demand your prep football see back page

DEMAND YOUR PREP FOOTBALL SEE BACK PAGE
NOVEMBER 12-18, 2008
DEKALB’S HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NEWSPAPER
VOL 2 NO 8
02D I SCORE DEKALB
Get In The Game!
™
THE HIGH SCHOOL
STARTING
LINEUP
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg • MANAGING EDITOR Tad Arapoglou • ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Gaudio
• WEBMASTER Alex Ewalt VIDEO MANAGER/PREP EDITOR Scott Janovitz • BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick
• SALES Brian Pruett, Travis Ball, Charles Rose • OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington
BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black (Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (Thrashers),
James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott
Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves)
STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Ricky Dimon, Rajesh Gupta, Brian Jones, Zander Lentz,
Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Jessica Parker, Derek Wiley
CONTRIBUTORS Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe
Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall,
Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Chuck Oliver, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Matt Chernoff, Roy
Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck
Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan
Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones • SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom
HUTSON MASON
RIVERWOOD HIGH
This junior quarterback led Lassiter to an 8-2
regular-season record and the program’s first
playoff berth since 2000. Mason finished the
regular season with 23 touchdown passes
and 3,091 yards on 241 completions, while
throwing just eight interceptions. His passing
led to a huge upset win over then-No 8
Walton in Week 9, and he has had two games
of over 400 yards passing.
McDaniel, a junior, won the Class 3A GHSA
Cross Country Championships last weekend
in Carrollton, posting a time of 18:44.23
(nearly 20 seconds ahead of her nearest
competitor). She finished second in the
state meet last year as a sophomore, and
also placed second in both the 1,600- and
3,200-meter events at the state track meet
in May. She ran a personal-best 18:09.80 at
the Bob Blastow Invitational in August.
SCHOOL LISTING
CHEROKEE/FORSYTH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock
COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook,
Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler
DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius X,
Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker
FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview,
Riverwood, Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy
GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek,
Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan
W
W
W .
S
C
O
R
E
BRET McDANIEL
LASSITER HIGH
A
T
L
.
C
O
M
NOVEMBER 12-18, 2008
SCORE DEKALB I 03D
Tucker athlete Calhoun selected as Player of the Year on All-County Team
offers, led the Wildcats to an undefeated
especially running back William Pratcher,
he dust has settled on yet another actiontouchdown and also went the distance with a
record and the Region 5-AAA title. He
amass almost 3,000 rushing yards.
T
packed high school football regular seakickoff return.
recorded nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss.
Offensive lineman: John Napier,
son in DeKalb County, and that means
Cornerback: Jason Wynn, Clarkston –
there’s only one thing left to do before the
playoffs … Welcome to Score Prep DeKalb’s
2008 All-County Team.
OFFENSE…
Quarterback: Stanley McBride, Cedar
Grove – McBride paced the Saints to a 6-4
record, their first time over .500 since 2001.
He threw for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns and added over 800 yards and 14
scores on the ground.
Running back: Mack Brown, M.L.
King – Brown led the Lions to an 8-2 mark
and a first-round home playoff game. The
junior rushed for 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns with an incredible average of 10
yards per carry.
Running back: Cole Moon, St. Pius X
– Moon was a workhorse for the Golden
Lions, who were undefeated until losing to
Dunwoody last Friday. The junior exceeded
the 1,000-yard mark after just eight games
and scored 17 touchdowns.
Wide receiver: Stephen Hill, Miller
Grove – A home-run threat every time he
touches the ball, Hill had over 500 receiving
yards and eight touchdowns, averaging—
incredibly—more than 21 yards per catch. The
6-foot-4 wideout is headed to Georgia Tech.
Wide receiver: Byron Dickerson, Druid
Hills – Dickerson hauled in over 500 yards
worth of receptions and scored five touchdowns for the Red Devils. He also picked off
three passes at cornerback.
Wide receiver: Vincent Dallas, Cedar
Grove – Only a sophomore, Dallas already has
colleges hot on the recruiting trail. They have
to like his knack for the end zone, as seven of
Dallas’s 25 receptions went for touchdowns.
Offensive lineman: Samuel Johnson,
Cedar Grove – At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds,
Johnson is on his way to Central Florida next
year. He helped the Cedar Grove offense,
Chamblee – Napier emerged as the O-line
leader and Chamblee’s offense didn’t miss a
beat. Quarterback Garrett Williams and running back Warren Norman enjoyed huge seasons for the playoff-bound Bulldogs.
Offensive lineman: David Hambrick,
St. Pius X – A surprisingly quick lineman, Hambrick helped fullback Cole
Moon become virtually unstoppable.
Hambrick’s versatility also allowed
him to star on the other side of the
ball at linebacker.
Offensive
lineman:
Michael Coke, Redan –
Coke, at 6-foot-3 and 290
pounds, played both
guard and tackle for
Redan. The Raiders
were able to do damage
on the ground and
through the air thanks
to Coke’s presence.
Offensive lineman:
Joe Pfeffer, Marist –
Pfeffer has been a staple
in the middle of Marist’s
offensive line. This season, he paved the way for
an offense that scored
more than 30 points in seven
of 10 games.
DEFENSE …
Defensive end: Devonte
Phillips, Miller Grove –
Phillips
highlighted
a
Wolverine defense that held
four teams to less than seven
points (two shutouts). He had double-digit sacks and over 70 tackles,
more than 20 of which were for a loss.
Defensive end: Malcolm Mitchell,
Dunwoody – Mitchell, with several D-I
W
W
W .
S
C
O
R
Defensive tackle: Jabari Carney, SW
DeKalb – Carney stood out on a playoffbound Panther defense that limited five
opponents to single digits (three shutouts).
The junior recorded 23 tackles for loss, three
sacks, and forced three fumbles.
Defensive tackle: Martez Tate, McNair
– A stout McNair defense earned the
Mustangs a 5-1 record in Region 5AAAA and a playoff berth. Tate had
five sacks, three fumble recoveries
and two safeties.
Linebacker: Nigel MitchellThornton, Stephenson – The
Jaguars, winners of Region 2AAAAA, allowed a mere 13
combined points in their last five
games. Committed to Tennessee,
Mitchell-Thornton had over 100
tackles and returned two
of his three interceptions for touchdowns.
Linebacker:
Terrance
Gaddy,
Clarkston – Clarkston did
not achieve desired results, but
Gaddy did all he could. He led DeKalb
County with over 100 solo tackles (seven
for loss) and also had four sacks.
Linebacker: Jonathan
Davis, Tucker – A beast on both
sides of the ball, Davis led his
team and was fifth in the county with 61 solo tackles. He also
registered five tackles for loss
and an interception.
Cornerback:
Andy
Wokeme, Druid Hills –
Also a track standout,
Wokeme had seven
interceptions
for
Druid Hills. He
returned one for a
E
A
T
L
.
C
O
M
Wynn led DeKalb County with nine interceptions. The senior also had a fumble
recovery and a forced fumble, and showcased his skills on offense with a 79-yard
touchdown catch.
Safety: Joel Kight, M.L. King – A versatile defender who spent time at both safety
and linebacker for the Region 2-AAAAA
champs, Kight had over 90 tackles and took
his one interception for a score.
Safety: Dakarai Penn, Chamblee – The
Bulldog defense allowed six combined
points in its final two games. Penn led the
team with over 90 tackles and took two of his
three fumble recoveries to the end zone.
KICKERS/SPECIAL TEAMS …
Kicker: Austin Breed, Dunwoody – A
prolific Wildcat offense gave Breed 50 extrapoint opportunities, on which he capitalized
for 47 PATs (a 94.0 percentage). Breed also
converted all six of his field-goal tries.
Kick returner: Stephen Hill, Miller
Grove – Hill also gave opponents fits on special teams. Just ask Tucker: in one game, Hill
returned a kickoff 69 yards for a touchdown
and took a punt 67 yards for another score.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR …
Drayton Calhoun, Tucker – Tucker’s doit-all halfback led the Tigers to a 9-1 record
and home-field advantage in the first round
of the playoffs. The Region 6-AAAA Player
of the Year scored nine touchdowns, most of
which featured electrifyingly long runs.
Calhoun also excels in the classroom, and he
will graduate in December before enrolling
as an LSU Tiger in January.
The cover photo of Tucker’s Drayton
Calhoun is courtesy of Karen Winston. The
inside photo is of St. Pius’ Cole Moon (courtesy Photographic Arts). Dimon can be
reached at [email protected].
04D I SCORE DEKALB
QB
RB
RB
WR
WR
TE
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
DE
Brendan Cross
CHATTAHOOCHEE
Toney Williams
MILTON
Demond Dennis
CARVER
Max Williams
LOVETT
Chuka Okakpu
ROSWELL
Brock Sanders
NORTHVIEW
Chance Warmack
WESTLAKE
Randall Fowler
BANNEKER
Matt Crisafi
BLESSED TRINITY
Yellstine Ford
THERRELL
Brian Holland
WOODWARD ACADEMY
Euclid Cummings
CENTENNIAL
Get In The Game!
DE
DT
DT
LB
LB
LB
CB
CB
S
S
K
KR
QB
Brandon Bryant
WASHINGTON
Jeremy Adams
DOUGLASS
Denzel McCoy
NORTHVIEW
Jonathan Atchison
DOUGLASS
Milton Patterson
BANNEKER
Chris Brown
CARVER
Branden Smith
WASHINGTON
Caleb Lester
DOUGLASS
Darren Myles
CARVER
Mark Williams
CARVER
Andrew Lord
CENTENNIAL
Branden Smith
WASHINGTON
RB
RB
WR
WR
WR
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
DE
Player of the Year – BRANDEN SMITH/WASHINGTON
W
W
W .
S
C
O
R
Stanley McBride
CEDAR GROVE
Mack Brown
M.L. KING
Cole Moon
ST. PIUS X
Stephen Hill
MILLER GROVE
Byron Dickerson
DRUID HILLS
Vincent Dallas
CEDAR GROVE
Samuel Johnson
CEDAR GROVE
John Napier
CHAMBLEE
David Hambrick
ST. PIUS X
Michael Coke
REDAN
Joe Pfeffer
MARIST
Devonte Phillips
MILLER GROVE
DE
DT
DT
LB
LB
LB
CB
CB
S
S
K
KR
Malcolm Mitchell
DUNWOODY
Jabari Carney
SW DEKALB
Martez Tate
MCNAIR
Nigel Mitchell-Thornton
STEPHENSON
Terrance Gaddy
CLARKSTON
Jonathan Davis
TUCKER
Andy Wokeme
DRUID HILLS
Jason Wynn
CLARKSTON
Joel Kight
M.L. KING
Dakarai Penn
CHAMBLEE
Austin Breed
DUNWOODY
Stephen Hill
MILLER GROVE
Player of the Year – DRAYTON CALHOUN/TUCKER
E
A
T
L
.
C
O
M
Y
NOVEMBER 12-18, 2008
SCORE DEKALB I 05D
Yellow Jackets experience busy week landing four new commitments
ing and eight touchdowns.
rushed for 1,278 yards to along with 12
big part in Foster’s decision, as the newest
n many ways, the Yellow Jackets from
As for why the three-star recruit had a
touchdowns while he again eclipsed the
Yellow Jacket was formerly committed to
Georgia Tech have been the most pleasant
Ion-field
change of heart, here is what Hill had to say
1,000-yard mark this year as well, this time
Fulmer and the Volunteers.
surprise in Georgia college football
this year. And, after last week, the Jackets
may deserve the very same declaration off
the field as well, as in a flurry Tech landed
commitments from an astonishing four prep
athletes over a two-day span. With the new
additions, the Jackets now have an impressive total of 16 pledges for the Class of 2009.
The Jackets began the hot streak last
Tuesday, a day that saw the school earn an
avalanche-like three commitments alone.
First, Valdosta offensive guard Antonio
Foster joined the Tech ranks, choosing the
Yellow Jackets over offers from South
Carolina, South Florida and Tennessee.
According to Rivals.com, the 6-foot-4, 285pound lineman is a three-star recruit and the
31st-ranked guard in the country.
Interestingly, the recent resignation of
Tennessee head coach Philip Fulmer played a
“I was going to Tennessee and much of
it was because I wanted to play for Coach
Fulmer,” Foster explained in recent interview
with Rivals.com’s Jamie Newberg. “Now
that Fulmer is gone I don’t think I want to
wait things out.”
According to Foster, even when he
committed to Tennessee, Georgia Tech was
a close second and he is now comfortable
with his choice.
“They have a great team and Georgia
Tech is a great place with a great environment. I think I fit in well with what they do.”
Joining Foster in the Tuesday flurry was
Phenix City (Ala.) running back Orwin
Smith, who chose the Jackets over offers
from Southern Mississippi, Vanderbilt,
Alabama, Auburn and Clemson, among others. As a junior, the 6-foot, 190-pound Smith
W
W
W .
S
C
O
R
with 18 touchdowns.
According to Smith’s interview with
Newberg, the three-star recruit’s reason for
selecting Georgia Tech was multifaceted.
“I love the environment there and I love
the city [of Atlanta],” Smith said. “I have
been to games at Georgia Tech as well. It’s
not too far from home but there seems to be
a nice distance. It’s a great school with great
academics. I get along with all the coaches
there very well.”
Within hours of landing the speedy,
powerful Smith, Tech received good news
in the form of a pledge from the speedy and
powerful Stephen Hill, a 6-foot-4, 190pound receiver from Miller Grove. Hill,
formerly a UCF commitment, is a member
of our 2008 All-County team after finishing the season with over 500 yards receiv-
E
A
T
L
.
C
O
M
in a recent sit-down with Rivals.com’s
Mike Farrell: “For one, it was close to
home and I was really looking forward to
the academics, too,” Hill said. “People say
they don’t throw the ball with the triple
option but they throw the ball.”
LAST BUT NOT LEAST …
On Wednesday, Carver-Atlanta running
back Demond Dennis became the fifth player to commit to Georgia Tech in a 24-hour
span. The 5-foot-9, 188-pound three-star
recruit chose Tech over offers from Illinois,
Louisville and Auburn, among others.
In Dennis, the Jackets receive a shifty
back that lacks size and top speed, but one that
possesses tremendous vision and balance.
Janovitz can be reached at
[email protected].
CHAMBLEE BULLDOGS
DRUID HILLS RED DEVILS
06D I SCORE DEKALB
Get In The Game!
he football team (6-4, 5-4) finished its regular season on a two-game winning streak to grab
the all-important No. 4 seed out of Region 6-AAAA. The team ended a three-game slide by
dominating Stone Mountain (3-7, 3-6) 24-6 on Oct. 31. “We just tried to keep working hard and
believing in what we do,” said head coach Michael Collins. “Thankfully, we finally won a game.”
Needing another victory to keep playoff hopes alive, Chamblee defeated fellow contender Miller
Grove (5-4-1, 5-4) 14-0 last Friday. Quarterback Garrett Williams ran for both of Chamblee’s
touchdowns. The Bulldogs will visit Sandy Creek (10-0, 6-0) in the first round of the state playoffs on Friday. … The boys cross country team finished third at the region meet on Nov. 1. Alex
Coble (ninth) and David Coble (11th) led the way with times of 17:45 and 18:01, respectively. The
girls placed fifth and were led by Lydia Morrow, who finished with a time of 23:28. At the state
meet last Saturday, the boys finished sixth in Class 4A. Alex Coble finished 32nd with a time of
17:33 and was followed by Clay Williams (17:37) and David Coble (17:40).
T
olumbia’s football team finished its season with two consecutive losses and failed to make
the playoffs. Already eliminated from the postseason, the Eagles (5-5) closed out their regular season with a 14-13 loss to Grady. Nathaniel Anthony and Brian Holloway had touchdown
runs to put the Eagles up 13-0 in the first quarter, but Grady came back to take a 14-13 halftime lead. Both defenses stiffened in the second half and the Grey Knights held on for the win.
Columbia was a coming off a 20-14 overtime loss to McNair the previous week. The Eagles
got the ball first in overtime but could not score. Eagle head coach Kevin Latham commented
on his team’s season. “It was disappointing in that our three losses before the McNair game,
we didn’t really compete in any of those three losses,” Latham said. … The reigning Class 4A
boys state basketball champions will not defend their crown this year, as the Eagles will be participating in Class 3A. The Eagles will face a schedule that includes new Region 5 mate
Dunwoody and a Thanksgiving Tournament in the Bahamas.
C
A
he football season concluded with consecutive losses in region play. Blessed Trinity
forced numerous turnovers from the Bulldogs offense in a 34-0 loss in Oct. 31. Head
coach Price Jones opened up the offense in the season finale but it wasn’t enough in a 49-27
defeat to Lovett. Quarterback Trumon Jefferson threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns on
the day, his best output of the season. But his two interceptions were costly as the Bulldog
defense couldn’t stop Lovett, who rolled for four quarters and gained 506 total yards.
Jefferson, only a sophomore, will play a crucial part for an improving team that will return
plenty of key players for 2009. … The boys cross country team saw its season come to an end
with a fifth-place finish at the Region 6-AA Championship Meet. Cal Hooten notched a 25thplace time to lead the squad. The girls team also failed to qualify for the state meet, finishing
in sixth place. Alex Wechsler finished 21st in the region with a final time of 21:49.
T
he football team extended its winning streak to nine over the last two weeks, notching a
Region 6-AAAA Championship in the process. Marist dominated Lithonia 41-7 on Oct.
31 and then ran all over winless Lakeside-DeKalb 48-0. Patrick Sullivan and Andy Perez
scored two touchdowns apiece in the win. The War Eagles will face Northgate at home on
Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the state playoffs. … The boys and girls cross country teams both won
first place at the state meet. Four runners finished in the top 10 for the boys. David Connolly
lead the way, finishing first overall with a time of 16:16. The girls squad also won first place
at state. The girls team was paced by Sophie Harkins, who finished ninth with a time of
19:58. … The volleyball team ended their season with a runner-up finish in Class 4A, losing to underdog Sandy Creek in the state finals by a score of (3-1). Nicole Choi and Paige
Weiland were honored for their performances during the season as they were selected to the
GVCA All Star Team.
T
T
T
COLUMBIA EAGLES
DECATUR BULLDOGS
DUNWOODY WILDCATS
he dream season continues for the football team. On Oct. 31, the Wildcats dominated Druid
Hills 38-14 to set up a clash for the region championship against undefeated No. 3 St. Pius.
(ranking is according to GPB/Score Prep Week 11 rankings) A 20-14 win over Golden Lions
last Friday won them the No. 1 seed in Region 5-AAA. Running back Treavor Scales’ play was
instrumental in the win, as he scored on long touchdown runs of 46 and 32 yards in the first
quarter. The victory did come with a price, however, as Scales and defensive end Malcolm
Mitchell both left the game with injuries. Their status was not available at press time for this
week’s state tournament matchup with Central Carroll at home. Gametime is scheduled for 7:30
PM. … The boys cross country team finished seventh in AAA at the GHSA State Meet. James
Dwyer crossed the finish line in 22nd overall in 16:56. Next up was Alec Ausley, who finished
36th. Luke Olney and Jeremy Cohen were next, crossing the line in 43rd and 44th place.
W
W
W .
S
C
O
R
he football team’s season ended with two consecutive losses against Dunwoody and North
Atlanta. The first came in a 38-14 loss to Dunwoody on Oct. 31. The Red Devils finished
the season at 4-6. The 2008 season showed massive improvements for the Red Devils, who had
won only one game during head coach Kip Hall’s first two seasons at the helm. The Red Devils
last won four games in 1999 and were just one win away from their first non-losing season
since 1993. The Red Devils will look to take the next step in 2009, but they will have to break
in a new quarterback in Hall’s spread offense with Jay Cromwell lost to graduation. Wide
receiver Byron Dickerson, who has led the county in receiving two years in a row, will be back
for his senior season. … Nabil Hamid took home an individual state championship for the boys
cross country team, sprinting to a final time of 15:49. The girls team finished eighth. Allie
Brown paced the Red Devils in 28th with a time of 21:03.
LAKESIDE VIKINGS
successful cross country season concluded for the girls and boys cross country teams. The
girls’ performance was good for a third-place finish at the Class 4A state championship
meet. Meghan Wetherhall won the individual state championship, finishing in first place with
a time of 19:11. Next was Meg Maciuba who finished in 12th place with a time of 20:33. The
boys joined the girls with a third-place finish at the meet. John Ewing led the boys team with
a seventh-place finish in 16:55. David Dixon was next in 28th with a time of 17:29. … The
football team’s season came to an end without a victory. The Vikings lost to Miller Grove 716 on Oct. 31, their second-largest margin of defeat on the season. Lakeside lost the season
finale with a 48-0 shutout loss to Marist last Friday. Vikings fans will hope that better times
are ahead after this season, as the vast majority of Lakeside’s starters were freshmen or sophomores and will return to play for Jeff Joiner next season.
MARIST WAR EAGLES
T
M.L, KING LIONS
he football team (8-2, 6-1) finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak to
lock up the No. 2 seed in Region 2-AAAAA. The team defeated Redan (2-7-1, 2-5) 42-7
on Oct. 31. Junior running back Mack Brown, a Redan transfer, torched his old team for 302
rushing yards and three touchdowns. Most impressive, Brown did it all in less than three full
quarters. “It was a great performance by Mack, but the offensive line really helped him get all
those yards,” explained head coach Corey Jarvis. The Lions went on to beat Union Grove (82, 5-2) in a 35-17 decision last Friday. Brown racked up 216 yards and three touchdowns,
including a 74-yard scoring romp in the third quarter. Joel Kight added a 56-yard touchdown
jaunt that helped the Lions pull away from a 14-14 halftime tie. “We definitely did not want to
go on the road to Northside-Warner Robins,” Jarvis said of the potentially daunting playoff scenario had the Lions lost. “We wanted to be able to play in front of our home fans.” A home
game is what they will get, and it will come against Tift County (7-3, 5-2) this Friday night.
E
A
T
L
.
C
O
M
NOVEMBER 12-18, 2008
SCORE DEKALB I 07D
MILLER GROVE WOLVERINES
SOUTHWEST DEKALB PANTHERS
iller Grove football found itself in a must-win situation as it closed out its regular season
against Chamblee. The matchup was virtually a playoff game, as the winner would claim
the fourth playoff spot from Region 6-AAAA and continue its season. The Wolverines (5-4-1)
missed out on the postseason as they fell 14-0 to Chamblee. The Bulldogs got the No. 4 seed
and became the first team all year to shut out Miller Grove. A week earlier, the Wolverine
offense was hitting on all cylinders as Miller Grove beat Lakeside-DeKalb 71-6. Stephen Hill
and Kenneth Gilstrap accounted for two touchdowns apiece in the rout. … Hill, who was a
standout wide receiver for the football team, will soon be hitting the hardwood for the boys basketball team as one of its top forwards. Hill returns along with guard Mfon Udofia, as part of
a Wolverine basketball team that made it to the Class 4A Semifinals a year ago. … Mario
Morales came in 41st place (20:08) and Devon Autry finished 52nd (21:22) at the Boys Region
6-AAAA Cross Country Championships.
T
he boys cross country team qualified for Saturday’s Class A State Meet on Oct. 30 when it
finished fourth at the Region 7-A Championships. Jack Scully’s 19th-place finish keyed the
state title berth. The girls also qualified for the state meet, finishing in third place at the meet
with 95 points. Hannah Williams turned in the best performance for the Lady Pythons, finishing 13th overall in 22:50. Last Saturday, both teams ran at the GHSA State Championships in
Carrollton. The boys finished in 16th place in the state. Scully again was strong, scoring a 60thplace finish and improving his time from the region meet to 19:09. The girls ran to a 13th-place
finish with 406 points. Williams ran the 5K race in 24:07, good for seventh place overall. …
The swim team opens up the 2008-09 season on Nov. 20 when it hosts the Providence School
in a region meet. … Boys basketball plays its season opener on Saturday against Brookstone
Academy at 6:30 p.m. The 2008 state finalist Lady Python basketball team will scrimmage at
Westminster on Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
he football team finished its regular season as Region 2-AAAAA Champions, as it beat
Douglass and Greenbrier in its final two games. The Jaguars (9-1, 6-1) beat the Astros
44-0, a week after beating the Wolf Pack 64-6. The shutout against Douglass was the team’s
fifth shutout of the year. Despite earning the region’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs, Stephenson
will face a tough team from Region 1 to start the playoffs. The Jaguars will host the No. 4
seed from Region 1 in Coffee on Friday night. The Trojans are 7-3 with all three of their losses coming to playoff teams. Two of the three losses came to No. 1 Lowndes and No. 3
Northside-Warner Robins. (rankings are according to GPB/Score PrepWeek 11 rankings) In
fact, Coffee has been ranked higher than Stephenson for most of the year. … Taylor Thomas
led the girls cross country team with a 25th-place finish at the Region 2-AAAAA
Championships. Thomas ran a time of 25:18. Christopher Ballou was the top Stephenson finisher at the boys region meet, running a 21:15 to finish 36th.
edan’s 2008 football team may have finished its season 2-7-1, but it ended its year scoring
57 points against Greenbrier. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Greenbrier scored 59 points
and got the win. It was the Wolf Pack’s first Region 2-AAAAA win of the season. A week earlier, the Raiders’ last hope to make the playoffs ended as well as their two-game winning streak
in a 42-13 loss to M.L. King. Justin Sims had a 17-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7
in the second quarter, but the Raiders could not convert on several other trips into Lion territory. Miles Gooch added a touchdown reception late in the game. … At the girls Class 5A
Cross Country Championships, Soyong Smith finished 100th with a time of 21:59, while
Ashley Averette came in 129th (22:51) and Kenosha Holden finished 131st (22:54). Smith ran
a 21:38 to come in third place at the Region 2-AAAAA Championships. Averette finished
eighth in the region meet with a time of 22:21. Malcolm Smith was the top Redan finisher at
the boys region meet, running a 21:56 to finish 38th.
he Pirate football team ended its regular season with two close losses to playoff-bound
opponents. Stone Mountain lost to Southwest DeKalb 17-6 in the regular season finale a
week after falling to Chamblee 21-6. The Pirates finished their season 3-7 overall and 3-6 in
Region 6-AAAA play. Against the Bulldogs, De’Antonio Murray was the recipient of a 65yard touchdown reception from Tsukasa Longino to cut Chamblee’s lead to 14-6 right before
halftime. However, that would be all of the points the Pirates would get. Longino was playing
quarterback in place of Jhyree Harris, who was injured on Stone Mountain’s first offensive
series. The Pirates should improve next year as they return several key players. Harris, who is
in his first year at the school, and sophomore running back Michael Gilbert are just two of the
pieces Stone Mountain can build around. … The boys cross country team finished sixth at the
Region 6-AAAA Championships. Joshua Kelly led the way, as he ran an 18:22 to finish 17th.
Jonathan Spivey finished 32nd (19:21) for the Pirates and Abdisa Lolo came in 35th (19:39).
T
he football team defeated Riverwood 66-7 on Oct. 31, but lost to Dunwoody last week 2014 for the No. 1 seed in Region 5-AAA. Against Dunwoody, the Golden Lions fell into a
14-0 hole in the first quarter and couldn’t recover despite getting two second-half touchdowns
from Cole Moon. The Lions finished the regular season at 9-1 and earned the No. 2 seed in
5-AAA. Cartersville visits this week in the first round of the state playoffs for a 7:30 p.m.
matchup. … The boys cross country team finished fourth in Saturday’s state championship
meet. Trey Ellis finished off his brilliant season by taking seventh place with a time of 16:30.
The girls finished in ninth place with 260 points. Kathleen LaPorte finished the year out
strong by finishing ninth overall. … The volleyball team finished the season as runners-up in
the state tournament, but were swept 25-10, 25-17, 25-20 by Woodward Academy in the state
title match on Oct. 30. The War Eagles dominated from the outset, jumping out to a 14-2 lead
in the first game and never looking back.
he football team (9-1, 8-1) ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak to secure
the No. 2 seed out of Region 6-AAAA and get home-field advantage in the first round of the
playoffs. The team faced Southwest DeKalb (7-3, 7-2) on Nov. 1. “It’s probably the most important game that we will have played this season thus far because of fact that the No. 2 seed is at
stake,” said head coach Franklin Stephens before the game. The Tigers came up big and scored a
10-7 victory, and took that momentum into their home finale against Forsyth Central (5-5, 5-4)
last Friday night. “It’s big for our seniors,” Stephens explained. “It’s their last regular-season home
game and we want to send these guys off with a good win.” That’s exactly what happened, as the
Tigers hammered the Bulldogs 49-0. Tucker hosts Whitewater (7-3, 4-1) in the first round of the
state playoffs on Friday. … The boys cross country team finished fifth in the region meet on Nov.
1. Seniors Bsrat Gide and Nolan Schnepf both finished in the individual top 10; Gide was seventh (17:35) while Schnepf placed eighth (17:41).
M
T
R
T
PAIDEIA PYTHONS
REDAN RAIDERS
ST. PIUS X GOLDEN LIONS
he football team has clinched the third seed out of Region 6-AAAA. The Panthers beat
Stone Mountain 17-6 to wrap up their regular season. Southwest DeKalb (7-3, 7-2)
could have been the second seed out of Region 6 had it not lost to Tucker 10-7 a week earlier. The Panthers will start the playoffs at Villa Rica on Friday. … Jared Williams ran a
17:16 to finish 18th at the Boys Class 4A Cross Country Championships. The Panthers as
a team finished seventh in the state, as Andrew Menjor finished 48th (18:05), Ed Austin
finished 57th (18:17), Malcolm Wright finished 72nd (18:25) and Michael Jordan came in
73rd (18:27). The boys team finished fourth at the Region 6-AAAA Championships.
Williams finished 10th (17:49), Menjor came in 12th (18:03), Austin was 20th (18:29),
Wright came in 30th (19:19) and Jordan finished 31st (19:20). … The girls cross country
team finished 19th at the state meet, as Amber Crews came in 37th (21:38), Greciana
Cooper finished 69th (22:22) and Victoria Perez finished 77th (22:30). The girls team finished third at its region meet.
STEPHENSON JAGUARS
T
STONE MOUNTAIN PIRATES
TUCKER TIGERS
T
• Josh Bagriansky – Dunwoody, Marist, St. Pius X, Decatur, Druid Hills, Lakeside, Paideia • James Butler – Miller Grove, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Columbia, Redan, Stone Mountain • Ricky Dimon –Tucker, Chamblee, M.L. King
W
W
W .
S
C
O
R
E
A
T
L
.
C
O
M