Monday's Report: Rutland/FVSU alum King, Twiggs County hires Howell, Mercer rolls; Braves/ Soroka, Falcons, UGA; NBA, MLB, NFL/XFL, colleges, NASCAR, golf

May 15, 2023 Central Georgia Sports Report

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College

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⚾ ⚾ ⚾Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Georgia Tech 8, Duke 5

Georgia State 16, Georgia Southern 5

Mercer 8, Wofford 4

Missouri 5, Georgia 4

North Alabama 12, Kennesaw Sate 5

Pro

⚾ ⚾ ⚾ MLB ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Toronto 6, Atlanta 5

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Alumni Update

Marquette King (Rutland/FVSU) getting a ring

The bad news – sort of – for Marquette King is that he wasn’t very busy Saturday night when Arlington took on D.C. in the XFL championship.

The good news is what he did when called on.

The former Rutland and Fort Valley State standout had one punt, and it went for 54 yards, with a 6-yard return.

OK, D.C. scored two plays later …

Nevertheless, King will get a championship ring of some sort after Arlington’s 35-26 win for the championship.

Around/About Central Georgia

Twiggs County picks experienced Howell as head coach

One of Central Georgia’s most experienced veteran assistant football coaches now has the boss’s whistle.

The Twiggs County Board of Education approved Tommy Howell as the Cobras’ new head coach at Tuesday night’s regular meeting.

“I’ve taken the opportunity to go to many clinics and conferences as possible to learn as much as possible,” said Howell, who has also worked with an impressive list of successful head coaches. “I feel like the opportunity is here and I’m ready for it.”

The Toombs County grad has degrees from Brewton-Parker and Georgia College, and started his coaching career near home, with two years at Robert Toombs and then two at Toombs County.

He then coached at East Laurens, Dublin, Wayne County, Washington County, Warner Robins, and GMC Prep.

Howell has been at GMC since 2016, and the Bulldogs have hired their third head coach in that span.

Howell and wife Leigh Ann will celebrate their 21st anniversary in June. Daughter Haleigh is an honor student at GMC.

He succeeds Irade Perry, who went 4-26 in three seasons. Perry is currently remaining at Twiggs County as athletics director and a counselor.

The school suspended play for the 2020 COVID-19 season.

The Cobras went 2-8 in 2022, 0-5 in Region 5-A/Division II. Ironically, their two wins were shutouts.

“I feel like Coach Perry had laid a good foundation,” Howell said. “I feel like they have some good athletes, and the opportunity was there to improve on that foundation Coach Perry had built.”

Twiggs County is trying to dig out of a 4-46 hole in its last five seasons, including consecutive 0-10 seasons, one under Zackery Harris and one under one-year head coach Kelvin Blackshear.

Howell becomes the Cobras’ 11th head coach since 2000, a stretch that included Dexter Copeland twice, from 2001-09 and in 2014. He had seven winning seasons in that first stretch, including 32-5 in 2002-03-04. The only other winning season since 2000 was 8-4 in 2016 under Ashley Harden in his second and final season.

Howell, who has worked with the GHSA in a variety of roles over the years and is the incoming president of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, brings a resume of working at successful programs, perhaps moreso than any other hire, except Copeland’s second try.

Howell has worked with Mark Stroud, Buddy Sorrow, Sam Barrs, Roger Holmes, Joel Ingram, and Bryan Way. The worst career winning percentage in that group is 57.5 percent.

“It’s definitely an advantage to have been around some of the head coaches and coordinators I’ve been around,” he said. “I hate not to mention somebody, because everybody has had some kind of influence on me, things that I’ve jotted down, or tidbits that I remember.

“That’s a pretty good group.”

BSB-Mercer stuns Wofford with first home SoCon sweep loss since 2016

Around/About Georgia

More missed opportunities, another Braves loss, in walk-off

Is Soroka’s return imminent?

Day 2 of Atlanta’s rookie minicamp is in the books

Column-Robinson an exciting fit, but a needle-mover?

New Atlanta DB Phillips enters with a chip on his shoulder

Ex-Buckeye QB chimes on that Bennett wasn’t ‘playing school’

SB-Georgia to host NCAA regional

NBA/WNBA/Basketball

Tatum goes off for 51, Boston routs Philly