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James P. Evans Jr. proudly accepts his plaque during Saturday’s dedication ceremony as wife Georgia looks on. (Photo/Will Davis)
Evans honored
Not too many people get to see their name on a building while they are still aliv<
- James P. Evans Jr.
M
T he Monroe County
poard of Education
and the administra
tion of Mary Per
sons High School
proudly dedicated the James P.
Evans Jr. Gymnasium in be
tween the boys and girls bas
ketball games Saturday night.
In honor of his service to Mon
roe County as a school board
member, the board voted earli
er this year to name the MP
gym in honor of Evans.
With his wife, Georgia,
and their children by his
side, Evans proudly accept
ed a plaque honoring him
at the official dedication
ceremony.
“Not too many people get
to see their name on a
building while they are
still alive,” said Evans dur
ing the ceremony. “It’s a
true honor. I want to thank
everybody that supported
me and all the people in
Evans received a standing ovation from the MP basketball fans.
Evans during his time playing basket
ball at Vincent Air Force Base, Yuma,
Arizona in 1955-1956.
District 1 that re-elected
me all these years. I
would also like to thank
this present board for
voting to give me this
honor.”
Evans attended
Monroe County Public
Schools and graduated
from Hubbard High
School in 1954. He
played basketball and
football at Hubbard. He
was also the senior class
president. While attend
ing Fort Valley State
College he played bas
ketball with the
Wildcats. Evans served
in the U.S. Air Force for
four years. During active
duty, he played basket
ball with the Vincent Air
Force Base Rockets in
Arizona, Germany,
England and all across the
United States. Later he
worked as a civilian at
Robins Air Force Base as a
supervisor. Evans was
ordained as a deacon at
Mt. Gilead Baptist Church
in 1964.
He coached 12-13 year-
old boys basketball with
the Monroe County
Recreation Department
from 1970 to 1979.
On Feb. 22, 1979 Evans
was appointed to serve on
the Monroe County Board
of Education. He served as
board chairman from Jan.
2, 1996 to Jan. 9, 2007. He
is up for re-election in
20010 and says as long as
he is healthy, he would like
to continue to serve
Monroe County on the
school board.
Bowden up for player of the year
Bowden makes a catch in the endzone against
Morgan County, (file photo)
Mary Persons High
School senior Chris
Bowden of has been
nominated as an Old
Spice® Red Zone play
er of the year.
Bowden is among a
select group of players
who are eligible to be
selected as player of
the year and be hon
ored in a full-page fea
ture in USA Today in
February.
For the eighth
straight year, Old
Spice® is recognizing
high school football
players who go above
and beyond the call of
duty, particularly in
the Red Zone. The
program honors ath
letes who are able to
elevate their play and
step up when the heat
is really on. These
athletes embody lead
ership, performance
and desire, and serve
as examples to their
teammates on and off
the field.
On offense Bowden
had over 700 yards
receiving this year. He
caught the ball 42
times and had 6
touchdowns for the
Bulldogs this season.
High school coaches
across the country are
naming one player
from their team as
their Player of the
Year. Each team’s
player of the year will
receive a certificate to
acknowledge his
accomplishment.
He is also eligible to
be named one of 50
national players of the
year. The top 50 play
ers nationwide will be
named Red Zone
Players of the Year
and will receive a
plaque and other
awards.
The Red Zone Player
of the Year program is
nationally sponsored
by Procter & Gamble,
the makers of Old
Spice® Red Zone
Deodorant. The pro
gram is created and
managed by 360
Youth, LLC, an Alloy
company.
Lady Dogs
push to win
The Mary Persons Lady
Bulldogs are 3-1 after the
first full week of the
2008-09 season.
The ladies beat
Woodland last Tuesday,
52-38, even after sputter
ing in the third quarter.
“I think my girls felt
Woodland was going to
pack it in at halftime, but
they came back with
their very best effort,”
said head coach Lang
Oglesby. Woodland was
able to get senior
Beneidra Colbert, who led
the team scoring 19
points, in foul trouble
early and take her out
the game. “Bree Shannon
bailed us out by knocking
down a couple of three-
pointers and mid-range
jumpers,” said Oglesby.
Shannon scored a total
of 16 points. Also scoring
for the Lady Dogs were
Asia Buckner and Tan
Zellner, each with 6
points, along with
Marquita Johnson, with
3points and Morgan
Stewart with 2 points.
On Friday, the girls suf
fered their first loss to a
tough Maynard Jackson
team, 55-37.
“Our offensive execution
was terrible,” said
Oglesby. “I knew that
South Atlanta would be a
tough opponent. They
returned all but one play
er from a team had a
record of 21-8 last year.”
Colbert scored 18 points
and the Lady Dogs were
able to battle back to
withing 10 in the fourth.
But they were plagued by
poor shooting from the
foul line. Also scoring
were Shannon,with 6,
Threatt and Johnson,
with 3 each and Zellner,
with 2.
Oglesby told his team
the best remedy would be
a win over Lamar. And
win they did, 54-35.
“We played extremely
well in the first and sec
ond quarters,” said
Oglesby. “We were able to
give the younger players
a lot of playing time.
There are going to be
games in which we will
have to call on some of
our younger players to
step up. There is no sub
stitute for experience.”
Colbert had a phenome
nal night as she disman
tled the Lady Trojans
defense and scored 33
points. Tan Zellner got
her first start and came
up really big for the Lady
Dogs, scoring 4 points
and 12 rebounds.
“Zellner was really
crashing the boards,” said
Oglesby. “Physical inside
play is something we had
been lacking. The game
time decision to start
Zellner at center probably
made the difference in
the game. Her rebound
ing aloud us to get second
and third shots that we
normally don't get.”
THE BULLDOG stats
were unavailable at press
time, but the boys are 2-
2, after beating Lamar
and losing to Maynard
Jackson.
Coach Robert Worthy
was missing from the
court Friday and
Saturday after undergo
ing surgery for a torn
Achilles’ tendon he suf
fered at the Woodland
game.
“I plan to be back on the
court in Jackson
Tuesday,” said Worthy.
The girls play at 6 p.m.
and the boys follow at
7:30 p.m.
On Friday MP hosts
South Atlanta at the
James P. Evans Jr. Gym.
Expect a lot of media
attention to this game.
The Hornets have the top
ranked high school bas
ketball player in the
nation, Derrick Favors.
Monroe teams
lose two each
The Monroe Academy
boys basketball team
went to Windsor on Dec.
2 and lost 61-41. Blake
White led the team in the
first with four. The
Mustangs only scored
nine in the third and
were down six at the half
27-21. The Mustangs
were in foul trouble most
of the game. Four starters
fouled out. Harrelson
three, White four, Keaton
Williams 10, Drew Speir
four, Purser four and
Laney 16.
On Friday the
Mustangs took on
Nathaniel Greene at
home. The boys lost a
heartbreaker 60-57 in
double overtime. The
Mustangs took control
early and found them
selves up 17-14 after the
first quarter. White had
six points to lead the way.
Williams and Speir had a
thre-pointer each in the
second and the Mustangs
went in at half up 28-23.
The Patriots got hot in
the third and took the
lead 43-39. The Mustangs
held them to five points
in the fourth and tied the
game 48-48 at the end of
regulation. With the
Mustangs down 53-50
and time running out,
Braxton Bell hit a three-
point shot to tie the
game, 53 all.
In the second over time
the Mustangs had a
chance to tie the game
with four seconds left but
the Mustangs dropped
the contest 60-57.
Harrelson three, White
10, Williams 14, Speir 16,
D. Purser two and A.
Purser, 33.
THE LADY MUS
TANGS lost to Windsor
38-26. The team started
slow and found them
selves down 23-11 at half.
The Mustangs came out
hot and cut the score to
27-22 as they headed into
the fourth quarter.
However, Windsor shut
them down in the fourth
and won by 12. The Lady
Mustangs were led by
Caroline Smith (11),
Tidwell (3), Vinson (4),
Maxwell (1), Ham (3) and
McMichael (41).
The Lady Mustangs lost
to Nathaniel Greene after
a tough night offensively,
43-20. The team was led
by Kimberly Vinson (8),
Smith (6), Tidwell (1),
Duckworth (2), Hoppel (2)
and McMichael (1).