REGIONS BANK PRESENTS CHAMPIONSHIP MONTH MAY 21-27, 2010 GWINNETT S ATLANTA S HIGH SPORTS SCHOOL TALK SPORTS NEWSPAPER VOL 4 NO 32
02G I SCORE GWINNETT STARTING LINEUP Get In The Game! THE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg GENERAL MANAGER Bob Houghton MANAGING EDITOR: Stephen Black ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES: Mark Mayo, Mike Nale BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black (UGA), Jason Boral (Thrashers), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Ricky Dimon (Tech), Rajesh Gupta (Hawks), Brian Jones (Preps), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) STAFF WRITERS Joe Deighton, Alex Ewalt, Brian Jones, Foster Lander, Jennifer Sugarman, Krissy Wade CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Zander Lentz, 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 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 GORDON: Calhoun, Gordon Central, Sonoraville CHAS PATE SPRAYBERRY HIGH The Yellow Jacket baseball team is having a tremendous run in the state tournament, and part of the reason is the play of Chas Pate. The senior infielder ended the regular season with a team-high.459 batting average and 29 RBIs. In a series against Alexander, Pate knocked in two runs to propel the Yellow Jackets into the third round of the tournament. DANIELLE AU NORTH GWINNETT HIGH Danielle is our player of the week for the second time this season - and for good reason. She holds the school record for most goals in a game (7), in a season (39) and in a career (99). In Saturday s state title game against Northview, Au scored two goals and had an assist to lead the Lady Bulldogs to their first state championship in school history. She has signed with the University of South Carolina.
MAY 21-27, 2010 SCORE GWINNETT I 03G GameDay Marketing fills void between athletics programs and businesses or high school athletics programs across Fthe state of Georgia and the country, for that matter having high-quality athletes is crucial. But, in a state where school systems only allocate a limited budget for sports teams, finding extra funding in order to support those athletes becomes a pressing need for many athletics directors and coaches. That s where Phil Campbell steps in: to help coaches take their programs to the next level. FILLING A VOID Campbell has been running fundraisers in the metro Atlanta area for 12 years with David Christofferson and started Gameday Marketing in early 2008 using sales of playbooks and player cards as vehicles for schools to earn profit. When Gameday receives interest from a school, Campbell goes to local merchants, whether small retailers or large restaurant chains, and asks them to provide a special discount that they would not normally offer. The service is free to merchants. Those coupons then go in a playbook a trifold piece that allows either 12 or 24 merchants to participate with two to four coupons apiece or a player card, which features seven key cards packaged around a central, reusable card that allows a company to get its logo on the offer. For athletics programs, the process is relatively easy. We put together a no-risk fundraiser for the program, said Campbell. There s no upfront cost and there s no minimums required. What they don t sell, they can return. The schools make a minimum of 50 percent profit. It is up to the players and coaches to sell as many playbooks or player cards as possible in a two-week period. Trying to sell as much as possible in order to maximize profit can be a galvanizing experience for a team. We re trying to use this as a team-building exercise, explained Campbell. At the end of this fundraiser, the team becomes closer because they hit their goals along the way. MILTON MONEY Perhaps Gameday Marketing s biggest success story is the Milton High School football program. The Eagles have no state championships in their history and had enjoyed no winning seasons in six years when head coach Scott Walker arrived in 2006. In 2005, Milton did the same Gameday fundraiser the school does today under Walker, but the previous coaching staff raised just $9,000. Four years later, in 2009, the Eagles raised close to $72,000 in two weeks with Campbell s company. This year, that total rose to $90,000. When he got to Milton, Walker quickly recognized the potential value of these fundraisers. I told our kids, if we knock this out of the park, we re done. We re not going to be doing car washes, selling doughnuts. There s so much money to be made with this particular fund raiser. It certainly helps, Walker said. The key for raising such an eye-popping total, Walker explained, is keeping up with their kids throughout the process. Every day, how we take roll at our positional meetings is by the kids reporting how many cards they ve sold. I think you have a lot of coaches that give the kids the cards and then three weeks later get them back. We check up every single day, Walker said. We re talking about it at the same time we re talking about tackling or running to the ball or whatever else we re coaching them on. The two-week sales process is an opportunity for upperclassmen to take a leadership role, so when younger players fall behind on their selling, the older players can step in and help encourage them to be more proactive. It s something expected of our older kids to do, said Walker. Milton also offers up incentives for players that sell numerous playbooks, whether it is new sweat suits or the opportunity to go to the team s summer football camp for free. That motivation works both ways. We feel like we ve got to do something to motivate the kids, and when they re helping you make money you want to do more for them and we give them a reason to help sell more cards. It s worked well, Walker explained. NOT JUST FOOTBALL More often than not, Gameday Marketing s fundraising opportunities are a smashing success, and those successes aren t limited to football programs. The North Gwinnett baseball program earned $20,000, while the soccer team at South Forsyth High School made more than $10,000. Most football programs Campbell works with earn upwards of $40,000. Community involvement is always key in getting the most out of a fundraiser. We have a lot of people that will come back asking to buy more cards. It s not like 10 percent off at McDonalds. The great offers get put on there because [Phil] is local and he goes to all these merchants in person so we get better products. By and large, do we probably have people getting tired of their doors getting knocked on during these two weeks? Sure, but we sold 6,200 of the playbooks so I d say the vast majority of our community supports the process, Walker said. Most importantly, Campbell points out, The kids enjoy this fundraiser because it s an easy product to sell. In essence, Gameday Marketing s fundraisers help coaches raise the money they need to elevate their program to the next level. At the end of the day, we feel like that to compete, we have to make sure we have every competitive advantage available, Walker explained. We have really nice things nice equipment, nice uniforms, a field house, a Jumbotron but with money comes high expectations, and we have to do our part. Without the help of Gameday Marketing, however, Milton, and numerous other high school programs across the state, would be unable to afford nice equipment or a field house. Walker sums it up best: I don t know anybody doing one fundraiser and making this kind of money. We re not complaining. Cover photo and inide photo are courtesy of I.J. Rosenberg. Lander can be reached at flander@scoreatl.com.
04G I SCORE GWINNETT Get In The Game! Buford football and metro basketball dominance highlight the 2009-2010 season It s safe to say it has been a wild and crazy year for Georgia high school sports. South Georgia ruled football once again with the exception of Buford, who won their third consecutive state title. The Milton boys basketball team won their first state title and were led by three juniors that are some of the state s best players. The Walton girls tennis team continued their amazing run, winning their seventh consecutive state title and breaking the record for most consecutive matches won in state history. These stories and many more made the 2009-10 year one to remember. MASON MAKES HISTORY There is no question football reigns supreme in Georgia, especially when it comes to high school football. The southern part of the state once again dominated as Camden County (5A), Peach County (3A) and Wilcox County (1A) each won state titles. It was not a strong year for metro Atlanta teams with only Buford winning a state championship, but the story of the year had to be what Lassiter quarterback Hutson Mason was able to accomplish in 2009. Mason was not only the best quarterback in Cobb County, but was possibly the best player in the state. The UGA-bound quarterback threw for 4,560 yards (a state record) and 54 touchdowns. He was named first-team all-state in 5A by the Atlanta Journal- Constitution and the Associated Press and was awarded the Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year. But the most important stat has to be 13-1, which is the best won-loss record for Lassiter in school history. He is a special player, said Walton head coach Rocky Hidalgo. As a player, he s the best quarterback I ve faced as a coach in 15 years. Thanks to his hard work and determination, Mason will suit up for the Georgia Bulldogs in the fall as the No. 3 quarterback. In other fall news, Collins Hill won their second state softball title since 2005. They were led by Kyla Floor, who was the Gwinnett County pitcher of the year, and Sammy Lenahan, who was the Gwinnett County defensive player of the year. In volleyball, Pope defeated Walton in an epic state championship match to win their first title in school history. Pope, who was trailing 13-8 in the tiebreaker, scored seven consecutive points to defeat the Raiders. THE BIG THREE As popular football is in the area, basketball is no slouch when it comes to talent. The one team many fans, coaches and media members were keeping their eye on was Milton, who had three talented juniors in Julian Royal, Dai-Jon Parker and Shannon Scott. As sophomores, they led the Eagles to a state title appearance in the 2008-09 season, only to lose to Cobb County powerhouse Wheeler. They were determined to get back to the state championship game and win it in 2009-10 and they did just that by winning the first title in school history. Parker scored 19 points, Royal added 15 and Scott racked up five assists in the win. Despite being such a dominant team, there were no seniors on the roster. In fact, the next best player on the team is Evan Nolte who was a sophomore last season. So, with the entire team coming back in 2011, it s safe to say the Eagles will be the clear favorite to win the title and could possibly be in the running for a national title. The other big story in the winter happened in wrestling as Collins Hill continued the dominance, winning the dual state title and the traditional state title. It s the third consecutive traditional and dual state titles for Collins Hill. T.J. Mitchell, who won three state titles for Collins Hill, was selected to the Georgia Wrestling Coaches Association All-Decade team for posting a 214-9 record. JUST WIN BABY Here s a question, out of all the teams in the state in all sports, who would you say has been the most dominant in the last five-toseven years? Is it Buford football winning three consecutive state titles? Or is the aforementioned Collins Hill wrestling team that has been in the top three of the traditional state championship every year since 2000? Those accomplishments are great, but the Walton girls tennis team is doing something that no team in state history has done before. They defeated Centennial in the state finals to win their seventh consecutive state crown. But that s not the amazing part. What has been amazing is during that span, they have yet to lose a match. Their win streak is at 133 matches and that sets a new state record, breaking Taylor County girls basketball team mark at 132 games which was from 1968-1972. It s recognition, Walton coach Roberta Manheim said right after winning the seventh consecutive state title. To go seven years and not to lose a match is special, but now we hold a record for those victories. It s tangible evidence of what we ve accomplished. Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com. SOCCER ALL-CLASS RANKINGS Boys All-Class 1. St. Pius X 2. Northview 3. McIntosh 4. Collins Hill 5. Gainesville 6. Starr s Mill 7. Centennial 8. Woodward 9. Milton 10. Lakeside-DeKalb Girls All-Class 1. Walton 2. Parkview 3. Whitewater 4. North Gwinnett 5. Starr s Mill 6. St. Pius X 7. Walker 8. GAC 9. McIntosh 10. Northview Rankings were compiled on May 18 and are courtesy of eurosportsscoreboard.com.
MAY 21-27, 2010 SCORE GWINNETT I 05G
06G I SCORE GWINNETT Get In The Game! Broncos and Lions dominate state track meet; Au ends career on a high note Gwinnett County has traditionally not been a power on the state level in Class 5A boys track and field. Last week, however, Brookwood and Peachtree Ridge bucked that trend in finishing No. 1 and No. 2. MAKING HISTORY The Broncos won the school s first Class 5A state team title with 51 team points, nine ahead of Peachtree Ridge s 42. Patrick Kelley won the 300-meter low hurdles for the Broncos and distance runner Tyler Anyan won the 3200-meter race after finishing second in the 1600-meter run. Two Broncos finished in second place in various events with several other Broncos placing high enough to score points. Keenan Harp was runner-up in the 100-meter dash while Carter Hewitt was second in the 800-meter run. For Peachtree Ridge, Carson Sears (discus) was the highest individual finisher. Dacula, which finished in third place, featured two individual champions in Robert Harvey (shot put) and Eli Mahaley (discus). Defending champion Parkview finished in 13th place and placed second in the 400- meter relay. Grayson (fifth overall) had a pair of individual champions as Kirubel Erassa won his second straight 1600-meter run and Billy Kovalczyk took home the 800-meter honors. South Gwinnett (sixth overall) claimed the 1600-meter relay title. The Collins Hill boys soccer team was able to defend its Class 5A title with a 1-0 (4-2 PKs) victory over Northview. Freshman goalkeeper Jackson Taylor was able to block two shots in the PK session to capture the title for first-year coach Drew Prentice. The boys have worked hard their whole lives improving in the game, said Prentiss. They never give up, and motivation comes from within. Collins Hill thought it had a goal in the second half when Josh Fancher hit Zak Wallingford with a pass that Wallingford quickly netted for an apparent 1-0 lead. The officials penalized Wallingford for being offside and the goal was wiped away. After a scoreless OT period, the teams went to penalty kicks and Peter Kurowski, Ricky Ortega, Aldo Lara and Dominic Bonilla all connected. The senior class leaves the Eagles with two straight titles and a runner-up finish two years ago. Every senior at some point has stepped up and been a leader when we needed them to, said Prentice of his departing seniors. Collins Hill s win over Northview was a measure of revenge after the Titans beat the Eagles earlier this year, dropping the Eagles from a national No. 1 ranking. Collins Hill also battled early-season injuries to eventually capture the state crown. There s no stronger bond than the one formed by a group of guys who go through some tough times together, said the victorious coach. AU DOMINATES The North Gwinnett girls soccer team also delivered a state crown to Gwinnett County with a 3-0 win over Northview to win the school s first soccer title. Danielle Au netted a goal in the first few minutes of the game to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead it would hold through halftime and a rain delay. After Au assisted Lauren Harriman s header for a goal in the early part of the second half, Au was at it again, pounding home a goal in the 71st minute to ice the win. The Lady Bulldog defense was extremely tough, allowing just one shot on goal, which North Gwinnett easily turned away. HAWKS SURVIVE On the baseball diamond, two Gwinnett powers fell in the second round and one other has a real shot at a state title according to the Gwinnett Daily Post s Brandon Brigman. On Score Atlanta Sports Sunday on 790 The Zone, Brigman predicted that Mill Creek would take home the Class 5A boys title. The Hawks swept Etowah out of the second round with 3-2 and 5-2 victories. For Mill Creek (25-5) it is the school s first appearance in the quarterfinals, where the Hawks will face Redan. Collins Hill was shown the door by Harrison in three games. The Eagles lost game one 10-6 but rebounded to take game two, 9-6. After jumping out to a 4-1 lead in the series-deciding rubber match, Collins Hill ultimately fell, 7-4. Spencer Horridge had a solo blast and Garitt Church added an RBI double along with Chris McGowan s RBI single to provide the Eagles with its four runs. Also falling in the second round was Parkview, who, early in the season, had been ranked No. 12 in the country according to USA Today. The Panthers scored just one run in its two-game sweep at the hands of Lassiter. The Trojans beat Parkview 7-0 and 4-1 to end the highly-decorated Panthers season at 25-5. The Panthers recently had received several awards from the Region 8- AAAAA coaches with Chan Brown receiving coach of the year and Matt Olson receiving player of the year. The coaches also named Central Gwinnett s Taylor Fields as pitcher of the year. Central Gwinnett was swept in the first round by Harrison. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com. STATE LACROSSE RANKINGS 1. Milton 2. Lassiter 3. Harrison 4. Walton 5. Northview Boys AAAAA Boys AAAA/AAA/AA/A Girls All-Class 6. Alpharetta 1. Lambert 6. McIntosh 1. Milton 6. Lassiter 7. Peachtree Ridge 2. Westminster 7. Holy Innocents 2. Chattahoochee 7. Walton 8. Newnan 3. Lovett 8. Blessed Trinity 3. Westminster 8. Alpharetta 9. Pope 4. Wesleyan 9. Darlington 4. Northview 9. West Forsyth 10. Collins Hill 5. St. Pius X 10. Woodward 5. Roswell 10. McIntosh Rankings were compiled on May 18 and are courtesy of laxpower.com.
MAY 21-27, 2010 SCORE GWINNETT I 07G