Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Bulldogs Fall To Enterprise 1/29/09

By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bulldogs went on the road last Friday night to take on 6A Enterprise and fell 55-51. Marianna led 44-32 going into the final quarter but could not hang on to the lead. Enterprise outscored the Bulldogs 23-7 in that final quarter to pull off the come from behind victory. Marianna, which fell to 15-7 on the year, was led by Kruise Pinkins with 17 points and C.J. Blount with 12. The Bulldogs will next be in action on Tuesday, Feburary 3rd when they travel to DeFuniak Springs to take on Walton.

Pirates Sink Tigers; Graceville Claims Wins in Girls and JV Boys 1/29/09

By Clint Cox

GRACEVILLE – The Sneads Pirates sailed over to Graceville on Monday night and posted a 57-46 win in boy’s varsity basketball action. Terrence Green led the way for Sneads with 16 points while Byron Laster led the Tigers with 10 points. Sneads jumped out to an early 12-4 lead but Graceville closed the gap and trailed 13-8 going into the second quarter. Again Sneads expanded their lead, taking a 23-12 lead on a Sherrick Williams basket midway through the quarter. Laster hit back to back three pointers for the Tigers to make it a 27-20 game with two minutes to play in the half. Sneads responded with a couple of baskets, including one by Williams to take a 33-22 lead at the half.
The second half saw the Pirates maintain a 10 point lead for much of the time although Graceville made periodic runs that cut into that lead. But each time the Pirates responded. Cameron Dozier came up with a steal and layup for Graceville to cut the Pirate lead to 53-46 with less than a minute to play but that was as close as the Tigers came in the final quarter. In addition to Green, Sneads got 15 points from Allen Patterson and 13 points from Williams.
In girl’s varsity action Graceville racked up a 71-37 win over the Lady Pirates to improve to 20-2 on the season. Alyssa Hogans pumped in 17 points, Ashley Hogans added 11 and Michea Williams chipped in 10. Sneads was led by Mattie Collins with 17 and Courtney Merritt with 11.
In junior varsity boy’s action Graceville upset Sneads 50-45. Kevin Potts lead the Tigers, who improved to 9-10 on the year, with 20 points and Allante Barnes added 13. Sneads, which fell to 16-3, was led by John Whittington with 14 and Will Holmes with 9.

Hornets Take Two of Three From Blountstown 1/29/09

By Clint Cox

BLOUNTSTOWN – Cottondale traveled to Calhoun County last Friday night for an important district matchup and came away with wins in girl’s varsity and boys junior varsity action. In boy’s varsity action the Tigers prevailed over the Hornets.
The Lady Hornets improved to 15-5 on the season with a 35-21 win over the Lady Tigers. Shay Wright led the way with 11 points while Shanae Dickens followed with 9. Cottondale led 8-4 at the end of the first quarter and then held a 13-8 halftime lead.
In varsity boy’s action it was the Hornets taking it on the chin in a 55-47 loss. Cottondale jumped out to an early 6-4 lead but then trailed by one, 18-17, at the half. The third quarter was tightly contested as Blountstown outscored Cottondale13-12. After falling behind by as many as six points the Hornets rallied to tie the game at 29-29 on a bucket by Marcus Humose. The Tigers then took a 31-29 lead into the fourth quarter. Drew Bellamy had back to back buckets for the Hornets in that fourth quarter to keep things close for the first three minutes. But Blountstown began to pull ahead midway through the quarter and went up 45-37. Down the stretch the Hornets were forced to foul the Tigers and Blountstown was 11-15 from the free throw line in the last three minutes of the game. Terry Benbow’s 3 pointer for Cottondale cut it to an 8 point game with less than a minute to play but that was as close as the Hornets could come.
Humose led the way with 17 points while Benbow and Bellamy each added 10. In Junior Varsity boy’s action Cottondale won 38-22 as Juwon Johnson had 13 and James Paramore chipped in 8.

Chipola Cheerleader Extravaganza is Feb 8 1/29/09

The Chipola Cheerleaders will host the annual Cheerleading Extravaganza Sunday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. Squads will compete at the middle school, junior varsity, and varsity levels. New this year will be the Grand Champion winner, which will be the squad with the highest overall score of all the competing squads. Squads will be competing from Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Several all star squads from JAGS and MEGA cheer gyms are scheduled to perform exhibition routines. A special treat will be a performance by the FAMU Cheerleaders featuring former Chipola cheerleader Devin Baker, now a FAMU captain.
General admission is $5 for school age and up cheerleader fans.
Pictures of last year’s winners are posted on the Chipola web page: http://www.chipola.edu/extrac/athl/cheerleader/Extravaganza/Extrav.htm.
For more information, contact Chipola Cheer Coach Geraldine DeFelix at 850-718-2322 or email defelixg@chipola.edu.

Tigers Nip Hornets; Lady Hornets Prevail 1/29/09

By Clint Cox

MALONE – Cottondale traveled to Malone on Tuesday night for a triple header with the most exciting game being the night cap in which Malone won 62-61. T.J. Smith scorched the nets for 32 points, including the go ahead bucket with 11 seconds left in the game. Cottondale had one final shot but could not get it to fall.
The Hornets jumped out to an early lead only to see Smith heat up for Malone and pull the Tigers to within one point at 16-15. Marcus Humose caught fire for the Hornets and reeled off 8 straight points to make it 24-15. But Smith launched a 3 pointer at the buzzer to pull Malone to within 6 points going into the second quarter. Malone twice pulled to within one point of Cottondale in the second quarter but each time Cottondale responded. At the half Cottondale led 36-31. The third quarter was evenly played as the Hornets edged the Tigers 14-13 to take a 50-44 lead into the final quarter. As the game drew to a close Smith heated up again and propelled the Tigers to victory. Chase Leeks chipped in 11 points for the Tigers as well. Cottondale was led by Drew Bellamy with 15 and Humose with 14.
In girls action it was the Lady Hornets who prevailed over the Lady Tigers by a score of 44-31. Cottondale led most of the game but saw the Lady Tigers rally late in the game to narrow the margin. After trailing by 11 going into the final quarter Malone twice cut the lead to as few as 7 points with just under 6 minutes to play. But the Lady Hornets shut Malone down in the final minutes and came away with the 13 point victory. Shaunte Forward led Cottondale with 10 points while Breanna Laster led Malone with 11.
In boys JV action it was a close battle but Cottondale hung on for a four point victory over Malone.

Chipola On Top Halfway Through Conference Schedule 1/29/09

By Clint Cox

The Chipola College men’s and women’s basketball squads reached the midpoint of the Panhandle Conference schedule this past Tuesday night when they hosted Gulf Coast Community College. And with a clean sweep of the visitors both squads are in first place in the Panhandle Conference.
In women’s action the Lady Indians posted a 68-42 win over the Lady Commodores. Chipola jumped out to an early lead but then saw Gulf Coast pull to within 5 points (45-40) midway through the second half. The Lady Indians then reeled off 21 unanswered points to seal the victory. Latoya Williams led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The win against Gulf Coast followed a 62-46 win over the Lady Eagles of Tallahassee Community College last Saturday night. Latoya Williams led the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Pearl Johnson followed with 11 points while Lenita Sanford added 9 points and 12 rebounds. The Lady Indians are now 20-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play. They are ranked #2 in the state and #7 in the nation.
In men’s action Chipola dominated the Commodores by jumping out to a 39-14 lead at the half. From there they cruised to an 83-46 win as Casey Mitchell led the way with 19 points. Gary Flowers followed with 16, Justin Brownlee added 13 and Torye Pelham chipped in 11.
Certainly the most thrilling game of the season for the Indians occurred last Saturday night in Tallahassee with the Indians pulling out an 86-81 overtime win. Chipola led at the half 34-26 but Tallahassee stormed back in the second half to take the lead. They led by 3 with seconds to play when Malcolm Armstead hit a three pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Indians then pulled away from the Eagles in overtime to take the five point win. Mitchell had a record breaking night as he hit 25 straight free throws to lead the Indians with 37 points. After making 25 of 25 free throws Mitchell missed his last free throw of the night to finish 25-26. Three other Indians were in double figures led by Brownlee with 13, Flowers 11 and Armstead with 10.
The Indians now stand at 22-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play. They remain ranked #1 in the state and #1 in the nation. Both squads will be back in action on Saturday when they play host to Northwest Florida State College.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Bainbridge Raids Marianna

By Ryan Riley
Georgia Basketball Teams Dominate
On Friday night Bainbridge came to town in Marianna. They came ready to play basketball. It started with their Junior Varsity squad racing away from the Marianna Junior Varsity with an easy victory. Prior to that game, the Junior Varsity squad had only lost one game.
Then came the Varsity game. It was the same story, only more embarrassing.
From the onset, the Marianna squad which has all season been able to out run, out score almost anyone they encountered, met their match. Marianna was unable to match the blistering speed of the Bainbridge Bearcat squad.
Marianna pretty well matched them goal for goal during the first period. Then it appeared that someone had put a clear, plastic lid over the Marianna goal during the second period. They only scored two points during the entire second period, while Bainbridge continued to run and gun. The score at half time was 32 -12, Bainbridge on top.
The third and fourth quarters were still dominated by the speedy Georgians, but the hard fighting Marianna squad managed to close the gap to only ten points at the end of the game. Marianna suffered a 64-52 defeat.
Marianna’s top scorers were Tre Long with 19, C.J. Blount (who fouled out) 12, and R.J. Bowers with 10.

Bulldogs Down Pirates

By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bulldogs captured two wins in Sneads as both the varsity and junior varsity squads brought home victories over the Pirates. In varsity action the Bulldogs posted a 61-40 win as Kruise Pinkins led the squad with 18 points. Marianna led by three points (15-12) after the first quarter and then expanded that led to 10 points during the second quarter. Sneads was held to just one point for more than half the quarter but then mounted a rally and trailed 23-18 at the half. In the third quarter Marianna began to pull away from the Pirates as R.J. Bowers hit a 3 pointer to make 28-20. C.J. Blount then recorded back to back buckets and the Bulldog lead swelled to 35-20. The Pirates on the scoring of Justin Neel and Terrance Pittman mounted a small rally to cut it to a 11 point game before Marianna hit a couple of shots and led 44-30 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Marianna outscored Sneads 17-10 to secure the 19 point victory. Marianna, now 15-6 on the season, also got 13 points from C.J. Blount and 8 points from R.J. Bowers. Sneads, which fell to 11-8 on the year, was led by Justin Neel with 14 points and Allen Patterson with 8.
In junior varsity action two of the county’s better JV squads squared off as entering the contest the JV Bulldogs and JV Pirates had a combined record of 30 wins and just 3 losses. Marianna jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and then led 28-12 at the half. Sneads battled back in the second half though and cut the Bulldog lead to 10 points going into the final quarter. The JV Pirates kept up their rally but it came up a little short as Marianna prevailed 49-46. Marianna, which improved to 17-2 on the season, was led by Tre Pringley with 11 and Tre Jackson with 8. Sneads, which fell to 14-2 (both losses to Marianna), was led by Darryl Johnson with 16, Will Holmes with 13 and John Whittington with 10.

Hornets Edge Pirates

By Clint Cox
COTTONDALE – It was a typical Jackson County battle last Friday night at "The Hive" but the Cottondale Hornets came out on top with a 56-49 district win over the visiting Sneads Pirates. The Pirates managed to take a 29-25 halftime lead and then pushed that lead to as many as 7 points in the third quarter. Cottondale rallied to tie the game late in the third quarter but Sneads fired right back and took a five point lead going into the final quarter. Cottondale quickly tied the game early in the fourth quarter and took the lead. Sneads re-claimed the lead momentarily but the Hornets grabbed it right back and never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the game.
Cottondale improved to 11-8 overall and 4-2 in district play and were led by Terry Benbow with 11 points and Jacob Herring with 10. Sneads fell to 11-6 overall and 5-2 in district play. They were led by John Locke with 10 points.

Randa Hickman Becomes Lady Commodore

Randa Hickman, a 4 year member of the Marianna High School Volleyball team, signed a scholarship to play for Gulf Coast Community College beginning in the Fall 2009. The signing occurred Friday (January 16) at the MHS Media Center in front of family, friends, teachers, and fellow student-athletes.
Randa helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 19-7 record in 2008 and a district championship, the team’s first in eleven years. She led the team in blocks and was second in kills behind Jordan Sognalia, who signed in December to play for Pensacola Jr. College next fall. Randa played middle blocker for Marianna, but may move to outside hitter for Coach Bedford’s Lady Commodores.
Randa’s workouts at Gulf Coast begin in May 2009 in preparation for the fall season. She is currently working on her game with the Deep South U-18 team.
Randa follows in her older sister Kenna’s footsteps by taking her game to the next level. Kenna is currently at Thomas University on a softball scholarship. The girls, and their sister Marti, are the daughters of Roy and Vicki Baker of Marianna.

Chipola Wins Two Over Pensacola

By Clint Cox
MARIANNA - The Chipola Lady Indians and Indians basketball squads swept the visiting Pirates of Pensacola Junior College last Saturday night at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. In the first game of the night Ashlie Billingslea’s running jump shot at the final buzzer of overtime propelled the Lady Indians to a 49-47 victory over the Lady Pirates. Pensacola, which entered the contest unbeaten in conference play, tied at 47-47 with six seconds to play when Billingslea took control and made the game winning shot. Head Coach David Lane was pleased with the win. "We didn’t shoot the ball that well but it was a very gutty effort tonight. We outrebounded them 51-37 and I just thought it was a solid team effort that got us the win," commented Lane. Chipola trailed 26-20 at the half and were tied 42-42 at the end of regulation. Latoya Williams led the way with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Jamia Aikens followed with 12 points and Billingslea chipped in 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assist. Chipola, ranked #2 in the state and #8 in the nation, improved to 18-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play. That 3-1 record places them in a three way tie for first place with Pensacola and Gulf Coast.
In the night capper the Chipola Men cruised to a huge 30 point win over the Pirates. Casey Mitchell led the way with 22 points and Justin Brownlee added 14 points. Jeremy Jacob rounded out the Indians in double figures with 14 points. Head Coach Greg Heiar pointed out the play of two Indians that also were key to their victory. Gary Flowers only scored 7 points but he grabbed 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Add to that 8 assist and 5 blocked shots and Flowers had a huge impact on the game. Malcom Armstead also was noted as not scoring a lot of points (2 points) but the point guard steered the Indian offense by dishing out 7 assists and having no turnovers. The Indians, ranked #1 in the nation and state, improved to 20-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Both the men and women will be on the road this Saturday when they play at Tallahassee Community College.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Kindel Lanes Weekly Bowling Report

1/12/09 - Monday Night Hi Rollers

Wins Losses
1) Now What 55.5 20.5
2) Jackson’s BP 49 27
3) Mary Child Care 46.5 29.5
4) The Paddock Club 37 38
5) Cottondale PD 31 45
6) Adams Funeral Home 31 45
7) All in the Family 29 47
8) Kindel Lanes 24 52


High Team Game: Now What - 996
High Team Series: Now What - 2768

High Game Female: Amie Kain - 225
High Game Male: Aaron Walker - 225

High Series Female: Amie Kain - 548
High Series Male : Aaron Walker - 661

1/13/2009 - Tuesday Morning Coffee League

Wins Losses
1) Hopkins 52.5 31.5
2) Family Dentistry 47.5 36.5
3) Marianna Animal 46 38
4) James & Sikes 44.5 39.5
5) Pacers 43.5 40.5
6)Gazebo 42.5 41.5
7)1001 Uses 42 41
8) Champion Tile 40 44
9) Davis Optometry 36.5 47.5
10) Vacancy 6 78

High Team Game: 1001 Uses - 984
High Team Series: 1001 Uses - 2681

High Game Female: Cheryl Gaffaney - 207
High Game Male: Jeff Kindelspire - 235

High Series Female: Cheryl Gaffaney - 521
High Series Male : Jeff Kindelspire - 641


1/13/09 - Tuesday Night Mixed

Wins Losses
1) Allstate 60 24
2) Our Gang 46 38
3) Ralph Shelton Realty 45 39
4) Backwoods Bowlers 44.5 39.5
5)Precision 42 42
6) SCBC 38 46
7) Sonny’s BBQ 35.5 48.5
8) Foursome 29 55


High Team Game: Sonny’s BBQ 998
High Team Series: Ralph Shelton Realty - 2687

High Game Female: Shirley Watts - 242
High Game Male: Harm Watts - 276

High Series Female: Shirley Watts - 645
High Series Male : Christian Clayton - 715


01//14/2009 - WEDNESDAY NIGHT MIXED

Wins Losses
01.) Seminole Lodge 50 26
02.) Rewood Bay/Hinson House 46.5 29.5
03.) Meghan & Her Guys 46.5 29.5
04.) Marianna Toyota 46.5 29.5
05.) Mercer Law Offices 40.5 35.5
06.) Mr. Bingo 38 38
07.)Hollis Body Shop 36 40
08.) DBBLL Trouble 35 41
09.) Barely Bowlers 35 41
10.) Wal-Mart 35 41
11.) Nailport Express 30.5 45.5
12.) Perfection’s Detail n Wash 16.5 59.5


High Team Game: Marianna Toyota - 1193
High Team Series: Marianna Toyota - 3473

High Game Female: Kelly Davis - 233
High Game Male: Jack Townsell - 300

High Series Female:Kelly Davis - 591
High Series Male: Jack Townsell - 780

1/15/2009 - Chipola League

Wins Losses
1)Marianna Truss 44 28
2) Marianna Office 40.5 32
3) Al’s Team 40 31.5
4) Bryant’s BP 31 41
5) Redwood Bay 31 44
6) Smith’s Supermarket 27.5 44.5

High Team Game: Marianna Office Supply - 1169
High Team Series: Al’s Team - 3372

High Series Female: LuAnn Kindelspire - 532
High Series Male: Al Pumphrey - 694

High Game Female: LuAnn Kindelspire - 190
High Game Male: Al Pumphrey - 257

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Hornets Beat Tigers 1/15/09

By Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Graceville last Friday night and beat their arch rivals 55-40. The Tigers hung close early on and the game was tied at 8-8 midway through the first quarter. But the Hornets went on a 8-3 run and lead 16-11 at the end of the first quarter. The Hornets continued their hot shooting with a 5-0 run to start the second quarter. Graceville closed the gap and trailed by just two points before the Hornets went on another run, this time scoring 7 unanswered points. Cottondale led 28-19 at the half.
The second half was more runs as Cottondale opened up the third quarter with 7 straight points. Graceville cut the Hornet lead to 11 late in the third quarter but that was as close as they could come. Cottondale went on to close out the fourth quarter and post a 15 point victory. Cottondale was led by Terry Benbow with 17 points and Marcus Humose with 15. Graceville was led by Camerson Dozier with 14 points and Gabriel Best with 9.

Graceville Avenges Earlier Loss to Lady Hornets 1/15/09

By Clint Cox
The Graceville Lady Tigers had only lost two games this season entering last Thursday’s road game at Cottondale. One of those two losses was to the Lady Hornets. Graceville avenged that earlier loss with a barn burning 50-49 win over the Lady Hornets. Graceville was paced early on by Alyssa Hogans with 8 points while Cottondale’s Shaunte Forward pumped in 6 points. Graceville held an 18-11 lead after one quarter. Forward sparked a Cottondale rally in the second quarter to narrow the gap but Graceville still held a 31-26 lead at the half. The third quarter was all Cottondale as the Lady Hornets outscored Graceville 13-5 and took a 39-36 lead going into the fourth quarter. With five minutes to play in the game Graceville still trailed by five points. Jessica McClendon grabbed a rebound and scored for the Lady Tigers to make it a two point game. Mychea Williams bucket with two minutes to play tied the game at 46-46. Shanae Dickens drilled a 3 pointer for Cottondale to give them a 49-46 lead with just over a minute to play. The final minute however belonged to Graceville as Williams gave the Lady Tigers a one point lead with 30 seconds to play. The Lady Hornets had several opportunities to reclaim the lead but could not muster a bucket.
Cottondale, which fell to 14-5, was led by Forward with 15 and Dickens with 10. Graceville was led by McClendon with 14 points and Williams with 9. The Lady Tigers followed that win with a Friday night 55-28 win over Poplar Springs. Alyssa Hogans had 13 points and Ashley Hogans had 11 as the Lady Tigers improved to 14-2 on the season.

Sneads High School Receives Outstanding Achievement Award 1/15/09

By Clint Cox
The Sneads High School varsity cheerleaders recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award from Universal Cheerleaders Association and Varsity Brand Fashions as part of the 2008 American School Spirit Awards program. A national awards recognition program, the American School Spirit Awards are given each year to recognize those squads who show exemplary character, spirit raising ideas, community service projects and academic success. The SHS varsity cheerleaders were nominated by their coach, Rhianna Dowling and were also recommended for the award by SHS Principal Laurence Pender, SHS athletic director Zane Walden, and Jackson County School Board member Charlotte Gardner. These nine girls have been extremely busy this school year improving the environment at all athletic events, promoting community service activities, and much more. Members of the squad include Michelle Schouest (captain), Maya Capehart (co-captain), Ashleigh Lollie, Courtney Wall, Meredith Plash, Angelica Rodriguez, Emily Cain, Haley Bennett, and Elizabeth Thomas.

Pirates Split With Tigers & Wildcats 1/15/09

By Clint Cox
The Sneads Pirates split in a pair of games last week with a couple of Calhoun County squads. On Thursday night they traveled to Blountstown and fell 50-46 to the Tigers. The Pirates held a slim 24-22 lead at the half and the game was tied 33-33 going into the final quarter. The Tigers prevailed by outscoring the Pirates 17-13 in that final quarter. John Locke led the way with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Neel followed with 13 points as well and Sherrick Williams added 8 points.
On Friday night the Pirates hosted the Wildcats of Altha and came away with a 70-51 win. Williams led Sneads with 22 points and Neel added 13. Sneads improved to 10-5 on the season and 4-1 in district play. They traveled to Panama City on Tuesday to take on Bozeman. Results of that contest were not available at press time. The Pirates will be back in action Friday night when they travel to Cottondale to take on the Hornets.

#1 Indians Victorious Over #6 Raiders; Lady Indians Win As Well 1/15/09

By Clint Cox
NICEVILLE - Saturday’s heavyweight match-up between two of the most talented programs in the country lived up to its billing, but when the dust finally settled, it was the No. 1 Chipola Indians that walked out of Raider Gym with the key win.
The #1 ranked team in the country, Chipola knocked off #6 Northwest Florida State College men’s basketball team fell to 69-60 Saturday in a tight, hard-fought contest that came down to the game’s final few possessions. It was the Raiders’ fourth loss to Chipola in their last five meetings stretching back to last season, but it was the Indians’ first win at NW Florida in their previous three tries.
The raucous standing room only crowd witnessed a game oozing in story lines, athleticism and postseason potential and one that the Raiders had in hand until the game’s final minutes.
After trailing for nearly the entire contest - at times by as many as 10 points in the second half - the Indians made a critical 13-2 run with just minutes left that proved to be the difference. Chipola’s Malcolm Armstead knocked down a 3-pointer with just over a minute to go to bring the Indian lead to seven and end any real threat from the Raiders.
"Malcolm and Flowers were tremendous for us tonight. They were the key to us winning by the leadership they showed on the court, "Chipola coach Greg Heiar said.
Coach Heiar said, "We told the guys in the locker room that it was going to be a game of runs. We are fortunate that we made the last run to win the game."
Davis and Casey Mitchell - the respective showstoppers for the Raiders and Indians - were kept relatively quiet in the first half, scoring just six points apiece. But even with defensive stopper Sam Goodman in foul trouble for most of the evening, the Raiders managed to bottle up the Panhandle Conference’s second-leading scorer, holding Mitchell to just 10 points. Davis, meanwhile, shook off the quiet start to hit four 3-pointers in the second half.
The turnout for the Indian faithful was overwhelming. "I am extremely proud of our fan support tonight. This is what truly makes Chipola a special place, "said coach Heiar.
The Indians return to action Wednesday night, when they traveled to Panama City to take on Gulf Coast Community College for sole possession lead in the Panhandle Conference standings. Results of that contest were not available at press time.
In ladies action #7 Chipola hammered the #13 ranked Lady Raiders by a score of 63-33. Latoya Williams led the way with 18 points, Sequoya Griffin followed with 10 and Ashlie Billingslea chipped in 9 points. The win improved the Lady Indians to 2-0 in conference play and set up another big contest with Gulf Coast on Wednesday night.
Both men’s and women’s squads will be back at home Saturday night against Pensacola Junior College.

Marianna Takes Three From Malone 1/15/09

By Clint Cox
Malone traveled to Marianna on Tuesday night with three games on the table as the girl’s varsity, boy’s junior varsity and boy’s varsity all hit the hardwoods. Marianna swept all three contest from the visiting Tigers
In Girls Varsity action the Lady Bulldogs took a 13-11 lead after the first quarter. Marianna was led by Teira Butler with 6 points and Christina Wynn with 5. Malone was paced by Vanessa Olds with 6 points and Latosha Hall with 5 points. Marianna outscored the Lady Tigers 13-6 in the second quarter to take a 26-17 halftime lead. The third quarter was more of the same as Marianna led 41-25 at the end of the quarter. The fourth quarter was evenly played but the Lady Tigers could not muster a rally and fell by 15 points. Marianna, which improved to 7-7 on the season, was led by Wynn with 16 points and Butler with 10. Malone was led by Olds with 16 and Hall with 13.
In Boys Varsity action C.J. Blount exploded for 12 first quarter points to propel the Bulldogs to a 21-12 first quarter lead. Kruise Pinkins added 6 points for the Bulldogs in the opening quarter. Malone battled back in the second quarter as Ladarius McElroy’s bucket cut the Bulldog lead to five at 23-16. But Marianna reeled off 7 unanswered points and then had an 11-2 run. At the half Marianna led 34-22. The third quarter was a closer contest as Marianna outscored Malone 13-10 to take a 47-32 lead. Malone kept battling in the final quarter but Marianna prevailed with a 71-57 win.
Marianna was led on the evening by Blount with 29 points. Pinkins added 16 points and Tre Long chipped in 10 points. Malone, which fell to 8-7, was led by McElroy with 13 points while Mike Peak followed with 12 and Marceil Clemons added 11.
The Bulldog win followed a 66-53 district win for Marianna on Friday night over Holmes County. The Bulldogs led 13-12 at the end of the first quarter and were tied 27-27 at the half. Marianna broke open the game in the third quarter and went on to win by 13 points. R.J. Bowers had a big night as he pumped in 24 points, including four three pointers. Three other Bulldogs were in double figures as Kruise Pinkins hit 14, C.J. Blount added 12 and Tre Long chipped in 11. Marianna’s record now stands at 14-5 on the season and 3-0 in district play.
In boys junior varsity action Marianna jumped out to a big lead early and went on to lead by as many as 20 points. The Tigers closed the gap late in the game as the Bulldogs emptied the bench but Marianna prevailed 61-50. Marianna, which improved to 15-1, was led by Kendall Leeks with 16 points and Tre Jackson with 11. Chai Baker led Malone with 16 while Andre Rodgers added 14.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Malone Tiger Basketball Update 1/8/09

By Ryan Maloney
Saturday (12/27/08), the Malone Tigers were a part of the Downtown Dothan Hoops Classic as they were matched up against the Dothan Tigers. It is the only tournament Malone takes part in which they are broadcasted on television. Unfortunately, for Malone, the viewing audience saw a Tigers victory, just a Dothan Tigers victory. How can I put this? Malone played their tails off against a talented Dothan team, but they didn’t play tough.
The game against Dothan was full of Dothan Tigers and offensive rebounds. Dothan was much bigger than Malone, but Malone had the speed advantage. In fact, the television broadcasters were saying they were getting tired of just watching Malone running up and down the floor, referring to Malone’s quickness. But at half the game was Dothan 31 and Malone 27 and had been a fun game to watch at that point. After that though it went downhill. Dothan got the ball in the post seemingly every possession and scored or either missed in the post got the rebound and scored. Malone out-hustled Dothan but Malone gave up lay-up after lay-up after lay-up. Malone was eliminated after the first game in the Civic Center 77-61. T.J Smith led Malone with 20 pts and Ladarius McElroy finished with 11 pts. Their stay in the Dothan Downtown Hoops Classic was short-lived

Lady Tigers Rally For Win Over Marianna 1/8/09

By Clint Cox
The Graceville Lady Tigers broke open a close game in the third quarter and went on to a 51-36 win over Marianna on Monday night. Graceville was paced by Mychea Williams with 14 points on the evening. Tamera Lee and Cayla Walker followed with 8 points each for the Lady Tigers.
Graceville jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before Marianna began to battle back. Marianna outscored Graceville 5-2 in the closing moments of the first quarter and trailed 9-5 going into the second quarter. The Lady Bulldogs continued their run at Graceville and a bucket by Wynetta Collins gave Marianna a 14-13 lead midway through the second quarter. The teams traded baskets and the lead as Graceville reclaimed the lead, only to see Marianna’s Shamiqua Davies hit a 3 pointer and then Niesha Butler hit a basket at the first half buzzer to give Marianna a 19-16 lead at the half.
The Lady Tigers battled right back in the second half and tied the game at 19-19. Marianna then surged to a 5 point lead on a 3 pointer from Collins. From that moment though the entire momentum took a huge swing toward Graceville as the Lady Tigers went on a 15-0 run. Graceville held a 34-24 lead going into the final quarter and expanded their lead to as many as 15 points. Marianna made one more run at the Lady Tigers and managed to cut the led to as few as 10 points with three minutes to play. Graceville responded by reeling off 8 straight points to kill the Lady Bulldog’s attempt at a comeback.
Graceville improved to 12-2 on the season and will next prepare for a big matchup on Friday night when they play at Cottondale. The Lady Hornets gave the Lady Tigers one of their two defeats this season. Marianna was led on the night by Butler with 12 points and Davies with 10 points.

Pirates Notch Two Wins 1/8/09

By Clint Cox
The Sneads Pirates kicked off the New Year with back to back wins this past Friday and Saturday night. On Friday night they traveled to Vernon and swatted the Yellow Jackets 60-31. They jumped out to an early 16-4 lead in the first quarter and then led 34-14 at the half. From there the Pirates sailed on to a 29 point victory. Justin Neel led the way with 19 points while Allen Patterson followed with 15.
On Saturday night the Pirates hosted their arch rivals, the West Gadsden Panthers, and came away with an 80-71 victory. Sneads led 18-11 at the end of the first quarter but then saw the Panthers catch fire in the second quarter. West Gadsden roared back to outscore Sneads 24-14 in the second quarter and held a 35-32 lead at the half. The Pirates turned the tables though in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 21-12 and took a 53- 47 lead into the final quarter. Sneads held off the Panthers in that final quarter to post the 9 point win. Neel had the hot hand again, racking up 32 points on the night. Patterson and John Locke followed with 15 points each.
Sneads improved to 9-4 on the season and 3-0 in district play. They will be back in district action Thursday night as they play at Blountstown.

Bulldogs Beat Tigers 1/8/09

By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bulldogs placed four players in double figures as they beat the visiting Graceville Tigers in boys basketball action Tuesday night in Marianna. Kruise Penkins led the way with 22 points and was followed closely by C.J. Blount with 17 points. Tre Long added 11 and R.J. Bowers chipped in 10 points as well.
The Tigers hung close with Marianna during the first quarter as Gabriel Best hit 6 points. Marianna held a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter however was all Marianna as Blount and Penkins combined for 14 points. The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 22-7 in the quarter to take a 35-17 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw the Bulldogs lead by as many as 20 points but Graceville continue to battle and cut the Bulldog lead to 49-35 at the beginning of the final quarter. With five minutes to play in the fourth quarter Graceville cut the Bulldog’s lead down to 12 points at 56-44. But from there the Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 9-5 to take the 16 point victory.
With the win the Bulldogs improved to 12-5 on the season. They were slated to take on Holmes County on Thursday night in Marianna however that game has been moved to Friday night. The game will still take place in Marianna at the same game times as previously scheduled.
Graceville was led on the night by Cameron Dozier with 14 points. Travis Myrick hit 11 points and Best added 10 on the night. In JV action Marianna downed Graceville 50-37 as Jackson led Marianna with 13 points and Kevin Potts led Graceville with 10 points.

Chipola Takes Two in Conference Opener 1/8/09

By Clint Cox
MARIANNA – The Chipola Men’s and Women’s basketball squads opened up the 2008-09 Panhandle Conference season with a sweep of the visiting Eagles of Tallahassee Community College last Saturday night at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
The Chipola Lady Indians, ranked #2 in the state and #8 in the nation, posted a 51-38 win over Tallahassee. Head Coach David Lane acknowledged that the win was very pretty, but was glad to open up conference play with a win. "We struggled offensively. We just never seem to be able to get any offensive rhythm going. But I thought we played well defensively and anytime you can get a conference win you’ll take it," said Lane. The Lady Indians shot just 23% from the field in the first half and held a slim 22-19 lead at the half. Their second half performance offensively was only little better as they finished the night shooting 28% from the field. Tallahassee managed to tie the game at 27-27 before Billingslea broke the tie with a 3 pointer. That sparked a 10-2 run by the Lady Indians and pushed their lead to 45-32.
Carolyn Mills came off the bench in the first half to provide some offensive spark and with 5 straight points gave the Lady Indians the lead. Ashlie Billingslea provided some offensive spark in the second half with 7 of her 9 points on the night. Latoya Williams was held scoreless much of the first half but came back to finish the night with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Other leading scorers for the Lady Indians were Sequoyah Griffin and Lenita Sanford, with each chipping in 8 points. With the win the Lady Indians improved to 1-0 in conference play and 16-2 overall.
The Chipola Indians, ranked #1 in the state and #1 in the nation, racked up a 75-48 win over the Eagles. Somewhat like the ladies, the men got off to a slow start offensively. But late in the first half they scored 9 unanswered points to take a 31-20 half time lead. They carried that momentum into the second half, outscoring the Eagles 45-28 to pull away from the visitors. Casey Mitchell’s 3 pointer four minutes into the second half capped an 8-0 run that propelled the Indians to a 20 point lead. From there they never looked back and went on to post the 27 point victory.
"I thought we got very poor play from our guards in the first half," said Head Coach Greg Heiar. "I challenged the squad at the half to come out and take control of the game. I feel like they did and I am proud of how they responded," commented Heiar. Tallahassee made one late run at the Indians, cutting the lead to 16. But Chipola responded with 13 unanswered points to squash the Eagles attempt at a rally.
Mitchell led the Indians with 21 points while Jeremy Jacob followed with 17 and Josh Sain added 11. The men’s squad improved to 1-0 in conference play and 17-1 overall. They have now won 16 straight ball games since an early season loss.
Both the women’s and men’s squads will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Niceville to take on Northwest Florida State College (formerly known as Okaloosa Walton College).