Tuesday's News 'n Notes: Scoreboard; Mercer hoops; new GSU boss Helton to visit Macon TD Club, Jasper County football, Henley update; UGA, Falcons; NFL/Rodgers, colleges, NFL, MLB, more

November 10, 2021 Central Georgia Sports Report

Tuesday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.

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College
Basketball
W-Wake Forest 68, Mercer 55
M-Arkansas 74, Mercer 61
Volleyball
Edward Waters 3, FVSU 0

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Around/About Central Georgia

WBKB: Mercer gives Wake Forest a battle in opener

MBKB: Arkansas taken to the final few minutes by Mercer

New Georgia Southern head coach making Macon TD Club visit Monday

The last Georgia Southern head football coach was supposed to speak at the Macon Touchdown Club on Oct. 18, but he was fired a month earlier.

The latest Georgia Southern head football coach will, however, speak at the Macon Touchdown Club, less than two week after being introduced.

Clay Helton will make one of his first public appearances as the new Eagles boss this Monday. Terry Harvin, a former Eagle kicker now head of GSU’s , will introduce Helton instead of serving as the scheduled speaker.

Helton was head coach at Southern California for six seasons, and a game as interim in 2013 and the first two games of 2021. He is 46-24.

He has a background in the South, as a Gainesville, Fla. native who played at Auburn and Houston. He was at Duke, Houston, and Memphis from 1995-2009, working with running backs, wideouts, and quarterbacks.

He joined the Southern Cal staff in 2010 under Lane Kiffin, then was interim head coach in 2013 when interim head coach Ed Orgeron – who took over when Kiffin was fired in late September of 2013 - quit following Steve Sarkisian’s appointment as head coach.

Helton stayed on and succeeded Sarkisian who was fired, Helton again serving as interim before getting the permanent job. He was then let go early this season after Southern Cal beat San Jose and lost to then-No. 14 Stanford.

He is the son of well-traveled Kim Helton, who has been an assistant in college af Florida, Miami, UAB, and (currently) Western Kentucky, and head coach at Houston, as well as an NFL assistant with Tampa Bay, Houston, the Raiders, Washington, and assistant in the Canadian Football League with Toronto.

Helton’s brother is their father’s boss. Tyson Helton is head coach at Western Kentucky. Tyson coached under Clay at Southern Cal.

Pitts one and done at Jasper County

Aaron Pitts was hired in February as Jasper County’s seven head football coach of the century. And he lasted less than nine months.

The Jasper County Charter System posted the opening on its website on Monday. It didn’t indicate whether Pitts had resigned or been dismissed.

The Hurricanes finishes their first winless season in program history wth last week’s loss to Washington County. Jasper County hasn’t had a winning season since going 6-4 in 2003, and failed to score 100 points for the third time since 2004.

Pitts succeeded Rydell Jackson, who last three seasons and finished 10-21.

Third round doomed Henley in Mexico, Houston next

The first two rounds of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba went pretty well for Russell Henley.

The Stratford grad shot a 65 and 69 for a two-round 134, five shots out of the lead. Despite a double bogey and two bogeys, Henley was having a solid tournament.

Then came Saturday: a bogey and double bogey in the first five holes, and two bogeys on two of the final three holes, and not a birdie all day.

Sunday started off as badly, with a bogey and double bogey on the first two holes. But Henley regrouped impressively and had none after that, plus seven birdies on the remaining 16 holes for a 67, to finish tied for 56th with a 7-under 277.

Up next is the Houston Open, which Henley won in 2017. He finished tied for 29th last year.

Around/About Georgia/Southeast

Georgia preparing for a different level of offense

Receivers give Georgia offense a boost

Falcons winning close games, at .500 halfway through

Mid-term report card

Dallas coordinators have explaining to do

Hawks drop fifth straight

MBKB: Iowa State handles Kennesaw State

MBKB: Georgia State thumps Brewton-Parker

College Football/South

Mullen can fix it