Archive for April, 2010

Charlton County’s Chris Milton is spending spring break in Atlanta this week.

He is hanging out with his two older brothers: One recently graduated from Clark Atlanta, while another one plays football for the Div. II school.

However, the speedy athlete is in town to look another college, Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are one of his seven offers, including Kentucky and Wake Forest.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Milton presents a lot of interesting options for Georgia Tech. He is a three-year starter at quarterback for Charlton, and may get a look at the position at Georgia Tech. However, the Yellow Jackets are primarily recruiting Milton for the A-back position.

You're probably pretty good at football if you're related to No. 24 (AJC/AP photo)

“It would definitely be something new, being that I play quarterback in h igh school,” Milton told the AJC. “But if that’s the place they need me, I am willing to try it.”

Charlton County has one of the state’s richest football traditions, …

Continue reading Football Recruiting: Champ Bailey’s cousin travels to Atlanta for spring break to check out Georgia Tech »

PJ to Georgia prospects: "Stay at home and help me win trophies like this" (AJC photo)

Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson loves those players from his home state.

The Yellow Jackets have closed the deal on their third player from Georgia, as Monroe-Albany High’s Bryan Chamberlain committed to Georgia Tech.

“I think he made a wise decision, a great decision, by selecting Georgia Tech,” Monroe coach Charles Truitt said. “It’s a place that can use his skills and talent. It’s a school where he can go and play with a great football team, as well as get a great education.”

The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman follows in the footsteps of East Hall linebacker Chaz Cheeks and Mt. Zion tailback Quartterrio Morgan as early pledges for Georgia Tech’s 2011 recruiting class.

“They are getting a player with a great upside,” Truitt said. “Bryan has great feet, is very explosive off the ball, and doesn’t ever give up. In the last three years total, he might’ve given up three sacks, …

Continue reading Football Recruiting: Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson lands commitment No. 3 from the state of Georgia »

The AJC’s Mr. Georgia Basketball could turn into Mr. Hottest Prospect in College Basketball.

Will Mr. Georgia Basketball become a free agent? (AJC file)

Westlake High’s Marcus Thornton is considering requesting a release from his letter-of-intent from Clemson, his father told the AJC on Tuesday evening. Georgia Tech and Georgia are among the numerous schools rumored to be interested in the 6-foot-7  Thornton.

On Monday, Clemson’s Oliver Purnell accepted the head coaching job at DePaul. Purnell was a major reason on why Thornton signed with Clemson over Wake Forest and Maryland. Thornton had not had any official contact with Clemson representatives by Tuesday evening.

“We’re talking as a family and trying to sort things out,” Billy Thornton said. “It’s not like Clemson still isn’t an option. We just don’t know who the new coach will be.

“Beyond that, we’ve talked among ourselves about requesting a release from Clemson but we don’t know for sure. That’s one course of action to …

Continue reading Mr. Georgia Basketball, Westlake’s Marcus Thornton, considers requesting release after Clemson’s coaching change (Updated) »

Kell safety Brian Randolph, who is one of the Georgia’s leaders in scholarships offers with nearly 20, has learned the recruiting process can sometimes be harsh. He will make an unofficial visit to Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

Once upon a time, Randolph was rival UGA’s No. 1 target at safety. The Bulldogs were the first to offer last year and slowly building a strong relationship with the 6-foot and 180-pounder.

To Georgia’s credit, it was always upfront and honest with Randolph: They intended to sign two safeties for the 2011 recruiting class, and made it known they would take the first two that accepted offers.

UGA is off to a fast start with the defensive secondary in its 2011 recruiting class, with two commitments at safety (AJC photo)

Unfortunately for Randolph, , Georgia filled its safety needs in rapid fashion — with Tucker’s Chris Sanders and Griffin’s Corey Moore committed by the end of January.

“I called (Georgia assistant) Stacey Searels, and said that ‘I heard you …

Continue reading Football Recruiting: Star safety discusses what went wrong with UGA, impending visit to Georgia Tech »

The Georgia High School Soccer Association has released its rankings for each classification, along with an All-Classification poll, which always generates a lot of discussion. What are you thoughts on these particular rankings? Please post below.

Boys All-Classification

1. St. Pius

2. Collins Hill

3. McIntosh

4. Walton

5. Oconee County

6. Blessed Trinity

7. Hillgrove

8. Northview

9. Lassiter

10. Habersham

11. Gainesville

12. Centennial

13. Starr’s Mill

14. Greenbrier, Evans

15. Norcross

Girls All-Classification

1. Whitewater

1. Walton

3. Parkview

4. Brookwood

5. North Gwinnett

6. GAC

7. St. Pius

8. Marist

9. Harrison

10. Walker

11. Starr’s Mill

12. Lassiter

13. Pope

14. Northview

15. St. Vincent’s

Continue reading St. Pius moves ahead of Collins Hill in state rankings »

If you're a football prospect and your phone rings on a Friday with the 404 area code showing up on Caller ID, it could be Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson calling with some good news (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)

Pepperell High, located 71 miles northeast of Atlanta, has suddenly emerged as one of Georgia’s hottest stops for college scouts.

Junior offensive lineman Kyle Harris was offered by Georgia Tech over the weekend. Meanwhile, sophomore defensive tackle Dakota Ball — who is a candidate to be one of the state’s top prospects for 2012 — already boasts extra early offers from UGA, Alabama, Clemson, Maryland and Tennessee.

It’s big news for the Lindale school, which hasn’t had a graduate play major-college since punter Jonathan Kilgo signed with UGA in 1999.

“Yeah, there’s a lot going on these days, and we have some other young kids who are very promising, too,” Pepperell coach Jeff Shiflett said.

The big news in town is Georgia Tech’s offer to Harris. Not much happens in …

Continue reading Football Recruiting: Georgia Tech and UGA offer football scholarships to different Pepperell High linemen »

When one of the Southeast’s top defensive tackles renounced his pledge to sign with Florida State last Thursday — only two days after committing to the Seminoles, some people didn’t believe it.

If you recall, last Thursday was April 1, or April Fool’s Day.

However, Lonnie Gosha from Lake Butler, Fla., says he was not joking around about backing off Florida State so quickly.

The 6-foot-2, 265-pounder has re-opened his recruiting, and has Georgia, Alabama, and LSU among his leaders.

“I guess a lot of my friends read (about me de-committing) … and they kept on messing me, asking me why I tricked the Florida State coaches,” Gosha told the AJC on Sunday night.

“But it was true. I felt I was rushing the recruiting process with committing to Florida State. It didn’t feel right, so I told them that I had changed my mind. They were mad at me, and probably still are mad at me. But I’m still looking at FSU. I just need more time to figure everything out. I thought it was best to go ahead …

Continue reading Top defensive tackle changes mind about Florida State commitment, now has UGA among his leaders »

Marietta’s Chevez Clarke, one of Georgia’s top baseball prospects for the June amateur draft, has rich family history in the sport.

His father played college baseball for Southern University. His great uncle, Sam Hairston, was the first African-American for the Chicago White Sox in 1951. Two distant cousins, Scott and Jerry Hairston, both play in the major leagues.

Will 'Chevy' ever wear a Georgia Tech uniform? Doubtful (AJC photo)

Ironically, Clarke was named after a legend in another sport.

“My auntie’s favorite boxer was (Julio Cesar Chavez),” Clarke said, referring to the Mexican fighter who won six world titles in three weight divisions.

The 5-foot-11, 186-pound outfielder is considered a baseball heavyweight when it comes to the upcoming draft. Clarke, who has signed with Georgia Tech, attracts a steady flow of pro scouts at Marietta’s games.

In the team’s first scrimmage of the season, more than 40 scouts showed up to observe the switch-hitter take batting practice. …

Continue reading Major-league baseball scouts flock to see Marietta outfielder Chevez Clarke »

Wesleyan, the two-time defending state champion, has an interesting twist to its baseball schedule during the middle of the season.

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Every year during spring break, the Gwinnett private school and its athletic programs are completely shut down for a week.

While other baseball teams are holding practices and playing games, Wesleyan’s players — along with rest of the student body — are encouraged to go a mission trips to foreign countries.

It’s a time to serve, rather than to be served a fastball.

The players hit — not with a baseball bat, but rather a hammer or tool on a third-world building project.

It’s not exactly the way that top-tier baseball teams normally expend valuable time on spring break. However, it works well at Wesleyan.

“I guess if we didn’t win, then we’d have our …

Continue reading Wesleyan’s baseball team on a “mission” to win third state championship in a row »

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt (right) raided Georgia for another elite basketball player

You don’t see many sophomores in high school announce their college decision two years in advance of when they can officially sign the scholarship papers.

On the surface, it seemed a little rushed when Buford’s Andraya Carter, the AJC’s Class AA basketball player of the year after leading the Gwinnett school to the state championship, recently revealed that she intends to sign with Tennessee in November of 2011.

Then again, as strange as it sounds, Carter was already a veteran of the recruiting process. She got her first scholarship offer — from Georgia — while she was in middle school.

But why now? With Carter’s college enrollment nearly three years away, so many things can change. But she has her reasons.

“I am very easy to talk with and to get into a conversation with and … I didn’t want to really want to form relationships with any more coaches,” Carter said. “I knew Tennessee is where I …

Continue reading Georgia’s No. 1 sophomore reflects on picking the Tennessee Volunteers so early »