Southeast Georgia April 2016 Edition

Making The Play Choosing His Path Kobe Manders | Ware County

Mason Palmer | Needwood Middle School

Nothing Less

Than His Best

Dalton Spires | Bacon County

Stokes’ rookie year ends with a title

+ LIBERTY BRINGS HOME

THE GOLD BALL

At Home

On The Mound

April 2016

CHAD WALLEN | GLYNN ACADEMY

IN THIS ISSUE 8 At Home On The Mound Chad Wallen Glynn Academy

18 Making The Play Kobe Manders Ware County

23 Stokes’ Rookie Year Ends

With A Title

26 Nothing Less Than His Best Dalton Spires Bacon County

32 Liberty Brings Home

The Gold Ball

PLUS:

Strikes, Spares, and Smiles..............13 Appling County High School..........15 Ware County High School...............17 Wayne County High School............21 Camden County High School.........22 Pierce County High School..............37

Choosing

28 His Path Mason Palmer | Needwood Middle School

FROM THE PUBLISHER Enjoying His First Season As Wildcat’s Skipper Chuck Seymour | Camden County High School

It's My Time To Shine

Sister Act

Hunter Goff Morgan and Lauren Lee Jane Macon Middle School Pierce County High School

Camden Wrestlers Player Profiles

Never Give Up

Jonathan Sweat Glynn Academy

Signing Day

2016

Big Z Makes His Mark

March 2016

Zachary Strickland Ware County High School

26

We are heading for the home stretch as the 2016 school year is coming to a close. Spring sports are wrapping up and getting ready to enter into the playoff mode as region champions are crowned and the road to the state playoffs begin for each spring sport. Baseball, golf, soccer, tennis and track all begin their respective playoffs in April and will crown their champions in May. Oh yeah, and there’s a little thing we like to call “spring football” that is about to kickoff too. Stay tuned to In the Game Sports Network and keep up with all the action.

The Glynn Academy Red Terrors have had an excellent baseball season capped off by a trip to the state playoffs. One of the key components of the Red Terrors success has been their senior leader Chad Wallen. Wallen has been an ace on the mound, with an ERA of 1.75, and a force at the plate his senior season hitting at a .444 clip. He’s the son of baseball coach and it shows on the field, a quiet, mild mannered guy off the field but a fierce competitor when he’s on the diamond. The kind of player that will make the Red Terrors a real threat in the state playoffs.

Ware County senior Kobe Manders is this month’s Academic Athlete. I’d list all of his academic accomplishments but I only have a limited amount of space to write my publisher’s

6 | itgsportsnetwork.com

letter. He’s a four-year starter for the Gators’ baseball team and one of the leaders on and off the field. He carries a 3.9 GPA in the classroom while taking AP courses. These are both impressive accomplishments for a student-athlete but spend five minutes talking with Kobe and you’ll see they pale in comparison to what an outstanding young man he is in this bigger game we call life.

You go 29-1 on the season, and the one loss is in double overtime by one point. You win the Class AAAA State Championship while beating the reigning champs going away, and this is your rookie season as head coach. I’d say Liberty County boys’ basketball coach Julian Stokes has set the bar pretty high in Hinesville. The Panthers’ basketball team and their new head coach are the toast of the town, and deservedly so.

Many student-athletes today play multiple sports, but what if your two chosen sports are played at the same time? Ask Needwood Middle School’s own Mason Palmer. Palmer juggles both baseball and soccer, and believe me, it’s no easy task. Mason was practicing and playing for whichever team needed him the most, and the rigors became too much, so much so he’s decided at Brunswick High next year he’ll concentrate only on soccer for the Pirates.

Starting with t-ball as a 10-yearold, Bacon County’s Dalton Spires has always played baseball. He grew up wanting to play for the Red Raiders and has achieved that goal, being a fouryear starter earning All-Region and All-State honors. The senior pitcher finished last season with a sub-one (.568) ERA while going 6-0. This year, he’s added a mean curve ball to go with his fastball

and change-up to be a true three-trick pitcher. Coach James is happy Spires achieved his goal and played for the Red Raiders.

We hope you enjoy reading In the Game as much as we enjoy producing and publishing it. We would like to thank our friends at the Georgia High School Football Historians Association (ghsfha. org) for their assistance. We are always open to suggestions as well as story ideas or ways you think we can improve our magazine. Please visit our website at www.inthegamemagazine.com and Facebook at www.facebook. com/inthegamemagazine. Follow us on Twitter @SEGAInTheGame and on Instagram at inthegamesega. You can also keep up with scores across SEGA and the state with our new partner app Scorestream. Download the app at Google Play or the Appstore today. Join us every Thursday evening live from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. as we broadcast live from Firehouse Subs in Waycross.

Listen to “In the Game on Radio” on WWUF 97.7 FM or stream the show live on www.waycrossradio. com. While you’re online, don’t forget to nominate a deserving student-athlete or coach for one of our feature articles. You’ll be glad you did.

TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS! Email us at info@itgsportsnetwork.com to let us know what you thought of the March edition of ITG

Contributors Publisher Shawn Smoak Editor Mark Dykes Graphics Ashlyn Peek Cover Photography Michael Brinson Feature Photography Jennifer Carter Johnson Michael Brinson Charles Smith Feature Writers John DuPont Rob Asbell John Wood Copy Editor James Washington Advertising/Marketing Shawn Smoak shawn@itgsportsnetwork.com Mark Dykes mark@itgsportsnetwork.com Website Manager Cole Parker SEGA Prep Sports P.O. Box 2960 Waycross, Ga. | 31502 Corporate Office: Dykes Media Group LLC P.O. Box 812 Valdosta, Ga. | 31603 In the Game is published monthly (excluding July). The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without consent from the publisher. Dykes Media Group, LLC makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisments are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2015 Dykes Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.

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Test Your Knowlege 1

Who has the most homeruns in history?

A. B. C. D. E.

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What team has won the most MLB championships?

A. B. C. D. E.

3

Babe Ruth Barry Bonds Hank Aaron Derek Jeter Jackie Robinson

Boston Red Sox Arizona Diamondbacks New York Yankees Atlanta Braves Saint Louis Cardinals

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A. 110 B. 236 C. 74 D. 108 E. 92

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A. B. C. D. E.

90 100 80 70 85

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At Home on the Mound written by: Rob Asbell | photography by: Michael Brinson

Watching Chad Wallen pitch is like watching an artist work. With a dab here and a dab there, he picks his spots and hits them, often leaving batters befuddled.

Watching Chad Wallen pitch is like watching an artist work. With a dab here and a dab there, he picks his spots and hits them, often leaving batters befuddled.

“My favorite part of the game has to be pitching. When I’m on the mound, I get to block the whole world out and just focus on doing what I love,” says Wallen, a 6’2”, 210-pound senior who plays for Coach Greg Roberts’ Glynn Academy Red Terrors in Brunswick.

“For the most part, Chad is a quiet, laid-back guy,” Coach Roberts says.

“He comes out of his shell when he is standing on the mound. It’s almost like that is the one place on earth that he feels the most comfortable.”

Baseball games become a family affair at Edo Miller Park when Glynn Academy plays. His mom, Laura Wal-

len, can be found somewhere between home plate and the snack bar watching the game along with Chad’s grandfather, “Papa” Ed Wallen, who never misses a game.

Chad’s father, Ted Wallen, is also there. The former head baseball coach of the Georgia Perimeter College Jaguars in Atlanta from 2000-2008, he is now an assistant coach for Glynn Academy.

“When he’s on the field, he pushes me just like everybody else,” Chad says. “He’s my coach. When he’s off the field, he’s back to being my dad, but it doesn’t matter what mode he’s in, we always talk baseball.”

On the field is Chad’s cousin and teammate, Jeffrey Wallen. “He’s like my best friend,” Chad says. “We spend basically everyday together. He’s like another

5-Tool Baseball Player Workout

1.75 Earned Run Average

Long Toss: Week 1 (Throw 3 times per week) 1. 3 minutes at 60 feet Rest 3-5 minutes 2. 3 minutes at 75 feet with a crow hop Week 2 (Throw 3 times per week) 1. 3 minutes at 60 feet 2. 3 minutes at 75 feet with a crow hop 3. 3 minutes at 90 feet with a crow hop Rest 3-5 minutes between sets Week 3 (Monday and Friday) 1. 3 minutes at 60 feet 2. 4 minutes at 75 feet with a crow hop 3. 3 minutes at 120 feet with a crow hop (Tuesday and Thursday) 45-180 feet x 12 minutes (Wednesday) 45-90 feet x 10 minutes

Treadmill sprints: (incline 11, speed 10) 1. Run 15 seconds rest 30 seconds Run 15 seconds rest 1 minute (incline 12, speed 10.5) 2. Run 15 seconds rest 30 seconds Run 15 seconds rest 1 minute (incline 13, speed 11) 3. Run 15 seconds rest 30 seconds Run 15 seconds rest 1 minute (incline 14, speed 11.5) 4. Run 15 seconds rest 30 seconds Run 15 seconds rest 1 minute (incline 15, speed 12) 5. Run 15 seconds rest 30 seconds Run 15 seconds

Lateral and linear rapid foot strikes: 1. Timed left to right lateral ladder drills with 15 yard sprints to and from x 2 sets 2. Timed right to left lateral ladder drills with 15 yard sprints to and from x 2 sets

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This information is courtesy of mensfitness.com

.444 batting

Average

brother to me.”

Chad started playing baseball very young, while his father was still at Georgia Perimeter College.

When he was 12 years old, he hit a homerun in a tournament in Cooperstown, New York, the home of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. He continued to play at Glynn Middle School in seventh and eighth grades. He played basketball at Glynn Academy his junior year but decided to concentrate solely on baseball his senior season, a decision widely accepted among Red Terror faithful. Wallen didn’t become a starter until last year when he played first base. This year, he has blossomed into a hard-throwing right handed pitcher that helped put Glynn Academy atop the standings of Region 3-AAAAA at the end of March. He adds leadership and dedication that everyone on the team learns from, and everyone knows that he takes his baseball career very seriously.

“He is the most disciplined pitcher I’ve ever caught,” says Chad’s teammate, Glynn Academy catcher Garrison Hurd. “He’s a smart pitcher. He’s not one of those guys that will try and throw it to where you cannot hit it; he forces the opposing team to put the ball in play, and our defense makes plays. And just when they think they have him down he’ll start mixing in his change-up, cutter, and breaking ball. I’ve never seen more than four hits off of him in a game.

He’s that dude.”

In the Terrors’ second game of the 2016 season, Wallen tossed a complete game against Woodstock High from north of Atlanta, striking out 11 and giving up just three hits. He also had two hits of his own and an RBI. Later in the season, he threw a one-hit shutout against region foe Ware County and finished the game with just 68 pitches. At one point this season, he had an earned run average of 1.75. Following the annual three-game series with crosstown rival Brunswick High, Wallen was named the Player of the Series by the Glynn County Sports Hall of Fame. He won two games in the series sweep by the Terrors, allowing just one earned run with 10 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings while batting .444.

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a solid student, he hopes to play baseball in college next year.

“I am leaning toward going to

DID YOU

a junior college the first two years,” he says. “South Georgia State College and Southern Union in Alabama are two that really interest me.” Wallen plans on majoring in physical therapy in college. For now, he is working to improve his game so that he can attract the attention of college scouts.

“I don’t believe I have reached my full potential yet,” he says.

Coach Roberts believes Wallen will play in college and could one day become a baseball coach. He has worked tirelessly to become the player he has, and his coaches are impressed at how he has improved over the past year, calling it a true testament that hard work and dedication pay off.

At home, Wallen is the oldest of three children, with a sister who plays middle school softball and a younger brother with a penchant for video games.

“Probably the coolest thing I have ever done is to be a big brother to my little brother Curry,” he says.

“He is autistic and has taught me more about life than I could ever teach him.”

KNOW? The base most stolen in a baseball game is second base.

The lifetime of a major league baseball is 5–7 pitches. During a game, approximately 70 balls are used.

"I don't believe I have reached my full potential yet."

The oldest baseball park still in use is Fenway Park, the home field of the Boston Red Sox, which debuted in 1912.

The New York Yankees were the first baseball team to wear numbers on their backs.

They initially wore numbers based on the batting order.

Babe Ruth always hit third, so he was number 3.

The first pro baseball game ever to be aired on television was on August 26, 1939. It was a doubleheader between Brooklyn and Cincinnati.

Hot dogs are the most popular ballpark food item.

Baseball fans ate 21,357,316 hot dogs and 5,508,887 sausages during the 2014 major league season.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Strikes, Spares and Smiles

written by: Rob Asbell

Walking into the Strike Zone in Brunswick, customers are met by bright colors, sounds, and lights signaling that fun is straight ahead. On the wall is a mural of 1950s cars and personalities that stands as a backdrop to the bowling lanes. Always busy, the lanes are full of the sounds of rolling balls and the occasional shout from someone who has just nailed a strike. Everyone is smiling, and the atmosphere is friendly.

“That’s my favorite part of being here,” General Manager Michael Brinson says.

“The personal interaction with customers, especially league bowlers. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of interesting people and made a lot of good friends.”

Bowling is America’s number one participation sport, primarily because it is a low-impact, easy activity that can be enjoyed with family and friends. The Strike Zone offers fun for people of all ages, from grade-schoolers to grandparents.

“And as we say around here, weather is never a factor,” Brinson says.

Whether it’s bowling a perfect game or throwing the perfect party, the Strike Zone specializes in making every visit a special occasion, with league bowling for all ages (including youth leagues on Saturday mornings) as well as arcade-style video games. There is a pro shop on-site,

and the Strike Zone has a large banquet facility that can accommodate meetings and parties.

An amazing bowling experience with state-of-the-art equipment and features for every level of bowler including bumpers for the kids and Rock-n-Bowl lights and videos, the Strike Zone is the place to play. Create a party perfect for any occasion; whether it’s kid-friendly or office-approved, every party is better with bowling.

The Strike Zone has something for everyone – from amateur to pro, kids to adults. Each of the 28 lanes has its own seating area where you can relax or just sit back and enjoy the action.

“People come in for the environment itself,” Brinson says. “It’s clean, family-friendly, and non smoking.”

The Strike Zone is a great place to have fun with family and friends at prices that won’t break your budget.

Over the past 12 years, locals have discovered the Strike Zone as the place to go for fun and meeting people. The Strike Zone has also worked to help support local organizations like Way Radio and the school system’s athletic programs.

The Strike Zone is open Monday from 10:00 am to 2:00 am, Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm, Fri-

day and Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 am, and Sunday from noon to 10:00 pm.

An added plus on Friday and Saturday nights is the popular “Rock-n-Bowl,” featuring black lights and music videos for families from 6:00-9:00 pm, followed by regular “Rock-n-Bowl” from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am.

Mondays are all-you-can-bowl for $10 per person from 5:00-10:00 pm (shoes included). Parents can register their kids at no charge for the “Kids Bowl Free” pass from March 1 through October 31. To sign up, go to kidsbowlfree.com/sz.

“Kids bowl two free games every day. All you do is pay for your shoes,” Brinson says.

For family fun, the Strike Zone is the place to play; it is Glynn County’s only family fun center with bowling and so much more. The facility is located at 380 Millennium Boulevard in Brunswick off of Exit 38 at I-95. Call (912) 265-6600 or reserve your lane on the Internet at www. tgistrikezone.com. You can also like them on Facebook.

IN THE GAME | 13

APPLING COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

BASEBALL, TRACK, AND TENNIS GOING STRONG

written by: Rob Asbell | photography by: Keith Ambrose

Spring sports are going strong at Appling County High School in Baxley. The Pirates’ baseball team is striving to earn a playoff spot as is the track and field team. Meanwhile, golf and tennis are preparing for region tournaments in April.

Baseball

The Pirates baseball team of Coach Jeremy Smith finished March with a record of 11-5-1 overall and 10-1-1 in Region 1-AAA. Despite a tough non-region schedule, the Pirates had only one region loss through March putting them atop the region standings as the month came to an end thanks to losses by Pierce and Tattnall. Due to the tie with Jenkins, the Pirates were a half-game ahead of the remainder of the region with four region games to go. Appling got off to a strong start in March with shutout wins over several Savannah schools including Islands High School, Johnson, Beach, and Savannah High. The Pirates then shutout Brantley County before defeating Toombs, Dodge and Pierce.

Region playoffs are scheduled to begin April 15.

Golf

The golf teams of Coach Andrew Livingston have been busy playing through March and into April. They are preparing for the Region 1-AAA tournament which is scheduled to begin April 18 in Brantley County.

Tennis

The boys’ tennis team of Linsey Tillman has been through region play and is preparing for the Region 1-AAA tournament set to begin April 16 at Pierce County High.

Track & Field The Pirates’ track and field teams fared well at the sixth annual Swamp Relays hosted by Ware County High School in Waycross.

The boys’ team of Coach Sheldon Pearce had a strong finish with several athletes placing. Sprinter Devon Moore put on a show, setting school records in the 100 and 200 meters. He finished second in the 100 with a 10.56, the second-fastest time in the state this year. Moore then won the 200 with a time of 21.74, which is fifth best in the state so far.

On March 19, a dozen teams were in Fitzgerald for the Colony Bank Invitational. The Appling County Lady Pirates of Coach Garrett Cranford showed well, with sophomore Turkesia White finishing fourth in the 100 meters. Kaitlyn Paulk finished fourth in the discus and Kelsey Jones was fourth in the shot put.

The Region 1-AAA meet is scheduled for April 18-19 at Southeast Bulloch in Brooklet. Sectionals will be held at the same location on April 30. Qualifiers will advance to the State meets, with the girls’ taking place in Albany on May 5-7 and the boys’ in Jefferson May 12-14.

IN THE GAME | 15

WARE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

GATOR’S HIT, RUN, AND PUTT TOWARD APRIL CHAMPIONSHIPS written by: Rob Asbell | photography by: Shawn Smoak

BASEBALL

The Gators baseball team of Coach Tony Yeomans finished March with a record of 10-7 (6-2 in Region 3-AAAAA). They finished a three-game sweep of the Coffee County Trojans and took two from Brunswick High and one against Glynn Academy.

Zach Strickland tossed a no-hitter against the Brunswick Pirates, striking out 11 batters in the process of a 7-0 complete game victory. The Gators still have a series against the Camden County Wildcats before entering the post season.

Region playoffs are scheduled to begin April 14.

TRACK & FIELD

The Lady Gators of Coach Alesia Gibson had big back-to-back victories in March, taking a pair of titles for the second year in a row. They won first place in the Tiger Invitational in Hinesville, finishing just ahead of host Bradwell Institute. The lady Gators then won their own sixth annual Swamp Relays, beating out a strong Camden County team. At a home meet in late March, The Lady Gators were victorious again, finishing ahead of Glynn Academy. At the same meet, the boys’ team of Coach Brandon Andrews finished second overall out of the five teams competing. Ware County’s Michael Flynn finished first in the 800 meters while Earvin Nard won the discus.

Ware County Gators Track and Field schedule: April 1 - 13th Annual Derrick Plankenhorn Invitational (Brooklet, Ga.) April 12 - Home Meet April 16 - Rumble in the Swamp Relays (Waycross) April 20 - Region Preliminaries (Statesboro, Ga.) April 23 - Region Finals (Statesboro, Ga.) April 30 - Ware County (Waycross, Ga.) May 7-9 - Girls State Track Meet (Albany, Ga.) May 14-16 - Boys State Track Meet (Jefferson, Ga.)

RIFLE

Following another perfect 10-0 regular season and the Area 3 title for the fourth straight year, the Ware County Rifle Team started to make its way through the state playoffs. The Gator shooters defeated Social Circle and Stephens County in the state tournament to go to 12-0 and qualify for the GHSA State Shooting Championships April 16 at the Pool International Shooting Complex on post at Ft. Benning near Columbus.

GOLF

The golf teams of Coach Tony Wheeler have been busy this spring and have a few more matches before postseason play begins.

April 4 Blue Devil Invitational @ Tifton, Ga. 3:00 Spring Hill Country Club April 11 Golden Isles Classic @ St. Simons Island, Georgia The Retreat April 14. vs. Camden County @ Waycross, Ga 3:30

Okefenokee Country Club April 18 vs. Wayne County @ Waycross, Ga TBA

Okefenokee Country Club May 2 State Sectionals @ Luella, Ga. TBA

National Country Club May 16 GHSA State Championship @ Augusta, Ga TBA

Bartram Trail

SOCCER

After a long, hard, winless season, the Ware County High boys’ soccer team turned things around to itch their first win of the year, beating Camden County 3-2. Less than a week later, the Gators made it two in a row with a 4-0 victory over Pierce County.

The region tournament begins April 12.

The Lady Gators Soccer Team was 7-3-2 as March came to a close. Coach Michael Cook is getting his team ready for region playoffs, set to begin in mid-April.

IMPROVE YOUR BASEBALL SWING 1. HITTING AGAINST A FIRM FRONT SIDE This doesn’t always mean a stiff leg; you can have a slight bend, but this leg is keeping the rest of your body and hands behind the baseball. This leg will stop your forward momentum and start the axis of rotation that you will now be hitting on. This is very important: if you lose this firm front side you lose a lot of bat speed and your head movement drastically increases.

2. HAVE YOUR BACK FOOT ON ITS TOE When you commit your backside and decide to swing, the force you generate going toward the baseball will be abruptly stopped by your firm front side so you can start rotation. What’s left is your back toe on or slightly off the ground.

3. THE HANDS ARE IN A PALM UP, PALM DOWN POSITION On a right-handed hitter, if you took the bat away at contact and had him open up his hands his right hand should be facing straight up towards the sky (or receiving the money) and the left hand should be facing the ground. This bat grip is the most powerful position you can be in at contact.

4. HEAD ON THE BALL I.e. Seeing the ball at its contact point. This might be obvious, but it’s not simple. Knowing how to hit a baseball starts with knowing how see the ball. How to be a better baseball hitter – Seeing the Baseball talks more about the importance of this point, as well as some tips to improve your ability to see the baseball.

5. YOUR BACK KNEE, BACK HIP AND HEAD SHOULD BE IN A STRAIGHT LINE A thought is to stick a pole in the ground through your knee, hip, and head and rotate around that pole. That ensures you are not too far forward (losing power) and not too far bat getting tied up and having an uphill inconsistent swing.

6. YOUR HEAD SHOULD BE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FEET Think of it as a triangle; draw 3 lines between your head and two feet. A triangle is a very strong structural object used in many applications (roof joists, etc.) So being in a strong triangle will be the strongest possible position for your body. Also, it allows you to rotate on an axis with minimal head movement.

7. TOP ARM IS BENT Ideally, you want your elbow planted firmly against your side. This is where you are most powerful.

The closer your elbow is to your body, the more torque you can create as you spin. The farther your elbow gets as you straighten it, the more you are losing power and leverage and making the force of the baseball more powerful against you.

This information is courtesy of probaseballinsider.com

18 | itgsportsnetwork.com

presented by

MAKING THE

PLAY written by: John DuPont | photography by: Jennifer Carter Johnson

“

Baseball is such a great game because it's like life.

You are going to fail more than you win. You've always got to get up and make the next play.

He may be the namesake of two all-time sports greats, but Kobe Spurrier Manders has made a name for himself, not only on the athletic fields, but also in the classroom – and, already in the private sector.

The son of Brian and Wendy Manders, the Ware County High senior was recently named the 2016 male recipient of the Mickey Rigsby Scholar Athlete Award by the Waycross -Ware County Sports Hall of Fame. But anyone who talks to the righthander for more than five minutes soon discovers his natural aptitude for the business world.

“I want to be an entrepreneur and own my own business,” Manders says. “But I’m not a sit-in-the-office type guy. I want to put my hands on something.”

An up-and-coming sales representative, Manders works at Blount Parts and Equipment in Hoboken as part of the Work Based Learning program at WCHS. “I’m a salesman,” he says proudly. “I answer the phone and sell parts. And I have closed deals worth several thousands of dollars.”

Manders has a close kinship with the company’s owners, Tim and Kim Blount. Their daughter Tera, an interior design major at the University of Georgia, is Manders’ longtime girlfriend.

“They are folks I look up to,” Manders says of the Blounts.

“They are showing me the ropes and are like a second family. I am probably going to attend South Georgia State College, stay in the parts business, and get some core classes out of the way.”

In addition to his work

”

experience, Manders also offers an impeccable academic resume. With a GPA above 3.9, he ranks comfortably in the top-10 of a class numbering around 260. His affiliations include Beta Club, National Honor Society, and the Waycross Bank & Trust Junior Board of Directors. A Georgia Merit Scholar, he was named Student of the Month by the Exchange Club of Waycross in February of this year and won the Gators’ Scholar-Athlete Award as a junior. He has completed AP courses in biology, psychology, U.S. history, and macroeconomics, and he has been dually enrolled in six other classes at South Georgia State College.

“Math is my favorite subject because it’s what I’m best; you’ve got to like what you are good at,” he says. “Throughout middle school, I was in regular math. Then I made a really good score on the CRCT in eighth grade and moved up to Honors math in ninth grade. Now I take college math.”

Voted Best All-Around from the WCHS class of 2016, Manders attends Southside Baptist Church. He is an active participant in his church’s youth group and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is also a Special Olympics volunteer.

“With me being an athlete, it’s just all about helping out some kids and providing my athletic skills to help them feel like they are a regular athlete in high school,” he says.

At 5’9” and 170 pounds, Manders has been a vital cog for the Gators over the past several years as an everyday shortstop and the team’s leadoff hitter.

He broke into the starting lineup as a freshman at third base and was named All-Region (Honorable Mention). By the following year he was the team’s starting shortstop, where he has also been an

All-Region selection.

“Kobe just has a presence about himself; if he ever missed a game due to illness or whatnot, the rest of my kids might be lost,” WCHS head coach Tony Yeomans says. “He’s the leader on the field and helps get people where they need to be. He is more of a leader by actions than by mouth, though. Kobe is such a good person, just a high-character kid.”

Also the Gators’ midweek starting pitcher, Manders sports a fastball that has topped out at 86 miles per hour and a repertoire that also features a curve and slider. He had fashioned a 3-2 record going into early April, a ledger that included complete-game victories over Coffee and Brunswick to keep his team in the hunt for the top seed in Region 3-AAAAA heading down the stretch. But it’s his prowess at the top of the order that makes Manders such a valuable commodity.

“Kobe’s average has been about .280, but his on-base percentage is .505. If he gets on base a couple of times a game, we usually win,” Coach Yeomans says.

“Kobe started for me as a freshman five or six games into the season and he just never quit hitting, so I never took him out.

He’s been in that leadoff spot ever since, and he’s been fun to watch.”

Manders adds: “I’m an on-base guy.

My job is to get on base. That’s what I’m known for: getting hitting by a pitch or taking ball four. I like playing shortstop because it’s the headman of the diamond; he’s got all the superiority, and I like being in charge. I like pitching because you are in control, too. I’ve pitched a pretty good bit of games, and my defense has helped me out a lot this year. I’ve got tremendous confidence in my defense.”

When Manders pitches, his younger brother Jake – the team’s starting second baseman – shifts over to shortstop. The brothers have played together on travel teams for about 10 years with Jake playing up in age. Their trophy case includes a pair of GRPA championships.

“On the field and off the field we are a great tandem,” the elder says. “Against Pierce County this year, we were up 1-0 and had runners on first and third and we played back for the double play. The ball was hit to me and we turned a 6-4-3 double play. It was only in the fifth inning, but that was critical.”

Long-time travel ball coach Shuguy Grant is someone Manders credits for his success. Another is Gina Howell, a teacher at Memorial Drive Elementary School, who also serves as Youth Pastor at Southside Baptist Church.

“She has been with me since I was sev-

en years old,” Manders says of Howell.

“She has always been at my game and helped me whether it’s been baseball or academics.”

Howell, in return, offers this personal assessment of Manders: “From day one, Kobe has been a person of character. While attending Memorial Drive Elementary, I was able to personally witness his drive to always give 100 percent, not only on the athletic field, but also in the classroom. As a middle school and high school student, this same thing was said by Kobe’s teachers as well as coaches. One of the most important factors that Kobe has in his favor is his love of Christ. Hard working, dedicated, and God-fearing are three excellent traits to sum up Kobe’s character.”

Manders, in turn, says baseball is a key determiner of success achieved off the diamond.

“A big leaguer that gets a hit three times in 10 and is a hall-of-famer,” Manders says.

“Baseball is such a great game because it’s like life. You are going to fail more than you win. You’ve always got to get up and make the next play.”

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WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

THEATRE DIRECTOR

AND ONE ACT PLAY AND LITERARY COORDINATOR written by: Jason Martin | photography by: Jeffrey Griffith The Wayne County High School Drama Department performed the new play “Our Place” by Terry Gabbard for the One Act Play Competition this year. This play consisted of five individual scenes and a group epilogue that all examined how and why places are important to people. From dating teenagers to a middle-aged couple trying to have “famtime” with their kids to a daughter trying to care for an aging parent, the scenes show connections between people, a dock, and emotions. A cast of 14

and a crew of 19 competed on October 24th at the region competition where they won 1st place as well as claiming Best Actor (Jeremiah Douglas) and Best Actress (Charity Mackey). Three additional students (Victoria Boyd, Jed Johnson, and Jessica McLeod) were named to the All-Star Cast for the region. The play fared well at State three weeks later with two students (Douglas and Mackey) named to the State All-Star Cast.

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CAMDEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

WILDCATS STRONG IN THE FIELD AND THE MOUND

written by: John Wood Baseball is a game of details; the more attention you pay to those details, the more games you should win. But even when you play well and feel like you’ve won, you are hit with the stark reminder that wins in the mind don’t count in the Win/Loss column.

The Camden County Wildcats gave head coach Chuck Seymour a victory in his first season at the helm after many seasons as a dutiful assistant to longtime head coach Jay Lasley. Career victory number one came against the Bolles School of Jacksonville, alma matter of future Braves Hallof-Famer Chipper Jones, 2-0.

Then the Wildcats dropped a pair of games to metro Atlanta schools, River Ridge and Woodstock, in the annual Baseball at the Beach tournament hosted by Brunswick High School.

Camden literally crosses the Georgia/ Florida line, continually playing a number of strong teams in Florida and the Region 3-AAAAA teams here in Georgia.

“We have been strong on the mound most of the season,” Seymour said. “We lost a few games early we should have won in our minds. We had ups and downs at the plate and have been solid defensively on our wins. The kids have battled and played hard after an early region series loss at Coffee. We need to continue

photography courtesy of Camden County High School

our success on the mound as that is our team strength. We have to live up to our potential offensively and continue to get better at the plate.”

Seymour can be proud of his team’s success on the mound: The Wildcats’ staff ERA is a tidy 1.62. Senior left-handed pitcher Jackson Cullen has a startling 0.76 ERA and a staff-best 4-2 record in seven appearances this season. Freshman Aaron Wainwright is right behind him, brandishing a 1.30 ERA and 2-2. Juniors Ian Smith and Caleb Brown have also been effective for the Wildcat pitching staff.

The toughest part of the season so far has been the Wildcats finding consistency at the plate. Junior shortstop and second baseman Milan Ellerson is the leading hitter for the Wildcats this season with a .408 average, including 20 hits in 69 at-bats.

Seven of those hits were for extra bases, and Ellerson has also driven-in 20 runs.

Sophomore catcher Brooks Bryan paces a .349 batting average and 13 RBIs. Senior outfielder Jon Lorens is sitting at .302 and 11 RBIs through 17 games, and senior Justin Leska is batting .273 “The region is strong and balanced, and it’s an every-week grind. I love our series set up where we play each other three times in a row, alternating sites,” Seymour said.

Though Camden has been able to avoid

the brutality of the other side of the region, which houses both Effingham County schools, Statesboro, and Richmond Hill, the Wildcats faced teams that have strong traditions, including Brunswick, Glynn Academy, and Ware County.

Camden swept the three-game series with Brunswick putting up 26 runs in three games and only giving up three. However, the Wildcats lost the series against Glynn Academy, only picking up one win. The run differential against Glynn Academy, 5-4 in Game 2 and 2-0 in Game 3, points to the mental toughness Seymour has seen rise in his team this season.

The Wildcats split with a hot Ware County team, and the two teams have yet to play the final game of the season, which will determine the seeding for the Region 3-AAAAA tournament.

“We have had some ups and downs, but once we get more focused at the plate, we are going to be okay,” Seymour said. “I still feel like a kid in a candy store being able to do what I do every day. I have great kids and an awesome staff, so it’s a great day every day I get to come to the ballpark. I try to learn something new every day, and I’m taking notes for years to come.”

STOKES’ ROOKIE YEAR ENDS WITH A TITLE

written by: John Wood | photography by: Charles Smith

presented by

IN THE GAME | 23

3

Crossover

Dribbling Techniques

Crossover: Change directions by pushing off with the "outside" foot and dribbling the ball low and hard with the corresponding hand over to the opposite dribbling hand.

Spin Move: Change directions by reverse-pivoting off of the "inside" foot to perform a reverse pivot. The quickest way to do this is to start the pivot when the "inside" foot is forward. That way, the "outside" leg is already part of the way to the new direction. If you start the pivot when the inside foot is back, then your outside leg has to cover far more distance in the spin and it will be easier for a defender to get a back tip. As you reverse pivot, pull the ball with your dribbling hand over into position to be dribbled by your other hand.

The more you can get the ball pulled over toward that hand and protected by your body, the less chance there will be for a back tip.

Behind-the-Back:

Change directions by dribbling the ball behind your back. Footwork is critical here.

The behind-the-back dribble begins as the outside leg is back and just beginning to move forward, and the ball needs to be dribbled all the way over to the opposite hand.

The key to an effective behindthe-back dribble is to continue moving forward rather than just dribbling sideways. For this to happen, the arms and legs need to be coordinated so that the ball can get where it needs to go. This is an advanced skill, but most effective point guards have it.

This information is courtesy of usab.com

One season. One loss by one point in double overtime. One AAAA State Championship. First-year Liberty County Panthers basketball head coach Julian Stokes has just logged an amazing first season, a dream for most, but reality for Stokes. To the naysayers who cry that Stokes was given the talent to be the best and had a lot of luck, I say you are partially right, but only because you don’t know the whole story.

“It has been an amazing experience for my first year as a head coach,” Stokes said.

“I am very fortunate and blessed to have had this experience. This means so much to everyone. I am just proud that I could help guide these great young men to bring back the championship to Liberty County.”

The welted, black rubber edges of a basketball mirror the color of the black marsh along places like Cay Creek. That glistening mud, cropped by sharp edges of the marsh grass, has been in Liberty County since before Button Gwinnett signed the Declaration of Independence. The coastal mystique and beauty of Liberty County draw people in, just as the love of the hardwood beckons them.

Julian Stokes is Liberty County, and Liberty County is Julian Stokes, who moved here with his military family in 1995.

Though four years Gwinnett’s junior,

Stokes will surely be hailed as a Liberty County hero in the same manner as Gwinnet and the county’s other signer of the Declaration, Lyman Hall.

“Everyone is calling me a hometown hero, but I am just so glad to be able to give something back to a community that has given support to me,” Stokes said.

Stokes is an alumnus of Liberty County High School; he ran over the same hardwood as a point guard and scampered across the grass as a quarterback, and he understands what it means first hand to be a Panther. He made entry passes to teammates Rion Brown, who starred at Miami, and Jordan McRae, a phenom at Tennessee, both of whom went on to play professionally. Brown played abroad, and McRae was drafted by the 76ers and spent the first part of his career in Australia, but traded and dropped a whopping 61 points in a NBA D-League game, getting him a cup of coffee with the Phoenix Suns before moving on to a contract with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers “Being able to play for coach Graham at Liberty and later coach was something that I always wanted to do,” Stokes said. “I was also fortunate to play with some great teammates that have gone on to professional careers, like Jordan McRae with the Cavs and Rion Brown playing abroad. Playing created an accelerated pace, but from a coaching standpoint, they have shown me how to see certain things a team is doing and keys that can certainly give me a chance to make sure we are in the best set of formation.”

The gridiron wasn’t any different when Stokes quarterbacked the team that finally led the Panthers past the first round. As an agile runner and intelligent signal caller, Stokes also had an All ACC running back in Shadrach Thornton. Thornton’s physical running style helped mold young freshman linebacker Raekwon McMillan long before he would win a national champi-

"STATESBORO MADE US UNDERSTAND WE HAD TO BE READY TO PLAY EVERY TIME WE STEP ON THE COURT AND SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT IS JUST AN UNDERSTOOD OVER STATED POINT" onship and be elected a Captain for Ohio State University.

South Georgia, collectively, is known for the gridiron, from the small towns in the Coastal Empire to Football Mecca in Valdosta. In recent years, McMillan and now athlete extraordinaire Richard LeCounte have D-I football coaches locked into the GPS of LCHS. 2015 was a good year for the Panthers.

Liberty had to claw and fight during the playoffs, coming out against Woodard Academy playing their most complete game of the year, but in the Final Four, Jonesboro’s height and speed proved too much. By the time the Panthers moved out of spring football, there had been a shakeup with the retirement of Liberty County boys basketball head coach Willie Graham.

“Since I coach quarterbacks, I was on the field most of the summer and at camps and in the weight room, so we didn’t get as much work in the summer,” Stokes said. “Most of them play with strong AAU programs and continually work in the weight room and go to camps and still made open gyms, so I thought we would

be alright when the season started.”

Liberty had just lost to the Cartersville Purple Hurricane in the first round of the GHSA AAAA football playoffs, and the Panthers basketball season was days away.

While the football players were starting to make the transition from the turf to the court, Liberty won its first few games. Before the Christmas break, an above-average Statesboro handed the Panthers its first loss of the season, and Liberty took it hard and used it as a tool and motivator for the remainder of the season.

“Statesboro made us understand we had to be ready to play every time we step on the court, and sometimes it seems that is just an understood over stated point,” Stokes said. “But I used the Statesboro game to make them understand that if they didn’t want to have that feeling again of losing that we had to play four quarters of basketball.”

The Panthers heeded Stokes advice and, despite still having to battle adversity and fight through some tough games, did not lose again.

“As we were moving through tournament and the bracket got smaller, I start-

www.cesmithphotography.com Hinesville, GA 31313 (912)572-2290 Contactus@cesmithphotography.com

ed to be very confident about winning a state title,” Stokes said. “Defeating Lithonia, who was well balanced and had height, made us realize what we could accomplish playing our best basketball.”

Stokes readily admits that he had expectations at the beginning of the season, but he also had a very real fear of not succeeding these expectations with such a special team this season.

“I would second guess myself, but I also started to allow them to play using athletic ability to create turnovers and transition,” Stokes said. “We still ran some traditional offense, but when you have great athletes, you have to let them play. Professionally, being as young as I am, this has been great for me, but I think there will be big expectations next year and not nearly as much pressure. This has been a great season, and I am just blessed to have a part of it.

It’s something that will last and hopefully positively influence these young men for the rest of their lives.”

A baseball pitcher’s curveball can curve over 17 inches away from a straight line toward home plate.

The unofficial anthem of American baseball, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” is traditionally sung during the middle of the seventh inning. It was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer, both of whom had never been to a baseball game.

Mo’ne Davis (2001– ) became the first female to win a Little League World Series baseball game.

While baseball initially started in the U.S., it has spread worldwide. Today more than 100 countries are part of the International Baseball Federation. Japan has the largest pro baseball league outside the U.S. Baseball’s L.A. Dodgers, originally founded in Brooklyn, are named after the legendary skill that that local residents showed at “dodging” the city’s trolley streetcar system.

Craig Biggio (1965– ) of the Houston Astros holds the record for a player most often hit by a pitch.

Baseball gloves have evolved more than any other piece of the sport’s equipment.

The Yankees’ Mickey Mantle holds the record for the longest home run on record for a 565-foot clout hit at Washington DC’s old Griffith Stadium on April 17, 1953. As a switch hitter, he was batting right-handed against left-handed pitcher Chuck Stobbs from the Washington Senators.

The first pro baseball game ever to be aired on television was on August 26, 1939. It was a doubleheader between Brooklyn and Cincinnati.

This information is courtesy of facts.randomhistory.com

26 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Nothing Less

CHECK THIS OUT!

presented by

Than His Best written by: Rob Asbell | photography by: Andrea Heflin

He ended up tossing a perfect game in five innings, facing the minimum of 15 batters and setting them down on just 28 pitches.

I

Improvement can occur gradually, over time, to the point that an athlete is recognized and revered each time he enters the playing field. Such is the case with Bacon County High School senior Dalton Spires, an All-State pitcher from Alma who strikes fear into the hearts of every batter he faces on the baseball diamond.

“He is a great competitor, hard worker, and the team has a lot of confidence in him when he’s leading the way,” says Red Raiders head coach Derek James.

A four-year starter in high school, Spires has played between the base paths for as long as he can remember.

“I’ve always played baseball ever since T-ball,” he says. In all that time, he has never given less than his very best. When the 5’10”, 162-pound Spires is on the mound for Coach James’ Red Raiders, he sets his mind at ease and relies on practice and muscle memory to get his pitches to their mark.

He explains it like a true baseball veteran. “You can’t really think much in the middle of a game. This game is already hard enough; don’t overthink it.”

Looking like a major-leaguer at just 10-years-old, Spires pulled off his first big

play by fielding a bunt bare-handed from third base and gunning down the runner before he could reach first. Six years later, he had improved his pitching enough to be called on to pitch during a championship game. He ended up tossing a perfect game in five innings, facing the minimum of 15 batters and setting them down on just 28 pitches.

Last season, Spires had a record on the mound of 6-0 with an earned run average of .568. He was named First-Team All-Region and All-State as he helped lead the Raiders to a 20-4 record and the second seed from Region 2-AA. In the second round of the state playoffs, Spires was pitching with the bases loaded when the batter laid down a bunt that went to the edge of the grass in front of home plate.

“I ran and slid, glove-flipping the ball to the catcher for the out,” he says.

This year, Spires added a mean curveball to go with a fastball and change-up for an ERA of 1.69 and 39 strikeouts in 28 innings of work by the end of March.

Although he played basketball and ran cross country for the Red Raiders his freshman year, Spires decided to focus on

baseball and became a middle infielder and fireball pitcher for the team.

“I plan to play baseball in college,” he says. “I’ve been in touch with Middle Georgia but I’m interested in anywhere I can play baseball.”

Sports and baseball, it seems, will always be in Spires’ life. The son of Aaron and Rhonda Spires, Dalton carries a 3.7 grade point average and hopes to major in sports marketing in college. Part of his success on the baseball diamond can be attributed to his strength and conditioning program. He started hitting the weight room his sophomore year and has stuck with it ever since. He also works out with members of the Red Raiders football team and in the summer does CrossFit training. The focus of his improvement on the baseball field has been on his pitching mechanics so that he is now able to hit his spots more consistently.

He credits his father for helping him throughout his playing career. He also lauds the help of Coach Ryan Kineard, one of Bacon County’s football coaches.

“He always works us hard in the weight room,” Spires says. “My other coach would

be my CrossFit trainer, Ryan Graves. He made working out fun, but also pushed me to my limit.”

He looks back on his days playing travel baseball for helping him become the player he is today. Coaches Casey and Carry Martin guided Spires and taught him the basics of the game.

“To this day I still take hitting and pitching lessons from Casey,” he says.

Spires has developed a love of the game over the years and seems to be almost philosophical about it. “My favorite part of the game is that there isn’t a clock,” he explains. “You have to throw the ball over the plate and give the other team a chance.”

Spires has been an asset to his team both on and off the field who leads by example in the dugout and on the diamond.

Coach James is just happy that Spires is a Red Raider.

“He does a great job on and off the field,” Coach James says. “He’s just one of those guys that you’re glad he’s on your team.”

Choosing His Path written by: Rob Asbell | photography by: Michael Brinson

It is hard enough to be a standout in two sports, but to play both sports at the same time adds even more of a degree of difficulty. Needwood Middle School eighth-grader Mason Palmer has met that challenge and then some, playing baseball and soccer for the Warriors while excelling in the classroom as well.

This school year, Palmer played soccer at

28 | itgsportsnetwork.com

the Glynn County Recreation Department in the fall, then in spring played half of the baseball season and most of the soccer season for Needwood.

“Mason Palmer is a phenomenal athlete who juggled both baseball and soccer during the same time, working out with his two coaches when he would be able to practice, and play, with each team,” Needwood

soccer coach Robert Cannon says.

At 5’7” and 110 pounds, Palmer uses his speed on the soccer pitch, where he is a right wing and center striker for Coach Cannon’s Warriors. He also played part-time as a pitcher and shortstop for Coach Doug Hood’s baseball team.

“This year, I was going back and forth on practices and games depending on which

Mason Palmer

Favorites

Snack: A mix of dark chocolate, cashews, almonds, and pecans.

Food: Either nachos, pizza, or steak.

College Team: North Carolina for their soccer.

TV show: Blue Bloods Movie: When The Game Stands Tall Pets: Two dogs Car: Mercedes Benz S Class Coupe.

team needed me more,” Palmer says.

He finally decided to concentrate on one sport, and it is an understatement to say that his heart lies with soccer. Palmer will attend Brunswick High School next year, where he plans to concentrate on soccer and hopes to play as a freshman for Coach Andrew Madden’s Pirates’ squad. He is working hard to help make that dream a reality.

“To improve myself as a player, I spend a lot of time by myself training and practicing on what I need,” he says.

Palmer got started in sports and scored his first goal while he was still in first grade.

He played soccer and baseball for the Glynn County Recreation Department from the age of 6 until he was in seventh grade, and then played school baseball at Needwood Middle as well. He was voted the Most Valuable Player for his team in 2014 and was named captain of the All-Star team last year.

“My first big play was when I scored three goals against another All-Star team from McIntosh County,” he says.

Along with the victories, Palmer also recalls some tough losses. He recalls playing an All-Star game against a powerful Wayne County recreation team that beat them 11-1 in 2013. Losses like that build character and add an incentive to work harder.

“Palmer adds leadership, drive and heart to the team,” Coach Cannon said. “His strength and determination are the strongest parts of his game along with his ability to work with teammates on and off the pitch. It is truly amazing, as skilled as he was to begin the season, to see how much he

has grown. He takes instruction and criticism very well.”

Palmer credits his coaches who, over the years, have taught him the basics of the game. The son of James and Kimberly Stevenot, he holds a 3.86 grade point average and is especially fond of math. He is taking high school courses in addition to his regular middle school classes at Needwood and maintaining high marks in all of them.

“The career or major I think I would like to pursue in college is exercise and sports science,” Palmer says.

Away from school, he is much like any other teen. He can be found on the phone, hanging out with friends or playing soccer.

He has seen the bright lights and big cities of New York and Washington, D.C. on school trips, but hopes one day to visit Madrid, Spain, home of his favorite team, Real Madrid FC. One of his heroes is the team’s star player, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Because of where he came from, and how he came to be one of the best players in soccer today,” he explains.

His ultimate sports dream would be to play in Spain’s Liga BBVA, the country’s top soccer league. For now, he is concentrating on his academics and, of course, soccer.

“My favorite part of soccer is the excitement and tension in playing the games, and being with my team,” he says. “A team becomes like a family to you, whether it’s a few weeks or for months.”

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Do You Know It All? LET’S FIND OUT

Liberty

1. In which country was the game of Basketball invented?

2. In which year was the game of basketball invented?

3. Who is the founder of the basketball game?

4. In which year was the International Basketball Foundation formed?

5. In which year was basketball first introduced in the Olympics?

6. American missionaries introduced basketball game in which country?

7. In which year was the Indian Basketball Association formed?

8. Who was the first president of The Indian Basketball Association?

9. In which year was basketball was first introduced in the SAIF games?

10. Where was the first men’s basketball tournament held?

11. When did the Women’s World Tournament for Basketball begin?

12. A basketball team usually has an average of ______ players?

13. How many extra players are there in a basketball team?

14. What is the dimension of a basketball stadium in Length x Width?

15. What is the radius of a half circle at the center of the court in a Basketball Stadium?

16. What is the circumference of the ball in a basketball game?

CHECK OUT HOW YOU DID 32 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Liberty County High School Richard LeCounte was doing backflips on the court as the Panthers celebrated the GHSA Class AAAA State Championship after their 58-52 win over Jonesboro. It was a much different moment than a season ago; Liberty faced Jonesboro in the Final Four, but a nagging hip injury and foul trouble for LeCounte prevented the Panthers from going to the title game.

It was a game the Panthers simply were never in; Jonesboro outgunned them from the start.

A 71-43 loss certainly will burn in a player’s mind, and 373 days

later the Panthers avenged the loss ending the Cardinals’ run to a three-peat.

LeCounte and his teammate Davion Mitchell were considered the best sophomore guards in that state of Georgia in 2015, and this season they simply got better.

At just 24 years old, former assistant Julian Stokes given the top spot as head coach; he realized he had been given the keys to a powerful machine, and he didn’t want to fail.

“I was confident in my ability, but there were so many times

that I would second guess myself or be arguing in my head about a decision I made,” Stokes says.

“But I had great assistants, and the players certainly bought in.

We started playing good basketball consistently.”

The love affair that Liberty has with basketball was on full display when the city of Hinesville, coupled with Liberty County School System, hosted a parade for the Champion Panthers. The Panthers were not the only Liberty County team that returned with a gold ball at the parade; they were joined by the GISA

brings home

the gold ball written by: John Wood | photograpjy by: Charles Smith

“Sometimes the whole season seems surreal. It was a great season and it’s something that I am always going to be proud to be a part of.” lack of a third scorer.

This year, Will Richardson came to the rescue.

During Richardson’s freshman year at crosstown Bradwell Institute, he started to turn some heads. A pure shooter with the ability to penetrate and score off the dribble, he could be a consistent scorer when teams would go to defensive schemes designed to contain LeCounte or Mitchell.

Richardson transferred to Liberty County High School for his sophomore year and made an immediate impact in the Panthers’ scoring rotation.

“Will certainly was a key component that we needed to be able to put us in position to win a state championship,” Stokes says.

“The teams we saw down the stretch last year had two things: tons of height, and at least three consistent shooters that were able to score. If one of the main scorers had a special defense against them, you had the other two players that could handle the

ANSWERS

Class AA Boys State Champions, the First Presbyterian Christian Highlanders (who earned their fifth title in the last 10 years) and the Liberty County Recreation Department Girls All-Star team.

Making a special appearance to pay their respects was the 1965 Liberty High School Boys State Championship basketball team. Led by Sam Harris, forever known as “Coach”, the Panthers won before Liberty County was totally integrated in 1971. Harris served as an assistant principal at Bradwell, retiring in the 1990s as one of the most beloved members of the system.

LeCounte averaging 20.2 points this season, and Mitchell, contributing 24.2 points per game, were a major part of the offense for the Panthers ever since they stepped on the floor as freshmen. The lopsided loss against Jonesboro at the end of the 2015 season showed one major weakness that Liberty needed to be able to compete with the best in the state:

1. America, the US 2. 1891 3. Dr. James Naismith.

4. 1932 5. 1936 6. India 7. 1950 8. C. C. Abraham 9. 1987 10. In Delhi.

bulk of the scoring.”

Richardson, the lone sophomore on the varsity squad, averaged 13.2 points per game over 29 games, giving the Panthers their much-needed third scorer.

While the roster was mostly underclassmen, there was definitely some key leadership from seniors Tryriq Reece, Martial Washington, JiShaun Harris, and Comer Kite. An outstanding football player with explosive speed, Washington added to the athleticism of the Panthers and will continue his sports career after high school, playing football for the Georgia Southern Eagles.

Harris and Reece were strong veteran players that have played in big games and understood the task at hand before the season began. Harris gave the Panthers an added dimension inside that would create more second and third shot opportunities with a presence on the boards along with scoring in the paint.

Rounding out the talented 11. 1953 12. 12 13. 7 14. 94 x 50 ft.

15. 5 ft. 10.8 in.

16. Women’s: 28-29 in Men’s: About 30 in

Panthers are juniors Tracy White, Jaalon Frazier, Antonio Golden, Tyreon Freeman, Tyler Thomas, and Cherell Roberts.

Of the 29 games played this season, the Panthers only experienced defeat once; the team suffered a 75-74 double-overtime loss on December 5 to former region foe Statesboro on the road. That one loss revitalized the Panthers because it began a 26 game winning streak. The closest point differential would a 45-41 win against Richmond Hill in mid-January. During the 20152016 campaign the Panthers outscored opponents 2276 to 1717.

Savannah upstart New Hampstead, which has created a strong program in only its second year of existence, battled Liberty hard in the Region 3-AAAA semifinals, but a 71-66 Liberty win put them in the title game against Thomson and the Panthers won by 19 points.

Securing home court advantage through at least the first two rounds as the number one seed made life good for the Panthers.

“It’s great to win a region title, but the best part is that we didn’t have to travel and we were able to play at home in front of our fans; they are absolutely the best,” Stokes says. “We had amazing support from all over.

Our fan base has been so excited and energetic this season.”

One by one, the teams that Liberty faced went down, often by double digits. In the Final Four game against Lithonia, who was considered one of the best teams in the state regardless of class, Stokes said the team started to realize the potential and they would get a chance to redeem themselves after the lopsided loss against Jonesboro.

The Cardinals traveled a different path to Macon than Liberty did. Two-time state champion Jonesboro had played in some national tournaments and been able to compete against some of the top talent in the United States. Led by small forward M.J. Walker, a top prospect in the Class of 2017, Jonesboro came

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to Macon with the intention of winning a third state AAAA basketball championship.

“Once you get to this point, there is no need to have to give big pregame speeches,” Jonesboro head coach Daniel Mahelman says. “We know we are here and that to win we have to play every second of the ball game.”

It was a game that would be a battle of arguably the best two juniors in the state in Mitchell and Walker. A pair of heavyweights, the beginning of the game wasn’t a lot of different than Ali and Frazier feeling each other out to find an advantage. The only difference was that the tempo of the AAAA state championship was at break-neck speed.

Jonesboro knew that Mitchell, who is committed to Auburn, was going to be the main cog in Liberty’s scoring machine, so they isolated him, denying him any points until the second half. It would be a mistake the Cardinals would regret. Jonesboro’s manto-man defense actually gave Liberty an advantage because it allowed them to use their athleticism to penetrate the basket a decided Liberty strength. The Panthers were putting up good shots in the first quarter and even getting extra shots off of rebounds, but nothing fell. Frasier was a beast on the boards for Liberty, grabbing 12 of his 15 rebounds in the first half. Richardson and his strong shooting would be key, since Mitchell was targeted and Richardson came through finishing with 19 points including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

LeCounte was an absolute physical freak in the way he glided across the wood so quickly on the court. Scoring in transition, he added a pair of three-pointers, including one at the buzzer at the end of the first quarter to give the Panthers a 14-10 lead.

The Panthers’ defense was stellar in stopping Walker, only allowing him four points in the first half. Physical play had also created some foul trouble for

the Cardinals. When driving to the basket didn’t work, Jonesboro had to get creative, setting staggered screens to try to get shooters open on the three-point arc or around the lane. The Cardinals even found some defensive success with a limited use of a zone that at least neutralized Liberty’s offensive attack.

Liberty clutched a 26-22 lead at the half and would not relinquish it the rest of the game. Liberty was only 37 percent from the field in the first half; however, the team held Jonesboro to 35 percent.

The anticipated main event between Walker and Mitchell came alive with a fury in the second half.

Frustrated with the stingy defense the Cardinals had put on him, and under the eye of his future Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, Mitchell let loose. A life-long gym rat with the confidence of hundreds of days of early morning shooting alone, Mitchell sprinted down the floor in transition past the Jonesboro defenders and went up and pow-

er slammed the basketball into the cylinder for his first two points of the game in the second half. With five minutes to go in the third quarter, Mitchell ripped a three-pointer putting Liberty up by 11 points. In the final 16 minutes of the game, he moved the basketball, played good defense, and scored 14 points.

Sensing the fury of his opponent, Walker started to come into his own, creating shots off the dribble, going hard into the lane off balance and hitting the shot. His four points that he had in the first half became a game-high 22 points by the end.

In a game that featured a number of athletes that also are great football players, it had the tenacity and hard nose toughness of the gridiron; but those same players exhibited the graceful movement that basketball is known for. Jonesboro dug deep in the final minutes and closed the gap to 50-48 with a 1:48 left to play.

Just as the Panthers had done all year, they simply found another

gear, outscoring the Cardinals 8-4 in the final minute of play to edge the two-time state champions and earning the Panthers the school’s first state title in any sport.

“Sometimes the whole season seems surreal. It was a great season, and it’s something that I am always going to be proud to be a part of,” Stokes says. “These young men worked hard in practice all season, and they certainly represented this area well. I think we certainly turned some heads.”

PIERCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

GIRLS GOLF

written by: Ivy Young

photography by: Jennifer Carter Johnson

Coach Erica Grady, previously known as Erica Still, and the Pierce County High School Girl’s Golf are at it again. There are 5 members, 4 of which compete and travel to tournaments. “We have improved as a team from last year to this year. We have already shaved strokes off our team total in tournaments we played last year.” Says Coach Grady.

Natalee Boatright is the only senior this year, she has lettered all 4 years of high school. Natalee has 2 region championships and a 4th place team finish at state. She has also made the All-Tournament team at region last year. “Golf has been the biggest and most important sport in my life, and I couldn’t imagine what I would've turned to, if I hadn’t played. I love that it’s just as much a mental game as it is physical, and tests your discipline, respect, and patience.” Said Natalee, “To keep improving is always a goal. My team holds a very special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us.”

Coach Grady encourages the girls to have fun while playing and practicing, but at the same time she wants them to do well,

and she ensures that by focusing on short game drills and ways to improve their mistakes. This season practice began on Feb. 16th.

Thus far the Lady Bears have attended the Red Terror Ryder Cup, where they placed 10th out of 46 teams, and they attended the West Hall Invitational, where they placed 11th out of 20 teams. They will travel to Dalton, Georgia and the Blue Devil Invitational. April 11th marks the day the Lady Bears will host their 3rd annual Mattson Parrish Lady Bear Invitational at Lakeview Country Club. This year the girls have a larger and more competitive field. The Mattson Parrish Lady Bear Invitational is done in honor and memory of the late Mrs. Mary Brantley Mattson and Ms. Libby Parrish of Blackshear, Georgia.

“I feel optimistic about this season.” Said Coach Grady, “We are still young but we work very hard. This group has a bright future.”

Many things motivate sports teams and for the Lady Bears it is the mere fact that they are so close to a state title. Coach Grady stated “We have advanced our placement in 3A and we know it is very close.”

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