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o o Barrow News-Journal Award-winning local sports coverage • Loran Smith 2B • Schools 8B • Pets of the Week 8B • Kids page 3B 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.