Score Vol. 12 Issue 26

Time to look

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 26 | November 2 - November 8, 2016

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

AND SO IT GOES Walton claims a state-record 11th volleyball state championship over the weekend | Pg. 7

Big Shot | Pg. 9 Playoff pushes are bigger than ever with the new seven classifications

The Entertainer | Pg. 4 Blayne Gillen looks into the NFL’s strict outlook on celebrations and entertainment.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

From having licensed physical therapists and certified athletic trainers who only work with kids to using Dartfish motion analysis to correct mechanics and prevent injuries, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta offers the specialized care needed to keep young football stars playing at the highest level. Whether it’s a torn ACL, a shoulder injury, or a concussion, the pediatric experts at Children’s will get your superstar back on the field as quickly and safely as possible.

Find the location nearest you at choa.org/sportsmed.

©2016 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved.

14 NEIGHBORHOOD LOCATIONS IN METRO ATLANTA

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Vol. 12 Iss. 26 | November 2 - November 8, 2016

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR: I.J. Rosenberg

ART DIRECTOR: Rhonda Rawls

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Jermaine Edwards

MANAGING EDITOR: Craig Sager II

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COLUMNISTS

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ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

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BEAT WRITERS: Alex Ewalt

Craig Sager II

Kyle Sandy

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Copyright 2016 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is digitally published every week on ScoreAtl.com. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

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COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ATHLETIC IMAGE, TERRANCE JOHNSON AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS

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Vol. 12 Iss. 26 | November 2 - November 8, 2016 chipped in RBIs. In the loss Brianna Stubbs collected two hits.

SANDY'S SPIEL

CLASS AAAAA

NORTH GWINNETT CLAIMS 7A TITLE

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM loppy fielding and a sharp Chandler Dennis Srepeat kept Mill Creek off balance and unable to as state champions as North Gwinnett

captured their first fast pitch softball championship in school history 6-2. North Gwinnett hung single runs in the second, third and fourth inning before Mill Creek could answer. Bailey Martin was doubled home by Lauren Reed with two outs to get the Bulldogs on the board first. Erin Wilbur hit a chopper that eluded Mill Creek’s Wynter Webb to make it 2-0. In the fourth inning Reed picked up her second RBI to go up 3-0. Hannah Adams plated Mill Creek’s first run on an error. In the fifth the Hawks clawed away at the lead with a Meghan Cassidy two-out RBI single driving in Maddison Koepke who finished 3-for-4. Dennis and Skylar Hayward traded zeros until the top of the seventh. The Bulldogs used small ball to manufacture runs, Emily Brown singling to left and Makenna Dowell reaching on a bunt. Hayward

rebounded, getting an out on a Dennis sacrifice and inducing a Wilbur foul pop out, but poor fielding struck again. Haley Short popped up in the infield but a miscommunication allowed the ball to drop between two infielders making it 4-2. Haley Griffith followed with a two-run single to push the lead to 6-2. Dennis finished off the Hawks, working around a two-out error and getting Koepke to roll over for the final out.

Dennis went all seven innings allowing five hits and striking out two.

CLASS AAAAAA

CAMBRIDGE 4, CREEKVIEW 0

In fitting fashion, Cambridge used its 20th shutout of the year to capture its first ever state championship, 4-0 over Creekview. Keara Napoli tossed a complete-game four-hitter to shut down the Grizzlies bats. Lindsey Smith supplied the offense going 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Napoli and Becca Cleypool both

NFL RECAP

THE NFL OR THE “NO FUN LEAGUE”?

BY BLAYNE GILLEN | INFO@SCOREATL.COM here has been a lot of controversy throughT out the National Football League this season. Earlier in September the league promised

to start cracking down on fouls called in relation to celebrating and taunting. The two words seem to go hand in hand lately in the NFL realm. Players have danced after touchdowns, jumped into the goalposts, and have done very silly things to show their excitement after scoring. Apparently, twerking and hugging a goalpost is considered taunting and unsportsmanlike. Antonio Brown was fined for doing both things during the 2016 season. Dean Blandino is the NFL's senior vice president for officiating and he had some things to say about the rise of controversy stemming from the penalties.

"This may seem crazy, but you can always just hand the ball to an official," Blandino also said

in the video sent to news media and teams. The league's crackdown on celebrations has resulted in more unsportsmanlike penalties. There have been 22 taunting penalties through Week 7, up from 13 at this point in 2015 and double the total after seven games in 2014. "The rule hasn't changed in terms of what is and what isn't taunting," Blandino said, adding referees were advised to make it a point-of-emphasis call. "Fouls go up initially, and then as the players start to regulate their behavior and they understand where the bar is, we start to see the foul numbers go down." (AP, USA Today) Earlier this week wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was fined for taking a fake picture of his teammates after he scored.

"We talk about, we want to grow the business of the NFL and revenues," Jets wide

BUFORD 2, WALNUT GROVE 1

For the fifth time in six meetings this season, Buford thwarted Region 8 rival Walnut Grove. Buford’s 2-1 walk-off win marks the third straight year the Wolves have ended the Warriors’ season and second straight year they’ve done so in the state championship. Buford took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Maddie Marchiando crossed the plate. Kaedy Borst answered the following inning with a solo shot to knot the game at 1. In the bottom of the seventh, a lead off error opened the floodgates.

Gabby Benson reached base and was promptly bunted over by Shea Bayreuther setting up an opportunity for Katie Perkins to break the Warriors’ heart one more time, which she did, singling in the winning run. Tennessee-commit Logan Caymol limited the Warriors to three hits while striking out eight to power the Wolves to their 10th straight state title. Kayla Poytner toed the rubber for Walnut Grove and allowed five hits and one earned run while punching out five in the loss.

CLASS AAAA

CENTRAL-CARROLLTON 3, NORTHSIDE-COLUMBUS 1

After striking out 21 in a 7-0 victory over Northside-Columbus at 9 A.M., UCF-commit receiver Brandon Marshall said. "We see growth from 10 billion to 20 billion dollars by the end of 2022. We need more of that. We need guys to come out of the box. We need Antonio Brown twerking in the end zone. Kids shouldn't be fined for that. Guys should go out there and wear colorful cleats. That's our culture right now. This is this new era, this hip-hop and lifestyle era. We need to embrace that.

You can't just put guys in a box." (USA Today) Brandon Marshall speaks the truth. On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sources you see the things that players are doing: Wear custom cleats, dancing, and just having fun. These things attract fans and viewers across the globe to watch. Sports are a form of entertainment. Athletes can be considered performers in this sort of comparison. Fans will not want to watch boring games that the players just go out there and act like robots.

VIEWERSHIP DOWN

Viewership and ratings have been the center of attention for the NFL big wigs this season.

What is to blame for this? The crackdown on players putting their personal touches on the game? The national anthem protests? The domestic violence punishment controversy? Deflate gate? None? All? There obviously is not

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Emily Williams dazzled again, striking out 16 and allowing only a first inning homerun to Hannah George to carry the Lions to their first ever state title. Williams was masterful during her 107-pitch complete game, giving up just one hit and no walks. Central-Carrollton scored three runs in the sixth inning when the Lions loaded the bases and Abbey Cook was hit by a pitch. Maddie Dodson followed with a two-run single to provide the Lions all the cushion they needed with Williams on the mound.

CLASS AAA EAST JACKSON 5, CALHOUN 2

The state’s No. 1 ranked team Calhoun could not complete a four-peat, falling to East Jackson 5-2. The Eagles claimed their first state title after a perfect 4-0 march through the Championship Bracket. Calhoun was sent to the Loser’s Bracket after a loss to Cook County on Thursday night and won four straight before running into East Jackson. Calhoun held a 1-0 lead after one but the Eagles tied it in the third on a Jessie Marvin RBI. In the fourth inning East Jackson extended its lead with a Gracie Wilburn RBI single followed by two unearned runs off an error. Ashlyn Barnes knocked in an RBI single to cut it to 4-2 in the fifth, but Marvin added another insurance run in the top of the seventh.

Photo courtesy of The Athletic Image one answer but these all certainly play a part.

Fans have been tuning out due to a few reasons and the crackdown on celebrating and fun have contributed. The matchups on primetime T.V. this year have been abysmal as well. Roger Goodell has handled all the domestic violence cases terribly. If you add each of these up, then it is easy to see why ratings have dropped. Online streaming is also a big part of this problem.

T.V. ratings do not account for the streaming of games online. You also cannot forget all those commercials!

What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? The NFL has its priorities backwards.

Roger Goodell continues to let players do what they want when it comes to things that are serious: Domestic violence, drug use, malicious acts on the field, etc. The NFL would rather focus on fining players for getting excited when they score. This is the biggest reason the NFL has been labeled as the “No Fun League” by its players. The fans are not out of the loop when it comes to things going on in the NFL and that is a big reason why ratings have gone down. Fans do not want to watch lifeless games, and do not want to support an organization that practically condones the terrible actions committed by some of its players.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons

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Matt Ryan

Hawks

Justin Thomas

Matty Ice helped the Birds bounce back in a big way, leading a final 75-yard, three-anda-half-minute drive to sink the Packers 33-32. Ryan was a masterful 9-of-11 on the possession, spreading it out to four receivers, and found Mohamed Sanu wide open for the goahead touchdown. Has anyone in the league been more instrumental to his team’s success in the first half of the season?

Hometown hero Dwight Howard and the Hawks have gotten off to a flying start, knocking off the Wizards, 76ers and Kings to start 3-0. Dwight is boarding, Dennis Schroder is dishing and Kyle Korver is bombing from deep. Not only that, but the team just signed an agreement to renovate Philips Arena and stay there through the 2046 season. The future is bright.

The Yellow Jacket signal-caller was all over the field in a close win against Duke, racking up 459 total yards and obliterating his previous career high of 353, set in his first start. His game was a YouTube highlight reel, complete with four touchdowns and plays of 82, 50, 50, 46 and 40 yards. Last Saturday’s performance was one of the best Bobby Dodd Stadium has ever seen.

SCORE LIST

By Craig Sager II

HAWKS TAKE FLIGHT WITH DWIGHT

The Atlanta Hawks have opened the season with three strong wins, while Atlanta-native and offseason signing Dwight Howard continues to play well. The big man has teamed up with Paul Millsap to dominate the boards, while the bench and role players continue to step up.

ARENA UPGRADE

The Atlanta Hawks and the city of Atlanta announced Tuesday that they have reached an agreement on the terms for a $192.5 million renovation of Philips Arena. Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed committed to provide $142.5 million toward the renovation process, while the Hawks pledged the remainder. The Hawks also committed to an 18-year lease extension to stay in downtown Atlanta through 2046.

FALCONS WIN BIG

Sunday’s 33-32 win over the Green Bay Packers proved to be another Georgia Dome Classic. After two heartbreaking losses, the Falcons came up clutch to regain momentum.

Matt Ryan tossed an 11-yard game-winning touchdown to Mohamed Sanu with 31 seconds left to clinch the win.

DOWNWARD DAWGS

Georgia was dominated in Jacksonville as Florida cruised to a 24-10 victory. The Gators defense held Nick Chubb to just 20 rushing yards on nine carries, and antagonized freshman quarterback Jacob Eason. Georgia finished with a seasonlow 164 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs are now 4-4 on the season.

SEASON FINALE

It’s hard to believe how quickly the season has gone by, but Friday night marks the last week of the regular season. The GHSA reclassification into a Class 7A shrunk regions across the state and the result is the biggest week of playoff races the state has ever seen. Follow all the action with our live scoreboard and be the first to catch the playoff brackets.

NFL MIDTERMS

Now that the Falcons are halfway through the season, we can look back on the last eight weeks that have seen the team compile a 5-3 record. The offense is ranked in the top half of the league in every key category, while defense is ranked 29th (points allowed, 28.9), 25th (total yards allowed, 379.3), and 24th (passing yards, 285.4). However, there are plenty of other reasons to believe in this team entering the second half.

WHO’S NOT

By Alex Ewalt

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

UGA

Cam Newton

Vikings

Trouble is brewing in Bulldog Land. Georgia has simply been stymied on offense recently, getting a 15-of-33 passing performance from Jacob Eason and 20 yards rushing from Nick Chubb against the hated Florida Gators (who have now won three straight games in the rivalry series, by the way). The Dawgs are a favorite this weekend at a surprising 5-3 Kentucky team—but just barely.

The Atlanta native and bitter Falcons rival has been pedestrian this season in leading the Panthers to a 2-5 record. On top of that, he’s taken to publicly complaining about so-called no-calls and all but demanded a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the matter.

Even if Newton has a point, is he really going to blame his career-low 57-percent completions on a few iffy hits?

They looked like the class of the NFL, but now the Vikes have lost two in a row (to the Eagles and the lowly Bears) and managed just 10 points in each defeat. Norv Turner (who HASN’T he coached for?) abruptly resigned this week as offensive coordinator, and Adrian Peterson is still out. Is this the beginning of a slide reminiscent of the Falcons’ 2015 second half?

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Kyle Sandy

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

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

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TRIVIA QUESTION

HOW MANY CAREER FOURTH QUARTER COMEBACKS DOES MATT RYAN HAVE? ANSWER ON PAGE 15

“

SANITY AT LAST

They wouldn’t be in there if we didn’t have big-time faith in what they are doing.

I can promise you that. We have faith and trust in them to get the job done, that much we know."

- Head coach Dan Quinn on his defense.

108

The Hawks offensive points per game this season (9th in NBA)

88.7

The Hawks defensive points per game this season (1st in NBA)

19.3

Turnovers forced by the Hawks this season (1st in NBA)

12.3

Rebounds per game by Dwight Howard this season

330

Passing yards per game by Matt Ryan (1st in NFL)

294.9

Matt Ryan’s previous career high for a season (2012)

18

Sacks produced by the Atlanta Falcons through eight games

19

Sacks produced by the Atlanta Falcons all of last season

Vol. 12 Iss. 26 | November 2 - November 8, 2016

ON THE COVER

GHSA STATE VOLLEYBALL FINALS

WALTON SWEEPS LASSITER FOR STATERECORD 11TH TITLE

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

W

alton swept its way past Lassiter [30-28, 25-18, 25-12] in the Class 7A final to win a state-best 11th all-time volleyball state championship Saturday at Marietta High School. The Raiders were tested in the first set as Lassiter rallied from 23-18 down to set up match point at 25-24. This was the first of six match points from both teams before the Raiders clinched the set 30-28.

“It’s a very young team. A lot of people forget that,” said Walton head coach Suzanne Fitzgerald. “I knew that set was going to happen.

I just didn’t think it was going to be the first one.”

Lassiter’s strength coming in was outside at the pins and it wasn’t until Walton sophomore Lauryn Burrows stepped up in the second and third sets with precision and power that the nationally-ranked Raiders’ talent was on full display.

“Lauren has been a great addition,” explained Fitzgerald. “I think she struggled the first set a bit but she did great from then on.

This is a brand new environment for her and

so when she settled down she put the ball on a dime right where we talked about.”

Walton trailed 6-4 to open the set before Burrows tied it at 8-8 with one of her 12 kills.

The teams were tied later in the set at 14-14 before Walton closed it out with an 11-4 run.

Set three was all Raiders as they opened up a 10-3 lead and led 22-10 before clinching the championship 25-12.

Meghan Froemming matched Burrows with a team-high 12 kills and Gabby Gonzalez finished with 10 kills to go with eight digs and two blocks. Molly Pember who joins Burrows, Froemming and Gonzalez as parts of their outstanding sophomore class led with 16 digs.

Dalaney Hans finished with 42 assists.

CLASS AAAAAA

HARRISON 3, ALPHARETTA 1

Harrison defeated top-ranked Alpharetta in an ultra-competitive four-set Class 6A final to win its first state title since 2006. The Hoyas dropped the first set 25-12 and had

their backs against the wall before pulling out three straight sets.

“We were in the pressure cooker today and they rose up,” said head coach Amber McClure.

In the second set that turned the match around, Harrison and Alpharetta were tied 13 different times before the Hoyas won the set 26-24. In the third set, it looked like the Raiders would respond to take a 2-1 lead as they led 23-18. Harrison, however, took the next seven points and stole the set 25-23.

“It seems like throughout the momentum of the match that different players stepped up at different times we needed them to,” said McClure.

In the fourth set, Alpharetta once again sat two points away from taking the set with a 23-22 lead this time. Senior Katie Doering had a kill to even it up at 23-23 and after a block by Doering and Meg Kastendsmidt to bring match point, Doering clinched the game with an emphatic spike. Doering finished with a team-high 19 kills.

“Not this team. This team has a will and they are unshakeable,” added McClure. “They are feisty. They are tough.”

Harrison’s defensive effort was led by Camryn Bihary and Riley Fischer, who finished with 31 digs apiece.

CLASS AAAAA

BUFORD 3, MCINTOSH 1 For the third straight season Buford played for a state championship and wasted no time getting off to a hot start. The Wolves quickly closed out the first two sets 25-11, 25-11.

Intermission served the Chiefs well, as McIntosh opened up the third set with tons of enthusiasm and energy despite the 0-2 deficit and took the set 25-23.

Buford ultimately clinched the fourth set 25-12.

CLASS AAAA BLESSED TRINITY 3, WOODWARD ACADEMY 0

Blessed Trinity swept Woodward Academy to clinch its three-peat on Saturday.

“It feels pretty surreal right now, i’m not sure it’s quite sunk in yet,” said Blessed Trinity Head Coach Paul Stevens. “I had a good feeling before the match, we had several players who were injured Wednesday, so we spent all week with limited practice and rehabbing players and they were fortunately able to play today.”

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The Titans finish the season (55-9) and the War Eagles at (32-14).

CLASS AAA

WESTMINSTER 3, PACE ACADEMY 1

After splitting the regular season 1-1, Area rivals Westminster and Pace Academy met in the Class AAA final for a winner take all match.

Westminster seniors Claire Corbin and Margert Moran worked together to keep up with 6-foot-3 Duke-commit Summer Brown and the Pace Academy Knights. Summer Brown stands a staggering 6’3 and the Duke Commit showed out in the matchup.

The Wildcats did enough to take the crown in four games [25-19, 23-25, 26-24, 2518] in front of a massive crowd amassed by the two metro schools

CLASS AA

ST. VINCENT’S 3, COOSA 0

St. Vincent’s swept Coosa in Game 2 of the state championship triple-header held at Holy Innocents. The sweep gave the Saints their second state title in school history (2003).

Coosa was the underdog and Cinderella story having never made it to a finals match. Coosa, which was playing in its first-ever finals kept it close in the first two sets, falling 25-19 and 2518. With the title 25-points away, however, St. Vincent’s was able to run away with the third set 25-14.

Senior Hannah Routon contributed eight digs and 11 kills. Seniors Sarah Stewart and Mackenzie O’Hayer both added five digs.

CLASS A

CALVARY DAY 3, SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN 0

After getting swept both meetings in the regular season, Calvary Day answered with a thrilling five-set victory over top-seeded Savannah Christian to win its second consecutive Class A title.

Calvary Day took the first two sets [2513] and [25-23] and looked to be on the verge of a championship sweep. Savannah Christian head coach Julie Jones rallied the Raiders and ended they took the third set 25-20 before forcing the fifth with a 25-17 set in the fourth.

Calvary Day responded and took set five 15-12.

Senior Claudia Chisolm finished with 12 kills.

Kaitlyn Beasley also had a great game by scoring eight kills in her 18 attempts.

Photo courtesy of The Athletic Image

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 12 Iss. 26 | November 2 - November 8, 2016

PREP SPOTLIGHT

AAAA PLAYOFF SCENARIOS PAINT DRAMATIC FINAL

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

I

t’s no secret that the final week of the regular season is going to be overflowing with drama and key matchups. Only four of the region champions have been determined (Cairo, Mary Persons, Thomson, Woodward Academy) and just six of the 32 total seeds have been set. More importantly, only Chestatee has clinched a No. 4 seed, so the playoff hopes are alive deep within every region.

REGION 1

Columbus at Americus-Sumter Northside-Columbus at Cairo Carver-Columbus at Hardaway (Thursday) Shaw at Westover WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Cairo has already clinched the No. 1 seed but the No. 2 seed remains up for grabs. Northside-Columbus must beat Cairo and hope for a Carver-Columbus loss to Hardaway to clinch the No. 2 seed. Americus-Sumter can earn a playoff berth with a win over Columbus and a Hardaway loss to Carver-Columbus.

REGION 2

Howard at Mary Persons

West Laurens at Perry Spalding at Upson-Lee WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Mary Persons has already clinched No. 1 and Perry and Howard are mathematically eliminated from the postseason. That leaves Upson-Lee (3-1), Spalding (2-2) and West Laurens (2-2) guaranteed to fill seeds 2, 3 and 4 in some order.

Upson-Lee controls its one destiny and would clinch No. 2 with a win over Spalding. If Spalding wins, that puts the two teams in a tie and West Laurens would likely force a three-way tie at 3-2. West Laurens beat Spalding this year so if they can defeat Perry on Friday and Upson-Lee beats Spalding then they will take the No. 3 seed.

REGION 3

Baldwin at Cross Creek Burke County at Hephzibah Thomson at Richmond Academy WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Region champion Thomson faces a Richmond Academy team already eliminated from the postseason and Burke County has already clinched the No. 2 seed. That means the winner of the Baldwin at

Cross Creek game will take the No. 3 seed and the loser will take the No. 4 seed.

REGION 4

Salem at Druid Hills Eastside at North Clayton Henry County at Luella OFF-Woodward Academy WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Woodward Academy finished its season last week as the region champs. Eastside controls its own destiny for the No. 2 seed and can clinch it with a win over North Clayton. North Clayton can win the No. 2 seed with a victory, or potentially fall into a tie with Salem or Luella at 3-3 with a loss. North Clayton (3-2) beat Salem (2-3), but lost to Luella (2-3) and Salem beat Luella, but lost to North Clayton. If North Clayton falls to Eastside, Salem loses to Druid Hills and Luella beats Henry County, then Luella could take the three seed and North Clayton would take the No. 4.

REGION 5

Troup at Cartersville Cedartown at Chapel Hill Central-Carroll at Sandy Creek OFF-LaGrange WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Troup and Cartersville are playing for the No. 1 and No. 2 seed. Sandy Creek already clinched the No. 3 seed and the winner of Cedartown at Chapel Hill will take the No. 4 seed.

REGION 6

LaFayette at Gilmer Heritage-Catoosa at Pickens Ridgeland at Southeast Whitfield

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OFF-Northwest Whitfield WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Northwest Whifield finished its season with a 5-1 region lead, but its lone loss came to Ridgeland (4-1), whose lone loss came to Pickens (4-1). That means Ridgeland, Pickens and Northwest Whitfield are all still in the running for the No. 1 seed. Those three teams are guaranteed the 1-3 seeds, while Heritage-Catoosa has already clinched the No. 4 seed regardless of what happens.

REGION 7

West Hall at Blessed Trinity White County at Marist OFF-Chestatee WHAT TO WATCH FOR: In this five-team region, two games will finalize the top 3 seeds.

Blessed Trinity can clinch the top seed with a win over West Hall. A West Hall win could theoretically force a three-way tie with Blessed Trinity and Marist. If Marist handles business against White County and Blessed Trinity beats West Hall, then they would take the No. 2 seed.

Chestatee is already guaranteed the No. 4 seed.

REGION 8

Jefferson at Oconee County Madison County at St. Pius North Oconee at Stephens County WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Jefferson can take the region title with a win over Oconee County. If Oconee County wins, they’ll need Stephens County to lose to avoid a likely three-way tie between Jefferson, Oconee County and Stephens County at 4-1. Madison County and St. Pius are playing for the No 4 seed.

Photo courtesy of Terrance Johnson

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

2016 SEASON HOME SCHEDULE

AUG 11

SEP 1

SEP 11

OCT 2

OCT 23

OCT 30

NOV 27

DEC 4

DEC 18

JAN 1

ATLANTAFALCONS.COM/TICKETS

Vol. 12 Iss. 26 | November 2 - November 8, 2016 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

FLORIDA STOMPS DAWGS AGAIN

BY BLAYNE GILLEN | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

G

eorgia dropped the Saturday rivalry game against the Florida Gators 24-10. Florida has dominated the matchup winning 21 of the last 27 meetings. Those still questioning Kirby should not be doing so. This game was one that was over before it ever started. Florida is strong where Georgia is weak and that is on the front lines. Florida was able to dominate in the trenches which allowed for them to control the tempo of the game. Jacob Eason had no time in the pocket and was forced to dance around the Florida pass rush all afternoon.

The main takeaways from this game has been the same things that have been said all season long. Georgia is weak on the offense and defensive lines which is one of and if not the biggest reason for the disappointing season so far. Georgia needs more talent at the receiver position as well. Eason does not have many reliable targets to throw to and does not have the time to do so. The offensive line troubles have caused the run game to stall as well. Georgia is

GEORGIA STATE

PANTHERS ON SHORT WEEK AFTER HEARTBREAKER

BY ALEX EWALT | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

he Panthers lost a heartbreaker to South T Alabama on the road last Saturday, falling 13-10 on a last-second field goal. Georgia State (2-6, 1-3 Sun Belt) missed on a chance to even its conference record due to a stagnant offense led by backup quarterback Aaron Wincheser, who started his second straight game in place of injured starter Conner Manning.

The Panthers defense has given up just 19 points in the last two games, but GSU gained only 240 yards of offense in the loss.

The Jaguars’ final drive was set up by a muffed punt by Brandon Wright, who managed just an 18-yard boot from the Panthers’ own 13 to set up a short field with 44 seconds to play. South Alabama’s Gavin Patterson hit the 30-yarder with two seconds remaining to give the Jags their first Sun Belt win.

GSU missed an opportunity to take a two-score lead as the fourth quarter began.

Up 10-3 and having just gotten a Bobby Baker fumble recovery on their own 47, the Pan-

very depleted on defense as well. The defensive line can’t get much pressure on the quarterback which allows for players to exploit the average secondary. All in all, Georgia played well defensively but looking at the scoreboard you would never know it. UGA continues to prove that it is a major work in progress in Kirby Smarts first year.

MEDIOCRE AT BEST

“We are 4-4. That’s a fact. That’s a reality,” Smart said. “What can we do about it?

Get our butts ready to play Kentucky. “There’s some frustrated kids in that locker room, and I’m frustrated for them. But I also know they will fight.”

Kirby still sounds optimistic and determined to make the most of this season. UGA plays Kentucky on the road in their next SEC challenge. UGA will now be playing for pride, and for a solid bowl game. UGA also will be playing to show fans that Kirby is making progress every week. So far it has seemed like Kirby has taken a step back every week. There have been: questionable calls, poor time management, poor late game decision making, and poor adjustments on defense and offense.

How UGA finishes up the season will show a lot on Kirby’s end. These kids must go to work and try to get better because right now the execution just seems to be subpar at best.

thers offense then stalled, hurt by a penalty and a sack.

Despite the loss, senior receiver Robert Davis stayed tied for the FBS active lead in consecutive games played with a reception (45).

The Panthers welcome Arkansas State (3-4, 3-0 SBC) to the Georgia Dome this week for the team’s first-ever Sun Belt Thursday-night game. The Red Wolves started the season by dropping all four non-conference games but have recovered to beat Georgia Southern, South Alabama and LouisianaMonroe, the latter by a 51-10 score. This is ASU’s first conference road game this season.

The playing status of Manning, who is getting over a concussion, was unclear as of Tuesday afternoon.

PANTHER NOTES

Sophomore Hannes Burmeister (Offensive Player of the Week) and freshman Kyle Clinton (Defensive Player of the Week) swept the Sun Belt men’s soccer awards this week.

Burmeister scored twice in the team’s 4-0 win over Hartwick last Saturday, and Clinton scored against Hartwick and had the gamewinner against College of Charleston on Oct. 26 in overtime in a 1-0 win. GSU is first in the Sun Belt with one regular-season game left against Coastal Carolina this Saturday. …

Sophomore golfer Nick Budd got his first collegiate win last weekend at the UNCG Bridgestone, shooting a 68 in the final round and finishing 12-under for the tournament.

GEORGIA TECH

THOMAS EARNS ACCOLADES FOR DUKE PERFORMANCE

BY ALEX EWALT | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

D

espite blowing a 21-point lead in the second half, Georgia Tech’s wild 38-35 win over Duke keeps the Yellow Jackets (5-3, 2-3 ACC) in the hunt for a winning ACC record.

Justin Thomas had perhaps his best game as a Yellow Jacket to bail out the home team, going 10-of-14 passing for 264 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 195 yards and two scores. Thomas’s total yardage of 459 is the third-most all-time in a game, coming in behind George Godsey and Joe Hamilton.

For his efforts, Thomas was named the ACC Offensive Back of the Week and the Walter Camp National Player of the Week. He also rushed for an 82-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

The Jackets seemed on their way to a blowout after making it 28-7 on Thomas’s 22-yard touchdown run before halftime. On Duke’s first possession of the second half, the Jackets had an opportunity to take a four-

KENNESAW STATE

OWLS HONORED; TEAM AWAITS NONCONFERENCE TILT

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

C

oming off a 49-17 rout at Monmouth that clinched its second straight winning season, Kennesaw State saw Chaston Bennett and Desmond Johnson earn weekly football awards from the Big South Conference.

Bennett, a senior running back from Crockett, Texas, was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week while Johnson, a redshirt freshman defensive lineman from Rome High School in Rome, Ga., was tapped Defensive Player of the Week. They are the first career awards for both Bennett and Johnson.

Bennett logged first 100-yard rushing game of the season, carrying eight times for a season-high 129 yards and two touchdowns for his fourth straight multi-touchdown game.

The playmaker made good use of his opportunities as six of his eight carries went for either a first down or a touchdown, including a 39-yard outburst that converted a key fourth down that extended a drive that led to a KSU touchdown.

Bennett averaged a career-high 16.1 yards per

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touchdown lead after intercepting a Daniel Jones pass near midfield.

That didn’t happen. A Tech fumble on the next play kicked off a Duke rally that saw the Blue Devils take the lead with nine minutes to play before more Thomas heroics.

Thomas had an especially brilliant fourth-quarter sequence in which, down 3531, he helped set up a 21-yard TD pass to Clinton Lynch with his own 46-yard run. Thomas then sealed the victory when he ran for 50 yards on a 3rd-and-17 to get to the Duke 29 with under two minutes left.

Winning perhaps the wildest game at Bobby Dodd Stadium since last season’s dramatic, last-second takedown of Florida State could be a spark. But the defense will have to step up after allowing a season-high 559 yards of offense and 8-of-13 third-down conversion rate to Duke.

Tech has an opportunity to pull even in conference play with a win over North Carolina (6-2, 4-1) this Saturday. The Tar Heels have won two straight on the road, against Miami and Virginia, after getting blown out by Virginia Tech at home.

The UNC offense isn’t as potent as it’s been in recent years, but it’s still sixth in the ACC in total offense with 438 yards per game.

The Jackets are hoping to get starting B-back Dedrick Mills and senior linebacker P.J. Davis back from injury.

carry to pace KSU's school-record 482-yard rushing performance.

Johnson had a monster game to lead a defense that yielded just 53 yards rushing and pitched a second-half shutout. He logged a career-high nine tackles, a sack, forced a career-high two fumbles and returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown that put the Owls up 21-3 in the second quarter. The 53 yards rushing were the fewest allowed by Kennesaw State in a conference game.

NEXT UP

Having won six of its last seven games and staying in the thick of the Big South Conference race, Kennesaw State steps out of conference play for the final time this season to welcome Clark Atlanta at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game can be seen live on Peachtree TV and heard on ESPN Radio 1230 The Fan 2.

Kennesaw State has clinched its second straight winning season. The Owls join Old Dominion as the only Division-I start-up programs since 2008 to post winning seasons in each of the teams' first two years in existence.

The Owls are one of just five FCS teams that remain undefeated on the road this season – the other four teams are each highly-ranked among the FCS Top 25: Sam Houston State (#1), North Dakota State (#4), The Citadel (#5) and Central Arkansas (#19).

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