Bulldogs Blow Past Bay

The Marianna Bulldogs improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 57-45 win over Bay High on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs placed four players in double figures and jumped out to a big early lead on the hot shooting of Quay Royster and Kendal Leeks. Leeks hit 6 points in the first quarter as Marianna took a 13-5 lead going into the second quarter. In that second quarter it was Royster that got the hot hand as he pumped in 10 points. The Bulldogs outscored the Tornadoes 18-7 in the second quarter to hold a 31-12 lead at the half.

In the third quarter the Bay began to battle back and the Bulldogs managed to slightly outscored them 20-18. But that gave Marianna a 51-30 lead as the final quarter began. The Tornadoes made a run and the Bulldogs got a little sloppy with their ball handling. Bay cut the Bulldog lead down to as few as 13 points but Kruize Pinkins, Tre Jackson and Leeks came up with baskets to keep the Bulldog’s lead safe.

Royster led the Bulldogs with 12 points and was followed by Jackson with 11. The two big men, Leeks and Pinkins, each chipped in 10 points in the win. The Bulldogs will next be in action on Thursday night when they travel to Malone to take on the Tigers in their annual rivalry. In JV action the junior Bulldogs beat Bay 52-37 to improve to 2-0 as well on the season. They were led by Anthony Speights with 11, Keymon Borders with 10 and Roderick Copeland with 9.

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FHSAA Board Expands Classifications; Creates Rural Division

The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors recently voted to create a rural classification in most sanctioned team sports, and to increase the number of classifications in sanctioned team sports. “When the FHSAA originally went up to six classifications in team sports in 1999, we had 517 member schools, with 480 of those playing team sports. Now that we have 670 member schools and 650 of those in team sports, the number of teams in individual districts is too large,” said Executive Director Roger Dearing. “Moving to eight classifications allows for fewer teams in each district, which allows for more flexibility in scheduling for the season.” “We have a number of member schools that need issues addressed in terms of equitable competition,” added Dearing. “We need to make sure people know this is not a public-private issue. This is an issue of small rural schools that do not draw their student populations from larger urban areas or outside the state or country, and have a difficult time competing against those that do. There is a way for all schools to exist and succeed with the advent of this new division.”

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