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REGION TOURNAMENT
Eagles, Lady Dawgs state bound
Hocker's birdie
clinches low
medalist honors
By Travis M. Chaffin
Sports Editor
Imagine the final hole in “Tin
Cup" except Kevin Costner’s shot
clears the water. Now, watch Steve
Hocker hit a four-wood 240 yards
into the wind to not only clear the
water, but land on the green of
Lanier Golf Club's par-5 No. 1 in
two strokes Monday, paving the way
for a birdie victory in a four-way
sudden playoff as low medalist at the
Region 6-AAAA Boys Golf
Tournament.
"It was one in a million one in
a million." said the South Forsyth
junior on his gutsy club selection.
While the competition decided to
go for a lay up, that just wasn't an
option for Hocker.
“That’s not me. I don't lay back,"
he said. "So, I went for it.”
Hocker's win capped an already
exciting day for the War Eagles, who
earlier clinched the region champi
onship and their fourth straight trip
to the GHSA State Tournament,
shooting a 303 as a team.
"This is one of those things that
has been three years in the making,
more or less." said South Forsyth
head coach Mike Loveless. “We're
getting better every year, and it’s
obvious by the tournaments that
we’re winning and the scores that we
shoot. The focus has been there this
year, and 1 think that these kids really
do want to make an effort to finish
out on top."
But the South Forsyth boys won’t
be the county's only representatives
at State, as the Forsyth Central Lady
Bulldogs' 193 was good enough for
region runner-up behind Marist’s
181 securing the team a spot at
the girls state championship.
Both the boys and girls Class
AAAA tournaments will be played
on Monday. May 10. The boys title
game will take place at Calhoun's
Fields Ferry Golf Course, and the
girls will be at Augusta’s Goshen
Plantation Golf Club.
Only the champion and runner-up
in both the boys and girls divisions
earn the right to represent their
respective regions in the state tour
ney.
"We re headed to Augusta." said
Forsyth Central girls head coach
Jeremy Anderson. “The previous
two years, we've placed fourth in the
state. So. we're looking forward to
another good finish.
“We ll be trying to get in 18
[holes] as many times as we can
between now and May 10."
Katie Long led the Lady Dawgs
with a 93. followed by Hannah
Woodhead at 100 and Lauren
Mullinax with a 133.
Anderson was pleased with
Long's strong finish, particular
shooting a par-4 on the ninth hole
(the girls teed off on No. 10).
“She ended it strong with a good
par," the Lady Dawg coach said.
And for the region champion War
Eagles, Monday's victory was a long
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Photo/BW Vanderford
If precautions are not taken, Bill Vanderford writes, pristine wilder
ness scenes such as this one will disappear during Georgia's
impending population boom.
Sports
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time coming.
“It's a nice feeling,” said
Loveless. “We’ve been the brides
maid every year, and it seems like
we've had this hump to get over."
The difference this year. Loveless
said, has been camaraderie and team
chemistry.
“That has made a difference in
the overall scheme of things," he
said. “They have pulled together and
it’s made a difference for us in terms
of depth."
And as for Hocker’s amazing sec
ond shot in sudden death, the War
Eagle coach isn't about to second
guess that one.
“You’ve got to go for it,” said
Loveless. “If you don’t go for it,
you’ll never win. 1 think that Steve
had the shot in his bag. To hit it
where he did. he hit it perfect ... 240
[yards], into the wind, under a tree.
You just can't ask for any more.
See REGION, Page 2B
/ wt
J .J
Future of Georgia’s fishing is now
By Bill Vanderford
For the Forsyth County News
The predawn quiet was over
whelming. Only the timeless sound
of water rushing around the rocks of
a mountain stream could be heard in
the distance. The old man was
relieved. It had taken him 40 years to
finally conclude that what he really
wanted out of life was the simple
beauty he had left behind so many
seasons ago.
The lure of Wall Street, big
money, and position, however, had
taken him away from his youthful
loves, and made him a financial
giant.
Luckily, he had survived the high
pressure of big business, and was
finding that his memory was still
intact as he carefully made his way
down the tricky path to the stream
with his old flyrod. After all, he was
Above, South
Forsyth’s Steve
Hocker sinks this
put for birdie on the
No. 1 on Monday,
winning a four-way
sudden death play
off. Like the War
Eagles, Forsyth
Central’s Lauren
Mullinax, at left,
and her Lady
Bulldog teammates
will compete at
State.
Photos/David McGregor,
Travis M. Chaffin
about to partake in the opening day
of the trout season at a secret pool on
a remote section of the creek.
A trout that had made its home
there during the elderly gentleman's
youth had been the fodder for many
daydreams as he had gazed from his
New York office into the dull, gray
concrete of another building across
the street. He hoped that some of that
trout’s relatives were still in resi
dence.
As the first streaks of light from
the gathering dawn began to illumi
nate the scattered trees, the man
heard a strange, but frighteningly
familiar sound. The distant noise had
the distinct ring of an unmuffled
internal combustion engine, and it
was getting louder.
Within seconds, more like sounds
could be heard. The old man began
to visibly shake. He could only stand
COMINO FRIDAY
Coverage of rain-delayed track finals
Photo/David McGregor
The South Forsyth girls lac
rosse team just missed out on
the state playoffs.
South girls
lacrosse
knocked
from State
From staff reports
The South Forsyth girls
lacrosse team saw its postseason
drcams erased Saturday with
Centennial's 12-2 win over
Northview.
The outcome put Centennial
ahead of the Lady Eagles on
point differential and ensured
that the Lady Knights would take
the last playoff spot available at
the expense of South.
The Lady Eagles, playing in
just their second season as a pro
gram, could have qualified auto
matically for State when they
faced Centennial almost two
weeks ago but let a 5-1 lead get
away from them in a 5-5 tie that
took the postseason race down to
the wire.
Yet even with the disappoint
ment of not reaching the play
offs, South coach Megan
McMullen is pleased with the
vast improvement her squad has
shown this season.
“It was nice to be that close
[to State)." said McMullen. "It's
very motivating for the girls to
sec how their hard work can pay
off."
In their first season, the Lady
Eagles won just two games, but.
with a year of experience under
their belts. South improved to 7-
5-1 during the 2004 campaign
and found several rising stars,
including senior center Nicki
Runfola.
Runfola became the second
ever female lacrosse player from
Georgia to earn a Division-I
lacrosse scholarship when she
signed with Robert Morris
University, located in Pittsburgh,
Penn.
Even though South loses
Runfola and another senior to
graduation, McMullen sees a
bright future ahead for her squad.
“We have a lot of players
coming back." said McMullen.
“Hopefully, we can continue to
improve."
horrified as the shadows of several
four-wheel drive vehicles, sporting
huge, incongruous tires, and over
flowing with people began pulling to
a stop on the opposite bank of his
“secret spot.”
Even worse was the scene that
was revealed by the full light of day.
The ground around the once pristine
wilderness area had been chewed up
by years of big tires and too many
people.
The flashed reflection through the
prism-like surface of the stream from
a silver can that lay on the bottom
brought an instant tear to the old
man's eyes as he turned to walk
away.
The elderly angler had been con
fronted with the worst problem fac
ing those concerned with Georgia's
fishing future: Population explosion.
See FUTURE, Page 3B
B