Thursday's Report: FB scouting reports, HS scores; Apalachee tragedy, injured Bremen player, Falcons optimism/health/Steelers; UGA newbies, Tech, Braves, AMS; MLB, NFL, US Open, college

September 5, 2024 Central Georgia Sports Report

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High Schools

Softball

ACE 8, Central 0
Sophie Denney led the Gryphons’ offense with 3 hits in 4 trips, Laney Bridges adding 2 hits and 2 steals. Ella Allen fanned 6 with 3 walks and 3 hits in 6 innings.

Houston County 10, West Laurens 7
The Bears went up 4-0 after 3, and the teams exchanged runs the rest of the way. Ansleigh Darby and Claire McArthur had 4 hits each for Houston County, McArthur with 3 RBI. Kinley Snider and Hayley McElroy had 2 hits each for Houston County.

Peach County 4, Northside 0
Gracie Martin whiffed 11 Eagles in the complete-game 1-hitter. Losing pitcher Kadence Cooley struck out 10 with no walks. Kaylyn Hornaday and Ta'Mori Hollingshed had 2 hits each for the Trojans.

Piedmont 11, Stratford 2
Marissa Holder’s 2-run homer in the first got the Cougars going, and she added another one in the fifth. Holder drove in 4 runs, with 2-hit games from Kylee Keck, Shaniyah Lane, and Plunkett.

Taylor County 14, Manchester 0, 4 inn.
Victoria Cooper sat down 14 batters with strikeouts in a shortened 1-hitter. The Vikings put up 12 runs in the third, Kelsey Driggers and Emily Hobbs with 2-run hits. All but 4 runs were unearned. Hobbs had 3 hits and 3 runs for Taylor County.

Pro

⚾ ⚾ ⚾MLB ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Atlanta 5, Colorado 2

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Central Georgia HS football scouting reports

East Laurens, 1-2/0-2, at Central 0-3/0-2 (Ed DeFore)
The Falcons and Chargers both need some positivity. East Laurens and new head coach Jesse Hicks have been outscored – albeit by playoff teams Dublin and Bleckley County – 108-32 since surprising Johnson County 13-8 in the opener. The Falcons have had one winning season since 2012. Central has been outscored 124-18 against a similarly tough schedule, and the Chargers have had three winning season in that same span, since 2012. Two of them were with Hicks in charge, in 2015-16.

Jefferson County, 0-3/0-2, at No. 13T Northeast 2-1/2-0 (Thompson)
The Raiders are getting 33 points a game and giving up 21, numbers that are likely to improve against a team that has given up 83 points and scored none this year after being outscored 492-129 in going 0-10 last year, under a new coach for the first time since 2001. The Warriors are on an 0-14 streak. They won the lone meeting, 24-12 in the 2008 playoffs. Northeast RB Nick Woodford has 345 yards rushing in two games.

Southwest, 0-3/0-2, at No. 10 Bleckley County, 2-1/1-1, 7:30 p.m.
The Royals sandwiched two solid wins around a loss to Dodge County, which is less a surprise with each week as the Indians progress. QB Kam Everett is completing 57.6 percent of his passes (in two games according to not-updated MaxPreps stats), while Dequavis Benjamin gets 6.6 yards a carry. The Patriots stung Dublin early last week, leading 12-0 before losing 56-34. Southwest leads the series 3-2, but lost the last meeting, 42-6 in 2021, and is trying to avoid its first 0-4 start since 2013, an 0-10 season.

AA Westside, 1-2, at A No. 2 Bowdon, 2-1
The game was abruptly changed on Wednesday to Thursday, changing the routine for both teams. The Seminoles, though, likely needed more time, coming off a 56-31 home loss to Westover, which followed 49-0 loss in Florida. Bowdon has become an elite Class A program under Richard Fendley Jr., son of former longtime Warner Robins football and track coach Richard Fendley Sr. In the last 5 seasons, Bowdon’s only regular-season losses to unranked team came against higher-classification teams that combined to go 42-15.

Around/About Central Georgia

Around/About Georgia

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National ‘experts’ predict good things for Falcons in 2024

Pitts, Landman limited for Falcons as Week 1 prep begins

Versatile Steelers lineman Anderson will start at guard vs. Atlanta

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Frazier not the only UGA newcomer to step up

Georgia notebook

What does Georgia Tech being ranked mean for Syracuse?