Newspaper Page Text
Reporter
1B November 28,2012
Terry Johnson
School
Real Estate
Public Record
Classifieds
.Page 4B
.Page 5B
Page 6B-7B
Page 8B
Page 9B-14B
The best
coverage
for Monroe
County sports
From the Press Box
Falcons, MP,
Dawgs face
showdowns
E
very year ESPN comes up with cheesy
slogans like "Judgment Week" or "Ri
valry Week" to create excitement and
buzz about
college foot
ball or college basketball
games airing on its net
work.
There are three foot
ball games involving
nearby teams this week
that are so big they
don't need a cheesy
slogan. But since
ESPN isn't going
to, I'm going to give
them one anyway.
This week's slate
of games is called Relevancy Week.
The Atlanta Falcons, the Mary Persons
Bulldogs and the Georgia Bulldogs all had
thrilling victories on the gridiron last weekend,
and the reward for all three is even bigger
games this week.
All three teams have already had sensational
seasons. However, each is looking for a win this
weekend that will allow it to take one more
final step. That last step is perhaps the most
difficult step of all to make. It is the return to
relevancy.
In sports, it's very easy for a program or fran
chise to slip, but it's much harder for that same
program or franchise to return to prominence.
All three teams have a game this week that
has serious implications for not only 2012 but
perhaps for many years to come.
The Atlanta Falcons came back again in the
fourth quarter Sunday in Tampa Bay to collect
the team's 10th victory of the season. Star
quarterback Matt Ryan has become the modern
day John Elway with his propensity for fourth-
quarter comebacks, engineering the 14th such
effort of his four-plus year career Sunday.
However, all these comebacks have left
National Football League (NFL) observers
questioning why the Falcons cannot put teams
away earlier in games. When combined with
Ryan and coach Mike Smith's 0-3 playoff
record, the narrow victories have caused NFL
pundits to question whether 10-1 Atlanta is
really a Super Bowl contender.
Those doubts appeared well-founded when
See DUMAS page 4B
MP cheerleaders
named All-Region
Six Mary Persons varsity competition squad
cheerleaders were named to the 2-AAAA All-
Region team.
Three seniors Morgan Butler, Aujamia
Penamon and Breanna Walker, as well as
underclassmen Bailey Cawthon, Kayla Kuhr
and Brittney Raymond were honored as all
region members.
Veterans, which won the AAAA state champi
onship, was the only team with more all-region
selections than MP. The Warhawks had eight
cheerleaders make the team.
Chambers
kills deer
in Monroe
Joe Chambers, 95, of
Forsyth, shot this
buck from 75 yards
away with a .25-06
caliber bullet on Nov.
24.
Collision ahead for Ridgeland’s
potent offense, stingy MP defense
BY RICHARD DUMAS
For the second straight
week, the Mary Persons
Bulldogs will play an oppo
nent for the very first time
and for the second straight
week, MP fans will have to
travel more than three hours
to see their team play.
The Bulldogs, who have
reached the state quarterfi
nals for the first time in 14
years, will play 7-AAAA cham
pion Ridgeland in Rossville on
Friday in the first-ever meet
ing between the two pro
grams. Rossville is a suburb of
Chattanooga, Tenn. and is
located just south of the
Georgia-Tennessee border just
west of 1-75.
It is Ridgeland’s first
appearance in a state quarter
final. The Panthers, 11-1 over
all, had previously reached
the second round in 2008 and
2011 but had never won a sec
ond-round game until Friday's
41-34 win over LaGrange.
Ridgeland head coach Mark
Mariakis, who is in his ninth
year, has taken the Panthers
to the state playoffs for seven
consecutive seasons.
The Panthers lost their 2012
season opener 42-35 to AA
power Calhoun, which
remains undefeated. Since
then, the Panthers have
reeled off 11 straight wins.
See MP page 3B
Mary Persons at Ridgeland
Friday, Nov. 30 • 7:30 p.m.
Ridgeland High Stadium, Ridgeland,
State Quarterfinals • Tickets: $12
Last met: NA
Prediction: MP 27, Ridgeland 24
Directions: Take I-75 South and travel about 160 miles. Get
off the interstate at Exit 350 for GA-2/Battlefield Pkwy toward
Ft Oglethorpe. Travel 0.3 miles and then turn left onto
Battlefield Pkwy. Go 9.8 miles and then turn left onto Happy
Valley Rd/State Route 349. The school will be on the right.
MP running back Nick Davis dragged a host of Cairo defenders during MP’s thrilling 3-0 overtime road upset of the Syrupmakers on
Friday. With yet another 100-yard game Friday, Davis has now amassed 1,352 yards rushing for the season. (Photo/Kim Holderfield)
Bulldogs escape ‘sticky’situation
MP advances to quarterfinals with 3-0 OT win over Syrupmakers
BY RICHARD DUMAS
Forty-eight minutes were not enough
to settle Mary Persons' second round
state playoff contest with Cairo. It also
wasn't enough time for either team to
score.
MP needed overtime to score its first
points but thanks to the outstanding
play of the Bulldogs' defense, MP won
without even scoring a touchdown.
MP senior Kenny Miller kicked a 20-
yard field goal in overtime for the first
and only points of MP's 3-0 victory
over home Cairo.
Miller's field goal came after Cairo
kicker Taylor Donalson missed wide
right from 28 yards just moments ear
lier, allowing the Bulldogs a chance to
close out the game in the first over
time. It also came after Miller had
missed a go-ahead field goal late in
regulation.
Miller said of the moment, "When I
was walking out, I couldn't feel my
legs I was so nervous."
MP head coach Brian Nelson said
Miller hadn't had to make a field goal
this year with so much on the line, so
he tried to calm him down.
Nelson said, "When he went out
there, I just said, 'Kenny, it's about like
kicking an extra point.' We had it lined
up in the middle, and he boomed it in.
And the defense played great all night.
That was one of my question marks, if
we were going to be able to hold up
against some of the
stuff they did. I mean
they played lights
out."
Miller, an MP soccer
star, said he had
never kicked a foot
ball before this sea
son.
"Coach gave me a
call, and I figured I'll
try it," Miller said. "I
always went to the
games, and I enjoyed
them, so I figured
well I'll give it a shot
and see what hap
pens. And luckily I
have a natural talent
thanks to God. And I
did good."
The win puts MP in the state quar
terfinals for the first time since 1998.
That year the Bulldogs beat Hart
County 19-14 in the quarterfinals to
See MP page 2B
Kenny Miller #37
The senior kicker made a 20-yard game
winning field goal in MP’s 3-0 overtime
second round playoff win over Cairo.
KETTERBAUGH JUNGBERG
FINANCIAL GROUP
OF WELLS FARGO ADVISORS
1425 Bass Road • Macon, GA
478-749-6219
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SI PC
Jason Jungberg, AAMS
Financial Advisor
IT'S THE QUARTER FINALS OIL CHANGE SPECIAL
To Celebrate the MP Bull Dogs advancing to the Quarter Finals - This Week ONLY!
OIL CHANGE $19-99 Just say "GO DOGS" and it's yours!
Up to 5 quarts oil. (Offer excludes Diesel. Diesel extra).
288 Harold G. Clarke Pkwy • Forsyth, GA
478-994-7966 • www.rroislivford.com