Newspaper Page Text
Eagles just miss 6-AAAA title
Lady Eagles fall
for first time in
region campaign
By Morgan Lee
Sports Writer
This time last year, the South Forsyth
War Eagle soccer team fought their way
to a 1-1 draw with Marist and consid
ered it a moral victory.
Tuesday night. South completed a 2-
2 tie with the No. 1-ranked War Eagles
and treated it like a loss.
That South has come so far in just' a
season the War Eagles can still clinch
the second seed in Region 6-AAAA
provided little solace for a team that saw
its chance at a region title go bust after a
promising start.
No. 8-ranked South looked to have
the title in their grasp after building a 2-
0 first-half lead, but Marist found its fin
ishing touch after the' interval and
burned the War Eagles for two goals
that, instead, gave them the 2004 region
crown.
“We’re not happy with the tie; we
came to win," said South coach Phoday
Dolleh. “I congratulated my guys, they
played a hard game. Sometimes, you
just don't get the luck.”
Yet South (1 1-2-2 overall, 6-0-2 in
Region 6-AAAA) rode its luck early in
the contest, with Marist missing two
wide-open chances. But after a shaky
start, the War Eagles settled down and
began to take control as winger Greg
Bova created several early chances.
Physical from the outset, the two
teams clashed both on the ball and off.
with the referee handing out the first
yellow card of the match 20 minutes in.
booking a Marist player for a late chal
lenge. The caution wouldn't be the last.
In all. the match produced five cards and
saw’ a Marist player ejected after two
bookings.
The combative approach yielded
some rash challenges, but the game
remained deadlocked until Nelson
Alvarez fired the home side into the lead
just nine minutes before halftime.
Pouncing on a long throw-in from
Richard Meisemann. Alvarez slotted the
ball past a diving Marist keeper from
eight yards out for a 1-0 advantage,
sending the War Eagle fans and players
into delirium.
Just minutes later. South's faithful
erupted again after Linus Warendh
struck to take a 2-0 lead. Latching onto a
perfect through pass from Meisemann
on the right flank, Warendh sped into the
Marist penalty area before cutting the
ball back and firing past the stranded
keeper with one minute remaining.
Sensing they had Marist on the ropes,
the War Eagles surged into the second
half. Jordan Cushman. Alvarez and
Warendh each created shots in the open
ing minutes. But even a close-range pile
driver from Warendh couldn't net a third
goal as the Marist keeper pushed the
effort around the post.
Marist, heartened by the defensive
stand, responded w ith its first goal of the
night. Earning a free kick 24 yards from
the War Eagle goal. Marist squeezed a
shot through South’s defensive wall and
into the net. The strike halved South's
lead at 2-1 with 24 minutes remaining.
See TITLE, Page 5B
—’ — —i
m
■ Ti
fl
> '-w». 1.1
*-«««>'' -’«**»■«• • jfl
I— i —Brfcj k
Forsyth Central
midfielder Liz
Fink and her
teammates
defeated North
Springs 4-1
Tuesday and
will take on
arch-rival South
Forsyth tonight
at the War
Eagle campus.
Central's boys
also took out
North Springs
Tuesday, win
ning 6-2.
Photo/David
McGregor
Sports
MB W
1 J Idfc f I
JI S m
HF
BkJMB B
- - nK - fl®i W'
‘ %W
IV IF vi i
* jMPir i"-5
BEL m fljjv I
isl * vl !■ I w. ■ Jat • ••Wfl
'fl H» flfl Bfr
. jfl flk «r.
I ife IHBIIi! aB-*- Ib J
SOCCER WRAPUP
Central sweeps past North Springs
By Morgan Lee
Sports Writer
Forsyth Central soccer warmed up
for tonight’s region finale with a
sweep of 6-AAAA foe North Springs
Tuesday night in Cumming.
The Bulldogs picked up a 6-1 vic
tory, despite going down 2-0 in the
first half. Meanwhile, the Lady
Dawgs picked up steam in the second
half for a 4-1 win.
North Forsyth wrapped up its sea
son at Tucker. The Raiders fell 2-1,
while the Lady Raiders played to
their second straight 0-0 draw.
Dawgs overcome rough start
The Forsyth Central Bulldogs fell
behind 2-0 at home Tuesday before
Above, South
Forsyth's Richard
Meisemann, who
had two assists
for the War
Eagles, fights for
possession dur
ing South’s 2-2
draw with Marist.
Left, South
defenders (from
left) Jennifer
Davis. Ashley
Bostic and
Whitney Daniel
wait to block a
free kick during
their 2-0 loss to
Marist. South’s
girls can still win
the region if they
defeat Central
tonight.
Photos/David
McGregor
storming back for a 6-2 win over the
Spartans.
“North Springs was a physical
team,” said Central head coach Matt
Weneta. “But after the boys stopped
paying attention to the physicality of
it, they really started putting the ball
in the back of the net."
Nino Fetic enjoyed an especially
strong night, netting a hat trick, while
Bailey Slijvo followed with two
goals. Nick McKelvey also scored.
“We really won the game in the
midfield," said Weneta. "With
"Wojo” [Jonathan Wojociechowski],
Bailey and McKelvey playing well.”
Yet the Dawgs (9-6-1 overall, 3-5
in Region 6-AAAA) will have to do
without starter Wojociechowski
tonight against South after the mid-
... .
An up-close look at UGA football
— -
Photo/David McGregor
South Forsyth’s Zach Boling
was 1-for-3 at the plate, and
pitched two shutout innings.
South win
cuts into
Raider
territory
By Travis M. Chaffin
Sports Editor
Following tonight’s baseball
games in Atlanta, Region 6-
AAAA’s head coaches are sched
uled to meet to finalize the
remaining four games of the regu
lar season schedule. Each team's
record determines who they will
have to face, giving ballclubs a
little something extra to play for
tonight.
On Wednesday night. North
Forsyth and Forsyth Central came
up short on the diamond, while
South Forsyth improved its region
record to 6-2 the same as the
Raiders, who still hold a head-to
head advantage over the War
Eagles.
South Forsyth shows mercy
in five-run, 15-5 victory
Despite an early, short-lived
North Springs advantage, South
Forsyth led by head coach
Mike Strickland and assistant
coach Ronnie Davis played
excellent, team-oriented baseball
to not only overtake the visiting
Spartans, but to invoke the mercy
rule in a 15-5 five-inning region
victory.
Starting pitcher Ryan Johnson
earned the win in three innings of
work, and Zach Boling held
North Springs scoreless in two
innings of relief striking out
five.
South led 2-1 after the first
inning, but North Springs scored
two runs in the second and two
more in the third to pull ahead, 5-
2.
But that’s when the War Eagle
offense truly cranked into gear,
scoring four runs in both the third
and fourth innings, and five more
in the fifth, forcing officials to
halt the game once the required
10-run margin had been met.
Offensively for South Forsyth
(12-9 overall, 6-2 in region play).
Jonathan Wages (3-for-4) was a
See CUTS, Page 5B
fielder picked up two yellow cards
and was ejected.
Central tied the game at 2-2
before the half and scored just min
utes into the restart as they took con
trol of the contest.
“After some early mistakes, our
defense really played well," said
Weneta. “Every senior played well
and got to come off the field to a
standing ovation [on senior night]."
The Dawgs expect another battle
in their season finale tonight at arch
rivals South.
“We expect a tough, physical
game." said Weneta. “[The key] is our
ability to play in the midfield and
defense.”
See SWEEPS, Page 5B
B