nascar coming to atlanta! see back page

NASCAR COMING TO ATLANTA! SEE BACK PAGE
FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
ATLANTA’S WEEKLY SPORTS TALK NEWSPAPER
VOL 5 NO 4
Get In The Game!
02 I SCORE ATLANTA
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FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
™
SCORE ATLANTA I 03
IN YOUR
STARTING
LINEUP
FACE…
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
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, Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell,
Jessica Parker, Leighton Savary, Keafer Triplett, Derek Wiley
DESIGN INTERNS Chris Nunn, Bob Weldon
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, Hal Lamar, Chris
Cotter, 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
™
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
WE MISS YOU:
We’re feeling the
Valentine’s Day hangover now, as Briana (pictured) and
the A-Town Dancers won’t be back at Philips Arena for
a while. The Hawks have four more road games before
finally returning on Feb. 27. The good news? The
Hawks have a stretch of 11 of 12 games being played
at home from March 7-29. We’ll see you then,
Dancers! Photo courtesy of David Carnes/Photographic Arts.
WWW.SCOREATL.COM
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I.J. Rosenberg believes Major League Baseball can still be restored as our
national pastime – but certain steps must be taken
to ensure that happens.
______________________________________________________
C.C. says Alex Rodriguez (pictured), Barry Bonds,
Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens belong in Cooperstown,
for they are still a part of the game’s history.
_________________________________________________________
Recruiting expert Scott Janovitz grades the recruiting classes
for Georgia and Georgia Tech. Also, check out our full list of
metro signees on page 11.
_________________________________________________________
Stephen Black writes on the Atlanta Jr. Knights, a local
hockey club which has proved it can hang with some of
the top hockey talent across the nation.
A SCORE UPDATE:
Can’t make it to Gwinnett Arena this weekend to watch the GHSA
Individual Wrestling State Championships? Score Atlanta and
PlayOn! Sports have got you covered. Visit Scoreatl.com or
GHSA.net on Saturday at 5 p.m., as we will broadcast
the finals in all five classifications with LIVE streaming
video coverage. Don’t miss a second of the action
as the state’s most recent champs are crowned!
TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS
COVER DESIGN BY DAVID GAUDIO.
5 CHEAP SEATS 6 DUE UP-SCORE LIST 7 SPIN-C.C.
9 HS SPORTS REPORT 14 HAWKS-THRASHERS-FALCONS
15 DAWGS-JACKETS 16 BRAVES-OWLS-PANTHERS
17 JANOVITZ-EWALT 18 CALENDAR 19 AD INDEX
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Get In The Game!
04 I SCORE ATLANTA
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FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 05
Constitution, which included everything from
the college exhibition that opens spring training to Game 7 in the 1991 World Series.
It is with that experience that I say what
has happened to this sport over the last 10
years is sickening.
Not only is it no longer this country’s
national pastime, it now sits behind the NBA
in addition to the mighty NFL. It has become
a marketing disaster and a league the fans
can’t trust (sort of like our banking system).
The news that commissioner Bud Selig’s
appointed prince of the game, Alex
Rodriguez, was doing steroid cocktails during some of his most productive seasons was,
for me, the final straw. And while baseball
insists that its balance sheet is much healthier than a decade ago and that people are still
coming through the turnstiles, look at the television numbers for the World Series
between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay last
year. They were terrible, though baseball
would argue, “Well, those were not big-market teams.” Excuse me? Arizona (and
Pittsburgh, for that matter), a much smaller
market team than Philly or Tampa, was supposed to be the worst team to ever play in the
Super Bowl but the TV numbers went
through the roof.
The reason is that the NFL has a brand
and the Super Bowl is a must-watch.
The World Series, and for that matter the
entire league, has become a bad reality show.
Seriously. Something needs to be done
quickly before A-Rod is hosting …
So, taking the knowledge I gathered
during my time spent around the game covering a great organization, here is how I
would fix the game:
• First and foremost, I would get rid of
Selig. I know Bud and wouldn’t have a problem letting him take my kids with him to a
ballgame. But nice guys can’t cut it (check
out NFL commissioner Roger Goodell) when
they are facing a union like professional
baseball’s, which is the strongest in all of
sports. Selig needs to step down.
• My replacement for Selig lives only a
few miles away. He is Braves president John
Schuerholz. Like any baseball beat writer
and the general manager he follows, we had
our disagreements, but he wears a very
tough armor and understands both management’s and the players’ sides of things. We
have had endless conversations about what is
wrong with the compensation structure and
he is tough enough to go head-to-head with
union chief Don Fehr as well as to get the
owners to understand their past mistakes and
how to move the game forward while being
fiscally responsible.
• Lock the players out until the union
agrees to both get rid of arbitration for players with playing experience of 3-6 years and
to implement mandatory steroid testing. The
latter is an attempt at bringing integrity
back to the sport. While there is always
going to be some geek in a lab whipping up
a masking agent for steroids or any performance enhancement drugs, mandatory
testing will finally put the steroid stigma
behind us. There will always be cheaters,
but this would, for the most part, put everything back on a level playing field.
Arbitration, the worst thing that has ever
Garrett Atkins plays for Colorado, the best
park in baseball for hitters. He hit .286 last
season with 21 home runs and 99 RBIs. He
asked for $7.95 million in arbitration while
the club was offering him $6.65 million. I am
guessing they will meet in the middle.
Ridiculous. The Braves’ Jeff Francoeur,
going into his fourth full season, asked for
$3.95 million (club offering $2.8 million)
after hitting .239 with 11 homers and 71
RBIs. This system is silly and needs to be
replaced in a bigger salary cap package.
• Go to a true salary cap instead of this
ridiculous luxury deal where teams have to
pay a penalty if they go over a certain salary
figure. The NFL, and for that matter the
NBA, have done extremely well by having
strict caps and it has done wonders for
instance, there has to be a way to make the
All-Star Game meaningful again. The NBA
does it. I would also do a better job selling
the MLB brand, just as the NFL does with
their advertising and the many different programs they have put in place. The marketing
for the game is way too fragmented.
• And finally, baseball has to find a way
to bring more African-Americans to the
game. Look at many of the stars in the NFL
and NBA; they are black and the sports have
huge black audiences. Baseball does not. This
is a major problem, one that baseball recognizes but does little to help fix. Baseball
needs to dig in here and get some of these
athletes on the baseball diamond. If it were
me, I would focus on the huge impact that
black players have made on the game, players
ON THE COVER
Baseball no longer our pastime but steps can be taken to return it to glory
happened to baseball’s out-of-whack comlove the game of baseball; always have.
• I would hire an outside marketing firm
pensation situation, has to go.
I1,500
to come in and take a hard look at how the
For an eight-year period, I covered almost
Here is an example: Third baseman
sport is doing everything off the field. For
Braves games for the Atlanta Journal-
Barry Bonds owns both the single-season
and career home run records but is
believed to have used performanceenhancing drugs in San Francisco.
Things only took a turn for the worse for
Major League Baseball last week when
slugger Alex Rodriguez admitted he took
banned substances from 2001-03. With
TV ratings spiraling and attendance numbers down for most teams, is there any
way the game can become our national
pastime again? Score Atlanta publisher
I.J. Rosenberg says it’s possible – but
changes need to be made. Our cover
(pictured above) was designed by our art
director David Gaudio.
PLAYTIME’S OVER: The All-Star break is behind us and now it’s time to get serious again. Marvin Williams (left)
and Al Horford have each had breakout years for the Hawks thus far, and they will have to continue to do so if the
team hopes to host a first-round playoff series. The Hawks entered the break winning four of their last five – does
Atlanta have enough firepower to win its first playoff series since 1999? Photo courtesy of Don Jackson/Photographic Arts.
CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS
‘Taking the knowledge I gathered during my
time spent around the game covering a great
organization, here is how I would fix the game.’
maintaining a competitive balance in both
leagues, giving the smaller market teams
every chance to compete with the big ones.
I could spend hours on the type of cap I
would implement but looking at the payrolls, I would cap spending at around $90
million. By the way, last year the Yankees
spent $209 million and the Marlins spent
$22 million. Your league just can’t be successful allowing that and the sport has to get
rid of across-the-board guaranteed contracts. If a team wants to guarantee a contract or pay a big bonus upfront, that’s one
thing. It should not, however, be a part of
the collective bargaining agreement.
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such as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank
Aaron, Bob Gibson and on and on. Baseball
should hire Aaron as assistant commissioner
and let him be the league ambassador. The
Braves do a good job here digging into the
urban youth leagues but the swing-and-miss
here for the entire sport is the lack of attention placed at the high school level and the
fact that these kids can go straight from high
school to the pros, which can’t happen in the
NFL or NBA. Look, I would love to see
everyone go and graduate from college, but
the reality in baseball is that you can come
out of high school and start supporting yourself as well as your family.
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What has happened over time is that
football and basketball have become more
desirable for the black athlete because baseball has ignored that part of our population.
Throwing millions in a national ad campaign
doesn’t work here; it takes rolling up your
sleeves and making it happen.
So there you are, a framework for changing the game. But as most things, it all starts
with the man running the ship and, while both
the NFL (Goodell) and NBA (David Stern)
have leaders who truly look out for the interest of the fans, the teams and the players,
baseball has a former owner who, in this
writer’s opinion, is totally out of touch with
what is going on in the world today.
The sport will never be what it once was,
but it can truly become a great game again.
It’s time.
Score Atlanta is starting a high school
recruiting division. Watch for more information at Scoreatl.com as well as in the weekly
edition. Also, Score Atlanta Sports Sunday on
790 The Zone will be from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
when the pregame show will come on for the
Georgia Tech-Clemson game, which tips at 1.
Score Atlanta’s High School Recruiting Show
will return on March 1 from 1-3 p.m.
Rosenberg can be reached at 404-256-1572
and [email protected].
Get In The Game!
06 I SCORE ATLANTA
SCORE LIST
DUE UP
BY TAD ARAPOGLOU
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of his career. He’s still today’s best with or without steroids – but will you feel right calling him “Home Run King” down the road? I’m interested to see how this plays out.
HAMMER RULES: Speaking of the Home Run King, Hank Aaron further proved how
classy he is by saying Bud Selig should not reinstate his record and instead should let
Barry Bonds keep it. Decades later, Hank still handles everything the right way.
said the Braves are looking to sign him. While not the force he was in the 90s, the man
with the fifth-most homers (611) would make this team even more fun to watch.
FRIDAY
GOOD SIGN: Though the Hawks didn’t have the best All-Star Weekend (seriously
Joe Johnson, last in H-O-R-S-E?), they closed the first half with their best record in 12
years. Look for them to go on a rampage next month, hosting 12 of 17 games in March.
LITTLE BIG MAN: And how ‘bout 5-foot-8 Nate Robinson jumping OVER 6-11
Atlanta native Dwight Howard in the best Slam Dunk Contest finals in years? Robinson
won in a shocker, and this was no snub: “Kryptonate” was too much for “Superman.”
On the other hand, the Lady Yellow Jackets are playing solid basketball
and are in the middle of the pack in the ACC. They have a tough challenge
against Maryland, a contender for the ACC title. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Kennesaw State vs. Belmont.
The Owls are not eligible to compete in any postseason tournaments, so come
on down to the Convocation Center to support the team as the 2008-09 season winds down. They will take on the Belmont Bruins starting at 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY AMA Monster Energy Supercross.
DAWGS WIN: Been a long time since we said that. Georgia upset Florida to avoid
going winless in the SEC this year. This means UGA and Tech currently have a combined
2-19 record against conference opponents. Hey, still better than sitting at 0-21, right?
SUNDAY
REGION RIVALS: On the high school hoops side, the region tournaments kick off
this week to decide playoff berths and seedings. It may not get any better than Region
6-AAAAA, especially after Walton’s thrilling one-point win over Wheeler last week.
BYE BRETT: Brett Favre’s career is over, so no more crippling interceptions or fake
retirements. The toughest QB ever, yes, but the best? As the AJC’s Mark Bradley
pointed out, he had more INTs than Joe Montana and Peyton Manning combined.
MONDAY
OFFICIAL END:
The Falcons announced they are looking to trade the rights to
Michael Vick, who will be released from prison in July. Hopefully he has learned from
his mistakes and can get back on his feet. Which team will take the risk?
TUESDAY
OSCAR TIME: Though I’m sad “Saw V” had zero nominations, here are my top
Oscar predictions: Mickey Rourke wins Best Actor; Meryl Streep wins Best Actress;
and “Slumdog Millionaire” wins Best Picture (though it should be “Frost/Nixon”).
Atlanta Hawks
The Yellow Jackets fell to 1-10 in ACC play
after losing to N.C. State on Saturday, 8665. The 21-point defeat was the Jackets’
worst of the season, as they shot just 38.5
percent from the floor. Tech had lost nine of
10 at press time.
It’s safe to say that the Dawgs are not going to the big dance this year, but they
will still try to finish their season strong in hopes of earning a few SEC wins.
They take on the struggling Auburn Tigers in Athens starting at 7:30 p.m.
THURSDAY Georgia Tech women vs. Maryland. 91.1 FM
KID IN ATL?: Ken Griffey Jr. has always been my sports idol and at press time it was
Tech basketball
The Hawks entered the All-Star break winning four out of their last five games to
improve to 31-21, the team’s best record
since 1996-97. All-Star Joe Johnson (pictured) is sixth in the East in scoring with
21.6 points per game.
The stars of Supercross are back and they will be ready to do amazing
stunts and tricks for the local fans. The event takes place at the Georgia
Dome and there will be activities going on all day. Doors open at 12 p.m..
Gladiators vs. Florida. 550 AM.
It’s a matinee special as the Gladiators battle the top team in the South
Division, the Florida Everblades. Come down to Gwinnett Arena, as it’s Kroger
Family Sunday and Public Safety Day. The game will kick off at 4:05 p.m.
Hawks at Utah. 790 The Zone. SportSouth.
It looks like the Hawks are finally getting healthy, and they will need all the help
they can get as they try to secure the No. 4 seed in the East. They take on
Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz on the road starting at 9 p.m.
Thrashers vs. Colorado. 680 The Fan. SportSouth.
Despite their record, the Thrashers are working hard to gain some respect
in the league. The Colorado Avalanche are coming to town and they are
looking to get out of the gutter as well. Face-off starts at 7 p.m.
Football signees
Terrance Woodbury
UGA and Tech added key signees to
their 2009 recruiting classes, and
even Georgia State had an impressive
inaugural class. Top recruits Greg
Reid (FSU) and Jarvis Jones
(Southern Cal) each went to outstanding programs as well.
The senior refused to allow Georgia to
go winless in SEC play, scoring 32
points in an upset over the Florida
Gators. It was third time in four
games Woodbury has scored 20-plus
points. The Dawgs had lost 11
straight before the win.
Alex Rodriguez
Jamal Anderson
The former Falcons Pro-Bowl running
back was arrested and jailed on
charges of possession of cocaine
and marijuana. Anderson was reportedly caught sniffing cocaine with
another man by an off-duty police
officer in Buckhead.
Last week, the slugger admitted to using
performance-enhancing substances
from 2001-03. Rodriguez is on pace to
hit the most career home runs (he is
already 12th all-time) but if he does, can
we take the record seriously?
CRUNCHING THE
NUMBERS WIE: ‘LEARN HOW TO WIN’
31-21
22-28
The Hawks’
record at the All-Star break
The Hawks’
record at the break last season,
during which the team earned a
playoff bid
1997
The last time
the Hawks had a record as good
or better at the break
Lost among the mountains of unsolicited
advice Michelle Wie has received over the
course of her career was a nugget from a
certain No. 1 player in the world.
Tiger Woods said that it wouldn’t
be a bad idea for Michelle to
learn how to win. At any level.
Just learning to win can be
very important. We saw how
important that was last week,
as Wie had a three-shot lead
over Angela Stanford with just
eight holes to play. Stanford not
only erased all three of those shots,
but also won by three more. There was
a lot of silver lining to this cloud, but one can
only wonder why there had to be a cloud at all.
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BY BRIAN JONES
WEDNESDAY Georgia vs. Auburn 750 AM
COMING CLEAN: Alex Rodriguez is the first star to admit to steroid use in the prime
THUMBS UP TO
FIRST-HALF SUCCESS
HOTTEST THINGS TO
SEE AND DO OVER THE
NEXT SEVEN DAYS
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Last year, the Augusta National Golf
Club told us they intended to use the
immense platform of the Masters to
grow the game worldwide. One
of the first steps is the creation of the Asian Amateur
Championship. It will be
played in October of this
year, and the winner gets in
the 2010 Masters. That will
get some folks out to the
driving range. Well done.
Brian Katrek can be heard on
790 The Zone’s “On The Green
with Brian Katrek” Sundays from
8-9 a.m. and can be reached at [email protected].
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THUMBS DOWN TO
MORE CHEATING
SANITY
AT
LAST
“Once you start tinker-
ing, you can create more
problems. But I’m not
dismissing it. I’m concerned. I’d like to get
some more evidence.”
- MLB commissioner Bud
Selig on reinstating Hank
Aaron’s home run record
FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 07
Wrestling championships become more competitive; Thrashers give back
CHECK
THIS OUT!
HALL OF FAME
THOUGHTS
Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex
Rodriguez and Mark McGwire all
deserve to be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. The mission statement of the Hall of Fame reads as follows: The National Baseball Hall of
Fame and Museum is a not-for-profit
educational institution dedicated to
fostering an appreciation of the historical development of the game and its
impact on our culture by collecting,
preserving, exhibiting and interpreting
its collections for a global audience, as
well as honoring those who have made
outstanding contributions to our
National Pastime.
I know these holier-than-thou sports
writers and voters think that since these
players used performance-enhancing
drugs that should automatically disqualify them from induction, but that’s
an extremely shortsighted way of thinking. No matter where you fall on the
issue of steroid use, one thing is certain: you cannot tell the story of baseball without including these players.
They have had a huge impact on Major
League Baseball’s history, so we cannot
all of a sudden relegate these players to
urban-legend status just to make ourselves feel morally superior.
These players are not like the Loch
Ness Monster, the Abominable
Snowman or one of Aesop’s Fables.
They actually happened to baseball.
Between these guys there are numerous
MVP awards and various other records.
What are we supposed to do, just block
out a 25-year period and act like it
never happened? No, the best thing for
everyone involved would be to tell the
story of baseball as it truly happened. If
they decide to omit these guys from
baseball’s history, then the entire Hall
of Fame loses its credibility. The story
of baseball needs to be told in its entirety and the only way that can truly happen is to induct all of these players. If it
will make everyone feel better, they can
give them their own special wing and
include asterisks by all of
their statistical achievements. But not including
them would be an insult to
the fans’ general intelligence.
You don’t have to like them,
but you do have to
acknowledge them.
C.C. can be reached at
[email protected]
THE NEW CLASS: The Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2009 and honored the inductees-to-be at
ESPN Zone last week. From left to right: Edith McGuire Duvall, Dr. Nanette Jones and Dr. Sara Jackson Jones (daughter and wife of Calvin “Monk” Jones), Roger Kaiser, Ursula Cox (granddaughter of John Heisman), Pete Van Wieren,
Paula Caray and Josh Caray (wife and son of Skip Caray). The honorees will be inducted June 6. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.
HERE’S THE SCOOP ...
ith the GHSA Wrestling Individual appearances and was the winner of 10
State Championship finals taking straight Gold Glove awards.
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If you have any hopes of becoming an
place this coming weekend, it seems fitting
to recognize that less kids than ever will
have a shot at glory when the first championship whistle blows on Thursday. In the
past, the top four competitors in each of the
14 classifications advanced from the area
meet to the state championship. As a result,
a whopping 2,100 kids faced off at last
year’s tournament. This year, however, the
GHSA added an extra round, a sectional
tournament, effectively limiting the number of wrestlers to roughly 1,150. All tournament matches will be held at the Arena
at Gwinnett Center.
Speculation surrounding the return of
Andruw Jones to the Braves was put to rest
last week when the 31-year-old agreed to a
minor league contract with the Texas
Rangers. After spending his first 12 years
in the league in an Atlanta Braves uniform,
Jones signed with the Los Angeles
Dodgers following the 2007 season. The
move led to the center fielder’s worst season ever and helped convince the Dodgers
to release Jones last month. Under his current agreement with Texas, if Jones is
called up to the major league roster he will
receive a $500,000 deal for one year and
the chance to earn nearly another million
in performance bonuses. Before hitting
only .158 with three home runs and 14
RBIs last year, Jones made five All-Star
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Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, now’s the time
to start your training and preparations, as
the club announced last week that preliminary auditions will be held on Sunday, April
19. The tryouts will take place at the World
Congress Center, with registration scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. and auditions beginning at 10 a.m. Visit AtlantaFalcons.com
for more information on tryouts as well as
the prep classes that will be held prior to the
preliminary auditions.
LENDING A HAND …
The Thrashers will continue their tradition of giving over the next few months
and it could benefit you. Last week, the
Atlanta Thrashers Foundation announced
that it will be awarding $50,000 in monetary grants during the 2009 grant season to
local non-profit organizations in an
attempt to promote health, education, and
sports and fitness. The application period
is just underway and concludes on March
1, at which time all entries will be
reviewed while recipients will be selected
in May. For more information, visit the
community development page at
AtlantaThrashers.com.
In other community-related news, the
Thrashers joined the Hawks last week in
launching the Hometown Heroes
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There are plenty of great races to
watch all year in Georgia, and one of
the year’s best comes to the Atlanta
Motor Speedway next month when
NASCAR visits town for the Kobalt
Tools 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff
Gordon and returning champion
Jimmie Johnson will all take part in
the race, which features some of the
best drivers that the world has to
offer flying round AMS’ track at
incredible speeds! The action starts
on Friday evening with Georgia
Power Qualifying Night, and you can
snag tickets for around $5! Then
comes the race on Sunday afternoon,
which is a can’t-miss for any racing
fan. Grandstand seating starts at $50.
So what are you waiting for? Tickets
will go fast, so book your seats today
by visiting Ticketmaster.com or calling the AMS Box Office at 770-9464211. For more questions about the
event, visit AMS’ website at
www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
Written by Scott Janovitz
Program. At select games throughout the
remainder of the season, the two teams
will host Hometown HERO Nights for
police, firefighters, teachers, coaches and
military personnel and their families. The
Hometown Heroes program is designed to
recognize and reward local everyday
heroes by providing them and their families a night out at Philips Arena. Tickets
purchased in support of the Hometown
Heroes program will be matched by the
teams and donated to the families for the
designated Hawks and Thrashers games.
EARLY RANKINGS …
Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com
released his preseason top 25 for next
year’s college football season and some
interesting selections were made. Not surprisingly, the defending national champion
Gators held Schlabach’s top spot, while
Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Texas were
ranked second and third, respectively.
Alabama and Virginia Tech round out
Schlabach’s top five and traditional powers USC and Ohio State hold spots 6 and
7. As for the teams from Georgia, defying
tradition, Schlabach actually likes the
Yellow Jackets a bit more than the
Bulldogs, ranking Tech at No. 13 and
Georgia one spot below at 14. Of course,
the defections of Matthew Stafford and
Knowshon Moreno convinced Schlabach
of the change in power.
Get In The Game!
08 I SCORE ATLANTA
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Region tourneys to decide playoff seedings
xpect an absolute battle for a region title ON THE GIRLS SIDE …
and state playoff seedings in the boys
E
When talking about Region 7-AAAAA
Region 6-AAAAA tournament this week, a girls basketball, one can’t help but mention
region that features an astounding five teams
ranked in our Power 15 Poll.
Centennial is ranked No. 5 and has lost
just two games all year. The Knights feature a
bona fide star in Lorenzo Brown, who has
signed with N.C. State. Forward Kamren
Belin and guard Devonta White both can score
provide a good supporting cast for Brown.
The Wheeler Wildcats are the defending
champions and were state runners-up last year.
Ari Stewart and Richard Howell will both play
their college ball in the ACC, forming an
effective tandem. Tahj Tate and Phil Taylor
would be stars on most teams across the state,
and they only add to the team’s dangerousness.
Glen Rice Jr. and Ryan Harrow are both
terrors for the Walton Raiders; they were the
top two scorers in Friday’s big win over
Wheeler. The Raiders were the team left out
of the state tourney from Region 6 last year,
losing on a controversial last-second shot
against Northview in the second round.
Milton rebounded this season behind a
trio of youngsters. Sophomore guards
Shannon Scott and Dai-Jon Parker both give
defenses problems and 6-7 forward Julian
Royal joins his fellow classmates to form an
impressive young class of 2011.
Lassiter is the region’s Cinderella story.
Despite having less talent than any of the aforementioned big four, they rattled off 12 straight
wins before faltering down the stretch. The deck
will be stacked against them, with plenty of talent to compete against for a tournament berth.
the Mill Creek Lady Hawks. Losers of just
two games last season, they won the region
title and made it all the way to the state semifinals. This year they’re back, sporting a
mark of 14-2 in region play and 24-6 overall.
The Lady Hawks feature a dangerous offensive attack led by senior Porsha Porter and
super-junior Moneshia Simmons. But it’s on
the defensive end where the Lady Hawks
might be best, as they surrendered a mere 39
points per game.
Several other teams will try to knock Mill
Creek from its perch. The most likely of them
would be Norcross, ranked No. 13 in the state.
Tiffany Clarke, a Vanderbilt signee and
McDonald’s All-American team nominee, provides a low-post force that is hard to match up
with defensively. The Lady Devils, however,
need a few members of their junior class, such
as guards Briana Jordan and Bianca O’Neal, to
step up and take some pressure off of Clarke if
they want to take the title.
Last year, Duluth joined Mill Creek in the
state semis. They are right back in the mix now
after going 10-6 in region play. At 6-2, Mykala
Walker leads Duluth and is one of the stars of
the region. Chattahoochee, North Gwinnett and
Collins Hill were next in line in the region
standings, and they should lead the charge for
the No. 4 seed and a state tournament appearance as their reward.
Bagriansky can be reached at
[email protected].
THE HIGH SCHOOL
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
WILL FREEMAN
POWER
15 POLL
WALTON HIGH
Freeman not only shattered the state
record in the 500 freestyle at last weekend’s state swimming and diving championships at Westminster, he broke a
national independent high school record
with his time of 4:19.32. The title-winner
in the Class 4A-A division knocked nearly
nine seconds off the previous state
record time. Freeman also finished second in the 200 freestyle.
In one of the most impressive state championship performances in recent memory,
Reisinger broke two state records within
minutes of each other, anchoring the
Raiders’ 200 freestyle relay and then besting her own state record, set at Thursday’s
preliminaries, in the 100 backstroke. Her
time in the backstroke, 53.71, was just
three-hundredths of a second off the
national record. Photo courtesy of Marc St. Pierre.
8. Milton
9. Walton
10. Columbia
11. Hillgrove
12. Westlake
13. Dublin
14. Valdosta
15. Meadowcreek
BOYS
1. South Atlanta
2. Norcross
3. McEachern
4. Miller Grove
5. Centennial
6. Wheeler
7. Lassiter
ERIN REISINGER
GREATER ATL. CHRISTIAN
Rankings compiled Sunday, Feb. 17.
GIRLS
1. Fayette County
2. Redan
3. Parkview
4. Marist
5. Westlake
6. Berkmar
7. Buford
8. Mays
9. SW DeKalb
10. Mill Creek
11. Norcross
12. Wesleyan
13. Jonesboro
14. North Cobb
15. Campbell
Rankings editor Alex Ewalt can be reached at [email protected].
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10
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
One last look at the top regular-season storylines of 2008-09 basketball
ith the high school basketball regular sea- Lady Trojans look to be around come state
(Girls) Diamond Henderson, North the Top 50 teams in America than on one
son over, let us take a look at several of the tournament time. … Norcross: New addi- Cobb: Despite being widely established as team’s schedule, but those are just some of
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state’s surprise teams, noteworthy players and tions Anjelica Wilcox and Briana Jordan one of the best players in Cobb County, the 5- the elite teams that last year’s Class 5A runanswer the question just who are the most dangerous boys and girls teams eyeing a state title.
SURPRISE TEAMS …
(Boys) Lassiter: The Trojans were
decent last season, finishing above .500 and
bowing out in the second round of a very
tough Region 6-AAAAA Tournament. For
anyone to have expected them to be even
better this year and one of five Region 6
teams ranked in our Score Atlanta’s Power
15 Poll would have been wishful thinking.
… Valdosta: Football-rich Valdosta made it
to the second round of the basketball state
tournament a year ago before losing to
Douglass for their 10th loss of the season.
As they headed to their Region 1-AAAAA
Tournament this season, head coach Rufus
McDuffie’s Wildcats only had one loss
under their belts. Behind the play of 6-foot5 wingman and gridiron standout Jay Rome,
Valdosta is perhaps South Georgia’s best
boys hoops team.
(Girls) Banneker: Behind the play of
senior point guard Chanel Burse and senior
forward Jayda Lloyd, head coach Shemika
Turner’s Lady Trojans went from losing 20
games last year to being on the verge of winning 20 this year. Lloyd has brought a neverbefore-seen inside prescience to Banneker
that complements the perimeter Burse. The
joined established post player Tiffany Clark
to give head coach Angie Hembree one of
the most improved girls squads in Class 5A.
The Lady Blue Devils have already achieved
20 wins after winning just 13 and failing to
make the state tournament a year ago.
Norcross only dropped two regular-season
games (both to Mill Creek) in the very-competitive Region 7.
NOTEWORTHY PERFORMERS …
(Boys) Ryan Harrow, Walton: Before
the junior point guard from North Carolina
became eligible to compete for the Raiders at
the beginning of this school year, everyone
knew that he was one of the best guards in the
2010 class. What most did not expect, however, was for the N.C. State commit to seamlessly become the difference maker and top
scorer for a Raiders team that also features
Georgia Tech signee Glen Rice. … Arris
Brundidge, Blessed Trinity: Losing players
like Jordan Callahan and Tyler Cerone to
graduation would be tough for any basketball
program. However, head coach Bryan
Marks’s team has more than stayed afloat
thanks to Brundidge. The 6-4 forward has
made up for the loss of the lethal backcourt,
leading the Titans with his play on the inside
and helping the Titans reach the 20-win
plateau for the third consecutive year.
8 junior guard and her Lady Warriors were
thought to be overmatched heading into this
season, as North Cobb’s top scorer and
Georgia Tech signee Jasmine Blain was
to miss the season with a knee injury.
Nevertheless, with Henderson routinely scoring 20 points, the Lady Warriors
have already eclipsed last year’s 18
wins. … Kayla Lewis, Southwest
DeKalb: The second-leading scorer
from last year’s Class 4A state
champions, Lewis had to become
the leader for a Lady Panthers team
that lost leading scorer and
rebounder Charenee Stephens to
graduation. Thus far, the 5-11 junior has not disappointed. Her versatility and improved scoring has
Southwest DeKalb thinking of a
repeat. The Lady Panthers finished
the regular season with only three
losses.
DANGEROUS TEAMS …
(Boys) Wheeler: In any
given year, Mater Dei (Cal.),
St. Patrick (N.J.), Lincoln,
(N.Y.), Centennial (Ga.), St.
Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) and
Dominguez (Cal.) would be
more likely to be seen on a list of
ner-ups have faced this season. Battle-tested
Wheeler has only dropped two games instate.
(Girls) Fayette County: Being the
2007-08 Class 4A state runner-ups,
the undefeated Lady Tigers are the
no-brainer choice as the team that
other teams hoping to win a state title
want to avoid. But what makes
Fayette County’s season even
more impressive is that they
have seldom been challenged
this year. The duo of 5-10
Anma Onyeuku and 5-6
Tessah Holt is tough for any
team to contain.
Butler can be reached at
[email protected].
ON THE PROWL: Wheeler’s
Ari Stewart (left) and Richard
Howell play in arguably the
most competitive region in
the state, Region 6-AAAAA.
Do the Wildcats have
enough firepower to reach
their second straight state
championship game? Photo
courtesy of Photographic Arts.
Six state records fall at Swimming and Diving State Championships
ast week’s GHSA Swimming and Diving ing both relays. Leading off the medley relay, Sweeney won not only the 200-yard freestyle TEAM EFFORTS …
State Championship at Westminster was Mangimelli helped teammates Anna (1:40.41), but also the 500-yard freestyle
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Brookwood’s boys captured their second
one for the record books. A total of six state Springer, Haley Holcomb and Meghan (4:35.75). Milton’s Jeff Cox won the boys 200- consecutive team championship in Class 5A
records were broken by competitors in
Saturday’s swimming finals, and Walton’s
Erin Reisinger shocked everyone by setting
two state records within minutes of each other.
Reisinger set the first of two records
Saturday after anchoring the 200-yard
freestyle relay in 1:35.59. Only 10 minutes
later, Reisinger snagged another record in the
100-yard backstroke, finishing in 53.71 and
winning her third consecutive championship
in that event. Reisinger did not stop there,
however, repeating as champion in the 50yard freestyle by finishing in 23.10. She also
helped her teammates Jessica Graber,
MaryRose Palermo and Adrienne Pilchard
win the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:35.59).
Brookwood’s Jana Mangimelli also had a
dominant performance in Saturday’s meet,
winning the 200-yard individual medley, but
her most significant performance came dur-
Faulkner set the medley record of 1:45.05.
Swimming the anchor leg in the freestyle
relay, Mangimelli helped capture a record
performance behind Allyson Sweeney,
Kelsey Gouge and Faulkner, setting the
freestyle record of 3:26.54.
The other two records that were set in
Saturday’s swimming finals belong to Greater
Atlanta Christian’s Will Freeman and Heritage’s
Nathanael Eisenman. Freeman broke the state
and national privatye high school record of
4:28.18 in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing the
longest race in only 4:19.32. In the shortest race
of the meet, Eisenman broke the long standing
state record of 20.58 by finishing the 50-yard
freestyle in 20.46.
In the boys Class 5A finals, Norcross’
Kebin Sppiwak, Andrew Feeney, Connor
Stickney and Sean Bagent won the 200-yard
medley relay (1:36.57). Brookwood’s Connor
yard individual medley (1:52.18) and the 100yard freestyle (46.04). Brookwood’s Andrew
Ruffing won both the 100-yard butterfly
(49.47) and the 100-yard backstroke (50.53).
Houston County’s Mark Weber captured the 50yard freestyle (21.22), and Norcross’ Andrew
Feeney won the 100-yard breaststroke.
Parkview’s Clarence Messler, Ben Hudlow, Eloi
Furtado and Andrew Ruffing won the 200-yard
freestyle relay, and Brookwood’s Danny
Nguyen, Mark Dunn, Ken Bolton and Conor
Sweeney captured the 400-yard freestyle relay.
In the girls Class 5A finals, Brookwood’s
Allyson Sweeney won both the 100-yard butterfly (55.10) and the 100-yard freestyle
(55.10). North Gwinnett’s Caroline Kenney
captured the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.10), and
Pope’s Kelsey Gaid won the 500-yard
freestyle (4:48.71). Centennial’s Julia Treible
captured the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.10).
(255), finishing ahead of Norcross (224). The
Lassiter girls earned their third championship
title in five years—without winning a single
event—by outscoring Brookwood by 23 points.
Marist continued to dominate the Class
4A-A state meet, capturing the team titles in
both boys and girls. The Marist boys pulled a
major upset, ending Westminster’s string of
six championship titles, while the girls earned
their third consecutive championship.
In the Class 5A diving finals, Woodstock’s
Alex Watson claimed the boys championship
title (549.60), and Kennesaw Mountain’s
Ansley Long captured the state title for the girls
(453.74). In the Class 4A-A diving finals,
Westminster’s Stevie Vines (600.10) and
Wesleyan’s Lauren Hall (511.80) captured the
championship titles for boys and girls.
at
can
be
reached
Parker
[email protected].
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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT I11
METRO ATLANTA’S 2009 SIGNEES
Player
School
Pos.
ATLANTA/FULTON
Ron Hall
Alpharetta
OT
Vince Williams
Alpharetta
CB
Sam Burkhalter
Blessed Trinity
RB
Matt Crisafi
Blessed Trinity
OL
Kohl Hegetschweiler Blessed Trinity
QB
Chris Brown
Carver
DL
Demond Dennis
Carver
RB
Phillip Harvey
Carver
DE
Xavious Heard
Carver
DB
Darren Myles
Carver
S
Kevin Myles Jr.
Carver
Ath.
Mark Williams
Carver
DB
Euclid Cummings
Centennial
DE
Brendan Cross
Chattahoochee
QB
Bashir Cotterell
Creekside
K
Jonathan Atchinson Douglass
DE
Caleb Lester
Douglass
DB
Brontavious Railey Douglass
LB
Jack Farrell
Holy Innocents’
TE
Connor Randall
Holy Innocents’
DE
Justin Joseph
Jackson
LB/RB
Travis Simmons
Jackson
DB/WR
Andrew Glaize
Landmark Christian LB
Blake Wyatt
Landmark Christian WR/DB
Winston Broderick
Mays
RB
Denzel Coleman
Mays
SS
Anthony Jackson
Mays
OL
Myer Nolan
Mays
FS
Desmond Walker
Mays
RB
Mays
TE
Kortland Withrow
Michael Brodsky
Milton
C
Taj Harris
Milton
TB
Milton
OL
James Snyder
Toney Williams
Milton
RB
Elderidge Cooper
North Atlanta
WR
Christopher Hodby North Atlanta
TE
Jamal Jackson
North Atlanta
QB
Travis Lloyd
North Atlanta
DB
North Atlanta
WR
Joshua Massey
David Morgan-Kerns North Atlanta
LB
Duane Smith
North Atlanta
ATH
Northview
TE
Brock Sanders
Jay Brown
Riverwood
LB
Adam Johnson
Riverwood
LB
Derrick Murray
South Atlanta
FS
Cuevas Dargan
Tri-Cities
LB
Jordan Griffin
Tri-Cities
OL
Washington
DE
Branden Bryant
Branden Smith
Washington
CB
Josh Amaker
Westlake
DL
Westlake
DB
Jarren Banks
Donte Byrd
Westlake
RB
Dwayne Fields
Westlake
DB
Lewis Kindle
Westlake
QB
Darius Mitchell
Westlake
OL
Dearco Nolan
Westlake
DE
Westlake
DB
Julian Smith
Tremaine Stringfellow Westlake
LB
Todd Wilcher
Westlake
DE
Westlake
OT
Chance Womack
Stephon Shelton
Westminster
TB/DB
College
Winston-Salem
Western Kentucky
Georgia State
William and Mary
Campbell
Livingstone
New Mexico
Alabama A&M
Livingstone
Tennessee
West Georgia
Presbyterian
Georgia Tech
Wake Forest
Tuskegee
Alabama
UAB
Air Force
Duke
Georgetown
Edward Waters
Edward Waters
Navy
Georgia State
Morehead State
Norfolk State
LaGrange
Eastern Kentucky
Alabama A&M
Birmingham So.
Tulsa
Virginia Military
Virginia Military
Tennessee
N. Carolina A&T
Huntingdon College
Appalachian State
Concordia College
Concordia College
Huntingdon College
Concordia College
Tulane
Elon
Navy
Furman
Alabama A&M
Alabama A&M
Central Florida
Georgia
Clark Atlanta
Johnson C. Smith
Morehead State
Eastern Kentucky
North Carolina A&T
Jackson State
Middle Tennessee
Morehead State
Johnson C. Smith
Jackson State
Alabama
Wofford
Hunter Chumley
Nathan Riddle
Ryan Boykin
Jordan Padgett
Ishmael White
Chris Bellinger
Duran Christophe
CHEROKEE
Cherokee
DT
Creekview
OL
Etowah
RB
Etowah
DB
Etowah
LB
Sequoyah
DB
Woodstock
OL/DL
Valdosta State
Tusculum
Ohio
Air Force
Miami (Ohio)
Bemidji State
N.C. State
Reginald Lewis
Javious Lindley
Cliff Crews
Darius McKeller
Myles Wickliffe
Josh Dubois
Andre Harris
LaQuinton Yancey
Drexel Copeland
CLAYTON
Forest Park
QB
Forest Park
RB
Jonesboro
S
Jonesboro
OT
Jonesboro
DT
Lovejoy
K
Lovejoy
OL
Lovejoy
DB
Mount Zion
WR
Cumberland
Mars Hill
South Alabama
Alabama
Virginia Union
Clark Atlanta
Auburn
Fort Valley State
Georgia Southern
Emanuel Dieke
Jeremy Ross
Michael Adams
Derrion Barlow
Fletcher Redd
Jordan Simmons
Daryl Smith
Hakeem Smith
Rafael Thomas
James Williams
North Clayton
North Clayton
Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
DE
DB
QB
LB
DB
LB
RB
DB
LB
DE
Georgia Tech
Austin Peay
Bethune-Cookman
Dean College
Virginia Union
Mars Hill
Morehead State
Louisville
Dean College
Dean College
Kendall Caron
Jerome Whiteman
Daniel Yealu
Christian Burnett
Nick Jackson
Patrick Keller
Jordan Miller
Eric Stallworth
Marlon Anthony
Chris Brown
Will Middleton
Clay Rutherford
Zach Burgess
Jay Finch
Alex Urguhart
Phillip Lutzenkirchen
Camden Wentz
Caleb Cox
Stephen Hunter
Swin Moore
Zach Shelton
Kevin Woods
Terrell Mitchell
Donatello Brown
Derrick Lott
Rico Mack
Terrell Roberts
Kayvon Sherrill
Chris Awuah
Anthony Davis
Michael Boydston
Jake Francis
David Paulsen
Nick Klemm
Trey Miller
Kris Redding
COBB
Campbell
Campbell
Campbell
Harrison
Harrison
Harrison
Harrison
Harrison
Kell
Kell
Kell
Kell
Kennesaw Mountain
Kennesaw Mountain
Kennesaw Mountain
Lassiter
Lassiter
Marietta
Marietta
Marietta
Marietta
Marietta
McEachern
North Cobb
North Cobb
North Cobb
North Cobb
North Cobb
South Cobb
South Cobb
Walton
Walton
Walton
Wheeler
Whitefield Academy
Whitefield Academy
WR
WR
WR
QB
C
DE
OT
OLB
WR
LB
TE
LB
K/P
OL
DB
TE
OL
WR
WR
DB
DT
CB
TE
RB
DE
WR
DE
DE
Ath.
FS
RB
C/DT
FB
OT
QB
DE
North Carolina Tech
North Carolina Tech
North Carolina Tech
Cumberland
Air Force
Brevard
Memphis
Shorter
Chattanooga
Tusculum
Coastal Carolina
Army
Morehead State
Georgia Tech
Morehead State
Auburn
N.C. State
Kentucky Christian
Northeastern
Dartmouth
Gardner-Webb
Albany State
Kentucky
Valdosta State
Georgia
Valdosta State
Valdosta State
Valdosta State
Chattanooga
Virginia Union
Coastal Carolina
Chattanooga
Oklahoma State
Maryland
Navy
Wake Forest
COWETA
East Coweta
Newnan
Newnan
Newnan
Newnan
Newnan
C
OL
WR
OL
OL
DL
Furman
Georgia Tech
Jacksonville State
West Alabama
Alabama State
Minnesota-
Newnan
Newnan
Newnan
Newnan
Newnan
Northgate
DE
WR
DE
LB
RB
QB
Chattanooga
West Georgia
Savannah State
Savannah State
Fort Valley State
Lenoir-Rhyne
DEKALB
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove
Chamblee
Chamblee
Chamblee
Chamblee
Chamblee
Chamblee
Columbia
Columbia
Columbia
Columbia
Cross Keys
DT
OL
OL
LB
OL
WR
RB
DL
DB
RB
OL
RB
OL
DL
RB
OL
DB
DL
DB
Troy
Albany State
Western Arizona
Appalachian State
Savannah State
Albany State
Middle Tennessee
Savannah State
Chattanooga
Air Force
Clark Atlanta
Vanderbilt
Presbyterian
Bethune-Cookman
Georgia State
Howard
Carson-Newman
Howard
Furman
Ryan Storms
Ray Beno
Alan Bonner
Josh Buchanan
Adam Calhoun
Braland Geter
Crochston
Durlandis Hill
Antwon Johnson
Dustin Russell
Laland Russell
Kendreas Wynn
Jake Copeland
Vincent Bass
Rashawn Earl
Sam Johnson
Jeremy Kimbrough
Warren Mason
Stanley McBride
William Pratcher
Terrick Ransom
Briant Henry
Darius Jones
John Napier
Warren Norman
Brian Sheppard
Barry Stafford
Nathaniel Anthony
Malcolm Crawford
William Porter
Toavon Sheats
Richard Feacher
Demorius Beasley
Decatur
Marcel Baugh
Druid Hills
Blake Adams
Dunwoody
Jerry King
Dunwoody
Malcolm Mitchell
Dunwoody
Treavor Scales
Dunwoody
Julian Bellinger
Lithonia
Isaiah Browning
Lithonia
McVandy Falise
Lithonia
Marvin Gary
Lithonia
Jabril Hightower
Lithonia
Korenski Jones
Lithonia
Jesse Landji
Lithonia
Rockshawn MacNeal Lithonia
Alexander Wright
Lithonia
Tim Anderson
M.L. King
Fred Barnes
M.L. King
Xavier Betts
M.L. King
DeAndre Davis
M.L. King
Ryan Fennell
M.L. King
Walter Givens
M.L. King
Kendrick Hamm
M.L. King
Thomas Hendrickson M.L. King
Joel Kight
M.L. King
Anderson Mack
M.L. King
Darrell Martin
M.L. King
Rashaun Quiovers
M.L. King
Kevin Allman
Marist
Chris Williamson
Marist
Cordell Adams
McNair
Thomas Allen III
McNair
Timothy Boswell
McNair
McNair
Charles Clark
Pascal Desir III
McNair
Edgar Dorsey
McNair
Quintavious Graham McNair
Thomas Grier
McNair
Melvin Huntley
McNair
Zequan Lawrence
McNair
Arnold Walker
McNair
Jacoby Blount
Miller Grove
Miller Grove
Kenneth Gilstrap
Jasper Hanson
Miller Grove
Stephen Hill
Miller Grove
Redan
Michael Coke
Brandon Brant
S.W. DeKalb
Dion Hamilton
S.W. DeKalb
Richard Hughes
S.W. DeKalb
Michael Johnson
S.W. DeKalb
Jacoby Mitchell
S.W. DeKalb
S.W. DeKalb
Brian Thomas
Matt Pierce
St. Pius
Richard Drake
Stephenson
Stephenson
Tarek Knight
Nigel Mitchell-Thornton Stephenson
Joshua Williams
Stephenson
Tobias Williams
Stephenson
Robert Nelson
Stone Mountain
A.J. Bouye
Tucker
Tucker
Drayton Calhoun
Jonathan Davis
Tucker
Tevin Holliman
Tucker
Tucker
Deion Roberson
WR
WR
LB
LB
DE
RB
WR
LB
LB
DB
WR
WR
LB
OL
DB
OL
DB
FB
OL/DL
DB
LB/DE
FB/DT
LB
LB/DB
LB
OT
LB
WR/DB
P
WR
LB
LB
OL/DL
RB
LB
S
LB
DB
WR
RB
DE
DB
DB
WR
OL
LB
WR
FS
RB
WR
TE/LB
DB/WR
WR
CB
LB
DE
LB
LB
DB
RB
LB
LB
DT
Alabama State
Wooster College
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech
Louisville
Harvard
Toledo
West Virginia Tech
William Penn
Alabama A&M
William Penn
Holmes Co. JC
William Penn
Hutchinson Co. JC
William Penn
The Apprentice School
Georgia State
New Mexico Prep
Jackson State
New Mexico Prep
Tusculum
New Mexico Prep
Lane
Mississippi
New Mexico Prep
Marshall
Lenoir-Rhyne
Furman
Georgia Southern
Edward Waters
Albany State
Albany State
Concordia
S.W. Mississippi JC
Edward Waters
Edward Waters
Concordia
Concordia
Tusculum
Alcorn State
Lane
Middle Tennessee
Clark Atlanta
Georgia Tech
Morehouse
Elon
Dean
Jackson State
Western Carolina
Western Carolina
Morehouse
Valdosta State
Middle Tennessee
Clark Atlanta
Tennessee
Chattanooga
Jackson State
Tennessee
Central Florida
LSU
Central Florida
Western Kentucky
N.C. State
Malcolm Reed
Russell Bonner
Rio Johnson
Brandon Putnam
Matt Solomon
James Vervey
Stephen Roberts
Chris Ward
FAYETTE
Fayette Co.
DT/TE
Sandy Creek
DB
Sandy Creek
QB
Sandy Creek
DE
Sandy Creek
LB
Sandy Creek
DL
Starr’s Mill
LB
Starr’s Mill
P/PK
South Carolina State
Tusculum
East Carolina
Duke
Furman
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennesee
N.C. State
Brian Adams
FORSYTH
South Forsyth
ATH
Kentucky
Troy Davis
Mike Sealand
Kadeem Wise
Mason Howington
Kellen Williams
Blake Bennett
GWINNETT
Berkmar
LB
Berkmar
LB
Berkmar
DB/ATH
Brookwood
TE
Brookwood
OT
Buford
OL
Central Florida
Mount St. Joseph
Chattanooga
Western Illinois
Alabama
Wofford
Devin Durden
Jeffery Gazaway
Cody Getz
Dallas Lee
Andrew Sachais
Trevor Warbington
Kaycee Ike
Justin Kelly
Edmund Kugbila
Khary Powell
Michael Box
Barry Lenon
Harrison Clottey
Jonathan Langston
Colton Chapple
Patrick Hartman
Shane Mularkey
Blake Southerland
Micah James
Jordan Johnson
Davis Moore
James Powell
Ryan Robinson
Ed Russ
D.J. Adams
Matt Autry
Wesley Hollingshed
Antoinne Jones
Prince Kent
Charles King
Marquis Lovett
Danal Slay
Steven Smith
Taylor Weaver
Kenny Barnes
Robert Nelson
Mike Tamburo
Jake Thomas
Tyler Daly
Brandon Jacobs
Nathan Vickery
Evan Winebarger
Corey Brabham
Ed Hicks
Kevin Minter
Conner Norman
Connor Orr
Michael Pate
Ronnie Smith
Mitchell Williford
Cameron Whigham
Cortez Johnson
Griffin Thomas
Andrew Patrick
J.J. Russell
Buford
Buford
Buford
Buford
Buford
Buford
Central Gwinnett
Central Gwinnett
Central Gwinnett
Central Gwinnett
Collins Hill
Collins Hill
Grayson
Grayson
GAC
GAC
GAC
GAC
Mill Creek
Mill Creek
Mill Creek
Mill Creek
Mill Creek
Mill Creek
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
Norcross
North Gwinnett
North Gwinnett
North Gwinnett
North Gwinnett
Parkview
Parkview
Parkview
Parkview
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge
Shiloh
South Gwinnett
South Gwinnett
Wesleyan
Wesleyan
TE
FS
TB
DT
DE
DT
OL
DT
OL
SS
QB
DE
OL
LB
QB
OL
LB
LB
OL
OL
Snap.
LB
DE
QB
RB
DE
DT
LB
WR/DB
QB
DE
FS
LB
DB
TE
CB
QB
C
OT
RB
FB
OL
FB
K
LB
CB
TE
DL
RB
WR
DE
DB
K
OL/DL
TE/DB
Air Force
Georgetown
Air Force
Georgia
Georgetown
Brevard
UAB
Coffeyville
CC
By Scott Janovitz
Valdosta State
Fordham
Connecticut
Tennessee Tech
Georgia State
Gardner-Webb
Harvard
Georgia Southern
North Carolina
Vanderbilt
Savannah State
Middle Tennessee
Emory and Henry
Jacksonville State
Oklahoma State
West Georgia
Maryland
South Alabama
Nevada
West Georgia
Miami Fla.
Hutchinson CC
Georgia Military
Georgia Southern
Tuskegee
Sewanee
Wofford
Louisiana-Monroe
Boise State
Valdosta State
Morehead State
Auburn
Henderson State
Morehead State
Clark Atlanta
Georgia Military
LSU
Presbyterian
Western Carolina
Valdosta State
Georgia Military
Georgia Southern
Mississippi
Furman
Jacksonville State
Virginia Military
Presbyterian
B.J. Johnson
Michael Lee
Shane Reed
Justin Williams
Jonathan Pippen
Quan Jones
Drew Little
Jamal Patterson
Keith Wright
Sean Davis
Roderick Sweeting
Kevin Burke
Tim Lawrence
Jordan Adams
Wes Mena
Kevin Roberts
Jake Smith
Mark Spier
Bryson Strickland
Tyrique Williams
HENRY
Eagle’s Landing
Eagle’s Landing
Eagle’s Landing
Eagle’s Landing
ELCA
Henry Co.
Henry Co.
Henry Co.
Henry Co.
Luella
Luella
Stockbridge
Stockbridge
Union Grove
Union Grove
Union Grove
Union Grove
Union Grove
Union Grove
Union Grove
TE
CB
LT
QB
LB
RB
QB
WR
CB
DB
DB
WR
LB
Snap.
DL
K
LB
OL
OL
FS
Miles College
Massachusetts
Miles College
Eastern Kentucky
Tusculum
Jacksonville State
Georgia State
Stanford
North Carolina Tech
Gardner-Webb
Georgia Tech
Tusculum
Furman
Tennessee Tech
Coffeyville CC
Tennessee Tech
Valdosta State
Richmond
Georgia State
N.C. Central
Justin Jones
Melvin Jones
Reggie Juwin
Ryan Culbreath
ROCKDALE
Heritage
TE
Heritage
DT
Heritage
RB/DB
Rockdale Co.
WR
East Carolina
Presbyterian
Tusculum
Furman
Names to remember in Class 5A’s individual wrestling state championships
s the season approaches the final stretch,
the state’s top wrestlers are preparing for
A
the sprint to be crowned the individual state
champion in their respective weight classes.
Here is a look at six of the top wrestlers who
will be competing for the coveted individual
top spot in Class 5A.
K.J. Bell (Harrison, 125 pounds) –
Though as a team Harrison is rebuilding, K.J.
Bell has been a bright spot for the Hoyas at
the 125-pound class. Bell, who is the returning state runner-up, will be a strong force in
the class this year as he attempts to join the
likes of Josh Codon, who graduated last year
after winning three individual state championships at Harrison.
Dexter Bushart (Pope, 130 pounds) –
Dexter Bushart looks poised to compete for
the 130-pound crown. A model of improvement, Bushart seems to get better every year
he takes the mat. In 2006-2007, he finished the
season 47-9 (84 percent). Last year, he went
48-5 (91 percent). Enterting the state individuals, Bushart can take confidence in the fact
that he defeated former state champ Justin
Crozier in a 3-2 decision in the state duals.
Matt Schneider (Milton, 135 pounds)
– It would be tough to have a better season
than Matt Schneider has had at 135 pounds.
The junior from Milton went 42-0 with 11
pins to complete his third consecutive year
with at least 40 wins. No stranger to success
in the past, Schneider was the Area 6A runner-up at 135 last year and placed fourth in
the state individuals. There’s no doubt he has
his eyes on the top spot this year.
MORE BIG NAMES …
Joel Smith (Collins Hill, 140 pounds) –
In his junior season, Smith is having another
outstanding year in what is shaping up to be a
very successful high school career. After finishing second in the state at the Class 5A individuals at 135 pounds last year, Smith is taking
on the ranks at 140 pounds this year.
Compiling a record of 46-1 with 33 pins, Smith
leads the way for the juggernaut known as
Collins Hill and surely looks to add to his personal accolades by winning an individual title.
Taylor Knapp (Collins Hill, 152
pounds) – A force for the Collins Hill Eagles
(and that’s saying a lot), Knapp had a dominating season at 152 pounds. The senior finished
the season with a record of 44-1 with 31 pins.
Knapp also has a great deal of experience and
Tuesday:
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
The Grove Restaurant & Bar
Decatur (404) 321-4420
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
30
CENT
WINGS
Jeffrey’s
SportsBar & Grill
Alpharetta(770) 346-0807
Ribs, ETC.,
Buckhead (404) 843-8200
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
Neighbor’s Pub
VA-Highlands (404)872-5440
WWW.THETRIVIAZONE.COM at J.R. Crickets in
Smyrna every
Wednesday night
Round up your friends for a night of FUN, FACTS,
and FREEBIES! Join Trivia Zone Team each week
for your chance to WIN!
Call your favorite location for start time and details!
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success in tournament wrestling. Earlier this
year, he placed second at the Toshiba Midwest
Classic and went 6-0 for Collins Hill at the
Clash National High School Duals.
Jeff Olsen (Walton, 189 pounds) – When
you are the returning state champion, it’s hard to
believe you wouldn’t be a favorite to win the
crown again the next year. Olsen has a wealth of
experience in tournament environments and
there’s no question that he wants to add another
individual title to his resume in his senior season.
The state traditional meet will be held at
the Gwinnett Arena Thursday through
Saturday. Ticket prices are $7 on Thursday
and $10 on Friday and Saturday ($24 for a
total tournament ticket).
Gupta
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
Wednesday:
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
Beef O'Brady's
Suwanee (770) 886-8221
Bradley's American Cafe
Marietta (770) 321-0108
Montana’s Bar & Grill
Marietta (770) 998-1314
Alpharetta (678) 366-8928
Dark Horse Tavern
VA-Highlands (404)873-3607
J.R. Crickets
Smyrna (678) 305-0225
Thursday:
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
Sunday:
Montana’s Bar & Grill
Marietta (770) 998-1314
Alpharetta (678) 366-8928
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
Buffalo’s Café
Jonesboro (770) 998-1314
WoW Café and Wingery
Athens (706) 543-5510
Friday:
Ameribistro
Smyrna (770) 437-0272
12
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
Sizing up Signing Day: Jackets, Dogs meet needs and add array of talent
ith National Signing Day just behind
us, I take a position-by-position look at
both UGA and Tech’s 2009 recruiting classes
and have given a grade at every point along
the way. (Keep in mind, grades were given relative to team need and overall expectations.)
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GEORGIA BULLDOGS …
Quarterback: Aaron Murray, Tampa,
Fla.; Zach Mettenberger, Oconee County. The
Skinny: A great position of need for Georgia,
the Bulldogs did about as well as could be
expected here. Both quarterbacks are great
talents and give Georgia great flexibility with
their drastically differing styles of play;
Mettenberger is a true drop-back signal
caller, while Murray is a threat both running
and throwing the football. Grade: A
Running Back/Fullback: Washaun
Ealey, Emanuel County Institute. The Skinny:
Already well-stocked at the position, signing
three backs in last year’s class and Caleb King
the year before. As a result, the Dawgs were
happy to settle for one this time around. The
state’s record holder for single-season and
career touchdowns possesses good vision and
instincts and is a physical runner. Ealey, however, might be the product of single-A competition. Grade: B
Receiver/Tight End: Arthur Lynch,
Dartmouth, Massachusetts; Marlon Brown,
Memphis, Tennessee; Rantavious Wooten,
Belle Glade, Florida. The Skinny: Not a great
position of need, but one that lacks proven talent. The Dawgs could have added one or two
more, and still have a shot with Tampa’s
Orson Charles, but overall, signed quality talent. Brown, one of the nation’s top-rated
receivers, is big and quick, while Wooten is
smaller but electric with the ball in his hands.
Lynch is the nation’s No. 2-ranked tight end,
according to Rivals.com. Grade: A
Offensive Line: Austin Long, Memphis,
Tennessee; Chris Burnette, Troup; Dallas
Lee, Buford. The Skinny: While Georgia is in
good shape along the offensive line, it’s
always important to add at least a few bodies
at the position in every class. Georgia managed to land three quality lineman this time
around, most notably Burnette, who is one of
the top guards in the nation as well as his high
school’s Valedictorian. Grade: B+
Defensive Line: Abry Jones, NorthsideWarner Robins; Derrick Lott, North Cobb;
Montez Robinson, Avon, Indiana. The
Skinny: The Bulldogs are in great need of
defensive ends and, in Robinson, were only
able to land one true end in this class. Georgia
did get good quality here, however, and if versatile tackles Jones and Lott can play end, the
position will get a significant boost. Still, I
would like to have seen at least two more bodies here. Grade: BLinebacker: Chase Vasser, Chestatee;
Dexter Moody, ECI; Michael Gilliard,
Valdosta. The Skinny: Yet another position
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS …
Quarterback:
Jordan
Luallen,
Greenwood, Indiana. The Skinny: Current
Tech starter Josh Nesbitt has two years
remaining and Jaybo Shaw is entering only
his second season on The Flats, meaning
quarterback wasn’t a huge priority for the
Jackets in this class. Still, Luallen is a solid
prospect with good height (6-3) and an abili-
HAND PICKED: Branden Smith (left) was one of the highest-rated recruits in the state and he is
expected to greatly contribute to Georgia’s defense down the road. Georgia Tech was no slouch
either, adding Euclid Cummings to the defensive line. Photos courtesy of Rob Saye/Score Atlanta.
where the Dawgs would have liked to sign
one or two more but, again, Georgia landed
good quality at the position. In particular,
Gilliard looks to be a star in the making,
much in the same mold as current Dog
Rennie Curran. Grade: B
Defensive Back: Branden Smith,
Washington; Jordan Love, Glen Allen,
Virginia; Shawn Williams, Early County. The
Skinny: Georgia did pretty well as far as
defensive backs are concerned, as the class
got a huge boost with the signing of five-star
corner Branden Smith. At 6-foot, Smith has
good height and plenty of speed to make an
early impact as a shutdown corner and could
be a difference maker on special teams as a
punt and kick returner. Grade: B
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ty to pick up chunks of yards with his feet.
Grade: B
Running Back/Fullback: Daniel
Drummond, Flowery Branch; Orwin Smith,
Phenix City, Alabama. The Skinny: Yet another position at which Tech is well stocked, the
Jackets were fine to get only one true back
here (Smith). The Alabama native has good
feet, does a good job catching the ball out of
the backfield, and brings a physical presence
to the field. Drummond will play fullback for
the Jackets. Grade: B
Receiver/Tight End: David Sims, St.
Matthews, South Carolina; Jemea Thomas,
Fitzgerald; Jeremy Moore, Austin, Texas;
Stephen Hill, Miller Grove. The Skinny:
Receiver was a relative need for the Jackets
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and they did well to sign four quality players.
Thomas could end up on either side of the ball
while Sims could line up out wide or in the
backfield. Moore is a tall, physical receiving
threat, while Hill is the gem of the bunch and
could potentially bring back memories of
Calvin Johnson. Grade: B+
Offensive Line: Antonio Foster,
Valdosta; Raymond Beno, Newnan; Will
Jackson, Knoxville, Tennessee. The Skinny:
Probably the Jackets’ biggest need this
recruiting cycle, Tech landed good talent
along the line. Jackson and Foster are both
big, strong, run-blocking guards with good
feet and athleticism. Still, the team needed to
get more than three here and finished without
a true tackle in the bunch. Grade: B
Defensive Line: Chris Crenshaw,
Jefferson County; Emmanuel Dieke, North
Clayton; Euclid Cummings, Centennial;
Izaan Cross, Flowery Branch; Jay Finch,
Kennesaw Mountain; J.C. Lanier, ECI. The
Skinny: Another of Tech’s biggest needs, the
Jackets got both quality and quantity this
go-round, signing six linemen in all. At end,
Dieke is already enrolled at Tech and has the
potential to be a dynamic pass rusher, as
does the raw Cummings. Lanier is probably
the best prospect in the group and, though he
needs to drop some pounds and get in better
shape, he should eventually be a monster
against the run. Grade: A
Linebacker: Brandon Watts, Washington
County; Julian Burnett, Westside-Macon. The
Skinny: Tech is pretty solid at linebacker, but
would have liked to sign at least one more in
this class. Watts is a big, physical outside linebacker, while Burnett makes up for his lack of
size (only 5-10) with impressive sideline-tosideline speed. Grade: C+
Defensive Back: Carl Miles, Weston,
Florida; Lance Richardson, Ware Shoals,
South Carolina; Roderick Sweeting, Luella.
The Skinny: Getting three, the Jackets filled
their need at defensive back and got two
future playmakers in Miles and Sweeting.
Miles is a dynamic player with good quickness and speed, but must gain some weight
before contributing on the college level. At 6foot, Sweeting is a bigger, more physical corner with good enough speed and hips to turn
and run with rangy wideouts. Grade: B
Can’t get enough recruiting? You can
catch Janovitz and others from Score
Atlanta on 790 The Zone on Sunday from 13 p.m. Janovitz can be reached at
[email protected].
FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 13
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Get In The Game!
14 I SCORE ATLANTA
East, Johnson disappoint in All-Star action Thrashers fall to ‘Hawks but destroy Ducks
f you missed Sunday’s NBA All-Star
the club’s best record at this point since the
Kovalchuk’s first came on the power play 1:26
night after the Thrashers found theminto the second period when a pass from Ron
IStars
Game, you didn’t miss much, as the All1996-97 season, and having just defeated Aselves the beneficiaries of questionable
Hainsey was rifled past Jean-Sebastian Giguere
from the West put a big-time 146-119
Detroit on the road. Equally significant has referee calls and outstanding goaltending in
beatdown on the Eastern Conference AllStars thanks to monster performances from
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. With a
touch of irony, the former teammates and
once-feuding stars teamed up for the first
time since the 2003-04 season and shared
MVP honors in the process. With the East
desperately thin at the center and power forward positions, O’Neal absolutely dominated the paint to the tune of 17 points and five
rebounds in just 11 minutes of action. Bryant
was the West’s most productive performer,
logging 29 minutes and recording 27 points,
four steals, four assists and four rebounds.
Atlanta’s Joe Johnson struggled mightily
in this third consecutive All-Star appearance,
as the shooting guard logged 22 minutes yet
was the only player on either roster to finish
the game without a single point. His difficulties, however, really come as no surprise, as
Phoenix hasn’t exactly been kind to Johnson’s
game ever since the star was traded from
there to Atlanta prior to the 2005-06 season.
LeBron James led the East in the losing
effort, scoring 20 points to go along with five
rebounds. Atlanta native Dwight Howard finished the game with 13 points, nine rebounds
and three blocks in 28 minutes of action.
MAKING A RUN…
The NBA season’s official midway point
was marked last weekend by the league’s AllStar festivities (though, technically, the
Hawks played the 41st of their 82 games on
Jan. 20), and your Atlanta Hawks pulled into
the break with an impressive 31-21 record,
been the team’s rise in the Eastern
Conference ranks, holding onto the fourth
spot and a three-game advantage over division rival Miami (at press time) after winning
only 45 percent of its games last year and settling for the eighth seed in the playoffs.
There’s no question about it, the
Hawks have taken their game to a new
level, a fact the rest of the league has recognized. The dramatic improvement can
probably be linked to a number of factors,
most notably the stellar play of Joe Johnson
and Mike Bibby, as well as the dramatic
improvement of the bench. Though he has
never seen a shot he doesn’t like and this
has prevented him from truly playing the
point guard role, Flip Murray’s scoring off
the bench (10.9 points per game) has been
instrumental in countless Hawks victories,
while Maurice Evans has had a steadying
effect for this Hawks bunch.
Currently sitting 7.5 games behind the
Orlando Magic, the third seed is more than
likely out of reach for the Hawks. Still, if the
playoffs were to start today, Atlanta would
play host in the first round, which could go a
long way in its attempt to make the second
round. The team’s first week back from the
break will be a major test, as it races towards
the playoffs: Atlanta traveled to Los Angeles
to play the Lakers on Tuesday (results were
unavailable at press time) and has road dates
with Sacramento, Portland, Utah and Denver
all in the next seven days.
Janovitz
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
Tampa on Feb. 10, the tables were turned on
Atlanta against Chicago last Wednesday.
Two goals that could have counted were
disallowed as Atlanta lost to the Blackhawks,
3-1. The first came just before the end of the
second period when a rebound attempt by
Ilya Kovalchuk got past Blackhawk goalie
Nikolai Khabibulin just after the buzzer
sounded to end the period. Then in the third
period, the seemingly game-tying goal was
disallowed after the referee blew the whistle
after losing sight of the puck.
The game was tough throughout, as no
goals were scored until 14 minutes into the
second period, when Chicago scored on a
power play to give the Blackhawks the lead.
Kovalchuk responded by scoring a power play
goal of his own, the 100th power play goal of
his career. Chicago regained the lead just 21
seconds later and never looked back, winning
3-1 on the back of Khabibulin’s 36 saves.
GOOD START ON ROAD TRIP …
Sunday marked the return of former
Anaheim Duck Mathieu Schneider, who was
traded to the Thrashers just before the beginning of the season, to his old stomping
grounds. But while that was the storyline
going into the game, all eyes were focused
on the longest tenured Thrasher, Kovalchuk,
by the end of the game. The Atlanta captain
netted his 11th career hat-trick, scoring all
three of his goals in Atlanta’s four-goal second period. Even more amazing was that if it
wasn’t for a goal by Colby Armstrong after
Kovalchuk’s first, he would have also earned
the rare natural hat trick by scoring three
goals in a row.
Weiner retires; Falcons add offensive tackle
he Falcons will be missing a valuable
IN THE COMMUNITY …
piece on the offensive line next year,
T
Known for being active in the commuas 11-year offensive tackle Todd Weiner
nity, the Falcons have continued doing such
announced his retirement from the NFL
on Feb. 3.
“I want to thank (Owner & CEO)
Arthur Blank, (General Manager) Thomas
Dimitroff and Coach (Mike) Smith for the
opportunities they gave me to play here,”
said Weiner. “The Falcons are a first-class
organization and due to the positive experiences my family and I have had here in
Atlanta, we will continue to live and be
active members of this community.”
Weiner’s career began in Seattle, where
the Seahawks drafted him out of Kansas
State in the second round out of the 1998
NFL Draft. He spent the vast majority of his
career in Atlanta. Weiner had been a fixture
in the Falcons’ lineup for many years. He was
with the Falcons for the final years of his
career, starting 109 games during that time.
This season was a struggle for Weiner: he
had reconstructive knee surgery in
December of 2008, and played through significant pain all year long.
“Todd Weiner epitomizes toughness,
grit and everything a championship caliber
football player should be,” said Smith. “As
good of a player as Todd was for the Falcons,
he was an even better person in our community through a variety of highly publicized
charitable endeavors working with children.
He will be sorely missed by our football
team on and off the field, but one thing is for
certain – Todd will always be a Falcon.”
in the offseason, as several players recently
made appearances at various events all
around the city.
Cornerback Von Hutchins attended
“Lupus Awareness Day” on Feb. 18, an event
put on by the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus
Foundation of America. Hutchins’s mother is
afflicted with the disease, and it has been a priority of Hutchins to raise awareness ever since.
Fullback Ovie Mughelli will speak at
the Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Fun Fete
Gala on Feb. 20. The Arthur M. Blank
Family Foundation will be recognized during the event for its extensive involvement
with the organization.
The Falcons cheerleaders got in on the
action as well. They met with girls ages 1013 to stress important values such as physical fitness, education and much more.
NEW OFFENSIVE TACKLE …
The Falcons made their first free-agent
signing of the offseason, putting pen to paper
on a deal with offensive tackle Will Svitzek.
A native of Prague, Czech Republic,
Svitzek played his college ball at Stanford
before being selected by the Kansas City in
the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He
proceeded to participate in 16 games, starting four of them.
Svitek was waived by the Chiefs at the
end of training camp last season and spent
the 2008 season out of football.
Bagriansky can be reached at
[email protected].
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to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead. Six minutes later,
Kovalchuk knocked in his second of the game
and Giguere out of the game after giving up his
fifth goal. The Ducks’ replacement, Jonas
Hiller, didn’t fare much better, as he allowed
Kovalchuk’s third on the first shot he saw from
the Thrashers, giving Atlanta a 6-1 lead.
After the flurry of Thrasher goals,
Anaheim fought back by scoring three of the
next four goals to cut Atlanta’s lead to three.
The wheels finally came off the cart and the
win was supplanted when Anaheim scored
on its own empty net. With just under three
minutes remaining, Anaheim passed a puck
past everyone and into its own empty net,
making the final score 8-4. The eight goals
were Atlanta’s most in one game this season.
ROSTER MOVES …
On Monday, the Thrashers traded
defenseman Mathieu Schneider and a conditional 2009 draft pick to Montreal in
exchange for a second-round 2009 draft
choice and third-round 2010 draft choice.
Schneider, a 20-year veteran, registered 15
points (four goals, 11 assists) in 44 games
with Atlanta after being acquired from
Anaheim on Sept. 26, 2008. … Ron Hainsey
left Sunday’s game with a lower back injury,
and is listed as day-to-day. … Atlanta
recalled forward Jordan LaVallee from the
Chicago Wolves, Atlanta’s AHL affiliate.
LaVallee replaced forward Joe Motzko on
the roster, who was reassigned to Chicago.
LaVallee has scored 15 goals and eight
assists with the Wolves.
can
be
reached
at
Boral
[email protected].
FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 15
Men’s hoops finally picks up first SEC win Football schedule released; hoops drops two
he men’s basketball team snapped its 11- Georgia (15-10, 5-5) will look to avoid a
n Sept. 5, 2009, the football team will the game at 50-37 but turned the ball over on
game losing streak and also beat Florida fourth consecutive loss when it hosts LSU on Okick off one of its most high-profile and their next five trips. During that stretch, the
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for the first time in 11 games when they Thursday at 7 p.m. Afterwards comes a trip to challenging schedules in recent memory at Jackets scored 10 straight points. Later in the
defeated the Gators, 88-86, last Saturday in
Athens. Terrance Woodbury led the Georgia
charge with a career-high 32 points and interim head coach Pete Herrmann picked up his
first win. “The biggest thing was that we
wanted to be aggressive early,” Hermann said.
Two players who took that to heart
were point guard Dustin Ware and center
Albert Jackson. Ware scored 11 points,
handed out five assists and committed just
one turnover. Jackson finished with nine
points and seven rebounds, while being a
factor on defense as well.
“My eyes [lit] up. Let’s push the ball, let’s
get easy buckets let’s have fun. Let’s play the
way we like to play,” Ware said in regards to
hearing Herrmann’s mandate to be aggressive.
“[The coaches] have really been drilling
it in my head everyday – be aggressive,
attack, attack, attack … and it finally sunk in,
I guess,” Jackson said.
Georgia (10-15, 1-9) hosts Auburn on
Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. before visiting Ole
Miss on Saturday at 5 p.m.
ANOTHER STREAK …
Just when the men’s losing streak came
to an end, the women’s basketball team found
itself in the midst of three consecutive losses,
matching its longest such streak of the season. Georgia fell 80-64 at No. 24 Vanderbilt
on Sunday after losing at home to Arkansas,
77-64, a week earlier and falling 73-43 at
Tennessee on Feb. 5. Ashley Houts, Danielle
Taylor and Christy Marshall took turns leading the Lady Dogs in scoring over the three
games, but it was not enough to get a victory.
SEC-leading Auburn on Sunday.
CHAMPIONSHIP DOGS …
Both the third-ranked men’s tennis team
and the sixth-ranked women’s tennis team
made it to their respective finals at the ITA
National Team Indoor Championships last
weekend. In Chicago, the Bulldogs defeated
No. 16 Florida State (4-1) in the round of 16,
No. 6 USC (4-1) in the quarterfinals and No.
11 Stanford (4-2) in the semifinals. Josh
Varela won all three of his single matches,
helping Georgia advance to the finals. In
Madison, Wis., the Lady Bulldogs got by No.
9 USC (4-3) in the Round of 16, No. 3 UCLA
(6-1) in the quarterfinals and No. 2 California
(4-2) in the semifinals. Chelsey Gullickson,
Naoko Ueshima and Cameron Ellis all went
undefeated in singles action as the women
reached the finals. The men played No. 5
Virginia for the championship, while the
women met No. 1 Northwestern; both contests occurred after press time.
The No. 20 softball team shut out
Longwood (11-0), Elon (11-0), Cleveland
State (8-0) and Winthrop (8-0) on its way to
winning the Second-Annual Red and Black
Showcase in Athens last weekend. Georgia
got dominating pitching from Christie
Hamilton, Sarah McCloud and Taylor
Schlopy and outstanding hitting performances from Megan Wiggins, Brianna Hesson and
Alisa Goler. With the victories, the Bulldogs
improved to 7-1 and will now get set to host
the Georgia Softball Classic from Feb. 20-22.
Butler
can
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reached
at
[email protected].
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home against Jacksonville State. Tech’s
schedule was announced last week and once
the Jackets get past the rematch with Ryan
Perrilloux, they will have two consecutive
Thursday night ESPN games, hosting
Clemson on Sept. 10 and traveling to Miami
a week later. They will return home to host
emerging ACC power North Carolina before
going on the road for four of their next five
games. The Yellow Jackets begin October at
Mississippi State (Oct. 3.). A week later,
Tech plays at Florida State (Oct. 10), the
Jackets’ first trip to Tallahassee since 2003.
Their lone October home game comes
against two-time defending ACC champion
Virginia Tech (Oct. 17). The following
Saturday, the Yellow Jackets play at Virginia
(Oct. 24), looking to win in Charlottesville
for the first time since 1990. The Jackets
close October with a Halloween road game
at Vanderbilt (Oct. 31.). Tech then faces
Wake Forest (Nov. 7) for the first time since
the 2006 ACC Championship Game and will
end the season by hosting Georgia on Nov.
28. It should be noted that Tech only has one
bye this season, which comes the week
before the game against UGA.
STILL STRUGGLING …
The men’s basketball team’s season of
misery continued this week with losses to
Virginia Tech and North Carolina State.
Against Virginia Tech, the Jackets overcame
Hokie runs of 10-4 and 13-4 with their press
defense to keep the game close. In the second
half, the Hokies opened their biggest lead of
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half, two 3-pointers by Iman Shumpert and
another by Lance Storrs pulled the Jackets to
within five at 72-67 with 1:53 left. Perfect
free-throw shooting by Malcolm Delaney
(11-for-11 in the final 8:01), however, helped
Virginia Tech hang on, 76-71. … It could be
argued that with so many close losses, the
Jackets were bound to lay an egg. It happened
on Saturday against N.C. State, when they
lost 86-65. The lack of focus and intensity
was noticeable, as Tech shot just 38.5 percent
while N.C. State shot 61.4 percent. While
N.C. State made seven of its first nine 3-point
shots, Tech missed six layups. Even Tech’s
leader, Gani Lawal, struggled, scoring just
seven points and grabbing three rebounds.
WOMEN SPLIT …
Earlier in the week, the women’s basketball team traveled to Savannah State and
dominated, winning 89-34. Leading the way
was Alex Montgomery, who finished with 15
points and five rebounds. Iasia Hemingway
scored 14 points and grabbed seven boards.
Deja Foster tied her career-high with 13
points. The Jackets set the tone in the first
half, jumping out to a 43-19 halftime lead. …
In their game against North Carolina, payback was the order of the day. The Tar Heels
bested Tech, 73-50. After losing to Tech 6662 earlier in the season, UNC got a careerhigh 22 points from Cetera DeGraffenreid in
the victory. Sasha Goodlett scored 14 points
for the Jackets.
Crosskey can be reached at
[email protected].
Get In The Game!
16 I SCORE ATLANTA
Wren, Glavine meet; Griffey talks heat up Owls snap skid; women win three of four
The distance medley team took second overhe men’s basketball team ended its fiveering the Braves, according to his agent.
he Atlanta Braves organization has offiall while Erin Sutton won the 3,000-meter
game losing streak with an exciting 70-69
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Wren confirmed the team’s interest in
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cially offered free agent lefty Tom
Griffey, telling the Atlanta JournalGlavine a one-year contract worth between
run. In other impressive performances by the
home triumph over North Florida on Feb. 7 at
$1-2 million, with incentives that could push
the total to $3 million. The 300-game winner
returned to the Braves last season after
spending several years with division rival
New York. Glavine went on the disabled list
for the first time in his career last season, and
his season ended early when he needed surgery to fix the injury. The pitcher has repeatedly said that he aims to pitch in 2009 and
several recent pitching sessions have shown
he should be healthy enough to do so. Last
week, Glavine and Braves general manager
Frank Wren sat down to discuss Glavine’s
future and it is believed that Glavine is asking for $3 million guaranteed with incentives
that could push the grand total to $5-6 million. Glavine has also said that he is willing
to have some of the contract deferred over
the next few seasons.
Former Brave Andruw Jones will not be
rejoining Atlanta this season, as the Texas
Rangers signed the centerfielder to a minor
league deal. Jones was released by the Los
Angeles Dodgers with one year left on the
two-year contract he signed prior to the 2008
season. If Jones makes Texas’ roster, he will
receive a $500,000 deal with incentives that
could add $1 million more. The Braves will
now look elsewhere to add pop to the outfield. Adam Dunn, once believed to be a target of the team, inked a two-year deal with
division rival Washington. Reports have indicated that Wren is talking to the New York
Yankees about first baseman/outfielder Nick
Swisher, as well as outfielder Xavier Nady, a
free agent-to-be following the 2009 season.
According to recent reports, however, 13time All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. is also consid-
Constitution, “We have interest in several
available outfielders, including Griffey.” His
father, Ken Griffey Sr., played a combined
271 games for the Braves from 1986-88.
Atlanta officials have indicated that the team
still is seeking a leftfielder but only has
about $7 million left to spend this offseason.
IN OTHER NEWS …
Reliever Will Ohman, who spent 2008
with Atlanta after coming over in a trade
with the Chicago Cubs along with Omar
Infante, has caught the eye of several of the
Braves’ biggest rivals this offseason. The
Braves offered the lefthander a contract back
in December but recently the Philadelphia
Phillies and the New York Mets have
expressed interest in bringing in Ohman for
this upcoming season.
Pitchers and catchers have officially
reported to the Braves spring training facility in Florida to prepare for a very important
2009 season and position players are scheduled to report this week. Catcher Brian
McCann and Chipper Jones will only stay for
a brief stint, however, as both are expected to
make the final roster for the Team USA in
the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Jones
was on the team in 2006 along with Jeff
Francoeur. Jones is expected to split time at
third base and designated hitter along with
Mets third baseman David Wright. McCann,
meanwhile, should get most of the playing
time behind the plate, as Joe Mauer of the
Minnesota Twins will likely miss the WBC
as he recovers from offseason surgery.
Proctor
can
be
reached
at
[email protected]
the Convocation Center. Sophomore guard
Kelvin McConnell drilled a clutch 3-pointer
to tie the game at 60-60 and send it into overtime. Jon-Michael Nickerson took over from
there, scoring KSU’s final six points of the
evening. Then on Feb. 9, the Owls played
more inspiring basketball against the current
Atlantic Sun-leading Jacksonville Dolphins.
KSU fought hard before falling 59-56. Last
Saturday, the Owls were disappointing in an
embarrassing 59-39 drubbing at Stetson.
Next up for KSU (7-17, 3-12) is a showdown
with perennial-power Belmont on Friday
night at the Convocation Center.
The Lady Owls’ basketball team has been
resurgent, winning three of its past four games.
Most recently, the team defeated Stetson last
Sunday in DeLand, Fla., by a score of 64-51.
The Lady Owls defeated Mercer and North
Florida last week. KSU (12-12, 9-7) hosts
Belmont Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
ON THE RUN …
The men’s track and field team competed at the Clemson Invite on Feb. 15. Several
Owls had notable performances including
Gianni Catalano, who won the 800-meter
run. Also, Jerome McKenzie finished second
in the high jump, Scott Burley took third in
the mile run, and James Verdi finished third
in the 400-meter dash. The next meet is an
important one for the Owls, as they will head
to the Conference Championships at ETSU
on Feb. 20-21. … The women’s track team
also competed at Clemson this past weekend.
Lady Owls, Jessica Lumpkin placed second
in the weight throw while Jill Arthur finished
second in the triple jump.
AROUND CAMPUS …
The men’s tennis team improved to 1-2
on the season with a 7-0 sweep over visiting
Alabama A&M on Friday. The team fell to
Jacksonville State the following day by the
same score. During the previous weekend,
the Owls fell at Presbyterian and at UNCAsheville. Next up for KSU is Alabama State
on Friday at noon. … The women’s tennis
team also swept Alabama A&M on Friday
before falling 5-2 to Jacksonville State on
Sunday. The team is now 2-4 overall and will
take on Alabama State at Noon on Friday and
Florida A&M on Saturday.
The softball team began the season 3-1
after competing in the Bulldog Round Robin
in Starkville, Miss., on Feb. 6-8. The Lady
Owls defeated host Mississippi State in the
opening game and then defeated Iona the following day before dropping a 6-2 decision to
Louisiana-Monroe. On the final day of the
event, KSU beat Iona once again by a score
of 9-1. This past weekend, the Lady Owls lost
consecutive games to Southern IllinoisEdwardsville and Wright State at home. On
Saturday, the black-and-gold fell to
Tennessee Tech twice. KSU hosts the K-Club
Classic on Feb. 20-21. Opponents are Miami
(Ohio), Drexel, Memphis and Iowa.
Black
can
[email protected].
be
reached
at
Relay team wins at Clemson; Goldston’s 3-pointer beats UNC-Wilmington
he men’s and women’s track teams are
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back from the Tiger Paw Invitational,
held this past weekend up at Clemson, S.C.
The women’s 4x400 relay team, consisting
of Brandy Swann, Nicole Davis, Angelia
Nugent and Cherell Lawson, took first place
with a time of 3:49.86. Cherell Lawson also
earned first place in the 400 meters with a
time of 57.66 and tied for third in the 200
meters (25.09) with teammate, Kendra
Davis. Nicole Davis was the second Panther
to cross the finish line in the race, placing
fifth overall with a time of 58.99. Davis also
earned second in the 60 meters, finishing in
7.63. Georgia State’s distance runners also
had a good showing, with a third-place finish in the distance medley. The team of Janel
Blancett, Kayla Smith, Rebecca Hallam and
Rachel Hannah, crossed the finish line in
12:24.77. In the 800 meters, Tamika
Kinchen’s 2:17.41 time earned fourth, followed by Latorya Dopson (2:17.54) in fifth.
Yolanda Berryhill placed seventh in the shot
put finals, throwing for 12.54, while Chastity
Williams placed eighth, throwing for 12.48.
… In the men’s competition, Loris Hutterli
made his indoor debut, finishing sixth overall (4:16.77) in the 1-mile run. Zaven
O’Bryant placed seventh overall in the 800
meters with a time of 1:56.72.
ON THE HARDWOOD …
In Saturday’s homecoming game, Trae
Goldston drilled a 3-pointer with five seconds
left from the right corner to lift Georgia State
to a 69-66 victory over UNC Wilmington.
“I went to the corner, and once Joe
(Dukes) got past his man and into the paint, my
man (Chad Tomko) has to help,” said Goldston.
“If he doesn’t help, Joe can get to the basket,
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but he helped, and that left me open.”
Goldston scored 19 of his 21 points in the
second half and has now scored 46 points in
the last two games. Senior Leonard Mendez
had one of his best games with a season-high
22 points and nine rebounds. Ousman
Krubally provided a big lift off the bench with
15 points and nine rebounds, while Joe Dukes
dished out 10 assists. The Panthers are now 818 overall and 6-9 in the CAA. Georgia State
travels to Boston for Wednesday night’s game
at Northeastern University and then heads to
Ypsilanti, Mich., on Saturday to play Eastern
Michigan in the annual ESPN Bracket Buster
game. (WRAS-FM 88.5)
The Lady Panthers fell to Drexel last
Sunday at the Sport Arena 72-53. Brittany
Hollins led with 10 points.
“Bottom line, we struggled to put the
ball in the basket,” said head coach Lea
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Henry. “We played hard, but we’re just not
scoring enough right now.
AROUND CAMPUS …
The softball team defeated the Evansville
Purple Aces, 9-8, and the Virginia Tech Hokies,
3-2, on the first day of the Georgia State First
Pitch Classic last Saturday at Bob Heck Field.
They then lost to 17th-ranked Missouri on
Sunday, 6-2. … Join us every Sunday afternoon
(4-5 p.m.) for the Rod Barnes/Georgia State
Basketball coaches show on WGKA-AM 920.
The show is broadcast live from The Panthers
Den restaurant in the Citizens Trust Bank
building, 75 Piedmont Road, on campus.
Dave Cohen is in his 26th season as the
“Voice of Georgia State Basketball and
Baseball” on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works
on the football radio crew at Furman
University in Greenville, S.C.
FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 17
Next recruiting wave: Roswell kicking prospect impresses national scouts
t’s no secret: kickers and punters are
almost always overlooked along the
recruiting trail. Spend a little time watching
football closely, however, and the value of
both positions becomes apparent. Three
points are always better than none and the
all-important battle of field position can be
won or lost on the legs of those at either spot.
With that said, it is exciting to note that
metro Atlanta is home to an up-and-coming
game-changer, a special teams star in the
making, as Roswell Hornets sophomore Ty
Long has already begun distinguishing himself with his kicking prowess.
Most recently, Long spent a weekend in
early January at Rice University competing
in the finals of Michael Husted’s National
Kicking Combine, a special event geared
toward bringing together the nation’s top
kicking and punting prospects along with
some of the country’s finest scouts. The
combine itself is broken into three segments—regional, semifinal and final portions—and participants from all around the
country must advance past each stage before
making the finals.
For Long, the finals invite alone was no
doubt meaningful. It was his performance
there that grabbed the attention of onlookers,
as the 15-year-old placed third in the combine’s Place Kicking category and first in its
Punting category for his age.
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“He’s got a nice tall body with long legs,
which is usually pretty typical for a punter,
and having long legs definitely provides
some good leverage on the ball,” explained
Husted, who himself spent nine years kicking in the NFL. “He’s also got good confidence and his technique is really impressive
for only being a sophomore. The harder he
works the better he will get. He will eventually need to get stronger, but really technique
is the most important thing. If you have good
technique and make good contact, then the
ball will travel for you.”
PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE …
Despite his relative youth, Long is no
amateur to either the kicking or punting
ranks, as he has performed both duties in live
games for the last eight years. And if
Husted’s analysis is any indication, he will
continue his special-teams role for many
years to come.
“He definitely impressed all the way
through the regional and semifinals and, as
only a sophomore, if he continues to develop
and keep pace with what he has displayed so
far he can definitely become a Division I
prospect,” he said.
Yet, what truly separates Long from his
fellow special teams peers, in addition to his
overall skill, is his ability to both kick and
punt at such a high level.
“To be handle both duties well at that
age is pretty rare,” Husted explained.
“Kickers are a dime a dozen, but to actually have someone who can punt pretty well
too at that age is really rare. So for [Ty] to
finish at the top of his division [at both
positions] speaks a lot about what he can do
at this young of an age and the great potential that he has.”
THE NEXT STEP …
If Husted’s projections prove accurate
and Long manages to take his game to the
next level, unlike most recruits, choosing
the right school may not be his toughest
challenge over the next couple of years.
While Long does in fact excel at both punting and kicking the football, according to
Husted, he will eventually need to choose
between the two roles.
“He has the opportunity, if he wants,
to be a combo guy coming out of high
school, which a lot of colleges really
like,” Husted said. “But, at some point, he
will need to choose which one he wants to
specialize in.”
No matter which way he goes, however, one thing is for sure: somewhere on the
gridiron, Ty Long has an exciting future
ahead of him.
Janovitz can be reached at
[email protected].
Georgia State excels on first Signing Day
Florida football power Glades Central, who
n April of last year, Georgia State took a
projects to move to linebacker in college,
giant leap forward as an institution by offiIcially
chose the Panthers over offers from West
announcing it would field a football
team in 2010. Two weeks ago, the school
continued on the fast track to Division I football when it signed its first class of athletes.
With head coach Bill Curry as the closer, recruiting coordinator Georgia Pugh—
who told us on Score Atlanta’s Sunday high
school recruiting show on 790 The Zone that
he was surprised at the number of players to
commit well in advance of National Signing
Day—brought in a solid class with 26 athletic players that can be moved around based on
position needs. The group abounds with twoway athletes, dual-threat quarterbacks (most
of which won’t end up under center) and
quick running backs. Local backs Nathaniel
Anthony (Columbia) and Sam Burkhalter
(Blessed Trinity), who also joined myself,
Scott Janovitz, Fletcher Proctor and I.J.
Rosenberg on last Sunday’s program, will
provide a local flavor and plenty of experience in competitive football leagues.
Though there weren’t many linemen in
State’s first class, the ones that signed on the
dotted line have Division I size. Grayson’s
Harrison Clottey, a member of one of the
best O-lines in the state during his career, is
listed at 6-foot-6, 296 pounds, and South
Carolina offensive linemen Grant King and
Ramell Davis check in at 6-5, 285 and 6-7,
270, respectively. Though the staff will have
to flesh out the roster with a bunch more big
uglies in the 2010 class, the lines shouldn’t
lack for D-I bodies.
Encouraging is the fact that several State
commits chose the opportunity to be pioneers
at a new program over the chance to play FBS
football. Defensive end Robert Ferguson of
Virginia, Louisville, Troy and Northern
Illinois. Henry County quarterback Drew
Little, perhaps the team’s most high-profile
recruit because of his prolific prep passing
career (he is second all-time in career passing
yards in the state), committed to State shortly
after taking an official visit to Boston
College. But the jewel of the class might be
running back Parris Lee out of Neptune
Beach, Fla., a three-star prospect according to
Rivals.com and the former recruiting target
of Tulane, Middle Tennessee and Central
Michigan. The versatile 5-8 back, named as
one of the top 24 senior prospects on the First
Coast by the Jacksonville Times-Union, has
excellent speed and catches the ball well out
of the backfield.
TAKING IT SLOW …
With a year to redshirt before the team
will set foot on the field, State’s 2009 class
will have the benefit of training and practicing
directly under the head coach and the top
members of the staff. For incoming freshman
at most other schools, the early years mean a
spot buried on the depth chart or spent under
the tutelage of graduate assistants, but according to Burkhalter and several other future
Panthers, the chance for direct interaction
with a coach like Curry was a selling point.
Speaking of selling points, this group,
which is chock-full of smart kids from winning programs, should be all an Atlanta
sports fan needs to get excited about the
city’s newest football team.
Ewalt
can
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reached
at
[email protected].
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GOING LONG: Roswell placekicker Ty Long
has already wowed scouts with his outstanding kicking abilities … and he is only a sophomore. Michael Husted, a former placekicker
who played nine NFL seasons, has said he
can “definitely become a Division I prospect.”
Photo courtesy of the Long Family.
Get In The Game!
18 I SCORE ATLANTA
BASKETBALL
Hawks. February 18 at Sacramento 10 PM. February
20 at Portland 10 PM. February 23 at Utah 9 PM.
February 25 at Denver 9 PM. February 27 vs.
Miami 7:30 PM. March 1 vs. Cleveland 6 PM.
March 2 at Washington 7 PM. PM. February 17 at
Los Angeles Lakers 10:30 PM.
Georgia Men. February 18 vs. Auburn 7:30 PM.
February 21 at Ole Miss 5 PM. February 25 vs.
Vanderbilt 7:30 PM. March 1 at Arkansas 4 PM. .
Georgia Women.February 19 vs. LSU 7 PM. February
22 at Auburn 3 PM. February 26 at Kentucky 7 PM.
March 1 vs. Florida 2:30 PM.
Georgia Tech Men.FFebruary 18 at Wake Forest 7:30
PM. February 22 vs. Clemson 1 PM. February 28
at North Carolina 12 PM.
Georgia Tech Women. February 19 vs. Maryland 7
PM. February 22 at Clemson 2 PM. February 26 at
Virginia Tech 7 PM. March 1 vs. Virginia 1 PM.
Georgia State Men. February 18 at Northeastern TBA.
February 25 vs. Hofstra 7:30 PM. February 28 at
VCU 4PM.
Georgia State Women. February 19 at VCU 7 PM.
February 22 vs. James Madison 2 PM. February 26
vs. UNC Wilmington 6 PM. March 1 at Delaware 1 PM.
.Kennesaw State Men. February 20 vs. Belmont 7:30
PM. February 22 vs. Lipscomb 3 PM. February 26
at East Tennessee State 7 PM. February 28 at
USC Upstate 1 PM.
Kennesaw State Women. February 19 vs. Belmont 7
PM. February 21 vs. Lipscomb 4:30 PM. February
23 at Jacksonville State 7 PM. February 26 at
East Tennessee State 4:45 PM. February 28 at
USC Upstate 4 PM.
Top of the Key. Ongoing. Personal basketball lessons
with Olympian Debbie Miller-Palmore, boys and
girls ages 8-18. For information call 770-465\1502.
Southern Xposure. Ongoing. Cobb County Christian
School - Marietta. AAU and YBOA tryouts for
9-and-under and 8-and-under teams. For informa
tion call 404-447-3992 or email
[email protected].
Peach State Basketball. Ongoing. Basketball skill
development training for college caliber high school
players throughout the off-season. Players can use
these sessions to continue improving all year long.
Contact Brandon Clay at 404-422-3946 or visit
www.peachstatehoops.com for more information.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Basketball train
ing and development for boy and girls grades K-12.
Rising Stars, Future Stars, Suwanee Basketball
League, On Court Player Development, nationallyrecognized year-round comprehensive player devel
opment program. For more information contact
Mike Brown at 678-541-0176 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Mark Price Shooting Lab. Ongoing: Personalized pro
fessional shooting instruction through one-on-one
coaching and state-of-the-art technology at
Suwanee Sports Academy. For more information,
contact Mike Brown at 678-541-0176 or visit
www.ssasports.com.
SSA’s On Court. Check out Suwanee Sports
Academy’s On Court, the nation’s premier off-sea
son development program at the nation’s premier
basketball training facility right here in Gwinnett
County! For more information, contact Michael
Brown at 678-541-0176 or visit
www.ssasports.com.
Open Recreational Basketball. GSL -- Georgia Sports
Leagues. Georgia’s Best Sports Leagues.
Registration ongoing. We offer “Top Gun,” “B,”
“C”and Co-Ed styles of play around Atlanta. We
play ALL year round. For more information please
contact (678)799-0159 or email mark@georgi sports
leagues.org.Visitwww.georgiasportsleagues.org.
Just Skills Of Atlanta. 8-week basketball fundamentals
program for boys and girls ages 5 to 17 at Bogan
Park in Buford and Lenora Park in Snellville. Spring
programs start the week of March 24th, Summer
programs start the week of June 3rd, Fall programs
start the week of August 11th. Please visit
www.justskillsofatlanta.com for more information
or call 770-296-2580. Sessions are filling up now
for spring, summer and fall. Ask about our free
introduction day to see what Just Skills Of Atlanta
is all about.
Open Basketball League – Teams Only. November 8 February 22, 2009. Age groups 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th &
8th Grade Boys and Girls. Deadline November 2.
Mandatory Coach's Meeting November 2 at 3 PM.
All Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy
Marietta, GA 30066. Register at www.alltourna
mentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
ATPP/USSA Pre-Season Tip-off Tournament (State Qualifier).
February 28 – March 1. $25 USSA registration fee
per team this season. Age groups 9-14.
Registration includes 15 team members and four
coaches. All Tournament Players Park, 3910
Canton Hwy Marietta, GA 30066. Register at
www.alltournamentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
ATTP/USSA Last Winter Blast (State Qualifier). March 6-8.
Age groups 9-14. Registration fee $25 per team.
Registration includes 15 team members and four
coaches. All Tournament Players Park, 3910
Canton Hwy Marietta, GA 30066. Register at
www.alltournamentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
ATTP/USSA St. Patrick’s Day (State Qualifier). March
13 – 15. Registration fee $25 per team.
Registration includes 15 team members and four
coaches. All Tournament Players Park, 3910
Canton Hwy Marietta, GA 30066. Register at
www.alltournamentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
BASEBALL
Braves. (Exhibition). February 25 at Detroit 1:05 PM.
February 26 vs. Houston 1:05 PM. February 2≠ 7
at Pittsburgh 1:05 PM. February 28 at Toronto 1:05
PM. March 1 vs. Philadelphia 1:05 March 3 vs.
Panama 1:05 PM. (Regular season). April 5 at
Philadelphia 8 PM.
Prospect Watch. Ongoing - Buckhead. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons by a former college and
mino league coach. For information call 404-8697966 or visit www.eteamz.com/tryouts.
Adult Baseball League Metro Atlanta. Ongoing. MSBL
18+, 28+, 38+, and 48+. Sunday League con
tact info is 770.785.2588, e-mail
[email protected]. MSBL 18+ Saturday
League contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail
[email protected]. MSBL 18+
Midweek Wood bat league contact info is 770-436-
8114, e-mail [email protected]. MSBL 18+
Fall League contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail
[email protected]. For more information
about our Atlanta Adult Baseball League, please
visit our website at www.AtlantaMSBL.com.
TNT Sports. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting les
sons by Rob Blair, former college coach, Snellville.
To set up a free pitching or hitting analysis call
678-344-5876.
Jack City Baseball. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting. Instruction with former pro Keith Whitner. 18-y
looking for high school players. The new location is
inside Velocity Sports in North Gwinnett. For more
information call 770-633-0948 or visit jackcity.net.
FOOTBALL
Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting
applications for qualified coaches in all age groups.
For information email
Craig Deneau at [email protected]
Grayson Athletic Association. Ongoing. Football
coaches needed for eighth grade and all age
groups. For information call Duane Davis at
678-300-0282 or visit www.gaasports.org.
Flag Football. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues.
Georgia’s Largest Flag League. Registration ongoing. We offer 7-Man, 8-man, Youth and Co-Ed
styles of play around Atlanta. We play ALL year
round. For information please contact
(678)799-0159 or email mark@georgiasport
sleagues.org.Visit www.georgiasportsleagues.org.
Georgia Force Home School High School Football
Program. If you are a home school student or a
student that attends a Christian school in the
Gwinnett or Hall county region and would like to
participate in high school football, please contact
Scott Willis at 770-531-1499 ext 401 or email at
[email protected] The Georgia Force High School
football program participates in the GFL (Georgia
Football League) and is accepting players from the
ages of 13-18 years old. We currently offer a JV
and Varsity program. For more information, please
go to our web site at
www.forcehighschoolfooball.com.
Arena Indoor Football. Ongoing. Youth and Adult
Leagues. Youth 7 vs. 7; Adult 6 vs. 6. For
information, call 678-714-7454 or e-mail
[email protected].
www.atlantasilverbacks.com/indoor.
Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting
ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High
School season in football. We hold weekly training
meetings. For more information, contact Irvin
Seabrook at 404-957-3331 or e-mail
[email protected].
HOCKEY
Thrashers. February 19 at Phoenix 9 PM. February 21
at San Jose 4 PM. February 24 vs. Colorado 7 PM.
February 26 at Washington 7 PM. February 28 vs.
Carolina 7 PM. March 3 vs. Florida 7 PM.
Gladiators. February 18 at Mississippi 8:05 PM.
February 20 at Mississippi 7 PM. February 21 at
Mississippi 8:05 PM. February 22 vs. Florida
4:05 PM. February 27 vs. Charlotte 7:35 PM.
March 1 at South Carolina 5:05 PM March 3 at
Mississippi 8:05 PM.
Peachtree Booster Club. Ongoing - Pickneyville Roller
Hockey Rink. Fees: $95 for 12-game season, $30
out-of-county fee. For information visit
www.pbsports.org.
SOCCER
Challenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physi
cally disabled youngsters. For information call Ken
Higgins at 770-985-0434.
Fair Play Sports Center. Ongoing on Saturdays. Indoor
soccer for ages 4-7. 30- to 60-minute classes. For
information call 770-831-3210.
Hall of Fame soccer clinics. Ongoing on Fridays Clarkston Community Center. For under-6 through
under-12 players. Fees: Free. For information call
404-508-1050 or visit
www.clarkstoncommunitycenter.org. 5:30-7 PM.
Competitive Amateur Soccer in Atlanta For more
information, visit www.majesticsoccer.com.
TENNIS
Technique Clinics. Ongoing - Bitsy Grant Tennis Center.
Tuesdays (serve/volley) and Saturdays
(forehand/backhand). Fees: $18. For information
call 404-790-4772 or email
[email protected]. 2 PM on Saturdays,
6:30PM on Tuesdays.
Tennis camps for kids. Ongoing weekly. Lost Mountain
Tennis Center. For information call 770-528-8525.
LACROSSE
Lacrosse. Ongoing. Registration for 1st-8th grades. For
information call 404-216-5870, email
[email protected] or visit
www.bagatawaylacrosse.com.
PlayLaxGwinnett. Ongoing. Players, coaches, referees
needed for play at Gwinnett Sports Center. For
information call Chris Chico at or 678-429-0094 or
email [email protected].
Double Stixx Lacrosse. Ongoing - Leagues, Travel
Teams and Tournaments for youth, high school and
adult’s boys and girls. More information about the
best lacrosse programs in Georgia can
be found at www.doublestixxlacrosse.com or by
contacting Chris Smith at chris@dou
blestixxlacrosse.com or 404-550-5322.
RUNNING
31st Annual Super Dolphin Day 10K/5K/Mile. n. Feb.
21. St. Simons Island, www.superdolphinday.com.
Charles Harris 10K. Feb. 21. Tucker, 7:45 AM.
770-518-800
Habitat Hustle 5K. Feb. 21. Watkinsville, 3 PM.
706-769-6593.
Bobcat Ramble Run Run/5K. . Feb. 21. Milledgeville,
8:30 AM. 478-445-7500.
Al Toll Memorial 5K & Masters 15K. Feb. 21.
Macon, 9 AM. www.macontracks.org.
Shake Rattle and Run 5K/Mile. Feb. 21. Marietta,
AM. 678-662-4835 or web site.
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CAMPS
Nike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville,
Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and 0894-4297 to find
out which dates suit your campers best.
Harlem Legends. The Harlem Legends have scheduled
their 2008 Shoot for the Stars Basketball &
Physical Fitness Camps. The "Shoot for the Stars
Youth Basketball Camps and Clinics" are a unique
form of learning experiences geared towards young
basket ball players of all skill levels. There are two
Gwinnett County camps this year. Please visit our
website (www.harlemlegends.com) or call 404837-6719 for additional camps.
VOLLEYBALL
Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For
information call Jerry Robison at 678-491-0203
or visit www.gscfun.com.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball
training and development for boys and girls grades
3-12.VolleySkills, VolleyStars, VolleyTraining, and
OnCourt Player Development, a year-round
comprehensive player development program. For
more information, contact Mary Carnell at 770614-6686 x108 or visit www.ssasports.com.
VolleyStars. Beginning February 7 @ Suwanee Sports
Academy for girls & boys grades 6-8 teaches
individual skill development and team concepts
through instruction and game play. For more
information, contact Christy Howard at 770-6146686 x106 or visit www.ssasports.com.
High School Volleyball League. Beginning February 7
@ Suwanee Sports Academy for girls grades 912. This league is designed for athletes who want t
o get in the gym but don’t want to commit to club
volleyball. For more information, contact Christy
Howard at 770-614-6686 x106 or visit
SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool Alpharetta, Ga. - 1825 Old Milton Parkway. For
information call 678-297-6107.
Gwinnett Aquatics. Ongoing - 2800 Quinberry Drive
and Bethany Church Road. For ages 5-18. Swim
team and lessons available. For information call
770-972-4055.
Senior Water-Exercise class. Ongoing - Mountain Park
pool - Lilburn, Ga. Fees: $1 per class. For informa
tion call 770-546-4650. 10-10:50 AM.
SwimAtlanta Sugarloaf at Kid’s Village. Ongoing.
Swim team, lessons, lap swimming, master’s pro
gram, water aerobics and scuba available. For
information call 678-442-7946.
YOUTH REGISTRATION
Soccer - Soccer Alley. Ongoing - 3265 Roswell RoadAtlanta. For information call 404-266-0762 or visit
www.starsoccerclub.com.
Tucker Youth Soccer. Ongoing - 2803 Henderson Road
Tucker, Ga. For information call 770-414-0538 or
visit www.tysa.com.
Track and Field - Peachtree City Flash Youth Track
Team registration. Ongoing - Riley Field -Peachtree
City, Ga. For ages 6-14. For information call
770-631-3552 or email [email protected].
Gymnastics - Georgia Gymnastics Academy. Ongoing.
For registration in Lawrenceville call 770-9625867;
in Suwanee call 770-945-3424.
Gym Elite. Ongoing. Registration for ages 2 and older.
Cheerleading for ages 6 and older. For information
call 770-242-0678.
Youth Soccer Training. Ongoing. Start age 3 and up.
For information, call 678-714-7454 or e-mail
[email protected].
www.atlantasilverbacks.com/indoor.
Flag Footall. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues.
Georgia's Best Sports Leagues. Registration
ongoing. We offer Youth Flag Football for ages
(6-8) and (9-12) year olds for both Boys & Girls.
Games are played in the Chamblee, Doraville,
Dunwoody area. Next season starts in February.
For more information please contact (678)7990159 or email [email protected].
Visit www.georgiasportsleagues.org
Atlanta Junior Golf. Boys and girls, ages 7-18, can
enjoy summer and fall tournaments throughout
Metro Atlanta and Middle and North Georgia (from
Dalton to Macon and from Carrollton to Athens) in
one the nation’s premier junior golf associations.
All skill levels are welcome, from beginner to expe
rienced players, with more than 8,000 rounds of
golf available during the summer program alone.
For more information, log on 770.850.9040.
Corpus Christi Youth Basketball League. Registration
is now underway for our 29th season! Boys and
girl sages 5 through 14, any skill level, are wel
come. Cost: $90 per child/$85 for siblings. Fee
includes uniforms, field trips, skills clinics, 9
games and more! Register while space is still avail
able Saturdays October 11 & 18, 2008, 10 AM to
12 PM. Location: Corpus Christi Church Sports
Arena, 600 Mountain View Drive, Stone
Mountain, GA 30083. For info, call 770-469-0395,
email [email protected], or visit the league’s
website(www.ccybl.net).
SOFTBALL
AYSA Spring Season. Ongoing - North Park - Cogburn
and Bethany - Alpharetta. Fees: If Alpharetta
Residential Property Tax IS NOT PAID at the pri
mary residence of the player, then the Non-City
Resident Fee must be paid. After Jan. 13, $10 l
ate fee is charged.
Senior Softball League. Ongoing - Best Friend Park,
Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA. All Skill levels
welcomed. Men age 45+ and women age 40+.
Open practice on Saturdays and games on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. For infor
mation call Gary Mastrodonato at 770-266-7042
or visit www.atlantaseniorsoftball.com.
Open Recreational Softball. GSL -- Georgia Sports
Leagues. Georgia’s Best
SportsLeagues.Registration ongoing. We offer
"Men's" and "Co-Ed" styles of play in
Doraville/Dunwoody area. Monday, Wednesday &
Sunday league play available. Next season stars in
February. We play ALL year round. For more information please contact (678)799-0159 or email
[email protected]. Visit www.geor
giasport sleagues.org.
Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting
ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High
School season in fast-pitchsoftball. We hold week
ly training meetings. For more information, contact
Irvin Seabrook at 404-957-3331 or e-mail
[email protected].
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K-Club Classic – D1 Fastpitch Softball. February 20-22.
Kennesaw State, Memphis, Buffalo, Miami, Drexel
and Iowa are schedule to participate. Entry fee
$300. All Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton
Hwy Marietta, GA 30066. Register at www.alltournamentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
GYMNASTICS
Gymnastics Classes at Gymnastics
AcademyofAtlanta.
Ongoing - 3126 Cobb Parkway
Kennesaw, Ga. For information call 770-975-8337
or visit www.gymnasticsacademyofatlanta.com.
Gymnastics Classes at Gwinnett Gymnastics Center
Ongoing - 927 Killian Hill Road Lilburn, Ga.
Forinformation call 770-921-5630.
Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville.
Ongoing. Classes for tots through teens.
Cheerleading classes for ages 5 and older. For
information call 770-277-9434.
The Little Gym of Snellville. Ongoing. Noncompetitive
gymnastics and motor-skills development classes
and camps. For ages 10 months-12 years. For
information call 770-982-0901 or visit
www.tlgsnellvillega.com.
RACING
SCCA Regional. February 21-22 at Road Atlanta
Winter Flurry Race No. 5. February 21 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway
OFFICIATING
Basketball - Duluth basketball association.
Ongoing. Looking for youth officials with training
provided. For information call Barry Sullivan at
770-623-1750.
Football - Lanier Football Officials Association.
Ongoing. GHSA member accepting applications
with weekly training meetings. For information call
Tom Tipton at 770-967-3197, ext. 239 or visit
www.lanierofficials.org.
Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials Association.
Ongoing. Needs officials. For information call Bud
Hennebaul at 770-338-0705 or email
[email protected].
9RCorp Sports Officials. Ongoing. Provider of sports
officials for multiple sports including basketball,
flag football, & softball. Looking for additional
officials.For information call Dennis Reagan at 404213-0588 or email [email protected].
Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association. Needs youth
and High School officials for 2007-2008 season.
Training and mentoring provided for free. Great
way to earn some extra money and get some fun
aerobic exercise. For more information, visit
www.GALAXREF.com or call Jim Westbrook at
770-753-9059.
ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL
Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, 2009. Georgia Dome. For
tickets, call 404-444-4444.
To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call 404-5868510 or visit www.atlantasportscouncil.com.
MISC
Senior Horseshoe Pitching League. Ongoing Gwinnett Senior Center - Bethesda Park. Includes
instructional coaching. Games will be played under
NHPA rules. For men and women seniors. Meets
Tuesdays. For information call
770-9722434 10AM.
Pool Tournament. Every Monday - Ongoing Motorheads Bar ‘n’ Grill - Henry County. Cost: No
cover. For information call 770-898-0008 or visit
www.motorheadsbarandgrill.com. 7 p.m.
Pool Tournament. Nightly - Ongoing - Sean Patrick’s
Bar & Grill - Buckhead. Fees: No cover. For information call 770-650-5723. 8 PM.
East Cobb Bass Club. Ongoing - Ryan's Family
Steakhouse - Canton Road - Marietta, Ga. Boaters
and nonboaters welcome. Meets the first
Tuesdayof each month. For information call
770-364-3036 or email [email protected]. 7 PM.
Cohutta chapter of Trout Unlimited. Ongoing Delkwood Bar and Grill. Meets the fourth Thursday
of each month. For information call 770-425-5364
or email [email protected]. 6:30 PM.
GEORGIA BIKES! Membership. Ongoing. The effectiveness of GEORGIA BIKES! is dependent on volunteers, supporters, and members, like you, who
are willing to make a and Club/Small Business: $100.
Condor Handball Organization. The Condors feature
current Men’s National Team members and past
National Team members and Olympians as well as
the greatest American to ever play the sport,
Darrick Heath. We have weekly leagues and train
ing opportunities for men, women, and youth. For
more information, contact Jeb Bell at
[email protected].
Performance Training Inc. at Suwanee Sport
Academy. Ongoing. Offers speed, agility, and quick
ness training for athletes across multiple sports.
For moreinformation, contact Dustin Wolf at 770614-6686 x121 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Pre-K Athletics for 2, 3
and 4 year-olds introduces the basic skills needed
to play basketball, soccer, and t-ball. Also, there is
a unique after school program that provides
students with a weekly sports curriculum along
with the after school classroom setting. For more
information, call 770-614-6686 or visit
www.ssaports.com.
Club Sport. Club Sport opens registration for summer
leagues on May 1st with league play beginning in
June. Club Sport is Atlanta's recreational sports
and social group with over 10,000 participants
each year on 1200 teams in 120 leagues. Each
season Club Sport offers leagues in flag football,
softball, soccer, sand and indoor volleyball, basket
ball and more. Club Sport is where Atlanta comes
to play! For more information about Club Sport,
upcoming events, photos or interviews with the
owner, please contact Rich Alvarez at 678-9940793 ext. 818 or visit www.usclubsport.com.
Stout Irish Sports Pub Events and Specials. Monday:
Dart League and Free Pool from 11 p.m.-close;
Tuesday: Texas Hold 'em; Wednesday: Trivia Night
and Free Pool from 11pm-close; Thursday:
College Night with DJ All Night; Friday: Happy
Hour Food Specials; Saturday: Game Day all day
long on Stout's big screen plasma TVs; Sunday:
Game Day all day long on Stout's big screen
plasma TVs. Miller High Life Beers are always $1.
Beer Club:Guests join for $120 and receive a
prestigious Stout Club Mug engraved with their
name on it.Each visit over the course of the year,
members enjoy their first beer of choice on the
house. For more, call 404.869.1151 or email
www.stoutirish pub.com.
FEBRUARY 18-24, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 19
Jr. Knights hockey turning heads in Atlanta
hen your average sports fans thinks
W
about Atlanta, one of the last things that
may come to mind is hockey talent. The
Atlanta Junior Knights are out to change that
line of thinking.
David Falkenstein, owner of the
Marietta Ice Center, otherwise known as
“The Mic,” started a Junior hockey club two
years ago called the Atlanta Junior Knights.
The club consists of two teams with players
who range from 16-20 years of age.
The Select Junior Knights play in the
Southeast Junior Hockey League while the
Elites play in the Metropolitan Junior
Hockey League. The leagues consist of
teams from Virginia to South Florida. Both
Knights squads are currently in first place in
their respective leagues.
Junior hockey is basically the link
between high school hockey and college
hockey. Sometimes players skip college
for the pros.
“For hockey, the college environment is not the development model
for professional players. (A player)
would go from youth hockey to
junior hockey,” Falkenstein
explained. “Junior hockey has
two branches: some kids go to
collegiate hockey and some kids
go to professional hockey.”
TOUGH COMPETITION …
In junior hockey, two teams
from the same location cannot be
in the same level, so the Junior
Knights are divided into the B
league and C league. Teams
from the Southeast cannot be
in A League. The B-league
team is also known as the
“Elites,” while the C team is
also called the “Selects.”
Despite not being in the
A League, the teams have managed to play some of the best competition in
North American junior hockey. The teams
have travelled to hockey hotbeds like
Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and
Toronto (twice). The Junior Knights have
also played at the Lake Placid Olympic arena
site of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”.
In January, the Elite Junior Knights
became the first US Junior hockey club to win
the prestigious Paul Coffey International
Junior Tournament in Mississauga, Ontario.
The Elites defeated several Canadian teams
including the Toronto East Enders in the final.
The Knights have played teams like
Northwoods Prep, which currently has two
NHL draft picks on their roster as well as
five NCAA Division I scholarship players.
The Junior Knights played Northwoods a
close game, losing 2-1 at Lake Placid. The
result shows just how competitive the Junior
Knights have become on a national level.
SAID ON THE AIR
“While the Braves have brought in
three high-profile starting pitchers
this winter … replacing Smoltz will
take more than that. … In one of
the most stable franchises in sports,
the departure of John Smoltz marks
a true passing of the baton, from
one Braves generation to the next.”
ESPN.com baseball analyst
Jayson Stark
The Elites will also play against
Kennesaw State University’s club squad
after the Gwinnett Gladiators game on Feb.
22. It is a charity event for Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta.
“We have some players here who could
have a fine collegiate hockey career,”
Falkenstein said.
MAKING NOISE …
The Junior Knights currently can be
watched on their Web site (atlantajuniorknights.com) no matter where they play.
Several college scouts tune in to watch the
two Atlanta teams. In fact, Trevor Cope of
the Elites is being recruited by Boston
University, one of the most tradition-rich
college hockey programs in America.
“About 80 percent of the roster is from
metro Atlanta or the Southeast,” said
Falkenstein. “We have two kids from
Ontario, we have two from Detroit, one
from Cincinnati, one from Chicago,
and the rest are all local products. So of
a 25-man roster, five or six are from
outside the market, the rest are from
the local area.”
Despite
the
local
talent,
Falkenstein credits his coaches with
the team’s early success.
“I would say our coaching talent
rivals many teams in the country. And
I think that’s why we are as competitive as we are.”
The Elites are coached by
Thrashers defenseman Mathieu
Schneider’s brother Jean Alain, who is
assisted by former Thrashers head coach
Bob Hartley’s son Steve.
Select coach Kevin Kerr is a story unto
himself. Kerr played 19 seasons of
minor league hockey and holds the alltime minor league record for
goals scored. The Ontario
native is sometimes called
“Crash” after Kevin Costner’s
character in the movie Bull
Durham. Davis, a fictional character, set the
all-time minor league record for home runs
during the movie. Hockey News actually
called him “Hockey’s Bull Durham” for an
article they wrote on Kerr.
Kerr was coach of the IHL Flint
Generals when Falkenstein convinced him to
come to Atlanta to coach Junior hockey.
“I convinced him the weather was warmer
and he could get away from uncertainty,” said
Falkenstein. “In this environment you’re developing kids, so there’s a lot more job security.”
In just their second year, the Junior
Knights have made headway in the uber-competitive world of junior hockey. And with the
consistent growth of metro Atlanta and the
coaching talent at “The Mic” one would have
to think that hockey in Atlanta is on the rise.
The above photo is courtesy of the
Atlanta Junior Knights. Black can be
reached at [email protected].
SCORE ATLANTA
ADVERTISING INDEX
KEEPIN’ AN EYE ON
790 The Zone ............................1
He may have been brief, but we
applaud Mark Bradley for saying what so
many have been unwilling to over the
last few years: “Brett Favre is the most
overrated athlete of our time.” While
Bradley may be exaggerating just a bit,
we agree with his overarching theme
that Favre has gotten a little more credit
and attention than he has actually
deserved. For us, his on-again/off-again
retirement over the last few years has
only intensified these feelings.
Larry Hartstein used Monday to discuss the basketball struggles over at Tech
and to give head coach Paul Hewitt some
space to explain himself. Within the
quotes provided by Hartstein, Hewitt talks
about changes that need to be made,
promising he’ll do some things “differently and better because of this experience.”
If any improvements are actually made,
however, we promise next year’s influx of
talent will be the reason.
AMA Supercross........................4
AT&T Mobility............................8
Atlanta Braves ........................13
Atlanta Hawks ..........................2
Atlanta Motor Speedway....1, Back page
Atlanta Thrashers ......................2
Aqua Blue ................................17
Blue Cross Blue Shield ..............1
Cigar Merchants......................19
Georgia State ..........................16
Hooters....................................15
Instant Imprints ......................19
Joseph & Friends ....................12
MEDIA
HALL OF FAME
Georgia fans that pride themselves
on their team’s yearly relevance may
want to look away now. Why, you ask?
Well, last week ESPN.com analyst Chris
Low came out with his SEC pre-spring
power rankings and the Bulldogs fell to
the No. 5 spot behind Florida, Alabama,
Ole Miss and LSU. “Some of Georgia’s
best results under Mark Richt have come
when the Bulldogs weren’t picked as
highly,” writes Low. “So maybe that’s
good news for Georgia … But the real
key for the Bulldogs is playing more consistently on defense next season.”
CATCH THE THRASHERS AND HAWKS
Man’s Best Friend ....................5
Mikael’s Auto Spa ..................10
North River Tavern ....................7
Rhodes Bakery ........................14
Ringling Brothers Circus ..........3
Ron Veal QB Instruction ..........19
Sammy’s DJ ............................14
TGS Media ..............................14
Trivia Zone ..............................11
Wellstar ..................................15
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