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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Which underdogs will make noise?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the better part of the season, all the polls and talk have been about the frontrunners. As the tournaments near, polls don’t matter — just the brackets. This is the time of year that the underdogs live for.
Will the favorites survive or will the underdogs come through?
The Marist boys have been playing in the shadows of the highly ranked girls team the last couple years. The War Eagles have been battle-tested in Region 6-AAAA while competing with Stone Mountain, Miller Grove, Tucker and a solid nonregion schedule. Saturday, Marist will try to hand Class AAA No. 3 Blessed Trinity its first loss.
Riverdale is starting to peak and having us believe it can make another final four run. Mundy’s Mill just knocked off previously unbeaten Savannah last week. They have the guns in seniors Todd Salter and LSU signee Dennis Harris, and Adam Smith might be the most poised freshman in the state.
Newnan is new to the rankings this week and could be a force in the south brackets with Russell Powell, a superb athlete at the point. Lack of height is probably the only negative about Benny Gibbs’ Pebblebrook squad. The Falcons are looking to make another run in the state playoffs.
Again Lovett has started the season slow after a deep playoff run from its football team. Wesleyan and Greater Atlanta Christian have overshadowed the Lions in their region, but they figure to make some noise in the tournament.
Post up: Who are the sleepers? Which teams that have been overshadowed this season will make some noise in the upcoming tournaments?
Georgia Sports Writers Association Poll — Girls
Class AAAAA
1. Mill Creek (10) 100 points
2. Stephenson 87
3. McEachern 73
4. Marietta 64
5. Douglass 60
6. Beach 52
7. Parkview 41
8. Mundy’s Mill 32
9. Berkmar 16
10. Etowah 13
Others receiving votes: Coffee, Morrow, Groves, Luella
Class AAAA
1. SW DeKalb (10) 100
2. Marist 90
3. Westlake 68
4. St. Pius 59
5. Greenbrier 49
6. Madison Co. 48
7. Americus-Sumter 42
8. Hillgrove 31
9. Rome 27
10. Mays 21
Others receiving votes: Cherokee, Jones Co.
Class AAA
1. Hephzibah (8) 98
2. Carrollton 86
3. Kendrick (2) 85
4. SW-Macon 69
5. Franklin Co. 48
6. East Hall 47
7. Sandy Creek 32
8. Gainesville 24
9. Mary Persons 16
10. Butler 15
Others receiving votes: Gilmer, Southside, Westminster
Class AA
1. Wesleyan (10) 100
2. Greater Atlanta Chr. 89
3. Randolph-Clay 80
4. Vidalia 65
5. Laney 52
6. Rutland and Coosa (tie) 47
8. Model and Buford (tie) 20
10. Paideia 18
Others receiving votes: Union Co.
Class A
1. Terrell Co. (9) 99
2. Landmark Chr. (1) 89
3. Sav. Country Day 78
4. Taylor Co. 68
5. Hancock Cent. 61
6. Towns Co. 48
7. Gordon Lee 33
8. Calvary Day 29
9. SW Atlanta Chr. 28
10. Trion 21
Others receiving votes: Seminole Co.
Georgia Sports Writers Association Poll — Boys
Class AAAAA
1. Norcross (9) 99
2. Wheeler (1) 91
3. Marietta 80
4. M.L. King 58
5. Centennial 52
6. Savannah 51
7. Harrison 49
8. Parkview 22
9. McEachern 20
10. Newnan
Others receiving votes: Douglass, Coffee, Mundy’s Mill, Johnson-Sav.
Class AAAA
1. Westlake (9) 99
2. Columbia (1) 91
3. Miller Grove 79
4. Rome 53
5. Tucker 50
6. Dacula and Stone Mountain (tie) 44
8. Pebblebrook 42
9. Lithia Springs 17
10. Fayette Co., Thomas Co. Cent. and Riverdale (tie) 8
Others receiving votes: Cherokee, Ridgeland
Class AAA
1. Jordan (9) 99
2. South Atlanta (1) 90
3. Blessed Trinity 79
4. Dunwoody 65
5. Glenn Hills 60
6. Cent.-Macon 36
7. Westover 34
8. East Hall 23
9. Liberty Co. 17
10. Sandy Creek 15
Others receiving votes: Northeast-Macon, Mary Persons, Dougherty, Franklin Co., Flowery Branch
Class AA
1. Randolph-Clay (9) 98
2. East Laurens (1) 84
3. Wesleyan 77
4. Greater Atlanta Chr. 71
5. Appling Co. 50
6. Fannin Co. 48
7. Josey 30
8. Lovett 29
9. Calhoun 20
10. Darlington 14
Others receiving votes: Decatur, Long Co., Avondale, Dublin
Class A
1. Wilkinson Co. (9) 99
2. Whitefield Acad. (1) 84
3. Hancock Cent. 81
4. Portal 64
5. Turner Co. 63
6. Terrell Co. 53
7. Atkinson Co. 29
8. SW Atlanta Chr. 16
9. Gordon Lee 15
10. Eagle’s Landing Chr. 14
Others receiving votes: Greenforest Chr., Athens Acad., Wilcox Co.
Post up: Now YOU rank the rankings. Who rightfully made the list, who should have made the list and who didn’t and got dissed?
Permalink | Comments (37) | Post your comment | Categories: Fastbreak
Take Todd’s Super 11 to task
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This week, the AJC’s Todd Holcomb offers an extra special Extra Point in advance of national signing day, Feb. 6.
It’s about a week before signing day, when all the attention will be on seniors, but I’m looking ahead. Who are the best juniors? This summer, we’ll be choosing our 24th annual Super 11 team. I decided to choose my own ahead of time.
I’m sure I’ll change my mind before then, probably a lot, but I wanted to get some names on computer before the hype of recruiting services and 4-star designations cloud my judgment. Your job is to tell me who I missed and where I went wrong. Here goes:
• QB Zach Mettenberger, Oconee County — I’ve never seen Mettenberger play, but I know that Georgia has offered him a scholarship and that he attends my old high school. Shouldn’t that count for something?
• QB/DB Rashard Smith, Dublin — Impressive all-around athlete. Was the AP’s defensive player of the year in Class AA. Now, he’s the leading scorer on his basketball team.
• QB Michael Tamburo, North Gwinnett — His friends call him Mikey. He lost out in a close vote to Brookwood’s Kenny Miles as Class AAAAA offensive player of the year in 2007. He can throw it.
• RB Washaun Ealey, ECI — He’s a lock. Ealey was the AJC’s first junior to be named the all-class player of the year, and he’s likely to break the state’s career touchdown record (105, held by Robert Toomer).
• WR Danny Madison, Westside-Macon — Made all-state as a junior. Is he the top WR in Georgia, or is it Sandy Creek’s Brandon Lane? HoCo’s Craig Presley and Newnan’s Alan Bonner also made all-state as juniors.
• OL Andre Harris, Lovejoy — Rivals rates him the top offensive lineman in Georgia. Is he better than Ware’s Jimmy Staten or Pepperell’s Michael Ozment? On linemen, it’s hard to ignore the stars because nobody really watches linemen.
• DT Abry Jones, Northside-Warner Robins — Recruiting services list him at 250. Northside lists him at 297. Who do we believe? I also hear good things about Buford’s Dallas Lee at this position. Is Lee be better than Jones? Or even Omar Hunter?
• LB/RB Jonathan Davis, Tucker — I like guys who are stars on both sides of the ball. Davis, Smith (above) and Greg Reid (below) are perhaps the state’s best at that.
• LB Jarvis Jones, Carver-Columbus — Might be another Super 11 lock. He’s highly regarded by recruitniks but also the top defender on a state championship team. He’s a big dude, too — 6-3, 205.
• LB Joel Kight, M.L. King — The Class AAAAA defensive player of the year as a junior. He sheds blocks and gets to the ball-carrier quicker than any linebacker I saw last season. Recruiting services seem to like Peachtree Ridge’s Kevin Minter ahead of Kight, Carver’s Jones and Tucker’s Davis.
• DB/RB Greg Reid, Lowndes — Best player on state’s best team last year. Well, Lowndes was the best team in Class AAAAA, anyway. (Thought I’d throw that in there for those who’d rather argue Northside vs. Lowndes instead of Super 11.)
Kick off the debate: Tell Todd which of his pre-Super 11 selections you like and which you’d change. Or just blog in complete agreement. You decide.
Permalink | Comments (69) | Post your comment | Categories: Extra Point
