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WE HAVE IT COVERED IF IT'S PLAYED
sEeporter
IB
October 19, 2022
SPORTS
CALENDAR
Thurs v Oct.20
2 pm
Varsity Softball VS.
Columbus High 1st Round
state playoffs
@ Harlem High School
5 pm
Girls/Boys Varsity/JV
Cross Country
vs. MP Region tuneup
Monroe County
Recreation Department
Fri v Oct. 21
4 pm
Varsity Softball VS. Tba
1 st Round Away: Harlem
High School
Sat, Oct 22
Noon
Varsity Competition
Cheer vs. Northgate High
School ® MP gym
Mon, Oct 24
5:30 pm
Girls Varsity Flag
Football vs. Jackson High
School & McDonough
High ® Dan Pitts Stadium
Peach air attack undoes MP
Junior running back Duke Watson ran for more than 200 yards on Friday night, forcing Peach County
defenders to take a first full of jersey to try to bring him down. (Photo/Russ Campbell)
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcmet
Mary Persons (4-4,0-2)
lost its fourth straight to
Peach County (4-2,1-0) on
Friday despite 205 yards
rushing from junior Duke
Watson.
The Bulldogs outgained
the Trojans on the ground
251 yards to 181 yards, but
Peach junior quarterback
Colter Ginn threw 5 touch
downs to overwhelm MP.
MP coach Brian Nelson
said he still thinks MP has
its best team in four years.
They just haven’t been able
to capitalize.
“Were just a little thing
here and there from being
2-0 in region,” said Nelson.
“We re just that close to tak
ing off and haven’t quite got
there.”
Nelson said it doesn’t
help that four starters were
out with injuries on Fri
day. Starting safety Ryan
Jenkins has been out since
the Columbus game with
ahum shoulder. Starting
defensive lineman Dezavion
Scandrett is out for the year.
Starting linebackers Jaise
Davis and OJ Evans were
also out Friday, and speedy
receiver Nemo Jones did not
play either.
“I’ll keep saying were a
good football team,” said
Nelson. “Well start prepar
ing for Upson Lee. If we
handle business, we can still
finish as a No. 2 seed. Were
close to getting over that
hump and it will take off for
us. We gotta keep showing
up and working and build
ing confidence.”
Mary Persons didn’t help
itself when it fumbled the
opening kickoff, setting up
Peach at the MP 31 yard
line. Four plays later Ginn
found Dylan Johnson on a
slant to the left side and it
was 7-0 Peach.
The Bulldogs did respond.
Champ Brantley returned
the ensuing kickoff 25 yards,
and a Peach personal foul
penalty put it on the Peach
48. Then Watson carried the
ball five times out of eight
plays for MP to the Peach
15. The drive stalled there
but Ryan Bankston nailed a
31-yard field goal from the
right hash to make it 7-3.
Region 2-AAA
Upson-lee 2-0
Peach County 1-0
Jackson 2-1
Pike County 0-1
Mary Persons 0-2
Peach started its next
possession at its own 11
after yet another penalty.
But the Trojans marched 8
plays and 89 yards, mostly
with running back Robert
Jones getting huge chunks
of yardage until Ginn found
Christian Martin on a short
out pass. Martin slipped the
MP tackle and sprinted to
the end zone from 26 yards
out and it was 14-3.
Now in the second
quarter, the Bulldog offense
again answered with its own
drive, with Watson getting
the carry on 7 out of 9 plays
to lead MP to the Peach 12.
But on 3rd and 7, Peach in
tercepted the Bulldogs and
returned it for an apparent
Pick 6. Mercifully, Peach
was flagged for roughing
quarterback Logan Hick
man and MP now had 1st
and goal at the 6. On the
next play, Watson ran to
his left and slipped into the
end zone at the pylon. So
rather than trailing 21-3,
the Bulldogs were suddenly
only down 14-10 with 5:35
left in the half.
But it was as close as MP
would get.
On its next possession
Peach County drove to the
MP 30 where the Bulldogs
forced a 3rd and 10. That’s
when Ginn found senior
Caleb Hampton on the right
sideline and he sprinted 30
yards to pay dirt. Peach led
21-10 with 3 minutes left in
the half.
The Bulldogs mounted
a promising drive to try
to score before the half,
almost all of it with Watson
running the ball. With top
receiver Nemo Jones out, 5
of 6 MP passes on the drive
fell incomplete and time
expired.
Peach got the second-half
kickoff and mounted a
10-play drive capped when
Ginn hit Skielar Mann
for the score. It was 28-10
Peach.
The teams traded punts
until the fourth quarter
when MP finally got the
offense going again with
Watson getting 4 carries on
a 6-play drive, including a
28 yard run that set up MP
at the Peach 12. Watson
scored from 8 yards out.
Hickman found sophomore
Gavin Martin on a pass for
a 2-point conversion and
MP trailed 28-18 with 7:52
left in the game.
The Bulldogs forced
another punt but it landed
at the MP 2 yard line giving
them atrocious field posi
tion. MP went 3 and out
and punted from its end
zone. Peach took advantage
of field position as Ginn hit
Mann again from 15 yards
out to finish the scoring at
35-18.
Peach carved up the MP
secondary as Ginn was 13
of 16 for 162 yards and 5
touchdowns.
MP gets a week off before
finishing the regular season
against region foes Upson-
Lee and Pike County.
Having lost to Jackson and
Peach, the Dogs appear
unlikely to have a chance at
winning region. Pour of the
five teams in Region 2-AAA
will make the playoffs. The
Dogs need to win at least
one of its two remaining
games to make the playoffs,
and winning both would
guarantee a No. 3 seed at
worst. MP would need a
break though to be the No.
2 seed and host a playoff
game. If the Bulldogs beat
Pike and lose to Upson, they
would likely be the No. 4
seed in the playoffs.
See Peach stats on page
C2.
Mercer in SoCon showdown
No. 11 Mercer (6-1,4-0
SoCon) travels to No.
9 Chattanooga (5-1, 3-0) on
Saturday with pole position
for the Southern Confer
ence championship and a
playoff berth on the line.
The Bears are seeking
their first-ever conference
title and they are joined by
Chattanooga and Samford
as the only unbeaten teams
in the SoCon. Saturday’s
game kicks off at 1:30 and
will be streamed on the
ESPN network as
well as aired by
the Mercer radio
network.
Mercer im
proved to 6-1 on
Saturday as Lred
Payton threw for
five touchdowns
and the Bears
intercepted three
passes to hold off ETSU 55-
33 on Monroe County Day
at Live Star Stadium.
Mercer once again
surpassed 500 yards
of total offense, for the
third consecutive game.
MARY PERSONS BULLDOGS
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Lilly Barnes
MP VOLLEYBALL
■ruRFMACIC^r
('(JoWt/
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Fungicides/Insecticide Treatments
PH and Soil Management
1042 Benson Ham Rd. • Ste. 300 • Forsyth, GA31029
(478) 342-1689
WWW.TURF-MAGIC.COM
AT/A/T ' :
iat.v.v riTZi AiT-;:;
Duke Watson
30 carries, 205 yards,
2 touchdowns vs. Peach
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
SPOTLIGHT ON EXCELLENCE
STIFEL
Investment Services Since 1890
Chanin Jungberg Ketterbaugh
Wealth Advisory Group
Bradley Hendricks
MCMS Cross Country
Won 3 races in a row. Won the
regional championship. Broke the
course record. Finished 1,1,1,2,4 in
5 races this year and is 21 in the
middle school championship.
577 Mulberry Street
Suite 1200
Macon, Georgia 31201
478-803-9342
cjkawealthadvisory.com
Jason Jungberg, AAMS®
Senior Vice President/
Investments