Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 47

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 47 | DECEMBER 19-25, 2014

Elite Jr. Classic | Pg. 4 Craig Sager II looks at some of the top juniors getting ready for the second annual high school All-Star showcase.

Man of the Year | Pg. 4 Matt Bryant takes home second straight Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

FIGHT TO THE FINISH The Falcons’ playoff hopes come down to a pair of NFC South showdowns. | Pg. 5

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Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 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

MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II

MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves, Tech)

Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA)

Craig Sager II (Falcons)

Kyle Sandy (Hawks, GSU,

Gladiators)

STAFF WRITERS Jalisa Smith

Matthew Cason

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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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COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JON BARASH (MAIN PHOTO), SONNY KENNEDY (TOP LEFT) AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS (BOTTOM LEFT).

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SAGER SAYS

STATE FINALISTS RETURN TO THE FIELD IN 2ND ANNUAL ELITE JUNIOR CLASSIC

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

t will be exactly two weeks from the concluIhigh sion of the 2014 state championships and school football season that we will see the state’s top juniors check in at McEachern High School for the second annual Elite Junior All Star game (Dec. 27). Amongst this year’s participants in the Class of 2016 showcase are state finalists and Kyle Davis, Dylan Singleton and Kobe Smith from Archer. The format will once again be North vs. South and the three teammates will suit up for the North team.

Davis is a wide receiver committed to South Carolina and Singleton is a two-way star that received an offer from UGA to add to his list of collegiate fan mail following a three-touchdown performance in the Class AAAAAA state championship. Smith, a defensive tackle, stands 6-foot-4, 295 pounds and committed

to N.C. State on Dec. 1. On the South Team, wide receiver Kiel Pollard will represent state champion Colquitt County. Buford defensive lineman Ben Frazier will join the North Team.

There will be plenty of headliners in this year’s classic, including the No. 1 ranked prospect in the state heading into next season, Julian Rochester, a 6-foot-5.5, 280-pound defensive tackle from host McEachern. Rochester will line up on the South Team with his Indians’ teammate, running back Sam Jackson.

TOP TIER TALENT ...

Defensive back Marquez Callaway has jumped into the top 5 Peach State prospects for the Class of 2016 on several recruiting boards and will represent Warner Robins on the South Team. West Hall standout Tyquan

SANDY’S SPIEL

BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR BOWL SEASON

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

t’s officially the best time of year for football Iplenty fans. The bowl season is here and there are of massive matchups that will be sure

to gather the family around the big screen. The best of the best will face off to determine who is for real and who is still a step behind. The playoff committee already has had fans on the edge of their seats with the final four selection and now all that is left is to play the games. I want to break down some of the biggest games including our local schools and give my synopsis on how they might play out.

CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL ...

Entering the season many people including myself thought that this could be Coach Paul Johnson’s final season at the helm of

Georgia Tech. It seemed like the always unpredictable Jackets could either flop their way to a 6-6 record, or do something special to save PJ’s job; it looks like they chose the latter.

Tech finished 10-3 and helped Coach Johnson secure a 4-year contract extension. They will have a tough test against formerly No. 1 ranked Mississippi State. By now you should know how Tech wins games; the triple option. Justin Thomas has dazzled at quarterback passing for 1,594 yards and rushing for 965. Seniors Zach Laskey and Synjyn Days both finished with over 750 yards rushing. Mississippi State has a stingy defense that allows under 20 points per game and is led on offense by Dak Prescott who has amassed 3,970 yards and 38 touchdowns. Tech will challenge the Bulldogs tough

Statham will take snaps at defensive back for the North Team and will face South Team quarterback Logan Byrd and a deep group of receivers. Byrd is a 6-foot-3 signal caller from Veterans and is committed to Virginia Tech.

Collins Hill defensive end Tomon Fox and Upson-Lee offensive tackle David Marshall skyrocketed in the recruiting ranks this past season and like all the competing players in the Elite Junior Classic, can continue climbing the ranks with a strong showing Monday, Dec. 29.

The North team is led by Norcross head coach Keith Maloof and will have Landmark Christian quarterback Stockton McGuire running the offense for much of the game. McGuire has started since his freshman season and leads the offense while participating on the cross country team and basketball team during the Eagles’ offseason. Maloof’s know-how in working with the state’s top prospects is among the best in the business. Norcross had more than two-dozen seniors sign football scholarships this year and the Gwinnett school has turned into one of the most prolific talent factories in the nation when it comes to producing college athletes. At last year’s Atlanta Sports Awards, Maloof was named Coach of the Year over all other Atlanta-area coaches, including candidates from college and pro sports.

Running back Jarvis Terrell was picked up

by the North team and will be able to showcase just how fast he is against the elite competition.

The all-purpose back has been outrunning his competitors since his freshman season with the Trojans and even blazed the turf at the MVP camp with a 4.39 40 last summer.

Leading the offensive line is 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle Chris Barnes. The Lee County lineman is already ranked as a composite four star and holds an offer from Ole Miss.

Spalding’s Brodarious Hamm is a two-way star on the line at 6-foot-3, 292 pounds. Macon County’s Raymond Smith, Lowndes’ Tarik Adams and Jonesboro’s Jeffrey Taylor are guards.

Veterans’ Nate Lee will likely take the center role at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds and he’ll be snapping to his teammate, Byrd.

South team head coach Franklin Stephens comes off an 11-1 finish in his first season with Ware County. Stephens shares a similar resume with Maloof, having won two state titles at Tucker, including a perfect season in 2011. The Keysville, Ga. native played for Burke County and was the Southern Conference lineman of the year at Georgia Southern in 1994. While serving as Tucker’s head coach, Stephens coached more than 13 all-state selections.

Photos courtesy of Sonny Kennedy & Jon Barash.

defense with their rushing onslaught. Mississippi State opens as a 7-point favorite. I could see this game going either way, but I think the Bulldogs’ balance will be too much in the end for Georgia Tech. Prediction: Miss St.

FINAL FOUR PLAYOFF ...

The stage is set: No. 1 Alabama vs No. 4 Ohio State. No. 2 Oregon vs No. 3 Florida State. There has not been one single dominant team this season, so it is anybody’s ballgame. I would have liked to see TCU in over Ohio State due to the Buckeyes’ brutal loss against Virginia Tech and the fact that they are down to their third string quarterback. Though I don’t believe that Alabama is the unbeatable team that many figure them to be, I think they will be able to handle Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes.

The real national championship in my opinion is Florida State vs Oregon. The nation’s two top ranked NFL quarterback prospects will duke it out to see who advances to the finals and possibly even who will be selected first overall. Florida State will need to come out strong like they did against Georgia Tech, but they will also need to get some stops. This game is a complete toss-up, but I feel like whoever wins will go on to win the championship.

Alabama has shown cracks and was exposed badly in the Sugar Bowl last year. Florida State has enough blue chippers and Oregon has Ifo Ekpre-Olomu to shut down Bama’s one dimensional passing game. Prediction: FSU/Oregon

Photo courtesy of Jon Barash.

BELK BOWL ...

A familiar face will greet the Dawgs in Charlotte. Todd Grantham leads a Louisville defense that once went four straight games without allowing an offensive touchdown this season. The quarterback position has been a rotating door for the Cards and has stymied them in losses to Virginia and Clemson. Georgia benefited from playing in the weak SEC East but did not win the division. Injuries and suspensions have riddled the backfield, but Nick Chubb has emerged as a star with 1,281 yards rushing. The Dawgs come in averaging 255 yards a game rushing, but Louisville allows the third fewest in the nation at 93.7. If Louisville can receive solid quarterback play on offense and force Hutson Mason to beat them, Grantham should be headed for success, but it is easier said than done to stop Georgia’s run game. UGA is a 6.5 point favorite in what could be a low scoring affair. I think the Cards could surprise Georgia with their defense, but Louisville’s lack of stability at the quarterback position is too much for me. Prediction: UGA

Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 2014 Pittsburgh last weekend. Smith dispelled any notion that Jones was simply being rested for even more important upcoming tilts against division rivals.

“We want Julio out there on the field anytime that he can be out there,” Smith said in his postgame press conference. “This game was just as important, in our mind, as any game.

We’re not going to play the ‘what if’ games about it…play this week, play that week. We want to have our best players out there every week.”

ON THE COVER

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS STILL CONTROL OWN DESTINY DESPITE TWO-GAME SLIDE

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

Most teams cannot afford a two-game losing streak when they are already 5-7. Most divisions, however, are not like the NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons recently lost twice in the span of seven days but are still in full control of their own destiny heading into the final two weeks of the regular season at 5-9. Win their last two and they’re in; that’s the stunningly simple formula, especially considering in the history of the NFL most teams at 5-9 have already lined up their golf bags or in the very best case need more permutations and combinations than AP calculus in order to reach the playoffs.

MR. JONES …

You don’t often hear a head coach of a ballclub wallowing two games under .500 that he is “glad” about the situation or a player on said club calling the situation a “blessing.”

But those are the opinions of Mike Smith and Devin Hester, respectively, obviously referencing the fact that Atlanta will win the NFC South if it beats New Orleans and Carolina.

The situation could, however, be even better. After slumping into their bye week with a

2-6 record and a five-game losing streak, the Falcons seemed to come out on the other end like a different team. They won three of their next four games, including road victories at Tampa Bay and Carolina and a Georgia Dome scalp of current NFC No. 1 seed Arizona. There was still optimism one week later after a competitive (at least in the second half) 43-37 loss at Green Bay, where the schedule forced Atlanta to contest a tough Monday night game.

Julio Jones went wild at Lambeau Field with 11 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. That gave the four-year receiver out of Alabama a stretch of three straight outings with a score, having previously endured seven in a row without finding the endzone. It also gave Jones a ridiculous 21 receptions for 448 yards during a two-game stretch, also including the upset of the Cardinals.

As indicated, Jones can single-handedly take over games—when health allows. The 25-year-old sustained a hip injury near the end of his explosion against the Packers and did not play in what was a far more discouraging loss for the team, a 27-20 home result against

VULTURES …

Jones is expected to be back in action for Sunday’s showdown in New Orleans as the Falcons hope to continue picking apart the NFC South. They are a well-documented 4-0 against the division and 1-9 against everyone else this season. Atlanta outlasted the Saints in a season-opening overtime thriller, edged the host Panthers 19-17 in Week 11 and swept Tampa Bay without any trouble.

No matter that New Orleans is coming off a 31-15 Monday night road blowout of Chicago or that Carolina is enjoying a two-game winning streak in the sudden aftermath of six straight setbacks; the Falcons—as they have done all year long—have to be eagerly circling over perceived weak competition. Once a dominant force in the Superdome, Drew Brees and company have lost four in a row at home after getting humiliated by the Panthers 41-10 on Dec. 7.

As for Cam Newton’s crew, it may be without its charismatic quarterback for the last two weeks of the regular season. A scary car crash earlier this month kept Newton out of last week’s win over Tampa Bay and as of Wednesday afternoon his status for any and all remaining games was unclear. Of course, the ongoing Newton saga will have no impact on the Falcons if they lose to New Orleans on Sunday. One game back of the Saints in the standings with two games left, the Falcons are facing a mathematical must-win scenario in the Big Easy.

“We can’t worry about anything other than this week,” Matt Ryan explained following the loss to Pittsburgh. “Sometimes that is playoff-type mentality. We know what’s in front of us. We know what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to win next week. We’ve got to have the best week of practice that we’ve had this year, prepare as best we can and cut loose when we get down to New Orleans.”

BETTER OFF DEAD? …

It is not, however, a must-win game for

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any fans in the business of craving a favorable draft position. If the season ended today, the Falcons would own the seventh pick next spring. Should they end up making the postseason, they would likely select 19th as the playoff team with the worst record (or perhaps even lower if they make a playoff run). A top10 spot can naturally come in handy if utilized correctly, as it was most recently when Atlanta snagged offensive tackle Jake Matthews at No. 5 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. The team still needs additional help up front to protect Ryan and block for Steven Jackson and on the other side of the ball, pass-rushing remains a glaring issue. Atlanta is dead last in the entire NFL with 16 sacks, two fewer than Cincinnati and—by comparison—a wretched 33 fewer than league-leading Buffalo.

But there is something to be said for making the playoffs, beyond just the obvious fact that everyone has a chance (for example, 10 wildcard teams have reached the Super Bowl since 1970 and Arizona made it after going a modest 9-7 during the 2008 regular season). These Falcons could not only qualify for the playoffs, but could also actually get a decent draw. In one scenario, they could host the Lions (to whom they lost at the last second in London), visit the Cardinals (if they win the NFC West) and then host the NFC Championship game against the Seahawks. Yes, the 5-9 Atlanta Falcons could host the NFC Championship.

In the words of the ESPN advertising campaign made famous in 2012: “It’s not crazy. It’s sports.”

Photos courtesy of Jon Barash and the Atlanta Falcons.

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Al Horford

Harry Douglas

Atlanta Hawks

Big Al has helped Atlanta win 11 of 12 games and hold an 18-7 record. Over his past five games the seven year veteran has averaged 18.4 points and eight rebounds. After starting off the season a little slow, Horford has begun to pick it up and looks healthy. The Hawks will need him this season if they want to win the division.

With Julio Jones ailing, the former Louisville Cardinal stepped up and caught 10 passes for 131 yards against the Steelers.

Though the Falcons lost, Douglas has not been the problem.

The reliable third receiver has 482 yards receiving this season and has been a steady option for Matt Ryan. Harry will play a key role moving forward this season as the Falcons continue their playoff push.

Off to their best start since 2009, the Hawks (18-7) have been beating teams with their tenacious defense and unselfish offense. Atlanta allows the seventh fewest points per game at 96.9 and is third in assists per game with 25.4.

Jeff Teague leads Atlanta with 7 assists per game while Paul Millsap anchors the defense with 2.21 steals a night, second in the NBA.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

DO OR DIE

Sunday is the beginning of the playoffs for the Falcons as they face the Saints to see who will win the NFC South.

This will not be an easy game because the Saints are coming off a big win against the Bears. The Falcons are still undefeated in divisional play, so I’ll go out on a limb and say the Falcons will find a way.

NEW CHAMPIONS

The high school football season came to an end this past weekend and seven new champions were crowed.

Congratulations to Mt. Paran, Hawkinsville, Benedictine, Calhoun, Buford, Northside-Warner Robins and Colquitt County for take home state titles. It was a great end to an awesome season and I know 2015 will be even better.

BACK AT THE DOME

And speaking of the 2015 high school football season, the Kell Classic will return to the Georgia Dome next season. The event had to be played at McEachern High school this past year because of a scheduling conflict with the Falcons. And like this past season, there will be seven games played on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.

JUST A LITTLE SHORT

The West Georgia football team was rolling along in the Division 2 playoffs, but they came up short against Colorado State-Pueblo in the national semifinals. The Wolves finished the season with a 12-3 mark under new head coach Will Hall. The future looks bright for the Wolves and along with Valdosta State, Division 2 football in Georgia will be fun to watch for years to come.

RED HOT HAWKS

Don’t look now, but the Hawks are a team to watch in the NBA. As of Wednesday morning, the Hawks have a 17-7 record and have won the last 10 of 11 games. They have done it with great ball movement along with solid defense. It also helps to have a healthy Al Horford who missed nearly all of last season.

WHO’S NOT

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Atlanta Falcons

NBA Rookies

Johnny Manziel

After sitting in the driver’s seat of the NFC South, the Falcons have hit a road block, dropping two in a row and finding themselves in third place.

Quarterbacks have thrown for a combined 687 yards in their past two games against Atlanta.

The Falcons have a monumental matchup at first place New Orleans this Sunday.

The much hailed NBA rookie draft class has gotten off to a rough start. Seven of the top eleven draft picks are currently injured, with Jabari Parker tearing his ACL most recently.

Parker joins Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, and possibly Aaron Gordon as top ten draft picks that are all out for the season.

Somewhere Sam Bowie and Greg Oden cringe.

The world was watching on Sunday as Johnny Football made his long awaited debut with the Cleveland Browns…

Cleveland fans probably wish they would’ve kept waiting. The 22-year old headline grabber was overmatched throwing for just 80 yards, two interceptions, and was sacked three times. The loss all but puts an end to Browns fans dreams of making the playoffs this year.

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

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SANITY AT LAST

WHAT TEAMS CAPTURED FIRST-EVER FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS LAST WEEKEND?

“I think it’s going to be a very interesting two weeks, not only for the NFC South, but all across the NFL. That’s what the schedule makers want. I think they have done a hell of a job doing it.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

- Mike Smith on the final two weeks of the season

1997

The last time the Hawks had a winning streak longer than nine games.

15

Wins for undefeated Colquitt County as they secured the state title for the second time in school history.

47

Years since a Cobb County school won the state title before Mt. Paran did on Saturday.

23.3

Scoring average for Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter which ranks third in the nation.

150

Yards receiving for Benedictine’s Brad Stewart who helped the Cadets win their first state title.

55

Unanswered points for Buford after trailing 10-0 to St. Pius.

687

Passing yards allowed by the Falcons in their past two losses.

28/1

Bovada’s current odds of the Braves winning the World Series.

Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 2014

DEC. 20 – 22

@MarvelOnTour © 2014 MARVEL

DEC. 26 – 28

MarvelUniverseLive.com

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HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

CHAMPS TOP FINAL FOOTBALL POLL, CORKY KELL SCHEDULE RELEASED

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

olquitt County captured its first state tiC tle since 1994 and remains No. 1 in Class AAAAAA with a perfect 15-0 season. Archer

jumped to No. 2 after dominating the first four rounds of the playoffs and finishing runner up.

McEachern re-entered the poll at No. 6 after inconsistencies during the regular season but a strong playoff push to the semifinals. North Gwinnett’s first round exit to Central Gwinnett dropped the Bulldogs to No. 9. Etowah debuts at No. 7 after a school-record 11-win season and first-ever semifinal berth.

In Class AAAAA, our preseason No. 1 Northside-Warner Robins reclaimed the top spot with a 25-18 victory over Mays for the Class AAAAA title. Allatoona and Stockbridge earn a spot in the top 4 and Jones County rounds out the top 5.

Buford was the wire-to-wire No. 1 in Class AAAA but there was still plenty of movement.

Cartersville’s freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence carried the Purple Hurricanes into the

semis and they make the leap to No. 2 in the final poll. Runner-up St. Pius moved up to No. 3.

In Class AAA, Calhoun toppled Washington County 27-20 in the championship and switched spots atop the poll with the Golden Hawks. Class AA preseason No. 1 Benedictine avenged the loss that initially dropped them from No. 1 this season by dominating GAC 4521 in the state title game. Benedictine returns to the top team in Class AA’s final poll and the Spartans (14-1) slide to No. 2.

Class A-Private state champion Mt. Paran retains its status at No. 1 while Class A-Public champion Hawkinsville takes over No. 1 for the first time this season.

Check out Page 11 for the final rankings.

CORKY KELL CLASSIC… The 2015 Corky Kell Classic matchups have been released and it will be a shuffle of last year’s two-day, seven-game event.

The first day (Friday, Aug. 21) will be held at

McEachern High School and will feature a double-header that will kickoff at 5:45 pm between Sandy Creek and Creekview. The Friday nightcap will pin 2014 Class AAAAAA runnerup Archer and North Paulding.

The five Saturday games will return to the Georgia Dome and open with a rematch of last year’s 9 am slot (Carrollton vs. Kell). Game 2 will tee off at 11:45 am with Gwinnett County’s Brookwood and Mill Creek and 2:35 pm kickoff sets up a battle between Norcross and Valdosta.

North Gwinnett will face defending Class AAAAAA state champion Colquitt County at 5:45 pm and the final game will be a rematch of this year’s quarterfinals between McEachern and Tucker.

TIL NEXT YEAR…

Congrats to this year’s seven state champions and to the state of Georgia for what was the most exciting season of high school football I have seen in my lifetime. Colquitt’s 15-0 season was incredible when looking at the amount of challenging opponents the Packers conquered. After six straight semifinal appearances, head coach

In the second half of Colquitt County’s 2824 win over Archer, quarterback Chase Parrish found Qwazavia Lee for his third touchdown pass of the game and put Colquitt ahead 2817. Archer answered right back with 2:56 left in the quarter on a 22-yard Dylan Singleton touchdown run but the Colquitt defense and Sihiem King’s ability to ice the game was too much for Archer to overcome.

King finished with 33 carries for 135 yards and his two-touchdown performance gave him his 18th trip to the endzone this postseason.

Parrish was efficient and made the necessary throws to keep the drives alive and finished an outstanding 17-of-22 passing for 190 yards and three scores to ensure Rush Propst and a record crowd finally saw the championship return to Moultrie, Ga.

After the game, a proud Propst told me and a small band of reporters this quote. “I did not save Colquitt County. Colquitt County saved me. They gave me my second chance.”

Watching a disappointed Archer team fall just short was tough, but seeing how much that title meant to Propst after all his success at Hoover was a special moment and there is no better team to represent the state’s highest classification as this year’s champs.

Mays vs. Northside-Warner Robins in Class AAAAA and Calhoun vs. Washington County in Class AAA gave us two incredible title games this past weekend. Buford’s 55 unanswered points en route to the Class AAAA team was more than impressive and Benedictine’s 45-21 revenge victory over GAC for its first-ever state title allowed us to watch superstar Brad Stewart make plays all over the field.

Hawkinsville won another sloppy game in a 15-6 vicotry over Irwin County and Mt. Paran became Cobb County’s first state champion since 1967 with its Class A-Private state title.

Photos courtesy of Terance Johnson, Sonny Kennedy & Jon Barash.

Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 2014

A young athlete’s brain is still developing, so don’t take chances with a head injury. Bring him to Children’s, where doctors have the expertise to diagnose and treat concussions. And with ImPACT testing, we can compare a patient’s progress to a normal baseline score to help determine when he’s ready to play again. To schedule a baseline ImPACT test for your athlete or team, visit choa.org/baselinetesting.

TM

©2014 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved.

TM

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MAN OF THE YEAR

MATT BRYANT KICKS IT OFF THE FIELD

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

W

atching Falcons kicker Matt Bryant kick a game-winning field goal is one of the safest bets in sports.

He never misses.

But Monday night at a nice sit-down dinner under a tent only a football’s throw away from the Chattahoochee River, I had the chance to see what this man is truly about.

For the second straight year, Bryant was named the club’s 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year, given to the Falcons player that truly shows his off-the-field commitment through his dedication to the community.

I was at last year’s Falcons Community Honor’s Dinner when Bryant won but this year was different. Only once before has a Falcons player won the honor in consecutive years, that Falcon being the popular and very giving Warrick Dunn.

Bryant, who will finish his career as one of the top kickers ever in the NFL, puts in an incredible number of service hours the entire year and is the “go to guy’’ for Falcons director of community relations Chris Millman, who likes to say, “I think he knows I am coming for

him when he see me walking into the locker room.’’

Before the game against Cleveland, I had a chance to walk off the field with Bryant after he finished his pregame warm-ups. I told how impressed I was with his giving back to the community. He simply said, “I love doing it.’’

Bryant, though, is not alone. Ever since the Falcons were bought by Arthur Blank they have become one of the top NFL teams when it comes to community involvement. From Blank on down, Falcons executive, players, coaches and staff can be seen giving back and through the building of the new stadium, the Westside Works program truly has a chance to revive a part of Atlanta that has been an eyesore for years. Maria Saporta, who I worked for many years with at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says Blank is calling it the “dual challenge” — building an “iconic” world-class football/soccer stadium and transforming the adjacent

And Blank, as usual, is backing it up Westside Works and his team’s community outreach with a lot of financial support.

On the team’s staff directory, their community services department has six people led by the very capable and aggressive Kendyl Moss, a team vice president. Moss, Millman and their team are also intertwined with the Blank Foundation and about every one on the club is brought in to help at different times, either with their hands or their specific expertise.

At the dinner Monday night, CEO and president Rich McKay, who with Blank at his side has become a strong advocate and public voice for everything Falcons, delivered an impressive message about the team’s community involvement and the different statistics he rattled off are pretty awesome. One included that this season Falcons players have logged over 780 appearances and 3,000 hours in the

community.

Bryant received the award Monday night from Dunn, who was the Falcons Man of the Year in 2003 and ‘04 and also won the NFL’s Walter Peyton Award in 2004. Also, other previous Falcons winners were on hand which included Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Matt Bosher, Buddy Curry, Brian Finneran, Corey Peters and Terance Mathis. The voting this season came down to Bryant, defensive Robert McClain, snapper Josh Harris and fullback Patrick DiMarco.

So while it is easy to pick on the team for their record on the field over the last two seasons, it certainly hasn’t distracted them from being even better neighbors.

There certainly is something to be said for that.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 2014 PUBLIX DRUMLINE COMPETITION

WESTLAKE WINS DRUMLINE CONTEST IN FRONT OF PACKED DOME

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

O

n December 14, 2014, the Atlanta Falcons partnered with Publix Super Markets to host the inaugural Publix Drumline Competition. Several schools entered to be part of the head to head on-field drumline competition during halftime of the Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh game. Two schools were selected to compete, while a third school was selected to perform at State Farm Falcons Landing. Cobb County’s Hillgrove High School came in third place. They were awarded $1,500 in Pulix gift cards to go towards their band program. All three schools selected got the opportunity to perform at Centennial Olympic Park and parade in the Falcons March prior to kickoff to rally up fans.

Westlake High School and Stephenson High School were selected as the top two contestants to battle one another for first place. While both schools brought fierce performances to thrill the sold out Week 14 clash with Pittsburgh, the Westlake High School

drumline was crowned as this year’s Publix Drumline Competition champion.

Formally known as “The Sonic Boom” and led by Ahmad Worthy, Lynel Goodwin and Cedric Young, the Westlake Drumline includes some of Atlanta’s finest young percussionists.

The Westlake High School Drumline received $3,000 while 2nd place runner-up Stephenson High School received $2,500 in Publix gift cards.

The Atlanta Falcons’ first drumline competition was a huge hit as fans were thoroughly engaged while cheering on both schools throughout the entire halftime show. This competition provided the exciting opportunity for high school students to perform in an NFL halftime show along with the contribution of funds to benefit the band programs. The Atlanta Falcons and Publix Super Markets look forward to repeating this new tradition in the upcoming years.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

Score Atlanta Final Football Rankings

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

Class AAAAAA

Class AA

1................. Colquitt County 2...............................Archer 3...............................Dacula 4................................Milton 5.............................Grayson

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

6........................ McEachern 7...............................Etowah 8................................Tucker 9.................. North Gwinnett 10...................... Lee County

6......................Ware County 7.....................................Kell 8..........................Creekside 9.................Houston County 10.............................. Coffee

Class AAAA 1...............................Buford 2....................... Cartersville 3...........................St. Pius X 4........ Woodward Academy 5................................Marist

6.....................Elbert County 7........................Hart County 8..................Central-Carroll 9....................Pierce County 10................................ Cook

6...................Brooks County 7.....................Heard County 8.................. Pace Academy 9....................Rabun County 10................. Macon County

Class A-Public

Class AAAAA 1...................Northside-WR 2..................................Mays 3...........................Allatoona 4...................... Stockbridge 5.................... Jones County

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

6..................... Dooly County 7.................Mt. Zion-Carroll 8.................. Lincoln County 9...............................Claxton 10...............Calhoun County

Class A-Private 6......................Sandy Creek 7................................ Griffin 8....................Mary Persons 9.................... North Oconee 10................................ Cairo

1.......................... Mt. Paran 2.............................Aquinas 3..................................ELCA 4.......................Calvary Day 5.......... Savannah Christian

6......................... Mt. Pisgah 7..........Landmark Christian 8...Prince Avenue Christian 9.................. Tattnall Square 10..............................Pacelli

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

BOBO TALKS WITH RAMS, BOWL PRACTICE HEATS UP

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

ednesday was the beginning of GeorW gia’s bowl practices, as they get ready for their December 30 matchup with Louisville. It seemed like storylines outside the game itself were what was on topic.

News came out on Tuesday night that offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was going to interview for the vacant head coaching job at Colorado State. Head coach Mark Richt addressed the report during his Wednesday press conference ahead of their first Belk Bowl practice.

“A couple of days ago I found out that Mike had that opportunity,” Richt said. “It’s obviously a very good job, very good opportunity for a guy to become a head coach. Mike is taking advantage of the opportunity to go visit, and right this minute he’s our offensive coordinator and we’re planning on him being here at practices.”

It is a little jarring to hear that Bobo is talking with another school and could have the possibility of leaving UGA. However, keep in mind Colorado State is talking with other coaches. Names like Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, and Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford have also been mentioned as possible candidates for the job.

GEORGIA STATE

LOGAN LEADS LADY PANTHERS; HOLIDAY SPIRIT APLENTY

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he women’s basketball team returned to T action and was carried to victory on the back of 6-foot-4 senior Brittany Logan. Georgia

State (4-3) took care of Tennessee Tech (1-7), 72-60. The Golden Eagles had no answer inside for Logan who finished with a career high 19 points while pulling down 16 rebounds and blocking three shots. She now has had three consecutive games with double digit rebounds and is averaging 9.7 points and 9.4 rebounds on the season. The Panthers held TTU to 29.4 percent shooting while shooting 46 percent themselves. Freshman Makeba Ponder had another strong game off the bench with 16 points and starting guard Kayla Nolan contributed 12 points in the winning effort. Head Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener was very pleased with the defensive effort saying, “We can be proud of the first-half defense and allowing just 17 points and we built a win from that.” Georgia State hosts the Holiday & Hoops Classic this Friday and Saturday with UMass, La Salle, and Ohio all visiting the GSU Sports Arena.

BELK BOUND…

Georgia started their bowl practices on Wednesday and will continue on until Saturday the 20th. Coach Richt is giving his team off until Christmas eve, when they will travel to Charlotte.

Practices will begin on Christmas Day and will go all the way up kickoff on December 30 against Louisville.

Mark Richt says that the game plan for Louisville will be slowly installed over the next few days of practice. The first few days are focused mostly on fundamentals.

LEONARD TO SIT…

The Bulldogs will be playing a man down for the Belk Bowl, with Mark Richt announcing that outside linebacker Leonard Floyd will miss the game.

“Leonard will not be available for this game,” Richt said. Leonard actually had some surgery yesterday to clean up his shoulder. We want to give him the maximum amount of time to be prepared for his (redshirt junior) year, so we’ve made that determination to do that.”

Last weekend, Mark Richt made an announcement at the team’s awards gala that he expects Floyd back for next season. He said the same thing about wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell and offensive tackle John Theus. He added that he expects outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins back.

No final decisions have been made. However, Richt said he made that statement after getting permission to do so from those players.

TIS’ THE SEASON ...

Friday afternoon saw GSU student-athletes take a break from their grueling finals schedule to give back to the community and spread some Christmas cheer to a group of local children. The Georgia State athletic department partnered with After-School All-Stars to collect gifts for children in need. After-School All-Stars is a program that provides after school programs for kids that allow them to have safe fun and also the opportunity to be successful in and out of the classroom. Student-athletes along with Georgia State mascot Pounce distributed the gifts at a Christmas party at City of Refuge near the GSU campus.

Georgia State student-athletes take pride in being a part of the Atlanta community. “As athletes, we have so much to be thankful for.

It’s important for us to share our Christmas joy with these kids, but it really brings more joy to us,” All-Sun Belt Conference baseball player Joey Roach said.

SUPPORT STUDENT-ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIPS ...

The Panther Athletic Club is seeking donations to help fund three scholarships by Dec. 31, 2014. The total needed is $75,000 and as of Dec. 12, already fifty percent of the goal has been raised. It costs Georgia State Athletics $5.7 million annually to fund student-athlete scholarships. Donations can be made either by phone, online, or mail. For more information please visit georgiastatepac.com.

GEORGIA TECH

GEORGIA TECH PREPARES FOR BOWL SHOWDOWN WITH MISSISSIPPI STATE

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

G

eorgia Tech enters the Orange Bowl with a 10-3 record and as anyone would expect of a Paul Johnson-coached triple-option offense, the Yellow Jackets are averaging an incredible 333.6 rushing yards per game (third most in the nation). This year’s ground attack is led by quarterback Justin Thomas (1594 passing yards, 965 rushing yards, 22 total touchdowns) and running backs Synjyn Days and Zach Laskey. DeAndre Smelter, the Yellow Jackets’ downfield receiving threat, is out for the season with a torn ACL so fellow wideout Darren Waller will have to step up if the team wants to have any semblance of a passing game in the Orange Bowl. Tech stunned in-state rival Georgia for the first time since 2008 and its 10 wins resulted in the program’s first postseason trip to Miami since the 2009 campaign.

ACC VS. SEC SHOWDOWN…

The Yellow Jackets will be facing one of the top teams in the nation this season with

KENNESAW STATE

WOMEN’S HOOPS WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT, MCALLISTER NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

I

t’s safe to say the women’s basketball team is on fire. The Owls have won their last five games and they now have an 8-2 record.

On Saturday, the Owls took on Jacksonville State and came away with a 67-65 win.

Jasmine McAllister scored on a layup with two seconds left in overtime to give them the win.

“It was a huge win,” head coach Nitra Perry told ksuowl.com. “After the game I found out they were a top-100 RPI team, so it was really big for us. It was a total team effort again.

Everybody that got into the game contributed.

Breonna Moseley led the Owls with 17 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five assists. McAllister registered her sixth doubledouble of the season with 17 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“This was the best game I have seen Breonna play all year and I have been on her and she really responded,” Perry said. “Jasmine had another double-double, so we are expecting it.”

The Owls then moved on to play Mercer on Tuesday and they won with ease 76-56.

Mississippi State. Thanks to a 9-0 start, the Bulldogs briefly attained the No. 1 ranking in the nation and quarterback Dak Prescott was a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. The hot streak included wins over LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn, all of which were in the top 10 at the time. However, the Bulldogs lost two of their last three contests, a respectable 25-20 setback at Alabama followed two weeks late by a much more disappointing effort in a 31-17 defeat at Ole Miss. MSU finds itself in the Orange Bowl for the first time since January of 1941 and Prescott is complimented by a defense that is 10th nationally at 19.4 points per game.

THE SKINNY…

The triple-option is tough to stop, but recent returns suggest opposing defenses have a much better chance when they have a whole month to prepare. Georgia Tech is 1-5 in bowl games under Paul Johnson (including a 2414 loss to Iowa in the 2009-10 Orange Bowl) and has been limited to 17 points or less on four of those six occasions. Mississippi State has the additional benefit of a defense led by Bernardrick McKinney and Preston Smith that is giving up just 126.5 rushing yards per game.

Whereas MSU slumped down the stretch, however, Georgia Tech played by far its best football over its last six games. The game is slated for New Year’s Eve at 8 p.m. at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

McAllister had another double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high four blocked shots. Kristina Wells paced the Owls with 20 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and six assists.

Perry pointed out that the most important player on the team was the one who did not have the numbers.

“At the end of the day I talk about the numbers and the statistics, but the intangible is Karly Frye,” Perry said. “Having a point guard that is never rattled and keeps the team composed is so vital. They started pressing us and with the team last year that deficit would have been cut in probably two or three minutes and I think just having Karly there was key in the victory. It does not always show in the statistics what exactly she does, but she has such a calming effect.”

The Owls will take on Gardner-Webb on Saturday at the Convocation Center at noon.

They will look for their ninth win of the season.

MCALLISTER HONORED…

Because of her play the last week, McAllister was once again honored as the Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Week.

McAllister game-winning layup against Jacksonville State gave the Owls their fourth consecutive win. She leads the conference in scoring (16.4 ppg), rebounding (11.2 rpg) and has helped the Owls to their best start in 10 years.

Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS TAME BULLS; STREAK STOPPED AT NINE

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

T

his past weekend the Hawks saw their nine game winning streak come to an end in the back end of a home-and-home against the Orlando Magic, but the Hawks picked up right where they left off on Monday. Atlanta (17-7) used 21 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists from Al Horford to squeeze past the Bulls, 93-86.

Paul Millsap added 17 points and 8 rebounds while Kyle Korver drained four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points. Korver is currently tied with Steph Curry for the league lead in 3-pointers made with 71.

Yet again, it was the Hawks defense that stifled their opponent. The Bulls managed to shoot just 37.6 percent and was led by Jimmy Butler’s 22 points on 17 shots. Even though the Bulls were without Joakim Noah for the fourth consecutive game with an injured ankle, Chicago managed to outrebound the Hawks 57-40 with Taj Gibson hauling down 17 rebounds to go along with his 15 points in the losing effort. The win marks one of Atlanta’s best of the season after playing a friendly schedule thus far. “Each

ATLANTA BRAVES

MARKAKIS UNDERGOES SURGERY, CUBAN OUTFIELDER SIGNED

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

ew right fielder Nick Markakis, whom the N Braves inked to a four-year, $44 million deal earlier in the offseason, underwent a planned

surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck on Wednesday. He is expected to need eight to 12 weeks of rehab.

“We were absolutely aware of all the medicals, MRI, everything that was there, stem to stern,” John Hart, Braves president of baseball operations, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “We had all the information. And the feedback that we got from all the people that we discussed this with, was that (Markakis) would be cleared either way (to be ready for Opening Day with or without surgery. The guy played (155) games last year.”

EARLY DEFICIT ...

First the Falcons flew to Barcelona instead of London (not literally, of course). Now the Braves are losing to Washington three years in the future (also not literally).

The most recent artistic rendering of SunTrust Park, set to become Atlanta’s new stadi-

night we want to have the same expectations, the same standards, no matter who we’re playing,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. “But it’s always good to be tested by some of the teams we’re going to be playing now.”

DOUBLE DIP Atlanta won a tight game last Friday against Orlando, 87-81. It was the first game of the home-and-home end of the week matchup that began in Atlanta and would finish in Orlando the following day. The win for Atlanta extended its winning streak to nine games; its longest since 1997-98. Paul Millsap lead all scorers with 23 points and received help from fellow big man Al Horford who scored 17. The fourth quarter was nip-and-tuck with the two teams tied nearing the half way point of the final period. Mike Scott hit a free throw with 7:11 remaining to give Atlanta a 70-69 lead that they would not relinquish.

Saturday night Tobias Harris and the Magic (10-16) got the better of the Hawks and ended their win streak on a Harris buzzerbeater, 100-99. The game was tight throughout, featuring 10 ties and 15 lead changes. Evan Fournier scored 19 and Nik Vucevic had 18. Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 24 points.

UP NEXT…

The Hawks tough slate continues after Atlanta stomped the Cavs 127-98 on Wednesday. The team will travel next to Houston to take on the Rockets Saturday.

um in 2017, shows the home team trailing the rival Nationals 6-3 in the second inning. As the center-field scoreboard indicates, each team has 10 hits and Atlanta has committed one error while Washington’s defense has been flawless. Not only would you think the Braves would want to depict themselves as winning, but you would also think they wouldn’t be losing to Washington. That’s one team they have always been able to beat—even last year.

CUBAN EXPERIMENT ...

Atlanta signed Cuban outfielder Dian Toscano to a four-year, $6 million deal on Monday. The package, still pending a physical that has not yet been scheduled, includes a fifthyear option that would be worth $1.5 million if exercised.

Toscano, 25, appears to be a long-term project whose most likely position for the Braves is left field. He has never played for the Cuban national team and therefore was under the Major League Baseball radar until he fled Cuba and made his way to the Dominican Republic earlier this year. The left-hander is expected to begin next season in the minors.

The Braves had been tinkering with the thought of a signing a far more well-known Cuban, Yasmany Tomas. The 24-year-old starred for a team in Havana over the past five seasons and also batted .375 in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Not surprisingly, however, Tomas was ultimately priced out of Atlanta’s budget and he recently signed a six-year, $68 million contract with Arizona.

ATLANTA FALCONS

TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS SETS UP PLAYOFF ATMOSPHERE

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Falcons came up short to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday 27-20 and dropped to 5-9 on the year. New Orleans sits ahead of the Falcons at 6-8 but an Atlanta win this week at the Super Dome would put the Falcons right back atop the division. In the most recent loss, the Falcons held Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell to less than 50 yards but a slow offensive start allowed Pittsburgh to jump to a 13-0 lead.

“We didn’t start fast on offense,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith said. “We were hitand-miss throughout the day.”

Matt Ryan was able to redeem himself after a pick six in the second quarter and orchestrated a nine-play 85-yard drive which ended with a Ryan 17-yard touchdown pass to Devin Hester. The Steelers marched down the field following the Hester touchdown and Bell ran in a 1-yard touchdown to cap off an 80-yard drive. Ryan later tossed a 4-yard touchdown to Roddy White and with that score, White be-

GWINNETT GLADIATORS

GLADIATORS SHOW SIGNS OF LIFE UNDER BRANDT

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

N

ew interim head coach Andy Brandt scored a surprising upset win in overtime in his coaching debut in Ohio against the secondplace Toledo Walleye, 4-3. The Gladiators came out like they had something to prove under their new coach. Tristin Llewellyn scored first at 9:09 of the first period when he nailed a wrist shot past Toledo goalie Jeff Lerg. Dyson Stevenson followed with another goal just three minutes later after he intercepted a shot from Llewellyn and took matters onto his own stick when he deked Lerg to give the Gladiators a quick 2-0 lead. After a Tyler Barnes goal for the Walleye, the Gladiators entered the third period clinging onto the lead. At 14:13 Dane Walters snuck a shot pass Mark Guggenberger to tie the game and send it to overtime. Bobby Hughes ended the game just 24 seconds into overtime when he scored on a 2-on-1 break against Lerg.

After the great win to kick off the Andy Brandt era, the Gladiators (7-13-1-0) quickly dropped three in a row including two games at

13

came the all-time franchise leader for touchdowns scored with 62.

“I really didn’t think about it,” White said.

“I was focused on the game and trying to get us a win. I want us to get to the playoffs have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl.”

JULIO’S IMPACT…

The biggest difference heading into New Orleans could be the health of Julio Jones.

Jones’ absence in the loss to the Steelers was noticeable considering the Pro Bowl receiver had just shattered the franchise single-game receiving record the previous week at Green Bay with 11 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. Jones is still labeled as questionable for Sunday. In the Falcons’ 37-34 overtime win over the Saints Week 1, Jones caught seven passes for 116 yards.

SEIZE THE SOUTH…

The Saints have lost their last four home games but have been able to top Pittsburgh and Chicago on the road within the last three weeks. Like the Falcons, inconsistencies have held back the Saints this year and it is a mystery what kind of New Orleans team will take the field on Sunday. One thing we can be sure of is a hostile environment with the NFC South title up for grabs. “I think it’s going to be a very interesting two weeks, not only for the NFC South, but all across the NFL,” admitted Smith.

home this past weekend. Gwinnett had an early 1-0 lead against Kalamazoo when Sean Berkstresser beat goalie Joel Martin 88 seconds in, but the Gladiators couldn’t come up with anything else and fell 4-1. The Glads out shot Kalamazoo 33-32, but could not solve Martin.

WORRISOME WEEKEND ...

On Saturday the Gladiators found themselves in a physical game with the Cincinnati Cyclones that featured two fights four minutes into the game. Tom Serratore and Bo Dolan dropped gloves at 1:50, and then Chris Reed and Anthony Perdicaro followed suit at 3:57.

The Cyclone went on to bang home three goals in the first period and then added a quick final goal in the opening moments of the second period. Tristin Llewellyn and C.J. Chartrain both notched goals in the third period for Gwinnett to end the scoring in favor of Cincinnati 4-2.

The South Carolina Stingrays stung the Gladiators for six goals Sunday afternoon defeating Gwinnett 6-3 and handing them their third straight loss. The Glads struck first with a Brenden Walker goal, but the Rays tacked on three goals to finish the first period. Bo Dolan notched his first goal of his career in the second period before the Rays would break the tie and cruise to victory.

UP NEXT…

The Glads try to get back on the winning track when they visit the Florida Everblades for games on Wednesday and Friday night.

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Vol. 10 Iss. 47 | December 19-25, 2014

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