SPORTS
Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com
Unties
gainesvilletimes.com
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS I Athlete of the week
An Adam of all trades
Photos by AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
Lakeview Academy’s Adam Cottrell makes contact with St. Francis’ CJ Riley when taking the ball to the basket during a game
at Lakeview Academy on Tuesday, Nov. 27, in Gainesville.
Lakeview s Cottrell shows off versatility in back-to-back wins
Lakeview Academy’s Adam Cottrell dribbles the ball with
St. Francis’ Dwan Odom close behind during the game at
Lakeview Academy on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
BY NATHAN BERG
nberg@gainesvilletimes.com
Lakeview Academy’s
Adam Cottrell may have
connected on seven 3-point-
ers and scored a team high
25 points in the Lions’ over
time victory over Rabun
Gap-Nacoochee last Friday
night, but his most impres
sive accomplishment from
the game won’t show up on
the stat sheets.
This year’s edition of
the Lions is not the tallest
bunch, and going into extra
time against the Eagles, the
6-foot-3 Cottrell found him
self going head to head for
the jump ball with Rabun Gap
early 7-foot-tall center.
“All of our guys have to
kind of chip in and do some
thing I guess a little bit out of
their comfort zone,” Cottrell
said.
“And for me, that’s the
jump ball.”
Cottrell won the tip — the
result of getting an early jump
on the ball, according to him
— and he proceeded to drill a
3 on the Lions first possession
of overtime, setting the tone
for the team’s 11-point advan
tage in the extra period.
If that’s not testament
enough to Cottrell’s versatil
ity, his blue collar, 10-point
and 10-rebound double-dou
ble in a win against White
County the very next day cer
tainly is.
“Like all my teammates,
every night, I just try to go out
and do whatever I need to do
to win,” he said.
“As a team player, I think
just doing whatever I can to
help the team on that night is
what I want to do.”
Cottrell’s ability to contrib
ute in multiple ways is why he
is this week’s Times Athlete
of the Week, but the senior
is no stranger to adaptability
over the course of his high
school career. According to
head coach Todd Cottrell,
Adam has had to do a little bit
of everything in his time with
the Lions.
He’s been the go-to scorer,
has come off the bench as a
sixth man and played all five
positions at some
point over the years.
Sometimes — like
on Friday — Cot
trell plays the role of
sharp shooter, knock
ing down 3s and pow
ering the offense to a
win. On other occa
sions — such as Sat
urday’s bout against
the Warriors — Cot
trell stays most active on the
boards, shooting sparingly
while focusing on defense.
He exemplifies the team-
first mentality that Todd Cot
trell said his entire group has
come to hold.
“There’s more to the game
than scoring,” the coach said.
“We’ve got a fantastic group
of young guys, and they’re
happy for each other. They
pull for each other. I think
that makes it easier for guys
just to make plays, regardless
of if it’s scoring or not.”
On Friday against Rabun
Gap, it was scoring for Adam
Cottrell. His frenzy
of 3-pointers played
a major role in play
ing to a draw through
regulation and even
tually taking the win
over the Eagles.
He said the burst
of shot-making was
a result of the Lions
offensive philosophy
this season.
“In our team, we do this
thing called ‘feed the fire,”’
he said.
“We have a lot of guys on
this team that can be hot on
any night. ... We just try to
feed the fire. We see a guy
knock in a few shots, we try
to get him the ball or at least a
touch early in the possession
until he misses a few.”
And while Cottrell was cer
tainly the hot hand Friday,
the fire was elsewhere the
following game.
Still, Cottrell found a way
to make his presence known,
grabbing 10 boards to help
the Lions win their second-
straight game.
“If your shot’s not falling,
maybe you lock down on
defense, or maybe you get
the rebounds or something
like that, be really vocal
on defense,” Cottrell said.
“I think that’s the cool part
about basketball. It’s not just
one part to the game. There’s
a lot of things you can do
to change the game on any
possession, so I think that’s
a really cool part about the
sport.”
Cottrell’s versatility even
follows him off the court,
where he’s student body pres
ident and near the top in GPA
and test scores according to
coach Cottrell.
Adam says organizational
skills and great teachers are
responsible for his success in
juggling basketball with his
academic endeavors. And as
for his athletic skills, Todd
Cottrell says Adam’s adapt
ability throughout his career
is what has made him the
player he is today.
“He’s extremely versatile,”
Todd said.
“He’s had to adjust roles
throughout his high school
career, and I think that’s
helped him, and he works
hard.”
Todd Cottrell
ATM\NTA FALCONS
JOHN AMIS I Associated Press
Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn
watches a play against the Baltimore Ravens
during the second half on Sunday, Dec. 2, in
Atlanta.
Quinn
scrambling
to find fixes
for Falcons
BY CHARLES ODUM
Associated Press
A four-game losing streak has taken the
Atlanta Falcons out of the playoff picture, leav
ing coach Dan Quinn with what he described as
the biggest challenge of his four seasons with
the team.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank reaffirmed his
support for Quinn following Sunday’s 26-16 loss
to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Falcons (4-8) already have matched the
most losses in any of Quinn’s first three seasons
as they prepare to visit Green Bay on Sunday.
Jobs could be on the line for players and assis
tant coaches in the final four games, but Quinn
said that’s nothing new.
“What I can say the focus right now is how
hard we can grind to get our football over this
last quarter exactly right,” Quinn said, refer
ring to the final four games.
“Then, postseason we will look at everything
together from personnel, players, coaches,
everything just like we do all the time. That
starts with me first.”
Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is
under pressure to find fixes for an offense that
has failed to reach 20 points in the four straight
losses. Defensive coordinator Marquand Man
uel’s unit ranks near the bot
tom against the run and pass.
Quinn’s 2015 team finished
8-8, one year before Atlanta
made a surprising run to the
Super Bowl and then returned
to the playoff last season.
Quinn said he has chal
lenged his team to improve its
turnover ratio and stagnant
running game. He also said
he’s looking for better effort
from players.
“What I’d like to see is
strong, relentless effort, both
on and off the field,” he said.
“What do I mean when I say
off the field? That’s staying
even tighter, connected, prep
aration, mindset heading into
the game. All of those things
I’d like to see tick up.”
Blank was at the Falcons’ practice facility
and in the locker room on Monday. On Sunday,
after attending Quinn’s postgame news confer
ence, Blank said “I haven’t lost any faith” in the
coach and general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
Quinn said he appreciates Blank’s support
“during this time of year, especially.”
“I know there are 32 teams... and I’m aware
not everyone has that type of support,” Quinn
said Monday. “So I appreciate having a boss
like that. I know what he stands for and I love
having that connection. It’s very important.”
Quinn’s 2015 team suffered a six-game losing
streak before winning two of its last three to fin
ish .500 and establish momentum for the Super
Bowl run in 2016.
This year’s team has lost seven players,
including some prominent leaders, to the
injured reserve. The list includes running back
Devonta Freeman, starting offensive guards
Andy Levitre and Brandon Fusco and start
ing safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen.
■ Please see QUINN, 2B
Blank
Sarkisian
MLS CUP FINAL I Atlanta United FC vs. Portland Timbers, 8 p.m. Saturday, Fox
United MLS Cup tifo: ‘It’s going to be a good one’
BY DOUG ROBERSON
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Domer Donaldson seems
like more an attorney this
chosen profession as a geol
ogist when queried about
the tifo that will be unveiled
before the MLS Cup between
Atlanta United and Portland
on Dec. 8 at Mercedes-Benz
Stadium.
Can you tell anything
about it?
“Absolutely ... not,” he
says with a laugh.
Is it as expansive as the
red, black and gold full
stadium tifo that was done
for New York Red Bulls
playoff game?
“All comes down to the
eye of the beholder,” he
said.
Is it participatory,
like the full stadium tifo
that required the more
than 70,000 people in
Mercedes-Benz?
“All are participatory to a
certain extent,” he answers.
OK.
“It’s going to be a good
one,” he said as reassurance.
That is saying something
considering some of the tifos
that have been designed by
three of Atlanta United’s
four supporters groups —
Terminus Legion, of which
Donaldson, 36, just became
president, Footie Mob and
Resurgence — the past two
seasons.
The disco ball is the
most famous.
“(The idea was) Pre
sented to the rest of the
group, and everybody was
like ‘Oh crap! Let’s do that,”
Donaldson said.
It was designed by Josh
Tsao and Alex Morrison of
■ Please see TIFO, 2B
