Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 35

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 35 | SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2014

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

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Football Haven | Pg. 4 Craig Sager II discusses Atlanta’s prowess as a football town.

HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO? Braves mull future of Fredi Gonzalez in wake of Wren firing. | Pg. 5

Playdate Playas | Pg. 8 A recap of metro Atlanta’s biggest volleyball tournament.

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Vol. 10 Iss. 35 | Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 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

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves) Matthew Cason (Hawks, Tech) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA)

Craig Sager II (Falcons) Kyle Sandy (Dream)

Jalisa Smith (GSU)

STAFF WRITERS Alex Ewalt Alex Ordu Darrin Heatherly

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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 GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH BRAVES | FALCONS HAWKS | SILVERBACKS

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA FALCONS, TREY SCHWARTZ AND POUYA DIANAT/ATLANTA BRAVES.

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SAGER SAYS

ATLANTA KNOWS ITS FOOTBALL; FALCONS HEAD INTO IMPORTANT STRETCH

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

tlanta is the heart of SEC football. If I were A to walk around the city, it would not take me long to find a fan of Georgia, or Alabama,

or Auburn in this melting pot of football lovers.

The NFL has been the same way in Atlanta, but the Falcons have continued to increase their fan base the past several seasons.

When I look around the NFL’s different fan bases, it is very predictable to me. Show me a Giants fan or Packers fan and I pretty much know how our conversation would go. Saints fans, Eagles fans and Steelers fans are all passionate in their own crazy ways. I have always had trouble looking at Falcons fans with an outside eye until now.

Atlanta will always have its mix of fans in the population, but this city is on its way to be-

coming ‘Rise Up Nation.’ When I would go to Falcons games (let’s just say 10 years ago) it was different. There was not the same home field feeling inside, and outside of the Dome the buzz around the team did not circulate around the city nearly as much as it does now.

After the Falcons’ overtime win against the Saints to open this season, I saw gas stations throughout the suburbs with Rise Up and antiSaints messages on their signage. The following weeks I saw ‘Beat the Bengals’ and ‘Beat the Bucs’ on restaurants, gas stations and stores throughout the city as I’d drive around. When I would be out and about, I would hear people talking about the Falcons. The fans I’d hear talking all knew their football and were talking about players that rarely even see the field. I

SANDY’S SPIEL

A LOOK BACK AT THE FRANK WREN ERA

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he writing on the wall was there. Zero T playoff series wins, a nearly historic late season collapse in 2011 which saw the team miss out on the playoffs and, of course, this season’s second-half debacle. Frank Wren has made some big moves during his tenure with the Braves starting in 2007, but the biggest move happened this week when it was announced he will begin searching for a new job. Atlanta has decided to go in a different direction after seven seasons under Wren’s supervision. I am not here to break down the move and who Atlanta should target next; I am here to give fans a history lesson and look back on some of the biggest moves Wren made and to evaluate how those trades fared in the long run.

SWING LOWE …

Wren made his first splash when he decided to sign then 35-year-old starting pitcher Derek Lowe to a four year, $60 million deal.

Lowe was coming off four years with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he compiled a 5448 record and a 3.59 ERA. Very respectable numbers, but when it comes to aging players, Father Time is undefeated. Lowe lumbered his way through three awful years with the Braves going 40-39 with a 4.57 ERA. Eventually he was traded away for a lowly regarded minor league pitcher who has yet to sniff the big leagues. Even worse, the Braves had to pay $10 million of Lowe’s salary in 2012. Final Grade: F.

Atlanta had been known for its rich farm system, but this next 2008 trade set the wheels in motion for the system becoming progressive-

could tell they knew the team really well. This city and this state knows its football. College football is always going to thrive in Atlanta, but with the Falcons’ growth and success on the field, a well-educated and supportive fan base is brewing for the Falcons.

MATT THE MAGIFICENT …

Its only three weeks into the season, but

Matt Ryan has already shown he has gotten even better in his seventh NFL season. Ryan is using his athleticism more and has extended plays with his feet with seven carries for 45 yards. As for his passing numbers, Ryan has already accumulated 965 yards and seven touchdown passes and has completed 76-of111 passes (68.5 percent) while posting a 105.1 quarterback rating.

Ryan is on pace for 5,146 yards passing this season. Only Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady and Dan Marino have eclipsed the 5,000-yard mark.

Ryan leads the NFL in quarterback rating and is second in total yards behind Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles, despite tying Manning for ninth in the NFL in pass attempts per game.

Smith said Ryan’s performance against the Saints was the best game he had played in a Falcons uniform. Well, this could be the two-time Pro Bowler’s best season. Ryan’s 155.9 quarterback rating last week was the highest singlegame mark in the NFL this season and set a new franchise record, topping Wade Wilson’s 154.5 rating against Tampa in 1992. All eyes will be Ryan and the offense this Sunday, to see how they perform in their first trip to Minnesota’s turf since his rookie season in 2008.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

ly weaker. John Schuerholz and Wren decided to trade young prospects Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones for Mark Teixeira. Andrus developed into an All-Star shortstop, Feliz an All-Star closer and Harrison an All-Star starting pitcher.

Big Tex mashed for Atlanta, but only played in 157 games before being shipped for light-hitting Casey Kotchman, who slugged eight homers in 130 games before being traded for Adam LaRoche. Final Grade: D-.

A prudent move heading into the 2009 season was the trade for starting pitcher Javier Vasquez. Wren dealt four minor leaguers which haven’t amounted to much besides Blessed Trinity graduate Tyler Flowers, who is now the starting catcher for the White Sox. Vasquez’s stay with Atlanta was brief, but he made the most of it. He tied the team lead in wins, recorded a 15-10 record, pitched to the tune of a 2.87 ERA and finished second in the NL in strikeouts. Wren was able to strike while the iron was hot and moved Javier for Melky Cabrera, serviceable lefty Mike Dunn and solid pitching prospect Arodys Vizcaino. The Melk Man struggled in one season with the Braves and was released. Final Grade: B+

As trading often goes, you win some and lose some. The Braves got burnt in the 2009 deal which sent young pitchers Jeff Locke and Charlie Morton to Pittsburgh in exchange for

Nate McLouth. McLouth was miserable in three seasons with Atlanta batting a B.J. Upton-esque .229. Morton and Locke have both helped the rebirth of baseball in Pittsburgh.

Morton has matured and has strung together a respectable 3.74 ERA in his past four seasons with the Buccos. The now 26-year-old Locke has gone 17-12 with a 3.56 ERA in his past two seasons after moving into the rotation full time. Final Grade: C In late 2010, the Dan Uggla trade was the one that officially heated up Wren’s seat. Uggla was acquired for Mike Dunn and Omar Infante. The utility man was great in three years with Atlanta by hitting .309; Uggla was not as he batted .209 in four brutal seasons. The 2012 season began the tale of two Uptons. B.J. inked for $75.25 million and has produced a Mario Mendoza like .197 average, while Justin came at the expense of Martin Prado and prospects but has been the slugger the Braves craved. Final Grade? Uggla: F; B.J.: F; Justin: B+.

As you can see, being a GM isn’t always as easy as fans make it out to be. There are great risks involved and some moves can end up leaving yolk on your face, or in Frank’s situation, putting one foot in front of the other heading out the door.

Photo courtesy of Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves.

BUSINESS TRIP …

The Falcons have jumped into the top nine of the NFL’s power rankings, which would hypothetically be good enough for a playoff spot.

Atlanta owns two great wins over division opponents, but the real tests will come on the road. It’s been since 2012 that Atlanta last won a true road game and with only two of the next eight weeks played in the Dome, this Sunday’s trip to Minnesota is huge.

Head coach Mike Smith is 9-3 all-time against the NFC North, and after visiting the Vikings this weekend, the Falcons will host the Bears before playing the Lions in London and the Packers at Lambeau. Atlanta is first in the NFL in points per game and total offense, despite a 24-10 loss to the Bengals in Week 2.

The Falcons are 38-12 at home under Smith, but just 24-25 on the road and a win would do wonders heading into this road stretch.

Vol. 10 Iss. 35 | Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2014

ON THE COVER

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES ELIMINATION PUTS WREN OUT FOR GOOD

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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t would be fair to say that we had not seen a case of the Mondays this severe since Peter Gibbons roamed the hallways and cubicles of Initech in “Office Space.” On Monday morning, the Atlanta Braves woke up for their first day of meaningless baseball since 2009—the last time they were eliminated from playoff contention prior to the final game of the regular season. By Monday afternoon, they were without general manager Frank Wren.

In seven years as GM, Wren saw the Braves win one National League East title (2013), reach the playoffs on two other occasions (2010 and 2012) and miss out on the postseason four times. Atlanta endured a memorable collapse in 2011, when it ended the year on a five-game losing streak to be eliminated from wild-card contention after the regular-season finale.

This current meltdown may not be as heartbreaking because it came over a vast

expanse of time and even the most optimistic fans could not have foreseen any real playoff success manifest in this particular 2014 ballclub. It is, however, of far more epic proportions than the demise of three years ago. The team was tied with Washington for the division lead at the all-star break, but as of Wednesday afternoon it is an unbelievable 16.5 games out of first place. Atlanta is 24-48 in the proverbial second half of the season, 4-16 in the month of September, 2-13 in its last 15 games and 1-10 in its last 11.

“I can’t tell you exactly what period of time, but as we began to examine things in our farm department and our scouting department, our major league club, it was a cumulative thing,” team president and former general manager John Schuerholz explained during a Monday press conference. “I made the recommendation (to fire Wren) and [CEO Terry McGuirk] agreed with it.”

HART’S WAR …

Whenever it was, and it does not take a genius to figure out that it was somewhere between July 29—when the Braves were still just a half-game behind the Nationals—and the final out of last Sunday’s 10-2 loss to the Mets, higher-ups had enough time to pinpoint senior advisor for baseball operations John Hart as the interim GM. It will be Hart’s job, along with the other two members (Schuerholz and longtime former manager Bobby Cox) of the threeteam panel that held Monday’s press conference, to find the next full-time guy.

According to reports, that guy is none other than Hart. If those reports are true, the 66-year-old has the opportunity to take the interim tag off his current title and become the next general manager of the Atlanta Braves.

So who is John Hart? He is a former general manager of the Cleveland Indians (1991-2001) and Texas Rangers (2002-2005). Although Texas never made the playoffs during Hart’s GM tenure, Cleveland reached the postseason six times with Hart (it may have been seven out of 10 if not for the 1994 strike-shortened year). The Indians made it to two World Series and lost both times, their first of those two resulting in Atlanta’s lone championship in 1995.

Following the 2005 campaign, Hart remained with the Rangers in a different capacity before being hired by the Braves in October of 2013.

The likely ideal plan, at least in the minds of McGuirk and Schuerholz, is for Hart to become general manager and hold that post for a few years while grooming highly-touted assistant GM John Coppolella. Formerly the Braves’ director of scouting before being promoted to his current position following the 2012 season, the 35-year-old Coppolella was listed as Baseball Prospectus’ No. 1 general manager candidate in the website’s “Ten Names to Know” this summer. He previously worked in the New York Yankees’ organization.

If Hart declines, and there is a real chance he might, Coppolella could step in right away or another name to look out for is Dayton Moore, a former assistant of Schuerholz’s in Atlanta who currently has the Royals on course for their first playoff berth since 1985. Moore,

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47, has been general manager in Kansas City since June of 2006 after serving various roles for the Braves dating back to 1994.

FREDI GONE-ZALEZ? ...

Whoever becomes Atlanta’s next full-time general manager will be the architect of immediate change. That has to be the case following such a disastrous finish to 2014, culminating in a losing season for a franchise that had previously endured only two such campaigns since the end of 1990. The question is to what extent.

Front-office fluctuation is obviously already in progress and players will inevitably be coming and going throughout an offseason that begins all too early this Sunday afternoon. But what of manager Fredi Gonzalez? Gonzalez’s four-year resume with the Braves is not strong

by Atlanta standards: two playoff appearances, no series wins (1-4 record overall in postseason games) and two regular-season collapses.

What Gonzalez does have in his corner is Cox, the preceding manager who led the Braves to 14 division titles between 1991 and 2010.

“Yes, absolutely,” Cox said on Monday when asked if Gonzalez had a vote of confidence from him. “I think Fredi has done a remarkable job since he’s taken over from me in 2011. I think he’s just been outstanding. There were difficult times, even last year to win 96 games with things that were taking place.”

Although one may think Gonzalez will be at the mercy of the next GM, that is not necessarily the case. The GM may be hired by the Braves with the understanding that there is to be no change at the managerial position. Gonzalez may not have to be the next GM’s guy, just as he probably was not Wren’s guy back in 2011. Prior to managing the Marlins for three and a half years, Gonzalez was Cox’s third-base coach from 2003 to 2006.

Wren was a part of the organization, but Schuerholz and Cox were running the show at the time.

Gonzalez was their guy and it looks like he still is. Like it or not, Fredi probably won’t be fired. And if the general manager comes from within the organization, like Hart or Coppolella would, Gonzalez’s return is a borderline lock.

Photos courtesy of Pouya DIanat/Atlanta Braves.

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Matt Ryan

Justin Thomas

Sony Michel

Matty Ice demolished the lowly Bucs last Thursday passing for 286 yards and three touchdowns with just three incompletions. He currently sits second in the league in passing yards.

Ryan has flourished so far this season with his weapons healthy, and has managed to find Julio Jones for a leagueleading 365 yards.

The breakout sophomore quarterback has become a regular here. Thomas led Georgia Tech to a big win in Blacksburg this Saturday rushing for 165 yards and accounting for 290 total yards of the team’s 375 gained.

“JT” has seven passing touchdowns through the Jackets’ first four games; last year’s starter Vad Lee only threw 11 the entire season.

The freshman ripped the Troy defense for 155 yards and three scores on just 10 carries. Even though it was against weaker competition, Michel looks to be the next premier rusher in a long line of good backs. Georgia arguably has the deepest stable of running backs in the nation with names like Gurley, Marshall and Chubb in the backfield.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After a big win against the Bucs, the Falcons will play their second road game of the year as they take on Minnesota on Sunday. The Vikings are playing without Adrian Peterson, so the Falcons need to take care of business and pounce on them early and often. If they don’t, it could be a long Sunday afternoon for Falcons’ fans.

ROCKY TOP IN ATHENS

Tennessee comes into town to take on the Bulldogs and for Georgia, it will be another test as the team tries to get on top of the SEC East. The Vols are an inexperienced team, so Georgia needs to start fast and finish faster. But something tells me this game is going to be a lot closer than predicted.

BRAVES FIRE WREN

In an unsurprising move, the Braves decided to relieve Frank Wren of his general manager duties. Wren has been responsible for bringing in guys that have struggled like Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton and the late-season collapse also played a role in the decision. I wish Wren the best, but this was a move the Braves needed to make for the future.

IS THIS FOR REAL?

Georgia Tech got a big win against Virginia Tech on the road last weekend and it now boasts a record of 4-0. Out of all the Division I schools in the state, the Yellow Jackets are the only team without a loss. They are playing good football, but can they keep it up as they face Miami and Duke the next two weeks?

THE HALFWAY MARK

It’s the sixth week of the high school football season and that means the regular season is halfway done. That also means the region races are heating up and one big region game to watch on Friday is North Gwinnett taking on Mill Creek. Be sure to follow the game and get all the scores on scoreatl.com.

WHO’S NOT

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Frank Wren

Fredi Gonzalez

Georgia State

After seven seasons and zero playoff series wins, John Schuerholz finally felt it was time to go in a different direction. While Wren can’t be completely blamed for Atlanta’s lack of success, he was a contributing factor. B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla were two of the questionable moves that sealed his fate. John Hart will take over the reins for now.

Many fans are calling for more heads to roll after the Wren firing, and it is manager Fredi Gonzalez who is next in line. Minus a 19-8 record in 2012, Fredi has gone 26-48 in the month of September.

He has overseen the meltdown of 2011 and now 2014.

It may be time for a change.

The upset-minded Panthers were on top of Washington 14-0 at the half only to see the lead slip away in the second half. Forty-five unanswered points for the home-standing Huskies made the seemingly winnable game turn into a laugher. Four turnovers thwarted the Panthers’ efforts.

Georgia State dropped to 1-3 on the season.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Matt 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

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE BRAVES FIRED A MANAGER OR GENERAL MANAGER? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“It is our goal to find that Braves Way again and invigorate it. It was a cumulative effect over time.”

- Braves President John Schuerholtz on the dismissal of GM Frank Wren.

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Times the Atlanta Braves qualified for the playoffs in Frank Wren’s tenure

0

Times the Braves won a playoff series during Wren’s tenure

56

Points scored by the Falcons in the victory over Tampa Bay last Thursday

62

Franchise record for Falcons points in a single game, set back in 1973

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Times that Georgia Tech started a season 4-0 under Paul Johnson

290

Total yards by GT QB Justin Thomas in the 2724 win over Virginia Tech

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Georgia State’s lead at halftime in the 45-14 loss at Washington on Saturday

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Points given up by Georgia State in the second half

Vol. 10 Iss. 35 | Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2014

IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU PLAY,

GEORGIA’S KIDS WIN.

It’s elementary, actually. See, every time you play the Lottery, you’re helping our kids get one step closer to their dreams. For over 20 years the Georgia Lottery has contributed over $15.5 billion to education. On top of that, more than 1.6 million HOPE scholars have gone to college and more than 1.3 million 4-year-olds have attended a Lottery-funded Pre-K Program. Add those numbers up and, well, let’s just say that’s a hair-raising number of happy kids.

galottery.com

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FALL SPORTS

WALTON IMPRESSES AT ALL CITY; MILTON, NORTHVIEW WIN FULTON TITLES

BY STEPHEN BLACK, RICKY DIMON & CRAIG SAGER II

T

he second-annual All City Classic took place Saturday at South Forsyth and Lambert as 14 of the states best programs squared off for a total of 30 games. Unlike a tournament bracket, these matchups were all handpicked to provide the games everyone wanted to see. Out of the 14 participating schools, only Walton, North Cobb and East Coweta escaped without dropping a single set and the Raiders finished 4-0 with sweeps of Sequoyah, Chattahoochee, Johns Creek and Harrison.

North Cobb opened the day with a (2520, 25-22) sweep over Sequoyah, which then took on No. 1 Walton.

The Raiders took the first set 25-13 over Sequoyah, before roaring back from a 8-3 deficit in the second set to take it 25-19.

“Instead of panicking when someone makes a mistake, this team believes in each other, explained Walton head coach Susanne Fitzgerald. “When you know your teammates

have your back each player is going to perform better.”

After losing last year to Johns Creek, Walton came out focused on Saturday and took a 16-5 lead in the opening set before sweeping the Gladiators to the tune of 25-11, 25-16.

Walton’s fourth and final match was the most anticipated pairing with the top-ranked Raiders and the No. 2 Harrison Hoyas. These two Class AAAAAA rivals met in the state title in 2011 and 2012 and Walton got the best of the Hoyas both times. Last year, the Raiders swept Harrison in the regular season and this year they handed the Hoyas their first loss of the season on Sept 30.

HARRIER-HEAVY …

The Milton boys and Northview girls won the Fulton County Public Schools Championships Saturday in Alpharetta. Lindsay Billings won the girls race in a time of 18:43.42 ahead

of Elizabeth Graves, a Riverwood sophomore, who had a time of 20.27.61.

In the boys race, Milton had the top three individual finishers with Jack Bluth (17:36.79), Connor Cole (17:43.80) and freshman Sam Bowers (17:47.85). Milton’s Preston Meade took fifth with a time of 17:59, just behind fourth-place finisher Brandon Tardif (17:51.41).

The Brookwood boys and Mill Creek girls each won their respective races in the Gwinnett County Championships on Saturday in Conyers.

Hannah Petit of the Mill Creek girls won the individual race with a time of 19:01.59. Lauren Flynt of Brookwood (19:15.07), Sara Scales of Mill Creek (19:26.16), Yanely Gomez of Grayson (19:34.75) and Camryn Petit (19:35.03) of Mill Creek rounded out the top five.

Mill Creek’s 71 points edged Brookwood’s 76. Peachtree Ridge took third with 132 points, Collins Hill totaled 156 and North Gwinnett had 172 points.

Mountain View’s Tyler Barber won the boys race in 16:13.56 ahead of Peachtree Ridge’s Isaac Penman (16:16.90).

Brookwood’s 51 points beat out runner-up Peachtree Ridge’s 59, third-place Mill Creek’s 80, Parkview’s 131 and Grayson’s 203.

IN THE CIRCLE …

Buford, ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA, won three games at last week’s Elite Sports Classic to extend its winning streak to 13. Last

Wednesday, senior Bria Bush tossed her seventh complete game and third shutout of the season as the Wolves cruised past Woodstock 7-0. Bush capped off the tournament last Saturday by improving to 10-0 in 2014 with another complete game in Buford’s 9-2 victory over Northgate.

Last Saturday’s Elite Sports Classic proceedings also featured a pitchers’ duel between Grayson and Jeff Davis. In the end, Grayson pitcher Conner Batchelor got the one run of support she needed in a 1-0 win. Batchelor pitched all seven innings for the Rams while allowing only four hits and striking out seven Jeff Davis batters. Sierra Smith hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh to score Anna Newell with the game-winning run. It must have been an extra-sweet result for Grayson, which had come out on the losing end of a 1-0 decision against Pope two days earlier.

In that Thursday contest at Georgia Gwinnett College, Pope played small-ball in the first inning to score the only run. Lindsey Monkiewicz got the first of her three hits with a single, stole second, reached third on an error and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Megan Metzinger. Kelly Barnhill fired a nohitter and mowed down 14 Rams.

Photos courtesy of Solarview Photography, Walter Pinion, Jennifer Stavro and Trey Schwartz.

Vol. 10 Iss. 35 | Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2014

September 23–28

FoxTheatre.org/MammaMia 855-285-8499 © LITTLESTAR

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Vol. 10 Iss. 35 | Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2014

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS LIGHT UP SCOREBOARD AGAINST TROY, AWAIT TENNESSEE

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

T

he scoreboard read 66-0 following last Saturday afternoon’s game against Troy inside Sanford Stadium. It was the highest point total for Georgia in a game since it beat Northeast Louisiana (now UL-Monroe) 70-6 back in 1994.

With the blowout of Troy now in the rearview mirror, it’s time for Tennessee to come to town for the Bulldogs second SEC game of 2014. The last three meetings between these programs have been close battles, with UGA winning each one. In fact, Georgia is on a fourgame winning streak against the Volunteers.

Last year, the Dawgs needed overtime and a fumble over the right pylon in one of Neyland Stadium’s endzones for a touchback to set up Marshall Morgan’s game-winning field goal that end it 34-31. In 2012, quarterback Aaron Murray and the offense lit up the scoreboard in a 51-44 shootout victory over Tennessee.

Head coach Mark Richt knows it won’t be an easy task as Georgia hopes to win its fifth

GEORGIA STATE

GEORGIA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER FALLS TO UT-MARTIN

BY JALISA SMITH | JSMITH@SCOREATL.COM

he Georgia State women’s soccer team was T shutout by UT-Martin 2-0 in its final nonconference match at the GSU soccer complex

Sunday.

“I thought we played terrific soccer,” said head coach Derek Leader. “We were able to create chances but we missed our chances.

We made one mistake in the first half that led to their opening goal.”

In the 14th minute of the game, midfielder Caitlin O’Connor’s shot was too high and sailed off target for the Panthers. UT-Martin took a 1-0 lead in the 41st minute when Ashlie Watson received a pass from Rianna Jarrett after two defenders collided. While the Panthers continued to search for an equalizer, it was the Skyhawks who struck on a quick counter attack to increase their lead to 2-0. Georgia State continued to attack but couldn’t crack Mariah Klenke as she secured the shutout in favor of the visiting Skyhawks.

ON THE RUN …

Saturday morning saw the Lady Pan-

straight game over the Volunteers.

“Both teams are obviously looking for their first conference victory,” Richt said. “We’ve played a conference game; they have not. The grind has begun for everybody, I believe, when it comes to league play. So we absolutely have to have a great performance to get the win.”

RIVALRY REVISITED …

Senior wide receiver Michael Bennett knows the rivalry very well to this point in his Georgia career. He put up 70 yards on five catches with two touchdowns in the 2012 win.

The very next week he tore his ACL in practice while getting ready to play South Carolina. Last year, he tore his meniscus against Tennessee and was forced to miss most of the second half in that game.

“I knew I had hurt it earlier that week in practice,” Bennett reflected. “So I knew it was just meniscus. It was just a matter if it was going to be a season-ending meniscus injury or just a two-week, three-week thing. Thankfully it was only two or three weeks.”

Last season’s showdown proved to be costly for Georgia on the offensive side of the ball, with both wide receiver Justin ScottWesley and running back Keith Marshall going down for the year due to ACL tears.

If the Bullogs win on Saturday, they will tie the program-long win streak against Tennessee. The first five-game stretch came between 1909 and 1924.

thers’ cross country team place second by three points behind Appalachian State in the seven-team 28th annual Winthrop Invitational 5k race. Appalachian State made up the difference with the fifth runner to edge Georgia State, 37-40. Georgia State had finishers in fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth. Georgia State’s top finisher was senior Hannah Stefanoff in fourth place with a time of 18:02.62. Stefanoff finished just ahead of teammate Stella Christoforou who placed fifth at 18:14.90. Freshman Nuria Ramirez finished seventh, edging an App State runner by .1 of a second to earn her spot while senior Niamh Kearney claimed ninth.

“I am proud of the efforts the team gave today, but disappointed we fell short of another win,” head coach Chris England said.

Kyla Van Graan of Coastal Carolina finished first at the meet with a time of 17:18.93.

FORE …

Emily Royer’s 2-under par helped put Georgia State in 11th place out of eighteen teams on day one in women’s golf at the 43rd annual Furman Lady Paladin Invitational. In addition to Royer’s 70, Georgia State junior Julie Lied scored a 76 and sophomore Jooeun Bae got a 78. Head coach Cathy Mant was pleased the improvement from last week.

Mant was especially pleased with Royer’s play stating, “It’s exciting to see Emily Royer’s play. She gives herself lots of opportunities to score low.”

GEORGIA TECH

YELLOW JACKETS DEFEAT HOKIES AFTER THRILLING FINISH

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

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eorgia Tech marched into Lane Stadium last Saturday knowing it had lost four straight contests against Virginia Tech. That did not seem to faze Paul Johnson’s team, though, as it battled with grit and intensity for the entire 60 minutes. The Yellow Jackets pulled out a 27-24 victory that saw quarterback Justin Thomas stand out yet again, compiling 290 yards of total offense with a pair of touchdowns. A clutch kick by sophomore Harrison Butker and a stifling defense also made the difference against the Hokies.

The Jackets took advantage of three interceptions thrown by Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer by converting them into 17 points. What proved to be the Hokies’ undoing was a turnover that came at a critical point with 1:58 remaining and the game tied at 24-24.

A Brewer interception found the hands of cornerback D.J. White and began a drive in which Thomas and the Yellow Jackets moved down to the Hokies’ seven-yard line with four seconds

KENNESAW STATE

FOOTBALL PRACTICES IN STADIUM; BASEBALL RETURNS TO DIAMOND

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

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ennesaw State’s football team is in the thick of its practices, but it was able to do something last Saturday that it had yet to do before.

The Owls held practice at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, which will be the site of their home games starting next year.

After practicing the last few weeks at the Perch, which is located one block away, the team spent over two hours practicing at the stadium—including an hour of 11-on-11 scrimmaging.

“It’s great to see the kids excited to be in the stadium,” head coach Brian Bohannon told ksuowls.com. “We talked a lot about this being our house and what that means and the kids competed hard today. There’s always going to be good and bad in every scrimmage, but we made progress today as a KSU football team.”

The practice wrapped up the second week of fall practices for the Owls and they are currently back at it this week. They are getting ready for the scrimmage on Oct. 11 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, which will kick off at 3 p.m.

remaining. Butker came in for Georgia Tech and, with the game on the line, nailed a 24-yard field goal that resulted in a majority of the 62,000plus in attendance sulking as the Yellow Jackets moshed around the skinny frame of Butker in celebration of the dramatic win.

Georgia Tech improved to 4-0 on the season, the second time that mark has been reached during Paul Johnson’s tenure. The Jackets currently have an off week and will aim for 5-0 when the Miami Hurricanes visit Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4.

ACC AWARDS …

The Yellow Jackets had more to celebrate when news was relayed that Thomas and linebacker Paul Davis were named ACC Offensive Back and Linebacker of the Week, respectively.

Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, rushed for a career-high 165 yards with a touchdown, becoming the first Georgia Tech quarterback to record back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances since Tevin Washington in 2011. The Alabama native also orchestrated game-tying and game-winning drives in the final three minutes of the Yellow Jackets’ victory.

Davis, a sophomore linebacker, recorded a career-high nine tackles along with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown. The pick came with Georgia Tech trailing 16-10, when the Cairo, Ga. native jumped in front of a screen pass and took it to the house, jumpstarting the Jackets en route to their eventual triumph.

ON THE DIAMOND …

The football team is not the only program gearing up for the 2015 season. Kennesaw State baseball started its practices on Monday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium. The Owls are coming off a memorable 2014 season in which they ended the year ranked No. 13 in the nation. They reached the NCAA Super Regionals, only to lose to Louisville in two games.

“It’s been an illuminating first days of practice,” KSU head coach Mike Sansing told ksuowls.com. “It’s good to get the guys out in a team setting and get some work done. It’s also great to get our new guys acclimated to our practices and what we do on a regular basis.”

The Owls have spent the last three weeks doing individual training and held practice sessions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They played their first intrasquad scrimmage Thursday and have another one scheduled for Friday.

KSU’s volleyball team is well into its season and it faced Georgia Tech on Monday. In the final non-conference match of the year, the Owls came up short 3-0. Freshman Anaiah Boyer led the team with 11 kills while hitting .524. Ria Ridley added seven kills and she hit .357. The Owls will start conference play on Saturday when they travel to Spartanburg, S.C. to face USC-Upstate.

Vol. 10 Iss. 35 | Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

MAYOR PLANS SPEEDY PROCESS FOR SALE OF TEAM

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

A

tlanta mayor Kasim Reed spoke last week and revealed that talks are being held with six potential buyers of the Hawks. Reed also mentioned his expectations for a fast sale of the franchise. This news is coming after general manager Danny Ferry and part-owner Bruce Levenson made racially-charged comments in separate instances. Reed, who was joined alongside by Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins and other city leaders, announced his intention to solve things “the Atlanta way.”

“I have had conversations with no less than six prospective buyers,” the mayor commented. “All six of those prospective buyers will have to go through a process to be vetted by the NBA. That process is going to occur very quickly.”

One of the most significant points issued on the matter was the announcement that whoever decides to purchase the Hawks will be considered the majority owner. Levenson made his intentions to sell his share known after his controversial comments came to

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES OFFICIALLY ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON CONTENTION

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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ait ‘til next year. That is what the Atlanta Braves will have to do after their 2014 playoff hopes officially came to an end last weekend. They ended in appropriate fashion, too, with Atlanta scoring just four runs in three games while getting swept at home by the New York Mets. The team suffered its 15th shutout loss of the season and seventh such setback since Aug. 23 when it fell 5-0 last Friday. Elimination came on Sunday, with the Mets rolling over the Braves 10-2.

“Not at all,” starting pitcher Ervin Santana said in his postgame interview following the sweep, when asked if he had experienced anything like this current collapse. “In my whole career, I’ve never been in this position before.”

At the all-star break, Atlanta was nine games over .500 at 52-43 and tied with Washington atop the National League East. Fast forward barely more than two months and Fredi Gonzalez’s club (as of Wednesday afternoon) is

light. His partner in the group ownership, Ed Peskowitz, also agreed to sell his 26.1 percent share of the team. Add the 26.1 percent to Levenson’s 24-percent share and the result is that 50.1 percent of the franchise is available for purchase.

TWO SIGNINGS …

With training camp on the horizon, it looks as if the Hawks have concluded their free-agent signings. On Tuesday, it was announced that the team re-signed veteran center Elton Brand and signed guard Kent Bazemore. Brand will be back for his second year with the Hawks after appearing in 73 games last season—mostly in a reserve role—while averaging 5.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and a team-high 1.2 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game. The terms of Brand’s deal are reported to be one year for $2 million.

“We are happy to retain Elton,” said head coach and acting general manager Mike Budenholzer. “In addition to the production he gives us on the court, he is the ultimate professional and a terrific leader. Elton’s presence is felt by all of us, but especially his teammates.”

The Bazemore announcement was a mere formality, as he had agreed to a two-year deal worth $4 million back on July 11. The guard is coming off of a season in which he averaged 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13.6 minutes while playing in 67 games with the Warriors and Lakers.

five games under .500 at 76-81 and an almost hard to believe 16.5 games back of the Nationals. The Braves were tied for the NL’s second wild-card spot earlier in September and are now 9.5 games out of a playoff position, their dreams mathematically done and dusted with an entire week left on the schedule.

“Go out there and play hard, try to get a win no matter who’s out there,” Chris Johnson said following Sunday’s ouster after being asked about the team’s new mindset. “Everybody in the league is still playing for something and we’ll give it all we’ve got and try to get a win every game.”

The Braves did nothing of the sort on Monday and Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Two more losses at Turner Field sent them to a fivegame losing streak and record of 1-10 in their last 11, 2-13 in their last 15 and a disastrous 4-16 in September.

PACKING UP ...

General manager Frank Wren was fired on Monday, beginning a stretch of roughly five months until spring training 2015 during which there will likely be plenty of changes. Relief pitcher Jonny Venters will not be part of next season’s plans after undergoing a third Tommy John surgery last week. Meanwhile, Mike Minor inured his shoulder Saturday and will miss the remainder of the season.

ATLANTA FALCONS

RYAN, HESTER NAMED NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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fter the home opener, Matt Ryan was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week and kicker Matt Bryant was honored as NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. For the second time in three weeks, a pair of Falcons took home the same awards. Ryan was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after he went 21for-24 with 286 yards and three touchdowns in last Thursday’s 56-14 win over Tampa Bay. He had a career-high 155.9 passer rating and 87.5 completion percentage, which are both new single-game franchise records. This is the sixth time Ryan has won the award in his career.

NFC Special Teams Player of the Week was deservingly handed to Devin Hester after he broke Deion Sanders’ NFL record for return touchdowns. Hester’s 20th such score came on a 62-yard punt return in the second quarter.

He also scored his first career rushing touchdown in the second quarter on a 20-yard reverse. This is the 14th time Hester has received NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS

‘BACKS SHUT OUT FOR FIRST TIME IN 17 MATCHES

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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he tough season continued for the Silverbacks this past Saturday as last-place Ottawa came into town and handed them their worst home loss since 2011. With a 3-0 victory, the Fury jumped two spots in the standings and now Atlanta holds sole possession of last place in the North American Soccer League.

It was another slow start that plagued the Silverbacks. Pierre-Rudolph Mayard of the Fury scored three minutes into the game on a weak miss-hit shot from Tom Heinemann. Mayard was able to deflect the ball into the net on a short shot that should have been saved by goalkeeper Eric Ati.

Ottawa struck for its second goal in the 38th minute with Oliver Minatel finding an easy chip in near the back post off a rebound following a save by Ati. Things got worse for Atlanta when Pablo Cruz was sent off in the 79th minute for a late challenge. The visiting Fury quickly took advantage of the man-down Silverbacks as Carl Haworth headed home the final score

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SUNDAY STORYLINES …

The Falcons head to Minnesota this weekend to take on the 1-2 Vikings. Atlanta holds a share of the NFC South lead with Carolina heading into the matchup and will face rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in his first NFL start. Former starter Matt Cassell injured his foot during last week’s loss to the Saints and Bridgewater stepped in to throw for 150 yards while rushing for 27 more.

Atlanta’s offense leads the NFL in scoring at 34.3 points per game while the defense has been focused on showing week-to-week progress to make this a complete football team.

Leading the charge has been linebacker Paul Worrilow, who is tied for the league-lead in total tackles through Week 3 at 35.

“We did a lot of good things,” Worrilow said about the Tampa Bay game. “Especially after our first two games to put a good game together, get some sacks, interceptions and force fumbles, things that we want to continue to do, was good…. We want to just improve upon what we put out there last week.”

Expect Atlanta’s defense to play aggressive on Sunday against the struggling Vikings’ offense.

Minnesota is 31st in the NFL in passing heading into Week 4 and has managed 99.3 rushing yards per game (24th in the NFL) as Adrian Peterson continues to miss action with his legal issues.

of the game from a Minatel pass in the 83rd minute. The shutout broke Atlanta’s streak of 17 straight matches with at least one goal.

SCORING DROUGHT …

Last Saturday’s shutout highlights a lack of scoring chances for Atlanta this season. It ranks last in the NASL in goals scored with just 23 in 20 games. Jamie Chavez leads the team in goals and is tied for third in the league with eight. Junior Sandoval is second on the team with six, but after that it is slim pickings.

In order for the Silverbacks to finish strong, someone must emerge as a third reliable scoring threat. Cruz has tacked on four goals this season but those have not been enough for Atlanta to avoid the bottom of the table. On the bright side, Cruz is just 22 years old and presumably has his best soccer ahead of him.

Sandoval is another younger talent at 23 and even Chavez is still in his prime at 27.

Besides the team’s scoring woes, Atlanta has failed to protect its home pitch. Playing at Silverbacks Park has not been the boost the team had hoped for. A 2-5-2 record at home simply will not cut it. The Silverbacks will have a chance to right the ship when they host the second-place San Antonio Scorpions this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

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