Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 30

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 30 | AUGUST 22-28, 2014

A Texan on Georgia | Pg. 4 Our Dan Mathews compares high school football in his native Texas to Georgia’s version.

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

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

ROUNDING INTO FORM

Despite injury to Sam Baker, the Falcons look ready for the regular season. | Pg. 5

YOU SERVE,YOU LEARN It really is that simple.

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Vol. 10 Iss. 30 | August 22-28, 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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SCORE LIST | NUMBERS

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE

GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH

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

BRAVES | FALCONS HAWKS | DREAM

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

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY, TY FREEMAN AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS

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

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com from down in South Georgia, like Valdosta and Colquitt County on the field. You’re also getting to see the Atlanta-area powerhouses like Norcross, Tucker, McEachern, North Gwinnett and Sandy Creek.

DAN THE MAN

A TEXAN’S VIEW OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

his year’s Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic T marks 23 years of this great high school football event in Atlanta with seven games on

tap this weekend. In the past, the games have been played at the Georgia Dome and this year it is at McEachern.

LONE STAR …

Full disclosure here, I am from Texas. I believed the myth that high school football in Texas is king. To be honest until I got here to Atlanta, I had never experienced anything on the high school level, like I’ve seen with the football here in this state. Sure the movie/television show “Friday Night Lights” adds to the belief that Texas does high school football right. They don’t have a Corky Kell Classic in Texas.

In seven games this year, you will see sev-

en schools that have won Georgia High School Association state titles in their histories. You will also see numerous kids that will be entering their senior seasons on the field before they head off to play major Division 1 football.

If you haven’t been to McEachern’s Walter Cantrell Stadium, you’re in for a treat there, too. Most high school stadiums don’t have the look or feel of some college football stadiums.

Well, Cantrell Stadium is not any ordinary high school football stadium. For starters, you’ll notice in the back of one of the two end zones a huge state of the art video/score board. It is actually the largest in high school sports. You’ll also notice the end zone stands on the opposite end of the field that gives Cantrell Stadium the college student section feel on game days.

This weekend you’re going to see schools

CASON’S CASE

BRAVES LIKELY HEADED FOR WILD-CARD BERTH AFTER RECENT SURGE

BY MATT CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

he Braves were at it again after pulverizing the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday for the T 11-3 victory, increasing their winning streak to

five games and while Atlanta is still gunning for another NL East crown and their first World Series title since 1995, they have a great shot of making the postseason for the third straight year. However, it will not be with an NL East crown, as Fredi Gonzalez and his squad can claim the wild card and reach a plateau that has not been seen in Atlanta since 2002, a National League Championship Series appearance. The prediction is a stretch when looking at Atlanta’s recent lack of playoff success, but when looking at what the Braves have going for them now, carrying a hot offense and a favorable schedule, I can see Atlanta pulling out a win in the wild-card game and the NLDS, be-

fore falling in the NLCS.

Atlanta currently stands tied with the San Francisco Giants, as of Wednesday afternoon, for the second wild-card spot and are 2.5 games behind the Cardinals for the top wild-card spot.

An NL East title seems doubtful, sitting six behind the red-hot Washington Nationals. The Nats’ have winning records against every opponent except for the Braves, who have dominated the Nats with nine wins and four losses. The dominance of Atlanta over Washington during the season will not affect Nationals’ division title prospects. The Nats should win the NL East by a comfortable margin.

EASY ROAD …

With the focus mainly on the wild card now, there is one factor that gives the Braves

WIDE EXPOSURE …

In the past years, this weekend has been inside the Georgia Dome and will return to the venue next season and beyond. We’ll also be seeing these games on major cable television, with Fox Sports South calling both days of action. The players get the opportunity to have people like Falcons/college sports play-by-play broadcaster Wes Durham, former Falcons Dave Archer and Chuck Smith, as well as other accomplished sports broadcasters calling games.

For the most part, all of the things I have mentioned are reserved for teams in December, when two teams from each classification of the GHSA make their way to Atlanta for the state championship games of high school football. You don’t normally get this in the first week of the season.

I’m going to compare to my days in Texas again… In the past, there were games played early in the season at San Antonio’s Alamodome or at the old Texas Stadium in Irving.

Nowadays, weekends of football like the one we’re about to watch here in Georgia have

gone away.

This is an opportunity for not only the fans to see some great football this weekend, but also a chance for these kids to make a name for themselves in front of thousands of people watching from the stadium stands and also the numerous people that will be watching on Fox Sports South and listening on SportsRadio 92.9 The Game.

For some of the players, this will be the highest level of football they’ll play for the rest of their lives. What better way for those players to experience a major game day experience than playing in the Classic?

Over the 23-year history of the event, we have seen numerous players move on to play college football in the SEC, ACC, Pac-12 and other major conferences. We have also seen players like offensive lineman Clint Boling, quarterback Quincy Carter and running back Kenny Irons move on to play in the NFL.

How cool would it be to say that you saw an NFL star play when they were in high school at the Corky Kell Classic this year at McEachern High School? You’ve got that opportunity for seven games this weekend.

Action gets underway on Friday evening at 6 p.m., when Creekview takes on North Paulding. The full schedule for the event can be found at www.CorkyKell.com.

Photo courtesy of Ty Freeman.

a chance to claim a spot: a favorable schedule.

Atlanta has six series against sub-.500 teams: two against the Phillies, two against the Mets, a three-game set Rangers, and four games against the Reds, all who possess less-thanstellar pitching, and five others against Washington twice, Pittsburgh once, and the Marlins two times, all of whom the Braves have posted .500 records against or better.

During the second half of the season, Atlanta pitching has posted a team ERA of 3.38, the fourth-best mark in the NL. That type of pitching will keep the Braves in a lot of games.

When you put it together with an offense that recently looked strong against a dominating A’s pitching staff and devours mediocre pitching, Atlanta has a great chance to put together a strong September to claim the top wild-card spot with ease. Filling the other wild-card void will be the Cardinals who have struggled with their offensive production in the second-half. St. Louis is 10th in runs scored in the NL and trade acquisitions John Lackey and Justin Masterson have combined to a 5.57 ERA in eight combined starts. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny may see himself burning through some of his better pitching in the final weeks in order to qualify for the playoffs while Fredi Gonzalez will have the opportunity to use any of his five starters to match up favorably against the Cardinals.

I picture the Braves going into the wild-

card game without being blinded by the bright lights that had seen the young squad falter during their last two playoff appearances. The growth from past postseason failures will have the Braves squeeze out a victory against St. Louis and advance to the NLDS.

If the winning ways of the Washington Nationals continue through the end of the season, they will clinch home-field advantage and take on Atlanta in the best-of-five. It will seem like the regular season again for the Braves, who can dominate the matchup with a strong offense supported by solid pitching. Atlanta will take the series in four games and advance to the National League Championship Series, where they will face off with the Dodgers. This will be the end of the line for Atlanta who have had no answer for L.A all season long. Atlanta is only 1-6 against Don Mattingly and crew while mustering just 18 runs against their highly-touted pitching staff, led by Cy Young-winners Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, along with a deep lineup boasting the second best batting average and fifth-best runs scored total in the NL. However, reaching the NLCS for the first time since 2002 will be a confidence boost for a young Braves squad that looks to gain more momentum in their process to win a World Series.

Photo courtesy of Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves.

Vol. 10 Iss. 30 | August 22-28, 2014

ON THE COVER

PRESEASON PAIN

MATTHEWS TAKES OVER AT LEFT TACKLE AFTER BAKER INJURY

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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hey say that from year to year the injury bug bites all NFL teams and will always even out in the end. That is the law of averages, after all. But if it really is a law, then it better be mighty lenient on the Atlanta Falcons in 2015, 2016 and beyond.

That’s because the Falcons have endured more than fair share of recent injury problems, the first wave of which derailed their 2013 campaign and the second flurry of which is already wreaking havoc on the upcoming season. Last year, wide receiver Julio Jones was on a blistering pace before a broken foot in Week 5 knocked him out for the season. Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon missed nine games due to foot and knee problems. Offensive tackle Sam Baker was sidelined for 12 games because of a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

With Weatherspoon already out for all of 2014 after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon in June, Falcons’ fans could only hope to get through the four-game preseason slate un-

scathed. If they were holding their collective breath heading into the now-completed first two contests, who could blame them? Atlanta’s fanbase has been down this road before. On Aug. 16, 2003, former No. 1 draft pick Michael Vick suffered a broken right fibula in a preseason loss to Baltimore at the Georgia Dome.

Vick missed the first 11 games of the year as Atlanta stumbled to a 5-11 record just one season after becoming the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game against Green Bay at Lambeau Field. With one awkward takedown of Vick, designs of a Super Bowl were erased by the white-out of despair.

DRESS REHEARSAL …

No such misery will ever accompany the loss of an offensive lineman, a relatively unceremonious position on the football field at least compared to quarterback. Nonetheless, what transpired last Saturday in the Falcons’ second preseason game was a downright bum-

mer. During the second quarter of a 32-7 loss at Houston, Baker went down with yet another torn patellar tendon—this time in his right knee. He will miss the entire season.

Looking at the good, the bad and the ugly during last Saturday’s setback against the Texans, Baker’s injury was the “ugly,” Atlanta’s performance was the “bad,” and the “good” could be thoroughly dissected and expounded upon well within Twitter’s 140-character limit.

The first-team defense forced Houston to a three-and-out on the home team’s first drive of the night, but it surrendered a 12-play, 69yard touchdown drive immediately thereafter.

On offense, Atlanta’s starters mustered only two first downs in four possessions. Thirdstring quarterback Sean Renfree played well and threw a 12-yard scoring strike to newcomer Devin Hester late in the second quarter to notch the score at 7-7, but from there it went downhill. The Texans promptly regained a 13-7 lead just before halftime and never looked back, outscoring the visitors 19-0 over the final 30 minutes. Atlanta finished with a mere 248 yards of total offense, committed two turnovers (both on interceptions thrown by former Texan T.J. Yates) and converted only three of 11 third-down attempts.

“You get nothing out of exhibition games except for a lot of people’s conditioning,” receiver Roddy White said in his postgame interview. “Everybody just tries to get through this thing and try to stay healthy as possible and make it to game one (of the regular season).

Like today, our left tackle got hurt. I know you can get hurt at practice, but playing unmeaningful games and getting your left tackle hurt…I just don’t know. I don’t know what you judge from these preseason games. I’m not a fan [of] them, but we have to play them. So you have to go out and do what you have to do.”

ROAD TO REDEMPTION …

Even White, though, may have to agree that having two more preseason games on the slate is not such a bad thing. Atlanta has an opportunity to make things right before the meaningful schedule begins. The team is hosting Tennessee on Saturday night before paying a visit to Jacksonville next Thursday.

Perhaps the most important area of the foot-

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ball field on which fans should focus their attention this weekend is the Falcons’ left-tackle spot. That is where rookie Jake Matthews, the sixth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, will be lining up—now and likely for the foreseeable future. Matthews, previously penciled in at right tackle, will move to Matt Ryan’s blindside to replace Baker.

“Wherever they want me to play, that’s what I prefer,” Matthews told the team’s website. “The footwork and hands, everything just gets flipped. I’ve been doing the ride-side thing for a while and you kind of get accustomed to that and now you have to flip it all around, but it’s good. I’m excited to be established and know where I’m going to be playing and now I just have to get comfortable with it.”

Former starter Lamar Holmes, a thirdround selection in 2012, is the frontrunner to assume Matthews’ spot on the right side. For depth purposes, Atlanta signed veteran offensive tackle Pat McQuistan on Monday while placing Baker on injured reserve. McQuistan was a seventh-round draft choice by Dallas in 2006. He has played in 72 games—including 11 starts— throughout an eight-year career that includes stints with the Cowboys, Dolphins, Saints and Cardinals.

McQuistan is likely to see some playing time on Saturday, but not before the first-team units enjoy their most significant workloads of the preseason. According to head coach Mike Smith, starters will play at least the entire first half and at that point he will decide if any or all of them will begin the second half on the field.

After last weekend’s setback, Atlanta must walk a fine line between needing a lot of work and risking injury.

“We have a lot of work to do,” running back Jacquizz Rodgers assured following last Saturday’s contest. “We have an off day and then come back ready to work on Monday and fix the things we need to fix. We have to be ready for our third preseason game, which is a tune-up before the regular season.”

By preseason standards, this Saturday is the big one. After 60 minutes of action against Tennessee, we will know a lot more about the Falcons. And maybe we will be feeling a lot better.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

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Georgia Recruiting

Corky Kell Classic

After dropping 12 of 15 games, the Braves’ bats have come alive from their deep slumber and have carried Atlanta to five straight victories including a sweep over the AL powerhouse Oakland Athletics. Atlanta has strung together 18 runs off 29 hits in its past two games against Pittsburgh. It seems like Hotlanta is finally back.

This past week UGA managed to convince 4-star defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter from Alabama to commit to the G. The Dawgs currently rank fifth in recruiting classes headed by 5-star recruits Trenton Thompson and Terry Godwin. Look for Mark Richt to continue his recruiting trail success as the fall approaches.

Some of the state’s top programs meet again at the prestigious Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic on Aug. 22 and 23. This year the games will be held at McEachern High School. Established programs such as Colquitt County, Norcross, and North Gwinnett will all be in attendance as well as up-and-coming teams like North Paulding and Creekview.

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

Atlanta Braves

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

KELL CLASSIC

After a long offseason, high school football is back and there is no better way to kick it off than having seven games at McEachern. Teams like Valdosta, Brookwood, Mill Creek and Creekview will be in action in one of the biggest high school football events in the country.

Check out scoreatl.com all weekend for the latest scores and updates.

ROUND THREE

While the Kell Classic is going on in Powder Springs, the Falcons will be at the Georgia Dome taking on the Tennessee Titans in their third preseason game. This game is important because the starters will play the entire first half. Let’s hope the team shows more execution than what it showed against Houston last week.

RIGHT TO LEFT

One move the Falcons made in terms of starters is with Jake Matthews, who will now be the starting left tackle after playing right tackle the last two games. Matthews is taking the place of Sam Baker, who is out for the rest of the season with an injury. It’s a tough break for Baker, but Matthews is going to be a stud at the position.

FIRST PRACTICE

KSU made history on Tuesday as the football team took part in its first practice in school history. The practice was only a conditioning workout, but it was the first time all 75plus players took the field and did some work. I’m so proud to be an alum and I can’t wait for 2015 to get here.

HALL OF FAME OPENS

Saturday will be the day that the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A fan experience opens to the public. The museum was in South Bend for many years, but the move to Atlanta made sense because this city is becoming the college football capital of the world. I’m looking forward to viewing the facility very soon.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Falcons O-Line

Atlanta Dream

Tommy La Stella

Much maligned veteran tackle Sam Baker has been lost for the season. With holes a plenty on the line, the Falcons have scrambled to find depth by signing journeyman Pat McQuistan. Due to the questions in the trenches, it seems like rookie Jake Matthews is the closest bet to a sure thing even with his subsequent move to left tackle.

Atlanta slid into the playoffs losing six of eight but manages to hold onto the No. 1 seed. Angel McCoughtry hasn’t eclipsed the 20-point mark since Aug. 3. The playoffs haven’t been so dreamy the past four seasons. Atlanta has managed to lose in the finals three out of the past four seasons getting swept 0-9 in the process.

Atlanta’s favorite new scrappy middle infielder has fallen on hard times. The scrappy second baseman is hitting .184 in August, including two hits in his last 20 at-bats. The Braves have managed to get hot lately in spite of Tommy’s struggles, but if they want to win the Wild Card, they will have to get the spark plug clicking again.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Kyle Sandy & Craig Sager II

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

BRAVES PITCHER ERVIN SANTANA HAS BEEN HANDED ONE LOSS SINCE JUNE. WHAT TEAM BEAT SANTANA IN THAT CONTEST? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“Eleven (ACC) teams had winning records and went to bowl games. (The ACC) won the national championship, won another BCS game, and you look at the top 150 players (in the NFL draft), it’s ACC 32, SEC 26.

We actually had better players.”

-FSU coach Jimbo Fisher on the ACC being a better football conference than the SEC.

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Justin Upton’s hitting streak, in which he’s hit .382

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Wins by Ervin Santana since June 28, when he was 5-5

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Amount of regular-season games Sam Baker will have missed since the 2012 season

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Straight postseason trips by the Atlanta Dream

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Hits by the Braves’ in their past two games

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Programs playing in the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic for the first time this season

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Teams playing in this year’s classic that have won GHSA state titles

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Combined state titles between the teams in the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic

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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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com and Paul Menard are also RCR drivers in addition to Newman.

ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

ATTRACTIVE EVENTS SURROUND CRUCIAL RACE ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND

BY STEPHEN BLACK & KYLE SANDY

T

he place to be Labor Day weekend is the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where a multitude of activities and events will take place.

Everything from concerts to contests and, of course, the actual races will be featured at AMS during the holiday weekend.

The Oral-B USA 500 takes place on Aug. 31, but the events around the race may be just as exciting as the race itself. Yacht Rock Revue, a popular band on the Atlanta concert scene for years, will play before the race.

“The Biggest Labor Day Party in the USA just got even bigger,” said Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark about the weekend. “Yacht Rock Revue puts on a spectacular show and the thrilling pre-race carnival activities will entertain attendees of all ages.”

A pre-race pit pass gives fans the opportunity to enjoy the concert as well as front stretch activities including driver introductions and the opportunity to view and photograph the No. 43 car.

Campers will converge on the speedway during Labor Day weekend. With that in mind, visitors will have the opportunity to compete in the Race Day Tailgating Championships. All campers are able to participate in the event, which will have a tailgate food contest and relay events.

Will Chase, star of ABC’s hit program “Nashville” will perform the national anthem before the Oral-B USA 500.

“Many of our fans will recognize Will from his television role on ‘Nashville’,” said Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark. “He is a talented actor and singer and we are thrilled to have him join us for the biggest Labor Day

party in the USA.”

Fans will be able to interact with Chase on race day in a question-and-answer session.

Three Richard Childress Racing teams had a two-day test session at AMS on Aug. 5-6. The tests offered the teams the chance to prepare for the Oral-B USA 500. A fourth driver, Austin Dillon, also tested the track.

“It’s a fast place with a lot of banking. You really have to save your tires,” Dillon said. “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.”

A victory in the 500 would clinch a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Ryan Newman

RACE FOR THE CHASE …

As the Chase for the Sprint Cup continues to near, the picture consisting of who will be in the chase continues to be murky.

“The pressure is becoming intense for drivers not yet qualified for the Chase,” Clark said. “Every position gained during the next three races will be highly critical for drivers.

The intensity and pressure should be at its highest point of the season, and that is a big win for race fans.”

With cup aspirations on the line, drivers will be holding nothing back as they look to claim their place among the cup chasers.

According to the official rules, “Any driver winning their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event of the season will qualify for the Chase as long as they are ranked in the top 30 of the points standings. Four spots to get into the Chase are up for grabs, meaning that at least one Chase position will go to the highestranked driver in the point standings without a race victory.”

As of now, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle have not won a race but are in position to make the chase.

Before the Aug. 31 Sprint Cup race at AMS begins, spectators will be encouraged to make it out to the pre-race festivities. Plenty of eyecatching acts have been added, making the pre-race pit party something you do not want to miss. Lumberjacks, human cannonballs, sword swallowers and BMX stunt teams will all be in attendance. These acts will take your breath away and prepare you for one of the season’s biggest races.

DRAG TIME …

The Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine season has finally come to a close after drag racing champions were crowned this past Friday. The final night of racing was full of drama,

as titles were yet to be claimed in a few tight division races.

In the Domestic Advanced division, Jason Kinard was able to hold onto his division lead and win the title in his 1997 Chevrolet S10, fending off Stephen DeFayette and Terry Bates. Kinard’s lead had been cut to three points heading into the final week, but a semifinal berth and a victory in the finals on doublepoints night ballooned his final point total to 32, which comfortably allowed him to win the title by six points.

The always entertaining Jailhouse Brewing Super Pro Class division ended with fireworks and spectators holding their collective breaths. Arnie Cobb and his 1974 Chevy Nova finished a great season by winning the division, but the new champion was not exactly the main headline. 2013 Division winner Michael Ramsey of Canton crashed in the finals, sending his car into the grass and eventually rolling into the pit lane wall. It was a scary sight for all who were in attendance to see Ramsey’s 2010 Undercover Dragster lose control and swerve recklessly off course. Luckily, Ramsey was able to escape the vehicle with no apparent injuries.

“It slipped off the line and I knew once I got in the grass that I was not going to be able to control it,” Ramsey aid.

Sunday-only pre-race pit passes are limited but available at $100 for adults and $50 for kids 12 and under. Weekend passes consisting of Friday through Sunday access are on sale for just $125. However, a grandstand or infield ticket is required for each pre-race pit pass holder.

For more information on the upcoming Labor Day Weekend race and festivities, be sure to contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at 770-946-4211 or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

Vol. 10 Iss. 30 | August 22-28, 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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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

AUG. 29

AUG. 30

AUG. 31

877-9-AMS-TIX

ATLANTAMOTORSPEEDWAY.COM

and tossed 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman, despite starting just three games.

HOME GROWN TALENT

THE PEACH STATE HAS PRODUCED ANOTHER BUMPER CROP OF RECRUITS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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e’re coming off a wild last two years of high school football in the state of Georgia. The landscape was expanded to a sixth classification for the first time and seven first-time state champions were crowned over those two years. We have also seen massive changes in recruiting the last couple years.

2013 marked the first time Mercer and Kennesaw State could offer scholarships and both schools notched top 100 nationally-ranked recruiting classes, which were made up almost entirely of instate talent.

As the instate schools grab talent, it requires out-of-state schools to be more aggressive in their recruitment of the state as well.

Georgia products already dot rosters across the country and it is going to exponentially increase from here on out.

PLAYERS TO WATCH …

There are 4,148 regular season high

school football games scheduled for this season. Thousands of touchdowns and thousands of outstanding plays are sure to unfold. Within the action there are several players that have already stood out from the competition in their high school careers and following them this season will not disappoint.

McEachern enters 2014 as one of the best teams in the state and their junior defensive lineman Julian Rochester put up incomprehensible numbers last season as a sophomore. Rochester is a 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive tackle that used his size and athleticism to lead the Indians in tackles last season. That’s right, a sophomore defensive tackle finished the year with a teamhigh 136 total tackles and added 11 sacks.

The Indians are looking for a sophomore to lead the offensive side of the ball this season with quarterback Bailey Hockman. The 6-foot2 lefty was named to the CBS MaxPreps Preseason All-American 2017 team last month

BIG BOYS …

Gwinnett County has won the last four state championships in Georgia’s highest classification and Mill Creek is one of the Gwinnett schools this season capable of taking the Class AAAAAA crown. Fans of a smash mouth style of football should keep a close eye Mill Creek as they look to avenge four close losses last year that kept them out of the playoffs at 6-4. The Hawks are still a young program that played its first varsity season in 2004, but the school has the biggest enrollment in the state of Georgia and has quickly climbed the ranks.

Like the school’s population, Mill Creek’s offensive line can also claim to be the biggest in the state. The massive offensive front starts with Auburn commit Kaleb Kim at 6-4, 285 pounds and includes Josh Fannin (6-3, 300), Chad Walker (6-3, 285) and Bobby Klemm (6-5, 310). The Hawks have averaged over 40 points per game the last two seasons and dual threat passer Daniel David returns under center.

Jonathan Hawks returns to the backfield after 369 rushing yards and seven scores last season.

TOP TARGETS …

Georgia has produced a lot of great wide receivers over the years. Detroit Lions All-Pro Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek) and Denver’s De-

maryius Thomas (West Laurens) are just two of the many Peach State products.

This season, Georgia once again boasts some of the top wide receiver prospects in the country. Lovejoy’s Preston Williams is the most impressive. The 6-foot-4 wideout is the closest thing to A.J. Green I have seen and led the Wildcats’ offense last season. Teams will have to do more than double-coverage with Williams on the field and he single handily led the Wildcats past Marietta in the playoffs last year. Everyone knew where the ball was going but Williams was able to haul in four touchdown passes, including a 96-yard catch to put Lovejoy ahead 21-20 and a 47-yard touchdown catch as time expired to give Lovejoy a 27-23 win.

Creekside’s Jayson Stanley (UGA), Griffin’s Christian Owens (UGA) and Keyston Fuller (Duke), McEachern’s T.J. Rahming (Duke), Stephenson’s Dexter Neal (South Carolina), Isaiah Zuber (Kansas State) and Nekyle Lundie (Nebraska), Wheeler’s Harland Howell (Georgia Tech), Columbia’s Shadell Bell (Clemson) and North Gwinnett’s Daniel Imatorbhebhe (Missouri) and Almonzo Brown are some of the top senior receivers in Georgia highlighting this year’s competition.

Photos courtesy of Mill Creek HS, Lovejoy HS, McEachern HS and Creekside HS.

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS RANKED NO. 12 BY AP; TUCKER’S LEDBETTER FLIPS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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e are a little more than a week away from the kickoff of the college football season and Georgia enters the year ranked No. 12 according to the Associated Press. As the Bulldogs begin the year, they are the fourth highest-ranked SEC program. Alabama heads into the 2014 campaign at No. 12 behind defending champion Florida State, Auburn is sixth and South Carolina registers at No. 9. Georgia is one spot in front of No. 13 LSU, while Ole Miss is 18th, Texas A&M is 21st and Missouri rounds at the conference’s contingent at No. 24.

YOUTH MOVEMENT …

Georgia gets its spot in the rankings despite coming off a disappointing 8-5 season.

The Bulldogs are mixing in a blend of young and old talent on both offense and defense.

By the looks of it, we will be seeing players like running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel garner meaningful playing time as freshmen.

This is likely to be the case even though Todd

GEORGIA STATE

PANTHERS PREPARE FOR SEASON OPENER WITH FOCUS ON RUN GAME

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

L

ess than seven calendar days separate the Georgia State Panthers from their seasonopener on Aug. 27. Coach Trent Miles had his focus during GSU’s second preseason scrimmage on Saturday particularly on the running game as is team prepares for Abilene Christian, something that Miles felt the team did extremely well during the practice once they got the motor running. “I thought we started slow, but once we got going, we were able to run the ball,” said the Georgia State head coach. “We wanted this to be more of a run scrimmage, and once they settled in, we were able to run the ball.”

Leading the attack for the Panthers on the ground was senior running back Duvall Smith, who tallied 102 yards on nine carries, including runs of 47 and 27 yards.

PRESEASON PICKS …

The Sun Belt Conference office announced the preseason picks for women’s soccer on Monday as the Georgia State women’s soccer

Gurley and Keith Marshall are still in that same offensive backfield. At wide receiver, freshmen like Isaiah McKenzie and Shakenneth Williams are already making their push for playing time.

This is a huge help, especially given the injuries to Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley.

The tight end position could see freshman Jeb Blazevich getting on the field.

On the defensive end, look for Lorenzo Carter to get some action despite the good health of outside linebacker’s Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd. Head coach Mark Richt says that Carter will play against Clemson because of the camp the former Norcross star has put together so far. The youth plus veteran talent that Georgia returns could mean a very successful season for the Dawgs.

LEDBETTER FLIPS …

Georgia picked up yet another huge recruit this week, with Tucker defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter deciding to join his brother, James, in Athens. A four-star recruit, Ledbetter is the sixth-ranked player in the state and the 38th best in the country according to Rivals.com.

This news comes just a week removed from Georgia picking up five-star defensive tackle Trenton Thompson. The addition of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt continues to look like an impressive choice by Georgia, both on and off the field. Georgia now has 20 players committed to the program for 2015.

team continued to prepare for the 2014 season opener at Furman. In the mind of opposing coaches across the conference, they have high praise for the Panthers. GSU was picked to finish third in the 10-team conference, just behind South Alabama and UL-Lafayette. The accolades do not end there though, as junior forward Ashley Nagy and sophomore goalkeeper Brie Haynes were both named to the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team, with Nagy being chose as the preseason Offensive Sun Belt Player of the Year. The McDonough-native finished 2013 ranking second in goals, (7), while coming in third in total points, (15). Haynes started all 17 games at the goal as a true freshman, recording six wins and four shutouts.

NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN …

Georgia State President Mark P. Becker was the first man to introduce Charlie Cobb as Georgia State’s new Director of Athletics during a press conference on Friday. Cobb is coming to GSU after spending nine years at Appalachian State, in replacement of Cheryl Levick who stepped down from the AD position in May to become the special assistant to President Becker.

“Charlie Cobb is a proven program builder and winner,” Becker said in a statement. “He has a remarkable record of achievement at Appalachian State, and I look forward to working with him to take our athletic programs to new heights in Atlanta and in the Sun Belt Conference.”

GEORGIA TECH

FORMER STANDOUT FARMER MAKES MAJOR-LEAGUE DEBUT

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

G

eorgia Tech has always been renowned for the success of its baseball program. That rings truer to an even greater extent in terms of producing high-quality Major League Baseball talent.

With five alumni already playing in the big leagues, including three all-stars, one more joined the fraternity as former Yellow Jacket standout pitcher Buck Farmer made his major-league debut with the Detroit Tigers last Thursday. Farmer provided a solid outing at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up four runs in five innings of work while striking out four, earning a no-decision as Detroit defeated Pittsburgh 8-4. That’s too shabby for a 23-year-old who had just been pitching for the low-A West Michigan Whitecaps less than three weeks ago.

RAPID RISE …

The timeline for Farmer over the last three weeks was quite remarkable. The righthander had put together a stellar season with

KENNESAW STATE

FOOTBALL TEAM TAKES PRACTICE FIELD FOR THE FIRST TIME

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

I

t has been another busy week for the Kennesaw State football program, as the players reported to campus last Friday and held their first workout as a team on Tuesday. Players checked into their housing on Friday. The majority of them will stay at the Austin Residence complex, which is located right across from the baseball and softball complexes.

“It’s an exciting time,” head coach Brian Bohannon said. “It’s the start of playing in 2015.

It’s an exciting time for everyone on campus.”

After last Friday’s check-in process, the players had their first-ever team meeting in which Bohannon went over some things they had to do over the weekend. The Owls had additional meetings, an orientation and a barbeque after the soccer team’s exhibition game on Sunday. On Monday, the players had one last meeting before their first workout on Tuesday. They had breakfast, got their workout gear and had their headshots taken.

the Whitecaps, going 10-5 with 2.60 ERA in 18 starts before being promoted to Double-A Erie on Aug. 1. The three-time All-ACC honoree made two starts for the Seawolves before getting a call on Aug. 11 from his Double-A manager that he would be making his debut in a spot-start for the Tigers that Thursday. Excited about the prospects of making a start in the major leagues, not even a flight cancellation and a 4.5-hour commute from Lake Erie to Detroit could dampen the moment for Farmer and his family.

“I had the ability to take it all in and soak it all up,” Farmer said. “But it was just mindblowing; definitely something I’ll never forget.”

WALK-ON SCHOLARS …

The countdown to opening day for head football coach Paul Johnson and his squad is now down to one week before the Yellow Jackets run onto Grant Field to the excitement of their home fans. Excitement in the team meeting room last Thursday was just as meaningful, as Johnson presented full scholarships to three walk-on players: Sam McNearney, Joshua Rogers and Adrian Gardner. They have contributed 11 years of service to Georgia Tech football without seeing much playing time in their college careers, yet for the trio the announcement and jovial reaction of teammates was just as meaningful as any college game.

“Everybody was cheering and showing how much they appreciated me,” Rogers—a fifth-year linebacker—said. “It made me feel special; made me feel important. It was cool.”

THE FIRST WORKOUT …

Early Tuesday morning, the players and coaches were at the KSU Sports and Recreation Park to take part in the first workout as a team.

Led by strength and condition coordinator Jim Kiritsy, the Owls went through an hour-long session that included agility drills and running.

“It was a good feeling,” freshman quarterback Jaquez Parks said about taking the field for the first time. “I was bonding with them (teammates) all weekend. It was the first time being on the field with these guys. It was just a good feeling.”

Seventy-eight players were in attendance wearing gold jerseys and black shorts. The players were fired up about the workout, but according to Doug Roberson of the AJC, there were a few who were not up to speed in terms of the offseason workout program. Those players were pulled out to do other exercises.

“Effort, attitude and toughness is our mantra,” Bohannon said after the workout. “It’s about the foundation, not about the scheme.

It’s about who we want to be.”

Tuesday’s workout marked the beginning of two weeks of conditioning and skill work before the Owls spend the third week in the weight room. Full practices begin on Sept.

8 and will take place Monday through Friday until Nov. 22. The team will hold a scrimmage on Oct. 11 and that, along with all the practices, will be open to the public.

Vol. 10 Iss. 30 | August 22-28, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS’ 2014-15 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE REVEALED

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

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he Atlanta Hawks received their schedule for the 2014-15 regular season last Wednesday and one noticeable trend for head coach Mike Budenholzer and his squad is the amount of games that will be played in bunches. Atlanta is scheduled to play 21 sets of backto-back games, along with three instances of playing four games in five days. Seven of the back-to-back-game sets will take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a time frame during which the Hawks are set to play 19 games in a span of 33 days.

Atlanta will have four games nationally televised, including two ESPN broadcasts at the Celtics on Jan. 14 and at home against the Pistons on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 19.

NBA TV will televise the other two against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 10 and at the Pelicans on Feb. 2.

SPARE A KORVER? …

Kyle Korver may be a candidate to see the

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES LOOKING PROMISING HEADING DOWN THE STRETCH

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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hile the National League East is not yet lost, the Braves have kept themselves in legitimate contention for one of the league’s wild-card spots thank to recent turnaround in fortunes. Following a 3-12 stretch, Atlanta has won five in a row as of Wednesday afternoon.

The team swept Oakland—which had the best record in baseball when last weekend’s series began—and halted its road woes by taking the first two games in this week’s three-game set at Pittsburgh.

The Braves have scored 33 runs in their last five outings, including 11 in an eight-run rout of the Pirates on Tuesday. Justin Upton homered and had five RBIs, giving him three dingers in his past five games. He is in the midst of 10-game hitting streak and has driven in 16 runs in his last 12 games.

SANTANA TRENDING …

Ervin Santana improved to 6-0 in his last six decisions with a victory on Monday and he

USA national team chopping block considering his small amount of playing time last Saturday night. During the USA’s 95-78 exhibition victory over Brazil, the Hawks’ guard missed a three-pointer on his only shot attempt of the night while seeing barely more than three minutes on the floor as Team USA wrapped up its second training camp in preparation for the FIBA World Basketball Championships. The squad now looks move on to its final training camp, set to take place in New York while head coach Mike Krzyzewski focuses on trimming down the roster to the 15-player limit before the World Cup opener on Aug. 30.

COLD CAUSE …

What was once a challenge issued from University of Florida’s mascot, Albert the Gator, to Harry the Hawk has now seen forward Paul Millsap, guard Dennis Schröder, and even Hawks’ CEO Steve Loonin, among other Hawks representatives, take part in the ice-bucket challenge as part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness and money for ALS research.

While each participant took part in the effort, which undoubtedly resulted in freezing cold results, perhaps the most painful challenge was experienced by Adreian Payne. The 2014 firstround pick had a bucket of ice water dumped on him from a balcony ledge two stories high, which resulted in a sore cranium for the rookie and laughter for millions that have watched the video on Payne’s social media accounts.

has not taken a loss since July 9. His season ERA has dipped from 4.03 to 3.71 in his last six starts.

The 31-year-old right-hander is 13-6 for his 2014 campaign after being a modest 5-5 as recently as late June. While Santana has been good, he also got some help from the offense on Monday in order to survive what was—by his current standards—a mediocre outing (5.1 innings, nine hits, three runs). Atlanta put up a six-spot in the first inning and cruised to a 7-3 win.

“I didn’t have my stuff today, but for me it was one of my best games,” Santana explained in his postgame press conference on Monday.

“Because I gave up three runs and when you don’t have your best stuff and you give up (only) three runs, that’s huge. Three solo homers; it doesn’t hurt. I was feeling it in the bullpen. I was like, ‘it’s going to be a tough game today.’”

At the other end of the spectrum is B.J. Upton, who has once again fallen upon tough times. Upton is last in the majors in batting average (.209) among qualifying hitters and leads the entire league in strikeouts (154). He did, however, go 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI on Tuesday.

“He’s not defeated,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Upton during his Monday press conference. “You stay in his corner and he’ll keep plugging away. He’s a fighter. He’s not going to give up that easy.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

TEXANS HANDLE FALCONS; BIRDS PREPARE FOR TITANS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons opened the preseason with a spirited effort and a 16-10 victory over Miami, but the second preseason game was a disappointment. Atlanta was held to 3-for-11 on third downs and turned the ball over twice while falling flat in a 32-7 loss at Houston last Saturday.

“It was very obvious that we didn’t play well in any phase of the game tonight,” head coach Mike Smith said following the loss. “We had breakdowns in all three phases. We had way too many penalties, weren’t able to convert on third down, weren’t able to get off the field on third-and-long, had a punt blocked, returned field goal blocked—not anywhere close to the level that we need to play and perform at. We’ve got to get much better.”

O-LINE SHUFFLE …

Preseason losses will not impact your record in the regular season, but injuries in the preseason very well could. During the first half against Houston, starting left tackle Sam Baker

ATLANTA DREAM

DREAM SHED LOSS TO SUN, HEAD INTO POSTSEASON

BY DARREN HEATHERLY | DHEATHERLY@SCOREATL.COM

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hile it was not an easy stretch to end the season, the Atlanta Dream are in the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Dream looked to go into the playoffs with some momentum to end the regular season.

Unfortunately, the Dream ended their regular season in a blowout loss to the Connecticut Sun 84-55. The Sun, who did not make the playoffs, ended their season strong with great passing and finishing that could have been shown more often during the regular season.

The Dream only scored 55 points, a franchise low. Atlanta was held to a 33.3 percent shooting and were unable to bounce back after giving up 26 turnovers.

“We had 26 turnovers, and that is not championship basketball,” said coach Michael Cooper. “I thought we became very passive.”

Angel McCoughtry was the lone spark in the loss with a team-leading 10 points.

“On our part, we need to come out more focused every game,” said McCoughtry.

The Dream (19-15) have played much

13

tore his right patellar tendon and will miss the entire 2014 season. The offensive line will have to shuffle and regroup before the Titans come to town on Saturday and rookie Jake Matthews will be first in line to assume the left tackle role and immediately began taking snaps on the blindside this week in practice. Offensive line coach Mike Tice has stated that Lamar Holmes leads the battle for the right tackle spot. Holmes was a third-round pick in 2012 that was thrust into a starting role last year when injuries hit the offensive line.

A positive from this past week was the return of Corey Peters to practice. The defensive tackle tore his Achilles’ last season and ended an eight-month rehabilitation when he took the field on Monday.

“It’s been a long and slow process, a lot of hard work, but I’m just happy to be back out here and to be a part of the team, really,” said Peters.

BEHIND THE SCENES …

Tuesday marked the third of five episodes of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and the show documented all the happenings of this past week.

Rookie linebacker Marquis Spruill’s ACL surgery opened the show and cameras took the audience into the Emory operating room to show in detail how the surgery was performed.

Showing a surgery was a first for the show and it was aimed to be an “eye-opening” segment

by HBO’s production team.

better basketball outside the month of August. This month, the Dream has only won two games of eight including blowout losses to Seattle and Connecticut.

Regardless of the poor output in August, the Dream have clinched their first No. 1 seed in the East. This will mark the first time in team history that the Dream has earned the East’s top seed for the playoffs.

JUST A LYTTLE LONGER …

Amidst the excitement for the playoffs, the Dream re-signed All-Star forward Sancho Lyttle to a multi-year deal. Lyttle has helped the Dream qualify for all six of its appearances, including three WNBA Finals appearances.

Lyttle has averaged 9.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals in her 10-year career.

Lyttle was a WNBA All-Star in 2009 and was part of the WNBA All-Defense first team in 2012 and second team in 2009-2011.

She also ranks second in the WNBA amongst steals and fifth in rebounds.

NUMBER ONE …

The schedule has been set for the playoffs. The No.1 seed Atlanta Dream will host the No. 4-seeded Chicago Sky at Philips Arena in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup on Friday.

Atlanta dropped their regular season series to Chicago 3-2 and the two teams have never faced off against each other in the postseason.

14

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