Top Norcross Sports Stories of 2012

This year was a great year for Norcross sports. Here are some of Patch's top picks for 2012.

Norcross High's Football State Championship Win: While this list is in no particular order, the Blue Devils' win of the Class AAAAAA title is definitely at the top. The game against Lovejoy last Saturday was Norcross' first time at the Georgia Dome since the school had a team in 1957, and they came out victorious with a score of 21-14.

The Blue Devils' Undefeated Football Streak: Norcross had an undefeated season with 15 games. This and the fact that they won the state finals contributed to Norcross jumping from the No. 8 spot to No. 3 in the Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings.

Greater Atlanta Christian Soccer Coach Named Coach of the Year: Troy Bendickson, the head coach of the varsity girls soccer team for Greater Atlanta Christian School, was selected as the NSCAA Private/Parochial School Girls’ Soccer Coach of the Year for Georgia.

Norcross High's Diamond DeShields: If this girl doesn't have it all yet, she's almost there. DeShields, a senior at Norcross and a 6-1 shooting guard dedicated to the University of North Carolina, was picked for the national USA Today High School Sports Preseason American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls High School Basketball Team. She was the only returning player from the 2011-2012 team. She also earned the MVP title in the U17 World Championship team, who won first place this year by defeating Spain in August. DeShields helped the Lady Blue Devils score a spot in the semifinals in the spring, but they lost against the undefeated McEachern High 64-61.

GAC Picks New Head Football Coach: Tim Hardy, formerly of Mountain View High, was named in February as the new head coach for GAC. Hardy led the team to the semifinals and had a 10-4 season.

GAC Girls Win State AA Championship Titles in Girls Soccer, Track and Golf: The 2012 season was a girl's world when it came to Greater Atlanta Christian. GAC defeated Blessed Trinity 1-0 in the AA State Championship for girls soccer in May, making it the first state title win in GAC girls soccer history. Also that same month, the GAC girls won the championship for track and the state title for golf at Goshen Plantation Golf Club in Augusta. In golf, they defeated Vidalia Comprehensive High 158-157.

Atlanta Rollergirls Moves to Norcross: The roller derby league of dozens of women and girls ages 7 and up now call the Norcross area their home. In February, they moved their practice rink to a warehouse off Wilwat Drive, and they can be seen kicking butt in skates almost every night.

Norcross Grad Picked for Houston Rockets: Norcross High graduate and University of Connecticut shooting guard Jeremy Lamb was picked up by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft held in June.

GAC Wrestlers Take Silver: The school finished in second place at the Class AA traditional wrestling tournament in February, and it's the school's first traditional state trophy. Another new school record was set when 11 GAC wrestlers made it to the state tournament with five senior wrestlers placing in the tournament.

Gov. Nathan Deal Throws First Pitch at NHS Game: And he threw a decent pitch at the April game, too. 

What's your favorite Norcross sports moment of 2012? Tell us in the comments.

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