Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 29

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 29 | AUGUST 15-21, 2014

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

Labor Day Racing | Pg. 7 Atlanta Motor Speedway has a frenzy of action planned for Labor Day weekend.

Top Talent | Pg. 11 We review the blue-chippers who will play in next week’s Corky Kell Classic.

RAVE REVIEWS Falcons impress in preseason opener | Pg. 5

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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. 29 | August 15-21, 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) Kyle Sandy (Dream) David Norwood (GSU)

STAFF WRITERS Alex Ewalt Darrin Heatherly 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

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 ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY, TY FREEMAN AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS

STAY CONNECTED! /SCOREATLANTASPORTS @SCOREATLANTA WWW.SCOREATL.COM WWW.GAPREPNEWS.COM

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DAN THE MAN

BRAVES BEGINNING TO CONFIRM WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

reat teams can overcome adversity. They G can survive the injuries, persevere through the cold spells and win championships with

odds stacked against them. Good teams generally cannot.

When the 2014 baseball season began, Atlanta was a good team. And that good team has had to deal with more than its fair share of adversity. Kris Medlen is missing the entire year due to Tommy John surgery. Fellow starters Mike Minor and Gavin Floyd started the season on the disabled list and Floyd later suffered a broken elbow. A back problem sidelined Evan Gattis for 19 games in June and July. One of the team’s highest-paid players (Dan Uggla) was paid to stop playing earlier this summer.

These issues were successfully dealt with for a while. A patchwork rotation led by

Julio Teheran, Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang kept the team competitive while Gattis, Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton provided some bat power. At the all-star break, the Braves were tied with the Nationals atop the National League East. But if any sports season is a marathon rather than a sprint, it is that of Major League Baseball. Masking problems for few weeks is doable; casting them aside for six months is a whole different matter altogether.

It looks like the Braves had the right prescription for four months. The last two months, on the other hand, are off to a positively disastrous start. As of Wednesday afternoon, they were 2-11 in their past 13 games and had plunged to five games back of division-leading Washington.

Even by their relatively low offensive

BASEBALL SEASON WINDS DOWN AS PIGSKIN APPROACHES

BY ALEX ORDU | AORDU@SCOREATL.COM

ton by five games. As of late, they’ve been struggling going 2-8 in their first 10 games in August. However, they still have a fair opportunity to earn a playoff berth. The Braves have a home stretch this weekend versus a couple California teams (Dodgers and Athletics) before they begin a seven-game road trip.

Currently, Justin Upton leads the Braves with 21 home runs on the season and Freddie Freeman leads the team with 132 hits. If their teammates are able to string along some good hitting, the offense will begin to heat up. Ervin Santana leads the pitching staff with 11 wins and Julio Teheran follows with 10. The Braves

REASON FOR OPTIMISM …

“There’s a lot of baseball left to be played,” B.J. Upton said in his postgame inter-

Jones and Roddy White are 100 percent and no one is happier about that than Matt Ryan.

Although Tony Gonzalez is gone, the Falcons still have a balanced attack that includes the Jones-White duo, but also Harry Douglas and return specialist Devin Hester to round out a solid wide receiving core. However, we’ll get to see for ourselves on Sept. 7 when the divisionrival New Orleans Saints travel to the Georgia Dome for an anticipated matchup.

ORDER OF ORDU

ith the second half of baseball in full W swing, the Atlanta Braves (60-59) stand second place in the NL East behind Washing-

standards, the Braves’ bats have been nothing short of shocking in this current stretch of futility. In just one of those 11 losses have they scored more than three runs—and even on that occasion they crossed the plate only four times. Fredi Gonzalez’s squad has mustered a total of 23 runs in its last 11 setbacks. That is generally what happens when you have leadoff hitter who is batting .211 for the season with 148 strikeouts in 431 at-bats. B.J., God bless him, is trying his hardest at the plate and is without question better than he was last year.

But something that is lost on Gonzalez is that you cannot be putting a Mendoza-line kind of hitter in the leadoff spot. Of course, the top of the lineup is by no means the only issue. Both Justin Upton and Evan Gattis are hitting .200 in August as of Wednesday; Chris Johnson and Tommy La Stella are in the .220 range.

In spring training, we knew this was a team for which almost everything had to go right. The staff had to stay healthy. So, too, did Gattis. B.J. and Uggla had to turn things around. If any one of those developments failed to come to fruition, we knew it would be bad news. It is.

have had solid pitching thus far, but it just hasn’t been enough in recent games.

LOFTY EXPECTATIONS …

The later we get into baseball season, the closer we are to approaching football season.

Atlanta fans ought to have big expectations this year for the Falcons. Let’s just hope that last season was a fluke and that we can just forget about what occurred. The Falcons were a disappointment in 2013, finishing with a record of 4-12, last in the NFC South. However, the talk is good around the Falcons especially after having a solid training camp during the end of July.

The exciting thing about it is that almost everyone on the roster is back healthy. Julio

DAWGS ON TOP …

The Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for what we hope to be another successful season for coach Mark Richt and his squad. Last season the Bulldogs didn’t quite play up to their expectations finishing the year 8-5 and 5-3 in the SEC. The Bulldogs began in the top 10, but slowly played their way out of it. Dawg fans shouldn’t be too disappointed in their team and here’s why: out of their five losses from last season, four of them were by five points or less. Each of these games was one score away from being a different result.

However, a loss is a loss and that’s all we can take from it. Although now Aaron Murray is gone (Kansas City Chiefs) quarterback Hutson Mason will look to take control of the Bulldog offense. If there was an award for the most patient player, than Mason would surely be

view on Tuesday following a second consecutive loss to the Dodgers. “I know a lot of people are looking at the Nationals in front of us, but we still play those guys a lot.”

No, there’s not. Five games can conceivably be made up in a week. They can also be made up in the remaining head-to-head meetings with Washington alone. Atlanta faces the Nationals six more times (three on the road and three at home), all during a nine-game stretch from Sept. 8 through Sept. 17. If there is one team the Braves consistently own year after year, it’s Washington. They are 9-4 against the Nationals this season. That mark will likely have to stand at no worse than 14-5 when the series concludes if Atlanta wants to come back and win the division, but there is no reason why it cannot go 5-1 in those six. At 11 games over .500, Washington is the second worst division leader in baseball—ahead of only Kansas City.

So it’s not like the Nats are bad only against Atlanta and world-beaters against everyone else.

They aren’t.

Opportunities are and will continue to be there for the Braves. It’s not over…but it’s close.

Photo courtesy of Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves.

one of the top contenders. Mason has waited four years for this opportunity, and he will be tested early that’s for sure. Furthermore, they return running back duo Todd Gurley and Kendall Marshall who is returning from a torn ACL. Also expect no let up on the defensive side of the ball. The Bulldogs usually have one of the top defenses in the SEC. We should definitely expect good things from UGA this year as they will battle for another SEC Championship.

They’ll have an early shot at revenge on the season opener verses Clemson on Aug. 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Athens.

Meanwhile, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are gearing up for their 2014 campaign.

Last year they finished above .500 at 7-6.

Coach Paul Johnson will have his squad geared up for a season that could bring some promise. Although they’re not the favorites in the ACC, they have a chance to make some noise considering they’ll be playing most of their top competition at home. The Miami Hurricanes, Duke Blue Devils, Virginia Cavaliers and Clemson Tigers all travel to Atlanta to face a hungry Yellow Jackets squad. I’m not too sure how these games will play out, but don’t be surprised if a few of these teams travel back home with some loses.

Photo courtesy of Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves.

Vol. 10 Iss. 29 | August 15-21, 2014

ON THE COVER

NEW ARRIVALS

FALCONS IMPRESS IN PRESEASON OPENER; POSITION BATTLES CONTINUE

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons held off the Miami Dolphins 16-10 in the preseason opener last Friday, clinching their second preseason victory since 2011. Finding the win-column was a good sign for a team that lost 12 of its 16 games last season but the real sense of victory came from the way the scrimmage was played. Atlanta held Miami to just three points after the opening drive and offensively, the Falcons left the field without allowing a single sack. The last time the Falcons were at the Dome before Friday’s win was Week 17 of the regular season and Matt Ryan was sacked career-high nine times.

“Our pass protection was really good tonight,” said Ryan. “Miami has a really good front seven. We know that from having played them last year. Our guys stepped up to the challenge. They did a great job.”

Miami took the opening kickoff and marched down the field on a 10-play drive that resulted in a 6-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to a wide-open Brandon Gibson in

the corner of the endzone. Tannehill was 6-6 passing on the drive for 62 yards and it looked like the defense was in for a long night.

“There are some things that aren’t as good as we liked and I would say that first drive was one of them,” admitted coach Mike Smith after the game. “We ended up getting into too many third and shorts. We had an explosive play, with a crossing route, and we just missed the pickup…We were in a coverage where we should be able to stop that so we’ll see that on film and we’ll be better in that area next time.”

The Dolphins touchdown took less than three minutes and Ryan and the offense took the field in what would be their only drive of the game. Devin Hester returned the kickoff to the 23-yard line and the Falcons orchestrated a nearly flawless 18-play drive. Ryan was 7-7 for 53 yards and Roddy White caught four passes on the drive. This drive got Atlanta on track and set the tone for the rest of the game.

“It was a good start for us offensively,”

said Ryan. “When you start off a year, it is nice to have a long drive and go down and score some points. I thought we did everything we wanted to do. We wanted to come out and run the football and we did a great job of that. We had 25 yards of rushing just on that first drive.”

Jake Matthews made a fantastic NFL debut and with veteran guard Jon Asamoah made a huge impact on the right side of the offensive line.

“I thought Jake handled his first NFL playing time extremely well. We wanted to extend the playing time of the offensive line and we wanted to see them play together as a unit…I thought Jake did some very good things. I continue to say that Jake’s on a very fast track to becoming a very good player in the NFL.”

The first offenses for both teams were dominant, but after the initial drives, the Falcons depth and youth began to steal the show.

The Falcons defense held Miami to 3-12 on third downs after the first drive and just 52 total rushing yards all game.

Miami was running new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s playbook and it is a non-traditional running attack that uses read option and multiple looks. Staying disciplined and not giving up the huge plays was a great sign for the young Atlanta defense.

“There were some read option plays that we saw tonight and that’s not something that we game plan for,” admitted Smith. “We’ll have a completely different setup for when we’ll see that in the regular season but I did like the physicality and the way we played tonight.”

MAKING MARKS …

Preparation for the regular season is just one dynamic of the preseason. Position battles and roster spots are the other biggies. There have been multiple players this offseason that not only proved worthy of a roster spot, but have demonstrated the ability to take on significant playing time this season.

With running back Steven Jackson sidelined for the preseason with a hamstring injury, Jacquizz Rodgers got the start. Rodgers rushed in Atlanta’s only touchdown on the opening drive, but it was his running mates Devonta Freeman and Antone Smith that dazzled.

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Last season, Smith showed his explosiveness in his very limited action. The former Florida State running back took five carries for four 1st downs, 145 rushing yards (29 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. On Friday, he had more explosive plays in the rushing game and passing game that were called back for penalties.

“Antone had some very explosive plays,” said Smith. “He’s a guy that can do some special things when we get the ball in his hands. I would imagine we would want to make sure to help him get some touches, put him in an advantageous situation, but I was very impressed with him.”

Smith was not the only former Seminole impressing the coaching staff out of the backfield. Freeman had an outstanding rookie debut and took 10 carries for a game-high 50 yards rushing and added a 57-yard reception.

At receiver, undrafted free agent rookie Bernard Reedy continued his solid offseason.

The former Toledo star is easily one of the fastest players on the team and he used that speed to haul in a game-high 61 receiving yards off two receptions. A total of 17 Falcons caught passes in the preseason opener so this is certainly still a heated competition for a roster spot, but Reedy continues getting open and making plays. His quickness on the field with Julio Jones, White and Harry Douglas would form a dangerous four-receiver set.

Defensively, Prince Shembo had the most impressive performance. The versatile rookie totaled four tackles and included the Falcons first sack of the season. Shembo’s work on special teams was equally solid and Shembo has a legitimate shot at earning the starting linebacker job over Joplo Bartu this season.

The remaining offseason we will see a lot more of backup quarterbacks T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree. The former ACC signal callers did a great job managing the game in the preseason opener and not forcing mistakes while battling for the No. 2 job. Yates finished 7-16 passing for 127 yards and Renfree completed 6-of-15 for 108 yards.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

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GT Golf

UGA Women’s Soccer

Falcons fans got their first glimpse of the rookie running back on Friday against the Miami Dolphins and the Florida State product did not disappoint. Freeman logged 50 yards on 10 carries, while also logging a reception for 57 yards during Atlanta’s 16-10 victory over Miami. The comparisons between him and Warrick Dunn may ring true for after all.

Three Georgia Tech golfers qualified for match play at the 114th United States Amateur Championships at the Atlanta Athletic Club in John’s Creek, GA. Ollie Schniederjans, the No. 1 amateur player in the world, will join teammates Bo Andrews and Seth Reeves as they all aim to become just the third GT golfer to win the U.S Amateur.

It was announced Tuesday that four Bulldog players were named to the fourth annual SEC preseason watch list to be considered for the preseason All-Conference teams. Sixth-year senior Laura Eddy, sophomores Marion Crowder and Gabby Seiler, and freshman Becca Rasmussen join players from the 13 other SEC institutions on the exclusive list.

By Alex Ordu

WHO’S HOT

Devonta Freeman

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

BATTLE IN HOUSTON

After earning their first preseason win against Miami last week, the Falcons will be back in action this Saturday as they take on the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. This will be a very interesting matchup because fans will have chance to see Jake Matthews go up against No.1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. on the CW.

CHUBB TRAIN

Freshman running back Nick Chubb is making a lasting impression at fall camp. The Bulldogs had their first scrimmage this past Saturday and Chubb recorded 52 yards on seven carries. At 5-foot-10 and 228 pounds, Chubb is a guy that will be tough to bring down and he could be what Todd Gurley has been to this the team the last few years.

HARD KNOCKS

We are two weeks into the show “Hard Knocks” and there have been some players and coaches that have stood out. Many fans like the way defensive end Jacques Smith does not back down from anybody and everyone seems to like Bryan Cox, who is a no-nonsense defensive line coach. I can’t wait to watch the next three episodes.

THOMPSON COMMITS

Trent Thompson, who could be the No. 1 prospect in the nation, has made his decision on where he wants to play college ball and he will be a UGA Bulldog next season.

Thompson chose Georgia over Alabama and Auburn. I like the way this 2015 signing class is shaping up and think all the players will be outstanding ones by 2017.

KELL LUNCHEON

Before the Corky Kell Classic takes place at McEachern next weekend, the coaches and the players from each team in the classic will get together for a luncheon on Thursday to talk about the games and the rest of the season. The luncheon will be at the Atlanta Marriot Northwest. I’ll be there and it should be a lot of fun.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Braves Offense

Atlanta Dream

Bryce Harper

Hot Atlanta weather apparently does not translate to hot Atlanta bats. The Braves are starting the month off slow with a 2-8 record, and the main cause for this slump has been the lack of runs. Atlanta has scored 26 runs over their 10 games, fewest in MLB. That five-game deficit will not shrink if they continue to struggle scoring.

Even though the Atlanta Dream are the first team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff berth, the players and head coach Michael Cooper have not had much to feel good about. The first-place Dream have lost eight of their last 10 games while allowing an average of 82 points per game during that span, ranking them last in the league.

Braves pitching held the Nats outfielder to just two hits over the weekend series, and the 21-year old didn’t do any better when it comes to endearing himself to Braves fans.

Harper was caught on camera sweeping his cleat across the trademark “A” behind home plate. Harper was seen doing the act three times, but denied any intent of disrespect.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Matthew Cason

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

WHO ARE THE THREE BRAVES THAT RANK AMONG THE TOP EIGHT IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE IN STRIKEOUTS? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“Georgia, they were my first offer.

They were the first coaches that came down to see me and showed me the most love. Georgia has great coaches, and I have good relationships with them. The fan base has also showed a lot of love, and I also think that in the classroom Georgia can help me be the best student I can be.”

- Westover DT Trenton Thompson on his commitment to Georgia.

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Runs scored by the Braves’ offense in August, worst in MLB

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Home runs hit by the Braves in August, second-worst in MLB

82

Average number of points allowed by the Dream over their last 10 games, worst in WNBA

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Tech golfers to have won the U.S Amateur Championships

45

Wild pitches allowed by Braves catcher Evan Gattis, worst in MLB

45

RBIs for Evan Gattis on the season

0

Games won by the Falcons in the 2013 preseason

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Games won by the Falcons so far in the 2014 presesason

LABOR DAY BONANZA ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IS THE PLACE TO BE NEXT WEEKEND! SEE OUR 4-PAGE SPECIAL SECTION FOR MORE ON AMS EVENTS.

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ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

DRAGSTERS RAINED OUT; LABOR DAY WEEKEND ON THE HORIZON

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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eek 13 of the hotly-contested Atlanta Motor Speedway O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drag races and the Show-N-Shine competition was canceled due to inclement weather. Due to the cancelation, the next drag races will be worth double points and the champions of each division will be crowned. All of the division champions will be introduced prior to the Aug. 31 Labor Day Weekend Sprint Cup Series Atlanta 500. Being recognized in front of all NASCAR fans in attendance will be a great honor for all the dragsters’ hard work during the season.

Due to the huge weekend coming up, AMS has extended ticket office hours until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Also, over the weekend, the office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the crowds.

Also over Labor Day weekend, infield camping spaces will be available starting Thursday of race week. Flock Brothers Corral is open for $300 per space while the High Speed Corral is available for $200 per space.

The Fantastic Family Four Pack is on sale for the race at $159 for four tickets, four cokes and four hot dogs.

STANDINGS UPDATE …

While some divisions are already wrapped up, there are still a few neck-and-neck races for the title heading down the stretch into the final week. The tightest of the races is in the Domestic Advanced Class division. Jason Kinard from Hampton holds a three-point lead over second-place Stephen DeFayette and a

four-point lead over Terry Bates. The standings have Kinard at 24 points, DeFayette at 21 and Bates at 20. The three dragsters have separated themselves as the cream of the crop in their division and have been battling for supremacy the entire season. Terry Bates of Locust Grove just recently made a push to cut his point deficit after his final round win on double-points night last week. Bates’ 1988 Ford Mustang and DeFayette’s 1988 Mazda RX7 look to pull out a last-event victory to dethrone Kinard’s 1997 Chevrolet S-10 as the Domestic Advanced Class division champion.

Besides from the Domestic Advanced Class division, the Jailhouse Brewing Su-

per Pro Class division has shaped up to be a two-man race between first-place Arnie Cobb (23 points) and second-place Tony Byrd (20 points). The two have pulled away from thirdplace Michael Ramsey, who won the title last season. Cobb and his 1974 Chevy Nova will try to hold onto their title aspirations in the final week while Byrd and his 1986 Ford Thunderbird make one last push for the finish line.

After the season concludes, the racing will pick back up on Sept. 12 and 19 with the Fall Stampede. Practice runs will begin at 6:15 p.m., with Grandstand gates opening at 6:30.

The drag racing eliminators will begin shortly after 9 p.m. Drag spectator tickets start at $8 for adults and free for children five and under.

Infield parking will cost $20, while exterior is free. There is a $20 entry fee to drag race or participate in the Show-N-Shine, or the combo ticket is available for just $30. All competitors will be required to wear a DOT-approved helmet and have a functional seatbelt. Racers that are 16 and 17 years old will need to fill out a release form before being cleared to race.

FOR THE KIDS …

Feed the Children is a non-profit organization which aims to make sure that no child goes hungry and each child is properly nourished.

The organization has partnered with Great Clips as the sponsors of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Aug. 30. The Atlanta Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities is located at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During Labor Day weekend, funds will be collected through the use of the 50/50 Raffle campaign and the Red Bucket Brigade.

Speedway Children’s Charities work to care for children in “educational, financial, social and medical need in order for them to lead productive lives.”

SPONSOR FOR 500 …

The Atlanta 500 race has found a sponsor

and will be deemed the Oral-B USA 500. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event will be a crucial race, as it is the second to last race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins. Only the top drivers will have a chance at the cup, so it is important for drivers to get as many wins under their belt as possible to improve their position.

Five spots remain open for drivers as they jockey to find their place in the chase. Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson and Clint Bowyer would make it to the chase if it started today. The race to get into the chase has proven to be difficult, as many of the sport’s top names are absent. Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers and others all find themselves on the outside looking in as of now, but all of that can change if one of the drivers can manage to win the Oral-B USA 500.

Before the race kicks off and the drivers start their engines, Will Chase from ABC’s “Nashville” will perform the National Anthem.

A driver looking to make an appearance at the starting line and make his debut in the Sprint Series is Ty Dillon. The young Dillon has found success in his first full season racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, currently sitting in third place. He will look to make his biggest splash in his young career as he attempts to qualify for his first Sprint Series race.

After running his test laps, Dillon said about the track, “It’s a fast place with a lot of banking. You really have to save your tires. This place has such different lines. You can run right there on that yellow line and use that for grip or right against the wall. It’s a cool place, it’s like no other.”

Other than Dillon, the veteran Ryan Newman is a driver to watch as he holds the record at Atlanta Motor Speedway with seven pole positions, tied with Buddy Baker. Please visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com for more info on upcoming events.

Photos courtesy of Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Vol. 10 Iss. 29 | August 15-21, 2014

Race Weekend Schedule

Speedway Children’s Charities Events

2014 Labor Day Weekend On-Track Schedule *Schedule is subject to change

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

The Single Source/Reed Sorenson Charity Golf Classic

11:00 a.m.

2:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

NASCAR Nationwide Series haulers enter main tunnel Infield and Trackside Terrace Open For Campers NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers enter main tunnel

FRIDAY, AUG. 29 11:00 a.m.

Gate 13 opens 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

USCS Sprint Car practice 2:30 p.m.

All grandstand gates open 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

NASCAR Nationwide Series practice 5:30 p.m. - 6:50 p.m.

NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice 7:10 p.m.

Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka Qualifying Night 8:15 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

Driver Q&A session on frontstretch 8:50 p.m.

USCS driver introductions 9:15 p.m.

Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka Sprint Car Shootout

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

12:30 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.

4:10 p.m.

6:00 p.m. - 6:50 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Gate 13 open Legends and Bandolero races All grandstand gates open NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice NASCAR Nationwide Series driver introductions NNS Great Clips 300 to benefit Feed The Children

Join us at the Crystal Lake Golf Club in Hampton for a day filled with golf and fun with drivers and racing celebrities!

FRIDAY, AUG. 29 NRA/David Ragan Shootout Join us for the NRA David Ragan Shoot Out at the Cherokee Rose Sporting Resort, located in Griffin, Georgia, just a few minutes from Atlanta Motor Speedway. Registration begins at 9:00am.

SUNDAY, AUG. 31 Track Trek Just hours before “Drivers start your engines!” participants can walk the world famous 1.5 mile Atlanta Motor Speedway racing surface.

Complete the very first lap of race day!

MONDAY, SEPT. 1 Hot Laps Experience the thrill of driving your personal vehicle around Atlanta Motor Speedway! Polish up your car, motorcycle or even your com-

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

6:55 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

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Speedway Children’s Charities Track Trek All grandstand gates open Pre-race stage access open NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver introductions NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Oral-B USA 500

pany vehicle and come on out Monday, September 1, 2014 to help us finish up race weekend!

REGISTER ONLINE AT ATLANTA.SPEEDWAYCHARITIES.ORG/EVENTS/ FOR ALL EVENTS.

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AUG. 29

AUG. 30

AUG. 31

877-9-AMS-TIX

ATLANTAMOTORSPEEDWAY.COM

CORKY KELL CLASSIC

THE METRO PCS CORKY KELL CLASSIC, A HUB FOR COLLEGE RECRUITS

BY DAVID NORWOOD AND CRAIG SAGER II

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he Corky Kell Classic features the best programs in the state and these football powerhouses are factories for producing the nation’s top college prospects each year. There is no better way for a recruit to start the football season than a breakout performance in the Corky Kell Classic. With so much talent on the field, it gives every player an opportunity to go against the best competition on opening week’s biggest stage.

Looking back at the amount of college signees that played in the Corky Kell the past couple years shows how densely populated Georgia High School football is with talent. In 2012, the event featured the most major college signees in Corky Kell Classic history with names like Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss), Tyren Jones (Alabama), Parker McLeod (Alabama), Brandon Kublanow (Georgia) and Bryce Ramsey (Georgia).

NEW CROP …

McEachern is this year’s host of the Corky Kell Classic and they will look to defend their home turf with one of the most talented rosters in the state. Offensive tackle Chuma Edoga is committed to USC and running back Taj Griffin is a five-star committed to Oregon.

Griffin is one of the fastest players in the country and can outsprint his way to touchdowns in the return game and in a variety of ways out of the backfield. Edoga is one of the most athletic offensive lineman in the nation and his skillset is already polished. The college-ready lineman possesses a huge wingspan with the power and speed that make him impenetrable.

Wideout T.J. Rahming is a threat at receiver and is pledged to Duke and guard Chandler Jones has already committed to Louisville. The underclassman stars for the Indians are junior defensive tackle Julian Rochester and sopho-

more quarterback Bailey Hockman. Rochester is one of the highest-rated prospects in the country for the 2016 class and Hockman was named to the CBS MaxPreps All-American preseason team for the Class of 2017.

North Gwinnett is led by Clemson-commit and consensus five-star Mitch Hyatt at offensive tackle and a bevy of skill guys. Wideout Almonzo Brown is narrowing down offers from Florida, Georgia Tech and Kansas State, among others and Daniel Imatorbhebhe is a 6-foot-4 target who is already committed to Missouri.

TIGER TOWN …

Tucker is a factory for producing college talent and is headlined by Alabama-commit Jonathan Ledbetter. Outside linebacker Elijah Sullivan is an Auburn-commit and Sandy Creek transfer Delvin Weems is an all-purpose back pledged to Marshall.

Weems’ former running mate at Sandy Creek Eric Swinney is committed to Ole Miss and there are a few undecided running backs that are receiving plenty of collegiate fan mail.

Brookwood’s Jesse Brown and Colquitt County’s Sihiem King have seen interest spike after their junior seasons. Brown has been offered

by Furman, Georgia State, N.C. State and Yale and King holds offeres from Cincinnati, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech heading into the season.

Archer has a championship-caliber quarterback returning under center with Gabe Tiller. This summer, Tiller led the Tigers to the Corky Kell Classic 7-on-7 championship and followed the polished passing. His poise in the pocket and ability to improvise and make plays suits an Archer offense with plenty of options to share the football. Tiller’s top playmakers will be running back Dylan Singleton, tight end Connor Redmond and rising junior Kyle Davis

Singleton is a composite four-star junior with offers from Duke and South Carolina that will play running back and defensive back.

Redmond is a 6-foot-4 tight end committed to South Carolina and Kyle Davis is a 6-foot3, 220-pound junior also committed to the Gamecocks.

As we’ve seen over the years, expect the McEachern sidelines to be a popular destination for college football’s top coaches on Aug. 22-23. The teams in this year’s Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic represent some of the best programs in the state and the talent on each squad includes some of the best recruits in the nation.

Photos courtesy of Sonny Kennedy and Terance Johnson.

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS ENTER FINAL TWO WEEKS OF FALL CAMP

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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he start of the Georgia football season is about two weeks away and the Bulldogs are trying to figure out who is starting where.

Questions on both side of the ball need to be answered within that time, before the Bulldogs bring Clemson between the hedges on Aug. 30.

On defense, Georgia has needed to deal with some time practicing without inside linebacker Ramik Wilson. The senior has been suffering from the effects of a concussion since last week. The good news is that the team got him back on the field on Wednesday. He was practicing in a green non-contact jersey according to Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

While Wilson has been out, Mark Richt has gone with sophomore inside linebacker Reggie Carter (a South Gwinnett High School alum) to play alongside Amarlo Herrera. Carter gained some experience last season and could be counted on if needed.

On the offensive side of the ball, the team

GEORGIA STATE

PANTHERS TO FACE N.C. STATE; BASKETBALL TEAM GOES 4-0

BY DAVID NORWOOD | DNORWOOD@SCOREATL.COM

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he Georgia State athletic department announced last week that Georgia State will play at N.C. State in football during the 2018 season. The game will take place on Sept. 8, 2018 at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.

The Georgia State women’s soccer team had its first practice for the 2014 preseason last week. “It is always exciting to start preseason camp,” head coach Derek Leader told georgiastatesports.com. “With just nine days until our first exhibition match, it was fantastic to see vast improvements on the overall fitness level of the team. The first practice was extremely encouraging.”

The Panthers went 6-10-1 overall and 4-4 in conference play last season.

BASKETBALL ROAD-TRIPPING …

Georgia State men’s basketball ended its trek through Costa Rica with an 83-67 win over San Ramon on Monday night. The Panthers finished their road trip with a 4-0 record.

has been trying to get tight end Jay Rome back on the field from a foot injury that forced him out last season. Since that time, Rome has come back to the field on a full-time basis at times during fall camp. However, he has also been dealing with a toe issue that has either put him in that green non-contact jersey or kept him off the field altogether.

At running back, the praises of Nick Chubb continue to be sung. In fact, you can go on Vine and follow Morgan Weeks of Bulldawg Illustrated to get a view of Chubb blowing up fullback Merritt Hall in a static blocking drill.

It had already been said that Chubb might be one of the strongest guys on the team. By all accounts he also had a great performance in the Bulldogs’ first scrimmage.

UGA ADDS HUGE RECRUIT …

The duo of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Bryan McClendon continues to be a great team, as shown earlier this week with the commitment of defensive tackle Trent Thompson out of Albany, Ga. The 6-4, 292-pound defensive tackle is ranked as the number one player in the state of Georgia and number one defensive tackle in the country according to 247sports.com. He is second-ranked player in the country in their player rankings.

Thompson is choosing UGA over Alabama and Auburn, among many other schools.

“We finished the trip strong and improved in every game,” head coach Ron Hunter told the athletic website. “I think it was great that we were able to play these four games and I think it will allow us to get off to a better start in November.”

Junior guard R.J. Hunter scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win over San Ramon. Georgia State captured its third consecutive road win with a 71-41 win over Juegos Nacionales on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Ryan Harrow scored 12 points with four assists and three steals. The Panthers won their second consecutive road game during their Costa Rica road trip with a 54-42 win over Puntarenas last Saturday night. Harrow led the Panthers in scoring with 10 points.

Georgia State opened up their Costa Rica road trip with 82-29 win over Cartago last Friday. Freshman guard Jeff Thomas led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points. The Panthers’ more veteran players like Hunter, Harrow, Curtis Washington, Kevin Ware and Markus Crider did not play in the trip’s opener.

“This was a good first game for us,” Hunter assured. “We were able to get a lot of guys some valuable playing time and experience against some opposition for the first time. I really liked what some of our freshmen did tonight and look forward to them continuing to improve.”

GEORGIA TECH

DEPTH CHART RELEASED AFTER IMPRESSIVE SCRIMMAGE

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

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aul Johnson and his squad held the preseason’s first live scrimmage on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium in front of a crowd composed of Georgia Tech students, players’ families and season ticket-holders. Those in attendance left the oldest stadium in the country impressed after witnessing a strong performance on the defensive side of the ball, highlighted by three turnovers—including an acrobatic interception by sophomore defensive back Lynn Griffin. Other notable performers on the day included two sacks by sophomore defensive lineman Patrick Gamble and hardhitting plays from defensive backs Demond Smith and Domonique Noble. While they may have left an impression on fans watching the scrimmage, they were simply meeting the expectations defensive coordinator Ted Roof has for his two defensive backs.

“That is what you expect (from them), (having) situational awareness, playing within the framework of the defense, and at the same time when you have the chance to make play,

KENNESAW STATE

SOCCER WINS PRESEASON OPENER, MEN’S BASKETBALL TRAVELS TO ITALY

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

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ith the fall semester starting on Monday, the soccer team is ready to get back in the swing of things as it played its first preseason game against Wofford on Sunday. The Owls got what they wanted out of the game, too, coming away with a 1-0 victory. It was a freshman that was the hero for the Owls, as Marit Sandtroeen scored the game-winning goal early in the second half. The Owls outshot Wofford 12-3 and 11 of their 12 shots on goal came in the second half.

“Overall we were very pleased,” head coach Rob King told ksuowls.com . “The first period was a little rough and not quite as composed as we wanted, but the longer the game went on the better we got, which was what we were hoping for. We began to develop an understanding of the system, which is great. We were able to play everyone and the freshmen played a lot of minutes, which is really good.

Overall we were very pleased and it is always good to start off with a win.”

make it,” said Roof.

In other news for the gold and navy blue, the release of the first depth chart since spring practice came earlier this week. To the surprise of probably no one, Justin Thomas is at the top spot for the quarterback position. Yet one of the more competitive battles in training camp thus far has been at A-back. Joining Tony Zenon at the other available A-back slot, to the surprise of many, is redshirt senior Charles Perkins. He leapt fellow redshirt seniors Synjyn Days and B.J. Bostic, who respectively started seven games and two games at that position.

Meanwhile, true freshman Keshun Freeman has taken the top slot at defensive end over redshirt sophomore Roderick Rook-Chungong with the season opener against Wofford just two weeks away.

SHAQ ATTACK …

One of the many nicknames for the former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal would be appropriate for hulking Georgia Tech offensive lineman Shaquille Mason. Just like with O’Neal during his college days, the accolades surrounding Mason continue to flow in for the 300-pound lineman, who was one of 13 ACC players selected to Sport Illustrated’s Preseason All-American Team. A first-team AllACC selection in 2013, Mason was recently named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s top lineman. Mason started all 13 games in 2013 at right guard after starting all but one game of the 2012 season at right guard.

Kennesaw State will have another preseason match on Friday when it faces Clayton State at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The team will play another home preseason match this Sunday against Middle Tennessee State.

VIVA OWLS …

The men’s basketball team spent the past week traveling throughout Italy to play four games abroad. It was a successful trip, with the Owls compiling a 3-1 record.

They first traveled to Milan and Venice before heading to Dueville to play against the Vicenza All-Stars. The Owls rolled to a 7053 win in which Delbert Love was named the game’s MVP after scoring 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. They also played a game at Del Din, which is a U.S. Army Base located in Vicenza. A few hundred soldiers were in attendance to see Kennesaw State perform and the team presented the base with an autographed basketball when the festivities came to an end.

After the trip to the army base, the Owls spent the next two days in Florence. They did some biking and sight-seeing before heading to Rome to play in two more games. When the Owls were in Rome, they spent time in the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Vol. 10 Iss. 29 | August 15-21, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

ADDITIONAL OPPONENTS REVEALED ON PRESEASON SCHEDULE

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

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he old idiom of “No news is good news” can ring true for the Hawks in the sense that nothing bad has happened for Atlanta, but it can also translate into the thought that the August month for the franchise is similar to winter for baseball. There is simply not much going on. However, the road to opening night for the 2014-15 season slowly begins to take shape as the Hawks have revealed two more contests for their preseason schedule, which is now at four games. Atlanta will be slated to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 11 and the Miami Heat on Oct. 14. Although the Hawks have not yet released their full preseason schedule, they also already know that they will have a trip to take on Chicago on Oct. 16 followed matchup against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22.

SKILLFUL SCHROEDER …

The NBA news may be slow to come by these days, but the competitive juices for At-

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES’ SLIDE CONTINUES, DIVISION DEFICIT GROWS BIGGER

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he Braves are by no means out of the playoff picture, but with each passing day the situation is becoming more dire and the games are fast moving toward the must-win variety.

Heading into Wednesday, Atlanta was 2-11 in its last 13 contests. That stretch had the team five games back of Washington in the National League East and much closer to third-place Miami (one game difference) than to the top of the division.

An eight-game losing streak had been halted with two wins in a three-game home series against the Nationals, but the Braves dropped each of the first two of a four-game set versus the Dodgers. L.A. prevailed 6-2 on Monday and stymied Atlanta’s bats again on Tuesday in a 4-2 decision. Mike Minor pitched relatively well in the second game of the series (three runs in 6.2 innings), but the Braves’ offense could muster little more than a B.J. Upton solo homer.

“Well, we got hot last year,” Justin Upton

lanta point guard Dennis Schroeder continue to flow freely while playing for his native Germany in the EUROBASKET championships.

The second-year player continued to build on his strong summer with an exceptional performance during a heartbreaking 68-67 loss against Poland. Schroeder scored 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field and he pulled down three rebounds, but if the point guard had anything he would wish to repeat from the loss, it would be game-winning shot attempt at the buzzer that bounced off the rim.

His German national team will play six total games in the tournament, two against the three other teams in their group. They must finish second in their group to have a chance of advancing. Their next matchup was against Austria on Wednesday (results not available at press time).

NERVE-WRACKED ‘NIQUE …

Hall of Famers, especially those of Dominique Wilkins’ stature, generally have nerves of steel while playing against fellow top talent.

But during an interview with DISH Nation, the Human Highlight Reel admitted to feeling a tad nervous when facing off against fellow Hall member Bernard King. While on the subject of the New York Knick legend, Wilkins used one adjective to describe the four-time all-star: “He was relentless. He was one of those guys who would drop 30 or 40 (points) and there was nothing you could do about it.”

said in his postgame interview on Monday, reflecting on his team’s push to the 2013 division title. “We did play well last year. We just haven’t clicked on all cylinders yet. We’ll get a couple of guys on and we haven’t gotten that big hit consistently yet, so hopefully it’s coming soon.”

STILL IN CONTENTION? …

The Braves been a streaky team in 2014, which can be both good and bad. They may be in the midst of a rough stretch, but their mercurial nature suggests a hot streak could come seemingly out of nowhere at any moment. Julio Teheran, for one, is hoping that will prove to be the case.

“We are trying to get back,” Julio Teheran told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I know we have been in bad situations but we have been battling and fighting the whole time, trying to win games. Every time we get here it is a new game, a new day and we try to win that game.”

With six weeks left in the season, the Braves can still take it one game at a time.

Panic and pressing are not yet necessary. They have six games remaining against Washington; a sweep of those six alone would erase the current deficit. Encouragingly, Atlanta is 9-4 this year against the Nationals—a club it has routinely dominated of late.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS BEAT DOLPHINS, “HARD KNOCKS” SPOTLIGHTS ROOKIES

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he positive takeaways from Atlanta’s first preseason game were as much as you could ask for as a Falcons fan. The team stuffed Miami for a 16-10 victory, Matt Ryan was 7-7 passing and took the team on an 18-play touchdown drive in his only series and no sacks were allowed the whole game. Defensively, the Falcons did not give up the big play and held the Dolphins to 229 total yards of offense and 5-14 on third downs after finishing last in the NFL in that category last season. The backups made big plays on both sides of the football and the overall effort and focus was outstanding for the entire ballgame.

Atlanta’s next dress rehearsal is slated for Saturday against the Houston Texans. The Texans are in a similar situation as Atlanta coming off a down year that earned them the top pick in this past draft. After two combined practices this week, the teams are well-familiar with who they’ll be lining up against.

ATLANTA DREAM

LOSING SLIDE CONTINUES AS PLAYOFF PICTURE CLEARS

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he slide has continued for the Eastern ConT ference-leading Atlanta Dream. Atlanta has now dropped five straight games, a stretch that includes a 0-4 road trip. The losing streak has sent the Dream spiraling in the midst of a 2-9 stretch. They now head back home to the friendly confines of Philips Arena, where they have gone 11-4 this season. The Dream hold a two-game conference lead over the secondplace Washington Mystics with just three games remaining in the regular season.

ANGEL’S WINGS CLIPPED …

Atlanta’s latest defeat came on Sunday against the Chicago Sky, who are in a tie for third place in the East, via an 80-69 decision.

Star player Angel McCoughtry was unable to suit up for the Dream due to a foot injury. McCoughtry’s production has severely declined as of late and is likely a cause for Atlanta’s ongoing slide. In her previous three games from the field, McCoughtry went 7-16, 0-5 and then 5-20 before sitting out Sunday’s game with foot tendinitis. Sancho Lyttle and rookie Shoni

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HARD KNOCKS PART 2 …

The second episode of Hard Knocks aired Tuesday and the rookies took the spotlight.

Ra’Shede Hageman, Tyler Starr, Prince Shembo and Ricardo Allen each got significant air-time.

Shembo had an outstanding preseason debut and is vying for the starting linebacker role and his journey through the remaining offseason will be a key storyline the rest of the way.

Ryan’s leadership off the field was another moment that stood out in the episode. During a wide receiver meeting, Ryan interrupted the film session to clear up a couple plays. The quarterback referred to a play where he read Harry Douglas’ route wrong and wanted to take the blame and clear it up. This gave viewers a great representation on Ryan’s role as a leader.

SPOON-FED …

Sean Weatherspoon continues his recovery from his ruptured Achilles that will sideline him for the entire season and returned to Falcons headquarters. ‘Spoon’ wheels himself around the facilities and has continued helping his teammates prep for the season. Shembo has tried to get as much help from Weatherspoon as possible and was shown calling the Pro Bowl linebacker and breaking down film with him. Weatherspoon was the defensive leader on the football field and Shembo is stepping into that role in his absence.

Schimmel tried to carry the load without the league’s fourth-leading scorer by scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively. The balanced scoring attack of the Sky proved to be too much, however, with five players scoring in doublefigures.

The Dream’s next game was on Wednesday against the league-leading Phoenix Mercury (results not available at press time). Their home finale against Tulsa is on the Friday at 7:30 p.m. and it will be fan appreciation night.

PLAYOFF PICTURE …

With the playoffs looming and the team’s ticket already punched, it’s time to preview some potential first-round matchups. If the playoffs started today, Atlanta would face the Indiana Fever—who currently are tied with Chicago (Chicago holds the tiebreaker). The Dream went 3-2 against the Fever this year and all three of their wins came on the road. The Fever have to feel good about their chances, though, as they have handed the Dream two of their four losses at home this season.

If Indiana rises and Chicago falls, Atlanta will have to deal with the Sky, who have gone 3-2 against Atlanta. The Sky boast the only other two victories at Philips Arena this season, so Atlanta must be wary of that. Regardless of the opponent, the one key will be getting McCoughtry back healthy. Head coach Michael Cooper believes his star may miss one more game but expects her to be healthy during their postseason run.

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