Newspaper Page Text
Sports
Wednesday, November 29, 1989
Lady Bulldogs find ait easier ‘Route’
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<Mike
Webber
Sports Editor
Another win,
another time
Saturday night you had to excuse For
syth Central coach Jerry Cauley for feel
ing as if he’d walked that way before. It
was the second time in in five years that
his Lady Bulldogs, at home, had played
Milton in the finals of the Route 400 bas
ketball tournament.
The strange feeling is one he could be
come accustomed to as Cauley’s squad
once again beat Milton for the title. The
first time was prior to the 1985-86 season.
That year saw his team, then called For
syth County High School, ranked sixth in
AAAA, beat Milton’s second-ranked
AAA squad. The score wasn’t close as
the Lady Bulldogs ran away with a 19-
point, 72-53 decision.
That game featured players like Tena
DeVore, Milton’s all-state center, and
Forsyth County’s Gina Sutko.
The score was a bit clever this time,
54-45. Each team had their individual
stars. Forsyth Central was led by MVP
Shanna Kelly and all-star Paula
Vaughan while Kristen Hoemer and
Kricket Rogers were Milton’s all-tour
ney selections.
“It seems like there’s something about
Milton that brings out the best in us,”
said Cauley. “We’re playing pretty good
basketball right now. We’ve got a pretty
young team and you don’t know what
winning a tournament like this can do
for your players.”
Forsyth Central wielded the battle ax
early in the finale versus Milton, scoring
seven of the the game’s first nine points.
With 3:42 showing in the first quarter the
Lady Bulldogs had established a 9-2 ad
vantage. All the fight wasn’t taken from
Milton as Sonny Saye’s Lady Eagles
trailed 15-8 after one and 33-25 at
halftime.
The intermission score might have
been considerably closer except that the
Milton bench was whistled for a techni
cal foul early in the second quarter. The
score stood at 17-11 in Forsyth Central’s
favor when Saye, accidentally waving a
towel, was flagged. Three foul shots and
one field goal later the score had
reached 22-11.
You hate to see any game, especially a
tournament finals, taken out of the play
ers’ hands. And it didn’t appear that
Saye’s actions were directed at any one
individual.
Milton, to its credit, managed to make
a game of it. After three quarters the
score stood at 42-39 in Forsyth Central’s
favor. Cauley’s crew outscored Milton 8-
4 over the next five minutes. And with
1:28 left the Lady Bulldogs, leading 52-
43, had another title safely in hand.
Vaughan was the Lady Bulldog’s lead
ing scorer, heading the list with 18
points.
The championship trophy mean sthat
Forsyth Central stands with a perfect 3-0
record.
The Lady Bulldogs had earlier beaten
North Springs by a 69-47 count on Tues
day. It didn’t take Kelly long to place her
name in nomination for the MVP trophy.
She may have been slender of frame but
this player, going full-tilt with the tenac
ity of a pit bull and Annie Oakley’s shoot
ing eye, ripped North Springs for 22
points and nine steals. She was like a fly
in the Lady Spartan’s ointment as Kelly
got her hands on 14 passes. Forsyth Cen
tral’s Vaughan was also a key in the
opener as she countered with 17 points.
“It’s difficult to get you offense going
when somebody keeps messing things
up,” said Cauley. “I’m just glad she’s a
member of this basketball team.”
The team had two players in double
figures in Friday’s 44-31 victory over
Roswell. Paula Hubbard and Alicia Mul
linax combined for 22 points, with Hub
bard hitting for 12. Kelly, who scored 35
points in three games, slipped in nine
more.
Forsyth Central’s offense can’t take
all the credit for beating Roswell. Cauley
preaches defense with a capital ‘D’. He
sat by and watched his Lady Bulldogs
take the starch out of Roswell’s offense
by allowing them one mere field goal in
the first quarter.
AlO-2 opening quarter lead grew to 21-
10 by halftime.
“We got after ’em real good, I was
proud of that,” said Cauley. “They (op
position) can’t win if they can’t score.”
Roswell managed to keep it respect
able in the third quarter, winning that
segment in 15-14 fashion.
But then the Lady Bulldog once again
dulled the Lady Hornet’s stinger, allow
ing Roswell only six points on six shots
from the charity stripe.
Those three victories gave Cauley his
third Route 400 title in the last five
years.
“But to win it at home is something
special,” he said. “Those you don’t for
get about.”
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Staff photo Mike Webber
Alicia Mullinax goes high before releasing ball over Roswell’s Sherry Smith
Bulldogs grab
fourth place
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
Forsyth Central’s boys (1-2) finished
fourth after losing 66-58 to Riverwood in
Saturday’s consolation round of the Route
400 basketball tournament.
The Bulldogs, which opened the tourna
ment by beating North Springs, lost to Ros
well in a second round game.
“They had a pretty good team,” said
Forsyth Central coach about Riverwood.
“We lost but I’m not discouraged, not at all.
We’re inexperienced but learning more
and more about the fundamentals of the
game.”
A sign of Forsyth Central’s inexperience
was reflected in the Bulldog’s shooting.
They were 20-63 from the field and 15-28
from the free throw line.
“We’re still learning,” said Smith. “I
was real pleased with our second half de
fense. Our second half offense was also bet
ter. We just need better shot selection.
Riverwood, which only had three more
field goals on a 23-48 night from the the
field, was an extraordinary 20-23 from the
free throw line.
“We’re learning,” said Smith. “Like I
said, we were playing a pretty fair basket
ball team. We’re going to be better.”
Riverwood led 16-11 after the first quar
ter. Forsyth Central, with 14 points in the
second quarter, surrendered 22 and trailed
38-27 at halftime.
The Bulldogs had their best quarter right
after halftime. They outplayed the Raid
ers, winning the third in 17-10 fashion.
The fourth quarter saw the Bulldogs,
while they came close, could never quite
catch Riverwood. Jon Bennett’s 3-point
field goal at the the buzzer made it a 48-44
game in Riverwood’s favor.
That was to be as close as Forsyth Cen
tral came. \
Please see BOYS, page 2B
Forsyth County News
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Staff photo Mike Webber
Bulldog’s Eric Masaschi was named tourney all-star
Forsyth Central grabs early lead,
beats Milton 54-45 in title game
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
Forsyth Central’s girls won their third
Route 400 basketball championship Sat
urday night at home, beating Milton 54-
45. It was the second time in five seasons
that Forsyth Central had won the title by
beating their neighbors from
Alpharetta.
“This is great for the players, just
great,” said Forsyth Central coach Jer
ry Cauley. “We wanted to get the season
started on the right foot. I guess you
could say we did just that.”
The Lady Bulldogs, which went to 3-0
on the season, had earlier defeated
North Springs and Roswell. Forsyth
Central placed two players on the all
tournament team. Shanna Kelly was
named the tournament’s MVP while
Paula Vaughan was also selected to the
dream team.
“This was a very physical game,” said
Cauley. “Who ever said that basketball
isn’t a physical sport sure didn’t watch
this game. Milton came after us but we
didn’t back down.”
Forsyth Central, which took a 1-0 lead
on a free throw by Alicia Mullinax, nev
er trailed. The Lady Bulldogs led 15-8
after one quarter and 33-25 at halftime.
Milton pulled back to within three, 42-39,
after the third quarter but could never
quite catch Forsyth Central.
“You have to give them credit,” said
Milton coach Sonny Saye. “They jumped
Coach calls win
a 'team effort*
By Richard Hammond
Sports Correspondent
After Saturday’s 54-45 win over Milton
in the championship of the Route 400
tournament, Forsyth Central’s Shanna
Kelly and Paula Vaughan were named
to the All-Tournament team.
While head coach Jerry Cauley was
enjoying his championship plaque in his
office after his girls’ win, he remem
bered some of the unsung heroines of
the tournament and not just the stars.
“Every girl on the team played a part
in this tournament,” Cauley comment
ed, “whether it was in practice or in the
games.”
One player who made a big contribu
tion in the semifinals and the final
against Milton was starting forward Ali
cia Mullinax. After falling into foul trou
ble during Tuesday’s tournament open
er against North Springs, Mullinax
came back to score 10 points in the semi
final against Roswell and 11 points in
the final.
“Alicia (Mullinax) is a real battler,”
said Cauley, “she averaged in double
figures in the last two games and was
real strong underneath against Milton.”
Please see TEAM, page 2B
out early and we couldn’t quite catch
up.”
Vaughan was Forsyth Central’s lead
ing scorer as she pitched in 18 points.
Alicia Mullinax was the team’s second
player in double digits as she scored 11
more. Center Shannon Lindeland scored
eight point while forwards Kristi Watson
and Paula Hubbard pitched in with sev
en and six markers respectively. Kelly,
whose defense caused 12 turnovers,
scored four.
Roswell received a supreme scoring
effort from Kricket Rogers,the junior
forward, led all players with 21. Kristen
Hoemer was the other Milton player in
double figures with 10 more. Those two
players were also selected to the all
tournament team. Susan Kluth scored
eight more for the Lady Eagles while
Jenn Hightower and Alex Bowen also
tallied four and two respectively for
Milton.
“We played better the second half,”
said Saye. “I thought we might have a
chance to win. But you have to give them
(Forsyth Central) credit. They made the
plays when they had to. But we made it
an interesting game”
Milton, which won the third quarter in
14-9 fashion, trailed 42-39 entering the
final quarter.
Forsyth Central’s achilles heel was at
the free throw line. The Lady Bulldogs
converted on 10-22 chances, or 46 per
Please see GIRLS, page 2B
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Staff photo Mike Webbet
Center Shannon Lindeland
Nongame wildlife
fund is protection
By Bill Vanderford
Special to the Forsyth County News
Though often overlooked in Georgia’s fast-paced life
style, wildlife is important to the quality of life enjoyed in
the Peach State. However, 27 animals and 66 plants are
currently listed as threatened or endangered.
Concern for vanishing wildlife and most Georgians’ de
sire to both protect and enjoy outdoor resources resulted in
the creation of the Nongame Wildlife Fund in 1985. In fact,
Governor Joe Frank Harris proposed legislation creating
the Nongame Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Acquisi
tion Fund, and the legislation was passed by the General
Assembly.
Georgia’s Nongame Wildlife Program is administered
by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and has
the goal of preserving, protecting and effectively manag
ing nongame (non hunted) wildlife and their habitat.
The need for the Nongame Program is critical. As hu
man population grows and lands are developed for housing
and agriculture, wildlife habitat is lost, which caused
many populations of wildlife to disappear. Experts have
predicted that by the year 2000, over two million acres of
prime habitat for wildlife will be converted to agriculture
use or swallowed up by urban development. Therefore, the
DNR, through the nongame program, has implemented a
nongame wildlife conservation plan for Georgia. This plan
should insure that those natural resources remain here for
future generations to share and enjoy.
Since its introduction by the DNR in 1987, the nongame
program has accomplished many of the preset goals.
•Raptor Restoration Project. The DNR has reared and
released 58 bald eagles, 13 osprey, 60 golden eagles, and 10
peregrine falcons, the latter a cooperative project with Zoo
Atlanta and the U.S. Forest Service. Currently seven bam
owls are in hack boxes and will be released when they are
able to fend for themselves.
•Bring the Bluebirds Back. This nongame project has
been a tremendous success. Over 12,000 bluebird boxes
have been sold throughout the state. Wildlife biologists
estimate that over 350,000 baby bluebirds were hatched
this spring from the boxes. Currently, the DNR is placing
bluebird nest boxes at rest areas along interstate
highways.
Please see OUTDOORS, page 2B
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