2004 Real-Life Tucker Tigers Dynasty

[Ben E Lou]

If I have time, I'll post more later today, but definitely a recap after tonight's opening game (which THS should win easily), but here are the AJC's previews of DeKalb County teams in Region 6-AAAA, and overall predictions. Tucker is gettin' NO love! The AJC didn't even pick them in the preseason Top Ten in AAAA.

REGION 6-AAAA

Chamblee Bulldogs

• Coach: Brent Miller

• 2003: 6-4

• Returning starters: RB-LB Marvelous Strickland (6-0, 215, Sr.), RB-DB Roddy Jones (5-9, 160, Soph.), TE-LB Charles Major (6-0, 180, Sr.), TE-LB Orzielle Frazier (5-11, 170, Soph.), OL-DL Arthur Miller (5-10, 230, Jr.), OL-DL Justin D. Smith (5-11, 265, Jr.)

• Outlook: Only an upset at the end of the season kept Chamblee, which was led by Travis Chambers (signed by Georgia Tech) and Rodney Ezzard (Duke), from making the state playoffs. It will likely be a couple of years before the Bulldogs are in postseason contention again, as they suffered heavy losses to graduation and are starting over with Brent Miller as their new coach. Miller has been coaching for 21 years in Georgia, including 14 as head coach, and has installed a pro-I formation. Jason Barcus and Brandon Gregory are battling for the QB job. Marvelous Strickland rushed for 623 yards and four TDs last year. The defense will likely carry Chamblee through the early stages of the season. Justin D. Smith is one of the area's best punters with a 38.3-yard average.

• It will be a good season if: Chamblee has a winning record.

• Chances of making the playoffs: Fair, with chances increasing every day the players become more familiar with the offense.



Lakeside Vikings

• Coach: Bill Harris

• 2003: 6-4

• Returning starters: FB-LB Gary Ogden (5-10, 205, Sr.), WR-QB Quartez Key (5-8, 170, Sr.), OG Andrew Ruzkowski (5-11, 202, Sr.), C George Reynolds (6-3, 270, Sr.), DE Nathaniel Hilliard (5-11, 183), K Greg Nicholson (5-10, 169, Sr.)

• Outlook: Lakeside was one of last year's feel-good stories, posting a 6-4 record (program's best since 1997) and closing out the season with a stunning upset over Southwest DeKalb. The Panthers suffered heavy losses to graduation, but move down to Class AAAA with a lot of confidence. Bill Harris says he has exceptional team chemistry and as much talent as last year, although many lack experience. The Vikings will be boosted by the addition of a pair of seniors who haven't played football in two years: DB-WR Drew Jones and TE Steve Jones, both of whom are among the team's top college prospects. Quartez Key will shift from WR to take over the No. 1 QB responsibilities.

• It will be a good season if: The Vikings continue to make progress as they have the past three years under Harris. Improvement this season means making the playoffs.

• Chances of making the playoffs: Good. The Vikings dropped down a classification into a tough region, but carry a lot of confidence and momentum from last year.



Marist War Eagles

• Coach: Alan Chadwick

• 2003: 14-1

• Returning starters: WR-QB Chris Ashkouti (6-0, 185, Sr.), RB Anderson Russell (6-0, 197, Sr.), TE-LB Taylor Cleveland (5-11, 172, Sr.), LB Andrew Dete (6-0, 200, Sr.), OL-DL Michael Palma (6-0, 197, Sr.)

• Outlook: On the surface, Marist's chances of repeating as Class AAAA state champion do not look good with only five returning starters. But the War Eagles have several reasons to be optimistic about making another title run: QB Chris Ashkouti is probably better at running the option than Sean McVay, who signed with Miami of Ohio; RB Anderson Russell seems poised to flourish after sharing the ball with two others last year; the team is strong again across the offensive and defensive lines. Marist's top attribute is that it expects to win the region, make the playoffs and contend for state title every year.

• It will be a good season if: Marist makes the semifinals again, and possibly the state finals.

• Chances of making the playoffs: Automatic, as it has been just about every year the team has been under the direction of Alan Chadwick — since 1985.



St. Pius Golden Lions

• Coach: Paul Standard

• 2003: 10-3

• Returning starters: TB-FS Brandon Echols (6-1, 190, Sr.), WR-DB Nick Hogan (5-11, 170, Sr.), SS-RB Joe Gibson (5-10, 170, Sr.), K Halton Williams (5-8, 150, Sr.), QB Griffin Benedict (6-1, 190, Sr.), WR-DB Kevin Ksionzyk (5-9, 180, Sr.), RB Chris McBride (5-10, 200, Sr.), LB Nathan Shaffner (5-11, 200, Jr.), OL John McGinniss (6-2, 190, Sr.), OL Jacob Longoria (6-2, 200, Sr.), OL-DL Daniel Finnerty (6-3, 245, Sr.), TE Alex Seglem (6-2, 205, Sr.)

• Outlook: St. Pius, which reached the state quarterfinals last year, is coming off its best season since 1968, and there is no reason to think the Golden Lions can match or improve on the effort. The nucleus of the team returns, led by Nick Hogan, last year's AJC Rockale/DeKalb player of the year, who blocked seven punts or kicks and intercepted seven passes. RB Brandon Echols has as much raw talent as any player in the area, and Alex Seglem is a scoring threat at TE. St. Pius lost leading rusher Evan Tighe (1,190 yards last year) to graduation, but sophomore Tyler Fish appears to be a rising star. St. Pius has 85 players, including 31 seniors.

• It will be a good season if: St. Pius beats Marist, even if it loses the rest of its games.

• Chances of making the playoffs: Excellent, and the Golden Lions are aiming to make it to the Georgia Dome for the state semifinals.



Tucker Tigers

• Coach: Bill Ballard

• 2003: 12-2

• Returning starters: RB-DB Brandyn Young (6-0, 184, Sr.), DB Trey Bice (5-10, 160, Sr.), WR Asher Allen (5-10, 170, Sr.), DE Tavares Kearney (6-1, 220, Sr.), NG-FB Hamilton Sims (5-8, 180, Sr.), SS Mike Compton (5-10, 180, Sr.), DE Tristian Solomon (5-11, 200, Sr.), OL Will Stewart (6-1, 220, Sr.)

• Outlook: Tucker lost one of the most talented senior classes in DeKalb County history last year, with 13 players signing college scholarships, including six at the major-college level. Most programs would take a nose dive after such personnel losses, but the Tigers figure to be strong again. Tucker may have as much raw talent as a year ago, but lacks experience. The Tigers are spending the preseason trying to find their own identity for this group of seniors, led by Brandyn Young, who has committed to Maryland. Young rushed for 967 yards last year after Thomas Brown (signed with Georgia) suffered a season-ending leg injury. Young is one of the state's most electrifying players and will line up at several positions on offense, including QB. Others battling for the No, 1 QB spot are Dewayne Harris and Steve McClure.

• It will be a good season if: Tucker competes for the region championship and makes it at least to the second round of the state playoffs.

• Chances of making the state playoffs: Great. The faces have changed, but Bill Ballard has guided Tucker to a 24-3 record over the previous two seasons, including a trip to the state semifinals last year. These are good times at Tucker.



Projected standings

1. Marist

2. St. Pius

3. Tucker

4. Lakeside

5. Etowah

6. North Springs

7. North Forsyth

8. Chamblee

9. Forsyth Central

[Ben E Lou]

6-AAAA Preview from The Insiders:

2004 Football Preview

Class AAAA - Region 6

It was an exciting season for Marist last season on the way to the state championship. The War Eagles didn’t let a loss in their regular-season finale to St. PiusX stop them. Instead, they knocked off then top-ranked Shaw in the quarterfinals, then disposed of state power Thomas County Central in the semifinals. They pounded Statesboro in the championship game. Marist lost a lot of talent off last year’s state championship team, but the War Eagles have enough to make a run at winning the region title and defending their state title. Overcoming the loss of 35 seniors is detrimental to most programs, but Marist should be fine. Some interior linemen have to be replaced on both sides as well as 2003 All-State quarterback/defensive back Sean McVay. Senior running back Anderson Russell (6-0, 205) gives the War Eagles a Division I-A prospect on offense. Meanwhile, senior linebacker Andrew Dete (6-0, 200) returns to lead the defense. Tucker, the Region 6 runner-up to Marist last season, should make the playoffs again. The Tigers fell short of playing the War Eagles in the state championship game when they lost to Statesboro in overtime in the semifinals. But to approach last year’s success, Tucker must replace players such as quarterback D.T. McDowell, running back Thomas Brown and linebacker Brandon Lang. Senior running back/defensive back Brandyn Young (5-11, 180) took over in the offensive backfield midway through the season and played a key role in helping the Tigers to the semifinals. Young has verbally committed to Maryland. Linebacker Tavares Kearney (6-1, 190) gives Tucker something to build around on defense. St. Pius X held the distinction of being the only team to beat Marist last year. The Golden Lions used that momentum to make it to the third round of the playoffs before losing to Statesboro. St. Pius might not be quite as talented, but they have enough to challenge for a playoff spot. Safety Brandon Echols (6-1, 183) is a solid prospect. Lakeside-DeKalb moves down from Class AAAAA, just missing the playoffs last year. But the Vikings could be a team to watch for. They ended last year with a big win over Southwest DeKalb. Lakeside hopes to carry that momentum into this season. Etowah is also moving down and should benefit. The Eagles just missed the postseason in 2003. North Forsyth is also a team to watch for. The Raiders showed signs of turning the corner last season but finished 4-6. With its entire offensive line returning and several talented underclassmen, North Forsyth is expected to be much improved. Chamblee played well in a win over St. Pius X and losses to Marist and South Forsyth, but poorly in a loss to North Springs. If the Bulldogs can stay consistent, they could make a run at the playoffs. North Springs and Forsyth Central struggled last season and aren’t expected to play roles in the postseason race. Alpharetta plays its first season and will struggle in a very competitive region.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Tucker Tigers

• Coach: Bill Ballard

• 2003: 12-2

• Returning starters: RB-DB Brandyn Young (6-0, 184, Sr.), DB Trey Bice (5-10, 160, Sr.), WR Asher Allen (5-10, 170, Sr.), DE Tavares Kearney (6-1, 220, Sr.), NG-FB Hamilton Sims (5-8, 180, Sr.), SS Mike Compton (5-10, 180, Sr.), DE Tristian Solomon (5-11, 200, Sr.), OL Will Stewart (6-1, 220, Sr.)

• Outlook: Tucker lost one of the most talented senior classes in DeKalb County history last year, with 13 players signing college scholarships, including six at the major-college level. Most programs would take a nose dive after such personnel losses, but the Tigers figure to be strong again. Tucker may have as much raw talent as a year ago, but lacks experience. The Tigers are spending the preseason trying to find their own identity for this group of seniors, led by Brandyn Young, who has committed to Maryland. Young rushed for 967 yards last year after Thomas Brown (signed with Georgia) suffered a season-ending leg injury. Young is one of the state's most electrifying players and will line up at several positions on offense, including QB. Others battling for the No, 1 QB spot are Dewayne Harris and Steve McClure.

• It will be a good season if: Tucker competes for the region championship and makes it at least to the second round of the state playoffs.

• Chances of making the state playoffs: Great. The faces have changed, but Bill Ballard has guided Tucker to a 24-3 record over the previous two seasons, including a trip to the state semifinals last year. These are good times at Tucker.

I copied and pasted this as-is, but a few comments on obvious mistakes:

1. Asher Allen and Mike Compton are Juniors, not Seniors.

2. DeWayne Harris is a transfer, also a Junior, and will definitely be the primary QB. (Note that Asher, Mike and DeWayne will be the starting backfield in 2005 as well. Asher and Mike will back up B.Y. and Hamilton this year at TB and FB respectively, but expect both of them to get significant playing time on offense--to the point of almost splitting time.)

3. There ain't no WAY that Hamilton is 5'8" tall.

4. DeWayne is D.T.'s cousin.

[digamma]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met...20weather.html

You didn't think my dad was going to miss this one, did you?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by digamma

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met...20weather.html

You didn't think my dad was going to miss this one, did you?

As I mentioned in my newsletter, the last conversation I had with your dad was about signing Bill up for our trip to SharpTop. However, the last LONG conversation I had with your dad was on the bus ride to Forsyth Central. I sat directly across from him, and we chatted some about Amy being a YL leader, a little about you, but mainly about a special ed kid who was making his first trip that game as a ball boy. He was really excited about this kid and how much progress he was making. You could tell he was really proud of him. Well, tonight that same kid was a ball boy......and he was wearing a gold #58 jersey. It brought a smile and tears simutaneously.

[Ben E Lou]

Oh yeah. Tucker won 35-6. DeWayne looked *really* good at QB, and Mike Compton had a very strong game at FB. Hamilton Sims had a slight injury, and sat this one out. More details tomorrow.

--Ben

[JeffNights]

Lucky. Marist will whup'em


"Tucker Hater"



P.S. Somebody around here has to yin the yang.

[CraigSca]

What?! No word on Brandyn Young? He's our ticket to a national championship .

Note: Friedgen just got a new contract today - guaranteeing him $1.5M a year through 2012. Yay!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Looks like it's gonna be an interesting year for football, with some traditional powers struggling to stay at the top & some other powers looking even stronger. What the heck am I talking about? Well, let's see here ...

-- Camden's 12-10 win over Parkview certainly goes a long way toward legitimizing their claim that the balance of power in AAAAA has shifted south. At least, it's no longer Gwinnett's classification to dominate.
-- LaGrange's 35-7 demolition of AAAA #1 Newnan was impressive. The Cougars were overrated badly IMO, but the Grangers have served notice on the rest of AAA.
-- How about Greene County (AA) knocking off Lincoln County (A) 21-6? Never mind the classifications, that's an upset of major proportions in the middle of the state. And not just the win, but the way they did it -- on the road & by pushing Lincoln around in the 4th qtr. I listened to some of this one on WDDK-FM (103.9), very impressive by the Tigers.
-- Nevermind the 14-0 loss to NS-WR, I believe Peach County is going to be right in there. With Peach, LaGrange, and Shaw, I believe AAA might turn out to be the most interesting classification to watch all year, even if WaCo's loss to Hawkinsville (kudos to the little school for a huge win too) might be an indication that they're not quite what they've been in the past.
-- Okay, the AJC says St.Pius is a Top-10 team ... and they promptly struggle in their opener against Hiram (3-7 last year). Makes me wonder if the "resurgence" is more myth than reality.
-- Other odds & ends from the state's opening weekend: Congrats to Pike County & new HC Buzz Busby (ex-Statesboro), a 60-0 win over Central-Talbotton. After years of struggles, any win for the Pirates is a good win ... Monticello hung in there against Appalachee, losing 12-0 ... Piedmont Academy got their butts handed to them, 32-0 loss at Nat Greene (in Siloam). I gotta be honest here, with the peckerhead they've got as a new HC, if they go 0-10, I'm not exactly gonna be disappointed.

[Ben E Lou]

I'm a slacker. However, Tucker (3-0) is off this weekend, meaning I have this evening free. I plan to fully update this thread then, and then be able to move forward. This is a VERY interesting team this year.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I'm a slacker. However, Tucker (3-0) is off this weekend, meaning I have this evening free. I plan to fully update this thread then, and then be able to move forward. This is a VERY interesting team this year.

Sure you do.

BTW, it looks like at least Susan and my step-brother Eddie will be at the Marist game next Friday. With my changing jobs in progress, I can't get away next weekend, but I will be in Atlanta the weekend of the Chamblee game.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by digamma

Sure you do.

BTW, it looks like at least Susan and my step-brother Eddie will be at the Marist game next Friday. With my changing jobs in progress, I can't get away next weekend, but I will be in Atlanta the weekend of the Chamblee game.

Working on it now, smart-@#$! I ended up beign asked to play guitar at a Habitat for Humanity fund-raising lock-in last night. I haven't picked that sucker up in nearly two months, so I needed to brush up on a few songs, especially the newer ones.

Thanks for the heads-up, because with the madhouse that game will be, no guarantees that I would have run into Susan and Eddie. The Chamblee game will be a complete cakewalk. They're *really* down this year.

[Ben E Lou]

MEET THE 2004 TIGERS

QUARTERBACK

First off, there's starting QB DeWayne Harris (Jr.).

DeWayne is a cousin of last year's QB, D.T. McDowell. His family moved into the Tucker district this year so that he could take over the vacated position. DeWayne played for two years at a weak program in DeKalb County, but he'll be a Tiger for the final two years of his high school career. DeWayne is a big, strong kid, right at 6'0", 190 pounds. He's similar to D.T. in terms of physical tools: a strong arm and good speed. His arm is not AS strong as D.T.'s (Whose is?), but he's probably just as fast, and already makes better decisions on the option. Also, he has a *great* demeanor and is very much coachable. He'll likely be getting some D-1 looks next season. Brandyn Young ("B.Y."), the starting tailback, will serve as the primary backup QB. B.Y. started one game last year when D.T. was serving a one-game suspension. He threw two passes in that one, completing both of them.

BACKS AND RECEIVERS

Tucker has over a dozen former skill position players at the college level right now, and this year's crop maintains that tradition nicely. First off, there's Brandyn Young (Sr.), the starting tailback.

B.Y., as he is known to everyone in Tucker, stepped it up last year after blue-chip prospect Thomas Brown (now the #2 tailback at UGA as a true freshman) went down with a broken leg. B.Y. is a sub-4.5 kid with decent size (185-190 pounds currently) and a nice frame. He could probably carry 210-215 pounds without losing much, if any, of his speed. He has given a verbal commitment to Maryland. He could play RB or DB in college.

Starting at fullback is everyone's favorite little guy, 5-foot-6-inch-185-pound Hamilton Sims (Sr.):

Hamilton is starting to get some serious-sounding D-1 inquiries. Iowa and Army in particular seem very interested. Ham is lightning quick, and strong as an ox. He benches over 350, and squats over 500. He has a chance to break most of Thomas Brown's Tucker weight-room records before he graduates this spring. When he plays nose guard on defense, most centers can do absolutely nothing with him. Ham is a good blocker, and with his speed (in the 4.5 range), he can take off if he gets into the secondary. He played a good bit on offense last year, but did not start due to the presence of FB Jimmy Coleman (now red-shirting at Tulane). Hamilton is a well-disciplined pastor's son, and unquestionably is the most popular Tiger among all those Southern dads in the stands, due to the hard-hitting grit that he brings to the table on every play.

The drop-off at both tailback and fullback is very minimal this year, with Juniors Asher Allen (21) and Mike Compton (29)

Honestly, I think both of these guys will end up being better than the guys they are playing behind this season. Asher is a little faster than B.Y., but not as big (probably around 170-175 right now). Of course, the kid is barely 16 years old, so he's still got some filling out to do. One long-time Tucker fan said that no one, including Thomas Brown, dominated the Tucker Youth Football League like Asher did. With his speed, he'll start at receiver most of the time this year, and get some carries at tailback as well. His natural position is tailback, though. Compton is a big ol' man-child who seems to be growing every day. I wouldn't be shocked to see him become one of those 225-pound bruising tailbacks. He's got Earl Campbell thighs and sub 4.5 speed.

Believe it or not, there's yet ANOTHER back worth mentioning, Jr. Bryant Flenoury. Bryant is a little scat-back, probably in the 5'8"-160 pound range, but he's the fastest kid on team, running right around 4.40 in the 40. He'll start in the secondary, run back kicks, play some receiver and also get some carries at tailback.

Seniors Trey Buice and Quinton Heard will get their shares of playing time at receiver. Both are solid players with decent speed. Neither is a big-time prospect, though.

Finally, there's the versatile TE Tavares Kearney.

Tavares will play primarily at TE on offense, but can play virtually anywhere on the defensive side of the ball. He's a big, strong wrecking force. He's a good blocking and pass-catching TE. Tavares has not committed, but has offers from Clemson, Tech and Mississippi State, among others.

OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Once again, Tucker is patching together an offensive line. The only returning starter is C Will Stewart (Sr.).

Will is around 6'2", weighs around 225 pounds, and is a good enough athlete to be a SF/PF on the varsity basketball team. The other two most promising-looking linemen are Juniors Jotis Head (79) and Anthony Cloud (59).

Jotis looks like he has the size and athleticism to be a legit D-1 lineman. He's around 6'3", 250 pounds right now, and is quite athletic. He's playing offensive tackle. Anthony is primarily a defensive lineman. He's cut from the Hamilton Sims mold--around 5'7" tall. Also, there's Sr. Tristian Solomon. Solomon started some at LB last year, and will play on both sides of the ball on the line this year. As mentioned earlier, Hamilton Sims is a key player on the defensive line. There are other decent linemen as well this year. All-in-all, Tucker has a chance to be better at the line of scrimmage than in any season in recent memory.

LINEBACKERS AND SECONDARY

Most of the key LB's and DB's have already been mentioned. Tucker has so many talented players who are in great shape in the 175-200 pound range that will rotate in and out here. Tavares Kearney is the key LB, and the rotation of Compton, Asher, B.Y., Trey and Bryant in the secondary makes it very difficult to pass on the Tigers.

OVERALL

Once again, Tucker has a very fast, very well-coached team. The only mild concern is at the line of scrimmage. Tucker should easily defeat 6 of their opponents this year (Cedar Grove, Lakeside, Etowah, Chamblee, Forsyth Central, North Springs) just on the major talent gap. Those six teams have virtually no chance of winning, and Tucker could pretty much name their score against any of them if they so chose. North Forsyth should have a decent team, but Tucker should still defeat them by 3 TD's or more. Americus-Sumter, Marist, and St. Pius should be the games that present a challenge this year. Pius has always struggled mightily against Tucker, as they don't handle teams with speed very well. Americus-Sumter is a newly-combined school, consisting of two traditional AA powers. Of course Marist is the rivalry of all rivalries. Last year's Tucker-Marist game boasted a crowd upwards of 11,000, and this year's should be similar. Marist is defending state champs, and Tucker would like to be the team to knock 'em off that pedestal.

My overall outlook is that the state playoffs are an absolute lock. Four teams from each region make the playoffs, and Tucker's second-string would probably finish no worse than third in Region 6-AAAA. That's not to say that the region is soft--just EXTREMELY top-heavy. There is a WIDE WIDE gap between Tucker/Marist/Pius, and everyone else.

As far as how far Tucker can go this year, that remains to be seen. Most of the traditional AAAA powers lost large senior classes last year, and three strong AAAAA teams dropped down to AAAA (Northside, Warner Robins, Southwest DeKalb). At this point, it is still anyone's guess as to who the front-runners are. Marist is undefeated and ranked #1 due to their championship last year. The big test for both Tucker and Marist will take place this Friday night at Hughes-Spalding Stadium.

[Ben E Lou]

WEEK 1
As mentioned earlier, Tucker swamped Cedar Grove in a non-region game. The Saints were very much outmanned, as most of Tucker's opponents will be this year.

WEEK 2
As expected, this one was a test. We traveled over three hours down to South Georgia to play Americus-Sumter, a newly-combined school that should be a force in AAAA. We came out of there with a hard-fought 27-19 win. Interesting note: Tucker turned down an invitation to play in the Corky Kell Kickoff Classic in the Georgia Dome this year, and decided to play this game as well. The coaching staff likes to play a "travel game" during the regular season to get the players familiar with that drill when it ends up happening in the playoffs.

WEEK 3
Tucker played Lakeside this week. LHS is less than five miles from THS, and up until this year, most of the kids went to middle school together under a split-feeder system. Tucker and Lakeside are long-time traditional rivals due to proximity. LHS has been in AAAAA the last two seasons, so they hadn't played since '01. LHS dropped back down to AAAA this year, and the rivalry resumed, as such. The problem is that the once-proud Lakeside program (state title in '91, state finals in '96) has fallen on VERY hard times. Tucker rolled to a 37-0 halftime lead en route to a 44-0 shellacking of Lakeside. What is worse for Lakeside is that the JV and Freshman teams from the two schools also played this week. Tucker's JV won 45-6, and the Freshmen won 41-0. This "rivarly" isn't gonna be much for at least a few seasons.

COMING UP.....

TUCKER VS. MARIST!!!

I'm sure this one will be carried live via internet radio once again. I'll be copying the hyped-up news stories into this thread as the week goes along.

[Ben E Lou]

One other thing is that it looks like North Forsyth has emerged as the front-runner for the #4 playoff spot in the region. Here are results of in-region action so far:

WEEK 3
Marist 44, Etowah 14
Forsyth Central 15, North Springs 7
St. Pius 33, North Forsyth 20
Tucker 44, Lakeside 0
Chamblee won 46-18 in a non-region game against Dunwoody.

WEEK 4
Marist 56, Chamblee 20
Lakeside 24, Forsyth Central 8
St. Pius 31, Etowah 7
North Forsyth 38, North Springs 8
Tucker: Off.

Based on the first two weeks of region play, it looks like the North Springs vs. Lakeside game will determine the #4 team in the region.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Elsewhere, some names we'll be seeing in this thread eventually

Associated Press CLASS AAAA Top Ten Results
1. Marist (4-0) beat Chamblee, 56-20
2. Statesboro (3-0) idle this week
3. Northside-Warner Robins (3-0) beat Stockbridge 62-6 on Saturday
4. Ware County (4-0) beat Savannah, 50-0
5. Tucker (3-0) idle this week
6. Westside-Macon (3-0) beat Eagle's Landing, 37-0
7. St. Pius X (4-0) beat Etowah, 31-7
8. Sandy Creek (3-0) beat McIntosh, 33-3
9. Thomas County Central (2-1) beat Early County, 37-13
10. Rome (3-0) beat Ringgold, 38-10

In other classifications ...
Central Gwinnett ended Buford's state-record 48 game winning streak with a 20-14 win ... Class AAA #1 LaGrange routed 2nd-ranked Shaw 37-10 in a week that saw 5 of the classification's top ten teams lose ... Piedmont Academy remained winless, falling 6-0 to their archrivals from Gatewood (Eatonton) ... Monticello traveled into northwest Georgia to take on smaller, but ranked, Trion & lost 28-21. Trailing 22-21 in the 4th, Monticello was stuffed three times inside the five & then allowed Trion to march 99 yards for a game-sealing TD in the final minutes.

[Ben E Lou]

Good news for this thread! Tucker-Marist does not have to compete with Brookwood-Parkview this year for top billing in the metro area. In the last 3-4 years, they've been the same week. This year they are not. The only other matchup of highly-acclaimed teams this week as far as I can tell is down in South Georgia, so Tucker-Marist will likely receive most of the AJC's hype this week. First mention in today's paper:

ajc.com > Sports > High School
Tucker's turn to chase after payback

The Age of Settled Accounts dawned at Marist last season, with no payback being more satisfying to the War Eagles than when they took out years of frustration by walloping Thomas County Central in a semifinal playoff. Marist's only price, in keeping with the payback theme, was to suffer an upset at the hands of St. Pius in the regular-season finale after the decades of pain it had inflicted on the Golden Lions. But since the War Eagles' season resumed with a march to the Class AAAA championship, all was well that ended well.

Nearly lost in Marist's avenging run was the War Eagles' 31-19 win over Tucker -- repayment for two consecutive losses to the Tigers.

The payback burden will be on No. 7-ranked Tucker when it visits the No. 1-ranked War Eagles at Hughes Spalding Stadium on Friday. Both are unbeaten, but Marist hasn't played a game decided by fewer than 19 points.

Other games of note this week include:

• Buford vs. Gainesville: Who would have believed this game would be accurately summed up as the Battle for the One-Game Winning Streak?

That's what this amounts to after Central Gwinnett snapped Buford's 47-game winning streak Friday with a 20-14 victory. And once North Hall whipped Gainesville 28-0 Friday, ending the Red Elephants' run of 22 consecutive regular-season victories, it ensured there wouldn't be a double-digit winning streak anywhere near Buford's Tom Riden Stadium on Friday.

• South Gwinnett at Berkmar: Berkmar is a surprising 3-0 but faces its toughest opposition to date Friday when South Gwinnett drops in. A victory would equal Berkmar's total from last season and actually give the Patriots a share of the Region 8-AAAAA lead.

• Lincoln County at Commerce: It's a showdown between two traditional Class A powers who have struggled against higher-classification competition in the early going.

No. 6-ranked Lincoln County lost its opener to Class AA Greene County, barely got by Class AAA Burke County and then properly disposed of Class AAAA Greenbrier.

Commerce just broke a two-game skid -- losses to Class AAA Franklin County and Class AA Morgan County -- by whipping Class AA Banks County.

[Ben E Lou]

Due to Ivan, the game may end up getting moved to Saturday. At any rate, here's a nice article that will run in tomorrow's AJC:

A battle of region titans
Still plenty of firepower at Marist, Tucker



So much for all the talk about Marist and Tucker being a little bit down this year.

The two teams play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Marist. While it is true that neither Marist nor Tucker features the marquee names or offensive firepower from a year ago, both teams are still two of the Atlanta area's best and likely to make it far into the playoffs.

JB REED / Staff (ENLARGE)
Marist coach Alan Chadwick says, 'You've got to approach this game [with Tucker] as a big one.' The victor has gone on to win the region every year since 1998.
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GAME OF THE WEEK • Who: Tucker at Marist • When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Marist's Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta. • Records, rankings: Marist is 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA. Tucker is 3-0 and ranked No. 7. • Last meeting: Marist won 31-19 in 2003. • Three things to watch: 1. Will the Tucker defense be ready when Marist runs one of its trick plays? 2. Marist quarterback Chris Ashkouti has earned rave reviews through four games, but will be asked to do more as the season goes along. 3. Who is the best tailback in DeKalb County, Marist's Anderson Russell or Tucker's Brandyn Young?

Marist is 4-0, ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA, and appears poised to defend the state championship it won a year ago. Tucker is 3-0 and holds down the No. 7 spot in the state rankings.

"Let's make no mistake about it: This is a big game," Tucker coach Bill Ballard said. "You can't count out St. Pius and some of the other teams, so I'm not going to say this one will decide the Region 6-AAAA championship.

"However, the winner of this game will control its own destiny and have a great shot at region."

The winner of the Tucker-Marist game has gone on to win the region every year since 1998. Marist coach Alan Chadwick knows it's still early in the season, but he does not hesitate to stress the importance of Friday's game to his players.

"You've got to approach this as a big one," he said. "You've got to put pressure on your coaches and players because you've want to win this one if you want to do well later on in the season.

"Games like this are why you play football at Marist. You live to play in big games like this in a great atmosphere. Our team knows the significance of this game, as I'm sure Tucker does."

Marist does not have the same kinds of scoring threats that it had a year ago, but the War Eagles are actually averaging more points (41.7) after four games than the state championship squad (38) did last season.

One of Marist's biggest surprises has been at fullback, which was a primary concern for Chadwick entering the year. Preston Lyons, one of the few players to start as a sophomore at Marist in the past decade, has won the job and is averaging 131 yards rushing.

Other Marist players who have turned heads this year are wide receiver Allen Parker, who is in his first season as a starter as a senior, and Brent Ducote, who is undersized (6-foot, 175 pounds) for a defensive lineman but has above-average quickness.

Quarterback is always the high-profile position at Marist, and the team has made a smooth transition from Sean McVay (signed with Miami of Ohio), last year's Class AAAA offensive player of the year, to senior Chris Ashkouti.

"Chris does not have the same speed as Sean, but I will be darned if he is not better at executing the offense," Chadwick said. "Chris is just terrific at making the reads and running everything."

Tucker returned only nine of 22 starters this year and has found itself entering games in the unusual role as underdog. However, it is a role that the Tigers have embraced.

"We don't have superstars like Thomas Brown [signed with Georgia] and D.T. McDowell [Troy State] like we did last year, but I think this year's team has better chemistry," Tucker fullback Hamilton Sims said.

"Everything we do this year is a team effort and not individual effort. We like that everyone thinks we are down this year because it just gets us motivated to prove them wrong."

Sims realizes that Tucker is the underdog Friday, especially with the game at Marist: "I'm not going to lie, those boys at Marist are good competition. We've got to come out and play hard if we want to have a chance to win."

Marist and Tucker have met 12 times, and each school has won six games.

[Ben E Lou]

DeKalb County schools are closed Thursday and Friday. Per my conversation with Tucker's head coach yesterday afternoon (which was before the decision was made to close schools), a decision was supposed to be made on Friday morning on when to play the game. I don't know how the closing, announced late last night, might change that. My guess is that it would automatically push the game to Saturday. At any rate....

Marist-Tucker develops into marquee matchup in 6AAAA

Thursday, September 16, 2004 4:04 AM EDT
E-mail this story | Printable Version

By Scott Blusiewicz

DeKalb Neighbor Sports Editor

As football season approaches its halfway point, local fans will descend upon Marist's Hughes-Spalding Stadium to catch one of DeKalb County's top gridiron rivalries.

Marist and Tucker do not have the lengthy history that is commonly found in most great high school football rivalries, but the game has evolved into one of the most anticipated games each year, due in large part to the tremendous success of each school's program.

"The two schools had not played [each other] a whole lot until the early '90s," Marist coach Alan Chadwick said. "Prior to the '90s, they had not played but two or three times."

Since 1990, Marist and Tucker have played each other 10 times, with each school winning five games. When the Georgia High School Association realigned in 1998, the two schools were both placed in Region 6AAA, which later became 6AAAA after another realignment in 2000. As a result, the game has become an annual affair, which usually has major ramifications at the top of the region standings.

The success of each program in recent years has amplified the atmosphere surrounding the game. Last year, Tucker advanced to the Class AAAA state semifinals and Marist won the state championship. The War Eagles bring a perfect 4-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the AAAA state poll into Friday's game, while Tucker enters the contest with a 3-0 record and a No. 7 ranking in the state poll.

"The difference in this rivalry is there is a great deal of mutual respect for each other," Chadwick said. "And there's not this intense hatred that you find with some of the other rivalries we've had over the years."

Both squads enter this year's contest with a host of first-year starters in key positions. Marist has a new starting quarterback (senior Chris Ashkouti), a new starting fullback (senior Preston Lyons) and several new starters on the offensive line. Tucker lost 12 players from last year's team to the ranks of college football, including six players who signed with Division I schools. The Tigers also have a new quarterback in junior Dwayne Harris.

"We lost pretty much our whole line on offense and defense," Tucker coach Bill Ballard said. "We're the team that's real young. We've got a lot of guys that have little to no game experience other than the three games we've played this season. We've played pretty well so far as a team, but we've still got a long way to go."

Chadwick believes each team's large number of first-year starters has added a little more intrigue to this year's game.

"This year, I guess at this point we're both still kind of unknowns," he said. "The importance of the game is every bit as important as it's been in the past. It's a big early season matchup with playoff implications."

The one thing fans can count is that both teams will try to establish an effective running game on offense. Marist continues to operate a variation of the wishbone offense with Ashkouti, Lyons and senior tailback Anderson Russell receiving the bulk of the carries. Tucker employs a multiple offense, consisting of the I-formation, play-action passing and the option. Senior tailback Brandyn Young leads the Tigers' rushing attack, which also features Asher Allen and Myke Compton.

Since 2000, the average margin of victory in the series has been just under 10 points. Both coaches expect another close game this year with plenty of big plays from each team.

"It's a real close series [and] it's one of those games that's always fun," Ballard said. "It's just a great high school football game pretty much every time we play it."

[Ben E Lou]

The game has officially been moved to Saturday at 5pm.

[Huckleberry]

Tucker at #9 in Georgia, #4 in 4A, in Massey's ratings for Georgia.

[Ben E Lou]

ajc.com > Sports > High School

For all the marbles
Tucker-Marist winner usually takes region title

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/16/04

Saturday's game between Marist and Tucker will not be the star-studded affair that it was a year ago, but it still likely will help decide the Region 6-AAAA championship and, more importantly, who has the inside track on contending for the state title.

Marist, ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA with a 4-0 record, plays host to No. 7 Tucker (3-0) at 5 p.m.

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TUCKER AT MARIST • When, where: 5 p.m. Saturday, Marist's Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta. • Records, rankings: Marist is 4-0, 2-0 in Region 6-AAAA and ranked No. 1. Tucker is 3-0, 1-0 and ranked No. 7. • Last meeting: Marist won 31-19 in 2003. • Parking: Spaces will be very limited at Marist. The school is operating free shuttles starting at 3:30 p.m. from the Lowe's on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and the Ashford Green office complex on Ashford-Dunwoody Road inside the perimeter.

The winner of this game between schools in DeKalb County has gone on to win the region every year since 1998.

The Marist-Tucker game used to draw heavy interest only within the metro Atlanta area. However, after Marist won the state championship last year, the series has drawn interest from across the state.

"This has turned into a pretty good rivalry," Marist coach Alan Chadwick said. "Both teams seem to enter this game every year with an undefeated record. Both teams have had a sustained level of success during both the regular season and playoffs. [Saturday] should be another classic."

Said Tucker coach Bill Ballard: "It's still very early in the season, but you wouldn't be telling the truth if you said this game didn't have high stakes. It does, just like always seems to be the case."

Last year's meeting featured nine players who ended up signing with major colleges. Tucker's group included tailback Thomas Brown (signed with Georgia), receiver James Swinton (Auburn) and tight end Brandon Lang (Georgia), while Marist's list included lineman Matt Rumsey (Duke), cornerback Chris Davis (Duke) and quarterback Sean McVay (Miami of Ohio).

This year's contest does not have nearly the marquee names but does feature an ample amount of college material. Tucker tailback Brandyn Young has committed to Maryland, while linebacker Taveres Kearney has a dozen scholarships offers. Marist is led by tailback Anderson Russell, who is a primary target of Duke.

"They are not the same team from a year ago and neither are we . . . which should make for a more interesting matchup," Chadwick said. "Tucker doesn't have all the big names from a year ago, but they still have a ton of athletes and great team speed.

"Both teams were full of young and inexperienced players going into this season. We've both gotten better and better, and I really think it's going to be a good matchup."

Marist enters Saturday's game with soaring confidence: This year's team is averaging more points (41.3) than last season's state championship squad (38), and the War Eagles scored the first seven times they had the ball against Chamblee last week.

[Ben E Lou]

Links to broadcasts of the last two Tucker-Marist showdowns....


2002: http://www.broadcastmonsters.com/../...ts091302-1.asx
2003: http://www.broadcastmonsters.com/Geo...ts091203-1.asx

Link to listen live this year: http://www.gaprep.com/

[Ben E Lou]

Leaving for the big war in a few minutes. If anything the postponement should work in Tucker's favor. It is a GORGEOUS day today--not a cloud in the sky. It was also clear for the 2nd half of yesterday. Hopefully their field has dried a good bit. Tucker has a decided speed advantage in this one. I'd hate to see it neutralized by a wet field.

[digamma]

Update:

At the half, Tucker leads Marist 9-0.

Tucker blocked a field goal on the final play of the half and returned it for a touch down. They missed the PAT. Tucker had kicked a field goal on its first drive. Tucker's defense shut Marist down in the first half. The final Marist drive was really their only threat.

[digamma]

Touchdown Marist, with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Extra point is good. Tucker still leads 9-7.

[digamma]

Tucker begins its drive at its own 18. Marist has two time outs remaining.

First down...two yard gain. Second and eight.

Second down...pitch to the outside for a five yard gain. Third and three.

Under four minutes to go.

Third down...big run by Brandyn Young. Flag on the play. Holding on Tucker. Third and 10.

Incomplete pass. Fourth and 10. Tucker will punt.

[digamma]

Poor punt. Marist will take over at the Tucker 32 yard line.

[SirFozzie]

Come on Tucker.. hold on.. how good is the Marist Kicker?

Marist at the Tucker 31... 3:01 to play

[digamma]

First down. Gain of 2. Second and 8. 3 minutes left.

[digamma]

Second down. Fullback to the 23 yard line. 3rd and 2.

Under two minutes.

[digamma]

First down run by Marist. Down to the Tucker 16. Hold that line.

[SirFozzie]

No FG is a chip shot, but they are at the 14, with about a minute to play

[SirFozzie]

Inside the 10.. they could punch it in..

:35

[digamma]

First down. Gain of 2. Second and 8 from the 14. One minute left.

2nd down. Gain of 7. 3rd and 1. 27 seconds.

[digamma]

Ten seconds left. It will come down to a kick.

[SirFozzie]

:10 to play. 1 timeout, 4th and 1.. Block that kick. MISS IT!

Us up here in the MA, rooting for the Tucker in the GA

[digamma]

They are not setting up for a kick.

[digamma]

Here comes the kick team after another Marist time out.

[SirFozzie]

They called a 2nd TO (didn't think they could call consecutive TO's) and now are set up

[digamma]

It's a 25 yard field goal attempt.

Tucker calls a time out to ice him.

[SirFozzie]

Tucker uses THEIR final time out before this 25 yard FG attempt. The tension, you can cut it with a knife.

Tucker's blocked two kicks so far.. make it three

[SirFozzie]

HE MISSED IT! TUCKER WILL WIN!

[digamma]

NO GOOD. NO GOOD. NO GOOD.

[digamma]

FLAG.

[digamma]

after the play. unsportsmanlike conduct. Tucker will get the ball.

[SirFozzie]

Unsportsman like on tucker in the celebration. Tucker STILL WINS!

[digamma]

Ball game. BIG WIN for Tucker.

[SirFozzie]

Have a feeling that Tucker will see these guys again on the road to the Dome

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Have a feeling that Tucker will see these guys again on the road to the Dome

Well, the way the Georgia playoff brackets work, you can't meet another team from your Region until the Dome. Theoretically, one Region could put all four teams in the Dome. (Our region came pretty close to getting three in last year, as a matter of fact.) The #1 and #2 teams from the same Region can't meet until the State Championship game--which would have happened last year if we hadn't turned the ball over five times in the Dome. I look for deep playoff runs by both teams once again.