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MCHS vs. Hawkinsville
Thur. 5:30 p.m. (A); Fri. 4:00 p.m. (H)
RTCA vs. Vidalia Heritage
Sat. 11:00 a.m. (H, DH)
TCHS vs. Bleckley Co., Tattnall Co.
Thur. 6:00 p.m. (H); Fri. 6:00 p.m. (H)
VHS vs. Metter
Wed. 5:45 p.m. (H)
Wheeler Co. OFF
Treutlen vs. Dublin
Fri. 4:00 p.m., (A, DH)
Heritage vs. Robert Toombs
Sat. 11:00 a.m., (A, DH)
BASEBALL
March 10,2021
®lje Ahuance
Section B
Loran
Smith
Steve Greer
One day about a year ago, I engaged
my laptop and there was an early morn
ing message from
Steve Greer,
Georgia’s All-
America guard
who could en
croach on an op
ponent’s back-
field with re
markable alacrity
and deftness that
was akin to his
marksmanship
with a shotgun.
I had written
about killing a prized Osceola turkey in
Florida, and he had gotten an emotional
lift from the details of the experience.
I immediately knew that he had vicari
ously connected with the hunt.
His hallmark in all that he did was
driven by a rare quickness that set him
apart. When an opposing quarterback
was sounding forth with signals at the
line of scrimmage, somehow or other
Greer could uncannily spring on the
right “hut” as if he knew the snap count.
He was often accused of lining up off
sides.
It was the same with a shotgun. We
pause here to insert a piece of a recent
conversation in which he was asked that
if he had a choice, which would he pre
fer—to catch a cooler of fish or bag his
limit of dove or quail. After a long pause,
he allowed, “That would be tough to say.”
Then another pause—after which he ad
mitted that, perhaps, the outdoor expe
rience he enjoyed the most was shooting
a shotgun. Those who have hunted with
him, will tell you that he seldom missed.
Knocking down a pair of quail on a cov
ey rise was as easy as Tiger Woods mak
ing a 20-foot putt in his prime.
We reminisced recently about
Steve’s growing up years on a farm near
Greer, S.C., which was named for an an
cestor. He recalled that his grandfather
fought in the Civil War and was wound
ed at Chickamauga. Subsequently, he
was taken to a Prisoner of War instal
lation at Camp Chase, near Columbus,
Ohio. Grandpa Greer’s third wife was
the mother of Steve’s dad, who was born
when the old soldier was 60 years old.
Steve still has his grandfather’s desk
which he used when the senior Greer
was a member of the South Carolina
legislature in which he served for several
years.
“As soon as I was old enough to
walk, I started rabbit hunting,” Steve
said with a patented grin, getting an
emotional lift from reminiscing about
those times. “My father gave me a sawed
off .410 bore shotgun, which is perfect
for small game. My son, Michael still has
that gun.
“My father shot it, my brother shot
it, I shot it, my boys all shot it, my older
grandsons shot it and now my younger
grandsons will shoot it. It is a family tra
dition.”
Recently, we reminisced on a couple
of occasions, recalling his days as a play
er and coach for the Bulldogs. Hunting
and fishing recall were dominant sub
jects, but football, naturally, got equal
time.
As we flashed back, I maintained in
my mind’s eye images of him at Sanford
Stadium, making tackle after tackle. His
TFL stats—tackle for loss—were always
off the charts. My guess, he is the last
200-pound defensive lineman to make
All-American.
As a freshman he played for Doc
Ayers who was an absentee much of
the week, owing to recruiting responsi-
Please see Loran page 2B
P m ... ..
By Loran Smith
Your Delivery Cormort,
Photo by Mike Branch
Jashaun Powell combined for 53 points in the final two games of the season as he stepped up for the Crusaders during their
State Runner-up run.
RTCA State Runner-up
By Mike Branch
Sports Editor
sports 1 advance@gmail.com
The Robert Toombs Christian Acad
emy Crusaders basketball team played
their way into the GISA State AA Cham
pionship last week by defeating Brent
wood Academy on Friday. That set them
up against Strong Rock Christian on Sat
urday for the title. RTCA played solid, but
the height advantage of the Lions of
Strong Rock was too much. Both the Final
4 and the State Championship games
were held at Georgia Southwestern State
University in Americus.
The Lions starters were 6'9”, 6'8”, 6'6”,
6'4” and 6'2”; and with that advantage,
and some questionable calls on RTCA's
big man Tyler Buggs, putting him in foul
trouble all game, it was a tough road for
the Crusaders in the Championship game.
RTCA vs. Brentwood
In the Final 4 on Friday the Crusaders
went up against Brentwood Academy and
came away with the big win. Jashaun Pow
ell had his biggest game of the year, drop
ping 28 points to lead RTCA as he stepped
up when MK McBride got into some foul
trouble.
RTCA got on the board first on a fast
break by Powell, and then he added an
other basket for an early 4-0 lead. MK
McBride made it 6-0, and then Buggs put
Please see RTCA page 9B
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Photo by Mike Branch
Many of the people involved in the new MCHS Track & Field project gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony and the grand
opening event of the new Curtis Ryals Sr. Track & Field Complex at Montgomery County High School.
MCHS Cuts Ribbon On
New Track & Field Facility
By Mike Branch
Sports Editor
sports 7 advance@gmail. com
On Monday March 1, Montgomery
County High School held a ribbon cut
ting ceremony for the newly constructed
Curtis Ryals Track and Field facility on
the campus of MCHS located at the Wil
liam Mayes Dobbins Athletics Complex.
The newly constructed track and
field facility is named in honor of the late
Curtis Ryals Sr., who was the high point
scorer at the 1972 State Track Meet
while he ran to state titles in the 100 and
220 yard dashes and earned medals in
three other events.
The track and field programs at
MCHS have experienced lots of success
since their inception in the 1950's.
Nearly 100 athletes have climbed the
medal podium at the State Track Meet
Please see MCHS page 2B