One goes in, a different one comes out

There will be a Heisman candidate that enters Saturday’s game between Boise State and Georgia and there will be one once the game ends. The question is: will it be the same guy? Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore has been targeted by multiple publications as a Heisman candidate, even a Heisman front-runner. He led the Broncos to a BCS bowl a few years back and is sure to become the all-time winningest quarterback in NCAA history by the end of the year.

But Moore has lost his top receivers from a year ago to the NFL and while the Broncos recruiting efforts have gotten better, Boise State doesn’t quite have the depth yet to simply plug two more sure-fire NFL draftees into the starting lineup.

Could Aaron Murray of Georgia be the Heisman candidate after the game? Murray had an outstanding freshman year and was many folks’ pick as the preseason All-SEC quarterback. Mark Richt (with Mike Bobo’s help) has built an offense to take advantage of Murray’s ability, which you started to see towards the end of 2010.

True Murray lost his top target in AJ Green, but Murray also played four games without him one year ago and Georgia is in a better position to replace Green’s numbers due to the Georgia recruiting base and depth chart. Boise State wishes it had the wide receiver options that some Georgia fans are bemoaning as not being able to replace Green.

And for anyone smirking at the possibility of Murray winning a Heisman with the mindset of “He’s a sophomore!” I respond that Tim Tebow was a sophomore when he won. Herschel Walker probably should have won the Heisman as a freshman and easily could have won as a sophomore. If Murray goes out there Saturday and outplays Moore in a big Bulldogs’ victory, it would not surprise me one bit for all of the networks to descend upon Murray with the Heisman hype, especially if he can follow it up with a win over South Carolina. A special season is there for the taking for Georgia. And a Heisman snatch-and-grab could come right along if Murray takes advantage.

Brookwood throwing a different look; Calvary Day throwing a no-no

Brookwood is back in action this Friday after taking last Friday off to lick wounds from a loss in the Corky Kell Classic to Lassiter. It will be interesting to see if head coach Mark Crews sticks with junior Zach Moon under center or if he switches things up and goes with D.J. Brown, a wide receiver that played a few snaps in a “Bucking Bronco” wildcat-formation. Moon helped Brookwood to an early lead but Brown offered a different look from the shotgun formation while flanked by both Jamaal Cole and Nick Tompkins. Crews could throw out a the wish-bone formation as well and completely take teams by surprise as region play kicks up this year. The Broncos face Collins Hill, a team it beat twice last year en route to a state title...

Collins Hill meanwhile has gone from a run-heavy system featuring Charles Perkins to a pass-happy scheme highlighting Taylor Heinicke. Through one game this season it appears as though the 2011 Eagles will be a combination of the two. Bradley Johnson to Nick England will probably be seen a lot this year but don’t discount the legs of Jordan Parker. The senior running back toted the ball 24 times in the GPB game of the week last week for over 200 yards and a pair of scores. The three-pronged attack could earn Collins Hill a home playoff game or two..

.Finally Calvary Day lost two of three games in the Watermelon Classic over the weekend but managed to take out Americus-Sumter 15-0 behind a no-hitter from Maggie Davis. She also contributed two hits in the win.

The Hooch to appear on GPB

Georgia Public Broadcasting heads into its second week of the statewide network’s “Friday Night's In Georgia’’ TV game
Friday night as Class AAAA champion Chattahoochee takes on upstart Lambert at 8 p.m.

Straight off their success at last Friday night’s exciting TV opener between Roswell and Collins Hill and the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic where more than 430,000 homes tuned into the four games at the Georgia Dome, kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on GPB across the state and Channel 8 in metro Atlanta.

GPB Sports is also going a web game at 5:30 p.m. with Blessed Trinity traveling to face Atlanta City powerhouse Grady on GPB.org/sports. There also will be a post game TV show complete with reports and scores from other games.

Some not-so-bad losses and Clemons' replacement

When is an upset not really so bad? Usually if it comes the first weekend of the season to a highly ranked out-of-state opponent. Some folks might raise their eyebrows over state title contenders ELCA and Carrollton losing but a quick look at each game reveals that the loss isn’t so bad. Eagles Landing Christian Academy nearly toppled Alabama 5A power Briarwood Christian, coming up just short 21-18. Carrollton meanwhile fell to Oxford (AL) 34-24, despite statistically outplaying Oxford…

Marist doesn’t seem to have missed a beat with new quarterback Myles Willis taking over for Andy Perez. Willis rushed for three scores in Marist’s 44-6 win over Douglass. Willis and Marist will face a tall test in Tucker this Friday.

Chattahoochee will finally open up its title defense this Friday against Lambert (1-0). Timmy Byerly broke out against Lambert one year ago, passing for 146 yards and a pair of scores while also racking up 100 yards on the ground on 15 carries. Chattahoochee won 31-7 last year…

RB Tray Wafford of Whitewater rushed for 182 yards on 24 carries in a loss to Sandy Creek. Speaking with a coach before the season, Wafford has a different skill-set than that of Josh Clemons, Whitewater’s standout from one year ago now at Kentucky, but the coach said he thought Wafford could have a better senior season than Clemons did. …

Finally the Brookwood boys cross country team won its fourth-consecutive Walton/Peachtree Ridge Stage Races, held at the Rivergreen Complex. The Broncos team is the defending Class 5A state champions. Harrison won the girls event.

Georgia HS looks good against out-of-state foes

The state of Georgia welcomed in some out of state competition and to the large part had some real success. North Gwinnett hosted its annual National High School Gridiron Challenge and the Bulldogs thumped East St. Louis 41-0 behind the efforts of Donnie Miles and Chad Scott…Grayson also took part in the challenge, jumping out to a 42-7 lead on Edgewater thanks to outstanding play by Nick Schuessler and Wayne Gallman. The Rams won 49-21. Grayson and North Gwinnett are both ranked in the Score Atlanta 5A football poll…

Colquitt County rallied but also took care of Madison County (FL), Darlington beat Dade Christian (FL) and Rabun County edged out Hayesville (NC) 17-14…

A few upsets raised eyebrows as ELCA and Carrollton both fell. Eagles Landing Christian Academy nearly toppled Alabama power Briarwood Christian, but ELCA came up just short 21-18. Carrollton meanwhile fell to Oxford (AL) 34-24…

Cairo is a traditional power that has won state titles in recent memory while Drew (Clayton County) is just one year removed from playing its first varsity schedule, but Drew gave the Syrupmakers everything they could handle. Cairo held a 7-0 lead with under two to play before Drew scored a touchdown. Cairo was able to then thwart a two-point conversion attempt and survive a game-winning field goal attempt to hold on for the 7-6 win…

Finally the Brookwood boys cross country team won its fourth-consecutive Walton/Peachtree Ridge Stage Races, held at the Rivergreen Complex. The Broncos team is the defending Class 5A state champions. Harrison won the girls event.

Central Gwinnett could be 5A darkhorse, Kudos to coaches

What a wild first full slate of games...St. Pius beats Westminster for the first time since 1992 thanks in large part to Geno Smith. He is better than advertised and ESPN and Rivals have him pretty high. Smith scored twice and on his first five touches recorded four first downs and one touchdown...

Speaking of Pius, the Golden Lions QB Trey White willed his way to several first downs late in the contest. He looked a bit like Timmy Byerly did one year ago for Chattahoochee...

Colquitt County scored 10 points in the last minute to defeat Madison County (FL), including a TD reception by UGA-bound TE Ty Smith...

George Morris only has an offer from Illinois but after his four-touchdown game, he should expect more in a hurry. And PS, Central Gwinnett knocked out Mountain View 54-14 and with a dominant running back in Morris, that Black Knights spread offense is scary with a quality QB and several WRs in the fold. Throw in a much-improved defense and CenGwin should be a 5A darkhorse...

Nice rally for a win for Centennial. Any win is a good win, just remember that...

Kudos to Randy McPherson of Lowndes and Tucker’s Franklin Stephens. The former reach 100 career wins and the latter won his 50th game last weekend...

And for all of the fine Gwinnett quarterbacks out there, some how Mill Creek’s John Russ and Duluth’s Anfernee Stewart have slipped through the cracks. Russ and Stewart both threw for two TDs apiece in victories. Russ also passed for 302 yards in the 35-27 win over Dacula.

Golden Lions edge Westminster...metro wrap

St. Pius X had not beaten Westminster since 1992, with the Wildcats winning 17 of the last 18 matchups, but Geno Smith and Trey White wouldn’t let the 2012 Golden Lions go down again. Geno Smith scored twice in the first half as St. Pius built a 21-7 lead three minutes into the second quarter. The Wildcats managed to trail just 21-10 at intermission thanks to a 98-yard kick return for a score from Cameron Seward and a school-record 51-yard field goal from junior Harrison Butker. Grey Notterman would haul in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Danny Catan and another Butker field goal would tie the game at 21-21 entering the fourth quarter. Geno Smith’s 43-yard run set up a Logan Rosborough one-yard fullback blast to give St. Pius the 28-21 victory. (to watch the game, go to gpb.org/sports)

in other action....

Collins Hill was without Taylor Heinicke but Eagles head coach Kevin Reach had another secret weapon in running back Jordan Parker who finished with 24 carries, notching 210 yards and two scores as Collins Hill rallied from down 21-7 early to beat Roswell 24-21...Central Gwinnett would benefit from five Mountain View turnovers, scoring on four of the miscues to win 54-14. George Morris scored four times for the Black Knights...Etowah teed off on Berkmar, outscoring the Patriots 48-14 as six different Eagles scored in the victory...The Mays Raiders defense came to play and carried the offense all the way to a 31-6 victory over Dunwoody in Region 6-4A play. Mays forced four turnovers and returned a fumble for a score in the victory...For the second straight season Parkview gave Stephenson everything the Jaguars could handle, but for the second straight season, Stephenson came away with a victory. Mike Davis made a nice run to score on a 79-yard scamper and then the future Kentucky Wildcat DeMarcus Sweat took a punt 75 yards for a score in Stephenson’s 14-3 win...The scoring was short and sweet in the North Atlanta/South Atlanta tilt but a 30-yard Matt Headley field goal is all North Atlanta would need in its 3-0 season-opening victory...Finally Centennial needed a last-minute score to complete a 27-22 comeback victory, but Jimmy Meyer plunged in from one yard out to secure the win.

A quick look at tonight's GHSA action

The first full slate of games is finally upon us and there are some really intriguing matchups to open up the first Friday night of the 2011 season. Last season Taylor Heinicke led Collins Hill to two victories over Roswell, including once in the playoffs. Now Heinicke is at Old Dominion and the No.9 Eagles will look to break in a new quarterback in the team’s season opener at Roswell (GPB-TV)…

Geno Smith will be in his first action of the year and on the field for the first time since pledging to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide when St. Pius travels to Westminster (gpb.org/sports). TJ Holloman will also star for the St. Pius defense. Westminster meanwhile will be breaking in a new offensive backfield…

One year ago Parkview and Stephenson went into overtime before Stephenson escaped with a 21-14 double overtime victory. Now Raphael Kirby and Kyle Fleetwood will be suiting up for Stephenson after transferring over from Parkview…

The battle for Athens will be held tonight as Cedar Shoals faces Clarke Central. For Cedar Shoals, it will be the first game under new head coach Dreco Thomas...

Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson will take aim at a bit of history tonight when Peeblebrook visits as he currently sits at 99 career wins. The Vikings won last year when these two teams played 47-7…

North Gwinnett will welcome in an out-of-state opponent as East St. Louis (IL) comes to Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium. The Bulldogs lost last week in the Corky Kell Classic on a last minute-defeat to McEachern.

Irene moves several games, Sanderson to make debut

The threat of Hurricane Irene and poor weather forced a handful of games along the state’s coast to move to last night. Class 5A power and highly-ranked Camden County’s tilt with Savannah was one of the games moved as was Johnson-Savannah/Richmond Hills, Wayne County/Windsor Forest, Treutlen/Vidalia and Claxton/Tattnall County. For all of the scores, check the best scoreboard in the state at www.scoreatl.com...

Tonight GPB will kick off its regular season slate of games as Roswell hosts Collins Hill on GPB-TV and St. Pius X will travel to Westminster on gpb.org/sports. For Roswell it will be Justin Sanderson’s head coaching debut as he takes over for Leo Barker. Sanderson served as the offensive coordinator last year. Meanwhile Geno Smith will take the field for St. Pius X in his first game since committing to play cornerback at Alabama a few weeks ago. Coverage begins on the web at 7 p.m. with a live Sports Central pregame show and stick around on the web after both games for a Sports Central XL scoreboard show…

According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, North Gwinnett has named Erik Crawford its new girls soccer head coach. Crawford was an assistant on the boys team last year. The Lady Bulldogs won the 2010 Class 5A state title and finished runner-up earlier this year under head coach Mark Karen. Karen has reportedly been hired as athletic director at Hilton Head High School in South Carolina. He had also served as NGHS’s athletic director and head cross country coach. The GDP reported that John Rowland was named to the girls cross country position earlier this year…

Finally Geri Ann Glasco tossed a no-hitter earlier this week as the Oconee County Lady Warriors defeated White County 5-0.

Warren County gets new coach, Buford on ESPN3

The Screaming Devils of Warren County have already suffered a loss and the season won’t officially kick off until this Friday night against Glascock County. According to WRDW (Augusta), the Warren County Board of Education has received and accepted Screaming Devils ex-head coach Marleau Blount’s letter of resignation. The reason for the resignation stemmed from the coach not securing proof of physical examinations for several players before the team began practicing, according to WRDW. The school will be fined for the violation of the GHSA rules says Superintendent Carole Jean Carey. Blount was 11-11 in two years as head coach after serving as an assistant for a decade. He took the Screaming Devils to the playoffs both years of his tenure. Defensive coordinator David Daniels will take over the team…

In a battle of volleyball champions from one year ago, the Walton Lady Raiders (Class 5A champions) knocked off Blessed Trinity (AA/A Champions) 25-20, 25-16. Walton also tagged Marist 25-12, 25-15. Tori Ferguson contributed to the cause with 25 assists and seven digs…

This Friday the Gainesville/Buford tilt at Buford will be broadcast not just locally but also worldwide on ESPN3. The four-time defending Class AA champion Buford Wolves have moved up in several of the national rankings, checking in at No.21 in Rivals 100 and No. 24 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25. Jess Simpson’s squad will try and hold off the three-time region 8-AAA champion Gainesville Red Elephants, a team it has never lost to. Last season Buford smoked Gainesville 40-19 and last week spanked Blessed Trinity 42-0.

The Formula: Let the best player play!

It seems silly, common sense really: Let the best player play. But sometimes it is difficult to determine who the better player is. Is the best player the one with the most talent? Is the best player the one with the most potential? Is the best player the one that knows the system the best? Is the best player the one that has earned the respect of the coaches? Is the best player the one with the best attitude? Is it a combination of all of those statements?

While some may say it is a combination, I say it is more of a formula. You have to use those questions as variables because some won’t apply to certain players. This year the Georgia Bulldogs have two main positions with incoming players versus players that didn’t have an impact one year ago, and the coaches are trying to figure out right now how to weigh the variables in the formula to determine a depth chart. The two position battles I wish to address are the starting tailback spot and the starting nose tackle job. As the Richard “The Animal” Samuel vs. Isaiah Crowell debate and the Kwame Geathers vs. John Jenkins dilemma rage on, I thought I’d give my formula as to how to figure out who should start.

Samuel was recently placed atop the depth chart despite missing most of the summer work due to various injuries while Crowell was more-or-less handed the starting gig on National Signing Day. Crowell doesn’t have the experience in the system but he is clearly talented and he is a blank slate. Many Georgia fans remember Samuel’s routine of gaining two yards and falling down two years ago. His run against Arkansas was fantastic, but he failed to impress or hold on to the job to the point that he was MOVED TO LINEBACKER last year. While Samuel has been in the system for four spring practices now and has worked hard to impress the coaches with his team-first attitude, in this case you have to weigh Crowell’s potential and his talent (he was far more impressive as a running back in high school compared to Samuel) is unmatched on the current Georgia roster. I would peg Crowell as the starter because while there might be some growing pains of starting a true freshman over an experienced back, the potential and talent would more than make up for any mistakes he’d make.(FORMULA: Potential + talent > experience + attitude + respect = Crowell over Samuel.)

Kwame Geathers was so unimpressive one year ago that DeAngelo Tyson was forced to play the nose tackle position in new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense, despite the fact that he was WAY undersized for the job. Geathers appeared in just eight games and made a whopping seven tackles. You’d have expected that the 6’6 frame and 350 lbs would have meant he was perfect for the NT position, but for whatever reason he failed to seize the position and never made an impact. The coaches decided to go after the top JUCO defensive tackle available one year ago and nabbed John Jenkins a few days after National Signing Day. All anyone has talked about since February has been how Jenkins will be Georgia’s Terrence “Mount” Cody, and I even called Jenkins the most important piece of Georgia signing class, moreso than Crowell. Perhaps Geathers reads chuckoliver.net (who doesn’t?) and was motivated by this because he went out and earned the Bulldogs’ defensive MVP award following spring practice and has been named to several preseason All-SEC teams. Jenkins meanwhile has struggled early on since arriving in Athens, showing flashes but also sustaining injuries and missing practice time while acclimating to the heat. Geathers is listed as the starter but Mark Richt also alluded to the fact that Jenkins didn’t sign with the Dawgs to ride the bench. How does the formula decide a winner in this case? Does talent and potential outweigh experience on the defensive side of the ball like it did on the offensive side of the ball? No, not in this case. While Jenkins is considered more talented by fans who have likely built him into Paul Bunyan, I’d go with Geathers who has been performing so far this spring and summer. This year is so important for the defense and I’d ride the hot hand, which is Geathers right now. Crowell can learn while Aaron Murray leads the offense. The defense needs a leader and Geathers is proving to be that leader that right now. (FORMULA: potential + talent – respect < respect + experience + attitude = Geathers over Jenkins. Jenkins should play but Geathers should be the first big man out there.)

Clearly all four players will play but as my formula shows the offense would be better with a youngster while the defense needs a person familiar with Grantham’s 3-4. Let the best players play.

Week One of the Score 44 2011

In (from post-spring) Jonathan Jones, Carrollton (Carrollton) CB; Niles Clark, Lassiter (Marietta ), CB
Out (from post-spring)Larry Jefferson, Banneker (College Park), LB; Kenno Loyal, Columbia (Decatur) RB

Justin Taylor, North Atlanta (Atlanta), RB
Kurt Freitag, Buford (Buford), TE/DE
Adam Griffiths, Calhoun (Calhoun), K
Kenderius Whitehead, ML King (Monroe) DE/OLB
James DeLoach, Jenkins County (Millen) DE/OLB
Davion Tookes, Creekside, (Fairburn) CB
Pat Gamble, Carrollton-Central (Carrollton) DT
Jonathan Jones, Carrollton (Carrollton) CB
Ty Smith, Colquitt County (Moultrie) TE
Brandon Greene, Cedar Grove (Ellenwood) OT
Chase Roberts, GAC (Norcross) OG
Greyson Lambert, Wayne County (Jesup) QB
Mike Davis, Stephenson (Stone Mountain) RB
Scott Hosch, North Gwinnett (Suwanee) QB
Nick Tompkins, Brookwood (Snellville), RB
Imani Cross, North Hall (Gainesville) RB
Dakota Ball, Pepperell (Lindale) DT
Dillon Lee, Buford (Buford), LB
Jafar Mann, Stephenson (Stone Mountain), DT
Carlos Hood, Stephenson (Stone Mountain), DT
Jarontay Jones, Stephenson (Stone Mountain), DE
Quinteze Williams, Sandy Creek (Tyrone) DT
Markuss Eligwe, Stone Mountain (Stone Mountain), LB
Jordan Watkins, Woodward Academy (College Park), DT
Dalvin Tomlinson, Henry County (McDonough), DL
Leonard Floyd, Dodge County (Eastman), DE
Jacob Sealand, Tucker (Tucker), LB
Niles Clark, Lassiter (Marietta ), CB
Jhaustin Thomas, Columbia (Decatur) DE
Jason Croom, Norcross (Norcross) WR
Josh Dawson, Tucker (Tucker) LB
Mike Hilton, Sandy Creek (Tyrone), RB
Ricky Parks, Callaway (Hogansville), ATH
Jordan Jenkins, Harris County (Hamilton), DE
Jonathan Taylor, Jenkins County (Millen), DT
Geno Smith, St. Pius X (Atlanta), DB
Kenyan Drake, Hillgrove (Powder Springs), RB/ATH
Raphael Kirby, Stephenson (Stone Mountain), LB
Joe Harris, Lithonia (Lithonia), OG
Vadal Alexander, Buford (Buford), OT
Josh Harvey-Clemons, Lowndes (Valdosta), OLB/WR
JaQuay Williams, Sandy Creek (Tyrone), WR
CJ Curry, Flowery Branch (Gainesville), WR
Josh Holsey, Creekside (Fairburn) DB

quarterbacks...WATCH OUT!

Quarterbacks across the state of Georgia are taking quite a beating lately as several high-profile signal-callers are feared lost for the season with a full weekend of games having not even taken place. South Gwinnett needed to replace two-sport star Kent Rollins and thought they had the next big thing at quarterback in 6’4 junior Jordan Ramey. Comets head coach John Small told various media outlets that he thought Ramey could be a big-time recruit in the 2013 class, but Ramey was potentially lost for the season after breaking an arm in a scrimmage against Mill Creek. Small went with 5’10 junior Mason Hart, a projected safety, under center against Lowndes in a 45-13 loss. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 108 yards, one score and two interceptions…

Will Gardner, who has pledged to the Louisville Cardinals was perhaps lost for the season as well in Coffee’s win over Brunswick. Gardner left near halftime with a ruptured ACL and could be at the end of his high school career. Santory Long filled in, passing for a score and running for another in the victory…

The Fitzgerald/Tift County football game featured a moment of silence and a prayer to honor the memory of Fitzgerald player DJ Searcy, who recently passed away at a football camp. Tift County came away with the 29-22 win, but the Blue Devils needed a strong effort from back-up quarterback Kris Miller after Tadric Jackson left with a minor ankle injury, according to the Valdosta Daily Times…

Lastly, Kayla Floor is at it again for Collins Hill. Monday, Floor struck out five batters and gave up just one unearned run in the Lady Eagles 9-1 softball win over Peachtree Ridge. Floor is 4-1 on the year after winning twenty games one year ago and being named Class 5A pitcher of the year.

Best Buford team ever? Cobb is uber-talented

The Buford Wolves have won four straight Class AA state titles but the 2011 edition may just be head coach Jess Simpson’s most talented team yet. In addition to three members of the Score 44 in Vadal Alexander, Dillon Lee and Kurt Freitag, the Wolves also boast two other players with BCS connections. Cornerback CJ Moore is headed to Virginia and offensive lineman Reid Ferguson will head to LSU to be the team’s next long-snapper. The team looks poised to bring home yet another title, however the team’s lone question mark was who would replace Alex Ross? Apparently a future Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket will fit the bill quite nicely. Senior Sam Clay looked strong in the team’s 42-0 blowout victory over Blessed Trinity, throwing for a score and running in another in the Wolves season opener. Clay is left-handed and was a pitcher on the Wolves 2011 championship squad. He has already signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Tech. Alexander is expected to also head to the SEC, perhaps to LSU as well and Kurt Freitag could make a teammate out of Dillon Lee at Alabama, who made his finalist list.

Sometimes quarterbacks need a big break in order to get playing time. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened at South Gwinnett for Mason Hart. After Kent Rollins graduated and headed west, 6’4 junior Jordan Ramey was expected to be the starter in John Small’s offense. However a broken arm for Ramey in the team’s scrimmage against Mill Creek thrust Hart, a 5’10 safety under center. Hart threw an early touchdown but finished 17-25 for 108 yards with the one score and two interceptions in his team’s 45-13 loss to Lowndes.

The rankings were shaken up after the first weekend of play as upsets reigned down at the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic. Grayson scratched and clawed for a 7-0 win over Kell, a team that lost Georgia 2010 Gatorade Player of the year Brian Randolph. The Rams picked up the game’s only score after the Longhorns muffed a punt deep in its own territory. Junior standout Robert Nkemdiche bulled him way into the end zone for the score. Devin Gillespie led the Grayson rushing attack with 59 yards. Grayson’s region rival Brookwood came into the Classic the defending Class 5A champion and winners of two straight on the Georgia Dome carpet and twelve straight dating back to last season. In one poll the Broncos were No.1 despite the loss of 12 starters from one year ago. Lassiter quickly dropped Brookwood from the polls by delivering a 14-6 knockout blow, scoring both touchdowns in the second half to rally from down 6-0. Eddie Printz hit Juwan Dickey for a 42-yard score and later Isiah Willis found the end zone for the final margin.

Cobb County would claim three of the four Corky Kell match-ups as Walton and McEachern also claimed victories over Peachtree Ridge and North Gwinnett, respectively. Walton was sparked by Lassiter-transfer Tyren Jones’ 213 yards and two touchdowns.

Under-the-radar folks come to play, transfers help Colquitt

The 20th Annual Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic was quite the showcase for some of the under-the-radar players coming into the 2011 season. While everyone was talking about Lassiter wide receiver Charlie Hegedus coming into the game, it was a nice catch in traffic, swipe move and 43-yard dash to the end zone by junior Juwan Dickey that had Trojan Nation as well as the rest of the pressbox buzzing. If Dickey can emerge opposite Hegedus (and the Lassiter defense continue to play as well as it did in the second half), Eddie Printz and the Trojans will be hard to beat come playoff time…

Diandre Atwater was certainly a player to watch one year ago. However he was also splitting time in the backfield with up to three other backs in former coach Bill Ballard’s offense. In Mark Fleetwood’s offense, it appears that Atwater will get a majority of the touches and he showed that he can delight with the ball in his hand. Lions teammate Ray Buchanan Jr., committed to Arkansas on Saturday before the game; perhaps head Hog Bobby Petrino should think about a package deal…

Moving away from the Corky Kell Classic, this may be Jess Simpson’s most talented Buford team yet, but the Wolves are breaking in a new quarterback. Sam Clay looked strong in the team’s 42-0 blowout victory over Blessed Trinity. The senior threw for a score and ran one in as he replaces Alex Ross. Clay is left-handed and was a pitcher on the Wolves 2011 championship squad. He will play baseball at Georgia Tech…

A pair of transfers helped Colquitt County smash Cook 31-0 Friday. Former White County quarterback Cole Seagraves was 6-8 for 81 yards and a touchdown in the first half while running back Willie Woodyard (Fairhope, AL) paced the Packers with 48 rushing yards and a score.

Fantasy Football thoughts as Week 3 approaches

Two preseason games down and now you’ll get a chance to really see which players you’ll want to take in your upcoming fantasy football draft. (And if you’ve already held your draft, that’s OK but next year wait until after the third preseason game.) The third game traditionally is where the regular starters play nearly the entire game before playing just a series or two in the final game. The third game gives you an idea of whether a player coming off of an injury is fully healthy or if a player on a new team is fitting in or if a player with a new supporting cast should be jumped on or treated like a live wire on the ground. Say you are targeting a wide receiver, but he has a rookie quarterback (Bengals receivers) or is on a new team (Braylon Edwards) or has a veteran import (Larry Fitzgerald). Or perhaps you are targeting a quarterback but that QB is on a new team or has a new coach or offensive coordinator. In my opinion you’d want to wait to see how the new situation works out and the third game is that perfect chance.

So who are guys to keep an eye on in these games? Braylon Edwards comes to mind. He goes from the Jets, where he had Santonio Holmes on the other side to the San Francisco 49ers with a new coach, perhaps a rookie quarterback or a guy that may be pressing in order to keep his spot in the league.

How about Kevin Kolb? The Arizona Cardinals targeted him in the offseason and traded for him after the end of the lockout. Now the team will give him Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet to work with in the NFC West. As much as Kolb was sought after though, his career numbers aren’t eye-popping and that is what fantasy football is all about.

As for running backs, will the quarterback controversy in Minnesota (rookie vs. recently-acquired vet playing under a newly installed system) ruin Adrian Peterson’s season? Will Chris Johnson’s holdout affect his ability to learn a brand new system? Will Arian Foster be able to duplicate his performance from last year? Will he fall off like most every other returning rushing champion has done the following year.

And one last interesting dilemma is what Falcons fans should do in regards to their wide receivers. Roddy White is one of the best receivers in the league however rookie Julio Jones has looked impressive in camp drills and the Falcons seemed to force the ball to him in the first preseason game. The size and speed combination that Jones possesses could present a middle-round second receiver option for fantasy players. While he probably won’t rack up yards and catches, he could very well score more touchdowns than White could this year. The Falcons have a stable coaching staff with a strong returning quarterback so Falcons receivers and tight ends are a very attractive fantasy option this year.

The third preseason game is the key and you should be paying attention to that slate with the drafts quickly approaching.

What we LEARNED from the Corky Kell Classic

The 20th Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic was held over the weekend and a lot was learned at the Georgia Dome. First off, Saturday was a HUGE day for Cobb County.
Kell was playing its first game without the Georgia 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year Brian Randolph, who now suits up for Derek Dooley at Tennessee. Despite the loss of Randolph, the Longhorns held nationally-ranked Grayson scoreless for the first three quarters, giving up just a Robert Nkemdiche touchdown after fumbling a punt inside its own ten yard line. Anyone counting Kell out this year should rethink that, especially as its young quarterback matures...
Nkemdiche is also a man amongst boys. Seriously, this 6’4, 265 defensive lineman/power runningback could suit up and play in the SEC this year. He’s a junior FYI. Jamie Newberg of ESPN said on the broadcast that Nkemdiche has a chance to be the best high school recruit he’s ever seen...
Everyone expected Lassiter junior quarterback Eddie Printz to play well this season, but it was the defense showing in the second half that the Trojans may be title contenders... Lassiter head coach Jep Irwin told GPB’s Gil Tyree that defensive back Niles Clark is the best cover corner in the state and Clark knocked a few passes away to live up to that hype. The Trojan defense repelled the Brookwood attack time and time again, leading Printz to praise the defense after the game...
McEachern has a roster loaded with BCS-level talent, period. The Indians face a difficult trip to Lowndes in September but if the magic shown against North Gwinnett continues, perhaps Cobb County’s title drought will end...McEachern QB Trent Thompson was the most impressive quarterback of the night according to GPB recruiting expert Scott Janovitz...
Biggest transfer of the year? Tyren Jones made his Walton debut Saturday, scoring twice, including one 80-yard jaunt as Walton defeated Peachtree Ridge... And despite the loss, the Lions look like they could sneak back into the playoffs on the legs of Diandre Atwater. He scored twice Saturday night.

Reax from the 20th Corky Kell Classic

The 20th Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic was held over the weekend and it was a big day for Cobb County. Kell, in its first game since Georgia 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year Brian Randolph graduated and matriculated to Tennessee, held nationally ranked Grayson scoreless for the first three quarters, giving up just a Robert Nkemdiche touchdown after fumbling a punt inside its own ten yard line...
Lassiter meanwhile rebounded from a 6-0 deficit to claim a 14-6 win over defending 5A champ Brookwood after quarterback Eddie Printz threw a 50-yard touchdown and the Trojans later tacked on a rushing score for the final tally...After the game the junior signal-caller called the night a “once in a lifetime” experience. He was also quick to praise his defense, which stood its ground over and over again in the second half, stopping the Broncos’ attack several times after intermission...
The McEachern Indians have a roster loaded with BCS-level talent, but it took a big time comeback inside the last minute to pull off the 26-17 win over North Gwinnett. Chris Nwagbara scored with ten seconds remaining to give McEachern the 20-17 lead and a pick-6 to end the game led to the final score...Trent Thompson was the most impressive quarterback of the night according to GPB recruiting expert Scott Janovitz...
In the final game of the evening, Walton outlasted Peachtree Ridge, ruining Mark Fleetwood’s Lions debut...Transfer Tyren Jones scored two times, including an 80-yard run to give the Raiders the lead after Peachtree Ridge Diandre Atwater’s second touchdown tied the game at 14-14...Jones finished with 213 yards...
In other games over the weekend, Colquitt County and Buford looked super-impressive in blowout victories.

Geno Smith to roll with Tide, Crews and Irwin ready for Saturday

Geno Smith, the uber-talented cornerback from St. Pius X and charter member of the 2011 Score 44, pledged his commitment to the Alabama Crimson Tide Wednesday, ending a circus-like recruiting process that saw his top choices change with the weather. Ultimately Smith chose the Tide over the Auburn Tigers. He becomes the second member of the St. Pius defense to commit to an SEC program after linebacker T.J. Holloman declared several months back in favor of the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Golden Lions open the season at Westminster on August 26, a game that can be seen on GPB.org/sports… It is tough defending a title any year, but factor in a loss of six starters on each side of the ball and Mark Crews and the Brookwood Broncos face a tall task this season in Class 5A. The Broncos open the season this Saturday against the Lassiter Trojans, the first game on a daunting schedule for the defending champs. “We hope to be prepared for an awfully tough schedule, starting with Lassiter in the Corkey Kell (Classic) at the Georgia Dome,” said Crews earlier this summer about his team’s preparation…Meanwhile Lassiter coach Jep Irwin only answered “August 20 vs. Brookwood,” when asked about any games in particular he had circled this season as important…Lassiter will be without a standout from the past few seasons in running back Tyren Jones, who transferred to Walton. The Trojans will still have Eddie Printz under center however and Colquitt County coach Rush Propst, in a story on foxsports.com, said he believed Printz could be better than former Lassiter product Hutson Mason.

How much growth should we REALLY expect?

Year Two will be better! That is what was drilled into Georgia fans’ heads throughout most of last year when an undersized defensive front was pushed around and the linebackers couldn’t quite make the plays that should be made in a traditional 3-4. Sure Justin Houston was good, but he would be good in a 0-1-10 scheme. Don’t worry, once these guys get another spring and summer in the 3-4, it will go off, just like Alabama’s 3-4 did! Once John Jenkins reports, he will be Georgia’s Mount Cody! Jarvis Jones will be the next DeMarcus Ware!

As a Georgia alumnus, I certainly hope that line of thinking is correct. I just worry about the fact that John Jenkins had trouble early on staying on the practice field in the steamy Georgia weather. I worry about Jarvis Jones’ injury history, despite the fact he says he is 100% ready to go. I worry that Year Two will only be slightly better than Year One, even though Georgia will need it to be remarkably better in order to challenge for the SEC East title.

Good thing Georgia has a few cupcakes early on just to get the defense some confidence. Wait, WHAT? Boise State is top ten and South Carolina is top 15? Great, straight into the fire.

I was sold that Year Two would be better, but how much growth can we really expect? Will the two faces not on the team last year really be that impactful? Reports out of practice say they will be, but it is just a shame that there isn’t a tune-up game to get ready for the first two games. But maybe Georgia also has the element of surprise and the benefit of no film in order to sneak attack the Broncos and the Gamecocks.

As a Georgia fan, I can talk myself into anything…including that Year Three of the 3-4 will likely be MUCH BETTER than Year Two.

The QBs are worth the price of admission at CKC

After a seemingly down year of quarterback prospects in the state of Georgia in 2010, this year promises some high profile signal-callers and some major college recruiters on Georgia high school campuses all season long with stopwatches and clipboards. Fans will get a chance right off the bat to see several exciting quarterback prospects at the Corky Kell Classic this Saturday.

Scotty Hosch will be running North Gwinnett’s offense without having to share the duties with C.J. Uzomah as he did one year ago. Hosch was impressive enough as a junior to even take time away from Uzomah, now at Auburn, to lead Georgia Public Broadcasting recruiting expert and co-host of 790 The Zone’s The Official Visit Scott Janovitz to declare that Hosch should have been the full-time starter one year ago. Though the offers haven’t poured in for Hosch as they did for Uzomah and Mike Tamburo before him, expect the rising senior to receive plenty of attention before National Signing Day in February…

Grayson quarterback Nick Schuessler at one point was the top quarterback in all of Gwinnett County based on the NCAA & NFL passing efficiency rating system, despite playing in a run-first system. Expect Grayson coach Mickey Conn and his new offensive coordinator to perhaps tweak the offensive scheme to better take advantage of Schuessler this year…

McEachern’s Trent Thompson split time at quarterback the last two seasons but this year the lefty should get an exclusive shot at the job. Thompson has given his verbal pledge to Georgia State. He may see his numbers and attention climb this year as he feeds Maryland-bound Amba Etta-Tawo the ball this year…

The most high-profile of the quarterbacks in the Corky Kell Classic may be Lassiter junior Eddie Printz. The 2012 prospect already has SEC and ACC powers studying his film and he could be Georgia’s top QB prospect one year from now…

Other quarterbacks to watch out for in this senior class include Coffee’s Will Gardner (Louisville), Wayne County’s Greyson Lambert (Virginia), ML King’s Jonquel Dawson, and Callaway’s Ricky Parks (Auburn, to play TE).

Ranking Golf's Major Championships.

I went to the second round of last week's PGA Championship (played in Atlanta) and had several discussions over the tournament’s place among the four major tournaments. As I am sure everyone knows, golf’s “Grand Slam” consists of the Masters’, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. Several golf buffs that I spoke with at the event put Augusta No.1, followed by the US Open, the British and then the PGA last. Several others “in the know” that I spoke with actually held the US Open in a higher regard than the Masters. The reasoning was that the US Open is America’s “national championship,” and can be won moreorless by anybody as random Joe can qualify for the event through a series of play-in events. The British Open was always ranked third with the PGA Championship coming in last.

I must say that I disagree with this common ranking of 3 and 4. I would flip them if I were to rank the majors. I love watching the Masters’, but I would probably rank the US Open first, followed closely by the Masters, but then I’d place the PGA Championship third followed by the British Open. What? You are crazy!

I am not. And with all due respect “Great” Britain, golf may have been born there, but it resides in America now. Deal with it. I feel as though the British Open is almost charity that we give that portion of Europe after we took golf away from them. (I am not sure if we won golf when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown or it was a part of the settlement from the War of 1812 or if they gave it to us for helping them in WWII or even if we won it in a bet, but golf is ours now.) In fact, I believe it is nicknamed “The Open Championship,” because they want to fool people into watching it for four straight days. If we don’t bring attention to the fact that it is being played in a cow pasture in Scotland, perhaps the ratings will be higher!

Take a look at the courses that make up the British Open rotation. St. Andrews is known for a hole that has pavement running up one side of it. That’s a cartpath, and that is your claim to fame? Carnoustie is another course in the British Open rotation. It’s nickname is Carnasty. Oh BOY! I want to play THERE! Royal Troon, Turnberry, Royal Liverpool, Muirfield, Royal fill-in-the-blank…call me Scottish racist but they all look the same to me. I am with Rory McIlroy on this one: links golf is boring.

Take a look at the European players too. They all live over here now and play over here on a regular basis. You think the German Masters is as popular as the Masters in Augusta? No! You think people would skip the Tour Championship to play at a French tournament? No! They all come here, attend AMERICAN universities, marry American women and stay here. Why? Because the weather is better and the golf is far more competitive here than over there.

I realize that golf was invented in Great Britain but it leaves here now and it might be time to take its charity “Major” status away and give it to a more deserving course. Newer courses are prettier to look at and more fun to watch pro golfers play on for a major title. Sometimes it is just time to move on from tradition to what is better. England/Scotland/Ireland, it is time we moved on from you. Bring the fourth major to America because golf lives here now.

Getting you Ready for the Corky Kell Classic

With the Corky Kell Classic set for this Saturday, one team will come into the contest nationally ranked and that team is the Grayson Rams. Led by quarterback Nick Schuessler and defensive monster Robert Nkemdiche, the Rams are ranked No. 42 in the Rivals High 100, No. 24 in PrepNation’s preseason poll and No. 25 in MaxPreps national poll. Grayson will be breaking in a new offensive coordinator in Tyler Aurandt after previous OC O.J. Soto took the head coaching position at Walnut Grove. The Rams will face Kell in the first game of the day.

The North Gwinnett Bulldogs will also take part in the Corky Kell but will do so with former QB/WR C.J. Uzomah, now at Auburn. Scotty Hosch takes over the signal-caller position full-time this year after impressing at the first ever AT&T Junior Bowl earlier this January. .. He may be throwing to a brand new face to both North Gwinnett and to football in WR Chris Bolden. The Georgia Tech hoops-bound shooting guard transferred to North Gwinnett after winning a state title at Norcross with the basketball team. He is also taking back up football after not playing for the last few seasons. The No. 8 Bulldogs will face No. 6 McEachern.

The Brookwood Broncos, ranked No. 1 in the AJC preseason poll, will open up the defense of its Class 5A state title on the same carpet where the team secured the state title last December in a match-up against the Lassiter Trojans. The Broncos are led by Score 44 member Nick Tompkins, who has committed to Michigan State. He will play both offense and defense this year for the Broncos. Zach Jackson will patrol the defensive secondary with Tompkins before heading to play for Ron Zook at Illinois next year.

LastWeek's TheFletch: Was Deion more Falcon than Cowboy?

The Great “Neon” Deion Sanders, aka PrimeTime was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend, becoming the first Falcon to receive a bust in Canton, OH. Leading up to the induction ceremony, the AJC ran a great piece about Vince Dooley’ recruiting efforts to nab Sanders out of high school. According to the piece, Dooley and UGA lost out on Sanders when the dreaded “R” word was uttered: Redshirt. Needless to say “PrimeTime” would not redshirt as he matriculated to Florida State.
Sanders would eventually go on to make his mark in the state of Georgia, starring for both the Falcons as well as the Atlanta Braves in the early 90s. It would be well chronicled about Sanders playing in an NFL game in 1992, then flying to join his Atlanta teammates in Pittsburgh for a playoff game, though he did not appear in the NLCS game. Sanders would once score a touchdown in 1989 then hit a home run in the same week. He was truly a superstar and he still is one as he remains around the game working for the NFL Network. His speech was saved for last in Canton but there is just one question I must ask of Sanders’ legacy. I know he changed the game in terms of how cover cornerbacks play, but do people OUTSIDE of Atlanta remember him as a Falcon? He will always be loved in Atlanta (because time heals all wounds that he may have caused in how he left and his first trip back to the Georgia Dome in 1994), but were people surprised that he went into the Hall of Fame representing the Falcons organization? Sanders left Atlanta before I arrived down here but growing up during Deion’s heyday, I honestly thought he would have gone in as a Cowboy or as a 49er. He spent five seasons with the Cowboys just as he had with Atlanta but his best season may have been with the 49ers in 1994 when he helped San Francisco win the Super Bowl. More power to Deion for deciding to go into the Hall as a Falcon and it is good for the organization to finally get into Canton. Falcons fans though should look forward to the day when a no-brainer Falcon gets elected to the Hall. Several members of the current roster (Roddy White, Matt Ryan) have a shot if they continue to play well.

Speaking of the AJC, the paper’s D. Orlando Ledbetter also wrote two nice pieces that the GHSF Daily linked to in a recent newsletter about Richard Dent and Shannon Sharpe, both also inducted along with Sanders. Dent and Sharpe both played high school football in the Peach State.

The eyes of the golf universe are once again on the state of Georgia, Atlanta in particular as the 93rd PGA Championship takes place this week at the Atlanta Athletic Club. 680 The Fan is the radio “home of the tournament,” though I am not sure what that means. One would think that being the “home of the PGA Championship,” would mean you’d hear play-by-play and nothing gets my toe a tapping quite like golf play-by-play on the radio. That would be tricky though, considering 680 The Fan is also the home of the Atlanta Braves. As of last Monday leading up to the tournament, all of the local shows were at AAC and being the “home” of the championship will likely mean random scoring reports from the event leading up to Braves coverage. I am not sure why you pump up that you are the “home” of the championship if you are just doing your shows from there and occasionally giving out scores, but 680 is the “home,” so there you go.

790 The Zone’s Chris Dimino, a real “baseball man,” brought up an interesting point for Braves fans earlier this week on Mayhem in the AM. If you a true member of Braves Country, according to Dimino, you should be rooting for Braves to get into playoffs, period. Even if that means rooting for Philadelphia, as in the Phillies beating the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Cardinals to help the Braves win the Wild Card. As crazy as it sounds initially, logically it makes total sense. Odds are the Braves won’t be able to make up the NL East deficit over the remaining month and one half but the playoffs are still a very likely possibility due to the wild card. As wild as it sounds, Go Phillies, as long as you aren’t playing the Braves.

The Hawks have been “delivered” from the Atlanta Spirit Group as a new owner was able to raise enough dough to pull the Atlanta NBA franchise from the oven. The AJC was all over Alex Meruelo’s plan to buy the Hawks. Meruelo, who will be the first Hispanic majority owner, recently joined in on a conference call with two AJC writers and the lovefest was on in an article from Mark Bradley. In fact, you almost have to love the sale for Jeff Schultz and Bradley. Yipee, the Atlanta Spirit Group is finally done (in a majority ownership sense), I sort of feel bad for those two. What will Schultz and Bradley carp about now that they cannot complain about ASG? Oh, well I guess there is still Mark Richt to bang on for Bradley. He’s had a rough year with Hewitt getting canned and ASG selling the Thrashers and the Hawks. Watch out Fredi Gonzalez and Larry Drew: Bradley will soon be coming for you!

Finally, Football Night in Atlanta has had an hour added on to it, so now you will get two hours of Falcons and NFL talk every weeknight with John Michaels on 790 The Zone. The Zone loves to boast that football lives (there) and with the added hour, it is certainly seeming more and more like football has in fact established a residence at 790.

Can You Believe He Said That
“I will be in complete control of the team.”
That was new Hawks primary owner Alex Meruelo in an interview with the AJC. Hawks fans should be happy to hear that, knowing that the ASG won’t be making itself the NBA’s biggest laughingstock ANYMORE! Now the Hawks will just be made fun of for paying Joe Johnson more than LeBron James makes.

Jones cleared so watch out for UGA LBs

Now that Jarvis Jones has been cleared by the SEC and the NCAA, the Georgia Bulldogs can now officially put his name on the depth chart in pen and opposing quarterbacks can dread facing the linebacker corps. Jones though isn’t the only reason Kellen Moore, Stephen Garcia and the rest of the quarterbacks on Georgia’s schedule should fear the “4” of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense. Jones is certainly capable of unleashing a fury, as evidenced by his play at USC before an injury forced him to miss the final five games of his true freshman season. He will play the SAM (strongside outside) linebacker spot. In the middle, Alec Ogletree moves to linebacker from the safety position where he won All-SEC freshman honors one year ago. In the spring game it seemed both were having a competition to see who could pop someone the loudest.

Ogletree will be flanked in the middle of the defense by Christian Robinson, a junior that has quickly become one of the leaders of the defense. Robinson played a bunch last year and brings the most experience back to the linebacker unit. He is all over the field and will benefit from the two animals beside him in Ogletree and Jones. The WILL (weakside outside linebacker) will likely be Cornelius Washington, who was a force at DE two years ago and should finally be out of Justin Houston’s shadow. Washington could have to hold off several of the newcomers though as Ray Drew could see some time at WILL now that Jones is officially good to go. The freshman Drew said in an interview just days before National Signing Day that Grantham saw him as another DeMarcus Ware, so he very well could come from the SAM spot, though he must learn to play without his hand in the dirt.

The depth of the linebacker spot is steadily growing as preseason practice continues. True freshman Ramik Wilson “just hits people,” as one teammate told reporters after a practice. Coach Mark Richt also praised both Chase Vasser and Michael Gilliard after the first few practices.

Oh course these linebackers will also see more success due to an improved defensive line. Suddenly a defense that seemed lost at times in 2010 should be locked, loaded and ready to thump in 2011.

Score Atlanta Fantasy Football blog

Is there anything this guy WON'T write about? Not really. I am now covering Fantasy Football for Score Atlanta and scoreatl.com. This is the first blog which you can now find on www.scoreatl.com. Look for tips each week. And should you trust me? Well I do finish in the money in EVERY league I play in. Even in leagues that don't play for money, I still make money in those! Booyah.

If you are a red-blooded male, living in America (and honestly, what male isn’t red-blooded) or a one of the many females that really gets into football for 12 months a year, odds are you have at least one fantasy football team. I am not going to pretend to be a fantasy football guru like so many people claim to be on the internet or on sports talk radio, but I have finished in the money in various leagues for the last six years and have even been kicked out of several leagues for speaking a little smack on the group message boards while dominating. (And to be honest, is talking on the message boards half the fun? Not only are you taking your friends’ money, but you are telling them about it at the same time.)
Therefore, this year I will be throwing out some tips that have helped me become a fairly decent fantasy football general manager. As we head into the season odds are your draft is quickly approaching so here are some things to remember as you sit down for your draft.
Rookies are always scary and you should probably stay away from them this year. A rookie wide receiver rarely makes the impact Randy Moss did when he scored 10 million touchdowns back in 1998 (OK, 17, but he also averaged 19 yards per catch). A rookie wide receiver will struggle to learn how to beat coverages and soon will realize that he isn’t running free like he was in college. This year AJ Green and Julio Jones were both taken in the top six picks but a lack of rookie training camps will prevent them from having the impact each likely will have next year. As for rookie quarterbacks, even Peyton Manning struggled numbers-wise as a rookie and you should stay away from them, even if they played for your favorite college team. Remember, fantasy football is all about numbers, not wins and losses.
Players in new situations will likely start slow and finish fast. I’d take Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson in a heartbeat this year, but I might keep him on my bench for the first few weeks. Why? It will probably take a little time for Johnson and Tom Brady to work up a chemistry in New England. Will Johnson be better with Brady than he was the last two years with Carson Palmer? Yes, because Brady is a much better QB. Just be patient.
Also draft the back-up running back of your starting running back. They call this handcuffing your backs because the way the NFL is these days, you KNOW your back will probably wear down at some point this season and require a backup. Chris Johnson was a prime example last year. He was likely your league’s No. 1 overall pick, but if you were smart, you’d have taken Javon Ringer too later in the draft (or picked him up as a free agent) because when Johnson struggled and lulled midway through the year, the Titans went with Ringer and you would have cashed in.
These are just a few tips as you go into your draft.

TheFletch: Perry uses his serious voice, BA on the Air!

As summer winds down, several local radio personalities are indulging on end-of-summer vacations. On 680 The Fan, Christopher Rude was on vacation earlier this week which means sidekick Perry Laurentino was forced to bring his commercial/interview/serious voice into work as he served as the point man on The Rude Awakening. It was nice to hear Perry not have to play the preposterous Anti-Atlanta role he is normally forced into with Rude serving as instigator. It was also nice having Perry run point because the show was actually talking sports, which I always think is a good thing, considering it is a sports talk radio station. Recently it seems that Sandra and Rude are auditioning to be the new morning show on B98.5 or Q100.

680 The Fan’s afternoon drive show Chuck & Chernoff also was missing a headliner as Matt Chernoff took a vacation. Former 790 The Zone midday host Brandon Adams filled in for Chernoff, and it was good to hear BA back on the radio. He has filled in on Chuck & Chernoff before, but his appearance on 680 means ANOTHER 790 talent has jumped ship to 680. The exodus of talent from 790 leaving for 680 reminds me a bit of the WCW in the late 90s, pulling every single WWF free agent and even some regular players over to form a super station. As far as Brandon Adams is concerned, it is a shame that Adams and 790 couldn’t put the genie back in the bottle after the decision was made that Adams wanted to return to teaching. Adams’ partner Jeff Woolverton appeared randomly last football season, but Adams to my knowledge has not reappeared after Brandon & Woolvey left the airwaves. The Zone certainly could have used Adams this summer when Barnhart & Durham took time off. Adams would have been about nine thousand times better to team up with Hans opposed to Jamal Anderson. Then again, it would have been better for a 2x4 to fill in over Jamal Anderson. He once played in the NFL. Did you know that?

Perhaps he should play the lottery because 680’s John Kincade of Buck & Kincade fame, is down right soothsayerish. In early July, Kincade played a “would you or wouldn’t you” game, asking Braves fans if they’d trade Brandon Beachy for Michael Bourn. Well with last week’s trade for Bourn, it seemed as though Kincade hit the Braves’ needs right on the head. In his exercise, Kincade said he was trying to see if the Braves faithful would be willing to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. He seemed bewildered that Braves Country balked at the idea of sending Beachy out for Bourn, as most fans said they’d try and package other lower prospects out for a player like Bourn. Suffice to say, Wren sided with the fans and Houston agreed to take the three minor league pitchers, plus Schafer in exchange for Bourn. While Kincade laughed at the time of the idea that the Braves could get someone like Bourn without giving up a top pitching prospect like Minor or Beachy, he was probably gloating that he called the trade a month before it happened. I would have tuned in to listen to his gloating, but with the new time slot...I had other things to do midday.

The Bourn trade was met with universal praise, from various Braves twitter feeds (such as Peter Moylan) to Boston.com to MSN Sports and yahoo! and of course ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark and David Schoenfield. Stark declared the Braves one of his “winners” of the trading deadline while Schoenfield, in his SweetSpot blog figured that the Braves got the better player. Schoenfield used Baseball Reference.com’s career numbers to look beyond the average, home runs and RBI numbers, which all show Philadelphia’s Hunter Pence has slugged more than Bourn. Schoenfield said in his blog, “If you factor in just hitting and baserunning, B-R says Bourn has been about 82 runs better than a replacement-level center fielder over the past three seasons; Pence about 73 runs better than a replacement-level right fielder. Factor in Bourn's defense and he's the more valuable player… As for the Braves, they get exactly what they needed -- a leadoff hitter and center fielder. They're a better club right now than two days ago. It just appears -- for now -- that they gave up a lot less to get their guy.”

It was interesting hearing the varying viewpoints of callers versus radio hosts in regards to the sudden announcement from Randy Moss, saying he would retire at the age of 34. Mike Bell of 790 The Zone seemed almost angry that Moss was quitting as he apparently never met his potential, wasting it. His co-host of the day David Archer disagreed, saying that Moss never wasted it, as it is hard to call it a waste when he set multiple records and finished just short of Jerry Rice in several others. Callers also ranged from defending Moss to saying he was a quitter and they were glad he was gone. The bottom line is Randy Moss was one of the three greatest receivers ever. Could he have been number one all-time? Quite possibly. However what he did on the field, the good and the bad, shouldn’t be taken away from him. You should only look at what he DID do. And that was be a dominant receiver that changed the game. He is a Hall of Famer if there ever was one.

Last Monday, August 1 marked the return of the Georgia High School Football Daily newsletter. If you don’t subscribe to the free email newsletter, what are you waiting for? Any high school football fan needs to wake up every morning to this in his/her email box as it has the best info one could ask for five days a week and it is an invaluable guide during the year. Todd Holcomb sends out the email newsletter and is one of the best high school football minds in the state. He is also a regular guest on GPB’s Sports Central XL.



Can You Believe He Said That
“We think he’s going to do what’s right.”
That was Steve Spurrier after he announced that the much-troubled quarterback Stephen Garcia was fully reinstated to the team. Two things are funny about this. First off, the ONLY reason he is back on the team is because South Carolina cannot find a better option (how Spurrier cannot find a decent QB I have no idea), but the REAL humor is that all of a sudden NOW Garcia will do what’s right? Yeah…….

Georgia opens up preseason practice! GET EXCITED!

As the University of Georgia football team enters its most important season of the Mark Richt era, several questions loom as Boise State is now less than one month out. Will the 3-4 defense show the improvement that Alabama’s did in year two under Kirby Smart and Nick Saban? Will the offensive line stay healthy? Will any of the o-line newcomers be able to play like Trinton Sturdivant and Clint Boling circa 2007? Will a receiver step up to take AJ Green’s spot? Can Isaiah Crowell live up to the hype?
There are a bunch of questions and before camp starts, a quick prognostication/guess would be yes, no, hopefully, certainly, no chance.
These are just guesses but the defense almost HAS to improve as last year was REALLY rocky. Year two in any system will always be better than the first and year three is usually better than year two. Add John Jenkins and you have the potential for great things from the linebackers.
Will the o-line stay healthy? We’ve already seen a thin line get even thinner with Sturdivant going down and two others leave the program. Throw in Austin Long’s bout with mono and the line will certainly require one of the o-line newcomers to step up in his true freshman season. Honestly Watts Dantzler was big enough to get reps already and several others (Zach DeBell) can offer spot depth.
Can a receiver step up for AJ Green? No one is going to be able to give you what AJ Green did, but that doesn’t mean several players who gave you zilch last year couldn’t make up Green’s production. Marlon Brown, Israel Troupe, I’m talking about you.
And can Isaiah Crowell live up to the hype? Is he the second-coming of Herschel Walker? That is what is being expected of him. If he can just help Aaron Murray by blocking for him, setting up the play-action and then throwing in 800 yards, that would be a huge help for now.
These questions won’t be answered for certain until at least September 3. Georgia fans though should hope there are more yes’s than no’s.