Jackson County Sports with Clint Cox

Chipola Comes Up Short

2011-03-10T12:16:00.002-06:00

After going 4-8 last year in conference play and missing the State Basketball Tournament for the first time in many years, the Chipola Indians returned to familiar ground this season. They captured the Panhandle Conference Championship, made a returned appearance in the State Tournament and then made it all the way to the Championship game. Unfortunately their bid to return to the land of State Champions came up one game short as the Indians fell to Panhandle Conference rival Tallahassee last Saturday night by a score of 61-52.

Chipola began tournament play on Thursday and won a hard fought, and costly, 71-65 victory over St. Petersburg College. The contest was brutally physical as the two teams combined for a total of 56 fouls and 69 free throws. The Indians took an early 11-3 lead but then saw the Titans storm back to overtake them and hold a 33-24 halftime lead. Chipola continued to trail much of the second half until Shamarr Bowden began to heat up from the outside. His four second half 3 pointers helped the Indians take the lead and hold on for a 6 point win. The win was costly though as starting center Keith DeWitt went down with an elbow injury and spent the rest of the tournament with his arm in a sling.

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Pirates Sail Over Hornets

2011-03-10T12:16:00.001-06:00

The Sneads Pirates set their sails early on and then cruised to a 19-4 win over Cottondale on Tuesday night in high school baseball action. Devin Hayes went the distance for Sneads as he picked up the win. Hayes also helped his own cause with a two run home run in the second inning.

The Pirates plated three runs in their first at bat as Aaron Green doubled. Garrett Harris and John Locke both reached base and that set up a 2 RBI single by Trevin Hall. Locke came home to score on an error and the Pirates led 3-0. Cottondale failed to score in their at bat but the Pirates added more runs in the second. Green led off with a single and Harris reached on an error. Locke was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hall hit into a fielder’s choice but that brought Green home to score. That is when Hayes stepped to the plate and sent one deep over the left center field fence. That put the Pirates up 7-0 going to the bottom of the second.

Cottondale got three runs in their second at bat as Caleb Toole reached after being hit by a pitch. Aaron McClain singled and Devin Thomas reached base on a fielder’s choice that scored Toole. Patrick McClain then ripped a 2 RBI double to score Aaron McClain and Thomas. That made it a 7-4 ball game after two complete innings. But the Pirates exploded in the third inning to put the game out of reach.

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STATE JUCO BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BEGINS MARCH 2 AT CHIPOLA

2011-03-04T11:39:00.003-06:00

The top 16 community college basketball teams in Florida will begin arriving in Marianna Tuesday for the Florida Junior College Men’s and Women’s State Basketball Tournament set for March 2-5 in Chipola College’s Milton H. Johnson Health Center.

Some 400 basketball players along with coaches, cheerleaders and fans will fill nearly 200 hotel rooms during the tourney. Teams will begin practice Tuesday in the Johnson Center and in local high school gyms. Each team is assigned a local host family to help with any need that may arise during the tournament.

Numerous Division I College coaches and recruiters also are expected to scout the talent in the competition. Tournament officials estimate that more than $250,000 will flow into the area during the tournament from food, lodging, recreation and incidental expenses.

Women’s action begins Wednesday, March 2, at 1 p.m., as Indian River takes on Central Florida. At 3 p.m., Pensacola meets Daytona. The 6 p.m. game features Northwest and St. Petersburg. Santa Fe and Miami Dade play in the 8 p.m. nightcap on Wednesday.

The men’s tournament tips off Thursday, March 3, at 1 p.m. as Central Florida takes on Brevard. At 3 p.m., Tallahassee takes on Polk. Chipola faces St. Petersburg in the 6 p.m. game. Palm Beach and Daytona meet in the 8 p.m. nightcap on Thursday.

Men’s and women’s semi-finals are set for Friday, March 4, with women’s games at 1 and 6 p.m. and men’s contests at 3 and 8 p.m. The State Championship title games are set for Saturday, March 5, with the women at 5 p.m., and the men at 7:30 p.m.

Waste Management is official host sponsor for the event. The Jackson County Tourist Development Council awarded a grant to help promote the tournament. The Florida Lottery is also a major sponsor of the event.

Tournament passes—$25 for adults and $15 for students—will get fans into all 14 exciting tournament games. Single session tickets—two games—are $10 each.

For ticket information, call 718-2220, or visit the official tourney web site at: www.chipola.edu

CHIPOLA HOSTS NORTHWEST TUESDAY, FEB. 1

2011-02-01T11:49:00.000-06:00

Chipola hosts Northwest Florida, Tuesday, Feb. 1, in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. The women’s game tips off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m.

The Indians improved to 19-2 on the year 5-0 in panhandle play with a 78-57 win over Gulf Coast on Jan. 25. Marcos Knight led Chipola with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Geron Johnson had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Elijah Pittman scored 10 points and pulled down 6 rebounds. After the first round of conference play, the Indians have beaten all Panhandle teams at least once.

The Indians scored a 71-67 win over Tallahassee on Jan. 18. Chipola beat Northwest 56-55 on Jan. 15. The Indians outlasted Pensacola 76-67 on Jan. 11. Chipola opened league play with a 68-64 win over Gulf Coast on Jan. 8.

In the Jan. 25 Men’s FCCAA State Poll, Chipola (19-2, 5-0) moved in to first place. Palm Beach (20-2) is second. Central Florida is third (19-5). Northwest Florida State (17-4, 2-3) is fourth. Pensacola State (15-8, 3-3) is fifth. Tallahassee (17-7, 3-3) is eighth.

The Lady Indians improved to 17-6 on the year 3-2 in Panhandle play with a 55-46 win over Gulf Coast on Jan. 25. Jasmine Shaw led Chipola with 18 points and 3 rebounds. Carleeda Green had 12 points and 4 rebounds. Sara Djassi added 9 points and 3 rebounds.

Chipola scored a 55-47 win over Tallahassee on Jan. 18. Shaw led Chipola with 15. Carleeda Green had 14. Jeniece Johnson scored 13 points. Chipola fell to Northwest, 57-49, in Niceville on Jan. 15. Chipola lost a close 73-66 game to top-ranked Pensacola on Jan. 11.

The Lady Indians opened league play with a 64-59 win over the Lady Commodores on Jan. 8 marking the first time that Chipola coach David Lane’s Lady Indians beaten the Lady Commodores in Panama City.

Chipola (17-6, 3-2) moved to third in the FCCAA State women’s poll. Pensacola (23-0, 6-0) is first. Northwest Florida State (17-4, 2-3) is second. Gulf Coast (13-7, 2-4) is fourth. Tallahassee (12-7, 1-5) is fifth.

Both Chipola teams travel to Pensacola, Jan. 29 before returning home to host Northwest Florida on Feb. 1.

For the latest scores and stats, visit www.chipola.edu or call 718-2CJC.

Bulldogs Blow Past Bay

2010-12-02T11:21:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-02T11:21:00.001-06:00

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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Friday Night Football Preview – 11/19/10

2010-11-18T17:06:00.001-06:00

Cottondale (4-5) at Lafayette County – Mayo (9-1) 7 pm

It will be an all out Hornet fight on Friday night as Cottondale travels to Mayo to take on the Lafayette County Hornets in round one of the FHSAA Class 1B playoffs. Cottondale is coming off a rough outing against a very good Liberty County squad. This will be the first time in the playoffs for Cottondale since the 2005 season and on offense they will be relying on the legs of Dominique Webb (857 yards & 7 TDs) and Evan Davis (500 yards & 5 TDs). They’ll also need a solid performance from QB CJ Smith, who has thrown for 711 yards and 7 TDs. Defensively Cottondale has been led by Eli Jackson with 76 tackles followed by Ronnie Dixon (70), Davis with 67 and Cody Saye with 58. That defense will certainly have their hands full on Friday night as they will be trying to stop the high scoring attack of Lafayette County. The red and white Hornets of Mayo have averaged 40 points a ball game this year. And while Cottondale may be in their first playoffs in awhile, this is not the first rodeo for the Mayoians. Lafayette County has now made the playoffs six straight seasons and in those six season they have amassed a record of 58-9.

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Lady Pirates Claim District Title & 1st Round Playoff Win / Bulldogs Bite Tiger Sharks

2010-11-04T13:09:00.002-05:00

To see sports stories from the week of October 27 - Nov. 3rd
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Marianna Falls In District Semi Finals

2010-10-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

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Bulldog JV Football Goes For Undefeated Season

2010-10-14T11:39:00.002-05:00

Not many sporting teams pull off an undefeated season but that opportunity lies ahead of the Marianna High School JV Football team. The Bulldogs travel to Panama City on Thursday night to take on Bay High and a win would give the Junior Bulldogs a perfect 5-0 record to complete the 2010 season.
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Sneads Downs Marianna in Volleyball

2010-10-14T11:38:00.002-05:00

Two of the county’s top volleyball programs squared off on Monday night in Sneads as the Lady Pirates played host to the Lady Bulldogs of Marianna. The Lady Pirates came out on top as they swept the Lady Bulldogs in three games to pick up second win over Marianna this season.

Game one saw Marianna jump out to an early lead but Sneads came back to tie the game at 5-5.
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Lady Bulldogs Pick Up Win Over Lady Tigers

2010-10-07T16:16:00.001-05:00

Meghan Hinson #22 of Marianna racks up a kill against
Graceville Monday night. Photo by Clint Cox

By Clint Cox

GRACEVILLE – The Marianna Lady Bulldogs notched another win over a county rival this past Monday night as they swept the Graceville Lady Tigers in volleyball action. While Marianna swept the match in three games, the first game was anything but easy for the Lady Bulldogs. After Meghan Hinson’s kill gave the Lady Bulldogs a 6-4 early lead, Graceville came back to tie the game at 6-6. With Graceville #4 serving the Lady Tigers took a two point lead. Marianna battled back to tie the game at 8-8 and Michelle Bassin’s kill gave the Lady Bulldogs a one point lead. Graceville fired right back and took the lead and with Graceville #3 serving pushed their lead to as much as 14-11. Graceville kept a two point lead for the next few minutes but the Lady Bulldogs overcame that lead with Eron Milton serving. Porsha Morgan’s tap over gave the Lady Bulldogs a 20-18 lead and Marianna then pushed the lead to four points at 22-18. Graceville serving #4 managed to tie the game at 22-22 and 23-23. Whitney Lipford served out the final two points to give the Lady Bulldogs the two point win.

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Pirates De-Throne Royals

2010-10-07T16:13:00.000-05:00

The Sneads Pirate offense lines up in action earlier this season.
The Pirate offense has averaged just over 28 points
per game in their last three outings. File Photo by Clint Cox

By Clint Cox
JAY – Sneads had to travel a long way to take on Jay but every mile was well worth it as the Pirates picked up their first win of the season in a 32-21 win over the Royals. Xavier Eutsay had a big night as he rushed for 204 yards on 13 carries and found the end zone three times.

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Friday Night Football Preview – 10/8/10

2010-10-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

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Graceville High School Volleyball Preview

2010-09-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

2010 Graceville Lady Tigers Varsity Profile

Head Coach: Bob Bloomer, 3rd Season
District: Class 2A District Two – Graceville, Blountstown, Bozeman, Cottondale, Holmes County, Sneads, South Walton and Vernon. District Tournament to be played at Sneads High School on 10/25-28, 2010.
2010 Outlook: The Lady Tigers are in just their third year of having a volleyball program after a 16 year absence of the program at Graceville. Bob Bloomer returns as the Head Coach and has five players returning from last year’s squad. The Lady Tigers have struggled in the rebuilding of the volleyball program at Graceville and were winless last season. The 2010 season is already off to a much better start as the Lady Tigers have already picked up five wins this season. The success they are having is in a large part due to those five returning players: Sam Myrick, Tiarra Sorey, Wynterra Pittman, Taylor McDaniel and Jessica McClendon.

2010 Graceville Lady Tigers Volleyball Roster

#3 Sam Myrick
#4 Shai Dozier
#6 Brianna Tew
#9 Marieta Douglas
#11 Tiarra Sorey
#13 Zia White
#23 Lindsey Wheatley
#30 Wynterra Pittman
#32 Taylor McDaniel
#44 Jessica McClendon

2010 Graceville Lady Tigers Varsity Volleyball Schedule
Date Opponent
8/30 at Marianna
8/31 South Walton
9/2 at Cottondale
9/7 Blountstown
9/9 at Vernon
9/11 at Chipley Tournament
9/13 at Bethlehem Tri Match
9/14 Tri Match Bozeman / Chipley
9/16 Holmes Co.
9/21 at Sneads
9/23 at South Walton
9/28 Cottondale
9/30 at Blountstown
10/4 Marianna
10/5 Vernon
10/7 at Bozeman
10/11 Bethlehem
10/12 at Holmes County
10/14 Sneads
10/18 at Chipley
10/25-28 District Tournament – Sneads

Cottondale High School Volleyball Preview

2010-09-16T11:55:00.000-05:00

2010 Cottondale Lady Hornets Varsity Profile
Head Coach: Cassie Whiddon, 4th Season
District: Class 2A District Two – Cottondale, Blountstown, Bozeman, Graceville, Holmes County, Sneads, South Walton and Vernon. District Tournament to be played at Sneads High School on 10/25-28 , 2010.
2010 Outlook: The Lady Hornets enter the 2010 with only two players returning from last year’s squad. Gone are the likes of Kieysa Paul, Mary Auger, Syrinna Pope, Brandie Jones and Tess Jurgonski. Shay Wright and Chelsea Caudill are the only two returning varsity players but both are excellent players and will be expected to lead the team. A good group of young ladies have moved up from the JV and offered much hope for the future of Lady Hornet Volleyball.

2010 Cottondale Lady Hornets Volleyball Roster

# Name
00 Shay Wright
1 Brittany Shores
2 Chelsea Caudill
4 Kourtnie Richardson
13 Haley Boggs
14 Katie Mosier
15 Jennifer Hewett
22 Maggie Braxton
34 Kylee Cross

2010 Cottondale Lady Hornets Varsity Volleyball Schedule

Date Opponent
8/30 at Bethlehem
8/31 Vernon
9/2 Graceville
9/7 at Holmes County
9/9 at Bozeman
9/10 Bethlehem
9/11 at Chipley Tournament
9/13 Sneads
9/14 at Blountstown
9/20 Altha
9/21 at South Walton
9/23 at Vernon
9/28 at Graceville
9/30 Holmes County
10/4 at Chipley
10/5 Bozeman
10/7 Blountstown
10/12 at Sneads
10/14 South Walton
10/18 Marianna
10/19 Chipley
10/21 at Altha
10/25-28 District Tournament – Sneads

FWC offers Hunter Safety Course in Jackson County

2010-09-16T11:53:00.004-05:00

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety course in Jackson County.

The course will be conducted at the Lily Pad Ranch and Hunting Club, 2224 Kent Cemetery Road in Alford. Instruction will be from 6 to 9 p.m. (CDT) Sept. 21 and 23 and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 25.

An adult must accompany children under age 16 at all times. Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take notes.

Successful completion of an approved hunter safety course is required for people born on or after June 1, 1975, before they can purchase a Florida hunting license. The FWC course satisfies hunter safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces. People interested in attending this course can register online and obtain information about future at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.

Marianna Junior Varsity Cheerleaders Take Top Honors

2010-09-16T11:53:00.001-05:00

The Marianna High School JV Cheerleaders brought home top awards from the University of Florida’s NCA Cheerleading camp. 4 Superiors, the Technical Excellence Award, the SPOT Award, and a National Championship bid. They are now prepared and excited to cheer on the MHS JV Football team!

Captain of the MHS Cheer Squad Receives Award

2010-09-16T11:52:00.007-05:00

Courtney Larkin, along with 13 of her teammates from Marianna High School recently attended an NCA Summer Camp. The camp was held at the University of Florida with over 150 cheerleaders in attendance from the surrounding states. Founded in 1948 by L.R. Herkimer, NCA host camps, championships and events for 150,000 cheerleaders and dancers each year.

As a part of the 4 day camp curriculum, the National Cheerleaders Association selects award winners at each of the over 1,000 camps it administers around the world each summer. Awards are given for individual and team accomplishments. Courtney Larkin, the MHS Varsity Captain, received the “Excellence in Leadership” Award. This is awarded to the captain that displays the strongest leadership during “Captain’s Classes” and camp. Courtney’s team, and coach Christi Shelfer are extremely proud of her.

BCF Golf Team Announced

2010-09-16T11:52:00.003-05:00

Tryouts for The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) in Graceville’s NCCAA golf team were completed August 28. BCF senior Ryan Kirk from Colquitt, Ga., was the low scorer with a thirty-six hole score of 168. He was followed closely by sophomore Jacob Patillo from Clayton, Ala., at 172 and freshman Justin Rickerd from Live Oak, Fla., at 174. Other players making the team were Robert Govoni, Garrett Durham, Caleb McGee, and Nathan Dobbs. The team is scheduled to play in four tournaments this fall against NCCAA Southeast Region schools.

Sept 1 NCCAA Three-team Match Tifton, GA

Oct 2- 4 NCCAA Regional Tourney Easley, SC

Oct 16 NCCAA Three-team Match Tifton, GA

Oct 30 NCCAA Two-team Match Dothan, AL

The first match will pit BCF against Christian Clearwater College and Taccoa Falls College in a Saturday afternoon bout on the beautiful Country Club of South Georgia course near Tifton, Ga. The Regional Tourney in October will feature about eight or nine teams from around the southeastern United States. Working hard through their first year of competition, the BCF golf team hopes to be more competitive this year, especially with the opening of its on-campus driving range and practice facility.

For more information about the athletic program at The Baptist College of Florida, please call at 800-328-2660 ext. 460 or visit www.baptistcollege.edu.

Olympic Softball Players Coming to Chipola College

2010-09-16T11:52:00.001-05:00

Area softball players will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with three team USA Olympic medalists at the Chipola College Softball field, Jan. 22-23, 2011.

The Triple Threat team of Cat Osterman, Kelly Kretschman and Caitlin Lowe will provide a weekend of softball instruction focusing on pitching, offense and defense.

Pitcher Cat Osterman played at the University of Texas. She was an Olympic Gold Medalist and Silver Medalist, a two-time World Cup Champion and a two-time Pan American Gold Medalist. Osterman was a three-time USA Collegiate Player of the Year and a three-time NFCA First-Team All-American. She was the two-time ESPY Award winner as the Top Collegiate Female Athlete. Cat is the assistant softball coach at DePaul University in Chicago, and plays professionally for the Rockford Thunder.

Kelly Kretschman played outfield and infield at the University of Alabama. She was an Olympic Gold Medalist and Silver Medalist. She also was a Gold medalist at the Pan American Games and a member of the World Cup Championship team. The four-time NFCA All-American lives in Southern California and plays for the USSSA Pride.

Caitlin Lowe played outfield at the University of Arizona. She was an Olympic Silver Medalist and a Gold medalist at Pan American Games. A member of the two-time World Cup Championship team, she also was a four-time NFCA First-Team All-American. Caitlin now resides in Texas where she gives specialized lessons in out-fielding and slapping.

Chipola head coach Belinda Hendrix says, “This is a great opportunity for local players to learn from some of the best softball players in America.”

The two day Chipola camp will include six hours of instruction each day with lunch included. Registration fee is $200 by Dec. 18 and $250 after Dec. 18.

For additional information, contact Coach Hendrix at 718-2358 or 718-2359, or visit www.triplethreatsoftball.com

Sneads Dominates Blountstown in Volleyball Games

2010-09-16T11:51:00.007-05:00

Sneads beat Blountstown 25-17, 25-22, 18-25, and 25-19. Kara Alford led Sneads in kills with 12; Jordan Jackson had 8, while Brandy Strickland, Alyssa Edwards, and Yonna Bell each tallied 3 kills. The team earned 12 ace serves with Alford and Strickland leading with 3 each. Emily Jones played an excellent defensive game earning 13 digs and 12 perfect passes in the serve receive. Kara Alford led the team in digs with 14. Shannon McCaffrey added two perfect passes during serve receive. Sophomore Ashley Rogers also checked in for the Pirates using her speed to assist the Lady Pirates’ defense. This win brings the Lady Pirates record to 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the district.

In addition to the varsity, the JV volleyball team beat Blountstown in three games. The 10th graders, along with Freshmen Shelby Byler, won the first game. Next, the freshmen team checked in and fought hard but came up just short 22-25. The sophomores finished the final game by beating Blountstown 15-12. 10th grader Jenna Sneads had a great night with two block kills and 2 kills in addition to an ace serve. Alex Maphis and Blaire Edenfield, sophomore setters, had a great night leading the 10th grade offense with seven assists between them. Outside hitter Savanna Owens earned one ace serve and one kill. Savanna also played an outstanding defensive game for the Pirates earning several digs on the night. Shelby Laurence, defensive specialists, earned two ace serves and five service points. For the Freshmen, Logan Neel earned five kills and 1 block kill, while Mallory McDaniel earned 5 kills. Outside hitter, Shelbi Byler had 3 kills and seven ace serves. Freshmen setter McKenzie May had 4 assists for the night. Allaynah Weiss, also a setter, earned one kill and 3 service points. Yaya Owens and Aaliyah Raines also checked in for the Lady Pirates and did a great job. The JV has boosted their record to 2-0.

Hornets Win; Pirates Defeated

2010-09-16T11:51:00.005-05:00

After opening the regular season with losses at home Cottondale and Sneads went back to work last Friday night. The Cottondale Hornets played host to the Seahawks of Franklin County and rallied to post their first win of the season with a16-7 win. Franklin led most of the game after taking a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. As the game entered the fourth quarter the Hornets still trailed 7-0. But midway through that final quarter the Hornet offense kicked into gear as Dominique Webb took control. Webb scored on a 25 yard run and then added the two point conversion run to give the Hornets their first lead of the night at 8-7. The Hornet defense came up with a big defensive stand and then Webb went back to work. With just over two minutes to play Webb sealed the win with a 12 yard scoring run. CJ Smith hit Cody Saye for the two point pass play to put the Hornets up 16-7. With the win Cottondale improved to 1-1 on the season.

The Sneads Pirates had to hit the road and traveled all the way to Baker to take on the Gators. The long ride over did not get any shorter on the way back as the Gators handed the Pirates a 20-0 defeat. The game was scoreless through the entire first half and much of the third quarter. Baker punched in a score late in the third quarter and added two more in the final quarter. Offense was limited for Sneads but they were led by Xavier Eutsay with 39 yards on the ground and Delontre Keys with 36. The Pirate defense was led by Joe Boyd with 13 tackles and Ethan McClendon with 8. With the loss Sneads fell to 0-2 on the season and 0-1 in district play.

Marianna Area Runners’ Club “Striders” will host a race in Marianna

2010-09-16T11:51:00.003-05:00

1st Annual March of Dimes 5K Walk/Run to be held on October 9, 2010 at the Citizens Lodge on Caverns Road in Marianna, Florida.

5K Entry Fee: $18.00 early registrants get a free. T-shirt while supplies last $20.00 Race day registration 1 mile fun run $10.00 all ages

Schedule 7:30 A.M. - 7:55 A.M. - Sign up at the covered picnic table 8:00 A.M. START! Approx. 9:00 A.M. – Start handing out awards. 5K Overall winners’ receive a trophy and 1st three finishers in five year age groups. 1 Mile Fun Run overall winner gets award and top 3 finishers in age group. All participants should be present.

Bring a friend, bring a pet! Come Run, walk or jog for a good cause! March of Dimes walk event will be going on after the 5K event! 100% of proceeds will go to March of Dimes!

Forms can be down loaded form www.mariannaarearunnersclub.yolasite.com or online registration on active.com.

Please mail form to: M.A.R.C Striders 5980 Alliance Road Marianna, Fl. 32448.

Contacts: Kerstin Hussey 850-209-1812 or Dawn Sullivant 850-209-2157.

Make checks payable to March of Dimes

Cross Country Kicks Off Season At Home

2010-09-16T11:51:00.001-05:00

The high school and middle school cross country season got under way this past Saturday at Bulldog Stadium in Marianna. The Panhandle XC Jamboree brought in 350 high school and middle school runners that represented over 20 different schools from as far away as Gainesville and Enterprise, Al.. The Marianna cross country team, under long time Head Coach Allan Gibson was the host school but they were joined by Jackson County newcomers Graceville High School has formed a cross country team. The Tiger runners are under the direction of Juwan Clark. In addition, Malone High School had a runner also participate in the event.

In the team scoring for the boys Niceville took first, Fort Walton Beach placed second and P.K. Yonge came in third. The Marianna boys placed 9th overall and Bulldog runners were as follows with their respective times: Patrick Cox (19:55), Isaiah McFarland (19:56), Jimmy Lein (20:03), Paul Kelson (20:15), Zack Brockner (22:01), Robert Peacock (22:50), Gavin Shouppe (23:03), Norris Adkins (24:28), Jeremy Wilson (27:49), Devin Coombs (28:58), Dylan Meeks (34:29) and James Pumphrey (38:31).

Graceville’s two male runners were Hunter Potts (21:10) and Kevin Potts (22:50). Malone’s Tristen Rogers finished with a time of 35:05. A total of 183 young men participated in the boy’s race.

In the girl’s race 139 young ladies participated and once again Niceville and Fort Walton Beach took first and second place. West Florida Tech finished third while Marianna finished 11th and Graceville finished 14th. Due to a glitch in the software program, times were not available at press time but the following runners are listed for their respective school and in their respective order. Marianna – Lindsey Toole, Samantha Arroyo, Kristy Lein, Kathryn Huffman, Masha Yaroshenko, Katie Barfield, Katrina Milliser and Christine Johnson. Graceville – Rebecca Degado, Mary Roselyn Jernigan, Jalisa McSwain, Brittany Flournoy and Nicole Willis.

In the middle school 2 mile race Marianna’s Joey McGowan finished with a time of 19:18 and Katrina Milliser finished with a time of 19:41.

Jackson Hospital Foundation Hosts The 16th Annual James T. Cook Memorial Golf Classic

2010-09-16T11:50:00.008-05:00

The Jackson Hospital Foundation is gearing up for the 16th Annual James T. Cook Memorial Golf Classic. The golf tournament will be held at the Indian Springs Golf Course on Friday, October 8, 2010 with registration beginning at 11 a.m. and tournament starting at 12:30 p.m.

If you are interested in being a hole sponsor, the cost is $250 which includes tournament fees for 2 players, a smoked steak dinner and a tournament gift. The cost for an individual is $70.

This tournament has contributed $170,000 in the last 15 years to various ongoing projects at Jackson Hospital.

Please contact Jackson Hospital Foundation at 850-718-2601 if you are interested in participating in this upcoming event or if you have any questions regarding the tournament.

Come out and support Jackson Hospital and Jackson Hospital Foundation!!

Lady Pirates Take Win Over Cottondale

2010-09-16T11:50:00.006-05:00

The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball team picked up two more district wins this past week. Last Thursday night they beat district rival Blountstown 3-1. They followed that up on Monday night with a 3-0 win over county rival Cottondale. With those two district wins they improved to 5-0 in the district and 5-1 overall. Against Blountstown the Lady Pirates were led by Kara Alford with 12 kills and Jordan Jackson with 8. Defensively Sneads was led by Alford with 14 digs and Emily Jones with 13.

On Monday night Cottondale played host to Sneads in a district contest and the Lady Pirates jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in game one on a kill by Alyssa Edwards. Alford then added a kill and tap over to give Sneads a 15-5 lead. Cottondale got hot and battled back as Shay Wright and Chelsea Caudill led the charge. The Lady Hornets got to within five points, 22-17, before Sneads finished the game out winning 25-17. Game two again saw Sneads jump out to an early lead but this time Cottondale quickly got back into the game. A kill by Wright tied the game at 7-7 and the game was tied again at 11-11 and then 9-9. With Caudill serving Cottondale took the lead and led as much as five points during the game. Sneads sailed back though with Alford and Jackson doing much of the damage. Becca Aaron then got hot from the service line and Sneads rallied for a 25-21 win. Game three went to Sneads in a big way as Jackson helped them to an 11-3 lead. With Sneads leading 20-6 Edwards went to the service line and served out the match for a 25-6 win.

Cottondale was coming off a lost to Bozeman last Thursday but then had bounced back with a win over Bethlehem on Friday night. The Lady Hornets were led in the win over Bethlehem by Haley Boggs with 20 service points. Kylee Cross followed with 13 service points, 5 of which were aces. Caudill had a fine night as she had 3 kills, 13 assists, 3 digs and 7 service points. Wright patrolled the nets and recorded 6 kills in the win over the Lady Wildcats.

Thursday/Friday Night Football Preview – 9/16 & 9/17, 2010

2010-09-16T11:50:00.004-05:00

Marianna (1-1) at Bay (1-1) 7pm Thursday

The Bulldogs travel to Panama City on Thursday for a match up with Bay at Tommy Oliver Stadium. Marianna is coming off two close games with county rivals (win over Cottondale; loss to Graceville). Graceville shut down Tre Jackson but Chris Bowers and Scooter Barnes each rushed for over 100 yards. The Bulldog defense though has been hit hard through the air in their first two games. Bay High opened with a big win over Port St. Joe and then lost 25-23 to Mosley last week. That’s the same Dolphin team that handed the Bulldogs a 42-21 loss in the kickoff classic game three weeks ago.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM

Maclay (0-2) at Cottondale (1-1) 7pm

Speaking of close games, the Hornets are coming off two close games as well (loss to Marianna; win over Franklin). In both contest the Hornets got off to slow starts but then came on strong in the second half. Dominique Webb continues to be the go to man on the ground but QB CJ Smith can hurt defenses with his arm. Maclay has losses to Wewahitchka and Liberty County. They have been outscored in these two games 97-27 so the potent Hornet offense has a chance to put up some big numbers and get their second win of the season.

Sneads (0-2) at Holmes County (1-0) 7 pm

The Pirates have gotten off to a rough start as they have been outscored 53-6 in their first two outings. Things may not get any easier this week as they travel to Bonifay to take on Holmes County. The Blue Devils had an open date the first week of the season and they posted a 36-0 road win over Jay last Friday night. It is difficult to say this early in the year if Holmes County is that good, Jay is that bad or combination of both. Either way the Pirates will need to stop Blue Devils Kodi and Ethan Russ. The pair combined for almost 450 yards of offense in the win over Jay.

Graceville (1-1) – open

The Tigers get to relish their win over Marianna a little longer than normal as they have an open date this weekend. In the meantime they are preparing for their road trip to Franklin County on 9/24/10.

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM

Graceville Rallies For Win Over Bulldogs

2010-09-16T11:50:00.002-05:00

The Graceville Tigers posted two second half touchdowns to rally from a 21-8 deficit and pull off a 24-21 win over the Marianna Bulldogs. Graceville sophomore QB Jacky Miles was the “Tiger of the Hour” as he used his legs and arm to rack up 300 yards of offense. He threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns and then ran for 103 yards and a touchdown.

The first half belonged to the Bulldogs as they scored on three of their first four possessions. The Graceville defense took away Bulldog runner Tre Jackson and the beneficiaries were fullback Chris Bowers and wingback Scooter Barnes. On the Bulldogs opening possession Bowers had five straight runs, including a 31 yard scamper, that set up the first score. Bowers gave the Bulldogs the early lead on a 10 yard run. Michael Mader added a point after kick to make it 7-0.

Graceville responded quickly though as Miles connected with Kevin Potts for a 62 yard scoring strike on the Tiger’s first play of their second possession. Miles hit Rasheed Campbell for a two point pass play to give Graceville the 8-7 lead. Marianna’s second possession was more of the same as Bowers was the workhorse and Barnes also churned up the yardage. Barnes put another Bulldog touchdown on the scoreboard with a 15 yard run late in the first quarter. Mader’s point after kick made it 14-8 in favor of the Bulldogs. Midway through the second quarter Barnes showed why he is called “Scooter.” He took a hand off and bolted 72 yards for a Bulldog score. Mader made it a 21-8 lead with his third point after kick.

As much as the first half belonged to Marianna, the second half belong to Graceville. The Bulldogs fumbled on their first two possessions of the second stanza. The lone offensive spark for Marianna came on a 36 yard pass play from Hakeem Holmes to Cody Barfield. Meanwhile Graceville mounted an 11 play drive that came up empty but then scored on a five play drive late in the third quarter. Miles used his legs this time to score on a 29 yard run. He then hit Potts on a two point pass to make it 21-16 in favor of the Bulldogs. In the fourth quarter both teams had long drives that ate up a lot of clock but ended on unsuccessful fourth down plays. Graceville took possession with just under three minutes to play and Miles hit Potts for a 20 yard gain. Three plays later it was Miles to Potts again for 34 yards and a Bulldog penalty added 15 more yards. Miles then lofted a 30 yard scoring strike to Darae Laster in the end zone with just over a minute to play. Campbell added a two point run to give the Tigers a 24-21 lead. Marianna ran off four plays in the final minute but could not rally for the win.

Marianna dropped to 1-1 on the season and were led on the ground by Bowers with 178 yards and Barnes with 105 yards. Graceville improved to 1-1 on the season.

Tigers Bite Pirates

2010-09-09T12:28:00.003-05:00

The Blountstown Tigers took advantages of four Pirate fumbles and handed Sneads a 33-6 loss in the opening regular season game for both teams. The Tigers got out of the gates quickly and scored on their opening possession. They added two more scores in the second quarter to lead 20-0 at the half. The Pirates best scoring opportunity came in the second quarter on a field goal attempt but it was wide keeping the Pirates scoreless.

The third quarter was when Sneads got the fumble bug and Blountstown cashed in with two more scores to take a 33-0 lead. The lone Sneads score came in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard run by Xavier Eutsay. He turned out to be the lone bright spot on offense for the Pirates as he rushed for 112 yards on 20 carries. Blade Osborne with 7 solo tackles and 4 assist.

Tigers Fall To Chiefs

2010-09-09T12:28:00.001-05:00

The Graceville Tigers hung close with Northview for three quarters but the Chiefs pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 24-6 win in the regular season opener for both squads. Northview took the early lead when they booted a field goal on their opening drive. But Graceville came right back with a nice opening drive that was capped off by a 5 yard scoring run by Allante Oliver-Barnes. The Tigers two point attempt failed but they held a 6-3 lead mid-way through the first quarter.

Northview came right back and marched down the field. They scored and kicked the extra point to take a 10-6 lead with just over a minute to play in the first quarter. The teams traded possessions and midway through the second quarter the Tiger defense held the Chiefs to force a 33 yard field goal attempt. It went wide left and Graceville still trailed by just four points. The Tigers mounted a drive and got a nice 25 yard pass play from Jacky Miles to Kevin Potts. But with just under four minutes to play in the half a Miles pass was tipped by a Graceville receiver. The Chiefs picked off the pass but then the Tiger defense forced a fumble moments later that was recovered by Jeremy Watford. The Tiger offense was unable to move the ball and were forced to punt with just over a minute remaining in the half. Northview took the punt and raced down the sidelines for a 60 yard touchdown. The extra point kick made it a 17-6 ball game at the half.

In the third quarter Graceville kept battling but were unable to put any points on the board. A fake punt saw Watford pick up a first down and that was followed by a 15 yard run by Miles. But once again the Tiger offense stalled and gave up the ball on downs at the Chief 15 yard line. The Tiger defense had done their part though as they held the Chiefs scoreless in the third quarter so as the teams entered the final quarter Graceville still only trailed by 11 points. But Northview took care of that with a touchdown one minute into that fourth quarter. The extra point kick made it 24-6 and that score held for the rest of the game.

The Tigers were led on offense by Miles who went 9-13 for 156 yards. He also scrambled for 34 yards on 18 carries. Darae Laster led the receiver corp with four catches for 74 yards. The Tiger defense was led by Watford with 13 tackles and Miles with 9 tackles.

Sneads High School Volleyball Preview

2010-09-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

2010 Sneads Lady Pirates Volleyball Roster

# Name
2 Brandy Strickland
3 Emily Jones
4 Ashley Rogers
5 Shannon McCaffrey
7 Kara Alford
10 Yonna Bell
13 Alyssa Edwards
14 Jenna Sneads
33 Becca Aaron

2010 Sneads Lady Pirates Varsity Profile

Head Coach: Shelia Roberts
District: Class 2A District Two – Sneads, Blountstown, Bozeman, Cottondale, Graceville, Holmes County, South Walton and Vernon. District Tournament to be played at Sneads High School on 10/25-28, 2010.
2010 Outlook: The Lady Pirates are coming off another outstanding 20 plus win season and a playoff run that ended in the Regional Finals at Maclay. They lost several key players off that squad including Meagan Smith, Ashley Smith, Tiffany Guerra and Bridgette Dawson. But the Lady Pirates return two power players in Kara Alford and Jordan Jackson. They also have a solid group of ladies moving up from last year’s fine JV team.

2010 Sneads Lady Pirates Varsity Volleyball Schedule

Date Opponent
8/31 at Holmes County
9/1 Florida High
9/2 at Vernon
9/7 Bozeman
9/9 Blountstown
9/13 at Cottondale
9/14 South Walton
9/18 at Mosely (Tournament)
9/21 Graceville
9/23 Holmes County
9/27 at Altha
9/28 Vernon
9/30 at Bozeman
10/2 Tri-Match at Liberty (LCHS/ MHS)
10/5 at Blountstown
10/7 at South Walton
10/9 Tri Match (LCHS/Arnold)
10/11 Marianna
10/12 Cottondale
10/14 at Graceville
10/25-28 District Tournament – Sneads High School

Marianna High School Volleyball Preview

2010-09-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

2010 Marianna Lady Bulldogs Varsity Roster

Michelle Bassin
Linsey Basford
Cayce Griffin
Ciara Hamm
Meghan Hinson
Whitney Lipford
Eron Milton
Porsha Morgan
Haden Searcy
Hali Stout

2010 Lady Bulldogs Varsity Volleyball Profile

Head Coach: Belinda Christopher
Assistant: Jerry Dean
District: Class 3A District One – Marianna, Arnold, Bay, Chipley, Pensacola Catholic and Walton. District Tournament to be played at Pensacola Catholic High School 10/25 – 28, 2010.
Outlook: Last year’s Marianna Lady Bulldogs were in a rebuilding year. That rebuilding should pay dividends this season as the 2010 Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball team returns a solid group from last year’s team. Returners include Hali Stout, Cayce Griffin, Eron Milton, Michelle Bassin and Meghan Hinson. Throw in some young and eager players that have moved up from last year’s JV squad and the Lady Bulldogs should be in good shape this season.

2010 Marianna Lady Bulldogs Varsity Schedule

8/30 Graceville
9/2 at Altha
9/9 at Walton
9/11 at Chipley (Tournament)
9/13 Holmes County
9/14 Liberty Co.
9/16 Pensacola Catholic
9/20 at Blountstown
9/21 Walton County
9/23 at Chipley
9/27 Cottondale
10/2 at Liberty County
10/4 at Graceville
10/5 Chipley
10/7 Arnold
10/11 at Sneads
10/12 Bay
10/18 at Cottondale
10/19 at Altha
10/21 Blountstown
10/25-28 District Tournament at Pensacola Catholic

Florida Fish and Wildlife Changing Hunting Dates

2010-09-09T11:18:00.001-05:00

FWC-managed areas may get new hunting dates for 2011-12

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) directed staff on Wednesday to develop draft rules to modify hunting season dates on FWC-managed areas for next year. Commissioners will consider the draft rules at a future meeting.

The FWC, along with its partners and cooperating agency landowners, has been working with stakeholders in developing proposals to change hunting season dates for these areas, which include wildlife management areas, wildlife and environmental areas and miscellaneous areas.

Making these adjustments would better-align these areas with the newly adopted hunting zone season dates, which took effect this year.

“With the new changes to hunting season dates this year on private lands, we and our hunting stakeholders feel that season dates need to be modified on several of our areas, to correspond more with the new zonal seasons and the timing of deer breeding,” said Cory Morea, FWC biologist and deer management program coordinator.

The FWC held nine public meetings across the state and gathered input and feedback on the subject through an online poll. Proposed changes would take into consideration when deer breed on each area, other hunter preferences - such as hunting during holidays - and the desires of other area users.

“We want to make things even better for the public-land hunters,” Morea said. “Adjusting some of these dates so that seasons occur closer to peak deer activity or during holidays should increase hunter satisfaction.

“But, at the same time,” Morea added, “we don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. Hunters have told us that on some of our areas the seasons are timed just right, so we wouldn’t recommend making any changes to those areas.”

Any future changes made to area season dates would not take effect until the 2011-12 hunting season.

Troop 170 Boy Scouts Stay on the Tenderfoot Trail

2010-09-09T11:17:00.007-05:00

Boy Scouts in Troop 170 of Marianna met on Friday, August 27, at the First Presbyterian Church, following their first full week back to school. Scouts are strong on the trail to satisfactorily complete all requirements to earn their “Tenderfoot” rankings.

The evening started with a demonstration by Scout parents Brian McDonald and Tony Walker on the proper way to fold and unfold the American flag, followed by the pairing of Scouts to have hands-on practice.

Scouts also worked on additional requirements including knot tying, under the guidance of Assistant Scout Master Allen Mathis. Further discussion focused on poisonous plants, how to avoid them, and what to do if contact is made with these type of plants.

Scouts practiced reciting the Scout Oath, Pledge, Motto, and Slogan, and follow-up by leader David McArthur was made with each Scout to monitor individual progress towards completion of their Pathfinding badges. Before adjourning for the evening, Scouts sang “Happy Birthday” to leader Mary Ann Hutton and enjoyed cake and soft drinks with her. Troop 170 is on track to meet its overall goal for each Scout to earn the rank of Tenderfoot by the end of September. To learn more about Scouting, please call Mary Ann Hutton at 209-2818, or e-mail cokehut@digitalexp.com.

Troop 170 Boy Scouts Resume Fitness Challenge

2010-09-09T11:17:00.005-05:00

Troop 170 Boy Scouts of Marianna met on August 20, at Citizens’ Lodge Park to continue participating in their physical fitness challenge, which is one of the required feats to earn the rank of Tenderfoot. The ongoing theme remained “Steps to Better Fitness”, with the Scout Oath emphasizing the goal for Scouts to do their best to keep physically fit, mentally awake, and morally straight.

The Scouts had already completed Step One of this challenge in June of this year, which involved performing a variety of standard exercises to establish a baseline for testing future progress. Two months ago, each Scout had a turn to attempt push-ups, sit ups, pull ups, the standing broad jump, and a one-quarter mile run, with timed results and measurements being recorded in their handbooks. These same exercises were performed again at the most recent meeting, and each of the Scouts showed improvements in almost every area. Scouts will be tested again in the near future, to encourage continued efforts to become and stay physically fit.

To learn more about Scouting, please e-mail cokehut@digitalexp.com, or call Mary Ann Hutton at 209-2818.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Sets New Rules

2010-09-09T11:17:00.003-05:00

FWC extends crossbow season; restricts firearms used on public-land spring turkey hunts

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed a new rule Wednesday in Pensacola Beach that will extend zonal crossbow seasons by a month, thereby running concurrently with archery season, beginning July 2011.

The FWC received requests from Florida hunters who want more crossbow-hunting opportunities – not only more hunting days, but also to be allowed to take deer of either sex, which is legal in many other states, including Georgia and Alabama.

Because of the request, the FWC checked with Florida’s hunters through an online poll, and more than 70 percent of those who responded supported increasing crossbow opportunities on private lands.

The new rule adds 30 days to the crossbow season in zones A, B and C, and it adds 33 days in Zone D, thereby making it coincide with the archery season.

Starting with the 2011-2012 hunting season, any hunter with a hunting license, deer permit and crossbow permit will be able to get in the woods a month early on private lands and use a crossbow (or a bow) to take deer of either sex.

This rule is intended to give hunters more opportunities and enable youths and others who have difficulty using a vertical bow to have more hunting days, thereby helping to recruit and retain more people into the tradition of hunting.

The Commission also passed another rule that limits the methods of take allowed during spring turkey hunts on FWC-managed areas beginning, with the next spring turkey season (March 2011). However, all legal bows and crossbows are still allowed.

The new rule restricts firearms to shotguns and muzzleloading shotguns only, using shot no larger than No. 2. All rifles, pistols, buckshot and slugs are now prohibited during spring turkey hunts on wildlife management areas (WMAs), except on Joe Budd WMA, Raiford WMA and Santa Fe Swamp Wildlife and Environmental Area. On these three areas, muzzleloading rifles will still be allowed, because spring turkey hunting on these areas is restricted to primitive guns only.

This rule came about after public-land turkey hunters and others expressed safety concerns, prompting the FWC to ask Florida’s hunters, again through an online survey. More than 75 percent of those who responded supported the restriction on firearms during spring turkey hunts on WMAs.

BCF’s “Voice of the Tigers” and “Coach’s Corner” Returns

2010-09-09T11:17:00.001-05:00

As the Graceville community geared up for another year of high school football, The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) low power (LP) Radio Station, WFBU, prepared for another exciting year broadcasting the games and interviewing the coach. Established in 2003, WFBU began its seventh year of operation with a schedule that provides a variety of listening options for all age groups.

Continuing the “Voice of the Tigers” broadcast this year from the Graceville press box on Friday nights is BCF graduate Bob Bloomer. There is no doubt that Bloomer loves football as he provides a “play by play” commentary of what is happening on the field to WFBU listeners. Bloomer stated that it was God who inspired him with the idea of broadcasting the high school football games on the college radio station, “It was a way of bringing a great community and a great college together.”

Also returning to the WFBU program lineup this year is the popular “Coach’s Corner” featuring BCF Professor David Coggins and Graceville High School Head Football Coach Todd Wertenberger. The “Coach’s Corner” has become one of WFBU’s listener favorites on Friday mornings at 7:00 a.m. as Coggins and Coach Wert discuss “game day” strategies each week.

Audiences are able to listen to the coach and to the game on WFBU 94.7 from anywhere in the world via the web feed at wfbu.com. Listen live to veteran announcers on the “Coach’s Corner” and “Voice of the Tigers” to stay up-to-date on the Graceville Tigers’ progress throughout the season.

For more information on the radio station at The Baptist College of Florida, contact 800.328.2660 ext. 460 or visit the website at www.baptistcollege.edu.

Jackson Hospital Foundation Hosts The 16th Annual James T. Cook Memorial Golf Classic

2010-09-09T11:16:00.005-05:00

Lady Pirates Slam Bozeman

2010-09-09T11:16:00.003-05:00

The Lady Bucks of Bozeman were late getting to Sneads for their volleyball matchup on
Tuesday night. Given the results, they might have preferred just to have stayed in Bay County for the evening. The Lady Pirates volleyball squad sent the visitors back to the coast after sweeping all three games against the Lady Bucks.

Game one went to Sneads as they quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead with Kara Alford serving. Becca Aaron stepped to the serving line moments later with the Lady Pirates leading 5-1. When she was through serving Sneads held a 15-1 lead. Along the way Alford and Jordan Jackson were racking up the kills. Alford finished up the game with a tap over and a service ace to give Sneads a 25-7 win. In game two the Lady Pirates again jumped out early. Aaron racked up five service points and Jackson racked up several more kills. Brandy Strickland got several service points and Sneads held a 13-2 lead. Alford and Jackson took turns firing shots at the Lady Bucks and Sneads came away with a 25-10 win.

In game three coach Shelia Roberts put in a few of the back up Lady Pirates and Bozeman keep this game close. Alford and Yonna Bell each had five service points but Bozeman battled back to get within 3 points (18-15). Alford and Jackson returned to the floor and the party was over for Bozeman as Sneads outscored them 7-1 to take a 25-19 win.

Aaron led the Lady Pirates from the service line with 21 service points. Alford had 9 kills on the night and Jackson had 8. With the win Sneads improved to 3-1 on the season and 3-0 in the district. The Lady Pirates will be back in action on Thursday night when they play host to district rival Blountstown.

Friday Night Football Preview – 9/10/10

2010-09-09T11:16:00.001-05:00

Graceville (0-1) at Marianna (1-0) 7pm

The Bulldogs survived a scare from one county rival with a 4 point win over Cottondale. Now another county rival comes a callin’ as Graceville comes to town. Marianna got plenty of offense from Tre Jackson (143 yards rushing / 1 TD). But they also had four turnovers and gave up over 300 yards of offense by the Hornets. Graceville hung in with Northview until late in the first half. The Tigers like to throw on the arm of Jacky Miles and run on the legs of Darae Laster. On paper Marianna probably has the edge but when two county teams get together you can toss out the paper.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM

Franklin County (0-1) at Cottondale (0-1) 7pm

The Hornets must shake off a heartbreaking 26-22 loss to their county rival Marianna. The Hornets played well enough to win and took a lead with less than two minutes to play. Cottondale proved that they are vastly improved from last season and have plenty of weapons on offense to play with anybody. Franklin County opened up the regular season with a 27-0 loss to another flock of Seahawks in South Walton. Cottondale has a great chance to pick up a win if they play their game and limit turnovers.

Sneads (0-1) at Baker (0-1) 7 pm

The Pirates had a disappointing start to the regular season last week in a 33-6 loss to Blountstown. Xavier Eutsay managed to rush for over 100 yards for the second straight week but it was not enough as the Tigers took advantage of four Pirate fumbles. The Baker Gators fell hard in their season opener as well with a 49-20 loss to the Crestview Bulldogs. Before Pirate fans get to excited about that loss by the Gators they need to remember Crestview is a Class 4A school and Baker is a Class 1A school. It’s a long trip to Baker but Sneads should match up well with the Gators.

Dogs Nip Hornets

2010-09-09T11:15:00.002-05:00

Nobody told Cottondale that they weren’t supposed to put up such a fight against the county’s largest school. If they did, the Hornets paid no attention as Cottondale gave Marianna all they wanted and then some last Thursday night. It took a two yard touchdown run by Hakeem Holmes with :27 seconds to play for Marianna to escape with a 26-22 victory over the Hornets.

The game had been moved to a Thursday night so football fans from the other county schools could come to watch. Those fans as well as the Bulldog and Hornets fans certainly got their money’s worth. The Bulldogs took the early lead when Chris Bowers scored on a 20 yard run on the Marianna’s opening drive. The extra point attempt was blocked, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead. The Bulldog defense then did their job in forcing a Hornet punt on Cottondale’s opening possession. Other than the blocked extra point Marianna’s game plan was going well in the early going. But the Bulldog offense began to sputter, fumbling twice and punting once in their next three possessions. Cottondale wasn’t any better though as they had to punt on their first two possessions and then gave it up on downs on their third possession. Late in the first half Marianna made it a 12-0 game when Holmes scored his first TD of the night on a 4 yard run. That lead held at the half.

The third quarter was a shoot out as Cottondale came out smoking. They quickly marched down the field on the opening possession of the second half and got on the scoreboard with an 11 yard run by Shondre McAroy. Dominique Webb added a two point conversion and just like that Cottondale trailed 12-8. Marianna responded though with a touchdown on their second possession of the half with a 14 yard run by Tre Jackson. That touchdown was set up when Bulldog safety Clayte Rooks picked off a Hornet pass and returned it to the Cottondale 14 yard line. With Marianna leading 18-8 the Hornets went back to work. They put together an impressive 8 play drive that went 60 yards. CJ Smith capped with off with a 10 yard run for a score and then hit Webb on a pass play for the two point conversions. The Bulldog lead had dwindled to 18-16 as the third quarter came to a close.

Both offenses appeared to have run out of bullets for much of the fourth quarter. But late in the game Cottondale found a few slugs. The Hornet defense stopped Marianna on downs at the Cottondale 9 yard with just under three minutes to play. Smith hooked up with Webb for a 30 yard pass play and then Smith launched a high pass down the field to Jacquez Walker. Two Bulldog defenders went for the ball and missed. Walker hauled in the pass and went the distance for a 61 yard scoring strike with just over two minutes to play. Cottondale took a 22-18 lead as Hornet fans and players were ecstatic.

But Marianna took possession at their own 42 yard line and Bowers went to work, picking up 23 yards and then 9 yards. Jackson then had back to back runs for first downs and moved the ball to the Hornet two yard line with under :30 seconds to play. Holmes then took it in for what proved to be the game winning TD.

Marianna racked up almost 400 yards on offense and were led by Jackson with 143 yards on 11 carries. Bowers added 69 yards and Holmes had 51 on the ground. Cottondale countered with 348 yards of offense, led by Webb with 93 yards and Evan Davis with 76 yards. Smith was 10-24 in the passing game for 178 yards.

2010 CHS Hornets Roster/ Preview

2010-09-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

# Name

1 Clifford Canty
2 Shondre McAroy
3 Cody Saye
4 Sheldon Vann
5 Norris Calhoun
6 Jacquare Henderson
7 CJ Smith
9 Dominique Webb
10 Prentice Webb
12 Jake Kernoshak
15 Justin Klotz
20 Evan Davis
21 Jacquez Walker
22 Josh Simmons
27 Caleb Toole
50 Ronnie Dixon
51 Will Collier
53 Thomas Lipford
55 Eli Jackson
60 Brad Locke
62 Chris Krauser
65 Josh Blackbman
67 Drake Mayo
70 Evan Swoboda
74 Derrick Wilson
76 Terrell Bradley
77 Brian Slesser
79 Neal Walker
80 Bryan Hancock

2010 Profile: Head Coach Mike Melvin enters his 13th season as the Head Coach of the Hornets, and as so is the reigning elder statesman for the county’s varsity football Head Coaches. Like all schools the Hornets graduated some fine talent. But they have a good core group of players that return with plenty of experience, including six starters on offense and eight on defense. Dominique Webb has led the team in rushing the past two seasons and he will no doubt be one of the go to players for this year’s team. CJ Smith returns at the QB position and Evan Davis returns as a running back. Newcomer Shondre McAroy is young but shows a lot of promise. Cody Saye will anchor the end of the offensive line at tight end. That offensive line is a veteran group with returners Chris Krauser and Ronnie Dixon joining Saye to lead the way. As usual most of those same key players will be counted on to lead the defense as well.

2010 District: Their district (District 1 Class 1B) has been dominated in previous years by FAMU and Graceville. That changed last year with a couple of new teams in the District. Jefferson County captured the District Title and FAMU was the runner up. The Hornets once again have their work cut out to earn one of the two playoffs spots in this tough district. They’ll need to get wins over Graceville and Rocky Bayou and then hope to upset FAMU or Jefferson County.

2010 Schedule: The Hornets have a tough schedule that features an especially challenging three game road stretch. But they first open up with the Bulldogs of Marianna at home this Thursday night. The game was moved to Thursday night to facilitate the rest of the county being able to come and watch the game. They’ll have home games that follow with Franklin and Maclay before their treacherous road trip begins. In three straight weeks the Hornets travel to FAMU, Chipley and Jefferson County. They finally come home to host Rocky Bayou and John Paul Catholic. Next up is their annual grudge match at home with Graceville and then they close out the season against another batch of Bulldogs, this one against Liberty County.

2009: Finished the season with a 1-8 record. A flu bug hit the Hornets early in the season and they never seemed to recover.

Assistant Coaches: Chris O’Bert, Don Holland, Clay Dilmore, Greg Ohler, Phillip Jones and Steve Harp.

Football Schedule
9/2 Marianna (Thursday)
9/10 Franklin Co.
9/17 Maclay
9/24 at FAMU High
10/1 at Chipley
10/8 at Jefferson Co.
10/15 Open Date
10/22 Rocky Bayou
10/29 at John Paul II Catholic
11/5 Graceville
11/12 at Liberty Co.

2010 Hornets Cheerleaders Sierra Franklin, Jessica Gainey, Linda Black, Palin Santavanond, Morgan McGinty, Jade Whitehead, Alexis Blount, Kelsie Obert, Presley Goucher, Valerie D’Ambrosio, Cierra Coleman, Bianca Dueling, Robin Vargo, Tagaria Davis.

2010 GHS Tigers Roster/ Tigers Preview

2010-09-02T11:33:00.001-05:00

# Name
2 Derae Laster
3 Jacky Miles
4 Davonte Merritt
5 CJ Miller
6 Rasheed Campbell
7 Cody Collins
9 Malik Franklin
10 Kevin Potts
13 Jay Parent
14 Kyle Blitch
20 Hunter Forsyth
22 Javonta Cotton
24 Jeremy Watford
28 Austin Miller
33 Conner Renihan
34 Allante Oliver-Barnes
35 Marquis White
49 Josh Ward
50 Devin Cassady
51 Dustin Murphy
53 J.T. Russaw
54 Bobby Deriso
55 Curtis Pinkard
57 Nick Porter
59 David Miller
65 Michael Chorn
68 Ben Bodiford
71 Kevin Edwards
72 Tyler Plybon
78 Keion Woulard
79 Leander Ford
81 Tyler Wertenberger
89 David Cluff

2010 Profile: Head Coach Todd Wertenberger enters his fifth season as Head Coach for the Tigers. The Tigers graduated several big time players last year and are going to be very young at many positions. Two offensive starters return and six return on defense. They’ll look to Jeremy Watford, Derae Laster, Conor Renihan to tote the mail much of the time. Jacky Miles will be the signal caller and lineman Leander Ford, Keon Woulard will anchor the Tigers in the trenches.

2010 District: : District District 1 Class 1B added two new teams and dropped two teams last season. The end result was much the same however as once again the FAMU Baby Rattlers were one of the teams to beat. But newcomer Jefferson County took the district title and FAMU finished second. Graceville had been a main stay in the playoffs up until last season and no doubt their district goal this year will be to somehow someway make it back into the playoffs. But to do so they will likely have to knock off either FAMU or Jefferson County.

2010 Schedule: The Tigers open up with two tough opponents. They host the Chiefs of Northview and then travel to Marianna to take on the Bulldogs. After an open date they’ll travel to Franklin County and Blountstown. The Tigers begin district play in October and the good news is that they will host their two toughest district contests. On October 8th they host FAMU and on the 29th they host Jefferson County. Sandwiched in between is a home game with Liberty County. Afterwards the Tigers then have a road game at Rocky Bayou followed by another road game, this one with big rival Cottondale. They close out the season with a home game against another big rival as Chipley comes to town.

2009: Finished the regular season with a 3-7 record. It was the first season since 2004 that the Tigers failed to make the FHSAA playoffs.

Assistant Coaches: Jeff Renihan, Bryant Hardy, Travis Miller, Roger Sasser, Bob Larson, Thomas Register, Butch Burrell and Phillip Hynes.

2010 GHS Varsity Football Schedule

9/3 Northview
9/10 at Marianna
9/17 Open Date
9/24 at Franklin
10/1 at Blountstown
10/8 FAMU High
10/15 Liberty Co.
10/22 Jefferson Co.
10/29 at Rocky Bayou Christian
11/5 at Cottondale
11/12 Chipley

2010 Tigers Cheerleaders
Kurtiana Pinkard - Sophomore;Taylor Smith - Sophomore; Brienne Beechum - Junior, Lauren Skipper - Junior, Carly Wilson - Senior, Caitlin Miller - Sophomore; Coral Aguado - Junior, Trienietiy Boston - Sophomore, Derika Robinson - Senior, Morgan Lewis - Junior, and Kaylee Vaughn - Sophomore.

Former Chipola Player Is Major League Home Run Leader

2010-09-02T11:28:00.003-05:00

Former Chipola baseball player Jose Bautista is still Major League Baseball’s homerun leader with 40 as of Aug. 23.

Bautista, a right-fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, smacked two homeruns in the Jays 3-2 win over the Yankees on Aug. 23. The two gave him a Major League-leading 40 home runs on the season and accounted for all of the offense for the Blue Jays (65-59).

Bautista belted 44 home runs combined over his past three big league campaigns. With 38 games remaining on the schedule for the Blue Jays, Bautista sits seven home runs shy of George Bell’s single-season club record of 47 bombs in 1987. The right fielder is the first player to achieve 40 homers in a season for the Jays since Carlos Delgado launched 42 in ‘03.

Bautista was a member of the Chipola Baseball squad before being drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 amateur draft. His official signing came in May 2001, the same year the Indians captured the Panhandle Conference Championship and was the NJCAA Region VIII Runner-up.

During his time in the majors, the 29 year-old has also played for the Pirates, the Orioles and the Royals.

For the latest news about Chipola Athletics, visit www.chipolaathletics.com.

Lady Bulldogs Down Lady Tigers

2010-09-02T11:28:00.001-05:00

The Marianna Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad played host to Graceville on Tuesday night and came away with a clean sweep as both the varsity and junior varsity squads swept the Lady Tigers. In varsity action Marianna posted wins of 25-7, 25-13 and 25-12.

In game one Graceville hung close early on as the game was tied at 3-3. Marianna reeled off 7 straight points. Graceville kept battling and trailed 12-6 but the Lady Bulldogs then went on a tear. They outscored the Lady Tigers 13-1 to seal the first win of the night. Marianna jumped out to a 7-0 lead in game two with Hali Stout serving but then Graceville battled back to trail just 8-4. The Lady Tigers hung close for awhile and got as close as trailing 12-9 and 16-13. Eron Milton then went to the serving line Marianna ripped off 9 unanswered points to win the second contest. Game three again saw Graceville hang close early on as Marianna held a slim 4-3 lead. A kill by Cayce Griffin got the Lady Bulldogs up 6-3 and then they pushed that lead to as much as 16-7. A service ace by Meaghan Hinson got them up 18-7 and later a kill from Hinson made it 23-11. Marianna went on to win by 13 points.

Hinson led the squad with 7 spikes and 5 kills. Griffin followed with 6 spikes and 3 kills. Milton added 5 spikes and a kill. In Junior Varsity action the Lady Bulldogs captured two wins, with both games being won by a score of 25-5.

County Teams Battle In Pre-Season Contests

2010-09-02T11:25:00.001-05:00

All four of the Jackson County high school varsity football teams competed last Friday night in preseason contest. Up in the northwestern portion of the county two of the teams squared off against each other. The Graceville Tigers played host to the Sneads Pirates and it was the visitors coming away with a 35-18 victory. Xavier Eutsay had a big night rushing for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Josh Rogers had a solid night as well for the Pirates with 97 yards rushing and a touchdown. Graceville was led by QB Jacky Miles who threw for 183 yards and three touchdown passes on the night.

The fans had barely had time to get their popcorn and sodas before the scoring began. Eutsay reeled off a 55 yard TD run on the Pirates first possession but the Tigers fired right back. Jacky Miles hooked up with Derae Laster for a 53 yard TD pass. Sneads held a slim 7-6 lead after a missed extra point by the Tigers. Rogers got his TD run later in the first quarter but once again Graceville countered. Miles hit Jeremy Watford for a 58 yard scoring strike and Sneads led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter. Sneads took advantage of some excellent field position and scored on a TD run by Eutsay. Rogers added the extra point kick to make it 21-12. Eutsay added his third TD just before the half and the Pirates led 28-12 going into the locker rooms at the half. In the second half the Pirates got a score from Delontre Keys to make it 35-12. The Tigers got a second half score as well when Miles tossed his third TD pass of the night, this one on a toss to Kevin Potts in the fourth quarter.

The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Quincy to play in a jamboree format and found the going to their liking. In the first half they beat St. Francis Catholic (Gainesville) 22-14 as CJ Smith helped the Hornets get the early lead with a 60 yard scoring strike to Clifford Canty. Dominique Webb ran in the two point conversion to make it 8-0. Evan Davis gave the Hornets more reason to cheer with a 10 yard TD run. Smith added the two point conversion to put Cottondale up 16-0. The final score for Cottondale came on a 35 yard run by Sheldon Vann. In the second half of action the Hornets edged Munroe 6-0 as Smith hit Webb on a 40 yard touchdown pass.

The Marianna Bulldogs traveled to northwestern Bay County to take on Mosley at Bozeman High School. The Dolphins (class 4A) outmanned the Bulldogs on the field and the scoreboard, posting a 42-21 win over Marianna. Mosley, which dressed out about twice the number of players as Marianna, jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead. Marianna hung with Mosley early on but a costly turnover (fumble) by Marianna late in the first quarter was quickly followed by a long touchdown pass by the Dolphins. From there Mosley seized momentum for the remainder of the half. In the second half Marianna was able to string together some offense and post 21 points on the board. Tre Jackson scored twice on short runs and Hakeem Holmes scored on a 75 yard jaunt.

Jackson County Sports on the Airwaves

2010-09-02T11:24:00.001-05:00

Week of: September 2-8, 2010

Television
CCTV 4 (Comcast Cable 4)
Check CCTV listings for a variety of sports programs.
Radio
WJAQ 100.9 FM

Football
9/2 Fri Marianna at Cottondale Pregame 6:30 pm
9/4 Sat Saturday Morning Scoreboard Show 7:30 am
WFBU 94.7 FM

Football
9/3 Fri Northview at Graceville 7 pm

Thursday Night Friday Night Football Preview September 2-3, 2010

2010-09-02T11:23:00.002-05:00

Marianna at Cottondale 7pm – This game will be played on Thursday night so that the rest of Jackson County can come out to catch this county matchup. Both squads have some talented ball carriers as Marianna will be led by Tre Jackson and Cottondale will be led by Dominique Webb. Both teams dress about the same number of players – Marianna 26 & Cottondale 28. Cottondale scored 28 points in their preseason contest while Marianna scored 21. These two teams are fairly evenly matched and any time you get two Jackson County teams together it is going to be intense.
Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM

Blountstown at Sneads 7 pm
The Pirates looked good in their preseason outing against one brand of Tigers (Graceville.) They’ll open up the season at home with another brand of Tigers (Blountstown) coming to town. Xavier Eutsay had a big night against Graceville (166 yards 7 3 TDs). If he can have that kind of night against Blountstown the Pirates have a great shot at a season opening win.

Northview at Graceville 7 pm –
Graceville coach Todd Wertenberger knows this year’s Tigers are not big enough to pound away at their opponents. But he seems to have come up with a good passing attack as QB Jacky Miles threw for over 180 yards and 3 TDs in the preseason game against Sneads. They’ll need every bit of that and probably more as they will host a Chief’s program that has been very solid in the years past.
Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM

2010 Sneads Pirates Preview

2010-08-26T11:07:00.003-05:00

2010 Profile: Head Coach Don Dowling enters his third season at the helm of the Pirate ship. This year’s Pirate squad has their work cut out for them as they must replace the offensive workhorses from last year’s team. Mark Lawson, Jeff Davis and Terrence Green are all gone. Lawson accounted for almost 3,000 yards and 27 TDs in the last two seasons. The Pirates do return six starters on offense and five on defense. Dowling will suit up one of his smaller teams as far as numbers go, dressing out 20 players. Xavier Eutsay has shown promise at running back as has Blade Osborne at the QB position. Others that will see time in the offensive backfield include Delontre Keys, Jaylen Williams, Josh Rogers and Aaron Green. A strong point for the team will be the offensive line who return all but one starter. John Whittington, Ethan McClendon, C.J. Fussell, Lucas Pollack, Mickey Cassidy, and Todd Brown will anchor the Pirates in the trenches.

2010 District: Sneads is in one of the toughest districts around, playing in an 9 team district. Their district (Class 1A - District 1) includes Baker, Bozeman, Freeport, Holmes County, Jay, Northview (Bratt), Sneads, South Walton and Vernon. Freeport took the district crown last year and South Walton finished as the runner up. Sneads finished at a respectable 4-4 but know that they must improve that district record if they hope to make the playoffs.

2010 Schedule: Sneads will play a preseason game in Graceville and then open up the regular season at home against non-district foe Blountstown. They close the season with county rival Marianna. In between are eight straight district contest. They only break is an open date during mid-season. In their favor is the fact that Freeport, South Walton and Northview are all home games. That will put some of the tougher teams in the Pirates cove and cut down a little on their travel time.

2009: Finished the season with a respectable 5-5 record in the regular season and then won a post season bowl game against Trenton to finish 6-5. Lawson was the work horse on offense, rushing for over 1,000 yards and leading the team in scoring.

2010 Pirate Assistant Coaches: Jack Glover, Andy Ward and Shawn Graham. Team Chaplain is Andy Glover.

2010 SHS Pirates Roster

2010-08-26T11:07:00.001-05:00

# Name Class Position

2 LARON BROWN 11 WR/DB

3 AARON GREEN 11 RB/DB

5 DALLAS GOFF 11 WR/DB

8 TRENT McDANIEL 11 WR/DB

9 BLADE OSBORNE 11 QB/DB

10 XAVIER EUTSAY 12 RB/DB

14 JALON DANIELS 10 RB/DB

20 DELONTRE’ KEYS 10 RB/LB

24 JOSEPH BOYD 10 RB/DL

32 JOSH ROGERS 12 RB/LB

33 JOHN WHITTINGTON 12 TE/DL

34 CALEB ALEXANDER 10 TE/DL

52 ETHAN McCLENDON 12 OL/LB

54 CJ FUSSELL 12 OL/DL

55 TODD BROWN 11 OL/DL

56 JACKSON CHANDLER 10 OL/DL

58 DREW GAY 11 OL/DL

69 ANFERNEE BAKER 11 OL/DL

70 LUCAS POLLOCK 10 OL/DL

76 MICKEY CASSIDY 11 OL/DL

2010 Marianna Bulldogs

2010-08-26T11:06:00.003-05:00

2009 Profile: Marianna celebrates the beginning of their 85th season of playing football and they do so under the direction of alumni and former Bulldog quarterback Steve DeWitt who enters his second season at the helm for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs lost some talented players from last year’s squad but have a good nucleus of players returning. Several solid running backs return including Tre Jackson, Elliott Batson, Chris Bowers and Charles “Scooter” Barnes. Israel Davis, Siddiq Rushdan and Jerrell Long will also see plenty of action in the offensive backfield. The key challenge for the Bulldogs will be to replace Fidel Montgomery at the QB position. Two underclassmen have been battling for the spot. Hakeem Holmes, who saw some action last year and lefty Michael Mader are vying for the starting nod. Holmes came in knowing the offense and can run the ball. Mader, who has concentrated on baseball the last two years, is the better passer. Both will likely see plenty of action during the season. In the trenches the ‘Dogs will be led by seniors Jaren Bannerman, Xavier Peterson, Zack Smith and Javorius Garrett.

2010 District: Marianna will have the same district as last year and will face the same uphill battle against Pensacola Catholic. The Crusaders have absolutely dominated the district the last ten years and the fight with the other teams has been to see who could earn a berth in the FHSAA playoffs as the district runner up. In addition to Pensacola Catholic, Marianna will battle Walton County and Chipley in district matchups this season.

2010 Schedule: Marianna will open up the 2010 campaign against two Jackson County squads (at Cottondale and hosting Graceville). Two of the ‘Dogs first three games will be played on a Thursday night (Cottondale and Bay). Their first district matchup will be the fourth game of the season on the road at Walton. After hosting Liberty County for a tough homecoming Marianna will host in an always tough district contest. A pair of Tigers (Blountstown & Chipley) along with the Tiger Sharks of Port St. Joe follow. The Bulldogs close out the season with another Jackson County foe when they host Sneads.

Assistant Coaches: John Donaldson, Ron Tanner, Brian Collins, Carlan Martin, Nathan Goodman, Ray Lawson, Travis Blanton, Andy Shelton, Dustin Larkin

2009: Marianna went 5-5 in the regular season, finishing third in their district

2010 MHS Bulldogs Roster

2010-08-26T11:06:00.001-05:00

# Name Class Position

1 Elliott Batson SR RB/ILB

2 Hakeem Holmes JR QB/OLB

3 Israel Davis SO RB/CB

4 Tre Jackson SR RB/CB

5 Clayte Rooks JR WR/S

6 Siddiq Rushdan SR RB/OLB

8 Drew Melvin JR TE/DE

10 Kevin Myrick JR WR/CB

12 Chris Bowers JR FB/OLB

15 Michael Mader JR QB/CB

20 A.J. Blount JR OL/ILB

23 Charles Barnes SR RB/CB

24 Jerrell Long JR RB/OLB

30 Cody Barfield JR WR/CB

32 Zack Smith SR TE/DL

33 Larry Bush JR OL/DL

42 Ty Poole SR WR/CB

50 Xavier Peterson SR OL/DL

52 Jeffery Basford JR OL/DL 55 Will Soto SR OL/DL

56 Xavier Perry JR OL/DL

58 Jaren Bannerman SR OL/ILB

60 Chris Godwin JR OL/DE

62 Justin Schutkovske SR OL/DL

63 Rodney Elder JR OL/DL

72 Javoris Garrett SR OL/DL

Washington Signs for Multi-Million Dollar Bonus

2010-08-26T11:05:00.001-05:00

After the June 8th draft, the next major decision for a MLB draftee is finalizing an agreement with their Major League squad. With less than 10 minutes before the deadline, former Chipola centerfielder, LeVon Washington agreed to sign with the Cleveland Indians for a $1.2 million bonus.

Washington, who was selected in the second round of MLB’s 2010 First-Year Player Draft had until midnight on Monday to sign with the Indians.

“I was just praying that they would sign me,” said Washington before leaving Florida on Wednesday.

Washington will report to Cleveland’s Rookie League team based in Goodyear, Arizona.

In 41 games as a freshman at Chipola, he batted .327 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs.

Washington understands that there are many areas of his game that must improve as he seeks to continue to climb the ladder in Major League Baseball.

“Defensively, I can get to almost every ball hit,” he said. “There is always stuff to improve on. I definitely need to get better at jumps on balls and reading the ball off the bat.”

Playing in the final games for Cleveland’s Rookie League team, Washington will have the opportunity to fine-tune his skills and improve as a player.

Friday Night Football Preview August 27, 2010 Kickoff Classics and Jamboree

2010-08-26T11:04:00.003-05:00

Marianna at Mosley 7 pm This game will be played at Bozeman High School and the ‘Dogs will have their work cut out for themselves against the much larger Dolphins (Class 4A). Head Coach Steve DeWitt will likely use the game to size up the battle for the QB position between Hakeen Holmes and Michael Mader. Marianna will open up the regular season next Thursday night in Cottondale.

Radio: WJAQ 100.9 FM

Sneads at Graceville 7 pm – Anytime you get two Jackson County schools together it will be a hard fought contest, even in a pre-season game. Sneads Head Coach Don Dowling has been known to say in the past “if we step on the field and turn on the scoreboard, we going to try to win the game.” That said, both Dowling and Graceville’s Todd Wertenberger have a lot of sizing up to do with their squads as both teams will trot out some young faces. Both will try to win the game but both will likely play everyone on the squad. Sneads will open the regular season next Friday night when they host Blountstown. Graceville will host Northview in their season opener that same evening.

Radio: WFBU 94.7 FM

Cottondale 6 pm – The Hornets will take part in the Quincy Jamboree that will include themselves, Munroe and St. Francis Catholic. The Hornets will look to Dominque Webb to led them offensively but Head Coach Mike Melvin already knows what Webb can do on the field. He’ll likely use these scrimmages as an opportunity to see how some of the younger Hornets respond under the lights. Cottondale opens up the regular season next Thursday night when they host Marianna.

Register Begins 22nd Season With Bulldog Football On The Radio

2010-08-26T11:04:00.001-05:00

The Marianna Bulldogs football program celebrates the beginning of their 85th season this year. And for a little over one-fourth of the program’s existence Bulldog fans have heard a familiar voice on their radio come Friday nights. Russell Register will begin his 22nd season as the play by play announcer of Bulldog Football on the radio.

In 1988 Register approach Don Moore at WJAQ about the possibility of doing some broadcasting for the Bulldogs. He had heard Sandy Westmoreland say at the close of the 1987 season that it was going to be his last year as the announcer. Westmoreland had followed in the line of former Bulldog football announcers like Moore and Dick Bowers. Moore told Register they already had a new announcer (Scott Hales) lined up for Marianna but they needed someone to help with their “Game of the Week” for Jackson County Football. Register began helping David Ferro and they ended up concentrating on the streaking Graceville Tigers. In his first season on the radio Register helped call the Tigers run to a 1988 State Championship under Phil Fowler.

Hales was not able to continue as the Bulldogs announcer in 1989 so Register was offered the spot and as they say, the rest is history. The first game of the 1989 season Register announced the Bulldog’s 17-14 win over Baker to snap a 23 game losing streak. His color man that year was Brad Clarke. The following season Register was joined by color man Tory Hussey. In 1991 he got his third color man in three years as a former school mate joined him. (See Simply Put for more on that color man).

Over the 21 previous seasons Register has seen some good times and not so good times for the Bulldogs. The best of the good times included the late 90’s when the Bulldogs reel off four straight district championships, some big playoff wins and an appearance in the 2000 Class 2A State Championship game played at Florida Field. The bad times included a few seasons with just one or two wins. Through it all Register has been there. “I graduated from Marianna in 1979 and I guess it’s safe to say that I bleed purple and gold. I’m with the Bulldogs win, lose or draw” Register said.

Register has also seen a lot of changes in the technology used to bring the fans the broadcast, especially on the away games. “We used to use a box called a “marti” and a police scanner. The marti transmitted to the police scanner and the police scanner was placed by a telephone receiver. In those days we could not hear the station engineer so we had to time our commercial breaks. Sometimes we timed them right and sometimes we didn’t,” Register recalls. Along the way the use of hard line telephone lines helped tremendously and with the proliferation of cellular phones the broadcast have become easier. Still there are some trying times. “As with any technology sometimes there seems to be gremlins working hard to make the broadcast difficult. It keeps us humble but for the most part we’ve always been able to pull off the broadcast,” said Register.

Another trademark of Register’s broadcasting career is dedication. Since he began broadcasting Bulldog football in 1989 Marianna has played a total of 227 regular season games and 22 pre-season games. That is a total of 249 games in 21 years and Register has broadcast all but two. He missed a game in 1989 season when his son was born and missed a second game in 1997 when his sister-in-law passed away. He has gone through five coaching changes and three station changes. He first started out broadcasting on WJAQ but then the games were moved to WJNF. Two years ago the broadcast were returned to WJAQ when WJNF was sold and the new owners choose not to continue the broadcast.

Football Is In The Air

2010-08-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Sneads Pirates work on blocking assignments in Monday’s practice as they gear up for the 2010 season and their pre-season game in Graceville against the Tigers on August 27th.

Bulldog Assistant Coach John Donaldson oversees two of the Bulldog lineman during their blocking drills on Tuesday. Marianna will open up the 2010 season with a pre-season game in Panama City against Mosley on August 27th.

Graceville Head Coach Todd Wertenberger (center with hat) talks with his Tigers while on water break during Tuesday’s practice. Graceville will host Sneads on August 27th in a pre-season kickoff classic.

The Cottondale Hornets run through their offense on Tuesday as they prepare for the upcoming season.

The Hornets will be playing host to Marianna in the opening regular season game on Thursday September 2nd.

MHS Cheerleaders Receive Awards at Camp

2010-08-20T10:13:00.001-05:00

The Marianna Varsity Cheerleaders recently returned from a National Cheerleaders Association summer camp. The camp was held at the University of Florida and attracted over 200 cheerleaders from the surrounding states.

The MHS Cheerleaders received the following awards at the NCA Summer Camp they attended.

Spirit Stick Award – This prestigious award, selected by the squads, is awarded to the team who exemplifies true team spirit and camaraderie.

The Herkie TEAM Award – this is awarded to the squad who exemplifies the qualities upon which NCA was founded. These qualities are leadership, values, and teamwork.

National Championship Bid Winner

Campion Chant – Teams compete with a chant that they learned during the week. Technical skills, as well as the ability to lead the crowd, are judged to select the winner.

The Spirit Stick winner

The ladies are very excited about kicking off the upcoming football season at the fall jamboree against Mosley on August 28th.

The squad is coached by Christi Shelfer and led by Captain Courtney Larkin.

Boston Butt Sale to Raise Scholarship Funds

2010-08-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

The Panhandle Seminole Booster Club is currently pre-selling smoked Boston Butts through August 27, 2010 to support their Annual Scholarship fund. These tasty pork butts range from 8 to 10 pounds and will be ready for pick up (September 2) in time for Labor Day weekend.

The Club holds two annual events (spring golf tournament and Boston Butt sale) to raise scholarship funds and help local students to attend Florida State University.

Each student will receive a $1000 award from funds raised through these events in the past year by the club, a registered 501©3 non-profit corporation.

Support higher education for our local students and enjoy a fabulous smoked Boston Butt on Labor Day weekend.

For more information, contact Joy Hinton (850) 482-3466, visit Sweet Stuff Bakery at 4477 Jackson Street, or contact a club director (Matt Dryden, Jamelia Cone, Joy Hinton, George Sweeney, Ruth Davis, Joanne Anderson, Jeanie Burleson, Lisa Pelt, Jerry Glass, Tony Klappas, Jordan Girton, or Roy Baker).

FAMILIES IN THE MARIANNA AREA ARE PLAYING AND VOLUNTEERING—TOGETHER

2010-08-13T10:40:00.002-05:00

Upward Sports League Offers Something for Every Member of the Family

In a time where families are pulled in a million different directions, the First Baptist Church of Marianna is bringing families and the community together. Upward Sports, the world’s largest Christian sports league for children, attracts more than 480,000 volunteers and 520,000 kids worldwide each year with its unique approach—teaching skills for the sports arena and values for life.

In an era of sports when trash talking, win-at-all-cost mentalities and fights on the field seem to be the norm, it’s no wonder that 70 percent of U.S. children playing organized sports will quit by age 13, and never play again. Children and families, believing that sports can be a positive experience, are participating in an unconventional youth sports league which teaches that the process of competition is just as important as the outcome.

First Baptist Church of Marianna will host two Upward Sports leagues, basketball and cheerleading, beginning in September. Focusing on healthy competition and positive sports environments that build strong self-confidence, Upward Sports equips churches with everything needed to run a competitive but fun, 10-week sports program for children K5 – sixth grade. Each year, more than 1 million people from 46 states and four countries play, coach, referee or volunteer in Upward Sports leagues.

To avoid player and parent burn out, Upward Sports limits time commitments to one practice and one game per week. Other distinctive aspects of Upward Sports leagues include:

● Unique substitution system designed to provide every child equal playing time, competing against an equally matched opponent

● Competitive games with strict adherence to a proprietary drafting system that guarantees balanced talent on each team

● Supportive coaches that bring out “the winner” in every child regardless of the game’s score

To register for the FBCM Upward Sports league, visit www.fbcmarianna.org. Registration fee is $45. Participants must attend one of the following basketball evaluations: Tuesday, August 17 from 6 – 8 p.m.; Thursday, August 19 from 6 – 8 p.m., Saturday, August 21 from 9 – 11 a.m., and Saturday August 28 from 9-11 a.m.

For more information about Upward Sports visit www.upward.org. Practice begins Sept. 13. First game is Sept. 25.

First Baptist Church 2897 Green Street - Marianna, FL 32446

850-526-4200 www.fbcmarianna.org

Soccer Registration

2010-08-13T10:40:00.000-05:00

Marianna Recreation Department will offer 5 soccer leagues to give boys and girls the opportunity to play soccer. Registration for youth ages 5 to 18 will be held August 2nd through the August 28th from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM at The Marianna Educational and Recreational Expo (MERE) located at 3625 Caverns Road in Marianna. The registration fee for soccer is $30 for participants who live inside the City limits of Marianna and $45 for participants who live outside the City limits of Marianna. The fee must be paid with a check or money order, no cash will be accepted. Special registration will be held at the MERE from 4:00pm until 7:00pm August 9th (Monday). No one will be allowed to register after August 28th. All participants must bring a copy of their birth certificate. The age of all participants on August 1st of the current year will be the player’s age for the entire season.

The leagues and corresponding age limits are:

TINY MITES SOCCER LEAGUE
(BOYS & GIRLS 5 & 6)

PEE WEE SOCCER LEAGUE
(BOYS & GIRLS 7 to 8)

MIDGET SOCCER LEAGUE
(BOYS & GIRLS 9 to 11)

JUNIOR LEAGUE
(BOYS & GIRLS 12 to 14)

SENIOR LEAGUE
(BOYS & GIRLS 15 to 18)

The number of leagues and corresponding ages could vary depending on the total number of participants that register. Anyone that may be interested in coaching a team or officiating youth soccer please contact with the Marianna Recreation Department at 482-6228 or come by during registration .

The Liberty County Diamond Dawg Repeat

2010-08-13T10:39:00.002-05:00

One of the most difficult tasks in any sport is to repeat a championship from the previous year. The Liberty County Diamond Dawgs did exactly that by defeating their 2009 championship of the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida for the 2010 Baseball League season. It was not an easy task for the Diamond Dawgs as it took the full three games of the championship series to take the title from the Washington County Bruins. The Bruins won the first game of the series Saturday in Chipley 10-7 behind the pitching of Colin Lugwig, Hunter Park, and Zack Jadofsky – Park getting the win and Jadofsky getting the save.

However, it was quite a different story on Sunday in Bristol, as the Diamond Dawgs took both games 12-2 and 11-6 to claim the title as the Big Bend Baseball League Champions for the second years in a row. It was too much hitting by the Diamond Dawgs as Travis Anderson and Robbie Fleck contributed a grand slam each on the day. Likewise, behind the pitching of Rankin Miles in the first game, Darringer Edwards in the second game with reliever Tim Davis, the Bruins had to settle for runner up for the 2010 season. Matt Willis, manager of the Washington Bruins and his team must be congratulated for this accomplishment for their first year in the league play.

But it was a total and balanced team effort by David Black’s Diamond Dawgs with excellent hitting, pitching, and good defense that proved the difference. A balanced team including outfielders Tranquille (CF), Elliott (LF), and Sapp (RF) along with the Parrish brothers, Jody and Jammie, in middle infield with Smith (3B) and Fleck (1B) at the corners and you have a winning defense.

Throw on Boo Morris (DH) with Travis Anderson and Richard Joyner as catchers handling the pitching of Rankin Miles, Darringer Edwards and relief pitcher Tim Davis and you have a winning combination for the 2010 Big Bend Baseball League Champions – The Liberty County Diamond Dawgs. Congratulations, Dawgs on your repeat!

The MVP awards for the League as voted on by all managers of the eight teams within the League went to Mel Stocker, center fielder from the Bay County Brewers in the Western Division. Ben Faurot shortstop for the Calhoun Horsemen won the Eastern Division MVP. Congratulations Mel and Ben!

Trophy awards also went to the Destin Dawgs for the best winning regular season record in the Western Division and to the Liberty County Diamond Dawgs for the best regular season record in the Eastern Division for the 2010 season.

Prior to the games on Sunday the wife and family of the late Mitchell Larkin, who served as Assistant Commissioner of the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida until his recent death, were presented a plaque in remembrance of his devoted and dedicated service to the League.

The Administrative Staff Morrell Bailey, Commissioner; Donald Stephens, Assistant Commissioner; Carol Schauf, Administrative Assistant; and Harold Bailey, Promotions and Publicity would like to extend their thanks to all managers and their teams for making the 2010 a very successful and enjoyable season of baseball in the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida.

Yesteryear 8-12-10

2010-08-13T10:39:00.000-05:00

This week’s Yesteryear is Tom Hermann, former Marianna Bulldog football standout from the 1960s. Tom was born to Harry and Emily Hermann and was the younger brother of Dick Hermann, who had an outstanding football career at both Marianna and Florida State. Tom began playing varsity football for the Bulldogs in the 9th grade. An injury limited his sophomore playing time to just three games but he excelled in both his junior and senior seasons. In his junior season the 1963 Bulldogs went 9-1 as they were led on offense by the trio of Hermann, Raymond Jennings and Bill Fite.

The 1964 Bulldogs went 5-2-2 and once again Hermann led the offense, leading the Bulldogs in rushing with 983 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hermann, who served as a Tri-Captian with Tommy Gortemoller and Ronnie Whitehead, received the following post season awards: All Conference, All Big Bend and Honorable Mention Little All State. Hermann got a one year scholarship to Florida State and played on the freshman team. When his one year scholarship was up Hermann was offered a full scholarship to Troy State. Injuries had begun to nag him and he decided to come home to Marianna and go to Chipola. After Chipola he returned to FSU to attend school but then got drafted into the Army.

While in the army stationed in Europe he began playing football again and his team went 10-4 They captured the Armed Forces European football championship by beating the Berlin Bears. Ironically on the Bears coaching staff was Hermann’s friend and former Bulldog teammate Harry Frank. After he got out of the military he finished school at FSU and went to work in South Carolina. He later returned to Tallahassee to work in the mental health field and complete his master’s degree.

Home was calling and Hermann moved back to Marianna and served as Executive Director of the Jackson County Association for Retarded Citizens for 8 years. He still resides in Marianna and for the past 22 years has worked for the Jackson County School Board. He is currently a guidance counselor at the Adult Education program.

Hermann married Mary (Hicks) of Ponce De Leon in 1972 and they have three sons, all of whom played football as well as other sports at Marianna High School. Dale, who also coached at Marianna, is currently the Head Soccer Coach in McDonough, Georgia. Micheal is an airline attendant and lives in California. Rick, the youngest son, is a pastor in Flowery Branch Georgia. Tom and Mary have 3 grandchildren, all of whom belong to Rick.

See next week’s for another Yesteryear feature and remember to send or drop off any pictures of your favorite sports memories to the Jackson County Times.

E-mail: clintcox@jacksoncountytimes.net Fax: (850) 526-1505 Phone: (850) 209-7319

Office: 2866 Madison St. Marianna, Fl. 32448

Soccer Registration

2010-08-06T22:29:00.001-05:00

Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, Inc. News

2010-08-06T22:28:00.003-05:00

Following the first weekend of play-offs in the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida the Liberty County Diamond Dawgs in the Eastern Division and the Washington County Bruins in the Western Division have emerged as Divisional champions in the 2010 baseball season. The Diamond Dawgs of Liberty County will be seeking to repeat as over-all League champions next weekend when they play the best of a three game series.

In the first round of play-offs Saturday, July 31st, the Calhoun County Horsemen defeated the Chattahoochee Red Birds and earned the right to play the Liberty County Diamond Dawgs in Sunday’s Eastern Divisional Championship game. The Diamond Dawgs proved too much at the plate as Anderson led the way with two home runs and five RBI’s in an 11-3 win over the Horsemen.

In the Western Division the Jackson County Jays, seeded 4th in the Division, upset the #1 seed Destin Dawgs to advance to the Western Division finals against the Washington County Bruins on Sunday. The Bruins had defeated the Bay County Brewers in order to meet the Jackson Jays Sunday for the Western Divisional title. The Bruins took a 9-2 win from the Jackson Jays to emerge as Western Division champions.

Therefore, the championship series to determine the overall Big Bend Baseball League Championship will pit the Washington County Bruins against the Liberty County Diamond Dawgs in the Championship series Saturday and Sunday, August 7th and 8th. The Bruins will host the Diamond Dawgs Saturday, August 7th, 3:00 P.M. CDT in the first game and the Diamond Dawgs will host the second game in Bristol Sunday at 2:00 P.M. EDT. Should there be a necessary third game to determine the championship it will be played as a 7 inning game immediately following the first game on Sunday.

Guerra Receives Scholarship

2010-08-06T22:28:00.001-05:00

Tiffany Guerra already knows what it takes to be a Lady Pirate. For the past two seasons Guerra has been the captain and starting setter for the Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball teams that advanced to back to back FHSAA Regional Finals. Guerra has recently signed a scholarship to take her game to the next level as she will trade in the blue and gold of Sneads for the blue and green of Pensacola State College. Formerly known as Pensacola Junior College, the Lady Pirates have been raiding the Sneads volleyball program for several years now. Guerra will join her former Sneads teammate Bridgett Dawson who signed earlier this year to play for Pensacola. That pair will follow in the footsteps of former Sneads standout Kali Pringle, who has spent the past two seasons playing for Pensacola.

Congratulations to both of these young ladies for their outstanding accomplishments.

FAMILIES IN THE MARIANNA AREA ARE PLAYING AND VOLUNTEERING—TOGETHER

2010-08-06T22:26:00.002-05:00

FSU Coach To Be Special Guest for Chipola Dinner/Dance

2010-07-30T11:35:00.007-05:00

Leonard Hamilton, head coach of the FSU Men’s Basketball team, will be the special guest for Chipola’s Endless Summer Dinner/Dance, Aug. 21 at the Marianna National Guard Armory.

The Villagers, a popular Chipola band from the 1960’s will provide the perfect musical backdrop for the occasion. A professional DJ will spin dance tunes for the remainder of the evening.

Hamilton led the Seminoles to a 22-10 record in 2010 and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He was named the National Coach of the Year by Basketball Times and the ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association in 2009. He guided the Seminoles to a 25-10 mark in 2009 with a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the first ACC Championship game appearance in school history.

As he continues to build his program into one of the nation’s best, he attracts the top talent and helps those players reach their goals of not only playing at the next level, but of excelling academically, with a 100 percent graduation rate.

With 20 or more wins in three of the last four seasons, Hamilton has 131 victories during his tenure at FSU. In earning ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2009, Hamilton became the first coach to be named the coach of the year in both the ACC and the Big East. He recently inked a new five-year contract which will take him through the 2013-14 season.

Hamilton has guided five of his first seven Seminole teams into postseason play as he continues to return Florida State to a program of significance both nationally and in the ACC. Hamilton was the Washington Wizards’ head coach in 2001 and the head coach at the University of Miami from 1991-2000 when he became the seventh head coach in Florida State men’s basketball history.

Tickets for Endless Summer are $25 per person. A social hour begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and dancing. Tables of eight are available for $200. Barbecue chef Bobby Sims will prepare his famous, mouth-watering, pulled pork for the dinner.

For ticket information, call Lillie Hamil at 850-718-2375.

Boston Butt Sale to Raise Scholarship Funds

2010-07-30T11:35:00.005-05:00

The Panhandle Seminole Booster Club is currently pre-selling smoked Boston Butts through August 27, 2010 to support their Annual Scholarship fund. These tasty pork butts range from 8 to 10 pounds and will be ready for pick up (September 2) in time for Labor Day weekend.

The Club holds two annual events (spring golf tournament and Boston Butt sale) to raise scholarship funds and help local students to attend Florida State University.

Each student will receive a $1000 award from funds raised through these events in the past year by the club, a registered 501©3 non-profit corporation.

Support higher education for our local students and enjoy a fabulous smoked Boston Butt on Labor Day weekend. For more information, contact Joy Hinton (850) 482-3466, visit Sweet Stuff Bakery at 4477 Jackson Street, or contact a club director (Matt Dryden, Jamelia Cone, Joy Hinton, George Sweeney, Ruth Davis, Joanne Anderson, Jeanie Burleson, Lisa Pelt, Jerry Glass, Tony Klappas, Jordan Girton, or Roy Baker).

Hudson Scholarship Awarded; Golf Tourney Planned

2010-07-30T11:35:00.003-05:00

Steffin Golden of Marianna is the 2010 recipient of the John Hudson Memorial Scholarship to Chipola College.

The Hudson Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a Marianna High graduate who was involved in an athletic program.

Friends of the late coach Hudson are planning the Fourth Annual Coach John “Hud” Hudson Golf Tournament, Aug. 21-22, at Caverns Golf Course.

Morning or afternoon tee times are available in three-man scramble format. Cost is $80 per person and includes free range balls and lunch on Sunday. Cash prizes will be paid for the top 3 teams in each flight. Long Drive and Closest to pin prizes will be awarded each day.

For information on the tournament, contact: Hunter Nolen at 573-6474; John Dondaldson 573-0806; Brian McKeithan at 482-4257; Nora Mayo at 209-4743; or Tommy Lassman at 718-7942.

“Celebration of the Gator Nation” selected as 2010 Gator Growl Theme

2010-07-30T11:35:00.001-05:00

This year, Gator Growl will be reliving and celebrating the aspects of the Gator Nation that has made UF a flagship academic institution and a nationally recognized and decorated athletic university. With excitement building for the new Gator football team, this is the time to celebrate the Gator Nation. And there is no better way to celebrate the Gator Nation than with 40,000 class-mates and peers, in the swamp, the night before Homecoming, at Gator Growl! Growl 2010 will be a grand show highlighting what it means to be a current student and active alumni at the University of Florida and promises to be the biggest festivity of the Gator Nation all year. Gator Growl also has new vision and mission statement to ensure the entire Gator nation is included and invited to this year’s show. Tickets will be available on the Gator Growl website, at gatorgrowl.org, in mid-April.

Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, Inc. News

2010-07-30T11:34:00.002-05:00

Game Results: July 25th

Gulf County Drive- G1-7, G2-1 & Chattahoochee Red Birds G1-3, G2-2

Liberty Diamond Dawgs-G1-11, G2-12 & Calhoun Horsemen-G1-1, G2-5

Destin Dawgs & Washington Bruins- (rained out)

Jackson County Jays-15 & Bay County Brewers-13

League Standings:

Western Division W L Pct.

#1 Destin Dawgs 10 6 .625

#2 Washington County Bruins 9 6 .600

#3 Bay County Brewers 9 9 .500

#4 Jackson County Jays 2 17 .105

Eastern Division W L Pct.

#1 Liberty Diamond Dawgs 15 5 .750

#2 Gulf County Drive 13 5 .722

#3 Calhoun Horsemen 8 12 .400

#4 Chattahoochee Red Birds 7 12 .368

Next Week’s Games
PLAY-OFFS

Sat, July 31st - Eastern Division

Chattahoochee Red Birds (4) at Liberty Diamond Dawgs (1) 3:00 P.M. EDT

Calhoun Horsemen (3) at Gulf County Drive (2)2:00 P.M. CDT

Sat, July 31st - Western Division

Jackson County Jays (4) at Destin Dawgs (1) 2:00 P.M. CDT
Bay County Brewers (3) at Washington Bruins(2) 2:00 P.M. CDT (seeds)

Sunday, August 1st games:
Winner of 1 & 4 seed play winner of 2 & 3 seed in each division. Championship series Saturday and Sunday August 7th and 8th .

Brief Summary

In the Eastern Division the Liberty Diamond Dawgs (15-5) took a Double Header from the Calhoun Horsemen (8-12) to regain first place in the division. The Gulf Drive (13-5) slipped back into second place due to splitting a double header with the Chattahoochee Red Birds (7-12) thus next weeks play off game pairings will begin Saturday, July 31st as noted above.

In the Western Division the Destin Dawgs (10-6) ended the regular season in first place followed closely by the Washington Bruins (9-6) in second place. The Bay Brewers finished the regular season (9-9) in third place with the Jackson Jays (2-17) in fourth place but winning their last game of the season against the Bay Brewers 15-13. Thus next weeks play-off game pairings in the Western Division will begin Saturday, July 31st as noted above. Note that Sundays games, August 1 will depend on outcomes of Saturdays games as noted above also.

FWC Offers Gator-Hunting Classes

2010-07-30T11:33:00.004-05:00

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering alligator hunters no-cost, three-hour classes to help them prepare for the Aug. 15 – Nov. 1 statewide alligator harvest. Reservations are not required to attend a class.

Attendance is not mandatory for licensed hunters, but the FWC recommends that participants attend, especially if they have not previously hunted for alligators. Class topics include preparing for the hunt, hunting techniques and safety, harvesting and processing, caring for your alligator hide and alligator hunting rules and regulations. Also, persons who do not have an alligator harvest permit can attend if they want to learn what hunting alligators is all about.

Classes will be offered at the following locations:

July 25 (Sunday), 2-5 p.m., Sanford, Sanford Civic Center, 401 East Seminole Blvd. For directions call 407-302-1010 or visit http://www.sanfordfl.gov/departments/leisure_services/civic_center.html.

July 28 (Wednesday), 6-9 p.m., Tallahassee, Bryant Bldg., 2nd floor auditorium, 620 S. Meridian St. For directions, call 850-488-3831.

July 31 (Saturday), 1-4 p.m., Dania Beach, IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum, 300 Gulf Stream Way. For directions, call 954-922-4212 or visit http://www.igfa.org.

Aug. 4 (Wednesday), 6-9 p.m., Gainesville, Paramount Plaza Hotel and Suites, 2900 S.W. 13th St. For directions call 352-377-4000 or visit http://www.paramountplaza.com.

Aug. 7 (Saturday), 1-4 p.m., Bradenton, Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, 1005 Barcarrota Blvd. For directions, visit http://bradenton.govoffice.com/index.asp and click on “Public Facilities” in the left column menu.

Aug. 8 (Sunday), 2-5 p.m., Okeechobee, Okeechobee County Civic Center, 1750 U.S. Hwy 98 North. For directions call 863-462-5195.

Alligator trapping “agent” permits are available for $52. Agent permits enable permit holders to assist a licensed trapper in taking alligators.

For more information on these exciting alligator hunts, visit MyFWC.com/gators and click “Statewide Hunts.”

Yesteryear 1974 Marianna Bulldogs

2010-07-30T11:33:00.002-05:00

This week’s Yesteryear is a photo of the 1974 Marianna Bulldogs lineman. The front row is the starting offensive line and they are from left to right: Wiley Barnes, Larry Barrentine, Kenny Hamm, Frank Bondurant and Richard Spink. The back row is of two defensive lineman and an assistant coach. They are Leon Kelly, Tee Jackson and Lemuel Granberry.

The 1974 Bulldogs (graduating class of 1975) were under the direction of Head Coach Ron Clark. They finished the season with a record of 6-3-1 and were members of the West Coast Conference. They had wins against Walton, Abbyville, Crestview, Gulf Breeze, Monticello and Port St. Joe. Their losses came to Thomasville, Rickards and Chipley. Their tie came against Mosley. Bulldogs selected to the All West Coast Conference team included: Granberry, Bondurant, Spink, Barnes, Ronnie Myrick and Kirk Hartwell. Barnes was the leading tackler on the team and was selected as a First Team All American.

Wiley Barnes – lives in Marianna and is a teacher at the Adult Education program; he went to the University of Alabama on a football scholarship and played for Paul “Bear” Bryant. He returned to Marianna after graduation and served as a long time assistant football coach for the Bulldogs. In 1987 he also served as the Interim Head Coach for one game.

Larry Barrentine – passed away in 2008; at the time of his death he was working as a brick mason and living in Greenhead; after high school Larry played baseball at Lurleen B. Wallace College;

Kenny Hamm – lives in Marianna; after attending and graduating from FSU in 1980 he has spent 30 years working in the fire sprinkler business; he is currently a general manager with Century Fire Protection.

Frank Bondurant – lives in Marianna and is an attorney; his son Rob was a two year starter for the Bulldogs.

Richard Spink – lives in Jacksonville and is an executive Vice President with Georgian Bank; graduated from West Florida and got his masters from Southern Miss.

Leon Kelly – lives in Marianna; retired from the army after 23 years; currently a member of the “Buffalo Soldiers”, a civic organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers Calvary Units of the U. S. military.

Tee Jackson – Came to Marianna with Head Coach Ron Clark and left when Clark left Marianna, returning to the state of Tennessee. While coaching for the Bulldogs Jackson organized the first Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club at Marianna High School; his current whereabouts are unknown – if any of our readers know where he is please let us know.

Lemuel Granberry – passed away about five years ago; after high school he went into the military and then went to work for the postal service; he was living in Washington State at the time of his death.

Thanks to Betty Crawford for supplying this Yesteryear photo and remember to send or drop off any pictures of your favorite sports memories to the Jackson County Times.

E-mail: clintcox@jacksoncountytimes.net

Fax: (850) 526-1505

Phone: (850) 209-7319

Office: 2866 Madison St. Marianna, Fl. 32448

Sneads Church Honors Homer Hirt as “Wolf Man”

2010-07-22T14:38:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, July 18, Sneads First United Methodist Church Council Chairman, Eddie Hand presented Homer Hirt a special gift in his honor for all the hard work and dedication that he has shown to the Methodist Church during the past 6 months where the church was unfortunate to be without a full time pastor...Mr. Hirt is the lay leader of the church and has worked far above and beyond his duties for the Church.

Homer is an active supporter of the Seacrest Wolf Preserve and in his honor the church body voted to sponsor two wolves at the preserve in his name. The wolves are named Minquah Hirt and Mohave Hirt.

To learn more about the Wolf Preserve you can visit on line at www.seacrestwolfpreserve.org. This is in Chipley, Fl......tours are available.

Troop 170 Ties the Knots

2010-07-22T14:37:00.005-05:00

Boy Scouts in Troop 170 of Marianna met on July 16, at the First Presbyterian Church to continue working on their requirements to advance to the rank of “Tenderfoot”.

Patrol leader Hunter Hutton instructed fellow Scouts by demonstrating the techniques used to tie a series of knots, including two half hitches, a taunt-line hitch, and others. Scouts discovered how knots have thousands of uses. For example, on camping trips, knots hold gear together on the Scout’s pack, secure tents, and prevent boats from drifting away. If accidents occur, knots can be used to keep bandages in place or help in rescue attempts. Scouts used the EDGE method to instruct someone else how to tie a square knot, which is the knot that ties two ropes together. The EDGE concept states: EXPLAIN how it is done; DEMONSTRATE the steps; GUIDE learners as they practice; and ENABLE them to succeed on their own. Finally, Scouts learned permanent ways to protect a rope from unraveling by whipping and fusing the rope. Whipping works by tightly wrapping a string around the end of a rope, while fusing uses heat to melt the fibers of the ends of a rope together.

Boy Scouts in Troop 170 will continue to work on their Tenderfoot rank requirements at the next scheduled meeting. For more information about the Scouting program, please e-mail cokehut@digitalexp.com, or call 209-2818.

2010 Peanut Field Day

2010-07-22T14:37:00.003-05:00

Marianna NFREC August 19, 2010

North Florida Research and Education Center University of Florida / IFAS

The annual Peanut Field Day will be held at the Marianna North Florida Research and Education Center on Thursday, August 19, 2010 starting with registration at 8:00 AM (CDT) and ending with a sponsored lunch. Field tours will begin 8:30 AM. Topics to be addressed include disease and nematode control, new varieties, crop rotation, and weed control. CEUs will be available at registration.

The Marianna NFREC is located seven miles north of Marianna on Highway 71 or one mile south of Greenwood. Contact Phone: (850) 394-9124 for more information.

Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, Inc. News

2010-07-22T14:37:00.001-05:00

Game Results: July 18th

Chattahoochee Red Birds-G1-9, G2-9
Calhoun Housemen- G1-0, G2-0

Liberty Diamond Dawgs-13
Gulf County Drive-3

Bay County Brewers-
Destin Dawgs- (Already Played)

Washington County Bruins-7
Jackson County Jays-1

League Standings
Western Division W L Pct.

Destin Dawgs 10 6 .625

Washington County Bruins 9 6 .600

Bay County Brewers 9 8 .529

Jackson County Jays 1 17 .055

Eastern Division W L Pct.

Gulf County Drive 12 4 .750

Liberty Diamond Dawgs 13 5 .725

Calhoun Horsemen 8 10 .444

Chattahoochee Red Birds 6 11 .353

Next Week’s Games July 25th

Gulf County Drive at Chattahoochee Red Birds

3:00 P.M. EDT(DH)

Liberty Diamond Dawgs at Calhoun Horsemen

2:00 P.M. CDT(DH)

Destin Dawgs at Washington County Bruins

2:00 P.M. CDT(DH)

Jackson County Jays at Bay County Brewers

2:00 P.M. CDT(DH)

Brief Summary

League Standings in each division of the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida did not change as a result of league play this past Sunday, but grew a bit tighter in each division.

In the Eastern Division the Gulf County Drive held onto first place by the slightest of margins over the Liberty Diamond Dawgs. The Dawgs took a 13-3 win from Gulf in Bristol on Sunday but still trail the Drive by one game in less than one percentage point in the Eastern Division standings. The Calhoun Horsemen and Chattahoochee Red Birds remain in third and fourth place respectively.

In the Western Division the Washington Bruins (9-6) pulled within one-half game of the Destin Dawgs (10-6) with a win over the Jackson Jays 7-1 while the Destin Dawgs were idle on Sunday. With one weekend remaining in regular season play, all teams are scheduled for double headers on Sunday, July 25th, as noted above. Pairings (seedings) for the upcoming play-offs beginning Saturday, July 31st in each division is still anybody’s bet.

Check your local paper each week as the regular season comes to an exciting end and play-offs begin to determine divisional champions and the overall league champion for the 2010 Big Bend Baseball League of Florida.

Chipola Alum Successful in First Outing

2010-07-22T14:36:00.003-05:00

David Buchanan’s journey to the major leagues has been unconventional in certain peoples’ minds. After completing his sophomore season at Chipola College and being drafted by the New York Mets in the 6th round, the right-handed pitcher, Buchanan, surprised many by choosing instead to transfer to Georgia State University.

However, after just one season at Georgia State, Buchanan was drafted again, this time by the Phillies in the seventh round and earned a six-figure singing bonus to boot.

Buchanan reported to the Williamsport Crosscutters, a Phillies’ affiliate in the Class A short-season New York-Penn League, and has made a name for himself since his first start on July 6th.

Although the Crosscutters would eventually lose in 15 innings 3-2, in his first start, Buchanan torched the opponents through four scoreless innings.

Afterwards Buchanan said his focus was to concentrate at the task at hand. “I wanted to go out and challenge the hitters. I threw strikes and forced the batters to put the ball in play to get themselves out.” Combine that outing with his last two and Buchanan has an earned run average of 2.63 with opponents batting less than .240. Buchanan, a graduate of Fayette County High School in Fayetteville, Georgia helped lead Chipola to the NJCAA Region VIII Championship game in 2008 and 2009, with the Indians claiming the championship in 2008.

During his time at Chipola, Buchanan was ranked among the top 40 in the state of Florida by Baseball America and as the 24th top junior college prospect according to Perfect Game USA.

For the latest news about Chipola Athletics, visit www.chipolaathletics.com or become a fan of Chipola Athletics on Facebook www.facebook.com/chipolaathletics.

Hughes Travels To Germany

2010-07-22T14:36:00.001-05:00

Marianna native and Bulldog alumni Bobby Hughes traveled to Germany recently to help grow baseball around the world through Major League Baseball’s Envoy Program. The Envoy Program selects and sends the game’s best instructors to needful baseball communities around the world. Since its introduction in 1991, when two coaches traveled to Holland (now a regular participant in Olympic baseball competition), the program has sent out coaches on more than 700 assignments to 72 countries world wide reaching more than 700,000 people. The program is dedicated to the development of international baseball by supporting national baseball federations and their affiliated class by providing detailed baseball instruction and development advice to players, coaches, and baseball administrators.

Hughes traveled to Bad Kreuznach, Hamburg, and Kassel for 7 weeks. ‘’I’m was pleased and honored to have a chance to represent both Major League Baseball and the game of baseball, ‘’ said Hughes. ‘’Baseball is America’s game but with its popularity rising in so many countries it is fast becoming the world’s game,’’ commented Hughes. But baseball is definitely different in Germany according to Hughes. “There are no sports teams associated with their high schools. The sports teams are associated with their respective towns and each town has different levels of teams. The top level teams are pretty good and would be somewhat like college baseball in America,” Hughes remarked. Another difference was the age ranges varied greatly. “One of the adult teams I worked with had players from age 15 to age 40,” Hughes noted.

The trip was not all just about baseball for Hughes. “It was also great to experience the difference in their culture.” Hughes noted that the food is very different but very good. “They don’t fry much of their food but the sausage and cheese is great. They also have something called Schnitzel, which is kind of like pork chops, that I loved,”
Hughes, currently Head Coach at Coosa Valley Academy, is coming off of winning a state championship with the Rebels in his first season at the helm. “I was real proud of our team. We got some kids back who were hurt early on and got hot at the right time. We won 15 games in a row to end the season and finished 37-9,” said Hughes. This is his 10th season as a head coach in high school baseball. He heard of the Envoy Program through Barry Dean, President of the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association, who has reenergized baseball in Alabama.

Hughes resides in Montgomery with his wife Jill and their Westie dog Gabbi.. He is the son of Bobby Hughes Sr. and the late Peggy Hughes.

Local Baseball Teams Battle In State Tournaments

2010-07-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

Several area all star squads have been battling this past week in their respective state tournaments, some with more success than others. In Marianna three local teams competed in the Dixie Boys and Dixie Jr. Boys State Tournament at the MERE Complex. The Marianna Dixie Boys All Star team found the going rough in their first outing on Saturday against West Seminole. The visitors jumped out to an early 4-1 lead and went on to post a 12-1win over Marianna. On Sunday Marianna bounced back with an impressive 14-0 win over Holmes County and got an outstanding pitching performance from Walker Roberts. He recorded a no hitter and shut out in pitching the entire game and was one batter shy of pitching a perfect game. One batter reached on what was scored as an error but many of the local faithful felt the runner was out and that the umpire’s missed call had cost Roberts a perfect game. None the less Marianna held a slim 1-0 lead after the fourth inning as Reid Long scored on a Madison Harrell RBI single. In the top of the 6th inning Marianna picked up four runs and then exploded for nine more runs in the top of the 7th to blow the game open. That moved the Marianna squad into a Monday matchup against Bartow and the local boys got off to a good start. Marianna took an early 2-1 and then lead 3-1 after three innings. They kept the lead after four innings, with a 4-2 margin over Bartow. But the visitors picked up two runs in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4. They added four more runs in the sixth to take an 8-4 lead. Marianna fought hard and snared two more runs in the bottom of the sixth but that was all they could muster and were eliminated from the tournament with an 8-6 loss.

The Tri-Cities Dixie Jr. Boys All Stars, made up of players from Malone, Grand Ridge and Sneads, also found the going rough in their first outing. They fell 11-4 to West Seminole. Tri-Cities took a 1-0 lead as Ryan Danford singled and then scored on a RBI double from Antwain Johnson. But West Seminole countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. West Seminole pushed that lead to 5-1 after four innings. Tri-Cities picked up another run in the fifth inning as Danford reached on an error and later scored on another West Seminole error. West Seminole tacked on six runs in the bottom of the fifth and then held Tri-Cities to just two more runs for the 11-4 win. Those two runs came as Danford walked and then scored on another RBI double by Johnson. Cade Hall then stroked a RBI single to score Johnson. Johnson and Harrison Floyd each had two hits and Danford scored three of the four runs for the squad. They bounced back with an 11-5 win over Okeechoobee on Sunday. Matthew Jernigan was the winning pitcher and got offensive help from his teammates who racked up seven runs in the second inning. A Monday matchup against Winter Haven saw them come away with a 9-7 victory. Tri-Cities broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning when AJ Johnson’s RBI double scored Hall. Then they racked up a hit parade in the fifth inning as Danford, Antwain Johnson, Jernigan, Hall, AJ Johnson and Floyd all stroked hits. When the dust settled Tri-Cities held a 9-2 lead. Winter Haven mounted a come back effort but Tri-Cities held them off to set up a rematch with West Seminole on Tuesday night.

West Seminole saw a much better team on Tuesday night as Tri-Cities took an early 2-0 lead when Danford and Antwain Johnson both scored in the first at bat. West Seminole came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the third inning. In the bottom of the third Tri-Cities broke that tie as they loaded the bases and then drew two walks to take a 4-2 lead. West Seminole fired right back in the fourth with four runs and held a 6-4 lead. In the sixth inning Tri-Cities tied the game up as Antwain Johnson’s RBI double scored Danford. Jernigan followed with a RBI double to score Johnson and tie the game at 6-6. Tri-Cities missed out on opportunities in both the sixth and seventh innings to break the tie game but could not cash in with runners in scoring positions. The game went to extra innings and West Seminole plated two runs in the top of the eighth inning to pull off a hard fought 8-6 win. With the loss Tri-Cities finished third in the Jr. Boys Division.

The Marianna Dixie Jr. Boys All Stars found the going very rough as they were eliminated in their first two outings. On Saturday they fell to Winter Haven by a score of 14-3. Sunday’s contest didn’t go much better as the home team fell 17-1to West Volusia.

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In Dixie Youth baseball action in Sebring the Marianna Ozone All Stars squad fell 10-0 on the opening day to West Seminole American. They bounced back with a 12-0 win over Calloway on Sunday and a 13-3 win over Hardee Orange on Monday. On Tuesday they matched up with Wewahitchka and posted and 8-7 win to stay alive in the tournament. They were scheduled to play on Wednesday against the Tuesday night winner of a contest between Sebring and South Lake.

The Marianna AAA All Stars, also in Sebring, lost 19-1 on the opening day to West Seminole American. On Sunday they took on fellow Jackson County team Sneads AAA All Stars and won 15-5. Sneads had fallen 28-4 on the opening day to West Chapel American and thus with the loss to Marianna were eliminated. On Monday Marianna faced off against Freeport and in a hard fought close game, fell 8-7 to be ousted from tournament play.

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In Dizzy Dean 16U action over in Bonifay the Marianna All Stars lost 5-0 on opening day to the Mosley Orange team (Panama City). Marianna came back on Sunday with a 13-0 win over Messer Park. That set up another matchup against Mosley Orange on Monday.

Outside the Lines, An Art Experience Waiting For You

2010-07-15T08:37:00.007-05:00

Art instructors are often asked, “Do I have to be an artist to take art?” The answer is of course, “no”. There is a form of art in all of us. Sometimes it is just “untapped” and dormant somewhere within us. I know of several business people right here in Marianna who have painted Churches, flowers, town architecture, people, local wildlife but were not artists by trade. Their first professions are realtors, pilot, college student, adult ed-teacher, etc. They are all from different tracks in life and all of their art is quite different.

“Outside the Lines” art studio came about in order to bring art into the community so that it could be experienced by those of all ages. My students range in age from 1 to 90 years of age. The main idea is to express yourself. Find what you like and try it.

This year, working through a “Very Special Arts” grant through the National Endowment for the Arts I was able to teach children at Golson Elementary that math is a by-product of art and vice-versa, using clay and paint projects. The students at Bonifay Middle School used the theme “The Super Hero in Me” to work with sculpting clay, ceramic tile and wood.

The students had very little art experience and were resistant at first, but they quickly exploded into the creative mode and had created wonderful art pieces by the end of the exercise.

Children tend to be more likely to let go and explore. Adults are sometimes more nervous but you can paint a flower in 2 hours or 2 weeks. It is ultimately what you want to get out of it.

One of my young adult students has found that the study of color through abstraction, as in some Picassos, is what works for her. We work from realistic to fantasy through paint, clay and collage. It is all about finding and keeping the creative side in you alive, and have others to share it with.

It is always exciting to see the different mediums used and the results that come forth, whether it is a painted apron with sunflowers, a collage of beads on an acrylic vase, a wire mobile depicting sea life, or crayon picture of mommy and me.

I have been an artist since I was very young, pouring clay molds in Braddock, Pennsylvania, at the age of 9 years old. I can’t imagine my life without art, and hopefully some day you might feel the same way. You are invited to stop by the studio and see what art medium option seems to interest you.

Chipola FFA Federation Golf Tournament Winners

2010-07-15T08:37:00.005-05:00

The Chipola FFA Federation held its 5th Annual Golf Tournament at Indian Springs Golf Course on June 10. Thirty four golfers braved the heat and humidity to play. The tournament earned almost $3000.00 which will be used to support local chapters. This year alone, four students were awarded scholarships by the federation and all chapters received funds to attend the state FFA convention.

Special thanks to all players and sponsors for making this annual tournament a success.

Local Baseball Teams Battle In State Tournaments

2010-07-15T08:37:00.001-05:00

Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, Inc. News

2010-07-15T08:36:00.005-05:00

Game Results: July 11th

Liberty Diamond Dawgs-22
Chattahoochee Red Birds-4

Gulf Drive-G1-9, G2-9
Calhoun Horsemen-G1-0, G2-0

Washington Bruins- 6
Bay Brewers-2

Destin Dawgs-G1-18, G2-18
Jackson Jays-G1-11, G2-11

League Standings:

Western Division W L Pct.

Destin Dawgs 10 6 .625

Washington County Bruins 8 6 .571

Bay County Brewers 9 8 .529

Jackson County Jays 1 16 .058

Eastern Division W L Pct.

Gulf County Drive 12 3 .800

Liberty Diamond Dawgs 12 5 .705

Calhoun Horsemen 8 8 .500

Chattahoochee Red Birds 4 11 .267

Next Week’s Games July 18th

Chattahoochee Red Birds

at Calhoun Horsemen 2:00 P.M. CDT

Gulf County Drive

at Liberty Diamond Dawgs 3:00 P.M. EDT

Bay County Brewers

at Destin Dawgs(already played)

Jackson County Jays

at Washington County Bruins 2:00 P.M. CDT

Brief Summary

The top three teams in each division of the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida remain in a close race for first place. The Gulf Drive however improved it’s record to 12-3 with a double header win over the Calhoun Horsemen while the Liberty County Diamond Dawgs remain in second place with a 12-5 record after beating the Chattahoochee Red Birds on Sunday. The Calhoun Horsemen remain in third place but slipped further behind Gulf Drive and the Liberty County Diamond Dawgs with their Double Header loss to the Drive on Sunday.

In the Western Division the Destin Dawgs improved their record to 10-6 with their double header win over the Jackson Jays to keep a one game lead over second place Washington Bruins. With two weekends remaining on the regular season schedule it appears that the standings for the top three teams in both divisions will go down to the wire to determine seedings for the play-offs beginning Saturday, July 31st.

Please follow Big Bend Baseball League news each week in your local newspaper. Also support your local baseball team each week with your attendance and bring a kid to the game.

Former Chipola Player Picked for MLB ALL-STAR Game

2010-07-15T08:36:00.001-05:00

Former Chipola baseball player Jose Bautista, an outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, has been selected to play on the American League team in the Major League Baseball All Star Game set for Tuesday, July 13.

Bautista is currently Major League Baseball’s homerun leader with 21. He is batting .229 with 52 RBI’s. This is his first All-Star nod. “This is uncharted water for me, but it feels good,” said Bautista, who had a previous career high of 16 home runs in a single season.

Bautista was a member on Chipola Baseball squad before being drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 amateur draft. His official signing came in May 2001, the same year the Indians captured the Panhandle Conference Championship and was the NJCAA Region VIII Runner-up.

Chipola coach Jeff Johnson, says, “Jose is one of the finest kids I’ve ever coached. He has made it in the professional ranks, but he has never forgotten where he came from. We are very proud of him.”

During his time in the majors, the 29 year-old has also played for the Pirates, the Orioles and the Royals.

For the latest news about Chipola Athletics, visit www.chipolaathletics.com.

Local Teams to Compete in State Tournaments This Weekend

2010-07-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

Marianna O-Zone (In Sebring) -
Jared Hendrix, Avery Evans, Jake Daffin, Seth Gilmore, Laurence Glover, Landon Tharpe, Quaid Van Huss, Matthew Shouse, Trent Charles, Hunter Eddins, Ethan Strickland, Maxx Harrell, Coaches- Jeremy Proctor, Neil Glover, Linda Lee Harrell.

Marianna Dixie Boys (In Marianna) -
Jonathan Mayes, Trent Nobles, Trey Weeks, Kody Bryan, Gray Gilmore, Reid Long, Nick Helms, Coach Doug Colson, Coach John Shouse, Tristian Tharpe, Tyler Colson, Andrew Shouse, Kyle Tanner, Madison Harrell, Walker Roberts, Coach Jackie Glass, Coach Rick Harrell.

Marianna Dixie Jr. Boys (In Marianna) -
Justin Kent, Johnathon Lamb, Teon Long, Lyle Phelps, Jeremiah Emanuel, Austin Nelson, B.T. Johnson, Luis Martinez, Blake Waters, Bill Braxton, Coaches Doug Waters, Jake Mathis, and Scott Phelps.

Tri-Cities Dixie Jr. Boys (In Marianna) -
Ryan Danford, Rudy Campbell, Bailey Beauchamp, Harrison Floyd, Matthew Jernigan, Dustin Sneads, Tyler Henry, Cade Hall, Cody Henson, Richard Davis, AJ Johnson, Zane Chason, Antwain Johnson, Coaches Clint Hall, Charles Sneads, Holt Floyd.

The AAA Sneads Pirates All-Stars

2010-07-02T12:33:00.005-05:00

The AAA Sneads Pirates All-Stars captured the District 5 Championship with a win over the host, Havana All-Stars, Friday evening. The Pirates will now compete in the state DYB tournament to be held in Sebring beginning July 9th. A variety of fundraising activities will take place beginning July 1st, with a sausage dog sale. A car wash and other activities are slated for July 3rd, in Sneads. Donations are also appreciated. For more information, please contact Coach Mike Peel at 850-592-5467.

Summer League Basketball Wraps Up Pirates End On a Winning Note

2010-07-02T12:33:00.003-05:00

The final two nights of the Boys Summer Basketball League at Marianna High School took place on Monday and Tuesday night. On Monday night the Marianna Bulldogs picked up a couple of impressive wins, first knocking off a fine Chipley squad by a score of 55-50. The Bulldogs followed that up with a win over rival Malone with a 45-36 win. Kendall Leeks had a hot night, hitting 19 points, which included making five three point shots.

On Tuesday afternoon several junior varsity squads got into the action. Marianna’s JV Bulldogs had a fine showing, winning a couple of games. Marianna edged the Sneads JV squad 35-34 and then hammered the JV Tiger Sharks from Port St. Joe 52-14. Warren McCord and Amp Speights both were noted as playing well for Marianna. The JV Pirates fought hard in their second contest but fell 52-46 to the Tiger Sharks.

In the evening’s action the Sneads varsity squad began play but fell to Port St. Joe 42-29. The Pirates bounced back though with a hard fought win over Bay in game two. The Tornados jumped out to an early 15-8 lead. John Whittington and Jeff Bell keep the Pirates close through the remainder of the first half but a Tornado three pointer at the buzzer gave Bay a 26-16 halftime lead. In second half action Bay keep the Pirates at bay for the first eight minutes. But Sneads became to make a run midway through the second half as Josh Rogers and Bell did most of the scoring. A basket by Blake Edenfield cut the Tornado lead down to 36-31 with ten minutes to play. Bell got the Pirates to within four points with a basket one minute later. Jalon Daniels gave the Pirates some spark with a rebound and put back to keep it at a four point game with six minutes to play. Bell then tied up the game with five minutes to play with a hard driving layup. Rogers kept the game tied, 42-42, with 2 ½ minutes to play. But Bay reeled off five unanswered points and appeared to be pulling away from the Pirates with less than two minutes to play. Daniels and Bell made four free throws count and Sneads pulled to within one point with thirty seconds to go. After a couple of Bay free throws the Pirates trailed by three when Daniels came up with a steal and assist to Bell. Daniels then hit the go ahead basket with two seconds left to give Sneads a thrilling 50-49 win.

Lady Indian Signs with S.E. Louisiana

2010-07-02T12:33:00.001-05:00

By Joc Calloway

Trish Blish, an anchor for Chipola Softball this past year at third base has ended her recruitment and will return to Division I as the newest member of the Southeastern Louisiana Lions softball program.

Blish, a graduate of Lafayette High (LA) and star catcher in 2007, originally signed with Arkansas Tech, however after red-shirting in 2008 and a dismal 2009, Blish considered retirement.

“In 2009, after mainly being the designated hitter and not catching much, I began to doubt whether I wanted to play softball anymore,” said Bliss. “It just didn’t feel right.”

Nevertheless, after a tryout at Chipola, Blish was immediately offered a scholarship and added to the Lady Indians’ roster, moving from behind plate to third base.

“I had never really played third base before, but that’s where they wanted me,” she said. “It was a refreshing change on one hand, but on the other, I had never been that close to the hitters before with no gear.”

The change worked out perfectly for Bliss. At Chipola, she would be named to the First Team All-Conference list and lead the team to a fifth place finish at the NJCAA National Softball Tournament.

“I had an exciting time at Chipola,” commented Bliss. “I wish I would have found out about them out of high school.”

Bliss recorded 10 home runs for the Lady Indians while batting .293 with six doubles and 36 RBIs.

For the latest news about Chipola Athletics, visit www.chipolaathletics.com or become a fan for Chipola Athletics on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chipolaathletics

Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, Inc. News

2010-07-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

Game Results: June 27th

Destin Dawgs
Bay Brewer
(Dawgs win Double Header)

Jackson Jays-6
Washington Bruins-5

Calhoun Horsemen-
Chattahoochee Red Birds-
(PP)

Liberty Diamond Dawgs-
Gulf County Drive-
(PP)

League Standings:

Western Division W L Pct.
Destin Dawgs 8 6 .571
Bay County Brewers 9 7 .563
Washington County Bruins 7 6 .538
Jackson County Jays 1 14 .067

Eastern Division W L Pct.
Gulf County Drive 9 3 .750
Liberty Diamond Dawgs 11 4 .733
Calhoun Horsemen 8 6 .571
Chattahoochee Red Birds 4 10 .285

Next Week’s Games July 4th

Chattahoochee Red Birds at Gulf County Drive(rescheduled 7/25)
Calhoun County Horsemen at Liberty Diamond Dawgs 3:00 P.M.EDT
Washington County Bruins at Destin Dawgs 2:00 P.M. CDT
Bay County Brewers at Jackson County Jays
(played earlier)

Brief Summary

The Big Bend Baseball League of Florida was saddened this past weekend with the passing of Mitchell Larkin, Assistant Commissioner of the Eastern Division. While serving only a short time as our Assistant Commissioner in the Eastern Division Mr. Larkin made his indelible mark in the League working tirelessly in raising money for the League and his beloved Liberty County Diamond Dawgs. Out of respect for his wife Carolyn and the family both scheduled games in the Eastern Division were postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date, therefore, no change in the Eastern Division standings within the League.

In the Western Division the Destin Dawgs climbed back into first place with a double-header win over the Bay County Brewers. The Brewers slipped back into second place but less than one percentage point behind the Dawgs. Meanwhile the Washington Bruins slipped from second place to third place by losing to the Jackson County Jays 6-5 in 11 innings of play. Congratulations to the Jackson Jays in picking up their first win of the season.

Please note above the change in the schedule of games on Sunday, July the 4th.

Please follow Big Bend Baseball League news each week in your local newspaper. Also support your local baseball team each week with your attendance and bring a kid to the game.

Two Aces In Same Event At Caverns

2010-07-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

The Caverns Golf Course has begun hosting a 9 hole 2 man scramble tournament each Monday evening beginning at 5:00 PM. Teams are drawn from players who desire to participate, with each team having an “A” designated player, and a “B” designated player.

On Monday of this week, something very unusual occurred. Two players, Zack Davis, a local golfer and Brad Cross, from Tallahassee, both scored a hole-in-one, “Ace”, on hole number 5. Congratulations to both golfers!

Grand Ridge Tee Ball All- Stars

2010-06-25T13:40:00.000-05:00

Brady Tye, Tristan Jones, Brayden Harrell, Aedin Eubanks, Tyler Edenfield, Kaylee Grammer, Justin Tye, Taylor Brown, Zack Edenfield, Bella Varum, Payton Edenfield, Wyatt Burch, Tyler Brown, Coaches, Tony Tye, Tullis Tye, Mac Edenfield, & Donnie Edenfield

Summer League Basketball Schedule

2010-06-25T13:39:00.002-05:00

Week 3 – June 24 – Thursday

4 pm – Mt. St. Olive vs Sneads

5pm – Marianna vs Sneads

6 pm – Marianna vs Mt. St. Olive

7 pm – No Game

Week 4 – June 28 – Monday

4 pm – Marianna vs Chipley

5pm – Marianna vs Malone

6 pm – Chipley vs Mt. St. Olive

7 pm – Mt. St. Olive vs Malone

Week 4 – June 29 – Tuesday

4 pm – Sneads vs Port St. Joe

5pm – Sneads vs Bay

6 pm – Bay vs Blountstown

7 pm – Blountstown vs Port St. Joe

Graceville – Marianna World Championship

2010-06-25T13:38:00.008-05:00

What started as an office jab of “my team can beat yours”, ended in an exciting t-ball game and much more.
Natacha Phillips of Marianna and Rod Adams of Graceville, work at David H. Melvin Engineering, Inc.
Without an official All-Star team in Marianna or Graceville at the t-ball level, they decided to form teams in each city to play each other, as they both have sons in t-ball.

Game day was set for June 5th, and after a lot of hard work and practices, hopes were high for both teams. Graceville traveled to Marianna and agreed to play under Marianna’s new rules of either three outs per inning or seven runs, whichever occurs first.

The Graceville team, towering over the Marianna boys, crushed the ball in the first inning and they appeared to have Marianna on the ropes. Marianna fought back and managed to get three outs and held Graceville to five runs. The second and third innings were both “slug fests” and both teams scored their seven runs with many exciting close calls and near outs by the players. In the fourth inning, Gavee Watson of Marianna lunged to make a triumphant double play by catching a fly ball and tagging the runner that was streaking to third base, thus holding Graceville to six runs.

Marianna scored seven runs in all four innings to win the game, twenty-eight to twenty-five. Both teams played exceptionally well and portrayed great sportsmanship and great character.

Congratulations to both teams!

Could this be the start of something big for next season?

EAST MEETS WEST IN BIG BEND ALL-STAR GAME

2010-06-25T13:38:00.005-05:00

The Eastern Division All-Stars of the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida evened the score by claiming the win over the Western Division All-Stars by a score of 10-2 at Chipola Baseball field Saturday in Marianna, FL. The Western Division All-Stars took the win over the East last year, but the big bats and solid pitching by the Eastern All-Stars proved too much for the West this year.

Leading in the hitting department for the Eastern All-Stars were Richie Smith (Liberty), Travis Anderson (Liberty), and Ben Faurot (Calhoun), who cleared the bases in the third inning with a grand slam home run that set the tone for the scoring in the remainder of the game for the East. These three players were awarded co-MVP for the Eastern All-Stars.

The Pitching for the East was solid as Austin Horton (Gulf), Chad Bailey (Calhoun), and Austin Riano (Red Birds), in relief, held the West in check throughout the game. Riano threw the last five innings in relief giving up only one run. Congratulations to the All-Stars on both sides of the diamond for a great performance in the second annual Big Bend Baseball All-Star game.

Eric Ramsey (Gulf) received the award for the oldest All-Star on the field while Mr. Faurot (father of Ben Faurot) claimed the prize for the oldest father of an All-Star on the field. Congratulations!

Thanks to Chipola College President Gene Prough, Athletic Director Dale O’Daniel, and Baseball Coach Jeff Johnson and his staff for allowing the use of their baseball facilities. Thanks a million from the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida!

Sunland Super Sonics Win 15th State Championship!

2010-06-25T13:38:00.003-05:00

The Jackson County Sunland Super Sonics finished their 2010 Volleyball season May 14-16 in Orlando at the State games. The Sonics won their 7th straight State Volleyball Championship (2004-2010) adding to the total State Volleyball Championships to 15.

The Sonics also have a streak of 5 straight State Basketball Championships, a total of 18 championships and in the last 4 seasons they have a 52 and 8 record.

In Softball State Championships they have a total of 17 and 7 straight from 1999-2005.

9U Benders Win Marianna Tournament

2010-06-25T13:38:00.001-05:00

Travel Ball USA hosted the “Watermelon Smash” tournament in Marinna on June 14th. Teams from Panama City, Santa Rosa Beach, Blountstown, Tallahassee, and Dothan Alabama competed for the championship. It was an extremely hot day with temperatures reaching the high 90’s throughout the day. The Benders went 4-0 on the day to secure their second tournament win in the past four weeks.

FWC Encourages Boaters to Slow Down in Areas of Oil Cleanup Efforts

2010-06-25T13:37:00.002-05:00

Because of the large number of oil containment booms and cleanup equipment being deployed around the state in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Boating and Waterways Section is asking boaters to slow down where oil cleanup is under way.

The FWC encourages all boaters to operate at slow speed within 300 feet of all authorized booms. Boaters operating near any oil-containment booms or cleanup equipment should exercise extreme caution and comply with all applicable navigational rules. Oil-skimming equipment is large and cumbersome, and it is restricted in its ability to maneuver. As a result, boaters should be prepared to stay clear of these vessels when operating near them.

Failure to operate at slow speed in these areas could result in injury, damage to vessels and damage to the containment booms. Additionally, the wake that results from a vessel operating above slow speed in areas where a boom has been deployed can reduce the effectiveness of the boom, resulting in further environmental damage.

FWC officers and local marine units will be on the water encouraging boaters to operate at slow speed in those areas where cleanup efforts are under way.

Big Bend Baseball League of Florida, Inc. News

2010-06-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

Game Results: June 20th

Gulf Drive-10
Calhoun Horsemen-5

Liberty Diamond Dawgs-15
Chattahoochee Red Birds-4

Destin Dawgs-6
Jackson Jays-5

Bay Brewers
Washington Bruins (Rescheduled)

League Standings:
Western Division W L Pct.
Bay County Brewers 9 5 .642
Washington County Bruins 7 5 .583
Destin Dawgs 6 6 .500
Jackson County Jays 0 14 .000

Eastern Division W L Pct.
Gulf County Drive 9 3 .750
Liberty Diamond Dawgs 11 4 .733
Calhoun Horsemen 8 6 .571
Chattahoochee Red Birds 4 10 .285

Next Week’s Games June 27th

Destin Dawgs at Bay County Brewers 2:00 P.M CDT

Calhoun County Horsemen at Chattahoochee Red Birds 3:00 P.M. EDT

Liberty Diamond Dawgs at Gulf County Drive 2:00 P.M. CDT

Washington County Bruins at Jackson County Jays 2:00 P.M. CDT

Brief Summary

League standings in the Big Bend Baseball League of Florida remain the same as the previous weekend as the Gulf County Drive continued to hold first place in the Eastern Division with a win over the Calhoun Horsemen by a score of 10-5. The Liberty County Diamond Dawgs remain in second place by defeating the Chattahoochee Red Birds in Bristol 15-4. The Calhoun Horsemen hold on to third place even though they were defeated by Gulf Drive 10-5. Thus, no change in the Eastern Division standings for the week.

Likewise, in the Western Division, the standings remain the same with the Bay County Brewers holding a close lead over the second place Washington County Bruins, both teams rescheduling their scheduled game for a later date. The Destin Dawgs remain in a solid third place, improving their record 6-6 with their close win over the Jackson Jays 6-5.

Follow Big Bend Baseball League news each week in your local newspaper. Better still; support your local baseball team each week and bring a kid to the game.