May 2014 South Georgia Edition by ITG Next Magazine

in the

game

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

In This Issue:

South Georgia

13 Tough Girls

May 2014

CONTENTS

Is Football’s Popularity Waning?

Georgia High School Football: Springtime Renewal

Long Term Benefits Of Getting In Shape

Five Ways To Eat Healthier And Get In The Best Shape Possible

Athlete’s Annual Physical Exam… More Than Just A Routine Practice

Irwin County High School

Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Journey of Imitation Part 1

27 Ricardo Lockette Day 29 Academic Athlete Ryan Chatman

Also Inside

Colquitt County High School

34 The Valdosta Fire Travel Baseball

Lowndes/Valdosta Area Schools

37 Southern Hospitality De Pere Softball 39 Player Spotlight

DeAndre Lambert Carter Elliott

Valwood School

Chandler Cargile

Valwood School

47 Barefoot Champion 49 Freshman Focus

Nicole Taylor

Tift County High School

51 Coach’s Corner

Brittany Ferguson Bell

Lowndes High School

57 Rising Star Davis Baldwin

Valdosta Middle School

51 4

South Georgia Area Schools

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in the

game

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

South Georgia

May 2014

Publisher Mark Dykes

Editor

Mark Dykes Kaitlynn Passmore

Graphics

Jennifer Alexander

Cover Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography

Feature Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography

Connie Southwell Southwell Sports Photography

Feature Writer

Robert Preston, Jr.

Contributing Writer Cale Colby Jon Nelson

Copy Editors

Crystal Hubbard Ashley Dailey Geraldine Herring

Advertising/Marketing

Mark Dykes mark@inthegamemagazine.com

Website Manager Kaitlynn Passmore

From The Publisher Three months ago, we featured national champions. Last month, we re-capped Tift County’s state basketball championship. And this month, we have another potential champion on our pages – this time a world champion. Chandler Cargile, a student at Valwood School, has made quite a name for himself in the world of barefoot waterskiing. Just four years ago, he couldn’t barefoot at all. Now, he has competed more than once in the world barefoot championships and is one of the top-ranked barefoot skiers in the world. He just returned from Mulwala, Australia, where he competed with the world’s best. How did he do? We recap his trip in this edition. It is difficult to believe that school is almost out for the year. By the time this edition hits the streets, most schools in the area will have just a few short weeks left. Here at In the Game High School Sports Magazine, we will publish a June edition before taking a sabbatical of sorts during July. While we won’t be publishing a July edition, that doesn’t mean we won’t be working. We’ll be in constant communication with our football coaches getting ready for our popular pre-season football edition. It is equally hard to believe that it won’t be long before we’ll be covering football full-time again. Right now, though, you won’t find much football on the pages of the May edition. We have a couple of mentions of the gridiron, and our staff writer Robert Preston Jr. wrote a column about a potential interesting and disturbing trend that we could see regarding football in the next few years. Outside of that, it’s all baseball, soccer, a little basketball, and even air riflery on the pages of the May In the Game.

Contributors

Robert Preston, Jr.,

Features & Commentary

Kaitlynn Passmore, Editor

The Academic Athlete is Coulquitt County High pitching specialist Ryan Chatman. A talented right-handed pitcher, he plans to hang up his spikes after his senior baseball season and pursue a career in medicine. This month’s Player Spotlight features two soccer and basketball players at Valwood – DeAndre Lambert, a former Sophomore Standout athlete, and Carter Elliott, a long and lean keeper (soccer) and center (basketball). The two are good friends and each bring out the best in each other. You won’t want to miss Davis Baldwin, May’s Rising Star. He is a three-sport athlete at Valdosta Middle who can’t wait to be a part of the Valdosta High football tradition. Nicole Taylor, a sharpshooter on Tift County’s air rifle team, is May’s Freshman Focus while Brittany Ferguson Bell, Lowndes High’s first-year women’s head basketball coach, occupies the Coach’s Corner spot. Coach Bell has continued the Vikings’ winning tradition despite her relative youth and inexperience as a head coach. We also spent a few minutes with the Valdosta Fire, a travel baseball team preparing a talented group of 12-year-olds for future roster spots with the Lowndes High Vikings. Once again, we have enjoyed spotlighting the best and brightest studentathletes in the area. We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we enjoy bringing it to you.

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

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.

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Is Football’s Popularity Waning? by Robert Preston, Jr.

Graphic courtesy of the Standard-Examiner

here is no question that the landscape of American football is changing. The once mighty game that dominates American sports culture is showing signs of weakness. In a short period of time, football has come under attack. Everyone, from parents to players, knows that the sport is violent and painful for participants. But as more and more information surfaces exposing just how dangerous football can be, the sport itself could begin to change. In a few short years, predicts Canadian social commentator Malcolm Gladwell, football will likely become what he calls “ghettoized.” I have written about the changing tide of football here in this space before. It is particularly important to us here in the South because ours is one of the few areas around the country in which football participation continues to grow. Almost everywhere else, the sport is declining. In fact, I believe what Gladwell says may happen in the future is already happening in some places. “Ghettoization” isn’t a pretty term. The images it conjures are disturbing. But the concept is not without precedence. In a nutshell, Gladwell believes that more and more middle and upper class parents will keep their kids from playing football. They will gravitate towards kinder, gentler sports – baseball, soccer, swimming, golf,

lacrosse, endurance sports. Football, which is now a sport that is relatively representative of American society, will become a sport of the lower middle and lower classes – those who feel as though football is a way to financial security, either through the NFL or through a college education. Those who aren’t living in a financially difficult situation will not play because, to them, the risks won’t outweigh the rewards. Where does Gladwell believe this path is headed? It is not out of the realm of possibility that colleges and universities could eliminate football altogether. That seems difficult for us to consider because down here, we know how much money football generates. But if colleges and universities find themselves on the front lines of litigation in head-injury lawsuits, administrators may find that the sport is too expensive to continue. That is an extreme example, but one that is not entirely impossible to believe. At the very least, fewer people will play football, which will affect the product on the field at all levels. For the time being, football appears safe in the South. But all it would take is the right lawsuit, at the right place, with the right outcome, and all that could change. In an instant. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Not here. Not anywhere. ITG

Georgia High School Football Springtime Renewal by Jon Nelson, GPB Sports Correspondent

First, I would like to welcome our friends in the northeast part of Florida to the In the Game family. It has always been a hotbed for high school sports, and I look forward to seeing all of the great action and stories to come out of that part of the country. Now, to this month’s topic (and I’m going to date myself with the first reference)… There was a movie in the 1970’s called Logan’s Run. In it there was a term called “renewal.” And to do it, you entered the “carousel.” That’s what, seemingly, the coaching profession does every offseason. The replacement rate comes out to be something like a 15 to 20 percent turnover rate for one reason or another. But, it makes for interesting offseasons. For example: some of the big names that moved are: Ken Cofer (Cook), Ed Dudley (Ware County), Jonathan Lindsey (Irwin County), Lyman Guy (Richmond Hill), Rob Ridings (Glynn Academy), Mike Parris (Jackson), Mark Daniel (Screven County- among others), and Frank Barden (Cartersville). Some who returned are: Steve Pardue (East Coweta), Earthwind Moreland (Grady), Joey Sulkowski (Monroe Area), Greg Hill (Bradwell Institute), Dialleo Burks (LaGrange), and Jared Zito (Ola). Jobs like Carrollton, Ware County, Carters-

ville, East Coweta, Cook, Irwin County, ML King, North Hall, Parkview, and Thomson were open for one reason or another- retirement, change, or movement by the incumbent coach. I counted 65 head coach openings that led to change with all the region realignments, and that’s out of 405 schools in the GHSA that play football in one class or another. That doesn’t include all the assistants that may pack up and move with their head coaches or to another school entirely. Georgia has also been subject to realignment once again. In Region 1-6A, I think it will be interesting how the mainstays will be with one another after losing Brunswick and Coffee while gaining Lee County. The Pirates and outbound Trojans gave headaches to everyone else in the region before they left. And, considering what the inbound Trojans did to folks in Region 1-5A, it should be another fun year in the South. Also, Thomas County Central is dropping down to Quad-A, Marist and St. Pius in the same region (6-AAAA), Buford jumping up to region 8-AAAA, and Cook moving to triple-A and out of Region 1-AA. Should be fun to see how everyone develops their new seasons; it always is. Play it safe, everyone; I’ll talk to you soon.

Jon Nelson, GPB Sports Correspondent

I’d love to know what you, faithful reader, think about all this change whether it’s directly involving your program or not. Be a part of the families at In the Game Magazine by checking in with us on Facebook and Twitter. Or, if you want to catch up with me directly, you can do the same thing on the GPB Sports Facebook and Twitter pages. You can also download the Sports app on your smart phone and be caught up on everything high school sports as we head to spring and summer practice.

1111

It Ain’t Easy Being

A Girl

by Robert Preston, Jr. photography by Micki K Photography

he online version of Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “tough” in the following manner: “difficult to do or deal with; physically and emotionally strong, able to do hard work, to deal with harsh conditions, etc.; physically strong.” The six young ladies about which you are reading would agree with those definitions. They don’t want to sit around in party dresses, sipping tea, and getting their nails done. Instead, they would rather be in the gym, on the field, the pitch, or out running. They don’t mind getting dirty and will do whatever it takes to become the best student-athletes they possibly can be. No, it ain’t easy at all being a girl. And these young ladies wouldn’t have it any other way. ITG

Briunna Freeman

Pelham High School

Briunna Freeman is one of the best female athletes to come through Pelham High School. A standout basketball and track athlete, she can play just about any position on the floor. The 17-yearold junior has been playing basketball for six years and has already amassed an impressive list of accomplishments. Freeman scored 37 points against Randolph Clay, was a member of Pelham’s first undefeated women’s basketball team, and she has already scored over 1,500 points for her career. Freeman averages over 18 points, nine rebounds, and three steals per game. For Freeman, life at Pelham is about more than just basketball; she has a grade point average of 3.0 and plans to attend college one day – hopefully on a basketball scholarship. With her leadership qualities, attention to detail, and her refusal to accept anything but her best, she should have no problem realizing her goal. Freeman understands that she is a role model for young women behind her, and she wants to make sure that she opens doors for those who come after her. “You have to realize that your grades are important. You are a student first. I had to wake up and realize that,” she says.

Food: Pizza

Movie: What’s Love Got To Do With It Book: Twilight series Academic Subject: Literature

Favorite sport (other than your own):

Track

Pastime: Texting, Tweeting Sport you wish you could play: Tennis; “The ball is too hard to hit.”

Dream car: Ferrari Spider; 14

“A red one would be nice.”

Jacki Pinkerton

Lowndes High School

Jacki Pinkerton is a senior runner at Lowndes High School. She is on the cross country and track teams, where she runs the 400, 800, 1600, and 4x400 relay, and she played right midfielder and forward for the Lowndes High soccer team until she was a sophomore. Pinkerton began playing soccer in the first grade and eventually gave it up to focus on track and cross country – sports she began in the sixth and ninth grades, respectively. Pinkerton holds the school record in the 800 meters (2:19) and has competed in the state track meet. Pinkerton has a personal best 5K time of 19:29, which is one of the fastest times you will find in South Georgia for any female runner. In fact, a time like that will beat most male runners in the area. Her 3.1 grade point average and her blistering paces on the track and trails garnered the attention of colleges all over the state. Pinkerton eventually chose the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, where she will run both cross country and track. Pinkerton plans to study nursing and become a pediatric nurse. “If you work hard and practice hard, you will succeed,” she says.

Food:

Porterhouse steak

Movie: Secretariat

Book: Speak by Laurie Anderson Academic Subject: Math Favorite sport other than your own:

Soccer

Pastime: Hang out with friends, go to the beach or play with my dogs Sport you wish you could play: Basketball

Dream car: Shelby GT500

Eryn Kelly Eryn Kelly, a senior infielder for the Turner County Rebels, has been playing softball for over 12 years. She grew up watching her dad play around the area and decided to follow in his footsteps. Kelly began with T-ball and fell in love with the game. Over the years, she has wanted more from the game than just getting out there and chasing a ball. She has studied the sport, the strategy, situations, and fundamentals. As a result, Kelly turned herself into one of the best players around. She has been Turner County’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Region all four years of her high school career. She was named Region 2 Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. Kelly finished her senior campaign with a .576 batting average, one homerun, and 26 RBI. On her travel team, the Georgia Heat, Kelly received the Coach’s Award and she, along with her teammates, finished second in the USSSA/ESPN High

Turner County High School

School World Series. In addition, Kelly was on Homecoming court as a junior and senior, she is president of her senior class, and she has a 3.4 grade point average. Kelly also participates in FFA, FCA, is a member of Student Council, and she works at the Rescue Smokehouse Grill. How does she find time to fit in everything? It’s all about time management and prioritizing her commitments. “It’s tough. It can get kind of hectic sometimes, but I manage,” she says. Through her commitment to excellence and doing things the right way, Kelly has landed a scholarship at Thomas University in Thomasville. “Always put in the extra work it takes to be the best you can be. Play every game like it’s your last one,” she says.

Food: Chicken wings, crab legs, and popcorn

Movie: Remember the Titians Book: The Hunger Games

Subject: Anatomy Favortie sport other than your own: Football Pastime: Shopping Sport you wish you could play: Basketball 16

Dream car: Range Rover

Joyner Tyson Joyner Tyson is a two-sport junior studentathlete at Deerfield Windsor School in Albany. She plays basketball and tennis and is a threetime All-Region selection and two-time All-State selection in tennis. (At the time of this writing, tennis season hadn’t ended, so the All-Region and All-State teams had not yet been chosen.) Tyson excels in both of her chosen sports. In basketball, she is a great defender and an excellent three-point shooter. On the tennis court, she hits the ball very hard and is extremely fast. She can get to balls that most of her opponents can’t, and she can make a return shot accurately and with authority. In the basketball playoffs this year, Joyner scored 17 points, was five out of six from the three point line, and she held the opposing team’s leading scorer to just eight points. She also advanced to the semi-finals of the state tennis tournament last year and narrowly missed upsetting a three-time state champion. For the 2013-14 basketball season, Joyner averaged five points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.75 steals per game. The Knights won region and advanced to the Elite Eight of the playoffs. Tennis season is in full swing (pun intended) as this edition goes to press, so season numbers obviously aren’t available. However, Deerfield Windsor is in good position to contend for a state title, and Joyner and her doubles

Deerfield-Windsor School

partner have a legitimate chance to win a state championship. With a weighted grade point average of 4.45 (4.0 unweighted), Joyner should have ample opportunities to play a sport – most likely tennis – in college should she so desire. However, once she plays her last high school tennis tournament, her competitive sports career will be over. She has decided that she will not play anything in college; instead, she plans to focus on academics. She is considering a wide array of schools, from nearby Valdosta State University to the University of Georgia. “I’m still struggling with where I want to go to college. I have to decide the size of the school I want to attend,” she says. When she isn’t studying or playing sports, she is involved in Beta Club, Key Club, Science Club, Student Council, and helping children learn the games of tennis and basketball. Her best advice: “I would say to always stay humble no matter how great you or other people think you are. Although sports may be fun and the center of many young athletes’ worlds, it is only a small part of life. Many life lessons that will help you down the road can be learned through playing sports, like discipline, time management, working with others, dealing with disappointment, and most importantly learning to succeed with class.”

Food: Teriyaki chicken from Asahi

Movie: God’s Not Dead;

“I think everyone should watch it! It is so inspiring!”

Subject: Math

Favorite sport other than your own:

“I love watching gymnastics.” Pastime: Hanging with friends

Sport you wish you could play: Volleyball; “I’m too short.” 18

Dream car: Range Rover

Annie Ross

Food: Steak Movie: She’s the Man

Book: The Hunger Games Subject: Math

Favorite sport other than your own:

Basketball Pastime: Go to the beach with my friends Sport you wish you could play: Lacrosse

Dream car: Blacked-out Range Rover

Cairo High School

Where do you start with Annie Ross? A senior forward on the Syrupmakers soccer team, Ross has accomplished more than any other female soccer player in Cairo history. Through her junior year, she was named First Team All-Region every year, Offensive Player of the Year in Region 2 every year, and a Georgia High School AllStar as a sophomore and junior. Ross also has Cairo’s single-season scoring record with 57 goals her sophomore year. She holds the scoring record with 169 goals and counting. Ross has helped lead Cairo to four undefeated region championships and a number five ranking in the state last season. To top things off, Ross is the first Cairo soccer player to sign a scholarship with a Division I school, and she was named 4A Player of the Year for the state as a junior. This season – which was still in progress at the time of this writing – Ross has 43 goals and 10 assists. Ross sports a 4.0 grade point average and will attend Gardner-Webb University, where she will play soccer and major in international business. As is the case with the rest of the young ladies featured here, Ross is a well-rounded student-athlete; she is a member of Key Club, Interact Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, FCA, and Kids Against Hunger. She finds time to fit everything in her schedule by simply making sure everything gets done no matter what it takes. “Sometimes, you don’t sleep very much,” she says. As her high school soccer career comes to an end, she encourages those behind her to never let up, not even the slightest bit. “Don’t give up no matter what the circumstances are. You never know who is watching,” she says.

Savannah-Jane Gilchrist Valwood School

A 17-year-old junior at Valwood, SavannahJane Gilchrist is the daughter of a soccer pioneer. Her mother, Lisa, was the first female soccer player at Valwood. She played on an all-boys team and paved the way for a future women’s soccer team. Now Gilchrist, a midfielder/forward, is making the most of the opportunity that her mother helped give her. A soccer player since she was five years old, Gilchrist has become an important part of the Valiants’ program. She is fast, aggressive, and accurate. She is also experienced; Gilchrist began her varsity soccer career as an eighth grader. From the start, she let everyone know that she was one day going to be a very good player. That year, she made one of the last penalty kicks in a key region game that went into doubleovertime. It remains one of the most difficult games she has ever played. In the process, she demonstrated to everyone that she wasn’t intimidated by older girls. In addition to playing soccer, she is also a

cheerleader, and she participates in no fewer than nine other extracurricular activities, including Interact Club, One-Act Play, Dance Marathon, Science Olympiad, Pulsera Project, and National Honor Society. Somehow, she finds time to maintain a 3.83 grade point average. “School comes first, but I always make time for sports. Sports are really important for kids. I go to school then to soccer, then I will stay up as late as I need to for homework,” she says. This season has been particularly frustrating for Gilchrist. The Valiants are a young team and haven’t done as well as she would have liked. However, she has held her head high and done the best she could. This season has given everyone valuable experience, and the girls should be able to turn that experience into a winning season in 2015. “Push yourself as hard as you can. Eat right, drink water, work out, hustle; it will pay off. And treat your team like a family. You can’t win unless your whole team is in sync,” she says.

Food: Twizzlers

Movie: Super 8 Book: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Subject: Composition

Favorite sport other than your own:

Football and ping pong Pastime: Doing anything outside

Sport you wish you could play: 22

Tennis

High school sports are about more than just having fun with friends. Long after the memories have faded, athletics will continue to have a positive effect on a high school athlete’s life. Here are four of the long-term benefits of getting in shape while young.

Improve your cognitive abilities Research has shown that exercise continues to help brain function even years after an athlete stops exercising. In one study, a group of 18 to 30-year olds was asked to run on a treadmill for as long as they could. Twenty-five years later, they were asked to do the same thing. The average time they lasted fell from 10 minutes to 2.9 minutes from the first to the second test. After the second running test, they were given a test that measured their cognitive abilities. Those that ran longer in the first running test scored higher, and those that ran the longest both times did the best overall on the cognitive test.

Stay healthy Regular exercise has also been shown to keep people healthier. Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest killers in Western culture. Numerous studies have found that people who kept fit while young are at a lower risk for heart attack causing diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes later in life. One group of researchers said that these diseases would happen 30% less frequently in the United States if all young adults kept fit.

Fitness

Long-Term Benefits Of Getting In Shape

Build discipline for other areas of life Many businesses prefer to hire athletes, and lower health insurance costs aren’t the main reason. The discipline needed to get up early or to otherwise make time to train when sick, hurt, busy with other things, or facing bad weather translates well into other areas of life. An employee who was a high school athlete will likely find it far easier to get up early even on days when they hate their job and to keep working until the task at hand is done.

Build healthy habits early Staying fit requires a high level of discipline. Exercise takes time, and maintaining a diet that allows a strong performance also takes work. Once in the working world, it becomes very easy to feel that there isn’t enough time in the day to get fit and eat right. Picking up these habits in high school makes them part of who a person is and makes it far easier to carry the healthy habits on later in life.

by Erin F

Source: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/5158/20140404/running-helps-youngadults-keep-the-brain-fit-later-in-life-study.htm, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ releases/4909.php

Ricardo Lockette Day

March 22, 2014 - Albany Civic Center by Kaitlynn Passmore

photography by Rizal Buickingham

he city of Albany celebrated the accomplishments of former Monroe Golden Tornado and Super Bowl Champion Ricardo Lockette by allowing the community to come out and meet #83. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver was greeted by friends, family, and the community at the Albany Civic Center. Lockette addressed his fans with an inspirational speech and took time out of his busy schedule to take pictures, sign autographs, and shake hands with his fans. Mayor Dorothy Hubbard and city commissioner Jeff Sinyard were just some of the many on hand. Lockette’s father and uncle were also in attendance. Lockette was brought to tears over the community support of his recent accomplishments. “Success, for me, is not defined by winning the Superbowl, ” Lockette said, “Being able to help or better people around you without physically being in their presence by living your life right and being a perfect example- that is success.” Lockette talked about the moments after the big win, noting he did not feel the victory he expected. He knows now that his goals are way bigger than the Superbowl. He challenged the crowd in closing, “How can we make each other better?” ITG

“I live my life trying to learn from everyone around me and pass it around.”

Academic

Athlete Ryan Chatman

Heading into his senior season, Ryan Chatman wanted to finish his baseball career on a high note. He wanted to have a winning season, win the region championship, and be in a position to make a strong playoff run. His personal goals were to help the team win, throw strikes, and play with confidence. As of press time, the Packers were fourth in the region and very much in the playoff picture. Chatman may not get his region title, but he and the Packers still have the chance to make a lot of noise come the postseason.

Colquitt County High school

Future Physician Dissects Opposing Batters for the Packers by Robert Preston, Jr.

chool just comes easily for some students. Ryan Chatman, a 5’11”, 170-pound, righthanded pitcher for the Colquitt County Packers, is one of those students. He takes the most difficult classes Colquitt County High offers, and he manages to get out of them relatively unscathed. He coasts through science and math classes as if he is doing little more than watering plants and balancing a checkbook. If he has any struggles at all, they come in literature and English. That shouldn’t pose too many problems for Chatman - he doesn’t plan on making his living in anything related to those two fields. Chatman doesn’t want to read or write for a living. He would rather cut open and sew up others in the future. “I want to be a surgeon. I like working with my hands, and I like helping others. I’ve always been interested in medicine,” he says. Last summer, Chatman shadowed Dr. Robert Brown, teammate Clayton Brown’s father, and spent a lot of time in the operating room. “I saw a little bit of everything. I loved it,” Chatman says. How is he going to get there? By attending the University of Georgia and majoring in microbiology with a minor in organic chemistry. That kind of degree track won’t leave time to do much else. Which is why he has no plans whatsoever of trying to do anything with his first love, baseball, beyond high school. For the last two seasons, Chatman has been a pitching specialist for the Packers. He used to play some outfield and hit a little bit but not anymore. “I’m okay with it. I do kind of miss hitting

photography by Connie Southwell

sometimes. But pitching is my favorite part of the game. I’d rather be out there than anywhere else,” he says. His velocity hovers around 80 mph, and he utilizes four pitches: fastball, curve ball, changeup, and a cutter. Chatman likes controlling the game. The pitcher puts the game in motion. Every player on the field - the hitter and the eight defensive players around the pitcher - react to what the pitcher initiates. “You’re out there by yourself. Everyone reacts to you. You either perform or you don’t. You’re in the spotlight,” he says. During his career with the Packers, Chatman has performed pretty well. Among his accomplishments is throwing a no-hitter against Thomas County Central in the ninth grade. One of the most difficult aspects of a no-hitter is remaining calm when you realize you’ve got one in progress. For Chatman, it was about staying calm and not overthinking or overthrowing. “I looked at each batter individually and tried to get him out. I just tried to let it ride,” he says. It rode pretty well. At one point, his second baseman made a tremendous diving play to preserve the no-hitter. Chatman’s arm did the rest. “That was my one and only no-hitter. They don’t come around very often,” he laughs. Baseball has been very good to Chatman. Over the years, he has learned valuable lessons while playing baseball. “I’ve learned not to let my emotions and my mind get in the way of my goals. You can’t overthink, and you have to trust in your abilities,” he says. iTg

Ryan’s Favorites: Team: Atlanta Braves Player: John Smoltz Subject: Science Sport you wish you could play: Basketball Last book: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Coke or Pepsi? Coke Superpower: Fly

f your goal is to transform your body into the best shape possible, you must make good food choices in addition to having an effective exercise regimen. Read below for five nutrition tips that will help you reach your fitness goals.

Never skip breakfast:

Don’t reduce calories:

According to Dan Benardot, PhD, who is the director of the Laboratory for Elite Athlete Performance at Georgia State University in Atlanta and oversees the nutrition program for U.S. Figure Skating along with Olympic distance runners, “One of the biggest mistakes athletes make is heading out for a run in the morning without eating anything first.” When you wake up, your blood sugar is already low because it has been so long since you have last eaten. Therefore, if you plan on working out early, you need to boost your body with something carbladen such as toast or a bagel. If you are not in the habit of eating in the mornings, start out small until your body adjusts to eating early.

Reducing your calories is not a good idea when trying to get in great shape. When you reduce your calories too much, your body does not have the nutrients it needs to perform, thus leading to muscle breakdown and poor athletic performance. You have to adequately fuel your body, so don’t go crazy cutting calories.

Stay hydrated: Most athletes know to drink plenty of water while working out, but many do not understand the importance of hydrating their bodies before and after working out. According to Amanda CarlsonPhillips, who is the vice president of nutrition and research for Athletes’ Performance in Phoenix, athletes should consume anywhere from .5 to one ounce of water per pound of body weight each and every day.

Don’t just pump iron, eat it: Various fitness experts agree that many athletes are iron deficient, which slows them down and increases their risk of injury. Therefore, it is important for you as an athlete to make sure your body has the right amount of iron. Foods such as fortified cereals, red meat, oatmeal, and spinach are natural ways to give your body the nutrients it needs.

Nutrition

Five Ways To Eat Healthier And Get In The Best Shape Possible

by Brandie P

Recover well: The importance of recovering well after a highintensity workout cannot be overstated. You should consume something such as a whey protein shake or a glass of milk approximately 15 to 20 minutes after an intense athletic activity. When you refuel your body with this carb-protein combination, you are helping your muscles recover from the workout you just put them through and are thus cutting down on your muscle soreness. Around an hour after your intense workout, you should consume food such as a whole-grain sandwich containing lean meat, salad filling, or egg. Trying to become a great athlete simply by focusing on exercise is next to impossible. It takes a combination of intense muscle building workouts and making wise food choices to transform yourself into the athlete you want to be

Source http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/nutrition-tips-athletes, http://www. fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/tips/olympic-nutrition-tips/

Travel Baseball Team:

The Valdosta Fire Sometimes, travel baseball isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looked upon in a very favorable light. Stories abound of overbearing coaches and parents who obliterate their teens and preteens in the name of travel baseball. For Whiddon and Anderson, they want the kids to be successful, but not at the expense of their health and happiness.

Front Row (left to right): Drew Anderson, Andrew Clark, Tim Samples (coach), Eli Harrell, and Jacob Rogers Back Row (left to right): Brett Whiddon (coach), Preston Joye, Brodie Whiddon, Cameron Carter, Luke Negrete, Kaid Register, Drew Harrell, Reid Wilcher, and Jayson Anderson (coach) 34

Best Of Friends, Fiercest Of Foes by Robert Preston, Jr.

arlier this baseball season, Drew Anderson of Hahira Middle School stepped into the batter’s box in a game against Pine Grove Middle. He dug in and took a few practice swings. As he readied his bat, he fixed his gaze on Pine Grove’s pitcher, Brodie Whiddon. The two players know each other well. During the week, they are bitter enemies on the baseball field. On the weekends, however, they are best friends and teammates on the Valdosta Fire, a USSSA 12U travel baseball team. Anderson, Whiddon, and a total of five other young men who were on the field that afternoon for either Pine Grove or Hahira Middle play out this scenario several times each year. They love playing with each other, but they also relish the opportunity to face each other for their respective middle school teams. They know their tendencies. They know what they do well and where their weaknesses lie. And they always want to oneup each other. This particular day, Whiddon, knowing that Anderson likes inside pitches, did his best to keep the ball low and away, out of Anderson’s wheelhouse where he could drive the ball to left field. Both players battled, and Anderson eventually worked the count to 2-2. Whiddon left one a little over the plate, and Anderson was able to drive the ball to left-center, just past another of his Fire teammates, Pine Grove shortstop Cameron Carter. Throughout the afternoon, the Whiddon-Anderson showdown was one of several Fire vs. Fire matchups. When the game ended, every Fire player had experienced success and failure at the hands

photos submitted by the Valdosta Fire Coaches

of a travel ball teammate. After the game, they laughed, joked, and talked a little trash with each other. The rivalries ended with the final out, and they went back to planning their next weekend tournament Timm Samples started the Valdosta Fire in 2012. He was the original head coach, and Brett Whiddon, Brodie Whiddon’s father, served as assistant coach. This year, Whiddon took over as head coach and Jayson Anderson, Drew Anderson’s father, stepped in as assistant coach. Over the last two years, the team that Samples began has morphed into one of the better travel teams in the area. The players have improved their skills, and all have turned into pretty good players. One unique aspect of the Fire is that with the exception of one player, all are from Lowndes County. “Most travel teams are like all-star teams made up of players from different communities. We’re basically all from right here, and the core group has been together from the beginning,” says Jayson Anderson. The main objective for the Fire is to give the kids an opportunity to grow as baseball players without running them into the ground. Sometimes, travel baseball isn’t looked upon in a very favorable light. Stories abound of overbearing coaches and parents who obliterate their teens and pre-teens in the name of travel baseball. For Whiddon and Anderson, they want the kids to be successful but not at the expense of their health and happiness. Baseball is a fun game, and they want to make sure it stays that way. “I think we strike a good balance between being serious and having

fun. Of course, as the kids have played more, gotten better and more competitive, it’s become more fun,” says Anderson. The coaches limit the pitchers to a reasonable number of innings and pitch counts. On more than one occasion, they have kept some of the better pitchers from throwing on weekends before big middle school games, often at the expense of tournament success. “We try to be disciplined with our pitching. We really try to take care of the kids,” says Anderson. All of the kids are looking forward to one day playing for the Lowndes High Vikings. Eight of the 11 Fire players – Anderson, Whiddon, Carter, Reid Wilcher, Eli Harrell, Drew Harrell, and Luke Negrete – attend middle schools in the Lowndes High system. Three other players are outside of the Lowndes system but are vital members of the Fire: Kaid Register (homeschool), Preston Joye (Open Bible), and Jacob Rogers (Echols Middle). While the Fire coaching staff want the kids to have fun, that doesn’t mean they don’t get after the players. They challenge them and work them pretty hard. It’s part of a process to make them better players and more responsible young adults. “We play a pretty intense level of baseball for kids this age. We teach them how to work hard, how to win, how to lose, how to overcome adversity, all those lessons. They are learning how to play with each other right now. And though they are on different middle school teams, one day most of them will be teammates at Lowndes,” says Anderson. And that could spell trouble for the rest of the region in a few years. ITG 35

De Pere High School

Softball

A Taste of Southern Living for Wisconsin Softball Team by Cale Colby

olquitt County High School played host to some rare northern visitors this spring when the De Pere High Lady Red Birds softball team from Green Bay, Wisconsin, visited Moultrie for spring break. With the ground still frozen and covered in snow up north, the girls from Wisconsin hoped to gain a competitive edge on the season by getting in some real world reps on a playable field. The story of this group of Green Bay girls holding spring practice in Moultrie began over 35 years ago with a pair of Packer teammates. Greg Tillery and Steve Austin played football and baseball together in Colquitt County, but the close friends parted ways after they graduated in 1980. They both became coaches, and Tillery returned to Moultrie to coach the Packers in football and baseball. Meanwhile, Austin moved to Wisconsin where he has served as a softball and football coach for the past 20 years. After realizing the similarity of the paths they chose in life, the pair of former Packer players reconnected. For the last several years, Austin and his family have spent Thanksgiving with Tillery’s family in Moultrie. Each year, the coaches would watch Colquitt’s football team compete in the state playoffs. But this year, Coach Austin

saw a new opportunity to visit his old friend and give his softball team some much needed reps on the ground. According to the De Pere coach, the Lady Red Birds never get the chance to play and practice outside when the season begins. In fact, the team did not field a single ground ball prior to their first game last year. The Wisconsin team arrived in Moultrie on Sunday, March 23, and they stayed through the following Friday to enjoy some preseason practice and Southern hospitality. Coach Austin says his team conducted two-a-days beginning with batting practice in the CCHS hitting facility each morning. In the afternoons, the team was able to practice on the field. In addition to the daily practice, the team travelled to Tallahassee to play a game against Florida High School. They also scrimmaged against a Moultrie team, watched the Florida State softball team take on Florida A&M, and they spent some time reading to kindergarteners in Colquitt County. According to the De Pere coach, taking to the diamond before the season began was huge for his

photography by Connie Southwell

team. In Green Bay, the ground was still covered in snow when the girls returned. As Austin explains, “It was invaluable for us to be able to experience real competition on the ground. It was a beautiful thing…. If I can take our kids, and we can come do some work on the ground and field some real, live balls, it’s an advantage. It’s a big deal.” Beyond softball, the coach believes his players gained far more than playing time and repetitions while in Moultrie, and he hopes to make the spring trip an annual event for the Red Birds. Upon returning to Wisconsin, he says the players talked more about Southern accents, manners, and cooking than playing softball. The Colquitt coaching staff was be-

yond accommodating, and some of the Colquitt players even offered to foster their Green Bay peers if they are able to return next spring. Overall, Coach Austin says he was reminded of exactly why he loves Moultrie, and why he is still a southern boy at heart. “I love to compete, and I love to be successful on the field. But I hope I’m a coach that is bringing them some life skills and experiences they otherwise wouldn’t have. That’s what this trip was all about.” ITG

Presented by:

Player

Spotlight Carter Elliott DeAndre Lambert

Valwood School

s both DeAndre Lambert and Carter Elliott prepare for college, they are doing so with different goals in mind. Lambert would like to play basketball in college and is talking with St. Thomas University in Miami about possibly playing for them. Elliott isn’t interested in playing anything. He had some offers from smaller schools to play football but decided against it. Instead, he’s going to Mercer where he will focus on academics. “Since the sixth grade, I’ve played three sports a year. I’m just worn out,” he laughs. 39

Valwood Duo Lead Valiants on Hardwood and on the Soccer Pitch by Robert Preston, Jr.

ou’ve perhaps heard of DeAndre Lambert. In March 2012, In the Game featured Lambert in a Sophomore Spotlight article. Back then, it was for basketball. The 6’4”, 200-pounder is also a pretty good soccer player. In 2012, Lambert was a forward on the basketball team. Then 6’4” and 185 pounds, he figured he would eventually end up playing center. That didn’t happen, mainly because of teammate Carter Elliott, a 6’7”, 185-pounder who was always about three inches taller than the Valiants’ tallest opponents. Elliott’s presence meant that Lambert could remain at forward. Elliott also plays soccer; he’s a keeper for the Valiants. With Lambert, who is primarily a defensive specialist on the pitch, the two of them do their very best to keep opponents from finding the back of the net. Lambert has matured into an excellent player. He averaged 13 points and eight rebounds a game this season. And last year, he figured prominently in the Valiants’ region championship. Playing Southwest Georgia Academy in the region semifinals, Lambert found himself at the foul line with two seconds remaining. Valwood was trailing by one. Previously, Lambert hadn’t had a lot of luck with his free throws. “A senior captain came over to me and told me he believed I could do it,” recalls Lambert. He said a prayer as he headed to the line. That calmed him

photography by Micki K Photography

down and helped him shoot with confidence. “I went through my routine at the line and let the first shot go. It went in. I did the same thing on the second shot, and it went in, too.” The team went nuts, picking Lambert up and carrying him off the court. That set up a showdown with Terrell Academy for the region title, which Valwood won. This season was a little different. The Valiants struggled a bit but made the playoffs in spite of a difficult season. They entered the playoffs as a fifth seed. Two upsets later, they were playing for a region title against Sherwood Academy of Albany. The Valiants came up short, and Sherwood left the arena with a region title. As Lambert’s basketball career came to an end, he looked back and had no regrets. He made All-Region as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and he played in the GISA All-Star Showcase this year. “I gave everything I had. I gave my all, and I left everything I had on the court. I did my best,” he says. Once basketball season ended, it was time to focus on soccer. Last year, Lambert was named All-Region in soccer, and he has been the defensive MVP for Valwood each of the

last two years. At the time of this writing, the Valiants had one more regular-season game and were sitting in second place in the region. Last year, Valwood won region. “I love soccer because I get to compete. It’s fun to get out there with my friends and play,” he says. Heading into his senior season of soccer, Lambert wanted to score a goal (yet to happen), win region again, and make a run at a state championship. With the season still in progress, he feels like there’s still time for Valwood to make some noise. “We can still get it done. I believe that,” he says. Elliott has a slightly different vantage point. He’s a keeper for the soccer team and center in basketball. He and Lambert are good friends and play well off each other. Since halfway through his freshman soccer season, Elliott has been the Valiants keeper. With his height, he takes up a large portion of the net. “I take a lot of pride in what I do. I take it personally when someone scores a goal on me. I think I stay well-positioned in the goal, and I know how to use my size to cut off angles. If I get in the right position, I can block the whole goal from one

spot,” he says. The moment he remembers most is a bittersweet game he played in the semifinals as a sophomore. Valwood was playing Gatewood on the road and lost, 5-2. Just days before the game, Gatewood tragically lost one of its players. The player’s death hung over the field like a black cloud and affected everyone. “The atmosphere was strange. It was also the last game I would play with a lot of my friends. So it was difficult on me for more than one reason. It was emotional for everyone. It remains the toughest game I’ve ever played,” he says. In basketball, Elliott averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds per game as he helped anchor the Valiants down low. Just like in soccer, he used his size to neutralize his opponents. “Nobody had anyone as tall as me. I tried to use my length to the best of my ability. I tried to get

The Valiants have enjoyed happier days. And this year, they have improved steadily as the season has worn on. “It’s been a good year. We’ve gotten better over the last few months. We lost both of our games with Brookwood. We don’t like that, but they were just better than us this year. But we should get a home playoff game, at least for the first round,” Elliiott says.

Team: Atlanta Braves

Player: Freddie Freeman

Subject: Calculus Least favorite: English

Superpower: Fly

If someone gave you $1 million, you would…: “Buy a house” Person to meet: Bobby Cox

Place to travel: Scotland Sport you wish you could play: Golf 41

rebounds and play tough defense. I knew if I played my hardest, I had a huge advantage,” he says. Elliott has helped the Valwood basketball and soccer teams contend for region titles throughout his career. But he will leave Valwood with at least one state championship. Elliott also plays football. He’s a wide receiver, and the Valiants placekicker. And of all the big moments he’s had in sports during his time at Valwood, none have been bigger than a long field goal he kicked in Week four this year. The opponent was Memorial Day - the team that eventually defeated Valwood in this year’s state championship game. With eight seconds left, the Valiants were trailing by two and had stalled on Memorial Day’s 25-yard line. Head Coach Ashley Henderson sent Elliott out to try a 42-yard field goal. “Our winning streak wasn’t even in my mind. I was just thinking about that game. The pressure was incredible. My holder looked up and told me that our uprights looked mighty wide,” recalls Elliott. Unfortunately, that pre-snap moment would be the last time he would see the uprights until after the game. When the holder received the snap, Elliott kicked the ball and watched it sail toward the uprights. He actually thought he had missed the kick. Then one of Memorial Day’s defenders steamrolled Elliott in an attempt to block the kick. “He just annihilated me,” laughs Elliott. The ball went through the posts while Elliott was on the ground. “I looked at our tight end. He was jumping up and screaming. Then I looked at the crowd. They were going crazy.” He knew he had made the kick. The officials threw a flag on Memorial Day for roughing the kicker. Elliott sent the kick-off flying out of the stadium, and the Valiants held Memorial Day for a slim 13-12 win. Lambert and Elliott have spent a lot of time together over the last few years. So what do they say about each other? “Carter is very athletic, and he’s a great basketball player. He never gives up, and he always practices hard. He pushes others, and he’s a leader in a way that I’m not. I’m quiet and shy. I feed off his energy to be a leader myself,” says Lambert. “You can see the determination on DeAndre’s face when he’s playing. He makes me want to play harder because he plays so hard. He does a lot of stuff with a basketball that I just can’t do. When he gets the ball in the paint, nobody can stop him. I always hated playing defense against him in practice because I knew he was always going to beat me,” says Elliott. ITG

Subject: Spanish Least favorite: English

Sport you wish you could play: Baseball

Last movie: Robocop

Person to meet: Chris Bosh Pepsi or Coke? Coke

Superpower: Fly 43

Athlete’s Annual Physical Exam… More Than Just a Routine Practice

by Eric Stiefel, M.D., Valdosta Orthopedic Associates

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), over 7.7 million student-athletes participated in school sanctioned sports during the 2012-13 academic year. This large number of school sports participants also represents a continued trend of increased participation rate in school sports for the 24th consecutive year. While not all of these students will “make it to the next level,” the positive influence that participation in organized team sports while in high school can last a lifetime. School-sponsored athletics provide students with an opportunity to develop social skills and healthy exercise habits. Even more important, participation in school sports is associated with improved academic performance, self-esteem, and a reduction in high-risk behavior activity.

Excluding an athlete from participating in a sport due to a medical condition is a very rare event. As a prerequisite to participation, many athletes are required to undergo an annual pre-participation medical evaluation. The NFHS acknowledges the importance of a formal screening history and physical examination, and most state high school athletic associations require athletes to obtain a formal documentation of their general medical health prior to participation in state-sponsored sports programs.

Eric Sutherland of Sutherland Physical Therapy helping out at the annual free physical day event.

photos provided by LeighAnn Hogan

While this routine of annual preseason “clearance” for sports participation is now considered standard practice, there remains a great deal of debate regarding the appropriate context, content, and expectation of health benefits which can be obtained by the preseason medical evaluation. For some, this encounter may be viewed as a necessary waiver of liability for sports participation; however, the PPE should be viewed as an opportunity to provide the athlete with a comprehensive general health screening. This opportunity may be especially important in patients with limited access to primary medical care. One way that many physicians and physician groups contribute each year is by offering their medical services to clear athletes for participation as a service to the students and their communities. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are both primary and secondary objectives to the pre-participation physical evaluation. First, doctors should screen for life-threatening conditions and conditions that may predispose the athlete to illness or injury. Second, doctors should determine the general health of the athlete with an exam that functions as an entryway into the health care system. While it is important to rule out lifethreatening diseases, the pre-participation physical exam should not be viewed by parents or players as an exam where the only goal is looking for a reason to exclude the athlete from participation. In fact, excluding an athlete from participating in a sport due to a medical condition is a very rare event. It is important that parents and students provide their physicians with accurate and detailed information about their medical history at the time of their exam. Finally, by screening patients for potentially treatable diseases and educating athletes on the importance of healthy lifestyle choices, the sports medicine physician can play a vital role as a community health advocate.

Dr. Ben Hogan’s staff and the staff at Valdosta Orthopedic hold free sports physicals once a year like the one recently held for students in the Valdosta School System.

For more information about the free annual sports physical screenings at Dr. Hogans office call 229. 333.0616.

Dr. Hogan’s office and Valdosta Orthopedic Associates provide sports physicals throughout the year at their offices in Valdosta.

Phone 229.247.2290

John P. Kendrick, M.D. Oscar E. Aguero, Jr., M.D. James R. Goss, D.O. Charles W. Sanderlin, Jr., M.D. J. Eric Gee, M.D. Eric Stiefel, M.D. Michael Clark, M.D.

Valdosta Location 3527 North Valdosta Rd. Valdosta, GA 31602 Moultrie Location #9 Hospital Park Moultrie, GA 31698

117 W Northside Dr, Valdosta, GA 31602 Phone: 229.333.0616 45

Chandler Cargile Valwood School

17-Year-Old Valwood Student Places Second at Barefoot Water Skiing World Championship by Robert Preston, Jr.

region championship is nice. A state championship is even better. But a world championship? How many high school athletes play a sport that has a world championship, much less put themselves in contention to actually win one? Not many, that’s for sure. One of those rare athletes, however, can be found in South Georgia. His name is Chandler Cargile, and he is the second-best junior barefoot water skier in the world. Cargile grew up in a family that loved water skiing. He learned to ski at a very early age and continued through his formative years. Four years ago, he discovered barefoot skiing. Initially, barefooting was something he did as a way of having fun and goofing around at the lake. Then, one day, he decided to take it up a notch. He researched water skiing schools and found the World Barefoot Club in Winter Haven, Florida. Cargile went down to the WBC and took a few lessons. He enjoyed it and asked them about becoming a sponsored skier. “To do that, you had to go down there a minimum of 15 times per year,” says Cargile. He wanted to explore the opportunity, and he made the commitment. A year later, Cargile was competing favorably in regional competitions. In 2012, after recovering from a broken hip, Cargile was named to the U.S. Junior Team and competed in his first world championship, held in Waco, Texas. Cargile qualified again for the junior team and made his second trip to the world championships, which took place in Mulwala, Australia, in March. The qualifying process isn’t easy. A skier must meet certain benchmarks in the different events – jumping, tricks, and slalom. There

photos submitted by Cargile Family

aren’t very many barefoot meets held around the country; in order to qualify, a skier has to be on his game every event. “That may be the hardest part. There just aren’t very many chances to qualify,” says Cargile. He met the benchmarks this season and punched his ticket to Australia. This time, he was much more relaxed and confident. “My first experience at worlds was much more nerve-wracking. I didn’t know what to expect. I was more comfortable, and I really felt like I had a chance to be one of the best junior barefooters,” he says. At the world championship, Cargile earned a silver medal in the slalom, tricks, and overall competitions. He was also a big reason why the U.S. team won a bronze medal, finishing behind New Zealand (silver), and Australia (gold). What does it mean to be one of the best in the world? “My coaches and my parents have told me that barefooting comes naturally to me. Having a family that loves water skiing has helped, too. It’s shown me that I can do whatever I put my mind to if I work hard. A little bit of effort goes a long way,” he says. Through it all, Cargile seems to take everything in stride. He’s a humble young man who loves to talk about skiing but not necessarily about his accomplishments. And now that the world championships are over, he would like to take a little time and just enjoy water skiing. “I plan to keep skiing, but I want to have fun with it. I’d like to ski just for fun for a while,” he says. That shouldn’t be much of a problem. After all, when you’re one of the best in the world, you can kind of do whatever it is you want to. ITG

So what does it take to be a good barefoot water skier? According to Cargile, commitment is the biggest thing. Barefooting isn’t easy, and the water is very, very unforgiving. “You just have to go out there and keep trying. Those falls hurt, man! Probably 90 percent of barefooting is mental. You just can’t give up,” he says.

Freshman

Focus

Tift Freshman Aims for Junior Olympics by Robert Preston, Jr.

“I

started shooting in the fifth grade. My older sister, Deann, was on the 4-H air rifle team. I always wanted to be better than her,” laughs Nicole Taylor, a freshman at Tift County High School and one of the best young shooters on Tift’s air rifle team. What started as a way of following in her sister’s footsteps has now morphed into something much larger. Taylor spends countless hours per month honing her craft and dreams of landing a spot in the Junior Olympics and, hopefully, a college scholarship. Most air rifle teams in the area are tied to a JROTC program. Tift County’s team is different. It is a school team just like football, basketball, cheerleading, or track. Before joining the Blue Devils shooting team, Taylor was already an accomplished marksman at the 4-H level. She had placed first in the state in BB competition, been to nationals, and been named Rookie of the Year for the area. Being a good shooter requires patience, a steady hand, the ability to relax under pressure, and a short memory. Shooters can’t dwell on misses; they simply have to move forward and forget about wayward shots. Taylor began her season in October. The Blue Devils just finished in early April. “It’s a long season,” she says. “One of the longest of any sport.” Tift didn’t make it to state as a team. And Taylor just missed going as an individual. In matches, scores are based on 100 points. Participants shoot from three different positions: prone, standing, and kneeling. A perfect score is 300 points. An individual score of 290 automatically qualifies a shooter to the state match. Taylor averages a 280 with a personal best of 288. “Next year, we want to go to state. We’ll have a bunch of seniors

Nicole Taylor

Tift County High School

photography by Micki K Photography

on the team, and we want to send them off with a trip to state,” she says. One of the primary objectives driving Taylor’s shooting career is her goal of appearing in the Junior Olympics. It’s one of the highest honors for a high school shooter, and Taylor is in her first year of eligibility for the Junior Olympic program. To get to the Junior Olympics, shooters must qualify at one of several matches held in their states. Georgia has several different qualifiers, some in the Atlanta area and others at Fort Benning near Columbus. Taylor has been to one qualifier and shot well. She narrowly missed qualifying. “There are a lot of standing shots in the qualifiers. There are 60 compared to just 10 in high school matches,” she says. She gained valuable experience at the qualifier, and she plans to keep practicing as she pursues her goals of competing against the best marksmen in the country. A little further down the road, Taylor would also like to land a scholarship to shoot in college. The Military of College of Georgia at North Georgia University in Dahlonega is one of the few schools in the region that offers scholarships in the shooting sports. “I would love to go to school in Dahlonega,” she says. At 15 years old, Taylor has plenty of time to hone her craft. She has lofty goals but already has a firm foundation. She is unfazed by pressure and doesn’t mind mixing it up with whoever she needs to. And, as one of the few females who shoot at her level, she isn’t intimidated one bit by her male counterparts. “Last year, our 4-H BB team won fourth place, and we went to nationals in Arkansas. I was the only girl on the team,” she laughs. ITG

Shooting isn’t just one of several sports in which Nicole Taylor participates it’s her only sport. And it’s also the only sport she can play. Taylor has exerciseinduced asthma and can’t run for extended periods of time. Shooting is the perfect sport her. It allows her the opportunity to represent her school on the field of play but does so in a manner that won’t worsen her condition. “I would love to get out and run, but I just can’t,” she says.

Coach’s

Corner

Brittany Ferguson Bell

Lowndes High School

Bell Rockets To the Top of the South Georgia Coaching Heap by Robert Preston, Jr.

ost coaches follow a rather predictable path to their profession. Brittany Ferguson Bell, Lowndes High head women’s basketball coach, kept to the script, for the most part. She was an excellent high school player who played as long as she could. When her playing career ended, she went into coaching. At this point, however, Bell deviates from the script. She didn’t start out as a high school assistant, spending several years learning her craft under different head coaches before finally landing a job at a smaller school. And she didn’t work in the lower classifications

before moving up to the 6A level. Instead, she went from college student to head coach of one of the top women’s programs in the state. Bell attended high school at Westside of Macon. She played basketball and ran track and cross country. Her freshman year, Westside finished second in the state in basketball. The next year, Bell and her teammates went to the Elite Eight. They followed up with a Final Four appearance her junior year. After graduation, Bell went to Western Carolina University on a basketball scholarship. She played two years there before transferring to Valdosta State University,

photography by Micki K Photography

where she finished her playing career. “Coaching wasn’t something I wanted to do. I wanted to teach, but all the coaches I had seemed so stressed out. I didn’t want that kind of stress,” she says. After her playing career ended, the opportunity to work as a graduate assistant with VSU opened up in 2012. She realized just how much she missed being around the game, so she took the job. Two years later, Bell was head coach of the Lowndes High Vikettes. Bell inherited a team from former head coach Shan Garner that routinely won over 20 games and made deep 51

playoff runs. She didn’t have to rebuild or even reload. She just had to keep winning - which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. “I came into a perfect situation. Coach Garner did a great job. His teams were well-coached and those girls know how to play the game. He set me up to be successful. But the pressure was on,” she says. Lowndes started out with 11 straight wins. Then the girls started losing. It was frustrating for Bell and her team. Later in the season, things finally started clicking, and the Vikettes began winning again. “Early on, we weren’t winning the right way. We were just better than our opponents. But when we started playing better teams, and we had to execute our game plan better, we didn’t do well. We finally started playing the right way later in the season,” says Bell. Lowndes ended up putting together another season of over 20 wins. The girls also made it to the Final Four, no small achievement for a South Georgia team. “I know it sounds cliché, but I wanted to win state. Realistically, that’s what I wanted. We pushed hard. It wasn’t easy, and it was very stressful. But I wanted our girls to say, ‘We’re the best in the state,’” says Bell. So what will it take to get over the hump and win a state title? “Well, Coach Eric Holland at

Tift showed that South Georgia teams can beat Atlanta teams and win championships. So we know we can do it. But the girls in Atlanta play all the time. There is a gym on every corner, and all kinds of opportunities to play year

‘round. Our kids play mainly in basketball season, and that’s it. This summer, we’ve got to get them playing more. We have to play, play, play. That’s the only thing that separates them from us,” says Bell. The 2013-14 school year has been a tremendous learning experience for Bell. One of the biggest lessons she learned is that her girls needed something from her other than basketball. “As a Christian, it dawned on me that they needed something more. What were we fighting for? I realized this was way bigger than just basketball. Our sport can be a ministry. When we introduced that to our girls, they started playing to show what God has done for them, to show that there is something greater. They got on fire for the Lord, and it was awesome to see that,” she says. So what happens next year? Lowndes was a young team in 2013-14. Of the seven girls who played most of the minutes, four were sophomores. The future of Lowndes women’s basketball looks bright indeed. “Next year, we have to win a state title. The pressure is on us. High school sports comes and goes in cycles, depending on the athletes you have at the time. But the standard for our program will always be a state title,” says Bell. ITG

herever Brittany Ferguson Bell has been, she has won. In addition to the deep playoff runs in

high school, she won a conference championship at Western Carolina and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen her senior year at Valdosta State. She has won plenty of games as a high school player, a college player, and now as a high school coach. The pressure may indeed be on, but Bell is well positioned to handle whatever comes her way.

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Davis Baldwin has also participated in a third sport at Valdosta Middle - cross country. Though cross country and football occur at the same time of the year, he found a way to make it work. He would report to cross country practice and go through his running workouts. Then he would head to football practice and kick. It worked in middle school, but won’t be so easy in high school. In fact, he says he probably won’t run next year. “I ran cross country to stay in shape for soccer. I don’t think I can run and play football in high school. I’ll just have to do conditioning on my own,” he says.

Rising

Star Presented by:

Davis Baldwin Valdosta Middle School

VMS Eighth-Grader Excels at Futbol and Football by Robert Preston, Jr.

t all started innocently enough. Two friends, Curtis Thomas and Anthony Saeger, convinced Davis Brown to try soccer four years ago. Davis was 10 years old and thought it would be fun to hang out with his friends while chasing a soccer ball. Four years later, Brown has turned into a pretty good soccer player who has a real opportunity to take the skills he has learned playing futbol and use them on the football field for the Valdosta Wildcats. “I just started playing to spend time with friends. But I found out I really like the game. I enjoy scoring goals. I also enjoy watching them score and do well,” he says. Baldwin is a versatile player. He can run, distribute the ball, use both feet equally well, and is accurate to the goal. He plays right midfielder and scored five goals this season, two of which came against Lowndes Middle. In 2013, he also scored a pair of goals against LMS, and he cites those two games as his biggest moments on the pitch. Soccer is his favorite sport, and there are few things he would rather be doing. But the skills he has developed playing soccer have had a bit of an unintended consequence. As he has gotten better on the pitch, he has turned into a pretty good placekicker for the football Wildcats. This season, he handled all of the kicking duties for VMS: kick-offs, extra points, and field goals. By the end of the season, he was kicking field goals consistently from 35 yards out. Kickers might be spared the physical abuse of a football game, but the mental stress of their job presents its own unique set of challenges. Baldwin discovered just how difficult kicking can be this season against Colquitt. With very little time remaining, Valdosta Middle scored a touchdown to tie the game. Baldwin trotted on the field with the kicking team to attempt the extra point. If he made it, VMS would have a slim lead. If he missed, his team would have more work to do. “I took a deep breath and tried not to change anything about the way I kick.

photography by Micki K Photography

Then I just kicked it,” he recalls. The ball sailed through the uprights and Valdosta Middle had the lead. “Everyone started cheering. We thought we had won the game,” says Baldwin. Unfortunately, Colquitt quickly and efficiently marched down the field and scored to win. Football can indeed be a cruel sport. As Brown transitions from middle school to high school, he would like to keep playing soccer and football. He truly loves both sports and will make an impact for the Wildcats on both fronts. He also understands and respects the Wildcats football tradition, and being a part of Valdosta High’s gridiron heritage is something special to him. “I’m proud to be a Wildcat. It’s a huge deal being a part of the winningest high school football team in the country. Not everyone can say that,” he says. ITg

Soccer player: Cristiano

Ronaldo

Subject: Science

Least favorite: Math Last book: House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Last movie: Catching Fire Person to meet: Cristiano Ronaldo

Place to travel: Australia Pepsi or Coke? Coke

Ocilla, GA • www.irwincountyindians.com Irwin Middle Athletics Preparing To Move Up To Varsity

Irwin County High School

The Irwin County Middle School Indians capped a great baseball season with an incredible win and a conference title. Irwin defeated Lanier in the first round of the conference tournament 4-3. The following day the Indians hosted the Clinch Panthers for a back-and-forth contest. In the top of the seventh, Clinch broke a tie to go up 5-4. In the bottom of the seventh, Irwin put a runner on first, but then two outs were made to put the game in jeopardy. Seventh-grader Jayvon Stanley stepped up to the plate, and after getting two strikes, the Indians’ title hopes were one strike away from doom. Stanley then pounded a two-out, twostrike ball over the fence for a two-run walk-off home run, and the ICMS Indians staged an improbable comeback to win the conference crown. Head Coach Chuck Folker says, “I tell you it was unbelievable. One the boys will not forget. The Indians are the only team in the conference which plays only sixth and seventh graders, which shows the promising future of Irwin County Baseball.”

by Dusty Vassey

Middle Conference Champions: Front – Tucker Paulk, Chance Gamble, Keegan Folker, Parker Guy, Wil Hudson, Wright Walker, and Blake Underwood. Back – Coach Chip Rankin, Andrew Braziel, Luke Morgan, Cam Vickers, Jayvon Stanley, Dalton Whitley, Zach Smith, Peyton Martin, and Head Coach Chuck Folker.

Ocilla, GA • www.irwincountyindians.com Irwin’s Middle Athletics (cont.) Coach Angie Dunlap’s boys middle tennis finished runner-up in the South Georgia Middle Schools’ Conference Tournament (SGMS) to Telfair County. The Indians advanced to the championship match by defeating Crisp County. The middle girls also had a good season. They defeated Turner to move up to the second match in the conference, but lost to Telfair Co. Coach Dunlap says, “Both teams had a great season, they played in wet, cold weather…many matches had to be canceled and rescheduled. They always pulled together, played hard, and did very well. I will be sending up some excellent tennis athletes to varsity next year.” Middle Boys Tennis – Front: Davlon Pollard, Devin Biggs, and Seb Carlton. Back: Owen Paulk, Will Schalch, Tyrese White, Robby Espano, and Coach Angie Dunlap.

New Irwin County Athletic Director/Coach Irwin Indians’ new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Buddy Nobles met Indian fans! The Irwin County Touchdown Club introduced Coach Nobles to the community at their March meeting. Irwin supporters were happy to hear Coach Nobles say, “My goal is to stay at Irwin County High School, I am not a coach that likes to move around.” This is what Irwin High and fans want—a coach that would like to stay at Irwin. Coach Nobles says, “I plan to put a quality team on the field. Coach Lindsey did a great job of building a program, and it is my job to continue the program.” Coach Nobles has begun teaching weightlifting classes at ICHS; coach and athletes are bonding well. Irwin loves what they are seeing—the building of good, tight relationships between coach and athletes. Coach Nobles and his players are looking forward to spring practice in May and a spring scrimmage game.

Your future is waiting. on Your mark... Find out about early college credit programs offered at your school! Take college courses while in high school at little or no cost to you. Courses taken during high school do not count against your HOPE cap hours. Academic degree level courses taken in high school through Wiregrass will also transfer to any University System of Georgia college and other technical colleges in Georgia.

Talk to your high school counselor today!

www.wiregrass.edu A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. An equal opportunity institution. 61

The Journey of Imitation Galatians 2:1-10

Paul and Titus are on a journey compelled by God through a revelation to Paul. Unlike most of the early Apostles, Paul and Titus were compelled to share the Gospel to the Gentiles more so than the Jews. They were truly beginning a journey of learning to imitate Christ in all situations, not just the comfortable, safe conditions that they grew up with. There are all kinds of traditions that are imitated in the name of Christianity that have nothing to do with our relationships to Jesus Christ. This problem has existed since the beginning. The Jews wanted Paul and Titus to imitate their tradition of circumcision. However, Paul and Silas were determined to imitate Christ. They didn’t give in for a minute; to truly imitate is to not deviate. We become slaves to that which we imitate: • Cussing vs. Positive • Revealing Dress vs. Conservative Dress • Alcohol vs. Water Those who would enslave us do so for their own gain. Jesus is so unselfish that He gives us the choice to submit to Him. Our goal as Christian Athletes is to imitate Christ.

SEGA FCA

However, we also need to place ourselves in the company of those who are seeking to imitate Him as well. It’s why it is so important to seek out teammates and coaches that are Christ imitators. Paul and Titus sought the council of the other Apostles before they ventured out to share Jesus with the non-Christ imitators. Maybe you are reading this and you have become a slave to people and traditions that are keeping you from developing a relationship with Jesus. Maybe you know Jesus, but you have allowed yourself to choose other things besides Him to imitate lately. We all are sinners and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). But He offers us redemption and the chance to turn away from imitating others or traditions and a chance to turn to Him. Choose to imitate Jesus Christ; His team is truly a winning team! In His Grip, Danny R. Broyles Area Director SEGA FCA SEGA FCA Office 229-245-1717

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