Newspaper Page Text
Page 2B
UPSON
BEACON
Thursday, December 2, 2021
SEC Title Game: Listen
to My Mind or My Heart?
Former Knights Win Big South
Championshin at Kennesaw State
When looking at the talent that
Georgia was going to run out on the
field and the setup of its schedule,
I thought that Georgia could cer
tainly run the table and finish the
regular season 12-0. To me, there
were not any of the top-tier SEC
teams in the Bulldogs’ way of an
undefeated season.
To my surprise, Arkansas and
Tennessee were much better
teams, but Kentucky was as ex
pected, and Florida and Auburn
finished their seasons worse than I
thought they would.
I have said this before: Georgia
does not have a win against an elite
opponent this season. However,
the Dawgs have curb-stomped ev
eryone in their path and deserve
every top vote in the Associated
Press poll which they have received
for the past eight weeks. Going un
defeated in the SEC is never an
easy task, even if the conference
was a tad shaky at times. Georgia
did exactly what a national title fa
vorite should have done with the
schedule that was laid out.
Now comes the big test: Ala
bama in Atlanta. This game will be
Kirby Smart vs. Nick Saban, round
three in Mercedes Benz Stadium,
and Smart is still looking for his
first win. He has the better team.
Georgia beat Florida 34-7 while Al
abama squeaked past the Gators by
just two points, albeit two entirely
different Florida teams were pres
ent in those games. Georgia
stomped Auburn 34-10 while it
took Alabama almost the entire
game to score a touchdown.
In that comparison, I believe
Georgia makes a bigger statement.
Alabama faced an injured backup
quarterback and Auburn was com
ing off three consecutive losses
while Georgia beat the Tigers at full
strength.
Saban does not have the best
version of Alabama this season and
it has been evident with a loss to
Texas A&M and a few squeaker
wins. Smart might very well have
his best version of Georgia on Sat
urday night when the SEC Cham
pionship kicks off. However, this is
the best team that Georgia has
faced all season and the biggest
test. Georgia has a chance to elim
inate Alabama from playoff con
tention and Smart has a chance to
win his second SEC title as a head
coach.
In all the weird and wild of this
college football season, Georgia has
stayed out of the drama. One could
wonder if the lack of on-field
drama could be a disadvantage for
the team if the Tide takes a semi-
commanding lead at some point on
Saturday. However, I’m almost cer
tain that second-and-26 have been
on repeat all week in the weight
room.
Georgia is favored by 6.5
points. A team has to be really good
to make Saban a 6.5-point under
dog. Georgia is really good. They
should win this game handily and
my mind tells me they will. Ho
wever, my heart tells me otherwise
because it has been hurt before.
The season’s not over if the Bull
dogs lose in Atlanta, but it certainly
would dampen what has otherwise
been a magnificent run.
My mind shows me the defen
sive core, the point differential,
and an ultra-efficient offense. My
heart shows me second-and-26,
Chris Conley falling short of the
goal line, and a 15-yard Jalen Hurts
touchdown. My mind has much
more relevancy, but my heart
knows that it’s never that easy.
Jacob Stewart
Sports Editor
sporfs@upsonbeacon.com
Kennesaw State football de
feated Monmouth 49-17 to earn
its third Big South Conference
championship since 2017.
Thomaston native Jayden
Barron is a player/coach for the
Owls and assisted in coaching the
defensive line this season. Barron
Lady Knights
Basketball,
Continued from IB.
nine first-half points, but she
ended up with 26 in the game.
Zackery drew six fouls in the sec
ond half and made the Lady
Knights pay at the free-throw
line.
When asked about the team’s
struggle to defend Zackery,
Raines said, “We just didn’t do
what we were supposed to do
and it’s all about work ethic. We
just didn’t have the work ethic
tonight... We had some times
where it looked like they had
given up and that’s just not the
team that I’m going to put out
there on the court.”
Perry remained Upson-Lee’s
only scoring threat as she fin-
has been sidelined due to injury
since November 2020 but will re
turn to play for his senior season
in 2022-2023. Barron graduated
from Upson-Lee in 2018, where
he was a four-year starter for
Tommy Parks and Justin Elder.
Chance Gamble also plays for
the Owls. Gamble played for
Upson-Lee his freshman and
sophomore seasons before mov
ing to Fitzgerald, where he fin
ished with a team-leading 17
points. The next closest scorer
was Tierney Ellerbee, who tallied
five. Perry fouled out with under
four minutes to play in the game.
The Lady Knights struggled
to bring the ball up the court
without turning it over and the
Lady Vikings exploited Upson-
Lee with a man press for much of
the game. Upson-Lee was unable
to get into halfcourt and run
through its offense.
“We made way, way, way too
many turnovers,” said a visibly
frustrated Raines, following the
loss. “I mean, they just out-hus
tled us and we’ve been preaching
to them all week that the impor
tant thing was to play team ball
and we have to play harder than
everyone else.”
“We can play harder, but they
didn’t do that today. Turnover
ished his decorated high school
career. Gamble is a freshman for
the Big South champions. He
plays defensive back for the Owls
and recorded seven total tackles
this season.
With Kennesaw State’s Big
South championship and its 48-
15 record since becoming a pro
gram in 2015, it is the winningest
start-up football program
through the first five years.
after turnover and they played
timid, but we can get better,”
Raines continued. “I saw a lot of
good things out of some of our
freshmen, so we’re going to give
them opportunities. Whoever
wants to play hard and get out
there and go after it, they’re
going to play, so that’s what
we’re going to be doing. That’s
the adjustment we’ll make.”
Upson-Lee is now 1-1 after a
technical win over Lamar
County, which was forced to for
feit the Tuesday game due to sus
pension.
The Lady Knights have a lot
of growing to do with their young
group of players. Upson-Lee will
face Pike County on Tuesday,
Nov. 30 for the Lady Knights’
first home game of the season.
Pike County is 0-3 to start the
season.
COVID-19 i'
A.
Vaccine Clinic Holiday Hours
November 26- NO CLINIC
November 30- 1:00pm-4:30pm
December 24- NO CLINIC
December 31- NO CLINIC
Regular Clinic Hours
Tuesdays & Fridays 7:30am-12pm
& 1:00-4:30 pm
wmm
UPSON
Walk-Ins Welcome
Regional Medical Center