The ESPYS, hosted by musician Justin Timberlake, were held last Sunday night and one Georgia sports team left the ceremony with their heads held high. The UnderArmour Undeniable Moment Award went to the little league team from Warner Robins for defeating Tokyo 3-2 in extra innings of the Little League World Series. More specifically, it was Dalton Carriker’s walk-off home run in the eighth inning that brought home the hardware. A special congratulations to all those involved.
Score Atlanta’s Glynn McGehee recently had time to catch up with Gary Stokan, the President of the Atlanta Sports Council. This year, the ASC will bring Georgia football fans a classic inter-conference showdown between Clemson and Alabama. And last week, the ASC finalized their 2009 plans to feature Virginia Tech in the Georgia Dome the first week of the season. According to Stokan, “[It is a game] everyone will talk about.” Stokan also mentioned how valuable a game it is for exposure and as a recruiting tool. As for Virginia Tech’s opponent, he says it remains undetermined, but hopes an SEC school will become a part of the action.
College football coaching legend and Fort Valley State great Doug Porter was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Porter, now 79, won 166 games at Mississippi Valley State, Howard University and Fort Valley State before calling it quits in 1997. When Porter arrived at FVSU, the school had no weight room, but in only one year, he brought the Wildcats a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title. In all, Porter led FVSU to six SIAC titles and two NCAA playoff appearances. He also served as the school’s athletic director for 16 years.
Some of the best amateur golfers in the nation will gather at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth on Monday, July 28. The Georgia tournament is just one part of a 20-course national tournament played throughout the summer at the PGA TOUR’s premier TPC courses. Those who win their qualifier will compete for the amateur Championship title on Oct. 25, at the home of the Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass. Recreational golfers of both genders with an established USGA handicap between 0 and 24 are eligible to compete in Monday’s qualifying tournament. To enter the tournament, or for more information, contact nvgolf@paragonmarketing.biz or visit www.naturevalleygolf.com.
SHIRLEY SHE DIDN’T
Margaret Shirley, a Roswell native, shot a 1-under 71 last week to capture the Yamaha Georgia Women’s Open. Shirley, an amateur golfer and recent graduate of Auburn University, also won the tournament in 2006. The Open is a 36-hole tournament and took place at Newnan’s Canongate at Summer Grove Golf Club. Overall, Shirley recorded a score of 143, only one stroke better than second-place finisher Laura Coble. Shirley needed just 10 putts in the final nine holes on her way to victory.
Mercer’s men’s basketball schedule was recently released, and boy is it a Bear (pun absolutely intended). In addition to getting Georgia Tech for the University’s homecoming, Mercer will be seen competing against the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Dayton and UCLA, which has made three consecutive trips to the Final Four. In December alone, the Bears will play road games in Los Angeles, Oklahoma and Iowa. In 2007, the team received national attention for defeating the University of Southern California, which at the time was ranked 18th in the nation. Here’s hoping they beat another national power this time around.
MOVING ON
Last week, the South Carolina Gamecocks reaped the benefits of Georgia’s fertile recruiting lands by earning verbal commitments from two local products. On the same day, the Steve Spurrier-led team convinced receivers DeAngelo Smith and DeMario Bennett to move their games to Columbia, S.C. Smith, a 6-foot, 174-pound athlete from Camden County, chose USC over offers from East Carolina and Indiana. As for Bennett, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Coffee product decided on the Gamecocks over the University of Arkansas. Both are two-star recruits according to Rivals.com.
Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
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