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Barrow News-Journal
Award-winning local sports coverage
• Loran Smith 2B • Schools 8B
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Wednesday, january 1, 2020
Phone: 770-867-6397
Fax: 706-621-4115
sthompson@barrownewsjournal.com
Section B
★★★★
The year that was in sports
Photos by Scott Thompson
Bethlehem Christian Academy’s Olivia Morgan celebrates with assistant coach Karen Carlyle during Game 2 of
the GICAA state championship series against Lyndon Academy on April 27. The Knights won 19-2 to cap a perfect
17-0 season and win the school’s first team state title since the baseball program won back-to-back crowns in
2012 and 2013.
Looking back at the top Barrow County sports stories of 2019
From, championships to leadership changes, 2019 was
an eventful year for high school sports in Barrow Coun
ty. Flere is a look back at the top 10 local sports stories
of the year.
BCA SOFTBALL WINS STATE TITLE
On April 27, the Bethlehem Christian Academy soft-
ball team capped a perfect 17-0 season, sweeping Lyn
don Academy in two games at home in the GICAA state
championship series.
The Knights beat the Terriers 13-5 in five innings
in Game 1 and then crushed them 19-2 in the finale to
claim the school’s first athletic team state title since
the baseball program won back-to-back GISA Class A
crowns in 2012 and 2013.
Taking little time off, BCA transitioned back into
GISA competition for the fall and won a region title be
fore falling to Tiftarea in two games in the Class AAA
quarterfinals.
WBHS POLE VAULTERS FINISH 1-2 AT STATE
Winder-Barrow girls’ pole vaulters Brianna Bailey
and Ticia King finished at the top of the pack in the
GHSA Class AAAAAA state meet at Carrollton High
School on May 9.
Bailey, a junior, won the state title with a person
al-best vault of 12 feet, while King, a senior, finished
tied for second with Johns Creek’s Anna Conroy with a
jump of 10 feet, 6 inches.
Bailey nearly was eliminated after missing on her first
two attempts at 9 feet, 6 inches. But she was success
ful on her third and final attempt and quickly made her
jumps of 10 feet and 10 feet, 6 inches.
She clinched the title after making her second at
tempt at 11 feet and set a new personal record when she
cleared 11 feet, 6 inches on her second try. Bailey took a
short break and then cleared 12 feet on her first attempt
before calling it a day as heavy rain began to roll in.
BCA BOYS’ BASKETBALL MAKES FINAL
FOUR
In the GISA Class AAA Elite Eight at Stratford Acad
emy in Macon on Feb. 16, BCA junior Ray Peevy drilled
a 3-pointer with 18.3 seconds left in overtime to lift the
Knights to a 46-45 victory over Brookwood School and
send them to their first Final Four in program history.
The Knights, under second-year head coach Robert
Strong, won their 23rd game of the season after fin
ishing just 8-16 in Strong’s first year. BCA went on to
finish 23-7, losing in the semifinals to eventual state
champion The Heritage School at Georgia Southwest
ern State University on Feb. 22.
Strong stepped down later in the school year after ac
cepting a coaching position at East Jackson.
AHS BOYS’ BASKETBALL RUNS
THROUGH REGION TOURNAMENT
After winning just two region games in the regular
season, fifth-seeded Apalachee capped an improbable
three-day run through the GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA
tournament at Winder-Barrow High School, beating
second-seeded and ninth-ranked Gainesville 51-47 in
the championship game on Feb. 9 to win the program’s
first-ever region title.
Apalachee, under first-year head coach Ty Rowland,
had rallied past Winder- Barrow in overtime in the first
round on Feb. 7 and then held off Lanier in the semifi
nals Feb. 8.
The Wildcats wound up falling to Douglas County at
home in the first round of the state playoffs.
See Year, page 2B
Winder-Barrow junior Brianna Bailey gets a hug from
teammate Rebekah Freeman after winning the GHSA
Class AAAAAA state pole vaulting championship at
Carrollton High School on May 9.
BCA’s Ray Peevy hits a shot against the Heritage
School during the GISA Class AAA semifinals at Geor
gia Southwestern State University in Americus on Feb.
22.
Apalachee head boys’ basketball coach Ty Rowland re
acts to a call during the Region 8-AAAAAA tournament
championship game against Gainesville on Feb. 9. The
Wildcats upset the Red Elephants 51-47 to win their
first region title in program history.
LSU, Clemson set for
classic matchup
Then there were two.
Following the semifinal games on Dec. 28, it will be
LSU and Clemson for the national tide. While few, if any,
were surprised by the LSU Tigers winning it seems many
were by the victory posted by the Tigers of Clemson.
Let’s look first at LSU, which completely dismanded
Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. It was a perfor
mance for the ages, and when you consider one key of
fensive player for LSU was limited due to injury then you
have to wonder what the score might have been.
Heisman winner Joe Burrow put on a clinic, throw
ing touchdown passes at will. The
one-sided nature of the game left
many saying Oklahoma didn’t
belong in the playoffs. That might
be hue but then one has to ponder
who else was there.
Georgia was the No. 5 team in
the final playoff rankings but had
already been crushed by LSU in
the SEC tide game. A rematch
between those two would have of
fered zero interest and rest assured
that factors into the matchups.
Oregon was a solid team in 2019
but was ranked below Georgia. Be
yond that, you would have had to look at teams like Flori
da or Utah, neither of which had the necessary credentials
to get in despite being very good teams.
Perhaps the best team on the outside looking in was
Penn State. The Nittany Lions won their bowl game in
impressive fashion but for the past several years always
seem to fall just short of the playoffs.
Make no mistake, James Franklin is one of the best
coaches in the country and it is probably just a matter of
time before the Nittany Lions make it as one of the semifi
nal teams. Franklin had done a remarkable job of rebuild
ing Penn State following a national scandal unlike any we
have ever seen and hopefully will never see again.
In the other semifinal game, Clemson did what it has
been doing for the last two seasons: winning. For a team
which is the defending national champion and undefeat
ed the following season, you would think a little respect
would be forthcoming.
The so-called experts as well as college football fans in
general have tried to use Clemson’s weak schedule to take
away from what the Tigers have done in 2019. There were
even some laughable comments made that Clemson did
not deserve to be in the playoffs.
Ohio State, meanwhile, was very impressive during
the regular season posting huge offensive numbers. The
Buckeyes were a legitimate team and many felt they
should have been ranked No. 1 rather than LSU. I dis
agree with that and the semifinal games showed us why.
It appeared Ohio State was going to run away with the
game early. However, Clemson showed what a champion
does and that is to never panic.
The Tigers fought their way back into the game and
used a strong defensive effort and some quality play from
their star quarterback to rally for the win. It sets up what
will be a very interesting championship game.
LSU will be the favorite against Clemson and probably
should be. However, Clemson has the talent and coaching
on defense to potentially keep the high-powered LSU of
fense in check.
In the end, the two best teams in 2019 will meet for the
championship. It’s something we don’t always get to see.
Winder resident Chris Bridges is a former sports edi
tor for the Barrow News-Journal. He welcomes feedback
about this column atpchrisbridges@gmail.com.
Prep Calendar
FRIDAY, JAN. 3
Basketball
Dacula girls/boys at Apalachee, 5/6:30 p.m.
Bethlehem Christian girls/boys at Westminster
Christian (Watkinsville). 6/7:30 p.m.
Winder-Barrow girls/boys at Lanier, 7/8:30 p.m.
Wrestling
Apalachee at Hook ‘Em Holiday Clash, Lambert
High School
SATURDAY, JAN. 4
Basketball
Apalachee girls/boys at Winder-Barrow, 6/7:30 p.m.
Swimming
Winder-Barrow at Habersham Central Hot Choco
late Invitational, Ruby Fullbright Natatorium
Wrestling
Apalachee at Hook ‘Em Holiday Clash
Winder-Barrow at Oglethorpe County Duals, 9 a.m.
TUESDAY, JAN. 7
Basketball
Habersham Central girls/boys at Winder-Barrow,
5:30/7 p.m.
Gainesville girls/boys at Apalachee, 6/7:30 p.m.
Bethlehem Christian girls/boys at Commerce,
6/7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8
Wrestling
Winder-Barrow at Walnut Grove. 5 p.m.