Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Issue 21

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 21 | JUNE 5-11, 2015

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

A DEFENSIVE BROTHERHOOD A New Chapter | Pg. 4 Hawks prepare for first draft after record-setting season.

Bigger & Better | Pg. 8 The second Corky Kell 7-on-7 returns with massive 25-team pool.

Paul Worrilow and Justin Durant eye leadership roles at linebacker | Pg. 5

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Vol. 11 Iss. 21 | June 5-11, 2015

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

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Sandy MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

BEAT WRITERS Ricky Dimon (Braves) Brian Jones (KSU) Dan Mathews (UGA)

Craig Sager II (Falcons)

Kyle Sandy (Hawks, GSU,

G-Braves) Colin Hubbard (Tech)

STAFF WRITERS Avi Goodfriend

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Copyright 2015 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published in print every other week on Fridays and a digital version is posted to ScoreAtl.com in-between print issues. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

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

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP IMAGES, SONNY KENNEDY AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS.

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Visit our website, ScoreAtl.com, for the final rankings of each spring sport as well as stories on each of the baseball finals from the past week.

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On ScoreAtl.com, we will continually be updating you, our readers, on the progress of the Falcons this offseason as they move towards the 2015 season. We will have reporters at OTAs as well as training camp and Friday Night Lights.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com with the Nets. They will do so this year by swapping their No. 29 pick for Brooklyn’s No. 15 pick, a substantial jump in terms of talent available.

AVI’S TWO CENTS

HAWKS LOOK AHEAD TO NBA DRAFT

BY AVI GOODFRIEND

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he Hawks know that this isn’t a time to sit around and lament their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, but rather look to improve over the offseason. One of the first orders of business will be the contracts of Demarre Carroll and Paul Millsap, who will both become free agents this summer. It’s been made clear that the Hawks organization would love to have both players back, but each will certainly want to see what their market price might be.

“I think looking at different options, looking at this team, looking at what we’ve built thus far, in weight my options I can’t make a decision right now,” said Millsap. “It’s been a long series, a long year for me and the team. Let things die down, cool off, relax and think about it a little bit. We are a family, this team is close, it

will play a lot into the decision.”

Both Millsap and Carroll know they will get substantial raises this summer, whether it come from Atlanta or another team, but the general feeling around the organization is that they want to be here. With Horford, Teague and Korver all returning next year, the two free agents have a lot of reason to stick around this organization.

However, the same roster as last year won’t be enough to get the Hawks where they want to go. The 2015 NBA Draft is on June 25, and the Hawks look to add depth to what was a pretty shaky bench throughout the postseason. Thanks to the Joe Johnson trade that was made with the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, the Hawks reserved the right to swap 2015 picks

and win the game 7-5. It looks like, if anything, this year’s West coast trip will not doom the Braves’ season as it did last year.

ROCKET CHIP SAYS

NEW-LOOK BRAVES HOVERING AT .500

BY CHIP POGUE

he Braves have a very different look to T them after all their offseason activity this year, as we saw many familiar faces depart

and many new ones arrive. Craig Kimbrel was shipped off to San Diego, helping the Braves relieve Melvin Upton’s contract from the books. In has stepped Jason Grilli to the closers spot, and he is actually outperforming Kimbrel in both saves and ERA so far this season. The Braves also sent Georgia native Jason Heyward to the St. Louis in exchange for starting pitcher Shelby Miller. Miller has been the best pitcher on the team so far this year, with an ERA of 1.48. Atlanta also added names like Cameron Maybin, Jonny Gomes, Juan Uribe and Alberto Callaspo.

Atlanta is in the midst of their 10-game

POTENTIAL HAWKS 2015 DRAFT PICKS…

So who should the Hawks take with their No. 15 overall pick? This draft class is considered to be relatively deep, and the Hawks have the first non-lottery selection in the draft, meaning there will be legitimate talent sitting on the board at 15. It’s clear that there is a need for more interior size to go with Horford and Millsap. The Hawks need someone to do the dirty work by rebounding, blocking and just reeking havoc in the middle. Rebounding was a weak point for Atlanta this season, and that was exposed in the series against Cleveland, with the Cavs outrebounding the Hawks 208157 over the four games. Wisconsin C Frank Kaminsky comes to mind, as he led his team to a national title appearance, and displays graceful athleticism for a man of his size. He can also shoot the long ball, which will only benefit Atlanta under the system that Coach Bud is running so well.

Another big man for Atlanta to consider is Texas C Myles Turner, especially if Millsap walks. Turner is a big, physical power forward

west coast road trip, a trip that all but ended their season last year. Last year’s west coast trip included stops in L.A., San Diego and Seattle. The Braves went 0-8 on that trip. This year’s excursion from the A started a bit earlier than last season, and it began in a similar fashion as well. The Braves dropped the first two games of the road trip to the Dodgers before salvaging a 3-2 win in game three. The next stop was San Francisco where the Braves again dropped the first two of the four game set, but this seemed to be a wakeup call for them. They took the last two games from the Giants including a thriller in game four when 2B Jace Peterson, who was also acquired in the Kimbrel trade, hit a triple with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to cap a huge comeback

HOVERING AT .500 ...

During spring training, the Braves were almost a shell of what they were last season, even with a slew of new players. With last season’s team finishing the season four games below .500 and 17 games back of the Nationals, that wasn’t going to cut it. Once the season began, though, it became clear that the blueprint for winning this season would be very different than that of last year’s campaign. The Braves are normally known for dominant pitching, and this year it just hasn’t been there for them. The team ERA last season was a solid 3.34, and with any level of hitting production the Braves would have won the division. This year has been almost the exact opposite. The hitting has been there for the most part but the pitching hasn’t been, outside of Shelby Miller.

The result of this balance of production is a record that has hovered around .500 for the better part of the season.

Julio Tehran, the Braves’ young ace, has struggled mightily this season. His previous two seasons have seen him post ERA’s of 3.20 and 2.89 respectively, this year his ERA is a 4.87.

with a polished offensive game including a nice mid-range game. People have compared him to Lamarcus Alridge, and believe that this freshman can be molded into a solid NBA player.

Even if Carroll decides to stay, he is the only small forward on the roster with any offensive game. Big names like Arizona’s Stanley Johnson, Duke’s Justice Winslow and Mario Hezonja from Spain will most likely be off the board, but there are some intriguing players to be had in the mid-first round. Bobby Portis from Arkansas looks to be NBA ready and can flat out score. In a conference that features Kentucky, who sent seven players to the NBA draft after beginning this season 38-0, it was Portis who took SEC player of the year honors after averaging 17.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Of course, there is also Georgia State’s R.J Hunter, whose stock has been rising since his magical tournament performance. His game revolved around the perimeter shot, but he’s shown, even when he’s double-teamed which he often was, he can make shots. He will almost certainly be there come pick 15, but would Atlanta snatch up the hometown kid if they had a chance?

Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.

In 11 starts he’s already given up 12 homeruns, putting him on pace to give up 36. He only gave up 22 all of last season in 33 starts. For a young man that is considered an ace by many, those numbers simply aren’t good enough and his performance has to pick up in order for the Braves to be successful. Tehran isn’t the only Braves starter to struggle, as Eric Stults was sent down to the minors earlier this year when he started the season 1-5 and gave up as many earned runs as he had strikeouts. His replacement William Perez has been solid for the Braves, posting a 2.66 ERA so far this year with three starts already under his belt.

The Braves will need more pitching like that of Miller and Perez if they want to get above the .500 mark. The good thing for Atlanta is that the second-place Mets have slightly cooled off since the start of the season, as they looked to be unstoppable through the first 20 games. In addition, the division-leading Nationals were recently swept by the Reds, with the run total favoring the Reds 21-9 over those three games. The Braves still have a lot of work to do this year if they want to compete with the top teams in the National League.

Photo courtesy of AP Images.

Vol. 11 Iss. 21 | June 5-11, 2015 take your chances and where you can cheat a little bit in the alignment is a huge benefit.”

ON THE COVER

ATLANTA FALCONS

BATTLE FOR STARTING TIME INTENSIFIES WITH LINEBACKER CORPS

BY KYLE SANDY & CRAIG SAGER II

I

t was unfortunate news for the entire organization when police confirmed Prince Shembo’s direct involvement to the death of his ex-girlfriend’s dog, but after his swift release, the remaining cast of linebackers has the leadership and traits needed to boost the position this year. This will be one of the most competitive position battles of the offseason and two guys looking to not only earn starting jobs, but become the spearhead of the defensive side of the ball are Justin Durant and Paul Worrilow.

The competition we expected to see within many key positions this offseason will only continue to intensify with each passing week, but if any player on this team is up for the challenge, it’s Worrilow

This is the exact type of environment the three-year pro has thrived in throughout his football career and the he plans to attack this offseason no differently.

“You always feel like you have something to prove each offseason,” Worrilow said. “And when you have a new coaching staff, that is going to weigh on your mind. You don’t have any credit. Everyone is coming in at the same level and we are all competing for spots.”

TACKLING MACHINE…

Worrilow has led the team in tackles each of his first two seasons, compiling 270 combined tackles in his 32 games, but the corps of linebackers around him this offseason are the deepest it has been since the former Delaware Blue Hen was signed as an undrafted rookie in 2013.

On March 10, when Atlanta added outside linebackers Durant and Brooks Reed, it boosted the total to 11 linebackers on the active roster.

“You always feel that pressure of competition, especially with a big group, but it just makes everybody that much better,” Worrilow said.

Coaching the linebackers is 38-year-old Jeff Ulbrich, who left his defensive coordinator position at UCLA to become the Falcons linebacker coach this season.

Ulbrich played 10 seasons with the 49ers and the intensity of the young assistant is great for thishighly-competitive battle for playing time.

“He is very intense,” Worrilow said when describing Ulbrich’s coaching style. “You can feel the intensity in our meeting room when he is explaining things and he’s been through it.

Anything he is telling you, like where you can

WELCOME TO ATLANTA…

One of the Atlanta Falcons’ newest linebackers, Justin Durant signed on March 10 after having one of his best pro seasons cut short in 2014 while with the Dallas Cowboys. The nine-year veteran saw his season end in Week 8 when he suffered a bicep tear.

Durant was flourishing in the absence of Sean Lee with a team-leading 49 tackles and was named defensive captain. Coming off the injury, he is happy to get back to what he loves during OTAs.

“It felt great,’’ he said after joining his new team on the field Tuesday. “I had limited reps and I had to go back in there and tell them I wanted more reps, but I understand I have to be patient.”

Durant is no stranger to adversity and overcoming the odds. He graduated from Wilson High School in Florence, S.C., in 2003 and enjoyed great success, but was only rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com. Justin decided to follow in the footsteps of his oldest brother, Keshawn, and attend a MEAC school.

When all was said and done, Durant ranked second in Hampton school history with 353 career tackles. In 2007, Durant was selected 48th overall in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

BROTHERLY LOVE…

Brothers Darian and Keshawn Durant enjoyed successful football careers on the opposite side of the ball as quarterbacks and have helped Justin along his journey through the pros.

Darian was a standout quarterback at North Carolina and is a two-time Grey Cup champion in the Canadian Football League. Eldest brother Keshawn played under center at South Carolina State and is an author and speaker.

Learning the game of football from his brothers was essential in Justin’s growth as a player, but there were also some pitfalls.

“Earlier it was tough because I had some big shoes to fill and the pressure got to me a little bit at one time, but after that it’s been special,” Durant said. “My brother Darian, I learned so much from him by just watching him and what he went through. His work ethic that he has, he’s instilled a lot of that in myself.”

Watching his older brothers lead teams from the other side of the ball gave him an idea of how to lead a defense.

“I always watched how they ran their teams,” Justin said. “I kind of adapted that to my game. I may lead a different type of way but it’s definitely a part of me.”

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With two older brothers both having success on offense, Durant knew he was ready to make his mark on the opposite side of the ball.

He tried fullback during his freshman year of high school but fell in love with defense once he made the switch.

Now an experienced veteran, Durant sees how everything comes together from manning the middle of the defense and how integral communication is, saying, “We all have to be on the same page at all times and if one person isn’t communicating the right way or doesn’t hear a call, it could be a big play.”

Even though Durant has established himself as an everyday player, the way of getting to this level and continuing to improve each year has been a slow and steady process.

“It’s been the work that I’ve been putting in; just trying to get better every day,’’ he said.

“We have some great coaches teaching me different things and I’m learning a lot still.”

The invaluable knowledge and support Justin has gained from his two older brothers have helped him forge a long playing career with a work ethic that won’t quit. In his first year with the Falcons, Durant will look to add the same leadership and hard work he has brought everywhere he has played to a Dan Quinn-influenced defense.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons and AP Images.

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Shelby Miller

UGA Recruiting

Dansby Swanson

The 24-year old starting pitcher has been spectacular this season. He has started with a 5-2 record and a 1.89 ERA. Miller was involved in the trade this offseason that dealt Jason Heyward to St. Louis and looks like the Braves have come out on top of that deal.

Ranked as the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC, the Bulldogs have seen major success in locking down major in-state targets including DT Julian Rochester, OT Ben Cleveland, OT E.J. Price, DE Chauncey Manac and five-star QB Jacob Eason, the No. 1 quarterback in the nation.

The Marietta High School product is expected to be the top overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a junior, Swanson is batting .350 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs. Swanson hopes to lead Vanderbilt to a second consecutive college World Series Championship this year.

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

NEW LOGO

The Hawks unveiled two new permanent logos earlier this week. The primary logo features the Pac-Man insignia with Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club circled around it, while the secondary logo features a basketball with two wings. I dig both of them and can’t wait to see them on the new uniforms.

NEW QUARTERBACK

It has been confirmed; the Bulldogs are recruiting Virginia quarterback Greyson Lambert to be an important asset to the team this upcoming season. Lambert, a Wayne County native, started in nine games for the Cavaliers last year. He will be eligible to play for the Bulldogs this season after he graduates from Virginia. It will make the quarterback battle real interesting.

WELCOME BACK

The Falcons are in the middle of OTAs and Atone Smith made his return on Tuesday after breaking his leg late last season. Smith was one of the more explosive players on the roster, and he will fight for the starting running back spot with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.

The running backs have a chance to do big things this year for the Falcons.

GOODBYE PRINCE

While in came Atone Smith this week out went Prince Shembo who is no longer with the team. The linebacker from Notre Dame was arrested last week for allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog. Shembo has had is off-thefield issues, so as a result, the Falcons decided to let him go. Good move by the Falcons as they don’t need this type of distraction.

KSU FOOTBALL ON TV

Thanks to a partnership with WUPA-TV, the first home game for KSU football will be on televised. The game will be played on Sept. 12 at 4 p.m., which will draw a lot of viewers due to it being the schools first home game, ever.

I will be attending the game; however, it will be exciting for viewers to be able to see the Owls on television.

WHO’S NOT

By Cole Erickson

WHO’S HOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Atlanta Hawks

Braves Bullpen

Prince Shembo

Hawks had a record setting year amassing 60 wins in the regular season and making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they were no match for Cleveland and Lebron James who swept the Hawks in fourstraight games. Key injuries in Thabo Sefolosha and Kyle Korver held the Hawks back during post season.

The Braves have been getting great run support with an average of 6.2 runs per game. However, the bullpen has struggled late in games.

Pitchers Nick Masset, Cody Martin, Trevor Cahil and Brandon Cunniff have struggled. Fredi Gonzalez blames middle relief pitching for recent blown games.

Second year Falcons linebacker Prince Shembo was recently cut from the team after he was charged with killing his former girlfriend’s dog.

Shembo was charged with felony-aggravated cruelty to an animal. The second-year player from Notre Dame finished his Falcons career with 59 total tackles including two tackles for a loss.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Craig Sager II

Our email newsletter is something we take a lot of pride in at Score. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a high school sportsheavy publication that we produce each day to fill in our readers on the latest happenings in Georgia prep sports. We send it out Monday through Friday throughout the year and Monday through Saturday during the fall.

Not only do we cover popular sports like football, basketball and baseball, we also cover every other varsity sport the GHSA fields. If you like Georgia high school sports at all, sign up for our email newsletter by visiting www.tinyurl.com/scorenewsletter and enter your email address(es) that you’d like added to the distribution list.

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TRIVIA QUESTION

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SANITY AT LAST

WHAT TEAM WON THE FIRST-EVER CORKY KELL 7-ON-7 TOURNAMENT?

“We are aware of the charges that have been filed against Prince Shembo. We are extremely disappointed that one of our players is involved in something like this.

Accordingly, we have decided to waive Prince Shembo.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

- Atlanta Falcons on releasing Prince Shembo.

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Teams competing in this year’s Corky Kell 7-on-7 Tournament

2

Weeks until the second Corky Kell 7-on-7 Tournament

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Atlanta’s first selection in this year’s NBA Draft

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Weeks until the 2015 NBA Draft

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Players currently on the Atlanta Hawks roster

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Players currently on the Hawks’ roster that were drafted by Atlanta

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Weeks until the Corky Kell Classic

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Weeks until the Falcons season opener with the Eagles

Vol. 11 Iss. 21 | June 5-11, 2015

SEMIFINALS

Wednesday, July 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA

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CORKY KELL 7-ON-7

CORKY KELL 7-ON-7 TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO EVEN BIGGER STAGE BY: CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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ith 14 teams and seven games spanning over two days of action at McEachern High School and the Georgia Dome, the 2015 MetroPCS Corky Kell Classic presented by Great Clips stands as the biggest high school football kickoff event in the country. But before the football season begins with the 24th installment of the Classic on Aug. 21-22, the highly-competitive atmosphere of 7-on-7 tournaments tests the physical and mental conditioning of the coaches and players, while giving individuals a chance to rise in the recruiting ranks and teams to earn bragging rights and momentum heading into the season. This year will mark the second annual Corky Kell 7-ON-7 Tournament, which has grown into one of the largest single-day events of the offseason.

The tournament will be held in the City of Roswell at the Roswell Area Parks Football Complex located at 10495 Woodstock Rd., Ro-

swell, GA 30075. The complex has three new football fields with ample parking and pavilion areas. Games will also be played at Blessed Trinity and Roswell High School stadiums.

The Corky Kell Classic is proud to sponsor this event as eight teams will arrive Thursday evening to participate in a passing league beginning at 6:15 p.m. at the Blessed Trinity and Roswell High School stadiums.

The tournament excitement kickoffs on June 19 at 9:30 a.m. and will last until approximately 4:30 p.m. We will see reigning Corky 7-ON-7 champion Archer square off with 24 other teams after taking first place in last year’s 15-team pool.

Archer defeated McEachern in the finals of last year’s tournament and led the way for Gwinnett County teams that dominated the action. Norcross, Archer, Mill Creek, Brookwood, North Gwinnett and Collins Hill went a

combined 21-4 against teams from outside of the county in last year’s tournament and will each be returning to this year’s field.

Archer returns as one of this year’s headliners and is one of 12 teams from the 2015 Corky Kell lineup that will play in the 7-on-7 tournament. The Tigers are joined by Norcross, Mill Creek, Brookwood, North Paulding, Carrollton, Sandy Creek, Creekview, North Gwinnett, Tucker, Kell and defending Class AAAAAA state champion Colquitt County.

The 13 other teams include out-of-state powerhouse Byrnes (SC) and Gwinnett County’s Peachtree Ridge and Collins Hill. Roswell, Centennial, Blessed Trinity, Cartersville, Mays, Glynn Academy, Houston County, Cherokee, Walton and Gainesville make up the remaining field.

The tournament will attract a lot of recruiting attention as some of the top prospects in the state will share the field. Roswell’s hardhitting linebacker Tre Lamar stands 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and the 7-on-7 format will give recruiting experts a chance focus on his pass coverage abilities. With the fast pace of these tournaments and quick turnaround of games, team depth and conditioning is also exposed, and it gives a good indication of which teams have been hitting the offseason conditioning hard. Coaches are able to practice making adjustments quickly as different opponents are stacked one after another and they get

valuable time watching their players compete against some of the top athletes in the country.

Archer’s Kyle Davis is one of the Peach State’s most prized Class of 2016 prospects and did it all in the Tigers’ offense last season as a receiver and running threat. Davis will star in the offense once again with new starting quarterback Will Bearden for the first time.

North Gwinnett’s towering wideout Josh Imatorbhebhe committed to USC in May and is the No. 21 rated senior in the state. Other top receiving prospects like UGA-commit Darion Anderson of Houston County will challenge a deep lineup of highly-recruited defensive backs participating in this year’s tournament.

Peachtree Ridge brings four-star cornerback Chad Clay (UGA-commit) and the No. 1-ranked Class of 2017 prospect in the state in cornerback Deangelo Gibbs. Archer will also have safety Isaiah Pryor, the No. 6 ranked Class of 2017 prospect in the state.

For the past 23 years, teams have used the unparalleled experience gained while competing on the massive stage of the Corky Kell to achieve greatness during the remaining season and the second Corky Kell 7-ON-7 tournament aims to give its 25 participating teams these same experiences and opportunities as the much-anticipated 2015 football season quickly approaches.

Photos courtesy of Sonny Kennedy.

Vol. 11 Iss. 21 | June 5-11, 2015

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.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 11 Iss. 21 | June 5-11, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

UGA ADDS QUARTERBACK AND SCHOTTENHEIMER ADDRESSES MEDIA

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

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ast week news broke that Virginia Cavalier quarterback Grayson Lambert was contemplating a transfer to his home state school.

Wednesday the news became official, when the Wayne County High School product tweeted out the news.

“Go Dawgs,” Lambert tweeted.

The tweet also had a picture of the state of Georgia with Bulldog players in a huddle and the saying, “always remember where you’re from,” written underneath.

Lambert was a 2014 team captain for the Cavaliers as a sophomore and threw for 1,632 yards with 10 touchdowns in nine starts last season. He is a junior eligibility wise and thus will graduate from Virginia this summer, making him eligible to play right away.

Even before the news came out this afternoon about Lambert transferring to Georgia, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was asked what bringing in the junior signal-caller would mean to the on-going quarterback battle.

“It speaks to the fact we’re trying to cre-

GEORGIA STATE

NEW STADIUM PLAN HITS ROADBLOCK

BY AVI GOODFRIEND

T

he $300 million plan to re-develop Turner Field has caused uproar with the locals that live in the area. The proposal was made roughly 13 months ago by Georgia State in partnership with Carter, a real estate company out of Atlanta. They want to turn Turner Field into a combination of stores, restaurants, student housing, apartments and up to two athletic stadiums. The locals simply want more say as to what is put in their backyards. Longtime residents of the area are concerned that an abundance of college students may have a negative effect on the neighborhood.

“None of us want to live on frat row,” said one Summerhill resident. They would like to see more family friendly establishments like Publix, Whole Foods and higher-end restaurants found in other residential parts of Atlanta.

For the time being, however, the Georgia State football program has made strides in their nutritional and strength programs, an area of major concern when the team was

ate competition,” Schottenheimer said. “You’re talking to a guy who’s played the last two years in the NFC West with two and three different quarterbacks a year. Unfortunately injuries are part of the process, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s a quarterback or an offensive line, we’re trying to create competition. Again we think that leads to guys raising their level of play, raising the standard. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Lambert was being looked at by Florida, Colorado State, Fresno State and South Alabama as well to name a few of the potential landing spots for his services.

SCHOTTENHEIMER ADDRESSES MEDIA ...

New Georgia offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been busy trying to get caught up in this offense, since he took the job this past January. Wednesday provided the first opportunity for him to address the media since taking the job.

Right off the bat, the first thing Schottenheimer was asked about what he’s looking for out of the quarterback’s during summer workouts.

“Looking for the leadership,” Schottenheimer said. “Looking for these guys that are hungry, I want to see the guys obviously around the building, spending time and putting in the work. Obviously there’s a lot of work to be done between now and the first game.”

Schottenheimer also added during his availability that he and head coach Mark Richt are in agreement that they would like to find one quarterback to start for this team.

first established in 2010. Practice schedules and eating hours have been adjusted so that players can more easily consume three meals a day, and the new state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center is getting closer to being finished. According to Head Coach Trent Miles, all that is left is to win. “We’ve just got to win football games,” Miles said on Tuesday.

“There’s a plan, a good plan…our young men are ready to start winning football games. We have the size and talent to start winning.”

The improvements in strength and conditioning should bode well for the return of allconference tight end Joel Ruiz, who caught 39 passes for 478 yards and three touchdowns last year as a junior. He didn’t practice this past spring after undergoing surgery on his knee, which he hurt last season. Ruiz says it’s his intention to play every game this season.

R.J HUNTER HEADLINES WORKOUT ...

On Wednesday morning, Hunter was one of six players to work out in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Utah Jazz. Easily the most sought-after prospect at the workout, Hunter was joined by Arizona PG T.J McConnel, Gonzaga G Gary Bell Jr., Colorado G Askia Booker, Arizona State G Shaquielle McKissic and UNC Greensboro F Nick Paulos. At 6’6” with an astonishing 6’10” wingspan, Hunter is an attractive pick. Though, at only 180 pounds, he will need to display excellent shooting and show that it wasn’t his lack of competition in the Sun Belt conference that made him so good.

GEORGIA TECH

GEORGIA TECH RUNNING BACK DENNIS ANDREWS DISMISSED FROM TEAM

BY COLIN HUBBARD | CHUBBARD@SCOREATL.COM

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eading into 2015, the Yellow Jackets were very thin at the running back position, and they just got a little thinner as Dennis Andrews was dismissed for a violation of team rules.

This was not Andrew’s’ first encounter with rule breaking. Andrews was suspended for the first two games of 2014 for violating the school’s conduct policy for student athletes.

This comes as big loss for the Yellow Jackets. Andrews along with Broderick Snoddy were the only two A-backs returning to the team with significant playing time.

At the 2015 Spring Game in April, Andrews rushed for 37-yards and a touchdown on just three carries.

Andrews was penciled in as a sure-fire starter at the A-back position for Georgia Tech, but with his Monday dismissal, the Yellow Jackets will turn to Snoddy with redshirt freshmen Clinton Lynch and Qua Searcy behind him.

Snoddy will be asked to be the leader of the bunch, and will be expected to make a big

KENNESAW STATE

KSU INAUGURAL HOME FOOTBALL GAME TO BE TELEVISED ON CW69

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

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ith kickoff to the football season less than 90 days away, Kennesaw State fans, students and alumni are getting excited about the football team taking the field for the very first time.

However, the first game will not be at home, it will be in Johnson City, Tenn. as the Owls will face East Tennessee State on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The Owls will face Edward Waters on Saturday, Sept. 12 for their very first home game.

Fans have awaited the game time for weeks now and thanks to a partnership with WUPATV the time has been release. The first home game will start at 4 p.m., and it will be televised on the aforementioned station.

“We are extremely excited and grateful to join forces with CW69 to televise the inaugural Kennesaw State home football game,” KSU Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams said in a press release. “The airing of this historic game on CW69 is a tremendous opportunity to

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impact, but nothing is certain as Snoddy is recovering from a gruesome broken leg in 2014.

The Yellow Jackets were far from short at the A-back position in 2014, but Georgia Tech saw Charles Perkins, B.J Bostic, Deon Hill and Tony Zenon graduate.

The Yellow Jackets will also have three true freshmen to look at to fill their void. Nathan Cottrell, Omahri Jarrett and TaQuon Marshall could see time at the position, but it is unclear whether or not Marshall will start his career at A-back or quarterback.

There is no word on Andrews’ plan moving forward. But one thing’s for sure, the Yellow Jackets are quickly running out of options to carry the ball out of the A-back position.

PRESEASON ALL-ACC TEAMS ...

Longtime sportswriter Phil Steele selected nine Yellow Jackets scattered among his four All-ACC teams. Redshirt junior quarterback Justin Thomas and defensive tackle Adam Gotsis were selected to the first-team while Jabari Hunt-Days and Jamal Golden were selected to the second-team. Offensive lineman Freddie Burden was selected to the second-team while Bryan Chamberlain was selected to the third team. Linebacker Keshun Freeman was selected to the third-team while linebacker P.J Davis was selected to the thirdteam as well. Georgia Tech had one player selected to the fourth-team in offensive lineman Trey Braun.

showcase Kennesaw State University and Owl Athletics to the greater Atlanta community.”

Over the last two years, CW69 has made more of an effort to have more sports programming by televising the Atlanta Falcons preseason game, and the station is also a network affiliate for ACC football.

For fans that want to join in on the action of Kennesaw State’s inaugural home game, season tickets are still available.

BOHANNON PREVIEWS SEASON…

While the athletic department was announcing the big news about the first home game, Head Coach Brian Bohannon, quarterback Trey White and defensive back Taylor Henkle took part in the annual Peach State Pigskin Preview media at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon on Tuesday.

The event brings players and coaches from all across the state to talk to the media about the upcoming season. This was a time for Bohannon to talk about making history this fall.

“Our mindset going into the season is to be as good as we can be at what we do,” Bohannon said to a group of assembled media.

“The staff has a good idea on what it takes to be successful at this level and we are going to push our kids to that point. We will learn a little bit on the run but there is nothing like being in that environment. Hopefully our mistakes are minimal and we can learn from them.”

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 11 Iss. 21 | June 5-11, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING HAWKS OFFSEASON

BY AVI GOODFRIEND

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or a team that won 60 games and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks have quite a few questions to answer in this offseason, and it starts upstairs with the front office. New owner Tony Ressler and GM Danny Ferry, whose been on paid leave, are both largely responsible for handling the offseason tasks that face the organization.

Having closure with the front office is pivotal during this time, especially the contracts of PF Paul Millsap and SF Demarre Carroll, who are in free agency this summer. Both are in line for a raise, and the general feeling around the organization is that the front office is going to find away to pay these men their deserved money while still making other key improvements to the roster, such as in the NBA Draft.

When Atlanta traded Joe Johnson to the Nets back in 2012, they acquired the right to swap picks for the 2015 Draft. They will ex-

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES BACK AT HOME FOLLOWING UP-ANDDOWN TRIP

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he Atlanta Braves will begin a stretch of seven consecutive games at the friendly confines of Turner Field beginning on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Regardless of the fact that their home (12-10) and road (1416) records are similar, it must be nice for the Braves—and their fans—to be back in Atlanta. After all, they just completed a 10-game west-coast swing midway through this week.

It was a topsy-turvy trip that saw the team fall below .500, climb back above .500 and then surface at an even 26-26 mark as of Wednesday afternoon.

Atlanta’s offense looked good at Arizona earlier in the week, leading the way to an 8-1 victory on Monday before the bullpen squandered a lead in a 7-6 loss on Tuesday.

MAYBIN WAS THE MAN IN MAY …

Center fielder Cameron Maybin, who was acquired during the offseason in a trade with the San Diego Padres involving star closer

ercise that right, and swap their No. 29 firstround pick for the Nets’ No. 15 first-round pick in what is considered to be a deep draft. There will be legitimate talent sitting on the board at No. 15. Wisconsin C Frank Kaminsky, Texas C Myles Turner, Arkansas G Bobby Portis and Georgia State G R.J Hunter are all explosive players who could sure-up some weaknesses for the Hawks, whether it be rebounding or depth at the wing position.

It is no secret that the Hawks are going to take their success and run with it, as the hope is they will start of a new era for Hawks basketball. On Tuesday, June 2, the Hawks unveiled new logos for the 2015-2016 season. The beloved Pac-Man symbol is still in the center, but it’s now inside of a red circle. Written on the circle surrounding the pac-man is “ Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club”. To explain, the Atlanta Hawks released a statement on their new logo.

“The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club moniker expands on the idea that we are more than just a team of 15 players. Our basketball club recognizes the contributions of the entire staff to our success. It respects and honors past players and coaches and their significance...” The organization wants to show its appreciation for the entire Atlanta community, which incorporates everyone from the fans to the players to the front office.

Craig Kimbrel, got off to a slow start in his first stint with the Braves. The 28-year-old batted .175 in April with just five RBIs, four runs scored and two steals while being a healthy scratch from the lineup in seven games.

May could not have been more different for Maybin. He hit .290, drove in 17 runs while going deep twice, crossed the plate 14 times and swiped five bases. The Asheville, N.C. native turned in seven multi-hit performances last month after enjoying only one such outing in April. Three of his last five games in May were of the multi-hit variety and he hit safely in 13 of 17 contests to round out the month in style. Rewarded with well-deserved playing time for his efforts, Maybin played in all 28 games in May and had started 17 times in a row before getting days off on Monday and Tuesday because of a minor leg issue.

“He came in [on Tuesday] and we actually sat in my office and he said after treatment he felt pretty good,” manager Fredi Gonzalez explained. “But I still wanted to give him another day.”

Maybin has an extensive injury history that limited him to a mere total of 109 games in the previous two years with San Diego. As such, the Braves want to err on the side of caution when it pertains to potential physical problems. Maybin was expected back in center field on Wednesday but results of the series final against Arizona were not available at press time.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS CUT SHEMBO, MAKE MORE ROSTER MOVES

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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fter the news came out that former 2014 Falcons draft pick Prince Shembo was charged with the death of his ex-girlfriend’s dog, it was a matter of minutes before the Falcons waived the former Notre Dame linebacker from the roster.

“We are aware of the charges that have been filed against Prince Shembo,” said the team in its statement. “We are extremely disappointed that one of our players is involved in something like this. Accordingly, we have decided to waive Prince Shembo.”

NEW BLOOD…

After Shembo was released, the Falcons quickly filled the vacancy and announced on Tuesday that they signed linebacker Boris Anyama. Anyama, 6-3, 232 pounds, played four seasons at the University of LouisianaLafayette. During his time playing linebacker for the Ragin’ Cajuns, he recorded 100 total tackles (68 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and three forced fumbles. In2014,

GWINNETT BRAVES

GWINNET BRAVES CAP OFF 5-1 HOMESTAND

BY AVI GOODFRIEND

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espite sitting in last place in the International South Division, the Gwinnett Braves find themselves only 4.5 games back of Charlotte for first place. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and just finished off a homestand in which they won five of six. GM John Hart has tweaked his triple-A roster and it has had an effect on the team’s performance.

Just last week, Gwinnett added Ryan Lavarnway to the team. In 2011, Lavarnway exploded on the scene as a prospect when he hit 32 home runs in the minors. After a short disappointing stint and injuries with Boston, he spent the next season back in the minors. This season, he played 10 games with Baltimore and swung a low .107 in that time frame. The 27-year old opted for free agency rather than an assignment, and the Braves quickly signed him.

Lavarnway made his debut on Saturday against the Columbus Clippers, going 1-for-2

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Anyama played in 13 games and tallied 43 total tackles (31 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles to cap off a big senior season.

The Falcons also announced the signing of guard Chris Chester and that they had waived linebacker Derrick Malone Jr.

Chester, 6-3, 303 pounds, was originally selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round (56th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. He spent five seasons with the Ravens and saw action in 73 games with 47 starts. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as a free agent in July of 2011.

During his four year stint with the Redskins, Chester started all 64 games. In 2013, he blocked for a rushing attack that tallied 2,164 yards, which was the fifth best rushing mark in the NFL. SOPHOMORE’S SURGE… Massive second year defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman had a busy year adapting to NFL last season, but has showcased noticeable improvements across his game during the opening weeks of offseason activities.

The defensive tackle looks ready to take on a bigger role in 2015 and, with the Falcons moving back to a 4-3 set, feels he’s in position to maximize his abilities.

“(The new defense) fits me perfectly,” Hageman said. “Just to disrupt everything — I’m really excited and looking forward to this season … I’m just hungry. I feel like I’m too big to be average.”

with two walks as the DH. The Braves took that game 1-0, with the lone run coming in the bottom of the eighth inning on a 2-out RBI single from SS Daniel Castro. The starting pitching was phenomenal that day, as Matt Wisler (3-3, 3.58 ERA) got the win after going 8.1 innings, giving up only two hits, no earned runs and striking out seven. David Carpenter got his first save of the season, which is a good sign considering the end to his season last year in the NLDS.

Perhaps the most coveted prospect in the system is 2B Jose Peraza, who went 0-for-4 on Saturday but still maintains a solid .293 average on the year. In an effort to increase his versatility, John Hart is experimenting with Peraza by taking him off second base and sticking him in center field. Peraza has since played a few full games at center, and the coaches are impressed. There have been some inconsistent reads on balls and iffy footwork, and expectedly so. For the most part though, he’s shown tremendous reaction time and speed in getting to the ball and making quick throws. Hart believes Peraza can be an everyday second baseman in the bigs, a guy who steals 30 bases, can hit for a good average and has a sure-handed glove at second. The 21-year old Venezuelan could be a part of this organization for a long time.

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