fast track means lots of action see back page

FAST TRACK MEANS LOTS OF ACTION SEE BACK PAGE
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
ATLANTA’S
SPORTS
TALKTALK
NEWSPAPER
ATLANTA’S
WEEKLY
SPORTS
NEWSPAPER
VOL 4 NO 38
Get In The Game!
02 I SCORE ATLANTA
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SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
™
STARTING
LINEUP
SCORE ATLANTA I 03
IN YOUR
FACE…
PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg
MANAGING EDITOR Tad Arapoglou
DIRECTOR OF SALES/MARKETING John Duke
ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Gaudio
GRAPHIC DESIGNER D.J. Galbiati
WEBMASTER Alex Ewalt
VIDEO MANAGER/PREP EDITOR Scott Janovitz
BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick
SALES Zander Lentz, Brian Pruett
PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Cunningham
OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington
BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Dream), Stephen Black
(Silverbacks), Jason Boral (Thrashers), James Butler
(UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey
(Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Erik Horne (Falcons), Scott
Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves)
STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Rajesh Gupta,
Keilah Johnson, 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, Chuck Oliver, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter,
Matt Chernoff, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff
Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill
Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis
Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright,
Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom
™
WWW.SCOREATL.COM
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I.J. Rosenberg comments on new 790 The Zone personality
David Pollack and also says that the Falcons’ loss to Tampa
Bay was NOT a “setback.”
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790 The Zone’s Chuck Oliver helps Mark Richt (pictured),
the Bulldogs and their fans get better acquainted with the
team’s next opponent, Arizona State.
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790 The Zone’s Brian Katrek breaks down each and every
player for both Team Europe and Team USA participating in
the upcoming Ryder Cup.
A SCORE UPDATE:
Don’t forget to check out Atlanta’s best real-time scoreboard at
www.ScoreATL.com. Every Friday night beginning at 7:30 p.m.,
the scoreboard will feature in-game scores from all the matchups
around the state.
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
Kevin Dankosky offers his plan to fix the Braves for 2009.
If the front office is willing to spend, some solid free agents
could land in Atlanta.
TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS
DODGER BLUES:
Ex-Brave
Andruw Jones will end the year on the disabled list
with a sore right knee, giving him a .158 average
and three home runs in 2008. Only three years ago,
Jones had 51 homers to lead the majors. So does
L.A. Dodgers GM Ned Colleti regret signing him to
a two-year, $36.2 million deal? “I’ll let you know in
a year,” he said. Photo courtesy of Scott Cunningham.
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COVER DESIGN BY DAVID GAUDIO; COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOUG JACKSON (PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS) AND PHILLIP FAULKNER (UGA).
6 DUE UP-SCORE LIST 7 SPIN-C.C. 8 MEMORY LANE
10 PANTHERS 12 TRIDENT LACROSSE 15 FALCONS
16 BRAVES 17 HAWKS-THRASHERS-DREAM 18 DAWGS
19 JACKETS 20-21 CALENDAR 22 MEDIA-AD INDEX
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Get In The Game!
04 I SCORE ATLANTA
Time to spend: How to fix Braves for ’09
cost: $8 million.) The rest of the infield is set
ome March, your Atlanta Braves will look
with Kelly Johnson at second, Yunel Escobar
much different from what you’re seeing on
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at short and Chipper Jones at third.
the field this season – and I’m not talking about
a uniform change. You can expect a major overhaul on the roster this offseason. Here’s why.
With attendance dwindling and fan
interest following fast behind, the Braves
have to make a big splash in the free-agent
market to rekindle the flame that made
Atlanta the hot bed of baseball in the South
for the past two decades. With an underperforming minor league system, the Braves
have no other choice but to buy some veteran bats and arms. The only bad news is that
the Yankees and Mets, both moving into new
ballparks, will be tossing money around like
kids at Disney World.
General manager Frank Wren reportedly
will have up to $40 million to spend on free
agents. This money comes from the departure
of Mark Teixeira, John Smoltz, Mike
Hampton, Tom Glavine, Mark Kotsay and
several other veterans. I’m hoping Liberty
Media, the current Braves owners, will kick
in $15 million more. With $55 million on the
board, the Braves will have the money needed to field a competitive team next season.
First of all, the Braves need to go after
Adam Dunn. He has hit 40 home runs in each
of the past four years. He plays 150 games a
year and is always near the top of the league in
on-base percentage. Pay Dunn what he wants
and run a special on the seats in right field.
(Estimated cost: $15 million.)
I’m not sold on the Braves keeping Casey
Kotchman at first base. Remember the glory
years with Fred McGriff and Andres
Galarraga? Bobby Cox likes power on the corners. Look for the Braves to trade Kotchman
and spend some money to lure a veteran like
Sean Casey or Richie Sexson. (Estimated
In the outfield, many of my colleagues
think that Frenchy (Jeff Francoeur) will be
traded, but I think the Braves will keep him
around at least through Spring Training just
to be sure he wasn’t suffering through a junior year jinx. Look for the Braves to add at
least two lesser-known free agents in the outfield. I think oft-injured Rocky Baldelli is on
their radar. (Estimated cost: $5 million.)
REMAINING DOLLARS …
So far I’ve spent about $28 million.
We only have $27 million left and it
should all be spend on starting pitching. I
beg the Braves not to touch anyone over
35 years old to prevent a repeat of this
year’s MASH episode. Give $10 million a
year to Ben Sheets and Mark Prior. Then,
let’s hope that Kyle Lohse will accept $7
million a year. That gives you the three
starters you need.
And here’s my “out-of-left-f ield”
prediction for you: I think you’ll see Leo
Mazzone back as the Braves pitching
coach. With Mazzone, it seemed, the
Braves starters always went longer and
injuries weren’t so common. Although
this doesn’t count as a free-agent move, I
think it will be a confidence booster to
the pitching staff.
So get ready for a roller coaster ride
this offseason. If nothing else, everyone
will be talking about the team more so
than they’ve been during the season. Let’s
hope the moves pay off.
But that’s just my opinion.
Dankosky can be reached at
kdankosky@scoreatl.com.
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SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 05
ers (sometimes to their own detriment) and
remind me of a good offensive coordinator,
able to make adjustments at any time, like
bringing in a popular Georgia football player
to counter the voice of Buck Belue at rival
680 The Fan.
Now that can’t make those over at
Georgia Tech too happy, considering 790 is
the flagship radio station of the Yellow
Jackets. But David Pollack certainly gives the
station a huge asset during the afternoon
drive, especially when you consider the
strong following Belue has built sitting
beside Atlanta’s on-the-radio version of
Terence Moore, the good ol’ John Kincade.
I spent time listening to Pollack last
week and he is well on his way to making an
impact, maybe even giving the Zone a boost
in the ratings book, which has been bouncing
between 790 and 680 over the last year or so.
And Belue and Pollack could not be
more different. Belue’s magic is that he
played on Georgia’s national championship
team in 1980, handing off to the great
Herschel Walker and throwing the ball that
inspired the great “Run Lindsey Run” call by
Larry Munson. Belue’s southern drawl fits
well here, his insight into football is quality
and he does a good job of keeping the hyper
Kincade in check.
Pollack, a great player on the field
whose pro career was cut short because of a
broken neck, is more straightforward, likely
will be less forgiving and appears to be
looking down the road at a network opportunity; he already is working on Saturday
with CBS on their postgame show. It will be
interesting to see how he works with the
show’s host Mike Bell and the sports-educated Chuck Oliver. If all can keep their
egos in check, they could become the best
local show on the radio.
And if I were in charge at the Zone, I
would do with Pollack what the Falcons are
doing with Matt Ryan. He’d be the face of
my franchise and I would try to lock him up
for years to come. This town’s sports fans
want to hear from former players like
Pollack and Belue.
I’ll be listening, guys.
WHAT ABOUT THE DAWGS? …
I can’t get a feel for the Bulldogs yet,
especially after an unimpressive seven-point
win over South Carolina. Obviously the voters
can’t either, as the Dogs have won all three
games they have played but dropped from No.
1 in the county to No. 3. And I don’t know
whether Arizona State is going to be much of a
test this Saturday, especially after the Sun
Devils lost in overtime to UNLV. The game I’m
pointing to is Sept. 27 in Athens against
Alabama. Unless the Crimson Tide lose to
Arkansas this weekend, they will come in
ranked no lower than ninth in the country. Then
we will see what the Bulldogs are made of.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech had every
chance to win in Blacksburg last Saturday but
just couldn’t get over the hump. Still, if they
But Tech may have to play a great game to win
Saturday. The Bulldogs gave Auburn everything they could handle (losing 3-2) and appear
ready to break out. Still, Tech is a 7.5-point
favorite, while Georgia is giving 6.5 points.
STAY THE COURSE …
If you looked at the final score, the statistics and listened to some of the local reports on
the game, you would think the Falcons took a
step backwards in the 24-9 loss at Tampa Bay
“As a competitor, as a football player, as a
quarterback, no matter what happens you’ve
got to go out there and continue to throw the
ball and continue to make plays. Obviously
you don’t want to start 0-9 and throw two
interceptions, but you’ve got to keep battling
and everybody on our team did that today, you
have to love that. The offensive line was out
there battling until the end, wideouts were
making plays and working as hard as they
could. The running backs were doing their best
ON THE COVER
Pollack is perfect addition to Zone and Falcons loss was NOT a setback
can find a way to beat Mississippi State at
is always going on at 790
and led the team to two strong drives late. I
home this weekend they should go into their
Something
The Zone.
watched the postgame press conference and I
Oct. 18 game at Clemson with a 5-1 record.
They never worry about ruffling feathliked what Ryan said when he told the media,
David Pollack is a former Cincinnati
Bengal but he is best known around
these parts as being a star for the
Georgia Bulldogs from 2001-04. Pollack
won many awards at Georgia, including
SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the
Chuck Bednarik Award. Fans can now
hear Pollack alongside Chuck Oliver and
Mike Bell on 790 The Zone’s “Afternoon
Saloon” weekdays from 4-7 p.m. The
above photo and cover shot of the
Saloon gang are courtesy of Doug
Jackson/Photographic Arts, while the
cover photo of Pollack in his playing
days is courtesy of Phillip Faulkner/UGA.
OVER THE LINE: In a low-scoring affair, Knowshon Moreno’s third-quarter dive into the end zone was just what
Georgia needed, as the team downed South Carolina 14-7. Though the Bulldogs picked up their first SEC victory
of the 2008 season—and shut Steve Spurrier up in the process—it didn’t prevent them from continuing to slide
in the rankings. Georgia is now ranked third in both the AP poll and USA Today Coaches’ poll. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye.
CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS
‘If I were in charge at [790] the Zone, I would do with [David]
Pollack what the Falcons are doing with Matt Ryan. He’d be the face
of my franchise and I would try to lock him up for years to come.’
on Sunday. But, in actuality, it was anything
but a step backwards. First of all, Tampa won
the NFC South last year and their defensive
coordinator, Monte Kiffin, is one of the best in
the game and had a strong gameplan to stop
Atlanta’s running game. It worked, and the
Falcons’ offense struggled in the first 21 minutes, as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan missed
on his first nine passes, two of which fell into
the hands of Tampa defenders and led to
points. But here is the good news: The Falcons
played hard in the second half and were able to
make it a one-possession game, while Ryan
hung in there despite getting sacked four times
and the defense was busting their butts to try
and get us the ball back. The effort we had
today, obviously we don’t like the outcome,
guys are continuing to battle.” The fact is,
while the Falcons have improved, they still
will face teams with better personnel on most
Sundays. The loss to Tampa was not a step
back, as they made the game competitive and
played hard, down by 11 points late in the
fourth quarter with a first-and-goal from the
Tampa 4-yard line. Still, this Sunday, against a
Kansas City team that comes in here struggling at 0-2, the Falcons have a chance to go to
2-1 before a trip to division-leading Carolina.
Tuesday:
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
The Grove Restaurant & Bar
Decatur (404) 321-4420
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
30
CENT
WINGS
Jeffrey’s
SportsBar & Grill
Alpharetta(770) 346-0807
Ribs, ETC.,
Buckhead (404) 843-8200
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
Neighbor’s Pub
VA-Highlands (404)872-5440
WWW.THETRIVIAZONE.COM at J.R. Crickets in
Smyrna every
Wednesday night
Round up your friends for a night of FUN, FACTS,
and FREEBIES! Join Trivia Zone Team each week
for your chance to WIN!
Call your favorite location for start time and details!
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(Dine-In Only)
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AND FINALLY …
Score Atlanta has been getting dozens of
telephone calls and emails about our new
flash scoreboard on www.Scoreatl.com,
which has real-time high-school football
scores on it every Friday night. We are the
only outlet in town that gives the scores
statewide and have created a network of
school representatives that are calling in and
giving updates. If you want to call in scores,
the number is 404-256-1572 or you can email
them to highschoolscores@scoreatl.com.
Score is also looking for more interns to handle the scoreboard on Fridays. If you are
interested in getting some internet and journalism experience, email Alex Ewalt at
aewalt@scoreatl.com. This is a great opportunity to get started in the field.
Rosenberg can be heard every Sunday on
790 The Zone on the Score Atlanta Sunday
Scoreboard show. The three-hour show is
always on during the Falcons games and is a
great way to get in-depth updates on the
Falcons game as well as NFL scores every 10
minutes. This week, the show will be on from 14 p.m. Rosenberg can be reached at ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com and 404-256-1572.
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!
06 I SCORE ATLANTA
SCORE LIST
DUE UP
BY TAD ARAPOGLOU
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of the season to Tampa Bay. It wasn’t totally unexpected—the Bucs won the NFC
South last year—but let’s hope the offense returns to Week 1 form this Sunday.
HOKIE POKEY: The Yellow Jackets had plenty of chances to reverse the outcome
of their heartbreaking loss against Virginia Tech. While there’s still plenty of ACC play
left, a win over the Hokies could have put Tech in the Coastal Division driver’s seat.
ranked No. 3—have now fallen in the polls after three of their past five victories.
Is Steve Spurrier embarrassed that voters think so little of a victory over his team?
FRIDAY
BIG GAMES: Get ready for this Friday because high-school football fans are in for
some great games. North Gwinnett vs. Norcross, Valdosta vs. Northside-Warner
Robins and Stephenson vs. Ware County highlight some of the week’s best matchups.
NEVER ENDS: Just when you think it can’t get any more ridiculous for the Braves,
it was announced that Charlie Morton will miss the rest of 2008. It was bad enough
when the veteran pitchers went down – now the rookies are getting hurt too?
The Braves season is ending, so now they will try to play spoiler against
their division rivals. Delivering the knockout blow to Philly’s playoff
chances would be a nice consolation prize. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
HS Football Games of the Week. 790 The Zone/GPB.org.
High-school football action is heating up! Tune in to 790 The Zone to listen to Campbell and Lassiter, while Thomas County Central battles
Upson-Lee on GPB.org. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY Bulldogs at Arizona State. 750 AM. ABC.
BREW SCREWED: Speaking of baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers fired manager
Ned Yost on Monday. Kind of odd timing there, isn’t it? At press time, the Brewers
were tied with Philly for the NL wild card. September shake-ups usually don’t pay off.
SUNDAY
LOOKING AHEAD: The Dream ended their first season with a 4-30 record, the
worst in WNBA history. But you never know what the future can bring: Detroit broke a
record for worst start (0-13) in 2002 and won the championship the following season.
LOW SCORES: There’s boring, there’s really boring and then there’s last week’s
MONDAY
Auburn-Mississippi State game. The last time the schools’ baseball teams met,
Auburn won 12-2. So how could the two football teams finish with a 3-2 score?
NEW JET: Congrats Brett Favre – in your debut in New York, the Jets couldn’t even
beat the Tom Brady-less Patriots. At least you know Green Bay misses you, considering Aaron Rodgers only had 328 passing yards, three touchdowns and no picks.
TUESDAY
KILL TIME: Don’t expect “Heat Part II” if you go to see the new film “Righteous
Kill.” Still not sure why Al Pacino and Robert De Niro refuse to be in good movies
nowadays, but whoever thought adding 50 Cent to the mix didn’t help much.
Atlanta Braves
The Falcons safety was arrested early
Monday morning for driving under the influence and speeding in Gwinnett. Disciplinary
actions had not been discussed at press
time but head coach Mike Smith called the
arrest “completely unacceptable.”
It’s the best time of the year for baseball fans. Catch all the action as the
regular season comes to an end starting at 7 p.m. And if you’d rather see
some pigskin, catch Kansas State vs. Louisville on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.
THURSDAY Braves vs. Philadelphia. 94.9 The Bull/640 AM. Peachtree TV.
DAWGS FALL: Another win, another slide. Dating back to 2007, the Bulldogs—
Lawyer Milloy
With all this team has gone through, it is
great to see Bobby Cox (pictured) and his
boys still giving in their all. At press time,
the Braves had won five of six, which
included a three-game sweep of Colorado,
Atlanta’s first since May.
Georgia’s SEC slate is brutal, but if they look past the Sun Devils, they will
be sorry. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. And if you’re a Jackets fan, catch Tech at
home against Mississippi State on 790 The Zone and Raycom at 12 p.m.
Falcons vs. Kansas City. 92.9 Dave FM. CBS.
The Falcons have surprised people so far, but the season is still young.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have had their struggles of their own, and present
a nice chance for another Atlanta victory at the Dome. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
New York Jets vs. San Diego. 680 The Fan. ESPN.
Brett Favre seems to be getting a good grasp of Eric Mangini’s offense,
and San Diego has something to prove defensively with Shawne
Merriman out. Tune in at 8:30 p.m. to see who gets the upper hand.
Braves at Philadelphia. 94.9 The Bull/640 AM. Peachtree TV.
Days after the Braves host the Phillies, they then hit the road to take on
their rivals. Philadelphia is known for its hostile environment and with the
playoffs on the line, the fans will surely be loud. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
UGA Bulldogs
Norcross High School
Though the pollsters seem to be
unimpressed, the fact is the Dawgs
are now 3-0 after a 14-7 win over
South Carolina. A fumble recovery in
the end zone and a late interception
by Reshad Jones helped Georgia win
its first SEC game of the year.
Before the football team’s game
against the Mill Creek Hawks,
Norcross honored Daniel Luckett, a
former Blue Devil and current U.S.
soldier who lost his left foot fighting in
Iraq. A touched Luckett then saw his
alma mater win 19-0.
Dream sets record
Yellow Jackets
Josh Nesbitt had some impressive
moments, throwing a touchdown
pass and rushing for 151 yards and a
score. But Virginia Tech had just a
few more, handing the Jackets their
first loss of the season, 20-17. Tech
is now 1-1 in ACC play.
Though Ivory Latta (pictured) and the
Dream picked up a win over L.A. last
week, they dropped their final game
of the season to Seattle. The loss
gave the Dream a record of 4-30, the
worst in WNBA history. The previous
record was 5-29.
CRUNCHING THE
NUMBERS REGION ACTION HEATS UP
8
Rushing TDs scored by
the Kansas City Chiefs against
the Falcons in 2004 (NFL record)
6
Number of Falcons still on
roster from 2004 squad (lost 56-10
in Kansas City)
1
Falcons’ all-time wins in
six meetings with the Chiefs (last
win – 29-13 in 2000)
While games like last week’s CarverColumbus vs. Northside-Warner Robins
matchup are a whole lot of fun, they are,
essentially, completely meaningless.
Alright, maybe “meaningless” is the
wrong word; games like those tell us a lot
about the elite high-school football teams
in the state and can act as confidence
boosters down the road. However, as nonregion games they have no playoff implications, and grabbing one of your region’s top
four spots is what’s important. In Week 4,
there are a number of early, but significant,
region games. Here are three:
Alpharetta at Milton: It may not
exactly be a clash of the titans, but these are
two teams that legitimately believe they
have a shot at the postseason out of Region
6-AAAAA. Alpharetta stands at 2-0 in the
region and Milton is 1-1.
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BY JOSH BAGRIANSKY
WEDNESDAY Wednesday Night Baseball. ESPN.
DOWN SOUTH: Bad play calls and poor execution led to the Falcons’ first loss
THUMBS UP TO
NEVER QUTTING
HOTTEST THINGS TO
SEE AND DO OVER THE
NEXT SEVEN DAYS
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Valdosta at Northside-WR: This is an
important game in regards to playoff seeding. Everybody assumes these teams will
be in the top four of Region 1-AAAAA
when all is said and done, but where they
end up exactly depends on the outcomes of
games like this. Also, each team will want
to make up for thoroughly unimpressive
performances last Friday (Valdosta against
Jonesboro and Northside against CarverColumbus).
Norcross at North Gwinnett: The
Blue Devils have won the regular-season
matchup the past two seasons, but North
has the better postseason numbers over that
span. Just like it did last year, this game
should determine the No. 1 seed out of
Region 7-AAAAA.
Alex Ewalt can be reached at
aewalt@scoreatl.com.
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THUMBS DOWN TO
A TOUGH YEAR
SANITY
AT LAST
“Ya’ll watched it. You know
what happened … We just
got beat. I thought we had
a chance to all be winners
today. But we just ended
up being losers.”
- South Carolina head coach
Steve Spurrier after the 14-7
loss to UGA
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 07
Fans to vote on MLB award and Ovarian Cancer Institute holds fundraiser
CHECK
THIS OUT!
NO PLAYOFFS
FOR YANKEES
Last Sunday, Derek Jeter tied Lou
Gehrig for the most hits in Yankee
Stadium. That was pretty much the only
good thing that has happened for the
New York Yankees this season.
The Yankees have been inconsistent
if not just plain terrible all season long.
I can’t believe in the final season at
Yankee Stadium they are not going to
make the postseason. I guess this is
what it feels like to be a Pittsburgh
Pirates fan. Actually, this is worse
because no one expects anything from
the Pirates anyway. From the time I
started paying close attention to the
Yankees, when I was about 13 years
old, I never really worried about them
missing the playoffs. To the best of my
knowledge the games from April
through September were just a formality. Now knowing they actually have to
qualify for the playoffs, I feel like I felt
when I found out Santa Claus wasn’t
real. I’m totally bummed right now and
I’m going to be inconsolable until after
the World Series is over.
I know they have been ravaged by
injuries, but these are the New York
Yankees. They’re supposed to overcome trivial things like losing their two
best pitchers at different points during
the season. So what if Alex Rodriguez
is having a “down year?” Well, it’s a
down year for him; it’s an MVP year for
pretty much any other player in the
league. I’m still convinced re-signing
A-Rod was a mistake. I know he’s the
best player in the league, but I believe
he’s destined to be one of those great
players who will never win a ring. If he
played for anyone other than the
Yankees, I’d be fine with him joining
those other losers but since he’s on my
favorite team, the thought of him ending his career without a ring does not sit
well with me.
I’m glad the 2008 season is almost
over.
Hopefully
the
Yankees will rebound
from this debacle and
return to the perennial
championship contenders
I’ve grown accustomed
to rooting for.
C.C. can be reached
at cfelicec@yahoo.com.
REUNITED: Tampa Bay running back Warrick Dunn (left) chats with Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons.
Dunn spent six seasons in Atlanta from 2002-07, rushing for over 1,000 yards on three different occasions. But
with the team turning over a new leaf in 2008, Dunn returned to his former team in Tampa Bay and scored a
touchdown last Sunday as the Bucs beat the Birds 24-9. Photo courtesy of Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons.
HERE’S THE SCOOP ...
ince 1997, the Major League Baseball of The American Boot Camp Company
S
Players Association has annually recog- (TABCC), Atlanta’s leading results-based
nized players for their outstanding commu- fitness company, announced that former
nity service, awarding such communityminded individuals with the Marvin Miller
Man of the Year Award. Voting for the
award began last week on MLB.com, where
fans are asked to select one player from
each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions. Six finalists will be chosen and voted
on by Major League players as part of their
annual Players Choice Awards balloting on
Wednesday. As for our hometown Atlanta
organization, the Braves are represented on
the ballot by Tom Glavine, who most
specifically has done significant work with
Tuesday’s Children, an organization for
children who lost parents in the terrorist
attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
In other Braves-related news, it is
important to note, even with all the team’s
recent struggles, that this weekend is Fan
Appreciation Weekend. Specifically, fans
will be “appreciated” on Sunday immediately following the team’s 1:35 p.m. date
with the New York Mets. Among the festivities, Travis Tritt will perform a
postgame concert free for all guests with a
game ticket. If you haven’t already done
so, go to Atlantabraves.com to buy tickets
to the game.
ON THE GRIDIRON …
Interesting news surfaced last week
when Mari Garner, founder and president
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Dallas Cowboy and current Georgia Force
kicker Carlos Martinez has joined the company as the Manager of Business
Development. Martinez will immediately
assume his new responsibilities, specifically working to expand the reach of the company to communities around metro Atlanta.
In addition to being an active member of
the Atlanta community for many years,
Martinez has always had a passion for
weight training as well as helping others
reach their fitness goals.
After setting an Atlanta Falcon singlegame rushing record in Week 1, Michael
Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of
the Week last week. In a victory over the
visiting Detroit Lions, Turner carried the
ball 22 times and rumbled for an amazing
220 yards. The five-year veteran also added
two touchdowns to his stat sheet, which
marked his first multiple-touchdown game
of his career. Turner’s 220-yard performance surpassed the previous mark of 202
yards set by Gerald Riggs on Sept. 2, 1984.
OCI GIVES BACK …
Saturday, Sept. 28 will be a special day
for those interested in giving back, as the
Ovarian Cancer Institute, an Atlanta-based
non-profit organization dedicated to finding
a reliable early diagnostic test for ovarian
cancer, will host its first-ever Ovarian
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Close out the summer in style at Atlanta
Motor Speedway this weekend. Check
out the AC Delco Street Drag Nationals
on Friday and Saturday. The event has it
all, with some of the nation’s top drag
racers squaring off in incredible custom-made cars and also a Show-NShine Car Show featuring all kinds of
great cars, as well as an always-exciting
burnout contest! All you amateur racers
and automobile enthusiasts out there
can get into the action for just $20 per
event! The pits open at 6 p.m. on Friday,
and elimination races begin at 9:05
p.m. And remember, there is plenty
going on after the races with a fireworks display starting at 10 p.m.
Saturday is an all-day event with the
pits opening at 10 a.m. and racing continuing through 5 p.m. Tickets to both
events are just $15 and $10 per day.
Compiled by Scott Janovitz
Cancer Institute Fall Jamboree. The event
will be held at Park Tavern from 12-5 p.m.
with all proceeds going towards the Ovarian
Cancer Institute. Specifically, the Jamboree
will be highlighted by various musical acts,
a kicking demonstration by Georgia Force
kicker Carlos Martinez, martial arts demonstrations by X3 Sports, carnival games, and
a silent auction. For more information visit
www.ovariancancerinstitute.org.
Your very own Atlanta Silverbacks
were in action last Saturday, battling to a 11 draw on the road against the Seattle
Sounders. With only two playoff berths
remaining and the fate of both teams still
undecided, the game’s final outcome took
on even more meaning than ever. With the
tie, the Sounders earned one point, enough
to clinch a playoff berth. As for our beloved
‘Backs, the one-point result kept the team’s
playoff hopes alive. The Silverbacks will
next be in action on Friday, when they hit
the road to face the league-leading Puerto
Rico Islanders.
The new college football Associated
Press Top 25 poll was released on Sunday
and though the University of Georgia
dropped from second to third, the SEC as a
whole had quite an impressive showing.
With five teams ranked in the top 10, the
league became the first-ever to place so
many teams at the top of the polls. Georgia
leads the league as the third-ranked team
nationally, while Florida is fourth, LSU is
sixth, Auburn is ninth, and Alabama is 10th.
Get In The Game!
08 I SCORE ATLANTA
Old Falcons at Dome and odd sports sales
Rounding out this week’s top five is
ow about those Falcons? As a longtime
Tomlinson with 1,010.
season-ticket holder, it was great to see
H
something that has been lacking at the Dome
in recent years: enthusiasm. As I looked
around the Dome before the game against
Detroit on Sept. 7, there was no mistaking
the harsh reality of the past couple of years,
as the stands were full of Michael Vick, Alge
Crumpler, DeAngelo Hall and Warrick
Dunn jerseys, none of whom are on the team
anymore. No doubt that with the high price
of NFL jerseys there is a depression value to
consider, but the Falcons’ place in the collectible market has suffered over the past
couple of years. As we usher in a new era in
Falcons football, hopefully it will be a winwin situation for both fans and collectors.
IN THE NEWS …
The NFL season is officially underway
and fans across the country are suiting up for
a new year. Check out whose jersey is No. 1
on this week’s online auction report:
• Tony Romo Cowboys Jersey
• Brett Favre Jets Jersey
• Peyton Manning Colts Jersey
• Tom Brady Patriots Jersey
• LaDainian Tomlinson Chargers Jersey
If you attended last week’s Jets game,
you saw a sea of Favre jerseys, as he tops the
list this week with over 4,300 online listings.
Romo comes in a distant second with 1,982.
Quarterbacks Brady and Manning are next in
line with 1,745 and 1,469, respectively.
STRANGE MEMORABILIA …
The sports memorabilia market can be
strange indeed. As the saying goes, one
man’s junk is another man’s treasure and here
is
a
list
to
prove
it.
SportsCollectorsDaily.com has put together a
list of some of the more unusual memorabilia items to hit the market over the past year.
Here are some examples:
Tiger Stadium dugout urinal: The
defunct ballpark was gutted and its remaining contents were sold by a St. Louis auction
company. Signs, doors and other fairly banal
pieces were offered, along with the Tigers
dugout urinal, which brought in $900.
Take a bite out of Michael Vick:
Following his arrest on dogfighting
charges, a female collector and artist decided to let her pup nibble on 22 Vick trading
cards and then offered the less-than-mint
condition lot on eBay. Much publicity and
myriad copycat auctions ensued, but the
original lot sold for $7,400.
George Bush gets his own baseball
card – sort of: Collectors did a double take
when opening the first Topps packs of 2007.
A joker in the art department put a smiling,
waving President Bush into the stands on
Derek Jeter’s card.
Want to know what your item is worth or
have a question about a particular sports
item? E-mail me, Dean Zindler, at
dzindler@scoreatl.com.
SEPT. 17-23
Compiled by Erik
Horne
Tad Arapoglou
2007
– The Falcons
were reeling after their
27-20 loss to the Carolina
Panthers on Sept. 23.
Despite Joey Harrington
(361 yards) and Roddy
White (127 receiving
yards) having career days,
the Panthers scored the
tying touchdown late
thanks to the immature
antics of DeAngelo Hall.
The much-maligned cornerback committed three
penalties
on
the
Panthers’ tying drive, all
but guaranteeing the
Falcons an 0-3 start.
2003
– On Sept. 21,
the Falcons were held to
their worst offensive output
of the season by the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers in a 31-10
loss. The Falcons could
only muster 136 yards of
offense behind a 1-yard
Woody Dantzler run and a
Jay Feely field goal. Even
Tampa’s Warren Sapp
found his way into the end
zone, capping off the
Falcons’ embarrassing day
by celebrating with his
self-proclaimed Beyonce
tribute dance.
1998
– On Sept. 17,
Braves pitcher Denny
Neagle pitched six shutout
innings of four-hit ball in a
1-0 win over the Arizona
Diamondbacks. With the
win, Neagle joined teammates John Smoltz, Greg
Maddux, Tom Glavine and
Kevin Millwood as 15game winners, making the
OH HALL NO: Thanks to three
Braves
the first team since
DeAngelo Hall penalties on one drive, the 1930
Washington
the Falcons lost to the Carolina
Senators to have five pitchPanthers and fell to 0-3 in 2007. ers with 15 or more victories in a season.
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons.
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1983
fortunately supported by
Hank Aaron, who blasted his 30th home run of
the year to give the
Braves the 6-5 win.
– The Braves
lost a 13-inning duel with
the San Diego Padres 4-2 on
Sept. 21. Center fielder
Ruppert Jones smacked a
two-run homer to win it for
the Padres in the top of the
inning. Despite going 0-for5, MVP frontrunner Dale
Murphy stole his 29th base
of the season, moving him
to within one swiped bag of
his first and only 30 home
run/30 stolen base season.
1938
1958
– For the first
time since 1899, the Braves
won 90 games in a season
three years in a row on Sept.
21. Who better to pick up
Milwaukee’s historical win
than Warren Spahn, who
tossed an uncharacteristically short 6.1 innings and
gave up five runs. He was
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THREE STRAIGHT: With Warren
Spahn on the mound, the Milwaukee
Braves won their 90th game for the
third consecutive season in 1958.
Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves.
M
– A supposed
Boston
Bees/Braves
doubleheader with the St. Louis
Cardinals turned into a
one-game triumph for
the Cards on Sept. 20.
St. Louis won the first
game of the double dip
4-0 before Game 2 was
cancelled due to rain.
Major League RBIleader Joe Medwick
drove in all four runs in
the Bees loss. The Bees
would recover the next
day, however, sweeping
the rescheduled doubleheader 6-5 and 4-1.
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 09
REMEMBER
WHEN…
NEEDING AN ACE:
Considering the Orioles will finish last in their division for the first time since 1988, maybe they should try to re-sign
this guy in 2009. Jim Palmer pitched in Baltimore for 19 seasons, and even won 20-plus
games in four consecutive seasons – twice. The three-time Cy Young winner was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. Photo courtesy of Scott Cunningham.
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Get In The Game!
10 I SCORE ATLANTA
Harbrueger earns CAA honors; Haastrup wins on European Challenge Tour
omen soccer’s Kay Harbrueger was
named CAA Co-Player of the Week for
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her efforts last week against North Florida
and Birmingham-Southern. Scoring three
goals and assisting on two others against UNF
and BSC, Harbrueger led the Panthers to their
best start in school history at 6-0-0.
Harbrueger accounted for both game-winners
on the weekend. Her eight goals, 17 points
and three game-winning goals lead the CAA
for the season. The Panthers have also been
getting superb play from their defensive unit
as well as goaltender Heidi Blankenship. She
ranks first in the CAA (15th in the nation)
with a 0.23 goals-against average and has
allowed a single goal in 329 minutes of play.
Women’s soccer lost their first game of the
season to Fairfield 2-1 in double overtime.
Tobias Rosendahl turned in the tournament low score of the day with a 5-under par 67
in Sunday’s final round as the men’s golf team
finished 15th at the Carpet Capital Collegiate at
The Farm in Rocky Face, Ga. Tom Sherreard
finished as the low Panther for the tournament,
earning him a 26th-place finish at the three-day,
54-hole event. Next on the schedule, Georgia
State heads North to North Falmouth, Mass.,
for the Hartford Invitational which begins Sept.
28. … Former Panther golfer Mark Haastrup
made his presence felt on the European
Challenge Tour last week, winning the Dubliner
Challenge in Gothenburg, Sweden. Haastrup’s
7-under par finish is his first victory on tour.
Haastrup climbed inside the top 20 on the
European Challenge Tour which is key because
if he is able to finish the season in the top 20, he
will earn a tour card for the 2009 European
Tour season.
Men’s soccer defeated Mercer 2-1 in the
second game of the Wingate by Wyndham
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Classic in Macon. Defender Francesco
Barbera, midfielder Joe Castaldo and goalkeeper Filipe Carvalho were named AllTournament for the Classic. Barbera and
Castaldo each scored their first career goal
as a Panther and Carvalho finished the weekend with four saves. The Panthers are now 32 on the season.
IN OTHER NEWS …
Volleyball continues to struggle through
a very difficult schedule. The Panthers
dropped all three matches at the Coastal
Carolina Invitational to the host
Chanticleers, Chattanooga and Troy. …
Georgia State’s fourth annual CAA Blood
Challenge will be held Tuesday on campus in
the Sports Arena. The annual blood donor
drive is competition among the 12 CAA universities to get the most pints. Georgia State
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partners with the American Red Cross for
this event. For more information, call 404413-4000. … Take part in the Georgia State
athletics’ Third Annual Golf Classic and support the Panthers. The event will be held on
Oct. 6 at the Eagle’s Landing Country Club
in Stockbridge. For more information, call
404-413-4000. … I spent last weekend in
upstate New York with Furman football. The
Paladins traveled to Hamilton, N.Y., where
they beat Colgate 42-21. Furman hosts the
CAA’s Delaware Blue Hens this Saturday. …
Follow the Panthers online at www.georgiastatesports.com. For basketball and football
ticket information call 1-866-GA-STATE.
Dave Cohen is in his 25th 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.
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 11
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Get In The Game!
12 I SCORE ATLANTA
Recruiting process can best be described as ‘insanity in pursuit of serenity’
better! It starts as low as youth lacrosse. Be
cling to hearsay. Some websites offer serviche expansion of lacrosse in Georgia is accurately revealed in a third-party ad or
wary of coaches and programs that base their
es such as basic admissions processing and
T
part of a bigger change in the game exhortation. The fact is that every coach is
credentials on how many games they win or
data collection. Some offer reasonable and
nationally. Of all the traits of a lacrosse play- looking for something different. Some may
er, athleticism is increasing in proportion to
skill. This opens interesting possibilities for
non-traditional lacrosse markets. But there is
also a divide between hype (insanity) and
reality (serenity), and unfortunately, it is easily exploited. While many people are interested in finding a path for their child to be
recruited, the pursuit (more of a chase)
approaches insanity. If you have not already
noticed, youth sports today are full of promises and prognostications about how to get
recruited. Some are legit and some are complete nonsense. But one perspective seems
to be left out of the conversation too often –
that of the college coach.
When you think about it, it really
makes sense to consider the coach’s perspective. What the coach thinks cannot be
need scholar-athletes. Some may need
speed. Others may need size. One coach
may have lost all three starting attackmen to
graduation, while another needs a goalie.
But they all have one thing in common: they
know what they need and they know what
they want in a recruit. No one else does.
This situation is ripe for abuse.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR …
Normally, in dealing with any firm, you
can determine right away whether you are
being treated right and you can tell right
away if you came away with a satisfactory
outcome for your investment. With recruiting, however, the delivery of service is more
difficult to track. Because it is an open-ended
“process,” folks have to pick up signals and
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helpful advice. Just remember this: each
school is different, each coach is different,
each recruiting class is different, and the
goals and long-term objectives of each college administration are different. Only the
coach knows how a player gets recruited to
their school and which players have a reasonable chance. And the numbers are sobering.
It is all the more reason for those of us in the
lacrosse industry to be responsible and
accountable to the students and their families. One word says it all: credibility. And
you can’t simply “claim” credibility on a
website or email blast.
The future for a young lacrosse player in
Georgia is phenomenal. The game is developing and our passion for sports here in the
South is helping us to make the game even
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their ability to get you recruited. No matter
how much Dad, Mom, the travel team coach
or the player himself believes that he
deserves to be recruited, only one person
makes that decision - the college coach. In
most cases, when there is disappointment,
expectations were way off. Expectations are
all about context. And the context, in this
case, is matching the credibility of the source
with the reality of the situation. Enjoy this
great game, and focus as much as possible on
improving rather than on being recruited and
trade in your insanity for serenity.
Alan Vazquez is the co-owner of Trident
Lacrosse and can be reached at
alanvazquez@tridentlacrosse.com. For more
information about Trident Lacrosse, visit
tridentlacrosse.com.
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 13
Checking out Sun Devils before Saturday
quarterback in the Pac-10. Not a huge guy,
ess upside for Georgia, more imporbut very accurate and has the complete contance for Arizona State. That’s how this
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fidence of his teammates. Every quarterback
Saturday’s game has changed following the
Sun Devils’ overtime loss to UNLV this
past weekend.
Point to Make Before I Say Anything
Else: UNLV is a quality team. Not BCS bowl
quality and not Top 25 quality, but still a
good team.
And there’s still no excuse for Arizona
State losing that game. The Sun Devils have
more talent, a better coach (normally) and were
at home. They’ve got to take as much blame as
any credit you’re going to give the Rebels.
Regarding this coming weekend, the
’Dogs are better and should win the game,
but were hoping to beat an undefeated ASU
squad that hopefully would reside in the 10win neighborhood this year. Georgia needs
every vote possible this season and any extra
gold star on the resume is valuable. Because
Dennis Erickson didn’t have his team ready
to play Saturday night, defeating ASU won’t
help Georgia nearly as much as it could have.
And just who are the main culprits in the
rust-and-gold uniforms?
TAKE A LOOK …
• Dennis Erickson: A resourceful, creative coach who may occasionally color outside the lines but has turned around programs at Miami, Washington State, Oregon
State, Idaho and now Arizona State. Usually
goes heavy on the JUCO route and the
results on the field (and on the police blotter) speak for themselves.
• Rudy Carpenter: Probably the best
needs time to throw the ball, but if Carpenter
is allowed to stand in the pocket he’ll shred
the opposing defense. Through three games,
Carpenter has completed 72 percent of his
passes for nearly 1,000 yards.
• Keegan Herring: He’s the team’s best
running back, but isn’t anywhere near 100
percent health-wise. Herring missed the season opener while still recovering from shoulder surgery and sat out this past weekend
with a hamstring injury. If Herring plays, he
gives ASU the legitimate running threat to
make Carpenter even more dangerous.
• The Offensive Line: The group reeks,
giving up 55 sacks last season and not
showing much improvement so far this
year. The guards are massive and probably
could start for Georgia, but the rest of the
line is sub-standard.
Defensively, it gets better for Arizona
State the further away from the line of scrimmage that you get. Omar Bolden is an allconference caliber cornerback and Travis
Smith has the potential to be a fair complement on the other side. Otherwise, you’re
dealing with a very hot-and-cold defense
from ASU and that should be a recipe for
disaster when they take the field this
Saturday vs. Georgia. But beware, ’Dogs,
that’s what the Sun Devils were thinking
about their opponent last weekend …
Oliver can be heard on 790 The Zone’s
“Afternoon Saloon” weekdays from 4-7 p.m. and
can be reached at coliver@790thezone.com.
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Get In The Game!
14 I SCORE ATLANTA
/
HIGH SCHOOL
TOP TEN
Class AAAAA
Class AAAA
Class AAA
Class AA
Class A
1. Lowndes (Region 1; 3-0)
1. Tucker (Region 6; 3-0)
1. Cairo (Region 1; 2-0)
1. Buford (Region 6; 3-0)
1. Emanuel Co. Inst. (Region 3; 3-0)
2. Camden Co. (Region 3; 3-0)
2. Westside-Macon (Region 4; 3-0)
2. Carver-Columbus (Region 2; 2-1)
2. Charlton Co. (Region 2; 3-0)
2. Wilcox Co. (Region 2; 3-0)
3. Northside-WR (Region 1; 3-0)
3. Mays (Region 5; 3-0)
3. LaGrange (Region 2; 2-1)
3. Brooks Co. (Region 1; 2-0)
3. Lincoln Co. (Region 7; 3-0)
4. North Gwinnett (Region 7; 2-1)
4. Sandy Creek (Region 5; 3-0)
4. St. Pius X (Region 5; 3-0)
4. Fitzgerald (Region 1; 3-0)
4. Clinch Co. (Region 1; 2-1)
5. Newnan (Region 4; 3-0)
5. Thomas Co. Central (Region 1; 1-1)
5. Dunwoody (Region 5; 3-0)
5. Pepperell (Region 7; 3-0)
5. Brookstone (Region 4; 3-0)
6. Coffee (Region 1; 3-0)
6. Apalachee (Region 8; 2-0)
6. Flowery Branch (Region 7; 2-1)
6. Westminster (Region 6; 2-0)
6. Athens Academy (Region 8; 3-0)
7. Grayson (Region 8; 3-0)
7. Bainbridge (Region 1; 2-0)
7. Baldwin (Region 3; 3-0)
7. Henry Co. (Region 4; 2-1)
7. Bowdon (Region 6; 3-0)
8. Norcross (Region 7; 2-1)
8. Rome (Region 7; 2-1)
8. Stephens Co. (Region 8; 2-1)
8. McIntosh Co. Acad. (Region 2; 3-0)
8. Savannah Christian (Region 3; 2-1)
9. Walton (Region 6; 3-0)
9. Dalton (Region 7; 3-0)
9. Gainesville (Region 7; 3-0)
9. Jefferson Co. (Region 3; 3-0)
9. Miller Co. (Region 1; 3-0)
10. Harrison (Region 5: 2-0)
10. Whitewater (Region 5; 2-1)
10. Washington Co. (Region 3; 3-0)
10. Thomasville (Region 1; 0-3)
10. Twiggs Co. (Region 2; 3-0)
Rankings editor Alex Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.
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SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 15
Rushing attack looking to rebound against sub-par Kansas City defense
FIRST LOSS: Erik
Coleman (left) and the
defense struggled from
the start, allowing 17
first-half points to Tampa
Bay. Matt Ryan also had
early problems, throwing
seven incomplete passes and two picks in his
first nine attempts as the
Falcons lost 24-9. Photos
OFF THE
FIELD
Two fans have another chance to
win two Falcons home game tickets at
local Publix locations when the Kraft Fan
Spotter Program returns this week. The
Fan Spotter will be at these locations on
the following days: 2774 North Cobb
Parkway in Kennesaw on Wednesday;
2155 North Decatur Road in Decatur on
Thursday; and 5805 State Bridge Road in
Duluth on Friday. Each appearance will
take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Safety Lawyer Milloy was arrested
early Monday morning for driving under
the influence and speeding in Gwinnett
County. Milloy posted bond at 9:48 a.m.
Monday, five hours after he had been
booked. The 13-year veteran is unlikely
to face automatic suspension from the
league and at press time, head coach
Mike Smith said that the organization
would handle the situation internally.
Matt Ryan was forced into two interceptions against the Buccaneers but he
can take solace in the statistic that no
team in the NFL has intercepted more
passes than the Bucs this decade (166
INTs since 2000). … In the post-game
interview, head coach Mike Smith was
frustrated that the team came up short
against Tampa Bay. “I was a little ticked
off; I thought the score should have been
closer than it was,” Smith said. “I
thought we had opportunities to stop
them on third down […] as a team we
started out entirely too slow both on
offense and defense.”
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK
“For all of our young players,
not just Matt [Ryan], it’s
going to be a learning experience. Often times we’ve said a
defense can dictate to an
offense and we’ve got to be
able to counterpunch.”
- Head coach Mike Smith
THE SCHEDULE
• Sept. 21 vs. Kansas City, 1 p.m. CBS.
• Sept. 28 at Carolina, 1 p.m. FOX.
• Oct. 5 at Green Bay, 1 p.m. FOX.
• Oct. 12 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m. FOX.
All games will be broadcast on 92.9 Dave FM. Tickets can
be purchased at www.atlantafalcons.com
courtesy of Jimmy
Cribb/Atlanta Falcons.
PLAYER OF
THE WEEK
3 FGS
32 LNG
9 PTS
JASON
ELAM K
THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING ...
was a tale of two cities against the and Jerious Norwood thought the lanes were has suffered greatly due to the retirement of
Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and wide open against the Lions, they may see former Pro Bowl tackle Willie Roaf. Since
IthetTampa
exact opposite of their blazing start holes just as big against a Chiefs defense that the Chiefs ran Johnson into the ground in
against the Lions. The game’s first two
drives nearly resulted in two picks for
Matt Ryan in his first regular season
experience on the road. The Falcons were
held scoreless on their first three drives,
and the Bucs marched up a short field for
seven in their first possession of the
game. For the Falcons, it was a sore welcome to division play and a reminder that
the team still has a ways to go before
being among the NFC’s elite.
In preparation for Kansas City, questions must be answered about the health of
arguably the Falcons’ two most important
linemen – left tackle Sam Baker and defensive tackle Grady Jackson. Both should be
available for Sunday’s game, but their presences were missed against the Bucs, as
Ryan was sacked four times and the
defense gave up more than 100 yards rushing for the first time since the Falcons’ preseason game against Indianapolis.
DISSECTING THE CHIEFS …
Next up for the Falcons are the Kansas
City Chiefs, the second team in three games
that should cater to the Falcons’ punishing
running game. If Michael Turner (pictured)
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gave up 300 yards rushing to the Oakland
Raiders, including 164 yards to rookie
Darren McFadden, in Week 2. Expect
even heavier doses of Turner and
Norwood on Sunday.
On the defensive side, the
Falcons are looking to return to
holding their opponents to
under 100 yards rushing,
something that became a
mantra in the preseason.
The team faces the hefty
task of handling Chiefs
running back Larry
Johnson, but if the
Chiefs’ offensive line performs as poorly as it has in its first
two games, Johnson could be a nonfactor and John Abraham could
add to his team-leading four sacks.
Defensive coordinator Brian
VanGorder must be licking his
chops at the notion of letting
Abraham loose on an offensive
line that has conceded nine
sacks in two games.
Since the two teams last met
in 2004, the Chiefs’ running game
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2006 (an NFL-record 416 carries), he has
only played in 10 regular season games
in two seasons, averaging 3.4 yards
per carry. Look for the Falcons
defense to exploit the Chiefs’ inability to gain on the ground, as in two
games Kansas City has ran for
less yards (162) than Turner
had in three quarters (166)
against Detroit in Week 1.
RYAN VS. DORSEY …
Sunday’s matchup with
the Chiefs will also be a
showdown between Matt
Ryan and defensive tackle
Glenn Dorsey, who many
thought the Falcons should
have selected at No. 3 overall
in April’s draft. While comparing quarterbacks and defensive
tackles isn’t fair, a comparison can
be made between the Falcons’ run
defense without Dorsey and the
Chiefs’ run defense with Dorsey. The
Chiefs have conceded approximately
100 more rushing yards per game than the
Falcons in two games (213 to 113).
Get In The Game!
16 I SCORE ATLANTA
Braves to wrap up home schedule with Phillies and Mets this weekend
GOOD TIMES: A key
eighth-inning hit from Jeff
Francoeur (left) helped the
Braves beat the New York
Mets in the opening game
of their series last week.
The win came two days
after Jair Jurrjens threw a
career-high 10 strikeouts in
a win over Colorado.
OFF THE
FIELD
As part of the team’s Fan Appreciation
Weekend, the Braves are giving fans a
free Travis Tritt concert following this
Sunday’s game against the New York
Mets. The concert wraps up a wild
weekend at Turner Field featuring a fireworks display on Friday and a “Future
Stars” promotion on Saturday. Before
Sunday’s game, fans can meet Gene
Garber, Bruce Sutter and Bob Horner in
the Turner Field Plaza.
The Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A team is
moving from Richmond to Gwinnett next
season and will open the team’s 144game schedule on April 9. The first official home game will be on April 17
against Norfolk at the team’s new facility.
“Everybody is used to winning
around here, but I’m probably better
now than I’ve ever been.” That’s what
manager Bobby Cox said to reporters
last week when asked about coming
back for 2009. Cox signed a contract
extension this past May which would
bring him back for another season, but
rumors circulated that he might walk
away after this season. Not so, says
Cox. “I still love the game. It’s fun. It’s
no fun to lose, but I look at it differently than most people. The game is fun to
me. Coming to the ballpark is fun. I
enjoy being able to be a part of the
game.” Cox insists he will not change
his mind about a return next season.
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK
“I’ll be here as long
as they have a spot
for me.”
- P John Smoltz
Tune in to Fletcher Proctor’s
post-game Extra Innings
Show after each Braves
weekday game on 790 The Zone.
THE SCHEDULE
• Wed. vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. FSN South.
• Thurs. vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Peachtree TV.
• Fri. vs. N.Y. Mets, 7:30 p.m. Peachtree TV.
• Sat. vs. N.Y. Mets, 7 p.m. SportSouth.
• Sun. vs. N.Y. Mets, 1:30 p.m. SportSouth.
• Mon. at Philadelphia, 7:05 p.m. Peachtree TV.
• Tues. at Philadelphia, 7:05 p.m. Peachtree TV.
All games will be broadcast on 640 AM and 94.9 The Bull.
Tickets can be purchased at www.atlantabraves.com.
Photos courtesy of Paul
Abell/Atlanta Braves.
PLAYER OF
THE WEEK
5
7
2
2
GAMES
HITS
RUNS
RBIS
CASEY
KOTCHMAN 1B
THE SEVENTH-INNING STRETCH ...
fter winning Game 1 of their three-game menced, Jair Jurrjens, seeking his 13th win of innings and the Braves could not scratch a
A
series with Colorado via a walk-off balk the year, was helped out with a late rally. single run across in a 5-0 defeat. … With the
on Sept. 9, the Braves turned to rookie James Escobar had a huge three-run home run to rubber game on Sunday, Atlanta played the
give the Braves some breathing room late and
Jurrjens recorded 10 strikeouts, a career
high, in an 8-4 victory. It was Atlanta’s
first three-game sweep since May.
Parr for Game 2 last Wednesday. Parr
continued the dominance he showed
in his outing by pitching six shutout
innings and staking the Braves to a
4-0 lead. The bullpen blew the lead
and Parr was forced into
a
no-decision,
despite having not
allowed a single
run in his first 12
innings as a Major League starter.
Kelly Johnson hit his second home
run of the game in the bottom of the
seventh to put the Braves on top for
good. Chipper Jones (pictured)
added a solo shot for good measure as
the Braves won 9-5. Josh Anderson
drove home two runs and Brian
McCann went 3-for-5 in the game. …
Before the finale on Thursday, the
organization remembered those who
lost their lives in the tragic
Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks seven years earlier by honoring some
of Atlanta’s local
emergency officers.
When the game com-
OFF TO NEW YORK …
Rain forced the Braves and New
York Mets to play three games in two
days, including a doubleheader last
Saturday. In the opening game, Mike
Hampton went six innings and
allowed two runs. With Johan
Santana on the hill, it appeared that
the Mets would take Game 1, but
Jeff Francoeur came through with
the bases loaded in the top of the
eighth and Omar Infante gave
the Braves a one-run lead with
a sac fly. Mike Gonzalez
held onto the lead and the
Braves took the first game
3-2. This was the Braves’
first one-run road win
since 2007. … In the
nightcap, Jo-Jo Reyes
was roughed up
early for four runs
in the first two
role of spoiler in taking down the Mets 7-4,
thanks to a Greg Norton three-run home run
in the ninth inning. Gonzalez picked up his
second save of the weekend with a scoreless
ninth inning of work.
IN OTHER NEWS …
The possibility of John Smoltz in
enemy colors was raised recently and the
21-year veteran didn’t exactly quell the
rumors. When asked by Atlanta Magazine
whether he would consider trading in the
Tomahawk for another uniform, Smoltz
responded, “I say this for the first time,
without reservation, if I’m going to bust
my butt and if I feel like I’m good enough
and it doesn’t work out here, I will be
pitching somewhere else.” The pitcher
later said on 790 The Zone that he preferred to end his career in Atlanta. … GM
Frank Wren recently went to Japan on a
scouting trip and one impressive specimen
he saw reportedly was 22 year-old pitcher
Junichi Tazawa. The Braves may have
some competition for the fireballer with a
mid-90s fastball, as reports say the Mets,
Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers have
also shown interest.
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Marietta, GA 30068
770.977.9789
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 17
Hawks release 75-game television schedule Prospects earn two shutouts in tournament
Acie Law: While never terrible, Law did
ast Wednesday, the Hawks and their
minutes later. The goal was scored by
f the Thrashers get as good a start as the
little to impress in his first NBA season. The 6Angelo Esposito, with assists from Matt
broadcast partners, FSN South and
L
team’s prospects have gotten in Traverse
I
Siddall and Paul Postma. Esposito’s goal
City, Mich., there will be no happier man
foot-3 point guard battled injury and struggled
SportSouth, announced the team’s 75-game
television schedule for the upcoming 200809 NBA season. With the official announcement, the upcoming season represents the
19th consecutive year that Hawks games
have appeared on FSN South as well as
SportSouth’s third-straight season broadcasting games. In addition to the two local networks, the team will appear once on national
television, a Dec. 17 showdown with the
Boston Celtics on ESPN.
Once again, FSN South will televise 30
games, featuring 18 home dates and 12 road
telecasts, starting with the Nov. 1 home
opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.
SportSouth kicks off their Hawks broadcast
schedule with the Oct. 29 season opener at
Orlando. The network will broadcast 45
games in total, with 18 coming at home and
27 on the road.
In addition to the games themselves, both
networks will provide additional coverage
with the return of Hawks LIVE, an expanded
post-game highlight show hosted by Jerome
Jurenovich. The post-game coverage will be
available after every televised game and will
include coaches and player interviews, game
highlights from around the league, and a close
look at the Hawks’ next opponent.
SUMMER DEVELOPMENT …
Training Camp is right around the corner, specifically scheduled to begin on
Tuesday, Sept. 30, and the Hawks enter the
preseason period with plenty of room for
growth. Here are three players to watch as the
team gears up for the regular season.
to find regular minutes despite the team’s
problems at his position. He is a talented player, however, and while Mike Bibby is the guy
now, Law is the team’s future at the point guard
position. No time is better than the preseason
for the former Aggie to make his move.
Randolph Morris: Pay no attention to his
first-year struggles in New York; Morris was
thrown into the mix late and never given a truly
fair opportunity to break into the Knicks’ rotation. Before leaving Kentucky nearly three
years ago, however, Morris was considered a
first-round talent, so the Hawks did well to get
him for so little ($810,000). With his impressive size, if Morris can prove to be a solid
defender and good rebounder in preseason
action, he will add great depth to a relatively
thin Hawks’ frontcourt and potentially allow
the team to slide Al Horford to his more natural power forward position for certain stretches.
Al Horford: In his first season, the former Gator managed to exceed all expectations, leading all rookies in rebounds and
double-doubles while finishing second to
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant in the Rookie
of the Year voting. Despite all his success,
however, Horford has plenty of room to
grow, especially on the offensive end of the
court. Preseason games and practice will be
a good time for not only Big Al to expand on
his offensive repertoire, but also for fans to
see just how far the future star has come.
Horford has great offensive potential and
should cultivate it during the preseason.
at
can
be
reached
Janovitz
sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
than the team’s first-year head coach John
Anderson. The weekend started off perfectly, as the Thrashers defeated the prospects
from their Southeast Division rivals, the
Tampa Bay Lightning, 1-0 in the opening
game of the Traverse City Prospect
Tournament on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta
took advantage of a Tampa lineup that was
missing its top player and 2008 No. 1 overall draft pick, Steven Stamkos. Stamkos
was held out of the entire tournament
because the Lightning didn’t want him to
miss any of the team’s training camp, which
began on Tuesday.
The only goal scored in the game was
notched by Paul Postma, with assists from
Spencer Machacek and Matt Lyall. Leading
the team defensively was goaltender Chris
Carrozzi who stopped all 26 shots he faced
on the afternoon.
Zach Bogosian played well in his first
competition in a Thrashers uniform, making
the plays of a grizzled veteran and looking
like a rookie who the fans will see on opening night against the Capitals on Oct. 10.
SHUTOUT NO. 2 …
Last Sunday, the team improved its
tournament record to 2-0 with its second
consecutive shutout, a 3-0 victory over the
New York Rangers. The lamp was lit before
any of the ice even had a chance to melt, as
Tomas Pospisil scored just 29 seconds into
the game. Pospisil took the puck all by himself beating the Rangers’ goaltender for the
unassisted goal. Atlanta continued to put the
pressure on the Rangers offensively in the
first, leading to another Thrashers goal 15
Dream close out first season on West Coast
Rookie Tamera Young was the bright
he Dream made sure to make the end of
spot for Atlanta, dropping 20 points on 8-ofT
the season interesting as they closed out
14 shooting from the floor. Lennox left the
the year on the West Coast. They kicked off
the trip on Friday by shocking the league
with one of the biggest upsets of the year, an
83-72 win over the Los Angeles Sparks in
the Staples Center.
“I feel pretty awesome about this
game,” said head coach Marynell Meadors.
“I thought our players scrapped hard and
played good defense.”
The Dream played one of their best
halves of the season to open up the game,
and led 42-37 at the break. The Sparks made
a run in the third quarter taking the lead
with 1:37 to go and led 59-57 with one
quarter to play.
Things looked bleak early in the fourth
as the Sparks quickly pushed their lead to 6357 on a lay-up from Sidney Spencer. But the
Dream stormed back to tie the game, and
then Izzy Castro-Marques took over. The forward scored 13 of the Dream’s final 19
points, and some key defensive stops helped
them pull away late and notch the win.
“I think we played really well,”
Marques said. “We had better moments and
controlled the game better than they did. We
deserved the win.”
Atlanta was close to finishing the season
with back-to-back wins in Seattle the following
night, but they faltered late in a 77-72 defeat.
“We weren’t coordinated on the court,”
Meadors said. “It looked like we were so off.
We were not clicking.”
game after playing just 11:29 with an Achilles
injury, although the injury was not serious.
SEASON REVIEW …
The Dream had their struggles in their
inaugural season. They finished the year at
4-30, making them the first team in WNBA
history to lose 30 games.
“It’s been very tough [this season],”
Lennox said, “especially [after] coming from a
winning program.” (Lennox reached the playoffs four times in Seattle from 2004-07, which
included a 2004 WNBA championship.)
But despite the frustrations, there were
still some positives.
“We were inexperienced and now we’re
experienced,” Lennox said. “We’ve been in
every game so that’s something we can look
forward to for next season.”
The Dream now turn their attention to
the offseason. Many players will head overseas to play in Europe, such as Ivory Latta
who is headed to Turkey. Meanwhile,
Meadors’s work will continue, as she doubles as the team’s general manager. She is
looking forward to it.
“We knew that expansion is expansion,
any way you look at it,” Meadors said. “The
way for us to get better is through trades
and draft picks.”
Bagriansky can be reached at
jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.
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came on the power play, a place the
Thrashers found themselves for most of the
game as the Rangers gave Atlanta a man
advantage on eight different occasions.
Spencer Machacek added an insurance goal
late in the third to make the game 3-0, which
ended up being the final score.
Esposito, one of the game’s goal scorers,
garnered much praise for his play from hockey analysts in Traverse City. He showed the
speed, quickness and agility that generated
all the praise from scouts before he was
drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first
round of the 2007 draft. The aggressiveness
he showed offensively showed his intent on
making the Thrashers’ Opening Day roster
during training camp in the next few weeks.
Also performing well was goalie Ryan
Daniels, who stopped all 23 shots he faced,
putting together the team’s second consecutive shutout of the tournament. Results of
Tuesday’s game against Detroit were unavailable at press time.
FINAL NOTES …
Before making the opening roster,
Bogosian and the rest of the Thrashers will
have to go through training camp, which
begins Saturday at the team’s practice facility in Duluth. Forty-nine players will report to
camp on Friday to receiver physicals and the
other information regarding the training
camp. The camp will begin with two different practice groups before moving into one
group on Sept. 30. The team’s first preseason
game will be Sept. 25 in Nashville.
Boral
can
be
reached
at
jboral@scoreatl.com.
18 I SCORE ATLANTA
Get In The Game!
Dogs drop to No. 3 as suspenseful South Carolina game causes problems
JUST ENOUGH: Reshad
Jones (left) picked off a
pass in the final minute to
help the then-No. 2-ranked
Bulldogs secure a victory
over South Carolina. This
time, it was Mark Richt
who got the best of Steve
Spurrier, whose Gamecocks
fell to 1-2 with the loss.
AROUND
CAMPUS
The 2008-09 season for the No. 3ranked men’s golf team has officially
begun. The Bulldogs finished seventh at
the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky
Face, Ga. The team, shooting a 12-over
876, was led by Russell Henley’s 2-over
218. That was good enough to place
Henley 20th individually. Brian Harman
followed with a 3-over 219 for the
Bulldogs. Tennessee-Chattanooga won
the event, shooting an even-par 864.
After playing highly-ranked Virginia
and Stanford the previous week, the
women’s soccer team’s string of tough
opponents continued last week when
they hosted No. 1 Southern Cal. Mariah
Krase and Carrie Patterson scored first
half goals to give Georgia a 2-0 lead. The
Trojans, however, scored two goals in the
second half and one in overtime to get
the win 3-2. The Bulldogs (2-4) will continue their arduous schedule as they go
to Durham, N.C., to play North Carolina
on Friday and Duke on Sunday.
With matches against Texas-San
Antonio, Houston and Texas State under
their belts, the volleyball team was set
for the conclusion of its tour of the Lone
Star State, with a meeting at No. 3 Texas.
Maria Taylor had 17 kills and Erika Clark
contributed 14 digs, but it was not
enough as Texas won 3-1. The defeat
sent Georgia (7-4) home with a 2-2
record on their trip thanks to an earlier
loss to Texas-San Antonio.
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK
“My gut has churned
more in this series,
and on this field,
than anywhere else
at Georgia.”
- Head coach Mark
Richt after getting a win
at South Carolina
THE SCHEDULE
FOOTBALL
• Sat. at Arizona State, 8 p.m. ABC.
• Sept. 27 vs. Alabama, 7:45 p.m. ESPN.
• Oct. 11 vs. Tennessee, TBA.
All games will be broadcast on 750 AM. Tickets can be purchased at www.georgiadogs.com.
Photos courtesy of Rob Saye.
IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
6 TKLS
1 SACK
1 FF
RENNIE
CURRAN LB
NEWS FROM THE DOGHOUSE ...
t was the No. 2-ranked Georgia football teams. Even Herschel Walker and the 1980 history of the series, a close win over South
team that won 14-7 at South Carolina last national champion team only beat an 8-4 South Carolina is not a negative.
ISaturday,
but it will be the third-ranked Carolina squad 13-10. The 2002 SEC
Bulldogs that will go to Tempe, Ariz., on
Saturday to face Arizona State. Georgia’s
seven-point win over the 1-2 Gamecocks
was not impressive enough to keep their No.
2 ranking in either of the two major polls.
Oklahoma, who has beaten their first three
opponents by an average of over 40 points,
takes over Georgia’s spot in the polls. The
Bulldogs, who started the season No. 1, now
have dropped two spots despite going 3-0.
There is a long season ahead and both
Georgia and Oklahoma have many tough
games to play, so it may be too early to talk
about national championship ramifications,
but according to the USA Today Coaches’
Poll (one of two polls, with the Harris being
the other, that are a part of the BCS formula), Georgia should be on the outside looking in when it comes to the BCS Title
Game. No. 1 USC may have a clear path to
the big game since they got by what many
thought would be their toughest test in
handily defeating Ohio State last Saturday.
TRADITONAL BATTLE …
What many voters—both media and
coaches—across the country fail to realize is
that the South Carolina game has been a thorn
in the side of some good Georgia football
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Championship team that finished the season
13-1 only beat the Gamecocks 13-7. The key
play in that game was a David Pollack
strip/interception of South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins in the Gamecock
end zone for a touchdown. That
year’s South Carolina team finished with a 5-7 record.
This year it was Rennie
Curran’s (pictured) forced fumble on South Carolina running
back Mike Davis which Asher
Allen recovered in the end
zone, and Reshad Jones’s
interception of Chris Smelley
deep into Georgia territory
with seconds left that sealed
the Bulldogs victory. Unlike
last year’s upset, the
Bulldogs came away from
a hard-fought game with
the Gamecocks as winners. Last season’s
team
finished
ranked as high as
No. 2, so judging by that and
other
games
throughout the
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TOUGH GETS GOING …
While the Bulldogs still have one of
the most impressive schedules in the
country, their slate does not look as
tough as it did at the beginning
of the season. Some of the
luster of Georgia’s trip out
west to face Arizona State
was lost this past Saturday
when the Sun Devils
dropped a 23-20 overtime
contest at home to UNLV.
Arizona State fell out of the
top 25 with that loss. Also,
Tennessee, who began the
season ranked, is no longer
a top-25 team after losing
to UCLA to start their
season. Conversely, the
matchup with Alabama
next week might be a bit
harder than most expected. The Crimson Tide
dismantled Clemson to start
their season and are now ranked
No. 9 in the AP poll and No. 13 in
the Coaches’ poll. They will likely come into their Sept. 27 meeting with Georgia undefeated.
SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 19
Jackets hang tough but fall to Hokies; Mississippi State coming Saturday
RUNNING AWAY: Lucas
Cox (left) and Josh Nesbitt
(right) combined for 214
rushing yards but they
were not enough as the
Jackets fell 20-17 to
Virginia Tech. The Jackets
return to Atlanta this week
to kick off a three-game
home stretch.
AROUND
CAMPUS
The volleyball team started the
Magnolia Invitational at Mississippi losing 3-2 (25-21, 27-25, 15-20, 20-25, 1512) to SMU. Tech dropped the first two
games and had to rally in games three
and four to force a game five. The
Jackets kept it close but a 4-0 run by
SMU put them up for good. Against
Mississippi, Tech snapped their twomatch losing streak with a 3-2 win (2025, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 15-11). Alison
Campbell posted her first double-double
with 18 kills and 17 digs.
After two tough five-set matches, the
volleyball team still had a little energy
left to dominate. Middle hitters Asia
Stawica and Callie Miller combined for
20 kills as the Jackets swept Eastern
Illinois 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-16). With
the second set tied at 8-8, the Jackets
scored 11 of the next 12 points winning
25-13. It never got closed than that as a
9-2 run by the Jackets late in the third
set sealed the sweep.
The men’s golf team got the season
started last week with an 11th-place
finish at the Carpet Capital Collegiate.
Both Cameron Tringale and David
Dragoo tied for seventh place in the
tournament as Tringale shot a 5-underpar 67 and Dragoo posted a 74 on
Sunday. These scores combined with
J.T. Griffin 72, and a 73 from Taylor Hall
enabled the 10th-ranked Jackets to
move up from 15th place.
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK
“I’ll remember this for a
long time because we had
a great opportunity to win
that football game if we
could just execute a little
bit and not put the ball
on the ground.”
- Head coach Paul Johnson
THE SCHEDULE
FOOTBALL
• Sat. vs. Mississippi State, Noon. Raycom.
• Oct. 4 vs. Duke, TBA.
• Oct. 11 vs. Gardner-Webb, TBA.
All games will be broadcast on 790 The Zone and WREK.
Tickets can be purchased at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Photos courtesy of Georgia Tech.
IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
5 CMP
109 YDS
28 CAR
151 YDS
2 TD
JOSH
NESBITT QB
NEWS FROM THE FLATS ...
h, the trials and tribulations of young
teams. The football team tallied 278
O
rushing yards and looked dominant at
times during its 20-17 loss to Virginia
Tech, but the difference between moral
victories and real ones lie in Tech’s
ability to hold on to the football. Josh
Nesbitt was great in spots, with a
151-yard rushing performance
and a touchdown. Unfortunately,
he also committed a fumble and
an interception, the latter leading
to the Hokies’ go-ahead field
goal. Paul Johnson’s (pictured)
play-calling made and marred
the Jackets as well. A brilliant
41-yard touchdown pass to
Roddy Jones caught the
Hokies off guard, while a
failed fourth-and-7 call in
Tech’s own territory hurt.
Tech’s defense wasn’t
quite as dominant as it had been
in recent weeks, with Tyrod
Taylor and Darren Evans running
around and over the Jackets.
Taylor racked up 74 rushing
yards, while Evans ran for 94
yards. Evans did most of his
plowing on the final drive in
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which the Hokies got down to the Tech 4yard line before Dustin Keys kicked a 21yard field goal. The Jackets can take solace
in the fact that they were in this game
the entire way but the mistakes that
they were able to outlast in the first
two games finally came to haunt them.
UP NEXT …
There were two ways to
look at Mississippi
State’s 3-2 loss to Auburn.
Yes, the Bulldogs couldn’t
muster more than a safety in the
game, but they also held Auburn to a
field goal. Sylvester Croom guided
his Bulldogs to a bowl game last year
but they are struggling with a 1-2
record heading into Saturday’s game.
Like last season, you don’t quite
know what to expect from the
Bulldogs. Quarterback Wesley
Carroll has 408 yards passing this
season but he has been inconsistent
and Tech’s defense has the speed to
pressure him. If Tech can minimize
their turnovers, they can get their
first big home win.
It seems like the football
team has been gone for forev-
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er, but get ready to see a lot of the Jackets
coming up. Tech will be home for the next
three weeks. Also, matches against Duke
and Gardner-Webb are sure to help build
confidence for Tech’s young offense.
IN OTHER NEWS …
Senior defensive tackle Darryl
Richard, who recorded a team-high three
tackles-for-loss, and forced a fumble in
Tech’s 19-16 win at Boston College, was
named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the
Week in Week 2. … Success on the tennis
court has continued beyond Kristi Miller’s
time at Tech. Last week, Miller teamed with
Aleksandra Josifoska of Macedonia to win
the doubles championship at the Lleida
10K event in Lleida, Spain. Miller and
Josifoska defeated the tournament’s No. 1
seed Natasha Khan of Germany and Lucia
Sainz-Pelegri of Spain, 6-4, 7-5, for the
win. This is Miller’s second doubles title
since graduating from Tech in May. … The
volleyball team opens ACC play this weekend when they travel to Clemson, S.C., for
the Clemson Invitational. Tech will face
Clemson on Thursday at 7 p.m. Clemson
received five votes in the most recent
NCAA Women’s Volleyball poll, the most
among ACC teams.
Get In The Game!
20 I SCORE ATLANTA
BASKETBALL
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.
Monday Night Basketball Clinic with Corretta Brown.
Mondays through Oct. 6. 9-16 year old boys & girls.
6-7:30 PM. All Tournament Players Park, 3910
Canton Hwy, Marietta GA 30066. Register at
www.alltournamentplayerspark.com or
(678) 384-6500.
Super Hoopz “Tournament of the South” Elite Travel
Team Event. October 3-5. NCAA Certified Events.
Age groups 13-17. Deadline September 29. All
Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy Marietta,
GA 30066. Register at www.alltournamentplay
erspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
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
Braves. September 17 vs. Philadelphia 7:10 PM.
September 18 vs. Philadelphia 7:10 PM. September
19 vs. New York Mets 7:35 PM. September 20 vs.
New York Mets 7:10 PM. September 21 vs. New
York Mets 1:35 PM. September 22 at Philadelphia
7:05 PM. September 23 at Philadelphia 7:05 PM.
September 24 at Philadelphia 7:05 PM. September
26 at Houston 8:05 PM. September 27 at Houston
7:05 PM. September 28 at Houston 2:05 PM.
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.
Fall 12U Wooden Bat Tournament. September 19-21.
Age group 12U. Registration deadline Sept. 15. All
Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy,
Marietta GA 30066. Register at www.alltournament
playerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
Triple Crown Last Chance Face-off Baseball
Tournament. Sept. 5-8. Age Groups 8U, 9U, 10U
Teams. All Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton
Hwy Marietta, GA 30066. Register at www.alltourna
mentplayerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
FOOTBALL
Falcons. September 21 vs. Kansas City 1 PM.
Georgia. September 20 at Arizona State 8 PM.
Georgia Tech. September 20 vs. Mississippi State TBA.
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
HOCKEY
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
Silverbacks. September 21 at Miami 6 PM.
September 19 at Puerto Rico 8 PM. September 21
at Miami 6 PM.
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
PERFECT STORM: Not only does Storm Johnson have
one of the best names in high-school football, he also
plays for one of the best teams. Johnson’s No. 1ranked Buford Wolves are the defending Class 2A state
champions and improved to 3-0 with a win over Lovett
last weekend. Johnson rushed for 149 yards and two
touchdowns in the victory. Check out page 14 for a full
list of our prep rankings. Photo courtesy of Photographic Arts.
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
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.
ChoicePoint for Windward Challenge 5K. Sep. 18.
Alpharetta, 6:30 PM. 770-518-8002.
Dawson Dash 5K. Sep. 20. Dawsonville, 8 AM.
706-769-6593.
Doug Kessler Lightning 10K. Sep. 20. Sandy Springs,
7:30 AM. 770-518-8002.
Autumn 5K and Mile Fun Run. Sep. 20. Loganville,
8 AM. 706-769-6593.
Crowns for Kids 5K/Mile Pet Parade. Sep. 20.
Cartersville, 8 AM. 678-595-5046.
Poly What? 5K. Sep. 20. Norcross, 8 AM.
404-327-7738.
Founder’s Race Day 5K/Mile. Sep. 20. Tyrone, 8:30
AM. 770-631-3265.
Race of the South 10/5K/Mile. Sep. 20. Moultrie, 7:30
AM. 229-631-3265.
East Atlanta Village Strut 5K. Sep. 20. Atlanta, 8 AM.
www.eastatlantastrut.com
KSU Run for Recovery 5K. Sep. 20. Kennesaw, 9:30
AM. 678-797-2538.
Statham Sunflower Festival 5K. Sep. 20. Statham, 6:30
PM. 706-769-6593.
Miles for Mukuri 5K. Sep. 20. Atlanta, 7:30 AM.
678-797-2538.
Four Seasons Run for Research 5K/10K. Sep. 20.
Atlanta, 8 AM. 404-881-5914.
Mountain Top 1/2 trail Marathon and 5K. Sep. 20.
Copperhill, 404-217-0041.
Patriot Freedom 5K. Sep. 20. Powder Springs, 8 AM.
678-656-6562.
31st Annual Buggython Road Race 5K/10K/2 Mile
Walk. Sep. 20. Barnesville, 8 AM. 770-358-5812.
ATC Atlanta Ekiden Relay. Sep. 21. Atlanta, 8 AM.
www.atlantatrackclub.org
Mil Race 5K/Mile. Sep. 21. Jefferson, 2:30 PM.
706-769-6593.
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.
Harlem Legends. The Harlem Legends have scheduled
their 2008 Shoot for the Stars Basketball & Physical
Fitness Camps. The "Shoot for the Stars Youth
THE BEST COACHING STAFF AND TRAINING IN ATLANTA!
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SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
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.
VOLLEYBALL
Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For infor
mation call Jerry Robison at 678-491-0203 or visit
www.gscfun.com.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball training
and development for boys and girls grades 3-12.
VolleySkills, VolleyStars, VolleyTraining, and 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
ports.com.
Georgia Challenge. Varsity Volleyball Tournament
Saturday, September 13. JV Volleyball Tournament
Saturday, September 20. The Tournaments are full,
but the public is invited to attend. All Tournament
Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy Marietta, GA
30066. Register at www.alltournamentplay
erspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
SCORE ATLANTA I 21
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,
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.
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
SWIMMING & DIVING
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.
YOUTH REGISTRATION
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.
SOFTBALL
OFFICIATING
Basketball - Duluth basketball association. Ongoing.
Looking for youth officials with training provided. For
information call Barry Sullivan at 770-623-1750.
Football - Lanier Football Officials Association.
Ongoing. GHSA member accepting applications with
weekly training meetings. For information call Tom
Tipton at 770-967-3197, ext. 239 or visit
www.lanierofficials.org.
Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials Association.
Ongoing. Needs officials. For information call Bud
Hennebaul at 770-338-0705 or email 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.
END OF THE ROAD: The Dream’s season came to a
disappointing end last week but there were still plenty of positives to take from the team’s inaugural season. Betty Lennox (pictured) led the team with 17.5
points per game, the eighth-best total in the WNBA.
And with lots of promising young talent, the players
gained valuable experience heading into next season. Photo courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images/Atlanta Dream.
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.
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
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
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.
AC Delco Street Drag Nationals. September 19-20 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway.
11th Annual Petit Le Mans. October 1-4 at Road Atlanta.
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Get In The Game!
22 I SCORE ATLANTA
Breaking down all of Team Europe, USA
because he is never allowed on the driving
he Ryder Cup is this week and the United
range to warm up, since no one knows who
T
States is an underdog. We have lost the
he is. Record 1-2-1.
last two Ryder Cups by nine points each, both
record margins. I choose to move forward.
Here is a player-by-player breakdown of what
I think we should expect this week. Keep this
list handy as you watch the events unfold.
TEAM EUROPE …
Paul Casey: His anti-American
remarks from a few years ago will come
back to haunt him. He will be involved in a
bar fight, and spend the week in jail. Record
0-0-0. … Sergio Garcia: Will make lots of
putts. This is the only week that ever happens
to him. Will lose his singles match because
the flagsticks hate him. Record 2-2-1. …
Soren Hansen: Since he is not English, captain Nick Faldo will forget to put him in the
lineup until Sunday and he will lose to Chad
Campbell. Record 0-1-0. … Padraig
Harrington: Should be the player of the
year, but he is playing poorly right now.
Since that has never hurt a European in a
Ryder Cup before, he goes 4-1. Probably
paired against Phil Mickelson every chance
Faldo can get just to remind Phil that Padraig
is halfway to the Tiger Slam and Phil isn’t.
… Miguel Angel Jimenez: Coolest dude on
the European team will be victimized by a
Paul Azinger requested, no-smoking policy
just during his matches. Such is the power
for the host captain. Record 1-2-2. …
Robert Karlsson: He is hurt. Not only will
he discover the joys of non-socialized medicine, he will also develop a fondness for
American massage therapy. Blissfully distracted, his record is 0-4-1. … Graeme
McDowell: Will discover that ice makes
drinks taste better, and will spend the rest of
the week trying to show his teammates this
wonderful invention. Uses most of the pages
of his yardage book writing down the secret
to this amazing scientific discovery. Record
1-2-2. … Ian Poulter: Storms out of the
team room after learning that none of the
uniforms for the week will feature the color
pink. Is held in contempt of court at one of
Paul Casey’s pre-trial hearings for insisting
to a disinterested judge that he is the No. 2
player in the world. Record 0-0-0. … Justin
Rose: A sparkling week for a player who will
anchor many Ryder Cup teams. Loses his
singles match though, because he never
plays well on Sundays in the U.S. Record 31-1. … Henrik Stenson: Loses every match
because of constant slow play penalties –
until Sunday when Faldo manages to match
him up against J.B. Holmes. Record 0-4-1.
… Lee Westwood: His heart is not in it since
Darren Clarke is not part of the team this
year. Asks captain Faldo if Clarke can substitute for the incarcerated Casey, and is kicked
off the team for insubordination. Record 0-00. … Oliver Wilson: Never gets on track
SAID ON THE AIR
“The Thrashers goalie was a
two-time THN minor pro
prospect of the year. His career
GAA is a middling 2.82 and he
has yet to win a playoff game.”
TEAM USA …
Phil Mickelson: Only plays the morning matches the first two days so he can fly
his private jet back home to pick the kids up
from school. Smartest man on either team
devises ingenious plan to rest on the evennumbered holes to remain fresh for the rest
of the match. Record 0-3-0. … Stewart
Cink: Class act who stays calm in the storm
of international competition. Record 3-1-1.
… Kenny Perry: Another rule change from
captain Azinger allows Perry to drive a
souped-up golf cart all week. He wins every
match playing in a red, white and blue firesuit. Record 5-0. … Jim Furyk: Gets past
his shaky putting and has a good, solid, Jim
Furyk-type of week. Record 3-1-1. …
Anthony Kim: Ryder Cup rookie starts the
week slow as he wears a belt buckle made
out of the old NWA U.S. tag team championship belts. The belt buckle inhibits his
swing, and he eventually ditches it. Record
1-2-2. … Justin Leonard: Another quirk
from captain Azinger designed to capitalize
on his dramatic 17th-hole putt in 1999,
makes Leonard the designated putter on just
the 17th green. Strange move, but it works.
Record 2-4-0. … Ben Curtis: His regular
caddy Andy Sutton is skipping this event
because he is British and can’t bear to help
the other side win. Curtis struggles early in
the week, then finds out his clubs have been
cut down two inches by an overzealous
Sutton. He recovers. Sutton is fired even
though he is not working. Record 1-2-2. …
Boo Weekley: Has the week of his life.
Azinger allows him to wear camouflage and
assigns a second caddy to carry a shotgun for
Boo. He uses the gun to do some duck hunting while waiting on Henrik Stenson to hit.
Record 5-0. … Steve Stricker: The lack of
rough at Valhalla is good for Stricker, who
has been driving the ball better in recent
weeks. Mickelson talks him into not using
his driver though and Sticker halves every
match he plays. Record 0-0-5. … Chad
Campbell: Strange pick. The years 2004 and
2006 called – they want their two total points
back. But, he is American. Record 1-2-1. …
Hunter Mahan: Just cocky enough to play
well in the international spotlight. It doesn’t
hurt that he wins lots of matches by forfeit
from the decimated European squad. Record
5-0. … J.B. Holmes: He out-Euros the
Euros with his constant fidgeting and overall
slow pace of play. But he drives all but two
of the par-4s. Record 2-1-1.
Katrek can be heard on 790 The Zone’s
“On The Green with Brian Katrek” Sundays
from 8-9 a.m. and can be reached at bkatrek@790thezone.com.
The Hockey News’ reasoning
on why Kari Lehtonen needs
to step up his play to live up
to expectations
SCORE ATLANTA
ADVERTISING INDEX
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KEEPIN’ AN EYE ON
Atlanta Braves ..................................2
Atlanta Falcons................................13
It seems most columnists are willing
to give the Falcons a break, even after
rookie quarterback Matt Ryan started his
first road game 0-for-9 with two picks.
Mark Bradley wrote on Monday, “No they
didn’t win … But Ryan did fight his way
through what began as an abomination
and turned it into just a garden-variety
bad game.” Has their ever been a more
lauded 15-point loss?
On Sunday, Terence Moore touched on
the Yellow Jackets’ loss to Virginia Tech,
writing, “Enough of the bad stuff for the
moment … you kept seeing [Josh
Nesbitt’s] promise with all of his crisp
pitches for long gains.” Have things gotten
so bad across Atlanta’s sports scene that
we now have to find the glass half-full even
after losses? In truth, Paul Johnson and his
players should be open to criticism after
giving away a meaningful victory.
Atlanta Motor Speedway 1, Back page
BP Sports ..........................................8
Comcast ..........................................23
Georgia State ..................................10
Georgia Tech ....................................1
GPB ..................................................1
Infinite Energy Atlanta Slam............10
Man’s Best Friend ..........................15
Metro PCS ......................................13
Mikael’s Auto Spa ............................9
National Guard ................................12
North River Tavern ..........................18
Personal Touch Lawncare ................7
Punchline ........................................22
Rhodes Bakery ................................17
MEDIA
HALL OF FAME
With the way some analysts have treated
Georgia’s undefeated start to the season,
you would think the team is 0-3. Gennaro
Filice of Sports Illustrated is just the latest
to pile on. “With the way Georgia’s offense
sputtered today, the Dawgs leave little
room for error … this was undoubtedly a
lackluster effort by the team that began the
year atop the Associated Press poll.” For a
team that has lost multiple starters to season-ending injuries, Georgia must feel
happy they are sitting where they are supposed to be, at a perfect 3-0.
CATCH ALL THE BRAVES ACTION
Road Atlanta ..............................9, 11
Ron Veal QB Instruction ..................22
Sammy’s DJ ....................................17
Taco Bell............................................8
TGS Media ......................................17
Top Dog Sports................................16
Tour Championship............................2
Trident Lacrosse..................12, 20, 21
Trivia Zone ........................................5
Volkswagen ......................................3
Wild Bill’s..........................................4
Worthmore Jewelers ......................14
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SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008
SCORE ATLANTA I 23
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