Tech tops in Georgia

ATLANTA — Georgia regained bragging rights, but Georgia Tech’s ACC Championship still was the state’s top sports story of the year.

Despite losing to Georgia to end the regular season, the Yellow Jackets won the Atlantic Coast Conference and are preparing to play in the Orange Bowl for the first time in more than 40 years.

Georgia Tech will play Iowa in Tuesday’s Orange Bowl in Miami. It is the Yellow Jackets’ first Orange Bowl appearance since losing to Florida on Jan. 1, 1967. That was Georgia Tech’s last visit to one of the traditional major bowls.

“This is a breakthrough and an opportunity for us to go out there and show what we’re about,” said running back Jonathan Dwyer. “We’re breaking the cycle.”

Georgia Tech (11-2) recovered from the 30-24 home loss to Georgia to beat Clemson 39-34 in the ACC championship game on Dec. 5.

Georgia completed an 8-5 season by beating Texas A&M 44-20 in the Independence Bowl. Coach Mark Richt had a small staff for the bowl after firing defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and two more assistants following the regular season.

There had been much criticism of Martinez from fans.

“I did not take any pleasure in the decision,” Richt said. “It was a very difficult thing to do, but after painstaking reflection and time to think about the whole situation I feel this is the best decision for Georgia right now.”

The Bulldogs improved to 7-2 in bowls under Richt. The win allowed seniors, including quarterback Joe Cox, to leave on a positive note following a disappointing season.

Along the way the team’s live mascot, Uga VII, died in November. A temporary fill-in, Russ, was on the sideline for the wins over Georgia Tech and Texas A&M.

Almost immediately the focus shifted to Richt’s search for the Bulldogs’ next starting quarterback.

The stage for Georgia’s 2009 season was set almost immediately after the 2008 season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno announced in January they were leaving school early to enter the NFL draft.

Stafford, a junior, was the No. 1 overall pick by Detroit. Moreno, a third-year sophomore, was picked by the Denver Broncos later in the first round.

Now Georgia Tech is awaiting decisions by the biggest names in its talented junior class. Dwyer and defensive end Derrick Morgan are projected as probable first-round picks. Morgan is projected as a potential top-10 pick.

Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett and receiver Demaryius Thomas also are examining their draft options.

Another highlight in the sports year was the continued climb by the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks finished fourth in the conference and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept by Cleveland.

The Hawks made a key offseason move by trading for Jamal Crawford and have remained among the conference’s top four teams early in the 2009-10 season.

The Falcons couldn’t maintain momentum from their 11-5 2008 season.

Coach Mike Smith couldn’t deliver another playoff season in his second year with the team, but still the Falcons were on the verge of an important game as the year ended. The Falcons will close their season at Tampa Bay on Sunday with a chance to post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the history of the franchise. The team takes an 8-7 record into the game.

Second-year quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner have been slowed by injuries. Ryan missed two games with a turf toe injury, and Turner has been slowed for almost two months by an ankle injury.

The team’s two top draft picks, defensive tackle Peria Jerry and safety William Moore, had season-ending injuries.

Kicker Jason Elam was cut.

The Braves made a 14-win improvement over 2008 but still missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

The outlook is encouraging due to the rise of a pair of 23-year-old right-handers, Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson. Jurrjens arguably was the ace of the staff even before Wren traded Javier Vazquez for Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera and a pair of prospects.

Hanson was 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 21 starts as a rookie. His call-up from the minors came after the Braves released 300-game winner Tom Glavine.

Jurrjens, Hanson, Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson and Kenshin Kawakami are projected as the team’s 2010 starters. Frank Wren signed Troy Glaus to a one-year deal to play first base.

The Thrashers enjoyed a strong finish to the 2008-09 season and a strong start to the 2009-10 season, but ultimately the current season will be remembered by the team’s success in re-signing Ilya Kovalchuk, who can become a free agent.

If GM Don Waddell concludes he cannot re-sign the team’s captain, top scorer and most popular player, he’ll have no choice but to pursue a trade. Kovalchuk has said he’d like to remain with the team.

It was a rough year for Georgia and Georgia Tech in basketball.

Georgia Tech finished at 12-19 last season, with a last-place 2-14 ACC record. Georgia fired coach Dennis Felton during a 12-20 season and finished last in the SEC at 3-13. Mark Fox was hired as the new coach.

For the second straight year, the Tour de Georgia made news only by announcing it would not hold its event. The Tour de Georgia canceled its 2010 race because of financial struggles after also cutting the 2009 event.

Organizers say they hope the seven-day race through the state, billed as North America’s premier professional cycling event, can return in 2011. Two straight years without the event make a comeback more of a challenge.

The Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA playoffs in their second season.

The PGA Tour Championship enjoyed a perfect ending in September when Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods finished first and second. Mickelson won the tournament at East Lake but Woods won the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.

No one knew at the time Woods soon would take an indefinite leave from golf to work on saving his marriage.