Friday's Report: Scoreboard; Ga. Sports Hall of Fame, Macon County's Roquan Smith, Washington County's Allisha Gray, Central hires FB coach, East Laurens wrestling, Mercer; Willock P.C., more
Thursday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
In Coverage: Full slate of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame inductees and legends set
High School
Basketball
Girls
Gatewood 93, Young Americans 11
Union Grove 50, Jones County 43
Boys
Gatewood 76, Young Americans 35
Union Grove 65, Jones County 57
College
🏀🏀🏀Basketball🏀🏀🏀
W-Georgia Tech 69, Syracuse 57
W-Georgia Southern 69, James Madison 65
W-Kennesaw State 71, Jacksonville State 61
M-Kennesaw State 82, Stetson 81, OT
M-Louisiana-Monroe 72, Georgia Southern 59
M-Mercer 69, VMI 61
W-Mobile 67, Middle Georgia State 47
M-Middle Georgia State 77, Mobile 70
M-South Georgia State 83, Central Georgia Tech 80
📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰
Alumni Update
Macon County’s Smith earns another Butkus Award for top LB
Washington County’s Gray traded to Atlanta Dream
Around/About Central Georgia
Central announces Laws as new head football coach
Central went outside of Bibb County and Central Georgia for its newest head football coach, Jarrett Laws being announced Thursday night at the Bibb County Board of Education meeting as the newest head Charger.
He takes over for Joaquin Sample, who went 16-36 in five seasons before being released from his coaching contract in late November.
A graduate of Daytona Beach Seabreeze High in Florida, Laws played college basketball and football at Wingate, a Division II program in North Carolina.
He has coached at Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (11-12, two seasons), Drew (20-27, five seasons), Griffin (17-6, two seasons), and then Salem (27-41, seven seasons), compiling a 75-86 record in 16 seasons, with seven winning seasons and seven playoff trips, highlighted by 11-1 at Griffin in 2014 and a quarterfinal trip with Mt. Zion in 2008.
Salem with 2-9 in 2022, being outscored 417-73, but still made the playoffs as the fourth-place team in Region 4-AAA, the wins coming in region play. The Seminoles lost 49-0 to Calvary Day in the first round of the playoffs.
He was the first head coach at Drew, which started in 2009. And he started the program at Tampa (Fla.) Freedom, going 3-5 in an abbreviated non-varsity season and 1-9 in its first full varsity season in 2003. That was after serving as offensive coordinator for a Class 5A runner-up in Florida in 2002.
MBKB-Mercer storms back from big hole for second straight win
East Laurens lone Central Georgia team in wrestling duals
The GHSA state dual wrestling championships get started Saturday in eight high school gyms throughout the state – including Jones County – with only one Central Georgia representative.
East Laurens is among the eight teams competing in Class A, at Trion. The Falcons beat Mt.Zion-Carrollton 51-21 and Dade County 42-33 in the dual prelims last week to advance.
In the prelims, around the state, Central Georgia teams Lamar County, Putnam County,
Putnam County lost 37-36 to Brantley County in AA in a second-round match, just missing advancing. West Laurens lost by eight to North Oconee in a 4A second-round battle, Jones County by 17 to Jefferson in 5A.
West Laurens won the Class 4A title last year.
The state traditional tournament is Feb.16-18 at the Macon Coliseum.
Around/About Georgia/Southeast
‘Press conference’ a lawyer reading of statements, Willock family not present
Willock’s dad unaware of media meeting, no plans to sue Georgia
Will Bennett at Senior Bowl be a job interview with Chicago?
Ridder’s trajectory unclear after rookie season
About Andruw and the Hall of Fame
College Football/Southeast
What’s next for Florida after Rashada situation?
Beamer reshaping perception of South Carolina’s program
College Football
Issues growing with NCAA, Michigan, and Harbaugh
Harbaugh refuses to agree on charge
College football is cannibalizing itself
College Basketball
M-Notre Dame’s Brey done at season’s end after 23 years with Irish
M-Loyola Marymount ends Gonzaga’s 75-game home streak
M-From first day of betting in Ohio, Dayton and Grant got threats
W-No. 3 LSU fends off Arkansas
M-Davis on scoring binge at unheralded Detroit Mercy
Football/NFL/USFL
Out-Leftwich in Tampa Bay, and more assistants
Out-Miami DC Boyer, after three years, and more assistants
Out-Rams cut loose five assistants
Leaving-Baltimore OC Roman, for ‘other opportunities’
Dallas continues to back Maher
Mahomes, Chiefs eye fifth straight AFC title game
Giants’ Jones changing narrative, quieting critics
Cowboys and Niners for a record ninth playoff game
Does Brady’s career go down with end of an ugly TB season?
Column-Brady’s time is up, no perfect time to go
Giants’ Daboll undaunted by third meeting with Philly
Turnovers a concern for Buffalo
Gronk-Rodgers should talk more of Super Bowls than MVPs
NBA/WNBA/Basketball
Boston edges Golden State in OT, in Finals rematch
Baseball/MLB
Ranking the remaining free agents
Golf
Thompson leads American Express
Tennis
Murray edges Kokkinakis after 4 a.m.
Djokovic worried about leg, bugged by heckler
American men having a solid Australian Open start
Track & Field
Southern Cal names field after Olympic star Felix
Bolt missing $12.7 mil from account
Soccer
Charlotte’s Walkes dies in boat accident
Scoreboards
Women’s college basketball scores/games
Men’s college basketball scores/games
Friday's Report: Scoreboard; Ga. Sports Hall of Fame, Macon County's Roquan Smith, Washington County's Allisha Gray, Central hires FB coach, East Laurens wrestling, Mercer; Willock P.C., more