Saturday's Report: HS scores, Mercer's Cameron; Tech falls to Vandy, Falcons, UGA, Braves; Year 2024/2025; College football HQ, NFL, soccer, MLB, college hoops, NBA, golf, tennis
📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D
High Schools
🏀🏀🏀Girls basketball🏀🏀🏀
ACE 60, Crawford County 19
Sara Rhett Farmer outscored the Eagles by 5. Zhoie Stanley added 14 and Kloie Stanley 11 for the Gryphons, who led 36-9 at halftime.
Central 52, Whitfield Academy 47
Frances Anyakudo’s latest double-double was good for 21 points and 16 rebounds. Jazlyn Johnson scored 15 and missed the double-double by a rebound. Lawren Anderson added 10 points.
Coffee 65, Dodge County 61
The Indians put up a fight against the 5A 9-0 Trojans, led by Lyric Green’s 20 points and Glenna Rae Whitley’s 14, 9 on 3s.
FPD 42, Pinewood Christian 38
Houston County 44, West Laurens 31
Syniah ranking put up a double-double for Houston County with 11points and 14 rebounds.
Piedmont 70, Robert Toombs 33
Tattnall 52, Bethlehem Christian 50
Tri Cities 61, Northside 35
Washington County 59, Laney 29
Makayla Dunn’s dozen led WACO, while Jade Kitchens added 11 and Aeria Hagans 10.
🏀🏀🏀Boys basketball🏀🏀🏀
Athens Christian 74, Bleckley County 52
Banks County 68, Jasper County 64
Malik Epps led a balanced Jasper County attack with 14 points, with 12 from Dee Pennamon and Chance Ross, and another 11 from JaMarkus Thomas.
Brentwood 54, Edmund Burke 36
Gatewood 77, Mount Pisgah 62
Lamar County 57, Elite Scholars 53
Laney 55, Washington County 47
Brashod Heggs again led the Golden Hawks with 21 points and 9 rebounds.
Lovejoy 51, Wilkinson County 41
Northside 65, Mount Zion 44
Jordan Gaines led Northside in the Oscar Wemberly Tournament opener with 20 points, Vontrez Quainton adding 14 and Chaston Brown 10 points and 7 blocks.
Ocoee, Fla. 72, Mary Persons 59
Anderson Harris put up 16 for the Bulldogs. Champ Castlin had 14, with 10 each from Tobias Hare and Dee Grier.
Oconee County 40, Northeast 26
Pinewood Christian 70, FPD 54
Putnam County 61, Thomson 51
Jmari Greene led undefeated Putnam County with 19points, Jaylinn Harper chipping in 11.
Robert Toombs 64, Piedmont 47
Stratford 64, Citizens Christian 57
Tattnall 77, Fullington 32
Worth County 66, Central 57
Pro
🏒🏒🏒 SPHL 🏒🏒🏒
Macon 3, Pensacola 2
📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰
Around/About Central Georgia
Mercer’s Cameron finalist for award
Around/About Georgia
Vanderbilt 35, Georgia Tech 28 (box)
Vanderbilt beats Georgia Tech in Birmingham Bowl for first postseason win in 11 years
Yellow Jackets had to battle more than just Vandy
Key, King, Brooks talk about the comeback, and loss
Column-Refs losing control of game didn’t help Tech
How the Falcons' pass rush caught fire
Why A.J. Terrell is 'that guy'
Stockton: The stories that Georgia football fans need to know by heart before the Sugar Bowl
Schumann knows what’s missing from the Dawgs’ D
Depleted Notre Dame defense hopes to make an impact against Georgia
How will Acuña's return affect Braves' 2025 lineup?
The Year 2024
Scandals, some changes in public perception highlighted the year for sports betting
The Year 2025
In the wake of massive change ... where are sports going in 2025?
College Football/SEC/ACC/South
Next season will be put up or shut up time for Freeze
Auburn WR Sam Jackson reportedly enters transfer portal
College Football/Playoffs
College Football
SEC rushing leader Dylan Sampson of Tennessee declares for NFL draft
Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke transferring to Arizona
Rocket Sanders opts out for South Carolina in Citrus Bowl vs Illinois
College Football/Friday’s Bowls
Navy QB Blake Horvath’s 95-yard TD run in Armed Forces Bowl win is longest play in school history
Jones County’s Zion Ragins caught four passes for 20 yards for Oklahoma, and ran once for three yards. FPD’s Coleman Cauley didn’t play for Navy.
McCord throws for 453 yards, 5 TDs in No. 22 Syracuse’s Holiday Bowl win over Washington State
Houston County grad Wesley Steiner played but recorded no stats for Washington State.
Green leads Arkansas over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl
Raynor and Wallace lead Arkansas State past Bowling Green (Thursday)
Southern California overcomes 17-point deficit to beat Texas A&M
Saturday Games
11 a.m. North Carolina vs. UConn, Fenway Bowl, ESPN
North Carolina’s Central Georgian: 32 LB Evan Bennett, Gatewood, Fr.
12 p.m.: Boston College vs. Nebraska, Pinstripe Bowl, ABC
2:15 p.m.: TCU vs. Louisiana, New Mexico Bowl, ESPN
3:30 p.m.: Miami vs. Iowa State, Pop-Tarts Bowl, ABC
Miami’s Central Georgian: 15 QB Judd Anderson, Jones County, Fr.
4:30 p.m.: Colorado State vs. Miami, Ohio, Arizona Bowl, CW
5:45 p.m.: N.C. State vs. East Carolina, Military Bowl, ESPN
ECU’s Central Georgian: 4 DB Javion Clark, Jones County, Sr.
7:30 p.m.: BYU vs. Colorado, Alamo Bowl, ABC
Colorado’s Central Georgian: 29 RB Micah Welch, Baldwin, Fr. Welch is third with 161 yards on 38 carries with 4 TDs, plus 8 catches for 66 yards.
9:15 p.m.: Army vs. Louisiana Tech, Independence Bowl, ESPN
Louisiana Tech’s Central Georgians: 37 LB CJ Harris, Warner Robins, Sr., Highland CC/Arkansas State/Kent State; 92 DL Adam Lamar, Central, Jr., Hutchinson CC. Harris is eighth with 39 tackles. Lamar entered the portal in November after not getting any game action in 2024.
College Football/Bowls
Nebraska returns to the bowl season at a familiar place (but only to its oldest fans)
Left out of the playoff, Miami and Iowa State have something still to play for in Pop-Tarts Bowl
Louisiana-Lafayette and TCU both looking for a milestone win in the New Mexico Bowl
Kitchens will lead Tar Heels in Fenway Bowl against UConn. Another ex-Browns coach is standing by
No. 20 Colorado cherishing matchup with No. 17 BYU in Alamo Bowl as Sanders, Hunter complete careers
No. 19 Army brings a ‘bad taste’ from its Navy loss in the Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana Tech
College Football/Coaching carousel and moves
Former NFL receiver Jackson hired at Delaware State
NFL Games, Saturday (NFL Network)
1 p.m.: LA Chargers vs. New England
4:30 p.m.: Denver at Cincinnati
8:10 p.m.: Arizona at LA Raiders
NFL/USFL/UFL/Football
Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78
Browns restructure Watson’s contract to create cap space, flexibility, AP source says
Buccaneers looking to beat NFC South-rival Panthers and bolster hopes for a playoff berth
QB Room: Why Cousins could be Cleveland's best option to move on
Chargers focused on avoiding a letdown and not a potential playoff berth in matchup with Patriots
Round 2 of Surtain vs. Chase headlines the Broncos-Bengals matchup Saturday
Surging Rams host the eliminated Cardinals in the rematch of a rare blowout loss for McVay
Hurts won’t play Sunday against Dallas
College Basketball/Women
Transfers a hit for No. 8 Maryland, which brings an unbeaten record into matchup with Michigan State
College Basketball/Men
Cristobal, on now-retired Miami men’s basketball coach Larrañaga: ‘He is iconic’
NBA
Kings fire Brown less than halfway through his 3rd season, AP source says
Heat say Butler will miss 2 more games before rejoining team next week
Mavs star Doncic will be out about a month before check on calf injury, AP source says
Phoenix’s Nurkic, Dallas’ Marshall trade swings as 3 ejected in altercation
Wembanyama has 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks to lead Spurs over Nets
Brown scores season-high 44 points, Celtics cruise past Pacers
Tennis
Pro tennis player Jenson Brooksby talks about living with autism
Golf
Scheffler injures right hand on a broken glass, withdraws from PGA Tour opener in Hawaii
Hockey
Yzerman expecting new coach McLellan to get Red Wings back on track
Soccer
Ronaldo backs Amorim at Man United, picks Vinicius over Rodri at soccer awards
2024: The year the USWNT got its swagger back
Scoreboards