Friday's Report: GIAA playoffs, Mercer, Georgia College, Signing; Braves, Dream, Tech, UGA, college baseball; NBA, college softball, MLB, racing, golf, NFL, colleges/NCAA, WNBA, NHL
📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D
High Schools
⚽⚽⚽ Soccer ⚽⚽⚽
GIAA
Semifinals
Girls
Class AAAA
Brookstone 2, Stratford 1 (Click here for full story)
The defending 4A champ (10-7) scored less than five minutes into the game and into the second half, and held off homestanding Stratford’s late attempts to rally. The Eagles (15-2) were shut out until a penalty kick from Campbell McIntyre with 12:54 left. Stratford got off some decent shots after that, but Brookstone’s defense in front of the goal was solid.
St. Anne-Pacelli 5, FPD 2
The Vikings had the top seed and state favorite in trouble, the teams tied at 2 after Bowen Matthews’ lone goal at the 32:13 mark of the second half. Five minutes later, the hosts (15-2-1) then reeled off two goals in two minutes to take control, and seal it with 17 minutes left. The Vikings (17-2) were held to 12 shots, 10 from Matthews, while the host Vikings took 15. FPD was held to less than three goals for only the second time all season.
Boys
Class AAAA
Stratford 1, Calvary Christian 0 (Click here for full story)
Freshman Brady Flournoy sent the homestanding Eagles into the championship with the game-winner after 79 minutes and 15 seconds of a slugfest had elapsed.
Class AA
Heritage 5, Central Fellowship 1
🏫🏫🏫College🏫🏫🏫
⚾⚾⚾Baseball⚾⚾⚾
Western Carolina 10, Mercer 3, Southern Conference Tournament
Pro
⚾⚾⚾MLB⚾⚾⚾
🏀🏀🏀WNBA 🏀🏀🏀
📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰
Around/About Central Georgia
Western Carolina bats thump Mercer pitching
Honor Roll
PBC Sportsmanship: Georgia College men’s tennis
PBC Sportsmanship: Georgia College men’s basketball
Georgia College’s Wilson (West Laurens) earns All-Region
Signings
Former Putnam County cornerback Malik Thornton has signed with Samford, transferring from the Cumberlands.
Around Georgia/About Georgia
Rosario’s pinch-hit single in 10th lifts Nationals to 8-7 win over Braves
Braves star Acuña Jr. to return Friday from left knee injury
Howard scores 26 and Fever beat Dream despite Clark not making a 3
Fever win chippy game over Dream
BSB-Houston County’s Burress leads power-mongering Georgia Tech to ACC Tournament romp
UGA president backs SEC schools getting on board with House settlement enforcement rules
A busy Georgia Athletics Association meeting
What the new seedings plant would have meant for Georgia football in 2024
College Baseball/State
SEC: Wednesday-Oklahoma 3, Georgia 2, Georgia eliminated
ACC: Thursday-Georgia Tech 10, California 3; Next: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Sun Belt: Wednesday-Coastal Carolina 8, Georgia Southern 1; Thursday, Louisiana 5, Georgia Southern 4, GSU eliminated
CUSA: Wednesday-Florida International 9, Kennesaw State 3; Thursday-Kennesaw State 10, New Mexico State 5; Next: KSU vs. FIU, Friday, 2 p.m.
Southern Conference: Western Carolina 10, Mercer 3; Next: Mercer vs. Wofford/Samford winner, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
College Baseball
SEC
ACC
Sun Belt
Conference USA
National
A Worthy Read
NBA
Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder overwhelm Timberwolves again, win 118-103 for 2-0 West finals lead
Haliburton might be seizing reputation as NBA’s top closer like Pacers seized Game 1 from Knicks
Gilgeous-Alexander’s NBA MVP win was a moment that Steve Nash — Canada’s first MVP — savored
Adelman promoted to full-time Nuggets coach after leading team to conference semifinals
Choke! Haliburton brings back memory of Pacers’ postseason past in front of Reggie Miller
Brunson ties Ewing for a Knicks playoff record, but no celebration after a stunning collapse
Haliburton’s father cuts loose at Indy bar as son hits tying shot to help Pacers beat Knicks
College Softball
NCAA Division I Softball Super Regionals Glance
Bahl is a force in the circle and at the plate while leading Nebraska’s NCAA softball run
Alabama coach Murphy's wild morning, wild win
Alabama, Oklahoma set for another postseason clash in NCAA super regionals
Baseball/MLB
Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks calls out ‘vile’ social media messages directed to him, his family
Pirates GM Ben Cherington says trading ace Paul Skenes is ‘not at all part of the conversation’
Suárez outduels Márquez, Phillies beat Rockies 2-0 to sweep 4-game series
Auto Racing
Team Penske focused on moving forward after shock firings following Indy 500 cheating scandal
McLaughlin angrily defensive, utterly motivated after Team Penske penalties ahead of Indy 500
After 2024 failure, Kyle Larson hopes to finally join exclusive group
20 years later: Remembering the wildest Coke 600 in NASCAR history
Tennis
Alcaraz’s confidence soaring before French Open title defense while Swiatek struggling
Golf
Scheffler opens Colonial with an eagle and trails tour rookie John Pak by 5 shots
Kessler selected next LPGA commissioner and sees explosive potential
NFL/USFL/UFL/Football
Colts owner Irsay remembered for love of football, commitment to music, animal welfare
Saints brushing off concerns about unproven QBs in Moore’s first year in charge
Raiders DE Crosby’s return: ‘It’s the best feeling on the planet’
Warner signs his 3-year, $63 million extension with the 49ers
Lions DE Hutchinson says he’s fully cleared in comeback from broken leg that ended last season
NFL taps Bills for ‘Hard Knocks’ debut during training camp. NFC East as featured in-season division
Bengals’ Burrow credits Manning for his involvement in Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ series
College Football
College Football Playoff shifts to straight seeding model, no automatic byes for top league champs
College Football/SEC/ACC/South
Cristobal Says Carson Beck has ‘A Lot to Prove’ in 2025
Bianchi: Why did UCF AD Mohajir hire Frost? Because ‘ego is not your amigo’
Report: Jordon Hudson wanted content approval, ownership of UNC 'Hard Knocks'
College Sports
Trump’s Harvard visa threat could wipe out several of the school’s sports teams
College Sports, the changing landscape
Tennessee AD director says collective bargaining with athletes the only solution amid chaos
New Maryland athletic director Jim Smith is ready to focus on increasing revenue
College Basketball/Men
North Florida men’s head coach Driscoll resigns to become associate head coach at Kansas State
Florida’s Golden reaps rewards of national title, including reloading his roster
WNBA/Women’s Basketball
Liberty set WNBA regular-season record with 19 3-pointers in rout of Sky
Burton scores 22 to lead Valkyries to expansion franchise’s first win
Clark says she took video of her reaction to the Pacers’ comeback win over the Knicks
Hockey
Bennett, Verhaeghe help Panthers roll past Hurricanes 5-0, take 2-0 lead in Eastern final
Finns Up! NHL playoffs include 13 players from Finland on the 4 teams in conference finals
Boxing/MMA/UFC/WWE
Mailbag: Is it finally time to strip Jon Jones of the UFC heavyweight title?
Scoreboards