Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 27

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 27 |

JULY 25-31, 2014

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

GEARING UP Falcons begin training camp as 2014 season lies just around the corner. | Pg. 5

Sweet Dream | Pg. 4 Is Atlanta’s WNBA team our best hope for a championship?

Doing DeKalb | Pg. 8 Craig Sager II previews high school football in DeKalb.

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THE RIGHT DOCTOR IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS

A GOOD HELMET. If your child or teen has a head injury, come to the only dedicated pediatric healthcare system in Georgia with a concussion program. Learn more about our expertise in treating head injuries at choa.org/concussion.

©2014 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved. Some physicians and affiliated healthcare professionals on the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta team are independent providers and are not our employees.

Vol. 10 Iss. 27 | July 25-31, 2014

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

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ON THE COVER

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PREP COVER

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

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Marcus Nabors

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves) Matthew Cason (Hawks, Tech) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons) Lia Sewell (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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ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE

GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH

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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 JEROME PEARSON, TUCKER HS AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS

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NORWOOD’S NEIGHBORHOOD

DREAM ARE A SOLID BET TO WIN ATLANTA’S NEXT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

BY DAVID NORWOOD | DNORWOOD@SCOREATL.COM

t has been almost 19 years since an Atlanta Iship. professional sports team won a championThe team that won the championship

was the Atlanta Braves when they defeated the Cleveland Indians in the World Series to win the first major championship for the city of Atlanta in 1995. Since then, Atlanta teams can’t seem to get over the hump. However, this year the championship drought could actually end.

The Falcons didn’t make the playoffs this past season as they finished with a 4-12 record, taking them out of the pursuit for their championship early in the season.

The Atlanta Hawks also failed in their pursuit for their championship, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers in seven games. Meanwhile, there’s one team left this year that Atlanta fans can have faith

in to win them a championship, not the Atlanta Braves, this year they’ve been inconsistent. I’m talking about the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream they’ve been consistent.

TITLE CONTENDERS …

The Dream have been Atlanta’s best team the past five years, winning their conference three times (2010, 2011, 2013) something the other Atlanta teams haven’t done. However, playing in championship games are nice, but winning the actual championship should be the priority. When the Dream decided not to renew then-head coach Fred Williams and hired former WNBA champion coach Michael Cooper last fall that showed Atlanta wants to win now.

Cooper, in his first year, has already made an impact in Atlanta. They currently have the

THE ORDER OF ORDU

FALCONS LOOKING HEALTHY, READY TO CONTEND

BY ALEX ORDU | AORDU@SCOREATL.COM

Julio Jones right foot the key to the Falcons’ I know there are 10 other players Ionssuccess? the field, but the loss of Jones last season

significantly hurt the offense. For an already struggling Falcons squad, an injury to their top wide receiver was the last thing they needed.

Tony Gonzalez was forced to become the first option due to Roddy White playing through an ankle injury and Harry Douglas moved from the slot to the No. 2 wide receiver slot. Basically, the Falcons’ offense was all out of sync; however, we’re on to the next season.

The main goal for the Falcons right now is to ensure that Jones is ready to go on Sept.

7 versus the division-rival New Orleans Saints.

The Falcon Nation is hopeful that their squad can divert back to the momentum from 2012.

One thing I am looking for is Mike Smith is being cautious with the amount of action Julio undergoes this summer. Preseason is far less important than the regular season. If I were him, I would give Julio as much rest as possible even if that means sitting him out for the preseason.

The all-pro wide receiver was on pace to total 1,800 yards before suffering the foot injury. Jones is such a dynamic force and not only creates opportunities for himself, but also opens up the field for other receivers. One thing for sure is Matt Ryan will definitely be the happiest Falcon to see his No. 1 guy back in action. After reaching the NFC Championship game in 2012, the Falcons had aspirations of winning a Super Bowl in 2013.

best record in the Eastern Conference and third-best record in the league. Cooper was selected to coach the East team in the WNBA All-Star game at US Airways Center in Phoenix this past Saturday since the Dream are in first place in the conference. Joining Cooper was three of his own players who started in Saturday’s game: guard Shoni Schimmel, guard Angel McCoughtry and center Erika de Souza.

His team won 125-124 in overtime against the West with Schimmel being named MVP of the game after scoring an All-Star game-record 29 points. The Falcons hadn’t had an All-Star MVP in their league’s All-Star game, the Pro Bowl, since wide receiver Andre Rison won it in 1993. The Braves haven’t had an All-Star MVP since Brian McCann won it in 2010. The Hawks have never had an All-Star MVP.

Unfortunately, for at least the next two weeks, they’ll be without their leader from sideline, who will be taking a leave of absence after being diagnosed with tongue cancer. Cooper’s cancer should bring the team even closer together as this season isn’t about them anymore, it’s about Cooper. Dream players such as Delisha Milton-Jones and Jasmine Thomas have shown their support for Cooper through Twitter with the hashtag #Hoop4Coop and his former Laker teammates Kareem AbdulJabbar and Magic Johnson also used Twitter to

show their support. Cooper’s recovery should not just inspire the team, but also inspire the city since everybody knows someone who has suffered from cancer.

If the Dream were to win the championship this October, the city should embrace the championship win unlike the city of Seattle. When the Seahawks won the Super Bowl this past January, Seattle media and fans alike completely ignored the championships (2004, 2010) won by their WNBA franchise, the Seattle Storm. Instead of acknowledging the Storm, they said the Seahawks ended their 35-year championship drought. Meanwhile, I don’t think Atlanta would do the same. The city is desperate for a winner. It never fails to see Atlanta teams choke in the postseason.

Atlanta needs a winner - a team fans can count on to win championships from here on out whether it’s the Falcons, Braves, Hawks and/or Dream. Somebody needs to win. Nineteen years with no championship win can seem like an eternity for Atlanta sports fans, but for now, the Atlanta Dream is your best bet unless the Braves pull off a hot streak which propels them to win the World Series this year. If the Braves and Dream both pull it off this year, that’ll be even better.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Pearson.

After a rocky start, however, things only seemed to get worse. With the defense giving up too many points and the offense not clicking they just weren’t able to put together enough wins. Despite the struggles the Falcons should be optimistic heading into this season that they can turn things around. Julio is back healthy and the Falcons are looking to take back control of the NFC South division.

them. Furthermore, the health of Derrick Rose is still questionable, leading us to the next set of teams; Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and, yes, the Atlanta Hawks.

Each of these teams was in the middle of the pack for a subpar Eastern Conference. The Hawks were third place about halfway through the season before all-star center Al Horford suffered a torn pectoral. They then fell to the eighth seed heading into the playoffs. However, Horford’s healthy and they’ve added wing players Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore, but are they enough? Can we place the Hawks in the discussion as an Eastern Conference contender?

Honestly, I don’t think so. Jeff Teague is one of the most underrated point guards in the league, Kyle Korver is arguably the best threepoint shooter, and Paul Millsap and Al Horford are both all-stars, but I still don’t think that’s enough. The Hawks still need to improve their bench and establish an identity that can compete with the likes of the Bulls, Cavaliers and Pacers. However, we can still expect the Hawks to make the playoffs and maybe surprise the NBA world again with a possible upset.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

TRENDING UPWARDS …

Are the Atlanta Hawks now considered a possible contender in the Eastern Conference?

After a surprising post-season performance should Hawks fans be expecting more from their hometown team? The majority can admit that taking the Indiana Pacers to seven games was an absolute shocker, let alone almost winning the series. For a fanbase that ranked 28th in attendance amongst NBA teams this past season, we can’t forget that Games 3, 4 and 6 (each in Atlanta) were all sold out. There are fans out here in Atlanta that want to see the Hawks do well, and maybe now we can expect more out of them.

With the departure of LeBron James from Miami to Cleveland, the Eastern Conference is somewhat open at the top. Indiana would’ve emerged to an immediate favorite, but the loss of Lance Stephenson will come to hurt

Vol. 10 Iss. 27 | July 25-31, 2014

ON THE COVER

TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW

FALCONS READY TO MIX VETERAN CORE WITH TALENTED NEW ADDITIONS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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ew stadium construction to the Georgia Dome’s neighboring landscape are not going to be the only big changes Falcons fans should notice when heading to games this season. Change within the team has manifested itself across the board, from the front office down to the coaches and players.

The transformation began during the 2013 season, when the team battled through injuries and placed rookies and first-time starters into NFL spotlight for the first time. The experienced core that helped the Falcons string together five consecutive winning seasons has expanded as young players began to master the terminology and playing style with each week. Now, there is a combination of emerging talent and established veterans dotting the roster that curved the 2014 Falcons into a team many believe is on the cusp of a breakout season.

Position battles highlighted OTAs and workouts and the intensity has been building heading into training camp. With more capable second- and even third-string guys on the roster, the playbooks expanded on both sides

of the ball and coordinators were able to draw up new looks and experiment with new pieces brought in through the draft and free agency.

BULKING SEASON …

Right tackle Jake Matthews, defensive end Ra’Shede Hageman, running back Devonta Freeman and safety Dezmen Southward are a few of the rookies that are working their way into significant playing time this year. The Falcons added nine players in this year’s draft, but the free agency haul seen this offseason produce the most change to this year’s roster.

Atlanta hit free agency hard and bulked up both lines of scrimmage on its opening day.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and center Joe Hawley were re-signed after starting every game last season. Then guard Jon Asamoah from the Kansas City Chiefs inked with Atlanta. Asamoah started 41 of the 60 games in Kansas City and helped the Chiefs’ offense finish in the top-15 rushing totals three consecutive years.

On the defensive side of the ball, Atlanta

inked two disruptive run-stoppers. Six-footfour, 344-pound tackle Paul Soliai was picked up from Miami and 6-foot-4 defensive end Tyson Jackson was picked up from the Chiefs.

Jackson, the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NFL draft, is coming off his most productive year in the League as he finished with four sacks while adding three passes defensed and 34 tackles.

Young secondaries are commonplace in the NFL and Atlanta houses two of the most promising young corners in the League. Cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford started the majority of the 2013 season together as rookies and each hauled in a pair of interceptions.

Pro-bowler William Moore is the hardhitting safety net of the defense. Moore had to spend last season developing chemistry with the two new corners in the Falcons’ secondary.

Free safety Dwight Lowery was picked up from the Jets and cornerback/ nickel back Javier Arenas was signed from the Chiefs in free agency. These moves add versatility and veteran playmakers that will boost depth to one of the team’s thinnest position groups from a season ago.

Sean Weatherspoon’s ruptured Achilles during OTAs was a devastating blow for the Falcons, but undrafted 2013 rookie free agents Joplo Bartu and Paul Worrilow adapted quickly when injuries hit the linebackers last season.

Worrilow finished tied for 12th in the NFL last season with 127 total tackles while leading all rookies in the category and Bartu finished second on the team in tackles with 86.

PLAN OF ATTACK …

Offensively, Matt Ryan attempted a career-high 651 passes last season while competing 67.4 percent of them for 4,515 yards.

Ryan put up these numbers without his main targets Roddy White and Julio Jones on the field together for the majority of the season.

White enters 2014 on the cusp of milestone that would solidify his place as the best receiver in franchise history. He sits third all time in touchdown receptions with 55 behind Andre Rison’s 56 and Mathis’ 57. White’s current records with the Falcons speak for themselves. He’s the all-time receiving leader with 9,436 yards (2,087 ahead of second-place Terance Mathis) and the career receptions leader (685) ahead of Mathis by a staggering 112 receptions.

Harry Douglas filled in last season after

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Jones suffered his season-ending foot injury and finished the season with 85 catches for 1,067 yards. Douglas’ previous career highs for a season were 39 catches and 498 yards.

“Harry’s confidence has to be sky-high (after) going for over 1,000 yards last season,” said Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter during OTAs. “Matt really gained a lot of confidence in Harry because, for a good part of the season, Harry was our best option at wide receiver.”

In the backfield, Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rogers, Antone Smith and rookie Devonta Freeman aim to establish the ground game after the team finished 2013 last in the NFL in rushing yards per game.

The production of kicker Matt Bryant and punter Matt Bosher has put them in the top tier of the NFL during their Atlanta careers. The Falcons’ kicking game looks similar with these two guys, but the return game will change drastically with the addition of Devin Hester.

Hester is arguably the greatest return man in NFL history and tied Deion Sanders with 19 career return touchdowns last season with the Bears during an 81-yard return at Washington.

Hester’s career marks total 3,241 yards on 264 punt returns with 12.3 yards per return. On kickoff returns, Hester has accounted for 5,504 yards on 222 career returns.

In 2013, Atlanta’s longest kickoff return was 34 yards and the longest punt return was 25 yards. Hester’s eight seasons in the pros includes 13 punt returns for touchdowns and five kickoff returns for touchdowns. Hester can also step into the offense and Koetter says they would be ‘foolish’ to not use his playmaking ability. Hester has 14 career receiving touchdowns.

LATE ADDITIONS …

Three days before the start of July 25 Training Camp, the Falcons were still combing the free agent market and signed linebacker Pat Angerer and wide receiver Jeremy Ebert. Angerer spent the last four seasons in Indianapolis where he played in 54 games and totaled 327 combined tackles. Ebert is a former Northwestern star receiver that went to New England in the seventh round of the 2012 draft and jumped around the Patriots, Eagles and Jaguars’ rosters and practice squads before landing in Atlanta.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

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Justin Upton

Shoni Schimmel

Rob Gronkowski

The younger Upton is starting the second half scorching hot.

The Braves’ leftfielder is hitting at a .389 clip that includes three doubles, a homer and seven runs.

Even though the contributions have not helped the Braves’ wonloss record (2-3 in the last five games) Upton continues to have a superb season, leading the team in homers and RBIs.

The Dream rookie had an AllStar game experience she won’t forget. “Showtime” Schimmel scored an All-Star game record 29 points to go with eight assists and was named the game’s MVP in leading the East to victory over the West in overtime 125-124. What’s more amazing is that Schimmel averaged just 7.1 points per game going into the contest.

The New England tight end has been cleared by doctors to take the field for the first time since having surgery done on his ACL on Jan. 9. After playing every game in his first two seasons, “Gronk” has seen action in only 18 of 32 since then due to injuries.

Gronk played in seven games in 2013, recording 39 receptions for 592 yards and four TDs.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

TRAINING CAMP

It’s finally here. After a long offseason, the Falcons have begun training camp for the 2014 season. Many questions will have to be answered including the health of Julio Jones and how the defense will improve with the new additions. Only time will tell, but I’m glad the Falcons are back in action. It’s been too long!

JONES CLEARED

And speaking of Julio Jones, he was cleared to take part in training camp on Tuesday. Jones suffered a foot injury early last season and everyone has been wondering when he was coming back. That question has been answered, but the only question now is can he stay healthy and get our Falcons back to prominence?

BIG DAWG NIGHT

The Bulldogs had their best recruiting weekend possibly ever when two five-star recruits for the 2016 class committed to UGA. QB Jacob Eason and OL Ben Cleveland loved what they saw out of UGA during Dawg Night and this will make way for a great signing class in two years. But will this mean more top recruits for the 2015 class?

UGGLA GONE

It may have come later than most fans expected, but Dan Uggla is no longer a Brave. The second baseman was released by the team, but they still owe him $13 million for this season and 2015. I feel bad that Uggla got released but at the same time, he’s getting a ton of money. So we can’t feel too bad for him!

STADIUM DEBUT

Georgia Tech could be the first team to play in the new Falcons stadium in 2017. Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan is considering having three Chick-fil-A Kickoff games played at the new stadium and Georgia Tech is a team Stokan wants involved. This would be great for the Jackets and for the city.

WHO’S NOT

By Matthew Cason

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Tech Football Players

Tony Dungy

Donald Sterling

Georgia Tech dismissed wide receiver Anthony Autry, and defensive linemen Darius Commissiong and Travin Henry from the football team for violations of the studentathlete code of conduct on Tuesday. Both Autry and Commissiong were previously suspended for the opener against Wofford, while Henry was suspended for the season opener back in 2013.

Analyst Tony Dungy found himself in the deep end of the pool after making remarks about openly-gay football player Michael Sam, saying that Dungy himself would not have drafted Sam because “things will happen”. Dungy would later clarify his remarks saying he was referring to the unnecessary media attention that the St. Louis rookie would acquire.

The former Clippers owner is now seeking damages from his wife and NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Sterling alleges that they defrauded him and violated corporate law while his wife tried to sell the franchise to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Sterling was previously declared unfit by doctors to conduct business or legal affairs.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Lisa Sewell

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

WHAT TEAM DID FORMER BRAVE DAN UGGLA SIGN WITH AFTER GETTING DROPPED BY ATLANTA? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“No, I’d have us first.”

-Georgia coach Mark Richt’s response on the SEC media picking his team to finish second in the Eastern Division.

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Georgia athletes named USA Today track and field AllAmericans Total points scored by “Showtime” Schimmel in Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx Total points scored by the Dream against the Lynx Tuesday night Runs saved by Jason Heyward, a number that won him the Braves’ Heart and Hustle award nomination Mike Minor’s ERA after a June 4 start Minor’s ERA after a July 23 start Former Georgia Bulldog golfers that have won on the PGA Tour, which now includes Brian Harman’s win at the John Deere Classic Champion to win a golf match with negative strokes gainedputting, as Harman did

DEKALB FOOTBALL

TALENTED TEAMS SHOWCASED AT COUNTY’S ANNUAL MEDIA DAY

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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eKalb County held its 14th Annual Football Media Day on Wednesday and broke the 13year run of holding the event outdoors at Hallford Stadium. Tucker was the host of this year’s media pep rally and coaches and star players from each of the DeKalb schools took the stage to talk about the much-anticipated 2014 season.

The veteran of the bunch is Stephenson head coach Ron Gartrell, who has been at the helm of the Jaguars’ program since 1996 and at the podium for all 14 media days. Stephenson has not posted a losing record since Gartrell’s first year at the school and the Jaguars have won at least nine games the last six seasons. Leading this year’s team is UGA-commit Chauncey Rivers, who stands 6-foot-3, 247 pounds and plays tight end and defensive end.

TALENTED TRANSFER …

One of Gartrell’s favorite players this

offseason has been linebacker Darius Brown, a former Tucker Tiger that transferred into neighboring Stephenson this offseason. Stephenson’s biggest rival the past few seasons has been Tucker, but reclassification placed the Tigers in Class AAAAAA while Stephenson remained in Class AAAAA

“He [Darius] is an aggressive player and a smart player and he fits well into our scheme,” said Gartrell. “With what we do on defense, I think he is going to be one of those guys that gets over 100 tackles this season.”

Stephenson and Tucker are set to scrimmage on Aug. 15 at Hallford Stadium and this is one of the most anticipated exhibition bouts in the state this season. DeKalb County has 14 scrimmages this August. Druid Hills and Lakeside are scheduled for their annual preseason battle at Adams Stadium on Aug. 15. Druid Hills is dropping to Region 6-AAAAA while

Lakeside is moving up to Region 2-AAAAAA to join Tucker in the state’s highest classification.

Reclassification was not kind to Dunwoody in 2012 and head coach Jim Showfety has built his team through the adversity. The Wildcats were bumped up into Class AAAAA as one of the smallest schools in the classification and were housed in a region with powerhouses like Tucker, Stephenson and M.L. King. Dunwoody went 1-9 the first season and improved to 3-7 this past year. According to Showfety, the two hard-fought years paid off and this year’s team has been growing since the 2012 season.

“We were a team of sophomores in 2012 and two year’s later we’re expecting great things from these guys,” said Showfety. “They have truly paid their dues. This year we want to take that to a different level.”

MEASURING STICKS …

DeKalb County features some big-time games this year and it begins with the Battle of the Borders at Hallford Stadium on Aug. 30.

DeKalb powers host Florida’s top programs in the annual must-see Georgia vs. Florida clash.

Stephenson faces Miami Central and Tucker hosts Booker T. Washington. M.L. King opens the event with a 2:30 pm kickoff with Norland, Fla. Before the Battle of the Borders,

Tucker represents DeKalb County as it takes on two-time defending Class AAAAAA state champion Norcross in the 2014 Corky Kell Classic.

COLLEGE BOUND …

Last year’s graduating crop of DeKalb County college signees was headlined by Nick Ruffin (Auburn), Bryson Allen-Williams (South Carolina), Wesley Green (South Carolina), Detric Dukes (UGA), Dominick Sanders (UGA) and Kendall Baker (UGA).

The Class of 2015 boasts some of the state’s top senior prospects. Tucker defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter stands 6-foot-4, 265 pounds and is committed to Alabama. Natrez Patrick of Mays committed to UGA May 16 and is ranked as a top 10 weak-side defensive end in the country. Patrick’s teammate, Dallas Warmack, is a 6-foot-2, 306-pound guard and is committed to Bama.

Columbia is led by Clemson commit Shadell Bell, who is one of the highest rated receiver prospects in the country. Bell will enroll early with the Tigers in January and will hold his signing day celebration on Aug. 2 at Columbia. Bell is one of the Top 400 as designated by the US Army/Under Armour committee, giving him All-American Status.

Photos courtesy of GHSA, Dekalb County Schools Athletics and Terance Johnson.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com Thunder championship of his career.

If Nichols can hold on, that means he’ll repeat as champion for the second time in his career. The last time he went back to back with titles was back in 2001-2002.

Moseley is still looking for his first series title, while Tina Johnson and Bill Plemons, Jr. are still alive to win the title. Needless to say, Thursday’s race is going to be huge for this division.

ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

THURSDAY THUNDER COMES TO A CLOSE AS LABOR DAY WEEKEND APPROACHES

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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he Thursday Thunder series of racing is coming to a close for the summer season, with one final race this week. The series of Legends/ Bandolero car racing has been featuring some great performances each week and now people get one last chance to see these drivers shine.

DOUBLE J …

Last week, Jensen Jorgenson continued his dominance in the 15th Street Pizza and Pub Outlaws Division with another huge win. This victory is his sixth of the season and continues to pad his lead over the field.

While Jorgenson has been a mainstay in the winner’s circle this season, drivers like Tina Johnson of the Estes Services Masters Division have not experienced winning all that much this season. That was until last week, when

she finally had her car cross the finish line as the checkered flag waved. After the race, she couldn’t hold her excitement when talking with Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“That was awesome,” Johnson said in comments distributed by AMS. Her excitement couldn’t be contained as she was appreciative of the fan support. “I want to thank the fans, you guys are awesome.”

Johnson did pick up the win last week, however the race for the division is coming down to two drivers that have been familiar with success all season long. Scott Moseley of McDonough and Skip Nichols of Albany, Georgia are battling this week to see who will be the winner of that Estes Services Masters Division. Nichols has a five-point lead right now over Moseley. If he holds on, he can pick up his eighth Thursday

SEC MEDIA DAYS

DAWGS MOVE ON POSTMURRAY LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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OOVER - After a disappointing 8-5 record in the 2013 season for the Georgia Bulldogs, we heard numerous reasons for why this happened. One reason is the attitude of the team was not the one of a championship program and the other was injuries.

The second part was easily seen by fans, with wide receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley missing getting knocked out for the season with torn ACLs. Same went for running back Keith Marshall and, later in the season, quarterback Aaron Murray.

BACK IN THE SADDLE …

The first three guys mentioned in the last paragraph are back and the last player is now with the Kansas City Chiefs. So, this now brings in senior QB Hutson Mason to take over the program. He is part of the group of Bulldogs that have been going through a different brand of offseason workouts during the summer. Linebacker Ramik Wilson has noticed a difference.

“We cut back on lifting weights a little bit,” Wilson said. “We still lift heavy, but coach wants us in shape to fly around and make plays.

We’re all for it. We all bought in. So we’re ready.”

On the defensive side of the ball, this seemed to be coordinator Jeremy Pruitt’s wish during the spring. This was especially his wish for the defensive line.

Head coach Mark Richt also likes the new workout program and is hopeful it will have great results.

CHANGE IN ROUTINE …

Richt was asked about whether last season’s injury situation played into changing up the workouts.

“That’s part of it,” Richt said. “The injuries are part of it. It’s just how the game of football has grown into a spread, high-paced, high-tempo (offense). There was a lot more sprinting. There was more of a goal to get leaner. There were pounds that were lost and we wanted to get more flexible.”

CLOSING TIME …

AMS strongly encourages you to make it out to the Speedway on Thursday night to see this series of racing come to a close. Like all events this summer at AMS, the prices are very affordable. Tickets are running $6 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6-through-11, and kids five-years old and under get in for free. More information on how to get your hands on those tickets can be found at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling (770) 946-4211 or (877) 9-AMS-TIX.

We are just about a month away from seeing a great weekend of NASCAR racing coming to Atlanta Motor Speedway, with the Sprint Cup series continuing to roll closer to their time to shine under the Sunday night lights.

This week the Sprint Cup Series takes the show to the legendary Brickyard for the Brick-

Not only did the Bulldogs change up their workouts, they also had some players leave the program this offseason. Either by choice or by force, some old faces are now other places.

Most notable names are safety Tray Matthews and cornerback Shaq Wiggins.

Senior wide receiver Chris Conley talked about the enforcement of the “Georgia Way” this offseason and how it affected the program.

“There were a lot of changes that happened and a lot of people who were at Georgia that are not there anymore,” Conley said. “I think it was kind of a statement that we were going to do things the ‘Georgia Way’ and if that’s not the way you’re want to do them, then you won’t be here. We love those guys, but in order for this team to move forward, some changes had to be made. The team really has bought into that and they realize what we need to do to get where we want to go.”

INTENSE PREPARATION …

Running back Todd Gurley and the rest of the team has been growing through at least eight hours of workouts with the coaches, given the new NCAA rule that allows for staff to be with the team.

“Its been crazy,” Gurley said.

He added later on in our talk with him, that Pruitt has been a constant presence at the Butt-Mehre Building on the UGA campus.

A huge part of this offense has involved the inclusion of freshmen running back Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Richt says the first

yard 400 presented by Golden Corral.

Last week, Brad Keslowski picked up his third win of the season up in New Hampshire.

That trip to victory lane ties him with Jimmie Johnson for the most this season.

There are still a lot of drivers who are still winless this season, as they get closer to Labor Day weekend. Drivers like Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick are still winless this year.

On the Nationwide Series, Georgia’s own Chase Elliot continues to keep finding victory lane this season. Last week in Chicago, Elliot picked up his third win of the season on that circuit.

Fans will be able to see Dawsonville’s Chase Elliot race this year as part of the Great Clips 300 on Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. If you want to see that great night of racing, you can do so for only $30 as part of ‘Chase’s Crew.’

This promotion is in honor of Elliot winning his third race in his rookie season. If you take advantage of this promotion, you can also receive a free rally towel.

For more ticket information for that Labor Day weekend of races, you can head to www.

AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

freshman mentioned is a little ahead of schedule physically, saying that Ramik Wilson and Conley bragged on him a little.

“He’s pound for pound maybe one of the strongest guys on the team,” Richt said.

Richt also mentioned that they bragged about Michel’s route-running ability, among other parts of his game.

Now the road through the offseason approaches Aug. 1, when the Bulldogs open fall camp.

The media picked the Bulldogs to finish in second place this season behind South Carolina. The Dawgs get the Gamecocks in the second game of the season in Columbia.

Photos courtesy of Rob Saye.

12

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

TAYLOR DISMISSED; DAWGS LAND TWO TOP 2016 PROSPECTS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

o real surprise, but Georgia football anN nounced early Wednesday afternoon that sophomore defensive end Jonathon Taylor had

been dismissed from the team. Taylor was arrested early Tuesday morning for felony aggravated assault/family violence.

Before the start of Georgia’s spring practice, Taylor and three other players were arrested for “double dipping” university athletic association checks. The players used a bank mobile app to photo-deposit the checks and then tried to physically cash them in at a local convenience store.

Taylor along with sophomore safety Tray Matthews, wide receiver Uriah LeMay and defensive end James DeLoach were all arrested for committing this crime.

Matthews has since been dismissed from the team and is now at Auburn. LeMay voluntarily decided to transfer to University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Now only DeLoach remains an active player in the program.

With Taylor now gone from the program, the depth chart changes for the Bulldogs on

GEORGIA STATE

FORMER PANTHERS REPORT TO NFL CAMPS; FOOTBALL WILL PLAY AT PENN STATE IN 2017

BY DAVID NORWOOD | DNORWOOD@SCOREATL.COM

our former Georgia State football players Foffensive reported to NFL training camps this week: tackle Ulrick John (Wednesday), for-

mer All-American wide receiver Albert Wilson (Wednesday), defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi (Wednesday) and tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi (Friday). John was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Wilson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs this past May. Bilukidi was drafted in the sixth round by the Oakland Raiders in 2012 where he played for a season and a half before signing with Cincinnati in 2013.

Bilukidi was also the first Georgia State football player to be drafted in the NFL. Ogbuehi signed free-agent contracts with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins in 2013 before signing with the Cleveland Browns this past June.

BIG CAT BATTLE …

Georgia State athletics announced that the Panthers will play at Penn State in football in 2017. The Panthers will receive $1.2 million

the defensive line. We can now expect to see Chris Mayes or maybe even John Atkins move up on the depth chart.

Ray Drew is still a player that has some question marks surrounding him following the spring. That’s because Drew was getting thirdteam reps during the spring, following a strong 2013 season. This was no real concern to new defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, who said that Drew was probably “a little beat up from the season and would be where he needed to be,” for the season.

Another player who is trying to make a jump to the front of the depth chart at defensive end or nose tackle this fall is senior Mike Thornton.

Moral of the story is that with Taylor being kicked off the team, the battle for playing time has kicked into overdrive at yet another position on the defense for new coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.

DAWG NIGHT BONANZA …

Over the weekend the Georgia football program held their annual “DawgNight” event for prospective players and the results were good for head coach Mark Richt and staff. The two five-star rated players are quarterback Jacob Eason out of Lake Stevens, Washington and Stephens County offensive tackle Ben Cleveland. The two players are rated as much by the recruiting service 247sports.com.

Eason is the son of former Notre Dame wide receiver Tony Eason (not the former Patriot QB). He is the second-ranked pro-style QB, according to 247Sports. Cleveland is the country’s third-ranked offensive tackle. Both are set to hit campus in 2016.

for the game, the same amount they get for playing at Wisconsin in 2016 which ties the largest pay-to-play amount for Georgia State.

Junior linebacker Joseph Peterson was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference first team, which is selected by the Sun Belt head coaches and select media members on Monday. Peterson leads the team with a school-record 103 tackles and was third in the Sun Belt in tackles per game (9.4)

Senior guard Ryann Green was named to the 2013-14 NABC Honors Court on Monday.

The NABC Honors Court recognizes men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes who perform well in academics during the past season.

The former walk-on guard averaged 4.8 points per game this past season.

“I am extremely proud of Ryann,” head basketball coach Ron Hunter told Georgia State Athletics. “He is a great role model on and off the court for our team. He works as hard as anyone in practice to make himself and his teammates better. In the classroom, he truly understands what it means to be a first-class student.”

Five men’s soccer players will compete in the United States Youth Soccer (USYS) National Championships. Sophomore forward Amiri Abraham and redshirt freshman forward Tyler Alexander will play for the Concorde Fire Elite team in the under-19 division. Freshman Rashid Alarape, freshman goalkeeper Greyson Walldorff and redshirt freshman midfielder Everick Little will play for the GSA 96 Premier team in the under-18 division.

GEORGIA TECH

JOHNSON OFFERS PRAISE AT MEDIA DAY, EXCITED FOR 2014

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia Tech football head coach Paul JohnG son spoke with the media on Monday at the ACC Kickoff event in Greensboro, N.C., and

he spoke nothing but positive words about his players, who, as a squad, was picked to finish fifth in the ACC Coastal Division. Johnson’s most notable praise though was directed toward starting B-back Zach Laskey. According to Johnson, Laskey delivered the best spring practice of any player and he attributed that to the B-back’s increased confidence, strength, size and maturity. Laskey, a senior from Peachtree City, has logged 1,182 career yards in his Georgia Tech career, including the last two years of backing up former Yellow Jacket David Sims. Johnson continued by speaking praises about this group’s character. “I think overall, we’ve got a pretty good bunch of kids, but I think, Georgia Tech, that’s kind of the nature of where we are,” Johnson said.

NESBITT 2.0 …

The Yellow Jacket head coach also offered some interesting comparisons for the slated

KENNESAW STATE

FOOTBALL PRACTICE KICKS OFF IN AUGUST, SCRIMMAGE SET FOR OCTOBER

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

E

very KSU fan should know that the start of the football season for the Owls is Sept. 3, 2015 when they take on East Tennessee State.

But the road to that opening game starts in the very near future.

Head coach Brian Bohannon talked about the fall schedule over the weekend and he said that fall practice will start when everyone starts school which is Aug. 18. But not too much will be done on the first day of practice in terms of hitting.

“We’re going to start at approximately 9 a.m.,” Bohannon told the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday. “We won’t do anything on the first day. It will be a meeting on expectations, and we’ll go over the locker room and just get acclimated with everything.”

The first two weeks will involve the players going through conditioning drills and the third week will include weight training.

backup quarterback Tim Byerly. Beginning by saying the comparisons may not be fair, Johnson stated that Byerly has some similarities to former Yellow Jacket Josh Nesbitt, the catalyst for the Tech ACC championship team of 2009.

The thought for this was due to Byerly’s toughness and running style.

“(Byerly is) hard-nosed. And I say that as a real complement to Tim, because I thought Josh Nesbitt might be one of the toughest players I’ve ever coached,” said Johnson.

Byerly saw action in four games of the 2013 season, rushing for 125 yards on 18 attempts with two TDs. THREE DISMISSED ...

After making positive remarks about the team’s overall character, Johnson and the staff at Georgia Tech saw themselves kicking three players off the team Tuesday. Wide receiver Anthony Autry and defensive linemen Darius Commissiong and Travin Henry, were all dismissed for violations of the athletic association’s student-athlete code of conduct.

Autry and Commissiong had already been suspended for the first two games of the season.

Henry had previously been suspended for the opening contest of last season. The dismissal of Anthony Autry may cause a ripple effect for freshman running back Miles Autry, who signed in February but has yet to receive eligibility from the NCAA. The younger Autry had previously cited the chance of playing with his older brother as a main reason for signing with the Yellow Jackets.

FIRST PRACTICE …

Bohannon went on to say the first official day of practice will start on Sept. 8. They won’t be in full pads that day, but he said they will by the end of the week. The practices will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and each practice will start at 9 a.m. The team will practice for three weeks and have another week of just weight training.

After that the Owls will go through another three-week practice session followed by another week of weight training. But in between the practices and weight training, they will have a scrimmage on Oct. 11 where everyone can attend.

There will be a final three-week practice session and a week of conditioning starting on Nov. 3. But before all that can happen, Bohannon will hold another football tryout session which will take place the first week of school.

As of last week, 15 applicants had expressed interest.

Bohannon as well as Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams talked about tryouts during the Big South Conference Media Day on Thursday in Charlotte. Bohannon and Williams were invited to introduce the program to the members of the local, regional and national media.

With KSU being an associate member of the conference, it was the Owls’ first year taking part in the media day.

Vol. 10 Iss. 26 | July 18-24, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS WRAP UP SUMMER LEAGUE WITH LOSS

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Atlanta Hawks wrapped up their summer in Las Vegas on July 19 with a loss to the Houston Rockets 78-74 in the quarterfinals of the Las Vegas Summer League tournament, ending their season with a record of 2-4.

Leading the scoring for the Hawks were Dennis Schroeder and Mike Muscala, both with 16 points. Casey Prather aided the effort with 13 points and first-round pick Adreian Payne scored 11 points while collecting nine rebounds.

The summer season provided a greater idea for the Hawks on the platter of young players at their table, especially Payne. The Michigan State standout finished his first stint of professional ball averaging 12.5 points-per game on 37.5 percent shooting and seven rebounds per game over the six-game schedule.

One notable improvement as the season went on for Payne was ball security. After committing 14 turnovers in his first three contests in league play, he only committed seven in his last three games.

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES DROP TO SECOND PLACE, RELEASE UGGLA

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

T

here is still a long way to go, but early returns in the so-called second half of the season have not been favorable for the Atlanta Braves. They were just percentage points behind Washington at the All-Star break, but now the Braves trail by two games as of Wednesday afternoon. Such is the result of a four-game winning streak by the Nationals and back-toback Atlanta losses on Monday and Tuesday to begin a four-game home series against Miami.

Each of the two games dropped by the Braves could have gone either way. They fell 3-1 in 10 innings in the series opener before a late comeback fell just short in a 6-5 setback on Tuesday. Atlanta scored three runs in the eighth inning, but could not erase all of a 6-2 deficit.

“It’s one of those games that you look here or there and early on in the game and you wish you had picked up a run, but I’m glad and I’m really pleased at how our team fought back a couple of different times after

DENNIS IMPROVING …

Schoeder, second-year point guard out of Germany, has taken great strides forward in his progress as a basketball player. Dennis Schroeder led Atlanta in scoring during Summer League play, averaging 15.7 points per game to go along with a team-high 3.3 assists per game. Among other things, Schroeder’s decision making has improved drastically as well as his shot, this according to the Atlanta Hawks official website.

“I challenged him to be more efficient, to take care of the ball, mix up his pick-up points (on defense),” said Hawks assistant coach Darvin Ham. “Sometimes it’s full court, sometimes it’s half court, but first and foremost, it’s to keep his team organized on both sides of the ball.”

SURPRISING SKILLS …

Despite being considered a project pick for the Hawks by many basketball officials, 7-foot-3 center Edy Tavares has shown the skills and instincts of a big man that many did not expect from a guy that only began playing basketball at 17-years old. During the six-game stretch, Tavares displayed terrific movement while running down court, and altering shots on the defensive end. Offensively, the 43rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft showed a knack for hitting mid-range jumpers along with a post presence that can surely improve as he gains more experience.

being down,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said in his post-game interview.

AT LONG LAST …

What has seemed like an inevitability for days, months and even years finally came to fruition last Friday. The Braves released embattled second baseman Dan Uggla. Uggla’s 33game hitting streak in 2011 is the franchise’s second-longest ever and the best such mark since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. But things went south in a hurry after that. The 34year old saw his average fall to .220 in 2012, .179 in 2013 and .162 in 130 at-bats this season.

“Probably in the last month or so it’s become more of a thought process,” general manager Frank Wren told the team’s website.

“When he came into spring training, we had hoped it would maybe shift a little bit. As Tommy La Stella came up and played really well and as we looked at our ballclub, we felt this was the appropriate time. We’ve been very active making calls (about a potential trade involving Uggla) for the last month. I think we got to a point where we realized this was probably our only avenue.”

Unable to find a trade partner, the Braves will have to pay Uggla all of the approximate $19 million he is owed through the 2015 season. As for Uggla’s immediate future, the veteran signed a minor-league contract with San Francisco on Tuesday.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS ADD ANGERER, EBERT ON EVE OF CAMP

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

C

amp is underway and an offseason of finetuning fundamentals and strength and conditioning work will be put to the test as the pads go on for the first time of the 2014 season. The first of four preseason dress rehearsals is just two weeks away as the Falcons host the Dolphins Aug. 8. Camp will mark the first time the Falcons will work in a game week routine and schedule this offseason.

PRE-CAMP BULLETIN …

The week before training camp is often referred to the ‘calm before the storm,’ but the Falcons were still actively pursuing free agents to invite to this year’s camp. On Tuesday, the Falcons added linebacker Pat Angerer and wide receiver Jeremy Ebert.

Angerer added experience to Atlanta’s young linebacking corps and he comes from the Colts where he spent the past four seasons. Angerer played in 54 games and totaled 327 combined tackles in Indy. The former Iowa

ATLANTA DREAM

COOPER DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER; LYNX EDGE DREAM IN OT

BY LIA SEWELL | LSEWELL@SCOREATL.COM

he Dream suffered a setback after it was T announced that head coach Michael Cooper would be taking a short medical leave of

absence. Cooper was diagnosed with an early stage of tongue cancer, but is expected to make a full recovery. He is due to have surgery later this week, and was unable to coach the Dream’s game against the Lynx. Assistant coach Karleen Thompson assumed head coaching responsibilities for Tuesday night’s game.

SECOND HALF BEGINS …

The Atlanta Dream returned to the court Tuesday against the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx after taking a break from the regular season around the all-star game.

It was a close game as the score was tied 89-89 at the end of the fourth quarter. Sancho Lyttle was the Dream’s top performer, scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Although the Dream’s performance proved hopeful in overtime, Minnesota’s Maya Moore made a free throw in the last second in double overtime to make the final tally 112-108.

13

Hawkeye immediately stepped into a rookie role in 2010 and finished his debut season with 58 solo tackles while earning a spot on the Sporting News All-Rookie Team. The following season was the Colts dreadful 2-14 year, but Angerer turned in some incredible individual performances. In their 23-20 loss to Pittsburgh Week 3, Angerer posted a career-high 21 tackles. He would add a sack, two forced fumbles and his first career interception that season.

Angerer missed the first five games of the 2012 season and also missed five games this past season while posting 63 combined tackles.

Ebert comes from Jacksonville where he worked his way onto the active roster this past season and tallied his first NFL receptions. The former Northwestern Wildcat stands 6-foot, 195 pounds and proved his playmaking ability at the college level with All-Big Ten honors his senior season and career marks of 173 receptions for 2,400 yards and 21 touchdowns.

STAR RETURN …

Wednesday brought great news to the Falcons as wide receiver Julio Jones got the green light by doctors to participate in camp.

Jones had foot surgery this past October and missed the final 11 games of the 2013 season.

In Jones’ five games he caught 41 passes while averaging 116 receiving yards per game. It’s been 42 weeks since Matt Ryan threw to a healthy Jones and the duo will look to re-establish their potent connection in camp.

This wasn’t the first time that the Dream have gone up against the Lynx. The teams have played in the Finals in two of the last three seasons, with Minnesota taking both series. The Dream did defeat the Lynx 85-82 before the all-star break. Like the Dream in the Eastern Conference, Minnesota led the Western Conference with a record of 17-6 and is one of three teams along with the Dream that have a record better than .500 in the WNBA. ALL-STAR REVIEW …

Aside from the Dream’s loss, several of the team’s players had an amazing all-star weekend. Rookie Shoni Schimmel captured MVP honors in Phoenix for her record setting 29-point performance in the Eastern Conference’s 125-124 win.

Her performance was compared to NBA players in previous all-star games such as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird who only scored seven points in their respective games. Schimmel’s nickname “Showtime Schimmel” definitely proved fitting after her performance.

Schimmel was also joined by teammates Angel McCoughtry and Erika de Souza in the East’s starting lineup.

The Dream is set to continue their road to the finals in their next game against Chicago on Friday. Atlanta will then head to Washington on Sunday to face the 10-13 Mystics. The Dream have a 3-0 record against Washington this season and are 2-1 against Chicago.

14

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