LaGrange Daily News www.lagrangenews.com
9 - Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008
Sports
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Today
■ Prep football: Callaway 21, Pike County 14
Champion Cavs Callaway beats Pike to secure region title By Ross Johnson Sports Writer
Photo by Eddie Sherrer
The Callaway High football players celebrate with the Region5-AA-championship trophy after beating Pike County 21-14.
ZEBULON – Rain poured on the Callaway Cavaliers as they trudged into the locker room, trailing for the first time all season at halftime of the Region 5-AA championship game at undefeated Pike County High. That’s when Cavaliers head coach Pete Wiggins got his players fired up. “I told them, ‘You seniors have worked too hard, you’ve paid all your dues. Don’t let this slip away,’” Wiggins said. The Cavaliers responded – to the tune of the school’s first-ever region championship. Down 14-7, the Cavaliers reeled of two second-half touchdowns from seniors
Demetrius Head and Tharius Tigner and shut out the Pirates’ offense, giving Callaway the 21-14 win. The Cavaliers will have the region’s No. 1 seed and home field advantage through at least the first three rounds of the playoffs. It was a sweet moment for the entire team and its hundreds of fans who made the one hour trek to Zebulon. As Wiggins accepted the first-place trophy in the post game ceremony, the game’s most valuable player in TignWiggins er hoisted it and carried it to his teammates, who were jubilantly celebrating with fans Pike’s home turf. “This is as big as it gets,” Wiggins said.
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It’s another classic
Matt Jones / Daily News
LaGrange running back Ocie Salter is brought down during the first half of Friday’s game.
Sarah Joy McFadden / Daily News
LaGrange High’s Joseph Mansour made a 55-yard field goal to give his team a 17-14 victory over Troup.
Mansour’s kick lifts Grangers By Kevin Eckleberry Sports Editor
Matt Jones / Daily News
Troup running back Jacorius Cotton dives for extra yardage during Friday’s game. Cotton had a 5-yard touchdown run in the first half that gave his team a 7-0 lead.
■ College soccer
The snap was true, the hold was perfect, and the kick was flawless. Joseph Mansour split the uprights with a 55-yard field goal Friday night to give the LaGrange Grangers a 17-14 victory over the rival Troup Tigers at a packed Callaway Stadium. Mansour Mansour’s kick came with 5:44 left on the clock, and LaGrange’s defense took over from there, keeping the Tigers from getting a first down
on their final two possessions. Moments before Mansour made his game-winner, he converted a field goal from 50 yards, but a penalty on the Grangers negated the kick. The Grangers were backed up five yards to the 38-yard line, but Mansour knew he had the leg to make it from that distance. “I was pretty confident,” Mansour said. “I made the first one, and I just had to kick it again.” LaGrange head coach Steve Pardue didn’t hesitate to give Mansour another shot after the penalty.
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Callaway High cheerleaders
Panthers fall in GSAC semis From staff reports
LaGrange College’s men’s soccer team fell one victory short of a spot in the Great South Athletic Conference championship game. The homestanding Panthers lost to Piedmont 1-0 in Friday’s semifinal game. Piedmont and Maryville will play for the conference crown today at 4 p.m. Maryville, the No. 1 seed, beat Huntingdon 6-0 on Friday. The LaGrange-Piedmont game was very tight from the start, with both sides trading shots. Piedmont jumped ahead in the 18th minute when Jon Reinert connected on a header after a corner kick from Jorge Pradilla. The goal was all the Lions would need to seal the victory.
LaGrange had several opportunities to score but could not manage to put the ball in the goal. The Panthers finished the game with 15 shots, while Piedmont had 14. Panther goalkeeper Ben Rollins finished the game with four saves. The Panthers finished with a 3-13-1 record, including a 1-6 record in conference play. In the women’s tournament, top-seeded Maryville beat Agnes Scott 7-2 on Friday, while second-seeded Spelman blanked Piedmont 1-0. Maryville and Spelman will play at 1 p.m. today for the conference crown. LaGrange College’s women’s team fell to Agnes Scott 2-1 last week in a quarterfinal game.
The Callaway High cheerleading team finished first at the Region 5-AA cheerleading competition. Callaway will compete in the state meet in Columbus today. Front from left are Callie Weaver, Taylor Berryhill, Lindsay Bass (captain), Maya Cameron, Hillary Caswell (captain), Morgan Sikes (co-captain) and Carmen Cox. Back from left are Krystin Bradley, Krissy Allen, Alysse Stribling,Kaitlyn Gilbert, Nautica Stephens, Danesha Troy, Kaitlyn Gaddy, Calyn Reynolds, Kristen Johnson.