Pelham short against North Gwinnett

By Chris Megginson | Shelby County Reporter
Published Saturday, August 23, 2008
PELHAM — It was the test both teams were looking for, and after a three-hour battle on regional television, Pelham Panther fans learned that either North Gwinnett is over rated or the Panthers are about to embark on a season to remember in their return to Class 6A, Region 6.
The home stands of Ned Bearden Stadium was at near capacity as Pelham rallied from a 3-point deficit twice, only to come up short in the end, 24-17 in the fall exhibition.
“We put 17 up, which was kind of disappointing. We need to take care of the ball and make the most of the opportunities we get,” Pelham head coach Brett Burnett. “Unfortunately we didn’t make enough plays tonight. We played hard, and I think it’s something we can grow on and we can build on.”
North Gwinnett, last year’s runner-up in the state of Georgia’s Class 5A, controlled the clock in the second half, giving Pelham the ball on offense for only five minutes and holding the Panthers to 112 yards of second-half offense.
“We need to be consistent (on offense) and not put ourselves in third-and-long situations,” Burnett said.
Ryan Williams returns a punt late in the preseason game against North Gwinnett. Williams led the Panthers in rushing with 56 yards on six carries. The Panthers took a 14-10 lead into halftime after a 3-yard touchdown run by Dominique Harris and a 17-yard touchdown pass from Tripp Martin to Shawn Lynch countered a field goal and 19-yard touchdown pass by the Bulldogs.
However, a 67-yard pass from North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo to C Dixon helped open the third quarter with a touchdown to give the Bulldogs the lead, 17-14. Aside from the touchdown pass, the Panthers’ defense contained the Bulldogs’ offense until the final minute. After Dan Jackson’s 35-yard field goal tied the game, 17-17, with 9:14 to play, the Bulldogs managed to push the ball down the field but the Panthers held their ground. It wasn’t until a long drive in the final four minutes of the game that the Bulldogs were able to push their way into the end zone. With less than a minute to play, Alvin Hines stopped Tamburo at the goal line on a quarterback draw, stripping the ball from his hands, but Tamburo was able to recover to set up the game-winning touchdown run from inches out by Tyler Jarry with :32 to play. Martin completed one pass on the final drive but was unable to push the Panthers down field in a short amount of time, finishing the game 16-of-27 with 190 yards passing. Dexter Paschal, last year’s county leader in sacks with eight, took down Tamburo four times for a combined loss of 41 yards and had 12 tackles in the game. His pass rush also led to a blocked pass and a hurry. Jake Holland also had 12 tackles, while Alvin Hines and Derek Slaughter each had 11 tackles in the secondary.
The game, broadcast live on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS), was not only a test for Pelham, but for North Gwinnett, who opens the season next week on regional television again against Byrnes High School of South Carolina in the National Football Challenge.
“I don’t know if you could have a better preseason match-up. This is high school football, a lot of reps, both teams went no huddle, man this is what it ought to be about,” said Sphire. Sphire has been pursued by Neese High School in Florida to play preseason next year but Sphire hopes to continue coming to Alabama and keep the Border Classic alive in the preseason after playing Prattville last year.
“I love coming over here to Alabama. There’s great high school football in Alabama, tremendous football,” Sphire said.

 

CSS to Televise the Progressive Football Challenge

 

SUWANEE, Ga. (Aug. 14, 2008) – Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) will televise both games of the inaugural National Football Challenge on Friday, Aug. 29 at North Gwinnett High School. The event, managed by Kentucky-based Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST), will feature Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, Fla.) against Central Gwinnett High School in the 6 p.m. opening game followed by Byrnes High School (Duncan S.C.) against North Gwinnett High School in the 9 p.m. nightcap. CSS serves 5.8 million homes across 12 states in the southeast.
The match-ups of the National Football Challenge have generated tremendous local excitement in addition to national appeal. Byrnes enters as the defending South Carolina 4A State Champions (and five out of the last six years) and is ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation in the pre-season National Prep Poll. North Gwinnett has emerged as a powerhouse under head coach Bob Sphire as the Bulldogs are 24-4 in his first two seasons and advanced to the 5A State Championship game last season. The game will feature two of the nation’s top quarterbacks in North Gwinnett senior and state Player of the Year candidate Mike Tamburo and Byrnes junior Chas Dodd.
“One of the goals in creating the National Football Challenge was to shine a spotlight on the great football in this state,” said North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire. “And thanks to CSS, we can showcase this event to millions of viewers here in our first year. Byrnes and Mainland are two of the finest programs in the country but I am certain they will be tested by the hometown teams.”
Mainland has established itself as a power in Florida’s highly competitive Class 5A under legendary coach John Maronto. The Buccaneers are regarded as the favorites in their class for this season with 20 players returning that made starts last year. Their roster contains one of the nation’s top linebackers in Phillip Bailey, recently
named among the nation’s Top-100 seniors by Rivals.com. Central Gwinnett is looking to rebound from the loss of head coach Dennis Roland, who passed away in December after losing his fight against cancer. Coach Roland, also a former head coach at North Gwinnett, will be remembered and honored in a pre-game ceremony for his contributions to Georgia high school football and his involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 
The National Football Challenge officially kicks off CSS' weekly high school football coverage which includes a Friday night high school game of the week at 7:30 pm ET and includes five hours of wall-to-wall football coverage beginning with a pregame show at 7:00 pm ET, a post-game show at 11:00 p.m. ET and CSS' "In the Huddle" weekly magazine show at 11:30 p.m. ET.  The National Football Challenge will be carried also live by The Fan – “Atlanta’s Sports Station.” Central Gwinnett-Mainland will be broadcast on WALR 1340, also known as The Fan 2, with North Gwinnett-Byrnes being aired on 680 The Fan. Reaching approximately 150,000 listeners on a weekly basis, 680 The Fan is the local ESPN affiliate and is the exclusive home to the Atlanta Thrashers, NFL, NBA, BCS, NCAA Final Four, SEC Basketball and Football Championships, Notre Dame Football, and MLB.
Tickets are available in the main office at North Gwinnett High School, located at 20 Level Creek Road in Suwanee (weekdays 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.). Tickets also will be available on-line at www.BESTcollegiate.com. Reserved sideline tickets are $25 each with general admission tickets priced at $15 each. For corporate packages, please contact BEST Collegiate at 859.264.8020. Complete event information can be found at www.BESTcollegiate.com or www.NGFootball.org. For media inquiries, please contact Jon Albaugh at jalbaugh@experienceBEST.com or 859.264.8020.

North Gwinnett QB Tamburo awaits South Carolina

By Michael Carvell | Friday, August 15, 2008

North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo said he is a finalist for an offer
from South Carolina.
“If they offer me, I’m probably going to commit,” Tamburo said.
Tamburo said he has been keeping in contact with South Carolina assistants David Reaves and Shane Beamer since attending camp last month. Tamburo said that South Carolina likely will sign only one quarterback this year, and he was one of three the Gamecocks are considering. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Tamburo has offers from Tulsa, Toledo, Bowling Green, Air Force and Louisiana-Monroe. He is a member of the AJC’s Georgia Top 150

 

National Football Challenge to be televised on CSS

By David Friedlander
Staff Writer

When the idea for the National Football Challenge was conceived, it was for it to be a made-for-television event. The specifics for that plan were revealed Thursday by Kentucky-based Blue Entertainment Sports Television. Both games of the Aug. 29 high school doubleheader - Central Gwinnett against Mainland (Fla.) and host North Gwinnett against Byrnes (S.C.) will be broadcast both via television on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) and on radio over two different AM outlets. The Central-Mainland game will get things started at 6 p.m. on CSS and WALR (1340-AM), followed by North-Byrnes on CSS and 680 The Fan (WCNN, 680-AM) at approximately 9 p.m.
"One of the goals in creating the National Football Challenge was to shine a spotlight on the great foot ball in this state," North coach Bob Sphire said in a statement released by BEST on Thursday. "And thanks to CSS, we can showcase this event to millions of viewers here in our first year. Byrnes and Mainland are two of the finest programs in the country, but I am certain they will be tested by the hometown teams."
Tickets for the event to be played at North's 8,000-seat Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium are still available, and can be purchased at the school or by visiting www.BESTcollegiate.com.

Hit and run

By David Friedlander
Gwinnett Daily Post Staff Writer

SUWANEE - Through the drudgery of two-a-day preseason practices, there is always a red-letter day for high school football players, and Wednesday was that day this season.
The first day teams put on full pads and were able to completely hit one another.
Of course, players would rather be hitting their counterparts from other teams rather than from the opposite unit on their own teams.
They will have to wait a little longer for that, but many coaches of local teams couldn't help noticing their players perk up a little as they hit the fields Wednesday.
"Actually, we don't practice much differently (in procedures) from when we're just in helmets and shoulder pads," said Bob Sphire, head coach of defending Class AAAAA state runner-up North Gwinnett. "Really, once we get the shoulder pads on, we're practicing. But you could still see a little more bounce in the kids' steps (Wednesday) morning."
Parkview coach Cecil Flowe also expected the same kind of atmosphere as his Panthers headed out to the practice field in full pads Wednesday afternoon.
"It's going to be active," Flowe said. "Everybody's going to be flying around to the ball."Flowe felt fortunate to get a good enough heat index reading on the digital psychrometer to allow his team to practice in pads during the afternoon.
He was prepared in case it wasn't. Like many other schools, Parkview and North held their first practices of the day early in the morning during cooler temperatures to make sure they got in enough work in case the conditions became too hot in the afternoon.
Players from those teams had to be early risers - as early as 6 a.m. at Parkview.
"We usually do our weight training (during the season) each day at 6:50 (a.m.)," Flowe said. "So, this was not really that different."
For those programs that could not practice so early, creative alternatives were required.
At Peachtree Ridge, school registration and freshman orientation dictated a light practice in the afternoon, with a session in full pads as temperatures cooled into the evening.
Lions coach Bill Ballard said the schedule might be just as well with Gwinnett County schools beginning the new year Monday, which will make early morning practices virtually impossible.
"(The coaches) were here (at school) by 7 a.m., and we'll probably be here until about 10 p.m.," Ballard said Wednesday afternoon. "But we'll be in the same boat next week when school starts. So this will get (the players) acclimated to the schedule and to the heat."
There are a lot of things players throughout Gwinnett and all of Georgia must get acclimated to before the season starts, and there really isn't much time to do it.
While the start of the season may seem an eternity away to the players, most teams tee it up for real for the first time just three weeks from this Friday night.
For some, like Berkmar and Corky Kell Classic participants Brookwood, Grayson and Norcross, there is even less time to lose, with only two weeks until kickoff.
"It will be tough because it will be a quick turnaround," said Grayson coach Mickey Conn, who was in transit after he and his Rams when through a light practice at the Georgia Dome in preparation for the Kell Classic on Aug. 23. "But you've got to play your first game sometime and find out what you need to work on. The earlier the better, I guess. We're anxious.

"Uncertainties of recruiting leave some calling for changes

By TODD HOLCOMB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/03/08

The scholarship offer to Chase Vasser came in January with a gentle admonition: Georgia planned to sign only two linebackers. Two weeks later, when linebacker Dexter Moody of Emanuel County Institute committed to Georgia, an anxious Vasser jumped on board and committed the same day.
In May, Vasser admits that he panicked again. A third linebacker — Valdosta's Mike Gilliard — picked Georgia. "I got upset," Vasser said. "I thought they didn't want me. I thought they lied so I wouldn't go anywhere else. But I talked with coach [John] Jancek, and he said they wanted me and that's why they made me their first offer. ... I was just playing games in my mind." Vasser wasn't playing mind games by himself. It's still nearly three weeks before the first high school game, and 56 members of The Georgia 150 — the AJC's list of the state's most coveted senior recruits for 2009 — have promised schools that they'll sign with them on the Feb. 8 national signing day. Their commitments don't bind them until then, but such weighty decisions, made before the NCAA allows players to take official paid visits to schools, can be stressful. Five years ago, fewer than 20 Georgia players had committed this early. A decade ago, it was only a handful. The trend might be accelerated if many college coaches get their way and have signing day moved up to December.

Players recruited earlier
Georgia reportedly has made scholarship offers to five rising juniors for 2010, and one recruiting service reports that 12 rising juniors nationwide have made commitments — 18 months before they can sign. "The trend will continue where college teams will be more than halfway full before the season starts, and by Sept. 1, you'd better be out recruiting juniors or you're way behind," said Scott Kennedy, Scout.com's national scouting director. Some players are better positioned for the early recruiting than others. Vasser, from Chestatee High in Gainesville, got an early offer from his favorite school and grabbed it. Henry County's Jamal Patterson, one of 10 players who got an A-plus grade in the AJC's The Georgia 150 list (ajc.com), can afford to wait until after the season to decide. "Schools are already saying they'll take me in February," said Patterson, a wide receiver. "They'll make room." But it can be nerve-racking for players without dozens of offers from major Division I-A schools. North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo has seven offers from Division I-A schools, but none from the ACC or SEC, although he's holding out hope for Alabama and South Carolina, which continue to recruit him. "You don't want to be a fool and wait for the big school when it's not coming," Tamburo said. "There's risk in waiting. You don't want to lose an offer you already have, but you don't want to give up on that dream school either." Justin Wray, the quarterback for Eastside High of Covington, wanted to commit to Central Florida this summer as soon as he got the offer, but his coach, Rick Hurst, discouraged it. "For one, he hasn't been down there [for a visit] and checked out what it's all about," Hurst said. "I told him that if they want you now and you go out and have the kind of season you think you can, what makes you think they won't want you then?" Wray has been told by Clemson coaches that he is their third choice at safety. If the top two go elsewhere, Wray might get an offer. But he might not. "It's almost like gambling," Hurst said. "You have to play the game." There seems to be no easy solution for relieving the unwanted pressure that high school players feel to make commitments before the fall. Prospects may visit schools and meet with coaches any time if they pay their way — Tamburo has made nine visits this summer, costing his family hundreds of dollars — but many college coaches don't want official paid visits in the spring or summer. "We need our summers ... coaches, our families, the players, the high school coaches, even our academic advisers," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "Our academic advisers are on call all summer when an official visit walks in town. We all need to take a little break."

Coaches want change
Richt and the majority of head coaches now favor an early signing period in December. Many hope it will discourage the last-hour waffling that takes place when a player commits, then de-commits. The American Football Coaches Association is expected to propose to the NCAA in September that signing day be moved to December. Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said he favored a December signing date if it "would end all this mockery when you have a guy sitting there with six hats" at a news conference. "Recruiting is getting crazy with all the publicity and the hype and the early commitments." Darren Myles Sr., the head coach at Carver High of Atlanta, says the earlier signing period is a good idea, but not because it helps colleges coaches. He says it will allow a player to cash in on an early offer before it gets taken away. Myles Sr. has banned one Conference USA school from recruiting at Carver this year because it offered scholarships to two of his players last spring, then pulled them when the players were considering a commitment. "You know we have some kids that they'd love to have, but there's no way, based on how they did my kids last year," Myles Sr. said. Myles' son, Darren Jr., is one of the country's top prospects at safety, and he's not planning to commit until January, at the earliest. That's not easy. Myles Jr. was in the office of Lousisana State coach Les Miles last month. "He told us he was willing to take his commitment right now; then he paused," Myles Sr. said. "Then he followed with, 'Of course, you don't have to make a decision now.' Darren knows not to say anything. We've got an understanding." Vasser, who plans to enroll early at Georgia, says he wouldn't recommend any rules changes, despite the stress. He only wishes coaches could call more to reassure him, but NCAA rules limit that. A year is a long time to wait from commitment date until signing day, he said. But he's happy to be committed. "I had 13 unofficial visits set up, but I grew up liking Georgia, so when they offered, I felt it would be stupid to go through all that," Vasser said. "I'm just going to enjoy my senior season and try to relax."

 

Tickets on sale Aug. 29

Football challenge will include two Gwinnett schools

By Larry Hartstein
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/09/08

Tickets for the National Football Challenge, a new season kickoff event to be held Aug. 29 at North Gwinnett, will go on sale at noon Monday in the school's main office. Tickets also will be available at www.game-seven.com. General admission tickets for the doubleheader are $15, and reserved sideline tickets are $25.
The 6 p.m. game pits Central Gwinnett against Mainland High School of Daytona Beach, Fla. At 9 p.m., North Gwinnett will play Byrnes High School of Duncan, S.C.
Mainland, led by highly touted linebacker Phillip Bailey, is one of the favorites to win Florida's Class AAAAA. Byrnes has won five of the past six South Carolina AAAA championships and finished last year ranked in the nation's top 10.
"We want to create an event that shines a spotlight on the great football in this state but also challenges Georgia's best to compete on a national level," said North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire, whose Bulldogs are 24-4 in his two seasons in Suwanee.
"Byrnes has established itself as one of the absolute best football programs anywhere over the past decade," Sphire added. "Defensively, they are one of the fastest teams I have ever seen in 20 years of coaching. Then you consider they return nine starters on offense, including a quarterback that won a state title as a sophomore and some big-time college prospects at their skill positions. It will be a great measuring stick to see how Georgia football stacks up against the best of the best."
Kentucky-based Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST) is managing the event, along with North Gwinnett. Organizers say the doubleheader will be televised live, but a broadcast partner has not been announced.
New Central Gwinnett coach Ed Stokes said the Black Knights are excited to play in this new showcase.
"We know Daytona Mainland has a rich tradition, and we're excited to have the opportunity to play them and get an early test for our ball club as to exactly how good we can become next season," Stokes said.
The late Dennis Roland, the Central Gwinnett coach who died last December after a battle with cancer, will be honored in a pregame ceremony for his contribution to Georgia high school football and to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

North Gwinnett faces 'rebuilding mode' in 2008

By LARRY HARTSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/08/08
When a program sends 10 seniors to play college football, there's bound to be a dropoff.
That's the case at North Gwinnett, which made the Class AAAAA championship game last year.
The Bulldogs were hit especially hard on defense. Strong safety Zach Humphrey is the only returning starter.
"We may have to score 100 to start the season," coach Bob Sphire said. "Being the head coach and the offensive coordinator, it's not so bad for me, but [defensive coordinator] Mo Dixon may not be able to sleep much."
While the defense will be smaller and less experienced, the offense will be potent.
Quarterback Michael Tamburo (2,311 passing yards, 19 touchdowns; 594 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns) is entering his third year as a starter and he has most of his key players returning - running back Tyler Jarry, wideout Cordero Dixon and tight end Kenny Barnes.
Sphire said Tamburo and Jarry will have a whole lot to carry. "But at the same time, I don't think our offense is successful being one-dimensional. We're working to develop guys and have a bunch of people step up."
After going 24-4 in Sphire's first two seasons, North Gwinnett might take a step back. The Bulldogs lost more than 30 seniors.
"We look like a JV team right now," Sphire said. "There are so many things we've got to find out, it's unbelievable. I hardly know where to start. "I swear, I feel like we're almost back at square one," he added. "We've got some great kids coming back, but it's really a rebuilding mode, if there ever was one."

North Gwinnett Bulldogs
Region 7-AAAAA
Spring practice dates: May 5-17.
Last year's record: 13-2, lost to Lowndes in state championship game.
Reclassification challenge: Does not apply.

Working on: The Bulldogs must rebuild their defense after losing every starter except strong safety Zach Humphrey. "We've got a whole lot of kids who look like linebackers," coach Bob Sphire said. "Some of these guys are going to have to become linemen, and some will have to become more skilled, defensive back types."

Key starters lost: DE Eric Eberhardt; DB Marquese Quiles; LB Eloka Anyaorah; DE Robert Pritchard; DT Steve Buffington; OL Clint Duggan.

Key starters returning: QB Michael Tamburo (6-1, 185, Sr.); RB Tyler Jarry (5-11, 180, Sr.); C Jake Thomas (6-2, 240, Sr.); WR Cordero Dixon (6-0, 170, Jr.); OL Austin Shepherd (6-4, 310, Jr.); TE Kenny Barnes (6-3, 220, Sr.).

2008 strengths: If they can get any blocking, the Bulldogs will score points because of Tamburo, Jarry, Dixon and Barnes. No team has a better offensive conductor than Tamburo, who is entering his third year as a starter.

2008 weaknesses: The Bulldogs will be small and inexperienced on the defensive front. With only one returning defensive starter, North Gwinnett could play a lot of close games.

This season's projection: The Bulldogs, who open against South Carolina power Byrnes and Brookwood, will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season's run to the state final. But Sphire will find a way to get them to the playoffs.

Comment: "We've got a small upcoming senior class," Sphire said of his 17 seniors. "There are going to be a lot of juniors and sophomores vying for playing time."