Newspaper Page Text
The Madison County Journal
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Ten grapplers qualify for state
The Madison County youth wrestlers
recently qualified for a USA
wrestling state tournament /Ajn
IB
Thursday, March 12, 2009
www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com
Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567
Boys’ Soccer
Rec. Basketball
Raiders rally
past Monroe,
nearly
stun Salem
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Despite playing unin
spired soccer for most
of the night, Madison
County (3-3) topped
Monroe Area 3-2
Tuesday to get back in
the win column.
While the team's play
was fair-to-middling at
best,
coach
Trevor
Mangan
was still
happy
his team
came
through
in the clutch.
“Overall, the team did
not play up to its poten
tial, but they still scraped
out a win, and I’m proud
of the heart they showed,"
Mangan said.
The Raiders trailed 2-1
with 35 minutes 1 before
Jake Sapp and Ben
Ortman rallied the team
with two clutch scores.
“I was very disappoint
ed in how we played
for much of the game,”
Mangan said.
Madison County start
ed fast, jumping out to
a 1-0 lead in the first 15
minutes with a goal from
Sapp.
“Jake Sapp did a great
job finishing his opportu
nity after he got in behind
the Monroe defense,"
Mangan said.
But Madison County’s
intensity lagged through
the middle portion of
the game, Mangan said,
which allowed Monroe
Area to pull ahead.
But Sapp tied the game
with 12 minutes left,
scoring on “sheer deter
mination,” Mangan said,
and Ortman scored off
a header to put Madison
County ahead for good.
Jason Bales came up
with a clutch save in the
closing minutes to pre
serve the win.
Mangan said Sapp
played a great game,
noting his two scores
from the center midfield
position, and added that
Ortman took control of
the game when the team
trailed.
“His drive to win real
ly pulled us through,"
Mangan said.
The coach also noted
the play of Brandon
Wilson, who “did a good
job running the right
wing."
The Raiders were per
haps much more impres
sive during a recent loss.
Madison County
nearly upended ninth-
ranked Salem, losing 1-0
Friday.
— See ‘soccer’ on 3B
1 -
V
SAPP
High School baseball
Bracken Turner attempts to steal third base in Madison County’s 12-2 victory over Stephens
County Friday. Ben Munro/Staff
Raiders head into
region play with win
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
T he diamond Raiders picked up a non
region victory Monday night before
entering into the daunting region sched
ule.
Madison County came from behind to beat
Franklin County 10-3 in Camesville in its final
tune-up before 8-AAAA play.
The Raiders trailed 3-1 in the third with two outs,
but Matt Kennison drew a walk and Ian Drake
belted a two-run homer. Madison County added an
insurance run after that to take the lead for good.
“It was good see us put three runs up with two
outs, down by two," coach Charlie Griffeth said.
Madison County hopes it took on enough top-tier
teams during non-region play to ready it for the all-
important region schedule.
The Raiders were scheduled to start their
20-game region schedule this past Wednesday
against Heritage (results weren't available at press
time).
Madison County's collection of non-region foes
included defending Class AAAAA champion and
nationally-ranked Brookwood, Class AAA runner-
up Stephens County and a respectable Jefferson
outfit that went to the quarterfinals in last year’s
Class A playoffs.
“I think we’ve played a preseason schedule to
prepare us,” Griffeth said.
Madison County continues its 8-AAAA sched
ule Friday against Salem and Monday against
Loganville.
Griffeth said his team is ready to take on the
region.
“We might as well," he said. “You always feel
like you would like to play some more, but then
it's a whole lot funner to play for something that
really counts.”
As for the Franklin County victory, Drake's
homer was part of a five-RBI night from the senior.
Other big hits came from Bo Dalton, who ripped a
two-run double in the fourth and Ethan Seagraves,
who drilled a solo homer in the fifth.
Ben Morris worked five innings for the victory,
allowing three runs (two earned), three hits, no
walks and striking out three.
Before beating Franklin County to get above
.500, Madison County split its first four games.
Brookwood, who finished at no. 3 in last year’s
ESPN national high school baseball rankings,
downed Madison County in Snellville behind a
— See ‘baseball’ on 3B
Girls’ Soccer
Lady Raiders break drought with OT win
MCHS’s first win
comes down to PR’s
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
When it came down to crunch time, the
Madison County girls’ soccer team had
the all-important ice in its veins.
Tied 1-1 with Monroe Area in overtime
Tuesday, the Lady Raiders (1-5-1) beat the Lady
Purple Hurricanes on penalty kicks to snap a six-
game winless streak with a 2-1 victory.
Madison County had started the season with
five losses and a tie.
“I continue to be impressed by the
determination all our players have shown
in every game, never giving up in any of
them," coach Susanna Hawley said.
After the scoreless overtime, Danielle
Kindley, Renee Ellisor and Rebecca
Smith successfully converted their penal
ty kicks, while goalkeeper Morgan Pierce
stopped three of the four kicks Monroe
Area attempted.
“It's very unnerving to have everyone in the
stadium focusing on you in a penalty kick situa
tion, but all four calmly stepped up and did their
jobs to secure the victory for the team,” Hawley
said.
Sarah Robertson scored Madison County’s
lone goal in regulation.
Though Monroe Area later tied the game,
Hawley praised her team for its perseverance,
“After surrendering the tying goal Tuesday, the
girls didn’t get down on themselves but contin
ued to fight for the remainder of the game and
the overtime period," she said.
Madison County's girls took one on the chin
four nights earlier, falling 10-0 to Salem Lriday.
The team still has to makeup games with
Apalachee and Habersham Central.
The Apalachee makeup date is April 7, accord
ing to coach Susanna Hawley. She is still trying
to reschedule the Habersham Central game.
HAWLEY
Hoop
dreams
realized
Rec dept, team claims county’s
first basketball title in 19 years
“We never concentrated on one guy
getting the ball—just people mov
ing in open space and taking open
shots. And all our guys could hit
shots. ” — all-star coach B J. Stone
From Submitted reports
Madison County now rules the state in boys’ 12-and-
under recreation department all-star basketball, downing
defending champion Douglas-Coffee 65-56 Saturday
for the Class B state title in Effingham County.
It was the county
recreation depart
ment’s first state bas
ketball championship
since 1990.
‘They were really
used to playing with
one another,” Madison
County coach B.J.
Stone said. “I guess
you could say we never
really did have one guy.
We never concentrated
on one guy getting
the ball — just people
moving in open space
and taking open shots.
And all our guys could
hit shots."
And Malik Freeman
hit plenty of them in the finals, scoring 29 points to lead
Madison County over Douglas-Coffee. Eric Williams
added 15 andT.J. Skelton scored 13.
Overall, Madison County went 6-0 in all-star play in
its march toward the tide.
The team enjoyed its easiest win at state during the
opening round, jumping out to a 23-7 lead on Calhoun
en route to a 6245 win Friday.
Skelton led Madison County with 24 points and
Freeman and Williams each added 10 points.
Madison County then overcame an early 10-0 deficit
in the second round to beat Swainsboro 56-46 Saturday
afternoon.
Madison County enjoyed balanced scoring in that
win with Freeman leading the team with 17 points and
Skelton and Williams adding 16.
In the finals, Madison County took an early 20-10
SCORES & STATS
•MADISON CO. 62,
CALHOUN 45 (FRI.)
T.J. Skelton 24, Freeman
10, Williams 10, Stevenson
9, Henson 4, Bartlett 3,
Smith 2
•MADISON CO. 56,
SWAINSBORO 46 (SAT.)
Malik Freeman 17,
Skelton 16, Williams 16,
Henson 5, Hancock 2
•MADISON CO. 65,
DOUGLAS-COFFEE 56
(SAT)
Freeman 29, Williams
15, Skelton 13, Hancock 4,
Henson 4
— See ‘State champs’ on 3B
Girls’ Tennis
Lady Raiders
‘establish
dominance’ in
subregion win
A long layoff was little hindrance to the Madison
County girls’ tennis team.
The Lady Raiders (2-1) whipped Habersham
Central 4-1 Tuesday in their first tennis action in 11
days to claim their first subregion win.
“The girls played very well and did just as we
expected,” coach Keith Strickland said. “Since we
play each team in our subregion twice, our goal is
to establish dominance in the first match to give us
the momentum when we meet again.”
No. 2 singles player Jeannie Bowen overcame a
slow start to win her match in straight sets while
both doubles teams — Sarah Powers and Sam
LaZear and Alexia Supakomdej and Kaitlyn Hale
— won convincingly.
“Both teams will be tough as they get more match
play in,” Strickland said.
At no. 3 singles, Audry Minish persevered for a
three-set win.
“Once again, Audra Minish surprised me with
how well she handles pressure,” Strickland said.
Habersham had already played seven matches
this year, compared to two for Madison County.
Winners vs. Hab. Central
•No.2 S Bowen, W, 7-6,6-1
•No.3 S Minish, W, 6-2,4-6,6-3
•No.l D Powers/LaZear, W,6-4,6-4
•No.2 D Supakorndej/Hale, W,6-3,6-2