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REGION 6-AAAA BASKETBALL ROUND-UP
County teams earn three wins
From staff reports
Saturday’s Region 6-AAAA bas
ketball schedule produced mixed
results for Forsyth’s six varsity repre
sentatives.
The Forsyth Central Bulldogs
experienced the most success, sweep
ing Riverwood in two home games.
Meanwhile, the North Forsyth
Raiders split with Chamblee, winning
the boys battle but falling short in the
girls game. South Forsyth, playing
one of the region’s toughest programs
in Marist, dropped both contests.
Central too much for Riverwood
Looking to bounce back from a
tough night at Tucker, the Forsyth
Central Bulldogs fended off
Riverwood Saturday night, 49-43,
while the Lady Dawgs won 48-37.
Bulldog head coach Steve Barnes
saw a lot of positives during his
team’s victory, despite a sluggish
opening half of play.
“[Friday] we didn’t play with the
intensity and enthusiasm that we had
been,” said Barnes, “so it was good to
see us bounce back [Saturday].”
The Dawgs’ perimeter shooting
kept them in the contest early, as
Robert Pendino and Jonathan
Wojociechowski hit several 3-point
ers. But Central (4-5 overall, 4-3 in
Region 6-AAAA) raised its game
during the second half, especially on
defense, creating several turnovers.
The Dawgs also turned to post
Judd Gravitt, who nailed several key
shots, including free throws, to ice
the victory.
“Judd had a really good game,”
said Barnes. “And we played really
good defense in the second half. We
made some mental mistakes, but we
were able to hold on.”
The Forsyth Central Lady Dawgs
(3-6, 2-5) didn’t need to post a come
back against the Raiders, grabbing an
early lead that held up behind Amy
Mohr’s 19 points.
Jennifer Korb added 10 points, as
the Lady Dawgs picked up a must
win victory after a tough opening
stretch to the 6-AAAA schedule.
“It’s amazing how a win can
cleanse the soul,” said Central head
coach Chris Leak. “It was a great
team win, and we had six of nine
players score.”
The Lady Dawgs hope to use the
victory as a springboard into the holi
day tournament season and beyond.
“We’ve got long-range goals for
short-range failures,” said Leak.
“We’re going to be somebody that
needs to be reckoned with at the end
of the season.”
The Lady Dawgs and Bulldogs
have a short respite before heading
into Friday’s Christmas Tournament
at Lumpkin County.
North splits with Chamblee
North Forsyth’s boys posted a
huge 62-28 win Saturday at home
over Chamblee, while the Lady
Raiders experienced a disappointing
loss 47-36 loss to the Lady Bulldogs.
The Raiders (7-1, 4-1) began their
offensive attack early in the game,
scoring 11 points to Chamblee’s six
in the first quarter and continued to
dominate the Bulldogs with 23 more
points in the second quarter.
The Raider defense held the
Bulldogs’ scoring to just six points in
the third quarter and only 14 points at
during the second half.
Aiding a strong defensive show
ing, the Raider offense also proved
powerful, widening the scoring gap
Photo/Bill Vanderford
Pitchin’ and flippin’ in the receding waters of Lake Lanier
usually results in catches of heavy bass.
Sports
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in the second half.
Leading the way for North was
Christopher Light with 13 points,
Matt Womack with 12, and John
Jennings with eight.
The Lady Raiders couldn't get the
better of Chamblee, falling 47-36.
The visiting Lady Bulldogs took a
7-4 lead early in the first quarter. But
the Lady Raiders found their momen
tum and matched the Lady Bulldogs
in the second quarter, trailing by three
at halftime.
However, the Lady Raiders lost
their drive in the third quarter and
scored just four points while
Chamblee added 13.
North attempted a comeback in
the fourth quarter, breaking out with
16 points and outscoring their oppo
nent by one but were unable to catch
the Lady Bulldogs.
Despite defensive problems, the
Lady Raider offensive efforts were no
less proficient, as Mallory Holtzclaw
led the way with 14 points. Katie
Gravitt added nine points, and
Shannon Cleland chipped in with
five.
North Forsyth played at South
Forsyth Tuesday (score not available
at press time).
See HOOPS, Page 2B
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Receding waters require different cast
By Bill Vanderford •
For the Forsyth County News
Pitchin’ and flippin’ aren’t tactics
reserved just for baseball or horseshoes.
In the receding waters of Lake Lanier, it
also describes a method that, when con
ditions are right, usually results in
catches of heavy bass.
Longer seven- to eight-foot rods are
best when attempting the art of pitchin’
and flippin’, and the name basically
describes the action. One uses a longer
rod to pitch or flip a plastic worm, jig
and pig, or other soft plastic lure quietly
into shallow, visible cover. It’s almost
like the lost art of fishing with an old
cane pole.
During the spring, water levels are
often high, which is also an ideal situa
tion for pitchin’ and flippin’ lures direct
ly into visible, shoreline structures.
The receding waters of any draw
down also takes the water away from
shoreline cover, but suddenly begins to
reveal isolated stumps, rocks, and fallen
trees that had been underwater for the
rest of the year.
Baitfish and bass are generally
attracted to these objects during the
cooling process, and if an angler is able
to present a realistic-looking lure to
these fish, good things usually happen.
Big bass, around lonely cover during
falling water tend, to be lure-shy and
won’t likely chase an offering. Slower
lure action and pinpoint presentations
Above, North
Forsyth’s Matt
Womack (34),
seen earlier
this season,
scored 12
points
Saturday
night in the
Raiders’ 62-
28 win over
Chamblee. At
left, Forsyth
Central’s Amy
Mohr posted
a team-high
19 points to
lead the Lady
Dawgs past
Riverwood,
48-37.
Photos/David
McGregor
are critical to angling success. One must
carefully serve them dinner right in their
living room. This is easily accomplished
by softly pitching or flipping the lure
right into their hiding place.
Logs, stumps, brush piles, boat
docks, or shallow rock formations are
excellent places to look for isolated big
bass. Sunlight or calm winds are added
enhancements that cause bass to hold
extremely close to these visible struc
tures. Though it is often difficult to flip
or pitch a lure into shallow cover with
out spooking a bass, if these objects are
approached slowly and quietly from the
deepwater side, the results will be much
See CAST, Page 2B
Wrestlers
aim for
Forsyth
By Travis M. Chaffin
Sports Editor
Forsyth County wrestlers are
gearing up for a big weekend at
home.
All three local high schools
will be in action on Saturday
North Forsyth hosts a quad-meet
with Northgate, and Lumpkin and
Gilmer counties at 9 a.m., while
Forsyth Central takes part in the
rival War Eagles’ eight-team
South Forsyth Duals, beginning at
10 a.m.
South Forsyth is coming off a
successful weekend of mat action,
placing third in the highly compet
itive Apalachee Tournament.
Dublin placed first with 315.5
team points, ahead of Morgan
County with 238 and South with
202.5.
South Forsyth’s highlights in
the tournament include: 103
pounds: Michael Williams placed
second, falling to B. Osburn of
Dublin in the finals; 130: Mike
Denoia placed second, losing to
B.J. Jolly of Grayson 3-6 in the
finals; 135: Ryan Murray (second
place) lost to B. Hurrin of Dublin
by pinfall in the finals; 140 Kyle
Knox (second place) lost to state
champion Demario Jones of
Dublin in the finals;
145: Travers Xanthos (third
place) beat D. Saenz of Apalachee
11-5; 152: Ryan Becker (third
place) beat Godlewski of Grayson
4-3; 171: Kyle Huffman (third
place) beat B. McAlllister of
Dublin by pinfall; and 215: Andy
Gillan (third place) beat J. Gaddis
of Winder-Barrow by pinfall.
This Saturday’s South Forsyth
Duals will also feature Roswell,
Milton, Northview, Riverwood,
Johnson, Union Grove and
Forsyth Central.
Meanwhile, at this past week
end’s John Smith Mountaineer
Invitational at Lumpkin County
High. North Forsyth placed fourth
behind first-place Jefferson,
Lithia Springs and Dawson
County while Forsyth Central
placed ninth out of 16.
North Forsyth’s individual
placers were: 125: Josh Pledger,
fourth place; 130: Heath Westray,
third place; 135: Matt Miller, first
place; 145: Alex Haney, fourth
place; and 189: Matt Nelson, third.
Though the Raiders are cur
rently ranked eighth in the state,
head coach Travis Jarrard said the
team has yet to show consistency
on the mat some matches they
wrestle perfectly, and, in others,
they don’L But, he said, these are
errors that can be fixed.
“Even though I’m frustrated.
I’m still kind of happy in knowing
where some of the problems are
coming from,” Jarrard said. “So,
it’s not like I’m down on the sea
son I know what we need to
do, and after Christmas break,
we’re going to really have to
buckle down and get it done.”
One bright spot from last
weekend was Pledger’s fourth
place finish. The 125-pounder
broke his hand in the Raiders’
final football game of the season
and had been wrestling with a
See AIM, Page 2B
b