Creekside head coach Olten Downs was hired as a quality control assistant on the University of Georgia's football staff. Downs came to Creekside in 2013 and led the team to a 15-0 season

Photo by Craig Sager II

en route to the program's first state title. As a player, Downs graduated from Shaw High School in 2002 and was a member of their 2000 state championship team. 

Downs is the younger brother of former NFL player Gary Downs, who also took a college job this year at East Tennessee State. Gary Downs was the head coach at Riverside Military in Gainesville.

 

"We all just want to have aspirations to be a college coach," Olten Downs told the Athens Banner-Herald, the first to report Downs' hiring. "To get on this level, you have to be able to do this internship type job to learn how the process works."

 

 

Marietta's boys and girls continued their hot starts to 2015 with victories on Monday. The girls (5-1) cruised past Osborne 10-1 on the strength of five goals by Ashton Adams. Kennedy Folse notched a hat-trick as well, while the Blue Devils also saw Gracie Mutimer and Brooke Adams find the back of the net. On the boys' side, Marietta (6-1) trumped Creekview 3-0. C.J. Gidson, Walter Guerrero and Andrew Estrada scored goals in support of the shutout by goalkeeper Diego Corvalen.

 Another incredible individual performance came from Greater Atlanta Christian's Kaylann Boyd, who scored six goals in a 10-0 whitewash of Berkmar on Monday. Halle Huff provided the Spartans' four other goals. Greater Atlanta Christian's girls, who also beat Stratford Academy 8-1 last Thursday, are 4-2 on the season. They have dates next week with Pace Academy and Lovett. The boys lost to Stratford Academy 2-1 and will look to get back on track against Berkmar on Wednesday and Thomasville on Friday prior to next week's matchups with Pace Academy and Lovett.

 In Class A, Providence Christian and Mt. Paran Christian squared off on Monday. The Providence Christian girls pulled out a 3-2 victory thanks to a pair of goals by Ashlee Thompso and one goal plus one assist from Anna Bougas. It was a different story in the boys' match, as Mt. Paran Christian rolled 5-0. Jake Mezei found the back of the net four times and Jackson McLarty added a goal for the Eagles. 

 Another head-to-head split came in a blockbuster showdown between powerhouse programs St. Pius X and Westminster last Wednesday. The St. Pius X boys cruised to a 3-0 shutout, but Westminster's girls won 3-1. Both teams at St. Pius X will go up against Starr's Mill on Wednesday and Hillgrove on Friday. 

 One of the biggest surprises developed last Friday when Houston County's boys went on the road to stun McIntosh 3-0. McIntosh had been 52-0-1 in its last 53 outings, a stretch that included an 8-1 blowout of Houston County in the 2014 Class AAAAA championship. The Chiefs will hope to get back on track with a tough test against Northgate on Friday.

 

SEE LEFT PANEL FOR RANKINGS