Sunday's Central Georgia Daily News 'n Notes
Sunday’s Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
The Braves Report is up, and the Daily Scoreboard and schedule will be up later.
Brees breaks Falcons hearts in OT
Drew Brees leaped over from a yard out to finish an 80-yard drive with the game-winning touchdown in overtime for a 43-37 win at Atlanta.
A play earlier, his pass to Alvin Kamara was ruled down at the 1 after a replay.
Brees, 39, set the NFL mark for career completions fairly early in the pass-happy day. He passed for 396 yards and three touchdowns, going 39 for 49 and getting sacked once. Matt Ryan threw for 374 yards on a 26-of-35 day with five touchdowns.
The pair threw 84 passes, and none were intercepted.
Calvin Ridley had a coming out, with 146 yards receiving and three touchdown catches. The Falcons rushed for only 48 yards to 143 for the Saints.
Saints had the O, not the D (of course, neither …)
FVSU falls on the road
Benedict scored 14 points in the first quarter and 14 points in the fourth quarter to down Fort Valley State 28-20 on Sunday in Columbia, S.C.
Up by one, Benedict took advantage of a botched punt return, and turned it into a touchdown and eight-point lead with less than four minutes left in the game.
The Wildcats reached the Benedict 22 on their final possession, but a fourth-and-19 pass was incomplete.
The Tigers took a 14-0 lead after a quarter, scoring on their first two possessions.
A sack and a fumble recovery for a touchdown got FVSU on the board with 4:15 left in the half, but they then had a field goal blocked in the final minute.
Former West Laurens standout Garrel Quainton kept from the 3 for a touchdown, and it was tied late in the third. Then ex-Dodge County ace Cam Young had a scoop and score, but the PAT was blocked and the Wildcats’ lead was 20-14 at the end of the third.
Benedict retook the lead on a 20-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes into the fourth, and converted the kick.
Quainton was 14 of 30 for 126 yards, and he led the Wildcats with 60 yards on 12 tries. Lorenzo Smothers had 52 on 11.
Benedict outgained FVSU 298-248 on 12 fewer plays, and was 3 for 8 on third downs to 6 for 17 for FVSU.
The Wildcats host Virginia University-Lynchburg at 6 p.m. Saturday in their home opener.
Macon TD Club honors trio from Northeast, Mount de Sales, and Stratford
Three schools are represented by this week’s Macon Touchdown Club players of the week.
Northeast quarterback Nolan Ussery is the back of the week, after completing 5 of 10 passes for 128 yards and score while rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Bleckley County.
Mount de Sales end Dane Frier is the lineman of the week, after racking up 12 tackles and three sacks in the Cavs’ overtime win over Stratford.
Stratford kicker Jonathan Siegel is the special teams player of the week after averaging about 41 yards per punt against Mount de Sales.
Bill Curry is the Macon Touchdown Club speaker
Super Bowl champ player and longtime head coach Bill Curry is Monday’s speaker at the Macon Touchdown Club.
Covenant and Rutland are the featured high schools.
Curry’s post-sports career has rendered him similar legendary status as a public speaker and quasi-activist.
The College Park native graduated from Georgia Tech, and then spent two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. His NFL career included stops at Baltimore, Houston, and the L.A. Rams.
Curry’s coaching career started in 1976 as an assistant at Georgia Tech, and then a few years with Green Bay.
Then his head coaching career began, at his alma mater, Tech, from 1980-86. He followed at Alabama and then Kentucky, went to the TV both for more than a decade, and started up the Georgia State program in 2008, the first season coming two years later.
He retired after the 2012 season with a career coaching record of 93-128-4. His best record was 26-10 in three seasons at Alabama, a 72.2-percent mark. His predecessor Ray Perkins won 67.7 percent of the time and successor Gene Stallings had a 71.3 percent mark.
the best three-year mark for the Tide.
The 75-year-old is a passionate speaker who has visited the Touchdown Club before, in 2009 for the first time, his notes-free talk covering a score of non-sports but sports-connected topics like work ethic, racism, education, and teamwork.
His career included working or playing side by side with a who’s who, including Bobby Dodd, Vince Lombardi, Paul Hornung, Don Shula, Johnny Unitas, to name a few.
The club meets at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth, in the Rumford Center, at 304 Pierce Ave. It starts at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the program to begin around 7. Cost is $30 for non-members, who needn't be accompanied by a member.
(High school teams: Send schedules and results – with game details, first and last names, and records – to centralgasports@gmail.com)
Football updates
Georgia
Georgia Tech