Sunday's News 'n Notes: Scoreboard; Hatcher at Macon TD Club, GHSA reclassification; Falcons fall, Braves win, Daniels' availability, MLB, NFL, NASCAR, colleges

October 4, 2021 Central Georgia Sports Report

Sunday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media. Updates will be noted, so check back.

Coming Monday: GHSA executive committee meeting and reclassification’s latest; This week’s Central Georgia high school football schedule; Macon Touchdown Club; Monday Afternoon Quarterback

Scoreboard
Pro
MLB
Atlanta 5, NY Mets 0
NFL
Washington 34, Atlanta 30

GHSA committee approves bumping up multiplier

The GHSA’s reclassification committee met for a little more than 30 minutes Sunday afternoon, with about three dozen onlooker, and decided on a 3.o multiplier for out-of-zone students for the next update.

The executive committee meets Monday morning to vote on that and other proposals, at the Marriott City Center.

The debate got lively at times with Trinity Christian athletics director Chris Hanson expressing displeasure with the major bump – from a 2.0 multiplier – and the possibility of teams moving up perhaps too many classes.

Safety as an issue was mentioned often, and Mary Persons principal Jim Finch said that was brought up as a concern with the 2.0 multiplier, and private schools adjusted fine, safety proved not to be an issue (and that those schools were playing bigger programs anyway), and he didn’t think it would be again, but said the group could address the issue in the next reclassification go ‘round and decrease the multiplier.

The impact on sports other than football was brought up, and Finch again said the private schools that were impacted by the 2.0 multiplier had similar success as before.

Finally, the vote passed 14-5. It doesn’t affect Class A schools, who again will not be pushed up to AA regardless of their out-of-zone number.

More on Sunday’s meeting and Monday’s action Monday afternoon in The Sports Report.

Macon native Hatcher to visit Macon TD Club

Samford head coach and Mount de Sales grad Chris Hatcher is Monday night’s speaker at the Macon Touchdown Club.

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. Admission for non-members is $30.

Mount de Sales and Windsor are the featured high schools. Former UGA and NFL punter Drew Butler, originally scheduled for last month, is next week’s speaker.

Hatcher is in his seventh season at Samford, and is 38-32 after Saturday’s 44-42 loss at Mercer. He is 159-89 in 22 seasons at Valdosta State (76-12), Georgia Southern (18-15), Murray State (27-30), and Samford.

The Mount de Sales grad led Valdosta State as a player, passing for 11,363 yards and 121 touchdowns, earning the Harlon Hill Trophy – Division II’s Heisman – in 1994.

He returned to VSU as head coach and led the Blazers to the Division I national title.

The Bulldogs trying for their sixth winning season in seven under Hatcher.

Around/About Georgia/Southeast

Houdini Heinicke: Washington beats Atlanta on late TD

For wont of one (bleeping) first down

Pregame: Atlanta, Washington need Ted Lasso’s positivity

Freeman on a roll as Braves finish regular season

Daniels’ availability?

Georgia’s Mailman almost chose a different route

Georgia a big favorite over Auburn

Tech takeaways

Former NASCAR driver shot and killed in Athens