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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
THE GAME PLAN
Playoff baseball — quite enjoyable
I have never been much of a base
ball fan, but I must say that there is
nothing like playoff baseball.
The parody is amazing, seeing the
National League wildcard St. Louis
Cardinals defeat the all-powerful
Philadelphia Phillies in the first round
— the same Phillies that dominated
the entire season and had the best
record and pitching staff.
Yet somehow, the Cardinals got
past the Phillies and then proceeded
to defeat the Brewers, who were also
no slouch.
The Cardinals couldn't get past the Brewers
in the regular season to win the NL Central,
but they meet up in the NLCS and somehow
St. Louis pulls through.
And how about the Texas Rangers? They lose
their ace pitcher from a year ago and still find a
way to make it back to the World Series.
As boring and as drawn out as the MLB
regular season is, I’m not sure if any sport has
a more exciting postseason.
Just take game six of the World Series, the
Rangers are only one strike away from winning
the World Series before the Cardinals come
back and somehow overcome several extra
inning deficits.
The Cardinals simply showed that you don't
have to be the best team during the regular sea
son. You don’t even have to be the best team in
your division, but you can still make it through
and win the championship.
It just shows that to win the World Series
you don’t have to be the most talented, or you
don't have to have the biggest payroll, but you
have to be hot — and that's certainly what the
Cardinals were.
In fact, it has been shown that
being the Wild Card team might just
play to your advantage.
You usually come into the play
offs in better form, plus, you are
the underdog and everyone knows
it — so how will the wild card team
respond?
From 2002-2004 all three World
Series Champions entered the play
offs as Wild Cards; Angels in 2002,
Marlins in 2003 and the Red Sox in
2004.
In fact, when they Marlins won the World
Series they captured the Wild Card spot because
they were 10 games back of the Atlanta Braves
in the NL East divisional race.
The Cardinals were the first Wild Card team
to win the World Series since the Red Sox in
2004, but every year teams have to look out for
whoever has the Wild Card bid.
It just feels like a waste, to be a team such
as the Phillies, dominate the entire season
and when the playoffs roll around you can’t
even take care of a team that barely made the
playoffs.
Now the Cardinals begin their biggest battle,
and that is trying to re-sign future Hall of Fame
first basemen Albert Pujols — that may be
more of a battle then winning the World Series
was itself.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High
School graduate and mass communications
major at the University of West Georgia. You
can e-mail comments about this column to
trollason @yahoo. com.
Barrow Sports Calendar
Send any schedule changes to cbridges@barrowjournal.com
Friday, Nov. 4
•Winder-Barrow High School football
@ Cedar Shoals in Athens, 7:30 p.m.
•Apalachee High School football hosts
Loganville, Senior Night, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5
•Winder-Barrow High School cross
country teams at state meet, Carrollton,
8 a.m.
•Winder-Barrow High School compe
tition cheerleading @ co-ed sectionals,
Columbus State University, Cheer Doggs
to compete at 3:15 p.m., awards presented
at 7 p.m.
Sports Roundup
•The Barrow County Saints Youth Football school is eligible for nomination.
Association is now accepting applications for
new coaches for next season.
Team registration begins in February, fol
lowed by spring training camps.
For more information, e-mail bcsaints@gmail.
com.
•The Bethlehem First United Methodist
Church is holding its second annual Wiseman
5K race Sunday, Dec. 18.
The fun run begins at 3:30 p.m. followed by
the race at 4 p.m. Registration cost is $15 per
person before Dec. 10 and $20 after that date. A
family of four can register for $45. Registration
can be completed at www.active.com. Pre
registered racers will receive a T-shirt.
For more information, contact George
Roberson at 678-548-4879 or Carol Black at
706-680-7223 or e-mail classicraceservices@
gmail.com.
•Laser Baseball is holding tryouts for its
10-and-Under team from 2-4 p.m. Nov. 20 on
Field No. 5 at West Walton Park in Loganville.
Baseball players bom after May 1, 2001 are
eligible to try out. For more information, contact
Brent Butler at 678-446-2345 or e-mail brent-
butler @ bellsouth.net.
•The process for selecting the members of the
next Winder-Barrow High School Athletic
Hall of Fame class is an ongoing process.
Anyone who played sports at WBHS or has
made significant contributions to athletics at the
First & Ten
This week’s game against Loganville, which
will be senior night for the AHS football team,
will not be easy. It's certainly not an automatic
win by any means. The Red Devils have pro
vided matchup problems for the Wildcats in
recent seasons, including 2009 when it took
overtime for AHS to win — by a point.
LHS, while always a physical team, has
opened up its offense more this fall. The team
has a strong quarterback and will also be look
ing to finish the season strong. The Red Devils
were knocked out of playoff contention by
Habersham Central last week.
If AHS can continue to generate offense
and remain on the same path defensively as in
recent weeks, then a victory is certainly pos-
Athletes are chosen on what he or she accom
plished at the high school level as well as in the
collegiate and professional ranks. Nominations
may be made at any time. The next selection will
be this fall. Nomination forms may be obtained
from the WBHS website or in person at the
school office. Those who have been previously
nominated remain on the list for three years
and are still eligible to be selected. Once three
years has passed without selection, they may be
re-nominated.
Jerrie Hulsey is the current chairperson of
the Hall of Fame committee. Other selection
members inlude Sonny Morris, Jason Austin,
Sammy Hale, John Mobley, Kay Turner, Elton
Lynn. Ben Arms, Kevin Black, Hal Miller, Phil
Bradberry, Justin Grant and A1 Darby.
Nomination forms may be obtained from the
Winder-Barrow High School website or at the
school office, located on North Fifth Avenue.
Contacting a member of the selection com
mittee is also a method of nominating someone
to the Wall of Fame. New classes are typically
announced to the public each winter during bas
ketball season.
•Send information for Sports Roundup to
cbridges@barrowjournal.com. Items can also
be faxed to 678-425-1435. Please include a con
tact name and phone number with all submitted
information. Information will be published on a
space available basis.
continued from IB
sible this week.
And a win would show just how much char
acter and resolve the Wildcats have. To win
five of your last six speaks volumes in high
school football, especially after a slow start.
It shows why the program will always be a
force to be dealt with in the playoff chase and
why Davis, offensive coordinator Joel Miller
and defensive coordinator Matt Sorrells, along
with all the coaches and players, deserve credit
for the way they have been able to rebound
this season.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow
Journal. You can send comments about this
column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
CONGRATS FROM THE TOP DOGG
Winder-Barrow High School cheerleading coach Jerrie Hulsey congratulates John
Reese Fortson (left), Nick Oxley and other members of the Cheer Doggs after their
performance Saturday. Photo by Jessica Brown
CONCENTRATION
Winder-Barrow High School cheerleaders Katelynn Heliums (top) and Crystal
Hodge perform Saturday. Photo by Jessica Brown
TOP FORM
In the left of this photo are John Reese Fortson, Ashley Healan and Jonathan
Rodriquez assisting flyer Laura Beth Brown. Austin Sorrells and Nick Oxley assist
flyer Lauren Geiger (on right) as the Winder-Barrow High School Cheer Doggs
compete Saturday. While WBHS was not competing for a trophy, the Cheer Doggs
would have won the event. Photo by Jessica Brown
Cheer continued from IB
“We should be number one or two depend- be right there as well.”
ing on our performance and Ola's perfor- WBHS is scheduled to compete at 3:15
mance,” Hulsey said. “Peachtree Ridge should p.m. with awards presentation at 7 p.m.
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