Newspaper Page Text
CHRIS SWARS • TENNIS
MARY PERSONS BULLDOGS
& State Farm
281 Tift College Drive • Forsyth, GA 31029
478-992-9945
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5:30 pm
TOMMY JOHNSTON, STATE FARM INSURANCE
SPRING SPORTS
CALENDAR
TODAY
4 p.m.
Varsity Girls Tennis
(vs. Shawl
4 p.m.
Varsity Girls & Boys Golf
(vs. Schley County @ The
River Forest Golf Club)
THURSDAY. APRIL 19
FRIDAY. APRIL 20
5:55 p.m.
Varsity Basebal
(vs. Upson-Leel
SATURDAY. APRIL 21
SUNDAY. APRIL 22
MONDAY. APRIL 23
4 p.m.
Varsity Girls & Boys Golf
(River Forest Invitational @
River Forest Golf Club)
TUESDAY. APRIL 24
THE SWEET TASTE OF VICTORY
MP players J
swarm keeper
Brock Hulsey
(green jersey)
after beat
ing Spalding in
penalty kicks on
Friday.
I\ W
\8 |
\ I
ilk* J
MP likely headed to Shaw
for playoffs next Friday
By Will Davis
publisher ! -my mcr.net
The Mary Persons boys soccer team has ap
parently locked down a third place finish in
Region 2-AAAA with a thrilling penalty-kick
win over Spalding at Lancaster Field on Friday,
April 13. As a result, the Bulldogs are expected
to hit the road for Round 1 of the state playoffs
at Shaw-Columbus on Friday, April 27. MP was
set to host Perry on Senior Night on Tuesday
but the outcome would not likely change the
standings. MP lost to the Panthers 6-1 the last
time.
MP improved to 12-3-1, 6-3 in region last
week with wins over Spalding and Howard. On
Friday, the Bulldogs beat the Jaguars for the
second time this year, both of them nail-biters.
The teams were scoreless after 60 minutes on
Friday. But then the Bulldogs got a corner kick
and sophomore Julian Rivera lobbed a perfect
rainbow to the middle. Riveras brother Alex
came speeding to the ball, head down, and
drilled it into the net to give MP a 1-0 lead with
20:03 left to play.
But the Jags wouldn’t go quietly. With 15:40
left to play Spalding scored from the back side
to tie it at 1-1. While MP controlled posses-
SCAN HERE
FOR A VIDEO FROM THE GAME
REGION 2-AAAA STANDINGS
SCHOOL
OVERALL
REGION
Upson-Lee High
14-1
8-1
Perry High
9-4-1
6-2
Mary Persons
12-3-1
6-3
Spalding High
7-7-2
5-5
West Laurens
7-8
1-7
Howard High
4-9
0-8
sion for much of the remainder of regulation,
neither team could take the lead in it or the two
five-minute overtime periods. So the teams
See MP BOYS • Page4B
MP boys track finishes surprising
second at windy region title meet
The youthful MP boys track squad, coached by first-year head man Kip Burdette,
finished as the runner-up at the two-day Region 2-AAAA track meet, concluded on
Monday. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
In the coldest, windi
est championship day in
recent Region 2-AAAA
track history, the Mary
Persons boys track squad
performed admirably
at Spalding on Monday,
finishing as the region
runner-up for the second
straight year.
As expected, MP fresh
man Justin Wachtel was
the Bulldogs’ star, captur
ing a pair of individual
races, the 1,600 meters
and the 3,200 meters.
Two other MP boys also
won individual titles with
senior Condarius Alford
prevailing in the high
jump and senior Bralen
Harvey finishing atop the
podium in the pole vault.
Also, MP senior Jaques
Watkins finished as the
region runner-up in the
high jump to his teammate
Alford while the Dogs’ top
4 x 400-meter relay team
of Alford, Malik Davis,
Wachtel and Watkins
finished as the runner-up
as well.
MP totaled 129 points
in its second place result,
finishing behind region
champion West Lau
rens’ total of 146 points.
Perry placed third with
107 points followed by
Howard with 89 points.
Spalding and Upson-Lee
were also in attendance
at Monday’s meet. Perry’s
Davion Ross won the indi
vidual award for capturing
the most individual points
at the region meet.
Other MP boys athletes
who achieved top-four
region finishes and will
move on to the AAAA
state sectional competition
included: Watkins, who
placed third in the long
jump, Brycen Young, who
placed third in the pole
vault, Colton Dingmore,
who placed fourth in the
shot put, Daniel Lavelle,
who placed fourth in the
discus, Alford, who placed
third in the 400 meters,
Jamar Fagan, who placed
fourth in the 110-meter
hurdles, and Myles John
son, who placed third in
the 800 meters. Also, MP’s
top 4 x 100-meter relay
team of Ladamian Sands,
Alford, Fagan and Caileb
Ussery placed third.
Full region meet results
and times were unavail
able at presstime. Addi
tional region meet cover
age will be available in the
April 25 Reporter.
MP head coach Kip
Burdette said of his squad’s
performance on Monday:
“I think we exceeded
expectations this year.
Early in the year I did not
think we would be able to
have the success we had
down the stretch. Each kid
on the team was basically
maxed out on events, and
they fought really hard
down the stretch. I was
See BOYS TRACK • Page 2B
Former Mary Persons head coach Rodney Walker is one
of eight new inductees into the Forsyth-Monroe County
Sports Hall of Fame. Walker and the rest of the class will
be inducted in a ceremony on June 16. (File photo)
Walker, Zellner
among 2018 Hall of
Fame inductees
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The second-ever induction class of the Forsyth-Monroe
County Sports Hall of Fame will officially be enshrined at
an induction ceremony at the Monroe County Conven
tion Center at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16.
Eight new members were chosen on Tuesday, April
See HALL OF FAME • Page 2B