Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Iss. 38

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 | NOVEMBER 12-20, 2015

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

NOTHING ELSE Bring It On | Pg. 4 Georgia gets set to crown eight cheerleading state champions in Columbus.

Pacing The Field | Pg. 9 A muddy weekend couldn’t slow down this year’s cross country champions.

MATTERS

With the playoff seeding set, the road to the Dome begins. | Pg. 7

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Vol. 11 Iss. 37 | November 5-11, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

07

ON THE COVER

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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: Ricky Dimon (Braves)

Colin Hubbard (GA Tech) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons,

Kennesaw)

Kyle Sandy (Transfer Corner, GSU, Hawks)

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

06 10 11

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

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF PUOUYA DIANAT AND GA PHOTOGRAPHICS.

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SAGER SAYS

HISTORY OF TIGHT FINISHES ADDS DRAMA TO RETURNING FIELD

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

olleyball and softball state championships wrapped up two weeks ago and the high V school football state playoffs kickoff this week-

end. The next fall sport to wrap up the regular season is Cheerleading, which takes the championship stage Friday and Saturday.

The GHSA Cheerleading State Championships head back in Columbus to crown this year’s eight state champs. Last year’s action saw Starr’s Mill (Class AAAAA) and Armuchee (AA) reach the podium as first-time state champs, while the other classifications continued to crowd the trophy cases of the state’s most consistent medal winners. Peachtree Ridge squeaked by two-time defending champion Lambert 281-277 to take its fourth state title and the Lions return to Columbus as the No. 1 team out of Region 7. South Forysth joins

Lambert out of Region 6 and returns a talented squad capable of building on last year’s13th place finish.

Starr’s Mill edged Union Grove 295-to293 for the Class AAAAA title last November and five total schools in Class AAAAA finished with scores of 286 or better. The deep field returns with Cambridge and Creekview representing Region 7 as title hopefuls.

BUILDING ON CHANGE Reclassification brought change to the landscape three years ago as Lambert, Houston County, Veterans, Pierce County, Mt. Paran and Ola all claimed their first state titles in the same season. The following season saw less new faces in year two of the region shuffling as four of the classifications repeated and no

SANDY’S SPIEL

FAITH AND EXCITEMENT SURROUNDS MCKISSIC AND SANDY CREEK

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

I

f you haven’t heard, there is a new sheriff in town leading the Sandy Creek boys program. A new head coach who is a self-proclaimed “Hypeman” for his team. Anthony McKissic has taken the reins of the Patriots after spending eight years at Morrow, coaching the boys for five years and most recently the girls team for three seasons. With his new gig, McKissic inherits a team that went 17-11 in 2014-15 and enters 2015-16 as Class AAAA’s No. 5 ranked team.

McKissic and his family have lived in Peachtree City for the last two years and with his wife already working at Sandy Creek, pouncing at the job opening after Coach Willie Reese left for Meadowcreek, was a no-brainer.

Bringing over a versatility of coaching both boys and girls in the past, there are differ-

ent approaches that McKissic uses to get the most out of his players.

“There’s a big difference. There’s a different motivating tool when you’re coaching girls. Boys are usually a little bit tougher, getting them to understand using skill,” explained McKissic. “Girls are obviously more skilled than boys, because boys are more athletic and tend not to want to use skill. That’s how the better teams use a mix of athleticism and skill.”

Coach McKissic uses a variety of ways to make sure his players stay fundamentally sound and play the right way. More importantly, he wants to grow men and women as people off the court. He has held a multitude of positions over his coaching career, helping coach football, tennis, cross country and being the

first-time champs took the podium. Last year proved to have interesting storylines as the field shifted once again but the most anticipated change came in Class AAA. Two-time defending Class AAA champion Pierce County was joined in its classification with defending Class AA champion Calhoun.

The new rivalry lived up to the hype as Calhoun snuck past Pierce County 277-to-276 for the program’s seventh state title and first in Class AAA. The two teams take the stage in the 14th and 23rd slots Saturday morning and will headline the field.

In Class AAAA, Cartersville outscored second place Carrollton 290-to-286 last year for its third state title, but first since 200001. Veterans (250) placed fifth behind Crisp County (251) and Whitewater (277) after winning the classification in back-to-back-seasons.

UP FOR GRABS

Armuchee took a wide-open Class AA field last year with a 249 finish over second place Coosa (246). Bremen was right behind the Eagles for third place with 244 and eight teams in total finished with 231 points or more.

The classification opened up with Calhoun’s jump to Class AAA and after four-time Class AA champion Trion moved to Class A-Public in 2012-13 where the Bulldogs added their prolead recruiting coordinator while at Morrow, but possibly his most gratifying job title has been Minister. McKissic is a man of God and leans heavily on his beliefs to not only guide himself, but help others along the way.

“I think that’s the basis of my whole philosophy. I’m just blessed to be at the position that I am and somebody helped me out at a young age and I just try my best to give back to the kids and be a good role model for them and be a leader in the community and in the school.”

His faith has allowed him to touch numerous people around him, players, parents and coaches alike. When it comes to how he leads on the court, McKissic believes he pulls from both ends of the spectrum.

“I would think I am a mix between a players’ coach and a hype-man,” he said. Some coaches play it close to the vest, but McKissic is a strong supporter of making sure the players have fun while striving for the goal of being the best they can.

“I just think that if they play excited and are happy about what they are doing they’ll do it with a lot more passion,” explained the energy filled coach. “The kids are kids. They want to have fun…I think they get a better experience out of it not making it necessarily a job for them. That’s how the kids get burnt out

gram’s fifth title.

Mount Paran sits as the biggest favorite this weekend and looks for a fourth straight Class A-Private title. The Eagles dominated last year’s field, outscoring second-place Brookstone 279-to-225. Commerce notched its second straight title with a dominant finish in Class A-Public. The Tigers outscored second-place Trion 272-to-242.

The CO-ED finals saw another unforgettable finish last year. Winder-Barrow and McIntosh tied for first with sub totals of 287 before the tiebreaker went to Winder-Barrow 476-475. Third-place Chestatee missed out on what would have forced a three-way tie by just one point after turning in a 286 score. All top five finishers are back to lead this year’s field which takes the stage Friday evening.

The doors open at 8:00 am on Friday and Saturday for the first session and the action begins at 9 am. The second session each day resumes after a brief intermission as action starts back up at 3:00 p.m. The first Cheerleading championship took place in 1993 and the sport has continued to grow. Duluth captured the first CO-ED state title in 2004 and this will be the fourth year that eight total championships will be handed out. The event will be streamed live from GHSA.net.

Photos courtesy of GA Photographics. because coaches come in and they want it to be [like a job]. I believe you can work hard and have fun at the same time.”

HYPE MACHINE

Coach McKissic is likely one of the funnest coaches to play for in the state. His advanced knowledge of cutting up videos, making highlight tapes and putting together pictures promoting the team have been littered all throughout social media, making fans at the Creek as excited as they have ever been for an upcoming basketball season, proud to stake claim to the fact that they are “Just a kid from Sandy Creek.”

“It’s something that I’ve done since the start of my career,” he said when speaking about his numerous ways of marketing and advertising his teams through social media.

“I use technology as a recruiting piece and a marketing piece to get the guys looked at. A lot of coaches don’t want players using it at all, but I tell them it’s okay to use it as long as you’re mature with it and are being responsible with your social media.”

Coach McKissic’s fun approach has worked thus far as the Patriots scored a 93-55 win over Morrow in their preseason scrimmage.

Photo courtesy of NewsDaily.com.

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Hawks

Drew Brees

Warriors

After losing their first game of the seaon the Hawks ripped off seven straight wins before falling just short of a furious 34-point comeback Monday night against the Timberwolves.

The Hawks are now 7-2.

Jeff Teague has led the way leading the team in points and assist but has had plenty of help as six players are averaging 10 or more points.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been on fire the last two weeks. In games against the Giants and Titans Brees has combined for 892 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing the ball with accuracy completing 75.3% of his passes. The Saints are 1-1 in these games and currently find themselves in third place in the NFC South.

The Warriors are 8-0 and being led by the reigning MVP Steph Curry who currently leads the league in points.

The Warriors are leading the league in scoring averaging almost 115 points per game and assists at nearly 30 per game. They also have a +17.8 winnig margin, seven points higher than the next team.

SCORE LIST

By Ned Kaish

FORMER BRAVE HANSON PASSES AWAY

Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson was found unresponsive and unconscious Sunday night in Coweta County. Hanson would later die of catastrophic organ failure. Hanson pitched for the Braves from 20092012 winning 10 games each season finishing with a 49-35 record and 3.80 ERA. Hanson was a locker room favorite and many current and former Braves such as Chipper Jones, Craig Kimbrel, and Andrelton Simmons spoke out on twitter to grieve their loss.

DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL ILLEGAL

On Tuesday New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ruled that daily fantasy games run by DraftKings and FanDuel are considered illegal gambling.

Previously the companies had argued that their fantasy games were not gambling but rather a game of skill to select the correct players to win. A handful of other states have already banned or are hearing cases in regards to daily fantasy sports.

FALCONS BYE WEEK

After a hot 5-0 start to the season the Falcons have lost three of their last four games and currently sit at 6-3 and in second place in the NFC South, two games behind undefeated and division leading Carolina. The Falcons will look to use the off week to regroup and get healthy. The secondary will hope to get safety William Moore and Robert Alford healthy before they take on the Colts at home next Sunday.

COLTS OUT OF LUCK

Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck will be sidelined 2-6 weeks with a lacerated kidney and partial abdominal tear. The injuries occurred during Sunday’s upset win over Peyton Manning and the undefeated Broncos. Luck has already missed two games this season due to injury. The Colts will start veteran Matt Hasselback who is 2-0 this season when filling in for Luck. The Colts have a bye this week before traveling to Atlanta to take on the Falcons.

FOUR UNDEFEATED TEAMS IN 6A

As the football state playoffs begin this week for Class 2A-6A there are still four remaining unbeaten teams in the state’s top classification. Colquitt County remained undefeated beating Camden County and winning the region titile 33-14 on Friday night. Roswell secured a 10-0 season by beating Etowah. Grayson and Mill Creek both wrapped up perfect seasons out of Gwinnett. As the playoffs begin we will see if we end up with an undefeated state champion.

WHO’S NOT

By Ned Kaish

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Falcons Offense

76ers

Florida State

The Atlanta offense has hit a cold streak since starting the season 5-0. In the Falcons last four games, three of them losses, the team has only averaged 16.8 points per game, almost half of what their were averaging in the first part of the season when they were scoring at a clip of 32.4 points per game. The Falcons will look to regain their offensive mojo and get running back Devonta Freeman going coming off the bye week.

Philadelphia is averaging a league worst -13.3 scoring difference to the tune of a 0-7 start to the season. Despite having two top ten picks in the last two drafts the 76ers have not found a way to win. Philadelphia is 28th out of 30 in the NBA in scoring offense averaging a measly 91.4 points per game and giving up almost 105 per game.

Despite starting the season 6-0 the Seminoles have seen their playoff chances slip away losing two of their last three games. On Saturday Florida State lost to No. 1 Clemson 23-13 in a game that could have put them back in the playoff conversation despite their lone, wild, loss to Georgia Tech. The Seminoles are now on the outside looking in for both a spot in the playoff and the ACC Championship game.

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

HOW MANY STRAIGHT WINS DID MT. PARAN CHRISTIAN HAVE PRIOR TO FRIDAY’S 28-21 LOSS TO PINECREST ACADEMY? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

“

SANITY AT LAST

“When you hit that kind of adversity, things can go one way or the other, and it went the right way. I’m proud of everybody” - Mark Richt after Georgia’s 27-3 win over Kentucky

1.0

Yard per carry for the NFL’s leading rusher Devonta Freeman against the 49ers after taking 12 carries for 12 yards.

32.4

Points per game for Warriors guard Stephen Curry who is the only NBA players averaging over 30 PPG.

17.6

Turnovers per game forced by the Hawks defense this season, good enough for 2nd in the NBA.

300.2 19.6

Passing yards per game for Matt Ryan.

Rebounds per game for Pistons forward Andre Drummond, six rebounds higher than 2nd place.

9.5

Yards per rush for Georgia Southern running back Matt Breida who has 1,158 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season.

17

Percent chance of winning if Atlanta made the field goal on 4th and goal.

35

Percent chance of winning if Atlanta missed the field goal on 4th and goal.

Vol. 11 Iss. 37 | November 5-11, 2015 of the game on a Wesley Whitehead 5-yard toss to Keion Scott. …Antonio Yin drilled a 41yard field goal.

Gwinnett County saw another battle for the final two playoff spots as Collins Hill clinched Region 7’s No. 3 seed over Norcross with a 13-9 victory. Wet, sloppy conditions contributed to a rough offensive first half for both teams before Collins Hill found its footing to get the best of host Norcross. Prior to the intermission, the game’s only score came in the form of a Norcross safety. The Blue Devils extended their advantage to 9-0 early in the third quarter before Collins Hill reeled of 13 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes of the contest. Both of Collins Hill’s touchdowns came thanks to touchdown passes by Drew Dinsmore. His first from 80 yards away went to Justin Macaulay and cut the deficit to 9-7 in the third quarter. … Dinsmore later hooked up with Jeremy Lewis, whose reception in the back of the endzone proved to be the Eagles’ winner with 1:58 remaining.

ON THE COVER

COVER STORY

CLUTCH PERFORMANCES CAP REGULAR SEASON

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he regular season wrapped up Monday with two mini playoff series and the playoff field has been set for all seven classifications. Top teams and rivals squared off across the state last weekend as the fight for playoff seeding took center stage.

One of the most notable victories came out of Region 2-AAAAA as Houston County dominated 9-0 and top-ranked NorthsideWarner Robins. 34-13.

Houston County outscored Northside 28-7 in the final three quarters. Quarterback Jake Fromm (Alabama commit) picked apart the Eagle defense with three passing touchdowns, two in the second half. The final score came on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Amari Colbert with 4:05 left in the game. Fromm connected with Darion Anderson (15 yards), Colbert (27 yards) and Eli Watson (55 yards) for touchdowns and finished the game with 26 of 40 passing for 387 yards. … Chris Brinson rushed in from 1-yard out and finished with 92 yards on 21 attempts. … … Jordan Strevig kicked field goals of 25 and 35 yards. … Hous-

ton County amassed 537 total yards of offense with 387 passing, 150 rushing. … Northside found scoring from Tobias Oliver on a 5-yard run. … Oliver also connected with Marcus Jolly on a 52-yard pass and would finish the game 4-of-17 passing for 78 yards. …. Northside matched 262 yards of offense, 78 passing and 184 rushing.

PANTHERS STAY ALIVE

The Parkview Panthers used a 13-11 win over Dacula to clinch the No. 4 seed out of Region 8 Friday night. Malik Washington intercepted Dacula’s 2-point conversion attempt with 23.5 seconds remaining, but the Falcons were able to recover an on-side kick.

Dacula lined up for a long 50-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked as time expired, preserving the win for the Panthers.

Jack Chambers hit Garrett Fowler on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 38.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter to gain a 13-5 lead. …Will Chandler buried a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter. …Dacula received its only touchdown

CLAYTON’S CHAMPIONS

In Class AAAA, Clayton County’s Jonesboro defeated Locust Grove 19-12 for the Region 4 title. Zerrick Cooper’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Marria with :20 seconds remaining in the game completed the comeback after Jonesboro battled back from a 14-0 fourth quarter deficit. Their final touchdown was set up by a Locust Grove muffed punt.

Cooper finished with three touchdown passes in the game, two of which went to Marria.

Along with his 11-yard touchdown pass, Marria also caught a 25-yard touchdown pass to put Jonesboro on the board. Cooper’s other touchdown pass went to running back Montrailous Mosley for 16 yards.

PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

Prince Avenue Christian dominated Providence Christian 49-0 to cap off a 10-0 regular season. The David vs. Goliath matchup didn’t feature any stones shot at the giant Wolverines. Prince Avenue started off slow, leading only 7-0 after one, but blew past 0-10 Providence to complete the perfect regular season.

Andrew Hayes ran for two touchdowns. …

Kevon Hudson eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season and scored on a 66-yard run. …Grant Roland hit Nick Brown for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 left in the first half

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to make the score 21-0. …Zach Ragel ran for a 33-yard score while Jordan Hightower and Thomas Huff both scored late.

Elsewhere in Class A, Mt. Paran’s perfect season was spoiled by Pinecrest Academy 28-21. Pinecrest quarterback Ryan McCarthy scored on a 48-yard run to break a 21-21 tie in the fourth quarter. The Pinecrest defense forced two turnovers on downs in the fourth to help seal the home win and the Region 6-A title. Pinecrest won despite 254 yards rushing on 28 attempts and two touchdowns from Taylor Trammell of Mt. Paran, the state rushing leader. … Pinecrest takes the regular-season rematch to break Mt. Paran’s 23-game winning streak after losing the first matchup 35-19.

CLASS 6A SEEDING

In Class AAAAAA, South Forsyth dominated Lambert 31-6 to win the No. 1 seed in Region 6. Sam Outlaw’s 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put the game out of reach.

Outlaw scored two rushing touchdowns. His 8-yard touchdown run in the second stretched South Forsyth’s lead to 10. …Quarterback David Shanley threw a pair of touchdowns. His first was a 24-yard score to Jaylen Pearson and his second went to Ronnie Chambliss for 75 yards.

Newnan blanked Langston Hughes 14-0 to clinch the No. 2 seed in Region 3. Coaches mutually agreed to call this one at halftime due to torrential rain and lightning. Darryel Hines got the scoring started with a touchdown run for Newnan. … Marquis Hill capped off a 10-play, 66-yard drive with a 21-yard scoring jaunt. …

Kadarius Satterwhite had an interception to halt a rare promising drive by Langston Hughes.

Photos courtesy of Terrance Johnson and Sonny Kennedy.

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

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

This comeback athlete had a long road back. Today it’s 8.5 miles.

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

CROSS COUNTRY

MARIETTA BOYS REPEAT, MILL CREEK GIRLS CAPTURE FIRST TITLE

BY TYLER ANDREWS | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

C

arrollton – The Marietta boys placed four runners in the top six finishers and clinched a second consecutive GHSA Class AAAAAA boys cross-country state title at Carrollton High School. Their top five runners in the 5K event combined for the top overall time of 1:22:18.56. Second place Brookwood was almost a full two minutes behind the Blue Devils in total time (1:24:16.64). Prior to their race, the course was modified for the last four races due to the muddy conditions.

Marietta’s Carlos Torres (16:06.61) beat out teammate Hayden Tullos (16:15.70) to capture the individual title. The Mill Creek girls (1:41:15.41) captured their first state title by placing two runners in the top ten. Lindsay Billings (18:10.73) from Northview won her second straight individual title. South Forsyth (93), Northview (125), Milton (136) and West Forsyth (188) round out the girls top 5 in Class AAAAAA.

Class AAAAA: Both champions successfully defended their titles in Class AAAAA. The Clarkston boys (1:29:18.29) outraced Forsyth Central (1:30:23.70) to win a second straight championship. Flowery Branch’s Jake Shewbert (16:49.83) won the individual title.

The Dunwoody girls (1:46:02.38) won their second straight title and third overall. Samantha Cameron (20:26.01) took the individual title by edging out Dunwoody teammate Kelly May Sheehan (20:33.65). The Creekview girls finished in second place with a time of (1:48:16.61).

Class AAAA: It was one of the closest team finishes any classification saw over the weekend, but the Marist boys (1:29:02.46) edged out defending champion St. Pius (1:29:30.27) to win their 11th title in school history. Frank Pittman (17:08.92) finished off a magical season for Marist by winning the individual crown. Whitewater (115), North

Hall (151) and North Oconee (179) rounded out the boys top five. The Marist girls completed the War Eagles sweep (1:48:17.70) and won their eighth straight state championship in convincing fashion. Second-place St. Pius finished (1:50:44.16). Ellie Glenn (21:00.88) from St. Pius took the lead late in the race to win the individual title.

Class AAA: The Blessed Trinity boys (1:30:29.61) won their second consecutive state title by beating out Oconee County (1:32:13.50). For the second straight year, the Kennedy boys from East Jackson finished first and second individually, with Chase (17:07.73) beating out Chandler (17:21.70) to win backto-back individual state titles. The Westminster girls (1:48:14.76) clinched back-to-back titles and the program’s 20th state championship in the last 24 years. East Jackson’s Sue Ann Morales (19:51.03) notched the individual title for the school. Westminster edged second-place Blessed Trinity (1:52:12.53) by almost four minutes.

Class AA: The Bleckley County boys (1:33:15.05) won their first state title by beating out Pace Academy (1:33:53.68) and defending champion Wesleyan (1:36:33.94). Individual champion Carl Ellis Corley (17:50.67) led the Bleckley County team. The Lovett girls (1:46:18.02) captured their second straight team title and 16th overall. Serena Tripodi (19:50.74) won her second straight individual title ahead of Lovett teammate Haley Hooper

(20:01.47). Second-place Wesleyan finished with a time of 1:53:38.66 as Darlington, Pace Academy and Holy Innocents’ rounded out the top 5.

Class A-Private: Landmark Christian (1:32:59.66) took care of business in the boys race for their ninth state title to open the morning session. Paideia’s Griffin McCauley (17:24.85) took home the individual title. The Landmark Christian girls (1:43:34.94) completed sweep of the classification by clinching back-to-back state titles and their 11th overall championship. Athens Academy’s Anna Marian Block (19:09.97) won the individual title over Helen Audrey Williams (19:24.25) from Atlanta International School. Marist and Landmark Christian were the only teams to complete the sweep of boys and girls state titles this season.

Class A-Public: The Drew Charter boys (1:39:33.98) clinched their first state title in school history by beating two-time state champion Georgia Military College (1:43.10.94) and Towns County (1:44:28.41).

Telfair County’s Blake Bargeron (18:27.28) took home the individual crown. The Towns County girls (2:01:35.39) won their fourth straight title as Hannah Whitehead (22:08.21) won her second consecutive individual title.

Photos courtesy of GA Photographics.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 11 Iss. 37 | November 5-11, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

GEORGIA USES NEW LOOKS TO DOMINATE WILDCATS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

G

eorgia responded from a 27-3 loss to Florida with a much more promising 27-3 victory over the visiting Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. The victory moved the Bulldogs to 6-3 but Florida was able to clinch the SEC East title with a 9-7 victory over Vanderbilit. Georgia faces Auburn, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech to close the season and still has a chance at a 10-win season. The final three opponents will also be critical for recruiting as the school hopes to hold together all of its star-studded incoming class.

BACK UNDER CENTER

After the dysfunctional quarterback carosel in recent weeks fell flat, Greyson Lambert returned under center against the Wildcats.

Lambert took the bulk of the snaps and finished 6-of-13 for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Brice Ramsey also got reps and completed 4-of-6 passes for 26 yards. The leader of the Bulldogs offense that has been missing in re-

GEORGIA STATE

PANTHERS CAN’T CLOSE OUT CAJUNS

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

I

t was another tough week for the Panthers (26, 1-3) as Georgia State saw another second half lead slip away against Louisiana-Lafayette (4-4, 3-1) in a 23-21 loss at the Georgia Dome.

Georgia State outgained the Ragin’ Cajuns 390 to 307 but UL-L was able to move the ball when it needed to and converted on three field goals to slip by the Panthers.

The Cajuns held a 17-7 lead after the first period behind a 40-yard field goal, a blocked punt and a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brooks Haack to Al Riles. Georgia State managed to stop the bleeding and scored the only points of the second quarter, a short Nick Arbuckle 3-yard toss to Keith Rucker which brought the halftime score to 17-14.

CLOSING TIME

At the 5:27 mark of the third quarter the Panthers surged ahead for their first lead of the game. Arbuckle threw his third touchdown of the game connecting with Donovan Harden

cent weeks was running back Sony Michel.

The former five-star took a game-high 24 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown. Freshman standout Terry Godwin got involved in the running game and finished with four carries for 26 yards and a 28-yard touchdown. Godwin’s role at the Wildcat sparked the offense and seven players contributed in Georgia’s 52 carry, 300yard rushing performance. The 300 yards was a season-high and the versatility in the offense was much different than in past weeks. Keith Marshall added 13 carries for 60 yards but also contributed with a 10-yard touchdown catch.

Kentucky (4-5, 2-5) was hurt by three turnovers, including Patrick Towles’ two interceptions. The Wildcats managed only 180 total yards.

“That was a pretty good beating by Georgia, a very good football team that had their backs against the wall and responded way better than we did,” said Kentucky coach Mark Stoops. “... It was very difficult for us to move the ball.”

Georgia head coach Mark Richt and the team where swirled with rumors and conversation leading up to the game but he was happy with the way the staff and the players responded.

“[Everyone] did a really good job of staying focused on what was important and handling a lot of things swirling around,” said Richt.

“When you hit that kind of adversity, things can go one way or the other, and it went the right way. I’m proud of everybody.”

from three yards out to make it 21-14. UL-L answered with a 12-play drive that was capped by a 49-yard Stevie Artigue field goal. GSU was unable to find points in the fourth quarter but still clang to a 21-20 lead until Artigue sent his third field goal of the game through the uprights from 21 yards away with 6:59 to play to put the Ragin’ Cajuns on top after GSU kicker Wil Lutz failed to convert on a fake punt.

GSU went three-and-out following Artigue’s go-ahead kick and sent the ball back to the Cajuns. UL-L had a chance to make it a five point game, but Artigue couldn’t split the posts on a 42-yard attempt with 2:47 remaining in regulation. The Panthers had one last opportunity to move the ball into field goal range, but Arbuckle committed his first turnover of the game, tossing an interception on the GSU 41yard line with under two minutes to play.

“I am very disappointed in the result today. We had our opportunities and didn’t start well nor finish the way we wanted to. As a result, we came out two points short,” said head coach Trent Miles after the tough loss.

BRIGHT SPOTS

Arbuckle threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns to go along with one interception.

He leads the Sun Belt in passing yards this season. Freshman Penny Hart caught five passes worth 97 yards. Fellow freshman Demarcus Kirk ran for a career-high 85 yards.

GEORGIA TECH

BASKETBALL LOOKS FOR POSITIVE SWING

BY COLIN HUBBARD | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Georgia Tech men’s basketball team is coming off of a disappointing 2014-15 season, but are poised to get back on track and make a name for themselves amongst the ACC.

Returning for Georgia Tech is seniors Marcus Georges-Hunt and Charles Mitchell and will help form one of the best guard-forward duos in the country. Georges-Hunt led the Yellow Jackets in scoring last season while Mitchell was the second leading scorer, respectively.

Also looking to make a big impact is sophomore guard Tadric Jackson who is looking to build off of a mediocre freshman campaign from a season ago. Not only will Jackson impact the Yellow Jackets in a positive way, the team also has several key transfers that all have high expectations heading in.

Leading the group of transfers is Adam Smith who led the Virginia Tech Hokies in scoring last season with 13.4 points per game.

The Yellow Jackets also got Nick Jacobs who transferred from the Alabama Crimson Tide

KENNESAW STATE

BASKETBALL TIPS OFF UNDER SKINNER

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Al Skinner era officially began on Sunday as the Owls defeated Middle Georgia State 98-75 in a preseason exhibition. The 23-point win did not come as easy as the final score might indicate. At the half, the two teams were deadlocked at 45 apiece. Behind Yonel Brown, Kendrick Ray and Nigel Pruitt, Kennesaw finally pulled away in the second half and outscored Middle Georgia 53-30.

Last year’s leading scorer, Brown, led the charge again with 24 points. Ray, a transfer from Quinnipiac, saw his first action in a KSU jersey and chipped in 21 points. Last season’s second leading scorer, Pruitt, added 18 points but finished 0-of-4 from three. Kennesaw shot 50.7 percent from the field but struggled from distance. Brown made all five threes for the Owls while the rest of the team went 0-for-10.

Freshman Kyle Clarke impressed off the bench with five points, five rebounds and a game-high six assists. Jonesboro freshman

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and James White who is coming over from Arkansas-Little Rock.

Not only will the Yellow Jackets have to play Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Notre Dame, they will have to go on the road to take on the Georgia Bulldogs and play a non-conference home game against the VCU Rams.

Nobody is expecting the Yellow Jackets to make noise in this years’ loaded ACC conference and make a possible run for a NCAA Tournament spot next March, but with the amount of transfers and experience the Yellow Jackets have, anything is possible.

FROM BAD TO WORSE

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets entered into their bye week with just three wins on the year, their lowest total in more than a decade.

In order to keep their streak of bowl games alive, Georgia Tech must win their last three games of the year.

The Jackets host Virginia Tech before going on the road to take on the Miami Hurricanes and finishing the year with a nonconference home game against the bitter rival Georgia Bulldogs at Bobby Dodd.

If the Yellow Jackets can pull off the unthinkable and win all three games, they will more than likely get a bowl game, but if they lose at any point, the season is officially over.

On what was supposed to be a great year, the Yellow Jackets have imploded and will likely stew over their season this winter.

Tracy Hector got the start and recorded four steals. Seth Coleman scored a team-high 21 for the Knights while Kieston Standfield scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the loss.

SKINNER’S TAKE

“It’s an exhibition. We were trying a couple of different things and some worked and some didn’t. Overall, the effort was there, so I was pleased about that. At times, especially early we were a little anxious and didn’t execute as well or handle the ball well. We had a lot of turnovers in the first half that led to opportunities for them. I thought we settled down more in the second half both defensively and offensively and because of that it allowed us to score more points. In the first half, we didn’t take quality shots and in the second half we took much better shots. I was pleased with that. The thing is it’s important to execute and we did a much better job of that in the second half.”

CRIMSON TIME

Alabama welcomes in Kennesaw State for the opening regular season game of the year this Friday. Tip is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. The Tide are coming off a 19-15 season with a second round exit in the NIT. Head coach Avery Johnson is in year one at Alabama after a lengthy career of both playing and coaching in the NBA.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 37 | November 5-11, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

NO. 1 PICKS END HAWKS SEVEN GAME WIN STREAK

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

A

ndrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2) improved to 4-0 on the road and held on to a 34-point lead to defeat the Hawks (7-2) on Monday night, 117-107. A hot start in the first quarter carried over into the second period as the T’Wolves held a 7242 halftime lead. The largest halftime deficit overcome to win was 34 points by Utah against Denver on Nov. 27, 1996, according to research

by STATS dating to the 1951-52 season.

Wiggins tied a career-high with 33 points in the game while shooting 15-of-22 from the field. He has scored over 30 points in back-toback games now.

“I was feeling it,” he said. “My shot was falling. My teammates kept encouraging me, giving me the ball.”

Behind the three-ball, Atlanta staged a furious comeback in the second half. The Hawks doubled up the Timberwolves 42-21 in the third quarter and took their first lead of the game with 3:26 remaining in the fourth quarter on a Paul Millsap floater, 107-106. Wiggins

ATLANTA BRAVES

SIMMONS’ STREAK OF TWO STRAIGHT GOLD GLOVES COMES TO AN END

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

T

here was reason to think Atlanta Braves’ shortstop Andrelton Simmons would snag a third consecutive Gold Glove Award as the best shortstop in the National League when the honors were announced on Tuesday. After all, Simmons posted a career-best .988 fielding percentage while making only eight errors in 687 chances. He also turned a career-best 126 double-plays and led all NL players at his position with 25 defensive runs saved (25). For his efforts, Simmons earned a third straight Fielding Bible Award earlier this offseason for being the best defensive shortstop in Major League Baseball.

Somehow, though, the Gold Glove Award went to San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford.

Yes, Crawford was good in the field—but not as good as Simmons. The 28-year-old finished with 20 defensive runs saved and a .979 fielding percentage. His 2.9 defensive wins against replacement also paled in comparison to Simmons’ 3.5.

“I think he is the best defensive player

scored the next seven points of the game to regain momentum and put away the Hawks.

“I think to fight back from that kind of deficit shows the resiliency and character of the group,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “(There were) a lot of positives from how that group fought.”

Jeff Teague paced the Hawks with 24 points and nine assists while Millsap 22 points, five rebounds and six assists. This year’s No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots in the win.

FOURTH QUARTER WIZARDRY

On Saturday the Hawks found themselves in a nip-and-tuck game with the Washington Wizards, entering the fourth quarter down 78-75. That deficit did not last long as Atlanta outscored the Wiz 39-21 in the final frame and ran away with a 114-99 home victory. Kent Bazemore continued to produce in his new found role and pitched in a game-high 25 points.

Millsap added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists to carry Atlanta. Coach Bud enjoyed a big game from the bench, with five players combining to score 37 points led by Thabo Sefolosha’s 10 points.

“I think we kind of wore them out,” Bazemore said. “Our depth is something we love, and lean on. Keep guys coming in and out. Guys are playing harder, cutting harder as the game goes on. A lot of (opponents) get fatigued.”

in the history of the game,” Atlanta’s general manager, John Coppolella, said of Simmons.

“I think he’s somebody who brings so much value. When you’ve got young pitching behind him, outs are outs and hits are outs. It’s like [manager Fredi Gonzalez] always says, ‘The next play is his best play.’ He’s a joy to watch.”

MOURNING HANSON Former Braves’ pitcher Tommy Hanson passed away on Monday at age 29 due to “catastrophic organ failure.” In addition to four seasons in Atlanta from 2009 through 2012, Hanson pitched for the Angels in 2013 and compiled a career record of 49-35 to go along with a 3.80 ERA. The Tulsa, Okla. native surged onto the scene as a rookie by going 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA while striking out 116 batters in 127.2 innings. Hanson posted double-digit wins in all four years with the Braves and compiled ERAs of 3.33 in 2010 and 3.60 in 2011.

“We are incredibly saddened to learn of Tommy’s tragic passing,” Braves’ president John Schuerholz said in a statement. “He was a favorite in the clubhouse and with our staff and he will truly be missed by everyone in Braves Country. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, family, former teammates and friends.”

Former Braves’ close Craig Kimbrel posted the following on Twitter: “Tommy Hanson was a great person, it hurts my heart to see him go so soon. My prayers and thoughts are with the Hanson family.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS LOSE THIRD GAME IN FOUR TRIES

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Falcons dropped their third game in their last four outings Sunday in San Francisco and enter the bye week 6-3 after a promising 5-0 start. The Falcons were forced to be one-dimensional against the 49ers defense as Devonta Freeman rushed the ball just 12 times for 12 yards. Defensively, Atlanta gave up too many big plays on third down and Blaine Gabbert won just his sixth game in 28 career starts with a 17-16 final score and two touchdown passes. The Falcons entered a much-needed bye week following the game and will await the Indianapolis Colts a week from Sunday to open up the final seven games of the year.

The two faces Atlanta’s matchup with Indianapolis might feature are William Moore and backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

Starting quarterback Andrew Luck will likely miss the game with a lacerated kidney. Moore has missed Atlanta’s last two games due to a bad groin. Instead of returning to action to

THE TRANSFER CORNER

NEW NAMES JOIN GHSA ROSTERS

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

week I will highlight some GHSA basketETheach ball transfers across the Peach State here at Transfer Corner.

REDBIRD LANDS IN RICHMOND After a 13-13 regular season in Class AAAAA, Academy of Richmond County (ARC) returns some good pieces, but the best might have come via transfer in Madison Williams.

At 6-foot-3, Williams is an athletic combo guard that joins the program after starring at Augusta Christian. An ability to get to the rim and nice range on his jumper makes Williams a high-scoring guard that recently has committed to play at Illinois State. He will be expected to take the reins of the Musketeers offense and lead them into the state playoffs after missing out a year ago.

GRIFFIN AND BUTLER POACHED

Griffin (20-8 in 2014) has suffered a big loss in its hope to reach the AAAA playoffs for the second straight season. The Potter’s House, FL has struck again and plucked another fine

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face Luck, it will instead be the 17-year veteran Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck, at the tender age of 40, has already started twice this year and has led the Colts to a 2-0 record while passing for 495 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Moore doesn’t have to worry about the arm strength Luck possesses, but Hasselbeck’s ability to place the ball where he wants it can be just as lethal.

AROUND THE DIVISION

The undefeated Panthers withstood a late rally from the Packers to remain the only flawless team in the NFC as Cam Newton made his case for MVP. Newton finished the game with over 350 total yards and four touchdowns. The storyline surrounding the Bucs this weekend was the return of New York’s Jason Pierre-Paul, who saw action for the first time this season.

He totaled two tackles as the Giants 32-18 win over the Buccaneers. With the Panthers still perfect and another week where all three NFC South opponents lost, Carolina looks poised to win a third straight division crown. New Orleans fell 34-28 in overtime to the AFC South Titans as Marcus Mariota’s fourth touchdown of the day clinched their second win of the season. Carolina faces the Titans this weekend and New Orleans is on the road for a clash with the Redskins. Tampa Bay hosts Dallas for a 1 pm Sunday kickoff.

young talent out of the state of Georgia in rising sophomore Corderius Hastings. The talented guard averaged 15.1 points per game along with 4.8 assists and 3.9 steals. Hastings can bang home the three and get to the rack on offense while supplying sticky defense to ball handlers.

He joins Ric’Quail Smoot, a 6-foot-8 Butler transfer, in Florida. Smoot is a bruiser inside that finishes well around the rim. He averaged nearly a double-double last season and has improved his jump shot, showing a feathery touch around the baseline. The Potter’s House was 13-10 last year while playing a national schedule as a part of the Sunshine Independent league.

MACON MOVES The dynamic Nick Hargrove Jr. will be given the keys to the car to try and drive Southwest High School to its first winning record since 2009-10. While at Bible Baptist Christian in Hampton, Georgia, Hargrove Jr. did everything. The 6-foot junior averaged 30.6 points per game, 9.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 6.1 steals. Hargrove cracked 40 points three times and will now bring his free-scoring mentality to the GHSA ranks. He definitely is a player to keep an eye on and may quickly become a fan favorite in Middle Georgia.

KNIGHT TIME Dual sport star Anthony Showell averaged 16.6 points per game for Duluth last season and suits up alongside five-star guard Kobi Simmons at St. Francis. In last Saturday’s opening season scrimmage between GAC and St. Francis, the Knights fell 77-69, but Showell led all scorers with 24 points.

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