Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 23

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 23 |

JUNE 20-26, 2014

|

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

Hard Knocks | Pg. 4 Falcons to be featured on popular HBO series

TOUGH GUYS

7-on-7 Special | Pg. 8-9 See the centerspread for the official Corky Kell 7-on-7 program

Cox, Tice bring no-nonsense attitude to Flowery Branch | Pg. 5

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HARD TO WATCH MOMENTS. Young athletes can play rough. So it’s good to know that Children’s has the expertise to help kids recover from any sports injury. Learn more at choa.org/sportsmed.

©2014 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved.

Vol. 10 Iss. 23 | June 20-26, 2014

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

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ON THE COVER

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7-ON-7 EVENT

GENERAL MANAGER Melanie Snare

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

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Marcus Nabors

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves) Robert Tinter (Hawks, Tech) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons) Matt Cason (Dream) David Norwood (GSU)

STAFF WRITERS Alex Ewalt Darrin Heatherly Lia Sewell Alex Ordu

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

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SCORE LIST | NUMBERS

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE

GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH

Score Atlanta is looking for interns. Please visit www.scoreatl.com/internships for more information on our program.

BRAVES | FALCONS HAWKS | DREAM

On ScoreAtl.com, we will continually be updating you, our readers, on the progress of the Falcons this offseason as they move towards what looks to be a promising 2014 season. We will have reporters at minicamp as well as training camp and Friday Night Lights.

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIMMY CRIBB/ATLANTA FALCONS.

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A WORD WITH BIG B

FALCONS ON HARD KNOCKS CAN ONLY BE A POSITIVE

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

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BO is a network that has been known for its groundbreaking programming, which is why it’s one of the most popular premium cable channels of all-time. And one of those groundbreaking shows is “Hard Knocks”, which chronicles an NFL team as it goes through the rigors of training camp.

For the 2014 season, the Falcons will be the featured team. They were asked to be a part of the show last year, but they did not feel like it was the right time for them to be a part of it. But with the team coming off a 4-12 campaign in 2013, they felt like this would be a good way to connect with fans in Atlanta and across the country.

“We are looking forward to connecting

with our fans across the country as the program chronicles our 2014 training camp,” said Falcons head coach Mike Smith. “The series will give fans a behind the scenes look at the competition between players as we build our roster and prepare for the season. We are looking forward to the start of camp in late July.”

For those who have followed Smith, he is not the one who likes to be in the spotlight. So while he will be featured in the show, he will make sure the focus will be on the players as well as the fans that will attend camp at Flowery Branch.

While it is true that no team that has participated in Hard Knocks has won the Super Bowl, filming a show during the preseason

SAGER SAYS

TOP TEAMS SQUARE OFF IN INAUGURAL CORKY KELL 7-ON-7 TOURNEY

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

his year’s two-day, seven-game Corky Kell T Classic is bigger than ever and for the first time in event history, the kickoff classic is in-

augurating its Corky Kell 7-on-7 tournament.

Twelve of this year’s Corky Kell teams and a total of 15 of the best teams in the state will hit the turf on Friday at the Roswell Area Parks Football Complex.

Pool play starts at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and will give each team four games to then determine seeding for the single elimination afternoon tourney. There are five teams in each of the three sections. A total of 60 games will be played in pool play before the tournament begins in an actionpacked two and a half hour window.

In Section A, Norcross, Creekview, Centennial, Archer and McEachern are grouped

up. Section B stars Mill Creek, North Paulding, Tucker, Sandy Creek and Roswell. Finally, Section C pins North Gwinnett, Carrollton, Brookwood, Collins Hill and Blessed Trinity together.

The first games of the day will be Norcross vs. Creekview, North Paulding vs. Mill Creek, North Gwinnett vs. Carrollton, Centennial vs.

Archer, Tucker vs. Sandy Creek and Brookwood vs. Collins Hill. Six games will be going on at once every 30 minutes. Norcross at McEachern will be a game to watch at the 10:30 timeslot. Norcross won the state title last year and McEachern advanced to the state semifinals in Class AAAAAA and both teams will be testing out new starting quarterbacks.

Aside from the team talent and rivals set to cross paths, there will be outstanding individual

won’t affect the Falcons’ regular season. They will prepare the same way, work the same way and do things the same way they have been since Mike Smith took over in 2008. All NFL Films and HBO are doing is chronicling the team and showing NFL fans why this team has had so much success over the last six years.

“We are excited about the opportunity to give our fans a behind the scenes look at what it takes to prepare an NFL team for the rigors of a 16-game regular season and beyond,” said Falcons owner Arthur Blank. “This marks the first time that our franchise will be featured on Hard Knocks and we look forward to showcasing our great players and coaches to football fans all across America.”

The show will begin airing on Aug. 5 at 10 p.m. and will conclude on Sept. 2.

LESSONS LEARNED …

The Kennesaw State baseball team took the college baseball world by storm with their memorable run in the tournament. And while their run came to an end in the Super Regionals, the team and the school gained national attention that they have never earned before.

And their run could not come at a bet-

matchups to look for with some of the nation’s most coveted prospects. And while some prospects are already well established in the recruiting ranks, others will have an opportunity to prove themselves on a competitive stage.

North Gwinnett’s Almonzo Brown and brother’s Daniel and Josh Imatorbhebhe helped the Bulldogs dominate 7-on-7 action last summer and lead arguably the top receiving corps in the state heading into 2014. This trio is physical and has great size to go with plenty of big game experience. Senior Jaye Stackhouse is a ball-hawking defender that can also play receiver for North Gwinnett.

NEW SHERIFFS ...

North Gwinnett will be trying out a new quarterback and so will Norcross, which beat the Bulldogs for their second straight Class AAAAAA title in December. Norcross lost a senior class of over 60 players and will have a lot of new playmakers that have waited their turn the past two seasons.

Tucker brings cornerback Duke Shelley, wide receiver Nekyle Lundie and new running back Delvin Weems. Weems starred for Sandy Creek the past two seasons but transferred to Tucker this offseason. He will face his former team in the first game of pool play before a head-to-head with the potent Mill Creek of-

ter time because the football team is starting to come together and will start playing games in 2015. And what the baseball team did this season will help the football team get off the ground a lot quicker than an average upstart college football team.

The baseball team showed that they can play with anybody. Even though the Owls got swept by Louisville in the Super Regionals, they led in both games and had a chance to win each of them. The football team, which will be in the Big South Conference, will not play any team that is far superior than them next season, but they will see those type of teams soon and they have to have the mindset that not only can they play with these guys, they can come away with a win.

The baseball team also played with resiliency. At one point of the season, the Owls were 14-20 and were just trying to make a spot in the conference tournament. But they kept plugging away, and that led to the team going on a run they will never forget. Football coach Brian Bohannon will need to teach his players the same philosophy in order to be a winning program.

fense at 10 a.m.

Carrollton and Sandy Creek are the lone Class AAAA schools at the tournament. Carrollton’s new head coach Ed Dudley and new offensive coordinator Tripp Allen worked together at Walton before splitting in 2008. It will be interesting to see what type of passing attack the new staff utilizes.

RULES AND REGULATIONS …

Here is a quick overview of the game rules.

Every team is guaranteed to play at least five games. Each game will run for 22 minutes and will begin promptly every half-hour. The possession of each game is determined by a coin toss and the line of scrimmage starts at the 40yard line. From the 40-yard line, the offense is given four plays to reach the 20-yard line for a first down. A touchdown is worth six points and a PAT or two-point conversion follows each score. Defenses score points as well and a stop is worth one point while an interception rewards two points. by coin toss. Play will only stop when a team uses its only time out.

Score Atlanta will provide live updates and scoring via social media and the scoreboard located at scoreatl.com.

Photo courtesy of Ty Freeman.

Vol. 10 Iss. 23 | June 20-26, 2014

ON THE COVER

FALCONS MINICAMP

COX, TICE HELP FALCONS GET TOUGH

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons’ problems of protecting the quarterback and getting to the other team’s passer were well documented in 2013. So with this being the issue, the team decided to bring in new coaches for the offensive and defensive lines.

Out went offensive line coach Pat Hill and defensive line coach Ray Hamilton, in comes Mike Tice from the Chicago Bears to lead the offensive line and Bryan Cox to lead the defensive line.

SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE …

Both coaches come in with impressive resumes as players in the NFL to go along with their experience teaching players the techniques of the game. Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith prefers to hire coaches who have played in the League.

“When you put a staff together you want former players on your staff,” Smith said.

“I think it’s important. The whole time that we’ve been here, we’ve made sure that we’ve had a sprinkling of players that have been in

the locker room.”

As far as it goes for both Cox and Tice, their combined playing experience in the NFL is 26 years. Plus, they have both been coaching in the League for a combined total of 27 years. Another quality they bring to the field is a fierce, in-your-face style of coaching. This is something that Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan notices about his Defensive Line Coach.

“There’s no beating around the bush with Bryan,” Nolan said. “Bryan says it just like he sees it and I think players appreciate that a lot.”

Fans who head out to training camp will see this with Cox when he puts the defensive linemen through drills. They’ll also notice a defensive line that is very aggressive with their hands when engaging blockers. This is something that Nolan has really noticed.

“Coach (Mike) Tice and (Assistant Offensive Line) Coach (Wade) Harman have both complimented Bryan and the defensive line for their hand usage in the pass rush,” Nolan said.

“So hopefully that helps us. It can’t hurt.”

PROTECTING RYAN …

As far as the offensive line goes, Atlanta used its first pick on offensive tackle Jake Matthews to help improve that position group. This line rarely had a consistent group of five guys starting from week to week in 2013. Either this was due to injury or just the lack of effective play on the field. So the Falcons brought in Tice to help this group improve and better protect quarterback Matt Ryan. Matthews is a huge fan of Tice’s enthusiastic coaching style.

“You love to see that in your offensive line coach,” Matthews said. “That’s someone you want to play for and he’s fired up every day. I love going out there working for him.”

Tice is trying to help an offensive line that gave up over 40 quarterback sacks on Matt Ryan last season. Also the Falcons were subpar running the football, averaging only 79 yards per game. These are two points of emphasis for Tice to improve upon in 2014 and beyond.

“First thing we wanted to do is protect the quarterback better and figure out why we didn’t do a good job of doing that last year,” Tice said. “We wanted run the ball better and run the ball with efficiency, be explosive when we can.”

Tice says he went through game film from last season to determine the issues the offensive line was causing that led to high sack totals and low returns running the football. He feels that increased communication within the group could help alleviate those troubles. He’s also been trying to figure out what his players strengths are as blockers.

In terms of trying to run the football with more effectiveness in 2014, left tackle Sam Baker is on board with Mike Tice’s wish.

“You want take pride in anything the offensive coordinator is calling,” Baker said. “If they’re having us drop back and pass block, we want to take pride in all of that, too.”

Getting back to Cox, the players are responsive to his style of coaching and like the way he’s treated them so far on the practice fields. Veteran defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux is back for his 10th season with the Falcons and is one of those players receptive to Cox’s coaching style.

“He wants us to go out there and prepare every day,” Babineaux said. “We’re doing a (few) different drills this year and I think it’s

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going to help us maintain to continue to have a good rotation on the defensive line this year.”

Cox intends for this defensive line to be very active with their hands when they take on blockers this season. That is something that he readily admits we’ll see from this team.

“We want to be live hands and we want to be strong,” Cox said. “But I would say the biggest characteristic is that we want to be versatile. We want to be able to do a lot of things up there in that front line.”

Cox has 10 returning veteran defensive linemen to work with in his first season as their position coach. Cox also gets an addition to this line in the form of second round pick and defensive end Ra’Shede Hageman out of Minnesota. Cox had the chance to work with him at this year’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Cox makes no bones about what he expects out of his players and from his experience playing in the NFL, he knows what it takes to be successful at the position.

“I don’t get caught up in stats,” Cox said.

“To me, successful is being able to do the job you’re asked to do. That’s success, period.”

Cox continued on with that thought about what a successful defensive lineman in the NFL does by saying that his players “have to be the toughest SOB out there.”

As the Falcons try to prepare for the 2014 regular season, they do so with Cox and Tice both trying to make their positions win the point of attack battles on Sundays. This is a wish that Head Coach Mike Smith has made known all offseason. His hope is that the Atlanta Falcons are a bigger and stronger football team going forward.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

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World Cup

Evan Gattis

7-on-7 Tourney

I have been watching “El Mundial” since 1986, and this is by far the most interest I have seen from Americans. There was actually serious commentary and – gasp – calls on a local talk radio station about the U.S. tactics in the Ghana match.

I am not the biggest soccer fan in the world, but it is refreshing to see the World Cup finally grab the nation’s attention.

The Texas native has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Braves lately. Gattis recently set a Braves record for catchers by hitting safely in 17 straight games and also leads Atlanta in home runs, with 16.

The guy who cleaned office buildings for a living just a few years ago may be the Braves’ best chance to make a postseason run this year.

If you like football (real football) and don’t mind the summer heat, come to Roswell Area Park Friday for one of the best 7-on-7 events of the season. Some of the top programs from the state will be there, including North Gwinnett, Carrollton and McEachern. Games will last all day, starting with pool play in the morning and an afternoon tournament.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

“KNOCKING” AT THE DOOR

The Falcons have announced they will be part of the HBO show “Hard Knocks” which will begin airing in the beginning of August. The show will document the ins and outs of Falcons training camp and it will profile key players. I’m all about this and I can’t wait to see a side of the Falcons we haven’t seen before.

CAMP ENDS

And speaking of the Falcons, they concluded their mandatory minicamp this week and fans as well as the media got to see Julio Jones for the first time since his foot injury that happened last year. Jones says he’s feeling great and he’s getting stronger every day. Let’s hope Jones will be ready to go for training camp because they need him in a huge way.

MONEY MAN

Matt Ryan is a very wealthy individual. Forbes and Sports Illustrated came out with their list of the 50 athletes who are making the most money and Ryan is 12th on the list as he makes $30 million with $1.5 million in endorsements.

Man, I need to ask him if I can have a dollar or two.

KELL TOURNEY

The Corky Kell Classic is not far away and in for the first time ever the Classic is hosting a 7-on-7 tournament that will take place on Friday. A total of 15 teams will take part in the tournament, which will include all 12 teams playing in the classic in August. For more information, go to www.ScoreAtl.com.

WORLD CUP

The U.S. soccer team is one of the hot topics in sports because of its win against Ghana in the World Cup on Monday. The U.S. has another big challenge Sunday as it tries to take down Portugal. I love this team because they are tough, resilient and they have great chemistry. They have a chance to do something special in this tournament.

WHO’S NOT

By Stephen Black

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Cobb County

Braves

Soccer Refs

What is with this place? Apparently, the county held a meeting with regard to the impending Braves move, but wouldn’t allow opponents of the move a chance to speak.

What kind of fascist state has Cobb turned into these days?

While I think the Braves’ move is a win-win for both parties, you’ve got to hear out your citizens and their grievances.

What a rough week for the local MLB squad. The Braves dropped two decisions in 13 innings (how often does that happen twice in three days?) and fell out of first place after getting swept by Philadelphia. Even more telling than the three-game slide is the fact that Atlanta has been outscored by 13 runs overall this season. A big series with the Nationals looms on the horizon.

One beef I have with soccer is the lack of officials. You’ve got a field larger than a football field (real football, that is) and only one ref making calls? I am aware the linesmen call offsides and award possession, but the one ref on the actual field consistently falls short of providing adequate officiating. It is amazing how much the world loves a game with such obvious shortcomings.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Alex Ordu and David Norwood

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

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

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TRIVIA QUESTION

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE USMNT WON ITS OPENING MATCH IN THE WORLD CUP? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“They’re like brothers to me.

It was an emotional time for me and for them to help me get through that was tremendous.”

- Roddy White on the support of his teammates after his brother’s death.

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Home runs by Evan Gattis, most by any Atlanta Brave

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Consecutive games in which Gattis has hit safely, a Braves record for a catcher

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Points in the paint by the Atlanta Dream in Wednesday’s win against the Washington Mystics

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Total points scored by the Dream in Wednesday’s game

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Saves by Craig Kimbrel this season, third in the majors

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Shutouts this season by Julio Teheran, second in the National League

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Days until the Falcons’ first preseason game against the Houston Texans

Runs scored in the Braves’ series against the Phillies

CORKY KELL 7-ON-7 INVITATIONAL GENERAL INFORMATION The Corky Kell 7-on-7 is a fast-paced, air attack game that serves as the prelude to the Corky Kell Classic. In this section you will find schedules, teams, a fillable bracket and a map. Use our QR code or go to www.corkykell.com/7-on-7invitational. html for digital files of information provided. Follow #CK7on7 for updates on all action!

B FIELD

RULES AND REGULATIONS

A

• Games run for 22 minutes.

• Opening possession is determined by a coin toss • Play begins at the 40-yard line.

• The offense has 4 plays to reach the 20-yard line for a first down, then 4 plays to score.

• Scoring: Offensive Touchdown = 6 points Defensive Interception = 2 points Defensive Stop = 1 point PATs will be from the 3rd-yard line • Overtime: Each team has two plays from the 10-yardline to score. No PATs or defensive points are awarded. A coin toss determines order of possession and the process continues until one team scores and the other does not score.

• Two coaches are allowed on the field.

• Each team has (1) timeout per game.

B

B

FIELD 2

FIELD 1

A

A

#CK7ON7

REA PARK DRIVE A L L E RO S W

Offensive PAT = 1 point

WWW.CORKYKELL.COM

SPECIAL THANKS The MetroPCS Corky Kell Classic would like to thank Blessed Trinity coach Tim McFarlin and Roswell coach John Ford and their respective booster clubs for all their support and help at the 7-on-7 tournament.

FIELDS

PARKING

POOL 1...........................................................FIELD 1 POOL 2...........................................................FIELD 2 POOL 3...........................................................FIELD 3

RESTROOMS CONCESSIONS

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Pool 1

10:00 AM Field 1A

10:30 AM Field 1A

11:00 AM Field 1A

11:30 AM Field 1A

Norcross Creekview Centennial Archer McEachern

Norcross Creekview

Field 1B

Field 1B

Field 1B

Field 1B

Field 1B

Pool 2

9:30 AM Field 2A

10:00 AM Field 2A

10:30 AM Field 2A

11:00 AM Field 2A

11:30 AM Field 2A

Field 2B

Field 2B

Field 2B

Field 2B

Field 2B

9:30 AM Field 3A

10:00 AM Field 3A

10:30 AM Field 3A

11:00 AM Field 3A

11:30 AM Field 3A

Field 3B

Field 3B

Field 3B

Field 3B

Field 3B

Mill Creek North Paulding

Mill Creek North Paulding Tucker Sandy Creek Roswell

Tucker Sandy Creek

Pool 3

North Gwinnett Carrollton

North Gwinnett Carrollton Brookwood Collins Hill Blessed Trinity

Brookwood Collins Hill

McEachern Creekview

Archer McEachern

Archer Creekview

Mill Creek Tucker

Mill Creek Roswell

Roswell North Paulding

North Gwinnett Brookwood Blessed Trinity Carrollton

North Gwinnett Blessed Trinity Collins Hill Carrollton

Collins Hill Blessed Trinity Carrollton Brookwood

Winner Game 5

Winner Game 6

Seed 9

Seed 8

East-West Champion

2:45 PM - B

North-South Champion

EAST VS. WEST

South Champion (Game 10)

3:15 PM - A

2:45 PM - A

NORTH VS. SOUTH

FIELD 1 North Champion (Game 9)

Mill Creek Sandy Creek

North Paulding Tucker

EAST FIELD 2

Winner Game 2

Centennial McEachern

Sandy Creek Roswell

Sandy Creek North Paulding

Winner Game 1

Norcross Archer

Creekview Centennial

Game 11 - 2:05 PM - A

BYE Seed 16

Norcross McEachern

NORTH FIELD 1 Game 9 - 2:05 PM - A

Seed 1

Norcross Centennial

Seed 15

Seed 10

Seed 7

East Champion (Game 11)

West Champion (Game 12)

Winner Game 4

Winner Game 7

Winner Game 8

Game 8 - 1:30 PM - B Game 7 - 1:30 PM - A

Winner Game 3

WEST FIELD 2 Game 12 - 2:05 PM - B

SOUTH FIELD 1

Seed 13

Game 10 - 2:05 PM - B

Game 4 - 1:00 PM - B Game 3 - 1:00 PM - A

Seed 2

FIELD 2

Seed 4

Seed 5

North Gwinnett Collins Hill

FIELD 1

FIELD 2

Seed 12

Tucker Roswell

Brookwood Blessed Trinity

Game 6 - 1:30 PM - B Game 5 - 1:30 PM - A

Centennial Archer

FIELD 1 Game 2 - 1:00 PM - B Game 1 - 1:00 PM - A

9:30 AM Field 1A

CHAMPIONSHIP

Field 3

Field 2

Field 1

JUNE 20, 2014 | ROSWELL AREA PARK

Seed 3

Seed 14

Seed 11

Seed 6

Vol. 10 Iss. 23 | June 20-26, 2014 ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

WEATHER WASHES OUT RACING ACTION AT AMS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

R

ainy weather last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway washed out last week’s edition of Thursday Thunder. AMS hopes to make up the race coming up this week. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags and Show-nShine has also been trying to move along in their season of races.

Thursday Thunder is the only set of races that has had action halted this summer because of weather. The race from last week will be made up this week according to Atlanta Motor Speedway Director of Marketing and Promotion, Dustin Bixby.

“We’re going to run some of the features we missed this week on with no open grandstands on Wednesday,” Bixby said. “We’ll come back on Thursday and hopefully have

everything on schedule.”

The races that were rained out last Thursday were in the Estes Services Masters Division and 15th Street Pizza and Pub Outlaw Division.

This is part of the Legends and Bandolero car racing series. These races were entering their third week of bolting around the turns at Atlanta Motor Speedway, before weather put a stop to the action.

Speaking of Bandolero car racing at AMS, fans can look forward to the Bandolero Nationals presented by zMAX coming up on June 28. Thursday Thunder will move up a day next week to June 25.

Fans can get out to Atlanta Motor Speedway to see these upcoming races as part of the Thursday Thunder series for just $6 for adults

and $2 for kids, ages 6-11. You can buy these tickets by heading over to www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling the track at (770) 946-4211.

FRIDAY NIGHT DRAGS …

As for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags and Show-n-Shine, rain has not been an issue so far for these events. Action continues to carry on for the 18 different divisions of racing. Plus, car enthusiasts have been showing off their prized vehicles as part of the Shown-Shine. Fans who have been out to watch the drag races on those Friday nights have some more excitement coming their way in the next few weeks according to Bixby.

“We’re really looking forward to our Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza presented by Papa Johns Pizza,” Bixby said. “It will happen right before eliminations begin (in the Friday Night Drags) around 9 o’clock right here at the speedway. It’s one of the larger fireworks displays on the south side of the city. So if you’re looking for some fireworks on the Fourth of July, down here at AMS is the place to catch them.”

Just like with Thursday Thunder, fans who wish to attend the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday

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Night Drags and Show-n-Shine can do so by heading over to www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway. com to purchase tickets. You can also do so over the phone, by calling (770) 946-4211.

Last time we talked with you about the news at Atlanta Motor Speedway, we told you about the Winners Fan Rewards deal you can find on the AMS website for tickets to the Sunday Night NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Labor Day weekend.

This week, fans can buy lower champions grandstand tickets for $48 in honor of Jimmie Johnson’s recent win at the Quicken Loans 400. These tickets usually sell for $99, so fans that act now on these seats can save themselves $51. Think of it this way: if someone buys four tickets for the family, then they’ll save $204. That is a great way to check out great racing action. Keep in mind that you are watching playoff auto racing, with certain drivers trying to earn their way into the Sprint Cup Playoffs.

Now that we have told you about the great events on-going out at Atlanta Motor Speedway, get on out to the track! With each week racing, this just draws us even closer to that exciting Labor Day weekend of events.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

MATTHEWS JOINS LIST OF TALENTED FORMER BULLDOGS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

A

couple of weeks after news came out that sophomore safety Tray Matthews was dismissed from the Georgia football program, he has a new home with the Auburn Tigers. He will head west for the rest of his career after playing a good amount as a freshman for the Bulldogs.

Reports say that Matthews was asked to leave a summer class at UGA and this served as the last straw for him to be a part of the program. This announcement came after he and three other Bulldogs players were arrested for “double-dipping” University of Georgia Athletic Association checks. The players used a mobile app to deposit the checks and then physically tried to cash them after using the app.

This is illegal and all four players were charged with misdemeanors.

ADDED ATTRITION …

Matthews was joined in that group of players by redshirt freshman wide receiver Uriah LeMay, who is also no longer part of the

GEORGIA STATE

FORMER PANTHERS MAKE PROFESSIONAL DEBUTS; TENNIS TEAM NETS TOP CLASS

BY DAVID NORWOOD | DNORWOOD@SCOREATL.COM

Georgia State baseball all-Americans Ftheirormer Chase Raffield and Nic Wilson are making professional baseball debuts this week.

Raffield made his debut Tuesday with the State College Spikes, the St. Louis Cardinals’ short-season Class-A affiliate. The Spikes defeated the Batavia Muckdogs, the Miami Marlins’ short-season Class-A affiliate, 8-0.

In Raffield’s final year at Georgia State, he led the Sun Belt Conference in RBIs with 59 for the regular season. After the season, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 37th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball firstyear player draft.

Wilson will make his debut Thursday with the Princeton (W. Va.) Rays of the Appalachian League, the rookie-level affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays against the Bristol Pirates, the rookielevel affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In Wilson’ final year at Georgia State, he was fourth in the nation in home runs with 14.

TOP TENNIS …

Georgia State’s women’s tennis program

Georgia program. LeMay decided to transfer to Charlotte on the FCS level of college football.

Sophomore cornerback Shaq Wiggins is another player who decided to leave the school for another program. He voluntarily decided to follow defensive coordinator Todd Grantham to Louisville. Safety Josh Harvey-Clemons was dismissed from the program. However, he’s also with Louisville now.

With key players like Matthews, HarveyClemons and Wiggins leaving the program, questions have arisen with what could be the issue at Georgia.

Former Bulldogs defensive lineman Garrison Smith recently spoke with Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph about what could be going on in Athens. Smith in so many words told Emerson that he believed it was a sense of entitlement among young players that kept the defense and team from reaching its full potential in 2013. He added to his comments to Emerson that he likes what he hears from defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, even though he doesn’t know the Bulldogs’ new defensive coordinator.

Pruitt has been preaching that no position on the defense is set entering fall camp.

Another opinion on this topic of players no longer being with the Georgia program, either by choice or Mark Richt’s decision, comes from junior defensive end Sterling Bailey’s dad.

Kevin Bailey recently spoke with Chip Towers from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, telling Towers that he believes the problem has been with the players in the program and not with the system itself.

was ranked as the No. 10 class nationally for the Tennis Recruiting Network’s mid-major rankings for the top recruiting classes in the country. Georgia State is the only team from the Sun Belt Conference to be featured in the top 25 among mid-major recruiting classes.

“It is great to be recognized nationally for our recruiting efforts,” Stephenson told the university’s athletics website. “We are thrilled with our additions for next season and we are sure that they will play an integral role in pushing our program forward.”

On Friday, Georgia State women basketball players Ashlee Cole, Ashley Watson, Kayla Nolan, Brittany Logan, Morgan Jackson, Haley Gerrin and Gaby Moss volunteered their time to help with the Books For Africa international charity in Atlanta.

The women’s basketball team reported for summer school on June 9 and has started basketball skills and conditioning.

“The attitude and energy seem a little better,” head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener told Georgia State Athletics. “We’re building some team camaraderie and trying to take advantage of the opportunity to have everyone together through the summer.”

“The time to work on the conditioning and weight training is important for each of the players and we appreciate the staff working hard to help everyone improve. And, it is a huge help to get the classroom hour credits and classes while the students have some time to really focus on being students and working toward the college degree.”

GEORGIA TECH

SIX JACKETS SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT; PORTLAND HIRED

BY ROBERT TINTER | RTINTER@SCOREATL.COM

ix Yellow Jackets were drafted on during the 2014 Major League Baseball first-year playSer draft, which took place from June 5-7.

Sophomore Sam Clay was drafted in the fourth round by the Minnesota Twins. Clay, a left-handed pitcher, posted a 1.26 ERA in 57.1 innings, the second-lowest ERA in Tech history.

Clay was 4-1 with eight saves.

Right-handed pitcher Josh Heddinger was chosen in the 14th round by the Detroit Tigers.

Heddinger started 14 games this past year for Tech and posted a 3.94 ERA.

Dusty Isaacs and Matthew Grimes, both right-handed pitchers, were selected in the 18th round. Isaacs was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays. Isaacs led the Jackets with eight wins out of the bullpen and a 1.92 ERA. Grimes, drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, bounced back from Tommy John Surgery to start 12 games.

Daniel Spingola and Mott Hyde were the final two Jackets selected, and the only Yellow Jacket position players to get chosen. A center fielder, Spingola was chosen in the 24th round by the Chicago Cubs. Spingola led the ACC in hits with 82, and was named second-team All-

KENNESAW STATE

DREAM SEASON COMES TO AN END; PENTECOST DRAFTED

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

T

he baseball team had an historic run in the NCAA Tournament as the Owls won the Atlantic Sun Conference and the Tallahassee Regional. But it came to an end nearly two weeks ago when they fell to Louisville in the Super Regional.

The Owls end the season with a 40-24 record, which is the first 40-win season for the Owls since joining the Division I ranks. It is also the team first conference tournament win as well as their first regional win.

“I’m proud of our guys and what they were able to accomplish this year,” head coach Mike Sansing told ksuowls.com. “I told the guys they put Kennesaw State on the map this season and I couldn’t be prouder. It was a great ride.”

One of the big reasons the Owls had the success they did was the play of catcher Max Pentecost. It was announced last week that he was named to the All-America first team by National College Baseball Writers Association

ACC. Hyde, a second baseman, was selected in the 26th round by the Houston Astros. Hyde was a defensive stalwart for the Jackets and helped set a school record 77 double-plays.

With these six players getting drafted, the total number of Yellow Jackets draft picks to 191, with 126 of these picks being coached by Danny Hall.

PORTLANDIA …

John Portland has been named assistant athletic director for facilities, operations and events. Portland has worked the last five years as an administrator in the Georgia State University athletics department. For the past two years, Portland served as senior associate director for internal operations. During his first three years at Georgia State, Portland served as assistant and associate athletic director for facilities, grounds and operations.

Portland was responsible for the development, design, and construction management of numerous projects totaling close to $20 million. These projects included a football practice facility, men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms and a sand volleyball complex. Portland was also a key member of Georgia State’s Master Planning Working Group, which created Georgia State Athletics Master Plan. This plan helped improve all 18 Panther varsity sports.

Prior to working at Georgia State, Portland spent three years at the University of Central Florida as assistant director of operations. Before working at Central Florida, Portland spent one year at Rollins University working with their athletic department.

as well as Baseball America.

Pentecost, a Winder native, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays last week. He was selected 11th overall, making him the highest MLB Draft pick in KSU history.

And he earned it because he led the nation in hits with 113. He also ranked second in the nation in batting average with .422. And he also put the nation’s longest hitting streak together with 36 consecutive games. The two accolades are just part of the growing list for Pentecost. He was also named All-America first team by Louisville Slugger and was also awarded Atlantic Sun Player of the Year. Pentecost is also a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation’s top catcher.

PICTURE TIME …

The football program had to smile for the cameras on Tuesday as the coaches and the support staff took part in its first official photo day.

Not only did the coaches and staff take part in photos at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the coaches were interviewed for a documentary about building the football team which will air in the fall. This comes on the heels of the athletic department announcing that they have sold over 3,000 season ticket deposits.

The photos are to welcome the players as they arrive on campus in mid-August.

Vol. 10 Iss. 23 | June 20-26, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

UPDATE ON RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS AS OFFSEASON ARRIVES

BY ROBERT TINTER | RTINTER@SCOREATL.COM

W

ith the NBA season coming to a close on Sunday night, the offseason has officially begun. Teams have from the day after the final game of the NBA Finals until June 30 to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents.

A qualifying offer is a standing deal for a oneyear guaranteed contract. The amount of this offer depends on several factors. Offering a player a qualifying offer allows a team the right of first refusal, which is the ability to match a contract a player signs with another team.

Gustavo Ayon, Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott are the Hawks’ restricted free agents.

Each of these players would receive different amounts for their qualifying offers.

NOTES ON THE NUMBERS …

Ayon, must be paid at least $1,875,000.

This amount is 125 percent of his previous salary of $1.5 million. This amount is larger than the minimum amount for an undrafted player with two years experience plus $200,000.

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES LOSE TWO IN 13 INNINGS; “OTHER” SIMMONS CRUISING

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he Atlanta Braves have endured more substantial losing streaks the season, but their current slide is an especially tough pill to swallow. As of the completion of Tuesday night’s action, the Braves have lost two in a row, three of their last four and five of their last seven. They lost at home in 13 innings both last Saturday and this Monday—each time by a whopping five runs. The Angels got the best of Atlanta 11-6 in extra frames before the Philadelphia Phillies scored a 6-1 victory in 13.

“We’ve just been battling,” Jason Heyward said in a post-game interview after Monday’s loss. “We’ve been fighting. We haven’t been rolling over, I don’t feel like. But that’s what’s fun about the game; you have the opportunity to go play tomorrow and try and win a series still. The toughest thing is we played a long game tonight, we fought and came up short.”

Atlanta saw its chance to win this week’s

The Hawks’ backup point guard, who had a breakout season for the Hawks, would get an offer of at least $1,148,163. This is the minimum salary for an undrafted player with three years of experience plus $200,000. Like Ayon, this is 125 percent of his previous salary.

In his second year in the league, Scott became a key rotation player for the Hawks.

Scott’s offer would need to be at least $1,115,243, which is the minimum salary for a second-round draft pick with two years experience plus $200,000. As with Ayon and Mack, this is 125 percent of his previous salary.

The Hawks have some big decisions to make regarding these three players.

BENCH BUDDIES …

Both Mack and Scott were the leaders off the bench for the Hawks. With a little over $11 million in cap room this offseason, the Hawks could keep Scott and Mack. Both players will likely receive contract offers from other teams larger than the minimum. In the first year of a new system, both players showed the ability to fit in perfectly with the new offense. It is a safe bet to say that each of these players will continue to improve and get even more comfortable with a year under their belts. It will be interesting to see what impact the draft has on these two players, but as of now I would bet Scott and Mack will be Hawks next year.

home series against Philadelphia come to an end on Tuesday, when it again came up short— this time via a 5-2 decision. Fredi Gonzalez’s club had bounced back from the previous marathon with a 7-3 scalp of the Angels last Sunday, but it could not recover from the second 13-inning struggle. The Phillies won their second straight game at the Braves’ expense by leading wire to wire following a two-run blast by Ryan Howard off Ervin Santana in the top of the first inning. Heyward had two hits and recorded his team’s lone RBI of the night, but Atlanta could never cut its deficit to fewer than two.

THE OTHER SIMMONS …

Two new arrivals on the Braves have been especially impressive of late, including one by the same last name as shortstop Andrelton Simmons. In 11 appearances this season, 23-year-old relief pitcher Shae Simmons has allowed only one earned run in 7.1 innings while striking out seven batters and earning one save.

Second baseman Tommy La Stella, 25, has been a similarly encouraging addition to the major-league squad as he continues to do everything to take over a full-time role from the constantly-slumping Dan Uggla. In 18 games and 66 at-bats, La Stella is batting .364 and has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six).

ATLANTA FALCONS

AFTERNOON HEAT PREPS TEAM FOR TRAINING CAMP

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons opened their 2014 minicamp on Tuesday and after developing a morning practice routine during workouts during OTA’s, head coach Mike Smith and the staff pushed practice back to a 2:30 pm starting time to begin acclimating the team to the summer heat that awaits at training camp.

“The first thing we wanted to change in minicamp was our schedule,” admitted Smith on Tuesday. “This is the time of day we are going to be working in training camp and all through the OTA’s we’ve been working in the mornings. I think the guys felt it [the heat] a little bit. It was probably the warmest day we’ve had, but it will give us an opportunity to go through the sequences we’ll be going through during training camp.”

LOCK DOWN ALFORD …

Starting wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones will not take part in minicamp and the secondary has stood out during team competition. Second year cornerback Robert Al-

ATLANTA DREAM

WIN STREAK UP TO FOUR; SCHIMMEL SEEKS ALL-STAR BID

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Atlanta Dream completed a successful week by earning wins over the Minnesota Lynx and the Washington Mystics, while increasing their winning streak to four games.

The Dream started things right, gaining a victory in Friday’s matchup against the Lynx and Atlanta native Maya Moore by the score of 84-82, a game that saw all five starters for Atlanta score in double figures. Head Coach Michael Cooper spoke of their pick-and-roll defense being responsible for their winning effort. ‘’We just wanted to limit one of those players,” Cooper said. “It was going to be hard to limit [Moore and Seimone Augustus]. But we held both to under 20 points, and if you can do that against any team you give yourself a chance to win.’’

The Dream (7-3) pushed the winning streak to four games following their Sunday win against the Washington Mystics 75-67. Erika De Souza and Angel McCoughtry both totaled 16 points, but it was offensive boards that

13

ford in particular has made a big impact during passing drills and 7-on-7 reps.

“I think Robert Alford made some phenomenal plays,” said Smith. “There were guys that were open and when the ball was in the air and he seemed to just run faster than the other guys.”

BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER …

Linebacker Paul Worrilow showed up this offseason with a noticeable amount of muscle added to his frame and he wasn’t the only player. The team bulked up on the trenches and on defense especially and Smith is pleased with what he’s seen.

“We wanted to get bigger and sometimes you can get bigger and faster if you do it right in the weight room,” said Smith. “I think our guys have worked extrememly hard in the weight room. I’ve been impressed with Paul in terms of what he’s done and bulking up and he definitely looks. Joplo Bartu, Peter Konz, Sam Baker and Justin Blalock are some other guys that have done a great job in the weight room.

SPEEDY REED …

Size will never be Bernard Reedy’s forte, but the 5-foot-9 undrafted rookie free agent out of Toledo has showcased plenty of other skills as he battles for a roster spot at receiver. Reedy hauled in a bomb from backup quarterback Dominique Davis and took a reverse for a big gain during the team scrimmage on Tuesday.

put Atlanta over the top. The Dream compiled 17 offensive boards compared to Washington’s less-than-stellar four rebounds and outscored them 18-0 in second-chance points. “We controlled the boards. Definitely the hustle plays,” McCoughtry said. “We kept our composure.”

VOTE SCHIMMEL …

Atlanta rookie guard Shoni Schimmel has quietly been putting together a solid rookie campaign that would seem only those who are Atlanta Dream faithful would be able to notice.

However, Schimmel has had the benefit of not only playing in an age of increased media, but one where the impact of social media can give her a push toward a selection to the WNBA All Star Game in Phoenix on July 19.

The former Wooden award winner has put up great numbers in her first year, clocking an average of 25.4 minutes per game while dishing out 5.4 assists per game, good enough for fifth in the league. Yet it may be her number of Twitter followers, over 20,000, which may push her toward that prestigious milestone in her young career. Last year saw Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky earn her first AllStar berth through the online fan vote and that could well be the case for Schimmel, where using #WNBABALLOT on their favorite social media sites can give the rookie guard a chance to play among the stars.

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