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» Your hometown newspaper since 1861 The Eatonton Alessenger THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2025 | B3 PSN to broadcast Rock Lobsters games The Athens Rock Lobsters will soon hit television screens from Atlanta to Augusta through a three-year broadcast partnership with Peachtree Sports Network (PSN). The network will show case nine home games live and free-to-air throughout the 2025-26 season. “From day one, our mission has been to make Athens Rock Lobsters hockey something everyone can experience,” Rock Lobsters Chief Marketing Officer Britton Briley said. “Partnering with Peachtree Sports Network allows us to bring the excitement, energy, and community of our games to fans who can’t always make the trip to the rink. This isn’t just exposure, it’s about the connection. The Rock Lobsters play their home games at Akins Ford Arena, which opened one year ago and seats approximately IAN TOCHER/Staff Before the Rock Lobsters' home opener Oct. 25, the team observed a moment of silence in honor of Orca Wiesblatt, a teammate killed one month earlier in a car accident in Canada. 5,000 fans for hockey games. It also hosts many other events including UGA hockey, special events like Monster Jam and wrestling, and several music concerts each year. “This is about showcasing Athens,” Briley said. “It’s about showing the rest of Georgia what makes this community special; not just our hockey, but the fans, the music, and the energy that makes our city come alive.” The broadcasts will be avail able over the air on WPCH 17.2, as well as across PSN’s network of Gray Television affiliates and digital streaming platforms, completely free to viewers. Peachtree Sports Network, a Gray Television property, launched in 2023 as Georgia’s dedicated home for live, local sports. “The Rock Lobsters are the kind of team that embodies what Peachtree Sports Network is all about: community, excitement, and accessibility,” Atlanta News First and Peachtree Sports Network Vice President and General Manager Erik Schrader- said. “We’re proud to bring their games to fans across the state and continue growing our commitment to regional sports coverage that matters.” — Contributed The 2025-26 Peachtree Sports Network broadcast schedule for the Rock Lobsters includes: • Sunday, Nov. 9 vs. Monroe Moccasins - 4:05 PM • Wednesday, Dec. 31 vs. River Dragons - 7:05 PM • Sunday, Jan. 11 vs. River Dragons - 4:05 PM • Friday, Jan. 23 vs. Biloxi Breakers - 7:05 PM • Friday, Jan. 30 vs. Pee Dee IceCats - 7:05 PM • Sunday, Feb. 1 vs. River Dragons - 4:05 PM • Wednesday, Feb. 18 vs. River Dragons - 10:35 AM • Sunday, Mar. 1 vs. Twin City Thunderbirds - 4:05 PM • Sunday, Mar. 29 vs. Monroe Moccasins - 4:05 PM GATORS CONTINUED FROM » B1 things out of Ben when we put him behind center tonight, and he came through,” Ratliff said after the game. Gatewood came out swinging again in the second half, as senior running back Mason Sinclair scored from 13 yards out just 42 seconds into the third quarter, with Love deliv ering the extra point to go up 34-0. Two minutes later, junior running back Landon Moreno completed a long 69 -yard run down the left sideline, culmi nating in a heroic dive across the goal line with two Hawks players hanging off his back. The extra point was no good, but the Gators led 40-0. The shutout finally broke, however, with 5:24 to go in the final quarter when Heritage scored a 29-yard touchdown but missed the extra point attempt. The Gators quickly responded, as Brady Haley rushed for a 14-yard touchdown for their last score. Heritage then scored its last touchdown in garbage time with just over a minute left. “That was exactly what we needed,” Ratliff declared in his weekly email message to team parents and supporters. “We played great defense on a Heritage offense that was very explosive. Our ability to stop their run game limited what they could do. It was a great team effort against a team that had some weapons. “On the other side of the ball, our offense was electric at times. More importantly, we were consistent and balanced.! thought we did a good job of mixing in the run with the pass, and we had a lot of players step up and produce. It was nice to light up the scoreboard, too.” Ratliff stressed, however, that this Friday’s game against SGA will demand all of that effort and more from his team. Southwest Georgia beat Gatewood in this same matchup 46-13 last year, finished first in its region (7-3, 3-0) this year, and was seeded second overall for GIAA Class AA playoffs. “They (SGA) have a really, really talented running back, one of the best players in the league, and they’ve got a really, really good offensive line. And they play well together,” Ratliff said. “They’re a good unit. It is going to be a tough challenge for us but hopefully we’re up for it.” EAGLES CONTINUED FROM » B1 “It’s now seven years in a row, man,” Putnam County’s head coach said. “It’s just a testament to our kids and their commitment to wanting to be good in football, and to our administration for setting things up the way they need to be set up so that we can stay compet itive year after year and put a good product on the field.” Putnam County went 1-2 for a tough start to the season, but then won two LIVING CONTINUED FROM » B1 a fun exercise that would exceed what you might experience if Alton Brown invited you to dinner and allowed you to watch him do his thing. They recently cooked spaghetti for Kim and Lee Echols of Athens, along with a couple who have compiled three cookbooks and can’t cook a lick. With Charlie’s inventive and creative style, you would think he descended from the man who brought about the chuckwagon. When the decision is to eat out, Charlie might discourse about the history of the Grandy Mountain Christmas Tree Farm, which features abundant Fraser firs. Then he may suddenly bring his Ford elec tric truck to a stop and collect a handful of wild The Eatonton dilessenger LOCAL MATTERS News 706-749-7232 straight games against Haralson County, the No. 16 seed in the playoffs, and McNair. A tough fourth-quarter loss to Social Circle left them at 3-3, but they bounced back with two wins in a row against Utopian Academy and Towers. However, Putnam County lost its last two regular-season games to No. 2 seed Lamar County, and to Jasper County, the No. 7 seed. Harvin remains convinced his team is better than its record suggests. “So, you go look at a lot of our games, and over the mushrooms for his next kitchen adventure. He might even share with you this meaningful note that, “Christmas trees growing in the United States absorb and store 4,200 pounds of carbon every day, which is the equivalent of taking 300,000 automobiles off the road.” In the last fortnight, there was a window one afternoon when Charlie and Bob Gaston took a tinhorn to a peaceful lake immersed among the high-end homes and forest in this part of the world for an opportunity to fish for rainbow trout, which are as plentiful as rhododendron. They baited my hook and offered encourage ment as my luck was as good as it has ever been. In less than an hour I hooked seven trout, most of which were 20 inches in length, just right for the frying pan; except we past two years we’ve been five and five in the regular season. But it could very well be eight and two or nine and one; that kind of game and those types of teams,” Harvin stated. “We’re close right now; we just need to find a way to get over that hump. I believe we can consis tently be in the state playoffs and put together good, quality teams.” Every playoff team in the state has a week off, so Putnam County is practicing and focusing on improving itself. Then, over the weekend, the War Eagles will shift their focus to Thomasville and preferred to release them to make another fisher man’s day. Catching a beautiful rainbow in this mountain setting is a rich outdoor experience. When your fly lands on the placid water, you can see trout streaking in that direc tion. Look closely and you can see the fish’s intake of the bait and the hook — and then, with the greatest alacrity, sprint post haste across the lake. Your line becomes taut, your forearms begin to tire, but your concentra tion remains intact as you tire out your quarry. Soon enough, your patience prevails as his resistance wanes. Catch and release has given a beautiful rainbow a new life and is a reminder that if you spend time in the Great Outdoors with a fly rod, you are blessed to be a partner with nature, even if it is just for a short weekend. At the game, at the debate, at the concert, at the fair, at the festival, at the polls, because... start preparing for their first-round game. Harvin and his staff aim to correct the mistakes his team made during the season and turn to playing a full, four-quarter game. He Sponsored by Zaxby’s of Eatonton 82025 120 Walmart Dr. 706-923-1910 X GATORS SAWYER ADKISON GATEWOOD ATHLETICS Where Faith, Character, and Excellence Come Together • 58 State Championships in 55 Years • 14 Varsity Sports + Middle & Lower School Teams • Building Teamwork, Discipline & Perseverance • Developing Leadership On & Off the Field • Competing with Character and Sportsmanship • United in Prayer Before We Play • Building Faith and Character On and Off the Field Schedule a tour today! Libby Rainey 706-485-8231 lrainey@gatewoodschool.com believes his squad can make a deep postseason run if it does. “We just need to play four quarters,” Harvin said. “We’ve been ahead of all the good teams in the third quarter. Then, when the fourth quarter comes, we just run out of gas, give up the lead, and end up not finishing the game. We’re that close. If we can get to that point, we have the potential to make a run in the playoffs.” Subscribe Advertise 706-749-7217 706-707-4240
