Newspaper Page Text
WE HAVE IT COVERED IF IT'S PLAYED
tReporter
1C
September 7, 2022
SPORTS
CALENDAR
Wed., Sept. 7
4:30 pm
JV Softball vs. A.C.E.
( - Banks Stephens
Middle
6:30 p.m.
Softball vs. A.C.E. @
Banks Stephens Middle
Thu, Sept. 8
8 am
Boys and Girls JV Cross
Country @ GMC
Bulldog Invitation
4:30 pm
Boys JV Cross Country
vs. GMC Bulldog Invi
tational
5 pm
Varsity Volleyball vs.
Crisp County High
5 pm
JV Volleyball
vs. Crisp County High
School
5 pm
Middle School Softball @
Byron Middle School
5 pm
JV Football ( - Jackson
High School
7 pm
Varsity Volleyball vs. Pike
County High School
7 p.m.
JV Volleyball
vs. Pike County High
School
Fri., Sept. 9
7:30 pm
Varsity Football ( -
Haralson County High
School
Sat., Sept. 10
7:30 am
Boys and Girls Varsity
Cross Country
vs. Carrollton Orth
Invitational
Mon., Sept. 1 2
4:30 pm
JV Softball ( - Jones
County High School
5 pm
Varsity Volleyball ( -
Peach County High
School
5 pm
Middle School Softball
vs. Multiple Opponents
Home: Banks Stephens
Middle
6 pm
Varsity Softball @
Jones County High
School
Tue, Sept. 1 3
5 pm
Middle School Softball
@ Clifton Ridge Middle
School
6 pm
Ace/Upson-Lee @ MP
Varsity and JV Vol
leyball
Sophomore Nic Arnold goes airborne and narrowly misses breaking up a touchdown pass
for Trinity Chrisitan. Arnold did have one pick in the game. (Photo/Will Davis)
Miscues upend Dogs in
Trinity Christian loss
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
With 3 minutes left in
the third quarter on Friday
night at Dan Pitts Stadium,
Mary Persons seemed in
control. The Bulldogs led
13-10 and were driving at
the Trinity Christian 39
yard line.
But a holding pen
alty moved them back to
midfield and the pass on
3rd and 17 fell incomplete.
Then the Bulldogs shanked
a 1-yard punt. The Lions
then drove to the MP 21
and on 4th and 5, junior
running back Phoenix
Moss seemed to be bottled
up short of the marker. But
he kept chugging and burst
out of the pile for 21 yards
and the touchdown. The
Bulldogs had relinquished
their only lead of the night.
They would never regain
it in a 31-20 loss to the
defending Class A-private
state champs from Newn-
an.
“We made some critical
errors at critical times,”
said MP coach Brian
Nelson, citing the holding
penalty as a big one. “We
didn’t get beat, I feel like we
lost.”
The Bulldogs (2-1) not
only lost the game, but in
a very physical contest lost
several players to injury.
Perhaps most unsettling,
junior defensive line
man DeZavion “Juicy”
Scandrett, an anchor of
the MP defense, suffered
a dislocated knee. Nelson
said he could be out 3-4
weeks, and maybe longer
depending on his MRI on
Thursday.
Junior receiver Ty Dumas
also strained his pectoral
muscle when a defender
landed on top of him while
catching a ball early in the
contest.
Meanwhile, star run
ning back Duke Watson
strained his knee and was
visibly grimacing during
the contest. Watson still
managed to gain 103 yards
on just 15 carries on the
night, but obviously was
not 100 percent. Nelson
said the opponents played
somewhat dirty twisting
legs on tackles and such.
And Trinity Christian (1-
2) suffered its own losses.
Senior defensive back and
receiver Aaron Gates, a
Florida commit, tore his
ACL in the first half and is
likely out for the year.
The Lions struck first
with 57 seconds left in
the first quarter when
senior quarterback Henry
Brodnax connected with
Shawn Braxton for a 7 yard
touchdown.
MP responded with its
second straight 3 and out,
and Gates returned the
punt 29 yards to the MP
29. It would be his last play
as high school football
player as he apparently tore
See DOGS Page 4C
Nemo Jones
6 CATCHES,
120 YARDS, 2 TDS
Bulldogs aim
to get back
on track at
Haralson Co.
Rebel reporter says Class AA
school in rebuilding mode, page 2C
as 140 pounds but he
averages 89 yards rush
ing per game. Defensively
senior linebacker Jacob
Nemo Jones drags tacklers for extra
yards on Friday.
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
The Mary Per
sons Bulldogs
will take their
longest road trip
of the year on
Friday to play
a team they’ve
never played
before for the
second straight
week.
MP will go to
Class AA Ha
ralson County
in Tallapoosa, near the
Alabama line. MP coach
Brian Nelson said after
the GHSA moved the
Bulldogs to a new, smaller
region late in the year, he
had to schedule whom
ever he could find that
needed a game.
So the Bulldogs will
head to Tallapoosa to play
the 1-1 Rebels.
Haralson County beat
its in-county rival Bremen
15-14 on Aug. 26, and lost
to powerhouse Rabun
County 49-3 on Aug. 19.
The Rebs were off this
past week.
Haralson County runs
the old wing T, meaning
the Bulldogs will have
to stop the run and will
have to make the best of
fewer possessions. For
instance when Haralson
played Bremen, the Rebels
took the opening kickoff
and used the entire first
quarter to drive the field
and with 26 seconds left
the quarter, said Nelson.
Bremen ran its first of
fensive play in the second
quarter.
Running that Wing T
offense is junior quarter
back Haldyn Williams
(No. 8). He’s only listed
Rodriquez (No. 6) leads
the team in 13 tackles per
game.
This will be the Bull
dogs first true road game.
The Rebels went 10-2,
6-0 region (placed 1st) in
2021, providing yet an
other tough game for MP.
They are coached by Scott
Peavey. He has led them
to four playoff trips in a
row and 1 region champi
onship and they play the
single wing type offense.
The Rebels’ stellar QB last
season, Clay Hyatt, who
had led the team in rush
ing yards (60.8 yds/game)
and touchdowns (7 total),
graduated in 2022.
The Bulldogs have an
off week next Friday, so
Nelson said he’s told his
team it’s critical to get the
win and improve to 3-1
before the week off, after
which they’ll prepare for a
Homecoming match with
Columbus.
Despite injuring his
knee, Nelson said he does
expect junior running
back Duke Watson and
wide receiver Ty Dumas
to be OK to play. The
Bulldogs will be without
defensive lineman DeZa
vion Scandrett.
GAME ®wcw
Mary Persons @ Haralson Co.
7:30 p.m.
Taylor Memorial Stadium
Teams have never met
Prediction: MP 28 Haralson 14
Tickets: $10 GoFan app
478.994.2358
www.mymcr.net
MARY PERSONS BULLDOGS
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