Newspaper Page Text
February 14, 2018
Page 7A
DOG
Continued from Front
According to the inci
dent report, at about
11:38 a.m., Sgt. David
Asbell of the Forsyth
Police Department was
patrolling Union Hill
Drive when he saw a dog
charge from a home and
bite a man, identified as
Arthur Brown, who was
walking down the street.
Asbell saw the dog hang
ing from Brown’s hip
HOLDEN
Continued from Front
was Holden’s basketball
acumen and influence on
his teammates that, made
a big difference.
Nix said, “Cam told
everybody at halftime,
“There’s not a 22-3 team
that should go play on
the road in the first round
of the state playoffs. We
should have somebody
come to us.’And he was
right.. He’s like one of the
best, assistant coaches I’ve
ever had because it’s a 12
or 13-point, lead, and he
got. us into that. 1-3-1 wide
that, we play from time to
time. Just, a different, look.
They didn’t, even come
close to scoring on that..
That, was a good call on his
part.”
Nix said he hopes MP
will eventually get. one
more shot, against, the
defending state champion
Knights, who enter the
state tourney having won
58 straight games, in the
state title game in Macon
next, month. In order for
MP to get. another chance
against. Upson-Lee, Nix
will have to rely on his
superstar to play the best,
basketball of his career
over the next, three weeks.
“When I first, came
into the program, Coach
Nix preached to me that,
we were 3-22,” Holden
recalled. “He looked me
dead into my eyes and
said, “We are going to
turn this whole program
around.’ I said, ‘We?’ He
said, ‘I promise you I will
turn this whole program
around.’And in the next,
four years, that’s what, we
did.. . This year we had a
breakout, season. I think
we’ve got. the school record
for wins for the boys team.
I feel like we’ve achieved
our (regular season) goal,
and now we’ve got. this
state run that, we’ve gotta
do. Hopefully, we can get.
to the Elite Eight, or the
Final Four. I feel like if I
don’t, get. to the Elite Eight,
or the Final Four, then I
haven’t, achieved my goal
in high school.”
The first, step for MP
in its quest, for greatness
is a first-round matchup
with a dangerous Carver-
Columbus team, ranked
No. 9 in the latest Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
(AJC) poll. Holden said
it’s going to take a lot. of
fan support, to pull the
Dogs through, similar
to what. MP received in
an 81-77 first-round win
over Eastside (Covington)
in 2017 in which Holden
buried the go-ahead three-
pointer with 12 seconds to
play.
“I expect, a great, crowd,”
Holden said of Saturday’s
showdown with Carver.
‘A great, crowd will help
us win that. game. ..
Hopefully we’ll use this
homecourt. advantage to
our strength. I hope every
body will come out. and
support, us, and let’s make
this run.”
Holden said his ankle
injury has forced him to
take a subsidiary role
to his more unheralded
teammates but. said his
buddies have been up to
the challenge all season.
Holden said, ‘A lot. of
people always focus on
me, but. Rekia (Weaver) is
probably one of the best,
defenders in the region.
He’s probably leading the
region in blocks right, now.
And Tre Edge is a great,
defender. He has great,
length on small guards.
They help me. It’s mostly
those guys. Those guys
bust, their butts every day
running and getting every
loose ball. I just get. the
high balls and rebounds.
That’s what. I do. They
Exporter
and saw Brown spinning
around trying to get. the
dog off of him as the dog’s
legs were in the air.
Asbell then ran toward
Brown at. which point,
the dog released him.
While Brown sat. on
Asbell’s patrol car await
ing Monroe County
EMTs, the dog charged
at. Brown a second time.
Therefore, Asbell Tased
the dog, who momen
tarily returned home. The
dog later charged repeat
edly again at. Asbell
and Dep. Robinson, so
Asbell pepper sprayed
the dog before Tasing
the dog a second time
when he charged once
again. EMTs then treated
Brown and took him to
Monroe County Hospital.
Meanwhile, the dog’s
owner, Roderick Terril
Morgan, turned the dog
over to Monroe County
dog catcher Alfred Taylor.
Dep. Jeff Wilson of the
Monroe County Sheriff’s
Cam Holden leads MP into the playoffs Saturday. (Photo/Kim
Holderfield)
chase everything down.
Really all credit, should
go to them because all I
do is put. the ball in the
hoop, but. they do the little
things that, don’t, show up
on the stats, which really
means a lot. to the team.
They accept, their roles,
and I thank them for let
ting me be in the role that.
I have.”
Holden even credited his
head coach with his reach
ing 2,000 points.
“Coach Nix and his sys
tem letting me have the
freedom to get. the ball
in my hands and letting
me play and giving me
the ability to do differ
ent. things on the offense
which most, players can’t,
do, it. helps me,” Holden
said. “And it’s helped to
lead me to 2,000. When
I first, came to the team,
I was made to just shoot,
threes and that’s it. So I
thank him with helping
with the system, teaching
me different, ways to score,
different, kind of cuts. He
helped me score, and when
I scored the ball, I told
him: “You got. me these
2,000.’”
Holden said he appreci
ates that. Nix’s hard-nosed
discipline rubs off on his
squad on the court..
‘The thing about. Coach
Nix is he’s going to break
you into his system if you
like it. or not.,” Holden said.
‘If you don’t, like it., he’s
going to go with the guys
who’s going to go. That’s
what. I like about, him. He
don’t, care how good you
put. the ball in the basket..
If you don’t, listen to him
and do what, he says to do,
you’re not. going to play for
him.”
Holden also credits a
number of other people
with his development, as
a player. These include:
his Middle Georgia Magic
AAU head coach Derex
Butts, his AAU team
mate Tye Fagan, Mercer
assistant basketball coach
Jason Eaker, his sister
Aleah Holden and his par
ents James and Valentina
Holden, who are regulars
at. all of Holden’s games.
Holden said Butts sel
dom compliments his skills
but. instead challenges him
to get. better, especially
defensively. Holden said
summer league team
mates like Fagan and
Travon Walker, a pair of
Upson-Lee stars, help each
other to improve their
skills. He said Eaker, who
is recruiting Holden, has
been influential in helping
him improve his on-court,
behavior, which has result
ed in 12 career technical
fouls.
“He’s a big character
guy,” Holden said of Eaker.
“He’s helped me with my
character off the court... .
He says I’m a great, ball
player, but. he’s always
taught, me class and he’s
helped me to be a better
teammate.”
Eaker’s influence is a
major reason why Holden
hopes to play for the Bears
program after two years of
junior college basketball.
Holden said his standard
ized test scores are thus
far too low to qualify for
Division 1, so he’s nar
rowed his junior college
choices down to South
Georgia Technical College
in Americus, Gulf Coast
State College in Panama
City, Fla. and Northern
Oklahoma College in
Tonkawa, Okla. Holden
said he will make his final
choice at. the conclusion of
MP’s season.
That’s where Holden’s
sister Aleah will come in.
Aleah Holden, who starred
on MPs 2013 girls Final
Four team, also went, the
JUC-0 route, playing two
successful years at. Central
Georgia Technical College
(CGTC) before moving
on to Division II Georgia
Southwestern State,
where she averaged over
seven points per game
during her senior year in
2016-17.
Cam Holden said of his
sister: “She has a big, big
percentage impact, on
where i go. She’s helped
me with junior college
because she did the same
route. So I’m going to talk
with her before I make
that, final decision.”
Holden said he will also
turn to his parents for sup
port.. He said his mother
has also been important,
in helping him to keep his
on-court, confrontations to
a minimum.
‘My parents always
taught, me to play with
class,” Holden said. ‘Tm a
guy that, plays off emotion
General Dentistry
for the Entire Family
Front Center:
Dr. Deena Smith
2nd Row:
Melissa Tolbert
& Sam Bussell
Back row:
Denise Harpe
& Barbie McCollum
Deena Holliman Smith
DMD, PC
205 Medical Court • Forsyth, GA
(478) 994-1171 dk*
Office cited Morgan, 37,
for his dog running at
large, and Morgan was
also arrested due to an
unrelated county war
rant..
Animal control officer
Becky Merritt, said state
law requires them to
observe the dog for 10
days to ensure it. doesn’t,
have rabies before they
can euthanize it.. Merritt,
said the dog was kept, on
a chain in its yard and
that. it. broke the chain.
a lot, but my mom was
like, ‘Hey, tone it. down.’
And I’m like, Mom, that’s
just the way I play.’ But.
she’s big on character.
She’s big on me and my
schoolwork and helping
guys up when they fall on
the other team. I wasn’t,
big on that.. But. I learned
what, she taught, me and
she’ll keep putting it. in my
ear when I wake up before
the game: ‘Cam, let’s calm
it. down out. there.’ My
dad’s like: ‘Just, listen to
her.’”
Holden laughed as he
recalled that, the other
thing that. got. his attention
was a recent, letter from
the Georgia High School
Association (GHSA) notify
ing him that, now that, he
had reached double digit,
career technical fouls, sub
sequent. ones would result,
in a $250 fine.
‘T calmed down,” Holden
said. ‘T don’t say nothing
to the refs.”
Holden said now that,
he’s being recruited to
colleges, he wished he’d
heeded Nix and his par
ents’ advice when he was
younger to work harder
in school. He said he first,
learned the importance of
classwork when he was
in eighth grade and was
dismissed from an unde
feated 8-0 first-place team
because of a pair of Fs.
Holden said as the squad’s
leading scorer, he never
thought, he’d actually be
kicked off the team, but.
he had to watch from the
stands as his teammates
lost, their first, playoff game
without, him.
Although Holden joked
that, he still hasn’t, found
a school subject that, he
would call his favorite, he
said, ‘If I could restart.,
it. would be more grades
than putting the ball in
the hoop.”
For now, Holden wants
to dispel any regrets he
might, have about, his high
school playing career by
taking the MP boys pro
gram to a place it. hasn’t,
been in exactly 50 years,
the state semifinals.
“Get. to a Final Four,
that’s the only goal I want,
to achieve, and I feel like
I’ve got. to get. it.” Holden
said. ‘It’s my last, one.”
‘That’s what, happens
when you don’t, socialize
your dog,” said Merritt.
She said the same dog
had attacked an elderly
woman at. a church ear
lier, and that. it. could’ve
been a lot. worse.
“What, if that, was a
child on a bicycle?” asked
Merritt, rhetorically.
She said the dog actu
ally has a good tempera
ment., it. just wasn’t, cared
for well.
“He’s a sweet, little dog,”
said Merritt, “he just had
a terrible owner.”
c3&v€> m3)
Tickets can be purchased at United Bank, Forsyth & Bolingbroke
Branches, Monroe County Tag Office & CoTique
Hubbard Elementary School • Hwy 83S, Forsyth
Bethany Baptist Church
Presents
Sozo Children’s Choir
in Concert
Sunday, Feb. 18 th • 6:00 PM
FREE EVENT!
• Ugandian singing and
dancing with authentic
African instruments
• Brief testimonies from
the children and Ugandan
adults
• Powerful worship
experience
sozo
CHILDREN'S CHOIR
Bethany Baptist Church
Bolingbroke
365 Pea Ridge Rd. • Juliette, GA 31046
For more information call 974-0002
Kite Day is a day that will be celebrated in recognition of Forsyth manufacturing the kite string used to
fly kites, in the late 1950’s. Trio Manufacturing, located at 94 East Adams Street, discovered a strong
yam that they could wind up into kite string made of rayon. The kite string was made to be sold to a
kite manufacturing company named the Hi-Flier Manufacturing Company, located in Decatur, Illinois.
• GOME OUT TO THE PARK AND HAVE A DAY OF FUN FLYlNd A KITES
• CELEBRATE KITE DAY
• BRiNd lorn Kite, a picnic basket, and enjoy the park, food vendors,
inflatables and splash pad (if Weather permits) while you are there
When: April 14, 2018
from: 10am - 3pm
Where: Country Club Park
343 Country Club Drive, forsyth, GA 31029
Art Contest
To enter Art Contest online, go to www.mainstreet.cityofforsyth.net or stop by the Main Street office at
68 North Lee St., Forsyth, GA; Deadline to enter is March 1,2018