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.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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.
Kindel Lanes Weekly Bowling Report
Note: Some Leagues Still Need Teams. Contact Kindel Lanes for information.
MONDAY NIGHT HI ROLLERS (10/13/2008)
W/L
01) Cottondale PD 11/13
02) Mary’s Child Care 14/10
03) Adams Funeral Home 12/12
04) Now What 16/8
05) Jackson’s BP 18/6
06) The Paddock Club 8/16
07) Chuck’s Ducks 14/10
08) Kindel Lanes 3/21
High Team Game: Adams Funeral Home 932
High Team Series: Mary’s Child Care………… 2717
High Game Female: Amie Kain 200
High Game Male: Jeff Kindelspire…... 214
High Series Female: Amie Kain 537
High Series Male: Jeff Kindelspire 605
Tuesday Morning Coffee League (10/14/2008)
W/L
01) Vacancy 0/36
02) James & Sikes 22.5/13.5
03) Family Dentistry 19.5/16.5
04) BatFriends 23/13
05) 1001 Uses 18/18
06) Champion Tile 14/22
07) Pacers 17.5/18.5
08) Davis Optometry 16.5/19.5
09) Gazebo 16/20
10) Hopkins 18/18
High Team Game: Hopkins 943
High Team Series: Hopkins 2664
High Game Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 213
High Game Male: Jeff Kindelspire 212
High Series Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 552
High Series Male: Jeff Kindelspire 557
Tuesday Night Mixed League (10/14/2008)
W/L
01) Ralph Shelton Realty 20/12
02) Allstate 20/12
03) S C B C 18/14
04) Sonny’s BBQ 9.5/22.5
05) Precision 24/8
06) Backwoods Bowlers 15.5/16.5
07) Foursome 11/21
08) Our Gang 14/18
High Team Game: Ralph Shelton Realty 964
High Team Series: Ralph Shelton Realty 2706
High Game Female: Shirley Watts 210
High Game Male: Harm Watts 276
High Series Female: Dale Reynolds 558
High Series Male: Harm Watts 684
WEDNESDAY NIGHT MIXED (10/15/2008)
W/L
01) Mr.Bingo 17/11
02) Wal-Mart 16/12
03) Redwood Bay/Hinson House 17/11
04) Marianna Toyota 19/9
05) Meghan & Her Guys 19.5/8.5
06) Nailport Express 6/22
07) Wade Mercer Attorney 13/15
08) DBBLL Trouble 13.5/14.5
09) Seminole Lodge 17/11
10) Hollis Body Shop 13/15
11) Vac 5/23
12) Barely Bowlers 12/16
High Team Game: Nailport Express 1223
High Team Series: Marianna Toyota & Nailport Express 3337
High Game Female: Carmen Breivogel 201
High Game Male: Jay Roberts 260
High Series Female: Barb Gilbertson 533
High Series Male: Jay Roberts 684
Thursday Chipola League (10/16/2008)
W/L
01) Redwood Bay Lumber 17/15
02) Marianna Truss 23/9
03) Smith’s Supermarket 13.5/18.5
04) Mariana Office Supply 14.5/17.5
05) Al’s Team 17/15
06) Bryant’s BP Gas 11/21
High Team Game: Al’s Team 1178
High Team Series: Al’s Team 3422
High Series Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 524
High Series Male: Al Pumphrey 728
High Game Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 186
High Game Male: Al Pumphrey 278
MONDAY NIGHT HI ROLLERS (10/13/2008)
W/L
01) Cottondale PD 11/13
02) Mary’s Child Care 14/10
03) Adams Funeral Home 12/12
04) Now What 16/8
05) Jackson’s BP 18/6
06) The Paddock Club 8/16
07) Chuck’s Ducks 14/10
08) Kindel Lanes 3/21
High Team Game: Adams Funeral Home 932
High Team Series: Mary’s Child Care………… 2717
High Game Female: Amie Kain 200
High Game Male: Jeff Kindelspire…... 214
High Series Female: Amie Kain 537
High Series Male: Jeff Kindelspire 605
Tuesday Morning Coffee League (10/14/2008)
W/L
01) Vacancy 0/36
02) James & Sikes 22.5/13.5
03) Family Dentistry 19.5/16.5
04) BatFriends 23/13
05) 1001 Uses 18/18
06) Champion Tile 14/22
07) Pacers 17.5/18.5
08) Davis Optometry 16.5/19.5
09) Gazebo 16/20
10) Hopkins 18/18
High Team Game: Hopkins 943
High Team Series: Hopkins 2664
High Game Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 213
High Game Male: Jeff Kindelspire 212
High Series Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 552
High Series Male: Jeff Kindelspire 557
Tuesday Night Mixed League (10/14/2008)
W/L
01) Ralph Shelton Realty 20/12
02) Allstate 20/12
03) S C B C 18/14
04) Sonny’s BBQ 9.5/22.5
05) Precision 24/8
06) Backwoods Bowlers 15.5/16.5
07) Foursome 11/21
08) Our Gang 14/18
High Team Game: Ralph Shelton Realty 964
High Team Series: Ralph Shelton Realty 2706
High Game Female: Shirley Watts 210
High Game Male: Harm Watts 276
High Series Female: Dale Reynolds 558
High Series Male: Harm Watts 684
WEDNESDAY NIGHT MIXED (10/15/2008)
W/L
01) Mr.Bingo 17/11
02) Wal-Mart 16/12
03) Redwood Bay/Hinson House 17/11
04) Marianna Toyota 19/9
05) Meghan & Her Guys 19.5/8.5
06) Nailport Express 6/22
07) Wade Mercer Attorney 13/15
08) DBBLL Trouble 13.5/14.5
09) Seminole Lodge 17/11
10) Hollis Body Shop 13/15
11) Vac 5/23
12) Barely Bowlers 12/16
High Team Game: Nailport Express 1223
High Team Series: Marianna Toyota & Nailport Express 3337
High Game Female: Carmen Breivogel 201
High Game Male: Jay Roberts 260
High Series Female: Barb Gilbertson 533
High Series Male: Jay Roberts 684
Thursday Chipola League (10/16/2008)
W/L
01) Redwood Bay Lumber 17/15
02) Marianna Truss 23/9
03) Smith’s Supermarket 13.5/18.5
04) Mariana Office Supply 14.5/17.5
05) Al’s Team 17/15
06) Bryant’s BP Gas 11/21
High Team Game: Al’s Team 1178
High Team Series: Al’s Team 3422
High Series Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 524
High Series Male: Al Pumphrey 728
High Game Female: LuAnn Kindelspire 186
High Game Male: Al Pumphrey 278
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Dayspring Christian Academy Represented on the Soccer Field
10/16/08
By Anne Marie Sapp
Over the last week, both the Eagles and Dayspring teams were busy on the soccer field. The Eagles played once, while Dayspring played two games during the week.
On Monday the Eagles went up against the Hurricanes. The first quarter was scoreless, but the following quarter had more action. The second quarter started off with Henry Knowles, a player from the Eagles, scoring the first point of the game. Raekwon Gammon of the Hurricanes brought the score to an even one to one only minutes later. In the third quarter, Nick Bergman and Chancler Locket, both playing for the Hurricanes, scored a goal a piece. Just before the final whistle ended the game, Caroline Floyd scored the final goal for the Hurricanes, bringing a final score of 4 -1, Hurricanes prevailing. Eagles Carylee Sapp and goalie, Elijah Isabella both showed awesome defensive playing throughout the game.
Tuesday, Dayspring faced the Crew and walked away winners. At the start of the game, Brennon Price scored a goal, followed quickly by Ryan Redfern, both from Dayspring. During the second quarter four points were added to the scoreboard, one for the Crew and three for Dayspring. Lauren Canada, Gracelynn Howard and Joshua Wynn each made a point for Dayspring, while Ansley Carter of the Crew scored the one and only goal for her team. The halftime score was five to one, favor to Dayspring. In the second half of the game there were two additional goals scored, both by Dayspring. Ryan Redfern scored, with Lauren Canada kicking in one more, bringing the final score total 8 – 1.
On Thursday evening, Dayspring went up against the Sharks for their second game of the week. Ryan Redfern started off the game with a score for Dayspring. The second quarter was filled with hard playing from the offense and defense of both teams, but no additional points were scored. Dayspring’s Ryan Redfern later scored his second goal in the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 2 - 0, Dayspring winning out over the Sharks. Dayspring is playing and passing the ball as a team and it has shown on the scoreboard.
Dayspring Christian Academy is lucky to have so many great soccer players, resulting in having two great teams that not only play a great game of soccer, but also show great sportsmanship, and have a lot of fun while they are at it.
By Anne Marie Sapp
Over the last week, both the Eagles and Dayspring teams were busy on the soccer field. The Eagles played once, while Dayspring played two games during the week.
On Monday the Eagles went up against the Hurricanes. The first quarter was scoreless, but the following quarter had more action. The second quarter started off with Henry Knowles, a player from the Eagles, scoring the first point of the game. Raekwon Gammon of the Hurricanes brought the score to an even one to one only minutes later. In the third quarter, Nick Bergman and Chancler Locket, both playing for the Hurricanes, scored a goal a piece. Just before the final whistle ended the game, Caroline Floyd scored the final goal for the Hurricanes, bringing a final score of 4 -1, Hurricanes prevailing. Eagles Carylee Sapp and goalie, Elijah Isabella both showed awesome defensive playing throughout the game.
Tuesday, Dayspring faced the Crew and walked away winners. At the start of the game, Brennon Price scored a goal, followed quickly by Ryan Redfern, both from Dayspring. During the second quarter four points were added to the scoreboard, one for the Crew and three for Dayspring. Lauren Canada, Gracelynn Howard and Joshua Wynn each made a point for Dayspring, while Ansley Carter of the Crew scored the one and only goal for her team. The halftime score was five to one, favor to Dayspring. In the second half of the game there were two additional goals scored, both by Dayspring. Ryan Redfern scored, with Lauren Canada kicking in one more, bringing the final score total 8 – 1.
On Thursday evening, Dayspring went up against the Sharks for their second game of the week. Ryan Redfern started off the game with a score for Dayspring. The second quarter was filled with hard playing from the offense and defense of both teams, but no additional points were scored. Dayspring’s Ryan Redfern later scored his second goal in the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 2 - 0, Dayspring winning out over the Sharks. Dayspring is playing and passing the ball as a team and it has shown on the scoreboard.
Dayspring Christian Academy is lucky to have so many great soccer players, resulting in having two great teams that not only play a great game of soccer, but also show great sportsmanship, and have a lot of fun while they are at it.
Hornets Sting Panthers
10/16/08
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – The Cottondale Hornets football team got just what the doctor ordered last Friday night as they poured it on the Panthers of John Paul II Catholic, winning 66-0. The Hornets scored early and often and led 60-0 at the half. The win was much needed as the Hornets, after winning their season opener against Sneads, had dropped four straight games. With the win Cottondale improved to 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in district play. They will be off this Friday as they prepare for a home district contest next Friday against Aucilla Christian.
By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – The Cottondale Hornets football team got just what the doctor ordered last Friday night as they poured it on the Panthers of John Paul II Catholic, winning 66-0. The Hornets scored early and often and led 60-0 at the half. The win was much needed as the Hornets, after winning their season opener against Sneads, had dropped four straight games. With the win Cottondale improved to 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in district play. They will be off this Friday as they prepare for a home district contest next Friday against Aucilla Christian.
Lady Bulldogs Hammer Holmes County
10/16/08
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Lady Bulldogs took care of business on Monday night as they downed district foe Holmes County 3-0 in varsity action. In game one Marianna jumped out to an early 6-1 lead. Holmes County battled back though and tied the game at 14-14. But Marianna took control, in part on several kills by Jana Hinson to go on to win the game 25-22. Game two was closer as Marianna held leads of 10-7, 13-8 and 16-12. The Lady Bulldogs began to pull away though and went on to post a 25-14 win. Game three was much different as Holmes County jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Marianna did not quit however and got kick started with a kill from Randa Hickman. They managed to tie the game at 8-8 and took their first lead at 12-10 on a kill from Hinson. From there they outscored Holmes County 13-4 and won the game with a score of 25-14.
With the win Marianna improved to 10-3 on the season. They were scheduled to take on Liberty County on Tuesday night. Results of that contest were not available at press time. The Lady Bulldogs will be in district tournament play later in the month and have earned the #1 seed. On October 30th they will play in the District Championship match against the winner of Chipley vs Holmes County.
In 9th grade action on Monday Marianna lost both games to the Lady Blue Devils by scores of 25-17 and 25-22. In JV action Marianna won the match, winning game one 24-14 and game two 25-6.
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Lady Bulldogs took care of business on Monday night as they downed district foe Holmes County 3-0 in varsity action. In game one Marianna jumped out to an early 6-1 lead. Holmes County battled back though and tied the game at 14-14. But Marianna took control, in part on several kills by Jana Hinson to go on to win the game 25-22. Game two was closer as Marianna held leads of 10-7, 13-8 and 16-12. The Lady Bulldogs began to pull away though and went on to post a 25-14 win. Game three was much different as Holmes County jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Marianna did not quit however and got kick started with a kill from Randa Hickman. They managed to tie the game at 8-8 and took their first lead at 12-10 on a kill from Hinson. From there they outscored Holmes County 13-4 and won the game with a score of 25-14.
With the win Marianna improved to 10-3 on the season. They were scheduled to take on Liberty County on Tuesday night. Results of that contest were not available at press time. The Lady Bulldogs will be in district tournament play later in the month and have earned the #1 seed. On October 30th they will play in the District Championship match against the winner of Chipley vs Holmes County.
In 9th grade action on Monday Marianna lost both games to the Lady Blue Devils by scores of 25-17 and 25-22. In JV action Marianna won the match, winning game one 24-14 and game two 25-6.
Bulldogs Fall To Crusaders
10/16/08
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Pensacola Catholic Crusaders rode into Bulldog Stadium last Friday night and put on an impressive offensive display en route to a 37-12 win over Marianna. The loss was tough on Marianna for several reasons. It was their first loss of the season and was a district matchup. It was also costly for the Bulldog’s bench looked like a M.A.S.H. unit by the end of the game as four players went down with injuries during the game. Most if not all of those four players, Brandon Hughes, Michael Holloway, Quan Boykin and Tre’ Long will not see action this Friday night.
The evening started well for Marianna as Long took the second offensive play for Marianna and bolted 65 yards for a score. After a missed extra point Marianna led 6-0 with less than a minute gone in the game. But the Crusaders came right back and scored on their second offensive play. A 51 yard touchdown pass tied the game at 6-6. A 13 yard field goal moments later made it 9-6 in the Crusader’s favor. The Crusaders then exploded for three touchdowns in the second quarter, two through the air and one on the ground. At the half Marianna trailed 30-6.
The third quarter was scoreless until late when Bradley Battles scored on a 1 yard run for the Bulldogs. Pensacola Catholic scored midway through the fourth quarter to make the final 37-12. The Crusaders quarterback, Shaun White, threw for 210 yards and 3 TDs while their running back rushed for 177 yards. The bad news is that both are just sophomores. Even so, Marianna had their chance, especially early on when they drove deep into Crusader territory. "We had too many missed opportunities," said Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong. "We could have made it 12-9 but just could not get it done," commented Armstrong.
Battles rushed for 124 yards and a TD while Fidel Montgomery led the defense with 11 tackles. Laramie Dryden and Tommy Stephens followed with 9 tackles each. Marianna fell to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in district play. They will hit the road this week to take on arch rival Chipley.
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Pensacola Catholic Crusaders rode into Bulldog Stadium last Friday night and put on an impressive offensive display en route to a 37-12 win over Marianna. The loss was tough on Marianna for several reasons. It was their first loss of the season and was a district matchup. It was also costly for the Bulldog’s bench looked like a M.A.S.H. unit by the end of the game as four players went down with injuries during the game. Most if not all of those four players, Brandon Hughes, Michael Holloway, Quan Boykin and Tre’ Long will not see action this Friday night.
The evening started well for Marianna as Long took the second offensive play for Marianna and bolted 65 yards for a score. After a missed extra point Marianna led 6-0 with less than a minute gone in the game. But the Crusaders came right back and scored on their second offensive play. A 51 yard touchdown pass tied the game at 6-6. A 13 yard field goal moments later made it 9-6 in the Crusader’s favor. The Crusaders then exploded for three touchdowns in the second quarter, two through the air and one on the ground. At the half Marianna trailed 30-6.
The third quarter was scoreless until late when Bradley Battles scored on a 1 yard run for the Bulldogs. Pensacola Catholic scored midway through the fourth quarter to make the final 37-12. The Crusaders quarterback, Shaun White, threw for 210 yards and 3 TDs while their running back rushed for 177 yards. The bad news is that both are just sophomores. Even so, Marianna had their chance, especially early on when they drove deep into Crusader territory. "We had too many missed opportunities," said Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong. "We could have made it 12-9 but just could not get it done," commented Armstrong.
Battles rushed for 124 yards and a TD while Fidel Montgomery led the defense with 11 tackles. Laramie Dryden and Tommy Stephens followed with 9 tackles each. Marianna fell to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in district play. They will hit the road this week to take on arch rival Chipley.
Marianna Junior Varsity Ends Season With Loss To Walton 26 - 6
10/16/08
By Sid Riley
Coach Adam Gray’s JV Squad Ends With A 2-3 Season
The Marianna JV Junior Bulldog squad fell before a well balanced offensive attack from the same Walton team they defeated 10-0 in mid-September at Walton. The Walton offensive passing attack found weaknesses in the Marianna pass defense that repeatedly generated long gains and scores for them. Meanwhile, the Marianna offense was not able to generate any meaningful drives into the Walton end zone.
Walton had 236 total yards of offense, while Marianna mustered only 155 yards with two turnovers.
The JV offense was missing the strength added by Chris Bowers and Elliot Batson who had both been pulled up onto the varsity squad. Their presence might have changed the outcome of the game, but this can not diminish the fact that the Walton team was powerful, well balanced, and much improved over the earlier contest.
By Sid Riley
Coach Adam Gray’s JV Squad Ends With A 2-3 Season
The Marianna JV Junior Bulldog squad fell before a well balanced offensive attack from the same Walton team they defeated 10-0 in mid-September at Walton. The Walton offensive passing attack found weaknesses in the Marianna pass defense that repeatedly generated long gains and scores for them. Meanwhile, the Marianna offense was not able to generate any meaningful drives into the Walton end zone.
Walton had 236 total yards of offense, while Marianna mustered only 155 yards with two turnovers.
The JV offense was missing the strength added by Chris Bowers and Elliot Batson who had both been pulled up onto the varsity squad. Their presence might have changed the outcome of the game, but this can not diminish the fact that the Walton team was powerful, well balanced, and much improved over the earlier contest.
Tiger Sharks Sink Pirates
10/16/08
By Clint Cox
PORT ST. JOE – The Port St. Joe Tigers Sharks broke open a close game in the second quarter and went to post a 41-6 win over Sneads last Friday night. The Pirates played well in spots but had difficulty sustaining any drives. "We just couldn’t string together enough plays to keep up. Defensively when we stayed with our assignments we played well but when we broke down their offense took advantage of our mistakes," said Pirate Head Coach Don Dowling.
Port St. Joe opened up the game with a score but missed the extra point. The Pirates countered to tie the game on a 34 yard touchdown toss from Taylor Edge to John Locke. After a missed extra point the game was tied at 6-6 and remained tied into the second quarter. The Tiger Sharks broke the game open though in the second quarter with two touchdowns. After making both two point conversion plays they led 22-6 at the half. From there they poured it on in the second half and went on to the 35 point victory.
With the loss Sneads fell to 1-4 on the season and 0-3 in district play. They will step out of district play this week as they play host to Vernon.
By Clint Cox
PORT ST. JOE – The Port St. Joe Tigers Sharks broke open a close game in the second quarter and went to post a 41-6 win over Sneads last Friday night. The Pirates played well in spots but had difficulty sustaining any drives. "We just couldn’t string together enough plays to keep up. Defensively when we stayed with our assignments we played well but when we broke down their offense took advantage of our mistakes," said Pirate Head Coach Don Dowling.
Port St. Joe opened up the game with a score but missed the extra point. The Pirates countered to tie the game on a 34 yard touchdown toss from Taylor Edge to John Locke. After a missed extra point the game was tied at 6-6 and remained tied into the second quarter. The Tiger Sharks broke the game open though in the second quarter with two touchdowns. After making both two point conversion plays they led 22-6 at the half. From there they poured it on in the second half and went on to the 35 point victory.
With the loss Sneads fell to 1-4 on the season and 0-3 in district play. They will step out of district play this week as they play host to Vernon.
Bullpups Close Out Regular Season
10/16/08
By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bullpups traveled to Havana last Thursday night and closed out the regular season with a 32-8 win over the Bears. Quayshaan Johnson had the big night for the Bullpups, scoring three touchdowns to lead the Bullpups. Johnson scored in the first quarter on a 9 yard run and Micha Reed added the two point conversion run to make it 8-0. Havana countered early in the second quarter to make it a 8-6 game. The Bullpups responded though with a 26 yard scoring run from Johnson and Reed added another two point conversion run to give Marianna a 16-6 lead at the half.
In the second half the Bullpups fumbled in the end zone and the Bears recovered to narrow the lead to 16-8. Shaundre McAroy then scored in fourth quarter on a 14 yard run and Bradley Middleton hit Kyle Tanner on a pass to convert the two point play. Marianna’s lead increased to 24-8 early in the fourth quarter. Johnson added his final score of the night on a 30 yard run and then converted the two point play to make the final score 32-8.
On Tuesday night the Bullpups traveled to Wakulla and pulled off a 20-0 victory. Johnson had two touchdown runs and Middleton threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Reed. Middleton, Reed and Anthony Speights all recorded interceptions for the Bullpup defense. The Bullpup’s record now stands at 6-1 and they will next play in a conference post season bowl on October 30th. That game will be played at Wakulla High School and their opponent will be the winner of Thursday night’s contest between Taylor County and North Florida Christian. The bowl game will be broadcast locally on 94.1 FM WTYS.
By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bullpups traveled to Havana last Thursday night and closed out the regular season with a 32-8 win over the Bears. Quayshaan Johnson had the big night for the Bullpups, scoring three touchdowns to lead the Bullpups. Johnson scored in the first quarter on a 9 yard run and Micha Reed added the two point conversion run to make it 8-0. Havana countered early in the second quarter to make it a 8-6 game. The Bullpups responded though with a 26 yard scoring run from Johnson and Reed added another two point conversion run to give Marianna a 16-6 lead at the half.
In the second half the Bullpups fumbled in the end zone and the Bears recovered to narrow the lead to 16-8. Shaundre McAroy then scored in fourth quarter on a 14 yard run and Bradley Middleton hit Kyle Tanner on a pass to convert the two point play. Marianna’s lead increased to 24-8 early in the fourth quarter. Johnson added his final score of the night on a 30 yard run and then converted the two point play to make the final score 32-8.
On Tuesday night the Bullpups traveled to Wakulla and pulled off a 20-0 victory. Johnson had two touchdown runs and Middleton threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Reed. Middleton, Reed and Anthony Speights all recorded interceptions for the Bullpup defense. The Bullpup’s record now stands at 6-1 and they will next play in a conference post season bowl on October 30th. That game will be played at Wakulla High School and their opponent will be the winner of Thursday night’s contest between Taylor County and North Florida Christian. The bowl game will be broadcast locally on 94.1 FM WTYS.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Dayspring Christian Academy Represented on the Soccer Field
10/9/08
After a few years of Dayspring Christian Academy not having a soccer team to call their own, the school is back in business on the MERE’s soccer field. Two teams, both on the Midget league, are representing Dayspring. Seasoned coach Ruthy Hall is coaching the "Eagles" team. David Howard, who coached on the midget league last year, is coaching the "Dayspring" team. Each team has both experienced players and rookies. Last week proved to be a busy week for both teams on the field.
Monday evening the Eagles faced the Crew. The second quarter brought points to the scoreboard with Chaseton Owens and Ethan Sapp of the Eagles each scoring a goal for their team. During the second half of the game, Joey Myhill, of the Crew, acquired their first point followed by his teammate, Max Martinez scoring three more points putting their team in the lead. Lance Peterson of the Eagles kicked in the final goal bringing his team up to three points. It was a close game with lots of aggressive defense on both teams, but the Crew squeaked by the Eagles 4-3.
The "Dayspring" team opened up their week Tuesday night with a game against the Bulldogs. During the first quarter Dayspring’s Ryan Redfern and Lauren Canada each scored a point for their team. The second and third quarters went scoreless, but in the last quarter Lauren Canada scored another goal for Dayspring. Late in the fourth quarter Brennan Price, of Dayspring kicked in the fourth and final goal of the game for Dayspring, moving the score to 4-0 Dayspring’s favor.
On Thursday, the Eagles went up against the Giants. The game remained scoreless until early on in the second quarter, when Lance Peterson scored a goal for the Eagles. The second half showed Zane Isler and Carter Cass, both of the Giants, making a goal. The game ended without the Eagles kicking any other goals in and a final score of 1-2 in favor of the Giants. Also Thursday evening, Dayspring took on the Tornados. Dayspring’s Ryan Redfern scored the only two goals of the game assisted by Lauren Canada. Lots of awesome goal defending in this game kept the score at a low 2-0 with Dayspring winning.
After a few years of Dayspring Christian Academy not having a soccer team to call their own, the school is back in business on the MERE’s soccer field. Two teams, both on the Midget league, are representing Dayspring. Seasoned coach Ruthy Hall is coaching the "Eagles" team. David Howard, who coached on the midget league last year, is coaching the "Dayspring" team. Each team has both experienced players and rookies. Last week proved to be a busy week for both teams on the field.
Monday evening the Eagles faced the Crew. The second quarter brought points to the scoreboard with Chaseton Owens and Ethan Sapp of the Eagles each scoring a goal for their team. During the second half of the game, Joey Myhill, of the Crew, acquired their first point followed by his teammate, Max Martinez scoring three more points putting their team in the lead. Lance Peterson of the Eagles kicked in the final goal bringing his team up to three points. It was a close game with lots of aggressive defense on both teams, but the Crew squeaked by the Eagles 4-3.
The "Dayspring" team opened up their week Tuesday night with a game against the Bulldogs. During the first quarter Dayspring’s Ryan Redfern and Lauren Canada each scored a point for their team. The second and third quarters went scoreless, but in the last quarter Lauren Canada scored another goal for Dayspring. Late in the fourth quarter Brennan Price, of Dayspring kicked in the fourth and final goal of the game for Dayspring, moving the score to 4-0 Dayspring’s favor.
On Thursday, the Eagles went up against the Giants. The game remained scoreless until early on in the second quarter, when Lance Peterson scored a goal for the Eagles. The second half showed Zane Isler and Carter Cass, both of the Giants, making a goal. The game ended without the Eagles kicking any other goals in and a final score of 1-2 in favor of the Giants. Also Thursday evening, Dayspring took on the Tornados. Dayspring’s Ryan Redfern scored the only two goals of the game assisted by Lauren Canada. Lots of awesome goal defending in this game kept the score at a low 2-0 with Dayspring winning.
Chipola Men’s Basketball Begins Practice
10/9/08
The Chipola College Men’s Basketball team held their first official practice of the 2008-09 season on October 1st.
The Indians are ranked second in the nation in the NJCAA pre-season poll. Chipola opens the season on the road in Poplar Bluff, Missouri on Oct. 31, facing Mineral Area College and nationally-ranked Three Rivers. From there, the Indians travel to Ottumwa, Iowa to face top-ranked Indian Hills on Nov. 3.
"We will start the season on the road playing three traditional powerhouses in JUCO basketball," said coach Heiar. "After the first weekend, we will definitely know where our team stands against others in the country."
The men’s first home game is Nov. 20 with a 7 p.m. game with Cape Fear College from North Carolina. The Indians will return to home action Dec. 4 as they open the Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic. The Classic will include 12 games from Dec. 4 – 6.
Coach Heiar said, "The Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic will be a great opportunity for the fans to see our team as well as the other Panhandle Conference teams. At this point in the season, there is a possibility that 8 to 10 of the teams at the classic will be ranked in the national NJCAA poll."
With only five non-conference games scheduled to be played in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center, Chipola will build experience as they accumulate road miles with trips to Atlanta, GA (Nov. 14-15), St. Petersburg (Nov. 22), Winter Haven (Dec. 15-16) and Pensacola’s New Year’s Eve Tournament (Dec. 30-31).
Chipola will begin defense of their sixth consecutive conference title as they open Panhandle Conference action at home against Tallahassee Community College on January 3, 2009.
All home games can be seen live at http://www.chipola.edu/radio/index.htm. For the complete schedule, along with individual tournament schedule, log on to http://chipola.edu/extrac/athl/basketball/index.htm.
The Chipola College Men’s Basketball team held their first official practice of the 2008-09 season on October 1st.
The Indians are ranked second in the nation in the NJCAA pre-season poll. Chipola opens the season on the road in Poplar Bluff, Missouri on Oct. 31, facing Mineral Area College and nationally-ranked Three Rivers. From there, the Indians travel to Ottumwa, Iowa to face top-ranked Indian Hills on Nov. 3.
"We will start the season on the road playing three traditional powerhouses in JUCO basketball," said coach Heiar. "After the first weekend, we will definitely know where our team stands against others in the country."
The men’s first home game is Nov. 20 with a 7 p.m. game with Cape Fear College from North Carolina. The Indians will return to home action Dec. 4 as they open the Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic. The Classic will include 12 games from Dec. 4 – 6.
Coach Heiar said, "The Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic will be a great opportunity for the fans to see our team as well as the other Panhandle Conference teams. At this point in the season, there is a possibility that 8 to 10 of the teams at the classic will be ranked in the national NJCAA poll."
With only five non-conference games scheduled to be played in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center, Chipola will build experience as they accumulate road miles with trips to Atlanta, GA (Nov. 14-15), St. Petersburg (Nov. 22), Winter Haven (Dec. 15-16) and Pensacola’s New Year’s Eve Tournament (Dec. 30-31).
Chipola will begin defense of their sixth consecutive conference title as they open Panhandle Conference action at home against Tallahassee Community College on January 3, 2009.
All home games can be seen live at http://www.chipola.edu/radio/index.htm. For the complete schedule, along with individual tournament schedule, log on to http://chipola.edu/extrac/athl/basketball/index.htm.
Pirates Lose to Royals
10/9/08
By Clint Cox
JAY – The Sneads Pirates dropped their third game of the season last Friday night with a 30-6 district road loss to the Royals of Jay. The Pirates trailed 12-0 at the half but got themselves right back in the game on a 70 yard touchdown run by Mark Lawson. After the missed extra point they trailed 12-6. The game remained at that score until late in the third quarter when Jay scored on a 40 yard pass play to make it 18-6. The fourth quarter proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Pirates as the Royals, aided by several penalties against Sneads put up 12 more points on the scoreboard to win 30-6.
Lawson led the way offensively for the Pirates with 137 yards and a TD on 15 carries. The Pirate defense was led in tackles by Jamar White with 14, Billy Knight with 11 and Sherrick Williams with 10. Jeff Davis had 9 tackles on the night, including 2 sacks. With the loss Sneads fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in district play. They hit the road again this week as they travel to Port St. Joe to take on the Tiger Sharks in another district matchup.
By Clint Cox
JAY – The Sneads Pirates dropped their third game of the season last Friday night with a 30-6 district road loss to the Royals of Jay. The Pirates trailed 12-0 at the half but got themselves right back in the game on a 70 yard touchdown run by Mark Lawson. After the missed extra point they trailed 12-6. The game remained at that score until late in the third quarter when Jay scored on a 40 yard pass play to make it 18-6. The fourth quarter proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Pirates as the Royals, aided by several penalties against Sneads put up 12 more points on the scoreboard to win 30-6.
Lawson led the way offensively for the Pirates with 137 yards and a TD on 15 carries. The Pirate defense was led in tackles by Jamar White with 14, Billy Knight with 11 and Sherrick Williams with 10. Jeff Davis had 9 tackles on the night, including 2 sacks. With the loss Sneads fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in district play. They hit the road again this week as they travel to Port St. Joe to take on the Tiger Sharks in another district matchup.
Middle School Football Action 10/9/08
By Clint Cox
Grand Ridge traveled to Blountstown on Tuesday night and lost another heartbreaker as they fell 32-30 to the Tigers. Delontre Keys had a big night as he rushed for 222 yards and 4 touchdowns. Keys had touchdown runs of 2, 12, 64 and 73 yards. Joseph Boyd had a solid night as well, rushing for 108 yards. The Indians led 12-8 at the half but both squads combined for 42 points in the third quarter as Blountstown held a two point lead at the end of the quarter. Grand Ridge had opportunities late in the game to score and take the lead but were unable to cash in. With the loss in their season finale they fell to 1-5 on the season. Four of their five losses were by a combined total of 12 points.
Cottondale continued to play well and picked up a 42-18 win over Roulhac (Chipley) last Thursday night. The Hornets led 34-12 at the half on the running of Prentice Webb who rushed for two touchdowns. Sheldon Vann and Joe Nathan Brown also scored in the win for the Hornets. Cottondale was slated to play at Port St. Joe on Tuesday night. Results of that contest were not available at press time.
The Marianna Bullpups will be in action this afternoon as they travel to take on Havana. The Bullpups are coming off a disappointing 30-8 loss to Riverspring (Wakulla) last Tuesday night that broke a 17 game winning streak. The contest against Havana is scheduled for a 4 pm kickoff and will be broadcast locally on 94.1 FM WTYS.
Grand Ridge traveled to Blountstown on Tuesday night and lost another heartbreaker as they fell 32-30 to the Tigers. Delontre Keys had a big night as he rushed for 222 yards and 4 touchdowns. Keys had touchdown runs of 2, 12, 64 and 73 yards. Joseph Boyd had a solid night as well, rushing for 108 yards. The Indians led 12-8 at the half but both squads combined for 42 points in the third quarter as Blountstown held a two point lead at the end of the quarter. Grand Ridge had opportunities late in the game to score and take the lead but were unable to cash in. With the loss in their season finale they fell to 1-5 on the season. Four of their five losses were by a combined total of 12 points.
Cottondale continued to play well and picked up a 42-18 win over Roulhac (Chipley) last Thursday night. The Hornets led 34-12 at the half on the running of Prentice Webb who rushed for two touchdowns. Sheldon Vann and Joe Nathan Brown also scored in the win for the Hornets. Cottondale was slated to play at Port St. Joe on Tuesday night. Results of that contest were not available at press time.
The Marianna Bullpups will be in action this afternoon as they travel to take on Havana. The Bullpups are coming off a disappointing 30-8 loss to Riverspring (Wakulla) last Tuesday night that broke a 17 game winning streak. The contest against Havana is scheduled for a 4 pm kickoff and will be broadcast locally on 94.1 FM WTYS.
Bulldogs Blast Blue Devils
10/9/08
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – On homecoming night, six different Bulldogs crossed the goal line to score as Marianna posted a 40-6 win over Holmes County. That hopefully will pay dividends down the road for the Bulldogs according to Head Coach Rob Armstrong. "We were able to mix it up a good bit and get a good number of guys into the end zone. That will give our opponents something extra to work on," said Armstrong.
One Bulldog opponents are very familiar with is Bradley Battles. He continued his fine performance this season with 95 yards of rushing. But while many folks were making their way to their seats with their popcorn, Battles took the opening kickoff and returned it 87 yards for a score. Troy Clemmons added the point after kick to make it 7-0. R.J. Bowers got the second Bulldog score of the night with a 2 yard run later in the first quarter. The Bulldogs Fidel Montgomery then raced 62 yards for a touchdown to close out the first quarter and give Marianna a 19-0 lead. In the second quarter Quan Boykin capped off a 9 play 74 yard drive with a 2 yard scoring run. Clemmons point after kick made it 26-0 and that score stood until halftime.
The Bulldog scoring parade continued in the third quarter when freshman Emmanuel Batson blocked a Blue Devil punt. Batson then scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown. Moments later Tre’ Long bolted 11 yards for a score. Clemmons added a point after kick on both scores and the Bulldogs led 40-0 as the third quarter ended. Holmes County managed a scoring pass on the last play of the game to get on the scoreboard.
With the win Marianna improved to 4-0 overall and have their first district game of the 2008 season this Friday night when they host Pensacola Catholic. The four opening wins have hopefully prepared the Bulldogs for that big upcoming district game against Pensacola Catholic. "We’ve tried to keep getting better to get ready for our district games. We’ll try to have a good week and be ready for Catholic," commented Armstrong. The Crusaders enter the contest with an unbeaten record as well, having beaten Gulf Breeze last Friday 17-10 to improve to 5-0 on the season.
By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – On homecoming night, six different Bulldogs crossed the goal line to score as Marianna posted a 40-6 win over Holmes County. That hopefully will pay dividends down the road for the Bulldogs according to Head Coach Rob Armstrong. "We were able to mix it up a good bit and get a good number of guys into the end zone. That will give our opponents something extra to work on," said Armstrong.
One Bulldog opponents are very familiar with is Bradley Battles. He continued his fine performance this season with 95 yards of rushing. But while many folks were making their way to their seats with their popcorn, Battles took the opening kickoff and returned it 87 yards for a score. Troy Clemmons added the point after kick to make it 7-0. R.J. Bowers got the second Bulldog score of the night with a 2 yard run later in the first quarter. The Bulldogs Fidel Montgomery then raced 62 yards for a touchdown to close out the first quarter and give Marianna a 19-0 lead. In the second quarter Quan Boykin capped off a 9 play 74 yard drive with a 2 yard scoring run. Clemmons point after kick made it 26-0 and that score stood until halftime.
The Bulldog scoring parade continued in the third quarter when freshman Emmanuel Batson blocked a Blue Devil punt. Batson then scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown. Moments later Tre’ Long bolted 11 yards for a score. Clemmons added a point after kick on both scores and the Bulldogs led 40-0 as the third quarter ended. Holmes County managed a scoring pass on the last play of the game to get on the scoreboard.
With the win Marianna improved to 4-0 overall and have their first district game of the 2008 season this Friday night when they host Pensacola Catholic. The four opening wins have hopefully prepared the Bulldogs for that big upcoming district game against Pensacola Catholic. "We’ve tried to keep getting better to get ready for our district games. We’ll try to have a good week and be ready for Catholic," commented Armstrong. The Crusaders enter the contest with an unbeaten record as well, having beaten Gulf Breeze last Friday 17-10 to improve to 5-0 on the season.
Tigers Improve to 4-1
10/9/08
By Clint Cox
VERNON – The Graceville Tigers went on the road last Friday night and came home with a hard fought 28-16 win over the Yellow Jackets of Vernon. Graceville scored early after a Yellow Jacket turnover but Vernon came right back with a score of their own. But from that point Graceville controlled the tempo of the game and took control. Vernon managed a score with just under two minutes to play to make the final score a 12 point victory for the Tigers. Tiger Head Coach Todd Wertenberger was impressed with Vernon. "They probably had the best defense we have faced so far this season. It was like a playoff atmosphere down there, so it was a good win for us," said Wertenberger.
The Tigers scored through the air on their first touchdown as Justin Miles hit Darryl Olds on a 26 yard scoring pass. Treyshaun White added the two point run to make it 8-0. Vernon pulled to within one point just before the first quarter ended to make it a 8-7 game going into the second quarter. With 3 minutes to play in the second quarter Miles scored on a 4 yard run and White added the two point conversion run. The Tigers led 16-7 at the half. Early in the third quarter Leron Hoover scored on a 15 yard run to give Graceville a 22-7 lead. As the game moved into the fourth quarter Antrell Wrigth bolted 27 yards for another Tiger score to make it 28-7. In the final minutes of the game Vernon added a safety and touchdown to make the final 28-16.
White led the Tigers with 109 yards on 15 carries. White, Hoover and Miles led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles each. With the win Graceville improved to 4-1 and are 1-0 in district play. After an open date this Friday they will travel to Niceville next Friday for a non-district matchup with Rocky Bayou. On 10/24 they will play host to FAMU in a big district matchup.
By Clint Cox
VERNON – The Graceville Tigers went on the road last Friday night and came home with a hard fought 28-16 win over the Yellow Jackets of Vernon. Graceville scored early after a Yellow Jacket turnover but Vernon came right back with a score of their own. But from that point Graceville controlled the tempo of the game and took control. Vernon managed a score with just under two minutes to play to make the final score a 12 point victory for the Tigers. Tiger Head Coach Todd Wertenberger was impressed with Vernon. "They probably had the best defense we have faced so far this season. It was like a playoff atmosphere down there, so it was a good win for us," said Wertenberger.
The Tigers scored through the air on their first touchdown as Justin Miles hit Darryl Olds on a 26 yard scoring pass. Treyshaun White added the two point run to make it 8-0. Vernon pulled to within one point just before the first quarter ended to make it a 8-7 game going into the second quarter. With 3 minutes to play in the second quarter Miles scored on a 4 yard run and White added the two point conversion run. The Tigers led 16-7 at the half. Early in the third quarter Leron Hoover scored on a 15 yard run to give Graceville a 22-7 lead. As the game moved into the fourth quarter Antrell Wrigth bolted 27 yards for another Tiger score to make it 28-7. In the final minutes of the game Vernon added a safety and touchdown to make the final 28-16.
White led the Tigers with 109 yards on 15 carries. White, Hoover and Miles led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles each. With the win Graceville improved to 4-1 and are 1-0 in district play. After an open date this Friday they will travel to Niceville next Friday for a non-district matchup with Rocky Bayou. On 10/24 they will play host to FAMU in a big district matchup.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Marianna JV Continues Steady Improvement In 20-0 Win Over Bonifay
10/2/08
By: Sid Riley
Strong offensive line play, an impenetrable defense, and great running backs were too much for the Bonifay JV squad to contend with, as Adam Gray’s squad of Bulldog yearlings enjoyed their second win in a row. Their season record now stands at 2 – 2.
Offensively, the Batson brothers put on a show. With Akeem Holmes playing quarterback, the Batson brothers took their pitch outs and hand-offs and romped run after run of significant yardage. Elliott Batson scored two touchdowns and his brother Emanuel scored the other.
The aggressive Marianna defense held the Bonifay JV team to only 84 offensive yards from the line of scrimmage, with a total offense of 101 yards. Meanwhile, Marianna racked up 234 total yards, with 206 from scrimmage. Marianna was still plagued with five penalties totaling 65 yards, and three fumbles, while Bonifay had two penalties for a loss of ten yards, and two fumbles.
By: Sid Riley
Strong offensive line play, an impenetrable defense, and great running backs were too much for the Bonifay JV squad to contend with, as Adam Gray’s squad of Bulldog yearlings enjoyed their second win in a row. Their season record now stands at 2 – 2.
Offensively, the Batson brothers put on a show. With Akeem Holmes playing quarterback, the Batson brothers took their pitch outs and hand-offs and romped run after run of significant yardage. Elliott Batson scored two touchdowns and his brother Emanuel scored the other.
The aggressive Marianna defense held the Bonifay JV team to only 84 offensive yards from the line of scrimmage, with a total offense of 101 yards. Meanwhile, Marianna racked up 234 total yards, with 206 from scrimmage. Marianna was still plagued with five penalties totaling 65 yards, and three fumbles, while Bonifay had two penalties for a loss of ten yards, and two fumbles.
Hornets & Pirates Fall
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Tallahassee to take on the Rattlers of FAMU and were handed a 46-0 loss. The Rattlers have played in the last two State Championship games for a reason. They don’t rebuild they reload and this year’s squad seems to once again be loaded. FAMU went to the airways and jumped out to an early lead. They expanded that lead to 33-0 at the half and then added 13 more points in the second half. Cottondale fell to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in district play. The Hornets travel to South Walton on Friday to take on the Seahawks in a non-district matchup.
The Sneads Pirates played host to their arch rival, West Gadsden, and saw the Panthers head back across the river with a 24-0 win. The Pirate offense was stymied by the Panther defense, picking up only one first down and coughing up the ball once in the first half. That helped West Gadsden hold a 10-0 lead at the break. A second Pirate turnover in the third quarter led to another West Gadsden score midway through the quarter. The Panthers added another score in the fourth quarter to make the final 24-0. Defensively Terrence Pittman and John Locke each picked off a pass for the Pirates. Michael Kinard had 12 tackles, including 3 sacks. Andrew Sheard knotched 11 tackles while Josh Rogers and Jamar White followed with 10 tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in district play. They will next travel to Jay on Friday night to take on the Royals in another district contest.
By: Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Tallahassee to take on the Rattlers of FAMU and were handed a 46-0 loss. The Rattlers have played in the last two State Championship games for a reason. They don’t rebuild they reload and this year’s squad seems to once again be loaded. FAMU went to the airways and jumped out to an early lead. They expanded that lead to 33-0 at the half and then added 13 more points in the second half. Cottondale fell to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in district play. The Hornets travel to South Walton on Friday to take on the Seahawks in a non-district matchup.
The Sneads Pirates played host to their arch rival, West Gadsden, and saw the Panthers head back across the river with a 24-0 win. The Pirate offense was stymied by the Panther defense, picking up only one first down and coughing up the ball once in the first half. That helped West Gadsden hold a 10-0 lead at the break. A second Pirate turnover in the third quarter led to another West Gadsden score midway through the quarter. The Panthers added another score in the fourth quarter to make the final 24-0. Defensively Terrence Pittman and John Locke each picked off a pass for the Pirates. Michael Kinard had 12 tackles, including 3 sacks. Andrew Sheard knotched 11 tackles while Josh Rogers and Jamar White followed with 10 tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in district play. They will next travel to Jay on Friday night to take on the Royals in another district contest.
Tigers Pound Panthers
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
The Graceville Tigers offense just keeps on truckin’ as they pounded the Panthers of John Paul II Catholic last Thursday night by a score of 52-14. Quarterback Justin Miles had another fine night, rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Chris Works scored twice for the Tigers and Head Coach Todd Wertenberger went to the bench early to give his backups plenty of playing time. Backup quarterback Garret Steverson played 3 quarters and scored a touchdown.
The Tigers got two early touchdown runs from Works, one from Miles and one from Leron Hoover to make it a 28-0 game as the first quarter came to a close. In the second quarter Antrell Wright returned a kickoff for a score and Steverson scored on a run. The Tigers lead swelled to 44-14 at the half. Cameron Dozier added the final score of the night in the second half as the Tigers romped in the 38 point victory.
The Tigers offense, with over 300 yards on the ground, has now racked up over 1500 yards in rushing in just four games. They are averaging 42.5 points per game this season. With the win Graceville improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in district play. They will be in action on Friday when they travel to Vernon to take on the Yellow Jackets in a non-district contest.
By: Clint Cox
The Graceville Tigers offense just keeps on truckin’ as they pounded the Panthers of John Paul II Catholic last Thursday night by a score of 52-14. Quarterback Justin Miles had another fine night, rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Chris Works scored twice for the Tigers and Head Coach Todd Wertenberger went to the bench early to give his backups plenty of playing time. Backup quarterback Garret Steverson played 3 quarters and scored a touchdown.
The Tigers got two early touchdown runs from Works, one from Miles and one from Leron Hoover to make it a 28-0 game as the first quarter came to a close. In the second quarter Antrell Wright returned a kickoff for a score and Steverson scored on a run. The Tigers lead swelled to 44-14 at the half. Cameron Dozier added the final score of the night in the second half as the Tigers romped in the 38 point victory.
The Tigers offense, with over 300 yards on the ground, has now racked up over 1500 yards in rushing in just four games. They are averaging 42.5 points per game this season. With the win Graceville improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in district play. They will be in action on Friday when they travel to Vernon to take on the Yellow Jackets in a non-district contest.
Lady Pirates Prevail Over Cottondale
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad bounced back from a loss to Marianna on Monday with a 3-1 win over Cottondale on Tuesday night. Game one went to Sneads by a score of 25-19. After the Lady Pirates jumped out to a 10-3 lead, Cottondale rallied to pull to within 3 points at 16-13. Sneads then reeled off 4 straight points to lead 20-13 and then went on to win by 6. Mattie Collins and Meegan Smith had several big kills in the game and Ashley Smith served up 4 straight points midway through the game.
Game Two saw Cottondale jump out to a 6-3 lead and then a 10-4 lead. Sneads rallied and with Ashley Smith serving tied the game at 12-12. From there the score went back and forth with neither team able to pull away. Sneads appeared to be pulling away late in the game as Collins had a kill to put the Lady Pirates up 23-20. But the Lady Hornets battled back with a great save from Chelsea Caudill to tie the game at 23-23. Mary Auger served out the game with a ace to give Cottondale a 26-24 win and tie the match at 1-1.
The tightly contested battled continued into game three as Sneads led 9-5 but then Cottondale rallied to tie the game at 10-10 with Auger serving. The Lady Hornets surged out to a 18-14 lead only to have Sneads come back to tie the game at 21-21 on a kill by Collins. The squads knotted up at 25-25 before Sneads came up with the 27-25 win.
Cottondale jumped out in game four to a 5-0 but the Lady Pirates stormed back to get back in the game. On a long rally that featured great digs on both sides, Sneads tied the game at 7-7. The Lady Pirates had the momentum and pulled out to a 14-10 lead. From there the Lady Hornets could not muster a rally and the Lady Pirates went on to a 25-14 win.
With the win Sneads improved to 11-7 on the season and will next play on Thursday in Tallahassee against John Paul II Catholic. Cottondale fell to 11-3 on the season and will next play host to Chipley on Thursday.
By: Clint Cox
The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad bounced back from a loss to Marianna on Monday with a 3-1 win over Cottondale on Tuesday night. Game one went to Sneads by a score of 25-19. After the Lady Pirates jumped out to a 10-3 lead, Cottondale rallied to pull to within 3 points at 16-13. Sneads then reeled off 4 straight points to lead 20-13 and then went on to win by 6. Mattie Collins and Meegan Smith had several big kills in the game and Ashley Smith served up 4 straight points midway through the game.
Game Two saw Cottondale jump out to a 6-3 lead and then a 10-4 lead. Sneads rallied and with Ashley Smith serving tied the game at 12-12. From there the score went back and forth with neither team able to pull away. Sneads appeared to be pulling away late in the game as Collins had a kill to put the Lady Pirates up 23-20. But the Lady Hornets battled back with a great save from Chelsea Caudill to tie the game at 23-23. Mary Auger served out the game with a ace to give Cottondale a 26-24 win and tie the match at 1-1.
The tightly contested battled continued into game three as Sneads led 9-5 but then Cottondale rallied to tie the game at 10-10 with Auger serving. The Lady Hornets surged out to a 18-14 lead only to have Sneads come back to tie the game at 21-21 on a kill by Collins. The squads knotted up at 25-25 before Sneads came up with the 27-25 win.
Cottondale jumped out in game four to a 5-0 but the Lady Pirates stormed back to get back in the game. On a long rally that featured great digs on both sides, Sneads tied the game at 7-7. The Lady Pirates had the momentum and pulled out to a 14-10 lead. From there the Lady Hornets could not muster a rally and the Lady Pirates went on to a 25-14 win.
With the win Sneads improved to 11-7 on the season and will next play on Thursday in Tallahassee against John Paul II Catholic. Cottondale fell to 11-3 on the season and will next play host to Chipley on Thursday.
Bulldogs Win Thriller
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
Marianna’s Bradley Battles bulled his way into the end zone with a minute to play to convert a two point play and give the Bulldogs a 22-21 victory Episcopal last Friday night. Marianna took possession of the ball with 8 minutes to play and trailing 21-14. After eating up 7 minutes off the clock on 11 plays, Dustin Larkin hit Tre’ Long on a 28 yard scoring strike to set up the game winning plunge by Battles. Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong did not hesitate to call for the two point attempt as opposed to kicking the extra point to tie the game. "Everybody knew we were going to go for two. We’ve been working on a power and the fellow we gave it to (Battles) ran hard," Armstrong said after the game.
After the long ride to Jacksonville the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. R.J. Bowers got the Bulldogs on the board with a 15 yard run late in the first quarter. Troy Clemmons booted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. But the Eagles took the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a score and quickly reclaimed the lead at 14-7. With just over 8 minutes to play in the second quarter Battles bolted 56 yards on the first play from scrimmage on that possession to score. Clemmons tied the game up at 14-14 with the extra point kick. But Episcopal came right back to post a score and take a 21-14 lead into the locker rooms at the half.
The running of Eagle quarterback Clark Bledsoe had caused the Bulldogs problems in the first half. During half time the Bulldog coaching staff made some adjustments to counter the running QB. "We made some adjustments to allow Troy (Clemmons) to key on the quarterback more and he responded with a big second half," said Armstrong. The Bulldog offense came out in the second half and played ball control. They had one possession in the third quarter and it ate up 8 minutes off the clock on 14 plays. Unfortunately a fumble deep in Eagle territory killed the drive. The Bulldog defense came up with a stop in the fourth quarter and forced a punt. The punt was downed on the Bulldogs 5 yard line with just over 8 minutes to play in the game. Marianna methodically drove down the field and then finished off the game winning drive with Larkin’s TD pass to Long.
Battles finished the night with 224 yards on 31 carries. Clemmons led the defense with 15 tackles, including a sack. Tommy Stephens was right behind Clemmons with 10 tackles. The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 on the season and will play host to Holmes County this Friday for Homecoming.
By: Clint Cox
Marianna’s Bradley Battles bulled his way into the end zone with a minute to play to convert a two point play and give the Bulldogs a 22-21 victory Episcopal last Friday night. Marianna took possession of the ball with 8 minutes to play and trailing 21-14. After eating up 7 minutes off the clock on 11 plays, Dustin Larkin hit Tre’ Long on a 28 yard scoring strike to set up the game winning plunge by Battles. Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong did not hesitate to call for the two point attempt as opposed to kicking the extra point to tie the game. "Everybody knew we were going to go for two. We’ve been working on a power and the fellow we gave it to (Battles) ran hard," Armstrong said after the game.
After the long ride to Jacksonville the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. R.J. Bowers got the Bulldogs on the board with a 15 yard run late in the first quarter. Troy Clemmons booted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. But the Eagles took the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a score and quickly reclaimed the lead at 14-7. With just over 8 minutes to play in the second quarter Battles bolted 56 yards on the first play from scrimmage on that possession to score. Clemmons tied the game up at 14-14 with the extra point kick. But Episcopal came right back to post a score and take a 21-14 lead into the locker rooms at the half.
The running of Eagle quarterback Clark Bledsoe had caused the Bulldogs problems in the first half. During half time the Bulldog coaching staff made some adjustments to counter the running QB. "We made some adjustments to allow Troy (Clemmons) to key on the quarterback more and he responded with a big second half," said Armstrong. The Bulldog offense came out in the second half and played ball control. They had one possession in the third quarter and it ate up 8 minutes off the clock on 14 plays. Unfortunately a fumble deep in Eagle territory killed the drive. The Bulldog defense came up with a stop in the fourth quarter and forced a punt. The punt was downed on the Bulldogs 5 yard line with just over 8 minutes to play in the game. Marianna methodically drove down the field and then finished off the game winning drive with Larkin’s TD pass to Long.
Battles finished the night with 224 yards on 31 carries. Clemmons led the defense with 15 tackles, including a sack. Tommy Stephens was right behind Clemmons with 10 tackles. The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 on the season and will play host to Holmes County this Friday for Homecoming.
Simply Put- "You Can’t Coach Scared”
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
With a minute to play last Friday night in Jacksonville, Marianna scored a touchdown and trailed 21-20 to Episcopal. As my buddy Russell Register and I speculated on the radio about what Coach Armstrong might do, Register asked me what I would do if I were the coach. I instantly replied "Kick the extra point" and send the game into overtime. I knew this went against the tradition of ‘go for the win on the road and go for the tie at home’ that some folks advocate.
Fortunately, Coach Armstrong wasn’t thinking like me. Marianna went for and converted the two point conversion to take a 22-21 lead. Then they held on that final minute for the one point victory. It was without question a great comeback and finish for the Bulldogs.
In Coach Armstrong’s post game interview on the radio he said it was never a question of whether or not to go for two, it was simply a matter of what play to call. When we got off the air I told him of my comments to Russell about kicking the extra point. Armstrong responded to me "Clint you can’t coach scared." I thought about that comment all weekend long. He was absolutely right.
Over the past 30 years since high school I’ve coached my fair share in various youth leagues for football and baseball. I had some years where we fielded some really good teams and some years where wins were hard to come by. After thinking about Armstrong’s comment I recalled that in my younger days of coaching I didn’t hesitate to take a chance or roll the dice so to speak. I can remember chastising my Auburn friends when former Auburn Coach Pat Dye went for a tie in a game. I called him Pat Tie Dye.
But somewhere over the later years of my life I seemed to lose that daringness, that willingness to roll the dice. My play calling late in the game became very conservative. This from a guy who used to love the razzle dazzle plays, the trick plays, the high flying offensive show of the early Bobby Bowden teams. So what happened? I really hadn’t thought about the change until Armstrong’s comment of "Clint you can’t coached scared."
Armstrong’s comment reminded me that sports is a game and is meant to be fun. Having fun means taking some calculated risks, and not being scared of "what if it doesn’t work." It’s like the old saying of "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." I realized I’ve gone soft in my older age and have let the fear of losing keep me from playing the game.
Simply Put, I’m turning over a new leaf. The old me is back. Let’s go for the win and if it doesn’t work out that way, so be it. But it won’t be because we didn’t try.
From the front porch: Coach said luck is a lazy person’s estimate of a worker’s success.
By: Clint Cox
With a minute to play last Friday night in Jacksonville, Marianna scored a touchdown and trailed 21-20 to Episcopal. As my buddy Russell Register and I speculated on the radio about what Coach Armstrong might do, Register asked me what I would do if I were the coach. I instantly replied "Kick the extra point" and send the game into overtime. I knew this went against the tradition of ‘go for the win on the road and go for the tie at home’ that some folks advocate.
Fortunately, Coach Armstrong wasn’t thinking like me. Marianna went for and converted the two point conversion to take a 22-21 lead. Then they held on that final minute for the one point victory. It was without question a great comeback and finish for the Bulldogs.
In Coach Armstrong’s post game interview on the radio he said it was never a question of whether or not to go for two, it was simply a matter of what play to call. When we got off the air I told him of my comments to Russell about kicking the extra point. Armstrong responded to me "Clint you can’t coach scared." I thought about that comment all weekend long. He was absolutely right.
Over the past 30 years since high school I’ve coached my fair share in various youth leagues for football and baseball. I had some years where we fielded some really good teams and some years where wins were hard to come by. After thinking about Armstrong’s comment I recalled that in my younger days of coaching I didn’t hesitate to take a chance or roll the dice so to speak. I can remember chastising my Auburn friends when former Auburn Coach Pat Dye went for a tie in a game. I called him Pat Tie Dye.
But somewhere over the later years of my life I seemed to lose that daringness, that willingness to roll the dice. My play calling late in the game became very conservative. This from a guy who used to love the razzle dazzle plays, the trick plays, the high flying offensive show of the early Bobby Bowden teams. So what happened? I really hadn’t thought about the change until Armstrong’s comment of "Clint you can’t coached scared."
Armstrong’s comment reminded me that sports is a game and is meant to be fun. Having fun means taking some calculated risks, and not being scared of "what if it doesn’t work." It’s like the old saying of "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." I realized I’ve gone soft in my older age and have let the fear of losing keep me from playing the game.
Simply Put, I’m turning over a new leaf. The old me is back. Let’s go for the win and if it doesn’t work out that way, so be it. But it won’t be because we didn’t try.
From the front porch: Coach said luck is a lazy person’s estimate of a worker’s success.
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