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SPORTS
Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com
Unties
gainesvilletimes.com
Monday, November 5, 2018
NFL I Falcons 38
Redskins 14
SUSAN WALSH I Associated Press
Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin
Coleman (26) breaks free from the pack
and runs for a touchdown during the first
half against the Washington Redskins on
Sunday in Landover, Maryland.
Offense
clicking
all day
Jones highlights big
play Falcons scoring
Associated Press
Julio Jones set his sights on the end
zone, twisted to break a tackle and lunged
toward the promised land.
A swarm of teammates rushed over from
the sideline, jumping around in jubilation
to celebrate the end of the star receiver’s
12-game touchdown drought.
Jones was back in the end zone where
he belongs, and the Atlanta Falcons looked
like the team they were predicted to be in a
38-14 blowout of the Washington Redskins
on Sunday that extended their winning
streak to three games.
“We’re a brother
hood,” said Jones, who
made seven receptions
for 121 yards and caught
his first TD pass since
Nov. 26,2017.
“We support one
another. If anybody
scores, I’m trying to be
the first one over there.
Nobody hates on each other on this team.
Everybody loves when other people go out
here and excel and make plays.”
The Falcons (4-4) made plenty of plays
in flexing their offensive muscles with the
kind of balanced attack they’ve lacked in
an injury-marred season that so far has
failed to live up to expectations. Matt Ryan
completed 26 of 38 passes for 350 yards
and four touchdowns, including the 35-yard
screen to Jones that set off a team-wide
celebration.
Even though losing four of its first five
games didn’t give Atlanta
much to celebrate, put
ting up 491 yards on
Washington has players
excited about their cur
rent position and what
more they can accom
plish this season.
“The start to the season
was not what we were
looking for, but we’re
halfway through it, we’re
4-4 and we’re in the mix,” said Ryan, who
had touchdown passes of 39 and 10 yards
to running back Tevin Coleman and a
40-yarder to rookie receiver Calvin Ridley.
“The good football teams that I’ve been a
part of in my career are the ones that have
gotten better as the year’s gone along. Half
way through, I think we’re a better football
■ Please see FALCONS, 3B
Ryan
Jones
BASKEBALL
Enjoying his pro journey
Gainesville High graduate Shaquan Cantrell plays during a 2018 game for the Nordlingen Giants in Germany.
For The Times
Gainesville High graduate Cantrell playing with Germany club
MARCUS ETIENNE
metienne@gainesvilletimes.com
Shaquan Cantrell has
already made history in a
short time playing pro basket
ball in Europe.
The Gainesville High gradu
ate and former University of
North Georgia standout put
up 53 points for the Nordlin
gen Giants on Oct. 13 in a 105-
61 win against Jahn Freising,
which was a new franchise
record for points in a game.
“It was pretty cool, I was
locked in,” Cantrell said. “It
is a moment I won’t forget, for
sure.
“It was my first 50-point
game of my career.”
Cantrell who set an NCAA-
era school record with the
most career points at North
Georgia (1,477) was very
pleased with his historic night
but was more pleased with the
win.
“I was also happy we won
the game, that’s what really
matters,” Cantrell said.
Once Cantrell arrived in
Germany, it wasn’t so much
hoops on his mind. He really
wanted to catch up on sleep
after a nine-hour flight and
six-hour time change.
“My first few days, I did not
want to do anything but sleep,”
Cantrell said.
Cantrell joined the team a
week after arriving in Ger
many, which came with the
territory of getting used to
being so far from home. Then
he joined his teammates for
conditioning. The former
Red Elephant said that the
conditioning was not too bad
since he was training back at
home before he flew out to
Germany.
“They’re all nice guys,”
Cantrell said. “They got me
out, they showed me around,
they invited me to get lunch
and play video games to get
out the house,”
Cantrell is also enjoying the
atmosphere of playing at the
professional level. He sees the
difference from when he was
playing at Memorial Hall and
at the Convocation Center for
North Georgia.
“The fans are pretty good,
they like basketball over
here,” Cantrell said. “They
(fans) are very supportive. It’s
pretty cool.
“It’s loud, they have drums
at the games that they beat
on, the fans are more engaged
than it was in college.”
Another thing the rookie
from Gainesville noticed is
that the physicality of the
game has change from college
to pro.
“It is way more physical out
here, the guys are bigger and
stronger than they were in col
lege, Cantrell said. “There is a
lot more contact.
“The refs don’t call too
many fouls over here. ”
The Gainesville High gradu
ate, who averaged 20 points
per game with the Red Ele
phants in 2013, is glad he made
the decision to go pro and is
glad he has the opportunity to
continue to do what he loves
to do.
“Just living a lifelong
dream, getting paid to play
basketball and having the
ability to play basketball after
college,” Cantrell said. “I get
the opportunity to play longer
than most people, because for
most people when their eligi
bility runs out in college, that’s
it.”
LEANER CHRISTAN ACADEMY GOES INTO PEYOFFS WITH WIN
For The Times
Lanier Christian Academy’s Tommy Wandrum carries the ball during its 41 -20 win against Covington Christian on Friday. With the win, the
Lightning finished the regular season at 6-4 and open the GICAA Division II state semifinal against Skipstone Academy on Nov. 9.
BRYAN W00LS0N I The Associated Press
Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield (13) stiff arms Kentucky
safety Mike Edwards (7) during the second half of Saturday’s
game in Lexington, Kentucky.
GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Running back duo key to success
Holyfield, Swift have Georgia back in the SEC title game
Associated Press
No. 5 Georgia is heading back to the
Southeastern Conference champion
ship game behind a new running back
tandem that has capably stepped in for
the dynamic duo that led the Bulldogs
to the national championship game last
year
The Bulldogs had to replace New
England Patriots first-round draft pick
Sony Michel and Cleveland Browns
second-round pick Nick Chubb , who
combined to run for 2,572 yards and 31
touchdowns a year ago.
But they still have D’Andre Swift
and Elijah Holyfield, who are pretty
darn good in their own right. Swift and
Holyfield ran for a combined 271 yards
Saturday as Georgia (8-1,6-1 SEC, No. 6
CFP) clinched its second straight SEC
East title with a 34-17 victory over Ken
tucky (No. 9 CFP), which entered the
weekend leading the nation in scoring
defense.
“I think our one-two punch is one of
the best in the country,” Swift said.
Swift and Holyfield helped set up an
SEC championship game showdown
with No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0, No. 1
CFP), a rematch of last year’s College
Football Playoff final that the Crimson
Tide won 26-23 in overtime.
Alabama clinched the SEC West
championship Saturday with a 29-0
victory at LSU , the same team that
trounced Georgia 36-16 last month. Ala
bama outrushed LSU 281-12 and is out-
scoring teams by 37.2 points per game.
“To be able to come in here and play
the way we played and have the suc
cess we had, I think it just gives us noth
ing but confidence going into the rest of
■ Please see GEORGIA, 2B
