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The Madison County Journal
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Little League signups ahead
Madison County Little League will hold
registration Jan. 31 and Feb. 7
with some changes this year. wA »■
Thursday, January 22, 2009
www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com
Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567
Sports Shorts
Arnold,
Kilpatrick
named Athletes
of the Week
Madison County High
School basketball player
Shantydra Arnold and
wrestler Michael Kilpatrick
were named Athletes of
the Week by the school's
athletic
department
for their
perfor
mances
during the
week of
Jan. 12-17.
Arnold
scored 16
points in
MCHS’s
vic
tory over
Franklin
County
Saturday.
Kilpatrick
pinned his opponent in just
43 seconds during Madison
County’s win over Hart
County.
\1
KILPATRICK
Wrestling
Raiders
head south
for tourney
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Raider wrestlers head
down 1-75 for some southern
exposure at the Tift County
tournament this Saturday.
The event features 15
teams, including some big
ger schools from the south
ern portion of the state.
“We get to see some of the
Class AAAAA schools out
of South Georgia," coach
Richie Houston said.
Out of the tournament
field, Valdosta is "usu
ally good,” according to
Houston, while Lee tradi
tionally dominates Region
1-AAAA. Houston also
noted that Cook County is
typically tough in Class A A
and that host Tift County is
enjoying a strong year.
The team heads into the
event with five wrestlers —
Kyle Bates (formerly 140),
Chris Savage (formerly
145), Issac Smith (formerly
152) and Tanner Johnson
(formerly 160) — dropping
down one weight class.
“I think it will be better
for them individually once
we get to (the) area (tourna
ment) ... it takes a couple of
weeks for them to get accli
mated," Houston said.
As for the team, Madison
County ran its dual record
to 22-14 last Tuesday with
a 44-24 whipping of Hart
County. Cody Phillips (112),
Colton Phillips (119), Caleb
McCain (125), Michael
Kilpatrick (130), Kyle Bates
(135), Chris Savage (140),
Issac Smith (145), Kyle
Gordon (189) and Tyler
Adams (215) all collected
victories.
Kilpatrick now owns the
Raiders’ best record at 32-9.
Bates falls slightly behind
Kilpatrick with a 32-10
mark. Other top records
belong to Colton Phillips
(28-8), Cody Phillips (27-6),
Smith (27-14), Adams (26-
10) and Savage (23-11).
The regular season is now
almost over for the mat
Raiders.
After this weekend's tour
nament, only a dual match
with Habersham Central and
a tournament at Oglethorpe
County remain on the regu
lar season schedule.
Honored under the Gold Dome
A Georgia State Senate resolution recognizing the Madison County High School softball team for earning
the highest GPAin the nation for public schools was read during the state legislative session last week. The
resolution was written by Sen. Ralph Hudgens. The team also met Gov. Sonny Perdue. Submitted photo
Courtney Freeman guards Clarke Central’s Kalyn Breeding in Madison County’s 59-48 win over the
Lady Gladiators Tuesday night. Ben Munro/staff
Girls’ Basketball
Winning with defense
Madison Co. defense
stifles Clarke Central
in huge victory
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Lady Raider coach Dan Lampe
didn’t hesitate when asked what’s
sparked his team’s January turn
around.
“More defense," Lampe said. “It’s
been a renewed commitment to
defense.”
Madison County’s defense harassed
defending region champion Clarke
Central all over the court Tuesday
night in the Lady Raiders’ 59-48 vic
tory over their rivals.
Madison County (15-5,4-1) forced
31 Lady Gladiator turnovers as it won
its fourth-straight game.
The Lady Raiders have held oppo
nents to less than 50 points in three of
their last four games.
“It (defense) has been a focus all
year long, but I really see it starting to
take shape,” Lampe said.
MADISON CO. 59,
CLARKE CENTRAL 48
CCHS 11 11 13 13 - 48
MCHS 15 10 17 17 — 59
Scorers: C. Freeman 18, Smith 16,
Arnold 14, K. Freeman 11
This from a team that endured its
most disappointing loss of the season
just over a week ago when it fell to
Cedar Shoals 61-53 Jan. 9 in Athens.
But Lampe said there’s a different
feeling collectively among the Lady
Raiders since then, and it’s showed
with this impressive stretch of basket
ball now.
“I feel togetherness as a team ...
Maybe it’s the pertinence of the time
of year,” Lampe said.
Madison County proved its mettle
over the weekend, rallying from 12
points down in the second half to
defeat rival Franklin County, 58-51.
Franklin County was Class AAA’s no.
1 team at the time.
Though a big win can sometimes
leave a team flat for its next outing,
the Franklin County victory served as
a catalyst for the Clarke Central game,
Lampe said.
“That was a great game to play
before this one,” he said.
Madison County took the floor
against the Lady Gladiators and
immediately turned turnovers into
points, taking an early 9-2 lead.
“I said if we can be the aggressor,
good things can happen,” Lampe said.
Madison County finished with 18
steals.
The Lady Raiders never relin
quished the lead, though Clarke
Central trailed by just three at the half,
25-22.
Lampe said that the Lady
Gladiators’ past success against
Madison County might have been
going through his team’s head.
“I felt at times we were playing the
uniform," Lampe said, noting that
some of last year’s Lady Gladiator
stars are no longer there.
But Madison County took over in
the fourth quarter, leading comfortably
by 13 with just a minute left to play.
"I feel we’re finishing games better,”
— See “Lady Raiders” on 2B
Subvarsity Basketball
Thomas stuns
Franklin Go.
at the buzzer
Quinton Thomas
banked-in a three-pointer
against Franklin County
as time expired to lift the
junior varsity Raiders to a
67-64 victory Saturday.
Madison County had
trailed 20-4 at one point.
‘To come back from
that against an undefeated
Franklin County team
was pretty special," coach
Bryan Bird said.
Madison County (54)
was already used to close
games, winning its previ
ous two in overtime.
With his squad trailing
Franklin County by seven
at halftime, Bird said the
team “played as a team
more than they had all
season," in the final two
quarters.
Down by five points
with five minutes left,
Bird said that five differ
ent players made plays to
rally Madison County to
victory.
“You could tell how
much it meant to our
players by the way they
reacted to the buzzer-
beater,” he said, noting
that the 10 th graders had
never beaten Franklin
County.
Terrell McCrary scored
24 points to lead the
team.
Madison County won
a tight one a night earlier,
beating Apalachee 45-43.
Sam Floyd came off the
bench and led the team
with 11 points.
7 ill grade girls pull
out OT win
Madison County
Middle School’s seventh
grade girls pulled out a
22-17 victory in overtime
Saturday.
“It took a team effort
to win," coach Jackson
Russum said.
Eighth grade
Lady Mustangs
come up short
The Madison County
Middle School eighth
grade girls’ team fell
45-35 as a fourth-quarter
rally fell short.
Madison County cut the
lead to five points when
Elise Coberly drilled a
three-pointer. However,
Franklin County pulled
away down the stretch.
Coberly led MCMS
with 11 points and
Annabeth Pruett added 10
despite playing sparingly
with a severely sprained
thumb.
Other scorers were
Nekeia Brown (six) and
Chelsea Ford (seven).
Eighth grade boys
beat Franklin
The MCMS eighth
grade boys’ team beat
Franklin County (no
score available) and now
prepares for its final two
region games.
JV girls continue
winning ways
The Madison County
High School junior varsi
ty girls upped their record
to 7-2 with victories over
Apalachee and Franklin
County.
The team beat
Apalachee 48-16 Friday
behind 16 points from
Molly Glaze. Glaze
then led the team with
14 points the next day as
MCHS cruised to a 41-23
victory over Franklin
County. “This is a good
group of young ladies that
work hard and that just
go out there and get the
job done," coach William
Trimier said.
Earlier in the week, the
junior varsity downed
Winder-Barrow 37-29 for
its fifth win of the season.
Whieldon led the
charge with 11 points.
Freshman girls
bounce back
After a close loss to
Clarke Central, Madison
County’s freshmen girls
cruised to a 30-16 victory
over Cedar Shoals.
The team is now 5-1.
Samantha LaZear led
the team with 12 points.
“They are staying
focused and they want to
finish the season without
losing anymore,” coach
William Trimier said.
Freshman Raiders
split games
Madison County’s
boys’ freshman team
beat Cedar Shoals (38-
28) Thursday but lost to
Franklin County (6549)
Saturday.
Coach Bryan Bird said
the freshmen Raiders
(54) played defense well
against Cedar Shoals,
but shot the ball poorly
against Franklin County’s
zone defense.
Boys’ Basketball
Tough losses adding up for Raiders
Bradley Raines goes up for a blocked
shot in Madison County’s overtime
loss to Clarke Central. Ben Munro/staff
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Raider coach Steve Crouse wasn't in
much of a mood for viewing game film.
Especially after his team turned the ball
over 25 times in a gut-wrenching 62-61
overtime loss to Clarke Central Tuesday.
“It's going to be tough to watch," a dis
appointed Crouse said. “I probably won’t
do it tonight (Tuesday).”
Madison County (7-11, 1-4) suffered
its second-straight down-to-the-wire loss
at home, falling to the Gladiators by a
point after losing to Apalachee, 54-52,
on Friday. Sandwiched in between that
was a 68-39 non-region loss to Franklin
County Saturday.
Reterrium Davis banked-in an improb
able three-point shot at the end of regula
tion against Clarke Central, but Madison
County couldn't hold onto a lead in over
time as it lost its fourth-straight game.
The Raiders have certainly proved
they’re competitive, Crouse said. Now it’s
CLARKE CENTRAL 62,
MADISON CO. 61 OT
CCHS 12 14 9 17(10) —62
MCHS 10 8 16 18 (9) — 61
Scorers: McCrary 15, Fleming 11, Davis 10,
Raines 8, Griffeth 5, McGuire 6, Smith 4
time to start finishing out these games.
“We’re hanging in there with everyone
in our region," Crouse said. “We’ve got to
find a way to win a couple.”
When the coach looked at the final stat
sheet, the 25 turnovers told the story.
“Turnovers will kill you,” he said.
Patrick McCrary led Madison County
with 15 points. Seth Fleming added 11
with three three-pointers, all of which
came in the second half.
Davis finished with 10.
Madison County must now turn its
attention to the second half of the sub-
region schedule, starting with a Friday
home matchup with Habersham Central.
The challenge is to maintain team morale
after the cumulative effect of two subre
gion losses by a total of three points.
“I know our kids are frustrated,” Crouse
said.
Madison County trailed much of the
night against Clarke Central and fell
behind by as much as 10 in the third
quarter before whittling the Gladiators"
lead away.
"I’m proud of my guys" effort,” Crouse
said. "I’m proud of how they battled to
put us in position.”
The teams traded leads in the fourth
quarter, but Madison County trailed
5249 with six seconds left and Patrick
McCrary at the free throw line.
McCrary missed both shots, but
Madison County scrambled for a rebound
and called timeout. With their last gasp,
the Raiders inbounded the ball from
underneath their own basket to Davis,
who caught the ball near half court,
— See “Raiders” on 2B