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Sports
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20
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Staff photo Mike Webber
Thursday swinger
Forsyth Central softball player Kris Adams loosens up in
preparation of a trip to home plate in last week’s first
round of the AAA tournament in Stockbridge. A series win
would have qualified the Lady Bulldogs for the state AAA
final four. Thursday’s loss sent the team, the 1991 Region
8-AAA champions, home to Cumming.
IfMike
Webber
Sports Editor
Team deserves
a second look
We’ve drawn the 1991 season past the
halfway mark, and it’s high time we put
starched words behind us.
If beauty is indeed in the eyes of the
beholder, then it’s high time South For
syth’s 2-5 team starts looking better than
its record.
South Forsyth, after a good start to its
varsity future last year, has been treading
water as of late. This past Friday night
found the War Eagles trying to find a way
to get well at Jackson County.
The game started well enough as Jory
Holbrook returned the opening kick 95-
yards for a touchdown. At halftime, the
War Eagles were flying on top by a 14-13
count
Jackson County won the second half 21-
6, and the game as well, 34-20. The final
score deserves a deeper look, a view
which revels two of Jackson County’s five
touchdowns, one was on a fumble recov
ery and one via a kick return.
A couple of miscues is all it took and all
of a sudden, a game which was tighter
than a snare drum, became loser than a
flapping tongue at the comer tavern.
When things are going good, everybody
backs you. Start to lose however, and ev
erybody begins running for cover.
Sure, South is now 2-5, but let’s not be
so quick to find fault with the system. If
it’s not broke, then don’t fix it The sug
gestion down South is not so much that
the Eagle express is flying on broken
parts, but that some parts are missing.
In more clear language, this year’s
South Forsyth varsity is minus more than
a half-dozen stars that had ’em fly high at
3-2 in ’9O.
Let’s take a look back at the beginning.
Less than three years ago there was a
small metamorphisis of players from
Forsyth Central to South Forsyth. Those
players helped make a difference in last
year’s team, a big difference.
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Staff photo - Porfirio Solorzano
Jory Holbrook’s run for ‘six’
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Staff photo - Porfirio Solorzano
Forsyth Central’s James Finnemore (28) brings down quarterback Aaron Griffin
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Touring professionals
Johnny Isakson, left, and Jack Bandy, directors in Stricklin Capi
tal, eye each other as they receive a first-hand tour of the Polo
Field’s golf course from professional Butch Hansen. Isakson is
president of Northside Realty, a division of Fairgreen Capital,
Jackson County Panthers stop South Forsyth 34-20
By Richard Hammond
Sports correspondent
JEFFERSON - South Forsyth’s War Eagles (2-5) went to
Jackson County (4-3) Friday looking to keep their hopes of
turning their season around, but instead found more bad
breaks paving the way for a 34-20 loss to the Panthers.
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Staff photo - Mike Webber
Liz Eichler (15) makes bid to for second
Rowdies scratch Wildcats 4-2, remain unbeaten in six contests
Sports Editor
The Under-16 Forsyth Rowdies soccer team remained un
beaten (5-0-1) last week, taking a 4-2 victory from the DDY
Wildcats in Decatur.
The two-goal margin wasn’t indicative of how well the Rick
Waldron-coached team performed. The Rowdies, still experi
menting with a new offensive formation, actually trailed 1-0 at
the 7 minute mark of the first half.
The Rowdies then returned to their original offense. The
move paid off as Forsyth scored three goals in the next eight
minutes. Scott Hoffman, Jeff Hazard and Pepper Holcombe
all contributed goals which gave the Rowdies a 3-1 lead at
halftime.
Indians scalp Bulldogs with early touchdown, win 7-0
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
For the second consecutive week Forsyth Central
went nose to nose with the upper echelon in subregion
8-AAA North, and for the second straight week the Bull
dogs were set back by an early touchdown. Friday night
Forsyth County News
The Panthers outgained the War Eagles by only 28 total
yards offensively, and both defenses made big plays to halt
key drives. The lapses were not on defense or offense, howev
er, but instead were focused on the special teams.
South Forsyth won the coin toss and elected to receive the
opening kickoff. The choice proved to be a good one as Jory
Holbrook received the kick at the War Eagle 5-yard line and
Stockbridge eliminates Lady Bulldogs
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
STOCKBRIDGE - Stockbridge eliminated Forsyth Central
from the first round of the state AAA softball tournament Thurs
day, dealing the Lady Bulldogs a 74 loss.
Stockbridge will play next weekend in Tifton, as the AAA final
four convenes.
The victory gave Stockbridge two wins in the best-of-three
series.
Forsyth Central drew first blood, scoring two runs in the first
inning. Stockbridge took the lead with three in the top of the
third, but Forsyth Central evened the score (3-3) with a single run
in the bottom of the inning. The game remained deadlocked until
the sixth. In that inning Stockbridge posted four runs on two hits,
one walk and an error. Forsyth Central scored once in the
seventh.
The Lady Bulldogs looked strong in the first Liz Eichler led off
the inning by lining a single off the Stockbridge third baseman’s
glove. Shortstop Neva Gravitt homered with a drive that rolled to
the fence in left-center.
Stockbridge appeared to mount a serious threat in the third,
but the rally was killed when center fielder Kris Adams, after
making a catch, threw to Gypsy Frix at third in time to nail the
It didn’t take the Rowdies long to pick up where they left off.
Nathan Blackstone’s goal gave the Rowdies a comfortable 4-1
margin. Blackstone’s goal came as David King’s drop pass set
Blackstone in perfect position to be the Wildcat keeper.
The week before, the Rowdies (4-0-1) defeated the TYSA
Hurricanes 4-0 at Tucker’s Henderson Park.
The victory enabled the Rowdies to reach the season’s
halfway point with an unbeaten record.
The Rowdies didn’t waste any time getting on the score
board against the Hurricanes. The game was one minute old
when Michael Vanderhoff scored the first of his two goals.
The score, which turned out to be the winning goal, came on a
throw-in from Holcombe.
it was Stephens County, which parlayed an 84-yard
drive into a Darrell Brown touchdown, that gave the
visiting Indians took a 7-0 victory.
Last week it was Habersham Central which came
away with a 6-0 victory over the Bulldogs.
“We’re close, really close to making something hap
pen,” said Forsyth Central coach Phil Knight following
Staff photo - Mike Webber
which recently acquired ownership of the Polo Fields Golf and
Country Club and all remaining land. Isakson and Bandy, with
help from Hansen, were surveying the course prior to making
decisions concerning capital improvements.
the game.
For the second consecutive game Forsyth Central's
defense gave the Bulldogs a chance to win.
“That’s all we’ve wanted a chance to win in the
fourth quarter,” said Knight “In both games we had
that opportunity. Things just haven’t been working out
our way. You take away that first touchdown, and it’s a
relatively even game.”
The Indians began the game in the hole. Rico Combs
failed to cleanly handle Scott Hansen’s kick as his knee
touched down at the Stephens County 16.
It it appeared the Indians were uneasy, Stephens
County quarterback Aaron Griffin was a soothing effect
with the wishbone offense. Griffin wasn’t by himself. On
first down from the 16, Brown raced 16 yards on an off
tackle play. That play set the tone as Brown gained
another 6 yards, followed by Andreco Davis’s 5-yard
run.
The Indian offense averaged nearly 6 yards a snap as
they covered 86 yards in 15 plays. The final play covered
4 yards as Brown dashed in over the right side. Brad
Chambers kicked the extra point, and with 4:30 left in
the first quarter, Stephens County led 7-0.
“We made some changes during, and after, that first
drive,” explained Knight
The corrections were accurate as Stephens County,
which had 76 yards rushing and 11 passing on the first
drive, was held to 109 yards (85 rushing) the remainder
of the contest
“The players did a fine job, a great job on defense,"
said Knight
Stephens County had an opportunity to put the game
away early. Forsyth Central’s opening drive collected
one first down, and appeared headed for another, when
quarterback Craig Bennett fumbled after an 8-yard
gain. The Indian’s Peccus Warren recovered the ball at
the Stephens County 49.
It was only two plays later that Rico Combs returned
the favor with a fumble at the Forsvth Central 48, a
Please see CENTRAL, page 2B
North Forsyth’s
rally falls short
against West Hall
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
North Forsyth Middle School wound up its
1991 football season Thursday with a 34-12 loss
to West Hall.
The final score was no indication as to how
well coach Ritchie Taylor’s Wildcats played
against unbeaten West Hall. At halflime West
Hall clung to a 14-12 lead.
“We played about as well as we could against
an excellent football team,” said Taylor. “They
had an excellent football team and we played
them tough for a half. I was real proud of my
team and for the effort they gave.”
North Forsyth actually scored first The Wild
cat defense stopped West Hall on its first pos
session and North, boosted by several strong
runs from fullback Mike Talley, drove 60-yards
Please see NORTH, page 2B
after breaking two tackles sprinted 95 yards for the touch
down. The score would have been Holbrook’s second such
breakthrough but a return earlier in the season was called
back on a penalty. Brendan Cronin’s extra point gave the War
Eagles a quick 7-0 lead.
Please see SOUTH, page 2B
runner.
Kristi Vaughan opened the third inning with a triple. After
Gravitt was walked intentionally, Vaughan scored on a fielder’s
choice ground ball to second by Regina Fields.
On Wednesday, Forsyth Central and Stockbridge had split
Stockbridge won the opener 6-5, while Central’s lady Bulldogs
won the second game in 84 fashion.
The Lady Bulldogs, facing elimination, forced Thursday’s
game by winning Wednesday’s nightcap. Forsyth Central was led
by Gravitt’s pair of home runs and five RBIs.
Forsyth Central jumped out early in the second game, scoring
six runs in the first three innings. The Lady Bulldogs, with one in
the first, two in the second and three in the third, led 6-1 after
three. Stockbridge closed the gap with one in the third and two in
the fourth. Forsyth Central added two in the fifth while Stock
bridge closed out the scoring with one in the sixth.
Gravitt’s double scored Vaughan, who had earlier reached on a
one-out single. Tammy Martin opened the second with a triple.
Martin then raced home on a triple by Julie Carnes. Carmen
Creamer’s ground ball to second enabled Carnes to score the
second run of the inning.
The third inning saw Gravitt slash a wicked shot to right that
Please see STATE, page 3B
Some 18 minutes into the first half the Rowdies upped their
lead to 2-0 when Vanderhoff scored again. This time the point
came on a comer kick.
Those pair of Vanderhoff goals gave the Rowdies a 2-0 lead
at intermission.
The second half scored was opened by Hazard, as he scored
on a rebound shot The play began when the Hurricanes
failed to control a missed shot
The Rowdies’ final goal came compliments of Holcombe as
he split the Hurricanes’ defense and beat the goalie.
John Closs and Chris Pierson combined to play strong de
fense as the Rowdies recorded their third shutout in five
matches.
1B