Archive for September, 2010

THE TEN AT 10:

1. Wide receiver DaVaris Daniels, the top prospect in Illinois and the son of Georgia football letterman Phillip Daniels, committed to Notre Dame this week without receiving a scholarship offer from his father’s alma mater.

“Yeah, I’m a little disappointed they didn’t offer, but at the same time, it’s life,” Daniels told the website TBD.com. “I realize, too, that Georgia’s never been a receiver school. And my son figured that out. We talked about it a lot. They didn’t offer, and that was kind of sad with me being a 15-year guy [in the NFL], and my son being one of the top receivers in the nation.

“But you know what, I still love Georgia,” said Daniels, a defensive end with the Washington Redskins. “I played there, they gave me my opportunity. My son made his decision. I told him all along it was his decision and whatever he decides, that’s where he’s going. So, no hard feelings. I wish them the best. But, if my son ever plays Georgia, whether it be championship …

Continue reading Ten@10: Letterman Phillip Daniels disappointed UGA never offered his son »

Big Ray Drew of Thomas County Central has a big decision ahead as he continues to contemplate more than 50 scholarship offers. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

Here’s what we know about Ray Drew: He’s liable to play college football anywhere.

If you think you know where he’s going to go or you know somebody who says he knows, they don’t know. I know because Drew doesn’t even know.

Drew believes there’s only one man/person/entity who does know, but He hasn’t let him know. Not yet any way.

“Each night before I lay down I pray about it,” said Drew, a licensed minister who is also a 6-foot-5, 253-pound defensive end at Thomas County Central High. “That’s how I make decisions. I just wish The Lord would just come down and say, ‘Ray, you need to go here,’ and then I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. So I just pray each night, you know, ’show me where You want me to go.’ I just don’t want to make the wrong decision. There’s just a lot to look at, a lot to take into …

Continue reading 5-star DE Ray Drew talks recruiting, Georgia’s poor start »

THE TEN AT 10:

Avery Walls delivers his carefully-scripted and well-rehearsed speech at Eagles Landing Christian Academy after accepting his U.S. Army All-America invitation on Monday. (Photo provided by ECLA)

1. Avery Walls received his official U.S. Army All-American Bowl invitation on Monday when U.S. Army officers and members of the game’s selection committee came to Eagles Landing Christian Academy in McDonough for a formal presentation. It’s a tradition for the nation’s oldest national high school all-star game, which will be played on Jan. 8 in San Antonio (1 p.m., NBC). For Walls, the hardest part was standing up in front of the whole school — complete with marching band and cheerleaders — and delivering a speech. “I was kind of nervous, but I have a speech class at school and they got me prepared for it,” said Walls, a defensive back who holds 33 scholarship offers. “I practiced it on my girlfriend’s family the day before.”

2. Walls is one of at least six Georgians …

Continue reading Ten@10: Moore, Walls, Swann all get their Army All-America invites »

MONDAY MORNING REWIND

Looking back at the players, plays and games that caught our attention over the weekend. Let us know what you saw and heard.

Buford’s Seon Jones wasn’t sure what rushing for more than 300 yards Friday night against Lovett meant for him. But he knew what it meant for his offensive line.

“I’m going to take them out to do something,” he said after the Class AA No. 2-ranked Wolves defeated No. 7 Lovett 37-14. “I don’t know if I can buy them all a steak. Maybe a hamburger or something.”

Jones put on a dazzling display for a sell-out crowd at Conley-Oakley Field and a television audience tuning in for the “Channel 2 Sports Zone Game of the Week.” He piled up 313 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only 15 carries for a gaudy average of 20.8 yards per carry. And it could have been even more. He barely stepped out of bounds on two long runs, one near midfield that would have gone all the way and the other just inside the 10-yard line. And he did this while …

Continue reading Rewind: Seon Jones hopes 313 yards rushing attracts some attention »

CHANNEL 2 SPORTS ZONE GAME OF THE WEEK

Vadal Alexander looks on from the sideline as Buford plays Carver-Columbus earlier this year. (Photo by Dean Legge/DawgPost.com)

When big No. 74 jogs out onto Conley-Oakley Field with his Buford teammates tonight, folks will ooh and ah at his impressive size and athleticism and wonder who from Lovett will have to face this giant in the trenches. But Vadal Alexander won’t play in the Channel 2 Sports Zone Game of the Week (7:30 p.m., Comcast 248/Charter 126). And considering what he’s been through the last four months, he’ll be happy just to be there on the sidelines.

That’s because the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Alexander spent most of this past summer needing a walker to get around. His greatest feat each day was getting out of bed. His once-legendary squat, which peaked upward of 600 pounds last May, was reduced to zero by June. “If that,” he said.

Arguably the top offensive lineman in the state in the Class of 2012, Alexander was diagnosed …

Continue reading It has been a long way back for Buford’s Vadal Alexander »

THE TEN AT 10 (sharp, for USMCDAWG):

Tech commitment Vad Lee scored five TDs and had 259 yards for Hillside this past weekend.

1. Vad Lee put on a show for Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson last Friday in Durham. N.C. Now the Yellow Jackets plan to return the favor as Lee comes to The Flats to watch them take on N.C. State on Saturday.

Johnson was among several coaches on the sidelines watching Lee last weekend as he put on a dazzling display while leading his Hillside High team to  33-8 win over Greensboro-Dudley. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback, who committed to the Jackets on Aug. 19th, scored five rushing touchdowns and racked up 259 total yards (141 passing, 118 rushing) as the Hornetsundefeated at 5-0.

“I just came out here and played my game,” Lee told NewsObserver.com. “My offensive line did it again, and we just played a tremendous game. I have weapons all around me and the best offensive line in the state.”

Lee is one of several Tech commitments expected to be at …

Continue reading Ten@10: QB Vad Lee shows off for Tech’s Paul Johnson »

Andre Sims was actually in East Lansing, Mich., the day Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack. Talked to him and everything. The Brookwood High senior was on an unofficial visit and watched as the Spartans beat Notre Dame 34-31 in dramatic fashion.

It wasn’t until Sims was back home, safe and sound in Snellville, that he learned his future coach could have died that night.

“I heard the day after when we came back,” said Sims, a wide receiver and defensive back who has been committed to the Spartans since early this summer. “Coach [Dave] Warner called and told me about it. First he said they were calling to make sure I made it home safe. Then he told me Coach Dantonio had a heart attack.”

Sims could not have been more surprised. He saw Dantonio like most everybody else did: A fitter-than-usual 54-year-old who had energy enough to fuel an entire college football program.

The truth was, Dantonio had a blockage in one of the arteries to his heart. He …

Continue reading Brookwood’s Andre Sims sticking with Michigan State, Mark Dantonio »

THE TEN AT 10:

Justin Scott-Wesley insist he's still 'solid with Georgia' despite plans to take an official visit to Clemson. (AJC photo by Phil Skinner)

1. Georgia’s poor start to the season has at least one of its recruits a little concerned. UGA commitment Justin Scott-Wesley, a wide receiver from Mitchell County, said he has been talking to Clemson coaches recently. “They want me to take a visit,” Scott-Wesley said. “I told them I will and they said they will get back to me on a date.” The two-time state sprint champion and 100-meter record-holder, a one-time Stanford commitment, insists that shouldn’t be seen as a sign he is wavering on the Bulldogs. “I am still a solid commit to UGA,” he said, “unless there’s a major coaching change.”

2. That said, recruiting still appears to be going well for the Bulldogs. Several major prospects were visiting for the game, which the Bulldogs lost to Arkansas 31-24 to drop to 1-2 on the season. But blue-chippers such Griffin defensive …

Continue reading Ten@10: UGA commit Justin Scott-Wesley planning visit to Clemson »

THE MONDAY MORNING REWIND

Looking back at the players, plays and games that caught our attention over the weekend. Let us know what you saw and heard.

Linebacker A.J. Johnson committed to the Tennessee Volunteers this past Friday afternoon. Then he hopped on a school bus with his Gainesville High teammates and ran roughshod over rival North Hall a couple of hours later.

Best known for wreaking havoc on defense from his inside linebacker position, Johnson made his presence known on offense in this game. I got to witness his work firsthand as part of the broadcast team for the Channel 2 Sports Zone Game of the Week between Gainesville and North Hall.

After taking just two snaps as the “Wild Elephant” in Gainesville’s shotgun spread offense in the first half, Johnson spent almost the entire second half on offense. He finished with 17 carries for 192 yards and scored all three touchdowns in the Red Elephants’ 20-13 victory at The Brickyard.

“One of the most dominating performances …

Continue reading Rewind: A.J. Johnson runs wild after committing to Vols »

Tim Dixon, a 6-foot-10, 215-pound center from Oldsmar, Fla., committed to Georgia during his official visit this past weekend, his high school coach confirmed.

Dixon becomes the Bulldogs second basketball commitment for 2011 and plans to sign in the early period in November. He chose UGA over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and South Carolina, among others.

“Clearly, Coach [Mark] Fox has done a great job in his coaching career at Nevada and now turning it around at Georgia,” said Oldsmar Christian coach Ryan Pannone. “Coach Kwanzaa Johnson did a great job of recruiting him. He made Tim feel like a priority from Day One, not just this year but going back to his junior year.”

Dixon is a three-star prospect and is considered somewhat of a project since he is relatively thin for a frontline position. But he has exceptional range and quickness and is a unusually good shooter for his size.

“Mark and his staff did a great job of developing post players at Nevada, players not …

Continue reading 6-10 C Tim Dixon commits to Georgia (UPDATED) »