Orlando’s Under Armour All-America Game, which in its second year is quickly becoming the top All-Star event for the nation’s finest high school football talent, is scheduled to take place on Jan. 4 and, when the rosters were announced last week, the State of Georgia’s presence was certainly felt. On the Black team, the Peach State is represented by six athletes, including Henry County receiver Jamal Patterson, Buford offensive lineman Dallas Lee, Northside-Warner Robins defensive lineman Abry Jones and linebacker Eric Fields, Lowndes defensive back Greg Reid, and Norcross defensive back Prince Kent. Georgia is also home to two of the Black team’s coaches, as Carver-Atlanta’s Darren Myles, Sr. will be in charge of the defensive backs while Henry County’s Mike Rozier will direct the defensive ends. The White team boasts three Georgia products, as Washington defensive back Branden Smith will join the Emanuel County Institute duo of Dexter Moody (linebacker) and Washaun Ealey (running back) on the sideline. Northside’s Conrad Nix will partner with ECI’s Milan Turner in the coaches’ huddle. With 18 selections on the two rosters combined, the Sunshine State will send more players to the game then any other. Texas will send the second-most with 13.
The college football bowl season is now upon us and the matchups for each game were determined on Sunday. Yellow Jacket fans will surely travel well to their team’s bowl, as it was announced that Tech will be staying home to take on the Tigers of LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31. On the Bulldog side of things, Georgia learned it will travel to Orlando for a Jan. 1 date with Michigan State. In other BCS news, USC will be going to the Rose Bowl for the fourth consecutive year, the fifth time in six years, and will defend its California dominance against Penn State. Cincinnati and Virginia Tech will collide on Jan. 1 in the Orange Bowl while Utah will try and outlast a physical Alabama squad in the Sugar Bowl. On Jan. 5, Ohio State will face Big 12 power Texas. Finally, in what looks to be a matchup for the ages, the Florida Gators will duke it out with the Oklahoma Sooners for national championship honors.
After a disappointing first season that saw the team go 4-30, the Atlanta Dream received a great opportunity to quickly improve its squad when it learned it would have the first selection in Monday’s Dispersal Draft. Following the league’s announcement that the Houston Comets will suspend operations for the 2009 season, a draft was immediately scheduled for the purpose of divvying up Comet players to the other WNBA teams. With the first selection, Atlanta drafted fifth-year forward Sancho Lyttle. Last season, Lyttle averaged 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in 27 games with Houston.
OLYMPIC CHARITY
On Friday, as part of “Make a Splash Day,” Olympians Cullen Jones, Eric Shanteau and Brooke Bennett spent the day teaching over 200 Atlanta-area children about the importance of water safety. The event, which was held in conjunction with the 2008 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming Short Course National Championships, featured a series of activities, including a free swim clinic as well as a meet-and-great session with the Olympians prior to the night’s final sessions.
Last week, Golf Digest released its list chronicling the nation’s top college golf programs. And, in impressive fashion, the Oglethorpe University men’s golf team finished atop the magazine’s Division III program rankings. The rankings were based on a number of factors, including academics, player growth and development, team-scoring average, coach and facilities. Oglethorpe also finished 79th overall in the rankings including all NCAA divisions, seven spots above the next Division III team, Methodist.
Atlanta Brave great and certain Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux officially announced his retirement Monday after an illustrious 23-year career. Maddux, 42, has spent time with four different teams in his career, though his best years no doubt came during his Atlanta tenure. Maddux will finish his career with a 355-227 record, good enough for eighth all-time in wins, 109 complete games and a 3.16 ERA. He is also one of only five pitchers to have at least 3,000 strikeouts and less than 1,000 walks, though Maddux is the only one of the bunch to have won 300 games.
Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
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