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SPORTS
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, THURSDAY, JAN. 2 - 8, 2020 • PAGE 10
Southwest DeKalb
alum was drafted in
the second round by
the Indianapolis Colts
with the 34th overall
pick.
Stephenson alum
Montez Sweat was
drafted 26th overall
by Washington in the
first round.
Tucker alum Duke
Shelley was drafted
by the Chicago Bears
in the sixth round
with the 205th overall
pick.
Three DeKalb alums drafted into NFL
Former DeKalb County high school football
players will now play at the highest level of football.
Three players from the county were drafted into
the National Football League April 25-29. Former
Stephenson Jaguar Montez Sweat was the first
DeKalb alum to have his name called in the draft.
The former Mississippi State defensive end was
drafted 26th overall by Washington in the first round.
Sweat, a 2014 graduate, finished his senior year at
Stephenson with 33 total tackles, six tackles for a loss
and one sack.
Southwest DeKalb High School 2015 graduate
Abdurrahman Ibn “Rock” Ya-Sin was drafted in
the second round by the Indianapolis Colts with the
34th overall pick. The defensive back was the Dekalb
County leader in interceptions (seven) his senior year.
He also accumulated 42 total tackles in his senior
year. Ya-Sin was a three-time region champion, three
time county champion and two-time state champion
wrestler at Southwest DeKalb. He played football
at Presbyterian College for three seasons before
transferring to Temple University in 2018.
Tucker High School alum YaQuis “Duke”
Shelley was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth
round with the 205th overall
pick. The 2015 graduate finished his senior year
at Tucker with 31 total tackles, nine pass breakups
and three interceptions. On offense, he rushed for 324
yards and scored three touchdowns.
At Kansas State, Shelley started 37 games at
corner back and tied for fourth in school history in
career interception-return touchdowns (2). He was
named a Second Team All-Big 12 performer by the
league’s coaches in 2018.
Chamblee boys, Marist girls
take home state tennis titles
Two more DeKalb County tennis teams were
crowned champions May 7.
Chamblee boys’ tennis team won the Class
AAAAA state title and Marist girls won the Class
AAAA state title.
Chamblee defeated Grady 3-0 at Piedmont
Park, and Marist beat North Oconee 3-2 on its home
tennis courts. Freshman Andrew Pietkiewicz gave
the Chamblee Bulldogs their first game point of the
match after beating Grady senior Josh Wolfe 2-0 (6-
2, 6-1) in No. 1 singles.
Sophomore Hap Howell gave Chamblee its
second point of the match with a 2-0 (6-2, 6-3) win
over Grady’s Jack Stegelman in No. 3 singles.
Senior Carter DiFonzo and freshman Bryce
Starks clinched the state title for Chamblee with
a 2-0 (6-2, 6-1) victory in No. 1 doubles. The win
gave Chamblee a sweep in the Class AAAAA state
championships as Chamblee girls won the state title
on May 4.
The state title was the second for Chamblee boys
in program history. Their first championship came in
1998. Marist’s state title win was its 22nd in program
history and first since 2014.
Marist was tied 1-1 with North Oconee before the
match was rained out on May 4.
Marist went up 1-0 after a victory in No. 2
doubles by senior Dylan Elledge and junior Katie
Gerrick. North Oconee tied the match before play
was suspended. The two
teams were tied 2-2 during the conclusion of the
match before freshman Anya Nelson clinched the
state title for Marist after a victory in No. 1 singles.
Dunwoody girls won their third track and field state title in program
history after winning the Class AAAAAA title. Photo provided by DeKalb
County School District Athletics Department
Dunwoody girls, St. Pius boys win
state track titles, break records
DeKalb County had more success at the state
track and field meet May 9-11.
Dunwoody girls won their third state title in
program history after winning the Class
AAAAAA title in Carrollton, and St. Pius X boys
won their second consecutive title and fifth overall
after winning the Class AAAA state title in Albany.
Dunwoody Lady Wildcats edged out Cambridge
50 points to 47.50 points to claim the title. They were
led by senior Jahvene Waldner, who medaled in
three events. She finished second in the 300-meter
hurdles and third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.68)
and high jump (5-04.00).
St. Pius X won the state title with 81 points,
beating runner-up Chapel Hill by nine points. Senior
Matthew Harris defended his 2018 title in the long
jump (23-06.50); he also won the 300-meter hurdles
(37.39) and finished second in the 110-meter hurdles
(14.31). Senior Tanner Duffin defended his 2018
state title in the discus throw with a throw of 187-01,
and he broke the state record in the shot put (66-
10.50).
In the boys Class AAAAA meet, Arabia
Mountain junior Jordan Barrow won gold in the
boys’ 200-meter dash (21.49).
St. Pius X girls bring home another
soccer state Championship
St. Pius X Golden Lions are back on top of the
soccer mountain after winning the girls’ Class AAAA
state title May 17 at Mercer University in Macon.
St. Pius defeated Flowery Branch 6-0 to win their
sixth state championship in seven years and ninth
in program history. Sophomore forward Renee
Lyles led the team with three goals. Lyles said her
contribution to the team’s victory feels great.
“I think we all worked really well together as a
team, and I’m happy to see all of our hard work pay
off,” she said.
Coach Sara Schmitt said the team played their
best game.
“We had a tough game [in the semifinals]; we
really didn’t play our best and I think today was
more about, ‘Hey, we can play better,”’ Schmitt said.
“So, we went out there, we kind of knew [Flowery
Branch’s] game plan and what they were going to do,
and we stuck to our game plan and just kept putting it
on them.”
Senior Helen Cherry gave St. Pius a 1-0 lead at
the 35-minute mark after a backward kick to the goal.
Lyles extended the lead to 2-0 before halftime at the
39-minute mark after she got past the goalie for a
goal.
In the second half, sophomore forward Clare
Gornowicz extended the Golden Lions’ lead to 3-0
after an assist on a comer kick. Two second-half
goals by Lyles gave St. Pius a 5-0 lead. Schmitt said
Lyles has been a great addition to the program.
More than 80 sign on National Signing Day
The long snapper position isn’t a highly recruited
position. However, long snappers do receive college
scholarship offers and Cedar Grove High School
long snapper Anton Cousins was one of several
SEE SPORTS YIR PAGE 11