Newspaper Page Text
Page 4B
iReporter
February 7, 2018
Four MP wrestlers advance to state traditional finals
County’s Devin Sullens.
Hansford then regrouped
and defeated Perry’s
Jordan Williams to finish
in seventh place.
Four other MP wrestlers
competed at the AAAA
Sectional B competition on
Saturday but failed to fin
ish in the top eight in their
respective weight classes.
In the 126-pound weight
class, MPs Keller Smith
lost his first match to
Hephzibah’s Khalid
Brinkley. Smith was
then defeated by Blessed
Trinity’s Joey Moroski in
his second match before
falling in his third match
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
(Above) Mary Persons junior Brycen Young gets the
upperhand on his opponent during AAAA sectional
competition in Jefferson on Saturday. Young was one of
four MP wrestlers to move on to the state finals in Ma
con this weekend. (At right) MP senior Jatorian Hansford
drops his opponent in Jefferson on Saturday. Hansford
is scheduled to sign a college football scholarship with
Missouri on Wednesday morning.
Four Mary Persons
wrestlers have advanced
on to compete in the
double-elimination
AAAA state tradition-
als finals at the Macon
Centreplex beginning at
10 a.m. on Thursday.
MP seniors Hayleigh
Blair, Stanley Lowe and
Jatorian Hansford and
junior Brycen Young
each finished among the
top eight qualifiers at
the AAAA B sectional
competition in Jefferson
over the weekend. Lowe
and Young also qualified
for the state traditional
finals in 2017 with Lowe
becoming the first, and
thus far only, Bulldog to
score points at the state
meet.
In the 106-pound
weight class, Blair,
18-10 overall, lost her
first match to North
Oconee’s Hayden Prior.
Blair then received
a second-round bye
before defeating White
County’s Jacob Cantrell
in her third match. Blair
was then defeated by St.
Hus X’s William Pentecost
in her fourth match before
falling to Oconee County’s
Zach Cartrette to finish in
eighth place.
In the 145-pound weight
class, Lowe, 31-6 over
all, won his first match
against West Hall’s Parker
Campellone. Lowe was
then defeated in his sec
ond match by Jefferson’s
Coy Strong. Lowe then
bounced back in his third
match to beat Burke
County’s Jalen Lovett. He
then took out Baldwin’s
Taveress Smith in his
fourth match before fall
ing to Blessed Trinity’s
Aaron Werkheiser in
his fifth match. Lowe
then regrouped and
defeated Upson-Lee’s Scott
Kirschman to finish in
fifth place.
In the 152-pound weight
class, MP junior Brycen
Young, 41-9 overall, won
his first match against
North Oconee’s Sean
O’Brien. Young was then
defeated in his second
match by Blessed Trinity’s
Alex Poma. Young then
bounced back in his third
match to beat Marist.’s
Lawrence Harris before
falling in his fourth match
to Upson-Lee’s Chris
Brown. Young then
regrouped and
defeated Baldwin’s
Makel Anderson to
finish in seventh
place.
In the 220-pound
weight class, MP
senior Jatorian
Hansford, 7-4
overall, won his
first match against
Oconee County’s
Nick Saunders. Hansford
was then defeated in his
second match by West
Hall’s Damien Fouts.
Hansford then bounced
back in his third match
to beat Jefferson’s Alex
Parker before falling in
his fourth match to White
as well to Baldwin’s
Keeylone Sanford. Smith
then dropped his fourth
match to North Oconee’s
Tanner Leierzapf to fin
ish 0-4.
In the 170-pound
weight class, MP’s Trent
Sickman lost his first
match to Marist.’s Corey
Langner. Sickman
was then defeated by
Richmond Academy’s Rin
Ishikawa-Beck before
falling in his third match
as well to Chestatee’s
Chino Ortiz. Sickman
then dropped his fourth
match to White County’s
Seth Stonecypher to fin
ish 0-4.
In the 195-pound
weight class, MP’s
Brandon Neal lost his
first match to Blessed
Trinity’s Jack Filipowicz.
Neal was then defeated
by Burke County’s Cole
Thurston before falling in
his third match to West
Hall’s Ricardo Vazquez.
Neal then bounced
back in his fourth
match to beat Cross
Creek’s Akeem Miles
before losing his fifth
match to Perry’s Jordan
Thompkins.
In the 285-pound
weight class, MP’s Abdul
Glover won his first
match against Blessed
Trinity’s Jack Jacobs.
Glover was then defeated
in his second match by
Jefferson’s Gavin London.
Glover then lost his third
match to Spalding’s Robert.
Tumipseed before regroup
ing in his fourth match to
beat. Richmond Academy’s
Donovan Ramsey. Glover
then defeated Jacobs a sec
ond time to finish just out.
of the top eight, in ninth
place.
MP GIRLS
Continued from Page 1B
Traylor caught, fire from
downtown, splashing a
pair of left, elbow treys
to give the Lady Knights
an 11-point, advantage at.
44-33 with 1:13 left, in the
third quarter. Upson-Lee
would eventually extend
its run to 17-0 as Traylor
buried another three-
pointer, this one from the
left, corner to go ahead
51-33 midway through
the fourth quarter.
With 4:21 left, Shannon
fouled out, and MP was
unable to rally, scoring
just four fourth quarter
points in the 20-point,
loss. While MP’s season
came to an end, the No.
3 seed Lady Knights
guaranteed themselves
a spot, in the AAAA state
playoffs and will face No.
2 seed West. Laurens at.
4 p.m. on Wednesday in
a region semifinal show
down.
Despite the disappoint
ing defeat., McElhaney
said he was proud of how
his young team played at.
the end of he season.
“We played some good
basketball in this finish
ing stretch,” McElhaney
said. “We had a chance
going into the fourth
quarter. We just didn’t,
have enough gas.”
McElhaney said at. least,
three of Shannon’s five
fouls, including both of
the last, two, were mental
errors from overaggres
siveness or close calls by
the referees.
‘They still called them,
so we’ve got. to live with
them,” McElhaney said.
“But. that’s just knowing
the game, knowing that,
she can’t, reach. She’s
got. to slide her feet.. And
she’s a gambler. It’s one
of those high-risk, high-
reward type of things,
and we didn’t, get. a high
reward today.”
McElhaney, a first-year
head coach, said the past,
three seasons, in which
the Lady Dogs have lost,
at. least. 19 games each
year, have taken a cumu
lative toll on his squad.
“It’s been hard to battle
back, and you could see
that. at. times when it.
gets a little too tough,”
McElhaney said. “We’ll
fight, for as long as we
can, but. it’s like when
they know it’s over, it’s
kind of just ride it. out.
and let. the clock burn
out..”
Monday’s defeat, came
three nights after MP
finished up a 1-9 regu
lar season campaign in
Region 2-AAAA with an
82-34 road loss on Friday
at. first-place Spalding,
who completed a perfect.
10-0 region season.
MP fell behind 31-9
through one quarter.
The Lady Jaguars then
extended their advan
tage to 31 points at. half
time at. 46-15. MP then
mounted a slight, rally
in the third quarter but.
was ultimately outscored
26-16 to fall behind by 41
at. 72-31. Spalding then
cruised in the final period
to the 48-point, win.
Kiana Banks led the
Lady Jaguars with 24
points. She was joined in
double figures by team
mates Kirah Milner, who
scored 19, and Kierst.yn
Milner, who scored 10.
The Spalding defeat,
came three nights after
MP achieved its most,
thrilling moment, of the
season when it. avoided
its second straight win
less Region 2-AAAA
campaign with a 47-42
home win over Perry on
Senior Night, on Tuesday,
Jan. 30.
In a fitting result., MP
senior forward Abigail
Hightower drained the
go-ahead three-pointer
with 5:25 left, in the
fourth period that. put. the
Lady Dogs ahead for good
at. 41-39.
MP trailed 8-7 through
one period before sopho
more guard Taylor
Buffington got. hot. from
the perimeter in the sec
ond quarter to stake MP
to an unexpected 23-19
halftime lead. The Lady
Panthers regrouped to
outpoint, the Lady Dogs
17-7 in the third period
to take a six-point, edge
into the fourth quarter
at. 36-30. But. that’s when
MP responded with per
haps its best, eight, min
utes of the entire season.
The Lady Dogs went, on
an 8-0 run to start the
fourth quarter, capped by
a corner three-pointer by
junior point, guard Ateria
McDowell with 6:26 left,
in the fourth quarter.
Perry would soon regain
the lead, but. Hightower’s
clutch shot., her lone field
goal of the game, just one
minute later gave the
Lady Dogs a lead they
would not. relinquish.
Four free throws, two
by McDowell followed
by two by Buffington,
put. MP ahead by six
at. 45-39 with 3:30 left.
Then, with 48 seconds to
play, Shannon drained
two pressure free throws
to put. MP ahead by five
at. 47-42, and the score
would remain the same
until the clock expired.
Buffington led the Lady
Dogs with 16 points.
She was joined in double
figures by Shannon and
McDowell, who scored
15 and 11, respectively.
Perry’s Asiah Harrell led
all scorers with 22 points.
McElhaney said an
increased focus in prac
tice on shooting turned
MP’s fortunes in its regu
lar season finale.
‘They’ve been working
hard, and the last, maybe
two weeks we kind of just
had to try something dif
ferent.,” McElhaney said.
“So we’ve been doing a lot.
more shooting and less
team work, and you could
tell tonight, that, we shot.
47 percent, from the field.
That’s probably the best,
we’ve shot, all year.”
McElhaney said he was
pleased that, the unsung
Hightower enjoyed a
memorable moment, on
her Senior Night..
“For her to hit. five
three-pointers in the last,
three games, that’s been
big,” McElhaney said.
“And especially this shot,
on Senior Night., it. kind
of put. us over the edge
and helped us get. the
win.”
Despite the struggles,
McElhaney said he’s had
a good time during his
first, season at. the helm.
“It’s been a roller coast
er, but. I enjoyed every bit.
of it,” McElhaney said.
“All three of those wins
and all 23 or 24 of those
losses. I wouldn’t, trade
these girls for nothing.”
Meanwhile, the Monroe
County Middle School
girls basketball team
finished up a disappoint
ing 2-10 campaign on
Tuesday, Jan. 30 with a
39-9 road loss at Lamar
County Middle. The Lady
Dogs were also defeated
in a road contest on Jan.
29 at. Fort. Valley Middle
by a score of 23-8.
Elite Tigers compete in Pro Bowl
Monroe Elite Tigers team member Jaise Davis (above left) played in the 2018 Youth Pro Bowl on Jan. 27 in Orlando, Fla., and
his 10U Blue team coached byT.Y. Hilton (father of Indianapolis Colts star receiver T.Y. Hilton Jr.) won the championship. Davis
had 8 tackles and 1 sack. The Elite Tigers also had two other players, Mason Stephens (at right) and Cotdy"C.J." Banks (above
right), who played in the 8U Youth Pro Bowl game. (Photos/Lamarcus Davis)