catch the action at philips see back page

CATCH THE ACTION AT PHILIPS SEE BACK PAGE
DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
ATLANTA’S WEEKLY SPORTS TALK NEWSPAPER
VOL 4 NO 49
Get In The Game!
02 I SCORE ATLANTA
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
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STARTING
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SCORE ATLANTA I 03
IN YOUR
FACE…
PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg
MANAGING EDITOR Tad Arapoglou
ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Gaudio
WEBMASTER Alex Ewalt
VIDEO MANAGER/PREP EDITOR Scott Janovitz
BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick
SALES Travis Ball, Brian Pruett, Charles Rose
OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington
BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black
(Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (Thrashers), James Butler
(UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey
(Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott Janovitz
(Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves)
STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Ricky Dimon,
Rajesh Gupta, Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell,
Jessica Parker, Leighton Savary, Keafer Triplett, Derek Wiley
CONTRIBUTORS Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky,
Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond,
Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart,
Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg
Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, 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
™
WWW.SCOREATL.COM
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____________________________________________________________
The high school football semifinals take place this Friday in
every classification, and five of our beat writers give readers
a full preview of each matchup.
______________________________________________________
The Sports Bar Challenge kicks off this week! Read up on
three local sports bars, and find out how you can win prizes
by visiting all participating locations.
______________________________________________________
out our UGA and Tech beat pages after last week’s
20-21epicCheck
battle! Tech beat Knowshon Moreno (pictured) and the
m
Dawgs for the first time since 2000.
A SCORE UPDATE:
With a total of 10 high school football semifinal matchups taking
place across the state this week, check out Scoreatl.com for
LIVE score updates throughout the night! Each team will be
playing in hopes of reaching the state championships at the
Georgia Dome, and our flash scoreboard will post up-to-thesecond scores. Make sure to visit Scoreatl.com on Friday
night to keep up with all the action.
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
I.J. Rosenberg writes about Vince Dooley’s new book, Dooley’s Playbook, which
captures the legendary coach’s top 34 moments of UGA football.
TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS
QUITE THE CATCH:
Justin Peelle
(left) and Roddy White celebrate after Peelle’s 18-yard
touchdown reception in the second quarter last Sunday.
With the victory, the Falcons improved to 8-4 and are
only one game out of the NFC South lead. Can the Birds
continue their magical run with a win at New Orleans
this Sunday? Photo courtesy of Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons.
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COVER DESIGN BY DAVID GAUDIO.
6 DUE UP-SCORE LIST 7 SPIN-C.C 9 MEMORY LANE
10 OWLS-PANTHERS 12 FALCONS 18 HAWKS
19 THRASHERS-BRAVES 20 BULLDOGS 21 JACKETS
22-23 CALENDAR 25 PREPLAND 26 BATTEN-AD INDEX
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04 I SCORE ATLANTA
sipping sweet iced tea as Dooley told me
some great stories about his days on the field.
He also spent some time talking about
his new book that’s just about to hit the
streets, called Dooley’s Playbook: The 34
Most Memorable Plays in Georgia
Football History.
Now, Dooley is no stranger to writing.
He has penned several books, including ones
for children, but this one is special and should
be in any college football book collection.
Teaming up with illustrator Steve Penley
(stevepenley.com), Dooley takes the reader
through the greatest plays in school history,
giving very detailed insight on each of them,
starting with Catfish Smith’s great performance against Yale on Oct. 12, 1929, in the
inaugural game at Sanford Stadium. Each
chapter includes at least one illustration by
Penley, a Georgia graduate best known for
his iconic portraits and one of America’s
most popular southern artists. All the illustrations in the book incorporate bold colors,
strong brush strokes and vivid imagery.
Dooley does his own illustrating by drawing
out each of the plays, showing on paper how
the plays went down.
Why he picked 34 plays is obvious to
any Georgia fan, or college football fan for
that matter, as that was Herschel Walker’s
number and his great running physique is
right there on the cover.
Dooley also does a good job of interviewing many of the former players including some great quotes from Bulldog great
Charlie Trippi, who blew the Georgia Tech
game open in 1942 (the Yellow Jackets were
ranked No. 1 in most polls at the time) on an
86-yard run called “Harvard 29 Pass.” Of
course there was George Patton’s interception return for a touchdown in a win over
Alabama in 1965, a year that featured
another one of the 34 plays, the “Flea
Flicker Left” from Kirby Moore to Pat
Hodgson to Bob Taylor.
There is plenty of Herschel in the book,
though Dooley readily admits the greatest
play had to be the pass from Buck Belue to
Lindsay Scott to beat Florida in the national
championship season of 1980. The play was
simply called “Left 76.” Dooley said that
after watching the film the next day, “at least
five different Florida players, had they reacted immediately after the catch, could have
made the tackle. They reason they didn’t, I
concluded, was due to their premature celebration which prevented them from being
totally focused. It was a great lesson that I
referred to often in coaching.”
Dooley also included a chapter on some
of the great kickers in Georgia history and
another on other great Georgia moments,
which included former Auburn coach Pat
Dye, who in 1960 blocked a Georgia Tech
extra point to give the Bulldogs a 7-6 victory.
The book is $29.95, will by midmonth be available in most bookstores and
is a great gift for the holidays, whether
get the schedule by going to the calendar
section on Scoreatl.com.
FALCONS KEEP ROLLING …
Unbelievable. There is no other way to
describe the Falcons and their 8-4 record.
Now, all of sudden, this team has a chance to
go 12-4 and win the division and a firstround bye or 11-5 or 10-6 and get the second
wild card spot. Right now they are tied with
Dallas for the second wild card spot but look
which Atlanta had at least three more giveaways than takeaways, following 83 consecutive losses in such games. Like I have been
saying for weeks, this team is really reminding me of the 1991 Braves.
WORKING BOTH WAYS …
Georgia Tech’s win over Georgia was
actually a perfect scenario for both teams.
First of all, the Yellow Jackets had lost
seven straight to the Bulldogs and the win
ON THE COVER
Dooley’s Playbook chronicles best 34 plays; Tech-UGA rivalry is back
you’re a Georgia fan or just someone who
lunch with Vince Dooley the other day.
Sunday, they committed three more
loves college football. Dooley will be signThe former Georgia football coach and athturnovers than San Diego. It was the first
Iletichad
ing the book around the state and you can
director and I sat and ate fried chicken,
regular-season win in franchise history in
Legendary Georgia head coach Vince
Dooley, seen here being honored at
last week’s UGA-Tech game, recently
released a book called Dooley’s
Playbook that compiles a list of his top
34 moments in Bulldog football history. Beautiful illustrations and designed
plays accompany each of the
moments. And while you may disagree
with some of the ordering, there’s no
way you can disagree with No. 1. We’ll
give you a hint: “Run Lindsay!” Our
cover is designed by art director David
Gaudio, while the above photo is courtesy of Rob Saye.
NEW RECORD: Heading into Saturday afternoon, Georgia head coach Mark Richt (right) was 7-0 against rival
Georgia Tech. Hours later, however, it was Tech’s Paul Johnson (left) with an undefeated record against rival
Georgia at 1-0. Trailing 28-12 at halftime, the Yellow Jackets scored 26 unanswered points in the third quarter
to give Johnson a stunning 9-3 record in his first regular season on the Flats. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.
CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS
‘[Dooley’s Playbook] is a great gift for the holidays, whether
you’re a Georgia fan or just someone who loves college football.’
at the rest of the Cowboys’ schedule compared to the Falcons’. Dallas has to travel to
Pittsburgh (9-3), then come back home for
games against the Giants (11-1) and
Baltimore (8-4) before closing out with the
Eagles (6-5-1) in Philadelphia. Meanwhile,
the Falcons have games in New Orleans (6-6)
this Sunday against a slumping Saints team,
then come back here for a key game against
Tampa Bay before closing out in Minnesota
(7-5) and then home against the Rams (2-10).
I’d bet on the Falcons there. And by the way,
the Falcons have to be one of the most balanced teams in the NFL and they are winning
games even when they make mistakes. For
instance, in the victory over the Chargers
was a great way for new coach Paul
Johnson to put a cap on what has been a
very good regular season, with the Jackets
finishing at 9-3. Eventually, Tech was going
to beat Georgia, and for the Bulldogs, in
what has been a very disappointing season,
a win over the Jackets would have left little
satisfaction for a team that came into the
season ranked No. 1. Either way, the
Bulldogs were likely going to end up in the
Capital One Bowl. It wasn’t like the
Bulldogs went into the game with a chance
to go to a BCS bowl or win a national
championship. I will say that Tech has certainly moved itself closer to Georgia when
it comes to the talent, coaching and com-
petitiveness of each program. For the
Bulldogs, however, it would appear head
coach Mark Richt is going to have to sit
down and make some big decisions on the
defensive side of his program. This Georgia
team was terrible on defense, giving up 25.6
points per game and a total of 135 points in
its three losses to Alabama, Florida and
Tech. Will defensive coordinator Willie
Martinez be back? We all know how loyal
Richt is when it comes to his assistants but
Georgia has the best passing quarterback in
the conference in Matt Stafford and the best
running back in Knowshon Moreno and didn’t come close to winning the conference
title. That’s something hard to think about.
Tech fans, meanwhile, have a lot to look forward to with players such as quarterback
Josh Nesbitt and running backs Jonathan
Dwyer and redshirt freshman Roddy Jones,
the latter rushing for 214 in Athens on
Saturday. Yes, the Tech-Georgia rivalry is
finally back.
You can listen to Rosenberg every
Sunday during the Falcons game on Score
Atlanta’s NFL Scoreboard Show on 790 The
Zone. This week’s show will be from 1-4
p.m. Rosenberg can be reached at ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com and 404-256-1572.
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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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 05
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Get In The Game!
06 I SCORE ATLANTA
SCORE LIST
DUE UP
BY TAD ARAPOGLOU
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Johnson’s genius; he should absolutely win Coach of the Year. And who thought the triple
option wouldn’t work here? The Jackets have 881 rushing yards in their last two games.
MAKING NOISE:
I’m disgusted that the ACC Title Game will be the same as last
year, BC vs. VaTech – especially since neither team is as good as it was last year. But
for you ACC haters out there, the conference went 3-1 against SEC foes last Saturday.
The Hawks had a strong November, so what better way to start the month
of December with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies? Come see Joe Johnson
square off against rookie O.J. Mayo when the action starts at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY Thursday Night Football. NFL Network.
MOVING ON?:
I was one of those fooled by the late-season success by Georgia in
2007, thinking the Bulldogs would carry it over to 2008. With SEC and national title hopes
gone, I have a feeling Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will bolt to the NFL.
College football season is winding down, but all that means is more time
to focus on the NFL. On Thursday, catch the AFC West battle between the
Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m.
FRIDAY
PLAYOFFS?!:
All fans of a playoff in NCAA football get their wish … kinda. The SEC
champion will no doubt play for the national title, and if Oklahoma beats Missouri in the
Big 12 Championship, they’ll be there too. Enjoy it – that’s the closest we’re gonna get.
FEEL THE BURN: Yeah, LaDainian Tomlinson found the end zone, but check the final
stats on the ground last Sunday: Michael Turner 120 yards, LT 24. It’s amazing seeing
the former backup schooling the guy who used to own the spotlight. I’ll take Burner.
High School Football.
It’s the semifinal round in Georgia high school football and the winners go on to
the state finals at the Georgia Dome. Fans in Gwinnett County will want to check
out the contest between Grayson and Peachtree Ridge starting at 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY SEC Championship. 680 The Fan. CBS.
NEXT UP: Loving the 8-4 record and four wins in five games, but to me, the next two
weeks determine if the Falcons are truly a playoff-worthy team. New Orleans (Sunday)
can score at will, while Tampa Bay (Dec. 14) has the NFL’s best defensive playmakers.
To say the SEC season has been a wild ride is an understatement. But it
all ends Saturday at the Georgia Dome when the red-hot Florida Gators
square off against the Alabama Crimson Tide. They will dance at 4 p.m.
SUNDAY
WINDING DOWN:
As expected, the high school football playoffs have been a treat
to watch, and now we enter the semifinals. I’m predicting wins for Tucker and Marist
in Class 4A, and after beating powerhouse Lowndes, it has to be Grayson’s year in 5A.
THE RETURN:
Josh Smith is supposed to return to the Hawks’ lineup this week, perhaps
as early as Wednesday. And it couldn’t come at a better time: Atlanta was 4-0 with Smith and
has gone 6-6 since his injury. J-Smoove makes this team one of the best in the East.
Former Tech star Stephon Marbury had this to say of his New York
Knicks teammates: “If I got shot in the head, at least you want to get shot by the enemy.
I got shot in the head by my own guys in my foxhole.” Yeah, fair comparison, Steph.
Britney Spears told Glamour, “In five years I would like to be married
and have a father figure for my kids.” Well Britney, not only did you and I just celebrate
our birthdays (last Tuesday), but I have a thing for head-shaving club-hoppers. Call me!
Georgia vs. Virginia Tech. 750 AM. ESPNU.
Head coach Dennis Felton has got the Georgia men’s basketball team off
to a hot start, but they will have a big test on Tuesday when they face a
solid Virginia Tech squad. The Dawgs and Hokies tip off at 7 p.m.
Tech Yellow Jackets
Anytime you accidentally shoot yourself in
the leg at a club, it’s a rough week. The
New York Giants receiver was already supposed to miss last Sunday’s game with an
unrelated injury before his non-life threatening self-inflicted wound.
Monday Night Football. 680 The Fan. ESPN.
This is another big-time NFC South matchup, as the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers are battling for the top spot. It
should be a very physical contest and the war will begin at 8:30 p.m.
TUESDAY
MR. SPEARS:
Falcons at New Orleans. 92.9 FM. FOX.
It’s coming down to the wire for the Falcons, as they are one of many
teams that are in the playoff hunt. A big win against the New Orleans Saints
would help their cause for a bid. These rivals will do battle at 1 p.m.
MONDAY
NIXED KNICK:
Plaxico Burress
The skid is over. After losing seven straight
to rival Georgia, the Yellow Jackets
shocked the Bulldogs with a 45-42 victory
in Athens to close out the regular season.
Roddy Jones (pictured) tallied 214 rushing
yards with two touchdowns.
Mike Bibby
Grayson Rams
The Hawks point guard had a great
week, averaging 21.0 points, 4.0
rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals
in three games. Bibby also shot 50
percent from 3-point range (hitting 11
3s) in those games, helping the
Hawks win two of three.
Lowndes had not lost since Aug. 31,
2007 and was ranked No. 2 in the
nation on ESPN RISE. But Grayson
would not be denied at home and
will make its first-ever semifinal
appearance after upsetting the
Vikings 17-7 last Friday.
Georgia Bulldogs
Atlanta Thrashers
After dropping three straight last
week, the Thrashers were losers of
six of seven at press time (Tuesday’s
results were unavailable). At 8-12-3,
Atlanta was tied for worst in the NHL
in points (19) and only Tampa Bay
had less wins.
The Bulldogs fell to Tech for the first
time since 2000, capping off a regular
season filled with disappointment.
Mark Richt (pictured) watched his
preseason No. 1-ranked Dawgs get
crushed by Florida and Alabama
before falling to Tech.
CRUNCHING THE
NUMBERS NEXT UP FOR TIGER’S BAG
1,208
720
Yards rushing
by Michael Turner (third in the NFL)
Yards rushing
by Warrick Dunn in 2007, the
Falcons’ leading rusher
1998
The last time
the Falcons finished as high as
third in the league in rushing
Last week, it was reported that Tiger
Woods and Buick are parting ways with one
year left on their contract. Seems Buick
needs the money and Tiger doesn’t. It
will be interesting now to see
where this goes. Buick had its
logo on Tiger’s bag. He has only
had one other logo on his bag
during his professional career
and that was Titleist. I can hardly
imagine Nike needing more exposure out of Tiger and finding more
money to give him for a Nike bag.
That brings us to one of Tiger’s newest
endorsements: Gatorade. He has several of
his own flavors of Gatorade Tiger. Wouldn’t
it be interesting to see one of those logos on
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BY BRIAN JONES
WEDNESDAY Hawks vs. Memphis. 790 The Zone.
NEW ERA: I really didn’t think Tech was ready to beat Georgia yet. The win proves Paul
THUMBS UP TO
BEATING RIVALS
HOTTEST THINGS TO
SEE AND DO OVER THE
NEXT SEVEN DAYS
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the bag? Or even better, a bag in the shape
of a Gatorade bottle? David Toms used to
carry a bag shaped like a Sharpie pen, and
several players carried Gatewaysponsored, cow-spotted bags on
the old Nike Tour. They were
cool. But a Gatorade bottle
would be raising the bar. The
rain cover can look like a lid. He
could carry different flavors for
different tournaments. Come on,
people. This is good stuff! I hope
they get this done.
Brian Katrek can be heard on 790
The Zone’s “On The Green with
Brian Katrek” and can be reached at
bkatrek@790thezone.com.
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THUMBS DOWN TO
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SANITY
AT LAST
“Growing up, all I
heard about was how
great Georgia was.
It’s great to be part
of a team that ends
the streak.”
- Tech RB Roddy Jones
DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 07
Braves hold Junior Baseball League; Kovalchuk entertains children in need
CHECK
THIS OUT!
LOOK PAST
THE STATS
I am not a stat geek, not by any
stretch of the imagination. I don’t feel
like stats always tell the whole truth.
Besides that, stats sometimes get in the
way of the opinion I want to have about
certain players. Sometimes they work
against the point I’m trying to make, so
I just don’t deal with them. Every time
I watch the Hawks play, I get this nagging feeling that when Acie Law and
Flip Murray are on the floor at the
same time, nothing good happens.
Now of course I had nothing concrete
to back this up, but this feeling just
kept intensifying so I finally decided to
look it up Friday night after the Hawks
lost to Toronto. I went to 82games.com
and was not surprised to learn that I
was correct. The Law-Murray combo
this season is absolutely awful. In
defense of Murray, he’s no better when
he’s on the floor at the same time as
Marvin Williams and Maurice Evans.
In defense of Law, when he’s on the
floor with Maurice Evans, it’s also
dreadful. See, this is exactly why I
don’t bother with stats.
The only point I wanted to make is
that Mike Woodson should stop playing
Law and Murray together unless there
is absolutely no one else available. I
don’t just limit that to point guards and
shooting guards – I mean they shouldn’t be on the floor together unless there
is no one else available in uniform. It
feels that bad when they are on the
court at the same time. I told you – stats
don’t tell the whole truth.
The Washington Wizards fired
Eddie Jordan last week after they started the season 1-10. My only feelings
on this are if they were ready to fire him
after only 11 games, they
might as well have fired
him last season. They obviously weren’t convinced he
was the right person for the
job anyway.
C.C. can be reached
at cfelicec@yahoo.com.
HOLIDAY SPIRIT: On Nov. 25, the Hawks tipped off the holiday season with a special Thanksgiving event at
Philips Arena for 100 underprivileged children. Maurice Evans and his partners are seen here, sampling some
of the desserts. Levy Restaurants chefs also helped prepare a holiday meal with all the trimmings. The kids
and team then dined together in Philips Arena’s Center Club. The day’s festivities also included a basketball
clinic on the Hawks practice court. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Boxley/Hawks Photos.
HERE’S THE SCOOP ...
addition to the Braves’ consistent just the seventh time that all four players in
Ithenefforts
to give back to the less fortunate, the event won money.
In celebration of Atlanta’s 10 years of
organization has also always put a
large priority on working with Atlanta’s
youth, educating kids on baseball and
much, much more. Last week provided a
perfect example of these community
efforts, as the team’s players participated
in the Junior Braves Baseball League for
the fourth year in a row. Teaming up with
the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of
America, the Braves put together a league
that accommodated more than 2,000
inner-city kids and helped raise nearly
$100,000 in grants. Over a two-day period,
kids of all ages participated in numerous
games while receiving instruction on life
and baseball from numerous Braves players. The weekend’s biggest highlight, however, came when Atlanta mayor Shirley
Franklin arrived and spoke with the young
Atlanta females in attendance.
The PGA’s 26th annual Skins Game
concluded last Sunday and K.J Choi sank
an 11-foot birdie putt worth $270,000 on
the 18th hole to win the event. Over the
course of the weekend, Choi earned
$415,000 and, with the win, became only
the fifth international player to win the title.
Choi was a part of a foursome that included
Rocco Mediate, Stephen Ames and Phil
Mickelson. Failing to capture his third consecutive title in the event, Ames still managed to earn $250,000 over the weekend
while Mickelson and Mediate took home
$195,000 and $140,000, respectively. It was
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Sister City Relations with Nuremberg,
Germany, the Atlanta Thrashers hosted Dr.
Ulrich Maly, Lord Mayor of the City of
Nuremberg, on Sunday. Prior to the team’s
3 p.m. game versus the St. Louis Blues,
Thrashers Executive Vice President and
General Manager Don Waddell took part in
a jersey exchange with the Lord Mayor,
receiving a Nuremberg Ice Tigers jersey
from Dr. Maly. Atlanta and Nuremberg’s
sister city relations began in December of
1998 with the purpose of increasing the
knowledge, goodwill, and understanding of
the world through people-to-people diplomacy, education, cultural and economic
exchanges, and humanitarian assistance.
KOVY KINDNESS …
Keeping with the philanthropic theme,
Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk hosted a
group of children from the Show Me the
Way Foundation and the Gwinnett
Children’s Shelter last week. As part of his
Kovy’s Krew program, Kovalchuk and
teammate Slava Kozlov welcomed a large
group of kids to Jillian’s – Discover Mills
for a party and numerous games.
Traditionally, Kovy’s Krew offers children
living with cancer and others of disadvantaged circumstances the opportunity to visit
Jillian’s for an afternoon of arcade games,
food, fun and bowling with the Thrashers
forward. This season marks the seventh
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It’s time to get your run on this
holiday season at the Virginia Highland
Christmas 5K Run/Walk! With all of
the celebrating that goes on during the
holiday, you could probably use a little
workout, and this race gives you a
chance to get that exercise on Dec. 20.
And there will be lots of fun to be had
as well at Atlanta’s most popular holiday race. There will be plenty of giveaway prizes and if you pre-register, you
can look forward to receiving a cotton
T-shirt. So get registered today!
Register by Dec. 10 for just $20, or $25
afterwards. As for the race, get there
early for packet pickup and race day
registration runs from 7 a.m. until 8:30
a.m. The race begins at 9 a.m. Visit
www.r ungeorgia.com/vahichristmas.html right now to learn more
about the race and download the race
entry application!
Written by Scott Janovitz
year Kovalchuk has provided the community-oriented service.
The Atlanta Falcons announced last
week that it would offer current season
ticket holders the opportunity to renew
their seats early for the 2009 season. The
early renewal option provides for discounts
of up to 29 percent off the planned 2009
season-ticket prices and even more off
2009 single-game ticket prices. The deadline for early renewal is Dec. 30, while the
idea signals the franchise’s attempt to
accommodate fans in increasingly difficult
economic times.
GETTING BURNED …
When the San Diego Chargers decided to let Michael Turner walk a year ago,
most fans and critics thought nothing of it,
as current Charger running back LaDanian
Tomlinson was clearly the NFL’s top running threat at the time. Fast-forward to last
weekend when Turner and the Falcons visited Tomlinson’s Chargers and it is clear,
and somewhat shocking, how much things
have changed. As of now, Turner is outplaying Tomlinson by a large margin on
the season, rushing for 1,208 yards and 13
touchdowns through 12 games while
Tomlinson has rushed for only 764 yards
and six touchdowns in the same time span.
Last Sunday, Tomlinson was outplayed by
Turner yet again, running for only 24
yards while his former teammate bowled
his way to 120 yards on 31 carries en route
to a 22-16 victory.
Get In The Game!
08 I SCORE ATLANTA
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 09
Top sports team and Texas Stadium items
ith the holiday season upon us, which
FROM THE MAILBAG …
team reigns supreme with sports fans?
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Dear Dean: I have a 1983 Atlanta
Take a look at this week’s online auction
report to find out:
• Chicago Bears
• Dallas Cowboys
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• New York Yankees
• Boston Red Sox
Hats off to the New York Yankees, as
both retailers and fans have them No. 1.
There are currently 22,667 Yankee items currently available online. “America’s Team,”
the Dallas Cowboys, comes in a close second with 20,914 postings. The men in black,
the Pittsburgh Steelers, take third with an
impressive 18,071 listings, while the
Chicago Bears have 14,251. Rounding out
the top five are the Boston Red Sox with
13,979 postings. There is definitely no shortage of products this year.
COWBOY CHRISTMAS …
The Dallas Cowboys will be auctioning
off pieces of Texas Stadium as they prepare
to move into their new facilities. The online
auction will take place on BidSpotter.com
and will close at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. Here are
just a few of the items that will be up for
sale along with their minimum bids:
Turnstiles (starting at $300); Terrell
Owens’s locker ($2,000); Tony Romo’s
locker ($3,000); and a trio of showerheads
from the locker room ($500). Don’t forget:
everything must go, including a urinal from
the team’s locker room ($300).
Braves autographed baseball. I don’t see Bob
Horner, but Dale Murphy is on the ball. Any
idea as to the value of it?
Dear Bravo: There are several factors
when determining the value of a team-signed
baseball. Important factors include quality of
signatures, number of signatures, and quality
of the baseball. Key signatures to look for on
the baseball are Dale Murphy (MVP year),
Brett Butler and Phil Niekro. If your baseball
is in excellent condition and contains at least
20 signatures, it is worth $150.
Dear Dean: I have a bunch of football
helmet stickers along with football action
cards that I’ve had since the 1970s. I was
curious to know if you have any information
on these cards.
Dear Action Man: The cards and stickers were manufactured and issued by Fleer,
which issued these types of football cards in
wax packs from 1977-1988 and included
football helmet and logo stickers in each
pack. Each team has several in-action cards
in the set. They are not very popular with
collectors, as no card features any one individual player. The 1980s sets typically sell
for around $20; the late 1970s sets command a little more.
Want to know what your item is worth or
have a question about a particular sports
item? Email me, Dean Zindler, at
dzindler@scoreatl.com.
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Get In The Game!
10 I SCORE ATLANTA
Men take two; women aim for first victory
Tallahassee, Fla., to take on Florida A&M.
enior guard J.D. Pollack scored a careerbest 24 points and the men’s basketball
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team defeated Colgate by a score of 54-50 on
LOOKING FOR A WIN …
Wednesday night in Hamilton, N.Y. The win
avenged an 81-53 drubbing at the hands of
the Red Raiders last season. After being up
20-11 in the first half, Colgate went on an 80 run to close the gap to 20-19 by halftime.
The Owls were not done, however, and took
control of the game in the second half, going
on a 22-13 run to push their lead to 10 at 4232 with 6:32 remaining. Sophomore guard
Kelvin McConnell sank two clutch free
throws to clinch the game, pushing the lead
to an insurmountable seven with just nine
seconds to go. Aside from his game-high 24
points, Pollack also added five rebounds and
another game-high with three steals. With the
win, the Owls (3-2) improved to over .500 for
the first time since entering Division I.
On Saturday night, KSU won its second
game in a row with a 64-49 victory over
Maryland-Eastern Shore at the Convocation
Center. McConnell led the way for the Owls
with a game-high 19 points, while JohnMichael Nickerson added 11 points and a teamhigh nine rebounds. The KSU defense, however, was the story of the night. The Owls held the
Hawks to 1-for-10 shooting from 3-point land
and just 34.1 percent shooting from the field. In
the second half, UMES made only 28 percent
of its field goals. The Owls put the game away
with a clutch 11-2 run down the stretch to take
a 57-45 lead with only a minute left. KSU (4-2)
is off until Dec. 13, when the Owls travel to
The Lady Owls (0-4) will try for their
first victory when they travel to Troy on
Wednesday to take on the Trojans, a team they
lost to last season in a 58-57 heartbreaker.
“They beat us at the buzzer, so we’re
hoping we can go back down there and do the
same to them,” said head coach Colby Tilley.
The Lady Trojans of the Sun Belt
Conference are 2-3 after dropping two games
in the Doubletree Classic in Chattanooga,
Tenn. Troy and KSU have played two common opponents in Richmond and Georgia
Tech, with both schools going 0-2 against
those teams. So far this season, senior guard
Jennifer Baker is leading the team with a
14.3 scoring average while junior guard
Greteya Kelley is pouring in 12.3 points per
game. Preseason conference player of the
year Britteny Henderson leads the team with
seven rebounds per game.
IN OTHER NEWS …
First Cherokee State Bank donated
$5,000 to the athletics department on Nov. 25
after sponsoring the KSU Golf Classic on
Oct. 22. … The men’s golf squad signed three
players to its 2008 fall signing class: Gregory
O’Connor, Benjamin Greene and Peder
Hermansson. The players will begin play during the 2009-10 golf season.
Black
can
be
reached
at
sblack@scoreatl.com.
Steeds earns All-America honors; basketball teams attempt to bounce back
hat a way for Mark Steeds of the cross
country team to close out what had
been an outstanding season. Last Monday, at
the Division I Cross Country National
Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., Steeds
became the first All-American in the history of the Georgia State Cross Country program with a 12th-place finish. The top 15
runners finished within one minute of each
other, as Oregon’s Galen Rupp took the top
spot with a 29:03.2 finishing time. Steeds
finished just two seconds shy of 11th place
with a time of 29:49.2.
“It was pretty impressive to watch him
and it was such a good feeling to see that
Georgia State jersey near the front of the
field,” said head coach John Rowland.
Having reached all of his season goals
–CAA title, NCAA Regional qualifier and an
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All-American nod–Steeds will look forward
to a new goal, as he attempts to repeat his AllAmerican feat during the track season.
“Our team respects all that he has meant
to our program and now we’ll help him get
ready for track season and try to help him
earn All-American in that,” Rowland said.
HOOPS REGROUPS …
Men’s basketball (2-4 at press time) will
try to bounce back from a couple of disappointing losses with a mid-week home game
against Hampton. The Panthers will then
take to the road again, playing an early CAA
game Saturday at UNC-Wilmington. The
Panthers have been idle since falling at Troy,
68-63, before Thanksgiving. The Panthers’
four losses have been by an average of just
5.3 points, including two overtime losses
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already in the young season.
“The break gave us a chance to
regroup,” said head coach Rod Barnes. “I
think we had been pressing a little bit, so we
gave them a few days off, and I think it was
what we needed. We got back in the gym
over the weekend and seemed to have a
renewed focus, so hopefully that will show
on the court.”
Joe Dukes, a transfer point guard from
Wake Forest, has led the way so far, averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and
2.3 steals per game.
On another note, Barnes announced that
junior forward Chris Echols, a junior college
transfer, has left the team.
“Chris decided that he wanted to concentrate on other things in his life and we
wish him the best,” Barnes said.
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IN OTHER NEWS …
After opening the season in fine fashion with a win at Clemson, women’s basketball dropped their next two games, a 74-56
loss at Georgia Tech and a 51-49 loss at the
College of Charleston.
“We’re glad to be coming home and hope
the fans will come out and see what an exciting
team we’ve got this season,” said head coach
Lea Henry. … Join us every Sunday afternoon
(4-5 p.m.) for the Rod Barnes/Georgia State
Basketball coaches show on WGKA-AM 920.
The show is broadcast live from The Panthers
Den restaurant in the Citizens Trust Bank building, 75 Piedmont Road, on campus.
Dave Cohen is in his 26th season as the
“Voice of Georgia State Basketball and
Baseball” on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works on
the football radio crew at Furman University
in Greenville, S.C.
DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 11
Semifinal matchups across Georgia will determine who goes to the Dome
e are down to the final four teams in
Rome vs. Marist: Rome had to pull out returning to the semifinals for the first Atlanta Christian in their regular-season
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each of the five classifications of the a 16-8 defensive battle against Apalachee in time since 2005. The Grangers have a finale, Jess Simpson and the Wolves have
high school football playoffs! Here is a look order to pack its bags as playoff visitors. And mobile quarterback in Rodney Tolbert and righted the ship by outscoring their playoff
at all of the semifinal matchups in the state …
CLASS 5A …
Peachtree Ridge vs. Grayson: The
Grayson Rams hope they can keep the good
times rolling after upsetting defending champion and No. 1-ranked Lowndes last Friday.
The Rams will take on a red-hot Peachtree
Ridge team that has won its last 11 games.
Grayson will keep the formula that it has been
using all season long: run the ball and stop the
run. The Rams have one of the best run games
in the state and are led by Ean Pemberton,
who tore apart the Lowndes defense last week
with two touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler
Horne can run the rock if needed and James
Earl Jones will look to be in the mix as well.
But the Lions can also run the ball well with
Ronnie Smith leading the way, and on
defense, linebacker and LSU-commit Kevin
Minter will be all over the field. This should
be a low-scoring game with both
teams relying on their running backs.
The Lions shut out Coffee last week
by a score of 38-0.
Newnan vs. Camden County:
The winner of the above-mentioned
all-Gwinnett matchup will have to
face one of these two giants. Newnan
is one of the few teams left in the
playoffs that prefers to throw the ball
more often than depending on its run
game. The Cougars run their version
of the spread with quarterback Russell
Powell throwing and running his way
through the playoffs. In fact, he has
thrown or run for at least one touchdown in 25 of 26 games that he has
started throughout his career. But
Camden would like to end that streak
with a defense that has pitched four shutouts
this season. The Wildcats, making their fifth
semifinals appearance since 2002, will run
the ball with Danny Valdez and Greg Baker.
Camden will be the favorite, but Newnan is
playing its best football now so this one
should be a great contest.
Brian Jones can be reached at
bjones@scoreatl.com.
CLASS 4A …
Griffin vs. Tucker: Griffin opened the
Class 4A state playoffs with a 34-0 blowout
of Glenn Hills. The Bears followed that up
with a narrow 34-30 road win over
Brunswick and 10-7 home victory at the
expense of Southwest DeKalb. Following a
3-3 start featuring losses to Dunwoody, Mt.
Zion-Jonesboro and North Clayton, Griffin
has since won seven in a row. Tucker took
care of Whitewater and Hillgrove at home
in Rounds 1 and 2 before shocking topranked Westside-Macon 31-20 on the road
in quarterfinal action. The Tigers, at 12-1,
are enjoying an eight-game winning streak
since getting erased by Marist 38-0. Will a
Bears defense that has posted three
shutouts and held five opponents to seven
points or less be able to slow down Tucker
running back Jonathan Davis and flanker
Drayton Calhoun? Both Griffin and Tucker
are No. 2 seeds (Tucker in Region 6 and
Griffin in Region 4).
what road warriors the Wolves have been!
They stunned Sandy Creek 19-13 in Round 2
and booked their spot in the semifinals with
a 41-21 drubbing of Statesboro. Rome has
been able to right the ship after a crushing 276 loss to Sprayberry in the Region 7 championship game on Nov. 7. Marist has found different ways to prevail in all three of its home
playoff games en route to the semifinals. The
War Eagles eased past Northgate 42-0 in
Round 1, beat Sequoyah 28-12 in a game that
was closer than the score suggested, and survived a furious fourth-quarter rally to subdue
Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 34-33 in the quarterfinals. Marist, which again holds home-field
advantage as a No. 1 seed, lost its seasonopener to St. Pius but went undefeated in
region play and has won 12 straight overall.
Ricky Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com.
fine running back complements in Ocie
Salter and Darren Hairston. Tristian
Johnson can bring the heat from the defensive end position and Qua Huzzie makes
plays at linebacker. LaGrange will host the
Falcons of Flowery Branch and head
coach Lee Shaw’s bunch can put points on
the scoreboard. The team is averaging 32.6
points per game during the playoffs and
the coach’s son, Connor Shaw, runs the
offense flawlessly. When Connor isn’t
running the ball, he is handing off to
Daniel Drummond, a predicted fullback
next season at Georgia Tech. Izaan Cross
is a big target for Connor at tight end and
will be a tough matchup for the Granger
defense. Watch out for Chris Lipscomb at
wideout as well.
Fletcher Proctor can be reached at
fproctor@scoreatl.com.
SO STREAKY: The Buford Wolves (right) are back in the Class 2A semifinals but Fitzgerald is hoping to hand them their first loss in 29 games. As for Kyle Farmer (left) and the Marist War Eagles,
they will host Rome in the Class 4A semifinals; Marist has not lost a playoff game at home since
1994. Photos courtesy of Photographic Arts.
CLASS 3A …
Cairo vs. Carver-Columbus: The
Final Four for Class 3A is dominated by
teams outside of the Atlanta area and features the return of a traditional power as
well as a rematch of last year’s title game.
The Cairo Syrupmakers fell to CarverColumbus last season in the state championship, but this year it will be Cairo,
which comes in as the favorite. The
Syrupmakers are led by a potent threepronged backfield of quarterback Angelo
Pease and running backs Ronnie Wooten
and Reginald Bryant. The running backs
are dubbed Thunder (Bryant) and
Lightning (Wooten), and the ground game
opens up the aerial for Pease. Last week
against Eastside, “Thunder and Lightning”
went for 200 yards rushing and Pease also
ran one in for a score. The Tiger defense,
meanwhile, will be without the state’s top
college prospect linebacker Jarvis Jones
but still features hard-hitting LeRon Furr.
The Carver-Columbus offense is led by
Devin Burns and running backs Jarkuis
Morgan and Isaiah Crowell.
LaGrange vs. Flowery Branch: The
other semifinal matchup finds LaGrange
CLASS 2A …
Brooks County vs. Calhoun: Brooks
County earned its place in the semis by erasing an 11-point deficit and outlasting Lovett
33-32 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The
same venue will host the semifinal tilt on
Friday as a result of a coin flip won by the
Trojans last Saturday morning. Calhoun had
little trouble dispatching Toombs County 4114 to reach its semifinal spot, thanks to quarterback Michael Johnson’s 306 passing yards.
There are other things the teams have in common besides their No. 1 seedings in the playoffs: both teams yield less than 14 points per
game on defense and both teams score over
34 points per game. It will be interesting to
see how the Yellow Jackets execute their
spread offense on the road, while Brooks
County will look to score on the ground with
Arlester McKinnon, coming off a 135-yard
rushing performance.
Fitzgerald vs. Buford: In the other
semifinal matchup, Fitzgerald will take on
the daunting task of traveling to Tom Riden
Stadium to face Buford, the year-long topranked team in the classification and defending state champion. Ever since their lackluster effort in the first half against Greater
Tuesday:
North River Tavern
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The Grove Restaurant & Bar
Decatur (404) 321-4420
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
30
CENT
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Jeffrey’s
SportsBar & Grill
Alpharetta(770) 346-0807
Ribs, ETC.,
Buckhead (404) 843-8200
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
Neighbor’s Pub
VA-Highlands (404)872-5440
WWW.THETRIVIAZONE.COM at J.R. Crickets in
Smyrna every
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Round up your friends for a night of FUN, FACTS,
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opponents 144-38. Their 44-10 drubbing of
fellow No. 1 seed Dublin last Friday ran their
record to 13-0 on the season. If running back
Storm Johnson can continue to find the end
zone, the Wolves will be right on pace for
their second consecutive undefeated season.
The Purple Hurricanes have also played
dominating football in the postseason, however, winning each of their three playoff
games by at least three touchdowns. The
margin of victory in Fitzgerald’s 41-19 win
over Pepperell in the quarterfinal round sent
the clear message that this will be a big test
for the homestanding Wolves. Buford will
have to watch out for Jamea Thomas, who
scored two touchdowns—on a kickoff and a
pick-six—last week.
Corey Mitchell can be reached at
cmitchell@scoreatl.com.
CLASS A …
Lincoln County vs. Wesleyan:
Lincoln County has won 14 state
championships and 34 region championships. Its semifinal opponent,
Wesleyan, won its first region championship this season and is in the state
semifinals for the first time in school
history. The Red Devils and Wolves
have met once before in the first
round of the 2000 playoffs; Lincoln
County was dominant, winning 45-7.
But that was a completely different
Wesleyan team. This year’s Wolves
have won 10 straight games and have
outscored their opponents in the playoffs 80-26. The Wolves have won with
a balanced offense led by junior quarterback Conor Welton and sophomore
running back Kyle Karempelis. The Red
Devils like to run the football with A.G.
Middlebrooks and Taivious McGahee. Both
teams feature strong defenses. The Red
Devils have given up only 12 points in the
playoffs, all of those coming last week to
Wilcox. If the Wolves are going to advance
to their first state championship game and
upset the Red Devils, they must come up big
in the red zone.
ECI vs. Wilkinson County: As defending state champions, Emanuel County
Institute was expected to be here. The same
cannot be said for opponent Wilkinson
County, however. The Warriors began their
season losing two of their first three to
Region 2-A teams Twiggs County and Wilcox
County. They then won five in a row before
losing to Lincoln County, 20-0. Since then,
they have begun another streak, winning four
straight—including last week’s 7-6 upset over
Turner County—to advance to the semifinals.
While ECI is led by touchdown machine and
UGA-bound Washaun Ealey, the Warriors
have a couple of talented backs of their own.
Immanual Shinholster ripped off touchdown
runs of 60 and 75 yards to beat Commerce
21-7 in the first round. Ricky Jones ran for
135 yards and a touchdown in a second-round
win over Whitefield Academy. Ealey has
rushed for 542 yards and nine touchdowns in
the playoffs for the Bulldogs.
Derek Wiley can be reached at
dwiley@scoreatl.com.
Wednesday:
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
Beef O'Brady's
Suwanee (770) 886-8221
Bradley's American Cafe
Marietta (770) 321-0108
Montana’s Bar & Grill
Marietta (770) 998-1314
Alpharetta (678) 366-8928
Dark Horse Tavern
VA-Highlands (404)873-3607
J.R. Crickets
Smyrna (678) 305-0225
Thursday:
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
Sunday:
Montana’s Bar & Grill
Marietta (770) 998-1314
Alpharetta (678) 366-8928
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
Buffalo’s Café
Jonesboro (770) 998-1314
WoW Café and Wingery
Athens (706) 543-5510
Friday:
Ameribistro
Smyrna (770) 437-0272
Get In The Game!
12 I SCORE ATLANTA
Falcons improve to 8-4 with win at San Diego; Saints to visit this Sunday
STAY CLASSY: Roddy
White (left) had another
outstanding performance
in Sunday’s win at San
Diego, catching six
passes for 112 receiving
yards. Atlanta’s defense
also stifled the Chargers,
as the Birds recorded
three sacks and a safety.
OFF THE
FIELD
The Falcons extended the contracts
of two players last week who are both
having career seasons. Wide receiver
Michael Jenkins was signed to a fouryear extension. The Ohio State alum has
notched 33 receptions for 498 yards and
three touchdowns.
“I’m really excited to continue my
career here in Atlanta,” he said. “The
team-oriented program is something I
want to continue to be a part of.”
Defensive
tackle
Jonathan
Babineax, a second-round selection in
2005, received a five-year extension.
Babineaux has made 27 tackles, 3.5
sacks and one fumble recovery in 2008.
After playing a key role in
Atlanta’s Week 12 victory over
Carolina, Harry Douglas was named
the NFC Special Teams Player of the
Week. Douglas returned a punt 61
yards for a touchdown to ice the game
in the fourth quarter. He would finish
with 93 yards on three returns. Douglas
also scored on a 7-yard run.
Tight end Ben Hartsock was placed
on injured reserve. Hartsock spent most
of his time blocking for Matt Ryan.
Atlanta signed Jason Rader to the active
roster to replace Hartsock. Rader was
released in training camp, but returned
to Atlanta later in the year and started
against the Philadelphia Eagles before
being released again.
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK
“There were times
where he was just running through tackles.”
- QB Matt Ryan on Michael
Turner’s performance in
San Diego
THE SCHEDULE
• Dec. 7 at New Orleans, 1 p.m. FOX.
• Dec. 14 vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. FOX.
• Dec. 21 at Minnesota, 1 p.m. FOX.
All games will be broadcast on 92.9 Dave FM. Tickets can
be purchased at www.atlantafalcons.com
Photos courtesy of Jimmy
Cribb/Atlanta Falcons.
PLAYER OF
THE WEEK
17 CMP
23 ATT
207 YDS
2 TDS
MATT
RYAN QB
THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING ...
he Falcons continued their run to the gained by 150 yards. They received the ball es. Abraham tacked on one-half of a sack to
postseason, winning 22-16 over the San at their own 19-yard line with 2:46 to play raise his total to 12 on the season. He also
T
Diego Chargers on the left coast. While and facing only a six-point deficit. But a forced Phillip Rivers into an intentional
Atlanta dominated the game statistically,
the team left plenty of points on the board.
“In this game, you have to win
games like this when things don’t go
your way and you don’t always play
your best,” said head coach
Mike Smith. “But I felt like
our guys fought very hard
for 60 minutes.”
The Falcons turned the
ball over three times, with
San Diego scoring all of
their 16 points off of those
giveaways. Atlanta also
struggled with the ball in
San Diego territory early
on in the game.
“That’s part of the
game,” said Matt Ryan
about the turnovers. “You
have to understand that
there are going to be
ups or downs. But
everybody continued
to fight and we came
out on top in the end.”
The Chargers
had a chance to win
LB Michael Boley
despite being out-
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sack courtesy of John Abraham and
Jonathan Babineaux keyed a three-and-out.
Atlanta then ran the clock out behind
running back Michael Turner.
Ryan’s incredible rookie season continued, as he threw for 207 yards and
completed 17 of 23 passes.
Roddy White continued to put up Pro Bowl numbers, catching six passes for
112 yards. Turner was also a
key cog in the win over San
Diego, where he spent his
f irst four years in the
league
as
LaDainian
Tomlinson’s backup.
“I thought that Michael
did a great job running the
football and a great job blocking,” Smith said.
Defensively, Chris
Houston played well,
notching seven total
tackles and doing a nice
job of holding receivers
Chris
Chambers,
Vincent Jackson and
Malcolm Floyd to
just five total catch-
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grounding in the end zone in the second
quarter, resulting in a safety to give
Atlanta a 15-7 lead.
SAINTS AWAIT …
The Falcons likely delivered the knockout blow to the Chargers’ postseason hopes
last week. Now they’ll have a chance to do
the same thing this weekend in New
Orleans. The Saints are 6-6 and a couple of
games behind the Falcons in the NFC South.
If they want to reach the postseason, Sean
Payton’s team almost certainly has to win its
final four games.
The two teams met in Atlanta on Nov. 9
for a 34-20 Atlanta victory. The Saints’ inconsistencies showed in that game but the players
have gotten healthier since then, especially in
the backfield. Reggie Bush, far and away the
team’s biggest offensive threat, missed the
game with an injured ankle. He returned to
the field last week in limited action and is
expected to be back to full speed this Sunday.
The secondary passed the test of containing Drew Brees in Atlanta but slowing
down the New Orleans passing game will be
more difficult this time around. A big reason
for that will be the return of Bush, who can be
a terror catching the ball out of the backfield.
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Sports Bar Challenge Rules: Cannot visit bar twice until all other bars are visited • Participants must keep all cards to receive prizes • Each card may be used only once • Ask your server or bartender for
Score Atlanta Sports Bar Challenge Card • Call phone number on card with code to redeem credit for visit • Drink responsibly • Take care of your server/bartender • Deadline for getting credit for visit is noon on
Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 • Prizes must be redeemed by Monday, Jan. 5, 2009 • No purchase necessary. Score Atlanta would like to thank Star Printing for printing the cards used in the 2008 Sports Bar Challenge.
Get In The Game!
14 I SCORE ATLANTA
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 15
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Get In The Game!
16 I SCORE ATLANTA
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 17
Jimmy’s provides games, ‘Fantastic Fridays’ ‘Big Screen Sports’ thrive at The Line
football matchups on Saturday. There is also
(Also, if you’re a seafood lover, look for the
ennesaw is a growing community and
pened in 1998, The Line @ 285 is a little bit
“Catch of the Day” special every Friday.)
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different than your usual big-name sports bar.
a game room right next to the tables and bars
Kennesaw State University is becoming
K
Choose from among the six different
For one, says owner Mark Whitaker, the
featuring arcade games and five pool tables
bigger and bigger by the minute. So what better way to accommodate new inhabitants and
students than having a new sports bar/family
restaurant/night club? Jimmy’s Pizza Sports
Bar and Grill, located 5-10 minutes away from
KSU’s campus, is a new place for food and fun.
Let’s start with the food. With a name
like Jimmy’s Pizza, obviously the No. 1 item
is pizza. Pizza lovers have plenty to choose
from, but if you get a chance, try Jimmy’s
Pizza with sausage, onions, mushrooms,
ham, pepperoni and black olives. If you’re
not into pizza, that’s OK because there are
also delicious sub sandwiches to choose
from, such as the philly cheesesteak, Italian
and meatball parmesan, to name a few.
Additionally, there are different entrees to
choose from that range from chicken parmesan to lasagna. And of course, like any other
bar, there are great appetizers that range
from wings to chili cheese fries; I would definitely recommend the wings if you cannot
decide.
For all the sports enthusiasts out there,
you will not be disappointed, as there are
numerous flat-screen television sets along
with a full bar to watch the all-important
Monday Night Football game or college
as an alternative to keep you entertained.
Another unique feature is that it turns
into a bar/club after 10 p.m. Friday nights are
“Fantastic Fridays,” where two DJs perform
and drinks are flowing with free shots and $2
draughts. On Saturday nights, it changes
from week to week but the fun ranges from a
live performance from a local musician to
dancing. They also have “Ladies night” in
which all ladies get in free after 10 p.m.
(There is typically a $5 cover charge).
But what I love most about Jimmy’s is
the checkerboard sets at each table and the
installed Wii system in the game room. The
checkerboard set provides patrons with a
good way to kill time while waiting for their
food or drinks, while the Wii gives interactive gamers a chance to use a video game
system that is unavailable in other bars.
Owner Jim Callison wanted to be different
when it came to having a sports bar, and there
is no doubt that this bar is different. With great
food, live entertainment and tons of games to
play, Jimmy’s Pizza Sports Bar and Grill is one
of the most fun establishments around.
at
can
be
reached
Jones
bjones@scoreatl.com.
restaurant has retained the same kitchen staff
since 2000. Consistency is the name of the
game at The Line, located conveniently off
the New Northside Drive exit on 285 in
Sandy Springs. Mark and his wife Dana bring
a different, hands-on ownership approach to
The Line, and pride themselves on their
attention to detail and their customers.
The Line features over 120 televisions,
several big screens and one mammoth projector screen that’s perfect for football or whatever sport is in season. The Line bills itself as
“The Place for Big Screen Sports,” so you
know the game you want to watch will be
available. If pool is your game, The Line has
you covered. To pass the time until your
order’s up, check out the selection of arcade
games. Also, you can enjoy your food and
drink outside on the adjoining patio. And for
you trivia fanatics, you won’t want to miss
Team Trivia on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
As for the menu, The Line has all your
sports bar favorites along with more restaurant-style dishes. You can get their unique,
hand-tossed wings, grilled or fried, with your
choice of sauce (all house recipes) or go for the
fresh, never-frozen salmon, tilapia, tuna and
other “food from the sea,” as the menu states.
burgers—mozzarella, black and blue, and
buffalo are a few of our favorites—or order
one of The Line’s great sandwiches. such as
the strip steak or French dip. Of course, you
can always start the meal off with an appetizer if you’re there with a bunch of friends; the
jalapeno crab poppers, gator bites or shrimp
quesadillas are several of the more unique
and adventurous selections. If you’re feeling
like Italian, The Line has a mini-menu featuring some of the favorites from that genre,
including chicken or shrimp pasta grille and
fettuccine. For dessert, we recommend the
key lime pie or the warm apple cobbler
(served with ice cream and whipped cream).
The Line features a full-service bar,
including a big beer and wine selection. And
with drink specials every day of the week,
you’ll surely find something that suits you at
a low price. With its attentive service and
relaxed feel (not to mention the most live
sporting events you can find anywhere), The
Line is the complete sports bar experience,
right on the north side of town. Visit the
www.theline285.net for more information,
directions and a complete menu.
Ewalt
can
be
reached
at
aewalt@scoreatl.com.
Lots of football, live music at Charlie Mopps
hat better place is there in Atlanta to
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grab a beer than a place named for the
man that invented the drink? Charlie Mopps
Public House on Roswell Road in Sandy
Springs has been dubbed “The House that
Beer Built” and by just venturing inside, one
can see why. Charlie Mopps serves over 250
beers from America and several European
countries. In additional to seasonal bottled
beers, one could get lost in the keg room, as
it seems to go on forever. If beer isn’t what
you are after though, do not fret: Charlie
Mopps features a full bar and kitchen.
The extensive menu will never leave anyone hungry. The food options range from the traditional bar food (chili cheese fries, chicken
nachos) to upscale appetizers (fried green beans)
to “sammys,” salads and burgers. You can even
grab a Charlie Dog or Fish Po’ Boy or be adventurous and try the Hawg Leg. The food is a
source of pride for the bar and the menu has
been recreated for just the right feel. Sammys
and burgers usually carry the Charlie moniker or
the Mopps name – because they have earned it.
Once you have your food and drink, now
you must decide which big-screen TV to plop
yourself in front of, and if you want to sit on
one of the comfy couches in the dart room or
dine outside. The revamped deck overlooks
Roswell Road so patrons can sit during happy
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hour and avoid the traffic down below. The
TVs make for good viewing of University of
Georgia football, as well as Pittsburgh
Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars football.
Those three teams get the most pub in the pub,
but the TVs are locked to football throughout
the season. And what better way to watch
those TVs than on new couches and comfortable chairs, designed to let the patrons relax?
The best part of Charlie Mopps might
be the incredible local music the bar provides. Local bands such as Burnt Bacon,
Jimmy Landry and Sideways Jump and
Eddie Tigner rock out for the patrons with
Swami Gone Bananas appearing every
Sunday night. The music offerings help to
distinguish Charlie Mopps from other local
bars. Every bar seemingly has trivia, poker
and football, which Charlie Mopps also
offers. Not every bar gives its guests live
music Friday, Saturday and Sunday, however.
In the summer, folks can sit on the deck with
a drink and enjoy great local tunes. The bar
also offers S.I.N.N. nights but check with the
staff as to what that entails. It is worth it.
So just as the song says: “So come on all
ye lucky lads at eleven o’clock/She stop for
five short seconds, remember Charlie Mopps.”
can
be
reached
at
Proctor
fproctor@scoreatl.com.
Get In The Game!
18 I SCORE ATLANTA
Hawks continue winning ways, plan first-ever Step Show Competition
hanks to some solid play from Mike
Bibby and Al Horford and a convenient schedule that included games against
three teams with a combined 17-32
record, the Hawks had a productive 2-1
run last week. Last Wednesday, Atlanta
welcomed the Milwaukee Bucks to
Philips and, thanks to 21 points and
nine rebounds from Horford, came
away with a 102-96 victory.
While the Hawks were forced to
play yet again without power forward
Josh Smith, Milwaukee too was forced to
battle shorthanded, as center Andrew Bogut
joined Michael Redd on the Bucks’ injured
list. Still, though Atlanta led for most of
the night, the Bucks managed to keep the
score close throughout, as neither team
led by double digits at any point in the
game. In addition to Horford’s 21,
Marvin Williams provided 18 points
while Bibby and Ronald Murray added
18 and 16 points, respectively. And,
while he did score well below his sea-
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DON’T FLIP OUT: Ronald “Flip” Murray
scored 16 points in Wednesday’s win
over Milwaukee but was unable to
record a single offensive stat in Friday’s
loss to Toronto. Think his contributions
off the bench are fairly important? Photo
courtesy of David McGregor/Photographic Arts.
son average with only 15 points, Joe
Johnson put forth a big-time performance for the Hawks as well, controlling the game throughout by dishing
out an impressive nine assists.
According to Big Al, Johnson’s
ability to play various roles is
certainly meaningful.
“That says a lot about this
team,” Horford said.
On Friday, Atlanta traveled to Toronto to take on the
Raptors and the team’s road
woes of yesterday and today
continued, as the Hawks fell
93-88 for their fifth consecutive loss away from home.
Atlanta kept it close throughout, but a 15-point third quarter
and a slow start to the fourth
proved to be the difference in the
Hawks’ losing effort.
“They came out and hit us in the
mouth to start the fourth quarter,”
Johnson said after the game. “It’s
tough, especially when you’re in
somebody else’s house, to try and
dig into a lead and come back late
in a game.”
Atlanta was led on the night by
Mike Bibby’s 24 points and also
received solid efforts from Johnson and
Maurice Evans, who scored 18 and 17
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points, respectively. The team also got a
noteworthy 17 rebounds from starting center
Zaza Pachulia. On the defensive end of the
floor, however, the Hawks had absolutely no
answer for All-Star forward Chris Bosh, who
finished the game with 30 points and 10
rebounds to go along with seven assists.
“He’s a nightmare for any forward or
center to guard,” Hawks head coach Mike
Woodson said after the loss.
OFF THE COURT …
REDEMPTION …
Looking to get back on track against the
lowly Washington Wizards, the Hawks
received late-game heroics from Horford
and eked out a 102-98 victory last Saturday.
Atlanta jumped out to a big lead early thanks
to a 21-point performance from Bibby and a
combined 91 points from its starting unit,
but faded late and found itself in a dogfight
until the very end.
Washington forward Caron Butler hit
three of his 21 points to tie the game at 98
with 1:10 remaining, but a 3-point response
from Horford with 12.4 seconds left in the
fourth quarter proved to be the contest’s
game-clinching points. Despite the win,
watching his team squander a 17-point lead
left Woodson with a sour taste in his mouth.
“I don’t like games to get that close,”
Woodson said. “We made it close coming
down the stretch.”
After a three-day rest, the Hawks will
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get back to action this week with a
Wednesday home date against the
Memphis Grizzlies and expect to get a
considerable boost from the return of
Smith. Atlanta will also welcome the New
York Knicks to town on Friday before
heading out West for Saturday and Tuesday
contests with the Dallas Mavericks and
Houston Rockets.
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Last week, the Hawks announced they
will be teaming up with V103 on-air personality and team public address announcer
Ryan Cameron to host the first-ever Hawks
Middle School Step Show Competition. The
event will take place following the team’s
annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
game against the Toronto Raptors on
January 19. Performers are asked to submit
a 10-minute DVD or VHS tape of their routine to the Hawks along with completed
application materials, and a $500 entry fee.
Registration is open through Dec. 12 and
includes 25 tickets to the Hawks/Raptors
game. Eight finalists will be selected from
all entries to compete following the game
and first-, second- and third-place prizes
will be awarded. The competition is open to
middle school students only. For more information, visit www.hawks.com.
Janovitz
can
be
reached
at
sjanovitz@scoreatl.com
DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 19
Defense falters as Thrashers lose six of seven games; Senators, Islanders next
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fter a tough 5-3 loss to the Washington
Capitals on Wednesday night, the
Thrashers returned home for two against the
Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. It
was a difficult homestand to swallow, as
Atlanta lost to both Nashville and St. Louis.
In the end, the wear and tear of six losses in seven games even began to show on
first-year head coach John Anderson.
PREDATORS EARN POINT …
It was a memorable period for the
Predators’ Dan Hamhuis, who found himself
a big part of both first-period goals; unfortunately only one was for his own team.
After a Nashville penalty, the Thrashers
were unable to keep the puck in the zone, setting up a Predator breakaway. Hamhuis
deked Johan Hedberg and then snuck the
puck between Hedberg’s legs, giving
Nashville the early 1-0 lead. Eight minutes
later, Hamhuis again found himself surrounding the action, this time on an Atlanta
goal. In an attempt to clear the puck,
Hamhuis launched the puck from behind the
net, only to have it ricochet off the stick of
Todd White past the relaxed Pekka Rinne.
The second period had much of the same
off-the-wall goals, as both Atlanta and
Nashville scored to keep the game tied after
two periods. Forty-two seconds into the period, Nashville’s Scott Nichol shot a puck
under the arm of Hedberg and off what
appeared to be the far post. Play continued for
a few minutes until the first dead puck, at
which point the referee upstairs reviewed the
shot. It was determined that Nichol did
indeed score his third goal of the season and
that the puck had gone through the net and
out the other side.
Atlanta again tied the game on Nathan
Oystrick’s second goal of the season. Coming
in from his blueline position to back up the
play, Oystrick got a perfect pass from Eric
Perrin with a clear look at the net. Oystrick’s
shot trickled underneath the arm of
Nashville’s goaltender and into the net.
But all the chasing was for naught, as
Atlanta gave Nashville the lead one final time
in overtime. After a weak pass from Brian
Little gave the Predators control of the puck
in Atlanta’s zone, a pass from Shea Weber to
the streaking Ryan Suter gave Suter a breakaway opportunity with only Hedberg in the
way. He gladly accepted the chance, shooting
the puck right into the pads of Hedberg, who
was unable to collect the puck as the gamewinner trickled into the net.
BLUES AT BLUELAND …
With five losses in the team’s last six
games, Atlanta hoped to solve its late-period
woes on Sunday afternoon before leaving for
an extended trip to Canada. Things didn’t
start off on the right foot for the Thrashers as
they fell behind by a goal in the first period
against St. Louis. Still, it could have been
worse, as Atlanta goalie Ondrej Pavelec was
peppered with 15 shots in the period, a sign of
things to come for Atlanta’s defense. After St.
Louis’ goal, the Thrashers
responded with two more
goals in the first to take
the lead into the second
period. Colby Armstrong
tied the game just two
minutes after the
Blues’ goal with his
fourth goal of the
season. Atlanta’s
second goal was
scored by the most
consistently potent
line this season, but it
wasn’t Brian Little or
Slava Kozlov getting his
name announced. Instead
it was Niclas Havelid who
scored his first of the year.
Over the next two periods,
it was the power play that Atlanta
in, allowing both the game-tying and
game-winning goals with a man down.
Keith Tkachuk and Brad Boyes each netted power-play goals in the second and
third periods to give St. Louis the victory.
Braves look at Burnett; spring schedule out
due to injury. ... In other roster news, the
ow that general manager Frank Wren has
Braves purchased the contracts of infielder
said that the team is officially out of the
N
Triple-A
from
Hernandez
Diory
Jake Peavy sweepstakes, the team has
focused its starting pitching bulls-eye squarely on free agent A.J. Burnett. The righty’s
agent has told the media that the Braves are
one of six teams involved in serious negotiations with the 31-year-old. Burnett’s career
record is 87-76. Meanwhile, it appears that
the Braves will lose out on Japanese pitching
sensation Junichi Tazawa. The pitcher’s representation has hinted that the righty will sign
with the Boston Red Sox. Also, the Braves
have decided not to offer arbitration to type B
free agent pitcher John Smoltz.
While pitching prospect Tommy Hanson
appears to be getting all of the publicity in
the Arizona Fall League, catching prospect
Tyler Flowers’s performance has been just as
impressive. Flowers had 12 home runs to
lead the AFL, along with a .387 average. He
also received AFL Batter of the Year honors
from www.mopupduty.com. In a recent
online chat, Wren said that the team has no
plans to move Flowers from behind the plate.
Braves fans have a chance to give two
Braves the recognition that they were not
given by the baseball writers last month.
Chipper Jones is up for Hitter of the Year and
Jair Jurrjens is up for Rookie of the Year as
part of the This Year In Baseball awards. Fans
can visit MLB.com to vote.
ROSTER UPDATE …
According to a major league source, oftinjured pitcher Mike Hampton has agreed to
a one-year deal with the Houston Astros
worth $2 million. The deal had not been
completed as of press time, however.
Hampton was 35-24 in six seasons with the
Braves, but missed nearly three full seasons
Richmond/Gwinnett as well as the contracts
of two right-handed pitchers in Todd
Redmond and Stephen Marek. Hernandez has
been with the team since 2002 and split time
last season between Double-A Mississippi
and Triple-A Richmond. Redmond was
named the Southern League Pitcher of the
Year after posting 13 wins and 133 strikeouts,
both league-leading statistics. Marek was
acquired in the Mark Teixeira deal in July and
has excelled in fall and winter leagues this offseason. Finally, Eric O’Flaherty was claimed
off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.
SPRING BALL …
Before the Braves open up the 2009
MLB season in Philadelphia, the team will see
extensive action in Spring Training with a 35game schedule. Once again, the home base for
Spring Training is Disney’s Wide World of
Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., once again.
Atlanta’s first game is against Detroit in
Lakeland on Feb. 25 before its “home opener”
against Houston on Feb. 26. The schedule
includes games against Toronto, Pittsburgh,
Philadelphia, the New York Yankees,
Washington, Florida, St. Louis, the New York
Mets and Boston. The Braves will also host
the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team,
as well as the Panamanian team. The preseason will wrap up April 3 and 4 at Turner Field
as the Detroit Tigers visit Atlanta for two exhibition games. Ticket prices range from $15-32
and can be acquired by visiting
www.atlantabraves.com or by calling the
Spring Training ticket office or Ticketmaster.
Proctor
can
be
reached
at
fproctor@scoreatl.com.
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In the end, the game probably shouldn’t have
been as close as it was, as St. Louis finished
with 47 shots, only three of which Pavelec
was unable to stop.
After the game, Anderson was visibly
frustrated with his team’s effort in the loss.
“We’ve got to compete more. We stopped
competing,” Anderson said. “I expected five
wins in a row, not continual losses. We’re not
playing up to as good as we can play right
now, and we’ve got to figure it out right away.”
Anderson and the Thrashers will get
their next opportunity at solving that problem in Ottawa on Wednesday as the
Thrashers take on the Senators. On Friday,
Atlanta will travel to Long Island to take on
the New York Islanders.
Boral
can
be
reached
at
jboral@scoreatl.com.
SLIPPING BY: Nathan Oystrick and
the Thrashers defensemen struggled early last week, allowing
nine goals in two losses.
Atlanta will try to bounce
back this week with two
road games against Ottawa
and the New York
Islanders. Photos courtesy of Don
Jackson/Photographic Arts.
Get In The Game!
20 I SCORE ATLANTA
Bulldogs react to first loss to Tech since 2000; Thompkins steps up early
D
espite career days from quarterback
Matthew Stafford and receiver
Mohamed Massaquoi—along with a 28-12
halftime lead—Georgia lost its first football
game to rival Georgia Tech since 2000, as the
Yellow Jackets defeated the Bulldogs 45-42
last Saturday in Athens. Stafford finished
with a career-high 407 yards on 24-of-39
passing, while Massaquoi added a careerhigh 11 receptions to the tune of 180 yards
and three touchdowns.
The five touchdown passes from
Stafford tied a school record, as did
Massaquoi’s three touchdown receptions. The
Yellow Jackets scored the first 26 points of
the second half and Georgia was never able to
regain the lead. Adding to the disappointment
of losing to Tech was that the defeat was the
last home game for the Bulldog seniors.
“It’s tough,” Stafford said afterwards. “A
loss is a loss and losing to Georgia Tech is definitely tough on Senior Day, when these guys
have played their hearts out for us. I’m disappointed that we couldn’t get it done for them.”
The loss means Georgia finishes the regular season with a 9-3 record. The Bulldogs now
have to wait to find out where they will go and
who they will play in a bowl. A Capital One
Bowl berth to face Michigan State seems like the
most likely postseason matchup for Georgia. No
matter where the Bulldogs end up, head coach
Mark Richt is looking forward to the game.
“We’re going to have one more chance to
play on national TV and show the nation what
type of football team we have,” Richt said.
It may have been the last home game
for Stafford as well. The
junior, along with redshirt
sophomore Knowshon
Moreno, have been projected as NFL firstround draft choices
should they choose
to declare for the
2009 draft. Both
have stated that they
plan to focus on the
possibility of turning
pro once this season
is over.
NO DEFENSE …
Georgia Tech constantly
hurt Georgia’s defense by
pitching the ball on the outside, while running their
triple-option attack. Four of the
Yellow Jackets’ six touchdowns
came via runs around the corner.
“They chop block on the outside.
I guess we were getting cut on the outside,” said Bulldog linebacker Dannell
Ellerbe. “We couldn’t get to the pitch.”
Defensive
coordinator
Willie
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Martinez’s answer for stopping the Yellow
Jacket cut blocking and runs on the outside:
“Defend it,” Martinez said. “You have a technique [to defend it]. You have to use your hands;
you have to stay square, all the fundamentals.”
The Bulldogs surrendered 409 rushing
yards, the most they have given up on the
ground since the infamous Homecoming
loss to Vanderbilt back in 1994. The
defense struggled while the
offense put up 42 points, but
Georgia did not play a perfect
game in any area.
“We gave one away on
offense also,” Moreno
said, speaking of a
Morgan Burnett interception return for a
touchdown off a Stafford pass. “We
threw a pick and they took it in, so that’s
not helping the defense either.”
Richard Samuel also fumbled a kickoff
and Bulldog penalties halted their own
drives and aided Tech’s.
“The penalties, the turnovers, not
being disciplined when we needed to, we
played against a lot of good teams and
they capitalized on those mistakes and
when you’re not able to rebound
from them, they come back and
bite you in the end,”
Massaquoi said.
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IN OTHER NEWS …
The men’s basketball team improved
to 5-1 with wins over Santa Clara and
Mississippi Valley State, as the Bulldogs
concluded the NIT Preseason Tip-Off tournament back on Nov. 24 and 25. They also
welcomed the debut of freshman forward
Howard “Trey” Thompkins as well. In his
f irst action of the season, Thompkins
scored 10 points in the 54-48 win over
Santa Clara and led the Bulldogs with 23
in a 98-57 win over Mississippi Valley
State. Georgia played this past Tuesday at
Western Kentucky, with the results of that
game unavailable at press time. On
Saturday, the Bulldogs play Illinois in
Chicago before coming home to host
Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
The women’s basketball team won the
Lady Rebel Round-up in Las Vegas last week,
as they defeated Cal State Fullerton 85-64
and Eastern Washington 75-51. Ashley Houts
averaged 21 points in the two wins.
The volleyball team ended its season last
Saturday with a 3-1 (19-25, 25-12, 25-20, 2516) loss at LSU. The Bulldogs finished the
year with a record of 17-14.
The photo of Mohamed Massaquoi is
courtesy of Rob Saye. Butler can be reached
at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 21
With 409 rushing yards, Tech beats Georgia for first time in seven years
n a regular season where head coach Paul
Johnson brought a new offense to the Flats
and an unflappable confidence to his players,
the Yellow Jackets responded with a tour-deforce performance and perhaps the program’s
biggest win in a decade. No. 18 Tech’s 45-42
victory over No. 13 Georgia—Tech’s first
win over its archrivals since 2000—put every
facet of the Jackets’ game on display, including their heart. The latter was tested when
Matthew Stafford lit up the defense for 271
yards and four touchdowns (three of them
going to Mohamed Massaquoi) in the first
half. Tech’s lone bright spots came in the
form of a 35-yard interception return for a
touchdown by Morgan Burnett and an eightplay, 65-yard drive that ended in a 2-yard
Lucas Cox touchdown.
Then, with their backs against the wall
and down 28-12, the Jackets found their
rainbow and, more importantly, their swagger. A 60-yard touchdown by Jonathan
Dwyer to start the third quarter ignited a
near perfect quarter for all three units. The
offense scored 26 points, including a second
Dwyer touchdown, which was set up by a
Georgia fumble on a kickoff return. The
defense held the Bulldogs scoreless in the
quarter. The onslaught left Georgia and the
partisan crowd stunned. Still, Tech needed
more to defeat a Bulldog team that got off
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the mat themselves with a spectacular 32yard touchdown run by Knowshon Moreno
in the fourth quarter. The Jackets countered
with an even more awe-inspiring 54-yard
dash by Roddy Jones, who finished with
214 yards rushing and two touchdowns to
earn ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors. In all, Tech rushed for 409 yards,
including 144 yards by Dwyer. But the
triple-option’s greatest effort may have
come after an A.J. Green touchdown
pulled Georgia to within three. Tech
salted away the final 4:04 of the
game to claim victory.
While Virginia Tech’s 17-14
victory will prevent the Jackets
from advancing to the ACC
Championship, the players—
many with pieces of Sanford
Stadium’s hedges between their
teeth—celebrated the realization
of their biggest goal and, perhaps,
the beginning of a new trend.
MEN STAY UNDEFEATED …
For the men’s basketball team it
was a tale of two different performances, both ending in wins and
putting Tech at 4-0 on the season. The Jackets got a combined 30 points and 20
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rebounds from Gani Lawal and Alade Aminu
en route to a 74-47 dismantling of ArkansasPine Bluff on Nov. 25. The Jackets played
without Moe Miller, who suffered a concussion in the victory over Mercer. His replacement, Iman Shumpert, had 12 points
and eight assists in the game.
Against Jacksonville on
Friday, the Yellow Jackets
held off a 33-13 run to win
79-76. Aminu scored 19
points and Lawal had 15
points with 12 rebounds.
Tech struggled mightily from
the free throw line, however, shooting just 59 percent. Their 50 percent
shooting in the final 1:21
of the game aided the
Jacksonville comeback. But
Tech was able to capitalize on
a team that has difficulty finishing games: the Dolphins
(0-5) have lost at Baylor, No.
22 Georgetown and Georgia
Tech by an average of 7.2 points.
UPS AND DOWNS …
The women’s basketball team started its week by defeating downtown
rival Georgia State, 74-56, last
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Wednesday. Iasia Hemingway score 21 points
and netted 11 rebounds while Jacqua
Williams scored 15 points and had four
steals. Brigitte Ardossi added 10 points and
six rebounds. The Jackets forced Georgia
State into 14 first-half turnovers en route to a
43-24 halftime lead. Georgia State cut the
lead to 10 with 9:32 remaining in the game
but would not get any closer. Tech went on a
19-10 run to pull away.
Tech did not fare as well against No. 9
Texas on Saturday as the Jackets fell 76-68 in
the first round of the FAU Thanksgiving
Tournament. Hemingway had 14 points and
nine rebounds in the game, while Williams
scored 13 points. The Jackets opened the
game on a 15-8 run before Texas came back
with a 17-6 run to lead 25-21 near the end of
the first half. Tech would pull to within five
in the second half but could not get any closer as the Longhorns were led by Brittainey
Raven with 20 points.
The women finished the week with a 6856 win over Tennessee Tech in the consolation
game of the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament
on Sunday. Ardossi led the Jackets with 18
points. Her 12 straight points in the second
half gave the Jackets a 49-38 lead.
The photo of Josh Nesbitt is courtesy of
Rob Saye. Crosskey can be reached at
jcrosskey@scoreatl.com.
22 I SCORE ATLANTA
Get In The Game!
BASKETBALL
Hawks. December 3 vs. Memphis 7 PM. December 5
vs. New York 7:30 PM. December 6 at Dallas 8:30
PM. December 9 at Houston 8:30 PM. December
10 at San Antonio 8:30 PM. December 12 at Miami
7:30 PM. December 13 vs. Cleveland 7 PM.
December 15 vs. Charlotte 7 PM.
Georgia Men. December 2 at Western Kentucky 9 PM.
December 6 at Illinois 12 PM. December 9 vs.
Virginia Tech 7 PM.
Georgia Women. December 3 vs. Tennessee Tech 7
PM. December 5 at Georgia Tech 7 PM. December
8 at Rutgers 7 PM.
Georgia Tech Men. December 3 vs. Penn State 7:30 PM.
December 6 vs. Vanderbilt 2 PM. December 14 vs.
Illinois-Chicago 2 PM.
Georgia Tech Women. . December 3 vs. Michigan
State 4:15 PM. December 5 vs. Georgia 7 PM.
December 13 at Oregon 5:30 PM.ber 5 vs.
Georgia 7 PM.
Georgia State Men. December 3 vs. Hampton 7:30 PM.
December 6 at UNC Wilmington 7 PM.
Georgia State Women. December 5 vs. Alabama State 6
PM. December 13 Winthrop 12PM. December 15 at
Louisiana-Lafayette 5 PM.
Kennesaw State Men. NDecember 13 at Florida A&M 7
PM. December 16 at Savannah State 7 PM.
Kennesaw State Women. December 3 at Troy 7 PM.
December 13 vs. USC Upstate 7 PM. December 15
vs. Georgia Southern 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 9-andunder and 8-and-under teams. For information call
404-447-3992 or email pharper333@yahoo.com.
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 training
and development for boy and girls grades K-12. Rising
Stars, Future Stars, Suwanee Basketball League, On
Court Player Development, nationally-recognized yearround comprehensive player development program.
For more information contact Mike Brown at 678-5410176 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Mark Price Shooting Lab. Ongoing: Personalized profes
sional 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-season develop
ment program at the nation’s premier basketball train
ing 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 con
tact (678)799-0159 or email mark@georgiasport
sleagues.org. Visit www.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.just
skillsofatlanta.com for more information or call 770296-2580. Sessions are filling up now for spring,
summer and fall. Ask about our free introduction day
to see what Just Skills Of Atlanta is all about.
Open Basketball League – Teams Only. November 8 February 22, 2009. Age groups 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th &
8th Grade Boys and Girls. Deadline November 2.
Mandatory Coach's Meeting November 2 at 3 PM. All
Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy Marietta,
GA 30066. Register at www.alltournamentplay
erspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
BASEBALL
Prospect 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 contact
info is 770.785.2588, e-mail info@AtlantaMSBL.com.
MSBL 18+ Saturday League contact info is 770-4368114, e-mail AtlantaMABL@aol.com. MSBL 18+
Midweek Wood bat league contact info is 770-4368114, e-mail AtlantaMABL@aol.com. MSBL 18+
Fall League contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail
AtlantaMABL@aol.com. 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 hit
ting. 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
Falcons. Decembzer 7 at New Orleans 1 PM. December
14 vs. Tampa Bay 1 PM.
Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting
applications for qualified coaches in all age groups.
For information email Craig Deneau at
deneauc@charter.net.
Grayson Athletic Association. Ongoing. Football coach
es 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@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit www.geor
giasportsleagues.org.
Georgia Force Home School High School Football
Program. If you are a home school student or a
York Rangers 7 PM. December 12 vs. Boston 7:30
PM. December 13 at Boston 7 PM. December 16 at
Ottawa 7:30 PM.
Gladiators. December 4 at Charlotte 7 PM. December
6 at South Carolina 7:05 PM. December 7 vs.
Charlotte 4:05 PM. December 10 at Mississippi
8:05 PM. December 12 vs. Mississippi 7:35 PM.
December 16 vs. Elmira 7:05 PM.
Peachtree Booster Club. Ongoing - Pickneyville Roller
Hockey Rink. Fees: $95 for 12-game season, $30
out-of-county fee. For information visit www.pbc
sports.org.
SOCCER
Challenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physically
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.clarkstoncommunity
center.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 jimhines01@yahoo.com. 2
PM on Saturdays, 6:30 PM 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
jasona@bagatawaylacrosse.com or visit
www.bagatawaylacrosse.com.
PlayLaxGwinnett. Ongoing. Players, coaches, referees
needed for play at Gwinnett Sports Center. For infor
mation call Chris Chico at or 678-429-0094 or email
chris@kicks-sticks.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.doublestixxlacrosse.com or by contacting Chris
Smith at chris@doublestixxlacrosse.com or
404-550-5322.
RUNNING
ANOTHER CHANCE: Cairo running back Reginald Bryant
is hoping for redemption in the Class 3A semifinals this
Friday. Last year, Cairo fell to Carver-Columbus in the
state championship, and now the two teams will clash in
the semifinals in hopes of reaching the Georgia Dome.
For a full preview of the high school football matchups,
check out page 11. Photo courtesy of Photographic Arts.
student that attends a Christian school in the
Gwinnett or Hall county region and would like to par
ticipate in high school football, please contact Scott
Willis at 770-531-1499 ext 401 or email at app
stmtn@aol.com 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.forcehighschoolfootball.com.
Arena Indoor Football. Ongoing. Youth and Adult
Leagues. Youth 7 vs. 7; Adult 6 vs. 6. For informa
tion, call 678-714-7454 or e-mail
info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com.
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
Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com.
ATC December Cross Country 5K. Dec. 6. Milton;
www.atlantatrackclub.org.
Enmark Savannah River Bridge Run 10K/5K. Dec. 6.
Savannah, 8 AM. web site.
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. Dec. 6. Augusta, 9 AM.
706-828-2109.
Braselton 8K and 2K Run for Reading. Dec. 6.
Braselton, 8:30 AM. 770-967-9755.
Jingle Bell Trail 5K/Mile. Dec. 6 Peachtree City, 9
AM. 770-631-3250.
Mistletoe Run. Dec. 6. Alpharetta, 8:30 AM. 678566-5035 or web site.
Jingle Bell Jog 5K/10K/Mile. Dec. 6 Albany, 7 AM.
229-312-8700 or web site.
BRODi Jingle Jog 5K/Fun Run. Dec. 6. Young Harris,
9 AM. 706-896-1881.
WCA 5K Run/Walk. Dec. 6 Monroe, 9 AM. 770-2073149.
Sweet Tomatoes 5K/Mile. Dec. 6. Kennesaw, 8:30
AM. 770-429-5522.
Hillgrove Holiday Classic 5K/10K/Mile. Dec. 6.
Powder Springs, 8 AM. 678-331-3961.
Reindeer Run 5K/Mile. Dec. 6 Macon, 8:30 AM. 478633-7866.
Depot Dash 5K Run/Walk. Dec. 6 Thomson, 9
AM.706-595-5615.
10th Annual Optimist Flapjack Fun Run 5K. Dec. 6.
Jasper, 8 AM. 678-795-0115.
Holiday Hustle 5K Run/Walk. Dec. 6. Augusta, 8 AM.
email.
Jingle Bell Classic 5K/15K/Mile. Dec. 6. Valdosta,
7:30 AM. 229-219-0010.
CAMPS
Nike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville,
Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and Jonesboro. For more
information or a free brochure, visit 1-800-645-3226
or visit www.ussportscamps.com.
Georgia Tech MaChelle Joseph Basketball Camp.
Ages range from 7-17. Day camps, overnight camps
and team camps available. Visit www.ramblin
wreck.com or call 404-894-4297 to find out which
dates suit your campers best.
THE BEST COACHING STAFF AND TRAINING IN ATLANTA!
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HOCKEY
Thrashers. December 3 at Ottawa 7 PM. December 6
at New York Islanders 7 PM. December 10 vs. New
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
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 404-837-6719 for
additional camps
Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball training
and development for boys and girls grades 3-12.
VolleySkills, VolleyStars, VolleyTraining, and On Court
Player Development, a year-round comprehensive
player development program. For more information,
contact Mary Carnell at 770-614-6686 x108 or
visit www.ssasports.com.
VolleyStars. Beginning February 7 @ Suwanee Sports
Academy for girls & boys grades 6-8 teaches individ
ual skill development and team concepts through
instruction and game play. For more information,
contact Christy Howard at 770-614-6686 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
to 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
SCORE ATLANTA I 23
Wednesdays, or Thursdays. For information call
Gary Mastrodonato at 770-266-7042 or visit
www.atlantaseniorsoftball.com.
Open Recreational Softball. GSL -- Georgia Sports
Leagues. Georgia’s Best Sports Leagues.
Registration ongoing. We offer "Men's" and "Co-Ed"
styles of play in Doraville/Dunwoody area. Monday,
Wednesday & Sunday league play available. Next
season starts in February. We play ALL year round.
For more information please contact (678)799-0159
or email mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit
www.georgiasportsleagues.org.
Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting
ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High
School season in fast-pitch softball. We hold weekly
training meetings. For more information, contact Irvin
Seabrook at 404-957-3331 or e-mail
Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com.
Softball Camp for Cherokee Fall Break. September 1518 (Monday –Thursday) 9 AM-12 PM. Age groups
9-14 years old. All Tournament Players Park, 3910
Canton Hwy, Marietta GA 30066. Register at
www.alltournamentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
SWIMMING & DIVING
YOUTH REGISTRATION
SOFTBALL
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.
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,
ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL
Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, 2008. Georgia Dome. For
tickets, call 404-444-4444.
To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call 404-586-8510
or visit www.atlantasportscouncil.com.
MISC
Georgia. December 5-7 at UGA Invite 5 PM.
Georgia Tech. December 4-7 at U.S. Short Course
Nationals All day.
Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool Alpharetta, Ga. - 1825 Old Milton Parkway. For infor
mation 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 information
call 770-546-4650. 10-10:50 AM.
SwimAtlanta Sugarloaf at Kid’s Village. Ongoing. Swim
team, lessons, lap swimming, master’s program,
water aerobics and scuba available. For information
call 678-442-7946.
Soccer - Soccer Alley. Ongoing - 3265 Roswell Road Atlanta. 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 ptcflash@bellsouth.net.
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
info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com. www.atlantasil
verbacks.com/indoor.
Flag Football. 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 sea
son starts in February. For more information please
contact (678)799-0159 or email mark@georgias
portsleagues.org. 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 lev
els are welcome, from beginner to experienced play
ers, with more than 8,000 rounds of golf available
during the summer program alone. For more informa
tion, log on to www.atlantajuniorgolf.org or call
770.850.9040.
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 BudHen27@aol.com.
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
404-213-0588 or email 9rcorp@150mail.com.
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.
ALWAYS A DAWG: Two years ago, legendary broadcaster Larry Munson delivered one of many classics when
Georgia beat Tech at the end, asking color man Scott
Howard, “Who do we sue if we have a stroke?” During
last week’s Georgia-Georgia Tech game, Munson made
an of-field appearance for the first time in four decades.
We can only imagine the call he would have made after
seeing the Dawgs’ seven-game win streak over the
Jackets snapped. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.
GYMNASTICS
Gymnastics Classes at Gymnastics Academy of
Atlanta. 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 infor
mation call 770-921-5630.
Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville.
Ongoing. Classes for tots through teens.
Cheerleading classes for ages 5 and older. For infor
mation 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
Buck Baker Racing School. November 28-29 at Atlanta
Motor Speedway
Richard Petty Driving Experience. December 5-7 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Legends Racing. December 5 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
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 770-972-2434. 10 AM.
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 Tuesday
of each month. For information call 770-364-3036
or email noeyf@aol.com. 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 sonnysjm@cs.com. 6:30 PM.
GEORGIA BIKES! Membership. Ongoing. The effectiveness of GEORGIA BIKES! is dependent on volunteers, supporters, and members, like you, who
are willing to make a and Club/Small Business: $100.
Condor Handball Organization. The Condors feature
current Men’s National Team members and past
National Team members and Olympians as well as
the greatest American to ever play the sport,
Darrick Heath. We have weekly leagues and train
ing opportunities for men, women, and youth. For
more information, contact Jeb Bell at
handball@equipmentcontrols.com.
Performance Training Inc. at Suwanee Sports Academy.
Ongoing. Offers speed, agility, and quickness training
for athletes across multiple sports. For more
information, contact Dustin Wolf at 770-614-6686 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.ssasports.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, 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.
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.stoutirishpub.com.
CAMPS - CLINICS - ONE-ON-ONE & TEAM INSTRUCTION - EQUIPMENT
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Get In The Game!
24 I SCORE ATLANTA
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 25
Lowndes upset by Grayson, Camden squeaks by Woodstock in quarters
Brooks. … Emanuel County Institute continwill host Griffin in a matchup of No. 2 seeds.
the Bulldogs in the semifinals last season.
will be a new football state champiued its search for a second straight Class A
Flowery Branch pulled off a 35-17 upset
Newnan (13-0) is looking for its first state
on this year in Class 5A.
There
state championship last Friday, as the Bulldogs
of No. 2-ranked Baldwin in Class 3A. The
title, and will host Camden County in the
Grayson, which won home-field advantage over Lowndes via a coin flip last week,
knocked off the defending champ, 17-7.
Lowndes (ranked No. 2 in the nation according to USA Today), had won its last 26 games
and looked to be on track for another championship, which would have been its fourth
in five years in the state’s highest classification. But Grayson’s Ean Pemberton had other
plans. In wet and slippery field conditions,
the 5-foot-3 running back went for 188 yards
and two scores against Lowndes’ vaunted
defense. It was the Grayson defense, however, that would be the difference. The Rams
held Lowndes, which averaged over 37
points per game, to one big play: a Greg Reid
81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Grayson (13-0) moves on to the semifinals for the first time in school history,
where it will play Peachtree Ridge.
OTHER TOP SEEDS ADVANCE …
Grayson’s win over state No. 1
Lowndes was certainly an upset; had
Woodstock held on against Camden County
on Friday, it would have been one of the
biggest playoff shockers of the past decade.
Camden overcame a 14-0 deficit to defeat
Woodstock 18-17, as tailback Daniel
Valdez punched the ball in from 1 yard out.
That gave the Wildcats their first lead with
6:30 remaining in the game. Wildcats
defensive back Michael Green helped
Camden get back in the game with a picksix late in the third quarter.
With a 20-3 win, Newnan exacted
revenge on North Gwinnett for its loss to
semis. … Peachtree Ridge dominated
Coffee on Friday night, 38-0. With the
win, the Lions ousted the last of the
Region 1-AAAAA participants. Known
for their defense, The Ridge also got quite
a bit of offense from the running of tailback Ronnie Smith, who ran for three
scores on the evening. Peachtree Ridge
won the coin toss over Grayson, earning
the right to host the Rams.
CLASSES 4A-A …
The big story in Class 4A was the fall of
Westside-Macon at the hands of the Tucker
Tigers. Previously undefeated Westside fell
to Tucker 31-20 at home, unable to handle
the Tigers’ defensive pressure, which caused
Westside quarterback Orrin McFadden to
throw two interceptions, one of which was
returned for a touchdown. Tucker’s defense
also held the Seminoles to well below their
points-per-game average (47). … Marist
became the second Region 6-AAAA team to
make the semifinals, as the War Eagles outlasted a plucky fourth-seeded Mt. ZionJonesboro team, 34-33. No. 1-seed Marist
led by as many as 21 points in the first half,
but fullback Matt Connors’s three touchdowns helped the War Eagles stave off the
Bulldogs’ rally. … Rome experienced a
breakout offensive game against Statesboro,
winning 41-21 in a battle of No. 2 seeds.
Rome will travel to Marist for the semifinals.
… Griffin squeaked by Southwest DeKalb,
10-7, last Friday, denying Region 6 a chance
to put three teams into the final four. Tucker
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Falcons came back from a 17-7 deficit at halftime to defeat the Braves. … CarverColumbus reminded onlookers why it won the
state title last year, handling previously undefeated Gainesville 28-14. … Cairo, last year’s
3A runner-up, routed Eastside 33-6. The
Syrupmakers will play at Carver in the semifinals. … Dunwoody’s usually-prolific offense
couldn’t get it going against LaGrange, falling
20-5. LaGrange will
host Flowery Branch
this Friday.
In Class 2A, it
was a tale of three
blowouts as Fitzgerald,
Buford and Calhoun
all rolled to wins of
three or more scores.
The lone close game
in the quarters was
Brooks Co. vs.
Lovett; Brooks outgunned the visiting
Lions
33-32.
Fitzgerald will travel
to defending champion Buford, and
Calhoun will play at
slipped by a tough Bremen team, 13-7. ECI star
running back Washaun Ealey finished the
game with 194 yards and a touchdown. In other
Class A action, Wilkinson County defeated
Turner County, Lincoln County defeated
Wilcox County, and Wesleyan defeated Miller
County. ECI hosts Wilkinson, and Wesleyan
will host Lincoln County.
Ewalt
can
be
reached
at
aewalt@scoreatl.com.
WILD OUTCOME: Camden County wide receiver/defensive back Michael Green picked off a pass and
ran it back for a touchdown to help give the Wildcats a thrilling 18-17 win over Woodstock in Class
5A. Camden County is hoping to win its first state championship since 2003. Photo courtesy of Photographic Arts.
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Get In The Game!
26 I SCORE ATLANTA
High school football coverage still growing
ne late Friday evening in December
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1979, I was driving with my father
through southern Virginia when he said to
me, “That’s not a high school football game
on WSB radio, is it?” True enough, AM 750’s
nighttime, clear-channel signal was indeed
blasting the Class 3A Georgia state championship game between Redan and Marist to
the better part of the Southeast. As Kevin
Butler’s Redan Raiders beat Marist 17-14, we
continued up I-95, unsure of why the South’s
preeminent radio station would devote precious airtime to a high school football game
– though certainly impressed that they had
the cojones to try it.
In the 30 years since, we live in a world
where you can watch live high school football every week, not only on Comcast and
GPB but also on webcasts from Milton to
Miller County. And the taped prep shows are
everywhere from broadcast to cable; Channel
5 has aired a Saturday morning high school
sports program for a decade and Channel 46
had its own AJC-backed version for several
years. “Operation Football/Basketball” has
been a big marketing push for Channel 11 for
as long as I can remember and even ratingsrich-but-notoriously-indifferent Channel 2
has jumped on the bandwagon in the last two
years with its Friday night “Sportszone” segment. It’s not just for the big boys though, as
local cable producers roam every county,
editing coaches’ video and re-airing them
from makeshift sets in their basements or
school locker rooms.
You could give Tom Vardase and GPB
some of the credit for taking high school
sports to another level when he rolled out the
first “magazine” format show, “Prep Sports
Plus,” in 1992 and when he created a full
slate of live semifinal playoff football games
in 1997. On the cable side, the owners of
“Gwinnett Prep Rally” then took the same
concept in 1993 and tailored high school
sports coverage to fit Gwinnett, which led to
“Cobb Prep Rally,” “Fayette Prep Rally” and
“North Fulton Prep Rally.” (“Walton Prep
Rally” is scheduled to debut in 2009.) There
are hundreds of television/video people in
the state that derive some kind of income
from high school football on a given night.
FRIDAY NIGHT WARS …
The real engine for the growth of high
school sports, though, has been the neverending Friday night highlight wars between
Channel 5 and Channel 11, which are generally acknowledged as the city’s two best
sports departments. My production company
has helped both of those stations in their
Friday night efforts over the last 15 years,
and, having been a part of it, I can’t imagine
that preparing a Super Bowl telecast is any
more taxing than what the shooters, editors
and directors at channels 5 and 11 undergo
between 5:30 and 11:30 p.m. (Channel 5
sports director Chip Zeller often works 18hour days preparing for the madness.)
It’s not uncommon for either station to air
clips from 20 different games on a Friday
night, and it’s not uncommon for just one producer to shoot two of those games himself and
then edit them—plus another dozen—in a 40-
minute span. Descriptions of those 20 games,
better known as “shot-sheets,” are then given
to sports anchors Ken Rodriguez or Fred Kalil
so that they can preview them before they narrate them live on the air. The definition of
“TV train wreck” is a sports anchor watching
clips—one after another after another—fly by
on the air, without any idea of who the teams
are and what’s about to happen. And even in a
big market like Atlanta, with seasoned
anchors who have called thousands of live
highlights, you get such a train wreck every 34 weeks. There’s just too much last-second
information to perfect a system.
So why does every news station in every
American market devote so much time to
sporting action that falls so far down the food
chain? Ratings, of course, are the best reason.
I’ve seen one of my prep sports programs on
Channel 5 get a 3.0 household rating on a
Saturday morning – a ridiculously high number for a weekend morning program sandwiched between two infomercials. More to
the point, I’m sure the last 15 minutes of
Channel 5’s and Channel 11’s Friday newscasts are the most lucrative. Absolutely, sponsors love to get attached to community events.
Best of all, though, is the promotional
spill-off that high school sports generates for
the station programming department. Of all
the gimmicks that I’ve seen in local TV, I’m
sure that Channel 5’s “In Your Face” is right
at the top. (You can’t imagine the irritation
from, say, a Channel 2 videographer who
shoots a cutaway crowd shot of shirtless
Tucker fans all clutching their faces and
screaming “Fox 5 … in your face!!!”) “In
your face” has symbolized, in some respects,
Channel 5’s sports operation, much in the
same way that “Who’s on the pole, Fred?”
became a popular catchphrase for Channel
11. Add to that the often entertaining and
comic vignettes with which Rodriguez opens
each high school sportscast, and the little
extras probably give Channel 5 the slight nod
in the Friday night wars. But for all four stations, the hope is that the fans in the high
school stadium will subconsciously process
that their coverage is more in touch with the
community and the one to watch.
SAID ON THE AIR
“The Atlanta Falcons are my
favorite NFL story this year. I
hope and believe they can
become yet another worst-tofirst example.”
Current ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame
quarterback Steve Young on the Falcons
and their impressive season thus far
ADVERTISING INDEX
KEEPIN’ AN EYE ON
Mark Bradley used Sunday to criticize the
2008 Georgia Bulldogs and what he believes
has been poor coaching. As such, Bradley
wrote: “This team didn’t fail because it lacked
talent. It failed because it never developed an
edge. And that’s a failure of coaching.” And
there is no doubt Bradley is right: Richt lost a
game at home to a team with inferior talent.
What Bradley fails to mention, however, is the
credit Paul Johnson deserves. Now, though,
Tech must worry about keeping P.J. away
from the many inevitable suitors.
On Monday, Terence Moore discussed
Falcons running back Michael Turner and his
relationship with his former team, the San
Diego Chargers: “Turner is evolving into the
Falcons’ LT [LaDainian Tomlinson]. Well,
make that the old LT.” Though Moore may be
going a bit overboard in comparing Turner to
Tomlinson at his peak, who would have
thought a year ago that Turner would be so
much better today than his former mentor?
LOCAL LOVE …
At the end of the day, local stations cannot tell you anything about the Dallas
Cowboys or New York Yankees that ESPN
can’t tell you 10 times better and quicker. So,
television sports will continue to emphasize
local events well into the coming years, and
even though the 20 seconds of Lassiter-Pope
you see on Friday nights can’t possibly tell
the full story of what happened in that 48
minutes, the cheerleader wiggles and
Gatorade baths are a heckuva lot more relevant than 20 seconds of Nationals-Astros
baseball. And it’s a lot more fun to watch, too.
Jeff
Batten
owns
Batten
Communications, Inc., the Southeast’s largest
independent sports production company. He
also owns Complete Game Broadcasting in
North Atlanta, a sports broadcasting training
facility. His column appears twice-monthly in
Score Atlanta. Send items of interest to
jeff@completegame.tv
SCORE ATLANTA
MEDIA
HALL OF FAME
On Monday, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein
ranked the Hawks as the league’s 11thbest team to date and used the following reasoning: “The Hawks just played
12 straight games without Josh
Smith—eight of them on the road—and
wound up going 6-6. That won’t make
headlines like their 6-0 start, but I’m
guessing they’re reasonably happy with
that.” Here Stein makes a valid point,
as Atlanta should be proud of its
inspired play without Smith. But is the
team’s 3-5 road record during the span
reason to worry?
CATCH THE THRASHERS AND HAWKS
790 The Zone ..............................1, 25
Applebee’s ......................................24
Atlanta Falcons................................10
Atlanta Hawks ................1, Back page
Atlanta Thrashers ..........1, Back page
Charlie Mopps Public House ..........16
Cigar Merchant ................................7
Club Sports Ventures Inc.................15
Competitive Edge Sports ................21
Comcast ..........................................27
Complete Game Broadcasting ..........8
Elbow Room ....................................14
Emory Hospital................................24
Firebird Rotisserie and Sports Bar....17
Georgia State ..................................10
GPB ..................................................8
Infinite Energy Atlanta Slam..............8
Instant Imprints ..............................26
Jersey Mike’s ..................................26
Jimmy’s Pizza Sports Bar & Grill ....13
Kaysons Grille ................................16
Kuroshio Sushi Bar & Grille ............13
Line @ 285 ....................................15
Man’s Best Friend ..........................12
Metro PCS ......................................20
Mikael’s Auto Spa ............................4
North River Tavern ..........................13
O’Terrill’s ........................................17
Red Door Tavern..............................16
Rhodes Bakery ................................19
Ron Veal QB Instruction ..................26
Sammy’s DJ ....................................19
Sandy Springs Youth Sports..............1
TGS Media ......................................19
Toys for Tots ......................................9
Trident Lacrosse........................22, 23
Trivia Zone ......................................11
U.S. Army ..........................................2
Vinings Sports Grill ........................15
Volkswagen ......................................3
WellStar Junior ................................5
Worthmore Jewelers ......................18
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DECEMBER 3-9, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 27
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