Newspaper Page Text
4B Sunday, November 11,2018
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
SPORTS
NFL Falcons at Browns, 1 p.mFOX
MARK TENALLYI Associated Press
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) fakes a handoff to running back Ito
Smith (25) during a against the Washington Redskins on Nov. 4 in Landover, Md.
Back on course
Flying again after 1-4 start, Falcons and
QB Matt Ryan set to take on Browns
AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
Cherokee Bluff’s Bosko Norman dribbles the ball during a
scrimmage against Johnson at Cherokee Bluff High School
on Thursday, Nov. 8, in Flowery Branch.
NFL
Saints place
WR Dez Bryant
on IR, promote
Kirkwood
Dez Bryant’s season is over
before it had even begun.
The New Orleans Saints
placed the newly acquired
Bryant on injured reserve Sat
urday, promoting receiver
Keith Kirkwood from the
practice squad to the active
roster before Sunday’s game at
Cincinnati.
Bryant was injured during
his second practice with New
Orleans on Friday. A person
familiar with the situation says
Bryant has a torn Achilles ten
don. The person spoke to The
Associated Press on condition
of anonymity Saturday because
the Saints have not announced
details of the veteran receiver’s
injury.
The 30-year-old Bryant
became a free agent in April
after eight seasons with Dallas.
He’d been looking for a new
team until signing with New
Orleans on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-3 Kirkwood is a
24-year-old undrafted rookie
out of Temple.
NBA
AP Source: Jimmy
Butler going
to 76ers from
Minnesota in trade
Jimmy Butler has his wish:
He’s out of Minnesota.
And just like that, Philadel
phia has a new Big Three — one
that could make serious noise in
the Eastern Conference.
A person with knowledge
of the situation said Saturday
that Butler is being traded to
the 76ers in a package that will
send Dario Saric and Robert
Covington to the Timberwolves.
The person spoke to The Asso
ciated Press on condition of
anonymity because the trade
had not yet been announced by
either team and was still pend
ing NBA approval, which is not
expected until Monday.
Justin Patton will also be
sent to Philadelphia, and Jer-
ryd Bayless and a 2022 second-
round pick are also going to
Minnesota, the person said.
The Athletic first reported
the agreement.
Philadelphia’s “Process” led
it to the second round of the
playoffs last season behind two
of the game’s youngest, bright
est stars in big man Joel Embiid
and point guard Ben Simmons.
Butler, an elite wing and out
standing defender, will join
them in a quest to rule the East
ern Conference now that LeB-
ron James has left that league
to join the Los Angeles Lakers
following eight straight trips to
the NBA Finals with Miami and
Cleveland.
The first order of business
will be making the trade offi
cial, something that could come
in time to get Butler in uni
form for a game at Miami on
Monday.
Associated Press
Associated Press
CLEVELAND - Qui
etly, steadily and with
little fanfare, the Atlanta
Falcons have gotten off
the ground.
They’re flying again —
under the radar.
Despite numerous
injuries at vital posi
tions, the Falcons have
shaken off a 1-4 start
and carry a three-game
winning streak into
today’s matchup with the
Browns (2-6-1). Cleveland
has changed coaches,
dropped four in a row
and is trying not to let
another season spiral
completely out of control.
The Falcons (4-4) are
coming off their best
performance this sea
son, a well-rounded 38-14
thrashing of the Wash
ington Redskins that has
pushed them back into
contention in the wild
card race. Atlanta coach
Dan Quinn said the key
to the team’s turnaround
has been persistence.
“The main thing for
us was the message to be
real consistent, to stay
the course,” Quinn said
this week. “Although
we got knocked down,
defensively especially
from the communica
tion standpoint, we had
to work hard to increase
on that. There might be
some new voices lead
ing the way. We just tried
to stay consistent with
the guys. Make sure that
we knew what we were
doing was right and we
had to do what we did
better.”
Nobody’s doing it bet
ter than Falcons quar
terback Matt Ryan, who
is playing like he did
as the league’s MVP in
2016. Ryan has thrown 19
touchdown passes, only
three interceptions, and
is completing 71 percent
of his passes. The 33-year-
old leads the NFL with
335.6 yards passing per
game, and he recently
went 213 attempts
between interceptions.
Matty Ice is on fire.
“He really is playing
well. He is executing
very well,” said Browns
interim coach and defen
sive coordinator Gregg
Williams. “You can see
the comfort zone that he
has with (Falcons offen
sive coordinator) Steve
(Sarkisian) in Year 2.
That usually is the way
that it is in our league.”
Last week, Ryan
passed for 350 yards and
four touchdowns, one to
star receiver Julio Jones,
who ended a 12-game
scoreless drought and fin
ished with seven catches
for 121 yards.
Cleveland’s defense
will get another stiff test
one week after dealing
with Kansas City’s high
flying aerial circus. Pat
rick Mahomes and the
Chiefs scored 34 in three
quarters before coast
ing through the final 15
minutes.
Williams knows Ryan’s
capabilities after facing
him twice a season while
he was defensive coor
dinator in New Orleans.
Back then, Williams
could take chances and
blitz a young Ryan. Those
tricks don’t work as well
on a savvy veteran.
“I look at it as an older
quarterback — you start
to get into the double
digit years, plus years
and stuff — the influence
of whoever is coordinat
ing him and whoever
is coaching him, he
is having some say in
some things and doing
some really, really good
things,” Williams said.
“He is very accurate. Our
work is going to be cut out
for us.”
BROWNS DOWN
Cleveland’s task of
stopping Ryan, Jones and
Co. got harder when start
ing linebacker Christian
Kirksey and cornerback
E.J. Gaines were lost to
season-ending injuries.
The Browns should
have rookie cornerback
Denzel Ward and safety/
corner Damarious Ran
dall back from injuries.
Randall may draw the
assignment of cover
ing Jones, who presents
problems with his size
and speed.
NEW RUNNING
BACK TANDEM
With Devonta Free
man on injured reserve
for at least six more
weeks, Atlanta’s distribu
tion of carries has been
unexpectedly balanced.
Tevin Coleman is start
ing, but rookie Ito Smith’s
role is expanding. Proof
came in last week’s win
when Coleman had 13
carries for 88 yards, and
Smith added 10 for 60
yards and a touchdown.
BLUFF
■ Continued from 1B
gotten better and better
each day.”
Once strangers, Wood’s
assortment of players —
three seniors, eight juniors
and two sophomores —
have developed a blossom
ing chemistry on-and-off the
court. It’s a ripe group that
appears more than ready
to tackle its inaugural bas
ketball season that begins
against Lanier Christian
Academy on Tuesday.
“That’s all part of the pro
cess, is getting a bunch of
personalities together and
getting to know one another,
developing those relation
ships and trying to mesh
it together,” said Wood, in
Year No. 25 of his coaching
career. “But it’s all a really
fun process to try to bring all
that together as well. ”
Wood seems to have that
procedure down pat.
The Bears’ first coach
said their focus this summer
has been on the fundamen
tals while implementing a
blueprint of what he envi
sions for the team’s identity:
An up-tempo, hustle-driven
brand of basketball that
helped Gainesville High
— Wood’s former team —
storm into the boys Class
6A title game last season.
Wood led Gainesville High
to a 114-33 record over the
last five seasons. He also has
five state semifinal appear
ances to his name, two each
with the North Hall boys and
Johnson girls in previous
stops.
Varsity experience may
be lacking on the team, but
Wood has been pleased with
the progress made over
the summer and during
the team’s first official two
weeks of practice.
“ (Coach Wood) just knows
the game of basketball very
well, and he just knows how
to teach the game, teaches
us where to be,” said
Weaver, who brings a com
bined two years of junior
varsity and varsity experi
ence to Cherokee Bluff. He
gives us very specific roles.
...Everyday, we just get bet
ter with that. But he’s not just
a good coach, he has a great
personality.”
On top of building chem
istry, it’s an opportunity for
players like Weaver and
Neville to see their roles
and minutes increase as
starters. The majority of
Neville’s production came
off the bench in his previous
two seasons with the Red
Elephants at Gainesville
High. But the 6-foot-2 Nev
ille’s resume in travel ball
clearly shows his potential
to be a viable contributor
for the Bears this season.
With his North Georgia Elite
AAU team, Neville averages
23.2 points and 2.3 assists per
game while making 55 per
cent of his shots.
Neville’s mother, Sonja,
teaches at Cherokee Bluff
and is also the director of
basketball operations for
the team.
“It’s a lot different from
my role last year, but it’s
cool having to learn to be
more of a leader instead of
just a role player,” he said.
“It’s just cool to be a bigger
part of the team and try to
help us win more.”
Experiencing a baptism
by fire against some stout
competition certainly adds
to that growth as well. The
Bears inhabit a top-heavy
Region 7-3A that includes
three programs ranked
inside the top-10 in some
preseason polls — reigning
Class 3A champion Greater
Atlanta Christian at No. 1,
No. 6 Dawson County and
No. 8 East Hall.
“When you play competi
tion like that, it’s just going
to make you better,” Wood
said. But for now, we’re just
focused on us and trying to
get better each day. “I think
the kids are excited to play
someone in a different color
jersey.”
While Neville under
stands success doesn’t come
overnight, he still feels they
have the team to turn heads
in Year 1.
“(Being a new program),
we’d like to use that as an
advantage,” he said. “We
have a chance to come
out and punch them in the
mouth early, and show them
what we got because we
have been working hard to
get to this moment. ”
TENNIS
Czechs lead defending champ
US 2-0 in Fed Cup final
Associated Press
PRAGUE — Barbora Strycova and Kat
erina Siniakova won their singles for the
Czech Republic to take a commanding 2-0
over the defending champion United States
in the Fed Cup final on Saturday.
Strycova rallied from a set down to
defeat Sofia Kenin 6-7 (5), 6-1,6-4.
Siniakova stretched the advantage by
dispatching Alison Riske 6-3, 7-6 (2) to
the delight of more than 14,000 fans at
Prague’s 02 Arena.
“It couldn’t be better,” Siniakova said.
“But it’s not finished yet and we need to
be ready for tomorrow. We need to stay
focused and I believe that we will win. ”
The Czechs are one win away from their
sixth title in eight years.
U.S. captain captain Kathy Rinaldi gave
credit to the Czech players but said, “I
really think we could have been up 2-0, too.
“ It was just a day of missed opportunities
in my opinion. Anything can happen in the
Fed Cup and tomorrow’s another day.”
To win, the 18-time champion U.S. would
have to become the first team to come
back from 2-0 down in the final.
In today’s reverse singles, Kenin will
go against Siniakova, and Riske will meet
Strycova.
In doubles, the last match of the final,
Riske and Danielle Collins are sched
uled to meet No. l-ranked pair Barbora
Krejcikova and Siniakova on the indoor
hard-court.
Siniakova broke Riske for 6-5 in the
second set but the 63rd -ranked American
forced a tiebreaker.
The Czech dominated it, converting the
second match point when Riske sent a
backhand wide.
“I was just enjoying the moment and
PETR DAVID JOSEK I Associated Press
Barbora Strycova reacts after scoring
a point against Sofia Kenin during their
match of the Fed Cup Final between
Czech Republic and the United States
on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Prague, Czech
Republic.
trying to play my game,” Siniakova said. “I
was enjoying the atmosphere and every
thing. It was amazing for me.”
“We can only be aggressive and go after
it tomorrow,” Riske said.
Riske is the only player on the U.S. team
who has previously played in the Fed Cup.
The Williams sisters, Sloane Stephens and
Madison Keys all withdrew.
RACE
■ Continued from 1B
including this year — a
week after a different No.
4 Ford was found to be
illegal following a victory.
This track was critical in
Harvick’s run to his first
title four years ago when
he had to win,
and did, at Phoe
nix to advance to
the championship
round.
A win isn’t
required today,
and Harvick needs
only to avoid any
on-track issues to
secure his ticket at
Homestead-Miami
Speedway.
Only a quiet Sunday
drive is not Harvick’s style.
He arrived in Phoenix
without his crew chief and
car chief, both suspended
for the final two races of
the season. The berth he’d
earned into the final four
by winning last week at
Texas had been stripped
away as punishment by
NASCAR. His team has
been branded a cheat.
The situation is less than
ideal, and Harvick is disin
terested in discussing the
penalty or the plight of his
race team. He’s instead
letting his performance
speak for itself.
He went out and won the
pole.
Then he was fastest
in both of Saturday’s
practices.
It’s quite clear Harvick
came to Arizona with
every intention of rolling
over the competition on
his way to Homestead. The
penalty is old news to him
and he’s not looking back.
“I show up and do the
best that I can,” Harvick
said. “The best thing that
shows up are results on the
race track. I drive and try
to do the best that I can and
we go from there.”
He’s one of
seven drivers rac
ing today for three
remaining spots
in the finale. Only
Joey Logano is
locked in — and it
is no coincidence
he’s the most
relaxed playoff
driver right now
— and all three of
Harvick’s teammates are
vying for slots. The penalty
issued Wednesday against
Harvick not only cost him
his automatic berth to
Homestead but the points
deduction left him only
three points above the
cutline.
Lurking right behind
him is teammate Kurt
Busch, who recognized
the opportunity Harvick’s
penalty opened for the last
driver to win the Cup title
in a Ford.
“This week with the pen
alty, it’s like we won two
stages without even firing
up the engine on our car,”
said Busch, champion in
2004 in the first year of
NASCAR’s playoff system.
“Now we’re equal and the
job now is to get stage one,
stage two and to see how
things pan out for the end
of the race.”
Harvick
NASCAR
XFINITY SERIES
Bell to race
for another
national
championship
Crashes in consecutive
weeks had backed Chris
topher Bell into a corner
that jeopardized his strong
rookie season in the Xfinity
Series.
But Bell thrives in must-
win moments, and Saturday
at ISM Raceway outside
of Phoenix was another
example of the young driver
delivering when everything
was on the line. Bell won —
the only result that would
have advanced him into
the championship round
— and will now race for a
second NASCAR national
championship.
Bell won the Truck Series
title last year, moved to the
Xfinity Series this season
in a Toyota from Joe Gibbs
Racing, and his victory Sat
urday was a series-high sev
enth of the season. Had he
not won, though, two weeks
of bad luck would have
wiped out his season.
“The pressure was on and
I am just one of those guys
who does really well in those
situations,” Bell said.
“Everything is on the
line and I am just thankful I
pulled through for my team.
These guys are the ones who
build the race cars that are
going to win, whether I am
driving them or not.”
Associated Press
