Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Issue 24

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 24 | JULY 3-9, 2015

Hit-Or-Miss | Pg. 4 Kyle Sandy breaks down the Hawks 2015 Draft moves and details what’s next.

Border Wars | Pg. 8 DeKalb County powers set to host four Florida teams in third annual showdown.

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YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

READY TO RUMBLE Catch up with WWE star R-Truth as he prepares for Monday Night Raw at Philips Arena. | Pg. 5

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Vol. 11 Iss. 24 | July 3-9, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

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COLUMNISTS

05

ON THE COVER

08

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.

HIGH SCHOOL 2015

TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

06 11 13

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

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JON BARASH, KEN YOUNG AND WWE.

INAUGURAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SUMMIT

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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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SANDY’S SPIEL

DRAFT NIGHT DEBACLE

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

I

have a problem. No, make that an issue.

When there is a weakness in life, the goal is to improve upon said weakness, correct? If that is the case, why didn’t coach Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks improve their one glaring weakness last Thursday in the NBA Draft?

Atlanta held picks No. 15, 50 and 59. Three opportunities to add a big man. By the end of the night, it was three strikes and you’re out. The Hawks decided to trade the draft rights of Kelly Oubre Jr. whom they selected at No. 15 to the Wizards for pick No. 19 and two future secondrounders. Perfect I thought. Bobby Portis, who fit Atlanta’s most dire need of being a lively body inside, was still on the board. The Hawks add two more picks and get the guy they need, a win-win situation. Nope. Instead Atlanta select-

ed Jerian Grant, a guard and dealt him to New York for Tim Hardaway Jr. The 15th pick in the draft eventually turns into a role player coming from the most dysfunctional team in the league just like that. Poof.

Hardaway averaged 11.5 points with the Knicks last season and saw his shooting averages plummet across the board, shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three. Hardaway at least gets after it defensively, right? Nope. He ranked 94th out of 100 qualified shooting guards in defensive plus-minus. Strike one on Bud and Assistant General Manager Wes Wilcox.

The Hawks proceeded to draft two Euros that will never step foot on American soil for a NBA game. Marcus Eriksson, a Swedish shoot-

SAGER SAYS

QUINN’S COACHING SUCCESS SHAPED FROM A CHILDHOOD DREAM

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

an Quinn was a youngster in Morristown, D New Jersey when he fell in love with the game of football and by the time he was a

teenager, his dream of being a head football coach was developing into what would become a lifelong passion.

“Early on I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” explained Quinn. “Growing up I loved football and I found out I loved competing at the very core. I wanted to play as long as I could, but once that ended, I wanted to coach.”

Quinn was 13 years old when Bill Parcells was named head coach of the neighboring New York Giants in 1983. He witnessed the Parcells era take flight down the road in East Rutherford’s Giants Stadium and still recognizes the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach as one

of his earliest influences.

“I first wanted to become a coach when I was growing up in New Jersey watching that [Giants] team play and the toughness and the energy that they played with,” explained Quinn. “So much of it really came from the energy of the head coach [Parcells].”

Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson and All-Pro selections Carl Banks and Leonard Marshall led the Giants’ hard-hitting 3–4 defense known as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew. Parcells, who grew up in nearby Hasbrouck Heights, 30 miles east of Quinn’s hometown of Morristown, brought even more the excitement as Quinn watched the New Jerseynative coach his team to Super Bowl victories in 1986 and 1990.

ing guard recovering from an ACL and meniscus tear and Dimitrios Agravanis, a Greek big man who likely makes Mike Muscala look like a perennial All-NBAer. Strike two and strike three.

Why draft players you know you have no chance of grooming instead of proven commodities from the states? Cliff Alexander out of Kansas was a top prospect coming out of high school just a year ago. He had his ups and downs at Kansas and had to go pro early due to a chance he wouldn’t be eligible next season.

The former McDonald’s All-American went undrafted and is a cautionary tale of one-anddones, but still would have been interesting to take a flier on late in the second round.

Robert Upshaw, a 7-foot center from Washington, also went undrafted. He led the nation in blocked shots this past season at 4.5 per game and would have been an excellent buy-low option for Atlanta to mold. Much like Alexander, Upshaw has off court issues and was kicked off the Huskies halfway through the season. If he would have kept his nose clean, many thought he could be a first round selection. Once again, why not roll the dice on a player like this with the 59th pick?

If you don’t like head cases, how about Darion Atkins? A 6-foot-8 forward with springs and a defense-first mindset. Atkins anchored

Virginia’s packline defense and was named Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player or the Year and helped hold third overall pick Jahlil Okafor to just 10 points and five turnovers.

With Pero Antic announcing he is leaving the Hawks to return overseas, the mistakes made in the draft put even more pressure on the front office to make something happen this offseason. Atlanta is left with Al Horford and Mike Muscala as their only true big men.

Is Atlanta banking on convincing a serviceable big man to sign during free agency? They will have enough trouble bringing back both Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll. Are they putting their eggs all in one basket with last year’s second rounder, 7-foot-3 Walter “Edy” Tavares?

The clock is ticking after a great regular season. Cleveland exposed Atlanta in the conference finals and pounded them into submission on the glass. If Atlanta is unable to land a few big men or swing a trade, I’m not sure I like their chances as a real contender. Hopefully Bud and Wilcox are confident that they can add the right guys, if not, the ghost of Danny Ferry might haunt them.

Photo of courtesy of Jon Barash.

Nearly three decades after Parcells steered the 1986 Giants to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl, it was Quinn’s aggressive Seattle defense leading the Seahawks to their first Lombardi Trophy with a 43-8 rout over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVI. Quinn coached up his ball-hawking secondary and aggressive pass-rush for one of the most memorable defensive performances in NFL history, and like a Hollywood script, the victory took place at the new MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Now, after 21 years of coaching accomplishments and a legacy of his own, Quinn’s childhood dream of being an NFL head coach has finally come true with the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL with San Francisco, Miami, the New York Jets and Seattle.

Quinn returned to college football from 2011-2012 as defensive coordinator of the Florida Gators before making the move back to the NFL as a first-time coordinator. He would reach Super Bowls in both seasons as an NFL coordinator.

“Returning to college football those two years has totally helped me on the field and off the field,” explained Quinn. “Maybe for 10 years I hadn’t had the full appreciation of at times how young these guys are and the things that they don’t know about it. It gave me real perspective to know how to help develop these players from the very beginning…I’m totally fortunate to have that two-year stint where I was able to connect with the players, not only there, but the college athletes in general and to help have a better appreciation for what their world is like.”

From Day 1 with the team, Quinn’s focus and message has been clear and the competitive environment has challenged each player and coach, while strengthening the bond of the team.

“Everyday is a championship game opportunity,” explained Quinn. “That is just how we play. Let’s pay the dues on how hard we have to work to have that kind of success.”

Photo courtesy of the AP Images.

QUINN THE LEADER… On his ascent up the coaching ladder, success has followed Quinn every step of the way. After graduating college in 1994, he took his first coaching steps at William & Mary before joining the Virginia Military Institute staff the following year in 1995 to work with their defensive line. In 1996, Quinn took over the defensive line duties at Hofstra and in 2000 accepted his first coordinating position with the Pride. The following year, Quinn joined the 49ers staff as a defensive quality control coach and two years later he would begin an eightyear stretch of coaching defensive line in the

Vol. 11 Iss. 24 | July 3-9, 2015

ON THE COVER

WWE

PASSION FOR ENTERTAINMENT FUELS R-TRUTH’S FIRE

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

W

ith the WWE set to visit Philips Arena on July 13 for the live airing of Monday Night Raw, one superstar will be returning home. Ron Killings, aka R-Truth, was born in Atlanta, Georgia before being raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. R-Truth has had a long journey to WWE stardom which included bumps and bruises along the way.

Truth came from tough times where his family struggled to make ends meet. As a child, he began to fall in love with sports, music and breakdancing. He competed in both track and field and football, but one love began to stick out above the rest; the ability to entertain people. Through both music and now wrestling, RTruth began to follow his passion.

“I didn’t have a go-to. I just go-at-it,” RTruth explained. “There wasn’t one particular thing I chose over the other one. I had just a love for entertaining.”

His path to finding his way in life took a turn at the age of 16. He decided to drop out of school to further purse his music career and began to deal drugs in order to fund it. Truth was eventually arrested and spent 13 months

incarcerated before meeting Jackie Crockett at a halfway house. That fateful meeting would change the young Truth’s life forever.

Crockett’s family ran the National Wrestling Alliance. Jackie finally convinced R-Truth to switch his focus from rapping to wrestling and Truth began to wrestle in 1995.

Veteran wrestler Manny Fernandez took the inexperienced Truth and took him under his wing. “He taught me how to wrestle, he told me, I didn’t know what he meant by it at first, but he told me if you know how to do what you know how to do at the right time, you’ll be awesome,” R-Truth said. “Manny taught me a lot of things about the business. He taught me the business, how to take care of myself physically, mentally, he taught me psychology, he taught me ring awareness and how to perform.” The two still run into each other every once in a while and try to catch up on old times.

By the time 1999 rolled around, R-Truth was ready to step in the ring and debuted in NWA Wildside under the name K-Krush. That same year, Truth signed a two-year developmental contract with the World Wrestling Fed-

eration (WWF) and from 2000 to 2002 wrestled on the main roster before being released.

From 2002 to 2007 he wrestled with the newly founded Total Nonstop Action (TNA).

He performed under numerous monikers such as K-Kwik and his real name, Ron “The Truth” Killings, before rejoining the WWF, now branded the WWE.

Truth had to take a couple steps back before moving forward with his professional career. “Leaving WWF back then and going to TNA was like me going to college. I graduated and learned. You come back a man,” said Truth.

Upon his return to the spotlight of the WWE, the alias “R-Truth” was born and has stuck to this day.

The change of names didn’t just represent a new superstar to the WWE roster, it represented a new beginning. “When I first came into the WWF, that was the pee-wee guy.

When I came back they sold me as R-truth. I grew up. R-Truth has more foundation to it.”

R-Truth has made a name for himself in the WWE as a charismatic superstar with a knack for getting fans excited. He has been both a heel and a face during his wrestling career, but at the end of the day it all comes down to one thing. “I think everybody has a little bit of bad and good inside, it’s just which one you can release at the right time. I enjoy playing both. I love making people smile and laugh and entertain them.”

A true showman, he has even brought his passion for music into the forefront and has rapped his own intro music and remains skilled on the mic. To be mentioned with the all-time greats such as Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Ric Flair and the recently departed Dusty Rhodes, there is one thing they all have in common that is hard to replicate: the “It” factor.

R-Truth is striving to leave his legacy on the industry and when asked what separates the good wrestlers from the great wrestlers, he explained, “It all involves the it-factor. It-factor: you can talk on the mic, you can wrestle, you have ring awareness, you can entertain, you have to be able to listen to the audience, you have to be able to listen to yourself, you have to have timing, you have to have all the characteristics.”

Over his 18-year career, R-Truth has held such titles as two-time NWA Tag Team Champion, the first ever African American NWA World Heavyweight Champion, TNA Tag Team Champion, two-time WWF Hardcore Champion, WWE U.S. Champion and WWE Tag Team Champion.

5

Now 43 and with baby daughter, he has no plans of slowing down in the future. “I thought about my future after wrestling the day I entered this business. I think when you stop thinking about that, your future is over,” said R-Truth. “I think I’ll be around as long as they intend to have me around. The desire and want and love is already embedded in me. I’m a natural to the business and the sport.”

The glamour of being a professional wrestler doesn’t come without sacrifice. Superstars are on the road constantly and fellow entertainers start to become a family away from family.

“The schedule is very demanding. That’s why you have to be careful what you ask for. No offseason.

We do it because it’s what we love to do.”

Truth, who has grown from a boy without direction into a family man with a passion and purpose, is must-see TV whenever he steps into the ring. Whether it be him laying the smack down on a fellow superstar, stealing the mic to drop a verse, or borrowing King Barrett’s crown to see how it feels to be the king of the castle, R-Truth will always let people know, “What’s Up.”

Photos courtesy of the WWE.

6

R.J. Hunter

DT’s in the Peach State

The new uniforms feature some new colors Torch Red, Volt Green, and Georgia Granite Gray. Many question the choice of Volt Green, but the Hawks creative officer Peter Sorckoff liked how the color has ties to the Hawks back to the 1970s Pistol Pete-era. The jerseys still feature the old school “PacMan” logo, so the Hawks stayed true to their throwback brand.

The Georgia State shooting guard was selected 28th overall in the NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. With his dynamic skillset and ability to knock down the 3-ball he can be a huge asset to the Celtics backcourt.

Hunter isn’t the first player from Georgia State drafted, but could looks to be the first ever to play in an NBA Game.

Georgia is always a hotbed of talent for colleges all around the country. This year the 2016 class in the Peach State features an elite group led by Derrick Brown, Julian Rochester, Antwuan Jackson, Michail Carter, and Tyler Clark. Brown and Rochester are consensus fivestar prospects, while Jackson, Carter, and Clark are all consensus four-star prospects.

By Cole Erickson

WHO’S HOT

Hawks Uniforms

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

NEW HAWK

At the end of the draft night, the Hawks welcomed two rookies that likely won’t be on the roster next season.

However, they did acquire Tim Hardaway Jr. from the New York Knicks. Hardaway is a guy that can create his own shot and provide quality minutes off the bench. It will be interesting to see how he fares with the rest of the players on the roster.

OFFICIALLY PROMOTED

It was reported last week, but it’s now official that Mike Budenholzer is the Hawks new president while Wes Wilcox is the new general manager. Budenholzer will be fifth NBA coach to also be the president while Wilcox is taking over Danny Ferry who was bought out of his contract. I trust that both Budenholzer and Wilcox will build a championship team real soon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

This week is a special one for the Falcons as they turn 50 years old. On June 30, 1965, the city of Atlanta was awarded the NFL franchise, and the rest is history. It’s been a wild ride for the Falcons from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to the new stadium that will open in 2017. Here’s to 50 more years!!

NO OWL LOVE

The college preview magazines are out, and the national media is not felling the KSU Owls. In fact, both Lindy’s and Sporting News picked the Owls to finish last in the Big South Conference. It’s not a big surprise, but I think the Owls can make some noise this season because head coach Brian Bohannon will have his players prepared for every game.

LUTZ FIELD

Lassiter will now have a new name for their football field as it will be named after the late Philip Lutzenkirchen.

The name will be called Lutz 43 Field, and new turf will be installed by the Lutzie 43 Foundation. Lutz was a one of the best prospects in the state back in 2009, and went on to break records at Auburn.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Hawks Draft

Braves In Late June

The Hawks had the 15th overall pick, in which they traded to Washington for the 19th pick and two 2nd round picks. Instead of taking a potential piece of the puzzle with the 19th pick, the Hawks traded the pick for Knicks SG Tim Hardaway. Hardaway is a serviceable player, but Hawks fans were optimistically hoping for a bigger splash on draft night.

After sweeping the New York Mets, the Braves lost Freddie Freeman to the Disabled List with an injured wrist. Since then, the Braves have dropped 6 out of 7 games. During that span they have been outscored by 30-11 by opposing teams, and now the Braves sit 7 games out of first place and 5 games below .500.

soon as the free agency period began on July 1st. He agreed to a four-year, 60 million dollar deal with the Toronto Raptors. Carroll was and elite defender and also averaged 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in his 70 games with the Hawks last season.

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.

?

Carroll quickly exited Atlanta as

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

TRIVIA QUESTION

DeMarre Carroll

“

SANITY AT LAST

WHAT STADIUM DID DAN QUINN AND THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WIN SUPER BOWL XLVIII IN?

“[Vic] Beasley’s first step quickness is what makes him what he is.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

-Dan Quinn on his rookie pass rusher.

$40

Million DeMarre Carroll’s new four-year deal with Toronto

$80

Million Paul Millsap’s max four-year deal offered by Atlanta and Orlando

7

Weeks until the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic

10

Weeks until the Falcons season opener with the Philadelphia Eagles

8.3

Career points per game by new Atlanta Hawks center Tiago Spliter

84

The minute former Starr’s Mill star Kelley O’Hara iced the USWNT’s semifinal win over Germany

2006 3

The Year O’Hara was named AJC Gatorade Player of the Year Series left for the Braves before the All-Star Break.

Vol. 11 Iss. 24 | July 3-9, 2015

SEMIFINALS

Wednesday, July 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA

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CHICK-FIL-A BATTLE OF THE BORDERS

THIRD ANNUAL CHICKFIL-A BATTLE OF THE BORDERS ANNOUNCED BY: EVAN MILLER | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

F

our of Dekalb County’s top teams will be put to the test as they host four of Florida’s most successful programs for a third straight year in the Chick-fil-A Battle of the Borders. The two talent-laden states combined for 69 of the 256 NFL Draft picks this year with Georgia accounting for 30 picks, second only to Florida’s 39. The third edition of the Battle of the Borders will once again feature some of the top prospects in nation.

To open the day, Marist takes on Coconut Creek from Pompano Beach, Fla. Marist Coach Alan Chadwick is entering his 31st season at the helm and comes off a third round loss to eventual state champions Buford last year. Coconut Creek started 2014 3-1 but eventually fell to a 4-6 record. Uncommitted recruits Trayvon Mullen and Binjimen Victor along with Georgia commit Malek Young and Arkansas commit Alexy Jean-Baptiste lead Coconut Creek.

Marist used its relentless rushing attack and

opportunistic defense to dominate time of position and score a dramatic 17-14 win over Godby in last year’s Battle of the Borders. Coconut Creek is making its first appearance in the event.

The second game of the day will be the Hallandale Chargers against the Cedar Grove Saints. The two teams are both making their first appearance at the Battle of the Borders.

Coach Dameon Jones has the Hallandale program on the rise after a 10-win season and a playoff appearance in which they lost to eventual state champion Miami Central 35-19. The Chargers feature top players such as wide receiver and Florida-commit Joshua Hammond, Miami-commit and cornerback Deion Jackson and Florida Atlantic-commit and quarterback Tyler Huntley. Cedar Grove is also riding the momentum of a successful season after head coach Jermaine Smith led the Saints to a 9-3 finish, the school’s best since 1992. An unfor-

gettable 28-21 win over Blessed Trinity in the region championship gave the Saints the top seed and a playoff berth for the fifth straight season. Cedar Grove crushed WestsideAugusta 45-7 in the first round, but like Hallandale, fell to the eventual state champs in their classification. Calhoun ended the Saints’ season with a 38-18 victory. Juniors Netori Johnson, who has pledged to play at Alabama, and cornerback Tre Shaw are some of the top prospects in the state for the class of 2017 and highlight the Saints’ deep well of talent.

The final two games of the football marathon will star four southeastern giants and confirm the reality that no field in the country will host more top recruits than Hallford Stadium on Aug. 29. Godby faces Tucker in the evening game with an estimated 5:30 p.m. kickoff. Both teams are returning to the Battle of the Borders are looking for their first win at the event. Tucker finished last year 10-3 in what marked the Tigers’ Class AAAAAA debut. Georgia. Godby stumbled to start the season with its loss to Marist last year but would finish 12-3 and make an appearance in the state finals.

The last game of the night will see twotime defending Florida state champion American Heritage versus three-time Battle of the Borders participant Stephenson. Stephenson finished the season 8-4 with a loss to Stockbridge in the second round of the playoffs. Stephenson is still in search for its first state title, but the Jaguars are the type of program has

proven the ability to compete with the region’s most decorated programs. The Jaguars had the daunting task of playing Miami Central in last year’s Battle of the Borders and fell in a 21-20 heartbreaker. The Jaguars face another challenge as American Heritage makes its Battle of the Borders debut.

Georgia schools went 1-3 last year but the overall series is tied 3-3 heading into Year 3.

M.L. King beat Blanche Ely (Fla) 41-15 and Stephenson defeated Norland (Fla.) 29-12 in the two-game inaugural 2013 edition.

Photos courtesy of Ken Young, Terrance Johnson and Sonny Kennedy.

Saturday, Aug. 29 (All Games At Hallford Stadium) 11:45 AM Coconut Creek vs. Marist 2:30 PM Hallandale vs. Cedar Grove 5:30 PM Godby vs. Tucker 8:30 PM American-Heritage vs. Stephenson

Vol. 11 Iss. 24 | July 3-9, 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.

TM

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Vol. 11 Iss. 24 | July 3-9, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

LARGEST QUESTION FACING UGA FOOTBALL THIS SEASON

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

Q

uestions heading into a season aren’t unique to Georgia Football as they get ready to head to fall camp later this month.

Even the deepest teams have to wonder about certain spots on the field and who will be taking the starting reps there.

You could make the argument that outside of running back, tight end and linebacker that the Bulldogs need to get answers in all phases of their game. The thing about it, they might not be at the position you think.

This offense is predicated on the success of the line to open up the holes for running backs like Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to run through. Who is the anchor of that group? That would be the center.

The casual football fan thinks that the center just snaps the football to the quarterback and then tries to block the man he’s assigned to stop from penetrating into the backfield. When the truth of the matter is that his responsibilities are so much more than that.

GEORGIA STATE

HUNTER GOES GREEN, RUIZ A CATCH

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

L

ast Thursday, R.J. Hunter’s dreams came true as he was selected 28th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2015 NBA Draft. Hunter was a star under his father and coach, Ron Hunter and helped lead the Georgia State Panthers to an improbable upset over No. 3 seed Baylor in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hunter now is distinguished as the highest overall draft pick in Georgia State history and the first since Joe Brown was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1983.

Hunter was a three-time first team allconference performer, two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year and two-time AP All-America Honorable Mention honoree. He finished his illustrious career with a school record 1,819 points and a scoring average of 18.4 points per game.

“This is truly a blessing and a dream come true,” Hunter said. “I look forward to getting to Boston and starting the next chapter of my ca-

A good center is supposed to diagnose the defensive front, identify who could be blitzing, call out the blocking assignments to his other four linemen and many other things. He is basically the extension of the quarterback.

Yes, the Bulldogs have four returning starters on the offensive line. The most important role to fill of all five is the one that remains vacant at the moment.

The job is up for grabs between sophomore Isaiah Wynn, junior Brandon Kublanow, and senior Hunter Long. Of all three, Long has the most experience at the position.

During the spring, Wynn got the bulk of the reps with the first team offense at this spot.

Leaving the spring, it seemed that the competition was still open heading into fall camp.

This spot needs to be locked up soon. The reason is because an offensive line needs cohesion in order to be successful.

Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer and former offensive linemen Greg Koch once told me a saying about the offensive line, “it’s five pennies coming together to form a nickel.” That isn’t something that can just happen overnight or a week before the first game of the season.

Sure Georgia will have a couple of easy games against ULM (Lousiana-Monroe) and Vanderbilt to begin their season. That said, soon enough Alabama will come to Athens and they better have the offensive line solidified at least by that game.

reer. I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this and look forward to making everyone proud at the next level.”

Coach Hunter, now back to being just R.J.’s dad, was elated for his son. “I am extremely proud of R.J. I have said it all along that he is an even better son than he is a basketball player and he is an incredible basketball player.

I look forward to getting to watch him play in Boston for many years to come.”

RUIZ MOVES UP EARLY DRAFT BOARDS ...

It’s never too early to start looking at next year’s potential draft prospects and ESPN football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has his eyes on one certain Panther. Senior tight end Joel Ruiz has gained rave reviews and has been ranked

by Kiper Jr. as a top five tight end for the 2016 draft. Ruiz transferred from Presbyterian and hauled in 478 yards and three touchdowns in his first season in Atlanta.

He was named to the John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List -- the first Panther ever named to a watch list for a major award -- as well as second-team All-Sun Belt Conference.

Standing 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Kiper Jr. says his hands and athleticism will make him a hot commodity come draft time. Expect for Ruiz to once again be a favorite target for the gunslinging Nick Arbuckle this season.

GEORGIA TECH

GEORGIA TECH LOSES LB ANTHONY HARRELL TO FLORIDA GATORS

BY COLIN HUBBARD | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

I

n what came as a big surprise last week, Georgia Tech lost on of the projected starters on defense to the SEC. Linebacker Anthony Harrell decided to jump ship to Gainesville, Florida to be a member of the Florida Gators, which will leave a big void to fill on the depth chart for the Yellow Jackets. The exact details on his departure are still in question, but the main reasoning for his decision came after the team had announced that the senior linebacker had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

However, Harrell stated that Georgia Tech had not suspended him, but decided to leave to beome a graduate senior on the Florida Gators.

Harrell may have not been a well-known name on the Yellow Jackets defense, due to his middle linebacker spot taken by Quayshawn Nealy who is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Harrell was slated to be the 2015 open-

KENNESAW STATE

FOOTBALL GETTING NO LOVE FROM NATIONAL MEDIA

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

Members of the baseball team are taking part in summer leagues across the region. But there are three Owls that are really making a name for themselves in the Coastal Plain League.

Third baseman Jeremy Howell, right fielder Taylor Allum and catcher Brendan Morgan are all members of the Gastonia Grizzlies, a team that is from Gastonia, North Carolina.

The Grizzlies recently won the Coastal Plain League first-half West Division Championship thanks in large part to the three Owls. Howell, Allum and Morgan all played a key part in the Grizzlies 1-0 win over Florence on Monday to clinch the title.

There are 20 Owls involved in collegiate summer leagues which will go on for the next few months. The Owls are coming off a season where they were the No. 6 seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and a 28-28 overall record.

NO LOVE FOR FOOTBALL… With the football season two months

11

ing day starter at middle linebacker in just a few short weeks, but that is no longer the case.

In 2014, Harrell saw minimal playing time, recording 19 tackles, but has 54 career tackles while at Georgia Tech.

The next two men in line for the middle linebacker job will now be in the hands of two juniors, Beau Hankins and Chase Alford.

A-BACK POSITION SPOTS UP FOR GRABS ...

Heading into 2015, the Yellow Jackets have several players who will battle it out for the top A-back spots. At the moment, Georgia Tech has just one starter who has seen a lot of playing time, Broderick Snoddy who suffered a gruesome leg injury at the end of the 2014 season.

No matter who gets playing time in 2015 outside of Snoddy will be young, and will have a lot of learning to do. Players to look out for will be redshirt junior, Isaiah Willis, redshirt freshman, Qua Searcy and true freshman, TaQuon Marshall.

In total, the Yellow Jackets have three true freshmen listed on the depth chart and three redshirt freshmen.

There will be a lot of growing pains for the group of A-backs this season, but the talentpool runs very deep and will be a great group of guys to watch as they come up the ranks in the coming seasons.

away, the preview magazines are out, and for the first time in history, the experts weigh in on the Owls and their expectations for the upcoming season.

Lindy’s is a prominent preview magazine, and they predicted the Owls would finish in last place in the Big South Conference. In the magazine, the writer, Tony Moss, said that the Owls will have a rough go in their rookie campaign.

The Sporting News also took a closer look at the Owls, and they fell they will be in last place in the conference. Chris Lang wrote the preview and he said because of only 11 juniors and four seniors on the roster, they will have an uphill battle to surprise people this upcoming season.

That’s not going to stop fans from coming to see the Owls play. In fact, it was recently announced that fans who have purchased season tickets can pick them up on Aug. 16. The time has yet to be determined.

When fans pick up the tickets, they also will have a chance to meet the team. Fans can pick up the tickets at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, and for those who still want to check out the Owls in action this fall, season tickets are still available. There are only less than 600 season tickets left, so go to KSUOwls.com to get them today.

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SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 11 Iss. 24 | July 3-9, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

HARDAWAY A HAWK; FLASHY NEW LOOK REVEALED

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Hawks wheeled and dealed last Thursday at the NBA Draft and surprised many by trading away the 15th pick and ending up with Tim Hardaway Jr. instead of a center. Atlanta traded the No. 15 pick (Kelly Oubre Jr.) to the Wizards for the No. 19 pick and two future second-rounders. Atlanta selected Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant and subsequently traded him for Tim Hardaway Jr., a swing man from the New York Knicks.

Atlanta had the opportunity to alleviate the need of size inside with Bobby Portis still on the board, but Coach Budenholzer and Assistant General Manager Wes Wilcox elected to add depth on the wings with the injuries to Thabo Sefolosha and Kyle Korver. Wilcox later explained the team’s goals heading into the draft and how everything turned out successful. “We started off with a couple of goals coming into tonight,” said Wilcox. “One of them was to acquire some additional assets. Another one was to add shooting. We knew in some

ATLANTA BRAVES

DOMINANCE BY NATIONALS HAS BRAVES FALLING AWAY

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Atlanta Braves wrapped up a disappointing June with a 6-1 home loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. A big reason for Atlanta’s 11-16 record this past month was a complete failure against the current top team in the National League East. The Braves went 0-4 against Washington in June and the Nats were 9-1 in the overall head-to-head series (plus 9-0 in the last nine meetings between the two teams) going into additional showdowns on Wednesday and Thursday.

Atlanta briefly surfaced at .500 (35-35) last week, but then the nemesis Nationals popped up on the schedule once again. They swept the visiting Braves while allowing only two runs in three games and more of the same continued on Tuesday at Turner Field. Washington’s four first-inning runs at the expense of Shelby Miller were more than enough by themselves to take care of business. All Atlanta managed was a line-drive home run to left

by Juan Uribe that kicked off the bottom of the ninth inning.

way, whether it was now or in free agency, we were going to look to add another player at the shooting guard position. We are excited to be able to do that with Tim.”

Hardaway, 23, brings over averages of 10.8 points on 40.8 percent shooting over his two year stint in New York. He averaged a careerhigh 11.5 points last season, but struggled with his shot, shooting below his rookie season averages from the field, from three and from the line.

Hardaway feels he will flourish in Atlanta after escaping Phil Jackson’s triangle offense which flopped miserably in year one under Head Coach Derek Fisher’s guidance. “The triangle is a tough offense to get used to,” Hardaway said.

“You really have to be dedicated and mature to that end. We tried. We tried our best while we were there, but it’s a learning process.”

Atlanta also added Marcus Erikkson and Dimitrios Agravanis 50th and 59th overall respectively.

NEW THREADS ...

The Hawks got a makeover, adding in Volt green to the color scheme. Atlanta unveiled slick new uniforms with “Georgia Granite Gray” as a primary color last Wednesday. “It’s the most arresting,” Chief creative officer Peter Sorckoff said. “The gray is a color that’s new for us, and really to the best of my knowledge has never been deployed anywhere in the NBA before. Between that color and the Volt green, we feel we’re doing something that’s never been done before.”

It was Uribe’s second homer in his last three games and it gave him five hits in his last 11 at-bats.

FREE FALLING …

The Braves’ slump has coincided with a wrist injury to first baseman Freddie Freeman.

It may not come as a surprise to anyone to see Atlanta struggling mightily in Freeman’s absence, as he is batting .299 with 12 home runs, 41 RBIs and 43 runs scored. In 11 games since the 25-year-old’s last appearance (as of Wednesday afternoon), the Braves have scored just 22 runs. For those counting, that is an anemic average of exactly two runs per contest.

Freeman was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 18 and he is eligible to return on Friday. That, however, is not going to happen.

The team expects its star offensive player to be sidelined through the all-star break, which takes place July 13-16.

“He plays every single day; he’s frustrated,” manager Fredi Gonzalez told atlantabraves. com. “He wants to get back on the field, but he understands this might take a little more time.

[The wrist] is just not improving. They’re trying different treatments. Hopefully something will work and we can get him going.”

Suddenly seven games back of Washington in the NL East standings after Tuesday’s action, the Braves have to hope they can get something going without Freeman during this weekend’s Fourth of July weekend series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS CELEBRATE HISTORIC 50TH BIRTHDAY

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

O

n Tuesday, the Falcons celebrated 50 years since the day (June. 30, 1965) that the NFL awarded Atlanta with the league’s 15th franchise. The historic date gave us a chance to look back on the impacts received and given by the city ever since. It all started when the stadium, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, was built. The city of Atlanta knew this was an opportunity to bring a professional football franchise to not only the city but the entire southeastern region. An independent group which had been active in NFL preseason promotions in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the AFL and the NFL, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL.

With bidders and businessmen feverishly investing time and money in different directions, it was local businessmen that worked

ATLANTA DREAM

DREAM ENJOY WIN BEFORE LENGTHY BREAK

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

A

ngel McCoughtry scored a game-high 18 points and Matee Ajavon added 17 as the Dream (4-6) picked up their fourth win of the season last Friday, 72-69 over the Washington Mystics (6-3). Atlanta trailed early at Philips Arena, but outscored Washington 21-9 in the third quarter to take a 52-45 lead that they would never let slip away.

Coach Michael Cooper played just seven players all night. Second leading scorer Tiffany Hayes (12.2 points) and Aneika Henry were both unavailable due to international duty.

Ivory Latta carried the Mystics with 18 points while bigs Emma Meesseman and Stefanie Dolson added 14 and 12 points respectively.

Sancho Lyttle was the X-factor in the win. The veteran forward played one of her best games of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

DREAM LOOSE SHOOTOUT ...

Two days earlier, the Dream lost a highly

13

out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise on June 7, 1965, contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from city officials. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle immediately flew down to Atlanta to protect his league’s claim on the city and forced a decision to be made between the two leagues. This pivotal moment of course took place on June 30, 1965 and it was Rankin Smith and the NFL that won.

The NFL would fill a long void and bring the southeast and city of Atlanta its team.

BEASLEY’S GOALS…

While speaking at the NFL’s rookie symposium last week, rookie Vic Beasley Jr. stated his belief that he has what it takes to become an every-down player for the Falcons.

“I think I am an every down player,” said Beasley. “I think that’s just motivation for me to go out there and prove that I can be an everydown player.”

Beasley recognizes the additional pressure some might see with his status as a first round pick and that he is playing for the team he grew up cheering for but he recognizes that the system and style of play is the type of environment he can thrive in

“Dan Quinn is a defensive-minded coach and just having him in my corner is certainly a benefit of the team,” said Beasley.

entertaining game in Chicago, 100-96 in overtime. Elena Delle Donne continued her assault on the league with a career-high 45 points.

She currently is averaging over 28 points per game and would set the WNBA all-time scoring record for a single season if she keeps her torrid pace. Along with her 45 points, she also grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked six shots.

The league’s second leading scorer, Angel McCoughtry, did all she could to neutralize Delle Donne’s big night. She poured in 34 points of her own and added 10 rebounds and six assists.

The Dream shared the ball extremely well and finished with 27 assists to the Sky’s 11, but the one-on-one play of Delle Donne was too much. Atlanta rallied from down 12 points to open the fourth quarter to force the game to overtime on a McCoughtry lay in with eight seconds left. Delle Donne scored eight of the Sky’s 14 points – all from the line—in overtime to lift Chicago. All five starters finished in double figures for Atlanta led by McCoughtry. Sancho Lyttle posted 15 points and 10 rebounds while Roneeka Hodges pitched in 15 points of her own. Cappie Pondexter and Allie Quigley picked up the limited slack left by Delle Donne and scored 19 and 16 points.

UP NEXT ...

Atlanta enjoys their eight day hiatus before returning to the court on July 5 when they will host the Seattle Storm (3-7) at 3 P.M. Atlanta at 4-6, is tied with Indiana for last place in the Eastern Conference.

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