Thursday's Report: Scoreboard; GHSA reclassification; Falcons/QB, UGA, Hawks; World Series/MLB, colleges, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, golf, high schools

Thursday's Report: Scoreboard; GHSA reclassification; Falcons/QB, UGA,  Hawks; World Series/MLB, colleges, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, golf, high schools

Coming every day: The only place in Central Georgia with daily high school scores, and the only place with college – Mercer, FVSU, Georgia College, CGTC, MGSU, GMC, Wesleyan – coverage (when info is offered).

 

Coming Thursday: The Sports Report’s high school football predictions

 

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High School

🏈🏈🏈Flag football🏈🏈🏈

Baldwin 25, Northeast 0

Houston County 76, Northside 6; Houston County 13, Peach County 12

Howard 20, Southwest 14

Mount de Sales 33, Rutland 0; Piedmont 27, Mount de Sales 20

Northside 2, Peach County 0

Westside 13, Central 12 

College

Basketball

M-Tallahassee 75, CGTC 72

🏐 🏐 🏐 Volleyball 🏐 🏐 🏐

Edward Waters 3, FVSU 0

Pro

Atlanta 130, Washington 121

 

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Around/About Central Georgia

GHSA releases classifications, appeals are next

          The first compilation of GHSA schools and enrollments for reclassification shows some interesting potential shakeups.        

          The GHSA returned to six classifications, with Class A again split, for the  first time since 2016-17.

          Houston County is the lone 6A area team, as one of the smallest – based on regular enrollment and out-of-zone students.

          The full list is here.

          Three Houston County schools are in 5A – Veterans, Northisde, and Warner Robins – with the fourth, Perry, joined by Jones County in 4A, a drop for Jones County.

          Current 4A schools West Laurens, Baldwin, and Howard drop to 3A and Westside to AA .

          Southwest, Northeast, and ACE Charter fall into Class A Division I. All of the current Division II teams stay put.

          Schools have a week to appeal their placement before the GHSA starts putting schools into classifications, and it’s a safe bet there’ll be several appeals from Central Georgia, after school officials consult with other school officials.. There’s another appeals process after regions are constructed, and more Central Georgia appeals are likely after that.

          In the fall/winter of 2021, the last round, the reclass committee approved Perry’s appeal to drop from 5A to 4A and Central from 4A to 3A in the first appeals meeting. Some machinations shortly thereafter dropped Central – with a high out-of-zone enrollment because of certain academic programs – into AA.

          After that, ACE’s appeal to drop to A/I was denied. ACE’s stint in AA – this is its second year – was likely be short after a rule passed in which students at private/open enrollment/charter school who were at that school since fifth grade. That was expected to drop ACE back to Class A, which is did.

          Two years ago, the reclassification committee met four times before presenting the final region plan in mid-December.

          Central Georgia’s classifications (in order of reclassification figure)
          Class 6A: Houston County
          Class 5A: Veterans, Northside, Warner Robins
          Class 4A: Perry, Jones County
          Class 3A: Central, West Laurens, Baldwin, Mary Persons, Howard, Peach County, Upson-Lee
          Class AA: Westside, Rutland, Putnam County, Washington County
          Class A/Division I: Lamar County, Southwest, Dodge County, Northeast, Jasper County, ACE Charter, Bleckley County, East Laurens, Dublin
Class A/Division II: Crawford County, GMC Prep, Hawkinsville, Taylor County, Wilkinson County, Macon County, Twiggs County, Hancock Central

Central Georgia teams in action Thursday

          Six area teams get a head start in the final regular-season week of the high school football season.

          Union Grove is at Jones County in 5A, Southwest and Central battle at Ed DeFore in AA, Macon County visits Marion County and GMC welcomes Twiggs County in A/II.

          Jones County has second place in 2-5A clinched at 6-3/4-1, while  Union Grove is 1-8/1-4 and in sixth place. The Greyhounds are rebounding form last week’s 43-28 loss to Warner Robins for the region title, and will get an extra day’s rest – and chance to scout potential opponents – for next week.

          Central (1-8/1-5) goes for a big upset against Southwest (5-4/4-2), which officially locks up third in 2-AA with a win, the Patriots’ highest region finish since 2017, the last time they made the playoffs.

          Macon County (7-2/4-2) gets third in its region with a win over sixth-place Marion County (4-5/2-4), and GMC (2-7/1-3) is still alive for a playoff spot, a game behind Hancock Central, which lost to GMC and faces first-place Johnson County.

 

Around/About Georgia/Southeast

Falcons bench Ridder, announce Heinicke as starter against Vikings

‘We’re not looking at the long term right now’

Heinicke 'excited for the opportunity' to start against Minnesota Vikings

UGA notes

Georgia recognizes Missouri as an upset threat

Murray leads balanced scoring attack as Hawks rout Wizards

 

NBA/WNBA/Basketball

Analysis: The James Harden saga in Philly has ended, and it makes sense for everyone

MLB/Baseball

Rangers explode late, blank D-Backs for first World Series title

Corey Seager earns second World Series MVP, joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson

D-backs’ Zac Gallen loses World Series no-hit bid on Corey Seager’s leadoff single in 7th inning

Dog days: Adam Wainwright’s official reason for retirement was ‘Because I got a puppy!’

Numbers say the Phillies shouldn't invest big money in Nola, but do they have a choice?

College Basketball

Legend Bobby Knight dead at 83

Knight’s coaching tree spread far and wide

NFL demands Houston Cougars stop wearing Oilers inspired uniforms, per report

FSU women’s coach Brooke Wyckoff diagnosed with breast cancer, prognosis ‘excellent’

Transfer portal changes equation for women’s coaches, who used to build dynasties on prep recruits

College Football/SEC, ACC

No. 12 Notre Dame still views Clemson as a ‘premier program’ despite 4-4 record

Auburn’s Freeze goes on matter-of-fact rant, defends being ‘too conservative’ in 2nd half vs. MSU

Alabama’s crowd was a major factor against Tennessee. Will the noise return vs. LSU?

College Football/South

Coastal Carolina QB McCall not cleared to play at Old Dominion

College Football

College Football Picks: SEC divisions on line with No. 13 LSU-No. 8 Bama, No. 14 Mizzou-No. 1 UGA

Big 12 releases 4 years of football opponents for 16-team conference, with annual BYU-Utah game

Oklahoma, Oklahoma State created “Bedlam” memories for over a century in series that ends this year

Big backs are putting their stamp on the Big 12. The league has most 100-yard rushers in Power Five

Ohio State RB Miyan Williams lost for the season due to injury. WR Emeka Egbuka (ankle) practicing

Sanders says NCAA or Rose Bowl should reimburse Colorado players for missing items from locker room

College Football/Wednesday night/Tuesday night

Undercuffler’s TD with 26 seconds left gives Akron a win over Kent State for the Wagon Wheel

Bowling Green holds off Ball State 24-21 after freshman misses 52-yard field goal as time expires

Stuart returns opening KO 97 yards and Toledo races past Buffalo

Biggins’ late INT seals Central Michigan’s win over Northern Illinois

NFL/XFL/USFL/Football

Analysis: NFL can’t protect QBs from freak injuries like noncontact Achilles tears

Column: Steelers offer more of the same old song in uninspiring loss to Jaguars

Analysis: Eagles have been NFL’s most consistent team despite not playing up to 2022 standard

Bears fire running backs coach Walker (issues), leaving Eberflus down 2 assistants

NFL demands Houston Cougars stop wearing Oilers inspired uniforms, per report

 Watson back at practice from shoulder injury, starter for Cardinals game unclear

Golf

Column: Options abound for getting to the PGA Tour. LIV Golf offers a new wrinkle

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL to feature 15-hole matches, overtime and lots of technology

Justin Thomas to be part of Atlanta team in TGL. Annika Sorenstam now an Augusta member

Auto Racing

Longtime dirt rivals Larson and Bell at last go head-to-head for NASCAR championship

High Schools

Tenn. HS won’t file injunction after violating recruiting rule, season over under NFL HOFer Mawae

Storied football rivalry in Maine takes on extra significance in wake of shootings

Scoreboard

MLB scores/games
NFL scores/games
College football scores, FBS
College football scores, FCS
NBA scores/games