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PAGE 3B
October 22, 2014
Bulldogs
BY RICHARD DUMAS
The Mary Persons softball
team's season came to a disap
pointing end with a 1-0 loss on
Thursday at Crisp County in
the deciding game of a first-
round AAAA state playoff
series.
The Lady Dogs bounced back
from a 2-0 opening game defeat
on Wednesday to win 7-6 in
Game 2 and force a rubber
match on Thursday. Despite
outhitting the Lady Cougars by
one in Game 3, MP fell just
short of advancing to the sec
ond round of the state playoffs
for the second time in four
years. However, MP's comeback
win in Game 2 enabled the
Lady Dogs to finish with 20 or
more wins for the fifth time in
seven seasons. MP ended the
season with a 20-9 overall
record.
Two of the three games in the
series were intense pitchers'
duels. Game 1 stayed scoreless
until the bottom of the fourth
inning when the Lady Cougars
scored the game's only two
runs off of MP starter Megan
Bell. Crisp County's Alexis
Meadows doubled to right-cen
ter, putting runners on second
and third with one out. Lead
runner Savannah Thompson
slid into home safely on a wild
pitch just ahead of a tag by
Bell, who was late covering
home plate. Then, Meadows
scored immediately afterward
on Bailey Leger's groundout
back to the mound to give
Crisp County a 2-0 lead. MP
got a runner to second base in
each of the next at-bats, but
was unable to get a timely hit
to knock a run in. The top of
the sixth ended in particularly
frustrating fashion when
Jordan Rozier flew out to the
centerfield warning track to
end the frame, just missing a
tying two-run homer. In the top
of the seventh, MP mounted
one more rally against Crisp
©Reporter
bested by Cougars in deciding game
MP senior softball star Halie Seitz had three RBIs in
her final series of her high school career. The Lady
Dogs were shutout 1 -0 in Game 3 at Crisp County to
end their season on Thursday. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
County ace Shane
Phinney. MP's
Katelyn Smith
singled up the
middle with one
out. Then, two
batters later,
Kassidy Sikes
singled to leftfield
to put runners on
first and second
with two outs. A
wild pitch
advanced the run
ners to second
and third as the
potential winning
run, Alexis
Passmore, stood
in the batter's
box. Passmore
ripped a hard
liner to rightfield,
but it went direct
ly into the glove
of the rightfielder
Meadows to end
the game.
MP head coach
Ronnie Shipman
said Passmore's
game-ending rope out epito
mized the entire series.
"That was the story of our
series," Shipman said. "We had
runners in scoring position, and
we hit the ball hard. We just
hit it right to people. It hap
pens."
The two teams came back out
30 minutes later to play Game
2 with MP as the home team,
and it turned out to be a memo
rable clash. Bell returned to
the mound for MP, but Crisp
County changed pitchers in the
second game, giving the ball to
Meagan Coleman. Bell wiggled
out of a jam in the top of the
second inning, striking out
Crisp's Dallas Outlaw to strand
runners on second and third.
Then the Lady Dogs' bats
finally got going in the bottom
of the second. Smith led off the
frame with a walk. Reyna
Grier then singled to leftfield,
scoring Smith on an errant
throw that hit her in the back
as she sprinted home. Grier,
who advanced to third on the
poor throw, scored moments
later on a single to right by
Halie Seitz to put MP up 2-0.
But Crisp County answered
right back in the top of the
third. Crisp County's Julia
Davis led off the third inning
with a bunt hit. Torie Holmes
then doubled off the left-center-
field wall to move runners to
second and third. With the
infield playing in, Coleman hit
a grounder to short. The short
stop Passmore fielded the ball
cleanly, but elected to go to first
instead of home with the ball.
Her throw sailed wildly away
from the first baseman Seitz,
and both Davis and Holmes
scored to tie the contest. Things
got worse for MP moments
later when Phinney knocked in
Coleman to give Crisp
County a 3-2 lead. The
Lady Cougars then
tacked on one more run
later in the inning when
Outlaw plated Phinney
with an RBI single.
But the resilient Lady
Dogs weren't done com
peting. MP's Alyssah
Mullis singled to center
to open the bottom of the
third, and her hit was fol
lowed by a Rozier walk
and a Smith hit by pitch.
With the bases juiced and
one out, Seitz singled to
center, scoring Mullis and
Rozier and tying the
game at 4-all. However,
Crisp County went right
back ahead in the top of
the fourth when
Phinney's double to left-
center scored a sliding
Coleman to put the Lady
Cougars back up 5-4.
The Lady Dogs were
retired in order in each of
their next three at-bats
while Crisp added one
more run in the top of the sixth
on an RBI double by Coleman
to go up 6-4 entering the final
inning.
MP's Emsley Smith came in
to relieve Bell in the top of the
seventh and pitched a scoreless
half-inning, giving MP one
more chance to come back.
Facing Phinney, who relieved
Coleman in the fifth inning,
Sikes singled to center to open
the bottom of the seventh.
Passmore followed with a bunt
hit down the first base line to
move runners to first and sec
ond. Shelby Sims then blasted
a double down the rightfield
line that scored both Sikes and
Passmore and tied the game.
Later in the inning, with run
ners on second and third and
one out, Smith hit a slow roller
to short, but Sims beat the
throw home for the winning
run and an epic 7-6 walk-off
victory.
Shipman said he was proud
of the way his team didn't fold
with the season on the line in
Game 2.
"We fought back and gave us
a chance, and that's all you can
ask for is the chance to move
on," Shipman said. "And we
had our chances, and they kind
of slipped through our fingers a
little bit. You learn from it, and
go on and prepare for next
year."
Unfortunately for MP, the
glory was short-lived, as the
Lady Cougars proved too much
for the Lady Dogs less than 24
hours later, ending MP's season
and setting up a second-round
clash with Wayne County.
Shipman said MP, which
loses only three seniors, Grier,
Seitz and Sikes, should be bet
ter prepared if it gets back to
the state playoffs in 2015.
"Crisp was senior-loaded,"
Shipman said. "We're not sen
ior-loaded, so that experience
kind of kicked in for them and
maybe the lack of experience
hurt us a little bit. We'll learn
from it and hopefully get better
for next year."
The Monroe County Middle
School softball team also saw
its season come to a close with
a heartbreaking 10-9 loss at
Pike County Middle in the first
round of the C-Team area play
offs on Thursday.
Monroe County C-Team coach
Hugh Strickland said of the
loss: "We didn't make many
mistakes. Pike County just hit
the ball where we weren't on
the field. The girls played the
best game of their season
against Pike County, and I am
proud of them for all of their
hard work this year."
The Monroe County Middle
School team finished the sea
son with an 8-5 record.
Volley Dogs fall in first round of AAAA state playoffs
BY RICHARD DUMAS
The Mary Persons girls volley
ball team's season came to a
close on Wednesday when the
Lady Dogs lost in straight sets
at North Hall in the first round
of the AAAA tournament.
MP, which finished the season
with an 11-20 record, dropped
all three sets in the best-of-five
match, falling 25-7, 25-12 and
25-15.
MP head coach Lisa Ogide
said North Hall was a very
strong offensive team that was
able to attack any spot on the
court.
Ogide said despite the season
ending loss, she was happy
with her team's improvement
during the year.
"I am pleased with the level of
improvement that my team
made from the beginning to the
end," Ogide said. "We were in
fifth place when we ended the
regular season and were able to
finish in third place overall (in
the Area 2-AAAA tourney).
That takes hard work and
determination.''
Ogide said she will miss her
three seniors, Jimmiel High,
Sardae Harvey and T'Daishia
Slaton, next year. However, she
said she is anxious to start off
season work, so that MP can
come back stronger in 2015.
She said, "I believe that cham
pions are made in the off-sea
son, and I am ready to help
build champs."
Ogide said for MP to become a
power at the state level, it will
take not only a dedicated group
of girls, but also additions in
the program's equipment as
well as more youth volleyball
opportunities in Monroe
County.
"It starts within the program
first," Ogide said. "Once I have
a group of girls willing to do
what it takes no matter what,
the other parts will fall into
place. We already have great
parent and community support
that is increasing. I would love
to see volleyball blossom in
Monroe County, and I'm work
ing to help it grow. Volleyball
nights at the Monroe County
Recreation Department intro
duce athletes of all ages to vol
leyball. I've got a strong group
of young girls who are passion
ate about volleyball and would
love to add more athletes who
want to learn and love volley
ball."
Preview
continued from page IB
-23 yards on the ground. Then-
MP quarterback Cal King com
pleted just 6 of 22 passes for 101
yards. Despite MP's abysmal
offensive performance, the
Bulldogs' defense kept Veterans
without a touchdown until there
were several minutes left in the
game when Warhawks' quarter
back Logan Byrd broke free for a
long touchdown run. Byrd com
pleted 11 of 18 passes for 130
yards and an interception while
also running for 26 yards and a
touchdown in the 2013 game.
As the defending Region 2-
AAAA champion, Veterans came
into 2014 with high expectations.
But it has been a trying year so
far for the Warhawks. Veterans
lost its first six contests, includ
ing all four non-region games by
at least 20 points. However, all of
Veterans' non-region foes,
Houston County, Macon County,
Washington County and
Valdosta, are among the elite in
their respective classifications.
The Warhawks have played
much better since getting back
into region play in recent weeks,
losing to Baldwin and West
Laurens by a combined eight
points before getting their first
win of the year last Friday
against Perry in a 35-7 rout.
Byrd accounted for 128 total
yards and three touchdowns
while standout running back
Desjuan Harris rushed for 107
yards and a touchdown in the
win over the Panthers.
MP head coach Brian Nelson
said Veterans doesn't look any
thing like a six-loss team on
tape, and said the Warhawks
return many of the same players
that keyed their win over the
Bulldogs a year ago.
"They're the best six-loss team
in the state," Nelson said.
"They're just a year older and a
year better."
Byrd is one of the most highly-
acclaimed quarterbacks in the
state, having committed to
Virginia Tech as a junior. Nelson
said Veterans is also strong on
defense with lineman Dawson
Stephens and cornerback D.J.
Rozier among the standouts.
Nelson said MP does not have
any special motivation to beat
Veterans even though the
Warhawks ruined MP's region
title chances last year.
"It's just one game at a time,"
Nelson said. "We don't want to
look too far
ahead or
look too far
behind. We just want to focus in
on that next opponent. They're a
good football team. They're well-
coached and a good football
team, and we're going to have to
play better than we did tonight
(against Upson-Lee). That's what
we talk about. We've got to get
better every week and every day,
and we're going to have to play
better than we did tonight to
play in that game next Friday."
MP and Veterans have tangled
in each of the past four seasons
with MP winning the first three
meetings prior to last year's loss.
JV Dogs
continued from page IB
minutes of the first half were the
wildest three minutes of the game
as the ball changed hands five
times. MP's Bruce McCall picked
off a pass, but fumbled the ball
right back to Upson-Lee on the
return. With Upson-Lee back in
possession at MP's 38-yard-line,
exactly where it was prior to
McCall's pick, the Knights botched
their opportunity at redemption by
fumbling the next snap back to MP.
After MP punted back to Upson-
Lee, the Knights fumbled a punt
return, which was recovered by the
Bulldogs with 23 seconds left at the
Upson-Lee 38-yard-line. With MP
trying to score before the half,
Upson-Lee intercepted a tipped
pass with eight seconds left to go to
the locker room trailing 7-6.
MP then came out and dominated
the second half. Jaquavious Sims
ran over two men early in the third
quarter on a long run. Moments
later, Jatori Sims ran through sev
eral would-be tacklers for a 30-yard
run down to the eight-yard-line.
Jatori Sims then scored later in the
drive on a four-yard run up the
middle. Morris' extra point, which
bounced off the post and through,
put MP up 14-6 with 5:54 left in the
third quarter.
Playing with the lead, MP's
defense then controlled the rest of
the game, stopping Upson-Lee on
downs three times in the fourth
quarter. MP's Zach Harvey scored
an eight-yard touchdown with 7:46
left in the fourth quarter to put the
Bulldogs up 20-6 and essentially ice
the game.
MP's Ninth Grade squad will
head to Thomaston at 5:30 p.m. on
Thursday to play in the Ninth
Grade area title game against
Upson-Lee. The MP Freshman
team beat Upson-Lee 22-14 in a
thrilling overtime contest to win the
2013 title. The Bulldogs and
Knights have already met twice
this year with Upson-Lee winning
32-16 at MP on Sept. 18 and MP
returning the favor with a 33-24
road win on Oct. 9.
MP finished off a 3-2 regular sea
son with a 46-15 blowout win at
Pike County on Thursday. MP
Ninth Grade coach Jonathan
Gastley said his team is playing
with a lot of confidence right now.
"You have to have that (confi
dence) in the game of football,"
Gastley said. "We are beginning to
understand and execute on offense,
and the defense is playing very
aggressive and physical right now."
Gastley said recent standouts on
his squad include: Tre Slaton, Rekia
Weaver, Cam Calloway, Cam
Holden, Stanley Lowe and Jatorian
Hansford to name a few.
Gastley said special teams could
play a key role in Thursday's title
game, so he wants consistency on
PATs and field goals.
He said, "We just have to continue
to work hard and come to practice
focused every day this week."
The Monroe County Middle
School team pounded Kennedy
Road Middle 50-16 at home last
Wednesday in the first round of the
area middle school playoffs to
improve its unblemished record to
7-0. The Bulldogs will next play at
home at 5 p.m. on Wednesday
against Rehobath Road Middle in
the area semifinals.
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