Newspaper Page Text
♦ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2906
2B
BEARS
From page iB
Houston County coach
Doug Johnson about this
year’s Hornet squad. “They
play very solid on defense
and offense. They don’t make
many mistakes.
“Offensively they run the I
(formation), their main run
ning back didn't play the last
two weeks, but he is sup
posed to be back this week.
He was hurt in the last game
of the regular season. He is
a good back. They throw the
ball and run it. I think they
like to set up the pass with
the run.
“Defensively they run a 4-3
and get in a 50 some. They
have a real big middle line
backer who makes a lot of
great plays. They have good
athletes at the corners. The
nose guard is a great play
er.”
So Roswell had a little
adversity to overcome in the
playoffs with a loss of a run
ning back. Johnson said the
Hornets got by with sopho
mores in the backfield to get
the two wins. But he added
that anytime a starter at a
position like this returns it
gets the whole team pumped
up for the next game.
Against an I formation, it
will be a change from what
Houston has seen so far in the
playoffs as Newnan and M.L.
King emphasized the shot
gun and spreading receivers
from sideline to sideline.
“We feel they are going
to run the football,” said
Johnson. “They are also a
different defense than what
we’ve seen. We saw a 5-3
against Newnan and a 50
against MLK. We’re not sure
what (Roswell) will try to
play on us.
“Most of us who have
gotten this far ... you can’t
throw in much new stuff. You
can tweak here and there,
but really we have to execute
what we do well. Defensively
we need to read our keys and
do a good job of being physi
cal. Our kids have accept
ed that. You dance we who
brought you. If you get in,
you have a chance at winning
some ball games. We’re tak
ing them one at a time. Our
focus is to get up there and
come back with a W”
The Bears will take an 8-
4 record to McEachern, but
the only mark that matters
now is 2-0 since the play
offs began. They scored more
points against M.L. King
than the Lions had given up
in their previous four games.
As for getting a shutout
itself, Johnson said Houston
made some coverage changes
to throw M.L. King off, but
also had another great game
from the defensive line.
“Our front got some pres
sure, and I think their quar
terback had not been under
pressure much this year,” he
said. “We got him throwing
quicker than he wanted to.
He threw an interception
DEMONS
From page iB
Norcross had a multitude
of formations including a
pro-I and twins-I, but added
the Devils move the ball best
when going three or four
wide.
“I think they want to
throw more than they run,”
he said. “I feel confident in
that our defense has played
well the last couple of weeks.
A team that throws the ball
as much as they do to the
people they throw it to,
odds are they will catch one
or two. We can’t let them
get many yards after the
catch.”
Norcross is unbeaten, but
the season can’t be described
like a steamroller. Take the
second-round win of the
playoffs against Grayson
that went two overtimes
with Norcross winning 27-
21. The first round also saw
a battle with Walton that
ended 17-10.
The Blue Devils had a
regular-season game with
Grayson they won 7-6, and
they had a region win against
Peachtree Ridge 6-3.
“They’re used to (the
close game),” said Way.
“Undoubtedly they know
how to win. They aren’t
going to be scared of us.”
In contrast, Warner
Robins won 40-14 in the first
.
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ENI/Gary Harmon
A Bear receiver and defender battle over a pass.
......
ENI Gary Harmon
Michael Thompson works on kicking.
early that leads us to a score,
then he made other throws I
thought were hurried, that if
he had waited the kid could
have come open.”
The running numbers for
Houston didn’t quite reach
the level of the Newnan
game (430 yards), but the
Bears had a 21-0 lead in the
first quarter, and Johnson
said that actually changed
their approach on offense.
“We run the ball a lot
anyway, but we probably
needed to throw some more
against them,” said Johnson.
“Having the big lead we felt
the best thing to do was run
the clock. They got nine to
10 guys up there when they
figured out we were going
to do that. They slowed us
down, and they had a good
round against Mundy’s Mill,
then had a performance at
Camden County, state cham
pions three years ago, that
had to stun everyone in
Wildcat land.
“It stunned us,” said Way.
“It’s probably the best we’ve
played all year in every phase
of the game. (Camden) made
some mistakes that gave us
a couple of turnovers early
in the game deep on their
end of the field. We were
able to convert them into
points. Scoring early gave us
a little confidence and also
I think put a little doubt in
their minds.
“It would be nice to play
good early again. We tend
to play a lot better when we
play well early. When we get
off to a sluggish start, we
don’t play as well.”
Way said he liked the
Demons’ chances as far as
slowing down the Camden
offense, and he believed
going in that defense was
Camden’s main strength.
“I didn’t think they would
be able to run up and down
the field on us, and they
couldn’t,” said Way. “I’m
surprised we were able to
move the ball so well against
them.”
That’s not a surprise since
offensive touchdowns have
been so rare for the Demons
in 2006.
But in Kingsland Warner
Robins started off with an
team. You don’t get to be 10-
1 unless you’ve beaten some
people.”
If Houston can rack up
yardage numbers against
Roswell, it will come down
to who is stronger at the line
of scrimmage. Johnson sees
that as an even battle, but
said the Bears will be ready
to take them on.
• The directions to John
McEachern’s stadium appear
on www .mceachernfoot
ball.com. On Interstate 75,
take the 1-285 bypass west
to Interstate 20. Go west on
1-20 to exit 44 and go north
on Thornton for 8.7 miles.
Turn right onto Richard
Sailors Parkway and go one
mile, then take a left on New
Macland Road for two miles
to the school.
81-yard scoring drive. The
two Wildcat turnovers fol
lowed, and the visitors scored
a second touchdown plus a
field goal to lead 17-0.
“I think it gave us at little
confidence,” said Way. “We
haven’t been explosive on
offense to say the least, but
we’ve been getting better. I
think in the last three games
we’ve improved a great deal,
and I hope we can continue
to improve (tonight).”
Warner Robins started the
second half with a drive that
ended in a field goal. The
final points came on a bizarre
situation where there was a
lateral pass knocked to the
ground. It was not a forward
pass, but Way said nobody
realized the ball was still live
for a few seconds.
“Finally one of our guys
figured it out,” he said.
“Everybody else kind of
stopped. We picked it up and
ran it in about 50 yards.”
As for a Most Valuable
Player so far, Way would
give that honor to sopho
more kicker David Clark. He
has nine field goals in the
last three games, and Way
said he gains more confi
dence with each make.
Some of those 3-point kicks
aren’t chip shots, either.
“It’s comforting to know
you can trot him out there
with a good shot to make it
from the 40-yard-line in,”
said Way.
SPORTS
Johnson named ACC's lop player
By ADAM VAN
BRIMMER
Morris News Service
Georgia Tech’s Calvin
Johnson won the first of
likely many postseason
awards Wednesday when
he was named the Atlantic
Coast Conference’s Player
of the Year.
Johnson received 66 of
80 first-place votes from
ACC media members for
the award. The junior wide
receiver was also named the
league’s offensive player of
the year.
Clemson defensive end
Gaines Adams was named
the defensive player of the
year.
Johnson, a metro Atlanta
native, is a sure All-
American and a finalist for
the Biletnikoff Award, given
to the nation’s top wide
receiver, and the Maxwell
and Walter Camp awards,
presented to the nation’s
top player.
Johnson led the ACC in
receiving this year with 59
catches for 889 yards and
13 touchdowns. His scor
ing catches are t the third
most of any player in the
country.
ACC PARITY FINE WITH
JACKETS: Many college foot
ball pundits are bemoan
ing the ACC’s quality of
play after poor seasons by
conference powerhouses
Florida State and Miami,
and a relatively down year
by Virginia Tech.
Georgia Tech coach Chan
Gailey and his players like
the parity, though. And
they urge the public to get
on board as well.
“I think people need to
get used to the teams going
to Jacksonville having one
or two, or even three losses
in some cases, because this
is such a balanced confer
ence,” Gailey said. “I think
everyone is working toward
that. We’ve seen a steady
climb since I’ve been in the
conference of teams get
ting better and better each
year.”
Even so, Florida State
won the Atlantic Division
SERSEY
From page iB
If a kid doesn’t grow up watching the
game, he or she won’t follow it as an adult.
The future is now bright boys.
Alas, the free enterprise system doesn’t
EAGLE
From page iB
pounds, Bill Walker, 125,
Heith Daniels, 140, Chaz
Malcom, 145, Jake Harris,
152, Hunter Hawkins, 160
and Dominique Lowe.
In the case of all, they
either won big or didn’t win
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with three conference loss
es last year.
The 2005 Coastal champ,
Virginia Tech, lost just two
ACC games its first two
years in the league.
For two other teams, let
alone Georgia Tech and
Wake Forest, to make it to
the title game id a shock.
ACC media members picked
the Yellow Jackets to fin
ish third in the Coastal
Division in a preseason
poll and projected Wake
Forest to come in last in
the Atlantic Division.
That public perception
needs to change, Yellow
Jacket wide receiver Calvin
Johnson said. Georgia Tech
and Wake Forest are both
veteran teams with talent
ed play makers.
“I guess people just
expected it to be Miami
and Virginia Tech to be in
the championship game,
but eventually everyone
else’s level of play is going
to catch up with theirs,”
Johnson said. “That’s what
you’re seeing this year. The
outcome of that is having
these two teams in the
championship game.”
Defensive tackle Joe
Anoai said Saturday’s game
“gives a new face to the
ACC.”
“Everyone looks at the
ACC and thinks of Florida
State, Miami and Virginia
Tech,” Anoai said. “Playing
in this game allows us to
show the type of program
we’re building around here.
The same can be said of
Wake Forest. It just goes to
show that this conference
isn’t just three deep.”
THE QB STRIKES BACK:
Georgia Tech’s Reggie
Ball put his horrific play
against Georgia behind
him immediately following
last Saturday’s 15-12 loss,
teammates said.
“When we were in the
locker room up in Athens,
he was already talking
about Jacksonville,” Anoai
said. “He’s one of our
top leaders. He’s a senior
leader for us and captain.
We believe in him, and we
know that he’s going to get
concern itself with the future. Like the
grasshopper in the fable, they don’t plan
for metaphorical (financial) winters.
That’s fine because it won’t be long and
we’ll be able to enjoy curling year round.
For some people, free association is a bad
thing, but it does fill up space.
at all. That’s because every
Eagle victory was by pin.
Northside wrestlers fell
in the 119-, 130-, 135-, 171-,
215- and 275-pound brack
ets.
Against Baldwin, winners
included Boyd, again, and
once again by pin. Dylan
Cunningham, getting his
shot at 112 pounds, also
(c) 2006 Bill Hinds. Dist by Universal Press Syndicate
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THE HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
the job done for us.”
The Georgia game was
the worst of Ball’s career,
at least statistically. He
completed 6 of 22 passes for
42 yards, committed three
turnovers and was sacked
four times.
Still, Ball received a vote
of confidence from Gailey a
day later.
Asked if he would con
sider replacing Ball should
he struggle against Wake
Forest, the coach said he
would stand by his four
year starting quarterback.
“He’s taken us this far,”
Gailey said in a Sunday
teleconference. “He’s the
guy who’s gotten us to
nine wins, gotten us to the
championship game.
“He’s a senior. You’re
going to give him that
opportunity.”
Red-shirt sophomore
Taylor Bennett is Ball’s
backup. He has played in
nine games, starting one
last year when Ball was out
with viral meningitis.
WEIRD WEEK FOR JACKETS:
Georgia Tech’s players are
accustomed to spending the
week after Thanksgiving
focusing on school work
and taking a break from
football before the start of
bowl practice.
Yet none of the Jackets
are complaining about the
ACC title game extending
the season a week.
“It’s a bit different
because usually this is a
week we’ve had off and this
is a week we’ve been able
to take advantage of and
rest,” Anoai said. “That’s
not the case this year, and
we’re very excited about
that.”
Saturday’s game marks
just the second time
since 1996 Georgia Tech
has played a game in the
week after Thanksgiving.
The Yellow Jackets played
Florida State on Dec. 1,
2001 in a game rescheduled
because of the Sept. 11 ter
rorist attacks.
Reach reporter Adam
Van Brimmer at adam.
vanbrimmer (wmorris.com,
or 404-589-8424.
won, but he didn’t get to
wrestle. Instead, he won
by forfeit. Daniels also won
again via a pin and Malcolm
emerged victory by a deci
sion.
Eagles wrestlers were
unable to take the following
weight classes: 119 pounds,
125, 130, 152, 160 189, 215,
275.
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