in the
game
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE
®
South Georgia February 2014
In This Issue:
09
09 On The Cover Six ITG Athletes
21
CONTENTS
17
13 Georgia Recruitment 17 Injury Prevention Four Core Exercises for High School Girls 21 Nutrition
Offseason Nutrition
23 Academic Athlete Sam Goberdhan
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Cook County High School
27 Special Feature Patriots’ Swim Team
Westover High School
31 Player Spotlight Henri Abrams
& Andrew Parker Thomasville High School
37 Coach’s Corner Jordan Breit
Also Inside Paying College Athletes: It’s Closer Than You Think
15
Georgia High School Football The Four Seasons of Football
19
Ten Questions with Dr. Michael Tucker
29
Prevention of ACL Injury in the Female Athlete Valdosta Orthopedic Associates
41
Colquitt County High School
45
Lowndes High School
43 Special Feature Caleb Dawson
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43
! e v Li
with host Mark Dykes Thursdays 6 - 7 p.m.
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13
Play in BCS Championship Game
Lowndes High School
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in the
game
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE
®
South Georgia February 2014
From The Publisher It is official. The spring sports season is here even though we are still mired in the dead of winter. Soccer, baseball, track, golf, and tennis are or will be in full swing very soon. Typically, we associate these sports with warm weather. And the warm weather will come – in about six weeks. Until then, we will spend some very cold days at the field, tennis courts, track, and golf course. Swimming is also wide open – thank goodness for indoor pools!
Publisher
Mark Dykes
Editor
Mark Dykes Kaitlynn Passmore
Graphics
Jennifer Alexander
Feature Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography
Feature Writer
Robert Preston, Jr.
Contributing Writers Jon Nelson Corey Dowlar Beth Welch
Copy Editors
Crystal Hubbard Ashley Dailey
Advertising/Marketing
Mark Dykes mark@inthegamemagazine.com
Website Manager Kaitlynn Passmore
Nearly every athlete we interview, particularly the football players, list winning a state championship as one of their goals. For most student-athletes, a state title is the pinnacle of success. Being the best in the state in your team’s classification is among the highest accolades any high school athlete can achieve. And in all honesty, very few have a chance to win a state title. In any given sport in any given classification, there are only a handful of teams that are actually state title contenders. Even more elusive than a state championship is a national title. There are national championships awarded in high school athletics; however, the primary path to a national title comes in college. To win a national championship, a high school athlete must first earn his or her way on to a college roster. Then that team must be the best out of all the other teams in the United States. In the history of In the Game High School Sports Magazine, no ITG athletes have won a national championship.
Contributors
Robert Preston, Jr.,
Features & Commentary
Mark Dykes, Publisher
Until now. In this year’s BCS Championship game, six football players from two of ITG’s coverage areas – South Georgia and Columbus Valley – played for either Florida State or Auburn. Four – Telvin Smith (Lowndes), Cameron Erving (Colquitt), Tyler Hunter (Lowndes), and Gerald Demps (Lowndes) – were Seminoles. The other two – Quan Bray (Troup County) and Gabe Wright (Carver - Columbus) – were Tigers. That we had one athlete from our coverage areas in that game was amazing. Six? Astounding. These young men represented their communities, their families, and their high schools well, and we are very proud of each one of them. We took a closer look at the careers they have had at their respective schools in this month’s edition. In addition, we have stories on basketball (Thomasville’s Henri Abrams and Andrew Parker), soccer (Caleb Dawson of Lowndes and his head coach, Jordan Breit), baseball (Cook’s Sam Goberdhan), and swimming (Westover’s swim team). As I write this, South Georgia is expecting temperatures in the mid-20s with high winds and generally miserable conditions. It certainly doesn’t feel like baseball or swimming weather. Our athletes are braving the elements in these final few weeks of winter, and we will be right there with them. We hope you enjoy the February edition of In the Game High School Sports Magazine. Thanks again for reading and try to stay warm!
For distribution or subscription information contact: info@inthegamemagazine.com For advertising information call: 888-715-4263 Dykes Publishing Group, Inc. P.O. Box 812 Valdosta, GA 31603
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In the Game High School Sports Magazine is published monthly excluding July. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. Dykes Publishing Group, Inc. makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2014 Dykes Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.
www.inthegamemagazine.com
Gerald DEMPs Cameron Erving and one former Colquitt County Packer – now have a national championship to their credit. Maybe the most recognizable name of the South Georgia contingent is Telvin Smith, a future NFL draft selection who has enjoyed a stellar career at FSU. A 6’2”, 218-pound outside linebacker from Lowndes High, Smith led the FSU defense with 90 tackles in the 2013 season. He also grabbed three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. In the national title game, he tallied 15 tackles (11 solo, four assisted). Smith is the eighth-ranked outside linebacker in the 2014 NFL draft class. Cameron Erving, a 6’6”, 320-pound junior, went to Florida State from Colquitt County as a defensive lineman. He has since been converted to offensive tackle, and he’s become one of the best tackles in the country. He’s a strong, athletic player with excellent footwork. He was considered a
Telvin Smith
Tyler Hunter
A
championship ring. Every athlete In the Game High School Sports Magazine interviews wants one. Few ever have the opportunity to play for a state championship. Even fewer (none in the six years this author has been writing for ITG) get the chance to play for a national championship. This year, however, was different. Six football players from ITG’s South Georgia and Columbus Valley coverage areas were members of either the Florida State Seminoles or the Auburn Tigers. For the first time since ITG has been in existence, at least two ITG athletes were going to claim national championship rings. By now you know what happened. Florida State came from behind to win 34-31 in what has become one of the best games in the now-defunct BCS era. Four Seminoles from South Georgia – three former Lowndes High Vikings
photos taken from ITG Archives
Gabe Wright
by Robert Preston, Jr.
Quan Bray
Six ITG Athletes Play in 2014 BCS National Championship Game
9
Gerald DEMPs Cameron Erving Tyler Hunter is also one of the Seminoles’ most dangerous punt returners. Gerald Demps is a 5’11”, 200-pound redshirt senior. Primarily a member of FSU’s special teams unit, he has six tackles for his career. Two other ITG athletes from the Columbus Valley area were Auburn Tigers. Gabe Wright, a 6’3”, 296-pound junior defensive lineman, came to Auburn from Carver High School in Columbus. He finished the season with 31 tackles – 16 solo, 15 assisted – and three sacks. Wright played in the national title game and recorded one sack. Bray, a 5’10”, 186-pound junior wide receiver and punt re-
turner, attended high school at Troup County. He caught three passes in the national title game. For his career, Bray has 54 receptions for 382 yards and three touchdowns. He also has thrown one touchdown pass for the Tigers. Six ITG athletes played for a national title. Four were on the winning team. And five will be back next year. Will any of them have an opportunity to repeat? Under the new four-team playoff format, the odds of that happening are long. However, these six players are the first to play for a college football national title. And nobody can take that from them. ITG
Telvin Smith
potential first-round draft choice if he decided to leave school after his junior year. However, Erving has decided to return to Tallahassee for his senior year, which means the Seminoles will have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. Two other former Vikings – Tyler Hunter and Gerald Demps – also were on the field for the national title game. Hunter battled injuries all season and did not play after the September 21 game against Bethune-Cookman. He’s a versatile defensive back who can play either safety or cornerback. When healthy, Hunter
Quan Bray
Gabe Wright
Nfldraftscout.com, nfl.com, auburntigers.com, auburn.rivals.com, cfbstats.com, and floridastate.rivals.com contributed to this story.
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Though not as top heavy, it is the depth that sets it apart in 2014. While the headliners at the top of this year’s crop of Peach State prospects are not the same as 2013, it is still an outstanding group, with the top 50 recruits being as talented as any class in recent memory,” says 247Sports analyst Kipp Adams. “There are difference makers to be had among the expected 200 plus FBS signees in Georgia, especially in the secondary. From Malkom Parrish, to Kalvaraz Bessent, to D.J. Smith, to Nick Ruffin, schools are snagging defensive backs from Georgia at an increasing rate.”
The next class following the group that signs their letters of intent in February could turn out to be one of the best in recent memory. It’s early, and there is more development to be done, but indications are positive.
Need more proof that Georgia is where the top programs go? “It looks like Georgia will once again lead the country in SEC signees, but schools like Clemson and Florida State also mined the state for talent like they always do,” Adams says. “What’s more, programs like Ohio State, UNC, and UCF made Georgia a recruiting priority during the 2014 cycle.”
And it’s a sure-fire bet that the top programs in the country will be back putting on the full-court press for the top players of 2015.
Photo Courtesy of 247Sports.com
Photo By MickiK Photography
Looking ahead to 2015, the state is once again completely loaded with pass rushers,” Adams says. “At the top of the rankings is left tackle Mitch Hyatt, a rarity in Georgia. Defensive tackle Trent Thompson has a rare combination of raw power and size that has programs like Georgia and Florida State spending a lot of time in Augusta. Terry Godwin is an explosive two-way athlete that reminds many of current UGA standout Malcolm Mitchell.”
Georgia Recruitment
F
rom the SEC powers such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Florida, to this year’s newly-crowned champion Florida State, you won’t find too many assistant coaches from those staffs neglecting the Peach State. This year’s crop ranks right up there with the deepest talent pools from any other state in the nation.
Photo Courtesy of Student Sports.com
A Glance Into The Future 2014-15 Season
by Corey Dowlar, ESPN Twitter @cdowlar
R
ecruiting in the state of Georgia has gotten to the point where it isn’t so much a bonus, but instead a necessity for the elite programs in the country.
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Paying College Athletes: It’s Closer Than You Think by Robert Preston, Jr.
I
think that in the near future (within three years, maybe sooner) college athletes, at least those who play football and basketball, will receive some financial compensation in addition to their scholarships. And I have no problem at all with that. For some time now, the pay for play debate has raged. The NCAA doesn’t want it. Amateur athletics purists don’t want it. Even most casual fans probably don’t want it. They are, however, wrong. College athletes, particularly those in the revenue generating sports, should receive some kind of payment for the service they provide to their institutions. Yes, I understand they already receive a scholarship. I also understand the return that an education from a major Division I school yields down the road. An athlete who stays in school and receives a diploma from Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Florida State, or any other major university has a major advantage the moment he or she steps into the job market. There are, however, other factors at work here. Most notably is the amount of money these athletes generate for their schools. Colleges and universities make tremendous amounts of money off their athletes. Tens of millions of dollars in some cases. Elite level head football coaches are making in excess of $5 million per year. Coordinators can command more than $1 million per year. In most states, the highest paid state employees are either head football or head basketball coaches. Being a college athlete is no longer a parttime job. Even in the junior college ranks, playing a sport is a year-round commitment. At a Division I school, there is no offseason, even in the offseason. There is no such thing as voluntary workouts. There is little time to relax and recuperate. Weight training, conditioning, running – it never ends. Athletes have little time to work even a part-time job. Their sport is their part-time job. At most schools, it’s more like a full-time job. And it’s one for which they receive no compensation while their athletic departments make millions off their likeness.
I did a quick Google search for University of Georgia team apparel as I was writing this. You can buy a #11 football jersey online for $59.95. There is no name on the back of the jersey, but that’s Aaron Murray’s number, the number he has worn as he has become one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the country. The University of Georgia has sold thousands of those #11 jerseys during Murray’s career. Murray himself has probably autographed a good chunk of those jerseys. How much money has Murray received for those jerseys? For his autographs? Nothing. That isn’t right. Finally, people are starting to recognize it for what it is: almost criminal. The NCAA doesn’t want to pay athletes. The commissioners from the big five conferences – the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac 12 – have threatened to pull out of the NCAA and form their own league. Congress is looking at the NCAA and is considering getting involved. The NCAA certainly doesn’t want that – a congressional investigation would almost certainly expose the NCAA for what it is, a corrupt organization that profits tremendously from uncompensated youth. How will universities regulate pay for play? That has yet to be worked out. Everything from a flat $5,000 per year stipend at major universities to allowing athletes to market themselves and benefit from appearances, autographs, apparel sales, etc., is being considered. While allowing the athletes to market themselves seems like the easiest thing to do, it would most certainly mean that college athletes would employ agents – something else the NCAA doesn’t want to deal with. It remains a complicated issue, one that involves going down a slippery slope. The facts, however, are simple: colleges, universities, and the NCAA make a lot of money off football and basketball. The athletes who comprise those teams receive no direct compensation for their work. That isn’t right, and people all over the country are starting to recognize it. It’s something that’s going to change, and probably sooner rather than later. ITG
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Four Core Training Exercises For High School Girls
Fitness
Injury Prevention: In addition to benefiting athleticism, a strong core proves helpful in everyday life, preventing back pain and promoting improved posture.The following are four of the best exercises teenage girls can use to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles that make up the core.
Reverse Crunches To work the deep abdominal muscles, you’ll need more than your standard crunch. Begin a set of reverse crunches by lying on your back, with your legs pointed up to the ceiling. Tighten your core and lift your butt an inch off the ground. Lower and repeat for a set of ten.
Stepping Plank The plank has long been a favorite of those striving for stronger arms and cores. It makes for a great alternative to those pesky push-ups, allowing you to remain in your initial push-up position without actually lowering your chest to the ground. If you want to add an extra element of challenge, try stepping one leg out several inches, followed by the same motion with the other leg, before slowly stepping back into your original position.
Pike Slide Another variation on the plank, you’ll want to begin in a push-up position, but with a folded towel under your feet. Use your core to slide your legs towards your hands, until you’ve achieved a downward dog position. Return to the push-up position and then repeat the full exercise at least ten times.
by Stephanie G
Boat Pose A longtime yoga favorite, the boat gives you the opportunity to work on your balance while also strengthening your core. Begin by sitting on the floor with your knees bent. Lean back 45 degrees and then raise your legs so that they are also 45 degrees from the floor. Your body should create a ‘V’ shape. Hold for thirty seconds before returning your feet to the floor.
C
ore training is an absolute essential for high school girls hoping to improve their skills in a wide array of sports, including everything from hockey to cheerleading.
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Georgia High School Football The Four Seasons of Football by Jon Nelson, GPB Sports Correspondent
I was doing the math in my head before I sat down to type this column out. And, please, let me know if I skipped one. I counted seven post-season all-star games for high school football players here in the state of Georgia- three in the border series that takes three weeks to complete between athletes in Georgia and Florida. I think that concept is really cool: a “best of” idea with two of the top five to seven states when it comes to high school athletes. It’s also the time where the higherprofile athletes enroll early at their respective schools to get a leg up on their competition and make sure they adjust to life in college. Two athletes I know of off the top of my head are Gainesville quarterback DeShaun Watson (even as he’s nursing a little surgery) and Liberty County linebacker extraordinaire Raekwon McMillan. They are headed off to Clemson and Ohio State respectively for the next stages in their athletic lives, and it will be interesting to see how they adjust to Dabo Swinney and Urban Meyer. But as National Signing Day comes and goes again, remember that it’s not all of those five-star recruits that get your favorite college team to have more wins than losses. It’s the so-called two and three stars plus the walk-ons that provide the depth you need in those situations where you really need it. Don’t worry so much about a star figure attached to an athlete. Good character
and high work ethic are what really build a strong foundation for a team. That’s what makes or breaks programs in the long run. We’ll review National Signing Day next time around. For me, it’s always interesting to see who ends up going where. Because, frankly, until the day comes and those faxes come across the coachs’ desks and the players (as Alec Baldwin so eloquently said in Glengarry Glen Ross ) “sign on the line which is dotted…” all the pre-NSD talk is just that. I have always maintained that here in the South there are four seasons, and they’re not summer, fall, winter, and spring. They’re football season, spring football, recruiting, and National Signing Day. And when you have close to 20 football programs that are working their way through the fall, a lot of quality athletes get to attend quality institutions to get quality educations. Be sure to keep checking us out here at In the Game Magazine and at inthegamemagazine.com for all the cool things going on these days in high school athletics. We’ll keep you posted on all that’s going on, and I would like you to do the same. Let me know about all the cool stories out there that need to be discovered and spread around the South so we can all keep “ In the Game .” Play it safe, everyone. I’ll talk to you soon.
Jon Nelson, GPB Sports Correspondent
Follow me on the Twitter machine at “@OSGNelson” and be sure to like us all on Facebook at Sports and Inthegamemagazine.com
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Nutrition Giving yourself a rest between peak periods of training is important to keep yourself mentally sharp and fresh, but too many athletes overindulge and find themselves binging on fast food and taking in extra calories while burning fewer than ever. That’s a recipe for disaster, but one you can avoid with some simple offseason nutritional tips. Here are five to get you started.
Nutrition
Offseason
1. Stay away from fast food The calories and fats in fast food, combined with the lack of useful nutrients, makes these foods the most counterproductive way to spend your offseason. If you want to indulge in a combo meal once after your season has ended, enjoy yourself. But make fast food a very rare factor in your offseason nutrition, and don’t be afraid to avoid it entirely.
4. Match proteins to your strength training
2. Keep your calories under control
Many offseason training programs focus on building muscle mass. If that’s the case, then you might want to tailor your diet to feature greater protein intake. Increased protein consumption will improve muscle mass development, giving your body the fuel it needs to succeed.
Many athletes get excited about the prospect of taking some time off and eating to their hearts’ delights. But when you take a physical break from your sport, you’re also decreasing the number of calories you need in a given day. If you increase your caloric intake while reducing your physical exertion, you could start putting on pounds fast. Indulge a little, but try not to consume more than a few hundred extra calories per day, relative to what you’re burning off.
3. Continue drinking water Hydration demands will decline in the offseason, but water remains important to your health and key to cleansing your body of unwanted toxins. Allow your water intake to decline slightly, but try to maintain your regular in-season rhythm as far as the number of times you urinate in a day. Doing so will keep your body in great condition for the start of the next season.
5. Load up on fruits and veggies Many offseason athletes lack constant interaction with nutritionists and coaches preaching proper diet habits. The offseason is a crucial time for maintaining these habits on your own, ensuring you get the nutrients you need. Use fruits as a replacement for candy, and work vegetables into your daily meals to avoid overloading on calories. This extra roughage will keep you fit and trim, and build a strong foundation for your training.
by Jonathan C
E
very sports season comes to an end. When you reach the end of the road and face an offseason gap in your training and competition, it’s tempting to ease off the accelerator and cut yourself a break—not only in your workout intensity, but also in your diet and nutrition regimen.
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Academic Athlete
Sam
Goberdhan Cook County High school
The experience of not making his seventhgrade team was a pivotal moment in the career of Sam Goberdhan. Heading into that tryout, he had played a lot of baseball. He had been on travel teams, and he had played all over the place. But that didn’t necessarily guarantee his success. He realized that nobody would give him anything, that he would have to work for everything he wanted to achieve. That experience refocused his attention and proved to be an important reality check. Goberdhan learned his lesson and has worked hard ever since.
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Left-Handed Hornet
Eyes Medical Career After Baseball by Robert Preston, Jr.
S
am Goberdhan, a senior left-handed pitcher for the Cook Hornets, will play college baseball for the Darton State College Cavaliers in Albany. When he was in seventh grade, few would have thought the lefty would develop into a college-caliber player. “Back then, I wasn’t sure I liked baseball. I didn’t even make my seventh grade team,” Goberdhan says. The experience of not making the team jolted him into reality. He realized just how much he loved the game, and he finally began to understand how hard he would have to work if he was going to play. Goberdhan kept playing travel ball and working harder to get better and better each day. When tryouts came around the following year, he made the most of his opportunity and earned a spot on the team. And he hasn’t looked back. Five years later, Goberdhan is an All-Region Honorable Mention selection who also happens to be one of the top academic athletes at Cook. Last season, Goberdhan posted a 4-2 record with a 2.45 ERA on a Cook team that made the postseason for the third consecutive year of his high school career. He throws in the mid 80s and has solid control. Goberdhan is also a smart pitcher who works extremely hard at his craft. He draws inspiration from his brother Michael, who is overseas in the Navy, and his parents, who have sacrificed a great deal for him to play baseball. He also vividly remembers the experience of not making the team way back in the seventh grade, and he doesn’t want to go through anything like that ever again. As of this interview, baseball season was over a month away. Goberdhan had a lot riding on this season. He wanted to be part of a region championship and make a strong run through the playoffs (the farthest Cook has advanced the last three years is the second round). To accomplish those goals, Goberdhan knows he will have to be at his best every day. Left-handed pitchers are highly sought commodities, and Goberdhan will figure prominently in his team’s success. “I’m one of two lefties on the team. I
photography by Micki K Photography
know I have to do my job every day and pitch well each time I’m out there,” he says. Goberdhan’s task will not be easy, but he has fought adversity his entire career and has always found a way to make the best out of a seemingly bad situation. There was the aforementioned poor tryout in the seventh grade. Then last year, Goberdhan was slated to play first base when he wasn’t pitching, that is until Zane Folsom, a hard-hitting freshman, showed up. Folsom swung his way into the lineup with a take-no-prisoners approach to hitting. He ended up batting over .500 in region play and over .300 for the season. “He simply beat me out at first base. We’re similar defensively, but he is such a good hitter. He made us a better team. And he helped me focus on pitching without worrying about anything else,” says Goberdhan. As he focused on becoming the best pitcher he could possibly be, schools began to take notice. Goberdhan attended showcase after showcase and several colleges expressed interest in the lefty. One school showed more interest than anyone else. Darton State College in Albany, one of the top junior college teams in the state, badly wanted Goberdhan. And he liked what he saw at Darton. “I like their program and the direction they’re headed. The campus is fantastic. I was sure that’s where I wanted to go,” he says. Darton has a good track record of developing pitchers, and it’s also a great academic school, one that fits in well with Goberdhan’s goals in the classroom. He takes the same approach to academics that he does to athletics, and he plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a physician. Goberdhan believes Darton will be a great place to begin his academic journey as well as his collegiate baseball career. And if he can put together a solid career with the Cavaliers, he isn’t opposed to playing two more years. “I can’t give up baseball very easily. I want to play as long as I can. If I can play at a larger school when I’m through at Darton, I’d like to. But once my playing career is over, I’m headed into the medical field,” he says. ITg
Sam’s Favorites: Team: New York Yankees Player: Derek Jeter Sport you wish you could play: Football Subject: Math Least favorite subject: Literature Place to travel: France
Pepsi or Coke: Coke Person to meet: Randy Johnson Biggest lesson baseball has taught you: “You can never do it alone. You always need to depend on someone else.”
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Special Feature
Westover Patriots’ Swimming: On Verge of a Three-Peat by Robert Preston, Jr.
N
ick Carlisle and the Westover Patriots’ swim team have had a pretty impressive run over the last three years. Carlisle is in his third year as head coach of the swim team (after spending two years as an assistant with the program), and he is quite possibly about to lead the Patriots to their third consecutive region championship. “Our boys and girls have won region the last two years,” says Carlisle, “and we plan to win it again this year.” Over the years, the Patriots have built a winning program through a combination of hard work, discipline, and Coach Carlisle’s uncanny ability to motivate his swimmers. Carlisle, who also coaches soccer and football, doesn’t have a swimming background. In fact, he has never done any competitive swimming. What he does have is a desire to learn the sport and a knack for getting the most out of his athletes. “I have become a student of swimming. My goal is to learn everything I can so I can do my best for my athletes. I inherited the program from Coach [Harvey] Calhoun, and I’ve learned a great deal from him,” says Carlisle. High school swimming is a tricky endeavor. To be among the best, swimmers must swim hours upon hours in the pool, six or seven days per week without any offseason. Most high school swimmers, particularly those in South Georgia, don’t swim that much. Also, few high schools have their own pool. Their teams must prac-
photography by Micki K Photography
tice at a local college, YMCA, or other similar facility – often sharing with other teams in the same predicament. Teams are often inexperienced and sorely undertrained, which makes consistently performing at a high level a difficult endeavor. Which is what makes Westover’s recent run all the more amazing. A few Patriots – six, to be exact – swim year ‘round with the Darton Aqua Darts or with other clubs. The rest of the team swims predominantly during the high school season. That they have been able to win consistently is a testament to their work in the pool. “We believe that if we practice hard, we’ll improve. And if we can motivate the kids, they will win. We teach them, train them, and condition them, and we help them get better. We have kids swimming right now who have never done any swimming before this year and you’d never be able to tell it,” says Coach Carlisle. And, of course, winning leads to more winning. At first, his swimmers didn’t really understand the legacy they have been building. As the season progressed, the swimmers noticed the attention they received from other teams at meets. Then the magnitude of what they had accomplished started sinking in. Now, this current group of swimmers doesn’t want to be the one that breaks the winning tradition. “As we won, the kids started noticing the respect that other teams gave them. Now they’re starting to expect to win,” says Coach Carlisle. ITG 27
R
ecent medical studies have indicated an increase in injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in high school athletes, most notably among female soccer players. The attention focused on ACL injuries increased on some levels when University of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a football game in November. Murray was just one of several UGA players who had ACL injuries this season. Georgia Coach Mark Richt commented on the “rash” of ACL injuries by saying the injuries happen but that his understanding was that girls’ soccer has now taken the lead in producing ACL injuries among young athletes. In the Game Magazine recently asked local sports medicine physician and orthopaedist, Dr. Michael Tucker of the Hughston Clinic, 10 questions about himself and ACL injuries in both male and female high school athletes.
Ten Questions With
Dr. Michael Tucker
In the Game: How long have you been with Hughston? Michael Tucker: Five years
by Beth Welch
photos courtesy of Hughston Clinic
ITG: What area of medicine do you practice at Hughston? MT: Shoulder, knee, ankle, foot, and sports medicine ITG: Are high school athletes with sports-related injuries a part of your medical practice? MT: Yes ITG: Considering your experience in the Columbus area, are you treating more athletes with high school sports injuries than in the past? MT: Yes, because of my specialty in sports medicine ITG: Do some middle school and/or high school sports tend to have more injuries than other sports? MT: Football tends to have more injuries because it is a high contact sport. ITG: Recent published studies have indicated a rise in injuries, particularly injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, in female athletes who participate in high school soccer. In your practice, have you noticed more injuries in high school female soccer athletes? MT: Why young women are two-to-eight times more likely than young men to sustain ACL tears, especially in sports like soccer that involve deceleration, twisting, cutting, and jumping, continues to be a challenging question. Differences in the anatomy, knee alignment, hormonal profile, muscle strength, and conditioning of men and women are just some of the possible reasons for the different rates of injury. ITG: In laymen’s terms, what does a typical ACL injury involve? MT: The ACL lies inside the knee joint in the intercondylar notch, which is a depressed area at the end of the femur. This ligament provides most of the support that prevents the tibia from slipping too far forward and rotating too far inward under the femur. Women have a narrower notch than men, therefore, the space for the ACL’s movement is more limited. Within this restricted space, the thigh bone can easily pinch the ACL as the knee bends and extends, especially with the pivoting and cutting motions required in sports like soccer. Pinching of the ACL in the knee joint can lead to a rupture of the ligament.
Michael M. Tucker, MD
Age: 39 Hometown: Columbus, Georgia
ITG: Are ACL tears or injuries to the ACL more common among female athletes? MT: When young women and young men compete in the same sport, at the same high level of competition, they have nearly equal twisting and loading forces laced across their knee joints. However, women have less muscle strength in proportion to bone size than men. Muscles that help hold the knee in place are stronger in men than in women. Therefore, women’s knees rely less on the muscles and more on the ACL for stability. Therefore, the ACL often works overtime, making it more prone to injury. ITG: What is the treatment for ACL injuries? MT: If your activities will place only low demands on your injured knee, you may not need surgery.You may have good results with nonoperative treatment, which can involve crutches, wearing a knee brace, and participating in physical therapy. If you plan to have an active lifestyle, you probably will need surgery. Through surgical treatment, the doctor can rebuild or reconstruct the ligament to recreate a stable joint that can meet the demands of an active life. ITG: Is there a way to prevent injuries to the ACL? MT: Unfortunately, completely protecting your knee against ACL injury is impossible. However, you should strengthen the muscles that support your knee to reduce the risk of injury.
Education: - Graduated from Hardaway High School - Graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in biology - Earned a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed training in orthopaedic surgery at Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee - Sports medicine fellowship at the Hughston Foundation and has an added certificate for sports medicine Family: Proud father of two children, Mallory and Jackson Job title: Board certified in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine Hobbies: Spending time with family, playing golf, snow skiing, traveling Person you most admire: The physicians of the Hughston Clinic who have mentored me during my years of practicing sports medicine What is one of the best things about your job at Hughston? I enjoy working with athletes and watching them recover from their injuries and getting back in the game.
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Player Spotlight
Andrew Parker
Presented by:
Henri Abrams thomasville High School
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Talented Pair Of Seniors Anchor Thomasville Bulldogs by Robert Preston, Jr.
O
ver the last three years, the Thomasville Bulldogs have made three straight appearances in the Elite Eight of the state basketball playoffs. Anchoring their lineup are two talented young men, the 6’8”, 200-pound Andrew Parker, a basketball specialist who dominates in the paint, and the 5’6”, 150-pound Henri Abrams, an all-around athlete who controls the game from the point. Both young men are excellent players and proven leaders, the kind of athletes who can take charge of a game and change the outcome all on their own. Andrew Parker is considered one of best players in Georgia, and at least one service, phenomhoopreport.com, has him listed as one of the top 50 in the state. A center/power forward, Parker has been on Thomasville’s varsity team all four years of his high school career.
photography by Micki K Photography
ior year, and I want to finish on a high note,” he says. “Right now, everything is on track. I feel like things are going well.” Parker announced his presence in a big way when he was a freshman. That year, the Bulldogs won the region championship. In the title game, Thomasville’s starting center fouled out near the end of the game. The game was tight, and Parker found himself in the biggest game of his life with a region championship on the line as a ninth-grader. He scored four points, including a jump shot that put the Bulldogs up and helped them win the championship. His talent and physical tools have colleges calling. He has several offers he is considering, including Gardner Webb, Florida Atlantic, Seattle University, and Lincoln Memorial. “I’m going to continue to evaluate my options. I’ve visited Lincoln and Seattle. I still need to visit
Andrew Parker has never played football. Every coach would love to have a 6’8” wide receiver, but Parker has steadfastly refused the gridiron. “They tried to get me to play in middle school, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay injury-free and focus on basketball,” he says.
In addition to his impressive physical skills, Parker is a coach on the floor. He often directs the other players and helps set up the Bulldogs’ offense from the post. He understands his role as a leader on the team and strives hard every day to be a good role model for his teammates. Parker also knows how to score, and he finishes strong around the basket. “I just want to be a good senior and a leader for my teammates. I want us to have a strong second half of the season,” says Parker. When In the Game spoke with Parker, the Bulldogs were 7-7 overall and 2-1 in region play. Parker was averaging about seven points per game. Thus far, he is pleased with the way the season has gone. Coming into his senior campaign, Parker wanted to make sure this is the best season he’s ever had. “This is my sen32
the others,” he says. Playing college basketball has been a goal of Parker’s since he was in the 10th grade. “I started getting bigger, and I knew then I could play at the next level.” Throughout his career, Parker has been the focus of a great deal of attention. It hasn’t been easy playing under the spotlight, but it’s something he has learned to deal with. “I try to stay away from all that. I don’t worry about what’s going on around me. I just try to focus on basketball and what I need to do,” he says. Henri Abrams is one of the fiercest competitors the Bulldogs have. He is a small kid, but a lot of athletic ability is crammed into that 5’6” frame. “I’m short, but I can still dunk. I love scoring points, but I also respect my teammates and I want them to play well. I love getting the ball to my teammates, but I can score,
too,” he says. For his career, Abrams is averaging nearly seven points per game. And when the situation calls for it, he is capable of scoring much, much more than that. He has three triple doubles thus far, and Abrams has a 38-point game to his credit. “I just hate to lose. I want to win, and I’ll do everything I can to win. I don’t want to talk about it. I want to play,” he says. Abrams is very good about involving his teammates. He is confident in his own ability to make plays but wants everyone to be a part of the team’s success. He encourages, communicates, and, at times,
squad could gain an advantage. It was back and forth until Abrams took over. He turned up his game in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his 10 points in the final period en route to a narrow 43-42 win. Like Parker, Abrams is pleased with the way this season has turned out, with one exception. “We’ve been winning games, and that’s been good,” he says. However, Abrams would like to play basketball, football, or both in college. Thus far, he has no offers. “I know my skills are good. I can play. I’m sitting back and waiting to see what happens,” he says.
In Thomasville, football is king. That’s the way it always has been, and the way it always will be. Henri Abrams also plays football and has done very well for the Bulldogs. He can play multiple positions and has seen time at wide receiver, running back, linebacker, even quarterback when needed. “I can pick apart a defense. I know how to play football,” he says.
coaches from the point. “We need to help each other to win games. There doesn’t need to be any confusion on the floor. If we’re together, we’ll win,” he says. Earlier this season against Thomas County Central, Abrams showed what kind of competitor he is. Thomasville v. Thomas County Central is a big game no matter what sport. And in basketball season, with the fans so close to the floor and to each other, the stakes are even higher. When the two teams played in January, neither
Both players are very complementary of each other. They are good friends, and they play well together. They know they can depend on each other to get the job done, and they trust each other on the court. “Henri is a great player. He gets to the basket well, and he’s a great scorer,” says Parker. Says Abrams of Parker: “He’s one of our key players. He can take over a game, and he helps me on the court. When I get the ball to him, he doesn’t miss. It’s the bottom of the net, and that’s it.” ITg
Andrew’s Favorites:
Henri’s Favorites:
Team: Miami Heat and the Florida Gators
Team: LA Lakers
Player: LeBron James
Player: Kobe Bryant
Place to travel: Japan
Best movie in the last year: American Gangster
Best movie in the last year: Ironman II
Person to meet: Kobe Bryant
Sport you wish you could play: Track
Coke or Pepsi: Coke
Superpower: Invisibility
Super hero: The Hulk
Animal that best describes you: Lion. “He’s the king of the jungle, and the toughest animal in the jungle. That’s how I feel on the court - like I’m the biggest and toughest on the floor.”
Place to travel: Los Angeles
Person to meet: Michael Jordan
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Coach’s Corner Presented by:
Jordan Breit Lowndes High School
If coaches are married and have children, there is no way they can do what they do without their families’ support. Coach Jordan Breit is a relatively young guy; not long out of college and just a few years into his head coaching career. He and his wife Erica were married on New Year’s Eve. “We dated for six years. So she knows what soccer season is all about. She’s very supportive, and I wouldn’t be able to coach without her understanding,” Breit says.
Coach Breit, Vikings Hope to Repeat as Region Champs
by Robert Preston, Jr.
S
uccess has come quickly for Jordan Breit, the third-year head coach of the Lowndes High boys’ soccer team. After serving four years as the Vikings’ junior varsity coach, Breit was named head coach during the 2011-12 school year. In just his second year as head coach, he led Lowndes to an undefeated region record and the Vikings’ first region championship since 2004. “There was a solid foundation in place when I became head coach. We’ve been able to build the program each year, and that’s been nice. Being a junior varsity coach, I was very familiar with the program when I took over, and I had coached a lot of the players at the JV level. I stepped into a pretty good situation,” he says.
photography by Micki K Photography
A native of North Georgia, Breit always knew he wanted to one day teach and coach. He attended Jackson County High School and was joint enrolled at Gainesville College (now a part of the University of North Georgia) his senior year. Breit played football, soccer, and wrestled at Jackson County. From there he attended Valdosta State University where he pursued a degree in education. Breit did his student teaching at Lowndes High and was hired fulltime at Lowndes after he graduated. While he has worked at LHS, he has continued to take classes at VSU, obtaining a master’s and a specialist’s degree. Breit wasn’t sure if he wanted to coach football or soccer, and he wasn’t exactly sure what the timetable would be for his coaching
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career to begin. As things turned out, most of those decisions would be made for him, and they would be made pretty quickly. The first semester Breit was working at Lowndes, a spot on the junior varsity soccer coaching staff opened up. He got the job with the goal of one day becoming a head soccer coach. Four years later, he achieved his goal when he was named head soccer coach at Lowndes. The Vikings made the playoffs during Breit’s first year. They built upon that success last season with a region championship and an undefeated run through the region schedule. Heading into the 2013 season, Breit knew his team had the talent to do something special. “I knew we could perform at a high level. That senior class was a special group, and they wanted to accomplish something together,” he says. With the 2014 season looming, Breit says his goals haven’t changed. “I’d like to do the same thing this year. We have another talented group, and I’m excited to see if they can accomplish the same thing.”
Breit has built his program around two words: Viking Pride. “These are just two little words, but they mean a lot,” he says. Viking Pride means that players will be dedicated to the team, they will work as hard as they can to be the best players they can be, and they will be disciplined on and off the field to do what they can to help their team. “Within that are the little things they will use every day in life—be on time, work hard, if you must miss practice, let the coach know. We hold them accountable to that,” he says. To achieve the goals he has for his team, they must perform the best they can each and every day. There are no off days, no time to take breaks. Breit and his staff demand excellence, and excellence requires hard work and attention to detail. “On the field, our biggest challenge is getting them to perform their best consistently. Age is a factor in that these kids are 16, 17, and 18 years old, and we demand a lot out of them. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s what we strive for. We want our players to do their best every single day,” says Breit. ITg
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Caleb Dawson Lowndes High School
Relentless Desire to Succeed Fuels Vikings’ Keeper Caleb Dawson has already had to deal with a significant amount of adversity in a short period of time. When he was 11 years old, he lost his mother to cystic fibrosis. Then his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Throughout all of the adversity, Dawson has remained focused on his goals. Instead of using his circumstances as an excuse to fail, he let the difficulties inspire him to become better and stronger. That same work ethic that has made him one of the region’s best soccer players and has also made him a very good student. He carries a 3.9 grade point average and is well on his way to a bright future despite the difficulties he has faced.
by Robert Preston, Jr.
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hen Caleb Dawson, a 6’4”, 175-pound junior keeper for the Lowndes High Vikings’ soccer team, entered high school three years ago, he was already an experienced soccer player. He had been a member of the South Georgia United program for several years and developed into an excellent player in that program. He knew he would have a good career with the Vikings; he just didn’t know things would take off like they did. “When I was a freshman, I just wanted to work as hard as I could to make the team better and to become a better player,” he says. To his surprise, he made the varsity team as a freshman. Then, with a junior and a senior playing in front of him, Dawson was named starting keeper about four games into the season. “I was a little intimidated at first. But once I played that first game, I got into it and stepped up to the challenge.” That Dawson became the starting keeper as a ninth-grader really should come as no surprise to those who know him. Dawson goes about his preparation for soccer with a very businesslike attitude. He wants to be the best player he can be. That means making sacrifices and giving up things his peers seemingly can’t do without. Like sleep. During the offseason, Dawson wakes himself in the predawn hours and heads to the YMCA to work out. From there he goes to school and then to soccer workouts. In the meantime, he watches his diet and follows a strict eating plan to ensure that his body is getting the nutrients it needs to recover from the work he puts himself through. “Caleb has researched all of this on his own. He knows what he needs to eat and when he needs to eat it. He wants to stay lean and get the most out of his workouts,” says his father, Leo Dawson. Part of what fuels Dawson’s desire to succeed is the career path he has planned. He would like to enter the Navy in hopes of becoming a SEAL. “I would like to serve my country, and I’ve always been comfortable in the water. I feel like I can use all of my abilities in the Special Forces. So I need to get started
photos submitted by the Dawson Family
early and go ahead and focus on commitment and pushing through my limits,” he says. His head coach, Jordan Breit, says Dawson’s work ethic is second to none. “His work ethic is through the roof. I can’t say enough about the things he does off the field. And on the field, he is a tremendous athlete. He is in the top five or top 10 of all the tests we do,” says Breit. The workouts and the diet have given Dawson the physical tools he needs to succeed. He also has mastered (or come close to mastering) the mental side of soccer. Dawson has the ability to remain calm and composed no matter what is happening around him. His composure is contagious and helps his teammates remain calm and focused as well. “I have been playing for a while, and that experience helps keep me calm and confident. When the defense sees their keeper calm and composed, it gives them confidence,” he says. That confidence and composure were on display last year against Colquitt County in Moultrie. That game ended in a tie and went into overtime. With no winner determined at the end of the extra period, the game went to penalty kicks. A keeper will never encounter a more stressful situation than penalty kicks. Dawson answered the challenge; Colquitt made one PK, missed another, and Dawson blocked the third. Lowndes, meanwhile, made all three of its penalty kicks for the win. “Two of our guys had gotten red cards. We were playing down there, and it was just a tough game,” he says. That game remains his biggest on-field moment in a season that saw Lowndes go undefeated in region play and win the region championship. The only goals opponents scored on Dawson came on penalty kicks. This season, Dawson would like to record 10 shutouts and win a second straight region title. He would also like for his Vikings to get farther in the playoffs than they have in the past. “We’ve been knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by Newnan each of the last two years. That’s pretty frustrating. I’d like to get past the second round and get better and help my team win. A second consecutive region title would be huge for our team,” he says. ITG
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Colquitt County Packers Gladys Espy Gymnasium • Moultrie, GA • www.colquitt.high.schooldesk.net/Athletics Colquitt County Wrestling Update tling program. On the other hand, Sumner and Martinez have been in the program since they were in the sixth grade and have worked their way up the ranks to the leadership positions they are in today. “Once you’ve coached kids for so long, they tend to grow on you. When they are out there wrestling, they know that they are wrestling for the school and their community, but I feel most that they are wrestling for me. The fact that they are hardworkers and leaders just makes them special and also harder to replace,” says Torbert. Earlier in January, Martinez suffered a seasonending ACL tear against Tifton in the Region 1 6A Dual. Even though the rest of the season is clouded for Javier, he is still hopeful, and on Senior Night on January 17, 2014, he celebrated his 100th win as a varsity wrestler. “It’s crazy to think that after this year I won’t be coming back in the fall to start practice again,” says Martinez. “Once you’ve done something for so long, it’s hard to do something else in its place.” With seniors on the cusp of graduating, juniors and sophomores, and even freshman are pushed with the task of filling in the “captain” role that Sumner and Martinez will be leaving at the end of the season. Where the senior category is lacking in numbers, the other classes are more than bursting with people who want to fill the varsity roles. The starting line-up for the Packers starts with sophomore Saul Antonio at 106, junior Miguel Carranza at 113, sophomore Jordan Rosales at 120, sophomore Enrique Aguilar at 126, senior Hart Sumner at 132, junior Jorge Martinez at 138, junior Frank Clark at 145, junior Hudson May at 152, junior Garrett May at 160, sophomore Jacob Comer at 170, senior Javier
Colquitt County High School
Wrestling at Colquitt County has been, in recent years, on an incline. In previous years, Colquitt has seen an increase in state qualifiers such as Marquavious Clark, Jose Zunan, Antonio Slaughter, two-time state champion Travis Register, and the most decorated Colquitt wrestler, Anderson Glenn, who holds the most wins at 153. However, with wrestlers like Travis Register and Anderson Glenn out of the picture, the young Colquitt team has been left with fewer seniors and younger leaders. Since the beginning of the year, the Packer wrestling team has seen many matches with the team record going 25-10 which supersedes the 20-11 record of last year’s team. The team has placed second in both the Cougar Dual in Crisp County, Georgia, and the Timberwolf Dual in Tallahassee, Florida, and has had third place finishes in both the Warhawk Dual in Veterans, Georgia, and the Rebel Dual in Turner County, Georgia. Individually, Hart Sumner and Jordan Rosales placed third and secondnd at the Blue Devil Invitational in Tifton. “As a team, we have been through more dual situations, and I think it has helped us grow. This year, we have been far more comparative because we have had more of a full line-up. It is harder to beat a team missing one or two weight classes and giving up points from the start than by starting at zero,” Head Coach Travis Torbert says. Even though the team has over 30 competitors, only five of them carry the title of seniors. Elijah Gomez, Sam Palmore and cousin Artrevious Palmore, Hart Sumner, and Javier Martinez will all step on the mat for their last time this year as a Packer wrestlers. Even though Sam and Artrevious Palmore and Gomez are graduating this year, this is their first year in the wres-
by Garrett May of The Black & Gold
Martinez at 182, sophomore Tyler Robinson at 195, sophomore Daniel Brinson at 220, and junior Jerry Bozeman at 285. Others on the team include Shelby Burnett at 160, Miguel Cano at 182, Austin Crosby at 285, Fyedarian Godfrey at 170, Eduardo Garza at 106, Elijah Gomez at 152, John Hall at 182, Aaron Harris at 170, Alex Henry at 145, Nathan Hobgood at 182, John Keith at 285, Javarious Madison at 132, Tyson McCray at 132, Sam Palmore at 182, Griffin Rigsby at 285, Trenton Roberts at 160, Alejandro Sanchez at 145, Ladon Sanchez at 285, Montarious Stringer at 138, Hayden Suggs at 126, Peter Torres at 220, and Savonte Wilson at 120. As region draws nearer and time ticks the team looks hopeful for the future. “We are in constant pursuit of perfection and are all pushing the limits to make it to state in Macon). Since this is my last year, I feel a stronger will to work. In that same sense, I feel a deeper loss in leaving the program. I can’t believe I’m almost done,” says Senior Hart Sumner.
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