The G.A.S. Pump (Sept 25)
September 25th, 2007 Posted in College Basketball, Alabama, College Soccer, Hunting and Fishing, College Golf, High School Cheerleading, South Carolina, Golf, High School Volleyball, High School Softball, Georgia, Florida, College Football, High School FootballTime to fill ‘er up at The Georgia Amateur Sports (G.A.S.) Pump, brought to you by LocalReplay.com. Enjoy our daily look at amateur sports headlines from around the State of Georgia. Click here for yesterday’s edition.
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High School Football
Beau Evans knew the instant his foot touched the ball that he’d hit a game winner. “I knew it was long enough,” the Clarke Central senior said. “I hit it as hard as I could and when I lifted my head, I saw that it had plenty of distance and was going right down the middle. You can tell the minute the ball leaves your foot if it’s good or not.” Evans’ improbable 52-yard field goal with 1.3 seconds left in regulation catapulted the Gladiators to a 22-20 victory over Loganville this past Friday night…The Athens Banner-Herald
Class AAAA teams are 29-16 this season against Class AAAAA opponents, and Northside of Warner Robins, the No. 1 team in AAAA, is the Georgia school that’s ranked highest by USA Today and other national polls. Does this suggest that the top teams in AAAA — Northside, Thomas County Central (which crushed AAAAA Tift County last week) and Tucker are among the best five or six teams in Georgia — in any classification? I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I do think it shows that if a team is dominant in AAAA, then it would also contend in AAAAA. But there aren’t many dominant teams in AAAA. There’s Northside, of course. Throw in Thomas County Cental and Tucker for the time being, and maybe Westside-Macon has that potential. We’ll find out soon about Statesboro and Baldwin. After that, I don’t think any AAAA teams are among the 10-15 best in AAAAA. Here’s my Top 15 all-class rankings, and they’re based partly on how good I think they can be, and partly on how well they’ve played, which might explain why they contradict our classification rankings…The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This week’s high school rankings…The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Norcross-Peachtree Ridge game is one of several big matchups this week. Here are some others: Coffee, ranked No. 2, plays at No. 10 Lowndes in Region 1-AAAAA. Roswell, which lost its No. 1 ranking after a 13-10 loss to Walton, plays at Wheeler, the only team to defeat the Hornets last season. In 6-AAAA, No. 3 Tucker, which has not allowed a point, plays Southwest DeKalb (3-1) at Hallford Stadium. Buford, ranked No. 1 in AA, is at home against No. 8 Greater Atlanta Christian. Buford has won seven straight in the series. In AAA, No. 5 North Hall travels to No. 9 Gainesville in a Region 8 game. In AA, No. 5 Dodge County travels to No. 3 Fitzgerald in a Region 1 game…The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Linebacker Etienne Sabino of Dr. Michael M. Krop High in Miami has narrowed the list of schools he is considering to Florida, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State and Southern Cal…Gainesville receiver Tyler Adetona is being heavily recruited by a pair of ACC programs. Adetona, who has scholarship offers from schools such as Ball State, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State and Troy, is receiving interest from North Carolina and N.C. State…Corey Heard, a receiver for Mays, continues to show interest in Georgia Tech, Kentucky and North Carolina…The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WHO’S HOT: Evans. The Knights (3-0) are off to their best start since 2000…WHO’S NOT: Butler. It’s been 48 months since a 20-6 win against Harlem in 2004…BEST WIN LAST WEEK: Evans 28, Greenbrier 7: The pass rush, the turnovers and the vindication for last year’s loss made it a perfect night for Evans….BIG GAMES THIS WEEK: 1. Swainsboro (3-0) at Laney (3-0), 2. Jefferson County (1-1-1) at Screven County (3-1):…SHORT SHIFT: Consider this: Curtis Baptist’s Brandon Jones carried the ball seven times for 102 yards last week…HEAVY LOAD: The latest numbers on Derrick Mathis, Thomas Jefferson Academy’s calculator-crunching halfback, are in. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Jaguar has 24 carries for 701 yards and 11 touchdowns this season…GOOD ATTITUDE: South Carolina quarterback commitment Aramis Hillary learned to live with adversity this fall…Augusta Chronicle
The 2007 season appeared to get off to a good start for Lamar County after the Trojans’ 19-14 win against Meadowcreek in the first week of the season. But since that season-opening victory, the Trojans have dropped three consecutive games — including two straight region 5-AA games — forcing Lamar County coach Calvin Scandrett to keep his players motivated for the rest of the season. “It’s still early in the season. We’re just trying to find a game to turn it around,” he said. Scandrett added that he believes his team still has a realistic chance of making the playoffs if his players can find a way to win one of the next upcoming games…The Griffin Daily News
Pike County’s football team was buzzing with confidence after the team’s 21-20 double overtime win against Lamar County two weeks ago. Pirates coach John McMillan said that confidence may have cost them last week’s game against Marion County. The Pirates dropped their second game of the season and first region game Friday night in a 34-31 overtime loss to the Eagles. With the game tied 28-28 at the end of regulation, Pike County (2-2 overall, 1-1 Region 5-AA) scored a field goal on its overtime possession from kicker Dan Anderson, but the Pirates defense was unable to stop the Eagles from entering the end zone and winning the game. McMillan said he thought his team played too relaxed in the overtime period because of the success they had the previous week in two overtimes…The Griffin Daily News
Griffin High School sophomore quarterback Marcus Waller was named the Griffin Daily News Player of the Week for his performance during Saturday night’s 42-17 win against Forest Park at Tara Stadium…Others considered for this week’s award include: Zae Fuller, QB, Spalding High School…Ethan Rowe, RB, Griffin Christian High School… Justin Ivester, RB, Pike County High School…Ronald Harris, DB, Lamar County High School…The Griffin Daily News
Before the season, Peachtree Ridge’s Derrick Bryant alluded to this game. Early in the third quarter last Friday, Norcross’ Brice Butler admits his mind started to wander forward to this week. And all that came before a Roswell loss that propelled Norcross to a No. 1 ranking in Class AAAAA, pitting the Blue Devils against the defending state co-champions of Peachtree Ridge. For both teams, there will be talent all over the field. But Bryant and Butler were already thinking about what will be the real show…Gwinnett Daily Post
In a powerful display of Panther pride, the Liberty County varsity football team overpowered and shut out the Calvary Day Cavaliers, 45-0. In the opening drive, sophomore quarterback Julian Stokes connected with Roderick Jones who took the ball 40 yards downfield before being brought down by the Cavalier defense at the two- yard line. Byron Calahan ran the ball in on the next play for the touchdown. The point-after attempt by Edward Chipple went under the cross bar and the Panthers led 6-0. The Cavaliers had a quick three and out forcing them to punt. The punt was short putting the Panthers at the 50-yard line for their next offensive drive…Coastal Courier
The Georgia Military College Prep football C-team is off to a quick start. The Bulldogs improved their record to 2-0 with a 14-6 win over Glascock. The Bulldogs drove the length of the field on their opening possession, with Dustin DeLoach scoring the first touchdown of the game on a 5-yard rush. The PAT was no good. The ensuing kickoff was returned to the 45-yard line by the Panthers, but the GMC Prep defense stopped them there for a turnover on downs. At the half, GMC Prep led 6-0…The Union-Recorder
The passing game led the John Milledge Academy football C-team to a 20-14 over Gatewood, head coach Don Marchman said. It also improved the JMA squad to 4-0 on the year. The Trojans went 9-for-11 through the air, including two touchdowns and an interception. Marchman used three players as a passer, including starting quarterback Jordan Demmon, backup quarterback Brantley Attaway and running back/wide receiver Damian Bacon…The Union-Recorder
The East Coweta Indians open their Region 4-AAAAA schedule when they host the Paulding County Patriots Friday in Shoemake Stadium. In other local games, Northgate plays at Fayette County while Heritage is at home against Nathaniel Greene. Newnan is off this week. The Indians have bounced back strong after their opening loss on the road at Oxford, beating McIntosh, Jackson and Mount Zion, outscoring them in the process, 94-16. Paulding County comes in at 0-4, losing last week at home to Heritage, coached by former Northgate assistant Chad Frazier, 27-20…The Times-Herald
When training camp opened in August, Savannah High coach Charlie Brown wanted to find a shut-down corner back for his defensive backfield. As it turned out, he didn’t have to look hard. Senior cornerback and wide receiver Andre McArthur immediately separated himself from the pack of potentials and has become a scoring threat on defense for the Blue Jackets. For the second game in a row Friday night, McArthur intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. He also came up with four tackles and offensively caught five passes for 113 yards to earn Player of the Week honors in the Blue Jackets’ 42-13 loss to Hiram…Savannah Morning News
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS TOP 10…Savannah Morning News
Christian Heard hardly got to play as a freshman. In the Mt. Zion junior varsity football team’s first game of the season, Heard broke his thumb. The injury left the quarterback wearing a splint and sidelined him for the rest of the season. One year later, as a sophomore, Heard is in charge of leading the Eagles’ offense as the starting quarterback on the varsity team. It’s a challenging spot for a young player on an inexperienced team that has struggled to win, but Heard is used to dealing the pressure and being in the spotlight…Times-Georgian
The Valwood Valiants may hold the best record in the land, but they aren’t even thinking about it. Three days after defeating Sherwood Christian 9-0, the Valiants are back at work preparing for a tough Trinity Christian team. “I thought we had a pretty good practice,” Valwood head coach Mike Patrick said. “We watched film and talked about what we accomplished against a tough Sherwood team, but that’s over now and we are preparing for Trinity…The Valdosta Daily Times
Randy McPherson was excited about returning so many players to the Lowndes football team this season, and four games in, he’s starting to show why. In the Vikings 42-0 route of Central Gwinnett Friday during their final non-region game of the season, McPherson did something he has been wanting to do since spring practices - open up the play book…The Valdosta Daily Times
A South Gwinnett High School football player underwent surgery Monday for the second time after suffering a spinal cord injury last week. His coach said junior Arquavious Crane had a positive attitude going into surgery. “He wants everyone to keep a smile on their faces and stay positive,” said Coach John Small. “He knows he’s in God’s hands right now, and we’re praying God’s Will will be done, whatever it is. We’re trusting Him on it…11Alive
High School Volleyball
The Landmark Lady War Eagles volleyball team continued their domination over Sandy Creek on Thursday night. Landmark won the final two games to take the overall win…The Citizen
Buford fell to Lakeview Academy in three games (18-25, 25-12, 25-13) before defeating East Hall (25-11, 25-13) on Monday. Hallye Jerkins had a combined 20 kills while setter Ansley Roper added 21 assists and three aces….Gwinnett Daily Post
High School Cheerleading
The Woodland High School Competition Cheerleading squad is attempting to do something no other high school cheerleading team has done in the state of Georgia — win four straight state titles. After winning state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Lady Wildcats are looking to repeat for a fourth straight year. “It’s a lot of pressure in some ways,” said Madeline Tanner. “But, we just have to go out there and do what we do.” However, this year will be tougher than in years past for Woodland. Wanting a new challenge, the Lady Wildcats moved to the co-ed division for the first time and will compete with the likes of Duluth, Winder-Barrow and Roswell…The Daily Tribune News
High School Softball
Oconee County’s softball team went 5-1 at the Greenbrier Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Augusta. Haley Bird led the Lady Warriors (23-3) with nine hits. She was paced by Megan McClain (eight hits) and Kirstin Rodrigues (seven hits). Alana Thomas had 42 strikeouts and won four games to improve to 21-3…The Athens Banner-Herald
The [Trinity] Lady Crusaders’ softball team (17-2) (4-0) traveled to Albany Georgia to take on Deerfield-Windsor over the weekend. It was the first game in the past six games Trinity had to play past the fifth inning. It took all seven inning to finally topple The Lady Knights 3 -0…The Courier Herald
It wasn’t pretty, but that doesn’t matter. It took Parkview pitcher Kelly Croxton a few innings to adjust to the mound at Brookwood, but once she did she only got stronger, allowing just one run off four hits in a complete game 2-1 win for the Panthers in a non-region softball matchup. “I got used to it,” she said of the mound. She also got used to the Brookwood batters, using progressively less pitches to get out of the later innings and punctuating it with a final at-bat strike out of Lisa Parkerson…Gwinnett Daily Post
Shanon Bear had a hand in all three of Grayson’s runs on Monday, including plating the game-winner on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bear’s efforts led the Rams to a 3-2 victory over North Gwinnett…Dacula’s offense was clicking on all cylinders in an 8-1 victory over Duluth on Monday…Norcross defeated Shiloh 9-2 and 10-0 on Monday, sweeping the doubleheader….After dropping the first two games of the day to top-ranked teams, Buford came back to defeat previously unbeaten Greater Atlanta Christian 6-4 late Saturday night in the Brookwood Invitational…Mill Creek pitcher Morgan Bullock picked up two wins over the weekend during the Brookwood Invitational. Bullock helped lead the Hawks past Loganville (13-0) and Tift County (8-3)…Gwinett Daily Post
The Long County Blue Tide softball team garnered a solid win this past Tuesday over McIntosh County by a score of 13-3. The Buccaneers, having to come to Ludowici, never got into the game because of the solid pitching of Kayla Mills. During the six innings she pitched, the freshman once again showed she had the right stuff by striking out nine McIntosh batters. But Mills wasn’t the only player on the mark. The Blue Tide bats spoke loud and proud as everyone in the lineup managed to put the ball in play, with the team having 11 hits…Coastal Courier
The Lady Tigers refused to be shut out against Jenkins and fought hard to get points on the board in their 5-1 loss Thursday afternoon. Both teams were unable to put points on the board until the fourth inning when Jenkins scored a run. The Lady Tigers stepped up defensively and held them to that single run until the fifth inning…Coastal Courier
The Baldwin High School junior varsity softball team picked up a come-from-behind win over Putnam County on Monday, downing the Lady Eagles 3-2. Katy Murray started the game, earning no decision. Hagaar Johnson came on in relief for the win. Heath Frank and Catherine Krupe both went 1-for-2 on the day. Krupe picked up the game-winning, two-RBI single in the sixth inning…The Union-Recorder
The Georgia Military College Prep softball C-team solidified its position in postseason play with a split with Morgan County. The Lady Bulldogs lost the first game of the set by the score of 8-7 but bounced back in the nightcap for a 7-6 win. Alyssa Amerson was credited with the loss in the first game and the win in the second…The Union-Recorder
Kayla Vallery allowed one hit over seven innings and recorded nine strikeouts Thursday evening as the Newnan Lady Cougars defeated the Hiram Lady Hornets 3-1 in a Region 4-AAAAA road game. Hiram scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning for their only lead of the game. Barnecia Orr, who was a courtesy runner for Vallery in the top of the third inning, scored the tying run for Newnan as A.J. Hill had an RBI double to left. On the play, Hill advanced to third on a throwing error by the Hiram leftfielder and would later scored on a two-out infield single by Katie Stewart. Stewart scored an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when she reached on a walk and came home on a double from Chandler Brandenburg. Kayla Heggood and Amber McIntyre also added hits for the Lady Cougars…The Times-Herald
Rockdale added a new twist in the race for the Area 8-AAAA regular season title Monday night at the Earl O’Neal Sports Complex. The Lady Bulldogs made themselves a player in the race by handing Eastside its first area loss of the season in a 1-0 victory. Rockdale’s Jessie Holmes and Eastside’s Amanda Henderson squared off in a classic pitchers’ duel, as neither team could do any damage early on…Rockdale Citizen/Newton Citizen
Newton’s Morgan Smith continues to raise the bar for power hitters after hitting a home run against the Griffin Lady Bears at Turner Lake Complex on Monday. Smith drove the ball out of the park for her seventh home run of the year as the Lady Rams run-ruled Griffin 11-1 in five innings. “That’s number seven for Morgan,” Newton coach Jason LaChappelle said. “She’s broken the school’s home run record, I’m pretty sure of it. It happened before I was here, but I’m pretty sure the old record was four.” LaChappelle’s memory was correct. The previous record was four in a season…Rockdale Citizen/Newton Citizen
The Salem softball team had to fight and claw its way back against Cedar Shoals on Monday at Earl O’Neal Sports Complex. The Lady Seminoles were determined to get their second Area 8-AAAA victory of the year, and they did with a 12-10 win over the Lady Jaguars in a barn-burner. “We kept getting hits, and we didn’t get down, even though we left a lot of runners on base,” Salem coach Stephanie Bassett said. “We got some good hits, and we made some good plays out in the field. Still, we’ve got to step it up.” Bassett said the difference was the patience her players showed at the plate…Rockdale Citizen/Newton Citizen
The Central High School softball team’s perfect record was snapped Saturday at the Coke Classic tournament hosted by Greenbrier High School at Patriots Park in Augusta. After winning games Friday against Thomson and Greenbrier to improve their record to 21-0, the Lionettes dropped three of four games Saturday to finish the tournament with a 3-3 record. “I thought we should’ve done a little better, but that’s what we went over there for, to see the good teams,” Central coach Chuck Robinson said. “In two of the losses, we were right there and just didn’t play our best ball. We made some errors that we haven’t been making and that cost us.” Central (22-3, 3-0 Region 6-AAA) entered the tournament ranked No. 1 in Class AAA in the latest coaches’ poll. It played two other ranked teams in the tournament - No. 4 North Oconee (Class AA) and No. 2 Greenbrier (Class AAAA)…Times-Georgian
High School Soccer
The Frederica Knights kept the tempo high all game long, and it opened the game wide open. Frederica, ranked No. 1 in GISA AA, scored often and early to claim an 8-1 victory over the Trinity Crusaders…The Courier Herald
College Football
Change isn’t easy, but it can be good. Troy tailback Kenny Cattouse learned that the hard way last season when Troy offensive coordinator Tony Franklin changed the offense from a power-run, power-I formation to a wide-open spread attack. “I knew I was going to be featured a lot in the offense. That’s why I came here, because I knew they ran the ball a lot,” Cattouse said. “When Tony Franklin came here, I wasn’t sure I was going to get the ball as much as I wanted to. I was very nervous about it.” Cattouse came to Troy (2-2, 1-0) with expectations of being a traditional feature back in an offense — not a second option to a passing game. When Franklin set his offense in motion last season, Cattouse wasn’t even the second option…Ledger-Enquirer
Tuskegee 34, Fort Valley State 3…Chattanooga 45, Georgia Southern 38…The Telegraph
Thomas Barnes sat and waited. The true freshman linebacker from Dublin watched his North Carolina State team get shocked at home against Central Florida to open the season and follow that with a 37-17 loss to Boston College. Saturday, finally, his number was called, and he made the most of it. Barnes didn’t start against Wofford, but he was tied for third with eight tackles in the Wolfpack’s 38-17 win…The Telegraph
The Georgia Military College JUCO football team hit on all cylinders for the first time this season Sunday, defeating Louisburg College 24-0 on the road. It was the Bulldogs second shutout of the year. They held the Valdosta State junior varsity scoreless Sept. 13…The Union-Recorder
Claud Flythe prefers to work in the shadows. “I’m not a media person. I prefer to be in the background,” said Flythe, who began working July 16 as Savannah State’s vice president for administration. “I don’t have an ego. I certified mine a long time ago. I get satisfaction seeing other people out front. I’m the type of person who, if you help enough people get what they want, I swear you’ll get what you want.” Flythe was hired by new SSU President Earl Yarbrough to oversee the Tigers’ athletics program, facilities operations and public safety. In his newly created position, Flythe is taking the lead on planning the university’s athletics future…Savannah Morning News
Ten days ago, Georgia Southern cornerback Henry Chubb slowly walked off the field at Coastal Carolina. Monday, Eagles coach Chris Hatcher said Chubb could be lost for the season. “He’s out this week for sure, but it may be a season-ending injury or career-ending injury,” said Hatcher, who does not comment on the types of injuries suffered by athletes. Chubb, a junior from Waycross, transferred from Troy just before preseason practice…Savannah Morning News
College Basketball
As soon as last season was over, Georgia College & State women’s head basketball coach John Carrick began eagerly looking to this year. After all, the Bobcats had a huge season, going 22-10 and losing 66-65 in overtime to Clayton State in the NCAA Division II regional final. The roster listed only one impact senior, Cassie Miliner of Warner Robins, a consistent player and elite defender whose impact wasn’t of stat sheet fodder. And that, from a landmark season, was about all that was leaving. “We were looking,” Carrick said Thursday, “at maybe 25 wins this year.” Now, not so much…The Telegraph
College Soccer
Avram Allen scored two goals off the bench, pacing North Georgia College and State University (4-5-1) to a 2-0 upset of seventh-ranked Lander (SC) University in Peach Belt Conference soccer action Saturday afternoon. Allen capitalized on a Bradley Rose shot that hit the post rebounded away from Lander goalkeeper Garrett Daum to put the first goal on the board for the Saints. The junior forward was in the the right place at the right time, and beat two defenders to the ball and knocked the goal into the net in the 32nd minute, giving North Georgia a 1-0 lead. The goal was just the second allowed by Daum all season…AccessNorthGa.com
College Golf
The Georgia College & State University golf team stands seven strokes off the lead after the first round at the Coker College Invitational, in sole possession of fifth place. The Bobcats shot a 287, utilizing the third different starting five in as many tournaments this season. The Bobcats, coached by Jimmy Wilson, have two top-20 individuals, both tied at 17th. Freshman Joe Young continues to impress in his second collegiate tournament, carding a 71. Senior Juan Bialet shares the spot with Young in his first fall action…The Union-Recorder
Roundups
Sports briefs…Gwinnett Daily Post
High school/college roundup…Savannah Morning News
Brenau University wrapped a busy sports week as the Golden Tigers soccer team battled to a draw, the volleyball team dropped a conference match, and the tennis team opened the fall portion of its schedule on the road…AccessNorthGa.com
Miscellaneous
The Cherokee Rose Country Club and Golf Course hosted its 35th annual championship tournament on Sept. 15 - 16, where, for the sixth time, Travis Mobley came out as the club champion. He shot a 72 and a 74 for a combined 146 and the trophy. Coming in second place was Bucky Keel who shot a 71 and an 80. Jack Shuman came in third shooting a 75 and an 82. Shuman won third after a playoff round against Dale Rowe and Robert Darby…Coastal Courier
Brett Veasey made Canongate I Golf Club history on Sunday evening as the former Northgate Viking standout became the first ever to repeat as club champion. The current West Georgia University student built a six-shot lead with nine holes to play but a double-bogey at No.16 by Veasey and a birdie by playing partner David Abraham pulled Abraham even. Abraham’s three-putt one hole later gave Veasey the lead and the defending champion sank a four-footer for par at No.18 to win by one. Veasey shot 74-77 in the two-day tournament…The Times-Herald
Bow season is in full swing, but deer hunters who prefer to use firearms will have to wait until Oct. 20 to hit the woods. And when they do, they’d better be wearing the required fluorescent orange, have written permission to be hunting on land not owned by themselves or family, and make sure they are not hunting over bait. Archery, or “bow” season, opened Sept. 8, giving bow hunters a jump start on the season. Primitive weapons season is short this year - those using black powder guns only have from Oct. 13-19 to hunt using those weapons. Hunters using dogs in Bulloch and surrounding counties will be allowed to hunt the full season – Oct. 20, 2007 to Jan. 5, 2008 – but need to make sure they observe the law, said Cpl. David Sims, conservation ranger with the Metter-based office of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources…Statesboro Herald
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