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Dogs demote Generals
BY RICHARD DUMAS
forsyth@mymcr. net
The Mary Persons Bulldogs advanced to the
state quarterfinals for just the second time in
the past 18 seasons with a comfortable 38-21
home victory over Heritage (Ringgold) on
Friday.
The Bulldogs never trailed on Friday, get
ting a combined 298 rushing yards and five
touchdowns from the talented tailback tan
dem of Zach Harvey and Quen Wilson. In all,
the Bulldogs’ explosive offense tallied 459 total
yards, including 191 passing yards by senior
quarterback Caleb Speir. The Dogs’ dominat
ing defense also limited Heritage, which was
playing just its second-ever playoff contest,
to minus one rushing yards while preventing
Heritage’s outstanding quarterback Corbee
Wilson from completing even half of his
passes.
MP’s only other state quarterfinal appear
ance since 1998 came in 2012, current head
coach Brian Nelson’s first season. Friday’s
home showdown with Blessed Trinity will
be the first quarterfinal game played at Dan
Pitts Stadium since Washington County came
to Forsyth on Dec. 5, 1997 in former coach
Dan Pitts’ final game at MP. The Bulldogs
have not reached the state semifinals since
1998 when MP knocked off Hart County
19-14 on the road in the state quarterfinals.
On Friday, MPs defense set the tone on the
very first play from scrimmage when junior
linebacker Jatorian Hansford threw Heritage
receiver Nolan Letzgus for a one-yard loss.
Two plays later, MPs cat-quick defensive
tackle Dan O’Neal sacked Wilson for a seven-
yard loss on third down to force a three-and-
out punt.
Starting at their own 28-yard-line, the
Bulldogs’ offense wasted little time seizing
control. Harvey ran through a mammoth hole
on the left side of the line for a 19-yard pickup
on first down. On the very next play, Harvey
started to his left before cutting back to the
right. He then outran the Generals’ secondary
down the right sideline, crossing the goal line
just inside the front right pylon for a 53-yard
score. Dawson Daniel’s extra point with 9:12
left in the first quarter gave MP a rapid 7-0
rT v T7 T ir7 i rrn\WiEEK-i
Senior wide receiver
Roger Akins • No. 6
had 87 receiving yards
in a 38-21 win
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Thanks to a pair of MP personal foul
penalties, Heritage advanced down to MPs
38-yard-line on its next series. However, MPs
secondary stood tall, forcing three straight
incompletions by Wilson, including a dropped
interception by MPs Quan Davis on fourth
down. MP then answered back with a long
drive of its own down to Heritage’s 31-yard-
line on its ensuing series, but Heritage safety
Jeffery Curtis sacked Speir for a 10-yard-loss
on fourth down to halt the drive.
With solid starting field position at its own
41-yard-line, Heritage took advantage of yet
another MP personal foul to push down to the
MP 29-yard-line. From there, Wilson dropped
a perfect lob softly into the hands of a wide-
open receiver, Chandler Hill, running free
down the left sideline for a tying score. Alex
Ahlyege’s extra point tied the contest at 7-7
with 2:54 left in the first quarter.
MP then answered from a familiar spot on
the field, its own 28-yard-line just like in the
first drive, on its next possession. Wilson and
Harvey each traded four straight first-down
runs to advance the ball 69 yards all the way
down to Heritage’s three-yard-line. Two plays
later, Wilson bounced off an outside blitzer
and spun to his right across the end zone
stripe for a one-yard score with 1:02 left in
the first quarter. James Davis’ PAT put MP
ahead 14-7.
After Heritage punted again, the Generals
needed a big play to seize momentum back.
The Generals’ good fortune came on the third
play of the second quarter when Harvey
fumbled a handoff, which was recovered by
Heritage’s Nance Tanner. However, MPs
defense stiffened and prevented the Generals
from taking advantage, forcing yet another
punt.
After MP was forced to punt from its own
three-yard-line, the Generals took possession
at midfield looking to tie the contest again.
Unfortunately for Heritage, Wilson failed to
hook up with Hill deep down the right sideline
on fourth down, enabling MP once again to
gain possession.
Speir went up top on first down from MPs
own 44-yarddine, but he overthrew his
intended target, a wide open
Jatori Sims running free
down the seam. The miscue
ultimately thwarted MPs
chance to add on to its lead,
and the Bulldogs were once
again forced to punt. Heritage
then ate up nearly four min
utes of clock, advancing just
across midfield late in the
second quarter. However,
the Bulldogs’ defense again
answered the challenge and
forced a punt.
Four plays later, Speir con
nected with tight end Bryan
Hunter down the right side
line for a 44-yard gain with 21
seconds left in the first half.
Three plays later, Nelson sent
out kicker Alex Rivera to pad
MPs halftime lead. However,
Jason Jungberg. AAMS
Financial Advisor
First Vice President-
Investment Officer
Mary Persons senior Jatori Sims caught three passes on MP’s opening touchdown
drive of the second half that staked the Dogs to a two-score lead they would never sur
render. (Photo/Kim Holderfield)
Rivera uncharacteristically missed wide left
from 43 yards with two seconds left in the
first half to keep MPs lead at just seven, 14-7,
at the half. Despite being outgained 233 total
yards to 80, the Generals remained in strik
ing position as the two teams came out for the
second half.
MP got the ball first in the third quarter,
and MPs offense went back to basics. Speir
fired a strike to Sims for 11 yards on first
down. Harvey then ran for another first, down
on a 13-yard carry on the next play. Speir
then found Sims a second time on a swing
pass for a 19-yard pickup on the third play of
the drive. Having already advanced past mid-
field in just three plays, MP had momentum
back. After two Harvey carries netted just two
yards, Speir found Sims for a third time for
a 17-yard gain on 3rd-and-8. Five runs later,
Harvey leaped over the top of the line for his
second score of the game, a one-yarder, with
7:40 left in the third quarter. Daniel’s extra
point capped an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown
drive that put MP ahead 21-7.
But Heritage proved resilient despite its
inexperience. The Generals marched on a
three-minute plus scoring drive of its own
with the key play being a slant deep over the
middle from Wilson to receiver Trent Kiniry
for 45 yards down to MPs two-yard-line.
see BULLDOGS page 2B
MP’s Bell, Mullis sign college scholarship offers
BY
RICHARD
DUMAS
forsyth@
rnymcr.net
Mary
Persons
senior
softball
standouts
Megan Bell
and Alyssah
Mullis each
signed schol
arship offers
with four-
year Division
1 college
programs
during the
early signing
period on
Thursday.
Bell, an
ace pitcher
who holds
the MP pro
gram record
for career wins, inked a scholar
ship with Morehead State in
Morehead, Kentucky. Mullis, a
catcher who holds the program
record for home runs, will stay
closer to home, signing with near
by Georgia Southern.
The two MP stars were each
four-year starters, making four
consecutive state tournament
appearances including trips to the
Sweet 16 in 2015 and 2016. As
seniors, Bell and Mullis provided
the battery for perhaps the great
est team in MP program history,
setting a new school record for
victories in a single season with
25 and winning the program’s
first-ever region championship.
Bell was on the mound for all 22
innings of the Best-of-3 region
championship series with West
record in 23 great softball players. They’re a lot
starts. Bell more than that. And to have this
pitched 155 opportunity, you have to have a
innings, giving lot of time and commitment. You
up 119 hits have to have an academic record
and just 28 that goes along with it because
earned runs these colleges won’t invest all
for an ERA of their money into somebody that,
1.27. Bell also they don’t think is going to go up
struck out 147 there and do very well. So along
Alyssah Mullis (front center), who will attend Georgia Southern, is pictured
(front row) with her stepmother Ashly Goolsby, father Sam Mullis and (back
row) sister Savannah Mullis. (Photos/Richard Dumas)
Laurens while Mullis caught all
22 innings. Hitting in her custom
ary third spot in the MP hatting
order, Mullis then homered four
times in four state playoff games,
driving in 13 runs.
For the 2016 season, Mullis led
MP in hits with 47, doubles with
10, homers with 13, RBIs with
46, hatting average with a .456
mark, on-base percentage with a
.504 mark and slugging percent
age with an Ruthian .951 mark.
Mullis also controlled opposing
teams’ running games with her
powerful arm, throwing out 5 of
15, or 33 percent, of attempted
basest.ealers. Mullis is also MP’s
career leader in numerous statis
tical categories, including home
runs with 31 and RBIs with 124.
Meanwhile, Bell finished the
2016 season with a 17-6 win-loss
batters, nearly one
batter per inning,
while walking just
33. As a hitter. Bell
batted .242 with 1
homer and 13 RBIs
as a senior. Like
Mullis, Bell holds
numerous school
career records,
including wins by
a pitcher with 45
and strikeouts with
370.
MP principal Jim Finch said the
duo’s high school accomplishments
extend beyond the diamond.
“I know they’ve meant a lot to
our school, and I know they’ve
meant a lot to our program,”
Finch said. "And they’re great pro
gram players. And they’re just not
play college softball.
“Since the age of 10, this is what
she wanted to do,” Sam Mullis
said. “So this is the manifestation
of eight years of what she’s talked
about and dreamed of, which is
playing softhall at a D-l school.
This is just a stepping stone in
that. So, we’re just going to con
tinue on the way we’re going and
Megan Bell (front second from right), who will attend Morehead State, is pictured
(front row) with her parents Jeremy and Tammy Bell, sister Ashli Anglin, (back row)
aunt Kay Graves and grandmother Ann Clifton.
with their athletic talents, they
also have to have an academic tal
ent that goes along with that. And
these two girls have demonstrated
that.”
Mullis’ father Sam said his
daughter has known since her
pre-teen years that she wanted to
she’ll achieve what she started at
10 or 12 years old.”
Mullis received an offer from Big
10 power Nebraska all the way
back when she was 14 but decided
to hold out for a chance to play
see SIGNINGS page 4B