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Sports
the courier-times | roxboro, NC
Person looking for first victory against winless Comets By Kelly Snow Courier-Times Sports Editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
After facing three teams ranked in the top-10 in the state in their classifications to start the season, the Person High School football team will face a different kind of challenge this Friday night. The Rockets (0-3) will host a
Halifax (Va.) squad that’s just as hungry for a victory. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Rocket Stadium for these two familiar adversaries. “It’s very much a natural rivalry game,” Person coach Dave Kleine said. “They might not be in our conference and they might not be in our state, but they are certainly just up the road. It’s one of the games I re-
ally get amped up for.” The Comets have started the season 0-2, falling to two traditionally strong programs in Virginia, Jefferson Forest (50-30) and E.C. Glass (56-28). Kleine believes that results can be a bit deceiving when examining Halifax. Shifty quarterback James Smith leads a
wednesday, sept. 10, 2014 Person quarterback Antonio Williams will be looking to bounce back after a tough perfomance in last week’s loss against reigning 4-A state champion Greensboro Dudley. The Rockets host Halifax (Va.) Friday. Kelly Snow | Courier TImes
See FOOTBALL, Page 7
Bulldogs take down Rockets By Kelly Snow
Courier-Times Sports Editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
The Roxboro Community School volleyball team was leading, but teetering big time. The Bulldogs had just dropped their first set of the season, saw their senior All-Conference setter get carried out of the gym and Person was pouncing on its wounded in-county rival. But RCS regrouped and found a way to hang on for 3-1 (25-20, 25-17, 10-25, 25-22) victory Monday night in front of a loud and energetic crowd at Rocket Gym. The victory was the 1-A North Central Athletic Conference member’s first-ever win against its 4-A neighbor. “I didn’t want to graduate without beating them,” RCS senior outside hitter Kelsie Holt said. “We’ve played them every year and they’re a great team and it’s always good competition. (Person) always makes me want to get better and play better. This was just a great experience.” Holt made her final swings against Person memorable. With the Bulldogs clinging to a slim 23-22 in the fourth set after two consecutive Person points, Holt took sets from freshman Mackenzi Thornburg and buried back-to-back kills to clinch the victory. Her final kill was initially dug up, but never made it back across the net. Holt finished with a teamhigh 11 kills with seven digs. The Bulldogs played most of the final two sets without four-year starting setter Peyton Thornburg who left after an apSee VOLLEYBALL, Page 8
Kelly Snow | Courier TImes
Members of the Roxboro Community School volleyball team and their supporters celebrate after defeating Person 3-1 Monday in Rocket Gym.
Little sister steps up in big sister’s absence By Kelly Snow Courier-Times Sports Editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
Roxboro Community School freshman Mackenzi Thornburg could only watch as her older sister limped off the court. With the Bulldogs holding a comfortable two-set lead against Person, and on the verge of their first-ever victory against their crosstown rival, Peyton Thorn-
burg, the team’s four-year starting setter, gingerly left the floor and took a seat on the bench. Within seconds, RCS’s quarterback on the floor had her mother, her coach’s mother and Person’s trainers buzzing around her looking at her foot. But little sister still had a job to do — and now Mackenzi was the team’s lone setter as big sister grimaced in pain and was in tears when told her night was
over. Mackenzi has loads of experience setting at the club level and played that position for RCS’s undefeated middle school team last year. But never in a nearly-packed gym, against Person. RCS struggled mightily initially in Peyton’s absence, and Person took full advantage, finishing the third set on a 16-6 See SISTERS, Page 8
A great night for Person County volleyball
Monday night’s volleyball game between Person and Roxboro Community School was an absolutely perfect display of what sports in a small town can be all about. If you weren’t there, frankly you blew it, here’s what you missed. Two really good teams playing at a high level and leaving everything they had out there — and they did it without trash talking or disrespectful antics. It took a while for the Rockets to get going, but once they figured out how to contend with the
The Blizzard
Kelly Snow outstanding serves coming from RCS, the home team took their game up a notch. There were coming of age moments. Freshman Mackenzi Thornburg was gutty, calm, and fiery
all at the same time in leading RCS in the fourth set with her sister out with a foot injury. Person’s Kara Wilkerson was a floor rat in the third and fourth sets, See BLIZZARD, Page 8
Roxboro Community School freshman Mackenzi Thornburg was the Bulldogs’ primary setter for the final two games against Person Monday. Her sister, Peyton Thornburg, suffered a foot injury early in the third game. Kelly Snow | Courier TImes
SPORTS
A8 the courier-times | roxboro, NC
wednesday, sept. 10, 2014
BLIZZARD: Fantastic environment, gutty performances all around for Rockets, Bulldogs FROM PAGE 6
Kelly Snow | Courier TImes
Roxboro Community School’s Kelsie Holt handles a tip from Person during Monday’s match. The Bulldogs knocked off Person 3-1.
VOLLEYBALL: RCS gets first-ever win at Person FROM PAGE 6 parent foot injury with Person leading 9-4 in the third. Her younger sister, Mackenzi, who has experience setting at the club level, became the team’s primary setter for the final two sets. Peyton Thornburg was helped out of the gym after the conclusion of the Rockets’ 22-10 thirdset victory. “Before the beginning of the (fourth) game, I told the team that we were one family and we have to stick together,” Holt said. “Peyton is such a huge asset to our team and there was no doubt that we were going to win this for her.” The Rockets certainly did not make it easy for RCS. Person roared back after dropping the first two sets, and dominated the third. The Rockets raced out to a 9-4 lead after a pair of kills from freshman Avery Bowman, and closed the set in emphatic fashion, winning 11 of the final 12 points, the last coming on a Katie Slaughter kill. “The third game obviously was by far our best game,” Person coach Amanda Ramirez said. “Everything came together. We were blocking. We were serving aggressively and just playinge every ball like it was the last ball they were ever going to touch.” The Rockets trailed by as many as four three times early in the fourth set, but continued to battle back. They tied the game at 16 after Jada McGhee’s soft roll shot found the Bulldogs’ side of the floor. RCS responded with a 5-1 spurt keyed by its two big hitters. Holt won two points on serve, and Garrison Bowes had a pair of kills, including one that bounced off the block of a pair of Rockets’ on fell just out, lifting RCS to a 20-17 advantage. Senior Kelsey Cole followed with a service winner to force a Rocket timeout. The Rockets had one last rally in them, and won five of the next seven points to slice the RCS lead to 23-22, highlighted by a kill from Goodwin after a dazzling dig from libero Kara Wilkerson. Holt finished off the match with a couple of kills to ignite a huge celebration. The Bulldogs had to dig into their bench to finish off the Rockets. After Thornburg’s injury, RCS coach Meagan Tatum inserted Kailey Oakley into the front line and used the combination of Hannah Hawkins and Taylor Winstead in the back row. Oakley injured her foot in the fourth set, and Halifax transfer Logan Redd saw her
Kelly Snow | Courier TImes
Person’s Casey Goodwin reaches high for a push shot during the fourth set of Monday’s match against Roxboro Community School.
first action of the match with the Bulldogs clinging to a 22-20 lead. Middle blocker Ryann Tate came through with a solid serve on match point — after being subbed out on every previous rotation in the match when it was her turn to serve. “They believe in their skill and are a very strong team,” Tatum said. “We don’t have six stars and a bench. We have 12 girls who are ready to go at any time and they showed that and I’m so proud of them.” The Bulldogs service game controlled much of the opening two sets. Mackenzi Thornburg hammered four of her team-high eight aces in the opening two sets with libero Camryn Black and Garrison Bowes combining for five more. RCS had countless more service winners and took advantage of several Person receiving errors. “That was our plan,” Tatum said. “We have a big serving team and our receivers did a great job too. We were able to find some spots and keep them out of system and we were able to control our side. They did a great job of that.” Person drastically improved its receiving game in the final
two sets and held RCS scoreless on Mackenzi Thornburg’s serve. “Mackenzi has a nasty topspin serve,” Ramirez said. “You can’t stand at almost the back line and expect to return it, because it drops. We were standing way too deep. When I would call timeout, I’d tell them to step up because we were too deep. With the topspin, you think it’s going one place, but it drops and you have to be ready for it. I thought we did better and played behind every other serve.” The Rockets will be back in action Thursday when they host Northern Durham in their first PAC-6 contest. Game time is set for 6 p.m. after a 5 p.m. JV game. The Bulldogs easily swept East Wake Academy Tuesday at home, to improve to 8-0 on the season. They will travel to Raleigh Charter Thursday for a key NCAC contest. The Phoenix are the reigning NCAC champions and advanced to the 1-A state finals a year ago. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
diving all over the place and digging up everything. It was easily her best match of the season — and she wasn’t alone. For the first time in a while, Person’s Courtney Jackson was able to dictate play at the net, and had moments where she looked like the player with limitless potential she obviously is. We also saw an RCS team that when players were falling to injuries, and others were being asked to step in and compete in tough circumstances, they shined. It may seem like a small thing, but for Ryann Tate to get her serve in on match point when she hardly ever takes a swing from back there, was absolutely clutch, as was the play of Kelsie Holt. Holt saw so many sets in this match, including the final two. When one of her spikes hits the floor on the opposite side of the net, she usually has a small fist-pump with a icy stare. That was certainly not the case on match point (see picture on A6). But here’s the most exciting thing about that match — many of the best players on the floor will be back next year. Friends, the only Rocket graduating this season is Wilkerson. Mackenzi Thornburg, Camryn Black and Hannah Hawkins for RCS are all freshmen and Garrison Bowes, probably the most underrated and versatile player in this county, is a junior. And from the “you-heard-ithere-first department”, there were a lot of really outstanding middle school players in the crowd who will be jumping into the talent pool next season. Both teams should be able to carry a great deal of momentum from Monday’s match into a critical stretch of the season. The Bulldogs are still undefeated, but will have their biggest match of the season Thursday against reigning North Central Athletic Conference champion Raleigh Charter. If RCS really is a team that could make a deep playoff run, it needs to get knock off the Phoenix — last year’s 1-A East regional champion. For Person, the second season begins Thursday when it hosts Northern Durham. The Rockets are expected to be in the middle of a four-team logjam at the top of the PAC-6 standings. Reigning champion Riverside, East
Kelly Snow | Courier TImes
Person’s Courtney Jackson tries to hit over the blocks of Roxboro Community School’s Garrison Bowes (3) and Ryann Tate during Monday’s match.
Chapel Hill and Jordan are all loaded, with no clear-cut favorite to win the conference. There’s three automatic bids to the 4-A playoffs, and someone’s getting left out, so the margin of error is small. The good thing is, it seems like the Rockets may have found an identity in the third and fourth sets Monday night. Don’t let the result fool you — those two sets were the best Person’s played all season. And how about the atmosphere.
It was an amazing feel in that building, and frankly it took me back to the time when the two coaches, Meagan Tatum and Amanda (Clark) Ramirez were starring for the Rockets and helping take this county to a state championship. It was just that special Monday night. I’ve got a feeling this is going to be a long, fun volleyball season in Person County, and it’s now perfectly acceptable to jump on both of these bandwagons at the same time.
SISTERS: Freshman Thornburg steps up for sister FROM PAGE 6 run to win 25-10. As the teams changed sides of the net and benches to start the fourth set, Peyton was carried out of the gym to an ovation by fans from both teams. “I think everyone was feeling a little nervous, and especially (Mackenzi) because they are so close,” said RCS coach Meagan Tatum, who played on two state championship teams with her sister, Katie, in 2006 and 2007. “She was fired up and one of the main ones who said that we had to do this for Peyton. She handled everything so gracefully.” Mackenzi helped lead the Bulldogs to a fourth-set victory, handling nearly all of the setting responsibilities, while blocking and digging. The freshman came up with several nice digs in the fourth, including one right in front of that net that the Bulldogs eventually turned into a point on a Ryann Tate block. “They worked very cohesively
as a team,” Person coach Amanda Ramirez said of RCS. “Mackenzi Thornburg was just able to keep some balls in play that most setters would have let hit the floor. That was frustrating. It was very awesome to watch as a former setter, but as a coach, it was frustrating.” The freshman had a strong overall performance with three kills and three digs to go along with eight aces. “We have a very good quarterback-in-training,” Tatum said. “The girls knew they had to get ready and fired up because their main source of energy was out. I think they did a tremendous job of stepping up and coming
together as a team and getting control back.” Mackenzi may be seeing more time as the team’s primary setter because of her sister’s foot injury. Tatum didn’t know any specifics of the injury following Monday’s game. The Bulldogs may also be without middle blocker Kailey Oakley who injured her ankle in the late stages of Monday’s game. “I think we definitely have to work on things a little more because there was shock in the beginning (without Peyton), but we definitely were able to pick it up,” Mackenzi said. “I thought we played so well and I’m just excited for my team.”