Thursday, October 29, 2009

Friday Night Football Preview – 10/30/09

Sneads (4-3) at Northview (5-2) 7 pm – The Sneads folks might have thought the South Walton game last week was a long way to go, but it was a stroll in the park compared to this week’s game at Northview. They’ll need to break out the GPS systems to navigate the 3 hour trip from Sneads to Bratt. Once they finally get there, Pirate fans will see a Chiefs team very similar to Sneads. Both squad’s playoff hopes are pretty dim, both have district losses to district frontrunners Freeport and South Walton and both have close wins over district foe Jay. Northview also has wins over Graceville, Bozeman , Baker and Holmes County.

Internet: www.psblive.com



Port St. Joe (5-2) at Marianna (4-4) 7 pm – Marianna dropped a hard fought contest last week in a 49-42 loss to arch rival Chipley. The ‘Dogs must somehow put that emotional heartbreak behind them and get ready for a good Tiger Shark team. Port St. Joe has two losses on the season, one to Class 3A Rutherford and the other last week to Blountstown in a 20-14 loss. Three of their wins have come against Franklin Co., West Gadsden and Interlachen. Their other two wins have come against Liberty Co. and Bay, both of which beat Marianna earlier in the year. It always seems to be an exciting contest when Marianna and St. Joe hook up and this year’s game looks to be the same.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM



Rocky Bayou (0-7) at Graceville (1-6) 7 pm – Last Friday night’s 42-6 loss to Jefferson County pretty much eliminated Graceville from having a shot at the playoffs this year. But the Tigers can still close out the season on a high note. This Friday night’s game against the Knights should get the Tigers their second win of the season. Rocky Bayou has struggled to say the least and Graceville is heavily favored to win in the homecoming contest. Graceville will then close out the season with two big rivalries as they host Cottondale next week and finish at Chipley. If they could string together three wins it might lessen the disappointment of not making the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM



Cottondale (1-6) – Open Date – The Hornets got their first win of the season last week in a 56-16 win over the Knights of Rocky Bayou Christian School. Cottondale will have this week off as they prepare for next Friday night’s annual showdown with rival Graceville.

Lady Pirates Advance In District Tourney; Cottondale, Graceville And Marianna Ousted

By Clint Cox

The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad just keeps on cruising as they zipped through the first two rounds of their district tournament this week in Blountstown. On Monday night the Lady Pirates downed the Graceville Lady Tigers 3-0 as they posted wins of 25-6, 25-7 and 25-4. For the Lady Tigers the loss ended their season. For the Lady Pirates it meant they advanced to round two on Tuesday night to take on South Walton.

The Lady Seahawks advanced to play Sneads with a hard fought win over the Cottondale Lady Hornets on Monday night. Cottondale battled hard and the match went five sets before South Walton claimed the victory. Game one went to Cottondale in thrilling fashion as the Lady Hornets posted a 27-25 win. But South Walton came back with a 25-14 win in game two and then a 25-16 win in game three. Cottondale still had some fight in them as they slammed the Lady Seahawks 25-6 to win game four. That set up the all important game five and it went right down to the wire. Scheduled to go to the first team to get 15 points and win by two, South Walton pulled out a 19-17 victory. Cottondale’s season came to a close with the heartbreaking loss.

Sneads and South Walton squared off on Tuesday and the Lady Pirates swept the Seahawks 3-0. Game one saw South Walton jump out to an early 3-0 lead before Sneads got going. Meagan Smith’s kill got Sneads on the scoreboard and they began to catch fire. After tying the set at 4-4 Bridgette Dawson served up five points to get Sneads a 9-4 lead. The Lady Pirates went up 13-7 when Tiffany Guerra served up 3 points to make it 16-7. Sierra Hewett’s kill made it a 20-10 game moments later and Sneads went on to a 25-14 win. Game two featured a fast start by Sneads as Ashley Smith served up 7 points to start the set. Jordan Jackson came up with a kill and dink to make it 8-2 in Sneads favor. Hewett served up 3 points to push the Lady Pirates lead to 11-3. South Walton would battle back to make it a 18-10 game but Sneads took care of business with a 25-15 win. Game three was all Sneads as they got their serves going in big fashion. Ashley Smith served up 4 points, Dawson had 6 service points, Meagan Smith had 6 service points as the Lady Pirates cruised to a 25-4 win.

Sneads, which improved to 23-4, is scheduled to play in the District Championship game on Thursday night in Blountstown. They will take on the winner of Tuesday night’s other semi-final contest between Blountstown and Vernon. The Lady Pirates will then prepare for the first round of the FHSAA Class 2A playoffs scheduled to start November 4th.

Like the Cottondale Lady Hornets, the Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball season came to a hard fought and disappointing end on Tuesday night. Marianna had traveled to Panama City for their district tournament at Bay High School and were taking on the Chipley Lady Tigers. In three closely contested sets, Chipley came away with a 3-0 win to advance in the district tournament. Marianna fell 25-21, 25-23 and 25-21 to see their season come to a close.

Hornets Sting Knights

By Clint Cox

The Cottondale Hornets football team was in dire need of a win and a win they got with a
56-16 thumping of Rocky
Bayou Christian School last Friday night. Cottondale jumped out to an early lead of 21-0 by the end of the first quarter. They added a second quarter score to push their lead to 28-0 at the half. Several Hornets had big nights as Nick Jackson rushed for 115 yards and crossed the goal line four times. Evan Davis picked up 106 yards and found the end zone twice on just eight carries. Quarterback C.J. Smith threw for over 70 yards with a touchdown and Cody Cosper also rushed for 69 yards. After Davis blocked a Knight’s punt early in the game, Cosper scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a Hornet touchdown. Davis and Cosper both picked off passes during the contest and Cody Saye led the defense with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. The Hornets improved to 1-6 on the season and 1-2 in district play. Cottondale has an open date this week as they prepare for next Friday night’s annual rivalry with Graceville.

CHIPOLA LITTLE INDIANS PROGRAM FOR GRADES 1-8

Chipola Men’s Basketball invites boys and girls in grades 1 through 8 to join the Little Indians.

Participants will learn fundamental skills, ball handling, shooting, passing and teamwork through drills and contests led by Chipola coaches and players.

The first session began on Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Other practice sessions are: Oct. 31, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and Nov. 10, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Little Indians and all children are invited to a free Haunted Hoops event at 4 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Little Indians will perform during halftime of a Chipola Indians game. The $50 membership fee includes two free tickets to all home games, a Chipola basketball t-shirt and a DVD of the halftime performance.

For information, call assistant coach Brian Steenhoek at 850-718-2378, or email: steenhoekb@chipola.edu

Chipola Finishes

- Preseason Schedule -

Defeats A.U.M. and Faulkner

The Chipola Men’s Basketball team completed their preseason schedule this past weekend at home against two very competitive N.A.I.A. squads, Auburn University Montgomery and Faulkner University.

Chipola defeated A.U.M. in the first game 83-82 and returned later in the day to knock-off Faulkner by the final score of 69-65.

It was the first time this season that the Indians have played a full-length basketball game. In the previous scrimmage formats, running clocks were used so each game would only last an hour. However, this weekend’s games were played with traditional game stoppage.

Chipola coach Jake Headrick said, “It was the first time the majority of our players have played in a full college game. Playing two games in a short period of time caused our players to experience fatigue. It allowed our players to understand that we have to sustain our composure and continue to execute properly even as fatigue develops.”

Fatigue was certainly evident as Chipola was limited to only eight players because of injuries and illnesses.

“We have a lot to work on before the season tips, but our players are improving every day,” said coach Headrick.

The Indians will host their third annual Haunted Hoops next Saturday, October 31 at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center beginning at 4:00pm. Children are invited to wear their Halloween costumes and enjoy a special trick-or-treat party. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be on hand for autographs and pictures.

Chipola Host Second Annual Elementary Reading Party

The Chipola College Men’s Basketball Team hosted the second annual Accelerated Reading Kick-Off party for nearly 800 students from Golson Elementary Friday, October 23 at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.

The event served as the springboard for Golson’s AR program in encouraging students to achieve their reading goals for the upcoming year.

Chipola Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Joc Calloway welcomed the students to the college and introduced Chipola President, Dr. Gene Prough, who encouraged the students to look at reading as an adventure instead of a challenge.

Florida House of Representative for District 7, Marti Coley, impressed upon the students the opportunities that reading offers to them. Rep. Coley spoke of the ability to “travel to different countries or even the moon, without leaving one’s home” by reading books.

The nationally-ranked Chipola Indian Basketball team entertained the students through a slam dunk contest and a Globe-trotter style game.

Chipola Assistant Coach Joc Calloway said, “This event is one of the several ways our program gives back to the community each year. Through our partnership with Golson Elementary, our players are able to interact and promote education with area youngsters.

The special guest referees were well-known to the Golson family as Curriculum Specialist Janie Nolen and Sue Sue Miller masqueraded as game officials. By requiring the players wear silly outfits and read books to earn extra points for their squads, the officials helped to entertain the crowd.

Janie Nolen said, “We felt that this was an excellent way to promote reading and also show how our school works with Chipola College as partners in education.”

Malone School Hosts “Old Timers” Game in “New” Gym

The basketball “stars” from yesterday are coming back to play in the “old timers” basketball game at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, November 5, 2009. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially opening the newly renovated Malone gym, begins at 5:00 p.m. Over forty former Malone players are scheduled to participate in the game. Several former coaches will be in attendance, also. The public is invited to attend. There will be a $2.00 charge for the game with proceeds going to benefit the Malone Athletic Department. Concessions will be sold. Malone School officials hope to see many of the former students and their families, along with the Jackson County community, come out Thursday night to support the athletic program and to enjoy seeing former classmates and teachers.

Panhandle Champioship A Big Success

By Clint Cox

The 20th Annual Panhandle Cross Country Championship race this past Saturday at Bulldog Stadium was a big success by any standard. Over 25 varsity boys programs and 20 girls varsity programs participated in their respective 5 K (3.1 miles) runs. In addition, numerous middle school programs competed in a 2 mile race as well. And to top that off an open race was held that was open to all comers and it featured over 100 runners. In all, over 700 runners participated in this event and schools as far away as Jacksonville made the trip for the race.

In the girls race the top three teams were Chiles High School (42 points), Fort Walton Beach (49 points) and Maclay (62 points). Marianna finished 17th out of 20 teams. In the boys race Booker T. Washington High School came in first with 45 points. Fort Walton Beach was second with 48 points and Niceville was third with 117 points. Marianna finished 18th out of the 25 teams. In middle school action Ruckel Middle School claimed the top prize for the girls and Workman Middle School came in first for the boys.

Bulldogs Outgunned By Chipley

By Clint Cox

If you were looking for a defensive showcase, Bulldog Stadium last Friday night was not the place to be as the Chipley Tigers outgunned the Marianna Bulldogs 49-42. In addition to combining for 91 points, the two squads combined for 984 yards of offense on the evening. Marianna had 463 yards of offense while Chipley racked up 521 yards.

Both squads scored in the first quarter as Chipley took a 7-0 lead and then Tre Jackson ripped off a 71 yard scoring run for Marianna. Ryan Rudd added the point after kick to make it a 7-7 game going into the second quarter. After another Chipley score Marianna’s Fidel Montgomery rambled 57 yards to score Another Rudd extra point kick tied it a 14-14. The Tigers went up 20-14 with just over a minute to play in the half. Marianna was through though as R.J. Bowers broke a run with :35 seconds and bolted 58 yards to score. After a miscue on the extra point snap, Jackson scrambled to find the end zone and give Marianna a 22-20 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs appeared to be putting the game away in the third quarter as a 48 yard run by Jackson and a 17 yard run by Chris Bowers gave Marianna a 35-20 lead with three minutes into the second half. But Chipley rallied with two late third quarter touchdowns to tie the game at 35-35 going into the final quarter. The Tigers then took the lead midway through the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs came right back less than two minutes later. Jackson reeled off a 54 yard scoring run and Rudd added the extra point kick to tie the game at 42-42 with five minutes to play. Chipley marched down the field and with just under two minutes remaining scored the go ahead touchdown. Marianna had one last shot but time elapsed with the Bulldogs in Tiger territory.

Jackson led Marianna with 219 yards and 3 scores while R.J. Bowers added 127 yards on the ground. Chipley had three ball carriers that topped the 100 yard mark. With the loss Marianna fell to 4-4 on the season but more importantly 1-2 in district play. Marianna will play host to Port St. Joe this Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

The Bulldogs could have secured a likely playoff spot with a win but the loss threw the district into chaos. Chipley and Pensacola Catholic play on November 6th to close out the district games. A Chipley loss would result in a three way tie for the runner up spot between Chipley, Marianna and Walton. If that occurs there will be a tie breaker held to determine the runner up for the playoffs. In a three way tie the team with the best record would host the tie breaker and claim the #1 seed. A Chipley win over Catholic would give the district title to the Tigers and the runner up spot to the Crusaders.

Learning Center has Relocated to Main Library

The Jackson County Public Library Learning Center has moved back to the Main Library. Although they changed their address, their services remain the same!

They still offer tutoring in all the following areas:

Adult Basic Education, GED Prep, Workforce Enhancement, English as a Second Language, Financial Literacy, and Basic Computer Skills.

Don’t delay, come in or call today! Continue your studies or enroll as a new student. Potential tutors are welcome. The JCPL Learning Center is located in the Main Library.

2929 Green Street, Marianna, Florida 32446; 850-482-9124 or 850-482-9503

Road Losses Dim Pirates and Tigers Playoff Hopes

By Clint Cox

Two of Jackson County’s varsity football squads hit the road last week and fell in games that pretty well took both out of the post season playoff picture. The Sneads Pirates traveled to South Walton and saw the Seahawks soar in a 35-0 win. The two squads had entered the contest with one district loss each and knew the winner would come out sitting in the catbird seat for a playoff berth as the district runner up. South Walton is now in the catbird seat as they took advantage of a Pirate fumble on the opening kickoff to jump out to an early 7-0 lead. Two more scores were added later in the first half as the Seahawks held a 21-0 halftime lead. The second half was more of the same as South Walton posted two more scores while continuing to hold the Pirates scoreless.

Mark Lawson led the way for Sneads with 119 yards of rushing on 20 carries. Jeff Davis added 79 yards on the ground. Terrence Green led the Pirate defense with 9 tackles while Jamar White and Trent McDaniel each recorded 8 tackles. With the loss Sneads fell to 4-3 overall and 4-2 in district play. Their road troubles continue as the Pirates are 0-3 this season and this Friday they have their longest road trip of the year when they travel to Bratt (Northern Escambia County) to take on the Northview Chiefs.

The Graceville Tigers also had a long road trip as they traveled to Monticello and fell 42-6 to Jefferson County. If Graceville could have beaten Jefferson County they would have controlled their own destiny for a playoff spot and would have had Rocky Bayou and Cottondale left to play in district action. At the half it appeared that Graceville might just be able to set up just such a scenario as the scored was tied at 6-6. Both squads had scored in the first quarter and both squads were unable to convert their extra points. After a scoreless second quarter the teams were tied up going to the locker rooms for halftime. The second half however as a different matter as Jefferson County came out and racked up 36 points to break the game open. With the loss Graceville fell to 1-6 on the season and 0-2 in district play. This Friday night Graceville will host Rocky Bayou (0-7) for homecoming.

Marianna High Students Are Recognized for Learning Gains

Four hundred and sixty five 9th, 10th and 11th grade students took part in a Learning Gains Celebration on Thursday, October 22, 2009. These students qualified to take part in the celebration by demonstrating academic growth in reading or math as measured by the Spring 2009 FCAT.

“We appreciate all of the hard work on the part of all of our students, faculty and staff. These students being honored have put in the hard work necessary to do well on FCAT and I think that this celebration will encourage their continued efforts. We look for all of our students to show learning gains this spring,” said MHS principal, Mary Sue Neves.

The students were treated to ice-cream and were entered into a drawing for a 22” plasma television. Haden Searcy, a tenth grader and the winner of the television, said “I had a gut feeling that I was going to win. When I heard my name I smiled from ear to ear.”

Coley Welcomes Southwest Airlines to Panama City

Representative Marti Coley (R-Marianna) issued the following statement regarding the announcement that Southwest Airlines will begin service to the new Northwest Florida International Airport starting in May 2010:

“The news that Southwest Airlines has chosen to expand their national presence by flying out of the Northwest Florida International Airport is great news for Panama City and the entire Panhandle. Consumers across our area can now look forward to the increased options and lower-priced flights that Southwest offers. Today’s announcement is one more sign that the new airport will boost the economy of Northwest Florida.”

Local Residents Prepare for Trip to Ireland

Faye Parker is shown with Katherine Holt of Chattahoochee, as she signs up for the trip to Ireland. The tour will depart on March 21, 2010 and will be for 11 days. Sightseeing tours of Dublin, County Kildare, Kilkenny, Blarney Castle, Ring of Kerry, Galway and the Burren and Cliffs of Moher are among the “Enchanting Ireland” tour. For more information about the trip, call Faye Parker at 850-526-9391 or 850-482-5596.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Marianna’s Mathis Hero In Game Three By Clint Cox

By Clint Cox


Marianna’s own Jeff Mathis stroked a walk off game winning double in game three of Major League Baseball’s American League Championships to give the Angels a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees. The Yankees held a 2-0 lead in the series after winning game two in extra innings and game three was tied 4-4 at the end of nine innings. In the bottom of the eleventh, with two outs Howie Kendrick singled to get on base. Mathis then ripped a shot to the gap in deep left center and Kendrick came home to seal the win.

Mathis has shared catching duties this year with Mike Napoli and had hit .211 during the regular season. But his bat has heated up in the playoffs as this was his third late inning extra base hit of the series with the Yankees. For his efforts Mathis was interviewed after the game by ESPN. That post game TV interview was about the same time that many folks in town and the area were sitting down for supper and turning on their TV. And what they saw was ole “Pup” (Mathis’s nickname in high school). “Obviously, it’s the biggest hit of my life,” Mathis told ESPN. “For Howie to have the at-bat he did right there, and to get on base and put one in the gap to win the game, it’s a pretty good feeling.”

Mathis was an all around outstanding athlete at Marianna High School, being one of the key members of the football team that finished as State Runner Up in the 2000 season and the Bulldog baseball squad that captured a State Championship in 1999. He is the son of Danny and Bunnee Mathis and the grandson of Judy and the late Ed Revell and Dalton and the late Elizabeth Mathis.

Friday Night Football Preview – 10/23/09

Sneads (4-2) at South Walton (6-1) 7 pm – Talk about big games. The Pirates pulled off a 12-0 win last week for another district win. Sneads is now 4-1 in district play but the Seahawks counter with a 5-1 district record. The winner of this game will hold sole possession of second place in the district behind frontrunner Freeport. South Walton has wins over Franklin County, Northview, Bozeman, Baker, Holmes County and Jay. Their only loss has come to Freeport.

Internet: www.psblive.com



Chipley (2-4) at Marianna (4-3) 7 pm – Marianna snapped a two game losing streak last Friday night with a 42-24 win over Blountstown, which entered the game 5-0. Chipley is always a big game for Marianna. Throw in the fact that it’s now a district game, homecoming and Chipley’s new Head Coach (See Simply Put for more on this) and the game is even bigger than in year’s past. Chipley’s record might be deceiving as they started the season 0-3 with losses to Vernon, Wewahitchka and Blountstown. But they are 2-1 in their last three outings with wins over Cottondale and Maclay and a loss to Walton County. There is plenty of the line for Marianna as a win puts the Bulldogs in sole possession of the district runner up slot and ensures them a playoff berth.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM



Graceville (1-5) at Jefferson County (3-4) 6:30 pm - The Tigers fell to Liberty County 35-16 last week and are on the road again this week for the third straight away game. Jefferson County started the season 0-3 with losses to Chiles, Taylor County and Wewahitchka. But they bounced back with three straight wins over Rocky Bayou, Bronson and Cottondale. They fell last week 28-26 to Wakulla so they will present a formidable opponent for the Tigers this week. But if Graceville could get a win in Monticello, they could make the playoffs with wins later on against Rocky Bayou and Cottondale.

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM



Cottondale (0-6) at Rocky Bayou (0-6) 7 pm @ Destin Middle School– The Hornets had last week off to prepare for this district road contest. To say it’s been a tough season for the Hornets would be an understatement. But this Friday night presents them their best chance to break into the win column. The Knights have had their struggles this season as well. They have losses to several private schools as well as Munroe, Jefferson County and Franklin County. They only have one game in which they have scored more than 6 points so hopefully the Hornets can fly home with a win.

Pirates Swat Yellow Jackets

By Clint Cox

The Sneads Pirates shut out the visiting Yellow Jackets from Vernon this past Friday night in a 12-0 win. The win, on Homecoming night, was vital to the Pirates playoff hopes as they improved to 4-1 in district play. The Pirates were lead on the evening on the ground by Mark Lawson who rushed for 138 yards on 25 carries and scored both Sneads touchdowns.

The first half was a defensive battle as neither teams offense could get anything going. Some coaches say the first few minutes of the second half are the most important minutes of the game and if that is true Sneads took care of business at the most important time. The Pirates got their two lone scores of the night on their first and second drives of the second half. With just under nine minutes to play in the third quarter Lawson scored on a 3 yard run. The scoring drive had key runs from Jamar White (18 yard run) and Jeff Davis (30 yard run). On the Yellow Jackets ensuing drive Terrance Pittman picked off a Vernon pass and returned it 25 yards to set up the Pirates second scoring drive. Sneads converted two key fourth down plays on the drive, including a 12 yarder that Lawson took into the end zone with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter the Pirate defense came up big with a couple of stops to seal the victory.

Jeff Davis added 84 yards of rushing on 13 carries. The Pirate defense, which shut out a Yellow Jacket offense that had been averaging over 25 points a game, was led by Jerry Bamburg with 7 tackles, followed by Josh Rogers and Lawson who each had 6 tackles. Sneads, which improved to 4-2 overall, doesn’t have long to celebrate the district victory as they will be on the road this week in another key district matchup. They travel to South Walton to take on the Seahawks who will enter the game with a 5-1 district record. Freeport is currently in first place as they are unbeaten in district play so far.

Marianna Cross Country Places Third; To Host Panhandle Championships

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bulldog Cross Country team traveled to Panama City this past weekend and placed third in the Dolphin Dash. The meet, hosted by Mosley High School, featured all four Panama City schools as well as Marianna and Wewahitchka. Cross Country runs (5K) were held for boys and girls varsity, junior varsity and an open race. The Bulldogs, with 91 points, finished ahead of Rutherford, Wewahitchka and Bay. Arnold finished first with 43 points and Mosley was second with 47 points.

Marianna’s top finisher came on the girl’s side as Samantha Arroyo finished third overall with a time of 22:35. Other Lady Bulldogs competing included Tiffany Stephens (26:59) and Amber Roedel (30:24). On the boy’s side Jesse McGowan was the lead ‘Dog as he finished with a time of 19:17. Other boy’s varsity runners included Zack Brockner (20:04), Joseph Gibson (20:13), Patrick Cox (20:17), Robert Peacock (20:47), Mason Flowers (20:51) and Paul Kelson (20:56). Junior varsity runners included Cheston Goodman (22:02), Blaine Hansford (22:30) and Jeremy Wilson (24:34).

On Saturday the Marianna Cross Country team will host the 20th Annual Panhandle Cross Country Championships at Bulldog Stadium. Bulldog Head Coach Alan Gibson stated that over 30 schools and 600 runners have pre-registered for the big event. The boy’s varsity race will begin at 8:00 am and the girls varsity will follow at 8:30 am. After the girls varsity race there will be an open 5K race in which the general public is welcome to participate. The fee for participating in the open race is $5.00. The final race of the morning, around 10:00 am, will be an open 2 mile race geared for middle school cross country runners.

Ladies Prepare For Volleyball Districts

By Clint Cox


The high school volleyball season shifts into high gear this coming week as all four of the county’s varsity volleyball programs will begin their respective district tournaments. Three of the county’s teams will be participating in the same district tournament. Sneads, Cottondale and Graceville will travel to Blountstown for the Class 2A District 2 tournament. Sneads has to be considered the front runner going into the tournament as they are currently 21-3 on the season and finished regular season district play with a perfect 14-0 record. In addition to the Jackson County schools, Blountstown, Bozeman, Holmes County, South Walton and Vernon will compete.

Marianna will travel to Panama City to participate in the Class 3A District 1 tournament being hosted by Bay High School. Other teams participating include Arnold, Pensacola Catholic, Walton and Chipley.

Bulldogs Bite Blountstown

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bulldogs snapped a two game losing streak in fine fashion by beating a previously unbeaten Blountstown squad 42-24. The Bulldogs had lost back to back games to two very good squads, Liberty County and Pensacola Catholic, who have a combined current record of 11-2. Marianna came out clicking on all cylinders against Blountstown. The Bulldog offense scored on three of their first four possessions. The defense tossed in a touchdown as well as Marianna led 28-6 at the half. Blountstown battled back though in the second half to make it a closer game but the Bulldogs took care of business in the fourth quarter to salt the game away.

Marianna opened the game with a quick score as Tre Jackson scored on an 18 yard TD run. Midway through the quarter Fidel Montgomery snatched the ball away from a Tiger and returned it 65 yards for a score. Two Ryan Rudd extra point kicks gave Marianna a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter. In the first four minutes of the second quarter Montgomery scored twice for the Bulldogs with a1 yard run and a 8 yard run. Two more kicks by Rudd and Marianna was up 28-0 with eight minutes to play in the half. Blountstown finally got on the board on the last play of the half with a touchdown toss to make it 28-6 going into the locker rooms.

Blountstown scored on the first drive of the second half and Marianna’s lead was trimmed to 28-12. But the Bulldogs countered later in the quarter on a 32 yard scoring run by Chris Bowers. Rudd’s kick made it 35-12. Blountstown came back with two more scores, one late in the third quarter and the other midway through the fourth quarter. Leading 35-24 Marianna got the ball with just under seven minutes to play. The Bulldogs put together an 8 play drive that culminated with a five yard run by Bowers for a score. After using up almost five minutes off the clock Marianna led 42-24 after another Rudd extra point kick. On the night Rudd was 6-6 on extra point kicks.

Bowers, just a sophomore, came in to relieve an injuried Marjean Dean at fullback midway through the second quarter. The young sophomore responded by rushing for 110 yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries. Jackson added 74 yards of rushing for the Bulldogs. Marianna improved to 4-3 overall and have a big district game coming up this Friday as they host Chipley. A win by Marianna locks them into no worse than a second place finish in the district and a berth in the post season playoffs.

Graceville Falls To Liberty County

By Clint Cox

This past Friday night the Graceville Tigers found out the same thing that the Marianna Bulldogs found out several weeks ago. And that is that the Liberty County Bulldogs are an outstanding squad. Liberty County downed the Tigers in Bristol by a score of 35-16. Graceville fell behind early as Liberty County scored on their first three possessions and jumped out to a 21-0 lead.

Graceville got on the scoreboard in the second quarter as quarterback Jacky Miles hit Chris Works on a 20 yard scoring strike. Miles then added a two point conversion run to make it a 21-8 game. But Liberty County fired right back with a score and led 28-8 at the half. Miles got the Tigers back on the board in the second half with a 12 yard run and a two point conversion run to make it a 28-16 game. Again the Liberty County squad answered and posted a score to make it 35-16.

Liberty County improved to 5-1 on the season while Graceville fell to 1-5. But their upcoming game in Monticello against Jefferson County still offers hope to finish the season on a high note. If Graceville could pull off a win in Monticello, and then follow that up with wins over Rocky Bayou and Cottondale they would finish second in the district and make the playoffs.

CHIPOLA LITTLE INDIANS PROGRAM FOR GRADES 1-8

Chipola Men’s Basketball invites boys and girls in grades 1 through 8 to join the Little Indians.

Participants will learn fundamental skills, ball handling, shooting, passing and teamwork through drills and contests led by Chipola coaches and players.

The first session began on Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Other practice sessions are: Oct. 31, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and Nov. 10, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Little Indians and all children are invited to a free Haunted Hoops event at 4 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Little Indians will perform during halftime of a Chipola Indians game. The $50 membership fee includes two free tickets to all home games, a Chipola basketball t-shirt and a DVD of the halftime performance.

For information, call assistant coach Brian Steenhoek at 850-718-2378, or email: steenhoekb@chipola.edu

CHIPOLA BASKETBALL TEAM TO HOST ACCELERATED READING KICK-OFF

The Chipola College Men’s Basketball Team will host Golson Elementary Accelerated Reading kick-off on Friday, Oct. 23, at 8:30 a.m., in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.

The purpose of this event is to encourage students to do their best in reading this school year.

The Indians will put on a show for the students, performing slam dunks and other drills. All students will be treated to popcorn and a drink, as well as a big time light show, smoke machine, and big screen experience that is Chipola basketball. The basketball team also will emphasize the importance of reading and staying in school.

Janie Nolen, Golson Curriculum Specialist, says, “This is an excellent way to promote reading and also to show how Chipola College works with Golson as a partner.”

For information, call Nolen at 850-482-9607, ext. 233, or Chipola coach Jake Headrick at 850-718-2452.

Apply for Spring Turkey Quota Hunt Permits Nov. 1

Hunters looking to turkey hunt on Florida’s wildlife management areas during the 2010 spring turkey season need to apply for quota hunt permits beginning 10 a.m. Nov. 1.

Quota hunt permit worksheets are available now from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regional offices and online at MyFWC.com/Hunting (click under “Limited Entry Hunts”).

Applicants must apply through the FWC’s Total Licensing System. Hunters may apply online at www.wildlifelicense.com/fl or present their completed worksheets to any tax collector office or license agent.

All applicants, regardless of when they apply, have the same chance of being selected, as long as they submit their applications within the application period. Applicants must apply by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30 to be included in the random drawing.

“When you submit your application, you will receive a receipt showing the hunts you have applied for and your preference status,” said FWC quota hunt coordinator Eddie White.

Hunters also may apply as a group. A group leader must first apply to create the group. The group’s number will be printed on the group leader’s receipt. Each person wishing to join the group must submit his own application using the unique group number assigned to the leader.

If chosen, applicants will receive, by mail, a spring turkey quota hunt permit. Applicants not chosen in Phase I may reapply during Phase 2 for any hunts not filled and will still be eligible for the preference drawing next year. Applicants may check drawing results at MyFWC.com/Hunting, under “Limited Entry Hunts” click “Check Permit Availability and Drawing Results.”

For more information on how to apply for spring turkey quota hunt permits, visit MyFWC.com/Hunting.

Bullpups Finish Regular Season Unbeaten, Again

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bullpups closed out their regular season in typical fashion, winning two games to finish the season 7-0. The Bullpups have finished three of the last four seasons unbeaten and have only lost one game in the last four years.

The 2009 Bullpups did their part by beating Wakulla last Thursday night 28-8. The win came dispite what Head Coach Hunter described as a poor outing. The Bullpups turned the ball over six times and numerous penalties. But they over came all that with another solid offensive show, racking up over 300 yards in rushing. Marianna took a 16-0 halftime lead as they got a 32 yard scoring run from Shaundre McAroy and a 15 yard run from Jock Wooden. Wooden also added two extra point conversion runs. In the third quarter the Bullpups got a 19 yard TD run from Derrick Knowles and McAroy bolted 65 yards for another score. McAroy finished the night with 155 yards on the ground and Wooden added 102 yards of rushing.

With not much turn around time the Bullpups headed to Tallahassee on Tuesday night to take on Florida High. The Baby Seminoles were no match for Marianna as the Bullpups exploded for a 50-6 rout of the home team. The Bullpups jumped out to a quick 16-0 lead on a couple of TD runs by McAroy. In the second quarter Wooden scored three times to give the Bullpups a 38-6 halftime lead. The third quarter belonged to Knowles as he scored twice. McAroy finished the game with 89 yards on 4 carries and 2 TDs. Wooden added 74 yards on 7 carries and 3 TDs. Knowles was the leading ground gainer with 131 yards on 5 carries and 2 TDs.

Marianna will advance to a conference bowl game that will be played next Thursday October 29th. Their opponent, as well as the time and location of the bowl game had not been determined at press time. Check out next week’s Time’s for a profile of that bowl game once the opponent and location have been determined.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

2009 MHS HOMECOMING

MHS Bulldog Blast, Thursday, Oct., 22 6:00 PM, $3.00 admission. Everyone is invited to the up-close and personal community pep rally.

Marianna schools release early Friday, Oct. 23: Pre-K-12:15, Golson and Riverside-12:35, MMS and Marianna High 12:30

Homecoming Parade, Friday, Oct., 23 Line up begins at 2:00 PM on Daniels St, the parade begins at 3:00 PM. Anyone wishing to enter the parade may e-mail Debbie Dryden at debbie.dryden@jcsb.org or call 482-9605 ext. 252.

Pre-game float awards and crowning ceremony Friday, 6:00 PM Bulldog Stadium. Kick off at 7:00 PM, Marianna Bulldogs host the Chipley Tigers.
 
 
 
 
HOMECOMING COURT
Freshman Attendant: Alle Christmas escorted by Mason Melvin
Freshman Attendant: Taylor Milton escorted by Tavious Blackshear
Sophomore Attendant: Shonte’ Austin escorted by Devonte Grahan
Sophomore Attendant: Laquinesha Williams escorted by Deauntrie White
Junior attendant: Elizabeth Glover escorted by Trenton Carter
Junior attendant: Cayce Griffin escorted by Cameron Oliver
Junior attendant: Courtney Larkin escorted by Jaren Bannerman
Senior Queen Candidate: Ashton Williams escorted by Kasey Britt
Senior Queen Candidate: Christina Wynn escorted by Nehemiah Gilbert
Senior Queen Candidate: Jordan Melvin escorted by Harrison Fuqua
Senior Queen Candidate: Chelsea Blanton, escorted by Brandon Hughes

Crusaders March Over Marianna

By Clint Cox

PENSACOLA - The Marianna Bulldogs played perhaps their best offensive game of the season. The offense rushed for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Marianna had no turnovers, their lowest number of penalties so far this season and won the time of possession battle by a 3 to 1 margin. As good as that was it was not nearly good enough as the Crusaders of Pensacola Catholic posted a 41-20 win.

As good as the Bulldog offense played, the Bulldog defense never could come up with a way to slow down the Crusader’s running back Marquis Sumler and quarterback Shaun White. The Crusader QB threw for over 230 yards and 4 touchdowns while Sumler ran for 150 yards and a score. Marianna countered with a good offensive showing by their own QB as Fidel Montgomery ran for 192 yards and two scores.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead as they opened the game with a textbook drive. They marched 80 yards on 13 plays and used 6:32 seconds of the first quarter. The drive was culminated on a 17 yard run by Montgomery and a Ryan Rudd extra point kick. Whereas Marianna preferred the long sustaining drive, Pensacola Catholic countered with lighting quick strikes. The first came just one minute after the Marianna score as the Crusaders got a 20 yard scoring pass from White. The extra point kick tied the game at 7-7. Marianna’s next possession ended in a punt and once again the Crusaders struck quickly. Sumler had runs of 28 and 18 yards before scoring on the fifth play of the drive on a 4 yard run. Catholic took a 13-7 lead and once again the Bulldogs went on a long march. They drove for six plays, picking up two first downs and used almost five minutes off the clock. But they were forced to punt again however Rudd’s excellent punt was downed at the Crusader 8 yard line. Catholic didn’t blink the least little bit. After Sumler picked up 21 yards on the ground, White then hit Devin Dukes on a 71 yard scoring strike. The 92 yard scoring drive took all of 22 seconds. By the time the first half ended Pensacola Catholic led 27-7. To prove that stats don’t always tell the correct story, the Crusaders only had the ball in the first half for 5 ½ minutes, compared to 19 ½ for Marianna.

Marianna came out in the second half and showed they still had some fire in their bellies as Marjean Dean capped off a nice long drive with a 7 yard run to make it a 27 - 13 game. But again the Crusaders fired right back with a scoring pass from White to make it 34-14. The Bulldogs kept fighting and Montgomery got his second TD of the night in the fourth quarter with a 15 yard run. Rudd’s extra point kick made it 34-20 but the Crusader’s tacked on one more score later in the game to seal the 21 point victory. With the loss Marianna fell to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in district play. Pensacola Catholic improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in district play. Marianna will hit the road again this week, their third straight road game, as they travel to Blountstown.

Friday Night Football Preview – 10/16/09

Vernon (4-2) at Sneads (3-2) 7 pm – The Pirates had last week off as they prepared for their district contest and homecoming game against the Yellow Jackets. Vernon started out 3-0 with wins over Chipley Bozeman and Baker. They then lost to Holmes Co. and Freeport before bouncing back last week to beat Jay 20-13. Sneads, 3-1 in district play, needs to beat Vernon to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. Four teams are currently at the head of the pack in district play: Freeport (4-0), South Walton (4-1), Sneads (3-1) and Northview (3-1). Mark Lawson continues to lead the Pirates offensively as he has over 500 yards in rushing and 12 TDs. Jamar White leads the “D” with 37 tackles and 18 assist.

Internet: www.psblive.com



Marianna (3-3) at Blountstown (5-0) 7 pm – Marianna arguably played their best game of the season last week, and still fell by 21 points to a very good Pensacola Catholic team. The Bulldogs will face another tough road test, their third in a row, this week when they travel to Calhoun County to take on Blountstown. The Tigers have wins over Sneads, Chipley, Wewa, Graceville and West Gadsden. Strength of schedule may play into Marianna’s favor as the Bulldogs last four opponents have a combined record of 14-8. Blountstown’s last four opponents have a combined record of 5-16. Blountstown is always a tough place to get a win but if Marianna can play as well this week as they did last week they have a good shot to pick up the win.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM



Graceville (1-4) at Liberty County (4-1) 6:30 pm - The Tigers played hard against FAMU but fell 18-16 in Tallahassee. The Tigers get another tough road contest this week when they travel to Bristol to take on Liberty County. The Bulldogs are a solid squad, with their only loss coming in a 20-12 loss on the road to a good Port St. Joe team. Graceville will have to try and slow down the trio of Terrance Evans (QB) along with Keith and Kevin McCray. The trio has rushed for almost 1,000 yards and accounted for 13 of the Bulldogs 17 touchdowns so far.

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM



Cottondale (0-6) – Open Date – The Hornets ran into another buzz saw last Friday night in a 53-14 loss to Jefferson County. Cottondale just can not seem to catch a break as their schedule continues to be one of the toughest around. They’ll get this week off and begin preparations for a district road contest against Rocky Bayou.

Sneads Tames Tigers

By Clint Cox


The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad traveled to Graceville on Tuesday night and came away with a 3-0 win over the Lady Tigers. Sneads jumped out to an early lead in the first set and led 16-6 on a kill by Ashley Smith. Sneads went on to post a 25-6 win in the first set. The second set was a closer set as Jessica McClendon came up with a block to cut the Sneads lead to 5-4. Tiarra Sorey served up a point moments later to give the Lady Tigers a 7-6 lead. But Ashley Smith got Sneads back on track with a couple of kills to get the Lady Pirates back on top at 9-8. The two squads battled over the next few points and Sneads took a 14-11 lead. From there though Sneads caught fire and outscored the Lady Tigers 11-2 to rack up a 25-13 win. The third set was all Sneads as they jumped out to a 9-3 lead and then saw Meagan Smith serve 15 straight winning points. Along the way Kara Alford’s block gave Sneads a 20-3 lead and then the Lady Pirates went on to win 25-3.

With the district win Sneads improved to 14-0 in district play and 21-3 overall. The Lady Pirates will take a week off and then play in a tri-match next Saturday in Tallahassee against John Paul II Catholic and North Florida Christian. Graceville will be back in action on Thursday when they play host to Cottondale. Graceville, Sneads and Cottondale will be participating in their upcoming district tournament in Blountstown beginning October 26th.

Rattlers Nip Tigers

By Clint Cox

The Graceville Tigers gave a valiant effort but came up short in an 18-16 district loss to the FAMU Baby Rattlers last Friday night in Tallahassee. The Tigers battled back and pushed the Baby Rattlers to the final seconds of the game before falling by two points.

The Baby Rattlers took the early lead as they scored on their second possession of the evening. That score held until halftime but early in the second half Graceville took an 8-6 lead. Midway through the fourth quarter the Tigers were again on the drive but a fumble, their third of the night, killed the drive. FAMU cashed in on the turnover and scored to take an 18-8 lead. The Tigers were not done yet though as Jackie Miles engineering a drive and tossing a 15 yard scoring strike to Darrell Olds with :35 second remaining in the game. Graceville converted on the two point play to make it 18-16. But the ensuing on side kick was recovered by FAMU to preserve the Rattler victory.

Graceville fell to 1-4 on the season and will be on the road this week in Bristol as they take on Liberty County.

Tigers Spoil Hornet Homecoming

By Clint Cox

The Cottondale Hornets played host to the Tigers of Jefferson County for homecoming this past Friday night and took it on the chin in a 53-14 loss to the visitors. The Hornets entered the contest looking for their first win of the season and got out of the gates in quick fashion. Nick Jackson returned the opening kickoff to near midfield to set the Hornets up in good field position. They drove down the field and Dominique Webb capped off the drive with a 13 yard scoring run. Webb added the two point play to make it a 8-0 lead for the Hornets.

But Jefferson County fired right back with a touchdown and extra point to cut into the Hornets lead. Cottondale led 8-7 but Jefferson County picked off a Hornet pass and returned it for a touchdown to capture the lead. The Tigers added to that lead moments later on a long scoring run of 43 yards to take a 20-8 lead early in the second quarter. Another score came later in the quarter and a two point conversion boosted the Tiger lead to 28-8. That score held until halftime but in the second half Jefferson County picked right up where they left off, scoring on a 50 yard run on the first play of the second half. From that point the Tigers went on to post three more scores on the evening. Cottondale’s second half excitement came on a Nick Jackson 75 yard kickoff return for a score. But the damage had already been done as the Hornets went on to fall by 39 points.

With the loss Cottondale fell to 0-6 on the season and 0-2 in district action. The Hornets will have this Friday off as they prepare for their next matchup on October 23rd in Niceville against new district member Rocky Bayou Christian School. With the win Jefferson County improved to 3-3 on the year and 2-0 in district play. Jefferson County’s Devondrick Nealy rushed for over 250 yards and had 4 touchdowns.

17th Annual Marianna Altrusa Club Golf Tournament

Friday, Octotber 23rd at Indian Springs Golf Course

12:00 Registration; Lunch provided



Four Person Scramble

Modified Handicap

18 holes

$65.00 per person



Proceedes from this tournment endow Club projects such as: Coats for Kids, Christmas for Families, and Chipola College Nursing Scholarships. Golfers are encouraged to come out and enjoy a great time while giving back to our community. for more information you may call Jay James at 526-3197 or Kathy Milton at

482-7788

2009 Sneads Homecoming Information

SHS Homecoming Activities began on Monday October 12th and conclude on October 16th.


On Thursday (10/15) the annual Pirate Plunge will be held in the SHS gym. Cost will be $2.00 for everyone. On Friday, the SHS homecoming parade will be at 2:00/lineup will begin at 1:00. The SHS pirates will play the Vernon Yellow jackets at 7:00. Homecoming festivities will conclude with a dance beginning at 9:00 in the new gym. All pirate fans are encouraged to come out and support the pirates!!! To enter an entry in the parade or for further information, please contact Tracy Cloud at 482-9004 x241.
 
 
2009 Sneads Homecoming Court Attendants
12th Grade: Janna Hamilton escorted by Travis Hamilton
12th Grade: Ashley Smith escorted by Jerry Bamburg
12th Grade: Bridgett Dawson escorted by Terrence Green
11th Grade: Lauren Locke escorted by Landon Rees
11th Grade: Jolie Johnson escorted by Taylor Dunham
10th Grade: Meghan Myhill escorted by Garrett Harris
10th Grade: Jordan Jackson escorted by Jarice Barbee
9th Grade: Christin Fowler escorted by Ben Castro
9th Grade: Harley Watts escorted by Caleb Alexander

2009 Marianna Middle School Bullpups Preview

2009 Marianna Middle School Bullpup Roster

Head Coach:Hunter Nolen
1 Shaundre McAroy
2 Derrick Knowles
3 Trenton Nobles
4 Jock Wooden
5 Jonathan Sikes
9 Roderick Copeland
10 T.J. Griffen
12 Blake Waters
15 Justin Klotz
19 Marquis Baker
20 Teon Long
22 Tyler Colson
23 Diquon Long
25 Quay Brigham
29 Deon’trey Granberry
30 Jessie Douglas
32 Bo Hughes
35 Timmy Nguyen
40 Dequarius Baker
42 Qua Hall
45 Gray Gilmore
48 Cody Baxter
49 Shamari Pittman
50 Laterian Pittman
51 Ben Byrd
52 Andrew Shouse
54 Josh Baker
56 Trevon Johnson
58 Jeremy Morrison
60 Lyle Phelps
61 Corey Basford
62 Matt Purvis
63 Tre Weeks
65 Dylan Standland
66 Eric Purdue
68 Devan Baxley
70 Marcus Johnson
71 Jameson Madox
72 Anthony Edwards
73 Otis Orange
74 Micah Carr
76 Andrew Williams
79 Jacob Lepper
80 Tevis Daniels
81 Kevin Willis
85 Devante Green
87 Michael Clower
89 Kyle Tanner

2009 Marianna Middle School Bullpup Schedule

9/10 at Jefferson County
9/15 Chipley
9/22 Havana
9/29 Cottondale
10/6 Riversprings
10/15 Wakulla
10/20 Florida High
10/27 Bowl Game




2009 Marianna Middle Cheerleaders (not in order): Christina McKeen- Captain; Mallory Merrifield- Co Captain; Kendall Lowery; Bri Godwin; Emily Anderson; Brooke Bruner; Maddie Christmas; Kristin Cumbie; Sarea Davis; Sheridan Dryden; Hannah Isler; Hannah Jackson; Alexis Kendall; Anastasia Mitchell; Kaity Moss; Chelsey Pettis

Indians Close Out Season By Clint Cox

The Grand Ridge Indians Middle School football team closed out the 2009 season with a hard fought 14-8 loss to Blountstown on Tuesday night. Blountstown took an early 6-0 lead in the first quarter but the Indians battled back. In the second quarter Wayne Driggers rambled 46 yards for a score and Kurt Willis added the two point run to give Grand Ridge a 8-6 lead. But with : 17 seconds left in the half Blountstown scored and took a 14-8 lead into halftime. The Indians scored a touchdown in the second half but it was called back on a penalty. Neither team could muster any second half points and Blountstown was able to run out the clock to preserve the win. Grand Ridge finished the season with a 3-3 record.

BCF Golf Team Places Second

The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) Men’s Golf Team participated in two tournaments last week placing second place in South Georgia tournament. First, the team traveled to Smithfields Country Club in Easley, South Carolina, for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) South Region Championship on September 28-29. In spite of their hard work and promising results during the practice sessions before each tournament, BCF finished fourth in the five team field the first day, and then fell to fifth the second day.

Players from every team grumbled about the difficult playing conditions. The 6,785 yard, par 72 course was water logged due to heavy rains and had several holes with out-of-bounds markers within a few feet of the fairway. Strong winds gusted throughout both days of tournament play which led to higher than usual scores for the entire field. Southeastern University won the tournament with a four-man, two round total of 619 strokes. They were followed by Southern Wesleyan University with 640, Truett-McConnell with 648, Toccoa Falls College with 716, and BCF with 723.

Looking back on the tourney, BCF Coach Rick Freeman commented, “Our guys have the potential to play much better, and I think they will show improvement soon. The main problem at this point seems to be lack of tournament experience. When they get a few tournaments under their belts, I think they will begin to relax, swing smoother, and score better.”

Ryan Kirk led BCF with a two round score of 167. Barol Bailey carded a 175. Travis Turner finished with a 193, Kyle Hannah a 202, and Jarrod Odom a 205.

Later in the week, the BCF men sought redemption at an NCCAA four-team, 18-hole match hosted October 3 by Christian Clearwater College at the Golf Club of South Georgia near Tifton, Georgia. Christian Clearwater won with a four-man total of 337. BCF found a measure of redemption by finishing in second place at 346. Toccoa Falls College came in third at 376. Southeastern Bible College of Birmingham lagged behind at 478. Barol Bailey was low scorer for BCF with an 83. He was followed by Ryan Kirk with an 86, Travis Turner with an 87, Jarrod Odom with a 90, Kyle Jenkins with a 92, and Kyle Hannah with a 102.

Encouraged and motivated by their second place finish at Tifton, the BCF men asked for and got a rematch with the Tifton teams to be played at the Golf Club of South Georgia on Saturday, October 17. Plans are also underway for BCF to host a two-team match in the Dothan area late in October.

Marianna Outlaws Win First Place

Marianna Outlaws baseball team comprised of kids from the surrounding area recently won first place in the 12 & Under division in “Octoberfest” in Donalsonville, GA. The Outlaws also won the Alabama Cup for the 11 & Under division for the 2009 tournament year. Pictured are:(Front Row)Chipper Wood, Derek Eberly, Austin Torbett, Trace Head, William Hayes.(Back Row) Shelby Savell, Coach Rex Torbett, Jared Hendrix, Brody Holland, Jake Daffin, Coach Robert Daffin, Hunter Eddins

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Pirates Win District Thriller

By Clint Cox

The Sneads Pirates rallied for a thrilling 21-20 win over the visiting Jay Royals this past Friday night at Citizen’s Field. Sneads posted three scores in the second half for the come from behind win, which improved the Pirates to 3-2 overall but more importantly 3-1 in district play.

After a scoreless first quarter the second quarter appeared that it too would be scoreless. But Jay managed to toss a five yard scoring strike with just :36 left in the half. The point after kick was good and the Royals took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at the half.

The third quarter saw the Royals up their lead as they scored on a 1 yard run with 1 ½ minutes remaining in the quarter. The point after kick was good and Jay now held a 14-0 lead. But on the ensuing kickoff the Pirate’s Jeff Davis took the ball and returned it 87 yards for a score. Josh Rogers booted the extra point to narrow the Royal’s led to 14-7. As the game moved into the final quarter Jay tacked on another score, this time on an 11 yard run with just over nine minutes to play. On the extra point attempt the Royals came up empty and their lead stood at 20-7.

That is when Sneads went to work. Jimmy Roberts scooped up a loose ball and returned the fumble 55 yards for a score with just over 8 minutes to play. Rogers added the point after kick to make it a 20-14 game. And then late in the game, with just :33 seconds remaining, Mark Lawson hit Davis on a 33 yard pass for a touchdown. That tied the game at 20-20 and Rogers kicked the game winning extra point to make the final 21-20.

The Pirate defense was led by Jamar White with 14 tackles and 9 assists. Lawson had 11 tackles and 1 assist on the night. Sneads will have this week off as they prepare for another district matchup against the Vernon Yellow Jackets on Friday 10/16/09.

Friday Night Football Preview – 10/2/09

Marianna (3-2) at Pensacola Catholic (4-1) at 7 pm – Marianna suffered a road loss at the hands of Liberty County last week and this weeks the road test will be even tougher. The Bulldogs will travel to Pensacola to take on the Crusaders of Pensacola Catholic in a district contest. The Crusaders started the season 4-0 with wins over larger schools like Choctaw, Gulf Breeze, Navarre and Crestview. Last week they fell to another large school, Pensacola Tate, by a score of 49-14. Marianna has had its difficulties against the Crusaders, falling in the last six outings with the last win being in 2001. The Bulldogs must eliminate costly penalties and turnovers if they have a hope of upsetting the Crusaders.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM





Jefferson County (2-3) at Cottondale (0-5) 7 pm – Tough times continue for the Hornets as they lost to Chipley 28-0 last Friday. Both squads had entered the contest without a win and it was the Tigers who ended their winless drought. The Hornets will face a Jefferson County squad that seems to be catching their wind. They opened the season with 3 losses (Chiles. Taylor Co. & Wewa) but have bounced back with two wins (Rocky Bayou & Bronson). But the Hornets are at home and maybe that will be enough to get their first win of the season.



Graceville (1-3) at FAMU (2-2) 6:30 CST pm - The Tigers fell to a good Blountstown team 14-3 last Friday. With that win Blountstown remained unbeaten on the season. Things won’t get any easier this Friday night as the Tigers travel to Tallahassee to take on the Baby Rattlers. FAMU lost their first two games to some tough competition in Tallahassee (Florida High and North Florida Christian). In fact they were held scoreless in both of those outings. But they have reeled off two wins by scoring 77 points, beating Cottondale 39-16 and Walton County 38-35. The Tigers will have to play their best game of the season to pull off an upset over the Baby Rattlers.

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM



Sneads (3-2) – Open Date – The Pirates got a thrilling last second 21-20 win over the Jay Royals at home last Friday night. In addition to being a thrilling win, it improved the Pirates to 3-1 in district play and keeps them in the hunt for one of the two playoff spots for their 8 team district. They’ll have an open week this week as they prepare for a home contest next Friday against district foe Vernon. Mark Lawson continues to lead the Pirates offensively as he has over 500 yards in rushing and 12 TDs. Jamar White leads the “D” with 37 tackles and 18 assist.

Internet: www.psblive.com

Lady Bulldogs Split

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad traveled to Calhoun County on Monday night and fell 3-1 to the Lady Tigers. Three of the four games played went right down to the wire but the Lady Bulldogs could muster only one win on the evening.

Game one started the nail biting as Blountstown rallied in the final points to get a 25-23 win. Game two saw Marianna take an early 3-1 lead on a kill by Meghan Hinson. But Blountstown came right back and reeled off 7 straight points. They pushed their lead to as many as 10 points before Marianna fought back. With Eron Milton serving and Ciara Ham coming up with 3 kills Marianna pulled to within a 17-12 margin. Blountstown then outscored the Lady Bulldogs 8-3 to capture a 25-15 win.

Game three proved to be another thriller as again Marianna took a 3-1 lead. And again Blountstown battled back to tie the game. But Marianna kept up the pressure and stayed tied at 10-10 on an ace by Michelle Bassin. Cayce Griffin’s kill later gave Marianna a 12-11 lead. The two squads battled toe to toe right down to the wire. Milton and Bassin served up winnings to keep the Lady Dogs close. Sharhae Williams got a kill to give Marianna a 23-22 lead. Williams then came up with a nice block for the game point as Marianna won game three 25-22.

In game four Blountstown took an early 7-2 lead but with Williams coming up with several kills Marianna tied the game at 7-7. The two squads then traded the lead back and forth as Griffin got a kill and Williams came up with 2 blocks in one rally to make it a 15-15 game. Blountstown surged to a 3 point lead by Marianna and pulled to within 1 point at 19-18. The Lady Tigers looked like they would walk away with a win as they pushed their lead to 24-19. In what appeared to be the final point Blountstown looked to be the winner. But the officials ruled that a Lady Tiger had hit the net and the point went to Marianna. The Lady Bulldogs sent Hinson to the service line and she came up with four winners to tie the game at 24-24. But Blountstown got the next two points and pulled out a 26-24 win to capture the match.

In Junior Varsity Action Marianna posted a win over Blountstown, winning both games by scores of 25-17 and 25-20. The Lady Bulldogs will be back in action on Thursday when they play host to Arnold.

The loss to Blountstown followed a win by the Lady Bulldogs last Thursday as they beat Bay High on the road. Marianna won the match 3-1 as they fell in the opening game 25-21. The Lady Bulldogs then reeled off 3 wins by scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-22. The JV squad also picked up a win at Bay, winning 25-22, 25-14 and 15-2.

Men’s Flag Football Registration

Marianna Recreation Department will offer Men’s 7 on 7 Flag Football League. Teams may sign up at The Marianna Educational and Recreational Expo (MERE) located at 3625 Caverns Road in Marianna. The registration fee of $350.00 is due before first contest. The league will play a 10 game schedule with play starting in November. There will be a mangers/organizational meeting on Thursday October 29th at 6:00pm at the MERE Complex. For more information please contact the MERE at 850-482-6228.

Former Chipola Player Records First Big League Hit

Tyler Flowers, former Chipola Indian and current back-up catcher for the Chicago White Sox recorded his first major league hit, Sept. 19, against the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Flowers, who started the game, planted a single through the left side of the infield for his first career hit in the bottom of the eighth inning.

A native of Roswell, Georgia, Flowers attended Chipola College and was named to the NJCAA All-American Second Team before being drafted by the Chicago White Sox. During his 2006 season at Chipola, Flowers helped lead the Indians to their second consecutive Panhandle Conference title.

“Tyler has been on the fast-track through the Minor Leagues after having an extremely productive fall in Arizona,” commented Chipola coach Jeff Johnson. “We are proud to see that his tremendous work ethic is continuing to pay off for him.”

Before being recently called up by the White Sox organization, Flowers was selected to participate in the Minor League’s 2009 XM / MLB Futures Game. According to the nationally recognized website Fanball.com, Tyler is very highly regarded within the White Sox organization and Chipola fans should expect to see him receive more plate appearances as the season enters the final weeks.

Three other former Chipola players are currently in the big leagues, including Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays and Matt Gamel of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Indians Fall to Blue Devils

By Clint Cox

The Grand Ridge Indians Middle School football squad played host to the Blue Devils of Bonifay and fell 14-6 in a conference matchup. Bonifay took an early lead after a 10 play drive with a 17 yard run in the first quarter. The Indians were unable to mount a counter attack and trailed 8-0 at the half. In the second half Grand Ridge took advantage of a good punt return by Wayne Driggers to the Blue Devil 16 yard line. Darius Williams then picked up 15 yards to set up a 1 yard scoring plunge by Driggers. The extra point failed however and Grand Ridge trailed 8-6. As the game moved into the fourth quarter the Indians were still trailing. Bonifay pushed their lead back to 8 points with a score early in the fourth quarter. Grand Ridge countered with a long drive deep into Blue Devil territory. But near the 10 yard line the Indians came up inches short on a fourth down play. Bonifay was able to then run out the clock to secure the conference win. With the loss Grand Ridge was eliminated from any post season bowl eligibility but will close out the regular season on Tuesday when they host Blountstown.

Graceville Trapped

By Dan Fender


Coming off a big win last week against one more school larger than themselves, Graceville found themselves again taking to the field of play having to face another opponent able to draw from a larger pool of players. Last week these Tigers from Graceville held Franklin County scoreless on a night where Graceville saw things come together. That was not to be on this night. Apart from a long field goal of 37 yards by Jay Parent, this night would be a night where the Tigers would hold their opponent scoreless once again. Although on this night it would be the Tigers from Blountstown keeping their opponent out of the end zone.

Looking back at the game last week and looking ahead to the opening of district play next week in Tallahassee against FAMU, this contest had all the trappings for disappointment for the Tigers from Graceville. Blountstown who came to Graceville undefeated did little to move the ball on the Tiger defense. Outside of a large pass completion in the first quarter by the Blountstown offense Graceville did well against a very athletic group from Calhoun County. Blountstown was able to do little to make their offense go apart from the trap play which they ran well and often

Early in this hard fought contest Blountstown took the lead on a fumble scoop for a touchdown. After a successful PAT the score was 7-0 and Graceville needed to respond. Although not able to put the ball in the end zone on this evening Graceville dominated the time of possession holding the ball virtually the entire first half. They picked up 13 first downs on the hard running of Leron Hoover, Jeremy Watburg and Jacky Miles.

Coming out for the second half finding themselves down 7-0 Graceville proceeded to kickoff only to get the ball on a successful onside kick recovered by Hoover. Taking the field for their first drive of the second half, Graceville put together a nine play drive ending in a field goal by Parent. That would be it for the scoring with the Tigers from Graceville. Later in the half Blountstown would add another touchdown to make the final score 14-3.

Although this loss came against another larger school, Graceville can take some positive things away from this game. One, special teams did a stellar job none more apparent than a solid field goal and great punting by Parent. Two, Graceville can be proud of the way they held the ball and dominated the time of possession. Three, it is now time for district play beginning this Friday evening. Graceville support your team by making the trek to our state Capitol and let’s support these young men as they seek to take the bite out of the Rattlers from FAMU.

Marianna Loses Dog Fight

By Clint Cox


The Marianna Bulldogs traveled to Bristol last Friday night and fell 37-15. Marianna held the lead the entire first half but then saw the Bulldogs of Liberty County explode for 34 second half points, 28 of which were unanswered to open up the second half.

The game started on a good note for Marianna as Tre Jackson picked off a Liberty County pass and returned it 70 yards for a score just four minutes into the game. Ryan Rudd added the point after kick and Marianna held a 7-0 lead. The two squads traded punts for most of the remainder of the first half as both offenses were stymied by the respective defensives. Liberty County did manage a drive late in the second quarter that culminated with a 37 yard field goal. At the half Marianna held a 7-3 lead.

The second half was all Liberty County however as the garnet and gold Bulldogs got on a roll early. After Marianna punted on their opening possession of the second half, Liberty County ripped off a 54 yard run on their first play from scrimmage. Two plays later their quarterback scored on a 20 yard run. The point after kick gave them their first lead of the game at 10-7. Marianna’s next two possessions ended in a punt and an interception. Liberty County cashed in on both as they posted two more touchdowns before the third quarter ended.

As the game entered the fourth quarter Marianna was trailing 25-7. Liberty County added another score midway through the quarter to make it 31-7. Marianna finally got back on the scoreboard late in the game as Jackson scooped up a snap that had gone over his head while in punt formation. Jackson retreated all the way back to the Marianna 30 yard line before turning up field and racing all the way to the end zone for a score. Fidel Montgomery added the two point conversion run to cut the Liberty County lead to 31-15. Liberty County added one more touchdown on a 7 yard run with a minute to play to set the final score at 37-15.

With the loss Marianna fell to 3-2 on the season and will again be on the road this Friday when they travel to Pensacola to take on Pensacola Catholic in a district matchup. Marianna is 1-0 in district play while the Crusaders (4-1 overall) will be playing their first district game of the season.

Jackson County Sports on the Airwaves

Week of: 10/8/09 – 10/14/09

Television

CCTV 4 (Comcast Cable 4)

Check CCTV listings for a variety of sports programs.



Radio

WJAQ 100.9 FM

Marianna Bulldog Football

10/9 Friday

Marianna at Pen. Catholic 6:30 pm – Pregame



Saturday Morning Scoreboard Show

10/10 Sat 7:30 am







WFBU 94.7 FM

Graceville Tiger Football

10/9 Friday

Graceville at FAMU High – 6:30 pm



WTYS 94.1 FM

Grand Ridge Middle School Football

10/13 Tuesday

Blountstown at Grand Ridge 6 pm



Internet

www.psblive.com

Sneads Pirates Football

10/9 Friday

Sneads - Open Date

Fellowship of Christian Athletes presents….

Fields of Faith

A community time of fellowship, devotion,

and testimony
When:

Wednesday, October 14

Where:

Sneads High Gym

Time: 6pm-9pm

Speaker: Zack Wester

Music:

Sneads Assembly

of God Youth Choir


Come and share what God has done for you.

We will have pizza and drinks after the service.

Everyone is invited! Contact Sheila Roberts, FCA sponsor, at Sneads High for more information.

Lady Indians Take Two From Vernon

By Clint Cox

The Grand Ridge Middle School Lady Indians basketball team picked up two victories this past Monday evening over the visiting Vernon Yellow Jackets. In game one, 6th & 7th graders, the Lady Indians took an early 10-4 lead after one quarter. By halftime they had increased that lead to 20-9. The final tally was 34-18 in favor of Grand Ridge. Brandi Walden led the way with 10 points while Ashlyn Roberts followed with 8 points.

In the second game, 8th grade, the Lady Indians dominated the Lady Yellow Jackets from the outset. Grand Ridge led 12-2 at the end of the first quarter and then 23-3 at the half. The end of the third quarter saw the Lady Indians leading 35-10 and the final score was 41-14. Logan Neel led the 8th graders with 16 points and Brooke Williams added 8 points.

Grand Ridge was scheduled to take on Marianna on Tuesday afternoon. They will close out their regular season with an away contest on Thursday at Chipley. The Lady Indians will then participate in the Tri-County Conference tournament October 12-15 in Bonifay.

Chipola Cross Country Places Fifth at LaGrange Meet

The Chipola College Cross Country team finished fifth in a meet at LaGrange College on Sept. 26.

A total of 12 colleges entered the meet with nine eligible for scoring. The venue was primarily trails around West Point Lake.

Rebecca Honeycutt Cappeleman was the top runner for the Lady Indians, finishing 20th out of 60 runners with a time of 29:58 in the 6K race. All five Lady Indians improved their mile split times by at least 30 seconds.

Chipola team members are Rebecca Honeycutt Cappelman, Sylvianna Garrett, MacKenzie Willis, Maggie Mathis and Kaylee Hatcher. Rance Massengill coaches the team.

Breakaway Results

10/3/2009

50/50 Winner

Wayne Ernst

Pro/Super Pro

Winner

Jimmy Godwin

R/U

Kenny Godwin

Semi

Phil Roush

Sportsman

Winner

Dwight Polous

R/U

Ronny Bridges

OLD GRACEVILLE TIGER YEARBOOKS FOR SALE

The Graceville High School Annual Staff is currently selling old yearbooks. We have the following years available:

‘88‘90‘91'92‘93‘94‘95‘96‘98‘99‘00‘01‘02‘03'04‘05‘07‘08

Books from 2004 and older are $10, 2005 and newer are $20.

Please contact Somer Barrick at 263-4451 ext.237 to get your book.

Books will also be for sale at the Homecoming Game October 30th.

Breakaway Dragway Upcoming Events

Thanksgiving Weekend Wintermadness
Friday
Gates open at 3 PM
Time trials and T/T start at 4 PM



Gamblers Race at 6 PM for Pro/SP & Sportsman and Jrs!



Qualifying for Pro Mods and R/S at 7 pm



Gamblers Race

Pro/SP & Sportsman

Entry Fee - $30

Payback - 80/20

Buy Backs - $10 First Round Only



Gamblers Race ALL Jrs

Entry Fee - $15

Payback - 100%

Buy Backs - $5 First Round Only



Saturday

Gates open at 8 AM

Time Trials at 10 AM

Eliminations (Pro/SP, Sportsman, & Jrs) 1PM

Qualifying (Pro Mods & R/S) 11 am & 1 PM

Eliminations (Pro Mods & R/S) 3 PM



PURSES

Pro/SP Entry $75 Guaranteed

Buy Backs $ 30 1st & 2nd Rnd

Winner - $3000

R/U - $1000

Semi - $500

QTR - $250



Sportsman

Entry $75 Guaranteed

Buy Backs $30

1st & 2nd Rnd

Winner - $3000

R/U - $1000

Semi - $500

QTR - $250



Outlaw Pro Mods Quick 8

Winner - $4000

R/U - $2000

Semi - $1000

Qualify - $750



Outlaw R/S (16 Car Field) Entry $75

NO INDEX!!! WS ARE ALLOWED

NO WHEELIE BARS

Winner - $2000

R/U - $750

Semi - $200

QTR - $100



Jrs 8.90 and Faster

Entry $30

Based on 10 Car Min.

Buy backs $10 first and second Rnd

Winner - $400

R/U - $125

Semi - $50



Jrs 8.90 and Slower

Entry $30

Based on 10 Car Min.

Buy backs $10 First and Second Rnd

Winner - $400

R/U - $125

Semi - $50



Spectators

Friday $10

Saturday $20

Both Days $25 - must be purchased Friday

Another “Hole In One” at Indian Springs

This one had a “bittersweet” taste.

By Sid Riley

During last Friday’s golf tournament at Indian Springs Golf Course which was a fund raising event for the Hospital Foundation, another hole in one was scored. This makes the third “Ace” in the past three weeks, after the passage of almost a full year at the course with none of these special moments in a golfer’s life.

This time it was Marianna native, Don Hughes, President of Credit Bureau of
Marianna, at the par three thirteenth hole. How much did he win, since it was scored in tournament play? Well, there were prizes galore for special feats during the tournament. If Don’s hole in one was scored on the 18th hole, he would have won $5,000. If it had been on hole #8, or #5, he would have won prizes worth several hundred dollars. There was only one par three hole in the event where no prizes were offered…..you guessed it! That was hole # 13!!

Congratulations for your good luck, Don….(I guess).

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Bulldogs Win Shoot Out In Overtime

By Clint Cox
The Marianna Bulldogs rallied to pulled off a 37-30 overtime win against the visiting Walton County Braves this past Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. With Walton leading 14-7 at the half the Bulldogs loaded their guns for a second half shoot out and fortunately had just enough bullets to get the district win. The Bulldogs were led by a trio, including R.J. Bowers who rushed for 149 yards and a TD. Fidel Montgomery added 88 yards and 3 TDs while Tre Jackson rambled for 74 yards and a score.

The Bulldogs took a first quarter lead on a 7 yard run by Fidel Montgomery. Ryan Rudd added the point after kick to make it 7-0. But Walton came back with two unanswered scores in the second quarter to seize the lead and the momentum. Late in the third quarter the fireworks began as Montgomery scored again on a 7 yard run. The extra point snap was high and holder Tre Jackson took off in an attempt to run it in. After retreating as far back as the 25 yard line he began weaving his way back toward the end zone. In an unlikely manner Jackson finally found paydirt, diving into the end zone for the two points. That gave Marianna a 15-14 lead. Walton came right back and less than two minutes later reclaimed the lead at 21-15. But the Bulldogs fired right back on the next possession as Jackson bolted 63 yards down the sideline for a score. Rudd added another point after kick to give Marianna a 22-21 lead.

The fourth quarter saw Walton once again seize the momentum with a TD run on the first play of the quarter. The two teams had shot it out in a 3 ½ minute flurry of scoring, combining for a total of 27 points. The Braves went for two but failed, thus taking a 27-22 lead. Both squads appeared exhausted from the humidity and flurry of activity and were unable to move the ball much of the fourth quarter. Walton did manage a 27 yard field goal though late in the game to increase their lead to 30-22. The Bulldogs got the ball back with 1 ½ minutes to play and knew their back was to the wall. Electing to run the ball rather than pass, Marianna amazingly marched right down the field without throwing a pass. With :27 seconds to play Bowers bolted 30 yards for a score. Marianna needed two to tie and they got it as Bowers bulled his way into the end zone to tie the game at 30-30.

Overtime saw Marianna get first possession and it took all of four plays but Montgomery punched it in on fourth and goal. Rudd’s kick after made it a 37-30 game. Walton QB Liam Miller had been nearly flawless in running the spread offense, throwing for almost 300 yards and no interceptions. But his first pass in overtime was tipped and Marianna’s Marjean Dean picked off the pass to seal the victory.

Marianna improved to 3-1 on the season and will travel this Friday to Bristol to take on Liberty County.

Friday Night Football Preview – 10/2/09

Marianna (3-1) at Liberty Co. (2-1) at 7 pm CST – The Bulldogs are coming off a thrilling overtime district win against Walton Co.. Once again running back R.J. Bowers was the go to man for the Bulldogs, as he rushed for over 149 yards, scoring a late TD and 2 point run to send the game into overtime. QB Fidel Montgomery had a big night as well with 3 TDs, including the game winner in OT. But Marianna will face a tough road test this week in Liberty County. The boys from Bristol took it to Marianna in the preseason jamboree and were unbeaten before falling to Port St. Joe 20-12 last week. Simply Put, it will be a dog fight.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM



Chipley (0-3) at Cottondale (0-4) 7 pm – Both teams are looking for their first win of the season. Cottondale fell to FAMU in their district opener last week and desperately needs a win. The Hornets have the athletes but their schedule (3 straight games on the road and then home to FAMU) has been a killer. Chipley has a new head coach but he is familiar to Jackson County. Rob Armstrong left Marianna to go to Chipley and is a proven winner. But the Tigers are young and inexperienced and have been taking their lumps so far this season falling in close games to Vernon, Wewa and Blountstown. Somebody will get their first win of the season and hopefully it will be the Hornets.



Sneads (2-2) at Jay (1-1 ) 7 pm – The Pirates lost to Freeport last week for their first district loss of the season. Sneads will need to eliminate their turnovers and penalties in order to be in the ballgame. But they need to get a win over the Royals in order to stay in the hunt for the district title or runner up spot. On paper Jay looks similar to Sneads in that they have beaten Holmes County and fell to Freeport. Mark Lawson continues to lead the Pirates as he is averaging just at 100 yards per game in rushing.

Internet: www.psblive.com



Blountstown (3-0) at Graceville (1-2) 7 pm - The Tigers got a much needed win last Friday night with a shut out win over the Seahawks of Franklin County. After two opening losses in which turnovers killed the Tigers they took care of business with the ball and played a solid game. They will host a Blountstown team that has gotten off to a fast start with wins over Sneads and Chipley. They followed those two wins with a 39-27 win over Wewahitchka last week. Simply Put, this will be a cat fight

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM

Graceville Shutout

By Dan Fender

No! The Tigers were not shutout. After two heartbreaking losses to much larger schools in their first two games this season the Tigers held Franklin County scoreless. The one time the Seahawks did threaten to score the Seahawk ball carrier was stood up on the one yard line by a couple Tigers and a hard hit by senior linebacker Trey White forced a fumble through the end zone resulting in a touchback. The hit by White was indicative of the hunger of these Tigers on this night.

In their first possession the Tigers put together a clock eating drive of eight plays starting at their own 38 ending in a 23 yard touchdown run by Quarterback Jacky Miles. After a strong run by Fullback Leron Hoover for the two point conversion the Tigers were up 8-0 on a tired Seahawk team.

After a couple back and forth possessions the Tigers got the ball back again only this time resulting in another Tiger touchdown. During this drive the Tiger’s faithful were witness to some hard running by all the Tiger backs. Solomon Cody, Jeremy Watford, Hoover and Miles all carrying the ball toward the end resulted in a 2 yard touchdown run up the gut by Hoover. This capped a long 10 play drive making the score 14-0 Tigers.

After the ensuing kickoff the Seahawks proceeded to go on a long drive of their own ending with a big hit causing a fumble which rolled out of the end zone resulting in a touchback. The Tiger defense was determined to keep the Seahawks out of the end zone and none more so than Johnson who laid a lick causing the fumble. As the teams went to the locker room after a short four play drive running out the clock on this first half, it was apparent these Tigers were hungry and on this night were not going to be denied.

As the teams took the field for the second half the Tigers were more than determined to take the ball early and drive it right down the field and send the Tiger faithful home happy on this very humid night. The Tigers took the ball at the 20 yard line and after a very long 13 play drive and some hard running by Jay Parent and the rest of the Tiger backfield, the Tigers punched the ball in on a 15 yard run executed by Trey Johnson. The Tiger line was very consistent and determined as they were led by Eli Russaw and Heath Plybon playing his first game of the season after coming off of an injury. After a failed PAT the Tigers led 20-0.

Then on fourth and long for the Seahawks the Tiger defense forced another fumble and after seemingly laying on the turf forever the ball was scooped up by Sophomore Darae Laster. He returned it for what everyone thought was a touchdown only to be called back for a block in the back penalty. As the Tiger offense took the field to put this game away after two runs for first downs of 10 and 12 yards by Jeremy Watford they did so on a 5 yard touchdown run by Darae Laster on the first play of the fourth quarter. Final Score: Tigers 26 Seahawks 0.

Jackson County Sports on the Airwaves

Week of:10/1/09 – 10/7/09

Television

CCTV 4 (Comcast Cable 4)

Check CCTV listings for a variety of sports programs.



Radio

WJAQ 100.9 FM

Marianna Bulldog Football

10/2 Fri Marianna at Liberty Co. 6:30 pm – Pregame

Saturday Morning Scoreboard Show

10/3 Sat 7:30 am



WFBU 94.7 FM

Graceville Tiger Football

10/2 Fri Blountstown at Graceville – 7:00 pm



WTYS 94.1 FM

Grand Ridge Middle School Football

10/6 Tues Bonifay at Grand Ridge 6 pm



Internet www.psblive.com

Sneads Pirates Football

10/2 Fri Sneads at Jay 6:45 pm – Pregame

Hornets Drop District Opener

By Clint Cox

After three straight road games and losses to open the season, the Cottondale Hornets football squad finally got to play a home game last Friday. That the good news. The bad news is that it was against the FAMU Baby Rattlers and they took it to Cottondale in a 39-16 win over the Hornets.

FAMU, which had previously been shut out in their first two games, struck first with a touchdown run to go up 7-0. Cottondale fired right back as they took advantage of a Baby Rattler miscue on a punt return. Hornet Lonnie Johnson came up with the loose ball and gave Cottondale excellent field postion. Nick Jackson then put the Hornets on the scoreboard with a 16 yard run midway through the first quarter. Jackson followed with a 2 point run and the Hornets took an early 8-7 lead.

From that point however, the Baby Rattlers reeled off three unanswered scores to take a 27-8 halftime lead. Cottondale kept fighting tough and narrowed the gap in the third quarter. Jackson added his second TD of the night on a long run and Drew Bellamy added the point after run to make it a 27-16 game. FAMU salted the game away however in the fourth quarter after picking off a Hornet pass and scoring a touchdown with just over six minutes remaining in the game.

The contest was this district opener for both squads so with the loss Cottondale fell to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in district play. FAMU entered the game without a win as they had lost to North Florida Christian and Florida High in their first two outings. The Baby Rattlers improved to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in district action.

2009 Graceville Tigers Middle School Football Preview

Head Coach :Travis Miller

Tiger Roster
2 Lamar Sorey
5 Jarett Brogdon
6 Daimeyon O’Neal
7 DeNelson Elingson
9 Preston Nichols
10 Kelvonte Coster
11 Jared Padgett
12 Mason Long
13 Joe McCaskill
15 Colby Sims
28 Eli Miller
30 Tuner McCroan
41 Tyler Wert
46 Josh Larson
50 Ben Bodifer
51 Corey Holeman
52 Rashard McKinnie
53 Cody Burnell
55 Jacob Merritt
59 Tommy Cook
60 Victor Alverado
62 John Ross Taylor
63 Jacob Lain
64 Chance Jowers
71 Austin Creamer
81 Bradley Powell
88 Chad Stevens


2009 Graceville Tiger Schedule

9/10 Grand Ridge
9/15 at Bonifay
9/22 Cottondale
9/29 Open
10/6 at Chipley
10/13 Vernon

Pirates Stumble In Freeport

By Clint Cox

The Sneads Pirates traveled to Freeport last Friday and took it on the chin in a 34-17 district loss to the Bulldogs. Freeport jumped out to a quick lead, aided by three Sneads turnovers in the first half, and never looked back as they pulled ahead to lead 27-3 by halftime.

The only bright spot for the Pirates in the first half came on a 41 yard field goal by Josh Rogers. In the second half the Pirates managed to get a little offense going but it was too little too late. Jeff Davis scored on a 25 yard scoring run and Mark Lawson scored on a 12 yard run. Rogers added the point after kick on both touchdowns.

The Pirates were led on the evening by Lawson with 96 rushing yards on 22 carries. Davis added 42 yards of rushing on eight carries. The Pirate defense was led by Jamar White and Davis led the Sneads defense with seven tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 2-2 on the year and 2-1 in district play. They’ll be back on the road this week as they play at Jay in another district road game.

Bullpups Defeat Hornets

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Bullpups hosted the Hornets of Cottondale in middle school football action Tuesday night and recorded a 52-0 win. The Pups got off to a quick start as Jonathan Sikes scored and Justin Klotz added the two point run to make it 8-0. Later in the first quarter Klotz rolled to his right on a QB keeper and raced down the sidelines 35 yards to give Marianna a 14-0 lead. In the second quarter Jock Wooden bulled his way into the end zone from 7 yards out. Wooden added the two point run to make it 22-0. Marianna added another score midway through the second quarter and then got the ball back late in the first half. On the last play of the half Klotz hit tight end Kyle Tanner on a 25 yard scoring strike. Sikes added the two point run to give Marianna a 38-0 lead at the half.

The Bullpups picked up in the second half right where they left off in the first half as punter Teon Long scooped up a high snap over his head and rambled 64 yards for a score. T.J. Griffin added the two point run to make it 46-0. Long added a 35 yard run early in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 52-0.

At the conclusion of the fourth quarter 12 minutes was added to the clock and those players who had not played during regulation took the field. Dequarius Baker got a long run of 50 yards to score for Marianna and T.J. Griffin added the two point run. Moments later Griffin bolted 70 yards for another Bullpup score.

With the win Marianna improved to 3-0 on the season while Cottondale fell to 1-2 on the year.

Indians Nip Yellow Jackets

By Clint Cox

The Grand Ridge Indians middle school squad pulled out a 14-8 win over the visiting Yellow Jackets from Vernon Middle School. Wayne Driggers led the way for Grand Ridge as he scored on a 91 yard touchdown run for the Indians first score. Vernon rallied in the first quarter to tie the game at 6-6. In the second quarter Driggers hooked up with Darius Williams for an 18 yard scoring strike. Driggers then added the point after run to make it a 14-6 ball game. Before the end of the first half Vernon came up with a safety to narrow the margin to 14-8 as both team went to the locker room for halftime. The second half was a defensive struggle as neither team could mount any points.

With the win Grand Ridge improved to 3-1 on the season and will play host to Bonifay next Tuesday at Citizen’s Field in Sneads.

Lady Bulldogs Beat Lady Blue Devils

By Clint Cox

The Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad played host to the Lady Blue Devils of Holmes County on Monday night and came away with a 3-0 win. In game one Meghan Hinson gave Marianna a 4-1 lead with her first kill of the night. Hinson then reeled off three service points to push Marianna’s lead to 9-3. With Michelle Bassin serving and Hinson spiking, Marianna’s lead swelled to 13-7. Tiffany Lawrence served up a couple of points and then Ciara Ham recorded a kill to make it a 21-12 game. From there Marianna went on to post a 25-14 win.

Holmes County jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game two but Marianna caught fire and got on a roll. Lawrence delivered 3 service points and then Hinson reeled off 6 straight service points as Marianna took a 16-5 lead. The Lady Blue Devils battled back to make it a 17-11 game. Cayce Griffin ended the Holmes County run with a kill to make it 18-11. Eron Milton went to the service line and served up 6 straight points to push Marianna’s lead to 23-11. A block by Sharhae Williams made it 24-11 and the Lady Bulldogs won game two by a score of 25-12.

The third and final game of the evening Marianna got out of the gates quickly with four service points from Michelle Bassin. Griffin served up four points and along the way Hinson came up with a nice block to raise the lead to 10-3. Williams came up with a dink (tap over) to make it a 13-5 game and from there the Lady Bulldogs went on to take a 19-7 lead. Holmes County began a comeback, pulling to within 7 points at 22-15. Marianna finally stemmed the tide enough to hold on for a 25-19 win.

After a slow start this season with a young and inexperienced squad, this win improved the Lady Bulldogs record to 7-7. It also followed a win over Chipley last Thursday as Marianna posted a 3-1 win over the Lady Tigers. Marianna won game one 25-18 and then fell 25-12 in game two. Marianna bounced back with wins of 25-20 and 25-19 to take the match.

In the feeder programs on Monday night the Lady Bulldogs 9th grade squad fell 2-1. They won game one 26-24 but then lost the next two contest. The JV squad of Marianna posted two wins over Holmes County by winning game one 25-20 and game two 25-6.

Lady Pirates Keep On Truckin’

By Clint Cox

The Sneads Lady Pirates kept on truckin’ this past week as they picked up wins against Cottondale, Liberty County and Arnold. With those three wins the Lady Pirates improved to 14-1 on the season. The girls swept Cottondale in three straight games:  25-14, 25-13, and 25-13.  Leading the offense for the Pirates was setter, Tiffany Guerra who connected with her hitters for 29 assists.   The Smith girls led in kills with Meagan Smith earning 9 kills and Ashley Smith earning 8.  Jordan Jackson received 6 kills, Kara Alford had 5 kills, and Sierra Hewett had 3 on the right side.  Bridgett Dawson and Meagan Smith led in digs each with 6.  In ace serves, it was Sierra Hewett leading the way with 4.  Guerra scored 3 ace serves for the night, while Bridgett Dawson and Ashley Smith each had two aces of their own.  “ I am very proud of the way the girls are playing .  We have been very consistent this season,” said Head Coach Shelia Roberts . 

 In JV action, Cottondale was gracious enough to allow their JV to play Sneads 9th grade team and then turn around and play their 10th grade team.  It was called a tie during 9th grade action after the Lady Pirates fell the first game 22-25 but fought hard for the victory in the 2nd game 25-22.  Ashley Rogers earned 2 kills and 4 ace serves.  Brandy Strickland helped to lead the offense with three assists and 1 kill.  Jenna Sneads earned an ace serve while Alex Maphis earned 3 ace serves and 3 assists.  Middle, Savanna Owens had 3 kills while left side hitter Blair Edenfield had 1 kill of her own.  The 10 grade team swept Cottondale in two games: 25-21 and 25-9.  Leading in kills for the JV was Alyssa Edwards with 6.  Alyssa also earned 8 ace serves.  Emily Jones, who splits time with the JV and Varsity, had 5 kills and 3 ace serves.  Emily is an outstanding defensive player and that showed in the Cottondale game.  Yonna Bell is only a 2nd year player, but is already being effective for the Pirates.  She earned one ace and one kill.  Shannon McCaffrey and Becca Aaron led the defense in the setters positions and had a combined 12 assists.  Shannon also earned 3 kills while Aaron earned 3 ace serves.  Brandy Strickland was the only freshman to play with the 10th graders and did a great job, earning 2 kills and 1 ace serve.

Sneads played a tri-match Saturday against Liberty County and Arnold High School.  The Lady Pirates ended the day 2-0 and improved to 8-0 in district play.  In the game against Liberty, Guerra led the Lady Pirates offense with 34 assists.  Guerra connected with Meagan Smith to earn Smith 23 kills.  Smith also earned 2 blocks and 2 ace serves.  Ashley Smith earned 10 kills while Alford had 5 and Hewett came in with 4. Jordan Jackson earned 3 block kills and one kill.   Dawson led the defense with 16 digs and 28 perfect passes in the serve receive.  Emily Jones and Caitlin McCaffey both checked in for the Pirates and did a great job  in the serve receive.  Emily also earned 4 digs. 

 Next, the Lady Pirates faced Arnold High School from Panama City.  Again, it was the Guerra to Meagan Smith combination that led to 20 kills for Smith.  Ashley Smith came in with 10 kills once more.  Alford tallied 3 kills while Jackson and Hewett each had one kill.  Jackson also earned one block kill and one kill.  The Smith girls, Meagan and Ashley, each earned 2 ace serves.  Dawson led in digs again with 20, and 15 perfect passes in the serve receive.  Scores for the Arnold match were 26-24, 25-14, and 26-24.  Both matches were close and exciting! 

Sneads played host to Bozeman on Tuesday night in another district contest. Results of that match were not available at press time.