The title of this blog may sound unfair because I'm sure that Trewett-McConnell College, a small Southern Baptist college located in the mountains of North Georgia in the town of Cleveland, is using their Intercollegiate Athletic Department as an outreach tool to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Up until recently, TMC was a Junior College athletically. they were a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The college already had 4 year degree programs in Music and other disciplines. However, just last week, TMC became a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association). Trewett-McConnell is now a full-fledged 4 year school both academically and athletically.
However, I've heard from the grape vine that since this move has taken place, there are more requirements for admission into the school than before. According to this source, prospective students must now show proof that they have accepted Christ as their personal savior by providing a Certificate of Baptism, or something of that nature. In other words, they must be a Christian in order to be admitted. I can understand that they don't want students who do not represent the personality and character of the school. In the past, the school has had student-athletes getting involved in drugs, alcohol and other things that no Christian college wants on their campus. My Alma mater, Bryan College, has had similar instances with its student-athletes and has dealt with the problem with suspension and/or expulsion.
All that having been said, I don't see how you can determine who is a Christian and who isn't. Anyone can fake a conversion story and millions of people have been baptized and believe they are on their way to Heaven when in fact they aren't. Also, 18-22 year olds will be just that. young people. They do stupid things, ungodly things at times. I'm not making an excuse. I was once a college student, in fact, a student-athlete (for one year). They like to have fun, test themselves, that sort of thing.
Another thing, while there are excellent high school athletes who are also dynamic, committed Christians, not all high school Christian athletes are capable of competing at the college level. To be competitive as an intercollegiate athletic program, you have to have good athletes, and unfortunately, not all of them are Christians. For example, at Bryan, a Christian college in Tennessee which has the same calling as TMC: to train Christian students to make a difference for Christ in today's world, they do not demand that the prospective student be a Christian to be admitted. Other than the usual academic requirements, they only want the student to be respectful of the school and follow the school's rules and regulations. The student knows it is a Christ-centered college.
Dr. Sanford Zensen, the Athletic Director at Bryan College and the Men's Head Soccer Coach, recruits and signs players who are not believers, but are excellent players because he has to compete. Dr. Zensen, along with the rest of the Bryan faculty, will do everything in their power to point those student-athletes to Christ. They use it as a missionary tool. How else will these young men and women see the love of God exemplified to them. How else will they hear the Gospel of Christ?
I hope that Trewett-McConnell College is very successful in athletics now that they are a 4 year school. But by having these new restrictions, they are limiting the kind of athlete they can get, therefore, limiting their success in athletics. Also, they are missing an opportunity to win non-believing athletes to Christ. Your comments please!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Former Dacula Star Dismissed From Razorback Football Team
As I have noted several times in previous blogs, many of the high school athletes in Gwinnett County, Georgia go on to have fine college careers, and for some, fine pro careers as well. But for some, the journey to success is delayed by self-inflicting set backs. Such is the case with former Dacula High School football player Khiry Battle.
Battle, a Sophomore LB on the Arkansas Football Team, was dismissed from the team today by Head Coach Bobby Petrino for violating team rules. The decision for dismissal was announced by Coach Petrino today.
"Khiry has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules," Petrino said. "Being a member of the Razorback football program requires responsible actions on and off the field." I don't know what Battle did to prompt Petrino to dismiss him from the team, but there must have been a series of repeat violations. Apparently Khiry Battle didn't get the message. There are some people, whether they be student-athletes, coaches or habitual offenders (plenty of those in the prison system) who only learn the hard way. This is a hard lesson for Khiry Battle to learn.
So where does Khiry Battle go from here? Could he go to nearby Georgia? Perhaps. But Mark Richt is a disciplinarian who has already severely disciplined one of his players, Bruce Figgins, by suspending him for half the season. Battle would be on a very short leash. If Battle wants to play right away, he will have to play at a Div. l-AA, Div. ll, lll or NAIA school because going to another Div. l-A would mean he must sit out this year. Khiry Battle could have saved himself from this mess if he just followed the guidelines set by Petrino for the Razorback Team. the guidelines set by a coach are not unreasonable and are not hard to follow.
Better for Khiry Battle to learn this lesson now than to make a greater mistake later in life. I don't want to enroll him into Idiot University yet, but he has already made his initial application. There were 30 current former Gwinnett high school football players playing in the SEC, now there are 29. Information in this article was obtained from the Arkansas Razorback web site http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/.
Battle, a Sophomore LB on the Arkansas Football Team, was dismissed from the team today by Head Coach Bobby Petrino for violating team rules. The decision for dismissal was announced by Coach Petrino today.
"Khiry has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules," Petrino said. "Being a member of the Razorback football program requires responsible actions on and off the field." I don't know what Battle did to prompt Petrino to dismiss him from the team, but there must have been a series of repeat violations. Apparently Khiry Battle didn't get the message. There are some people, whether they be student-athletes, coaches or habitual offenders (plenty of those in the prison system) who only learn the hard way. This is a hard lesson for Khiry Battle to learn.
So where does Khiry Battle go from here? Could he go to nearby Georgia? Perhaps. But Mark Richt is a disciplinarian who has already severely disciplined one of his players, Bruce Figgins, by suspending him for half the season. Battle would be on a very short leash. If Battle wants to play right away, he will have to play at a Div. l-AA, Div. ll, lll or NAIA school because going to another Div. l-A would mean he must sit out this year. Khiry Battle could have saved himself from this mess if he just followed the guidelines set by Petrino for the Razorback Team. the guidelines set by a coach are not unreasonable and are not hard to follow.
Better for Khiry Battle to learn this lesson now than to make a greater mistake later in life. I don't want to enroll him into Idiot University yet, but he has already made his initial application. There were 30 current former Gwinnett high school football players playing in the SEC, now there are 29. Information in this article was obtained from the Arkansas Razorback web site http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
US College Soccer Should Have an All-Purpose College Champions League
Those of you who follow international soccer know that around the world, the top professional teams in each country are grouped into a continental league called the Champions League. The most popular Champions League is in Europe and is known as the UEFA Champions League.
All of the continents have Champions Leagues: the Asian Champions League, the CONCACAF Champions League (North America & Carribean nations), the Copa Libertadoras (South America), the African Champions League and the Oceana Champions League (New Zeland and Pacific Islands). In each continental zone, the top 3 or 4 pro teams in each country's top pro league go to play against the top teams of all the other countries in the continent (stay with me, I'm going somewhere).
I think that US College Soccer should have an all-purpose College Champions League, both Men's and Women's. You would take the top 4 teams in NCAA Div. 1, 2 and 3, the top 4 NAIA teams and the top 4 Junior College teams in NJCAA Divisions 1 and 3.
If there were such a thing, the champions of the NCAA 1,2 and 3, NAIA and the NJCAA of 2008, plus the next three best teams of all of those classifications, would play each other during the 2010 season. Since the Fall College Soccer season goes from August to December, the schools involved can adjust their schedules accordingly. The last classification to end its season is NCAA Div. l. The Men's and Women's College Cups end the first and second week in December. Div. ll ends the week before, Div. lll around the same time. The NAIA ends their championship a week before Thanksgiving.
NCAA Div. l teams involved in fighting to make the NCAA Tournament can play their Champions League games earlier in the season. The league can run during the regular season just like the pros in the international professional leagues do. Teams involved in the All-Purpose College Champions League can use these games as tune ups for post-season conference tournaments. Another option is to play a Champions League game a week before the two teams' regular season starts. It would be a great pre-season tune up for both teams. Many schools already do this in "exhibition" matches. Just think, the pride of winning the Champions League makes these "exhibitions" more meaningful.
The League's first matches would begin either a week before or the first week of the regular season. Two teams would play a 2-legged home and home series. The first leg is during one week and the second leg is the next week. When each series is finished, the next series would start two weeks later. The Pairings for the league's first round would be decided by a draw to take place sometime during the previous Spring so that the schools involved would have time top prepare for logistics and scouting purposes. The winner of each series is decided by outright wins or goal differential just like in the professional champions leagues.
What a thrill for NAIA, NJCAA Div. 1 & 3 and NCAA Div. 2 & 3 to have a chance to beat one of the top 4 NCAA Div. l teams. It would be like the March Madness concept. Also, to entice the Div. l teams to go along with it, I would not count it against them if they lost a Champions League game to a team from a lower division. The NAIA would not penalize one of their teams for losing a Champions League game to a Div 3 or NJCAA team, and NCAA Div. ll wouldn't penalize one of their teams in the league for losing to a Div. lll, NAIA or NJCAA Div. 1 or 3 team. One more thing, a Div. l team playing a Champions League game against a team from one of the other lower divisions wouldn't be penalized by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee for playing and beating that lower level team.
The champion of the All-Purpose College Champions League could be decided in October, before the conference tournaments start in November. The first few legs of the league would have teams close enough to each other playing so that they won't have to travel so far.If necessary, the Semi-Finals and Finals can be played at a neutral sight. This could be a wonderful thing for college soccer and college sports in general. I know this probably will never happen, but it's a fun thought. I'd appreciate your comments on the matter.
All of the continents have Champions Leagues: the Asian Champions League, the CONCACAF Champions League (North America & Carribean nations), the Copa Libertadoras (South America), the African Champions League and the Oceana Champions League (New Zeland and Pacific Islands). In each continental zone, the top 3 or 4 pro teams in each country's top pro league go to play against the top teams of all the other countries in the continent (stay with me, I'm going somewhere).
I think that US College Soccer should have an all-purpose College Champions League, both Men's and Women's. You would take the top 4 teams in NCAA Div. 1, 2 and 3, the top 4 NAIA teams and the top 4 Junior College teams in NJCAA Divisions 1 and 3.
If there were such a thing, the champions of the NCAA 1,2 and 3, NAIA and the NJCAA of 2008, plus the next three best teams of all of those classifications, would play each other during the 2010 season. Since the Fall College Soccer season goes from August to December, the schools involved can adjust their schedules accordingly. The last classification to end its season is NCAA Div. l. The Men's and Women's College Cups end the first and second week in December. Div. ll ends the week before, Div. lll around the same time. The NAIA ends their championship a week before Thanksgiving.
NCAA Div. l teams involved in fighting to make the NCAA Tournament can play their Champions League games earlier in the season. The league can run during the regular season just like the pros in the international professional leagues do. Teams involved in the All-Purpose College Champions League can use these games as tune ups for post-season conference tournaments. Another option is to play a Champions League game a week before the two teams' regular season starts. It would be a great pre-season tune up for both teams. Many schools already do this in "exhibition" matches. Just think, the pride of winning the Champions League makes these "exhibitions" more meaningful.
The League's first matches would begin either a week before or the first week of the regular season. Two teams would play a 2-legged home and home series. The first leg is during one week and the second leg is the next week. When each series is finished, the next series would start two weeks later. The Pairings for the league's first round would be decided by a draw to take place sometime during the previous Spring so that the schools involved would have time top prepare for logistics and scouting purposes. The winner of each series is decided by outright wins or goal differential just like in the professional champions leagues.
What a thrill for NAIA, NJCAA Div. 1 & 3 and NCAA Div. 2 & 3 to have a chance to beat one of the top 4 NCAA Div. l teams. It would be like the March Madness concept. Also, to entice the Div. l teams to go along with it, I would not count it against them if they lost a Champions League game to a team from a lower division. The NAIA would not penalize one of their teams for losing a Champions League game to a Div 3 or NJCAA team, and NCAA Div. ll wouldn't penalize one of their teams in the league for losing to a Div. lll, NAIA or NJCAA Div. 1 or 3 team. One more thing, a Div. l team playing a Champions League game against a team from one of the other lower divisions wouldn't be penalized by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee for playing and beating that lower level team.
The champion of the All-Purpose College Champions League could be decided in October, before the conference tournaments start in November. The first few legs of the league would have teams close enough to each other playing so that they won't have to travel so far.If necessary, the Semi-Finals and Finals can be played at a neutral sight. This could be a wonderful thing for college soccer and college sports in general. I know this probably will never happen, but it's a fun thought. I'd appreciate your comments on the matter.
What Makes a BCS Conference BCS?
Recently, the Mountain West Conference appealed to the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) to allow them to be a part of the BCS, or something like that. However, it seems that the BCS says no for the time being.
I understand the argument from the BCS schools and conferences. They don't want to share the money with the non-BCS schools. What constitutes BCS anyway. What makes your conference a BCS conference, having a big name like the SEC or ACC? Utah, a school outside the BCS and in the Mountain West Conference, toppled the SEC Champions Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last January. If you base being in a BCS conference on talent, Utah should be in the BCS on that argument alone.
Boisie St, a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) which is not a BCS conference, defeated Oklahoma 3 years ago in the Fiesta Bowl. Why isn't BSU in the BCS?
On three occasions, the non-BCS conference teams have out performed BCS teams: Utah over Pitt a few years back. I've already mentioned Utah defeating Alabama and Boisie St. Defeating Oklahoma.I would say that both Utah and Boisie St. are better than most of the Big East teams, and the Big East is a BCS Conference. In fact, both the Utes and the Broncos are capable of beating West Virginia, Rutgers and Pitt.
The answer, I guess, is the good ole boy network. Members of the ACC, SEC, Big East, PAC 10, Big 10 and Big 12 have long-standing traditions of college football success. More success means more money, and the newcomers the WAC, MWC, Mid-American and other non-BCS conferences aren't part of the club. The BCS schools have most of the money and they aren't interested in sharing it. I'm not saying that's right. It isn't. The whole system is BS anyway. I hope that the Utahs and Boisie States of the college football world keep having undefeated seasons and beat these so-called BCS teams in the BCS bowls.
Hopefully, it will put an end to this wretched system and we will have some sort of a playoff with these "smaller name" conferences (WAC, MWC, Mid-American) on the same playing field as the "Big Boys."
I understand the argument from the BCS schools and conferences. They don't want to share the money with the non-BCS schools. What constitutes BCS anyway. What makes your conference a BCS conference, having a big name like the SEC or ACC? Utah, a school outside the BCS and in the Mountain West Conference, toppled the SEC Champions Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last January. If you base being in a BCS conference on talent, Utah should be in the BCS on that argument alone.
Boisie St, a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) which is not a BCS conference, defeated Oklahoma 3 years ago in the Fiesta Bowl. Why isn't BSU in the BCS?
On three occasions, the non-BCS conference teams have out performed BCS teams: Utah over Pitt a few years back. I've already mentioned Utah defeating Alabama and Boisie St. Defeating Oklahoma.I would say that both Utah and Boisie St. are better than most of the Big East teams, and the Big East is a BCS Conference. In fact, both the Utes and the Broncos are capable of beating West Virginia, Rutgers and Pitt.
The answer, I guess, is the good ole boy network. Members of the ACC, SEC, Big East, PAC 10, Big 10 and Big 12 have long-standing traditions of college football success. More success means more money, and the newcomers the WAC, MWC, Mid-American and other non-BCS conferences aren't part of the club. The BCS schools have most of the money and they aren't interested in sharing it. I'm not saying that's right. It isn't. The whole system is BS anyway. I hope that the Utahs and Boisie States of the college football world keep having undefeated seasons and beat these so-called BCS teams in the BCS bowls.
Hopefully, it will put an end to this wretched system and we will have some sort of a playoff with these "smaller name" conferences (WAC, MWC, Mid-American) on the same playing field as the "Big Boys."
Saturday, June 27, 2009
SEC Football; Gwinnett Style
I'm continuing the theme that Gwinnett County, GA is a tremendous hot bed for high school football. One way to prove that is to look at the football rosters of SEC teams.
Every SEC football team, with the exception of Tennessee, has at least one player from Gwinnett County on its roster. Gwinnett has been a prime recruiting ground for SEC coaches as well as ACC coaches and coaches from schools in other conferences.
the University of Georgia, of course, has the most Gwinnett players with 10. Gwinnett County is only 45 minutes from Athens, and with the recent success in this decade under Head Coach Mark Richt, recruits can stay closer to home and play for a championship caliber program. Also, several of the Gwinnett schools like Parkview, Brookwood, Norcross, Peachtree Ridge and others have either won state titles or are in the GA. State Playoffs year-in and year-out. Here is a list of the Gwinnett players who play for the Bulldogs:
Jr. WLB Renne Curran Brookwood HS
R-Fr LB Jason Veal Parkview HS
R-Fr WR Twoey Hosch Buford HS
R-Soph Punter Drew butler Peachtree Ridge HS
R-Soph RB Caleb King Greater Atlanta Christian
Soph WLB Christian Robinson Greater Atlanta Christian
R-Jr. FB Fred Munzenmaier Norcross HS
Fr Center Lee Dallas Buford HS
R-Fr PK Jordan Stowe Parkview HS
R-Sr. PK Andrew Jensen Brookwood HS
Of course, there is so much talent in Gwinnett that UGA isn't able to sign them all. Nick Saban was able to nab Darius Hanks out of Norcross HS. Hanks appeared in the Tide's first game last year against Western Carolina and caught a 6 yard pass. At Norcross High, Hanks became one of the top receivers in the Atlanta area in his career. He was an Atlanta Journal-Constitution First-Team Class 5A All-State selection and a First-Team All-Region 7 pick. He caught 55 passes for 857 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior and ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, as well as picking off six passes on defense. Hanks finished second in Class 5A in receptions and receiving yards as a senior. Right now, Darius Hanks is the only Gwinnetian on the Tide roster, but that may change in a couple of years.
In my last blog, I mentioned how Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson tapped into Gwinnett and got 6 fine football players:
R-Sr. RB Kennard Reeves Duluth HS
R-Jr. WR Terrance Jeffers Berkmar HS
R-Soph DT T. J. Greenstone Collins Hill HS
Sr. DT Greg Billinger Parkview HS
Fr LB Blake Southerland Greater Atlanta Christian
R-Fr LB Tristan Strong Grayson
Florida has two Gwinnetians on their roster; Defensive Tackle Omar Hunter, who is from Buford, GA and won state titles with Buford HS, is a Red Shirt Freshman at Gainsville and has a chance to get more playing time this year. He spent last year on the Gators Scout Team. His teammate at Buford HS and now in college, Fr. T.J. Pridemore, son of former Atlanta Falcons player Tom Pridemore, is a Wide Receiver for the Gators.
Both Arkansas and Auburn have one Gwinnett player on their rosters. Soph. LB Khiry Battle from Dacula HS comes into his Sophomore year having seen a lot of playing time his Freshman year and has earned a letter. R-Fr. Defensive Back Brandon Evans, from Parkview HS, is an Auburn Tiger. Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks loves to recruit Gwinnett County, particularly N. Gwinnett HS. He has two former NG Bulldog players on his roster, Junior CB E.J. Adams and Junior TE Ross Bogue.
LSU Head Coach Les Miles tapped into the Gwinnett pot by getting three top notch players, most notably signing LB Kevin Minter out of Peachtree Ridge HS. I've seen Minter play myself, even filmed some of his games. He will be a terrific player for the LSU Tigers. Also on the Tiger roster are Soph. Center T-Bobb Herbert out of Greater Atlanta Christian and son of former Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints QB Bobby Herbert. The third of the Gwinnett group is Soph. DBL Derrick Bryant, also from Peachtree Ridge. It's no surprise Peachtree ridge is putting out Div. l prospects, they won a state title last year and two years ago.
Ole Miss has the third most Gwinnett players on its roster with 4.
They are as follows:
R-Fr. WR Melvin Harris Buford HS
R-Fr. DB Brandon Sanders Peachtree ridge HS
R-Fr. CB Julian Whitehead Parkview HS
Soph. LB Trey Tripp Peachtree Ridge HS
Mississippi St. has one Gwinnettian on its roster. He's Fr. LB Jasper Williams. He graduated from Air Force Prep but is from Suwanee, GA, where Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill and North Gwinnett high schools are all located. Last but certainly not least, Steve Spurrier cant do without a couple of Gwinnett athletes too. He signed one of the top Running Backs in the county last year in Brookwood RB Kenny Miles. I've seen him play in person. He has great speed and quickness and will have a fine career for the Gamecocks. South Carolina also has Jr. Offensive guard Stephen Singleton out of Buford HS. So lets count them:
UGA 10
Vandy 6
Ole Miss 4
LSU 3
S. Car 2
UK 2
Arkansas 1
Auburn 1
MSU 1
That's a total of 30 Gwinnett players in the SEC, enough to make a first string squad. I cant see how one can argue that Gwinnett County, GA, on the northeast side of Atlanta, isn't the best county for high school football in the nation.
Every SEC football team, with the exception of Tennessee, has at least one player from Gwinnett County on its roster. Gwinnett has been a prime recruiting ground for SEC coaches as well as ACC coaches and coaches from schools in other conferences.
the University of Georgia, of course, has the most Gwinnett players with 10. Gwinnett County is only 45 minutes from Athens, and with the recent success in this decade under Head Coach Mark Richt, recruits can stay closer to home and play for a championship caliber program. Also, several of the Gwinnett schools like Parkview, Brookwood, Norcross, Peachtree Ridge and others have either won state titles or are in the GA. State Playoffs year-in and year-out. Here is a list of the Gwinnett players who play for the Bulldogs:
Jr. WLB Renne Curran Brookwood HS
R-Fr LB Jason Veal Parkview HS
R-Fr WR Twoey Hosch Buford HS
R-Soph Punter Drew butler Peachtree Ridge HS
R-Soph RB Caleb King Greater Atlanta Christian
Soph WLB Christian Robinson Greater Atlanta Christian
R-Jr. FB Fred Munzenmaier Norcross HS
Fr Center Lee Dallas Buford HS
R-Fr PK Jordan Stowe Parkview HS
R-Sr. PK Andrew Jensen Brookwood HS
Of course, there is so much talent in Gwinnett that UGA isn't able to sign them all. Nick Saban was able to nab Darius Hanks out of Norcross HS. Hanks appeared in the Tide's first game last year against Western Carolina and caught a 6 yard pass. At Norcross High, Hanks became one of the top receivers in the Atlanta area in his career. He was an Atlanta Journal-Constitution First-Team Class 5A All-State selection and a First-Team All-Region 7 pick. He caught 55 passes for 857 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior and ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, as well as picking off six passes on defense. Hanks finished second in Class 5A in receptions and receiving yards as a senior. Right now, Darius Hanks is the only Gwinnetian on the Tide roster, but that may change in a couple of years.
In my last blog, I mentioned how Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson tapped into Gwinnett and got 6 fine football players:
R-Sr. RB Kennard Reeves Duluth HS
R-Jr. WR Terrance Jeffers Berkmar HS
R-Soph DT T. J. Greenstone Collins Hill HS
Sr. DT Greg Billinger Parkview HS
Fr LB Blake Southerland Greater Atlanta Christian
R-Fr LB Tristan Strong Grayson
Florida has two Gwinnetians on their roster; Defensive Tackle Omar Hunter, who is from Buford, GA and won state titles with Buford HS, is a Red Shirt Freshman at Gainsville and has a chance to get more playing time this year. He spent last year on the Gators Scout Team. His teammate at Buford HS and now in college, Fr. T.J. Pridemore, son of former Atlanta Falcons player Tom Pridemore, is a Wide Receiver for the Gators.
Both Arkansas and Auburn have one Gwinnett player on their rosters. Soph. LB Khiry Battle from Dacula HS comes into his Sophomore year having seen a lot of playing time his Freshman year and has earned a letter. R-Fr. Defensive Back Brandon Evans, from Parkview HS, is an Auburn Tiger. Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks loves to recruit Gwinnett County, particularly N. Gwinnett HS. He has two former NG Bulldog players on his roster, Junior CB E.J. Adams and Junior TE Ross Bogue.
LSU Head Coach Les Miles tapped into the Gwinnett pot by getting three top notch players, most notably signing LB Kevin Minter out of Peachtree Ridge HS. I've seen Minter play myself, even filmed some of his games. He will be a terrific player for the LSU Tigers. Also on the Tiger roster are Soph. Center T-Bobb Herbert out of Greater Atlanta Christian and son of former Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints QB Bobby Herbert. The third of the Gwinnett group is Soph. DBL Derrick Bryant, also from Peachtree Ridge. It's no surprise Peachtree ridge is putting out Div. l prospects, they won a state title last year and two years ago.
Ole Miss has the third most Gwinnett players on its roster with 4.
They are as follows:
R-Fr. WR Melvin Harris Buford HS
R-Fr. DB Brandon Sanders Peachtree ridge HS
R-Fr. CB Julian Whitehead Parkview HS
Soph. LB Trey Tripp Peachtree Ridge HS
Mississippi St. has one Gwinnettian on its roster. He's Fr. LB Jasper Williams. He graduated from Air Force Prep but is from Suwanee, GA, where Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill and North Gwinnett high schools are all located. Last but certainly not least, Steve Spurrier cant do without a couple of Gwinnett athletes too. He signed one of the top Running Backs in the county last year in Brookwood RB Kenny Miles. I've seen him play in person. He has great speed and quickness and will have a fine career for the Gamecocks. South Carolina also has Jr. Offensive guard Stephen Singleton out of Buford HS. So lets count them:
UGA 10
Vandy 6
Ole Miss 4
LSU 3
S. Car 2
UK 2
Arkansas 1
Auburn 1
MSU 1
That's a total of 30 Gwinnett players in the SEC, enough to make a first string squad. I cant see how one can argue that Gwinnett County, GA, on the northeast side of Atlanta, isn't the best county for high school football in the nation.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Vanderbilt Football Loaded With Gwinnett Talent
The Division l Prospect Pool from Gwinnett County, GA is well represented on the Vanderbilt Commodore Football Team. The Dores may have more Gwinnetians on their roster than any other team in the SEC. Head Coach Bobby Johnson is a smart man for tapping into the Gwinnett talent pool.
In this blog, we are going to take a closer look at the 6 Gwinnett players on the Commodore Roster. First is Sr. DT Greg Billinger who hales from Lilburn, GA and Parkview HS. Billinger is listed at 6'3 297 lbs. Back in 2007, he was a key reserve at Defensive Tackle behind two seniors, Theo Horrocks and Gabe Hall. during that year, Billinger made two tackles against his home state rival Georgia and recorded a tackle and interception in a win over Eastern Michigan. As a Freshman in 06, Billinger was the only True Freshman who saw action for Vanderbilt on the interior line and saw action that year in every game.
while playing for the Parkview Panthers under Head Coach Cecil Flowe, Billinger was Team Captain his Senior Year on a squad that went 11-2 and reached the third round of the Georgia Class AAAAA State Playoffs. However, Billinger had to miss the second half of that season due to injuries suffered when his family was involved in a serious car accident in near Nashville that year. Coach Flowe had this to say about Billinger: "Greg is an outstanding football player, a three-year starter for our program. His production this season was limited after a serious car accident. ", coach Flowe said. "Greg knows what it takes to succeed and has good understanding of the game. He has very good quickness and does real well getting proper leverage. He can become a very good player." Flowe continued. Billinger has indeed become that "very good player."
Next, we look at WR Terrance Jeffers, a Red Shirt Junior who hales from Lawrenceville, GA and Berkmar HS. Jeffers actually began his collegiate career at Connecticut before transferring to Vanderbilt. Jeffers started 8 games for the Huskies back in 2008. I was unable to find his stats for the Huskies' 08 season, but one Uconn beat writer referred to him as a "top snarler." He was Uconn's top receiver in 08, and his departure has commenced stiff competition to replace him. Uconn's loss is Vandy's gain. Jeffers will be a big boost to the Dores WR Corps.
Defensive Tackle T.J. Greenstone is a Red Shirt Sophomore and is also from Lawrenceville and prepped at Collins Hill HS. Greenstone didn't see action his Freshman Year but while serving as a Defensive Tackle on the Scout Team, Greenstone impressed his coaches so much that he earned the team's postseason Defensive Scout MVP Award. Greenstone also was recognized as team's Defensive Scout of the Week after victory over Miami (Ohio).
While playing for the Collins Hill Eagles, Greenstone was a Senior Captain and two-year starter at Defensive Tackle. During his Junior and Senior seasons, Collins Hill advanced to AAAAA State Playoffs. Greenstone was also named to Atlanta Journal Constitution's Gwinnett Super 11 Team.
Next, we look at Red Shirt Junior RB Kennard Reeves. During his Sophomore Year at Vanderbilt in 07, Reeves played Special Teams and was a reserve tailback in 11 games. As a Freshman in 06, Reeves redshirted but earned Offensive Scout of the Week honors after Michigan and Kentucky games. During his high school career at Duluth HS, Reeves was a Senior captain and a three-year starter at running back. He also started at Safety as a sophomore and Cornerback as a junior... In 2005, Reeves rushed for 870 yards on 120 carries, scoring 12 TDs. As a Wide Receiver, he caught 11 passes for 150 yards and served as the team's kickoff returner. Reeves earned First Team AAAAA All-Region as Senior and rushed for 670 yards during his Junior season. Reeves was also a three-year letter winner in track & field, earning coaches' award as junior. Perhaps most importantly, Kennard Reeves was an honors student, and named on the Academic All-State Team.
What's even more impressive is that Reeves accomplished his football exploits during three losing seasons.
All Georgia Bulldog and GAC Spartan fans no the name Southerland. I'm referring to GAC and later Georgia standout TE Brandon Southerland, but there is another Southerland that folks need to take note of, Brandon's younger brother Blake Southerland. Blake Southerland is a Freshman Line Backer from Lawrenceville, GA and played high school ball at Greater Atlanta Christian School. While at GAC, Southerland had 115 tackles (62 solo) for GAC. He was named All-State by the AJC and was a Gwinnett County Touchdown Club First-Teamer. Look for big things from Blake Southerland in the next four seasons.
Our final Gwinnetian Commodore is Line Backer Tristan Strong. A Red Shirt Freshman from Loganville, GA and Grayson HS, Strong was a Senior captain, helping squad to 10-3 overall record and appearance in Georgia AAAAA state quarterfinals. He was a two-year starter at LB and a three-year letter winner. As a senior, Strong posted 46 total tackles, 31 solo stops, three QB sacks and a pair of interceptions and recovered a fumble for a touchdown.Strong returned two punts for a1 4.5-yard average... In 2006, Grayson went 6-6, advancing to the first round of the Georgia Class AAAAA State Playoffs. As a Junior, Strong contributed 51 total tackles, seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. He was named to the first team 5A All-State Squad and All-Gwinnett County Team. To top it off, Strong played in the this year's Georgia North-South All-Star Game. Oh, by the way, he also played Varsity Basketball for Grayson High.
The Vanderbilt fans will be glad the Bobby Johnson tapped in to the rich talent located here in Gwinnett County, GA. Some of these players have already made an impact on Commodore Football, and the Freshman such as Blake Southerland and Tristan Strong are ready to make their mark. More information on these stories can be found by visiting www.vucommodores.cstv.com/sport and http://projects.ajc.com/playertracker/player/blake-southerland/.
In this blog, we are going to take a closer look at the 6 Gwinnett players on the Commodore Roster. First is Sr. DT Greg Billinger who hales from Lilburn, GA and Parkview HS. Billinger is listed at 6'3 297 lbs. Back in 2007, he was a key reserve at Defensive Tackle behind two seniors, Theo Horrocks and Gabe Hall. during that year, Billinger made two tackles against his home state rival Georgia and recorded a tackle and interception in a win over Eastern Michigan. As a Freshman in 06, Billinger was the only True Freshman who saw action for Vanderbilt on the interior line and saw action that year in every game.
while playing for the Parkview Panthers under Head Coach Cecil Flowe, Billinger was Team Captain his Senior Year on a squad that went 11-2 and reached the third round of the Georgia Class AAAAA State Playoffs. However, Billinger had to miss the second half of that season due to injuries suffered when his family was involved in a serious car accident in near Nashville that year. Coach Flowe had this to say about Billinger: "Greg is an outstanding football player, a three-year starter for our program. His production this season was limited after a serious car accident. ", coach Flowe said. "Greg knows what it takes to succeed and has good understanding of the game. He has very good quickness and does real well getting proper leverage. He can become a very good player." Flowe continued. Billinger has indeed become that "very good player."
Next, we look at WR Terrance Jeffers, a Red Shirt Junior who hales from Lawrenceville, GA and Berkmar HS. Jeffers actually began his collegiate career at Connecticut before transferring to Vanderbilt. Jeffers started 8 games for the Huskies back in 2008. I was unable to find his stats for the Huskies' 08 season, but one Uconn beat writer referred to him as a "top snarler." He was Uconn's top receiver in 08, and his departure has commenced stiff competition to replace him. Uconn's loss is Vandy's gain. Jeffers will be a big boost to the Dores WR Corps.
Defensive Tackle T.J. Greenstone is a Red Shirt Sophomore and is also from Lawrenceville and prepped at Collins Hill HS. Greenstone didn't see action his Freshman Year but while serving as a Defensive Tackle on the Scout Team, Greenstone impressed his coaches so much that he earned the team's postseason Defensive Scout MVP Award. Greenstone also was recognized as team's Defensive Scout of the Week after victory over Miami (Ohio).
While playing for the Collins Hill Eagles, Greenstone was a Senior Captain and two-year starter at Defensive Tackle. During his Junior and Senior seasons, Collins Hill advanced to AAAAA State Playoffs. Greenstone was also named to Atlanta Journal Constitution's Gwinnett Super 11 Team.
Next, we look at Red Shirt Junior RB Kennard Reeves. During his Sophomore Year at Vanderbilt in 07, Reeves played Special Teams and was a reserve tailback in 11 games. As a Freshman in 06, Reeves redshirted but earned Offensive Scout of the Week honors after Michigan and Kentucky games. During his high school career at Duluth HS, Reeves was a Senior captain and a three-year starter at running back. He also started at Safety as a sophomore and Cornerback as a junior... In 2005, Reeves rushed for 870 yards on 120 carries, scoring 12 TDs. As a Wide Receiver, he caught 11 passes for 150 yards and served as the team's kickoff returner. Reeves earned First Team AAAAA All-Region as Senior and rushed for 670 yards during his Junior season. Reeves was also a three-year letter winner in track & field, earning coaches' award as junior. Perhaps most importantly, Kennard Reeves was an honors student, and named on the Academic All-State Team.
What's even more impressive is that Reeves accomplished his football exploits during three losing seasons.
All Georgia Bulldog and GAC Spartan fans no the name Southerland. I'm referring to GAC and later Georgia standout TE Brandon Southerland, but there is another Southerland that folks need to take note of, Brandon's younger brother Blake Southerland. Blake Southerland is a Freshman Line Backer from Lawrenceville, GA and played high school ball at Greater Atlanta Christian School. While at GAC, Southerland had 115 tackles (62 solo) for GAC. He was named All-State by the AJC and was a Gwinnett County Touchdown Club First-Teamer. Look for big things from Blake Southerland in the next four seasons.
Our final Gwinnetian Commodore is Line Backer Tristan Strong. A Red Shirt Freshman from Loganville, GA and Grayson HS, Strong was a Senior captain, helping squad to 10-3 overall record and appearance in Georgia AAAAA state quarterfinals. He was a two-year starter at LB and a three-year letter winner. As a senior, Strong posted 46 total tackles, 31 solo stops, three QB sacks and a pair of interceptions and recovered a fumble for a touchdown.Strong returned two punts for a1 4.5-yard average... In 2006, Grayson went 6-6, advancing to the first round of the Georgia Class AAAAA State Playoffs. As a Junior, Strong contributed 51 total tackles, seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. He was named to the first team 5A All-State Squad and All-Gwinnett County Team. To top it off, Strong played in the this year's Georgia North-South All-Star Game. Oh, by the way, he also played Varsity Basketball for Grayson High.
The Vanderbilt fans will be glad the Bobby Johnson tapped in to the rich talent located here in Gwinnett County, GA. Some of these players have already made an impact on Commodore Football, and the Freshman such as Blake Southerland and Tristan Strong are ready to make their mark. More information on these stories can be found by visiting www.vucommodores.cstv.com/sport and http://projects.ajc.com/playertracker/player/blake-southerland/.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Pacers Take Hansbrough at 13; O'Brien, Bird Agree With Williams
Two months ago, I wrote in my blog that someone told me that Tyler Hansbrough would not make it in the NBA. I thought that was hogwash. Apparently, Indiana Pacers Head Coach Jim O'Brien agrees.
ESPN broadcasters covering the 2009 NBA Draft asked O'Brien if he agreed with UNC Head Coach Roy Williams' statement that Hansbrough was "the hardest worker he's ever seen. O'Brien said that Williams is right about Hansbrough's work ethic. If a premiere college Head Coach and an NBA Head Coach both think Tyler Hansbrough has the work ethic necessary for success, the debate is over. Sure, Hansbrough has some things in his game he needs to improve for NBA competition, but the talent is there, and the work ethic is there.
Pacers General Manager Larry Bird (Does that name sound familiar?) took Hansbrough as the 13th pick in the draft. As a player, Bird knew a thing or two about work ethic. Now the nay sayers can shut up! A two-time National Championship coach saw it, an NBA coach has seen it in pre-draft camps, and an NBA Hall of Famer agrees. Tyler Hansbrough will be a great player in the NBA because of his talent and work ethic.
When asked what he thought about critics who said that his game doesn't translate to the NBA, Hansbrough simply said "I'll have to prove them wrong. I'm gonna go to Indianapolis and work hard on my game and help them win a lot of ball games." He definitely will do just that!
ESPN broadcasters covering the 2009 NBA Draft asked O'Brien if he agreed with UNC Head Coach Roy Williams' statement that Hansbrough was "the hardest worker he's ever seen. O'Brien said that Williams is right about Hansbrough's work ethic. If a premiere college Head Coach and an NBA Head Coach both think Tyler Hansbrough has the work ethic necessary for success, the debate is over. Sure, Hansbrough has some things in his game he needs to improve for NBA competition, but the talent is there, and the work ethic is there.
Pacers General Manager Larry Bird (Does that name sound familiar?) took Hansbrough as the 13th pick in the draft. As a player, Bird knew a thing or two about work ethic. Now the nay sayers can shut up! A two-time National Championship coach saw it, an NBA coach has seen it in pre-draft camps, and an NBA Hall of Famer agrees. Tyler Hansbrough will be a great player in the NBA because of his talent and work ethic.
When asked what he thought about critics who said that his game doesn't translate to the NBA, Hansbrough simply said "I'll have to prove them wrong. I'm gonna go to Indianapolis and work hard on my game and help them win a lot of ball games." He definitely will do just that!
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