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APRIL 1-7, 2009
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Get In The Game!
02 I SCORE ATLANTA
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APRIL 1-7, 2009
™
STARTING
LINEUP
SCORE ATLANTA I 03
IN YOUR
FACE…
PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg
MANAGING EDITOR Alex Ewalt
ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Gaudio
VIDEO MANAGER Scott Janovitz
BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick
SALES MANAGER Mark Mayo
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 DJ Galbiati
CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, 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
™
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Now that the Hawks are on their way to the playoffs, longtime
Atlanta star Dominique Wilkins is planning a comeback. But is
he ready for the rigors of the league? Scott Janovitz investigates.
________________________________________________________
Derek Wiley offers his take on this weekend’s Final Four
matchups. Will pre-tournament favorite North Carolina
be able to fend off a surging Villanova squad?
_______________________________________________
__
It’s time for another season of Braves baseball, and beat
writer Fletcher Proctor previews the 2009 year. Can the
team return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005?
________________________________________________________
Hawks fans may be ready for the postseason, but Flip Murray
(pictured) and team still have a lot to play for. Hear what
head coach Mike Woodson had to say on the playoff push.
A SCORE UPDATE:
It’s been a bittersweet couple of weeks around the Score Atlanta offices, as two
longtime members of the Score family will be moving on to pursue other opportunities. Managing editor Tad Arapoglou (who started in November 2005) and art director
David Gaudio (October 2005) have each left a big impression on Score and will be
sorely missed. From everyone at Score Atlanta, good luck in all your future pursuits!
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
WWW.SCOREATL.COM
TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS
TOMAHAWK TIME:
The Braves open
the season in Philadelphia this Sunday, but
Tomahawk Team captain Jessica and the rest of the
girls will be back in action at Turner Field soon
enough! Since Jessica heads up the team, we have
to ask — is there any room on the squad for a few
spirited sportswriters? I’m drawing the line at the
shorts, though. Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves.
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COVER DESIGN BY DAVID GAUDIO. COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/ATLANTA HAWKS.
5 OFF THE PINE 6 DUE UP-KATREK 7 SPIN-C.C.
8 HS SPORTS REPORT 14 HAWKS-THRASHERS-FALCONS
15 DAWGS-JACKETS 16 BRAVES-OWLS-PANTHERS
17 MEMORY LANE 18 CALENDAR 19 AD INDEX
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04 I SCORE ATLANTA
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APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 05
ward Marvin Williams and backup point
guard Acie Law have sullied the good air
over at Philips Arena as of late. In fact, as the
team’s beat writer for this paper and someone who keeps a watchful eye on the league
in general, and considering how hard Hawks
officials have taken this recent crop of bad
news, I have been utterly shocked by the
team’s apparent disinterest in adding another
body or two to the roster. (I mean, did you
see what Tony Parker and the Spurs did to
the Hawks last week without Tim Duncan
and with Manu Ginobili only logging a
measly 14 minutes?) That is, until I stumbled
upon perhaps the juiciest piece of Hawks
news since … well, ever.
At this point in your read, you already
know what I’m talking about. Dominique
Wilkins – that’s right, The Human Highlight
Film and the greatest player in franchise history – is returning to his sanctuary, the hardwood, just in time for the playoff push and in
an a attempt to put the Hawks over the top.
ken my first big story but totally unknowing
as to what was about to come next.
“Nope. I’m coming back to help the
Hawks win a championship.”
COULD IT BE TRUE? …
Of course, it took me a moment to determine he was actually serious about all this,
after which time I asked why, how and when
all this was determined.
“I’ve been working out pretty hard for
some time now, staying in shape, and the
Hawks and I of course have remained close,
so they know what kind of shape I’m in,” he
I could leave. I mean, the man is almost 50
years old and hasn’t played NBA ball in nearly 10 full seasons. How good could he be?
What was he hoping to contribute?
“Well, I’m obviously not going to be the
same ‘Nique. I can’t jump like that anymore,
that’s for sure,” he said with a grin. “They’re
not bringing me in to start or to play 40 minutes or anything like that, but I can definitely
bring experience to this team and be a bigtime contributor off the bench. I still know the
game, I feel young, and I have the same skills
I had when I was scoring almost 30 a night.
“I can definitely still be a good scor-
We watched Michael Jordan return to
the game at an advanced age after a
prolonged absence … so why can’t The
Human Highlight Reel pull off a comeback of his own? Thanks to a chance
encounter with the legend, our own
Scott Janovitz learned of Dominique
Wilkins’s aspirations of returning to the
game — and soon. The 49-year-old’s
presence should provide some muchneeded leadership for the playoff-bound
Hawks. The above photo and cover shot
of Dominique Wilkins are courtesy of
Scott Cunningham/Atlanta Hawks.
THE SCOOP …
Now, at this point I’m sure you’re asking
how I’m privy to such valuable information.
Where are Sekou Smith, the AJC and the rest
of the sports world on this one? The answer:
dumb luck and a pious friend were my
weapons of choice.
So here’s how the story goes. A good
friend of mine attends bible study at a local
church every Thursday. As one for theological discussion and the friend of a relatively
observant American Jew (that’s me), she has
approached me on numerous occasions in
the past about attending the class with her.
Well, last Thursday, I finally accepted the
invitation, not knowing of course it would go
down as one of the better decisions I’ve
made in life thus far.
Long story short, about midway through
the class, I stumbled away from the captivating Leviticus discussion to receive a call and
grab some fresh air when I realized the
church had its own indoor basketball court
and that someone was going at it pretty hard,
as if they were divinely inspired. Interested
in this mystery man and a bit tired of biblical
banter, I decided to quickly check things out
for myself. What I saw upon entering the
gym, however, was truly remarkable, forcing
me to do a triple-take before realizing that
the gym rat I came to watch was none other
than ‘Nique himself. Of course, from there,
nothing at all was “quick” about my visit to
the gym, except maybe the legend’s surprisingly youthful feet, in the paint and on the
break; to this day, from what I saw, he is still
the real deal.
So, despite a strong voice in my head
telling me to leave the man alone and not to
disturb his workout, I just had to introduce
myself and find out why he was training with
such passion and intensity. When I approached
the former Hawks star, it was his response to
my initial question and how surprisingly candid he was that changed my life forever and the
Hawks’ playoffs chances for sure.
ON THE COVER
With playoffs on the horizon, a Hawks legend makes his comeback push
“I’m making a comeback,” he said.
hile the 2008-09 season has no doubt
Rathbun. He did, however, give me the
“Going back to Greece to join Josh
been a successful one that Hawks offiW
number of his agent, Steve Kauffman.
Still, I had to find out a little more before
Childress?” I asked, thinking I had just brocials can be proud of, recent injuries to for-
THEY’RE BACK: Head coach Mark Richt (left) looks on as a group of his quarterbacks (No. 11 Aaron Murray
and No. 5 Zach Mettenberger, two early enrollees, among them) take part in a drill during a spring practice.
The Bulldogs first hit the field for the spring sessions back on March 17 and are building up to the annual GDay game, which will be televised by ESPN on April 11. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.
CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS
‘Worst-case scenario, the Hawks continue to play like the four seed they
are now, only with the excitement brought on by a Dominique Wilkins return
and the veteran leadership his presence on the bench provides. Either way,
the Atlanta Hawks are finally poised to make some real postseason news.’
explained. “When Marvin and Acie went
down, the team decided it needed to find
some help for the playoffs. But, with the
economy the way it is, they didn’t have much
to spend and there aren’t really many quality
free agents available now.
“That is when I approached them
about returning at a low cost. They liked
the idea so I started really working out hard
a couple weeks ago.”
Dominique could not disclose the
terms of the deal and asked me to keep the
news quiet since he is still acting as the
team’s TV color man alongside Bob
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er off the bench and get after it on the
defensive end, too.”
After receiving an answer I was more
than happy with, I decided to give the new
Hawk some space, letting him get back to his
wind sprints and shooting drills.
COMEBACK ON THE WAY …
Once the gym doors closed behind me I
immediately gave Kauffman a call and, to my
surprise, got an answer. Not surprisingly, he
was just a bit more tight-lipped than his
client had been only moments before.
“Nothing is set in stone until the team
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and Dominique come to a contractual agreement and something is officially announced,”
Kauffman said. “I really have nothing to say
to the media on this issue other than the
Hawks need some bodies, Dominique has
been working out and the man looks
absolutely phenomenal.”
So there you have it. This may be merely smoke for now according to Nique’s
agent, but the house is coming down; it’s just
a matter of when.
Now, for the big question: What does
this do for Atlanta’s playoff hopes?
For now, it’s just too hard to tell.
Skepticism is inevitable when you’re considering a comeback of such surprising and
monumental proportions. One thing is for
sure, though: it can’t possibly hurt. In the
best-case scenario, Dominique returns to
Philips and leads the Hawks to their secondever NBA championship (first since 1958).
Worst-case scenario, the Hawks continue to
play like the four seed they are now, only with
the excitement brought on by a Dominique
Wilkins return and the veteran leadership his
presence on the bench provides. Either way,
the Atlanta Hawks are finally poised to make
some real postseason news.
April Fool’s! Janovitz can be reached at
[email protected]
Get In The Game!
06 I SCORE ATLANTA
SCORE LIST
DUE UP
BY ALEX EWALT
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but young; the Mets are trying to decide how they’ll choke this year; and the Phillies can’t
possibly reproduce their 2008 run, can they? Do the Braves have a shot in the East?
BLOODLINES: Nick Montana, one of the top high school quarterbacks in the coun-
try—and the son of legendary signal caller Joe Montana—is taking a long look at UGA
as a college destination. Is there any way you can go wrong by inking the son of Joe Cool?
This is one of the Thrashers’ last four home games, and they’ve been
playing great hockey as of late. They take on the Sabres, who are fighting for the last playoff spot in the East. Game time is 7 p.m.
THURSDAY Braves at Houston. CSS.
SOUNDS TIR-ING: James Boit won last Sunday’s ING Georgia Marathon in 2:22.16.
Wanna recreate his path for your daily jog? Start at Centennial Park, head south through
Five Points, north through Midtown, east through Little Five Points, hang a left at Decatur …
It’s not the last game of spring training but this will be the last game for the
Braves in Florida. They will take on the Astros, and you can look for the starters
to play more innings to get ready for opening day. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.
FRIDAY
SETTIN’ RECORDS: The Hawks may have fallen to the Spurs and Celtics at home last
week, but must have gotten an extra push from the crowd against the Lakers on Sunday.
The game, an 86-76 Hawks win, set a single-game Philips Arena attendance record.
CAN’T ESCAPE: Michael Vick was released from prison last week. Don’t get excited;
it was only so he could attend a bankruptcy hearing in his native Virginia. The pension-pilfering quarterback hasn’t played in an NFL game since ’06, but can’t stay out of the news.
Gladiators vs. South Carolina. 550 AM.
The Gladiators haven’t had the season they were hoping for, but they have
a chance to beat the playoff-bound South Carolina Stingrays in their home
finale. Come down to Gwinnett Arena at 7:35 p.m.
SATURDAY Georgia vs. LSU. CSS.
TIGER BITES: OK, so he’s really back. In essential Tiger Woods fashion, the greatest
golfer of all time flew past some pretty good competition in making up five strokes to win
at Bay Hill last weekend. I’d tune in to see what he does at the Masters if I were you.
Spring football is going on in Athens, but the talk of the town is how great the baseball team is looking early in the season. The Bulldogs, currently ranked in the top
five in the country, will take on LSU at Foley Field. The game starts at 1 p.m.
SUNDAY
FOUR PLAY:
Who had Villanova and Michigan State in the Final Four? Show of
hands? Congratulations, you will probably win your office pool. I, on the other hand, am
batting just .250 for my semifinal picks (I picked UNC, who I still think will win it all).
OVAL OFFICE POOL?: Both President Obama and I picked the Tar Heels as our
national champions and only got one of the Final Four right. If UNC wins, will Barack
join them in another pickup game when they visit the White House?
the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament last week, the legendary coach made
her team practice the next day. That, my friends, is why the court is named after her.
trouble for using Twitter to air his grievances (like he needs another platform for that).
What is with this Twitter craze, anyways? (P.S. look for Score Atlanta on Twitter.com!)
Hawks at Toronto. 790 The Zone. Fox Sports South.
The Hawks have had a great season but they have struggled on the road.
They have a chance to gain a road win on Tuesday by defeating Chris
Bosh and the struggling Raptors. The action will start at 7 p.m.
Derrick Favors
You’ve probably already seen the police
video, but Dallas police officer Robert
Powell overstepped his bounds in dealing
with Houston Texans running back Ryan
Moats, who ran a red light on the way to
see his dying mother-in-law.
NCAA Basketball Championship. CBS.
It’s been a great basketball season and it will conclude on Monday with the
championship game in Detroit. With most of the top teams still alive, this
should be a matchup everyone is talking about. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
TUESDAY
TWEET TWEET: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban becomes the latest NBA name to get in
Braves at Philadelphia. 96.1 FM. ESPN.
It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball and what better way to start
the 2009 campaign than with the Braves taking on the World Champion
Philadelphia Phillies? Watch Chipper and Co., starting at 8 p.m.
MONDAY
NOT VOLUNTARY: After Pat Summit’s Lady Vols shockingly lost to Ball State in
Dallas P.D.
The senior basketballer, who won his
first-ever state basketball title earlier
this month, was the only Georgian to be
named to the McDonald’s All-American
squad. Favors (pictured) will play in the
event on Wednesday on ESPN.
Maya Moore
Hawks-Lakers crowd
The women’s Final Four wasn’t
determined by press time, though
we bet Moore’s UConn Huskies
are in by the time you’re reading
this. Moore scored 22 points in
her team’s second- and thirdround games, both blowout wins.
The playoff-atmosphere crowd
spurred the Hawks on to an 86-76
victory over the Lakers, setting a
single-game attendance record
(20,148 officially) Philips Arena. It
also extended the team’s singleseason sellout record to 11.
SEC Basketball
Michael Vick
If there weren’t enough negative
headlines about the embattled QB, it
was announced last week that Vick
is being accused of stealing about
$1.3 million dollars in pension
money from employees of his former company, MV7.
No SEC men’s teams made it to the
Sweet 16 this year, and only one
(LSU) made it to the second round.
For only the third time ever, the SEC
did not have a women’s team make
the Final Four.
CRUNCHING THE
NUMBERS TIGER TAKES BAY HILL
188
211
1,940
Number of
innings pitched by Jair Jurrjens in
2008, most on the team
Number of
innings pitched by new Brave
Derek Lowe in 2008
Total number
of innings pitched by Lowe in his
12-year MLB career
So, in case you missed it, Tiger
Woods is back. All the way back.
Tiger came from five shots
back to beat Sean O’Hair
on Sunday, but O’Hair
wasn't the only victim. I
can’t help but wonder
how Phil Mickelson,
Sergio Garcia, Padraig
Harrington and the like
feel about this. Some of
these guys (Harrington
especially) flourished in
Tiger’s absence.
Mickelson just won at Doral a
couple of weeks ago with Tiger in
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BY BRIAN JONES
WEDNESDAY Thrashers vs. Buffalo. 680 The Fan. SportSouth.
LET’S PLAY BALL!: The Nationals are still the Nationals; the Marlins are talented
THUMBS UP TO
NATIONAL HONORS
HOTTEST THINGS TO
SEE AND DO OVER THE
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the field. Now, it appears the
party is over. Tiger didn’t even
play his best golf at Bay
Hill, but it was enough
to win on a tough golf
course. The Masters is
one week away, and
Tiger’s timing couldn’t be much better.
Brian Katrek can be
heard on 790 The
Zone’s “On The Green
with Brian Katrek”
Sundays from 8-9 a.m. and
at
can
be
reached
[email protected].
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SOUTHERN HOOPS
SANITY
AT LAST
“It really is a great
honor to be able to
pitch that game.”
- Braves pitcher
Derek Lowe after
being named Opening
Day starter
APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 07
Italian soccer power coming to Atlanta; Hawks, Thrashers going green
CHECK
THIS OUT!
HAWKS NEED
HOME COURT
The Atlanta Hawks have clinched
a playoff spot and there are still several games left to be played. How
amazing is that? Okay, maybe it’s not
all that amazing, but it is a pleasant
surprise. Keep in mind that the year
before last year, and the year before
that, and the year before that, and the
year before that, and the year before
that and a few consecutive years
before that, the late-March/earlyApril games were nothing more than
a formality. It is extremely refreshing that this team is playing for
home-court advantage in the first
round instead of playing for lottery
balls. There’s really no reason the
Hawks shouldn’t secure the fourth
spot in the Eastern Conference. The
teams behind them seem to only be
moderately interested in even making the playoffs at all.
Don’t underestimate how important home court in the first round
would be to this young team. They are
still in single digits as far as home
losses this season and overall they
have one of the better home records
in the entire association. In other
words, their best chance to get out of
the first round is to ensure they’ll
have four games at Philips Arena. I’m
not saying they can’t win a game in
Philadelphia or Miami, but I’d like
their chances better if they didn’t
have to win a game there. These last
two weeks should be extremely interesting. The race is too close to call,
but home court in the first round is
the Hawks’ to lose. We’ll see just how
much this team has matured when the
playoffs begin. If they start the first
round on the road, they clearly
haven’t learned to take full advantage
of the opportunities in front
of them. However, if they
start the playoffs at
Philips Arena, we can
finally rest assured that this
team has in fact grown up
and is serious about
taking that next step.
C.C. can be reached
at [email protected]
START YOUR ENGINES: Get ready for some high-octane racing action this Friday through Sunday at Road
Atlanta! Catch the AMA Suzuki Superbike Showdown this weekend, and watch superbike superstars such as
Matt Mladin (pictured above) engage in physics-defying turns and maneuvers. The 2.54-mile road course in
Braselton is widely recognized as one of the world’s finest. Photo courtesy of Road Atlanta.
HERE’S THE SCOOP ...
fter learning the Atlanta Silverbacks Sun commissioner Ted Gumbart announced
A
and their 2009 season were just anoth- that Mercer University will host the A-Sun
er casualty of the American economy, tournament championship for the next two
Atlanta soccer fans finally have something
to cheer about. That’s because on July 22,
AC Milan, a seven-time European
Champion, will showcase its skills at the
Georgia Dome in a showdown with Club
America. The game, which is scheduled for
7 p.m., will be televised on ESPN2.
Last week, Mel Kiper released his topfive senior draft prospects at each position
and two local standouts made the cut.
According to Kiper, ESPN’s so-called draft
guru, Georgia Tech receiver Demaryius
Thomas is the fourth-best prospect at his
position. Though Thomas is not yet a junior,
he is a third-year sophomore, making him
eligible for the list. The team in Athens also
received some recognition from Kiper, as
Bulldog defensive tackle Geno Atkins is the
fourth-best junior tackle in the country. In
2008, Thomas caught 39 passes for 627
yards and three touchdowns, while Atkins
recorded 34 tackles (7.5 for a loss) to go
along with a fumble recovery.
The State of Georgia was dreadfully
absent from March Madness in 2009, with
both Georgia and Georgia Tech coming up
short of the Big Dance. Even if such history repeats itself in 2010, however, the state
will have a role in postseason play next
March and beyond. Last Tuesday, Atlantic
years. Two other A-Sun schools,
Jacksonville and Belmont, made bids for
the tournament.
GOING GREEN …
As part of Philips Arena’s inaugural
Green Week, the Atlanta Thrashers, Atlanta
Hawks and Philips Arena joined The Home
Depot last week in a special tree-planting
project at Vine City Park, an area hit particularly hard by the tornado of 2008.
Prominent members from each organization participated, including Atlanta Hawks
and Thrashers owner Rutherford Seydel,
Thrash, Harry the Hawk, Atlanta Spirit
employees and associates from The Home
Depot. In addition to planting trees, the
group also built a community bulletin
board and installed bollards to help maintain the piece land.
In other Thrasher-related news, if
you’re a girl, enjoy skating and don’t mind
and/or like the idea of cleaning ice, now’s
the time to start getting in shape, as May 13,
the day for Blue Crew Auditions, is right
around the corner. Registration costs $25 a
person and auditions will begin on
Wednesday and run through Sunday. Those
trying out must be at least 19 years of age.
In a similar vein, the Thrashers will also be
The sudden intensity and rush of
drag racing is an experience that is
unique in the world of motorsports.
You’ll have a chance to get in on
that action in just a few weeks when
the NHRA, America’s premier professional drag racing organization,
comes to town. The world’s greatest
drag racers will be in Commerce
from Thursday, April 16, to Sunday,
April 19, when the Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series visits the
Atlanta Dragway. Four-day passes
are $119 and give you a chance to
catch all of the great action unfold
all weekend long. Daily prices vary
depending on when you choose to
attend. Adult admission is as low as
$14 on Thursday and $46 for all of
the final races on Sunday. Get all of
the info on the race and much more
by visiting atlantadragway.com.
And for all the latest news and
results, visit www.nhra.com.
Written by Scott Janovitz
selecting their “7th Man”, given annually to
the winner of the team’s biggest-fan competition, in the coming month. If you feel you
are the team’s ultimate advocate, submit an
essay to Thrashers.com explaining why you
should be the team’s 7th Man. In addition to
being named the team’s No. 1 fan, the winner of the contest will get to take the ice to
meet his or her favorite player, leave with a
jersey, attend a morning skate-around next
season as a V.I.P. guest, and receive a special
behind-the-scenes tour of Philips Arena.
The winner will be announced on April 11
and his or her photo will hang throughout
Philips Arena for the entire 2009-10 season.
While the media is quick to jump on
Terrell Owens anytime he does something
we disapprove of, T.O. rarely gets a fair
shake when it comes to his community
work. Well, here’s to some change. The star
wideout missed the start of the Bills’ voluntary offseason conditioning program last
week to attend the sixth annual National
Alzheimer’s Gala. Believe it or not, T.O. not
only attended the shindig, but took home
some hardware in the process. For his
efforts to raise awareness in the fight against
the disease, Owens received the Alzheimer’s
Association’s (AA) first Young Champions
Award last Wednesday evening. The AA is
of particular interest to Owens considering
his grandmother suffers from Alzheimer’s.
MIKAEL’S AUTO SPA
ATLANTA’S #1 CAR WASH AND DETAILING DESTINATION
LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SANDY SPRINGS ON ROSWELL RD.
6380 Roswell Rd. • Atlanta, GA • 30328 • 404.252.0376
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Wesleyan’s Armstrong strong all around
n six weeks, Wesleyan senior Anne Marie Dynamo Swim Club. Her athletic activities
IGeorgia
Armstrong hopes to be the first known eventually became more than the family could
high school athlete to become a handle, however, and by seventh grade she had
three-time state champion in three different
sports. She will look to win her third high
jump championship this year in Class A after
winning in Class 2A the last two years. But in
two to three weeks, just being able to jump
will be quite an accomplishment. Armstrong,
who has been a part of three championship
teams in both basketball and volleyball since
her freshman year at Wesleyan, tore the
meniscus in her left knee on Jan. 29 but still
played the final two months of the season,
helping the Lady Wolves basketball team to a
state title. “I just played through the injury
because it was my senior year and I didn’t
want to miss out,” she said.
Armstrong had surgery on the knee last
week and will try to be in top form by the
Region 7 Championships.
AN EARLY TALENT …
Those who know Armstrong are not surprised at her willingness to play through the
injury. The oldest of three children, her competiveness dates back to attending a small private elementary school. “I was one of the only
girls at first,” Armstrong said about her elementary class. “I grew up just around guys,
playing football and kind of being a tomboy.”
Her parents, Robert and Linda, noticed
their daughter’s athletic ability and got
Armstrong involved in church league basketball at the age of nine. By age 11 she was playing AAU, winning a state championship as a
sixth grader. She participated in AAU softball
as well, also winning championships, and was
an outstanding swimmer, competing briefly
for Swim Atlanta and getting an invite to the
to give up a sport. “In the summer time she
was playing two sports, basketball and softball, and we asked her to make a choice
because we had another child playing sports. It
just got to be too much,” Robert said.
But when school started again, she started playing volleyball. “I just wanted to try
something new,” Armstrong said. “It was
hard at first because I was really bad. Then I
started liking it more, getting accustomed to
it and kept playing it through high school.”
TOUGH CHOICE …
Her love for volleyball eventually came
to rival her love for basketball. She chose to
play basketball, instead of volleyball, at the
University of Georgia but not before pondering opportunities at other schools. After her
freshman year in Athens, she may even
resume playing volleyball, but she is excited
about playing collegiate basketball. “There’s
so much I like about each sport and I couldn’t really pick which one I wanted to play in
college, but I couldn’t see myself not playing
basketball,” she said.
Robert credits coaches Jack Feagin, Jan
Azar, and Bosco McAbee with his daughter’s
development in basketball, but realizes he is
the father of a unique athlete. “She’s just
been blessed with great hand-eye coordination and a very strong desire to excel and
compete,” he said.
She will put that desire to use in track
and field one more time before she finishes
her career as arguably the most versatile high
school athlete in Georgia history.
Butler
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
THE HIGH SCHOOL
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
BRENDAN MOORE
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KIM SPENCE
CENTENNIAL HIGH
PARKVIEW HIGH
The junior goalkeeper has been stingy
in goal all season for the No. 5
(Eurosportscoreboard.com Class 5A
rankings) Knights, pitching an incredible nine shutouts so far this year to
lead the team to a 10-2 record at press
time. Moore is verbally committed to
play at North Carolina, and was recently selected to the Disney Soccer
Showcase All-Star Team.
Spence is a star forward on Parkview’s
top-ranked Class 5A girls soccer team
(Eurosportscoreboard.com),
which
some publications ranked No. 1 nationally in the preseason. The junior is
already verbally committed to play at
Auburn in 2010, and was named to the
ESPNRISE all-Greater Atlanta area first
team earlier in the year.
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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT I09
Three decades after father’s success, Centennial sprinter shines at Roswell Relays
hirty years ago to the day, his father captured first place in the Roswell Relays
100-yard dash as a senior. On March 21 of
this year, Martin Jenkins wanted to match his
father’s accomplishment and then some. The
Centennial sprinter did just that, capturing
the 100-meter title as a junior — a full year
ahead of the pace his father set three decades
earlier at the same meet.
“It was 30 years to the day, basically,
when I won the 100,” explained Lee Jenkins,
the proud father of one of the state’s top
sprinters. “Actually, it was the 100-yard dash
when I ran. That’s the only difference. I won
it back in ’79.”
Lee, then a three-sport athlete at
Therrell High School in Atlanta, went on to a
successful football career at the University of
Tennessee, where he played cornerback for
Johnny Majors’s Volunteers.
“I was one of the top recruits in the
nation when I came out (of high school) in
football,” Lee declared. “I was (one of) the
top five fastest guys in the state. Two of the
guys that beat me in the state meet went on
to the Olympics the next year. It was an
extremely, extremely fast field.”
One of the runners that beat him would
become his roommate in college.
“It was a guy named Willie Gault who
ended up playing pro football and making
the 1980 Olympic team,” said Lee of the
future Chicago Bear. Jenkins would see a lot
more of Gault and another future NFL legend while in Knoxville.
“I ended up going to Tennessee and
Willie Gault was my roommate and one of
my best friends,” he said. “My other roommate at Tennessee was Reggie White. I
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had some world-class athletes that I hung
out with everyday.”
FAST FAMILY …
Upon finishing at Tennessee, Jenkins
was drafted in the 11th round by the New
York Giants. After a short tour in the NFL,
Jenkins moved into the investment business,
where he has prospered in a 23-year career as
a financial advisor. Lee now watches Martin’s
track career and measures it against his own.
“The times Martin is running as an 11thgrader, I wasn’t like that until my senior year
in high school or my freshman year in college,” Lee said.
Martin, like his dad, faces tough competition in the area, making the first-place finish
that much more rewarding.
“It was a big accomplishment because of
the people in the race,” said Martin.
“Courtland Walls had beaten me last year.
And then Branden Smith, he’s one of the top
(football) recruits. And I got to race against
him and I won, so it was a big accomplishment because of the competition there.”
Smith, a Georgia signee, was ranked by
many as the top football prospect in Georgia
for the 2009 recruiting class, which signed
this past February.
TWO-SPORT STAR …
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Martin Jenkins (left) won the 100-meter race in the Roswell Relays 30 years
to the day after his father, Lee (highlighted), won the 100-yard dash in the same event. Like his
father, Martin is a two-sport athlete, excelling at both track and football. Photos courtesy of Lee Jenkins.
Martin is now seeing the same type of
interest from colleges that his father did 30
years ago. Programs such as Maryland, Wake
Forest, Duke and Georgia Tech have all been in
contact with the 5-foot-9 junior cornerback.
Teammate David Yankey is being recruited
nationally as well, while senior Euclid
Cummings recently signed with Georgia Tech.
“I’m good friends with Euclid and with
David also,” Martin said. “I’m always asking
Euclid, because he’s already been through the
process (and) he knows me. We’re kind of the
same. He knows which kinds of schools I
like. He gives me advice on the schools.”
As far as his early favorite, Martin
likes two of the schools which have shown
him the most interest.
“Out of the schools that are recruiting
me, Maryland and Wake Forest. Those stand
out the most to me,” Martin declared.
What about Tennessee? Will Martin follow his father’s footsteps to Knoxville?
“Yeah, I like Tennessee,” he said. “But I
[would like] a new experience. I’ve been all
throughout that campus already and already
know how everything is.”
Black
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
Taking a closer look at several of the top high school baseball players in Georgia
pring is in the air, the GHSA baseball season
is off and running, and the Major League
Baseball season is nearly upon us. On that note,
let’s take a look at some of the top high school
baseball prospects from around the state.
Donavan Tate, Cartersville: Tate is not
only a great baseball player, he is a superb
athlete. He has committed to North Carolina
to play football, but he is pegged by some as
the No. 1 overall draft pick in this year’s MLB
draft. Donovan has had a number of memorable games over his high school career. As a
sophomore, he single-handedly pushed his
team to a win against powerhouse Parkview
with two home runs. In the same game he
made a game-saving, diving catch, popping
up and throwing out a tagging runner at the
plate. Last season, Tate hit .410 with seven
home runs and 25 RBIs. He bats leadoff for
the Purple Hurricanes and plays defensive
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back in football. Sounds a little like a certain
former Brave, Deion Sanders.
Luke Bailey, Troup: Bailey is ranked
No. 7 in this senior class according to the
Baseball America Prospect Handbook. The
senior catcher is a shoe-in to go in the first
round of the draft, but is leaning more
towards an opportunity to play at Auburn
University. As a catcher, Luke controls everything on the field, and his defensive skills are
his greatest attribute. “Luke understands the
game of baseball far better than most high
school ball players,” said Troup assistant
coach Jamie Schmitt. “Luke’s greatest
strengths are his defensive ability, both his
arm and catching, his knowledge of the game,
and his ability to hit for power.” That power
was on display last year when he hit .505 with
13 home runs and 61 RBIs.
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Zack Wheeler, East Paulding: This
Dallas product is the top senior pitching
prospect coming out of Georgia and is ranked
No. 6 overall, according to the Baseball America
Prospect Handbook. The right-hander stands at
an intimidating 6-foot-4 and has an array of
pitches, including a vicious fastball that he can
throw up to 95 miles per hour. He also has a nice
curveball that he throws consistently between 78
and 80 mph. Last season he went 8-3 with a 1.31
ERA and 127 strikeouts. He had a 15-strikeout
game against North Cobb earlier this season.
Wheeler pitches a lot like the Detroit Tigers’
Justin Verlander, and has the same body type as
the Major Leaguer. Zack’s brother Adam was
drafted by the Yankees in 2001.
Cam Bedrosian, East Coweta: A player
that will probably go in the 2010 draft is jun-
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ior pitcher Cam Bedrosian. If that last name
sounds familiar, it’s because he is the son of
former Braves reliever Steve Bedrosian, who
is now the pitching coach for his son’s team.
The right-hander is already being projected in
the first round in next year’s draft. He has a
fastball that can travel from 92-95 mph, and
that number will only improve as he gets
older and stronger. According to many scouts,
Cam has the best stuff of any high school junior in the country. In a recent game against
Chapel Hill, Bedrosian had 14 strikeouts. He
allowed only one hit against Morrow in a 120 win, and against Hiram, he pitched five
innings, struck out 13 batters and was part of
a combined no-hitter in the 8-0 win.
Deighton can be reached at
[email protected].
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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
Not just a northern sport: Lacrosse making inroads at Georgia high schools
ost avid sports fans in our state already
Atlantic/Southern region. That’s pretty good
hits the road to face St.
know about the rising popularity surM
Stephens, St. Agnes and
company considering powerhouse states
rounding the sport of lacrosse. Since 1999,
Springfield
Delco
in
such as Maryland and Pennsylvania are in
the sport has grown seven-fold amongst boys
teams (52 teams for 2009 season) and eightfold amongst girls teams (52 teams for 2009
season) in Georgia high schools.
One of those schools in particular,
Lassiter, has seen a large amount of talent
grace its fields and is in the midst of another
stellar season. Led by fourth-year coach
Peter Manderano, who is a Rochester native
and played competitively growing up in the
New York high school system, the Trojans
have built one of the most successful programs in Georgia.
Part of the winning formula for Lassiter
has been the development of JV and junior
league programs.
“Even though popularity has increased,
the amount of kids trying out has actually
decreased this year,” explained Manderano.
“At first a lot of kids tried out simply because
lacrosse was a new sport. With the development of our JV program and other junior programs, the kids this year have the best skills
yet because they are starting to play earlier.”
That skill was on display against Lovett
in a highly anticipated Friday night matchup
that drew the most people that Manderano
had seen at a game since the 2006 state
championship. The game even received
national attention, as it was picked by
Laxpower.com as one of its five games of the
week for March 19-23 in the Mid-
the same region.
With a 15-8 win over Lovett last week,
Lassiter extended its record to 8-0 on the
year. The game held special value to
Manderano and his players, because the
teams have combined to win two of the last
three state titles.
Next up for Lassiter is a Spring Break
trip to Tennessee, when the Trojans will take
on McCallie and the Memphis University
School. Lassiter has never beaten either
school, but each year looks to prove that the
quality of lacrosse is improving in Georgia.
MILTON STAYING ON TOP …
Similar to the strength that Lassiter has
shown in the boys game, the Milton Lady
Eagles are experiencing a four-year stretch of
consecutive state championships unmatched
by any other team. While head coach Tim
Godby is forced to rebuild a team that lost
nine starters from last year, he knows that
“the more the team works, the more they will
jell and learn how to win.” So far, the season
has been productive, though the team suffered close losses to Northview and
Chattahoochee as of late.
Much like Lassiter, Milton has a tough
string of games coming up against out-ofstate opponents. The team plays Park Vista
from Florida and Memorial from Texas.
After a game with Westminster, the team
Pennsylvania.
Though Lassiter and
Milton are not the only teams
to take on out-of-state opponents, the schools should certainly be recognized as two of
the leaders in the state in that
category. Each year, the
schools are able to produce
competitive teams and they
put those individuals to the
test by taking on top-flight
opponents from lacrosse-rich
states. These experiences can
only enhance the overall talent level for Georgia teams.
RAPID GROWTH …
In contrast to lacrosse,
Georgia has 436 football STATE AMBASSADORS: Like the Lassiter boys, the successful Milton
teams, 447 boys basketball girls lacrosse program (shown here after the 2008 state championship
teams and 426 girls basket- game) is seeking to challenge itself with tough out-of-state competiball teams registered with the tion. In its fifth year as a GHSA championship sport, lacrosse is gainGHSA. Though the sport of ing in popularity at a faster-than-ever rate. Photo courtesy of Alanna Lavelle.
lacrosse has a long way to go
to catch its counterparts, after the 10-year in Savannah has expressed interest in starting
mark, the sport continues to keep growing in a team next year.”
While geographically it is difficult for
popularity and skill level. Jay Watts, GHSA
coordinator for lacrosse, states, “At first the some of these schools to schedule games, in
sport was popular mostly in metro Atlanta,” the end, Watts is very supportive and feels it
says Jay Watts, GHSA coordinator for is a positive sign for the growth of the sport.
Gupta
can
be
reached
at
lacrosse. “Now there is a team in Columbus,
two teams in Augusta, and Benedictine School [email protected].
Westminster boys soccer program returns to glory days in new millienium
leads the way, having yielded just seven game bothers [the players].
here are a number of sports at which STAYING TOUGH …
The Wildcats returned plenty of talent
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Westminster routinely excels, but boys
Snyder’s approach to the game, which goals on the year. Their record is impressive
soccer wasn’t always a part of that discussion. focuses heavily on discipline and toughness, as well. The Wildcats sat at 7-1-2 at press from last season’s squad, including junior
Then current head coach Scott Snyder
showed up on campus to revive a program
that had been dormant for a while.
A hard-nosed center defender in his
playing days, he took over coaching duties at
the program in 2000. Since then, his teams
have won state championships on three occasions and amassed multitudes of region titles
and other accolades, making them one of the
most accomplished and consistent programs
of the decade.
“I like to think I was part of it,” said
Snyder of the program’s success. “It means a
lot to me. I know it’s cliché, but the longer
I’ve been coaching, the more I’ve learned.
I’ve really been able to learn so much.”
has created a certain mystique around the program. His insistence on excellence helped turn
the tide for a program that hadn’t won a state
crown since 1983 when he arrived. And while
the Wildcats still may not always have the most
individually talented team, their soundness in
fundamentals and tactical adjustment has often
helped them to victory with the odds seemingly stacked against them.
“We want to outwork the other team,”
Snyder said. “We always make sure we’re
crisp on set pieces. Be efficient on offense. At
the end of the day we want to win the game.”
This year’s edition of the Wildcats is a
vintage Snyder team. They’ve been spot-on
in the back, where senior Matt Thomas
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time and hadn’t lost since Feb. 11 in a 3-2
defeat to No. 1 Walker.
“We’ve been on a good run, we’ve been
lucky in some games,” Snyder said. “I’d like to
think we’re confident. But I don’t think were
overconfident. We just talk about the next game.”
SEEKING REDEMPTION …
The Wildcats also have a bit of motivation in their back pocket. Last year’s team was
the first of Snyder’s to qualify for the state
title game and leave without a ring. The ‘Cats
relinquished a 1-0 lead to region rival
Chamblee, losing 2-1.
“I think we had too much success early
(last year),” Snyder said. “I do think that
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playmaker Rawson Haverty and senior
defender Cole Egan, both of whom Snyder
credited for stepping into important roles that
have keyed their success.
With plenty of experience, motivation,
and one of the state’s top coaches at the helm,
the Wildcats look poised to make another
deep run into the state tournament in Class
A/AA. The team is looking to get back to the
state championship game, and this time they
want to win it.
“We’re good enough to beat anybody, and
we’re also bad enough to lose to anybody,”
Snyder said. “But if we can keep our focus and
work hard, I think we can do anything.”
Bagriansky can be reached at
[email protected].
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CS NORTHRIDGE
MARYLAND
MEMPHIS
CORNELL
CALIFORNIA
UTAH ST.
MISSOURI
MARQUETTE
MISSISSIPPI ST.
NORTHERN IOWA
WASHINGTON
TEXAS A&M
PURDUE
CHATTANOOGA
BYU
CONNECTICUT
ROBERT MORRIS
S
SOUTHERN CAL
MICHIGAN ST.
N. DAKOTA ST.
BOSTON COLLEGE
DAYTON
KANSAS
W. VIRGINIA
CLEVELAND ST.
ARIZONA
WAKE FOREST
SIENA
UTAH
ALA. ST./MOREHEAD ST.
OHIO ST.
LOUISVILLE
MEMPHIS
MARYLAND
MISSOURI
MARQUETTE
WASHINGTON
PURDUE
TEX. A&M
CONN.
MICHIGAN ST.
S. CAL
KANSAS
DAYTON
CLEVELAND ST.
ARIZONA
SIENA
LOUISVILLE
GLENDALE
CONN.
MICHIGAN ST.
MEMPHIS
MISSOURI
MISSOURI
CONN.
April 4
DETROIT
March 26 & 28
PURDUE
CONN.
MICHIGAN ST.
KANSAS
N. CAROLINA
GONZAGA
N. CAROLINA
DUKE
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
SYRACUSE
March 27 & 29
MEMPHIS
N. CAROLINA
April 4
DETROIT
VILLANOVA
VILLANOVA
March 27 & 29
VILLANOVA
XAVIER
BOSTON
MICHIGAN ST
PITTSBURGH
March 26 & 28
LOUISVILLE
2009 Men’s Basketball
Championship
PITTSBURGH
INDIANAPOLIS
ARIZONA
LOUISVILLE
OKLAHOMA
MICHIGAN
SYRACUSE
ARIZONA ST.
GONZAGA
W. KENTUCKY
LSU
N. CAROLINA
DUKE
TEXAS
VILLANOVA
UCLA
XAVIER
WISCONSIN
OK. ST.
PITTSBURGH
March 19 and 21 first-/second-round sites: Portland (Ore.), Philadelphia, Kansas City, Greensboro • March 20 and 22 first-/second-round sites: Dayton,
Miami, Minneapolis, Boise • March 26 and 28 regional sites: Glendale, Boston • March 27 and 29 regional sites: Indianapolis, Memphis
MORGAN ST.
MICHIGAN
OKLAHOMA
S.F. AUSTIN
CLEMSON
TEMPLE
SYRACUSE
ARIZONA ST.
AKRON
WESTERN KENTUCKY
GONZAGA
BUTLER
ILLINOIS
RADFORD
LSU
NORTH CAROLINA
BINGHAMTON
MINNESOTA
DUKE
AMERICAN
TEXAS
VCU
VILLANOVA
UCLA
PORTLAND ST
WISCONSIN
XAVIER
TENNESSEE
FLORIDA ST
E. TENNESSEE ST.
OKLAHOMA ST.
PITTSBURGH
APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 11
Get In The Game!
12 I SCORE ATLANTA
Wildcats crash party, must face red-hot Heels; Huskies seek third title in 10 years
t’s Final Four time in the Motor City!
Here’s Score Atlanta’s preview and analysis of both of Saturday’s games.
I
VILLANOVA VS. NORTH CAROLINA …
Villanova was the Big East team in the
tournament that few were talking about as
the Wildcats were overshadowed by the three
No. 1 seeds of Louisville, Pittsburgh and
UConn. But that’s fine for ‘Nova, as Jay
Wright’s team thrives as the underdog. The
Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the
first time since winning the championship as
a No. 8 seed in 1985.
All that’s just perfect for the Wildcats, as
they find themselves in the underdog role
once again in their Final Four matchup with
North Carolina, who is in the national semifinals for the second straight year and a
record 18th time. This year’s Wildcats will
look to drive to the basket and get to the foul
line, where they have shot 85 percent in the
tournament, including making 22 of 23 in
their win over Pittsburgh.
Dante Cunningham has led the Wildcats
with 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game
in the tournament. Fellow senior Dwayne
Anderson has contributed 15 and eight per
contest, and Scottie Reynolds is clutch as
well (see his last-second, game-winning shot
against Pitt in the Elite Eight), adding 12.5
points a game for Villanova.
The Tar Heels are the most talented
team in all of college basketball with 2008
AP Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough (pictured) and 2009 ACC Player of the Year Ty
Lawson. Lawson missed the ACC
Tournament and first round of the NCAA
Tournament with a toe injury but has
bounced back to average 20.3 points and 6.7
assists per game since. Hansbrough has averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game,
with his best performance coming against
Gonzaga, as he scored 24 points and pulled
down 10 boards. Wayne Ellington and Danny
Green have been stellar as well, averaging 19
and 13.5 points per game, respectively.
UNC and Villanova last met in the 2005
NCAA Tournament, as the Tar Heels won 6766 in the third round on their way to their latest
championship. If the Wildcats are going to have
a different result this go-round, they must continue to get to the foul line and sink free throws.
The Wildcats must also continue to defend
against the 3-pointer, as they held Duke to 18.5
percent shooting behind the arc. UNC has the
potential to go off from 3-land; the Heels hit
11-of-19 3-pointers against Gonzaga.
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UCONN VS. MICHIGAN STATE …
A year ago, UConn’s season came to
an abrupt end as A.J. Price suffered a
torn ACL and the Huskies fell to
San Diego in the first round of
the NCAA Tournament. This
year’s team could have suffered
the same fate when Jerome
Dyson, the Huskies second leading
scorer, suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee on Feb. 11 in a
win over Syracuse.
After losing to Pittsburgh twice
and then falling to Syracuse in six
overtimes in the Big East Tournament,
the Huskies have regrouped to prove
their worth as a No. 1 seed.
Price has averaged 20 points per
game in the tournament to lead the
Huskies. Hasheem Thabeet and
Stanley Robinson are dominant defensive forces in the paint. Thabeet has
averaged 11.3 rebounds and two blocks
per game in the tournament. He is also
an excellent passer. Robinson had four
blocks in the 82-75 win over Missouri.
Freshman Kemba Walker has
stepped up after the loss of Dyson,
leading the Huskies with 23 points
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against the Tigers. UConn has also
done an excellent job of getting to
the foul line, making more free
throws in the tournament of any
of the remaining teams with 89.
Michigan
State
has
advanced to its fifth Final Four
in 11 years with stellar defensive play. In the Spartans’ 64-52
win over Louisville, they held
the Cardinals to 38.3 percent
shooting from the field. The
Spartans are led by Big Ten
Player of the Year Kalin Lucas,
who has struggled with his shot
lately but has remained clutch.
In the team’s 67-62 win over
Kansas to reach the Elite Eight,
Lucas scored seven points in the
final 49 seconds.
The Spartans will face off
with UConn in Detroit, only 90
miles from their campus. The
Huskies are playing in their third
Final Four. They won the championship both of the other times, first in
1999 and then in 2004.
Photo courtesy of the University of
North Carolina. Wiley can be reached
at [email protected].
APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 13
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Get In The Game!
14 I SCORE ATLANTA
Hawks fall to Spurs, Celts but take down L.A. Thrashers offense continues hot streak
combined to mark only the second time all
fter an impressive two weeks that saw the
arlier in the week the Atlanta Thrashers OFFENSE SINKS OTTAWA …
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team win eight straight games at home, the
season the Hawks have lost consecutive
playoff hopes officially ended with a loss
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First-year head coach John Anderson is
Hawks took a step backward last week with
games at Philips, making Sunday’s showto the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, how- beginning to see the fruits of his labor, as the
consecutive losses at Philips Arena to San
Antonio and Boston before getting revenge
against the Lakers at home on Sunday.
When San Antonio came to town last
Wednesday, Atlanta was riding an eight-game
home winning streak and had the luxury of
facing the Spurs without All-Star Tim Duncan.
Despite the big man’s absence and Manu
Ginobili getting only 14 minutes of action, the
Spurs were still too tough for an Atlanta squad
playing without Marvin Williams and Acie
Law, capturing the 102-92 victory.
Although Law has been far from a bigtime contributor this season, (or last, for that
matter) his defensive presence off the bench
was sorely missed at the point guard position, as San Antonio’s Tony Parker shredded
the Hawks and anyone who guarded him for
42 points and 10 assists. As usual, Joe
Johnson led Atlanta with 30 points in 44
minutes of action.
FINALS PARTICIPANTS VISIT …
Looking for redemption against another
hobbled NBA power, the Hawks came up
short yet again last Friday, this time to a
Boston Celtics club playing without star
power forward Kevin Garnett. Surprisingly,
Boston dominated the paint even in Garnett’s
absence, as second-year power forward Glen
Davis scored 19 points and grabbed 12
rebounds in 43 minutes of play. Johnson had
yet another good showing with 22 points,
while Josh Smith recovered well from a
dreadful performance against the Spurs to
score 22 points and grab 11 rebounds.
The Wednesday and Friday home losses
down with Los Angeles. all the more important, as three home losses in a row would
have brought the Hawks into what is, for
them, uncharted territory this season. The
Hawks responded to this challenge, however,
using suffocating defense to earn an 86-76
victory. Mike Bibby led the Atlanta charge
with 21 points, five rebounds and three
assists, while Pau Gasol paced the Lakers
with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
This week should be another challenging one for the Hawks, as it begins with a
Celtic rematch on Friday, this time in Boston.
On Saturday, Atlanta welcomes division rival
Orlando to Philips Arena before finishing the
week on Tuesday with a road contest in
Toronto against the Raptors.
FOR THE RECORD …
Sunday’s showdown with the Lakers
drew the highest single-game crowd for a
Hawks regular-season contest in Philips
Arena’s nearly 10-year history (20,148). The
next two largest crowds include an April
game against Boston last year (20,098), and
a 2001 contest against the Washington
Wizards (20,073). Game 6 in the first round
of last year’s playoff series against Boston
drew the arena’s highest attendance ever with
20,425 fans in attendance.
Additionally, Sunday’s game also
marked the club’s 11th sellout of the season, extending the total for the most sellouts the team has recorded in a single season at Philips Arena.
at
can
be
reached
Janovitz
[email protected].
ever, the team has won two in a row against
mid-level competition from the Eastern
Conference, raising hopes for the possibilities next season.
The formula employed by the Thrashers
against the New York Rangers last Thursday
has almost become standard for Atlanta this
season: tie the game in the third, keep the
game scoreless in overtime and win in the
shootout. Todd White accomplished two of
the three tasks in the Thrashers’ formula for
victory, scoring the game-tying goal in the
third period and the only goal in the
shootout, giving Atlanta a 5-4 win.
A bad New York pass through center ice
allowed Ilya Kovalchuk to steal the puck and
start the odd-man rush for Atlanta.
Kovalchuk charged the net, pulling the
Rangers’ defense with him before dropping
the puck off for White in front of the net.
White finished the play by knocking the
puck past Rangers goalie Stephen Valiquette.
White’s goal closed a comeback that saw
the Thrashers score three unanswered goals to
tie the game at four after trailing 4-1 in the
second period. Kovalchuk not only assisted
on White’s goal but also assisted on Atlanta’s
third goal, scored by Colby Armstrong, and
scored just before the end of the second period to make the game 4-2. The goal was
Kovalchuk’s 39th of the season, making him
fourth overall in the NHL in the category.
Johan Hedberg stopped 24 shots, including all the shots during the shootout, to help
Atlanta improve to 7-1 in shootouts this season.
A look at some ’09 Draft possibilities
holes in the secondary. Although safety
pon his arrival in Atlanta, general manLouis Delmas spent four years starting for
ager Thomas Dimitroff quickly made it
U
MAC school Western Michigan, he raised
clear that he planned to rebuild the team
through the draft. And many of his 2008
draft picks, such as quarterback Matt Ryan,
wide receiver Harry Douglas and linebacker
Curtis Lofton, paid dividends immediately.
With plenty of holes to fill on next season’s team, and considering the team’s inactivity in free agency, Dimitroff will be looking to hit a home run once again in the
upcoming draft. The team has the 24th pick
in the first round.
One area that must be addressed is linebacker, where one starting spot alongside
Lofton and the newly signed Mike Peterson
is open for the taking.
USC linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.,
whom several mock draft sites have Atlanta
taking, is one option. Another much-discussed possibility is Matthews’ teammate
Brian Cushing, who started across from him
at outside linebacker. Cushing made 74 tackles his senior season and “possesses a very
good combination of height, bulk, and overall speed,” according to Scouts Inc.
There is also a need at tight end. Justin
Peelle was solid last season, but he is not a
consistent threat catching the football.
Brandon Pettigrew, who multiple draft
experts project to be available at No. 24,
could solve that problem. The 6-foot-6, 260pound Oklahoma State alum caught 42 balls
for 472 yards and nine touchdowns in the
Cowboys’ dynamic offense last season.
The departures of safety Lawyer Milloy
and corner Domonique Foxworth left two
more than a few eyebrows when he faced off
against the big boys at the Senior Bowl.
It appears harder to predict what corners
will be available when Atlanta is on the
clock. Among the possible selections are
Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins, Illinois’
Vontae Davis, UConn’s Darius Butler and
Utah’s Sean Smith.
IN THE COMMUNITY …
As always, the Falcons have kept busy off
the field during the offseason. Linebacker
Curtis Lofton and defensive end Kroy
Biermann delivered meals to a group of seniors at an apartment complex in Gainesville,
Ga., on March 26. Their endeavor was a part of
the Hall County Meals on Wheels program.
Biermann and Lofton were joined by
several football players from Flowery Branch
High School and also a few participants in
the Junior Falcons football program, which
was designed to raise awareness for the
Meals on Wheels program.
Punter Michael Koenen is also keeping
busy in the community. He will host the sixth
annual Dream House Golf Classic on
Thursday, April 23. Proceeds go to Dream
House, an organization that strives to provide
proper care for medically fragile children.
Registration begins at noon for the outing, with
golf beginning at 1 p.m. Other Falcons players
are expected to join Koenen at the event.
Bagriansky can be reached at
[email protected].
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Atlanta Thrashers are no longer the lethargic
offensive group they once were. Anderson
saw his offense blossom once again, this time
on home ice, against the Ottawa Senators, a
team fighting to get into the playoffs.
Atlanta broke open a 2-2 tie with the
Senators with three goals in just 2:58 in the
second period. Tobias Enstrom, Marty
Reasoner and Colby Armstrong each scored
in the period giving Atlanta a three-goal lead
that the team wouldn’t give up. Enstrom’s
goal came on a wrist shot from beyond the
circle on an Atlanta power play, giving the
defenseman five goals on the season. Atlanta
came back right after the faceoff, scoring
another goal when Reasoner tipped a shot
from Eric Perrin for his 13th goal of the season. Finally, Armstrong ended the outburst
with a backhanded shot.
The two teams traded third-period
goals, leaving Atlanta with a 6-3 win over the
Senators on Saturday. Also scoring for the
Thrashers was Kovalchuk, who recorded a
goal and an assist to bring his season point
total to 87 on the year. Kovalchuk now sits in
sixth in the NHL in points, trailing leader
Evgeni Malkin by 20, and is just two points
out of a top-five spot.
In net for Atlanta was Johan Hedberg,
who stopped 18 shots for the win, the 100th
of his career. Hedberg, who is in his eighth
NHL season, has played for the Pittsburgh
Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas
Stars before joining Atlanta three years ago.
Boral
can
be
reached
at
[email protected]
APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 15
Dobbs injures foot; coaching search continues Spring practice begins; women’s hoops falls
he football team is halfway through
ic teams held a top-10 spot in their sport’s
he football team has completed two full were spotted at Flowery Branch over the weekspring practice and the injury bug has
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rankings. Baseball, equestrian, men’s golf and
weeks of spring practice as it gears up for end. Additionally, Johnson has already signed
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already hit a team that was still recovering
2009. Head coach Paul Johnson and the two in-state talents for the 2010 season and he
gymnastics all held the No. 1 spot in their
from last year’s injury-plagued season.
Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs broke his
left foot and will miss the rest of the spring.
Dobbs was one of four defensive ends that
started the spring healthy for Georgia, leaving Justin Houston, Jeremy Longo and
Kiante Tripp at the position. Though it will
hurt his growth as a player, Dobbs’ injury
should hasten the development of Longo, a
redshirt freshman, and Tripp, a convert from
the offense. The Bulldogs will conclude
spring practice on April 11 with their G-Day
game, which will be televised on ESPN.
With only four college basketball teams
still in play, the coaching search at Georgia
can now begin in full. The teams of Jeff
Capel (Oklahoma) and Mike Anderson
(Missouri) lost in the NCAA Tournament
Elite Eight, paving the way for Georgia to
ask their respective schools for permission to
speak with them. Capel, 34, is 69-33 in three
years as the head coach of Oklahoma after
serving as head coach at Virginia
Commonwealth the previous four seasons.
Anderson, 49, is 65-34 in three years as the
head coach of Missouri after seeing as the
head coach at UAB the previous four seasons. Other candidates may include Xavier’s
Sean Miller and Butler’s Brad Stevens.
CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL …
Whoever is named the next head basketball coach of the Bulldogs will have his work
cut out for him when attempting to rival the
success of the University’s other athletic programs. As of last week, eight Georgia athlet-
respective sports. Also, the men’s swimming
and diving team wrapped up its season with a
10th-place
finish
at
the
NCAA
Championships over the weekend. That performance followed a second-place showing
by the women a week earlier.
Of the four teams that were ranked No.
1, gymnastics and equestrian have the earliest and probably the best shot at bringing a
national championship back to Athens. The
gymnastics team has won the previous four
national championships and may have some
added motivation to win another title this
year, as this is head coach Suzanne Yoculan’s
26th and final year at the helm of the program. The Gym Dogs will take their next
step towards a fifth consecutive national
championship when they participate in the
Southeast Regional in Raleigh, N.C., on
Saturday. A top-two finish there and the team
will advance to the Super Six, which runs
from April 16-18, in Lincoln, Neb.
The equestrian program has won three
national titles in its six-year existence. The
team will compete in the Southern Equestrian
Championships in Bishop, Ga., on Friday and
Saturday with an eye on the National
Championships in Waco, Tex., April 16-18. The
baseball team stood at 19-3 at the end of last
weekend, while the men’s golf team has won
four tournaments since the fall. Georgia will
have to wait until late June and the end of May
to attempt to bring home titles in those sports.
at
Butler
can
be
reached
[email protected].
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Yellow Jackets will be looking to build upon
Johnson’s successful inaugural season, which
featured a 9-4 record and a 45-42 road win
over archrival Georgia. Tech finished in the
Top 25 of both the AP and coaches polls.
Key to the Jackets’ continued improvement is a revamping of the defensive line,
which must deal with the losses of Michael
Johnson and Vance Walker. Ends Derrick
Morgan and Robert Hall have been impressive in practice so far, while tackles T.J.
Barnes and Logan Walls are showing promise. Morgan is the only returning starter from
last year’s defensive line.
The quarterback position—at least for
now—also appears to be open for some competition. Josh Nesbitt (starter in 2008) and
Jaybo Shaw (Nesbitt’s backup in 2008) are
joined by Tevin Washington, who redshirted
last season. Coaches have been raving about
Washington, especially infatuated with his
accurate passing and ability to tuck the ball
away and run when the pocket collapses. The
staff got its first good look at Washington,
and others, when Tech made its debut in full
pads on Saturday in Flowery Branch at the
Falcons’ indoor training facility. Johnson’s
eye has also been drawn to wide receiver Paul
Reese, a sophomore walk-on.
Meanwhile, the buzz surrounding
Johnson’s first full-fledged recruiting class at
Georgia Tech has been palpable, as the coach
will soon be working with players whom he has
targeted to fit his trademark triple-option
offense (as opposed to last year’s bunch recruited by Chan Gailey). Several incoming recruits
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hinted that the 2010 class could consist almost
exclusively of Georgia products.
WOMEN LOSE IN TOURNAMENT …
The women’s basketball team fell to topseeded Oklahoma 69-50 in the second round of
the NCAA Tournament on March 24. Georgia
Tech used a 21-11 run late in the first half to tie
ithe score going into the half at 29-29. The
Sooners, however, pulled away over the final 20
minutes of play en route to their 19-point victory. Sophomore guard Deja Foster had 15 points
to pace the Yellow Jackets, who finished their
2008-09 campaign with a solid 22-10 record.
BASEBALL TAKES SERIES …
The third-ranked baseball team went into
Miami last weekend and won two of three
games from the host Hurricanes. An offensive
show in the series opener last Friday resulted
in a 13-9 Georgia Tech victory. Senior first
baseman Luke Murton hit two home runs in
the win. Tech clinched the three-game series
with a 6-4 triumph one day later. Starting
pitcher Zach Von Tersch struck out seven and
allowed just two runs in five innings. Both
Murton and sophomore shortstop Derek
Dietrich homered for the second straight
game. The Yellow Jackets, however, could not
complete the sweep on Sunday. Dietrich’s
three hits were not enough as Tech went down
to the second-ranked Hurricanes, 6-2. The
Jackets will take on visiting North Carolina in
their upcoming weekend series.
Dimon
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
Get In The Game!
16 I SCORE ATLANTA
Budding stars sent to minor league camp Tennis makes history; baseball beats Stetson
team won the second game of the doublehe men’s tennis team (5-9, 1-4) made
ly pulled a muscle in his side on March 24 in
raves all-star Brian McCann dodged a
an appearance against the Pittsburgh Pirates
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huge bullet Saturday when former Brave
history on Sunday afternoon by winning
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header by a score of 13-9. The Owls scored in
and the severity of the injury may require
Mark Teixeira fouled a pitch off the catcher’s
the program’s first-ever Atlantic Sun match.
each of the first eight innings in their second
right ring finger. McCann was lifted from the
game and was going to have an X-ray of the
injured digit taken, but feeling returned and
doctors ruled that no bones had been broken.
McCann, as well as team doctors, believe
that he should be back after missing possibly
a day or two with the bruise.
Fans hoping to see young gun Tommy
Hanson throw for Atlanta this season may
still get a chance, but it will not be at the
start of the season. Last week the organization assigned Hanson, along with Freddie
Freeman and Jason Heyward, to the minor
league spring training camp. The team also
optioned Jo-Jo Reyes, who was having a
strong spring, to AAA Gwinnett, as well as
catcher Clint Sammons and infielder Diory
Hernandez. Reyes finished 2008 with seven
losses in his last 13 starts but pitched well
in the spring, putting together a 2-0 record
with an ERA around 2.00. Hanson, meanwhile, was sent down to receive regular reps
to continue his development. With Tom
Glavine requiring innings to recover from
shoulder surgery and Jorge Campillo and
Javier Vazquez returning from WBC play,
the organization realized that the innings
would get eaten up by the projected staff of
Derek Lowe, Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens,
Kenshin Kawakami and Glavine. ...
Outfielder Josh Anderson was traded to the
Detroit Tigers on Monday for Rudy Darrow,
a minor league reliever.
SORIANO HURT …
Braves reliever Rafael Soriano reported-
him to begin the season on the disabled list.
Soriano missed major parts of last season
with various injuries, appearing in only 14
games, but the team was hoping to have him
as an eighth-inning stopper and occasional
closer. Soriano is in the final year of his contract with Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Glavine continues to dazzle
and prove to be a medical marvel at age 43.
Following surgery last August, Glavine has
pitched 10 innings this spring and has
allowed zero runs. The first three scoreless
frames came in an intrasquad game but he
has also started against the Mets and Tigers
for a combined seven scoreless innings with
just five hits and zero walks. As the fifth
starter, Glavine’s spot in the rotation isn’t
scheduled to pop up until Saturday, April 18.
COMMUNITY NEWS …
The Atlanta Braves organization will
honor former team broadcaster Pete Van
Wieren on Friday, April 10, before its 2009
home opener against the Washington
Nationals. Van Wieren manned the broadcast booth for 33 years, many of which
found him alongside Skip Caray, who
passed away last summer. He is also scheduled to throw out the first pitch. … Former
Braves centerfielder Marquis Grissom, who
still lives in the Atlanta area during the offseason, is hosting the Grissom Fields of
Dreams Spring Extravaganza on Thursday,
April 9, from 3-7 p.m. in Conyers. For more
information, visit mgba.org.
Proctor
can
be
reached
at
[email protected]
The Owls, who are in their first year as a
varsity sport at KSU, defeated Florida Gulf
Coast by a score of 6-1 at the KSU tennis
complex. The Black and Gold won the doubles point, then jumped ahead when No. 2
singles player Tyler Mills won his match
decisively, 6-1, 6-1. After losing at No. 1
singles, the Owls ripped off four straight
victories to clinch the match. The win
snapped a three-match losing streak for the
team. On March 24, the Owls lost to USC
Upstate by a score of 6-1. The previous
weekend, KSU dropped matches on the road
against North Florida and Jacksonville. This
weekend, the team will travel to Nashville to
take on Lipscomb and Belmont on Friday
and Saturday, respectively.
BASEBALL TAKES SERIES …
The baseball team (11-11, 5-3) took two
of three from host Stetson this past weekend
as the Owls swept a doubleheader on Sunday
to clinch the series. After dropping the Friday
night opener 7-2, KSU scored a total of 26
runs in the next two games to achieve the
series victory. In the second game, the Owls
were led by sophomore infielder Bucky
Smith, who homered twice in a 13-6 comeback win. Smith launched his second dinger
in the sixth inning, a three-run blast that gave
KSU the lead for the first time at 7-6. The
comeback win of the day. The Hatters had
taken a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the second
only to watch the Owls take a 7-6 lead in the
sixth inning after Tyler Stubblefield’s two-run
home run. KSU went on to score three more
runs in the inning to take a commanding 106 lead. After traveling to Clinton, S.C., on
Wednesday to take on the Presbyterian Blue
Hose, the Fighting Owls will host conference
rival Lipscomb on Friday and Saturday.
OTHER NEWS …
The Lady Owl (7-7) tennis squad
defeated Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday
afternoon by a score of 6-1 to improve to 32 in Atlantic Sun play. Like the men’s squad,
the Lady Owls won the doubles point before
dominating singles action. The team will
travel to Nashville this weekend to take on
conference rival Lipscomb and Belmont on
Friday and Saturday. … The softball team
dropped games to Georgia on March 18 and
Mercer on March 21 before having a doubleheader at Campbell rained out on
Saturday. The Campbell games were
rescheduled for April 7. Before then, the
Lady Owls will play doubleheaders at home
against Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast on
Friday and Saturday respectively.
Black
can
[email protected].
be
reached
at
Baseball team pulls historic upset; John receives Golfer of the Week honors
ed by a trio of home runs, the Georgia
State baseball team earned a 10-1 upset
win over No. 3 Georgia Tech on Tuesday
night at Russ Chandler Stadium. The win
over the third ranked Yellow Jackets (16-3)
was the highest ranked opponent that the
Panthers have defeated in the history of the
program. “We look at every game as a big
game and a big win,” commented head coach
Greg Frady. “To come over here to Georgia
Tech and get a win like this against a great
organization and such a well run club is a
special thing. Tonight was also the first night
that we played on television in a number of
years, so that just adds to an already great
evening of baseball for our team.” The
Panthers are now 15-7 on the season and
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host UNC Wilmington at Panthersville.
Georgia State freshman Allen John, the
top-ranked Panther according to Golfweek’s
latest rankings, has been named CAA Golfer of
the Week for his play at the John Hayt
Collegiate Invitational at Sawgrass Country
Club in Ponte Vedra, Fla. John earned a seventh
place finish, leading the Panthers to a fourth of
15 finish, by carding a 75-72-72—220 (+4).
MORE GOLF NEWS …
The 46th-ranked (Golfweek) Georgia
State men’s golf team heads to Awendaw,
S.C. for the Hootie at Bulls Bay hosted by
College of Charleston at the par 72, 7,282
yard Bulls Bay Golf Club beginning Sunday,
March 29th. Proceeds from the tournament
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benefit the Hootie and the Blowfish
Foundation. Georgia State’s lineup for the
tournament is junior Tom Sherreard, freshman Allen John, sophomores Tobias
Rosendahl, Brent Paul, and Alan Fowler. The
Panthers are coming off of a disappointing
15th of 18 finish at the Schenkel E-Z-Go
Invitational in Statesboro, Ga.
The 36th-ranked (Golfweek) women’s
golf gears up this week to host the 16th
annual John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate at
the par 72, 6,047 yard Eagle’s Landing
Country Club in Stockbridge, Ga., beginning
on Monday, March 30th.
Former Georgia State men’s golf Derek
Oakey has qualified for his first Nationwide
Tour event and will tee off beginning on
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Thursday in the Chitimacha Louisiana Open
presented by Dynamic Industries. Oakey was
a member of the men’s golf team from 200207. Oakey qualified for the event in
Broussard, La. by finishing as one of the top
seven finishers during a Monday qualifier,
shooting 69. “It feels good to be able to finally tee it up on the Nationwide Tour,” commented Oakey. “I spent last year preparing
for this on the Canadian Tour and working to
reach this level. Now that I am out here, I
want to try and take full advantage of it.”
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.
APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 17
Brand-new rotation, improved outfield make Braves dangerous in playoff race
has been more than three years since the
Braves reached the playoffs. In
IeachtAtlanta
of those two seasons, Braves fans figured that the team was a lock for postseason
play, only to come to the cold, hard realization that, ultimately, the team was flawed.
This offseason fans may have jumped off the
bandwagon, thinking the team is a year or
two away. But the 2009 edition of the Braves
may surprise a lot of people.
REVAMPED STAFF …
General manager Frank Wren faced a
major crossroads after last season. He had
decisions to make on John Smoltz, Tom
Glavine, left field and the bullpen. Wren’s
decision to overhaul the starting rotation
with the idea of acquiring inning-eaters to
aid the wear on the bullpen has proved to be
a wise one thus far in the spring. New staff
ace Derek Lowe has looked sharp, and will
be the Opening Day starter. Lowe has mixed
a nice sinker in with a sneaky fastball to justify the contract the club game him. The
right-hander will be the pitcher that manager
Bobby Cox trots out against the opposition’s
No. 1, and Lowe has proved in the past that
he can be a big-game pitcher. In 2004, Lowe
started each of the series-clinching games for
the Red Sox as Boston won its first world
title in 86 years.
The trade for Javier Vazquez may have
raised a few eyebrows at the time, but Vazquez
has impressed this spring. Vazquez pitched
well for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball
Classic and upon returning to the team has
continued his hot spring. The big right-hander
is also a workhorse and will let the bullpen
have a light day on his turn on the bump.
The rotation was filled out by 2008
breakout star Jair Jurrjens (his 13 wins last
year led the team), Japanese-import Kenshin
Kawakami and Tom Glavine. Some Braves
fans were irked with super-prospect Tommy
Hanson’s recent demotion to minor league
camp, but Braves management felt that the
future ace needed regular work instead of
spot work, which is what he would have
received had he stayed with the big club.
Hanson has been quite impressive this
spring, tallying 14 strikeouts in 14-plus
innings of work and consistently hitting 94plus on the radar gun. He has also shown a
nice curveball and slider. Hanson’s promotion this summer could be what David Price’s
was last season for the Tampa Bay Rays and
Joba Chamberlain’s was the season before
for the Yankees.
OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS …
One of the team’s biggest weaknesses
last season was lack of pop in the outfield,
and part of that had to do with Jeff
Francoeur’s season-long slump. The onetime “future of the franchise” hit just .239
with 11 home runs and .359 slugging percentage. The organization even briefly sent
him to AA Mississippi to clear his head.
Frenchy was expected to provide the pop that Andruw Jones
had for years, but his struggles
were just a microcosm of the
2008 outfield. Centerfield was
a rotating door between Mark
Kotsay, Gregor Blanco and
Josh Anderson. Left field was
also an area of concern with
Matt Diaz, Brandon Jones,
midseason pickup Greg
Norton and Omar Infante. The
power was never there and
Wren wanted to correct that
this season, so he signed
Garret Anderson. The former
Angel has hit close to .300
for his career and can provide
some pop from the left side of the plate.
Anderson might also be plugged into the
cleanup spot in the batting order. The centerfield spot might also find rookie Jordan
Schafer manning the position on opening day,
as Schafer has flashed impressive leather and
has posted a .360-plus average this spring.
Francoeur still remains the X-factor that
could make this outfield a potent one if he can
live up to his .290/25 home run potential.
The strength of this lineup remains with
its two All-Stars, Chipper Jones and Brian
McCann. Jones won the batting title last season and can still rake even in his mid-30s,
while McCann has quietly become the best
PUMPING THE IRON
AT ROSWELL…
HOISTIN’ HORNETS:
Last Saturday, the Roswell
football teams, from 6th-12th grade, took part in the first annual StrongMan
Competition to raise money for the program. Members of the Roswell community
were in attendance to watch some of the area’s gridiron standouts compete in five
different strongman events. Photo courtesy of Linda Porter.
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SPRING FLING: Yunel Escobar and the rest of
the Braves will look to get an early leg-up on
the competition with divisional series against
the Phillies, Nationals and Marlins to open up
the year. After three seasons with no playoff
appearances, the team hopes to return to postseason play. Photo courtesy of Todd Kirkland/Atlanta Braves.
hitting catcher in the game. If both can get
some help from Anderson, first baseman
Casey Kotchman and shortstop Yunel
Escobar, this team could be in the running for
the NL wild card all season long.
Proctor
can
be
reached
at
[email protected].
Get In The Game!
18 I SCORE ATLANTA
BASKETBALL
Hawks. March 19 vs. Dallas 7 PM. March 21 at
Cleveland 1 PM. March 23 vs. Minnesota 7 PM.
March 25 vs. San Antonio 7 PM. March 27 vs.
Boston 7:30 PM. March 29 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
3:30 PM. March 31 at Philadelphia 7 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 9and-under and 8-and-under teams. For information
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.
BASEBALL
Braves. (Preseason). April 1 at Detroit 1:05 PM. April 2
at Houston 1:05 PM. April 3 vs. Detroit 7:10 PM.
April 4 vs. Detroit 1:10 PM. (Regular season). April
5 at Philadelphia 8 PM. April 7 at Philadelphia 7:05
PM. April 8 at Philadelphia 3:05 PM. April 10 vs.
Washington 7:30 PM. April 11 vs. Washington 7
PM. April 12 vs. Washington 1:30 PM. April 14 vs.
Florida 7 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 770-4368114, 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].
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 www.ssas
ports.com.
HOCKEY
Thrashers. April 1 vs. Buffalo 7 PM. April 3 at Florida
7:30 PM. April 5 at Washington 3 PM. April 7 vs.
Washington 7 PM. April 9 vs. Florida 7 PM. April 11
vs. Tampa Bay 7 PM.
Gladiators. April 1 at Florida 7:30 PM. April 3 vs. South
Carolina 7:35 PM. April 4 at Charlotte 7:30 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
3rd Annual Yellow Jacket 5K and Mile Buzz Run.
Apr. 4. Jesup, 9 AM. 912-427-4707 or
www.wayne.k12.ga.us/WCYJRun.htm
18th Annual Silver & Archibald Run/Walk for
Home 5K. Apr. 4. Athens, 8 AM. 706-769-6593.
Emory PA Fun Run 5K. Apr. 4. Atlanta, 9 AM.
770-655-6785.
Relay for Life of Bleckley County 5K. Apr. 4.
Cochran, 9 AM. 478-290-1930.
CrimeStoppers Azalea Run 2009 5K/10K. Apr. 4.
Savannah, 8 AM. 912-652-3560.
Race for Ronald 10K. Apr. 4. Atlanta, Georgia Tech,
8 AM. gtadpi.org/philanthropy/philanthropy.htm
Homes for People and Pets 5K/Mile. Apr. 4.
Commerce, Georgia Tech, 4 PM. 706-769-6593.
The 2009 JCB 5K Charity Run. Apr. 4 Pooler, 8:45
a.m.; 912-447-2253.
Nancy Parrish Bridges Memorial Run 5K/12K
and Fun Run. Apr. 4. Cordele, 8 AM.
229-938-1222.
Peach Pace 5K/1Mile Fun Run. Apr. 4 Fort Valley,
8 AM. 478-825-6466.
Pound the Pavement for Peter 5K. Apr. 4. Atlanta,
Brookhaven, 9 AM. 404-327-7738.
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
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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
Nike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville,
Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and 0894-4297 to find
out which dates suit your campers best.
Georgia Tech MaChelle Joseph Basketball Camp.
Ages range from 7-17. Day camps, overnight
camps and team camps available. Visit www.ram
blinwreck.com or call 404-894-4297 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.
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SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool -
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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].
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.
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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
Suzuki Superbike Showdown. April 3-5 at Road
Atlanta.
Off-Season Legends Race. April 3 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 training opportu
nities for men, women, and youth. For more informa
tion, contact Jeb Bell at handball@equipmentcon
trols.com.
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.
APRIL 1-7, 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 19
Hawks focused on final stretch of season
he 2008-09 season has not yet come to a
NOT DONE YET …
close (there were eight games left as of
T
While Atlanta has no doubt met regupress time), but it has already been a memolar-season expectations, in the big picture,
rable one for the Atlanta Hawks. If the season
ended today, the Hawks would have earned
the four seed and home court in advantage in
the first round of the Eastern Conference
playoffs. Trailing only conference powers
Cleveland, Orlando and Boston just a year
removed from earning the eight seed with a
mediocre 37-45 record, the Hawks have a lot
to be proud of in ‘09. Historically speaking,
Atlanta’s 43-31 record finds significance in
the fact that it marks the team’s first season
above .500 in nine years (since the strikeshortened 1998-99), the same amount of time
it’s been since the Hawks made back-to-back
playoff appearances, another feat they will
accomplish in the next month.
STEADY IMPROVEMENTS …
It’s about more than just numbers, however. The team has found a reliable and
promising inside presence in Al Horford,
honed a sharp-shooting All-Star in Joe
Johnson, and covered up the damage inflicted on the bench from Josh Childress’s Greek
defection with the sometimes-explosive and
always-reliable duo of Flip Murray and
Maurice Evans. Best yet, with a newfound
touch from the outside, Marvin Williams has
finally begun taking steps, even if they are
small, towards the basketball stratosphere in
which experts thought he would be comfortably settled by now.
Ask head coach Mike Woodson to
describe the difference between this year and
last, however, and the answer is perhaps simpler than the many aforementioned team
improvements would suggest.
“Part of it is our defense has gotten better,” said Woodson. “Defensively we’ve just
gotten much better. Statistically, we now
have six guys who average in double figures,
and that’s pretty good.
“Other teams don’t know who’s going to
get you one night and that’s kind of how I set
it up. I wanted it to be that way because other
teams can’t key in on one guy. But our
defense has carried us this year without a
doubt; when we hold teams below 100 we are
… some staggering number.”
To be exact, the Hawks are actually an
impressive 37-10 when they hold opponents below 100 points and are currently
ranked 12th in the league overall in defensive efficiency rating.
the team must achieve some degree of playoff success for this season to be remembered in a positive light. What kind of success are we talking about?
Simply put, Atlanta must get past the
first round, whoever their opponent may be.
With the season’s end just over two weeks
away, the Miami Heat look like the proverbial
favorite to land the five seed and the Hawks
in a first-round matchup. If not the Heat, the
Philadelphia 76ers will most likely be
Atlanta’s opponent to open postseason play,
but either way, the Hawks will be expected to
make a second-round appearance and will be
hugely disappointed/-ing if they don’t.
With that in mind, a 3.5-game lead over
the Heat and only eight games remaining in
the season, Woodson is probably hard at work
preparing for the playoffs, right? Wrong!
“I’m just trying right now to keep us
playing to get to the four spot,” he explained
before Friday night’s loss to Boston. “Once
we secure the four spot, then we’ll start
thinking about the playoffs. That’s the third
phase. I go in three phases: exhibition season, regular season and then playoffs. We’re
not at the playoff phase yet; we’ve still got a
lot of work on our hands.”
Knowing Woody’s approach down the
stretch, Hawks fans would be smart to root
for an Atlanta surge and a Miami meltdown.
With Williams and Acie Law both out recovering from injury and Atlanta’s other go-to
guys continuing to log big-time minutes,
time for rest would be a valuable luxury
heading into postseason play. Without the
four seed locked up, however, it’s simply not
an option according to Woodson.
“You can’t; there is no time to rest right
now until you’re secure,” he said. “You rest
after you’re secure. Hopefully we can get it
done here in the next week or so, then you
can start thinking about resting.”
With what looks like will be little to no
time left over for playoff preparation then,
the postseason experience the Hawks
gained during last season’s memorable
matchup with Boston looms all the more
important with every day.
“They taught us how to play basketball
at its highest level,” Woodson concluded,
with an air of confidence.
Janovitz
can
be
reached
at
[email protected]
SAID ON THE AIR
“[Knowshon] Moreno possesses Barry Sanders-like lateral
quickness, and although he
lacks elite speed, the Cardinals
should snap him up if he falls
to them [at No. 31].”
- ESPN’s Ben Riley on Georgia
running back Knowshon
Moreno’s draft prospects
KEEPIN’ AN EYE ON
D. Orlando Ledbetter used Friday to
address the NFL Draft and the Falcons’
role in it specifically, and also simulated
the entire first round. According to
Ledbetter, offensive tackle Jason Smith
from Baylor will be the first player
selected overall (going to the Detroit
Lions), while Matthew Stafford will fall to
Seattle at No. 4. As for the Falcons,
Ledbetter believes USC linebacker Clay
Matthews will be the choice when the
team picks at No. 24.
Mark Bradley addressed the Hawks’
playoff chances on Friday, acknowledging the team is far from elite but also
suggesting they are as dangerous as
ever and even more prepared than they
were for the playoffs last year. “They
now know what the postseason entails,
whereas last season’s team was flying
blind,” Bradley writes. While Bradley is
right in assuming playoff experience
helps, there is also a chance last year’s
postseason success against eventualchampion Boston will have the team
overconfident this time around.
MEDIA
HALL OF FAME
Jayson Stark used Monday to create various all-baseball teams in many
different categories. Chipper Jones
made Stark’s All-Money team as a
player he would pick if everything was
riding on one game; Rafael Soriano
made the team for players who make a
lot but fail to produce; Kenshin
Kawakami made a team for players
who wear No. 11; Jason Heyward and
Tommy Hanson made the team of phenoms; and Phil Stockman made the AllMoneyball team for having one of the
“greatest” last names in baseball.
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