Thursday, December 31, 2009

Marianna JV Wins Godby Christmas Tournament

The Junior Varsity squad traveled to Tallahassee to participate in the Godby Christmas Junior Varsity Tournament last week. They proved they are a force to be reckoned with when they defeated Tallahassee Chiles 53 to 47 in a hard fought championship game Wednesday evening. They brought the first place trophy back to Marianna with them.

The widest margin during the entire game was seven points, as the evenly matched teams fought it out. Marianna led most of the time, except for a short duration during the third period when Chiles took a five point lead.

Individual scoring for Marianna in the Championship Game was:

Royster 14

Batson 13

Granbury 10

Bowers 10

Riley 4

Barnes 2

Congratulations to the Champs!!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Malone Pounds Pirates

By Clint Cox

The Malone Tigers shot out of the gates like a cannon on Tuesday night as they played host to the Pirates of Sneads in boy’s basketball action. Malone could not miss as T.J. Smith was his usual scoring threat and Sneads could not buy a basket. The end result was a Tiger 71-44 victory. Sneads scored just seven points in each of the first two quarters. Meanwhile Malone was blistering the nets for 21 points in the first quarter and 17 in the second. Malone held a 38-14 lead at the half.

Sneads came out in the second half and somewhat found their shooting touch as they managed to outscore Malone 20-13 in the third quarter. Will Holmes hit back to back 3 pointers for the Pirates to cut the Tiger lead to 17 points going into the final quarter. But Malone killed any hopes of a Pirate rally as they turned their flamethrowers back on to outscore Sneads 20-10 in the final quarter of play.

Malone, which improved to 10-2 on the season, was led by T.J. Smith with 25 points and Marcus Leonard with 12 points. Sneads, which fell to 7-4 on the year, was led by Holmes with 11 points and Josh Rogers with 10.

Hornets Rally For Win Over Tigers

By Clint Cox

The Cottondale Hornets trailed for most of the game last Friday night in Graceville but rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out a 57-50 win over the Tigers. Marcus Humose led the Hornets with 28 points while Cameron Dozier led the Tigers with 22 points.

Cottondale jumped out to an early 7-2 lead but Graceville heated up and tied the game at 7-7 on a basket by Kevin Potts. Cameron and C.J. Dozier each hit a bucket to give Graceville a 11-7 lead after one quarter of play. The Tigers went up by as many as 10 points in the second quarter as a 3 pointer from C.J. Dozier put them up 17-7. Cameron Dozier kept firing as well and hit 10 second quarter points to give the Tigers a 29-22 lead at the half. Humose hit 7 points in the quarter to keep the Hornets within striking distance.

The third quarter was much the same as Graceville kept up the offensive pressure and took a 6 point lead into the final quarter. Craig Myrick gave the Tigers a 9 point lead two minutes into the fourth quarter and that is when the whole evening changed for both squads. Cottondale caught fire and Graceville went ice cold. The result was a 17-1 run in the Hornets favor as Graceville was unable to make a field goal in the last six minutes of the game. A single free throw was their lone point for the remainder of the game.

Marianna Crushes Crusaders By Clint Cox

Pensacola Catholic rolled into Marianna this past Saturday night and when they left they were 0-3 on the the basketball court. The Marianna Lady Bulldogs picked up an exciting two point win over the Lady Crusaders. Marianna led most of the game but the Lady Crusaders mounted a furious fourth quarter rally to pull within two points. But the Lady Bulldogs hung on for a 39-37 victory. Sharae Williams led the ladies in scoring.

In Junior Varsity boys action the Bulldogs pulled off an even closer win as Marianna won 39-38. It was a one point game after the first quarter but Marianna led by 8 at the half and by 7 going into the fourth quarter. The junior Crusaders mounted their own rally but came up one point short. Marianna was led by Qua Royster with 17 points and D.J. Granberry with 9 points.

While the first two games were nail biters, the night capper was anything but a nail biter as the varsity boys demolished the Crusaders. Marianna was red hot on offense and the Crusaders were ice cold. Marianna led 21-2 at the end of the first quarter and 31-4 at the half. Pensacola Catholic finally got a few baskets in the third quarter but Marianna still led big, 47-19, going into the final quarter. When the dust settled Marianna had posted a 62-27 district win over the Crusaders. Kruize Pinkins led the way with 15 points while R.J. Bowers and Tommy Stephens each chipped in 8 points.

Marianna played host to the Marlins of Arnold on Tuesday and posted a 30 win over the Bay County visitors. With that win the Bulldogs improved to 9-1 on the season.

Marianna Crushes Crusaders By Clint Cox

Pensacola Catholic rolled into Marianna this past Saturday night and when they left they were 0-3 on the the basketball court. The Marianna Lady Bulldogs picked up an exciting two point win over the Lady Crusaders. Marianna led most of the game but the Lady Crusaders mounted a furious fourth quarter rally to pull within two points. But the Lady Bulldogs hung on for a 39-37 victory. Sharae Williams led the ladies in scoring.

In Junior Varsity boys action the Bulldogs pulled off an even closer win as Marianna won 39-38. It was a one point game after the first quarter but Marianna led by 8 at the half and by 7 going into the fourth quarter. The junior Crusaders mounted their own rally but came up one point short. Marianna was led by Qua Royster with 17 points and D.J. Granberry with 9 points.

While the first two games were nail biters, the night capper was anything but a nail biter as the varsity boys demolished the Crusaders. Marianna was red hot on offense and the Crusaders were ice cold. Marianna led 21-2 at the end of the first quarter and 31-4 at the half. Pensacola Catholic finally got a few baskets in the third quarter but Marianna still led big, 47-19, going into the final quarter. When the dust settled Marianna had posted a 62-27 district win over the Crusaders. Kruize Pinkins led the way with 15 points while R.J. Bowers and Tommy Stephens each chipped in 8 points.

Marianna played host to the Marlins of Arnold on Tuesday and posted a 30 win over the Bay County visitors. With that win the Bulldogs improved to 9-1 on the season.

Marianna Recreation Department 2010 YOUTH BASKETBALL REGISTRATION DATES:

DECEMBER 14th - JANUARY 7th.

8:00AM TO 4:00PM

Forms may be picked up at City Hall.



REGISTRATION FEE IS: $30 for Marianna residents and $45 for participants outside the city limits of Marianna.

PEE WEE BASKETBALL

1. Ages are 5 to 7 years old

JUNIOR BASKETBALL

1. Ages are 11 to 13 years old

2. Tryouts will be Jan 9th@ 11:30am

MIDGET BASKETBALLBALL

1. Ages are 8 to 10 years old

2. Tryouts will be Jan 9th @10:00 am

EACH PARTICIPANT MUST BRING

1. A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER! NO CASH PLEASE!

2. A COPY OF YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE!

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM AND BRING TO THE MERE ON CAVERNS ROAD OR DROPPED OFF AT CITY HALL.



RECREATION DIRECTOR - CLAY WELLS -

JEFF FAIRCLOTH & JERHRON CLEMMONS - ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

PHONE # 482-6228 FAX #482-2139

Visit http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=mrd to fill out the registration form

2009- 10 College Football Bowl Schedule

Poinsettia Bowl: Dec. 23

Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4), 8 P.M. in San Diego (ESPN)

Hawaii Bowl: Dec. 24

SMU (7-5) vs. Nevada (8-4), 8 P.M. in Honolulu (ESPN)

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Dec. 26

Ohio (9-4) vs. Marshall (6-6), 1P.M. in Detroit (ESPN)

Meineke Bowl: Dec. 26

North Carolina (8-4) vs. Pittsburg (9-3), 4:30P.M.
in Charlotte, North Carolina (ESPN)

Emerald Bowl: Dec. 26

Southern Cal (8-4) vs. Boston College (8-4), 8P.M.
in San Francisco (ESPN)

Music City Bowl: Dec. 27

Clemson (8-5) vs. Kentucky (7-5), 8P.M.
in Nashville, Tennessee

Independence Bowl: Dec. 28

Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5), 5P.M.
in Shreveport, Louisiana (ESPN)

Eagle Bank Bowl: Dec. 29
Temple (9-3) vs. UCLA (6-6), 4:30P.M.
in Washington (ESPN)

Champs Sports Bowl: Dec. 29

Miami (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3), 8P.M. in Orlando (ESPN)

Humanitarian Bowl: Dec. 30

Bowling Green (7-5) vs. Idaho (7-5), 4:30P.M.
in Boise, Idaho (ESPN)

Holiday Bowl: Dec. 30

Nebraska (9-4) vs. Arizona (8-4), 8P.M.
in San Diego (ESPN)

Sun Bowl: Dec. 31

Stanford (8-4) vs. Oklahoma (7-5), Noon
in El Paso, Texas (CBS)

Armed Forces Bowl: Dec. 31

Air Force (7-5) vs. Houston (10-3), Noon

in Forth Worth, Texas (ESPN)

Texas Bowl: Dec. 31

Missouri (8-4) vs. Navy (9-4), 3:30P.M. in Houston (ESPN)

Insight Bowl: Dec. 31

Minnesota (6-6) vs. Iowa State (6-6), 6P.M.
in Tempe, Arizona (NFL)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Dec. 31

Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. Tennessee (7-5), 7:30P.M.
in Atlanta (ESPN)

Outback Bowl: Jan. 1

Northwestern (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), 11A.M.

in Tampa (ESPN)

Capital One Bowl: Jan.1

Penn State (10-2) vs. LSU (9-3), 1P.M. in orlando (ABC)

Gator Bowl: Jan. 1

Florida State (6-6) vs. West Virginia (9-3), 1P.M.
in Jacksonville (CBS)

Rose Bowl: Jan. 1

Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2), 5P.M.
in Pasadena, California (ABC)

Sugar Bowl: Jan. 1

Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0), 8P.M.
in New Orleans (FOX)

International Bowl: Jan. 2

South Florida (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5), Noon
in Toronto (ESPN2)

Cotton Bowl: Jan. 2

Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Mississippi (8-4), 2P.M.
in Dallas (FOX)

PapaJohns.com Bowl: Jan. 2

Connecticut (7-5) vs. South Carolina (7-5), 2P.M.
in Birmingham, Alabama (ESPN)

Liberty Bowl: Jan. 2

EAST Carolina (9-4) vs. Arkansas (7-5), 5:30P.M.
in Memphis, Tennessee (ESPN)

Alamo Bowl: Jan. 2

Michigan State (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (8-4), 9P.M.
in San Antonio (ESPN)

Fiesta Bowl: Jan. 4

Boise State (13-0) vs. TCU (12-0), 8P.M.
in Glendale, Arizona (FOX)

Orange Bowl: Jan. 5

Iowa (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2), 8P.M.
in Miami (FOX)

GMAC Bowl: Jan. 6

Central Michigan (11-2) vs. Troy (9-3), 7P.M.

in Mobile, Alabama (ESPN)



BCS National Championship Bowl: Jan. 7

Alabama (13-0) vs. Texas (13-0), 8P.M.
in Pasadena, California (ABC)

High School Squads Take Part In Christmas Tournaments

By Clint Cox

Several of the Jackson County varsity high school teams will be taking part of various tournaments during the Christmas break. Two of the girl’s squads, both Lady Tigers, will see action during the break. Graceville has traveled to Orlando to take part in a tournament December 21-23rd. Results of their games were not available at press time. Malone will play in a tournament in Bethlehem on December 28th and 29th.

On the boys side of the street most of the teams will be in action. Bay High School will host their annual Bay Barnstorm Classic tournament in Panama City and will feature three teams from Jackson County. Cottondale, Marianna and Graceville will all head to Bay County to take part in this tournament that will begin on Monday the 28th . The Malone Tigers will make their annual pilgrimage to Dothan to take part in a tournament at the Dothan Civic Center. It begins on Saturday the 26th and runs through Wednesday the 30th.

Subway Classic A Hit With Fans

Area high school basketball fans were treated to some excellent basketball this past Saturday night at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. Chipola College hosted the First Annual Subway Panhandle High School Classic for boy’s varsity basketball squads from North Florida, South Alabama and South Georgia. Two Jackson County squads represented the home county and fared well.

The Malone Tigers took on Rutherford to tip off the Classic and set the high water mark for games to come. Fans were treated to more than two hours of hoops and a triple overtime 92-88 win by the Tigers over the Rams. It was a win by attrition for Malone as three Tigers fouled out during the game. But that gave an opportunity for some younger players to step up and step up they did. Ladarius McElroy finished the night with 19 points and Marcus Leonard was close behind with 18 points. Both hit shot after shot down the stretch to keep the Tigers in the game and eventually give them the win. Tiger gunner T.J. Smith though was his usual offensive juggarnault as he burned the nets for 31 points.

Malone trailed most of the game but stayed close down to the buzzer. At the end of regulation the game was tied at 65-65. Starter Maciel Clemmons had fouled out in the fourth quarter and Smith joined him on the bench with five fouls in the first overtime. But Malone didn’t fade away and were tied 70-70 at the end of the first overtime. In the second overtime Malone had chances to salt a win away but missed free throws kept the Rams close. The Rams took a late lead but McElroy’s three pointer with 25 seconds tied the game up at 79-79 and sent the game into the third overtime. Leonard led off the third OT with a 3 pointer and Ty Baker hit four crucial free throws to give Malone a 86-81 lead. The Rams got back within two points but Leonard sealed the game in the final seconds. After missing a free throw he grabbed the rebound and slammed home a crowd pleasing dunk to give Malone a four point lead with 15 seconds remaining.

The county’s other representative, the Cottondale Hornets, battled hard in game two against Godby but came up four points short in a 58-54 loss. Cottondale took an early lead on the shooting of Marcus Humose but the Cougars turned up the defensive pressure to slow down the Hornets. On the offensive end Godby heated up late in the quarter to take a 11-10 lead into quarter number two. Humose and Drew Bellamy keep the Hornets close and tied the game at 14-14. But the Cougars went on a run and outscored the Hornets 10-2 over the next four minutes to lead 24-16 with a minute remaining in the half. Cottondale kept fighting and Dominique Webb’s 3 pointer at the buzzer sent the Hornets to the locker rooms trailing 28-21 at the half.

The Hornets came out in the second half and quickly cut the Cougar lead to 3 points. Bellamy made it a one point game at 28-27 but the Cougars went back to the full court pressure and pulled away again. Godby took a 37-30 lead with two minutes to play in the third quarter and led 41-34 going into the final quarter. Humose started the fourth quarter by making four free throws to cut the Cougar lead back to 3 points. Cody Saye’s lay up put the Hornets within one point at 41-40 with just over six minutes to play. Godby pulled back out to a six point lead before Juwon Johnson’s basket and free throw cut it back to a three point game. Two free throws by Humose cut it back to 2 at 47-45 with 3 minutes to play. But like the rest of the night for the Hornets, each time they got close Godby pulled away. In the final three minutes of the game Godby pushed their lead up to 8 points but the Hornets fought back to within 3 points with 13 seconds left. But that was as close as they could get as Godby hung on for the win. Humose led the Hornets with 24 points on the night.

Chipola Hoops Update

The Chipola College basketball squads have been on break for a few days during the holidays. However the men will return to action next week as they travel to Panama City to take part in the Gulf Coast Classic. On Monday (28th) they will take on Georgia Perimeter and on Tuesday (29th) they will square off against Northwest Mississippi. The Indians are currently 11-1 and ranked #2 in the state behind Northwest Florida State College and #8 in the nation.

The Lady Indians are still on break and will be returning to action on January 2nd when they travel to Ocala to take on Central Florida. The Lady Indians are currently 9-6 on the season and ranked #8 in the state.

Both the men and women will begin play in the Panhandle Conference on January 9th when they host Gulf Coast at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.

Chipola Hoops Update

The Chipola College basketball squads have been on break for a few days during the holidays. However the men will return to action next week as they travel to Panama City to take part in the Gulf Coast Classic. On Monday (28th) they will take on Georgia Perimeter and on Tuesday (29th) they will square off against Northwest Mississippi. The Indians are currently 11-1 and ranked #2 in the state behind Northwest Florida State College and #8 in the nation.

The Lady Indians are still on break and will be returning to action on January 2nd when they travel to Ocala to take on Central Florida. The Lady Indians are currently 9-6 on the season and ranked #8 in the state.

Both the men and women will begin play in the Panhandle Conference on January 9th when they host Gulf Coast at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.

Bulldog Wrestlers Battle In Gulf Breeze

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bulldog wrestling team traveled to Gulf Breeze this past Saturday to take part in the Andrew Institute Invitational at Gulf Breeze High School. Two Bulldogs finished in the top three for their respective weight classes. Angel Candalaria (119 lbs.) went 3-1 and recorded three pins to finish in third place. Brandon “Rudy” Robinson also went 3-1 with 3 pins to finish in third place in the 152 weight class.

Brendan Ramsey, 135 weight class, picked up two wins on the day, one of which was by a pin. Several wrestlers recorded wins by pins on the day as well. Dylan Reed (189), Ren Stewart (145), Patrick Cox (140) and Blaine Hansford (130) all won a match by pinning their opponents. Other wrestlers for Marianna included Dalton Hendrix (160), Jay Phelps (125) and Chesten Goodman (112).

Marianna is coached by Barry Gardner and Ron Thoreson. The grapplers will be practicing through the holidays and return to action on January 9th at the Bay Invitational in Panama City.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

PUP FOOTBALL

Marianna Middle School Head Football Coach Hunter Nolen and his coaching staff were recognized this week by the Jackson County School board for their efforts in leading the Bullpups to an outstanding record of 29-1 in the past four years. From left to right are Jamie Godwin, Brad Cross, Hunter Nolen and Superintendent of Schools Lee Miller. Photo by Sid Riley

Malone Bites Graceville

By Clint Cox

It was a cat fight on Monday night in Graceville and the Malone Tigers pulled away from Graceville Tigers for an 87-65 win in boy’s varsity basketball action. The game featured two of the more prolific scorers in the county and they didn’t disappoint the fans. Graceville’s Cameron Dozier led all scorers with 33 points while T.J. Smith led Malone with 26 points.

Malone got balanced scoring in the first quarter as 7 different players scored to help Malone take a 22-12 lead. Graceville battled back in the second quarter as Dozier began to heat up. Graceville cut the Malone lead to 3 points on a couple of free throws by Dozier. But Smith fired right back with 5 straight points to push Malone’s lead back to 8 points. Dozier again got Graceville back, this time within 2, as he hit a 3 pointer to make it a 33-31 game with 15 seconds left in the half. But with 3 seconds remaining Chai Baker was sent to the free throw line for Malone. He missed the free throw but hustled to the basket and tipped in the ball to give Malone a 35-31 halftime lead.

In the second half Graceville hung close in the early stages. With five minutes left in the third quarter Graceville’s Craig Myrick hit a 3 pointer and then another basket to keep Graceville within 3 points of Malone. But Smith nailed a 3 pointer moments later as Malone began to pull away with a 46-38 lead. Malone went on to outscore Graceville in the third quarter 25-16 and take a 60-47 lead into the final quarter. Malone poured it on that last quarter as they quickly expanded their lead. Ladarius McElroy came up with a steal and layup with five minutes remaining in the game to give Malone a 77-54 lead.

From there Malone went on to post the 22 point victory. Malone placed three other players in double figures, led by McElroy with 20 points. Jayminson Blount added 15 and Jean Little chipped in 10. Graceville had one other player in double figures as Leander Ford hit 12 points in the contest.

Leading up to their matchup with Graceville Malone had picked up two wins last week, beating Munroe 67-49 last Tuesday. Blount led the way with 15 points while McElroy and Marcus Leonard added 10 points each. Last Friday night Malone traveled to Tallahassee and got a 62-50 win over John Paul II Catholic. Smith led the Tigers with 27 points and McElroy followed with 11.

Last Thursday night the Graceville squad fell to Chipley 68-62. Dozier blistered the nets for 39 points but it was not enough. Graceville went to Bonifay Tuesday night and returns home Friday for a game with rival Cottondale. Malone traveled to Dothan on Tuesday night to take on Northview and then will host Aucilla on Thursday night. Results of the Tuesday night games were not available at press time.

In Junior Varsity action on Monday night Graceville posted a 61-55 win over Malone. Marquis White led Graceville with 22 points while Chris Murff led Malone with 26 points.

Bulldogs Tame Tigers

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bulldogs played host to Chipley on Tuesday night in a boy’s basketball district match up and won big by a score of 74-57. The Bulldogs were led by Kruize Pinkins with 18 points and R.J. Bowers with 17 points. The Bulldogs jumped out to a early led as Bowers, Pinkins and Tre Long combined for 17 first quarter points. Marianna led 21-9 going into the second quarter. Pinkins helped the Bulldogs maintain a lead with 5 more points in the second quarter. The margin at halftime was 33-23 in favor of Marianna.

In the third quarter the Bulldogs put even more distance between themselves and the Tigers. They got 3 pointers from Bowers, Tre Jackson and Nehemiah Gilbert. Meanwhile Pinkins continued to dominate under the basket. When the quarter ended Marianna had pushed their lead to 16 points. With a 52-36 lead going into the final quarter the Bulldogs keep up the offensive and defensive pressure on Chipley to kill any notion of a Tiger rally. Also scoring in double figures on the night for Marianna were Long with 11 and Jackson with 10.

Marianna picked up two wins last weekend as they beat the Braves of Walton County on Friday in Defuniak Springs 69-53. It was the Bulldog big men that did the damage as Pinkins led with 24 points and Leeks followed with 14. On Saturday night Marianna hammered Rutherford by a score of 64-36. The Bulldogs got out the gates quickly and led by 21 at the half. Pinkins once again was the lead Dog with 15 points. Fidel Montgomery followed with 15 points and Jackson added 11 points.

The Bulldogs, 6-1 on the season, will next play on Saturday when they host Pensacola Catholic. They follow that up with a home game against Arnold on Tuesday. In junior varsity action on Tuesday night Marianna beat Chipley 46-40. Qua Royster led the Bulldogs with 16 points.

Guy’s Gymnastics & Cheer Center Expands

Guy’s Gymnastics has been serving this area for the past 20 years. Leslie Guy, owner, was a University of Florida Cheerleader & gymnast. She taught at Maryville College & Texas A & M before moving to Marianna. Gymnastics & Cheerleading has always been her passion. She built the gym around the teachings of gymnastics but with the addition of the new 2200 square foot cheerleading floor will be expanding her cheer classes. Currently the gym is the home of all the local schools & college cheerleaders taught by Melissa Laramore & April Alday. Earlier this year Jennifer Whitfield came on staff to head up the cheer programs. She was a Marianna High School Cheerleader & has taught cheerleading in the area for 10 years. She has put together a Jr. Competitive Cheer Squad and is in the process of adding a senior division squad. There are also 1 hour cheer prep classes available for all ages.
Friday, December 18th the gym will have an Open House and ribbon cutting by the Chamber of Commerce. Everyone is invited to come out and see the new addition. For more information about the classes go to
www.guysgymnastics.org or call 850-482-8904

Located at 2445 Commercial Park Drive - Commerical Park Centre

Jackson County Jays Baseball

The Jackson County Jays Baseball Club, a 2009 franchised member of the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, will seek to again franchise a team within the league for the 2010 baseball season. Graduating seniors and former graduates from Jackson County schools, and other adults who desire to play more organized baseball in a highly competitive league, should contact the following for more details, ASAP: (please give name and contact number):



Raymond Bentley, Manager

Jackson County Jays

334-479-2350



Harold W. Bailey, Promotions and Publicity

229-662-2066 or 850-524-2151



Should sufficient interest be shown in franchising the Jays in the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida for the 2010 baseball season, an organizational meeting will be held the first part of January, date, time, and place to be announced at a later date.

Lady Tigers On A Roll

The Graceville Lady Tigers recently picked up three more wins to improve to 10-0 on the season. They traveled to Cottondale last Thursday night and came away with 52-29 win over their rival Lady Hornets. The Lady Tigers placed three players in double figures as they were lead in scoring by Wynnterra Pittman with 16 points. Jessica McClendon followed with 11 points and Mychea Williams added 10.

Graceville jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but Cottondale battled back to take the lead. Kieysha Paul’s basket with just under three minutes left in the first quarter gave the Lady Hornets a brief 6-5 lead. Graceville fired right back to reclaim the lead on a 3 pointer by Williams. Once the Lady Tigers got the lead back they never relinquished it. Graceville led 10-6 going into the second quarter and that’s when Pittman heated up under the basket. Pittman helped the Lady Tigers take an 18-8 lead midway through the second quarter and then hold a 26-14 halftime lead.

The second half saw Graceville expand their lead to 16 points on another 3 pointer from Williams. They pushed that lead to 22 points by the end of the third quarter. The Lady Tigers emptied the bench in the fourth quarter but still managed to hold their own for the remainder of the game and finish with a 23 point victory. Cottondale was led in the game by Jakia Grimsley with 15 points and Ward with 12 points.

Graceville followed that win up by hosting Enterprise on Friday and posted a 66-61 come from behind win over the visitors from Alabama. Williams and Pittman led Graceville, both with 18 points. McClendon followed with 12 points. The Lady Tigers led by 3 after the first quarter but trailed by 1 at the half. They got down by as many as six points before rallying for the win.

On Monday night they hit the road again as they headed to Bonifay to take on Holmes County. Williams led the Lady Tigers with 14 points as they claimed a 71-55 win over the Lady Blue Devils. Tiara Sorey was also in double figures with 13 points and Pittman added 8. Graceville played host to Malone on Tuesday night and then will host South Walton on Thursday. Results of Tuesday night’s game against Malone was not available at press time.

54 Good To Pirates

By Clint Cox

The Sneads Pirates boys basketball squad notched a couple of wins last week and the number 54 seemed to be the magic number. On Thursday they traveled to Tallahassee and escaped with a 54-52 win over the Eagles of North Florida Christian. Terrence Green was the leading scorer in Tallahassee with 16 points. Two other Pirates were in double figures as Jeff Bell and Will Holmes both hit 11 points.

On Friday night they played host to the Yellow Jackets of Vernon and posted a 54-42 victory. Green was again the lead scorer as he pumped in 17 points. Two different Pirates though followed Green this night as Jamar White was close behind with 16 points and Jeff Davis added 8 points.

Sneads improved to 4-3 on the season with these wins and were scheduled to host South Walton on Tuesday. Results of that game were not available at press time. The Pirates will be in action again this week with a couple of home games. They host Wewahitchka on Thursday and Holmes County on Friday.

High School Classic In Marianna

By Clint Cox

Area high school basketball fans can get a “all you can watch buffet” this Saturday night at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. Eight area high school boy’s basketball teams will participate in the Subway Panhandle High School Classic this Saturday. Two Jackson County squads will take to the floor as the Malone Tigers and Cottondale Hornets will represent the home county. Other schools from Florida participating will be Rutherford, Godby, Port St. Joe and Paxton. Houston County (Alabama) and Bainbridge (Georgia) will be the out of state representatives. The following is a schedule of games:

Saturday 12/19/09 Milton H. Johnson Health Center

4:00 pm Malone vs Rutherford

5:30 pm Cottondale vs Godby

7:00 pm Bainbridge vs Port St. Joe

8:30 pm Houston County vs Paxton

Chipola Men & Women Each Get Two Road Wins

By Clint Cox

The Chipola basketball squads have been on the road this past week but the road has been good to both teams as each picked up two road wins on this trip. The Indians traveled to Ocala to take part in the Florida Shootout and beat Palm Beach 89-73 on Friday night. They followed that win up with a 65-57 win over Hillsborough on Saturday night. The Indians led by as many as 18 points in the second half before allowing Hillsborough to close the gap in the final moments. Marvin Fitzgerald and Lashay Page led the Indians with 14 points each.

The men improved to 11-1 on the season and Head Coach Jake Headrick feels good about the squad. “To end the first semester with an 11-1 record is good. Given all the new players that we’ve got I’m very happy with where we are at as a team,” said Headrick. The men will now be off for a week and then come back to play four games in four days. They’ll travel to Panama City for games on December 28 & 29 and then travel to Pensacola for contest on December 30 and 31. They will open conference play on January 9th when they host Gulf Coast. The Indians are currently ranked #2 in the State, behind #1 Northwest Florida State College, and #8 in the nation.

The Lady Indians didn’t have to travel as far as they went west to Pensacola to take part in the Lady Pirate Classic. On Friday they picked up 68-57 win over Wallace State-Hanceville. Saturday’s match up was with another Wallace, Lurleen B. Wallace, and the ladies won that game 68-41. Chipola struggled in the first half but came out and played better in the second half. They were led in scoring by Bianca Jarrett with 18 points and Lindsey Carr with 14. Kendra Powell followed with 11 points and Ty O’Neal chipped in 10 points as well.

The Lady Indians came off the road for a home game on Monday against Central Florida and in a heartbreaker lost 53-52. The Lady Indians were up 52-51 with four seconds left but missed 3 free throws. Central Florida got the ball, threw it down court and got a layup at the buzzer to win the game. Chipola is now 9-6 on the season and will be off for the next two weeks. They will return to action on January 2, 2010 when they travel to Ocala for a rematch with Central Florida. The ladies are currently ranked #8 in the state. Panhandle Conference foe Gulf Coast is ranked #1 in the state and nation.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Indians Get Trifecta in Classic

The Chipola Indians men’s basketball team played host to the Panhandle Classic this past weekend at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center and won all three of their outings. On Thursday night they hosted Enterprise Ozark Community College and came away with a 101-67 win. Chipola jumped out to an early lead and led 57-29 at the half. The second half was more of the same as the Indians went deep into their bench with the big lead. John Taylor led Chipola with 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half. Lashay Page knocked down 20 points as he was 6-9 from beyond the three point arch. Steadman Short added 14 points while Marvin Fitzgerald and Delwan Graham added 11 points each. The game was a fan favorite as two former Marianna Bulldogs took the floor for the Enterprise Ozark squad. T.J. Spencer and C.J. Blount returned to their hometown for a matchup against the Indians.

On Friday night Chipola went over the century mark again as they downed Georgia Perimeter by a score of 106-66. The Indians led 15-0 to start the game and then led 58-36 at the half. Page led the team in scoring with 24 points, going 6-11 on three point attempts. Dexter Ellington followed with 16 points while Fitzgerald hit 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

The most anticipated game of the Classic came on Saturday night as the Indians hosted Central Florida, who entered the Classic ranked #4 in the nation. To add to the challenge Central Florida had fallen to Northwest Florida State on Friday night and were in no mood to lose two in a row to Panhandle Conference teams. And in one of the better games of the Classic, Chipola pulled out a 104-92 overtime win. The Indians got out to an 18-8 lead only to see Central Florida battle back and tie the game at 38-38 with just over two minutes left in the first half. Central Florida held a slim 40-38 halftime lead. In the second half Central Florida expanded their lead to 45-38 before the Indians mounted a rally. Steadman Short’s tip in five minutes into the second half gave the Indians a 51-50 lead. They pushed that lead to double digits but once again Central Florida battled back to tie the score late in the game. Central Florida had a chance to win in regulation but a great defensive play by Page sent the game into overtime. Chipola dominated the overtime period from start to finish and posted the 12 point win. Page led the Indians with 27 points while Short added 22 points. Ellington was the other Indian in double figures with 13 points.

With the three wins Chipola improved to 9-1 on the year and will be in Ocala this weekend for the Florida Shootout. On Friday they take on Palm Beach and on Saturday they square off against Hillsborough.

Graceville Takes Two Out of Three From Sneads

By Clint Cox

Graceville played host to Sneads in a basketball triple header on Tuesday night. In girl’s varsity action the Graceville Lady Tigers posted a 61-39 win over the Lady Pirates. These two squads met just a week ago in Sneads and in a closely contested battle Graceville won that game by four points. This contest however saw Graceville jump out to an early lead and led from start to finish. The Lady Tigers led 18-4 at the end of the first quarter and then held a 33-16 halftime lead. Graceville expanded their lead to 20 points going into the final quarter as they led 45-25. Graceville, which improved to 7-0 on the season, was led by Mychea Williams with 17 points. Jessica McClendon and Wynnterra Pittman both added 12 points each for the Lady Tigers. Sneads was led by Joni Bonine with 23 points. Both girl’s squads will be in action on Thursday as Graceville will be at Cottondale and Sneads will be at Malone. On Friday Graceville will host Enterprise and Sneads will host Vernon.

The night capper featured the boy’s varsity squads hitting the floor. Sneads took an early lead but Graceville came back to take the lead and the Tigers held a 20-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers expanded that lead to 31-18 in the second quarter but Sneads then mounted a rally. With back to back buckets from Will Holmes and a bucket by Jamar White the Pirates trailed just 31-26 with two minutes to play in the first half. But Graceville got back to back buckets to push the lead back to nine points. The Pirates however would not go away as they fought back to trail 35-32 at the half.

Graceville came out in the second half and jumped out to a 9 point lead on the outside shooting of Kevin Potts . But again the Pirates rallied and with two minutes to play in the third quarter Terrance Pittman’s layup gave Sneads a 48-47 lead. A 3 pointer by Potts though gave the lead right back to the Tigers. Sneads used the final minutes of the quarter to take a 58-54 lead going into the final quarter. The fourth quarter was race horse basketball as both squads were up and down the floor. Sneads expanded their lead only to see Graceville reclaim the lead at 66-65 on a basket by Cameron Dozier with five minutes to play. The Tigers went up by six on a basket by Craig Myrick and a free throw by Dozier with four minutes left. Miller gave the Tigers an 8 point lead on a layup and Myrick put them up by 10 with a basket with 2 ½ minutes remaining. The Tigers then went on to an 87-78 win before their home crowd.

Graceville placed three players in double figures as Dozier led all scorers with 24 points. Potts hit 18 and Myrick chipped in 14 points for the Tigers. Sneads placed four players in double figures, led by White with 21 points and Holmes with 16. Pittman hit 13 points followed by Jeff Bell with 10 points. The Graceville boys will next play on Thursday at Chipley and then host Malone next Tuesday. The Sneads boys will be at North Florida Christian on Thursday and they host Vernon on Friday.

Sandwiched between the two varsity games was a boy’s junior varsity contest. In a tightly contested matchup Sneads won 47-42. Neither squad led by more than 3 points in the first half and the score was tied 20-20 at the break. Sneads pulled ahead in the second half and held on for the 5 point victory. Sneads was led by Sharone McMillian with 20 and Devin Hayes with 12. Graceville was led by Marquis White and Malik Franklin, both 13 points.

SOFTBALL CAMP SET AT CHIPOLA

The Chipola College Lady Indians will hold a softball camp Saturday, Dec. 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. Cost is $50. The camp will provide instruction in softball fundamentals in a fun environment for all ages. Campers will receive instruction on fielding, hitting, throwing, base running, and defensive and offensive strategies. Fast pitch campers will receive individual attention from qualified coaches. For more information, contact Coach Belinda Hendrix at 850-718-2358 or email, hendrixb@chipola.edu.

Bulldog Basketball Picks Up Two Wins

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bulldogs improved to 4-0 on the season with a couple of wins last week. On Thursday night they downed county rival Graceville by a score of 82-56. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead as they led 28-13 at the end of the first quarter. They led by 16 points at the half and increased that lead to 62-45 by the end of the third quarter. Marianna placed five players in double figures as they were led on the night by Nehemiah Gilbert with 17 points. Tre Long and Tommy Stephens added 12 points each and R.J. Bowers and Kendall Leeks pumped in 10 points each.

The Bulldogs followed that win with another win on Friday night as they beat Rutherford 62-49. This game was much closer in the first half as the Bulldogs trailed 23-20 at the intermission. But the third quarter proved to be the difference in the game as Marianna exploded for 25 third quarter points and led 45-37 going into the final quarter. Kruize Pinkins had the hot hand as he knocked down 20 points and was followed by Long with 13 points.

Marianna traveled to Bainbridge on Tuesday night for a contest with the Bearcats. Results of that game were not available at press time. Marianna will be on the road Friday at Walton and then return home on Saturday for a rematch with Rutherford.

MARIANNA RECREATION DEPARTMENT 2010 YOUTH BASKETBALL REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION DATES:

DECEMBER 14th - JANUARY 7th.

8:00AM TO 4:00PM

FORMS MAY BE PICKED UP

AT CITY HALL.



REGISTRATION FEE IS: $30 for Marianna residents and $45 for participants outside the city limits of Marianna.



PEE WEE BASKETBALL

1. Ages are 5 to 7 years old



JUNIOR BASKETBALL

1. Ages are 11 to 13 years old

2. Tryouts will be Jan 9th@ 11:30am



MIDGET BASKETBALLBALL

1. Ages are 8 to 10 years old

2. Tryouts will be Jan 9th @10:00 am



EACH PARTICIPANT MUST BRING

1. A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER! NO CASH PLEASE!

2. A COPY OF YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE!

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM AND BRING TO THE MERE ON CAVERNS ROAD OR DROPPED OFF AT CITY HALL.



RECREATION DIRECTOR - CLAY WELLS -

JEFF FAIRCLOTH & JERHRON CLEMMONS - ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

PHONE # 482-6228 FAX #482-2139



Visit http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=mrd to fill out the registration form

Cottonale Boys Win; Sneads Ladies Win

By Clint Cox

Local basketball fans were treated to three games at Cottondale last Friday night as the boy’s varsity and junior varsity teams hit the floor as well as the ladie’s varsity teams. The Hornets took both boy’s contest while Sneads captured a win in the girls game.

The first game featured the ladies as Sneads jumped out to an early 16-5 lead behind the hot shooting of Joni Bonine, Shan Gillette and Meagan Smith. Cottondale got hot in the second quarter, Jakia Grimsley and Khadejah Ward hit 7 points each. The Lady Hornets outscored Sneads 23-9 in the quarter and held a slim 28-27 lead at the half. Sneads came out in the third quarter and got 9 unanswered points to lead 36-28. Cottondale finally scored 2 ½ minutes into the quarter and mounted a comeback. When the third quarter ended it was a one point game again, this time with Sneads leading 43-42. The two squads traded the lead back and forth throughout the fourth quarter. Neither team however could lead by more than two points. With just over a minute to play Gillette gave Sneads a 56-54 lead with a basket and free throw. Grimsley came right back with a bucket for the Lady Hornets to tie the game at 56-56. La’Tilya Baker hit two free throws for the Lady Pirates though in the final seconds to pull off the two point win for Sneads.

Gillette led Sneads with 17 points and Baker followed with 17. Bonine also added 11 points for the Lady Pirates. Cottondale was led by Grimsley, who led all scorers, with 28 points and Ward with 18. The Cottondale ladies host Graceville on Thursday.

The varsity boys hit the floor for the final game of the evening and the Hornets notched a 20 point victory over the Pirates with a 62-42 victory. The first quarter was tightly contested as Cottondale held a slim 12-10 lead going into the second quarter. Marcus Humose heated up for the Hornets and Cody Saye hit back to back buckets to help Cottondale take a 32-19 half time lead. The Hornets continued to put some distance between themselves and the Hornets in the third quarter as they took a 20 point lead on a basket and free throw by Darien Pollock. Sneads shooting problems continued as they went scoreless for the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Pirates had a little surge toward the end of the quarter as Will Holmes hit a 3 pointer and Jeff Bell came up with a steal and layup at the buzzer. Going into the final quarter Sneads had cut the Hornet lead back to 16 points. Humose put the final nail in the Pirate’s coffin though as he heated up again in the fourth quarter and killed any hopes of a Pirate comeback.

Humose led all scorers and was the only player in double figures for either squad. He finished with 25 points. Pollock and Saye each hit 9 for Cottondale. Sneads was led by Terrence Green with 8 points while Holmes and Josh Rogers both chipped in 7 points.

In boy’s junior varsity action the Cottondale Hornets posted a 42-36 win over the Pirates. Brandon Franklin led the Hornets with 13 points and Dillon Spates led Sneads with 13 points.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Yesteryear – 1947 Marianna Bulldog

The above photographs are of several of the players that were on the 1947 Marianna Bulldogs football team that went 9-0-1. They are one of only two unbeaten teams in Bulldog football history. The other unbeaten team, and at least according to Frank Rooks the best team in Bulldog football history, was the 1951 Bulldogs who went 7-0-1. The 1947 Bulldogs had wins over Florida Industrial School, Milton, Bonifay, Apalachicola, Chipley, Pensacola Catholic, Tate, Graceville and Quincy. The lone blemish on the record was a 0-0 tie with Defuniak Springs in midseason. The Bulldog defense recorded 6 shutouts and allowed an average of 4.4 points per game. The offense averaged 23.7 points per game.

The 47 Bulldogs were coached by Grey Wilson and led by Lamar Whitehead, who was described by numerous teammates as an outstanding athlete. Some have dubbed him the “Original Whitehead” alluding to a string of Whiteheads that played football at Marianna. Lamar’s nephews James, Bud and Willie Whitehead all played during the 50’s for the Bulldogs. Bud and Willie played on the 1955 squad that went 10-1 and some folks like to remind Frank Rooks that they were the best team in Bulldog football history. Both Bud and Willie went on to play at Florida State and Bud went on to a distinguished career with the San Diego Chargers. Nephews Gary and Ronnie also played for Marianna during the early 60s’.

In addition to the above players pictured, key players on that 1947 squad included all conference players Ted Kirkland (Captain), John Ed Simmons, Herbert Clipson and Marvin Miller. Co-Captain Gerald Williams was the quarterback. Lineman included Bobby Landrum, Sammy Oswald, Kelly Strickland, Grady McClain, Emmit Swearingen, Billy Standland, Charles Dickerson, Donald Gardner. Other backs included Charles Bookout, Jimmie Bullard, Charles Beall

Lady Tigers Win Thriller In Sneads

By Clint Cox

The Graceville Tigers rallied for an exciting 55-51 win over the much improved Sneads Lady Pirates this past Tuesday night in girl’s high school basketball action. The contest featured an offensive dual between Graceville’s Mychea Williams and Lady Pirate La’Tilya Baker. Williams finished the night with 27 points while Baker pumped in 20 points for Sneads.

The first quarter was evenly matched as it ended with a 9-9 score. In the second quarter Sneads pulled ahead as Baker and Shan Gillette got the hot hand. The Lady Pirates led by as many as 7 points during the quarter but Graceville went on a late run that started with a rebound and put back by Taylor McDaniel. Williams then drained a long 3 pointer to pull Graceville within one point and then closed out the first half by stealing the ball and making a layup. That gave the Lady Tigers a 26-25 lead at the intermission.

The third quarter started with Sneads grabbing the lead on a bucket by Bridgett Dawson. But Graceville’s Brittany Flournoy fired right back to give the Lady Tigers the lead. Williams put Graceville up by 3 points but then Sneads went on a run. Baker and Gillette reeled off 8 unanswered points to give Sneads a 5 point lead. Sneads went up by as many as 7 points several times during the third quarter and went into the final quarter with a 46-39 lead. Graceville got a hot start to the fourth quarter while Sneads went cold. Graceville outscored Sneads 9-0 in the first four minutes of the final quarter and held a two point lead at 48-46. Baker tied the game up with a basket but Graceville’s Jessica McClendon scored to reclaim the lead for the Lady Tigers. With just under two minutes to play Gillette’s free throw for Sneads made it a two point game with Graceville leading 53-51. Sneads went scoreless the final two minutes while Graceville got a steal and a basket by Williams to seal the victory.

In addition to Williams 27 points for Graceville McClendon added 15 points. Sneads got a 14 point effort from Gillette to go along with Baker’s 20 points. Graceville will play host to Marianna on Thursday while Sneads will next play at Cottondale on Friday.

2010 YOUTH BASKETBALL REGISTRATION

MARIANNA RECREATION DEPARTMENT

2010 YOUTH BASKETBALL REGISTRATION



REGISTRATION DATES:

DECEMBER 14th - JANUARY 7th.

8:00AM TO 4:00PM

FORMS MAY BE PICKED UP

AT CITY HALL.



REGISTRATION FEE IS: $30 for Marianna residents and $45 for participants outside the city limits of Marianna.



PEE WEE BASKETBALL

1. Ages are 5 to 7 years old



JUNIOR BASKETBALL

1. Ages are 11 to 13 years old

2. Tryouts will be Jan 9th@ 11:30am



MIDGET BASKETBALLBALL

1. Ages are 8 to 10 years old

2. Tryouts will be Jan 9th @10:00 am



EACH PARTICIPANT MUST BRING

1. A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER! NO CASH PLEASE!

2. A COPY OF YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE!

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM AND BRING TO THE MERE ON CAVERNS ROAD OR DROPPED OFF AT CITY HALL.



RECREATION DIRECTOR - CLAY WELLS -

JEFF FAIRCLOTH & JERHRON CLEMMONS - ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

PHONE # 482-6228 FAX #482-2139



Visit http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=mrd to fill out the registration form

Chipola Panhandle Classic to Help Fight Cancer

The Chipola Men’s Basketball team has scheduled the Chipola Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness during the Panhandle Classic, December 3-5, 2009 in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. The latest FCCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll will be well represented in the Panhandle Classic with #1 Central Florida, #2 Northwest Florida, #3 Chipola, #4 Tallahassee, #5 Gulf Coast, and #6 Santa Fe all participating this weekend.

The Chipola Basketball staff and other participating coaching staffs will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire during weekend games to show support for the American Cancer Society and the fight against cancer.

By wearing sneakers with their suits, participating coaches are drawing attention to the fact that cancer remains a major health concern. Since 1993 the Coaches vs. Cancer program has generated nearly $40 million in direct revenue for the Society’s fight against cancer.

“The fight against cancer is a very important issue to my family,” said Joc Calloway, Chipola Assistant Coach and Event Organizer. “We hope this year’s events draws awareness and creates a major impact toward building a cancer-free society.”

A portion of ticket and concession revenue from the Panhandle Classic will be donated to the American Cancer Society in the fight against cancer. Chipola Athletics will also host another fundraising event on February 13, 2010 in the annual WBCA Think Pink Game.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.



Panhandle Classic

Thursday, December 3

5:00 pm Miami-Dade vs. #1 Central Florida

7:00 pm #3 Chipola vs. Enterprise-Ozark (AL)



Friday, December 4

12:00 pm Pensacola vs. Miami Dade

2:00 pm #4 Tallahassee vs. #6 Santa Fe

4:00 pm #5 Gulf Coast vs. Alabama Southern

6:00 pm #2 Northwest Florida vs. #1 Central Florida

8:00 pm #3 Chipola vs. Georgia Perimeter



Saturday, December 5

12:00 pm #4 Tallahassee vs. Alabama Southern

2:00 pm Pensacola vs. Georgia Perimeter

4:00 pm #5 Gulf Coast vs. Miami-Dade

6:00 pm #2 Northwest Florida vs. #6 Santa Fe

8:00 pm #3 Chipola vs. #1 Central Florida

Sneads FFA Excels

On November 19, 2009 the Sneads FFA and 4-H Chapters competed in the District Land Judging CDE in Holmes County. In this competition, students were required to perform 3 soil Evaluations and 1 home sight Evaluation. Each student was allowed 20 minutes per sight. To no surprise, Sneads FFA and 4-H Chapters made their school proud. Bringing home 2nd place in the FFA Division was a team consisting of Ariel White, Zach Wester, Christen Howell, and Alan Toole. In 1st place in the 4-H division was a team consisting of Shannon McCaffrey, Georgia Pevy, Leigh Anna Hall, and Lauren Hall. Also in the 4-H division, Blaire Edenfield won 1st place High Individual.

Congratulations to all winners! Once again you have made your school proud!

Gulf Power Employees Create Funds to Help Children

You could say that the Gulf Power Transformers, a group of Gulf Power employees, have a “soft spot” in their hearts for kids. They recently took the time and effort to organize a charity golf tournament which was played in September. They contributed the earnings from this tournament to the Jackson County School Board to give to elementary school children in need. And you could say that they have big hearts for kids because they are already planning an even bigger and better event for next year in order to possibly help more children. You could say that the Gulf Power Transformers, Plant Scholz Chapter, really enjoy helping kids, and you would be right.

Outta’ the Woods December’s Holiday Hunting Traditions

There’s finally a chill and a certain festiveness in the air as most of us try to take time off from work to enjoy spending quality time with family and friends and reflect on the passing year. Children will be out of school on winter break soon, and while the holiday season’s upon us, so are several traditional hunting opportunities.

The second phase of waterfowl and coot season comes in statewide Dec. 12 and runs through Jan. 31. In addition to the usual hunting license and permit requirements, duck hunters also must have a Florida waterfowl permit ($3) and a federal duck stamp ($17.50).

The daily bag limit on ducks is six, but you need to know your ducks before you pull the trigger, because there are different daily limits for each species. For instance, within the six-bird limit there may be only one black duck, one mottled duck, one fulvous whistling-duck, one pintail and one canvasback.

Only two of your six-bird limit may be redheads or scaup, and three may be wood ducks. And you may have no more than four scoters and four mallards (of which only two may be female) in your bag. All other species of ducks can be taken up to the six-bird limit, except harlequin ducks.

The daily limit on coots is 15, and there’s a five-bird limit on mergansers, only two of which may be hooded.

When hunting waterfowl, hunters may use only non-toxic shotgun shells. In fact, it’s illegal for hunters even to possess lead shot when waterfowl hunting. Only iron (steel), bismuth-tin and various tungsten-alloys are permissible.

For something different, try woodcock hunting. Woodcock season runs Dec. 19 – Jan. 17. Woodcocks are excellent game birds because they hold well for pointing bird dogs and provide a challenging shot when flushed. The daily bag limit is three.

The third phase of mourning and white-winged dove season opens Dec. 12 and runs through Jan. 10. The daily bag limit is 15 birds.

From November on, shooting hours for all migratory birds are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. You must get a no-cost migratory bird permit where you purchase your hunting license before you hunt any of these birds, though.

The only firearm you’re allowed to hunt migratory game birds with is a shotgun, no larger than 10-gauge. Shotguns must be plugged to a three-shell capacity (magazine and chamber combined). Bows also are legal.

Retrievers and bird dogs can be useful in hunting migratory game birds. Artificial decoys, as well as manual or mouth-operated bird calls, also are legal and essential gear for duck hunters.

You may hunt migratory game birds over an agricultural field, as long as the crop’s been planted by regular agricultural methods. However, don’t even think about “sweetening” the field by scattering agricultural products over it – or anywhere near it – or you could wind up in serious trouble. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the one who scattered the bait. If you knew or should’ve known that such bait was present, you’re accountable under federal law.

Some other things you can’t do while hunting migratory game birds include using rifles, pistols, crossbows, traps, snares, nets, sinkboxes, swivel guns, punt guns, battery guns, machine guns, fish hooks, poisons, drugs, explosive substances, live decoys, recorded bird calls or sounds or electrically amplified bird-call imitations. Shooting from a moving automobile or boat and herding or driving birds with vehicles or vessels also are against the law.

Bobcat and otter hunting season is Dec. 1 – March 1, and there’s no daily bag or season limit on either species.

Like foxes, bobcats may be chased year-round with dogs, but possessing firearms during the closed season between March 2 and Nov. 30 is prohibited. On a few wildlife management areas, bobcats and otters may not be taken, so please consult the specific area brochure before you hunt.

Whether upland bird hunting with friends and family, shooting ducks on the pond with your favorite lab or taking that big bobcat as he slips up behind an unsuspecting fawn, December has the hunting opportunities you’re looking for.

Here’s wishing you happy holidays and a successful hunting season. If you can, remember to introduce someone new to our great sport. As always, have fun, hunt safely and ethically, and we’ll see you in the woods!



Tony Young is the media relations coordinator for the FWC’s Division of Hunting and Game Management. You can reach him with questions about hunting at Tony.Young@MyFWC.com.

SWINE AWARDS PROGRAM

If you showed a pig at the Jackson County Fair this year, make plans to attend the SWINE AWARDS BANQUET on December 7th, at 6 PM at the Extension Office. During the program, you will receive your sponsor money, sale money, and add-on money. The committee will also announce the winners of the record book contest and herdsman contest. If you need more information please call the 4-H Office, 482-9620

“BARBER CLAIMS GRAND CHAMPION STEER”

Congratulations to Dellon Barber on his Grand Champion Steer! Dellon, along with many others, exhibited their animals at the 2009 Jackson County Fair. Many of our 4-H members are still showing their projects at regional fairs. This year’s fair would not have been possible without all of our volunteers and committee members who make the shows happen. Believe it or not, it’s time to start planning for next year! We are currently seeking youth and adult volunteers to serve on our beef and poultry committees. If you are interested, contact the 4-H office at 482-9620

Hornets Sting Tigers

By Clint Cox


The Cottondale Hornets used a second half surge last Friday night to pull off a 68-58 win over the visiting Malone Tigers in boy’s basketball action. Marcus Humose had the hot hand for the Hornets as he pumped in 30 points in the win. That point total includes going 10-14 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 14-19 from the free throw line on the evening.

Malone took the early lead on the night as they got balanced scoring from their starters and held a slim 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Malone’s T.J. Smith showed he could shoot free throws as well by making six from the charity strip in the second quarter. Cottondale stayed close though as Humose hit 12 first half points to help the Hornets trail by only one point, 27-26, at the half.

Humose hit a quick basket to start the second half, giving Cottondale the lead and setting the tone for the final two quarters. The Hornets outscored the Tigers 7-0 in the first 3 ½ minutes of the third quarter to take a 34-27 lead. Smith finally made a layup for Malone to end their scoring drought and the Tigers pulled to within two points of the Hornets with three minutes to play in the third quarter. Drew Bellamy made a basket and a free throw though to push the Hornet lead back to five points. Malone stayed close with a 3 pointer from Marceil Clemmons but Humose hit a bank shot at the end of the third quarter to put Cottondale up 44-39.

The fourth quarter saw Malone take a brief lead as Ladarius McElroy hit a 3 pointer and then hit a 2 pointer after a Tiger steal. Malone led 47-46 with 6 ½ minutes to play in the game. From that point however Cottondale went on a surge, starting with a basket and free throw by Tristin White. Leading 49-47 the Hornets then went on a 12-3 run to push their lead to 61-50 with just under two minutes left to play. Malone cut it to a 62-55 game on a basket and free throw by Ty Baker but Cottondale then knocked down 7 free throws to seal the victory.

Cottondale, which improved to 1-1 on the young season, also got 11 points from Bellamy. The Hornets were scheduled to play at South Walton on Tuesday night. Malone, which fell to 1-1, was led by Smith with 16 points and McElroy with 10 points. The Tigers were scheduled to play in Altha on Tuesday night. Results of the Tuesday night games were not available at press time.