Due to the Public Input Workshop on Redistricting and School Consolidation scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 18) at Miller Grove High School, the Dunwoody at Miller Grove boys’ and girls’ basketball games have been rescheduled.
The games will be played tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 19) at 5:30 p.m.
(girls) with the boys’ game to follow at 7 p.m.
- Courtesy of DeKalb Schools SID Mark Brock
Continue reading Tuesday’s Miller Grove-Dunwoody basketball games rescheduled »
(RELATED: Ex-UGA recruit hears from Miami Hurricanes, South Florida (Click here for story)
Does every player who wears the Stephenson High football uniform automatically get a college scholarship? No, but it seems like it (AJC photo)
They are going to have to bring in extra tables again for football signing day at Stephenson High.
The Class AAAAA school in DeKalb County is proving to be no one-year wonder with stockpiling college scholarships.
Somewhere between 20 and 32 of Stephenson’s senior class of 34 players will sign letters-of-intent Feb. 2. Last year, the Jaguars had 29 of 32 huddled around tables in the school auditorium, with each standing up to be recognized for their future college destination.
“It’s such a blessing, especially with the economy,” said Patricia Sheppard, whose son, Jeremy, has a pair of small college offers.
“I just sent my daughter off to college last year, and with Jeremy coming right behind her … it’s a huge financial relief for our family. These …
Continue reading Football recruiting: 9 Stephenson HS seniors to sign with major colleges »
Miami and South Florida are some of the schools that have expressed heavy interest in Zack Witchett, who had his UGA football scholarship recently revoked after being committed to the Bulldogs last summer.
Georgia withdrew Witchett’s scholarship offer on Jan. 5 — less than a month away from signing day — due to undisclosed off-the-the-field issues. (Click here for more details)
“Zack was upset about not going to Georgia, but I think he’s moved on,” said Booker T. Washington coach Stanley Pritchett. “He’s able to move on because other schools have called since [they heard the news]. He’s really encouraged about his situation.”
Witchett, who is being recruited at both wide receiver and cornerback, returned from an official visit to South Carolina State on Sunday. South Florida and Appalachian State are among the many other schools that have called, and Pritchett expects more when classes start back on Tuesday.
Miami assistant Micheal Barrow met with Pritchett to review film and …
Milton’s David Boyd talked about national titles before this basketball season began. It might be too late for that, given Milton’s two losses, but Boyd’s Eagles made a statement Saturday, beating No. 1-ranked Oak Hill Academy 75-69.
Despite not getting to practice for a week due to the Georgia snowstorm, Milton (14-2) jumped to a 20-point lead in the first half and held on.
Oak Hill fought back and led 51-50 after a 3-point shot by Jordan Adams, the transfer from Central Gwinnett, but Milton went on an 8-0 run to seal it. Guard Shannon Scott, who has signed with Ohio State, scored 22 points.
Milton’s victory also was good news for Miller Grove (13-0). MG is ranked #3 in one national poll and #4 in two others. With Oak Hill out of the way, and with a victory over Milton in December, Miller Grove is now a serious national title contender. MG is playing in Ohio on Monday.
Back to Milton for a minute – Boyd said after the Oak Hill win that he thoguht his backcourt of DaiJon …
Continue reading Talking points: Milton beats Oak Hill, state’s best backcourts, new rankings »
Most of the state’s wrestling coaches are supportive of the GHSA’s plans for rescheduling the Team Duals, even though it may present logistical challenges for some member schools.
The state championship event in Macon was postponed from this weekend until Feb. 25-26 because of safety concerns related to travel and school closings. Under the new setup, the Team Duals will be held one week after wrestling’s other state championship tournament, the Traditionals at Gwinnett Arena on Feb. 18-19.
Also, because of scheduling conflicts with the Macon Centreplex, the Team Duals will be moved — likely to five different facilities across the state, one per classification.
“I don’t really like the tournament being moved until after the Traditionals, but the GHSA didn’t have a lot of options,” said Collins Hill High’s Josh Stephen, coach of the three-time defending state champions.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t canceled altogether, so I’ll take the week after, if that’s what it has to be. It’s …
Continue reading Wrestling coaches have mixed reaction to postponement of state championships »
YOUR opinion on shot clock in high school basketball?
Loading …Milton (12-2) is playing its best basketball after some early struggles and will make another appearance on ESPNU with Saturday’s 8 p.m. matchup against Oak Hill. The game will be played in Springfield, Mass., with a 30-second shot clock. That’s a first for Milton’s David Boyd in his 27 years of coaching.
“One thing that will help us is that we’re real careful about trying to get the last shot in each quarter of every game we play, so we are familiar with being aware of the time during parts of the game,” Boyd said. “I think where we may really struggle is if the game is close near the end. We’ll have to execute plays within 30 seconds rather than just holding the ball.”
Now it’s YOUR turn. What do you think of the 30-second clock for high school ball? Do you like it or not? Please post below.
Continue reading Milton High’s highly-touted basketball team has to deal with new issue »
UGA got a couple of surprises this past weekend. First, the Bulldogs upset Kentucky. And mega-prospect Tony Parker was there to witness it.
UGA's Mark Fox has offered a pair of juniors from Miller Grove, PF Tony Parker (first on left) and SG Brandon Morris (third from left). Georgia Tech has also offered Parker (AJC photo)
At a stout 6-foot-9 and 280 pounds, Parker is one of the nation’s top college basketball prospects for 2012 and holds more than 50 early scholarship offers, including Duke, Georgia Tech and UGA.
It was Parker’s first time attending a Georgia game in years.
“[Georgia coach Mark Fox] has been trying to get me over there for awhile,” Parker explained. “With them playing against Kentucky, it was a really good matchup, and I love watching [UGA power forward] Trey Thompkins play basketball every chance I can get.”
Parker toured Georgia’s athletic and academic facilities, and had a quick face-to-face meeting with Fox before tipoff.
“I like the way [Fox] uses his …
Encouraging news for Trey Rood (AJC)
There’s more good news for former West Forsyth football player Trey Rood, who was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer (Stage IV metastatic melanoma) in June 2009.
All of Rood’s tumors in his chest area have shown to be stable or shrinking, while some have disappeared, after a recent battery of tests at Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Rood also had an MRI on his brain which was clear. “Overall, he got an A+ from his doctor,” said Rood’s mother.
Kingdom Kids granted Rood a “wish” by providing tickets to the SEC Championship game.
Rood is a freshman at Georgia and returns to classes this week.
Continue reading Good health news for former West Forsyth football player Trey Rood »
Wrestling’s Team Duals state championships scheduled for this weekend have been postponed until Feb. 25-26 due to inclement weather and school closings. GHSA officials picked the new date to avoid scheduling conflicts, and it was the first weekend after the high school sport was supposed to finish.
“We were looking at the fact with many schools not in session, we couldn’t really have it this weekend,” said the GHSA’s executive director, Ralph Swearngin. “If we tried to put it another weekend during the regular season, it would fall on top of schedules that teams have already made. So we just decided that we would put it at the end.”
Now it’s YOUR turn. The postponement was a no-brainer but what do you think of the new date? It’s one week after the traditional state championships. Please post your comments below.
Continue reading Wrestling’s state championships postponed for six weeks due to weather »
The coach of the defending Class AAA state basketball champions has a unique way to describe his young phenom at point guard.
“He’s a 50-year-old midget,” said Columbia High’s Phil McCrary, referring to Tahj Shamsid-Deen. “It speaks to his maturity level. He thinks way beyond his age.”
The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Shamsid-Deen is considered one of the state’s top sophomores, averaging 18 points, nine assists and three steals for Columbia, which is 11-1 and leaves Wednesday for the Alaska Airlines Shootout for five days.
Columbia High coach Phil McCrary (center in black shirt) gives instructions to his "50-year-old-midget" aka PG Tahj Shamsid-Deen (AJC Photo)
“It’s a compliment, not at all meant in a derogatory way. It’s just that most kids his age make simple and minor mistakes on the floor. It’s rare for Tahj because he’s more mature than most of the point guards he plays against.
“How many 15-year-olds do you know that are constantly looking up at the clock, knowing the situation …
Continue reading ‘50-year-old-midget’ leads the reigning state champions »
UPDATE: Wrestling’s Team Duals state championships scheduled for this weekend have been postponed until Feb. 25-26 due to inclement weather and school closings. GHSA officials picked the new date to avoid scheduling conflicts, and it was the first weekend after the high school sport was supposed to finish.
“We were looking at the fact with many schools not in session, we couldn’t really have it this weekend,” said the GHSA’s executive director, Ralph Swearngin. “If we tried to put it another weekend during the regular season, it would fall on top of schedules that teams have already made. So we just decided that we would put it at the end.”
BACK TO THE STORY …
Collins Hill High will go for its fourth state championship in a row at this weekend’s GHSA Team Dual Wrestling Tournament in Macon.
Collins Hill has a 21-0 record in dual meets, winning tournaments such as Missouri’s Midwest Classic, the Cleveland (Tenn.) Invitational and the Alexander Duals.
“I feel good about our …
Continue reading Collins Hill goes for No. 4 championship in a row at wrestling’s state duals »
The Georgia High School Association does not plan on making any “blanket rule changes” with scheduling — at least not yet — due to the postponement of this week’s basketball games because of inclement weather. In past years under similar circumstances, the GHSA has had to allow schools to play as many four games per week.
For now, Ralph Swearngin, executive director of the GHSA, said he will address any school’s predicament “on a case-by-case basis.”
Morris plays "above the rim" (AJC photo)
Brandon Morris is rapidly rising up the charts as one of the nation’s top college basketball prospects for 2012.
The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder is one of the star attractions for Miller Grove High, which is ranked No. 3 in the nation by USA TODAY.
Morris has around 10 early offers, including Florida, UGA, Clemson, Auburn, North Carolina State. He has not been offered by Georgia Tech, but is considering the possibility of playing close to home. He talked about both schools.
Morris on Georgia: “It’s a good offer. I’ll give them a good look. My mom and uncle both said it’s a good place to go.”
On Georgia Tech: “I heard they were showing interest [in me]. I really don’t know if I would be interested in going there. While I want to play close to home, I’ve seen the way that Georgia Tech plays and I think it would be hard for me to fit in with their program …” Morris also said he didn’t like how Georgia Tech was using his close friend and former …
Continue reading One of the state’s top juniors talks about UGA and Georgia Tech »
There won’t be much high school basketball, if any, in the Atlanta area on Tuesday night because of the weather conditions.
Many metro counties canceled Tuesday classes, which automatically canceled all extracurricular activities, including sports. Private schools determine their own policies.
“I know a lot of coaches are trying to move their Tuesday game to Wednesday,” Milton basketball coach David Boyd said. “I just don’t know how much better the roads will be on Wednesday with the temperatures not expected to rise.”
Confirmed closings include DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, Clayton, Fulton, Fayette, Douglas, Paulding, Henry, Forsyth, Rockdale, Newton, Bartow, and Carroll Counties, along with Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, Buford, and Gainesville city schools.
Dr. Ralph Swearngin, the GHSA’s executive director, said it was up to each county to determine its weather policy for athletics during the regular season. Swearngin said this weekend’s Team Dual Wrestling Tournament in …
Continue reading Snow freezes out Tuesday night’s high school basketball (Updated) »
Do you know a high school senior who is being overlooked by major colleges in football? If so, please state your case at the bottom of this blog. Why do you feel this player is being overlooked? What makes him a worthy of a D1 look? Note: We’re only talking about current seniors in high school.
Now the story …
College-football programs seem to begin the recruiting process with players earlier every year to get inside position. One of negatives is that sometimes a late-blooming senior may get overlooked.
Harrison’s Brandon Robinson fell off the recruiting radar after sitting out his junior year because of GHSA transfer rules. He had moved with family to South Carolina and returned to Harrison a few weeks into the football season.
As a senior, the 5-foot-10, 181-pounder missed two early games because of illness. When he finally regained his strength, he matured into one of Cobb’s best tailbacks, rushing for 215 yards in the first round of the playoffs against M.L. King. …
Continue reading Do you know a high school senior overlooked by major colleges? »
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