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Barrow Journal
Chris Bridges, Sports Editor
770-867-6397, phone
678-425-1435, FAX
cbridges @barrowjoumal.com
Lady Bulldoggs capture 8th at state meet
Final game
gives ‘Doggs
hope for ‘09
A dmittedly, few people
probably expected the
Winder-Barrow High
School football team to put up
much of a fight Friday night when
the Loganville Red Devils paid a
visit to W. Clair Harris Stadium.
Afterall, the Red Devils were
set to clinch the Region 8-AAAA
title while the
host Bulldoggs
were entering
the game 1-8
and, in theory,
had little to play
for except for
pride. Someone
forgot to tell
coach Ben
Corley’s squad,
however, that
they were simply
supposed to roll
over and play dead.
The game was still close late
in the second half and the heav
ily Red Devils struggled to put
the underdog home team away.
All Winder-Barrow needed was a
break here or there and the game
would have entered the upset alert
stage. Unfortunately for the home
team, that one needed break never
materialized and Loganville left
town with a 19-7 win.
Still, one had to be impressed
with how Corley’s team played.
In less than desirable playing
conditions, the Bulldoggs stood
toe-to-toe with the best the region
had to offer last Friday and sur
prised everyone in attendance on
a drenched night. For the first-
year head coach, the performance
against one of the region’s elite
was hopefully a sign of things to
come down the road.
“The kids played hard, like they
have all year,” Corley said. “We
have never had any quit in us.”
The 2008 season was one of
transition for the Winder-Barrow
football team. A completely new
offense was installed and while
the overall defensive scheme
was the same, only two starters
returned from the year before.
With the transition season now
complete, Corley and his coach
ing staff should see some vast
improvements when the team
takes the field for the first game
of the 2009 season. The returning
players will have more experi
ence, the offensive scheme will
not be as unfamiliar and hopefully
some of the breaks will begin
going the Bulldoggs’ way.
Ironically, some of those signs
were beginning to show last
week against Loganville. Winder-
Barrow’s defense showed how far
it had advanced by limiting the
Red Devils to 19 points. Yes, the
weather conditions were less than
desirable, but those who use that
argument always seem to forget
that both teams play in rainy con
ditions, not just one.
Offseason work is set to begin
immediately for the returning
players. As Corley said Monday
morning, “the weight room is
never closed.” Football, even at
the high school level, is a year
around sport today. You don’t
just show up in August and begin
practicing and hope to be success
ful. You will never win games that
way.
Good times are ahead for the
Winder-Barrow High School
football program. It will take hard
work, dedication and patience on
everyone’s part. However, I’ve
been around enough high school
football programs to know the
beginning of success when I see
it. What is taking place within
the Bulldogg program is just that.
Good times are indeed ahead. It’s
going to be fun to chronicle these
upcoming times.
Chris Bridges is sports editor
of the Barrow Journal. E-mail
comments about this column to
cbridges @ barrowjournal. com.
STATE CROSS COUNTRY
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The trip to Carrollton Saturday
was a successful one for the Winder-
Barrow High School Lady Bulldogg
cross country team.
The Winder-Barrow varsity girls
placed eighth overall at the Class
AAAA state meet paced by a sixth
place indiviual effort by Amanda
Cope. Completing the course in
19:52.23, Cope helped the Lady
Bulldoggs finish eighth among 32
Class AAAA schools competing.
Rebecca Gregory was the second
Winder-Barrow runner to finish the
state course as she was 53rd overall in
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The first season at Apalachee High
School for Shane Davis ended with a
1-9 campaign.
That first year was not an indica
tion of the success which was about
to come. During the next three cam
paigns the Wildcats have qualified for
the state playoffs and this fall have
already established a new record for
most wins in a season with seven.
For Davis, several factors have been
keys in pushing the Apalachee pro
gram, which is still young overall, to
its current level.
“First, we have been blessed with
good football players,” Davis said
Sunday night after spending the
weekend preparing for this Friday’s
state playoff opener against Rome.
“I’m not going to say it’s just because
we’ve outworked people. We have
21:58.59. Teammate Kayla Estes was
57th in 22:07.58.
Other top runners for the WBHS
varsity girls included Marie Lyle
(66, 22:18,89), Nicole Webb (98,
23:17.64), Lauren Barrea (102,
23:23.31) and Melissa Sommer (129,
24:16.68).
The WBHS varsity boys took 21st
overall as a team and were paced
by the performance of Josh Timms
who completed the state course in
18:22.95. Timms was 66th overall in
Carrollton Saturday.
Luis Jimenez was 76th in 18:34.16
for the Bulldoggs.
had some great talent.”
Credit also goes to the Apalachee
coaching staff, the head coach said.
“We have an unbelievable group
of coaches who love our kids,” Davis
said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s on the
practice field or on Friday nights. The
kids know they are cared about.”
Another step in building the success
of the program has been getting the
players to accept the fact that football
is a year around process.
“It doesn’t start Aug. 1,” Davis
said. “We are a football program not
a football team. We have had success
with our weight program and we feed
off that success and the intensity that
comes with that. Our goal is to be
pound per pound stronger than any
team we play each game.”
see Coach on page 2B
By the numbers:
Amanda Cope (1 9:52.23) and
Josh Timms (1 8:22.95) paced
WBHS at state.
Other top runners for Winder-
Barrow included Ryan Weathers
(120, 18:59.89), Jake Hester (127,
19:03.69), Brandon Knock (129,
19:04.62), Charles Peppers (166,
19:40.76) and Cary Hughes (173,
19:50.95).
The WBHS teams qualified for
state during their performance last
month at the Region 8-AAAA meet
in Conyers. The Lady Bulldoggs were
region runner-up while the Bulldoggs
were third. Cope was the top runner
for the WBHS girls at the recent
region meet in 20:24.96 followed
by Rebecca Gregory in 22:00.24.
At region for the WBHS boys.
Josh Timms completed the region
race in 18:12.27. Teammate Luis
Jimenez was the next Bulldogg to
complete the race in 18:34.50.
Melissa Weinke coaches the
cross country program for WBHS.
CLASS AAAA STATE PLAYOFFS: APALACHEE @ ROME. FRIDAY 8 P.M.
Ready for the Wolves
Wildcats qualify
for postseason for
third straight year
Coming up:
GAME:
Apalachee @
Rome
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
F or the Apalachee High School football
team, two words sum it all up: “playoff
time.”
The Wildcats are still practicing this week
after week 10 of the regular season. It’s the goal
of every high school football team in the state.
For the third consecutive season, coach Shane
Davis’ team is among this elite group.
For the opening round, Apalachee draws the
Rome High School Wolves on the road. Kickoff
this Friday is set for 8 p.m. against the 8-2 oppo
nent from Region 7-AAAA.
“It’s great to still be playing,” Davis said, as
preparations began for the opening round. “We
know this will be a tough one. Our kids have to
realize it’s playoff time now.”
Winning last Friday
against Salem was key for
Apalachee because it was a
victory on the road, Davis
said, something his team will
have to do this Friday.
“We won some big games
on the road last year, but we
really hadn’t done that this
season until we defeated
Salem,” the coach said.
“That’s why I was glad to
see us get that win with so
much on the line.”
The victory against Salem
locked up the No. 3 seed from the region for the
Wildcats. A loss could have opened all sorts of
scenarios as to who would have finished third
and fourth. Loganville and Clarke Central earned
the No. 1 and No. 2 spots while Cedar Shoals
ended up with the fourth seed from 8-AAAA.
Breaking down Rome, Davis said the
Wolves are a good team who run the Wing-T
on offense and line up in the 4-4 scheme
defensively.
“They are run oriented, running more than
80 percent of the time,” he said. “They have
three quality running backs and a very athletic
quarterback. They have a big bruising fullback
as well. Defensively, they are big up front.
They have two inside linebacks who can run
WHAT: Opening
round of Class
AAAA state
playoffs
WHEN: Friday at
8 p.m., WIMO
RUNNING TO THE PLAYOFFS
Apalachee’s John Ansley, making a big run against Salem last week, will help lead the
Wildcats into the Class AAAA state playoffs this Friday against Rome. It is the third
consecutive trip to the postseason for Apalachee. Photo by Lyn Sengupta
to the football. They are a very physical foot
ball team.”
While some coaches argue the merit of
playing at home or on the road, Davis is quick
to point out Rome will have an advantage
being on their home turf.
“I would rather be at home, no doubt about
it,” Apalachee’s coach said. “They are going
to have the edge there. When you are on a bus
for two hours it puts you at a disadvantage.
You don’t feel the same when you get there.
That’s why it is called ‘home field advantage.’
They earned the right to play this game at
home. That’s why regular season games mean
so much.”
Rome head coach Sid Fritts said the two
teams mirror each other in several ways.
“We are similiar in many ways, both offen
sively and defensively,” said Fritts, who like
Davis is in his fourth season with his team.
see Preview on page 2B
Davis finds winning formula quickly at Apalachee
COACHING SUCCESS
Now in his fourth season as Apalachee’s head coach, Shane
Davis has guided the Wildcats to the state playoffs for the third
consecutive season. Photo by Chris Bridges
chris
bridges
First & Ten