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Everybody
is Hurt
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By Jim Fowler
I’ll admit that I find myself
reading the crawl information
that goes across the bottom of
the TV screen while sporting
everts are going on. You can find
lots of things by reading while
you’re watching.
In numerous cases I will see
that some major league baseball
player is now on the IL (injured
list) because of some injury. It
seems that these guys miss
games because of injuries to al
most all parts of their bodies and
I have never heard of some of
these places.
Is it just me or are these guys
getting injured more than “back
in the old days?” I don’t recall so
many of the guys back in the
1960s and 70s suffering from all
ofthese injuries. I maybe wrong,
but it just seems strange that the
modern-day player gets hurt
more often than in the “old
days.”
Now, I have a theory on what
may be one of the problems
causing this circus of injuries. I
think that today’s players are too
muscular, toned, and firmed. I
guess that most of this is caused
by small percentages of body fat
and consistent weight-lifting
programs. It seems that most of
these guys stay on some weight
program all of the time.
With their bodies being so
well-toned it would seem to be
easier to get injured. The mus
cles seem to be so tight with no
room for sudden movement or
any sudden stop or turn. It just
seems that a person can get their
bodies into such great shape that
playing baseball at the highest
level can cause injuries that we
never saw when players, back in
the day, were not so well-toned.
Just my theory, but I think I may
be on to something.
It seems that players hurt al
most every part of their body. I
checked the official major league
injury report today and saw in
juries listed for the following
body parts: toe, groin, elbow,
shoulder, hamstring, hand,
finger, hip, calf, forearm, back,
pectoral, ankle, wrist, heel,
thumb, lower leg, knee, bicep,
quadricep, nose, side, kneecap,
and neck. Injuries to these areas
cause players to go on the in
jured list and miss at least 10
games.
The above doesn’t include
things like a concussion, adduc
tor strain, blister, bursitis, or
tightness. It seems that every
thing gets strained or pulled at
some time.
Most sports fans have heard
of injury to the unilateral collat
eral ligament in the elbow. Most
of the time this leads to Tommy
John surgery, named for the
pitcher on whom the surgery
was first performed. This has be
come as common as pulling a
tooth. Then there is the medial
or anterior collateral ligament
injury in the knee that can be re
paired much faster than in years
past.
The shoulder area has one of
the most common injuries
among baseball pitchers. That
injury comes to the rotator cuff.
I’m not a pitcher but I’ve been
told that I may have this injury.
Rotator cuff is a common term
today but, you know, I had never
heard of it until about 20 years
ago. Evolving medicine and in
jury repair.
So, baseball injuries have
evolved over the years. It seems
that players get injured much
more often than a few decades
ago. Some key player is hurt all
of the time.
I just hope we can keep Free
man, Acuna, Albies, Swanson,
Riley, Fried, Ozuna, and Ander
son healthy for an entire season.
Kelly Caps Career at Upson lee with Sixth-Place Finish
Photo by Jacob Stewart
Trey Kelly watches the flight of his ball as it sails to the green.
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
After one round of golf, Trey
Kelly stood at four strokes over par
and in seventh place at Cateechee
Golf Course in Hartwell for the
GHSA AAA State Championship.
He had a rough go on the eighth
hole on day one. His double-bogey
on the 362-yard par-four put him at
three-over-par. He went on to wrap
up the day strongly and put himself
in the mix for day two.
Kelly stood six strokes behind
the leader going into the second day.
Knowing that he had a lot of ground
to makeup, he was very aggressive
out of the gate. Kelly opted to go for
the approach shot on hole one in
stead of laying up as he had done the
day before. The decision paid off as
he birdied.
He went on to birdie the third
hole as well to start the day two
under par.
“It was good to go ahead and get
kind of an easy birdie out of the way
early and get the round started
good,” said Kelly.
Kelly missed an opportunity to
jump to three under by lipping the
four-foot birdie putt and settling for
par. Kelly lipped his par putt on hole
seven, resulting in the first bogey of
the second round. He made the turn
at one-under despite a couple of dif
ficult approach shots.
On day one, hole eight was the
troublemaker; on day two, hole 11
set the senior back. Kelly hit his
drive into the penalty zone on the
right side. He then missed the green
on his approach shot and did not
have the distance on his chip that he
needed to get the ball close to the
pin. Kelly triple-bogeyed the hole to
drop back to two strokes over par.
As always, Kelly was not shaken
due to a rough hole. He kept his
mind on the next shot and parred
the next two holes before dropping
a birdie on the 14th hole. Kelly just
missed a hole-in-one on the last par-
three of the day. He birdied the 16th
and then bogeyed the final two de
spite having an opportunity to birdie
on 18.
He finished his round at one-
over-par, sitting him at five-over-par
for the tournament. Cateechee Golf
Course is a very hard round of golf,
and the top golfers proved they be
longed with their performances.
Cateechee is rated 71.4 with a 134
slope.
Kelly finished tied for sixth place
with two other golfers. When asked
how he felt about the day, “A little bit
disappointed,” said Kelly, “I mean I
played really good for two days and
I just couldn’t make any putts either
day. I think if I would’ve had the put
ter going, I would’ve had a chance to
win.”
Although Kelly’s goal for the sea
son was an individual state title, he
will still graduate as the most dec
orated Upson Lee golfer under
Coach Brian Oglesbee and did so
with only two full seasons. He won
two invitationals this season and set
a low-round record at the Knights
Invitational.
He came within a few putts of
possibly winning the state title just
three years after deciding to play
golf. The senior will continue his ca
reer at Columbus State University
with a lot of growing to do.
Knights Explore Options, Defeat Howard
Photo by Jacob Stewart
Jerius Braswell celebrates in the end zone
after catching his second touchdown.
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
Upson Lee defeated Howard
High School 33-7 in Upson Lee’s
spring game last Friday.
The Knights got their first look
at a lot of new faces in key positions.
Although the Knights beat up on a
Howard team that was not up to its
usual strength, the win will surely
boost the energy at practices
throughout the summer.
The scoring got under way after
the Knights’ defense forced a fum
ble and set UL up in great position.
Joshua Atwater started the game at
quarterback and Coach Elder
leaned on the running game to help
ease Atwater in. Keyston Smith
rushed for the touchdown to give
the Knights an early 7-0 lead.
With Atwater still in for the sec
ond drive, his first pass was a screen
to Jerius Braswell, who used his
athleticism to make a leaping grab
and flip the field to score the
Knights' second touchdown.
Atwater played the entire first
quarter and it was not until the sec
ond drive of the second quarter that
Trent Young was behind center. The
freshman made a great throw to
connect with Braswell in the end
zone on the third play of the drive.
The Knights led 20-0 after a missed
extra-point.
Young looked comfortable in
Coach Elder’s standard shotgun for
mation. He was able to make a cou
ple of encouraging reads and show
explosiveness with his legs as well as
his arm.
“(Young) is going to be a good
one,” Coach Elder said following the
game. “He’s a competitor. He’s a
winner. He’s still battling for the
starting spot.”
The battle at quarterback has a
lot of attention, but Elder said that
the position is still up for grabs after
the spring game. “We didn’t have
anybody pull away from who’s
going to be the starter and who’s not
at quarterback. They all got their
pros,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun
summer.
Markese Collins played at quar
terback for one drive. He was pres
sured and used his speed to escape
the pocket and run into the end
zone in the opening drive of the
third quarter. Although he did not
receive as many snaps as the other
two, that is not an indicator that he
is the third option.
Collins provides a lot of help in
the secondary on the defensive side
of the ball, and the Knights needed
him there primarily last Friday. Col
lins offers many options for the
Knights at many positions.
The Knights looked solid defen
sively. Dominique Freeman was all
over the quarterback all evening. He
picked up a sack out of the nose
guard position. Linebacker Ra'shad
Ellerbee also had a sack in the first
half. The Knights opened the game
with four consecutive drives where
they did not allow Howard to move
the chains. Howard did not get a
first down until midway through the
second quarter.
Upson Lee was exploited a few
times when Howard rushed the ball
off the edge. The Huskies scored
their only touchdown as time ex
pired in the third quarter.
The Knights' final score came on
a run from freshman Arnari
Fletcher. He had multiple physical
carries on the drive and capped it
with a scoring run from inside the
five-yard line.
Upson Lee is a young team, and
they played a Howard team that was
not its usual self. However, the win
is motivation for the new group.
“It’s really big for these young
guys,” senior Nitterian Walker said
about the confidence that the win
will bring to summer practices, “...to
get going and feel comfortable
under Friday night lights.”
There is a lot of work to be done
this summer; however, there are
lots of reasons to be excited about
the future of this football team. The
Knights will open their regular sea
son on Aug. 13 against Lamar
County.
lady Knights Gain Much Needed
Experience at State Championship
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
The Lady Knights traveled to Apple
Mountain Golf Club to compete in the GHSA
AAA State Championship. The team full of
young golfers took to the course looking to
gain the experience of what a large-scale
tournament setting has to offer.
Inexperience reared its head early as the
Lady Knights struggled to get going on the
front nine on day one. Skye Perdue had a
tough first four holes and made the turn at
15-over-par (51). Ava Dunaway posted a 56
through the first nine holes and Emma
Fulcher posted a 62.
Ellie Watson had a very encouraging first
nine holes. She was rolling on pace for her
lowest score of the season when she made
the turn at 10-over-par (46).
The course at Apple Mountain is rated
slightly easier than the Lady Knights home
course Raintree. However, the mountainous
terrain of Clarkesville makes it a much har
der walk.
Perdue settled in and shot a 45 on the
back nine. Her recovery is a very positive
sign for the junior. She finished with the low
score for the Knights (96). Despite a tough
front nine, she was only six strokes worse
than she played at the Area Tournament,
where she won low medalist.
Watson continued to have success on the
back nine and wrapped up day one with a 98.
The round was a personal best. Dunaway
wrapped up the scoring for the Lady Knights
with a 116.
On day two, things got tough for the
young Lady Knights. Whether it be the phys
ical fatigue from 36-holes of steep terrain, or
the mental fatigue that a tournament brings,
none of Upson Lee’s golfers had experienced
anything like it before.
The Lady Knights finished 12th as a
team. Individually, Perdue placed 27th, Wat
son 34th, Dunaway T-4ist, and Fulcher T-
43rd.
“I learned that it doesn’t matter how
strong my golf game is if my mental game
isn’t the same or better,” said Perdue, “I will
definitely be working on mental toughness
and playing under pressure in the offseason.”
There was nothing more valuable for this
team than the opportunity to play in the state
championship. This young team will be even
better next season as they will have many
more holes of golf under their belts.
Photo by Jacob Stewart
Ellie Watson shot her lowest score of her
career in round one (98). Her progress is
encouraging for the future of the team.
Photo Submitted
Moreland Earns long
lump State Title
Tayla J. Moreland of Pike County High School
earned the state title in the long jump.
The senior also placed third in the 100-meter
hurdles and eighth in the 100-meter dash.
Moreland, the child of Reginald and Tammy
Moreland, ended her high school career
on a high note for the Pirates.