Archive for November, 2010

THE TEN AT 10:

1. AJC Super 11 RB Isaiah Crowell, a 5-star prospect from Carver-Columbus, told Scout.com’s Chad Simmons that Georgia and Alabama are even after his visit to Athens this past weekend. The Crimson Tide held a slight edge previously. He also said he plans to visit on Dec. 11, which is the night of the Bulldogs’ Senior Gala event. He hasn’t decided if that will be an official visit or not, but the timing is certainly interesting either way. I’m supposed to talk to Crowell later this week so I’ll provide a full update once I do. In the meantime, here’s a link to Chad’s story.

2. Speaking of 5-star prospects, AJC Super 11 DE Ray Drew has been a popular man early in the contact period, which began Sunday. He told me Monday he hosted coaches from Clemson and Florida. Today he is scheduled to meet with Georgia and LSU representatives. Interestingly, Drew put out a notice that he would not accept any coaching visits during school hours. How’s that for unusual? So …

Continue reading Ten@10: Recruiting is officially cranked up with opening of contact period »

Athens — Went to the Georgia-Georgia Tech game at Sanford Stadium Saturday night. It was a wild one, as usual, but I didn’t go to see the game as much as I did the recruits.

As everybody knows it is a huge recruiting weekend for the Bulldogs. Dozens of prospects were expected and it looked like they all showed up. You’re not permitted to interview or take pictures of prospective student-athletes (that’s what the schools call them) while they are on a recruiting visit, so I can’t provide any keen insights. But I can give you a quick rundown of what I saw.

(1) As I tweeted early this evening, Georgia’s No. 1 recruiting target was in the house. Carver-Columbus running back Isaiah Crowell, accompanied by several teammates and family, was decked out head to toe in Bulldogs’ gear. Of course, he famously (or infamously) wore an Alabama cap to the Auburn-Georgia game a couple of weeks ago at Auburn. This time he had on a beige Georgia cap turned backward over his dreads, a red Georgia …

Continue reading Dressed in UGA gear, 5-star RB Isaiah Crowell headlines visiting recruits »

CHANNEL 2 SPORTS ZONE FRIDAY GAME OF THE WEEK: TUCKER VS. WARE CO.

AJC Super 11 linebacker James Vaughters is just one of many reasons Tucker is undefeated and favored in tonight's Class AAAA quarterfinal against Ware County. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

I’m about to head over to Hallford Memorial Stadium in Clarkston to call the Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game between No. 3-ranked Tucker (12-0) and Ware County (10-2). You can catch it on cable TV tonight live at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast 248 or Charter 126 or see the 1 a.m. replay on WSB’s Channel 2.

Let me tell you why you’ll want to tune in. First off, Tucker is a a phenomenal team that is absolutely loaded with stars, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Tigers are led by AJC Super 11 linebacker James Vaughters. Vaughters, a 4.o. student who had well over 30 scholarships offers, committed to Stanford this past summer. Here is a link to some 2010 VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS of Vaughters in action.

But Vaughters is just one …

Continue reading Game of Week: Undefeated Tucker wary of Ware County »

Due to the holidays and some technical difficulties I’ve been having with my email, I completely missed that Georgia Tech signed another basketball player this week.

The Yellow Jackets signed Bobby Ray Parks Jr. He goes by “Ray” and is the son of the man known as the “Michael Jordan of the Phillipines.” Former Memphis State star Bobby Ray Parks averaged 52.6 points per game in 1989 for the a Filipino pro team.

Ray, a 6-foot-3, left-handed point guard, currently plays high school ball in Manila but played the last four years in Memphis.

I’m scrambling to track down Ray or his parents and will get you more details on him as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is the news release from Georgia Tech:

Bobby Parks Jr., a 6-3 guard from Manila in the Philippines, has signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball at Georgia Tech, head coach Paul Hewitt announced.

Parks, who played high school basketball in the Memphis area until this year, is spending his senior year in the …

Continue reading Georgia Tech signs Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of Phillipines »

DeMarco Robinson, who established a state record for receiving yards in a single season, committed to Kentucky on Wednesday.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound wide receiver from DeKalb’s M.L. King High School had 10 catches for 246 yards and five touchdowns in a losing effort to Colquitt County (48-47) this past weekend. That performance gave Robinson Robinson 1,655 yards and 27 touchdowns on 73 receptions this season. That broke the record of 1,647 set by Calhoun’s Da’Rick Rogers’ at Calhoun last season. Robinson’s record came in 12 games while Rogers’ total was in 15.

Robinson chose the Wildcats over Minnesota, Marshall and Louisville. However, Georgia had been showing a great deal of interest of late.

In fact, there was some confusion the weekend before last over whether the Bulldogs had actually offered a scholarship to Robinson, who said they’d always been his favorite team. Last week, Robinson learned UGA had not stepped up with an actual offer, but actually had him atop a …

Continue reading Record-setting WR DeMarco Robinson commits to Kentucky »

THE TEN AT 10:

1. Justin Scott-Wesley, who has been committed to Georgia since May, measured the strength of that commitment this week at “about 50 percent.” The reduction came after the Mitchell County wide receiver took an official visit to Louisville this past weekend. Scott-Wesley said he thoroughly enjoyed the trip, which included him having dinner with head coach Charlie Strong Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning.

“I enjoyed myself,” said Scott (6-1, 210), who set the state record in the 100-meter dash at 10.35 seconds the day he committed to UGA last spring. “I just liked the overall city, being such a big city and me being from a small town. And I was impressed with the football program. It was a fun trip.”

It’s not likely to be Scott-Wesley’s last trip outside Georgia. He’s officially looking around.  “I’m kind of considering other schools right now,” said Scott-Wesley, who landed a new offer from Miami just Monday night.

Scott-Wesley has often expressed …

Continue reading Ten@10: Justin Scott-Wesley’s commitment to UGA shaky »

Georgia Tech landed its 15th commitment of the Class of 2011 over the weekend and, in the process, landed one of the fastest players in the state.

Broderick Snoddy, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound fullback from Carrollton, committed to the Yellow Jackets after visiting the school for the second weekend in a row.

“I just liked it down there,” said Snoddy, whose No. 4-ranked and undefeated Carrollton team will take on Cairo in the Class AAA quarterfinals this Friday. “It was hard to turn down Georgia Tech. You know it’s one of the best schools as far as academics and education. Then they have a great football program that competes for championships. And their fans show them a lot of love.”

In Snoddy, the Yellow Jackets are getting one of the fastest players in Georgia. He won Class AAA state championships in both the 100-meter (10.76 seconds)  and 200-meter (21.91) dashes. Snoddy said Tech plans to play him at A-back and kick returner. He has rushed for 1,200 yards and 18 touchdowns for …

Continue reading Georgia Tech lands 15th commitment in Carrollton speedster Broderick Snoddy »

Strike Ray Drew from Georgia’s list of potential recruiting visitors for Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech. Go ahead and strike him from Florida State’s list and Alabama’s as well.

The AJC Super 11 defensive end and 5-star prospect is not going to visit anywhere on this upcoming final weekend of the college football season. Instead he’s going to join his Thomas County Central teammates in a home basketball game against rival Valdosta.

“Even if I didn’t have a basketball game I can’t absolutely say I would have gone [to Georgia],” Drew said Sunday night. “I also wanted to go to Florida-Florida State and Auburn-Alabama. It would have been a hard choice anyway. But I need to be there for my team on Saturday.”

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Drew starts at power forward for the Yellow Jackets. He joined the basketball team the Monday after the football season ended with a 15-0 loss to Dutchtown and led them in scoring the next night with 24 points.

“I love basketball,”Drew said. “I …

Continue reading 5-star DE Ray Drew won’t be among visitors at Tech-Georgia game »

CHANNEL 2 SPORTS ZONE GAME OF THE WEEK: GRAYSON AT N. GWINNETT

Like another quarterback already playing on the Plains, Auburn commitment C.J. Uzomah has proven hard to bring down for North Gwinnett's opponents. (Photo reprinted with permission by Brian Kamer/thewinningshots.com)

It’s a marriage made in football heaven: Bob Sphire, a mad scientist of an offensive coach, and C.J. Uzomah, a Frankenstein of a quarterback.

They have come together in Suwanee at North Gwinnett High School and there they have terrorized opposing defenses for the better part of two seasons. Tonight, Sphire will unleash his offensive monstrosity against Grayson in the second round of the Class AAAAA playoffs. The 7:30 p.m. game will be televised as the Channel 2 Sports Zone Friday Game of the Week (live on Charter 126/Comcast 248; 1 a.m. replay on WSB Ch. 2).

Make no mistake about it: North Gwinnett (11-0) has been good every year since Sphire has been at the controls (57-8 in five seasons). But while …

Continue reading QB C.J. Uzomah gives North Gwinnett, Auburn lots of options »

Carver-Columbus teammates Gabe Wright (L) and Isaiah Crowell, wearing the Alabama cap in question, enjoyed their visit to Auburn last Saturday. (Photo reprinted with permission from AuburnUndercover.com)

Isaiah Crowell’s choice of headwear at the Auburn-Georgia game last Saturday has created a mild controversy in Internet fan forums and chatrooms this week.

The five-star running back from Columbus wore a black Alabama cap to the game, which he attended as an invited guest of the Tigers. A picture of Crowell and teammate Gabe Wright sitting in the stands during the contest brought attention to it.

Some Auburn fans took offense that Crowell would have the gall to wear Alabama apparel as an invited guest to a game on the Plains. Bama fans are certain it means he’s a lock to end up in Tuscaloosa. Georgia fans worry it means they’ve lost ground.

But Crowell said it never occurred to him that it might bother anybody.

“It was no disrespect to anybody,” Crowell said Thursday. “It …

Continue reading Isaiah Crowell’s choice of cap at Auburn game creates controversy »