Newspaper Page Text
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iReporter
February 14, 2018
MP softball standout Banks signs with Andrew College
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
In front of a contin
gent of family, friends
and teammates, Mary
Persons senior softball
star Tiella Banks signed
a letter of intent on Feb.
5 to play college softball
at Andrew College.
Banks, who as a junior
in 2016 was a start
ing second baseman on
MP’s first-ever region
championship squad,
successfully transitioned
to shortstop as a senior
in 2017. She projects to
move back to her favor
ite position, the outfield,
at Andrew College.
Banks, who intends
to major in education,
chose Andrew over
Gordon College after
being recruited by
Andrew assistant coach
and former MP standout
Laura Darden.
“I personally think it’s
a good small college,”
Banks said. “The educa
tion there is what I need.
They have the majors
that I want, and it’s a 15
to 1 ratio for the students to the pro
fessor.”
Banks said her favorite high school
highlight was her first varsity home
run against GMC.
“That was the first time I ran down
the base path and jumped at the same
time,” Banks recalled.
As a senior in 2017, Banks batted
.328 with 30 hits in 95 at-bats, includ
ing, 8 doubles, 1 homer and 21 RBIs.
As a pitcher in 2017, Banks threw
42 and 1/3 innings, including five
starts, yielding 78 hits and 61 runs,
MP seniorTiella Banks signed a college scholarship offer to play softball at Andrew College in Cuthbert next season. Banks is joined at her
signing on Feb. 5 by her father Michael Banks, MP head coach Hannah Grossman and Andrew College assistant and MP softball alum Laura
Darden. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
37 earned, for an ERA of 6.12. She
also struck out 10 batters while walk
ing 22 in compiling an 0-1 record. As
a junior in 2016, Banks batted .274
with 17 hits in 62 at-bats, including 1
homer and 8 RBIs.
MP head coach Hannah Grossman
said it was Banks’ personality and
versatility that made her so valuable
to the Lady Dogs’ program.
“She always brings positive energy
to the field, and that’s something
every coach wants to see,” Grossman
said of Banks. “She looks on the
bright side of everything. She was
always able to bring people together,
which is nice. No matter what you
told her to do, she was going to work
hard for it. She was thrown into the
shortstop position, and I was talking
to her on the way home from a game
one day and asked, ‘How do you feel
about shortstop?’ She was like: ‘Uh,
can we talk about it? Can we talk
about what the position is all about?’ I
said, ‘Of course. I’m not going to throw
you into something without preparing
you for it.’ She took it, and she took
charge at
short.”
Grossman
said Banks
was a
refreshing
mixture of
intensity
and light
hearted
ness.
“She was a
good leader
for us this
year,”
Grossman
said. “Her
leadership,
her positiv
ity, just
anything a
coach would
look for, her
work ethic,
always
work
ing hard
encourag
ing others.
She wasn’t
afraid to
have fun
either. She
loves the
game and
took it seri
ously but knew it was always fun.”
Banks said she learned an important
lesson from Grossman as well: “Work
hard no matter what you do. Whether
it’s in school or in sports, just work
hard because you never know what
could happen.”
Andrew College, located in Cuthbert,
is the nint-h-oldest- college in Georgia.
It is a private, liberal arts college
associated with the United Methodist
Church that competes in the National
Junior College Athletic Association
(NJCAA).
Upson-Lee holds up the Region 2-AAAA championship trophy after beat
ing MPon Friday night. Upson-Lee head coach Darrell Lockhart looks on
as starsTye Fagan (No. 24) and Travon Walker celebrate. (Photo/Richard
Dumas)
BOYS BASKETBALL
Continued from Page 1B
mustered up a game-high
25 first-half points while
Scott, who exploded for 27
points in the 2017 region
championship game, led
the Knights with 18.
The game’s tempo
slowed down consider
ably in the third period
as Upson-Lee turned to
its vaunted 1-2-2 zone
defense, which threw MP
completely out of synch
offensively. As MP’s own
defense held steady, the
Bulldogs’ offense failed
to score its first field goal
until more than seven
minutes had passed in
the third quarter when
Holden threw down a fol
low-up, two-handed dunk.
By that time, MP trailed
by 13 points at 53-40, and
the Knights would take a
55-40 lead into the final
period.
With MP desperately
needing a rally, it was the
Knights’ offense that came
alive in the fourth quar
ter. Scott connected on
his fifth three-pointer of
the game on Upson-Lee’s
first possession, and then
banged home his sixth tri
ple from the left- wing just-
over a minute later to give
Upson-Lee a 21-point- edge
at- 63-42. Moments later,
Upson-Lee center Travon
Walker, who had expertly
blocked a Holden dunk
attempt- earlier in the half,
threw down a vicious two-
handed jam and appeared
to taunt- Holden, much
to the chagrin of MP’s
student- section. Walker’s
dunk gave Upson-Lee an
insurmountable 2 5-point-
lead with five minutes to
play, and the Knights held
on for the comfortable
22-point- win. Upson-Lee’s
Tye Fagan and Walker
joined Scott in double
figures with 23 and 10,
respectively.
As MFs supporting
cast- combined for just-
21 points in the loss, the
Bulldogs struggled might
ily with their shooting,
making just- 16 of 59
field goals (27 percent)
and 18 of 32 free throws
(56 percent). MP head
coach Greg Nix said
that- wasn’t- nearly effi
cient- enough shooting
to beat- a squad as tal
ented and composed as
Upson-Lee.
“They (Knights) run
that-1-2-2 zone,” Nix
said. “I was proud that
we passed the ball a lot
and we moved the ball,
but- we didn’t- have any
action in the lane or
anybody to throw it- to
in there. They made a
really good adjustment-,
and we scored three
points in the third quar
ter. That’s just- mind-
boggling to me. They
only scored 11, and I
think we probably had
five shots go in and out-
And tonight- our free
throw shooting, I don’t-
know if it’s the intensity
and the the nervousness
or whatever, but- we
can make free throws.
I don’t- how many we
missed, 14 or 15, but-
we’ve been shooting
around 65 percent- all
year long. If we make
10 of those, it’s a differ
ent- game.”
MP advanced to the
title game and guaran
teed itself a home state
playoff game by virtue of
its 77-57 semifinal home
win over Spalding on
Wednesday. Six Bulldogs,
led by Holden’s 19 points,
scored at- least- eight- points
with Weaver, Tre Slaton
and Desmond Williams
each reaching double fig
ures with 16, 15 and 10,
respectively.
Limping noticeably,
Holden struggled with
his shooting at- the game’s
out-set-, missing his first-
four free throw attempts.
In fact-, MP trailed early,
falling behind 6-2 on a
pair of three-pointers by
Spalding’s Shed Lindsey,
who led the Jaguars
with 15 points. A listless
Bulldogs’ squad, facing a
team it- lost- to just- four
nights earlier, didn’t- begin
to claw back into the game
until later in the first-
quarter when Williams
knocked down back-to-
back comer three-point
ers. MP then took its first-
lead with 14 seconds left-
in the first period when
Slaton came off the bench
and buried a three-pointer
from the right- elbow for
an 18-16 MP advantage
after one quarter.
Slaton then opened
the second quarter with
another trey from virtu
ally the same spot- on the
floor to put MP up by
five, but Spalding would
eventually close the gap
to two at 27-25 on a pair
of left- comer triples by
Josh Reddick. Spalding
then retook the lead at-
30-29 with 2:05 left- in
the first- half on another
three-pointer by Lindsey
at- which point- Nix called
timeout- and became irate
over MP’s sloppy play.
With 12 seconds left- in
the first- half, Holden then
came alive and collected
an offensive rebound put-
back off the glass for an
old-fashioned three-point-
play to give MP a 32-30
halftime lead.
With Spalding leading
35-34 early in the third
quarter, the Bulldogs
went- on their first- extend
ed mn of the contest-,
capping a 14-1 spurt- on
a transition layup and
one by Holden to put- MP
ahead by 12 at- 48-36. MP
would eventually out-score
the Jaguars 27-13 in the
third period to seize a
16-point- advantage at-
59-43 through three quar
ters.
As Spalding’s
offense fell
apart-, MP took
advantage of
transition bas
kets and leaky
Jags’ man-to
man defense
in the fourth
quarter to get-
to the basket-
at- will. Three
layups early
in the fourth
period by
Weaver, who
made seven of
eight- field goal
tries, enabled
MP to secure
an uneventful
20-point- win.
Nix said with
Holden lim
ited due to his
ankle injury,
it- was critical
for his other
veteran players
to step up, and
guards Slaton
and Williams
were among
the group who
played out
standing bas
ket-ball against-
Spalding.
“Somebody’s
got- to catch
fire,” Nix said.
“Desmond
had not- got
ten a rebound
I thought- he
should have
gotten. And I
was going to
put- Tre Slaton
in and take him out-, and
then he goes down there
and hits two straight
threes, and I changed my
mind and got- Dee out-
That- was key. And then
at- halftime, I hadn’t- come
unglued all year long. And
then I came undone dur
ing that- timeout- and then
at- halftime because we’ve
built our program on play
ing harder than who we
play. And I didn't- see it-
the other night- until there
was 4:30 left- in the game,
and I didn’t- see it- tonight-
in the first- half until I
reminded them very loud
ly that- we outplay people.
And we did second half.”
Nix also credited
Weaver with bouncing
back from a slow start-
against- Spalding to have
one of the best- games of
his career in the second
half after Nix got- on him
during several first-half
stoppages.
“He really did respond
well,” Nix said of Weaver.
“It- shows great- maturity
on his part- because usu
ally he doesn’t- take it- as
well. But- he took it- today.
That’s maturity. I’m really
proud of him. Because he’s
athletic, he’s strong, and
they (Jaguars) had some
guys like that too. And
him and Tre Slaton and
Dee, those three guys are
thick like they are, and
they’ve gotta dang step
up.
The victory over
Spalding gave MP 23 wins
in 2017-18, which extend
ed a new school record
set- on Jan. 30 when the
Bulldogs recorded their
22nd victory.
Prior to the boys’ title
game, the Spalding Lady
Jaguars captured the
Region 2-AAAA girls
championship with a
72-37 win over Upson-Lee.
The Lady Jags jumped
out- to an 11-point- lead
through one quarter at-
17-6 before extending
their advantage to 23
points at- 41-18 at- half
time. Spalding then seized
a commanding 25-point-
lead through three
quarters at- 59-34 before
winning by 35. Corriana
Evans led Spalding with
23 points. She was joined
in double figures by team
mates Aniaya Jester and
Kirah Milner with 14 and
10, respectively. Joining
Spalding and Upson-Lee
in the girls AAAA state
playoffs from Region
2-AAAA are third-place
Perry and fourth-place
West- Laurens.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Class AAAA
IV
1. Upson Lee
26-0
2. St. Pius
24-3
3. Sandy Creek
22-5
4.Westover
21-6
5.Ame.-Sumter 24-3
6. Baldwin
21-6
7. Cartersville
19-6
8. Salem
20-6
9. Carver-Col.
20-8
10. Mary Persons 23-4
Source: AJC.com