Still Searching

Aaron Murray is making his third trip to Jacksonville as the UGA starting quarterback. After a rough first half his freshman year, he has been pretty strong in what used to be termed the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, bringing Georgia back from a 21-7 hole to force overtime in 2010 and rallying Georgia from a 17-3 hole to win last year. 

But Georgia’s quarterback is still searching for that elusive signature victory. Murray is without a landmark victory that years from now Georgia fans will reminisce over at tailgates before lumbering to Sanford Stadium. 

As good as Murray has been, Georgia fans are still let unsatisfied as he has never delivered on the big stage. He will likely leave Georgia with multiple passing records, but he doesn’t have David Greene’s win over Tennessee from 2001 or the win over Auburn in 2002. He doesn’t have DJ Shockley’s win over LSU in 2005 or Matt Stafford’s wins over Auburn in 2006 and 2007 and Alabama in 2007. 

Murray has a golden chance Saturday to seize that victory with No. 3 Florida waiting for Georgia down in Jacksonville. Win that game and Murray will likely lead Georgia back to the SEC Championship game for the second time in a row, something only the aforementioned Greene has pulled off at Georgia. A win over Florida would give him two for his career, something Greene, Stafford, Shockley or Joe Cox (joking) could never pull off. 

The crazy part is, I remember saying something very similar when Murray was set to face South Carolina earlier this year and LSU last year and Boise State last year. Murray keeps yakking on the big stage. Georgia fans are hoping he can play like he has in the second half of the last two Georgia/Florida games for four quarters. If he can and he gets some help from his defense, Murray will finally have his signature victory. 

A Case of UGA Acid Reflux

Watching the Georgia/South Carolina game a few weeks ago, something struck me and I immediately became sick to my stomach: I had seen this before. As I watched Jarvis Jones fail to make an impact in Georgia’s blowout loss to the Gamecocks, I was transported back to Halloween weekend 2008. I watched that day as future first-round pick Knowshon Moreno was a non-factor as Georgia was blown out by a top-10 team. Moreno appeared to take himself out several times during the game to seemingly save himself for the NFL. Many Georgia fans still shake their head at Moreno’s actions (or inaction) and wonder what would have happened if he had gone full-out.

That is not to say that Jones took himself out of the South Carolina game or is saving himself for the NFL. He looked like he wasn’t giving 100 percent towards the end of the game, but afterwards, injury news broke. Over the bye week, word came out that Jones was more injured than he let on, and it is possible that he will not suit up against Kentucky because of various ailments. Georgia would likely rather have Jones on the field for next week’s Florida game over the Kentucky game. 

At the end of the day, the sickening part is a first-round lock failed to make an impact in the biggest game on the schedule to this point. Can Georgia still win the SEC East? Yes. But a big game from Jones against South Carolina could have done some big things for the program, much the same way a big game from Moreno in 2008 could have done some big things for the Georgia program. Alas, Georgia fans had to be wondering, haven’t we seen this before all throughout the South Carolina game. Hopefully for Georgia fans, they will be saying the same thing next week in regards to Jones’ performance against the Gators one year ago. That is the kind of repeat performance the Bulldog Nation wouldn’t mind seeing again. 

Georgia Will Survive Sans Bennett

The loss of wide receiver Michael Bennett is certainly significant for the University of Georgia offense. Bennett was the team’s leading receiver this year with 24 catches, 345 yards and four touchdowns through the team’s first five games. He snared two scores in the second half against Tennessee, allowing the Bulldogs to pull away from the Vols, but late in Tuesday’s practice, Bennett tore the ACL in his right knee and will require season-ending surgery. 

Bennett was part of a five-wide set that Georgia flashed early in the season, and the formation would have certainly helped against South Carolina as Georgia attempts to snap a two-game losing streak to the Gamecocks this Saturday. 

That being said, though, wide receiver was perhaps the best position for the Bulldogs to suffer a season-ending injury because the receiving corps is so deep. Marlon Brown has 17 catches for 272 yards and three scores so far this year while Tavarres King has also recorded three touchdowns and 307 yards on 16 catches. Rantavious Wooten and Chris Conley have each shown some positive flashes and Malcolm Mitchell will now likely see his offensive snaps increase. Factor in Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome at the tight end position, and Bennett’s loss, while it hurts, isn’t as bad judging from the outside as it could be. 

Aaron Murray seemed to build a fine rapport with Bennett over the last season and one half, but now Conley can step into the fray and perhaps take Bennett’s catches. Wide receiver was a deep position that just got a bit shallower, but if Mitchell returns to the offense in a larger capacity, not much figures to be lost at the playmaking position. 

UGA can hang with anybody

The University of Georgia was not going to lose to Vanderbilt Saturday. The ‘Dores were lucky that Jarvis Jones didn’t just rip Jordan Rodgers a new one when he was going nuts once back on the field. Todd Grantham kept his starters in to ensure Vanderbilt didn’t get a touchdown after last year’s fireworks. Georgia wasn’t in any danger of losing like last year, when Drew Butler needed to make a crucial save to prevent a game-winning touchdown return. Georgia dominated from the start of the game as more history was made as UGA finished with 48 points, the fourth straight game UGA has posted at least 41 points.

The biggest thing we learned from the action at Sanford Stadium Saturday night was that Georgia can be “on” just like the other top teams in the country. Was Vanderbilt an opponent like Clemson, Michigan or Oregon? No, but the way Georgia played last night, any of those teams would be hard-pressed to have beaten the Dawgs. The defense bent at times but never once broke while the offense looked unstoppable in the first half. Aaron Murray has found a nice rhythm with his receivers while the running game looks as loaded as it was back in 2007. 

These backs run harder and with such a variety that, while LSU gets the pub for going five-deep, Georgia’s top three could be viewed as a more dangerous unit. Todd Gurley’s stiff arm was certainly pregame-videoboard-worthy while Keith Marshall’s speed was finally on display during his long run Saturday night. Gurley is getting the acclaim right now, as he should, but don’t count Keith Marshall out just yet. His best days are ahead of him. And Ken “Boo” Malcome also runs hard enough to punish defenses tired of seeing Gurley and Marshall run around and through them. 

As for the defense, what more can be said? Oh, yeah, it is about to get better with the return of Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo. The rest of the SEC just shivered. How explosive will Jones be now with Rambo and Ogletree out there, taking attention away. The way LSU played Saturday, Georgia has to believe it can take down the Tigers. Alabama may be the defending BCS champions, but the Tide may not even have a shot at Georgia as Bama has to go to Baton Rouge.

Now the Bulldog Nation must hope that this week’s Tennessee game doesn’t become a classic trap game. Georgia had extra motivation for the Vanderbilt game and the South Carolina game will be weighing on the minds of a bunch of 19- to 23-year-olds. The onus will be on the Georgia coaching staff to keep the Dawgs focused on a Tennessee team that was ranked a few weeks back and could possibly pull another classic Tennessee upset (see: 2004, 2007, 2009). Georgia must be ready for a desperate Vols squad that has enough firepower to take out an unfocused team. 

Aaron Murray: Under appreciated superstar

Henry David Thoreau, Vincent Van Gogh, John Keats and Galileo Galilei: all people who were vastly under appreciated while they were writing, painting or otherwise doing what they do. It wasn’t until much later that people truly started to appreciate what they brought to the table and how they missed the chance to witness greatness. 

Perhaps Aaron Murray can relate to these great poets, artists and scientists. Despite putting up quality numbers as a freshman and leading the Dawgs to the SEC East title last year as a sophomore, all Murray heard over the offseason was rumblings about how Bulldog Nation couldn’t wait for Christian LeMay and high school senior Brice Ramsey to take over because Murray can’t win the big one. Fans ripped Murray for his turnovers and nitpicked his numbers coming against weak competition. 

All Murray has done this season is go on the road and beat Missouri, a team with a quarterback more hyped but not nearly as talented as Murray. He has Georgia (3-0) sitting at No. 5 in the country after passing for 842 yards on 51-of-80 passing and eight scores. He registered a career-high 342 passing yards against FAU last Saturday while amassing four touchdowns. During the FAU game, he moved into a tie for second on Georgia’s all-time list touchdown list and is within five of David Greene. Murray still has nearly two years of eligibility left, by the way. 

Perhaps if Murray leads Georgia through this upcoming rough patch, past Florida and to yet another SEC title game, maybe then the Georgia faithful will stop counting down the days until LeMay or Ramsey moves under center. Brandon Cox, Blake Mitchell and Casey Clausen this guy isn’t. He is quite talented but under appreciated. Georgia fans shouldn’t be trying to push this guy out the door. If anything, show some patience and let this guy do his thing. By the time he leaves Georgia for the 2014 NFL Draft, he will likely have every UGA passing record one would want and he may just have a little golden stiff arm statue and some hardware on his finger.

What we learned from beating Mizzou

I wanted to wait a few days before I wrote what in fact we learned from the Missouri game, if anything. It is too easy to get caught up in the emotion directly after a win or loss and sometimes hyperbole seems about right when you are basking in the glory or muttering in the darkness. 

What did Georgia learn from going to Missouri and picking up a big SEC East win in just the second week of the season? The answer is, sadly, not much.

Georgia knew it had a solid defense anchored by Jarvis Jones. Was it fun for the Bulldog Nation to watch Jones take over a game and shut down Missouri’s attack almost all by himself? Sure. But didn’t we know that he was incredibly talented already? He was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 2011 and he won the CFPA Elite Linebacker Trophy. He was a first team All-American by several publications, and he led the SEC in sacks last year. He is really good. We knew that.

Georgia has a plethora of receivers that can make plays, but we knew that after last season. Tavarres King, Michael Bennett, Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten have all made plays this year and Brown really seemed to come to play against the Tigers. 

Georgia’s rushing attack will have ups and downs, but we knew that already as well, considering Todd Gurley is a true freshman and one of this top backups, Keith Marshall, is also a true freshman. They will have some great moments (the Buffalo game for Gurley), but they will have some rough ones too (the first play for Gurley when he fumbled). 

As fun as it was for Bulldog Nation to pound its chest and say “Old Man Football,” Missouri was an unranked foe playing its first SEC game. Their nerves showed on the first drive, and once the Georgia avalanche started in the fourth quarter, the Tigers didn’t know what to do.

Georgia still has plenty of work and it starts with getting John Theus healthy. He will likely go on to be a stud for Georgia as he started the Missouri game, and, despite giving up two sacks and being called for three penalties, the coaches stuck with him out there. That either says the coaches are really high on him or there is zero depth/trust behind him. For a true freshman to get as many reps with an apparent injury like that says the coaches really believe he is the guy. 

If we learned anything from the Missouri game, it is that Theus is a warrior for not asking out and continuing to play. The coaches should love a tackle  that stands 6-foot-6, 309 pounds. Take that away from a game that really didn’t offer much of a chance to teach Georgia anything. Missouri was an opponent that shouldn’t have scared Georgia, and the Bulldogs rightfully returned home with a victory.  

UGA dodged a bullet

Just days before National Signing Day 2010, Calhoun standout Da’Rick Rogers shocked the Georgia Bulldog Nation by de-committing from UGA in favor of Tennessee where his high school teammate Nash Nance had just committed. Georgia fans were irate and vented anger towards Rogers anyway they could via radio recruiting shows, message boards and the social network world. Several Georgia players even promised to “introduce him” to the SEC when they met on the field. 

After a quiet first year (11 catches, 167 yards, two touchdowns), Rogers was All-SEC last year with 67 catches, 1,040 yards and nine scores. Despite a huge 2011 for Rogers, Georgia fans are likely extremely happy he never stepped foot on the Athens campus.

Rogers has run into trouble throughout his Tennessee career which may have come to an end Thursday when he was suspended indefinitely by head coach Derek Dooley for violating team rules. Dooley later admitted to the Knoxville News that Rogers likely won’t return to the program. 

Rogers was involved his first year in a bar brawl that led to his arrest, but after charges were dropped, he was not suspended by Dooley. Rogers was suspended during the spring, then rumors circulated that he was mulling a transfer out of Knoxville. He stuck around, but apparently not for long. 

Back on National Signing Day 2010, Richt and company signed a pair of wide receivers in Lonnie Outlaw and Michael Bennett. While Outlaw has yet to enroll at UGA, Bennett appeared in 14 games last season, hauling in 32 passes for 320 yards and five scores. The 6-foot-3 receiver has great hands and showed them against Florida, bringing in a tough fourth down touchdown reception to help the Dawgs take down the Gators. He also posted seven catches against Vanderbilt and chalked up scores against Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Auburn. 

Meanwhile, Hutson Mason was the quarterback Georgia seemingly choose over Nance, and Mason has appeared in eight games over his first two seasons as a backup to Aaron Murray, throwing for three scores during his time on the field. Nance, on the other hand, has already transferred to Hampden-Sydney, a Division III program after never sniffing the field in Knoxville.

Rogers will be a huge loss for Tennessee, no doubt. His talent had nearly every program battling for his signature during the 2009 season leading up to February 2010. But his actions since then have many Georgia fans agreeing that maybe it was for the best that he went to the Vols. One less headache for Georgia to have had to deal with. After the Isaiah Crowell debacle, Richt and company may have been low on Advil. 

Hot & Heavy

Unlike last season, the Georgia Bulldogs’ recruiting efforts have been raging hot and heavy leading up to the season with Mark Richt and company already receiving verbals from 26 different recruits. Last summer was a quiet one for Georgia with just one player committing leading up to the 2011 season. That shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise though, considering the “Dream Team” that had just put pen to paper and the fact that Georgia was coming off of a rather down season. Players didn’t want to immediately go and compete with players from the “Dream Team,” especially with the true freshmen likely to occupy a majority of the starting roles for some time.

This recruiting cycle has seen a much different beginning with several top recruits committing early and playing the role of Pied Piper to bring other recruits in. Brice Ramsey of Camden County, Tray Matthews of Newnan and Sandy Creek’s Shaq Wiggins have been in the ear of countless recruits, urging them to consider the Dawgs, and it has worked. 

In the last two days, Georgia has picked up more help in the defensive secondary, which will be an area of need in the upcoming recruiting class. Having plenty of extra scholarships helps, but the likely reason is that Mark Richt targeted this class after the 2011 class, knowing he spent too much time wrapping up the Dream Team to get an early jump on the 2012 class. He moved his efforts to the 2013 class and it has been working out thus far.

Georgia is looking to potentially sign 33-35 guys this February with perhaps as many as 10 enrolling early and counting towards last year’s class. If Richt and Georgia can keep securing commitments and hold on to all of these pledges, Georgia could very well be looking at two straight SEC East titles and a top three recruiting class come February.  

The Case for Hutson Mason

Everyone loves the backup quarterback. Unofficial surveys show that fan bases love QB No. 2, sometimes more than the starting quarterback. These “results” are always based on potential, recruiting rankings or the belief by fans that they know more than the coaches. The other guy should be starting!

At the University of Georgia, Hutson Mason certainly receives plenty of love. A “late bloomer” in the recruiting game, Mason’s recruiting process at Lassiter (Ga.) High School didn’t really take off until his numbers did his senior season. Mason put up video game numbers while leading his high school team to the first region title in school history as well as a spot in the quarterfinals. Suddenly offers from Mississippi State, Indiana and UVA were coming in left and right. When the in-state power UGA finally offered, Mason pledged to the Bulldogs faster than you could say “Sic ‘em.” 

Mason’s first pass as a true freshman came in the 2010 season opener, and it was a 26-yard touchdown. He would appear in four games as a true freshman, backing up Aaron Murray. Last year, Mason once again appeared in four games, including a stretch in the SEC Championship Game. 

Now the debate has turned to whether Mason should redshirt one year to create some separation between himself and Murray. The Georgia starting quarterback hinted that he is considering jumping to the NFL after this season, but most don’t believe the undersized Murray would make that decision. Should Mason redshirt he would watch as Christian LeMay and Faton Bauta moved ahead of him on the depth chart, and with Brice Ramsey committed to Georgia, it would be interesting to see if Mason would truly get the nod in 2014 for one season, ala Joe Cox. 

If I could, I’d like to make the case for Mason. In high school, people knocked his ability, saying he was merely a system quarterback. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Tim Tebow was a system quarterback. Danny Wuerffel was a system quarterback. Cam Newton was a system quarterback. Those three guys seemed to do well in a college system to the tune of a national title and a Heisman trophy. 

Mason can throw it all around the yard with an accurate arm. Mason may not have the cannon of a Matt Stafford, but in Mike Bobo’s offense, you don’t necessarily need a cannon. Hit your targets and move the chains without turning the ball over. It will be hard to unseat Aaron Murray, but consider Murray has thrown 22 interceptions with eight fumbles (three lost) in 27 games with Georgia. People make the case, and they are correct, that he needs to take better care of the ball. Mason has zero interceptions in 47 passes. Mason is also several inches taller than Murray, which could help him absorb some of the hits and see better over the line of scrimmage. 

If the correct system is put around Mason, he could flourish. Many groaned when DJ Shockley took over in 2005 after David Greene’s career came to an end. “Oh we’ve seen him, he isn’t good enough!” But Mark Richt designed an offense to play to Shockley’s strengths and the rest was history. Richt and Bobo couldn’t come up with a system that took advantage of Mason’s strengths? With the talent at receiver Georgia boasts, you would think a pass-happy system with Mason firing at will could work, especially with the question marks at running back. 

But for now, Mason will likely redshirt and let LeMay and potentially Ramsey pass him on the depth chart. Pretty soon, I may be making the argument for either of those two, because, hey, don’t we always love the backup quarterback?

Jurrjens trying to bounce back

Everything appeared to be clicking right along in the career of Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens in July 2011. The righthander was 12-3 and was a strong candidate to be the National League’s All-Star starting pitcher. After Jurrjens was skipped over for the honor it was more than one month before he earned another win for the Braves, and he was shut down for the year after his Aug. 30 start.

  After struggling through spring training, Jurrjens was sent to Class AAA Gwinnett after racking up an 0-2 record with a 9.37 ERA in just four starts. 

“When you struggle, it starts playing a little bit with your mind,” said Jurrjens. “I think most of my problems were a lack of strength in my leg, and it was enabling me to make my delivery over and over and over and that was making me leave a lot of pitches up in the zone and fall behind hitters.”

During his time in Gwinnett, the 26-year-old Jurrjens was able to get his body right and return to his pre-2011 All-Star break form in his fifth year with Atlanta. 

“Going down and working on my full body conditioning and strength ... definitely (helped) being stronger and fix my delivery,” said Jurrjens. “I’ve been trying to work on the small stuff in my delivery and make it more consistent and that’s helped me make more quality pitches.”

Jurrjens has compiled a 50-35 record during his tenure with Atlanta, which could last at least one more season if the Braves’ front office wants to offer arbitration for 2013. He is in his second arbitration-eligible year making $5.5M in 2012. The results have been mixed so far.   

  Jurrjens has pitched just 45 innings, allowing 31 earned runs (34 overall) and 62 hits with just 19 strikeouts compared to 18 walks. He has allowed six home runs, but it has taken this recent hot stretch to whittle his ERA down to 6.20 for the year. Despite giving up eight runs Tuesday, Jurrjens has been back on his game since being recalled from Gwinnett. Before Tuesday, his shortest outing was five innings in a 10-3 win over Chicago on a steamy July 3 appearance. 

“I just take it day by day,” said Jurrjens. “I’m just trying not to get over my head.”

His most recent outing has Braves fans burning up the message boards and radio phone lines, demanding Braves GM Frank Wren make a move for a starting pitcher. However, if Jurrjens can continue to go to the bump every fifth day and pitch like he did in Boston and Philadelphia since returning, perhaps the Braves’ easiest move to place an All-Star caliber starting pitcher at the top of the rotation is simply to juggle the order. Jurrjens is pitching for a spot in the postseason rotation and a contract, either with the Braves or with another contender.

“You still need to win the games before you get to the postseason,” said Jurrjens. “We need to take care of the regular season before we starting thinking about the postseason. I’m just working for every start as hard as I can to prepare myself better to go out there and give my team the best job I can do. Take it day by day.”

If Jurrjens stays healthy down the stretch, expect the Braves to make a run at a pennant, perhaps with Jurrjens leading the way. 

Biggest impact redshirt freshman in 2012

Each February people become enamored with the latest signees who will help put their football team over the top that next season. Interestingly enough, many of these same prospects that excite fans each February seem to drop off their radar if they decide to redshirt their true freshman year in order to bulk up, recover from injury or just take the year to get up to speed with the college game. Fans tend to forget about them and move on to the next hotshot recruit that “should start from Day 1,” something they said about they guys that just finished redshirting.

The recruiting class that Mark Richt brought in on February 2011 was dubbed the “Dream Team,” and while some players such as Isaiah Crowell, Malcolm Mitchell, Watts Dantzler and Chris Conley contributed early, many redshirted to better prepare themselves for their college career. Several of the redshirt freshmen seem poised to make the same impact Michael Bennett and Ken Malcome did one year ago. 

Jay Rome came to Athens with greater hype than Valdosta High School teammate Malcolm Mitchell did, but Rome was redshirted behind Orson Charles and Aron White while Mitchell was a superstar his true freshman season. Watch out for Rome to really make his mark opposite Arthur Lynch in the two-TE sets. At Valdosta he was a true tight end, one that could run down the field but also stay in to block on running plays. Sanford Stadium fans got a chance to see his ability on his long touchdown reception at the spring game. Look for the 6-foot-6, 254-pound tight end to be an animal in the SEC.

Everyone is making a huge fuss over John Theus, and rightly so, but before Theus’ name was bantered about, Zach DeBell was the stud lineman prospect from Florida that everyone was talking about. DeBell is 6-foot-6, close to 300 pounds and was a star in high school. He could challenge for playing time at either of the tackle positions.

Finally, the redshirt freshman that could have the biggest impact in 2012 is wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley. The former GHSA 100- and 200-meter track champion is just the player to step in at receiver for Mitchell, who is seeing time at cornerback. Scott-Wesley caught three passes for 46 yards during G-Day and could have taken one to the house had the quarterback thrown the pass over the correct shoulder. Scott-Wesley has game-changing speed and actually looks bigger than his 5-foot-11, 218-pound frame suggests. If he can provide the deep threat while Conley, Bennett and Tavarres King haul in everything else, Mike Bobo’s offense won’t miss a beat without Malcolm Mitchell.

2012 back could cost Dawgs in 2013

We are approaching the 11-month mark of Derrick Henry’s commitment to the University of Georgia, but whispers are now circulating that the commitment won’t make it to 12 months. Alabama is putting on the proverbial ritz to sway the pledge of the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Florida product that 247sports has listed as the No. 1 athlete prospect in the country. Alabama already has the commitment of Walton (Ga.) High School running Tyren Jones for the 2013 class, but Nick Saban is always looking for stud backs. 

But if Georgia does lose Henry, it won’t be Saban’s fault; instead it will be Todd Gurley’s fault. The incoming freshman chose to come to Athens and join fellow freshman Keith Marshall to compete with Isaiah Crowell for carries this season. While Gurley was viewed by some to be an athlete coming out of high school, one recruiting service had him as a top 15 running back. After a tremendous senior season, Gurley will certainly get plenty of looks in the backfield at Georgia. Marshall has raved about Gurley’s skills, and the Bulldog Nation should be thrilled to have him.

When Henry committed last July, the field was wide open after Isaiah Crowell. Even if just Marshall had come along, Henry probably would have stuck to his commitment. Now that Gurley is in the fold, though, Henry has every right to look around and no one should blame him. He is rated as the top back in the 2013 class and the depth chart looks to be full in Georgia. He could certainly help the Bulldog running game, but if he doesn’t step foot on the Athens campus, it is likely because Todd Gurley decided he wanted to come to play between the hedges. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and whether the second running back from Georgia’s 2012 class cost the Dawgs the No. 1 back from the 2013 class. 

Damian Swann can cover anybody

With several projected starters in the defensive secondary suspended for at least the first two games, the University of Georgia will be plugging in a pair of players with little to no college experience on the defensive side of the ball into the starting lineup against Buffalo and Missouri. Malcolm Mitchell was quite the offensive surprise one year ago for Georgia, racking up 665 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a wide receiver. His reward for a dynamic freshman season was a move to defense. This spring he has been trotted out as a cornerback, a position he played in high school at Valdosta. Mitchell’s speed and 6-foot-1 frame should help him when matching up against some of the Mizzou receivers.

Damian Swann, meanwhile, is a player that started one game last year for Georgia that should slide out to cornerback from safety to make a real impact. Swann was a two-sport star at Grady (Ga.) High School that decided to move from safety to cornerback before his senior season.

Before he made the switch, Swann said “I feel I can cover anybody on the field and that’s going to be an advantage to the team.” Swann made the transition with ease and earned many accolades including a spot in the Army All-American Bowl, where he declared he would be going to Georgia. Now Swann will need to take his swagger and get ready for the likes of Dorial Green-Beckham, one of the top recruits from this past signing class. DGB and Missouri will be amped up for the Tigers’ first SEC conference game and the pressure will be on Swann and company to pull the Bulldogs through. Many people are writing Georgia off in this game due to the suspensions and the road atmosphere, but Georgia should be considered the favorite in that game. Swann was a highly-prized member of the 2011 Dream Team. His confidence and ability earned him playing time one year ago. He believes he can cover anybody on the field.

He’ll need the confidence but don’t be surprised if Georgia’s defensive secondary doesn’t skip a beat without Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin, Sanders Commings and Branden Smith. Mitchell and Swann are simply the next wave of standout athletes that the Georgia coaching staff is working to turn into standout corners. Expect big things from Swann because he expects them from himself.

Richt Helped by Petrino's Ousting

As weird as it sounds, Bobby Petrino’s accident was the best thing to happen to Mark Richt this offseason. True Richt came off of the hotseat with a new contract, but it wasn’t until the Head Hog was let go by Arkansas that Richt’s life got easier in the SEC.

Everyone knows that Nick Saban and Alabama and Les Miles and LSU rule the SEC roost, but there was much debate last year about who the third best team in the conference was. Was it Arkansas, who lost to both LSU and Alabama but who climbed as high as No. 3 during the year? Or was it Georgia, winners of ten straight during the year en route to the SEC East championship.

The debate was raging on over the offseason until the Razorbacks’ year hit a bump in the road, perhaps the same bump that derailed Petrino’s motorcycle. Richt was recently voted by The Sporting News as the fourth-best coach in the SEC, No. 14 in the nation, but you’d think that Georgia would have the nod over Arkansas this year, based on everything that gone on in Fayetteville and with John L. Smith at the helm.

South Carolina also lost a boatload of talent despite having TSN’s best coach in the SEC East, Steve Spurrier on the sidelines. Mark Richt is clearly in control of the best team in the SEC East and now can say the third-best team in the SEC overall. The two top teams will once again battle it out with Georgia awaiting the winner in Atlanta in early December. Petrino’s accident helped Georgia float a little higher in the pecking order. Now the fourteenth-best coach in the game needs to help keep the Dawgs climbing.

Bring it ON

Some people throughout the Bulldog Nation are concerned about early prognostications that have Mark Richt’s team ranked in the top ten. Some polls have the Dawgs ranked as high as No. 6. Georgia has not received this much preseason hype since the Sports Illustrated cover in 2008. Joe Cox’s lone squad was ranked in the middle teens while Aaron Murray’s teams have never received this much preseason love. Many Georgia fans groan when high expectations are placed upon them as they prefer to start somewhere in the 14-20 range and move up, ala 2002, 2005 and 2007. Fly under the radar and move up after the teams ahead of you fall. It happens every year, a team seemingly “comes out of nowhere” to challenge for a BCS bowl. Why couldn’t Georgia be the team that comes out of the shadows to challenge for a big bowl? Many Georgia fans would be happy for this to take place this year. Not me. I like the expectations. I want the Dawgs to be ranked No. 6 preseason, the favorite to take the SEC East and face Alabama or LSU for the SEC title. I want Murray to be up for the Heisman. I want Jarvis Jones to sweep all of the defensive player of the year awards. I want Richt to be up for coach of the year honors. Why bring it on? Because if Georgia is going to be elite like the program strives to be, then Georgia needs to live up to high expectations. When the media puts Alabama near the top of the rankings, Nick Saban doesn’t bat an eye, he goes to work. When USC was preseason No. 1 in the mid-2000s, Pete Carroll ended up hoisting trophies. Bobby Bowden led FSU to championship game after championship game in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And they did it by living up to expectations. If Georgia is to break into Auburn/LSU/Ohio State territory, Georgia must do it by embracing a high ranking and shining in the spotlight. With the team Georgia has this year and the recruiting class Richt is putting together, it could be the start of a golden age for the Bulldogs. Expectations will be high for the next few years. Georgia had better get used to lofty preseason rankings. What better time to start living up to them than this year? Bring it on I say. I am not scared of the bullseye. Let’s hope Richt’s squad isn’t either.

Green at the top of Richt's List

With the NFL draft just hours away, three Georgia Bulldogs Cordy Glenn, Brandon Boykin and Orson Charles must be nervously tapping their toes, wondering if/when they will be taken in Round One. Glenn is nearly a lock to go Thursday while Charles and/or Boykin could sneak into the first round or go early on Day Two. How will these three stack up on the list of Georgia players recruited by Mark Richt, developed by Mark Richt and sent to the NFL by Mark Richt? That is likely a question that won’t be answered until several years from now. One can look back at Richt’s tenure and see a host of first round picks, but who are Richt’s crown jewels when it comes to the NFL Draft? I am glad you asked. It would be hard to make this list without mentioning the player that went No. 1 overall in 2009 Matthew Stafford. The gunslinger from Highland Park, TX, was selected as the top player by the Detroit Lions in 2009 after three years in Athens. His explosive teammate Knowshon Moreno was taken 11 picks later by the Denver Broncos. While Moreno has been a disappointment in the NFL, Stafford stayed healthy last year and is being looked at as one of the top young guns in the league. Before those two, you’d need to go back to Thomas Davis in 2005 for another first round selection brought in by Richt and company to Athens. David Pollack was ushered in to Athens by Jim Donnan whose NFL career was cut short by injury. Davis, however, has been a key player on recent Panthers defenses. The team brought him back, just as it brought back Charles Johnson, a third rounder in 2007. Johnson’s big contract before last season raised eyebrows nationally even though many from the southeast knew of his potential. Mohamed Massaquoi was selected by Cleveland in 2009 with a second round pick, and the wide receiver has been serviceable for the Browns, just as Asher Allen has been during his NFL days. But the player that Richt should be most proud of is last year’s No. 4 overall selection A.J. Green. The Bengals wide receiver likely would have been the rookie of the year had a gentleman named Cam Newton not torn up the NFL rookie QB record books in Carolina last year. Green has a chance to be a Pro Bowler for years to come and will go down as Richt’s No. 1 NFL draft choice of all time. Stafford could eventually come around, but for now, Green has to receive the nod as best ever under Richt.

For twenty seasons the Atlanta Braves seemingly could always turn to John Smoltz for a crucial playoff start or to close out an elimination game. “I always wanted to be clutch,” said Smoltz in a conference call earlier this week. On Monday Braves president John Schuerholz announced that the team will retire Smoltz’s No. 29 in a ceremony on June 8, when he will also be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. Smoltz addressed the media after Schuerholz’s announcement, taking time to give plenty of credit to his former teammates and managers. “I’m truly honored to be with the likes of some of those numbers on the wall (out in left field).” Smoltz spent 21 years with Atlanta, going 210-147 over 20 seasons while also racking up 154 saves with the team. The 1996 Cy Young award winner represented the Braves in eight trips to the All-Star game. He rang up 3011 strikeouts with Atlanta while posting a 3.26 ERA. After returning from an injury during the latter part of the 2001 season, Smoltz would go on to become of the game’s most dominant closers, a position he would hold for three more seasons. He recorded a league-high 55 saves in 2002. For his career he twice led the NL in wins (1996, 2006), strikeouts (1992, 1996), innings pitched (1996, 1997) and three times led the league in starts made (1992, 1997, 2006). “John has contributed so much to Atlanta Braves history. Inducting him into our Hall of Fame and making sure no one else will ever wear his No. 29 are the most meaningful and significant ways we can honor John,” Schuerholz said in a release of the second-winningest pitcher in postseason history. HISTORY OF 29 After June 8, no one will ever wear No. 29 again for the Braves, but originally Smoltz wasn’t even donning that number himself. When he first came to the Braves, he sported No. 57 under Chuck Tanner. Later it was switched out to the iconic 29. “I was just given No. 29. It wasn’t a superstitious thing.” Smoltz admitted that he tried to switch several times, trying to get a number that he could achieve in number of wins. “I had (29) forever, and it stuck.” Early on in 29’s career he struggled some, especially the first half of 1991. “Struggle is not new to me. I used it as a stepping stool to the next level.” After a 2-11 start to the year, Smoltz caught fire, as did the Braves. Smoltz won 12 of his next 14 decisions as Atlanta eventually made the World Series. “The poor start was one of the few times in life where I lost focus on what to do.” Smoltz credited Bobby Cox for sticking with him in the rotation and leaning on him, just a 24-year-old at the time. “Bobby was the reason I made the choice to stay with Atlanta every time.” The right-hander said that every time his contract came up, he thought about playing for Cox and with the Braves, and he tried to work out a way to stay with the team. FULL CIRCLE “So many things happened to me and for the best,” said Smoltz when looking back over his career. Smoltz is the only pitcher in Major League history that can boast 200-plus wins and 150-plus saves. He accomplished nearly all of those numbers with Atlanta, many of the wins coming along side friends Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. “I’ve had some of the greatest teammates and the greatest manager in the game. I can’t think of what life would have been like without those guys.” From 1991-1998 either Glavine, Smoltz or Maddux captured all of the Cy Young awards save for 1997. Those three helped Atlanta to five World Series appearances and the 1995 title. With all of those memories, how will Smoltz approach June 8? “I won’t know if it will be emotional until that day,” said Smoltz. “I never really thought about big games until on the mound. Probably (it will be emotional), but it will be a lot of fun too.” The ceremony will take place in June as the Braves wanted as many alumni as possible to attend and Smoltz had to find a weekend he could make it when he didn’t have a TBS game to call. Since his retirement, Smoltz has become one of the best color commentators and analysts in the business, working with Peachtree TV, TBS and MLB Network. He is also writing a book entitled “Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith and One More Year,” which is due out this spring. Recently Smoltz was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, a real honor he said as he knows he will spend his life in the state of Georgia. Smoltz said that throughout his career he never took time to ponder the Hall of Fame, leaving that for teammates and fans. He will join several of those teammates in Glavine and Maddux on the number wall and in the Braves Hall of Fame. Perhaps another former teammate, Chipper Jones, too, will have his number up there in the near future. For the time being, Smoltz will be the ninth Brave to have his number retired, joining Glavine (47), Maddux (31), Cox (6), Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3) Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21). The team also retired Jackie Robinson (42) as did all of Major League Baseball. Perhaps another party will be in order for Smoltz in 2014. Braves fans are keenly aware that in two years, he will be eligible for Major League Baseball’s prestigious Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. For now, though, Braves fans will have the chance to head out to Turner Field June 8 to honor a man who took the ball anytime it was handed to him, regardless of the situation, and gave it his all. “That is what this is all about,” said Smoltz of the chance for a proper sendoff. “I had such respect for all of (the Braves employees and fans). I have so many friends.”

What's left to work on?

With one week to go before the annual G-Day game which wraps up Georgia’s spring practice, what do the Bulldogs need to figure out for the upcoming season? One important issue that must be resolved is the defensive secondary. Brandon Boykin has graduated while Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings and Branden Smith are all not available for at least the season opener. Georgia’s best bet for a pair of starting corners are Malcolm Mitchell, who played wide receiver one year ago and Damian Swann, an incredible athlete that just made the switch to corner before his senior year of high school. The return of Shawn Williams at safety should help but he will be the lone returning starter from one year ago early on in the season. Corey Moore will be needed to make a play or two this season. The next week could also be telling as perhaps Devin Bowman gets some time out there as a player in the secondary. He could earn some playing time with a strong spring game as he certainly has the bloodlines to be successful.

While the running back situation and offensive line question will likely get resolved after the summer, backup quarterback is an issue that could be addressed in the next few days. The coaching staff and Hutson Mason would like to give the sophomore a redshirt season in 2012 to put one year in between Mason and starter Aaron Murray, but would the coaches really feel comfortable if Murray were to go down? Faton Bauta has been impressive during his short time on campus, impressing coaches and those familiar with the program with his work ethic. Christian LeMay will wrap up his second spring practice next Saturday after enrolling early in 2011 and taking a redshirt last year. Coaches are likely hoping that they can get by this year with Murray taking 99% of the snaps and LeMay, Parker Welch and Michael Tamburo taking the other 1% with Mason and Bauta redshirting. Bauta does have some potential as a Tebow-like wildcard which could lead to his finding some playing time.

There are plenty of other areas that need addressing, but those issues likely won’t be solved in the next week. The backup quarterback position and the defensive secondary are two problems that can be fixed.

Vandy making inroads in Georgia...

The Vanderbilt Commodores have done a bang-up job so far this season to secure inroads in the state of Georgia, and James Franklin thus far has snagged four prized recruits for the 2013 class. Jonesboro cornerback Tauren Ferguson is the latest Peach State native to jump aboard the Vandy train, picking the Commodores over offers from Ole Miss, Wake Forest and Cincinnati. He will join Stephenson DE Jonathan Wynn and a pair of four-star recruits in Central-Macon LB Nigel Bowden and Cedar Grove QB Johnathan McCrary. Last year the Commodores landed five Georgia prospects including Buford’s Paris Head.

Georgia Tech is finally on the board for the Class of 2013 as four-star running back Travis Custis pledged to sign with Paul Johnson next February. The Lovejoy star reportedly had offers from Clemson, Miami, Boston College, Mississippi State, Michigan State and South Florida according to Scout.com.

While his coach says the opposite is true, two schools may have been ruled out in the Tony Parker sweepstakes. Last week Score Atlanta secured an exclusive with Miller Grove head coach Sharman White following the McDonald’s All-American game and asked about Parker’s recruiting process. When asked if Parker had eliminated any schools from his top five of Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, UCLA and UGA, White said “No one has been ruled out.” Rumors had been circulating the web that Kansas and Ohio State had taken hits with various assistants interviewing for head coaching jobs. Kansas assistant Danny Manning will leave the Jayhawks to take over as head coach of Tulsa, but Ohio State’s staff appears to be sticking together. Parker will announce his decision April 11 and sign his letter of intent during the late signing period. As for the in-state Bulldogs, fans will like to hear that White confirmed “Georgia is definitely still in it.”

Broken Record: Offensive Line once again a question

For the first time since 2006, the University of Georgia Bulldogs will not be counting on Trinton Sturdivant to be a part of the offensive line. The oft-injured tackle never quite lived up to his phenomenal first year on campus, but his eligibility is finally up and he has moved on. Despite the injuries, Bulldog fans always seemed to pencil him in at left tackle ever since a magical 2007 true freshman year.

So who will start out at the all-important left tackle spot? Odds are Kenarious Gates will receive the opening day nod as he does have some experience at the position and has practiced there over the last few years. Much-hyped high school recruit John Theus could also see some time there, as could redshirt freshman Xzavier Ward and junior Austin Long.

Watts Dantzler played quite a bit as a true freshman last year and seemed a perfect fit for the right tackle position while still at Dalton (Ga.) High School. Last year’s prize offensive lineman recruit Zach DeBell will back up Dantzler unless he can seize the position away in spring practice, which is doubtful. Mark Beard was brought in from the junior college ranks and could see time on the outside though his size may be better suited for guard.

The interior positions on the line have some question marks but also some answers. It appears as though Kolton Houston’s NCAA issues have been resolved, and the coaches seem confident he will be back in 2012 after missing all of 2011. Houston could have started one year ago and he seems on pace to excel this year. Dallas Lee offers a bit of depth after playing and starting for much of last year. His season was ended by a broken leg in the Florida game, but Lee will see plenty of field time this year. Beard could play at guard as well. Chris Burnette is an option at right guard but he may be used as a center.

Speaking of center, David Andrews was brought in from the Wesleyan (Ga.) School to be the heir apparent at center to Ben Jones. Andrews received some reps last year, but Burnette is also cross-training at the position. Austin Long’s younger brother Hunter is another candidate for the spot.

So what would be the ideal situation? In a perfect world, Andrews would seize the center position and hold on to it for the next three years like Ben Jones did. If Theus could come in and play immediately, he would likely be able to hold up, if the recruiting experts are correct about him. (Sturdivant played as a true freshman as you may remember.) If Theus can start from Day One, that would allow Gates to slide back inside, opposite Houston with Beard, Burnette and Lee offering depth. Dantzler or DeBell on the other side would enable the running game to go off tackle on the right side. While that lineup is full of youth, it is also full of talent. Mark Richt and company brought this talent to Athens. Now it is up to Will Friend and the players themselves to turn a question mark into an exclamation mark.

Six Burning Questions entering spring practice

The University of Georgia Bulldogs will begin 2012 spring practice next week for what figures to be a very important season for Mark Richt. True, Richt just appeared in the SEC Championship game and received a contract extension, but, in all honesty, does that mean he is truly safe in the crazy world that is the SEC? Phillip Fulmer appeared in the 2007 SEC title game, only to fall to LSU, and Fulmer was gone following the 2008 season. Hmmm.

The Bulldogs won ten straight games on year ago but enter the 2012 season on a two-game losing skid after dropping the SEC championship game as well as the bowl game. There are six burning questions entering the 2012 season. Why six? ESPN has the Dawgs ranked No. 6 in one preseason poll.

1 Can Georgia learn to step on the throat and finish teams off? So many times last year the Dawgs jumped out to an early lead only to have to hold on and fret against an overmatched team. The Dawgs should have blown out Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Kentucky, but barely won. Georgia also watched early leads disappear against Boise State, South Carolina, LSU and Michigan State. Can Mike Bobo call up enough plays to ice games down the stretch? Can the running game move the chains and chew up the Sanford Stadium clock? Two new faces at running back and what sounds like a re-focused Isaiah Crowell could be the missing ingredients. Otherwise keep a roll of TUMS in your pockets, Bulldog Nation.

2 Will Malcolm Mitchell be able to make the switch to defensive back? A few weeks back I said that more Malcolm Mitchell was a good thing, as long as playing defense didn’t interfere with his health and ability to play offense. Well, it appears as though Mitchell is now a full-time defensive back with the recent suspensions and whatnot. Mitchell was a force in high school as a defensive back. I have no reason to think that he won’t be able to recall his prep days as a corner. He may actually be even better over there, and that is a scary thought for every other SEC East foe.

3 What will the offensive line look like in 2012? Good questions. A few pieces return but you may be looking at asking a true freshman John Theus to play immediately as well as redshirt freshman Zach DeBell. Kenarious Gates has played multiple positions and could start out at left tackle with Theus on the right side. Watts Dantzler got some action last year as did David Andrews. Otherwise you have Dallas Lee, Kolton Houston, Austin Long and Chris Burnette, players with various degrees of experience.

4 Can Jarvis Jones follow up his amazing first year on the field in Athens? The 2011 All-American will likely see more double-teams but remember that will just open up the other side for Cornelius Washington, Ray Drew, Jordan Jenkins, Garrison Smith, Abry Jones... you get my point.

5 Will Georgia miss its punter/kicker combination? As much as everyone was screaming for someone other than Blair Walsh to go kick in the second half of the season, he will be missed. Many expect Marshall Morgan to come in and immediately win the starter’s job, but senior Jamie Lindley could push the freshman. As for punter, true freshman Collin Barber was given a scholarship. As a punter. Think about that.

6 Can Georgia live up to expectations? The last time Georgia entered the year with any sort of hype, the Dawgs were smoked in Sanford Stadium by Alabama, thumped in Jacksonville by Florida and suckerpunched by Georgia Tech in Athens. The Dawgs will not face any of the SEC West’s big three next year and will get a reprieve from South Carolina until a bit later on the schedule. Georgia should be looking at an 11-win season. Anything less and Richt’s collar may start to draw a bit tighter.

Is More Malcolm Mitchell a Good Thing?

Why wouldn’t you want Malcolm Mitchell on defense too?

At Valdosta (GA) High School Malcolm Mitchell was a shutdown defensive back getting attention from most of the larger local programs, but when Rance Gillespie took over the Wildcat program, the first thing he did was borrow Mitchell for the offense. Mitchell soon was making highlight catches and taking short hitch routes to the house. UGA suddenly began recruiting Mitchell for wide receiver instead of cornerback.

When Valdosta teammates Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell each committed to the University of Georgia’s Dream Team, many people were excited about Rome, but it would be Mitchell that made his presence felt from the first game last year against Boise State. Mitchell caught three passes for 64 yards against the Broncos and showed off the speed on a 51-yard score. He also carried for 18 yards in the Georgia Dome. He would go on to huge game against Tennessee, a big score against Auburn and a seven-catch outing in the bowl game. In eleven games he caught 45 passes for 665 yards and four scores. He would have had a fifth had he held on to a pass against LSU, but we won’t go there. Mitchell also snagged a two-point conversion against Michigan State.

And now he wants to take his talents to the defensive side of the ball after Georgia was hurt by suspensions and expulsions earlier this off-season. Mitchell will split time between offense and defense, much like his senior year of high school.

This should be a no-brainer, right? A guy that WANTS to play both ways in Athens ala Champ Bailey? Yes please. Remember, though, that Mitchell missed three games, including the Florida game, one year ago with a hamstring injury. He was “moved” to offense as the team was trying to replace AJ Green. Now he will move to defense to replace Brandon Boykin and the recently departed. He can no doubt do it, but should he?

Any Georgia fan will want to see a playmaker like Mitchell on the field as much as possible; however that same Georgia fan should also want Mitchell to be healthy when on the field. You hope he doesn’t stretch himself too thin. If anyone can do it on this Georgia squad, it is Mitchell. Here’s hoping he stays healthy. If so, Todd Grantham will be able to enjoy a new toy much like Mike Bobo did one year ago.

Several teams make the switch

Several schools across the state earned a pair of home games for this weekend’s first round games, and many of those schools have made the decision to treat their fans to a playoff doubleheader. North Gwinnett is one of those schools that will feature a double dip as the boys game against Central Gwinnett has been moved to Friday night, directly following the girls matchup against South Gwinnett. Defending Class AAAA champion Miller Grove will play on Friday, following its girls as will Class AAA defending champion Columbia. The boys programs at Valdosta, Alcovy, Jonesboro, Fayette County, Allatoona, Crisp County, Carrollton, Morgan County, Putnam County, Wilcox County and Taylor County will also make the move to Friday night. Meanwhile the girls programs at Troup, North Hall Westside-Augusta and Wilkinson County will all move their games to Saturday night. Playoff tickets are $7 for the Friday night girls games and Saturday night boys games, however the doubleheaders will be $10 according to the GHSA mandated pricing structure. ...

A program that flew under the radar this basketball season was, no doubt, the Brookwood girls. Parkview received the acclaim of an undefeated season and a region title, but the Broncos, unranked for much of the year, finished with a 12-4 region record and could make some noise in the postseason. Head coach Scott Terry will have his girls ready for a young Mill Creek team that should be explosive in 2012-13. ...

Defending Class AAAAA boys champion Norcross faces Region 8-AAAAA champion Berkmar in the first round. The Patriots knocked off Shiloh in the region championship game, otherwise the Blue Devils would be up against Robert Carter and the Generals. As it stands now, Shiloh hosts Mill Creek. ...

Finally fans of rewarding the postseason over regular season success should love South Cobb whose 13-14 record doesn’t matter as the Eagles finished second in the region tournament and will host Jenkins in the first round.

First round matchups could get very interesting

Several first round matchups will certain have people’s interest piqued this Friday and Saturday night. Defending Class AAAAA champion Norcross will hit the road to face Region 8-AAAAA champ Berkmar. The Patriot’s Yonel Brown and the Blue Devils’ Brandon Goodwin will bring the star power but expect Berkmar’s Tim Rowe and Adonai Rogers to have an impact if the Patriots are to bounce the defending champs.

Marietta entered the rankings last week at No. 7, but an upset loss to Lassiter sent the Blue Devils on the road for the first round. The Lassiter coaching staff was incredibly excited following the semifinal victory, and while the Trojans couldn’t knock off Wheeler for the region title, Niles Clark and the rest of the team is playing with confidence and could be dangerous.

Milton is starting to flex its muscles a bit, racking up triple digits in the Region 6 championship game. The Eagles won the title two years ago and made the finals last year before losing to Norcross. Expect David Boyd to have his team frothing at the idea of another title.

Alcovy was able to knock off Fayette County in a highly-anticipated Region 3-AAAA championship game. Now Alcovy must put an emotional win quickly behind them and focus on a dangerous Forest Park squad.

In perhaps the most anticipated Class AAAA region championship game, Miller Grove received a huge effort from Christian Houston to knock off Southwest DeKalb 67-63. Senior Tony Parker is looking for a fourth straight championship before he heads off to the McDonald’s All-America Game.

It was a tough eight-day stretch for the Washington County boys basketball team. While the girls continued their 59-game winning streak, the boys fell for the first time all year, losing their regular season finale to Hancock Central, then following that up with two losses in the Region 3-AAA tournament. The Golden Hawks will be the No. 4 seed and will travel to face Drew in round one after starting the season 22-0.

Mt. Pisgah takes region after "biggest win in program history"

The Mt. Pisgah Patriots completed the most impressive stretch in its history after defeating Wesleyan for the just the second time ever then taking out Providence Christian in double overtime 64-54 to win the Region 5-A title. Freshman point guard Aaron Winchester hit a 10-foot shot to beat the buzzer in the first overtime period before the Patriots pulled away in the second OT. Kyle Sloter, who will head to Southern Mississippi to play football, was named first team All Region for the third year in a row, and he was huge against Wesleyan, pouring in 20 points including 5-6 from 3-point range.

Diamond DeShields appears to be healthy again as the Norcross junior tallied 24 points in a 53-38 win over North Gwinnett in the Region 7-AAAAA championship game. Norcross outscored North Gwinnett 17-2 in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs received 25 points from junior Lexie Brown, who was saddled with foul trouble for much of the first half.

It was a special night for North Cobb boys coach Terry Gorsuch. The Warriors defeated South Cobb 70-52, giving Gorsuch his first region title in 13 seasons with the program as well as his 200th career victory. North Cobb will face the Bradwell Institute in the first round of the playoffs.

Allisha Gray was at it again for the Washington County Hawks, scoring 30 points as the defending Class AAA champs won their third straight region title. The Hawks are now 27-0 on the year and have won 59 straight.

All good things must eventually end, and Wilcox County found that out the hard way. The three-time defending Region 2-A champions fell in the title game 48-44 to Lanier County. Wilcox County led for most of the game, allowing the Bulldogs to seize control with a little more than three minutes to play in the fourth before Malik Kone finished off the Patriots with 16 points.

Which Dawg goes first?

The Georgia Bulldogs have had some success in recent years during the NFL Draft. Last year A.J. Green went No. 4 overall to Cincinnati with two more going in the third round and a pair going in the fourth round. On Draft Day 2009, Matthew Stafford went No. 1 overall and Knowshon Moreno went 11 picks later at No. 12. In fact Georgia has had 57 players drafted since Mark Richt’s first game as head coach.

Georgia won’t have many first round picks this year, something Richt is likely happy about as several key underclassmen decided to return to Athens for the 2012 season. But one or two Georgia Bulldogs could still sneak into the first round. Three players in particular come to mind in this draft class, but which one will be selected first?

The NFL Network’s Mike Mayock projects TE Orson Charles as the first tight end taken, but that likely won’t happen until the second round. He predicted Charles going somewhere between 35 and 45 and definitely gone by No. 50. The tight end position was shown to be incredibly valuable this year with breakout years from Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Charles has nice size at 6-foot-3, 240-pounds, but doesn’t have the Gronkowski size, and despite massive hype, Charles only pulled in 10 touchdowns over his three seasons in Athens.

James Alder of About Football has OG Cordy Glenn as the No. 29 overall prospect but going to Chicago at No. 27. Glenn played both guard and tackle while in Athens and the versatility plus the 6-foot-5, 350-pound frame will get plenty of looks by NFL teams.

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports has Glenn going to the New York Giants with the No. 32 in the first round, right after Brandon Boykin goes to New England at No. 31. Boykin is an interesting possibility as he played special teams in addition to cornerback for the Dawgs his first three years on campus then got onto the field on offense as a senior. His first ever offensive touch, he took 80 yards for a rushing score. Bill Belichick loves players that can do different things on the football field, as evidenced by his using wide receivers as corners in recent years.

Brugler’s co-worker at CBSSports has Glenn going to Pittsburgh at No. 24, a team that churns out All-Pro offensive linemen.

Ben Jones will likely get drafted but few teams take centers in the first round, so expect to see Jones taken in the third or fourth round.

Draft Day 2013 will likely see several Bulldogs taken early as Jarvis Jones, Bacarri Rambo, John Jenkins and several others could elect to take their talents to the NFL. Richt will hope that all play like first round picks this year; if so Georgia could have a special season.

Several basketball programs clinch first ever state berth

The Archer girls clinched the program’s first ever state title berth with a 47-45 win over Central Gwinnett in the Region 8-AAAAA tournament. The team has been playing at the varsity level for just three years. Kayla Rogers had 10 points in the third quarter to help the Tigers advance. Archer now faces top-seeded Parkview in the semifinals. The Panthers are ranked No. 2 in the latest Score poll. ...

The Veterans boys also earned the program’s first trip to the state playoffs with a 73-68 win over Mary Persons, the defending Region 2-AAA champions. Mary Persons received 31 points from standout junior Brannen Greene, but Veterans countered with 15 from Jonathan Robertson and 14 from Jabari Leggette. ...

Region tournaments give each and every team, no matter what happened during the regular season, a shot at making the state tournament, and 2012 has been kind to a few teams that struggled during the year. Benedictine, the No. 9 seed in Region 3-AAAAA, knocked off Camden County to win its fourth game of the year. Last night Benedictine faced No. 1 seed Johnson-Savannah, and it was ugly quick as Johnson won 89-54. ...

In Region 8-AAA, Lumpkin County defeated West Hall to improve to 3-23 in the play-in game Monday. Last night Lumpkin County faced North Hall, the region’s top seed, and despite a strong showing by the Indians, North Hall advanced 55-44. ...

The White County girls seek to advance to the Region 8-AAA semifinals and clinch a berth in the state tournament when the Warriors take on Oconee County. White County has not made the state tournament since 2002 when four-sport standout D.J. Galbiati, the program’s all-time leading scorer, was a sophomore guard. ...

Finally, the 2011-12 GHSA Traditional Wrestling championships get underway today at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The event has been at the venue since 2006, but next year due to scheduling conflicts, the traditional championships may be forced to move as the Arena will be hosting the circus. The GHSA has not announced if it will change the dates or the venue.

DeShields is back, Warren County is out

The Norcross Blue Devils girls basketball team is trying to defend its back-to-back Class AAAAA titles, and Angie Hembree’s squad began the Region 7-AAAAA tournament with a boost from Diamond DeShields. The star junior injured the wrist (her non-shooting hand) in the Blue Devils win against North Gwinnett January 17, but Coach Hembree told Score at the time she expected DeShields, “to be back in time for the playoffs.” DeShields contributed 10 points to help Norcross qualify for the playoffs with a win over Mountain View. The Blue Devils will face either Mill Creek or Collins Hill in the next round. ...

Score was alerted to the possibility of Warren County’s basketball team pulling out of the Region 7-A basketball tournament should the Screaming Devils have to face Hancock Central, and yesterday that very event happened. The boys basketball forfeited rather than face Hancock Central, thus ending Warren County’s season. The reason for the forfeit was safety according to Warren County Schools Superintendent Carole Jean Carey in the Augusta Chronicle. The two schools brawled following an October 14 football game. The Warren County girls would potentially also forfeit should the team face Hancock Central in the region semifinals, though that would mean the team would have already qualified for the state championship tournament. ...

Congratulations go out to McEachern girls coach Phyllis Arthur for her nomination in the Naismith Award contest. Arthur is up for national girls high school basketball coach of the year. The Indians, undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the Score poll, is up to No. 2 nationally in the ESPN Rise poll. ...

Finally, yesterday I said that the just-retired Rodney Walker (West Rome 1984) and Chip Walker (Sandy Creek 2009, 2010) were the only father-son combination to win state titles in the state of Georgia; however Hal Lamb’s 2011 Class AA crown this year gave the Lamb family a father-son title grab with Ray Lamb also snagging one with Commerce in 1981.

Parkview still undefeated but WaCo loses

While many people will focus on undefeated Class AAAAA No. 1 McEachern, the undefeated Parkview girls will take on Shiloh tonight in the first round of the Region 8-AAAAA tournament. Parkview is 25-0, the second time in three years the Panthers have gone undefeated in the regular season. ...

For the first time all season a Washington County school tasted defeat when the Hancock Central boys knocked off the Class AAA No. 2 43-40. The boys had run out to a 22-0 start before falling. The girls meanwhile sit atop the latest Class AAA poll with a 24-0 record. ...

Mary Persons’ Rodney Walker announced late last week that he was retiring after more than 40 years on the sidelines. He was 302-150-3 over his career, which included stops at nine different Georgia programs. For the last six years he patrolled the Bulldogs sidelines. Walker won a state title with West Rome in 1984. Walker’s son Chip recently won back-to-back titles at Sandy Creek, giving the Walker family the first father-son combination to win state titles in Georgia history. ...

The Brookwood Broncos girls swimming and diving team took home the Class AAAAA title thanks to some incredible depth, racking up 226 points to cruise to a win. Greg Puckett’s girls notched four second-place finishes and a pair of third-place finishes, along with Kelsey Gouge’s win in the 50 free. Before the event, Puckett said of his star “the sprint freestyle events are her best event which maker her even more of an asset to the team.” He called her a leader of the team as well as “an individual that the other girls look to when the team needs a strong performance.” She was runner-up in the 100 free and helped the 200 medley relay team take second place as well.

Parker, Goodwin make McDonald's All-America team

Tony Parker of Miller Grove was one of two Georgians named to the recent McDonald’s All-America team. He celebrated Thursday’s announcement with a 78-31 win Friday over Douglass. Shaq Goodwin, the other Georgian named to the team, helped Southwest DeKalb edge Mays 63-56.

The regular season wrapped up with a few regions decided, including a sweep in Suwanee. The North Gwinnett boys got 29 points from senior Chris Bolden en route to a 63-51 win over Norcross, helping the Bulldogs to their first regular season region crown since 2003. Kameron Calhoun added 12 points in the victory. Brandon Goodwin (23 points) and Derrick Herbert (13, points, 12 rebounds) paced the Blue Devils in defeat. The North Gwinnett girls were also victorious, handing Norcross a 69-41 defeat to claim the region title. North Gwinnett shot 9-16 from behind the arc, with Lexie Brown going 4-8 herself. Brown finished with 30 points and eight assists in the dominating win.

The Lowndes girls squad earned a share of the Region 1-AAAAA title with a 50-34 win over Coffee. Lowndes split the title with Colquitt County. Lowndes won a coin flip and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming region tournament.

Damon Mitchell would not be denied in Marietta’s regular-season finale, as Mitchell poured in 30 points in an 81-74 win over Wheeler. Marietta canned six three-pointers in the first quarter to lead 20-11 early. Score 44 center Chuck Mitchell scored 20 points for Wheeler. Marietta would win the coin flip against Wheeler and will be the top seed in the Region 5-AAAAA tournament. Harrison won a coin flip for Region 4-AAAAA’s top seed. North Cobb will be the No. 2 seed.

A New 3-point Queen

There is a new three-point queen in the state of Georgia and her name is Gabby Arencibia. In Towns County’s 74-39 win over Commerce, Arencibia canned seven three-pointers en route to 25 points. The seven baskets pushed her career total to 295, which set a new state record for career long distance. ...

While McEachern has received most of the attention in Cobb County this season, the Marietta girls basketball team is putting together a strong campaign and recently clinched the No. 1 seed in the Region 5-5A tournament. The Lady Blue Devils are 21-3 and 11-0 in region play thanks to a 66-64 win over Woodstock Tuesday. Marietta has a core four that get it done. Trana Hopkins (21 points against Woodstock), Courtney Sprague (20 points), Jasmine McSwain and Kehera Wilson are a group that make Marietta, ranked No. 6 in this week’s Score Atlanta poll, a dangerous team come playoff time. ...

Jesse Hicks is expected to be named the new head coach at Central Macon today after spending the last two seasons at Dougherty. He would replace interim head coach Brent Thornton. Hicks is the former Baldwin High School head coach who racked up 70 wins in eight seasons at Baldwin. He went just 3-17 in his two seasons at Dougherty. ...

Heads or tails. In some extreme cases, the simply flip of a coin determines important tiebreakers in the state of Georgia, and a coin flip gave Dade County the top seed in the Region 7-AA North girls tournament. Sonoraville, which defeated Calhoun on Tuesday to force the tie, earned the No. 2 seed while Calhoun is left with the No. 3 seed. The top three finishers at this weekend’s subregion tournament advance to next week’s 7-AA Region tournament in Dalton, according to prepcentralonline.com.

A case for Faton Bauta

It is so easy to fall in love with the hot young recruit that steps on campus, but every once in a while, it makes sense to go head over heels. The University of Georgia has a returning redshirt junior quarterback in Aaron Murray, who broke school records one year ago and seems poised to have most of the passing records by the time he leaves Athens in the spring of 2014. With Hutson Mason taking a redshirt season this year, though, perhaps Dwyer (Fla.) High School product Faton Bauta should get a look in a few packages this year. The future of the position sits squarely in the lap of redshirt freshman Christian LeMay, but Bauta has been on campus for a few weeks now and apparently has spent most of that time at the football complex. According to sources close to Georgia, Bauta is either watching film, studying the playbook, lifting weights or throwing to receivers non-stop. LeMay will be the backup to Murray this year, and he should be with an extra year on Bauta, but don’t be shocked to see Mike Bobo come up with a special package for Bauta.

Rusty Mansell of 247Sports compared Bauta to Tebow and with good reason. Bauta is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, who was a fullback/linebacker until he moved to quarterback his senior season. He could be called on for quarterback draws or sneaks near the goal line much the way Tebow was used his true freshman season at Florida. He even has shown a better arm the Tebow at this point in his career.

No one in the world expects Bauta to steal a start from Murray, and if Murray were to go down with an injury, odds are LeMay would come in and assume the starter’s role. But don’t be shocked to see Bauta in there a bunch this upcoming season. As much as Georgia fans hated Tebow out there, had he donned the red and black, fans would have been in love. Perhaps this is the universe throwing Georgia a bone in the form of “Tebow Jr.”

Waco is unstoppable, Buford and GAC split

Region 6-AA heavyweights GAC and Buford faced off last night in Buford as four ranked teams took the floor seeking playoff positioning. Kaela Davis stepped her game up for Gene Durden’s girls who were playing without MacKenzie Darrah. Former GAC star Kristina Nelson left the game for Buford with a first half injury, forcing Davis and Andraya Carter to carry the load. Carter finished with five points and eight rebounds but it was Davis and her 16 points that paced the Wolves to a 47-43 win. The victory finished off an unbeaten region schedule for Buford. ... In the boys game, Kyle Kellum had18 for Buford while Isaiah Williams and A.J. Davis added 17 and 14, respectively, but it was GAC, led by Delano Spencer’s 20 points that gave the Spartans a 74-70 road win. GAC used a big third quarter run to stretch a two-point halftime lead into a 58-40 margin entering the fourth quarter. ... The Parkview girls finished off an unbeaten regular season with a 58-40 win over rival Brookwood. Marissa Mandeldove canned six three-pointers en route to 20 points for the Panthers. This is the second unbeaten regular season in three years for Parkview. ... The GAC football program is in search of a new coach after Tim Cokely announced he was taking the head coaching job at Marianna (Fla.) High School. Cokely led the Spartans to a 17-5 record during his two seasons with GAC. ... While it isn’t quite to the mark set by the Walton girls tennis team, the Washington County girls basketball team won its 55th straight game last night, 59-46 over Cross Creek. Washington County trailed at intermission but Allisha Gray scored 19 points in the second half to finish with 29. The Washington County boys as 22-0 this season after a 58-46 win over Cross Creek. The girls are one better at 23-0.

Buford, Norcross dealing with injuries as playoffs loom

Losing a player such as Diamond DeShields is supposed to hurt but don’t tell the Norcross Blue Devils that. Despite losing the standout junior (wrist injury) that has helped lead the Norcross girls basketball team to back-to-back Class AAAAA state titles, the Blue Devils have been rolling. Patrice Butler recently went for 22 and 12 in an 81-40 victory over Meadowcreek. Tori Carter and Jasmine Kemp have also stepped their games up in DeShields’ absence. No. 2 Norcross faces No. 4 North Gwinnett in Suwanee this Friday. Norcross won the first meeting 48-37 on Jan. 17. ... Speaking of injuries, just as the Buford Wolves were welcoming back backcourt standout Andraya Carter, Gene Durden’s club loses MacKenzie Darrah to a dislocated right hip. According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, the injury occurred when Darrah was going after a loose ball in a win over Decatur. No timetable has been set for her return. ... The year of Archer just experienced another bright spot as the wrestling program claimed its first region title with a victory in the Area 8-AAAAA traditional tournament. Archer also qualified all 14 wrestlers for next week’s Class AAAAA state sectionals as five wrestlers took individual titles. Sam Bullard (106 pounds), Grant Aycox (120), Elliot Lee (182), Ernest Alexander (195) and Hunter McCleskey (285) all took titles to help Archer better runner-up Brookwood. Archer’s basketball team, ranked earlier this season, pulled off a stunner over No. 6 Berkmar 70-54. Randall Smith had 19 points and 10 assists in the victory to move Archer to 17-7, 12-3 in region play. Archer trailed at one point in the second quarter 26-16 but went into intermission up 31-30. Bryan Hamlet notched 13 points, including the junior’s 1000th career point. ... Finally Kanler Coker was selected as the Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s Offensive Player of the Year yesterday. The Flowery Branch senior quarterback passed for 2833 yards and 31 scores while running for 837 yards and 15 more in 2011. Coker is headed to UNC.

Parker, Miller Grove get the better of SWD

Miller Grove managed to finish off a season sweep of the Southwest DeKalb boys over the weekend with a 59-53 win. The Wolverines received 20 points and 15 rebounds from Tony Parker to take down Shaq Goodwin and the rest of the Panthers. UGA-commit Brandon Morris chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Miller Grove. The two last met back in December, with Miller Grove prevailing 57-53 in overtime. ...

Yonel Brown had 12 points in Berkmar’s 61-45 win over Meadowcreek, but it was A.D. Rogers and Tim Rowe each going to 15 that pushed the Patriots into the win column. No. 8 Berkmar improved to 16-7 just one night after the Patriots dropped a game to Archer 70-54. ...

Buford is now set for its regular season finale against GAC after disposing of Jackson 59-49. A.J. Davis has found his footing, going for 14, matching Isiah Williams in the victory. ...

North Gwinnett received 23 points from Score 44 guard Chris Bolden to knock off Mill Creek 46-41. The suffocating Bulldogs defense hounded No. 4 Mill Creek into a 1-16 night from behind the three-point line. ... The North Gwinnett girls were never really challenged in a 62-39 victory over Mill Creek. The No. 4 Bulldogs nearly received a triple-double from five-foot-nine junior Lexie Brown, who tallied eight points, eight rebound and 10 rebounds. ...

Whitefield Academy faced Harrison in an inter-classification matchup that saw the Wolfpack prevail 66-57. Kenny Gaines scored 24 points to help snap Harrison’s 10-game winning streak. The victory was Whitefield’s 12th in a row. ... Sprayberry had two players go for 21+ points in an 87-63 win over Kell. D.J. Vereen notched 24 points and Trey Schultz chipped in 21 points in the victory. Two other players each scored 18 in the win.

The Satisfaction will come eventually

For more on Georgia's Signing Class, check out www.chuckoliver.net

As a Georgia guy following the faxes on National Signing Day, I was reminded of Teddy KGB from Rounders. “Just like a young man, coming in for (an ice cream cone). I feel so unsatisfied.” Well perhaps I changed the part about the ice cream cone, but you get the gist. Georgia had 17 pledges the morning of National Signing Day, then managed to flip Josh Dawson from Vanderbilt and then (eventually) secure Josh Harvey-Clemons. Anytime you can snag the best player in the state and get a four-star prospect away from a division opponent, you should call it a good day.

But I was left wanting more. Was I spoiled by last year’s Dream Team? I guess I was. Georgia was in the running for Ronald Darby and Avery Young yet missed out on both. Georgia thought it could get Brandon Greene and/or Ja’Quay Williams to flip, but both stayed with Alabama and Auburn, respectively. Georgia finished with 19 players, including a kicker and a punter, and in the top five according to ESPN, the top ten according to 247Sports and in the top 11 according to the two other services. But I just wanted more. I wanted a faster start than what Georgia had and I wanted a stronger finish. Am I being selfish?

Georgia managed to snag two of the top six running backs in the country, filling a need. Georgia managed to snag two of the best players in the state in Jordan Jenkins and Harvey-Clemons. Georgia managed to snag some help on the defensive line in John Atkins, Leonard Floyd, James Deloach, Jonathan Taylor and Dawson. Georgia managed to grab a freak of an athlete in Faton Bauta, who is already spending 15 hours a day at the Georgia complex, lifting, studying and improving. Oh and did I mention yet that Georgia managed to snag one of the best offensive linemen in the country in five-star tackle John Theus who should start from Day One?

Georgia’s class is worthy of a top ten ranking, no doubt. It just feels that after last year’s strong close, when the Dawgs won several late declarations that they missed this year, perhaps this class never had a chance. Another 10 game winning streak will make us forget all of the stars and rankings though. Once we see Keith Marshall score his first touchdown with Theus blocking, I’m sure I will feel plenty satisfied then.

Two of Georgia's Big Three on Display tonight

Walton and Lassiter met twice on the football field this past season with Walton prevailing twice. Many of those Trojans players will seek out a measure of revenge tonight as the two programs square off on the hardwood. Lassiter’s roster includes football standouts Niles Clark, Juwan Dickey, Robert Dowling and Adam Dowell. ...

Wheeler will hit the road to face Etowah. Charles Mitchell scored 30, including 12 in the fourth quarter in last week’s loss to Milton. He will look for some help to take down Etowah. ...

No. 4 Mill Creek travels to North Gwinnett in a game that features two teams that have been ranked in the Score Atlanta Class AAAAA rankings at various points this season. Chris Bolden of the Score 44 will be in for a battle with Mill Creek’s talented Paul Evans and Jalen Bracey. ...

Class AAAA No. 1 Miller Grove will host No. 5 Southwest DeKalb tonight as Shaq Goodwin, a member of the Score 44 and one of the Big Three faces another member of the Big Three, Tony Parker as well as Score 44 forward Brandon Morris. ... On Saturday Buford (AA) faces Eagle’s Landing (AAA) in a matchup of No. 3 teams teams. ...

In girls action, Class AAAA No. 8 Miller Grove will host Southwest DeKalb while Class AAA No. 2 St. Pius hosts North Atlanta. ... No. 4 North Gwinnett looks to continue is nice run with a matchup against the always-dangerous Mill Creek. ... North Cobb is looking for a win against Kennesaw Mountain as the Warriors cling to the No. 10 spot in Class AAAAA. ...

In a Class AA showdown, No. 7 Decatur travels to the Long Forum to meet No. 8 Greater Atlanta Christian. Both teams will seek to leverage a win for better positioning in the region tournament. ... Saturday will see Buford meet Jackson-Atlanta a day after the Wolves host Cross Keys as Wolves senior Andraya Carter plays in her first game since returning to the Score 44 list.