Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Issue 25

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 25 | JULY 10-16, 2015

Buy or Sell | Pg. 4 Kyle Sandy breaks down the Braves first half of the season.

THE ROAD BACK HOME

An exclusive look at Vic Beasley Jr.’s unique journey to the NFL. | Pg. 5

Back with Vengeance | Pg. 8 Region 7 reloads for 2015 season after disappointing first round sweep.

|

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

©2012. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

MORE CHOICES. MORE STRENGTH. With more than 150 training specialties, the U.S. Army has more ways than ever to advance your career and add strength to your life. You can choose to serve full-time or part-time. You can attend college first, or earn a degree as you serve.

And if you have what it takes, you can pursue a leadership role as a U.S. Army officer. There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. Learn more at goarmy.com

Learn how you can earn money for college. To get more information, visit us online at goarmy.com/y702

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

04

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

TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA:

404.256.1572

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 | ATLANTA DREAM

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP IMAGES, BRANDON NGUYGEN AND THE ATLANTA FALCONS.

INAUGURAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SUMMIT

THE FASTEST GROWING MARKETPLACE IN SPORTS

ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE Score Atlanta is looking for interns. Please visit www.scoreatl.com/internships for more information on our program.

STAY CONNECTED! /SCOREATLANTASPORTS

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.

@SCOREATLANTA

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.

WWW.SCOREATL.COM WWW.GAPREPNEWS.COM

PICK YOUR SEAT BEFORE THE GENERAL PUBLIC

PRESENTED BY

8.19.15

$85

7:30 AM TO 12:00 NOON COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE This one-of-a-kind event will focus on the business of high school sports in Georgia and its impact on our business and community. This event takes a look at the niche market of high school sports, which continues to grow at an exponential rate with support from major corporate partners and local businesses as well as an overwhelming support from Atlanta’s professional sports teams.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER JOHN SMOLTZ & KEVIN BUTLER

FOR MORE INFORMATION: GO TO WWW.BIZJOURNALS.COM/ATLANTA/EVENT/125791

JOIN THE WAITLIST TODAY W W W. N E WATLAN TASTAD I UM.COM/WAI TLI ST

FB.COM/ATLANTAFALCONS

@ATLANTA_FALCONS | @NEWATLSTADIUM

ATLANTAFALCONS

3

4

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

SANDY’S SPIEL

ATLANTA BRAVES: BUY OR SELL?

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

I

t’s July 7 and the Braves are only five games out of first place. Would you believe me if I told you that in April? Would you buy into the team being a postseason contender? Atlanta is 41-42. The division-leading Washington Nationals are 46-37 after slumping badly out of the gates. The Mets are currently in second place at 43-41, but have no speakable offense and rival the 2014 Braves in terms of offensive incompetency.

The plan under new General Manager John Hart was to rebuild and he has successfully done that by shipping off nearly every recognizable name from last year’s train wreck of a team. But now, Hart finds himself seemingly in the middle of the playoff hunt halfway through the season. Should he make a move to

strengthen the team? Something Frank Wren tried to do every season but never resulted in a playoff series win. Or does Hart stand pat and let the chips fall where they may?

Once again, it’s more of the same with the Braves. Fool’s gold. Atlanta should continue to stay the path and look to rebuild. No one would have expected the Nationals to start off so poorly and basically give the rest of the division a month head start on them. Even with that stumble out of the gate and injuries to key players, Bryce Harper and now Max Scherzer have lifted the Nats to the top of the division and have begun to look like the 100-win team people thought they would be.

The Braves still would have to leap the Mets before they could challenge the Nation-

DAN’S DOCKETT

BULLDOGS LIKELY TO SPARK THE PASSING GAME IN 2015

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

he 2014 season did not reach the level of T success many expected with Georgia’s passing game and if you listen to many experts

previewing the 2015 campaign, it might not get much better. The truth is that Georgia found a huge strength in their running game and then starting quarterback Hutson Mason was just playing to the strength of the offense.

The Bulldogs averaged just under 200 yards a game through the air in 2014. The passing game accounted for 34 percent of UGA’s touchdowns.

The Dawgs don’t know who their starting quarterback is and they likely won’t know who it is until a week before their first game against ULM. As that stands it’s between redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey, junior Faton Bauta, and junior transfer from Virginia, Grayson Lambert.

The wide receiver group lost their two top pass catchers from last season in Chris Conley and Michael Bennett.

So an unknown at quarterback and the group that is tasked with catching the ball is not as deep as year’s past. Isaiah McKenzie showed Georgia fans last season that he can be a game-wrecker with his play on offense, not to mention his contributions to the special teams return unit. The South Florida native racked up about 11.2 per touch on offense in his freshman season.

Sure he only caught the ball six times for 67 yards. But, he also rushed for seven times for 78 yards on screens/sweeps. McKenzie showed his playmaking chops with his return ability in 2014. He really came to show it against Kentucky with a 90 touchdown on a kick return and 59 yard punt return for a score.

als. If Hart tried to make a move, it would be division or bust. There is a slim chance they would be able to grab one of the two wildcard spots. The Pirates (48-34) and the Cubs (4437), yes, the Cubs, have a hold onto the two spots with the Mets (2.5) and Giants (3.5) trailing by a few games.

Atlanta has played admirably and hasn’t tanked completely, which is great news for John Hart not only for the future of the team, but for his goodwill with the fan base after trading away fan favorites. The Braves stole an All-Star away from the Cardinals in the Jason Heyward trade, acquiring young ace Shelby Miller (5-4, 2.07 ERA). Julio Teheran has flopped miserably as the assumed ace heading into the season (6-4, 4.60 ERA) and has a contract extension already inked thanks for former GM Frank Wren. Alex Wood has been steady when healthy and the rotation has gotten a lift from surprise minor leaguer Williams Perez (4-0, 2.88 ERA).

One of the most important things to remember this season is that it is a precursor to success that will follow. The Braves have struck gold on some veterans and would be wise to trade them at the deadline. Yes, Atlanta should be sellers, not buyers this July. The bullpen has been atrocious at times, but it has also had its

moments. 38-year-old Jason Grilli has been great for Atlanta, notching 23 saves after compiling an ERA of 4.00 last season. 32-year-old set up man Jim Johnson has a 2.14 ERA in 43 appearances after a sparkling 7.09 ERA in 2014.

This is the definition of buying low and selling high. These two veterans don’t have a place with the team in the future. By the time Atlanta intends to compete again, 2017, Grilli will be 40 and Johnson 34. Contenders at the deadline are always looking for bullpen help and if Hart can swing both players for C-level prospects, he will have done a great job after they entered the season with limited value.

It’s tough to swallow punting on a season after seeing some success, but at the end of the day, Atlanta is still under .500 and chasing too many teams. They found a winning lottery ticket in Cameron Maybin who is having a career season, but may revert to his old ways (.252 career BA) any second. It would be a prudent decision for Hart to continue to sell as the deadline approaches. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Photo of courtesy of AP Images.

New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is likely beside himself with excitement looking at a player like Isaiah McKenzie.

Tavon Austin anyone? In Austin’s two years with Schottenheimer in St. Louis, he posted 660 yards receiving. This included a four touchdown 2014, where he averaged 16.8 yards per catch.

McKenzie could be a huge difference maker for the Bulldogs on offense this season.

He could be a huge help in that passing game.

campaign tight end Jeb Blazevich out of Charlotte, North Carolina. He ended the year with 18 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns.

Blazevich played in all 13 games last season and started 10 of them. He was part of a group that was feared to be short on numbers heading into the season, with Jay Rome hurt and Arthur Lynch graduated.

Running back Sony Michel showed early in the season that he can line up in space and make a play after the catch, when he took a touchdown pass from Hutson Mason 33 yards in Georgia’s game at South Carolina. Michel only had seven catches in 2014 for 106 yards.

Let’s also not forget that he missed for games with a shoulder injury in his debut campaign for the Bulldogs. The smart money would be that he could be looked to in the passing game out of the backfield over Nick Chubb.

Chubb will likely be looked to mostly in running the ball and for pass protection on third downs.

Michel also showed in 2014 that he is a team player, as evident in his play on special teams. Like his American Heritage teammate Isaiah McKenzie, Michel could truly benefit from Schottenheimer calling the offensive plays this season.

Senior TE Jay Rome and wideouts Reggie Davis and Terry Godwin will also be keys to the passing game this year.

Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP… Malcom Mitchell is by far the Bulldogs most experienced/accomplished receiver heading into this season. He has put up 1,485 yards in 116 catches for 11 touchdowns over his career.

Of course, who could forget his memorable catch/run to ice the Bulldogs win over Florida in 2012? Mitchell came back last season after missing the first three games from a knee injury. He would go on to post 31 catches for 248 yards and three touchdowns.

Justin Scott-Wesley showed his playmaking ability in 2013, before he went down against Tennessee with a season-ending torn ACL. We all remember that 85-yard season long touchdown reception against South Carolina that season.

The senior from Camilla missed half of last season trying to recover from that knee injury and coming out of the spring feels like he is explosive as ever for the 2015 season.

Like McKenzie, 2014 was a successful

ON THE COVER

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 2015

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS LAND GAMECHANGING PASS RUSHER WITH BEASLEY

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he Atlanta Falcons welcomed Vic Beasley Jr. into the professional limelight with the No. 8 overall pick of this year’s draft. The pass rusher’s record-setting career at Clemson, AllAmerican accolades and freakish athleticism was admired before he arrived at pre-draft combines and the unanimity of his status as one of the most sought after prospects of this year’s draft class was never in question. With extraordinary first-step quickness, speed and power, rushing the passer appears natural to Beasley. His football journey, however, reveals how impressive the 23-year-old’s accomplishments and skillsets really are.

Every player that completes the climb to the prestigious platform of the NFL followed his own unique path that got him there. Beasley has had the dream of making it to the NFL since he was a kid, but even he could never have imagined it would unfold the way it has.

“I thought I was going to be some other position,” admitted Beasley. “I wouldn’t have believed that [I’d be a pass rusher] at all. I just knew I had the potential to play in the NFL and I never saw myself being here in Atlanta. Fortu-

nately I was able to be here and it worked out for me. I’m glad to be here at home.”

During his career at Adairsville High School, an hour north of Atlanta, Beasley played running back and returned kicks while leading the defense at linebacker. His athleticism attracted plenty of collegiate fan mail and after signing with Clemson without an established position, he had to pursue a role on the field that could take full advantage of his unique set of skills. After getting red-shirted his freshman year and trying everything from tight end to running back with the Tigers, he was finally slotted as a pass rusher going into his sophomore season.

SHARPENING SKILLS…

Beasley’s father, Vic Beasley Sr., played safety at Auburn from 1982-84 and set an example for a young and motivated Beasley Jr. as his high school football career took flight at Adairsville. As a senior, Beasley played running back where he would tote 120 carries for 828 yards and seven scores. He added an 80yard kickoff return for a touchdown and two

punt return touchdowns that same season and on the defensive side of the ball notched 102 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and an interception.

Beasley excelled on the football field and also averaged a double-double on the hardwood for his high school basketball team and in AAU for the Georgia All-Stars in the offseason.

These busy high school playing days mark when Beasley applied the importance of putting the team first and where he recognized the hard work and determination that he would need to make his dream of playing in the NFL a reality.

“In high school the most important thing I learned was just the grind of everything,” explained Beasley. “The grind from high school into college really paid off.”

The wide range of athletic skills and versatility to play almost any position earned Beasley’s status as one of the top prep athletes in the nation before he narrowed down his college choices and signed with Clemson.

As he arrived on campus in 2010, Beasley’s playing position was unknown. The fresh start forced Beasley to practice and study a variety of different positions and this challenged him in ways that continue to help him today as he adapts to a new role with the Falcons.

“Playing those different positions throughout my career in high school and college challenged me,” admitted Beasley during mini-camp. “But as a result I’m adapting fast now [to the NFL] and can enjoy the process.”

A DEFENSIVE DESTINY…

Beasley earned more playing time in the offseason leading up to the 2012 season and would take a dozen snaps in the season opener against Auburn on Aug. 1 in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game. This showdown with ranked Auburn took place in Beasley’s home state at the Georgia Dome and it would prove to be a memorable day. On a critical third down during Auburn’s last drive, Beasley registered his first career college sack on a scrambling Kiehl Frazier and shut down the potential game-tying drive as Clemson held on for a 26-19 victory.

The 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year would record 32 more sacks by the end of his career, finishing with a school-record 33. Along with his 33 career sacks, Beasley totaled 101 tackles, 52.5 tackles for loss, 29 quarterback pressures, 11 pass breakups, seven caused fumbles, two recovered fumbles and two touchdowns in 1,421 snaps over 48 games (25 starts). He posted at least one sack in eight consecutive games from the end of the 2013

5

season and into the start of 2014 and was involved in a tackle for loss in each of his last 15 games.

His stock entering the 2014 draft was also at its peak because of a decision made before his senior season to not enter the draft when interests began to spring up following his AllAmerican 2013 campaign. Beasley was committed to staying in school for his final year of eligibility and finishing his Sociology degree so he could graduate.

“Growing up, my mom and dad always pushed academics,” Beasley said. “No one in our house had ever gotten a college degree and I wanted to be the first to do that. That was my main goal.”

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT… Football appreciates what the names, numbers and logos on a jersey represent much more than the physical digits, letters and designs themselves. Beasley will wear No. 44 with the Falcons, a jersey number he picked to represent being the No. 8 pick of the draft (4+4=8). When understanding his journey to the Falcons, the No. 44 seen on the field reveals the story. It displays the hard work it took to become a top 8 pick. It shows a childhood dream coming true every time he takes the field and it shows the honor of playing for the team he grew up cheering for.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

6

San Antonio Spurs

Summer League

A record-setting audience of 25.4 million fans in the United States tuned in on Sunday to watch their team dominate Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. The 2015 team joins the historic 1999 team and brings back home the trophy.

The Spurs have not been bigtime players in free agency over the years but this year, the five-time champs have dominated the offseason. The Spurs brought in Lamarcus Aldridge on Saturday and added veteran David West from Indiana early this week.

It’s that time of year for the Hawks young stars to take the court in Las Vegas for Summer League action. Atlanta is sending over a talent-packed roster, including 7-foot-3 center Walter Tavares that has been maturing since getting drafted in 2014’s second round.

By Cole Erickson

WHO’S HOT

Women’s Soccer

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

KEEP HANGING ON

Just when you think the Braves are going to go downhill, they keep fighting and keep fans interested for the second half of the season. They were able to win the series against the Nationals and then took two of three from the Phillies this past weekend. If the Braves keep this up, they could make a run at the division crown.

WELCOME TO ATHENS

Ohio State signee OL Mirko Jurkovic Jr. will now play for the Bulldogs this fall. Jurkovic signed with the Buckeyes last season, but he did not go there because of academic issues. This is big addition for the Bulldogs because they just lost DeVondre Seymour due to him giving up on football. Looks like the Dawgs are making a run at the No. 1 recruiting team in the country.

SHELBY ALL-STAR

Braves starter Shelby Miller has had a good season, and the MLB agrees as he was selected to the All-Star team.

Miller is the only Brave selected to the All-Star team, and it’s the first time since 2009 the Braves will only have one player taking part in the mid-summer classic.

Congrats Shelby. Make Braves Country proud.

NEW NAME AND LOGO

It’s official. The new MLS team will be called Atlanta United FC as the announcement of the name took place at a party in midtown on Tuesday. The logo was revealed as well as the colors which are red, black and gold. The name is too common but I love the colors. It’s going to be fun see the team take the field in less than two years.

NEW PRESS BOX

Construction is currently underway at Fifth Third Bank Stadium as Press Box will be built for the upcoming football season. The WellStar Press Box will seat print media, radio and TV, home and visiting coaches, instant replay and the scoreboard and clock operators. I can’t wait to see what the new press box looks like, which will be less than two months.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Rory McIlroy

Fireworks

Hawks

Arguably the world’s best golfer suffered an ankle injury while kicking a soccer ball with friends. He ruptured a ligament in his left ankle and will now have to miss this week’s British Open. It is a tough blow for the 26-year-old. He figures to be out a few weeks.

A pair of NFL players were injured over the Fourth of July weekend thanks to carelessness with fireworks. Giants defensive end Jason PierrePaul lost parts of his fingers due to a firework malfunction while Bucs cornerback C.J. Wilson injured his hand as well. Just a reminder to never take pyrotechnics for granted.

Atlanta couldn’t possibly resign DeMarre Carroll at the price he was signed to Toronto at, but after reading Carroll’s emotional letter to the fans, it has to hurt even more. He thanked the fans and the organization for giving him a chance to shine and he didn’t disappoint. Now he has a nice $60 million dollar contract sitting in his lap.

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.

?

TRIVIA QUESTION

“

SANITY AT LAST

HOW MANY TIMES HAS NORTH GWINNETT FOOTBALL ADVANCED TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP UNDER BOB SPHIRE?

“In high school the most important thing I learned was just the grind of everything. The grind from high school into college really paid off.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

- Vic Beasley Jr.

33

Career sacks by Vic Beasley Jr. at Clemson

15

Consecutive games with a tackle for loss to end Beasley’s career

49

Sacks by the Miami Dolphins when Dan Quinn and Richard Smith were there in 2005

22

Sacks by the Atlanta Falcons defense last season

7

Team-high touchdown receptions by Roddy White last season

6

Weeks until the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic

9

Weeks until the Falcons season opener with the Philadelphia Eagles

14

Georgia players represented in Nike’s The Opening in Oregon

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 2015

SEMIFINALS

Wednesday, July 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA

7

PREP SPORTS

PLAYOFF SWEEP MOTIVATES TALENTPACKED REGION 7 BY: EVAN MILLER | EMILLER@SCOREATL.COM

R

egion seven has been one of the best regions in all of AAAAAA since the classification began in 2012. In the 2013-14 season state finalists Norcross and North Gwinnett were both from Region-7. Last year was the first in which the region was not represented in the state championship and a year in which all the playoff teams were knocked out in the first round. In 2015 the region will try to capture its third state title in four years.

The region has historically been dominated by four teams and has only been won

by North Gwinnett, Norcross, Collins Hill and Peachtree Ridge with North Gwinnett and Norcross both having won four region titles.

Norcross has never had a losing season under Coach Keith Maloof, while North Gwinnett had its first non-double-digit win season this past year but still won its fourth region title since 2009 with a record of 8-2. Both Duluth and

Meadowcreek have not had a winning season since 1995 and 1990 respectively. Another thing to watch for is the potential return of Collins Hill to the top of the region after failing to defend their 2013 region championship and failing to make the playoffs for the first time under coach Kevin Reach after a 5-5 season.

Mountain View, Duluth and Meadowcreek all have new coaches this year. New coach Nick Bach, who was the defensive coordinator at Mountain View last year, takes over a Mountain View program that won only three games in 2014. New Duluth Head Coach Bob Swank was promoted after serving the past two seasons as the school’s defensive coordinator and will look to turn around a program that has not made the postseason since 1986. The Wildcats were a powerhouse in the mid-80’s compiling a record of 41-8-3 from 1983-86. Meadowcreek, who has only three winning seasons

since 1986 when the program started, hired Jason Carrera as the new head coach after he spent last season as the quarterbacks coach at Stockbridge High School.

A state championship has eluded one of the most powerful regions in the state since Norcross won back-to-back state championships in 2012 and 2013. North Gwinnett has been a state runner up twice under coach Bob Sphire. Peachtree Ridge were Co-Champions in 2006 but have not returned to the Dome since then. 2014 was the first year the Gwinnett schools had to play each other in the first round and North Gwinnett, Mill Creek, Norcross and Peachtree Ridge all lost in the opening round.

FOOTBALL HOTBED ...

Scouts from all over the country and from the best programs in the nation will once again flock to Georgia for talent. Players such as seniors Josh Imatorbhebhe (North Gwinnett), Nigel Warrior (Peachtree Ridge), Chad Clay (Peachtree Ridge), Baylen Buchanan (Peachtree Ridge), Tomon Fox (Collins Hill) and Emmanuel Belmar (Collins Hill) are some of the best players in the state and are ranked nationally. Warrior, a transfer from Westlake, is a ball-hawking safety and the third-ranked safety in the nation according to Rivals.com. Teammates Chad Clay (UGA) and Baylen Buchanan (Louisville) also patrol the secondary and are viewed as 3-Star

talents. Imatorbhebhe is an athletic wide receiver who is tabbed as a 4-Star and has already committed to Southern California. Tomon Fox and Emmanuel Belmar both control the action defensively for the Eagles and are being sought after by ACC schools.

The class of 2016 is star-studded, but 2017 may be even better. Cornerback/receiver Deangelo Gibbs (Peachtree Ridge), linebacker Breon Dixon (Peachtree Ridge), quarterback Connor Heyward (Peachtree Ridge), linebacker Robert Beal (Norcross) and linebacker Drew Jordan (North Gwinnett) are some of the top players in Georgia’s class of 2017.

The region championship will be up for grabs with each team being evenly matched.

Mill Creek will be looking to win its first region title as Head Coach Shannon Jarvis enters his 12th season at the helm, while Peachtree Ridge is looking for its first region title under Coach Mark Fleetwood and Collins Hill is ready to bounce back after a .500 season. North Gwinnett will need to replace gun-slinger John Urzua, who signed with Middle Tennessee State after throwing for over 3,000 yards in 2014.

Norcross will be loaded on the defensive side of the ball and have playmakers like Jamir Billings to spark the offense with his hands out of the backfield and his feet.

Photos courtesy of Ty Freeman, Terrance Johnson, Sonny Kennedy and Brandon Nguygen.

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 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

9

10

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

JUSTIN SCOTT-WESLEY UNDERGOES KNEE SURGERY

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley is SACLenior trying to make a full recovery from his torn that sidelined him for much of the 2013

season. Last week, some news came out that could derail that progress just a little.

According to the Georgia Athletic Communications office, Scott-Wesley underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The department Senior Associate Athletic Director and Director of Sports Medicine Ron Courson expects a full recovery for the receiver.

Scott-Wesley returned from the torn ACL to play six games in 2014. He ended up bringing in three catches for 52 yards and one touchdown.

One bit of good news could be that ScottWesley does not miss any practice time during fall camp. If you’ll remember, fellow wide receiver Michael Bennett had the same surgery and returned about a month later in the middle of the 2013 season.

SENIORS HEAD TO HOOVER

Yes, it is that time of year again! Georgia and the rest of the SEC will send their head coaches/three player representatives to Hoover, Ala. for the conference’s media days.

GEORGIA STATE

PANTHERS READY TO MAKE THEIR MARK IN THE PROS

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

A

pair of Panthers will play together on the Boston Celtics’ summer league team. 28th overall pick, rookie R.J. Hunter will suit up with former Panther Eric Buckner. The 6-foot-10 Buckner, now 25, played two seasons at Georgia State and developed into one of the best shot blockers in school history. Buckner played two seasons at Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to Georgia State for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In Atlanta he averaged 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds to go along with 1.6 blocks per game his first season before upping his averages to 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and a league leading 3.5 blocks a night. His 118 blocks in 2011 ranked him sixth in the country.

The South Carolina native has been playing overseas in the Turkish Basketball League for Turk Telekom. He averaged over 12 points per game this past season.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP ...

Matt Rose, the 11th round selection of the

Georgia has decided to go with three senior players to represent the team alongside head coach Mark Richt. Those players are offensive tackle John Theus, outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, and wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell.

Mitchell is also going to be featured as part of the SEC’s ‘Beyond The Field: Stories of the SEC’ for his off-field work of reading to local kids and his involvement with a book club.

Keep visiting ScoreATL.com all next week for updates on all 14 schools from Hoover next week. I will be attending all four days.

AWARDS ON THE HORIZON?

As is the case with most Georgia preseason’s leading up to the start of football season, a handful of players find themselves on some watch lists for college football awards.

As of right now that is the case for sophomore running back Nick Chubb plus outside linebackers Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd.

Chubb is on the watch list for the Maxwell Award (given to the nation’s top running back) following a 1,547 yard/14 touchdown 2014 season. Those totals tied him for fourth most in a school single season with Bulldog legend Garrison Hearst.

The last Bulldog to win the Maxwell Award was Herschel Walker back in 1982.

Jenkins and Floyd are up for the Bednarik Award (given to the national defensive player of the year).

Floyd finished his sophomore season with eight and a half tackles for a loss plus six sacks.

Jenkins had nine and a half with five sacks.

David Pollack won this award in 2004.

Chicago Cubs in this year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, has gotten off to a fast start with the Eugene Emeralds. The first baseman has driven in seven runs over his first nine games and has totaled a .290 batting average. Rose led the Panthers with 16 homeruns this season and was one of the top power hitters in the nation before being drafted after his junior season.

Nathan Bates was another Panther drafted this year after his junior season. The 6-foot7 righty has pitched seven innings for the Orem Owlz and has allowed one run. Bates was taken in the 15th round by the Los Angeles Angels.

Bates played his high school baseball at Starr’s Mill before compiling a 4.07 ERA over three seasons at Georgia State.

Curtis Terry and Ryne Inman, two prized prospects the Panthers inked out of high school for the upcoming 2016 season, have both decided to turn pro instead of attend GSU. Terry was selected in the 13th round by the Texas Rangers while Inman went in the 15th to the Seattle Mariners.

RAIN OR SHINE ...

Through the wet and rainy conditions, two Georgia State Panthers still managed to finish among the top 15 in the women’s race for the 2015 Peachtree Road Race. 2010 graduate Janel Blancett placed ninth overall while current Master’s student Stella Christoforou finished 14th.

Blancett finished with a time of 35:50 while Christoforou crossed the finish line at 37:40.

GEORGIA TECH

FIVE KEY GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS FOR 2015

BY COLIN HUBBARD | INFO@SCOREATL.COM

J

ustin Thomas, (JR., QB) Thomas had a terrific first season as a starter with 1,719 passing yards and 1,086 rushing yards, and the Yellow Jackets won a lot of games (11 to be exact). He will have an even bigger impact this year, and the Yellow Jackets should win plenty of more games. Thomas is the perfect quarterback for head coach Paul Johnson’s option scheme, and Thomas is a better passer than most people give him credit for. He is also a really good leader, and this program just seems different with him in the lineup.

Keshun Freeman, (SOPH., DE) Freeman started 12 games as a freshman and led the team’s defensive linemen with 54 tackles. He also had 9½ tackles for loss and 4½ sacks.

Freeman has a chance to be a dominant force on an improving defensive unit.

Adam Gotsis, (SR., DL) Emerging as a leader on the defense, Gotsis had 36 tackles last season. He helps anchor the defensive line from the inside and has developed into a tal-

KENNESAW STATE

MENS’ BB HIRES ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

T

he men’s basketball team has a new associate head coach as Michael Cotton will join the staff along with head coach Al Skinner.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, and Cotton joins KSU after spending the 2013-14 season at NC Central.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to name Mike as my Associate Head Coach,” Al Skinner said. “He brings tons of experience and recruiting ties in this area. He is totally a student of the game. He will make an outstanding head coach.”

Cotton’s coaching career spans for over 15 years. He spent the first few years coaching youth and high school basketball. He started coaching at the college ranks in 2008 where he was an assistant coach at Bucknell. He helped the Bison earned two conference championships and a NCAA tournament berth in four seasons. After his stint at Bucknell, Cotton spent one season at Rider College where he was in charge of various on and off-the-court duties.

Cotton played college ball at Oklahoma

11

ented pass rusher.

Marcus Allen, (JR., B-BACK) Allen hasn’t done much in his time with the program, but the Yellow Jackets need him to step up this season. There are some new faces in the backfield, so this season could be the chance for Allen to make his mark.

Broderick Snoddy, (SR., B-BACK) Snoddy is arguably the fastest player on the Georgia Tech roster. Snoddy has competed as a track star his entire life and that has translated onto the football field. Snoddy is the oldest player out of the group of B-backs and will help lead them, but he is still recovering from a gruesome broken leg at the end of the 2014 season.

HOW GOOD IS THE TECH DEFENSIVE LINE? ...

Heading into 2015, the Yellow Jackets are projected to have one of the ACC’s best defensive lines. The projected starting lineup shows Pat Gamble and Keshun Freeman as Tech’s two defensive ends while Adam Gotsis and Jabari Hunt-Days patrolling the tackle positions.

These groups of players have the most experience on the Tech defense and will help lead the rest of the men.

Georgia Tech has struggled in recent years to apply pressure on the quarterback, but this year may be different. It would be no surprise to see Georgia Tech in the top five in sacks for the ACC in 2015.

and Boston College. He played for the Sooners for two years, and went on to play for the Golden Eagles his junior and senior season.

AGAINST ALL ODDS…

One of the things that will make the football team interesting to watch is the type of players that will be coming together and help the Owls become major players in the Big South Conference and the FCS. One of those players is Wesley Simonton, a linebacker from Jefferson High School who was told he was too small to play Division I football.

“A lot of people said I could never play (Division I) college football,” Simonton said in an interview with The Jackson Herald. “A lot of people didn’t believe in me. So I had a lot to prove, and I had a chip on my shoulder.”

After a stellar career at Jefferson, Simonton decided to go to the University of North Georgia after he received no football scholarships. But after a year of training he walked on at KSU last year, and is now on the cusp of playing in his first college football game.

When Simonton and the rest of the team come back after they take on East Tennessee State on Sept. 3, they will notice that Fifth Third Bank Stadium has a new press box.

Last week, construction began at the stadium on the building of the WellStar Press Box, and it will be a working area for print media, radio and TV, home and visiting coaches, instant replay and the scoreboard and clock operators.

12

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

MILLSAP SIGNED, CARROLL DEPARTS, SPLITTER ARRIVES

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

T

here will be some change within the Hawks roster entering the 2015-16 NBA season.

Gone is the Junkyard Dog, DeMarre Carroll.

The tough-nosed small forward got a massive payday that opened eyes across the league. Last Wednesday the six-year veteran inked a massive four-year, $60 million dollar contract with the Toronto Raptors. $15 million a year for a career 7.6 point per game scorer seemed like too much for Atlanta to pay. It came down either resigning Paul Millsap or Carroll and it was Carroll who got the short end of the stick. Millsap was rumored to be in talks with Orlando, but once Atlanta decided that Carroll was too expensive, all the focus turned back onto Millsap. He went on to sign a three-year, $59 million dollar deal to keep him in Atlanta.

Also on July 1, the Hawks added a big man to the roster after striking out in the draft. Atlanta traded with the San Antonio Spurs for 30-year-old center Tiago Splitter. Coach Budenholzer has a familiarity with Splitter after coach-

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES BACK IN THE MIX THANKS TO SUDDEN TURNAROUND

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

A

fter compiling an 11-16 record in the month of June, the Atlanta Braves have seen their fortunes take a turn for the better in July. Heading into Wednesday afternoon’s series finale at the Milwaukee Brewers, the Braves were 6-1 this month. They capped off a three-game set against the visiting Washington Nationals with two wins in a row, took two of three at Turner Field at the Phillies’ expense and they came out on top of two straight contests in Milwaukee.

In Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over the Brewers, catcher A.J. Pierzynski went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. It was Pierzynski’s third outing in succession with at least three hits. The 38-year-old also went 3-for-4 in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia and he had four hits in the opener at Milwaukee. ​“I’m just going up there trying to hit the ball; I’m not even thinking about anything else,” Pierzynski said following his third straight three-hit performance. “The first at-bat I hit a home run on a changeup. I thought it was a fastball. I don’t even know what I’m doing. I’m

ing him in San Antonio. Splitter is not a great rim protector or rebounder, but he knows Bud’s system and comes from a winning culture. Atlanta did not trade a player or draft picks as of now in the trade that will go official later this week.

Splitter averaged 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 19.8 minutes of action last season.

WHO TO WATCH THIS SUMMER ...

Some interesting names will be peppered across the Hawks’ summer league roster. Atlanta begins summer league play July 10 in Las Vegas. Some rumored additions to the roster are Lamar Patterson, DeAndre Kane, Mike Moser, Brandon Ashley and Terran Petteway.

Patterson was drafted out of Pittsburgh last year and now plays in Turkey. Kane played ball at Iowa State before landing in the Belgian league. Moser was one of the nation’s best rebounders as he bounced from UCLA to UNLV before finishing his career at Oregon. The 6-foot-8 forward has a diverse game and averaged 14 points and 10.5 rebounds as a sophomore. He slumped as a junior and left UNLV for Oregon where he averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in 2013-14. He now plays in the Lithuanian League.

Ashley is a tough power forward out of a successful Arizona program while Petteway is a high scoring wing player who starred at Nebraska and averaged 18.1 points his junior season before going pro this year and being undrafted.

literally just trying to get a good pitch and put a good swing on it. Whatever happens happens.”

The veteran’s latest impressive showing at the plate—and behind it—helped starting pitcher Manny Banuelos earn his first major league win. Banuelos lasted 5.1 innings while allowing only five hits and one run. Jason Grilli struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his second save in as many nights and 24th of the season.

MILLER TIME …

Atlanta’s only loss during this current hot stretch came via a 10-inning decision against the Phillies. It was, however, no fault of the team’s starting pitcher. Shelby Miller scattered seven hits without giving up a run while striking out eight batters in 6.1 innings of work, but the Braves could not provide any run support and eventually succumbed 4-0 in the 10th.

Miller, who sports a 2.07 ERA, has been named the National League squad for next week’s All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

“Honestly, when you hear it for the first time it’s pretty awesome,” Miller assured. “You set goals for yourself every season and this is one of the goals and stepping stones that you want to have at the end of the year. I’m just happy and excited for the opportunity. I’m a little speechless; you don’t know what to say about your first All-Star Game. But I’m blown away by it, for sure.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

MLS ATLANTA WELCOMES IN NEW ERA

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

T

he stage was set Tuesday night as MLS Atlanta officially unveiled its team name, colors and logo. SOHO Lounge in midtown Atlanta was host to the launch event party which packed in over 4,000 fans to see a new era of Atlanta sports begin. Supporter groups such as the Terminus Legion, some of the most hardcore soccer fans in the nation, were loud and proud as Atlanta United FC released its logo.

Team owner Arthur Blank, who was the driving force behind returning soccer to Atlanta, took the stage to pounding drums and chants of “Uncle Arthur.” Blank assured the fans that Atlanta will be here to stay and will be a force to be reckoned with in 2017. “We are here for you,” Blank said. “This team is your team.”

“I promised three things: to put a winning team on the field, to provide a great match day experience for our fans and to entrench this club into the community. We’re on our way to fulfilling those promises and I look forward to sharing the excitement of building this club with our incredible supporters.”

ATLANTA DREAM

CRUCIAL ROAD TRIP LOOMS ON THE HORIZON

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

A

ngel McCoughtry scored a game-high 23 points and Tiffany Hayes returned to the lineup to add 12 points to lift the Dream (56) over the Storm (3-9) on Sunday, 72-64.

Three players scored eight points while Erika de Souza chipped in nine to go along with her seven rebounds. Sancho Lyttle pulled down 15 rebounds in the win.

Atlanta held a 36-27 lead at halftime and rode McCoughtry to the finish. She finished 8-of-17 from the field and sank three 3-pointers. Hayes didn’t shoot well in her return, going 3-of-15 and 0-of-7 from three, but she still was able to crack double figures. Rookie Jewell Loyd scored a team-high 12 points for Seattle and was followed by Alysha Clark, Sue Bird and Ramu Tokashiki, who all pitched in 11 points apiece. The closest the Storm would get in the fourth quarter would be at the 2:11 mark after an Alysha Clark three cut the lead to 63-62, but Atlanta would respond with a 9-2 run to end the game, sparked by five McCoughtry points.

13

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber was also in attendance and was proud to see the strides the city has made in bringing a team to the forefront. “There is something special happening here in Atlanta,” stated Garber.

THE NAME GAME… Team president Darren Eales explained the thought process behind the name Atlanta United FC. “The word ‘United’ has long been associated with the beautiful game around the world,” said Eales. “It has particular resonance for Atlanta, as a transport hub in the Southeast, as a multi-cultural, international city and as a club committed to community.”

Being a new franchise, Atlanta has the opportunity of creating its history from scratch.

“The most exciting part of tonight’s celebration is that the Atlanta United story has yet to be written,” explained Eales.

As Eales finished his addressing of the crowd, a two-minute video was shown behind him which slowly and tantalizingly revealed the colors and logo of Atlanta United, explaining what each part of the logo meant and its significance. By the end of it, a bold new logo with a golden A entrenched inside a circular crest with red and black vertical stripes behind it sent the fans into a frenzy. Smoke machines started firing off, confetti and streamers shot through the air and the curtains dropped, revealing the new logo on stage. The party had officially started.

WHERE THEY STAND ...

The Dream remain in last place in the East, but have shown signs of life winning their last two games. Connecticut has lost two straight and remain in first place at 7-3. In the Western Conference, Minnesota (8-2) and Tulsa (8-4) have already separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Currently, McCoughtry is second in the league in scoring at 20.7 points per game, trailing only Elena Delle Donne who is making a bid to break the single season scoring record with her 27.2 average. Sancho Lyttle is averaging 2.9 steals, 0.1 behind league leader Alex Bentley.

LOOKING AHEAD ...

Atlanta faces a challenging stretch coming up as the Dream’s five out of their next six opponents have winning records. Starting next Tuesday, they will embark on a six-game road trip, their longest of the season. After leaving on July 14, the team will finally return to Philips on August 2 to host the Phoenix Mercury. Atlanta will need to stay afloat during its lengthy road trip to have a chance at making a run down the stretch and grabbing another playoff berth.

UP NEXT ...

On Tuesday the Dream host the Tulsa Shock (8-4), the Western Conference’s secondbest team. Skylar Diggins (ACL), Glory Johnson (pregnant) and Odyssey Sims (knee) will all be unavailable. They have now lost three-straight games since the injury to Diggins and will try to avoid a winless four-game road trip.

14

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

STAY UP-TO-DATE We want to hear from you!

Find us on Facebook and Twitter. Give us feedback on your favorite articles, tell us what you’d like to see in upcoming issues and stay up-to-date on sporting news from Metro Atlanta!

/SCOREATLANTASPORTS

WWW.GAPREPNEWS.COM

@SCOREATLANTA

WWW.TINYURL.COM/ SCORENEWSLETTER

WWW.SCOREATL.COM

STAY CONNECTED!

?

TRIVIA ANSWER

NORTH GWINNETT FOOTBALL HAS ADVANCED TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP UNDER BOB SPHIRE TWO TIMES

MAKE YOUR OCCASION A SUCCESS! Great rates! Book your date!

Vol. 11 Iss. 25 | July 10-16, 2015

15

The place was trashed. It u but you wouldn't even know itsed to be a neighborhood, high gear, and after al the t . So we cranked it into raining, things just clicked.

We got food and water to eve even built shelters in a day. I ryone in an hour. We out of the Guard. But I didn't knew I would get a lot people would get, too. know how much other

Get ahead in life with the Guard.

• Money for college • Training in more than 200 career fields • Service to your country and community

TRAINING

|

EDUCATION

|

ADVENTURE

|

MONEY

|

SERVICE

Programs and Benefits Subject to Change 14CNG-04_10.125x9.321.indd 1

8/7/14 10:30 AM