2 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

Transcription

1 March 11-17, 2011 CHECK US OUT at scoreatl.com Vol 7 NO 10

2 2 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

3 March 11-17, 2011 Score Atlanta 3 Starting Lineup Publisher/Editor I.J. Rosenberg GENERAL MANAGER Bob Houghton Managing Editor Stephen Black ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Business manager Marvin Botnick BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Hawks), Stephen Black (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Joe Deighton (Thrashers), Ricky Dimon (Falcons), Fletcher Proctor (Braves), Thomas Watson (Tech), Brian Jones (Preps) STAFF WRITERS Jay Thomason, Drew Collins, Sean Conway, Jack Morbitzer CONTRIBUTORS C.C., Brian Katrek, Alex Ewalt, Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Zander Lentz, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Chris Dimino, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Beau Bock, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, Jeff Batten, Jeff Measor SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom School listing CHEROKEE/FORSYTH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, Marietta, McEachern, Mt. Paran Christian N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walker, Walton, Wheeler, Whitefield Academy DEKALB: Arabia Mountain, 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, John s Creek, Lovett, Mays, Milton, Mt. Pisgah, 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 FAYETTE: Whitewater, Sandy Creek, Starr s Mill NEWTON: Eastside SHOT OF THE WEEK... SOARING EAGLES: Milton senior guard Jordan Loyd (No. 10) and sophomore forward Evan Nolte (right) will look to win the Class 5A boys state title for the second year in a row this week. After two early losses, the Eagles have dominated competition and look like a strong favorite to take home the state title again. Photo by Walter Pinion. Can t Miss In his one-of-a-kind sports media column, the Fletch condemns the constant media attention the NFL labor issues are getting. Reporter Jack Morbitzer breaks down Georgia s chances of getting an atlarge NCAA Tournament berth. In our prep cover story, Stephen Black discusses some of the high school hoops dynasties Georgia has produced over the years. Our high school beat writers bring you the latest in area prep sports coverage. Team Scoop and Voices COVER design by DJ Galbiati Cover Photo courtesy of UGA ATHLetics 6 SCORE LIST - Who s Hot 11 Score More 12 GSU 13 CALENDAR 14 Tech - UGA THIS WEEK ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE HAWKS KIRK HINRICH Score Atlanta is looking for new sales associates as well as writing and graphic design interns. For sales positions, Bob Houghton at bhoughton@scoreatl.com. For writing internships, Stephen Black at sblack@ scoreatl.com. For graphic design internships, DJ Galbiati at djgalbiati@scoreatl.com. Feel free to call to speak with someone about any of these positions.

4 4 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! 790 the Zone grabs Falcons rights; media coverage of NFL flap a bit too much Can You Believe......He Said That? It tends to get lost amid the swarm of bitter folks who seemingly are taking glee in Hewitt s demise: The man is not an idiot. After watching 680 The Fan acquire local flagship radio rights to the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks over the last few years, Sports Radio 790 The Zone got into the game and snagged the rights to the NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons for the next four years. It was announced on 790 s Pollack & Bell last Monday that the Falcons would be moving to WQXI 790 on the AM dial and to Star 94.1 WSTR on the FM dial. The games had been airing on 92.9 Dave FM, with 790 talent providing the pregame and postgame talent for Dave FM. The Zone and Star 94 will broadcast all of the preseason and regular season games as well as the pregame and postgame on both stations in a simulcast. FOOTBALL S ABODE In a piece found on the Atlanta Business Chronicle s website, Vice President and General Manager of 790 Andrew Saltzman said, We are thrilled to be partners with the preeminent sports franchise in Atlanta. Both Star 94 and 790 The Zone have always been part of the fabric of Atlanta and with the passion for the Falcons at an all-time high right now, we are very excited about our future together. The Zone s Wes Durham will continue to call play-by-play and Zone fill-in Dave Archer will continue his role with color commentary. Zone talent will also help with the halftime show and pre- and postgame as well, just like before. The Falcons also partnered up with CBS Atlanta 46 and the local station will air Falcons preseason games and will integrate 790 talent into the Falcons branded programming, according to the article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. This is a big get for The Zone as the mantra of Football Lives Here was beaten into the heads of listeners all football season long. Now, much like 680 has jumped full-bore into baseball with its Braves coverage, expect EVEN MORE football talk on 790, especially with Pollack & Bell, who seem to talk nothing but football on the drive home. Football is king in the South and you can get away with talking football twelve months a year, but I wonder if the Matty Slushy talk will cease now that 790 is the Falcons flagship. You can boast that you ll still be objective all the day long like Mike Bell did about 10 minutes after it was announced that The Zone was the new home of the Dirty Birds, but I wonder when push comes to shove, if the Zone personalities will have to clean up some negative thoughts after a rough game. CBA APATHY Is it just me or does NO ONE else care about the NFL s collective bargaining agreement talks and having to hear about the progress being made, or not, every day leading every radio show on Atlanta sports talk? Sorry, but I just don t give a rip about the billionaires and the multi-millionaires arguing over the last $850M after the first $8.1B has been split up favorably for both sides. Do I want football next year? Yes. But I don t care about hearing that the owners want 61 percent while the players want 48 percent, whatever. Split it how you want to but please stop treating these discussions with such importance. Like many football fans, I don t care. In fact, it makes me like EACH side much less and will push me further towards the college game with each new day that leads to SportsCenter, The Fan and The Zone beginning each show talking about the discussions. HATER MIKE I think it is safe to say that there is one lady that the eternal Ladies Man Mike Bell of 790 The Zone doesn t like: Doris Burke. The ESPN basketball color analyst was in town to do the Hawks/Knicks game for ESPN last week and Bell ripped on her for several segments on last Monday s show, once opining that there were one million dudes who could do what she did. He wants someone who once played the game to call color commentary and, while I can see how someone would want that point of view, I also point out that it is nice NOT to have a Dick Vitale in the booth, which is sometimes what you run into in those cases when you simply want someone who has been around the game. I am not defending Burke; I don t like Pam Ward calling football games either. But Burke does bring a certain style to the games, even if you don t believe that she s ever been in an NBA locker room, which she hasn t. If given my choice between Vitale and Burke, as crazy as it sounds, I d take Burke. GPB GETS IT Finally, the GHSA basketball playoffs are coming to an end this weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting will be all over it. After GPB.org/sport webcast all of the Class 4A and 5A boys and girls semifinal games live from the Arena at Gwinnett Center this past Wednesday and Thursday, GPB-TV will hit the airwaves will all of title tilts, both boys and girls. Not many states across the country can boast that all of the football championship games AND all of the basketball championship games can be seen live on television. Georgia Public Broadcasting hits about 96 percent of the state so you can be anywhere from Dalton to Savannah, Augusta to That was Jeff Schultz of the AJC. See Mark Bradley, you CAN talk about Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt s potential firing without getting gleefully personal and attacking the man who led Tech to an appearance in the NCAA championship game, but never to probation. Way to backtrack though, Mr. Bradley, and call Tech a potential sleeper in the ACC tourney. Feeling the Seth Davis heat a touch? Columbus and check out the games. GPB and the GHSA recently agreed to extend their partnership several more years into the future so look for more high school activities to hit the airwaves over the next few years. The GHSA and GPB aired the Traditional Wrestling championships last month and could grow to include a few more sports in the near future. Of course if you cannot watch all of the basketball championships, GPB.org/sports and gaprepnews.com have you covered as both sites will keep the archived games. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

5 March 11-17, 2011 Score Atlanta 5 Georgia hoops team hoping for an NCAA Tournament bid in coach s second year The calendar has changed to March and college basketball postseason is in full bloom. The top-68 teams in Division I will compete for championship hardware through the ultimate collegiate playoff: the NCAA Men s Basketball Tournament. We ll know whether the Georgia Bulldogs will have a chance come Selection Sunday, but we ll examine their resume in the meantime. THE ARGUMENT Regular season complete, Georgia head coach Mark Fox said in a recent Twitter post. Committee always talks body of work , top 40 RPI & SOS, winning record in SEC & on road, no bad losses. Those statistics will go a long way in propelling the Bulldogs into, or keeping them out of, the final 68 chosen. Georgia is in a tough spot as they have few marquee wins, but no egregious losses either. The average RPI ranking for teams that have beaten UGA is 27. The only team to beat Georgia that, at this point, is not projected to make the tournament is Alabama. The Crimson Tide may still play their way into the NCAA Tournament with a strong showing in the conference tournament, where they ll probably face the Bulldogs. For Georgia, its case begins in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs finished 9-7 in the SEC and placed fourth in the Eastern Division behind Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, which are all ranked. Georgia dropped a home game to Tennessee in January, but returned the favor a month later defeating the Volunteers on their home floor to keep a winning record in the division. The Bulldogs beat the Wildcats at home, 77-70, but dropped the next game to the Commodores that began a 2-4 stretch with key Eastern Division losses. It took double overtime for the Gators to defeat UGA before Kentucky hosted the Bulldogs and defeated them by six in late January. The Dawgs had their best month of February in four years as they finished above.500 through a tough eightgame slate in four weeks. The Bulldogs are 6-4 in their last 10 games, but the regular season ended on a sour note with the road loss to bubble team Alabama. The loss to the Crimson Tide could be considered UGA s worst on the season (Alabama has the lowest RPI of any Bulldog loss), and that s still not that bad considering Bama was far and away the best team from the Western Division at 12-4 in the SEC and overall. It will be tough for the tournament selection committee to choose between Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. The top three East teams are in, but awarding six spots in the tournament to a conference which rates behind the Mountain West in RPI is a daunting task. All three could be considered bubble teams at this point. The Vols record looks better with seven wins against top- 50 RPI opponents and the No. 2 strength of schedule, but their 36 RPI ranking isn t that much better than UGA s 39 RPI rank. The Crimson Tide holds wins over both Georgia and Tennessee, but the No. 76 RPI ranking and No. 125 strength of schedule don t complete the rest of their resume. However, the Georgia coach thinks the Tide deserve a bid anyway. I think they are [tournament worthy], Fox told reporters following the loss to Alabama. And I think we are, too. Outside the SEC, the Bulldogs fared well but lost on a neutral court to currently No. 7 Notre Dame in double overtime, Atlantic-10 opponents, No. 18 Xavier and No. 24 Temple, gave UGA its other non-conference defeats. However, all three of those teams rank in the RPI top-30. Alabama s non-conference losses are marred by defeats from Providence and Iowa, teams that all rank at or below 115 in the RPI. Tennessee also has bad losses to teams like Mississippi State (RPI 113), Arkansas (RPI 115) and Charlotte (RPI 222). PROGRAM BUILDER Whether or not the Bulldogs find themselves in the field of 68 doesn t take away from the job Fox has done turning around the Georgia basketball program. Skepticism arose in early April of 2009 when the hiring of Fox was announced. The former Nevada coach wasn t well known in the southeast, but he has made his presence felt since getting the head coaching job. The year before Fox took the the Bulldogs finished an abysmal 3-13 in conference and overall. He improved their record last year by two wins both overall and in the SEC, but the turnaround this year has been impressive. I feel like [the program] is going to keep growing, junior forward Travis Leslie said in an article for Fox Sports. We re going to keep getting better and better until hopefully one day we will compete for a national championship. Leslie s statement is bold, but not laughable. Fox has NCAA Tournament experience taking his Wolfpack to the second round in both 2005 and 2007, and they made the tournament three straight years in that time frame. The fans have taken notice and reports show home attendance is up an average of nearly 1,400 per game, 20 percent from last year, to its highest level in seven years. It appears the fans want to support Fox, but they may not support where the bracket experts have the Bulldogs placed. Before the selection committee finalizes the brackets we can all speculate as to who s in and who s out, but some are better than others. Right now, Jerry Palm has the Dawgs as high as a No. 9 seed in the Southeast bracket and Tennessee a 10 seed in the West bracket. No SEC West teams are in the tournament at all, according to Palm. In Joe Lunardi s most recent projections, both Alabama and Georgia are in the first four out category. However, if Georgia can move on to the second round of the SEC tournament they ll face Alabama and the winner of that matchup is likely in. But Fox thinks his team deserves a bid regardless. I wouldn t sit here and tell you that we re in the NCAA Tournament, that we can be satisfied with where we sit, Fox told reporters following the win over LSU. Now, if I were sitting here with the selection committee, with some other coaches, I d argue all day for our team. You re darn right I d argue all day for our team. Whether in or out, it s hard to argue the success Fox has brought to the program. Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine. Morbitzer can be reached at

6 6 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Score List BY BRIAN JONES HOMELY HAWKS: With less than a month left in the season, the Hawks are trying to make a push for the No. 4 seed so they can have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The problem is they have lost four out their last five games including three straight at home. If they don t turn things around, they could wind up as a No. 6 seed. FRIENDS OF FALCONS: After spending the last few years at 92.9 Dave FM and 11-Alive, the Falcons have new TV and radio partners for the 2011 season. The Falcons preseason games will be televised on CBS Atlanta and all the games will be on radio via STAR 94 and 790 the Zone. This is good for the Zone especially when 680 the Fan has rights to broadcasting Braves and Thrashers games. OUCH, OWLS!: Kennesaw State decided to make a tough decision last Monday by letting go of its head basketball coach. Tony Ingle has been the top Owl since 2000, but was fired for reasons that varied from lack of academic support to lack of wins. Ingle led the Owls to a 2004 Division II National Championship so I m pretty sure he will find a job sooner than later. BACK IN TOWN: After a two-year hiatus, the Georgia Force will be back this Sunday as they take on the Tulsa Talons at Gwinnett Arena. The Force had a lot of success when they first came to Atlanta back in They reached the Arena Bowl in 2005 and head coach Doug Plank was named Coach of the Year twice. With a new coach and a new group of players, can they have the same success? CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND: The GHSA Basketball Championships take place this weekend and will conclude the winter sports season for The Class 4A and 5A finals will take place at Gwinnett Arena while the Macon Centreplex will host the A, 2A and 3A finals. Catch all the action at GPB. org/sports to watch the games live or watch it on TV through GPB! TRIVIA QUESTION In 2007, the last time the SEC men s basketball tournament was played in Atlanta, Georgia won it despite a tornado hitting the Dome. It was the second conference tournament crown won by the Dawgs. In what year did Georgia win their first? Answer on Page 14 crunching the NUMBERS /16 BY RICKY DIMON Games won by the Hawks in their last 13 outings as of Wednesday Joe Johnson s 3-point percentage in his last five games (2 for 23) Consecutive games in which Johnson has not attempted more than two free throws Consecutive games in which Johnson has failed to reach the 30-point mark Kirk Hinrich s ppg average in his last three games, while making 18 of 32 shots Consecutive double-doubles for Kevin Love, tying Moses Malone s NBA record Triple-doubles Love has recorded during his entire career Average number of rebounds pulled down by Love in his last four games The Miami Heat s losing streak to teams with winning records as of Wednesday Miami s shooting this season when it can tie or win a game in the last 10 seconds Thumbs up to fitness Small Mac Braves catcher Brian McCann has been a five time All-Star and won four silver slugger awards despite just turning 27 last month. Not satisfied with those accolades, he spent the offseason losing 15 pounds and getting into the best shape of his life. This season may shape up to be McCann s best yet. High School Hoops It s been a fantastic prep hoop season with teams like the Miller Grove and Milton boys maintaining national rankings all season. This weekend will not only be the final high school appearances for some future college talent, it will also be a showcase of amazing teamwork from Valdosta to Buford. Awards The Atlanta Sports Council honored the best in 2011 Atlanta sports on Monday night. Former Braves manager Booby Cox won the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Falcons were honored as the Team of the Year. Kell s All-American defensive back, Brian Randolph, was named High School Athlete of the Year. my two cents As you may have read in other columns and stories in this paper or on our websites (ScoreATL.com GPB.org/sports), March Madness is in full swing and GPB is bringing the high school basketball semifinals and finals to a computer and/or television near you. While the semifinals will only be webcasted on GPB.org, the finals will all be televised on GPB. And these games are not just for the high school hoops fans out there, they are for anyone and everyone who appreciates competitive sports. High school basketball in this state is as competitive and deep as it is pretty much anywhere in our fair land, and there are several interesting storylines involving many of the teams. Can uber-talented Milton win back-toback state titles in boys Class 5A? Will Wesleyan further cement their claim to a girls hoops dynasty by winning their eighth state title in 10 years? Can anyone in Class 4A touch the Miller Grove boys? And, who will be the Cinderella this year in Georgia high school hoops? Despite the large number of heavy favorites in the field (such as those listed previously), we can always expect at least one surprise champion. Tune in to GPB to see these questions answered! Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. Thumbs down to CBA s NFL Labor Negotiations Seriously, can t we just get a deal done? At the end of the day, Falcons fans just want to know there will be pro football in the Dome this fall. We don t really care who s right and who s wrong. And we can t relate to the numbers being tossed around like Frisbees. Man-up, boys. SEC Critics When the SEC gets dinged by the NCAA, reporters pile-on and re-has the outlaw conference references, ad nausea. Then, Ohio State s Jim Sweater Vest Tressel gets caught for violating rules (again) and is suspended for just the Akron and Toledo games, but the media focus is on some college hoops conference quarterfinals? C mon. Your Atlanta Hawks These guys have the consistency of lumpy waffle batter. After the trade for Kirk Hinrich, they teased us with a couple of wins on the west coast and improved defense. But now, they have started have lost three games in a row at home. Charlie Sheen would say this is, Not winning, duh. SANITY at last We have done our best with staying away from pressure. We left that up to everybody else. We just focus on things that we can control. And right now the only thing that we can control is playing this game at 1 o clock. Hopefully there is a future for us, but we ll take care of what we can take care of. Georgia forward Trey Thompkins on being on the proverbial NCAA bubble

7 Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a dynasty as a succession of rulers of the same line of descent. From that definition, you can see why the world of sports has adopted the word dynasty to describe its most dominant teams. In the history of Georgia high school hoops, there have been a few programs that have had such success. Three of them are either in the middle of their reigns or are recently removed from it. Wheeler, for example, has won four state titles in Class 5A since The Wildcats have won five state titles under head coach Doug Lipscomb, who won his first in Lipscomb has had several former players earn scholarships to college for their hoops skills and has also sent a few all the way to the NBA. Some of his former Wildcats include Shareef Abdur-Rahim, D.A. Layne, Jermareo Davidson, J.J. Hickson, DeQuan Jones and J.T. Tiller. Norcross, ironically, has seen its rise to power come virtually during the same period as Wheeler s. The Blue Devils won their first state title in 2006 and subsequently won the next two. Wheeler ended the run by eliminating Norcross in the 2009 playoffs after the Devils had defeated the Wildcats in the 2008 state finals and in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. The Wildcats also defeated Jessie McMillan s squad in the 2005 finals, Norcross only loss that season. The rivalry continued this year, when the Blue Devils eliminated Wheeler in the quarterfinals. While these two heavyweights have been duking it out in Class 5A for much of the past decade, Miller Grove has staked its claim in Class 4A. The Wolverines have won the past two state titles under head coach Sharman White s leadership and look to make it three in One great dynasty of the late 20th century was Mitchell-Baker. Led by such talents as eventual Georgia star Jumaine Jones, the Eagles won state titles in and from Other impressive boys dynasties were Westover with four consecutive Class 4A state titles from , and Woodbury from Woodbury s five straight titles are the most consecutive in the modern era for a boys team. GIRLS GLORY In girls hoops, dynasties have been a regular occurrence in Georgia. The most recent dynasty is still active, as the Wesleyan Lady Wolves have won seven state titles in the past nine years. Head coach Jan Azar s program captured state titles in 2002, , 2008 and Also impressive was Collins Hill s run of five Class 5A titles between 2001 and Current Connecticut star Maya by STEPHEN BLACK Moore helped key three straight titles from , including a national title in The Lady Eagles run came to an end the year after Moore graduated, and they have not won a state playoff game since. The Hart County girls may be the most impressive dynasty of all, as the Lady Bulldogs won six Class 4A state titles in a row from That run set the record for most consecutive state championships in the modern era of Georgia high school basketball. Southwest DeKalb won three titles in a row in Class 4A from but was upset by Carver (Atlanta) in the region tournament and saw the streak end. Also impressive were runs by Lowndes from (four straight titles) and Cherokee from (five titles in that span). Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.

8 8 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Chiefs dream season comes to abrupt end itting atop the mountain at 29-0, the No. 1 Steam in Class 4A (according to gasports. com coaches poll) in Georgia and the 44thranked team in the USA, the Sequoyah Chiefs ran into a little bad karma and a tough bracket matchup when they hosted the Miller Grove Wolverines, who just happened to be the reigning Class 4A champions, No. 2 team in Class 4A and the No. 12 team in the USA at the War Lodge in the round of 16. The anticipated matchup was met with a packed gym of Sequoyah students dressed in togas ringing the pregame atmosphere with the I believe that we will WIN cheer made famous by the Utah State Aggies student section. However, the Wolverines proved too talented for the Chiefs to pull their 20th comeback victory of the season, beating the Chiefs We try not to focus on that, Sequoyah coach Jeremy Adams told the Cherokee Tribune. We try to focus on all of the things we did accomplish. It s been a special deal. It s probably nothing like we will see ever again. With Sequoyah eliminated, there are no remaining teams left in the tournament from the Cherokee/Forsyth area, which means the winter season is over. SPRING SPORTS The Etowah baseball team is off to one of its best starts in recent memory. Last Monday, the Eagles rallied from two runs down by scoring nine runs in the fourth inning to defeat Etowah Connor Gilbert finished the game 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs. Cameron Sperry was 3-for-3 and scored three times. Any win is a good win, but a come-frombehind at home against a quality team - we count that as a quality win, Etowah coach Greg Robinson told the Cherokee Tribune. We re going to build on this and learn some things. In soccer news, the Cherokee girls team, which has not lost in its last six games, fell to Walton 3-0 on Monday. The girls record is which is much improved from last year, when they finished with a 4-11 mark. Thomason can be reached at Three hoops squads make semifinals he Whitefield Academy Wolfpack will Tmake their third straight trip to the GHSA Class A final four this week. They won the state title in 2009 and came up short in the championship game last year. This year the Pack comes into Macon Coliseum with a 28-3 record and a 10-game winning streak. Whitefield defeated county-rival North Cobb Christian in the quarterfinals to advance. Senior Tekele Cotton scored a game-high 24 points while fellow senior Kennard Backman added 23 points. The Wolfpack will go up against Terrell County (26-3) in the semifinal. It will be a rematch of last year s semifinal, which Whitefield won CAMPBELL S REVENGE The Campbell Lady Spartans are finally in the GHSA Class 5A final four. After a number of playoff appearances over the past decade they finally made into the state semis with a win over North Cobb. The win not only propelled them into the final four, but it exacted a bit of revenge on their county rivals. North Cobb had defeated the Lady Spartans in two previous games this season. But this time, Baylee Hawkins and Erica Norwood scored 14 points apiece and senior point guard Chakecia Miller added 11 points. Senior power forward Angel Foster led the team with 11 rebounds. The win was a big relief for head coach Randy McClure. I ve been the coach at Campbell for 26 years, and this is the ninth time we ve made it to the elite eight, he told the MDJ. I m so happy that we ve finally been able to break through that wall and reach the final four. MCEACHERN MAKES IT The Lady Indians moved on to the semifinals with a narrow win over countyrival Hillgrove. McEachern sophomore point guard Mia Cooper hit two clutch free throws with four seconds left in the game to give the Indians a three-point advantage. Hillgrove threw up a desperation shot at the buzzer, but it missed and McEachern (24-6) advanced. I was just saying the biggest prayer that Mia would hit those free throws, head coach Phyllis Arthur told the MDJ. If she makes those, the best Hillgrove can do was send it into overtime. McEachern will face Mill Creek (18-13) in the semifinals at Gwinnett Arena. Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com. Three hoops teams make final four he boys and girls state basketball playoffs Twill conclude this weekend. The semifinal rounds will be played Friday and the championship games will be held the following day. All games will be played in Gwinnett Arena or the Macon Centreplex. Three DeKalb County schools are still alive in the tournament, including both the boys and girls squads from Columbia in Class 3A. Both schools are defending state titles from last year and will face some stiff competition in order to repeat. The Columbia boys (28-3) manhandled Troup last Saturday to punch their ticket to the semifinals. The top-seeded Eagles had little trouble in the first two rounds as well, beating Heritage (Catoosa) to open the tournament and West Hall in the Sweet 16. They will face an Eagles Landing team coming off a tough game against Washington County. Were coach Phillip McCrary s team to win the title, it would be the first Class 3A champion to repeat since Dunwoody in the and seasons. The Lady Eagles (24-6) have had similar success in the first three rounds; they won their first three games against Allatoona, Central (Carroll) and Cartersville by an average of 28 points. They will face a Washington County squad that breezed through the first two rounds but withstood a tough test fending off Butler in the third round. ELITE WOLVERINES Miller Grove (30-1) continued its march towards a possible repeat championship with a win over Villa Rica last Friday. The Wolverines steamrolled Cedar Shoals in the opening round, and shut down No. 1 seed and the No. 1 team in Class 4A Sequoyah Coach Sharman White s boys will face a Jonesboro squad which has likewise dominated the competition thus far. A win would mean a third straight trip to the championship game for the Wolverines, who lost to Tucker in the title game of the season. This game will feature two Score 44 members from Miller Grove s team, senior small forward Devon Provost and power forward Henry Brooks. Also in Class 4A, Southwest DeKalb (24-6) was eliminated in the third round by Rockdale County after impressive victories in the first two rounds. Collins can be reached at Athletics success continues in hoops playoffs winnett County continues to be Champi- County, especially with the Gons basketball season coming to a close this weekend in Gwinnett and Macon. County schools were nearly undefeated in the quarterfinals as GAC, Norcross and Buford all pulled off a boys/girls sweep and Mill Creek s and Wesleyan s girls also both advanced. SPARTAN REIGN The defending Class AA boys champion GAC rallied for a comeback win as Malcolm Brodgon scored 33 points to put his team just two wins away from a second straight state title. GAC s girls, meanwhile, pulled off a major upset, knocking off previously unbeaten Kendrick to move on to the semifinals. Brianna Cummings had 18 points, including 10 in the first quarter to get the Lady Spartans off to a quick start. Buford also both pulled off victories to give Gwinnett County four of the final eight teams in the Class AA semifinal field. The Wolves received 16 points from Alex Flagler to reach the program s first Final Four since Meanwhile, the Lady Wolves moved one step closer to another title with a win over former Region foe Rabun County. DEVIL DOUBLE The Norcross boys and girls both claimed victories in the quarterfinals as the school can claim its fifth and sixth titles in school history. The Norcross boys avenged an early-season loss to Wheeler by knocking off the Wildcats to notch the Blue Devils 15th straight win. The Blue Devils were paced by Alonzo Nelson-Ododa s 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Lady Blue Devils thumped Milton 67-50, as Diamond DeShields scored 22 points. Mill Creek experienced a win and a loss in the quarterfinals as the girls rallied to beat Roswell in overtime Freshman Jasmine Carter scored 32 points including 10 in the fourth and six in overtime to help the Lady Hawks win. The boys, meanwhile, hung with defending champion Milton for the first quarter and part of the second before the Eagles pulled away before halftime. Trevon Shaw had 14 points in the losing effort. WOLVES WIN Finally, the Wesleyan Lady Wolves moved to within two wins of a fourth straight title and an eighth in the last 10 seasons with a win over Gordon Lee. Holli Wilkins had 15 points and six rebounds. Grace Leah Baughn recorded nine and six. Wesleyan has won 19 straight. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

9 March 11-17, 2011 Score Atlanta 9 Milton boys, Hooch girls aim for titles ulton County teams for the most part tum- out of state tournaments across Fbled Georgia last weekend, but the powerhouse Milton boys are still standing tall. Milton handled Peachtree Ridge last week then destroyed Mill Creek to book its spot in this weekend s Class 5A semifinals. When everybody s gunning for you and you play a team like Peachtree Ridge, you re thankful for every victory, head coach David Boyd told NeighborNewspapers.com. Boyd may have been thankful for his team s quarterfinal victory, too, but it certainly was never in doubt against Mill Creek. The Eagles raced to a halftime lead en route to their 35-point blowout. Georgia Tech signee Julian Royal, who scored 16 points in round two, contributed eight points and nine rebounds against the Hawks. Milton squared off against Tift County on Thursday night at the Gwinnett Arena, but results were not available at press time. The winner of that showdown is set for a meeting with either Norcross or Valdosta for the Class 5A state championship. Roswell and Centennial, meanwhile, saw their seasons end in the 5A second round. The Hornets fell to Mill Creek while the Knights succumbed to Norcross In Class 4A, Chattahoochee got knocked out in second-round action by Southwest DeKalb. Woodward Academy advanced to that stage in Class 3A before getting bounced by Franklin County CAN-DO COUGS The Chattahoochee girls are still going strong, having recovered from a Region 7-4A final loss to Creekview their only setback in the last 25 games. They dug out of an 11-point first-quarter deficit to overcome Clarke Central in the quarterfinals. Kayla Upchurch scored 20 points and sank seven of eight free throws down the stretch for the Cougars. Chattahoochee faced Region 3-4A champion Fayette County on Wednesday night at the Gwinnett Arena, but results were not available at press time. Either Forest Park or Dodge County awaits the winner in Friday s title game. Milton and Roswell made impressive runs in Class 5A, but they hit roadblocks in the quarterfinals. The Eagles, who had won a pair of state tournament games on the road, were taken out by Norcross. After upsetting top-ranked North Gwinnett, Roswell lost to Mill Creek Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com.

10 10 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

11 March 11-17, 2011 Score Atlanta 11 SCORE MORE Hawks fall short against contenders he New York Knicks began the sec- half of the season as the Tond sixth place team in the Eastern Conference. But since trading for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, they have been inching closer to Atlanta s position in fifth. Then they sent a clear message by dominating Atlanta in the second half en route to a victory at Philips Arena. It was a frustrating night for the Hawks, who only scored 37 points in the second half. Josh Smith led the way with 17 point and 11 rebounds. The Hawks went on to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers at home two days later. Kobe Bryant dropped 26 for L.A., while the Hawks only managed 40 percent shooting from the floor. As the regular season nears the stretch run, the Hawks could take a tumble down the standings if they aren t careful. The fourth seed and home-court advantage appears to be getting further out of reach, with the Magic three games ahead in the loss column. Meanwhile, New York and even the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers could make Atlanta nervous, as both are playing great basketball, and are gaining ground on them for the fifth position ON THE DOCKET The schedule doesn t ease up over the next month, but at least the Hawks can take solace in the fact that they play six of their next seven games at home. Friday night represents the only road game of that stretch. They ll be at the United Center to take on the Bulls, who have shown themselves to be real contenders in the East over the last month with a series of impressive wins. Atlanta is home on Saturday to face Portland. That won t be easy as the Blazers showed they can beat quality teams away from home by winning in Miami on Tuesday. The Joe Johnson- Brandon Roy matchup will be interesting, as two great scoring guards will go head-to-head. The Hawks will be bigger favorites on Tuesday when the disappointing Milwaukee Bucks come to town. The Bucks were viewed as a sleeper team in the east before the season started, but they have struggled all year and are fighting just to make the playoffs. Kirk Hinrich will have a nice test, having to guard the ultraquick Brandon Jennings at the point. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com. Falcons make new broadcast deals he Atlanta Falcons announced on TMonday that CBS Atlanta will be their official preseason television partner in 2011 while Lincoln Financial Media, owner of STAR 94 and 790 The Zone, becomes the team s official radio broadcast partner. CBS Atlanta will serve as the sole provider of preseason game telecasts and will also broadcast weekly pregame and postgame shows throughout the regular season in addition to quarterly specials. Play-by-play announcer Wes Durham and color commentator Dave Archer will call the entire year for both STAR 94 and 790 The Zone. We are thrilled to be partners with the pre-eminent sports franchise in Atlanta, 790 general manager Andrew Saltzman told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Both Star 94 and Sports Radio 790 the Zone have always been part of the fabric of Atlanta and with the passion for the Falcons at an all-time high right now, we are very excited about our future together. NEWS AND NOTES... The Falcons placed a first-round tender on restricted free agent Brent Grimes last week. That means if any other team manages to sign the Pro Bowl cornerback, it owes Atlanta a firstround draft pick. A second-round tender was put on running back Jason Snelling. However, the entire free-agent situation could change if a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Speaking of the labor situation, the current deal was supposed to expire last Thursday night. Amidst a flurry of talks between the league and the players union, though, the two sides agreed to extend the deadline by one week until Friday night. The NFL and NFLPA took a break last weekend, but discussions resumed in earnest on Monday. If there is a 2011 season, Falcons head coach Mike Smith hopes his team s pass-rush is much improved. Overall, they still are young, Smith told the AJC about the defense. We ve got to have pressure on the quarterback. It s not always defined by how many sacks that you have. You want to make sure that the quarterback is under duress and that he s not able to sit back and feel comfortable in the pocket. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com. Jones looking chipper in early action he Atlanta Braves have kicked the exhi- season into high gear and Tbition Braves fans should be encouraged with third baseman Chipper Jones s performance so far. Jones, who is attempting to come back from a knee injury that ended the veteran s 2010 season last August, appeared at third base after starting spring training at DH. He crushed his first home run of the season and his first since last August in a spring training game against the New York Mets. Jones has also recorded several other extra base hits so far this spring. UGGLA DUCKLING New Braves second baseman Dan Uggla appeared in the cleanup spot as projected four-spot hitter and all-star catcher Brian McCann got a day off last week. Uggla is ideally-suited for the five-hole but you also would think that a hitter that can thump 30-plus home runs and drive in 100-plus RBIs could easily slot into the four hole. New Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez knows Uggla from their time together in Florida and while Uggla will see his name penciled into the No. 5 position of the batting order a majority of the season, Uggla s ability to hit cleanup could certainly help save McCann s legs as the marathon season wears on. Unlike in years past the Braves have options in 2011, which can only help them. THE LOWE-DOWN Despite some internet rumors suggesting that he might be on the trading block, Braves starting pitcher Derek Lowe threw three scoreless innings in his second spring appearance. Lowe mixed in some breaking balls and was the beneficiary of several double-play balls, which proved his sinker was nearly regular-season-ready. The veteran hurler was 5-0 down the stretch last season and while he is owed roughly $30M over the next two seasons, the Braves need all of the arms available with the Phillies in the NL East throwing their stout rotation against the rest of the division. Lowe is a big-game pitcher from back in his Boston days and the young pitchers who are the future of the Braves rotation could learn from the ace. Finally, prospects Arodys Vizcaino and Randall Delgado both appeared in relief of current Braves starters. Vizcaino gave up one hit and struck out one in his second appearance of the spring last weekend. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com. Playoff hopes waning; Buff goes down playoffs are still within reach for Tthe Thrashers, although with each day the hope of making the postseason becomes more and more unlikely. Only 16 regular season games remain and Atlanta remains seven points behind Carolina for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Thrashers took care of what they needed to take care of against Florida last Saturday with a 4-3 overtime win. Andrew Ladd put home the game-winner just 25 seconds into the extra period. He took a pass from Dustin Byfuglien and scored his 25th goal of the year. After three straight games of 40-plus shots, the Thrashers put up 36 shots, but came out with the victory this time. Goaltender Chris Mason made 31 saves on 34 shots. The win capped off a disappointing homestand in which the Thrashers went CRUCIAL INJURY For the first time all season Byfuglien is injured. He did not make the trip to Carolina on Wednesday. The team is calling it a lower body injury. He did not skate on Tuesday and is listed as day-to-day. Byfuglien has 19 goals and 30 assists this season. Atlanta called up Paul Postma from Chicago to take up the empty roster spot. The 22-year old had 11 goals and 30 assists in 64 games for the AHL team. The loss of Byfuglien could make a huge impact on the rest of the season, but all signs point to his return in the near future. Despite the unlikelihood of the playoffs, the Thrashers can gain some critical points this week. Wednesday s game with Carolina is the most important because a win can put them within five points of the eighth playoff spot. On Friday, the Devils, along with Ilya Kovulchuk, come to Philips Arena. New Jersey has been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past month and Atlanta is fully aware of the threat that its former teammate can pose. The next night, the Thrash will travel to Philadelphia. The Flyers are the top seed in the East right now and will be tough to beat. Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com. SCORE MORE

12 12 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Panthers eliminated at CAA Tournament; baseball stuns ranked Tech I m just back from Richmond, Va., where the Panther men s basketball team went 1-1 in the CAA Tournament, beating UNC- Wilmington in its opener and losing in the quarterfinals to George Mason. The Panthers finished the season at and will be led by a new head coach by the time the season rolls around. Against UNC- W, Josh Micheaux scored a team-high 14 points while Eric Buckner added 12 points and eight rebounds. Jihad Ali pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds. The second game against George Mason didn t go quite as well as the Patriots won their 16th straight game, beating the Panthers Georgia State trailed by only two at the half after shooting 60 percent from the floor. George Mason is very good, said interim coach Paul Graham. There s a reason they ve won so many in a row; they ve got good players and good coaches. I m proud of the way our kids competed. Kudos to James Fields, who earned CAA All-Academic first team honors, and to Marques Johnson, who received honorable mention accolades, which were announced at the annual CAA Championship Banquet. Women s basketball heads to The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. for the CAA Tournament. The Panthers will play George Mason in their opening game. (Listen on WRAS-FM 88.5) DIAMOND NOTES On the diamond, the Panther baseball team went across town to Georgia Tech and beat the No. 23 Yellow Jackets 6-3 as Mark Micowski homered and Aidan Francis and Jake Dyer turned in strong performances on the mound. Francis went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks to earn the win. Dyer pitched the final two innings for his first save. These kinds of wins are always great for your team, said GSU head coach Greg Frady. When you are playing a team that is ranked in the Top 25, you want to show what you can do, and our team did a great job. The Panthers then went to Starkville, Miss., and went 1-3 against Iowa and Mississippi State. GSU is now 9-4 on the season. Dave Cohen is in his 28th season as the Voice of Georgia State Athletics on WRAS- FM (88.5) and WCFO-AM, Newstalk 1160.

13 March 11-17, 2011 Score Atlanta 13 BASKETBALL Hawks. March 11 at Chicago 8 PM. March 12 vs. Portland 7 PM. March 15 vs. Milwaukee 7 PM. March 16 vs. Denver 7 PM. March 18 vs. Miami 7:30 PM. March 20 vs. Detroit 2 PM. March 22 vs. Chicago 8 PM. March 23 at Philadelphia 7 PM. Club Sport, Where Atlanta Comes To Play! Registration Ongoing - Men s League plays on Sunday evenings at the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club. For more info or to register visit Open Recreational Basketball. GSL Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia s Best Sports Leagues. Registration ongoing. We offer Top Gun, B, C and Co-Ed styles of play around Atlanta. We play ALL year round. For more information please contact (678) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit Roundtable Fundamental Basketball Camp Boys and Girls. Rising 6th-10th Graders (Current 5th-9th Graders) June am-2pm. St. Francis High School, Alpharetta. Contact Coach Huff stfrancisbball@yahoo.com. BASEBALL Braves. (Preseason). March 11 at New York Yankees 1:05 PM (split squad). March 12 vs. New York Mets 1:05 PM. March 13 vs. Houston 1:05 PM (split squad). March 14 at St. Louis 1:05 PM. March 16 vs. Boston 1:05 PM. March 17 vs. Washington 6:05 PM. March 18 at New York Mets 1:10 PM. March 19 at Detroit 1:05 PM (split squad) March 19 vs. New York Mets 1:05 PM (split squad). March 20 vs. Houston 1:05 PM (split squad). March 21 at New York Mets 1:10 PM. March 23 vs. Florida 1:05 PM. March 24 at Toronto 1:05 PM. (Regular season). March 31 at Washington 1:05 PM. Prospect Watch. Ongoing - Buckhead. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons by a former college and minor league coach. For information call or visit Adult Baseball League Metro Atlanta. Ongoing. MSBL 18+, 28+, 38+, and 48+. Sunday League contact info is , info@atlantamsbl.com. MSBL 18+ Saturday League contact info is , AtlantaMABL@aol.com. MSBL 18+ Midweek Wood bat league contact info is , AtlantaMABL@aol. com. MSBL 18+Fall League contact info is , AtlantaMABL@aol.com. For more information about our Atlanta Adult Baseball League, please visit our website at 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 Jack City Baseball. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting. Instruction with former pro Keith Whitner. 18-y looking for high school players. The new location is inside Velocity Sports in North Gwinnett. For more information call or visit jackcity.net. Jack City Sports Center. Indoor T-Ball League being offered at Jack City Sports Center. 10 game season with games on Sundays. $125 per player. Team rates available and questions can be directed to FOOTBALL Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting applications for qualified coaches in all age groups. For informtion Craig Deneau at deneauc@charter.net Grayson Athletic Association. Ongoing. Football coaches needed for eighth grade and all age groups. For information call Duane Davis at or visit 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) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit Arena Indoor Football. Ongoing. Youth and Adult Leagues. Youth 7 vs. 7; Adult 6 vs. 6. For information, call or info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com. 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 or Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com. HOCKEY Thrashers. March 11 vs. New Jersey 7:30 PM. March 12 at Philadelphia 7 PM. March 15 at New Jersey 7 PM. March 17 vs. Philadelphia 7 PM. March 19 at Buffalo 7 PM. March 24 at New York Islanders 7 PM. Gladiators. March 11 at Elmira 7:30 PM. March 12 vs. Elmira 7:30 PM. March 15 vs. Cincinnati 7:05 PM. March 18 vs. Florida 7:35 PM. March 19 vs. Florida 7:05 PM. March 20 vs. Florida 4:05 PM. March 23 vs. Reading 7:05 PM. Peachtree Booster Club. Ongoing - Pickneyville Roller Hockey Rink. Fees: $95 for 12-game season, $30 out-of-county fee. For information visit SOCCER Challenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physically disabled youngsters. For information call Ken Higgins at Hall of Fame soccer clinics. Ongoing on Fridays Clarkston Community Center. For under-6 through under-12 players. Fees: Free. For information call or visit 5:30-7 PM. TENNIS Technique Clinics. Ongoing - Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. Tuesdays (serve/volley) and Saturdays (forehand/backhand). Fees: $18. For information call or jimhines01@yahoo.com. 2 PM on Saturdays, 6:30PM on Tuesdays. Tennis camps for kids. Ongoing weekly. Lost Mountain Tennis Center. For information call LACROSSE Lacrosse. Ongoing. Registration for 1st-8th grades. For information call , jasona@bagatawaylacrosse. com or visit 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 or by contacting Chris Smith at chris@doublestixxlacrosse.com or ṘUNNING Warrior s Stride for Pride 5K. Mar. 12. Canton, 8:00 AM st Annual St. Patrick s Day 5K & Mile. Mar. 12. McDonough, 3:00 PM CAMPS Dirty Spokes Runnin The Rocks 3.1 Mi / 6.2 Mi Trail Running Race. Mar. 19. Conyers or Fallen Heroes of Georgia 10K/5K/1K. Mar. 19. Buford, 8:00 AM th Annual DAWG Trot 5K Run/Walk. Mar. 19. Athens, 7:30 AM st Annual Brave Run 5K & Mile Fun Run. Mar. 19. Watkinsville, 11:30 AM th Annual Hope for a Cure 5K. Mar. 19. Winder, 10:00 AM/ Haulin from Pollen 5K and Mile Fun Run. Mar. 19. Hampton, 8:00 AM Eagle Mountain Run 5K. Mar. 19. Woodstock, 8:00 AM Razorback 5K Walk/Run. Mar. 19. Jonesboro, 9:00 AM The Finish Lion 5K and Family Fun Run. Mar. 19. Atlanta, 8:00 AM VOLLEYBALL Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For information call Jerry Robison at or visit SWIMMING & DIVING Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool - Alpharetta, Ga Old Milton Parkway. For information call Dynamo Swim School. DynaBabies, Preschool, Grade School, Adult Classes. Youth Swim Team. Call us (770) Ext 16 Gwinnett Aquatics. Ongoing Quinberry Drive and Bethany Church Road. For ages Swim team and lessons available. For information call Senior Water-Exercise class. Ongoing - Mountain Park pool - Lilburn, Ga. Fees: $1 per class. For information call :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 YOUTH REGISTRATION Soccer-Soccer Alley. Ongoing Roswell Road- Atlanta. For information call or visit Tucker Youth Soccer. Ongoing Henderson Road Tucker, Ga. For information call or visit Track and Field - Peachtree City Flash Youth Track Team registration. Ongoing - Riley Field - Peachtree City, Ga. For ages For information call or ptcflash@ bellsouth.net. Gymnastics - Georgia Gymnastics Academy. Ongoing. For registration in Lawrenceville call ; in Suwanee call Gym Elite. Ongoing. Registration for ages 2 and older. Cheerleading for ages 6 and older. For information call Youth Soccer Training. Ongoing. Start age 3 and up. For information, call , info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com, or visit Corpus Christi Youth Basketball League Registration is now underway for our 29th season! Boys and girls ages 5 through 14, any skill level, are welcome. Cost: $90 per child/$85 for siblings. Fee includes uniforms, field trips, skills clinics, 9 games and maore! Register while space is still available Saturdays October 11 & 18, 2008, 10 AM to 12 PM. Location: Corpus Christi Church Sports Arena, 600 Mountain View Drive, Stone Mountain, GA For info, call , ccybl1@gmail.com or visit the league s website ( SOFTBALL AYSA Spring Season. Ongoing - North Park - Cogburn and Bethany - Alpharetta. Fees: If Alpharetta Residential Property Tax IS NOT PAID at the primary residence of the player, then the Non-City Resident Fee must be paid. After Jan. 13, $10 late fee is charged. GYMNASTICS Gymnastics Classes at Gymnastics AcademyofAtlanta. Ongoing Cobb Parkway Kennesaw, Ga. For information call or visit Gymnastics Classes at Gwinnett Gymnastics Center Ongoing Killian Hill Road Lilburn, Ga. For information call Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville. Ongoing. Classes for tots through teens. Cheerleading classes for ages 5 and older. For information call The Little Gym of Snellville. Ongoing. Noncompetitive gymnastics and motor-skills development classes and camps. For ages 10 months-12 years. For information call or visit RACING Winter Flurry Off-Season Legends Race No. 7. Mar. 12 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Spring Kick-Off Open House. Mar. 12 at Atlanta Motor Speedway NASA. March at Road Atlanta OFFICIATING 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 or 9rcorp@150mail.com. Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association. Needs boys youth and High School officials for 2010 season. Games are played Spring, Summer, and Fall. Great way to earn extra money and get some fun aerobic exercise. For more information, please visit or recruit@galaxref.com. Atlanta Peachstate Football Officials Association. High School Football Officials needed. We are in need of people who want to officiate high school football in the Atlanta Metro area. No experience is necessary. We have weekly training sessions. For more information go on our web site or call ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, Georgia Dome. For tickets, call To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call or visit MISC. 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 ext. 818 or visit GOkickball Atlanta s Premier Social Experience. Providing social, co-ed adult kickball leagues throughout metro-atlanta centered around having a good time, meeting new people, and playing recreational games of kickball at local parks. Registration is open now for spring season. Join the fun! For more information and to register, go to Special Score Atlanta 15% off discount code: Score15.

14 14 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Tourney time for men s hoops; Acworth s Taylor injures spine t s now or never for the Fox Hounds. I Coach Mark Fox s Bulldog basketball team traveled to Atlanta for the SEC tournament Thursday for a game with Auburn (results were unavailable at press time). With a win, Georgia (20-10) would face Alabama in the quarterfinals. If this matchup occurs, it is thought by some experts to be an elimination game for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa on Saturday in the regular season finale for both squads. Despite having a much higher RPI rating, Georgia is thought to be on the NCAA Tournament bubble along with Bama (see cover story for more). LADY DOGS Andy Landers women s hoops team lost in the semifinals of the SEC tournament last weekend in Nashville to Tennessee. The Lady Bulldogs (21-10) will now wait along with the men s team to see if they are extended an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Georgia has been to 27 of 29 previous women s NCAA tournies and has qualified for 16 in a row. TAYLOR INJURY On a more somber note, Diamond Dawg Johnathan Taylor injured his spine in a collision with fellow outfielder Zach Cone against FSU Sunday. The Acworth native was transported to Shepherd Center in Atlanta to rehabilitate the injury. There is no word on when or if he will return to the team. In the series versus Florida State, the Dawgs dropped the first and third games but won the second to avert a series sweep. David Perno s team is now 4-8 on the season after a mid-week win at Mercer. FIRST LADIES The women s swimming and diving team was ranked No. 1 this week, making two Bulldog squads that have been voted the best in their sport. In fact, the team was voted CSCAA/TYR Dual-Meet National Champion after finishing 10-0 in the regular season and winning the SEC title. The squad will compete in the NCAA championships next week. The softball team has been No. 1 for three weeks now in the USA Today poll. Speaking of softball, the top-ranked Bulldogs will host No. 21 LSU this weekend in a three-game series. Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. Shumpert finishes impressive season with extraordinary week ne of the few bright spots for the Yel- Jackets this season has been the Olow play of Iman Shumpert. The point guard was just named the ACC Player of the Week for helping Georgia Tech win both of its games this week. The Yellow Jackets beat Wake Forest on the road last Thursday with the help of Shumpert s 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists and six steals. The victory was Tech s first on the road this season and its first since January of last year against North Carolina. On Sunday, in the final game at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Georgia Tech rolled past Miami Shumpert scored 19 points in the game to go with three rebounds, four assists and five steals. His stellar defense this CHECK OUT SCOREATL.COM! trivia answer Hugh Durham s 1983 team won the SEC Tournament on their way to the school s only Final Four berth. week (11 steals in two games) is a perfect cap to a season of solid defense by Shumpert, an effort that earned him a spot on the All-ACC s defensive team. Not only was the junior awarded with POTW and All-ACC defensive team honors, Shumpert was also named second team All-ACC. Shumpert, an Oak Park, Ill., native, has been Mr. Everything for the Yellow Jackets this season. He is averaging 17.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.7 steals. Right now those are all team highs, which would make Shumpert only the seventh player in ACC history to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists. After the game against Wake Forest, TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA: coach Paul Hewitt was falling over himself to praise Shumpert, and rightly so. Iman Shumpert continues to have a terrific year, said Hewitt. I m not sure if people have noticed, because we certainly have been up and down. Again, he s had a great year and he played another great ballgame tonight. [H]e s a great player. Unfortunately for him we haven t put up a record that draws attention from a guy like that. But the last two days in practice, he s been unbelievable, and I told him that. I pulled him aside and told him that. He s been so physical and aggressive in practice he s had a great season. Watson can be reached at Copyright 2011 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published every week on Fridays. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

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