FEBRUARY CHECK US OUT AT SCOREATL.COM VOL 6 NO 7€¦ · handling of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade and...

CHECK US OUT AT SCOREATL.COMFEBRUARY 12-18, 2010 VOL 6 NO 7

02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game!

A L W A Y S A T S C O R E A T L . C O M


Columnist Foster Lander discusses the Colts-Saints Super Bowl and how it affected bothstarting quarterbacks’ legacies.

Braves beat writer Fletcher Proctor takesa look at the club the week before allplayers report to Spring Training.

In our Score More section, Jason Boralshares his thoughts on the Thrashers’handling of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade andwhat it means for the future.

Catch up with the latest on our college beatpage; Mark Fox (pictured) has his UGA squadplaying good basketball as the team movesfarther into SEC play.

FEBRUARY 12-18, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 03

TEAM SCOOP AND VOICESCOVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATICOVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA BRAVES

6SCORE LIST-KATREK 8 HAWKS

11 SCORE MORE 12 FALCONS - GA STATE

13 CALENDAR 14 MEDIA-AD INDEX

15 GA TECH - UGA

PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. RosenbergGENERAL MANAGER Bob Houghton

MANAGING EDITOR Alex EwaltART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ GalbiatiBUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

SALES MANAGER Mark MayoSALES ASSOCIATE John Saunders

BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black(UGA), Jason Boral (Thrashers), Dave Cohen (Georgia State),

Ricky Dimon (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Rajesh Gupta (Hawks) Fletcher Proctor (Braves)

STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Zander Lentz, BrianPenter, Foster Lander, Brian Jones, Jason Murdock

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, FredKalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak

Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, RoyHickman, 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

SHOT OF THEWEEK…

BROTHERS IN RED: Feb. 3 was a bigday for lots of football signees across the state, but themoment must have been especially memorable forNewnan’s Ogletree brothers, who signed with Georgia.Alec (left) and his twin Zander (right) are two of thestate’s top defenders. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.

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, WheelerDEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside,

Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius X, SouthwestDeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker

FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass,Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, Riverwood,

Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward AcademyGWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula,

Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, Norcross,North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan

GORDON: Calhoun, Gordon Central, Sonoraville

™ STARTINGLINEUP

™ SCHOOLLISTING

ONTH

E For the second year in a row, Score Atlantawill be webcasting the state traditionalwrestling finals at Gwinnett Arena in theirentirety. We will be bringing you the action liveat GHSA.tv, with expert analysis and camerason all five mats. The event will be archivedafterwards at GHSA.tv. Going to the event?Pick up Score’s official guide to the finals!

CAN’TMISSCAN’TMISS

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THIS WEEK



In recent years, the Super Bowl has comedown to a singular, defining play, one that

casual viewers and fans alike will rememberforever. Super Bowl XLIV’s outcome, howev-er, was derived from a series of gutsy decisionsmade by Sean Payton, dubious ones by Indy’sJim Caldwell and a few timely plays made bysome of New Orleans’ unsung heroes. Let’splay armchair quarterback for a little while.

Trailing 10-6 at halftime and kicking off,Payton had simply said to punter and kickoffspecialist Thomas Morstead “ambush” in thelocker room — the Saints’ name for theironside kick. Though he’d never executed anonside kick in a game and rarely practiced forsuch a situation, Morstead placed anabsolutely perfect bouncer that caromed offthe Colts’ Hank Baskett. After a scrum thatlasted more than a minute, New Orleans’Chris Reis (a Roswell High School andGeorgia Tech grad) emerged from the pilewith a recovery that shifted momentum dras-tically. Now, the Saints had good startingfield position and put it to good use, scoringsix plays later on a 16-yard screen pass from

Drew Brees to Pierre Thomas. Had the kickfailed — one wrong bounce, a better set ofhands on the football — the Colts quite like-ly would’ve broken the game open, andPayton’s decision would forever have beenlampooned. One bounce was all it took, andas has been the case all season, New Orleansgot one more to roll their way.

It may have taken a great bounce togive the Saints a major boost, but by mak-ing just a few crucial plays, Indianapoliscould have prevented New Orleans fromtaking over the game. The Colts were up10-3 midway through the second quarterwhen young receiver Pierre Garçon — asixth rounder in 2008 that had emerged asone of Peyton Manning’s favorite targetsthis year — dropped a crucial third downpass. After the miscue, the Colts ran onlythree offensive plays for the rest of the half,and Manning threw no more passes. Sure,drops can be a part of football (look no fur-ther than Terrell Owens, potentially a futureHall of Famer), but there’s no excuse forGarçon being wide open and dropping a

well-thrown ball from Manning.Later in the half, the Colts made yet

another critical error on a third down deep intheir territory. On a third-and-1, Indy choseto run up the middle behind an undersizedoffensive line instead of allowing Manningto pick up a first down through the air. Whensmallish running back Mike Hart got stuffedand the Colts were forced to punt, NewOrleans received the ball back in great posi-tion to tack on a score to end the half — andGarrett Hartley added a field goal as timeran out. Trying to pound the ball in that sit-uation would make sense for most NFLteams, but not for the league’s 31st-rankedrush offense. Manning can find a way topick up a yard or two, and why not stick withthe man who got you there?

All the second-guessing of the Coltsdoes not, by any means, take away from thebrilliant work of Drew Brees and cornerbackTracy Porter. Brees, easily the NFL’s mostaccurate passer (70.6 percent), again torcheda solid defense to the tune of 288 yards whilecompleting 32 of 39 passes — a Super Bowl

record for completions — and two touch-downs. He had always struggled to gain wide-spread national recognition even while put-ting up prolific regular season numbers, butBrees’ performance in Miami plants himsquarely on a level with Manning and TomBrady. The win cements his legacy as one ofthe best — and most underappreciated — sig-nal-callers of his generation.

On the other hand, Tracy Porter is justbeginning to create his legacy. The nativeLouisianan by way of Indiana University,Porter started from day one and played well.Quietly, unassumingly, Porter worked his wayback from a wrist injury last year before step-ping in front of Reggie Wayne to nab a PeytonManning pass. He pointed ahead with an out-stretched left arm, carving a path throughwhich to run, darting through the hole andetching his name into Super Bowl lore.Manning and several other Colts gave chase,but their efforts were futile — there would beno catching the Saints on this night.

Lander can be reached [email protected].

Mistakes, missed opportunities doom Colts in Miami as Brees cements legacy

asked to play first base — a position he’sonly played in a handful of games — as wellas protect Chipper Jones by batting fourth inthe lineup. Glaus hit 27 home runs in 2008but missed most of last year with a shoulderinjury. If Glaus can rediscover his form ofjust two years ago, the Braves lineup willfeature some sorely needed pop. Glaus’s

To adapt an idea from Notre DameFootball, the motto of the 2010 Braves

may just be “win one for the skipper.” As theAtlanta Braves franchise enters the 2010 sea-son, manager Bobby Cox enters his finalseason as Braves manager and, this week,enters his final Spring Training with the club(pitchers report on Feb. 17-18, and the rest ofthe league reports on Feb. 23).The Braves management there-fore elected to forgo a rebuildingeffort and instead has cobbledtogether a squad capable of givingits long-time manager one lastshot at a second World Series titlewith Atlanta. Unlike the last fewseasons, however, this teamshould be able to make the play-offs, though most likely it wouldbe in a wild card role.

Any discussion of the Bravesmust start with the rotation, just asthe discussion always did duringthe Braves’ magical run in theearly 1990s. The team moved outlast season’s best pitcher, JavierVazquez, but did so because someof the young guns proved theycould more than handle the load.Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjensform the best under-25 one-twopunch this side of Tim Lincecumand Matt Cain, and Tim Hudson and DerekLowe both bring experience to the park everytime they pitch. Hudson pitched well enoughafter coming back from Tommy John surgerythat the team decided to re-sign him for ahome team discount. Derek Lowe struggledhis first season in Atlanta but still posted 15wins and was strong to start the 2009 season.

This year’s bullpen has been totally ren-ovated, with Rafael Soriano and MikeGonzalez out and Billy Wagner and TakashiSaito in. Both Wagner and Saito are formerall-stars that should be able to close outgames if need be. Wagner is sixth all-time insaves and the lefty can still deal.

NEED MORE POWER … On the offensive side of things, the team

may have solved its two-year question of acleanup hitter after the team dealt MarkTeixeira. Newcomer Troy Glaus will be

drooling. Nate McLouth in centerfield couldvery well bring the Gold Glove back toAtlanta and his speed on the basepaths is aweapon that Cox can use to put pressure onthe Phillies in the division.

As far as making the playoffs, theschedule sets up well for Atlanta with noBoston or New York Yankees on the slate.

The Braves should be in contentionfor the wild card throughout the sea-son, and if the team can benefit fromthe schedule, perhaps one final runat a division title could send BobbyCox out on top. I predict the Bravessneak into the postseason via thewild card and from there, it is a crap-shoot. Hanson, Jurrjens and Hudsonwould be a nice postseason rotationand if the Braves do make the post-season, it likely means another all-star year from McCann and valuablecontributions from the rookieHeyward and newcomer Glaus. Thisteam, from all reports, loves its man-ager and wants to send him out theright way. What better way than aplayoff run with perhaps a trophypresentation at the end?

IN THE MARKET FOR DAMON … The Johnny Damon watch is still

on in Bravesland and it appears thatthe Braves may in fact be finalists for theformer Yankee outfielder. Several teams,including the Kansas City Royals, OaklandA’s and the Toronto Blue Jays, have report-edly dropped out of the running for the for-mer Red Sox, Royals, Athletics andYankees player, leaving just Detroit andAtlanta as potential landing areas, accord-ing to Yahoo! sports. The 36-year-old freeagent hit .282 with 24 home runs and 82RBIs as the New York Yankees won thefranchise’s 27th World Series title. ForDamon, it was his second championshipafter he won one previously with Boston in2004. According to Yahoo!’s Mark Miller,Detroit, per the Detroit Free Press, wouldonly be interested in adding Damon ifTigers management decides to up its pro-jected 2010 payroll.

The Braves, meanwhile, may be contentto just enter spring training with Matt Diaz,

Nate McLouth and Melky Cabrera as thestarting outfielders with youngsters JordanSchafer and Jason Heyward competing tomake the team. The Sporting News projectsthat Heyward will be given ample opportuni-ty to win the starting job in spring trainingand Schafer won the centerfielder spot lastyear in spring training, only to be sent backdown to Class AAA Gwinnett before aninjury was discovered. With both young out-fielders perhaps just one season away, along-term contract isn’t expected to beoffered to Damon. Damon reportedly turneddown a two-year deal from New York earlierthis offseason, believing he could get moreyears and money from another team.

All photos courtesy of the AtlantaBraves. Proctor can be reached at [email protected].

acquisition will also enable all-star catcherBrian McCann to slide down to the five-hole,a spot he is more suited for. McCann hassome power and hits for a high average, andif he isn’t asked to do so much in terms ofhome run power, he can relax and stroke dou-bles as he did early in his career.

McCann’s defense has also improvedover the last two years. Early in his career hewas well known for calling a superb game butnow he can gun down potential base runners.The Braves defense overall is a questionmark, however, as several new additions pre-vent a grade from being given. MelkyCabrera is penciled in to start right now andhe would be an upgrade over the lead-footedGarret Anderson of one year ago, but ifyoungster Jason Heyward makes the club,Cabrera is pushed into a platoon with MattDiaz. Heyward’s arm has been awing minorleague scouts, but his bat has them simply

A look at the ’10 Braves the first week of Spring Training; Damon still in play?



LAST HURRAH: Bobby Cox has enjoyed a run that few managers have had inthe majors, reaching five World Series during his time in Atlanta. Photo courtesy

of the Atlanta Braves.

OUT FRONT

Orlando’s Champion Stadium is whatthe Atlanta Braves call home duringSpring Training each year, and it’salmost time for them to get back into theswing of things (pitchers and catchersreport this Wednesday and Thursday,while the rest of the league’s players willshow up on Feb. 23. Can the team makea run at a wild card berth in Bobby Cox’slast season as manager? All Bravesphotos courtesy of the Atlanta Braves.



THUMBS UP TO ‘WHO DAT NATION’

THUMBS DOWN TO NO MORE KOVY

New Orleans Saints After many years of disappointment,the New Orleans Saints did theunthinkable and defeated theIndianapolis Colts to become SuperBowl champions. Drew Brees wasnamed MVP for his performance,throwing for 288 yards and twotouchdowns.

Brad NesslerBrad Nessler is one of the best sportsbroadcasters around and he was rewardedfor his efforts on Tuesday, winning theFurman Bisher Award for Sports MediaExcellence. Nessler is a long-time native ofAtlanta and got his broadcast career startedat WGST in 1980.

Al HorfordThe center for the Hawks will show theworld his talent as he takes part in his firstNBA All-Star game on Sunday. Joe Johnsonwill join him as well, but with Horfordselected he is the first drafted Hawks playersince Kevin Willis to make the team.

Atlanta Thrashers First Dany Heatley, then MarianHossa. Now Ilya Kovalchuk is the thirdThrasher superstar to be traded andleave the franchise in a big hole. Theygot three young talented players and afirst round pick in return, but they aregoing to have trouble winning gameswithout the team’s leading scorer.

Donte StallworthEven though he was reinstated by the NFL com-missioner Roger Goodell, Donte Stallworth hasto look for a team to play for as he was cut bythe Cleveland Browns. Stallworth just served ayear-long suspension by the NFL for beingcharged for DUI manslaughter after he hit andkilled a 59-year old man.

Indianapolis Colts The Colts are one of the most consistentteams in the NFL when it comes to theregular season, but the postseason is adifferent story. They fell to the Saints inthe Super Bowl, which means they haveonly one Super Bowl Championship undertheir belts during the Peyton Manning era.

SANITY

“There was a lot more I could have doneoff the field and in the film room that

could have elevated my game to a different level. I was complacent at

the time, somewhat lazy, and I settled for mediocrity. I thought what

I was doing was enough.”

- Eagles and former Falcons quarterbackMichael Vick talking about his career before

he was incarcerated for dogfighting

CRUNCHING THE

NUMBERS AT LASTSTOP SPECULATINGLots of folks are asking when Tiger will be

back. Everyone seems to have their own ideas,and some of those ideas even make sense.One that doesn’t was an Australianwriter who decided Woods would beback next week at the AccentureMatchplay Championship. In caseyou missed it, Tiger lost two spon-sors through this whole ordeal,and Accenture is one of them. Heis not going to play in anAccenture sponsored event everagain. Read that sentence overagain if you like, as there is no wayto sugar coat it.

My answer is this, I don't knowwhen he will be back. More importantly,

Tiger doesn’t know when he will be back. Wedon’t know much, but it seems that he and Elin

are trying to keep their marriage together.If this is the case, I don’t see how he can

know at this time when it would beright to return to golf. At some point,the two of them will decide when itis right to take this next step.Maybe they already have, but Idon’t think so. They have biggerissues right now. And if they don’tknow when he is going to play, howcan anyone else know?

Brian Katrek can be heard on 790The Zone’s “On The Green with Brian

Katrek” Sundays from 8-9 a.m. and canbe reached at [email protected].

14-7-311-17-5

1-1Record (at press time)since trading IlyaKovalchuk

The team’s recordsince

The Thrashers’ recordon Nov. 28 after a winover Philadelphia

SCORE LISTSUPER SAINTS: It’s party time inThe Big Easy because the NewOrleans Saints defeated theIndianapolis Colts on Sunday to wintheir first-ever Super Bowl. The sceneon Bourbon Street when the gamewas over was amazing, and theparade on Tuesday was even better.

NOT-SO-SUPER THRASHERS:While the Saints are celebrating,here in Atlanta the Thrashers are stilltrying to find their way, trading awayformer first-round picks IlyaKovalchuk and Kari Lehtonen. Let’shope that GM Don Waddell has a planto get the Thrashers back on track.

STARS IN DALLAS: It’s thattime of year when the NBA’s bestcome together and play in the All-StarGame, which will be played at thenew Cowboys Stadium in Dallas thisseason. I’ll be rooting for Joe Johnsonand Al Horford, but it’s going to be theKobe and LeBron show.

START YOUR ENGINES:NASCAR is back in action, as theDaytona 500 will take place thisSunday. Jimmie Johnson is thefavorite, but all eyes will be on DanicaPatrick as she makes her firstNASCAR start in the Nationwideevent on Saturday. She will be goodfor the sport in more ways than one.

NEW CLASS IS IN: Before theSuper Bowl, the NFL announcedseven new members to be inductedinto the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and JohnRandle lead the list, and with the cer-emony taking place in September, itshould be one for the ages.

NESSLER HONORED: BradNessler, a national sports broadcast-er and a longtime native of Atlanta,won the Furman Bisher Award forSports Media Excellence onTuesday. Nessler is great at callinggames, but I think he does an evenbetter impression of Larry Munson.

DAMON TO ATL?: It’s a strongpossibility because Jonny Damon isstill a free agent and he said thatthe Braves are on the top of his list.I know that the guy is 36 years old,but if you look at the outfield now,you could make the argument hewould be the best player out there.

GEORGIA ON SEC’S MIND:That was the case on NationalSigning Day as 65 players from thestate of Georgia signed with SECschools. Georgia led the way with14 players while Vanderbilt signednine. Now if UGA can only do thesame for basketball, they will be set.

COME ON UP: Jason Heywardand Mike Minor are two of the 18non-roster invitees that will make thetrip to Florida for Braves spring train-ing which, will start in full next week.Both of these players are expected tofare well in the bigs and they willdraw a lot of fans this spring.

IT’S BROOKLYN’S WORLD: Itwas announced on Tuesday thatsupermodel Brooklyn Decker willgrace the cover of SportsIllustrated’s swimsuit edition. OK,I’ve seen the pictures of her, andI’ve come to this conclusion: AndyRoddick (Brooklyn’s husband) isone extremely lucky guy.

BY BRIAN JONES

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For all the talk that Atlanta has kind of hit amidseason lull and seems more or less

cruising into the All-Star break, the team haswon six of its last 10 games.

Atlanta started off last week inOklahoma City, where the Hawks fought backfrom a 13-point deficit but could not beat theThunder. Joe Johnson had a monster 37- pointgame in the 106-99 defeat.

In a mid-week road game against theClippers, the Hawks found themselvesdown again, much like the Oklahoma Citygame, going into the fourth quarter.However, with a second-half boost, JoeJohnson scored 34 points and helped propelAtlanta to victory, 103-97.

Finally, Atlanta put on a strong showingfor a sold-out Philips Arena and national audi-ence on Friday as the team beat Chicago 91-81 behind a crippling fourth quarter. JoshSmith set the tone with his energy and filledup the stat sheets, recording a triple-double.Smith finished with 18 points, 14 reboundsand 10 assists.

The Hawks’ Saturday game with theWizards was postponed due to the ragingsnowstorms on the East Coast. The gamewill be made up on March 7, according tothe league.

On Tuesday, the Hawks brought their sea-son road record up to even at 12-12. A roadwin over Memphis, a likely playoff team, bythe score of 108-94, brought the team’s over-all record to 33-17, just a game back ofOrlando for second place in the East.

STARS HEAD TO DALLAS …The All-Star break is upon us and with it

comes a time for Hawks fans to enjoy the factthat two players in Joe Johnson and AlHorford will get the honor of playing in thegame with 22 of the most elite players fromaround the NBA. However, if you chooseto focus on the negative, there will cer-tainly be a place for you during the game,as there is one very noticeable omissionto the All-Star roster in Josh Smith.

There is still time for the verydeserving Smith to be added to the ros-ter, as injuries could force some of theselected players out. Whatever thecase, Smith has been very under-standing when interviewed aboutgetting snubbed. He is currentlyaveraging 15.1 points, 8.5rebounds and 3.9 assists pergame, all while converting50.8 percent of hisfield goal opportuni-ties. Not to mention,if you didn’t know,he can also block ashot or two. Smithbecame theyoungest playerever to reach 1,000career blocks against

the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 2. JoeJohnson will make his fourth appearance inthe midseason classic and it will be AlHorford’s first.

More important than All-Star games, theHawks must find a way to finish out the reg-ular season strong, as currently only one gameseparates second position from fourth in theEastern Conference. Atlanta’s final regularseason push starts Wednesday night as theytake on the Clippers on the road. It seems likethe only time the Clippers make the news isfor their lack of winning. This was the caseover the last week, as Mike Dunleavy wasforced to step down as coach, but will stillremain the team’s G.M. Atlanta has been verygood against teams below .500 this seasonposting a record of 16-6. With a win againstthe Clippers in recent memory, hopefully,Atlanta can use the game as a strong jumpingoff point towards finding a way to the top ofthe Eastern Conference.

Photo of Josh Smith courtesy ofPhotographic Arts. Gupta can be reached at [email protected].

Hawks finishing strong before All-Star break







CLASS AAAAAALPHARETTA

Michael Bennett – GeorgiaJustin Burns – DelawareConnor Hollenbeck – Washington & LeeBrandon Terry – Wake Forest

BERKMARNorman Booker – Hampton

BROOKWOODDonovan Barker – BrevardJulian Suber – Georgia Southern

CAMPBELLDeShaunte Glass — Fort Valley State

CENTENNIALBen Carpenter – SamfordMartin Jenkins – ClemsonAntonio Morgan – MorehouseDavid Yankey – Stanford

CENTRAL GWINNETTTrokon Gaye – Valdosta StateLance Holder – Valdosta State

CHEROKEEJosh Smith – TusculumLladmar Thompson – Tusculum

COLLINS HILLJimmy Bayer – Lenoir-RhyneChris Caspari – Valdosta StateJosh Cunningham – Kentucky ChristianZach Davis – TulaneCharles Perkins – Georgia Tech

CREEKSIDECearies Driskell – Valdosta StateRobert Green – Mars HillJohn Lee – West Virginia WesleyanDesmin Moore – St. Augustine’sArtavius Morgan – Valdosta StateKaron Stanley – West Virginia Wesleyan

DACULADarien Lane – Shorter

DOUGLASSTommy Gooden – Jackson StateGarrison Smith – Georgia

DULUTHHamilton Gardner – ColumbiaBroderick Simpson – TexasSouthern

EAST PAULDINGMamion Hambrick – West GeorgiaBrian Lackey – Savannah State

ETOWAHJoey Gilkey – PresbyterianRyker Goodell – North Carolina Central

Rodney Hunter – Old DominionZach Lonas – Georgia SouthernHudson Reichsteiner – ShorterReid Webster – Clemson

GRAYSONJoe Champaign – NavyKori Gaines – Brigham YoungShawn Green – Georgia TechEan Pemberton – Austin PeayTerry Williams – East Carolina

HARRISONAustin Cain – Coastal CarolinaChristian Turnipseed – Charleston

KELLJon Jiminez – WingateCole Kropacek – JacksonvilleCody Tomlinson – Samford

KENNESAW MOUNTAINSteven DeCarlo – Elon

LASSITERHutson Mason – GeorgiaGriffin Roelle – Valdosta StateRip Rowan – Austin PeayMarcus Stokes – Western Carolina

LUELLADietrick Bonner – Virginia TechHorace Clemons – Coffeyville (KS) JUCOKyle Dickey – Tusculum

M.L. KINGFred Allen – Morehead StateCleveland Andrews – Concordia (AL)Bryce Bell – Savannah StateMack Brown – FloridaKevonne Byard – TusculumChris Eruchula – Olivet NazareneNic Hall – Concordia (AL)Dameon Herring – TusculumAnt Hill – Concordia (AL)Dustin Lane – TusculumCameron Myers – TusculumCory Phillips – Gardner-WebbAldrickious Shumake – EasternKentuckyRahmon Swain – Kent StateCaleb Watkins – Olivet Nazarene

MARIETTAPerry Beasley – SamfordGreg Franklin – U.A.B.Chris Mooney – Columbia

McEACHERNRajaan Bennett – VanderbiltDeMarius Matthews – Georgia StateTarik Milner – Jacksonville StateTroy Postell – Shorter

MILL CREEKRicky Fawbush – Lenoir-RhyneTrent Tignor – Auburn (Preferred Walk-On)

MILTONBrad Beaty – West GeorgiaJ.J. Brink – Lenoir-RhyneKyle Cregge – NavyJeremy Grable – Valdosta State

MORROWBernard Agurs – Edward WatersJarrell Alexander – Independence(KS) JUCODarrien Carmichael – Edward WatersWilliam Clemmons – Edward WatersMichael Craig – Edward WatersCory Dixon – MorehouseJatavius Mehrjooyah – DuPage(IL) JUCOJourdan Patrick – Edward WatersDarrius Wakefield – Edward WatersAkil Williams – Edward WatersDamien Willis – ASA (NY) JUCO

MUNDY’S MILLOmari Jones – Georgia Southern

NEWNANAlec Ogletree – GeorgiaZander Ogletree – GeorgiaJamal Ransby – Georgia StateChris Teagle – Valdosta State

NEWTONJustice Ejike – Georgia SouthernSheldon Hutchins – Kentucky ChristianBart Lindsey – Robert MorrisAnthony Johnson – Kentucky Christian

NORCROSSGeremy Davis – ConnecticutMax Garcia – MarylandTerry Hollingshed – Gardner-WebbAdrian Hubbard – AlabamaArius Wright – Western Kentucky

NORTH FORSYTHSteven Hester – Lenoir-RhyneRyan Marks – Furman

NORTH GWINNETTJustin Dickens – MercyhurstCordero Dixon – BuffaloJuWuan James – TennesseeJon Gibson-Green – Carson-NewmanCody Gower – QuincyAyo Ojolola – Murray StateDavid Park – PennsylvaniaAustin Shepherd – AlabamaTrey Sims – South Alabama

NORTHVIEWCameron Fordham – Louisiana StateDenzel McCoy – Georgia Tech

PARKVIEWKalik Barnes – Appalachian State

PEACHTREE RIDGEStephen Atwater – Georgetown (DC)

Jordan Boatright – SamfordJuan Burnett – ElonNick Lombardo – Washington & LeeTrevor McBurnett – Georgia SouthernA.J. McDonald – Appalachian StateEric Mitchell – North GreenvilleEric Odonkor – Georgia StateBradley Roby – Ohio StateBrandon Stanley – Eastern KentuckyWillie Udofia – Air ForceBrian Williams – Indiana

POPEMarcorus Garrett – ColumbiaGrant Ramsey – Vanderbilt

REDANJaques Gholston – Valdosta State

RIVERDALEEdwin Walton – Valdosta StateLavelle Westbrooks – Georgia Southern

ROSWELLChris Boyd – VanderbiltRashad Hoyle – SouthernKeegan Hughes – Nebraska(Preferred Walk-On)Richie Leone – HoustonDuvall Smith – North Carolina Central

SHILOHNicholas Bingham – Rochester(MN) JUCODevonta Bowen – Louisburg (NC)JUCOBobby Freeman – DavidsonEugene Glenn – Air ForceLawrence Massey – Morehead State

SOUTH GWINNETTJazzin Anderson – Valdosta StateEric Callaway – Valdosta StateJonathan Krause – Vanderbilt

STEPHENSONMartin Adebowale – PresbyterianMiles Ashmon – Fort Valley StateKelvin Billups – Johnson C. SmithTyrone Cornileus – Miami (FL)James Farmer – TusculumIdris French – Concordia (AL)Denzel Hartley – Johnson C. SmithThomas Hubbard – St. Francis (IL)Jabari Johnson – KentuckyJacob Johnson – TusculumKenny Ladler – VanderbiltJeremiah Mahoney – Concordia (AL)Gary McIndoe – LaGrangeArmond Mitchell – BelhavenEdward Passmore – Concordia (AL)Joshua Polk – PresbyterianBlake Rennels – BelhavenJordan Rhinehart – TusculumRaymond Sanders – KentuckyChris Sharpe – Middle Tennessee StateRonnie Shields – Kentucky

Brandon Smith – MilesQuinton Spencer – Johnson C. SmithMalcolm Strong – MarshallSteven Thomas – TusculumMike Thornton – GeorgiaEphesia Tisdale – Concordia (AL)Franchot West – SouthernDoral White – Valdosta State

UNION GROVEJordan Akins – Central FloridaJohn Belt – Valdosta StateDrew Bullard – Georgia Tech(Preferred Walk-On)John Holman – Hutchinson (KS) JUCODonovan Johnson – WoffordDareon Mays – North Carolina A&THampton Mizell – Valdosta StateAnthony Williams – Georgia Tech

WALTONBrandon Burrows – GeorgiaMatt Gilbert – Georgia SouthernKyle Woestmann – Vanderbilt

WESTLAKEEmile Blackmon – TuskegeeNathan Isles – North Carolina A&TTony Jacob – Central FloridaArthur McDowell – TuskegeeDarius Robinson – ClemsonEric Simmons – KentuckyMichael Taylor – Florida

WOODSTOCKCorey Carmichael – MiddleTennessee StateMichael Seymour – CampbellEvan Wilson – Illinois

CLASS AAAAALCOVY

Gary Wilkins – Furman

ALEXANDERDion King – Lafayette

APALACHEEJohn Ansley – Valdosta StateReggie Battle – Lenoir-RhyneJeffrey Haney – Lenoir-RhyneTony Hoard – PikevilleJon Lee – Air Force

BANNEKERTres Houston – TulsaToby Johnson – Hutchinson (KS) JUCOShaun Kitchens – AuburnDeMarco McNeal – Tennessee StateDemetruce McNeal – AuburnD.J. Williams – North Carolina Tech JUCO

CHAMBLEEArt Norman – North Carolina State

DOUGLAS COUNTYKenneth Preston – Alabama State

DUTCHTOWNScott Christensen – Bemidji State

FAYETTE COUNTYClarence Swain – Morgan State

FOREST PARKMichael Wilson – Stillman

FORSYTH CENTRALSean Mateer – Western CarolinaKasey Morrison – Samford

HERITAGE-CONYERSDevin Homes – BrevardRufus Jenkins – BrevardGarry Peters – Clemson

HILLGROVESynjyn Days – Georgia TechKendall Dials – ShorterKasheem Hill – LafayetteBen Peterson – Shorter

HIRAMDylan Cook – Savannah StateLeighton Gasque – MiddleTennessee StateMario Rolland – Garden City (KS) JUCO

JONESBOROJonathan Smith – Austin Peay

LAKESIDE-ATLANTAPablo Montilla – TusculumDerrick Perry – TusculumBrent Riley – Charleston Southern

LITHONIAChryston Floyd – Savannah StateJimmie Kitchen – Tennessee StateJordan Roman – Alabama A&M

LOGANVILLEMorgan Bailey – Georgia TechStorm Johnson – Miami (FL)

MARISTRandolph Carroll – Lenoir-RhyneMike Crawford – WoffordJustin Moore – Georgia TechHugh Williams – Georgia(Preferred Walk-On)

MAYSTyrell Adams – West GeorgiaD’Mario Turner – Grambling StateTim Wynn – Georgia State

MILLER GROVEJonathan Brooks – MiddleTennessee StateCalento Hairston – Hutchinson(KS) JUCOBlake Summers – Valdosta State

MOUNT ZION-JONESBOROKaron Hodge – Tuskegee

NORTH CLAYTONTorian Box – North Carolina StateDevon Carter – Grambling StateClarence Jackson – MississippiMatthew Smith – Tennessee TechWinston Williams – Lehigh

NORTH SPRINGSMichael Ugenyi – Army

NORTHGATEMalcolm Poindexter – Savannah StateToby Slagle – Carson-Newman

OLAJoey Carman – DavidsonDylan Leonard – Columbia

ROCKDALE COUNTYRashawn Binns – TusculumIsaiah Gresham – Valdosta StateKyle Tippins – Alabama StateDevon Washington – Tusculum

SANDY CREEKCedric Byrd – PresbyterianLacy Coleman – LouisvilleJarrett Davis – LouisvilleDevon Hughes – BuffaloIsaiah Johnson – Georgia TechRajion Neal – TennesseeMichael Spaulding – Georgia SouthernCharlie Zemko – Air Force

SEQUOYAHSomto Okeke – West GeorgiaDalton Trevino – The Citadel

SOUTH PAULDINGRyan Ayres – Georgia TechZach Hemmila – West GeorgiaCody Hunt – Olivet NazareneBroderick Sellers – Savannah State

SOUTHWEST DeKALBJabari Carney – North CarolinaTech JUCOBrandon Clark – Clark-AtlantaSteven Coates – Jacksonville StateIsaiah Cook – North Carolina Tech JUCOMarques Dixon – TennesseeStanley Glass – North CarolinaTech JUCOSharrod Golightly – South CarolinaDemarcus Jackson – NorthCarolina Tech JUCOKen Malcome – GeorgiaJonathan Mincy – AuburnEric Robinson – North CarolinaTech JUCOKyle Sarjeant – ArmyT.J. Stripling – GeorgiaNaim Wakeel – ChattanoogaQuinnterrius Woods – NorthCarolina Tech JUCO

SPRAYBERRYRobert Bryant – Austin PeayReese Bulmash – Austin PeayJerick McKinnon – Georgia Southern

STOCKBRIDGEAntonio Anthony – TusculumJamiele Britt – TusculumIsaiah Johnson – North CarolinaTech JUCOBrando King – East Mississippi JUCOMarcus Maynard – Kentucky ChristianDeuntez Williams – Tusculum

STONE MOUNTAINCornelius Cook – William PennChris Gilzeane – Alabama StateJonathan Gordon – Lincoln (PA)Terique Hall – William PennDerrick Harris – Alabama A&MLaDexter Hughley – Louisiana CollegeKierri Issac – Alabama A&MDomineek King – Lincoln (PA)Devante Lawrence – William PennDeAntonyo Murray – Clark-AtlantaDerek Sibley – Tennessee StateAnterrio Stanley – William PennTavares Staten – New MexicoPrep JUCODon Steib – Delta StateCary Wilder – TusculumDaran Williams – William PennDarian Williams – William Penn

TRI-CITIESRashad Rivers – Miles

TUCKERMaleek Allen – New Mexico Prep JUCOQuenton Brown – Central FloridaLorenzo Bryson – TuskegeeSeantavius Jones – Valdosta StateMarquese McNeil – Erie (NY) JUCODevin Scott – NavyRonald Simons – Erie (NY) JUCO

WHITEWATERJeff Ashley – WoffordTaylor Halpin – Lenoir-RhyneBlake Jarigue – West Georgia

WINDER-BARROWTrent Demeritte – Savannah State

CLASS AAACARROLLTON

Jared Cooley – ShorterChas Presnell – ChattanoogaJoel Smith – Jacksonville StateJames Swindle – West Georgia

CARTERSVILLENate Newborn – Shorter

CARVER-ATLANTADarryl Byrd – CharlestonBrendan Johnson – Alabama A&MDeric Scott – U.A.B.

CEDAR GROVEDemario Dixon – MorehouseJamel Dobbs – NavyWillie Favors – Wofford

CENTRAL CARROLLElijah Adamiak – Appalachian State

CHESTATEEBrantley Beck – Air ForceBen Souther – Air Force

COLUMBIATroy Culpepper – Clark-AtlantaTravis Elesby – MorehouseDarius Montford – New Mexico Prep JUCODavid Nelson – New Mexico Prep JUCOLucuis Ray – HowardIvan Robinson – Newport NewsApprenticeTank Sessions – Florida StateDarrick Walker – New Mexico Prep JUCODavid Wray – Clark-Atlanta

DRUID HILLSJohn Foster – Charleston

DUNWOODYDalen Claytor – Georgetown (DC)Rashad Williams – Georgia Southern

FLOWERY BRANCHDarius Kimbrough – Valdosta StateConnor Shaw – South Carolina

GAINESVILLEDaunte Carr – ArkansasTai-ler Jones – Notre DameDavid McConnell – Gardner-WebbJustin Owens – West GeorgiaTeryan Rucker – North GreenvilleAlberto Sanabria – Air ForceBlake Sims – AlabamaThomas Sprague – Youngstown State

GRADYChris Walton – U.A.B.

JACKSONJamal Aquil – ShorterNeiron Ball – FloridaChris Head – MarshallQuendarius McKibbons – Alabama State

JOHNSON-GAINESVILLEGilberto Espinoza – Virginia UnionJosh Owens – Austin PeayAnthony Prophet – Savannah State

MARY PERSONSTevin Davis – Valdosta StateJonathan Major – West Georgia

MAYNARD JACKSONJose Avelar – Lincoln (PA)Autavious Earls – Lincoln (PA)Oscar Simms – Lincoln (PA)

McNAIRDesdan Hester – EasternMichiganVictor Sheppard – Concordia (AL)

MOUNTAIN VIEWWilliam Wright – West Georgia

NORTH ATLANTALaronte Archie – TusculumJustin Browning – TusculumAnthony Jordan – Bethune-CookmanChaz Moulder – Tusculum

NORTH HALLDaniel Blitch – Wake Forest

RIVERWOODRandall Logan – LafayetteKhalil Priddie – Robert Morris

SOUTH ATLANTAJoshua Davis – Tusculum

ST. PIUSBrian Gee – CornellJustin Harris – CornellCole Moon – Georgia State

TOWERSMiles Gooch – VirginiaAntwon Jackson – Valdosta State

WASHINGTONQudral Forte – West VirginiaAntonio Goodwin – Auburn

WEST FORSYTHBen Emert – Wake ForestNathan Teter – West Georgia

WOODLAND-STOCKBRIDGETray Butler – Georgia SouthernAlex Findura – Georgia State

WOODWARD ACADEMYHenry Anderson – StanfordWill Bryant – DukeJuwan Thompson – Duke

CLASS AAAVONDALE

Joshua Bowen – Olivet NazareneJustin Davis – Olivet NazareneMatthew Hardeman – TrinityInternationalOliver Kathalay — EasternMichiganJoel Myou – Trinity InternationalTyreek Phillips – FurmanKendall Roberson – BuffaloMax Thompson – Valdosta State

BLESSED TRINITYJeremy Phillips – MaristJake Skole – Georgia Tech

BUFORDShawn Artz – South AlabamaJessel Curry – Auburn

Jerome Davis – Kent StateMichael DeWalt – North GreenvilleTyshawn Holley – Albany StateKolton Houston – GeorgiaDu’Von Milsap – South CarolinaAndrew Swope – Hutchinson (KS)JUCO

CALHOUNKedron Aker – U.A.B.Nash Nance – TennesseeCody Ralston – Central FloridaDa’Rick Rogers – Tennessee

GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIANBeaux Hebert – Nicholls StateJulian Horton – ArkansasCorey Simmons – South Carolina

HEARD COUNTYSantez Emory – South Carolina State

HENRY COUNTYMarkeith Ambles – SouthernCaliforniaDylan Shaddix – Georgia MilitaryJUCOShavarez Smith – North CarolinaCentralDarius Stroud – Hutchinson (KS)JUCO

LOVETTJonathan Carkhuff – DavidsonTaylor Mack – ConnecticutParker Sebastian – Harvard

RIVERSIDE MILITARYAaron Gambrah – Georgia StateBrandon McKinney – GeorgiaMilitary JUCO

WESTMINSTERAndrew Bridges – Vanderbilt

CLASS AEAGLE’S LANDING CHRISTIAN

Darrien Hudson – Antelope Valley(CA) JUCO

LANDMARK CHRISTIANJosh Gebhardt – Georgia Southern

MOUNT PISGAHFedale Hall – Air Force

NORTH COBB CHRISTIANArlen Nibbs – Bethune-Cookman

WALKERDavis Feder – Brown

WESLEYANIan Barnard – Appalachian State

METRO ATLANTA FOOTBALL SIGNEES

METRO ATLANTA FOOTBALL SIGNEES Courtesy of Steve Slay/AJC

Controversial but long-rumored Kovalchuk trade makes waves in Atlanta sports sceneAt the beginning of the season I did-

n’t think this would be possible.After covering the Atlanta Thrashers foralmost two years, I thought there was noway this could happen. No, I’m not talk-ing about the fact that Ilya Kovalchukactually got traded, but instead the factthat Don Waddell could make a movethat could spark so much debate and badfeeling; that is, except among the NewJersey Devils and their fans.

In case you found yourself under arock, last week the Thrashers traded theteam’s all-time leading scorer, IlyaKovalchuk, to the Devils in exchange fordefenseman Johnny Oduya, forwardsNiclas Bergfors and Patrice Cormier andNew Jersey’s first-round selection in the2010 NHL Entry Draft. Now, beforeeven getting to the pieces acquired inexchange for Kovalchuk, let’s look athow the situation was handled by all par-

ties in getting this trade done. Hours before the trade was

announced, a statement was releasedstating that Kovalchuk and the team hadbeen unable to reach an agreement on anew long-term deal and that most likelythe star would be traded in the comingdays. Waddell then went through thedetails of what was offered toKovalchuk, and what he turned down, inhopes of swaying fan opinion to his sideby showing how willing the team was tokeep its captain in town.

Now here it bears pointing out thatthe Thrashers have consistently not pro-vided any contractual information forplayers signed with the team. Obviously,it is the team’s right to do so; but to pulla 180 right before your all-time leadingscorer is about to walk out the doorseems a bit strange. So while Kovalchukmight have left at the end of the season

anyway, and by all accounts DonWaddell made the best lemonade hecould with the lemons he was handed inregards to possible trade scenarios,Waddell opened himself up to some crit-icism by making this public statement.

In my opinion, this is a move madeout of fear of what the future will holdfor the Thrashers franchise both thisyear and going forward. After one of thebest starts in franchise history, Atlantahas fallen into a scrum with eight otherteams for the final three playoff spotsand the team’s recent struggles give noindication that the team will be one ofthe top eight teams in the EasternConference. But instead of rolling thedice and relying on your captain to bringyou through these troubled times, he issold off to the highest bidder.

A playoff appearance wouldn’tguarantee that Kovalchuk would elect

to stay in Atlanta, but at least it says tothe fans that we are willing to ride thehorse that brought us here and ifKovalchuk leaves at least we did ourbest to keep him in town. Rarely shouldpersonnel decisions be made with thereaction of the fans in mind, but in ahockey town struggling to gain a foot-ing, this one should have.

As for what Atlanta got in return, I’lllet a rival NHL manager give his opinion.In Oduya Atlanta got a “safe player,” notexactly the ringing endorsement fans willwant to hear. As for Bergfors andCormier, they bring a total of 13 NHLgoals scored, and a one-year QuebecMajor Junior Hockey League suspensionfor elbowing an opponent. That makesthe only question that remains: when dothey start selling the jerseys?

Boral can be reached at [email protected].

Each week, Score Atlanta’s DeanZindler answers your questions

about sports collectibles and memora-bilia. Here’s what our readers were won-dering this week:

Dear Dean: My father was a bigNY Cosmos fan and got a real NASLball that was signed by a lot of the play-ers, including Pele, Franz Beckenbauerand Giorgio Chinaglia. I’ve not seenanything like this listed on the sites I’vesearched, but seen that Pele’s signaturecan be quite expensive. Do you have anyidea as to the value of this item?

Dear Shoot and Score: In the midto late 1970s there were perhaps no big-ger stars in New York than the New YorkCosmos. The team included some of thebiggest names in soccer and was built towin championships. Your team signedsoccer ball is worth $800. Quality ofthe signatures can affect the price.

Dear Dean: I have a first game tick-et in the Georgia Dome in 1992 alongwith a pin from the first game. Any value?

Dear Ticket Man: On Aug. 23,1992, the Georgia Dome hosted its firstAtlanta Falcons football game. The pre-

season game was between the AtlantaFalcons and the Philadelphia Eagles.First game stadium tickets are popularamong collectors. A pin was also givenout to commemorate the event. A fullticket is worth $20, while the pin is $10.Being the first game in the Dome, it waswell attended. The new building didn’thelp much with the Falcons’ play as theyfinished 6-10 that year.

Dear Dean: I have a 1993 FloridaMarlins baseball that was autographedby the entire team. What is it worth?

Dear Sunshine: Although thereweren’t many great players on this team,it is the first year of the Marlins baseballorganization. Since it is the first year ofthe ball club, it would have some histor-ical appeal to autograph collectors. Theball is worth $75. As bad as the Marlinswere in their first year, winning only 64games, they didn’t finish last in theirdivision. The New York Mets, winningonly 59 games, held that position.

Want to know what your item isworth or have a question about a partic-ular sports item? Email me, DeanZindler, at [email protected].

N.Y. Cosmos, Marlins memorabilia appraised The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowlchampions! Raise your hand if prior tothe start of the season you thought you’dbe reading that. (Put your hand downbecause no one believes you.)

No one could have predicted thatthe Saints would come out and dominatethe first three quarters of the season, butthey did just that. Drew Brees led theteam to a 13-0 start before eventuallylosing their last three games. They hadno momentum going into the playoffs,but it didn’t matter in the end. They weregreat for most of the regular season, andjust good enough in the postseason.

Their opponents, the IndianapolisColts, were no slouches either, but whenit mattered most, their Hall of Famequarterback Peyton Manning completeda pass to Tracy Porter, who scored thegame-clinching touchdown.

Unfortunately for the Colts, TracyPorter plays for the New Orleans Saints.There’s never really a good time to throwa pick-six, but the fourth quarter of theSuper Bowl is by far the worst time.

For two weeks the Saints defenseheard about how it wasn’t going to be ableto stop Peyton Manning and that vauntedoffense. Their defense took that challengeand rose to the occasion. They held theColts to 17 points. Holding any team to 17points is a good defensive showing, butwhen you can hold Peyton Manning andthe Indianapolis Colts to only 17 points,that’s better than good; it’s great.

If the Saints victory does anything,it gives hope to all other struggling fran-chises. Your bumbling team could oneday be a world champion with a fewgood business moves that seem ques-tionable at the time they’re made. TheSaints are made up of a bunch of misfitsand cast-offs, but they came togetherand made it work. If they can do it, thenso can the likes of the Detroit Lions,Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns andthat who have had more bad memoriesthan good memories. Congratulations tothe Saints and the city of New Orleans.

C.C. can be reached [email protected].

Crazy but true: the Saints are champions

SCOR

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SCOREM

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With Saints on top of the world, can Falcons emulate New Orleans’ run?

Panther football adds 29 new athletes; Johnson leads with triple-doubleGoing into football signing day, one of the pri-

orities was to focus a little more on the defen-sive side of the ball as well as to just get biggeroverall. With 23 signees and six transfers, this sec-ond signing class totaled 29 new student-athletes.Twenty of the 29 newcomers are defensive play-ers, and 10 are offensive or defensive linemen.

“Last year, if a good player wanted tocome, we felt like we had to take him, regard-less of position, and it just so happened thatwe got a lot more offensive players,” saidhead coach Bill Curry. “So this year, we wentright to work on defense. Another intent thisyear was to find big folks,” Curry continued.

“We needed to find a lot of big people that aretough and agile enough to do what is requiredof big people in our sport today.”

Fourteen of the new players are from thestate of Georgia, including Metro Atlantahigh school products Cole Moon, a runningback from St. Pius X, DB Eric Odonkor fromPeachtree Ridge, DB Demarius Matthewsfrom McEachern, OL Tim Wynn from Mays,DL Alex Findura from Woodland-Henry, andDB Jamal Ransby from Newnan.

ON THE HARDWOOD … In women’s basketball action, the Lady

Panthers beat William & Mary behind CrystalJohnson’s triple double of 12 points, 11 assists,10 rebounds and four steals, while DanyiellMcKeller added 18 points, nine rebounds. …Meanwhile, coming off of their best win of theseason, a 61-57 upset of then-first placeGeorge Mason, the Panthers men’smissed anopportunity to put back-to-back wins togetherwhen they could not hold off William & Mary,losing their homecoming game 59-56 in frontof the best Sports Arena crowd of the season(2,347). W&M’s Marcus Kitts scored on a lay-up with 27 seconds remaining and QuinnMcDowell hit two free throws with nine sec-

onds left to secure the win. Said head coachRod Barnes, “We executed really well in thefirst half and made shots; in the second half wewere getting a lot of the same looks but we did-n't shoot as well and as a result we weren’t ableto put the game away.” … Catch the Rod Barnesradio show Mondays from 4-5 p.m. onNewstalk 1160, WCFO-AM.

Dave Cohen is in his 27th season as the“Voice of Georgia State Basketball andBaseball on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works onthe football radio crew at Furman Universityin Greenville, S.C.



The rivalry between the Atlanta Falconsand New Orleans Saints is a longstanding

one. However, it hasn’t exactly been an annu-al battle between two successful teams. Untilnow, that is. The Falcons’ new path has beenwell documented over the past few seasons,finally giving fans hope for a franchise thathad not experienced back-to-back winningseasons until this year and last.

But it’s the sudden success of the Saintsthat should really have home fans excited. Therise of the Saints to an NFC South Title, andmost importantly a Super Bowl championship,the first in their history, should be a sign ofencouragement. Both of these teams have a lotof similarities on the field as well.

Start at the quarterback position, whereDrew Brees officially cemented himself asone of the league’s great signal-callers. Oncea young quarterback out of Purdue, Breesstruggled early in his career with the SanDiego Chargers before being jettisoned out oftown to make room for Philip Rivers. ButBrees’ attention to detail and leadership abil-

ity helped him back to the top in NewOrleans, as he flourished in an offensive sys-tem perfectly tailored to his abilities.

Enter Matt Ryan. Clearly, both he andBrees have established themselves as franchisequarterbacks, but it goes deeper than that. LikeBrees, Ryan is no stranger to the film room,constantly studying his opponents. And alsosimilar to his divisional counterpart, Ryan isthe undisputed leader of the offense. Althoughnot quite as vocal as Brees, teammates of allages stated that they were already beginning tolook to Ryan for support this year.

There are also some parallels in regardsto who Ryan and Brees throw the ball to.Although one could easily make the argumentthat the Birds are actually stronger at the posi-tion, the teams have their big-play threats inMarques Colston and Roddy White. But bothsides also have shown the desire to spread thelove, giving the ball to all kinds of differentplayers through the air. Atlanta will benefitfrom the return of a healthy Jerious Norwood,who gives them a big-play threat out of the

back much like Reggie Bush for New Orleans.The return of speedster Harry Douglas alsogives them a deep threat out of the slot asDevery Henderson and Robert Meachem didthis season. And Atlanta also has the safetyblanket at tight end, where Tony Gonzalez’sproduction dwarfs that of Jeremy Shockey.

Then there’s the defensive side of the ball,an area where both teams failed to impress in2009-10. Atlanta struggled all year, especiallyin the secondary after being hit hard byinjuries. This proved too much to handle for aunit that appeared undermanned in the firstplace with inexperienced and unproven playerssuch as Brent Grimes, Chris Houston and TyeHill leading the way. It was much the samestory for New Orleans, where they finished20th in total ‘D’. But there was one crucial dif-ference between the two: the Saints defensealways found a way to create turnovers, and theextra possessions for their vaunted offensemade them an almost unstoppable force.

Atlanta will have to make some majorimprovements to duplicate what just hap-

pened in New Orleans. But teams like the1999-2000 Rams and this year’s Saints haveshown us that anything can happen in theNFL. Couple that unpredictability with ayoung team that is already considered oneof great potential league-wide by mostexperts, and there is an argument that theFalcons may be able to make those improve-ments this offseason.

The defense will also have to get a boostfrom the returns of Peria Jerry and WilliamMoore, last year’s first- and second-rounddraft picks who suffered season-endinginjuries and didn’t contribute. And add inanother offseason for general managerThomas Dimitroff, the 2009 Executive of theYear, to improve the team through the draftand free agency. Just like the Saints did lastyear by acquiring pieces like veteran DarrenSharper, the Falcons can dramaticallyimprove their team with a few strategic movesand put themselves in position to win big.

Bagriansky can be reached at [email protected].



GYMNASTICSGymnastics 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. For information call 770-921-5630.

Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville. Ongoing. Classes for tots through teens. Cheerleadingclasses 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.

RACINGRichard Petty Driving Experience. February 19-21 at

Atlanta Motor Speedway.

OFFICIATINGClub Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Flag

Football, Softball, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball. Earnmoney officiating. Training provided. For more info email [email protected] or visit www.usclubsport.com.

9RCorp Sports Officials. Ongoing. Provider of sports officials for multiple sports including basketball, flagfootball, & softball. Looking for additional officials. For information call Dennis Reagan at 404-213-0588 or email [email protected].

Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association. Needs boys yo uth and High School officials for 2010 season. Games are played Spring, Summer, and Fall. Great way to earn extra money and get some fun aerobicexercise. For more information, please visit www.GALAXREF.com or email [email protected].

ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCILChick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, 2010. Georgia Dome. For

tickets, call 404-444-4444.To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call 404-586-8510 or visit www.atlantasportscouncil.com.

MISC.Pool Tournament. Nightly - Ongoing - Sean Patrick’s

Bar & Grill - Buckhead. Fees: No cover. For information call 770-650-5723. 8 PM.

Suwanee Sports Academy. Pre-K Athletics for 2, 3 and 4year-olds introduces the basic skills needed to playbasketball, soccer, and t-ball. Also, there is a uniqueafter school program that provides students with a weekly sports curriculum along with the after schoolclassroom 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 indoorvolleyball, basketball 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 678-994-0793 ext. 818 or visit www.usclubsport.com.

GOkickball "Atlanta's Premier Social Experience". Providingsocial, co-ed adult kickball leagues throughout metro-Atlanta centered around having a good time, meeting new people, and playing recreational games of kickball at local parks. Registration is open now for spring season. Join the fun! For more information and to register, go to www.gokickball.com/atlanta. Special Score Atlanta 15%off discount code: "Score15".

ball players of all skill levels. There are two GwinnettCounty camps this year. Please visit our website (www.harlemlegends.com) or call 404-837-6719 for additional camps.

VOLLEYBALLGwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For

information call Jerry Robison at 678-491-0203 or visit www.gscfun.com.

Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball trainingand 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 770-614-6686x108 or visit www.ssasports.com.

SWIMMING & DIVINGSwimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool -

Alpharetta, Ga. - 1825 Old Milton Parkway. For information call 678-297-6107.

Gwinnett Aquatics. Ongoing - 2800 Quinberry Drive and Bethany Church Road. For ages 5-18. Swim team and lessons available. For information call 770-972-4055.

Senior Water-Exercise class. Ongoing - Mountain Parkpool - Lilburn, Ga. Fees: $1 per class. For informationcall 770-546-4650. 10-10:50 AM.

SwimAtlanta Sugarloaf at Kid’s Village. Ongoing. Swimteam, lessons, lap swimming, master’s program, water aerobics and scuba available. For informationcall 678-442-7946.

YOUTH REGISTRATIONSoccer-Soccer Alley. Ongoing - 3265 Roswell Road-

Atlanta. For information call 404-266-0762 or visit www.starsoccerclub.com.

Tucker Youth Soccer. Ongoing - 2803 Henderson RoadTucker, 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 770-962-5867; 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.

Corpus Christi Youth Basketball League Registration is now underway for our 29th season! Boys and girls ages 5 through 14, any skill level, are welcome. Cost: $90 per child/$85 for siblings. Fee includes uniforms, field trips, skills clinics, 9 games and more! Register while space is still available 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).

SOFTBALLClub Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration

Ongoing for Men's & Coed Leagues League games played at multiple locations throughout the Metro Area. For more info or to register visit www.usclubsport.com

AYSA Spring Season. Ongoing - North Park - Cogburn and Bethany - Alpharetta. Fees: If Alpharetta Residential Property Tax IS NOT PAID at the primary residence of the player, then the Non-City Resident Fee must be paid. After Jan. 13, $10 late fee is charged.

Seabrook at 404-957-3331 or e-mail [email protected].

HOCKEYThrashers. February 12 at Minnesota 8 PM. February

13 at Chicago 8:30 PM.Gladiators. February 12 vs. Charlotte 7:35 PM.

February 13 vs. Charlotte 7:35 PM. February 14 vs.Florida 4:05 PM. February 19 at South Carolina 7:05 PM. February 21 vs. Charlotte 4:05 PM. February 24 at Kalamazoo 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.

SOCCERChallenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physi

cally disabled youngsters. For information call Ken Higgins at 770-985-0434.

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.

TENNISTechnique Clinics. Ongoing - Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. Tuesdays (serve/volley) and Saturdays (forehand/back

hand). 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 MountainTennis Center. For information call 770-528-8525.

LACROSSELacrosse. Ongoing. Registration for 1st-8th grades. For

information call 404-216-5870, email [email protected] or visit www.bagatawaylacrosse.com.

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.doblestixxlacrosse.com or by contacting Chris Smith at [email protected] or 404-550-5322.

RUNNINGATC Hearts & Soles 5K/Mile. Feb. 13. Decatur, 8:00

AM. www.atlantatrackclub.org.SweetH2O Sweetheart Half Marathon. Feb. 13.

Lithia Springs, 8:00 AM. 770-949-8453Run the Reagan Half Marathon/10K/5K/Mile. Feb.

13. Snellville, 8:00 AM. 770-518-8002Help Mend Broken Hearts 5K. Feb. 13. Kennesaw,

9:00 AM. 678-429-754625th Annual Spartan 5K and Little Spartan Sprint.

Feb. 13. Athens, 9:00 AM. 706-769-6593.Sweetheart Run for Sight. Feb. 13. Centerville, 8 AM. 478-

972-2609.Love Walk/Run 5K. Feb. 13. Savannah, 7:45 AM.

912-236-4226.I Love the Beach 5K Run/Walk. Feb. 13. St. Simons

Island, 8:00 AM. 912-638-2396 or www.goldenislestrackclub.com.

Sweetheart Run 5K & Mile. Feb. 13. Tifton, 9:00 AM. 229-386-5200.

CAMPSNike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville,

Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and 0894-4297 to find out which dates suit your campers best.

Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!"Registration Ongoing for Sand & Indoor Leagues and Tournaments League games played every day and night at the Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club. For more info or to register visit http://www.usclubsport.com/

Harlem Legends. The Harlem Legends have scheduledtheir 2009 Shoot for the Stars Basketball & PhysicalFitness Camps. The "Shoot for the Stars Youth Basketball Camps and Clinics" are a unique form oflearning experiences geared towards young basket

BASKETBALLHawks. February 17 at Los Angeles Clippers 10:30 PM.

February 19 at Phoenix 9 PM. February 21 at Golden State 8 PM. February 22 at Utah 9 PM. February 24 vs. Minnesota 7 PM.

Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration Ongoing - Men's League plays on Sunday evenings at the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club. For more info or to register visit www.usclubsport.com

Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Basketball training and development for boy and girls grades K-12.Rising Stars, Future Stars, Suwanee Basketball League, On Court Player Development, nationally-recognized year-round comprehensive player development program. For more information contact Mike Brown at 678-541-0176 or visit www.ssasports.com.

Mark Price Shooting Lab. Ongoing: Personalized professional 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.

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 [email protected]. Visit www.georgiasportsleagues.org.

BASEBALLProspect Watch. Ongoing - Buckhead. Baseball pitching

and hitting lessons by a former college and minor league coach. For information call 404-869-7966 or visit www.eteamz.com/tryouts.

Adult Baseball League Metro Atlanta. Ongoing. MSBL 18+, 28+, 38+, and 48+. Sunday League contactinfo is 770.785.2588, e-mail [email protected] 18+ Saturday League contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail [email protected]. MSBL 18+ Midweek Wood bat league contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail [email protected]. MSBL 18+Fall League contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail [email protected]. For more information about our Atlanta Adult Baseball League,please visit our website at www.AtlantaMSBL.com.

TNT Sports. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons 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-ylooking for high school players. The new location isinside Velocity Sports in North Gwinnett. For more information call 770-633-0948 or visit jackcity.net.

FOOTBALLCollins 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’sLargest Flag League. Registration ongoing. We offer7-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 [email protected]. Visit www.georgiasportsleagues.org.

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

SCORE ATLANTAADVERTISING INDEX790 The Zone ....................CoverArmy..........................................9Atlanta Falcons ..................CoverAtlanta Hawks ..........................2Atlanta Thrashers ......................2Cool Beanz ................................3Georgia State ..........................12GHSA.TV..................................14Hooters ............Cover, Back PageMan’s Best Friend ..............CoverMikael’s Auto Spa ....................4Monster Supercross ..................7North River Tavern ....................5Play It Again Sammy ..............10Rhodes Bakery ........................10Ringling Bros.............................8Ron Veal Football Camp ..........14Special Olympics Georgia ........4

Brees throws monkey wrench in pundits’ predictions

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Copyright 2010 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.Score Atlanta is published every week on Fridays. Views expressed inScore Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff oradvertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleadingeditorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for thecontent or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. Nocontent (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be usedfor reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

Iguess starting any media column off with-out mentioning the Super Bowl would be

foolish, so I’ll go ahead and talk about it. The Saints took home New Orleans’ first

Super Bowl title last week and it was a party,party, party on Bourbon Street after DrewBrees and company claimed the title 31-17over Peyton Manning and the Colts. Brees wasable to outshine Manning, the quarterback thateverybody, including yours truly, was alreadychalking up as one of the top five QBs of alltime and without question the best of this gen-eration. Drew Brees not only knockedManning down a peg to give Tom Brady thelead again, but Brees also put his name up intothe discussion. Now the talk is focused on TheBig Three of Brady, Brees and Manninginstead of just Manning over Brady.

Frankly the new discussion is sort ofrefreshing in that the Manning vs. Bradydebate was getting old. Now the guys fromPTI and Around the Horn will have somenew fodder for a while.

The week leading up to the Super Bowlwasn’t just all about Manning’s ascension tothe best QB of this generation or “how willthe Saints overcome Katrina to win?” DwightFreeney’s ankle was all the buzz in the finaldays leading up to the big game and thespeedy defensive end played and registered asack. For Colts apologists out there, certainlywe will hear all offseason how his presencewould have shifted the game and how Peytonwould be 2-0 with a healthy Freeney. On 680The Fan, the guys on The Rude Awakeningeven made the point that Freeney made animpact with one leg; imagine what he could

have done with two healthy legs. Personally, Ibelieve that Indy should be making no excus-es as injuries are a part of the game and theColts still could have won if Manning had notthrown a pick-six or if Reggie Wayne had notdropped a sure touchdown or if the specialteams had recovered the onside kick to startthe second half. Freeney wasn’t involved inany of those plays.

WELCOME BACK, CHRIS … Speaking of 680 The Fan, Christopher

Rude returns to his self-titled morning showMonday, Feb. 15, after missing the last fewmonths while on medical leave. The morningshow has actually not missed a beat with BuckLanford filling in, but it will be interesting tosee how/if Rude can slide right back in withPerry Laurentino and Leo Mazzone. Perrytook on more of a point/lead role without Rudeand I wonder if Rude will resume his role aspoint or if Perry will continue running point.

WGCL IN THE ZONE … Sports Radio 790 The Zone and CBS

Atlanta have joined forces, and 790 TheZone is now up on WGCL’s website. The per-sonalities have blogs and articles on CBSAtlanta’s site and are now appearing on thenewscasts as well. The partnership wasannounced back in late October.

OUDIN CARRIES THE FLAG … The Marietta Daily Journal and the AJC

were all over Marietta-native MelanieOudin’s participation in the Fed Cup forTeam USA. Oudin won two matches to help

the US knock out host France in the Fed Cupquarterfinals and America will now faceeither Serbia or Russia in late April. Oudinwas made top billing by Team USA afterSerena Williams and Venus Williams bothsaid no to representing their country over theweekend. Both claimed that ownershipduties and NFL responsibilities would pre-vent them from being able to play but NFLofficials came out and said that was simplynot true. The Williams sisters recentlybought into the Miami Dolphins and optedout of playing for America so that they mightbe able to participate in various parties andowners meetings at Super Bowl XLIV. Itwould be a shame if Oudin brought TeamUSA to the finals and only THEN did theWilliams sisters want to play.

ON THE SMALL SCREEN … Finally, two reality shows about athletes

recently made their debut on cable TV. BET isairing Michael Vick’s “Road to Redemption”show Tuesdays at 10 p.m. while Americanmale figure skater Johnny Weir is gettingsome pub with “Be Good Johnny Weir,” air-ing on the Sundance Channel. Weir is sched-uled to walk with the American contingent inthis Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremoniesin Vancouver, Canada.

Proctor can be heard on The OfficialVisit on 790 The Zone, brought to you everyMonday night by Score Atlanta, and providescolor commentary on the GPB/Score Atlantaweekly high school basketball webcastsevery Tuesday night on gpb.org. He can bereached at [email protected].

The hoops Dawgs dropped a midweekgame against Arkansas but rallied to beat

No. 18 Vanderbilt on Saturday night to earntheir second conference win of the year.

Georgia (10-11, 2-6 SEC) ended thefirst half of their SEC slate with a rousing 72-58 rout of the Commodores, who came intothe game tied for first in the East with a 6-1conference record. Travis Leslie and TreyThompkins once again led the way forGeorgia, as each player totaled 17 points inthe win. The two stars also led the Bulldogsin rebounds, with Leslie hauling in eight toThompkins’s seven.

Georgia finally got past its recent sec-ond-half woes, as Bulldogs rallied from aneight-point deficit at the start of the secondhalf to take a commanding 14-point lead withjust under four minutes left on RickyMcPhee’s three-pointer.

The win was the Dawgs’ third of theyear over a ranked foe, with all three winscoming at home.

“I was very pleased with our defensetonight,” Fox said. “Plus, the other day’s game(the loss to Arkansas) made me a little nauseous,so I’m happy that I’ll be able to eat tonight.”

The loss to the Razorbacks onWednesday night was the latest in a discour-aging stretch of late-game collapses by theBulldogs. Georgia has led in the second halfin all but one of their SEC games, but hasstruggled to close games out. The Dawgs ledArkansas by 15 at the half, but fell 72-68.

The loss was UGA’s third in a row aftertheir upset win over Tennessee.

Thompkins led Georgia with 21 pointswhile Leslie added 14. Dustin Ware andJeremy Price each scored 11 points in the loss.

The Dawgs donned silver uniforms for

the first time in the history of the programin the loss.

Fox’s club travels to Auburn onWednesday night before hosting SouthCarolina on Saturday.

FOOTBALL CLASS LESS THAN ELITE …Georgia fans have become spoiled by

recruiting success in the Mark Richt era, ashis classes are typically ranked by all recruit-ing services in the top 10 in America.However, last Wednesday, the Bulldogs signeda class that not one service had in the top 10.

The loss of three defensive coaches thatRicht fired seemed to take its toll on the pro-gram, as a handful of longtime defensivecommitments signed elsewhere. Also, the topplayer in the state according to many and oneof the best wide receiver prospects inAmerica de-committed from UGA the nightbefore Signing Day only to sign withTennessee the following morning.

LADY DOGS OVERCOME NEMESIS …Da’Rick Rogers of Calhoun made the

switch due to his close ties with Calhounquarterback Nash Nance, who was offered bythe Vols late in the process.

Despite the attrition to their class, theBulldogs did land several promising players.Among the 19 that signed were defensivelinemen Garrison Smith, T.J. Stripling andMike Thornton, three of the top players attheir position in the Southeast. Transfer JakarHamilton from Georgia Military Collegeshould contribute next year along withNewnan’s Alec Ogletree at the safety positionwhile offensive lineman Brent Benedict fromJacksonville was very highly sought-after aswell, though he will require time to heal froma serious knee injury.

Georgia also signed a last-minute sur-prise to the class in Lonnie Outlaw, a 6-7 widereceiver from Wilcox County.

Black can be reached at [email protected].

An underwhelming three-day stretch of bas-ketball for the Georgia Tech men’s team got

off to an inauspicious start last Thursday atCameron Indoor Stadium. One month after edg-ing Duke 71-67, Tech fell listlessly to the BlueDevils, 86-67. Kyle Singler poured in a career-high 30 points for Duke, which led by double-digits throughout the second half. ZacheryPeacock led the Yellow Jackets with 11 points,but none came after the first six minutes of play.

Georgia Tech returned home two days laterand appeared to be handling N.C. State just aseasily as Duke had taken care of the Jackets onThursday. The Wolfpack trailed by 16 pointswith less than 4:30 remaining in the gamebefore wreaking havoc with a full-court pressagainst which the Jackets were utterly hopeless.

Turnovers, missed free throws, and awhole bunch of a chaos later, Tech held on 73-71 when N.C. State’s Julius Mays came upshort with what would have been a game-win-ning three-pointer. Lost in the fray was a 22-point performance from Peacock. DerrickFavors, who scored eight points and grabbed

seven rebounds against Duke, added 16 andwas named ACC Rookie of the Week for thethird time this season.

The Yellow Jackets (17-6, 5-4 ACC) vis-ited Miami on Wednesday, but results werenot available at press time. The path ahead forthe Jackets consists of a difficult road test atWake Forest (17-5, 7-3 ACC) on Saturday,then a home date against struggling UNC(13-10, 2-6 ACC). The Tar Heels have stum-bled in conference play, only tallying winsagainst Virginia Tech and N.C. State. A RoyWilliams-coached Carolina team has nevermissed the NCAA tournament, but the Heelshave lost seven of their last nine heading intolast Wednesday night’s game against Duke.

ROAD WARRIORS …The women’s hoops team took to the

road for a recent two-game trip and cameaway with impressive victories at Marylandand Clemson. Georgia Tech edged theTerrapins 61-60 on Friday as AlexMontgomery drained two free throws with six

seconds left for the winning margin.Montgomery finished with a game-high 20points while Brigitte Ardossi chipped in 15.

Ardossi recorded her fifth double-doubleof the season on Monday as the YellowJackets (20-5, 6-3 ACC) had a far more rou-tine night at Clemson. In addition to Ardossi’s17 points and 13 rebounds, Deja Fosterscored 16 on 7-of-13 shooting as Tech ham-mered the Tigers 68-53.

With the victory, the Jackets havereached the 20-win mark for a fourth consec-utive year. After six days of rest, the womenwill look for win No. 21 when they hostFlorida State on Monday.

GOLF FINISHES SIXTH …Georgia Tech’s golf team shot a final-

round 6-under on Saturday afternoon to fin-ish in sixth place at the Mauna LaniInvitational on Hawaii’s Kohala Coast.Sophomore James White recorded a 5-under67 to tie for sixth place in the individual com-petition along with junior Kyle Scott. Junior

John-Tyler Griffin finished in a tie for 10thplace at the event, which crowned Stanford asthe overall team champion.

Next up for the Yellow Jackets is a Feb.21-23 trip to the Puerto Rico classic.

FOOTBALL HAPPENINGS …Head football coach Paul Johnson

announced on Tuesday the signing of AndyMcCollum to be the team’s new defensive linecoach and recruiting coordinator. McCollumspent the past three seasons as the linebackerscoach at N.C. State.

McCollum joins the reigning ACC cham-pions, whose 2010 schedule was announcedlast Thursday. Tech will open with two non-con-ference games, the first at home against 2009MEAC winner South Carolina State before aSept. 11 visit to Kansas. The only change on theACC slate is N.C. State replacing Florida State.Georgia Tech will host the Wolfpack for thefirst time since 2005 on Sept. 25.

Dimon can be reached at [email protected].

Women’s hoops rolling while men cling to life; football hires N.C. State’s McCollum

Fox Hounds split home games; football class ranked lowest in Richt’s tenure



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