If one were to just look at Kane Whitehurst standing to receive a kickoff, one might simply think, “gosh, at 5’11 he isn’t impressively tall, he’ll probably be taken down fairly quickly by the coverage team.”

One would be wrong.

Whitehurst, cousin of Seahawks quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, showed not just on kick returns but also punt returns and as a slot receiver that he was one of the fastest football players in a loaded state of Georgia last season. The Chattahoochee standout returned five kicks/punts for scores in 2010 and recently signed with Arkansas to play for Bobby Petrino in the SEC. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the Arkansas Razorbacks and have a chance to compete at a high level,” said Whitehurst of his decision to go with the Hogs. Read more >

The craziness in Georgia girls basketball is settling down, just as region and state tournaments are about to commence. Last week, we saw three new teams ascend to the top spot of the AJC’s weekly poll. This week, all five of the No. 1’s remain in the pole position.

Three of the top teams are local schools. Norcross is tops in Class 5A, Chamblee is tops in Class 4A and Wesleyan is still the team to beat in Class A. Chamblee is undefeated this winter, while Norcross and Wesleyan have just two losses apiece. Read more >

National Signing Day is big in the South. High school seniors signed their letters of intent to determine where they will spend the next three-four years of their lives.

Some of metro Atlanta best players made their way to Andretti Indoor Karting and Games to announce where they would play college football. The event was hosted by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. Some of the high schools that were represented were North Gwinnett, Buford, Peachtree Ridge, Wesleyan and Blessed Trinity. The young men wore the hats to represent the school that they choose and the schools ranged from as big as Georgia to as small as Chattahoochee Tech.

The boys from Brookwood, who won the 5A state championship got the festivities started with their announcements. Read more >

As the top boys basketball teams in the state make their playoff pushes, teams from the metro area continue to dominate in the AJC’s weekly polls, especially in the larger classifications. Every No. 1 ranked team (with the exception of Class A) is inside or within shouting distance of I-285.

Milton remains in Class 5A’s top spot after beating No. 3 Wheeler 77-59 on Saturday night. With the emergence of Walton to the ninth spot, every Class 5A team is from metro Atlanta.

Seven ranked teams in Class 4A are locals. Miller Grove has only one loss this season, to Florida’s Dr. Krop, and remains No. 1.

Columbia lost, but was still able keep the top spot in Class 3A. Their loss came against highly regarded (but unranked) Tucker from Class 4A, 62-54. Read more >

We’re a third of the way home in the 2010-2011 Regions Directors Cup race. The Georgia Athletics Directors Association has presented the award since 1999-2000 to recognize the very best athletics programs in Georgia. Thus far in the school year, some of the traditional powers are in control of their respective classifications while some upstarts are also making an appearance at the top of the standings. Read more >