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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS —Frkl»y, F«bru«ry 13,1W8
OUTH from IB
■ Westminster or in the next two
• years.
Ben Fish probably would have
J been South’s fourth area champ
' had he not suffered his shoulder
injury over Christmas break.
As it is, the courageous junior
Still was a strong runner-up at
> 140 and cannot be counted out at
all at state.
‘ * And neither can any of South’s
other five qualifiers. Greg Cherry
(130) and Josh Byrd (275) were
area runner-ups also, and can at
.least score high, if not better.
Fast-rising John Lovell (103),
Robert Sexton (189) and Cole
? Chamberlain won consolation
for thirds - and
’• Woockman showed what third
place area finishers can do last
year.
Then there’s Dennis Selby at
171, who could see action as an
alternate after getting fifth at
area.
With a lot of depth and champi
onship motivation, don’t be sur
prised if the War Eagles take
NORTH from IB
right.”
Biggs will lead the Raiders,
going for his second straight indi
vidual state crown in a class five
pounds (135) up from last year.
The senior, in his coach’s words,
“destroyed” the field in the area
meet - including a 17-2 win over
Jefferson’s Wilburn (third in state
at 125 last year) in the finals, a
rare non-pin for him.
“He won’t have an easy road,”
Bishop said, though, noting chal
lengers from Walker and
Armuchee.
Raider male cheerleader Eaton
overcomes the odds, tradition
Special to the Forsyth County
News
“David Eaton is a unique indi
vidual,” says North Forsyth assis
tant principal Richard Gill. “The
senior has a self-confidence
which belies his age.”
While watchng girlfriend,
Ashley Parrott, perform at foot
ball games last fall as a cheer
leader, Eaton considered how
much fun it would be to get
involved in the sport.
With no previous experience at
cheerleading and with no male
tradition established at NFHS, he
decided to tryout for the basket
ball cheer squad.
However, before Eaton could
perform he first had to gain
Georgia High School Association
eligiblity. With a 3.0 GPA from
. the previous semester and with
Experience as a soccer player last
spring, he learned that something
from his past was preventing him
from participating.
“You see, David Eaton is an
example of all that is good in edu-
CHEERfrom IB
' three competitions.
But Central is hoping to bounce back
f and turn the tables. They topped South
v\ 4 back in November at Gordon Central
’Aand then won at Dawson County and
//McEachern in January before Mt. Zion.
“We’re pretty much ready,” said South
•/'head coach Stacey McDaniel Tuesday.
S**We’ve been looking forward to this
§*{the region and state meets) since we
.••''started and ... having had five competi
r jrtions, we’re very comfortable and
Vready”
r/. Six of the Lady Eagles competed on
v*the team that won the 7-AA competi
£ tion at home last year, then claimed the
Instate title in Macon. They include
{/'seniors Rebecca Yang, Lauren Hodges
lS|and Sarah Hash, plus juniors Susan
fyJacobs and Catherine Hobbs - as well
‘;/as Shelly Proctor and Meghan
- both alternates last year.
>3 “They’ve pulled themselves together
y.and been strong leaders, especially
recently,” said McDaniel. “All of them
’■'have been leaders of some sort.”
As for the Lady Dogs? “They’ve been
working real hard,” said head coach
Patti Sanborn Wednesday. “We’re just
trying to clean our routine up and
Morgan County, Chattooga,
Lovett or anyone else at state. A
high standard was set when South
Price leads Bulldogs on mat
By Stephen Underwood
Sports Editor
Chris Price may be the only
Forsyth Central wrestler at this
weekend’s Class AA state
finals at Westminster HS, but
the victories (and some of the
losses) that he and his team
mates had at the Area IV meet
gave a lot of hope for the
future.
“We’re going to be OK in the
next couple of years,” said new
head coach Chris Williams.
The only wrestler graduating
from the program is Lucas
Coombs at 140 pounds.
Coombs, who was seeded fifth,
finished right there to get an
The coach’s son, Kip, probably
has the next best credentials, hav
ing back-to-back area titles and a
state third from ‘97 at 215. The
junior finished strong for a close
victory last week and is probably
as consistent and dependable as
anyone when he’s out there.
Grey is also very motivated at
275. Wrestling with an injured
hand, he picked up his first area
title with a devastating pin of
Dawson County’s Sewell last
week. Fifth at state last year, the
mature senior really wants to go
cation,” says Gill. “He is a symbol
of why teachers teach and why
coaches coach, when hours are
long and pay is short.”
An athlete is permitted by the
GHSA to participate in extra-cur
ricular activities over the course
of eight consecutive semesters.
Eaton was now in his ninth
semester or, as is commonly
known, he was a fifth-year senior.
Without being deterred, Eaton
and his mother sought hardship
status and asked the GHSA that
he be permitted to cheer only at
games but not in competition. The
GHSA agreed and Eaton’s subse
quent tryout proved successful.
He has been an active member
of the cheerleading team as
North’s first male cheerleader
during the entire 1997-98 basket
ball campaign.
“What makes this story of David
Eaton so exciting is that his is a
case of a troubled youth who got
his life straightened out.” says
Gill. During his sophomore year,
changes in Eaton’s personal and
home life had a negative effect on
regroup after last week. I think they’re
ready to do what they can do.”
Central’s motivated seniors include
Kacy Campbell, Mary Hethcox, Alaina
Samples, Stephanie Price and Libby
Birch. “They’ve been with me for all
four years,” said Sanborn, also indicat
ing she has a lot of leadership and tal
ent among her juniors and underclass
men.
Naturally, Central is seeking things to
improve in their routine that can close
the gap against South forged in the last
competition - though they’re still sur
prised the margin was so great.
“One of the things was our dance and
that’s looking a lot better,” said
Sanborn, “though it wasn’t that bad
before ... We’ve also changed one
stunt.”
McDaniel says all of her athletes are
healthy (“Praise the Lord,” she laughs)
and that they have changed one of their
pyramids and are working hard to per
fect it.
While both teams are obviously
focused on each other, the rest of the
small region field can’t be ignored.
Gilmer County and Pickens County are
expected to field teams, and there may
i <
took fourth last year - and this
year’s heroes aim to beat it.
alternate’s spot - winning three
times and losing two.
Price, a junior, made it all the
way to the consolation final last
Saturday at South Forsyth,
where he beat Jackson
County’s Wesley Caneup to get
third. The 145-pounder will be
going to state for the first time
after just missing last year.
Price's freshman brother,
Jonathon, showed a lot of
promise by winning a couple
matches at 125. “He’s got the
potential to be real good,” said
Williams.
Central didn’t have a 112-
pounder, Karla Hyder didn’t
make weight at 103 and Jut
Carnes was injured.
out in style.
And speaking of motivation,
how about Singleton and
Wareham? Each finished third in
Calhoun in ‘97, then were runner
ups last week. With a defending
state champ at 140 having moved
up, Singleton was unable to
repeat his area title at 152 - and
he’ll certainly be thinking how he
can beat Josh Smith of
Commerce and the rest of the
field this week to get the coveted
Class A title.
Wareham has been making
academic achievement.
Troubled and unsure of himself
and his future, Eaton dropped out
of school and lived on his own for
a semester. While he was gaining
an education from the school of
hard knocks, he matured and and
re-enrolled in school.
“When David came to North,”
notes Gill, “he was an angry
young man. However, in a very
short time we all noticed David
getting more involved in our
school and becoming a leader.”
Eaton will enroll at Savannah
College of Art & Design in the
fall and is looking forward to a
tryout for the cheerleading team
there which supports the basket
ball program.
Meanwhile, he is completing the
basketball season as a cheerleader
while attempting to qualify for the
Hope Scholarship with a 3.0
grade point average.
Eaton’s attitude toward trying
out for cheerleading may become
his motto in life: “No guy had
done it. I would be the first. It
would be something different.”
be other late entries, as well. In last
year’s region meet, Gilmer was stunned
when Central edged them for the sec
ond and final state qualifying spot,
protesting vehemently - but to no avail.
This year’s Lady Bulldog squad is
much improved, though. Somewhat
surprisingly, given the 10 graduates
from *97, the Lady Eagles may be also.
“When you replace that many, you’re
not sure the hand you’ll be dealt,” said
McDaniel. “They’re a lot better than I
thought they’d be.”
Ultimately though, the sport is really
about competing against your own pre
vious best performance.
While McDaniel says her team gained
confidence from beating Central, and is
pushing harder knowing teams are after
them, they ultimately must stick to the
above philosophy. “We don’t compete
against anyone on that floor,” she con
cluded.
If both teams are at their best, then
both will advance to state. But both at
Eastside and on Feb. 28 in Macon,
where the best will gather from around
Georgia, there can be only one champi
on.
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Heading to state
War Eagles qualifying at home Saturday from the area to the state Class AA meet: Front row (L-
R): Coach John Allen, Dennis Selby, John Lovell and Cole Chamberlain. Middle: Robert Sexton
Greg Cherry, Ben Fish, Robby Woockman and Josh Byrd. Back: Matt Guion and Bryan Ulrich.
finals in every big meet this year,
with a long string of seconds and
thirds at the highest level. The
tough 171-pounder is hungry for
a title after losing 9-5 in his final
last week. “It was a lot closer
than that,” said Bishop.
Harrison, just a sophomore, is
rising fast at 112 with last week’s
title and a stellar season overall.
“He did a great job last week,” his
coach said. “He’ll always do
what’s right.”
But he added that Harrison will
have a tough bracket, noting that
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A together team
The North Forsyth cheerleading squad: While David Eaton (front) won’t get to compete this week
end at region, he has been a key team member at all basketball games.
By Stephen Underwood
Sports Editor
With just one competition under their belt
- but having many weeks of practice and
demonstrations at basketball games - the
North Forsyth cheerleading squad is ready
for the Region 8-A competition at Eastside
HS in Covington.
The Lady Raiders will compete m the sec
ond session of the multi-class/region event
this Saturday - including regions 8-A, 7-
AA and 8-AA - starting at 2:30 p.m. As
they do at the state meet, the schools
(expected to be 10-12 total) from different
regions will alternate their 2-1/2-minute
performances. Competition times won’t be
known until a 2 p.m. coaches meeting that
day.
North was second in the region last year to
Dawson County, then took seventh in their
first trip to state.
Senior Maria Larson is this year’s captain,
with seniors Kristi Lawhorne and Becky
Tannahill the co-captains. None of them
were on last year’s state team, but Christi
Vaughters, Amanda Ballard, Rachael Rabe,
Sharon Miller, Karen Miller, Amanda
several of his wrestlers have cer
tainly not benefited from an
unusual system of setting up the
brackets at state.
Other North seniors Jody
Random (125) and Luchian
Burke (160) were definitely hurt
by region seedings and subse
quently will face the same situa
tion this weekend. After placing
fourth (shoulder injury) and third,
respectively, last week, they will
be looking to show what they are
really made of.
Senior Jason Adams (140) also
Lady Raiders ready for
state bid in Region 8-A
had a tough draw and will try to
match or exceed his third at area.
Comebacking Scott McDonald
(145) and Elijah Thomas (189,
battling an injured foot) will try
and do the same after fourths.
Youth will also be strongly rep
resented for the Raiders.
Freshmen area runner-ups Tony
Smith (103) and Jeremy Hamilton
(119) will be at their first state
and eager to take on the competi
tion. Freshman alternate Josh
Harrison will try and get in at
130.
Hubbard, Vallon White and Kristen
Lastinger were.
“Nervously excited” is how head coach
Julie Gamer describes attitude of the Lady
Raiders this week, anticipating their big
performance.
“The girls have worked so hard this win
ter,” she said Wednesday. “They’ve been
practicing at 6:30 a.m. and after school -
and they asked for the morning practices!”
Garner says her team has revamped their
routine since the Tiger Cheer Classic, their
only other competition this year. While the
coach would have liked more competitive
opportunities - they were unable to get late
entries into two recent meets - she says the
team’s performances at ballgames has kept
them pretty sharp.
Dawson is again expected to provide the
toughest opposition in the region. Last year,
Lakeview was the only other 8-A team that
competed and Gamer says she hasn’t heard
of other late entries at this time.
With two teams from each region qualify
ing for state, the Lady Raiders have an
excellent chance at a return trip and a
chance to improve from *97.
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