About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 2018)
SPORTS Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com Sftncs gainesvilletimes.com Wednesday, December 26, 2018 COLLEGE FOOTBALL JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press Georgia Tech’s Juanyeh Thomas (28) returns a kick off for a touchdown durinq the game against Georgia Saturday, Nov. 24, in Athens, Ga. Jackets prep for Johnson's final game as coach BY LARRY LAGE Associated Press DETROIT — Paul John son simply wants some time off. First things first, though: The 61-year-old coach will lead Georgia Tech for the final time Wednes day against Min nesota in the Quick Lane Bowl. “This is my 40th straight year of coaching without a break, and it’s probably time for a break,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of unheard of in this profession. Usually they take you out before then, or at least you have a break somewhere along the line. So, I’ll take a break and re evaluate, and who knows? If it’s the last game, it’s the last game. If I decide I can’t live without it, I may come back. Right now, I just don’t know.” Johnson is 82-59 at Geor gia Tech over 11 seasons — 7-5 this season — and 128-88 overall, including six sea sons at Navy. Johnson does know what he’s going to do with some of his free time: He will be a proud father as daughter Kaitlyn performs opera. “It’s time,” he said. YOUNG GOPHERS Minnesota has a nation- high 52 percent of its roster filled by freshmen. “You’ll see close to eight freshmen starting on offense, maybe as much as five or six on defense,” Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. “But that’s what we said at the beginning of the year would happen. It’s been fun to watch this team mature, end the year win ning two out of three.” The Golden Gophers (6-6) became bowl eli gible with two wins over quality oppo nents. They beat Purdue 41-10 and won at Wisconsin 37-15 in November, knocking off the Badgers for the first time in 15 years and for the first time on the road since 1994. ON THE GROUND Georgia Tech throws fewer than 10 times per game on average and defenses still can’t slow down its triple-option, which has helped the team lead the nation with 335 yards rush ing per game. “Playing Georgia Tech, especially on defense, is a major challenge,” Fleck said. “Not only just because of the players they have and the coaching they have, but the system and the style is different. You change a little bit of your defensive system to be able to stop the triple-option and to be able to stop that type of scheme.” Minnesota, meanwhile, has a spread-style offense that gives quarterback Tan ner Morgan a steady dose of run-pass options at the line and read-option run ning plays. When Morgan has dropped back, he has found plenty of success on slant routes. His receiv ers are led by junior Tyler Johnson, an All-Big Ten player who has 74 recep tions for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. “It’s kind of a con trast of styles,” Johnson said. “So, it’ll be interesting.” ON D IN THE D Georgia Tech ranked in the middle of the pack in Atlantic Coast Conference with its 27.5 points allowed per game, but ranked 12th in the nation by forcing 25 turnovers. It was a big improvement from last sea son’s total of 10 takeaways. Junior defensive end Anree Saint-Amour led the Yellow Jackets with 11 tackles for losses, four sacks and three forced fumbles. Minnesota’s defense fell apart so badly during Big Ten play that Fleck fired defensive coordinator Robb Smith after a 55-31 loss to Illinois on Nov. 3 in which the Gophers allowed 646 total yards. In their first six conference games, Minne sota gave up averages of 43.2 points and 507.7 yards. The Gophers allowed 16.3 points and 305.6 yards over their final three games. Minnesota defensive end Carter Coughlin tied for the Big Ten lead with nine sacks. The unit will be without senior linebacker Blake Cashman, who announced his intention to skip the bowl game and begin focusing on preparation for the NFL draft. STREAKING Both teams are rolling into the Motor City with momentum after late-season surges. The Yellow Jackets won four of their last five games and six of eight. After slumping to 4-5, the Golden Gophers managed to earn a bowl bid in Fleck’s second season. HE SAID IT Georgia Tech hired for mer Temple coach Geoff Collins, a Georgia native, as Johnson’s replacement earlier this month. So how important are the extra practices that come with a bowl bid? “For us, it’s not going to be real important,” Johnson deadpanned. “They’re going to have a new coach.” Johnson Fleck MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Playing for Detroit AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Will Maddox, a former Gainesville High baseball player, helps teach a youth baseball camp at Riverside Military Academy on Friday, Dec. 21 following a successful minor league season. Former Gainesville High baseball player Will Maddox continues to work toward a major league call-up BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com Gainesville High graduate Will Maddox has had a number of suc cesses in his minor league baseball career but is still yearning for a whole lot more. He’s coming off a successful 2018 season in the Detroit Tigers’ farm system, where he hit .300 for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. The fleet-footed middle infielder had 17 doubles and 41 RBIs in his first full season with the Double-A club. After such steady production, it’s entirely possible the 26-year-old make the jump to Detroit’s Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in 2019. Still, he’s not going to be satisfied until he makes it to the big show. “I’m not worrying about where I’m at or where I’m playing, because I’m not in Detroit yet,” he said. “Until I’m there, I’m not where I want to be.” Taking a break from the grind of training and playing, Maddox spent a week home working the Ozone Christmas Camp at Riverside Mili tary Academy. The camp is headed by Micah Owings, who spent six sea sons in the big leagues, along with his older brother, Josh, and younger brother, Jon Mark. The holidays are a nice time to relax for Maddox. However, as soon as the presents are opened, the three-year standout at the Univer sity of Tennessee will continue his training and workouts in Knoxville, Tenn. During his five seasons in the minor leagues, Maddox has never finished a year with lower than a .270 average as he’s risen the ranks from rookie league up to Double-A. His best season was in 2016, hit ting .339 with 58 RBIs for the Single- A West Michigan Whitecaps. As a minor league ball player, Maddox is used to keeping his suit case packed. Players can be moved up and down with just a moments notice. During the 2017 season, Maddox got the bump up to Double-A while on a road trip with the Advanced Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. After a three-hit outing, Maddox got called into the manager’s office to learn he was moving up. “They said ‘You’re going up to Erie. You’ve done well here,”’ Mad dox said. “And it’s that simple. Pack your bags, and you head out that night. It’s crazy.” Maddox packed up his things and rushed to the airport, arriving in Erie, Pennsylvania “either super late or super early in the morn ing.” Three days later, he was in the lineup for the SeaWolves. But such is life for any minor league baseball player vying for a spot in the big leagues. “You just kind of take it as it comes, and you just take it one day at a time,” Maddox said. “That’s all you can really do is just take it one day at a time and hope you’re going in the right direction and not the wrong direction.” Maddox has been moving in the right direction since he entered the league in 2014, an 18th-round pick out of Tennessee who decided to forego his senior season. No matter the location, the mind set is the same for the former Red Elephant. “Just grinding every day, day in and day out,” Maddox said. “Not tak ing anything for granted. Not getting comfortable. I think that’s the hard est thing, is yeah, you’re somewhere where you get moved up, but you’re still trying to get to Detroit.” HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL Coaches Wood and Graham prepare for first-round meeting at Lanierland BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com Gainesville head coach Chuck Graham is no stranger to sharing a sideline with Cherokee Bluff coach Benjie Wood at Lanierland tourna ments. After all, Graham spent six years coaching under Wood as an assistant with the Red Elephants. But with Wood’s Bears slated to play against Gaines ville in an 8 p.m. tilt Thursday in the first round of Lanier land, the two coaches will take the court as foes for the first time. Graham said the matchup is a “great opportunity” for his team, but he maintained that no matter the opponent, the focus going into any game remains on his own players — not whoever they’re going up against. “Not to say that it’s not spe cial going up against coach Wood, but we’re really in tune and focusing on Gainesville right now — what we have to do to get better,” Graham said. “We embrace the oppor tunity and the challenge, and we’re looking forward to it. But our biggest emphasis is on making sure we do what we’re supposed to do.” Graham added that the two have talked recently, but have not discussed the pros pect of coaching against each other at any great lengths. He said the game will not “change anything about the friendship.” Following his play-in game last week against Chestatee, Wood was of much the same mindset, adding that “Coach Graham is like a brother to me.” No matter the outcome, Wood said his relationship with Gainesville coaches and players will not be soured by a contest between his old and new teams. “I love those kids to death, and I know how good they are,” Wood said. “We’re just hoping to come out and compete and have a good time. I’ll hug them before the game and hug them after the game.” Tomorrow Full Lanierland preview 1B Lanierland Day 1 Schedule ■ Lanier Christian boys vs. Chestatee, 8 a.m. ■ Chestatee girls vs. West Hall, 9:30 a.m. ■ West Hall boys vs. Lakeview, 11 a.m. ■ Lakeview girls vs. North Hall, 12:30 p.m. ■ North Hall boys vs. Flowery Branch, 2 p.m. ■ Gainesville girls vs. East Hall, 3:30 p.m. ■ Johnson boys vs. East Hall 5 p.m. ■ Cherokee Bluff girls vs. Flowery Branch, 6:30 p.m. ■ Cherokee Bluff boys vs. Gainesville, 8 p.m.
