Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 40

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 40 | OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 6, 2014

Exciting Times | Pg. 4 Kyle Sandy looks forward to the peak season for sports.

Can’t Stop Us | Pg. 8 Mays survives shooting scare, finishes off Carver on Monday.

NOT SO FAST Georgia’s Gurley must sit two more games, says NCAA. | Pg. 5

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Vol. 10 Iss. 40 | Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2014

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

05

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 (Tech) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA)

Craig Sager II (Falcons)

Kyle Sandy (Hawks, GSU)

Stephen Black (Silverbacks)

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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.

TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

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SCORE LIST | NUMBERS GEORGIA STATE | KENNESAW STATE GEORGIA | GEORGIA TECH BRAVES | FALCONS HAWKS | SILVERBACKS

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROB SAYE, NBAE/GETTY IMAGES AND JON BARASH.

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SAGER SAYS

FOR FALCONS, WINNING IS NOT A FORMULA

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he 2-6 Atlanta Falcons are underperforming this season. Losing five offensive linemen for the year is hard overcome and the ball hasn’t bounced Atlanta’s way at times. However, no part of this team is playing close to its full potential. Head coach Mike Smith is taking the bulk of the blame and that is understandable as the guy making the biggest decisions on gamedays. Smith is a very detail-oriented coach and his focus is on doing the little things right.

In Smith’s first five years, the core of the team remained intact and details within the course of a game like penalties and clock management were handled better with a more veteran presence and identity on both sides of the football. When you are still trying to figure out

what your offense is capable of doing behind a makeshift line, it is hard to play a polished game. Confidence is the key to executing a game-plan and when the pieces have continuously changed week to week in the lineup it creates a disconnect that can turn wins to losses. Details work with a veteran team, but when youth takes over and the lineup shuffles, details go out the window. A team that has been the staple of consistency in the NFL in recent years is going to have to learn how to scrap the little things and find success in the ugly games when things don’t go to plan.

SMITTY’S SCENARIOS …

Smith has been an open and transparent coach in terms of handling the media since tak-

SANDY’S SPIEL

AS THE TEMPERATURE DROPS, THE ACTION HEATS UP

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he leaves are changing, the air is crisp and T the heat has finally dissipated. Perfect weather is finally here and with it brings the

best time of the sports year. High school football is on the home stretch heading towards the state playoffs. Softball and volleyball are deep into the postseason and plenty of lucky ladies will have dreams of being crowned state champs come true. High-flying high school basketball also starts in just a few weeks. It is a great time to be a sports fan and I haven’t even mentioned the professional teams yet!

Television viewers have plenty of options to grasp their attention. The Fall Classic was in full swing over the past week with the Cinderella Royals taking the Giants to seven games and trying to become baseball royalty for the

first time since 1985 (the result of Wednesday’s Game 7 was not available at press time).

The NBA has just begun and the Hawks will likely be in the hunt all season long, trying to run their current streak of playoff appearances to eight straight. In the college ranks, we also have the Georgia Bulldogs clinging to hope of sneaking into a playoff spot.

OPTIONS GALORE …

With all these great options, you are unable to choose wrong. I want to cater to the casual Atlanta fan by providing a synopsis for the upcoming best months in sports. Let’s start with the kids. Football is king in the south and Georgia constantly is producing some of the best talent in the nation. There is no short-

ing the job in 2008. He’ll explain the decisionmaking process behind key plays and why the staff decided to go that route based on a series of variables. During the New Orleans game, the Falcons forced and recovered a fumble in overtime and could win the game with a field goal. Instead of trying to run a couple plays and get closer, Smith put in a jumbo package that put Julio Jones and Roddy White on the sideline and used consecutive running plays up the middle to eventually get to fourth down without inching any closer to the endzone.

Matt Bryant was left with a 52-yard field goal attempt that he sent through the uprights for the win. In the postgame press conference, Smith explained that the Falcons were in Bryant’s range and they liked their odds to get to fourth down and leave the game up to the veteran kicker. The planned scenario worked in Atlanta’s favor that time.

These different scenarios and variables are talked about and game-planned for before the team ever steps on the field. This past game, the Falcons were up 21-0 in the first half and had a chance to put more points on the board but played it conservative based on specific details of the game. Smith explained the process behind the decision in his Monday press conference.

“We went in [on the possession before the half] and said we were going to throw the ball on the first down,” he said. “If we had an efficient play and got the ball down the field we were going to get into our attack mode. When we didn’t, I made the decision that we were going to go ahead and take it into the locker room.”

These decisions make sense and I understand that everything is done to find the highest percentage of success in each situation, but it is time to throw out the script. Wins do not have to be pretty and as a 2-5 team heading into that game, there should have been more desperation and trickery involved in the gameplan. The formulas work when you can trust your defense and trust your offensive line to not commit penalties and not get beat on the pass rush. Great coaches have to make the difficult decision in the heat of the game and they have to learn to go with their gut rather than their heads. This is not the same Falcons teams that had Michael Turner pacing the offense and John Abraham heading the defensive side of the ball. Once the team finds consistency in any phase of the game, the team can build around that and play winning football.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

age of storylines heading into the final months of the season. In Class AAAAAA, Colquitt County is looking to win its first state title under head coach Rush Propst. The Packers have been tripped up in the semifinals the past five years, with the last two seasons ending in losses to eventual state champion Norcross.

While the weather cools, it is natural to want to stay indoors. It is time to break out your seat cushions and get ready for some squeaking shoes on the hardwood. Classic David vs.

Goliath matchups will shake the foundation of the state picture. Three-point shooters against high-flying athletes and other contrasts of style always make high school basketball a mustwatch. Will there finally be a new king in Class AAAAA or will Miller Grove claim its seventh straight title? Tift County surprised everyone when it took down Wheeler and brought home the Class AAAAAA crown for the first time since 1998. Can the Wesleyan girls rebound after not winning state for the first time since 2008? These are all questions that will come to fruition in March.

At the college level, a lot of football is yet to be played. Georgia currently sits at No. 11 in the new College Football Playoff rankings.

Freshman Nick Chubb has seemingly saved the Dawgs’ season after the Todd Gurley suspension. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail

Party is this Saturday, so grab some buddies and a cold one (if you are of age) and enjoy one of the greatest college football rivalries around.

HAWKS SOARING …

If I had told you four months ago that the Atlanta Hawks might represent the city’s best chance at fielding a playoff team, you would have called me crazy. The Falcons have struggled this season, but there is an old bird in town that will slowly start to gain the respect it deserves. The Hawks are a real threat to finish near the top of the watered-down Eastern Conference. Part of the reason for that is the Southeast Division should be uber-competitive with the borderline breakup of the Heat. If Atlanta can stay healthy and buy into the head coach Mike Budenholzer’s system, this team will start to catch the attention of the entire league.

As you can see, plenty of exciting sporting events are looming on the immediate horizon.

Whether you are a fan of youth sports, the collegiate level, or all the way up to the pros, late fall and winter will have something in store for you to get you through these chilly nights.

Photo courtesy of Jon Barash.

Vol. 10 Iss. 40 | Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2014

ON THE COVER

TODD GURLEY

NCAA SUSPENDS GURLEY FOR TWO MORE GAMES AFTER NEW FINDINGS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he NCAA announced Wednesday that Georgia running back Todd Gurley would be suspended two more games. Gurley has already missed a pair of games due to the school’s suspension and his return to eligibility is now set for the No. 11 Bulldogs’ Nov. 15 home game against No. 3 Auburn.

The University of Georgia first sidelined Gurley on Oct. 9 after a “memorabilia-related” NCAA violation was brought to the attention of the school. UGA suspended Gurley indefinitely just days before their trip to Missouri and self-reported to the NCAA to begin the comprehensive process of getting the star running back reinstated. Bryan Allen, a memorabilia dealer from Rome, was the man that confirmed with Georgia’s compliance office earlier that week that he paid Gurley $400 to sign 80 items on campus in Athens this past spring.

Allen claimed to have a photo and video of Gurley signing the items, but neither the photo nor the video showed money being exchanged.

Georgia could’ve tried to hide the incident altogether, but the school did the right thing.

It handed over the violation, but immediately went to the defense of Gurley, who cooperated fully within the process.

The NCAA’s rules require schools to immediately declare a player ineligible if a violation has been committed. UGA complied and sent in the information to the NCAA. After that, the process of reinstating Gurley as the NCAA investigated has been nonstop as questions loomed over the Bulldogs’ remaining season.

Details continued to unfold the past three weeks during the investigation and it was announced Wednesday that Gurley in fact accepted more than $3,000 in cash from multiple individuals for autographed memorabilia and other items over the past two years. With the truth revealed, the NCAA released this statement explaining the punishment, which equals 30 percent of the team’s competition:

“Todd Gurley, University of Georgia foot-

ball student-athlete, must sit a total of four games, or 30 percent of the season, for accepting more than $3,000 in cash from multiple individuals for autographed memorabilia and other items over two years. Gurley, who acknowledged violating NCAA rules, must repay a portion of the money received to a charity of his choice and complete 40 hours of community service as additional conditions for his reinstatement. Gurley will be eligible to play on Nov. 15.”

Georgia issued its own statement Wednesday when the official suspension was announced that it plans to appeal the NCAA’s ruling immediately. The NCAA membership committee that oversees the reinstatement process will review the appeal this week but it looks doubtful that it will get Gurley on the field any sooner than the Auburn game. The committee can reduce or remove the conditions the staff has imposed, but cannot increase the punishment. At this point, the Bulldogs will be without Gurley for Saturday’s game against Florida in Jacksonville and the following week’s game at Kentucky at the most.

BACK YOUR BACK …

Gurley has been a major factor in the Bulldogs’ recent success since arriving on campus in 2012, but his teammates have been carrying the load and helping Gurley get through this tough situation. Accepting money from a broker was an act that Gurley knew was against the rules and the truth is he ultimately put his own pockets in front of the team. Luckily, the Bulldogs have rallied together and the University itself has handled the situation with honesty and integrity. Gurley messed up, but his teammates and the UGA community has been there to support him. This unfortunate situation has not affected the energy and level of play the team carries into each Saturday. Georgia has handled the adversity masterfully so far and as a result, the play of Nick Chubb and the Georgia Bulldogs has defined this stretch of the season, not just the absence of Gurley.

A 34-0 victory over Missouri was followed by a 45-32 road win over Arkansas and now the team is coming off a bye week in control of its own destiny in the SEC East.

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A DECADES DEBATE …

College athletes getting paid is not a new argument and anytime a situation like the one with Gurley hits the news, it becomes a trending topic across the country all over again. It is understandable why Gurley broke the rules to take money. There are a lot of people that believe student-athletes should be able to profit off their own names. Walk into the campus bookstore and you will see merchandise with Gurley’s name all over it. It is evident of the type of impact a star player can have on a college campus.

Hypothetically, a memorabilia broker would go up to a guy like Gurley and explain to them that he deserves to be making some money, as everyone is making money off of them. They point to how much money the NCAA makes each year and it is easy to convince someone that they deserve some and that they were not doing anything wrong and it was fair. Making money for signing a picture of yourself is something we all know is violation, but if a student-athlete is looking at a stack of their pictures that were being sold, fans might have a different perspective on taking some of the profit. A broker is going to make the money off the autograph anyways so if he wants to share some with the athlete, it seems fair. College athletes are asked for autographs all the time and at the time, Gurley probably did not feel like he was committing something that requires such a stiff punishment.

Gurley didn’t break the law. He signed autographs that were sold by a legitimate memorabilia dealer and got a piece of the profit. Despite no legal boundaries being crossed, the NCAA rules state Gurley must repay a portion of the money he received to a charity of his choice and complete 40 hours of community service as additional conditions for his reinstatement. Missing four games is a heavy punishment but while the rules are still in place, it is never worth it to break them.

Photos courtesy of Rob Saye.

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Georgia Southern

UGA

NBA

After rolling up 613 yards rushing in a 69-31 blowout win against Georgia State, the Eagles are now 6-2 and undefeated in the conference. No matter the level (FBS or FCS), Georgia Southern continues to run the most effective triple option in the nation and is leading the country with 402 yards rushing per game.

With star running back Todd Gurley’s eligibility at stake, the Georgia administration stepped up to the plate, was honest and forthcoming and earned a commendation from NCAA President Mark Emmert.

You have to hand it to UGA, the school did it the right way and earned a lot of respect from the media, other schools and the NCAA itself.

Opening week is here and Atlanta will have their sights set for an eighth straight trip to the postseason. A healthy frontcourt of Al Horford and Paul Millsap will make life easier for second year man Mike Budenholzer.

Expect the Hawks to battle with the Bobcats, Heat and Wizards for the Southeast division title all season long.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

LONDON TOWN

After leading by 21 points in the first half against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Falcons squandered their advantage in the second half and ended up losing 22-21 at Wembley Stadium. The loss was the hardest to stomach this season and somehow the Falcons must find a way to bounce back and have a strong second half of 2014.

COCKTAIL WEEKEND

Georgia will meet Florida on Saturday in Jacksonville with the two teams heading in different directions. The Bulldogs are on the rise while the Gators are on the decline. Even though the Bulldogs generally have trouble playing in Jacksonville, they should beat the Gators with ease and inch closer to the SEC East title.

HOMECOMING FOR TECH

After getting a big win at Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech will celebrate homecoming on Saturday when it faces Virginia. This should be an opportunity for the Jackets to gain some ground because they are facing a Cavaliers team that has lost two straight games and has trouble scoring. But the Jackets have to play better defense, which has been a struggle.

CHAMP RETIRES

Former Charlton County and Georgia Bulldogs standout Champ Bailey has decided to retire from the NFL. Bailey was a standout player for the Washington Redskins and the Denver Broncos. He was a 12-time Pro Bowler and he also made the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team. Who knows, maybe he comes back to Folkston and helps his former high school win more state titles?

WINNERSVILLE CLASSIC

It’s time for the biggest rivalry game in the state to commence as Lowndes will travel down the road to face Valdosta. This is always a big game no matter what the team’s records are during the season, so be sure to log onto scoreatl.com for the latest updates on that showdown as well as all the games across the state.

WHO’S NOT

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Georgia State

Atlanta Silverbacks

Julius Randle

The tale of two young FBS schools on opposite ends of the spectrum continues. The Panthers have now lost seven straight games and are struggling to find their footing in the big leagues. Nick Arbuckle has been a true gun-slinger, but the dismissal of freshman Krysten Hammon has weakened the Panthers’ rushing attack.

Winless since late August, the last place Silverbacks have continued to struggle with one game remaining in the season.

Alejandro Pombo’s team drew in his first two matches but the new coach has yet to see the Silverbacks earn three points.

Atlanta visits Edmonton in their final game of the season this Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ top draft pick in this year’s draft suffered a broken leg on opening night. It is a tough pill to swallow for the already-depleted Lakers. On what looked like a routine drive to the basket, Randle clipped himself in the leg and looked like he merely rolled an ankle but upon further review, it was a broken tibia.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Kyle Sandy

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

THE HAWKS HAVE MADE THE PLAYOFFS IN SEVEN CONSECUTIVE SEASONS, A STREAK THAT IS CURRENTLY SECOND IN THE NBA BEHIND WHAT TEAM? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“It’s Georgia-Florida: they don’t like us much, we don’t like them much.

Their fans don’t like us, and our fans don’t like them.”

- Georgia QB Hutson Mason on the Florida rivalry.

198

Total yards allowed by Georgia Tech in their win over Pittsburgh

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Touches by Falcons dynamite Antone Smith against Detroit

345

Rushing yards by Nick Chubb in two games as starting RB

465

Rushing yards by Georgia Tech against Pittsburgh

3

Fumbles lost by the Falcons on Sunday

7

Straight playoff appearances by the Hawks

660

Total yards of offense by Georgia Southern against Georgia State

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New faces on Kennesaw State’s 2014-2015 roster

Vol. 10 Iss. 40 | Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2014

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PLAYOFF TIME

MAYS, CARVER FINISH GAME DESPITE SHOOTING; SOFTBALL HEADS TO COLUMBUS

BY STEPHEN BLACK | SBLACK@SCOREATL.COM

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ays and Carver-Atlanta completed their game Monday night with the host Raiders winning 35-14. The game had been postponed from Friday when shots interrupted the action at Grady Stadium. The surreal scene during Friday’s game will not soon be forgotten.

According to a report in the AJC, Mays student Eugene Brantly was arrested for the shooting in the stadium parking lot after the game. He was shot in the arm by an off-duty police officer and suffered non-life threatening injuries. Three guns were found at the scene, but only Brantly was arrested.

The game was suspended until Monday at 6 p.m. due to the shooting. Mays led 27-14 at the time of the postponement.

Mays coach Corey Jarvis said the teams cooperated fully after the shooting. Despite the intense game action, the shots were heard loud and clear on the field.

“We heard the shots and saw kids run-

ning,” said Jarvis. “Both teams came to our side of the stadium and went to the same locker room for a while.”

Mays closed out the game Monday night on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Asahnia Aderhold to Deparis Carter.

Jarvis said he was pleasantly surprised at the amount of fans that came out to support the teams at Monday’s resumption.

“About 500 people came out,” he said.

“You wouldn’t think many people would come, but they were there.”

Mays led 27-14 with about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter when the shots rang out Friday night. Charlie Patrick opened the scoring in the first quarter on a four-yard run before teammate Rowmartis Bell scored in the second quarter on an 11-yard run. Freelando Jordan intercepted a Carver pass and returned it 45 yards for a score and Mays led 21-0 the half.

The third quarter saw Mays linebacker Tobias Little return an interception 28 yards for another Raiders score. Mays now held a commanding 27-0 lead. Carver got on the board with two quick touchdowns prior to the game being called.

Both teams are now 6-2 overall and Mays is ranked No. 10 in Class AAAAA. The teams are also tied in the Region 6B standings. However, Carver faces No. 7 Creekside this week while Mays takes on Tri-Cities. Mays’ lone loss was the Creekside on Oct. 3.

COLUMBUS-BOUND …

The Pope Greyhounds are riding Kelly Barnhill all the way to Columbus. After pitching both games of a first-round sweep at the expense of West Forsyth, Barnhill did the same last week against Collins Hill. With a spot in Class AAAAAA’s double-elimination tournament in Columbus at stake, Barnhill befuddled the Eagles en route to 4-0 and 2-1 victories.

Joining Pope in the last eight is Brookwood, but not before perhaps the most entertaining series of the entire second round took place. The Broncos won their first game against South Forsyth 1-0 last Wednesday, lost the second 3-2, then survived another one-run game in last Thursday’s decider.

Whereas Collins Hill missed out on a spot in Columbus for the first time in five years, Class AAAA powerhouse Buford kept its streak alive. The Wolves punched their ticket

to the double-elimination format for the ninth consecutive season.

In Class AAA, Blessed Trinity had snagged the No. 1 seed out of Region 4 ahead of runnerup Westminster, but it is the Wildcats who are going to Columbus while the Titans are at home.

NOTES …

No. 2 Dacula has won 13 of its past 14 football games. The only loss was to Colquitt County in the quarterfinals of the 2013 playoffs. … Peachtree Ridge’s 35-2 demolition of Norcross shocked many throughout the state.

It was the Blue Devils’ worst loss to an in-state team since Oct. 29, 2010 when they fell 42-0 to Collins Hill. … Despite dropping a 17-10 game to Norcross, North Gwinnett (4-1 in region play) looks like it will again win at least a share of the Region 7-AAAAAA title. The Bulldogs are in a four-way tie with Mill Creek, Peachtree Ridge and Norcross, but close the season with winnable games against Meadowcreek and Mountain View. Mill Creek faces Norcross and Peachtree Ridge while Norcross and Peachtree Ridge each have to play a decent Collins Hill squad. Coach Bob Sphire’s Bulldogs have won at least a share of four of the last five region titles at a program that had never won a region title prior to his arrival.

Photos courtesy of Jon Barash and Ty Freeman.

Vol. 10 Iss. 40 | Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2014

Score Atlanta Football Rankings

Class AAA 1.......... Washington County 2.............................Calhoun 3..................Blessed Trinity 4....................Peach County 5...........................Jefferson

Class AAAAAA

Class AA

1....................... Colquitt Co. 2...............................Dacula 3............................ Valdosta 4........................McEachern 5.............................Grayson

1....................................GAC 2...............................Vidalia 3................................ Lovett 4.......................Benedictine 5...................... Thomasville

6.................................Milton 7........................ Lee County 8.................. North Gwinnett 9................Peachtree Ridge 10..........................Westlake

Class AAAAA 1..................... Ware County 2................................Coffee 3...........................Allatoona 4....................................Kell 5...................Northside-WR

6................................ Lanier 7.................Houston County 8.................... Harris County 9..........................Creekside 10................................Mays

Class AAAA 1...............................Buford 2................................Griffin 3........ Woodward Academy 4..................... Sandy Creek 5................... Mary Persons

6................................ Marist 7.....................................TCC 8........................Cartersville 9........................... St. Pius X 10................................ Cairo

6..................Central-Carroll 7........................Hart County 8......................Westminster 9...............Westside-Macon 10................................ Cook

6.......................... Fitzgerald 7....................Lamar County 8...................Brooks County 9..........................Darlington 10...............Screven County

Score Atlanta Pre-Playoff Volleyball Rankings Class AAAAAA

Class AAA

1...............................Walton 2............................Harrison 3........................North Cobb 4...................... East Coweta 5......................Johns Creek

1..................... Westminster 2..................Blessed Trinity 3..................Oconee County 4........................Sonoraville 5.................. Savannah Arts

Class A-Private

Class AAAAA

1.............................Aquinas 2..................... Mount Paran 3.......................Calvary Day 4.......... Savannah Christian 5..................Tattnall Square

1..........................Sequoyah 2.........................Dunwoody 3..........................Columbus 4....................... River Ridge 5........Northside-Columbus

6................................Pacelli 7.................Prince Ave. Chr. 8.................... Mount Pisgah 9.................................. ELCA 10................ Landmark Chr.

Class A-Public

Class AAAA

1.................. Marion County 2..................... Irwin County 3.................... Hawkinsville 4................Charlton County 5.....................................ECI

1...............................Buford 2..................... Sandy Creek 3................................Marist 4...........................St. Pius X 5........ Woodward Academy

6.........................Commerce 7.................. Lincoln County 8...............................Claxton 9....................Clinch County 10................... Dooly County

6..............................Roswell 7............................. Lassiter 8...............................Etowah 9....................South Forsyth 10................... West Forsyth

6..............................Decatur 7...........................Rockmart 8............................ East Hall 9..................Morgan County 10......................... Jefferson

Class AA 6.........................Cambridge 7........................... Allatoona 8........................... McIntosh 9.................Camden County 10................................... Ola

1.................Holy Innocents’ 2.......................... Wesleyan 3................................ Lovett 4....................... Gordon Lee 5..Greater Atlanta Christian

6.................................Coosa 7......St. Vincent’s Academy 8.................. Pace Academy 9.................................Model 10........................Darlington

Class A 6.......................... North Hall 7.................... North Oconee 8.......................... Ridgeland 9..............Heritage-Catoosa 10........ Northwest Whitfield

1.............. Hebron Christian 2.......... Savannah Christian 3..................................ELCA 4...............................Walker 5.......................... Mt. Paran

6......... Fellowship Christian 7...............Athens Academy 8..........Landmark Christian 9...Prince Avenue Christian 10..................... Calvary Day

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For official contest rules, visit choa.org/comeback.

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A TWO-TOUCHDOWN DEFICIT

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Vol. 10 Iss. 40 | Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2014

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS LOOK FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN OVER GATORS

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

O

ne of the benchmark weeks of the football season for both Georgia and Florida is here. It’s time for the annual trip to Jacksonville for fans, players and coaches. The last three meetings have been fun for the Bulldogs and this 2014 season has been a lot more fun for UGA than it has been for UF. The Bulldogs head into this game at 6-1 and currently lead the SEC East. The Gators, on the other hand, are enduring yet another year that is not meeting lofty standards in Gainesville. Head coach Will Muschamp’s team is 3-3 overall with a 2-3 record in SEC play.

Georgia head coach Mark Richt is not very concerned with the difference in the records of these schools. He is simply focused on this week’s game and trying to help the Bulldogs reach one of their major goals this season.

“We’re looking forward to this game,” Richt said. “It’s very meaningful to us. We’re all trying to get to Atlanta. That’s what we’re try-

GEORGIA STATE

FOOTBALL TEAM FALTERS, STEFANOFF SHINES

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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here was plenty of Panther action throughout the athletic problem this past week, but the most attractive ticket had to have been last Saturday’s showdown at the Georgia Dome between Georgia State and Georgia Southern.

However, the home team came away disappointed after being unable to keep pace with the nation’s best rushing attack in a 69-31 loss. Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw for 408 yards and four touchdowns in the setback. The Eagles racked up an incredible 613 yards rushing in the blowout win. Matt Breida totaled 201 yards rushing and four touchdowns while Kevin Ellison added 115 yards and Alfred Ramsby had 92 yards. The Panthers visit Appalachian State this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

BEDEVILED …

The men’s soccer team hung tough at Duke but fell 2-1 last Tuesday. Senior goalkeeper C.J. Cochran posted a career high 13 saves in the defeat. Jeremy Ebobisse scored the first goal of the game for the Blue Devils in the 36th minute, but Georgia State quickly

ing to do this weekend.”

Richt knows this game is important to his players and understands that just wanting to win this matchup will not automatically yield the desired result. They have to play the same brand of football that has made them successful so far 2014.

“What’s important is being good at what we do,” Richt said, “(like) playing together as a team, believing in each other, then getting after it, hopefully making the plays that need to be made when you need them the most. That’s really all we can do.”

SENIORITY …

This senior class that entered Athens in 2011 has never lost to Florida. Linebacker Amarlo Herrera is part of that class and wants to win on Saturday as much as the next senior on this team.

“It’s fun, but we have bigger goals than that,” Herrera said of a possible sweep of the Gators. “That’s just one of them. To accomplish our goal, we’ve got to beat them this week.”

Georgia is going for its fourth straight win over Florida, a feat it has not accomplished since 1983. This is also going to be the first start in a Georgia-Florida game for Hutson Mason at quarterback. He is facing a Gator squad that is third in the SEC in total defense. The Gators are also third in the conference against the run.

answered back. A ball played into the box ricocheted off a Duke defender and bounced past goalie Wilson Fisher to tie the game just before halftime. Under siege throughout the first half, the Panthers were outshot 12-1 in the first 45 minutes of the match. Brody Huitema scored the game-deciding goal on a penalty kick just minutes into the second half, ultimately dropping GSU to 6-9 on the season.

SWANSONG …

After four productive seasons at Georgia State, Hannah Stefanoff will run her last conference championship race this Sunday in Mobile, Ala. Not only a great runner; Stefanoff has also excelled in the classroom while studying biological science. For a cross-country runner who is seemingly about to be named allconference for a fourth consecutive year, Hannah has maintained a low-key persona off the course.

“I have a fifth-floor library spot where I disappear to study in silence,” she admitted. “I like the quiet to study and focus. I just slip in and slip out to my spot for the most part.”

Stefanoff has had a successful senior campaign, finishing in the top five in four of her five races. She will have one last opportunity to go out with a bang in her final race.

Head coach Chris England explained, “She has had a great senior season and a noteworthy running career for Georgia State, but her best race is yet to come.”

GEORGIA TECH

JACKETS APPROACH IMPORTANT DIVISION GAME AGAINST VIRGINIA

BY MATT CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

ith his squad coming off of a remarkable W effort against Pittsburgh that saw the offense score a season-high 56 points, head

coach Paul Johnson will not allow for any easing up when Virginia comes to town on Saturday. The Cavaliers enter with the third-best rushing defense in the ACC and are No. 1 in takeaways with 20 as Georgia Tech looks to limit the turnover margin that haunted it during the last meeting between the two teams.

Tech overcame five turnovers last year in Charlottesville to win 35-25, an instance Johnson referred to when speaking on Virginia’s tough defense.

“We self-inflicted ourselves last year with the turnovers, but hopefully we can get away from that,” said Johnson. “This week we just need to go out and play how we’ve been playing and execute how we’ve been executing and see what happens.”

Another key point for Georgia Tech come Saturday will be staying out of third-and-long situations, especially against Virginia’s defense that ranks fifth-best in the ACC in opponents’

KENNESAW STATE

SOCCER WINS SEASON FINALE, FOOTBALL TO PLAY DAYTON

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

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fter a tough road stretch during which it lost two of its last three matches, the Kennesaw State soccer team was back at Fifth Third Bank Stadium last Friday to play its final game of the regular season. The Owls took on USC-Upstate and they came away with a 1-0 win. Alma Gardarsdottir, who scored her first goal of the season, was the hero for Kennesaw State.

“I was very pleased with the outcome,” head coach Rob King told ksuowls.com. “We dominated the game, just as we have several of our games in the last couple of weeks. We have dominated chances and it was the same again tonight. Alma stepped up with a great goal, which was really fitting for her. She started off scoring goals here when we played her up front and then she spent a lot of her time in the back four and then we moved her up front again a couple of weeks ago, so I am thrilled for her.”

The Owls outshot the Spartans 19-7, including 7-1 on goal. Maggie Gaughan led KSU

third-down conversions. The Cavs have held opponents to a conversion rate of 35.7 percent, but it should not be a point of worry considering the Yellow Jackets have put themselves in favorable positions on third down with regularity.

“To our credit we’ve stayed, for the most part this year, out of third-and-longs,” Johnson explained. “I think the nature of what we do…and if you go back and look historically, I think you’ll find that we’ve been pretty good on third down.”

GOLD-BLUE SCRIMMAGE …

The men’s basketball team held its annual Gold-Blue intrasquad game last Saturday at McCamish Pavilion as the team continued preparing for its Nov. 14 season opener at home against Georgia. Junior forward Charles Mitchell scored 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds in 29 minutes of play while senior center DeMarco Cox had a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds. Despite the offensive standouts, head coach Brian Gregory was especially pleased with the performance of the defense.

“Defensively we did some good things rebounding-wise,” Gregory commented. “I think we showed we can be really physical on the glass.”

Guard Travis Jorgenson made an appearance as he continued his path to recovery after seeing the 2013-14 campaign end with a torn ACL. The coaching staff limited the redshirt freshman to two of the four 10-minute periods in the game, but Gregory felt that it was nice progress for Jorgenson.

with seven shots while Brittney Reed had four.

The victory puts Kennesaw State as the No. 6 seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament. The team’s first-round match will be against No. 3 Jacksonville on Friday at 6 p.m in Jacksonville.

Before last Friday’s contest, the Owls honored Gardarsdottir, Nicole Calder, Iyani Hughes, Julia Nelson, Heather Joyce and Jewelia Strickland on Senior Night. As a group they have collected 40 wins in their careers.

DATE WITH DAYTON …

The football team is still working hard on the practice field to get ready for the inaugural 2015 season. But one of the things they have to do off the field is finalize their schedule and it looks like the Owls have done that with the addition of Dayton. That game will take the place of a date with Cumberland, which had been scheduled for Sept. 26.

Dayton plays in the Pioneer Football League of the FCS. The Flyers are currently one of the better teams in the conference, with a 5-2 record. Prior to this season, the Flyers had a winning percentage of .753 since 2000, which was the third-highest percentage in the FCS during that span. This will be the second road game for the Owls, as they face East Tennessee State in the season opener on Sept. 3.

Vol. 10 Iss. 40 | Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

OPENING WEEK IS HERE FOR HIGHFLYING HAWKS

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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he Hawks opened the 2014-2015 season at Toronto Wednesday night and are approaching the home opener on Saturday. Having been under the radar in most preseason prognostications, the Hawks are looking forward to getting the season started.

“My expectations for the team is to go into the season and do what we did all preseason and summer and get off to a good start,” DeMarre Carroll said in a recent interview with the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “We are two and three deep at every position. We brought in two good wings in Thabo (Sefolosha) and Kent (Bazemore) to help on the defensive end.

We can shoot. When we are on, we are on.”

SO WE MEET AGAIN …

Fans will hope for an “on” night this Saturday at Philips Arena, but it will be an entertaining affair regardless. The home-opener extravaganza will be headlined by three perfor-

ATLANTA BRAVES

HART AGREES TO BECOME PROVERBIAL GENERAL MANAGER

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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eports surfaced earlier this month that senior advisor for baseball operations and interim general manager John Hart had declined Atlanta’s offer to become the team’s next full-time GM. President John Schuerholz vehemently denied those reports and if there is one man Braves’ fans should trust, it’s Schuerholz.

True to his word, the former general made sure that Hart turned what was never a “no” into a definitive “yes.”

Hart’s official title is not “general manager,” but last Thursday he accepted Schuerholz’s offer to assume the team’s newly-created position of president of baseball operations. Hart will be tasked with the duties of a GM while getting assistance from John Coppolella. Already an assistant general manager under the recently-fired Frank Wren, the 36-year-old Coppolella is expected to be groomed by Hart and the rest of the organization to become the general manager after Hart, 66.

“It was my best negotiations of my entire

mances from Atlanta-native T.I. The rapper only adds to the hype of the visiting Indiana Pacers returning to town after ending the Hawks’ 2013-14 campaign in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Atlanta will be catching the Pacers at the right time as they are riddled with injuries. Star forward Paul George is likely to miss the entire season.

Starting point guard George Hill has a bad knee and will be out 2-3 weeks. Backup point guard C.J. Watson will also be sidelined at least two weeks, while veteran power forward David West is gone with a bum ankle. The Hawks desperately need to take advantage of these injuries and test the Pacers’ depth. Look for Jeff Teague to attack on offense and go at whichever defender is assigned to him.

TOUGH NEWS …

Former Hawk great and franchise steals leader in steals Mookie Blaylock was sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this week after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide. He is expected to serve only three as a result of a plea deal before being put on probation. On May 31, 2013, Blaylock caused a head-on collision with Monica Murphy, a mother of five.

He has had a troubled life since retirement, collecting multiple DUIs. Blaylock’s family has also said that he has been undergoing treatment for seizures.

baseball career,” Schuerholz said during the announcement of Hart’s acceptance. “He’s got great leadership, personality (and) people respond to him very well. I’ve seen it already. I’ve seen it in the past. He’s the best guy to be in this job. … We’re entrusting in a man to lead our organization back to the top.”

HITTING HIRE ...

That effort to regain dominance of the National League East and get Atlanta back to the playoffs on a consistent basis goes from the top down. Not only did the Braves make a significant move in the front office, but they also have their next hitting coach. It is Kevin Seitzer, who may not be a household name among Atlanta fans but does have some familiarity with Schuerholz.

Then the Royals’ general manager, Schuerholz drafted Seitzer in 1983 and was still in that role when Seitzer broke into the majors in 1986.

Seitzer’s one season as Toronto’s hitting coach in 2014 saw the Blue Jays rank second in the American League in OPS (.736) and home runs (177) and fourth in the AL in runs scored (723) and batting average (.259).

Jose Castro, formerly with the Cubs, has become Atlanta’s assistant hitting coach.

“This is [head coach Fredi Gonzalez’s] staff and he was actively involved throughout the process,” Hart explained in a Monday news release. “With today’s two additions, as well as Bo Porter as our new third-base coach, we feel that we have a put a great staff in place.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS SHUFFLE SECONDARY, LOOK TO UNPLUG DURING BYE WEEK

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons announced on Tuesday that they have signed safety Charles Godfrey and waived safety Sean Baker. Godfrey, 5-foot11, 210 pounds, was originally selected by the Panthers in the third round (67th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Iowa. He played in 82 games with 75 starts while tallying 372 tackles (289 solo), three sacks, 33 passes defensed and 11 interceptions in his seven seasons with the Panthers. Godfrey played in seven games and started in one game this year before Carolina released him on Oct. 21.

Baker was originally signed by Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2012. The 6-foot, 209-pound safety spent part of the 2013 campaign on the Falcons’ practice squad before being signed to the active roster for the season finale. Baker started this season on the practice squad, but earned a spot on the active roster on Sept. 30.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS

SILVERBACKS FAIL TO EARN POINT IN HOME FINALE

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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he Silverbacks played their final home game of the 2014 season Saturday in Atlanta and were defeated 2-0 by the Carolina RailHawks. A slow first half eventually brought fans to the edges of their seats when Pablo Cruz was pulled down in the box and gave the Silverbacks an opportunity at a penalty kick in the 35th minute. Leading goal scorer Jamie Cruz was chosen to take the penalty and add to his twelve goals. Cruz struck the ball well, but Carolina keeper Scott Goodwin made a class save diving for the ball.

Minutes after the near go-ahead goal, the RailHawks answered with an attack of their own. A cross was sent to the near post with Atlanta keeper Thomas Hunter trying to play it. Hunter mishandled the ball letting it drop to the feet of Devon Sandoval who was able to chip in an easy chance to give the RailHawks the 1-0 lead heading into the half. The second half started with more sloppy Silverbacks play as Ryan Roushandel fouled Nacho Novo in the

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MIKE ON MIC …

Head coach Mike Smith took a lot of heat after Atlanta blew a 21-0 lead and left London with a 22-21 loss to the Lions last weekend.

The historic collapse that dropped the Falcons to 2-6 on the season came as the team enters the midseason bye week. Smith held his regular weekly press conference on Monday and answered questions about the loss and what lies ahead for the Birds.

“I think we’re moving the ball well,” Smith said about the offense’s struggles to score points in the second half this year. “This team has stuck together. We haven’t won the games that we need to win. This is a no-excuse business….

You’ve got to have confidence every time you go out on the field that you’re going to win the football game. I think the men in our locker room have that. The coaches have that confidence.

We just got to go out and make the plays when they’re presented to us and we haven’t done that nearly as much as we (have) needed to.”

The players got this week off and will return to Flowery Branch on Monday to prepare for Tampa Bay next Sunday.

“They’ll have an opportunity to be off,” explained Smith. “We’ll reconvene on Monday.

We’ll have a Falcons-on-Falcons practice on Monday. Tuesday we’ll be off. Then we’ll get right back into our game-plan week against Tampa Bay.”

box resulting in another penalty kick, this time in favor of Carolina. Nacho coolly stepped up to the spot and sent a shot past Hunter to hand Carolina a commanding 2-0 lead. Atlanta was unable to muster any more dangerous scoring chances and the RailHawks held onto the victory after losing to the Silverback on Aug. 30, Atlanta’s last win. With one game remaining in the season at FC Edmonton, the Silverbacks have no chance of escaping the bottom of the table. The team’s 13 points is three back of the Ottawa Fury. FC Edmonton poses yet another difficult task as it is currently in third place in the standings.

LOOKING AHEAD …

So where did the season go wrong for the Silverbacks? Lack of scoring has been their main downfall. Atlanta has scored just 19 goals this season which is tied for last in the league.

The defense has not been that much better however, allowing 28 goals; second worst in the league. Lacking production on both sides of the ball is never a winning recipe. Alejandro Pombo has given the team a little more life since taking over going 0-1-2 (W-L-D). For Atlanta to improve moving forward, expect Pombo to continue to preach a more aggressive offensive approach and groom the team’s younger strikers.

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