Newspaper Page Text
SPORTS
Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com
Unties
gainesvilletimes.com
Sunday, December 2, 2018
NFL
GAIL BURTON I Associated Press
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks
for a receiver during a game against the Oakland
Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 25 in Baltimore.
Falcons to
prepare for 2
Ravens QBs
BY CHARLES ODUM
Associated Press
ATLANTA — The
Atlanta Falcons must
prepare for two quar
terbacks as they await
Sunday’s visit from the
Baltimore Ravens.
Of the two, rookie
Lamar Jackson is the
hot topic of the week
in the Falcons’ locker
room.
The Falcons, who
face Carolina and Cam
Newton in the NFC
South twice each sea
son, have prepared for
other mobile quarter
backs. Defensive tackle
Grady Jarrett
says Jackson
belongs in a dif
ferent category.
“I don’t feel
there’s a com
parison to what
we’ve seen in
terms of the
level of athlete
that he is,” Jar
rett said. “He’s
a guy who can play any
where, at any position,
on the offensive side of
the ball. I don’t think
there’s a comparison to
anybody in the league to
what he can do athleti
cally at the position of
quarterback.”
While the Ravens
await the return of long
time starter Joe Flacco
from a right hip injury,
Jackson has boosted the
team’s playoff hopes.
The former Louisville
standout and 2016 Heis-
man Trophy winner has
led Baltimore (6-5) to
l*
Quinn
Falcons
vs. Ravens
When: Today, 1 p.m.
TV: CBS
back-to-back wins over
Cincinnati and Oakland.
Jackson suddenly is the
team’s second-leading
rusher after leading the
Ravens to more than 400
total yards in each of the
two straight wins.
Even coach John
Harbaugh is stunned by
the impact of Jackson’s
unusual speed in games.
“We all are sports
fans, and ‘speed kills’
is what they say in any
sport, really, so it’s fun
to watch,” Har
baugh said.
“But, I do think
it’s always more
impressive to
see it live than
it is on tape,
sure.”
Jackson ran
for 117 yards
against the
Bengals and 71 in last
week’s 34-17 win over
the Raiders.
“It’s difficult to
simulate, because he
has such quickness
and speed, like a wide
receiver or a corner
has, but he’s behind cen
ter,” said Falcons coach
Dan Quinn.
The Falcons (4-7)
have seen their play
off hopes devastated
by their second three-
game losing streak of
the season.
■ Please see FALCONS, 4B
i
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Ga. Tech falls
to St.Johns
in Miami
BY TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press
COLLEGE FOOTBALL I SEC Championship
Tide stays perfect
JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) celebrates his touchdown against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference
championship game Saturday in Atlanta.
Jalen Hurts replaces injured Tua Tagovailoa to
lead Alabama to SEC Championship victory
BY PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
ATLANTA — In a dramatic twist on
last season’s national championship
game, Jalen Hurts came off the bench
to pass for one touchdown and run for
another in the fourth quarter,
rallying No. 1 Alabama to a
35-28 win over No. 4 Georgia
for the Southeastern Confer
ence title Saturday.
Heisman Trophy favorite
Tua Tagovailoa had to be
helped off the field with just
over 11 minutes remaining
after one of his own linemen
stepped on the quarterback’s
right ankle as he attempted to
throw.
Enter Hurts, who led Alabama to
the national title game as a freshman
but lost the starting job to Tagovailoa.
Hurts calmly guided the Crimson
Tide (13-0, No. 1 CFP) to a game-tying
touchdown with a 10-yard pass to Jerry
Jeudy, capping a 16-play, 80-yard drive
that consumed more than 7 minutes.
After Georgia (11-2, No. 4 CFP) was
stuffed on a fake punt near midfield,
Hurts took matters into his own hands
for the winning score. Spotting an
opening up the middle, he took off on
a 15-yard TD run with 1:04 remaining.
“All year, I’ve kind of been waiting
on my opportunity,” Hurts said. “My
opportunity came today. I worked so
hard this week with my team
mates. We found a way to get it
done today.”
This was a reversal of the
storyline from last season’s
national title game, when
Tagovailoa replaced an inef
fective Hurts at the start of the
second half with Alabama trail
ing Georgia 13-0. The replace
ment threw three touchdown
passes, including a 41-yarder in
overtime that gave the Tide a stunning
26-23 victory.
Tagovailoa won the starting job in
preseason practice and performed
brilliantly during the regular season,
throwing 36 touchdown passes with
only two interceptions.
The SEC title game took a different
path. Georgia put quite a beating on
Tagovailoa, who was picked off twice,
spent much of his spare time in the
medical tent and was largely ineffec
tive as the Bulldogs built a pair of two-
touchdown leads.
This time, it was Hurts who bailed
out the Crimson Tide. When he trot
ted off the field after the winning TD,
Tagovailoa was one of the first ones to
greet him on the sideline . Afterward,
they stood side-by-side on the podium
in the middle of the field while Ala
bama received its SEC championship
trophy.
Alabama coach Nick Saban summed
it up best: “Wow.”
Now, the Crimson Tide is headed
back to the College Football Playoff,
looking for its second straight national
title and the sixth of the last decade
under Saban.
“I know at Alabama, there’s always
an opportunity to win,” Hurts said. “We
worked so hard in the offseason —
blood, sweat and tears together. Today,
we found a way to get it done. I’m so
happy, so happy for everybody.”
Georgia can make a pretty good
case for the playoff, too, but the Bull
dogs will likely get left out. Big 12
■ Please see ALABAMA, 3B
Tagovailoa
HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD
Buford girls basketball wins 5th straight
MIAMI — Saturday marked the 28th anniver
sary of one of St. John’s coach Chris Mullin’s great
est NBA games: He didn’t miss a single shot in a
game at Miami, going a perfect 11 for 11 from the
field and 5 for 5 from the foul line to help Golden
State win.
Clearly, something about December 1, Mullin
and Miami just works.
Shamorie Ponds scored 37 points, including a
personal 9-0 run in the second half, and St. John’s
rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat Georgia
Tech 76-73 on Saturday in the HoopHall Miami
Invitational.
Mullin still remembers his perfect night in
Miami. He won’t forget Ponds’ effort on the Heat
floor anytime soon, either.
“He had a better game than me,” Mullin said.
High praise, and it was deserved as the Red
Storm (7-0) stayed unbeaten — extending their
■ Please see TECH, 2B
The Buford girls basketball team took
out Parkview on Saturday in a 54-46 deci
sion that sent the team to 5-0 to start the
year.
The Lady Wolves were led by Tate
Walters, who scored 18 points, and Pres
ton Reid, who chipped in 12.
Buford will play again next Saturday at
7:30 against Northview.
BANKS COUNTY BOYS 83, COLLINS
HILL 55: The Leopards got double-dou
bles from Carl Cleveland (32 points, 12
rebounds) and Wes Ledford (10 points, 14
rebounds) as Banks County dismantled
Collins Hill Saturday.
Pierce Martin added 11 points and
four boards for the Leopards.
BANKS COUNTY GIRLS 53, DAW
SON COUNTY 50: The Lady Tigers
fell into a 13-5 first-quarter hole that
the team could never climb out of as it
fell to Banks County on Saturday. Kay-
lee Sticker led Dawson County with 15
points, while Sophia D’Oliveira had nine
and Marlie Townley had eight.
The Lady Tigers will take on Fannin
County on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
JOHNSON BOYS 74, COMMERCE 52:
Wade Pearce and Jesse Harbin scored 19
points each as the Knights took the win
on the road.
Johnson will be back in action on Tues
day against Oglethorpe County.
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY BOYS 59,
WHITE COUNTY 43: Blake McIntyre
led the way for the Lions, scoring 20, and
Adam Cottrell had a 10 point, 10 rebound
double-double. Arturo Varela added
12 points.
The Lions are now 4-2 to start the year,
and will take on Tallulah Falls next Sat
urday at 7:30.
WRESTLING
The East Hall Varsity Wrestling team
finished in 5th place out of 26 teams at
the King of the Mountain Tournament in
Hiawassee on Saturday.
The Vikings got a second place finish
from Blake Nix at 170 pounds, a third-
place mark from Ramon Castillo at 195
pounds and a fourth-place result from
Luis Garcia at 132 pounds.
East Hall will be back in action on
Tuesday, Dec. 4 when it travels to take
on Hart County on the road.
Compiled by Nathan Berg
