June / July 2014 Southeast Georgia Edition by ITG Next Magazine

in the

game In This Issue:

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

08 The Team That Just Doesn’t Go Away Charlton Baseball Championship

CONTENTS

June/July 2014

Bone & Joint Institute of South Georgia

Sid Bream speaks at FCA event

Bacon County High School

Glynn Academy

Camden County High School

Appling County High School

Bradwell Institute

Pierce County High School

Brantley County High School

Ware County High School

Wayne County High School

Listen to John and Shawn Every Thursday night at 6:00 PM on WWUF 97.7 The Wolf 2

McIntosh County Academy

19 Player Spotlight Jake Minchew

Ware County High School

24 Coach’s Corner Thomas Lemmon

Also Inside Beat the Heat

15 Academic Athlete Bryan Mixon

Glynn Academy

30 Rising Star Grant Jacobs

Brantley County Middle School

Catch all the latest action of high school sports!

Read. Subscribe. Share.

www.inthegamemagazine.com

game

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

June/July 2014

Publisher Shawn Smoak

Editor Mark Dykes Kaitlynn Passmore

Graphics Jennifer Alexander Sarah Turner

Cover Photography Jennifer Carter Johnson

Jennifer Carter Johnson Photography

Feature Photography Jeffrey Griffith

Old Goat Photography

Tammy Bell Jennifer Carter Johnson

Jennifer Carter Johnson Photography

Feature Writers John DuPont John Wood Rob Asbell

From The Publisher The schools are all quiet and peaceful after graduation, and summer is upon us. But let’s pause for a second and look back at an outstanding spring 2014 season. Region titles were the norm all over SEGA. Charlton, Pierce, Ware, and Wayne all won their regions in baseball, with Charlton ultimately hanging a second straight state title banner for Class A. Pierce also won for girls soccer, boys tennis, and boys golf, while Ware won for riflery, girls track, and girls golf. Glynn Academy added another two trophies to the collection for boys golf and girls soccer. It was an outstanding spring, and all of our student-athletes deserve congratulations for a job well done. You’ve heard it before: “you have to be mentally strong to play the game of golf.” Well meet one of the best players in SEGA, Jake Minchew of Ware County High School. Jake has played since the ripe old age of three and has countless tournament championships with his name on them. If it’s possible Jake is a better young man than he is a golfer with a bright future ahead of him. McIntosh Academy Bryan Mixon is our Academic Athlete this month. A member of the National Honor Society as well as several others, Bryan holds down a 3.76 GPA and graduated in the top ten of his class. He’s a top defensive player in centerfield on the baseball diamond, sporting a .924 fielding percentage, and for the last two years, he’s been the Buc’s place kicker, holding the record for a career-long field goal at 42 yards. One year of coaching girls soccer at Glynn Academy, and one region championship. Not a bad percentage but not a huge surprise for a man who’s lived and breathed soccer since birth. Coach Thomas Lemmon is new to soccer at Glynn Academy but not new to soccer. Having played and coached pretty much his whole life, coach has a plan in place to one day hold up a state title trophy for the Glynn Academy Red Terrors.

Area Schools

in the

Appling County Pirates Bacon County Red Raiders Bradwell Institute Tigers Brantley County Herons Brunswick Pirates Camden County Wildcats Charlton County Indians Frederica Academy Knights Glynn Academy Red Terrors Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets Liberty County Panthers Long County Blue Tide McIntosh County Buccaneers Pierce County Bears Ware County Gators Wayne County Yellow Jackets

Contributors

We all know how hard it is to “go undefeated,” but it’s no sweat for this month’s Rising Star Grant Jacobs of Brantley Middle School who went undefeated in middle school with a record of 32-0. Actually, I’m sure there was a lot of sweat involved for a young man with a great work ethic. Impressive stats from a player who will have an impact at the varsity level next year as a freshman.

Copy Editors Crystal Hubbard Ashley Dailey Sarah Turner

Advertising/Marketing Shawn Smoak shawn@inthegamemagazine.com

Mark Dykes

mark@inthegamemagazine.com

Website Manager Kaitlynn Passmore

SEGA Prep Sports P.O. Box 2960 • Waycross, GA 31502

In the words of Meatloaf, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.” The past three years the Charlton County Indians have hosted the Class A Baseball Championships, and with this year’s victory, have won back-to-back state titles. We hope you enjoy reading In the Game as much as we enjoy producing and publishing it. We are always open to suggestions as well as story ideas or ways you think we can improve our magazine. Please visit our website at www.inthegamemagazine.com and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ inthegamemagazine. Join us every Thursday evening live from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. as we broadcast live In the Game on Radio on WWUF 97.7 FM, or stream the show live on www.waycrossradio.com. We have an excellent opportunity for fundraising whether for your sports team, organization, or booster club. Please give us a call at 888-715-GAME or email us at info@ inthegamemagazine.com for details. While you’re online, don’t forget to nominate a deserving student-athlete or coach for one of our feature articles. You’ll be glad you did.

John DuPont,

Features & Commentary

John Wood,

Features & Commentary

For distribution and subscription information contact: info@inthegamemagazine.com For advertising information call: 888-715-4263 Corporate Office: Dykes Publishing Group, Inc. P.O. Box 812 Valdosta, Georgia 31603

Shawn Smoak,

Southeast Georgia Publisher

In the Game High School Sports Magazine is published monthly excluding July. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. SEGA Prep Sports LLC makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2014 SEGA Prep Sports LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.

www.inthegamemagazine.com

The Team that Just Doesn’t Go Away Charlton Baseball Championship

Charlton County played for its third-straight state championship game in what will certainly be remembered as one of the best games played on any diamond. by John Wood

he term “dynasty” to the people of Charlton County, could never be confused with the big-haired women and power-hungry men of the 1980s soap opera, a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet, or even Phil Robertson and the family from the television show Duck Dynasty. Gordon Lee lost the Class A GHSA State Championship for a second straight year in the third and deciding game. It wasn’t the bats that put the Indians on top; it was one of the most memorable pitching performances in the team’s existence. Richard Dasher, battling through the South Georgia weather and Gordon Lee hitters, tossed 119 pitches, giving up one run off of four hits. Charlton County coaches, athletes, and fans certainly know what a dynasty is. They have a firm understanding how only those truly special teams can achieve that status. Just as the Indians established a football dynasty a decade ago, the Thad Marchman era for Charlton County Indian baseball is paying dividends higher than the price of gold. The hard work and true understanding of the game of baseball under

photography by Tammy Bell

Marchman’s tutelage is the currency that keeps the Indian baseball boom flowing. Though not exactly ancient history, no one really remembers that Marchman’s first season at the helm was only a five-win season. However, Marchman got the team going in the right direction, still pursuing a trophy which would provide the opportunity to garner a state championship ring if successful. Athletes from Charlton know a thing or two about championship rings. Last year when the baseball booster club was helping Marchman find the perfect ring for his first state championship, he was examining the multiple rings that Indians earned during the dynasty run of Coach Rich McWhorter. “We started the season defending champions, and it was kind of hard at first. That was a very tough task at first; our players had kind of a ‘we are all that attitude’ to start the season. My assistant, Coach Thomas Brooks, and I were very tough on them at practice to prepare them for more challenging games down the road. To their credit, they really began to work, and they wanted to make some more history in Charlton County,” Marchman said.

Gordon Lee, a Georgia high school baseball powerhouse, knows well the 400-mile journey from Chickamauga to Charlton County. After the Trojans (28-6) went home with silver, it wasn’t apparent that the two teams would meet again this season, but fate stepped in the last part of the regular season. Charlton worked through the bracket, sweeping Johnson County and ECI. Indian slugger L.J. Talley was one of the offensive forces for the Indians which Gordon Lee would attempt to neutralize in the championship series. Gordon Lee dominated the first game of the championship series, routing Charlton, 13-7. The Trojans looked like they had unfinished business at the swamp, but Marchman’s Indians had other ideas. “Game one they came out and shocked us. They got to our pitcher Jesse King. Going into that game, King had not allowed an earned run for the entire season. I know how crazy that sounds, but it is true. They were able to earn a couple off of him, we made some defensive mistakes, and our bats did not come alive until late in the game. They just played better than us; that was our third and final loss of the season,” Marchman said. 10

Charlton County junior pitcher Talley struck out eight Trojans and only allowed two earned runs from ten hits for a 7-3 win in game two. Talley also helped his own cause with an RBI single. Gordon Lee left ten baserunners stranded in the loss. The Indians lost King in game two when he got kneed in the face, breaking his jaw in two places. After coming back from a broken wrist his sophomore season, King pitched in a limited role in the 2012 championship. King’s unique submarine-style delivery has made him one of the most relied upon pitchers for Charlton. He was the winning pitcher in the state championship game last season, and this season he had an 11-1 record with a startling 0.3333 ERA. King also was the co-leader with eight homers and led the Indians with 42 RBIs. Marchman certainly knew about game three. He had been through two of them the past two springs, losing to Providence Christian in 2012 and then earning Charlton’s first baseball title last May. “We came into game threre with fire and intensity that we hadn’t shown before. Dasher was our region (2A) pitcher of the year. He had thrown well all season except for his last

start at ECI - he was leaving pitches up, having a hard time changing speeds in the strike zone, and they hit him pretty well that day - but he had been pretty dominant. We actually considered throwing Scott Birchall in that game, because we were not sure if Richard Dasher had mentally bounced back from that loss at ECI. But after a team meeting and talking with Dasher, we were sure he was our game three guy. Obviously, he did not disappoint,” Marchman said. ECI behind him, Dasher battled the Trojans but kept his fastball down and threw his curve ball for strikes which kept Gordon Lee off balance. Gordon Lee took a fourth inning 1-0 lead off of a bases loaded single, but the lead would be short lived. Trojan freshman Chaney Rogers kept the Indian bats at bay until the fifth. Derek King was walking leadoff hitter, and then Talley put runners on first and second. Both advanced into scoring positions from a wild pitch. It would only be four pitches later that the two most important RBIs of the season would score when junior left fielder Scott Birchall hit a deep drive to left field just out of reach of Trojan left fielder Will Goodman. One hit, two runs plated, and the Indians were up 2-1. Though the Trojans continued to battle, Dasher simply persevered. Though injured teammate King couldn’t smile because his jaw was wired shut, his presence gave an infectious energy to his teammates. Dasher struck out the final hitter in the sixth inning, and great defense coupled with an amazing performance on the mound by Dasher sealed the deal in the seventh inning, retiring the Trojans in order. Charlton County played for its thirdstraight state championship game in what will certainly be remembered as one of the best games played on any diamond. Thad Marchman and his Charlton County baseball program are certainly one of the best high school baseball programs out there. However, its accolades and winnings aren’t everything for Marchman.

When Charlton lost its first state title three years ago, there wasn’t much time for tears because Marchman ended his post-game speech with the uniform that Indians would wear the next day when the monthlong summer baseball season started, just as he would have if they’d won. “This team is simply a group of winners. Before all those seniors were starters, they competed hard in practice every day, so each day they were making us better while getting better as individuals. One of the biggest reasons for our success is the fact that roles were accepted, but they worked to improve their roles. What they leave behind for our

“We made some defensive mistakes, and our bats did not come alive until late in the game. They just played better than us; that was our third and final loss of the season.”

younger players is practice intensity. Bring the heat every day is what they did. And it’s what our younger players have seen and what will be expected out of them every day. I am proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of these young men’s lives. They have made our community proud. They believe winning is the way and have won a bunch of baseball games for Charlton County because of how they prepare,” Marchman said. No one is sure what 2015 will bring, but if history is any clue, regardless of graduation, broken jaws, or fatigue, the Indians will remain the team that doesn’t go away. ITG

Bream Inspires Hundreds at Annual FCA Event by John DuPont

coach at Ware County High School, shared how FCA camps have positively influenced her players. Jon Tindall, who serves as a chaplain for football and wrestling at Ware Middle School, encouraged others to pursue that calling in light of a current shortage of chaplains in the Okefenokee area. “This was one of the best banquets we have ever had. Sid Bream was very personable and genuinely has a passion for FCA but more importantly, a desire to spread the Gospel,” said Toby Crews, area director for Okefenokee Area FCA. “We raised awareness of the FCA ministry and raised much-needed funds to help our ministry efforts reach coaches and athletes in Brantley, Pierce, and Ware counties. We are very thankful for all the support we were given.” Bream, a Pennsylvania native, played baseball at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, before being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round of the 1981 draft. In 1986, his career began to blossom after being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played a career-high 154 games in ‘86, the same season he set a National League record with 166 assists at first base. Bream remained Pittsburgh’s starter at that post through 1990, when he signed as a free agent with the Braves. He was part of Atlanta’s World Series run in 1991, posting a career-best .996

fielding percentage. Bream ultimately suited up for more than 1,000 big-league games with four teams in a career that spanned 12 seasons. But he is best known for scoring the game-winning run to beat the Pirates in game seven of the ’92 NLCS. “I truly believe God had his hand on that situation,” said Bream. “That event gave me a platform to share the word of Jesus Christ.” In 1993, the Braves acquired all-star Fred McGriff to play first base in a move that significantly diminished Bream’s playing time. “I had more witness opportunities during that time than in my previous seasons with the Braves combined.” Bream retired after playing the ’94 season with the Houston Astros. He now lives in the Pittsburgh area with his wife of 31 years, Michele. Bream works extensively as a motivational speaker when he’s not lending his baseball expertise to up-and-coming hitters. His hobbies include golfing and exploring the outdoors. He also returned to college recently to complete his degree. Bream’s enthusiasm for Christ, though, has never been more obvious. “You have a responsibility to Jesus Christ to be more like him,” Bream said. “At the age of 13, I gave my life to Christ. I knew at that point in life that if I died, I would go to heaven, and that’s a great peace for me.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER CARTER JOHNSON

t was a night of reflection, fellowship, and sharing of the Gospel as more than 250 people gathered in Waycross to support the Okefenokee Area chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Blackshear Family Practice sponsored the annual fundraiser held May 15 at the newly-revamped Waycross City Auditorium. Legendary Atlanta Brave Sid Bream headlined the event, where he entertained supporters with details of one of baseball’s most memorable plays – “The Slide” – in which he scored the winning run in the 1992 National League Championship Series. Bream also spoke at length about his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “Your purpose on this earth isn’t about making money,” Bream told attendees. “When was the last time someone came up to you and said there was something different about you? That’s what we’re here for. It’s about facing difficulty in life so people can see Christ in you.” Banquet-goers also heard from local folks who shared their testimonies. Bryant Sloan, a student-athlete at Brantley County High School, spoke of the impact FCA has on local high school campuses while Christine Braddy, a Pierce County High graduate currently playing softball at the College of Coastal Georgia, gave insights into FCA’s college ministry. Mandy Lingenfelter, head girls basketball

For more information on how to become an FCA chaplain, go to www.okefca.org. 12

Academic Athlete sponsored by:

McIntosh County Academy

by Rob Asbell

crack of the bat and a line drive heads for right-centerfield. Taking off at a full sprint, McIntosh County Academy senior Bryan Mixon starts tracking the ball. He leaps at the last second, glove outstretched reaching for the ball. As he makes the catch, he slides across the grass until he comes to a stop. He holds up his glove displaying the ball. He may be one of the top students at MCA, but Mixon still likes to get dirty when he plays baseball. His favorite part of the game? Playing centerfield and diving to make catches. He gets to make circus catches as a member of Coach Wade Peterson’s MCA baseball team. Being on the diamond has been a passion of Mixon’s since he was six years old. Although he was smaller than the older players, he was chosen for All-Stars because of his toughness and determination, although he now admits that he was afraid of the pitching machine back then. His mom, Kim Mixon, can still remember watching him dive for baseballs while playing recreation league ball with the Department of Leisure Services in McIntosh County. “He pretty much just laid out in the dirt. He dove for everything that came to him, and not a ball got past him.” Growing up in Darien, Mixon continued playing baseball through middle school and in eighth grade hit a homerun against Camden County while playing summer ball with the MCA varsity, a feat that ranks at the top of memories from his young baseball career. He started playing varsity outfield his freshman year and took to centerfield naturally. “He turned two double-plays from the outfield on balls nobody thought he’d get to but us,” Peterson said. In addition to his duties in centerfield, the 5’11, 145-pound Mixon is also occasionally put in as pitcher or catcher, and he spent a great deal of time behind the plate this season out of necessity. He hit .295 his senior year with a .509 on-base percentage and also had seven RBIs and scored 17 runs with 14 stolen bases. “He could steal a base whenever he wanted to, as evident by not getting caught all year,” Peterson said. “He is the best defensive outfielder I have coached.” In the outfield, he had a .924 fielding percentage, and he won the Buccaneer’s Defensive Player of the Year as both a sophomore and a junior. In 2013, he also took home the Coach’s Award, and this year he has been honored with the Georgia Dugout Club Award. In 11th grade, Mixon became a mutli-sport athlete when he heeded the call to go out for the football team and became the Buccaneers’ new kicker, blasting extra points and field goals. “It was about mid-season, and the coach came and asked if I knew how to kick.” On his first live kick during a game, Mixon broke the school record for longest field goal by hitting a 35-yarder against Toombs County. He went on to kick a 42-yarder for the longest of his career, and by his senior year, he was also the captain of special teams. In the classroom, Mixon holds down a solid 3.76 grade point average and is set to graduate in the top ten of his class at MCA. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and the Future Business Leaders of America. His plans for college do not include athletics but do include majoring in business management at the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. Mixon plans on going into management in the sporting goods industry, so

photography by Jeffrey Griffith

he can continue his love of athletics. Mixon is spending the summer as a youth leader with the Youth Conservation Corps at Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge in McIntosh County. The YCC helps maintain the grounds and buildings at Harris Neck and Blackbeard’s Island. He has spent his last two summers at the refuge as well as working part-time as a server at Hutcheson Plantation. Kim Mixon believes sports have taught her son dedication and commitment. At an age when most young people have more important things to do, Mixon finds a way to stay focused on practice and school without complaint. “He has never given any less than 100 percent of himself to the sport or to his team. I couldn’t be more proud of him.” ITG 17

Player Spotlight sponsored by:

Ware County High School

hose who know him best agree that the sky is the limit for Jake Minchew, a young man as renowned for his own self-criticism as he is for his God-given golfing talents. The 2014 Ware County High graduate and rising Brewton-Parker College freshman recently capped his prep career at the state golf tournament in serving as his schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lone representative.

Hard Work Makes Minchew a Folk Favorite by John DuPont

t has been a rewarding ride for Minchew, who first started traversing the links with his dad as a three-year-old. “What I have done, I’m very blessed to have done, and it wouldn’t be possible without God,” Minchew says. “And I’m grateful to my dad. He got me started and has really instilled in me a love for the

game. The dollars and hours he’s put into me are amazing.” Minchew began competing at age five, when the prodigy won a chipping contest against 14-year-old Brian Harman, now a PGA touring pro. Minchew won seven recreation tournaments in 2004 and three more the following summer. He also won

photography by Jennifer Carter Johnson

the Junior Club Challenge Match at Okefenokee Country Club in 2005 as well as the Chad Tanner Junior Invitational, carding his first-ever eagle. In the years since, Minchew has established himself as an area favorite, a distinction gleaned largely through admiration for his legendary work ethic. “Jake kind of reminds me of Jim Furyk,” says Minchew’s swing coach Rob Ellis. “He is a gritty competitor who by far works harder than anyone. Some kids will take 10 swings and then go out and play, but Jake is not going to leave any stone unturned. He’ll work on something until he figures it out.” Minchew enjoyed a watershed year in 2006, which coincided with his introduction to the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA). That year he placed fifth in the U.S. Kids Regional Championship, won the David A. Wall Junior Invitational, and claimed victory for the second time at the Chad Tanner Invitational. Numbers aside, it’s still his tenacity that distinguishes Minchew from the also-rans. “The very first tournament he ever won, Jake started with a quad-quad (four over par on each hole),” recalls Minchew’s father Mike. Another kid, who was a little bit older, shot par on both holes, and Jake welled up a little. I told him, ‘You can buck up, or we can go to the house.’ Jake wound up beating the other kid by a shot, and that kid was the one that went home crying that day.” By 2007, Minchew had already become a three-time champ at the Chad Tanner Invitational. That same year he also claimed the South Hampton Tour Championship. Additionally, the preteen began playing from the men’s tees that year and shot 95 the first time out. His first year in middle school, 2008, saw Minchew win the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference Championship. He added another conference title by eighth grade and won a GRPA links championship in 2010. That season he became the youngest golfer ever to play in the Okefenokee Invitational. “Looking back, I think my biggest highlight has just been the progress I’ve made,” says Minchew. “Coach Ellis and Coach Wheeler (WCHS head coach) worked to get me scor-

ing better. They both have really helped with getting all the quirks out of my swing and out of my game so I can reach my peak.” Minchew tried football, baseball, and wrestling in the ensuing years. He started for two years on the offensive line and helped Ware Middle School to an undefeated gridiron campaign and a conference championship. As a freshman, he wound up as low medalist for WCHS, shooting an average of 81. He claimed victory that year at the GSGA Junior Sectional Challenge Match at the Georgia Club near Athens and made the cut at the Georgia Junior Amateur at Augusta Country Club. Minchew’s sophomore campaign saw him letter in varsity football while lowering his golf average to 79. However, he decided soon after to make golf his primary focus again. “I played football every year except for 11th -grade year,” explains Minchew. “Junior year is a pretty crucial year for recruiting in golf. In the summer, I was playing well and thought I’d focus on some tournaments.” With renewed emphasis on golf, Minchew won three of five GSGA sectionals. He made it to the last cut of U.S. Junior Amateur and finished three shots off the lead at the Golden Isles Tour Championship. He also whittled his USGA handicap to 0.8.

“Jake had a summer where he had played football and hadn’t played much golf, but he kind of snuck into a GSGA tournament as an alternate,” said Ellis. “We got together to get his game back into shape, and he went up there and won the dang thing.” Minchew fired a 78 at the GHSA state tournament as a junior. This year, he shaved four strokes off that score in the final round of his prep career. He now estimates his driving distance to be upwards of 275 yards but points to chipping and putting as the real strengths of his game. “Last year, I was trying to win at region, and I was playing pretty solid,” Minchew says. “Then I got to my ninth hole, pushed my tee ball out of bounds and wound up doubling that hole. I shot 40 on that side and 34 on the back nine. I just knew that if I could settle down and stop forcing stuff, it would come to me. Golf is a game that you can be perfect in. Perfection is always something to strive for. Golf is probably the fairest game you can play.” Possessing a similar zest for academic excellence, Minchew has posted equally impressive numbers in the classroom. An honor graduate, he maintained a 94 average during his high school career and posted a three-part score of 1760 on the SAT. A member of Beta Club and student council, he took AP classes in human geography, environmental science, psychology, statistics, and macro-economics. “I taught Jake

as a substitute at Ware High, and he is a fine young man with an outstanding character and high morals,” says Buster Tyre. “It was easy to see that he was a leader. The other students looked up to him and valued his advice.” Whether Minchew’s post-golf calling leads to science or business is unclear. He says the latter is more likely, though he’s undecided now. His mom, a teacher, sees specific potential. “I think Jake has a real strong aptitude for teaching and working with younger students,” says Lori Minchew. “Jake is very patient, and I think maybe he might be one to give golf lessons. He possesses a certain kind of friendliness and openness.” When he’s not on the links with golfing pal Lee Bennett, Minchew’s pursuits include First Tee, a YMCA-affiliated organization that helps teach golf to youngsters. Minchew previously assisted instructional camps at Laura S. Walker and Lakeview Golf Club. Off the links, he attends services at Central Baptist Church and Jamestown Baptist Church in Ware County. “As good a golfer as Jake is, he’s actually a better person,” Wheeler says. “His mom and dad have done a great job of raising him, and he is very respectful. Jake is one of the very few that I’d let babysit my kids and not think twice about it. I think he’s going to blossom in college. He has a great future.” ITG

Bacon County Red Raiders Alma, GA • www.bcraiders.com Bacon Golf Finishes Strong

BACON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

The Bacon County golf team was making noise, but things were strangely silent at the football field this spring. The Red Raiders boys golf team completed the 2014 season with the highest state finish in school history. After qualifying at sectionals, Coach Michael McLintock’s Bacon County golfers charged into the GHSA Boys AA State Golf Championship at the Applewood Golf Course in Keysville, Georgia, southeast of Augusta. When the last putt had dropped, the Red Raiders had claimed a seventh-place finish out of 16 teams competing at state. Westminster took the title followed by Greater Atlanta Christian, Lovett, Benedictine, Wesleyan, Westside Augusta, and then the Red Raiders. Bacon County’s only senior Grant Gilliard led the Red Raiders, tying for 11th overall with a 75, carding three birdies in the first four holes. Ryan

by Rob Asbell Taylor was next with a 77, followed by Adam Grayson’s 85, and Jackson Miles’s 86. With all but one player returning next year, the Red Raiders golfers look to be strong again. All was quiet on the Bacon County football practice field last month. There was no spring football for new Head Coach Ken Cofer who chose instead to take the GHSA’s option of playing an additional scrimmage at the start of the season. “We had everybody making the playoffs in baseball and track,” Coach Cofer says. Among those unavailable for spring football would have been starters Katron Folsom and Drell Greene who were still competing in the state track meet. Having other teams making the playoffs also took away the staff members who coach other sports besides football. Cofer plans on attending contact camps as soon as rules allow this summer. Bacon Coun-

ty will get a downhill roll heading into the season with the two scrimmages. The first will be against the Atkinson County Rebels on August 15 in Pearson. The following week, the Red Raiders will travel to Cairo for a final tune-up against one of the state’s perennial powerhouses. “Anybody who knows football in this area knows Cairo can play,” he says. The plan is to get the team used to being able to play with anybody in the state so that they will be ready for stronger teams later on the schedule and in the playoffs. The scrimmages will also help the Red Raiders become acclimated to the heat and humidity at the beginning of the season. The Raiders open the season on the road in Lakeland to face Lanier County. Bacon County’s home opener will be September 12 against Charlton County.

Glynn Red Terrors Glynn County Stadium • Capacity: 12,000 • Brunswick, GA • www.glynnacademytouchdownclub.com Coach Rocky Arrives at Glynn Academy four of the five years he was head coach and made it to the state championship game in the Georgia Dome in 2011. As head coach, he has a record of 40-18 for a 69 winning percentage. In his time on the staff at Walton, the Raiders won six region championships, played in 24 playoff games, appeared in three state semifinals, and reached the state title game in 2011. A two-time recipient of the Cobb County Touchdown Club’s Defensive Coach of the Year and winner of the 2011 Cobb County Touchdown Club’s Coach of the Year, Hidalgo has previously served as both the offensive line and defensive line coach for the Raiders. After being named head football coach at Glynn Academy, Coach Hidalgo spent two weeks working with the Red Terrors during spring practice and was pleased with the way it went. “We had a lot of fun just getting to know the kids,” Coach Hidalgo said. “We have a lot of good players, and we have a lot of work to do.” The Terrors looked strong during spring practice with 14 starters returning from last season, including many skill positions. During the end of spring scrimmage, the offense scored eight times.

Adding to the difficulty of Hidalgo’s new job is a new-look Region 3-AAAAA this fall. Along with Hinesville’s Bradwell Institute, Effingham County, Richmond Hill, and Ware County, will be Brunswick and Coffee, who are moving down from AAAAAA, and Statesboro and South Effingham, who are moving up from AAAA. They will makeup a nine-team region that could be one of the toughest in South Georgia. Glynn Academy opens at home this year against Wayne County and Brunswick before traveling to Camden. Despite playing in a tough region, Coach Hidalgo hopes kids will come out for football and have a positive experience. “I want them to have fun and win football games,” he said. Despite this approach, he sees himself as an intense coach. “There is a fine line between being intense and being overbearing,” he said. “You have to push sometimes. You can’t always go easy on them.” Coach Hidalgo is married and has three young children. He takes over from Coach Rob Ridings who, after 10 years at the Red Terrors’ helm, accepted the head coaching job at Thomson High School.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GENA CHURCHWELL

A new football coach has been welcomed to the hallowed halls of Glynn Academy in Brunswick. Rocky Hidalgo was chosen to lead the Red Terrors on the gridiron this fall. “We are going to have a program that reflects the values of Glynn County,” Coach Hidalgo says. Hidalgo comes to Southeast Georgia after spending 18 years on the staff of the Walton High School Raiders, a AAAAAA program out of Cobb County in metro-Atlanta, the last five years as head coach. He was chosen after a thorough search and vetting of candidates following the departure of Coach Rob Ridings. The official announcement came just days after Franklin Stephens was named head coach at Ware County. A Louisiana native, Coach Hidalgo graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis where he was a three-year starter and a two-time first team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection as an offensive lineman. He joined the staff of Walton in 1996 under Coach Ed Dudley where he coached the offensive and defensive lines and became defensive coordinator in 2002. In 2009, Hidalgo was named head coach when Dudley left for Ware County. The Raiders made the playoffs

by Rob Asbell

THOMAS LEMMON

Coach’s Corner sponsored by:

GLYNN ACADEMY

New Glynn Academy Coach Fills Big Shoes by Rob Asbell photography by Jeffrey Griffith

lynn Academy girls soccer coach Thomas Lemmon has lived and breathed soccer his entire life. “I don’t see myself doing anything other than coaching or playing soccer; it is a great passion of mine.” After coaching in Florida for 12 years, Lemmon took the reins at Glynn Academy this season and has already claimed his first region title. Not bad considering that he is following in the footsteps of legendary coach Gary Larkins who retired after last season. Lemmon comes to Brunswick after coaching boys soccer at Pembroke Pines Charter High in South Florida. He brings a basic coaching philosophy to Glynn Academy: “If you want to be the best, train your best, be the best, and play the best.”

So far, the Lady Terrors are buying into Lemmon’s program. Glynn Academy won 13 straight to close out the regular season with the 3-AAAAA Region Championship and Region Coach of the Year honors for Lemmon. During a tough region contest against Richmond Hill, Glynn Academy was behind 1-0 at the half. “My girls came out on fire and determined in the second half and scored five goals to win the game 5-2 and to take control of the region.” The Terrors were the number one seed going into the playoffs and dispatched Thomas County Central 10-0 in the first round before falling to second-ranked McIntosh High School. Glynn Academy returns all but two players next year. “It was a very good season,” Lemmon says. “Anytime you can lose 10 or 11 players and rebuild to win a region championship, it shows we have a good future ahead of us.” Lemmon grew up outside of Akron in Stow, Ohio, where he started playing organized soccer at seven years old. He later played for the premier club, the Cleveland Internationals, for seven years under the tutelage of Louis Nanchoff. He traveled extensively, playing for the Internationals, going overseas and competing in the nationals. In high school, he had 142 career goals and

87 assists. He was the Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year, All-County and All-State for three years, and All-American his senior year. His play caught the eye of college recruiters, including the University of Maryland’s Bob Butehorn. When Butehorn took the job at Saint Bonaventure University, Lemmon followed. While at the western New York college, Lemmon had 27 career goals, making him the fourth-leading scorer in school history. He had 19 goals in a single season which is second in SBU history, and he was the youngest inductee into Saint Bonaventure Hall of Fame. Playing for the Bonnies, Lemmon led the country in goals scored his senior year and eventually finished fourth in the nation. He was named the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year and helped Saint Bonaventure advance to the Atlantic 10 tournament for the first time in school history by scoring a hat trick, including the game winner in overtime, against the University of Dayton. He was also on the SBU team that defeated the University of North Carolina the year the Tar Heels won the national championship. Lemmon became coach at Pembroke Pines in 2002, and his team was 18-5 last season. While he was coach at PPCH, the Jaguars won four region titles and made a trip to the state final four. In the 2009-10 season,

PPCH entered the district playoffs with an 11-9 record. The Jaguars nearly lost their first playoff game against a team they had already defeated soundly earlier in the year. After eeking out a 2-1 victory, it seemed that the team began to jell, going on a winning streak that included a 2-1 overtime victory for the district championship and a double overtime win over the state number one team. It ended in a penalty kick loss to the eventual state champions. “It was just a fun ride for me and the players. To see them come together at such an important time of the season was just unbelievable.” After visiting friends in the Golden Isles, Lemmon and his wife fell in love with the area and jumped at the opportunity to move to Southeast Georgia. Lemmon genuinely enjoys coaching and encourages young people to play as much as possible if they plan on playing for Glynn Academy in the future. Playing on travel teams and staying involved in soccer will provide valuable experience for the future. After a playoff run this season, Lemmon hopes his early success with the Lady Terrors will continue well into the future with a happy family and plenty of team celebrations. “I’d like to be on a podium holding up a state championship trophy for the Glynn Academy Lady Red Terrors,” Lemmon said. ITG

Camden County Wildcats Kingsland, GA • www.wildcat.camden.k12.ga.us/ Dominating the Court The Camden County tennis teams are dominating the court as the boys and girls teams finish a phenomenal season with great strength and effort. With Head Coach Dan Vonk at the reigns, the Lady Wildcat strategy was impenetrable as they went 13-0 in their regular season and made it to the second round of the AAAAAA state playoffs. “I always expect an honest effort at practice and in a game,” Vonk said. “Both teams have come a long way this season. As a coach, I have to make sure that I balance working hard while also having a fun time.” Having coached since he was twelve, Vonk has loved the games of both tennis and baseball. But with tennis he believes the mindset is extremely different as it focuses on the individual aspect rather than the team. With tennis, he can coach objectively in terms

of which spot goes to which player based on if they have earned that spot on the court. With his no-cut policy, the students of Camden County High School can learn how to play tennis and grow to love the sport. “I think the best coaches are those who realize that each sport an athlete plays is an activity,” he said. “A lot of individual sports coaches take way too seriously. Either you coach a sport and kids play your sport, or you coach kids and the sport is the area that you work with kids. I try to help people grow as leaders and teach them the life lessons and hope they become good people of society. Junior Katie Hart, who is the number two singles spot on the Camden girls team, agrees with her coach and plays to the best of her ability on and off the court. “Tennis is different,” she said, “Because it challenges

by Kate Slattery

your mind. You always have to be ready physically, mentally, and emotionally for each match. I like how with tennis it is just me. It is just me playing that other opponent. You are a team still, but individually you are always looking to win. We have to fight hard and be the tennis warriors that Coach Vonk wants us to be.” Practicing for at least three hours a day, which includes a fourth block tennis class, the tennis team works nonstop daily from 4 to 6 pm. With his assistant coaches, Vonk prepares his team vigorously to get the region title while also having fun. “More than anything, I want my players to love tennis,” Vonk said. “Tennis is a sport that I love. I want them to leave the program with some of the best memories that they have, and hopefully they continue to be lifelong players.”

Appling County Pirates Jimmy Swain Stadium · Capacity: 5,000 · Baxley, GA

Making History in Appling County Appling County has always been a strong athletic program, but in the last few years the Pirates have been making believers out of more than just their own region or Class AAA. Everyone knows the story about Byron Buxton - how he was the second player taken in the 2011 Amateur Baseball Draft. Though Appling has become a baseball powerhouse, the Pirate track team is chasing that same type of history. When Appling County Head Track Coach Sheldon Pearce first noticed Kevin Johnson in his fifth grade physical education class, he knew that the potential was there for him to be a Division I athlete; the only question would be what sport or event in track and field. Pearce is not a typical high school track coach. He is as serious about track as head football coaches are about their programs. Experiences coaching track at East Carolina University and Howard Payne University in Texas have helped him adapt a college track philosophy for the Appling County program, and it’s been paying dividends. “First of all the credit goes to God, then to all of the administration and coaches in all of the athletic programs, especially our Athletic Director J.T. Pollock, and finally the kids and all of their families. I want to help kids get to the regional and state meets - to get the kids noticed for their speed which may help them get a track scholarship or a scholarship in another sport. That was one of the reasons that I moved Kevin to the hurdles - to get him more exposure and to also win more points

which helped us win more meets,” Pearce said. Johnson authored his own page of Appling County and state of Georgia track history this season. Johnson, the son of Lisa Knight and Kevin Johnson, has won three state championships in a row in the 300-meter hurdles. Those three-straight state championships are impressive at face value, but the road Johnson took on the way is even more so. Johnson didn’t start running track until his eighth-grade year. He was also a basketball player but found out he was a stronger runner, competing in the 100-meters and 200-meters. “I was good at it; I was one of the fastest runners, but I wasn’t really committed to track. It was just kind of something to do,” Johnson said. Pearce, who has been the architect behind one of the best programs in Class AAA, moved Johnson from being a sprinter to running hurdles. Johnson, who stands 6’3,” has the build to be a great hurdler, but the beginning of his freshman year, it didn’t seem like those three state championships were in his grasp: “I started out working the hurdles, and it was ugly. It didn’t go as well as I thought, but I also didn’t work as hard as I should have, and I wasn’t as committed as I would become,” Johnson said. After a less than appealing freshman track season, Johnson started track season with a conversation with Pearce. “Coach Pearce told me that if I worked really hard that season that I could win a state championship in the 300-meter hurdles. Because Coach Pearce believed in me, I started to work hard and started to mature much more in my approach to being the best hurdler in the state,” Johnson said. At the region meet, Johnson beat out the person that beat him in the regional meet as a freshman. Defeating that rival made Pearce’s abstract state championship comment seem more concrete. He finished first in the 300-meter hurdles at the state meet in Jefferson, his first state championship. Coming into his junior year, Johnson was considered one of the best hurdlers, regardless of classification. He continued his same winning ways on the track, and despite the accolades he gained, he wanted to remain humble. The real test of his strength would be what he would deal with off the track. Johnson’s mother has been battling breast cancer for the last three years, and to increase the weight on his shoulders, his sister passed away two weeks before the state meet in his junior year. Personal tragedy did not spurn him; instead he

by John Wood

raised the bar once again at the AAA state meet. Not only did Johnson win a second consecutive state championship, he also was a part of Appling’s state champion 4 x 100 relay team. “We won the 4 x 100 relay in 2011, and Kevin wasn’t on that relay team. He could have been, but he was edged out by a senior. When he won the 300 his junior year, I asked him if he was happier about winning that or the 4 x 100. Kevin said the 4 x 100 made him happier because it wasn’t just an individual honor; it was being part of a team,” Pearce said. Two consecutive state championships in the 300-meter hurdles and nationally-ranked in the top five for his event, colleges began to show serious interest during the summer of his upcoming senior year. “The University of Georgia started to show interest, and I got letters and information from Middle Tennessee State University, Morgan State University, and the University of Kentucky. When I went to visit the campus in Lexington, it felt like I was at home, and I signed a scholarship to run track for the University of Kentucky on February 10, 2014,” Johnson said. In his final track season this past year, Johnson simply wanted to make history - not for just his school but also Southeast Georgia. Johnson entered the history books in mid-May when he finished first for the third consecutive time. Winning three gold medals in three years is rare, but Johnson’s quiet resolve and inspirational journey make it a sports story for the ages. Despite individual honors, Johnson knows that he hasn’t accomplished everything alone. “Coach Pearce has always been there for me and has helped me to understand what it means to be the best. Ms. Folson, who was my literature teacher and later a guidance counselor, was always there for me when I needed her. She was there for me when my Mom got sick and helped get through everything,” Johnson said. As an incredible athlete and young man, Johnson will have unlimited potential once he starts receiving specific technique training at Kentucky. “Kevin picks things up very fast, and he is aware of what his body can and can’t do. He uses that to his advantage. Once he is at Kentucky, he has the potential to do great things. Right now he is a great athlete, but if he has to run a 10.7 to beat you, that is what he runs. When he starts having peak performances from a regimented training program, he will find out how fast he really is,” Pearce said.

Bradwell Institute Tigers Olvey Field • Capacity: 9,000 • Hinesville, GA Under the Radar and into the League Last fall 10,000 seniors took the field for their last season of college football. Out of those 10,000 seniors, only 256 senior college football players were selected by NFL teams in the 2014 draft. Georgia State Panthers offensive lineman Ulrick John worked hard for a chance at the NFL, and the hard work paid off when the Indianapolis Colts picked him in the seventh round, pick number 232. It’s hard to believe that the former Bradwell Institute offensive lineman could have ever flown under the radar at 6’6,” 290 pounds. Though schools knew about John and the potential he had, one of his strongest callers was a program that literally was built from the ground up, the Georgia State Panthers. Recruited to the downtown Atlanta school by veteran college coach Bill Curry, the Panthers didn’t even play other teams in John’s first season. “Ulrick is simply amazing. He will be a great success at everything he does. He is smart, tough, and resilient. He can play every (offensive line) position and can dominate college opponents, meaning he can compete in the NFL. He will play football as long as he wishes to play,” Curry said. John started to see a change in his technique and his strength between his sophomore and junior years, and he wasn’t the only one. “Coach Curry started to tell me during the end of my sophomore season that I had the size and footwork to be able to play in the NFL,” John said. “He told me that scouts had started to notice my size and quickness. I always wanted the opportunity, and that was a huge boost of confidence for me.” Entering his junior season, John’s hard work and persistence paid off as he became the starting left tackle, a position he held through the 2013 season. It was at the school’s junior day, which allowed him to perform individually in front of pro scouts. He ran an excellent 5.1-second 40-yard dash. However, he also suffered a torn labrum, and though he came back strong, he was really only effective with one arm. “I think he would even be a bigger prospect if he would have had a full year to recover from the labrum surgery,” Panthers Offensive Line Coach Harold Etheridge said. “That, and

the fact that he really didn’t get a redshirt year. Honestly, I wish he had because I would love to have him on the line another year.” John played his final game in November 2013 for the Panthers and then moved to Florida to train for the various combines that precede the NFL draft. “I have trained with Mike Gough for the last two and a half months, working on drills with foot speed and quickness. I will attend regional combines and as many tryout camps as I can,” John said. At Georgia State University’s Pro Day, John posted a 4.9 time in the 40-yard dash and also showed strong versatility in the different drills that showcase potential NFL linemen. The Seattle Seahawks’ interest in John increased. “I just had visits with three teams: Seattle, Miami, and Indy. I visited with the GM and coaches. They had me do board work, but I feel like I impressed every team I met with, especially at Pro Day when I ran a 4.96 [40yard dash] that helped a lot. But I have gotten a call from over 10 teams about my draft day number. I knew it didn’t mean much, but they knew about me so [I hoped] someone would go ahead and see the potential and would pick me up in the draft,” John said. The draft started on a Thursday, and South Carolina Gamecock defensive tackle Javedon Clowney was the first picked. Late Saturday, John started to get nervous as the fifth round, which many had him projected to go in, came and went. Mother’s Day brought the final day of the draft. John knew that he would still pursue a career in professional football through free agency. Bradwell’s other NFL player, former New England Patriot, Miami Dolphins, and San Diego Chargers linebacker Gary Guyton signed as a free agent. “The day of the draft was probably one of the worst and best days of our lives. The wait was horrible, but it was well worth it in the end. It was the best Mother’s Day present ever…I can’t even describe it…we’ve been planning this since he was nine years old,” Jay-J Kesner, John’s mother, said. The phone finally rang Sunday afternoon, and John was the final draft pick for the Colts and the first draft pick in the history of Bradwell Instititue.

by John Wood

“After I got the call, it was just a really big relief,” John said. “It’s great, and I am just really excited to have the opportunity to go out there and show them what I can do and compete for a spot on the team whether it be as a starter or a back up. I am so grateful to Coach Walsh and to Coach Curry for their belief in me,” John said. Days after being selected, John was already on site in Indianapolis. His first contract with Colts is valued at 2.2 million dollars over four years. John is currently going through organized team activities and has been embraced by the veterans according to his mother. “I believe Ulrick is a gift in the seventh. He can do so many things well, including all offensive linemen positions as well as long snapping. Had he been in a high profile program, he would have been a high draft choice. His best attribute is a great attitude!” Curry said.

"I started to get bigger and stronger. My movement on the court was quicker, and I started to learn how to develop new shots."

Rising Star

GRANT Jacobs

brantley county middle school

Hardwood leads to success on the tennis court by John Wood

trength, speed, and the ability to change direction quickly are necessary in developing a strong athletic skill set. Applying that skill set with the technical needs of a given sport is what creates athletic ability. Brantley County eighth-grader Grant Jacobs, son of Greg and Sherry Jacobs, found out the truth of that statement when his dad wanted him to try tennis a few years ago. Grant’s dad, a former basketball coach and assistant superintendent in Brantley County, thought Grant, who grew up playing the sport his dad loved, would enjoy tennis. Tennis would also help Grant on the hardwood, too, as Grant soon found out. “My Dad is an absolute sports fanatic. He coached basketball and spends time going to mine and my brothers’ games and working with us to be the best. He asked me if I wanted to go to Coach Matt Thrift’s tennis camp when I was in fourth grade,” Jacobs said. The decision to go to Thrift’s camp to learn about tennis certainly influenced his future sports career. “We started out not even hitting real tennis balls. We were hitting big foam balls on mini nets across the court. I had to get used to hitting the ball the right way, but once I did, I started to really enjoy tennis,” Jacobs said. Jacobs kept playing tennis and improving his skills and ended up making the Brantley County Middle School tennis team as a sixth-grader. “I understood the quickness of movement and changing direction from playing basketball, but that intensifies when you have a fast serve coming at you and you have to get you racquet around and return the ball in bounds,” Jacobs said. Probably the most valuable understanding that Jacobs gained this year besides experience was playing doubles with a meticulous eighth-grade partner. “I have always tried to be my best in everything. When I was playing doubles, my partner was a perfectionist in everything he did. It started to help me really learn the mental game better. My partner wanted to play the entire match perfectly. I adopted that same philosophy, but also learned that sometimes you have to play through making a mistake,” Jacobs said. Playing his best tennis was important, but he also realized his performance on

photography by Jennifer Carter Johnson

the court impacts his entire team, not just him. “I can be very mad in a tennis match, especially knowing that how I am playing or a missed shot can affect the whole team. I have learned, though, that I can be upset, but I can’t dwell on a shot that I missed or a fault point because of teammates depending on my match for overall points,” Jacobs said. During his middle school tennis career, he also has strengthened his technique and started to really develop a passion for the game of tennis, on and off the court. “I started to get bigger and stronger. My movement on the court was quicker, and I started to learn how to develop new shots. Tennis is a situational game and how hard and where you swing your racquet controls the ball. I have learned to put more top spin on the ball. I am learning how to play the game the way I am supposed to and where I need to be on the court to hit a certain shot,” Jacobs said. He has also started to pay more attention to professional tennis. Wimbledon is his favorite tournament, and Pete Sampras and Novak Jokovjeciz are his favorite professional players. As Jacobs developed his game, he bolstered it playing against some strong competition in the United States Tennis Association open tournaments in Valdosta and Brunswick. He also learned the different types of courts playing on the clay tennis court tournaments at Jekyll Island. “Clay courts are different from the cement courts we normally play on. They have a totally different feel to them, and the ball can do different things. But I enjoy the challenge of playing on them,” Jacobs said. Jacobs will be a rising freshman next year for the Brantley High School tennis team and has gained a lot of experience during his time with the middle school that will benefit him. “I have really enjoyed my whole time that I have played tennis during my middle school years. Coach Lee and Coach Thrift have been great the way they have taught us the game. Everyone from sixth graders to seniors play together. We all get along like a big family which makes it even better,” Jacobs said. In addition to playing tennis, Jacobs is also a shooting guard on the basketball team and a strong student that enjoys

Georgia History. “I am really excited to have Grant as a part of the varsity team next year. Coach Lee does a great job with the middle school program helping players learn the game and get ready to play high school tennis. Grant works extremely hard and will definitely help our boys team,” Brantley County High School Head Tennis Coach Matt Thrift said. ITG

Pierce County Bears Blackshear, GA · www.pchs.pierce.k12.ga.us

Skate Dreams “Once a skater, always a skater.” This statement was made by a Pierce County senior named Michael Thornburg. He and Josh Norton are pursuing a future in skateboarding. Norton was only four when he began to skate. Norton said that he had always wanted a skateboard but never had use for it until he woke up one

morning to a Cory Duffel video. Over time, his interest in the sport grew, and now, after high school, he is moving to California to pursue a career in skating. “It never gets easier,” said Norton. “You just get better at it.” Thornburg received his first board on his 11 th birthday, and that is where the spark began.

PCHS Golf The regular season has come to a close, and the PCHS golf team is further preparing for the most important part of their season: state. They recently played in the Bulldog Invitational tournament which is also where the AAA state championship will be held. Participating in this tournament was good practice

for the team to get a feel for the course so that they will know what to expect when they have to play there for state. Despite the bad weather conditions they had to play through during the tournament, the Bears won the Bulldog Invitational. Senior Brandon Popham tied for low medalist with a 76. Popham will be attending

his Bachelor of Music degree. In subsequent years, Edwards attended the University of North Florida and received his Master of Music Education. †Edwards also attended Valdosta State University to get his specialist degree in education, and he attended Georgia Southern University, where he completed his course work for his doctorate degree in education. Edwards plans on returning to GSU to begin his dissertation. Aside from college, Edwards began his career with his first teaching assignment at Fernandina Beach Junior High, where he taught for three years. When a high school position became available, Edwards was fortunate enough to secure a band director position at Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Florida. While teaching at Sandalwood High, Edwards was successful in building up their band program from 90 students to 210 students. Although Edwards was pleased with his success at Sandalwood High, he felt his family was ready for a change of lifestyle and moved to the scenic state of Vermont. During Edwards’s time in Vermont, he taught jazz band to elementary students. He also worked at seven different small schools. Edwards and his family decided that the snow in Vermont was a bit much, and they moved back to the South, where Edwards found a teaching position at Pierce County

by Josie DuPont

Truett-McConnell College in the fall on a golf scholarship. The Bears retained their 1-AAA region title. The region tournament was held at the Lakeview Golf Course.

Edwards Leads Sound of Silver Bob Edwards, the Pierce County High School band director, has been surrounded by music his whole life. When he was growing up, it was just him, his brother, and his mother. His mother was a high school music director, and Edwards learned many things from her such as making music fun and interesting, how to teach valuable lessons and skills, and unity. Multiple teachers and musical inspirations have motivated Edwards to share his love of music with his students. “I wake up early in the morning and cannot wait to get to school to begin teaching! I have a job that I love!” says Edwards. Edwards was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He attended Westwood Heights Elementary, where he began playing clarinet under the memorable direction of Dale Baroni. “He made the easy music we played fun, and it was a memory I will always treasure,” Edwards says of Baroni. In sixth grade, Edwards transferred from clarinet to tenor saxophone. “The tenor sax is a huge instrument for a sixth grader,” says Edward. “I still remember carrying that big saxophone case across my bike’s handlebars and trying to ride home balancing the saxophone and trying to peddle.” Edwards also attended Nova High School and Plantation High School. Upon completion of high school, Edwards attended Florida State University, where he earned

by Brittany Howell

His favorite part of skating is the freedom and that there are no rules. In his future, he hopes to become an armature skater with sponsors to support him. Not only does he want to skate, but he wants to become a graphic designer for a board company. It takes a lot of dedication to be a skater, and these boys have it!

by Ivy Young

High School. Since Edwards has been band director at PCHS, the marching band has won at least three Grand Champion awards. The PCHS band also receives superior ratings at symphonic concerts and competitions. Edwards tries not to focus solely on rewards and trophies, but rather the appreciation of music in each student’s life and important life skills that young adults need. These skills include group cohesiveness and group unity. “This year’s band has been the largest band in PCHS history and in my opinion the best sounding band ever! The students have been really great this year, and their eagerness to learn is awesome,” says Edwards. The PCHS band boosters are a big reason Edwards is able to efficiently run the band program. “They are great, and their main concern is helping the band,” adds Edwards. Edwards is definitely a superior director, but he could not do it without the support of his family. His wife, Kim Edwards, is tremendously supportive and helps Edwards at all band events. He has a son named Blake who has gone through the band program and is now employed in Jesup at the Federal Corrections Facility. Edwards also has two daughters - Darby, who is a professional hair stylist, and Alexis, who is a senior at PCHS. The final member of Edwards’s family is his small black and white dog named Oreo.

Brantley County Herons Caney Bay Stadium • Capacity: 2,200 • Nahunta, GA · www.bchsherons.com Lady Herons Tennis Team Advances to Final Four for the First Time in History

Lady Herons Tennis Coach Matt Thrift gives his girls a pep talk and some tips and reminders before their winning match against Pierce.

Wednesday, April 30, the Brantley County Lady Herons tennis team beat Pierce County to secure their place in the Final Four. This is the first time in history that Brantley’s Lady Herons have made it to the Final Four. Coach Matt Thrift is excited for the team, saying taking the girls to the Final Four is “definitely new.” He said, “I’m just excited that the girls get to experience something the guys always have.” The boys tennis team makes it to the Final Four almost every year. The Herons were most definitely underdogs in this match. Their match against Pierce earlier in the season ended in a gruesome 5-0 defeat, but the girls shocked their opponents, winning 3-1 in this last match at Pierce. The girls were full of energy and ready to play on the bus ride to the match. On the way to their match, first doubles players Loren Mertz and Britney Wright had a minor pep talk that transformed into a pep rally. Mertz asked, “Britney, you ready?” Wright replied, “Girl, I’ve been ready since before I was born!” Overhearing them, the rest of the team immediately broke into cheers and hollers. Mertz

and Wright went on to win both of their sets 6-2 and 6-4 respectively. Without a doubt, the energy and confidence of the entire team helped seal the win against Pierce. When asked how they managed to pull out a win after such a bad loss before, Mertz said, “You have to practice how you play, so we take every practice seriously. You can’t down yourself while playing either. You have to keep your head up and have a good attitude no matter what. If you keep losing your cool and get mad all the time, you won’t play well. We definitely did a better job at this match than last time.” Mertz isn’t the only one who realizes you must maintain a positive attitude and stay calm. Taylor Lane, one of the team’s best singles players, said, “I was really nervous and a little upset at times, but I didn’t show it, and I think that really fazed my opponent and messed with her head. I could tell it was making her mad.” Thrift agreed saying, “Tennis is 99 percent mental. If you can make your opponent mad, the win is yours for the taking.” Thrift then explained the other 1 percent. What

by Nick Rehberg

makes a good tennis player? “Competitive and good feet,” said Thrift. “I like having players that play other sports besides tennis, because that just makes them even more competitive. And don’t get confused between quick feet and good feet. I’ve seen plenty of players that possess quick feet but just aren’t that good at tennis. Good feet make a good player.” Mertz said, “Coach always says if you’re doing something bad, it’s feet. If you’re doing something good, it’s feet. And that is certainly true.” Caitlyn Morgan, who is only a freshman, plays second singles for the Lady Herons. She is an amazing player, especially for her age. Morgan definitely proved she has determination and endurance when her match shockingly lasted two and a half hours. She won 5-7, 6-3, and 6-2. She never stopped moving and remained calm and focused the whole time. “She has so much potential, and I can’t wait to see how great she’ll be by her senior year.” said Thrift. Mertz said, “Cait is a great person and a great player. In my opinion, she’s one of the best girls on the team.” The Lady Herons were exceedingly excited after their win, realizing they would be the first-ever Brantley girls team to move on to the Final Four. Marissa Burgess, who plays second doubles with Kiersten Morgan (older sister of Caitlyn Morgan), could not contain her excitement. After winning her sets with Kiersten, 6-4 and 2-3, she ran off the court yelling, “Did you see me Coach? Did you see me?” “I couldn’t even process my thoughts! There was just so much energy running through my body. I was on top of the world!” said Mertz. “Coach gave us a pep talk before we started warming up, so I just kept repeating to myself what he said that way I would remember it when we played. He told us the most important thing is to keep our feet moving and go after every ball, so I did. We all did. We all encouraged each other nonstop throughout the matches, and I think that really kept everyone on point. And it goes without saying that we were ecstatic after the match. I was just so proud of my team for doing what’s never been done before.” Working hard and practicing every day, rain or sunshine, hot or cold, was apparently worth it. April 30 was surely an incredible day for Coach Matt Thrift and his girls as they beat Brantley’s biggest rival, Pierce County 3-1, to secure their spot in the Final Four, an accomplishment that hopefully does not just occur this year.

Ware County Gators Memorial Stadium • Capacity: 12,000 • Waycross, GA • www.warecountygators.net by Rob Asbell

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BO CARTER

Postseason Awards and Preseason Practice

May is that rare time when high school football and baseball meet as postseason baseball clashes with spring football practice. There is call for excitement in both sports at Ware County High as the football team welcomes a new coach and the baseball team claimed its first region title in 10 years. It was a banner year for the Ware County baseball team, and the rest of the region agreed. A total of seven Gators were named to the All-Region 3-AAAAA baseball team. To put the icing on the cake, Ty Hobbs was named Player of the Year and Tony Yeomans was named Region Coach of the Year. This is the second time Yeomans has been honored; the first time was when he was at Long County. “Ty Hobbs winning Player of the Year was an even bigger honor to me,” Coach Yeomans said. “It’s not about me. It’s about these kids.” Players are voted on by region coaches, and Hobbs’s selection as Player of the Year was unanimous. Five players were named to the region’s First Team, including seniors Hobbs, Ty Bennett, Dayton Beasley, Austin Chaney, and sophomore Kobe Manders. Honorable mentions were given to sophomore Zachary Strickland and freshman Cody Grant.

Coach Yeomans led the Gators to an 18-8 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the region and Ware County’s first region championship since 2004. Hobbs put on an impressive showing this season to claim the region Player of The Year award. He had a .351 batting average, eight homeruns, 28 runs batted-in, and 19 runs scored. He was even more dangerous on the mound where he was 4-1 with 46 strikeouts and a 3.04 earned run average. Senior Ty Bennett played first base and pitcher where he was 5-1 with 50 strikeouts and a 1.42 ERA. He batted .290 at the plate with 15 RBIs. Cather Dayton Beasley had a batting average of .325 with 17 RBIs. Behind the plate, he had 128 putouts and a .982 fielding percentage. Shortstop Kobe Manders, an Honorable Mention last year, batted .342 with 26 hits and 30 runs and a .937 fielding percentage. As a utility player switching between second base and the outfield, Austin Chaney hit .422 with 19 hits and 11 RBIs. Honorable mention selection Zachary Strickland was 5-3 from the mound with 27 strikeouts and a 2.3 ERA. Freshman Cody Grant played infield and pitcher where he had 12 strikeouts. He also had a .384 batting average. Meanwhile at the practice field, new Head

Football Coach Franklin Stephens was taking the Gators through their paces, installing a new offensive look and fast-paced defense to match. He was pleased with spring practice from an overall standpoint. “We have our six through 12 programs doing the same thing offensively, defensively, and on special teams.” After two weeks of contact, the new coach put the players to the test during the Green and White Game. Coach Stephens believes everyone connected to the football program is under a great deal of pressure to learn everything in just 10 days. “There is a steep learning curve.” Many players are also going to be learning both sides of the ball as he plays them both ways on occasion. Stephens comes to Waycross from Barnesville where he led Lamar County to a 26-2-1 record in two years with two trips to the state semifinals and a trip to the Georgia Dome for the state finals last year. Before coaching at Lamar County, Stephens was head coach at Tucker. In five seasons at Tucker, Stephens’s record was 64-6, including two state championships, four semifinal appearances, and three region championships. Another big event for Ware County came during the NFL Draft when former Gator standout Jimmy Staten was taken in the fifth round by the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. The 6’5,” 303-pound defensive tackle played for Middle Tennessee State University after graduating from Ware County High School in 2008. He was AllState and All-Region his junior and senior years for the Gators. He suffered a knee injury his senior year at MTSU but was able to overcome it and be a force on the Blue Raiders defensive front. After taking Staten with the 172nd pick overall, the Seahawks plan on using him primarily against the run.

Wayne County Yellow Jackets Jaycee Stadium • Capacity: 4,500 • Jesup, GA Wayne Ends Baseball Season in the Elite Eight

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEFFREY GRIFFITH

Surviving the tough second-half of the region schedule, the Wayne County Yellow Jackets baseball team came back in the region playoffs to grab its fifth Region 3-AAAA title in six years, shutting out tenth-ranked Cross Creek, 5-0. Earning the number one seed, Wayne was able to stay in the confines of Bo Warren field during the playoffs. The Yellow Jackets hosted the Westover Patriots from Albany in the first round of the AAAA state baseball tournament. Wayne scored 21 runs off of 18 hits, sweeping Westover 11-0 and 10-0, in consecutive five-inning games. Pitchers J.D. Paul and Payton Phillips only gave up three hits total against the Patriots. Howard High School of Macon would be the Jackets’ next opponent and would prove a much more formidable foe than Westover. However, this season had been defined by Yellow Jackets battling back against adversity, and Howard was no exception. The game was tied 4-4 during the bottom of the seventh inning, and the persistence of the Wayne hitters had loaded the bases. Kasey Crawford hit an infield single which scored the winning run. In the second game, Howard fought, but Wayne took a 4-2 lead midway through the game off a homerun from Clay Teston. Howard got base runners aboard in its final at bat, but Phillips’s perfor-

mance on the mound and Wayne’s defense secured the win. Phillips finished with ten strikeouts. Paul came out strong in the first best-of-three series against Alexander, and Wayne advanced to the Elite Eight. He struck out nine and only gave up four hits in a complete game 2-1 victory. The Yellow Jackets were within one game of winning the series, but Alexander roared back in game two. Both teams had zeroes across the scoreboard in a pitchers’ duel featuring Phillips and Cougar left-hander Nick Wise. Bolstered by a two-run homer in the sixth inning, Wise recorded a no-hit 4-0 shutout win, striking out ten Wayne County hitters. The series tied at one a piece, Wayne found itself in a familiar position - the same position they had been in during the final days of the regular season and also in the regional tournament. Wayne’s Ben Hockensmith and Caleb Phillips opened the deciding game with back-to-back singles. Philips then walked, and Hockensmith scored the first run of the game off of a wild pitch. The Yellow Jackets grabbed two more runs in the top of the first inning with Zachary Mainor walking to reload the bases and Teston reaching first on an error. Before Wayne County senior pitcher Sid Royal stepped onto the pitcher’s rubber in the second inning, he had a 3-0 lead. Royal’s pitching and stellar defensive plays from Yellow Jacket second baseman Mason Robertson and Crawford’s diving catch in center field in the third, stymied Alexander until the fourth inning. Alexander’s offense awoke in the fourth inning, con-

by John Wood necting for three singles and taking advantage of two of Wayne’s errors and cutting the lead to 3-2. Mainor walked in the sixth inning and advanced to second on Paul’s single. On a heads up play, Mainor scored after stealing third; the catcher had overthrown to the third baseman, allowing Mainor to score. Royal triple plated another run. Hockensmith singled, scoring Royal and giving Wayne a comfortable 6-2. Royal forced a fly out for the first out of the final inning of regulation. Alexander cranked out three singles in a row. Wayne traded a run for its second out, and then another single added the Cougars’ second run of the inning, making the score 6-4. Wise, who had been the Cougars’ hero in game two on the mound, hit a three-run homerun to give Alexander its first lead of the game, 7-6. The lead forced a pitching change for Wayne; Sam Denty came in to record the final out. Losing the lead meant the Yellow Jackets would have to take their final at bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alexander struck out the first two hitters, but then two walks and a single from Teston loaded the bases. Denty singled in a tying run before Wise came in to record the final out. The game tied, 7-7, Wayne battled through like they had done all season, but the straight frame was controlled totally by Alexander. It was too much for the Yellow Jackets to overcome. The Cougars scored six runs off of three hits, three walks, and two hit batters. Wayne County finished the 2014 campaign with a Region 3-AAAA championship and a 21-11 record.

09132 02141