Issuu

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 16 | MAY 1-7, 2015

Owl Pride | Pg. 4 Kennesaw State basketball soothes coaching woes with hiring of Al Skinner.

Deja Vu | Pg. 8 Buford takes home second straight gymnastics title.

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD The Falcons get back to work for first practice under coach Quinn. | Pg. 5

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Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

COLUMNISTS

ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

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MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II

MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

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

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coach and expects nothing but excellence. He was a standout at UMass as a player in the early 70s and was subsequently drafted by the Boston Celtics of the NBA, but instead decided to play in the ABA with the New York Nets and Hall of Famer Julius Erving. No knock on Jimmy Lallathin, but he wasn’t able to tell his players he went shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best players the game has ever seen. Skinner even has a shiny championship ring he won in the ABA in his second professional season. As a coach, Skinner started out as an assistant at Marist and Rhode Island before eventually taking over the head coaching job with the Rams in 1988. There he enjoyed a successful run in the A-10, amassing a respect-

able record of 138-126 in nine seasons. Skinner landed the Boston College job for the 1997-98 season and began a wildly successful run considering the juggernauts which resided in the Big East and eventually the ACC. In 13 seasons he ran up a record of 247-165 while collecting three Big East regular season championships and one tournament championship. Kennesaw State, lowly little Kennesaw State who has suffered through a 30-125 record over the past five seasons really just landed a one-time A-10 Coach of the Year, two-time Big East Coach of the Year and the 2001 National Coach of the Year?! Yes, you aren’t dreaming, that just happened. The Owls have won just 85 games during their 10 years as a Division One program; take a four-year stretch from 2003-04 to 2006-07 and Skinner won 98 games alone. If players won’t by in now that Skinner is at the helm, they will never buy in. He has sent the likes of Craig Smith, Sean Williams and Jared Dudley to the pros from Boston College. Not all-stars, but all serviceable NBA players played a handful of seasons in the association. Skinner was fired from Boston College on March 30, 2010. He has been working as an associate head coach at Bryant University who much like Kennesaw State was years ago, in its

infancy as a Division One program, transitioning full-time in 2012. So what’s the knock on Skinner? I’m sure you could take a few guesses, but one major one is that he is old and won’t recruit the area like he should. It’s a decent argument, but I doubt that the former National Coach of the Year is leaving from the comforts of the Rhode Island area to come to Kennesaw to just collect a check and cash it in. Sometimes there is a thing called pride that can push old veterans to the peak of their game. Surely Skinner won’t want to end his career with a flop. The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan highlighted a lazy Al Skinner back when he was fired from Boston College, stating he was too casual. However, in a Boston Globe article early last year, Providence Head Coach Ed Cooley said the fire is back. “You could tell he missed it,” Cooley said. “He’s dying to coach again.” Cooley also added, “For Al Skinner not to be a head coach is a travesty to college basketball. It is crazy how he’s not a head coach somewhere.” Time will tell if this hire was correct or not. If it is a homerun, Kennesaw can finally host a basketball program they are proud of. If not, the program will continue to remain in shambles. Photo courtesy of BostonGlobe.com.

to professional level. Quinn became defensive coordinator with the Florida Gators in 2011 and his brilliance began to grow in the eyes of his players, other coaches and football fans. Florida’s defense was top-10 in the country both seasons under Quinn, and in that first season, they would rank eighth nationally in total defense (299.5), seventh in passing defense (166.8), and second in third-down defense (27.12 percent). Quinn’s last two seasons spent in Seattle saw the same level of dominance in all statistical categories and he oversaw the NFL’s top defensive unit over the two-year span. The defense led the League with just 270.4 yards per game, 15.2 points per game, and 178.8 passing yards per game while holding opponents to 91.6 rushing yards per game.

DAN’S PLAN… When Quinn’s 2013 Seattle defense made it to Super Bowl XLVIII and frustrated Peyton Manning in a 43-8 rout on football’s biggest stage, Quinn’s ability to breakdown film and prepare his players was put in plain site for the world to see. Quinn credits much of what he has learned from the head coach he worked with in Seattle, Pete Carroll. Rather than looking at a player that might not fit ‘a system’, Quinn developed the habits he uses now and evaluates what that player can bring to the table instead. The result has been fast-paced, high-effort and high-energy defenses built for its players’ strength. This was seen on each level of the Seattle defense, especially in the trenches. Michael Bennett came in from Tampa Bay before their Super Bowl-winning season in 2013 and joined a group crowded with talents like Cliff Avril. Bennett admitted he was skeptical that he would find his role when Seattle signed him in 2013, but Quinn assured him that he would find a way to use him to the best of his abilities, and he did. “He [Quinn] convinced me he would use me to the best of my abilities,” reflected Bennett…”He’s not married to a scheme; he wants to grow. He changes with the players. He’s a master in the film room.”

BUILDING BLOCKS… Quinn also built a staff that he is familiar with and that shares his high-energy style of coaching with. He brought in Kyle Shanahan as his offensive coordinator and has praised him for his unique offenses and how difficult he has been to prepare for as a defensive coordinator over the years. Richard Smith will be Quinn’s defensive coordinator and Raheem Morris will be the defensive passing coordinator and assistant head coach. Quinn was coaching at Hofstra when Morris was a defensive back and they coached together at the school once Morris’ playing career was finished. The connections do not stop with the coordinators, and top to bottom, the staff the franchise was able to put together this offseason was a huge achievement. New offensive line coach Chris Morgan is another bridge within Quinn and his staff. Morgan coached as an assistant with Quinn in Seattle last year and also coached under Shanahan in Washington, which will help channel Quinn and Shanahan’s philosophies to the offensive line. “I’m fired up,” explained Quinn. “I am grateful for this opportunity. Atlanta felt like the right fit from the beginning. My goal is to build upon the foundation that has been laid here and to play a physical brand of football as we build a championship caliber team.” Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

SANDY’S SPIEL

AL SKINNER SOOTHES KSU COACHING WOES BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he long awaited decision on who will be Kennesaw State’s new basketball coach was finally set in stone this Sunday. Vaughn Williams and company pulled a rabbit out of their hats with the hiring of Al Skinner. The 62-year-old Skinner is the perfect hire on paper for a program that has been one of the worst in the nation since 2010. The Owls needed a proven winner with experience leading young adults. For once in my life I can finally say, I think Kennesaw State got this one right. Skinner is definitely no spring chicken, but what he does bring to the program is credibility. You can tell it by his look. A toothy smile, nearly completely bald, Skinner has been through some battles as both a player and a

SAGER SAYS

DAN QUINN, THE NFL’S NEXT GREAT HEAD COACH BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

an Quinn began coaching in 1994 at William and Mary as a defensive line coach D and after two decades of carrying success in

the college ranks and into the pros, he was a leading candidate for Atlanta’s coaching vacancy. By the time his Seattle Seahawks defense returned to the Super Bowl for the second straight year this past Feb. 1, Quinn’s reputation as being the NFL’s “next great head coach” was already widely recognized and Atlanta would ink the New Jersey-native to his first head coaching job on Feb. 2, 2015, the day after Super Bowl XLIX. There are many ways to define a great coach and winning is sports’ most valued feature. Quinn has shown his ability to win in both the short and long term throughout his career, even while making jumps from the collegiate

Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015

ON THE COVER

ATLANTA FALCONS

ENERGIZED QUINN LEADS FIRST FALCONS PRACTICE BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

uesday marked the first day back to work T for Falcons veteran players. This time it is a little different, with new head coach Dan Quinn

and staff taking over. With the new head coach/staff, the Falcons had the opportunity to hold veteran mini-camp earlier this year. They decided on working the team out before the draft and the players seemed to like the energy that Quinn brings to his practices. The team was pretty much all accounted for, with these workouts getting underway. That is something that doesn’t surprise veteran quarterback Matt Ryan. “I think it speaks to the guys on our team,” Ryan said. “I think it speaks to the kind of guys that we have in our locker room. Guys have been here right from the start. (They’ve been) in meetings, paying attention, (and) trying to do things the right way. I think that’s going to bode well for us moving forward.” Ryan is happy with the way that things started off on day one, but also knows that players will get even more familiar with the new regime on the practice field as time moves on. “We’ve got a lot to install still and we’ve got a long way to go,” Ryan said. “Today was a

good start. I thought the energy from players and coaches was right where it needs to be. The biggest thing that I’ve found throughout my career is consistency day to day and that’s what we’ve got to strive for at this point.” Ryan is entering his eighth season with the only team that he has ever known in the NFL. He is coming off a good personal season, in which he threw for 4,694 yards and 28 touchdowns. He now has to learn how to practice under a new coach and he knows he needs to be a veteran leader for some of the younger guys who might not be so used to the new style of practice. “I had great mentors when I came in to the league,” Ryan said. “Great veteran guys who showed me how to do it the right way and kind of pulled you along. I think that’s part of the role as you become a veteran player, is to help out those younger guys. Because the way rosters shake out, there’s a lot of young guys that are going to have to be on your team and are going to contribute to help you win games. The faster you can pull them along and have them be productive, I think the better off you are.” Wide receiver Julio Jones is back for his

fifth season in a Falcons uniform and like Ryan is learning under only his second head coach in the NFL. Jones had a good bounce back season, from the foot injury that caused him to miss most of the 2013 season. He would play all 16 games in 2014 and pulled in 1,593 yards receiving with six touchdowns. He likes the new coaching staff in place, but knew he would when Quinn first met with the players. “He was basically telling us what he expects out of us and what we can expect out of him,” Jones said. “Everybody out here doesn’t want to let anybody down. We don’t want to let him down and we know he doesn’t want to let us down. So, we come out here and we bust our tails.” We have heard about different methods of motivation and developing the culture that Quinn wants to bring to this team over the offseason meetings with the players. Some examples include the “point of attack” tapes showing the players their strengths/weaknesses and the high energy meetings. Today we heard about the “points system” that Quinn has brought to the practice field. Quinn says it’s another chance to motivate. “The ‘points system’ is just another way to compete at practice,” Quinn said. “Today we did it in ‘7-on-7’ and another day we’ll do it in different period at practice. It’s just another way to have fun and change up the period. Make sure it’s a little more at stake than just the complete or incomplete.” Third year cornerback Desmond Trufant is a huge fan of this being used during practice. “Everything is a competition,” Trufant said. “From the first meeting, we’ve been competing. Offense vs. defense, ‘7-on-7’, and blitz period its wins/loses. So everything is competition and I love it.” Quinn also had officials on the practice field, to make sure that it had the feel to the actual game. He wanted his team to practice within the guidelines of the game in a safe environment to help them be the best they can be. Again, the overall goal of practice was to maximize competition. The Falcons also had 11 veteran players on the field, who will be trying out for the team. Names like sixth year corner back Derek Cox and sixth year defensive end Adam Carriker stand out in that group. Quinn says he liked what they brought to the field. “I thought what an important two days for those players,” Quinn said. “Adam was certainly one and Cox was another one to say the speed they can play with. They both jumped off to me, so I can’t wait to go in and watch the tape on them.”

The Falcons will wrap up this short veteran mini-camp tomorrow, a day ahead of the first round in the 2015 NFL Draft. As expected some players did sit out today’s work, while recovering from injuries in the 2014 season. Veteran offensive tackle Sam Baker, second year tackle Jake Matthews, center Joe Hawley, and center Peter Konz are in that group that are still working their way back. Offensive Tackle Lamar Holmes was back and caught Quinn’s eye from the standpoint of how lean he looks weight wise. This is something that this team is looking for out of their linemen, with the new zone-blocking scheme being put in for this offense. Photos courtesy of AP Images and the Atlanta Falcons.

DeMarre Carroll

KSU Basketball

Boxing

The Hawks may have faltered in Brooklyn, but don’t blame DeMarre. Aside from a two point performance in Game 2, Carroll has been fantastic scoring 17, 22 and 20 points. Overall this postseason he has averaged 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds. Not bad for a fifth option.

The men’s program landed their man in former National Coach of the Year, Al Skinner. Skinner brings credibility and a proven pedigree that the program has never had. It won’t be easy, but if Skinner can be patient and bring in his type of players, he may be able to build a solid program.

The most hyped fight in boxing history finally comes to fruition this Saturday. Undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. meets Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. The fight will shatter the previous U.S. pay-per-view record of $150 million in revenue from 2013’s Canelo Alvarez-Mayweather fight. This is a historic must watch event!

SCORE LIST By Brian Jones

GAME SIX

The Hawks have been fighting for their playoff lives so far, and they will need to win Game 6 on Friday in order for them to move on the next round. It’s been tough to win at Brooklyn because the Nets play better at the Barclay’s Center. But the Hawks are too talented to let the Nets win this series.

MINICAMP RECAP

The Falcons concluded their first minicamp of the year, and Dan Quinn was pleased with the way his team worked the last two days. This was needed because this gives the players a look of what is expected from Quinn and his staff this season. I can’t wait for the next minicamp just to see Quinn in action with the rookies.

DRAFT CONTINUES

The Falcons will look to add more pieces to the team as the NFL Draft continues on Friday and Saturday. The Falcons needs are defensive end, running back tight end and offensive linemen, not in that order. It would not surprise me if Thomas Dimitroff makes a number of trades on Saturday to get more draft picks.

NEW HEAD COACH

The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team got a new head coach on Tuesday. Former Boston College head coach Al Skinner will be the new man in charge for the Owls, and he looks to turn around a program that has not had a winning season since they started playing Division I basketball 10 years ago. Based on his resume, Skinner and the Owls will be just fine.

PERRY IN TROUBLE

KSU women’s basketball coach Nitra Perry is being investigated for physical and verbal abuse of her players. Former play Breonna Mosley came out last Friday and said that Perry would be rougher with the players that aren’t starters, and she put her hands on a player that tried to walk out. This is going to get worse before it gets better.

WHO’S NOT

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Javaris Crittenton

Nitra Perry

Julio Teheran

The former Southwest Atlanta Christian and Georgia Tech star pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday. Crittenton shot and killed a mother of four in 2011. He now faces a 23-year prison sentence. Javaris was a former first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007.

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Kennesaw State women’s basketball head coach. Allegations of abuse have spilled into the forefront with players coming out and detailing the physical and mental abuse. Internal investigations have begun and the stench of foul play from Kennesaw is starting to leak nationally.

Atlanta’s ace has struggled lately and now holds a 4.67 ERA. In his latest start, he received no help from his defense as he allowed seven runs with just three being earned. Teheran gave up 10 hits in 5.2 innings and the Braves blew an eight-run lead and fell 12-13 to the Nationals.

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 BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER DID KENNESAW STATE’S NEW HEAD BASKETBALL COACH PLAY WITH IN THE ABA?

“It feels great. Just the mindset of everybody is that I’m going to take care him and he’s going to take care of me.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

- Julio Jones on the team unity under head coach Dan Quinn.

21 2

Game-high points for Kyle Korver Game 1

More wins Atlanta had than the eighth-seeded Nets this season

Weeks until the Corky Kell Classic

Weeks until the Falcons season opener with the Eagles

.410

The Falcons’ opponent win percentage this season (easiest in the NFL)

Points for Kyle Korver in Atlanta’s Game 3 loss

Turnovers committed by the Hawks in Monday’s 120-115 OT loss

Team-high RBI by Andrelton Simmons through Atlanta’s first 20 games

Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015

SEMIFINALS

Wednesday, July 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA

SPRING SPORTS

BUFORD WINS SECOND STRAIGHT GYMNASTICS TITLE CRAIG SAGER II, RICKY DIMON & KYLE SANDY

uford won its second consecutive GHSA gymnastics state championship in convincing fashion with a score of 111.425 Friday night at Westminster’s Turner Gym. Carrollton finished second with a 107.725 and Lambert edged Forsyth Central 104.375 to 104.050 for third place. The first-place Wolves overcame a slow start last year on the beam before rolling to their first state title but this year the wasted little time on the beam and continued dominating the final three events. Lyndzi Jones was the fourth and final Buford gymnast to take on the beam and she used a flawless performance. Jones posted a state championship-winning mark of 9.7 and gave Buford a huge boost of confidence moving forward. “She [Lyndzi] really made it up for us,” said Buford head coach Amanda Allen. “It is

nerve-racking starting off on the beam but Lyndzi really rocked it out and saved the day.” The Wolves used a team effort to continue gaining separation and Logan Nugent and teammate Berkley Berrett crowded the podium on bar with first- and second-place finishes. The two tied 9.550 but the tie-breaker went to Nugent. Carrollton’s Kyndel Yett won the state title in vault with a 9.6 but Nugent was able to place third with a 9.5 and Berrett took a fifth place (9.4) to give Wolves more breathing room. Yett posted a 9.5 on the floor but Jones took her second event state title with a 9.55 and Nugent also earned a place on the podium with a 9.225 fifth-place finish. “The girls were nervous and there is some pressure returning as champions, but they are great competitors,” explained Allen. “It’s a

fourth-and-one at Buford all the time.” Locust Grove’s Kelly Aycock took the All-Around state title with a 37.700. Aycock edged Tift County’s Khloe Parker’s 37.475 but Parker had to battle through adversity to earn her runner-up finish. While warming up for her final event on the beam, Parker’s calf cramped up and the two had to switch their order while Parker stretched out. Aycock nailed her routine with a 9.5 and Parker stumbled with a noticeably sore calf but hopped back on and still posted a 9.3. Jones (37.100) and Nugent (37.025) finished third and fourth in the All-Around and Yett (36.950) placed fifth ahead of sixth place Berrett (36.750). LACROSSE NEWS… Top-ranked Lambert hosted No. 3 Johns Creek on Saturday but held off the Gladiators 9-8 to keep its spot atop the Class AAAAAA poll. No. 2 Centennial dominated Milton 23-8 and No. 4 Roswell handed Lassiter an 18-10 loss on Friday. Pope lost to Harrison 16-14 on Friday and fell to No. 8 and North Gwinnett took advantage of the Greyhounds’ loss and jumped to No. 5. In Class A-AAAAA, Allatoona was clobbered by top-ranked Westminster 16-2 on Friday. The now 15-2 Buccaneers remain No. 3. Pace Academy replaced Benedictine at No. 8.

On the girls side, Lassiter impressed with its 16-10 win over rival Walton and jumped to No. 2. Chattahoochee sits at No. 3 and Walton slides down to No. 4. In Class A-AAAAA, River Ridge lost 13-5 to No. 5 Creekview and slid to No. 9. BASEBALL NEWS… No. 5 Lambert (19-7, 15-3) will try to defend its state title but have dropped from the No. 2 spot after a loss to West Forsyth (17-7, 15-3) who enters the polls for the first time all season at No. 8. No. 1 Parkview (24-2, 15-1) and No. 2 Walton (22-3, 15-1) are two of the hottest teams entering the playoffs currently riding winning streaks of 16 and 10 games. There will be a new champion in Class AAAAA after Houston County (13-10, 9-3) failed to qualify for the state playoffs. No. 1 Starr’s Mill (21-2, 12-1) clings onto the top spot in the state after winning two of three from No. 5 Union Grove (18-4, 15-3). Region 4-AAAAA sends three top ten teams to the playoffs (Starr’s Mill, Union Grove and No. 8 Ola). No. 2 Allatoona (24-2, 17-1) rides the longest winning streak into the tournament with 19-straight, while No. 7 Stephenson (17-2, 130) enters after a perfect region record. Photos courtesy of Lassiter HS and Sonny Kennedy.

Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015

THEY’RE ALL INSPIRING. BUT ONLY ONE WILL BE COMEBACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR. Help choose our Comeback Athlete of the Year. Please visit choa.org/vote between May 1-15, 2015, to watch these 8 amazing stories and cast your vote.

Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015

Score Atlanta Baseball Rankings Class AAAAAA

Class AAA

1...........................Parkview 2...............................Walton 3....................... Brookwood 4.............................Newnan 5............................ Lambert

1..................Blessed Trinity 2................... Pierce County 3............Westside-Augusta 4............................ Jackson 5...........................Jefferson

6.................................Milton 7......... Kennesaw Mountain 8..................... West Forsyth 9...................................Pope 10..............................Archer

Class AAAAA 1........................ Starr’s Mill 2...........................Allatoona 3........................Gainesville 4........................ Greenbrier 5...................... Union Grove

Class AA 6..........................Loganville 7....................... Stephenson 8..................................... Ola 9....................Richmond Hill 10.................. East Paulding

1.......................... Wesleyan 2..Greater Atlanta Christian 3................................ Lovett 4....................Bacon County 5.......................Benedictine

6....................... Pike County 7......................Crisp County 8.............................Eastside 9........................... Columbia 10................. Wayne County

1......................King’s Ridge 2..................Tattnall Square 3......... Whitefield Academy 4......... Eagle’s Landing Chr 5.......................... Mt. Paran

Class AAAA 1...............................Buford 2..............................St. Pius 3....................... Whitewater 4.....................Troup County 5.....................Locust Grove

6......................Westminster 7.................Franklin County 8............................Ringgold 9..............................Decatur 10........................... Calhoun

6.....................Heard County 7..........................Darlington 8..............................Bremen 9.......................... Fitzgerald 10...................Union County

Class AAAAAA

Class AAA

1..................Chattahoochee 2............................. Roswell 3................................Duluth 4.............................Marietta 5...............Central Gwinnett

1..................... Westminster 2.............................Calhoun 3............................ Jackson 4...........................West Hall 5.............................. Islands

6........................Brookwood 7........................... Campbell 8............................ Harrison 9.............................Lambert 10..............................Tucker

Class AAAAA

Class AAAAAA

1............................ Lambert 2.........................Centennial 3......................Johns Creek 4............................. Roswell 5..................North Gwinnett

1................................Milton 2.............................Lassiter 3..................Chattahoochee 4...............................Walton 5..................North Gwinnett

6..........................Mill Creek 7............................ Harrison 8...................................Pope 9...............................Etowah 10........................Northview

6..........................Northview 7...................................Pope 8..................... West Forsyth 9..........................Mill Creek 10.......................... Harrison

Class A - AAAAA

1..................... Westminster 2................................ Lovett 3...........................Allatoona 4........................Cambridge 5..............................St. Pius

1........................Cambridge 2..................... Westminster 3....................................Kell 4..................Blessed Trinity 5.........................Creekview

6.. Greater Atlanta Christian 7........................... McIntosh 8...........................Wesleyan 9.................. Pace Academy 10.............................. Marist

6.............................. St. Pius 7........................ Sprayberry 8........................... McIntosh 9........................River Ridge 10..............Lakeside-Evans

6..............................Treutlen 7.......Providence Chr Acad. 8........................Brookstone 9................ Charlton County 10....First Presbyterian Day

Score Atlanta Girls Soccer Rankings

6...................Blessed Trinity 7............................ East Hall 8................. Dawson County 9.....................North Murray 10................Oconee County

Class AA 6.........................Starr’s Mill 7...........................Sequoyah 8.................Glynn Academy 9........................... McIntosh 10.........................Clarkston

Class AAAA 1..............................St. Pius 2........ Woodward Academy 3....................North Oconee 4....................... Whitewater 5........Johnson-Gainesville

Score Atlanta Girls Lacrosse Rankings

Class A

Score Atlanta Boys Soccer Pre-Playoff Rankings

1................................Dalton 2................ Houston County 3........................ Greenbrier 4........................Gainesville 5.........................Riverwood

Score Atlanta Boys Lacrosse Rankings

1..Greater Atlanta Christian 2.............Riverside Military 3...................... Thomasville 4.......................... Wesleyan 5..................Pace Academy

1.......... Savannah Christian 2.........Fellowship Christian 3........... Stratford Academy 4........... Atlanta Int’l School 5..............................Paideia

Class AAA

1............................Harrison 2.............................Lassiter 3.............................Grayson 4...............................Walton 5............................ Lambert

1..................... Westminster 2..................Blessed Trinity 3.................Dawson County 4............... Lumpkin County 5.............................Calhoun

6..............Lakeside-DeKalb 7....................South Forsyth 8........................... Parkview 9................Peachtree Ridge 10................... John’s Creek

Class AAAAA 6....................... Benedictine 7.................................Lovett 8................. Holy Innocents’ 9...................... Long County 10...................Union County

Class A 6.......... Northwest Whitfield 7...........Southeast Whitfield 8................................Buford 9..................... Locust Grove 10.......................... Spalding

Class AAAAAA

1...........................McIntosh 2........................ Starr’s Mill 3..........................Columbus 4..........................Northgate 5........................Gainesville

Class AA 6.......................... Alexander 7....................Richmond Hill 8..................... North Atlanta 9.........................Greenbrier 10............................... Rome

Class AAAA 6...........................Mt. Paran 7...............Athens Academy 8............................. Aquinas 9...........Pinecrest Academy 10.............Hebron Christian

1................................Marist 2..............................St. Pius 3........ Woodward Academy 4...............................Buford 5............................Veterans

6......................... Adairsville 7...................Savannah Arts 8..............................Decatur 9..................Oconee County 10......................... Jefferson

1..Greater Atlanta Christian 2.......................... Wesleyan 3................................ Lovett 4.....................East Laurens 5......................St. Vincent’s

6................. Holy Innocents’ 7..............................Bremen 8....................Lamar County 9.......................... Fitzgerald 10................ Pace Academy

Class A 6....................... Pike County 7............................ Spalding 8....................Mary Persons 9..................................... Ola 10......................Whitewater

1.........Fellowship Christian 2........... Atlanta Int’l School 3......First Presbyterian Day 4..............................Paideia 5...............Athens Academy

6............................. Aquinas 7............Stratford Academy 8...........Savannah Christian 9...............Hebron Christian 10... Savannah Country Day

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DEPTH REMAINS THIN AT RECEIVER POSITION BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

ide Receiver is seemingly one of those position groups that has the need for players to step in and show they can play on an SEC football field. Right now, the Bulldogs have six players returning to that group that combined for 54 catches, 500 yards, and five touchdowns in 2014. The leader out of this group was senior Malcolm Mitchell with 31 catches for 248 yards with three touchdown catches. “We’re just very, very thin at receiver right now,” Richt said. “We were very thin when the spring began and we’re thinner now. That’s the one position where you can’t really be short on numbers, because of the volume of running that they do.” Richt was speaking about the wide receiver numbers after the ‘G-Day’ game last Saturday, following sophomore wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie injuring his hamstring. He won’t likely miss any more than just these last two practices of the spring. However, he is still out and that takes away from their overall numbers

GEORGIA STATE

DRAKE SETS RECORD; BASEBALL SWEPT IN MOBILE BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he Panthers (26-18, 13-6) were swept in a three-game series this weekend at South T Alabama. The Jaguars (29-16, 14-7) have cut

into Georgia State’s conference lead and now sit in a tie for second place with Georgia Southern. The Panthers fell 0-8 on Friday, 1-2 in 11 innings on Saturday and 2-7 this Sunday. Ryan Blanton led off Sunday’s game with his sixth homerun of the season, but from that point on things quickly went sour. A sloppy third inning which included two errors and three walks led to all seven Jaguar runs. In the fourth inning freshman Jack Thompson added his first collegiate homerun. Cole Uvila struggled again for the Panthers and fell to 1-5 on the season. He lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed seven runs (four earned) in the loss. Garrett Ford entered in relief and threw four hitless innings. The Panthers return home for a series with Texas State starting on Friday. COHEN HONORED ... Long-time play-by-play announcer Dave Cohen will be honored during Saturday’s baseball game. A graduate of Georgia State and the

at the position. This year the program is also breaking in a new position coach for this group. Out is Tony Ball to LSU and in is former Bulldog wide receiver Bryan McClendon. In the fall, the Bulldogs are expected to get at least four wide receiver prospects to join them for fall camp. That group includes fivestar Terry Godwin out of Hogansville and fourstar Jayson Stanley out of Fairburn. “When it’s all said and done I’ve got to come up with seven or eight guys that I think can play winning football for the University of Georgia,” McClendon said. “Whether they are freshman, walk-on, or seniors it’s up for those guys to compete on the field to decide.” STARTING POSITION… Another player that he could be battling for one of those two spots with, is fellow senior Justin Scott-Wesley. Like Mitchell, Scott-Wesley tried coming back last season from a torn ACL that forced him to miss most of 2013. Unlike Mitchell though, Scott-Wesley was only able to play in six games last season to pick up three catches for 52 yards and one touchdown. Georgia will have until about early August to go until they get back on the field for the beginning of fall camp. At that time, the numbers will be a lot higher than they are right now. The question will still remain on who steps up this season at the wide receiver spot.

Voice of the Panthers for more than 30 years, Cohen has called well over 1,000 GSU events in baseball, basketball and football. “Dave is one of the most respected, recognizable staff members we have at Georgia State,” Head Coach Greg Frady said. “It has been my honor to work with him for the last 11 years. I truly appreciate all that has contributed to our baseball program and our athletic department. Congratulations to a valued member of our Panther Family.” LEGEND ... Ivie Drake broke the single season homerun record last Friday when she blasted homers number 18 and 19 during a doubleheader sweep of UL Monroe. Drake surpasses teammate Megan Litumbe for first place in the record books. FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET ... Women’s Track and Field performed well last Friday at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Katherine Randolph, Ravin Gilbert, Breonca Reid and Wande Brewer clocked a 45.85 to place second in the 4x100m relay championship race. The 4x200m relay team finished 12th out of 54 teams with a time of 1:38.31, narrowly missing the school record of 1:36.97. KRUBALLY, MAGNIFICO ... Former Panther Ousman Krubally was named MVP of the Italian League after averaging 19.2 points and 12 rebounds per game. Krubally originally started at Georgia State as a walk-on in 2006 before gaining a scholarship and graduating in 2010.

GEORGIA TECH

TWO YELLOW JACKETS EXPECTED TO BE DRAFTED BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

arlier this week espn NFL draft insider Mel Kiper Jr. explained that two Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are expected to be drafted this weekend. Wide receiver Darren Waller is expected to be a third or fourth round selection while offensive lineman Shaq Mason is expected to hear his name called in the fourth or fifth round. Waller is 6-6, 240 pounds nearly and 4.46 speed. Waller could see time at the tight end position as well as an outside receiver with his size. Mason is a very intriguing player because many believe he could play both center and the guard position respectively. Mason played the center position at Georgia Tech, however, Mason has worked at the center position ever since the end of the Yellow Jackets season in early January. Mason did not receive an invite to the 2015 NFL combine, and was very surprising to Kiper that he did not get the invitation. Other yellow Jackets receiving praise from Kiper were wide receiver Deandre

KENNESAW STATE

SKINNER NEW HEAD COACH FOR MEN’S BB, PERRY UNDER INVIESTIGATION BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

here is a buzz going around KSU, and it’s T not because of the football team. On Tuesday, the Director of Athletics

Vaughn Williams introduced former National Coach of the Year and two-time Big East Coach of the Year Al Skinner as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program. “We looked for someone who student-athletes can look up to,” Williams said in the press conference on Tuesday. “Coach Skinner was someone who knows how to teach, impact lives, and do it the right way and someone who cares about wearing the black and gold proudly.” Skinner comes to KSU after being the associate head coach at Bryant University for the last two seasons. Before coaching at Bryant, Skinner made a name for himself as the head coach at Boston College from 1997-2010. He is the winningest coach in BC history, compiling a 247-165 record. He led Boston College to six NCAA Tournaments in seven seasons, and he was able to lead his 2005-06 squad to the Sweet 16. 2001 is where Skinner was named Nation-

Smelter who before his torn ACL was projected as a fourth round pick as well as the running back duo of Synjyn Days and Zach Laskey. SKID SNAPPED… Georgia Tech picked up a win in game one against the Clemson Tigers, 4-2 to snap an ugly four game losing streak. The Jackets were unable to carry momentum into game two, dropping it 11-3 but Jackets managed to scratch to victory in the rubber game to win the series with a 5-4 victory. Brandon Gold pitched nine innings of 3-run ball, seven strikeouts on just 105 pitches. After giving up a run in the top of the tenth, the Jackets scored twice in the bottom half to pick up their 14th comefrom-behind victory of the year and improved them to 3-1 in extra-inning games. They improve to 26-17 overall, and 11-13 in league play. The Yellow Jackets currently sit in third place in the Coastal Division, 5 games behind Miami (31-13, 16-8), 2.5 games behind North Carolina (29-15, 13-10), and a full game over Virginia (27-17, 10-14).This week is Finals week, leaving the Jackets off until next weekend. Then, they’ll play host to Presbyterian for a Saturday double-header and a series conclusion on Sunday. They’ll close out regular season conference play by hosting Pittsburgh the following weekend and then traveling to Miami the weekend after that.

al Coach of the Year by various media outlets. He led the Eagles to a 27-5 record, and they got to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to being the head coach at BC, he was the head coach at Rhode Island from 1988-1997. He led Rhode Island to the NCAA Tournament twice in his last five seasons. Now he has the task of turning around the KSU men’s program, and he’s up for the challenge. “KSU has potential and I feel real good about the efforts and attitudes here at the university,” Skinner said. “I assure you, when it’s all said and done, the players will be proud about the efforts they made and the foundation they helped lay for the future of the program. WOMENS BB UPDATE… As the good of a future the men’s basketball teams looks, the same thing can’t be said about the women’s program. On Sunday, the Marietta Daily Journal reported head coach Nitra Perry has been accused of physically and verbally abusing her players. Last Friday, former player Breonna Mosely was interviewed by KSU Owl Radio, and she explained what she went through. “Coach Perry, she got upset, and then one of the players walked out,” Mosley said in the video. “(Perry) put her hands on her and roughed her up, and was like, ‘This isn’t your team.’ She was really aggressive. She definitely put her hands on her.” KSU has been and will continue to internally investigate Perry and women’s program.

Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

Millsap’s 18 points and 17 rebounds along with DeMarre Carroll’s 22 points.

BIG APPLE BITES HAWKS

EVEN STEVENS ... Game 4 this Monday was a white-knuckle affair, with the Hawks coming up short in overtime. Deron Williams, who had been a nonfactor for nearly the entire season let alone the series, tormented Atlanta with three after three. Williams nailed seven triples and finished with 35 points and seven assists. His biggest shot came on a bomb from 30 feet out with defenders draped all over him and the shot clock expiring. His three came with 1:53 left in regulation and gave the Nets a 102-101 edge. Williams almost went from hero to goat at the end of regulation with time expiring. He inexplicably took a turnaround jumper along the baseline with six seconds left instead of holding for a final shot. Atlanta rebounded and had an opportunity to win the game in regulation. Out of a timeout, Paul Millsap drove to the basket on a busted play but did not get a shot attempt to the rim. In overtime, the gassed Hawks could not keep up with the energized Nets. Jeff Teague and Carroll both finished with 20 points. Brook Lopez supported Williams with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

obody said it would be easy. The Hawks are now knotted up at two games apiece with the Brooklyn Nets after holding a commanding 2-0 lead. Brooklyn defended its home court with a Game 3, 91-83 win and a 120-115 victory in overtime in Game 4. Last Saturday, the Nets got off to a quick start and held a 31-16 lead after the first quarter—a lead that would be held onto for all but 2:03 minutes of action. Atlanta clawed back for its largest lead of four points with 2:58 remaining in the third, but the Nets used an 18-point run spanning all the way to the 7:45 mark of the fourth quarter to put the game away for good. Once again, Atlanta had no answer for Brook Lopez inside, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Both Thaddeus Young and Joe Johnson posted double-doubles as well, but an unexpected lift from rookie Bojan Bogdanovic was the X-factor; the Yugoslavian poured in 19 points. Atlanta was led by Paul

ATLANTA BRAVES

TEHERAN SLUMPING AS BRAVES LOSE SHOOTOUT TO NATIONALS BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

ulio Teheran’s struggles continued on Tuesday night in a shocking 13-12 loss to the Washington Nationals. The Atlanta Braves could not hold on to a 10-2 lead, which they enjoyed after four innings. Teheran gave up four runs in the fifth inning and one more in the sixth before departing to the tune of a stat line that featured 5.2 innings of work, 10 hits and seven runs (only four of those seven earned). The 24-year-old allowed two home runs, giving opponents six at his expense in his last three outings. After turning in two quality starts to begin the season, Teheran has no such performances in his last three. His ERA has ballooned from 1.50 to 4.67. “I’m a little concerned (about) a lot of home runs,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said of his supposed ace. “The stuff and miles per hour are there. The location is just not. It looked like they had some pretty good swings all night at him in all kinds of different counts. So I think it is more location than it is stuff-wise.”

UP NEXT ... The Hawks return to Philips Arena on Wednesday for a crucial Game 5 starting at 7 P.M.

Teheran still had an advantage on the scoreboard (10-7) upon exiting, but the bullpen gave up three runs in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth. A three-run blast off the bat of former Brave Dan Uggla with one out in the top of the final frame proved to be the difference and made a loser out of closer Jason Grilli. Thus ended a six-game losing streak for the Nationals, who handed Atlanta its sixth loss in the last eight contests. MILLER MOWING ‘EM DOWN … The news is much better for newly-acquired starter and fellow 24-year-old Shelby Miller, whom the Braves obtained in a deal involving Jason Heyward. Miller befuddled the Philadelphia Phillies with just three hits and two runs surrendered in six innings of work last Saturday in a 5-2 road win. He has pitched at least five innings and has not allowed more than two runs in all of his four starts during the 2015 campaign. Miller is sporting an awesome 3-0 record with a 2.05 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Atlanta rounded out its three-game series against the Nationals on Wednesday before Miller was scheduled to take the mound again on Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. Results were not available at press time. The Braves are in the midst of a four-game set with Cincinnati before a trio against the Philadelphia Phillies closes out a 10-game home-stand.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS PREPARE FOR MUCHANTICIPATED DRAFT BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

t is a big draft weekend for the Atlanta Falcons and the competitive NFC South. All four teams have their own needs to fulfill and are in position to do so. The Tampa Bay Bucs have the No. 1 overall pick at their disposal along with eight total picks but the Saints can make some serious noise as well with five draft choices in the first 78 picks. The Falcons will be looking for a pass rusher for the present and future to lead the franchise with the No. 8 pick and the Panthers can shore up the cornerback position and look for more protection for Cam Newton on the offensive line with its picks that includes three in the fifth round. The Saints window is closing as Drew Brees sits at 36-years-old and they will be looking to draft guys that can come in and help right away. Pro Bowl center Max Unger came from Seattle with the Graham trade and the offensive line will be built around him. The Saints are looking for a cornerback and a middle linebacker but

GWINNETT BRAVES

HUNTER HAUNTS RAILRIDERS WITH WALK-OFF BLAST BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he power-starved Gwinnett Braves (7-11) fiT nally broke through at Coolray Field for their first homerun at home this season on Monday

night against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (9-10) in game one of their three-game set. The blast was memorable because it sent the fans home happy as Cedric Hunter took a Nick Rumbelow pitch deep for a walk-off two-run blast, giving Gwinnett a 6-5 victory. Manny Banuelos toughed out six innings while allowing four runs. The RailRiders jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning after doubles from Austin Romine and Jonathan Galvez. The Braves began to chip away in the fifth inning following a 4-0 hole. Three consecutive singles capped off by Matt Kennelly’s RBI got Gwinnett on the board. Braeden Schlehuber added an RBI groundout before Eury Perez joined the party with a single of his own. RailRider starter Jaron Long managed to strike out Todd Cunningham but walked Cedric Hunter with two outs before getting pulled from the game after 4.2 innings and seven hits. Tyler Webb would finish off the inning with a strike-

it looks like finding a corner is the top priority. Once the Saints get their top pick in, do not be surprised if they trade up, as the plan is clearly to build the strongest possible team now while Brees is still playing at a high level. DIVISION WISHLIST… Tampa Bay has the longest list of current draft needs, but none are more important than finding a franchise quarterback and that is almost certainly where the No. 1 pick will go. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are the top 2 quarterback prospects on the radar. Carolina’s free agency has been directed towards finding guys that can help improve one of the worst special teams units in the NFL. Offensive tackles Michael Oher and Jonathan Martin were not signed for that purpose but they will certainly provide a boost in the trenches. Ted Ginn Jr. is back with the Panthers after getting sent to Arizona following the 2013 season and will serve as the team’s return man. Carolina gutted its receiving corps last offseason but ended up striking gold in the draft with the towering Kelvin Benjamin and will be looking to continue building a young group of targets for quarterback Cam Newton through the draft. The draft began Thursday with Round run and will wrap up Saturday with Rounds 5-7.

out of Adonis Garcia. Garcia would atone for his fifth inning punch out with a two-run single in seventh to tie the game at four. After a Rob Refsnyder RBI gave Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 5-4 lead entering the ninth, Gwinnett began its rally. Jose Peraza drew a leadoff walk and was bunted over to second base. Todd Cunningham flew out to center and left the game up to Hunter with two outs. Rumbelow uncorked a wild pitch and soon after had a letter-high pitch deposited into right field by Hunter to complete the rally. ¡ÁNDALE, JOSE! ... After sluggish start to the season, top prospect Jose Peraza has heated up with the rest of the G-Braves. In an eight-game span, Peraza has seen his average rise from .195 to .271. He rode a six-game hit streak which featured four multi-hit games. Centerfielder Todd Cunningham has also seen success at the plate with a current eight-game hitting streak. KNOCKING ON THE DOOR ... Down in Double-A Mississippi, Tyrell Jenkins, Mallex Smith and Daniel Castro have performed well and seek a promotion sometime this season. Jenkins was the centerpiece of the Jason Heyward trade. In four starts he has posted a 2.33 ERA. Smith was obtained in the Justin Upton trade and has hit .322 with six stolen bases. Castro is batting .386 from the shortstop position.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 16 | May 1-7, 2015

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