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ft FAYETTE COUNTY
OPORTS
Wednesday, November 29,2023
Logan Inagawa threw for 183 yards and ran for 122. left won it for Starr's Mill.
Hail Mary Sends Starr’s Mill to State Semifinals
Panthers Upend Undefeated Central on the Road, 35-29
Dorsey Benefield ran for 187 yards and two scores.
Special to FCN
The Panthers’ story
book season continues
with an ending fit for a
Hollywood movie. Starr’s
Mill went on the road in
the quarterfinals and beat
the previously undefeated
Central Lions 35-29 on a
last-second, hail Mary,
touchdown reception.
“We are very happy for
the boys to see them ac
complish something so
big,” said Coach Chad
Phillips. “We have had a
wide range of circum
stances over the long sea
son, and the resolve and
resilience this group has
shown is significant. They
have overcome some ad
versity well.”
Starr’s Mill came out
hot, scoring on the open
ing drive. Dorsey Benefield
blasted through the de
fense for a 57-yard touch
down run to draw first
blood. Hunter Meeks
drilled a 36-yard field goal
to lead 10-0 after one
quarter.
Late in the half, the of
fense drove deep into Lion
territory, but turned it
over on downs on the one-
yard line. The defensive
line made the most of the
field position, pushing the
Lions back for a safety.
Meeks added a 20-yard
field goal at the buzzer to
send his team into half
time ahead 15-0.
Central got on the
board midway through the
third quarter, but the Pan
thers answered quickly. A
27-yard TD pass from
Logan Inagawa to An
dersen Cardoza extended
the lead to 22-7.
The Lions cut the lead
to 22-13 heading to the
fourth quarter with a 72-
yard pass and a missed
extra point. Early in the
final frame they scored
again and added a two-
point conversion to make
it 22-21.
Starr’s Mill took the
punches and countered.
Benefield capped a 37-
yard scoring drive with a
one-yard plunge on
fourth-and-goal to make it
29-21 with four minutes
left.
Central countered with
a score on its final posses
sion, pushing down the
field and milking the clock.
They scored with 56 sec
onds left and added a two-
point conversion to tie the
game 29-29.
As it turns out, the
Lions left too much time
on the clock. The Panthers
could have been content to
let the game go into over
time, but they played to
win. They raced 80 yards
in just seven plays to get it
done. A 10-yard run by
Inagawa, then runs of 14,
seven, and 13 from Bene
field pushed them into
Lion territory.
With time left for just
one more play in regula
tion, they set up for a hail
Mary. Inagawa stepped up
and launched it deep down
the right sideline with two
receivers and a pair of de
fenders converging on the
spot. Lincoln DeLaere
leapt and pulled it down
for a 41-yard touchdown,
setting off a celebration.
“We had a great first
half lead, and we were
strong in our kicking
game, which proved to be
the difference,” said Phil
lips. “Our playmakers,
Logan and Dorsey, made
some big plays late that
were huge.”
The Panthers piled up
520 total yards, 337 of
them coming on the
ground. Benefield bullied
the defense with 187 yards
and two scores on 25
carries, along with four
catches for 60 yards. Ina
gawa completed 12 of 18
passes for 183 yards and
two touchdowns and ran
for 122 yards on 16 carries.
The victory advances
Starr’s Mill to the Final
Four, their first trip that
deep in the playoffs since
2019. The second half left
room for improvement as
they let the Lions get back
in the game, so they know
they need to tighten up for
the semifinals against
Perry, according to
coaches.
“The game turned
when our fundamentals
broke down,” said Phillips.
“We tackled poorly in the
second half when we got a
little tired. We have to be
better tacklers in critical
moments. Central had
some very talented
players, as does Perry. We
cannot miss 30 tackles and
win.”
The Final Four brings
the 11-2 Perry Panthers to
town on Friday night at
7:30 p.m.
Class of '24 Flag Football
All-Star Game Set Dec. 15
On Friday, Dec. 15 at 7
p.m., female flag football
all-stars of the Class of
2024 will gather at White-
water High School to com
pete in a special event to
honor the student-athletes
and “hopefully result in
players earning scholar
ships,” officials say.
Participating high
schools include Fayette
County High School, Sandy
Creek High School, Creek-
side High School, Spalding
High School, Griffin High
School, Starr's Mill High
School, Whitewater High
School, East Coweta High
School, Trinity Christian
High School, Northgate
High School, Pike County
High School, and Newnan
High School.
FAYETTE COUNTY NEWS
Phone: 770-461-6317 | www.fayette-news.net
P.O. Box 96, Fayetteville, Ga. 30214
MHS Athlete of the
Week: Brayden Petras
Congratulations to
McIntosh High School
boys’ ivrestling team
member Brandon Pe
tras, ivho has been
named the school’s
Athlete of the Week for
the iveek of Nov. 27.
“Brayden has
stepped up, being a
leader in the room and
outside of the room.
He leads by example
and pushes the ivres-
tlers to get better on
and off the mat, ” com
mented Coach Nick
Bellantoni.
Brayden Petras Submitted
Fayette County News B7
Coach for All Seasons:
Lewis Leads Patriot
Volleyball, Hoops to the Top
Tishay Lewis
No matter the
sport, Tishay
Lewis carves out
success for her
athletes. Lewis,
Sandy Creek High
volleyball and
girls’ basketball
coach, says she
strives for vic
tories that do not
count on the
scoreboard.
Lewis grew up
in Savannah as
one of six children
of a single mother.
When she found a
love of basketball
on the courts across from
her home, she says she un
locked a drive within her
self to be great. She slept
with the ball, and she slept
in her recreational league
team’s jersey.
“I knew that I was
gonna play basketball,”
Lewis remembered. “I was
one of those kids that
every day, all day I’m at
the park.”
She was cut from her
middle school team in sev
enth grade and again the
next year. She did not get
down, she added; it un
locked a drive inside that
she shares with her
players.
“I made up my mind
right around the age of 11
that I would never let
anyone tell me what I can’t
do,” she said. “In life,
you’re gonna fight. We’re
not going to sit down and
fold.”
Basketball literally
took her around the world.
After a standout collegiate
career ended at Arm
strong Atlantic, Lewis
played professionally in
Amsterdam.
“It was an opportunity
for my feet to touch
ground that they never
would have touched,” said
Lewis. “Where I came
from, just to be overseas
was something that was
amazing to me. It was an
opportunity you can’t turn
down because you never
know if you’ll be able to do
that again.”
Lewis said that her
high school coach, Ronald
Booker, played a huge role
in her life. When she
didn’t want to practice, he
would pick her up. When
money was tight, he
bought her basketball
shoes. Booker’s love
helped set her career path.
When knee injuries cut
short the pro career, she
says she wanted to make
an impact on kids, and she
wanted to stay involved
with sports.
“I was determined to
be like him. Even when he
fussed at me, I respected
him, and I loved him.”
After college, Lewis
says she planned to be a
youth counselor to help
at-risk youth, and she was
a juvenile correction of
ficer when she first re
turned to the stateside. It
was not the right fit be
cause she wanted to find a
different role in a child’s
journey, according to
Lewis.
“I want to reach kids
before they get here. I
have to put basketball and
my level of counseling to
gether,” she said.
“Through basketball I was
given so many opportuni
ties that I don’t think I
ever would’ve gotten, and
so I knew when I couldn’t
play, I wanted to be able to
help others to see how this
sport can give you more in
life than just a couple
wins, a couple losses.
There’s more about it than
that.”
Basketball was the first
love, but volleyball
brought Lewis the first
championship. When
Sandy Creek offered her
the basketball job it was
on the condition that she
coach both sports.
Volleyball was a new
experience. She had never
seen the sport played be
fore. The first order of
business was buying “Vol
leyball for Dummies” and
reading it cover to cover,
over and over.
The players had ex
perience, and Lewis says
they welcomed her with
open arms. They shared
the basics of the sport, and
they grew together that
first year.
“In order to be a good
teacher, you’ve gotta be a
good learner first,” said
Lewis. “We can learn from
her, and she can learn
from us. It became a part
nership.”
Fast forward to this
season. The Patriots were
the favorite, and they rel
ished the opportunity.
They did not lose a set
during the playoffs, as
they rolled to the fourth
championship in team his
tory.
School officials say that
the win was even more re
markable as it was a
mostly black team led by a
black coach.
“You don’t see a lot of
girls who look like us play
ing volleyball, and you
don’t see a lot of coaches
who look like me coaching
volleyball,” said Lewis. “It
showed those younger
girls that look up to them
that you can do this. It’s
just a beautiful feeling.”
The championship was
thrilling, but Lewis added
that she “really relishes
the bond she shares” with
her players. Her passion is
for helping her players
grow and find their own
calling.
“I’m nothing without
them. I’ve accepted that,
and everything I do is to see
the smiles on their faces.
When I see them smile,
when I see them excited,
that just brings me so much
joy,” said Lewis. “I just
want better young ladies
going out into society.”
“The Honor Role," an
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Join as hosts dive in and
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