Monday's News 'n Notes: COVID updates; Westside's Barden, Peach County's Harris, Houston County's Anderson, Mercer; Hawks, UGA/Michigan, Falcons; colleges, NFL, NASCAR, more
Monday'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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Sports and COVID-19
‘Stay focused’ the key for college playoff teams as COVID ramps up again
Update: Boise State pulls out of Arizona bowl (and more)
‘Wake up, America’: College hoops season crumbling with growing cases
Carolina sends more home; NFL updates
NBA changes protocols, expedites path to returns
NHL coming back, but three more games ppd.
Rose Bowl amps things down amid concerns
Alumni Update
Westside’s Barden may be available for Peach
Decisions, decisions
Former Peach County standout Justin Harris entered the transfer portal at Georgia Southern in September, and announced on Instagram Sunday he is transferring to Fort Valley State.
He played in two games in 2020 for the Eagles and none in 2021.
Ex-Houston County receiver Darien Anderson posted on social media that he is leaving Tusculum early for the NFL Draft. He was a redshirt senior at Georgia Southern in 2020, and left with 22 career catches for 474 yards and five TDs in four seasons.
At Tusculum, a Division II program in Tennessee, he caught seven passes in 2021 for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Around/About Central Georgia
WBKB: COVID wipes out Mercer-UNCW game
Around/About Georgia/Southeast
Chicago powers past Atlanta, with Young
Michigan confident upon semifinal arrival
Masks make figuring out who’s missing tough
But Daniels and Pickens have arrived
The close games are a sign of Smith’s impact with Atlanta
Five lessons from the Atlanta win
Central Georgians in Tuesday's bowl games
Auburn: 32 LB Wesley Steiner, So, Houston County; 37 LB Romello Height, So., Dublin; 85 TE Tyler Fromm, So., Warner Robins
Louisville: 92 DL Malik Clark, Jr., Baldwin
NC State: 27 LB Jayland Parker, Westside, Fr.
None: Houston, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, Air Force, UCLA, West Virginia, Minnesota
Tuesday’s bowls
12 p.m, ESPN, Houston vs. Auburn
Cougars going for 12th win, Tigers going for positive ending
3:15 p.m., ESPN, Air Force vs. Louisville
6:45 p.m., ESPN, Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State
8 p.m., FOX, NC State vs. UCLA
10:15 p.m., ESPN, Minnesota vs. West Virginia
College Football/South
UCF adds former Auburn assistant Lindsey
Carolinas chase winning season in Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Auburn wants in-state win over ranked Houston
Vols secondary to be busy against Purdue
South Carolina reaches into Texas for recruits
Peach Bowl is Patti’s first start in ‘forever’
College Football
Western Michigan bounces Nevada for second bowl win
Tucker OK with portal players in bowl games
Ohio State WR skipping Rose Bowl
Column: Sure, Urban could teach a class on leadership
NFL
Waddle leads Dolphins past Saints for seventh straight win
Heat growing on Carolina’s Rhule
Column: Warner movie is a good ride, not a classic, though
Column: Amid Chiefs' COVID-19 limbo, Andy Reid's stability, adaptability anchor the franchise
Seahawks dodge snowballs as dismal finish nears
Chiefs-Steelers so bad, CBS changed games early
College Basketball
Son of legend Summitt still moving on from scandal
College Sports
College coach handles everything for all sports, and his own teams
Baseball
Dodgers’ Taylor surprises with virtual visit to hospital, plans charity event
Another side to Buck Showalter
Auto Racing
New owner for Nashville Superspeedway
Golf/Tennis
Was the Brooks-Bryson rivalry good for golf?
Around the nation/world