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Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com
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gainesvilletimes.com
^ Sunday, November 25, 2018
MLS
JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press
Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez (7), left, Miguel Almiron
(10), and Julian Gressel (24) celebrate after Martinez
scored during a match against New York City Nov. 11 in
Atlanta.
Five Stripes to
meet Red Bulls
in Eastern final
BY PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
ATLANTA — This has
all the makings of an MLS
Cup final.
The New York Red Bulls
and Atlanta United are the
two best teams in Major
League Soccer. Their
battle for the Supporters’
Shield went down to the
final day of the regular sea
son . The Red Bulls totaled
the most points in league
history, with Atlanta right
behind.
“I think this is
exactly what MLS
wanted in the play
offs,” New York
goalkeeper Luis
Robles said.
Even if it does
fall one step ahead
of the champion
ship game.
These two pow
erhouses will meet in a
two-leg Eastern Confer
ence final, which begins
tonight before another
expected crowd of more
than 70,000 at Mercedes-
Benz Stadium. The second
game will be Thursday
night in Harrison, New
Jersey.
“The approach is what
it’s been all along,” said
Red Bulls coach Chris
Armas, who took over the
job at midseason when
Jesse Marsch left for a job
in Europe . “The last 10
games of the season felt
like playoff games. We
felt like we couldn’t slip
up. That’s what it feels like
now.”
The Red Bulls were
a charter member of
MLS when the league
was founded in 1996
Atlanta United
vs. New York
Red Bulls
When: Today, 5 p.m.
TV: ESPN
(known originally as the
MetroStars), and they’ve
been one of MLS’ most suc
cessful clubs.
But they’ve never won
an MLS Cup, coming clos
est to a title in 2008 when
they lost to Columbus
Crew in the final. Despite
winning the Sup
porters’ Shield for
the third time in
six years with 71
points, this team
knows that any
thing less than a
championship will
be viewed as a
failure.
“Yeah, it’s been
an amazing sea
son,” Armas said. “But
we’re 23 years going, and
there’s a cup out there we
want really bad.”
In just two seasons,
United has quickly
emerged as a league’s mar
quee franchise, featuring
two of the league’s most
dazzling players (Golden
Boot winner Josef Marti
nez and Miquel Almiron,
both MVP finalists) and
boasting some of the best
fan support of any club in
the world. Atlanta broke
its own attendance record
this season, averaging
more than 53,000 per game
at its dazzling, retractable-
roof home.
But even with all that
success, there’s something
missing.
■ Please see STRIPES, 2B
Robles
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Georgia Southern wins
big against Georgia State
ATLANTA — Shai Werts threw for two touchdowns
and ran for a third and Wesley Fields ran for 151 yards
and a score as Georgia Southern beat Georgia State for
just the second time, 35-14 in a Sun Belt regular season
finale on Saturday.
Georgia Southern rolled to a 28-0 lead through three
quarters to snap a streak of three-straight losses to the
Panthers.
Tyler Bass hit first-quarter field goals from 39- and
49-yards out and Darion Anderson pulled in a 38-yard
touchdown pass from Werts to take a 13-0 lead after a
quarter. Werts ran 18 yards for a score and Bass threw
to Deshon Cooper for a two-point conversion in the third
quarter and Werts hit Colby Ransom with a 58-yard touch
down pass.
Fields came into the game needing 141 rushing yards
to move into 10th place all-time for rushing yards by a
Georgia Southern senior. The Eagles did not turn the ball
over against Georgia State and set an FBS single-season
record with just five turnovers this season. The previous
record of eight was held by six teams, most recently tied
byLSU in 2017.
Georgia Southern (9-3,6-2) came into the game already
bowl eligible and picked up its ninth win in 12 starts under
first-year coach Chad Lunsford.
Associated Press
COLLEGE FOOTBALL I Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 21
Bulldogs keep rolling
JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press
Georgia center Lamont Gaillard (53) reacts as he carries the Governor’s Cup off the field after defeating Georgia Tech
45-21 Saturday in Athens.
Georgia takes out Georgia Tech for second straight year
BY PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
ATHENS — Bring on Alabama.
Jake Fromm threw a career-best
four touchdown passes, D’Andre
Swift ran for 105 yards and No. 5
Georgia romped into the Southeast
ern Conference championship game
with a 45-21 rout of Georgia Tech on
Saturday.
The Bulldogs (11-1, No. 5 CFP)
couldn’t afford a slip-up, not with
a rematch against the top-ranked
Crimson Tide looming next week in
Atlanta.
No worries.
“I was hoping we’d have another
chance to play them,” said line
backer D’Andre Walker, quickly
turning his attention to the
team that defeated Geor
gia in last season’s national
championship game. “I knew
we had a good team to get
back to this point and play
them again. Now we’ve got
to prepare like no other and
take on the challenge.”
The rivalry game known
as “Clean, Old-Fashioned
Hate” was over by halftime.
Georgia went to the locker room
with a 38-7 lead — which, in an inter
esting twist, was the score of last
year’s dominating victory over the
Yellow Jackets. The Bulldogs held a
343-66 edge in total yards, piling up
18 first downs to just four by Georgia
Tech (7-5).
Fromm threw a 5-yard touchdown
pass to Riley Ridley, a 12-yarder to
Jeremiah Holloman and a 44-yarder
to Mercole Hardman. Swift chipped
in with a 1-yard scoring
run, Elijah Holyfield had
an 8-yard TD and Rodrigo
Blankenship completed the
onslaught with a 25-yard
field goal on the final play of
the half.
Fromm wasn’t done yet.
On Georgia’s first series of
the second half, he hooked
up with Ridley again on a
4-yard scoring pass that prompted
many in the crowd of more than
92,000 to head for the exits on a cold,
damp day in Athens.
“We liked our matchups,” said
Fromm, who went 13 of 16
for 175 yards before giving
way to Justin Fields late in
the third quarter. “When
they were kind of playing
the off coverage, we hit
some underneath stuff and
let guys break tackles. Our
athletes, our guys, are really
good with the ball in their
hands, so let’s get it to them
quick and let those guys
make plays.”
Georgia came into the game deter
mined to avoid a repeat of Georgia
Tech’s last two visits to Sanford Sta
dium. In 2014, the Yellow Jackets
prevailed 30-24 in overtime. Two
years ago, they scored with less than
a minute remaining for a 28-27 upset.
Both times, they shredded the
famed hedges surrounding the field
during the celebration.
The greenery looked just fine after
Saturday’s final home game
of the year.
Now, it’s on to Atlanta to
face Alabama for the SEC
title and an expected spot in
the College Football Playoff.
Juanyeh Thomas provided
Georgia Tech’s only points
of the first half on a 100-yard
kickoff return. The triple
option offense, which came
into the game leading the nation in
rushing yards, finally reached the
end zone on Qua Searcy’s 3-yard
touchdown run midway through the
fourth quarter.
Georgia Tech finished with 128
yards rushing — not even close to its
354-yard season average.
“Nothing was really consistent,
so we couldn’t really get anything
going” said quarterback TaQuon
Marshall, who was held to 39 yards
on 20 carries.
THE TAKEAWAY
Georgia Tech: The growing talent
gap between the schools was on dis
play for the second year in a row. The
Yellow Jackets lost those games by
a combined margin of 83-28, which
is simply unacceptable for coach
Paul Johnson and athletic director
Todd Stansbury. “We missed a ton of
■ Please see GEORGIA, 3B
Walker
Fromm
HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD
North Hall wrestling wins at Archer
The defending Class 3A state champion North Hall wres
tling team won the Archer Invitational on Saturday at Archer
High School.
The Trojans topped the 15-team pool by scoring 241 points
to beat out defending Class 5A state champion Buford (193
points) and Class 6A runner up South Paulding (144.5 points).
North Hall got first-place finishes from Jacob Pedraza at
126 pounds, Mathew Glenn at 132 pounds and Logan Haw
thorne at 195 pounds. Second-place finishers included Daw
son Thompson at 106 pounds, Jack Whitmire at 138 pounds,
and Seth Carlton at 220 pounds.
Dalton Battle and Bowie Eisenberg finished third at 170
pounds and 285 pounds, respectively, while Cody Smith fin
ished fourth at 152 pounds. Hunter Adams managed a fifth-
place finish at 160 pounds, and Noah Hopkins, Hayden Cook
and Logan West finished seventh at 120,145 and 182 pounds.
Basketball
FLOWERY BRANCH GIRLS 62, DOUGLASS 53: The
Lady Falcons got 21 points from Ashley Locke as they moved
past Douglass on Saturday.
Caroline Wysocki contributed 17 points for Flowery
Branch, while Ashlee Scott scored 11 and Ashley Woodroffe
added 10.
The Lady Falcons will be back in action Thursday when
they take on Dawson County at home at 6 p.m.
BANKS COUNTY BOYS 83, STEPHENS COUNTY 78:
The Leopards rode a huge performance from junior Carl
Cleveland, who scored 45 points — eclipsing 1,000 points in
his high school career — to go along with 18 rebounds, five
assists and a block in the Banks County win.
Wes Ledford added 16 points and five rebounds, while
Clay Gosnell also reached double-digit scoring, putting in 11
points with four rebounds and three assists. Garrett Presley
scored seven and grabbed three boards, and Pierce Morgan
contributed three points with one rebound and two steals.
Dakota Orr scored one point and had seven rebounds for the
Leopards.
Banks County will play next on Friday at East Hall.
Compiled by Nathan Berg
