Trinity vs. Millsaps 10/27/07

Eat your heart out Cal vs. Stanford ... one of the craziest plays you'll ever see!

Associated Press
Picture the ending of the Stanford-California game in 1982, without the band and with three times as many laterals.
Trinity University used 15 laterals after a completed pass on the final play of the game for an unlikely touchdown and 28-24 victory Saturday at stunned Millsaps. Call it the ``Mississippi Miracle'' for the Tigers, an NCAA Division III team in San Antonio.
``Things have to go perfectly for that to work,'' coach Steve Mohr told The Associated Press after the Tigers got home Sunday night from Jackson, Miss. ``We couldn't do that against air if we tried.''
There were 2 seconds left, only enough time to snap the ball once, when Trinity (7-1) took over at its own 40.
Blake Barmore dumped a short pass over the middle to a wide-open Shawn Thompson, who gained 16 yards before he ran into a defender and made the first pitch to Riley Curry. Then there was another lateral, and another and another.
Curry got the ball four times, the last after it was bounced off the turf into his hands around the 34 and he sprinted to the end zone. He crossed the goal line 62 seconds after the ball was snapped.
That bounce was the only time the ball touched the ground, and Mohr thinks that actually helped the Tigers.
``Some of the Millsaps players stopped. That created the seam for Curry,'' said Mohr, figuring some of the exhausted defenders might have thought it was like an incomplete pass to kill the play. ``It was never batted, never touched the ground except the last throw, 14 straight completions.''
California needed only five laterals on its game-ending kickoff return for a touchdown in 1982, when Stanford's band had stormed the field thinking the game was over.
Seven different Trinity players touched the ball, including two offensive linemen. Josh Hooten, a 266-pound guard, got it twice.
Hooten was the recipient of the second pitch, then threw the ball over his shoulder. Luckily, it went to receiver Michael Tomlin.
``He caught it and pitched it over his head blindly,'' Mohr said. ``It was like he caught it and thought he's not supposed to have it. It was comical.''
The third touch by Curry ended when he pitched back to Tomlin and then Curry wound up on the ground after being tackled. Tomlin ran toward the sideline and got rid of the ball as he went down in a crowd, throwing to Hooten, who quickly pitched to Brandon Maddux.
With defenders surrounding him, Maddux desperately pitched the ball back toward the middle of the field. It took a perfect hop to Curry, who had gotten back to his feet.
``The worst part about it is we had five or six guys just quit on the play,'' Millsaps coach Mike DuBose, the former Alabama coach, told The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger. ``That type of thing just shouldn't happen. Sure, we were tired. But so was Trinity. You have to finish the play. We stopped.''
Trinity cut it to 24-22 when Barmore threw a 13-yard TD pass to Curry with 2:11 left. But Barmore threw an incompletion on the 2-point conversion try and Millsaps recovered the attempted onside kick.
But the Majors (6-2) gave the ball back after failing to convert on fourth-and-2.
With the victory, Trinity remained in contention for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs. Millsaps would have clinched the playoff spot by winning.
``This puts us in position to play for something in November,'' said Mohr, 143-53 in his 18 seasons at Trinity. ``It doesn't guarantee anything. Our kids understand it, but at least it kept us in the hunt.''

Scores and Updates (10/26)

Halftime scores
Crest 37, East Gaston 0
Shelby 28, Chase 0
Kings Mountain 10, R-S Central 7
Burns 27, East Rutherford 0

Live from East Rutherford at Burns

About an hour before kickoff here in Lawndale on Senior Night. After all of the rain over the last couple of days, the field looks to be in good shape. No more rain in the forecast and the temperature is currently 63 degrees.

Burns is in its Columbia Blue tops and pants with blue pants. East is in its white tops with black pants with white helmets.

Seniors on Burns' roster
Donta Hopper, Tyler Gill, Derek Shaffer, Varan Hamrick, Kenneth Roberts, Marcus Tuft, Keron Phelps, Julian Kee, Ethan Martin, Corey Smith, Aaron Mayhew, Kenny Lail, Darrell Coates, Duston Jones

Great rendition of the National Anthem by the Burns chorus.

Burns head coach Ron Greene now being given his Shrine Bowl blazer. Greene will be an assistant coach for the N.C. team for December's game against S.C. at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.

First quarter
Burns will start with the ball on its own 38.
Varan Hamrick with 42 yards on the first series and caps the drive with a 13-yard TD run. Ethan Martin's kick makes it 7-0 at 9:40.
Keron Phelps scores on a QB keeper from 55 yards out. Martin's kick makes it 14-0 at 6:03.

Second quarter
Hamrick goes up the middle 37 yards to paydirt at 6:26. The kick failed, 20-0 Burns.
Hamrick with 146 yards rushing after a 21-yard scoring run on an option left. 27-0 Burns at 2:28.
Burns defense holds deep in its own territory to keep ER off the board at the end of the half.
Halftime score - Burns 27, ER 0

Third quarter
ER will start the second half with the ball on its own 37
Burns goes up 34-0 at 7:41 on a 20-yard pass from Phelps to Donta Hopper. Martin's kick is good.

Fourth quarter
ER gets on the scoreboard with 6:30 left on a 3-yard sneak by QB Jordan Mabe. 34-7
Final score, Burns 34, ER 7

How the football playoffs work

Thanks to the Gaston Gazette's Phil Gardner for posting this on varsitync.com. This is a great breakdown of how the playoff process works for high school football in N.C.

THE PLAYOFF PROCESS
The following procedures were adapted from the N.C. High School Athletic Association handbook:

QUALIFICATION
All classifications will field 64 teams.
Each school will report a 10-game record and may drop any non-conference game if it played 11 games.

To qualify:
1. In a split conference, a team must finish first or second in its division.
2. A team must have four wins overall if it does not finish first or second in a split conference.
3. If not enough teams qualify using the criteria in No. 1 and No. 2, the teams with the highest conference winning percentage would qualify next.
4. If too many teams qualify using the criteria in No. 1 and No. 2, the NCHSAA will use the number of conference wins to determine qualifiers.
(The 1A classification will qualify 64 teams with the best overall record.)

SUBDIVIDING
Once the 64 teams for each classification are determined, they will be divided into the large 32 and small 32 based on this year’s enrollment. Class 1A becomes 1AA and 1A, 2A becomes 2AA and 2A, etc.

Each group of 32 will then be divided into the 16 easternmost and 16 westernmost teams.

SEEDING
1. All conference No. 1 seeds will be seeded first by overall records. If teams in different classifications are tied for their respective conference championship, they will both be seeded as No. 1 seeds. If a team finishes first its division of a split conference, it is seeded as a No. 1.
2. All No. 2 seeds are seeded by overall records.
3. All No. 3 seeds are seeded by overall records.
4. All other qualifying teams are seeded based on overall record, regardless of conference finish.

Final scores (8/20)

Alexander Central 26, Morganton Freedom 23
Alleghany County 20, Elkin 14
Anson County 17, Monroe Sun Valley 6
Apex 28, Cary 21
Apex Middle Creek 38, Lee County 20
Ashe County 24, Boonville Starmount 21
Asheboro 19, Trinity 6
Asheville 39, Waynesville Tuscola 7
Bertie County 40, Kill Devil Hills First Flight 0
Bessemer City 41, Lincolnton 22
Black Mountain Owen 25, Hendersonville 22
Brevard 21, Canton Pisgah 17
Bunn 56, Franklinton 0
Burlington Cummings 28, Hillsborough Cedar Ridge 21
Burnsville Mountain Heritage 22, Mitchell County 14
Burns 37, Forest City Chase 14
Catawba Bandys 20, Maiden 0
Charlotte Ardrey Kell 28, Charlotte Providence 20
Charlotte Catholic 35, West Mecklenburg 15
Charlotte Country Day 27, Charlotte Providence Day 0
Charlotte Harding 49, Charlotte Berry Tech 0
Charlotte Independence 76, Weddington 27
Charlotte Latin 42, Belmont South Point 20
Charlotte Olympic 41, Charlotte Garinger 7
Charlotte Victory Christian 35, Gastonia Highland Tech 0
Charlotte Waddell 21, Concord Robinson 13
Cherokee 52, Rosman 21
Clinton 41, Croatan 12
Concord 35, Marvin Ridge 7
Currituck County 28, Elizabeth City Northeastern 13
Crest 56, Hunter Huss 14
Davie County 26, Winston-Salem Reynolds 7
Dunn Midway 21, Salemburg Lakewood 6
Durham Jordan 35, East Chapel Hill 28
Durham Riverside 20, Northern Durham 16
East Burke 49, McDowell County 33
East Davidson 46, Carrboro 26
East Duplin 41, Swansboro 0
East Henderson 26, West Henderson 20
East Lincoln 57, West Lincoln 24
East Mecklenburg 13, Charlotte Myers Park 7
East Montgomery 49, Chatham Central 6
East Rowan 36, North Iredell 6
East Surry 28, Kernersville McGuinness 0
Eastern Alamance 33, South Granville 16
Eastern Guilford 45, Mayodan McMichael 21
Eastern Randolph 35, Randleman 17
Eastern Wayne 28, Wilson Beddingfield 20
Eden Morehead 36, Yanceyville Yancey 6
Edenton Holmes 34, Pasquotank County 33
Enka 41, Asheville Erwin 31
Erwin Triton 40, Cameron Union Pines 37
Fairmont 35, Red Springs 7
Fayetteville Britt 41, Southern Pines Pinecrest 0
Fayetteville Byrd 28, Hoke County 27, OT
Fayetteville Pine Forest 41, Lumberton 17
Fayetteville Seventy-First 29, Fayetteville Westover 7
Fuquay-Varina 36, Morrisville Green Hope 0
Garner 24, Southeast Raleigh 19
Gastonia Ashbrook 35, Gastonia Forestview 13
Goldsboro 27, Farmville Central 25
Graham 22, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 15
Greensboro Page 30, East Forsyth 28
Greenville Rose 45, Greenville Conley 6
Harnett Central 52, Hope Mills Gray's Creek 21
Harrells Christian Academy 42, Fayetteville Christian 8
Havelock 20, South Central Pitt 18
Hayesville 42, Robbinsville 34
Hickory 28, Lenoir Hibriten 7
High Point Central 42, Fayetteville Smith 0
Hope Mills South View 35, Cape Fear 0
Huntersville Hopewell 35, Mallard Creek 0
Jacksonville 47, West Brunswick 12
Jacksonville Northside 28, Southwest Onslow 7
Jacksonville White Oak 42, Wilmington Ashley 35
Jamestown Ragsdale 51, Southwestern Randolph 15
Jones County 48, East Carteret 32
Kannapolis Brown 35, Hickory Ridge 0
Kernersville Glenn 63, Winston-Salem Parkland 41
Kings Mountain 35, East Rutherford 10
Lawndale Burns 37, Forest City Chase 14
Louisburg 30, Northampton-East 18
Manteo 20, Perquimans County 6
Matthews Butler 19, South Mecklenburg 16
Mooresville 49, South Rowan 28
Mt. Airy 35, West Wilkes 12
Mt. Pleasant 21, Albemarle 0
New Bern 14, Washington 13
Newton Foard 41, Claremont Bunker Hill 19
Newton-Conover 44, West Caldwell 13
North Buncombe 31, Franklin 23
North Duplin 21, Ayden-Grifton 8
North Edgecombe 24, Weldon 12
North Gaston 50, East Gaston 13
North Lincoln 23, Cherryville 9
North Mecklenburg 34, Charlotte Vance 13
North Rowan 21, Central Davidson 14
Northeast Guilford 14, Greensboro Dudley 13
Northern Vance 33, Burlington Williams 21
Oxford Webb 34, Southern Alamance 7
Pamlico County 32, Lejeune 6
Pembroke Swett 18, Fayetteville Sanford 16
Pender County 34, East Columbus 0
Pittsboro Northwood 37, Orange County 34
Raleigh Athens Drive 49, Panther Creek 0
Raleigh Leesville Road 38, Raleigh Millbrook 35
Raleigh Wakefield 34, Raleigh Enloe 14
Reidsville 48, Winston-Salem Atkins 12
Richmond County 30, Scotland County 27, OT
Rocky Mount 17, Nash Central 0
Rocky Mount Academy 42, Cary Christian 40
Shelby 27, R-S Central 3
Siler City Jordan-Matthews 40, North Moore 0
Smithfield-Selma 21, Holly Springs 19
South Columbus 62, South Brunswick 0
South Stokes 49, East Wilkes 19
Southern Durham 21, Person County 13
Southern Guilford 28, West Stokes 6
Southern Lee 40, Western Harnett 21
SouthLake Christian 35, Charlotte Northside Christian 0
Southside Christian, S.C. 37, Derita Christian Academy 6
SouthWest Edgecombe 34, Northern Nash 6
Southwest Guilford 20, Pfafftown Reagan 0
Swain County 32, Andrews 13
Sylva Smoky Mountain 45, North Henderson 28
Thomasville Ledford 28, Salisbury 7
Tyner Academy, Tenn. 48, Murphy 29
Wake Forest-Rolesville 21, Raleigh Sanderson 3
Wallace-Rose Hill 28, Clinton Union 0
Warsaw Kenan 27, Hobbton 0
Watauga County 27, South Caldwell 7
West Bladen 32, South Robeson 8
West Charlotte 36, Central Cabarrus 0
West Davidson 30, Lexington 14
West Forsyth 39, North Davidson 7
West Iredell 14, Statesville 6
West Johnston 37, Knightdale 12
West Montgomery 83, South Davidson 3
West Rowan 35, Lake Norman 0
West Stanly 7, South Stanly 6
Western Alamance 49, Western Guilford 14
Wilkes Central 22, North Surry 19
Williamston 33, Pinetown Northside 14
Wilmington Hoggard 52, Wilmington Laney 7
Wilson Hunt 19, Pikeville Aycock 12
Winston-Salem Carver 24, High Point Andrews 21
Winston-Salem Mt. Tabor 30, North Forsyth 24
^POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Chapel Hill vs. Durham Hillside, ppd. to Oct 20.
South Johnston vs. Spring Lake Overhills, ppd. to Oct 22.
Northwest Halifax vs. Southern Vance, ppd.
Southern Nash vs. Wilson Fike, ppd. to Oct 22.
West Carteret vs. West Craven, ppd. to Oct 22.

Live from Kings Mountain at East Rutherford

About 30 minutes from kickoff here at Bryan Harrill Stadium here on Parent's Night in Bostic.

Kings Mountain is in its all white tops with black pants and black helmets. East Rutherford is in black tops, black pants and black helmets.

KM wins the toss and defers to the second half.

First quarter
After recovering a fumble near midfield on ER's first drive, KM scores on a 34-yard TD run by Joe Chambers. Alex Randall's kick makes it 7-0 at 8:27.
ER answers with a 10-play drive, which stalls at the KM five. Tamer El Amoor boots a 22-yard FG to make it 7-3 at 3:49.
Set up by a 57-yard run by Michael Roberts, Chambers rushes in from 22 yards out. Randall's kick makes it 14-3 at 3:16.

Second quarter
KM goes up 21-3 on a 1-yard sneak by Roberts. Randall's kick makes it 21-3 at 11:18
ER with a key, early 4th and 3 at the KM 27. ER QB Devince Boykins throws an incompletion, turning it over on downs to KM at the 27.
Late 2nd quarter ... Randall's 47 yard FG had the distance but missed wide right.
ER now with the ball deep in own territory at 2:21
Randall kicks a 30 yard FG before halftime to make it 24-3 as the teams head to the locker room.

Key stats - KM: Rushing: Chambers 9-91; Roberts 8-120. Passing: Roberts 5-10-0 83 yards. Receiving: Sharif Burris 2-32, Neil Scott 2-25. ER: Rushing: Michael Milam 7-45; Passing Boykins 3-10-0 73 yards. Receiving: Tyler Hamilton 2-49.

3rd quarter
Randall kicks a 22 yarder to make it 27-3 at 7:36
3rd quarter ends with KM driving near midfield

4th quarter
Joe Chambers rushes for 19 yards and now has 160 yards on the night.
6 minutes left in the game.
Chambers rushes in for his third TD of the game ... now has 187 yards on 30 carries in a stout performance. Roberts 2-point conversion run, 35-3.
ER punches in its first TD late in the game on a 3 yard run by Hamilton. El Amoor's kick makes it 35-10 with 15 seconds left.

Final score KM 35, ER 10.

Tonight's coverage (10/20)

I'll be blogging live from Kings Mountain at East Rutherford tonight and Adam Fenwick will be shooting video.

Check back to the blog through the night for live updates.

Live from GWU at Wofford

Beautiful day for college football here in Spartanburg, S.C. About 10 minutes from kickoff at Gibbs Stadium. Check back to the blog for updates from today's game.

First quarter
Wofford will start the first half with the ball at its own 40.
Terriers methodically driving down the field, now inside the GWU25.
Wofford's Adrian Young plunges in from four yards out. Patrick Mugan's kick makes it 7-0. Scoring drive - 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:38.
GWU starts its first offensive series at own 27 and goes three and out.
Wofford will begin next drive at own 25.
Terriers inside GWU's 20 again and already have nine first downs. Kevious Johnson scores from one-yard out and Dugan's kick makes it 14-0 at 3:25. Drive - 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:38.

Second quarter
GWU with ball near midfield and 3rd and 13 after picking up a couple of first downs through the air. Wofford forces a punt and will take over at its own 10.
GWU's Cedric McGowan picks off a Collier pass inside the GWU 10 at 11:12. GWU ball at own 22.
Wofford's Mychael Johnson picks off Stan Doolittle on second play of next possession. Wofford ball at GWU 47 at 10:41.
GWU forces first Wofford punt and has ball near midfield at 7:38
GWU's Michael Hanna booms a 53 yard punt and pins the Terriers inside the 5. Hanna having a solid first half for the Bulldogs.
GWU's Kendrick Best with an interception of Ben Widmyer near midfield at 3:50.
Bulldogs capitalize with an 8-play, 49-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard fade pass from Doolittle to Duvaughn Flagler to make it 14-7 at 1:34.
Wofford runs out the rest of the first half clock.
Halftime score - Wofford 14, GWU 7

Key stats: First downs - GWU 7, Wofford 14; Rushes-yards - GWU 10-25, Wofford 34-160; Passing yards GWU 95, Wofford 71; Passes - GWU 13-17-1, Wofford 7-10-2.

Rushing: GWU - David Montgomery 6-23, Wofford - Kevious Johnson 11-58, TD.
Passing: GWU - Stan Doolittle 13-17-1, 95 yards, TD, Wofford - Josh Colllier 6-8-1 73 yards, Ben Widmyer 1-2-1 -2 yards.
Receiving: GWU - Montgomery 6-39, Dobson Collins 4-25, Duvaughn Flagler 3-31, TD, Wofford - Andy Strickland 3-44.

Second half
Third quarter
GWU will start the second half with the ball at its own 40
On his first series at QB, Devin Campbell connects with TE Hughie Dixon on a 43-yard TD strike over the middle. Taylor Ports' kick makes it 14-14 at 13:50.
Wofford counters with a quick, three-play, 65-yard scoring drive as Johnson carries in on an option pitch from 16 yards out to make it 21-14 at 13:04.
Crazy sequence ... GWU loses 13 yards on a tipped pass play, then attempts a quick kick on third down at its own 1. The punt is blocked and recovered by Layton Baker for a touchdown. Dugan's kick makes it 28-14 at 12:07.
GWU converts a 4th and 8 on a tough, 27-yard completion from Campbell to Nick Melton to set up first and goal at the 6.
GWU's Evan Kay hits a 27-yard FG to cut the lead to 28-17 at 7:20.
Bulldogs inside the Wofford 30 with 2:46 left in the third.
GWU fails to pick up a 4th and 6 and turns it over on downs to the Terriers at the 25 at 2:24.
Wofford moves down to the GWU 15 in eight plays, keyed by big runs by Dane Romero and Justice Joslin, to end the third quarter.

Fourth quarter
Collier sneaks in from 1 yard out. Dugan's kick makes it 35-17 at 12:19
GWU loses a fumble after a completed pass and Wofford cashes in with a 27 yard FG by Dugan - 38-17 at 9:14
Final score - Wofford 52, GWU 17

Live from KM at Shelby

About 26 minutes from kickoff of the 80th edition of the Battle of Buffalo Creek. Shelby leads the all-time series 61-17-1 heading into tonight's battle at Pearley Allen Field at George Blanton Stadium.

The Golden Lions are in their black tops, black pants and gold helmets. The Mountaineers are wearing white tops, white pants and black helmets.

The Gaston Gazette's Phil Gardner is blogging from the North Gaston at Crest contest at http://blogs.gastongazette.com/PhillipGardner/Default.aspx

Great rendition of The Star Spangled Banner by SHS senior Robert Bullock

First quarter
SHS' Jaurice Haynes with a 55 yard fumble recovery for a TD on KM's 3rd play. Almond's kick makes it 7-0.
KM marches 75 yards on nine plays, capped by a 34 yard pass from Michael Roberts to Neil Scott to tie it at 7-7 after Alex Randall's kick with 6:08 left
KM recovers a fumble, then turns it into a score five players later on a one-yard sneak by Roberts. Randall's kick makes it 14-7 at 4:47

2nd quarter
KM with ball at the Shelby 38 after forcing a punt.
SHS gets a blocked kick from Corey Brooks, then scores five plays later on a 1-yard rumble by Donovan Gidney. Almond's kick makes it 14-14 at 8:11

First half ends with the score tied at 14-14. Shelby misses out on a golden chance to take the lead late in the first half. After a long punt return by Jonathan Hopper, the Lions lost a fumble at the KM 5. The Mounties ran out the rest of the clock and the teams headed to the locker rooms.

Stat leaders - Rushing: KM - Joe Chambers 15-57; Shelby - Marc Williams 3-15. Passing: KM - Michael Roberts 4-8-0 64 yards, TD; Shelby - Howard Thompson 0-0-0 0 yards. Receiving: KM - Neil Scott 2-42, TD.

Defensive leaders KM: Ray Baxter, Thomas James, Antonio Sloan with two tackles each. Austin Miller and Tony Barnett with one fumble recovery each; Shelby: Lanston Tanyi, Donovan Gidney, Aaron Briscoe, Quevalas Murray, Corey Brooks with two tackles each. Tanyi and Brooks with one fumble recovery each.

Both teams have two turnovers each. Shelby has one score by a fumble recovery and the other set up by a blocked punt. KM has one touchdown set up by a fumble recovery and one sustained drive. KM has a 7:00 minute edge in time of possession and has ran 18 more plays than Shelby.

Third quarter
Shelby will start the second half with the ball
Shelby's Jonathan Hopper 80 yard kickoff return down the middle of the field for a TD. Almond's kick makes it 21-14 at 11:44.
Both teams trade turnovers, SHS capitalizes on a Roderick Blake INT as Marc Williams rushes in from 19 yards. Almond's kick makes it 28-14.

Fourth quarter
KM with the ball near midfield as the fourth quarter is just under way
Jonathan Hopper with an 85 yard strip-and-score with 6:45 left in the fourth. Almond's kick makes it 35-14. Shelby with a 3 TD lead with only two first downs on offense.
SHS gets a 46 yard TD run by Jaurice Haynes to put the home team ahead 41-14 with 2:56 left.

Final score SHS 41, KM 14

Top 5 Sports Commercials

No. 3 - Chicks Dig the Long Ball - Nike

"Hey, we got Cy Young winners over here!"

Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine during their hey-days with the Braves, beefing up to hit the long ball ...
The only bad thing about this commercial is that it will always be somewhat linked to the Steroid Era and the over-hyping of bulky home run hitters.

Enough seriousness, it's a funny commercial.

Tonight's coverage (10/12)

I'll be blogging live from Kings Mountain at Shelby tonight. Check back to the blog for updates from that game.

On Saturday, I'll be posting updates from Gardner-Webb at Wofford. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.

Star photographer Jeff Melton will be posting live photo updates. Visit his blog at http://jeffmeltonstar.blogspot.com.

After the game, check out Adam Fenwick's videos from Shelby-Kings Mountain at www.shelbystar.com and www.varsitync.com.

Also, check out the live, scrolling ticker tonight at www.varsitync.com for scores from around the area.

Enjoy the games!

Schuerholz staying with Braves as President, Wren named GM

Update: Nice to see Schurholz is going to remain with the franchise as President ... Frank Wren couldn't ask for a better mentor as the new GM. I imagine Bobby Cox is a year, maybe two, away from retiring as well ... hope he will follow suit and stick around Atlanta for a while in another role.

ATLANTA (AP) -- John Schuerholz stepped aside Thursday after 17 years as general manager of the Atlanta Braves with only one regret.

Despite an unprecedented 14 straight division titles, the Braves won just one World Series.

With a few more rings, he figured, this would have been the perfect farewell.

"What else is there?" said Schuerholz, who will become team president and turn over the GM duties to his right-hand man, Frank Wren. "It would have been, unequivocally, the complete validation of the grand nature of this franchise. Nobody could have said anything about the Atlanta Braves and ended the sentence with the word 'but."'

Otherwise, Schuerholz has no complaints with his career, one that could land him a spot in Cooperstown someday.

He turned 67 last week and was admittedly worn down by the grind of more than a quarter-century as a general manager. Before coming to Atlanta, he spent nine years in the same post with the Kansas City Royals, winning another World Series title in 1985.

But he will forever be remembered for his impact on the Braves, a perennial last-place team when he took over in 1991. That very first year, Atlanta won the NL West and went all the way to the World Series. In the years that followed, the division titles kept coming with numbing regularity, until the streak finally ended with a third-place finish in 2005.

"Obviously, John has done an unbelievable job with the organization," outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "He definitely deserves to retire and enjoy what he's accomplished. It's sad, because we didn't want to see him go."

Actually, he's not going anywhere. Schuerholz signed a four-year contract and remains second in command to chairman Terry McGuirk, but will step away from day-to-day personnel decisions, such as trades, free-agent signings and other roster moves.

"I'll miss that," Schuerholz said during a news conference at Turner Field.

Wren, a former GM with the Baltimore Orioles, spent the past eight years working for Schuerholz and hoping to eventually replace him.

"Our styles are different," said Wren, who also got a four-year deal. "But our philosophies are very, very similar."

Wren only got word Tuesday that Schuerholz was looking to move upstairs, even though the idea was first proposed by McGuirk six months ago. Schuerholz broke the news to his successor over iced tea after they watched a developmental league game in central Florida.

"I really had no inkling this was coming," Wren said.

AP - Oct 11, 5:26 pm EDT More Photos

Schuerholz, who's always been notoriously tightlipped about personnel moves and the inner workings of the organization, grinned and pumped his fist when Wren described his reaction.

"I can keep a secret," said Schuerholz, baseball's longest-serving GM with one team.

The 49-year-old Wren turned down an offer to become Pittsburgh's general manager a few years ago and didn't pursue a couple of similar opportunities. Now, he's got the job he really wanted.

"We're going to keep doing things the way we've been doing them," Wren said. "The Braves way. It's been working pretty well."

While Schuerholz is willing to provide advice in player matters, calling himself a "mentor" and a "sounding board," he'll mainly be involved in the business side of the franchise. He made it clear that he won't be looking over Wren's shoulder.

"I let people establish themselves, do their jobs and support them," Schuerholz said.

Atlanta's only World Series title came 12 years ago, a six-game victory over the Cleveland Indians that gave the city its first, and still only, major sports championship.

Four other times during the streak, the Braves lost in the World Series. They also were the losing team in four NL championship series, and were eliminated four more times in the division series.

After the team's ownership passed from Ted Turner to Time Warner, the Braves began to cut payroll though they remain one of the highest-spending teams in baseball. McGuirk said the move had nothing to do with another ownership change from Time Warner to Liberty Media.

This season, the Braves missed the playoffs for the second year in a row with another third-place finish in the NL East.

Still, the postseason failures and recent slide do little to diminish Schuerholz's reputation for assembling talented teams year after year, with manager Bobby Cox running things in the dugout throughout the remarkable run.

The 66-year-old Cox has a year left on his contract and hasn't made any decision about whether he'll return beyond 2008. But the change in GMs shouldn't have an impact.

AP - Oct 11, 5:11 pm EDT More Photos

"I think everything's great," Cox said when reached on his cell phone. "Frank is extremely capable and a huge part of what we've done through the years already. The good thing is both of them are still here. It's business as usual."

Schuerholz came to the Braves from Kansas City in 1991, taking over a last-place team that had plenty of potential: pitchers John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Steve Avery were just starting their careers.

The new GM filled out the roster with established veterans such as Terry Pendleton and Sid Bream, a combination that took Atlanta from worst to first in the NL West and all the way to a 1-0, 10-inning loss to Minnesota in Game 7 of the World Series.

Even though Smoltz is the only player who's been with the Braves throughout the Schuerholz era, the general manager kept a steady flow of talent moving through Atlanta.

Greg Maddux and Andres Galarraga were signed as free agents. Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield came to the team through trades. Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Brian McCann and Francoeur worked their way up through the farm system.

Schuerholz left his job as a junior high school teacher to begin his front-office career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966. He moved to Kansas City two years later with the expansion Royals, eventually working his way up to general manager in 1981, at the age of 41.

During his nine years as GM, the Royals won two division titles and the '85 Series with a seven-game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

"John Schuerholz is an unbelievable judge of talent," Chipper Jones once said. "It almost seems like he has a crystal ball."

End of an era: Braves' Schuerholz to resign

I always thought GM John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox would go out together, but that apparently doesn't seem to be the case - not yet at least. This is tough as a Braves fan, because Schuerholz, along with Cox, have been the glue of this organization through the years. It will be interesting to see who Atlanta gets for the GM job ... they'll have some big shoes to fill.

ATLANTA (AP) -- John Schuerholz will resign as general manager of the Atlanta Braves on Thursday after assembling teams that won a record 14 straight division titles and the 1995 World Series championship.

A baseball person familiar with the decision said Schuerholz was quitting after 17 years as the Braves' GM but would remain with the team in a senior capacity, perhaps as president. The person requested anonymity because the official announcement had not been made.

Schuerholz, who turned 67 last week, is also an executive vice president with the team, second in command to chairman and current president Terry McGuirk. Assistant general manager Frank Wren, a former GM with the Baltimore Orioles, is the most likely candidate to replace Schuerholz as the one who oversees trades, free-agent signings and other roster decisions.

Outfielder Jeff Francoeur said he got word of Schuerholz's decision earlier Thursday.

"I figured he would be with us another year of two," Francoeur said. "It kind of happened quick for all of us. It caught us off guard."

The team had no immediate comment other than to schedule an afternoon news conference for a "major announcement." Schuerholz was baseball's longest-serving general manager with one team.

The Braves won 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 -- Schuerholz's first season in Atlanta -- until 2004, a streak unprecedented in any of the major American sports. The only blemish on his resume was a lack of success once his teams got the playoffs.

Atlanta's only World Series title came 12 years ago, a six-game victory over the Cleveland Indians that gave the city its first, and still only, major sports championship.

Four other times during the streak, the Braves lost in the World Series. They also were the losing team in four NL championship series, and were eliminated four more times in the division series.

After the team's ownership passed from Ted Turner to Time Warner, the Braves began to cut payroll though they remained one of the highest-spending teams in baseball.

In 2005, Atlanta's postseason streak ended with a losing season and third-place finish in the NL East. The Braves climbed back over .500 this season but again finished third, out of the playoffs.

Still, the postseason failures and recent slide do little to diminish Schuerholz's remarkable record of assembling talented teams year after year, with manager Bobby Cox running things in the dugout throughout the remarkable run.

The 66-year-old Cox has another year left on his contract.

"Obviously, John has done an unbelievable job with the organization and this team," Francoeur said. "He definitely deserves to retire and enjoy what he's accomplished. It's sad, because we didn't want to see him go."

AP - Oct 11, 1:41 pm EDT More Photos

More than two years ago, Schuerholz said he already had plotted out how his career as general manager would end, but he wouldn't give any details. Just last week, after the Braves wrapped up another playoff-less season, he refused to discuss his future.

"Move on to another one," he said. "I'm not going to go into that. No questions about that. Next subject."

Schuerholz came to the Braves from Kansas City in 1991, taking over a last-place team that had plenty of potential: pitchers John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Steve Avery were just starting out their careers.

The new GM filled out the roster with established veterans such as Terry Pendleton and Sid Bream, a combination took Atlanta from worst to first and all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.

The memorable series ended with a 1-0, 10-inning loss at Minnesota, a precursor of more postseason losses to come.

Even though Smoltz is the only player who has been without the Braves throughout the Schuerholz era, the general manager kept a steady flow of talent moving through Atlanta.

Greg Maddux and Andres Gallarraga were signed as free agents. Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield were acquired in trades. Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez and Ryan Klesko were developed by a productive farm system.

More recently, Francoeur and All-Star catcher Brian McCann came up from the minors to lead the next generation.

Schuerholz left his job as a junior high school teacher to begin his front-office career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966. He moved to Kansas City two years later with the expansion Royals, eventually working his way up to general manager in 1981, at the age of 41.

During his nine years as GM, the Royals won two division titles and the 1985 World Series with a seven-game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

"John Schuerholz is an unbelievable judge of talent," Chipper Jones once said. "It almost seems like he has a crystal ball."

Top 5 Favorite Sports Commercials

No. 4 - This is SportsCenter Ad- Competition

"Charley come on out and get your whoopin'. Charley come on out ... Steiner!"

This list wouldn't be complete without a SportsCenter commercial. Of the many that have made me laugh through the years, I'd say this is my favorite. You could easily have a countdown of the top SC spots ... might have to do that one down the road.

Top 5 Favorite Sports Commercials

No. 5 - Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan - McDonald's

"Off the floor, off the scoreboard, off the bankboard, no rim."

Two of the greats going back and forth in an improbable game of H-O-R-S-E in a 1993 Super Bowl spot. The best aspect of this (and the Magic vs. Bird Converse) ad was the fact that it played up a head-to-head matchup. You don't get many of those now it seems.

Check back through the week for the countdown of my favorite sports commercials. This list could be a lot longer, so feel free to post any of your favorites as well.

Friday, Oct. 5 football scores

Albemarle 34, Monroe 6
Anson County 36, Indian Trail Porter Ridge 14
Apex Middle Creek 35, Cary 28
Asheville 24, Asheville Roberson 9
Ayden-Grifton 52, Rosewood 0
Belmont South Point 35, Gastonia Ashbrook 21
Bertie County 53, Elizabeth City Northeastern 7
Bessemer City 18, West Lincoln 12
Black Mountain Owen 49, Burnsville Mountain Heritage 6
Boonville Starmount 35, Surry Central 7
Brevard 13, Sylva Smoky Mountain 3
Burlington Cummings 56, Orange County 12
Cameron Union Pines 35, Hope Mills Gray's Creek 12
Canton Pisgah 37, West Henderson 20
Central Davidson 7, Thomasville Ledford 0
Chapel Hill 19, Northern Durham 12
Charlotte Berry Tech 19, Charlotte Garinger 15
Charlotte Catholic 30, Charlotte Harding 14
Charlotte Country Day 17, Crest 0
Charlotte Independence 61, Charlotte Ardrey Kell 3
Charlotte Providence 29, South Mecklenburg 22
Charlotte Vance 6, Mallard Creek 3
Charlotte Waddell 35, Charlotte Olympic 24
Clinton 38, Swansboro 14
Davie County 35, West Forsyth 15
Dunn Midway 22, Clinton Union 21
Durham Hillside 39, Durham Riverside 7
Durham Jordan 31, Southern Durham 21
East Burke 28, Alexander Central 16
East Davidson 13, North Rowan 12
East Forsyth 30, Northwest Guilford 21
East Henderson 42, North Henderson 24
East Lincoln 60, Cherryville 17
East Mecklenburg 28, Weddington 7
East Montgomery 48, North Moore 0
East Rowan 42, South Rowan 29
East Rutherford 28, R-S Central 21, OT
Eastern Alamance 37, Northern Vance 13
Elkin 26, East Wilkes 0
Erwin Triton 47, Western Harnett 17
Farmville Central 39, North Lenoir 14
Fayetteville Britt 27, Fayetteville Seventy-First 16
Fayetteville Pine Forest 31, Fayetteville Smith 0
Fayetteville Westover 6, Hoke County 0
Franklin 34, Waynesville Tuscola 23
Garner 35, Smithfield-Selma 14
Gastonia Huss 51, East Gaston 17
Goldsboro 20, Tarboro 0
Greene Central 13, North Pitt 6
Greensboro Dudley 26, Eden Morehead 0
Greensboro Grimsley 31, High Point Central 6
Greenville Conley 41, West Carteret 6
Greenville Rose 45, Havelock 7
Harnett Central 42, Spring Lake Overhills 18
Harrells Christian Academy 48, North Raleigh Christian 8
Hayesville 21, Swain County 20, OT
Hendersonville 30, Avery County 24, OT
Hertford County 49, Currituck County 20
Hickory 59, Newton-Conover 20
Hickory St. Stephens 43, Claremont Bunker Hill 21
Hillsborough Cedar Ridge 25, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 14
Hope Mills South View 20, Fayetteville Sanford 6
Huntersville Hopewell 34, Central Cabarrus 0
Jacksonville Northside 31, South Lenoir 0
Jones County 27, Lejeune 26
Kernersville Glenn 21, High Point Andrews 7
Knightdale 35, Holly Springs 7
Lee County 30, Panther Creek 0
Lenoir Hibriten 35, Newton Foard 10
Louisburg 38, Southeast Halifax 6
Maiden 38, West Caldwell 15
Marvin Ridge 35, Hickory Ridge 31
Matthews Butler 42, Charlotte Myers Park 14
Mitchell County 38, Polk County 31
Monroe Sun Valley 40, Concord 10
Mooresville 31, Lake Norman 10
Mt. Airy 50, North Stokes 26
Mt. Pleasant 31, Marshville Forest Hills 14
Murphy 54, Robbinsville 27
Nash Central 40, Wilson Fike 7
New Bern 35, South Central Pitt 27
New Hanover County 19, Wilmington Laney 7
North Brunswick 43, Pender County 32
North Buncombe 17, Asheville Erwin 14
North Davidson 17, North Forsyth 6
North Duplin 21, North Johnston 7
North Gaston 41, Gastonia Forestview 14
North Mecklenburg 23, West Mecklenburg 14
Pamlico County 32, Dixon 6
Pasquotank County 34, Kill Devil Hills First Flight 15
Pembroke Swett 27, Lumberton 7
Person County 60, East Chapel Hill 0
Pittsboro Northwood 30, Graham 20
Princeton 35, Seven Springs Spring Creek 6
Raleigh Athens Drive 49, Fuquay-Varina 21
Raleigh Leesville Road 37, Raleigh Wakefield 5
Raleigh Millbrook 14, Raleigh Sanderson 3
Randleman 24, Southwestern Randolph 7
Robersonville Roanoke 28, Manteo 7
Rockingham County 31, Yanceyville Yancey 25
Rocky Point Trask 21, Fairmont 7
Rosman 3, Andrews 0
Scotland County 14, Fayetteville Byrd 9
Shelby 30, Burns 13
South Brunswick 21, Whiteville 7
South Columbus 46, East Columbus 0
South Granville 23, Oxford Webb 13
South Iredell 26, North Lincoln 18
South Johnston 29, Southern Lee 25
Southeast Guilford 14, Asheboro 7
Southeast Raleigh 44, East Wake 18
Southern Alamance 36, Burlington Williams 35
Southern Guilford 34, Mayodan McMichael 3
Southern Vance 26, Bunn 14
Southern Wayne 28, Eastern Wayne 20
Southwest Onslow 35, Richlands 14
Statesville 37, Northwest Cabarrus 30
Thomasville 32, West Montgomery 7
Topsail 45, East Carteret 9
Wake Forest-Rolesville 14, Raleigh Broughton 13
Wallace-Rose Hill 28, Hobbton 6
Warren County 36, Northwest Halifax 6
Warsaw Kenan 45, Salemburg Lakewood 0
Washington 14, West Craven 13
Watauga County 38, McDowell County 29
West Bladen 52, St. Pauls 51
West Charlotte 62, Concord Robinson 6
West Davidson 28, Salisbury 26
West Iredell 35, North Iredell 14
West Johnston 27, Clayton 21
West Rowan 20, China Grove Carson 0
Western Alamance 28, Northeast Guilford 14
Westminster Catawba Christ, S.C. 54, Asheville School 36
Wilmington Ashley 30, West Brunswick 28
Wilmington Hoggard 41, Jacksonville White Oak 13
Wilson Beddingfield 41, Pikeville Aycock 7
Wilson Hunt 35, Kinston 13
Winston-Salem Atkins 34, Eastern Guilford 31
Winston-Salem Carver 39, Southwest Guilford 7
Winston-Salem Reynolds 26, Winston-Salem Mt. Tabor 7
^POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Northampton-East vs. North Edgecombe, ppd. to Oct 8.
SouthWest Edgecombe vs. Rocky Mount, ppd. to Oct 8.

Scores and updates

Country Day 17, Crest 0 - Final
KM 13, Chase 0 - Half
Ashbrook 21, South Point 21 - 4th
R-S Central 7, E. Rutherford 7 - Half


Independence 47, Ardrey Kell 3, halftime
West Charlotte 48, Robinson 6, halftime
E. Lincoln 34, Cherryville 10, halftime
Charlotte Latin 14, Providence Day 0, halftime
Charlotte Catholic 23, Harding 0, halftime
Hopewell 27, Cent. Cabarrus 0, halftime
Vance 6, Mallard Creek 3, end 3Q
Garinger 9, Berry 6, end 1Q
Mooresville 17, Lake Norman 0, halftime
East Meck 28, Weddington 0, halftime

Live from Burns vs. Shelby

About 40 minutes from kickoff here in Lawndale. The sun is sinking below the trees and it's going to be another perfect night for football in Cleveland County.

Burns is in its columbia blue tops and pants with blue helmets. Shelby is wearing its white tops and white pants with gold helmets.

Nice renditions of America the Beautiful and The Star Spangled Banner by the Burns Treble Ensemble.

Captains - Shelby: Aaron Briscoe and Chris Scott; Burns: Keron Phelps and Julian Kee (also joined by the rest of the BHS seniors).

Shelby wins toss, defers to second half. Bulldogs will start on offense.

"This is Burns against Shelby, get on your feet and act like it." - Tony Beaver, Burns P.A. announcer.

1st quarter
- Burns picks up a first down, then punts away on first possession.
- Shelby with ball at BHS33 with 5:20 left in first
- Howard Thompson to Tim Gullatte on a 32-yard TD pass down the middle. Turner Almond's kick makes it 7-0 at 3:38 of first.
- Burns fumbles kickoff, Shelby turns turnover into points quickly as Thompson hits Larry Raper on a 30-yard strike. Almond's kick makes it 14-0 at 3:18.
- Shelby's Larry Raper burst through the middle for a 79-yard TD. Almond's kick makes it 21-0 after 1.

2nd quarter
- Shelby's Corey Brooks picks off a BHS pass at Burns 28.
- Almond drills a 44-yard FG at 9:08 to make it 24-0. The FG was Almond's first of the season.
- Burns gets on the board with :42 seconds left as Keron Phelps finds Monterrio Merriweather for a 14-yard TD strike. Ethan Martin's kick makes it 24-7.

First half breakdown:
Shelby's quick-strike ability on offense and stout defense helps the Golden Lions jump out to a 24-0 lead. Thompson got plenty of protection on the two big passing plays to Gullatte and Raper. Raper had a huge hole to run through on the 79-yard dash.
The Lions' defense has two turnovers to their credit and forced one turnover on downs in the red zone. Shelby turned the turnovers into 10 points, including Almond's long 44-yard FG.
Burns has shown some solid flashes on offense, mostly due to the running of Phelps (49 yards). Phelps' receivers have dropped several big passes on crucial plays. The Bulldogs' lone touchdown of the half came after Shelby's first turnover late in the half.

Great performance by the Burns band with its "Wonderland, a tribute to Stevie Wonder" halftime show. You can't beat the horns on "Sir Duke."

Third quarter
- Burns forces first SHS punt early in the 3rd
- Almond misses a 27 FG midway through the third.

Fourth quarter
- Donta Hopper picks off a Thompson pass at the BHS 2 to stop a Shelby drive.
- Varan Hamrick punches it end from 5 yards out. Martin's kick is blocked. 24-13 at 10:08. The score was set up by a 62-yard catch-and-run from Phelps to Aldrick Watson.
- Shelby answers as Thompson finds Raper again with a 31-yard strike. Almond's kick wide to make it 30-13 at 6:00. Raper now with 241 yards of total offense.
- Shelby runs out the clock after Burns turns it over on downs.
- Final score: Shelby 30, Burns 13

Tonight's coverage (10/5)

I'll be blogging live from the Shelby at Burns game tonight. Check back to the blog for updates from that game.

After the game, check out Adam Fenwick's videos from Shelby-Burns at www.shelbystar.com and www.varsitync.com.

Star photographer Jeff Melton will be posting live photo updates from the Charlotte Country Day at Crest contest. Visit his blog at http://jeffmeltonstar.blogspot.com.

Also, check out the live, scrolling ticker tonight at www.varsitync.com for scores from around the area.

Enjoy the games!