Effingham Sports Digest Winter 2015

Sports Digest9 WINTER 2015

Isiah Royal 2 Year State

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What’s Inside

8 9 10 16

Editor’s Thoughts Publisher’s Thoughts Isiah Royal: Effingham Wrestler Leaving Legacy That Will Be Hard To Beat McKenzie Stewart Is Getting Her Kicks In For Rebel Football

20

Coach Ty Rietkovich: Success Is A Family Affair

26

Alexis Mercer Has Her Day

04 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

30

Greg Hood Calls It Like He Sees It For The Rebels

34

Coach Jim Ford: Living and Breathing Effingham Football

38

Alex LeFavi: Lifting His Way To The Top

42

Grace Kieffer Has Her Site Set On The Olympics

46

High School Basketball Schedules

49

High School Athletes

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igest

contributors

Natalie McAlister is a life long Effingham resident. She has a great love of photography.

Taking photos of family and friends sparked Natalie’s desire to become a professional photographer. Since then, her passion has grown to child and newborn photography. She is a wife and mother of two. She volunteers her time weekly to a local food bank. Natalie is also a Avon representative.

Katrice Williams She is a mother of two. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. After spending a fulfilling amount of time as an at-home mom, she decided to pursue an area of personal attraction—writing.

Cindy Burbage is a native of Richmond Hill.

She began writing in college and took a hiatus to raise her four beautiful children. Cindy enjoys traveling and is always ready for a road trip. She believes that faith is greater than fear.

Kathryn Vandenhouten is a freelance writer who enjoys meeting new and interesting people. She earned her English degree at Georgia Southern University, and caught the travel bug while studying abroad in Costa Rica, where she received a minor in Spanish. After college, she worked briefly in Yellowstone National Park, where she enjoyed hiking and photographing the scenery and the wildlife.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Write to us and tell us what you think. Effingham Sports Digest welcomes all letters to the editor. Please send all letters via email to Jeff Whitten at jeff@idpmagazines.com, or mail letters to P.O. Box 1742, Rincon, GA 31326. Letters to the editor must have a phone number and name of contact.

Phone numbers will not be published.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Effingham Sports Digest welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea, or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Jeff Whitten at jeff@idpmagazines.com Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted via email, and we only feature people, places and things in Effingham County.

06 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

Sports Digest9 Julie Hales owner/publisher julie@idpmagazines.com Jeff Whitten editor jeff@idpmagazines.com Lane Leopard graphic designer lane@idpmagazines.com Lea Allen administrative assistant circulation lea@idpmagazines.com DiAnna Jenkins account executive dianna@idpmagazines.com Marsha Stewart account executive marsha@idpmagazines.com Effingham Sports Digest is proudly produced by:

108 International Drive P.O. Box 1742 Rincon, GA 3126 (912) 826-2760

CIRCULATION: Effingham Sports Digest is publlished quarterly (four issues a year), printing 7,000 copies and distributed to over 180 locations.

Reproduction in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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EDITOR’S Thoughts Welcome to the first-ever winter edition of Effingham Sports Digest.

On these pages you’ll find stories about more than a dozen people who help define sports in our community, whether by winning multiple state wrestling championships, playing a high school sport at a high level, shooting the eyes out of swiftly moving targets or by simply being a big part of one’s favorite team.

All share one thing in common; each of them had to start somewhere, and each of them did.

They share that in common with you and I as well. We all have to start somewhere to get anywhere.

The problem is starting in the first place.

Back in September, I ran my first half marathon, Jeff Whitten, EDITOR a 13.1 mile trek through some Pooler subdivisions in the rain. I liked it so much, the idea was to run the Rock and Roll Half Marathon on November 7 in Savannah, then spend a year training to run my first full marathon in 2016. Not too shabby for a 54-year-old near midget.

But life has a way of changing plans.

The second weekend in October, I did something to my back, which in turn aggravated my neck and cervical spine. My neck and right shoulder have since been taking turns trying to outdo each other.

A visit to the doctor produced xrays, pain kllers and enrollment in physical therapy. And, I missed the Rock and Roll Marathon. I wasn’t happy, but it is what it is.

Perhaps by the time this issue of Effingham Sports Digest hits the stands, I’ll be back to running 5-8 miles a day, dodging errant minivans and wild Pomeranians.

Here’s the wrinkle. Running wasn’t important to me as a young man. I didn’t run in high school, and hated running PT when I was in the Army, so once I got out I became sedentary.

Then, in 2007 when I quit smoking, I started eating and got fat. By 2010, I felt I had to do something to drop about 60 pounds, so I started walking. About a year and some change later I started running, and then around 2013 or so I entered a 5K, and then a 10K, then that first half marathon in September.

So maybe that second half marathon wasn’t meant to be, but there will be more.

And even if I never get to run another race again, I have a few under my belt and made some new friends along the way.

Had I not tried, that wouldn’t be the case.

All that to say if I can do something, you can too. And even if I can’t do it, so can you. That’s the cool thing about life, but it’s also a true thing about life: The only things you for sure cannot do are those you never try.

Enjoy the magazine. Drop me a line at jeff@idpmagazines.com And thanks for reading.

08 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

PUBLISHER’S Thoughts

Read All About It!

I certainly hope each of you had the opportunity to read our first Effingham Sports Digest that came out in August. We are very proud of our Premier Issue and we have been fortunate enough to receive some great feedback from the community.

With this issue, we are bringing you some more wonderful stories about local athletes, and Julie Hales, PUBLISHER those who play a part in local sports on and off the field. From the kid winning a state championship on the mats to a female kicker on the high school football team to the man who announces the games from the box, we have a little of it all.

I do want to take this opportunity to give a shout out to the man that was on the cover of our first issue, Clarence Morgan.

Clarence has been instrumental in the lives of many in this community. He is a legend to me and to many others. The 40 year celebration of Effingham County Recreation and Parks this year would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication this man has shown over his many years of service.

My hat is off to Clarence and his entire staff at the Recreation Department. All of you do a tremendous job to make sure the people of Effingham County have opportunities to participate in our local sporting activities.

I recently had a conversation with Clarence and his loyalty and drive amaze me. He is forever working hard to serve the needs of this community.

Here’s to the beginning of your 5th decade Clarence and Effingham Recreation and Parks. I can’t wait to see what the next 40 years hold.

One thing is for sure, you can read about all of it in Effingham Sports Digest!

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 09

Royal Reigns Effingham Wrestler Leaving Legacy That Will Be Hard To Beat

T

story by jeff whitten

photos by natalie mcalister

he rings are the first thing you notice when Isiah Royal poses for photos. They jump out at you, look like shiny lug nuts glittering beneath the fluorscent hallway lights at Effingham County High School.

Just one of the rings represents something most high school wrestlers would give a limb for, and Royal has two of them, one for each state championship.

And he’s not done yet. The senior, who stands 5-foot-7 and currently weighs less than 130 pounds, wants a threepeat.

“The goal is another state championship,” Royal said, with not a trace of boasting in his voice, only quiet self-confidence as he finishes answering the question: “And hopefully a national championship.”

That would be some legacy. That would be hard to beat. By anyone. But then, Royal’s legacy is already hard to beat, even if he were never to win another match. This because, while Royal is not the first Effingham County wrestler to win a state title, he is the only one to win two and have a shot at a third and he didn’t even try the sport until he reached eighth grade.

“Coach Insalaco got me out here to wrestle and I fell in love with the sport in my first tournament,” Royal said, then resorts to a wry, self-depreciating humor.

“I think the main reason I liked it was because I won all five of my matches.”

The first title came in 2014 in the 106-pound classification. It earned Roy-

al, a sophomore, a medal, the ring and enough accolades to fill a scrapbook. But success didn’t dampen his competitive fires. He moved up to the 113-pound class last season and won it again, earning a second ring, a second medal and similar press.

Somehow all that fame doesn’t seem to have gone to his head. He’s polite, soft-spoken, gives each question his full attention. If Royal’s parents, his mom Regina, and stepdad Darren, could bottle whatever it is they used to raise Isiah and his brother Todd, they could make a fortune.

“The sport helps you mature,” Royal said. “It helps build character. It helps you get tough mentally and physically, and there’s that respect thing. You shake hands before and after a match, you learn sportsmanship, you learn time management and you have to pass classes to participate.”

It teaches more than that. Wrestling is at its tough core all about resiliency, and reaching deeper than you ever thought you could reach to find a way to win, or at least lose knowing you gave it everything you had. It’s equal part guts and strength and smarts and heart, and the best wrestlers have it hardwired into their psyches by repetition, drill after drill after drill.

“That’s why we drill so hard and work to get prepared mentally,” he said. “Even if you’re losing by a good amount, you can still come back strong to get the win.”

Royal doesn’t remember exactly when last season he last lost a match, but he

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 11

believes it came at the hands of Camden County’s Bryce Crew.

“He’s a pretty tough kid,” Royal said, and you get the sense that loss, any loss, fuels his competitive fire.

“I will never go into a match unprepared,” he said. “I won’t go in there not being mentally ready.”

There is a routine before matches, it plays itself out before each match.

“I isolate myself, listen to rap or rock and play games on my phone,” Royal says. “And I’ll walk away, pray maybe.”

And there are superstitions, but nothing out of the ordinary.

He might sit on the same seat on the bus heading to tournaments.

“And I don’t like to change my shoes at a tournament.”

Royal will wrestle at 120-pounds this year, but he’s confident he’ll have success because he’s spent the offseason at tournaments competing at the higher weight. His best friend on the team, junior Zach Baranowski -- “more like brothers,” Royal says -- believes Royal can compete at any weight.

“He’s that good,” said Baranowksi, who competes at 126-pounds and is looking to go back to state this year after missing last season due to surgery. “We go back and forth, and I can get some points on him, but I would say if we were keeping score he’d beat me. He’s very good.”

Royal is also still a kid who dreams about food and who’s favorite subject is world history.

He would drive a black Ford Raptor or a navy Lamborghini if someone were handing out carkeys, and the last book he read

12 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

was “The Great Gatsby” but only because he had to for a class.

Wrestling is the only sport Royal participates in now, but he did go out for football his freshman year. He didn’t go back out for the team his sophomore year. “I dropped that and specialized in wrestling,” he said. “I really didn’t have a future in football. I was like 80 pounds playing football.”

He lauds the impact coach Nico Guggino has had on his wrestling and his life, saying Guggino is a great coach. Guggino has repeatedly said Royal is not only talented, but one of the hardest working wrestlers he’s ever coached.

“Isiah is one of the best but also the most humble wrestler I have ever coached. Even though he has had a lot of success in the sport, he still respects it and tries to help every wrestler he comes across. He will go out of his way to help younger wrestlers just as some of the older wrestlers did when Isiah was

young. He understands the importance of being a positive role model for the youth wrestlers in our gym and accepts it. He is a great kid.”

After high school will come college, and college wrestling. Royal names Arizona State, Illinois and Wheeling Jesuit, a D2 school in West Virginia, as schools he’d like to attend, though he isn’t sure yet what he wants to study. “I might like to get into coaching,” Royal said.

There are some opposing coaches who can’t wait until he does. One of them is Richmond Hill High School coach Bob Parker, who’s Wildcats know plenty about Royal.

“Not only is Isiah a great wrestler but he is a great kid,” Parker said. “He is a great ambassador for the sport of wrestling. That said, I am looking forward to him wrestling at the next level.”

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Mackenzie Stewart

is getting her kicks in for Rebel football story by katrice williams

photos by natalie mcalister

16 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

C

an you say athleticism? Well, Effingham County High School (ECHS) Junior Mackenzie Stewart has demonstrated it for a long time.

She’s full speed ahead and has no plans of putting the brakes on any time soon.

It has been a pretty exciting road for Mackenzie, who began her athletic endeavors as a cheerleader in 3rd grade.

Thereafter, she turned her sights toward soccer and grew to become very talented at the sport. Mackenzie attended Effingham County Middle School where she played soccer every year. In 8th grade, Mackenzie’s sports path began to change quite a bit. Jason Napier, who was the coach of the school’s football team, was impressed with the great amount of talent and athleticism that Mackenzie displayed, and her ball handling skills were undeniable. He asked her to be the kicker for the school’s football team, the Panthers. Mackenzie wasn’t sure at first, but she tried it out. She found that she really liked it and had a really good season.

The ECHS Rebels’ football coaches Buddy Holder and Clint Hodges were familiar with Mackenzie’s athletic abilities and knew that she had an enormous amount of potential. With their help, she became the junior varsity kicker last year. The coaches committed themselves to her athletic growth, and they continue to place a high level of importance on helping her thrive on the field. Mackenzie is now the starting kicker for the team.

“It’s good to know that a girl can be accepted on a football team,” said Mackenzie.

She says that one of her favorite athletes is presently Florida State Kicker, Roberto Aguayo. Mackenzie displays a notable work ethic and tries to put everything into performing at her best.

She values hard work at practices and diligently strives to get better with every practice.

“Throughout the week, I work on distance, accuracy and precision,” she said.

She feels that all the soccer skills she attained over the years have been a tremendous help. She thinks that her most memorable football game was when the Rebels faced off against Bradwell Institute this season; she was very proud of her performance.

“I kicked my longest field goal in a game—it was 38 yards,” she said.

That’s still short of Mackenzie’s longest kick, a 44-yarder she made on October 15 during practice.

Mackenzie has a great deal of appreciation for Coach Napier, who she feels was a tremendous help to her and who still supports her sports career.

“He’s at every home game that he can possibly be at. He sees me, gives me a big hug and says to keep up the good work,” she said.

Mackenzie’s teammates obviously play a tremendous role in her football success.

She’s very thankful that they look out for her on the field.

“They’re always there to back me up; they’re always there to support me and be there for me,” she mentions.

Furthermore, Mackenzie is going into her 3rd season of varsity soccer with the ECHS Lady Rebels, previously coached

by Mike Osborne. Interestingly enough, Coach Osborne coached Mackenzie much earlier in her recreational soccer career when she played for the Effingham Cyclones.

Mackenzie feels that Coach Osborne is one of her biggest mentors. He was a huge influence on her initial soccer endeavors. He, along with her older sister Brianna, really encouraged her to play.

Regarding Coach Osborne, Mackenzie remarks, “He’s been there; he’s my first coach. I’ve been with him since then— he’s helped me through anything.”

Mackenzie also plays for the Richmond Hill Comets, a U19 Select Team coached

by David Kaye; the Comets are presently in the Athena A Division.

Moreover, Mackenzie is really grateful for the priceless support of her mom, Brenda and her dad, Mark who have

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 17

“Set your goals to the highest and achieve your goals when you get the chance.”

cheered her on from the very start. They have been a consistent source of motivation.

She asserts, “They’re very supportive; they’re at every game that they can attend.”

Mackenzie still takes time for the little athletes. She helps referee the Rincon Recreational Department’s U6 Soccer Team, helping them to build on their athletic skills.

“I like it. At the same time, it’s tempting to go along with them and play with them; I try my best not to get too carried away,” she states.

18 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

It’s probably of no surprise that Mackenzie plans to become an athletic trainer.

She affirms, “I like to be around sports.”

This athlete is also an honor student.

She values her education and devotes proper time to her academics, as well as in-school activities. She’s presently a member of Beta Club and HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America).

Mackenzie has very beneficial advice for younger kids looking up to her. “Set your goals to the highest and achieve your goals when you get the chance,” she insists. Mackenzie, herself, is doing just that.

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Coach Ty Rietkovich Success is a Family Affair story by kathryn vandenhouten

T

y Rietkovich is a well known coach throughout the southeast, and for good reason.

This coach of forty years is the founder and head coach for the South Effingham Angels softball organization, and he prides himself on the success of his young protégés.

The Angels organization is a travel softball organization that plays at the highest level of competition. The Angels boast 100% college placement, and the Angels Gold Team is the only softball team in Georgia to qualify and play in the Amateur Softball Association’s Gold Nationals for the past four years in a row.

“We play at the highest level of travel softball with ASA (Amateur Softball Association) in the country,” explains Rietkovich. “There are a lot of organizations, but the ASA is considered the premier organization in the country.”

He certainly has come a long way from where he began. When he first started the organization, south Georgia was behind in terms of fastpitch softball, so he made it his mission to introduce girls in south Georgia to higher levels of collegiate play. Under the watchful eye of Coach Rietkovich, the Angels softball team has grown into a well known institution for the highest level of softball competition in the Southeast.

This year the National Fastpitch Coaches Association is recognizing Rietkovich for his success. He is getting an award for achieving 500 wins in travel softball, an impressive feat when considering the level of competition.

“More importantly,” he says, “it’s the kids behind all those [wins].” He credits each girl on his teams for helping him reach that milestone.

Though he has a lifetime of wins and success in his own right, Coach Rietkovich says that it is the success of those he coaches that makes him happiest. There is nothing like watching someone he has coached sign on to play with a college team. “The kids’ signings are the proud-

est moments,” he says. “I gain a lot of satisfaction out of seeing kids succeed.”

Two of the most successful athletes he has mentored are his daughters, Katie and Caroline. Coach Rietkovich and his wife, Patty, raised their daughters to be involved in sports from a young age and both of them have finally achieved their dreams of competing at the collegiate level.

Katie Rietkovich signed a scholarship with The University of Georgia to play softball, and she has gone on to become an assistant softball coach for Ole Miss.

“It’s just her element,” he says of his oldest daughter. “I don’t try to get too biblical, but as much as I think that’s why I was put here, I think that’s why she was brought into this.”

And for Katie, the feeling is mutual.

“He challenged me as a player to hold myself to higher standard, to compete at the highest levels, and to shoot for nothing less than the best,” she says when asked about having her father as her first coach.

“I have always known that I wanted to be a coach, and honestly, be just like my father. He is my hero, my role model, and if I turn out to be half the coach he is, I will be more than happy with my life,” she adds.

The “baby” of the family, Caroline Rietkovich, has enjoyed her own success in athletics as well. Even though she didn’t follow in her father’s footsteps with softball, she still managed to make it to the highest level in gymnastics and cheerleading.

Caroline was a competitive gymnast from age seven till she was eleven. After that, she turned her attention to being a competitive cheerleader at SEMS, SEHS and Cheer Savannah, all the while going to summer camps and gyms to improve her chances of becoming a cheerleader at the collegiate level.

She says her father didn’t coach her directly in gymnastics, but his support and involvement helped her to achieve her

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 21

“I have always known that I wanted to be a coach, and honestly, be just like my father. He is my hero, my role model, and if I turn out to be half the coach he is, I will be more than happy with my life,” - Katie Rietkovich “They are the biggest support system that I have, and I couldn’t have made it nearly this far without them. I strive every day to make them proud.”

- Caroline Rietkovich

ultimate goal. “He made me tough and able to handle criticism and want to work harder,” she explains. “Getting accepted to the University of South Carolina and making scholarship for the cheerleading team is easily the most rewarding thing I have ever accomplished.”

Caroline says her parents never missed a competition or game where she performed growing up and drove her to every practice. Even though she is now away at college and cheering in front of 80,000 fans every week, she never underestimates her parents’ role in her success. “They are the biggest support system that I have, and I couldn’t have made it nearly this far without them,” she adds. “I strive every day to make them

22 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

proud.”

In fact, Coach Rietkovich says that drive to succeed and make people proud is precisely the reason why people love to work with Caroline. “She’s always been a leader and a driving force of success on the teams that she was on,” he says. “She really has a sort of tenacity for perfection.”

There certainly is no question that both Caroline and Katie Rietkovich have made not only their parents proud, but their hometown as well. They are the only two female athletes from South Effingham to sign with the SEC, and the fact that they are sisters makes it even more remarkable.

Both Katie and Caroline say they

would never have made it to the collegiate level if it had not been for their father coaching and mother pushing them along the way. Though he never pressured his daughters to get involved in athletics, he certainly encouraged them to find their individual passion and to pursue it to the highest level possible.

“Statistics tell us that girls who are involved in athletics are less likely to do drugs, get pregnant, get into bad stuff,” says Rietkovich. “If you want to be a good parent, you have to get your child involved in something.” Like himself, his daughters gravitated towards athletics, so it was second nature to continue coaching and motivating them along the way.

To be a truly great coach, Rietkovich

says you have to treat the team like they are your own children. “Do whatever you think is best for the kid,” he states. “Be a positive influence on a kid’s life. Make sure that every moment they’re with you is a moment that they will want to remember and possibly emulate somewhere down the line.” And it seems he has done just that.

Coach Rietkovich has touched the lives of hundreds of athletes, and he is thankful that he is doing what he feels he was put on this earth to do. He maintains that one doesn’t have to be a great coach to be a great role model for their children. “You don’t have to be their coach, but you can sure as heck be their cheerleader,” he says.

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 23

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ALEXIS MERCER HAS HER DAY

S P E C I A L TO E F F I N G H A M S P O RT S D I G E S T

South Effingham High School and Armstrong Standout Has Lady Mustang Jersey Retired

I

story by jeff whitten

n September, Alexis Mercer had her softball jersey retired at South Effingham High School, an experience the Armstrong State University senior recently described as surreal.

“I still can’t believe it,” Mercer said.

“When I think about it, it’s almost like it’s not real. It is such a dream come true, and it is definitely an honor. I just know I couldn’t have done it without all my coaches and all my teammates and I give them the majority of the credit of giving me the success I’ve had in the sport. It’s definitely been a blessing.”

Mercer’s has also definitely been a career that causes a jersey to get retired, and she grew from being one of high school’s top all-around offensive and defensive players to one of the Peach Belt Conference’s most feared sluggers.

Ironically,Mercer, one of the most decorated players in South Effingham and Armstrong program history, wasn’t a power hitter in high school. She evolved into one at Armstrong, hitting 60 homers over her four-year career to finish 10th in NCAA Division II history.

Mercer credits Pirates coach Ted Evans for his help in improving her swing.

“He taught me a power hitting swing, I think that’s what really did it,” she sid.

And yes, she misses softball and her teammates from both high school -where Mercer helps out as a lay assistant -- and college. Team sports tend to take up a lot of one’s time, and that was the case with Mercer.

“I miss those days so much, when I

look back, I just can’t believe that four years has come and gone,” she said.

Nowadays, Mercer is set to graduate in May with a degree in rehabilitation science and plans on working in medical sales. “And if that doesn’t work out I’ll probably go to grad school and go into occupational therapy. But I’ll always remember my days playing softball. Between that and college, those were some of the best days of my life.”

Here are some of Alexis Mercer’s career highlights: Mercer started playing softball at 8 on coach Jeff Rainwater’s travel team, Georgia Thunder, and “Coach Jeff” helped her hone her athletic skills on the way to graduation. She then played for Coach Downs in middle school and Coach Ussrey for two years in high school, followed

by Coach Smith.

It didn’t take long for Mercer to make her mark in high school. She was pulled from the JV team her ningth grade season to play varsity shortstop and was named to the Region 3-AAA All-Region team.

As a sophomore, Mercer earned a number of honors, including All-State Honorable Mention and first-team all region.

Mercer was the Region 2-AAAA Softball Player of the Year as a junior and was a first-team All State pick after hitting .432 with 30 runs, 1 home run, 20 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts. She also earned athlete of the week honors, was named to the All Greater Savannah softball team and competed in the North

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 27

vs. South Softball team.

As a senior, Mercer batted .434 with 32 RBIs, 43 hits, 3 HRs and she stole 4 bases in five attempts. She was again a first-team All-Region 2-AAAA pick, made the Georgia Athletic Coaches Assocaition All-Star team and the All-Greater Savannah team. She signed a letter of intent to play at what was then known as Armstrong Atlantic State University.

It didn’t take long for Mercer to shine at AASU. She started 40 games at shorstop as a freshman for the Pirates, hitting .291 with 7 HRs and 36 RBIs. She earned Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Week honors, and had nine multi-hit games, drove in three or more runs in seven games. She also stole 9 of 10 bases.

As a sophomore, Mercer started all 55 games. She was named the 2013 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year and earned second-team NFCA and Daktronics/CoSIDA All-Region honors. A two-time Peach Belt Player of the Week, Mercer batted .339 with eight doubles, 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. She ranked second in the PBC in home runs, fourth in total bases (109), sixth in slugging percentage (.637) and seventh in on base percentage (.438).

Mercer had home runs in four straight games as a sophomore; she had 12 multihit games and 13 games with two or more RBIs. As a junior, Mercer started 47 games and was again named 2014 Peach Belt

28 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

Conference Player of the Year after batting .434 with a school and PBC single season-record 26 HRs and 55 RBIs. She earned NFCA Division II and Daktronics/CoSIDa First Team All American Shortstop honors; Mercer also garnered first team All-Peach Belt Conference and NFCA and Dakbtonic/CoSIDA All South east Region honors and was the 2014 Daktronic/CoSIDA Southeast Region Player of the Year, a two-time PCB Player of the Week.

Mercer also led the Peach Belt Conference in walks, RBIs, doubles and runs scored while ranking second in batting average. She had 21 multi-hit games, inlcuding a streak of seven straight multihit games. She was a member of the PBC Presidential Honor Roll, and earned NCAA Softball World Series All Tournament Team honors for clubbing a record 4 HRs at the tournament.

As a senior, Mercer hit.418 with 14 HRs, 41 RBI, 23 steals and 41 walks. She led NCAA D-II in home runs per game, was second in slugging percentage with a 1.098, and tied for second total homers. That earned Mercer All-Peach Belt Conference honors for a third time in her career, and she was a member of the PBC Presidential Honor Roll. Mercer also was the senior softball standout and was awarded the B.J. Ford Degree Completion Scholarship for the upcoming 20152016 academic year.

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15

GREG HOOD

calls it like he sees it for The Rebels story by jeff whitten

photos by natalie mcalister

T

he first time Greg Hood ever saw an Effingham County High School football game from the stands, he called it as “The Voice of Rebel Field.” Prior to that, Hood viewed Rebel games from the sidelines.

Before that, he was on the field for the Rebels while others watched him and his teammates play.

“For 23 years I stood on the sidelines watching the game, and I also played,” said Hood, a former Effingham County High School offensive tackle who started 26 consecutive games for the Rebels from 1989 to 1993. He could have played college ball, only he didn’t like school and had other fish to fry. “Being up in the press box is a very different experience.”

Also a different experience is lunch at a local barbecue joint with Hood, who marches to the beat of his own drumline and apparently knows every other person in the restaurant, judging by the amount of handshakes and visits his table gets. But then, Hood is one of the friendliest people on the planet.

He’s also one of the largest. In the universe Hood inhabits, there’s large, there’s extra large, and then there’s Hood, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs a little bit more than his old playing weight of 275.

In certain settings, a barbecue restaurant being one of them, Hood tends to resemble somebody’s idea of a benevolent bear, albeit one who bleeds Effingham County’s blue and white as much as anybody. And if you doubt that, just ask his brother, ECHS Athletic Director Tim Hood.

“Greg is ECHS through and through,” Tim said. “He played varsity football all four years of high school, wrestled, and threw the shot in track.

He was all region in football and on the Atlanta Journal Constitution All

State Football Team roster for 1992.

His picture was featured in Peach State Football in 1991. I bet he hasn’t missed a total of 10 Rebel football games since 1993. He loves to watch the kids and support the team. He’s very excited about being the new ‘Voice of the Rebels.’”

Excited, yes. Expert on calling games after just one season? Not hardly. But he’ s getting there.

“I’m still kind of learning,” Hood said, then proceeded to explain what makes a good PA guy. “Obviously, one of the most important things is to get the information to the crowd. And the PA guy is supposed to be unbiased, in my opinion, and stick to down and distance, the spot of the ball, what the flag was, that sort of thing.”

It also helps if you’ve got the kind of voice that doesn’t annoy other people.

Don Knotts wouldn’t have made a good Voice of the Rebels. Neither would Erkle. But Hood posesses a voice that doesn’t go too much in one direction or the other. It’s mellifluous.

“You’ve got to have one that people want to hear, so I don’t think somebody with a squeaky voice would work,” Hood said. “But it’s also got to be a voice that allows you to get the information if you want it, but if you don’t, you can zone it out. A dreamy voice, that’s what you need. Some people just have a good voice, and I do think I have a good voice. I would consider my voice maybe to be both dreamy and smooth.”

Hood, who is married and has children, spent several years working in law enforcement before taking a job as atheltic coordinator at Effingham County Recreation and Parks.

“You’re only as old as the company you keep. And that kind of stuff keeps you young, man,” he said.

Hood actually owes his fame to ECRP.

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 31

He first started as an announcer for ECRP’s Cracker Bowl and other games.

“The kids just think that’s awesome, they love hearing their names called out,” said Hood, whose experience calling recreation games attracted the attention of Effingham County High Principal Yancey Ford and the rest is history, though Hood acknowledged he used to wonder why people at a game needed someone telling them where the ball was.

“When I got up in the stands I saw why,” he said. “If the ball’s down on one 20-yard line and you’re on the other end of the field, you don’t have a clue if the ball’s on the 10, the 15 or the

“Obviously, one of the most important things is to get the information to the crowd. And the PA guy is supposed to be unbiased, in my opinion, and stick to down and distance, the spot of the ball, what the flag was, that sort of thing.”

20. And it made sense to me.”

Getting things right is the first priority for Hood, though that can be easier said than done.

“Sometimes the ball will be spotted at a certain location and then it may be ... adjusted,” Hood said. “My biggest screwups would be getting the spot of the ball wrong, or down and distance wrong, jumping the gun a little bit. I need to be a little bit more patient, and that will probably come with experience. But sometimes, and especially with no huddle offenses, you just got to let it go and get the information out when you can.”

Getting names right is also imporant, though at the high school level

32 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

announcers often are forced to work fast or wing it when it comes to pronouncing the names of players from the opposing team.

“Obviously in college you have pronunciation guides, but I don’t have that luxury,” Hood said. “I might get the visiting team’s roster an hour before the game, if I’m lucky. I’ll then spend 5-10 minutes looking at that roster and if there’s any name that I’m not sure of how to pronounce I’ll have to ask questions.”

Pregame is its own challenge, as Hood has to both make announcements about other sports and school actitivies and finish up before the Georgia High School Association’s mandated “dead period” at 7:20 p.m.

The coin flip is at 7:25 p.m. and kickoff occurs at 7:30 p.m., and that’s when Hood goes from PA guy to the man who keeps everyone in the know. Sure, he misses the sidelines, sometimes, but everything has its advantages.

“Both have their pros and cons, and one of the cons of being in the press box is you’re not down there on the field, so you can’t feel that intensity and emotion,” Hood said. “You’re kind of separated from the game a little bit.

But, you get a great view, and when it’s raining you’re dry, when it’s hot you’re cool, and when it’s cold you’re warm.”

Hood has also learned something invaluable: There’s a world of difference between watching a game for fun and watching it for work.

“It’s a very different experience,” he said. “People say, ‘man, you’re watching every play how can you not be watching the game?’ But it’s different.

When you’re working, you have to pay attention to so many things. Who’s got the ball, who made the tackle, and you’re constantly looking things up.

There’s a difference. But I’ve enjoyed it.”

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Coach

JIM FORD LIVING AND BREATHING EFFINGHAM COUNTY FOOTBALL

T

story by jeff whitten

here’s a good chance nobody loves Effingham County High School football more than Jim Ford. It’s quite possible no one ever has.

Over the past 20-something years, Jim has seen football players and football coaches come and go. He’s attended thousands of practices and hundreds of games. He is, in the words of coach Buddy Holder, “a diehard fan.”

“Jim lives and breathes Rebel football,” said Effingham County Athletic

34 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

Director Tim Hood. “His entire life revolves around the fall. He never misses a practice or game. He is very close to Buddy Holder who always makes sure Jim has a ride to be involved.”

Holder has done more than that. He put Jim on staff.

“His title is ‘special assistant to the head coach,’” Holder said. “He’s in charge of blowing the horn during practice, and he can handle any duty that I assign him with no trouble.”

Yep. Meet Coach Jim. He’s one of a

kind.

“I do like to help him out with the horn,” Jim said. “I blow it all the time. I keep everything straight.”

Jim is intellectually disabled. Hood believes being involved with Rebel football helps Jim, and that is very likely the case.

“Jim celebrates when we win, and no one hurts more when we lose,” Hood said. “Football helps Jim in many ways away from the field. The discipline he learns there helps him cope with his

disability.”

But there’s a flip side to that coin.

Because for everything Jim gets from his association with the Rebels, he gives back to the team and the program a thousand times over. And in the end, maybe they’re the luckier ones.

“He just lifts us up,” said senior Tyler Ford, who is no relation to Jim. “Whenever we’re having a bad day, there he is, he’s always laughing, and it lifts up this entire team.”

Ford’s teammate, Matt Bowen, put

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 35

it this way: “I think Jim is by far our biggest fan, but I always love hearing stuff from Jim. All of us seniors love him, we all love talking to him and listening to what he says. He means a lot to all of us.”

As you probably know, Football isn’t one of those sports where feelings get examined. It’s a physical game where hands get stepped on, ribs get smacked, bruises get bumped and bells get rung. Because of that, character is often revealed and it’s not hard for players and coaches to spot a phony or someone who would be better off somewhere else.

There’s nothing phony about Jim, or

36 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

his unabashed affection for the Rebels.

It comes out pure and true every time he blows the horn or laughs out loud, or encourages players to do their best.

There are fans, and there are die hard fans. And then there’s Jim. There’s always Jim, rejoicing when the Rebels win and suffering when they lose. He doesn’t analyze why, and probably wouldn’t even if he could.

“I like the Rebels because I like them, and we’re going to try to win Friday night, that’s the game plan,” Jim said. “I think we’re the greatest team in America.”

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Effingham Sports Digest | FALL 2015 37

Alex LeFavi

LIFTING HIS WAY TO THE TOP story by cindy burbage

photos by natalie mcalister

S

outh Effingham High School junior Alex LeFavi doesn’t have a lot of free time. What the 17-year-old weightlifter does have plenty of is focus.

LeFavi’s workout regimen consists of four days of lifting and working out at the high school gym, along with another three to four days of workouts outside of school. LeFavi, who also plays club soccer, is enrolled in a weight training class at SEHS. In addition, he conditions at the Anderson Cohen Center in Savannah, home of the Team Savannah Weightlifting Team, of which LeFavi is a member.

All that hard work and dedication is then poured into competition. LeFavi participates in a weightlifting competition every two to three months and his disciplined commitment paid off in June,

38 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

when LeFavi and the other members of Team Savannah competed in the Youth Nationals in Minneapolis.

LeFavi contended in two divisions at Youth Nationals, snatches and the clean and jerk. Totaling 200 kilos, he walked away from the contest with a third-place overall finish.

He has also competed internationally in Rome, Italy this year taking home first place overall in the Italian Youth Weighlifting Championship totaling 195 kilos.

It’s just the latest leg in a journey that started early for LeFavi, who at 11 began working out with his father, Bob, at their gym in Rincon. It began as a way for the younger LeFavi to get stronger for wrestling, but weightlifting soon turned into a passion all on its own, he said.

What has followed since probably

LeFavi takes great pride in his accomplishments, but does not take the credit for it. When asked how he has come as far as he has at seventeen, his response was priceless, “God and especially my Dad. My Dad has been my inspiration.”

shouldn’t be a surprise. Both LeFavi’s parents are competitive lifters -- Bob LeFavi is a successful bodybuilder who co- owns Crossfit Groundspeed in Rincon and also serves as a professor of sports medicine at Armstrong Atlantic; his mom, Sue was a power lifter at one time.

“I’m blessed with this,” Alex LeFavi said.

As for what lies ahead, LeFavi’s athletic goal is to qualify for the U.S. International team within three years, but sports

are not first on his list of priorities. LeFavi also takes great pride in his academics.

He has a brother and sister at University of Georgia and “I may feel the pressure to go there,” LeFavi said, noting he’ll study science and engineering.

As for his accomplishments, LeFavi is proud, but doesn’t take credit for them.

“God, and especially my dad,” he said.

“My dad has been my inspiration.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 39

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Grace Kieffer has her site set on

J

The Olympics story by jeff whitten

photos by natalie mcalister

ust to set the record straight, let’s start with this: Grace Kieffer is probably a better shot than most of us will ever be. There’s no shame in that, because Kieffer, a junior at Effingham County High School, is fast becoming one of the country’s top skeet shooters and has her eye on making the U.S. Olympic skeet team.

She’s already turned in a number of impressive performances at the national, regional and local levels. Among her accomplishments are a sixth place JV ladies’ skeet finish at the Scholastic Clay Target Program Nationals; a National Skeet Shooting Association Zone 4 championship; a first place in 12 gauge E-Class shooting; a second in 20 gauge D-Class shooting; she’s a USA Youth in Education Shooting Sports champion; a ladies sporting clays champion; a third place finisher in ladies trap; a second place high overall in her division; she’s made the SCTP Regional tournament: and is a ladies trap shooting champ.

And that’s in a career that would still be a brand new puppy in dog years.

“I’ve been shooting competitively for about 3 years,” Kieffer said. “I started in eighth grade with the 4-H Project SAFE team and I’m still a member of that team today. I started branching out into the trap and skeet in 9th grade when 4-H started a trap and skeet team.”

42 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

Her skill obviously makes her a valued team member in the world of shooting sports. This spring, Kieffer was invited to shoot with the prestigious Forest City Gun Club in Savannah.

“April practices with Forest City is when I really started my hard core skeet practicing and started sporting clays. Now I’ve gone from mainly a trap shooter to mainly a skeet shooter.”

While a keen eye and quick reflexes are obviously important, Kieffer notes the sport also requires of its participants a healthy dose of mental toughness.

“Competitive shooting is more of a mental sport than anything. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what size you are, or if you’re a guy or a girl,” she said.

“It really lets you push yourself to the limit both mentally and physically to see what you are capable of.”

Schoolwork is also important and that’s not surprising, given her parents Ashley and Tracy Kieffer are educators.

And Kieffer also remains true to 4-H. “I am also very involved in Effingham 4-H and am a part of the leadership team. I haven’t decided on what college to attend yet, but Texas A&M, UGA and Emory are definitely in the mix. I plan on studying international business and going on to law school.”

For Kieffer, the biggest inspirations

“Competitive shooting is more of a mental sport than anything.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, what size you are, or if you’re a guy or a girl,” Kieffer said. “It really lets you push yourself to the limit both mentally and physically to see what you are capable of.” have been Doug Williams, Zac Guerretaz, her grandfather, Harvey Kieffer, and Bill McGuire. And while she has moments where doubts creep in, she’s also got a solution.

“My biggest fear is that I’m gonna mess up really bad and let people and my team down,” Kieffer said. “So the most inspiring/comforting thing anyone has said to me is that I can’t control the outcome of the competition but I can make

44 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

the decision to do my best no matter what and if I do that I won’t let anybody down.”

That calming truth has made Kieffer a confident, composed athlete aiming at becoming both a professional shooter and, in her words, “a successful Olympic athlete.” So, don’t be surprised if one day there’s a page in a USOC media guide for the U.S. Olympic skeet team with Grace Kieffer’s name on it, sharing such

information as her favorite color (it’s pink), favorite food (Cheez-its), favorite TV show (The Big Bang Theory) and her favorite football team (Georgia Bulldogs).

Still, Kieffer’s favorite pasttime of all might simply be winning.

“Like anyone who’s involved in a sport, I want to push myself to be the best,” Kieffer said, and offered this, too.

“Being in a sport that is thought to be dominated by guys, I think I have something to prove whenever I compete.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 45

High School

effingham county high school

Basketball Schedules BOYS VARSITY SCHEDULE Times, dates subject to change: Nov. 20 vs. Butler at Evans H.S. Tip Off Classic, 7 p.m., Augusta Nov. 21 vs. Alexander at Evans H.S. Tip off Classic, 11 a.m. Augusta Nov. 28 vs. Swainsboro, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Dec. 1 at Bradwell Institute, 7:30 p.m., Hinesville Dec. 4 at Richmond Hill, 7:30 p.m., Richmond Hill Dec. 5 vs. Beach, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Dec. 8 vs. Statesboro, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Dec. 11 at Swainsboro, 8:30 p.m., Swainsboro Dec. 12 at South Effingham, 7:30 p.m., Guyton Dec. 15 vs. Burke County, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Dec. 18 vs. Ware County, 5:30 p.m., ECHS Dec. 21-23 WACO Holiday Tournament, TBA Jan. 2 at Beach, 7:30 p.m., Savannah Jan. 8 vs. Camden County, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Jan. 9 at Coffee County, 7:30 p.m., Douglas Jan. 15 at Glynn Academy, 8:30 p.m., Brunswick Jan. 19 at Burke County, 7:30 p.m., Waynesboro Jan. 22 vs. Bradwell Institute, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Jan. 23. vs. Brunswick, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Jan. 26 vs. Richmond Hill, 7:30 p.m., ECHS Jan. 29 at Statesboro, 8:30 p.m., Statesboro Feb. 5 vs. South Effingham, 8:30 p.m., ECHS GIRLS VARSITY SCHEDULE Times, dates subject to change Nov. 20 at Laney, 5:30 p.m., Augusta Nov. 28 vs. Swainsboro, 6 p.m., ECHS Dec. 1 at Bradwell Institute, 6 p.m., Hinesville Dec. 4 at Richmond Hill, 6:30 p.m., Richmond Hill Dec. 8 vs. Statesboro, 6 p.m., ECHS Dec. 11 at Swainsboro, 7 p.m., Swainsboro Dec. 12 at South Effingham, 6 p.m., Guyton Dec. 15 at Burke County, 6 p.m., Waynesboro Jan. 9 at Coffee, 6 p.m., Douglas Jan. 15 at Glynn Academy, 6:30 p.m., Brunswick Jan. 19 vs. Burke County, 6 p.m., ECHS Jan. 22 vs. Bradwell Institute, 6:30 p.m., ECHS Jan. 23 vs. Brunswick, 6 p.m., ECHS Jan. 26 vs. Richmond Hill, 6 p.m., ECHS Jan. 29 at Statesboro, 6:30 p.m., Statesboro Feb. 5 vs. South Effingham, 7 p.m., ECHS

46 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

GIRLS VARSITY SCHEDULE Nov. 20 vs. Johnson in Southside Clsasic at Winsdor Forest, 4 p.m., Savannah Nov. 21 vs. Groves in Southside Classic at Windsor Forest, 4 p.m., Savannah Nov. 23 vs. Claxton, 6 p.m., SEHS Nov. 24 vs. Groves, 6 p.m., SEHS Dec. 1 vs. Statesboro, 6 p.m., SEHS Dec. 4 vs. Bradwell Institute, 7 p.m. SEHS Dec. 5 vs. New Hampstead, 5 p.m., SEHS Dec. 8 at Metter, 6 p.m., Metter Dec. 11 at Richmond Hill, 6:30 p.m., Richmond Hill Dec. 12 vs. Effingham County, 6 p.m., SEHS Dec. 15 at Windsor Forest, 6 p.m., Savannah Dec. 19 vs. Savannah Christian, 6 p.m., SEHS Dec. 29 vs. Savannah Country Day at Savannah Christian Tournament, 4:30 p.m., Savannah Dec. 30 vs. Savannah Christian at Savannah Christian Tournament, 4:30 p.m., Jan. 5 at Glynn Academy, 6 p.m., Brunswick Jan. 8 vs. Coffee, 6 p.m., SEHS Jan. 12 vs. Windsor Forest, 6 p.m., SEHS Jan. 15 at Ware County, 7 p.m., Waycross Jan. 16 vs. Brunswick, 6 p.m., SEHS Jan. 22 at Statesboro, 6:30 p.m., Statesboro Jan. 23 vs. Camden County, 6 p.m., SEHS Jan. 26 at Bradwell Institute, 6 p.m., Hinesville Feb. 2 vs. Richmond Hill, 6 p.m., SEHS Feb. 5 at Effingham County, 7 p.m., Springfield Feb. 6 vs. Metter, 6 p.m., SEHS

south effingham high school

BOYS VARSITY SCHEDULE Dates, times subject to change Nov. 20 vs. Groves in Southside Classic at Windsor Forest, 5:30 p.m., Savannah Nov. 21 vs. Johnson in Southside Classic at Windsor Forest, 5:30 p.m., Savannah Nov. 24 vs. Groves, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Dec. 1 vs. Statesboro, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Dec. 4 vs. Bradwell Institute, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Dec. 5 vs. New Hampstead, 6:30 p.m., SEHS Dec. 8 at Metter, 7:30 p.m., Metter Dec. 11 at Richmond Hill, 8 p.m., Richmond Hill Dec. 12 vs. Effingham County, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Dec. 15 at Windsor Forest, 7:30 p.m., Savannah Dec. 19 vs. Savannah Christian, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Dec. 29 vs. Savannah Country Day at Savannah Christian Holiday Tournament, 6 p.m., Savannah Dec. 30 at Savannah Christian in Doyle Kelly Classic, 7:30 p.m., Savannah Jan. 2 at Benedictine, 5 p.m., Savannah Jan. 5 at Glynn Academy, 5:30 p.m., Brunswick Jan. 8 vs. Coffee, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Jan. 16 vs. Brunswick, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Jan. 23 vs. Camden County, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Jan. 26 at Bradwell Institutee, 7:30 p.m., Hinesville Feb. 2 vs. Richmond Hill, 7:30 p.m., SEHS Feb. 5 at Effingham County, 8:30 p.m., Springfield Feb. 6 vs. Metter, 7:30 p.m., SEHS

“If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.” - Hershel Walker

48 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

Effingham County

HIGH SCHOOL

ATHLETES

Zack Baranowski

E

ffingham County junior wrestler Zach Baranowski knows what it’s like to have early success. He also knows more than a little bit about those dreaded sophomore

setbacks.

In Baranowski’s case, the success came in the form of a Region 3-AAAAA title in the 126-pound weight class.

Baranowski, then a freshman, went 37-18 and finished 12th at the Class AAAAAA state tourney, earning All-Area honors from the Savannah Morning News. He also had two of the team’s top fastest pins -- one in 19 seconds, the other in 21

50 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

seconds.

Then an injury and surgery wiped out much of Baranowski’s sophomore year, but he’s beyond that now and looking to surpass what he did as a freshman.

“My goal this year is to medal at state,” said Baranowski, who will compete in the 132-pound weight class this year. “I’m looking to get back to state, definitely, and have a better record than I did in my freshman and sophomore years.”

To do that, Baranowski will rely on an old-fashioned work ethic and a disdain for giving up. “I just love to win,” he said.

“I hate quitting.”

It’s a mindset that values grit and de-

terminiation and it’s what attracted him to the sport as a seventh grader.

“I like the toughness aspect of wrestling,” Baranowski said. “I like just going in there and working hard every day and being in shape.”

But there’s more to Baranowski than muscle. He’s an honor roll student carrying an A average and he’s a keen a student of history -- his favorite class is Advanced Placement U.S. History. If there was one person he’d like to meet from history, it would be the one and only Fred Bear, famous bowhunter and founder of Bear Archery.

That’s perhaps because away from school, Baranowski is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys bow hunting and fishing. His dream car is actually a pickup, a black Ford F250 King Ranch, he likes county music and rock and roll and he lists ECHS coach Nico Guggino, parents David and Kristina Baranowski and teammate and best friend Isaih Royal as those who’ve helped guide his wrestling career so far.

Effingham coach Nico Guggino said the friendship between the two has helped make each wrestler better.

“Isiah and Zach have been wrestling partners for the past 3 years. Because they are so competitive, they push each other every day in practice. This is the key to being successful in this sport.”

Guggino said. “Every great wrestler has a great partner. These two are responsible for each other’s success.”

And like his more celebrated teammate, Baranowski is also driven to succeed.

“Zach, like Isiah, is one of the hardest working kids in the gym. Even though Isiah is a two-time state champ, Zach goes after him everyday,” Guggino said.

“That is what makes him such a good wrestler and partner. Both guys benefit due to their competitiveness and desire to beat each other. Zach is also very humble and does not let his success go to his head. He is a great kid that always does things the right way. We are lucky

to have both on our team.”

Baranowski is still up in the air about whether he’ll wrestle in college “If I got offers I’d have to think about it, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” he said.

College, however, is in the plan.

Baranowksi wants to “go to a good college and get a criminal justice degree,” then go on to work for either the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Baranowski wants work that provides both a mental and physical challenge, just like wrestling.

“I think the biggest misconception people have about wrestlers is that it’s all about muscle,” Baranowski said.

“They think the biggest guy always wins.

That’s not the case. It’s very technical oftentimes, and you can’t win on brute strength alone. There’s conditioning, techniquie and strength. The misconception is we’re all just a bunch of muscleheads that go in there and try to outmuscle everybody else. We drill just as much on technique as we lift weights, if not more.”

There’s another aspect to wrestling that makes it a tough sport: cutting weight. Many wrestlers have to limit their food intake to make their wrestling weight, and it’s not easy.

“That’s the hardest part, actually,” said Baranowski, one of those wrestlers who has to watch what he eats and whose favorite food is steak. “In a lot of sports, you have a hard practice then you can go home and you can have as much to eat as you want. In wrestling, you really have to watch what you eat.”

So why bother? Why not compete in something else? Something with fewer physical and mental demands?

“I love the sport,” Baranowski said.

“I still love to win. Wrestling is probably what I’m best at, and I could never see myself quitting.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 51

thomas granat 52 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

T

here’s a line from the movie “Remember the Titans” that has made its mark on Thomas Granat. The line is “attitude reflects leader-

ship.”

And if it’s true, then Granat might just become president some day. In fact, Granat, the son of Davis and Jennifer Granat and brother of Isabel Granat, seems the kind of senior the term superlative was invented for.

For starters, the South Effingham senior gets it done in the classroom, where he’s in the top 5 percent of his class, makes straight As and is a member of the National Honor Society, among other groups.

He’s a member of the SEHS cross country team and recently got back from the state meet. He was a first-team All-Greater Savannah wrestler last season in the 152-pound class after finishing second in both area 3-AAAAA and the state sectionals. He’s even won a Wendy’s Heisman.

And when he’s not at school, at practice or at his job at Webb Animal Clinic, Granat is usually at church. In his case, that’s Bethesda United Methodist, where he’s on the youth leadership team.

Want more? Granat enjoys doing community service with his youth group. He’s worked with the Truetlen House, Faith Equestrian, Relay for LIfe, Operation Christmas Child and he’s helped feed the homeless.

While Granat finds inspiration in the Bible, perhaps some of his overdrive comes from wrestling, which “has taught me to push myself past its limit and to never quit,” he said. “I continue to wrestle to remain disciplined and learn more about the sport. I hope to be an example to younger generations on how to reach their full potential.”

Granat got started on the sport in the seventh grade and has fared well from the outset, and he credits coaches and teammates. “Coach Hobbs, Coach O. and Coach Gay have mentored me in the

sport of wrestling. Other wrestlers such as Josh Gaspard and Alec Creech have also advanced my wrestling ability. I look foward to learning under Coach Peavy this year.”

Granat plans on a return trip to the state wrestling tournament and should be considered a contendor for the 3-AAAAA title. He’ll run track in the spring and then, after graduation, plans on going to college to major in either nutrition studies or exercise science.

In his spare time, Granat draws, goes to movies and spends time with family and friends. If he could drive any car on the planet it would be a black or grey 1970 Dodge Charger. His favorite food is mashed potatoes with brown gravy and if he could have lunch with anyone he’d pick Tom Hanks, Dwayne Johnson, Hugh Jackman and Chris Evans.

In 10 years, Granat hopes to have a wife and kids, a degree and a good job in either nutrition or exercise science.

He also might want to consider running for office. And that part about attitude reflecting leadership? It’s from the movie “Remember the Titans.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 53

DeShaun Wilkenson 54 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

S

ometimes, a sport is in your DNA. It’s not just something you do, it’s part of who you are.

That might be the case for DeShaun Wilkenson, Effingham County’s standout senior guard.

His mother, Tamara Wilkenson, played basketball at ECHS in the 1990s and later coached sons DeShaun and Trevon in recreation league basketball; DeShaun Wilkenson’s uncle, Andrew Reese, was an All-Region performer for the Rebels in the mid 2000s, and it was Reese’s play which got Wilkenson hooked on the game.

“I used to watch my uncle play here when I was in the second grade,” Wilkenson said. “He was only about 6-(foot)-flat but he could jump out of the gym. That’s when I started playing.”

Now, Wilkenson, a fan of seafood, black 1969 Dodge Chargers and Michael Jordan, hopes to finish his senior year by going out with a bang. “I’d like to help get our team a region title and at least a Final Four,” he said. “That’s the goal.”

There also are some personal goals: Wilkenson wants to get quicker and finish stronger with his left hand. In the meantime, Rebels coach Jacob Darling already thinks Wilkenson, an All-Region 3-AAAAA choice last season, is one of the state’s best kept secrets.

“I honestly think he’s one of the best guards in the state,” Darling said. “We’ve just got to show that this year.”

Darling said Wilkenson’s athleticism and basketball IQ helps set him apart from other players.

“I think his athletic ability makes him stand out, but he’s got a basketball mind.

He’s always in the right spot at the right time. He’s the leader for our team, he’s the hardest worker, and you really can’t ask much more from a senior leader than for him to be a kid who works the hardest.”

Wilkenson, a natural shooting guard, can play just about anywhere on the court -- and has enough confidence in

his game to know he can give defenders a headache. Ask Wikenson how he’d guard and he’ll likely answer it thusly: “I don’t know. If you come up too close, I can beat you off the dribble. If you back up, I can shoot it ... I don’t know,” he said.

Darling said Wilkenson also has a knack for big moments. “There are guys who are part of your team that can score and rebound and to the rest of it, and he can do all that. But he also can make a big play that gets the gym going crazy, whether it’s a dunk on a fast break or hitting a big 3. He’s just one of those guys who, when he does something, he does it big. And that carries over to our team and helps drive it.”

While Wilkenson has basketball in his genes, he’s also benefited from coaching and family support --Tamara Wilkenson is the most inspirational person in her son’s life, at least in part for the work she put in coaching her son in rec ball.

There’s also his grandfather, T.J. Reese; grandmother, Ida Reese; and brother Trevon. All are important in Wilkenson’s galaxy.

Wilkenson also has praise for Darling, who served as an assistant before taking the head coaching position in 2014. “He’s a good coach,” Wilkenson said. “I like him, he knows what he’s doing and he’s pushing us to get better.”

And while Wilkenson hopes the Rebels make it to Macon in March -- the Macon CentrePlex is the site of the Georgia High School Association Final Four for each classification -- he also wants to extend his career into college. A good student, he’s hoping Georgia State comes calling for his basketball services.

Darling, a former collegiate player himself at Berry College, thinks Wilkenson has the right stuff to make the next level.

“He’s hasn’t had a whole lot of exposure yet, but he does everything he’s supposed to do,” Darling said. “He’ll be a steal for somebody.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 55

travis simmons

S

outh Effingham senior Travis Simmons isn’t one to waste words when talking about his role in the Mustangs’ upcoming basketball season. His personal goals are to earn first-team All Region 3-AAAAA honors and lead the region in rebounds and blocks.

His team goals are equally straightforward and presented without ornamentation. All center around better performances this year from a team that hasn’t had much success in recent years.

Despite the friendly reserve, Simmons, the team’s captain this winter, is expected to provide a leadership role for the Mustangs under new head coach Jim Finlen, who says the quiet forward walks

56 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

the walk in the classroom, on the court and in the weight room.

“Travis is a solid student with tons of untapped potential as a basketball player,” Finlen said. “He works hard at practice and does not accept less than 100 percent from himself or his teammates.”

Perhaps ironically, as good as Simmons might get in basketball, football is his No. 1 love. A standout safety for the Mustangs, he’s hoping to get noticed by colleges for his football prowess and lists the University of North Carolina, Kennesaw State, South Carolina State and Louisiana State University as programs he’d love to come knocking with a scholarship in hand. That’s not to say basket-

ball isn’t important to Simmons.

“I can’t tell you a specific age when I started playing basketball,” he said. “But ever since I could I’ve been playing rec or AAU ball with my dad. It‘s just a very exciting game, it‘s always going. There‘s no downtime where you can take a play off. I like that.”

A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Simmons is the son of William and Christy Chaney, who’ve obviously instilled in their son more than just good manners.

There’s also a desire to succeed and a drive to come out on top. Simmons lists science and biology taught by Jessica Lyons as a favorite subject and intends to study business marketing or physical training when he does decide what the future holds.

“I might start my own business, a sports store or a barbershop, I really don’t know yet,” said Simmons, who points to a saying from head football coach Donnie Revell as the most inspirational thing he’s heard yet.

Like Simmons, it’s direct and to the point: “You’ve got more than you think you’ve got,” Simmons said Revell told him.

Simmons credits Revell and former SEHS basketball coach Patrick McClure with developing him as a high school athlete. Finlen, too, has already made an impact and comes in for high marks from his senior. “He wants to win, he pushes us a lot,” Simmons said. “He’s a real good coach and mentor.”

Off the court, Simmons isn’t all serious. He likes old school comedy -- he lists the 1990s show “The Wayans Brothers” as his favorite TV show; and if he could own any car on the planet it would be a Corvette, with one caveat. “It doesn’t matter what year it is, but it would have to be yellow.”

Similarly, Simmons’ favorite food is “beef pizza” and his preferred music is rap, with Rich Homie Quan as his favorite rapper.

What’s more, though Simmons may prefer football to basketball when it

comes to the next level, he said NBA star Kobe Bryant is the one person in the world he’d like to have lunch with. And then Simmon’s breaks into what for him is almost like a deluge of words.

“It’s because he’s so ambitious,” Simmons said of Bryant. “He never gives up. He’s very competitive and that’s what any player should want to be -- always competitive. And, he’s a winner.”

Finlen sees that same quality in his captain, who before all is said and done just might have to choose between basketball and football at the next level.

“He is committed to the weight room, his teammates and has natural leadership qualities,” Finlan said. “As he continues to improve his overall game this season, opportunities for him to play at the next level may arise.”

But don’t expect Simmons to talk your ear off about it. Just ask his coach.

“I believe that Travis prefers to let his actions speak for him,” Finlen said. “He earns respect through his intensity at practice and the attention to detail that goes into his preparation.”

“I believe that Travis prefers to let his actions speak for him,” coach Jim Finlen said.

“He earns respect through his intensity at practice and the attention to detail that goes into his preparation.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 57

makayla robinson

58 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

E

ffingham County High School point guard MaKayla Robinson’s favorite color may be lime green, but the 5-foot-7-inch senior doesn’t seek the limelight.

Robinson, who earned first-team All Region 3-AAAAA and All-Greater Savannah honors last season while also joining ECHS’ 1,000-point club, said she sees her role this season as helping younger players improve. “I’m basically a supporter for my teammates,” said Robinson, who aims to help the Lady Rebels strike championship gold.

She’s definitely got the skill set for the job. Robinson scored 15.4 points, six rebounds and four assists a game last season to lead the Lady Rebels to a Sweet 16 playoff appearance and has already signed with Troy University. But when you ask her about personal goals, the conversation automatically steers from “me” to “we.”

“Our goals are to win the region championship,” Robinson said. “And our main goal is to win state.”

Whether either is in the cards for ECHS remains to be seen, but Robinson has already impressed longtime basketball coach Katy Fleming. Fleming, in her first year at ECHS, spent three years as head coach at South Effingham before stepping away from the game in 2004 to have kids. Fleming is glad to be back, and glad to have Robinson on her side.

“MaKayla is one of the best point guards I have had the joy of coaching,” Fleming said. “She is very hard-working, dedicated, and will do well at the next level. I love her ability to see the floor and read defenses. She can shoot 3’s, she can take it to the hole, and she can find open players on the court. She likes to share the basketball and include all of her teammates. She is exceptional and I can’t wait for the season to begin. I was blessed to get this job and I am even more blessed to be coaching MaKayla!”

As for Robinson’s personal goals?

Those are as you might expect.

“To basically make my younger teammates better,” she said. “It’s to make sure

they become better players.”

She’s likely a fine mentor who already sounds like she might have coaching in her future.

“It’s a pleasure having Coach Fleming on our staff. She knows a lot about the game and she’s pushing us to be better,” Robinson said. “I told her that my goal for our team to reach is to win state this year and she’s pushing us that way. She’s caring and she loves all of us like her own kids. So I really enjoy having her be part of the ECHS girls basketball program.”

Robinson also credits her mom Sonji Cutter, stepfather Melvin Cutter and brothers Justin Robinson and Tony Burison for their roles in helping her succeed both on and off the court. Her mother also has the honor of saying the most inspirational thing Robinson has ever been told. It was simple, but profound.

“She told me to never give up, keep fighting,” Robinson said.

While basketball holds center stage in Robinson’s heart, schoolwork is also important. She sports a 3.2 GPA and routinely makes the honor roll. “You’ve got to keep the grades up,” Robinson said.

“That’s the first priority.”

Outside the classroom, Robinson, who has also played everything from baseball and softball to recreation league football, clearly puts basketball at No. 1.

“I’ve played basketball ever since I was a little girl,” she said. “I became better at it than I was at anything else, that’s why I chose it as my sport. I just feel more comfortable and happy playing basketball.”

Off the court and away from school, Robinson likes to shop and “goof around with friends.” She also lists macaroni and cheese as her favorite food, “Martin” as her favorite TV show and Dr. Suess as her favorite author. And if she could drive any car in the world, she’d pick a 2015 Dodge Challenger.

Just make it lime green, and while Robinson’s clearly destined for the driver’s seat, make sure there’s room to spare for the rest of the Lady Rebels. After all, “we” is better than “me” and, as Robinson put it: “There’s no ‘I’ in team.”

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 59

shea leverett

60 WINTER 2015-16 | Effingham Sports Digest

B

y this time next year Shae Leverett will be a freshman at the University of South Florida, where she’ll play basketball for the Division 1 Lady Bulls in the American Athletic Conference. Leverett committed to the Tampa school in July and will sign this month.

Fortunately for South Effingham, Leverett still has another season in which to lead the Lady Mustangs back to the promised land of the Class AAAAA Final Four.

“We want to start by going undefeated in the region, taking back the region championship and then work our way back to the Final Four,” said Leverett, a 6-1 forward who has excelled on and off the court. An honor roll student who plans to study nursing, Leverett has already scored 1,000 points and pulled down 1,000 rebounds for the Lady Mustangs. Among her accolades, Leverett was named Region 3-AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year last season and included on last year’s Class AAAAA All State team.

She’s also been a joy to coach. Just ask her coach, Melissa Roddenberry.

“Shae is the type of player that coaches love,” said Roddenberry, who played three years at Effingham County and then was one of the first captains of the very first SEHS team. “She is a hard worker during the regular season as well as the off-season. Shae has a great attitude.

She is willing to step in and help younger players at practice, and she is the type of player who can make plays happen.”

The game is obviously important to Leverett, who gives Roddenberry high marks as well. Perhaps ironically, Leverett, who also stars in Volleyball for SEHS, didn’t pick up a basketball until she was in the sixth grade and looking for a sport to play other than softball.

“It’s the feeling I get playing basketball,” she said. “Just playing or practicing, it’s kind of a stress reliever from everything that builds up, the release is there in basketball. I can have fun there.

And you build relationships with so many

different people. Through basketball I’ve met so many great people. It’s just a great experience.”

If Leverett’s goal for her team is a return to the Final Four, she also wants to improve her own game. Though also recruited by UGA, Oklahoma, Florida, Wake Forest, Auburn, Clemson, Jacksonville, Georgia Southern, South Carolina, Yale, Florida State and North Western, Leverett said still sees room for individual growth.

“I want to come out and play more as a guard, focus on scoring from outside, and handling the ball,” Leverett said. “I want to be able to score more, and I want to more of a defensive player.”

Family is big to Leverett, whose own includes brothers Cordaro and Justin Leverett; parents Andrea and Recardo Leverett and grandparents Carylon and Billy Leverett, and she chose South Florida for its family feel. She thinks Roddenberry, who is in her second season, is both a great coach and teacher.

Asked to play reporter for a second and interview herself, Leverett said a good question would be to ask what it takes to be a good basketball player “on and off the court.”

“The answer is staying humble and focused and sacrificing your time,” Leverett said. “Sometimes you’ve got to miss going to the beach with friends because you’re spending the weekend training.

Sometimes you spend your whole summer in Atlanta training, and only have three or four days of summer vacation left when you get back before you have to go back to school. It’s just staying true to your self through all that.”

But she’s still a teen who likes pancakes, loves watching Spongebob on TV and someday wants to drive a Blue BMW. If she could have lunch with anyone on the planet, it would be WNBA star Candace Parker. “She’s just a great player, she’s tall and lanky just like me and I love the way she plays.”

Don’t be surprised if someday, some youngster somewhere says the same thing about Shae Leverett.

Effingham Sports Digest | WINTER 2015-16 61

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