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Sports
7
SUIDAY, FEBRUARY 9,1992
I Mike
Webber
Sports Editor
Entire season is
matter of timing
It’s been a long time, but maybe, just maybe,
Forsyth Central’s varsity basketball teams are
back on the right track.
A key indicator was Tuesday’s twin-killing at
North Gwinnett Forsyth Central’s girls upset the
9th-ranked team in the state, claiming a 43-35
victory. A North Gwinnett fan remarked he
couldn’t remember the last time his girls were
held to 35 points.
An upset was only one side to the story. The win
also enabled Forsyth Central’s girls to match
North Gwinnett’s regular season victory total
(14). Forsyth Central’s win also granted Jerry
Cauley’s team with third place status (54) in 8-
AAA North.
“Before the season began, we set a goal of a
winning season,” said Cauley. “I never knew this
is what we had in store. This team has done some
real fine things on the basketball court”
Forsyth Central’s varsity boys have also done
some fine things this season. Their 53-37 win over
North Gwinnett gave coach Bobby Smith’s team
an 8-12 overall record. More importantly, it gave
Central’s Bulldogs a 5-6 subregion record.
“It (record) could have been better,” said
Smith, speaking of a regular season loss to River
side Military Academy. “On the other hand, it
Could be worse.”
Smith’s plan, phase one, was to escape the 8-
AAA North, regular season basement
That plan has worked to perfection.
The boy’s regular season race, after the top two
positions, is pretty much a bottle neck. It will take
next week’s seeding meeting, for the 8-AAA North
tournament, to settle the score.
Speaking of the tournament, that may well be
Forsyth Central’s one big break.
As the pre-season draw would have it, Forsyth
Central was selected as site for the entire 8-AAA
North shooting match. The big week begins Feb.
18. Hopefully, Forsyth Central fans will still be
cheering for a common cause on Feb. 22, the day
the big event comes to a close.
“At least playing at home makes you feel more
comfortable,” said Cauley. “There’s nothing com
pared to play ing big games at the place where you
practice every day. And, for the most part, we’ll be
playing in front of people who will be rooting for
us. That’s a big break for us, for both teams.”
/
Speaking of breaks, let’s go back to Tuesday’s
pair of subregion victories. A pair of losses could
have sent both Forsyth Central teams sliding
back into a quagmire of other 8-AAA North teams,
squads who also had early-season dreams of
eluding the pack.
“We’re playing well, and it’s at the right time,”
said Cauley.
Smith agreed.
“We just need to keep it going,” he said.
Truer words were never spoken.
o
'
Staff photo - Porfirio Solorzano
Urging on
Forsyth Central wrestling coach Nelson Hall (right), while assistant coach Mike
Pruitt eyes action, urges on his wrestlers at the Area 3 tournament. Both
Forsyth Central and South Forsyth wrestlers competed this weekend in state
tournaments. Wednesday’s edition of the Forsyth County News will have
complete coverage on how both schools fared at AAA and AA state wrestling
action.
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Staff photo - Porfirio Solorzano
Forsyth Central coach Bobby Smith (center) talks with team during timeout in Friday’s game
South Forsyth’s boys, girls
drop pair to Gilmer County
By Rick Waldron
Sports Correspondent
ELLIJAY -South Forsyth’s varsity
basketball teams, both minus key person
nel here Friday night, dropped a pair of
games to Gilmer County.
The visiting Lady Eagles, playing with
out starting forward Gina McKenzie, lost
to Gilmer County 6148. McKenzie, hurt
Friday morning in an auto accident, will
most likely be lost for the remainder of
the season. South’s boys, without the ser
vices of starting center Tim Holt,
dropped a 7047 decision to Gilmer Coun
ty. Holt missed the game after being diag
nosed with kidney stones earlier in the
week.
South Forsyth’s girls was led by for
ward Jennifer Jones, who was the game’s
high scorer with 27 points. Jones was the
Lady War Eagle’s main offensive threat
in the first quarter. In a 7-5 first quarter
lead by Gilmer County, Jones contributed
all five points for South.
Rachel Fish, normally another key of
fensive player for South, spent half the
game on the bench in foul trouble. Fish,
Forsyth County News
who fouled out early in the fourth quar
ter, was limited to three points.
The Lady War Eagles were still in the
game at halftime, as the host Lady Bob
cats could manage only a 24-17 lead after
two periods.
South Forsyth made a strong run early
in tfie third quarter, as it pulled to within
three, at 28-25. At that point, Fish picked
up her fourth foul, and was set to the
bench. Without Fish and McKenzie, Gil
mer County took advantage of a differ
ence in height, and took control of the
game. The Lady Bobcats then went on a
offensive spree, outscoring South For
syth 154 for a 43-29 lead after three
quarters.
While Jennifer Jones led South, Amy.
Roebuck was also in double figures, with
12. Shea Smith scored 4 while Kassie
Jones had 2.
The South Forsyth boys had their
hands full of Gilmer County. The host
Bobcats led 17-8 after one quarter and 41-
20 at halftime. South Forsyth trailed 61-
34 entering the fourth quarter.
Forsyth Central girls upset
9th ranked North Gwinnett
By Mike Webber
Sport* Editor
BUFORD - Forsyth Central’s girls (14-4,
54) pulled the upset Tuesday night, beating
North Gwinnett (14-3, (5-3), AAA’s 9th
ranked team, 43-35.
“That’s a great victory for us,” said For
syth Central coach Jerry Cauley. “I feel
good, real good. This group is just amazing.”
The victory ensured Forsyth Central of a
season’s split in games played between the
two schools. North Gwinnett came away
from Forsyth Central on Jan. 10 with a 43-32
win.
“I would have gladly given them 43 points
this time, also,” said Cauley. “Defense is the
name of the game.”
As if listening to their coach’s words, For
syth Central displayed a tenacious defense,
limiting North Gwinnett to single-digit scor
ing in the opening (5 points) and final (9
points) quarters. North’s offensive output
wasn’t much stronger in the middle periods,
as Forsyth Central’s gi rls held North to 10 in
the second and 11 in the third.
"We shoot 31 percent from the field, miss
nine foul shots, have 27 turnovers, and still
beat the 9th ranked team in the state,” said
Cauley. “This group is just real remarkable.
They just find a way to get it (winning)
done.”
The victory ensured Forsyth Central of at
least third place in the 8-AAA North
standings.
“When we began the season, our goals
were to have a winning season,” said Cau
ley. “We’ve done more than that. Beating
North Gwinnett was just another step in the
right direction.”
Although the final margin of victory was
eight points, the game wasn’t decided until
the final 20 seconds. Forsyth Central, lead
i ng3B-32 with 1:46 left, had an opportunity to
salt a win away. North Gwinnett’s Marcy
Carey, fouled while taking a 3-point shot, cut
Lady Bulldogs, Bulldogs
beat Habersham Central
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
If Friday’s victories over 8-AAA North foe
Habersham Central are any indication,
then Forsyth Central’s boys and girls varsity
basketball teams appear ready for the an
nual subregion tournament
Forsyth Central’s girls used a 6849 win as
means of improved their overall record to
15-3, 6-3 in 8-AAA North. Central’s boys
used a 63-57 win as means of improving
their season mark to 9-12, 6-6 in the subre
gion, by beating Habersham Central.
While the girl’s final margin of victory
appeared wide, the victory was by no means
an easy one. Finding themselves in a 30-30
halftime deadlock, the Lady Bulldogs
roared early in the third quarter, and didn’t
stop until they had outscored their oppo
nents 20-8 in that period.
Forsyth Central’s boys also had a big peri
od. For coach Bobby Smith’s Bulldogs, their
most impressive quarter was the second, as
they outscored Habersham Central 22-12.
Forsyth Central, which had trailed 13-11
after one period, assumed a 33-25 halftime
the lead in half (38-35) with 1:37 remaining.
Over the next 32 seconds three different
Forsyth Central shooters (Kris Adams, Ma
lanie Gault and Gypsy Frix) missed the front
end of 1-and-l.
North Gwinnett’s Celane Sims was called
for traveling with 38 seconds left, giving the
ball back to Forsyth Central. Neva Gravitt
was fouled at the 20-second mark. After
North Gwinnett attempted to freeze Gravitt
by calling timeout, she gave Central a 39-35
by making the front end. Adams sealed the
win with pair free throws, and Frix put icing
on the cake when she converted a last-sec
ond steal into a layup.
“They (North Gwinnett) had their
chances, but we kept them from winning,”
said Cauley. “You’ve got to give this team
credit, they somehow come up with a way to
win.”
The first quarter was a combination of
miscues and missed shots by both teams.
The immediate future didn’t look so bright
when North Gwinnett’s Dwilyn Braswell,
hitting a shot from 3-point range, opened the
scoring. Gravitt came right back with a field
goal that narrowed North’s lead to 3-2. By
the time the quarter ended, it was Gravitt’s
five points (a field goal and three free
throws) that gave Central a 5-5 tie.
The second quarter began with Gravitt
hitting consecutive shots, the second of
which gave Forsyth Central a 9-5 lead. The
period ended on a high note for Gault. Her
pair of field goals, one a 3-pointer, gave Cen
tral an 18-15 halftime advantage.
“Sure, we felt good,” said Cauley. “The
game was still early though, and we still had
to play two more quarters.”
Gault began the third period in the same
fashion she ended the second, hitting first a
3-point, then a 2-point field goal. North
Gwinnett, however, kept pace. With 5:04 left
in the third, Forsyth Central led 21-18.
Please see UPSET, page 3B
FCHS boys
win big, stop
N. Gwinnett
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
BUFORD -Forsyth Central’s varsity
boys (8-12,5-6) basketball team Tuesday
captured an impressive 53-37 victory
over North Gwinnett.
“I was very pleased with our play, es
pecially on defense,” said Forsyth Cen
tral coach Bobby Smith. “We ran the
passing game (offense) the way it should
be done, and played real good defense.”
The eight victories moved the Bull
dogs to within one game ofthe most wins
a Forsyth Central varsity boys team has
earned in the last five seasons.
“We’re looking to win some more,”
said Smith. “It was nice to see us sur
pass that (nine win) mark.”
If the Bulldogs play as they did Tues
day against North Gwinnett, the goal
may be reachable.
It was a Bulldog team which operated
with methodical efficiency against
North Gwinnett. Central’s Chad Jones
opened the game’s scoring by hitting a
pair of free throws. After North had tied
the score (2-2), Forsyth Central’s Chad
Carlisle scored his team’s next eight
points. Jones wound up Central’s scor
ing with a field goal, points which gave
his team a 12-6 lead after one quarter.
Forsyth Central opened the second
quarter in much the same fashion, as
baskets by Davey Bales and Brad Gil-
Please see BULLDOGS, page 2B
lead.
Unlike Central’s girls, Smith’s Bulldogs
didn’t have an opportunity to coast across
the finish line. Leading 4744 after three,
Forsyth Central found itself in a 57-57 tie
with 1:26 left on the clock
Central’s boys went to a passing game,
and the ploy worked out, as the Bulldogs
were 6-6 from the foul line during that time.
Center Davey Bales, forced to play with four
fouls during most of the fourth quarter (he
received his fourth with 5:46 left), respond
ed with four fouls shots and some heady
defense. The other pair of free throws came
from guard Chad Jones, who just may have
played his finest game of the season.
“Chad ran our offense to perfection to
night,” said Forsyth Central’s Smith. “He
scored and he hit numerous open people,
who in turn scored. We received a very good
game from Chad, and the rest of the team.
I’m so proud of all of them for what they
accomplished tonight”
Forsyth Central’s second quarter was a
Please see CENTRAL, page 3B
1B