PREGAME
june 2015 CONTENTS
7 PUBLISHER’S LETTER
9 FAST BREAKS
15 ON THE COVER Jessica Stanfill: Fitzgerald Soccer........................10 Valdosta State Area Football Signees..................15 Brian Bell: The Damage of Rumor.......................18 Kevin Giddens: Colquitt AD..................................22 Gavin Hiers: Thomasville Fishing.........................33 Lowndes ODP Soccer Players..............................37 2015 In the Game Golf Tournament....................40
25 2015 In the Game Golf Tournament Sponsored by
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Farmers & Merchants Bank and Valdosta Toyota
Financial Facts How to Protect Your Money When You Travel provided by Colony Bank
35 Riccardo INGRAM An inspirational athlete, coach and person
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SPRING FOOTBALL scrimmages: good or bad?
40 MASON MILLER Facts and Figures
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Boost with Caution! Pros, Cons, and Tips for your Energy Drink Consumption
Lowndes High School
45 Crockett Floyd Leads Titans to a State Title
North Oconee High School
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The ITG team is already gearing up for the 2015 preseason football edition, and we want you to be in the magazine! If you’re a fan with an opinion about the upcoming season, send your comment and a head shot of yourself to opinions@ inthegamemagazine.com
Your comment can explain why your team is going to go all the way this year or perhaps how your team could improve their game. Do you have a favorite player? Tell us how you think they are going to benefit the team in the 2015 season! Yes, even mom can comment... June 2015
In the Game
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June 2015 Publisher’s page
Over the years, as In the Game High School Sports Magazine has evolved, the sports scene in South Georgia has evolved with it. When we first started publishing, we covered athletes who competed predominately at the region level. They were among the best athletes in the region and had chances to play in college. Most were smaller Division I schools or even Division II programs. As the years passed, things began to change for the better, particularly with sports outside of the Big Three – football, basketball, and baseball. We’ve always had football players and baseball players who could compete with the best. However, once football season ended, the pickings were slim. Thankfully, that has changed. It’s almost as though parents, kids, and athletic directors realized the opportunities that exist for athletes in all sports, not just the three majors. Now we are writing about athletes who win state and national championships, and who can compete with the best in the United States. In this edition, we have two more student-athletes who are among the best in the country in their respective sport. We’ve covered Luke Pelkowski and Elizabeth Lott before. Both elite level soccer players, they’ve been on Georgia’s Olympic Development Team for three straight years. This year,
however, both have made the ODP national rosters. These are two of our own who can compete not only with the best in the state but the best across the country. Right now, U.S. soccer is at a peak, both in terms of talent level and participation. That means that Luke and Elizabeth are among the most talented junior soccer players anywhere in the world. Elizabeth is a junior at Lowndes High, while Luke is a freshman for the Vikings. The future for both is wide open. Another way in which high school sports in the area have evolved is in the number and types of sports our schools offer. We now have diving, gymnastics, competition cheerleading, and fishing. This month, we have our first competitive fisherman on the pages of In the Game. Gavin Hiers, whose two sisters we have already featured in the past, is likely a future college football player who also fishes on Thomasville High’s fishing team. I would imagine going to fishing practice is a whole lot more enjoyable than going to football practice. In addition to these features, we spent a few minutes with Colquitt County’s athletic director, Kevin Giddens; Fitzgerald High’s first female Division I soccer player, Jessica Stanfill; Peyton Dunn, a 10-year-old baseball player who has a penchant for using his flexibility to make plays; Lowndes High baseball player Mason Miller; and a host of other talented players and coaches from throughout the area. We have come to that time of the year when we take a little break to catch our breath then gear up for the fall football season. We look forward to seeing you again in August. Have a great summer.
In the Game team Commentary:
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“High school sports not only build great athletes, but also great young adults.”
Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editors Mark Dykes Sarah Turner Graphics Sarah Turner Cover Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography Feature Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography Phil Hubbard Feature Writers Robert Preston Jr. Jon Nelson James Washington Sarah Turner Copy Editor James Washington
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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. Dykes Publishing Group, Inc. makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2014 Dykes Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.
June 2015
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FAST BREAKS
Spring into History
Wildcat Volleyball Set to Begin
Triplet Talent Serves Success on the Court by James Washington
One game, two worlds, three siblings. The boys’ and girls’ tennis teams at Thomasville High School are in good hands, and a large amount of credit is due to the junior trio of Anna, Austin, and Abigail (“Abby”) Walter. Born only minutes apart (Anna is the oldest by two minutes, followed by Austin), tennis has become a valuable tool of unity for the 17-year-old triplets. “We started playing when we were five or six years old,” says Abby, the youngest of the three. “We played in our first tournament when we were nine. It’s never been about any other sport.” On the court, all three are exceptional at their craft. As of this writing, Austin has not lost a match this season, and is a key component of a region-champion boy’s team that is preparing for an Elite Eight matchup in the state tournament. For the last two seasons, Abby and Anna have alternated between the number-one and number-two spots on the girls’ team. A major reason for the shifts in position is injury; Anna is currently out of action due to having surgery on her ankle in early April; Abby has seen her share of injury as well, particularly with her shoulder. Anna is currently in the recovery process; she hopes to be cleared in early June. “I was undefeated through our season,” Abby says. “Anna was undefeated, too, until she injured her ankle.” For the girls, it has always been about tennis. Austin, on the other hand, branched out a bit. He played soccer, tennis, and football before settling on tennis as his preference. “I decided to put all of my focus into tennis around ninth grade,” he says. “Plus, I’m not a very big guy. I would try to tackle someone, and next thing you know, they’re still running with me hang-
For years, the program had been nothing more than a thought. In late April, it became official that Valdosta High School would be adding a volleyball team to its list of campus athletics. After a decade of waiting,
the students, parents, and community generated enough interest to bring the sport to Wildcat Country. Per GHSA regulations, the volleyball team will play a junior varsity schedule for its first two seasons. Beginning in the third year (2017-2018), it will be permitted to move up to the varsity ranks. The team will be led by Anna McCall, who brings a world of experience, having been a member of the Iceland national team for eight years; By her side will be assistant coach Rhonne Goodson. The announcement was made to the public on Tuesday, April 21, in a press conference from the VHS Performing Arts Center. Support is widespread for the new team, which will begin practicing on August 1 in preparation for their debut on August 17.
Anna: “Last year, the region came down to my match. After I split sets, I won the second set 6-1. It was really cool, because the whole team came running out on the court. It was really fun to celebrate that with the team.” ing on (laughs).” All three siblings attended Brookwood School until they completed second grade. Prior to third grade, Anna and Abby were taken out of Brookwood to be homeschooled; this allowed them more time for tennis training. Austin remained at the school until the end of his sophomore year; the 2014-15 year is his first at Thomasville High School. According to Austin, the transition wasn’t too difficult. “We are really close,” Austin says. “The move was fairly easy because I get to be closer to (Anna and Abby).” His sisters faced a much different adjustment when they left homeschooling, but not having to do it alone helped a great deal. “I always had Abby with me,” Anna says. “When we arrived (at Scholars Academy), it just felt like a bigger circle of friends. We were able to help each other, and that really helped with getting adjusted.” While Anna and Abby would love to play tennis at the collegiate level, Austin’s desire to play simply stems from the love of the sport.
“I love the game, but I’m not particularly interested in playing in college,” he says. “All of the colleges I’ve looked at so far have been mainly for academics; tennis isn’t a necessity.” Education is of strong importance in the Walter family; the triplets are all enrolled in the same five college-level courses this year through the Scholars Academy, which is an accelerated college preparatory magnet program through the Thomasville City School System. They also have an older sibling that is preparing for medical school. It appears that tennis is a growing tradition that will remain in the Walter family for quite a while. And while Austin may not continue beyond high school, Anna and Abby are in it for as long as possible. “My sisters are more of the competitive type,” he says. “Me? I’m more of your typical high school player; I like to have fun. If we played, they’d both probably beat me pretty easily (laughs).” Austin brings the fun. Anna and Abby bring the fire. But, no matter what happens, the Walter triplets bring it… together. ITG
June 2015
In the Game
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Jessica Stanfill
Fitzgerald High School
brains
Fitzgerald senior lands Division I scholarship helps ‘Canes to first-ever women’s soccer championship by Robert Preston Jr.
Stanfill says she would love to remain close to sports and athletics as much as possible in her career. The mental side of sports has always interested her. “I think I’d like to be around athletes and help them do their best,” she says. And sports psychology seems to be a good fit. “It’s a relatively new field but almost all professional teams and many college programs have sports psychologists on staff. I’ve loved growing up in South Georgia but I don’t see my career bringing me back here. But I’m open to wherever it takes me.”
Four years ago, the Fitzgerald High School women’s soccer team was struggling. There wasn’t much interest in women’s soccer, and the team languished near the bottom of the region. A group of young, stubborn, and talented freshman helped change all that. Now they are region champions, and for the first time, a female soccer player will continue her career at the Division I level. “I’ve always tried to do as well as I possibly could in
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whatever it was I was doing. I’ve always wanted to do my best,” says Jessica Stanfill, 18. The senior is a midfielder for the soccer team (but has been recruited as a keeper; more on that later), a three-time AllRegion selection, last year’s 2A Player of the Year, team captain, and she’s ranked third in her graduating class. Stanfill began playing soccer four years ago. At age nine, she joined the South Georgia United and has been playing with the club ever
June 2015
since. Growing up, she was always a midfielder. As she entered her teen years, Stanfill began growing. And growing. And growing. As she grew taller and taller, people asked her about the possibility of playing keeper. Stanfill never gave it much thought and remained at the center of her teams’ offensive attack. Then, about two years ago, the United’s keeper went down with a twisted ankle. The 6’1” Stanfill took over in front of the net. “I was pretty new at the position, but I fell in love with it. The keeper is the spine of the team, so to speak. You can see the whole field, and you have a lot of opportunities to be big for the team. You can’t make a lot of mistakes back there,” she says. Though she played keeper for the United, she continued playing midfielder for the Purple Hurricanes. This year, Stanfill helped lead the ‘Canes to a 14-3 record at the time of this interview, a region championship, and an opportunity to host a first-round playoff game for the first time in school history. “When the season began, we got together as a team and made a list of goals. We wanted to beat Thomasville twice and win a region title. We accomplished those goals, beating Thomasville at their place to win the region. That was special,” she recalls. Throughout her soccer career, one of her primary goals has been to play soccer in college. She wanted to play at the Division I level but knew that getting there would take
photography by Micki K Photography
tremendous work, thousands of hours playing and practicing, and maybe even a little luck. She found what she believes is a perfect fit with the Richmond Spiders. “I knew I didn’t want to be at a huge state school. I wanted smaller class sizes, but I still wanted to play Division I. The University of Richmond exceeded anything I could ever hope for,” she says. In a story on Stanfill that appeared on the Spiders’ Web site, head coach Peter Albright states that Stanfill could compete for the starting keeper spot immediately. “She impressed us at our prospect camp with her athletic ability and her determination to succeed. She is very coachable, and we believe that she will compete for the starting spot immediately. Her experience as a midfielder and her foot skills will give Jess some unique tools and perspective. On top of that, she is a leader, a fighter, and a winner,” says Coach Albright in the story. ITG
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college
BLAZING A TRAIL Valdosta state university football signees by James Washington
»
As a football player, there’s no greater feeling than being able to perform in front of your home crowd. The feeling is only multiplied when your “home fans” are truly that; playing in an area of familiarity or close to home is indescribable. Your family is always in the stands to shower you with love and support. They’ve watched you grow, from Pop Warner all the way to the high school level. The fans are also friends; people you have known for years, and people that cause you to take extreme pride in everything that you do.
photography by Micki K Photography
Tift County High School Jaelan Johnson (Defensive Tackle, Defensive End)
Austin Mangelsdorf (Long Snapper)
According to Blue Devils’ head coach John Reid, the Blazers have snatched up the best defensive tackle in the state in Johnson. An All-Region Second Team selection, Johnson was also a participant in the Florida-Georgia War of the Borders game in Folkston, Ga., in February. He aspires to become a physical trainer, but in the immediate future, his goal is simply stated: He wants a national championship with the Blazers.
Mangelsdorf saw his share of action from just about everywhere on the field you could imagine. After spending time throughout his career at fullback, tight end, and defensive tackle, the honorable mention All-Region 1-AAAAAA selection will be shifting his skills to long snapper for the Blazers. His Blue Devils finished with a 7-4 record in their senior season, including his favorite memory, a 35-28 overtime win over the Lowndes Vikings on the road. He looks forward to tackling a pre-med track in college.
Mangelsdorf was featured in In the Game’s 2014 preseason football edition for his skill on the field and for his academic achievements.
VALWOOD School
TCHS cont. Hunter Winters (Offensive Line) Winters lands on campus at Valdosta State with the grit and versatility that the Tift County Blue Devils grew to love and expect on the gridiron. He brings leadership and a will to win that cannot be matched by many. He was an All-Region First Team selection his senior year, and he also participated in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s North-South All-Star Game. He plans to major in sports medicine, and would like to become a coach or teacher.
Marik Merine (Running Back) Merine will be the lone Valiant arriving on campus this fall, but the resilience of this former GISA standout will help him fit in quickly. He is no stranger to success; as a junior, he was a key component of the Valwood football team that went 14-0 and captured the Class AA State Championship. He was drawn to VSU after seeing the camaraderie amongst the football team, and he is confident that he can be a weapon on the offensive side of the ball. He enters college with aspirations of becoming a physical therapist.
TiftArea academy Charlie Massey (Safety) Charlie Massey brings Panther pride from Chula, Ga. (seven miles north of Tifton), to Valdosta State. During his junior year, his team was 1-10; Massey’s leadership, along with his fellow seniors, led the Panthers to a 7-4 record in his final season at Tiftarea; his favorite memory from that season was a nail-biting 35-34 overtime win over Southland Academy (Americus, Ga.) to help clinch a playoff spot. He was hooked by the school’s
One winning legacy to the next...
Colquitt Co High School
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Ricky Dunbar (Defensive End)
Tomarcio Reese (Linebacker)
Alex Williams (Defensive End)
After you go undefeated and take home a state championship in the highest classification in Georgia, the sky is the limit. Dunbar was part of a Packers team that capped off a 15-0 season with a 28-24 title win over Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) in front of thousands of Colquitt faithful. The 2014 AllRegion First Team selection looks to major in business; in the meantime, his work ethic and pass rushing ability are key attributes to push towards his goal of being named an AllAmerican.
An All-Region First Team selection, Reese was a key player in the secondary of Colquitt’s championship team. His excitement and dependability, both on and off the field, will bring a special flavor to the Blazers that only he can offer. Although currently undecided on a major, Reese is confident that his drive will allow him to be the best possible student-athlete during his stint at Valdosta State.
Another AllRegion First Team selection, Williams was a terror on the defensive line for the Packers. His effort and drive will be valuable assets to the Blazers, and his talent should translate to the college level seamlessly. He was swayed to Valdosta State because of the “family” atmosphere; he felt at home with the coaches and players during his visit. His future goal is to become a football coach.
inthegamemagazine.com
June 2015
football program, and he is certain that his presence will add to the strength and determination of the team.
Javonta Woods (Safety) Woods is all about business, both on and off the field. He is a state champion, an AllRegion First-Team selection, and he recognizes that his hard work and leadership, when combined with the winning ways of the Blazers, will translate to success on the field. In the classroom, it is only fitting that a business degree is his end goal.
Other area signees (not pictured) Lowndes Co. High: Malik Austin (Defensive Tackle) Alex Brown (Cornerback, Running Back)
Justin Fuller (Tight End, Defensive Tackle) Demarcus Jackson (Wide Receiver Crisp County Witt Campbell (Quarterback) Valwood Parker Bonner
lanier co high School Calvin Wright (Cornerback, Wide Receiver) Wright unfortunately had to miss his entire senior season in Lakeland, Ga.; however, his heart, work ethic, and drive to constantly improve his game were more than enough to impress the Blazers staff. A versatile athlete, he is used to seeing action on both sides of the ball. His talent extends beyond the field as well; he plans to pursue a career in medicine while attending Valdosta State. He chose VSU because of their academics and football program, and he looks forward to being the type of student-athlete that can make Titletown proud.
June 2015
In the Game
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I’ve forgiven them. They lost a son. That’s a horrible thing for any family to experience.
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Brian Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Mathew 5:11
by Robert Preston Jr.
Bell
Friday, November 18, 2011. It wasn’t a particularly memorable day for either Brian Bell or the late Kendrick Johnson. The two teens were freshmen members of the Lowndes High Vikings football team. That night, the Vikings played the Grayson Rams on the road in the second round of the playoffs. Brian and Kendrick were riding on the bus with the rest of the players; in fact, Brian was sitting in front of Kendrick, whom he considered a good friend. As is bound to happen with teenage boys, some goodnatured ribbing began. As is also bound to happen with teenage boys, particularly football players on the way to a muchanticipated playoff game, tempers flared. “I thought Kendrick was the one messing with me. I turned and asked him and the guy sitting with him to stop,” recalls Brian. The picking continued. Brian says he turned around and threw a punch in Kendricks’s direction. He missed. Kendrick answered with a punch of his own that also came up empty. By that time, coaches had made their way to the
back of the bus and the fight was over. Both kids were unhurt. Lowndes would lose the game 25-17 and watch the season come to a premature end. To make matters worse, neither Brian nor Kendrick could ride the bus back home to Valdosta. Head coach Randy McPherson has a rule: Fight on the bus, and you get kicked off the bus. Brian’s brother, Branden, was a junior on the 2011 Vikings team; with two sons on the team, their parents, Rick and Karen Bell, had traveled to the game. After the game ended, Brian hopped in the car with his parents and rode back with them. Because Kendrick’s parents were not at the game, he had to seek alternative transportation back to Lowndes High School. He ended up riding home in the front seat of a patrol car with one of Lowndes High’s school resource officers. Monday morning at school, both Brian and Kendrick were punished for the scuffle. They served their suspensions and gave the incident little thought afterwards. The two
photography by Micki K Photography & Phil Hubbard
even shook hands and didn’t let the altercation interrupt their friendship. “After the scuffle, everything was fine. Neither one of us thought it was a big deal,” says Brian. Nearly a year and a half later, that seemingly insignificant scrape on the way to a football game would come back to haunt the Bell family in the worst way under the most tragic of circumstances. Thursday, January 10, 2013, approximately 1:30 PM. For much of the day, things went as they normally would on any winter’s day at Lowndes High. Then the unthinkable happened. Kendrick Johnson, now a sophomore, went into Lowndes’s old gym for PE class. Kendrick was no longer a member of the football team; as such, he had PE with non-players in the old gym instead of going to the field house for weightlifting. Video shows Kendrick entering the gym alone. He would never be seen alive again. The next morning, his body was discovered by students in class in the old gym. His June 2015
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body was headfirst inside one of a number of vertical rolled-up cheerleading mats stacked together beside a set of bleachers in the corner of the old gym. Word spread quickly that a student had been found dead in the gym. With the news came all sorts of rumors and innuendo, including a story that Kendrick had been murdered and stuffed into the mat. The day of Kendrick’s death, he and Brian were partners in a game in front of their math class. After they completed the presentation and left class, they went their separate ways. Neither knew that they would never see each other again. Brian’s mother was in Macon at a Lowndes wrestling match with Branden. The bus driver for the wrestling team had received a message that afternoon saying that something bad had happened at the high school. It was a cryptic message, one that didn’t divulge all the details but included enough information to let you know something serious had taken place. Karen called her husband, who is an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If something was going on at the high school, surely he would know. When Karen got Rick on the phone, he said he hadn’t heard a thing. The FBI wouldn’t investigate a local death anyway. If a crime had been committed, it would be a state crime and local authorities, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, would work the crime scene, not the feds. Before long, the story was out. Kendrick Johnson was dead, and his body had been found in a mat in the gym. The rumor mill continued to churn out story after story. Things moved quickly. Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after Kendrick had been found, friends and family held a rally on the steps of the Lowndes County Courthouse. Little did the Bells know, but events that transpired during that rally would significantly alter the course of their lives. Monday, January 14, 2013. A friend of Karen’s called her and asked her if she had seen a YouTube video from Saturday’s rally at the courthouse. Her friend told her she needed to see it. Karen went to YouTube and quickly found the video. She was appalled by what she saw. On that video, the day after Kendrick Johnson died and approximately a week before the official autopsy was completed by the GBI state medical examiner’s office, her son was referred to as an individual the family thought might be responsible for Kendrick’s death. They weren’t named specifically, and the person making the statement incorrectly identified them as sons of a GBI agent but they referred to a fight on the bus. To this day, the Bell family has a hard time understanding why Branden and Brian were named. Brian and KJ had the minor altercation almost a year and a half before, but they had been good friends before the scrape and had remained friends afterwards. Neither of the Bell sons had any problems with Kendrick. Branden had left school campus on January 10th to attend a wrestling event
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on the day Kendrick died, while Brian had been in the weight room on the other side of campus as seen on school surveillance video. There was no evidence, physical or circumstantial, that placed either son in the old gym at the time of KJ’s death. When Karen saw the video, she didn’t tell either of her sons about it. Kendrick’s funeral was the following Saturday, eight days after his death. Brian planned to go to the funeral. When he told his mother, she
said he couldn’t go. Brian didn’t understand. They had been great friends in middle school. Kendrick had been to Brian’s house a number of times. “Kendrick stayed at our house one weekend – from Friday to Sunday. On Sunday night, I took him home, to his grandmother’s house in Clyattville,” says Karen. Brian wanted to attend the funeral and pay his respects to his friend. “I didn’t consider not going. I wanted to go to the funeral with everyone else,” states Brian.
Brian Bell with his mother Karen Bell Our faith in Jesus has carried us through the storm. He too was wrongfully accused so who are we to expect less from our fallen world?
Little did the Bells know but events that transpired during that rally would
significantly alter the course of their lives
Karen then showed Brian the video. “You’re not going,” she told him. For the next week, to say things were tense at Lowndes High School would be a tremendous understatement. Word had spread that the Johnson family thought Brian may be responsible for Kendrick’s death and several students let it be known that they intended to attack Brian. “I didn’t want to go to school. Kids were telling me that I was going to be jumped after school. The worst part of it wasn’t the threat of being physically attacked, but that some of the kids talking about doing it were on my football team, and I had once considered my friends.” Thankfully, nothing ever happened. About a week after the funeral, everything calmed down. Brian kept lifting, running, and getting ready for football. A number of college programs already had him on their radars, and it appeared as though he would have a bright future ahead of him. May 2, 2013. After investigating Kendrick’s death for nearly four months, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office concluded its investigation. The sheriff’s office, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, ruled that Kendrick’s death was accidental. According to their findings, Kendrick died from positional asphyxia. How had it happened? Investigators theorized that Kendrick was attempting to retrieve a pair
of shoes from inside the mat, which had originally been standing on its end. Their investigation led them to the conclusion that as Kendrick reached into the mat, he became trapped inside and suffocated. The threats at school to Brian stopped. It was customary for students to keep shoes in the mats in the old gym. Students could rent lockers for $10, but many chose to stash their shoes in the mats to avoid paying the $10 fee. While no one knows for sure if that’s why Kendrick may have been reaching inside the mat, investigators believe his shoes were at the bottom of the mat. And, they say, that’s why Kendrick was reaching inside the mat. The FBI came to the same conclusion. Kendrick’s family, however, remained unconvinced. Apparently, so did Ebony.com. November 19, 2013. On this day, another in a series of articles beginning in
August about Kendrick’s death appeared on Ebony.com, the website for Ebony Magazine. Written by “true crime” author Fred Rosen, the articles, starting on August 12, 2013, stated that Kendrick had been murdered and suggested that the suspects were being narrowed down. An October 25 article, entitled “Did a Fight Lead to Kendrick Johnson’s Murder,” referred to the fight on the bus. The November 19 article named the Bell sons as the prime suspects in Kendrick’s death, utilizing fictitious police interviews with them. Rosen changed the boys’ names – to Chris and Clark Martin – but otherwise left all other descriptors about the boys unaltered, including stating that the Martins’ father was an FBI agent and one of the sons had gotten into a fight with Kendrick on a school bus. “The Ebony stories started everything all over again. “People took it as the gospel truth just because it was written June 2015
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in Ebony,” says Karen. The damage had been done. Again. Brian, who was only 16 years old, found himself the chief suspect in the court of public opinion, despite the fact that no evidence at all linked him to Kendrick’s tragic death. A federal grand jury investigation, opened at the end of October 2013, has called well over a hundred witnesses without anyone, much less either of the Bell brothers, being indicted. By the summer of 2014, after another Ebony article in April continued to accuse Brian Bell, investigators from three different law enforcement agencies – the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, GBI, and FBI – have not named the Bells as suspects, nor has the allegation that Kendrick died by foul play been substantiated. In August of 2014, the Bells filed a $5 million libel and slander suit against Ebony.com’s parent company and Fred Rosen for defamation due to false allegations of murder and other criminal conduct. Ebony. com responded by pulling the stories from its site. The case is pending. January 9, 2015. One day before the two-year anniversary of Kendrick’s death -- and one day before the statute of limitations ran out on filing a wrongful death lawsuit – Kendrick’s family did just that and filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit, naming 38 defendants, including Brian, Branden, and Rick Bell. Three weeks later, Brian, who had committed to play football at Florida State University almost a year prior, was supposed to sign with the Seminoles on National Signing Day. When word of the lawsuit reached Tallahassee, the Seminoles began getting cold feet. For a program that had already endured two years of scrutiny and criticism because of the allegations levied against Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, bringing in a player named in a wrongful death suit was too risky – even though Brian had not been named a suspect by law enforcement or charged with any crime. Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher called Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson and told him what was happening. The Bells’ attorney had also been in contact with FSU. Coach Fisher was apologetic and sympathetic, but the decision came from the FSU administration. There was nothing anyone could do. Brian Bell would not be a Florida State Seminole. Response to FSU’s decision was swift and in Brian’s favor. Despite the media backlash, FSU remained steadfast in its decision. Brian was one of the top linebackers in the country and one of the best overall prospects in the state. His grades were good. He hadn’t been charged with any crime or gotten into any trouble during his years in high school. But now he had nowhere to play college football. The gravity of the previous two years finally settled upon him in its entirety. He was depressed. He was ostracized. He had
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become a pariah. And the reasons why were based on false information and rumors. Tuesday, May 5, 2015. I am sitting in a conference room in the Holiday Inn on Hill Avenue in Valdosta. I’m at a table surrounded by Brian and Karen Bell, a family friend, In the Game publisher Mark Dykes, and the Bells’ attorney. The Bells want to tell their side of the story. Since this ordeal began, they have been asked numerous times to speak with the media – every outlet from the Valdosta Daily Times to CNN and Fox News. They always refused. They felt it best that Brian remain quiet; the climate was too volatile, the court of public opinion too hostile. Brian Bell is directly across the table from me. He’s wearing his Lowndes High football jersey. On his right arm, just peeking out beneath the sleeve, is a large tattoo that includes the words of Matthew 5:11: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” Brian should know a thing or two about being falsely accused; for over two years, he has been painted as a murderer, a cold-blooded killer who turned on a friend, beat him to death, and stuffed him in a mat at school. Then his father, an agent with one of the most respected and professional investigative agencies in the world, covered up the crime to protect his son. The kind of cover-up such an act would require boggles the mind. To keep something like that quiet, scores of people, including law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal level would have to tell the same story over and over again, never wavering, never faltering, for over two years. Video evidence putting Brian Bell in the old gym on that Thursday afternoon with Kendrick would have to be found, since the entrances to the old gym were covered by surveillance
cameras. A school is one of the least opportune places to commit a crime. People are everywhere in addition to the cameras. In fact, kids were in the old gym just minutes after Kendrick disappeared, as well the rest of the day and evening on Thursday. Stories spread like wildfire around a school campus. If a murder had been committed that day, the details would have been known before investigators arrived on campus. In the last two years, both the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Valdosta and the former president of the local chapter of the NAACP have stated that they believe Kendrick’s death was an accident. They have stated that Brian Bell is innocent, and he should be left alone. The Johnson family, however, hasn’t listened. And Brian hasn’t been done any favors by U.S. Attorney Michael Moore, who has an open investigation into the case, despite not finding any evidence for continuing the matter. So what have the last two years been like for Brian Bell? Continuing threats and suspicion. “People don’t know how bad it’s been. It certainly brought me closer to God and my family. It was also mentally draining. I’ve lost friends. At times, I lost the desire to play football. I lost my desire to attend school. I’ve been depressed, and my family had to move. My parents urged me to press on and not allow hate and false accusations to control my life. It is sad how rumors get started and spread like wildfire. No one can stop them. Rumors are like sheets of paper blowing in the wind and can never be recovered. I used to love it here in Valdosta. Not anymore,” he says. In spite of everything, he says he harbors no resentment for the Johnson family. “I’ve forgiven them. They lost a son. That’s a horrible thing for any family to experience.” Branden Bell is in college. Because of the controversy surrounding the case, Rick Bell could no longer work for the FBI’s field office in Valdosta. He was reassigned to another FBI office out of state while Karen has remained in Valdosta as much as possible until Brian graduates. Karen Bell wants to warn parents of the tremendous power of social media on our young people. ”I would like to see Georgia’s harassment laws changed. Because of what happened to my children on social media, stronger language in our current laws is needed to protect them. No child should ever receive tweets from known adults who tell them to ‘go die because you killed KJ.’ I have complained many times to Twitter with a response from them stating that these types of tweets do not conflict with their policy. Children have committed suicide due to such harassment. Our faith in Jesus has carried us through the storm. He, too, was wrongfully accused, so who are we to expect less from our fallen world?”
At the moment, Brian Bell is trying to move on with his life. He won’t be playing for Florida State but he hopes to eventually end up playing college football somewhere. And once he leaves Valdosta, he probably won’t be coming back. “I’m excited about the chance to play football, wherever that may be. But it’s still been very tough. I’d rather be dead than go through what I’ve been through again.” ITG
2015 IN THE GAME GOLF TOURNAMENT
It was a great day to spend time with friends, soak in some gorgeous Valdosta weather, and even win some money. The 2015 In the Game Golf Tournament was a success. Area high school coaches, players, and fans gathered at Kinderlou Forest to enjoy some healthy competition. Each four-person team began the shot gun start around 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, and finished up approximately four hours later after completing
Tiftarea Academy
Chip Rainey, Jasie Arant, Jensen Rainey, Ken Dunn
all of Kinderlou’s 18 holes. Tiftarea landed in third place winning, $200. Brooks came in second, winning the Valdosta Toyota $300 check. The best team of the day was Valwood School, winning the Farmer’s & Merchants Bank check of $500. Thank you to everyone who came out to spend a day with In the Game that made everyone feel like a winner. ITG
Brooks County High School
Marvin Mitchell, Trent Williford, Dalton Kemp, Carrilee Hiers
Valwood School
Ajay Patel, William Pegg, Avi Patel, Tom Eutzier June 2015
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Fact For Gavin, appearing on the pages of In the Game is the continuation of a family legacy. Both of his older sisters, Shelby and Carrilee, have been featured athletes in the past. Shelby plays softball for the University of Arkansas, while Carrilee is a golfer at the University of North Georgia. As I closed Shelby’s story (she was an Academic Athlete feature back in 2012), I mentioned Gavin and younger brother Luke, at the time a third grader. “One way or another, we haven’t heard the last of the Hiers children.” I’m not right often, but I was in this instance!
by Robert Preston Jr. photography by Micki K Photography
Thomasville High School
Gavin Hiers “I grew up bream fishing in the lakes and ponds around the house. When I was 12, I started bass fishing. I joined a youth
mentally. If the fish aren’t biting, you have to stay with your plan and don’t get frustrated,” he says. It also takes some-
as say with a Rat-L-Trap, big jig, or crank bait.” Hiers’s biggest bass is a 12 lb. 3 oz. lunker he caught on Lake Seminole during
“If you want to be competitive, you’ve got to be out on the water by five or six in the morning.” fishing club in Valdosta and fished there for a few years. When I was about to age out, I didn’t want to start fishing solely against adults,” says Gavin Hiers, a junior member of Thomasville High School’s bass fishing team. Thomasville High started a bass fishing team in 2014 and is one of several schools in the area that have such teams. The team competes on the School Angler Federation (SAF) circuit at most of the major lakes throughout the state. The rules of the tournament are simple: Catch as many bass as you can, bring in the biggest five of the day for the weigh-in, and do your best to keep them alive. Live fish are worth more than those that don’t survive a day in the livewell. During his competitive fishing career, Hiers has placed pretty well. He’s been top 10 in youth tournaments and, along with his partner James Herbert, placed in the top 20 in SAF competitions. The key to success on the water, says Hiers, is to be patient. “You’ve got to keep it together
thing else, something that most people probably don’t associate with fishing: Hard work. “If you want to be competitive, you’ve got to be out on the water by five or six in the morning. Then you have to stay out there until lunch. It’s not easy, and it takes a lot of time. Right now, Gavin and James are the only ones who are really doing tournaments for us,” says Tom Imhof, the fishing team’s coach. Weather plays a critical role in fishing success. Wind and rain alter water conditions. Fish can be stubborn, and you’ve got to use all the tricks of the trade to entice them to bite. “When that happens, you need to use a different color lure and maybe fish deeper. Cold fronts also mess up the fish, and it will be slow out there.” So what does Hiers go to when the fish aren’t biting? He grabs a Senko worm and heads to shallow water. He looks for grass, lily pads, or some other type of structure. “I’ll slow down and try to get more bites. You’ll get more bites, but the quality won’t always be the same
practice. His biggest tournament catch is 6 lbs. 2 oz. “I would have loved to have caught that 12-pounder in competition,” he laments. Should Hiers decide to pursue fishing in college, he could find a team on which to compete. However, that requires a boat, which right now he doesn’t have. More than likely, Hiers will play football in college. He’s the Bulldogs’ starting middle linebacker and totaled nearly 100 tackles last season. At 5’11”, 190 pounds, he has good size and speed, and several smaller schools have already expressed interest in having him on their teams after he graduates. “I’d like to lead the region in tackles next year. I’d also like to have at least one interception. I had a few chances last season, but I guess I started thinking about running before I did catching,” he laughs. And if he had to choose between football and fishing? “I better not answer that one. Let’s just say I’ll probably end up on a football team in college,” he says, smiling. ITG
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honors 1-AAAAAA Athletic Director of the Year
kevIN giddens it’s all about community by James Washington
building a winner
» In March of this year, Kevin Giddens of Colquitt County High School was given two tremendous rewards for his dedication and sacrifice that he puts forth on a daily basis. At the Georgia Athletic Directors Association’s annual conference in Savannah, Georgia, Giddens was named the Region 1-AAAAAA Athletic
Director of the Year, as well as the Class AAAAAA Athletic Director of the Year. Wrapping up his second year as the AD for the Packers, In the Game Magazine was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Giddens and discuss the road taken to triumph and his future plans for Packer Nation.
After playing football at Georgia Southern University and earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education, Giddens credits his upbringing for getting him to the position that he enjoys today. “I had a great home life,” he said. “My father taught me the value of hard work.” After college, he spent time as a physical education instructor, and also worked at Long County and Coffee County High Schools. It was through his daily routine that Giddens gained an understanding of the importance of motivating and supporting children in reaching their dreams through athletics. “Even though we’re doing fitness, team sports, and all the curriculum, I was getting
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paid to do what I loved,” he says. “A young guy (at 22 years old), I was enjoying what I did, and getting paid for it.” It was also in Long County that Giddens met his wife, Lynn. “I met the greatest woman in the world in Long County,” he says. “She is one of my biggest supporters, and because of her I have the greatest children in the world as well.”
Hard work pays off Giddens arrived at Colquitt County High School in the summer of 1994, accepting a position as an offensive line coach; coincidentally, the Packers fought their way to an undefeated season (15-0) and a state title during his inaugural year. “I always tell the guys that I was the missing link to a championship,” he says with a laugh. In between stints with the Packers, Giddens spent time as the head football coach of the Coffee County High School Trojans. It was in Douglas that he realized that, while being a head coach may not be his calling, the position of athletic director allowed him to still do what he loves: make an impact in the lives of student-athletes, their families, and their community. He returned to Colquitt in 2001 as an assistant principal, and has been a staple of Packer Nation athletics ever since. When the AD
position opened up in 2013, he jumped at the opportunity. “To develop a program, and make it a winning program, takes work,” he says. “It takes hard work and grind. But my job is easy. I’ve got great parents, coaches, student-athletes, and a great community to do all of this in. None of this is possible without them.” Two decades later, the 2014 Packers would complete another undefeated season and hoist another state championship trophy, and the pride came from a common source. “There was no greater feeling than to look up in those stands at the Georgia Dome and see our Colquitt faithful there to support us,” he said. “That’s what makes this great; the level of support that we have here cannot be replaced.”
Adding to the Foundation Giddens is excited for the future, and pays a great deal of respect to the staff for the future possibilities. The Packers’ have reached six consecutive state playoff semifinal games (culminating in a 2015 championship). “I can’t do this alone,” Giddens says. “Former coaches, studentathletes, and administration; they make this possible. They laid the foundation. I’m just here to continue in the tradition of what has made this community something to be proud of.” Other sports are seeing success as well; freshman Parker Hardigree hoisted a state diving championship in February. Packer Park is steadily growing as it accommodates more and more of Colquitt County’s athletic teams. “At the end of the day, it’s all about doing what you love,” he says. “We have fun because we love what we do. I don’t look at it as a job; I’m having fun. That is where success comes from; enjoying what you do.” ITG
inspiration A great athlete, a tremendous person, and a fantastic coach
On Friday, April 17, I was in Lehigh Acres, Florida, which isn’t very far at all from Fort Myers. While I was there, I couldn’t help but think about Riccardo Ingram, a Coffee County native who was a two-sport star at Georgia Tech in the mid- to late-80s. Following an agent scandal that cost him the final two football games of the 1987 season and all of the 1988 baseball season, Riccardo signed with the Detroit Tigers and ended up playing 16 Major League Baseball games for the Tigers and Minnesota Twins. After his playing days ended, he remained with the Twins organization as a minor league coach and manager, including stints with the Fort Myers Miracle and the New Britain Rock Cats. On March 31 of this year, Riccardo passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 48. Riccardo came up during a golden age of Coffee High athletics. We made deep playoff runs in football and won two state baseball championships. Riccardo’s teammates included Andre “Pulpwood” Smith, who led the Georgia Bulldogs in rushing in 1985; Willis Crockett, who played football with Riccardo at Georgia Tech and ended up playing two years with the Dallas Cowboys; and K.G. White, who also went to Georgia Tech on a baseball scholarship and still holds several school and ACC batting records. A tremendous hitter, K.G. at one time held the state record for home runs and played a couple of years in the Dodgers organization before starting a successful business in the Atlanta area. Yes, you read that right: Coffee High School sent three athletes to Georgia Tech from the same graduating class: one in football, one in baseball, and one in both. While all three enjoyed excellent careers at Tech, it was Riccardo who stood out, not only among the trio of former Trojans, but among just about all of the ACC as well. As a freshman, Riccardo earned a starting spot in the secondary. He forced his way onto the Black Watch Defense, members of which were set apart from their teammates by an ominous black stripe on their helmets. Riccardo, a quiet, reserved man off the field, was ferocious when he stepped between those white lines. He was fearless and patrolled the secondary with a level of brutality Tech fans hadn’t before seen. In 1986, he led Tech with 79 tackles and earned All-ACC honors. In 1987, he was named ACC Player of the Year in baseball, hit .426 with 17 home runs and 99 RBI, led the Yellow Jackets to an ACC title, and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round. Riccardo was also the first Georgia Tech athlete to win the McKevlin
riccardo ingram Coffee County High School by Robert Preston Jr.
In 2009, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer and given just a year to live. He survived and continued his coaching career. Cancer, however, can be a stubborn adversary. It returned, and this time it wouldn’t turn loose. On March 31, Riccardo passed away quietly at his home in Lilburn.
Award, given to the ACC’s top male athlete. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. During the 1987 football season, Georgia Tech administrators found that he accepted money from an agent and signed a representation contract, clear violations of NCAA rules. I remember hearing the news well. While we all knew Riccardo could play professional baseball, everyone assumed his career would be in the NFL. As good as he was on the baseball field, his true talents could be found on the gridiron. Then, just like that, it was over. The scandal ended his hopes of playing in the NFL. The Tigers had selected Riccardo in the 1987 draft. After his athletic career at Tech abruptly ended, he signed with the Tigers and eventually earned a spot on the big-league roster in 1994. A year later, he played four Major League games with the Twins. He was a victim of bad timing; the baseball strike of 1994 and 1995 cut his career short. I spoke with him in 2005 during a visit to Douglas. “It was the strike, man,” he said. “I came up at the wrong time and the strike hurt my career.” According to baseballreference.com, Riccardo hit .194 with three RBI over his 16-game career. I didn’t speak with Riccardo about anything that happened at Georgia Tech. Most assuredly, his career would have turned out differently if he hadn’t signed with the agent. But he never seemed bitter. He always accepted responsibility for his actions, and he enjoyed a fantastic career in professional baseball. In 2009, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer and given just a year
to live. He survived and continued his coaching career. Cancer, however, can be a stubborn adversary. It returned, and this time it wouldn’t turn loose. On March 31, Riccardo passed away quietly at his home in Lilburn. To those of us who knew him, he was larger than life. He and my brother were great friends and teammates at Coffee High. He, along with Willis Crockett and K.G. White, spent a lot of time at my house. I was just a kid, maybe 12 years old, and those guys were bona fide celebrities to me. They were all elite athletes, among the best in their sports anywhere. Of Coffee County athletes, Lyn Lott (PGA Tour), Larry Hinson (PGA Tour), and Greg Walker (Major League Baseball) enjoyed the longest and highest profile careers. Willis Crockett is the only former Trojan to play in a regular season NFL game. Joel Parrish was a consensus All-American at the University of Georgia in the 1970s and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals (but opted to try the Canadian Football League instead). Pulpwood Smith may have had the most pure athletic ability. But nobody had all the gifts, physical and mental, that Riccardo Ingram did. He was an athlete on par with Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and the like. Yes, I realize the magnitude of that statement, and I do not back down from it one bit. He was a great athlete, a tremendous person, and a fantastic coach. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. ITG The websites www.baseball-reference.com and www.ramblinwreck.com contributed to this story
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written by Robert Preston Jr. photography by Micki K Photography
Pair of Lowndes Soccer Players Selected to
Olympic Development Program
exposure “It’s a great experience playing at this level. There are a ton of college and national coaches watching. It’s great getting to play against the best players in the country.”
National Pool
If you were to go back and study a history of South Georgia athletics, you would likely find that our teams have competed favorably on the state level in football, baseball, and, from time to time, in basketball. The metro Atlanta area has typically dominated the so-called minor sports (which aren’t minor at all) – golf, tennis, soccer, swimming, track, cross country, and the like. In recent years, however, things have signs of evening out, at least a little. June 2015
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M
ore and more of our athletes and teams have discovered the importance of playing year ‘round. Golfers and tennis players are competing throughout the year on the various junior tours. Swimmers and runners are stepping up their games as well. But maybe the most significant improvements can be seen on the pitch. The most popular sport in the world took a while to get to South Georgia. Once here, it took a few years to gain traction. Now, some of the best players in the country can be found right here in our area. Two of the best are Luke Pelkowski and Elizabeth Lott, both Lowndes Vikings. Pelkowski is a freshman on the region champion Vikings while Lott is a junior for the second place Vikettes. Both players are three-year veterans of the state Olympic Development Program, which is the vehicle through which US Soccer chooses its national team. Players try out for the state ODP team and, if selected, move on to region. Ten states make up Georgia’s region, and region camp takes place in Alabama. Following the week-long region camp, a pool of players stay for holdovers. At holdovers, another pool of players will be selected; it is from this group that the national team will come. Region camp is a grueling process. Kids compete against the best players from other states, and the competition is like
nothing else many of them have previously seen. Coaches aren’t necessarily looking for size, strength, or even conditioning. Instead, they are looking at how well the players compete in confined spaces, what happens on their first touch, and how they perform in the clutch. Region games are grueling – the speed is faster, the ball stays in play much longer, and players have less time to recover. First touches have to be almost flawless; elite level players take advantage of mistakes, and there isn’t time for make up for any miscues. The speed of the game and the smaller spaces in which the tryouts are held equalize any advantage that size, strength, and speed may give a prospective player. “It’s a great experience playing at this level. There are a ton of college and national coaches watching. It’s great getting to play against the best players in the country,” says Lott. Coaches are looking for soccer-specific ability and ambition instead of raw athleticism. In high school games and even in some club tournaments, teams are made up of players with varying levels of skill and experience. Athletic ability
and general fitness can go a long way in those games. To make ODP, however, and advance from state to region to the national pool requires something more. And Lott and Pelkowski have those qualities. They are aggressive yet smart players who see the field well. They can both see the game developing in front of them and they not only know where they need to be but where their teammates need to be as well. And they keep their mistakes to a minimum. They handle the ball well, distribute accurately, and make the most out of on-the-field opportunities. Both Pelkowski and Lott were selected to attend ODP Nationals with their region teams (1999 Boys for Pelkowski, 1998 Girls for Lott) after region camp last summer. Both were on the rosters of their teams, which played in Phoenix, Arizona, in February, and both played while in Arizona (Lott and Pelkowski each played center back for their respective teams). The 98 Girls team defeated Eastern New York to win the bronze medal. The journey for these two young soccer players is far from over, but the sky is literally the limit for them. They have played against the best players in the country in front of the best coaches in the country. That is by no means a guarantee of future success – Lott and Pelkowski have to keep working, keep playing, keep practicing, and keep making good decisions – but they are well ahead of the curve. And they have shown that South Georgia soccer players can play with the best the United States has to offer. “We’ve got five boys from our area who have made the ODP Georgia team. These kids have been playing as well as the kids in Atlanta have been for a while. It’s about time somebody paid attention,” says Kim Pelkowski, Luke’s mother. ITG
stats
Mason Miller lowndes County High School by Robert Preston Jr.
Mason “Mills” Miller, 18, moved to Valdosta from Orlando 14 years ago. A year later, when he was five, he began playing baseball. He fell in love with the sport immediately. “Man, I lose myself when I’m out there on the field,” he says. Though he has tried other sports throughout the years, Miller always came back to baseball. As he and I spoke, Miller and his Vikings teammates were getting ready for the state playoffs. He was hoping for a deep playoff run, after which he would begin preparing for the next stop on his baseball journey: Valdosta State University. The shortstop and lead-off hitter signed with the hometown Blazers, and he’s excited about what the future holds. Here is a brief synopsis of Miller’s career by the numbers.
7 The number of colleges looking at Miller when he committed to Valdosta State. “They gave me the best offer. And they offered me the opportunity to play as a freshman, which is what I was looking for,” he says.
.492 .328 6.5
Miller’s on-base percentage this year. Last year, he posted a .436 OBP. He gets on base and immediately becomes a threat to score.
Miller’s batting average this season. He’s hit north of .300 every year he’s played varsity.
As in seconds, the amount of time it takes Miller to run the 60. He gets from home to first in 3.68 seconds.
ONE The spot in the batting order Miller occupies. At 5’8”, 160, and lightning fast, he’s a tough out. His speed helps him get down the line and turn routine outs into infield hits. He’s been the lead-off hitter on every team for which he has played. (See onbase percentage)
POS: Shortstop
eighty-nine The speed at which Miller has been clocked throwing across the infield. In addition to his sure glove and speed, he has a cannon for an arm. He’s done a little pitching, but his coaches have deemed him more valuable on the infield than on the mound. Miller has started for the varsity Vikings for three straight years.
THREE
1st
Where Miller’s Vikings finished in the region his 10th grade year. Lowndes didn’t make the playoffs last year, primarily due to a bevy of injuries to key players. This year, the Vikings are going into the playoffs as a third seed.
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Floyd leads the North Oconee Titans to a State Title by James Washington
rockett Floyd started golfing nine years ago, and has only gotten better with time. Her hard work has been rewarded in countless ways; over her four-year career as a Titan, she has received numerous awards and honors, including being named the Athens Banner-Herald Girl’s Golf Player of the Year as a sophomore.
C
In 2013, Floyd shot a then-best 78 as her team claimed the Class AAA State Championship. Her record was impressive, but she was determined to make it even better. On May 18, 2015, she was able to show just how hard she had been working at her craft on the biggest stage. At the Class AAAA State Championship, Floyd set a new career-best, shooting
a 72. She was able to lead her team to victory, claiming a second state title in the process. “This has been my proudest moment, because I was able to share it with my teammates and it is something that we work for together each year,” Floyd says. Hard work is nothing new to Floyd, and she shows her grasp of time management and determi-
nation on the green as well as in the classroom. “After school hours I am at the golf course for at least two hours most of the days of the week,” she says. “I do not practice every day of the week, especially if I have lots of tests, or I just won’t practice as long. Most of my time during the school year is spent between school and golf.” Her outstanding abiliJune 2015
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ties as a student-athlete have worked wonders; this fall, she will be attending Samford University (Homewood, Ala.) on a full scholarship. “I picked Samford because it felt like the right fit for me,” she says. “It’s a smaller school, and the golf program is growing. I plan to major in nursing; I want to do something in the medical field.” While golf requires a strong individual work ethic, Floyd readily acknowledges that she could not have made it this far on her own. “My parents have put in a lot of time taking me to tournaments, and spending long weekends out of town,” she says. “Over my four high school years, it is a lot of traveling all around the state, and my mom and dad have always done their best to travel with me on these weekends.” Crockett Floyd has left a lasting mark on the North Oconee golf program. Now, as a soonto-be Samford Bulldog, the legacy will only get bigger. ITG
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10 Questions
Interview by Robert Preston Jr.
Peyton dunn
Ten-year-old Peyton Dunn is like a lot of kids in South Georgia. He loves being outside. He loves the woods, the water, and just about anything else that will get him out of the house and busy for a few hours. Of all the activities he enjoys, though, baseball is at the top of the list. It’s his favorite sport, and he finds his greatest joy on the baseball field. How long have you been playing baseball? I started playing ball at the age of four. What first drew your interest to baseball? My daddy and I would watch the Braves. What makes baseball fun? The competitiveness and being with my friends. What is the name of your team and what circuit do you play? My travel ball team is the Commanders. We play every other weekend. Do you also play in a local recreation league? If so, what team? My local recreational team is the Cardinals. What makes you a good player? The ability to play my position, which is first base. And my dedication of loving the game. Playing travel ball is time consuming. How do you keep from getting burned out? We play every other weekend. When I am not playing tournaments I enjoy being at the river fishing for bass. Tell us about the splits that you do. I do the splits to complete a play. If it’s a low throw, I must be able to get down low and keep my foot on the base.
A first baseman, Dunn has already made a name for himself by playing exceptional defense. Most notably, he can do a split on demand, and that flexibility has helped him keep would-be base runners
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in the dugout and runs off the scoreboard. We spent a few minutes with Dunn so he could tell us more about his love of the game and his penchant for hitting the dirt.
When did you first realize you could do a split? Last year. And now it just comes natural. The first time I did the split I could hear people behind me saying, “Wow did you see that split the first baseman did?” At times I will be walking between tournaments and people always say good play by doing that split. Do you play any other sports? No. What else do you do besides play ball? I love fishing and hunting.
Fitzgerald, GA.
He plays for two different teams: the Cardinals in Fitzgerald’s recreation league and the Commanders, a local travel team that plays every other weekend.
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June 2015
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Spring Football Scrimmages: Good or Bad?
spring football
by Jon Nelson, GPB Sports
I was a guest on a sports talk show the other day, and the host actually broke the countdown to the kickoff of the 2015 high school football season down to weeks (which now stands at 11 or so as I type) and days. It was both cool and scary at the same time, because the machine has an endless engine, and we can’t get enough of it. There have been coaching changes in the offseason, ranging from retirements (Cairo’s Tom Fallaw for DC Steve DeVoursney, who won a title at Griffin only two years ago) to outright shifts of location (John Reid moving from Tift to Rome). In a lot of cases, assistants were promoted to the top spots (which, to me, makes a lot of sense from a continuity
standpoint), and there are still schools that are looking to fill out their staffs as teams are sweating it out for the weeks that are spring football. Capitalization on purpose. So, that leads me to this month’s question: There are surrounding states that, while they have spring football, also wrap up by having spring football games with schools going against one another. Some do, some don’t. But neighboring states have it as a part of their framework, while the state of Georgia just has practices. I see both sides. The “yes” side would grant another payday for schools who would go at each other in a glorified scrimmage
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setting, while the “no” folks are looking at safety issues and making sure players get through this time of year in one piece, healthy for the rest of the school year and summer. So, how does it set with you, dear reader? Let us know either on the In the Game Magazine website, the Facebook page, or letting us know whatever you think by following me or In the Game on Twitter (@inthegame_mag or @ OSGNelson). I always enjoy the conversations we have and letting everyone else know about everyone else as we hurdle towards the season. What else is going on during your spring football seasons? Who do we need to pay atten-
tion to? Are there any new athletes that have come to your program that will be making big splashes? (Since we all need to know what’s going on before it happens, right? I have actually heard of some in Region 1-6A that might be turning heads, but I want to see if we have the same information.) So be sure to also friend GPB Sports across all the social media platforms and download the GPB Sports app on your iPhone (for Android users, that app is just around the corner) as we get ready for season five of “Football Fridays” ourselves. Play it safe, everyone. I’ll see you soon…And don’t forget the sunscreen!
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Nutrition What You Should Know to Keep Your Hype Healthy
Energy drinks boost with caution by James Washington
Anybody with a hectic schedule can agree that, from time to time, your body can feel burnt out. Your energy drops; it could be due to lack of proper nutrition, lack of sleep, or simply overworking yourself. In just about every convenient store, you find what is often perceived as a quick alternative to that fatigue: energy drinks. Most energy drinks include three key ingredients: caffeine (which serves as a stay-awake, physical booster), taurine (which helps improve brain function), and vitamin b (which enhances muscular, nervous, and metabolic function). But if you’ve ever been curious as to what exactly these drinks do (or don’t do) for you, here are a few pointers before you make your next purchase:
Energy drink tips Pros
Cons
Energy Boost: Though only temporary, most energy drinks will provide you with a quick spark, sharpening your alertness and focus.
Cardiovascular Issues: Studies have shown that people who drink excessive amounts of energy boosters are at a higher risk of developing problems such as irregular, rapid heartbeat or increased blood pressure. Extreme situations can result in heart failure.
Convenience: While there may be other foods or drinks that provide necessary boosts of energy, it is a sure bet that grabbing an energy drink is much more convenient than waiting for a cup of coffee to brew. Also, since many come in resealable containers, they can be stored if desired.
Weight Gain: Most energy drinks are extremely high in sugar. High amounts of sugar intake can lead to obesity, which, in turn, can lead to many other health issues.
1. Drink plenty of water with your energy drinks. Energy drinks are intended to be used as a supplement, not a hydration replacement. 2. Don’t overindulge. If you’re going to use energy drinks, don’t overdo it. Try to limit your intake to about 16 ounces per day. 3. Be wary of your health. If you already have any sort of preexisting health condition, it is best that you check with a doctor before resorting to energy drinks. You can never be too careful with your health!
irwin county
Baseball New head coach Drew Tankersley, assistants Jared Luke, Troy Fletcher, and Kade Poole coached their young Indians to the first round of the State Playoffs. #16 Irwin went to Soperton to play #1Treutlen County. The Indians arrived for the doubleheader ready to play their A ball. They played hard and dug their heels into playoff mode… the Indians went down fighting. Finals, Treutlen over Irwin 2-0 and 4-2. The Indians were led by strong seniors Ethan Ethridge, Grant Hudson, Andrew Camerson, and Cam Morgan. There is already talk of the 2016 season… .#IndianBaseballislookinggood! Golf Coach Chris Young and his four-man golf team finished second in Region 2A and will be competing in the Sectional Tournament. Rob Vassey shot the secondbest low score of the tournament and was named to the All-Region Golf Team.
Tennis Coaches Luke Roberts’ and John Tuggle’s tennis teams entered the season with high expectations. The beginning of the season was difficult due to the cold,
Good Season for Irwin’s Spring Athletics Track New head coach Levon Grant and Irwin’s track teams had a short season but a good season. All athletes that advanced from Region to Sectional have qualified for the State. 2014 State Triple Jump Champion Jakyron Young broke his 2014 Sectional Record 46.7 4 with his 2015 47.3 5. He is training for a repeat first Place State Champion jump. Two freshmen girls, Ebony Downs Long Jump 15.9 advanced and Ke’Asia Freeman 100 Meter Dash (12.76) advanced, along with Boys 100 Meter Dash Ziaire Andrews (11.51). Girls 4x100 Ebony Downs, Quay Woodard, Nyteona Woodard, Ke’Asia Freeman (51.54) and Boys 4x100 (44.12) Cartavion Benyard, Ziaire Andrews, Zach Tobar, and Jakyron Young will be running in the State competition. Irwin has been building on their Track and Field with a Middle School and Recreational Program. They are beginning to see some of the results this season.
wet weather….but that did not stop Irwin from their goals. The young boys team set their goal to make the playoffs…and they did. They are one of the single A Elite Eight teams in the state. Except for the #2 and #3 singles, their matches with Miller Co. went to the very last game of the last set… with Miller the victor 3-2. Irwin played with their hearts and souls, but it just was not their day. The Girl’s goal, to return to the State Championship Matches. They defeated Marion Co. 5-0 in the Elite Eight matches to advance to the Final Four. Trion came to Irwin for the deciding team to advance to the State Championship. Irwin’s ladies played their best tennis for another 5-0 victory, and a perfect season to enter the State Championship matches. They will play the victor of the Telfair and Baconton matches. The girls go into the Championship Matches knowing they must play their best tennis for a “Repeat State Championship”, and to meet their goal for their 2015 season.
2014 Triple Jump State Champion, Jakyron Young training for a repeat State Championship jump at the State Meet May 15.