Score Atlanta Vol 10 Issue 18

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 18 |

MAY 9-15, 2014

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

Dimitroff’s Day | Pg. 4 Falcons GM has several options for draft day

Lovett’s Cinderella Run | Pg. 8 Lions double regular-season win total in soccer playoffs

LET’S GET PHYSICAL Falcons use free agency to beef up roster | Pg. 5

THEY’RE ALL INSPIRING. BUT ONLY ONE WILL BE COMEBACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR. Help choose our Comeback Athlete of the Year. Visit choa.org/vote between May 1-15, 2014, to watch these 8 amazing stories and cast your vote.

©2014 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved. For official contest rules, visit choa.org/comeback.

Vol. 10 Iss. 18 | May 9-15, 2014

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

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ON THE COVER

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INSIDE THE PREPS

GENERAL MANAGER Melanie Snare

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

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Marcus Nabors

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves)

Ricky Dimon (Dream) Robert Tinter (Hawks) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons) Robert Tinter (Tech) Paige Morton (GSU)

STAFF WRITERS Alex Ewalt

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Copyright 2014 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published in print every other week on Fridays and a digital version is posted to ScoreAtl.com in-between print issues. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

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SCORE LIST | NUMBERS GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH BRAVES | FALCONS HAWKS | GLADIATORS

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIMMY CRIBB/ATLANTA FALCONS, LEEANN YOUNG AND AP IMAGES.

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE

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DIMITROFF ON THE DRAFT

FALCONS GM DISCUSSES TEAM’S OPTIONS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

hen Atlanta Falcons general manager W Thomas Dimitroff met with the media on April 30, numerous scenarios were brought up

in terms of what the team would do with its first pick. The draft was still about one week away and fans are still wondering where they could go.

So the question now becomes, what are the Falcons going to do? We do know that this team needs to do two things better in 2014, protect Matt Ryan and get to the other team’s quarterback. The Falcons sit currently in the No. 6 spot in Thursday’s first round. Dimitroff likes what he sees in the first few picks.

“We’re excited to be in that top 10,” Dimitroff said. “There are pass rushers, pass protectors, receivers and there are linebackers. It’s a very accomplished top 10.”

Many have speculated that the Falcons could try and trade up to get a player like South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

Dimitroff says he’s been on the phone with numerous teams, talking many different scenarios.

“You’re getting an idea of what compensation would be if in fact something did come to fruition during the draft,” Dimitroff said.

“That’s how we did it back in ’11. I think that’s an important thing whether you travel down that road or not.”

HAGGLING FOR JULIO …

In that trade back in 2011, the Falcons picked up the sixth overall pick from the Cleveland Browns. In turn, they went on to select Julio Jones. Going back to Cleveland, the Fal-

GETTING STRONGER

LINEMEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF FALCONS’ DRAFT PROJECTIONS

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Falcons’ re-emergence after the anomaly that was the 2013 season starts with the NFL Draft when the Falcons and the rest of the NFL teams get together to rebuild for the upcoming season.

The Falcons are in prime position at No. 6 to make a splash in the first round. That means the Falcons have a chance to get an impact player that can make a difference right away.

Based on the Falcons’ needs, they can go a number of different directions when it comes to what player/position they want to draft. But whatever they do with their picks, they have to make sure they select the right players that can help them get back to the top of the NFC standings.

PROTECTION NEEDED …

Offensive line is one of the Falcons’ biggest needs heading into the offseason and there will be a number of good ones to choose from with the No. 6 pick.

Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews might be the best of the bunch. Matthews could be the next great left tackle and would give the offensive line a much-needed boost.

Auburn’s Greg Robinson would not be a bad choice, either. Robinson is a big, strong left tackle that still has some growing to do. Like Matthews, Robinson has what it takes to be a dominant left tackle in the NFL according to many draft experts and talent evaluators.

Michigan’s Taylor Lewan is another offensive tackle that could be on the Falcons’ ra-

cons sent their first-, second- and fourth-round picks from that draft. Plus, Cleveland got Atlanta’s first- and fourth-round picks in the 2012 draft.

Needless to say, that pick-up worked well for the Falcons and now could make people wonder if they might try to do the same thing in this year’s draft. Dimitroff was asked about whether this team would be in position to take a gamble like that again this year.

“There are a number of really good football players that we would consider,” Dimitroff said. “We always go through that scenario and discuss what truly is worth moving up for to give up picks.”

Dimtroff did mention during his press conference that relationships built with different organizations could play into the chances that a draft-night deal could be pulled off. In that regard, the Falcons do have a great relationship with St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead and Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell. The Rams sit at No. 2 overall and the Jaguars are at No. 3. Both teams’ GM’s were members of the Falcons’ personnel department prior taking over these teams.

That being the case, the Falcons’ GM does admit the sixth pick in the draft doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll only consider moving up on Thursday night.

“It allows us to think about the ability to move back as well,” Dimitroff said. “There are some really potentially good opportunities to move back and pick up some picks as well.”

One other scenario to look at during this year’s draft is what the team will do to address its overall toughness.

“Bigger and stronger is always better,” Dimitroff said. “I feel we have a tough football team here and we’ll continue to stress the adding and ramping up of our ruggedness here.

That’s something I’m excited about as well.”

The Falcons have already added defensive line help in end Tyson Jackson and tackle Paul Soliai through free agency. They have also added offensive line help in the forms of tackle Gabe Carimi and guard Jon Asamoah. Not to be forgotten are the secondary additions of safety Dwight Lowery and cornerbacks Javier Arenas and Josh Wilson and return specialist Devin Hester.

These moves have given the Falcons the ability to play around with depth a little bit before draft night. That could mean another draft night trade could be on the horizon, but moving up three or four spots remains in play.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

dar. Lewan has a lot of experience and has the length and agility to be a left tackle in the NFL for several years.

If the Falcons want to wait and get an offensive lineman in the second or third round, Virginia’s Morgan Moses could be a good fit.

He has been described as a “dancing bear” with his large frame and nimble feet.

With Tony Gonzalez retired, the Falcons may look to draft a tight end in the later rounds.

Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound beast, could be available in the fourth round.

He’s great as a blocker and is a solid receiver.

The Falcons could go local for Georgia’s Arthur Lynch, who should be available in the later rounds. Lynch is not an elite receiver, but he’s good at running routes and should be able to fit right in Dirk Koetter’s vertical passing attack.

the Falcons want to do on defense. Mack is a durable player that can play either linebacker or defensive end.

If the Falcons decide to go defense with their No. 1 pick, Auburn’s Dee Ford would be a good pick in the second round. The defensive end has great burst and underrated strength.

He could be the best pass-rushing defensive end in the draft.

Atlanta may want to use a selection for help at free safety. If the Falcons want to take a safety in the earlier rounds of the draft, Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois and Ed Reynolds from Stanford should be available. Or if the Falcons want to wait and get a safety with one of their two fourth-round picks, Ahmad Dixon from Baylor and Terrence Brooks from Florida State would be good choices as well.

The Falcons drafted two stout cornerbacks last year in Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford. But they could draft another cornerback just to add depth. With a fifth- or sixth-round pick, the Falcons could select a player such as Chris Davis from Auburn or Nevin Dawson from Utah State.

Photo courtesy of Glen Johnson/Texas A&M.

FEEL THE RUSH …

The Falcons can improve on the defensive side of the ball with help on the defensive line as well as in the secondary. The one player that could change the whole complexity of the defense is South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney.

He has the size, speed and explosiveness to be an elite pass rusher in the NFL, which is something the Falcons need.

However, Buffalo’s Khalil Mack is an outside linebacker that most likely fits into what

Vol. 10 Iss. 18 | May 9-15, 2014

ON THE COVER

FREE AGENTS

FALCONS USE OFFSEASON TO ADD TOUGHNESS AND A LITTLE FLAIR

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he first day of free agency was a positively epic one in Atlanta. How impressive it was in terms of quality obviously remains to be seen, but the quantity of work done by general manager Thomas Dimitroff was second to none. The trio of newcomers he inked right away on March 11 featured guard Jon Asamoah, defensive end Tyson Jackson and defensive tackle Paul Soliai.

Those signings have to be attributed at least in part to assistant general manager Scott Pioli, former general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, who was hired by the Falcons in November. Pioli and Dimitroff wasted no time raiding his former team, as both Asamoah and Jackson came from Kansas City. The Chiefs selected Asamoah in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. In four seasons, the University of Illinois product made 41 starts at right guard and last year he helped the Chiefs average 337.3 yards per game (128.5 on the ground).

Jackson’s stock was at its peak in 2009, when the former LSU Tiger went off the board third overall to Kansas City. Although he never entirely lived up to expectations there, Jackson

started 55 of his 74 games during five seasons with the Chiefs.

Soliai also came from the AFC, having spent the first seven seasons of his career in Miami—including two years and one Pro Bowl appearance with current Atlanta defensive coordinator Mike Nolan at the helm of the Dolphins’ defense. A hulking presence at 6-foot4 and 345 pounds, the Samoan attended the University of Utah before being selected by the Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2007 draft.

Soliai has made 62 starts in his 99-game professional career.

“We were focused on adding pieces along our offensive and defensive lines and I feel we were able to accomplish that,” Dimitroff said.

“We believe that Paul and Tyson will add stoutness and grittiness to our defensive front and will help in the run game. Jon is a solid offensive lineman that will bring some ruggedness to our offensive front.”

FLASHY PLAYER …

Ruggedness may be one of the top priorities for the Falcons this offseason, but it

has not stopped them from pursuing other avenues. One week into free agency, they made their most high-profile splash with a player of a much different ilk. Atlanta signed specialteams legend Devin Hester, without a doubt one of the most electrifying kick returners in the history of the NFL. Drafted by Chicago in the second round in 2006, Hester now finds himself as the recordholder for most punt return touchdowns in NFL history with 13. Last year, he tied the record for most return touchdowns (punt and kickoff combined) with his 19th such score. The University of Miami alum is the only player in NFL history to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown (XLI vs. Indianapolis).

Hester also lined up on offense for the Bears, recording 217 receptions for 2,807 yards and 14 touchdowns. He could on occasion be featured in any number of formations to give the Falcons’ offensive attack an extra dimension.

“Atlanta, at the end of the day, was the team that showed the most interest,” Hester said in a Q&A with the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter. “It’s a winning program. I looked at them as a team that I know is going to have a good season. Last year was a little downfall for these guys because injuries occurred. This is a playoff team without any injuries.”

Hester added that 2014 is “a big chance for us” and he plans on “making the playoffs and hopefully competing for the Super Bowl.”

A big step would be taken in that direction if the Falcons can get improved play in the secondary. In that effort, Dimitroff’s two April transactions saw him add safety Dwight Lowery and cornerback Josh Wilson. Lowery, a sixth-year pro after being selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, started three games last season with Jacksonville before being placed on injured reserve due to a concussion. Wilson, a second-round pick

by Seattle in 2006, has a knack for the gamechanging play. At just 5-foot-9, he has 14 interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries, nine forced fumbles and five sacks during a career that includes 102 games and 81 starts. Last year in Washington, he started all 16 games and posted a career-high 93 tackles to go along with two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

HANGING AROUND …

Perhaps just as important as the new additions, a trio of Falcons re-upped with the organization before testing the open market. Defensive tackle Corey Peters signed a one-year

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contract extension earlier in the month before the Falcons’ March 11 frenzy began. Only a few hours before they would have become unrestricted free agents at a 4:00 p.m. deadline, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and center Joe Hawley re-signed with Atlanta.

Retaining Babineaux was especially critical for the Falcons, who still need address their defensive line in the draft even after bringing back Babineaux. Selected in the second round of the 2005 draft, the former University of Iowa standout has made 108 starts—including all 32 in each of the last two regular seasons.

He made 37 solo tackles in 2013 in addition to a sack and two fumble recoveries.

“I started my NFL career nine years ago as an Atlanta Falcon and I am happy to announce that I am continuing as a proud member of the Atlanta Falcons family,” read a statement released by Babineaux. “Remaining an Atlanta Falcon and in Atlanta as my home were the best decisions for me and my family. Thanks to my family, friends, fans, the press for your support. See you at camp and the games soon!”

Given what the Falcons have done in free agency, their favorable position in the upcoming NFL Draft (No. 6 overall) and their expectations to have dynamic receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White back at 100 percent next season, Babineaux cannot be the only one looking forward to training camp and the start of the 2014 campaign. It could be filled with a whole lot of excitement and, more importantly, a whole lot of winning.

Photos courtesy of the Associated Press.

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NFL Draft

Braves Pitching

Aaron Murray

Many Americans will tune into the draft Thursday over NBA and NHL playoffs as well as MLB regular-season games. The NFL has proven to be the alpha dog of the pro sports world and the draft is its biggest offseason event.

It has become appointment television for any sports fan in this country.

Atlanta leads all of baseball with a 2.64 team ERA through more than a full month of the season. As of Wednesday, the Braves’ staff had given up just 85 earned runs, 12 fewer than the second-place Tigers. Braves’ opponents are hitting just .228. All this has come with four pitchers on the DL, including Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen.

The former Georgia Bulldog quarterback has impressed many draft experts heading into Thursday’s event. Former Oakland and Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden loves the guy.

During his QB Camp, Gruden gushed about Murray and his potential to play quarterback at a high level in the NFL despite a perceived lack of height.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

DRAFT WEEKEND

Draft day is finally here, which means all of the questions we have about the Falcons’ picks will be answered. Will they address the offensive and defensive lines or will they add more depth to the secondary and get a tight end to replace Tony G.? Or will they make a trade to get more picks?

SLUMPING BRAVES

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Braves have lost seven of their last eight games. The reason for the skid is they are not hitting and producing runs, which was a problem last season and the year before that. They will get out of this slump, but players like Dan Uggla and B.J Upton have to step up.

END OF A RUN

The Hawks’ season came to an end Saturday as they fell to the Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. It was an up-and-down campaign for the Hawks, but they showed they can play with any team in the league. With Al Horford healthy next year, they should be able to make a deeper run in the playoffs.

PLAYOFFS CONTINUE

The high school spring season is still going strong and it will be a very busy weekend across the state. The state tennis finals will take place on Saturday and the quarterfinals for soccer and lacrosse will be going on all weekend. Be sure you go to scoreatl.com and ajc.com for live scores and updates.

UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP

Georgia State and Penn State are getting together on June 12 for a football camp. The coaching staff of the Nittany Lions will come down to Atlanta for Trent Miles Football Camp and will work as guest coaches. This is great for the Panthers because it gives them more exposure, which will lead to better recruits.

WHO’S NOT

By Stephen Black

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Clutch Play

Braves Hitting

College Baseball Teams

The Hawks did everything but win the first-round series against Indiana, the kind of scene Atlanta sports fans have gotten used to. Atlanta had the Pacers on the ropes, but lost close home games to squander opportunities to put the series away.

This type of flirtation, then failure, has become a local sports epidemic.

Is it the Bobby Cox era again?

The Braves have one of the top pitching staffs in recent memory yet they have lost seven of eight games as of Wednesday afternoon. How is that possible with this lineup? Atlanta is stacked with high-price hitters, but hasn’t been able to score more than a run per game lately.

As with our local college hoops squads, the baseball teams are mired in mediocrity and will be lucky to receive NCAA Regional bids.

Tech and Georgia are floundering in their respective conferences while KSU and GSU aren’t doing any better.

Kudos to Mercer, which, like in hoops, is our best shot at a tournament team.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Stephen Black

Our email newsletter is something we take a lot of pride in at Score. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a high school sportsheavy publication that we produce each day to fill in our readers on the latest happenings in Georgia prep sports. We send it out Monday through Friday throughout the year and Monday through Saturday during the fall.

Not only do we cover popular sports like football, basketball and baseball, we also cover every other varsity sport the GHSA fields. If you like Georgia high school sports at all, sign up for our email newsletter by visiting www.tinyurl.com/scorenewsletter and enter your email address(es) that you’d like added to the distribution list.

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TRIVIA QUESTION

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE FALCONS HAD A TOP-FIVE DRAFT PICK IN THE FIRST ROUND? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“We don’t sit on our hands.

We’re aggressive with what we truly think will help our organization rise to the upper levels in this league.

We’ll continue to be very aggressive with who we deem as very helpful individuals.”

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff on draft strategy.

34.6 10

Average amount of games started by Falcons first- through third-round draft choices since 2008, tops in the NFL Falcons picks in this year’s NFL Draft

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Falcons picks in the fourth round or later

1

Pick with which the Falcons drafted “Mr. Falcon,” Tommy Nobis, with their first-ever selection in 1966.

5

Pick with which the Falcons took Deion Sanders, the franchise’s lone draft pick that had a Hall of Fame career

11

Round in which the Falcons selected future Ring of Honor member Jeff Van Note

7

Round in which the Falcons selected 13-year starter Todd McClure

1

Round in which the Falcons selected Bruce Pickens, Devin Bush and Michael Booker

Westminster also stifled its opponents in a shutout victory. The Wildcats found themselves in an early-round battle between two of the top three teams in the classification, as they had to travel to Calhoun on Tuesday. No. 3 Westminster scored on a header by Justin Greenfield in the 19th minute and that proved to be enough in a 1-0 win. Goalkeeper Benton Wood thwarted a host of free kicks and corner kicks for the No. 2 Yellow Jackets in the second half. Westminster will face Toombs County for a spot in the semifinals.

SPRING PLAYOFFS

LOVETT’S RUN TO THE QUARTERFINALS HIGHLIGHTS SOCCER ACTION

BY STEPHEN BLACK, RICKY DIMON AND CRAIG SAGER II

he Lovett Lions boys soccer team is the stoT ry of the playoffs having won two straight games against higher-seeded foes to advance

to the quarterfinals despite winning just one regular-season game. Lovett dispatched No. 5 Jefferson in the first round, then No. 10 Coosa in the second round, each on the road. Up next for Lovett is a long trip to Thomasville, which is also unranked. A win there and Lovett could face top-ranked GAC for the third time this season.

sive saves to preserve a 2-0 shutout. Next up for Brookwood is No. 3 Campbell, which edged Colquitt County 2-1.

Other quarterfinal showdowns pit Harrison against Walton, Hillgrove against Mill Creek and Douglas County against South Gwinnett. No. 4 Walton survived seventhranked Central Gwinnett 1-0 on a penalty-kick conversion by Chris Jensen. The visiting Black Knights almost equalized in the final minute, but had a shot ricochet off a goalpost.

TOUGH TEST …

Brookwood may be the No. 1 team in Class AAAAAA, but the state tournament draw is not doing it any favors. The Broncos got a stern test from fifth-ranked Lassiter during secondround action on Tuesday evening, but they passed it to reach the quarterfinals. Samaan Williams and Alfredo Rivera scored secondhalf goals to break a 0-0 tie at intermission and goalkeeper Andy Harris made several impres-

SIXTH SENSE …

In Class AA, Region 6 representatives Greater Atlanta Christian, Lovett and Westminster moved safely through to the quarters.

Four different players scored goals as topranked Greater Atlanta Christian routed Murray County 7-0. The Spartans did not find the back of the net until the 37th minute, when Davis Bryan redirected a corner kick past Murray County’s goalie.

LAX LOVE …

Round 1 state lacrosse playoffs began on Tuesday with the Class AAAAAA boys and Class A-AAAAA girls. Each 16-team bracket plays eight first-round games and in the boys Class AAAAAA action, all four No. 1 seeds advanced, but just two of four No. 2’s won their first-round matchups. No. 3 Walton topped No. 2 Hillgrove 12-7 and No. 3 Lambert steamrolled No. 2 North Gwinnett 11-3. The Class AAAAAA boys Elite 8 is comprised of Harrison, Lambert, Johns Creek, Milton, Centennial, Roswell, Walton and Peachtree Ridge.

Lambert’s 11-3 win over North Gwinnett handed the Bulldogs just their second in-state loss of the season. Senior Sean Carruthers scored two goals and tallied one assist and Longhorn teammate Spencer Wilson added a goal and an assist.

Peachtree Ridge eliminated a red-hot Chattahoochee team last night 13-11. The Cougars had won seven games to close out its reg-

ular season including a 12-7 win over Walton and a 13-12 home victory over Peachtree Ridge on a last-minute goal. The Lions got revenge on Tuesday and were led by two incredible individual efforts. Steven Lee dished out four assist while netting four goals and Matty Ledon also scored four goals. Peachtree Ridge gets Walton next in the Elite 8 which, like Chattahoochee, handed the Lions a one-goal defeat in the regular season (12-11).

The Class A-AAAAA girls first round had the same result as the Class AAAAAA boys.

All four No. 1 seeds held court while two of four No. 2 seeds fell to visiting No. 3 seeds. No. 3 Pope fought back from a 7-5 halftime deficit to beat Starr’s Mill 12-10 and No. 3 Blessed Trinity cruised past No. 2 Marist 15-6.

Zoe Szczotka led Pope’s comeback with four goals and four assists and Sophia Bowers netted a hat-trick. One of the night’s top performances from came in top-seeded Kell’s 16-11 win over Lovett. Standout Haley Swift led the Longhorns with four goals and six assists.

Teammates Leslie Ferguson and Izzy Palermo finished with four goals and three goals, respectively.

Kell, Northview, McIntosh, Blessed Trinity, Cambridge, Westminster, Pope and St. Pius X make up the girls Class A-AAAAA Elite 8.

Photos courtesy of Jackie Wilson, Paul Roth, Glenn Martin Photography and LeeAnn Young.

Score Atlanta/AJC Lacrosse Pre-Playoff Rankings BOYS

GIRLS

Class AAAAAA

Class AAAAA-A

1.............................. Milton 2.......................... Harrison 3............................Roswell 4....................Johns Creek 5...........................Lambert

1....................Westminster 2........................Northview 3...............................Lovett 4............................Decatur 5.............................. Marist

6.......................Centennial 7................Chattahoochee 8............................. Walton 9............. Peachtree Ridge 10..............North Gwinnett

6..................................GAC 7................ Blessed Trinity 8......................... Allatoona 9......................... McIntosh 10.......................St. Pius X

Class AAAAAA

Class AAAAA-A

1.............................. Milton 2........................... Lassiter 3................Chattahoochee 4............................. Walton 5.......................Centennial

1.................................. Kell 2....................Westminster 3................................ Pope 4...................... Cambridge 5........................Northview

6.......................... Harrison 7................... West Forsyth 8........................Mill Creek 9.............................Etowah 10..................Johns Creek

6.........................St. Pius X 7......................... McIntosh 8................ Blessed Trinity 9.......................Starr’s Mill 10.............Holy Innocents’

Vol. 10 Iss. 18 | May 9-15, 2014 starting at 6 p.m. Practice runs start at 6:15 p.m., with a speedway parade at 8:05 pm. Drag racing eliminations begin after 9 p.m.

ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

SCORE ATLANTA IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

Atlanta and the Atlanta Motor SpeedSship.core way are excited to announce a new partnerEach week in Score Atlanta, you can find

out about upcoming events and what is happening out at the track.

“We’re excited to be partnering up with Score Atlanta,” AMS Director of Marketing and Promotion, Dustin Bixby said. “We know (Score) reaches a pretty diverse audience and I think that’s going to be a big help getting in front of new folks. We’re real excited about it.”

EVENT SCHEDULE …

Every week you can read about the great events going on out at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in addition to the Labor Day Sunday night NASCAR race later this year. For example, the speedway has a great event coming up this week, with O’Reilly Auto Parts sponsoring the first Friday Night Drags and Show-N-Shine of the season.

Starting Friday, competitors will have the chance to race their cars on the speedway’s pit-row drag strip. Races will be almost every

Friday night, now through Aug. 15. The Fall Stampede will take place on Sept. 12 and 19.

There are 18 different divisions to race in.

At the drag races, there will be everything from super-charged cars to more commonly seen stock vehicles. Bixby says that AMS is very excited to get this event started for the season.

“The first two events this weekend and next weekend are just sort of a kickoff non-points events,” Bixby said. “It just gives everyone a chance to get tuned up for our points series.”

In order to participate in this event, all drivers must sign a safety waiver and wear a Department of Transportation-approved helmet. The entry fee to race is $20. You can sign the waiver at the speedway or print your own and sign it by going to www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

Sixteen- and 17-year-old minors that wish to race must have a waiver on file prior to the race on Friday night. You can go to the AMS website to get that done.

Drivers must sign up on the night of the event at the speedway’s main infield tunnel

SHOW BUSINESS …

In addition to the drag races, the speedway is also putting on the Show-N-Shine event.

Participants will have the opportunity to bring their cars inside the track’s inner circle and show them off to people and have a chance to win awards for their cars. Drivers could have a chance to take their cars around the track each week, as part of the Speedway Cruise. If you’re interested in competing in this event, you can register at the track’s main infield tunnel starting at 6 p.m. on the evening of that night’s competition. If you want to participate in both Show-N-Shine and Friday Night Drags, then the entrance fee is $30. If you just want to put your car in the Show-N-Shine, then it is only $20.

All throughout the Friday Night Drags season, there will be numerous special events

taking place on those Friday nights. For example on June 6 and July 11, kids can participate in the power wheel races. On June 20, kids can get their hands on some sweet treats, with the Candy Scramble taking place that night.

On our nation’s birthday, July 4, Atlanta Motor Speedway is putting on one of the largest fireworks displays on the south side of Atlanta prior to that night’s drag racing eliminations.

Friday Night Drags is a great way for the family to enjoy the beautiful spring weather in the Atlanta-area and enjoy the high-speed drag races those nights. Admission is only $8 and children under the age of five get in free.

For more information on this event and all events coming up at Atlanta Motor Speedway, you can visit their website at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press.

NIKE TENNIS CAMPS SERIOUS. FUN.

JUNIOR OVERNIGHT AND DAY CAMPS Boys & Girls | Ages 6-18

ALABAMA

NORTH CAROLINA

FLORIDA

University of Alabama

Duke University Wake Forest University

Rollins College Ocean Reef Club Tournament Tough at Ocean Reef Club University of Tampa University of West Florida

GEORGIA Emory University

SOUTH CAROLINA Furman University Charleston

MISSISSIPPI University of Southern Mississippi

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Score Atlanta/AJC High School Baseball Pre-Playoff Rankings Class AAAAAA 6................ East Coweta 7......... Peachtree Ridge 8...Kennesaw Mountain 9...................Tift County 10...................... Etowah

Class AAAAA

Class AA 6...................Dunwoody 7................... Loganville 8...........................Rome 9.....................McIntosh 10................Sprayberry

1.....................Jefferson 2....................... Bremen 3.................Benedictine 4.......................Calhoun 5............................Cook

6....................Fitzgerald 7............... Westminster 8........................Berrien 9.............. Union County 10.................. Jeff Davis

Class A

Class AAAA 1..........................Marist 2..........................Redan 3...............Locust Grove 4....................Columbus 5............... Crisp County

6............Blessed Trinity 7..................... Callaway 8....................North Hall 9................. Cartersville 10....................Ringgold

6.............. Worth County 7....................Carrollton 8..........................Griffin 9......................Veterans 10..Northwest Whitfield

1............................ELCA 2............... Mount Paran 3..........Charlton County 4........ King’s Ridge Chr. 5............Pace Academy

6.................Hebron Chr. 7..George Walton Acad.

8.............Schley County 9................. Gordon Lee 10............... Brookstone

Score Atlanta/AJC Pre-Playoff Soccer Rankings AAAAAA Boys

1..................... Brookwood 2....................... Mill Creek 3........................ Campbell 4.............................Walton 5...........................Lassiter 6.............. Douglas County 7.............Central Gwinnett 8............................. Duluth 9.......................... Lambert 10...........Peachtree Ridge

AAAAA Boys

1.........................McIntosh 2......................Greenbrier 3.............. Glynn Academy 4................ Clarke Central 5........... Lakeside-DeKalb 6......................Gainesville 7...................... Starr’s Mill 8...................... Riverwood 9.............. Houston County 10................ North Atlanta

AAAA Boys

1..............................Dalton 2......Johnson-Gainesville 3......................... Spalding 4....................... Chamblee 5.............................. Grady 6........Southeast Whitfield 7........................LaGrange 8...............................Perry 9.......................Jonesboro 10..................... Columbus

AAA Boys

1......Woodward Academy 2........................ St. Pius X 3.....................Cartersville 4...............Dawson County 5............... Oconee County 6.........................West Hall 7...............Coahulla Creek 8..................North Murray 9........................North Hall 10............Jackson County

AA Boys

1................................. GAC 2...........................Calhoun 3................... Westminster 4......... Westside-Augusta 5........................ Jefferson 6...........................Bremen 7................Murray County 8.......................... Spencer 9...............Toombs County 10............................Coosa

A Boys

1............ Hebron Christian 2...................................AIS 3........Pinecrest Academy 4...... Fellowship Christian 5............................Paideia 6.....................Brookstone 7..........Our Lady of Mercy 8...................Mount Paran 9.......... First Presbyterian 10..............Pace Academy

AAAAAA Girls

1..........................Harrison 2.......................... Grayson 3..................... Brookwood 4.........................Parkview 5.............Peachtree Ridge 6.............................Walton 7..............................Milton 8...........................Lassiter 9.........................Norcross 10........................... Duluth

AAAAA Girls

1.........................McIntosh 2................................Pope 3...................... Starr’s Mill 4........................Northgate 5.......... Heritage-Conyers 6....................... Northview 7............... North Paulding 8.......................Loganville 9.........................Villa Rica 10.......................Allatoona

AAAA Girls

1..............................Marist 2......................... Veterans 3....................... Columbus 4.............................. Grady 5......................... Spalding 6............................... Cairo 7.....................River Ridge 8....................... Chamblee 9....................... Alexander 10.........Heritage-Catoosa

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1................. Whitewater 2.....................Allatoona 3.................. Greenbrier 4.................. Gainesville 5.......... Houston County

1.................Pike County 2......................... Buford 3............. Pierce County 4..................... Thomson 5.....................St. Pius X

AAA Girls

1........................ St. Pius X 2................Blessed Trinity 3.............................Buford 4............... Oconee County 5......Woodward Academy 6.................... Pike County 7...............Dawson County 8..................North Oconee 9...........................Decatur 10...................Cartersville

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AA Girls

1................................. GAC 2..............................Lovett 3................... Westminster 4...........................Calhoun 5.......................Armuchee 6....................St. Vincent’s 7.............................Vidalia 8........................ Wesleyan 9........................ Jefferson 10...........................Jordan

A Girls

1... First Presbyterian Day 2............ Hebron Christian 3............................Paideia 4...... Fellowship Christian 5.............. Holy Innocents’ 6.................... Calvary Day 7..... Providence Christian 8........ Mt. Paran Christian 9................Pace Academy 10.................................AIS

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DIAMOND DAWGS KEEP POSTSEASON HOPES ALIVE

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

G

eorgia is very much in win-as-manygames-as-possible mode as the Diamond Dawgs head towards the finish of the 2014 regular season. Their last series was a huge step towards making the postseason by winning two out of three games over No. 7 South Carolina.

ALIVE AND KICKING …

After the successful weekend, the Bulldogs are now 23-23-1 and still alive for a berth in the SEC Tournament as well as the NCAA Regionals.

Georgia opened the series on Friday night with a 3-1 win over the Gamecocks, backed up by a strong performance from starting pitcher Ryan Lawlor. His complete-game, three-hit, and six-strikeout performance earned him SEC Pitcher of the Week honors. A solo homer from South Carolina standout catcher Grayson Greiner was the only thing keeping Lawlor from picking up a shutout.

GEORGIA STATE

SOFTBALL TEAM SEEDED THIRD IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

BY PAIGE MORTON | PMORTON@SCOREATL.COM

L

ast Saturday the Georgia State softball team took on Western Kentucky in a doubleheader to wrap up a three-game home series. After winning the opener last Friday, the Panthers split the doubleheader to take the series 2-1.

The performance was good enough to earn GSU the No. 3 seed in this week’s Sun Belt Conference tournament.

Western Kentucky opened the second game of the series with three runs in the top of the first inning before Georgia State answered for four in the bottom of the frame. The Lady Toppers twice managed to tie the game 4-4 and 5-5, but the Panthers prevailed in extra innings with a run in the bottom of the eighth for a 6-5 victory. Pinch hitter Taylor Thorpe drove in right fielder Megan Litumbe for the winning run. Kaitlyn Medlam earned her 20th win of the season while allowing just two hits over four scoreless innings. Georgia State lost the series finale 9-7 despite getting home runs from Litumbe, MeQuilla Franklin and Kensey Caldwell.

The combined efforts of a Greiner tworun homer and three more go-ahead runs coming in the seventh and eighth innings against the Dawgs’ bullpen spelled out a 5-2 loss for UGA on Saturday.

Georgia first-year head coach Scott Stricklin said that losses like that are just part of the growing process for the program.

“We’ve got a young club,” Stricklin said after Saturday’s game. “I really liked the way our kids fought today and I thought we fought hard last night.”

Stricklin continued by saying the goal was to win the series over South Carolina. They entered Sunday’s game with the opportunity to do just that and teh Dawgs succeeded. The Bulldogs closed out the weekend with a 5-3 win. Stricklin also made a move in the lineup that really paid off for the club. He decided to re-insert first baseman Daniel Nichols into the starting line up in the fifth spot of the batting order.

Twelve teams make it to the SEC Baseball tournament in Hoover, Ala. at the end of this month. As of right now, Auburn and Missouri are the only teams not set to make the trip to the postseason conference tournament. Georgia is currently (9-14) in SEC play and sits 0.5 games ahead of Auburn for the final spot in Hoover.

The Bulldogs travel to Oxford this coming weekend for a three-game series with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Georgia State played its tournament opener against Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday afternoon, but results were not available at press time. The sixth-seeded Warhawks advanced earlier in the day with a 3-2 defeat of No. 7 Troy.

BASEBALL TAKES SERIES …

Over on the baseball field, the Panthers beat South Alabama 15-10 last Sunday to win the series between the two conference foes. It was the proverbial rubber match of the threegame set after Georgia State had lost 8-1 on Friday and won 7-4 on Saturday. Nic Wilson tied the school and Sun Belt record with three home runs in a single game to help GSU win the finale. Wilson now has 16 home runs for the season. The game started out a little rocky as the Panthers fell behind 5-1 after three innings.

However, they answered with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. South Alabama briefly regained a 9-8 advantage in the top of the fifth before GSU took the lead for good. Wilson provided for the final winning margin with a tworun homer in the bottom of the seventh.

Georgia State played its final home game of the season on Wednesday against Kennesaw State (results not available). The team will head into the May 21-25 Sun Belt tournament in Mobile, Ala. following a seven-game road trip. That trek includes three-game series at LouisianaMonroe and Western Kentucky sandwiched around a visit to Mercer next Tuesday.

GEORGIA TECH

JACKETS GETTING THE JOB DONE IN THE CLASSROOM

BY ROBERT TINTER | RTINTER@SCOREATL.COM

n Wednesday the NCAA recognized GeorO gia Tech’s football, golf, women’s tennis and men’s swimming teams for producing a

multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) ranking in the top 10 percent nationally within their respective sports. The APR is a real-time look at a team’s academic success, charting each athlete semester by semester.

BEESBALL ...

Tech’s baseball came away with a 9-6 victory on Tuesday over visiting North Florida.

The win was the Yellow Jackets’ 23rd at home and 29th overall. They will wrap up their ACC schedule with a three-game weekend series at Virginia. The Cavaliers are battling for the top seed in the Coastal Division and are ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the national polls.

Georgia Tech will need to pick up at least two victories on the road to have a chance of moving into fourth place in the Coastal Division.

North Carolina would also need to lose two games this weekend.

KENNESAW STATE

FOOTBALL ADDS TWO MORE ASSISTANTS TO COACHING STAFF

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

ennesaw State’s football program continK ues to grow as head coach Brian Bohannon added two more staff members to the

roster. Last Thursday, Bohannon announced that Daniel Glynn will be the first equipment manager for KSU. Glynn will oversee all equipment needs and apparel for the program. Before getting hired by the Owls, Glynn was the assistant equipment manager at Georgia State last year. Prior to his arrival at GSU, he was a training camp intern for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012.

“It’s an exciting time at Kennesaw State and it’s an honor to say that I am joining this staff to help build the football program,” Glynn told ksuowlsfootball.com. “I’m very excited to not only work with coach Bohannon and the staff he has hired but Kennesaw State University, the department of athletics and the community as a whole.”

The second hire was also made last Thursday when Bohannon announced Philip Young as assistant director of sports medicine/head football athletic trainer. Young will oversee in-

TOURNAMENT TIME …

Two Georgia Tech athletic teams learned their fate in upcoming tournaments. The men’s golf team is coming off a thrilling ACC tournament championship victory in New London, N.C. that gave the Yellow Jackets their 15th title in program history. In addition to the team victory, Ollie Schniederjans became the 10th Tech golfer to win the individual ACC tournament.

Earlier this week, the Jackets learned they would be headed back to North Carolina from May 15-17 to play in the Raleigh NCAA regional. The fifth-ranked Jackets will be the No. 1 seed and will be joined by seven other top 50 teams: Washington, Florida State, Texas A&M, Mercer, Kentucky, Texas Tech and Wake Forest. Unranked teams South Alabama, Memphis, Minnesota, Rice and Bethune-Cookman are also in the field. The top five teams after 54 holes and one individual on the non-qualifying teams advance to the NCAA finals.

The Georgia Tech softball team begins postseason play against Florida State. After getting swept by the Seminoles in three games, the Jackets ended their season with a 23-23 record and an 11-17 ACC record and the eighth seed in the conference tournament to be played this upcoming weekend at the University of Maryland. The Seminoles are the No. 1 seed in the tournament and are ranked fourth in the nation. The Yellow Jackets will need to score a major upset to beat a team that has just six losses the entire season.

jury prevention as well as player injury rehab.

For the last four years, Young was a senior assistant athletic trainer for Georgia, where he was in charge of daily operations including rehabilitation of injures to student-athletes and treatment. Before that, he spent two years as a graduate assistant trainer at the University of Connecticut.

CHAMBERS GETTING DEFENSIVE …

The Atlantic Sun Conference released its annual postseason awards and honors for softball and the Owls were well represented. Sophomore Kara Chambers highlights the group as she was selected as the conference Defensive Player of the Year. Chambers, who plays third base, owns an overall fielding percentage of .983. She has registered 67 putouts and 107 assists while committing only three errors in 51 games this season. Chambers joins Amanda Henderson and Taylor Denton as Second Team All-Conference honorees.

“It is a very big honor for Kara, Amanda and Taylor to be recognized by the conference,” head coach Wes Holly, Jr. told ksuowls.com. “It speaks very highly of them and I am very proud of each of them. To be named Defensive Player of the Year is an exceptionally huge honor for Kara, as she is just a sophomore. This year she worked very hard third base between last spring and this fall. “ The Owls played against Mercer in the opening round of the conference championships on Wednesday. Results were not available at press time.

Vol. 10 Iss. 18 | May 9-15, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS SURPRISE MANY WITH RESPECTABLE SEASON

BY ROBERT TINTER | RTINTER@SCOREATL.COM

he 2013-2014 Atlanta Hawks season came T to an end early Saturday night. The Indiana Pacers took control of Game 7 in the second

quarter and never looked back. Just as they had been doing all series the Hawks were able to find open shots, but they just couldn’t make them. The Hawks set a NBA playoff record 44 three-pointers in Game 7, but only hit 11 of them. The lack of shot-making by the Hawks gave the Pacers the confidence to attack the Hawks defensively. The Pacers seemed to get every loose ball and out-rebounded the Hawks 55-38. The size and skill of the Pacers finally showed up and was too much for the Hawks to handle.

REBUILDING JOB …

Hawks fans were not expecting much from this season. With a new coach and many new players, this was clearly a rebuilding year for the Hawks. However, from the first time the Hawks stepped on the floor, it was clear that this roster played hard and played together.

Coach Mike Budenholzer quickly established

ATLANTA BRAVES

FLOYD’S DEBUT ENDS SEVEN-GAME LOSING STREAK

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Braves have received more than a few pleasant surprises from the starting rotation early in the season and their most recent one stopped a seven-game losing skid. Veteran righty Gavin Floyd had not pitched since April 27, 2013 when he took the mound at Turner Field on Tuesday against St. Louis. Making his Atlanta debut exactly one day prior to the oneyear anniversary of his Tommy John surgery, Floyd went seven innings and allowed just six hits and one run in a much-needed 2-1 victory.

The Braves scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth when a Chris Johnson single drove in Justin Upton, who had homered earlier in the game.

“I didn’t expect that,” Fredi Gonzalez said of Floyd’s performance during the manager’s post-game interview. “I expected a guy that was going to scuffle through five, six innings first time out. (He) hadn’t been in competition for a year, coming through all that stuff. But he sure passed with flying colors. You couldn’t ask

himself as a fantastic coach. Jeff Teague has said that this coaching staff is the most prepared staff he has ever been around. Even with Al Horford missing 53 games, the Hawks still finished second in the NBA in assists per game, and were 14th in the league in scoring.

Teague took another step in his development as a play-making point guard, Kyle Korver continued to show why he is an elite shooter, and Paul Millsap developed into an all-star under “Coach Bud” and his staff. DeMarre Carroll and Mike Scott also improved throughout the season and both ended the season playing their best. The entire team played hard and it was obvious they enjoyed playing for each other, the staff, and the fans. The Hawks accomplished more than any fan could have expected.

LOOKING AHEAD …

This summer the Hawks will have to make tough decisions regarding role players on their roster. Mike Scott and Shelvin Mack both had breakout seasons and both will get heavy interest from other teams. The Hawks will have around $10 million to work with this offseason, so they should be able to pay Scott and Mack if they want.

The Hawks will have the 15th pick the 2014 NBA Draft, which has been widely regarded as the deepest of the decade. It is unclear which direction the Hawks will go and as the draft gets closer we will have a better idea.

for anything more.”

“Just thankful for this opportunity,” Floyd commented. “It felt good. A lot of emotions, a lot of excitement this whole process, leading up to it and then getting back out there. It was a big win for us today.”

HITTING A SNAG …

Atlanta’s pitching staff has not been quite as lights out as it was throughout the first four weeks of the season, but hitting was undoubtedly the culprit of the seven-game losing streak. The Braves scored a combined 13 runs in those seven contests, getting shut out once and managing only one run in each of their three losses to San Francisco.

Complete ineptitude with runners in scoring position has been the Braves’ biggest problem. While getting swept last week in Miami, they went 2-for-18 as a team in such situations.

They went 3-for-21 with a runner on either second and/or third base against the Giants.

Atlanta is hitting .201 with runners in scoring position as of Wednesday afternoon, third to last in all of Major League Baseball.

The Braves are second to last in the bigs with 104 runs scored, better than only San Diego. They will hope to get their bats in gear during a three-game home series against the Cubs this weekend.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS APPROACH DRAFT WITH VARYING NEEDS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

I

t’s been 13 weeks since Super Bowl XLVIII and the NFL Draft is finally here. Atlanta heads into draft day with 10 total selections, including the highly-anticipated No. 6 pick of the draft. Offensive tackle Jake Matthews is considered the safe pick of this year’s draft and the 6-foot-5, 308-pound Texas A&M star could still be available if things work out in Atlanta’s favor.

“A guy like that [Matthews] has the potential to go No. 1 in this draft, if he turns the right heads,’’ Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said back in January.

The Falcons have solid starters on their offensive line, but the most important position (left tackle) could be Matthews if he is picked.

Matthews’ offensive line coach B.J. Anderson at Texas A&M gave his praise to his ability.

“He [Matthews] has a really good set, one

ATLANTA DREAM

DREAM BEAT CHINESE NATIONAL TEAM IN SCRIMMAGE

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

F

or the first time this offseason, the Atlanta Dream scrimmaged someone other than themselves when they faced the Chinese National Team Sunday. Closed to the public, the scrimmage took place on the Atlanta Hawks’ practice court. The Dream led 75-60 after four quarters, at which point both teams agreed to play a fifth quarter that ultimately led to an 8872 victory for the hosts.

“For them to be able to adapt to a new coach, a new system, a new style of play, I was very pleased with them,” new head coach Michael Cooper said of his players in an interview with swishappeal.com. “If I had to grade them, I’d give us a C-plus, a B-minus. I think we’re right there. A lot of stuff I gave them during the game was new stuff. I’m trying to see who can think on the move and who can pick on the run.

I thought our defense was okay. We’re going to get better.”

Cooper will hope any improvements come to fruition prior to next Friday’s regular-

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of the best sets I’ve ever coached,’’ said Anderson. “He’s just a technician. He’s a fundamentalist. He plays with power in the run game and protection-wise. His football IQ is really, really high. He has a lot of awareness when he’s on the football field of what’s going on around him and how that affects the backs trying to block. … He’s a tape junkie. He watches plenty of tape, both college and pros. He’s just a student of the game. This game is very important to him and he treats it as such.’’

The attention to detail and drive to study film makes Matthews a perfect fit for the detail-oriented Matt Ryan.

OTHER OPTIONS …

Auburn’s star offensive tackle Greg Robinson has been projected as a No. 2 pick and Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan is also projected to be somewhere in the top five.

Atlanta has drafted one offensive lineman in the first round in the last 22 seasons while the rest of the league has typically fulfilled this position with their first pick. Atlanta has a ton of talent dotting its 2014 roster, but depth is a glaring weakness of this team. With 10 total selections this year and trying to recover from a 4-12 2013 campaign, this is Dimitroff’s most important draft since coming to Atlanta on Jan. 13, 2008.

season opener at home against San Antonio.

Atlanta has back-to-back games to begin its 2014 campaign, as it will travel immediately to Indiana for a contest next Saturday.

SHOWTIME SHONI …

Training camp opened on April 27 and it did not take long for rookie Shoni Schimmel, the eighth overall pick in last month’s WNBA Draft, to be nicknamed “Showtime Shoni” by her new team. Schimmel, who averaged 15.3 points per game during her four-year career at Louisville and 17.4 last season, earned the moniker with her flare and energy that had also been on display in college. She mostly ran the offense at point guard in the scrimmage against China, showing a pass-first mentality while limiting her shots. Off the court, she keeps a blog at sportsblog.com.

Two days into camp, Schimmel wrote: “Today was the second day of training camp here down in Hot-LANTA!!! I’m glad to be back on the court, having fun and working hard at the same time. What else more could you ask for honestly? We have two practices a day here during training camp. It’s intense, but I’m loving every minute of it…. I must say though, my legs are a little shot! Need to get them some rest here as much as I can. My bed is calling my name early tonight.”

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THE FALCONS DRAFTED AT NO. 3 IN THE 2008 DRAFT, WHEN THEY SELECTED MATT RYAN.

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