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WRESTLING, HOOPS SCHEDULE CHANGES

Go to ScoreATL.com throughout the day to keep up with breaking announcements of time changes for basketball region tournaments and this weekend's championship wrestling meet. 
 

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In This Issue
Trivia
Girls Hoops Rankings
A-AAA Wrestling Preview
5-A All-Region Team
Diamond DeShields
Lacrosse Showdown
Falcons Cheer Tryouts
Score Poll
Top Stories
Trivia
Question: 
To what school is Woodward star wrestler Chandler Pyke committed?
 
Today's answer can  
be found in the newsletter!

 

Tuesday's answer:
GAC girls hoops handed Wesleyan its first loss since December last week.



GIRLS HOOPS RANKINGS
 

Class AAAAAA

1. McEachern

2. Parkview

3. Archer

4. Mountain View

5. Hillgrove

6. North Forsyth

7. Westlake

8. Brunswick

9. Norcross

10. Hughes

 

Class AAAAA

1. Southwest-DeKalb

2. Salem

3. Tucker

4. Forest Park

5. Drew

6. Stephenson

7. Hiram

8. Osborne

9. Effingham County

10. Greenbrier

 

Class AAAA

1. Redan

2. Cross Creek

3. Columbia

4. Columbus

5. Fayette County

6. South Effingham

7. Monroe-Albany

8. Chestatee

9. Carrollton

10. Mary Persons

 

Class AAA

1. Washington County

2. Buford

3. St. Pius X

4. Tattnall County

5. Beach

6. Dodge County

7. Morgan County

8. Central-Carroll

9. North Oconee

10. Franklin County

 

Class AA

1. Kendrick

2. Greater Atlanta Christian

3. Wesleyan

4. Laney

5. Pelham

6. Armuchee

7. Bleckley County

8. Putnam County

9. Calhoun

10. Vidalia

 

Class A

1. Holy Innocents'

2. Southwest Atlanta Christian

3. St. Francis

4. George Walton Academy

5. Randolph-Clay

6. Darlington

7. Claxton

8. Calvary Day

9. Paideia

10. Gordon Lee





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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

CLASS A-AAA WRESTLING PREVIEW
By Craig Sager II
Teams with more qualifiers have distinct edge in traditional championships

 

 

In the traditional state wrestling tournament, the more wrestlers, the better for each team. Unlike the duals, in which each team brings its entire squad, only state qualifiers are eligible to represent their programs. 

 

Class AAA ...

Buford made history by capturing its first wrestling state title this season with a 44-23 win over region-rival Banks County in the duals state championship. The Wolves' mission now is to hoist the traditional state title and become the first team since Gilmer in 2011 to complete the season sweep in Class AAA. Buford brought four wrestlers to the state championship last year and walked away with three individual state champions and a top three finish from then-sophomore Darius Bunch at 106 pounds. 

 

The Wolves doubled their state qualifiers this season with eight state participants. Bunch, the three individual state champions (Jack Barber, Brayden Hartley, Chip Ness) and newcomers Trent Ferguson, Rudy Guillen, Eli Hartley and Justin Loredo round out the grapplers that have put Buford wrestling on the top of Class AAA this season.

 

Buford's strength is in the lower weight classes, and its early 22-0 lead over Banks County in the duals state title is evident of its prowess. Banks County placed third in the traditional championships last season above Buford's fourth-place finish and brings seven wrestlers to the state tournament this year, including 2013 individual state champion Chris McCrackin (106). The sophomore was the top qualifier in sectionals this year at 113 pounds and will face a field that includes Grady Pastor of defending Class AAA traditional state champion Woodward Academy. Pastor wrestled McCrackin in the 106-pound class last season and lost by fall in the opening round. Pastor matched up with Buford's Bunch in the loser's bracket and lost by fall in route to a fifth place finish. Bunch will be classed up at 120 pounds this year and Pastor could see McCrackin for a second straight year. 

 

Chandler Pyke is Woodward Academy's lone defending individual state champion back at state and the senior will wrestle at 152 pounds this year after winning the state title in the 132-pound class as a junior. Pyke also won an individual state title at 126 pounds his sophomore year. The N.C. State-commit has posted at least 70 wins in all four of his varsity seasons and just broke his older brother Chad Pyke's career pins record at 58 during sectionals last week.

 

Class AA ... 

There is no other school in Georgia more dominant in a sport or more decorated in state titles than the Jefferson Dragons have been on the mats. Jefferson has swept state titles the past 12 seasons and took a 45-18 victory over Bremen in this year's duals finals to set the stage for consecutive sweep No. 13. The Dragons qualified 12 wrestlers for state last season and will bring 11 wrestlers to the championships this year. Chase Piperato won the state title at 106 pounds as sophomore last season and enters this year in the 126-pound class. Tyler Marinelli grabbed the state championship at 138 pounds and returns to the same weight class this year. Tanner Thurman, Jack Dollar and Zack Rhymer were each top three finishers last season and junior Tradd Porter placed sixth. Thurman reenters at 138 pounds and Dollar remains at 145 pounds. Rhymer made the leap from the 160- to 170-pound class this season and Porter moved up from 170 to 182 pounds. 

 

Bremen will be Jefferson's top competition and the Blue Devils match Jefferson with 11 grapplers in this year's tournament. Three wrestlers brought Bremen individual state titles last year, but junior Brock Cooper is the only defending champ returning. Cooper won the state title at 132 pounds last year and will wrestle in the 138 class this year with a 49-4 season record. 

 

Class A ...

Gordon Lee captured the 2012-13 traditional title, but the Trojans' bid for a repeat could be spoiled by Commerce, who won the Class A duals state title earlier this season. Commerce topped Athens Christian, which upset Gordon Lee 48-18 in the finals and will have 13 wrestlers in the state tournament compared to Gordon Lee's 12 wrestlers. Commerce has been gaining momentum all season and it showed at sectionals, where the Tigers dominated. Ten wrestlers reached the finals and six of the ten wrestlers won the sectionals and earned a top seed in the state tournament. 

 

"It was a great day for Commerce wrestling," Tigers coach Kendall Love told Access North Georgia after sectionals. "Ten wrestlers in the finals sets things up for a good shot at a team title next weekend."

 

Commerce has seemingly burst onto the scene in Class A this year, but there is a lot of experience and depth that complements the confidence the Tigers are showing at the right time. Four individual state top 4 finishers from last season are back in the state tournament, including defending 220-pound state champion Chance McClure. Commerce finished third in state last season with 104 points in the traditional scoring behind Gordon Lee (187) and Holy Innocents' (171), but had only eight wrestlers (five less than this year). Three seniors won individual state titles for Holy Innocents' last season and the Golden Bears will rely on a new class of stars, including Liam Quigley, who finished second last season at 145 pounds as a freshman.   



REGION 5-A ALL-REGION TEAMS
SEND IN YOUR ALL-REGION TEAM AND WE WILL PUT IT IN THE NEWSLETTER!

2013-2014 All Region 5A Team (Girls)

 

Player of the Year - Lexii Cassell - HIES

 

Nieja Carawford - AIS

Sydney Spencer - ELCA

Arielle Holloway - Greenforest

Khayla Pointer - HIES

Chelsea Zoller - HIES

Joy Stucker - Landmark

Autumn Burnette - Mt. Vernon

Leah Banks - OLM

Evelyn Hobbs - Pace

Nia Smith - Paideia

Ellery Koelker - Wolfe - Paideia

Madison Fletcher - Strong Rock

 

Honorable Mention:

Ana Benheser (AIS), Amelia Cole (Galloway), Claire Thompson (Galloway), Julia Castanet (Galloway), Marley Richards (Galloway), Catie Wallace (ELCA), Abigail Rogers (ELCA), Parker Pinholster (ELCA), Theodora Odia (Greenforest), Lyndsey Whilby (Greenforest), Shai Blanding (HIES), Erika Cassell (HIES), Sydney Long (HIES), Aaliyah Milord (HIES), Rachel Morton (HIES), Abby Johns (Landmark), Diamond Smith (Landmark), Nyambi Williams (Landmark), Deja Barthell (OLM), Hannah Ferry (Pace), Lauren Hadley (Pace), Shivani Beal (Paideia), Alex Clark (Paideia), Alana Hodges (Paideia), Peyton Fuss (Strong Rock), Kendall Gregory (Strong Rock).

 

 

2013-2014 All Region 5A Team (Boys)

 

Player of the Year - Jared Harper - Mt. Vernon

 

Isaiah McLaughlin - ELCA

Roland Seim - Galloway

Justin Ravenel - Greenforest

John Ogwuche - Greenforest

Sam Asbury - HIES

Darryl Stewart - HIES

Jackson Schultz - Landmark

Eric Sparks - Mt. Vernon

Elijah Holifield - Pace

Armani Lashley - Pace

Jonathan Garrett - Paideia

Muhammed Hamilton - WD

 

Honorable Mention:

Matt Tankersley (ELCA), Antwaun Campbell (ELCA), Joshua Abrahams (ELCA), Josh Ledbetter (HIES), Zack Allen (Landmark), Austin Luckie (Landmark), Dylan Terrell (OLM), Albert Wilson (OLM), Stephen Stuart (Strong Rock), Nigel Blake (WD).



DIAMOND DESHIELDS
By Craig Sager II
Former Norcross star nets 30 at Duke

 

 

Diamond "Double-D" DeShields is having a remarkable freshman season at UNC and scored a career-high 30 points Monday night. The scoring outburst came in

Photo by Ty Freeman

DeShields' first trip to No. 3 ranked Duke's home court and resulted in a much-needed 89-78 win. The victory was UNC's first at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 2008 and more importantly was the turnaround needed from a three-game losing streak that DeShields and the Tar Heels faced heading into the final eight games of their regular season. DeShields became the first player to score 30 points against Duke since 2009 and joined the storied performances seen in the "Battle for Tobacco Road", while wearing Michael Jordan's No. 23 in her Carolina blue.

 

"I will never forget this," DeShields told ESPN's Mechelle Voepel following the game. "I'm so happy I got a chance to play here, and do it with my teammates and win here. I'm proud to be a part of the history that's come through Cameron Indoor."

 

DeShields won the Naismith award for most outstanding player in the nation during her senior year at Norcross (2013) and the 6-foot-1 guard has lived up to the hype and helped pace the Tar Heels to an 18-6 start this season. DeShields won three state titles during her time at Norcross and would continuously perfect her all-world skillset that included a lethal deep shot by her senior season with the Blue Devils.

 

DeShields' game-high 30 points came on 12-of-20 shooting and included a shooting clinic from beyond the arc with five made three-pointers. UNC will host Duke on Sunday, March 2 in the final game before the ACC tournament. The game tips off at 1 p.m. on ESPN and DeShields will be a star attraction.



LACROSSE SHOWDOWN
Centennial to host SEC rivals

 

An SEC showdown will take place at Centennial High School on Friday, February 21st at 7pm. The University of Georgia will be hosting the University of Alabama under the lights for the South Eastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) Men's Lacrosse game "under the lights."  

 

Defending Champions, The University of Georgia, is the pick to repeat in the South Eastern Lacrosse Conference Division I 2014 Preseason Poll. The game will feature many players who have played high school lacrosse across the greater Atlanta area. Tickets are $5 at the gate. Gates open at 6 p.m. Concessions will be available.


FALCONS CHEER NEWS
Auditions around the corner for Falcons squad

 

 

The 2014 Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders Auditions are April 27 and the first prep class is Feb. 22. For more information, click here.

 


SCORE POLL
 

 


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