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WE HAVE IT COVERED IF IT'S PLAYED
•Reporter
IB
December 29, 2021
Monroe Co. sweeps Player of Year honors
Mary Persons sophomore running back
Duke Watson has added to his honors for his
2021 season when the Macon Telegraph named
him the areas Offensive Player of the Year.
Watson broke a school record with more than
1,700 yards on the season. He already has offers
from Memphis and Liberty.
Meanwhile, a Monroe Countian was also
named the Telegraphs Defensive Player of the
Year. Senior linebacker Coleman Cauley from
FPD took that honor after averaging 16 tackles
per game in leading the Vikings to the state
quarterfinals.
Another Monroe County resident, Mary
Persons senior receiver Jake LaVinka, was
named to the Second Team All-Region by the
Telegraph.
The Telegraph honors were decided by sports
reporter Justin Baxley.
At left, Mary
Persons
sophomore
Duke Watson
was named
Middle
Georgias Of
fensive Player
of the Year
by the Macon
Telegraph. At
right, Monroe
County’s Cole
man Cauley
of FPD (13)
was named
Defensive
Player of the
Year.
Mat Dogs take first place
in first-ever Dawg Brawl
The Mary Persons wrestling
team hosted its first ever dual
tournament last week and took
first place in the 1st Annual Dawg
Brawl.
The six teams competing were
MP, Houston County, Piedmont
Academy, Northside Warner
Robins and Upson-Lee, said MP
Mat Dogs coach Baron Hamlin.
MP went 4-1 on the day and came
out Champions of the tourna
ment, with Houston County being
runners up.
Both MCMS hoops teams improve to 3-1
The Monroe County Middle
School basketball teams both ran
their records to 3-1 by recording
wins over rival Henderson Mid
dle of Jackson. The girls game was
a back and forth affair with teams
trading baskets for the lead for
3 quarters. However, in the 4th
quarter Monroe was able to solve
the riddle of Hendersons pressure
defense and took a commanding
lead for a 12 point victory. The
final score was 39-27 with Mon
roes Zoe Shannon again leading
all scorers with 23 points on the
night. Kolbi McBrayer also added
7 points.
The boys game was just as excit
ing with both teams trading leads.
However, in the end Monroe was
just too much for Henderson. The
Bulldogs played a complete team
game for the win. Braylen Jones
led the Bulldogs with 20 points
but it was Bud Mortons 7 4th
quarter points that gave the Dogs
the boost they needed. The final
score was 42-32. Wylie Smith and
Josiah Knight led the Bulldogs on
the boards as they both collected
8 rebounds. Both teams will be
back in action on January 4th vs
Gray Station.
The Monroe County inaugural
6th grade teams have also started
strong. The boys are 2-0 with
wins over Tattnall Square and
Pike County. The girls are 1-0
with a win over Pike County. The
teams are playing an informal,
limited schedule this year. Find
ing gym space, practice time, and
opponents has been a challenge
but the efforts thus far have been
rewarding.
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Behold the cardinal, Monroe Co.s Christmas bird
I f you asked Americans
what bird they believe
is most deserving of
holding the title of the
Christmas bird, I am sure
the vast majority of them
would say the cardinal.
Although nobody can say
for sure why this
is the case, I have
my own theory
why the cardinal
is linked with this
holiday. Let me
explain.
To begin with,
the male cardi
nals plumage
is crimson red. TERRY W.
This is important
because red and
green are the two colors
most often used to adorn
Christmas decorations,
tablecloths and other fes
tive adornments. It is also
the color of the suit worn
by a jolly old elf named
Santa Claus.
Interestingly, the male
cardinals plumage is the
same color as the robes
worn by the members of
the Catholic Church’s Col
lege of Cardinals.
However, the birds color
does not fully explain how
a bird that does not live
anywhere else in the world
but the eastern two-thirds
of the United States is
recognized as the Christ
mas bird by hundreds of
millions of people that live
beyond the birds range.
I believe that Christmas
cards have also played a key
role. The first Christmas
cards were manufactured
in the late 1840s. They
were printed using sepia
ink and consisted of three
panels on which was
illustrated a family seat
ing around a table raising
their glasses in a toast. The
caption read, “A
Merry Christ
mas and a Hap
py New Year.”
During suc
ceeding years,
the illustrations
used on the
cards changed
dramatically.
JOHNSON For example,
by the 1890s,
cards were
often extremely ornate and
were often decorated with
silk fringe and lace. These
cards commonly featured
biblical figures and chil
dren. A few of the cards
contained religious mes
sages and/or winter scenes.
During the Victorian era,
birds began appearing on
Christmas cards. These
birds were depicted nest
ing. Eventually, when
Christmas cards started
being printed in the United
States they began featuring
winter scenes and a menag
erie of birds native to North
America.
Since then, untold num
bers of birds have been
used to illustrate Christmas
cards. The lineup of birds
that have appeared on the
cards my wife and I have
received over the years
includes a number of spe
since 2006 sales of Christ
mas cards have plum
meted, I do not think
there is any danger of the
cardinal losing its reputa
tion of being the Christmas
bird. During this time
frame, print, and electronic
advertising have continued
to use the cardinal to sell all
kinds of products during
the holiday season.
Here in Monroe County
we are fortunate that the
only cardinals we see are
not just those that fly into
our homes on Christmas
cards; we get to see and
enjoy them throughout
the entire year. This is one
more reason why Monroe
County is such a special
place to live.
Crimson red cardinals hold the title of being the Christmas bird. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
cies of ducks, Canada and
snow geese, chickadees,
red-breasted and white
breasted nuthatches, white-
throated and fox sparrows,
purple finches, downy
woodpeckers, American
goldfinches, blue and eve
ning grosbeaks, bluebirds,
ruby-throated humming
birds, ruffed grouse, quail,
wild turkeys, and cardinals.
However, the bird that has
most often found its way
into the Johnson residence
is the northern cardinal.
Invariably, these birds
have been featured in a
snowy winter landscape.
Brilliant red cardinals
perched on a feeder or
snowy-covered branch help
create the perfect winter
scene. Is it any wonder
why cardinals seem to ap
pear on Christmas cards
more than any other birds?
Consequently, regard
less of whether you live in
Roswell, New Mexico, Bill-
Michael
Whitfield
ings, Montana, or Smarr,
Georgia, after repeatedly
seeing this colorful bird
on Christmas cards year
after year you are likely to
automatically link the bird
with the holiday.
In spite of the fact that
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column ‘Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. His book, “A Journey
to Discovery,” is available at
The Reporter. Email him at
tjwoodduck@bellsouth.net.
MARY PERSONS BULLDOGS
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