Thursday's Report: FVSU wins, GMC Prep opening, Mercer 🏈 ; GHSA finals, Manchester investigation, UGA, Hawks, Falcons, Braves; NCAA transfer rule, College 🏈/ W&M 🏀/📰, NFL, NBA, MLB, golf
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).
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Alumni Update
Baldwin’s Bullard forgot what it’s like to lose at UGA
Around/About Central Georgia
FVSU wins first Florida Beach Bowl, tops Johnson C. Smith
In the process, FVSU’s current head coach beat FVSU’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, GMC’s first in the GHSA era (late 1940s).
“I thought we were in a tough rebuilding situation,” Rhoades told the Union Recorder of Milledge on Tuesday. “It would be hard to argue that this team wasn’t a lot better at the end of the season than they were at the beginning.”
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.
Mercer’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 “The way he looked at me, like he wanted to tell me something he couldn’t.”
The Meriwether County coroner wouldn’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
Breaking down UGA’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
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: ‘We’ve lost our way a bit here’
Clemson’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
NFL/XFL/USFL/Football
Jets’ defense was thrilled to see Wilson ‘cookin’ like that’ in the quarterback’s return
Vikings’ defense driving playoff chase as O’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 ‘awful’ season to star for the 49ers
Belichick deflects questions about future, repeating ‘I’m getting ready for Kansas City’
NBA/WNBA/Basketball
Green suspended indefinitely by NBA
Antetokounmpo scores franchise-record 64 points
Bucks, Pacers square off in dispute over game ball after Giannis’ record-setting performance
Women’s College Basketball
Men’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 Auburn’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
Women’s college basketball