About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 2022)
The ADVANCE, December 28, 2022/Page 4B (Eift Aiiuancg Review continued from page 3B The RTCA Competition Cheerleaders - (L to R, Front): Addie Thompson (12th), Brittan Botelho (12th), Mary Claire Wolfe (12th), Nicole Acosta (12th), Marly Dismuke (11th), Rachel Threlkeld (11th), and Carolina Thompson (11th); (Back): Evi White (10th), Mag gie Bowen (8th), Marlie Dismuke (9th), Emmie Davis (11th), Kylie Acosta (10th), Kailen Brantley (8th), Madaline Wolfe (9th), and Maecon Boatright (8th), illsi | ' ■ i y !r ■ v s| J : W • I lr"v :,J VRD 8U Soccer State Champions - (L to R, Front): Blaze Boston, Gabriel Strickland, Jese Cervantes, Freddy Fondren, Karson Tanner, Brody Boston; (Middle): Bryson Taylor, Land- on Brownlee, Levi Carabollo, Solomon Johnson, Jaxson Snead, Brock Page; (Back): Coaches Justin Russell, Freddy Fondren, and Brandon Boston n a J- 1 # 1 WKk H \ It I v: i Wwm j 1 f^rnsr-w W%t , , Js.-- . j- SA 1Lr,fw,'’ ML J A Him ; | Jk HI } | yjg is | ft I \|J 1 Photo by Mike Branch The State Champion Vidalia Indians - (L to R, Front): Tucker McDonald, Conner Whited, Cason Banks, Carson Ricks, Kaleb Bennett, Morgan Moye, Walker Moncus, Ty Carter; (Back): Trainer Blake Brooks, Coach Ben Beck, Coach Tucker Allmond, Andrew Norfleet, Jordan Walden, Hughes Graham, Kevin Cox, Ty Dailey, Bryson Whited, Chandler Cor bett, Dawson Stewart, Haygen Brantley, Caden Spivey, Bryce Davis, Bryce Morley, Tuck er Coleman, Head Coach Brent Korn, Coach Chris Dykes, and Coach Rhett Carter. dians needed to finish no lower than second place in the 4x400m. Unfortu nately, the Indians fell short and ended the meet and the year in second place, nine points behind Pace Academy The Vida lia Girls also had a good showing in the State Meet finishing fifth. “The team motto this season was "Be Trans formed,” and that is just what they did in every single event!” Said Vida lia Head Coach Mandy Godbee. “This team thrives on competition, and they were so hungry for a championship. They fought hard and were in the lead for the entire meet, up until the next to the last event. Pace had three guys place in the 3,200m, and we just could not overcome their accumulation of points in that one event.” The Pit Past players and friends of former Toombs County Coach and Ath letic Director Jacky Jones gathered at the monthly Toombs County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, June 9, where Championships at Hugh Mills Stadium. The boys brought home the State Championship, and the girls came away as the State Runners-up. Xavier Brantley was the High Point Athlete for the boys State Meet and Marly Bell was the High Point Athlete for the girls State Meet. RTCA Robert Toombs Christian Academy’s var sity boys and girls track teams competed at the GISA State Meet hosted by Strong Rock Christian Academy. The varsity girls fell short at State but finished strong with a State Runner Up tro phy. The varsity boys put together three solid days to bring home the AA State Championship by one point. The Crusaders were down by two points go ing into the 200m and senior Jackson Newton and sophomore Aaron Hankerson took home first and third place, which pushed the Cru saders to a five-point lead going into the last race. The Crusaders had to finish fifth place or higher to claim the State Championship, and they did just that. Head Track Coach, Jacob Wilkinson, said, “Any time you can leave a meet with two trophies and compete the way we did, you can’t help but not be proud of these athletes. The majority of these athletes play other spring sports, but here at State you could see their drive and determination to get that trophy. I love our school and students, and I am so proud to fin ish the season with a State Championship and Runner Up.” VHS At the beginning of the season, the Vidalia High School Boys Track Team was projected to finish 10th in AA by MileSplit. But two months and a Region Championship later, the Indians just about pulled off one of the great up sets in GHSA Track his tory. Down just three points heading into the last event of the GHSA State Track Meet, the In- LYONS RECREATION DEPAPRTMENT ESPORTS LEAGUE LRD has joined forces with GGLeagues, an online esports gaming company, to bring in a new program that offers players a safe and fun way to participate in a community activity from home. While we are not going worldwide, we are going statewide by participating in the Georgia Esports Rec League through GGLeagues. Details for the upcoming Winter season are below! Winter 2023 Registration Ends: January 16th Season: January 23rd - March 17th Cost: $15 Season Pass (Only 50 Passes Available) Divisions: Ages 8-12,13-18,18+ A Season Pass allows you access to 13 games during the Winter 2023 season. Game times are staggered throughout the week to allow for multiple games to be played per week by a single player. Check out our Facebook and GGLeagues Page for more information and to register! For more information and to register, visit ^linktr.ee/LyonsRecreation or scan our QR Code § SCAN ME fl! U lllllllllllllll Jones was honored by Board members and Su perintendent Barry Waller. The longtime coach of football, baseball and girls’ basketball, was pre sented a memorial home plate from the Jacky Jones Baseball Stadium, which was demolished in 2020 to help increase parking space at Booster Stadium. Waller also an nounced to Jones that there would also be a plaque placed in the ex act coordinates of the lo cation of home plate at the former field. “Our Board has men tioned a couple times lately they wished to honor a very special and beloved person in our community, who has been very special to our school system as well for many, many years, and tonight we get to do that,” Waller told attend ees. The banner that hung on the scoreboard at the old field was also presented to Jones. A bronze commemorative home plate will be placed in the exact coordinates of the home plate at the former field. The plate will be inscribed with a brief history of the Jacky Jones Field from 1965- 2020. Following these an nouncements, Waller surprised Jones by hav ing the Board members vote on a motion to re name the field at Booster Stadium, which was unanimously passed. The field will now be known as Jacky Jones Field at Booster Stadium. Summer Ball Three youth teams from Vidalia and Lyons claimed Georgia Recre ation and Parks Associa tion Championships over the summer. LRD 8U The Lyons Recre ation Department 8U boys baseball team fought their way through the losers’ bracket to bring home the State Championship. Lyons had to beat the undefeated Camden team twice to win the ti tle, and they did just that. Lyons easily won the first game 16-4 to force a Game 2. In that second game Lyons came out on top 10-4, to win the State Championship. LRD 10U The LRD 10U girls’ soft- ball team claimed the State Championship in Moultrie in the Georgia Recreation and Parks As sociation tournament. They went undefeated in the tournament to bring home the title. In the semifinals of the losers’ bracket Swainsboro squeaked by Murray County, 13-12, to advance to take on Ly ons in the Champion ship. The title game was another close one, but the girls from Lyons took a one-run win over Swainsboro. Lyons won the game 14-13 to earn their State Champion ship. VRD 12U The Vidalia Recre ation Department’s 12U baseball team brought home the State Champi onship in the Georgia Recreation and Parks As sociation tournament held in Statesboro. The VRD went undefeated in the tournament to claim their title. VRD was in the semi finals where they met up with Wayne County. This was the closest game of the tournament for the VRD boys, but they still won by five runs. Vidalia took the win 10-5 over Wayne to move into the Championship Game. Wayne County worked back through the losers’ bracket to get the rematch with Vidalia, but in this game VRD blanked Wayne as they won 8-0 to take the title. Soap Box The Southeast Geor gia Soap Box Derby was in Akron, OH, in July for the FirstEnergy All- American Soap Box Derby World Champion ships. More than 300 boys and girls from across the country par ticipated in the 84th FirstEnergy All-Ameri can Soap Box Derby in Akron for the chance to win $36,000 in college scholarships. The Southeast Geor gia Soap Box Derby got to add another World Champion to their totals as Cash Driggers of Tar- rytown raced his way into the winners circle of the Masters Division Rally Race. Driggers beat out Ronan Johnson of Camano Island, WA, by .075 seconds and Chris Kovach of Meriden, CT, by .09. Alyssa Head of Lyons also took sixth place in the race. Aidyn Driggers had a great showing as she earned another second place finish in the World Championships. She had taken second in the Rally Super Stock Division last year, and this year she was second in the Local Super Stock Division. Eleni Fishcher of Colum bus, OH, was the winner of the race with Driggers in second, and Garret Minch of Cleveland, OH, in third. Driggers also took third place in the All-Star Super Stock Race. TCHS Esports It has been a big year for the TCHS Bulldogs Esports team as they have claimed some huge wins and worked their way up to the #1 and #3 ranked teams in the State. Fall 2022 marks the third season of Splatoon competition for PlayVS affiliated esports leagues. During this span, no one has ever beaten the Northview Titans. The Titans have won the last two PlayVS Eastern League Championships, which include schools from the entire eastern half of the United States, and have never dropped a game in the entire his tory of their Splatoon program. This impres sive run came to an end in Octrober as the Toombs County High School Bulldogs snapped the Titans’ streak and ex tended their own win streak to 13 games. The Bulldogs came into Tuesday’s match un defeated and enjoying an 11-game win streak stretching back into the preseason. The team, led by seniors Adam Cope land and Tyler James, managed to take three rounds off the Titans, winning the best of three series. Toombs finished the regular season unde feated. RTCA Cheer The RTCA competi tion cheer squad earned the GIAA State Champi onship. GIAA, like for- Please see Review page 8B
