Norcross defensive end Lorenzo Carter and Cedartown running back Nick Chubb are on the Parade magazine All-American team.
The magazine’s Sunday issue, which is part of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Sunday edition, will feature its annual All-American football team that has featured 14 future Heisman Trophy winners, including Johnson County’s Herschel Walker in 1979.
Carter, who made Parade’s first team, led Norcross to its second consecutive Class AAAAAA championship. Chubb, listed as honorable mention, rushed for 2,690 yards, leading the state for the second consecutive season.
GHSA faces weather issues: Georgia basketball coaches and athletic directors will scramble the next several days to make up games lost to this week's winter storm, but GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin said the weather's effect on high school sports is not extraordinary, as it was for metro Atlanta traffic Tuesday.
“It’s a whole lot more problematic for teachers and students and obviously those who were caught in the mess,’’ said Swearngin, whose office remained closed Thursday, like many schools. “For us, it’s just like most (weather events that lead to postponements). The problem that we get into is that when we’re this close to the end of January, there aren’t that many dates left for makeup games.’’
For the rest of the regular season, Swearngin has waived the GHSA rule that normally prevents teams from competing more than once per week on weeknights before school days. Teams that canceled games Tuesday and Friday could face as many as four or five games during the next eight to 10 days. Some region tournaments begin as early as next weekend, but others not until the middle of the following week.
The sport that is most inconvenienced is wrestling. Two-day area tournaments that qualify wrestlers for the state championships were scheduled to begin Friday at 36 sites around the state. Those that have schools that are closed Friday will be postponed.
Swearngin said the tournaments that are postponed must be completed no later than Wednesday. The GHSA will allow wrestlers to weigh in at an extra pound under a national “growth allowance” rule that goes into effect when schools have missed regularly scheduled class days.
Osborne hires head coach: Osborne promoted linebackers coach Byron McCall to succeed Xarvia Smith, who resigned. McCall was the last head coach at Avondale before it closed after the 2010 season. Osborne, 2-8 all three seasons under Smith and no better than 3-7 for any season since 1994, moved up to AAAAAA for next season and will play a non-region schedule for the first time.
Several Georgia schools announced the hiring of football coaches in recent days. McIntosh County Academy hired Gary Mintier, formerly an assistant at Pierce County. Cook hired Chip Lindsey, who had led Irwin County to the Class A public-school semifinals. Bacon County hired former Cook coach Ken Cofer. Social Circle hired Monroe Area defensive coordinator Chad Estes. Toombs County hired Richmond Hill coach Lyman Guy.
USA Football picks 13 from Georgia: USA Football has selected 13 Georgia players to play in the International Bowl games against Canada on Feb. 7-8 in Arlington, Texas. Defensive backs Denzel Franklin of Pace Academy and Nick Ruffin of St. Pius will be part of the U.S. Under-19 National Team. Linebackers Tyler Sims of Duluth and Tanner Holcomb of South Paulding made the Under-18 National Team. Others selected were defensive back D.J. Brown of Landmark Christian (U-17); defensive back Merrick Sims of Westminster, defensive lineman Dandre Byrd of Pace Academy and defensive back Dorian Glover of Alpharetta (U-16); linebacker Devin Hart of Lovett, defensive back Taiyon Palmer of Dacula Middle, quarterback Caleb Pruitt of St. Pius, wide receiver Bryson Richardson (home school) and outside linebacker Chilton Tolliver of Richard Mull Middle (U-15).
