Score Atlanta Vol. 9 Issue 29 by Score Atlanta

Time to look great!

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 29 DIGITAL

DECEMBER 13-19, 2013

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

TONY G’S

LAST HURRAH Prep News | Pg. 8

We pay tribute to the Falcons’ venerable tight end. | Pg. 5

Atlanta-area grapplers eyed by college scouts.

College Hoops Update | Pg. 12 Check out our coverage of local college basketball teams.

TUES, DEC 10 @ 7:30 PM

MON, DEC 16 @ 7:30 PM

LAST YEAR SHE HAD THE WINNING

COMEBACK STORY. WHO WILL IT BE THIS YEAR? Know a young athlete who overcame a serious injury or illness? Nominate them for Comeback Athlete of the Month at choa.org/comeback. ©2013 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved. For official contest rules, visit choa.org/comeback.

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Vol. 9 Iss. 29 | December 13-19, 2013

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

COLUMNISTS

ON THE COVER

INSIDE THE PREPS

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Black

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

DIRECTOR OF SALES Melanie Snare & MARKETING

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves) Joe Deighton (Gladiators) Jay Underwood (Hawks) Brian Jones (KSU) Chris Nieman (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons) Stephen Black (Tech) Chris Schutter (GSU) STAFF WRITERS Ryan Caiafa Alex Ewalt

TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA:

404.256.1572

Copyright 2013 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.

06 12 13

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIAN L. MORGAN AND JON BARASH, CORRECTION: LAST WEEKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL PHOTO ON THE COVER WAS COURTESY OF JON BARASH.

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE Score Atlanta is looking for writing interns. Please e-mail Stephen Black at sblack@scoreatl.com or call 404-2561572 for more information. Football All-Star Games will never be the same! The Georgia Elite Junior Classic will be held at McEachern High School on Dec. 28. Check out www.EliteJuniorClassic.com for more information.

STAY CONNECTED! /SCOREATLANTASPORTS @SCOREATLANTA WWW.SCOREATL.COM WWW.GAPREPNEWS.COM

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com now, we can get Dale Murphy and Greg Maddux in there.

CUP OF JOE

COX RIGHTLY MAKES IT TO COOPERSTOWN BY JOE DEIGHTON | JDEIGHTON@SCOREATL.COM

he Baseball Hall of Fame finally did someT thing right. Bobby Cox was elected to the Hall of Fame along with fellow managers Joe

Torre and Tony LaRussa on Monday. There are only a few managers that put a stamp on baseball history and Bobby Cox was certainly one of them. Cox was thrown out of more games than any other in baseball and that alone should have been enough to get elected. He guided the Atlanta Braves to a World Series title in 1995 and won 2504 games in his career. Atlanta hired Bobby Cox in 1978 before firing him in 1981. He went to Toronto where he brought the Blue Jays an AL East title and fell just short of the 1985 World Series. In the middle of the 1990 season, the Braves hired Cox back and a

year later they were in the World Series. Cox’s mastery was seen in that 1991 season, he put everybody in the right place. He always had the right pitcher on the mound and fell one-run short of a championship in probably the best baseball game ever played. In the last 20 years of his career, Cox led the Braves to the playoffs 15 times and to the World Series five times. Fans will remember his enthusiastic yell from the dugout for each batter who needed a big hit. Cox always stood up for his players and never put any of them down. Perhaps that’s why he was thrown out of so many games. Bobby Cox is an Atlanta sports legend and now he has been recognized for what he is worthy for, the Baseball Hall of Fame. Maybe

SCHUTTER’S STANCE

FERRY, BUDENHOLZER MAKING THE RIGHT MOVES BY CHRIS SCHUTTER | CSHUTTER@SCOREATL.COM

would say the Hawks are off to a hot start, but we’re a quarter of the way through the seaIson. At what point do we stop saying they’re

getting lucky and start talking about how good they are? Outside of Atlanta most people are ranking the Hawks at 12th or below, but that ranking is really low. Jeff Teague has blossomed into a true all-star, Horford and Millsap have established themselves as a dominant frontcourt, and Korver has more threes (47) than Amar’e Stoudemire does rebounds (45). Coach Mike Budenholzer is one of two rookie coaches with a winning record and the Hawks are the third-best team in the East. I’m trying to find the part of the Hawks’ organization that is lacking, but I can’t see any glaringly weak problems.

WINNING FORMULA ... There’s something to be said about what Budenholzer and Danny Ferry are doing. It’s really remarkable. In a league littered with terrible GM’s making ludicrous contracts, Ferry is picking up pieces to win now like Paul Millsap and pieces to win in the future like Dennis Schroeder. He also got Budenholzer, who in his first year as head coach took a group of 15 players who had never played together and turned them into one of the most efficient teams in the NBA. Bud was extremely successful in the playoffs as a Spurs assistant coach, and he has this new team in position to make a playoff push come April. It seems some people are worried about Schroeder being sent to the D-League, but that was a strategic move to help him develop and

WISHFUL THINKING ... At this time of year, everybody has a wish list. At the top of my wish list is a four-team college football playoff. I know I will get my wish in 2014, but is it so hard to set up two games and a championship game in the span of a month? In fact, my real wish would be to have a 16-team playoff, make that a 32-team playoff. We could start the tournament at Thanksgiving, following a 10-game schedule for every team and end with a championship game on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl. I would eliminate 30 of the 35 bowl games and just have the Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta, Orange and Rose. Break the 32 teams into mini tournaments of eight at each of the first four locations for two weeks. Then play the rest of the games at the Rose Bowl for two weeks, culminating on New Year’s Day. Come on, that makes about as much sense as anything else. Maybe, even Georgia or Tech would have a shot. If I got my wish, it would be the biggest month-long event in sports. It would be better than any Super Bowl, World Series or Final Four, combined. It won’t happen, but it is wishful thinking.

not a case where he couldn’t hang in the NBA. Right now the Hawks have one of the best guards in Jeff Teague and he’s playing some of the best basketball of his life. Shelvin Mack has been a very pleasant surprise this year as well, providing relief on the second unit and giving Teague a minute to catch his breath. Mack had 44 assists with 24 turnovers last season, and this season he has already totaled 46 assists to just 9 turnovers. Schroeder wasn’t sent to the D-league because he was a bust, or a disappointment; he was sent there to get more playing time and develop at a quicker pace. Budenholzer says he doesn’t expect Schroeder to be there very long either. FRONTCOURT FUN ... The front-court tandem of Al Horford and Paul Millsap has been lethal as both players are posting higher field goal percentages from last year, which includes Paul Millsap’s ridiculous 40.5 percent from three (fifth amongst power forwards). The 28-year-old Millsap is on pace to set career highs in assists, rebounds, blocks, steals and points. Horford will probably set a career high in blocks, steals and assists, improving on the career year that he had last year. He is also third in the league collecting 74.6 percent of rebounds per chance, or 74.6 percent when he is within 3.5 feet of the rebound. Only DeAndre Jordan (80.4 percent) and Paul George (77.8 percent) are higher.

DOWN THE STRETCH ... For many Falcons fans this season is over. “Lose every game and get a top draft pick” is the cry from some. The last two weeks have shown that the players haven’t thrown in the towel. Running back Stephen Jackson has finally shown that he can play in this offense. The defense has caused turnovers and Roddy White has suddenly shown up after an injuryplagued 2013. The season is not over for head coach Mike Smith. The last three games could be for his job. Maybe Arthur Blank has already made his decision, maybe he hasn’t? The season is not over for Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. His job is on the line, as well. Tony Gonzalez wants to finish the season with some wins for sure. His career is ending and he has three games to savor. Look for Gonzalez to go all-out over the last three games. The last three games can actually help the Falcons in 2014. Teams that finish the season on a win-streak, usually come into the next season with an expectation of winning. Sunday is a very winnable game against the hapless Washington Redskins. There is still pride on the line and this season is not over. Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves.

The miscellaneous pieces of the team are where there might’ve been some question. For the most part they’ve been great though. Everyone on the team is benefiting from Budenholzer’s system. The team runs a lot of pick-and-roll plays that results in a lot of open threes. We all know Korver can shoot from deep (leads the league from deep, hitting 52percent), but he also follows the trend of the other Hawks with higher assist numbers this year. He’s on pace for 184 assists this year which would be a career high. Demarre Carroll has also seen his numbers rise as he becomes an everyday starter for the Hawks. Looking at what we see here, Budenholzer’s team-first philosophy is what makes this Hawks team so good. All five starters should set career highs in assists. Ferry getting rid of Josh and Joe Johnson is like the gift that keeps on giving. Getting rid of their ludicrous contracts was great, but those two players would halt this offense. In a league where you win as a team, Budenholzer may have instilled a system that could actually bring this city playoff success. The pieces are all there. The right players are there, the right coach is there, the right owner is there; all that’s left is to wait and see what they can do with it. Photo courtesy of Walter Pinion.

Vol. 9 Iss. 29 | December 13-19, 2013 to do in Kansas City was win. The Chiefs compiled five winning seasons in those 12 years and did not capture a single postseason victory in three attempts. Twice they went 13-3 only to lose divisional-round games to the Broncos in 1997 and to the Colts in 2003. Kansas City snagged a wild card in 2006 but got clobbered by the Colts in Round 1. As Gonzalez predicted himself, losing was a problem easily solved by his 2009 arrival in Atlanta. “It’s somewhat bittersweet,” he said after being dealt from the Chiefs in April of 2009. “I love Kansas City. The city means a lot to me. It will be sad to leave a city I love. But I’m looking forward to making a Super Bowl run in Atlanta every year for the next three or four years.”

ON THE COVER

FAREWELL, NO. 88

REFLECTING ON GONZALEZ’S GREAT NFL CAREER BY RICKY DIMON

he Atlanta Falcons Week 17 showdown against NFC South rival Carolina is not your average season-finale. If all goes according to plan, it will be the 277th and final game in the illustrious career of Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. GLORY ROAD ... It is a career that began on Aug. 31, 1997, four months after the Kansas City Chiefs selected Gonzalez with the 13th pick of that year’s NFL Draft. Before heaping well-deserved praise on Gonzalez, let’s take a moment to reflect on said draft. After all, you need not look any further than that selection process to gauge the improbability of Gonzalez’s NFL longevity. The first five picks were…wait for it… Orlando Pace, Darrell Russell, Shawn Springs, Peter Boulware and Bryant Westbrook. Off the board exactly one spot before Gonzalez was none other than former Falcons running back Warrick Dunn, who retired after the 2008 sea-

son. Other notable players joining the NFL at the same time either through the draft or as undrafted free agents were Tiki Barber, Jake Plummer, Jake Delhomme and Priest Holmes. Yes, all of those guys are actually the same age as Gonzalez. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. A pass-catching force right from the start, Gonzalez saw his numbers steadily improve throughout his first four seasons as a professional. He amassed 368 receiving yards as a rookie, 621 yards in his second year, 849 yards in 1999 and 1,203 yards in 2000. After finding the endzone twice in each of his first two campaigns, Gonzalez hauled in 11 touchdowns in his third season and nine in his fourth. He set career-highs in receptions (102) and yards (1,258) in 2004 and he eclipsed the 1,000yard mark in four of 12 seasons in Kansas City. As a Chief, he had 916 receptions for 10,940 yards and 76 touchdowns. Playoffs included, he played in a ridiculous 193 of 195 games. Just about the only thing Gonzalez failed

FALCONS YEARS ... Although Gonzalez never took part in the Super Bowl, he certainly made a run at it. The Falcons played their way to winning records in all of Gonzalez’s first four seasons, advancing to the playoffs three times and twice winning the NFC South with 13-3 marks (in 2010 and 2012). Gonzalez’s postseason record dipped to 0-5 following early ousters in 2010 and 2011, but he finally got over the hump last season. Atlanta won a 30-28 thriller over Seattle before succumbing to San Francisco 28-24 in the NFC Championship. Fortunes have changed for the team in 2013 as it approaches the finish line of its first losing season since 2007, before the Mike Smith-Matt Ryan era even started. If anything or anyone has remained a constant, however, it is Gonzalez. Through Week 13, he was second on the team behind Harry Douglas in catches (62) and receiving yards (653) while leading the Falcons in touchdowns (five). In a Sept. 29 loss to New England in which Atlanta almost mounted a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback, Gonzalez turned 12 receptions into 149 yards and two touchdowns. His incredible streak of games played has continued (12 for 12 this year as of the end of November and 80 for 80—playoffs included— in his career as a Falcon) despite a nagging toe injury and little to play for in terms of playoff potential since very early in the season. Coaches asked a hobbled Gonzalez to leave the game

during the third quarter of Atlanta’s Nov. 17 blowout loss at Tampa Bay, but the 17-year veteran refused. “The game was kind of over, but it’s like ‘Nah, I’m going to go out there,’” Gonzalez explained. “I’ve only got six games left now. I’m going to tell those guys, like I tell them all the time, ‘Every play, play like it’s your last play.’” “No matter what it is, no matter what the circumstances are, Tony Gonzalez is a football player,” White commented after losing to the Tampa Bay on Nov. 17. “He’s willing to go out there with his soldiers no matter what the situation or whatever happens.” In this injury-plagued year, the Falcons have struggled. Once 1-4 then 2-9 through 11 games, Gonzalez never had any regrets returning for a fifth and final season in Atlanta. “This is the team I came back for,” Gonzalez said prior to this season’s trade deadline, insisting that if it was up to him he would be going nowhere. “These are the guys I came back to play with. I’m enjoying myself win, lose or draw. Obviously, I would rather win. It makes it a lot more fun. But there’s no way I would even think about jumping ship, because I love playing for this team and I love playing for this city.” Even though their 2013 goals went unaccomplished, Ryan also loved Gonzalez’s decision to return for one more season—and stay for the duration—instead of retiring after the 2012 campaign. “It’s always huge for us, first and foremost, when you add a great player to your team,” the sixth-year quarterback assured, referring to Gonzalez’s comeback. “It makes you better. But beyond that, his personality in the locker room, his leadership for young guys to see what it takes to be one of the best, I think that’s huge for us…. I’m happy he’s here. And I’ve been happy he’s been here for five years. He’s one of my favorite teammates, all-time favorite guys to be around.” Falcons fans, it’s time to rise up and say goodbye to one of the NFL’s all-time great players and great guys. We won’t see him in a Falcons uniform again, but we’ll see him around. And we’ll see him in the Hall of Fame. Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

Kyle Korver

Paul Millsap

Indiana Pacers

Korver has hit a three-pointer in 91 straight games. His last game without a three-pointer was against the Rockets on Nov. 2, 2013, 407 days ago. He holds the record after breaking Dana Barros’ record of 89 straight games with a three-pointer. He also broke the record for best shooting percentage from three in a season after shooting 53.6 percent in 2009-10.

The big man has eight doubledoubles this year and has five in a row so far. He is also shooting 41.5 percent from three and 51.5 percent from two. He has the highest defensive rebounding rate of his career, and is grabbing 6.2 defensive rebounds per game. This is the second-most efficient season of his career with a PER of 20.4 compared to the league average of 15.

The team that eliminated the Hawks from the playoffs looks even stronger this year. Paul George could win the Most Improved Player award for the second year in a row, and he could also be in the discussion for MVP. Behind him is the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, Roy Hibbert.

SCORE LIST By Brian Jones

BOBBY TO COOPERSTOWN

Congratulations go out to former Braves manager Bobby Cox for being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Cox has been criticized for not winning enough World Series titles, but 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and a World Series championship speak for themselves. The ceremony will be held July 27 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Road trip anyone?

WINDING DOWN

After losing to the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons look to bounce back with a win against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. Washington has had its share of issues in 2013, so the Falcons have a really good chance to get their fourth win of the year. It’s been a long season, but I like the way this team has fought the last three weeks.

BOWL REMATCH

The Bulldogs will play in the Gator Bowl and they will play against a familiar face, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Georgia defeated Nebraska in last season’s Capital One Bowl in a high-scoring affair. It will more likely be another shootout this time. As far as a prediction, I think Hutson Mason will have a huge game and lead the Bulldogs to their ninth win of the year.

TECH DOES NASHVILLE

At the end of December, Tech will travel to Nashville to take on Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl. The Yellow Jackets defeated USC in the Sun Bowl last year. This time around they are facing an Ole Miss team that can score in many different ways. As much as I like the running backs for the Jackets, I think Ole Miss will come away with this one.

THE ROAD ENDS

After three months of non-stop action, the high school football season ends this week with the state championships. Some of the top matchups include Carrollton vs. Griffin in AAAA and North Gwinnett vs. Norcross in AAAAAA. Be sure to log on to scoreatl.com for scoring updates and blogs on all seven games going on at the Georgia Dome.

WHO’S NOT

By Chris Schutter

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Braves Veterans

Braves’ Pitching Rotation

The Knicks

With the departure of Brian McCann, Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones in the past two years, the Braves have lost three veteran leaders. Justin Upton had a hot April and May, but was up and down for most of the season. We all know how Uggla and B.J. played, but maybe Heyward can stay healthy and break out.

With Hudson gone and Frank Wren seemingly caught off guard with how expensive an ace pitcher is in this market, the Braves rotation will look a lot like Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Brandon Beachy and Alex Wood. Those are five good starting pitchers, but none of them were in the top 10 for ERA, K’s, or WHIP last season.

New York can probably be on this list every week this season. The Knicks lost at home by 41 to Boston on Sunday, and they followed up that embarrassment with a 15-point loss in Cleveland. The Knicks have yet to beat a team with a winning record. The question isn’t if Mike Woodson will be fired, but rather when will Mike Woodson be fired.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Chris Schutter

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

TRIVIA QUESTION

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME TEAMS FROM THE SAME COUNTY PLAYED FOR THE STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

“

SANITY AT LAST

“Selfishly, I’m happy that he’s back. He’s a great coach. Certainly, he’s made me better over the last two years and I look forward to working with him.” Falcons QB Matt Ryan on offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter returning to the team after interviewing at Boise State.

SEC teams playing in bowl games this season

SEC teams matched up against higher-ranked opponents in their respective bowl games (Auburn vs. FSU)

98.8

Kirk Cousins QB rating on playaction pass plays over the past two seasons

11.3

Kirk Cousins QB rating on non-playaction pass plays over the past two seasons

Double-double’s for Paul Millsap this year (five in a row)

Double-double for Josh Smith this year

Hawks losses by more than 10 points this season

Number of Eastern Conference teams with winning records

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TS OUN DISC M A E UT T RAISING ABO D ASK & FUN

single event—diving, three relays and all of the individual races. Jake Tillery swam to victory in the 200 individual medley, the 100 backstroke, the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. Parkview’s girls won all three relays and Jamie Freking prevailed in the 100 backstroke.

PREP SPORTS

MAJOR BATTLE IN POOL; COLLEGES RECRUIT GRAPPLERS Westminster, three for Brookwood) in the past 11 years. The Wildcats were led by brothers Derek and Erek Cox, who fueled two victorious relays (200 freestyle and 400 freestyle) and won two individual events (Derek in the 100 butterfly and Erek in the 100 breaststroke). Wesleyan took care of business at home against West Forsyth last Friday, winning the girls’ meet 216-90 and the boys’ meet 208-87. Caroline White won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle for the Lady Wolves. Luke Hedrick paced the Wesleyan boys with a win in the 50 freestyle, the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. Last weekend’s Clody Invitational at Norcross High School was not a scored competition, but it gave swimmers and divers a chance to post personal-best marks. Parkview certainly did not disappoint as a team, as its boys won every

HITTING THE MATS … The sport of wrestling engages a national audience and the high level of competition growing in Georgia has not gone unnoticed. Several NAIA and Division II Peach State schools have added wrestling as the sport grows. There is still not a Division 1 wrestling program in our backyard, but on Dec. 15 there will be Division 1 wrestling hitting the mats at Mountain View High School as the Big Ten’s Purdue and UT-Chattanooga of the Southern Conference compete. The Chattanooga Mocs are mindful of Georgia’s wrestling talent. Sprayberry product Alex Hudson is a senior on this year’s roster. Hudson was a three-time state champion (2007-2009) with a 187-6 varsity record for the Yellow Jackets. He won the state championship at 112 pounds as a sophomore, 125 as a junior and 145 as a senior. In college, Hudson continues improving and he claimed the SoCon title at 149 last season. Parkview’s Kamaal Abdush-Shakur and Pope’s Tyler Haskin are committed to the Mocs next season. They are joined by a long list of

Class AAAAA

Class AAA

BY RICKY DIMON AND CRAIG SAGER II

wo of the best teams and most storied programs in Georgia squared off last Tuesday T when Brookwood paid a visit to Westminster

for a dual showdown. The girls’ meet pit two recent state champions against each other (Brookwood triumphed in Class AAAAA in 2012 while Westminster captured titles in AAAA-A in 2012 and AAAAA-A in 2013). Living up to expectations, the head-to-head contest saw the Broncos edge the host Wildcats 159-153. Brookwood junior Anna Jahns won the 200-yard freestyle, finished second in the 100 backstroke and raced the first leg for a victorious 200 freestyle relay team. Westminster’s boys salvaged the day with a win by almost the exact same margin (156149) in a battle between two squads that have combined for nine state championships (six for

Score Atlanta Football Rankings PRE-PLAYOFFS

1..............................Tucker 2.................................. Kell 3...................... Gainesville 4........................Creekside 5................Warner Robins

Class AAAAAA

Class AAAA

1...............Camden County 2..........................Norcross 3................Colquitt County 4................North Gwinnett 5....................... Collins Hill

1....................Sandy Creek 2.............................. Griffin 3................... Monroe Area 4........................ Carrollton 5.............................. Marist

6..........................Hillgrove 7............................Lovejoy 8............................. Archer 9...................... North Cobb 10.........................Marietta

6.................Northside-WR 7.. Thomas County Central 8................North Paulding 9....................Ware County 10................Harris County

1............................. Buford 2.........Washington County 3......................Cartersville 4...........Carver-Columbus 5..........................Callaway

1...............................Lovett 2..................Lamar County 3..................................GAC 4........................... Calhoun 5........Washington-Wilkes

NEWS AND NOTES … Kathryn Foreman, a sophomore at Landmark Christian School, will be the state’s lone representative at Saturday’s Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship in San Diego, Calif. Foreman captured this year’s Class A Private individual state title with a time of 18:42. Photos courtesy of Greg Puckett, Brian L. Morgan and Rob Saye.

Class A-Private 6................Appling County 7...................Elbert County 8.......Woodward Academy 9..................... Hart County 10...................... North Hall

Class AA 6.................. Burke County 7.....................Stockbridge 8.......................Statesboro 9................. Wayne County 10................Mary Persons

seniors collecting scholarships from neighboring states. Buford’s Chip Ness is committed to North Carolina and Collins Hill’s Ryan Millhof has pledged to Oklahoma. Woodward Academy’s Chandler Pyke (N.C. State), Milton’s Ryan Preisch (Lehigh), Jefferson’s Tyler Marinelli (Gardner-Webb), Collins Hill’s Sean Russell (Edinboro), Apalachee’s Matthew Moore (North Carolina), Commerce’s Chance McClure (Virginia) and Pope’s Jake Henson (Virginia) all plan on representing Georgia at the collegiate level. Before these athletes arrive at their college campuses, this season’s slate of duals and tournaments will continue testing and preparing them for future success. This past weekend, Toombs County made a statement in the Jeff Davis Yellow Jacket Duals by topping Class AAAAA No. 2 Ware County 42-33 in the finals to take first place. The Gators responded to the loss by dominating Glynn Academy and Brantley (Fla.) by a combined score of 155-0 on Tuesday.

1................................ ELCA 2........................... Aquinas 3..................Mount Pisgah 4...............Prince Ave. Chr. 5....................Mount Paran

6.....................Calvary Day 7...........Christian Heritage 8................ Landmark Chr. 9....................... Darlington 10.............Holy Innocents’

Class A-Public 6.................Brooks County 7.....................Benedictine 8.........................Jefferson 9.................. Heard County 10........................... Vidalia

1.............Seminole County 2....................Irwin County 3..................Clinch County 4.................Marion County 5.............. Johnson County

6...................Dooly County 7.............. Charlton County 8................... Hawkinsville 9.......................Commerce 10............. Mitchell County

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Score Atlanta/AJC Wrestling Rankings Class AAAAAA 1............................. Archer 2....................... Collins Hill 3...............Camden County 4............................Roswell 5................North Gwinnett

6................Chattahoochee 7....... Kennesaw Mountain 8.............................Etowah 9......................... Parkview 10........................Lowndes

6... Woodland-Cartersville 7........................Loganville 8.......................Starr’s Mill 9....................... Apalachee 10...................Union Grove

6......................Sonoraville 7.........................Rockmart 8.............. Jackson County 9.............................McNair 10.................Elbert County

1.........................Jefferson 2............................Bremen 3................Toombs County 4..................................GAC 5...............................Lovett

6....................Social Circle 7........................ Fitzgerald 8...................East Laurens 9....................... Monticello 10.........................Spencer

Class A

Class AAAA 1..............................Gilmer 2........................Alexander 3........................ Carrollton 4.............................. Marist 5..................West Laurens

1..................Banks County 2.......Woodward Academy 3............................. Buford 4................Oconee County 5................Morgan County

Class AA

Class AAAAA 1................................ Pope 2....................Ware County 3......................Whitewater 4................................... Ola 5.......................Creekview

Class AAA

6............. South Effingham 7...................Locust Grove 8........... Heritage-Catoosa 9.........Southeast Whitfield 10.........................Eastside

1......................Gordon Lee 2.......................Commerce 3...............Holy Innocents’ 4.............. Mt. Zion-Carroll 5............. Athens Christian

6...... George Walton Acad. 7....................... Darlington 8....................Irwin County 9................................ ELCA 10...Strong Rock Christian

CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA

HOW TO PREPARE FOR FLU SEASON CHOA.ORG/FLU

t Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, we’ve seen many cases of the flu and flu-like viruses in our hospitals and urgent care centers already this season. Here’s a small dose of education to help keep your family healthy these next few months. Should kids who have already had the flu still get flu shots? Absolutely. There are several circulating strains of flu viruses during the flu season, and just because your child has one strain of the flu does not mean that he or she will be protected against all the others. The best way to help make sure that you and your child are protected is for everyone older than six months to get a flu vaccine.

How can I protect my family from getting the flu? • The most important way to guard against the flu is to get the flu shot. • Keep your hands clean by washing them thoroughly with soap and water. Teach kids to wash their hands long enough by singing “Happy Birthday” twice. • You must wash your hands using soap and water after using the restroom, before eating, after contact with any bodily fluids and after coughing or sneezing. Other times, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers for cleaning your hands, which are actually more effective against killing germs. • Always cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your upper sleeve or elbow.

What should I do if I or my child has the flu? • If you have the flu, stay home. This reduces the spread of the flu. However, it is important for parents to know the symptoms and when to see a doctor. If your child has difficulty breathing, experiences a change in his or her behavior, or has difficulty keeping fluids down, he or she should be seen by a healthcare provider. If you’re not sure, take our interactive flu assessment at choa.org/flu. • The best ways to treat the flu at home are to drink plenty of fluids, use a cool mist humidifier, get lots of rest and use a fever reducer like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Do not use cough medicine or aspirin. What shouldn’t you do if you have the flu? • Do not seek out a rapid flu test at your healthcare provider. Rapid flu tests are unreliable, and you will not find them in our urgent care centers or emergency departments. • Antibiotics will not work for the flu because it is a virus, not a bacterial infection. Visit choa.org/flu to learn more.

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS HEAD BACK TO JACKSONVILLE, GATOR BOWL BY CHRIS NIEMAN | CNIEMAN@SCOREATL.COM

t is official: the No. 22 Georgia Bulldogs (8-4, 5-3) have accepted an invitation to play in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. Mark Richt and the Dawgs will face Bo Pelini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers on New Year ’s Day for the second straight year, and third time in school history. Last year, the Bulldogs beat the Cornhuskers 45-31 in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. This also marks the third time in school history that the Bulldogs have played in the Gator Bowl and the first time since 1989— when Vince Dooley coached his final game as head coach and led the Dawgs to victory against the Michigan State Spartans, 34-27. Jacksonville certainly isn’t a stranger to the Georgia faithful and coach Richt acknowledged that. “I know the Georgia people love Jacksonville,” said Richt. “There’s no doubt about that. We’ve been playing in Jacksonville for about 80 years, so everybody I think really enjoys that and understands the area and is looking

GEORGIA STATE

MCQUEEN DONATES HAIR TO LOCKS OF LOVE BY CHRIS SCHUTTER | CSCHUTTER@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia State long snapper Scotty McQueen sported a new look in Georgia State’s last home football game of 2013 after cutting off more than 12 inches of hair. He explains it wasn’t for fashion or the job search, but because of his experience with a local children’s hospital. During McQueen’s freshman season, the Panthers went to a children’s hospital in Atlanta where McQueen met a lot of children who lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. He decided that day to grow his hair out and donate it to the “Locks of Love” charitable organization. He also did this to honor his aunt, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer this past summer. The senior snapped the ball on every field goal and extra point the Panthers attempted over the past four years. BOSS MOSS … Sophomore guard Gaby Moss was named Georgia State’s Student-Athlete of the Week

forward to spending more time there.” The Gator Bowl should be interesting this year, considering a few words that Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez uttered before and after the Cornhuskers’ Capital One Bowl loss last season. A few days before last year’s Capital One Bowl, Martinez referred to Georgia as “just another Big 10 defense.” In addition, after the Cornhuskers’ loss to the Bulldogs, Martinez continued in regards to the Georgia defense. “This was supposed to be one of the top defenses in the SEC, and we pretty much did anything we wanted against them.” Martinez will certainly be a focal point of the Nebraska offense and even though the majority of the starters on the 2013 Georgia defense have graduated or moved on to the NFL, there could be some unfinished business come Jan. 1. SEC HONORS … Five Dawgs were selected to the 2013 AP All-SEC team on Monday. Senior tight-end Arthur Lynch, junior inside linebacker Ramik Wilson and sophomore kicker Marshall Morgan were selected to the first time. Sophomore tailback Todd Gurley and senior quarterback Aaron Murray were selected to the second team. Lynch, Wilson and Morgan were also voted to the first team All-SEC Coaches’ Team, while sophomore outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins was voted to the second team.

after leading the women’s basketball team to two road wins. In one of those victories, Moss had the game winning buzzer-beater to lift the Panthers past Kent State 56-55. Alisha Andrews began driving with four seconds left on the clock when she saw Moss open on the baseline and Moss didn’t hesitate to take the big shot. Moss also hit a three with one minute left against Kennesaw State to push the Panthers’ lead to seven and put the game out of reach. The Panthers have won four of their last five and will return to action after final exams when they travel to San Jose State on Dec. 18. MORE HOOPS … The Panthers men’s team lost at Southern Miss last Saturday for their fifth road loss of the season. They managed to overcome an 11-point second half deficit and force overtime, but the Golden Eagles were too much to handle after they started the overtime period on a 7-0 run. Ryan Harrow and R.J. Hunter combined for 34 points in the contest. The Southern Miss bench outscored Georgia State’s bench 31-1 and both teams shot less than 40 percent from the floor. Devonta White had 13 points in the game and moved to 12th place on Georgia State’s all-time scoring list. The Panthers will have some time off for exams before they host Old Dominion on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.

GEORGIA TECH

JACKETS HEADED TO NASHVILLE; HOOPS BEATS ILLINI BY STEPHEN BLACK | SBLACK@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia Tech accepted an invite to the Franklin American Mortgage Music Bowl on Sunday, a bowl game that will be played on Dec. 30 when the Jackets (7-5) face Ole Miss (7-5). It is the 17th consecutive year the Jackets have been invited to a bowl game and it is Tech’s 42nd overall bowl game, their first to the Nashville bowl. “We are very pleased to be heading to the city of Nashville to play in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl,” Tech coach Paul Johnson told RamblinWreck.com. “To play a bowl game within driving distance for our fans, and to play against a high-quality opponent in Ole Miss, is a great opportunity.” Tech has faced the Rebels twice previously; the first came in the 1953 Sugar Bowl, a 24-7 Tech win, and in the 1971 Peach Bowl, a 41-18 Jackets win. PICCOLO AWARD ... Tech running back Robert Godhigh was

KENNESAW STATE

QUARTERBACKS COACH LEAVING FOR WEST ALABAMA BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

ennesaw State’s football coaching staff K looked like it was set in stone as it was gearing up for its first game in 2015. However, the

Owls lost one member as quarterback coach Brett Gilliland resigned from his position and accepted the head coaching job at West Alabama. “I am forever indebted and grateful for the opportunity that I was given to be on the first-ever coaching staff at Kennesaw State,” Gilliland said in a press conference on Monday. “KSU is a tremendous place with a bright future. I appreciate coach (Brian) Bohannon and (Director of Athletics) Vaughn Williams for believing in me.” Gilliland spent three seasons at Georgia Southern before heading to KSU. He worked with the B-backs in 2010, the tight ends and tackles in 2011 and wide receivers last year. He was also the recruiting coordinator the last two seasons. “I am extremely happy for Brett and his family,” said Bohannon, the Owls’ head coach. “Brett is a bright, young coach and it is great to

given the Brian Piccolo Award by the Atlantic Coast Conference recognizing its most courageous player. Godhigh, an Acworth native and Harrison grad, had three knee surgeries in the past year, yet still rushed for 644 yards this year and led the team with 420 receiving yards. HOOPS NEWS ... Coach Brian Gregory’s team beat Illinois 67-64 on Dec. 3 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Jackets trailed by 12 with around seven minutes left to hand the visiting Illini their first loss of the season. Tech’s victory ended a fivegame losing streak in the challenge. Robert Carter, Jr. scored 21 points, a career high, while Marcus Georges-Hunt had 20. The pair totaled 14 points in a 21-4 Tech scoring run late in the second half. “I thought the place (McCamish Pavilion) at the end there was electric,” said Gregory. “This place can be a heck of a place for a game. We’ve got to do our part, but when it gets going, it’s pretty fun to be in. I appreciate the fans.” On Saturday, the Jackets (7-3) flew past East Tennessee State 87-57 in McCamish Pavilion. Georges-Hunt led Tech with 18 points and Trae Golden had 13 with five assists. Carter, Jr. had 11 points and eight rebounds while Stacey Poole also had 11 points, a career best. Tech’s next game is Saturday against Kennesaw State at McCamish Pavilion.

see him have the opportunity to return home to his alma mater as head football coach.” LACROSSE DOES KSU … Major League Lacrosse will make its way to Kennesaw as the 2014 Championship Game will be held at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Aug. 23. Last year, the MLL held a game at the stadium and 4,000 fans came to see Rochester Rattlers take on the Boston Cannons. “What a great compliment it is for Major League Lacrosse to think that highly of our facility, staff and community to want to host the Championship Game in Kennesaw,” said Williams. “We are excited and honored to be a part of the MLL season finale.” Tickets for the event will go on sale next Friday. TICKETS ON SALE … The baseball season is coming up, which means it’s time to get tickets. Season tickets went on sale this Monday and it will cost $39 for all 30 games. “There is not a better entertainment value in Cobb County for families and young adults alike,” Director of Ticket Sales and Operations Bobby Lindsey told ksuowls.com. “What’s better than coming out and attending a ballgame on a spring afternoon?” Some of the opponents that will come to Stillwell Stadium are Georgia Tech, Auburn, MTSU and Gardner Webb. Single-game tickets will go on sale Jan. 16.

Vol. 9 Iss. 29 | December 13-19, 2013 ATLANTA HAWKS

KORVER SETS NBA MARK; HAWKS IN THIRD PLACE BY JAY UNDERWOOD | JUNDERWOOD@SCOREATL.COM

yle Korver now has the record for the most consecutive games with a three-pointer made. He set the record Friday night against the Cavaliers with his family in attendance. He has now made a three-pointer in 91 straight games and is in possession of a record that will not be broken for a while. More importantly, Korver is back from injury and the Hawks got back to their winning ways during his reemergence. IN GOOD STANDING ... The Hawks currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, where they are one of three teams with winning records. Miami and Indiana have open a large lead on the field and it appears that the Hawks will be battling the rest of the playoff contenders through out the season as they are only a game and a half ahead of the eighth place Bulls who are now missing Derek Rose for the remainder of the season.

ATLANTA BRAVES

COX ELECTED TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

ormer Atlanta Braves’ manager Bobby Cox was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday. A unanimous vote by the 16-member Veterans Committee will send Cox to Cooperstown this summer along with Tony La Russa and Joe Torre. Cox managed 25 seasons in Atlanta over two different stints (1978-81 and 1990-2010). His teams clinched 14 consecutive division titles at one point, captured five National League pennants and won the 1995 World Series. He is fourth on baseball’s all-time managerial wins list with 2,504—including a franchise-record 2,149 with the Braves. Torre, who also managed the Braves (1982-84), is fifth with 2,326 wins. La Russa is third with 2,728. “What makes him a Hall of Famer is his whole body of work, his whole professional character, his love of the game and his success in the game,” team president John Schuerholz told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “There

As Dec. 15 approaches more and more rumors begin to swirl regarding the availability of Paul Millsap on the trading block. He is in the first year of a very friendly two-year contract worth $19 million. He is unable to be moved until December 15 since this is his first year with the Hawks. While he could command a hefty price on the trade market, the Hawks currently posses one of the most underrated and productive frontcourts in basketball. Millsap and Horford each provide a mismatch on the offensive end and are putting up solid numbers, keeping the Hawks at the top of the Eastern Conference. This could keep Danny Ferry from pulling the trigger on a deal, but Ferry has proven that he isn’t afraid of the big deal. Time will tell what the Hawks plan on doing with their movable pieces, and right now they are team that is winning more than they lose and are near the top of the conference. SWAP FEST ... Another interesting note about the future of the Hawks is how poorly the Brooklyn Nets are doing. The Hawks have the right to swap picks with the Nets if the Nets have the better pick. This means that if the Nets continue to struggle as the season goes along, the Hawks could make the playoffs and still get a quality lottery pick. In a loaded draft this means that the Hawks could avoid tanking this season while still getting the talented wing player they need early in the draft.

[have] been few managers who’ve been successful to this level and I don’t know of any that were as successful and had that unbending, unyielding belief in how great the game is. He’s always defended the game and the honor of the people who played the game.” “They say your life changes when you get elected to the Hall of Fame, and it has,” Cox said at a press conference. “I’ve got goosebumps. It’s the greatest honor we could ever have. Hopefully two guys who helped get me to the Hall of Fame, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, will be inducted as well.” Glavine and Maddux are on the standard Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, which is set for voting on Jan. 8, 2014. Induction weekend is July 25-28. NEWS AND NOTES … The annual Baseball Winter Meetings took place this week, Monday through Thursday, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. At press time, the Braves had not made any moves and general manager Frank Wren said not to expect any significant transactions. Atlanta is thought to be in the market for a top-of-the-rotation starter following the departure of Tim Hudson, who signed with the San Francisco Giants. “We like our team,” Wren told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “We’re going to be young again, and we like the mix of our team.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

SKINS BENCH RGIII IN TRIP TO DOME BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he Falcons could not hold on to their 21-10 halftime lead in icy Green Bay on Sunday and were held scoreless in the second half for the third time this season. The Packers rallied behind rookie running back Eddie Lacy and backup quarterback Matt Flynn to grab the 2221 win. Atlanta’s defense ranks last in the NFL in third-down defense and the Packers’ 7-of-15 conversion ratio on third downs gave Green Bay an overwhelming advantage. Roddy White led the receiving corps for the second straight week with eight catches for 74 yards and Tony Gonzalez and Drew Davis hauled in Matt Ryan touchdown passes. TACKLING MACHINE … Atlanta’s rookie linebacker Paul Worrilow turned in another incredible performance with his 12 total tackles. Worrilow is averaging 14 tackles per game the last six contests and included 1.5 sacks in the loss to Green Bay. The highlight of the Packers game came from a de-

GWINNETT GLADIATORS

GLADIATORS TUMBLE DOWN ECHL STANDINGS BY JOE DEIGHTON | JDEIGHTON@SCOREATL.COM

he already long season got even longer with T another loss last Sunday, when the Gwinnett Gladiators fell on the road at Greenville by

a score of 5-3. It was the Gladiators’ sixth loss in eight games to the division-rival Road Warriors. Gwinnett took a 1-0 lead on a Marshall Everson power-play goal. Trailing 4-2 late in the game, the Gladiators cut the deficit to one goal on a breakaway tally by Mike Embach. Twenty seconds later, however, Greenville added an empty-net goal to account for the winning margin. It was Gwinnett’s 14th regulation loss in 22 games this year. The playoffs are not looking likely, as each loss mounts up. The Glads are currently seven points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and they have also played four more games than eighth-place Reading. However, anything is still possible at this point. TRANSACTIONS … This season has not gone the way the

flected pass off of Worrilow foot that landed in the arms of an alert Sean Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon secured the ball and rumbled his way in for a 71-yard touchdown, the first of his pro bowl career. THE SKINS … Last season the Falcons visited the Redskins and rallied to a 24-17 victory that marked Atlanta’s first 5-0 start in franchise history. Ryan threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns and Gonzalez caught 13 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III was knocked out of the game when Weatherspoon’s forceful tackle gave the rookie a mild concussion. This season, it is the Redskins who will send Griffin III to sidelines, as Kirk Cousins will get the start over the struggling quarterback. 2013 has been a setback for the Redskins, especially on the road where they are 1-5. A 24-17 Week 13 loss to the New York Giants officially eliminated Redskins from the playoff picture and shifted focus to resuscitating the franchise before next season. Washington is still creating success on the ground and its 143.8 rushing yards per game rank No. 2 in the NFL. Atlanta is No. 30 in stopping the run and allow an average 133.6 yards per game. Perry Riley, London Fletcher and former Falcon DeAngelo Hall at cornerback lead the defensive side of the football. Hall has three of Washington’s 12 interceptions this season.

Gladiators have wanted it to go. On Tuesday, the team lost two players who decided to pursue other opportunities. Forward David Laliberte left the team to play in Europe and defenseman Martin Lefebvre went to Canada to go back to school. The 27-year old Laliberte did not record a point in his two games with the Gladiators. Lefebvre, 21, had two points on two assists in 14 games with Gwinnett. Laliberte has had an interesting career. He played one game in the NHL playoffs with the Philadelphia Flyers during their run to the Stanley Cup Finals. He was out of professional hockey for a season before playing for Trenton last year and Gwinnett this year. Now, he will go to Europe. This is probably his last shot a playing professionally, but if it works out, he could be back playing hockey in North America next year. ON THE DOCKET … The Glads have two home games this weekend. On Friday, the team will entertain the South Carolina Stingrays. Gwinnett lost the first four games against South Carolina this season but managed to win the latest contest against the Stingrays. The division rival has the best record in the ECHL, so it will be a tough test for the Gladiators. On Sunday, Gwinnett will play the Orlando Solar Bears. This will be the fourth game against Orlando this year, with Solar Bears having won two of the first three.

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THE LAST TIME TEAMS FROM THE SAME COUNTY PLAYED FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS 2008, WHEN TUCKER AND MARIST BATTLED IN CLASS AAAA.

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