We are more-or-less halfway through the high school football season and several players that were on the initial Score 44 but fell off have worked their way back onto the list. Jason Croom who was a bit disappointing early on has really turned it on after declaring his intent to sign with Tennessee. Croom has a nice blend of size and speed, and he has helped Norcross race out to the top of Region 7-AAAAA with a 5-0 record. Thomas meanwhile is back on the list after helping Columbia from his defensive end position. He got the better of fellow Score 44 member Brandon Greene of Cedar Grove in a recent game. Floyd meanwhile is out because while he has played well, he hasn’t done enough to help Dodge County to better than a 2-3 record. Shad Thornton, despite recently declaring he is headed to UK, took a visit to NC State over the weekend.
In (from week 6) Jason Croom, Norcross (Norcross) WR; Jhaustin Thomas, Columbia (Decatur) DE
Out (from week 6) Niles Clark, Lassiter (Marietta ), CB; Leonard Floyd, Dodge County (Eastman), DE
Austin Hardin, Marist (Atlanta ), K
George Morris, Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville) RB
Kurt Freitag, Buford (Buford), TE/DE
Jonquel Dawson, ML King (Lithonia), QB
Kenderius Whitehead, ML King (Monroe) DE/OLB
Blake Tibbs, ML King (Lithonia), WR
Daron Blaylock, Walton (Marietta), DB
Darius English, McEachern (Powder Springs ), DE
Jonathan Jones, Carrollton (Carrollton) CB
Shadrach Thornton, Liberty County (Hinesville) RB
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
Zack Blaylock, Walton (Marietta), DB
Dillon Lee, Buford (Buford), LB
DeMarcus Sweat, Stephenson (Stone Mountain) WR
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
Jason Croom, Norcross (Norcross) WR
Jacob Sealand, Tucker (Tucker), LB
Jhaustin Thomas, Columbia (Decatur) DE
Miles Jones, Allatoona (Acworth) RB
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
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Score Atlanta's recruiting beat: The Finisher to UGA?; SoCar racking up DEs
Despite leading one of the top programs in the country and racking up some serious numbers, Grayson quarterback Nick Schuessler has yet to receive any significant offers. The 6’4, 180 quarterback has the height you want from a signal-caller at the next level and has proven to be accurate. It will be interesting to see if the offers come forth once the playoffs begin. One would think that he is benefitting from programs that are coming to watch Robert Nkemdiche play defense. ...
The South Carolina Gamecocks fell to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday but Steve Spurrier got some good news over the weekend when he picked up his eighth commitment from the Peach State in Columbia DE Jhaustin Thomas. Spurrier has had great recruiting success in Georgia over the past few years and he can now boast bookend defensive ends in Thomas and McEachern DE Darius English, who committed earlier this year. ...
Brandon Kublanow enjoyed a stellar weekend as the Walton Raiders knocked off undefeated Lassiter and then the junior offensive lineman was told by Mark Richt and the University of Georgia Bulldogs that a scholarship was waiting for him. Kublanow, known as The Finisher, is projected to be one of the top offensive linemen in the state for 2013. He told the AJC that UGA was his dream offer but he will wait to see what other offers arrive. He already holds offers from Georgia Tech and Duke. ...
Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s Superman, no, it’s Vanderbilt football? Last Friday night Vanderbilt coach James Franklin stopped by the Central Gwinnett/Dacula and Walton/Lassiter games to take in a few prospects.
The South Carolina Gamecocks fell to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday but Steve Spurrier got some good news over the weekend when he picked up his eighth commitment from the Peach State in Columbia DE Jhaustin Thomas. Spurrier has had great recruiting success in Georgia over the past few years and he can now boast bookend defensive ends in Thomas and McEachern DE Darius English, who committed earlier this year. ...
Brandon Kublanow enjoyed a stellar weekend as the Walton Raiders knocked off undefeated Lassiter and then the junior offensive lineman was told by Mark Richt and the University of Georgia Bulldogs that a scholarship was waiting for him. Kublanow, known as The Finisher, is projected to be one of the top offensive linemen in the state for 2013. He told the AJC that UGA was his dream offer but he will wait to see what other offers arrive. He already holds offers from Georgia Tech and Duke. ...
Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s Superman, no, it’s Vanderbilt football? Last Friday night Vanderbilt coach James Franklin stopped by the Central Gwinnett/Dacula and Walton/Lassiter games to take in a few prospects.
For Cobb County, it's keeping up with the Joneses; 2011:shutout city
What is in a name? Well if you are a running back in Cobb County and your last name is Jones, odds are you can pile up the yardage. Allatoona’s Miles Jones is a member of the Score 44 and he ran for 221 yards and a score in the Bucs’ 10-0 win over Cartersville. Jones has topped 100 yards three times this season. Meanwhile at Walton, Tyren Jones is excelling in his junior season and rushed for 141 yards on 36 carries against Lassiter. He has compiled game totals of 203, 213 and 255 this season and is Cobb County’s leading rusher. ...
North Hall started the season 0-3 but has since won two straight, largely on the legs of Imani Cross. The future Tennessee Vol running back ran for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojans’ most recent victory, a 48-7 decision over Chestatee. He had 211 yards and three scores the week prior in a win over Walnut Grove. ...
It is never too early to check out the top running backs in the 2013 class but what about the 2015 class? North Oconee freshman running back Kawon Bryant carried a season-high 20 times for 188 yards and one touchdown in North Oconee’s 38-28 win over Jefferson. ...
This may be the year of the shutout in Georgia high school football. Through six full weeks of games, East Paulding and Prince Avenue have produced four shutouts apiece this year and EPHS has shutout three straight opponents. Buford has three shutouts and Camden County and Savannah Christian each have two.
North Hall started the season 0-3 but has since won two straight, largely on the legs of Imani Cross. The future Tennessee Vol running back ran for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojans’ most recent victory, a 48-7 decision over Chestatee. He had 211 yards and three scores the week prior in a win over Walnut Grove. ...
It is never too early to check out the top running backs in the 2013 class but what about the 2015 class? North Oconee freshman running back Kawon Bryant carried a season-high 20 times for 188 yards and one touchdown in North Oconee’s 38-28 win over Jefferson. ...
This may be the year of the shutout in Georgia high school football. Through six full weeks of games, East Paulding and Prince Avenue have produced four shutouts apiece this year and EPHS has shutout three straight opponents. Buford has three shutouts and Camden County and Savannah Christian each have two.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Ramey's back and I wouldn't want to face East Paulding
The weekend that was in high school football featured plenty of close games, close calls and overtime decisions. In the GPB webcast game Ringgold defeated rival Heritage 20-19 after the Generals failed to convert twice after touchdowns. In regulation with a 13-3 lead, the Generals decided to try and put two on the board with a swinging gate play that failed. This allowed Ringgold to tie the game late and win in overtime after Heritage bounced an extra point attempt off an upright. Curious decision to go for two with a ten-point lead. ...
Chattahoochee needed overtime but eventually came out on top against Johns Creek. The defending champs certainly miss last year’s seniors, but the Cougars are scraping and clawing and earning each victory. ...
Don’t look now but Brookwood may have figured out its problems from early on in the season. Two losses and another close call are distant memories now with two straight 50+ point showings. ...
It was nice to see Jordan Ramey back out there for South Gwinnett. The junior suffered a broken arm in a scrimmage and missed the first half of the Comets season. Mason Hart has done well enough that there may be something of a QB controversy for John Small. ...
ML King returned the favor against Valdosta over the weekend, going down to Winnersville and handing the Wildcats a loss, one year after Valdosta came to DeKelb County and beat the Lions. The combination of Jonquel Dawson and Blake Tibbs is a tough one to beat as the Wildcats found out. ...
Can anyone score against East Paulding, especially in The Boneyard? East Paulding pitched its third straight shutout and fourth of the year. I wouldn’t want to face that defense. Oh and the offense is pretty stout too. GPB will be there in a few weeks for the game against Pope.
Chattahoochee needed overtime but eventually came out on top against Johns Creek. The defending champs certainly miss last year’s seniors, but the Cougars are scraping and clawing and earning each victory. ...
Don’t look now but Brookwood may have figured out its problems from early on in the season. Two losses and another close call are distant memories now with two straight 50+ point showings. ...
It was nice to see Jordan Ramey back out there for South Gwinnett. The junior suffered a broken arm in a scrimmage and missed the first half of the Comets season. Mason Hart has done well enough that there may be something of a QB controversy for John Small. ...
ML King returned the favor against Valdosta over the weekend, going down to Winnersville and handing the Wildcats a loss, one year after Valdosta came to DeKelb County and beat the Lions. The combination of Jonquel Dawson and Blake Tibbs is a tough one to beat as the Wildcats found out. ...
Can anyone score against East Paulding, especially in The Boneyard? East Paulding pitched its third straight shutout and fourth of the year. I wouldn’t want to face that defense. Oh and the offense is pretty stout too. GPB will be there in a few weeks for the game against Pope.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Fantasy Football thoughts post-week four
After four weeks of football action, some trends are starting to present themselves and some players need to be believed as legit. Two quarterbacks need to be slapped on the back and welcomed into the “START THESE GUYS EVERY WEEK” club: Cam Newton and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Newton has likely already won offensive rookie of the year and last week Newton showed a bit of the running ability he wowed with at Auburn one year ago. Newton passed for 374 yards and a score against Chicago but also bull-rushed into the endzone for two scores against the Bears defense. Fitzpatrick meanwhile continues to throw for a high completion percentage and at least 200 yards each week. Fitzpatrick has thrown for nine scores through four games.
Still looking for a sleeper out there? You likely aren’t going to find a Stevie Johnson this late in the game but how about Johnson’s teammate David Nelson? The former Florida Gator has the size to help out the Buffalo quarterback Fitzpatrick and he pulls in over 11 yards per catch. He is good for 6 catches and 68 yards per game. While Johnson is facing double-teams as the Bills try and sneak into the playoffs, you can sneak into your playoffs with Nelson if you have 3+ wide receivers and a very deep league.
Or you could try and snag Jacoby Jones of Houston. Andre Johnson is of course the main target for Matt Schaub and Jones will never rack up Johnson’s TD numbers, but Jones could steal a few every now and then, especially when you factor in the injury to Kevin Walter that could hinder him for the next few weeks.
If you are a Vikings fan, go ahead and pick up Christian Ponder. The time is nearly up for Donovan McNabb and you may want to go ahead and put the rookie on your roster. He might be good for a spot start late in the year.
Michael Vick owners out there are grimacing every time Vick leaves the pocket as it seems each week he has a new injury that puts him on the sidelines for a stretch. He puts up too many big numbers to discard but you might try and work out a trade for Sam Bradford or go grab Ponder just in case.
Trying to decide on your defense? Unless you have the Steelers, Eagles, Ravens or Giants defense, odds are you are looking to upgrade your defense. Why not give the Atlanta defense a shot? Curtis Lofton is becoming the next great NFL linebacker and Ray Edwards is helping John Abraham rack up the sack numbers. Or why not grab Tampa’s offense. The young defensive front is really starting to jell and could soon remind folks of the Super Bowl champion Bucs defense with Warren Sapp and company. And just because Arizona doesn’t necessarily have the big names on its roster doesn’t mean the Cardinals defense isn’t worth a look. The Cardinals are playing opportunistic defense and will have plenty of games against bad divisional opponents which could lead to more turnovers and plenty of points.
One last note, it is always fun to see a player you thought would dominate fantasy football finally start to do it. The Detroit Lions certainly gave quarterback Matthew Stafford plenty of toys to play with in Jahvid Best, Nate Burleson, Brandon Pettigrew and of course Calvin Johnson, but Stafford could never stay healthy. He finally is this season and those folks that took a flyer on Stafford as their second quarterback, likely behind a Romo or a Roethlisberger, have benefited as Stafford has busted through and is finally healthy.
Still looking for a sleeper out there? You likely aren’t going to find a Stevie Johnson this late in the game but how about Johnson’s teammate David Nelson? The former Florida Gator has the size to help out the Buffalo quarterback Fitzpatrick and he pulls in over 11 yards per catch. He is good for 6 catches and 68 yards per game. While Johnson is facing double-teams as the Bills try and sneak into the playoffs, you can sneak into your playoffs with Nelson if you have 3+ wide receivers and a very deep league.
Or you could try and snag Jacoby Jones of Houston. Andre Johnson is of course the main target for Matt Schaub and Jones will never rack up Johnson’s TD numbers, but Jones could steal a few every now and then, especially when you factor in the injury to Kevin Walter that could hinder him for the next few weeks.
If you are a Vikings fan, go ahead and pick up Christian Ponder. The time is nearly up for Donovan McNabb and you may want to go ahead and put the rookie on your roster. He might be good for a spot start late in the year.
Michael Vick owners out there are grimacing every time Vick leaves the pocket as it seems each week he has a new injury that puts him on the sidelines for a stretch. He puts up too many big numbers to discard but you might try and work out a trade for Sam Bradford or go grab Ponder just in case.
Trying to decide on your defense? Unless you have the Steelers, Eagles, Ravens or Giants defense, odds are you are looking to upgrade your defense. Why not give the Atlanta defense a shot? Curtis Lofton is becoming the next great NFL linebacker and Ray Edwards is helping John Abraham rack up the sack numbers. Or why not grab Tampa’s offense. The young defensive front is really starting to jell and could soon remind folks of the Super Bowl champion Bucs defense with Warren Sapp and company. And just because Arizona doesn’t necessarily have the big names on its roster doesn’t mean the Cardinals defense isn’t worth a look. The Cardinals are playing opportunistic defense and will have plenty of games against bad divisional opponents which could lead to more turnovers and plenty of points.
One last note, it is always fun to see a player you thought would dominate fantasy football finally start to do it. The Detroit Lions certainly gave quarterback Matthew Stafford plenty of toys to play with in Jahvid Best, Nate Burleson, Brandon Pettigrew and of course Calvin Johnson, but Stafford could never stay healthy. He finally is this season and those folks that took a flyer on Stafford as their second quarterback, likely behind a Romo or a Roethlisberger, have benefited as Stafford has busted through and is finally healthy.
Score Atlanta poll update: Class AAA & AA change it up
Class 5A was unchanged for the second week in a row as several full regions took the weekend off. North Gwinnett was idle but will face undefeated Norcross on the road this Friday night in the GPB.org game of the week. Colquitt County was off as was Lowndes. ML King justified its inclusion in the rankings with a huge road victory over Valdosta, and Walton lived up to its billing with a crucial victory over Lassiter. In 4A the top ten is the same and it is the same in Class A as well. The major changes occurred in Class AAA as Stockbridge fell hard to Drew 31-7 and Stone Mountain dropped after dropping its game to Columbia 21-7. Butler, averaging 44 points per game while allowing just 8 points, and Gainesville are new to the poll. The Red Elephants have scored at least 40 points per game since opening with a loss to Buford. Finally Elbert County is in and Vidalia is out in Class AA.
For the complete polls, visit GPB.org/sports or sign up for the daily Score Newsletter on gaprepnews.com
For the complete polls, visit GPB.org/sports or sign up for the daily Score Newsletter on gaprepnews.com
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Ringgold wins in OT, Walton thumps Lassiter
In the GPB-TV game of the week, Walton crushed Lassiter 34-10 as Tyren Jones toted the ball 36 times for 137 yards and a score. Score 44 safety Zack Blaylock took an interception to the house for a score and Parker McLeod also scored for the Raiders. Eddie Printz had one touchdown pass to Juwan Dickey in the loss. ... Lovett bounced back from its loss to Buford last week to drop Jackson-Atlanta 28-13. Grant Haley scored three touchdowns and ran for 156 yards for the Lions. ... Wesleyan’s Will Anderson passed for five touchdowns and 317 yards with three scores and 220 yards going to Rodney Morris in a 44-21 victory over Pace Academy. ... It required overtime but the Chattahoochee Cougars held off Johns Creek 19-16 thanks to a Chase Nelson three-yard touchdown in the extra frame. ... Stephenson got three rushing scores from future Florida Gator Mike Davis in a 35-14 rout of Luella. TJ Moon also contributed a score for the Jaguars. ... Evan Jacks contributed three touchdowns (two through the air, one on the ground) in Northview’s 39-13 win over North Forsyth. Jacks also amassed 355 total yards in the contest. ... Kamani Thomas ran for 123 yards and three scores while the East Paulding defense notched its fourth shutout of the year and its third straight in a 31-0 win over Sprayberry. Andrej Suttles hauled in a touchdown pass. ... Geno Smith intercepted one pass while also tallying 96 rushing yards and two scores in a 45-6 St. Pius victory over Riverwood. ... Kenno Loyal, Keithon Redding and Miles Woodberry each contributed a touchdown in Columbia’s 21-7 win over Stone Mountain. ... Kenyan Drake ran for one score and caught another in Hillgrove’s 21-14 win over Harrison.
GPB.org game of the week recap: Ringgold needs OT but edges Heritage 20-19
The Heritage Generals had never beaten the Ringgold Tigers and Homecoming 2011 looked like a golden opportunity to do just that. Heritage fell behind 3-0 after a second quarter Adam Ray 34-yard field goal gave Ringgold a slight edge at intermission. In the third quarter though Heritage forced a quick punt and then returned the punt 84 yards for an apparent touchdown. Despite the score being called back due to a penalty, Heritage quickly got most of the yardage back on a Ethan Thompson 61-yard run, and the Generals took the lead a few plays later when Caleb Dietz plowed in from 3 yards out. Dietz would score again early in the third, this time from 16 yards out to give Heritage a 13-3 advantage. The Generals tried some trickery on the extra point however, going for a 2-point conversion on a swinging gate play that was unsuccessful.
The missed conversion would come back to haunt the Generals as Shaun Anderson scored from 3 yards out roughly ninety seconds later and Ringgold’s defense would rise up with under 4 minutes to play to give its offense one final shot. After picking up several third down conversions, Ringgold faced a 30-yard field goal with four seconds left and Ray drilled it to force overtime.
In OT, Heritage went on offense first and Cody Sherlin hauled in a touchdown catch from five yards out to give the Generals a six point edge. The extra point boiked off of the upright, leading to Ringgold taking over, down six. Anderson took the handoff on the first play and scampered 15 yards for the tying score, then Ray connected for the game-winning extra point to give Ringgold a 20-19 victory. Ringgold improved to 4-1 on the year while Heritage suffered its first loss of the season.
GPB.org game of the week recap: Ringgold needs OT but edges Heritage 20-19
The Heritage Generals had never beaten the Ringgold Tigers and Homecoming 2011 looked like a golden opportunity to do just that. Heritage fell behind 3-0 after a second quarter Adam Ray 34-yard field goal gave Ringgold a slight edge at intermission. In the third quarter though Heritage forced a quick punt and then returned the punt 84 yards for an apparent touchdown. Despite the score being called back due to a penalty, Heritage quickly got most of the yardage back on a Ethan Thompson 61-yard run, and the Generals took the lead a few plays later when Caleb Dietz plowed in from 3 yards out. Dietz would score again early in the third, this time from 16 yards out to give Heritage a 13-3 advantage. The Generals tried some trickery on the extra point however, going for a 2-point conversion on a swinging gate play that was unsuccessful.
The missed conversion would come back to haunt the Generals as Shaun Anderson scored from 3 yards out roughly ninety seconds later and Ringgold’s defense would rise up with under 4 minutes to play to give its offense one final shot. After picking up several third down conversions, Ringgold faced a 30-yard field goal with four seconds left and Ray drilled it to force overtime.
In OT, Heritage went on offense first and Cody Sherlin hauled in a touchdown catch from five yards out to give the Generals a six point edge. The extra point boiked off of the upright, leading to Ringgold taking over, down six. Anderson took the handoff on the first play and scampered 15 yards for the tying score, then Ray connected for the game-winning extra point to give Ringgold a 20-19 victory. Ringgold improved to 4-1 on the year while Heritage suffered its first loss of the season.
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