Newspaper Page Text
SEPTEMBER 17TH
VS THE CITADEL, 6:00 PM AT MERCER
IT COVERED IF IT'S PLAYED
WE H
iRepxter
ic
September 14, 2022
cS,, Bulldogs make Rebels yell
Wed., Sept. 14
4:30 pm
JV Softball @ A.C.E.
5 pm
Pike County Middle
School @ Middle School
Football @ Dan Pitts
Stadium
5 pm
JV Football @ Jasper
County High
6:30 pm
Varsity Softball @ A.C.E.
Thurs., Sept. 15
4:30 pm
Middle School Softball
( - Gray Station Middle
School
5 pm
Creekside Christian @
Mary Persons JV Volleyball
6 pm
Middle School Softball
( - Gray Station Middle
School
7 pm
Creekside Christian
Academy @ Mary Persons
High volleyball
7 pm
Northside High School @
Varsity Volleyball
7 pm
Northside High School @
Mary Persons JV Volleyball
Sat., Sept. 17
Noon
Varsity Competition
Cheer @ West Laurens
Mon., Sept. 19
5:30 pm
Varsity Softball vs. Taylor
County High School Home:
Banks Stephens
Middle
Tues., Sept. 20
4:30 pm
JV Softball ( - Upson-Lee
High School
4:30 pm
Henderson Middle School
( - Middle School Softball
5 pm
Varsity Volleyball @ Upson-
Lee High School
6 pm
Varsity Volleyball vs.
Kendrick High School @
Upson-Lee High
6 pm
Henderson Middle School
( - Middle School Softball ( -
Banks Stephens Middle
7 pm
Varsity Softball @ Upson-
Lee High School
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcnnet
Mary Persons enters its
first bye week at 3-1, the
Bulldogs’ best start since
2018, after a 38-17 win over
Haralson County in Tal
lapoosa on Friday
The Bulldog defense shut
down the Rebels’ triple
option offense, holding
Haralson to fewer than 100
yards rushing, while junior
running back Duke Watson
racked up 209 yards and 2
touchdowns to pace MP.
“We did what we needed
to do,” said MP coach Brian
Nelson. “Overall we did
good considering the long
road trip and everything.”
It was the Rebels who
got on the board first after
sophomore Luke Arm
strong took the opening
kickoff 59 yards to the MP
35 yard line. MP held the
Rebels to three short run
ning plays but on 4th and
6 from the 31, Haralson
County pulled a flea flicker
as running back Holden
Davis connected with Jacob
Rodriguez for a 31-yard
score. The PAT put Haral
son up 7-0 with 9:33 left in
the first quarter.
On their first possession
the Bulldogs mixed pass
and run to drive to the
Haralson 3-yard line for
first and goal. As with the
week before, the Bulldogs
then became their own
worst enemy. A holding call
moved it back to the 13, and
MP failed to move from
there. Nelson decided to try
for the score on 4th and goal
from the 13, but quarter
back Logan Hickman’s pass
fell incomplete.
MP would force a punt
and get the ball back soon,
but Haralson’s defensive
back Haldwyn Williams
intercepted a Hickman pass,
Hickman’s first interception
of the season. From there
the Rebels drove to the MP
1 yard line. But on 4th and
goal, the Bulldog defense
pushed Haralson back for a
2 yard loss and the Bulldogs
took over on downs. That’s
when Watson flipped the
script on the Class AA
Rebels. He took the handoff
from Hickman and went 97
yards for the score. And so
two weeks after setting the
school’s single-game rush
ing record with 290 yards
against Spalding, Watson
broke another record, this
time for the longest touch
down rim from scrimmage.
Watson broke the record
set in 1948 when Wilburn
Davis went 90 yards for the
score against Hogansville.
Ryan Bankston’s PAT tied
the game 7-7.
But the Bulldogs, who
had a 3-hour bus trip to the
Alabama line for the game,
were just getting started.
MP would score on its next
4 possessions. First, the
Dogs forced another punt
and then Hickman connect
ed on three big pass plays,
one to Kham Little and two
to Nemo Jones. The last one,
to Jones, went 23 yards for
the touchdown with 4:18
left in the second quarter.
Bankston’s PAT gave MP
the 14-7 lead. Hickman was
7 of 14 passing for 103 yards,
with 2 touchdowns and one
interception on the night.
MP forced another punt
and this time a high snap
sailed over the punter’s head
and was recovered by junior
RJ Holder at the Haralson 8
yard line. Hickman imme
diately connected with Little
for an 8-yard score and MP
led 21-7 at the half.
The Bulldogs continued
their surge after Haralson
put the second-half kickoff
out of bounds, giving MP
the ball their own 42 yard
line. Hickman kept the
ball himself and went 58
yards for the touchdown on
the first play of the second
stanza. It was 28-7 MP
The Bulldog defense
forced another 3 and out.
But MP was flagged four
4 penalties on the ensu
ing drive and was forced
to punt for the first time of
the night. The MP defense
forced yet another 3 and out
and a punt and the Dogs
took over at their own 35.
And then for the fourth
RJ Holder
7 TACKLES, 3 TACKLES FOR LOSS
6 CARRIES 17 YARDS
time of the night, MP scored
on its first play of a drive as
Watson busted through the
line and went 65 yards for
the score with 6:13 left in the
third. Bankston’s PAT made
it 35-7.
The Rebels would finally
score again on a 14 yard
pass early in the fourth
quarter.
The Bulldogs had one
more score in them as well
when sophomore Ryan
Bankston made a 41-yard
field goal, the longest of his
young career.
Haralson would get a late
field goal to finish the scor
ing at 38-17.
The MP defense for the
most part
shut down the Rebels’ triple
option and only gave up
scores in the passing game.
Jaise Davis led with 16 tack
les, 10 of them solo, while OJ
Evans and Jacobi Jones had
11 tackles each.
Nelson said they’ll use
the open date to work on
fundamentals and tackling
among other things. He
said they still don’t know
whether junior defensive
lineman DeZavion Scan-
drett will be able to return
after dislocating his knee.
The Bulldogs will next play
on Sept. 23 when they host
the 1-2 Columbus Blue Dev
ils for Homecoming.
MARY PERSONS BULLDOGS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
STIFEL
Investment Services Since 1890
Chanin Jungberg Ketterbaugh Wealth Advisory Group
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1200
Macon, Georgia 31201
478-803-9342 cjkawealthadvisory.com
Jason Jungberg, AAMS* Senior Vice President/Investments
MARY PERSONS BULLDOGS
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Olivia Woodgeard
surrendered 3 runs on 7 hits over
6 innings, striking out 5 against
Jones County. She also went 2-for-2
at the plate to lead MP in hits.
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