FOR THE BEST MEMORIAL DAY SPECIALS SEE BACK PAGE

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1 MAY 20-26, 2009 FOR THE BEST MEMORIAL DAY SPECIALS SEE BACK PAGE ATLANTA S WEEKLY SPORTS TALK NEWSPAPER VOL 5 NO 10

2 02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game!

3 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 03 PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg MANAGING EDITOR Alex Ewalt ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati VIDEO MANAGER Scott Janovitz BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES MANAGER Mark Mayo BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons, Dream), Stephen Black (Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (Thrashers), James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Ricky Dimon (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Rajesh Gupta, Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Alan Gales, Brian Penter, John Edwards, Derek Wiley CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom STARTING LINEUP 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 IN YOUR FACE DOG DAYS: The Braves hosted their latest installment of Bark in the Park earlier in the month, allowing baseball fans to include their fourlegged friends in their favorite pastime at Turner Field. If you missed the first event, you can bring Fido out to The Ted on June 10 for a night game. Register your pet on the Braves official website! Photo courtesy of Daniel Shirey/Atlanta Braves. 5 Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will be released from prison on Wednesday, and I.J. Rosenberg believes the controversial QB deserves a second chance and hopes he makes the best of it. 10 We ve completed the first two rounds of the high school baseball state tournament and Joe Deighton has kept a close eye on all that s happened thus far. Find out which players have starred through the first two weeks. 12 Christopher White, founder and CEO of the Sports Championship Management Group, is taking a new approach to hosting football camps; his clinics are as much about developing leadership skills as they are about football. 17 Beat writer Scott Janovitz considers three weaknesses the team must address before becoming a championship contender. How will management use the offseason to seek some help for Al Horford (pictured) and company? A SCORE UPDATE: Score Atlanta is partnering with the Georgia High School Association to bring prep baseball fans the official GHSA state championship program for all five classifications. The special edition will be handed out at each championship series and will include full rosters, feature stories, finals previews and more! TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS COVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATI. COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT CUNNINGHAM. 5 CHEAP SEATS 6 SCORE LIST-DUE UP 7 SPIN-C.C. 8 HS SPORTS REPORT 14 HAWKS-THRASHERS-FALCONS 15 DAWGS-JACKETS 16 BRAVES-OWLS-PANTHERS 17 DREAM 18 CALENDAR 19 AD INDEX

4 04 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game!

5 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 05 Vick has long road back to respectability; Dawgs should end neutral-site series First of all, before I get started, I want to let the people of PETA know that I love dogs and do not in any way condone what Michael Vick did. However, with that said, it s time to give the player, who just three years ago was perhaps the biggest attraction in the NFL, another chance. Vick, in the opinion of this longtime sportswriter, has paid his debt to society. Period. Unlike other athletes who have dodged conviction and continued playing despite doing far worse, he was prosecuted to the full extent of the law for dogfighting and, as a result, should be allowed back into the NFL and given a chance to rebuild his career. In fact, few athletes before have ever been torn down like Vick, who was at one time a $100 million-plus business and an endorsement machine; now, he is bankrupt with a shattered reputation. They were his mistakes and it was all his doing, but I have a feeling that there are going to be those that make Vick s road back very difficult. About the Vick dilemma, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently had this to say: Michael did an egregious thing. He has paid a very significant price for that. If he's learned from that and is prepared to live a different life, I think the general public is forgiving on that when people are genuine and they show remorse and are prepared to live a different life. That's something he has to prove to myself and the general public. But to prove himself, Vick has to be given the opportunity to succeed and, having watched him here in Atlanta all his professional life, that is what concerns me. I know Vick, have spoken with him on many occasions and, while what he did was terrible, he never once struck me as being a mean or cold-hearted person. Even Falcons management will tell you that they liked Michael, who for the most part was rather reserved and kept to himself. But he made bad choices, beginning with the people he chose to hang around. To use a word that can turn all our stomachs, they were thugs, and in the end they led to Vick s downfall. Still, his path to making it back should not be blocked by an NFL commissioner or an animal rights group. Goodell is known for his no-nonsense approach when it comes to discipline and the league and their owners are far less tolerant than, say, the NBA, which let one Kobe Bryant fly back and forth between Lakers games and the hearings in his rape case, though he was eventually found not guilty. In this matter, Goodell didn t have to make a quick decision, as Vick s quick guilty plea and the court made it for him. Now that Vick is out of jail, however, he shouldn t have to start serving another sentence, such as an NFL suspension. Let s call it time served after 16 months in a federal pen and two years away from the league. And when he does get his chance to suit back up, he shouldn t have to do so among a crowd of protestors who remain vigilant in their crusade against Vick. It was PETA that sent a letter to the NFL calling for the league to require Vick to undergo a new brain-scanning procedure already in use at a New Mexico corrections facility, effectively testing Vick for psychopathy (anti-social personality disorder) before he JUST TOO MUCH: LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Hawks and into the Eastern Conference Finals, but Flip Murray (left) and Josh Smith (middle) have much to be proud of after increasing their regular-season win total by 10 games and beating the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. Here s hoping another offseason will bring similar improvements in Photo courtesy of Rob Saye. CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS Now that Vick is out of jail, however, he shouldn t have to start serving another sentence, such as an NFL suspension. Let s call it time served after 16 months in a federal pen and two years away from the league. is allowed to become a children's hero again. Be serious here. In other words, enough is enough. He has served his sentence and except for his physical athletic ability, there is little left that hasn t already been taken away. While you don t read much about it publicly, there are those in Atlanta pulling for Vick and hoping he has learned from his mistakes and will make it back into the league. Some of those people are with the very same team that his actions crushed, a Falcons franchise that suffered a great amount from the whole ordeal. Fortunately for the Falcons, they were able to bounce back quickly and have a new superstar quarterback in the young Matt Ryan. Still, many people from owner Arthur Blank on down are not vengeful and would like to see Vick get back on his feet. What will be the key is how Vick handles his comeback, which needs to be wellorganized and not overplayed. The publicity will be there but Vick and his people need to keep on the straight line. No reality shows, no stupid stunts, no holding dogs for PETA commercials. Vick, who leaves prison this week to move to two months of home confinement and is beginning workouts immediately, needs to go to the commissioner who he lied to the last time they met fall on his sword, tell Goodell he is a different man and move on. Then, at the age of 28, he needs to focus on his game and get back on the field and do what he has always done best: thrill the fans. Additionally, Vick needs to spend his time off the field getting to the young people, telling them about his mis- ON THE COVER Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will be released from jail on Wednesday after spending more than a year behind bars. Convicted of dogfighting charges over 12 months ago, the controversial quarterback has missed the last two NFL seasons but will most likely look to make a return to the field for the upcoming campaign if league commissioner Roger Goodell grants him the right to do so. According to I.J. Rosenberg, Vick has already paid his debt to society and deserves an immediate shot at redemption. The above photo and cover photo are courtesy of Scott Cunningham. takes and how much he s lost. I ve never thought Vick was a bad person, just one brought up on the streets, who, despite all his success on the field, couldn t put his tough past behind him. I also am a strong believer in second chances and hope Vick has become a different person and, someday, returns to the Vick we knew and loved on the field. It s a comeback I want to write about. AND FINALLY If Georgia is smart, they do not renew the contract to play Florida in Jacksonville after the 2010 season. The solution is simple and that is to play it one year in Athens and the next in Gainesville. The Gators have an advantage in Jacksonville, winning 16 of the last 19 meetings, and it reminds me of when the Alabama-Auburn game was played every year in Birmingham and the Crimson Tide dominated it; not so since the game was moved to the campuses. The Bulldogs are at a disadvantage playing the game in Florida every year and it s time to even the playing field. Rosenberg can be reached at or ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com.

6 06 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! SCORE LIST BY ALEX EWALT WHAT NEXT?: Well, the Hawks gave it their best shot against a powerhouse team from Cleveland, but lost in four games. Now, the team will have to make some tough decisions involving its top players. It should be interesting to watch this offseason. RUBBER MATCH MADNESS: Both the Orlando-Boston and L.A.-Houston series went to seven games, concluding in two rather anticlimactic contests. The Magic and Atlanta native Dwight Howard ripped the Celtics and the Lakers took care of the Yao-less Rockets. KINGS OF THE ROAD: The Braves wrapped up a stellar road trip last week, going 6-2 against some of their biggest rivals. Now with a winning record and in the thick of the division race, it s tough to get a read on this team. Are they a contender or a pretender? BACK AT CAMP: The hunt is officially on again for the Atlanta Falcons, as the team opened up offseason training with the first of several minicamps. It s great to see the Birds back on the field, especially recent draft picks like Peria Jerry and William Moore. KEEPING KOVY?: Thrashers general manager Don Waddell expressed last week the team s desire to re-sign franchise player Ilya Kovalchuk. For a city starved for some hockey success, we applaud this move. What would Blueland be without King Kovy? JOLTIN JACKETS AND DIAMOND DAWGS: The Braves aren t the only team in Georgia with aspirations of baseball greatness. Though UGA and Georgia Tech have stumbled a bit lately, each team hopes to excel in this week s conference tourneys. THERE S MORE: And staying on our baseball kick, the high school postseason is really heating up. Will defending champions Brookwood, Loganville, Cartersville, Pacelli and Wesleyan be able to repeat? Find out this week as the quarterfinals get underway. DO-OVER: Falcons quarterback Michael Vick gets out of prison on Wednesday and will reportedly start football-related activities shortly after his release (he s spending the next two months under house arrest). Here s to hoping No. 7 comes out a different man. ONE FOR THE GIRLS: Rachel Alexandra, jockeyed by Calvin Borel, who rode Kentucky Derby-winner Mine That Bird (No. 2 on Saturday) to victory, became the first filly to win at Pimlico since Let s hope both superhorses give us a show at the Belmont Stakes. WORKHORSE: Last week, Campbellsville pitcher Bryan Fuller pulled off one of the most amazing feats you ll ever see in sports. Fuller led the Kentucky college to its first NAIA World Series by pitching 21 shutout innings in 26 hours. Talk about a rubber arm. DUE UP WEDNESDAY 20 THURSDAY 21 FRIDAY 22 SATURDAY 23 SUNDAY 24 MONDAY 25 TUESDAY 26 HOTTEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS BY BRIAN JONES Braves vs. Colorado FM. SportSouth. The Braves are fighting for the top spot in the NL East as the month of May wears on. Can the Bravos pick up a much-needed win over the struggling Colorado Rockies from the West? Game starts at 7 p.m. Gwinnett Braves vs. Toledo. 550 AM. After suffering a rough start, the G-Braves have been rocking and rolling in the second month of the season. They start a four-game home series against the Toledo Mud Hens on Thursday with first pitch set for 7 p.m. Friday Night Drags. Not getting enough racing in your life? Then come on down to Atlanta Motor Speedway to see amateur drivers compete on the one-eighth mile pit road. There will also be a Show-N-Shine event. Everything will start at 6:30 p.m. Silverbacks Women vs. Hampton Roads. The Silverbacks are back in action and the women s team is looking to have another successful season, as the team reached the conference finals last year. They host the Hampton Roads Piranhas at 7:30 p.m. Dale Jarrett Racing School. Do you want to know what it feels like to be a NASCAR driver? You have that opportunity on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where you can race on the track like the pros. The Dale Jarrett Racing School takes place all day. GHSA Baseball State Semifinals. The high school sports season is coming to an end and baseball is the last sport to conclude its season. The quarterfinals conclude on Wednesday with semifinal games beginning next Friday. Braves at San Francisco FM. SportSouth. The Braves will head out west for the first time in 2009 as they take on the San Francisco Giants. Both teams are having solid starts to their seasons, so it should be an interesting series. Game starts at 10:15 p.m. THUMBS UP TO STICKING AROUND Howard Thompkins Despite the ouster of former head coach Dennis Felton, Georgia big man Howard Thompkins decided that he will stay with the Bulldogs basketball team. A rising sophomore, Thompkins will be the best player for first-year coach Mark Fox and will provide some much-needed scoring he averaged 12.7 points per game last year. Tom Glavine Despite arm troubles again early this season, Braves pitcher Tom Glavine was expected to be back this week and facing batters in Gwinnett as part of his rehab assignment. Glavine has not made a start for the big league club yet this season, but hopefully this is the first step back. UGA/Tech Softball Both Georgia and Georgia Tech s softball teams advanced to the Super Regionals last week. For Tech, it was the first time the Lady Jackets program had advanced to the Round of 16. Both teams will begin play in the Supers on Thursday Tech against Washington and UGA against Ohio State. UGA/Tech Baseball Both programs have struggled down the stretch, hurting their seeding in their respective conference tournaments and for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs lost 11 of their final 13 conference games, and the Jackets lost two of three to bottomfeeding Duke to end their regular season. James Harrison The Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year shockingly announced his intentions to skip out on the yearly visit the Super Bowl Champions take to the White House. Offputting to Harrison was the fact that [Obama] would ve invited Arizona if they had won. Wha? Brett Favre It s looking more and more likely that the attention-starved Favre will come out of retirement for the second time, possibly to play for the Minnesota Vikings. The only thing that would make watching another comeback worth it is if there was a position battle between him and Michael Vick. THUMBS DOWN TO ANOTHER COMEBACK CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS 1958 Last Hawks team to win more than one playoff series in a year 18 Number of times since 1958 that the Hawks have won one playoff series in a year 1970 Hawks last appearance in the Conference Finals STENSON SHOCKS AT PLAYERS If someone told you that Tiger Woods was in the final pairing of a golf tournament on a Sunday, tied for second and trailing the leader by five shots, and that one of those players five shots back came back to win by four, you would bet your life savings that player was Tiger. That's exactly what happened two weeks ago at the Players Championship, but the miracle was pulled off not by Tiger, but by Henrik Stenson? This is a guy, despite well-documented talent, who was prior to the Players best known for stripping down all the way to his underwear to play a shot out of a water hazard earlier this year at Doral. At the Players, however, Stenson showed off some mettle of a different sort. He threw down a 13-shot swing on third-round leader Alex Cejka, and his Tigeresque comeback was staged in the opposite of Tiger-esque fashion: by hitting 13 of 14 fairways and being the only player in the field without a bogey on his Sunday scorecard. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com. SANITY AT LAST I m still the coach of the Hawks. Only you guys seem to worry about that. Really, I don t. I never worry about my job because I think, just from a coaching standpoint, I try to do the best that I can do. I make mistakes just like all coaches do. But I was paid to come here and do a job, and I think our team is headed in the right direction. - Hawks coach Mike Woodson after second-round loss to Cleveland

7 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 07 Kournikova promotes physical fitness; Thrashers to begin summer camps MUCH WORK TO DO The Atlanta Hawks season came to an end in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They didn t win a game in the series, but making it to the second round is something they should take pride in. The moves Rick Sund and the Atlanta Spirit make this summer will tell us a lot about their expectations of this team. They must address the point guard and backup point guard situation. There s no denying the affect Mike Bibby has had on this team offensively, but he s atrocious on defense. It s not from a lack of effort; he s just incapable of keeping young, quick guards in front of him. If they decide to keep him, then the other players are going to have to work extra hard defensively to minimize the damage when his man blows past him. Basically, management is going to have to determine whether the good outweighs the bad. Bibby s asking price might make Sund s decision easy one way or the other. They also have to deal with Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia s contracts this offseason. It should be an interesting summer as far as personnel decisions are concerned. However, the most important thing the Hawks need to find this offseason is an identity. We never knew what kind of team was going to come out of that locker room. One night they d come out and walk the ball up the court, the next night they d come out and try to run and gun. They are young and athletic as presently constructed and if the team more or less stays the same going into next season then its best bet would be to speed up the tempo. Either way, they need to figure out who they are. The Golden State Warriors didn t have much success this season, but at least they knew who they were. They were going to run and gun and take bad shots. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn t, but at least they had a plan. The Hawks need a plan. Read more from C.C. at C.C. can be reached at cfelicec@yahoo.com. HIP TO BE SQUARE: Former tennis star Anna Kournikova made a stop in Atlanta last week to attend the 103rd annual Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Conference, and found some time to play a spirited game of four square with eight local Club members. Kournikova is part of the Cartoon Network s GET ANIMATED program, which aims to promote physical fitness in children. Photo courtesy of Mitch Leff. HERE S THE SCOOP... CHECK THIS OUT! The Silverbacks men may be sitting out the summer, but there will still be plenty of opportunities to catch some great soccer in Atlanta. You ll get your first big chance to do so on Wednesday, June 24, when the Mexican and Venezuelan National teams do battle in a friendly match at the Georgia Dome. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Catch all the action for low prices, with tickets starting at just $25 and running $75 for prime seating! You Falcons season ticket holders will want to check out the action, too, as you ll get $5 off the regular ticket price. Make it a day for the entire family to enjoy by jumping on the Family Four Pack, which scores you four great seats for only $25 apiece! Get your tickets right now at or call the Georgia Dome box office at Written by Scott Janovitz he city of Atlanta, and specifically those Tin attendance at the 103rd Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Conference in downtown Atlanta, were graced last week by the beauty and giving nature of former tennis star, now model, Anna Kournikova, as the 27-year-old visited with the kids in an effort to promote physical fitness among today s youth. As part of the Cartoon Network s GET ANIMATED campaign, Kournikova is spending the summer touring the nation, challenging kids to rediscover active lifestyles and outdoor games. After delivering her message to the children last week, the Russian goddess participated in a competitive game of four square, posed for photos and took a moment to meet those in attendance. Finally, the city of Atlanta will officially receive a stop from the separate GET ANIMATED summer tour June For more information, go to Rivals.com released its college football power rankings at each position last week and football in the State of Georgia was well represented on the lists. Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer is the second-best running back in the country according to Rivals.com experts, just behind California speedster Jahvid Best. To no one s surprise, Georgia sophomore wideout A.J. Green earned the fourth spot on the top wide receivers list. Neither Georgia school was represented among the nation s top 25 offensive linemen, though Bulldog defensive tackle Geno Atkins is considered the country s 20th-best defensive lineman. At the linebacker position, Rennie Curran of Georgia ranks eighth in the country while Tech safety Morgan Burnett is the third best in the nation at his position. Finally, the coaches at each school got some love as well, as Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo ranked 11th-best in the country, Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Dave Wommack earned the nation s 23rd ranking in his respective category, and Bulldog lead man Mark Richt is considered the nation s ninth-best head coach. In a bold, unprecedented and somewhat offensive move, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison rejected President Obama s invitation to visit the White House last week, choosing not to participate with his team in the Washington excursion. As a sort of ritual, the President annually invites all champions at the collegiate and professional level from that year to the White House, a tradition that recently included the 2008 Super Bowl-champion Steelers. Harrison, however, did not see the invitation as quite the honor most would. This is how I feel: if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won. LEARN FROM THE BEST If you re looking to improve your hockey skills over the summer, now s the time to consider the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Camps, which provide the ultimate mix of hard work and fun. Camps are available for players of all levels from novice to advanced, and are designed and run by the pros themselves. The team s camps will take place from June and registration will remain open up until June 21. For more information, visit Atlantathrashers.com. Sad news surfaced on Friday when it was learned 44-year-old former NBA star Wayman Tisdale had lost his battle with cancer. The 6-9 forward from Tulsa was a three-time All-American during his four years as an Oklahoma Sooner and spent 12 seasons in the NBA, splitting time between Indiana, Sacramento and Phoenix. Tisdale averaged over 15 points per game for his career and was an award-winning jazz bassist after his basketball days were over. Overshadowed by the playoffs, the NBA released its All-NBA first, second and third teams last week and there were few surprises among them. The first team included Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic at center, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. Named to the second team were Chris Paul of New Orleans, Portland s Brandon Roy, San Antonio s Tim Duncan, Boston s Paul Pierce, and Houston s Yao Ming. Finally, the third team was comprised of Denver s Chauncey Billups, San Antonio s Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony of Denver, the Lakers Pau Gasol, and Shaquille O Neal of the Phoenix Suns.

8 Chambers continuing to aim for the stars state championship in the shot put is how Aone of the best amateur throwers in U.S. history ended the Georgia high school portion of her career. Kell s Lauren Chambers won the event last Friday at the state girls championships in Albany, bringing to a close a career that saw her make four state meets in four years for the Longhorns. It s been a fun four years, but I m just glad to be done with throwing for high school because it marks the end of high school and [means] I m moving on to bigger and better things, Chambers said. The state title gave her two career state championships, as she also won the shot put as a junior in The 2008 triumph she sees as being her most memorable moment while competing as a Georgia high school athlete. While her accomplishments at Kell which also include a state record in the shot put would be the envy of just about every other thrower that has competed in Georgia, Chambers is even more dominant competing for her travel team Throw 1 Deep. That is partly because the national stage is the only place she can showcase one of her strong suits as a thrower. My best event is hammer throw, Chambers said. It s not contested in high school, but being with Throw 1 Deep you get a chance to throw it. In the hammer throw, she holds the intermediate age group national record and currently leads the nation and the world for girls 19 and under. Getting that record had been my goal since my freshman year, but it was kind of surprising to throw that far, Chambers said. GROWING TALENT Besides Throw 1 Deep giving her the opportunity to compete against some of the nation s best, Chambers also thinks the coaching she receives there is a big reason for her success. Mike Judge is an awesome coach, Chambers said of the program s leader. I ve seen him coach every throwing event and he s good at it. He s just taking me to a level of throwing that I didn t think I would be at, ever. In the upcoming weeks, Chambers will have several more meets to grow as a thrower under Judge, while also attempting to secure a spot in the 2011 Pan Am Games. Chambers will compete in meets such as the United States Junior Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon on June 25-27, in addition to traveling to North Carolina for competition. After her busy summer schedule is complete, Chambers will attend Southern California, which won the battle with Auburn and Penn State for her services. She will compete in the hammer throw and shot put for the Trojans and look to position herself for her ultimate goal for the hammer throw. My goal is to make the 2012 Olympic team and 2016 Olympic team, so I will be working towards that in college, Chambers said. It ll be a good, long, hard battle to make [those teams] because there are some very good hammer throwers in the United States. If her high school career is any indication, Chambers will rise to the challenge and continue her strong performances on a world stage. Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com. THE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK CHRIS ROWLEY SOUTH FORSYTH The Eagles No. 1 pitcher has helped the team to a quarterfinals berth and a school record for wins in a season in 09. Rowley, who will continue his career at West Point next year, shut out Harrison in the first game of the second round for a 1-0 win, giving up only three hits in the game. A multi-sport athlete, Rowley also played forward for the Eagles basketball team. LAUREN HUTCHINSON NORTH COBB A two-sport athlete (she also competes on the cross country team), Hutchinson set a new state meet record in Class 5A in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 11 7 last Friday at the girls track and field championships in Albany. Hutchinson defeated the field by over a foot and set a personal best with the vault. Just a junior, she also has competed in the high jump.

9 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT I09 First-ever boys soccer title punctuates Collins Hill s championship-laden sports season banner year in Collins Hill athletics was Acapped off earlier this month with a firstever state championship for the boys soccer team. The triumph gave Collins Hill four state titles during the school year. In the fall it was the girls cross country team taking center stage. Nothing short of a dynasty, the team raced to a sixth straight state championship in Class 5A. But the girls did not just win a sixth in a row, they positively dominated. Their top five finishers all finished in the top 10 of the state meet, including individual state champion Amanda Winslow. The wrestling team followed suit in the winter, showing signs of becoming a dynasty in itself with the dual and traditional state championships. Twelve boys including six finalists placed in the state traditional meet as Collins Hill became the first 5A team this decade to successfully defend a state title. Completing the trifecta this spring, the boys soccer team earned its title in much different fashion. Heading into coach Stan Carpenter s final season at the school, the boys had never won a soccer state championship. But Carpenter was confident heading into his last year at Collins Hill, and he had a reason to be. The Eagles had reached the 5A state title game in 2008 before losing to Walton on an own-goal in the 78th minute of the game. We were expecting something very good, Carpenter said of his team s mindset heading into the season. We have a very good core group of players, and I knew Malcolm Miller was coming back. Miller, a University of Michigan signee, was allregion in soccer as a sophomore but hung up the cleats as a junior in order to run track. Miller returned, and so did a chance to get revenge on Walton for the previous season s heartbreak. After wins over Dacula, Lassiter and Greenbrier in this year s playoffs, Collins Hill hosted Walton in the semifinals with a spot in the state championship on the line. Tied 0-0 after both regulation and overtime, penalty kicks were needed to decide things. The two teams were perfect through six rounds of the shootout before senior goalkeeper Andrew Wallingford thwarted Walton s seventh attempt. Senior Juan Giraldo then stepped up and booted home the game-winner for Collins Hill. The Eagles went on to edge Centennial 1-0 for the 5A championship, courtesy of a Miller goal with 5:12 left in the first half. Miller scored eight of the team s nine goals during its victorious run through the state tournament. It wasn t until 10 minutes (left) that you feel like you re probably going to win, Carpenter said of the slim one-goal lead. Even then, they could tie it up at any moment. You never know in the state tournament. Now he knows. In his last chance for a title at Collins Hill, Carpenter got it. It means a lot because it s the first one, he explained. LOOKING FORWARD If Collins Hill gets a second boys soccer title, it won t be with Carpenter at the helm. He is leaving for Mountain View High School, which opens in the fall. It s my neighborhood school, so my kids are going there, Carpenter said. If I don t go there now, it might be six or seven years before I get another opportunity. When asked if it would be tough not being able to try for back-toback titles, Carpenter replied, It s OK. The players will get to defend. So, too, will the wresters and the girls cross country runners. But the success on which Collins Hill can build heading into an encore for the school year is not limited merely to state championships. The boys cross country team finished as runner-up at the state meet and boys basketball enjoyed a memorable run to a surprise Region 7-AAAAA championship. Before getting bounced in the first round of the state tournament, the boys basketball team pulled off two straight stunners en route to the 7-AAAAA title. The Eagles avenged a pair of regular-season losses to Peachtree Ridge in the semifinals, then shocked powerhouse Norcross ANOTHER ONE FOR THE TROPHY CASE: With the first state championship in program history, the Collins Hill boys soccer team added yet another title to the Eagles impressive list for the sports season. Photo courtesy of Doug Smith/Athletesfoto.com for the championship. It was Norcross first in-state loss of the entire season. Next year, Collins Hill won t be surprising anyone in any sport. After four state championships, two runner-ups and a slew of state tournament appearances, the secret is out. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com. Girls state championships, Georgia Olympics cap off 09 track and field year The girls track and field state championships were held on May 14-16, and the biggest news was Westlake dethroning Collins Hills as Class 5A champs and Southwest DeKalb winning its third consecutive state championship in 4A. Westlake was led by its gold medal-winning 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. The school also got championship performances from Zahra Thomas in the 400-meter dash, Aubrielle Wright in the 800 and Shani Chandler in the 300-meter hurdles. Collins Hill finished second as Amanda Winslow won gold in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. Southwest DeKalb was paced by its gold medal-winning 400 relay team that set a new Class 4A record of 46.66, and sprinter Kia Jackson, who won gold in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. The battles for the 3A and 2A championships were extremely tight, as Monroe edged Towers by five points behind Lakeisha Jackson s gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles to win 3A and Greater Atlanta Christian defeated Jordan and Decatur by only three points to win 2A. Claire Goodson, Jessica Tuggle and Lauren Kester all won gold medals for GAC. Wesleyan dominated Class A behind gold medals by Holli Wilkins, Erika Ramsey and Anne Marie Armstrong. GEORGIA OLYMPICS Parkview, Gilstrap, Johnson and Higgs; these are the names that were on the minds of the crowd that witnessed the Georgia Olympics on May 7-9 at Jefferson High School. Parkview literally ran away with the 5A boys state championship, outscoring runnerup Mill Creek 80 to 39. The Panthers were led by Ethan Kasson who won a gold medal in the 400-meter dash and the silver in both the 1,600 and 3,200. The 1,600-meter relay team picked up the gold and Julian Vann won gold in the triple jump. Kenneth Gilstrap led Miller Grove to the 4A state championship, winning the gold medal in the 100 and 200. His 100 time of in heat two set a new 4A state record. Stephen Hill captured gold in the 300 hurdles and the long jump with a new class record of The Wolverines also won gold with their 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. Alexander finished second in 4A and Davis Fraker, who threw a class record to win gold in the discus, led McIntosh to a third-place finish. Raymond Higgs and Damian Johnson each won three gold medals and tied with the most individual points of any competitor with Higgs helped Athens Christian finish second in Class A with gold medals in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. His high jump and long jump were each class records. Burke County s Johnson won the 3A long jump, triple jump and 200-meter dash. The Bears finished fifth. Monroe won the 3A championship as Sir Paul Jones won gold in the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. Westminster took the 2A crown behind record-setting performances by Maalik Reynolds in the high jump and LB Joel in the discus. Reynolds s gold medal jump of 6 11 set a class record as did Joel s throw of Henry County s Jamal Patterson set a 2A record in the 300 hurdles with a time of Warren County took the Class A title as Coby Reynolds won gold in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Wiley can be reached at dwiley@scoreatl.com.

10 10 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT State s top players, teams stepping up their play as postseason wears on The phrase big players make big plays in big games is often used by professional athletes. No other description could be used to represent the GHSA baseball playoffs so far this year. In every class the top players have come to play in a major way. As we get closer to the Final Four, here are the best performances so far in the playoffs. (Note: Results from Tuesday night s third-round contests were not available at press time.) CLASS 5A Zach Wheeler, the classification s pitcher of the year, has put East Paulding into the third round of the playoffs with some fantastic outings. He struck out 10 batters in a firstround game against Kell. Against Mill Creek last week, he one-upped himself by pitching a no-hitter. East Paulding is virtually unstoppable with Wheeler on the mound. The top seed, South Forsyth, has ripped through the playoffs and has been led by some nasty pitching as well. The War Eagles two aces, Chris Rowley and Kevin Bibler, were nothing short of spectacular in a sweep of Harrison last week. Rowley allowed only three hits on 81 pitches in a complete-game shutout win, 1-0, in the first contest. Bibler allowed one run in the first inning and pitched shutout baseball for the rest of the game in the 11-1 series clincher. The long ball has been a War Eagle staple all year long, and the playoffs have been no different. Andrew Barna hit one out for the only run in the 1-0 game and Curt Parker put game two away with a grand slam. Ronnie Freeman, the senior catcher for Brookwood, has led his team all year long, batting.395 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs as of press time. Even though the Broncos limped into the playoffs, Freeman s play has sparked them to wins in the first two rounds. The catcher hit a game-tying two-run homer against Lassiter to help Brookwood a 6-4 win. CLASS 4A Loganville has swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, winning all four of its games. Pitching was the key to the secondround sweep of Lakeside-DeKalb, as Clay Garner and Casey Shiver held their opponents to just four hits in an opening 4-1. Trey Culpepper paced the Devils, going 4-for-6 in the doubleheader. Jacob Johnson put the second game out of reach with a three-run home run as the Devils won 6-3. CLASS 3A Cartersville s Donavan Tate controls the game with his speed. Never was that more evident than in the second game of the second round against Elbert County. Tate scored the winning run in the game as he made his way around the base paths without a hit. He reached first on a walk, took second on a botched pick-off play, went to third on a passed ball, and sped home on a sacrifice fly. The projected No. 1 pick in this year s MLB draft is definitely a throwback player and his speed alone won this one for Cartersville, 4-3. CLASS 2A Cook is once again in the third round of the playoffs, thanks largely to some incredible pitching performances this postseason. In the first round against Brantley County, junior pitcher Caleb Cowart pitched a no-hitter in a 10-0 first-game win. In the nightcap, fellow junior DJ Johnson allowed only three hits and one run while striking out 11. The second round was no different, as Johnson struck out 14 in an 11-1 victory over Toombs County. With Cowart and Johnson on the mound, Blessed Trinity has its hands full with the Hornets in the third-round series. CLASS A The Wesleyan Wolves moved down to Class A after winning the 2A title last year, and the pressure of repeating has not slowed them down so far. Facing a familiar opponent in A champion Holy Innocents was no easy task, however. The first game was highlighted by 14 strikeouts from junior Devin Stanton in a 3-2 Wesleyan loss. The Wolves were on the verge of being swept, trailing 5-3 late in the second game. But J.J. Russell came through with a dramatic three-run home run to win the game, 6-5. Brett Pugh had a double and a home run in the series, which Wesleyan took after a 10-2 win in the third and deciding game. The Wolves continue their run against Schley County in the third round. Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com. Two upstart 08 teams preparing to continue success in upcoming season Score Atlanta reporter Alan Gales checked in with the Sandy Creek football program, and Brian Penter stopped by the Lassiter spring game. Here are their reports: SANDY CREEK Sandy Creek head coach Chip Walker already knows what to expect from junior workhorse Rajion Neal, a Rivals.com threestar running back, and super speedy junior wide receiver Jarrett Davis. All they seemed to do last year was make big plays in big games. The biggest question surrounding the Patriots offense this spring has been who will replace departed quarterback Rio Johnson now that he will be suiting up at East Carolina. The race for the starting quarterback spot will be a heated battle between two dual-threat sophomores in Ronnie Bell and Nate Weston. Walker has yet to name his starter, as both young guns look to make a strong push for the starting job. The Patriots finished the 2008 year with an 11-1 record and a second-round playoff loss at home to Rome. In that loss, Rome scored 19 points, the most Sandy Creek gave up to any opponent last season. Defensively, the Patriots pitched three shutouts last year and held four of their 12 opponents to seven points or fewer. Key losses from that group include two studs along the line in Brandon Putnam at defensive end and James Hervey at tackle. Lacy Coleman, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound lineman, will help minimize these losses, however, as a run stopper and pass rusher. The linebacker group will be led by hard-hitting junior Michael Spaulding and sophomore Avery Walls. The Patriots have plenty of athletic talent roaming around the defensive backfield. At safety, the Patriots are pretty well set. Isaiah Johnson, a stud in his own right, has excelled at the position and holds offers from over six Division I programs. Junior transfer Cedric Byrd will be a key addition to the defense and will help form one of the state s best safety tandems with Johnson. Sandy Creek will play its annual spring game this Friday. LASSITER Coming off their best season in school history, the Lassiter Trojans were back under the lights on Friday night in their annual spring game. The offense beat the defense 26-8 in a game that was cut short at halftime due to approaching thunderstorms. Head coach Chip Lindsey s spread offense looked like it won t miss a beat next year, despite losing its entire offensive line and star tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen (1,004 yards, eight touchdowns). Returning Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year Hutson Mason (3,705 yards, 30 TDs) looked sharp, throwing two touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Charlie Hegedus. The freshfaced offensive line did well in protecting their quarterback, allowing just one sack. On the defensive side of the ball, Rip Rowan had four tackles on two possessions, while senior defensive end Derek Demyanek had a tackle for loss. Junior John-Steven Vaughn had the lone sack of the night. In his first year as the Trojans head coach, Lindsey led Lassiter to a 9-3 record and its first-ever state playoff win. His offensive attack returns three starters, one of them being Mason, who will look to break the state passing record, which he fell just five yards short of last year. Mason has received committable offers from Iowa and Georgia Southern so far on a list that should grow this offseason. While the loss of five linemen and Lutzenkirchen hurts, Mason has been pleased with the guys who have stepped up on offense this spring, saying, [Spring] practice went great. We have more speed at wide receiver than we did last year, so that is going to be hard for teams to stop. The biggest question mark for the Trojans after spring remains the offensive line, which lost all five starters, including tackle Camden Wentz, who is N.C. State bound. Spring ball offers an opportunity for new players to step up and seniors Brandon Janco and Cedrick Staddom have begun to emerge. The best news for the Trojans is that the defense returns six starters from a stout unit last year. The defensive line gets back senior end Demyanek and senior tackle David Pederson. The linebacker corps could be the best in the county, led by seniors Rowan and Marcus Stokes. The defensive secondary returns two starters in junior cornerback Jordan Taylor and senior Brad Penter. Sophomore Niles Clark was one of the players to have a good spring and is expected to start opposite Taylor at corner. Lassiter opens its 2009 schedule Aug. 15 at Sprayberry.

11 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 11

12 12 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! North Gwinnett star offensive lineman will join teammate at Alabama While more and more prospects are deciding to end their recruitments earlier in the year, more often than not the recruiting headliners wait until the end of the game to show their hands. That is why it was somewhat surprising when North Gwinnett offensive tackle JaWuan James decided to end the process just over a week ago, giving Nick Saban and the University of Alabama his pledge for the class of James, a massive 6-foot-6, 293-pound left tackle prospect, chose the Tide over offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee and South Carolina, among others. As for why the Crimson Tide stood above the rest, James made it quite clear. The environment at Alabama is just unbelievable, said James in a recent interview on Bamaonline.com. Every time I go down I just feel welcome and I really enjoy spending time with the coaches and players. By committing to Bama, James became the second North Gwinnett offensive lineman in this class to give the Tide his pledge; Austin Shepherd, a 6-5, 316-pound offensive guard, committed to the Saban-led program back in March. Shepherd is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, while James has earned four stars as well as the top ranking among Georgia offensive linemen. DAWGS A CALLIN We had some great guests on our weekly 790 The Zone all-recruiting radio show, The Official Visit, yet again last Sunday, including Hardaway dual-threat quarterback Marcus Smith, all-country Douglass defensive lineman Garrison Smith, and Centennial offensive tackle David Yankey. (In case you don t already know, you can check out The Official Visit every Sunday on 790 The Zone from 2-4 p.m.) Anyway, all three recruits had some interesting things to say. Marcus Smith is still leaning towards and, though he prefers to play quarterback at the next level and will do so if Gainesville, Fla., ends up being his final destination, Smith did seem at least somewhat open to playing receiver or tight end if that s what getting on the field requires. As for Douglass Smith, who has offers from every big-time program you can name, he is simply happy to be such a major part of the recruiting process, calling himself truly blessed for having the opportunity to hand pick his college of choice. The real news of the week, however, surrounded Yankey, who, despite having received more than 10 offers from top schools around the country, had yet to be offered by an instate institution until last week. Last Thursday, though, the Georgia Bulldogs finally came through, extending a written offer to the 6-5, 275-pound prospect. While Yankey expressed his happiness on our show over receiving the offer, he also seemed very interested in the West Coast, saying the culture out there is most like that of his native Australia. In the end, Georgia will no doubt make a serious run to land Yankey s services, but keep a close eye on Florida, South Carolina, Duke and Stanford as well. You can hear Janovitz on The Official Visit, Atlanta s only all-recruiting radio show, every Sunday from 2-4 p.m. on 790 The Zone. He can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.

13 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT I13 SCM Group s summer football camps train kids to succeed on and off the field ooking for a football summer camp for Lyour teenager or child? Do you want your high-schooler improve his skill set or are you just trying to introduce your child to the sport of football? Sports Championship Management Group's weeklong summer day camp at Oglethorpe University is one local camp that is creating a buzz in the Atlanta area. To find out more about what SCM Group is offering, I caught up with founder and CEO Christopher White to discuss his youth camp as well as his high school session. YOUTH CAMP SCM Group s youth camp will accommodate campers between the ages of 7 and 13, and will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July Though it is a football camp, according to White, campers will learn about much more than just the fundamentals of the game. A big part of our camp is teaching life skills and valuable lessons that kids can take away from football and use in their everyday lives, whether at home or in school, said White. Football will be only a third of the overall program at our camps. We will also have motivational speakers and surprise special guests stopping by every day. We'll have a dedicated film and/or speaker for each ageappropriate life-skill lesson being taught. Campers of all experience levels are welcome to come out, as they will be evaluated on the first day and placed into skilllevel groups that best meet their needs. We'll have two coaches per 10 kids, so our staff-to-camper ratio is really one of the best in the country, White said. And the coaches? Many of our coaches are former NFL players such as Chris Calloway, Dewey McClain, Keith Ponder and Erik McMillan, and high school and college coaches. McClain and Calloway are former Falcons and McMillan is a former NFL Rookie of the Year. After being divided into groups based on experience level, campers will jump right into their daily activities. We'll put them through stretching and warm-ups, and after that we'll split up into individual groups with their coaches and concentrate on positionspecific drills to improve their skills, White said. Coaches will also talk for 15 minutes each day about being a leader on and off the field, giving your best and sportsmanship. After lunch we'll have a 30-minute life-skill lesson. Every day will wrap with a guest/motivational speaker. Parents are encouraged to attend these sessions. HIGH SCHOOL CAMP The high school camp takes place June and is for all campers age The high school camp will be a little more involved as far as skill-specific training, White said. We will dedicate two days out of the week for combine training and testing and provide a detailed training plan the campers can take with them to improve their training. For the older campers, life-skill lessons are updated to be more age appropriate. Topics may include how to balance school and work, being an athlete in college, alcohol, drugs, job interviews, and many more. Preparation for college is also covered during the week. On the first day of camp there will be a national recruiter coming to talk to the campers and their parents about getting ready for the whole college scouting process, White said. White stressed that, besides having a good time, the number one issue for SCM Group's football camp is the safety of the kids. Parents must provide a list of authorized people to pick up the campers and show proper ID. Police officers will be on hand at Oglethorpe to participate in some of the life-skill lessons. Safety on the field is an important issue as well. According to White, every precaution has been taken in regards to on-field activities. In the event someone gets hurt, someone will be there immediately to tend to their injuries, he said. After each week-long session there will be an award ceremony which parents are highly encouraged to attend. Campers will receive a certificate and a camp picture. Awards will be presented for top camper and most improved camper, as well as a best attitude award. Food and drinks will be provided and an autograph and picture session will follow. My goal is that each camper will come away with a smile and will NOT JUST PIGSKIN: Through his Sports Championship Management Group, Christopher White (third from left, top row) provides kids of all ages the opportunity to develop leadership and football skills at the same time. White couldn t accomplish such a feat, however, without the help of quality coaches like those pictured above, including numerous former NFLers. Photo courtesy of Christopher White. have learned valuable skills and lessons for on and off of the football field, White said. Cost of the camp is $375 for both the youth and high school camps, and scholarships are available for those who qualify. For more information, visit Edwards can be reached at jedwards@scoreatl.com.

14 14 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! Hawks have plenty to ponder as summer begins n 2009, the Hawks finally got past the first Iround of the playoffs (first time since the season), outlasting the Miami Heat in seven games, but eventually ran into a dominant Cleveland squad that was happy to introduce the team to its offseason and only needed four games to do so. And, now that we re here, it seems like the perfect time to consider the Hawks and their many free agents heading into the summer. So, without further ado, here s my take on what should be an important offseason for the team and who I believe the Hawks should welcome back in 2009 and beyond. Mike Bibby: No matter what the team decides, this will probably be its most controversial move of the offseason (unless they decide to trade Josh Smith as I have often suggested they should), as Bibby has been a key cog in Atlanta s recent postseason success. The former Arizona Wildcat, however, struggles defending other guards and getting into the lane on offense, will command money beyond what the Hawks should be willing to spend, and is already over 31 years of age. If I m team management, I look to a point guard-heavy draft in order to fill the position. Marvin Williams: The Hawks will have the option of matching any offer out there for William, the only restricted free agent in the group. Whether or not they decide to do that will almost certainly depend on what other teams are willing to give the fourth-year forward. To me, the Hawks have two options: 1) re-sign Williams and trade Smith, or, 2) Keep Smith and let Williams walk if another franchise throws outlandish money his way. Flip Murray: Murray s scoring and energy off the bench have been monumental for the Hawks this season, as the guard has more than filled in for the departed Josh Childress. When Flip gets going, he is extremely difficult to stop and was responsible for at least a handful of Hawk victories this season. There are other Murrays in the league, no doubt, but the Hawks can t afford to let theirs walk without replacing him with something comparable. Zaza Pachulia: There is no question the center position is one of the team s weakest and Z-Pac is not a starter in this league. He is, however, one of the better center reserves the NBA has to offer and the importance of his heart, hustle and overall toughness off the bench cannot be understated. He may not seem like the difference now, but if the Hawks are ever to compete for NBA titles, they will need passionate role players such as Pachulia in the fold. Solomon Jones, Othello Hunter, Thomas Gardner, Mario West: This group represents the team s dare I say inconsequential free agents. Other than Jones, who averaged just three points per game in 09, none of these guys scored more than a point a contest for the Hawks this year. On the brighter side of things, West showed in the playoffs that he can provide valuable defensive play while Hunter has impressed some with his strong work ethic and ability to improve. Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com. Thrashers compete in World Ice Championships nother hockey season came to an end a Afew weeks ago without Thrasher fans getting to see their team compete for an NHL championship. However, for the second year in a row, a few Thrasher players are celebrating a different type of championship in early spring. In Switzerland last weekend, Ilya Kovalchuk and the rest of Team Russia defeated Canada to win their second consecutive World Ice Hockey Championship. Kovalchuk was held scoreless in the final game but led the team in scoring over the entire tournament. He finished the tournament with five goals and nine assists for a total of 14 points. His five goals were good enough to put him in a tie for fifth for most goals scored during the tournament, and his 14 points were the second most scored by any player. Kovalchuk was also named the Tournament MVP for his heroic effort throughout the entire tournament. Kovalchuk was double-shifted throughout the final game by the Russian coach, as Team Russia knew it would need its star in order to stay with Team Canada. Unlike last season, Kovalchuk is one of the few NHL stars with Team Russia because of the extended run in the postseason by the Washington Capitals, the NHL home of Kovalchuk s Russian teammates Alex Semin and Alex Ovechkin. With the win, Kovalchuk defeated Thrasher teammate Colby Armstrong, who recorded three assists for Canada throughout the tournament. RED, WHITE AND BLUELAND The Thrashers not only had the MVP of the tournament, but they were also well represented on the surprise team of the tournament, Team USA. With three Thrashers on the American squad, the team moved into the bronze medal game after a loss to Russia in the semifinal round. Zach Bogosian, Ron Hainsey and Colin Stuart each played big roles in the Americans loss to the Russians the round before, but none of Atlanta s representatives could find the scoreboard in the game against the Swedes. The US went up 1-0 after a second-period goal from Jack Johnson. Sweden responded by scoring two unanswered goals in the period to take the 2-1 lead. Joe Pavelski tied the game at 2-2 with a goal early in the third period, but it wasn t enough as the Swedes managed two more goals in the final period, giving them a 4-2 victory and the bronze medal. Although no Atlanta player scored in the final game for the Americans, both Hainsey and Bogosian made a significant impact on the US squad. Hainsey led all players in ice time in the final game against Sweden, and even earned assistant captain status by the end of the tournament. He scored two goals and recorded four assists over the course of the tournament and averaged the secondmost amount of minutes played per game on the team. Hainsey s six points ranked him fifth overall on the US team and third among American defensemen. In his limited time, Bogosian finished with just one assist for the team, but also finished with a plus-2 rating for the tournament, making him one of only five defensemen to finish with a rating greater than plus-1. Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com First minicamp held; former Force WR signed lthough the season is still several months Aaway, things are back in full swing in Flowery Branch as the Falcons came together for their first official practice of the offseason on May 9 at the first of several minicamps. While many veterans, including defensive end John Abraham, were held out of training camp for precautionary measures, the coaching staff got a chance to evaluate the young players and also got an early look at the position battles that will take place beginning this July in training camp. They ve earned the right to be here and be a professional football player, now they need to earn the right to be on a 53-man roster, Smith said when asked about his team s intensity. First-round pick Peria Jerry had the coaches on the edge of their seats for all the wrong reasons when he went down after knocking knees with an offensive lineman, forcing him to leave practice. But Jerry walked off the practice field under his own power with what was later called a mild right knee sprain. The Falcons will come back together to begin Organized Team Activities (OTA s) on May 20-June 18. TRANSACTIONS APLENTY The minicamp resulted in several moves for the Falcons, with a couple of new faces earning themselves the chance to fight their way to a roster spot this preseason. Troy Bergeron, formerly a wideout for the Georgia Force, was signed by the team after being a tryout player in camp. Bergeron was one of the Force s more prolific wideouts during his time with the team, totaling 328 receptions for 4,335 yards and 96 touchdowns. Bergeron was also with the Falcons in the preseason of 2006, but was released during the final phase of cuts. He spent time on the Buffalo Bills practice squad later in the season. Linebacker Rashad Bobino also caught the coaching staff s eyes after joining Bergeron and others at mini camp as a tryout player. The team decided to sign the undrafted rookie from Texas. Bobino was an all-big 12 selection three times as a Longhorn and notched 235 tackles in his career. The Falcons also released three players, parting ways with linebacker Derek Nicholson, cornerback Ronnie Prude and safety Marcus Paschal. IN THE COMMUNITY On May 11, wide receiver Brian Finneran joined his wife Erin to host the inaugural Breast Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament. The event took place at the Hamilton Mill Golf Club in Dacula with the proceeds going to Breast Friends, a non-profit organization that provides breast cancer patients with an extensive support network. Jerious Norwood, Todd McClure, Michael Koenen and assistant coach Terry Robiskie all showed their support for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, accompanying wounded veterans on fishing trips at Lake Lanier on May 19. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.

15 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 15 Baseball hoping to recover from recent skid hanks to losing 11 of its last 13 confer- games, the Georgia Bulldog Tence baseball team is the sixth seed in the SEC Tournament, which starts Wednesday in Hoover, Ala. The Bulldogs, who held the conference s best record less than a month ago, will play third-seeded Ole Miss at 2:30 p.m. EST. Despite his team s fall to the sixth spot, Georgia head coach David Perno does not put much stock in the tournament seeding because of the competiveness of the teams that qualified for the field. All eight teams can beat you on any given day, Perno said. It doesn t matter where you play them, so [the seeding] is not that important. More importantly, the Bulldogs (35-20, 15-15) are looking to end their late-season struggles and gain some momentum going into the NCAA Tournament. Second-seeded Florida and seventh-seeded Alabama are the other two teams on Georgia s side of the double elimination bracket, as the Bulldogs hope to recapture the magic that had them ranked No. 1 in various polls for parts of this year and had them in Omaha last year, one game away from winning the College World Series. The main goal, especially after last year, is to go back to Omaha and give ourselves a chance to win the whole thing, said first baseman Rich Poythress. Nothing is hurt as far as that goal. SUSPENDED OPTIMISM The recent suspensions of defensive end Justin Houston and tight end Bruce Figgins for violating team rules have put a slight damper on the start of Georgia s 2009 football season. Houston is suspended for the first two games of the season and Figgins is suspended the first six. The Houston suspension is definitely a downer for Bulldog fans who were looking forward to seeing improved play from the defensive end position. Houston was the healthiest and most dominant end during spring practice, but now will miss the season opener at Oklahoma State and the home opener against South Carolina, putting even more pressure on the Bulldogs defense. Figgins loss makes an already thin spot on the roster even thinner. This means freshmen Arthur Lynch and Orson Charles may get even more playing time than what was already expected. Georgia also revealed that wide receiver Tony Wilson s career at Georgia is over. Wilson was trying to return from an ankle injury that cost him all of last season and is expected to be medically disqualified from competing. AROUND CAMPUS The softball team advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, where it will face Ohio State in a best-of-three series that starts on Thursday. The Bulldogs, who have a record of and are seeded sixth nationally, won all three of their games in the Chapel Hill Regional, beating host North Carolina twice. The men s track and field team finished fifth at the SEC Championships in Gainesville, Fla., last weekend. Chris Hill won the javelin. The women s tennis team played Duke in the NCAA Final Four on Monday in College Station, Tex. Results were not available at press time. The fourth-seeded men s tennis team (25-4) lost to 12th-seeded Texas 4-2 last Sunday in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, also at College Station. Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com. Golf, softball cruising through NCAAs eorgia Tech s golf and softball teams Gmade smooth progress through the early stages of their respective NCAA Tournaments over the weekend. Golf advanced to the NCAA Championship while softball hosted and dominated the Atlanta Regional to move on to Super Regionals. The Yellow Jackets shot a 7-over 295 at the NCAA Central Golf Regional in Bowling Green, Ky. A tie for third place was easily good enough to qualify for the final stage of the golf championships, held May in Toledo, Oh. Individually, Cameron Tringale fired a Sunday 71 to finish in a three-way tie for third with a total of 214 (2-under). As the No. 7 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, softball hosted its own Atlanta Regional, which also included Iowa, Auburn and Boston University. Tech never faced Iowa, the second-seeded team in the pod, which fell out of contention with two quick loses to Auburn and BU. The Jackets opened with a 5-1 win over BU on Friday and reached the regional final with a 4-1 dispatching of Auburn on Saturday. Needing just one win on Sunday against consolation winner BU, which needed two straight victories in order to spring the upset, the Jackets made quick work of the Terriers. A 7-2 triumph in Game 1 put Georgia Tech in a Super Regional against the University of Washington, to be played this week in Atlanta starting Thursday. TENNIS OUT IN SWEET 16 The women s tennis team was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament last Friday, but not before it reached its fifth consecutive Sweet 16. Georgia Tech, which won the 2007 National Championship, began another NCAA run with a 4-0 victory over Jackson State followed by a 4-1 defeat of Mississippi in the round of 32. With a spot in the quarterfinals at stake, however, eighth-ranked California blanked the No. 9 Yellow Jackets 5-0. Men s basketball head coach Paul Hewitt says highly touted recruit Derrick Favors will attend summer school and work on his game at Georgia Tech this summer, rather than try out for the United States team that is traveling to the World University Games in Serbia. In other hoops news, Moe Miller underwent a successful second surgery on his broken nose last Tuesday. A previous surgery during the season failed to heal the injury Miller sustained on Dec. 14. ACC TOURNAMENT BEGINS The baseball team wrapped up its regular season last weekend by losing two of three to the host Duke Blue Devils. In their last homestand, however, the Jackets took the series 2-1 over ACC regular-season champion Florida State. Georgia Tech ( , ACC) now heads into the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed. Tech will begin its postseason campaign on Wednesday against fifth-seeded Miami in Durham, N.C. The Jackets are in a round-robin group of four that also includes Florida State and No. 8 seed Boston College. The track and field teams recorded 11 regional qualifying performances at the Georgia Tech Invitational last Saturday. Sophomore Joanna Wright set a school record in the pole vault and senior Jerome Miller tied his school record in the high jump. The Yellow Jackets will now prepare for the East Regional Championships, which begin at the end of the month. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com.

16 16 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! Braves find success on divisional road trip The Braves returned home following a 6-2 road trip against several divisional rivals. After taking care of the Marlins, the Braves ventured into Philadelphia and walked out with a series victory. Then it was on to Citi Field to face the Mets. After taking game one with a win over Johan Santana, game two was seemingly in the bag until the bullpen allowed two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extra innings. Three straight walks following a single gave the Mets a walk-off walk for the game-winning run. Jeff Bennett picked up the loss, but his time in New York would improve. In the finale, Mike Gonzalez was able to atone for the previous night s blown save by striking out Carlos Beltran and Gary Sheffield with the tying run on third. Bennett picked up the victory in the rubber game. Once home, the Braves welcomed in the Arizona Diamondbacks. The hometown team once again had a 3-2 lead entering the ninth with Gonzalez coming on to pitch, but he blew another save, allowing a lead-off home run to Stephen Drew, brother of former Brave J.D. Drew. In the bottom half of the ninth,however, the Braves loaded the bases with one out and Yunel Escobar lifted a sac fly deep enough to center to allow Jordan Schafer to scamper home with the winning run. In game two of the series, Atlanta was never competitive. Arizona scored early against Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami and often against the bullpen; Jeff Bennett and Buddy Carlyle in particular. Carlyle gave up a grand slam in the ninth, accounting for four of the six runs the D-Backs scored in the frame to put the game out of reach. Rain cancelled Sunday s finale, pushing ace Derek Lowe s start to Monday against Colorado. Lowe was seeking his sixth victory of the season, which would put him halfway to 12, a mark he has reached in seven straight years. PROBLEM SOLVED In other Braves news, it appears that the special glasses Brian McCann now dons while playing has certainly straightened out his approach at the plate. McCann has hit close to.400 since returning from the disabled list for blurred vision and he noted that he will wear the glasses while batting through the end of the season. McCann does not wear the glasses while catching. G-BRAVE CALLED UP The Braves rotation will be getting a bit younger next week as GM Frank Wren made the decision to recall Kris Medlin from Gwinnett as Jo-Jo Reyes was sent to the bullpen following two bad starts. Medlin was leading the International League in ERA and had a 5-0 record, including 21 straight scoreless innings. The 23-year old is expected to pitch Thursday against Colorado. Medlin was called up instead of phenom Tommy Hanson, who leads the IL in strikeouts but has a losing record due to a lack of run support. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com Baseball season ends with second-place finish The KSU baseball team ended the season with a series win at North Florida on May The Owls took second place in the Atlantic Sun regular-season standings with a conference record of The Black and Gold had an overall record of During the series with UNF, Kyle Heckathorn struck out 15 batters in setting a KSU Division 1 record. The junior from Ringgold pitched nine innings and gave up four earned runs. However, the game went to extra innings and the Owls won the game in the 11th when KSU loaded the bases and scored a run on a fielder s choice by Josh Whitaker. The following day, KSU hurler Chad Jenkins pitched a complete game in earning his eighth consecutive A-Sun win this season. The junior from Canton gave up just two earned runs in the 8-3 win. During the previous weekend, KSU played a vital series against A-Sun leader Florida Gulf Coast (38-18, 23-7). Unfortunately, the Owls would lose two tight games to start the series before winning the final game 6-5. In Game One, KSU rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when Jayce Whitmer hit an infield popup that was dropped by an FGSU player, allowing Tyler Stubblefield to score from first. The relief pitching of both squads prevailed until the 15th, when the visiting Eagles exploded for eight runs and a 15-7 win. Game two was more of the same as FGSU scored six runs in the final two innings to erase a 7-5 Owl lead. Another solid effort by Jenkins, who pitched eight innings and struck out 10, was erased in the loss. Finally in game three, the Owls prevailed with a 6-5 win. The season is now over for KSU, which, in its fourth year of Division 1 competition, is ineligible for postseason tournaments. OTHER SPRING SPORTS The men s track team finished second in the A-Sun with a solid performance at the conference championships on May at UNF. Aymerick Kolokilagi finished first in the shot put just ahead of teammate Casey Strickland, who won the javelin throw and the discus. The 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams came in first in their events as well. Sprinter James Verdi finished first in the 400-meter dash and second in the 200-meter dash. Also, Gianna Catalano won the 800-meter run. The women s track team also finished second in the conference meet. Jessica Irizarry won the hammer throw and the javelin. Jill Arthur came in second in the long jump and triple jump, and sophomore MacKenzie Howe won both the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000- meter run. Rounding out the first-place finishes for KSU was Chiquita Hawthorne in the discus throw. Both track teams seasons are now over, but a select few of the athletes will compete in the USATF Outdoor Championships on June 25 in Eugene, Ore. Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. John, Lorentzen and Mant earn CAA honors; baseball sets school wins record Freshman golfer Allen John was recently named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year. John put together an impressive run during his first collegiate season at Georgia State, placing higher than any CAA golfer in both scoring average (72.38) and national ranking (90th). John finished as a medalist at the 2009 CAA Championship by posting (5- under), leading the Panthers to a tie for first in the team competition. During his rookie campaign, John posted first-, third-, fourthand seventh-place finishes. He shot a career-low 65 twice, at the CAA Championship and Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, as well as rounds of 66 and 67. He was the lone freshman to receive All- CAA First Team honors. Meanwhile, women s golf freshman Charlotte Lorentzen was named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year, and head coach Cathy Mant was honored as the CAA Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Lorentzen joined the Panthers in January and proceeded to record top-25 finishes in all five events. Most recently, she finished as the low Panther at the NCAA Central Regional, earning a share of 20th place at Georgia State s final event of the year. Mant received her third CAA Coach of the Year honor in four years. This marks her fifth career conference coach of the year award, including two in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Mant and Lorentzen s recognition comes on the heels of the Panthers second CAA Championship in four years, and the fifth NCAA Regional berth in seven years. CONFERENCE TOURNEY TIME Georgia State baseball has earned one of six spots in the CAA baseball tournament. It s being held May at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C. The Panthers, the No. 2 seed, will open against Northeastern on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. (listen live on WRAS-FM 88.5). In the other firstround matchups, top seed George Mason faces Delaware while No. 3 UNC Wilmington plays Old Dominion. After sweeping Alabama State to close out the regular season, the Panthers ended up winning a school record 35 games (35-20). Said head coach Greg Frady, It has been said many times how well this senior class did during their time here and I am extremely proud of the job they have done. AROUND CAMPUS Following their successful runs at the Georgia Tech Invitational last weekend, both Kendra Davis and Tamika Kinchen have qualified for the NCAA Regionals. Davis ran an in the 100-meter prelims to qualify while Kinchen earned a spot in the 800-meter event. Georgia State volleyball has signed Vanessa Nagy of Prescott, Ariz., and Mirjam Pfyl of Schindellegi, Schwyz, Switzerland to National Letters of Intent. The duo mark the fourth and fifth signings of the spring and both will be eligible to play for the team in the fall. We addressed a lot of needs for our team this offseason and I think these two signings will go a long way to helping us improve this fall, commented head coach Mike Webster. Follow the Panthers online at For basketball and football season ticket information call GA-STATE. Dave Cohen is in his 26th season as the Voice of Georgia State Basketball and Baseball on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works on the football radio crew at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

17 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 17 Dream enter preseason training camp to prepare for June 6 opener at Philips The Atlanta Dream broke camp on May 17, thus embarking on their second season as a franchise and hoping to improve on last season s 4-30 campaign. There will be plenty of competition for playing time, including starting spots, during the camp, as a myriad of new faces will take part. Only five players out of the 14 that were invited to camp are returnees from last season s team. Keep an eye on the newcomers, many of whom will battle for starting spots immediately. Six-time WNBA all star Chamique Holdsclaw makes her return to the league and will be one of those players. She will be joined by No. 1 overall pick Angel McCoughtry, free agent signing Michelle Snow, dispersal draft selection Sancho Lyttle, and center Chantelle Anderson, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL. Returning for the Dream are guards Ivory Latta, Izzy Castro Marques, and Tamera Young, as well as forwards Erika DeSouza and Jennifer Lacy. I ve talked to all my teammates and we re excited to get back on the court, said Lacy, and definitely not lose 30 games again. Everyone s coming in and striving to get better, we really believe in the team we ve brought in. Head coach Marynell Meadors agreed. I think we ll be totally improved, she said recently. FORMER UGA STAR ARRIVES With the goal of getting deeper in the backcourt, head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors signed eight-year veteran guard Coco Miller. Miller had spent her entire WNBA career with the Washington Mystics, who drafted her ninth in the She sported averages of 6.3 points, 2.4 boards and 1.6 assists per game over her career as a Mystic. She appeared in all of Washington s games last season, starting six of them. Coco is the type of player who helps you win games, said Meadors She s an extremely hard worker and is very professional in her approach to the game. Her versatility being able to play and defend multiple positions is really going to help us. Miller first made a name for herself locally while playing in Athens for Andy Landers and the Georgia Bulldogs. She was all-sec in each of her four seasons on the team, logging 16.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and three assists per game. I m glad we finally have a UGA player, and what a great one we got, said Meadors. She still has a lot of friends in Athens so she is really looking forward to getting back to Georgia and into an Atlanta Dream uniform. ALMOST GAMETIME With the preseason underway, the countdown to Dream basketball has officially begun. Atlanta will play one preseason game, a 7 p.m. matchup with the Connecticut Sun on May 27 at Philips Arena. The season and home opener take place on June 6 against the Indiana Fever. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.

18 18 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! BASKETBALL Marist War Eagle Boys Basketball Camp. Ages 7-15 day sessions, July 6-10 and July Evening sessions ages 12-17, July 6-9 and July Contact Marist head coach Greg McClaire at for more information. Collegiate Prep Basketball Academy_Boys/Girls Camp. June 15-19, 2009 (grades 1-6), 8:00am- 3:00pm; Crabapple First Baptist Church_Premier Boys Camp July 20-24, 2009 (ages 9-16), 8:00am-3:00pm; St. Francis Middle School - Roswell_Premier Girls Camp July 13-17, 2009 (ages 9-16), 8:00am-3:00pm; Mount Pisgah Christian School-Johns Creek_Contact admin@collegiateprep.com, website: collegiateprep.com. Top of the Key. Ongoing. Personal basketball lessons with Olympian Debbie Miller-Palmore, boys and girls ages For information call Southern Xposure. Ongoing. Cobb County Christian School - Marietta. AAU and YBOA tryouts for 9- and-under and 8-and-under teams. For information call or 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 or visit for more information. Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Basketball train ing and development for boy and girls grades K-12. Rising Stars, Future Stars, Suwanee Basketball League, On Court Player Development, nationallyrecognized year-round comprehensive player devel opment program. For more information contact Mike Brown at or visit Mark Price Shooting Lab. Ongoing: Personalized pro fessional shooting instruction through one-on-one coaching and state-of-the-art technology at Suwanee Sports Academy. For more information, contact Mike Brown at or visit SSA s On Court. Check out Suwanee Sports Academy s On Court, the nation s premier off-sea son development program at the nation s premier basketball training facility right here in Gwinnett County! For more information, contact Michael Brown at or 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@georgi sports leagues.org.visitwww.georgiasportsleagues.org. Just Skills Of Atlanta. 8-week basketball fundamentals program for boys and girls ages 5 to 17 at Bogan Park in Buford and Lenora Park in Snellville. Spring programs start the week of March 24th, Summer pro grams start the week of June 3rd, Fall programs start the week of August 11th. Please visit fatlanta.com for more information or call Sessions are filling up now for spring, summer and fall. Ask about our free introduction day to see what Just Skills Of Atlanta is all about. BASEBALL Braves. May 20 vs. Colorado 7 PM. May 21 vs. Colorado 7 PM. May 22 vs. Toronto 7:30 PM. May 23 vs. Toronto 7:30 PM. May 24 vs. Toronto 1:30 PM. May 25 at San Francisco 4:05 PM. May 26 at San Francisco 10:15 PM. May 27 at San Francisco 10:15 PM. May 28 at Arizona 9:40 PM. May 29 at Arizona 9:40 PM. May 30 at Arizona 4:10 PM. May 31 at Arizona 4:10 PM. June 2 vs. Chicago 7 PM. Gwinnett Braves. May 21 vs. Toledo 7 PM. May 22 vs. Toledo 7 PM. May 23 vs. Toledo 7 PM. May 24 vs. Toledo 2 PM. May 25 vs. Indianapolis 6 PM. Mat 26 vs. Indianapolis 7 PM. May 27 vs. Indianapolis 7 PM. May 28 vs. Indianapolis 2 PM. May 29 at Syracuse 7 PM. May 30 at Syracuse 7 PM. May 31 at Syracuse 5 PM. June 1 at Syracuse 7 PM. June 2 at Rochester 7:05 PM. Prospect Watch. Ongoing - Buckhead. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons by a former college and mino league coach. For information call or visit Adult Baseball League Metro Atlanta. Ongoing. MSBL 18+, 28+, 38+, and 48+. Sunday League con tact 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 les sons 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. FOOTBALL Topps Matt Ryan Youth Football Clinic. Features instruction by Matt Ryan, Justin Blalock and Sam Baker of the Atlanta Falcons. Boys and girls ages 7-14, non-contact. June 6. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Centennial High School. Visit ic.com or call CAMP for more information. Georgia Mustangs Football Private Workouts. Ongoing Southeastern Division Champs. AAA Minor League Football team. Oglethorpe University. Visit for more information. SCM Group Camp. High school and youth camp at Oglethorpe University. June for high school and July 6-10 for youth ages 7-13 weeklong day camp. Website is Endorsed by current and former NFL players from the Atlanta chapter of NFLPA. Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting applications for qualified coaches in all age groups. For information 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@georgiasport sleagues.org.visit Georgia Force Home School High School Football Program. If you are a home school student or a student that attends a Christian school in the Gwinnett or Hall county region and would like to participate in high school football, please contact Scott Willis at ext 401 or at appstmtn@aol.com The Georgia Force High School football program participates in the GFL (Georgia Football League) and is accepting players from the ages of years old. We currently offer a JV and Varsity program. For more information, please go to our web site at 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 Peachtree Booster Club. Ongoing - Pickneyville Roller Hockey Rink. Fees: $95 for 12-game season, $30 out-of-county fee. For information visit SOCCER Tavani Soccer Day Camps. Boys and girls, Ages 7-15 one-week sessions, June 22-26, July 7-11, July 13-17, 9:00am-12:00pm, Duluth (Bunten Road Park) Fee: $145/week. Elite Camp, boys and girls, ages 10-15, 12:00pm-1:30pm, Fee: additional $65/week. Forsyth(Sharon Springs Park), ages 7-15, June or June 22-26, 9:00am-12:00pm. All campers receive t-shirt, hand-stitched ball, and personal evaluation. A coaching license, GA Coach of the Year, Goalie coach available, teams welcome. For more information visit camp@tavanisoc cer.com, or call Challenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physi cally disabled youngsters. For information call Ken Higgins at Fair Play Sports Center. Ongoing on Saturdays. Indoor soccer for ages to 60-minute classes. For information call 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. Competitive Amateur Soccer in Atlanta For more information, visit 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 PlayLaxGwinnett. Ongoing. Players, coaches, referees needed for play at Gwinnett Sports Center. For information call Chris Chico at or or 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 or by contacting Chris Smith at chris@dou blestixxlacrosse.com or RUNNING Celebrate America 5K/10K. May 25. Alpharetta, 7:30 AM Memorial Day 5K Night Race. May 25 Bainbridge, 7:00 PM Dacula Memorial Day 5K/Mile. May 25 Dacula, 8:00 AM CAMPS Nike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville, Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and to find out which dates suit your campers best. Georgia Tech MaChelle Joseph Basketball Camp. Ages range from Day camps, overnight camps and team camps available. Visit blinwreck.com or call to find out which dates suit your campers best. Harlem Legends. The Harlem Legends have scheduled their 2008 Shoot for the Stars Basketball & Physical Fitness Camps. The "Shoot for the Stars Youth Basketball Camps and Clinics" are a unique form of learning experiences geared towards young basket ball players of all skill levels. There are two Gwinnett County camps this year. Please visit our website ( or call for additional camps. VOLLEYBALL AirVorne s Outdoor Volleyball Camp for Kids. Grass & Sand Volleyball Camp. June 1st-5th, 9:00am- 1:00pm. Ages: 10-18, boys & girls, Brookhaven Park and Piedmont Park. Coaching by Atlanta s most competitive players, skills evaluations, lunch, and a Friday tournament. $275. To register or for more info camps@airvorne.com. Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For information call Jerry Robison at or visit Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball training and development for boys and girls grades 3-12.VolleySkills, VolleyStars, VolleyTraining, and OnCourt Player Development, a year-round comprehensive player development program. For more information, contact Mary Carnell at x108 or visit High School Volleyball League. Beginning February Suwanee Sports Academy for girls grades 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 x106 or visit Volleyball Clinic. Ages: 5th-8th Grade Date: Sunday May 3rd, 10th, 17th and 31st SWIMMING & DIVING Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool - Alpharetta, Ga Old Milton Parkway. For information call 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 informa tion call :50 AM. SwimAtlanta Sugarloaf at Kid s Village. Ongoing. Swim team, lessons, lap swimming, master s pro gram, water aerobics and scuba available. For information call YOUTH REGISTRATION SCM Group Camp. High school and youth camp at Oglethorpe University. June for high school and July 6-10 for youth ages 7-13 weeklong day camp. Website is Endorsed by current and former NFL players from the Atlanta chapter of NFLPA. 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 or info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com. Flag Footall. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia's Best Sports Leagues. Registration ongoing. We offer Youth Flag Football for ages (6-8) and (9-12) year olds for both Boys & Girls. Games are played in the Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody area. Next season starts in February. For more information please contact (678) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit Atlanta Junior Golf. Boys and girls, ages 7-18, can enjoy summer and fall tournaments throughout Metro Atlanta and Middle and North Georgia (from Dalton to Macon and from Carrollton to Athens) in one the nation s premier junior golf associations. All skill levels are welcome, from beginner to expe rienced players, with more than 8,000 rounds of golf available during the summer program alone. For more information, log on Corpus Christi Youth Basketball League. Registration is now underway for our 29th season! Boys and girls ages 5 through 14, any skill level, are welcome. Cost: $90 per child/$85 for siblings. Fee includes uniforms, field trips, skills clinics, 9 games and more! Register while space is still available Saturdays October 11 & 18, 2008, 10 AM to 12 PM. Location: Corpus Christi Church Sports Arena, 600 Mountain View Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 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. Senior Softball League. Ongoing - Best Friend Park, Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA. All Skill levels welcomed. Men age 45+ and women age 40+. Open practice on Saturdays and games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. For infor mation call Gary Mastrodonato at or visit Open Recreational Softball. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia s Best SportsLeagues.Registration ongoing. We offer "Men's" and "Co-Ed" styles of play in Doraville/Dunwoody area. Monday, Wednesday & Sunday league play available. Next season stars in February. We play ALL year round. For more infor mation please contact (678) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit giasport sleagues.org. Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High School season in fast-pitchsoftball. We hold week ly training meetings. For more information, contact Irvin Seabrook at or Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com. K-Club Classic D1 Fastpitch Softball. February Kennesaw State, Memphis, Buffalo, Miami, Drexel and Iowa are schedule to participate. Entry fee $300. All Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy Marietta, GA Register at or (678) 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 Friday Night Drags and Show-N-Shine. May 22 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Dale Jarrett Racing School. May at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon Racing School. May at Atlanta Motor Speedway. SCCA National. May at Road Atlanta. OFFICIATING Basketball - Duluth basketball association. Ongoing. Looking for youth officials with training provided. For information call Barry Sullivan at Football - Lanier Football Officials Association. Ongoing. GHSA member accepting applications with weekly training meetings. For information call Tom Tipton at , ext. 239 or visit Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials Association. Ongoing. Needs officials. For information call Bud Hennebaul at or 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 or 9rcorp@150mail.com. Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association. Needs youth and High School officials for season. Training and mentoring provided for free. Great way to earn some extra money and get some fun aerobic exercise. For more information, visit or call Jim Westbrook at ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, Georgia Dome. For tickets, call To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call or visit MISC Senior Horseshoe Pitching League. Ongoing - Gwinnett Senior Center - Bethesda Park. Includes instructional coaching. Games will be played under NHPA rules. For men and women seniors. Meets Tuesdays. For information call AM. Pool Tournament. Every Monday - Ongoing - Motorheads Bar n Grill - Henry County. Cost: No cover. For information call or visit 7 p.m. Pool Tournament. Nightly - Ongoing - Sean Patrick s Bar & Grill - Buckhead. Fees: No cover. For information call PM. East Cobb Bass Club. Ongoing - Ryan's Family Steakhouse - Canton Road - Marietta, Ga. Boaters and nonboaters welcome. Meets the first Tuesdayof each month. For information call or 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 or 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 training opportunities for men, women, and youth. For more information, contact Jeb Bell at handball@equipmentcontrols.com. Performance Training Inc. at Suwanee Sport Academy. Ongoing. Offers speed, agility, and quick ness training for athletes across multiple sports. For moreinformation, contact Dustin Wolf at x121 or visit 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 or visit Club Sport. Club Sport opens registration for summer leagues on May 1st with league play beginning in June. Club Sport is Atlanta's recreational sports and social group with over 10,000 participants each year on 1200 teams in 120 leagues. Each season Club Sport offers leagues in flag football, softball, soccer, sand and indoor volleyball, basket ball and more. Club Sport is where Atlanta comes to play! For more information about Club Sport, upcoming events, photos or interviews with the owner, please contact Rich Alvarez at ext. 818 or visit 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 or pub.com. Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame. June 6 at Emory Conference Center. The new inductees are: Olympic Medalist, Edith McGuire Duvall; NBA Great, Walt "Clyde" Frazier; Legendary Georgia Tech Football Coach, John Heisman; High School Coaching Pioneer, Calvin "Monk" Jones; Georgia Tech Two Time All-American, Roger Kaiser; and the Braves Broadcast team of Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren. Tickets to the event are $100. Individuals can make a reservation by calling Bev Bennett at Find more information at

19 MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 19 Hawks looking to improve during offseason In the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks outlasted the Miami Heat in a seven-game series, moving on to the second round for the first time since the season. The excitement over such progress wouldn t last long, however, as Atlanta ran into a LeBron James-led buzz saw in the form of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, falling in four straight games, all by double figures. And while the Hawks first-round success should no doubt be considered an accomplishment, even with their second-round speed bump in mind, in the end, every team s long-term goal is to win a championship. With that objective in mind, I have taken a close look below at three specific needs the Hawks must address before becoming championship-worthy. CENTER The Skinny: The center position is perhaps the most obvious Hawk need and the problem here is twofold. First, the team lacks a legitimate center and, as a result, is too small to match up with the league s best teams on both ends of the floor. More importantly, however, Atlanta s lack of a true five has forced it to play promising power forward Al Horford out of position, effectively negating the many contributions he could make at the four spot while curbing the young big man s development as an offensive post presence. Big Al showed little improvement offensively between years one and two and his potential offensive post production at the power forward spot could go a long way in making the Hawks a far more efficient offensive unit in half-court sets. The Answer: The team will have little to spend this summer on the free-agent trail, but may have just enough to compete in the Marcin Gortat sweepstakes. While most fans haven t yet heard of Gortat, blame that on Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who takes nearly all of the Polish big man s minutes. Still, when he gets his time, Gortat is a true difference-maker with one of the best nicknames in sports; the Polish Hammer ranked fourth in the league this season in rebounds per 48 minutes and 11th in blocks per 48 minutes. J-SMOOVE The Skinny: If the Hawks are ever really going to contend for titles, they must find a better role for Josh Smith. For that to hap- pen, however, Smith must take it upon himself to develop a much more polished and focused skill set. As mentioned above, Horford is this team s future at the power forward spot and, even now, Smith has very few skills that suggest he should be playing that spot; he has failed to cultivate a developed post-up game and struggles defending bigger fours one-on-one. The Answer: I contend that Smith s most natural position is at small forward, though his lack of an outside shooting touch has convinced most people otherwise. There is no doubt Smith s horrid shooting percentage beyond the paint makes him a liability at the three, but rather than moving him to a place he doesn t truly belong (power forward), Smith must spend the necessary time it takes to develop a jump shot, much the same way other poor-shooting perimeter players, like Eric Snow, have. The other option, of course, is to leave Marvin Williams at the three and trade J-Smoove while he has value for either a quality point guard or center. POINT GUARD The Skinny: There is no doubt Mike Bibby has played a monumental role in the team s resurgence and playoff success over the last two years, but the former Arizona Wildcat is set to be a free agent this summer. He will command a lot of money on the market and is already over 31 years of age. His 3-point shot has been deadly in the past, but Joe Johnson is a more than capable outside shooter and Marvin Williams has also added this dimension to his game, making Bibby s shooting prowess not nearly as valuable, as his inability to penetrate is an offensive hindrance in the half-court game. The Answer: The Hawks must get younger at the point guard position and must find a guy capable of doing everything Bibby doesn t, namely, getting in the lane and to the hoop while playing solid defense on opposing point guards. There are no point guards on the free-agent market that fit this billing, which is where trading Josh Smith and the NBA Draft come into play. If the team elects to keep J- Smoove in the fold, it will look towards the draft, where guys like VCU s Eric Maynor, UNC s Ty Lawson, Syracuse s Johnny Flynn and UCLA s Darren Collison may be available when the Hawks are on the clock. Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com. CHECK OUT THE HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD AT SCOREATL.COM SAID ON THE AIR The Braves Chipper Jones won a batting title last season, will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will retire likely as one of the five best third basemen of all time. - ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian on Chipper Jones and the revival of the third base position KEEPIN AN EYE ON Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith addressed the team s offseason obligations last week and had this to say about Josh Smith: Take a page out of the book of New Orleans Hornets forward David West and come back with a money 16- footer I place as much of the responsibility for that happening on Smith as I do his employers. Yet, while we completely agree that Smith must develop a consistent jumper, we think it is crazy to suggest that doing so is anyone s responsibility other than his own. We officially were in agreement with Mark Bradley when he wrote last week that the Hawks should draft VCU point guard Eric Maynor. Bradley goes on, however, to suggest that Atlanta must find a new offensive strategy and that Joe Johnson must step back a bit. And while we agree with Bradley on the new strategy, it isn t up to Johnson to retreat but rather the Hawks to find him some help. MEDIA HALL OF FAME Last week, ESPN.com college football analyst Chris Low released his post-spring power rankings for the SEC. Georgia fans may be a bit disappointed to hear that Low picked the Bulldogs to finish fifth in the conference, behind Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama and LSU, in that order. The running game needs some work, and A.J. Green needs some help at receiver, writes Low. It doesn't help any that defensive end Justin Houston is suspended for the first two games of the season. SCORE ATLANTA ADVERTISING INDEX 790 The Zone...1, 8 Aqua Blue...17 Atlanta Dream...15, 17 Atlanta Hall of Fame...9 AVP...2 BP Sports...10 BrandsMart...1, Back Page Children s Healthcare of Atlanta..11 Cigar Merchant...17 Club Sports...3 GEICO...1 Georgia State...16 Hooters...4 Instant Imprints...17 Man s Best Friend...12 Matt Ryan Football Camp...17 North River Tavern...7 Play It Again Sammy...14 Rhodes Bakery...14 Ron Veal Football Camp...19 SCM Group...5, 13 TGS...14 Trivia Zone...19 Worthmore Jewelers...12 TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA: Copyright 2009 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published every week on Wednesdays. 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. 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! 30 CENT WINGS at J.R. Crickets in Smyrna every Wednesday night (Dine-In Only) Tuesday: North River Tavern Atlanta (770) The Grove Restaurant & Bar Decatur (404) StarTime Entertainment Roswell (770) Jeffrey s SportsBar & Grill Alpharetta(770) Ribs, ETC., Buckhead (404) Frankie s at the Prado S. Springs (404) Neighbor s Pub VA-Highlands (404) Wednesday: Beef O'Brady's Suwanee (770) Bradley's American Cafe Marietta (770) Montana s Bar & Grill Marietta (770) Alpharetta (678) Dark Horse Tavern VA-Highlands (404) J.R. Crickets Smyrna (678) Thursday: Frankie s at the Prado S. Springs (404) North River Tavern Atlanta (770) StarTime Entertainment Roswell (770) Buffalo s Café Jonesboro (770) WoW Café and Wingery Athens (706) Friday: Ameribistro Smyrna (770) Sunday: Montana s Bar & Grill Marietta (770) Alpharetta (678) North River Tavern Atlanta (770)

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