could have been inducted 40 years ago so that I can enjoy it for quite a while. I’m 84-years old this upcoming December and I know my days are numbered, so I won’t be able to celebrate any more than that.” It made me think that greats like Meilinger and Trull should be recognized long be-

TOURING THE HALL … After the conclusion of the press conference, I was given a first-hand tour by a College Football Hall of Fame staff member and viewed all that the 96,000 square-foot facility had to offer. To say the least, I did not leave disappointed. Similar to other sports, the CFB Hall of Fame contains various gear and artifacts that teach the history of college football and the change it has experienced since its simple beginnings. The separating factor that intrigued me most though about the College Football Hall of Fame, compared to predecessors, was the amount of digitally-interactive exhibits displayed. At the start of the tour, I was given a pass and asked to register my name, email and favorite team. Once completed, I was

while establishing himself as one of Georgia’s top Class of 2015 quarterback prospects. Pearson committed to Arkansas State in June, but Georgia State is one of the many programs taking notice of Pearson’s success this year and looking to land him on campus next fall. Pearson has completed 76-of-115 passes (66.1 percent) for 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns, while tossing just one interception through five games. TOUCHDOWN FACTORY … Cherokee High School has never been known for its passing game, but the pass-happy, 5-1 Warriors contend for the Region 5 title this season. Quarterback Spencer Ashley and wideout Andrew Harris have been the most productive quarterback-receiver combo in the state this season. Harris has hauled in a state-best 53 receptions for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ashley has been an efficient 121-of-168 passing this year for 1,783 total yards and 19 passing touchdowns. In the win over Pope, Harris ran for a 47-yard touchdown, returned an interception 91 yards for a touchdown and caught 10 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Cherokee plays Milton on Friday and another big performance would have top college programs finally recognizing what Ashley and Harris have been doing this entire season. Photo courtesy of Terance Johnson.

told to look up at a large frame made up of 767 helmets that represent each team in college football. I would see the Red and Black of the Georgia Bulldogs light up, highlighting my presence, included among other teams that were lit by their fans in the exhibit. Among other digital attractions included “fight-song karaoke”, a College GameDay “broadcast” that sat you with a virtual Chris Fowler and Desmond Howard, and, one of my personal favorites, an experience that puts you in the on the field for an exhilarating moment with your favorite team whether it was watching them storm past you during intros, seeing a game-winning touchdown just feet from where you stand and other options that simply make you catch your breath. Of course, the College Football Hall of Fame tour would not be complete without recognizing the all-time greats of the game. Fans can utilize a touch screen on eight different pillars in the area to view photos, interviews, and information on the 1,000-plus enshrined members that range back as far as the inaugural class of 1951. I easily could have lost track of time in the facility because of all that the Hall has to offer. Yet, I will surely make the effort to visit again and soak in the history of this American pasttime. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.

Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014

ON THE COVER

ATLANTA HAWKS

CONTROVERSIAL OFFSEASON SHOULD NOT OVERSHADOW HAWKS’ POTENTIAL BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

aking so much noise that you are the talk of the league is often a good thing during an NBA offseason—especially one in which free agents include LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Bosh. But that was not the case for the Hawks this summer. Instead of inking superstars to franchisechanging contracts, the Hawks embroiled themselves in an uproarious controversy. By now, of course, the story is old news even if its implications are still very much in a fluctuating state. In early September, majority owner Bruce Levenson announced that he would sell his stake in the team because of a racially-charged, “inappropriate and offensive” e-mail he wrote in 2012. Approximately one week later, general manager Danny Ferry took an indefinite leave of absence—still in effect as of Wednesday afternoon—stemming from comments made regarding then-free agent Luol Deng. With the preseason in progress and the regular slate of action less than three weeks

away, the Hawks for all intents and purposes do not have an owner or a general manager (Mayor Kasim Reed says he hopes a new majority owner will be in place by Dec. 31 and head coach Mike Budenholzer is currently multi-tasking as the team’s GM). Lost in the shuffle, meanwhile, is what the Hawks do have: a very good basketball team. A NEW LEAF … Before this 2014-15 Atlanta squad can realize its potential, though, it must turn the page on what has been one of the franchise’s ugliest chapters. That does mean the organization must now begin focusing entirely on wins and losses and forget the incidents ever happened. What it does mean is that each phase of the organization must start getting their respective jobs done: players play, coaches coach and management manages. The latter task is mostly up to CEO Steve Koonin at the moment. Immediately following Levenson’s announced sale and Ferry’s leave,

Koonin posted an open letter from the organization on the team’s website. “As an organization, we must own these shortcomings and failures,” he wrote. “They are ones that I am now accountable for as the new CEO. … I am deeply saddened and embarrassed that this has put a blemish on our team and our city, which has always been a diverse community with a history of coming together as one. We should,” Koonin concluded while providing a four-point plan to right the wrongs, “build bridges through basketball, not divide our community or serve as a source of pain.” Currently in progress, the four-step process continued earlier this week when the team officially posted a job opening for chief diversity & inclusion officer. The first line of the description reads, “The primary goal of the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer (CDIO) is to ensure diversity and inclusion of team members and programs at all levels and in all business areas of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena in regards to age, race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status and veteran status.” As for his own suddenly-overloaded job description, Budenholzer has been fulfilling those duties by signing players in Ferry’s stead. On Sept. 23, Elton Brand and Kent Bazemore—both African American, it should be noted—signed with the Hawks. Brand is back for a second season in Atlanta while Bazemore was inked as a free agent who had previously played for the Warriors and Lakers. THE PAC IS BACK … For the most part, the 2013-14 Hawks will closely resemble last year’s squad. And that’s not a bad thing, either, since they reached the playoffs and had top-seeded Indiana on the ropes in a seven-game series despite having lost Al Horford to a season-ending pectoral injury in late December. The primary exceptions are newcomers Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha. Atlanta is not thin at the guard positions, but Bazemore’s performance this spring in Los Angeles suggests he will contend for significant playing time. After starting zero games in his first 1.5 years in the league with Golden State, the former Old Dominion standout was acquired by the Lakers in February and promptly started 15 of 23 contests. His

minutes per game ballooned from 6.1 in 44 appearances as a Warrior to 28.0 in L.A. In turn, Bazemore poured in 13.1 points per game after previously averaging 2.0 in 2012-13 and 2.3 last season prior to the trade-deadline deal. Sefolosha, whom Atlanta acquired from Oklahoma City in a July sign-and-trade deal, is an eight-year NBA veteran respected for his defensive prowess. A native of Switzerland who bypassed college, Sefolosha enjoyed a career year with the Thunder in 2008-09 when he posted best-ever marks in points (8.5 per game), rebounds (5.2), steals (1.7) and blocks (1.1). He started all 61 of his games played last season, contributing 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 26.0 minutes per contest. The most important addition—and it would be fair to call it that based on how many games Horford has missed over the past three seasons—is the former No. 3 overall pick of the 2007 NBA draft. Horford was sidelined for 71 games in 2011-12 due to a torn pectoral muscle and the same issue limited him to a mere 29 appearances last year. The Dominican Republic native is not yet 100 percent, but he has been cleared for limited contact drills and is expected to be ready for a few exhibition games in advance of the regular season. When he returns, Horford will once again man the center position and form what should be a daunting frontcourt with Paul Millsap at power forward. “The league is changing so much and we are playing at a faster pace,” Horford explained in a training-camp interview last week in Athens when asked about playing center. “In this offense, the way I look at it, the 4 and the 5 are very interchangeable. Paul and I can both play inside and out. It works here.” Off-the-court issues notwithstanding, there is plenty to like about these Atlanta Hawks—and not just because the old Pac-Man logo is back both on uniforms and the home court. In a vulnerable Eastern Conference that features only one apparent dominating force (Cleveland), the Hawks have a roster that gives them every reason to contend. Now just stay healthy, Big Al. Photos courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images.

Zach Laskey

Nelson Cruz

Antone Smith

Laskey rushed for 133 yards on a career-high 29 carries which helped propel the Jackets to their first 5-0 start since 2011. Laskey has been a key cog in Georgia Tech’s rushing attack by gaining 449 yards and three scores. The scrappy back led the way against Miami after Justin Thomas accounted for just 80 yards.

The power-hitting righty has blasted two homers and driven in five runs in Baltimore’s first three postseason games. The Orioles used Cruz’s hot stick throughout the season and now find themselves in the ALCS. O’s fans hope Cruz will join Eddie Murray as the next great slugger to lead Baltimore to a World Series title.

Falcons fans have been clammering for the speedy back to finally get some more touches. And he delivered on a 74-yard burst down the sidelines for Atlanta’s lone score in the second half of the Giants game. The rarely used Smith has an absurd six touchdowns on just 25 career touches. As Keyshawn Johnson would say, “Get him the dang ball!”

SCORE LIST By Brian Jones

GIANT LOSS

The Falcons led the Giants 20-10 late in the third quarter last weekend, but Eli Manning and company scored 20 unanswered points to win. It was a disappointing loss to say the least, but the Falcons have to move on and get ready for the Chicago Bears in order to stay in the race for the NFC South title.

COLUMBIA II

The Bulldogs lost to South Carolina in Columbia earlier in the year, but they have a chance to redeem themselves as they go to Columbia, Mo. to face the Tigers. The Bulldogs will have their hands full with Maty Mauk, but Missouri will have its hands full with Todd Gurley. It will be a very interesting contest.

WHITE-HOT JACKETS

Georgia Tech got a big win against Miami on Saturday to improve to 5-0. Up next for the Jackets is Duke, which lost its first game of the year two weeks ago against the Hurricanes. Tech has a great opportunity to go 6-0 and if that happens the Jackets could probably be 10-0 as they enter the game against Clemson.

KSU SCRIMMAGE

The KSU football team will be in action on Saturday as it takes part in a scrimmage at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The scrimmage starts at 3 p.m. and will last for about an hour. This is a very exciting time for the university and I can’t wait to see what the team looks like after a couple months of practicing.

COBB COUNTY BATTLE

It’s another week of high school action and the teams are in the thick of their respective region schedules. One region matchup to watch is McEachern taking on North Cobb to see who is the best team in Region 4-AAAAAA. Be sure to follow that game as well as the rest of the games across the state on scoreatl.com.

WHO’S NOT

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Alabama fans

Atlanta Silverbacks

Clayton Kershaw

First, Alabama hired coaching castoff Lane Kiffin. Teams have been moving the ball on Bama’s vaunted D. Now, even Ole Miss has beaten Saban’s bunch. But the worst to come out of Tuscaloosa is the behavior of Tide fans. Maybe stop calling the Finebaum show or throwing stuff at opposing fans after losses.

Atlanta’s lone pro-level soccer club has dropped six straight games, including four straight shutouts. Head coach Jason Smith was fired over the weekend after the team won only two games while losing eight under his guidance. The Silverbacks are in last place in the league and haven’t given the fans much to beat their chests about.

The MVP front-runner’s national stage meltdown in the postseason has seemingly become an annual occurrence. After choking away a huge lead in Game 1, Kershaw managed to blow another late lead in Game 4 and saw the Dodgers’ season end. He holds a 2.48 career ERA in the regular season, but an inexplicable 5.12 ERA in the playoffs.

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

IN HAWKS FRANCHISE HISTORY, WHO WAS THE ONLY PLAYER TO BE NAMED THE NBA’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

“

SANITY AT LAST

“We’ve played five football games and we’ve been inconsistent. We’re 2-3 and do we like where we’re at? No, but there’s a lot of football left to be played.”

-Falcons coach Mike Smith on his team’s remaining schedule.

552

League-leading receiving yards by Julio Jones

15.5

Average yards per carry in Antone Smith’s career

The over/under on Atlanta Hawks wins this season

Days until NBA opening night as of Wednesday

4 6

Shutouts in Valdosta’s first six games Times Matt Ryan has been sacked this year

Length of Georgia’s longest pass play this season (completed by Todd Gurley)

Points in which Georgia Tech has outscored its opponents in the second half

Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014

IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU PLAY,

GEORGIA’S KIDS WIN.

It’s elementary, actually. See, every time you play the Lottery, you’re helping our kids get one step closer to their dreams. For over 20 years the Georgia Lottery has contributed over $15.5 billion to education. On top of that, more than 1.6 million HOPE scholars have gone to college and more than 1.3 million 4-year-olds have attended a Lottery-funded Pre-K Program. Add those numbers up and, well, let’s just say that’s a hair-raising number of happy kids.

galottery.com

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

COBB STANDOUTS HONORED AT MIDSEASON BANQUET BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

ll 20 Cobb County football teams met at Marietta High School Monday for the midseason Cobb County Touchdown Club banquet. Each of the schools pick an offensive and defensive player of the week after each game and these recipients are recognized at the banquet. While the banquet honors the first half of the season, the mindset of all the players and coaches is directed towards the crucial backend of the 2014 slate. No school in the state played a more challenging first half of the schedule than McEachern. The Indians sit at 3-2 at the halfway mark despite dropping the first two games of the season. A 52-49 loss to North Gwinnett was followed by a 27-20 loss to Buford the second game of the season. Since the 0-2 start, McEachern has closed out wins over Peachtree Ridge, Lovejoy and Marietta. “We are 3-2 but I would not change any-

thing about this first half of the season,” said McEachern head coach Kyle Hockman. “We very well could’ve made it out of there undefeated with those two close losses and been the No. 1-ranked team in the state right now, but we learned from this and could be better off from it in the end.” McEachern’s biggest obstacle this season has been filling in for five-star running back Taj Griffin, who tore his ACL in the opening week loss to North Gwinnett. Griffin was named Offensive Player of the Week from his performance in the season-opener, but couldn’t make the banquet after recently having his surgery to repair his knee. Teammate Cameron Magee accepted Griffin’s award. McEachern, Hillgrove and North Paulding remain unbeaten in Region 4-AAAAAA and North Cobb looks to get back in the race for the region title after a 28-7 region loss to Hill-

grove last week. North Cobb hosts McEachern on Friday in one of the biggest Cobb County matchups of the year. Within the matchup, head coach’s sons quarterback the two schools. Auburn-commitment Tyler Queen has started since his freshman season for North Cobb and led the Warriors to a 28-26 road win over the Indians last year. Bailey Hockman is a sophomore starter for McEachern and saw his first starting action last year in the playoffs. Watching Queen navigate through Region 4 from a young age and seeing the level of success Queen has achieved is something that the younger Hockman has used to help mold his game. “Seeing what Tyler has done throughout his career has certainly helped Bailey,” said Hockman. “Tyler was a guy that was recruited early on and he’s done a fantastic job as a leader and teammate. He is a great kid and competitor.” In Class AAAAA, Cobb County’s Allatoona, Sprayberry and Kell have had fantastic first halves of the season. Allatoona and Kell remain unbeaten, while Sprayberry is off to a 3-2 start, including a 3-0 record in region play. The Yellow Jackets face Cambridge this Friday and it’s a game both sides of Region 7 will have an eye on. Kell has a bye this week and the coaching staff will split up to scout Sprayberry

taking on Cambridge and Riverwood taking on North Springs this Friday. A MATTER OF TIME … Each year when the teams meet for the mid-season Cobb County banquet, 1967 is a year that everyone in attendance is aware of. That season marks the last time a Cobb County team won a state championship in football. The players and coaches can look around and wonder if this will finally be the year. McEachern is the highest-ranked Class AAAAAA team right now and Allatoona and Kell are each in the Class AAAAA top five. However, Class A could be Cobb’s best chance for a state crown this season. Mount Paran Christian has dominated opponents and climbed its way to No. 2 in the Class A-Private poll during its 5-0 start. The Eagles have outscored their opponents by 31.6 points per game and are led by a talented group with the size and speed to outmatch opponents. Allen Cater is a 6-foot-5 defensive end and tight end that received his award alongside 6-foot-9, 290-pound center and offensive tackle Zach Strong. Look for this team to continue building after a near-perfect first five games. Photos courtesy of Sonny Kennedy, Deanna Fiveash and Ronald Hughes.

Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014

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WE SPECIALIZE IN TREATING THOSE

HARD TO WATCH MOMENTS. Young athletes can play rough. So it’s good to know that Children’s has the expertise to help kids recover from any sports injury. Learn more at choa.org/sportsmed.

Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

SEC EAST TITLE HOPES HINGE ON TRIP TO MISSOURI BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

t is hard to believe that a game on Oct. 11 in Columbia, Mo. could determine who is going to represent the SEC East in the Georgia Dome in December for the SEC Championship. But that very well could be the case this weekend when Georgia heads to Columbia to take on Missouri. With South Carolina’s recent struggles and Florida dealing with troubles of its own, it seems likely that either the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) or Tigers (4-1, 1-0) will be champs of the division. They have both been there before and the schedule seems to line up well for whichever team wins on Saturday. Georgia head coach Mark Richt knows this game means everything for his team and of controlling the car as it steers toward the Georgia Dome. “If we lose, we’re in essence three games behind Missouri,” Richt explained. “That’s pretty tough to overcome. They’d have to lose three times to give us a chance. We don’t want

GEORGIA STATE

LUTZ NAMED SUN BELT SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK BY JALISA SMITH | JSMITH@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia State placekicker and punter Wil Lutz was name Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the week after his performance against Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday. A junior from Newnan, Ga., Lutz hit one field goal against the Ragin’ Cajuns and his 48-yarder was the third longest in Panthers’ history. It was the 16th field goal of his career, giving him the GSU school record. Lutz’s field goal came on the final play of the first half and gave the Panthers a 17-14 lead. He also punted three times for a 38-yard average, but it was the time he did not punt that made the biggest difference in helping Georgia State stay competitive from start to finish during a 34-31 loss. On 4th-and-11 from their own 19-yard line, the Panthers called a fake punt and Lutz took off down the right sideline for a 26-yard gain that led to his team’s first touchdown of the game. UNFINISHED BUSINESS … The Georgia State men’s basketball team

to think about that. We want to try to get this thing and not have to worry about someone getting beat.” HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY … The first SEC meeting between these two programs came two years ago in Columbia, with Georgia coming out on top 41-20. In that one, the Tigers’ Sheldon Richardson infamously called the Bulldogs’ brand of play “Old Man Football.” After the win, a now-famous photo was taken of linebacker Christian Robinson and quarterback Aaron Murray holding up a white dry erase board with the words “Grown Man Football” scribbled on it. Last season, Georgia fell to Missouri 4126 at Sanford Stadium with an injury-depleted roster. In that game, we got to see the emergence of then-freshman quarterback Maty Mauk in relief of the injured James Franklin. Mauk went 3-for-3 throwing the football for 23 yards and rushed three times for 12 yards. This year, Mauk has more than 1,100 yards passing to go along with 124 yards rushing. That is a tough combination to stop, says Richt. “Anytime a quarterback has positive yardage rushing like that you know he’s a threat to cross that line of scrimmage,” Richt said of Missouri’s quarterback. “He’s a hard guy to wrap up. He creates a lot even on passing plays that break down. He extends plays by running around behind the line and throws it downfield.”

officially opened practice for the 2014-15 season last Friday. The Panthers are coming off a 25-win season, giving head coach Ron Hunter 62 victories in his first three years at the helm. That is the most for any head coach in his first three tries with the program. However, they lost in the Sun Belt Conference Championship to Louisiana-Lafayette, thus missing out on a berth in the NCAA Tournament. “This is a talented team that works best to accomplish great things this year,” Hunter said. “The returners have some unfinished business to take of while our newcomers want to put their stamp on the program. I think they are going to be a lot of fun to coach and our staff is excited that practice is underway.” Georgia State returns three starters from last year’s squad. Junior R.J. Hunter, an AllAmerican honorable mention honoree, was named Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2013-14. Hunter averaged 18.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while knocking down a school-record 100 three-pointers. Ryan Harrow, an All-Sun Belt First Team honoree, averaged 17.8 points per game while shooting 83.9 percent from the free-throw line. Senior Curtis Washington contributed 7.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. He shot 65.6 percent from the floor and recorded 78 blocked shots. “We have a great deal of depth on this team,” Hunter concluded. “It will be now up to them to see who gets playing time.”

GEORGIA TECH

JACKETS BEAT MIAMI, ENTER TOP 25 BY MATT CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia Tech’s remarkable start to the football season continued with a 28-17 victory over the visiting Miami Hurricanes last Saturday. The game was tied going into the third quarter, when the Yellow Jackets executed a trademark Paul Johnson drive, going 13 plays and 75 yards in 6:50 with B.J. Bostic punching in a score from two yards out to make it 21-14. Miami threatened on the following drive as its offense moved down to the Georgia Tech 12yard line before the Hurricanes settled for a field goal. The Yellow Jacket offense continued to slice through the Al Golden’s defense early in the fourth quarter as A-back Deion Hill ran in another touchdown from eight yards away to ice the game. “I’m proud of our guys,” Johnson assured. “That was a huge win. We played about the way we needed to play to win the game. I’m happy for our players and I thought it was a good team win.”

KENNESAW STATE

OWLS EAGER AND OPTIMISTIC FOR UPCOMING HOOPS SEASON BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

he college basketball season is a month away which means it won’t be long before the Convocation Center is rocking with men’s and women’s action. Kennesaw State’s men have been hard at work all summer as they were able to travel to Europe a play a few exhibition games. As for the women, they opened practice on Sunday to gear up for the upcoming season. The Lady Owls will be an experienced team that returns seven players, including four starters. “I am super excited about this year,” head coach Nitra Perry told ksuowls.com. “The energy is different and everybody is excited. I feel like everybody has a winning spirit and a winning attitude, which is the beginning of trying to change the culture that was here.” The Lady Owls will start the season with an exhibition game against Emory on Nov. 8. Their first regular season begins on Nov. 14 at home against the College of Charleston. KSU’s men officially opened practice last

Johnson’s offense ran for 317 yards while maintaining possession for 40:45 of the ballgame. B-back Zach Laskey was the main workhorse as he rushed for a game-high 133 yards on 29 carries for his fourth career 100-yard game. POLL VAULT … The Yellow Jackets saw themselves voted into the top 25 of the Associated Press and Coaches polls at Nos. 22 and 23, respectively, thanks to their 5-0 start. This is the first time they have been ranked since Nov. 20, 2011 and they have their highest ranking since Nov. 6 of that year, when they registered at 20th in the AP poll. According to the team’s official website, Georgia Tech is 5-0 for only the fifth time since 1957 and the second time under Johnson. The Jackets also remain as just one of 10 teams to still be undefeated in the FBS this season. WHO’S NEXT? … Georgia Tech is staying at home this week and will entertain Duke (4-1, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. In the all-time series, the Yellow Jackets own a 50-30-1 record against the Blue Devils with Tech having won the last 10 matchups and 18 of the last 19. The Blue Devils are coming off of a bye week after falling to Miami on Sept. 27.

Friday to get ready for their season. The Owls return nine players from last season, including all five starters. “It’s great to get the guys out here and on the floor as a team,” said head coach Jimmy Lallathin. “Not only is it beneficial for us to get the new guys in our program and in our system, but it also marks the start of our season and it gets our players motivated a bit more knowing that first game is right around the corner.” The Owls will open the season against Syracuse on Nov. 14. They will not have their first home game until Nov. 26, when they face Samford. OWLS VS. JACKETS … There was another big announcement concerning the football team on Monday. Kennesaw State will play against Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sept. 4, 2021. The game currently represents KSU’s second scheduled contest against a FBS opponent. The program previously announced in August that it will open the 2018 season against Georgia State. Fans will have a chance to see the Owls in action for the very first time on Saturday when the team holds a scrimmage at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. It will be part of KSU’s Homecoming activities and the scrimmage will start at 3 p.m. The gates will open at 2 p.m. and parking will be free.

Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS WIN FIRST PRESEASON GAME AS CAMP CONTINUES BY MATT CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

he wheels are turning for the Hawks as the countdown to the regular-season opener begins. Atlanta played its first game of the preseason on Monday, when they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 93-87 at Philips Arena. Guard John Jenkins scored a team-high 13 points, which included a three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining that killed any momentum for a Pelicans comeback. Secondyear center Mike Muscala recorded a doubledouble with 10 points and 10 rebounds while adding two blocked shots. ANALYZE THIS … According to Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Chris Vivlamore, Hawks’ officials have had high hopes for the 6-foot-11 Muscala in terms of his development as the center from Bucknell enters his second year in the league. One of the reasons for the optimism is the result of Muscala’s analytics score for the team. In the technologically-savvy age that the sports industry has entered, NBA teams

ATLANTA BRAVES

GONZALEZ TO RETURN AS BRAVES’ MANAGER IN 2015 BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

raves interim general manager John Hart BGonzalez announced last Friday that manager Fredi will be back for another season in

Atlanta. Questions about Gonzalez’s future mounted when former GM Frank Wren was fired in late September and the seat became even hotter when the Braves completed another late-season collapse to finish with a 79-83 record. Nonetheless, Hart and assistant general manager John Coppolella likely looked beyond Atlanta’s 9-18 mark in September of this year and instead considered Gonzalez’s overall body of work through four seasons with the Braves. During this span, Atlanta boasts the fifth-best regular-season mark among all 30 Major League Baseball teams at 358-290. In 2013, the ballclub captured its first National League East title since 2005. It also reached the playoffs in 2012 before losing a controversial wild-card game to St. Louis. This was the first time under Gonzalez in which the Braves played a meaningless baseball game (in other words, they were eliminated prior to the final

have resorted to complex formulas that break down all aspects of a player’s production, from shooting to distance run during a game. Muscala was graded as the top analytical player in the 2013 draft by one NBA team, while the Hawks had him in their top 10. “I think a lot of teams, maybe, didn’t value the analytics or thought they weren’t as legitimate as if I were at a bigger school, which is reasonable playing against lower competition,” Muscala explained. In 20 career NBA games, he has averaged 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.7 minutes. TEACHING PAYNE … When topic of improvements in Adreian Payne’s game was presented to head coach Mike Budenholzer, he felt that rookie forward’s largest focus should be on the defensive side of the ball. “Defensively, his awareness is where we need him to improve,” said the second-year coach. “I think understanding how the ball can move and how he can be a facilitator and understanding spacing and where the shooters are.” Vivlamore highlighted a Hawks roster featuring the likes of veteran Al Horford, Paul Millsap, among other big men who may find themselves filling a mentor role to aid Payne’s progression. The first pick for the Hawks in the 2014 draft is coming off of a six-game stint in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 12.5 points and seven rebounds per outing.

game of the regular season). “I’m glad I got the opportunity to come back and take another shot at getting us back into the postseason,” Gonzalez told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “There’s no other place that I covet; no other place I want to manage.” BO KNOWS ... The managerial position will not change, but there are already have been and will continue to be moves made in the coaching ranks. On the same day Gonzalez was retained, the Braves announced the hiring of third-base coach Bo Porter to replace the outgoing Doug Dascenzo. Porter, 42, managed the Astros in 2013 and 2014 before getting fired in September. He has worked under Gonzalez before, from 2007 through 2009 during Gonzalez’s first three years as manager of the Marlins. “We made the move not because Doug did a bad job; he didn’t,” Gonzalez explained. “We just felt like Bo would bring some experience as (a former) manager and enthusiasm. We felt like Bo could help us.” Atlanta still needs help in the form of a new hitting coach or coaches. Greg Walker resigned last Monday following a season in which his team finished second to last in the majors in runs scored (573) and recorded the 26th-best batting average (.241). Assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher has also departed. Returning staff includes pitching coach Roger McDowell, first-base coach Terry Pendleton, bench coach Carlos Tosca and bullpen coach Eddie Perez.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS, BEARS SET TO BATTLE FOR .500 RECORD BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he Falcons dropped consecutive road games T to Minnesota and the New York Giants and head back to the Dome on Sunday to take on the Bears before a six-week span without a game in Atlanta. Like the Falcons, the Bears are desperate for a victory after dropping consecutive games to Green Bay and Carolina while falling to 2-3.

RUMBLE OR TUMBLE … The home team has won the last four games of this series. Chicago visited Atlanta in 2008 and 2009 and Matt Ryan led the Falcons to victories in both contests. The most recent meeting between the two teams was 2011 and the Bears were able to grab a 30-12 home victory at Soldier Field. Quarterback Jay Cutler tossed two touchdowns and completed 22 of 32 passes for 312 yards in the win. Both defenses were able to produce touchdowns. Former Bear and current Falcon Devin Hester caught three passes for 60 yards and included a 53-yard reception to spark the Bears’ offense in Chicago’s 2011 win. Hester spent eight

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS

SMITH CANNED AS SILVERBACKS CONTINUE SLIDE BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

winless September and four consecutive shutouts prompted management to axe Atlanta Silverbacks’ head coach Jason Smith. The Silverbacks currently reside at the bottom of the North American Soccer League table and have shown no signs of life since their last victory more than a month ago against the Carolina RailHawks. Over the course of their six straight losses, three have come against fellow bottomtable mates. The Ottawa Fury, who were in last place before their matches with the Silverbacks, downed Atlanta 3-0 on Sept. 20 and then 2-0 last Wednesday. The 3-0 setback marked Atlanta’s biggest home loss since 2011. The second-to- last place Indy Eleven knocked off Atlanta 2-1 on Sept. 6 to begin the team’s six-game slide. The Silverbacks’ latest loss came at the feet of the first-place Minnesota United FC via a 1-0 decision last Saturday.

seasons with the Bears and will face his former team as one of the Falcons’ most productive playmakers this season. DA BEARS … Heading into Week 5, Chicago was the only team in the NFL without a rushing touchdown, but Cutler ran in a 10-yard score during the Week 6 loss. Matt Forte ran in nine of Chicago’s 13 rushing touchdowns last season but has been kept out of the endzone the first five games despite 82 carries for 319 yards. The lack of scoring on the ground was in part due to one of the best receiving trios in the NFL. Martellus Bennett is on pace for a career season and caught four touchdowns in the first three games while posting a nine-catch, 134yard performance against the Packers in Week 4. Third-year pro Alshon Jeffery hauled in eight passes for 105 yards in a 27-19 win over the Jets. Brandon Marshall has been battling an ankle injury this season but has been able to consistently find the endzone. The former 2006 fourth-round pick turned five receptions into three touchdowns to help the Bears rally past the 49ers 28-20. Stopping the Bears’ passing attack will be the key for Atlanta’s struggling defense. “We just have to finish,” explained cornerback Robert Alford. “You just have to go out there and you just have to execute.... We’re going to get it together; we’re going to bounce back.”

TIME FOR A CHANGE … Enough was enough for management after Saturday’s failure. The next day, Alejandro Pombo was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Uruguayan had been splitting time coaching the Silverbacks Reserves and manning the assistant-coach position with the top club. Pombo oversaw the reserve unit go 7-1-2 (W-L-T) and helped develop some of the younger players. The 44-year old has been an assistant for the NASL team since 2012 and will look to implement a more attacking approach moving forward. Pombo explained his philosophy, stating, “For me, the best way to get a result is to play an offensive style and intelligently. That’s what I’m looking for during the final stretch. I want to try to find the form we had with this group, to install an offensive style on the field, to play smart and have each player understand his role on the field. That’s my aim for the final four games.” He expects that his passion for the game will rub off on the team and will exude positive results. “I’m fortunate to have played this sport as a professional for many years,” Pombo reflected. “I’m Uruguayan and so my passion for soccer is absolute and that’s what I want to have displayed on the field.” Smith coached Atlanta back in the USL from 2005-2008 and rejoined the club on July 26 after Eric Wynalda left for the front office. He managed just a 2-8-2 record in his time with the club.

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Vol. 10 Iss. 36 | October 3-9, 2014

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