North Gwinnett more than just the “Big Two”

By S. Thomas Coleman
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

North Gwinnett linemen Jawaun James (6-foot-6, 295 pounds) and Austin Shepherd (6-foot-5, 310) are two big young men who have garnered most of the recruiting attention for the Bulldogs’ Class of 2010. James has at least 30 offers from schools in every BCS conference. Shepherd has an offer on the table from Alabama, among others. But the class of rising seniors at North Gwinnett is more than just the “Big Two,” according to head coach Bob Sphire.
He thinks linebacker/defensive back Trey Sims (6-foot-1, 190) and receiver Cordero Dixon (6-feet, 170), both of whom have been offered by UAB, ultimately will receive plenty of Division I-A offers. Linebackers David Park (6-feet, 195) and John Gibson Green (6-foot-3, 215) will be highly recruited players as well, according to Sphire. “Sims is probably the fastest player on our team, especially in his change of direction speed. He’s just extremely explosive,” Sphire said. “Cordero is smooth. He just glides and he has great ball skills. “David has worked really hard in the weight room, and it shows,” Sphire said. “He’s really put together physically now, to go with the [speed and agility] he always had. And John Gibson is an extremely powerful, explosive player.”

 

 

Gwinnett Daily Post's 2008 Football Preview

Check it out here.
 

 

Newnan 20, North Gwinnett 3

By David Friedlander
Staff Writer

NEWNAN - The high-powered spread offenses of North Gwinnett and Newnan were both slowed down by the elements in their Class AAAAA state quarterfinal game.
Unfortunately for the No. 10 state-ranked Bulldogs, the third-ranked Cougars were able to cope with the heavy rain a little bit better. More importantly, they were able to better take advantage of their trips to the red zone, scoring on all three of their attempts, while North managed just a single field goal on its three trips, which made the difference in a 20-3 Newnan victory Friday night at soggy Drake Stadium. The result helped the Cougars (13-0) gain a measure of revenge after North (10-3) ended its season in the quarterfinals a year ago, and moved them into a state semifinal date next week against No. 2 Camden County at a site to be determined.
It also left the Bulldogs wondering what might have been after letting opportunities to take control of the game slip away, especially in the first half. "We were down in the red zone three times and got three points out of it," North coach Bob Sphire said. "That's not going to win a quarterfinal game. We got beat by a great football team, but we had our chances. We just didn't take advantage of them." Indeed, the Bulldogs had their chances, especially as both teams had their problems holding onto the ball, and it cost each during the first half. A bad snap led to Alec Olgetree's block of Jeff Hatley's 21-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter, keeping North from taking the lead. Then, after Newnan jumped out in front 7-0 on Russell Powell's 29-yard touchdown pass to Alan Bonner with 7:04 left in the first half, the wet ball came into play twice more in the half. First, Bonner had the ball stripped from him after a 16-yard gain, giving North the ball at the Newnan 40 with 1:57 left in the half. Six plays later, it looked like the Bulldogs might tie the game when Mikey Tamburo spotted a wide open Tyler Jarry in the back of the end zone from 8 yards out. But the ball slipped from the senior's hands, and North had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Hatley with 12.9 seconds left and while Newnan's lead was cut to 7-3 heading into intermission, coach Robert Herring believed his team still had momentum. "It changed ol' mo right there," Herring said of holding North to a field goal. "We've given up 31 points in 13 games this year. ... But I'm proud of how both teams played (in the elements). Both teams showed lots of class, played hard and didn't give up." North certainly didn't give up, especially after forcing two more fumbles inside Newnan territory in the third quarter.
But the Bulldogs still couldn't find the end zone, even after taking the first Newnan turnover as deep as the Cougars' 7-yard line late in the third quarter. This time, a key false start penalty set North back, and Tamburo was sacked for an 8-yard loss a play later, which led to another missed field goal, keeping Newnan's 7-3 lead intact with 2:29 left in the period.
"We just didn't execute in goal line (situations) and they did," said a disappointed Tamburo, who completed just 7 of 18 passes for 72 yards and an interception, and ran for only 30 yards on 17 carries, though that number was skewed by a few late game sacks. "We're both spread teams. So the rain is no excuse. We just didn't finish it." North couldn't move after recovering the second fumble, and a bad snap on the ensuing punt set Newnan up on the Bulldogs' 32. It took the Cougars only four plays to score, with Russell Powell sneaking in from a yard out to extend the Newnan lead to 14-3 with 10:25 to play. After holding North three-and-out on its next possession, Newnan then took over and drove 67 yards in 15 plays, draining 6:22 off the clock in the process, before scoring again on a 9-yard pass from Powell to E.J. Houston, stretching the lead to 20-3 with 2:30 left. Powell finished the game by completing his last 10 consecutive passes for 138 yards and two scores, while Kendreas Wynn ran for 65 of his team-high 78 yards in the second half. Jarry led North offensively with 83 yards on 20 carries.

CLASS AAAAA: NEWNAN 20, NORTH GWINNETT 3
Newnan defense dominates North Gwinnett

By GLENNIS CURRY
For The Journal-Constitution
 

Newnan quarterback Russell Powell threw two touchdowns passes and ran for one, and the host Cougars exacted revenge on North Gwinnett Friday, beating the Bulldogs 20-3 in a Class AAAAA quarterfinal game. After two early slips and two incomplete passes, Powell, a 5-foot-10 senior who is also a coveted basketball prospect, completed his last 10 passes in intermittent rain to finish the game 10-for-12 for 126 yards. The teams played last season in the same round, with North Gwinnett winning a 38-35 thriller. Newnan had given up 28 points this season and outscored its previous six opponents 236-0. North Gwinnett (10-3) had scored 34 and 43 points in playoff games against Brookwood and Lassiter.
“Wherever we have given the ball up, our guys just go out and play defense,” Newnan coach Robert Herring said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s on the plus side or the minus side, our kids go out there and do what they have to do.” Newnan went ahead 7-0 when Powell found Alan Bonner on a 28-yard pass with 7:04 left in the second quarter. The Cougars drove 74 yards in seven plays, and Powell completed all four of his passes on the drive.
North Gwinnett pulled to 7-3 at halftime after Bonner lost a fumble at his 40 with just over two minutes to play. North moved inside Newnan’s 10, but Tyler Jarry dropped a third-down pass from Mike Tamburo after getting open in the end zone. “If you don’t take advantage of opportunities in the red zone, you get beat by a team that’s this good,” North coach Bob Sphire said. “We felt we should have been up 21-7 at halftime, but we didn’t do our jobs inside the red zone.” Tyler Jarry rushed for 87 yards on 21 carries for North Gwinnett, and Tamburo, scrambling for most of the evening, finished 7-for-19 passing for 72 yards and nine yards rushing on 16 carries. Tamburo, a Boise State commitment, was intercepted by Alex Ogletree in his final high school pass. Newnan (13-0) will play Camden County, an 18-17 winner over Woodstock, in next week’s semifinals. The host team will be determined by a coin flip this weekend.

TD Club of Gwinnett names end of year honorees

From staff reports The Touchdown Club of Gwinnett has named its individual award winners and all-county selections for the high school football season based on voting by the county's head football coaches. The players and coaches will be honored with a banquet next month at the Gwinnett Place Marriott. The event's featured speaker will be new Georgia State head football coach Bill Curry. Brookwood, Buford, Norcross, North Gwinnett and Peachtree Ridge each had two players earn one of the prestigious player of the year awards, while Parkview also had one award winner - Brandon Jacobs as athlete of the year. Brookwood's Kellen Williams was offensive lineman of the year and teammate Wade Brogdon was defensive back of the year. Buford's award winners were Dallas Lee as defensive lineman of the year and Cody Getz as kick return specialist of the year. Norcross' D.J. Adams was running back of the year and teammate Connor Hawk was kicking specialist of the year. North was led by quarterback of the year Mikey Tamburo and wide receiver of the year Tyler Jarry. Peachtree Ridge was represented by tight end of the year Conner Orr and linebacker of the year Kevin Minter.

Touchdown Club of Gwinnett

All-County Awards List

Athlete: Brandon Jacobs, Parkview

Quarterback: Mikey Tamburo, North Gwinnett

Running back: D.J. Adams, Norcross

Wide receiver: Tyler Jarry, North Gwinnett

Tight end: Conner Orr, Peachtree Ridge

Offensive lineman: Kellen Williams, Brookwood

Linebacker: Kevin Minter, Peachtree Ridge

Defensive back: Wade Brogdon, Brookwood

Defensive lineman: Dallas Lee, Buford

Specialist: Connor Hawk, Norcross

Specialist: Cody Getz, Buford

First-Team Offense

QB Tyler Horne, Grayson

RB Ean Pemberton, Grayson

RB Ronnie Smith, Peachtree Ridge

RB Charles Perkins, Collins Hill

WR Prince Kent, Norcross

WR Jonathan Krause, South Gwinnett

TE Jared Polak, Parkview

OL Trevor McBurnett, Peachtree Ridge

OL Micah James, Mill Creek

OL Patrick Hartman, GAC

OL Jacob Mwinami, Grayson

OL Kolton Houston, Buford

OL Josh Parrish, Wesleyan

First-Team Defense

DL Andrew Sachais, Buford

DL Wesley Hollingshed, Norcross

DL Cameron Whigham, Shiloh

DL Ryan Robinson, Mill Creek

DL Joseph Champaign, Grayson

LB Troy Davis, Berkmar

LB Jonathan Langston, Grayson

LB Blake Southerland, GAC

LB Steven Smith, Norcross

DB Kadeem Wise, Berkmar

DB Connor Norman, Peachtree Ridge

DB Daunte Carr, Buford

DB Zach Humphrey, North Gwinnett

K Griffin Thomas, South Gwinnett

P Justin Mack, Duluth

Second-Team Offense

QB Michael Polascik, South Gwinnett

RB Storm Johnson, Buford

RB Quinton Cobb, Duluth

RB TaRon Squires, Parkview

WR Marshall Steed, Dacula

WR Dedric Shipman, Meadowcreek

TE Kenny Barnes, North Gwinnett

OL Jordan Johnson, Mill Creek

OL Jake Thomas, North Gwinnett

OL Max Garcia, Norcross

OL Alex Mueller, Grayson

OL Matt Cox, Collins Hill

Second-Team Defense

DL Trevor Warbington, Buford

DL Shawn Green, Grayson

DL Michael Pate, Peachtree Ridge

DL Barry Lenon, Collins Hill

DL Matt Johnson, Parkview

LB Trokon Gaye, Central Gwinnett

LB Terry Williams, Grayson

LB Curtis Guest, Collins Hill

LB Michael Brown, Brookwood

DB Destry Berry, Collins Hill

DB Cortez Johnson, South Gwinnett

DB Robert Nelson, North Gwinnett

DB Bryce Rosser, Parkview

K Adam Gustafson, Parkview

P Mark Wright, Shiloh

Scholar-Athlete Award

Berkmar: Freddie Lambert

Brookwood: Joe Gammie

Buford: Jake Vaverka

Central Gwinnett: Awan Rahman

Collins Hill: Michael Adams

Dacula: Alex Sweatt

Duluth: Patrick Nethercliff

Grayson: Ches Whitesides

GAC: Luke Davis

Meadowcreek: Phillip Pickens

Mill Creek: Caleb Tarver

Norcross: Danal Slay

North Gwinnett: Cody Chesneau

Parkview: Adam Gustafson

Peachtree Ridge: Nick Lombardo

Shiloh: Bobby Freeman

South Gwinnett: Nikolas Howell

Wesleyan: Josh Parrish

Team First Award

(Player who puts team over self)

Berkmar: James Freeman

Brookwood: David Cooper

Buford: Michael May

Central Gwinnett: Tay Anderson

Collins Hill: Josh Davis

Dacula: Malcolm Young

Duluth: Quinton Cobb

Grayson: Quinton Lawson

GAC: Mark Knauss

Meadowcreek: Aaron Jones

Mill Creek: Ed Russ

Norcross: Antoine Jones

North Gwinnett: Chandler Cross

Parkview: Clayton Wilkin

Peachtree Ridge: Mitchell Williford

Shiloh: Cooper Davis

South Gwinnett: Colby Hitchcock

Wesleyan: J.J. Russell

Cecil Morris Award

(All-County caliber players who suffered injuries)

Brookwood: Evan Towey

Collins Hill: Gary Tiller

GAC: Shane Mularkey

North Gwinnett: Cordero Dixon

Tally Johnson Award

(Assistant coaches of the year)

Berkmar: Justin Bishop

Brookwood: David Nelson

Buford: Bryant Appling

Central Gwinnett: Mike Dunning

Dacula: Derek Coggin

Duluth: Lex Balazik

GAC: Matt Biggee

Grayson: Robert Andrews

Meadowcreek: Nyere Brown

Mill Creek: Tim Rondeau

Norcross: Jay Warren

Parkview: Josh Alexander

Peachtree Ridge: Matt Winslette

Shiloh: Brandon Jackson

South Gwinnett: Steve Wilkerson

Wesleyan: Brad Dehem

Dave Hunter Award

(Community volunteers of the year)

Berkmar: Jay Jett

Buford: Phillip Perkins

Central Gwinnett: Leroy Frazier

Collins Hill: Todd Marksberry

Dacula: Lynn Wright

Duluth: David Lamb

Grayson: Scott Hanberry

Meadowcreek: Phil Pickens

Mill Creek: Craig Sanders

Norcross: Bob Saville

North Gwinnett: Mike O'Rouke

Parkview: David McClure

Peachtree Ridge: Roger and Pam Norman

Shiloh: Tom Marley

South Gwinnett: Jamie Britt

Wesleyan: Jennifer Fithian

Honorable Mention

Cody Ames, Dacula; Landon Anderson, Buford; Taylor Beardon, Grayson; Aaron Bell, Meadowcreek; Michael Box, Collins Hill; Keiron Bobb, Shiloh; Tanner Botts, Peachtree Ridge; Tyler Botts, Peachtree Ridge; Kadeem Boyd, Shiloh; Michael Bradford, South Gwinnett; Matt Cape, GAC; Chris Carroll, Peachtree Ridge; Colton Chapple, GAC; Mark Creighton, Brookwood; Jessel Curry, Buford; Martin Davis, Parkview; Zach Davis, Collins Hill; Lee Ellis, Wesleyan; C.J. Fredrick, Collins Hill; Bobby Fulton, Wesleyan; Matt Gagich, Duluth; Hamilton Garner, Duluth; Eugene Glenn, Shiloh; Corbin Grace, Berkmar; Drake Greer, Duluth; Harrell Gunn, Grayson; Cortland Hale, Brookwood; Brock Hanberry, Grayson; Sejean Hart, Shiloh; Lincoln Hinds, South Gwinnett; Lance Holder, Central Gwinnett; Julian Horton, GAC; Mason Howington, Brookwood; Kaycee Ike, Central Gwinnett; Chaz Jackson, South Gwinnett; Jalanni James, Meadowcreek; JaWuan James, North Gwinnett; Aaron Jividen, South Gwinnett; Kyle Karempelis, Wesleyan; Charles King, Norcross; Zach Landis, Mill Creek; Darien Lane, Dacula; Banks Lee, GAC; Marquis Lovett, Norcross; Elijah Mahaley, Dacula; Chris Martin, Brookwood; Jay McCloskey, Norcross; Buck McClure, Parkview; Don Moon, North Gwinnett; Johnathan Moore, Meadowcreek; Manuel Munoz, Norcross; Jordan Murry, Berkmar; Scott Ooley, Mill Creek; Andrew Patrick, Wesleyan; Ben Petit, Duluth; Phillip Pickens, Meadowcreek; James Powell, Mill Creek; James Reed, Collins Hill; Warren Roberts, North Gwinnett; Bradley Roby, Peachtree Ridge; Mike Ross, Central Gwinnett; Mike Rosser, Berkmar; Josh Rudnik, Buford; Austin Shepherd, North Gwinnett; Julian Vann, Parkview; Nathan Vickery, Parkview; Hunter Watts, Dacula; Ches Whitesides, Grayson; Ben Wibonele, Berkmar; Ramael Wilson, Mill Creek; Cornelius Winters, Central Gwinnett.

North Gwinnett 43, Lassiter 21

By Brandon Brigman
Staff Writer

SUWANEE - For most of the regular season, C.J. Uzomah rarely saw the field as North Gwinnett's backup quarterback.
When star receiver Cordero Dixon went down with a season-ending injury, Uzomah was moved to wideout.
After Friday's game, the sophomore may have found a permanent position.
Uzomah had three touchdowns, including two leaping grabs in the corner of the end zone in North's 43-21 win over Lassiter in the second round of the Class AAAAA playoffs.
"Honestly, I had no idea that was going to happen," said the 6-foot-5 Uzomah, who had five catches for 100 yards. "But I'm glad it did." North Gwinnett will play at Newnan (12-0) in a rematch of last year's quarterfinal, which the Bulldogs won 38-35. Newnan defeated Tift County 42-0 in Friday's second-round game.
North Gwinnett (10-2) built a 15-7 first-half lead all on special teams points and in the second half came out clicking on offense. "It was an all-around game," North quarterback Mikey Tamburo said. "Special teams made some big plays, defense really stepped it up and that gave us the confidence to come out in the second half a lot stronger."
In a game that featured two potent offenses, the teams didn't disappoint in the second half. Of the nine second-half possessions, six resulted in touchdowns and there was only one punt.
"To be honest, I was surprised it wasn't a higher score," North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire said. "You've got two teams with spread offenses and both teams are attack, attack, attack."
The Bulldogs began the third quarter with Tamburo connecting with Uzomah for 45 yards on the first of his three touchdown catches. "With Cordero Dixon being gone for the season we were really struggling for that deep ball threat and boy did he show some skills on that tonight," Sphire said. After a Lassiter punt, Tamburo found Uzomah again in the corner of the end zone for a nice 12-yard leaping grab to make it 29-7. Lassiter's Hutson Mason connected with Taylor Crowder on fourth down for a 35-yard pass to set up Xavier Morgan's four-yard TD run. North answered with Tyler Jarry racing 65 yards on a pass from Tamburo. On the next play. the senior hit a wide open Raahmil Brantley for a nine-yard TD pass to put the Bulldogs ahead 36-14.
Mason needed just four plays before he hooked up with Crowder again for a 40-yard touchdown pass before the end of the third quarter to cut the lead to 36-21. Mason was 22 of 37 for 253 yards, completing passes to eight different receivers. Philip Lutzenkirchen was the Trojans' leading receiver with nine catches for 97 yards. Tamburo connected with Uzomah one last time to start the fourth quarter, hitting him in corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. "C.J. was just making crazy plays all night," Tamburo said. "I knew he had the ability."
With 8:18 left in the game, Lassiter (9-3) mounted one last scoring attempt. The Trojans ate up must of the clock before the North defense stopped them on fourth-and-goal to secure the win.
"Our defense played so good," Tamburo said. "They have a good offense and are going to put up some points." North Gwinnett sacked Mason six times, including two sacks Don Moon.
Tamburo was 16 of 21 passing for 289 yards. The Boise State commitment connected with six different receivers. Jarry led the way with three catches for 122 yards. Jarry also had 50 yards rushing. "Mikey put the ball in position to make plays and the receivers made plays," Uzomah said. North Gwinnett scored nine points in a 13-second span in the second quarter. A high snap by Lassiter on a punt went through the back of the end zone to make it 2-0.
On the kickoff, Robert Nelson went 73 yards for the touchdown to make it 9-0. It was the senior's third kickoff return for a touchdown this season. Lassiter's Lutzenkirchen scored on 15-yard pass from Mason. The senior, who recently decommitted from Auburn, hurdled a North defender to make it 9-7. North Gwinnett got in scoring position on its next three possessions. Jeff Hatley connected on two of three field goals, both from 32 yard yards to make it 15-7 at halftime. "Special were teams good and bad," Sphire said. "We set the table with special teams. It was a whole lot more good than bad. That's always the key to winning a state championship is good special teams plays."

North Gwinnett lashes Lassiter late for win
 

Bulldogs dominate in 2nd half as Trojans run out of steam
By GLENNIS CURRY
For the Journal-Constitution
Saturday, November 22, 2008

North Gwinnett quarterback Mike Tamburo threw four touchdown passes in the second half of the Bulldogs’ second-round matchup with Lassiter, leading them to a 43-21 victory against the Trojans at Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium in Suwanee. Three of the touchdown passes went to sophomore C.J. Uzomah, who caught six passes for 110 yards.
North Gwinnett (10-2) set up a rematch with Newnan, a 42-0 winner over Tift County. North beat Newnan last season on its way to the Class AAAAA title game.
Uzomah had one catch for 9 yards before North Gwinnett struck from 45 yards out on the first possession of the third quarter. Tamburo hit Uzomah on a screen pass, and the sophomore ran 45 yards for the score to give the Bulldogs a 22-7 lead. On the next possession Uzomah caught a 12-yard touchdown pass, and after Raahmil Brantley hauled in a touchdown pass from Tamburo, Uzomah caught a 10-yard jump ball to give North a 43-21 lead with 8:18 to play.
Tamburo finished the game 15-of-20 passing for 281 yards. He also rushed for 76 yards on 13 carries. “Thank God for halftime adjustments,” North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said. “We had the chance to go in and make the proper adjustments to do what we did in the second half.”
Lassiter hung around behind quarterback Mason Hudson and athletic catches from receivers Philip Lutzenkirchen and Taylor Crowder. Crowder made an over-the-shoulder on fourth-and-9 from the 38 to set up a 3-yard touchdown run from Xavier Morgan, and his touchdown reception from Mason closed the gap to 36-21 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Hudson, a junior, finished the game 24-of-39 passing for 277 yards and two touchdowns.
Lassiter pulled to within 9-7 in the second quarter when quarterback Mason Hudson connected with Lutzenkirchen for a touchdown score that ended an 86-yard drive. Mason hit Lutzenkirchen for a 36-yard pass on the first play of the drive, and a personal foul penalty on Nelson put the Trojans in Bulldogs’ territory. Mason extended the drive with a fourth-down conversion to Jimmy Mayer.

Former coaches reunite at North

By Brandon Brigman
Staff Writer

Ever since Bob Sphire took over as North Gwinnett's head football coach, teams have struggled to stop his spread offense. The Bulldogs have averaged nearly 30 points in Sphire's three years at the Suwanee school.
But if there's anyone that might know a way to slow down the Bulldogs' offense, it's Lassiter's Jeff Carlberg. The Trojans' defensive coordinator spent nine years as Sphire's defensive coordinator when the two coached at Lexington Catholic in Kentucky. The two will meet again tonight when North Gwinnett hosts Lassiter in the second round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs. The winner will play the winner of the Tift County-Newnan game next week.
"I told him the other day 'you can just come over and watch one of our games, you don't have to come over here and bloody our nose,'" Sphire said of his longtime friend and adult softball league teammate. "Jeff does a great job and is a heck of a football coach."
So who has the upper hand in this battle of former colleagues? They both know each other's tendencies and what their teams are capable of doing. "That's the million dollar question. It's like a chess match," Sphire said. "If you love high school football this is the kind of game you want to see. They are a spread offense and an attacking defense just like us. We are like mirror images." First-year Lassiter head coach Chip Lindsey has the Trojans in the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Lindsey spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Hoover (Ala.) High School of MTV's "Two-A-Days" fame. Lassiter is in the second round after it rallied from a 14-point deficit to win the first state playoff game in school history. The Trojans upset No. 1 seed Etowah 23-20 in overtime in the first round.
North advances to the second round for the fourth time in five years and the third in a row under Sphire after a 34-10 win over Brookwood. Just days after committing to Boise State, North quarterback Mikey Tamburo had a huge day. The senior was 12 of 17 passing for 188 yards and a passing TD to go with 105 yards rushing and four rushing scores.
"If I'd known he was going to play like that after he committed I would have asked him to commit sooner," Sphire joked. "He played a great game." It was North's second win over Brookwod this season and fifth in three years over the Broncos. It was not just the victory Sphire was pleased with, but the way the Bulldogs played after losing to Peachtree Ridge the week before for the Region 7-AAAAA championship. "That's the most complete game we've played so far," Sphire said. "That Peachtree Ridge loss really served us well. To play a great team like that at the end of the year really got us ready."
 

North Gwinnett bashes Brookwood behind Tamburo

Do-it-all QB leads focused, veteran Bulldogs past youthful Broncos
By GLENNIS CURRY
For The Journal-Constitution

North Gwinnett quarterback Mikey Tamburo led the Bulldogs to their fifth victory against Brookwood in three years, winning 34-10 in the first round of the Class AAAAA playoffs Friday night in front of a soggy crowd at Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium in Suwanee.
Tamburo, who committed to Boise State earlier this week, rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another to lead his team into a second-round matchup with Lassiter.
At night’s end, Tamburo totaled 292 yards of offense (98 yards rushing on 16 carries and 12-of-17 passing for 194 yards). Tyler Jarry added 83 yards on 15 carries for North Gwinnett (9-2).
“[Losing] was a shock to our hearts,” Tamburo said of last week’s 19-7 loss to Peachtree Ridge that gave North Gwinnett the No. 2 seed in Region 7-AAAAA for the third consecutive year. “It was what we needed to come back and practice harder to focus and make a run in the playoffs.” North contained the Brookwood ground attack outside of a 49-yard burst by Allen McCray in the second quarter. North answered McCray’s touchdown run by driving 80 yards in 84 seconds, completed with a 30-yard run from Tamburo. After a Broncos field goal, North zipped another 80 yards inside of two minutes to secure its 28-10 halftime lead behind a 23-yard run from freshman Joe Jones and a 19-yard score from Tamburo. By contrast, North put together a 12-play, 88-yard drive in the third quarter that ran more than six minutes off the clock. “I thought we came out with great focus and put together some great drives early,” North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said. “I thought we had a lull late in the season, and the Peachtree Ridge game was good for us.” McCray rushed for 91 yards on 12 carries, and the Broncos’ quarterbacks managed to complete two passes for 27 yards. Brookwood finished the season 6-5. “I felt that if we could get them stopped we had a chance, but that wasn’t to be,” Brookwood coach Mark Crews said. “We just didn’t do what we needed to do at that point.” The schools played only three times in their histories prior to 2006, and Friday’s decision was the largest margin of victory for either team since Brookwood beat North Gwinnett 42-14 in 2003.

North Gwinnett 34, Brookwood 10

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer

SUWANEE - It lacked excitement. It lacked flash. Not much looked like North Gwinnett.
Exiting halftime with a 28-10 lead, North Gwinnett had controlled its first round playoff game against Brookwood. It showed how much with its first drive of the second half.
The Bulldogs, typically full of flash and pop, drove the ball 88 yards in 12 plays, sucking 6:21, more than half, the third quarter away. One play went for 34 yards. No other was longer than 20 and most were less than 10. They threw one pass on the drive, a screen to Tyler Jarry that went to the 1-yard line. Mikey Tamburo rushed it in from there for the Boise State commit's fourth rushing touchdown of the game. He also threw for a touchdown.
The drive sucked the energy out of the crowd and out of Brookwood and North cruised from there for a 34-10 win in the first round of the Class AAAAA playoffs.
"That was pretty cool," said North head coach Bob Sphire. "The offensive line wanted to put it on their backs. We just made one play after the other. That kind of put the crescendo on it right there." The win sends North to the second round of the playoffs against Lassiter at home and sends Brookwood home for the second straight year with a loss against North. It's the Broncos' fifth straight loss to the Suwanee school. "We have sort of been out of synch on offense the last couple of weeks," Brookwood coach Mark Crews said. "Then tonight we didn't play really well on defense. "I am proud of our kids. They played hard. They had some chances to quit and they didn't. We had a chance and we went as far as we could." North hopes to go further. Its five touchdowns is five more than the Bulldogs scored a week ago in their only region loss of the season against Peachtree Ridge. It was an offensive performance that ignited the whole group. "We felt like that was our fault and we took it personally," said Tamburo, who rushed for 105 yards and threw for 188. "We knew we could have won that game and we knew in the playoffs we would have to come out stronger than we ever had." It showed from the opening drive.
On their opening drive, the Bulldogs marched 80 yards in 10 plays in 2:58. They never lost yardage. Tamburo completed 2 of 4 passes four 43 yards and rushed for 34 yards. North converted two third downs, including Tamburo on third-and-goal from the 2, slashing untouched for the score. "(The offensive line) came off that first series and they just had that look in their eye," Sphire said. "They were asking to put it on them and that is usually a good indication early in the game." And it continued. On both sides of the ball. Brookwood went three-and-out and North answered with a 62-yard scoring drive. The Bulldogs converted another third down and on fourth-and-18 from the 28, Tamburo hit a diving Connor Jenkins in the end zone for a 14-0 lead. The Broncos got a quick burst on the first play of the second quarter when Allen McCray broke loose from the 49 to cut the deficit in half. But North's offense answered. Quickly. The Bulldogs drove 80 yards in four plays, with Tamburo scoring on a 30-yard scamper. Late in the quarter, Brookwood again took advantage of good field position, driving down to the 12, but the Bulldog defense force a 30-yard Wade Brogdon field goal. North held Brookwood to 98 yards in the half. The Broncos ended the game with 153 total yards of offense and just six first downs.
"Our defense really has played well all year," Sphire said. "We have a tendency to give up the big play, but I thought we broke them down on defense." Even with 2:44 left, North wasn't done, this time using 7 plays to drive 80 yards, capped by another Tamburo touchdown run. Tamburo ended the half with 96 yards rushing, 143 passing and three touchdowns.
Another Brookwood three-and-out started the second half and then came the game-sealing drive.
"The whole offense played lights out," said Jarry, who came a yard short of the end zone on the drive. "(Scoring) really doesn't matter to me that much." He did rush for 86 yards to go with 105 yards receiving. "You really want to be hitting on all cylinders," Sphire said, admitting this was the best his team has played all year. "We still have a lot of things we can do better, but I thought our focus for 48 minutes this week was great."
 

Building a history

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer

It seems odd that two teams from Gwinnett County with 20-plus years of football history never met until 2000.
Brookwood and North Gwinnett even took a two-year break in 2004 and 2005.
But 2006 began a furious slate of matchups with regular-season meetings plus a playoff game in 2007. And just like last year, the two teams will meet twice in the same season for their fifth game in three seasons. "They say familiarity breeds contempt, so I don't know where we are with that," said North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire. "It is playoff time so it is a whole new season." The contempt may be more one-sided since North has won the past four meetings and five of the eight matchups since the series started in 2000. "We haven't had a lot of success against them, but we have played some pretty good football games and come up short," said Brookwood head coach Mark Crews. "I think our kids our excited."
This may be a rematch from earlier in this season, but neither team looks as it did when they first met in Snellville. Brookwood running back Brice Smith is out after an arrest, North's Cordero Dixon will watch from the sideline after having foot surgery. Both teams have 10 games of experience and bruises. "You have to go into this week just like you have never played them before," Sphire said. "You have to analyze it and look at all the things they have done. It is really starting from scratch again." But all that is for coaches and team meetings. No matter how much high school football is about matchups, strategy and strength, there is a level of emotion playing in each game. Amplify it for a rematch. Brookwood can't be happy with the string of losses.
"The emotional part is lots of times they say it is hard to beat a good football team twice," Crews said. "There are a lot of different aspects of playing a team twice. We just haven't been successful the last three or four times. "We just have to be able to make a play here or there that we haven't. Maybe the playoffs will be the time we start doing that." North, even as victors, understands the challenge of Brookwood. "Our kids in this program have no illusion of Brookwood being anything other than a great football team," Sphire said. "It is a first-class high school and you have a lot of high expectations when you step into that school."
Each team enters tonight's matchup coming off a frustrating loss. The Broncos struggled to move the ball against longtime rival Parkview and North Gwinnett sputtered against Peachtree Ridge, losing the Region 7-AAAAA title the final game of the season for the third straight year. Neither team loses games often. "Nobody is happy in the North Gwinnett camp because we lost a football game," Sphire said. This game is not Week 3. It's not about getting better or building experience. It is less a battle of opposing philosophies, more of execution. North nor Brookwood can bring too many surprises. The young history runs too deep.
"The first game makes everybody show their hand," Crews said. "The second game you don't have as much stuff you have a chance to use."

GEORGIA FOOTBALL MAGAZINE TOP 25 POWER POLL

November 12, 2008 (last week’s ranking in parentheses)

1. (1) Lowndes (AAAAA) 10-0
2. (2) Camden County (AAAAA) 10-0
3. (4) Northside Warner Robins (AAAA) 9-1
4. (3) Buford (AA) 10-0
5. (5) Newnan (AAAAA) 10-0
6. (8) Westside Macon (AAAA) 10-0
7. (6) Cairo (AAA) 9-0
8. (7) Emanuel County Institute (A) 10-0
9. (9) Grayson (AAAAA) 10-0
10. (11) Baldwin (AAA) 10-0
11. (14) Sandy Creek (AAAA) 10-0
12. (21) Dunwoody (AAA) 10-0
13. (19) Walton (AAAAA) 9-1
14. (12) Marist (AAAA) 9-1
15. (16) Stephenson (AAAAA) 9-1
16. (20) Tucker (AAAA) 9-1
17. (10) North Gwinnett (AAAAA) 8-2
18. (22) Peachtree Ridge (AAAAA) 8-2
19. (23) Gainesville (AAA) 10-0
20. (15) St. Pius (AAA) 9-1
21. (13) Statesboro (AAAA) 9-1
22. (nr) Etowah (AAAAA) 9-1
23. (nr) Wilcox County (A) 10-0
24. (nr) Dublin (AA) 9-1
25. (nr) Evans (AAAA) 10-0

Biggest rise: Dunwoody, up 9 spots, from 21 to 12
Biggest fall: Statesboro, down 8, from 13 to 21
Last four out: Coffee, Harrison, East Paulding, Rome
Last four in: Etowah, Wilcox County, Dublin, Evans

North's Tamburo commits to Boise St.

By Will Hammock
Sports Editor

Gwinnett's high-level football commitments grew by two on Tuesday when North Gwinnett quarterback Mikey Tamburo committed to Boise State and Shiloh defensive end Cameron Whigham chose Ole Miss.
Tamburo visited Boise State over the weekend and committed to the nation's No. 9-ranked team over a host of other schools. The Boise offer was his 20th scholarship offer, a group that included schools like Tulsa, Louisiana-Monroe, Toledo, Bowling Green, Air Force, Navy, Ohio, Ball State and South Alabama.
But he said no other program came close to Boise and its famed blue artificial turf.
"I definitely liked the coaches and the system they run," said Tamburo, who officially called the Boise coaches around 8 p.m. Tuesday. "I like how much success they've had with their quarterbacks and their team in general. It just felt good overall, the town, the campus. It just really felt comfortable, like a place I could spend the next four or five years."
The left-hander has been one of the state's top quarterbacks in recent years. He has thrown for 1,614 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, in addition to rushing for 469 yards and six more scores. He threw for 2,311 yards and 19 TDs and rushed for 594 yards and 10 TDs as a junior, leading North to a Class AAAAA runner-up finish.
North's wide-open offense was a perfect fit for Tamburo's throwing and passing skills, which is why he and his family wanted a similar system for college. They found it in Boise, even if it's a long plane flight away. "If you look at Rennie (Curran), he plays at Georgia and he doesn't get to come home too often," said Tamburo, whose team begins the state playoffs Friday against Brookwood. "College football's like a job so you're not home much anyway. And there isn't much difference with a four-hour flight or a drive home from somewhere in the South."
Whigham is already the sixth Gwinnett senior to commit to an SEC school this year, joining Buford's Dallas Lee (Georgia), Peachtree Ridge's Kevin Minter (LSU), Parkview's Brandon Jacobs (Auburn), Brookwood's Kellen Williams (Alabama) and Greater Atlanta Christian's Blake Southerland (Vanderbilt).
A 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive end, Whigham made 79 tackles (17 for losses) this season with seven sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. He also caught four passes for 103 yards as a tight end.
"I just liked the fact that they were a program on the rise," Whigham said of Ole Miss. "They have a new coach (Houston Nutt) and everything's been looking good for them."
Whigham, who also had an offer from Central Florida, hasn't visited Ole Miss yet, but plans to in January. He has developed a good relationship in the past few months with Ole Miss defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, an Atlanta native.
"When I first got here and talked to Cameron, he said he wanted to play in the SEC," first-year Shiloh head coach Keith Wilkes said. "So it's like a dream come true for him."
 

Peachtree Ridge pummels North Gwinnett

Lions bring home first-ever region title as defense dominates
high-octane Bulldogs
 

By ROBERT HADDOCKS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Peachtree Ridge already has a state championship trophy. Now, it will have to make room for the school’s first region trophy.
Behind a defense that confused and battered North Gwinnett’s high-powered offense, the Lions beat the Bulldogs for the first time, 19-7, to secure the top seed in Region 7-AAAAA. The Bulldogs came in averaging more than 40 points a game in the last half of the season, but the Lions shut down the offense, the visitors’ only score coming on a kickoff return.
Defensive back Connor Norman — who had two deflections and was key to shutting down North Gwinnett’s prolific quarterback, Michael Tamburo — said he’d like to think that the No. 10 Lions have the best defense in the county, a point that would be hard to argue. In games against the three other playoff teams from the region — North Gwinnett, Norcross and Collins Hill — the defense has allowed just seven points.As players celebrated their first region title, Peachtree Ridge coach Bill Ballard said the defense used a bunch of different looks to control the Bulldogs’ offense.“We slowed down a really good offense tonight,” Ballard said. “But we can’t be satisfied with this. We’ve got [the playoffs] next week.”
Peachtree Ridge trailed early after North Gwinnett’s Robert Nelson returned the opening kickoff 97 yards, but the No. 6 Bulldogs (8-2, 7-1) wouldn’t get close to the end zone again. Lions’ quarterback Nick Lombardo passed for two touchdowns, and Ronnie Smith ran for 128 yards and a touchdown.With the Lions ahead 13-7 in the fourth quarter, their defense sacked Tamburo on third down for an 18-yard loss that pinned the Bulldogs on their own 5-yard line.
After forcing a punt, Peachtree Ridge took over at the North Gwinnett’ 40-yard line. On the first play, Lombardo found Brad Roby streaking down the sideline and hit him in stride for a touchdown. That gave the Lions a 19-7 lead with 11:24 left, a safe cushion with their stout defense.“We didn’t really think we were going to shut them down, but the defense played great,” Norman said. “Every spot in the secondary, the linebackers, the defensive line played great tonight.”Tamburo finished with 142 yards passing, but had only 54 yards through three quarters with a long of 13 yards. Sacked several times, he finished with 15 carries for zero yards.
After Nelson’s opening return, Lombardo connected with Mitchell Williford for a 37-yard touchdown. The Lions went ahead to stay in the second period when Smith scored on a 12-yard run.

 

GEORGIA FOOTBALL MAGAZINE TOP 25 POLL 11/5

1. (1) Lowndes (AAAAA) 9-0
2. (2) Camden County (AAAAA) 9-0
3. (3) Buford (AA) 9-0
4. (4) Northside Warner Robins 8-1
5. (5) Newnan (AAAAA) 9-0
6. (7) Cairo (AAA) 8-0
7. (6) Emanuel County Institute (A) 9-0
8. (8) Westside Macon (AAAA) 9-0
9. (10) Grayson (AAAAA) 9-0
10. (9) North Gwinnett (AAAAA) 8-1
11. (12) Baldwin (AAA) 9-0
12. (13) Marist (AAAA) 8-1
13. (16) Statesboro (AAAA) 9-0
14. (17) Sandy Creek (AAAA) 9-0
15. (14) St. Pius (AAA) 9-0
16. (15) Stephenson (AAAAA) 8-1
17. (19) Harrison (AAAAA) 8-1
18. (11) Coffee (AAAAA) 7-2
19. (20) Walton (AAAAA) 8-1
20. (18) Tucker (AAAA) 8-1
21. (23) Dunwoody (AAAA) 9-0
22. (nr) Peachtree Ridge (AAAAA) 7-2
23. (nr) Gainesville (AAA) 9-0
24. (nr) Rome (AAAA) 8-1
25. (25) East Paulding (AAAAA) 8-1

Biggest rise: Statesboro up 3 spots, from 16 to 13
Biggest drop: Coffee down 7 spots, from 11 to 18
Last three in: Peachtree Ridge, Gainesville, Rome
Last three out: Norcross, Thomas County

Peachtree Ridge 19, North Gwinnett 7

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer

SUWANEE - On the outside of Peachtree Ridge's fieldhouse there are two categories listed in large letters on the wall facing the road: state championships and region championships.
The lists started two years ago when the Lions were the improbable state co-champions. But the 2006 stood lonely on the wall after that.
Two years later, the wall will get an upgrade. Peachtree Ridge dominated North Gwinnett for a 19-7 win and its first region championship Friday, shutting out the high-flying Bulldogs' offense for all but 14 seconds. "(The date is going) next to the wall up there," said senior running back Ronnie Smith. "It is going to feel great." All that comes later. Next up for the Lions is Region 8-AAAAA No. 4 seed Dacula in the first-ever home playoff game for Peachtree Ridge. It is just another first along with the region title and the program's first win over North Gwinnett.
"We've been working really hard to try to achieve that goal this year," said Peachtree Ridge head coach Bill Ballard. "We finally made it a rivalry because we finally won one. You can't call it a rivalry until you beat them one time. "We can't be satisfied with this."
The loss, North's third straight in the season's final game for the region title, pits the Bulldogs against Brookwood next Friday. Penalties, punts and stalled drives quickly erased a blistering fast North start. Robert Nelson took the opening kickoff at the 3 made two cuts and sprinted untouched 97 yards to the end zone. The sprint took him 14 seconds and in that instant, Peachtree Ridge trailed 7-0. But the Lions regrouped. After stopping North on its first offensive possession, the Lions marched 80 yards in just seven plays, capped off by a 37-yard touchdown pass from Nick Lombardo to Mitchell Williford. The wide-open Williford came back to the under thrown ball, but snatched it away from the North defender and skipped into the end zone.
The pass was one of two long touchdown passes by Lombardo, the second coming in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard strike to Brad Roby.
The kick return was North's only successful offensive possession, with penalties setting back all but one Bulldog drive in the first half and the Peachtree Ridge defense doing the rest with six sacks of quarterback Mikey Tamburo. The North QB finished with minus-18 yards rushing. Tamburo threw for 156 yards, but his best throws late in the game were batted down by Lion defenders. In the Bulldogs' final shot in the fourth quarter, Connor Norman batted away two of Tamburo's passes, one a near-perfect strike in the end zone and the other on fourth down to squelch the drive. "He throws a great ball, and I just got there right in time to knock it away," Norman said. "There was still time on the clock, but we felt pretty good after that. After shutting them down." As North struggled to finish drives, Peachtree Ridge found the perfect compliment to the Lombardo strikes on the back of Smith. The senior slogged and fought and pushed his way to 138 yards rushing on 22 carries and a 12-yard touchdown run for the Lions' second touchdown of the night. "What do you expect? They can't stop this," a wide-smiling Smith said after the game. Peachtree Ridge did all the stopping. Buoyed the by the bad news of senior linebacker Michael Pate's season-ending broken arm, the North defense tighten at halftime. "It really fired us up," Norman said of his teammate and classmate's injury, which happened in the first half.
North entered the regular season finale averaging 373.8 yards per game. Friday, the Lions held the Bulldogs to 215. North compiled a total of 65 yards in the second half.
Smith even got in the action, coming in for one defensive play and sacking Tamburo.
"We both have speed and I just came out on top," Smith said. And that is just where his Lions ended up. "We deserved it," Smith said. "For the past three years we've been striving for the region title and it happened to the Class of '09."
 

Big brothers

By Brandon Brigman
Staff Writer
SUWANEE - Tyler and Chad Jarry have enjoyed a lot of success with the North Gwinnett football program. They've played in big games in front of thousands of fans, have appeared on television and racked up all kind of individual statistics. But none of that compared to what they did last Thursday off the field.
A freshman student, who is mentally handicapped, had never been to a football game, mainly out of fear he might get picked on. Tyler and Chad took care of that. With the help of their head coach and the approval of the student's mother, the Jarry brothers had him enjoy his first football game with the best seat in the house.
On the sidelines with the Bulldog players as North rolled to a 53-0 win over Duluth.
"He's a cool dude and me and Tyler, we wanted him to go and just be on the sidelines and stuff," Chad said. "It was mostly Tyler's idea, I just went along with it."
The friendly gesture exemplifies the Jarrys' personalities. They think more about the people around them - their teammates and classmates - than they do all of the accolades they have garnered. "They are both pretty quiet, pretty unassuming kind of guys," North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire said. "They kind of let their play do their talking."
This year is the first time they've ever been on the same team, despite being just one grade apart. Chad, who is a junior, spent most of his time on the junior varsity last year as Tyler helped lead the varsity team to the state championship game.
Now that Tyler is a senior, this is the only time they've ever been on the field at the same time. They both play the same position of the hybrid running back/receiver for North, but sometimes Tyler will line up in the slot and Chad at fullback.
"I like to block better if it's my brother," Chad joked. "It's fun, I like it." Added Tyler: "It's pretty exciting." Not even when they were growing up playing football in the neighborhood did they play on the same team. "They usually put me and him on opposite teams to try and even it out," Chad said. "They had him for receiver and running back and me for running back. It was fun. Sometimes it feels like it. Like we're out there playing front yard football."
As a three-year starter, Tyler has put up some impressive numbers. Last season he set the Gwinnett County record for most receptions in a season with 72. He also managed to lead the team in rushing with 856 yards. This season, despite being hampered by an injured ankle, he has rushed for 619 yards and caught 36 passes. His 137 career receptions are also a county record. "I'm really proud to see him do his thing," Chad said. "He can do it all, man. He's a balanced back that's for sure. He could play punter if he wanted to. It's hard to compete with him."
But with the Jarry brothers, there is no competition between the two. They enjoy seeing each other succeed. As a backup, Chad has rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns after missing the last four games with an injury. "He's real shifty, sneaky. He can get lost in the line. Elusive, I guess you could say," Tyler said. "If he scores, that's awesome. I would rather keep it in the family." North Gwinnett football and the Jarry family have been synonymous for much of this decade. Steve Jarry is the Touchdown Club President and his wife Kim is the secretary, where she also heads up the Mom's Club. The oldest Jarry brother, Ryan, was a senior on North's 2005 team under Matt Moore. Tyler was just a freshman then and his football relationship was much different with Ryan than with Chad. "I think over the years we've gotten a lot closer," Chad said. "I love my bro."
 

North's Dixon done for year after surgery

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer

After missing the past two weeks with what was thought to be a mid-foot sprain, North Gwinnett's Cordero Dixon learned the lingering pain intimated something much worse.
According to head coach Bob Sphire, an MRI showed ligament damage in the junior's foot, and while Gwinnett County schools were closed for Election Day, Dixon spent his day in the hospital having surgery. The surgery ends Dixon's season, Sphire said.
"He'll be on crutches for three months," he said. "He's going to be fine long term."
Before his injury this season, Dixon caught 15 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns and still ranks third in yards for Bulldog receivers.
"I hate it for him," Sphire said. "This is such a pivotal recruiting time and he was having a great season. But, we have great care and he'll probably be better in the long run."
For North, the news comes as the Bulldogs prepare to battle Peachtree Ridge for the Region 7-AAAAA title and get ready for another run in the playoffs.
"I don't think there is any team that wins a championship that doesn't have to face some (injuries)," Sphire said. "We have had some guys who have stepped up these last two weeks."

Region 7-AAAAA title to be decided Friday

The last two Gwinnett County teams to play for the Class AAAAA state championship will meet Friday to determine the Region 7-AAAAA champion. Peachtree Ridge, the 2006 co-state championships, will host North Gwinnett, last year's state runner-up. Surprisingly, neither team has ever won a region title.
Here's a breakdown of the game:

OFFENSE
North Gwinnett has Division I players all over the field. Quarterback Mikey Tamburo is one of the best in the state. Running back/receiver Tyler Jarry can make plays all over the field. Wide receiver Cordero Dixon is a deep threat and the offensive line features big linemen in JuWan James, Austin Shepherd and Jake Thomas. Put that all together and you get 35 points a game.
Peachtree Ridge had to deal with growing pains early in the season with several new starters and injuries. But over the last month the offense has come together nicely. Nick Lombardo has emerged has an effective quarterback. He doesn't have the big numbers like Tamburo, but can still make plays. Mitchell Williford has emerged as his go-to guy at receiver and the senior is among the county leader's in catches. Ronnie Smith (6-2, 240) and Brandon Stanley (6-2, 200) provide a thunder and lighting combination at running back.
Advantage: North Gwinnett

DEFENSE
The big question mark for North Gwinnett coming into the season was its defense. With just one returning starter, there was a lot of uncertainty. But heading into the 10th game of the season, the defense has become just as strong as the offense.
Safety Zach Humphrey was the Bulldogs' only returning starter and anchors the unit. Warren Roberts, Chandler Cross, Robert Nelson and Trey Sims have emerged has playmakers for the speedy defense that is allowing less than 13 points a game.
A lot like the offense, Peachtree Ridge's defense had to deal with injuries and first-year starters.
LSU commitment Kevin Minter is back at linebacker and the Botts brother, Tanner and Tyler, have been a force. Connor Norman, a Division I caliber player, anchors the secondary.
The Lions shutdown Norcross' explosive offense for four quarters on Friday. Something North wasn't able to do in the first half of its game.
Advantage: Peachtree Ridge

Special teams
Neither team has a kicker that is going to wow you, but I would give the advantage to Peachtree Ridge's Edward Hicks after seeing him hit a 40-yarder on Friday.
The Lions' Williford and the Bulldogs' Brandon Sysol are pretty even when it comes to yards per punt.
North Gwinnett has had some big returns on kickoffs and Peachtree Ridge has blocked some kicks.
Advantage: Push

COACHING
North Gwinnett's Bob Sphire and Peachtree Ridge's Bill Ballard are two of the most successful coaches in the county, despite only being in Gwinnett the last few years.
Ballard is 15-6 in his two years with Peachtree Ridge. Prior to taking over the Lions, Ballard was 53-8 at Tucker where he took the Tigers deep in the playoffs year after year.
Sphire is 32-5 in his three years at North Gwinnett. The only Gwinnett County team to beat the Bulldogs under Sphire is Norcross. Prior to coming to Georgia, Sphire was a successful coach in Lexington, Kentucky, where he won a state championship. Sphire is 1-0 vs. Ballard
Advantage: North Gwinnett

SCHEDULE
In the four meetings between North Gwinnett and Peachtree Ridge, the Lions have never beaten North. Last year the Bulldogs won 31-19.
Both teams set up tough non-region games to begin the year. North Gwinnett's only loss is to Byrnes (S.C.) in the season opener, who were No. 1 in the nation at the time according to USA Today. Byrnes lost two weeks ago 35-28. Prior to that game, no team had scored as many points as North did on the Rebels. Since then, the Bulldogs have won eight in a row.
Peachtree's two losses are to Harrison (8-1) and defending state champion Lowndes (9-0).
The Lions are coming off a big win over Norcross on the road, while North has dominated the weaker teams in the region the last few weeks.
Advantage: Peachtree Ridge

PREDICTION
North Gwinnett has been here before. The Bulldogs played Norcross the last two years for the region championship and lost. That doesn't happen this year.
North Gwinnett 21, Peachtree Ridge 17

North Gwinnett 53, Duluth 0

By Scott Smith
Senior Correspondent

SUWANEE - The trick for North Gwinnett was not to overlook Duluth on Friday night to help set up a real treat for next week. Led by Tyler Jarry's 101 yards rushing and three touchdowns, the Bulldogs posted their 11th straight win over the Wildcats with a 53-0 shutout on Senior Night. The win extended North's record to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in Region 7-AAAAA, setting up next week's game at Peachtree Ridge, which beat Norcross 20-7, for the region title.
"We have some guys like Mikey (Tamburo) and Tyler (Jarry) that just come in and make plays," North head coach Bob Sphire said. "Every time the whistle blows, they are ready to play football. I thought our offensive line played well and our defense played pretty well."
Quarterback Mikey Tamburo delivered another efficient game for North, completing 9 of 12 passes for 161 yards and two TDs. His scoring passes each came in the second quarter, one a 10-yard strike to Jarry while C.J. Uzomah took one in from 60 yards on a quick hitch.
Jarry, who rushed the ball just five times, opened the scoring for North on the second play on offense when he ran in from 58 yards out. He added his second TD on North's third possession with a 27-yard run off an option play from Tamburo.
Duluth, which was led by Quinton Cobb's 49 yards on 18 carries, could never mount a threat with its offense. Of its 13 possessions, three were ended by turnovers with seven others resulting in a punt. North's defense added a score late in the first quarter when Chandler Cross picked up a Duluth fumble at the Wildcat 5-yard line and found the end zone with a couple of Duluth players hanging on to his cleats, extending the lead to 21-0. Tamburo's two TD passes in the second quarter brought the margin to 35-0 at the half and freshman Raahmil Brantley scored twice in the third quarter for a 50-0 lead. North kicker Jeff Hatley tacked on a 34-yard field goal early in the fourth to end the scoring. With Duluth (0-9, 0-7) out of the way, North can now focus its attention on next week's contest with Peachtree Ridge. A win next Friday would secure the Bulldogs' first region championship in football while a loss could possibly create a three-way tie with Peachtree Ridge and Collins Hill. "We didn't play very well at all in the first half," Sphire said. "You can't do some of the things we did and win championships and we've got to be more mentally tough. Peachtree Ridge is loaded and I'm really looking forward to it because it's the kind of game where you are playing an opponent that respects the game of football."
 

 

North Gwinnett 41, North Forsyth 20

By Josh Puckett
Staff Correspondent

SUWANEE - North Gwinnett turned what looked like an early shootout into a rout with a 41-20 win over North Forsyth Friday night. The Bulldogs maintained their perfect record in 7-AAAAA moving to 7-0 with most of the credit going to seniors Tyler Jarry and Mikey Tamburo, along with a second half-shutout by the defense.
"Jarry has been a guy who's put us on his back in times of need," said North Gwinnett Coach Bob Sphire. "And he's done it for three years." North Forsyth (3-5, 2-4) set the pace early by jumping out to a early lead when Tyler Stanton broke free on a 43-yard touchdown. North Gwinnett fired back on its first possession when Tamburo connected with C.J. Uzomah on a 36-yard touchdown strike that evened what had the makings of a shootout at seven apiece.
The Raiders regained the lead on the very next possession when quarterback Eli Chester found Jordan Totten with a 6-yard touchdown pass that capped a seven play, 91-yard drive.
Jarry and the Bulldogs bounced right back with 11:06 to play in the second quarter on a 2-yard run to put the score back to even at 14-14. After forcing a Raider three-and-out, the Bulldogs pulled ahead when Tamburo found the end zone on a 25-yard pass to Jarry.
North Forsyth rallied back with less than a minute to go in the half after blocking a North Gwinnett punt and recovering the ball on the Bulldog 19. Seven plays later, Chester broke a couple of tackles to score what would be the Raiders' final points of the night. North Gwinnett blocked the extra point to leave itself with a 1-point lead.
But it turned out to be all the lead the hosts would need. North Gwinnett scored again 30 seconds later when Tamburo found Jarry on the duo's second score of the half. The Bulldogs failed to convert on the two-point conversion leaving the score at 27-20 at the half.
And with the new half came what looked like a revitalization for the Bulldogs. The defense not only halted all North Forsyth scoring in the second half, but also limited the Raiders to 27 yards of offense. "My defensive staff made all the adjustments," said Sphire. "Coach (Mo) Dixon and those guys, I don't have to worry about anything. That's really the kind of confidence I have in our defensive folks. They made all the right adjustments and I knew they would."
North Gwinnett padded its lead with one minute left in the third quarter when Tamburo broke free on a 55-yard touchdown run to put the score at 34-20. By night's end Tamburo tallied 114 yards rushing and 165 yards passing, completing 13 of 22 attempts for four scores.
Jarry found the endzone for the fourth time of the night by punching though on a 13-yard run for the final score of the game. By the end of the night the senior had connected with Tamburo on two scores and rushed for two more.

 

GEORGIA FOOTBALL MAGAZINE TOP 25 POWER POLL

(last week’s ranking in parentheses)

1. (1) Lowndes (AAAAA) 7-0; did not play
2. (2) Camden County (AAAAA) 7-0; beat Johnson Savannah 78-6
3. (3) Buford (AA) 7-0; beat Thomson 29-0
4. (4) Northside Warner Robins (AAAAA) 6-1; did not play
5. (5) Emanuel County Institute (A) 7-0; beat Johnson County 35-12
6. (7) Newnan (AAAAA) 7-0; beat Westlake 43-0
7. (6) Cairo (AAA) 6-0; beat Dougherty 42-7
8. (9) Walton (AAAAA) 7-0; beat Centennial 42-21
9. (8) Westside Macon (AAAA) 7-0; did not play
10. (11) Harrison (AAAAA) 6-0; beat East Paulding 28-16
11. (10) North Gwinnett (AAAAA) 7-0; beat Northview 41-0
12. (12) Grayson (AAAAA) 7-0; beat Berkmar 28-7
13. (13) Coffee (AAAAA) 6-1; did not play
14. (15) Marist (AAAA) 6-1; beat Miller Grove 35-13
15. (14) Baldwin (AAA) 7-0; beat Richmond Hill 38-0
16. (16) St. Pius (AAA) 7-0; beat Washington 45-35
17. (22) Statesboro (AAAA) 8-0; beat Ware County 24-7
18. (18) Tucker (AAAA) 6-1; beat Chamblee 20-13
19. (20) Sandy Creek (AAAA) 7-0; beat Fayette County 3-0
20. (23) Stephenson (AAAAA) 6-1; beat ML King 27-7
21. (19) Thomas County Central (AAAA) 6-1; beat Harris County 20-19
22. (nr) Union Grove (AAAAA) 7-0; beat Luella 10-6
23. (25) Fitzgerald (AA) 7-0; beat Early County 21-6
24. (17) Mays (AAAA) 6-1; lost to Banneker 18-14
25. (24) East Paulding (AAAAA) 6-1; lost to Harrison 28-16

Biggest rise: Statesboro, up 5 spots, from 22 to 17
Biggest fall: Mays, down 7 spots, from 17 to 24
Last one out: ML King
Last one in: Union Grove

 

North Gwinnett 45, Northview 0

By Scott Smith
Senior Correspondent

DULUTH - North Gwinnett's Tyler Jarry gained just four yards rushing on six carries against Northview on Friday night. What he did receiving the ball, however, was a different story.
Jarry hauled in 10 passes for 105 yards and three touchdowns as the Bulldogs spoiled Northview's homecoming with a 45-0 shutout for their sixth straight win.
Friday's win helped keep the Bulldogs atop the Region 7-AAAAA standings at 5-0 and, with Collins Hill's 21-0 loss to Peachtree Ridge, control their own destiny for their first region title with three games left.
Despite the rain that fell most of the day, the field conditions were not an issue with Northview's Sprinturf and North (6-1 overall) took advantage with 439 yards total offense (268 rushing, 171 passing). "Once again, I don't think we came out ready to play," North head coach Bob Sphire said. "We let them keep drives alive with penalties on defense and we turned the ball over early in the game. It took us a long time to get cranked up but once we did, we started playing with some rhythm." North quarterback Mikey Tamburo was in a rhythm from the get go and finished with 158 yards and two touchdowns on 16 of 20 passes while also rushing for 82 yards on six carries with one score. "Mikey and Tyler really got in synch," Sphire said. "They're pretty uncanny in the way they work together."
Freshman Raahmil Brantley provided a big boost out of the backfield with a game-high 129 yards on just seven carries with one touchdown, a 71-yard dash up the middle early in the third quarter that put the game out of reach at 33-0.
Two of Jarry's touchdowns were from Tamburo on passes of 13 yards and 16 yards, both on screens, while his third score came on a 2-yard toss from backup Joe Jones.
After ending the first quarter with a 7-0 lead, North broke it open in the second with 19 points. Tamburo scored on a 55-yard quarterback draw while Jarry scored the other TD, but it was the special teams that stepped up as North recovered an onsides kick and converted a pair of two-point conversions. Northview, which fell to 0-7 overall and 0-5 in the region, was shut out for the second straight week by a Gwinnett County team. North tight end Kenny Barnes, who recently committed to Wofford, also had a solid game with three catches for 41 yards.

 

North Gwinnett 28, Chattahoochee 13

By David Friedlander
Staff Writer

SUWANEE - From the comments of the two head coaches involved, it sometimes wasn't easy to tell the winner from the loser in Friday night's Region 7-AAAAA game between North Gwinnett and Chattahoochee.
The scoreboard gave the decision to the host and No. 8 state-ranked Bulldogs 28-13, but coach Bob Sphire knows he's seen better from his team.
"I'm happy with the score, but I'm not real pleased with the execution and the effort," Sphire said. "It's not about demeaning Chattahoochee's effort, but it's about focusing on what we do if we truly want to be a championship program."
The Bulldogs (5-1, 4-0 7-AAAAA) didn't waste any opportunities in the first quarter, driving 57 yards in 11 plays on their first possession to score on Tyler Jarry's 1-yard run and take a 7-0 lead with 4:53 left in the opening frame.
Then after fumbling the ball away on its next possession at its own 42-yard line, North got the turnover back - and then some. Robert Nelson stepped in front of a Brendan Cross pass on his own 21 and sprinted down the sidelines for a 79-yard score, stretching the Bulldogs' lead to 14-0 with 1:51 left in the quarter.
But from that point North went into cruise control, while Chattahoochee kept battling.
The Cougars (1-5, 1-3 region) twice drove deep into North territory to come away with field goals by Connor Coons - the first from 39 yards out and the other from 32, which pulled Chattahoochee to within 14-6 with 3:07 left in the first half.
"I hope we learned some hard lessons (Friday) night," Sphire said. "We came out and jumped on them 14-0, and then, we didn't play championship football in any way, shape or form. I'm really disappointed in our lack of maturity in our effort and focus, but that falls on me."
Still, North did plenty of positives on the night.
The Bulldogs' offense did show polished execution when it wanted or needed it, like the way it responded after Chattahoochee's second field goal.
While Friday wasn't one of Mikey Tamburo's best nights - 13 of 27 passing with an interception for 136 yards and a touchdown - he did lead an impressive drive at the end of the first half.
The senior quarterback completed two passes for 29 yards and ran for 17 more on one carry to help Jarry finish off the nine-play, 80-yard drive with another 1-yard run with 41.9 second left, pushing North's lead to 21-6 at the break.
Tamburo then hit Kenny Barnes with a 7-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter before Chattahoochee scored a late touchdown to close the gap.
Jarry finished the night with 105 yards of total offense, while North sacked Cross four times - two each by Don Moon and David Park.
 

North Gwinnett tops Chattahoochee
Bulldogs remain undefeated in Region 7-AAAAA with win

Friday, October 10, 2008
With North Gwinnett and Chattahoochee both averaging over 26 points per game, fans arrived at North Gwinnett’s Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium expecting plenty of scoring.
Instead, North Gwinnett’s defense negated any thoughts of a shootout with a dominating effort.
Tyler Jarry scored twice, and North Gwinnett’s defense held Chattahoochee’s offense to 126 total yards as the ninth-ranked Bulldogs (5-1, 4-0 Region 7-AAAAA) remained undefeated in Region 7-AAAAA with a methodical 28-13 victory. North Gwinnett jumped out early as Jarry capped a 57-yard march, vaulting for a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bulldogs lead. Chattahoochee (2-4, 1-3) forced a fumble on the next North Gwinnett possession and was threatening to tie the game when cornerback Robert Nelson intercepted a Brendan Cross pass and raced 80 yards to paydirt for a 14-0 North Gwinnett lead late in the first quarter.
Chattahoochee’s Connor Coons kicked field goals of 39 and 32 yards to pull the Cougars within 14-6, but North Gwinnett responded as Jarry dove 1-yard for his second touchdown and a 21-6 Bulldogs lead just before half.
Kenny Barnes snagged a 6-yard touchdown pass from Michael Tamburo to extend the Bulldogs lead to 28-6 early in the fourth quarter. Chattahoochee quarterback Timmy Byerly scampered 12 yards for the Cougars’ only touchdown of the game with just over a minute left in the game.

GEORGIA FOOTBALL MAGAZINE TOP 25 POWER POLL 10/8/08

(last week’s ranking in parentheses)

1. (1) Lowndes (AAAAA) 6-0
2. (3) Camden County (AAAAA) 5-0
3. (4) Buford (AA) 5-0
4. (2) Northside Warner Robins (AAAAA) 4-1
5. (6) Cairo (AAA) 4-0
6. (5) Emanuel County Institute (A) 5-0
7. (8) Newnan (AAAAA) 6-0
8. (7) Coffee (AAAAA) 6-0
9. (10) Westside Macon (AAAA) 6-0
10. (9) Walton (AAAAA) 5-0
11. (12) Harrison (AAAAA) 5-0
12. (13) North Gwinnett (AAAAA) 4-1
13. (14) Grayson (AAAAA) 6-0
14. (15) Baldwin (AAAA) 6-0
15. (16) St. Pius (AAA) 6-0
16. (17) Marist (AAAA) 4-1
17. (18) Tucker (AAAA) 4-1
18. (19) Mays (AAAA) 6-0
19. (20) Thomas County Central (AAAA) 4-1
20. (24) Statesboro (AAAA) 5-0
21. (21) ML King (AAAA) 4-1
22. (23) Sandy Creek (AAAA) 5-0
23. (25) Fitzgerald (AA) 5-0
24. (11) Stephenson (AAAAA) 4-1
25. (nr) East Paulding (AAAAA) 5-0North Gwinnett manhandles Mill Creek


 

Late TD, ‘gutty effort’ settle 7-AAAAA battle

By KURT ASCHERMANN JR.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, September 26, 2008

Tyler Jarry had everyone wondering how healthy he was leading up to North Gwinnett’s region tilt with Mill Creek. The senior’s high ankle sprain had kept him out of most of North Gwinnett’s practices and coach Bob Sphire said Jarry was doubtful for the key Region 7-AAAAA game. The Mill Creek defense wishes it was that simple.
Jarry’s 35-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter gave North Gwinnett breathing room in its 40-24 victory over Mill Creek.
“What a gutty, gutty effort, playing on one leg,” Sphire said of Jarry. “I really thought he’d be out three weeks. That victory might be on the Atlanta Falcons physical therapy [where Jarry went for treatment this week]. Falcons physical therapy might be the MVP.” Or it might have been quarterback Michael Tamburo. North Gwinnett (4-1, 3-0) took its first lead in the third quarter as Tamburo and wide receiver Cordero Dixon hooked up on two long touchdown receptions. On a perfectly timed post route, Tamburo found Dixon in stride for a 66-yard touchdown, then midway through the quarter Dixon separated himself across the middle for a 46-yard score to put the Bulldogs up 27-21.
“At halftime, coach asked what type of routes might be open, I said post route because the safeties are really aggressive,” Dixon said. “The second [touchdown] was pretty much the same thing.”
After Brian Heinze booted a 32-yard field goal to pull Mill Creek (3-2, 1-2) within 27-24, Jarry capped an eight-play, 74-yard drive with the 35-yard touchdown run that put the game away. The teams traded touchdowns on the game’s first four possessions. A little over a minute into the game, Mill Creek quarterback Ed Russ fooled several North Gwinnett defenders and rumbled 67 yards for a touchdown to put the Hawks up 7-0.
North Gwinnett answered immediately, getting a 2-yard touchdown plunge from Jarry to tie the score at 7-7.
On the ensuing possession, Russ found Zach Landis twice on third-and-long plays, the last on a 13-yard hook up to set up first-and-goal, and Russ scored on a 4-yard run.

 

North Gwinnett 40, Mill Creek 24

By Will Hammock
Sports Editor

HOSCHTON - For two straight weeks, North Gwinnett has needed two impressive comebacks in tough Region 7-AAAAA.
And the seventh-ranked Bulldogs are still unbeaten.
Trailing at halftime for the second game in a row, North used big plays to escape an upset bid from host Mill Creek in a 40-24 victory that was much closer than the final score indicated.
The Hawks ran 74 offensive plays to North's 43, but couldn't overcome the Bulldogs' big plays - their final five touchdowns were all 35 yards or longer.
"I thought our guys really played inspired football in the second half," North head coach Bob Sphire said. "They played with a lot of pride." It took plenty of big plays for the Bulldogs (4-1, 3-0 in Region 7-AAAAA) to survive Mill Creek (3-2, 1-2). The most important came in the third quarter as back-to-back TD passes from Mikey Tamburo to Cordero Dixon turned the game's momentum. Down 21-14 at halftime, North started the second half on a three-and-out series, its fourth possession in a row without a first down. But then Tamburo, on a third-and-15, found Dixon for a 66-yard TD reception. After a Mill Creek three-and-out, Tamburo hit Dixon again for a 46-yard TD as he got free behind the defense on a post pattern for his second TD and a 27-21 North lead. Tamburo rushed for 126 yards and threw for 148 more, while Dixon had four catches for 120 yards. "I was just waiting for the ball," Dixon said of his TDs. " Everybody thought they saw the post open because their safeties are real aggressive. I told the coaches I thought the post was going to be there." Mill Creek fought back, getting to within 27-24 with 8:59 left in the fourth quarter on a 32-yard field goal from Brian Heinze. But the Bulldogs followed with their only ball-control drive of the night, capping it with a 35-yard TD run from Tyler Jarry, who Sphire said earlier in the week would be out three to four weeks because of a practice injury. Jarry's ankle was wrapped, but didn't have a noticeable limp and scored two TDs. Robert Nelson scored North's final points, returning an interception 80 yards in the final minute. "It's nice to have a couple of game-breakers like CD, Tyler and Mikey," Sphire said. "We've got a stable of guys there who are making plays." The loss was a tough one for Mill Creek, which dominated field position in the first half for its 21-14 lead. Ed Russ (102 rushing yards, 117 passing yards) scored on a 68-yard run on the opening possession and added a 4-yard run later in the half. Ramael Wilson also scored a first-half TD for the Hawks. But Tamburo also had a big play in the first half, racing free for a 78-yard TD run in the first quarter. "I am extremely proud of our kids' effort tonight," Mill Creek head coach Shannon Jarvis said. "We executed on both sides of the ball, but obviously we gave up too many big scoring plays. I take my hat off to Mikey Tamburo and Cordero Dixon, they made plays."
 

Dual-threat QBs on display in 7-AAAAA battle
North's Tamburo, Mill Creek's Russ, key factors today
 

By Will Hammock
Sports Editor

It wasn't much different from many plays in Mikey Tamburo's North Gwinnett football career.
The senior quarterback, chased by Norcross defenders last Friday after a broken play, bought some time and noticed that Kenny Barnes had freed himself deep down the field. He lofted a pass down the sideline that Barnes grabbed for a 40-yard gain that sparked a Bulldog score in a game that was rapidly slipping away.
That spark helped them a 19-0 deficit to Norcross into a 33-19 win.
"It's almost like you breathed life into a dead body," North head coach Bob Sphire said of the play. Not that it surprised him much. Sphire has come to expect the dazzling displays from Tamburo, who makes as many plays with his legs as with his arm. As was the case against Norcross, he regularly uses his running ability to buy more time to locate an open receiver.
It's a trait he shares with Mill Creek quarterback Ed Russ, also one of the county's top dual-threat QBs, guys who can do major damage throwing or running. The two will share the same field tonight when the Hawks (3-1, 1-1) host North (3-1, 2-0) in an important region game.
Russ has completed 42 of 59 passes (71.2 percent) for 432 yards and also is an effective runner, displaying the skills that made him a standout wide receiver in past seasons.
The senior, who had 43 catches for 667 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior wideout, runs with a physical style that adds another dimension to the Hawks' attack. He's getting closer to 100 percent after a preseason injury, which should only make him more dangerous.
"I think the Russ kid is a very physical runner," Sphire said. "He's strong and once he tucks it and runs it, he's like a running back out there." "Like Florida (with Tim Tebow), it's more of a power running game that Ed does well," said Mill Creek head coach Shannon Jarvis, who uses a similar offense with Russ that he did at South Gwinnett with Ryan Rickard and the 2003 Region 8-AAAAA title team. "He's an explosive kid. He's strong and he power cleans 290 pounds. He's hard to tackle. There are definitely two different running styles (with Russ and Tamburo).
"(Russ) is a more powerful kid when he gets out there, he's just as likely to run somebody over. Mikey likes to juke you. That's not to say one is better, Mikey has put up some great numbers doing what he's doing." Tamburo also has done it for three years.
The left-hander wows Jarvis on game tape with his great vision, often finding receivers away from his reads or spotting backside receivers that are open. "Especially with (Tamburo), he's had more big plays on busted plays than any quarterback I've ever seen in my career," Jarvis said. "You want to see how quarterbacks respond to pressure (from the pass rush), but I think Mikey wants you to blitz him so he can make a play." He's made plenty for the Bulldogs, guiding them to the Class AAAAA finals as a junior. Some of his best plays came in the semifinals at the Georgia Dome, part of a season that saw him throw for 2,311 yards and account for 29 TDs.
He also passed for 1,987 yards as a sophomore.
"There's no doubt (Tamburo) has a knack for making plays," Sphire said. "One of the things three years ago when I selected him to run this offense wasn't necessarily the hard and fast things that a combine might show, it was about getting in the game and making plays. And he's a playmaker."

 

The Blitz: A lot of football to be played before North can claim region title
 

By Brandon Brigman Staff Writer

It's hard to believe, but in the 51-year history of North Gwinnett High School the Bulldogs have never won a region title in football.
I know that North hasn't had the richest tradition in football, but it seems like at least once in the last half century it would have won a region championship.
The last two seasons its been Norcross that has kept the Bulldogs from claiming the title.
Friday night the North got past its region nemesis with a come from behind 33-19 victory. The Bulldogs trailed 19-0 in the second quarter and scored 33 unanswered points for the win. What surprised me the most is the way North come from behind. North is know for its passing offense led by quarterback Michael Tamburo. With the senior behind harassed most of the first half, the Bulldogs went to the ground. Running back Tyler Jarry rushed for 110 yards to lead the comeback, proving North can hurt you more than one way.
While North finally got passed two-time defending Region 7-AAAAA champion Norcross, it doesn't mean the Bulldogs have the title locked up.
First off, it was just the second region game. There's still a lot football to be played.
North Gwinnett still has Mill Creek and Peachtree Ridge on its schedule, the other two playoff participants from the region last year.
But then there's Collins Hill, the only undefeated team in Region 7, which makes things interesting. Because of a scheduling quirk, not every team in Region 7 plays each other. It just so happens that North Gwinnett and Collins Hill do not meet this season.
So what happens if both teams go undefeated in region play? Someone has to be named region champ for playoff purposes. There's a series of tie-breakers put in place to determine the region champ.
So in the end, even if North Gwinnett and Collins Hill go undefeated in region play, it could be a predetermined rule that decides the region champ. The first two tie-breakers are head-to-head and region record vs. common opponents. Those two would obviously not play a factor in that scenario, so it could end up being something like strength of schedule or points scored and allowed. Luckily, there's a lot of football left to and hopefully the region champ will be decided on the field as it should be and not by some tie-breaker rule.

Hosts show heart to bounce back

By Will Hammock
Sports Editor
For the better part of two quarters Friday night, Norcross still had its swagger.
The players came out on a mission, displaying the kind of moxie that led the Blue Devils to back-to-back Region 7-AAAAA titles and consecutive wins over North Gwinnett. The offense blasted away with hard-running D.J. Adams while the defense pushed North backward.
Three minutes into the second quarter, Norcross led 19-0. North had minus-29 yards on offense.
Then a funny thing happened. The Bulldogs never quit, yellow penalty flags started flying and Norcross didn't respond well, adding its own mistakes to some questionable penalty calls (including one heinous flag that turned an Adams touchdown run into a field goal).
Somehow amid all the chaos, North scored 33 unanswered points in a 33-19 win.
"We just kept our heads up," said North's Tyler Jarry, whose second-half running and an outstanding offensive line effort led the comeback. "The main thing was not letting (the bad start) get to us. We knew we could play better than we were."
The rally started when the flags flew late in the second quarter. Up 19-3, Norcross had two motion penalties and two illegal procedure calls, all four following a holding penalty that negated a long run. The offense was backed up and North got great field position, running its two-minute offense to perfection to close the gap to 19-10 at halftime.
Norcross had 180 first-half yards, North had 69.
But the Blue Devils didn't put the Bulldogs away when they had the chance. Major mistake. You can't give any hope to a program that played for the state title last year and has already played the nation's No. 1 team this season.
That kind of team won't quit.
Unlike the first half when North quarterback Michael Tamburo was running for his life in attempts to throw the ball, the Bulldogs made an important change at the break. They simply ran straight at the Norcross defense and its big offensive line delivered.
Jake Thomas, Scott McQueen, Aaron Lanzo, Austin Shepherd and Juwan James opened gaping holes for Jarry, who is dangerous in those empty spaces.
Meanwhile the penalties kept mounting on the Blue Devils. Up 19-17 and driving, a first-and-goal turned into a second-and-17. On the next play, North's Chandler Cross forced a fumble.
On Norcross' next possession, a second-and-short became second-and-21 after a personal foul. That led to a bad snap out of the end zone and a tie score.
From there, it continued to snowball. Norcross was unable to stop the slide and unable to overcome the penalties.
And the Bulldogs did what good teams do, they kept fighting and took the opportunities when they got them.
"Talk about getting up off the mat," North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire said. "Probably everybody thought we were knocked out except for our kids."

North Gwinnett shocks Norcross in win
Bulldogs rally from 19-0 deficit to big victory over Blue Devils

By KURT ASCHERMANN JR.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, September 19, 2008

About four and a half minutes into the second quarter Friday at Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium, Norcross led 19-0 and seemed headed to a third consecutive victory over Region 7-AAAAA rival North Gwinnett. Things changed quickly. North Gwinnett scored 33 consecutive points to stun Norcross 33-19, seizing early control of Region 7-AAAAA.
Norcross (2-2, 1-1) looked like the better team as the Blue Devils marched down the field on the game’s opening possession. D.J. Adams capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run that made the score 6-0. On the next drive, a long touchdown run by Adams was called back because of a block-in-the-back penalty, but Conner Hawk made a 35-yard field goal. Later he booted a 47-yard field goal that would’ve been good from nearly 60 yards to put Norcross ahead 12-0.
The Blue Devils’ defense looked good early, sacking North Gwinnett (3-1, 2-0) quarterback Michael Tamburo three times, including twice on one possession by Demetrius Alston. The final sack led to a poor punt, a problem area for the Bulldogs throughout the opening half, and three plays later Adams (game-high 171 yards rushing) dragged a host of tacklers into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown and a 19-0 lead.
“We’ve been in that situation before,” Tamburo said of the deficit.
He certainly acted like it. Tamburo found Kenny Barnes for a 30-yard completion that set up Jeff Hatley’s 29-yard field goal to make it a 19-3 game. On the Bulldogs’ most important drive of the game late in the second quarter, Tamburo directed a sterling two-minute drill, completing all six of his passes, including a 4-yard touchdown toss to Tyler Jarry that cut the Norcross lead to 19-10 at halftime. “That two-minute drive before the half, that was textbook,” North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said. “[The players] were thinking differently at halftime after that drive.”
Tamburo and Jarry didn’t stop on the first possession of the second half, hooking up on a 47-yard screen pass to set up first-and-goal and on the next play, Jarry’s younger brother, Chad, scored from from the 9 to cut the lead to 19-17.
Norcross’ punting unit had its own problems near the end of the third quarter as a snap went sailing out of the back of the end zone for a safety that tied the game at 19-19. North Gwinnett took advantage, getting runs of 20 and 33 yards from Tyler Jarry to set up Tamburo’s 1-yard touchdown run, which closed the third quarter and gave the Bulldogs their first lead, 26-19.
With Norcross driving for the potential tying score early in the fourth quarter, King gift-wrapped an interception for Chandler Cross, who returned it 32 yards to the Norcross 33-yard line. Jarry ran seven more times for 41 yards, including a 3-yard plunge to put North Gwinnett up 33-19.
“Keep giving the ball to Jarry and good things happen,” Tamburo said.

North Gwinnett 33, Norcross 19

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer
SUWANEE - Bob Sphire called it a working halftime.
North Gwinnett spent its half discussing adjustments instead of shouting. They shared information instead of sitting through motivational speeches.
They didn't need more motivation. They needed to change the direction of the game.
The Bulldogs were already 10 points into their 33 unanswered of a 33-19 comeback win over Norcross, but the troubles remained. The big play and point compiling offense had just 69 yards of offense with 90 through the air. They had rushed for minus-21 yards. Norcross had 180 total offense, including 131 and two touchdowns from running back D.J. Adams who ended the game with 193 yards. North had just five first downs.
"Talk about getting up off the mat, there probably wasn't anybody that thought we weren't knocked out except for our kids," said North Gwinnett head coach Sphire. "Wow."
The exclamatory fits. It was North's first win over Norcross in the Sphire era, with the last two deciding the Region 7-AAAAA champion. This one puts the Bulldogs (3-1, 1-0 region) in control of that race. "We are going to try to keep the momentum going and keep it strong the rest of the season," said Chandler Cross, who forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in the second half for the Bulldogs. For the game, he also had 12 tackles and two sacks.
Most of that came in the second half. The Blue Devils (2-2, 0-1) started the game with dominance. Norcross took the opening kickoff and made 68 yards look easy. Only one positive offensive play went for less than five yards. Adams carried the ball six times on the possession alone, ending it with a 19 yards run where he spun out of a tackle by North's James Kearney, who a few plays earlier had laid Adams out on a seven-yard gain.
After the touchdown drive the defense got to start its show.
It started with a no gain carry by Raahmil Brantley and things just got worse for North. Quarterback Michael Tamburo was sacked on second down for a seven-yard loss and Brantley got three back before the punt. On its second possession, Norcross managed only a Conner Hawk field goal, but the defense kept up its domination, forcing another three-and-out and negative 5 yards of offense. Norcross added another field goal and its second touchdown before North got its first first down with 6:10 remaining in the second quarter.
"I thought our kids came out ready to play," said Norcross head coach Keith Maloof. "We lost a little momentum in the second quarter and never got it back. But our kids never quit."
The momentum shift started with North's first down. The next play Tamburo hit Kenny Barnes on a 40-yard pass for another first down. The drive would stall, but North's Jeff Hatley connected from 47 yards out to put the Bulldogs on the board.
That got the ball rolling. With 2:14 left in the half, the Bulldogs drove 49 yards in eight plays, scoring on a pass from Tamburo to Tyler Jarry. "That got us off the schnide," Sphire said. "That was textbook. I was really proud of our guys in that two-minute drive of how they executed. They valued every second and they never panicked. That was the crescendo moment for our kids. They were thinking different when they went into halftime after that drive."
What they were thinking was to run straight at Norcross. Tamburo attempted just three passes in the second half while Tyler Jarry carried the ball 13 times, instead of his two first-half attempts. He ended the game with 110 yards rushing, 77 yards receiving and two touchdowns. North carried the ball 22 times in the second half compared with just 12 in the first.
"That was one of the biggest things that the basically begged me at halftime," Sphire said. "Run downhill at them. Run downhill at them. Run downhill at them."
And Norcross just kept going downhill, racking up 85 yards in penalties and turning the ball over twice. "We came out ready to play (in the second half)," the senior Cross said. "We had to turn up our intensity and show that we deserved to win this football game."
For most of the team it was the first time. And the perfect time.
"That is really going to boost our team morale," said Jarry, who had never beaten a Norcross varsity team. "They were the team to beat. Definitely beating them is huge for us. It's an awesome feeling to be them."
 

FIRST QUARTER
Norcross: D.J. Adams 19 run (kick failed) 7:03
Norcross: Connor Hawk 35 FG, 2:25
SECOND QUARTER
Norcross: Hawk 47 FG, 10:37
Norcross: Adams 18 run (Hawk kick) 7:41
North Gwinnett: Jeff Hatley 30 field goal 4:54
North Gwinnett: Tyler Jarry 3 pass from Michael Tamburo (Hatley kick) :05
THIRD QUARTER
North Gwinnett: Chad Jarry 9 run (Hatley kick) 8:55
North Gwinnett: Safety, snap out of end zone, 1:53
North Gwinnett: Tamburo 1 run (Hatley kick) :00
FOURTH QUARTER
North Gwinnett: Tyler Jarry 3 run (Hatley kick) 3:12

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - North Gwinnett: Raahmil Brantley 4-13, Tamburo 10-(-31), Tyler Jarry 15-110, Chad Jarry 5-25; Norcross: Adams 28-193, Peter Poole 7-46, Kendrix Huitt 1-5, Arius Wright 1-1, Charles King 3-(-16).
Passing - North Gwinnett: Tamburo 10-14-137; Norcross: Charles King 8-15-78.
Receiving - North Gwinnett: Chad Jarry 1-5, Tyler Jarry 5-77, Kenny Barnes 1-40, Kitaro Lewis 1-2, Brantley 1-8, Cordero Dixon 1-5; Norcross: Prince Kent 4-32, Geremy Davis 3-34, Wright 1-12.

The Main Event

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer
Maybe this game, means a little bit more.
The huge story lines are absent. Undefeated season. Region title. No. 1 playoff seed. But the meaning and the potential effects of tonight's Norcross-North Gwinnett matchup could linger longer. Loom larger.
"I actually think there is more potential for a critical mass to it, than the way it has fallen the last couple of years" said North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire. "You want to get a leg up in the region race."
Said Norcross coach Keith Maloof: "It might be a little bit bigger. Last year we both knew we were in the playoffs. This year, we don't know yet. You have got to go in a play great and that is what it is about."
Norcross is the two-time defending 7-AAAAA champion. North, the state runner-up.
Both teams are 2-1, 1-0 in 7-AAAAA. The winner will control its future in the region, the loser's situation will be less steady.
"It is a very important game," Sphire said.
And for the third year in a row, it is a game that trumps the rest of the Gwinnett County matchups. The winner has won the past two region crowns, the loser has been second. It's more than the top two teams from 7-AAAAA the past two seasons, it is two teams ranked among the state's top 10. Grayson, from 8-AAAAA, is the only other ranked AAAAA school from Gwinnett.
The rankings alone tell the story. For years, two schools set the benchmark for AAAAA football in Gwinnett County: Brookwood and Parkview. Their annual matchup was the headlining show. The last two years, it's been a second-run to Norcross-North Gwinnett when both games were played in Game 10.
"Even in Kentucky, I knew about Brookwood-Parkview," Sphire said. "I don't know, across the country, if they all know about Norcross-North Gwinnett. It has somewhat gotten there."
The game lacks the history, the stakes and the state championships, but on an immediate level it ranks above the Five Forks-Trickum rivalry game. For the past three years, it's meant more.
But for Sphire and Maloof, where the past years' games have been about region crowns and momentum entering the playoffs, tonight's result could reach further.
"This is about jockeying," Sphire said. "There is still a whole lot of football left."
And a loss could put the hopes of a season on another team. An uncontrollable outcome.
"We don't want to put our playoff implications in anybody else's hands," Maloof said.
Nothing in certain in 7-AAAAA. For two years it's sent a team to the state title game and neither time was it the region champ.
"That speaks volumes of the strength of our region," Sphire said. "If you can get in the playoffs you have a chance to make some noise."
And tonight, unlike before, is a step toward the playoffs. Not just a tune-up for the first round. Not just a game for pride and hardware.
"I think for me, personally, I have a little more angst about (tonight)," said Sphire, who put little emphasis on last year's game. "I think it can be a tone-setter."
"This gets you ready for down the road," Maloof said. "We both control our own destiny and we both need to get a win."
Put that way, there is no bigger game. Not this week. It's a game with a storyline and an aftermath. It's a live performance without the certainty of an encore. It's opening night and these teams are the show to see.
"This is going to be a great high school football game," Maloof said. "This is why you coach. This is why you play. This is why we do what we do."

 

Liberty, Memphis talking with North Gwinnett’s Tamburo
 

By Robert Haddocks | Friday, September 19, 2008, 07:00 PM

North Gwinnett’s Michael Tamburo is getting more attention from mid-level programs, but he’s still holding out for bigger offers.
Liberty recently offered a scholarship to the 6-1, 185 pound quarterback and Ohio University contacted North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire on Wednesday. Memphis also left a message with the coach wanting to know if Tamburo had committed. “I’m assuming they’re getting ready to offer,” Sphire said.
Tamburo has offers from Air Force, Tulsa, Louisiana-Monroe, Toledo and Bowling Green. He also has visited Central Florida and South Florida.
Sphire, who earlier this month sent out video to more than 450 schools, said interest is picking up in Tamburo.
“All this stuff is starting to happen a little bit,” Sphire said, but added that his quarterback is very low key about it. “Right now, he’s just trying to help us win a championship. He’s focused on the team first.”
 

Region powers clash early on

By Will Hammock
Sports Editor Gwinnett Daily Post

For the past two years, it was the Game 10 showdown, the one that decided the Region 7-AAAAA title.
The outcome of the Norcross-North Gwinnett football game still may determine the region championship, but it won't be a one-game, winner-take-all scenario like the previous years. But that doesn't diminish the importance when the two teams meet Friday, much earlier than they're matchups of 2006 and 2007.
"At least that's six less weeks I have to worry about this game," North head coach Bob Sphire joked about Friday's matchup, which will be televised live by CSS.
The past two Norcross-North meetings have been hyped greatly, mainly because the two have emerged as the region's top teams both years.
Both entered the 2006 regular-season finale with 9-0 records and last year North was 9-0 and Norcross 8-1. When they play Friday, they will sport identical 1-0 region records with seven more region games left on the schedule. "I don't know what the ramifications are down the road, but it's big right now," Norcross head coach Keith Maloof said of the early-season game with North.
Unlike the previous two years, there's no guarantee the winner of Norcross-North will win the region. The two teams each have a loss and play in a competitive region that features Peachtree Ridge, Mill Creek and Collins Hill, currently 7-AAAAA's only remaining unbeaten team.
But a huge win early in the region schedule certainly won't hurt the two-time defending champion Blue Devils or the Bulldogs, who won't have to face Collins Hill because of a scheduling quirk.
"Whoever wins this Friday certainly has a leg up, but there's a long way to go," Sphire said. "Anything can happen. Whoever loses on Friday is not out of the picture."
Sphire just wants his team to be in the game from the start. That's been a major issue the past two seasons, when his Bulldogs have lost the games and the region titles to Norcross.
The Blue Devils won 24-14 last year over North - the eventual runner-up in Class AAAAA - and won 31-10 in 2006. "We have to come out of the gate and play well early in the game," Sphire said. "The bottom line is we've got to play well early and we have not done that against them (the past two years)."
North prepared for its showdown with Norcross by facing the nation's No. 1 team (and leading at halftime), Byrnes (S.C.), followed by matchups with Brookwood and South Forsyth.
The Bulldogs' inexperienced defense has been a pleasant surprise, allowing only three points in their last eight quarters. Norcross, which opened against Camden County in the Corky Kell Classic, got its best defensive effort of the season last Friday against Mill Creek. The Blue Devils posted eight quarterback sacks and held the Hawks to 136 total yards, just 40 of those rushing yards.
 

North Gwinnett 35, South Forsyth 0

By Scott Smith
Senior Correspondent

CUMMING - When North Gwinnett opened the year, one of the biggest unknowns it had was its defense as only one starter returned from last season.
Three weeks into the 2008 campaign, it looks like the Bulldogs' 'D' is going to be all right.
After surrendering just three points last week against Brookwood, North did one better on Friday night as the Bulldogs blanked South Forsyth 35-0 in both teams' Region 7-AAAAA opener.
The win improved North to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the region.
"We really were flat coming out and I think South Forsyth had a lot to do with that," North head coach Bob Sphire said. "We kicked it in gear in the second quarter but that's the second week in a row we haven't come out sharp and we've got to get that fixed." South Forsyth (1-2, 0-1) featured quarterback Brian Adams, a multi-faceted athlete who has verbally committed to Kentucky. Adams posed a potential threat with both his arms and his legs but the Bulldogs were able to keep him in check, holding him to 64 yards rushing on 18 carries and just 46 yards passing on 6 of 20 attempts with one interception.
"That was great testament to how well our defense played tonight by the way we corralled him," Sphire said. His counterpart, senior Michael Tamburo, turned in a solid performance for the Bulldogs with 155 yards and two touchdowns passing on 12 of 21 attempts while adding 43 yards and another TD on eight carries. Both teams traded possessions the first quarter and ended the period scoreless. However, North finally got going in the second quarter with 21 points.
Tight end Kenny Barnes pulled in a 24-yard TD pass from Tamburo with a nice fingertip catch with 8:57 to go before the half and, two possessions later, Tamburo extended the lead to 14-0 with a 1-yard sneak. Less than one minute after Tamburo's TD, junior wide out Cordero Dixon hauled in a 38-yard TD pass for a 21-0 halftime cushion. Dixon led the team in receiving with three catches for 67 yards and a TD. "We couldn't run the ball tonight against their three down lineman and we couldn't throw it versus their other eight defenders," South Forsyth head coach Wendell Early said. "We just couldn't get four guys open against eight."
The defense provided a spark on the first play of the second half when Zach Humphrey stepped in front of an Adams pass and picked it off, returning it 35 yards for the score. Freshman running back Raahmil Brantley (seven carries, 51 yards) later finished off the scoring on a 8-yard with 1:11 left in the third for his first varsity score.

North Gwinnett 17, Brookwood 3

By Ben Beitzel
Staff Writer
SNELLVILLE - Bob Sphire thinks his defense grew tired of hearing how it didn't have enough experience. "I think they had a little chip on their shoulder about it going into this season," the North head coach said. The defense that returned just one starter from last year's state finals team shouldn't hear much more about what it lacks. In a 17-3 win over Brookwood, the Bulldogs (1-1) defense allowed the annual running power Bronco (0-2) just 62 yards on the ground and 136 total yards of offense. The Broncos' one sustained drive came on its second possession and from there Brookwood labored for no points and just four first downs. The lone scoring drive came off a North fumble near the 50 that gave Brookwood the ball 49 yards from the end zone. "I thought the drive after the turnover was a foreshadowing of how they came to play," Sphire said. "They made big plays at the times when they needed to." Experience may matter a bit.
The game-changing play came from the lone returning starter, Zach Humphrey. North led by 7, 10-3 early in the fourth quarter and on third-and-5 quarterback Michael Tamburo made his lone mistake of the night throwing an interception that gave the Broncos the ball on the 50 with nine minutes to go. On the first play, Humphrey snatched the ball out of the air and rumbled down to the 17. Three plays later, Tyler Jarry jolted into the end zone for the game-ending score. Jarry's score cemented an explosive second half where the senior racked up 49 of his 67 total yards.
"It was a real big change in momentum, I knew we needed that," Humphrey said. "We had to make our own momentum and just play hard. Like North Gwinnett does."
"That was a huge, seal the deal kind of play," Sphire said of Humphrey's interception.
"I think (our defensive effort) is a real tribute to Zach Humphrey and his leadership as the only returning starter." Things didn't begin that way.
Brookwood's rushing offense came out in force to start the game. After forcing the North turnover on its first drive, Brookwood rode Marvis Lane all the way down to the 11 yard line before settling for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. The drive took nearly five minutes and lasted nine plays. Five plays and less than two minutes later, North tied the game with a field goal of its own. Highlighting the quick answer was a 54-yard pass from Michael Tamburo to Conner Jenkins, who came within one Brookwood defender of a touchdown.
After the North defense forced one of its three first half three-and-outs and the Bulldogs offense put together one of its two lengthy drives. North drove 74 yards in seven plays in 2 minutes and 18 second with junior Chad Jarry scampering in from 13 yards out on second down.
Both teams struggled to move the ball the rest of the half, but that changed in the third quarter.
Brookwood managed just two yards on its opening-half possession, but Wade Brogdon's punt pinned North on its 23. From there North gobbled up 7:05 off the clock, driving 64 yards in 14 plays as Tamburo calmly moved the ball down the field. Tamburo completed all five of his passes on the drive and was 17 of 22 for 250 yards.
"We were taking what they gave us," Sphire said of the third quarter drive that ended with a missed field goal. "I think the third quarter was a great example of that. We had the ball almost the whole third quarter, rolled up a bunch of yards and unfortunately didn't get any points of out it. I thought that was a real sign of how (Tamburo) was managing the game tonight." Brookwood never mustered much offense the rest of the half, squandering its one promising drive with penalties before it snuck into field goal range.
"We were making way to many mistakes on offense," said Brookwood head coach Mark Crews. "We were doing things on offense that good football teams can't do."
The interception medley followed and North's defense kept attacking, ending the game with a sack of quarterback Ben McLane. Even the celebration had the air of a chip that's not going to go away. "This means nothing if we don't win come region time which begins next week," Sphire said

North Gwinnett rebounds, tops Brookwood

Not much sizzle, but Bulldogs still win
By ROBERT HADDOCKS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saturday, September 06, 2008

North Gwinnett’s high-flying offense didn’t have all its customary “sizzle,” as coach Bob Sphire put it, but it had more than enough spark to defeat Brookwood 17-3 on Friday night.
Quarterback Michael Tamburo threw for 245 yards and ran for another 42 as the Bulldogs beat the Broncos for the fourth consecutive time under Sphire. Tamburo, always poised and proficient in the pocket, shredded Brookwood’s defense early. But the Broncos’ defense stiffened after the first quarter.
Brookwood was very much in the game until Zach Humphrey intercepted a pass and returned it 44 yards to the Brookwood 17 with nine minutes left in the game. Three plays later, Tyler Jarry scored on a 4-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 17-3. From there, North Gwinnett’s defense finished off the Broncos, netting three sacks and two other plays for negative yardage.
Brookwood had just one first down in the second half.
“It was uninspiring, but sometimes you’ve got to be workmanlike. It can’t always be sizzle,” Sphire said. “I thought we got out the blocks really strong and the defense did a really good job holding them to three points. That was huge.”
Sphire’s potent spread offense gets most of the attention, and the defense, with Humphrey being the lone returning starter.
Humphrey’s interception came immediately after Brookwood’s Nick Moore picked off Tamburo, giving the Broncos momentum and the ball at midfield. “You can’t underestimate his leadership,” Sphire said of the senior safety.
Up 10-3 at the half, North Gwinnett (1-1) drove eight minutes in 15 plays on its first possession of the third period, but missed a 30-yard field goal.
Brookwood had taken an early lead with Wade Brogdon kicking a 28-yard field goal to cap the Broncos’ opening drive.
On the ensuing drive, North Gwinnett’s Jeff Hatley tied the score with a 22-yard kick, the drive highlighted by Tamburo’s 54-yard strike on a deep post to Connor Jenkins.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Bulldogs took a 10-3 lead on Chad Jarry’s 13-yard run up the middle.
Tamburo finished the first half with 175 yards passing, just 28 coming in the second period. He completed 16 of 23 passes. Both teams begin region play on Friday: North Gwinnett at South Forsyth; Brookwood, which starts the season 0-2 for the third straight year, hosts Shiloh.

North Gwinnett 3 7 0 7 - 17
Brookwood 3 0 0 0 - 3
B - Wade Brogdon 28 FG
NG - Jeff Hatley 22 FG
NG - Chad Jarry 13 run (Hatley kick)
NG - Tyler Jarry 4 run (Hatley kick)

Byrnes 36, North Gwinnett 21

By Brandon Brigman
Staff Writer

SUWANEE - North Gwinnett stayed with the No. 1 team in the nation for two quarters Friday, but couldn't hold the lead in the second half.
Byrnes (S.C.), the top team in the country according to USA Today, scored 27 points in the second half to beat the Bulldogs 36-21.
The game was played in front of 8,207 fans at the Progressive Football Challenge hosted by North Gwinnett. "I think they're the most balanced football team we've played and they've probably got as good a collection of athletes that anybody can put on the field that we've played.," North Gwinnett head coach Bob Sphire said. "They're very difficult defend. They're an outstanding football team and there as good as anybody in the country I'm sure."
North Gwinnett, which reached last year's Class AAAAA state title game, lost 10 starters on defense. The unit was expected to be a concern against a Byrnes team that averaged 40 points a game last season. The Bulldogs held the Rebels, which have won five of the last six South Carolina state titles, to just nine points in the first half. The Rebels' first four possessions of the game resulted in punts.
"I knew it was going to be tough playing these guys," Byrnes head coach Chris Miller said. "I take my hat off to his defense. If he lost 10 guys and they can play that good, that's something else."
North's Michael Tamburo scored on a one-yard run after a botched punt return by Byrnes in the first quarter. Marcus Lattimore's seven-yard TD put Byrnes ahead 9-7 with 1:23 left in the first half. Lattimore was the game's leading rusher with 166 yards and two TDs.
On the ensuing kickoff, Cordero Dixon took the return 83 yards for the TD and North led 14-9 at halftime. "We just weren't mentally focused in the first half and Coach Miller got on to us and told us they were a good team, but we were just playing around acting like they weren't," Lattimore said. "So we just came out in the second half mentally focused."
Justin Bright intercepted a Tamburo pass and took it 15 yards for the score to put Byrnes ahead 15-14 after the two-point conversion failed in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs' offense sputtered in the third quarter with only one first down in four possessions.
By then North's defense, which had been able to keep the game close, was nearly out of gas.
Lattimore added a 48-yard TD run and Ricco Sanders had a 16-yard score in the third quarter to give the Rebels 29-14 advantage. Sanders also scored on a 37-yard pass from Chas Dodd, who was 16 of 34 for 248 yards. North was finally able to get in the end zone again with Tyler Jarry's a one-yard score midway through the fourth, but the Bulldogs never threatened again.
"They're a great team, a great program," Jarry said of Byrnes. "I hope they do well this season."

 

North Gwinnett tests No. 1 Byrnes

Bulldogs take halftime lead, but can’t hold off S. Carolina power
By LARRY HARTSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saturday, August 30, 2008

North Gwinnett led the nation’s No. 1-ranked team at halftime, but Byrnes (S.C.) stormed back for a 36-21 victory in the nightcap of the Progressive Football Challenge. The upset bid looked promising when Cordero Dixon returned a kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown, giving the hosts a 14-9 lead at the break. But the Rebels scored four straight touchdowns in just more than a quarter.
Byrnes is brimming with Division I talent, and the crowd of 8,000-plus saw it in full effect after halftime.
Justin Bright intercepted quarterback Michael Tamburo and raced in from 15 yards.
Marcus Lattimore broke loose for a 48-yard scoring run. Ricco Sanders took an end-around 17 yards for a touchdown, then caught a 37-yard touchdown pass. Meanwhile, the Rebels befuddled North Gwinnett’s potent spread offense. Tamburo completed fewer than 50 percent of his throws and was intercepted twice. The Bulldogs, who had to replace 10 defensive starters from last year’s state runner-up team, contained Byrnes’ stars for a while. North Gwinnett forced four straight punts to open the game behind defensive end John Gibson’s fierce pass rush.
But Lattimore eventually broke loose, running for 173 yards on 21 carries. Quarterback Chas Dodd started slow but finished 16-of-34 for 250 yards.Thus the Rebels, who have won five state titles in the last six years, validated USA Today’s lofty ranking.

North Gwinnett takes on nation’s No. 1-ranked team

By LARRY HARTSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, August 28, 2008

North Gwinnett opened last season’s run to the state championship game with a scrimmage against the nation’s No. 8-ranked team. This year, the Bulldogs are taking it up a notch.
North Gwinnett hosts USA Today’s No. 1 team tonight when the Byrnes Rebels from Duncan, S.C., visit Suwanee for a 9 p.m. kickoff. It’s the nightcap of a doubleheader called the Progressive Football Challenge. “To have the No. 1 team come in for your opener, I don’t think it can do anything but elevate your program,” Bulldogs coach Bob Sphire said. “They’ve got nine or 10 Division I players; they’re the real deal. We’re probably catching them right at the pinnacle.” Winners of five Class AAAAA South Carolina titles in six years, the Rebels feature the junior duo of quarterback Chas Dodd (3,202 passing yards, 32 touchdowns) and running back Marcus Lattimore (1,884 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns). North Gwinnett counters with a terrific senior duo of quarterback Mike Tamburo (2,311 passing yards, 19 touchdowns) and running back Tyler Jarry (23 total touchdowns). In the 6 p.m. game, Central Gwinnett will face Mainland High of Daytona Beach, Fla. The doubleheader will be televised on CSS and could draw as many as 10,000 fans. It will include a tribute to the late Dennis Roland, who coached at North Gwinnett and Central Gwinnett. Next year, Central will play Byrnes, and North Gwinnett’s opponent is undetermined. “We’ve got feelers out to five or six quality national powers,” Sphire said.

AJC RANKINGS - WEEK OF AUG. 25 Class AAAAA

1. Lowndes (0-0) vs. Woodland-Stockbridge
2. Northside-Warner Robins (0-0) vs. Perry
3. Camden County (1-0) Off
4. M.L. King (0-0) vs. SW DeKalb (Hallford Stadium)
5. Newnan (0-0) vs. LaGrange
6. Grayson (1-0) Off
7. North Gwinnett (0-0) vs. Byrnes (S.C.)
8. Valdosta (0-0) vs. Jenkins
9. Walton (1-0) Off
10. Harrison (0-0) at Peachtree Ridge

 

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."