Thursday's Report: FVSU wins, GMC Prep opening, Mercer ๐Ÿˆ ; GHSA finals, Manchester investigation, UGA, Hawks, Falcons, Braves; NCAA transfer rule, College ๐Ÿˆ/ W&M ๐Ÿ€/๐Ÿ“ฐ, NFL, NBA, MLB, golf

Thursday's Report: FVSU wins, GMC Prep opening, Mercer  ๐Ÿˆ ; GHSA finals, Manchester investigation, UGA, Hawks, Falcons, Braves; NCAA transfer rule,  College ๐Ÿˆ/ W&M ๐Ÿ€/๐Ÿ“ฐ, NFL, NBA,  MLB, golf

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

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Pro

๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€NBA๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€

Toronto 135, Atlanta 128 

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Alumni Update

Baldwinโ€™s Bullard forgot what itโ€™s like to lose at UGA

Around/About Central Georgia

FVSU wins first Florida Beach Bowl, tops Johnson C. Smith

          In the process, FVSUโ€™s current head coach beat FVSUโ€™s last head coach, Shawn Gibbs succeeding JCS head coach Maurice Flowers.

          Wildcat quarterback Kelvin Durham was the game MVP, going 10 for 14 for 167 yards and two scores, connecting with Westside grad Jaren Lawson for the game-clinching 84-touchdown.

 

GMC Prep in the market for a head coach again

          The Bobby Rhoades Era at GMC prep lasted about 11 months.

          Rhodes has resigned after one season at the school, going 3-7. The Bulldogs won two of their last three games after a 1-6 start, en route to their 18th losing season this century on their seventh head coach  in that span.

          He was hired from the staff at Pepperell High in February to replace Lee Coleman. Coleman spent four years at GMC, highlighted by a historic 10-1 season and region title in 2021, GMCโ€™s first in the GHSA era (late 1940s).

          โ€œI thought we were in a tough rebuilding situation,โ€ Rhoades told the Union Recorder of Milledge on Tuesday. โ€œIt would be hard to argue that this team wasnโ€™t a lot better at the end of the season than they were at the beginning.โ€

          He declined to offer specifics to the paper about his next step.

          The school will start 2024 with a new athletics director. Andrew Grodecki is leaving to join his wife, former Georgia College softball coach Jamie, in North Carolina. She has taken a job at Barton College as an associate athletics director for external affairs.

          Head baseball coach Rusty Courson is replacing Grodecki, effective this week. He has been at the school for a decade, six as head baseball coach, while serving on the football and basketball staffs.

          Kyle Redmond, in his first year at GMC, will succeed Courson as head baseball coach.

          Other Central Georgia head football openings: Baldwin, Dodge County, Twiggs County, and Stratford.

 

Mercerโ€™s James, Wise earn another All-American honor

 

Around/About Georgia/Southeast

Investigation continues on death of Manchester player

          Few details have emerged on the death of Manchester football player Brandon Smith, found dead on Sunday, a day before his team was to play in the GHSA Class A/Division II state championship game in Atlanta.

          His grandmother, who had raised him, has told media that he went missing on Thursday night, and it was her understanding that he had been shot multiple times. He was officially reported missing on Saturday.

          She told the New York Post on Wednesday that โ€œThe way he looked at me, like he wanted to tell me something he couldnโ€™t.โ€

          The Meriwether County coroner wouldnโ€™t confirm a cause of death, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was reportedly to conduct an autopsy on Tuesday.

          Manchester entered the field with captains holding his jersey. Opponent Bowdon did the same with a No. 52 jersey. Bowdon barely beat Manchester 28-27.

          A vigil is tentatively planned at the school on Friday, and a GoFundMe page has been set up.

 

Cedar Grove handles Savannah Christian

Coffee finishes perfect season

Milton surprises Walton

Breaking down UGAโ€™s 2024 schedule, now official

Column-Hawks still stuck in the middle

Siakam scores 33 points, Raptors beat Hawks to end 4-game losing streak

Falcons facing injury issues on both lines as Kentavius Street ruled out against Panthers

'It will be a crazy finish': Falcons preparing for Panthers, crucial 4-game stretch ahead

Atlanta injury update

Outfielder Kelenic eager to change the narrative after trade to Braves

 

College Sports

College athletes who transfer twice can play, for now, after a judge sets aside NCAA transfer rule

UGA president & NCAA board chair: โ€˜Weโ€™ve lost our way a bit hereโ€™

Clemsonโ€™s Lucas Glover and Jack Leggett head group of 10 names to SC Athletic Hall of Fame

'We've all grown up with it.' Gonzaga's Few among those 'disappointed' in demise of Pac-12

College Football/SEC, ACC

Alabama football's CFP berth slows flow of NCAA transfer portal exits

Auburn defensive lineman Marcus Harris declares for NFL draft

College Football/South

Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall announces he is transferring to NC State

College Football

Brown is already pulling in SEC-level recruits for official visits to Syracuse

Rutgers gives Greg Schiano a new contract through the 2030 season

Bowl season is complicated by opt outs, coaching changes. Still, there is a reason to watch them all

Division II All-America team

NFL/XFL/USFL/Football

Jetsโ€™ defense was thrilled to see Wilson โ€˜cookinโ€™ like thatโ€™ in the quarterbackโ€™s return

Vikingsโ€™ defense driving playoff chase as Oโ€™Connell mulls another QB change

Bills and McDermott overcome their flaws to beat Chiefs and stay afloat in playoff race

Levis shows Titans have bright future with big comeback

After a week of uncomfortable conversations, Godwin rescues Bucs

Tomlin adjusts stance on WR Pickens' emotions: 'It's a problem'

Samuel rebounds from self-described โ€˜awfulโ€™ season to star for the 49ers

Belichick deflects questions about future, repeating โ€˜Iโ€™m getting ready for Kansas Cityโ€™

NBA/WNBA/Basketball

Green suspended indefinitely by NBA

Antetokounmpo scores franchise-record 64 points

Bucks, Pacers square off in dispute over game ball after Giannisโ€™ record-setting performance

Roundup

Womenโ€™s College Basketball

Roundup

Menโ€™s College Basketball

Huge underdog Chicago State stuns No. 25 Northwestern

Boone scores 25 points to lead UNLV to 79-64 victory over No. 8 Creighton

Donaldson scores 15, Baker-Mazara 11 in Auburnโ€™s win over UNC Asheville

Arkansas State rolls past Louisville for its first win over a Power Five opponent since 2014

MLB/Baseball

South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee gets $113 million, 6-year deal with Giants, AP source says

Deflecting questions about long-term deal, Juan Soto looks forward to playing with Yankees in 2024

Orioles, Maryland reach tentative 30-year deal

Golf

PGA Tour offered rookies $500K up front. Only 8 of them needed it

Column: Rahm goes back on his word. But circumstances changed

Scoreboard

NFL scores/games
College football scores, FBS
College football scores, FCS
NBA scores/games
Womenโ€™s college basketball

Menโ€™s college basketball