Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Issue 32

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 32 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2015

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

Battle Tested | Pg. 4 A challenging start prepares Jake Matthews for more Year 2 success.

We Meet Again | Pg. 10 Week 7 slate features some of the state’s most intense rivalries.

THE GREAT DEBATE Kyle Sandy and Tyler Andrews preview the much-anticipated showdown in Athens. | Pg. 6

STAND TALL. STAND PROUD. STAND ARMY STRONG.

There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. As a Soldier in the U.S. Army, you’ll develop the physical, mental and emotional strength to meet the challenges you may face today and in the future. You’ll gain unmatched leadership skills and on-the-job training—the kind that’s highly desired in both the military and civilian world. Plus, recruiter, goarmy.com or call 1-800-USA-ARMY.

Earn a salary and money for your education while you gain the strength to stand out. Visit your local Army Career Counselor today or visit us online at goarmy.com/bs02

©2009. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

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ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock

MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Sandy MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rhonda Rawls

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

BEAT WRITERS: Colin Hubbard (GA Tech) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons)

Kyle Sandy (Transfer Corner, GSU, Hawks)

Ned Kaish (Kennesaw, Braves)

STAFF WRITERS Tyler Andrews

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Copyright 2015 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published in print every other week on Fridays and a digital version is posted to ScoreAtl.com in-between print issues. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

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SCORE LIST | NUMBERS GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH BRAVES | FALCONS HAWKS | THE TRANSFER CORNER

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA FALCONS, TERRANCE JOHNSON, UGA ATHLETICS AND AP IMAGES.

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE

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Foundation has given scholarships to students in Georgia, Baltimore and Tennessee with hopes of spreading across the South in the coming years.

Jordan is set to host multiple events around Atlanta from October 24-26 to raise funds and awareness for the Brian Jordan Foundation.

The Charity Weekend includes both private and ticketed events open to the general public.

The Foundation’s goal for the Charity Weekend is to fund 16 college scholarships for deserving high school students in the Class of 2016, an increase from the 12 given last year.

“Once the students send in their information, my board and I review all the applications, narrow them down down to the top 20 and then conduct an interview process,” said Jordan.

“From there we select the students that will receive scholarships. The Braves have been gra-

SHOTGUN START On Sunday, October 25 at 11:00 a.m. sponsors will have an opportunity to play in a private Two-Man Scramble Golf Tournament held at Chateau Elan. Later that evening, fans can rub shoulders with the celebrities, listen to rising country music star Matt Stillwell perform on stage and bid on amazing, one-of-akind items at auction at the Draft Party.

To close down the eventful weekend at 10:30 a.m. on Monday the 26th, the Celebrity Golf Classic at Chateau Elan, the celebrities will be paired with each foursome and there are spot prizes throughout the course.

There will be a number of celebrities attending the events including baseball legends Ozzie Smith, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Phil Niekro and Gary Sheffield; football legends Tony Dorsett, Warrick Dunn and Jessie Tuggle;

of the 2014 season after left tackle Sam Baker suffered a season-ending knee injury. To make things more difficult, Matthews was anchoring a line shuffled throughout an injury-plagued season that also saw center Joe Hawley and guard Mike Person go down with season-ending injuries.

Individually, Matthews had to battle through his own list of setbacks that included a high-ankle sprain the first week of his rookie season. He required a Lisfranc foot surgery at the end of the year and also had to rehab a sprained back suffered this preseason. Despite all the obstacles, Matthews was ready to roll Week 1 and helped the Falcons offense clinch a 26-24 Monday Night victory over the Eagles that set the tone for the franchise’s 50th season.

HUMBLE AND FOCUSED With the resume and football pedigree to adapt quickly and thrive on the big stage, Matthews has the blend of maturity and focus to handle it. Professional football is a familiar lifestyle to Jake, who was raised by his mother Carrie and his father Bruce, a Class of 2007 NFL Hall of Famer and arguably the greatest offensive lineman to play the game. While the Manning family has the quarterback position covered with father Archie and brothers Peyton and Eli, the Matthews’ rich football pedigree occupies both sides of the football and has now sent seven family members into the pros.

Bruce grew up in a similar childhood situation as Jake by learning the game from his father, Clay Matthews Sr., who was a former offensive tackle at Georgia Tech and with the San Francisco 49ers. Bruce’s brother and Jake’s uncle Clay Matthews Jr. played on the defensive side of the football and was the No. 12 pick in the 1978 draft. Clay Jr. played linebacker in the NFL for 19 seasons with stays in Cleveland and Atlanta while earning four trips to the Pro Bowl and tallying career totals of 1,561 tackles and 69.5 sacks.

Jake’s cousin is none other than Clay Matthews III, Green Bay’s long-haired, muscleflexing superstar at outside and now middle linebacker. Clay III has four Pro Bowl trips in his five NFL seasons and was named NFC De-

fensive player of the Year in 2010 during Green Bay’s Super Bowl season. The younger brother of Clay III is Casey Matthews, who plays linebacker for the Vikings.

Last season, Matthews faced the Packers and Clay III on Dec. 8 and this year his cousin Casey will be on the opposite sideline as the Falcons host the Vikings on Nov. 29.

Jake has had arguably the highest expectations of all of them as he competes in just his second season. He’s the earliest pick out of the seven Matthews that have made their way to the NFL. He’s also just the second offensive lineman drafted by the Falcons in the first round in the past 23 years.

In the midst of all the pressure, Jake’s navigated his way to the pros with maturity and a range of skills that continue to grow. Matthews adapted to a new offensive system this year as offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan brought in his balanced zone run offense to compliment quarterback Matt Ryan and the passing attack. The result has been a passing game that has averaged over 300 yards per game and a running game powered by Matthews and a newly-assembled line that has lifted the Falcons from last in the NFL year ago to a League-high five rushing touchdowns in the first three weeks of the season.

Photo courtesy of Atlanta Falcons.

9TH ANNUAL BRIAN JORDAN FOUNDATION CHARITY WEEKEND

BY LAUREN GOLDSTEIN | LGOLDSTEIN@SCOREATL.COM

wo-sport superstar Brian Jordan who played T three seasons in the NFL and 15 seasons in MLB, founded the Brian Jordan Foundation (BJF) in 1998. BJF has helped many students experience the dream of a college degree, taught children the fundamentals of baseball, equipped hundreds of young students with back-to-school supplies and encouraged countless others about the importance of reading. The Foundation is dedicated to building healthy minds, strong bodies and supporting places to grow.

“My mom was an educator so I got to watch her teach kids with special needs and really pouring out her heart and soul into giving them hope,” explained Jordan. “When I finally reached my dreams I was definitely going to give back anyway that I could.”

Over the past 17 years, the Brian Jordan

SAGER SAYS

BATTLE-TESTED MATTHEWS POISED FOR SUCCESSFUL YEAR 2

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he expectations are high for every first round pick and meeting them takes a rare combination of toughness, perseverance and leadership. First rounders are asked to make an immediate impact within positions that were thin to begin with. It was no different for the Falcons in 2014 when they used the No. 6 overall pick of the draft to select Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews. The 6-foot-5 rookie was slated for the starting right tackle job right away, but becoming a cornerstone on Atlanta’s offensive line would be the first of his many challenges as obstacle after obstacle tested the young Falcon.

After going through his first offseason and training camp at right tackle, Atlanta had to rip the training wheels off Matthews and move him to left tackle weeks before the start

cious enough to allow me to honor the scholarship winners on the field before a Braves game.”

With an even bigger Charity Weekend this year, the events kick off on Saturday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m. where fans compete against the celebrities in tournament-style events (bowling, billiards and ping-pong) to win prizes and raise money for literacy. The event will be open to the public and will be held at Dave & Busters in Lawrenceville (5900 Sugarloaf Parkway) and includes dinner. It’s recommended you RSVP to participate in the games by calling 678-804-9562.

and basketball legends Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Kevin Willis and Dale Ellis.

Among the major partners for this year’s Foundation Weekend include: Wells Fargo, Cigna Health Care, Georgia’s Own Credit Union, SunTrust Bank, Morgan & Morgan Law Firm, Delta Airlines, Bank of America, BB&T, 92.9 The Game, Dave & Busters, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Simply Beverages, Chick-fil-A, Heineken and Georgia Power.

On July 2nd, the Brian Jordan Foundation began its partnership with Kennesaw State University. “My ultimate dream has finally come true to be to build a center for excellence. Housing single-parent, underprivileged families — to practically raise them through Kennesaw State.” Brian Jordan Foundation and LakePoint will come together to build the Kennesaw State Brian Jordan Center for Excellence in Emerson, GA, a professional development building that will house underprivileged families and guide them through a social work program at Kennesaw State. In addition, the sports’ management will be available to train kids in this particular field if they choose.

“I had to earn an athletic scholarship in order to go to college we want to make sure we provide these kids with everything and equip them with the knowledge and the health and fitness they need to be successful in life,” said Jordan. “It’s been a continuous journey and that journey is starting to come true.”

Photos courtesy of the Brian Jordan Foundation.

COLUMNIST

Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015

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ON THE COVER

COVER STORY

ALABAMA OR GEORGIA: THE GREAT DEBATE

BY KYLE SANDY & TYLER ANDREWS

Kyle Sandy & Tyler Andrews breakdown Saturday’s anticipated matchup between No. 13 Alabama and No. 8 Georgia and predict the outcome. The undefeated Bulldogs host the 3-1 Crimson Tide for the first time since 2008’s 41-30 Alabama victory. Georgia has got off to a 4-0 start thanks to solid defense and the Nick Chubb-led offense that has seen the sophomore ball carrier eclipse 100 yards every game this season. Georgia has conference victories over South Carolina and Vanderbilt on its resume. Alabama is led by its unstoppable running back Derrick Henry and has dominated its three non-conference opponents. Bama’s only SEC game, however, resulted in a 43-37 home loss to Ole Miss two weekends ago.

UGA RUN VS. BAMA D

ALABAMA: I think we can both agree that the game will be won and lost in the trenches with the front sevens of each team trying to stop the opposing team’s running game. Nick Chubb is great and all, but has he faced a defense like Alabama’s? The answer is no. Sorry, but the Tide is a little better than Vanderbilt, who is the best team the Dawgs have played all season… seriously.

Alabama might not have the vaunted defense it once had, but it is still pretty darn good.

Through four games this year the Crimson Tide has allowed just 56.8 yards per game on the ground – that’s a miniscule 2.0 yards per carry!

Alabama hasn’t given up over 120 yards per game on the ground over a season since Nick Saban’s first year in 2007.

The best defense UGA faced last year

was that of the lowly Florida Gators. As a team the Bulldogs rushed for 141 yards on 32 carries; that’s not going to cut it against Alabama. And do I need to remind Georgia fans of how that game turned out? Florida won 3820 and gashed the pups’ defense for 418 yards with two slightly above average running backs.

What is Derrick Henry and a healthy Kenyan Drake going to do?

GEORGIA: When you think of SEC football you think of ground and pound offenses and hard-nosed defenses. This matchup displays power against power. Georgia has Nick Chubb who has managed to run for 100 yards in 12 straight games. He can beat you in physicality, speed, and even as a receiver. And don’t forget about the change of pace back in Sony Michel who may be Georgia’s most dangerous player on offense. Together they have combined for 822 rushing yards, 185 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in four games. The physicality of Georgia’s offensive line coupled with their twoheaded monster in the backfield is something that cannot be stopped. A defense can only hope it can be maintained, especially when this isn’t one of Saban’s of old. And never forget about Keith Marshall.

BAMA RUN VS. UGA D

ALABAMA: That “devastating” Bulldog defense people in Athens are trying to sell you on doesn’t even measure up to Bama. The Tide have played two ranked teams in current No. 19 Wisconsin and No. 3 Ole Miss. In those games the Badgers rushed for 40 yards on 21

carries while the Rebels gained 92 on 32 totes.

Georgia allowed 174 yards on 39 carries to South Carolina and even Vandy eclipsed the 100-yard mark. Henry rushed for 990 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. In his last healthy season in 2013, Drake gained 694 yards on 7.5 yards per carry. So far this season the duo has combined for 637 yards and nine scores.

Last year UGA allowed 166.8 yards per game on the ground and heading into Saturday they have given up twice as much as Alabama has with 107.3. Good luck wrapping up the 6-foot-3, 242-pound Henry. By the way, last time these two teams met, in the 2012 SEC Championship, the Tide rolled for 350 yards rushing.

GEORGIA: The days of Georgia having an underperforming defense are no longer thanks to the leadership of second-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Last year the team showed glimpses of greatness and this year has been all about sustaining that greatness.

The Dawgs have given up only three rushing touchdowns all season and runners are averaging only 3.1 yards/attempt against a team that has had the opportunity to play a ton of second and third-string players in their blowout wins. On the opposing side, Alabama’s Derrick Henry is a great back. Henry is averaging 6.3 yards/carry and has eight rushing touchdowns.

But, when Alabama faces a good defense like Georgia and they are in a third-and-long situation with a below-average quarterback, their running game cannot bail them out. I look for Georgia’s defense to set the tone early against the run and force Alabama to beat them through the air, which is something I don’t believe the Tide can do. I also expect a breakout game from middle linebacker Jake Ganus.

QB COMPARISON

ALABAMA: With Alabama loading the box on defense, Greyson Lambert will be forced to beat the Tide. The bullets haven’t started flying against Lambert yet and he has never seen a defense quite like Alabama. He started 0-for-7 against Vanderbilt and was yanked for Brice Ramsey. The South Carolina game was an aberration, an outlier, a fluke. I have a sneaky suspicious the real Greyson Lambert who was a turnover machine at Virginia will rear his ugly head in this big game. Jake Coker has proven he can be competent against good competition, going 15-of-21 against Wisconsin for 213 yards and a touchdown. He threw for three touchdowns and ran in a score against Ole Miss, but was marred by two interceptions. The rumor on campus however was that Coker was running a 102 degree fever all day.

Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015 GEORGIA: Both UGA and Alabama entered the season with quarterback questions. Since Week 2, the schools have gone in completely different directions. Alabama switched starting quarterbacks before their game against Ole Miss and it turned out to haunt them. Georgia questioned whether Greyson Lambert could lead them after two below-average performances. His 24-of-25, 330-yard performance against South Carolina erased that doubt. Not only would I give the edge to the quarterback that is hot right now in Lambert, but I also give the edge to the team that has their guy and not a circus with two cowboys.

HISTORY

ALABAMA: They say history repeats itself.

If that’s true, it’s not a good sign for Georgia.

We all remember the SEC Championship and of course, how can we forget the “Blackout” gimmick UGA used in 2008? That one really worked well between the bushes. The Dawgs entered the half down 31-0 and limped to a 41-30 loss. Overall, Bama has taken the series 37-24-3. Since 1960, the Crimson Tide has gone 14-7 against UGA. Oh and by the way, Alabama has 15 National Championships to Georgia’s one.

GEORGIA: Since 2008, the last time these two played in the regular season, their stories have been vastly different. Alabama has won three national titles and three SEC titles. Georgia has lost twice in the SEC title game and had a 6-7 season. The last time these two played in the 2012 SEC title game, Georgia came within four yards of winning and going to the National Championship. When they were blown out at home in 2008 in the blackout game it was much of the same misery felt by all Dawgs fans.

But, that’s why I am confident in their task this weekend. Georgia is due for a big win. Georgia is due for a good performance against Alabama. A good team like Georgia who always recruits well and is always hovering in the top ten is due to finally breakthrough and play up to their potential against a big-time opponent.

COACHING COMPARISON ALABAMA: When it comes to the sidelines, I’ll take Nick Saban, his four national cham-

pionships, Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart over Mark Richt’s goose egg in the cabinet, Brian Schottenheimer and Jeremy Pruitt. Just look at Richt’s debacle against Georgia Tech. He inexplicably pooch kicked with 18 seconds left up three. Then he left fans aghast with his decision to call a timeout with 4 seconds left and the play clock at 3 seconds when Georgia Tech was lining up for the tying kick. Instead of a 58-yarder, Harrison Butker attempted a 53-yarder and the rest is history.

GEORGIA: It’s hard to say a coach that has won four titles is not as good as one that has yet to win one or even play for one as a head coach, but I am going to say that anyway. In his 15th season, Richt has already compiled 140 wins, a .745 winning percentage and nine 10-win seasons. He won a national title as offensive coordinator at Florida State. But, most importantly he is the ultimate players coach.

His good deeds, devotion to faith, and loyalty to his players has to pay off some day. I see him as a Bowden or an Osborne who just takes longer to win that first title. Richt has proven that he is great and nobody can take that away from him.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE? ALABAMA: In terms of hitting the road against UGA, there isn’t much to worry about. Since ’07, Bama has nine wins on the road against ranked teams. Included in that is wins at Death Valley (LSU) three times, Sanford Stadium (UGA), Ole Miss, Arkansas, Beaver Stadium (Penn State), The Swamp (Florida) and Kyle Field (Texas A&M).

GEORGIA: The wounds of 2008 are still fresh in the minds and hearts of UGA. Nobody in recent memory has done what Alabama did to the Dawgs on their home field. Not only is redemption on the minds of the UGA faithful, but their 35-year title drought is too. UGA is 74-15 at home under Richt and I would bet on that even facing a team like Alabama.

Photos courtesy of Rob Saye and Sonny Kennedy.

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Falcons Offensive Line

UGA Running Backs

Lanier’s five-star recruit had a huge game in helping the Longhorns stay undefeated Friday night moving to 5-0.

Brown finished the game with 10 tackles, four for loss, five passes deflected and a 31-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter to secure a 21-6 win. On the season Brown now has 43 tackles, 20 for loss and five sacks.

After catching heat all offseason the Falcons offensive line has done nothing but produce on the way to a 3-0 record. Behind the O-line Atlanta is ranked third in total offense in the NFL. The line also helped the Falcons rush for 158 yards in their Week 3 win at Dallas. Atlanta has rushed for six touchdowns this year, almost half as many as all of last season.

Georgia running back Nick Chubb was a well-known name coming into the season, while Sony Michel flew under the radar. After four games both players should be well known.

Chubb leads the team with 599 yards on the ground to go along with six touchdowns. Michel has been a threat in the backfield and through the air with 371 all purpose yards and seven touchdowns including three receiving.

By Craig Sager II

WHO’S HOT

Derrick Brown

SCORE LIST

By Ned Kaish

UGA FAVORED OVER BAMA

The long awaited matchup is finally here with the Crimson Tide come rolling into Athens to take on the undefeated and 8th ranked Bulldogs. For the first time in 73 games Nick Saban and his Tide will be the underdog as Georgia is favored by a single point. Both teams played light out of conference games last week in preparation for this game, which has potential playoff implications.

FREEMAN BURSTS ONTO SCENE

Devonta Freeman made sure the NFL knew who he was last week. The second-year pro from Florida State ran the ball 30 times for 141 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons come from behind win over Dallas on the road. Freeman, filling in for the injured Tevin Coleman, also caught five passes for 52 yards.

JACKETS STUNG AGAIN

After coming into the season with playoff hopes, Paul Johnson and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are now just looking for a conference win. After a drubbing at the hands of Notre Dame last week the Yellow Jackets were torched by Duke on Saturday losing 34-20. Tech was forced to throw the ball 22 times and rushed for only 173 yards. The Yellow Jackets will look to bounce back at home against North Carolina on Saturday.

KSU PERFECT NO MORE

The Owls suffered their first loss of the season, and in program history on Saturday at the hands of the Dayton 31-27. Kennesaw State led 13-0 early and 27-21 at the half but could not hold off the Flyers. Running back Chaston Bennett led the way for the Owls finishing the game with 155 yards and a touchdown. Next week KSU returns home for their Homecoming game as they host Point.

SPIETH WINS IN ATLANTA

On Sunday Jordan Spieth capped off the golf season with another win at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Spieth finished at 9-under, four strokes ahead of second place finishers Danny Lee, Henrik Stenson, and Justin Rose. It was Spieth’s sixth tournament win of the year, which included major wins at The Masters and the US Open.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Penalty Flags

Georgia Tech

Washington Nationals

The NFL has set a new high in accepted penalties through the first three weeks with 730.

The previous mark was set at 716 in 2005. In week two 298 penalties were accepted. That number was down by about 90 in week three. The biggest culprits have been the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 33 each.

After getting off to a quick 2-0 tear, the Yellow Jackets have been subdued losing their last two games, both on the road. The offense has been the main struggle as the run game has not been jumpstarted after the quick start. In their two wins Tech ran for 915 yards, in their losses that number was down to 389.

After coming into the season as the favorite to win the NL East the Nationals were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday. The Nationals were in the hunt for the division until an early September series with the Mets in which they were swept. If there is any bright spot as a Braves fan, it is knowing that the Nationals won’t make the playoffs either.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Ned Kaish

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

“

SANITY AT LAST

HOW MANY TEAMS IN NFL HISTORY HAVE EVER STARTED THE SEASON WITH 3-0, DESPITE TRAILING IN EACH OF THE FOURTH QUARTERS?

“I believe in the guys we have.

I just felt like we were going to get it done.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 16

Matt Ryan on Atlanta’s comeback win in Dallas

146.7

Julio Jones average receiving yards per game this season, which leads the NFL.

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Starts since Shelby Miller last recorded a win on May 17, a streak that may not end in 2015.

31.1

Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas’s completion percentage the last two games going 14-45.

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Total losses for six teams in Region 1-AAAAAA including 4 undefeated teams entering Friday.

358

Average rushing yards per game for Georgia Southern, which leads the FBS.

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First round picks for the Georgia Swarm in this week’s National Lacrosse League indoor draft.

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Rushing touchdowns by Atlanta through three games, tied for most in the NFL

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Straight 100-plus yard rushing games by Georgia running back Nick Chubb.

©2015 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved. For official contest rules, visit choa.org/comeback.

Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015

A two-touchdown deficit is nothing after you’ve come back from cancer.

Know a young athlete who overcame a serious injury or illness? Nominate them for Comeback Athlete of the Month at choa.org/comeback.

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PREP SPORTS

REGION BATTLES LOAD WEEK 7 SLATE

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

W

e’ve crossed the halfway point of the 2015 season and the region action is finally heating up. For the first week, Region 1-AAAAAA will kickoff its six-team race.

Defending state champion Colquitt County squares off with Lowndes in Martin Stadium.

Lowndes opened the season with a 35-8 loss to Roswell but rides a four-game win streak into Friday’s showdown. The Vikings outscored Rockdale County and Newton by a combined 119-7 the past two weeks. Colquitt County has beat Lowndes three of the last four years, after the Vikings’ 11-game win streak snapped in 2011. The Packers won last year’s matchup 4527. Elsewhere in Region 1, Camden County will visit Valdosta and unbeaten Tift County will visit undefeated Lee County.

RAID THE NEST

Friday night the Walton Raiders (5-0) will

look to invade Ray Manus Stadium, the home of the Roswell Hornets (4-0). Both teams are undefeated and looking to take sole possession of first place in region 5-AAAAAA. Walton brings its high-flying offense under the direction of junior quarterback Addison Shoup to Roswell while Clemson commit, linebacker Tre’ Lamar, locks down the Hornets defense.

Shoup has accounted for over 1,000 yards in the air and nine touchdowns through five games as well as two scores on the ground.

On the outside his targets have been senior tight end Sam Letton and freshman wide receiver Dominick Blaylock who have combined to catch all nine of Shoup’s touchdown tosses.

Running back KK Brooks is half way to his third consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season. Lamar, who has 58 tackles and 14 for loss, will look to slow down the Raider offense, which is averaging 36 points per game, compared to a Roswell

defense giving up less than six per game. Defensive back Xavier McKinney will look to have another multiple interception game like he did in the season opening win over Lowndes.

On the other side of the ball the Roswell offense certainly hasn’t flown under the radar as they have averaged 47 points per game.

Quarterback Quintarius Neely and running back Sheldon Evans lead the Roswell offense and combined to score seven touchdowns in last week’s route of Milton 49-3. Defensively the Raiders will look to get great linebacker play out of Garrett Eldred who leads the team in tackles and linebacker Joey Goodman who leads the team in sacks. Rover Ryan Roegge hopes to continue to be a playmaker all over the field as he enters the game with 30 tackles and an interception.

This game looks to be strength on strength matchup and whoever can impose their will for 48 minutes will have the inside track to a region championship.

GAME OF THE WEEK

The Atlanta Falcons High School Game of the Week will visit Lakewood Stadium as 4-1 Creekside squares off with undefeated Mays (5-0). Creekside reloaded from last year’s 9-3 finish and opened the season with convincing victories over South Cobb, Hughes, Carver-

Columbus and Druid Hills. The Seminoles’ last outing, however, was a 49-12 drubbing to Stephenson. Creekside had a bye following the defeat and has had time to rebound for last year’s Class AAAAA state runner up.

Mays is led by UGA commit Randrecous Davis, a big-play receiver that can beat defenses in a variety of ways. Davis will be the centerpiece of the Mays offense and has been able to take over games this season. In Mays’ 42-6 win over Southwest DeKalb on Sept. 19, Davis caught four touchdown passes. The following week, the Raiders dominated Class AAAAAA Lovejoy 32-3 and Davis hauled in one of two B.J. Phillips touchdown passes. The other score went to Corey Reed.

The Raiders defense has allowed just 4.0 points per game the last four weeks, while the offense has lit up the scoreboard for 44.2 points per game. Missouri-commit Tobias Little lines up at middle linebacker and Monquavion Brinson is a three-star cornerback committed to Syracuse. Creekside features a future Bulldog as well on the offensive side of the football. Aaron Dowdell is a massive 6-foot4, 290-pound guard that committed to play in Athens last February.

Photos courtesy of Terrance Johnson and Elisa Herring.

Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

BAMA VISITS ATHENS FOR MUST-SEE SHOWDOWN

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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he big game is here. Alabama will travel to Athens for the first time since 2008 to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide enter the matchup ranked 13th and the No. 8 Bulldogs open up as a one-point favorite.

“I think Alabama’s a great football team,” Richt said. “They’re as good or better than they’ve ever been, in my opinion. So I don’t know what the talk might be out there, but they’re as good or better than anybody in our league and as good or better than anybody in the country. You’ve just got to play the games and see who wins, but I think they’re still a great team.”

Georgia was ranked No. 1 in the country the last time Alabama came to town and the visitors jumped to a 31-0 lead at halftime holding on for a 41-30 win.

Alabama won won the teams’ latest meeting in 2012 in the SEC Championship Game, which ultimately determined whether No. 2 Alabama or No. 3 Georgia would meet a

GEORGIA STATE

HALL OF FAME AND VARSITY CLUB INTRODUCED

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

ome of the best Panthers ever to roam AtSplace lanta will now be recognized and have a in GSU lore. The inaugural Georgia State

Athletics Hall of Fame Class was announced on Monday, an elite group of 10 that dates back as far as the 1930s. The group will be honored at the football game this Saturday as the Panthers take on Liberty in the annual homecoming game at 3:30 p.m. at the Georgia Dome.

The inaugural class includes: Terese Allen, Charles “Lefty” Driesell, Don Floyd, Rodney Hamilton, Bob Heck, Bruce LaBudde, Sheryl Martin, Kevin Morris, Sarah-Jane Mungo and contributors Bill and Su Reeves.

The best of the best were selected out of 76 nominees who were featured on the ballot.

Among the criteria for inclusion in the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame is a five-year window once a student-athlete exhausts their eligibility and a college degree. Coaches and administrators must be removed from their position for a minimum of two years.

Four basketball players were selected in Terese Allen, Rodney Hamilton, Sheryl Martin and Kevin Morris. Legendary men’s basketball coach Lefty Driesell was selected into the hall

vulnerable Notre Dame in the BCS title game.

As we remember, Georgia receiver Chris Conley caught a deflected pass but fell down inbounds at the 5-yard line, allowing the final seconds to tick off the clock in Alabama’s 3228 victory. Alabama went on to cruise past Notre Dame 42-14 to win its third BCS title in a four-year span.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

There is a lot at stake for the Bulldogs who look to be the clear-cut favorites to take a struggling SEC East this year but Richt is confident in his team’s approach.

“I thought it was very much business as usual yesterday,” Richt said after this week’s practices. “I’m expecting it to be the same today. ... That’s where we’re trying to keep everybody’s mind: on their job, on their business, on their assignment, on their responsibility and not anything else. I don’t mind guys getting excited about a game. I like them getting excited about a game, but they have to be able to function well on top of that.”

Alabama opened its SEC schedule with a home loss to Ole Miss that saw the Rebels put up 43 points. The game featured tipped passes and huge plays against the Tide defense that has their backs against the wall as they look to save their season.

of fame as a no-brainer as was Bob Heck, The ‘Founding Father’ of Georgia State softball. In 1984 (slow pitch) and 1985 (fast pitch) softball was brought to campus and he coached for 24 seasons before retiring with 700 victories.

Don Floyd was inducted after a stellar tennis career in the early 1940’s.

Bruce LaBudde was a star in cross country and track and field and has been a member of the Georgia State Family for nearly 50 years.

He was the first-ever Georgia State qualifier into an NCAA Championship when he accomplished the feat and the first coach to lead the Panthers to a Sun Belt title. Bill and Susan Reeves have been major contributors are were instrumental in the construction of the Reeves Fieldhouse.

JOIN THE CLUB

In a statement of georgiastatesports.com, Georgia State Athletics announced on Tuesday that a Varsity Club was being created. “The Varsity Club is the newly formed Georgia State University lettermen’s association, which also has dual membership with the Panther Athletic Club. Varsity Club members will receive all the associated benefits of a Panther Athletic Club member, be provided with opportunities to attend special events with former teammates and to support programs that promote an ongoing relationship with Georgia State Athletics. Memberships are open to any former Georgia State student-athlete, are tax deductible, start at $50 annually, and may be directed to the sport of their choice.”

GEORGIA TECH

TECH STUNG AGAIN IN BACKTO-BACK DEFEAT

BY COLIN HUBBARD | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

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eorgia Tech started the year with two easy wins, but the promising start has diminished after dropping their last two with the latest defeat coming at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils 34-20 last Saturday. The Yellow Jackets managed just 176 yards on the ground which snapped a 17-game streak of rushing for 200 yards or more.

Quarterback Justin Thomas was held to just 58 yards rushing on 24 carries and completed just 6-of-21 through the air for 143 yards and a touchdown. B-back Patrick Scov led the Yellow Jackets in rushing with 78 yards on 19 carries.

No other player rushed for more than 15 yards in the game for Georgia Tech.

The lone bright spot on the Yellow Jackets’ offense was sophomore wide receiver Ricky Jeune who caught four passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Yellow Jackets held Duke to just 279 yards of offense and got interceptions from true fresh-

KENNESAW STATE

OWLS ENJOY FIRST BYE WEEK

BY NED KAISH | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

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he inaugural season for the Kennesaw State football program has been a pleasant sight to see. The build up of finally having a football team at this southern school reached its peak just before the Owls played East Tennessee State to open their season. A team that started the year with little to no expectations having no groundwork from past seasons for reference, KSU has brought instant success to their campus.

Opening the season on the road in Johnson City, Tennessee, the Owls ran up 56 points in a 40-point victory. KSU found success on the ground rushing for 416 yards led by Trey White who accounted for 95 of those yards and a touchdown. Jae Bowen notched two scores on the ground.

The Owls home opener brought Edward Waters to town, and the offense once again flexed its muscles eclipsing the 50-point mark for the second straight game. Their 58-7 rout

man A.J. Gray and Lawrence Austin.

The Yellow Jackets started off the scoring with a 53-yard field goal off the foot of Harrison Butker, but quickly found themselves down 13-3 after two quick scores from the Blue Devils.

Duke tacked on another touchdown after the Yellow Jackets surrendered a 69-yard punt return that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown run from Shaquille Powell to make it 19-3 at the end of the first quarter.

Georgia Tech was able to answer with a touchdown of their own late in the second quarter after a 12-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Jeune on third-and-goal to make bring the score to 19-10.

After another Georgia Tech field goal midway through the third quarter, Duke answered with a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown to give the Blue Devils a 26-13 lead.

Georgia Tech managed to cut into the lead once again after an 11-play, 88-yard drive that ended with an 12-yard touchdown run to make it 26-20, but that was as close as the Yellow Jackets would come. Duke tacked on one final touchdown in the fourth quarter to secure their 14-point victory.

“We’re just not a very good offensive football team right now,” Tech coach Paul Johnson said.

The Yellow Jackets will return home for the first time in three weeks to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels, a game in which Georgia Tech lost in 2014.

was highlighted by a 35-point first quarter outbreak. White led the team with three rushing touchdowns, as the Owls got it done on the ground rushing for 307 yards.

HOME OPENER…

KSU’s first test came in a home game against Shorter in week three. Trailing 10-9 with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Owl kicker Justin Thompson nailed a 28-yard field goal to give KSU the lead. As time expired, Shorter attempted a game-winning field goal that was missed and run back for a touchdown to give KSU the 18-10 come-frombehind victory. Thompson connected on four field goals in the game.

Their hot start came to an end this past weekend losing 31-27 on the road at Dayton.

The Owls went into halftime leading 27-21 and could not push across any points in the remaining two quarters. They once again found success running the football. They rushed for 342 yards, and were led by Chaston Bennett who ran for 155 yards on eight carries and a touchdown. White once again found success rushing for 128 yards and a score.

With a bye this week, KSU heads into their October 10th home matchup against Point University with a 3-1 record. They will look to get back to their winning ways before Big South Conference play begins on October 17th at home against Gardner-Webb.

Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

MEDIA DAY HIGHLIGHTS 2015-16

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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ith Media Day this Monday, the Hawks officially begin their march to locking up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year. The event had positive vibes surrounding it with high expectations to return to the level of play which coach Budenholzer had the team at last year.

Questions still loom when it comes to the 2015-16 season. Budenholzer did not commit to who the fifth start will be this season, replacing DeMarre Carroll. New addition Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kent Bazemore seem like the logical front runners to land the job.

Mike Scott, coming off an arrest on felony drug charges, was one of the most sought after interviews. Getting away from the rigors and stress brought forth from his poor decision, Scott, who faces up to 25 years in prison, finds the basketball court as a safe house from the maelstrom surrounding him.

“This is kind of been my sanctuary for the summer. I come into the gym and work hard and put everything behind me,” explained

ATLANTA BRAVES

THE END IN SIGHT FOR 2015 BRAVES

BY NED KAISH | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

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he Atlanta Braves are days away from putting the 2015 season to rest. A season which saw them finish with the most loses and lowest average attendance since 1990. The good news is after that 1990 season, 25 years ago, the Braves ripped off 14 straight division titles including winning the 1995 World Series.

If the 2016 Braves want to win a division title in their last season at the TED then they will need to make some major offseason moves, starting with pitching.

The Braves finished close the bottom of the MLB in nearly every major pitching category this season. They were 27th in ERA, 29th in walks, and 28th out of 30 in batting average against. Clearly, that is not a winning formula.

Julio Teheran remains the only Braves pitcher with double digit wins and Shelby Miller leads the MLB in losses at 17. The streak that never seems to end, when will Shelby Miller get his next win, continues. It has been since May 17 that Miller smelled victory.

Scott. “Then when in I get back to the locker room I’ll look at my phone and I’ll be ‘Oh, right.

I forgot.’ Coming into the gym every day, working out with my teammates, is something that has been great for me.”

“I don’t like to make other people look bad,” Scott said. “I don’t like to embarrass people. I don’t want to feel embarrassed. I thought it made us look bad a little bit. I take full responsibility for that. Moving on.”

WE HARDLY KNEW YE

Jason Richardson, the 34-year-old swingman, decided to call it quits last Thursday after signing a deal with the Hawks in August. He announced his retirement on Facebook and Instagram, stating: “Today is a bitter sweet moment for me. I’m officially announcing my retirement from pro basketball. I like to thank the organizations and fans in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly and especially The Bay Area for their loyal support the past 14 years. Walking away was the hardest decision I had to make but choosing my health and spending time with my family is more important to me! God bless!”

KAZAM!

Arsalan Kazemi is a 25-year-old forward from Iran who the Sixers released their rights to.

Kazemi will sign with Atlanta for training camp.

Kazemi has been described as “played superhard in this year’s Las Vegas summer league, leading the league in “hustle points” per game, but showed few to zero other NBA skills.”

With all the pitching struggles the bats would need to be cracking for this Braves team to find a way to be competitive. Unfortunately that would not be the case as the Braves offensive may have found a way to make the pitching look decent. The offense is currently dead last in three major offensive categories, RBIs, total bases, and home runs.

SILVER LINING

So where was the good in 2015? There was not much, but a few players made an impact that can be felt moving forward. Outfielder Nick Markakis is currently in the top 15 in five offensive categories in the National League including sixth in doubles with 37 and third in hits at 176. Freddie Freeman, despite missing nearly 40 games, still leads the team in home runs and RBIs. Centerfielder Cameron Maybin set career highs in home runs, RBIs and batting average this season. And defensively up the middle second baseman Jace Peterson and shortstop Andrelton Simmons both set new career marks in the field. Peterson with his best fielding percentage to date at .987 and Simmons set a new high in double plays at 123.

The Braves did not have much to celebrate this year and without making major offseason changes may not have much to celebrate next season, their final season at Turner Field. In 2017 Atlanta will move to Cobb County to the new SunTrust Field and look to find the success they had in the previous two decades.

ATLANTA FALCONS

DIVISION WRAPS UP EXCITING FIRST QUARTER OF THE SEASON

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he NFL finishes the first quarter of the 16-game season this weekend as division leaders Atlanta and Carolina enter Week 4 unscathed at 3-0. The Falcons have got the job done against three NFC East Opponents and face the first of their four AFC South opponents with Houston. The Saints dropped to 0-3 last Sunday with a 27-22 loss at Carolina and will look to avoid their first 0-4 start since 2012 today vs. the Cowboys. Tampa Bay, which won its first NFC South matchup in New Orleans Week 2 has a chance to get back to .500 with a home game against the Panthers.

NFC SOUTH NOTEBOOK

Tampa Bay defensive end Jacquies Smith produced a League-best four sacks in the opening two weeks of the season, but was held without a sack in the Buccaneers 19-9 loss to Houston on Sunday. However, Smith did finish with a career-high five combined tackles. In the

THE TRANSFER CORNER

BIG NAMES ON THE MOVE IN GHSA BASKETBALL

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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ach week I will highlight some transfers in Class AAAAAA and the rest of the state here at The Transfer Corner.

REGION 3 RE-SHIFT One player might shift the balance of power in 6A and especially in Region 3. Chuma Okeke and his 22.8 points and 8.3 rebounds shift from Langston Hughes to Westlake.

Hughes was primed for a big season chock full of juniors. An astronomical 12 sophomores suited up last year for coach Rory Welsh and it was Okeke along with guard Khalil Cuffee (18.2 ppg) that ran the show as super sophomores.

Now Cuffee will have to shoulder the complete load with Okeke gone. The highly sought after forward joins an already talented roster that stumbled to a 13-15 record in 2014. Big man Michael Durr, shooting guard Raquan Wilkins and point guards Danny and Jamie Lewis along with Okeke make the Lions one of the most intriguing teams for a huge rebound season.

Westlake has also added North Atlanta stand-

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Bucs 26-19 win at New Orleans Week 2, Smith had another career day with three sacks and two forced fumbles. The second-year pro from Missouri needs 2.5 sacks to match his total from last season (6.5) and is just seven tackles away from his 2014 total of 17.

The Saints dropped to 0-3 on Sunday, but more importantly fell to a division opponent for the second straight week. Luke McCown got the start for an injured Drew Brees but had trouble finding the end zone despite a productive day. McCown completed 31-of38 attempts for 310 yards and in interception with no touchdowns. Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson ran in scores but the offense lacked explosive plays. The longest play from scrimmage came on a 23-yard reception by Ingram.

Carolina held on for a 27-22 Week 3 win at New Orleans, despite Luke Kuechly sitting for the second consecutive week with a concussion. The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year had started 52 consecutive games for the Panthers before having to sit the last two weeks.

Eleven-year pro Thomas Davis has picked up the slack and added a 10-tackle performance last Sunday with a forced fumble. Offensively, Cam Newton has thrown five touchdowns this season, while also finding the end zone on the ground in back-to-back games.

out Ronald Bell. Bell can play both forward positions and has a high motor which he uses to go after loose balls and rebounds.

The Tigers added a strong combo guard in Reece Anderson, who will join an already potent backcourt. Anderson was a key contributor last season for the Chapel Hill Panthers and now will slide in to play with UNC-bound swingman Brandon Robinson. Anderson is a big physical guard who has improved his handle and jumpshot throughout his high school career. Anderson will be relied upon to produce in the ultra-competitive Region 3-AAAAAA, which is home to state runner up Pebblebrook, the reloaded Westlake Lions and the talented young Langston Hughes Panthers. Anderson was an honorable mention selection in Region 4-AAA as a sophomore in 2014 and has the upside to garner similar honors or better his senior season.

MCINTOSH MAKING MOVES McIntosh, who has blossomed into a Class AAAAA power after a 29-1 record last year, returns 10 players including the Chiefs’ top four scorers. 2015-16 will be the season the Chiefs make a deep run into the playoffs after adding Isaac Kellum. The senior averaged 13.8 points per game at neighboring Fayette County High School and will slide into the starting three spot. He brings great athleticism and may be the missing piece needed for the Chiefs to capture their first ever state championship.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 31 | Sept. 24-30, 2015

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