Score Atlanta Vol. 10 Issue 32

Time to look great!

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 32 | SEPTEMBER 5-11, 2014

DIVING RIGHT IN Braves Meltdown | Pg. 4 Matthews Cason opines on the Braves’ problems at the plate.

Fall Sports Notebook | Pg. 8 We recap the latest happenings in cross country and softball.

The Falcons open their season with division-rival New Orleans. | Pg. 5

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Vol. 10 Iss. 32 | September 5-11, 2014

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

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ON THE COVER

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PREP COVER

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Black ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Marcus Nabors

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

Craig Sager II (Falcons, GSU) Kyle Sandy (Dream)

STAFF WRITERS Alex Ewalt Alex Ordu Jalisa Smith Darrin Heatherly

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SAGER SAYS

DAWGS STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT IN WEEK 1

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

not get to catch every college football game Ieraldid I wanted to this past weekend, but luckily sevquality hours in front of the television was

enough to satisfy my Week 1 appetite. High school and the NFL have some form of a preseason. We know college football does not and some teams are able to come out of the gates ready to roll while others are a work in progress.

Then, of course, are the cupcake matchups that pretty much are like preseason scrimmages.

Not much surprised me from this past weekend, but the way the Georgia Bulldogs played in that 45-21 beat down of Clemson did.

I knew the Tigers had taken a step back from last season, but the Dawgs did something that I have not seen in years. They continued making adjustments from the opening drive until

the final snap. Clemson was forced out of any offensive rhythm and the defense played with a confidence and unity that strengthened with each possession. Offensively, Georgia came out with the intention to run the football and continued to mix it up with a rotating backfield that looked impossible to slow down or adjust personnel for.

It was just one game and I think people would be quick to pencil in the Dawgs as the favorite to enter the inaugural four-team playoff, but there is absolutely enough talent on this team to represent the SEC, especially if the defense continues to bring that level of energy.

A passionate defense and a Heisman Trophy running back was the championship formula in Athens once before, so why not in 2014?

CASON’S CORNER

BRAVES OFFENSE HAS BEEN OFFENSIVE

BY MATT CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

rom the middle of the offseason through spring training, the talk surrounding the FBraves was of the dangerous lineup that they

would return from a 2013 squad that hit the most home runs in the National League while also scoring the fifth-most runs. When talks of the offensive progress being made by B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla began to stir, Braves Country was ecstatic over the possibility of returning their everyday lineup and putting up numbers similar to, or even better than, what they produced the previous season. It was the sort of hype that is seen around many teams with offensive potential meshing well together and producing prolific numbers while fans watch in awe and amazement.

When it comes to watching the current Braves offense, the only prolific numbers

come from the box scores of opposing pitchers. For the majority of 2014, it has been tough to tune into an Atlanta game and watch a lineup frequently swing at thin air, when everyone is well-aware that they have the potential to be great. As of Wednesday, the Braves hold one of the more anemic offenses in the game today. They have scored 514 runs, 29th in the MLB, rank in the bottom 10 in the league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and are currently in a slump where they have scored just six runs over their last four games, including being no-hit on Labor Day. Over that same period of time, from Friday to Monday, a highly-publicized “The Simpsons” marathon completed six seasons of episodes. This sort of thing would make any attentive Braves fan say “d’oh”.

BACKS FOR DAYS …

Todd Gurley, possibly the best player in the country had 15 carries, 198 rushing yards and three scores out of the UGA backfield.

While Gurley went to work on Clemson, other backs also got carries and took the spotlight.

Freshman Nick Chubb’s 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was sandwiched between two Todd Gurley touchdowns. Sony Michel was very active in his first-ever college game. The freshman carried the ball six times for 33 yards and also hauled in three receptions for 20 yards. Fans also saw Michel flying down the field on kickoff coverage and making a huge tackle in front of the sold-out crowd.

UGA is already stacking up an star-studded 2015 recruiting class and the freshman success seen on the field this past week will only help the Bulldogs. Freshman backs are sharing carries with perhaps the best player in the country and they getting put into situations made specifically to their skillsets where they are able to shine.

I watched Alabama’s less-than-spectacular 33-23 win over West Virginia on Saturday and its backfield rotation was the common two-headed attack. T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry took 40 of 43 carries out of the backfield and former Peach State star Kenyan Drake was the only other back to record a carry and he

saw just three touches for seven yards. Sitting on the Alabama bench were freshman running back Bo Scarbrough and former 2011 Georgia All-Classification Offensive Player of the Year Tyren Jones. These high school stars might not get touches for another year and they’ll have to beat out another class of blue chip running backs. We’ll see which loaded backfield gets it done this year.

GOOD EYE, BAD EYE …

Yet, the perspective cannot be fully understood by looking at already-awful numbers and twisting them awkwardly into pop-culture references. One must look at the Atlanta offense on a regular basis before seeing their two largest flaws: their chase rate and their overall ineptitude against any sort of pitching. When taking a look at Fangraphs.com, a baseball statistics website that breaks down the atoms of batting average, runs scored, etc., down to the nuclei that gives even more perspective inside the performance of a team and/or players. The Braves swing at 32.6 percent of pitches outside of the zone, seventh largest percentage in MLB.

Adding to that previous number, Atlanta only makes contact with 63 percent of those pitches swung at outside the zone, the fifthworst rate in the league. These are roughly the same figures from the 2013 squad that would chase just as much but launched balls out of the park with regularity, so what would the difference be? Looking at the statistic “pitching linear weights”, one that measures total runs above average that a team has contributed against a certain pitch, Atlanta is 18 runs below average against fastballs, a complete opposite from the 26 runs above average they were in 2013, while there is also a decrease in success for Braves hitters against curveballs and sliders.

WHAT TO DO …

The blame cannot be put on hitting coaches Greg Walker and Scott Fletcher, who have been credited for the work they’ve put in to make a punchless offense consistent. The teachings of Walker and Fletcher have proved effective for the guys willing to listen, such as Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton among that small crowd witnessing success, while guys like B.J Upton and Chris Johnson, among others, seem to abandon any resemblance of a hitting approach and swing at anything that comes close to the plate, usually to no avail.

What can be said for this Braves squad that currently cannot hit water if they fell out of a boat, and what can be done? The answer is not much, at least not with the current approach from Atlanta hitters. The playoffs start now for Fredi Gonzalez’s squad and for them to have any sort of taste of October baseball, there is a need for Atlanta to scrap the idea of them knocking opponents into submission with home runs. This is not 2013 anymore.

Now is the time for the Braves adapt to the situation and figure the best way to win ball games, or prepare to suffer a tumultuous September.

Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves/Pouya Dianat.

POWERFUL WEST …

Bama took care of the Mountaineers and the rest of the SEC West put up solid performances. Texas A&M was the most impressive as Aggies quarterback Kenny Hill scorched the Gamecocks for a school-record 511 yards and three touchdowns in their 52-28 win. Ole Miss used a 28-point fourth quarter to rally past Boise State 35-13 and Auburn outscored Arkansas 24-0 in the second half to take that one 45-21. Mississippi State demolished Southern Miss 49-0, and like Ole Miss, Bama and Auburn, LSU used a strong second half to grab the Week 1 win. Wisconsin led LSU 24-7 before the Tigers scored the final 21 points in a 28-24 win.

The SEC West looks as competitive as ever this season and no team should lose this week with a favorable schedule ahead.

Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.

Vol. 10 Iss. 32 | September 5-11, 2014

ON THE COVER

FALCONS HOME OPENER

SAINTS COME MARCHING IN FOR GRAND OPENING TO SEASON

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he 2014 NFL season could not come soon enough for Atlanta Falcon’s fans. At long last, it’s here. Technically, of course, every team in the league has been undefeated since the moment Seattle finished off its Super Bowl XLVIII blowout of Denver. In reality, though, an offseason is much tougher for a team coming off a 4-12 campaign than for, say, a Super Bowl champion. We here in Atlanta had to sit around for eight months with a 4-12 record.

We didn’t like it and, by the looks of things, neither did the team. The front office did not exactly go crazy in free agency, but it certainly addressed the parts of the roster that required some tinkering. The Falcons upgraded their defensive line with Tyson Jackson, Paul Soliai and rookie Ra’Shede Hageman, added offensive line help in the form of Jon Asamoah and first-round draft pick Jake Matthews and brought in arguably the most electric return man in league history in Devin Hester. Each

of those individual ingredients is enticing and inspires hope for both the immediate and distant future of this franchise. Now we finally get to see if the lump sum equals a return to past glories to which the Falcons have been accustomed since the beginning of the Mike SmithThomas Dimitroff-Matt Ryan era in 2008.

NO BIG EASY …

It won’t take long to figure out what we have on our hands with these Atlanta Falcons, because up first on the 2014 schedule is a visit from NFC South-rival New Orleans this Sunday. Since Drew Brees arrived in the Big Easy from San Diego in 2006, the Saints have perennially been among the favorites to win the division, the conference and even the Super Bowl. This year is no exception. The Saints, who have compiled no worse than 11-5 records in three of the last four seasons, are coming off an 11-5 campaign in 2013 and have their roster

largely intact.

The test presented by this particular opponent will be an especially tough one for Atlanta’s defense, specifically the line and the secondary. Perhaps in no other regular-season game of 2014 will it be more important to put pressure on the quarterback and contain passcatchers. Brees, of course, is back for a ninth season in New Orleans. Speedy running back Darren Sproles is gone, but Brees still has Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas at his disposal in the backfield plus Marques Colston at receiver and Jimmy Graham in the tight end slot. Arguably the most feared man at his position in the entire NFL, Graham has the skill-set of a wideout plus the size and physicality of a tight end (he actually petitioned to get paid as a wide receiver instead of a tight end in arbitration hearings this summer, but lost his case).

“Drew is a great quarterback,” Falcons’ defensive coordinator Mike Nolan told reporters at a recent practice. “He’s a Hall of Fame QB; he hasn’t been voted in yet, but there’s no question the guy is going in. He’s awesome. He’s a great one to compete against; if you’re a competitor, that’s who you want to go against and I think our players feel the same way. He’s very good at recognizing the blitz. He’s very good at getting rid of the ball, avoiding the sack in the pocket.

The challenge is there, not only from a scheme standpoint, but more importantly from a player’s standpoint and when it gets down to it, the players are the guys that want to make the plays and have to make them.”

The Saints finished fourth in the league in total offense last season, which is nothing out of the ordinary. Where they surprised, however, was on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan arrived in New Orleans in 2013 and instantly revitalized a unit that had finished dead last—with room to spare—in the NFL in total defense one year earlier. Under Ryan, the Saints’ defense allowed just 305.7 yards and 19.0 points per game (both good for fourth best in the league). Safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper have since departed along with linebacker Jonathan Vilma, but the team brought in safety Jairus Byrd via free agency.

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“Their front, how hard and consistent their front plays, the consistently-good play of their middle linebacker (Curtis Lofton) and obviously they have the new addition of Byrd at free safety,” Atlanta offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter told the team’s website when asked what stands out about the Saints’ defense. “It’s a rivalry game against a great defense and we know that it will be a great challenge for our guys, but one that everyone is looking forward to.”

THE TRENCHES …

The Falcons and Saints are no strangers to boasting some of the best skill-position players in the league. In the trenches, though, it has not always been the same story for these two franchises. Perhaps to an even greater extent than in most games, that is exactly where this one could be won and lost.

Matthews is getting thrown into the fire at left tackle as a result of Sam Baker’s seasonending knee injury last month. As a result, the sixth overall selection in this year’s draft will have the task of dealing with Saints’ defensive end and sack-master Jordan Cameron—who brought down opposing quarterbacks 12.5 times last season and 20.5 times over the past two years. The Falcons allowed 44 sacks in 2013 (10th most in the NFL) and saw their quarterback get hit on exactly 100 occasions (tied for fifth most). When Atlanta has the ball, the same tackle-end matchup will pit the quick-footed but inexperienced Terron Armstead of the Saints against Kroy Biermann and Jonathan Babineaux of the Falcons. Atlanta, which generated only 28 sacks last season, knows better than anyone that giving Brees time in the pocket is a recipe for disaster.

A Week 1 loss to an opponent widely expected to reach the playoffs would not qualify as a disaster, but as far as season openers go, they do not get much bigger than this. The Falcons have demons to erase and statements to make after the relative debacle of 2014. What better way to do it than at the expense of a bitter rival?

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

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Todd Gurley

Justin Thomas

Kasey Kahne

If you were Between the Hedges this past Saturday, boy, were you in for a treat.

The star junior rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries to lead UGA to a season opening win vs No. 16 Clemson. He also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Talk about sprinting into the Heisman race.

The sophomore quarterback accounted for 353 total yards as Georgia Tech trounced Wofford. Surprisingly, most of the young quarterback’s damage was actually done through the air passing for 282 yards and two touchdowns hitting on 11 of 15 attempts. Thomas seems like the rare true dual-threat quarterback that Paul Johnson has coveted for so long.

His third victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway seems to be his sweetest to date. Kahne won the Oral-B 500 in a drama filled race this Labor Day Weekend. The victory marks his first in the Sprint Cup Series this season and punches his ticket to be one of the final drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

RISE UP

The NFL season in finally here and the Falcons will take on the Saints at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. The Falcons need to win this game in order to prove to the fans that this is a bounce-back season and 2013 is way in the rear-view mirror. I can’t wait to see these two teams go at it.

TOP TEN DAWGS

After a dominating performance against Clemson, the Bulldogs have climbed up to No. 6 in the AP poll and No.8 in the USA Today/Amway Coaches poll. The Dawgs are off this week so they will have a chance to rest before they face South Carolina. After the way UGA played on Sunday, is there any team that can stop them?

BREAKING GROUND

The Braves announced on Tuesday they will break ground on their new stadium on Sept. 16 at 11 a.m. The ceremony will take place at the site near the northwest interception of interstate 75 and 285 and it will not be open to the public. I missed the Falcons’ groundbreaking ceremony, so I’ll see if I can catch this one.

TWO IN A ROW?

After getting a big win last Wednesday against Abilene Christian, Georgia State will try to make it two wins in a row when it faces New Mexico State. The Panthers made a lot of mistakes in their first game but they found a quarterback in Nick Arbuckle, which is something they have been missing the last couple of years.

WAR IN FULTON

It’s going to be another great week for high school football and the one game that is buzzing is Lovett traveling to Dunwoody to take on Marist. Lovett is coming off an upset loss to Westminster while Marist is coming off a win against Godby (Fla.). Be sure to check out scoreatl.com for updates on that game as well as every game across the state.

WHO’S NOT

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Atlanta Braves

Wes Welker

Ra’Shede Hageman

Atlanta’s late summer swoon has continued. The Braves were no-hit on national television on Labor Day by the last place Philadelphia Phillies.

They have mustered just one run in their past four games and are barely clinging onto wildcard aspirations. The offense now ranks 29th out of 30 teams in runs scored. This is not why we chop!

Wes has had a rough month.

While Welker was waiting to get cleared to return to practice after a concussion, news dropped yesterday that he will be suspended for four games after testing positive for the drug ‘Molly’. At the Kentucky Derby, Welker was under the influence and was throwing around $100 bills to those in attendance.

The rookie defensive tackle has gotten a lot of criticism during the Falcons’ Hard Knocks series. D-Line coach Bryan Cox has rode him constantly as the hot head has made mental mistakes and immature decisions. Just this weekend Hageman got into a kerfuffle with center Joe Hawley. The rookie suffered a hairline fracture and his impact in Sunday’s game is now in question.

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

PRIOR TO LAST WEEK’S VICTORY OVER ABILENE CHRISTIAN, WHO DID GEORGIA STATE’S LAST WIN COME AGAINST? ANSWER ON PAGE 14

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SANITY AT LAST

“I remember watching Herschel Walker returning kickoffs on television. You see that kind of thing with a dominant player or a dominant back. Obviously (Gurley) is hungry to do it.”

- Georgia offensive special teams coordinator John Lilly on Todd Gurley returning kicks.

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Freddie Freeman’s batting average in 61 at-bats this season again the Marlins

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Touchdowns by Todd Gurley against Clemson

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Georgia Tech’s lead over Wofford at halftime

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Points allowed by UGA’s defense in the second half

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Day until the NFL regular season kicks off

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Tommy John surgeries for Braves reliever Johnny Venters

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Philly pitchers it took to no-hit the Braves

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Spots UGA jumped in the AP poll after its win over Clemson

FALL SPORTS

ABLAN TOSSES DUAL NOHITTERS; PIUS HARRISON WIN AT CLARA BOWL

BY STEPHEN BLACK AND RICKY DIMON

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manda Ablan enjoyed an incredible run of dominance last week, hurling consecutive no-hitters for Brookwood in shutouts of Parkview and Shiloh. The Broncos beat Parkview 4-0 last Tuesday as Ablan struck out 10 batters and walked just two. Ablan returned to the mound for another 8-AAAAAA contest last Thursday and blanked Shiloh in a 4-0 victory. She walked only one hitter and struck out 15, once again in seven innings of work. The junior also helped herself at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI against Parkview before getting two more hits against Shiloh.

Providing additional run support for the first no-hitter were Kayla Louie (3-for-3, two runs scored) and Chelsea Twardoski (two RBIs). In Thursday’s game, Kamryn Tillman went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Lanier scored a pair of victories last Saturday, 3-0 over Baconton Charter and 16-0

at the expense of Chestatee. Cameron Dillard pitched a complete-game shutout in the former contest and got support at the plate from Maygan Loparo (2-for-3, one double, one RBI) and Makenzie Wismer (2-for-3, one RBI).

Against Chestatee, both Kirsten Laughlin and Julianna Gracia knocked in three runs and Isabelle Petty went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Longhorns went 4-0 overall last week, having previously taken care of Gainesville 8-1 and Salem 12-7. Wismer went 4-for-4 with five RBIs against Salem.

Buford, the top-ranked team in Class AAAA, improved to 12-1 overall in 2014 and 1-0 in region competition after rolling through three games last week. The Wolves beat Lambert 8-0 via a sixth-inning mercy rule last Monday. Senior pitcher Bria Bush tossed her third complete game of the season and recorded her second shutout. She allowed only

two hits and one walk. Baylee Sexton went 4-for-4 with one RBI, four runs scored and four stolen bases. Two days later, junior Kennedy Kotula took the mound for Buford and befuddled North Gwinnett in a 9-1 Wolves’ victory.

Kotula went the distance and surrendered just three hits, no walks and one unearned run. At the plate, fellow juniors Brianna Gutierrez and Drew Puckett went deep; Gutierrez twice and Puckett once.

The Wolves made their Region 8-AAAA debut last Thursday and it did not last long.

Bush (three innings pitched, no hits, no runs and five strikeouts) was back on the bump and North Gwinnett had no answers in a 12-3 Buford victory. Gutierrez, Sexton, Alexus Murray and Tessa Daniels all drove in two runs. Next up for the Wolves is another region game at North Hall on Tuesday.

HARRIER HEAVY …

The St. Pius X boys and Harrison girls won at the Clara Bowl Invitational Saturday at Berry College. The Golden Lions were paced by four runners who finished in the top 10, while Harrison had two girls place in the top five.

Quintin Miles of North Hall won the boys race at 16:18 while Sam Costa of Mill Creek took second with a time of 16:19. Stephen Martinez of St. Pius X, Jonathan Schwind of Lambert and Nik Calia of St. Pius X rounded out the top five.

In the girls race, Pope’s Ashley Kehoe took first with a time of 17:58 while Serena Tripodi of Lovett came in second with a time of 18:01.

Hannah Petit of Mill Creek, Kira Stanley of Harrison and Mattie Rountree of Harrison rounded out the top five.

East Jackson won the boys race at the 12th Annual Runaway meet at Jefferson after placing three runners in the top four. Chase Kennedy of East Jackson won the race with a time of 16:17 while Tyler Barber of Mill Creek came in second with a time of 16:18. Noah Hulett of East Jackson, Chandler Kennedy of East Jackson and Bobby Tucker of Mountain View 17:05.96.

Mountain View took second place while Archer, Apalachee and Jefferson rounded out the top five.

Athens Christian won the girls meet ahead of Mountain View, Jefferson, GAC and Morgan County. Sue Anne Moralis of East Jackson won the race with a time of 20:43.40 ahead of second-place finisher Tanner Guest of Athens Christian. Elizabeth Gunther of Athens Christian, Abby Kettle of GAC and Alyssa O’Neill of Mountain View rounded out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Walter Pinion and Sonny Kennedy.

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Vol. 10 Iss. 32 | September 5-11, 2014 ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

HARVICK DOMINATES NATIONWIDE, KAHNE CAPTURES PLAYOFF SPOT AT AMS

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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t was an exciting and memorable weekend with Atlanta Motor Speedway catching the attention of racing fans around the world. Drivers and NASCAR fans alike knew that Atlanta was going to host one of the most important races of the season on Labor Day weekend.

Racing enthusiasts across the nation were able to sit down with family and enjoy the Great Clips 300 to Benefit the Children on Saturday and the Oral-B 500 on Sunday.

HARVICK HOLDS OFF LOGANO …

The appetizer leading up to Sunday’s big Sprint Cup race was the Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 race. It was dominated by Kevin Harvick, who led 159 of the 195 laps and cruised into the winner’s circle. Harvick’s win was a historic one, making it his third Nation-

wide win at Atlanta Motor Speedway and tying him with Mark Martin for the track’s all-time record. Joey Logano finished second, while reigning Nationwide Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson placed third. After staying in striking distance for the majority of the race, Logano tried to make a move late but ran out of laps before he could catch the leading Harvick.

When asked about his late push, Logano said, “The last six, seven laps the light switched turned on and I started catching him and I just ran out of time. I wish there [were] five or seven more laps. I could have got to him and tried to do something with him. We were catching him two to three-tenths a lap there at the end, having some fun with it, but (it was) too little, too late.”

Saturday’s win marked Harvick’s third Na-

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tionwide victory of the season. He was asked about his success at Atlanta Motor Speedway and commented, “It’s just one of those race tracks where I like the challenge of everything you get to do here, and (crew chief) Ernie (Cope) and I have found a great setup here over the years. It’s still working today. This thing was bad-fast. The car was flawless.”

four new tires from their pits, while Paul Menard

KAHNE IS ABLE …

The main course for the weekend was everything fans could have hoped for: a drama-packed tight race. After two attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, Kasey Kahne was able to repeat his past successes in Atlanta and cement his place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with his first win of the season.

Sunday’s crucial late season victory is Kahne’s third career win in Atlanta. After his big win Kahne said, “It was just an unbelievable way to make the Chase and to win at Atlanta… it’s a tough track, a track that I love going to.”

The final laps were where things started to get messy and the drama picked up. With Kahne leading the pack, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. got caught up with one another and wrecked, causing the first green-white-checkered attempt. Almost all of the leaders opted to get

335 laps. As racing fans know, though, it is the

and Matt Kenseth decided to only get two. This decision allowed the two drivers to start the race back out front. Menard was slow at the restart, causing a collision with Harvick—the pole winner and Great Clips 300 winner. Harvick much like during his win on Saturday, looked to be in control of the race while leading 195 of the final lap that is the most important to lead. The crash sent both drivers to the showers earlier than they had wanted.

As the final lap finally resumed it was

Kenseth and his worn tires, Denny Hamlin and Kahne all in the hunt. When the last green flag finally waved, Kahne knew it was now or never to make his move and try and seal his place in the Chase. He shot past Hamlin and set up a final two-man race along with Kenseth. The two worn tires Kenseth had decided to leave on ended up hurting him down the stretch as Kahne with his fresh wheels was able to speed past and claim one of the elusive final spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup along with the Oral-B 500 trophy and an oversized toothbrush.

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

GEORGIA OFF TO BLAZING START ON FOOTBALL FIELD

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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t doesn’t get much better than a 45-21 win in your first game of the season; especially not when that win comes against a rival in Clemson and when that Clemson team is ranked inside the nation’s top 20.

KEYS TO THE GAME …

That was the case this past weekend in Athens, where Georgia was able to go on a 24-0 run in the final 30 minutes of the game to seal win No. 1 of the season. The player of the game was no doubt running back Todd Gurley with his 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Plus he took a kickoff 100 yards for another score. He broke a total-yardage record that was previously held by former Bulldog great Rodney Hampton, who amassed 290 yards in a game.

The defense, meanwhile, seemed to live up to the expectations that coordinator Jeremy Pruitt brought with him to Athens after successful stops at Florida State and before that

GEORGIA STATE

EXPLOSIVE PASSING GAME ENDS PANTHERS’ WOES

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Panthers kicked off the college football season with a dramatic 38-37 win over Abilene Christian last Wednesday night, good for the program’s first victory since the 2012 season. Will Lutz’s game-winning 26-yard field goal with four seconds left saved what would have been another heartbreaking defeat and a 17th consecutive loss. Panthers’ quarterback Nick Arbuckle was clutch and led a 72-yard drive in the final 2:45 to set up the kick. Arbuckle converted two fourth-down passes and ran for a 30-yard gain to put his team in fieldgoal range.

A JUCO transfer from Los Angeles Pierce College and an experienced 6-foot-2 passer, Arbuckle had no trouble settling into his new role. He finished 31-of-47 passing for 413 yards and four touchdowns. Krysten Hammon sparked Georgia State’s ground game with 13 carries for 74 yards. Jonathan Lytle added the only rushing score of the game on a two-yard goal-line dive. Joel Ruiz (111) and Lynquez Blair (118) each eclipsed 100 yards receiving and

Alabama.

The first half of the game did not go the defense’s way, with Clemson posting more than 270 yards of total offense and 21 points.

The other number that stuck out was the converted third downs. The Tigers moved the chains seven times out of 13 on those third downs in the first half.

The second 30 minutes, however, told a different story—with Georgia only allowing 15 total yards of offense. In the fourth quarter, it seemed like Pruitt must have given his players the same speech that Will Patton’s character in the movie ‘Remember The Titans’ delivered to his defense, in which he said he didn’t want the other team to gain another yard. Clemson, in fact, did not gain another yard in the final 15 minutes on only nine total plays in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore outside linebacker Leonard Floyd’s 2014 got off to a strong start with seven tackles, two sacks and two tackles for a loss.

Not to be overlooked is the play of senior inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera with his 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks.

NEXT UP …

The Bulldogs will try to keep the great things on the field going following a bye week when they head into a huge rivalry game with South Carolina. That showing in Columbia could determine who is in the driver’s seat to reach Atlanta as champions of the SEC East.

Robert Davis turned in a solid eight-catch, 90yard receiving performance. Blair was often criticized for his work ethic and entered his senior year with just 145 yards receiving and zero touchdowns.

“I don’t have any more time,” Blair told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I need to be a leader to the younger guys. I needed to step up.”

Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski added, “An old coach once told me to believe what you see. He (Blair) started showing up in the spring and once again in the fall.”

Plenty of other receivers were involved and Avery Sweeting added a 41-yard touchdown catch with 14 second left in the first half.

Ruiz’s pair of touchdowns came on a 34-yard first-quarter reception and a nine-yard forth quarter catch. Blair caught Arbuckle’s other touchdown pass on a 27-yard reception to open the fourth quarter. Georgia State enters Week 2 with the 10th most passing yards per game in the nation thanks to Arbuckle’s 413yard performance.

DOME COOKING …

Georgia State is opening this year with three consecutive home games and the New Mexico State Aggies will be in town for Game 2 of the home-stand. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. and the Panthers enter the Sun Belt showdown as a rare favorite. New Mexico State is coming off a 28-10 win over Cal Poly.

GEORGIA TECH

THOMAS LEADS AERIAL ATTACK IN TECH VICTORY

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

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ehind a strong performance from quarterback Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech survived a scare in its season opener at home as it defeated the Wofford Terriers 38-19 last Saturday. Thomas led the way, completing 11 of 15 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a team-leading 71 rushing yards even though the redshirt sophomore experienced some speed bumps in his first collegiate start. With Tech up just 7-3 at the two-minute mark in the first half, the Alabama native unleashed three incomplete passes, forcing his team to punt. That gave Wofford a scoring opportunity on which the visitors cashed in to gain a temporary 9-7 lead.

“First half, I missed a few routes that could have been the difference; overthrew them a little bit,” said Thomas. “In the second half I calmed down a little bit and made the throws I was supposed to.”

This was undoubtedly true, as he completed all six of his pass attempts the rest of the way for 202 yards and two scores.

KENNESAW STATE

FOOTBALL TEAM TAKES AN ADDITIONAL STEP WITH UNIFORM UNVEILING

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

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he football program has made plenty of strides the last year and a half. A head coach has been found, which has led to a full coaching staff. The stadium is set along with the schedule for the inaugural 2015 season.

The Owls are currently practicing to get ready for next year and they will have a scrimmage on Oct. 1 to give the fans a glimpse of what they can expect when their team takes the field.

But what will the Owls be wearing when that happens? That question was answered last Thursday, when the athletic department unveiled its football uniforms during an event held on campus. KSU president Daniel S. Papp, athletic director Vaughn Williams and head coach Brian Bohannon were on hand for a ceremony that included a 15-foot gold jersey and three different uniform combinations.

The three jersey and pants colors were gold, white and black. Black and gold jerseys featured gray numbers while the white jersey featured gold numbers. The white and gold jer-

WAKE UP …

Head coach Paul Johnson surely did not expect his team to win by just a 19-point margin over Wofford, a team whose 1,600 student enrollment is third smallest among all FCS schools. However, it was a better outcome than what could have been the case at halftime— when Tech led just 10-9. The seventh-year coach decided to get the adrenaline pumping early in the third, going for conversions on two consecutive fourth-down situations, including a fourth-and-1 on his team’s own 37. Tech was successful on both tries during a momentumchanging drive that put the Yellow Jackets up 17-9 on their way to a dominant second half.

“I wanted to jump-start our guys; it was like they were sleep-walking,” Johnson explained.

I’LL PASS …

Fans of Georgia Tech football tune into games expecting a run-heavy offense with little passing success from the Yellow Jackets.

That was hardly the case against Wofford, as the team passed for more yards than it gained on the ground (228). It was the seventh such occurrence in Johnson’s 80-game tenure at Tech. The responsibility for this performance can be attributed to Wofford’s effort to shut down the run.

“They were kind of committed to stop the run so we needed to throw the ball,” Johnson said.

seys had Kennesaw State written on the chest with black lettering while the black jerseys had gold lettering. The pants have a “KS” logo sewn on the left leg. Jerseys are currently available to buy at the bookstore for $60.00.

BATTLE AT TROY …

The soccer team took part in the Trojan Classic this past weekend, when it took on Troy and South Alabama. Kennesaw State faced Troy on Friday and despite losing the possession battle in the second half to the Owls, the Trojans were able to hold on for a 1-0 win. Troy scored six minutes into the contest and the defense did the rest. The Owls had six shots in the match but none of them were on goal.

KSU looked to bounce back on Sunday when it went up against South Alabama. It looked like it was going to be same story for the Owls as the Jaguars scored four minutes into the first half. However, Maggie Gaughan answered with pair of goals to give the Owls a 2-1 win.

“The team showed tremendous fight, tremendous courage and played very well,” head coach Rob king told ksuowls.com. “It was a great team effort and it took everybody to win the game.”

Kennesaw State will now travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take part in the Blue Raider Classic. It will face Austin Peay on Friday and South Florida on Sunday.

Vol. 10 Iss. 32 | September 5-11, 2014 ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH ELTON BRAND

BY MATTHEW CASON | MCASON@SCOREATL.COM

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tlanta is beginning to round out its 15-man roster with team training camp looming just a month away and there have recent rumbles about the Hawks bringing back unrestricted free-agent-center Elton Brand. The 15–year veteran spent the 2013-2014 season in a reserve role for Atlanta, mainly providing a mentor presence to Mike Budenholzer’s young squad. Brand appeared in 73 games, averaging 5.7 points and 4.9 rebounds during 19.4 minutes per game. While the production on the floor may be limited, the 35-year-old brings an abundance of leadership and experience to a growing group of players that can set a foundation for consistency in later years.

SCHROEDER UPDATE …

The 2014 Eurobasket Championship quest for Germany and Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroeder has come to an end after his team failed to finish second or better in group play.

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES NO-HIT, SCORE ONCE IN FOUR GAMES

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he Braves won three games in a row last Wednesday through Friday, but the brief winning streak quickly gave way to what was a new low in a season mired by offensive struggles. In a futile four-game stretch from last Saturday through this Tuesday, Atlanta crossed the plate a grand total of one time. That’s right; four games, three shutouts, one run. The Braves actually won the contest in which they scored, 1-0 over visiting Philadelphia this past Sunday thanks to an eight-inning, 12-strikeout performance by Alex Wood.

Scoring no runs in a game is one thing, but getting no hits in a game is an entirely different matter altogether. The Braves did both on Monday, as the Phillies’ Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon combined for a no-hitter in a 7-0 shutout of Atlanta. Hamels issued five walks in six innings before the Braves went down in one-two-three fashion in each of the last three innings against the three relievers.

However, the Germans are set to participate in the 2015 edition for their finish near the middle of the group rankings and they hope to carry the firepower that they portrayed against Luxembourg back on Aug. 27, when they destroyed their opponents 118-66. Schroeder was largely quiet in that contest, scoring 10 points on 4-of7 shooting, but he dished out seven assists, a personal-high during tournament play for the guard. This wrapped up a fine tournament for the third-year player. For the overall event he averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting at a 57 percent clip from the field, including 43.5 from three-point range.

PAC-MAN FEVER …

Fans that walk into Philips Arena for a Hawks game may find a unique logo sitting in the middle of the court that, for those born before the Atlanta Braves last won the World Series, would consider a blast from the past.

Atlanta has been said to be looking at reincorporating the logo into the Hawks’ brand and it may seem to have already started in the video-game world. A screen snapshot for EA Sports’ NBA Live 15 was sent out through Twitter depicting in the inside of Philips Arena that includes the old-school “Pac-Man” logo at the center of the court. This retro logo was primarily used from 1972-1995 before reappearing as a secondary logo during the 2014 NBA playoffs when Atlanta took on the Pacers.

“We had a couple of guys in scoring position,” third baseman Chris Johnson explained in his postgame interview. “Just wasn’t our day offensively and hopefully tomorrow we can turn it on. It just feels like a loss, no matter if we get 20 hits or zero hits. We lost one; we’ll come out tomorrow and try to win one.”

The Braves did not, although their bats did erupt for three hits even though they once again put up a goose-egg on the scoreboard in a 4-0 setback. Atlanta hosted Philadelphia for one more game on Wednesday (results not available at press time) before embarking on a nine-game road trip through Miami, Washington and Texas as it looks to wake up the bats— and the win column.

WILD-CARD RACE …

With six games remaining against the Nationals, the Braves (72-67) are not out of the NL East race. A seven-game deficit, however, was the second largest margin in baseball’s six divisions as of Wednesday afternoon. Like it or not, attention should be focused more on the wild-card race.

Although Atlanta has done nothing to improve its own standing in the National League playoff picture, it is getting plenty of help from its rivals for a possible No. 2 wild-card spot behind San Francisco. Milwaukee (73-65) has lost seven in a row and Pittsburgh (71-67) is 7-12 in its last 19 games, including 0-3 in its last three.

ATLANTA FALCONS

SAINTS ARRIVE FOR MUCH-ANTICIPATED OPENER

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons have faced the Saints more times than any other opponent in the NFL and this Sunday will mark the two rivals’ 91st meeting. Close games highlight this rivalry and nine of the last 11 contests with the Saints have been decided by one score.

Offensively, the Saints continue to pass the ball at a historic rate. Quarterback Drew Brees is second all-time in pass attempts per game with 36.6. Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan edged Brees for the first time in his career last year with 651 total pass attempts to Brees’ 650. Tight end Jimmy Graham is the New Orleans’ biggest and most productive offensive weapon and the 6-foot-7 target is coming off a year in which he recorded 86 receptions, 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game in the NFL last year with an average of 194.1 yards surrendered. Pass-rushers Cameron Jordan and Junior Galette helped the

ATLANTA DREAM

AN ALL-TOO-EARLY SEASON RECAP FOR THE DREAM

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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ith Atlanta’s dream season failing to come to fruition, it is time to look back and recap the success that was accomplished during the 2014 campaign. Let’s start with the team’s winning record. Atlanta finished at 1915, tying the franchise’s second-highest win total. This year marked Atlanta’s first regularseason Eastern Conference title even though it had won the Eastern Conference Finals three of the past four years. With all the great regularseason success (.550 winning percentage if you throw out the 4-30 inaugural season), the Dream—much like their big-brother counterparts in this city—have struggled to get over the hump in the postseason.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” I don’t personally think Aristotle had the Atlanta Dream in mind when he coined this phrase, but it can still be applied to teams today. The leader of the team was none other than six-year veteran Angel McCoughtry. Even

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pass coverage with consistent quarterback pressure and the duo contributed 24.5 of New Orleans’ 49 sacks last year.

Head coach Sean Payton and the Saints were 8-0 at home last season but were 3-5 on the road, so his team looks to match its home success while hitting the road harder this season. The offensive line built around Brees remains a strength of the team. Terron Armstead was promoted to left tackle this offseason. Armstead was the lineman that clocked a record-setting 4.71 40-yard dash at the 2013 combine. Zach Strief was re-signed at right tackle and the 6-foot-7 lineman is joined by Pro Bowl guards Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs and center Jonathan Goodwin. Goodwin spent the 2006-10 seasons with New Orleans and returns to the Big Easy after spending the last three years (2011-13) with San Francisco.

SEASON FINALE …

The fifth and final episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” aired Tuesday night. The episode ended with a look at the future of the franchise and the anticipated 2017 season with the new stadium. Tough roster cuts were made and Ra’Shede Hageman’s long camp under the strict eye of defensive line coach Bryan Cox turned out to benefit the second-round draft pick. Most importantly, the final episode proved that the show was no distraction. The team handled it well and now it’s on to the regular season.

though McCoughtry’s 18.5 points per game scoring average was the lowest since her rookie season, she was still able to help the team lock down its first-ever No. 1 seed in the East.

The continued growth of third-year guard Tiffany Hayes (12.9 ppg) and the arrival of rookie and all-star game MVP Shoni Schimmel (8.3 ppg) helped lessen the ball-handling and scoring load put forth on McCoughtry’s shoulders.

Coach Michael Cooper also had reliable stalwarts Erika de Souza (13.8 ppg 8.7 rpg) and Sancho Lyttle (12.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg) to bang inside and do the dirty work for the Dream. In her second year with the team, guard Jasmine Thomas saw her minutes (17.5), field-goal percentage (.323) and points per game (4.8) drop from previous years.

COOPER TROOPER …

Though the season came to a disappointing end, fans must reflect on the most important battle that has been fought this year; Cooper vs. tongue cancer. On July 21, Cooper found out that he showed signs of early-stage tongue cancer. He subsequently had to leave the sidelines for a handful of games. One could argue that his absence sent the Dream into their downward spiral as the team sputtered to a 4-9 finish after starting 15-6. As the official offseason looms, it is important to understand that some things are bigger than the game and that we all must continue to root for coach Cooper in his battle against cancer.

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Vol. 10 Iss. 32 | September 5-11, 2014

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