Kenneth Harrison
Tiger Hunt
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are only a few weeks away from the start of the 2025 high school football season.
Douglas County (Douglasville) is a talented team that has a chance to compete for the 6A state championship.
Last season the Tigers were 11–3 and advanced to the state semifinals. They lost to the eventual state champions Grayson, 35–28. They were 13–1 in 2023. They are led by head coach Johnny White.
Their best player is Edge Jordan Carter. Carter is a four-star recruit and the No. 11 player in Georgia for the Class of 2026. He is committed to Texas A & M. He’s 6’4, 235 pounds so he has the prototypical size for a defensive end. As a junior he had 62 total tackles, 35 solo, 17 TFL and 13 sacks.
Wide receiver Aaron Gregory is also a four-star recruit and a Texas A & M commit. He’s 6’3, 170 lbs. so he’s a tall and athletic receiver. In 2024 he had 914 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. He also played defensive back and had 61 total tackles, 42 solo, 1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 pass deflections.
They have another four-star wide receiver, Devin Carter. Carter is 6’0.5, 170 lbs. and committed to Florida State. He is the third player on the team ranked inside the top 15 in the state for the 2026 recruiting class. His father, Dexter Carter, played running back at Florida State and he was drafted in the 1st round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played for the 49ers and Jets.
Last season Carter had 41 receptions, 669 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Safety Jamar Owens is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Indiana. He’s 6’0 and 180 pounds. Last year he had 70 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. He also had offers from Texas A&M, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, Texas, Florida State, USC and others.
Running back Zamarcus Lindley is a three-star recruit. In 2024 he had 1,224 rushing yards, 14 scores and he averaged 7.4 yards per carry. He also had 11 catches for 92 yards and a TD. The 5’11, 200 pound running back is being recruited by Memphis, Boston College, Duke, Florida Atlantic, Appalachian State, USF, Navy, Southern Miss and others.
Junior offensive tackle Joshua Sam-Epelle is 6’9, 340 pounds. The four-star recruit is committed to South Carolina.
The season kicks off on Saturday, August 16th in the Corky Kell Classic at Mercedes Benz Stadium. They play North Gwinnett and the Bulldogs were 12–1 last year.
They have some tough non-region opponents. They play Langston Hughes in the fourth game. The Panthers were 13–2 in 2024 and they made it to the 5A state championship game. They played last year and the Tigers won, 21-14.
They travel to Buford the following week. Buford won last season’s game, 31-14. The Wolves were 12-2 last year.
The Tigers are in AAAAAA Region 2 and they begin region play October 3rd against East Coweta. Carrollton won the game last year and they were 14-1. They lost some senior talent from that team. I expect for Douglas County to win the region.
The schedule is tough so they might lose a few games during the regular season. I believe that will help them once the playoffs begin. They should make another deep playoff run if the team stays healthy.
Schedule
8/16 vs North Gwinnett
8/22 @ Jonesboro
8/29 vs Newton
9/5 @ Langston Hughes
9/12 @ Buford
9/26 vs Columbia
10/3 East Coweta
10/10 @ Westlake
10/24 vs Chapel Hill
10/31 @ Carrollton
Battering Rams
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Grayson (Loganville) won their fourth state championship last season. They beat Carrolton in the 6A championship, 38 – 24. The previous state titles are from 2011, 2016 and 2020. Obviously the Rams are looking to repeat in 2025.
Grayson was 14 – 1 in 2024. The lone loss came in the season opener to Collins Hill, 20 – 19.
As you can see, this program has never won two consecutive state championships. They have some talented players that are looking to change that.
The Rams have five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson. He’s the third ranked recruit in the state for the Class of 2026 and he’s committed to Texas.
He’s a 6’2, 210 lbs. tackling machine. In 2024 he had 166 total tackles, 77 solo, 32 TFL, 13 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
Quarterback Travis Burgess is the eighth ranked player in Georgia in the Class of 2026 and a four-star recruit. He is committed to North Carolina. He’s a 6’5, 205 pound dual-threat quarterback. Last season Burgess completed 154 passes for 256 yards (60.2%) for 2,225 yards with 23 TD and 4 INT. Also carried the ball 58 times for 596 yards (10.3 YPC) and 4 TD.
He also plays basketball and runs track.
Anthony Davis Jr. is a four-star linebacker. In 2024 he had 105 tackles, 15 TFL, 3 sacks, 5 PBU and 1 interception. He’s 6’2, 200 lbs. and he currently has not committed to a school. He has received scholarship offers from Alabama, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas and Auburn.
DB/WR Hannibal Carter Navies is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Kansas State. His father, Hannibal Navies (Colorado), was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 1999 with the 100th pick. He played nine seasons in the NFL with four different teams.
Edge rusher Lawrence Brown is a three-star recruit and a UNC commit. He played in 13 games last season and had 30 tackles, 12 TFL, 6 sacks and 28 QB hurries. Brown is 6’3 and 200 pounds.
The Rams have also added three-star transfer WR Dawson Quarterman from Miami, Fl. In 2024 at Norland (Miami) he had 35 receptions, 624 yards and 5 touchdowns in 10 games. He’s committed to East Carolina.
The season starts on August 15th at Collins Hill. The Eagles won the 2024 matchup but lost to Grayson in the playoffs, 38 – 14. Collins Hill was 11 – 2 in 2024 and they are still a talented team. I expect this to be a close game.
Week 2 is against a small private school, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee. Rabun is so close to North Carolina that they are in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association
Thompson is a 7A school from Alabama and they won the state championship last year. They lost to Grayson last season in overtime, 15 – 14.
Region play begins late September against Grovetown. Grayson is in AAAAAA Region 4. The region is not very good so I don’t expect anyone to challenge them in region play.
I believe Grayson is still the team to beat in 6A. I think Buford is a team that can challenge them.
Schedule
8/15 @ Collins Hill
8/22 vs Rabun Gap-Nacooche
8/29 vs Thompson
9/5 vs Mallard Creek
9/19 @ Grovetown
9/26 vs Newton
10/3 @ Heritage
10/9 vs Rockdale
10/24 vs South Gwinnett
10/31 @ Archer
Hunting Wolves
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 high school football season is kicking off soon.
We are going to look at the Buford Wolves and see how they will do this season.
Buford is always a state championship contender. They have 14 football state championships from single A up to 6A. They have one championship prior to the year 2000. Their last state championship is from 2021.
This year will be no different. They have a very talented roster, so I expect them to have another great season.
Last season they were 12 – 2. Buford was 9 – 1 during the regular season with their only loss to Milton, 13 – 10 in the season opener. They advanced to the 6A state semifinals and lost to Carrolton, 30 – 17.
The Wolves are led by five-star senior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright. He’s ranked as the #5 recruit in the state for the class of 2026 and he’s committed to Texas A&M.
As a junior he had 57 total tackles, 30 solo, 13 TFL and 9 sacks. Perry-Wright is 6’2, 250 pounds and he can play defensive tackle or defensive end.
Buford has added three-star senior edge rusher Dre Quinn. He transferred from Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC). He’s 6’4 and 230 pounds. Last season he had 42 total tackles, 9.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. He is committed to Clemson.
The Wolves have senior quarterback Dayton Raiola, who is the younger brother of University of Nebraska starting quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Dayton is committed to the Huskers and coming off a season where he threw for 1,953 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Three-star senior athlete Tyriq Green is a three-star player and a Georgia commit. He plays running back, defensive back and he runs track. He’s a member of the Buford 4×100 relay squad that captured a Peach State AAAAAA title as an 11th grader. He clocked a personal-best 10.85 in the 100-meter dash as a 10th grader.
In 2024 he had 28 tackles, 5 interceptions and 5 PBU. He also had 77 carries for 527 yards (6.8 YPC) and 8 touchdowns.
Senior IOL Graham Houston is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Georgia. Houston is 6’5 and 305 pounds so he’s a man amongst boys.
Nassir ‘Nascar’ McCoy is a senior three-star safety. The 6’2, 180 lbs. DB has over 20 scholarship offers. Some of the schools recruiting him are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Kentucky.
Buford will start the season on Thursday, August 14th at home against Milton, which is a nationally televised game on ESPN. They are looking to avenge last season’s loss.
Week 2 they travel to Savannah to face Benedictine. The Cadets are a 4A school but they came close to beating the Wolves on the road last year, losing 29 – 28.
The rest of the non-region schedule is brutal. They play Roswell and Douglas County. Buford will begin play in AAAAAA Region 8 on September 19th against Discovery. The only two teams that might challenge them from their region are Collins Hill and Mill Creek.
Grayson won the 6A state title last season so I think they are still the favorites. I do think Buford can challenge them for the state championship.
Schedule
8/14 vs Milton
8/22 @ Benedictine
9/5 vs Roswell
9/12 vs Douglas County
9/19 vs Discovery
10/3 @ Collins Hill
10/9 @ Dacula
10/17 @ Central Gwinnett
10/24 vs Mountain View
10/31 vs Mill Creek
Cream Of The Crop
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia has always produced great football players and this year is no different. Let’s take a look at some of the top players in the class of 2026.
LB Xavier Griffin, Gainesville: He’s a five-star recruit and the top ranked player in the state. He’s 6’3, 200 pounds and he has committed to Alabama. He’s an outside linebacker with speed to rush the passer and he can also play the run.
Last season he played in 8 games and had 43 total tackles, 29 solo, 13 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. The Red Elephants were 7-4 in 2024 and they are looking to make a state title run in 5A this season.
CB Jorden Edmonds, Sprayberry (Marietta): Edmonds is the second ranked player in the state and a five-star player. He has also committed to the Crimson Tide. He’s 6’2, 175 so he’s a tall corner back.
In 2025 he had 35 catches, 670 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense he had 35 total tackles, 24 solo, 1 TFL and 3 pass deflections. The Yellow Jackets aren’t a traditional powerhouse but they were 11-2 last season. They should make a deep playoff run in 2025.
LB Tyler Atkinson, Grayson: Atkinson is a five-star recruit and a Georgia commit. He’s a 6’2, 210 lbs. tackling machine. He helped lead the Rams to a 14-1 record and 6A state championship last year.
In 2024 he had 166 total tackles, 77 solo, 32 TFL, 13 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
As you see, he was all over the field. I’m not sure how he can top that as a senior but he will try his best to lead Grayson to repeat as state champs.
Edge Tristian Givens, Carver (Columbus): Givens is a five-star player and he’s committed to Texas A&M.
He’s 6’4, 215 lbs. and he wreaks havoc in the backfield. Last season he had 29 TFL and 12 sacks. He helped lead the Tigers to the AA state championship in 2024.
He also plays basketball and his team reached the AA Final Four. He averaged 8.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg.
DL Bryce Perry-Wright, Buford: We have another five-star player and Texas A&M commit. As a junior he had 57 total tackles, 30 solo, 13 TFL and 9 sacks. Perry-Wright is 6’2, 250 pounds and he can play defensive tackle or defensive end.
The Wolves are always state title contenders so I expect them to compete for the 6A championship in 2025. Last year they finished 12-2.
S Jordan Smith, Houston County: Smith is a four-star recruit and he’s committed to UGA.
Last season he had 85 total tackles, 69 solo, 3 TFL, 2 interceptions, 7 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble. He’s 6’2, 185 lbs. and he’s a hard hitter.
The Bears were 8-5 in 2024 and they are looking to make a deep playoff run in 5A.
Edge Jordan Carter, Douglas County: Carter is committed to Texas A&M. The Aggies are raiding some talent out of Georgia.
He’s 6’4, 235 pounds so he has the prototypical size for a defensive end. As a junior he had 62 total tackles, 35 solo, 17 TFL and 13 sacks.
The Tigers were 11-3 last season and came within one game of reaching the state championship. They lost to Grayson 35-28 in 6A the state semifinal.
Carter has another four-star teammate, WR Aaron Gregory that is also committed to A&M.
Flying With The Wind?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons were 8-9 last season. They started 6-3, which was their best start since 2016. They looked like a playoff team before the wheels fell off.
Head coach Raheem Morris is looking to improve in his second season with the Falcons. Atlanta signed QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in March of 2024.
They drafted QB Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) the next month in the NFL draft with the eighth pick. That move seemed like a head scratcher then but it may make more sense now.
Cousins started hot but his play got worse as the season progressed. The team had a four-game losing streak that was snapped in Week 15 against the Raiders.
Atlanta won the Monday Night Game 15-9. Las Vegas was 2-12 at that point and Cousins struggled so he was benched for Penix after that game.
Penix went 1-2 and both losses were in overtime. He has great potential but the success of this team will rely on him being above average.
“Michael is going to do great; he’s going to have a great career,” Cousins said of Penix. “He’s off to a great start. He has all the tangibles and intangibles you need to be successful. I’m just here to support him as he needs it. But I also don’t need to be in his ear so much that I’m another voice. I just want to be as supportive as I can, and he knows that.”
The focal point of the offense is Pro Bowl RB Bijan Robinson. He had a breakout second year with 1,456 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 61 receptions for 431 yards and a receiving TD.
“It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to explain it,” Penix said. “If he touched the ball every play and the defense knew every play, he’d still make big-time plays. He’s just that guy. He’s that guy when you go to a little-league game, there’s one kid who stands out who never gets tackled. He scores every time he touches the ball. That’s him in the NFL, so think about that. He does unreal stuff I’ve never even seen. He’s a special player, and as many times as we can get the ball in his hands, we’re going to do it.”
They also have a very good offensive line, led by Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstorm. receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney are one of the best duos in the league.
Kyle Pitts is the highest drafted tight end in history but he has not lived up to the hype. He disappears for entire games. Pitts has all of the measurables including size and speed. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and he has trade rumors around him that he could be dealt before the season begins.
“He’s become more of a complete tight end, so to speak,” Morris said. “It’s just that it’s always hard to accomplish the goals that everybody else wants for him.”
The defense does not have any Pro Bowlers. The Falcons always struggle to rush the passer and they addressed that need in the draft. They drafted linebacker Jalon Walker (Georgia) with the 15th pick and defensive end James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee) with the 26th pick. Walker won the Dick Butkus Award in 2024.
I do not have high expectations for rookies but I think they can make an impact this season.
The season starts September 7th at home against Tampa Bay. I believe the Falcons will be 9-8 in 2025. If Penix plays great I think they will win an extra game.
Tech’s NIL Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt is being proactive about the changes going on across the NCAA landscape.
There is an expected $2.8 billion settlement of House v. NCAA this summer. It is expected to afford schools $20.5 million to give to its athletes.
This figure is for athlete compensation across all varsity sports, not just those that generate revenue.
The number represents approximately 22% of average athletic department revenue across power conference athletic departments. The cost could rise to nearly $33 million per school in the next decade.
Batt is part of the settlement implementation committee and he gave an interview about the potential implications.
“From a macro perspective, we’re gonna get a system that’s fair, that’s transparent. We’re gonna get a system that is much more, I would think, kind of balanced across the board,” Batt said. “I think that if we zoom all the way out, that’s what everyone wants to look for, something that is sustainable over time that certainly drives more revenue for student-athletes.
“That, at the end of the day, is a goal we’ve all been working toward and feel like this would put it into place, but also creates some of that structure, some of that transparency, some of that systematic approach to the NIL and revenue sharing going forward.”
The House v. NCAA settlement was officially ratified recently, clearing the way for universities to directly pay athletes starting in 2025.
The settlement is expected to formally take effect on July 1, 2025, after it was approved by Judge Claudia Wilken of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
This is truly the biggest shift ever in college athletics. College is officially pay-for-play for the first time ever. The NCAA cleared several rules banning the practice in the lead-up to the settlement, and the new reality is now here.
Each school is expected to handle the settlement money differently.
“I would tell you that we’re really transparent with our coaches. We’ve got great buy-in across the board. We’ve been planning on how does this happen, what does it look like, for well over a year at this point in time,” Batt continued. “We’ve been working toward not only how we might fund it, how we might deploy it, what internal resources you need. We just did up a whole different vertical with our de facto general manager and enhanced legal team (and) finance to take care of rev share payments. All those sorts of things. It’s a huge shift for everybody in college athletics.”
The expectation is that more than 70% of these funds will be spent on football at power-conference schools. For a school like UConn, they may spend 50% of their budget on men’s basketball.
It still remains unclear how Title IX will factor into the model, though at least some funds will likely be directed toward women’s sports.
Players are being compensated directly but they still will not be classified as employees. They will probably be looked at as independent contractors.
Top Portal Classes
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college football spring transfer portal window closed April 25th. Let’s take a look at the top transfer portal recruiting classes going into the summer.
#1 LSU: The Tigers are bringing in 18 players. They have 12 four-stars and 5 three-star players.
Some of the standout players are: S Tamarcus Cooley (NC State), DL Bernard Gooden (USF), S A.J. Haulcy (Houston), Edge Patrick Payton (Florida State), TE Donovan Green (Texas A&M), DL Sydir Mitchell (Texas), CB Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech), Jack Pyburn (Florida), IOL Braelin Moore (Virginia Tech), WR Destyn Hill (Florida State), WR Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), WR Barion Brown (Kentucky), IOL Josh Thompson (Northwestern) and Edge Jimari Butler (Nebraska).
I expect LSU to be a top 10 team in the preseason poll.
#3 Miami: The Hurricanes have 19 commits. Nine of them are four-stars and 9 are three-stars.
The biggest star is QB Carson Beck (Georgia). He’s hoping to follow in Cam Ward’s footsteps because he transferred in from Washington State the year before. He was the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Some of the other players are: CB Keionte Scott (Houston), S Jakobe Thomas (Tennessee), LB Mohamed Toure (Rutgers), LB Kamal Bonner (NC State), WR Keelan Marion (BYU), WR Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), TE Alex Bauman (Tulane), IOL James Brockermeyer (TCU), CB Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin), CB Charles Brantley (Michigan State), TE Jack Nickel (UAB), S Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State), WR CJ Daniels (LSU) and Ethan O’Connor.
The defense was the Achilles’ heel last season so they added plenty of talent on that side of the ball. I think they will start the season just outside the top 10.
#4 Ole Miss: The Rebels are adding 29 transfer players, making them one of the deepest classes. They have 10 four-stars and 19 three-stars.
They include: QB Maealiuaki Smith (Oklahoma State), OT Terez Davis (Maryland), CB Tavoy Feagin (Clemson), WR Harrison Wallace III (Penn State), WR Traylon Ray (West Virginia), OT Percy Lewis (Auburn), S Kapena Gushiken (Washington State), WR Deuce Alexander (Wake Forest) and IOL Delano Townsend (UAB).
They lost quarterback Jaxson Dart who was a first round pick in the NFL draft. They have enough talent to start the season in the top 20.
#6 Florida State: FSU showed us how badly building a team from the transfer portal can go last year.
They imploded and went 2-10 after being ranked in the top 10 in the preseason. Let’s see if things will be better in 2025. Out of their 23 commits they have 8 four-stars and 15 three-stars.
Some of them are: RB Gavin Sawchuk (Oklahoma), OT Josh Raymond (Vanderbilt), CB Jeremiah Wilson (Houston), S Jarvis Boatwright Jr. (USC), WR Squirrel White (Tennessee), DL Jayson Jenkins (Tennessee) and OT Micah Pettus (Ole Miss).
We will see if the Seminoles can bounce back.
#8 Auburn: The Tigers were 5-7 last season and only won two conference games. They have 19 commits with 6 four-stars and 12 three-stars.
This includes: LB Caleb Wheatland (Maryland), S Taye Seymore (Georgia Tech), TE Preston Howard (Maryland), OT Mason Murphy (USC), CB Raion Strader (Miami OH), WR Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech), OT Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech) and QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma).
I think they can start the season as a Top 25 team.
Drafted To The Benz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 NFL Draft is over. We are going to take a look at the Atlanta Falcons draft and see how they did.
Atlanta Falcons: Draft picks
Round 1 (No. 15) Edge Jalon Walker, Georgia
Round 1 (No. 26) Edge James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Round 3 (No. 96) S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Round 4 (No. 118) S Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma
Round 7 (No. 218) OT Jack Nelson
I like the fact that Atlanta has addressed the need for pass rushers. That has been an issue for several years. I thought last season that should have been addressed first in the draft.
Instead, they picked QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick. If they did not sign Kirk Cousins in free agency that would have been a good pick.
“It’s like, ‘Man, how do we get two of these studs,’” general manager Terry Fontenot.
“’Let’s figure out a way to do that and let’s really impact this thing.’”
They did trade up to get the 26th pick to select Pearce. They gave up a 2026 first-rounder for that so they have to hope he lives up to his potential. As a Falcons fan I can’t help but think of recent draft picks that did not pan out.
Defensive end Takk McKinley was picked No. 26 by Atlanta in the 2017 draft. They declined his fifth-year option on his contract and he was waived during the 2020 season.
Linebacker Vic Beasley was selected No. 8 in the 2015 draft. He had a breakout second season in 2016, with 15.5 sacks. That was his only season with double-digit sacks in the five years he played for the Falcons.
Watts is a ball hawking safety and he addressed a huge need in the secondary. They were docked a 2025 fifth-round pick for violating the league’s anti-tampering policy related to signing free agents Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Charlie Woerner.
Bowman should develop into a starter at strong safety. He might play nickel in 2025, if needed.
Nelson will play behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary. He can play either right or left tackle.
“It doesn’t always line up to where the need matches the board in terms of the players that are there,” Fontenot said. “But it really worked out for us and we truly were able to bring in impact players in all areas.”
The biggest needs to address after the draft are center, wide receiver and corner back.
Atlanta signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents after the draft. They are Miami DT Simeon Barrow, Kansas CB Cobee Bryant, Michigan State RB Nathan Carter, Oregon State guard Joshua Gray, North Dakota State LB Nick Kubitz, Oregon CB Dontae Manning, South Carolina TE Joshua Simon, San Jose State WR Nick Nash, Vanderbilt WR Quincy Skinner, Georgia Tech OL Jordan Williams and Iowa State S Malik Verdon.
“We kind of talk about this draft and the fact that we do believe it’s a deep draft,” Fontenot said. “I keep saying this, but it’s true: there is an eighth round this year. We’re going to be aggressive there and get some good players when the seventh-round ends.”
Mel Kiper graded the Falcons draft a C-. I give them a B because they addressed the need for pass rushers.
Spring Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech played their spring game and Team Wreck ‘Em beat Swarm 20-19 in the White and Gold game.
Starting quarterback Haynes King played limited snaps in this game. I’m sure they wanted to make sure he stays healthy. King went 5-7 for 31 yards on the first drive for Team Swarm. The drive stalled so they had to punt.
Aidan Birr made a 47-yard field goal with 7:23 left in the first quarter to give Team Wreck ‘Em a 3-0 lead.
Wide receiver Zion Taylor had seven catches for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bailey Stockton had six receptions for 107 yards.
QB Aaron Philo completed a 58-yard pass to Taylor and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Luke Harpring to put Swarm within one point. Philo’s game winning two-point conversion pass attempt was incomplete.
“It’s really about just staying patient, trusting the process and now I got the opportunity to go show my abilities and what I can do,” Taylor said of his day. “I just gotta make the most of it every time I get the chance.”
QB Graham Knowles threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Taylor with 1:40 left in the game. That turned out to be the game winner.
King completed 9 of 12 passes for 66 yards. Philo was 19 of 34 passing for 275 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Knowles completed 11 of 20 passes for 133 yards, a touchdown and a pick.
“Today was a perfect example of why I think it’s important to play spring games,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “There’s a lot of reasons behind it from external, fans and student body and people around, but the importance is when you go out and scrimmage and you have people in the stands, it’s a different environment. You don’t know how you’re gonna scrimmage by the way you practice, necessarily. You hope you do.
“Then you don’t know how you’re gonna scrimmage in a stadium with people in it as opposed to a stadium that is empty. Everything we’re doing trying to shrink that gap between our preparation and playing in a game. This is another step toward that.”
Freshman running back J.P. Powell scored a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to give Team Wreck ‘Em a 10-0 lead. That capped of an 11-play drive.
Junior running back Jamal Haynes only had one carry but he did throw a touchdown pass. Haynes led the Yellow Jackets in rushing last season with 944 yards, 9 TD’s and he averaged 5.6 yards per carry. In 2023 he had 1,059 yards and 7 scores.
King threw a pass to Haynes in the right flat and Haynes caught it on the 45 and tossed a pass to Taylor who caught it at the 10. He dragged a defender into the end zone.
“We’re trying to build depth at quarterback,” Key joked during the ESPN livestream after the play.
Said Haynes postgame: “We put it in (Friday). We just wanted to bring a little fun to the game. Luckily, I had a great receiver to track down the ball because that (throw) was a little duck.”
“This is a reward for the players, too,” Key added. “You go through 14 days of practice, and I promise you our practices are real practice now. That’s the thing about spring; you go through all those practices and there’s no real reward other than the spring game. The reward is you’re getting better. So, give them an opportunity to go out there and play and you wanna see guys have fun, too.”
Left Standing
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four for the second time in history and the first time since 2008. The teams that made it are Duke (35-3), Florida (34-4), Auburn (32-5) and Houston (34-4).
Surprisingly, the 2008 Final Four was also in San Antonio. That’s the national title game where Kansas beat Memphis and Derrick Rose in overtime.
The SEC had a record of 14 teams make it into the NCAA Tournament. It’s not surprising that two teams are from that conference.
The first national semifinal is between the SEC regular-season champion Tigers and SEC tournament Gators.
“The four teams that are advancing, I think they’re the best four teams in the country,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after his team’s win Sunday. “That doesn’t obviously always happen.”
These teams played February 8th at Auburn and Florida won 90-81. The Tigers beat No. 2 seed Michigan State 70-64 in the Elite Eight. Johni Broome led the team with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The only other Tiger with double figures was freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford with 10 points.
“Unfortunately, there will only be one SEC team playing for the national championship,” Pearl said, also wearing a net around his neck.
This is Auburn’s second Final Four appearance and the first since 2019.
Florida had to rally late to beat No. 3 seed Texas Tech 84-79. The Gators trailed 75-66 with less than three minutes left in the game. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 30 points and sophomore forward Thomas Haugh scored 20.
“It goes to show how together we all are,” Clayton said. “Many times could easily just break, start pointing the finger, blaming each other for this and that. But we just stayed together through the end and stayed the course. And thankfully we got it done today.”
Todd Golden took over as the head coach in Gainesville in 2022. The Gators have improved in each season under him. This is Florida’s sixth Final Four appearance and the first since 2014.
The second game is Houston and their top-rated defense against Duke’s top-ranked offense.
The Blue Devils are a blue blood program and they have been led by freshman forward Cooper Flagg this season.
They defeated No. 2 seed Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight. Freshman guard Kon Knueppel had 21 points, junior guard Tyrese Proctor scored 17 and Flagg added 16 points.
“To hold them to 65 points is incredible,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “We watched them play the other night. They scored 113 and made 25 3s. The biggest thing for us was not taking the bait of getting so spread out.”
This is Duke’s 18th Final Four appearance and the first since 2022. That last appearance came in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season. Scheyer took over after he retired.
The Cougars beat No. 2 seed Tennessee 69-50 in the Elite Eight. Senior guard L.J. Cryer scored 17 points and junior guard Emanuel Sharp had 16 points.
“It’s a good feeling knowing what we’ve been through,” Sharp, the region’s most outstanding player, said of Houston’s first Final Four appearance since 2021. “A lot of people doubted us.”
This is Houston’s seventh trip to the Final Four and the first since 2021. Head coach Kelvin Sampson became the head coach in 2014 after previously being the head coach at Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana.
I think Duke and Florida will advance to the national title game. I expect the Blue Devils to win.
