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November 23 2016
2016 winner: Editorial Page excellence
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2016 winner: Front Page excellence
^Reporter
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
On the Porch
Still ‘The Man’
BY WILL DAVIS
publisher@mymcr.net
T he last time Mary Persons hosted an Elite 8 playoff
game, Washington County came to town in what,
tumed out to be the final contest for legendary
coach Dan “The Man” Pitts.
Ironically, Pitts only
coached in 1997 because he didn’t think
the Bulldogs would do much. After 38
years, he didn’t want to leave a new
coach with a mediocre team.
‘1 was going to retire in 1996 and
didn’t think we’d be so good in 1997,”
Pitts told the Reporter on Monday. “So
I coached one more year than I had
planned to do.”
But like many of Pitts’ teams, the
1997 squad turned out to be pretty
darn good. So good that, they were 11-1
and heading into the Elite 8, hosting the
powerhouse Golden Hawks at the peak of the Rick Tomberlin
dynasty. The game was a rematch of an epic 1994 quarterfi
nal contest that, attracted the biggest, crowd ever to Forsyth.
That, battle of unbeatens had ended in a 30-14 win for WaCo.
Three years later, in 1997, it. was MP that, jumped on top
early. Jay Perkins returned the first. WaCo punt 54 yards to
the Hawk 2-yard-line. Kamani Davis plunged into the end
zone on the first, play from scrimmage and Allen Benson’s
extra point, made it. 7-0.
WaCo responded immediately when future UGA star
Terrance Edwards handed it. to future UGA signee Jessie
Miller and Miller went. 47 yards to paydirt.. WaCo missed the
extra point, and it. was 7-6 Bulldogs.
On its next possession, Coach Pitts stunned the Hawks’
defense by throwing forward passes. Quarterback Mike
Davis hit. Andre Zellner for 24 yards. On the next, play, the
normally run-happy Bulldogs called the same play — and this
tune Davis hit. Terrance Walker on a 49-yard touchdown and
MP led 14-6.
But. the course of the game changed in the second quarter
when Davis got. kicked in the leg, hyperextending his knee.
The senior had to be carried off the field. He left the game 3
for 3 passing. MP would not attempt another pass.
WaCo scored 26 straight, points and ended the Bulldogs’ title
dreams. Fans wouldn’t, find out. until several months later
that, the Hawks had also ended the coaching career of Dan
Pitts. He retired just before spring practice. Mary Persons
would not. host, another Elite 8 playoff game until 19 years
later — this Friday.
Patrick Calloway was a senior defensive lineman on that. ‘97
team. He said he’s looking forward to Friday.
‘Til be excited,” said Calloway. ‘It’s been a long time since
we’ve been this far.”
Calloway said playing for Pitts taught him a lot - how to
work with others and to carry himself in a respectful way.
Calloway said he remembers being a freshman when MP
hosted Washington County in 1994. He said Pitts called aside
the freshmen in the locker room after the game. He told them
to keep their heads up, because if they worked hard, they’d
get. another chance at. the Hawks later in their careers. He
was right., and if not. for a quarterback injury, those seniors
might, have avenged that. 1994 loss.
Calloway, a truck driver, said he saw Pitts a few years
ago at. the Perry game. Pitts looked at. his large frame and
deadpanned: ‘1 wish you had this size when you were in high
school, Calloway.”
Cleve Hawkins was a senior offensive guard on the 1997
team. He said he’s been to both playoff games so far and plans
to be there Friday.
‘It’s nice to see them have a good football team to go this
far in the playoffs,” said Hawkins. “Those kids work hard. I’m
glad they’ve made it. this year.”
Lucas Stickler was a senior strong safety on the 1997
team. Stickler, who manages Southern Commercial Tire
in Bolingbroke, said the lessons he learned from Pitts were
invaluable.
“He taught, work ethic,” said Stickler. “He taught, if you say
you’re gonna do something, do it.. You give 120 percent, and
don’t, stop until the whistle blows. It’s great advice in life.”
As for Pitts, he’ll be there too, pacing on the platform by the
press box entrance.
So what, does he remember about, the 1997 game?
‘1 remember we got. beat,” said Pitts.
He notes that. MP’s opponent, this Friday, Blessed Trinity,
wasn’t, even in existence when he was coaching.
Current MP coach Brian Nelson is the most successful since
Pitts. He won his 50th game last, week and at. 50-11 actually
has a [gasp!] better winning percentage (.819) than Pitts, who
retired as the winningest. coach in Georgia high school history
- 346-108 (.762).
But Pitts, always unselfish, said he’s nothing but happy
about Nelson’s success.
‘Tve been at. every game and I’ve enjoyed every one of
them,” said Pitts. ‘T’m mighty proud of them, I know that.”
Those of us not. bom here sometimes joke about, the enor
mous shadow that “Co Pitts”, as he’s called, casts in Forsyth.
But. when you talk to the men whose character he helped
form for four decades, you remember that, he deserves every
bit of that shadow. So to the 2016 Bulldogs I say: You’re mak
ing history. Now win one for The Man.
PITTS
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Try it-you’ll love MP football
To the editor:
ust, in case a few people in Monroe County
are not, aware, the Mary Persons Bulldogs are
hosting Blessed Trinity in the third round of
the 4A playoffs on Friday night,. After playing
a tough non-region schedule (including playoff
teams like 6A monster Houston County, Jackson, and
Peach County), the Dogs ran the table and won Region
2-AAAA. A quick look at, the state playoff bracket,
shows that, only one team in the whole state that, did
not, win their region has gotten this far and that, is
Spalding, who went, up to Rossville and beat, top-seeded
Ridgeland. This shows the level of competition that,
will be on display Friday night, at, Dan Pitts Stadium
because Spalding was third in Region 2-AAAA, behind
Mary Persons.
If you want, to see a disciplined team play football
the way it, was intended, you owe it, to yourself to get,
to Dan Pitts Stadium this Friday and see high school
football played under the lights. Hard-hitting, but,
disciplined, players that, give 100% on every play and
almost, flawlessly execute the run-based offense that, is
surprisingly
good passing
the ball is
what, you will
see. Friday
Night, Lights is
alive and kick
ing in Forsyth
and we owe
these guys all
of the support,
that, a only
set, of lungs
can provide. I
guarantee that,
you will enjoy
it, and the players really appreciate (and respond to)
hearing the community get, behind them for that, critical
third down stop. Go Dogs!
John Ricketson
South Monroe County
MP superfan John Ricketson and his
eye chart for the referees.
Monroe EMTs
To the editor:
ecent.ly I had a breathing problem
and my doctor said to get, to the ER. I
thought, I could drive, but, when I got, to
the garage, I could not, get, my breath.
A friend called. All I could say was, “I
can’t, breathe. I can’t, drive.”
He called an ambulance. They arrived quickly,
were so professional, knew what, they were doing...
saved my life
I knew I was in good hands. They told me I would
not, be going to the local ER...I had to get, to Macon
to a cardiac unit,. So I chose Coliseum, where I
received excellent, care for six long days.
Thank you Rhet.t, McMurray and the wonderful
EMT’s for saving my life. I will be forever grateful.
Blessings galore to you and yours.
Paulyne O’Hara Stokes
Forsyth
On Georgia Politics
Go big or go home
Schools:
T he most, ambitious
attempt to improve fail
ing schools that, this state
has seen in a long time,
maybe ever, went, down
in flames on Election Day. Matches
and gasoline were provided by the
teachers unions.
The unions — mostly the National
Education Association, but also the
American Federation
of Teachers, as well as
their respective state
affiliates — poured at,
least, $5 million into
the campaign to defeat,
the Opportunity School
District,. For perspective,
that’s $50,000 for
each of the 100
schools the OSD
could have over
seen at, any given
time, or the equiv
alent, of one average teacher salary
per potential OSD school.
It was a campaign out of all
proportion to the proposal itself.
It, deserves a disproportionate
response.
If any Georgia Republicans are
wondering what, lesson to take from
the OSD’s lopsided defeat,, it’s this:
The education establishment, and
teachers unions are not, on your
side. They never were. And unless
you accede to their demand for ever
more money with ever fewer strings,
they never will be.
Until now, Georgia Republicans
have governed otherwise. They have
limited the state’s school-choice
programs despite overwhelm
ing demand for them. They have
refused to expand the tax-credit
scholarship program, which runs
out of credits in just a single day
each year, constraining the num
ber of children who can use it,. The
special-needs scholarship
remains limited after state
senators, many of them
Republicans, on more than
one occasion declined to
back an expansion for stu
dents in foster and military
families. The number of
state charter schools
remains very modest,.
A proposal to create
an Education Savings
Account,, modeled after
the ones in Arizona and
Nevada, went, nowhere.
With so many options for expand
ing school choice, one might, think
lawmakers representing a super-
majority party that, trumpets the
need for such would manage to
deliver something along those lines.
Not, so, because they labor under the
delusion that, turning their backs on
Georgia’s students and families will
earn them the support, of the educa
tion establishment,.
Five million bucks says they’re
wrong about, that,.
If Republican legislators have the
courage of their convictions, they
won’t, shrink back from this defeat,.
That’s exactly why the unions
spent, that, $5 million, and even
more to stop a similarly moder
ate charter-schools referendum in
Massachusetts: not, just, to stop the
current, issue but, to pre-empt, what
ever reformers might, propose next,
time.
Will our Republican legislators
give them what, they want,?
Or, instead, will they recognize
part, of the difficulty in selling the
OSD was that, there were “only”
68,000 students affected? That
with so much doubt sown about
the proposal — much of it, on false
premises — it, was easy for voters
to decide they didn’t, want, to risk
the parade of horribles coming true
when most, of them didn’t, know
anyone who would be helped? That,
with President-elect Donald Trump
pledging to allow school choice with
federal dollars, there’s never been a
better time to act, on the state level?
Next, time, aim higher. Next, time,
aim bigger. Next, time, aim to deliv
er real freedom from the education
monopoly.
Just, make sure there is a next,
time.
Kyle Wingfield writes for The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the
Monroe County Reporter and other
newspapers. Reach him and read
more at www.bit.ly/KyleWingfield.
Internet
continued from front
to us selling houses,”
said Pace.
Pace said at, first, AT&T
had said it, wouldn’t,
upgrade its system
there. What, changed
their minds? Pace said
he thinks Google’s move
to start, setting up
Alphabet, Cities with
high-speed internet, ser
vice has AT&T hustling
to keep its customer
base. He also said he’s
heard that, the AT&T
Marconi pedestals used
in River Forest, are no
longer made so it’s get
ting harder to repair
them, a problem since
River Forest, is a magnet,
for lightning strikes,
said Pace. Pace noted
that, federal law requires
AT&T to offer landline
phone service to all
homes.
Pace said the project,
was halted suddenly last,
month, but, that, he heard
AT&T found about, $128
million in funds to finish
such projects. Pace said
AT&T is also running
fiber lines in the nearby
Riata subdivision, as
well as three other
Monroe County neigh
borhoods that, have fiber
lines already to the curb.
Meanwhile, Forsyth
Cable says it’s also look
ing for ways to expand
its internet, service. The
Reynolds-based company
offers high-speed fiber
internet, service in the
city and wireless inter
net, to certain areas of
the county through its
PS Data service.
Forsyth Cable owner
Jim Bond said he’s
always looking for oppor
tunities to expand ser
vice, but, said there has
to be good population
density to make it, worth
while because running
fiber line is expensive.
“We look around the
county and it’s hard get
ting there,” said Bond.
He said a developer
called him asking for
internet, service to his
subdivision that has just
six homes. He said it, just,
doesn’t, make sense for
them to spend the money
to do that,.
Pace said Forsyth
Cable wanted $1.5 mil
lion to run fiber to River
Forest,. Some have
reported that, PS Data is
no longer adding wire
less internet, customers
because it’s maxed out,
with customers, but
Bond said he couldn’t
say for sure.
Bond said his focus
now is on upgrading
its equipment, so that,
existing customers can
improve speeds from 30
MB to 100 MB per sec
ond.
Bond said city custom
ers have already enjoyed
much faster speeds since
he bought, the system
from the city three years
ago.
State Rep. Susan
Holmes (R-Monticello),
who represents northern
Monroe County, has
made improving rural
internet, service her No. 1
cause in recent, months,
holding public meetings
on the issue. Holmes
said she has learned that,
it’s going to take every
one, internet, providers
of all sizes, as well as the
state and city and county
governments, to deliver
internet, service to rural
areas.
Holmes said Monroe
County actually has
better internet, service
than some counties she
represents because of its
proximity to Macon and
Atlanta, but, said many
people still need internet,
service.
“It’s taken me six years
(in office),” said Holmes,
“but, I have found my
passion.”
Holmes is encourag
ing residents take a
rural broadband survey
at, https ://broadband.
georgia.gov./ that may
be used to guide future
service expansions. The
deadline is Dec. 1.