Just weeks after suffering an injury to Diamond DeShields, Norcross saw another star fall victim to injury as Score 44 big man Jason Croom suffered a dislocated shoulder. The future Tennessee Volunteer wide receiver is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season and could possibly miss the Region 7-AAAAA tournament. Croom last week became the first person to ever be named to both the Score 44 football list as well as the Score 44 basketball list. He was averaging nearly a double-double for Norcross and was one of a few returning players from last year’s Class AAAAA championship team. ...
Buford’s Andraya Carter is working her way back into playing shape after suffering what many thought would be a prep career-ending knee injury. Carter is headed to Tennessee next season to play for Pat Summit but first the Wolves are trying to secure another Class AA title. Carter had 11 points over the weekend against Wesleyan. Her coach Gene Durden said of his Score 44 player, “she looks and plays just like she always has, with passion, hustle and energy, and it will give our team a boost going into the playoffs.” ...
The Valdosta Wildcats will open up the 2012 football season in Suwanee, Ga., against North Augusta (S.C.) in North Gwinnett High School’s annual Progressive National Football Challenge kickoff classic. Valdosta released its 2012 schedule which will also include home games against Brooks County, Crisp County, Newton and new region foe Camden County. The Winnersville Classic will come on Oct. 12 after a bye week for Valdosta. North Gwinnett has not announced its completed 2012 schedule yet, though the Bulldogs will participate in the Corky Kell Classic in the Georgia Dome to kick off the season.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Schuessler headed to SEC West
Lassiter’s Charlie Hegedus revealed on his twitter account late Monday night that Oklahoma State has offered a scholarship less than 30 hours before National Signing Day. Hegedus has pledged to NC State, along with several other players from the state of Georgia including Lassiter teammate Niles Clark. Oklahoma State has gotten into the Georgia act recently with offers to Juwan Dickey of Lassiter and Parker McLeod of Walton, both Class of 2013 prospects. ...
The Vanderbilt Commodores lost a Georgia product over the weekend after a pledge switched his commitment to an SEC Rival. James Franklin lost Score Final 50 No. 50 Chris Moody, the athlete from Henry County, who visited Columbia over the weekend. Moody, who made the Score 44 this past season as a quarterback, will likely suit up in the defensive secondary at the next level. Franklin could be in danger of losing Score Final 50 No. 25 Josh Dawson, a defensive end from Tucker as the Georgia Bulldogs have been charging hard, even sending a pair of assistant coaches to visit with the prospect over the weekend. ...
No. 48 on the Score Final 50 has finally made a college decision. Allatoona’s Miles Jones pledged to Jacksonville State after receiving interest but no offers from Maryland or Georgia Tech over the last few months. Jones was listed near the top of Georgia Tech’s board but never received an offer. ...
It has been quite a seven week stretch for Grayson senior Nick Schuessler. First he caps off an undefeated senior season by throwing for a pair of scores in the Class AAAAA championship victory over Walton. Next he finally gets his first offer from any FBS school when Middle Tennessee State comes forward with a scholarship. He initially pledges to Colorado State with a high school teammate before finally deciding to commit to Mississippi State after Dan Mullen comes through with a late scholarship offer. Now the 6-foot-3 signal caller will head to the SEC West to compete for the same quarterback tutor that helped to put Tim Tebow into the NFL playoffs. ...
The North Gwinnett Bulldogs defensive line will send a host of prospects to the next level. One player however has switched his pledge as defensive end Justin Alabi de-committed from UTC and will instead head to the Air Force Academy. Alabi was joined on the defensive line by Jordan Washington, who is headed to Mississippi State. Carl Rider, a North Gwinnett linebacker is headed to Furman, where he will join teammate, wide receiver Chad Scott. Joe Jones (UMass) and Scotty Hosch (Harvard) have also committed to play at the next level from Bob Sphire’s program
The Vanderbilt Commodores lost a Georgia product over the weekend after a pledge switched his commitment to an SEC Rival. James Franklin lost Score Final 50 No. 50 Chris Moody, the athlete from Henry County, who visited Columbia over the weekend. Moody, who made the Score 44 this past season as a quarterback, will likely suit up in the defensive secondary at the next level. Franklin could be in danger of losing Score Final 50 No. 25 Josh Dawson, a defensive end from Tucker as the Georgia Bulldogs have been charging hard, even sending a pair of assistant coaches to visit with the prospect over the weekend. ...
No. 48 on the Score Final 50 has finally made a college decision. Allatoona’s Miles Jones pledged to Jacksonville State after receiving interest but no offers from Maryland or Georgia Tech over the last few months. Jones was listed near the top of Georgia Tech’s board but never received an offer. ...
It has been quite a seven week stretch for Grayson senior Nick Schuessler. First he caps off an undefeated senior season by throwing for a pair of scores in the Class AAAAA championship victory over Walton. Next he finally gets his first offer from any FBS school when Middle Tennessee State comes forward with a scholarship. He initially pledges to Colorado State with a high school teammate before finally deciding to commit to Mississippi State after Dan Mullen comes through with a late scholarship offer. Now the 6-foot-3 signal caller will head to the SEC West to compete for the same quarterback tutor that helped to put Tim Tebow into the NFL playoffs. ...
The North Gwinnett Bulldogs defensive line will send a host of prospects to the next level. One player however has switched his pledge as defensive end Justin Alabi de-committed from UTC and will instead head to the Air Force Academy. Alabi was joined on the defensive line by Jordan Washington, who is headed to Mississippi State. Carl Rider, a North Gwinnett linebacker is headed to Furman, where he will join teammate, wide receiver Chad Scott. Joe Jones (UMass) and Scotty Hosch (Harvard) have also committed to play at the next level from Bob Sphire’s program
Monday, January 30, 2012
Milton and Wesleyan do NOT disappoint
Wheeler’s Charles Mitchell is an incredible specimen that is capable of putting the Wildcats on his back from time to time. He was a beast against Milton on Saturday, scoring 30 points while snagging 12 rebounds, but the Eagles used a 9-0 spurt while Mitchell was on the bench to turn a two-point lead into a commanding 11-point margin that it would not lose in a 65-60 victory. Tevin Glass scored 19 in the second half to finish with 23 for Milton and Jalyn Patterson scored 20 points, including four three-pointers in the victory. Charles Mann of Score 44 fame, dished out six assists for Milton to go with eight points. ...
Brandon Thompson scored 23 points for Berkmar Saturday, but it was the final three that gave the Patriots a 65-62 buzzer-beating victory over Alpharetta. A.D. Rogers contributed 18 in the win. ...
Isaiah Williams connected on a late three-pointer to help Buford past Wesleyan 43-40. T.J. Shipes, a member of the Score 44, posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Wesleyan’s Shane Smith led all scorers with 21 points. ... In girls action, Shayla Cooper was a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line in a 71-54 Norcross win over Southwest DeKalb. Cooper finished with 22 points while Tori Carter had 17 and Sierra Butler chipped in 11. ...
Defending champions squared off in Norcross when Wesleyan topped Buford 60-49. Score 44 standout Holli Wilkins scored 22 points for Wesleyan, winners of 25 straight at home. Wesleyan’s bench outscored Buford’s 18-0, and it was needed as several Wesleyan regulars were racked with injuries and foul trouble. Kaela Davis led Buford with 17 points while Andraya Carter had 11 and MacKenzie Darrah tallied 13.
Brandon Thompson scored 23 points for Berkmar Saturday, but it was the final three that gave the Patriots a 65-62 buzzer-beating victory over Alpharetta. A.D. Rogers contributed 18 in the win. ...
Isaiah Williams connected on a late three-pointer to help Buford past Wesleyan 43-40. T.J. Shipes, a member of the Score 44, posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Wesleyan’s Shane Smith led all scorers with 21 points. ... In girls action, Shayla Cooper was a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line in a 71-54 Norcross win over Southwest DeKalb. Cooper finished with 22 points while Tori Carter had 17 and Sierra Butler chipped in 11. ...
Defending champions squared off in Norcross when Wesleyan topped Buford 60-49. Score 44 standout Holli Wilkins scored 22 points for Wesleyan, winners of 25 straight at home. Wesleyan’s bench outscored Buford’s 18-0, and it was needed as several Wesleyan regulars were racked with injuries and foul trouble. Kaela Davis led Buford with 17 points while Andraya Carter had 11 and MacKenzie Darrah tallied 13.
Friday, January 27, 2012
What does committed mean?
As much as we don’t like to admit it, stereotypes are based on a large sampling of repeated behavior by a certain group. One popular stereotype is that guys have a hard time committing, whether it is to plans on a Friday night with a lady friend, a marriage engagement or which sports bar they will watch the game at on Saturday.
Anyone upset with the generalization that some men just cannot commit need look no further than the recruiting drama playing out across the state of Georgia as we near National Signing Day this Wednesday. Desperate teams start flooding the cell phones of waffling recruits, courting them harder than ever before in the attempt to get a switched pledge and a letter of intent.
As much as we like to believe what the word “committed,” means sadly, when a high school junior or senior commits, it really doesn’t mean anything until that player puts pen to paper and paper to fax machine on National Signing Day. Up until that point, everything is just lip service and non-binding. There have been multiple cases over the years of players pledging to a coach only to pull a switcharoo on National Signing Day.
Two metro-area players, Tucker’s Josh Dawson and Sandy Creek’s JaQuay Williams, have been “committed” to Vanderbilt and Auburn, respectively for months, but Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs managed to snare each last week for visits and both enjoyed their trips according to various recruiting services and tweets.
Williams, a wide receiver is the No. 11 player on the Score Final 50 while Dawson, a defensive end, checks in at No. 25. After Georgia lost Flowery Branch’s CJ Curry earlier this year, a spot at wide receiver opened up, and Richt charging after the Auburn pledge. Richt and company also waited on Dawson to see what No. 32 Kenderius Whitehead would do, and after the ML King DE/OLB pledged to NC State, the Dawgs started charging. It may seem shady, but these players are not truly “committed,” to Vanderbilt and Auburn until after the Letter of Intent gets sent in.
COACHING CHANGES
Committed is a funny word too when we expect these high schoolers to stick to their word when coaches do not always abide by that rule. Coaches jump ship to better jobs or sometimes get the ax, and in these cases, commitments can change.
Kyle Sloter of Mt. Pisgah recently switched his pledge from Tulane to Southern Miss after the coaching staff at Tulane was fired, and the man that recruited him made his way to Southern Miss. Now Sloter will sign with the Eagles to play for the coach with whom he fostered a recruiting relationship. Sloter’s father told Score Atlanta, “Kyle took a visit to Southern Miss and wants to go where he is wanted more.”
Other players such as Josh Harvey-Clemons of Lowndes (No. 3) and Dalvin Tomlinson (No. 18) of Henry County have yet to declare and likely will on National Signing Day. Sometimes players like to wait until National Signing Day so that they can take all of their official visits to make a well-informed decision. Other times players are merely seeking the limelight and want to have ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports drool all over them, anticipating their every move. Last year, Jadeveon Clowney waited nearly two weeks after National Signing Day so that he could declare on his birthday in front of a live television audience with no one else stealing his thunder. For two weeks the buildup of “where will he go,” prevented any rankings list from being able to run on various websites. Harvey-Clemons and Tomlinson were still making visits up through our press deadline and had not yet committed, though both are believed to be signing on National Signing Day.
BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL
Then you have the players who commit early and stick with that pledge through National Signing Day, even acting as ambassadors for their future college. St. Pius X’s Geno Smith comes to mind as one of these players. Smith, who pledged to Nick Saban and Alabama last summer, has been pushing hard along with Hillgrove’s Kenyan Drake and Cedar Grove’s Brandon Greene, trying to get all the recruits they can to come to suit up for the Crimson Tide on February 1. Each participated in national all-star games and all were reportedly pushing undecided players towards Tuscaloosa. Chris Leak of Charlotte’s Independence High School was well known for being former Florida coach Ron Zook’s first big-time recruit, and he played the Pied Piper, leading plenty of fellow prep stars down to Gainesville. Last season, Damian Swann helped the Dream Team land Ray Drew, Isaiah Crowell, Malcolm Mitchell and Jay Rome after he pledged to be a Bulldog at the US Army All-American game. Swann’s first one in really got the ball going as Richt and Georgia finished strong in January and February. Recruits that take the drama out early and pick with their pledge are a breath of fresh air in these days of me-first, spotlight-seeking seventeen-year-olds.
So what will Wednesday mean in the grand scheme of things? Wednesday is a day to be celebrated not just because Georgia signed “The Dream Team II,” or because Georgia Tech landed its best defensive prospect yet under Paul Johnson. The day should be celebrated because young men across the state of Georgia have chosen to use football as a vehicle to matriculate to colleges and universities of higher learning across the country. These football players have weathered the drama of recruiting to declare they will seek out college degrees while bashing heads on the gridiron.
Will they all go on to NFL success? No. But all will be better for continuing their educations. We can perhaps give them a pass for switching a pledge or two along the way; hopefully it was for a better purpose than just attention-seeking.
Anyone upset with the generalization that some men just cannot commit need look no further than the recruiting drama playing out across the state of Georgia as we near National Signing Day this Wednesday. Desperate teams start flooding the cell phones of waffling recruits, courting them harder than ever before in the attempt to get a switched pledge and a letter of intent.
As much as we like to believe what the word “committed,” means sadly, when a high school junior or senior commits, it really doesn’t mean anything until that player puts pen to paper and paper to fax machine on National Signing Day. Up until that point, everything is just lip service and non-binding. There have been multiple cases over the years of players pledging to a coach only to pull a switcharoo on National Signing Day.
Two metro-area players, Tucker’s Josh Dawson and Sandy Creek’s JaQuay Williams, have been “committed” to Vanderbilt and Auburn, respectively for months, but Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs managed to snare each last week for visits and both enjoyed their trips according to various recruiting services and tweets.
Williams, a wide receiver is the No. 11 player on the Score Final 50 while Dawson, a defensive end, checks in at No. 25. After Georgia lost Flowery Branch’s CJ Curry earlier this year, a spot at wide receiver opened up, and Richt charging after the Auburn pledge. Richt and company also waited on Dawson to see what No. 32 Kenderius Whitehead would do, and after the ML King DE/OLB pledged to NC State, the Dawgs started charging. It may seem shady, but these players are not truly “committed,” to Vanderbilt and Auburn until after the Letter of Intent gets sent in.
COACHING CHANGES
Committed is a funny word too when we expect these high schoolers to stick to their word when coaches do not always abide by that rule. Coaches jump ship to better jobs or sometimes get the ax, and in these cases, commitments can change.
Kyle Sloter of Mt. Pisgah recently switched his pledge from Tulane to Southern Miss after the coaching staff at Tulane was fired, and the man that recruited him made his way to Southern Miss. Now Sloter will sign with the Eagles to play for the coach with whom he fostered a recruiting relationship. Sloter’s father told Score Atlanta, “Kyle took a visit to Southern Miss and wants to go where he is wanted more.”
Other players such as Josh Harvey-Clemons of Lowndes (No. 3) and Dalvin Tomlinson (No. 18) of Henry County have yet to declare and likely will on National Signing Day. Sometimes players like to wait until National Signing Day so that they can take all of their official visits to make a well-informed decision. Other times players are merely seeking the limelight and want to have ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports drool all over them, anticipating their every move. Last year, Jadeveon Clowney waited nearly two weeks after National Signing Day so that he could declare on his birthday in front of a live television audience with no one else stealing his thunder. For two weeks the buildup of “where will he go,” prevented any rankings list from being able to run on various websites. Harvey-Clemons and Tomlinson were still making visits up through our press deadline and had not yet committed, though both are believed to be signing on National Signing Day.
BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL
Then you have the players who commit early and stick with that pledge through National Signing Day, even acting as ambassadors for their future college. St. Pius X’s Geno Smith comes to mind as one of these players. Smith, who pledged to Nick Saban and Alabama last summer, has been pushing hard along with Hillgrove’s Kenyan Drake and Cedar Grove’s Brandon Greene, trying to get all the recruits they can to come to suit up for the Crimson Tide on February 1. Each participated in national all-star games and all were reportedly pushing undecided players towards Tuscaloosa. Chris Leak of Charlotte’s Independence High School was well known for being former Florida coach Ron Zook’s first big-time recruit, and he played the Pied Piper, leading plenty of fellow prep stars down to Gainesville. Last season, Damian Swann helped the Dream Team land Ray Drew, Isaiah Crowell, Malcolm Mitchell and Jay Rome after he pledged to be a Bulldog at the US Army All-American game. Swann’s first one in really got the ball going as Richt and Georgia finished strong in January and February. Recruits that take the drama out early and pick with their pledge are a breath of fresh air in these days of me-first, spotlight-seeking seventeen-year-olds.
So what will Wednesday mean in the grand scheme of things? Wednesday is a day to be celebrated not just because Georgia signed “The Dream Team II,” or because Georgia Tech landed its best defensive prospect yet under Paul Johnson. The day should be celebrated because young men across the state of Georgia have chosen to use football as a vehicle to matriculate to colleges and universities of higher learning across the country. These football players have weathered the drama of recruiting to declare they will seek out college degrees while bashing heads on the gridiron.
Will they all go on to NFL success? No. But all will be better for continuing their educations. We can perhaps give them a pass for switching a pledge or two along the way; hopefully it was for a better purpose than just attention-seeking.
The Fletch: 1/27/12: get your argument straight
It is a debate that three years ago was laughable. Now it is a debate that we might need to start having, especially if the Giants are able to knock off the Patriots next Sunday: Is Eli Manning better than his older brother Peyton?
DEFENDING RYAN
Driving around Atlanta, listening to sports radio callers and show hosts spout on and on about how Matt Ryan is overrated because he has never won in the postseason is making me crazy. According to that logic the postseason is the only thing that matters, right Chuck Oliver and Mike Bell?
OK, if you want to use that argument and New York does beat New England, be prepared to bow down to Eli in the discussion of better Manning brother. Eli would be 2-0 in Super Bowls while Peyton sits at .500. Preposterous? Not according to your logic that says the regular season apparently means nothing and the postseason means everything.
I get tired of people on the web, in emails to the Score Atlanta staff and on the radio banging on Matt Ryan. Yes, he is 0-3 in the playoffs, but Ryan is also 43-19 in the regular season. You cannot discount this. That is an average of around 11-4 (he missed two games his second season). You are telling me that is awful? That is garbage?
Tim Tebow won a playoff game this year but ask any knowledgable Denver fan who he’d rather have. The answer would be simple: Matt Ryan. He will get his postseason wins in, don’t worry. And until then, feel free to indulge yourself in a Eli vs. Peyton debate.
On a side note, I brought this issue up on Facebook before the Giants beat the 49ers and the opinions were mixed.
PANTHERS COVERED
Great job by the local newspapers for giving Georgia State some props. Both Score Atlanta and the AJC have been all over the Panthers this year after new coach Ron Hunter kicked off the year with one of the best starts in program history. The AJC has done a nice job of letting Doug Roberson fully immerse himself in Georgia State basketball, and Mark Bradley even stopped by before one of the Panthers games.
Meanwhile, Score Atlanta covered the winning streak with previews and recaps of the games laters during the double-digit streak. We were even able to snag a few photos of the orange jerseys that were on display on the www.scoreatl.com front page. With Georgia and Georgia Tech struggling this season, expect the AJC to pay a little more attention to the Panthers. Score Atlanta will, of course, continue to be on the ball as we’ve had the Panther Prowl beat for years both online and in our paper. And if Georgia State makes the postseason, we might even throw one of our beat writers in a team gym bag to go cover the Big Dance.
GIVE THEM SOME LOVE
Finally, if you ask nationally people’s thoughts on the Atlanta Hawks, odds are you’d hear, “Charles Barkley hates them, so they can’t be good.” Don’t look now, though, but the Hawks are 13-6, good enough for the playoffs if the season ended today.
Among the teams ahead of Atlanta: Chicago, a team that the Hawks beat once and should have a second time. Atlanta has thumped plenty of teams early. The key will be to survive without Al Horford down low as he is likely out until playoff time. Hey ESPN, it might be time for a little Hawks love. Just a simple request.
DEFENDING RYAN
Driving around Atlanta, listening to sports radio callers and show hosts spout on and on about how Matt Ryan is overrated because he has never won in the postseason is making me crazy. According to that logic the postseason is the only thing that matters, right Chuck Oliver and Mike Bell?
OK, if you want to use that argument and New York does beat New England, be prepared to bow down to Eli in the discussion of better Manning brother. Eli would be 2-0 in Super Bowls while Peyton sits at .500. Preposterous? Not according to your logic that says the regular season apparently means nothing and the postseason means everything.
I get tired of people on the web, in emails to the Score Atlanta staff and on the radio banging on Matt Ryan. Yes, he is 0-3 in the playoffs, but Ryan is also 43-19 in the regular season. You cannot discount this. That is an average of around 11-4 (he missed two games his second season). You are telling me that is awful? That is garbage?
Tim Tebow won a playoff game this year but ask any knowledgable Denver fan who he’d rather have. The answer would be simple: Matt Ryan. He will get his postseason wins in, don’t worry. And until then, feel free to indulge yourself in a Eli vs. Peyton debate.
On a side note, I brought this issue up on Facebook before the Giants beat the 49ers and the opinions were mixed.
PANTHERS COVERED
Great job by the local newspapers for giving Georgia State some props. Both Score Atlanta and the AJC have been all over the Panthers this year after new coach Ron Hunter kicked off the year with one of the best starts in program history. The AJC has done a nice job of letting Doug Roberson fully immerse himself in Georgia State basketball, and Mark Bradley even stopped by before one of the Panthers games.
Meanwhile, Score Atlanta covered the winning streak with previews and recaps of the games laters during the double-digit streak. We were even able to snag a few photos of the orange jerseys that were on display on the www.scoreatl.com front page. With Georgia and Georgia Tech struggling this season, expect the AJC to pay a little more attention to the Panthers. Score Atlanta will, of course, continue to be on the ball as we’ve had the Panther Prowl beat for years both online and in our paper. And if Georgia State makes the postseason, we might even throw one of our beat writers in a team gym bag to go cover the Big Dance.
GIVE THEM SOME LOVE
Finally, if you ask nationally people’s thoughts on the Atlanta Hawks, odds are you’d hear, “Charles Barkley hates them, so they can’t be good.” Don’t look now, though, but the Hawks are 13-6, good enough for the playoffs if the season ended today.
Among the teams ahead of Atlanta: Chicago, a team that the Hawks beat once and should have a second time. Atlanta has thumped plenty of teams early. The key will be to survive without Al Horford down low as he is likely out until playoff time. Hey ESPN, it might be time for a little Hawks love. Just a simple request.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Can Richt pull off Dream Team II?
With word coming down that immigration issues will cost Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs a potential offensive line recruit, the Dawgs, who already had extra spots to fill, have one more. Some recruiting services have Georgia projected as high as the top five, but the loss of Chester Brown certainly won’t help Richt down the stretch. Can Richt and Georgia finish as strongly as they did one year ago? What targets are out there that could put the Dawgs squarely in the top five?
Avery Young is a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, that will decide between Auburn, Georgia and Florida on National Signing Day. Early on it seemed Will Muschamp had Young locked up, but now experts believe it will come down to Georgia and Auburn because of immediate playing time. If Richt can land the four-star prospect, it will more than make up for the loss of Brown. Odds: 60% chance of Georgia over Auburn
Josh Harvey-Clemons is a man with so many positions, you’d think he was his own Fortune 500 company. He has played linebacker, safety, defensive end, wide receiver, running back and quarterback at Lowndes (GA) High School, and Richt just spent time with Harvey-Clemons this week. Georgia was trying to bring him in on the defensive side of the ball while early on Alabama and Florida wanted him at wide receiver. Florida and Georgia made the final list but Florida State has emerged, not surprisingly. The Lowndes program routinely sends players to the Seminole program including Greg Reid and Telvin Smith over the last few seasons. Harvey-Clemons could be the next though the Bulldogs are still fighting hard. Odds: 25% for Georgia but likely Florida State
Cordarrelle Patterson could be the wide receiver that Georgia needs to officially claim the title of top receiving corps in the nation. Add 6-foot-4 Patterson out of Hutchinson Community College to Tavarres King, Malcolm Mitchell and Michael Bennett (plus everyone else), and Aaron Murray could win the Heisman Trophy. But will Patterson want to go and compete with all of those options for catches? Will he head to Tennessee where somehow Derek Dooley gets a top flight receiver each signing class? Will Auburn sneak away with Young? It comes down to Georgia and Tennessee. Odds: 45% chance for Georgia. I think Tennessee walks away with him.
If the Dawgs miss out on Patterson, perhaps JaQuay Williams could soften the blow. The Sandy Creek (GA) receiver is committed to Auburn but reportedly loved his visit to Athens recently. The Dawgs put a major push on Williams, and it could pay off on National Signing Day. Odds of a flip: 75%. Dawg fans will be happy on National Signing Day unless Trooper Taylor works some magic for Auburn.
Josh Dawson, a defensive end from Tucker (GA) has been a solid commitment to Vanderbilt for a while, but Georgia got him on campus recently. Now he is still “committed,” to Vanderbilt but will decide once and for all on National Signing Day. Sorry James Franklin but it looks like you lost this fight with Todd Grantham. Odds: 95% chance of a flip for Georgia.
If the Dawgs land two of these guys, expect a top ten class for Mark Richt. If either Young or Harvey-Clemons sign with Georgia, Richt could be looking at another top five class.
Avery Young is a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, that will decide between Auburn, Georgia and Florida on National Signing Day. Early on it seemed Will Muschamp had Young locked up, but now experts believe it will come down to Georgia and Auburn because of immediate playing time. If Richt can land the four-star prospect, it will more than make up for the loss of Brown. Odds: 60% chance of Georgia over Auburn
Josh Harvey-Clemons is a man with so many positions, you’d think he was his own Fortune 500 company. He has played linebacker, safety, defensive end, wide receiver, running back and quarterback at Lowndes (GA) High School, and Richt just spent time with Harvey-Clemons this week. Georgia was trying to bring him in on the defensive side of the ball while early on Alabama and Florida wanted him at wide receiver. Florida and Georgia made the final list but Florida State has emerged, not surprisingly. The Lowndes program routinely sends players to the Seminole program including Greg Reid and Telvin Smith over the last few seasons. Harvey-Clemons could be the next though the Bulldogs are still fighting hard. Odds: 25% for Georgia but likely Florida State
Cordarrelle Patterson could be the wide receiver that Georgia needs to officially claim the title of top receiving corps in the nation. Add 6-foot-4 Patterson out of Hutchinson Community College to Tavarres King, Malcolm Mitchell and Michael Bennett (plus everyone else), and Aaron Murray could win the Heisman Trophy. But will Patterson want to go and compete with all of those options for catches? Will he head to Tennessee where somehow Derek Dooley gets a top flight receiver each signing class? Will Auburn sneak away with Young? It comes down to Georgia and Tennessee. Odds: 45% chance for Georgia. I think Tennessee walks away with him.
If the Dawgs miss out on Patterson, perhaps JaQuay Williams could soften the blow. The Sandy Creek (GA) receiver is committed to Auburn but reportedly loved his visit to Athens recently. The Dawgs put a major push on Williams, and it could pay off on National Signing Day. Odds of a flip: 75%. Dawg fans will be happy on National Signing Day unless Trooper Taylor works some magic for Auburn.
Josh Dawson, a defensive end from Tucker (GA) has been a solid commitment to Vanderbilt for a while, but Georgia got him on campus recently. Now he is still “committed,” to Vanderbilt but will decide once and for all on National Signing Day. Sorry James Franklin but it looks like you lost this fight with Todd Grantham. Odds: 95% chance of a flip for Georgia.
If the Dawgs land two of these guys, expect a top ten class for Mark Richt. If either Young or Harvey-Clemons sign with Georgia, Richt could be looking at another top five class.
Hancock County grand jury returns zero indictments regarding Oct. 14 melee
A messy Oct. 14 postgame fight between the Hancock Central and Warren County football teams sent Screaming Devils head coach David Daniel to the hospital and left one school superintendent seeking justice for her coach. However after a GBI investigation, a Hancock County grand jury decided that “no indictment be returned against anyone,” according to a story in the Augusta Chronicle. The grand jury convened Wednesday and determined that, after viewing the reports, no indictments would be handed out.
According to the reports, one player did admit to hitting Daniel, though only after he was first punched three times by the coach. Witnesses from both sides said the other team began the melee, and it was later confirmed that Daniel was not hit by a helmet but rather a fist, according to the story.
Warren County Superintendent of Schools Carole Jean Carey was on hand the night of the incident and remembers seeing Daniel take off with the offensive coordinator when, “we saw helmets go up.” She later saw Daniel get struck she told Score in an interview.
Carey had petitioned to get the GBI’s involvement after initially the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office denied a request for outside help. Carey declined to testify yesterday, and she told the Augusta Chronicle the result, “was expected.” She also revealed that a civil lawsuit is “in the works.”
According to the reports, one player did admit to hitting Daniel, though only after he was first punched three times by the coach. Witnesses from both sides said the other team began the melee, and it was later confirmed that Daniel was not hit by a helmet but rather a fist, according to the story.
Warren County Superintendent of Schools Carole Jean Carey was on hand the night of the incident and remembers seeing Daniel take off with the offensive coordinator when, “we saw helmets go up.” She later saw Daniel get struck she told Score in an interview.
Carey had petitioned to get the GBI’s involvement after initially the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office denied a request for outside help. Carey declined to testify yesterday, and she told the Augusta Chronicle the result, “was expected.” She also revealed that a civil lawsuit is “in the works.”
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