Seven of Jackson County’s varsity squads (four girls and three boys) hit the floor at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center this past weekend in the 2008 Norris D. Langston Youth Foundation’s Education Classic. The following is a summary of the results from the seven county teams that took part in the event.
Girls Action
Cottondale – The Lady Hornets took on East Gadsden on Friday night and fell 68-54. Shaunte Forward paced Cottondale with 19 points and Kieysa Paul followed with 15 points. East Gadsden led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. Forward kept Cottondale close with some three pointers but the Lady Jaguars expanded their lead to 7 points at the half. The third quarter was evenly played as East Gadsden outscored Cottondale 17-16. In the final quarter Cottondale cut the lead to as few as 6 points twice as Paul and Shay Wright hit key buckets. But in the end the Lady Jaguars pulled away for a 14 point victory.
On Saturday it was another all Jackson County matchup as Cottondale and Sneads squared off. The Lady Pirates hung tough with Cottondale for 2 ½ quarters but then the Lady Hornets pulled away for a 60-36 win. Cottondale led 26-20 at the half and midway through the third quarter Sneads had pulled to within 2 points at 28-26. But from there it was all Cottondale as they exploded for 22 unanswered points en route to the 24 point victory. Sneads was led by Mattie Collins with 20 points. Forward and Paul led the Lady Hornets, who improved to 9-3 on the season, with 14 points each.
In other girls action Malone fell to Port St. Joe on Thursday. Marianna downed Sneads on Friday and then lost to Godby on Saturday.
Boys Action
Cottondale – The Cottondale Hornets entered the classic on a roll, having won three straight games. On Friday night they made it four in a row with a 65-58 win over West Gadsden. Marcus Humose had a big night for the Hornets as he pumped in 29 points. Drew Bellamy followed with 12 and Terry Benbow contributed 10 points. Cottondale led 31-27 at the half and then 48-46 going into the final quarter. The Hornets outscored the Panthers 19-10 in the fourth quarter to secure the 7 point win.
In Saturday night’s contest they took on the Seahawks of Franklin County. The Hornets trailed for most of the game but kept battling. They trailed 31-19 at the half and cut it to a 7 point deficit, 43-36, going into the final quarter. With just over two minutes to play they cut it to a five point game but the Seahawks refused to break under the pressure. Drew Bellamy had back to back buckets in the final two minutes to pace the Hornets on offense but defensively Cottondale could not slow down the Seahawks. Humose hit a basket with a minute to play to make it a 3 point game. Terry Benbow’s bucket with 30 seconds to play cut it to a 1 point game at 57-56 in the Seahawks favor. But Franklin County hit several key free throws in the final seconds to pull out a 62-58 win over the Hornets. Humose again led the Hornets with 25 points and Bellamy followed again, this time with 10 points.
Marianna – The Bulldogs lost a heart breaker on Friday night as they took on powerhouse East Gadsden. After jumping out to an early 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs expanded their lead in the second quarter. After being up by as many as 11 points, they led 30-23 at the half. Chris Blount got the crowd on their feet several times during the first half with a couple of thundering slam dunks. But the second half saw the Jaguars battle back and trailed by just four at the end of the third quarter. East Gadsden then took the lead in the fourth quarter and led by 2 with seconds to play. Quan Boykin hit a shot at the buzzer. Initially ruled a 3 pointer, which would have given the Bulldogs the win, the officials changed their call and ruled the shot a two pointer. That tied the game at 55-55 and forced the game into overtime. The Bulldogs could not hang on in overtime and fell 70-66. Kruize Penkins led the Bulldogs with 18 and Blount followed with 15. Tre Long added 14 and R.J. Bowers chipped in 10.
On Saturday night the Bulldogs matched up with the Tiger Sharks of Port St. Joe. Once again the ‘Dogs got out of the gate quickly and took a 11-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Marianna got up by as many as 10 points in the second quarter before the Tiger Sharks mounted a rally to pull within two points going into the halftime break. The Tiger Sharks continued their surge into the third quarter and took a 38-30 lead midway through the quarter. Port St. Joe held a 46-34 lead going into the last quarter. The Bulldogs did not quit though and with just over three minutes left in the game cut the Tiger Shark lead to 8. But that was a close as they could get and Port St. Joe held on for a 67-50 victory. Marianna was led on the night by Blount with 11 points and Penkins with 10.
Malone – The Tigers fought hard but fell 61-54 to the Tiger Sharks of Port St. Joe. On Saturday they squared off against a much bigger East Gadsden team and fell. For more details on these games see the Malone Tiger Report by Ryan Maloney on B2.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tigers Pick Up Two Wins- 12/25/08
By Clint Cox
Graceville’s hoops programs picked up a couple of wins last Thursday. In girls action the Lady Tigers hammered Poplar Springs by a score of 68-35. They led 34-14 at the half and then cruised to the 33 point victory to improve to 8-2 on the season.
In boys action the Tigers broke open a close game against Holmes County to post a 63-48 win. The Tigers led by just three at the end of three quarters, 39-36, but then outscored the Blue Devils 24-12 in the final quarter. C.J. Dozier led the way with 19 points and was followed by Gabriel Best with 16.
Graceville’s hoops programs picked up a couple of wins last Thursday. In girls action the Lady Tigers hammered Poplar Springs by a score of 68-35. They led 34-14 at the half and then cruised to the 33 point victory to improve to 8-2 on the season.
In boys action the Tigers broke open a close game against Holmes County to post a 63-48 win. The Tigers led by just three at the end of three quarters, 39-36, but then outscored the Blue Devils 24-12 in the final quarter. C.J. Dozier led the way with 19 points and was followed by Gabriel Best with 16.
Malone Tiger Update- 12/25/08
By Ryan Maloney
Saturday 12/13/08
Saturday afternoon, the Malone Tigers took on the John Paul the 3rd Panthers and I tell you the place was packed. My friend, that was a complete and total lie, virtually nobody was there but those who weren’t there missed a pretty good basketball game, if you were a neutral fan. It was a pleasing game if you were from John Paul, your team played well and had the lead most of the first half. The Panthers played solid team basketball. If you were a Tiger however, the Tigers jacked up bad shot after bad shot and found themselves not scoring much from the offense. Which had you worried and rolling your eyes for much of the game especially at the half when you were down 27-16 and down as many as seventeen. But Coach Welch and the Tigers turned on their patented light switch (not sold in stores) and outscored John Paul 22-9 in the 3rd. It was close but the Tigers managed to put it away in a close game, which they failed to do against Sneads Thursday night. They narrowly escaped this one though with 1.1 seconds left on the clock Aaron Conrad threw the inbound pass all the way to the other side of the floor, out of bounds, giving the Panthers another shot to tie or win the game leaving John Paul to draw up a half-court play. But luck was with the Tigers this time unlike most of the season as John Paul couldn’t manage to get a shot off and the Tigers won 49-46 over the Panthers. T.J Smith was the high man for the Malone Tigers with 18 points (coming off his sickness) (Three 3’s in the 2nd half) and Aaron Conrad was second on the team with 11 points(9 pts in the 2nd half).
Monday 12/15/08
The Lady Tigers took the floor once more, this time against fellow Tigers Graceville. But people, don’t let fellow Tigers fool you, these teams don’t like each other. Graceville had revenge on their minds as the Malone Lady Tigers have had the Graceville Tigers number. Key word in that sentence "had", tonight that changed. This Monday night game celebrated a good cause for the Tigers. Students who received a "Tiger Buck" for doing something good, in the teacher’s eyes, were able to go to the Malone/Graceville game for free and late they got their money’s worth. Graceville was in control the most of the first half basically abusing Malone on the boards. But Tigers point guard and leading scorer Vanessa Olds willed the Tigers back into the game as they found themselves down by as many as 17 pts. Along with BreAnna Laster and Latosha Hall the Tigers came back but still found themselves falling short by five (62-57) on this Tiger Buck night. Vanessa Olds scored 23 pts, BreAnna Laster 15pts, and Latosha Hall chipped in 12. For Graceville, Hogans and Williams both scored 16 pts on their way to a district road victory.
Friday 12/19/2008
Friday Afternoon, it was a lackluster crowd in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center at Chipola for the Port St Joe Tiger Sharks and the Malone Tigers. The game started off slow, characteristic of many Malone games this year. The Tigers scored a dismal 14 pts in the first half , the score being Port St.Joe 24- Malone 14. But the Tigers again came out in the second half armed with the their ever so dangerous three point shot. No doubt the turning point in the game was when Malone made a run , cutting it to 2. Malone then stole the ball from Port St. Joe and T.J Smith missed a 3 that rimmed out and everything went down hill from there. The Tigers were downed by the Tiger Sharks 61-54 losing their first of two games at Chipola over the weekend. Smith was the leading scorer for the Tigers with 19 pts(15 in the 2nd half) and Mike Peak was the second leading scoring with 10 pts, all of which came in the second half.
Saturday Night, the Tigers of Malone took on the Jaguars of East Gadsden, a game which nobody in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center thought the Tigers would win except the guys wearing the jerseys. The Tigers were in foul trouble through out the game being in the double bonus in both halves, which was to be presumed with the Tiger’s lack of size compared to the Jaguars. The Tigers ironically only scored 14 pts in the first half, the same amount of points they scored against Port St. Joe, the first game they played in Chipola Friday afternoon. The reason for the Tigers’ slow first half, they only made 2 threes in the first half compared to 7 threes in the second half. The game was undoubtedly competitive but you could see it on the Tigers’ faces, they wanted it more, but they fell short 65-60 to East Gadsden. The game had every opportunity to be blown open by the Jaguars, but the Tigers would always come back but found it tough in trying to complete the comeback. The Tigers played in a controlled hectic pace "if that makes any sense". They were pressed all night and they pressed almost all night long. They didn’t allow many uncontested lay-ups and they rebounded well for their size. The boys in the white left it all on the hardwood in Chipola. Many other fans and coaches would agree if Malone would always play like that they would win more games than they lose . How the Tigers played against that talented of a team shows how good they can be. The question is can they sustain that level of play? If they can good things will happen. Smith dropped 22 pts(14 pts in the 2nd half and Ladarius McElroy had 14 pts (12 pts in 2nd half). The JV call-up John Little chipped in 9 pts(8 in the 4th)
A Christmas Poem for the Weekend
(Tiger Style)
Twas the weekend fore Christmas and all through the gym
All Tigers were hoping for Malone wins
Port St .Joe and East Gadsden in the way
To Chipola, they went astray
In Milton H. Johnson ,they went to play ball
Against Tiger Sharks and Jaguars , they gave it their all
Regardless of victory , they would be on the floor
Not content with losses any more (like they ever were)
They didn’t come out victorious on either nights
But take it from me ,they still wish
A Merry Christmas to All and after the holidays lets play some more basketball
Merry Christmas from the Malone Basketball family!!!!!!
Saturday 12/13/08
Saturday afternoon, the Malone Tigers took on the John Paul the 3rd Panthers and I tell you the place was packed. My friend, that was a complete and total lie, virtually nobody was there but those who weren’t there missed a pretty good basketball game, if you were a neutral fan. It was a pleasing game if you were from John Paul, your team played well and had the lead most of the first half. The Panthers played solid team basketball. If you were a Tiger however, the Tigers jacked up bad shot after bad shot and found themselves not scoring much from the offense. Which had you worried and rolling your eyes for much of the game especially at the half when you were down 27-16 and down as many as seventeen. But Coach Welch and the Tigers turned on their patented light switch (not sold in stores) and outscored John Paul 22-9 in the 3rd. It was close but the Tigers managed to put it away in a close game, which they failed to do against Sneads Thursday night. They narrowly escaped this one though with 1.1 seconds left on the clock Aaron Conrad threw the inbound pass all the way to the other side of the floor, out of bounds, giving the Panthers another shot to tie or win the game leaving John Paul to draw up a half-court play. But luck was with the Tigers this time unlike most of the season as John Paul couldn’t manage to get a shot off and the Tigers won 49-46 over the Panthers. T.J Smith was the high man for the Malone Tigers with 18 points (coming off his sickness) (Three 3’s in the 2nd half) and Aaron Conrad was second on the team with 11 points(9 pts in the 2nd half).
Monday 12/15/08
The Lady Tigers took the floor once more, this time against fellow Tigers Graceville. But people, don’t let fellow Tigers fool you, these teams don’t like each other. Graceville had revenge on their minds as the Malone Lady Tigers have had the Graceville Tigers number. Key word in that sentence "had", tonight that changed. This Monday night game celebrated a good cause for the Tigers. Students who received a "Tiger Buck" for doing something good, in the teacher’s eyes, were able to go to the Malone/Graceville game for free and late they got their money’s worth. Graceville was in control the most of the first half basically abusing Malone on the boards. But Tigers point guard and leading scorer Vanessa Olds willed the Tigers back into the game as they found themselves down by as many as 17 pts. Along with BreAnna Laster and Latosha Hall the Tigers came back but still found themselves falling short by five (62-57) on this Tiger Buck night. Vanessa Olds scored 23 pts, BreAnna Laster 15pts, and Latosha Hall chipped in 12. For Graceville, Hogans and Williams both scored 16 pts on their way to a district road victory.
Friday 12/19/2008
Friday Afternoon, it was a lackluster crowd in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center at Chipola for the Port St Joe Tiger Sharks and the Malone Tigers. The game started off slow, characteristic of many Malone games this year. The Tigers scored a dismal 14 pts in the first half , the score being Port St.Joe 24- Malone 14. But the Tigers again came out in the second half armed with the their ever so dangerous three point shot. No doubt the turning point in the game was when Malone made a run , cutting it to 2. Malone then stole the ball from Port St. Joe and T.J Smith missed a 3 that rimmed out and everything went down hill from there. The Tigers were downed by the Tiger Sharks 61-54 losing their first of two games at Chipola over the weekend. Smith was the leading scorer for the Tigers with 19 pts(15 in the 2nd half) and Mike Peak was the second leading scoring with 10 pts, all of which came in the second half.
Saturday Night, the Tigers of Malone took on the Jaguars of East Gadsden, a game which nobody in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center thought the Tigers would win except the guys wearing the jerseys. The Tigers were in foul trouble through out the game being in the double bonus in both halves, which was to be presumed with the Tiger’s lack of size compared to the Jaguars. The Tigers ironically only scored 14 pts in the first half, the same amount of points they scored against Port St. Joe, the first game they played in Chipola Friday afternoon. The reason for the Tigers’ slow first half, they only made 2 threes in the first half compared to 7 threes in the second half. The game was undoubtedly competitive but you could see it on the Tigers’ faces, they wanted it more, but they fell short 65-60 to East Gadsden. The game had every opportunity to be blown open by the Jaguars, but the Tigers would always come back but found it tough in trying to complete the comeback. The Tigers played in a controlled hectic pace "if that makes any sense". They were pressed all night and they pressed almost all night long. They didn’t allow many uncontested lay-ups and they rebounded well for their size. The boys in the white left it all on the hardwood in Chipola. Many other fans and coaches would agree if Malone would always play like that they would win more games than they lose . How the Tigers played against that talented of a team shows how good they can be. The question is can they sustain that level of play? If they can good things will happen. Smith dropped 22 pts(14 pts in the 2nd half and Ladarius McElroy had 14 pts (12 pts in 2nd half). The JV call-up John Little chipped in 9 pts(8 in the 4th)
A Christmas Poem for the Weekend
(Tiger Style)
Twas the weekend fore Christmas and all through the gym
All Tigers were hoping for Malone wins
Port St .Joe and East Gadsden in the way
To Chipola, they went astray
In Milton H. Johnson ,they went to play ball
Against Tiger Sharks and Jaguars , they gave it their all
Regardless of victory , they would be on the floor
Not content with losses any more (like they ever were)
They didn’t come out victorious on either nights
But take it from me ,they still wish
A Merry Christmas to All and after the holidays lets play some more basketball
Merry Christmas from the Malone Basketball family!!!!!!
12/25/08
Basketball Galore!!
By Clint Cox
2008 Norris D. Langston Youth Foundation Education Classic
Local high school hoop fans had a smorgasbord to feast on this past weekend as the Norris D. Langson Youth Foundation hosted the 2008 Education Classic at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on the campus of Chipola College. A total of 20 high school boys and girls teams from the Florida Panhandle participated in the three day event. The foundation is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of educational services (mentoring, counseling, motivational seminars, travel to post secondary institutions, collegiate and professional culture events and some financial support) to a diverse student population.
The three day event began with a program on Thursday afternoon for all the participating teams. President and CEO of the foundation, David Langston introduced the keynote speaker of the program, Dr. E. Douglas Beach, Secretary of the Florida Department of Elderly Affairs. After the program concluded it was basketball time as the classic featured four games on Thursday, six games on Friday and eight games on Saturday. For a complete wrap up on how the Jackson County teams faired in the three day classic please see page B3 of Sports.
By Clint Cox
2008 Norris D. Langston Youth Foundation Education Classic
Local high school hoop fans had a smorgasbord to feast on this past weekend as the Norris D. Langson Youth Foundation hosted the 2008 Education Classic at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on the campus of Chipola College. A total of 20 high school boys and girls teams from the Florida Panhandle participated in the three day event. The foundation is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of educational services (mentoring, counseling, motivational seminars, travel to post secondary institutions, collegiate and professional culture events and some financial support) to a diverse student population.
The three day event began with a program on Thursday afternoon for all the participating teams. President and CEO of the foundation, David Langston introduced the keynote speaker of the program, Dr. E. Douglas Beach, Secretary of the Florida Department of Elderly Affairs. After the program concluded it was basketball time as the classic featured four games on Thursday, six games on Friday and eight games on Saturday. For a complete wrap up on how the Jackson County teams faired in the three day classic please see page B3 of Sports.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Malone Basketball Report- 12/18/08
By Ryan Maloney
On Thursday,the Malone Varsity Girls took on the Lady Bulldogs in Malone, a team for the last couple of years they normally had success against, but tonight was a completely different story. The Lady Bulldogs made this game a pain for Malone fans to watch as they went in the half down 12-27 and eventually ended up losing to Marianna 30-57. There was not much to say about this game folks, all for the fact you got your money’s worth if you were a Marianna fan that night. This night was also the last game coached by Steve Welch for the Malone Varsity Girls, he is now solely the Varsity Boys head basketball coach. PG Vanessa Olds lead the Lady Tigers with 11 pts.
Malone and Marianna, the very mention of those two teams on the same court on one night brings even the most casual basketball fan to the gym. Anyone who attends Malone knows Malone don’t like the purple and gold and Marianna don’t like the orange and blue much either. This rivalry is different than most, hatred not being the full motivation but basically bragging rights since students from both schools are frequently next-door neighbors or relatives. So it was easy to say both teams wanted this one but it was apparent that Marianna had the upper hand on this night. The Tigers came out shooting flat from the get-go, still kept the game competitive, but found themselves down 10 at the half 33-23 and probably should have been down less. The Tigers just went downhill from their 10 point deficit, Chase Leeks, one of Malone’s big menwas in foul trouble for most of the game, the offense that had no patience and looked out of whack, and the fact that nothing was falling for the orange and blue in the cat house that night lead to their eventual defeat of 55-73. The leading scorers for Malone were T.J Smith with 21 pts and Ladarius McElroy with 13 pts. The leading scorer for Marianna was C.J Blount with 19 pts.
By far the best game of the night was the least watched, the Malone Tigers JV and Marianna Bulldogs JV played in a thrilling contest that had even this writer on his feet. Marianna was up 2 at the half but Malone led most of the 2nd half. With the score all knotted up at 54 with 9.8 seconds left, a Marianna player, Tre’ Jackson dribbled the entire length of the floor while managing to avoid a double dribble call and scored the GW lay-up to defeat Malone. Shaquille McDole and Chai Baker both had 17pts for the Tigers.
Saturday 12/6/08
If you didn’t know it, my friends you know it now, weird things happen on homecoming and the Malone Varsity Girls game was a prime example. It was the first game for new head coach Randy Ward and the Lady Tigers were taking on Ponce De Leon, a team early in the season that had beat them by 20+ points. So the Malone Homecoming had the Lady Tigers looking like a entirely different ball club. The game was close throughout but the newfound patience of the Tigers gave them the lead at the half 19-16. The Lady Tigers executed the best they had all season to cap off a Homecoming victory that was shocking to even the fans present and undoubtedly pumped up the boys. They eventually won 50-44 by making their free throws and holding on to the ball. Guards Latosha Hall and Vanessa Olds both had 13 pts to lead the Tigers. While Venesha Hearns chipped in 10 pts and also key minutes were gave by 8th grader Tierra Brooks . The record for coach Ward to start a career, now 1-0.
On Saturday, the Malone Varsity boys took on the Ponce De Leon Pirates. This game had its headlines for sure. Four players on the team were suspended , three of them, key contributors. But that gave the opportunity for three JV players to be called up and see some playing time. The game started off like the Tigers really missed those guys who were in street clothes, being down as many as 14 in the first quarter. But when coach Welch put John Little , Ty and Chai Baker on the floor, new life was given to the team. Malone rallied all the way from 14 down to take a 15 point lead. The Malone offense actually looked like one as there were touches in the paint. And the Tigers lead on to win this crazy game 62-51 , coach Steve Welch called this game, one of the funnest games he has coach in the last couple of years. Malone shot 36 free throws while Ponce shot 20 and the leading scorers for the Tigers were three point guru Micheal McArthur with 17pts and Ladarius McElroy with 16 pts.
Monday 12/8/08
The gym floor at Northside Methodist Academy may be rubber tile but the Malone Tigers left out of there with anything but a squeaky clean victory. The Tigers left Dothan that night with a well-deserved victory and one that they worked hard for. Folks, Northside Methodist has a special air to it like no other place has and its called adversity but the Tigers survived it on this faithful Monday. This Monday, coach Steve Welch started a 7th grader in Chai Baker and an 8th grader in Ty Baker but little do they remember last year, these very same Tigers were down at the half to the Knights of Northside . It was deja-vu "all over again" on Monday as Malone was down 7 at the half and ironically down as many as 14 as they were trailing Ponce De Leon by 14 on Saturday. The common denominator down 14 the Tigers won both games. On Monday night, the 3rd quarter was a perfect storm as the Tigers played their best ball all season in the 3rd scoring 31 points in the quarter. The Tigers held off the Knights of Northside to win by 11 and defeating Northside Methodist Academy on their home floor may it be rubber for the second straight year. The leading scorers were T.J Smith with 27 pts(3 3’s in 3rd) and Chase Leeks with 13 pts (11 in the 2nd half). Mike Peak also chipped in with 12 pts.
In Malone JV action, it was the McDole-N-Little Show on in Dothan Monday night. Shaquille McDole lead the Tigers with 27 pts and John Little had a modest 24 pts. The Tigers ended up winning 62-47 against the Knights of Northside. They beat the team that beat them to start the season off last year.
On Thursday,the Malone Varsity Girls took on the Lady Bulldogs in Malone, a team for the last couple of years they normally had success against, but tonight was a completely different story. The Lady Bulldogs made this game a pain for Malone fans to watch as they went in the half down 12-27 and eventually ended up losing to Marianna 30-57. There was not much to say about this game folks, all for the fact you got your money’s worth if you were a Marianna fan that night. This night was also the last game coached by Steve Welch for the Malone Varsity Girls, he is now solely the Varsity Boys head basketball coach. PG Vanessa Olds lead the Lady Tigers with 11 pts.
Malone and Marianna, the very mention of those two teams on the same court on one night brings even the most casual basketball fan to the gym. Anyone who attends Malone knows Malone don’t like the purple and gold and Marianna don’t like the orange and blue much either. This rivalry is different than most, hatred not being the full motivation but basically bragging rights since students from both schools are frequently next-door neighbors or relatives. So it was easy to say both teams wanted this one but it was apparent that Marianna had the upper hand on this night. The Tigers came out shooting flat from the get-go, still kept the game competitive, but found themselves down 10 at the half 33-23 and probably should have been down less. The Tigers just went downhill from their 10 point deficit, Chase Leeks, one of Malone’s big menwas in foul trouble for most of the game, the offense that had no patience and looked out of whack, and the fact that nothing was falling for the orange and blue in the cat house that night lead to their eventual defeat of 55-73. The leading scorers for Malone were T.J Smith with 21 pts and Ladarius McElroy with 13 pts. The leading scorer for Marianna was C.J Blount with 19 pts.
By far the best game of the night was the least watched, the Malone Tigers JV and Marianna Bulldogs JV played in a thrilling contest that had even this writer on his feet. Marianna was up 2 at the half but Malone led most of the 2nd half. With the score all knotted up at 54 with 9.8 seconds left, a Marianna player, Tre’ Jackson dribbled the entire length of the floor while managing to avoid a double dribble call and scored the GW lay-up to defeat Malone. Shaquille McDole and Chai Baker both had 17pts for the Tigers.
Saturday 12/6/08
If you didn’t know it, my friends you know it now, weird things happen on homecoming and the Malone Varsity Girls game was a prime example. It was the first game for new head coach Randy Ward and the Lady Tigers were taking on Ponce De Leon, a team early in the season that had beat them by 20+ points. So the Malone Homecoming had the Lady Tigers looking like a entirely different ball club. The game was close throughout but the newfound patience of the Tigers gave them the lead at the half 19-16. The Lady Tigers executed the best they had all season to cap off a Homecoming victory that was shocking to even the fans present and undoubtedly pumped up the boys. They eventually won 50-44 by making their free throws and holding on to the ball. Guards Latosha Hall and Vanessa Olds both had 13 pts to lead the Tigers. While Venesha Hearns chipped in 10 pts and also key minutes were gave by 8th grader Tierra Brooks . The record for coach Ward to start a career, now 1-0.
On Saturday, the Malone Varsity boys took on the Ponce De Leon Pirates. This game had its headlines for sure. Four players on the team were suspended , three of them, key contributors. But that gave the opportunity for three JV players to be called up and see some playing time. The game started off like the Tigers really missed those guys who were in street clothes, being down as many as 14 in the first quarter. But when coach Welch put John Little , Ty and Chai Baker on the floor, new life was given to the team. Malone rallied all the way from 14 down to take a 15 point lead. The Malone offense actually looked like one as there were touches in the paint. And the Tigers lead on to win this crazy game 62-51 , coach Steve Welch called this game, one of the funnest games he has coach in the last couple of years. Malone shot 36 free throws while Ponce shot 20 and the leading scorers for the Tigers were three point guru Micheal McArthur with 17pts and Ladarius McElroy with 16 pts.
Monday 12/8/08
The gym floor at Northside Methodist Academy may be rubber tile but the Malone Tigers left out of there with anything but a squeaky clean victory. The Tigers left Dothan that night with a well-deserved victory and one that they worked hard for. Folks, Northside Methodist has a special air to it like no other place has and its called adversity but the Tigers survived it on this faithful Monday. This Monday, coach Steve Welch started a 7th grader in Chai Baker and an 8th grader in Ty Baker but little do they remember last year, these very same Tigers were down at the half to the Knights of Northside . It was deja-vu "all over again" on Monday as Malone was down 7 at the half and ironically down as many as 14 as they were trailing Ponce De Leon by 14 on Saturday. The common denominator down 14 the Tigers won both games. On Monday night, the 3rd quarter was a perfect storm as the Tigers played their best ball all season in the 3rd scoring 31 points in the quarter. The Tigers held off the Knights of Northside to win by 11 and defeating Northside Methodist Academy on their home floor may it be rubber for the second straight year. The leading scorers were T.J Smith with 27 pts(3 3’s in 3rd) and Chase Leeks with 13 pts (11 in the 2nd half). Mike Peak also chipped in with 12 pts.
In Malone JV action, it was the McDole-N-Little Show on in Dothan Monday night. Shaquille McDole lead the Tigers with 27 pts and John Little had a modest 24 pts. The Tigers ended up winning 62-47 against the Knights of Northside. They beat the team that beat them to start the season off last year.
Pirates Win Barn Burner In Malone 12/18/08
By Clint Cox
The Roy B. Beall Gymnasium was rocking last Thursday (also see Simply Put) night as Sneads and Malone battled for four quarters and that was still not enough. The Pirates caught some wind in their sails and pulled out a thrilling 75-71 overtime win against the host Tigers. Malone held a lead late in regulation but Kendell Clayton’s NBA style 3 pointer with five seconds to play tied the game at 66-66 and sent it into overtime.
Sneads held an early lead but the Tigers came back to tie the game at 15-15 on a three pointer by Ladarius McElroy. By halftime however Sneads had pulled back out to a 26-22 lead. Malone got hot in the third quarter and Mike Peak came up with some big baskets and gave the Tigers a two point lead. McElroy drained another 3 pointer and Malone led 43-38. But a Sherrick Williams basket pulled the Pirates to within 3 points going into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter Malone poured it on as Peak and Aaron Conrad were nailing 3 pointers from all sides. The Tigers led 53-41 with six minutes to play in the game. But the Pirates rallied as Terrance Pittman got the hot hand, scoring 9 points in the last three minutes. Allen Patterson made it a one point game with a Sneads basket with 32 seconds to play but the Tigers countered with a basket by Peak to make it 66-63 with 13 seconds left. That’s when Clayton sent the Pirate fans into a frenzy with his long range bomber to tie the game. In overtime Jamar White was the hero as he gave the Pirates a 72-68 lead with back to back buckets. Conrad drilled another 3 pointer to get Malone back to within one with less than a minute to play. Sneads got a basket from Patterson and a free throw from Pittman to nail down the hard fought road win.
Sneads was led by Williams with 21 points, Pittman with 13 and Neel with 10. Malone was led by Conrad with 22 points, Peak with 20 points and McElroy with 10. In JV action the Pirates continued their winning ways, improving to 6-1, with a 44-32 win over the junior Tigers. Trevin Hall led Sneads with 14 points while John Whittington followed with 11. Malone was led by Rodgers with 10 and Chai Baker with 9.
The Roy B. Beall Gymnasium was rocking last Thursday (also see Simply Put) night as Sneads and Malone battled for four quarters and that was still not enough. The Pirates caught some wind in their sails and pulled out a thrilling 75-71 overtime win against the host Tigers. Malone held a lead late in regulation but Kendell Clayton’s NBA style 3 pointer with five seconds to play tied the game at 66-66 and sent it into overtime.
Sneads held an early lead but the Tigers came back to tie the game at 15-15 on a three pointer by Ladarius McElroy. By halftime however Sneads had pulled back out to a 26-22 lead. Malone got hot in the third quarter and Mike Peak came up with some big baskets and gave the Tigers a two point lead. McElroy drained another 3 pointer and Malone led 43-38. But a Sherrick Williams basket pulled the Pirates to within 3 points going into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter Malone poured it on as Peak and Aaron Conrad were nailing 3 pointers from all sides. The Tigers led 53-41 with six minutes to play in the game. But the Pirates rallied as Terrance Pittman got the hot hand, scoring 9 points in the last three minutes. Allen Patterson made it a one point game with a Sneads basket with 32 seconds to play but the Tigers countered with a basket by Peak to make it 66-63 with 13 seconds left. That’s when Clayton sent the Pirate fans into a frenzy with his long range bomber to tie the game. In overtime Jamar White was the hero as he gave the Pirates a 72-68 lead with back to back buckets. Conrad drilled another 3 pointer to get Malone back to within one with less than a minute to play. Sneads got a basket from Patterson and a free throw from Pittman to nail down the hard fought road win.
Sneads was led by Williams with 21 points, Pittman with 13 and Neel with 10. Malone was led by Conrad with 22 points, Peak with 20 points and McElroy with 10. In JV action the Pirates continued their winning ways, improving to 6-1, with a 44-32 win over the junior Tigers. Trevin Hall led Sneads with 14 points while John Whittington followed with 11. Malone was led by Rodgers with 10 and Chai Baker with 9.
Hornets Down Tigers 12/18/08
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – The Cottondale Hornets got a stellar performance from Marcus Humose as they beat county rival Graceville 70-57 last Friday night. Humose led all scorers with 25 points. Graceville took the early lead after a shot at the buzz to end the first quarter put the Tigers up 13-11. But from there the Hornets began to take control as Drew Bellamy was wreeking havoc on the boards. A rebound and put back by Bellamy allowed Cottondale to cap a 10-0 run to start the second quarter and take a 21-13 lead. Midway through the second quarter the Hornets had outscored the Tigers 14-1. But a Tiger rally reeled off 5 straight points to make it a 25-19 game. Cottondale answered with 7 unanswered points to take a 32-19 half time lead.
The third quarter was all Cottondale as they outscored the Tigers 16-11 and held a 48-30 lead going into the final quarter. Graceville made a run at the Hornets, cutting the lead to as few as 6. But the Hornets would catch fire again and pull away to a double digit lead. Graceville cut it to a 9 point game with a minute to play but the Hornets hit some key free throws down the stretch to secure the 13 point victory.
In addition to Humose, Cottondale got 10 points from Jacob Herring. Bellamy and Cody Saye each contributed 9 points to the Hornet’s winning cause. Graceville was led by Craig Myrick with 18 and C.J. Dozier with 13.
COTTONDALE – The Cottondale Hornets got a stellar performance from Marcus Humose as they beat county rival Graceville 70-57 last Friday night. Humose led all scorers with 25 points. Graceville took the early lead after a shot at the buzz to end the first quarter put the Tigers up 13-11. But from there the Hornets began to take control as Drew Bellamy was wreeking havoc on the boards. A rebound and put back by Bellamy allowed Cottondale to cap a 10-0 run to start the second quarter and take a 21-13 lead. Midway through the second quarter the Hornets had outscored the Tigers 14-1. But a Tiger rally reeled off 5 straight points to make it a 25-19 game. Cottondale answered with 7 unanswered points to take a 32-19 half time lead.
The third quarter was all Cottondale as they outscored the Tigers 16-11 and held a 48-30 lead going into the final quarter. Graceville made a run at the Hornets, cutting the lead to as few as 6. But the Hornets would catch fire again and pull away to a double digit lead. Graceville cut it to a 9 point game with a minute to play but the Hornets hit some key free throws down the stretch to secure the 13 point victory.
In addition to Humose, Cottondale got 10 points from Jacob Herring. Bellamy and Cody Saye each contributed 9 points to the Hornet’s winning cause. Graceville was led by Craig Myrick with 18 and C.J. Dozier with 13.
Indians Claim #1 Spot In NaIndians Claim #1 Spot In Nation 12/18/08
By Clint Cox
The Chipola Indians Men’s Basketball team, with a record of 15-1, has now got the big bulls eye on their backs as they were tabbed as the #1 junior college team in the nation in the most recently released polls. Chipola has been on a hot streak as of late as they have now won 14 games in a row. The Indians traveled to Winter Haven earlier this week to take part in the Polk Christmas Tournament. On Monday night they cruised past IMG with a 100-58 victory. Casey Mitchell led the way with 22 points while Justin Brownlee followed with 20. Torye Pelham also chipped in 12 points.
On Tuesday night the Indians posted a 85-74 win over Polk Community College. Mitchell again led the way with 26 points. Gary Flowers followed with a solid night as he pumped in 21 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Flowers also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 5 assist. Josh Sain came off the bench to spark the Indians with 10 points and Malcolm Armstead had a solid night with his floor game, pumping in 10 points.
Chipola will take a short break for the holidays and then be back in action on Tuesday December 30th in Pensacola against Bevill State. They’ll remain in Pensacola for a Wednesday matchup with Wallace State. The Indians, winners of five straight Panhandle Conference titles, will open conference play on January 3rd at home against Tallahassee.
The Chipola Indians Men’s Basketball team, with a record of 15-1, has now got the big bulls eye on their backs as they were tabbed as the #1 junior college team in the nation in the most recently released polls. Chipola has been on a hot streak as of late as they have now won 14 games in a row. The Indians traveled to Winter Haven earlier this week to take part in the Polk Christmas Tournament. On Monday night they cruised past IMG with a 100-58 victory. Casey Mitchell led the way with 22 points while Justin Brownlee followed with 20. Torye Pelham also chipped in 12 points.
On Tuesday night the Indians posted a 85-74 win over Polk Community College. Mitchell again led the way with 26 points. Gary Flowers followed with a solid night as he pumped in 21 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Flowers also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 5 assist. Josh Sain came off the bench to spark the Indians with 10 points and Malcolm Armstead had a solid night with his floor game, pumping in 10 points.
Chipola will take a short break for the holidays and then be back in action on Tuesday December 30th in Pensacola against Bevill State. They’ll remain in Pensacola for a Wednesday matchup with Wallace State. The Indians, winners of five straight Panhandle Conference titles, will open conference play on January 3rd at home against Tallahassee.
Langston High School Hoops Classic Begins Thursday 12/18/08
MARIANNA—The Norris D. Langston Youth Scholarship Foundation will hold its annual basketball classic Dec. 18 - 20 in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on the campus of Chipola College
The annual Basketball Classic is strictly a prep affair, with the focus on high school basketball teams from around the region.
For the Fourth-straight year, the tournament will be held at Chipola as the foundation continues its goal of exposing youngsters to the college environment as a way of expanding horizons beyond high school.
The tournament is sponsored this year by the Florida Department of Lottery. Tickets are $6 per day.
The Norris D. Langston Youth Foundation is dedicated to broadening horizons of young people in a six-county swath of Northwest Florida. The organization provides tutoring, mentoring and inspirational programs throughout the region.
Proceeds from the classic benefit the Langston Endowment in the Chipola Foundation. The group has awarded more than 300 scholarships in 9 years with a fourth of those students attending Chipola.
The annual Basketball Classic is strictly a prep affair, with the focus on high school basketball teams from around the region.
For the Fourth-straight year, the tournament will be held at Chipola as the foundation continues its goal of exposing youngsters to the college environment as a way of expanding horizons beyond high school.
The tournament is sponsored this year by the Florida Department of Lottery. Tickets are $6 per day.
The Norris D. Langston Youth Foundation is dedicated to broadening horizons of young people in a six-county swath of Northwest Florida. The organization provides tutoring, mentoring and inspirational programs throughout the region.
Proceeds from the classic benefit the Langston Endowment in the Chipola Foundation. The group has awarded more than 300 scholarships in 9 years with a fourth of those students attending Chipola.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Malone Tiger Basketball Report
By Ryan Maloney
In Bethlehem Tuesday night, The Malone Lady Tigers matched up with the Wildcats of Bethlehem and this game being a pivotal game for both squads, it being a district contest. The game was low-scoring throughout evident by the first half score of Malone 12 Bethlehem 17. The game was close throughout but the Wildcats were pulling away and then all looked lost when point guard Vannesa Olds was downed with a leg cramp. In all irony, Latosha Hall falls down with a leg cramp after the Tigers come all the way back down from 8 to take a one point lead off a Bre Laster put back. Then the Wildcats put the game away with a late basket and made free throws eventually winning the game 38-35 on their home floor. A sense of relief fell over Bethlehem since the Tiger comeback seemed for sure but the Wildcats managed to hang on. Only four players scored for the Lady Tigers but two leaders being guards Vannesa Olds with 16 pts and Latosha Hall with 9 points.
At Malone High School, it is homecoming week for those who didn’t know and the day of Tuesday was Wacky Tacky Day. The same day the beloved Malone Tigers played the Wildcats of Bethlehem. Well, you would have thought that the Tigers would have brought some of that "Wackiness" of Wacky Tacky Day to Bethlehem after seeing Malone’s first half of play. This game would have all the "wackiness" because this being a trap game for the Tigers right before they play rivals Marianna on Thursday and Ponce De Leon on Homecoming. But a good thing for the Tigers of Malone, they forgot Wacky Tacky Day during the second half. The first half was simply mind boggling, thinking the Tigers smelled the cheese in the trap. The score at the half for a Tiger was eye rolling Malone 40 and Bethlehem 31 only up by 9. 21 points of the Wildcats points came mostly off uncontested 3 pointers and they looked very much alive. But two numbers speak the entire game 40-8, the margin Malone outscored Bethlehem by in the second half. Malone scored 33 points in the 3rd making the game out of reach for Bethlehem. The Wildcats only scored a single point in the 4th off a free throw with 1:28 remaining and didn’t make a single 3 for the remainder of the game. So a district win for the Tigers as they prepare for Marianna and Ponce but they will have to play like they did in the second half to show their true colors. T.J Smith led the Tigers with 25pts (16 pts in 1st half) DNP in 4th. Mike Peak finished with the second most points with 17pts(9 in the 3rd) DNP in 4th
In JV ball Malone beat Bethlehem 47-19, Gene (John) Little was a self-made Malone Tiger lay-up line feasting off Wildcat turnovers and finished with 16 pts. The Tigers D was on only allowing 5 points in the first half. Just a fact, JV has officially matched win their total from last year in their first two games.
In Bethlehem Tuesday night, The Malone Lady Tigers matched up with the Wildcats of Bethlehem and this game being a pivotal game for both squads, it being a district contest. The game was low-scoring throughout evident by the first half score of Malone 12 Bethlehem 17. The game was close throughout but the Wildcats were pulling away and then all looked lost when point guard Vannesa Olds was downed with a leg cramp. In all irony, Latosha Hall falls down with a leg cramp after the Tigers come all the way back down from 8 to take a one point lead off a Bre Laster put back. Then the Wildcats put the game away with a late basket and made free throws eventually winning the game 38-35 on their home floor. A sense of relief fell over Bethlehem since the Tiger comeback seemed for sure but the Wildcats managed to hang on. Only four players scored for the Lady Tigers but two leaders being guards Vannesa Olds with 16 pts and Latosha Hall with 9 points.
At Malone High School, it is homecoming week for those who didn’t know and the day of Tuesday was Wacky Tacky Day. The same day the beloved Malone Tigers played the Wildcats of Bethlehem. Well, you would have thought that the Tigers would have brought some of that "Wackiness" of Wacky Tacky Day to Bethlehem after seeing Malone’s first half of play. This game would have all the "wackiness" because this being a trap game for the Tigers right before they play rivals Marianna on Thursday and Ponce De Leon on Homecoming. But a good thing for the Tigers of Malone, they forgot Wacky Tacky Day during the second half. The first half was simply mind boggling, thinking the Tigers smelled the cheese in the trap. The score at the half for a Tiger was eye rolling Malone 40 and Bethlehem 31 only up by 9. 21 points of the Wildcats points came mostly off uncontested 3 pointers and they looked very much alive. But two numbers speak the entire game 40-8, the margin Malone outscored Bethlehem by in the second half. Malone scored 33 points in the 3rd making the game out of reach for Bethlehem. The Wildcats only scored a single point in the 4th off a free throw with 1:28 remaining and didn’t make a single 3 for the remainder of the game. So a district win for the Tigers as they prepare for Marianna and Ponce but they will have to play like they did in the second half to show their true colors. T.J Smith led the Tigers with 25pts (16 pts in 1st half) DNP in 4th. Mike Peak finished with the second most points with 17pts(9 in the 3rd) DNP in 4th
In JV ball Malone beat Bethlehem 47-19, Gene (John) Little was a self-made Malone Tiger lay-up line feasting off Wildcat turnovers and finished with 16 pts. The Tigers D was on only allowing 5 points in the first half. Just a fact, JV has officially matched win their total from last year in their first two games.
GMS Basketball Comes to an End
By: Joyce McKinnie
The Graceville Middle School basketball season has come to a close. The GMS Tigers played their final two games of the season, one Monday, November 17th and Thursday, November 20th on their home court.
On Monday the Tigers hosted the Bonifay Blue Devils. The sixth and seventh graders took to the court first. They were all geared up and ready to take care of business. Their eyes gleamed with the confidence that they would be the winners of this game when the fourth quarter came to an end. The Tiger Pride defense and offense played an outstanding game, which resulted in a 37 to 28 victory over Bonifay.
Jarrett Brogdon (#35) led the Tigers with 15 points; Lamar Sorey (#43) had 10 points; Marquavious Johnson (#21) had 4 points; Rashard McKinnie (#53) had four points; Ty Stringer (#13) had 2 points; and Dayleon Russ (#51) had two points.
On Thursday, November 20th, the Tigers went head to head with the Chipley Roulhac Tigers. Once again the 6th and 7th grade Tigers’ offense and defense played a very impressive game. They defeated the 7-1 Chipley Tigers 33 to 24. Jarrett Brogdon again led the team with 11 points; Lamar Sorey- 8 points; Rashard McKinnie- 8 points; and Marquavious Johnson- 6 points.
The Tigers 6th and 7th grade season ended with the following: Jarrett Brogdon, 127 points; Lamar Sorey, 118 points; Rashard McKinnie, 68 points; Marquavious Johnson, 36 points; Brandon Pittman, 23 points; Dayleon Russ, 10 points; Ty Singer, 9 points; Corey Holman, 4 points; Qua’Jun Andrews, 2 points and Zayleon Russ, 2 points.
Luis Martinez and Ethan Walker both played an impressive offensive and defensive game this season, which contributed to the GMS 6th and 7th grades 9-2 season.
Coach Rob Martin commented, "As a coach, I am very proud of this team. They have worked hard all season and they have improved a lot this season. They played hard as a team. They gave 110% at every game. That is what a coach asks for."
The Graceville Middle School basketball season has come to a close. The GMS Tigers played their final two games of the season, one Monday, November 17th and Thursday, November 20th on their home court.
On Monday the Tigers hosted the Bonifay Blue Devils. The sixth and seventh graders took to the court first. They were all geared up and ready to take care of business. Their eyes gleamed with the confidence that they would be the winners of this game when the fourth quarter came to an end. The Tiger Pride defense and offense played an outstanding game, which resulted in a 37 to 28 victory over Bonifay.
Jarrett Brogdon (#35) led the Tigers with 15 points; Lamar Sorey (#43) had 10 points; Marquavious Johnson (#21) had 4 points; Rashard McKinnie (#53) had four points; Ty Stringer (#13) had 2 points; and Dayleon Russ (#51) had two points.
On Thursday, November 20th, the Tigers went head to head with the Chipley Roulhac Tigers. Once again the 6th and 7th grade Tigers’ offense and defense played a very impressive game. They defeated the 7-1 Chipley Tigers 33 to 24. Jarrett Brogdon again led the team with 11 points; Lamar Sorey- 8 points; Rashard McKinnie- 8 points; and Marquavious Johnson- 6 points.
The Tigers 6th and 7th grade season ended with the following: Jarrett Brogdon, 127 points; Lamar Sorey, 118 points; Rashard McKinnie, 68 points; Marquavious Johnson, 36 points; Brandon Pittman, 23 points; Dayleon Russ, 10 points; Ty Singer, 9 points; Corey Holman, 4 points; Qua’Jun Andrews, 2 points and Zayleon Russ, 2 points.
Luis Martinez and Ethan Walker both played an impressive offensive and defensive game this season, which contributed to the GMS 6th and 7th grades 9-2 season.
Coach Rob Martin commented, "As a coach, I am very proud of this team. They have worked hard all season and they have improved a lot this season. They played hard as a team. They gave 110% at every game. That is what a coach asks for."
Lady Indians Pick Up Two More Wins-Dec. 11, 2008
By Clint Cox
The Chipola Lady Indians split in a pair of outings last week in Ocala as they participated in the Florida Women’s JUCO Shootout. On Friday the Lady Indians fell to Central Florida by a score of 74-58, in part due to a rough outing at the free throw line. Chipola managed just 13 made free throws in 29 attempts. Lynette Johnson led with 12 points and Latoya Williams followed with 11. They followed that loss up with a huge 94-34 win over Broward on Saturday as Ashlie Billingslea had 20 points, Marnesha Hall followed had 16 points, Williams had 12 points and Jamia Aikens chipped in 10 points.
The ladies return to the friendly confines of the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on Tuesday night to take on South Georgia Tech and came away with a 80-40 win over the Lady Jets. Sequoyah Griffin led the squad with 17 points and Lenita Sanford followed with 9 points.
The Lady Indians are currently ranked #2 in the State and #6 in the Nation. Their record after Tuesday night’s win is 13-2. They will next be in action on Tuesday and Wednesday when they play in Ocala in the Central Florida Tournament. On Tuesday they’ll take on Palm Beach and on Wednesday they’ll battle Middle Georgia.
The Chipola Lady Indians split in a pair of outings last week in Ocala as they participated in the Florida Women’s JUCO Shootout. On Friday the Lady Indians fell to Central Florida by a score of 74-58, in part due to a rough outing at the free throw line. Chipola managed just 13 made free throws in 29 attempts. Lynette Johnson led with 12 points and Latoya Williams followed with 11. They followed that loss up with a huge 94-34 win over Broward on Saturday as Ashlie Billingslea had 20 points, Marnesha Hall followed had 16 points, Williams had 12 points and Jamia Aikens chipped in 10 points.
The ladies return to the friendly confines of the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on Tuesday night to take on South Georgia Tech and came away with a 80-40 win over the Lady Jets. Sequoyah Griffin led the squad with 17 points and Lenita Sanford followed with 9 points.
The Lady Indians are currently ranked #2 in the State and #6 in the Nation. Their record after Tuesday night’s win is 13-2. They will next be in action on Tuesday and Wednesday when they play in Ocala in the Central Florida Tournament. On Tuesday they’ll take on Palm Beach and on Wednesday they’ll battle Middle Georgia.
Marianna Wrestling Competes at Wakulla Tournament-Dec. 11, 2008
By Ron Thoreson
The Marianna Wrestling Team traveled to Wakulla High School on December 6 to compete against teams from all over the Southeast. During a successful day, the wrestlers experienced some landmark moments for the season, even with two wrestlers, Josh Kornegay and Jacob Kornegay, sidelined with illness and injuries.
In a never-before-seen match in the panhandle, Junior Allison Hutton wrestled another female wrestler from Lincoln High School at 112 lbs. The match had the entire crowd’s attention. "No one can remember another match in our area that had two female wrestlers," commented volunteer coach Ron Thoreson. "It really shows how wrestling is growing in popularity."
At 152 lbs, Chris Rogers had strong competition from wrestlers from Camden High School, and made an impressive showing. Also at 152 lbs, Junior Scotty Adkins added to his winning record by beating two opponents, one by decision and one by pinfall. Another Junior at 160 lbs., Brandon Robinson was undefeated for the day, pinning one of his opponents with a takedown that elicited cheers from the audience.
Dalton Hendrix, a Freshman at 171 lbs., scored a surprise defensive pin against his opponent from Rickards High School. "I was winning on points anyway," commented Hendrix. Also at 171 lbs., Freshman Ren Stewart also pinned his opponent and increased his number of wins thus far to 4, showing his technical prowess. Another win came from Alex Winskey at 189 lbs. Despite strong opposition, Alex finished with a pin.
At his first tournament, Dylan Reed competed at 215 lbs., and showed his potential when he broke a cradling move by his opponent which usually results in a pin. Senior Sean Small again went undefeated in the heavyweight division, having a pin and winning a technical pinfall against a strong opponent from Rickards High School, in a match that had the crowd’s attention.
"Our wrestlers are improving with each tournament," commented Head Coach Adam Gray. "We are having some great matches and gaining recognition in our district. That’s a great accomplishment for us." "I fully expect some of our kids to advance to at least regionals this year, if not the state level," stated volunteer coach Ron Thoreson. "For such a young team, they are really advancing quickly."
The wrestling team next hosts Bozeman High School in a dual tournament at the Marianna High School gym on December 11. Wrestling starts at 6 pm. Everyone is encouraged to come and support the wrestlers.
The Marianna Wrestling Team traveled to Wakulla High School on December 6 to compete against teams from all over the Southeast. During a successful day, the wrestlers experienced some landmark moments for the season, even with two wrestlers, Josh Kornegay and Jacob Kornegay, sidelined with illness and injuries.
In a never-before-seen match in the panhandle, Junior Allison Hutton wrestled another female wrestler from Lincoln High School at 112 lbs. The match had the entire crowd’s attention. "No one can remember another match in our area that had two female wrestlers," commented volunteer coach Ron Thoreson. "It really shows how wrestling is growing in popularity."
At 152 lbs, Chris Rogers had strong competition from wrestlers from Camden High School, and made an impressive showing. Also at 152 lbs, Junior Scotty Adkins added to his winning record by beating two opponents, one by decision and one by pinfall. Another Junior at 160 lbs., Brandon Robinson was undefeated for the day, pinning one of his opponents with a takedown that elicited cheers from the audience.
Dalton Hendrix, a Freshman at 171 lbs., scored a surprise defensive pin against his opponent from Rickards High School. "I was winning on points anyway," commented Hendrix. Also at 171 lbs., Freshman Ren Stewart also pinned his opponent and increased his number of wins thus far to 4, showing his technical prowess. Another win came from Alex Winskey at 189 lbs. Despite strong opposition, Alex finished with a pin.
At his first tournament, Dylan Reed competed at 215 lbs., and showed his potential when he broke a cradling move by his opponent which usually results in a pin. Senior Sean Small again went undefeated in the heavyweight division, having a pin and winning a technical pinfall against a strong opponent from Rickards High School, in a match that had the crowd’s attention.
"Our wrestlers are improving with each tournament," commented Head Coach Adam Gray. "We are having some great matches and gaining recognition in our district. That’s a great accomplishment for us." "I fully expect some of our kids to advance to at least regionals this year, if not the state level," stated volunteer coach Ron Thoreson. "For such a young team, they are really advancing quickly."
The wrestling team next hosts Bozeman High School in a dual tournament at the Marianna High School gym on December 11. Wrestling starts at 6 pm. Everyone is encouraged to come and support the wrestlers.
Sneads Takes Two Of Three From Cottondale- Dec. 11, 2008
By Clint Cox
SNEADS – The Cottondale Hornets flew into Sneads last Friday night but it was the Pirates that flew the victory flag as they captured wins in the boys JV and varsity games. The Lady Hornets salvaged the lone win for Cottondale as they beat the previously unbeaten Lady Pirates.
In girls action the Lady Hornets jumped out to an early lead and never let off the throttle as Shaunte Forward scorched the nets for 16 first half points and helpped Cottondale surge to a 30-9 halftime lead. The second half was more of the same as the Lady Hornets went on to win 62-22. Forward led all scorers with 27 points while teammates Kidda Paul had 11 and Jakia Grimsley had 10 points. Sneads was led by La’Tilya Baker with 11 points. The win improved the Lady Hornets to 5-2 while Sneads fell to 4-1.
In JV boys action the Pirates improved to 3-1 with a 56-38 win over the Hornets. Sneads led 14-9 at the end of the first quarter and then 20-17 at the half. But the Pirates outscored Cottondale 20-12 in the third quarter as Trevin Hall and Dillon Spates each scored 6 points. Leading 40-29 going into the final quarter Sneads went on to a 18 point victory. Hall led Sneads with 15 points, John Whittington added 13 and Spates chipped in 11. Cottondale was led by Jeremie Glover with 15 points.
The boys varsity served as the night capper and this was the usual high intensity Jackson County matchup. But Sneads used a 13-0 run in the final 3 minutes of the first half to take a 40-31 halftime lead. Cottondale made several runs at the Pirates but each time Sneads would catch fire again and kept the Hornets at bay. When the final horn sounded Sneads had racked up a 72-56 win over the visiting Hornets.
Cottondale led 23-15 at the end of the first quarter as Nick Jackson had the hot hand from outside the 3 point line. His 3 three pointers kept the Hornets on top through all of the first quarter and much of the second quarter. But Pirate Allen Patterson continued his hot shooting as the Pirates were able to make a run and pulled to within 4 points with three minutes left in the half. Then John Locke, Jamar White and Terrance Pittman all got hot hands for the Pirates and that is when Sneads ran off 13 unanswered points to close out the half. Locke continued his hot shooting in the second half and Justin Neel got the hot hand as well for the Pirates. Locke and Patterson led the Pirates with 24 points while Neel added 10. Cottondale was led by Jackson with 11 points and Terry Benbow and Marcus Humose with 9 points each.
SNEADS – The Cottondale Hornets flew into Sneads last Friday night but it was the Pirates that flew the victory flag as they captured wins in the boys JV and varsity games. The Lady Hornets salvaged the lone win for Cottondale as they beat the previously unbeaten Lady Pirates.
In girls action the Lady Hornets jumped out to an early lead and never let off the throttle as Shaunte Forward scorched the nets for 16 first half points and helpped Cottondale surge to a 30-9 halftime lead. The second half was more of the same as the Lady Hornets went on to win 62-22. Forward led all scorers with 27 points while teammates Kidda Paul had 11 and Jakia Grimsley had 10 points. Sneads was led by La’Tilya Baker with 11 points. The win improved the Lady Hornets to 5-2 while Sneads fell to 4-1.
In JV boys action the Pirates improved to 3-1 with a 56-38 win over the Hornets. Sneads led 14-9 at the end of the first quarter and then 20-17 at the half. But the Pirates outscored Cottondale 20-12 in the third quarter as Trevin Hall and Dillon Spates each scored 6 points. Leading 40-29 going into the final quarter Sneads went on to a 18 point victory. Hall led Sneads with 15 points, John Whittington added 13 and Spates chipped in 11. Cottondale was led by Jeremie Glover with 15 points.
The boys varsity served as the night capper and this was the usual high intensity Jackson County matchup. But Sneads used a 13-0 run in the final 3 minutes of the first half to take a 40-31 halftime lead. Cottondale made several runs at the Pirates but each time Sneads would catch fire again and kept the Hornets at bay. When the final horn sounded Sneads had racked up a 72-56 win over the visiting Hornets.
Cottondale led 23-15 at the end of the first quarter as Nick Jackson had the hot hand from outside the 3 point line. His 3 three pointers kept the Hornets on top through all of the first quarter and much of the second quarter. But Pirate Allen Patterson continued his hot shooting as the Pirates were able to make a run and pulled to within 4 points with three minutes left in the half. Then John Locke, Jamar White and Terrance Pittman all got hot hands for the Pirates and that is when Sneads ran off 13 unanswered points to close out the half. Locke continued his hot shooting in the second half and Justin Neel got the hot hand as well for the Pirates. Locke and Patterson led the Pirates with 24 points while Neel added 10. Cottondale was led by Jackson with 11 points and Terry Benbow and Marcus Humose with 9 points each.
Hornets Take Two of Three from Malone- Dec. 11, 2008
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – The Cottondale Hornets captured the girls varsity contest and the boys JV contest on Tuesday night. The Malone boys foiled the Hornet sweep by winning the night cap game.
The first game of the evening saw the Cottondale girls varsity squad post a 38-31 victory over the Lady Tigers. Shaunte Forward led the Lady Hornets with 16 points and Vanessa Olds led Malone with 13 points.
In game two the JV boys squads squared off and Cottondale hung on for an exciting 43-39 win. Jacquese Walker led the Hornets with 11 points, Clifford Canty followed with 11 and Darius Pollock added 8. Shaquille McDole led the Tigers with 14 points and Chai Baker chipped in 12 points.
The Malone boys varsity squad picked up their second win of the week with a 52-45 win over the Hornets. The Tigers took an early 11-9 lead after the first quarter but Cottondale battleed back and led 22-19 at the half. In the third quarter Malone reclaimed the lead as T.J. Smith and Mike McArthur hit back to back three pointers. Ladarius McElroy knocked down a three pointer and then Aaron Conrad banked in shot at the buzzer to give Malone a 37-33 lead at the end of the third quarter. Malone then outscored Cottondale 5-0 in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter and went on to post the 7 point victory.
Malone was led by Smith with 13 points, McElroy added 12 and Michael Peak followed with 10 points. Marcus Humose had 16 points to lead Cottondale and Drew Bellamy followed with 14 points.
COTTONDALE – The Cottondale Hornets captured the girls varsity contest and the boys JV contest on Tuesday night. The Malone boys foiled the Hornet sweep by winning the night cap game.
The first game of the evening saw the Cottondale girls varsity squad post a 38-31 victory over the Lady Tigers. Shaunte Forward led the Lady Hornets with 16 points and Vanessa Olds led Malone with 13 points.
In game two the JV boys squads squared off and Cottondale hung on for an exciting 43-39 win. Jacquese Walker led the Hornets with 11 points, Clifford Canty followed with 11 and Darius Pollock added 8. Shaquille McDole led the Tigers with 14 points and Chai Baker chipped in 12 points.
The Malone boys varsity squad picked up their second win of the week with a 52-45 win over the Hornets. The Tigers took an early 11-9 lead after the first quarter but Cottondale battleed back and led 22-19 at the half. In the third quarter Malone reclaimed the lead as T.J. Smith and Mike McArthur hit back to back three pointers. Ladarius McElroy knocked down a three pointer and then Aaron Conrad banked in shot at the buzzer to give Malone a 37-33 lead at the end of the third quarter. Malone then outscored Cottondale 5-0 in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter and went on to post the 7 point victory.
Malone was led by Smith with 13 points, McElroy added 12 and Michael Peak followed with 10 points. Marcus Humose had 16 points to lead Cottondale and Drew Bellamy followed with 14 points.
Chipola Takes Over #1 In State Poll Casey Mitchell Named Player of the Week-Dec. 11, 2008
By Joc Calloway
After defeating previously unbeaten and #1 Miami-Dade Saturday night in the finale of the Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic, Chipola College regained the top spot in the recently released state poll. After receiving 17 of 20 first place votes and 196 out of 200 total points, Chipola (12-1) looks to take on Genesis One Prep Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm at home before preparing for the Christmas break.
Also announced with the state rankings this week was the news of Indians’ Casey Mitchell being selected as Player of the Week for Region VIII. At last weekend’s Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic, Mitchell averaged 26.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals, leading the top-ranked Indians to three victories. After posting 17 points and five rebounds in the December 4 tune-up against IMG Academy, he put up bigger numbers in games against a pair of nationally-ranked opponents.
Against NJCAA No. 17 Brunswick on December 5, he scorched the nets for 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting, hit four of his eight three-point attempts and added six rebounds and four assists. In the highly-anticipated match-up with NJCAA No. 18 Miami Dade on December 6, he tallied 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. For the week, Mitchell shot 55.3 percent (21-of-38) from the floor, 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from the three-point line and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the foul line.
After defeating previously unbeaten and #1 Miami-Dade Saturday night in the finale of the Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic, Chipola College regained the top spot in the recently released state poll. After receiving 17 of 20 first place votes and 196 out of 200 total points, Chipola (12-1) looks to take on Genesis One Prep Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm at home before preparing for the Christmas break.
Also announced with the state rankings this week was the news of Indians’ Casey Mitchell being selected as Player of the Week for Region VIII. At last weekend’s Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic, Mitchell averaged 26.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals, leading the top-ranked Indians to three victories. After posting 17 points and five rebounds in the December 4 tune-up against IMG Academy, he put up bigger numbers in games against a pair of nationally-ranked opponents.
Against NJCAA No. 17 Brunswick on December 5, he scorched the nets for 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting, hit four of his eight three-point attempts and added six rebounds and four assists. In the highly-anticipated match-up with NJCAA No. 18 Miami Dade on December 6, he tallied 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. For the week, Mitchell shot 55.3 percent (21-of-38) from the floor, 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from the three-point line and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the foul line.
Sonaglia Becomes A Lady Pirate-Dec. 11, 2008
By Clint Cox
Marianna volleyball standout Jordan Sonaglia signed a letter of intent to attend Pensacola Junior College and play volleyball for the Lady Pirates on Monday afternoon in front of a crowd of teammates, family and friends. Sonaglia moved to Marianna from Minnesota with her family in January of 2008 during her junior year and quickly assimilated herself into Bulldog volleyball. Bulldog Athletic Director Steve DeWitt spoke of that assimilation to the group on Monday afternoon. "I can’t recall a student / athlete moving in during the semester break and so quickly adapting to the situation," said DeWitt. Bulldog Head Volleyball Coach Belinda Christopher echoed those sentiments. "Jordan is an outstanding ball player that brought a lot to our team this year. She’s played club ball since 4th grade and came in to Marianna and made such an easy transition to being a key member of our team. She is very outgoing and she joined a very special group of young ladies, so that really made the transition much easier," said Christopher. Sonaglia helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to a District Championship and a record of 19-8 this season. On the year she recorded 59 Serves as Kills, 418 Attacks and 172 Kills.
Jordan is the daughter of Cliff and Margo Lamb and Mike and Anita Sonaglia. Her grandparents are Bruce and Joyce Adams and Mick and Bobbie Sonaglia. Jordan, along with her brothers Jack and Dante, moved to Marianna with her mother and stepfather Cliff, who is a professor with the University of Florida at the Agriculture Station north of Marianna. Much of her extended family still resides in Minnesota. Both Margo and Cliff expressed a lot of pride in Jordan. "We are really proud of how well she embraced the move to Florida and it has been a very positive experience," said her mother Margo.
Pensacola Junior College Volleyball Coach Pete Pena was on hand at the signing and was glad to have Sonaglia joining the program. "We’ve got ourselves an outstanding young lady. She is the type of lady that has helped our program have the kind of success we’ve experienced," said Pena. Sonaglia will join another former Jackson County standout volleyball player, Kali Pringle of Sneads, on the Lady Pirates volleyball squad.
Marianna volleyball standout Jordan Sonaglia signed a letter of intent to attend Pensacola Junior College and play volleyball for the Lady Pirates on Monday afternoon in front of a crowd of teammates, family and friends. Sonaglia moved to Marianna from Minnesota with her family in January of 2008 during her junior year and quickly assimilated herself into Bulldog volleyball. Bulldog Athletic Director Steve DeWitt spoke of that assimilation to the group on Monday afternoon. "I can’t recall a student / athlete moving in during the semester break and so quickly adapting to the situation," said DeWitt. Bulldog Head Volleyball Coach Belinda Christopher echoed those sentiments. "Jordan is an outstanding ball player that brought a lot to our team this year. She’s played club ball since 4th grade and came in to Marianna and made such an easy transition to being a key member of our team. She is very outgoing and she joined a very special group of young ladies, so that really made the transition much easier," said Christopher. Sonaglia helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to a District Championship and a record of 19-8 this season. On the year she recorded 59 Serves as Kills, 418 Attacks and 172 Kills.
Jordan is the daughter of Cliff and Margo Lamb and Mike and Anita Sonaglia. Her grandparents are Bruce and Joyce Adams and Mick and Bobbie Sonaglia. Jordan, along with her brothers Jack and Dante, moved to Marianna with her mother and stepfather Cliff, who is a professor with the University of Florida at the Agriculture Station north of Marianna. Much of her extended family still resides in Minnesota. Both Margo and Cliff expressed a lot of pride in Jordan. "We are really proud of how well she embraced the move to Florida and it has been a very positive experience," said her mother Margo.
Pensacola Junior College Volleyball Coach Pete Pena was on hand at the signing and was glad to have Sonaglia joining the program. "We’ve got ourselves an outstanding young lady. She is the type of lady that has helped our program have the kind of success we’ve experienced," said Pena. Sonaglia will join another former Jackson County standout volleyball player, Kali Pringle of Sneads, on the Lady Pirates volleyball squad.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bulldogs Nip the Pirates ….Twice
By Ryan Riley
Marianna Varsity and Jr. Varsity both win over Sneads squad.
The Marianna Bulldog Varsity basketball squad under the leadership of coach Travis Blanton won their third consecutive game on Monday evening with a hard fought victory at home over the Sneads Pirates. At one point in the first quarter Sneads held the lead, but through most of the game Marianna led by a narrow margin.
The halftime score had Marianna leading by four points, 30-26. At the final buzzer the margin was only three points, 59-56. Kruize Penkins hit a free throw to create the three point margin with only seconds left, thus sealing the victory for the dogs.
Leading Scorers:
Bulldogs Pirates
R.J. Bowers 18 S. Williams 16
Tre long 11 J. Neel 15
Kruize Penkins 9 A. Patterson 11
Marianna Jr. Varsity Gets Third Victory
The Marianna Junior Varsity scored a relatively easy victory over the Sneads Junior Varsity squad in a preliminary game on Monday at Marianna. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, and maintained a safe margin through most of the contest. The half time score was 31-19, and the final score was 57-48.
Leading Scorers:
Bulldogs Pirates
Emanuel Batson 12 Jeff Bell 10
Kendall Leaks 8 Trevin Hall 10
D.J. Granberry 8 Darryl Johnson 9
Marianna Varsity and Jr. Varsity both win over Sneads squad.
The Marianna Bulldog Varsity basketball squad under the leadership of coach Travis Blanton won their third consecutive game on Monday evening with a hard fought victory at home over the Sneads Pirates. At one point in the first quarter Sneads held the lead, but through most of the game Marianna led by a narrow margin.
The halftime score had Marianna leading by four points, 30-26. At the final buzzer the margin was only three points, 59-56. Kruize Penkins hit a free throw to create the three point margin with only seconds left, thus sealing the victory for the dogs.
Leading Scorers:
Bulldogs Pirates
R.J. Bowers 18 S. Williams 16
Tre long 11 J. Neel 15
Kruize Penkins 9 A. Patterson 11
Marianna Jr. Varsity Gets Third Victory
The Marianna Junior Varsity scored a relatively easy victory over the Sneads Junior Varsity squad in a preliminary game on Monday at Marianna. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, and maintained a safe margin through most of the contest. The half time score was 31-19, and the final score was 57-48.
Leading Scorers:
Bulldogs Pirates
Emanuel Batson 12 Jeff Bell 10
Kendall Leaks 8 Trevin Hall 10
D.J. Granberry 8 Darryl Johnson 9
Former Indian Sets Record and Leads Nation In Assist
Former Chipola Indian, now Troy Trojan star, Michael Vogler did not score on Saturday afternoon, but he made his mark in a different way, passing his way into the record books with 17 assists to lead Troy to a 100-63 defeat of Northwestern State. Vogler set a Troy team-record with 17 assists, breaking the mark of 16 set by Charles McDonald in 1991 and tied by Bobby Dixon versus Western Kentucky in 2006."Mike was feeling the game and he was letting it come to him. He was able to be very creative and create for his teammates. He was a great quarterback tonight with his passing. He did an excellent job of running the team," head coach Don Maestri said.
Vogler is currently leading the NCAA D-1 category in assist per game with an average of 9.2 assist per game. As a red-shirt freshman at Chipola, Volger helped guide the 2007 Indians to a 33-3 overall record and an appearance in the NJCAA National Championship game. During his tenure at Chipola, Vogler earned second-team Panhandle Conference honors while averaging 3.4ppg, 2.7apg, and shooting 44.8% from 3pt range.
Special Thanks to Joc Calloway at Chipola College for assisting with the article.
Vogler is currently leading the NCAA D-1 category in assist per game with an average of 9.2 assist per game. As a red-shirt freshman at Chipola, Volger helped guide the 2007 Indians to a 33-3 overall record and an appearance in the NJCAA National Championship game. During his tenure at Chipola, Vogler earned second-team Panhandle Conference honors while averaging 3.4ppg, 2.7apg, and shooting 44.8% from 3pt range.
Special Thanks to Joc Calloway at Chipola College for assisting with the article.
Indians Host Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic
By Clint Cox
The Chipola Indians, ranked #1 in the state and #2 in the nation, will host the Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic beginning Thursday and running through Saturday. On Thursday, December 4, Chipola plays IMG Academy at 7 p.m. The Indians face Brunswick College on Friday at 8 p.m. and then take on Miami Dade Saturday night at 8 p.m. Fans can also get a look at Panhandle Conference opponents during the Classic as Gulf Coast, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Northwest Fl State College (OW) will hit the floor on Friday and Saturday.
The Indians enter the Classic with a 9-1 record after beating Georgia Perimeter 75-67 last Friday in Niceville. They followed up with a 111-57 win over Mississippi Elite on Saturday. Jarrell Williams led the way with 32 points and 19 rebounds. Justin Brownlee followed with 21 points and Josh Sain added 18 points, hitting 5 three pointers. Malcolm Armstead rounded out the Indians in double figures with 11 points.
All games will be played at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center and the Classic is named in honor of the Indians former Head Coach. Johnson served as Head Coach of the Indians for 32 years and won more than 800 games. Other accomplishments include 9 Division Coach of the Year Awards, 6 Region VIII Coach of the Year Awards, 4 FCCAA Coach of the Year Awards and 7 Region VIII Tournaments (followed by appearances in the national tournament). He was one of the first group of five coaches inducted into the FCCAA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. The rotating Panhandle Conference Championship trophy is named in honor of Coach Johnson, as is the Chipola gym, the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
The Chipola Indians, ranked #1 in the state and #2 in the nation, will host the Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic beginning Thursday and running through Saturday. On Thursday, December 4, Chipola plays IMG Academy at 7 p.m. The Indians face Brunswick College on Friday at 8 p.m. and then take on Miami Dade Saturday night at 8 p.m. Fans can also get a look at Panhandle Conference opponents during the Classic as Gulf Coast, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Northwest Fl State College (OW) will hit the floor on Friday and Saturday.
The Indians enter the Classic with a 9-1 record after beating Georgia Perimeter 75-67 last Friday in Niceville. They followed up with a 111-57 win over Mississippi Elite on Saturday. Jarrell Williams led the way with 32 points and 19 rebounds. Justin Brownlee followed with 21 points and Josh Sain added 18 points, hitting 5 three pointers. Malcolm Armstead rounded out the Indians in double figures with 11 points.
All games will be played at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center and the Classic is named in honor of the Indians former Head Coach. Johnson served as Head Coach of the Indians for 32 years and won more than 800 games. Other accomplishments include 9 Division Coach of the Year Awards, 6 Region VIII Coach of the Year Awards, 4 FCCAA Coach of the Year Awards and 7 Region VIII Tournaments (followed by appearances in the national tournament). He was one of the first group of five coaches inducted into the FCCAA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. The rotating Panhandle Conference Championship trophy is named in honor of Coach Johnson, as is the Chipola gym, the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
Bulldog Basketball Tours The County
By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bulldogs boys basketball squad began their tour of Jackson County on a winning note last Friday night with a three point shot at the buzzer by Tre Long to pull off a 72-71 win over the visiting Cottondale Hornets. The Bulldogs followed that win with wins against Sneads at home on Monday and at Graceville on Tuesday night. And to round out their tour of the county Marianna will be on the road at Malone on Thursday night.
Friday night’s win against Cottondale was a hard fought battle on both sides. Marianna jumped out to an early 11-2 lead but the Hornets rallied to take a 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a nip and tuck quarter until Marianna went on a last minute run to surge ahead to a 30-23 lead. The third quarter saw the Hornets get on a roll as they outscored the Bulldogs 26-15 and take a four point lead into the final quarter. Nick Jackson hit 5 straight points for Cottondale in the fourth quarter and gave the Hornets a 55-47 lead. Marcus Humose hit a three point moments later to make it a 60-53 lead for the Hornets. With less than two minutes to play Cottondale lead 66-58 and appeared poised to pull off the upset. But Marianna rallied with free throws from R.J. Bowers, a three pointer from Long and a tip in from C.J. Blount. Humose made it a 70-66 lead with 15 seconds left with a free throw but Blount then drove the length of the floor and made a driving layup to make it 70-68 with seven seconds on the clock. That is when Long stepped in front of a Hornet inbound pass, stole the ball and sank a three pointer as the buzzer sounded.
Blount led Marianna with 21 points while Long followed with 17 and Bowers had 12. Drew Bellamy led Cottondale with 14 points. Jacob Herring added 13, Jackson followed with 12 and Humose added 10. In JV action Marianna won 71-51 as Kendall Leeks and Tre Jackson led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Glover led Cottondale with 13 points.
The Sneads Pirates sailed into Marianna on Monday night as both teams entered this early season county matchup unbeaten. And much like the Cottondale battle, this contest went right down to the final seconds, with Marianna pulling out a 59-56 win. The Bulldogs led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter and then 30-26 at the half. The Pirates fought back to tie the game at 40-40 on a 2 pointer by Terrance Pittman midway through the third quarter. After Quan Boykin gave Marianna a 3 point lead Sherrick Williams brought the Pirates to within one by the close of the quarter. The fourth quarter saw Justin Neel hit back to back buckets to give the Pirates a 52-47 lead. The Bulldogs then went on a run and scored 9 straight points as Blount and Long got the hot hands. Leading 56-52 with under three minutes to play the Bulldogs held the Pirates at bay and pulled off the 3 point victory. Bowers led Marianna with 18 points and Long added 11. Sneads was led by Williams with 16 and Neel with 15.
Marianna hit the road on Tuesday and traveled to Graceville to take on the Tigers and with some key free throws down the stretch recorded a 64-54 win. Graceville took the early lead and led 15-13 at the end of the first quarter. Marianna used a 12-2 run in the second quarter, capped off by a three pointer from R.J. Bowers to push out to a 25-17 lead. But the Tigers rallied and with a three pointer from Craig Myrick pulled to within two points at the half.
In the second half the Tigers led by as many as six points as Myrick kept up his hot hand. But Marianna battled back to tie the game at 44-44 going into the final quarter. Myrick hit a couple of free throws and a basket to give Graceville a six point lead early in the fourth quarter but Marianna once again rallied. Quan Boykin tied the game with a couple of free throws and that was followed by a three pointer from Nehimiah Gilbert to put the ‘Dogs up by three. With just under two minutes to play Marianna began cashing in at the free throw line. Bowers, Gilbert, Boykin and Chris Blount combined for 10 straight free throws to propel Marianna to a 10 point victory.
Blount and Tre Long led Marianna, who improved to 4-0 on the season, with 17 points each. Myrick led Graceville, who fell to 2-1 on the season, with 21 points while Cameron Dozier followed with 10. In JV action Marianna edged Graceville 50-47 as Tre Pringley led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Kevin Potts led Graceville with 24 points.
The Marianna Bulldogs boys basketball squad began their tour of Jackson County on a winning note last Friday night with a three point shot at the buzzer by Tre Long to pull off a 72-71 win over the visiting Cottondale Hornets. The Bulldogs followed that win with wins against Sneads at home on Monday and at Graceville on Tuesday night. And to round out their tour of the county Marianna will be on the road at Malone on Thursday night.
Friday night’s win against Cottondale was a hard fought battle on both sides. Marianna jumped out to an early 11-2 lead but the Hornets rallied to take a 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a nip and tuck quarter until Marianna went on a last minute run to surge ahead to a 30-23 lead. The third quarter saw the Hornets get on a roll as they outscored the Bulldogs 26-15 and take a four point lead into the final quarter. Nick Jackson hit 5 straight points for Cottondale in the fourth quarter and gave the Hornets a 55-47 lead. Marcus Humose hit a three point moments later to make it a 60-53 lead for the Hornets. With less than two minutes to play Cottondale lead 66-58 and appeared poised to pull off the upset. But Marianna rallied with free throws from R.J. Bowers, a three pointer from Long and a tip in from C.J. Blount. Humose made it a 70-66 lead with 15 seconds left with a free throw but Blount then drove the length of the floor and made a driving layup to make it 70-68 with seven seconds on the clock. That is when Long stepped in front of a Hornet inbound pass, stole the ball and sank a three pointer as the buzzer sounded.
Blount led Marianna with 21 points while Long followed with 17 and Bowers had 12. Drew Bellamy led Cottondale with 14 points. Jacob Herring added 13, Jackson followed with 12 and Humose added 10. In JV action Marianna won 71-51 as Kendall Leeks and Tre Jackson led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Glover led Cottondale with 13 points.
The Sneads Pirates sailed into Marianna on Monday night as both teams entered this early season county matchup unbeaten. And much like the Cottondale battle, this contest went right down to the final seconds, with Marianna pulling out a 59-56 win. The Bulldogs led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter and then 30-26 at the half. The Pirates fought back to tie the game at 40-40 on a 2 pointer by Terrance Pittman midway through the third quarter. After Quan Boykin gave Marianna a 3 point lead Sherrick Williams brought the Pirates to within one by the close of the quarter. The fourth quarter saw Justin Neel hit back to back buckets to give the Pirates a 52-47 lead. The Bulldogs then went on a run and scored 9 straight points as Blount and Long got the hot hands. Leading 56-52 with under three minutes to play the Bulldogs held the Pirates at bay and pulled off the 3 point victory. Bowers led Marianna with 18 points and Long added 11. Sneads was led by Williams with 16 and Neel with 15.
Marianna hit the road on Tuesday and traveled to Graceville to take on the Tigers and with some key free throws down the stretch recorded a 64-54 win. Graceville took the early lead and led 15-13 at the end of the first quarter. Marianna used a 12-2 run in the second quarter, capped off by a three pointer from R.J. Bowers to push out to a 25-17 lead. But the Tigers rallied and with a three pointer from Craig Myrick pulled to within two points at the half.
In the second half the Tigers led by as many as six points as Myrick kept up his hot hand. But Marianna battled back to tie the game at 44-44 going into the final quarter. Myrick hit a couple of free throws and a basket to give Graceville a six point lead early in the fourth quarter but Marianna once again rallied. Quan Boykin tied the game with a couple of free throws and that was followed by a three pointer from Nehimiah Gilbert to put the ‘Dogs up by three. With just under two minutes to play Marianna began cashing in at the free throw line. Bowers, Gilbert, Boykin and Chris Blount combined for 10 straight free throws to propel Marianna to a 10 point victory.
Blount and Tre Long led Marianna, who improved to 4-0 on the season, with 17 points each. Myrick led Graceville, who fell to 2-1 on the season, with 21 points while Cameron Dozier followed with 10. In JV action Marianna edged Graceville 50-47 as Tre Pringley led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Kevin Potts led Graceville with 24 points.
Friday, November 28, 2008
County Teams Battle In Tip-Off Tournaments
Four of the county’s five varsity boy’s basketball programs hit the floor last week in two preseason tournaments in Marianna and Sneads.
The Marianna Bulldogs played host to the Sonny’s Tip Off Classic and games played on Thursday and Saturday night also included Cottondale and Malone. As the host team the Bulldogs squared off against Maclay on Thursday night and lead throughout the first half. But the Marauders rallied in the second half and pulled out a 8 point win over the Bulldogs. Marianna led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter and 21-18 at the half. But Maclay outscored Marianna 21-12 in the third quarter to take a 39-33 lead into the final quarter. While Marianna kept battling Maclay went to post a 53-45 victory. C.J. Blount led Marianna with 13 points while Kruize Penkins followed with 10 points. On Saturday night Marianna matched up with the Tornadoes of Bay High School and faired much better in the end. But initially the Panama City squad took charge and led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter and 22-19 at the half. Penkins led Marianna in the half, scoring 17 of the Bulldog’s 19 points. In the second half however Marianna began to assert themselves, outscoring Bay 12-7 to take a 31-29 lead in the last quarter. The ‘Dogs held the Tornadoes scoreless for the first four minutes of the final quarter and went on to post a 44-38 victory. Penkins led the Bulldogs with 21 points while Blount followed with 13 points. Marianna opened up the regular season on Tuesday night with a home match against Rutherford. For results of that contest please see Sid Riley’s report on page three of the sports section.
The Cottondale Hornets found the going rough in their two outings, opening up against a very good Rutherford squad and falling 61-43. The Hornets trailed by 3 at the end of the first quarter but the Rams went on a run in the second quarter outscoring Cottondale 25-8 to lead 35-15 at the half. Rutherford maintained their double digit lead through the second half before posted the 18 point win. Marcus Humose led Cottondale with 13 points and Dominique Webb added 10. On Saturday night the Hornets faced off with a potential playoff opponent in Maclay. Cottondale took the early lead as the led 12-9 after one quarter. The still maintained a 2 point lead at the half and at the end of the third quarter. But Maclay rallied for a fourth quarter win as they posted a 48-37 victory. Trestin White led the Hornets with 11 points and Humose added 8 points. Cottondale opened up the regular season with a home contest against Wewahithcka on Tuesday and won 81-41. Humose led the way with 15 points, White and Nick Jackson followed with 11 points each.
For a complete wrap up on the Malone Tigers please see the report filed by The Times student reporter Ryan Maloney on page two of sports.
The Sneads Pirates hosted a two day tournament last Tuesday and Thursday. After falling to Franklin County on Tuesday (see last week’s Times) the Pirates bounced back with a win over West Gadsden on Thursday night. The Pirates beat their cross river rivals 59-35. Sneads lead 32-19 at the half and were led in scoring by Justin Neal with 15 points, Sherrick Williams with 14 and Jamar White with 8.
Sneads opened their regular season on Monday with a 72-56 win over Wewahitchka. The Pirates led 35-19 at the half and were led by Sherrick Williams with 17 and Justin Neel with 13. Terrance Pittman and Delvin Oliver each added 12 points. They followed that with a Tuesday night contest against Bozeman and won 58-41. Williams led the team with 18 points, Josh Rogers followed with 9 and Oliver and Neel each added 6 points.
Cats & Dogs Ousted From Playoffs
Bulldog Bradley Battles (middle) found the going rough last Friday night in Madison as he is sandwiched between two Cowboys. Photo by Mike MillerBy Clint Cox
The two Jackson County teams that made it to round one of the FHSAA playoffs both fell behind early and while one squad rallied to tie the game, both squads lost and thus were eliminated from post season play.
The Graceville Tigers traveled to Jacksonville to take on the Warriors of Eagles View. This is the same squad that Graceville beat last year in the first round with a 58-42 shootout victory. This year’s game saw Graceville with a scoring opportunity early on but were stopped on 4th down and goal play. From there the Warriors went on to post two touchdowns and take a 16-0 lead. The Tigers rallied in the second half as Antrelll Wright found the end zone and Treyshaun White added a two point conversion run to make it a 16-8 game. In the final quarter Justin Miles scored and then added a two point run to tie the game at 16-16. The score remained tied at the end of regulation and the Warriors scored on their possession with a touchdown pass. Graceville was unable to pick up a first down or find the end zone on their possession and the Warriors claimed a 22-16 overtime win. Graceville finished the season with a record of 8-3.
The Marianna Bulldogs also had to travel as they journey to Madison County and the Stadium known as Boot Hill. The Cowboys entered the game ranked #1 in the state and several polls have them listed in the top 20 teams nationwide. They had won 22 straight games and were averaging 52 points per game. They took an early 7-0 lead but the Bulldogs came up with a defense stop late in the first quarter to gain a little momentum. But on Marianna’s first play after the defense stand the Bulldogs coughed up the ball and Madison recovered. One play later they had a touchdown and a 14-0 lead. They made it 21-0 at the half and went on to a 35-0 win. The Cowboys held Marianna’s Bradley Battles to 81 yards and 25 yards of that came on one run late in the game. Marianna finished the season with a record of 8-3.
Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong said the loss should not take away from the overall season. "I’m proud of the way the kids played all year. Madison is a great team and they shut us down and we just could not move the ball. But we’ve still had a great season and this is a fine group of young men. We lose 7 really good seniors that leave this program in good shape and with a bright future," said Armstrong.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Lady Pirates Fall to Maclay
By: Clint CoxPhoto Caption:
Sneads Head Coach Shelia Roberts (center) tries to rally the Lady Pirates in action last Saturday at Maclay.
Photo by Clint Cox
Sneads Head Coach Shelia Roberts (center) tries to rally the Lady Pirates in action last Saturday at Maclay.
Photo by Clint Cox
TALLAHASSEE – The Sneads Lady Pirate’s dream of a trip to Lakeland for the FHSAA Volleyball Final Four fell short this past Saturday as they fell to Maclay 3-0 in the Region 1 Finals. A large crowd of Pirate fans traveled to Tallahassee and in fact outnumbered the Lady Marauder fans 2-1. But that was not enough as the Maclay squad rallied to win game one and then led throughout games two and three.
Game one saw the Lady Pirates come out and take a 15-10 lead. Meagan Smith and Allison McDaniel came up with a couple of kills but Maclay was slowly crawling back into the game. The Lady Marauders finally tied the game at 18-18. They then outscored Sneads 7-1 in the final stretch to take a 25-19 win. Maclay then jumped out to quick lead in game two and lead through the game. Sneads rallied a couple of times to pull within four points but the rallies could not be sustained. Maclay took game two by a score of 25-18. In game three Sneads again fell behind early, trailing by as much as 13-3. Smith came up with a tap over, a kill and then a couple of nice serves as the Lady Pirates narrowed the gap to 14-8. Maclay pushed ahead to a 20-11 lead before Kara Alford served up a couple of points to make it 20-14. But Maclay ripped off 5 straight points to take a 25-14 win in the game and a 3-0 win in the match.
Sneads finished the season with a 20-10 record and claimed back to back district championships. As disappointing as the loss to Maclay was, Head Coach Shelia Roberts said her squad should hold their heads high. "This squad took Sneads volleyball farther than they have ever gone before (Regional Finals). As much as it hurts right now, they can be proud of what they have done this year and for this program," said Roberts. She also talked of the hard work put in by this year’s team, both on the court and off the court. "I wish everybody could know how hard these ladies have worked for the past year. They trained all summer long and raised money in the heat and rain. They would come out early for practice and stay late. I am very proud of these girls and our seniors will be missed very much. We’ve got some got a lot of good juniors and sophomores as well so Sneads volleyball is looking good," commented Roberts.
Bring On Basketball-11/20/08
By Clint CoxPhoto Caption:
Pictured here is Marianna Sonny’s Manager Mr. Tim Parr presenting a check for the annual Sonny’s Tip Off Tournament to be held at Marianna High Gym on November 20 and November 22. Contributed Photo
Volleyball is over and with the exception of Marianna and Graceville, most of the county has hung up their football cleats and equipment for another season. For the county’s hoop fans, that means it is time to bring on the basketball season.
Most of the county’s high school girls basketball teams began regular season play this week while the boys squads are involved in several pre-season tip off tournaments. On Tuesday some of the girls action including Sneads at Malone and Marianna at Graceville. One of those tip-off tournaments for the boys taking place at Marianna High School. The "Sonny’s Tip Off Tournament" is sponsored by Sonny’s Bar-B-Que and includes three of the county’s five varsity boy’s squads. Marianna, Cottondale and Malone will be hitting the hardwoods. Non-county teams participating in the tournament include Bay High, Maclay and Rutherford. Tournament action will be on Thursday and Saturday. On Thursday Malone battles Bay at 4:30 pm, Cottondale takes on Rutherford at 6 pm and Marianna squares off against Maclay at 8 pm. On Saturday Cottondale matches up with Maclay at 4:30, Malone will play Rutherford at 6 pm and Marianna and Bay High do battle at 8 pm.
A pre-season tournament is also being played at Sneads. On Tuesday night Wewahitchka defeated Altha in the first game, Blountstown beat West Gadsden 59-39 and in the night cap Sneads fell to Franklin County 51-40. The Pirates kept the game close as they trailed 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. John Locke’s three pointer gave the Pirates a brief 1 point lead at 13-12 and then Terrance Pittman later tied the game at 15-15. Franklin County got a run at the end of the first half to take a 25-20 lead. Sneads trailed at the end of the third quarter by a score of 36-38. Pittman led the Pirates with 10 points while Locke followed with 9 and Justin Neal added 8 points. On Thursday night the action will include Franklin County taking on Wewahitchka, Blountstown playing Altha and Sneads will host West Gadsden in the final game of the evening.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Pirates Fall To Freeport-11/13/08
By Clint Cox
SNEADS – The Pirates of Sneads found the going rough in their homecoming outing against the Freeport Bulldogs. After Freeport jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter the Pirates took possession early in the second quarter after a nice punt return by Terrance Pittman gave them excellent field positon. The Pirates drove deep into the Bulldog’s territory but the drive stalled and the Pirates were forced to go for a field goal. But the Sneads could not get the ball through the uprights and Freeport took over.
Sneads managed to hold the Bulldogs on their next drive but Freeport picked off a Pirate pass later in the quarter. The Bulldogs capitalized on the turnover by tossing a touchdown pass and taking a 22-0 lead at the half. The second half was more of the same as the Bulldogs picked off another pass and then added another touchdown. They picked off their fourth Pirate pass late in the third quarter and then tacked on one more score to make it 35-0.
The Pirates lone score of the night came midway through the final quarter on a one yard run by Mark Lawson. The final score was 35-6 in favor of the Bulldogs. Pirate Head Coach Don Dowling said his squad’s performance lacked a lot. "We did not play well at all. I don’t know if it was homecoming or what but it’s was one of our poorest performances all season. But we’ll go back to work this week and try to correct some of the mistakes. South Walton has got it going right now so we’ll have to play much better to have a shot," said Dowling. It is Senior Night at Citizen’s Field as the Pirates play host to South Walton for their regular season finale.
SNEADS – The Pirates of Sneads found the going rough in their homecoming outing against the Freeport Bulldogs. After Freeport jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter the Pirates took possession early in the second quarter after a nice punt return by Terrance Pittman gave them excellent field positon. The Pirates drove deep into the Bulldog’s territory but the drive stalled and the Pirates were forced to go for a field goal. But the Sneads could not get the ball through the uprights and Freeport took over.
Sneads managed to hold the Bulldogs on their next drive but Freeport picked off a Pirate pass later in the quarter. The Bulldogs capitalized on the turnover by tossing a touchdown pass and taking a 22-0 lead at the half. The second half was more of the same as the Bulldogs picked off another pass and then added another touchdown. They picked off their fourth Pirate pass late in the third quarter and then tacked on one more score to make it 35-0.
The Pirates lone score of the night came midway through the final quarter on a one yard run by Mark Lawson. The final score was 35-6 in favor of the Bulldogs. Pirate Head Coach Don Dowling said his squad’s performance lacked a lot. "We did not play well at all. I don’t know if it was homecoming or what but it’s was one of our poorest performances all season. But we’ll go back to work this week and try to correct some of the mistakes. South Walton has got it going right now so we’ll have to play much better to have a shot," said Dowling. It is Senior Night at Citizen’s Field as the Pirates play host to South Walton for their regular season finale.
All Four County Teams Won-11/13/08
By Clint Cox & Russell Register
On October 31, 2008 all four of the county’s varsity football programs won. Several folks inquired as to the last time that all four county teams had won on the same night. A look back in the record books revealed that last time that it occurred was in 1990. Given that it occurred 18 years ago, it is ironic that it actually occurred twice during the 1990 season. On September 14th Marianna beat Holmes County, Cottondale beat Ernest Ward, Graceville beat Baker and Sneads beat Vernon. On November 9th of the same season Marianna beat Pace, Cottondale beat Wewahitchka, Graceville beat Pensacola Catholic and Sneads beat Apalachicola.
It should also be noted that there have been several times in the last 18 years in which three of the county teams won and the fourth had the night off (so technically no county teams lost on these nights). This occurred on 10/7/05, 10/8/04, 11/10/00, 10/16/92 and 11/22/91.
Thanks to Russell Register of Deep South Sports Broadcasting for compiling the above information (See Simply Put)
On October 31, 2008 all four of the county’s varsity football programs won. Several folks inquired as to the last time that all four county teams had won on the same night. A look back in the record books revealed that last time that it occurred was in 1990. Given that it occurred 18 years ago, it is ironic that it actually occurred twice during the 1990 season. On September 14th Marianna beat Holmes County, Cottondale beat Ernest Ward, Graceville beat Baker and Sneads beat Vernon. On November 9th of the same season Marianna beat Pace, Cottondale beat Wewahitchka, Graceville beat Pensacola Catholic and Sneads beat Apalachicola.
It should also be noted that there have been several times in the last 18 years in which three of the county teams won and the fourth had the night off (so technically no county teams lost on these nights). This occurred on 10/7/05, 10/8/04, 11/10/00, 10/16/92 and 11/22/91.
Thanks to Russell Register of Deep South Sports Broadcasting for compiling the above information (See Simply Put)
Lady Pirates Advance to Regional Finals-11/13/08
By Clint Cox
SNEADS – They didn’t do it the easy way but the Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad captured the FHSAA Class 2A Regional One Semi-Final on Tuesday night with a 3-2 win over Baker. Sneads won the first two games but then dropped the next two games. That sent the match to a fifth and final game. The Lady Pirates hung on to win and now advance to the Regional Finals to be played Saturday at 1 pm CST at Maclay (Tallahassee).
Game one was back and forth with both teams leading by as many as 3 points during the game. But neither team could pull away and Baker rallied to tie the game at 20-20. Mattie Collins, the FACA District 2 Player of the Year, closed out the game with back to back kills to give Sneads a 27-25 win. Game two was just as close through the contest. Baker got up by as many as five points but Sneads rallied to tie the game at 19. The game was again tied at 23-23 before the Lady Pirates notched two straight points for a 25-23 victory. Baker had no intention of rolling over and rallied to win the next two games by scores of 25-17 and 25-23.
Game five was nip and tuck as neither team led by more than 2 points. Collins and Meagan Smith recorded kills to keep the Lady Pirates close. The hero of the game proved to be Tiffany Guerra as she closed out the game with three straight aces and Sneads prevailed 15-13.
Lady Pirate Head Coach Shelia Roberts gave all the credit to a higher power. "That’s the God factor. The girls worked hard but we didn’t play well the last couple of games. We committed too many errors. But they kept battling and Tiffany came up with some great serves when we needed them the most," said Roberts. She also noted that Baker and Pensacola Christian (last Tuesday’s quarter final opponent) gave the Lady Pirates fits. "They play a different style than we are accustomed to, they do a lot of tap overs. We play better when we match up with teams that play more of a power game because we have such good blockers," commented Roberts. Her Lady Pirates improved to 20-9 on the season and face off against a Maclay squad that beat Liberty County 3-1.
SNEADS – They didn’t do it the easy way but the Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad captured the FHSAA Class 2A Regional One Semi-Final on Tuesday night with a 3-2 win over Baker. Sneads won the first two games but then dropped the next two games. That sent the match to a fifth and final game. The Lady Pirates hung on to win and now advance to the Regional Finals to be played Saturday at 1 pm CST at Maclay (Tallahassee).
Game one was back and forth with both teams leading by as many as 3 points during the game. But neither team could pull away and Baker rallied to tie the game at 20-20. Mattie Collins, the FACA District 2 Player of the Year, closed out the game with back to back kills to give Sneads a 27-25 win. Game two was just as close through the contest. Baker got up by as many as five points but Sneads rallied to tie the game at 19. The game was again tied at 23-23 before the Lady Pirates notched two straight points for a 25-23 victory. Baker had no intention of rolling over and rallied to win the next two games by scores of 25-17 and 25-23.
Game five was nip and tuck as neither team led by more than 2 points. Collins and Meagan Smith recorded kills to keep the Lady Pirates close. The hero of the game proved to be Tiffany Guerra as she closed out the game with three straight aces and Sneads prevailed 15-13.
Lady Pirate Head Coach Shelia Roberts gave all the credit to a higher power. "That’s the God factor. The girls worked hard but we didn’t play well the last couple of games. We committed too many errors. But they kept battling and Tiffany came up with some great serves when we needed them the most," said Roberts. She also noted that Baker and Pensacola Christian (last Tuesday’s quarter final opponent) gave the Lady Pirates fits. "They play a different style than we are accustomed to, they do a lot of tap overs. We play better when we match up with teams that play more of a power game because we have such good blockers," commented Roberts. Her Lady Pirates improved to 20-9 on the season and face off against a Maclay squad that beat Liberty County 3-1.
Tigers & Bulldogs Clinch Playoff Berths-11/13/08
By: Clint Cox
The Graceville Tigers and Marianna Bulldogs both went on the road this past Friday night and clinch their respective district runner up slots and notched a berth in the upcoming FHSAA football playoffs.
The Graceville Tigers traveled to Cottondale to take on their western county rival in the Hornets. It was all Graceville as the Tigers racked up a 50-14 win. Antrell Wright had a big night, rushing for 196 yards and 5 scores to pace the Tigers. He helped the Tigers jump out to 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Cottondale narrowed the margin to 14-8 after a touchdown run by Dominique Webb and two point pass play from Jesse Freeman to Nick Jackson. But Graceville came right back with another score from Wright to make it a 20-8 game. Justin Miles then hit Florian Litim on a 38 yard scoring strike late in the first half to make it 28-8. Wright added two more touchdown runs in the third quarter to salt the game away at 44-8. Webb led Cottondale with 110 yards on 12 carries. With the loss Cottondale fell to 4-5 and travel to Vernon for their last game of the season. Graceville improved to 7-2 and will host Chipley for their final regular season game. On November 21st Graceville will travel to Jacksonville to take on Eagles View in the first round of the playoffs.
The Marianna Bulldogs also pulled out a win to make the playoffs but it was much harder than Graceville’s win. The Bulldogs trailed 21-14 at the half to Walton County and had their star running back on the sideline with an ankle injury. But the ‘Dogs rallied in the second half and pulled off a "gut check" 34-21 district win. Walton scored on their first two offensive plays of the game while Marianna got a quick score from Bradley Battles. With less than 5 minutes gone in the game Walton led Marianna 14-7. The Bulldogs tied the game at 14-14 with a 1 yard run by R.J. Bowers late in the first quarter. But on the first offensive play in the second quarter for Marianna Battles went down with an injured ankle. While the trainers worked on Battles on the sidelines, Walton reclaimed the lead at 21-14.
Battles made a brief reappearance but was unable to go in the second half. But the Bulldogs did not let that discourage them and Fidel Montgomery scored on a 3 yard run in the third quarter. Troy Clemmons tied the game at 21-21 with his third extra point kick of the night. After a Walton punt Marianna put together what is arguably the longest drive in Bulldog history. They got the ball at their own 3 yard with just under 5 minutes to play in the third quarter. They methodically plowed their way down the field on an 18 play drive. Bowers scored with 5:41 left in the game on a 1 yard run. The drive ate up 11:02 off the game clock and put Marianna up 28-21. Walton fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Marianna’s Demetrious Straker recovered for the Bulldogs. They took another four minutes off the clock and scored with just under two minutes on a 25 yard pass from Dustin Larkin to Fidel Montgomery. Another Clemmons kick put Marianna up 34-21.
Head Coach Rob Armstrong was obviously proud of how his squad didn’t fold when Battles went out. "The way everything went against us early on our kids could have quit. But they didn’t bat an eye. There is no "quit" in this team and I’m extremely proud of them," Armstrong commented. Marianna improved to 7-2 and now travels to Port St. Joe for their last regular season game. The Bulldogs will then travel to Madison to take on the Cowboys on November 21st in round one of the playoffs.
The Graceville Tigers and Marianna Bulldogs both went on the road this past Friday night and clinch their respective district runner up slots and notched a berth in the upcoming FHSAA football playoffs.
The Graceville Tigers traveled to Cottondale to take on their western county rival in the Hornets. It was all Graceville as the Tigers racked up a 50-14 win. Antrell Wright had a big night, rushing for 196 yards and 5 scores to pace the Tigers. He helped the Tigers jump out to 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Cottondale narrowed the margin to 14-8 after a touchdown run by Dominique Webb and two point pass play from Jesse Freeman to Nick Jackson. But Graceville came right back with another score from Wright to make it a 20-8 game. Justin Miles then hit Florian Litim on a 38 yard scoring strike late in the first half to make it 28-8. Wright added two more touchdown runs in the third quarter to salt the game away at 44-8. Webb led Cottondale with 110 yards on 12 carries. With the loss Cottondale fell to 4-5 and travel to Vernon for their last game of the season. Graceville improved to 7-2 and will host Chipley for their final regular season game. On November 21st Graceville will travel to Jacksonville to take on Eagles View in the first round of the playoffs.
The Marianna Bulldogs also pulled out a win to make the playoffs but it was much harder than Graceville’s win. The Bulldogs trailed 21-14 at the half to Walton County and had their star running back on the sideline with an ankle injury. But the ‘Dogs rallied in the second half and pulled off a "gut check" 34-21 district win. Walton scored on their first two offensive plays of the game while Marianna got a quick score from Bradley Battles. With less than 5 minutes gone in the game Walton led Marianna 14-7. The Bulldogs tied the game at 14-14 with a 1 yard run by R.J. Bowers late in the first quarter. But on the first offensive play in the second quarter for Marianna Battles went down with an injured ankle. While the trainers worked on Battles on the sidelines, Walton reclaimed the lead at 21-14.
Battles made a brief reappearance but was unable to go in the second half. But the Bulldogs did not let that discourage them and Fidel Montgomery scored on a 3 yard run in the third quarter. Troy Clemmons tied the game at 21-21 with his third extra point kick of the night. After a Walton punt Marianna put together what is arguably the longest drive in Bulldog history. They got the ball at their own 3 yard with just under 5 minutes to play in the third quarter. They methodically plowed their way down the field on an 18 play drive. Bowers scored with 5:41 left in the game on a 1 yard run. The drive ate up 11:02 off the game clock and put Marianna up 28-21. Walton fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Marianna’s Demetrious Straker recovered for the Bulldogs. They took another four minutes off the clock and scored with just under two minutes on a 25 yard pass from Dustin Larkin to Fidel Montgomery. Another Clemmons kick put Marianna up 34-21.
Head Coach Rob Armstrong was obviously proud of how his squad didn’t fold when Battles went out. "The way everything went against us early on our kids could have quit. But they didn’t bat an eye. There is no "quit" in this team and I’m extremely proud of them," Armstrong commented. Marianna improved to 7-2 and now travels to Port St. Joe for their last regular season game. The Bulldogs will then travel to Madison to take on the Cowboys on November 21st in round one of the playoffs.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Friday Night Preview
Graceville (6-2) at Cottondale (4-4) 7 pm
It’s another huge game for these two ole Jackson County rivals. Never mind that bragging rights for the western half of the county are on the line, this game has huge playoff implications. Simply Put, the winner heads to the playoffs as the district runner up while the loser will pack up their equipment after next week’s season finale. After struggling early in the season the Hornets have now won 3 in a row, including last week’s exciting 20-18 win over Maclay. Graceville has mowed down most of their opponents, losing only to Marianna (7-1) and FAMU (6-3). The Tigers are averaging 37.7 points per game this season. And the Tigers have won the last five meetings between these long time rivals. The last win for Cottondale came in 2002. Look for another classic showdown that goes right down to the final horn.
It’s another huge game for these two ole Jackson County rivals. Never mind that bragging rights for the western half of the county are on the line, this game has huge playoff implications. Simply Put, the winner heads to the playoffs as the district runner up while the loser will pack up their equipment after next week’s season finale. After struggling early in the season the Hornets have now won 3 in a row, including last week’s exciting 20-18 win over Maclay. Graceville has mowed down most of their opponents, losing only to Marianna (7-1) and FAMU (6-3). The Tigers are averaging 37.7 points per game this season. And the Tigers have won the last five meetings between these long time rivals. The last win for Cottondale came in 2002. Look for another classic showdown that goes right down to the final horn.
Marianna (7-1) at Walton (5-3) 7 pm
Like the Graceville vs. Cottondale game, the implications for this game are simple. The winner heads to the playoffs as the district runner up while the loser will pack up their equipment after next week’s season finale. Marianna hammered Northview last week to pick up their 7th win of the season. Walton started 5-1 but has since lost back to back games, falling 31-0 to Pensacola Catholic and then losing 38-12 last week to West Florida. These two teams started playing each other in 1925 and since 1940 have played in all but 5 seasons (80, 81,82,95 & 96). In their last 64 meetings the Bulldogs own a 39-24 advantage over the Braves.
Like the Graceville vs. Cottondale game, the implications for this game are simple. The winner heads to the playoffs as the district runner up while the loser will pack up their equipment after next week’s season finale. Marianna hammered Northview last week to pick up their 7th win of the season. Walton started 5-1 but has since lost back to back games, falling 31-0 to Pensacola Catholic and then losing 38-12 last week to West Florida. These two teams started playing each other in 1925 and since 1940 have played in all but 5 seasons (80, 81,82,95 & 96). In their last 64 meetings the Bulldogs own a 39-24 advantage over the Braves.
Sneads ( 3-5) host Freeport (4-4) 7 pm
The Pirates picked up a big 18-12 win over the Bulldogs of Liberty County last week. They’ve got another pack of ‘Dogs coming in this week as they host Freeport for Homecoming. The Pirates got a 243 yard rushing performance from Mark Lawson last week. Lawson has now rushed for over 1,100 yards on the season. The Bulldogs started 4-1 on the season but have since lost three in a row. But those three loses came to tough squads like Jay, West Gadsden and last week’s 31-20 loss to Port St. Joe.
The Pirates picked up a big 18-12 win over the Bulldogs of Liberty County last week. They’ve got another pack of ‘Dogs coming in this week as they host Freeport for Homecoming. The Pirates got a 243 yard rushing performance from Mark Lawson last week. Lawson has now rushed for over 1,100 yards on the season. The Bulldogs started 4-1 on the season but have since lost three in a row. But those three loses came to tough squads like Jay, West Gadsden and last week’s 31-20 loss to Port St. Joe.
Sneads & Marianna Win Districts
By Clint Cox
Two Jackson County varsity volleyball squads claimed their respective district championships last week and in doing so advanced to the first round of the FHSAA Playoffs.
The Sneads Lady Pirates captured their second straight Class 2A District Two Championship with a 3-1 win over the Lady Tigers of Blountstown. The match was played in Cottondale last Thursday night and the Lady Pirates got out of the gates quickly winning game one 25-23 and game two 25-10. Game three went the way of Blountstown by a score of 25-18. The deciding game however went to Sneads as they posted a 25-20 victory.
With that win over Blountstown the Lady Pirates, played host to Pensacola Christian on Tuesday night in round one of the playoffs. Game one went to Sneads in relatively easy fashion as the Lady Pirates jumped out to a 9-2 lead. With Meagan Smith, Kara Alford and Mattie Collins racking up kills Sneads went on to a 25-17 win. Game two was not so easy as the Lady Warriors jumped out to 12-3 lead. Sneads did not quit though and with Ashley Smith recording 9 straight service points the Lady Pirates rallied to tie the game at 13-13. From there the game went back and forth with neither team able to pull ahead by more than two points. With the game tied at 22-22 Ashley Smith served up two service points and Collins finished the game off with a kill to give the Lady Pirates a 25-23 win. Game three saw the Lady Warriors again jump out to a lead and once again Sneads rallied to tie the game at 16-16. Sneads surgred ahead to a 22-17 lead but could not hold the lead. Pensacola Christian rallied and eventually won the game 27-25. The fourth game was another slow start for Sneads but this time they rallied quicker to tie the game at 5-5. The lead changed back and forth before the Lady Warriors went up 15-12. With Meagan Smith serving Sneads went up 17-15. The Lady Warriors went back up and led 21-18 before Sneads rallied one more time to get back in the running. The Lady Pirates battled their way to 27-25 win with Meagan Smith serving up an ace to get the game and match winning point. The Lady Pirates are now 19-9 on the season and will next be in action on Tuesday when they host Baker. The Lady Gators beat Blountstown 3-0 to improve to 14-3.
The Marianna Lady Bulldogs laid claim to the Class 3A District Two Championship with a 3-0 win over Chipley last Thursday in Bonifay. Game one went to Marianna by a score of 25-17 while game two and three were much closer. Both games went to a final score of 25-22 in Marianna’s favor. Randa Hickman led the way with 16 service points and nine kills. Jordan Sonaglia racked up 25 spikes and 8 kills. Marianna improved to 19-7 on the season and were scheduled to play host to Walton County on Wednesday night in round one of the FHSAA playoffs. Results of that contest were not available at press time. Should the Lady Bulldogs beat Walton they would play again on Tuesday in the Regional Semi-Finals as they would host the winner of Pensacola Catholic and Chipley.
Pirates Seize Victory Over Bulldogs
By Clint Cox
SNEADS – The Sneads Pirates rallied for a come from behind 18-12 victory over the visiting Bulldogs of Liberty County last Friday night. After falling behind 12-0 the Pirates stormed back with 18 unanswered points for the win. Head Coach Don Dowling was pleased with the come back effort. "I told our coaches when it was 12-0 that this could get ugly. But the kids showed a lot of heart. It was gut check time for them and I’m proud of how they fought back," said Dowling.
Down 12-0 at the half the Pirates made their first crack on the scoreboard in the third quarter with a touchdown run from Mark Lawson. Billy Knight added the point after kick to make it a 12-7 game. Knight added a field goal later in the quarter to make it 12-10 going into the final quarter of play. Jeff Davis scored the go ahead touchdown for the Pirates in that fourth quarter. The point after kick failed but the Pirates now had a 16-12 lead with 7 minutes to play in the game. Liberty County kept battling but a Pirate tripped up the Bulldog quarterback in the end zone for a safety. That gave the Pirates their 18-12 lead and that score held until the final horn.
Sneads improved to 3-5 on the season with the win. Mark Lawson led the way with 243 yards of rushing and 1 touchdown. Sherrick Williams led the Pirate defense with 11 tackles while Jamar White followed with 9 tackles. Delvin Oliver and Michael Kinard each recorded 8 tackles. The Pirates will be back in this Friday when they play host to Freeport for homecoming.
Marianna Basketball Squad Is Sellng Subscriptions To Jackson County Times as Fund Raiser
Help the Basketball Program and Enjoy A Subscription
In order to raise the funds necessary to equip and cover travel expenses for the Marianna Basketball Program, Coach Blanton and his squad are currently busy selling subscriptions to the Jackson County Times. If you subscribe and wish to help the team, just have the subscription entry form designate the team as the selling agency.
As part of this program the newspaper is offering a chance to all subscribers to win either $5000 (annual subscribers) or $2500 (6 month subscribers). When 2000 new subscriptions have been sold, all subscribers will become eligible for the drawing for this prize.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Dayspring Christian Academy Wraps Up Soccer Season
10/30/08
During the week before last the Eagles and Dayspring soccer teams played the last of their games for this soccer season. They stayed busy scoring goals, defending their end of the field, and staying on top of the ball.
On Monday October 13, the Eagles played the Fire. The first quarter proved lucky for the Fire, with Austin Torbet scoring the first goal, followed by his brother, Riley, scoring number two. In the second quarter Ethan Sapp scored one for the Eagles. No further points were scored and the Fire came out winning 2 – 1.
On Tuesday the 14th, the Eagles went up against the Tornadoes. The first quarter showed that both teams were playing a good defensive game with no points scored. Randy Rogers, of the Tornadoes, scored point one during the second quarter. Another Tornado ball was kicked in the net immediately after half time by Tindell Hart. Both teams gave it their all. The Eagles used good teamwork and added a point to the board with Ethan Sapp scoring a goal, assisted by Lance Peterson. The Tornadoes were not discouraged by this and scored yet another goal, again by Randy Rogers. The game ended with a final score of 3 – 1, Tornadoes prevailing.
Also taking place on Tuesday the 14th Dayspring challenged the Giants. During the first quarter, the scored remained 0 – 0. In the second quarter Ryan Redfern, of Dayspring, scored a point, assisted by Jonathon Long. The second half of the game proved busy for Dayspring as Brennon Price scored two goals for his team. The game ended with a score of 3 – 0, with Dayspring going home the winners.
Thursday, October 16th, was a busy night for both of the teams from Dayspring Christian Academy. The Eagles faced the Storm. There were only three goals scored for the entire game with all of them going to the Storm. Aaron Williams, Garrison Melzer, and Tanner McCoy brought the final score to 3 – 0, Storm winning. Dayspring played their second game of the week against the Hurricanes. The score remained 0 – 0 until the second quarter. Nick Bergman of the Hurricanes scored first point and Dayspring’s Gracelyn Howard quickly tied the score. The Hurricanes scored three more goals during the second half of the game leaving the final score 4 – 1, Hurricanes coming out on top.
This has been a great season for both teams from the school. Both the Eagles and Dayspring teams played hard and gave it their all throughout the entire season. They tuned their soccer skills and also learned a lot about good sportsmanship. Mrs. Patti Kleiser, Dayspring’s administrator, had this to say about the season, "Dayspring has been excited to be a part of the MERE’s soccer program this year. Our two teams have endured the competition and learned life lessons that being part of a team brings."
The Bible states in Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord…---and that is what these teams did.
During the week before last the Eagles and Dayspring soccer teams played the last of their games for this soccer season. They stayed busy scoring goals, defending their end of the field, and staying on top of the ball.
On Monday October 13, the Eagles played the Fire. The first quarter proved lucky for the Fire, with Austin Torbet scoring the first goal, followed by his brother, Riley, scoring number two. In the second quarter Ethan Sapp scored one for the Eagles. No further points were scored and the Fire came out winning 2 – 1.
On Tuesday the 14th, the Eagles went up against the Tornadoes. The first quarter showed that both teams were playing a good defensive game with no points scored. Randy Rogers, of the Tornadoes, scored point one during the second quarter. Another Tornado ball was kicked in the net immediately after half time by Tindell Hart. Both teams gave it their all. The Eagles used good teamwork and added a point to the board with Ethan Sapp scoring a goal, assisted by Lance Peterson. The Tornadoes were not discouraged by this and scored yet another goal, again by Randy Rogers. The game ended with a final score of 3 – 1, Tornadoes prevailing.
Also taking place on Tuesday the 14th Dayspring challenged the Giants. During the first quarter, the scored remained 0 – 0. In the second quarter Ryan Redfern, of Dayspring, scored a point, assisted by Jonathon Long. The second half of the game proved busy for Dayspring as Brennon Price scored two goals for his team. The game ended with a score of 3 – 0, with Dayspring going home the winners.
Thursday, October 16th, was a busy night for both of the teams from Dayspring Christian Academy. The Eagles faced the Storm. There were only three goals scored for the entire game with all of them going to the Storm. Aaron Williams, Garrison Melzer, and Tanner McCoy brought the final score to 3 – 0, Storm winning. Dayspring played their second game of the week against the Hurricanes. The score remained 0 – 0 until the second quarter. Nick Bergman of the Hurricanes scored first point and Dayspring’s Gracelyn Howard quickly tied the score. The Hurricanes scored three more goals during the second half of the game leaving the final score 4 – 1, Hurricanes coming out on top.
This has been a great season for both teams from the school. Both the Eagles and Dayspring teams played hard and gave it their all throughout the entire season. They tuned their soccer skills and also learned a lot about good sportsmanship. Mrs. Patti Kleiser, Dayspring’s administrator, had this to say about the season, "Dayspring has been excited to be a part of the MERE’s soccer program this year. Our two teams have endured the competition and learned life lessons that being part of a team brings."
The Bible states in Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord…---and that is what these teams did.
Chipola Alzheimer’s Classic Brings National Talent to Marianna
10/30/08
The Third Annual Chipola College Alzheimer’s Classic will be held Nov. 13-15 in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
Chipola women’s basketball coach David Lane, says, "This year’s Classic will have no shortage of talented teams and players. The eight team field includes five teams who qualified for the National Tournament last year, including National Champions Gulf Coast Community College. Throw in three more teams from the Florida Panhandle Conference—arguably the toughest junior college conference in the country—and this year’s Classic looks to be the best yet."
Along with the team talent, there will be plenty of individual talent as well. The teams will feature 22 of the top 60 junior college sophomores and 12 of the top 34 junior college freshmen according to Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls’ Basketball Report.
"The Alzheimer’s Classic at Chipola College has become the junior college tournament of the year. It has as much talent as the National Tournament. It is a tremendous early opportunity to see the best teams and players in junior college basketball," Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls’ Basketball Report.
The three-day event will feature several Top Ten matchups. On Thursday, Nov. 13, a rematch from the National Tournament kicks off the evening at 5 p.m. as number two Trinity Valley (TX) takes on number 23 Georgia Perimeter. The nightcap will feature ninth-ranked Chipola against number 19 Monroe (NY).
The first full day of games begins Friday Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. Key matchups include defending National Champions Gulf Coast (number 5) versus number 19 Monroe (NY) at 3 p.m. The final game of the night will be between potential ninth-ranked Chipola and second ranked Trinity Valley.
The third and final day of the Classic should easily be the most entertaining. Games start at noon. At 2 p.m. Trinity Valley will be looking to avenge last year’s lost to Gulf Coast. At 4 p.m., upstart Pensacola will look to make a splash against Monroe. The Classic’s final game at 6 p.m. will be the most anticipated as ninth ranked Chipola meets top ranked Jefferson College (MO).
The games take on more intrigue as State Farm All-Americans Latoya Williams (Chipola) and Danielle Adams (Jefferson) battle to see who becomes the front runner for JC/CC National Player of the Year.
Lane said, "This year’s field is very talented. I would recommend this tournament to any four year coach who is looking for a junior college player. You will not be disappointed!"
The Third Annual Chipola College Alzheimer’s Classic will be held Nov. 13-15 in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
Chipola women’s basketball coach David Lane, says, "This year’s Classic will have no shortage of talented teams and players. The eight team field includes five teams who qualified for the National Tournament last year, including National Champions Gulf Coast Community College. Throw in three more teams from the Florida Panhandle Conference—arguably the toughest junior college conference in the country—and this year’s Classic looks to be the best yet."
Along with the team talent, there will be plenty of individual talent as well. The teams will feature 22 of the top 60 junior college sophomores and 12 of the top 34 junior college freshmen according to Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls’ Basketball Report.
"The Alzheimer’s Classic at Chipola College has become the junior college tournament of the year. It has as much talent as the National Tournament. It is a tremendous early opportunity to see the best teams and players in junior college basketball," Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls’ Basketball Report.
The three-day event will feature several Top Ten matchups. On Thursday, Nov. 13, a rematch from the National Tournament kicks off the evening at 5 p.m. as number two Trinity Valley (TX) takes on number 23 Georgia Perimeter. The nightcap will feature ninth-ranked Chipola against number 19 Monroe (NY).
The first full day of games begins Friday Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. Key matchups include defending National Champions Gulf Coast (number 5) versus number 19 Monroe (NY) at 3 p.m. The final game of the night will be between potential ninth-ranked Chipola and second ranked Trinity Valley.
The third and final day of the Classic should easily be the most entertaining. Games start at noon. At 2 p.m. Trinity Valley will be looking to avenge last year’s lost to Gulf Coast. At 4 p.m., upstart Pensacola will look to make a splash against Monroe. The Classic’s final game at 6 p.m. will be the most anticipated as ninth ranked Chipola meets top ranked Jefferson College (MO).
The games take on more intrigue as State Farm All-Americans Latoya Williams (Chipola) and Danielle Adams (Jefferson) battle to see who becomes the front runner for JC/CC National Player of the Year.
Lane said, "This year’s field is very talented. I would recommend this tournament to any four year coach who is looking for a junior college player. You will not be disappointed!"
Hornets Win Second Straight
10/30/08
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – On homecoming night the Cottondale Hornets treated the alumni to a 44-0 win over the visiting Warriors from Aucilla Christian last Friday night. Terry Benbow took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and the route was on. Jacob Herring had a big night for the Hornets as he caught a touchdown, ran for a score and tossed a scoring strike to Benbow. Cody Cosper also scored on a 30 yard TD run.
Head Coach Mike Melvin said the quick start was good for his squad. "We got on them early and they couldn’t answer. The kids played hard and it was a good win for us," commented Melvin. The Hornets improved to 3-4 on the season and were scheduled to have an open week this week. Instead they have picked up a game against Maclay that will be in Cottondale at 7 pm on Oct. 31st.
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – On homecoming night the Cottondale Hornets treated the alumni to a 44-0 win over the visiting Warriors from Aucilla Christian last Friday night. Terry Benbow took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and the route was on. Jacob Herring had a big night for the Hornets as he caught a touchdown, ran for a score and tossed a scoring strike to Benbow. Cody Cosper also scored on a 30 yard TD run.
Head Coach Mike Melvin said the quick start was good for his squad. "We got on them early and they couldn’t answer. The kids played hard and it was a good win for us," commented Melvin. The Hornets improved to 3-4 on the season and were scheduled to have an open week this week. Instead they have picked up a game against Maclay that will be in Cottondale at 7 pm on Oct. 31st.
Tigers and Pirates Fall
10/30/08
By Clint Cox
Two of the county’s football squads fell last Friday night. The Graceville Tigers played host to the Rattlers of FAMU High in a big district matchup. The Rattlers however were too much for the Tigers and came away with a 22-12 win. The win improved the Rattlers to 3-0 in district play while Graceville fell to 1-1 in district action. FAMU jumped out to an early lead but the Tigers fought back with a 6 yard scoring run by Antrell Wright to tie the game at 6-6. FAMU came back to take a 14-6 lead but again the Tigers kept battling. Leron Hoover bulled his way into the end zone from 1 yard out to make it a 14-12 game late in the first quarter. That scoring plunge was set up by a 54 yard run from quarterback Justin Miles. The 14-12 scored held until midway through the third quarter when FAMU tacked on another score to make it a 20-12 lead. Hoover rushed for 102 yards on the night. The Tigers will next face district opponent Aucilla Christian on the road Friday night in Monticello.
The Sneads Pirates endured another hard to swallow loss as they fell 27-13 to the Gators in Wewahitchka. The Gators jumped out to an early lead after returning the opening kickoff deep into Pirate territory. After scoring to take a 6-0 lead the Gators later expanded their lead to 14-0. Pirate Mark Lawson gave Sneads a glimmer of hope with a 70 yard touchdown run to make it a 14-6 game. But the Gators tacked on another first half score to lead 21-6 at the half. Both teams each added a score in the second half, with the Pirate TD coming on a 65 yard fumble recovery return for a score by Josh Rogers. Lawson finished the night with 128 yards on 18 carries. Billy Knight and Sherrick led the Pirate defense with 8 tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 2-5 on the season and this week they will play host to district foe Liberty County at 7 pm this Friday night at Citizen’s Field. .
By Clint Cox
Two of the county’s football squads fell last Friday night. The Graceville Tigers played host to the Rattlers of FAMU High in a big district matchup. The Rattlers however were too much for the Tigers and came away with a 22-12 win. The win improved the Rattlers to 3-0 in district play while Graceville fell to 1-1 in district action. FAMU jumped out to an early lead but the Tigers fought back with a 6 yard scoring run by Antrell Wright to tie the game at 6-6. FAMU came back to take a 14-6 lead but again the Tigers kept battling. Leron Hoover bulled his way into the end zone from 1 yard out to make it a 14-12 game late in the first quarter. That scoring plunge was set up by a 54 yard run from quarterback Justin Miles. The 14-12 scored held until midway through the third quarter when FAMU tacked on another score to make it a 20-12 lead. Hoover rushed for 102 yards on the night. The Tigers will next face district opponent Aucilla Christian on the road Friday night in Monticello.
The Sneads Pirates endured another hard to swallow loss as they fell 27-13 to the Gators in Wewahitchka. The Gators jumped out to an early lead after returning the opening kickoff deep into Pirate territory. After scoring to take a 6-0 lead the Gators later expanded their lead to 14-0. Pirate Mark Lawson gave Sneads a glimmer of hope with a 70 yard touchdown run to make it a 14-6 game. But the Gators tacked on another first half score to lead 21-6 at the half. Both teams each added a score in the second half, with the Pirate TD coming on a 65 yard fumble recovery return for a score by Josh Rogers. Lawson finished the night with 128 yards on 18 carries. Billy Knight and Sherrick led the Pirate defense with 8 tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 2-5 on the season and this week they will play host to district foe Liberty County at 7 pm this Friday night at Citizen’s Field. .
Bulldogs Scalp Seminoles
10/30/08
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Marianna Bulldogs got another stellar performance from running back Bradley Battles and upset the Seminoles of Florida High 26-19 last Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. The Seminoles had entered the contest with a 7-0 record and ranked #4 in the state. But they had no answer for Battles who rushed for 277 yards and four touchdowns. In fact Battles accounted for all 26 points scored by the Bulldogs.
On a night in which the rain and wind blew most of the evening, the Bulldogs struck first. After a 9 play drive to open the game Battles scored on a 5 yard run. The Seminoles countered with a long 11 play drive of their own and scored to tie the game at 6-6. On Marianna’s next drive Battles bolted 62 yards for a scoring run to make it a 12-6 game in the closing moments of the first quarter. After a scoreless second quarter the Bulldogs kept their 6 point lead at the half.
Florida High marched down the field on their opening drive of the second half and after 12 plays scored on a 4 yard run. After their extra point kick they took their only lead of the game at 13-12. Battles didn’t let them keep the lead long as he sprinted 75 yards for his third TD of the night. He then added a two point conversion run to make it 20-13 in favor of the Bulldogs. Once again the Seminoles fought back and scored on a 26 yard run. Their extra point kick however was blocked by Emmanuel Batson, his second blocked extra point of the night, leaving the Seminoles trailing 20-19. Battles rose to the challenge again. The Seminoles thought they had Battles knocked down in the backfield but somehow, someway, Battles kept his balance. As most of the Seminoles assumed he was going down, they pulled up. Battles made them pay by breaking away and racing 75 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown to give Marianna a 26-19 lead. The Bulldog defense then came up with several big plays in the closing moments, including a fumble recovery by Troy Clemmons, to preserve the lead and seal the victory.
Marianna improved to 6-1 and Head Coach Rob Armstrong said it was one of the biggest regular season wins in his career. "This ranks awful high on the best wins during the regular season. We wanted to keep it close and give ourselves a chance to win late in the game. Our defense played great and Battles just got stronger as the game went on," said Armstrong. The Bulldog defense was led by Laramie Dryden with 17 tackles. Clemmons followed with 17 tackles while Xavier Peterson racked up 13 tackles. Michael Holloway and Dalton Bennett each recorded 10 tackles.
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Marianna Bulldogs got another stellar performance from running back Bradley Battles and upset the Seminoles of Florida High 26-19 last Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. The Seminoles had entered the contest with a 7-0 record and ranked #4 in the state. But they had no answer for Battles who rushed for 277 yards and four touchdowns. In fact Battles accounted for all 26 points scored by the Bulldogs.
On a night in which the rain and wind blew most of the evening, the Bulldogs struck first. After a 9 play drive to open the game Battles scored on a 5 yard run. The Seminoles countered with a long 11 play drive of their own and scored to tie the game at 6-6. On Marianna’s next drive Battles bolted 62 yards for a scoring run to make it a 12-6 game in the closing moments of the first quarter. After a scoreless second quarter the Bulldogs kept their 6 point lead at the half.
Florida High marched down the field on their opening drive of the second half and after 12 plays scored on a 4 yard run. After their extra point kick they took their only lead of the game at 13-12. Battles didn’t let them keep the lead long as he sprinted 75 yards for his third TD of the night. He then added a two point conversion run to make it 20-13 in favor of the Bulldogs. Once again the Seminoles fought back and scored on a 26 yard run. Their extra point kick however was blocked by Emmanuel Batson, his second blocked extra point of the night, leaving the Seminoles trailing 20-19. Battles rose to the challenge again. The Seminoles thought they had Battles knocked down in the backfield but somehow, someway, Battles kept his balance. As most of the Seminoles assumed he was going down, they pulled up. Battles made them pay by breaking away and racing 75 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown to give Marianna a 26-19 lead. The Bulldog defense then came up with several big plays in the closing moments, including a fumble recovery by Troy Clemmons, to preserve the lead and seal the victory.
Marianna improved to 6-1 and Head Coach Rob Armstrong said it was one of the biggest regular season wins in his career. "This ranks awful high on the best wins during the regular season. We wanted to keep it close and give ourselves a chance to win late in the game. Our defense played great and Battles just got stronger as the game went on," said Armstrong. The Bulldog defense was led by Laramie Dryden with 17 tackles. Clemmons followed with 17 tackles while Xavier Peterson racked up 13 tackles. Michael Holloway and Dalton Bennett each recorded 10 tackles.
County Volleyball Squads Start Tournament Play
10/30/08
By Clint Cox
It’s district tournament time for the county’s varsity volleyball squads. Two of the county’s varsity volleyball teams were in action this past Tuesday night as the FHSAA District Tournaments got under way. Marianna earned the #1 seed in their district tournament, which is being played in Bonifay. As the #1 seed the Lady Bulldogs automatically advance to the Championship game on Thursday night. They will take on the winner of Tuesday night’s contest between Chipley and Holmes County.
Two of the county’s squads were in action this past Tuesday night at "The Hive." Cottondale took on Blountstown and the Lady Hornets fell 3-1 to the Lady Tigers and thus were eliminated from tournament play. After dropping game one to Blountstown, Cottondale battled back to get a 25-21 win in game two. Cottondale held a slim lead in the early going but Blountstown tied the game at 16-16. With Jessica Haid serving, the Lady Hornets reeled off 6 unanswered points to take a 22-16 lead. From there they went on to the 4 point victory. Game three saw Cottondale take a 6-1 lead but they could not hold on and Blountstown used a 9 point run to win the game 25-18. Game four was tied at 5-5 when Blountstown began to pull away. Cottondale battled back to pull within 3 points at 14-11. From there though the Lady Tigers outscored Cottondale 11-3 to claim a 25-14 win. Cottondale finished the season with a record of 15-8 and Head Coach Cassie Whiddon, though disappointed, remained upbeat. "We had a successful season. We fell apart a little towards the end of the season but we lose 3 seniors so most of the squad will return next year," commented Whiddon.
The Sneads Lady Pirates took on Altha in the other semi-final game. Sneads fell behind early in game one but rallied to tie the game at 10-10. From there they outscored the Lady Wildcats 15-1 to capture a 25-11 win. Game Two saw the Lady Pirates jump out to a 9-4 lead before Altha fought back. The Lady Wildcats rallied to tie the game at 10-10 and then pulled out to a 13-11 lead. Altha then reeled off 6 straight points to take a 19-13 lead. Sneads finally caught fire again and began their comeback on a kill from Meagan Smith. With Allison McDaniel serving the Lady Pirates scored 6 straight points to tie the game at 19-19. The teams traded points back and forth and were tied at 23-23. Mattie Collins served out the last two points for Sneads to claim a 25-23 win. Game three was all Sneads as they jumped out to a 10-7 lead. They went on to win by a score of 25-16 and advance to the championship game on Thursday night against Blountstown. The Lady Pirates improved to 17-9.
By Clint Cox
It’s district tournament time for the county’s varsity volleyball squads. Two of the county’s varsity volleyball teams were in action this past Tuesday night as the FHSAA District Tournaments got under way. Marianna earned the #1 seed in their district tournament, which is being played in Bonifay. As the #1 seed the Lady Bulldogs automatically advance to the Championship game on Thursday night. They will take on the winner of Tuesday night’s contest between Chipley and Holmes County.
Two of the county’s squads were in action this past Tuesday night at "The Hive." Cottondale took on Blountstown and the Lady Hornets fell 3-1 to the Lady Tigers and thus were eliminated from tournament play. After dropping game one to Blountstown, Cottondale battled back to get a 25-21 win in game two. Cottondale held a slim lead in the early going but Blountstown tied the game at 16-16. With Jessica Haid serving, the Lady Hornets reeled off 6 unanswered points to take a 22-16 lead. From there they went on to the 4 point victory. Game three saw Cottondale take a 6-1 lead but they could not hold on and Blountstown used a 9 point run to win the game 25-18. Game four was tied at 5-5 when Blountstown began to pull away. Cottondale battled back to pull within 3 points at 14-11. From there though the Lady Tigers outscored Cottondale 11-3 to claim a 25-14 win. Cottondale finished the season with a record of 15-8 and Head Coach Cassie Whiddon, though disappointed, remained upbeat. "We had a successful season. We fell apart a little towards the end of the season but we lose 3 seniors so most of the squad will return next year," commented Whiddon.
The Sneads Lady Pirates took on Altha in the other semi-final game. Sneads fell behind early in game one but rallied to tie the game at 10-10. From there they outscored the Lady Wildcats 15-1 to capture a 25-11 win. Game Two saw the Lady Pirates jump out to a 9-4 lead before Altha fought back. The Lady Wildcats rallied to tie the game at 10-10 and then pulled out to a 13-11 lead. Altha then reeled off 6 straight points to take a 19-13 lead. Sneads finally caught fire again and began their comeback on a kill from Meagan Smith. With Allison McDaniel serving the Lady Pirates scored 6 straight points to tie the game at 19-19. The teams traded points back and forth and were tied at 23-23. Mattie Collins served out the last two points for Sneads to claim a 25-23 win. Game three was all Sneads as they jumped out to a 10-7 lead. They went on to win by a score of 25-16 and advance to the championship game on Thursday night against Blountstown. The Lady Pirates improved to 17-9.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mario Little Selected as Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year
10/24/08
IRVING, Texas – Former Chipola Indian and University of Kansas junior Mario Little was selected as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday. Little was picked in a vote by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
Chipola Head Coach Greg Heiar said, "Mario worked extremely hard during his two years at Chipola and I have no doubts he will continue this mentality for Coach Self at Kansas."
Little arrives in Lawrence after leading Chipola (Fla.) College to a 68-5 record over the last two seasons. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists a year ago for Chipola and shot 55 percent from the floor, including 40.3 percent from three-point range. Little was rated as the No. 1 JUCO player in the country by Rivals.com.
IRVING, Texas – Former Chipola Indian and University of Kansas junior Mario Little was selected as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday. Little was picked in a vote by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
Chipola Head Coach Greg Heiar said, "Mario worked extremely hard during his two years at Chipola and I have no doubts he will continue this mentality for Coach Self at Kansas."
Little arrives in Lawrence after leading Chipola (Fla.) College to a 68-5 record over the last two seasons. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists a year ago for Chipola and shot 55 percent from the floor, including 40.3 percent from three-point range. Little was rated as the No. 1 JUCO player in the country by Rivals.com.
Bulldogs Hammer Chipley
10/24/08
By Clint Cox
CHIPLEY – The Marianna Bulldogs scored early and scored often in a 48-7 win over arch rival Chipley last Friday night. Bradley Battles was once again the workhorse, rushing for 301 yards and five Bulldogs scores. "One of our goals was to get the ball to Bradley at least 30 times and we did that. He is one of those runners that just get stronger the longer the game goes," said Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong.
The Bulldogs first score of the game came on a 36 yard pass from Dustin Larkin to R.J. Bowers with less than four minutes gone in the game. Battles added his first score of the night late in the quarter on a 3 yard run. He added the two point conversion run to give Marianna a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter. With 8:47 left in the first half Battles bolted 37 yards to score and make it 20-0. Chipley got their lone score of the night on the ole "hook and ladder" play with just under four minutes to play in the half. Marianna held a 20-7 lead going into the locker rooms for half time.
The third quarter was all Battles as he scored on a one yard run, 63 yard run and 61 yard run. He added a two point conversion and so did Fidel Montgomery to give Marianna a 42-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. Freshman running back Chris Bowers scored on a 4 yard run midway through the quarter to make the final score 48-7.
The win improved the Bulldogs to 5-1 on the season. Coming up on Friday the Bulldogs play host to the unbeaten Seminoles of Florida High. "They are probably the best team on our schedule," said Armstrong. But the Bulldogs will no doubt savor their win over the Tigers, who they had not beaten in two years and had not beaten in Chipley since 1999. "We’ll enjoy this win over Chipley for a couple of days and then go back to work and get ready for Florida High," added Armstrong.
By Clint Cox
CHIPLEY – The Marianna Bulldogs scored early and scored often in a 48-7 win over arch rival Chipley last Friday night. Bradley Battles was once again the workhorse, rushing for 301 yards and five Bulldogs scores. "One of our goals was to get the ball to Bradley at least 30 times and we did that. He is one of those runners that just get stronger the longer the game goes," said Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong.
The Bulldogs first score of the game came on a 36 yard pass from Dustin Larkin to R.J. Bowers with less than four minutes gone in the game. Battles added his first score of the night late in the quarter on a 3 yard run. He added the two point conversion run to give Marianna a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter. With 8:47 left in the first half Battles bolted 37 yards to score and make it 20-0. Chipley got their lone score of the night on the ole "hook and ladder" play with just under four minutes to play in the half. Marianna held a 20-7 lead going into the locker rooms for half time.
The third quarter was all Battles as he scored on a one yard run, 63 yard run and 61 yard run. He added a two point conversion and so did Fidel Montgomery to give Marianna a 42-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. Freshman running back Chris Bowers scored on a 4 yard run midway through the quarter to make the final score 48-7.
The win improved the Bulldogs to 5-1 on the season. Coming up on Friday the Bulldogs play host to the unbeaten Seminoles of Florida High. "They are probably the best team on our schedule," said Armstrong. But the Bulldogs will no doubt savor their win over the Tigers, who they had not beaten in two years and had not beaten in Chipley since 1999. "We’ll enjoy this win over Chipley for a couple of days and then go back to work and get ready for Florida High," added Armstrong.
Tigers Knock Off Knights
10/24/08
By Clint Cox
NICEVILLE – The Graceville Tiger offense just keeps on truckin’ and racked up over 500 yards of rushing in a 56-6 win over Rocky Bayou Christian School last Friday night. It was one of those nights where once the Tigers got rolling, they could not be stopped. Treyshaun White rushed for 3 touchdowns, including the Tigers first score and extra point conversion to make it a 8-0 game. White’s second score of the night came moments later on a 40 yard jaunt. Graceville led 14-0 going into the second quarter when White scored on a 12 yard run. Antrell Wright got into the act with a 12 yard run to give the Tigers a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter
The Tigers weren’t through though in the half as Chris Works ran for a 17 yard score, Justin Miles added the two point conversion and Jonath Miller scored just before the half ended on a 20 yard run. Works added another score in the third quarter, this time on a 15 yard run to make it 50-0. The Tigers final score of the night came on a 5 yard run by Garrett Steverson. Works finished the night with 156 yards and two scores.
The win improved the Tigers to 5-1 and sets up a big district showdown this Friday night when the FAMU Baby Rattlers come to town. For the last two years the Baby Rattlers won the district championship and the Tigers have been the runner up. The two teams faced each other in the playoffs both years and the Baby Rattlers, with home field advantage, have eliminated the Tigers from the FHSAA playoffs. A win over FAMU this Friday would put the Tigers in a great position to win the district and have the all important home field advantage.
By Clint Cox
NICEVILLE – The Graceville Tiger offense just keeps on truckin’ and racked up over 500 yards of rushing in a 56-6 win over Rocky Bayou Christian School last Friday night. It was one of those nights where once the Tigers got rolling, they could not be stopped. Treyshaun White rushed for 3 touchdowns, including the Tigers first score and extra point conversion to make it a 8-0 game. White’s second score of the night came moments later on a 40 yard jaunt. Graceville led 14-0 going into the second quarter when White scored on a 12 yard run. Antrell Wright got into the act with a 12 yard run to give the Tigers a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter
The Tigers weren’t through though in the half as Chris Works ran for a 17 yard score, Justin Miles added the two point conversion and Jonath Miller scored just before the half ended on a 20 yard run. Works added another score in the third quarter, this time on a 15 yard run to make it 50-0. The Tigers final score of the night came on a 5 yard run by Garrett Steverson. Works finished the night with 156 yards and two scores.
The win improved the Tigers to 5-1 and sets up a big district showdown this Friday night when the FAMU Baby Rattlers come to town. For the last two years the Baby Rattlers won the district championship and the Tigers have been the runner up. The two teams faced each other in the playoffs both years and the Baby Rattlers, with home field advantage, have eliminated the Tigers from the FHSAA playoffs. A win over FAMU this Friday would put the Tigers in a great position to win the district and have the all important home field advantage.
Lady Bulldogs Beat Cottondale
10/24/08
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – The Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad traveled to Cottondale on Tuesday night and edged the Lady Hornets 3-1 to win the match. Game one went the way of Marianna by a score of 25-17. Game Two saw the Lady Bulldogs jump out to an early lead of 5-1. Cottondale battled back and pulled to within one point at 8-7. With Krista Griffin setting up Jana Hinson for several thundering kills, Marianna outscored the Lady Hornets 6-1 to take a 14-8 lead. Cottondale again battled back and managed to tie the game at 15-15. Randa Hickman came up with a kill for Marianna to make it a 18-16 lead for the Lady Bulldogs. From there Marianna went on to post a 25-21 win.
Game three was nip and tuck from the start. Cottondale took an early lead but Mariana battled back to lead 7-6. Jessica Heid of Cottondale served up a winner to tie the game at 10-10. Cottondale surged ahead and a Heid block gave the Lady Hornets a 17-13 lead. Heid’s block later made it a 20-15 game in the Lady Hornets favor. A kill by Jordan Sonaglia of Marianna momentarily halted the Lady Hornets but they went on to win the game 25-19. Game four was tied at 5-5 before Cottondale pulled ahead on a kill by Michelle Bassin. Marianna tied the game at 10-10 and then pulled ahead to 13-10 on the serving of Hinson. The Lady Hornets would not quit though and some fine serving by Chelsea Caudill tied the game at 19-19. With the game tied at 21-21 Sonaglia smashed a kill and then served a winner to push the Lady Bulldogs to a 23-21 lead. From there Sonaglia served out the game as Marianna posted a 25-21 win.
With the win Marianna improved to 12-3 on the year and will have their final regular season game on Thursday against Wewahitchka. The Lady Bulldogs will be the #1 seed in their upcoming district tournament in Bonifay and will play next Thursday against the Tuesday night winner of the Chipley and Holmes County contest. Cottondale will host their district tournament and as the #2 seed they will play on Tuesday night against Blountstown. Sneads will also participate in that tournament and as the #1 seed they will play on Tuesday night against the Monday night winner of Altha and Bozeman.
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – The Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad traveled to Cottondale on Tuesday night and edged the Lady Hornets 3-1 to win the match. Game one went the way of Marianna by a score of 25-17. Game Two saw the Lady Bulldogs jump out to an early lead of 5-1. Cottondale battled back and pulled to within one point at 8-7. With Krista Griffin setting up Jana Hinson for several thundering kills, Marianna outscored the Lady Hornets 6-1 to take a 14-8 lead. Cottondale again battled back and managed to tie the game at 15-15. Randa Hickman came up with a kill for Marianna to make it a 18-16 lead for the Lady Bulldogs. From there Marianna went on to post a 25-21 win.
Game three was nip and tuck from the start. Cottondale took an early lead but Mariana battled back to lead 7-6. Jessica Heid of Cottondale served up a winner to tie the game at 10-10. Cottondale surged ahead and a Heid block gave the Lady Hornets a 17-13 lead. Heid’s block later made it a 20-15 game in the Lady Hornets favor. A kill by Jordan Sonaglia of Marianna momentarily halted the Lady Hornets but they went on to win the game 25-19. Game four was tied at 5-5 before Cottondale pulled ahead on a kill by Michelle Bassin. Marianna tied the game at 10-10 and then pulled ahead to 13-10 on the serving of Hinson. The Lady Hornets would not quit though and some fine serving by Chelsea Caudill tied the game at 19-19. With the game tied at 21-21 Sonaglia smashed a kill and then served a winner to push the Lady Bulldogs to a 23-21 lead. From there Sonaglia served out the game as Marianna posted a 25-21 win.
With the win Marianna improved to 12-3 on the year and will have their final regular season game on Thursday against Wewahitchka. The Lady Bulldogs will be the #1 seed in their upcoming district tournament in Bonifay and will play next Thursday against the Tuesday night winner of the Chipley and Holmes County contest. Cottondale will host their district tournament and as the #2 seed they will play on Tuesday night against Blountstown. Sneads will also participate in that tournament and as the #1 seed they will play on Tuesday night against the Monday night winner of Altha and Bozeman.
Pirates Swat Yellow Jackets
10/24/08
By Clint Cox
SNEADS – The Sneads Pirates snapped a three game losing streak with a 19-14 win over the visiting Yellow Jackets of Vernon. Mark Lawson had a big night for the Pirates as he rushed for 224 yards on 35 carries and scored two touchdowns. The win according to Head Coach Don Dowling was just what the doctor ordered. "If ever a program needed a win we needed this win. It was a great win for our program," said Dowling.
The Pirates jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter after Vernon had a miscue on a punt and Sneads got the ball on the Yellow Jacket 14 yard line. Lawson scored two plays later to give the Pirates the early 6-0 lead. Another Vernon miscue on another punt in the second quarter once again gave the Pirates great field position at the Vernon 30 yard line. Lawson once again did the damage on a 15 yard scoring run midway through the second quarter. The Pirates added more points to the scoreboard just before the first half ended as Anthony Dawkins hauled in a 23 yard pass from freshman quarterback John Locke. An extra point kick by Billy Knight gave Sneads a 19-0 lead at the half.
Vernon did not roll over though and battled back in the second half with two touchdowns. Trailing 19-14 they had two possessions late in the game but the Pirate’s defense held and preserved the lead. Lawson picked off a Yellow Jacket pass to end the game. The Pirate defense was led by Delvin Oliver with 9 tackles while Knight and Jamar White each recorded 8 tackles. The much needed win improved the Pirates record to 2-4 and they will travel to Gulf County on Friday night to take on Wewahitchka in another district contest.
By Clint Cox
SNEADS – The Sneads Pirates snapped a three game losing streak with a 19-14 win over the visiting Yellow Jackets of Vernon. Mark Lawson had a big night for the Pirates as he rushed for 224 yards on 35 carries and scored two touchdowns. The win according to Head Coach Don Dowling was just what the doctor ordered. "If ever a program needed a win we needed this win. It was a great win for our program," said Dowling.
The Pirates jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter after Vernon had a miscue on a punt and Sneads got the ball on the Yellow Jacket 14 yard line. Lawson scored two plays later to give the Pirates the early 6-0 lead. Another Vernon miscue on another punt in the second quarter once again gave the Pirates great field position at the Vernon 30 yard line. Lawson once again did the damage on a 15 yard scoring run midway through the second quarter. The Pirates added more points to the scoreboard just before the first half ended as Anthony Dawkins hauled in a 23 yard pass from freshman quarterback John Locke. An extra point kick by Billy Knight gave Sneads a 19-0 lead at the half.
Vernon did not roll over though and battled back in the second half with two touchdowns. Trailing 19-14 they had two possessions late in the game but the Pirate’s defense held and preserved the lead. Lawson picked off a Yellow Jacket pass to end the game. The Pirate defense was led by Delvin Oliver with 9 tackles while Knight and Jamar White each recorded 8 tackles. The much needed win improved the Pirates record to 2-4 and they will travel to Gulf County on Friday night to take on Wewahitchka in another district contest.
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