Score Atlanta Vol. 11 Issue 26

Time to look great!

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 26 | AUGUST 14-20, 2015

|

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

State Pride | Pg. 4 Which instate college program will rise to the top in 2015?

Going Global | Pg. 8 Blessed Trinity and Marist set to open 2016 football season in Ireland.

FALCONS PREVIEW What’s in store for the 2015 Falcons? | Pg. 5

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Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

05

COLUMNISTS

07

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 JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rhonda Rawls

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.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015 a top five tight end prospect for the 2016 NFL Draft and will be a bright spot on the team.

SANDY’S SPIEL

WHO’S THE KING OF THE SOUTH?

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he state of Georgia remains in flux regardT ing who really is the team to beat. In total there are four FBS schools in the peach state: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and Georgia State. Both UGA and Tech are established programs with rich histories and a national title to their name. Georgia Southern just completed its first year as an FBS program after dominating the FCS and winning six national championships. After three seasons in the FCS, Georgia State joined the big boys in 2013 and has struggled mightily compiling a 1-23 record. The Panthers didn’t have much success in the FCS either, finishing just 10-23.

Georgia Tech won the state championship last year with wins over hated rival Georgia and

a nail-biter over upstart Georgia Southern, but will the guard shift back over in favor of Georgia, or will Georgia Tech once again remain atop of the state? Or maybe Georgia Southern, who is now bowl eligible, will steal the show.

Georgia State will likely suffer another rough season. In 2014 they snagged an exciting 38-37 season opening win against Abilene Christian, an FCS school, but lost 11 straight to end the season and still search for their first win ever against a FBS school. The Panthers rely on gun-slinger Nick Arbuckle who threw for 3,283 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. The running game suffered after freshman Krysten Hammon was dismissed from the team early in the season. Joel Ruiz was recently ranked as

SAGER SAYS

BUSY OFFSEASON SHIFTS CONFERENCE HIERARCHY

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he Super Bowl defending champion New England Patriots bring back a coaching nuT cleus with 41 years of experience in the organi-

zation between head coach Bill Belichick (17), offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (12) and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia (12). The Buffalo Bills overhauled their team with Rex Ryan stepping in as the new leader. The Dolphins will need to get over the .500 hump for the first time since 2008 to keep fourth-year head coach Joe Philbin safe. Jets head coach Todd Bowles has Darrelle Revis, Buster Skrine and Antonio Cromartie leading the defense.

AFC NORTH ALL DEFENSE Reigning AFC North champ Pittsburgh will enter life without legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and veteran leaders Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu and Brett Keisel. The Ra-

vens expect Joe Flacco to continue his rise to elite status under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman. Cincinnati has lost four-straight years in the Wild Card Round and Cleveland hopes drafting Danny Shelton will help their League-worst run defense.

COLTS HAVE ALL THE LUCK Indianapolis is banking on another AFC South title behind the arm of Andrew Luck who has brand new toys in Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. Vince Wilfork will team up with J.J. Watt along the Texans defensive line. The Jaguars lost top pick Dante Fowler Jr. to injury on Day 1 of rookie minicamp. Blake Bortles will have a new favorite target in Julius Thomas, from Denver. The Titans selected Marcus Mariota second overall and hope he can spark the franchise like Steve McNair did in the early 2000’s.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Georgia Southern rolled in their first season in the Sun Belt, winning nine games but were unable to make it to a bowl since it was their first season. The Eagles finished a perfect 8-0 in conference and have established themselves as the team to beat in their new home.

Southern easily could have finished 11-1, but late game letdowns led them to a 24-23 season opening loss at North Carolina State and a 4238 loss at Georgia Tech in a thriller. Kevin Ellison returns to run the triple option under center and orchestrates the nation’s No. 1 rushing attack which averaged 381.1 yards per game – 39 more than Georgia Tech. Ellison and running back Matt Breida both rushed for over 1,000 yards.

Georgia Tech stunned and stung opponents en route to an 11-3 season and a blowout Orange Bowl victory. Justin Thomas was masterful running the triple option but he will now be without backs Zach Laskey and Synjyn Days. Also departed are DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller. The Jackets will need to find a way to replace their stable of veteran backs and also find big play wide receivers. Luckily,

Peyton Manning returns to the Broncos with wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Kansas City hopes Jeremy Maclin will finally give Alex Smith a deep threat at wide receiver. San Diego flirted with moving Philip Rivers but decided to keep the veteran quarterback that continues improving late into his career. The addition of Melvin Gordon should give the Chargers a rushing game they lacked last season as they averaged just 85.4 yards per game on the ground. Derek Carr looked good with limited talent around him in Oakland as a rookie and now will have Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper flanking him as top options.

NFC CONTENDERS

The NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys were one call away from stamping a divisional round playoff win last year, but now DeMarco Murray, who led the League in rushing, will now call rival Philadelphia home. The Eagles look to ride Murray back into the postseason with a new signal caller after Nick Foles was shipped to St. Louis and Sam Bradford was brought in. DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jordan Reed and running back Alfred Morris are viable offensive weapons but the unknown at quarterback could once again leave the Redskins in the cellar. Two-time Super Bowl winning duo Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning return with emergent Odell Beckham Jr. in New York.

The Detroit defense will have to fill the

5

the defense returns eight crucial starters.

UGA won 10 games last season but lost in overtime to Georgia Tech, 30-24. Nick Chubb returns and will carry the ball as much as possible. Georgia will remain one dimensional on offense unless a quarterback steps up. Virginia transfer Greyson Lambert, Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta have all battled for the job. Hutson Mason was a game manager last year and the Dawgs likely won’t have strong quarterback play again. Lambert was prone to mistakes at UVA and Ramsey is the favorite to start and has the most upside.

It will be interesting to see what happens this season. The Dawgs always come in as the prohibitive favorite, but they will be tested in back-to-back games to end the season, hosting Georgia Southern and then visiting Atlanta for a rematch. Much like they did with Tech, don’t be surprised if the Eagles push the Dawgs to the brink with their offensive onslaught. If UGA is able to survive it would surely benefit them as they face the Jackets’ triple option the following week. It will be a three team race for the battle of state supremacy. Expect the last weeks of November to be can’t miss action in the state of Georgia.

Photo of courtesy of Rob Saye.

void left by Ndamukong Suh, who is now with the Dolphins. Green Bay’s core and arguably the League’s top quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, are back. Minnesota showed fight last year with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback and Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon got valuable reps in the absence of the suspended Adrian Peterson.

The NFC West has sent Seattle to backto-back Super Bowls and Arizona and St. Louis returning strong. The Cardinals were 9-1 to start last season before injuries forced their historic start to take a sharp turn. Gregg Williams is back for a second season to coordinate a very capable Rams defense. Change was in the air for the 49ers this offseason. Former head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the Big Ten to lead Michigan and the core of the team was decimated. Twenty combined Pro Bowls and more than 1,000 career starts were lost from the team this offseason.

Carolina’s Kelvin Benjamin proved to be one of the League’s most explosive targets after hauling in 73 passes for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie in 2014. New Orleans brought in Cornerback Brandon Browner to match up with the division’s long list of talented receivers and stands 6-foot-4, 221 pounds. Tampa Bay receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans will flank this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Jameis Winston.

Photo courtesy of AP Images.

Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015

ON THE COVER

Atlanta added Tony Moeaki and Jacob Tamme.

Moeaki was no longer needed in Seattle after the trade for former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham and Tamme brings the experience of playing with Peyton Manning for three years in Indianapolis and three years in Denver that should translate well to a veteran pocket passer like Matt Ryan. Two of the biggest additions were linebackers Justin Durant and Brooks Reed, which brought in two experienced playmakers to the heart of the defense.

Atlanta’s receiving duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White is an established force around the NFL and they top the Falcons wide receiver totem pole again this season. The difference with the receiving corps this season, however, is that the supporting cast could be as talented as it’s ever been. The Falcons brought in Nick Williams and Leonard Hankerson through free agency and Devin Hester is back after sparking big plays as a third and fourth receiver option last season. Both Wi lliams and Hankerson spent time with Shanahan while he coordinated the Washington offense and will certainly help in the film room.

The other key addition to the receiving corps came in the fourth round of this year’s draft with East Carolina’s Justin Hardy.

Hardy became the NCAA’s all-time leader in receptions last season and finished his historic career with 387 catches, 4,541 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FPIECES COME TOGETHER AS NEW ERA TAKES FLIGHT

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

tlanta hired Dan Quinn the day after A Super Bowl XLIX and welcomed the defensive-minded leader that crowned its

list of candidates and jumpstarted one of the busiest offseasons the team will ever see.

From Quinn’s hiring to mid-June, Atlanta not only built an almost entirely new coaching staff, but also surpassed the century mark with over 100 official transactions by the time the pre-camp roster was set.

Before the roster underwent its series of transformations, Quinn finalized the staff he had begun envisioning when head coaching interest first began to surface during Seattle’s run to Super Bowl XLVIII. On the defensive side of the ball, Quinn started with the familiar coaching model that helped shape his success in Seattle by hiring veteran Richard Smith from Denver to coordinate the defense and bringing in a secondary specialist in Raheem Morris to specifically work with the pass defense.

There is no doubting that Quinn is a defense oriented coach, but his years mastering that side of the ball gave him the understanding of the type of offensive staff he wanted to bring in. New coordinator Kyle Shanahan has paved a trail of success with a playbook that has tremendous flexibility and balance that Quinn

has first hand experience with.

“Going against Kyle Shanahan in the past has been really difficult,” admitted Quinn. “It’s been the balanced run/pass stuff, the keepers, the play action, the movement, all that [type of] game is hard to defend. We were hopefully going to get connected if it [getting a head coaching position] happened a year ago, but it ended up working out to where we could do it again this year.”

On special teams, Quinn believes he is teaming up with one of the best teachers in the game with Keith Armstrong, who has been in Atlanta since 2008.

“Keith Armstrong from the special teams standpoint, I’ve always felt like is one of the best fundamental coaches in football,” said Quinn. “So I had a chance to connect with him; it was a no-brainer. All these guys together, I think one of the things I like most is that they are trying to find out everything they can and pull guys into being the very best they can.”

MAKING MOVES Atlanta used the two months leading up to the draft to reshape much of the roster.

In an effort to boost the tight end position,

NEED FOR SPEED

In the backfield, Shanahan’s wide zone running scheme is built for backs that can get outside quickly and use one cut to explode upfield. Devonta Freeman and Antone Smith showed this ability last year and the team added another home-run threat with Indiana running back Tevin Coleman in this year’s draft. Coleman was a third-round pick (73rd overall) that put up 2,036 rushing yards off 270 carries (7.5 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns last season with the Hoosiers.

Third-year pro Desmond Trufant returns as the leader of the secondary with safety William Moore. However, safeties Kemal Ishmael and Ricardo Allen proved to be starting caliber players this offseason. Last year’s second-round pick, Ra’Shede Hageman is expected to play a significant role up front as a 6-foot-6, 318-pound end and this year’s fifth-round pick Grady Jarrett will boost the tackle position with his low leverage and ability to find the backfield. Every level of the defense returns with improvements, but the one position that will receive the most attention this season is ‘the Leo’. This passrushing position is tailor made for this year’s first-round pick, Vic Beasley Jr., and will line him primarily on the right side, where he spent most of his record-setting collegiate career at Clemson.

7

THE SLATE The Falcons open the season with a Monday Night Football showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 14 and then follow it with two more NFC East games with visits to the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. The Falcons return home Week 4 to face Houston and then host Washington Week 5. After the homestand, Atlanta will have just four days to prepare for its first divisional game of the season, an Oct. 15 Thursday Night Football battle with New Orleans Week 6. If the Falcons can grasp the new systems and continue improving each week, then they will be prepared for a critical final five weeks of the season, which includes three road games and four divisional games. Atlanta plays at Tampa Bay on Dec. 6 before facing the twotime defending division champion Panthers for the first time of the season on Dec. 13 at Carolina.

After a trip to Jacksonville on Dec. 20, two crucial home games to end the season remain on the schedule. Atlanta will host Carolina on Dec. 27 before closing the regular season by welcoming New Orleans to the Georgia Dome on Jan. 3.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.

8

Chris Chester

GHSA

Since making the blockbuster trades for David Price and Troy Tulowitzki, the Jays are 12-1 and riding a nine-game winning streak which has pole vaulted them from 5051 before the trades to 6252 and just 0.5 games back of the first place Yankees in the AL East. These Canadians might just sneak down south into the MLB postseason.

The 10-year veteran was signed on May 30 and has flown under the radar as just another signing to help fill out the roster, but this week it has been revealed that the former Washington Redskin has over taken Jon Asamoah as the Falcons projected starting guard.

Chester has appeared in 138 games since being drafted by the Ravens in the secondround of the 2006 draft.

Georgia high schools are back in session and fall sports are already starting to get in gear. Softball and volleyball are underway with some of the country’s top teams residing in the peach state. By the way, who is ready for some football? The season kicks off with the nationally renowned Corky Kell Classic on August 21.

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

Toronto Blue Jays

SCORE LIST

By Brian Jones

BEST IN THE EAST

During SEC Media Days, Georgia was picked as the favorite to win the SEC East. The Bulldogs were heavily favored by media members to win the East because of the talent they have coming back on offense and defense. The media also picked Alabama to win the West, but picked Auburn to win the SEC. Wait, what?

BEST IN THE COASTAL

The ACC Media Days welcomed us into August, and the media members love Georgia Tech. The Jackets received 96 of 158 first-place votes to win the ACC Coastal, and it’s the first time in the Paul Johnson era Tech has been picked to win the division. Tech has shared or won the division four of Johnson’s seven seasons. The UGA-Tech game this year should be very intense.

JOHNSON GONE

Braves infielder Chris Johnson publicly announced his frustration with the Braves organization, and asked for a trade. Well, he got it. Johnson was sent to Cleveland.

The Braves were desperate to get rid of him, and not only because he’s scheduled to make $16.5 million over the next two seasons.

ATLANTA GLOBETROTTERS

It’s true. The Harlem Globetrotters will move to Atlanta by next year. They announced last month that owner Herschend Family Entertainment Group is planning to move the team from Phoenix to their offices at Peachtree Corners. The new office will employ 51 people including booking, marketing and public relations. That makes up for the city losing the Thrashers. Right?

BOHANNON ON TOUR

KSU football head coach Brian Bohannon has been making the rounds this summer and was on SirusXM Radio and 680 The Fan previewing the inaugural season.

With fall camp in full swing, Bohannon was talking about the program’s first season and what it takes to start a new program. I’m already a fan of his, and the fact he’s now following me on Twitter makes my summer.

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

New York Jets

Jon Asamoah

Norcross Offense

Starting quarterback Geno Smith was sucker-punched by teammate IK Enemkpali on Tuesday in a dispute over $600. Every year we see scuffles during camp get blown out of proportion by the media, but there is no doubting that this specific locker room altercation will live in Jets infamy.

The climb made by Chris Chester up the Falcons depth chart at guard this offseason says a lot about the speed of the 10-year veteran. However, it also says a lot about the future of Jon Asamoah.

Asamoah was brought in last season and started every game but has failed to emerge as a starter this offseason. Atlanta is probably missing Justin Blaylock right about now.

The Blue Devils are looking to move forward after a poor showing in their preseason scrimmage with Lowndes.

Norcross lost 21-7 and managed just 55 total yards of offense through the first three quarters. With Valdosta’s strong secondary awaiting Norcross at the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic, some fine-tuning will be required before Aug. 22.

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

WHAT TEAM WILL THE FALCONS FACE IN BOTH THE PRESEASON AND REGULAR SEASON IN 2015?

“The team has “a million talkers” but we need someone to lead by example”

ANSWER ON PAGE 16

- Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson during camp

1

Week until the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic

4

Weeks until the Falcons open their season with the Eagles

1,513

Square feet of video space in Norcross’ new record-breaking video board

8

Consecutive state titles won by Buford softball

9

Former Gwinnett assistants hired as head coaches this offseason

3

All-State First Team selections for both Archer and McEachern

45.7% 4.8%

The Maxwell Ratings’ projected chance for Colquitt County to repeat as state champions The Maxwell Ratings’ projected chance for McEachern to win its first state championship this year

Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015

Valdosta High School

Social Circle High School

South Forsyth High School

Roswell High School

Northview High School

McEachern High School

Over 1000 installations nationwide since 1998

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PREP SPORTS

BLESSED TRINITY AND MARIST WILL OPEN 2016 SEASON IN IRELAND BY: CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

B

lessed Trinity and Marist will join Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, to kick off the 2016 high school football season.

The two Catholic high school teams will not play each other but will participate in the Global Ireland Football Tournament, which will bring 10 other teams from across the United States to participate. The games will be played on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016.

Tech will face Boston College at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Sept. 3, 2016 and will be televised on ESPN2. The Yellow Jackets’ trip across the Atlantic will set up the ninth college football game held in Ireland and the seventh featuring FBS schools. It will be the second college game ever played at Aviva Stadium.

Blessed Trinity and Marist will be invited to watch the Georgia Tech and Boston College game on Saturday.

“We are really excited for this experience

for a variety of reasons,” said Marist Athletic Director Tommy Marshall. “One of those reasons is that Marist will have players on both rosters on Saturday that we can share this experience with.”

Marist alum Myles Willis is a junior running back on Boston College and Chase Martenson is a sophomore quarterback on Georgia Tech’s roster. There are also two Marist schools established in Ireland that the War Eagles will get the opportunity to gather with during the trip.

Global Football officially selected Blessed Trinity and Marist last week but the process started about six weeks ago. Blessed Trinity head coach Tim McFarlin received a phone call from Matt Kunz, the son of Falcons legend George Kunz and a city councilman in Milton, about the opportunity.

Kunz called McFarlin to let him know that Global Football was looking for a couple of Georgia teams to play in this year’s Global

Ireland Football Tournament. The opportunity seemed a little far-fetched to McFarlin at first.

“He [Mike] called to let me know that Global Football is looking for a couple Georgia teams this year and are interested in you guys,” explained McFarlin. “I really kind of dismissed it at first. I was thinking that it didn’t make sense but then when I got the second call and things started to move, we realized that for the last several years they have been connecting high school football with the NCAA deal. They take teams from all over the country but they have never taken anybody from Georgia and the reason they wanted two teams from Georgia for 2016 was because Georgia Tech is in it.”

GOING GLOBAL

With the deal in motion, Global Football President Patrick Steenberge talked with the two schools and got them on board. Steenberge will fly to Atlanta on Aug. 4 to meet with the two schools to go over more details and the preparation.

“Logistically, it’s very organized the way it is set up,” explained McFarlin. “They map out your practice times and then there are tours that you take to see castles and Trinity College and much more.”

McFarlin contacted Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, Texas, the former high school of reigning Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth, which played in the event last year to get their first-hand account of the trip.

“We called the coaches and they did a nice job of letting us understand the whole picture,” said McFarlin. “It’s going to be a football experience but it is also a great cultural experience for these kids and for the coaches too. I’ve never been over there.”

The six games will be scheduled at three separate locations in smaller stadiums that can pack in up to 4,000 people. The three double headers are each expected to be 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. starts local (Dublin) time and will be video broadcasted for the schools to see back home. Dublin is five hours ahead of Atlanta time.

Marist can also thank its long history of success as head coach Alan Chadwick enters his 31st season with the War Eagles, boasting an incredible 333-60 record. Marist owns two state titles (1989, 2003) and has won 23 region championships during its decorated history.

This will mark the first international game for Georgia Tech as well. However, it will be head coach Paul Johnson’s second football game in Ireland. Johnson was Navy’s offensive coordinator when the Midshipmen played Notre Dame in 1996. Notre Dame defeated Navy 54-27.

In 2017, Blessed Trinity and Marist will face each other for the first time with a location to be determined.

Photos courtesy of Ken Young, David Tullis and Phil Skinner.

Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015

FEARLESS ATHLETES DESERVE

NATIONALLY- RANKED

SPORTS MEDICINE.

©2015 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved.

From repairing broken bones to rehabbing torn ligaments, Children’s Sports Medicine helps young athletes get back to full speed. For more information visit choa.org/sportsmed.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

DAWGS ENTER PEAK OF SUMMER CAMP

the starting job seem genuine when they say they’re in favor of whomever head coach Mark Richt chooses at the end of this fall camp to be the team’s starter. Judging from comments made during his Tuesday press conference, it sounds like Richt does want to pick one starting quarterback.

impressive. The high-intensity coach also got results out of the players. First glimpse of the players was on Tuesday and you could tell that many of them made the most of their time with the iron. Players like Jordan Jenkins, Lorenzo Carter and freshman wide receiver Terry Godwin were just some of the players I noticed individually. The entire offensive and defensive line groups look like they put on good weight over the last few months.

EARLY RUST

Junior quarterback Faton Bauta got the first team reps at quarterback on Tuesday and looked like he did some good things during the open periods to the media. He also did some things that I’m sure Mark Richt and new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will want to clean up. New transfer Grayson Lambert also had some throws that I’m sure he’d like to have back. Redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey looked the most consistent of the three during Tuesday’s work. This competition will likely go until the final week of practice. That should come as no surprise, because Mark Richt even alluded to as much at the end of spring practice.

COMPETITION DAILY

We all know that playing time is up for grabs on both sides of the ball and players looked like they knew that too. They can’t get into full pads until after five days of a “acclamation period,” but players still were going all out. I’m talking players laying out for footballs, linemen shooting their hands and running backs running hard through their drills. On the quarterback front, all three candidates for

HIGH ENERGY

Through the 10 periods we got to view as media members; there was plenty of coaches shouting instructions, giving individual attention to players, running from period to period and also players giving huge effort during the on-field work. We also saw Mark Hocke and his staff throwing their support to keep energy high during the on-field work. Coaching is not something that lacks on this Georgia staff.

BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

e heard all offseason how these workW outs with new strength and conditioning coach Mark Hocke plus staff were very

GEORGIA STATE

THE CURIOUS CASE OF KRYSTEN HAMMON

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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oach Trent Miles and staff thought they had a winner last season. Krysten Hammon, a Dickinson, Texas, product looked to be the running back of the future for the Panthers.

The freshman ran for 74 yards on 13 carries in a 38-37 win over Abilene Christian in week one and followed it up with a 123-yard, twotouchdown game against New Mexico State. It seemed like quarterback Nick Arbuckle would have a reliable running game to balance his passing attack. Wrong. Hammon would get dismissed from the team, but still his total of 197 yards would rank him as Georgia State’s third-leading rusher in 2014, highlighting the fact that in his absence the Panthers could not move the ball on the ground.

Hammon was suspended at first, but then was granted his release from his scholarship as he tried to transfer. Eventually Hammon enrolled at Blinn Community College and then at Kansas, but he only took one one-hour class

and paid his way. According to Doug Roberson of the AJC, “Despite his absence, he was frequently in contact with coach Trent Miles.

Miles had steadfastly refused to allow him to return until a few days ago when he was meeting with everyone involved with the program.”

WASTED CHANCES

This was August 5 when Hammon apparently re-joined the team. Just three days later, the reunion ended as quickly and as out-ofthe-blue as it occurred. Less than a week into camp, the coaching staff had had enough. “We tried to give Krysten a second chance, but he did not live up to the standards necessary to be a part of our program,” Miles said. “We wish him the best.”

So what is next for Hammon? Clearly he is a talented back but cannot seem to see eye-toeye with coaches. Even though there is depth at running back, quality always trumps quantity and the Panthers have just lost their best running back yet again.

Hopefully Hammon can find peace at his next stop if he so chooses to continue to play football. College is a time for growing and understanding who one really is. Right now Hammon’s reputation is being called into question for his struggles to stick with a school. It will be interesting to see where this mercurial talent resurfaces and when.

GEORGIA TECH

GEORGIA TECH DEFENSE SHOWS ITS STRENGTHS AT CAMP BY: CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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ollege football fans know Georgia Tech can run the football, but the big question each year will be what type of defense the Jackets can put together. Already, the defense appears to be ahead of pace in comparison to last year’s solid unit. With eight returning starters on the defense, Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof did not have to wait long in camp to jump into installation this offseason.

“We’re further ahead (than last year),” explained Roof following Tuesday practice. “How much further ahead, I don’t know. You really don’t know until you play a game, but we’re further ahead.”

The defense has been able to work on the details more this offseason and Roof explained that every coverage has its strengths and weaknesses.

Georgia Tech ranked bottom 20 in yards per play and third down defense but the aggressive style is a result of the type of team Tech has become. With the offense controlling the play clock, opposing teams are forced

KENNESAW STATE

FIRST GAME AGAINST ETSU SOLD OUT

BY BRIAN JONES | BJONES@SCOREATL.COM

all camp for football is only a couple weeks Fhannon away, which means head coach Brian Bois on the press tour as his team gets ready for the inaugural season. On Sunday, Bohannon was on National Radio when he appeared on the “College Football Hangover” show which is on the Bleacher Report Channel on SiriusXM.

Hosts Barrett Sallee and Troy Clardy interview Bohannon for 12 minutes, and the topics ranged from the first recruiting adventure he had with three other coaches to the first game which will be played on Sept. 3.

“It’s been a long road,” Bohannon said on the show. “My last game was a bowl game at Georgia Tech almost two and a half years ago.

The community can’t wait. We’re excited.”

One of the things Bohannon mentioned is that he has plan in place, and he believes they can execute the plan when it’s all said and done.

“Compete for a championship,” Bohannon said when talking about his five-year plan.

“We’re not doing this just as an extracurricular event. We want to win. We feel like we can

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to take shots and the Tech defense has taken advantage of this. The Yellow Jackets were top 20 in the country in takeaways last year.

HARD TO PLEASE

Head coach Paul Johnson seems less impressed, but this is typical of the veteran coach this time of year. They practiced for two hours Tuesday afternoon in full pads, with an emphasis on third-and-short .

“It went O.K.,” described Johnson. “It’s about like always.” Johnson added that the defense “did O.K. early. The latter part of practice, they weren’t as good as they were early.”

The Yellow Jackets are a majority pick to win the ACC Coastal Division this year and are ranked No. 17 in the preseason coaches poll. Johnson is worried some players have not been practicing with the urgency required for that level of success

Georgia Tech quarterbacks and B-backs coach Bryan Cook gave an evaluation his trio of backs (Marcus Allen, Patrick Skov and Marcus Marshall) on Monday.

“We’re still at practice 10, and the three guys that are getting the majority of the work, they haven’t gotten the work before, so it’s still just practice 10 (overall) for them,” Cook said. “Even Marcus Allen, in the springtime, he probably only had three practices there, too, so we’re still real early with those guys. They’re still learning. With every rep, they can’t get enough live repetitions. They’re getting better.”

compete for a championship. We’re going to be the best FSC team we can be.”

Bohannon went on to talk about the offense the Owls will run. It will be an optionbased offense, but it won’t be like what fans have seen at Georgia Tech.

“We’re still in that building process and it may be Year 3 before we fully evolve into Kennesaw State offense,” Bohannon said. “That’s ultimately what we like to have. But early on we’re going to do what have to do in order to win.”

The following day, Bohannon went on to Atlanta’s 680 the Fan with Nick Cellini, Sandra Golden and Mike Johnson, and he talked more about recruiting and the process of starting a new football program.

OTHER FOOTBALL NEWS

Speaking of recruiting, the coaching staff was once again hard at work for the 2016 signing class.

The Owls made several offers including Calhoun linebacker Jireh Wilson. Wilson has also receiver offers from Coastal Carolina, Chattanooga and Lafayette.

The Owls also offered Jordan Willis of Nease High School in Ponte Verda, Fla. He has received offers from Troy, Utah, Cincinnati and Appalachian State.

As for the first game against East Tennessee State, which will be played at Kermit Tipton Stadium in Johnson City, Tenn., tickets went on sale for the game last Wednesday and were sold out in 15 minutes. The Owls will look to beat a team that is bringing back football after not having it the last 12 years.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015 ATLANTA HAWKS

SUMMER LEAGUE SUMMARY

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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he Hawks wrapped up summer league action with a 75-68 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the semifinals of the summer tournament. Atlanta finished the summer 4-3 and gave head coach Mike Budenholzer plenty to watch from afar. Lamar Patterson, a 2014 NBA Draft night addition that came over in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, scored 16 points in the finale. Glenn Robinson III added 10 points and Mike Muscala chipped in 13 points to go along with his eight rebounds in the loss.

ATLANTA’S TOP PERFORMERS

Atlanta put together a talented roster loaded with college stars that did not disappoint.

The aforementioned Patterson led the Hawks in scoring over seven games, averaging 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and a team-leading 3.4 assists. He shot 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep. Patterson played his college ball at Pittsburgh before playing overseas for Tofaş Bursa in the Turkish Basketball League.

Robinson pitched in 11.8 points a night

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES CONTINUE TO MAKE MOVES, UNLOAD JOHNSON TO CLEVELAND

BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

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he Atlanta Braves continued their roster overhaul with a post-deadline trade last Friday. They sent disgruntled third baseman Chris Johnson to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and more than $10 million in cash considerations.

This is the second time Atlanta has made a summer acquisition of Bourn. In 2011, the center fielder came over from Houston and batted .278 while stealing 22 bases in 53 games with the Braves. In his only full season in Atlanta (2012), Bourn hit .274 with 42 stolen bases and 96 runs scored. Two years older than Bourn at 34, Swisher has compiled a disappointing .189 average so far for the 2015 campaign “I think with the addition of these two players, we’re getting winning players with good makeups,” president of baseball operations John Hart said. “They’ve been around winners and they play the game the right way.

I think these guys will fit what we’re doing.”

and showed his deadly stroke, connecting on 42 percent of his deep balls. The son of former NBA All-Star Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, left Michigan after his sophomore season and was selected 40th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014.

Terran Petteway left Nebraska after his junior season and went undrafted in this year’s draft. He landed on the Hawks’ summer league roster performed well, scoring 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on average over seven games. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged over 18 points per game over his final two seasons in Lincoln and was a surprise not to get drafted.

Brandon Ashley is another junior who decided to forgo his senior season and went undrafted in 2015. Ashley, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged over 12 points and five rebounds at Arizona in 2014. He nearly replicated those numbers in 21.7 minutes per game and just two starts with Atlanta, averaging 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

The player fans and coaches alike both had their eye on the closest was last year’s 43rd overall pick, Walter “Edy” Tavares. The 7-foot-3 center started all six games he appeared in and played well, averaging 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Earlier this month Tavares was signed away from his Spanish club and is expected to see time with the Hawks this year. At 23 years old, Tavares is still raw but his size and shot blocking skill may be a major asset in the future.

What the Braves are doing, of course, is rebuilding for 2017 when they move into a new stadium (SunTrust Park) in Cobb County. So technically what Hart said is true: Bourn and Swisher will fit what the team is doing. But they will fit by not being around in 2017—and neither will their contracts. Bourn is owed $14 million for 2016 and Swisher will command $15 million, but those deals will expire immediately thereafter. This trade brings in two serviceable veterans for the short term and, most importantly, provides financial flexibility in the long run.

MAINTAINING RESPECTABLITY

At 51-62, 10 games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East and 15.5 games out of a wild card spot, the Braves are not going anywhere this season. But they do hope to keep things respectable and that is exactly what is being accomplished in August following a disastrous end to July.

Atlanta went 1-8 to wrap up last month and lost its first game in August to fall a season-worst 12 games under .500. Fredi Gonzalez’s squad, however, has won five of its last nine despite succumbing 4-1 at home to the Miami Marlins this past Sunday and 2-0 at the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. The Braves still managed to take three of four from Miami and got a much-needed victory from Mike Foltynewicz last Saturday. Foltynewicz allowed only two runs in 5.2 innings against the Marlins for his first win since May 24.

ATLANTA FALCONS

FALCONS OPEN PRESEASON WITH VISITING TITANS

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

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he Falcons return to the Georgia Dome for the first of four preseason games on Friday.

It would be hard to find two franchises that saw more change than the Falcons and Tennessee Titans this offseason and the teams are set for the Aug. 14 dress rehearsal before meeting again in the regular season during Atlanta’s Oct. 25 trip to Nissan Stadium. The Titans overhaul was the aftermath of a disastrous 2-14 finish in 2014. The team drafted potential franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick of the draft and the resignation from their team president amplifies a new era that will face its first test in the Georgia Dome.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt returns for a second year, but the biggest change within the coaching staff was the addition of legendary Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to assist Tennessee coordinator Ray Horton. The veteran coach will be able to help oversee Tennessee’s new 3-4 defense, while Whisenhunt focuses on preparing his rookie quarterback

ATLANTA DREAM

FUTURE MAIN CONCERN AFTER DISAPPOINTING SEASON

BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

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tlanta’s run of six-straight post season appearances looks like it will be snapped unless the Dream catch fire over the final 12 games of the season. For the last place Dream (8-14), it has been a season full of disappointment. Atlanta conceded it’s playoff chase on in late July when they shipped off the aging Erika de Souza to the Chicago Sky in a threeway trade which netted them second-year forward Damiris Dantas and rookie Reshanda Gray from Minnesota along with the rights to the Lynx’ first-round selection in the upcoming 2016 WNBA Draft.

“Damiris Dantas is an emerging young talent who has earned a place in this league,” Atlanta Dream head coach Michael Cooper said.

She adds another skill player to our front line and can also step out and hit the jumper. She brings youth to our roster which is what we need.”

WHERE IT WENT WRONG

Sitting seven games back of the top spot

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for the NFL stage.

Offensively, the Titans will be able to create a tandem backfield with second-year back Bishop Sankey and this year’s fifth-rounder David Cobb out of Stanford. Cobb brings a power game with his 5-foot-11, 229-pound frame. Tight end Delanie Walker led the team in receiving last year with 63 catches for 890 yards and will have Kendall Wright returning and 6-foot-5, 237-pound rookie Dorial GreenBeckham flanking him. The list of targets grew through free agency as the Titans added veteran Hakeem Nicks from the Giants and former Falcon Harry Douglas. The Titans still have quarterback Zack Mettenberger, who started six games last year and demonstrated enough upside to be taken seriously as an NFL starter.

CLASH OF THE TITANS

On the offensive line, tackle Michael Roos retired after nearly 10 seasons anchoring the line and it will be up to 2014 first round pick Lewan Taylor to be a cornerstone at tackle with his massive 6-foot-7, 309-pound frame.

Defensively, a healthy Zach Brown and big free-agent pickup Brian Orakpo greatly improve the linebacking corps. Former Falcon Jonathan Massaquoi was signed by the Titans to bring depth at outside linebacker. Perrish Cox was signed at cornerback from 49ers, where he notched five interceptions last season. Ryan Succop solidified the kicking job after being cut from Kansas City and Dexter McCluster, Tre McBride and Jacoby Ford will all get reps as returners this preseason.

in the Eastern Conference, a place where the top seeded Dream resided last season, fingers can be pointed to where this season went awry. An all-important season long six-game road trip just wrapped up recently and effectively sunk Atlanta’s chances at making a run this year. The Dream finished 1-5 on that road trip and lost six-straight games before mercifully picking up a win on Sunday against the Tulsa Shock, 98-90.

Injuries played a role in the Dream’s downfall this year also, as key contributor Sancho Lyttle has dealt with lingering injuries all season and has appeared in only 12 games.

The veteran averaged 12.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in 2014, but her production has slipped to 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds.

The addition of Dantas only solidifies the goal of getting younger meaning Lyttle may be the next one of the chopping block.

OFF THE SCHNEID

Atlanta survived a 35-point outburst from Riquna Williams to pick up their first win since July 16, after beating the Shock this Sunday.

The Dream used a balanced attack that consisted of five players in double-digits to edge Tulsa in the high scoring affair in which Atlanta scored a season-high 98 points. Angel McCoughtry led the way with 23 points and nine rebounds while newly acquired Brazilian, Damiris Dantas, scored 18 points and pulled down six boards. Atlanta hosts the Minnesota Lynx this Friday at 7:30 PM.

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Vol. 11 Iss. 26 | August 14-20, 2015

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