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6B ♦ TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2006 Stuckey pevels in Ctemson's status By Adam Van Brimmer Morris News Service PONTE VEDRA, Fla. - Clemson’s Chansi Stuckey revels in his team’s status as the popular choice to sup plant Florida State as the Atlantic Coast Conference favorite. The league’s preseason poll will be announced Monday during the ACC’s annual media days. Florida State will likely top it, as it has every year since joining the league in 1992. Yet Clemson is expected to get several first-place votes to beat out the Seminoles for the Atlantic Division title. “The shoe is on a different foot this year. Usually, we open the season trying to get to the top. We’re starting at the top this time,” Stuckey said. “Now we have to go out and prove it.” Stuckey is confident the Tigers are more than just the “flavor of the month” among ACC pundits. They return 16 starters from a team that won six of its last seven games last season and Finished with a No. 21 rank ing. Clemson’s off-season motto - “BCS summer” - sums up the Tigers’ deter mination. “You can’t live off the media and where they put you at,” Stuckey said. “When it comes to winning, you have to take care of that.” GEORGIATECITSANQAI HAPPIER AS TACKIER THAN TACKIEE: Joe Anoai possessed two attri- Tech's Johnson strikes a Heisman pose By Adam Van Brimmer Morris News Service PONTE VEDRA, Fla. - Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson struck the Heisman Trophy pose Sunday. Not literally, but verbally. The Yellow Jackets’ star wide receiver stiff-armed - Heisman-style ~ every question about his chances at Individual awards this season during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s annu al media days, even as his peers around the interview room anointed him as the best player in college foot ball. “I don’t really think about it,” the junior wide receiver said. “I just concentrate on doing what I can do to help the team out.” And that doesn’t include campaigning for the Heisman or any other award. Several hundred sportswriters and broad casters tried to prod the preseason All-American into doing so during a 90- minute interview session at the Sawgrass Marriott. Johnson just smiled, shrugged hi£ shoulders and pleaded humility. “I’m sitting across from Division offers outdoors workshop for women Special to the Journal SOCIAL CIRCLE - Women can learn and/ or improve upon their out door skills by attending the “Women in the Outdoors” workshop at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The Roswell Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and WRD are sponsoring this event. WITO provides hands-on, educational outdoor oppor tunities for women (age 14 or older) from all walks of life. These events are designed to be non-competi tive and fun for women of all ages, backgrounds, and TIRED OF STARING AT THE SAME FOUR WALLS? Enjoy the freedom, respect and independence of becoming an over-the-road driver at Schneider National. • Company-provided CDL framing for qualified candidates • $34,500-$67,500 (depending on experience) • Home Run program -17 weeks off yearly • SION-ON BONUS MAY APPLY Apply Online @ schneiderjobs.com Or caH 1-800-44-PfaOE (1-800-447-74331 'The shoe is on a different foot this year. Usually, we open the season trying to get to the top. we're starting at the top this time. Now we have to go out and prove it.' - Clemson player and former Northside standout Chansi Stuckey butes every youth football coach longs for in a player - size and speed. The Yellow Jackets’ 280- pound defensive tackle began his football career as a tailback, scoring 19 touch downs his first season of youth league. “I was the Reggie Bush of that league,” Anoai said. But Anoai is glad coaches eventually valued his girth more than his running abil ity. “I wouldn’t want to play running back now,” Anoai said. “Those guys get pounded. I wouldn’t want to run the ball.” Anoai loves tackling, though. The two-year starter will anchor Georgia Tech’s defense this sea son, assuming the leader ship role from last year’s seniors. Anoai had 6.5 tackles-for loss and three sacks last season despite a shoulder injury that forced him to play at what he estimated at 80 percent of his capa bilities. NO LOVE AMONG VIRGINIA SCHOOLS: Virginia Tech’s the best athlete in the nation, but you wouldn’t know it,” said Yellow Jacket defensive tackle Joe Anoai, who shared an interview table with Johnson. “But that’s Calvin. He’s been like that since the first day I met him.” Johnson’s been a star since that day too, earn ing ACC rookie of the year honors in 2004 and all- American status last year. He is a shoe-in to win the ACC’s preseason player of the year award when it is announced Monday and is on the cover of every con ference preview magazine at your local news stand. The attention is sure to build over the next six weeks leading into the Yellow Jackets’ season opener against Notre Dame. The game, to be shown on network television, will no doubt be billed as an early showdown of Heisman con tenders: Johnson and Irish quarterback Brady Quinn. “It’s nice to see and hear things like that, to get that respect,” Johnson said. The talk means noth ing beyond that, Johnson insists. He’s been dealing experience levels. The September WITO event in Mansfield will be held at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center-Conference Center. The cost of the workshop is $175, which covers lodg ing and all meals, instruc tional sessions, program materials, use of all equip ment, WITO T-shirt, mem bership in the NWTF, and a one-year subscription to the WITO magazine. Women who live nearby and would rather commute to the 3-day weekend event can register for a reduced rate of $125. Participants can pick six two-hour classes to attend % SCHNEIDER recent success dwarfs that of its in-state rival, Virginia. The Hokies have won 10 or more games five of the last seven seasons while the Cavaliers, despite her alded recruiting classes since A 1 Groh took over as coach in 2001, are 12-12 in ACC play over the last three years. Don’t expect Virginia’s players to give the rivals any credit, though. “Part of it is the schedule they play,” Cavalier corner back Marcus Hamilton said. “We could win that many games too if we padded our schedule.” Hamilton’s argument is hollow, at least when it came to last season. Virginia’s non-conference schedule included Western Michigan, Syracuse and Temple while Virginia Tech played Ohio, Marshall and Big East champion West Virginia. Virginia plays Pittsburgh, Wyoming, Western Michigan and East Carolina this sea son while the Hokies face Division I-AA Northeastern, Cincinnati, Southern Mississippi and Kent State. with hype and attention since the second game of his college career, when he caught three touchdown passes, including the game winner, in a 2004 upset of Clemson. He has yet to get caught up in his own celebrity and isn’t about to start this sea son, one filled with high expectations for the veteran Yellow Jackets. “I’m pretty sure our defense is going to have a good year,” Johnson said. “It’s all on our offense.” Johnson showed obvious excitement over the offen sive changes made by coor dinator Patrick Nix in the spring. Nix has taken over the play-calling duties from head coach Chan Gailey, and while Johnson refused to discuss specifics, he did share one aspect of the revamped offense. “Hopefully, I’ll get the ball more,” said Johnson, who averaged less than five catches a game his first two seasons. “As long as I improve my. stats every sea son, it’s all good. “Good for the team, I mean.” Of course he did. during the workshop. For more informa tion about the upcoming WITO event: Visit www. georgiawildlife.com, select “General Information” and then “Women in the Outdoors”. 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M ImH Jf 1 \ J ■ ttk. *X g wMr k I ■\ ; /j fIV/; ; ' B jflh lIH „.v '• V • ' J ENI/Gary Harmon Johnathan Thomas for the Warriors runs a fumble back for a touchdown while Mitchell Shed rick shows the Warriors are No.l in the team’s win over South Georgia Saturday in Macon. ' ■ W L T Pet. Home Road PF PFAvg. PA South Georgia Stars 3 1 0 .840 0-0-0 3-1-0 67 22.33 31 Gadsden Avengers 2 1 0 .667 2-1-0 0-0-0 66 22.00 47 International City Warriors 2 1 0 .667 1-0-0 1-1-0 35 14.00 27 Phenix City Falcons 1 1 0 .500 1-1-0 0-0-0 12 6.00 12 West Georgia Renegades 0 3 0 .000 0-2-0 0-1-0 10 3.33 53 WIN From page IB attempt to ensure some ease in gripping the ball.” “Disappointingly, with 18 seconds remaining in the half, and the Warriors in pos session on the Star’s 32-yard line, officials placed the game on hold for more than 30 minutes. The lightning and rain, however, refused to abate. Concerned for the players’ safety, officials suspended the game and cleared the field. The good news was late Sunday evening, SFL Commissioner, Mike Frazier, ruled that Saturday’s game will be recorded as a win for the Warriors. The game will not be replayed due to the fact that both team’s schedules do not permit adequate time for it to be replayed, explained Hamp. The Warriors and the Stars will meet again Sept. 2 in Americus. This week’s sparks will surely ignite some serious heat between them, ° v: Pit ** | V mei Ly. Southern Football League Standings American Division Hamp added. The Warriors take on the Phenix City (Ala.) Falcons Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lucas Field in Central City Park in Macon. A donation of $5 is suggested and children 8- and-under are admitted free. For more information on the International City SCHOOL BUS AND BUS DRIVERS Part Time Summer Work or Full Time delivering school buses from Georgia to all points in the U. 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