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Page 2B
February 14, 2018
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Exporter
Boys soccer off to 2-0 start
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons boys soc
cer team is off to a 2-0 start
after throttling Peach County
and Warner Robins, both on
the road, during opening week.
On Friday, Feb. 9, the
Bulldogs manhandled the
Demons on a misty night in
Warner Robins 8-0. With the
soccer players from region
rival Perry scouting them, the
Bulldogs put on an offensive
show.
Senior forward Dawson
Daniel had four goals, includ
ing a PK, and senior Alex
Rivera had four as well as MP
out.shot. the Demons 18-7.
Brayden Martin, Alex Rivera,
William Atkins, Jacob Cox and
Matt Miller all had assists.
Keeper Brock Hulsey had
five saves in pitching the shut
out.
Coach Allen Luton said his
boys played OK. “Nothing spe
cial,” deadpanned Luton.
Last Tuesday, Feb. 6, the
Bulldogs held on for a 3-1 win
over a gritty Peach County
team.
Dawson Daniel struck first
for the Bulldogs on a penalty
kick and Alex Rivera added
two in the second half.
The Bulldogs outshot Peach
10-5 and Brock Hulsey had
five saves.
Luton said he was much
happier with the boys’ play at
Peach.
The Bulldogs started their
season with a 2-2 tie in a
home scrimmage against Pike
County on a frigid Friday
night, Feb. 2. But it felt like a
win after the Bulldogs battled
back from a 2-0 deficit.
The boys trailed 2-0 at the
half but got a break early
in the second stanza when
Dawson Daniel was tripped in
the box. The infraction earned
MP a penalty kick which
Daniel drilled into the net to
make it 2-1.
MP stayed on offense for
much of the second half but
couldn’t tie the game until
sophomore Julian Rivera took
a pass from the left near the
top of the box and sent a mis
sile to the net to tie it at 2-2.
New soccer coach Andrew
Stevick called the game as
Luton was in Switzerland on
a recruiting trip for Middle
Georgia College and State
University, where he’s associ
ate head coach.
Luton’s boys were sched
uled to host rival Jackson on
Tuesday, Feb. 13 and Ola on
Friday, Feb. 16 this week,
though rain chances were
high. On Feb. 20 they are
scheduled to host Houston
County.
Boys games start at 7:30
p.m.
See next week’s Reporter for
a preview of the MP soccer
season.
Dawson
Daniel
leaps
and
sends a
header
during
an 8-0
win over
Warner
Rob
inson
Friday.
Daniel
had four
goals.
(Photo/
Will
Davis)
Hope
Brooks
battles for
the ball
against
Warner
Robinson
Friday.
0 V-
MP girls take 1-1 tie at Warner Robins
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons girls soccer
team is off to a 1-0-1 start with a
win over Peach County and a tie at
Warner Robins.
On a misty night at a dog-eared
Warner Robins High School, the
girls not only hung with the Class
AAAAA Demons but outplayed
them Friday, Feb. 9.
“If you told me before the game
we would go down there and come
out with a tie, I would’ve been
happy,” said coach Dallas Hall.
“But after the game, I was a little
disappointed because I thought we
were the better team. We left quite
a few chances to win.”
Warner Robins struck first on
a counter-attack late in the first
half.
But the Lady Dogs answered
as sophomore Taylor Buffington
curved a corner kick toward the
goal that deflected and went in to
it at 1-1 late in the half.
In the second stanza, the Lady
Bulldogs dominated possession but
were unable to get a shot past a
scrappy keeper and settled for a
1-1 tie.
“Our forward movement was
not as good,” said Hall. “We’re
not scoring as many goals as we
should.”
Three days prior, the Lady Dogs
dominated their season opener
with a 9-2 road win over Peach
County. Taylor Buffington scored
four times, Abbie Davis added
three, Kennedy Finch knocked in
a corner kick and freshman Leslie
Rivera added her first varsity goal
to round out the scoring.
Hall said at halftime the girls
agreed they had a “terrible” first
half. But he said they did much
better in the second half, passing
the ball around like they would
against Warner Robins.
The girls still have yet to play
with a full roster. Hall hopes
to get two starters back before
region play starts. Rachel Adams
may return within a week if she’s
cleared after being injured in a
game, and Alexis Havens was
expected to return to practice this
week after a bout with the flu.
The girls lost to Pike County 6-0
in a home scrimmage on Feb. 2.
It’s the second straight year
the Lady Dogs have opened their
season with a loss to the talented
Lady Pirates. The Lady Dogs were
playing without sophomore starter
Taylor Buffington, who was finish
ing the basketball season.
Hall’s girls were scheduled to
host rival Jackson on Tuesday,
Feb. 13 and Ola on Friday, Feb.
16 this week. On Feb. 20 they are
scheduled to host Houston County.
Girls games start at 5:30 p.m.
See next week’s Reporter for a
preview of the MP soccer season.
Hall of Fame nominations are due Thurs., March 1
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
Persons who would like
to make nominations for
the second class of the
Forsyth-Monroe County
Sports Hall of Fame
should complete nomi
nation forms by Wed.,
March 1.
Nomination forms
are available online at
forsyth-monroecountys-
portshalloffame.com or
in paper form at The
Reporter office.
Nominees will include:
any players, coaches
or contributors who
positively impacted the
Monroe County sports
landscape. In addition
to the basic nomination
form, on a separate page,
summarize the nominee’s
career listing all honors,
achievements, records
and character attributes.
If necessary, describe the
nominee’s connection to
Monroe County.
Please mail the
nomination form to this
address: Forsyth-Monroe
County Sports Hall of
Fame, P.O. Box 457,
Forsyth, Ga., 31029 or
e-mail the form to for-
syth-monroecountysport-
shalloffame@gmail.com.
Forsyth-Monroe County
Sports Hall of Fame
committee members
include: Chairman Jim
Hardin, Mary Frances
Chambliss, Gaylyn Cole,
Richard Dumas, Keith
Edge, Herbert Gantt,
Bob Harris, Nolen
Howard, Vice Chairman
Bobby Melton, Secretary/
Treasurer Penny Pitts
and Marcus Whitehead.
Once all nominations
are filled out and sent
out, the 11-member
committee will vote on
final selections. The
committee anticipates
an eight-member class
for its second year. The
second annual Forsyth-
Monroe County Sports
Hall of Fame gala ban
quet is expected to be
held on Sat., June 16
at the Monroe County
Convention Center.
As part of the inaugu
ral banquet, the Mary
Persons 1980 state cham
pionship football team
was honored. Another
yet-to-be-determined
historic Monroe County
sports team will be hon
ored this year.
Tickets for the banquet
will be sold to members
of the public. Anyone
with any questions about
the nomination process
should consult any one of
the committee members
or visit fmcsportshalloff-
fame.com.
The Hall of Fame com
mittee is also request
ing individual or busi
ness sponsors for the
inaugural Hall of Fame
weekend banquet.
Sponsorship forms are
also available online at
fmcsportshalloffame.com
or in paper form at the
Monroe County Reporter
office. Sponsorship
packages include: Gold
Sponsor Level ($1,000
donation) - 8 tickets to
the banquet, a full page
ad in the banquet pro
gram and signage at the
banquet; Silver Sponsor
Level ($500 donation) - 4
tickets to the banquet, a
half-page ad in the ban
quet program, signage
at the banquet; Bronze
Sponsor Level ($250
donation) - 2 tickets to
the banquet, a quarter-
page ad in the banquet
program and signage
at the banquet; Patron
($100 donation) - name
listed in the banquet pro
gram.
Monroe recto team
with Jump Start Sports
on volleyball program
Jump Start Sports is teaming up with the Monroe County
Recreation Department to offer girls volleyball this spring.
The volleyball program, which will be held at the Monroe
County Parks and Recreation Youth Center, is for girls
grades 6-12 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, March
6 through April 19 from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. No classes are
scheduled for April 3 and April 5. The fee is $65 to partici
pate, which includes a t-shirt.
The program is an instructional program for girls in grades
6-12. Explore the fundamentals of volleyball through action-
packed sessions designed to teach basic skills to beginning
players. Participants learn passing, setting, hitting, blocking
and serving as well as basic offense, defense, positioning and
team strategy. Kneepads are recommended but not required.
Whether your child is an experienced player or a complete
novice, they will have a blast learning about the sport in this
fun and innovative program.
For more information and to register, visit www.
jumpstartsports.com or contact Jump Start’s area man
ager Katey McCandless at (404) 205-2634. Persons can
also go to Jump Start Sports Georgia on Facebook or @
JumpStartSportsGeorgia on Instagram.
Spring rec baseball/softball sign-ups to
end online at midnight on Friday, Feb. 16
The Monroe County
Recreation Department will
continue registration for spring
baseball and fast pitch softball
through Friday, Feb. 16.
The cost of registration starts
at $30 with an additional $10
fee for out-of-town participants.
Persons can register online at
mocorec.org.
Age groups will include:
Tiny Tots T-Ball - 3-4 year-
olds co-ed, T-Ball Baseball -
5-6-year-old co-ed and Baseball/
Softball -- 7-12 year-olds.
Baseball ages are as of May 1,
2018 while softball ages are as
of Jan. 1, 2018.
Parents will need to provide:
a glove, a helmet with a mask,
cleats and pants. Parents
should check with their coaches
first to see what color their
child’s team will want before
buying pants.
Tentative dates for the spring
rec baseball season include:
Baseball Coaches Meeting on
Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.;
Baseball 8U Assessments
(Staff) on Saturday, Feb.
24 at 11 a.m., Baseball 10U
Assessments (Coaches) on
Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m.;
Baseball 12U Assessments
(Coaches) on Saturday, Feb.
24 at 2 p.m.; Practice Starts
(includes 6U and T-Ball) on
Monday, Feb. 26; Opening Day
Ceremony (ages 5-12 only)
on Saturday, March 24; First
Game (includes 6U and T-Ball)
on Monday, March 26; Last
Day of Season on Tuesday,
May 22.
Tentative dates for the spring
Tiny Tots season include: Tiny
Tots Selections (Rec Staff) on
Monday, March 19; Tiny Tots
Practice Starts on Tuesday,
March 20; Tiny Tots Season
Opening Day on Tuesday, April
10; Tiny Tots End of Season on
Saturday, May 26.
Tentative dates for the
spring softball season include:
Tiny Tots, T-Ball and Softball
Coaches Meeting on Tuesday,
Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.; Softball
9U Assessments (Staff) on
Friday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.;
Softball 12U Assessments
(Coaches) on Friday, Feb. 23
at 7 p.m.; Practice Starts on
Monday, Feb. 26; Opening Day
Ceremony (ages 5-12 only)
on Saturday, March 24; First
Game on Tuesday, March
27; Last Day of Season on
Tuesday, May 22.
Anyone with questions please
feel free to call the Monroe
County Recreation Department
at (478) 994-7795 or visit the
website at mocorec.org.