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SOCCER ROUNDUP
Lady Raiders, Eagles roll on
By Morgan Lee
Sports Writer
The week-plus layover of spring
break produced mixed results for
Forsyth County’s soccer teams as
they resumed play this week.
Neither South's nor North’s girls
seemed to suffer any ill effects from
the layoff the Lady Raiders
picking up a key 2-1 region win at
North Springs while the Lady
Eagles prevailed 3-0 at Centennial.
But North's boys and South’s
boys tripped up, falling 8-1 at
North Springs and 7-0 at Cen
tennial, respectively. Central’s
Bulldogs, however, stormed to a 7-
1 win over Cherokee.
North girls stay
alive. Raiders fall
The North Forsyth Lady Raiders
kept their postseason dreams alive
Raiders edge rival Eagles
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Photo/David McGregor
Above, South Forsyth’s Evan Nissley was safe in this play at the plate, giving the War Eagles a 2-0 lead in the third inning
Wednesday. North Forsyth came back for a 5-4 victory. Below, South’s Josh Tate drew a walk in the third and scored the first run.
North's Doll takes one for the
team, forces in winning run
By Travis M. Chaffin
Sports Editor
In a battle of county rivals, South
Forsyth dominated the early innings of
their matchup at North Forsyth Wednesday
afternoon, but the Raiders scrapped and
clawed their way back from a four-run
deficit to overtake the War Eagles in a
thrilling 5-4 win.
The South Forsyth loss served as the
only blemish on their region record as
both teams are now 4-1 in 6-AAAA play.
“We have played some interesting ball
games this year and that was definitely
one of them,” said North Forsyth head
coach Jim Cahill. “Their pitcher, [Zach]
Boling did a great job, but we never quit...
It was a great pitching matchup.”
After tying the game at 4-4 in a four
run sixth inning. North Forsyth proceeded
to load the bases in the bottom of the sev
enth before South reliever Josh Tate
plunked Mark Doll on the shoulder to
force in Dexter Bobo for the winning run.
Doll, who was the game's starting
pitcher, didn’t get the win on mound, but
did do his part at the plate by coming
through with the game-winning RBI.
Bobo earned the win in relief, striking
out each of the four batters he faced in the
final 1 1/3 innings of the game.
Sports
with a 2-1 win at North Springs
Monday evening.
Needing to win out in order to
make the playoffs, the Lady
Raiders (8-7 overall, 3-3 in Region
6-AAAA) got off to a good start in
a grueling week that includes three
games and finishes with arch-rival
Central Friday night.
First-half goals from Danielle
Bayles and Michelle Dockstader
staked the Lady Raiders to a 2-0
lead that they never looked like los
ing as they pummeled the Spartan
goal throughout.
“We played great,’’ said North
head coach Erik Moore. “We were
finally healthy and not as tired.
There was one of two ways the sea
son could go [after falling to South
5-1 before the break]. And they
came out and busted their tails.”
The Lady Raiders put North
Springs on their heels early, push-
“He just came in and shut them down,”
said Cahill. “He gave us a chance to win.”
Doll pitched the first 5 2/3 innings,
allowing four runs on seven hits and three
walks while striking out seven. The senior
hurler, in fact, struck out six of the first
eight batters he faced.
For the War Eagles, Zach Boling had a
strong outing, allowing two earned runs
(four total) on four hits and three walks
while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.
Two hit batters and an untimely error in
the sixth led to North’s game-tying run as
Boling left the mound and shifted to short
stop.
After two scoreless innings to start the
game, South got on the scoreboard with a
two-out double by Evan Nissley, scoring
Tate from first base after the center fielder
beat the throw to the plate. Nissley then
scored from second on an RBI double that
gave the War Eagles a 2-0 advantage in the
third inning.
South’s Joe White tacked on another
run in the fourth with a solo, lead off
homer to extended their lead to 3-0.
Then, in the top of the sixth, South's
Jamie Benjamin hit a two-out single and
stole second before scoring on an RBI
See RIVALS, Page 4B
ing play into the Lady Spartans’
end while blanketing their best
offensive player.
"We won the 50-50 balls, and
they never really threatened much,"
summed Moore.
North Springs finally broke onto
the board with eight minutes
remaining, scoring on a penalty
kick to half North’s lead, but the
Lady Raiders held on comfortably
for the win.
The Lady Raiders travelled to
Riverwood Wednesday afternoon
(score not available at press time)
and return home Friday for the
match against the Lady Dawgs.
Kickoff is at 5 p.m.
North’s boys team, meanwhile,
bore the brunt of an 8-1 loss in the
nightcap.
Still looking for their first
See ROLL, Page 2B
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Forsyth Central’s Ashley Farley won
two individual sprints, but her team
still lost at North Forsyth Wednesday.
North track
dominates
dual meet
with Central
By Morgan Lee
Sports Writer
The North Forsyth Raiders dominated
most competitions over Forsyth Central
as the rivals matched up in a dual track
meet Wednesday afternoon in Coal
Mountain.
While each side continues to improve
over the season, it was the Raiders who
came away clear victors Wednesday in
both boys and girls meets, picking up 23
total first-place finishes.
“It went well, really well," said North
coach Keith Eickholdt. “The kids com
peted hard for us and Central. It’s always
fun to compete against a county team,
and Central showed a lot of class.
‘‘[The County track meet] was a wake
up call for us, and we’ve improved over
the course of the season.”
For Central, who dominated the girls
sprint events, the meet showed again that
the Dawgs’ track team is on the rise.
"We did pretty good overall,” said
Central coach Allen Slaughter. “It was
tough coming back after spring break, but
we’re coming around."
North opened the meet strong in the
field events. Pole vaulter Cory Dickey
smashed a school record, vaulting 11-6
for first place. In the girls pole vault.
North’s Alexis Haendel cleared 7-0 to
take first. The Raiders also swept the
triple jump, with Kody Hanks winning
the boys (39-4) competition and Mary
Beth Bagley (31-3) taking the girls side.
The Bulldogs' Todd Miles broke the
Raiders' stranglehold in field events in
the long jump, leaping 19-11 1/2 for gold.
“Miles beat the guy [North's Drew
Muller] who beat him at county,” said
Slaughter. “He was pretty impressive."
In the girls long jump, Alexis Haendel
won with a jump of 15-0 1/2. In the high
jump, Central’s Nick Crispins cleared 5-8
to win a standoff, while Mary Beth
Bagley made it 4-8 to win in the girls
competition.
See TRACK, Page 4B
B
Both North
Forsyth and ’
South
Forsyth’s girls .
soccer teams ;
picked up
wins earlier in
the week. The •
Lady Raiders ’
host county
rivals Central *
tonight in a
crucial
Region 6-
AAAA contest *
in Coal
Mountain.
Photo/David
McGregor