Southeast Georgia May 2017 Edition

Overcoming Challenges Anwar Folkes

Liberty County

The Comeback

Eduardo Merino Camden County

Unbeatable Ronasche' Fluker Waycross Middle

Ware Shooters

WIN STATE

IN THE

GAME SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

OF HER OWN

Lizzie Shubert

Ware County May 2017

Evan Crystal Bradwell Institute

A LEAGUE

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A LIFE ENCLOSED

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In The Game | 1

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In The Game | 3

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IN THIS ISSUE 8

A League of Her Own Lizzie Shubert Ware County High School

12 Communicating Through Soccer Daniel Szokoly Brunswick High School

16 A Life Enclosed by the Diamond Evan Crystal Bradwell Institute

22 Overcoming Challenges Anwar Folkes Liberty County

29 Ware Shooters Win State Ware County

30 Unbeatable 34

Ronasche' Fluker Waycross Middle School

11

The Comeback

15 PCHS Claims All-Sports Trophy

Eduardo Merino Camden County

Spring Football Begins as Tennis Ends Ware County

Pierce County

19 Ladies Tennis Takes Region Camden High School

21 Raiders Baseball Advances to Quarterfinals Bacon County

37

Three Down, Two to Go! Wayne County

In The Game | 5

FROM THE PUBLISHER

To quote legendary song writer John Fogerty: “Put me in coach. I'm ready to play today."

Southeast Georgia is the hot bed for high school baseball in 2017.

The SEGA coverage area had 12 out of 19 schools make the postseason, and six teams made it to the Final Four. The AA Final Four has three teams from Region 2.

Bacon, Jeff Davis, and Toombs all made it to the Final Four with a GUARANTEED representative in the state championship series.

Charlton from A, Pierce County from AAA, and Wayne County from AAAAA are all in the Final Four for their respective classifications. Not to be outshined by the diamonds of South Georgia, we had two teams win state track titles in AA as well. Congratulations to the boys team at Vidalia High School and the girls team at Jeff Davis High School for hoisting the state championship trophies. Catch a recap in the June issue of In the Game magazine.

It’s a good thing there are only three sports seasons in high school athletics: fall, winter, and spring. If there were a fourth, I guess Ware County senior Lizzie Shubert would have to add another sport to her résumé. In the fall she was a standout on the softball diamond, playing her way into a scholarship at South Georgia State College. In the winter, she helped the Lady Gators play in the Sweet 16 of the state playoffs. This spring she was “in the box” for the Gator’s girls soccer team playing goalie.

Shubert is truly in a league of her own.

What do you do when you love baseball, but your Middle School does not have a program? You play with the high school as an eighth-grader. That early start may have been the

6 | itgsportsnetwork.com

advantage Bradwell Institute senior Evan Crystal needed to be a successful four-year player for the Tigers. It could have been just good genetics from his father, Wes, who played for BI in the ‘90s. That may remain a mystery, but I know for sure good work ethic, extra studies in the class room, and a 3.9 GPA all helped factor into Evan having the chance to continuing playing baseball at the next level at Augusta University.

Meet Daniel Szokoly, Brunswick High School's head soccer coach. If the name sounds familiar to the BHS crowd, it’s because Szokoly came home. He played for four years at Brunswick under coach Brian Brewer and attributes some of his coaching style to his former head coach. Szokoly's major influence on coaching was Jordan Prempeh of Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, where Szokoly was an assistant coach. In his first season at BHS, he helped two varsity players earn scholarships to play soccer at the next level, which may go back to the heart of Szokoly’s coaching philosophy: Prepare your players to be intelligent, responsible, hard working adults.

I think Brunswick made a wise choice.

Injury is never easy. You have your whole season worked out in your head, and the next thing you know, you are sitting on the sidelines unable to play.

It happened to Camden County soccer player Eduardo Merino.

Half-way through his sophomore season, he broke his leg.

The injury wound up costing him his junior season working his way back to full speed. Merino never quit or never gave up and worked his way back to being a key player for the Wildcats his senior season.

Winning the 400 meters as an eighth grader is a great ac-

30

complishment, but to win it ALL THREE YEARS in Middle School, you must be someone special.

Ronasché Fluker can lay claim to that title. The Waycross Middle School track star beat out her cross-town rival I’daja Davis of Ware Middle by just 0.52 seconds to win her third 400-meter middle school title. Fluker already has her sights set on becoming a Ware County Gator next fall to run for the Lady Gator’s track team under coach Alesia Gibson.

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.inthegamesportsnetwork.com and Facebook at www.facebook. com/InTheGameNation. Follow us on Twitter @InTheGameNation and on Instagram @inthegamenation. You can now keep up with all the Friday Night scores across SEGA and the state with our new partner App Scorestream. Download the scorestream app at Google Play or the Appstore today. Join us every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 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 Mandy Douthit Cover Photography Jennifer Carter Johnson Feature Photography Jennifer Carter Johnson Michael Brinson Charles Smith Debra Tanner Shawn Smoak Feature Writers Rob Asbell John DuPont John Wood Shawn Smoak Copy Editor Cole Parker Anna Limoges 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 2017 makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content.

All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2015 Dykes Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1945-1458.

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Written by: John DuPont Photography by: Jennifer Carter Johnson

Graduation dawns, and once more the schools say goodbye to some of their most accomplished student-athletes. However, Ware County High will soon enjoy one of its more popular stars remaining close to the swamp. Lizzie Shubert, who recently capped a three-sport prep career, is continuing her athletic pursuits as a softball player at South Georgia State College.

“Lizzie has been a true joy to coach,” Re-

8 | itgsportsnetwork.com

becca Kirkland, WCHS softball coach, said.

“She has a fun and very strong competitive spirit. When she came out her freshman year, I knew she was going to be a huge asset to our program. When Lizzie sees something she wants or sets a goal, she goes for it with everything she’s got. She plays that way, too.”

Shubert, the daughter of Chanda and Jimbo Shubert, was named Most Athletic among the 2017 WCHS senior

superlatives. She lettered four years each in softball and soccer and three years in basketball, serving as captain on some of those teams. As a goalkeeper for the Lady Gators soccer team, she helped lead the team to a state playoff berth this past season with 146 saves during the regular season.

“Lizzie is athletic and moves really well in the box,” Michael Cook, WCHS soccer coach, said. “Her game expe-

rience combined with highest GPA on the her athletic ability made team.

Scholastically, her really tough to score Shubert is equally outon. Her sophomore year standing. we played Northgate in “High character the first round of the qualities, immeasurstate playoffs, and she able work ethic, and seemed to be able to academics have paved anticipate where every the way for Lizzie’s athattacking player was letic success,” Mandy going to shoot and aim. Lingenfelter, WCHS girls She had over 40 saves basketball coach, said. in that “She is game. Lizafraid “Everything in not zie takes of hard soccer is so fast work.” pride in keeping Honor and so intense. graduate the ball out of the In basketball you S h u b e rt back of ranked don’t stop.” 27th in the net.”

Speed a senior of the game is a factor class numbering 347. not lost on Shubert, A member of both who equates soccer’s Beta Club and the Napace to that of basket- tional Honor Society, ball. she carried a 3.8 GPA “Everything in soc- throughout high school. cer is so fast and so She also scored 1380 intense; in basketball on the SAT. Her workyou don’t stop,” Shu- load included five AP bert said, adding a fa- classes, and her final vorite hoops memory. high school semester “We were playing the included three college first round of the state classes. She named playoffs and down by Wesley Sweat, an AP 1 point. There were two history instructor, as beseconds left, and my ing among her favorite teammate, Matea Boyd, instructors, but she dedid a reverse layup, and rives satisfaction from we beat Woodlawn.” several academic areas.

On the court, Shu“Math and science – I bert earned the Impact just can’t pick between Award for her contri- those two,” Shubert butions coming off the said. “Those are my fabench. vorites because I like a She was also named challenge and they are the scholar-athlete for both challenging. I was girls basketball in rec- going to maybe major ognition of having the in biology. I think I want

to be a nurse practitioner for pediatrics and work at Wolfson or St. Jude. I just like the fact that they are very kind and helpful.”

Unsurprisingly, Shubert’s choice for Beta Club community service included philanthropic works for people and pets. Last year during Hurricane Matthew, she assisted evacuees with their pets by walking their dogs and performing other kindnesses.

While she demonstrates compassion off the field, she exudes pure passion when stepping onto the softball diamond.

“Hitting is my favorite part of the game,” Shubert said. “I like being in those situations where your hit wins the games. I think those moments build charac-

“HIGH CHARACTER QUALITIES, IMMEASURABLE WORK ETHIC, AND ACADEMICS HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR LIZZIE’S ATHLETIC SUCCESS. SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF HARD WORK.”

— Mandy Lingenfelter

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ter and strength as an slugging percentage of .720. Shubert, though, is athlete.”

Such a moment quick to share credit for occurred during Shu- her success.

“Thanks to my bert’s junior campaign of 2016 versus Jones weight training coachCounty in Round 1 of es at the high school: the state playoffs after coach Sonny Spurlock a crushing defeat in and coach Franklin SteGame 1 of the series. phens,” Shubert said.

Thanks to Shubert, the “Weight training defiLady Gators rebound- nitely made me stroned in Game 2, forcing ger. And it helped me the “if” game due to grow into a better athShubert’s homer for the lete. I definitely hit the go-ahead runs en route ball a lot harder this year.” to a 5-3 decision.

When “Watch not comLizzie play “Weight peting on and you the pitch, can tell she training the hardloves it and definitely wood, or that she the diais having made me mond for fun,” Kirkthe Lady land said. stronger. And G a t o rs, “I would it helped me Shubert have to competes say I saw grow into a the dia huge better athlete. on amond for change the Savanin her this I definitely hit nah-based year.

As the ball a lot A n g e l s a coach, 18-U “Gold” you ex- harder this travel softpect your year.” ball team. seniors to She also step up to the job of leadership attends Central Baptist within the team. She Church with her family. did that job this year Her brother Logan, who and did it well. Lizzie plays football and basekept the positivity go- ball, is a rising freshman ing through the ups at WCHS. Shubert listand downs this season. ed her friendship with She will be missed, but soccer teammate DesI have a feeling we will tiny Johnson as being see great things from among her most enduring connections. her in the future.”

When asked how Four years a starter at shortstop for the Lady she would like to be Gators, Shubert was the remembered, Shubert Region 2-AAAAA play- offered this take: “I feel er of the year in 2017 like I’m my own person and earned All-State and set goals for myself. (second team) acco- Everything I do, I give lades. She batted .361 100 percent; I give my during her senior cam- all. But I try to help evpaign with six homers eryone as much as I can. and a team best of 23 I try to help them learn, runs batted in. Her hits help them grow.” total also included 17 doubles and two triples. Additionally, she logged an on-base percentage of .430 and a 10 | itgsportsnetwork.com

WARE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

SPRING FOOTBALL BEGINS AS TENNIS ENDS Written by: Rob Asbell

FOOTBALL The Ware County Gators football team started spring practice as May rolled in. Coach Franklin Stephens’ team had good weather to work on blocking, tackling, and ball-carrying drills as they prepared for their May 12 game against Burke County in the Swamp.

Preceding the 7 p.m. kickoff between the Gators and the Bears, Ware Middle School will face Waycross Middle School.

TENNIS The boys tennis team of coach Ross Bedford saw their season come to an end in the state playoffs in April. The Gators entered as the No. 3 seed from Region 2-AAAAA after finishing behind Statesboro and Wayne County.

“The team showed a great deal of improvement overall this season,” Bedford said. “This was a growing year for some of our team and a final season for seniors Matthew Bagley and Bailey Tatum, both whom have been on the varsity team since their freshman year.”

Bagley was the team’s No. 1 singles player this year. He put in a great deal of work in the offseason, and it showed.

Brock Anderson was at No. 2 singles, while Tatum was at No. 3 singles. Dawson Goddard and Joe Robertson were the No. 1 doubles team, and Maddox Hall and Ladue Raulerson made up the No. 2 doubles team for the Gators.

“Dawson Goddard’s dedication to learning the sport has been one thing that has impressed me the most,” Bedford said. “Dawson has only played tennis for two years, but by the end of the season, he played like a veteran of the sport. He has improved significantly, along with freshmen Joe Robertson and Brock Anderson.”

As the No. 3 seed, the Gators traveled to McDonough, Georgia, to play Ola High School, the No. 2 seed from Region 4. The two teams battled with the Gators, winning two of three singles matches. The doubles teams then went down to the wire, forcing three sets and a tie breaker in each match. It came down to a 9-7 tiebreaker in the final set of the No. 2 doubles match, but the Mustangs defeated Ware 3-2.

The Gators will lose three seniors, so they will be a young team next year. Still, Bedford is confident.

“I feel like we have some talent coming up from the middle school,” Bedford said. “One player in particular is Robert Jacobs. He shows a lot of promise, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with him and his brother Richard Jacobs next year.”

The Lady Gators tennis team of coach Nate Mooneyhan also had an outstanding season, qualifying for the state playoffs as the No. 3 seed. The team is made up of singles players Raven Green, Megan Tyre, and Annabeth Hatfield and the doubles teams of Jayme Russell and Kiersten Moye at first doubles and Haley Cannon and Maggie Tyre at second doubles.

As the No. 3 seed from Region 2-AAAAA, the Lady Gators traveled to play Eagles Landing High School, also in McDonough.

Ware took 3 out of 5 from the Golden Eagles to win their first round state playoff matchup and advance to the second round for the second time in three years. With the match tied at 2-2, the No. 1 doubles team of seniors Jayme Russell and Kiersten Moye won their match in three sets to give the Lady Gators the win.

Ware County then advanced to the second round of the state playoffs, the Sweet 16, to play Riverwood International Charter School, the top seed from Region 6, in Sandy Springs. The Lady Gators’ season ended in a 3-0 defeat.

Communicating Through

SOCCER Written by: Rob Asbell | Photography by: Michael Brinson

Imagine being in year as the boys soca foreign country sur- cer coach at Brunswick rounded by people High School, he uses from 75 different na- his experiences to teach tions all speaking a myr- young men how to deal iad of languages. No with challenges on and one can communicate. off the soccer pitch.

No one can understand "There are so many each othlife lessons er. Until "There are that occur a soccer throughout so many ball a season appears, that I think life lessons and can help that occur suddenly young playthese develop throughout a ers stranginto responseason that sible, intelers start ligent, and playing I think can togethhard worker. That help young ing adults," was the Szokoly said. players situation His phiBrunsdevelop into losophy is wick that, like responsible, real life, the Pirates soccer game tests intelligent, coach players' abiland hard Daniel ities to overSzokoly come chalworking found lenges using adults." himself intelligence, in a few — Daniel Szokoly athleticism, years and teamago. He was on a study work. abroad trip to Oslo, When Brunswick Norway, and realized went looking for a boys that communicating soccer coach, they was difficult. didn't have to look far.

"When we would Szokoly and his wife play pick up soccer, were ready to return everyone seemed to to their home town understand each other and alma mater. He is and play as a team de- a native son who gradspite the language bar- uated from Brunswick rier," Szokoly said.

High School, where he Now, in his first played soccer all four 12 | itgsportsnetwork.com

years, a fact he occasionally shares with his new Pirates players. He then attended Georgia Southern and the University of Georgia. While in Athens, he was an assistant coach at Cedar Shoals High School.

"I have always loved the sport and have played it as long as I can remember," Szokoly said.

Szokoly coached at the junior varsity level at Cedar Shoals, which prepared him for varsity, or so he thought.

"When we traveled to Pierce County for our first match up of the year, I saw how wrong I was," he said. "I did not sleep the night before. I barely ate anything that day, and I was nervous all the way up to the first whistle."

Once the game started, he relaxed and concentrated on his team and the game itself.

"There was a learning curve for many of the players since a lot of them were pulled up from junior varsity from the year before,” Szokoly said. “It was a good adjustment game for both them and myself."

Now that he has a season under his belt, he will continue building the soccer program at Brunswick. He has especially been impressed with his freshman class that has gone through conditioning and practice drills without missing a session.

"The eighth-graders coming up to us next year are also looking very talented,” Szokoly said. “I think my assistant coach, coach Michael Bone, and I will be able to create a solid and consistent program for years to come now."

Bone is also an alumnus of Brunswick who played forward

during his high school days. Although it is hard work, the two have fun working together to rebuild the Pirates program.

Thus far, Szokoly's most memorable game came this spring when the Pirates faced the Wayne County Yellow Jackets for the second time. In the first game, Brunswick made basic mistakes that cost them the game 2-1.

"Going into the second game, I made the entire team watch all of the footage of the first game,” Szokoly said. “We dissected our errors and those of the other team, and when we went into the second game, it felt good to see them make the corrections they needed to. Soccer is like a puzzle, and it is always nice to see your players put the pieces together."

The Pirates won the second meeting 1-0.

In his first season as head coach this year, Szokoly had one of his best moments as a coach when two of his players, Guillermo Ramirez and Tevin Dixon, received scholarship offers from colleges.

"Coming into this program, I wanted to help players move onto the next level of soccer,” Szokoly said. “I filmed some of Guillermo and Tevin’s club games in the offseason and helped them compile some footage to send off to college coaches."

Other players, including three juniors, are getting looks from colleges too.

Had he not become a coach, Szokoly believes he still would have wound up in the classroom as a teacher.

Away from school, he spends time with his wife, who was a past valedictorian at Brunswick High School. Together they travel and work on their new home.

He credited his own high school teacher and coach for being his mentor. While Szokoly was still a student at Brunswick, Brian Brewer guided him down the path of education and athletics.

The biggest influence on his coaching style has been Jordan Prempeh, who coached Cedar Shoals while Szokoly was there as an assistant.

"He demanded a lot of his players and was very rigorous about tactics and positioning, and that has come out in my coaching as well," Szokoly said.

Szokoly coaches with a laid back yet determined style.

"He's very smart," said March Grover, the Pirates high-scoring junior forward.

"He's always coming up with the best strategy for every opponent, and he really cares about all of his players, not just in soccer but in all things in life."

"Coming into this program, I wanted to help players move onto the next level of soccer.”

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PIERCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

PCHS CLAIMS ALL-SPORTS TROPHY

P

Written by: John DuPont | Photography by: Jennifer Carter Johnson

Pierce County High School athletics brought home the Region 2-AAA All-Sport trophy this past spring in recognition of sports excellence for the 2016-17 competition school year. PCHS finished with a total of 47 points.

Appling County and Liberty County tied for second with 27 points apiece. The region awards schools 4 points for each region title, 3 points for second place, 1 point for third place, and 1 point for fourth place.

The PCHS baseball and girls soccer teams both finished as region champions, while boys tennis and boys track each finished as region runner-up. Girls tennis, boys soccer, and girls track each gleaned thirdplace region finishes.

This past fall and winter, PCHS won region runner-up in football and won region championships for cheerleading (also state champs), softball, one-act

play, and literary team.

Wrestling and golf are not counted in the region points race. Nonetheless, the PCHS boys and girls teams both brought home first-place finishes at their respective area tournaments, which each team hosted. Sloan Lanier and Kayla Petrowicz were both named to the all-area golf team for the girls, coached

by Erica Grady. Ty Metts won area medalist honors for the boys and was named to the boys all-area team, along with Zac Thornton, Taylor Sweat, Jake Harvard, John Ben James, and Kole Kicklighter. In May, James and Kicklighter also signed letters of intent to play golf next year at Georgia Military College. The boys were coached by Stuart Stipe.

PCHS baseball posted a regular-season ledger of 20-7 (9-1 region) under first-year head coach Andrew Evans to continue

a longstanding run of diamond excellence. PCHS opened the state playoffs by sweeping Rutland and Hart County in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

PCHS then hosted GAC in Round 3.

Lady Bears soccer posted a 16-1-1 regular season mark, including an unblemished 10-0 slate in region play. Coach Alvin Thrift’s squad then mercy-ruled Rutland in Round 1 of the state playoffs, 9-0 in just 60 minutes of play.

Unfortunately, the Lady Bears bowed to Bremen 3-2 in Round 2. The team was led this year by seniors Brittney Mayhew, Mary Courtney Puryear, Marisa Ramirez, McKayla Carter, and Abigail Walker.

Boys soccer bowed in the first round of the state playoffs in a road game against Peach County to finish 10-7-1 on the season (7-3 region). It was the first season for the Bears under Coach Matthew Wheeler.

The roster of seniors included Ben Hopkins, Ashton Cantrell, Adrian Sierra, Cooper Saussy, and Thomas Echols.

Boys tennis, coached

by Millie Walker, made a run to the Elite Eight before bowing to Lovett. Jake Herrin, the Region 2-AAA Player of the Year, paced the team at No. 1 singles.

Mason Bennett and Alan McIntosh competed at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. The tandem of Caleb Williams and Dalton Fernandez competed at No. 1 doubles, with Keanu

Myles and Eric Smith at No. 2 doubles.

The girls tennis team of Coach Kathy Bradley swept Westside Macon at home in Round 1 of the state playoffs, but fell on the road to Calhoun in Round 2. The team was led this year by Serena Strickland, Haley Theis, and Rachel Gay in singles. The doubles tandems of Amber Holland/Sadie Marfil and Chloe Hersey/Mabrie Johnson rounded out the competition roster.

The girls track team coached by Robbie Spires fell short of sending qualifiers to the state meet, but the boys track team of coach Kip Burdette featured state qualifiers Emmanuel Jernigan (long jump and triple jump), Ty Foreman (pole vault), Leroy Mason (110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles), Kylill Miles (110 hurdles and 300 hurdles), and Dee Bethea (200 and 400).

A Life Enclosed

By The Diamond Written by: John Wood Photography by: Charles Smith

Baseball is a game that many fathers introduce to their sons. At the first sight of their boys, baseball fathers hear the pop of the mitt, daydream that their sons may be switch hitters, or envision them wearing the Yankee pinstripes or the Braves tomahawk.

U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall reminds us of the bloodline of baseball in his essay, Fathers Playing Catch with Sons:

“Baseball is fathers and sons. Baseball is the generations, looping backward forever. Baseball is fathers and sons playing catch, lazy and murderous, wild and controlled, the profound archaic song of birth, growth, age, and death. This diamond encloses what we are.”

Bradwell Institute senior Evan Crystal certainly exemplifies a life that the diamond has enclosed. Crystal plays on the same field where his father, Wes, was a standout for the Tigers in the mid-90s. Evan is the son of Wes and Chrissy Crystal. His brother, Allen, will be a promising freshman for Long County next season.

MOST MEMORABLE MLB WORLD SERIES WINS 1. 2016 World Series – Game 7 – Cubs 8, Indians 7 – Extra Innings 2. 1956 World Series – Game 5 –– Yankees 2, Dodgers 0 3. 1960 – Game 7 – Pirates 10, Yankees 9 4. 1975 – Game 6 – Red Sox 7, Reds 6 – 12 innings 5. 1986 World Series – Game 6 – Mets 6, Red Sox 5 – 10 innings 6. 1988 – Game 1 – Dodgers 5, A’s 4 – Kirk Gibson Game 7. 1991 – Game 7 – Twins 1, Braves 0 – 10 innings 8. 1993 World Series – Game 6 – Blue Jays 8, Phillies 6 9. 1997 World Series – Game 7 – Marlins 3, Indians 2 – 11 innings 10. 2001 – Games 4 & 5 – Yankees win both in the Bronx vs. Diamondbacks

Information courtesy of www.mensfitness.com

16 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“He was a great leader both on and off the field,” Jeff Polk, Bradwell Institute head baseball coach, said. “He is always continuing to better himself, whether it be on the field or in the classroom. He always had a ‘team first’ mentality. He worked very hard in the weight room to prepare physically, which exemplifies his worth ethic as a student athlete.”

Since Liberty County middle schools do not offer baseball, Crystal started playing junior varsity with the Tigers program in eighth grade.

“I began playing summer ball with a local team from Hinesville,” Crystal said. “One of the biggest changes that I noticed in my game was how I approached certain situations. For instance, during an at bat I wouldn’t go chasing after a pitch. I would think

to myself, ‘This pitcher has to throw me a strike, so the pressure is on him.’ This was different from my freshmen year. I would have to say that it had a lot to do with growing up or maturing within the game.”

The approach Crystal takes to his game epitomizes his commitment as a scholar.

With his weighted 3.9 GPA and fascination for math and science, one can see that a combination of an analytical mental approach with athletic ability equals great output in the classroom and at the plate. He came into high school as a pitching prospect but over time proved that he also had prowess in the outfield. He has been a ball hawk, tracking down any ball hit, and he can gun down runners at any base with a frozen rope with a flick of the

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wrist. In the tradition of pitchers, Crystal has a fantasy match-up with a certain hitter in the box: his father. Just like Hall reminds us, baseball is a game of fathers and sons.

“I would want to pitch to my dad when he was a senior in high school,” Crystal said. “I would probably throw him off speed because he always tells me that he tried to hit a home run every time he went up to bat.”

"Baseball is a sport that requires so many repetitions at every practice."

— Evan Crystal The summer between his sophomore and junior years, Crystal had an opportunity to play with a travel ball team out of Albany. He was already developing into a strong player and student of the game, but playing with that summer team made

him a better player, a better leader, and an impact player for Bradwell.

“I would have to say that I wouldn’t be the player I am today unless I would have played summer ball,” Crystal said. “Playing with Team Elite definitely helped

me in seeing better competition and forced me to have to ‘play up’ each and every game.”

Learning to play up was valuable because the Tigers are in a tough baseball region with Effingham, Richmond Hill, Camden, Glynn Academy, and Brunswick.

Being the leader he is, Crystal tries to pass down what he knows and help younger players develop what it takes to play up all the time.

“I would tell the young bucks that the only way to get better than the other teams in the region is to put in work,” Crystal said.

“Baseball is a sport that requires so many repetitions at every practice.

Living in a county that doesn’t have middle school baseball already puts us three years behind, so in order to compete, these kids need to step up their game.”

18 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Four successful years at Bradwell on the diamond and in the classroom will give Crystal a chance to keep playing the game he loves while studying for a career in the health profession at Augusta University.

“I’m grateful that I have the chance to play at the collegiate level,” Crystal said.

“I will remember the bus rides with my teammates. We had some comedians on our team, and we didn’t always get along, but it was like the relationship between brothers.

They made it fun and exciting at times.”

CAMDEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

LADIES TENNIS TAKES REGION Written by: Rob Asbell

The tennis courts at Camden County High School were buzzing this spring as both the boys and girls tennis teams of coach Dan Vonk swept through their Region 1-AAAAAAA schedule with identical 6-0 records. After starting in early February, the Wildcats tennis teams went into the region tournament, where they faced Colquitt, Lowndes, and Tift again for the third time each this season.

On the ladies’ side of the net, Breann Sweatt was the No. 1 player and one of the top players in Southeast Georgia.

“She is a senior and captain of the team,” Vonk said.

Sweatt did not drop a set in six region matches. Her biggest match of the year came in Camden’s first meeting with Lowndes, when she faced the Vikings’ No. 1 Hannah Gandy.

“It set up a year of dominance in the region and gave me, as well as the team, confidence,” Sweatt said.

Courtney Hart, senior, was team co-captain along with Sweatt. Hart has been a fouryear starter for Camden. The Lady Wildcats defeated three top Jacksonville schools – Bolles, Bishop Kenny, and Ponte Vedra – this season on their way to a 19-1 mark.

On the other side of the

net, the boys team was 18-2.

One of the losses was to The Bolles School out of Jacksonville.

“They are traditionally the top program in North Florida,” Vonk said.

The boys team also went undefeated in Region 1-AAAAAAA play until the finals of the region tournament, when they fell to Lowndes.

Senior Walker Vonk has been one of the team’s leaders this season, playing No. 1 or No. 2 singles for the Wildcats.

“He, along with Walter Wright, a junior, are probably the top 1-2 singles players in South Georgia,” Vonk said.

Walker Vonk is being recruited by several colleges to play tennis next year. His biggest match of the year came against Episcopal High School. The match was tied at 2-2 and came down to Walker Vonk playing in the No. 2 singles slot.

“I lost the first set 3-6, won the next 7-5, and then in the third set we went into a tiebreaker,” he said. “I won in the tiebreaker 7-2 to get the win for our team. The match was three-and-a-half hours long and the longest match of my life.”

Walker Vonk and Walter Wright are good friends who grew up playing tennis together and push each other to the next level.

“He’s my best friend and a lot like a little brother to me,” Walter Vonk said. “We fight just like brothers, and if you ever see us playing against each other in a match, it can get pretty intense and emotional.”

Another major part of the program is four-year varsi-

ty starter Harris Sailors, who signed with Piedmont College to play collegiate tennis.

Camden County played a difficult schedule this year including the Lowndes Tournament in March, which both teams won. They also played several of the better high school programs in Jacksonville including Bolles, Episcopal, Bishop Kenny, Ponte Vedra, and Fernandina Beach.

“Our last two matches will be extremely tough, but will help prepare us for the region tournament and state playoffs,” Vonk said.

At 6-0 in Region 1-AAAAAAA, both Wildcats teams were the top seeds at the region tournament in Tifton. The Lady Wildcats finished as region champions, while the men took the second seed on their side. Both teams hosted North Cobb from Region 3. The boys team fell in three straight matches, while the Lady Wildcats won in three straight matches and moved on to face Lambert High School in the second round of the state playoffs. The Longhorns were too much for the Lady Wildcats, and their season ended in the second round.

Adding to a long list of incredible achievements, tennis superstar Serena Williams now owns more victories in Grand Slam matches than anyone in tennis’ Open era with her 308th win at the U.S. Open on Sept.

5, 2016. She surpassed Roger Federer with her 308th win.

Sports Illustrated named Williams 2015 Sportsperson of the Year, Dec. 14, 2015.

Considered by many to be the best female tennis player of all time, she beat out stiff competition for the title including Team USA, who achieved the first U.S. hat trick in Women’s World Cup history, and the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, American Pharoah.

Williams was honored in 2015 for holding the most major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles of all active players.

With a total of 21 Grand Slam titles, she ranked third on the alltime list behind Margaret Court (24) and Steffi Graff (22). SI honored her for achievements both on and off the court, calling her a “difference-maker” when it came to issues such as race and body shaming, transcending sports to be a powerful symbol.

Her attempt to achieve tennis history with a calendar Grand Slam -- which would have made her one of only six singles players in tennis history to do so -- captured the attention of the sports world in 2015.

In 2016, she tied Steffi Graff for second place for most Grand Slam titles with 22.

This information is courtesy of http://www.cbsnews.com In The Game | 19

CHECK US OUT ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

BACON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

RAIDERS BASEBALL ADVANCES TO QUARTERFINALS Written by: Rob Asbell | Photography by: Debra Tanner

BASEBALL

The Raiders baseball team of coach Derek James had another stellar year. Bacon County fought for first place in the region until the bitter end, finally falling to the region No. 2 Benedictine to finish 10-4 in region play. Bacon finished the regular season by splitting two games with Region 2-AA champ Jeff Davis County and had an overall regular season record of 18-10.

“I am really proud of this group,” James said. “They have really worked hard each day, and each individual has accepted their role on the team. Our seniors have done a good job this year leading the team on and off the field, as well as our underclassmen making some key plays during the year.”

During the season they swept tough region series against Bryan, Toombs, Vidalia, and Metter.

“We are trying to make sure we are playing

our best ball as we enter the playoffs,” James said.

As the region’s No. 3 seed, Bacon County traveled to Harlem High School outside of Augusta for a rematch of last year’s playoffs.

The Harlem Bulldogs were the second seed from Region 4-AA. In game one, Harlem took an early 2-0 lead until the sixth inning, when Lane Foster hit a triple to start a two-run inning to tie the game. Tyler Altman drove in two RBIs in the seventh to give the Red Raiders the victory.

In Game 2, Bacon County took the lead in the fourth inning 4-3, but Harlem tied it in the sixth 4-4. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Dawson Dyal drove in Peyton Nobles to give the Raiders the lead for good 5-4.

With the win, Bacon County advanced to the second round, where they hosted the Rabun County Wildcats in Alma.

TRACK AND FIELD The Region 2-AA track and field championships were held at Southeast Bulloch High School in Brooklet. For the boys, senior Trae Stewart led the way when he took home region championships in two events. First he won the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 4 inches. He won the triple jump by almost 2 feet, and then finally finished second in the long jump.

Vidalia High School won the overall team championship for the boys with Bacon County finishing fifth.

“This track year has been a good year,” said Willis Yates, Bacon County head track coach.

“I have really enjoyed it with my kids. I believe that they all have something to achieve, and they are doing a very good job. I am proud to say that I coach them all.

The best thing I can say out of this year is each player gave it their all.”

Along with Stewart, Kevonte Merritt also qualified for sectionals in the long jump.

On the girls’ side, freshman Felicity “Fifi” Green finished second in the 100-meter, just .07 seconds out of first place. She also finished second in the long jump. Junior T.J. Smith finished third in both the shot put and the discus for Bacon County. Both ladies qualified for the sectionals.

Jeff Davis County won the girls overall team region championship with the Lady Raiders finishing sixth.

Overcoming Challenges Written by: Rob Asbell | Photography by: Charles Smith

Many athletes must overcome injury and physical obstacles to play their sports. But some athletes must overcome a different type of challenge, a challenge that affects their day-to-day lives, to be able to play.

To those in the stands watching the Liberty County High School boys soccer team, Anwar Folkes is like any other player. “Big Man,” as he is known, is a sophomore winger who plays for the Panthers despite all stereotypes. Folkes has high-functioning autism, which means, by nature, he has social challenges that make it difficult to play many sports.

“They (People with autism) shy away from team sports and opt instead for individual activities like bowling and taekwondo,” said Celeste Cornish, author of “The Voyages of the Starship Sid,” a book about a boy with a type of high-functioning autism known as Asperger’s Syndrome (available on Amazon).

Young people with autism generally have issues with their coordination, so it’s difficult for them to participate in a fast-paced sport like soccer.

“If he’s able to run down the field, keep track of the ball, and keep up with the team, that’s a feat in itself,” Cornish said. “Although people with high-functioning autism can be 22 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“I had to prove myself as a good player.”

— Anwar Folkes

off-the-charts intelligent, they often have a slower thought process, so for him to make the offthe-cuff, fast-paced decisions required to play soccer…it’s amazing.”

Folkes not only plays for the team; he contributes. In a game against Savannah Country Day earlier this year, he found the back of the net for a goal in the final moment of the game. From his winger position, Folkes snatched the ball from a defender. Then, he faked out the goalie and dribbled it across the goal line as the bench and spectators went wild.

“It was a slow goal, but really shocking to

score,” Folkes said.

Folkes earned his goal. He worked harder than ever, even running a mile each day before practice. He takes advice from his coach and teammates and is always trying to improve himself.

“I had to prove myself as a good player,” Folkes said.

His positive attitude makes him stand out. On the sidelines, he reminds the coach that it’s alright and that the team is working hard.

“He grounds our team,” said Kristin Hill, Liberty County High School boys soccer coach.

Folkes became an essential part of the team’s chemistry both on and off the field. His motives and contributions to the team are always positive, and he treats his teammates with respectful. In addition, he takes the time to fully understand his responsibilities as a player, and he never shies away from the opportunity to display his skills and talents when called upon.

“Even if the whole team is down in the dumps from a ‘blow out’ loss or if we’re in the midst of a tough, gruesome match with the opposition, Anwar finds a way to not only keep himself motivated, but he’s able to step out of his comfort zone and speak up when the team needs an extra sense of

24 | itgsportsnetwork.com

drive, motivation, and/or confidence to get the job done,” Cleveland Dargan, team captain, said.

Teammates see Folkes as a humble, compassionate, and considerate young man with the capability to overcome any challenges and adversities that might emerge throughout his life.

“After talking with him on multiple occasions in private, I know that deep down he has strong ambitions and goals set out for himself in the near future; and as a captain, teammate, and more importantly friend, I wish nothing but the best for Anwar and his future endeavors,” Dargan said.

Folkes started playing soccer at the YMCA when he was 9 years old and then played recreation league soccer. It wasn’t until this year, his sophomore season, that he decided to try out for the Liberty County High School team.

“When I found out that Anwar wanted to be on the team, I was really excited,” Hill said. “His teachers were talking about his enthusiasm for soccer, and I love when I have players that really enjoy the game.”

Folkes’ Panthers teammates show him that he is ready to play when he gets in the game, giving him full team support.

“The bus rides and practice are fun,” Folkes said. “We sing and party on the way home.”

“Playing sports with my friends is the coolest.”

— Anwar Folkes

Anwar is the son of Shree Fountain of Hinesville, and he plans on attending Georgia Southern University after graduation to become a teacher. For now, he enjoys playing on the Liberty County Soccer team.

“Playing sports with my friends is the coolest,” Folkes said.

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Promotional items are a smart way to publicize a business, organization, or event. One out of every four people walk around with a promotional item, and 91 percent have a promotional item in their kitchen.

For 22 years, Atlantic Advertising has helped small businesses in Waycross and the surrounding area with screen printing, embroidery, and promotional products. They offer name brands such as Nike, Columbia, Richardson, Tervis, Jerzees, Gildan, and Augusta.

“We get to create items that can help a small business promote itself such as pens,

cups, and keychains,” Jon Parker, owner of Atlantic Advertising, said.

“We also make items that help groups and clubs raise money such as T-shirts and caps.”

While they have always been known for their embroidery work, Atlantic Advertising also provides promotional products and apparel and is rapidly becoming one of the best suppliers of promotional products in the Southeast.

“We service both large and small companies as well as schools, colleges, clubs, groups, and churches,” Parker said.

Atlantic Advertising offers embroidered items such as golf shirts, jackets, and caps; screen printed items such as T-shirts, bags, and beach towels; promotional products such as drinkware, pens, keychains, and fans; and a huge list of nearly 400,000 other items including eco-friendly gifts. They also provide customer service to assist in finding the perfect way to highlight their customers’ businesses.

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“WE SERVICE BOTH LARGE AND SMALL COMPANIES AS WELL AS SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, CLUBS, GROUPS, AND CHURCHES.” — JON PARKER

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Whether it is an event, group, or business, Atlantic Advertising can get it out there.

Whether it is an award, a clock, or even travel items, you will find it at Atlantic Advertising.

Located at 701 Francis Street in Waycross, they are open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Come in and see our showroom,” Parker said.

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Find them on the web at atlanticadvertising. com. You can also like them and follow them on Facebook.

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In The Game | 27

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WARE SHOOTERS

WIN STATE

Written by Rob Asbell | Photo courtesy of Kimberlee Nettles For the first time since 1997, the Ware County High School riflery team won the Georgia state shooting championship at Fort Benning.

"They did well,” Maurice England, legendary Gators riflery coach, said. “I am pleased with every one of them."

The Gators were led by senior Kimberlee Nettles, who finished as the state runner-up after shooting a 291 out of a possible 300

with 21 bulls-eyes. The four-year finalist then went through a multi-person shoot-off to determine the champion. Ware County junior Courtney Harris also shot a 291, while sophomore Ashton Newland shot a 290, freshman Tyler Hanson shot a 288, and freshman Ben Smith shot a 285 to give the Gators top four an 1160 score that put them ahead of second place and defending state champion East Coweta by 7 points. Nettles and Hanson were also named

to the All-State team. Other individual shooters for Ware County included Bryce Young, who shot 285; Rayne Riggins, who shot 283; Tori Moseley, who shot 277; and Jonathan King, who shot 269.

To make it to the state championship, either the team has to be undefeated in region, sectional, and semi-final matches – which Ware County accomplished for the sixth consecutive season – or the individual must shoot a 290 or better during

the regular season. Ware County had nine qualifiers go to state by shooting 290 or better during the season. Ware defeated Carver High School in sectionals and then beat Griffin in the semi-finals to advance to the state championship.

At the state championship, England and his assistant coaches had to pick five shooters to be scored as a team, but decided not to let the shooters know who they were until after the competition.

"As far as they knew, they were shooting as individuals, so they had to do the best that they could do," England said.

In his 36 years of coaching riflery in Ware County, England led the Gators to the state finals at least 30 times. He has

had 21 shooters receive college scholarships, including Nettles, who committed to North Georgia College. England considers this year's team as one of the best groups of shooters he has ever had.

"They were able to start in the eighth grade, so they had a year's more experience,” England said.

“It made a lot of difference when these older shooters have been kind of sitting back and now we have new shooters that's bumping their tails. They had to fight to keep their spot."

He also added that the shooters practiced four days a week often as much as two-and-a-half hours per day.

The state championship competition is held annually at the Pool International Shooting Complex at Fort Benning outside of Columbus, Georgia. Riflery teams are grouped into a single category that includes teams from all seven classifications from A to AAAAAAA. The Gators shooters faced 16 teams including Buford, Columbus, Benedictine, Brunswick, Allatoona, Lampkin County, Monroe Area, Lee County, North Cobb, Upson-Lee, Tift County, St. Vincents, Carrollton, Cherokee County, Northside-Columbus, and East Coweta.

England thanked the Ware County Board of Education, Athletic Department, and especially the parents for their support.

Shooting has been part of the Olympic program 27 times.

A total of 288 medal sets have been awarded in Olympic shooting.

There have been 56 different events in Olympic Shooting.

The USA has won 111 medals in Olympic shooting.

In The Game | 29

The race would be tough, and she knew it going in. It was the 400-meter finals at the 2017 Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships. Waycross Middle School’s Ronasche’ Fluker would be facing off against I’daja Davis of Ware County Middle School who had been running well. The two young ladies have always had a friendly competition, but this race was special.

The gun sounded, and both runners got out of the blocks quickly. They jumped to the front in the first 200 meters, and by the halfway point Davis or Fluker would obviously win as the rest of the pack eventually faded four seconds back.

Fluker held a slight lead as they rounded the last turn and sprinted toward the finish. But as they approached the tape, Fluker knew the race was hers as she pulled away ever so slightly.

“Looking at the finish line, realizing I had just marked three years being the 400 champ – I always thought someone might come up and pass me one day,” she said. “That’s why I ran so hard.”

It took a personal best of 1 minute, 04.39 seconds to win, and Fluker beat Davis by just 0.52 seconds, the time it takes to snap your fingers.

Next year Fluker moves on to Ware County High School, where she hopes to compete on an even bigger stage.

“You have to have the heart and guts,” Fluker said. “You have to want it for yourself.”

Fluker is more than just a sprinter and long jumper for the Waycross Middle Bulldogs. One of the most popular girls in school, Fluker is a member of Student Council and even makes the morning announcements. She is also an allaround athlete, playing basketball and cheering competitively. She’s already made the competition cheer squad for Ware County High School next year.

Fluker runs the 200, the 400, and the 4x100-meter relay for coach Franklin Stephens’ girls track team.

“Ronasche’ adds dependability to any team that she joins,” Stephans said. “Every day as a coach you know exactly what you are going to get out of her. That’s always a bonus.”

For the past three years, Ware County High School track coach Alesia Gibson has watched Fluker grow into an amazing runner.

“We host the middle school’s track meets at the high school,” Gibson said. “She has been at

Unbeatable Written by: Rob Asbell Photography by: Jennifer Carter Johnson

the high school watching the high school girls train, and she keeps telling me ‘I can’t wait until I can run for the Lady Gators.’”

As a middle schooler, she went to the high school’s track meets to help in any way she could.

The daughter of Tasha Fluker of Waycross, Fluker enjoys social studies classes and would like to major in physical therapy or criminal justice when she goes to college. She was honored as the Best Sprinter for the Bulldogs track team, and her ultimate sports dream is to be in the

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“You have to have the heart and guts. You have to want it for yourself.”

— Ronasche’ Fluker

Olympics and get a college scholarship.

When she is not in school or practicing, Fluker works on her garden project for the middle school’s Student Council. Fluker and a friend took it upon themselves to improve a neglected area on the middle school campus.

“We decided to put something pretty back there because we had to walk back there to go to gym, weightlifting, and track,” Fluker said.

Fluker was young when she started playing basketball and running track.

She was bitten by the bug at an elementary school track meet, where she won every race she entered.

When she reached middle school, she got into competitive cheering and also began her streak of victories in the 400 despite being nervous.

“I was scared to lose my first middle school race,” she said.

She won win that race and every one after. Fluker is already running the 400 faster than some of the high school girls. She also possesses the ability to go from one event to another without a drop in effort.

“Her overall performance as a track athlete embodies what track is about,” Stephens said. “She is not an individual that asks why she has to do certain events.

Ronasche’ just performs.”

For now she is concentrating on moving up to Ware County High School next year. After winning her final middle school race, she found a way to celebrate that she will never forget: taking off for Destin, Florida, during spring break.

“I went parasailing with my best friend, Trinitee Johnson,” she said.

Fluker credited her coaches for helping her

become a better athlete.

Those around her see her becoming a sprinter at a major college in the future.

“It depends on her desire, discipline, decision making, and work ethic academically and athletically,” Stephens said. “God has blessed her with some ability. It’s up to Ronasche’ to decide what she wants to do with it.”

Next years she plans to play as many as four sports in high school, including basketball, competitive cheer, and possibly soccer.

“And I am definitely running track,” Fluker said.

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In The Game | 33

The Comeback Written by: Rob Asbell | Photography by: Michael Brinson

One of the greatest goals an athlete can achieve is coming back from a potentially career-ending injury. Broken bones may heal, but the time spent recovering is time away from the practice field that makes returning more difficult.

For Camden County High School’s Eduardo Merino, encouragement from his mother got him back on the soccer pitch after a serious leg injury sidelined him for nine months.

“She wanted me to play soccer so bad because she knew how good I really was and pushed me to try again,” Merino said.

But it was not an easy return. A badly broken leg his sophomore year kept Merino off the field for coach Rob Gabriel’s Wildcats; most of that time would have been spent conditioning and preparing for Merino’s junior year.

Instead, he was not ready for the next season. When he did return to the team, he had obviously been away for a while.

He was slower, his touch on the ball was worse, his shots were weak, and his passes were inaccurate.

“It was a bad, frustrating year for me,” Merino said.

Merino started playing soccer when he was just 3-years-old in Puerto Rico, where he lived until he was 7. He recalled scoring a goal to seal the game when he was just 6-years-old.

Later, he was voted as the MVP of the tournament and Best Player of the Municipal of Caguas, an area south of San Juan in the central mountains of Puerto Rico. Once he came to Georgia, he continued playing soccer through middle school. During that time, Merino was on the recreation league team that won the Georgia state championship. He decided not to play his freshman year at Camden County so he could give basketball a chance.

“I came back to soccer my sophomore year and got injured around mid-season,” Merino said.

His injury occurred in a game he will never forget. A junior varsity contest against Coffee County became more about the teams getting physical than scoring goals.

“A lot of fouls were called, and both teams were just out to get each other, really no intention of getting the ball, just hammering the opponent,” Merino said. “I was feeling a little cocky because I was

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“She (mom) wanted me to play soccer so bad because she knew how good I really was and pushed me to try again.”

— Eduardo Merino

taking over the game.”

Toward the end of the game, Merino’s team was up by a goal, but the Trojans were continually attacking.

The Trojans moved the ball into position, and one of the Coffee County players was about to take an open shot on goal. That’s when Merino stepped in front of him to block the shot.

But the player missed the ball and instead struck Merino’s leg with full force.

“It didn’t hurt at first,” Merino said. “I didn’t believe I actually broke it, but my teammate was yelling, ‘It’s broken! It’s broken!’

I guess I was in shock or something.”

His Wildcat teammates accompanied him to the hospital to wish him well, but it would be a long time before Merino could rejoin them and play soccer again. Once he was able, he worked hard to improve by working out and doing a lot of running. When his senior season came around, Merino was ready. He improved his touch on the ball, leg strength, dribbling, and passing.

On the soccer pitch, he enjoys setting up teammates to give them a chance to have their moment. Merino is an unselfish playmaker at center midfielder, and when he gets the ball, he looks for ways to make the game easier for his teammates by passing to open spaces In The Game | 35

and making the smartest decisions to control the game.

This season, he helped a teammate score his first goal.

“I was able to give him the right pass in order to score,” Merino said. “It lit up his face like a Christmas tree. It was his first goal ever on varsity, and I was happy that I was able to be part of his goal. ” The son of Lilliam Ramos of Woodbine, Merino will graduate this year from Camden County High School with a 3.7 GPA. He will attend the University of Georgia in the fall and plans to major in civil engineering, but is undecided as to whether or not he will try out for the Bulldogs soccer team. He had four schools show interest in his

soccer abilities, but Merino wanted to attend UGA. Merino’s advice on preparing for a soccer season is simple. It involves a great deal of running so that the player can maintain stamina for the duration of the game.

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“What good does it do to be talented with shooting and passing if you can barely last five minutes on the field?” Merino said.

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“I was able to give him the right pass in order to score,” Merino said. “It lit up his face like a Christmas tree. It was his first goal ever on varsity, and I was happy that I was able to be part of his goal. ” 36 | itgsportsnetwork.com

WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

3 DOWN, 2 TO GO!

Written by: Shawn Smoak | Photography by: Shawn Smoak Winning a state title in high school baseball in the state of Georgia takes winning five rounds. Head coach Justin McDonald and his Wayne County Yellow Jackets have three in the books, having beaten some of the best competition in the state. Here’s a quick recap of the first three series.

Jones County was the Jackets' first round opponents as they came calling at Howard “BO” Warren field. They were not kind to their host as they bashed the baseball all over the field, scoring 17 runs in the first game of the series and winning 174. Most teams would have laid down in Game 2 and the series would be over.

Not the Jackets. They dug in their heels and played Wayne County baseball, getting great pitching from Josh Gordon and timely hitting up and down the line up, and they battled back to win Game 2 by the

final score of 5-4. In Game 3 the Yellow Jackets and the Greyhounds staged an epic battle. Trailing going into the seventh inning, Grant Starling had the game-tying base hit, and in dramatic fashion the Jackets won on a walk-off walk to Mason Robertson to propel them into Round 2.

Winning your region does account for something in the Georgia playoffs. If you win Round 1, you are guaranteed to host Round 2. This brought the Unive….. I mean Buford to Jesup to take on the Yellow Jackets. In a repeat of Round 1, the visitors from the north were not kind to their host, pounding out hit after hit and winning game one by the final of 10-6. The Jackets righted the ship in Game 2 behind, you guessed it, another great pitching performance from Josh Gordon, beating the Wolves of Buford 5-1 to force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday. I’m

still puzzled how a baseball team can carry 25-plus kids and run out of pitching, but that is exactly what happened to Buford. The Jackets held batting practice through five innings and run-ruled Buford 19-7.

In Round 3 of the State Playoffs, sometimes luck comes into play, and ole

Lady Luck was on the side of the Jackets as they won the coin flip and the right to host Carrollton. People who say home field doesn’t matter have never been to an electric atmosphere like there was in the BO that night. The Jackets sold over 900 tickets and sold out the concession stand twice. Carrollton showed up with 30 victories on their resume, but it didn’t faze the Jackets with that crowd behind them. The Jackets quickly took control in Game 1 and cruised to the 8-2 victory over the visiting Carrollton. Game 2 was tight all night with Carrollton holding a 1-0 lead through most of the game.

The Jackets battled back in the top of the sixth to tie it. (Home team are the visitors in Game 2). In the top of the seventh, the Jackets were able to get down a

perfect safety squeeze to take the lead 2-1. In the bottom of the seventh, the Jackets right fielder threw a strike to home plate to get the out to preserve the 2-1 victory and the right to play in Round 4.

Unfortunately, Lady Luck is fickle, and she turned her back on the Jackets for the coin toss with Locust Grove in the semifinals. The Jacket swarm will have to take the “BO Show” on the road, but don’t count this team or this community out. It would not surprise me if they show up with 300-plus fans and brought this team a victory and a chance to play for a State Title.

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In The Game | 37

Please join us

THIRD ANNUAL

Southeast Georgia High School Media Day Presented by:

Saturday, July 22 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Epworth by the Sea 100 Arthur J Moore Dr St Simons Island GA

Come kickoff the 2017 High School Football Season with the Third Annual In the Game Sports Network SEGA and Southeast Georgia Health System Media Day on St. Simons Island!

** Area Head Coaches and Key Players for the In the Game SEGA coverage area teams will address the crowd and media on the upcoming 2017 Football Season!

Contact Shawn Smoak at 229.834.9044 or at shawn@itgsportsnetwork.com

In The Game | 39

912.283.4250 • 800.673.9360 www.walkerjones.com US #1 South • Waycross, GA

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