10 WEEKS EQUALS 20 HIGH SCHOOL GAMES SEE BACK PAGE VOL 2 NO 1

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1 10 WEEKS EQUALS 20 HIGH SCHOOL GAMES SEE BACK PAGE SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2008 DEKALB S ATLANTA S HIGH SPORTS SCHOOL TALK SPORTS NEWSPAPER VOL 2 NO 1

2 W W W. S C O R E A T L. C O M 02D I SCORE DEKALB STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg MANAGING EDITOR Tad Arapoglou DIRECTOR OF SALES/MARKETING John Duke ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Gaudio GRAPHIC DESIGNER D.J. Galbiati WEBMASTER Alex Ewalt VIDEO MANAGER Scott Janovitz BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES Zander Lentz, Brian Pruett PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Cunningham OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Dream), Stephen Black (Silverbacks), Jason Boral (Thrashers), James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Erik Horne (Falcons), Scott Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Keilah Johnson, Brian Jones, Zander Lentz, Corey Mitchell, Jessica Parker, Derek Wiley CONTRIBUTORS Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Chuck Oliver, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Matt Chernoff, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom 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 Get In The Game! THE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK TONEY WILLIAMS MILTON HIGH The senior running back put on a show last Friday, rushing 40 times for 350 yards with an unbelievable seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving) in the Eagles win over Chattahoochee. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Tennessee commit scored all of his rushing touchdowns from within 10 yards, and caught a 27-yard pass for a score. ABBEY MEIXEL CHEROKEE HIGH The Kennesaw State-bound senior is one of the top pitchers in the state, as she showed last week against Harrison. Meixel struck out 16 Hoyas on her way to a complete-game shutout, following up her 17-strikeout performance against Sequoyah in the previous game, a 4-2 win. Meixel is currently tied for the school record in career wins (44). S FOR REAL-TIME HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES GO TO SCOREATL.COM

3 SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2008 W W W. S C O R E A T L. C O M SCORE DEKALB I 03D tate powerhouses battle it out in four classic out-of-region matchups There is something special about the prospect of two titans from varying regions butting heads, experiencing the unknown or the unfamiliar on a football field with nowhere to go. And, in that spirit, we have decided to take a close look at four of the top Georgia high-school football nonregion matchups of the year, those which pit some of the state s top teams against opposing giants from foreign regions or classifications. Below you will find an in-depth preview of each game. Brookwood (8-AAAAA) vs. North Gwinnett (7-AAAAA), Sept. 5: Bob Sphire s fast-rising North Gwinnett squad travels across the county in this exciting matchup to visit the Region 8 power Brookwood Broncos and their exceptional coach Mark Crews, who is in his seven years at the school. Surprisingly, each began 2008 with losses against other top teams, as Brookwood was outlasted 14-9 by Walton at the Georgia Dome while North Gwinnett lost to Byrnes (S.C.), one of the top-ranked teams in the nation. Interestingly, this particular matchup features two common foes, especially of late. All time, Brookwood is 3-4 against the Bulldogs, though they lost twice to them last year alone, the second coming loss in the second round of the playoffs. The game also features some of the state s top players. North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo is a dual-threat player and one of the top stars in the state at his position. For Brookwood, massive guard and Alabama commitment Kellen Williams is the star-in-the-making worth watching. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Lowndes (1-AAAAA) vs. Peachtree Ridge (7B-AAAAA), Sept. 5: Coming off a routine Week 1 throttling of Woodland- Henry, Lowndes gears up for a Sept. 5 date at home with Peachtree Ridge and second-year coach Bill Ballard. Lowndes, led by coaching dynamo Randy McPherson, is not only Class 5A s defending state champion, but has won three such titles in the last four years. Merely adding to the game s excitement, this is the first-ever contest between the two schools. Although Peachtree Ridge will enter the game at 0-1 after losing 13-3 to a talented Harrison squad in Week 1, the Lions remain steep competition for Lowndes and feature two extremely exciting prospects. From his defensive back position, Connor Norman can be a huge nuisance to opposing offenses while inside linebacker and LSU commit Kevin Minter is one of the top prospects in the country. On the Lowndes sideline, talent abounds as future Florida Gator Greg Reid, perhaps the state s top athlete, teams up with FSU commitment Gerald Demps to form possibly the best defensive backfield in all of Georgia. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Carver-Columbus (2-AAA) vs. Northside-Warner Robins (1- AAAAA), Sept. 12: This exciting showdown marks the collision between two of the most dominant programs in the state, both of whom are defending state champions. In fact, while Carver and head coach Dell McGee (pictured left) sport an impressive 15-game win streak, Conrad Nix (pictured right) and his Eagles have been even more impressive of late, riding a 30-game win streak and winning state titles in 2006 and And while Northside has completely dominated this series over the years (the Eagles are 15-1 against Carver all time), since McGee s arrival in 2005, Carver has transformed into a completely different monster. Both teams were impressive in Week 1 matchups, as Northside disposed of Perry while Carver put a 31-0 beating on Spencer. As for players to watch, Carver linebacker Jarvis Jones no doubt steals the show as the state s top overall player and one of the nation s most highly recruited prospects. Northside defensive lineman and Georgia commitment Abry Jones isn t too shabby either while his defensive running mate and Clemson commitment Eric Fields is unquestionably one of the top linebackers in the State of Georgia. Ware County (2-AAAA) vs. Stephenson (2-AAAAA), Sept. 19: Yet another contest between two teams who have never lined up across from one another. While Ware County is viewed as a talented team of the future with a first-year coach in John Stephens, Stephenson s program, thanks to the 13-year leadership of head coach Ron Gartrell, has done nothing but win since its 1996 inception. Before its Sept. 19 date with the Jaguars, however, Ware will look to rebound from a 24-0 loss in their Week 1 matchup with Coffee. As expected, Stephenson took care of business in their first action of 2008, blasting McNair 21-0 last Saturday night. Stephenson linebacker Nigel Mitchell- Thornton is considered one of the top linebackers in the state this year and has given his pledge to the University of Tennessee. On the other side of the field, opponents are mindful of a dominant Gator defensive line, as the duo of defensive tackle Galatian King and defensive end Jimmy Staten wreak havoc all across the gridiron. The cover photos feature (left to right) North Gwinnett s Michael Tamburo (courtesy of Photographic Arts); Stephenson s Nigel Mitchell-Thornton (courtesy of Andrea Mitchell) and Northside-Warner Robins Joe Scott (Photographic Arts). The photo of Dell McGee is courtesy of Carver-Columbus and the photo of Conrad Nix is courtesy of Photographic Arts. Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.

4 04D I SCORE DEKALB W W W. S C O R E A T L. C O M Get In The Game! ld rivalry, new chapter: St. Pius overcomes Marist in this year s Fish Bowl he high school football season kicked off Tin DeKalb last Friday and one of the biggest games of the evening featured two rivals that represent the change that has ushered in the 2008 season. Across the state, bigname coaches have either retired or changed schools, and reclassification and region realignment has teams trying to get used to new rivals. In the Fish Bowl (as the Marist vs. St. Pius game is referred to), the old rivalry is as intense as ever. The result was unusual, however, as St. Pius prevailed I m really happy, said Golden Eagles quarterback P.G. Standard. It feels good. I hope we can make it a normal thing year-in and year-out. In Marist head coach Alan Chadwick s first 23 games of the series, the only time the Golden Lions played within single digits of the War Eagles was the St. Pius victory, their last win in the matchup before last Friday. Our last couple of teams played their hearts out, we just didn t win, said head coach Paul Standard. This win was for them and for our school community. I ve been playing in this program since sixth grade and I ve never beaten them, said running back Cole Moon. It s one of the best feelings I ve ever felt in my life. Moon finished the game with 120 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. NEW BEGINNINGS This Marist team experienced what few War Eagle teams have against St. Pius. We got outplayed, we got outcoached, we got out-physicalled, Chadwick said. We played scared, we played young, which we are, we played soft, and I thought that was the difference in the ballgame. After trailing 21-7 at halftime, the War Eagles played better in the second half, outgaining St. Pius in yardage The War Eagles, however, had to settle for a field goal on a crucial possession after a penalty took a touchdown off the board. That could have been a big momentum builder for us, Chadwick said. We played better, but we ve still got to make plays Both teams have new-look regions, as St. Pius moves from being neighbors with the War Eagles in Region 6-AAAA and drops to Region 5-AAA. That does not mean they will have an easier time, however. There are no easy teams in the region we re in and we re going to have to be ready every week, Paul Standard said. Marist s region will have a different makeup, with some good teams like St. Pius leaving, but he knows that it is still tough. Five or six teams [are good enough] to make it to the playoffs, Chadwick said. So some good teams will be left out. Much has been made about Marist being youthful this season, and Paul Standard does not see his squad as a veteran one either. We re real young. [ ] we ve got a lot of inexperienced guys. But I ll tell you one thing, they grew up tonight. It will be interesting to see how much growing both teams do over the course of the season. Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com

5 SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2008 W W W. S C O R E A T L. C O M SCORE DEKALB I 05D irst week of football provides upsets, excitement and one heck of a barnburner In North Gwinnett s third regionally televised game in the past year, the Bulldogs took on national power Byrnes (S.C.) in the first annual Progressive Football Challenge at North Gwinnett. Mainland (Fla.) beat Central Gwinnett in the opening game Friday night, The Bulldogs led at halftime after Zach Stopek returned a kickoff 83 yards for a score, but top tailback Marcus Lattimore and a tough Byrnes defense helped USA Today s No. 1-ranked team in America pull away in the second hal and win AROUND THE STATE Carrying the flag for Georgia high-school football once again, Buford ventured outside the friendly confines of our state to take on a much bigger (as in enrollment) team in the Kirk Herbstreit Football Series. The Wolves defeated Grove City (Oh.) last season in the event, and this year they victimized a Class 4A Arlington, Tex., team in Mansfield Timberview. The win in Texas Stadium on Saturday should serve notice that Buford, despite losing five 08 seniors to Division-I programs, won t be going away anytime soon. All-purpose player Cody Getz scored three touchdowns in the second quarter alone for the Wolves, two on short runs and one on a punt return. Coffee took it to Ware County in Waycross, beating the Gators It was Ware s first game with John Stephens as coach; Dan Ragle, who led the team to the Class 4A Championship Game last season, retired in the winter. Chamblee, Collins Hill and Harrison, other high-profile teams breaking in new head coaches, were more successful in their season-openers. Chamblee easily defeated Douglass at North DeKalb Stadium on Friday night, and Collins Hill routed Parkview Harrison upset Peachtree Ridge Dunwoody and head coach James Teter got a win over Class 4A Griffin by the score of Wildcats tailback Treavor Scales picked up three scores in that contest. With the impressive win, Dunwoody enters our GPB/Score Prep Top- 10 Rankings (see page 9 in Score Atlanta for the full list). St. Pius beat Marist at home to hold the Fish Bowl Trophy for just the second time in the last 27 tries against their archrival. In another rivalry game, Thomas County Central, No. 3 in our rankings in Class 4A, held off Thomasville, In what may prove to be the wildest game all year, Milton nipped Chattahoochee The Eagles got all seven of their touchdowns from running back Toney Williams, who rushed for 350 yards and scored six times on the ground and once through the air. OFF THE GRIDIRON In softball news, Class 5A s top-ranked team (GACA coaches poll) Peachtree Ridge dropped its second of three games so far against North Gwinnett (1-0). Alex McDavid, who is 4-0 on the season, pitched a complete-game (eight innings) shutout for the Lady Bulldogs. According to the Gatfxc.com all-class cross country rankings, Harrison, Chattahoochee and Greenbrier are ranked Nos. 1-3, respectively, in the boys standings, and North Gwinnett, Alpharetta and Etowah lead the girls. This weekend, Class 3A defending state volleyball champion Columbus will host a tournament featuring some of the top teams from around the state. Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com. oswell, Centennial battle in region rivalry Friday night at 7:30 p.m., the Roswell Hornets will travel to Centennial to take on the 1-0 Knights in what should be a crucial game for Region 6-AAAAA. New Roswell coach Leo Barker will look to win the first game of his head-coaching career, as the Hornets are coming off a tough loss at Tift County. The Hornets have lost several key players from their 2007 squad, including quarterback Dustin Taliaferro, running back Alex Daniel, and linebacker Ebele Okakpu. This season, quarterback Brian Hickman will attempt to lead the Hornets back to the success they enjoyed during the past few years. He will be aided by wide receivers Chuka Okakpu and Chris Boyd as well as by running back Donavon Bennett. Centennial began their season on a high note, defeating Northview The Knights will look forward to hosting Roswell in Friday s home opener. They Knights are led by star defensive end Euclid Cummings, who has scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, South Carolina, North Carolina, and East Carolina. Helping out Cummings on defense are fellow seniors Tola Adediran, a linebacker, and cornerback Henry Pierce. The offense is led by dual-threat quarterback James Floyd and by offensive tackle David Yankey. Highlighting this matchup will be the revenge factor that Centennial brings into the game. The Knights would have made the playoffs in 2007 with a win over Roswell in the season finale, but were denied in a hardfought battle. The two teams will likely find themselves in the playoff race again this season, which adds to the animosity and competitiveness in this North Fulton rivalry. Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. GPB to televise Kell-Walton matchup Both the Kell Longhorns and Walton Raiders come into their Friday night matchup at Raider Valley sporting 1-0 records. Walton defeated Brookwood 14-9 in the Corky Kell Classic on Aug. 23 and served notice that the state semifinalist from a year ago would be just as formidable this year. Meanwhile, the Longhorns welcomed back former assistant Derek Cook to Marietta, this time as Kell s head coach. Cook s first game in charge of the Longhorns was a success, as Kell defeated Woodstock to open their season. Cook hopes to help the Longhorns rebound from a 2-8 campaign a year ago. Despite both teams playing relatively low-scoring games in their first outings, the Longhorns and Raiders each are capable teams on offense. Two of the better receivers in Cobb County will be showcased in the game. Kell s Marlon Anthony registered 60 catches for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, while Walton s Price Garrett had seven catches, including a touchdown in the win over Brookwood. Garrett is also a capable defensive back. Ray Rayburn has the quarterback job to himself this year and is already off to an efficient season, completing 14 of his 17 passes against the Broncos, while Michael Boydston is the Raiders new featured running back. Assisting Anthony for the Kell offense will be tight end Will Middleton and speedy running back Justin Randolph. With defensive players like Scott Willoch, Brandon Burrows and David Paulsen on Ed Dudley s Walton team and Malcolm Overton on Kell, the game should be competitive across the board. Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com

6 W W W. S C O R E A T L. C O M 06D I SCORE DEKALB CHAMBLEE BULLDOGS Mike Collins s first game as head coach of the Chamblee football team was a successful one, as the Bulldogs prevailed over the Douglass Astros I feel like we played hard in all three phases of the game. Collins said. We made some big plays early and that was the difference in the game. The Bulldogs will play at North Springs in a special Thursday game that will kick off at 7:30 p.m. The volleyball team will host its first matches of the season this week when Peachtree Ridge and Dunwoody pay the Bulldogs a visit on Thursday. Then on Tuesday, Chamblee will play host to Lithonia, North Springs and Miller Grove. On both days, the action will get started at 5 p.m. The softball team hits the road this week to face Southwest DeKalb on Thursday and Miller Grove on Tuesday. The football team s touchdown club will host the Blue and Gold Under the Moonlight Auction and Dinner Dance on Oct. 3. The event will take place at the Solarium in Decatur, and admission is $35. For more information contact Yolanda Epps at COLUMBIA EAGLES The football team and its fans may have been wondering what type of squad they would have for the 2008 season. If the first game is any indication, they will have a dominant one. Columbia pounded old nemesis Lakeside-DeKalb The 70 points scored by head coach Kevin Latham s team represents the most ever scored by a Columbia football squad. With the team s victory over North Springs to end last season, Latham s program has outscored its last two opponents That dominance is not expected to carry over to Week 2 of the regular season, however, as the Eagles will face Class 5A powerhouse Stephenson at Hallford Stadium on Saturday. It will be the first meeting ever between the two schools. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. The volleyball team does not have any matches scheduled this week, but will return to action on Sept. 10 when it travels to Lakeside-DeKalb to face the Vikings and Chamblee. The first match is slated for 5 p.m. The softball team has two home games this week, as it hosts Druid Hills on Thursday and Cedar Grove Tuesday. DECATUR BULLDOGS The football team opened up the Price Jones Era on a positive note Friday night. With Jones s newly implemented Wing-T offense and aggressive defensive style, the Bulldogs dominated ruid Hills en route to a 27-0 victory. Jones s eight-man front set the tone, and the offense flourshed thanks to the ground game. A much tougher game awaits Decatur next week, as they hit the oad in a game at Henry Co. on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Warhawks feature one of the most dynamc offenses in the state. The volleyball team was competitive in two matches against teams in igher classes, but couldn t notch a victory in two 2-1 losses to Hillgrove and Parkview. The ulldogs dominated the first set against the Panthers, winning 25-10, but lost the next two sets y scores of and Softball is 6-0 after beating Dunwoody 3-1 on Thursday. The eam will face a good Westminster squad on the road on Thursday. The cross country teams un in the Clara Bowl at Berry College on Saturday morning. They face off against Wesleyan on uesday beginning at 4:30 p.m. DUNWOODY WILDCATS The football team began the season with a win over Griffin, which was ranked No. 9 in Class 4A in our GPB/Score Prep rankings. After Griffin tied the game at on a kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter, Derek Epperson responded with a return of his own to give Dunwoody a lead. Then Blake Adams returned a fumble for a touchdown on the next possession to make it Griffin had a chance to tie the game late, but DeWayne Brown picked off a pass with 54 seconds left to seal the deal. Oconee County and UGA quarterback signee Zach Mettenberger is next for the football team. The Warriors should provide yet another test for James Teter s team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The softball team lost to Decatur 3-1 on Thursday, dropping its record to 2-4 on the season. The team will be in action again at the Tiger Town Classic, where it will face Westminster and Cartersville at 5 and 6:30 p.m., respectively. Cross country runs in he Clara Bowl at Berry College on Saturday. DRUID HILLS RED DEVILS Get In The Game! With his most experienced team in years, head football coach Kip Hall has stated that he believes this team can have a winning season, its first since Unfortunately for Hall, the Devils did not get off to a good start, falling 27-0 to Decatur last Friday. Quarterback Jay Cromwell and company couldn t get anything going offensively, an area where the Red Devils expected to excel this season. A win next week over a weak Avondale squad now becomes a must or dreams of a winning season may be out of reach just two weeks into the year. The volleyball team, which played in the Class 3A State Tournament last year, swept through Columbia and Southwest DeKalb on Thursday with two wins. They have the week off before returning to action on Tuesday at Tucker. The softball team was 2-0 at press time and travels to face Columbia on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Then, on Tuesday, the team faces Dunwoody at 5:30 p.m. LAKESIDE VIKINGS After losing 20 seniors from last year s football team, this season has been viewed by many as a rebuilding year. Still, there was reason for optimism, as plenty of new seniors remain on the roster with new head coach Jeff Joiner leading the way. The Vikings, however, looked a tad rusty in last Friday s 70-7 loss to Columbia. The game was 0-0 after one quarter, but the Vikings lost control in the second and fell behind Joiner s team will have another tough game this week, facing No. 2-ranked Tucker. The boys cross country team ran to a sixth-place team finish in the Bob Blastow Early Bird Invitational. John Ewing led the way for the Vikings, finishing 14th overall with a time of 16:44.1. David Dixon was next, crossing the finish line with a time of 17:29.5. In the girls race, LHS finished fifth. Meaghan Wetterhall paced the team with a time of 19:41.7. After getting off to a 2-0 start earlier in the month, the volleyball team was defeated by Marist 2-0 in straight sets last Tuesday. MARIST WAR EAGLES The War Eagles started the season off with a thud, suffering a loss to bitter rivals St. Pius on Friday. The defeat marked only their second against Pius in the last 26 years. Pius drove for touchdowns on each of their first two offensive possessions. Marist, however, played much better for the remainder of the half and trailed 21-7 at halftime. The War Eagles even had the ball on the Pius 1-yard line late in the second half. The War Eagles went for the touchdown on fourthand-goal, but had a touchdown run by Patrick Sullivan called back for an illegal shift. Marist had to settle for a 23-yard Justin Moore field goal to make it Marist would get no closer, as their three points were the only scoring of the second half. Sullivan led Marist with 51 yards rushing. Marist will try to rebound against Stone Mountain on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The volleyball team is ranked No. 1 in the GACA Class 4A Coaches Poll, but lost its first match last week to Lassiter (25-22, 25-22). The squad responded by beating Pope, the No. 1 team in 5A, by winning the final two sets. The girls return to the court on Thursday against Columbus and Wesleyan. M.L, KING LIONS By Keilah Johnson The hard work put into M.L. King s summer two-a-day practices was finally put to the test, as the Lions football team faced Southwest DeKalb on Friday night. The team started the season off right by defeating Southwest DeKalb To make up for the experience lost to graduation last year, head coach Corey Jarvis focused on strengthening the team s skills. The 2008 team will face North Cobb and Greenbrier in non-region matchups, schools the team has never met before. Just like the Lions did in 07, North Cobb also completed an undefeated regular season last year. M.L. King s other fall sports hope to have breakthrough seasons this year as well. The volleyball team will also face heavy lineup changes this fall. The girls fell to Newton and Union Grove last weekend on the road. The team is off until Saturday when they do battle at home with Northside-Warner Robins and Warner Robins. We Help Young Athletes Get Better SPORTS PERFORMANCE TRAINING Speed and agility Strength and Power Injury Prevention Self-Confidence PRIVATE AND GROUP INSTRUCTION Baseball Softball Football Lacrosse Soccer Basketball BIRTHDAY PARTIES, BAR MITZVAHS & SPECIAL EVENTS NEW! ADULT FITNESS PROGRAMS 2 GREAT LOCATIONS! BUCKHEAD TOP DOG SPORTS Adams Dr. Atlanta, GA EAST COBB SPORTS A RAMA Fountains of Old Town 736 Johnson Ferry Rd. Marietta, GA

7 W W W. S C O R E A T L. C O M SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2008 MILLER GROVE WOLVERINES The football team did not win its season opener against Redan, but it didn t lose either. Miller Grove tied Redan on Friday. Quarterback Mydrikus Ealey filled in for injured starter Kendrick Ings and tossed two touchdown passes to wide receiver Stephen Hill, as the Wolverines led the Raiders Aided by a controversial pass-interference call, Redan scored late, but missed the extra point. Terrible, terrible call, said Miller Grove head coach Jasper Jewell of the iffy ruling. No overtime was played between the two teams in different classifications. Miller Grove will next play Southwest DeKalb on Friday at Panthersville Stadium at 8 p.m. Jewell talked about the upcoming matchup with the Panthers. We ve got to be able to stop the run, we ve got to be tough on defense and we ve got to capitalize on everything on offense, Jewell said. The volleyball team will next be in action on Tuesday when it travels to Chamblee. The team will play Chamblee at 5 p.m. and Lithonia at 6 p.m. The softball team hosts North Springs on Thursday and Chamblee on Tuesday. PAIDEIA PYTHONS The volleyball team returns to action this week and hopes to improve on a difficult 2007 season. They face Greenforest Christian on the road at 4:30 p.m. The softball team will lay in two key Region 7B-A matchups this week. They will first play host to St. Francis High chool on Thursday at 5 p.m. Then, the team hits the road on Tuesday to face Providence hristian, a match that was postponed earlier in the season. The cross country squad eturns to action on Tuesday in a meet at the Wesleyan School. The boys race begins at 4:30.m. and the girls race starts right after the conclusion of the boys. Running against one of the tate s best teams in Wesleyan will be a good measuring stick for the Pythons, as the Wolves won their third straight GHSA Class A/2A State Championship last season. Meanwhile, the girls squad finished with an impressive No. 3 ranking in the state. Both teams were ranked No. 1 in Class 2A according to Gatfxc.com s preseason rankings. REDAN RAIDERS Redan nearly pulled off a come-from-behind victory over Miller Grove in their football season opener last Saturday at Hallford Stadium. The Raiders and Wolverines tied Redan uarterback Akil Dan-Fadio led his team down the field in the final minutes with the Raiders railing After a pass-interference call put Redan deep in Wolverine territory, the sophomore ignal caller called his own number and tied the game on a quarterback sneak. The Raiders issed the extra point, however, and the two teams finished tied. Redan will next face McNair n Friday at Hallford Stadium. The volleyball team went into the Labor Day Holiday with a -1 record. The Raiders return eight seniors, three of whom were starters a year ago. Redan s key layers this year are senior hitter Delia Brunson, junior hitter Nia Evans, senior hitter/defensive specialist Faith Adams, senior setter Sariah Williams, senior setter Levada Harris, and senior setter/hitter Melinda Wright. After visiting Mays this past Tuesday, the Raiders will next host Warner Robins and Northside-Warner Robins on Saturday. The action begins at 10 a.m. ST. PIUS X GOLDEN LIONS When it comes to football, wins against archrival Marist have been hard to come by, as the War Eagles had defeated Pius in 25 of the last 26 games as of last week. Make that 25 of 27, as Pius notched a huge victory on Friday night. A quick start was crucial for the olden Lions, as they gained confidence by scoring on their first two possessions to take a 4-0 lead. The first score came on a 28-yard pass from P.G. Standard to Matt Pierce. Cole oon scored on the next drive. Marist hung around and trailed 21-7 at halftime, but a 1-yard arist touchdown run was called back by a penalty in the second half, forcing Marist to kick field goal as Pius led The Golden Lions travel to Greater Atlanta Christian this week or a 7:30 p.m. game. The No. 2-ranked volleyball team gets back to action this week with ome matches against Carver-Atlanta and Washington this Tuesday and Westminster and acula on Thursday. The team will also host the St. Pius X Playday Tournament, which takes lace all day long on Saturday. SOUTHWEST DEKALB PANTHERS SCORE DEKALB I 07D The football team opened its regular season last week with a loss to Class 5A s M.L. King. The Panthers, who compete in Class 4A, made the game against the 2007 state quarterfinalist a competitive one, but could not pull off the win. The Panthers will next take on Miller Grove on Friday at Panthersville Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. The softball team is five games into its season and hopes to have a big year. Some of the players that will have a say in how the Panthers fare this season are their seniors: catcher/first baseman/outfielder Jasmin Riley, outfielder/second baseman Cynnamon Bell, third baseman/first baseman Shannon Baity and pitcher/first baseman Zakiyyah Durgan. The team plays North Springs on Wednesday, hosts Chamblee on Thursday and visits Tucker on Tuesday. The inaugural William Buck Godfrey Golf Tournament will take place on Oct. 6 at the Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Club in Atlanta. Registration is $75 per person. For more information, contact Nick Stroud at or Kilwanda Crawford at STEPHENSON JAGUARS Despite a depleted secondary, the defense played well enough to blank the McNair Mustangs 21-0 in the season opener for the football team. Running back Jared Pollard got the scoring started for the Jaguars with a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, putting Stephenson up 7-0. Running backs Raymond Sanders and Denzell Hartley later added scores of 46 and 17 yards, respectively. Linebacker Tyrone Cornelius and defensive back Chris Sharpe each had interceptions to end Mustang scoring threats. The defense played with four new starters in the secondary, as the four players originally slated to start were all out with injuries. They hit a lot of passes on us, said Stephenson head coach Ron Gartrell. We ve got to get some of these injured guys back and keep moving forward. The Jaguars play Columbia at Hallford Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Head coach Cassandra Woods s volleyball team visits Redan on Saturday to face the Raiders, Warner Robins and Northside-Warner Robins. On Wednesday, the softball team will play its first game in a week when it visits Greenbrier. STONE MOUNTAIN PIRATES By Keilah Johnson The wait was finally over for the fans and players at Stone Mountain, as the first football of the season kicked off last Friday night. The Pirates took center stage against their familiar opponent, Cedar Grove. It was a rough start for Stone Mountain, as they suffered a 19-7 loss to the Saints. Charles Reeves, who has been coaching the team since 2005, has an exciting lineup of games to look forward to. The Region 6B-AAAA team will battle Forsyth Central on the field for the very first time this season. They will also go up against some teams they have not played in decades. The Pirates will face Lithonia for the first time since 1999 as well as Chamblee for the first time since Next week, the Pirates will do battle with Marist, which just lost to St. Pius X last weekend. The War Eagles will present quite a challenge, though the Pirates will be looking for the upset. Stone Mountain s softball team was defeated by Chamblee last Thursday. The Pirates will be spending the next week preparing for their Sept. 16 showdown with region rival Southwest DeKalb. TUCKER TIGERS The football team started its 2008 campaign last Friday with a trip to South Georgia and a matchup with the Brunswick Pirates. The Tigers showed the form that carried them to a 13-1 season a year ago, as they dispatched of the Pirates The team did suffer some disappointment, however. Senior tight end/defensive end Deion Roberson, the Tigers largest player, injured his ankle. You hate to lose a kid and right now we do not know [to what] extent we lost him, said Tucker head coach Franklin Stephens. Someone will have to step up and take his place. Tucker plays Lakeside-DeKalb on Friday at Adams Stadium at 7:30 p.m. The softball team has a busy week ahead. The Tigers play at Lakeside-DeKalb on Wednesday, Stone Mountain on Thursday and M.L. King on Monday before hosting Southwest DeKalb on Tuesday. The football team s Coca- Cola fundraiser got underway this past Monday as the team s booster club began accepting orders for the purchase of Coca-Cola products. The fundraiser lasts until Sept. 19. All orders may be turned into Kim Ritchie Make all checks payable to the Tucker Quarterback Club.

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