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1983: The Year in Sports A Year of Change, Triumph, Sportsmanship For Forsyth County athletes and teams, 1983 proved to be a successful year of competition and left behind a number of titles for local competitors, including five district championships, one region championship, one state championship and one third-place na tional finish. The top local sports stories of 1983 represent successes and triumphs not only in terms of wins, but also in terms of competitive sportsmanship. And in addition to the success stories, the year 1983 was a year of change, especially at the high school level, where a new head football coach was named and junior varsity squads were added to the base ball and football programs. At the youth level, the Cumming Recreation Department successfully initiated a soccer program. ' The stories of the year in chronologi cal order and excerpts from The News’ coverage of those follow: January-February Head Football Coach Jim Cooper Resigns; Ronnie Jackson Named Suc cessor. Jim Cooper, the Forsyth •County Bulldogs’ head football coach for six years, announced his resignation from that position in late January. Cooper’s resignation came on the heels of a season that saw the Bulldogs post a 3-6-1 overall record, and a 1-6 mark in Region 8-AAAA. At Forsyth, Cooper compiled a 24-35-1 record, in cluding a mark of 12-17-1 since the Bulldogs' return to a region schedule in 1980. Cooper’s replacement was six-year Bulldog assistant Ronnie Jackson, who was named coach in February. In ac cepting the post, Jackson said, “I think what we have to do here is create a new attitude about Forsyth football. We need a positive attitude, not only on the -team and in the school, but in the community. We have to have that in .order to build a winning tradition. And ;I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.” • In the spring, coaches Bob Penland and Robert Mills also announced their [resignations from the Forsyth football [staff, and Jackson chose Forsyth tea cher and former coach James Smith, North Forsyth ninth grade coach Richie Taylor and Fayette County assistant So Long Forsyth This Time It’s For Real By GREG LITTLE Well, it’s time to say goodbye . . . again. If you'll recall, I was supposedly leaving Forsyth County and The News back in September to begin work on my master’s degree in public relations (specifically sports information) at the University of Georgia. But things didn’t work out as expected, and plans to start school were postponed until January, allowing me to hang around for the end of the local football and softball seasons, and see what the basketball and wrestling teams had to offer as their seasons opened. Well, January is here, so it’s time to depart. This time, it’s for real. I won’t tempt fate by saying that nothing will stop me from being in Athens when classes begin Jan. 6, but if I’m not there, you can look for my name in the obituaries. As far as high school athletics are concerned, team members and coaches are probably dropping to their knees and offering thanks for my departure. You see, I have come to the conclusion that I have jinxed the Bulldogs and I,ady Bulldogs, condemning them to losses by my mere presence. Foolishness, you say? Look at the facts. Since I began covering sports in Forsyth, in the spring of 1982, the high school’s overall athletic record in both varsity and junior varsity team competition is 93- 150-4, and 55-97-1 in region play. That computes to winning percentages of 37.7 percent and 36.0 percent, respectively. If you take away coach Johnny Tallant’s lady Bulldogs’ softball record of 29-8-1 (23-8 in region games), those winning percentages drop to 30.6 percent and 26.2 percent, respectively. Now, I’m not sure of Forsyth’s record in the two years before I arrived, but it Forsyth Cagers Tip Off New Year Rested and well-fed from the holi days, with firm resolutions to win in mind, Forsyth County’s high school and junior high basketball teams take to the courts next week to tip off the new year. The Bulldogs begin the second half of Iheir 1983-84 schedules Jan. 6, when Jthey will host the Berkmar Patriots. The next day the varsity squads have a rematch with Cherokee County, on the Warriors’ home court this time. In their last confrontation, the varsity split with Cherokee, the Lady Bulldogs, 3-2 in season play, edging the Warrio rettes 43-41, and the boys, 1-4 on the Community Basketball Season Begins Jan. 3 The Cumming/F orsyth County Rec reation and Parks Department men’s open, men’s church and women’s open league basketball seasons will get un der way the first week of January. Seven teams registered for the men’s open league, which plays six Wednes day night games at 7, 8 and 9 p.m.— beginning Jan. 4 at the old gym in Cumming. The teams which entered the open league represent: the Bank of Cumming, Strict’s, Coal Mountain, Vil lage Hair Styles, Mack’s, Midway Building Supply and L.C. Tax Service. The men’s church league also regis tered seven teams, which will play six Sunday games at the old gym, begin ning Jan. 8, with matchups at 2,3, and 4 coach Pete McGinnis to join Allen Prit chett and Jerry Hogan on the staff. Success, in terms of wins, eluded Jackson’s Bulldogs in the fall, as For syth managed but one win in an injury filled season in rugged Region 8-AAAA. This month, Jackson announced the Bulldogs will compete on a non-region level the next two years in order to build a winning attitude and develop a feeling of confidence among the players and coaches. Lady Gators Complete Undefeated Season. “With five girls back from 1981- 82’s 11-1 team, including four starters. South Forsyth coach Jerry Cauley and his players set a goal of a perfect season, and saw that dream realized when a 41-19 defeat of Crestwood in the final game ended the Lady Gators’ season at a spotless 15-0. Cauley cited the Lady Gators’ great est plus as being the team’s balance. “We didn’t look to any one player to lead us in scoring every game. I think each one of the starters led us in scoring in at least one game, so it seemed anytime one or two girls would have a bad night, the other girls would step in and pick up the slack.” Four of the Lady Gators Angie Fagan, Glynis Caldwell, Dawn Wiesner and Kerensa Shoemake are now playing for the Forsyth County Lady Bulldogs’ varsity team as sophomores. Swanger Wins Region Wrestling Ti tle. Senior Jeff Swanger captured the first-ever region title for a Forsyth County wrestler at the Region 8-AAAA Wrestling Tournament at Berkmar to lead a Bulldog effort that qualified seven local wrestlers for the AAAA state meet. Swanger’s road to his wrestling title was not an easy one, as he entered the 188-lb. weight class seeded third. The championship match was a dramatic one, and one in which both Swanger and Parkview opponent Stacy Chadwick went down with injuries after having butted heads in a ferocious collision. But Swanger fought off the pain and light-headedness in the final period to record an 11-8 decision and claim the region title. v Joining Swanger at state competition were seniors Kerry Ward, Chris Clan ton, Ben Wofford, junior Scott season, losing 63-56. In junior high basketball action, the South Forsyth ninth grade Gators are first to tip off in 1984, with a busy, three game week beginning Jan. 3 at Lump kin County, followed by a Jan. 5 contest at home against Crestwood, and a Jan. 9 game at North Hall. South’s seventh and eigth grade Gators resume play Jan. 9 at home against Gainesville. All four Otwell teams tip off the new year at home against South Hall, fol lowed by back-to-back ninth grade con tests at home against Brook wood, Jan. 10, and at Brookwood, Jan. 13. p.m. Entered in the men’s church league are teams from: Cumming First Baptist, Concord Baptist, two teams from the First Christian Church (green and white), Community Bible Church and two teams from Cumming United Methodist Church (blue and grey). Three teams registered for women’s open league play, which has combined with the Hall County recreation depart ment and will play Sundays at 2,3 and 4 p.m., with home contests at Forsyth County High School Jan. 15,29 and Feb. 5. The Forsyth women’s teams rep resent Ingram’s Heating and Air Condi tioning, the Bank of Cumming and Dairy Queen. | i I fPWr/ ~Jr i hj/Kf JHKt SOUTH S LADY GATORS POSTED PERFECT SEASON ...strong team play led by Kerensa Shoemake surely was better than 93-150-4. I first began to suspect the jinx last spring, while covering the varsity and junior varsity baseball teams. The varsity won four games, and while I sat in on most of the losses, I was present for only one of the victories. The first win came over Berkmar on a Tuesday, the day we newspapermen spend most of the day in Lawrenceville piecing the paper together. Cedar Shoals fell to the Bulldogs on the day of the boys region track tournament, so again I was conspicuous by my absence. I thought for sure I would get to see a win when Berkmar traveled to Gumming for the season’s second game, but when I left in the fourth inning the Bulldogs were trailing 4-2. With me gone, they rallied for a 6-5 triumph. Hmmmm. The lone win came as senior outfielder I>ee Williams overcame long odds, not to mention my jinx, and smashed a seventh-inning grand slam to give the Bulldogs a 12-9 eome-from-behind victory. My luck with the junior varsity was no better (or should I say the junior varsity’s luck with me was no better?). Apparent losses became wins in my absence and sure victories turned into defeats with my presence. Again, an outstanding individual effort (actually two outstanding individual efforts) broke my jinx and allowed me to see a win. Heading into the final inning nursing a 5-3 lead over Johnson, the Bulldogs surrendered one run and the tying runner was rounding third as Jason Munday fielded a two-out single in leftfield and threw toward the plate. Catcher Tony Yarbrough caught the perfect throw to nail the runner at the plate and preserve the win. And that was my only win. Chase Is The Goal Fox hunting with hounds is a cen turies-old tradition transplanted from England to the American colo nies, where the sport has since flou rished. Since 1949, five hunts have been established in Georgia, the oldest being the Shakerag Hounds Hunt, located in southeast Forsyth County. The Shakerag Hounds Hunt, under the direction of joint huntmasters Henry Muller and Marty Levine, recently got its first biweekly hunt of the season under way. It was a hurdling procession of formally dressed horsemen on spir ited mounts, a pack of over 50 highly trained hounds that received their direction from the toots of huntsman major Peter Wainwright’s horn and, in the lead of course, the fox. The real goal of the hunt is not as much the actual catching of the fox, but the cross-country chase it gives over fields, streams and fences. The chase takes place over 10,000 acres of picturesque countryside, most of which is owned by various club members. Martin Marietta’s director of gov ernmental affairs, John Long, who is also a hunt enthusiast, consented for the club to hunt on the 836 acres of rolling woodland his company leases in the southeast comer of Forsyth. Shakerag Hounds hunters also have permission of club members to hunt on land they own in the north west part of the county, near the Etowah River. II I M Mm fm | Sanford Named to Metro All Star Team Mike Sanford, a senior offensive tackle for the Forsyth County Bulldogs during the past football season, accepts congratulations from coach Ronnie Jackson for being named to the 22-player Metro Atlanta All-Star Team. WSB Radio and Stone Mountain Park, sponsors of the annual all-star team, honored Sanford with a plaque at an awards banquet on Saturday, Dec 10 at THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS—WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1983 Blackstone and sophomores Mike Sla ton and Jeff Lord. Slaton, competing in the 170-lb. class, finished fifth in the state, winning two matches before los ing two in a row, while Swanger won his opening match, but was defeated in his next two. March Concord Takes District Basketball Title. The Concord Baptist Church bas ketball team swept three games at the GRPS 7th District Church league Bas ketball Tournament in Gainesville to claim the district championship and earn a berth in the state tournament. The title was the second in six months for Concord, which also captured the district church league softball championship last August. Concord downed St. Thomas, of Ros well, in the district finals 63-44 as Phil Moore led four Forsyth players into double figure scoring. Moore finished with 19, Chuck Moore scored 14, Steve Sweat totaled 12 and Barry Slaton added 10. But in the first round of the state tournament, held in Augusta, Concord’s hopes of another championship were shortlived as the team dropped a 74-67 decision to First Baptist of Augusta, despite 28 points from P. Moore. 14-And-Under, 12-And-Under Softball Teams Place In State Tournament. Cumming’s youth softball teams domi nated play in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Society (GRPS) 7th District Softball Tournaments in Toccoa, scor ing with two district champions and three runners-up in the four tourna ments. Cumming placed teams in each double-elimination tournament’s championship game and the 12-and-un der division finals pitted two Cumming teams against one another for the title, with Cumming I scoring a thrilling 7-6 come-from-behind victory to claim a berth in the state tournament in Dan ielsville. Like its 12-and-under counterpart, the Cumming I 14-and-under squad rolled through its tournament unde feated, and captured the championship with a seventh-inning rally against I,awrenceville in the title game. The triumph assured the local team a spot in the 14-and-under state tournament in Okay, it’s just coincidence, I convinced myself. But then the string continued this fall. The Bulldogs lost nine of their ten football games, each of which I attended. (I guess even my jinx couldn’t turn the Lumpkin game into a loss.) Tallant’s I>ady Bulldogs lost only four softball games this season. You got it I was at every one of them. Take a look at the current basketball season. Both teams are 2-5 and while I have seen both Bulldog wins (maybe my jinx is not as effective against the fairer sex), I have yet to see the Bulldogs on the right side of the scoreboard at the end of a game. The first win came against Parkview in the Omni, an assignment which my replacement here at The News, Doug Allinger, drew. “Okay, they’ve got their act together now, so I’ll get to see a win over Cedar Shoals,” I thought. Wrong. Strike up another loss. Then, in the first round of the Greater Atlanta Christian Basketball Tournament, the Bulldogs again won, and Doug again covered the game while I was in Dahlonega taking in the Lumpkin Wrestling Tournament. With a chance to see a Forsyth team capture an honest-to-goodness tournament title, I made plans the second night to watch the Bulldogs go up against Westminster for the crown. I should have stayed away. Without me, the Bulldogs might have had a shot to win the close game, but with me there had to instead settle for second place. So, as I head off to Georgia, I leave my best wishes to the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs of Forsyth, as well as all the other athletes, coaches and friends in the county. Maybe, without having to deal with my jinx, everybody can begin getting the wins they work so hard for and rightly deserve. I just hope I don’t take my jinx over with me to Athens. Claxton. After falling to Effingham County in its second game of the state tourna ment, the 14-and-under team fought its way through the losers bracket to face Effingham again in the double-elimina tion tournament’s championship round, and avenged the earlier loss with two straight wins to claim the state title. Two one-run losses to eventual fi nalists Monroe and Fitzgerald cost the 12-and-under team a chance to win its state championship, but when play ended in the tournament, everybody at the Danielsville event knew that this group of softball players would have to be reckoned again in years to come. Despite the two narrow losses, Cum ming finished the state tournament as the third-place team. May Bulldog Golfers Place 10th In State Meet. For the third year in a row, the Forsyth County Bulldogs competed in the AAAA State Golf Tournament and for the second consecutive year, the Bulldog golfers placed tenth out of a field of 16 teams. This year’s tournament, held on Je kyll Island’s Oleander Golf Course, saw the Bulldogs shoot a team total of 336, the same total that earned the Bulldogs runners-up honors in the Region 8- AAAA tournament at Forsyth’s Canon gate On Lanier course. Senior Rhett Sinclair led the Bulldogs in the one-day tournament, posting an 18-hole round of 81, followed by junior Tracy Stansell’s 83, senior Raymond Meadows’ 84 and junior John Redd’s 88. July-August 14-And-Under, 16-And-Under Base ball Teams Advance To State Tourna ments. Forsyth County’s 14-and-under baseball team played what manager Tony Martin called “our worst game of the year” in the championship game of the Dixie Boys League District I Tour nament in Dahlonega and dropped a 12- 3 decision for its first loss in the double elimination event. But the local team, made up of members of the Forsyth County Youth Baseball Association champion Friendship squad, and all-stars from the league’s other teams, rebounded from that loss to easily win the second Continued on Page 5B the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta. Georgia Tech coach Bill Curry spoke to the group of all stars, among which numbered eight members of the 1983 All State teams, including Peachtree quarterback Todd Rampley, Southwest DeKalb quarterback Eric Jones, Gordon defensive back Rory Turner and Fulton lineman Tracy Rocker. PAGE 1B