Team Spotlight: Boys Basketball

STATE CHAMPIONS!

Picture left to right: (Back Row) Coach Derek Lashley, Natalie Griffin, Abi Bossé-Joseph, Abby Gayle Moody, Mabry Tolbert, Kiya Reise, SaraKate Bullington, Yvonne Shannon, Coach Carl Hodge, (Front Row) Gabby Bossé-Joseph, Kennedi Jones, McKenzie Gleaton, Savannah Terrell (not pictured Eden Hill)

For the first time since joining the GHSA in 2010, the FPD Girls Tennis team took home the state championship trophy at Berry College, wrapping up an undefeated 18-0 season.

“I knew we had a very good team, but I also knew we were in the toughest bracket,” says Head Coach Derek Lashley. “That meant we would have to beat the defending state champs and runner-ups in order to get to the Finals. I felt like if we could win these 2 matches, we could win the whole thing. We beat the defending runner-ups in a very fast 3-0 win, and after two rain delays and six hours later, we beat the defending state champs 3-2 and headed to the Finals.”

Sophomore Natalie Griffin won the deciding match in the final game to clinch the state title. “It was one of the best feelings ever!” she exclaims. “The whole year our team has been incredibly amazing, and I could not have asked for a better group of teammates! Everyone worked hard no matter what. God has huge plans for all of the girls on the team, and I am so glad that I was able to be a part of the tennis family!”

FPD senior captain Kennedi Jones agrees, “We are a family. We bring a lot of love and a lot of energy to the game. We know how to motivate each other.”

Kennedi is one of three Viking tennis team members to continue their careers at the collegiate level. She will play for Jacksonville State University this fall. On the Varsity boys team, Noah Johnson signed to play with Tuskegee University, and Thomas Johnson signed to play at the Citadel.

Looking toward next year, Coach Lashley notes, “We’ve been working hard for the past 11 years in building a culture of reloading instead of rebuilding. It will be very hard to replace the four seniors who helped build a championship program, but we feel that our middle school program is in good shape to help feed into our varsity program.”

The following girls were named to the all-region team: Kennedi Jones, Yvonne Shannon, Natalie Griffin, Mckenzie Gleaton, Savannah Terrell, and Eden Hill. The Lady Vikings graduate Kennedi Jones, McKenzie Gleaton, Eden Hill, and Savannah Terrell.

STATE CHAMPIONS IN TRACK & FIELD

Claire Harrison on the podium at the State Championship in discus

Bowen Kramer took first place at State in pole vault

The Vikings had two state champions on the 2021 Track & Field Team. FPD junior Claire Harrison took home state in discus, and senior Bowen Kramer won state in the pole vault. Bowen later signed a track scholarship with Lee University. Several other FPD student-athletes achieved podium placements, helping the Vikings finish third in Area-1 out of ten teams and twelfth in GHSA Class-A Private out of 57 schools. Coach Rennie Atkinson saw a lot of great team work from returning athletes as well as newcomers. He believes that there is a “good nucleus returning on both the boys and girls teams, who should be in good standing for an Area title.”