There won't be any pay raises for Georgia High School Association officials for the second year in a row.
The GHSA's executive committee recently voted to freeze the salaries of the 11-member staff of the state's governing body for high school athletics. The 2010-11 calendar year begins July 1.
"I think our staff does a great job, and the executive committee reassured us that our staff does a great job," said Ralph Swearngin, the GHSA's executive director.
"They just felt like it was a bad situation to give a raise while teachers are being furloughed and schools are having the financial problems that they are having."
How did Swearngin's co-workers take the news? "Everybody would like to have a little bit more money, but I think they understood what our school people are going through."
Basketball news
Southwest DeKalb coach Kathy Richey-Walton has been named head mentor for the 2010 USA Basketball Women's Youth Olympic Games team.
The inaugural Youth Olympics will feature a 3-on-3 basketball competition and be held Aug. 14-16 in Singapore. Richey-Walton has led the Southwest DeKalb girls to three consecutive Class AAAA state championships.
- Buford's Andraya Carter, along with the Norcross duo of Diamond DeShields and Kaela Davis, are trying out for the Youth Olympic basketball team in Colorado Springs next week.
Spring at Pace
How did spring football practice go at Pace Academy? It didn’t. The Atlanta private school passed on spring drills for football.
"The reality for us is that spring sports -- even without playoffs -- end only one week before AP Exams begin, so to ask our student-athletes to spend that time beginning another sport seems unrealistic to me," Pace coach Matt Hall said. "With the entire summer to get players in the weight room and to have the opportunity to work with specific athletes, I do not see the merit in a spring practice at this level."
Pace, which has around 170 male athletes taking classes, encourages its students to play multiple sports throughout the school year. There were six varsity sports for boys during the spring.
St. Pius defensivee back
St. Pius has one of Georgia's top cornerbacks in Geno Smith, a rising junior who holds an early scholarship offer from Auburn.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Smith is considered a “true cover corner” and an impact player on the St. Pius defense. Smith had 44 tackles, along with two interceptions and seven pass breakups, as he was rarely challenged by opposing quarterbacks. Smith also has early offers from Louisville and Virginia Tech.
St. Pius was 12-1 last season -- which tied for the most wins in a season in school history.
"If the [offensive and defensive line positions] come together and we find that guy who can take the fullback position, I believe we can make another run at the region championship," St. Pius coach Paul Standard said.
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