South Georgia December 2016 Edition

For Colquitt County Quarterback Jay Saunders, the Time to Shine Is Now Colquitt County Football

Bouncing Back Better

Tift County Basketball

Blue Devils Making Splash With Dive Team

Noelle Brena / Columbus High

Malkom Parrish University of Georgia

The Fight In the Dawg

No Matter the Obstacle, Parrish Comes to Play

IN THE

GAME SOUTH GEORGIA

Area Teams Exhibit Remarkable Balance in Regular Season Action

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The Impact of the 2016 World Series

DECEMBER 2016

FAST BREAKs

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Publisher’s Letter

Christmas Trees and Championship Rings For Colquitt County Quarterback Jay Saunders, the Time to Shine Is Now

Jay Saunders / Colquitt County

23.

26.

A League of Their Own

Muscogee County

Playing Above the Line

James Graham / Fitzgerald High School

28.

Grage Set on Restoring “Pride In the Diamond T”

51.

Nadia Marshall / Bainbridge High School Za’Nautica Downs / Colquitt County

Zach Grage / Thomasville High School

31.

The Final Countdown: A Local Legend Set to Leave the Field

Bobby Willis

32.

Bouncing Back Better

36.

Blue Devils Making Splash with Dive Team

Tift County Basketball

We Got Now: Lady Hoops Phenoms Take South Georgia to the House

56.

No Substitute for Hard Work

58.

Young Athlete Finds Her Lane with the Sport of Swimming

Earnest Carter / Valwood School

Hannah Mattson / Brookstone High School

Noelle Brena / Columbus High School

38.

The Fight in the Dawg: No Matter the Obstacle, Parrish Comes to Play

Malkom Parrish / University of Georgia

45.

Shaw Athlete Has a Feeling About This Season

Devan Porter-Wilson / Shaw High School

Fast Breaks 16. The Impact of the 2016 World Series Teams Exhibit Remarkable Balance in 49. Area Regular Season Action In The Game | 7

At Farah & Farah, the name of the game is never stop fighting for our clients. We are proud to provide you and your family with the expertise and dedication that your case deserves. Our Valdosta office faithfully serves the South Georgia area with care and determination.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Contributors:

Publisher Mark Dykes Editor Cole Parker Graphics Brittany K. Wyche Cover Photography Courtesy of UGA athletics Feature Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography Marque Milla Reese Milla Creationz Photography George McDuffie Jerry Christenson Brittany K. Wyche Feature Writers James Washington Jacob Dennis Shane Thomas Zachary Pine Beth Welch Copy Editors Cole Parker Anna Limoges Beth Welch Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes mark@itgsportsnetwork.com Miranda Moore miranda@itgsportsnetwork.com Cole Parker cole@itgsportsnetwork.com Website Manager Cole Parker

Tell us what you thought about the November issue of In the Game! info@itgsportsnetwork.com Lowndes County

One Mile at a Time, Lowndes High School Sets Standards For South Georgia Running Columbus Valley

Archery Program Hits Bullseye With State Championship

New Year, Same Mission: Clinch County Standouts Aim to Bring Home Another Title Shannon Young Trezman Marshall Charles McClelland

IN THE

In the Game is published monthly excluding July. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. Dykes Media Group LLC makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2016 Dykes Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.

GAME SOUTH GEORGIA

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about what makes them unique as players and people.

Our Columbus Valley content hits across the spectrum as well, featuring Columbus High School’s dive team; Devan Porter-Wilson of Shaw High’s basketball program; MCSD’s Freshman Development League for basketball; and Brookstone’s sophomore swimmer, Hannah Matson.

These stories, and more, pack the pages of this December edition of our In the Game South Georgia Magazine.

Our mission is to inform, inspire, and connect you with our content and your community. We relentlessly strive to discover, document, and display captivating, sports-inspired stories in a way that accurately represents and honors those involved while actively engaging those not involved.

How do we do that? We at In the Game Sports Network seek to embed ourselves into strong communities that recognize the value of sports tradition by providing extensive coverage and recognition for local student-athletes, coaches, and fans.

So if you know of a player, coach, or fan who is deserving of recognition, head to our website and officially nominate that story!

We are looking for people who understand what it means to passionately persevere, inspire, and strive for greatness in all areas of life. In short, we are looking for people who understand what it means to BE In the Game.

So the question is: Are you in?

NOVEMBER 2016

Christmas trees and championship rings: Does it get any better?

December signals the end of the semester, much to the elation of the student body, but it also means the end of fall sports, much to the disappointment of countless fans. The likes of high school football, softball, volleyball, competition cheerleading, and cross country won’t take center stage again in South Georgia for eight long months, leaving the athletes to train and the fans to despair.

But that isn’t without the triumphant crescendos of the state playoffs, championship games, and the ultimate conquerors being crowned. The official finale of the year will come on Dec. 10 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, with the AAAAAAA Football State Championship Game.

We know that South Georgia will be well represented as always during that weekend across all classifications, and we hope to bring a lot of hardware back down I-75.

Despite that activity, the majority of fall sports finished in November, moving aside for winter sports to come into prominence. Basketball, swim-

ming, and wrestling now step into the spotlight, beginning their seasons as winter finally breaks through the seemingly endless summer and brief fall.

With that in mind, this magazine was built to be the best of both worlds. The passing of the torch from fall sports to winter sports is apparent in these pages, showcasing both fall and winter student-athletes and community members who embody what it means to BE In the Game. These inspirational, passionate, and driven individuals strive for excellence in every season, in every game, every day, and every moment.

For our South Georgia football features, we touched base with several championship contenders. Malkolm Parrish, the former Brooks County Trojan and now Georgia Bulldog; Jay Saunders of Colquitt County; James Graham of Fitzgerald; and Earnest Carter of Valwood, all building and leaving a legacy with their respective programs.

We caught up with the man and family behind Thomasville High School’s rejuvenated football program, Zach Grage, and also have the honor of recognizing the remarkable career of a local legend, Bobby Willis.

As a year-round referee and umpire and as area director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he has left his mark on South Georgia through his direct influence over players, coaches, students, parents, fans, and everyone in between.

Basketball players are finally back into the heat of competition, and we are featuring some great ones. We take a look at the whole Tift County squad, led by their strong senior class, and also check in with Za’Nautica Downs of Colquitt County and Nadia Marshall of Bainbridge to talk

In The Game | 9

Contributors

Mark Dykes

Cole Parker

Miranda Moore

Courtney Wagner

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Operations Officer

Accounts Executive

Jacksonville Area Director

Founder and CEO Mark Dykes is the entrepreneur and mastermind behind the In the Game vision. Back in 2007, Mark set out to create a company that captured the passion, intensity, and unrivalled commitment towards high school athletics in the South Georgia area. Today, that vision has become a reality, and he continues to be the leading influence in what lies ahead for In the Game Sports Network.

As a recent Cornell University graduate, Cole dove head first into the working world by taking on a leadership position with In the Game. As the Chief Operations Officer, he has come on board to manage all business operations, digital development, and company expansion.

Combining his experience in entrepreneurship and marketing with his extensive sports background, Cole is looking forward to further establishing and growing In the Game Sports Network.

Miranda joined the ITG team in late 2016, bringing to the team a professional background of sales, marketing, and account management. Her primary focus is on developing and fostering symbiotic partnerships with businesses in South Georgia.

Additionally, Miranda plays a key role in event planning and execution, primarily by way of sponsorship procurement.

Courtney is an established professional in the world of communications, sports, marketing, and digital media. She received her degree from Florida State University while studying communications and business. Courtney is the Director of ITG for the North Florida region and is in charge of all operations, focusing on producing the magazine and TV show. She is a strong reporter for the show and writer for the magazine. Her positive attitude, work ethic, and experience make her an ideal Director.

Beth WElch

James WAshington

Shane Thomas

Jacob dennis

Columbus Area Editor

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Beth has been a part of the ITG Team since 2009 when she began writing for the Columbus Valley edition of In the Game. Now, she heads up all of the Chattahoochee Valley content as Area Editor. Having children who participated in sports in local high schools and later were collegiate athletes, Beth has been involved in athletics in the area for many years, making her the perfect fit for her current role.

Joining the staff in July 2014, James brings his passion for sports writing and research to the In the Game Sports Network. After earning a B.A. in English (Journalism Emphasis) from Valdosta State University in 2013, he also just earned his M.A. in Communication Arts.

James brings his experience of writing for various collegiate and professional publications, as well as having played for numerous basketball teams throughout his educational career, to the ITG team.

Shane Thomas is a journalist with a jump shot looking to make his name.

So not only is Shane one of our basketball experts, he is also an award-winning author that has hit the ground running with his contributions to In the Game. While his journey started as a player, it has now taken a turn towards giving his unique perspective on the sports world with vivid story telling and strong reporting.

Jacob Dennis is a senior Business Management major and Journalism minor at Valdosta State. As the winner of a national sports writing contest and a Thomasville native, he brings a diverse skillset and knowledge of the area that will only help In the Game Sports Network continue to grow. From social media to marketing to actually writing articles, Jacob does a little bit of everything.

Micki Krzynski

Marque Milla Reese

George McDuffie

Jerry Christenson

Contributing Photographer

Contributing Photographer

Contributing Photographer

Contributing Photographer

Marque “Milla” Reese was born a humble, ambitious child on the south side of Tifton, Georgia. He has always had a vision to see things differently than others as he drew out his imagination, and he went through numerous potential career choices before finding “the one”: the dream of becoming a photographer. With the helpful hand of his wife, Rebekka Reese, Milla is living out that dream as a key member of ITG.

George may have retired from the Muscogee County School system in 2013, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t staying busy. With a background in Business Management, a love for the Auburn Tigers, and knack for photography, George has been able to capture amazing sports shots for our Columbus Valley schools. We are always excited to have George’s photos featured in our magazines!

In an area as expansive as the Chattahoochee Valley, covering it with great stories and photography is no easy task. Thanks to Jerry, however, In the Game continues to be able to do each story justice. Teaming up with Beth Welch, the Area Editor, he is part of the tag team that makes it all happen.

Jerry’s experience in photography and familiarity with the local sports scene make him a vital piece of the ITG puzzle.

When it comes to loyalty to In the Game, it is hard to top Micki. Since the very beginning of In the Game Magazine, Micki has provided strong, creative, and highly professional photos. Consequently, Micki and her son/ assistant, Jake, have become our goto photo duo. With enough talent, equipment, and experience to make her dangerous, she continues to push ITG’s photography forward.

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Mandy Douthit

Magazine director

Graphic Designer

It takes a lot of talent and drive to handle the graphic design workload here at ITG, but we found the perfect fit in Brittany. Starting her collegiate career as a soccer player at ABAC, she decided to transfer to Wiregrass in order to study Design and Media Production.

Since then, she purchased her own design computer for freelance, but ITG has provided her the perfect opportunity to combine her love for sports and art.

Mandy recently made the move from Pine Mountain, Georgia, to Valdosta in order to join the ITG corporate team. The University of West Georgia alum graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design.

Her artistic nature has allowed her to use graphic design to win national and international design competitions, and now she will be bringing those skills to In the Game.

Zack Pine

aNNA Limoges

Contributing Writer

Copy editor

In May of 2016, Zack Pine received his B.A. in History and joined our staff at In the Game. After graduation, Zack decided to stay in Valdosta to pursue his M.A. in Teaching and to write for our South Georgia region. He hopes to use his time at ITG to focus not just on athletics itself but also the bigger picture issues in athletics. We look forward to his interesting writing for South Georgia.

Anna is a senior Interdisciplinary Studies major at Valdosta State University. She started working with In the Game Sports Network in early 2016 and lends her editorial eye to the words that grace ITG’s pages. She enjoys the meticulous process of copy editing and plays an important role in making each story and magazine the best it can be.

Daniel Horne

Vince Jupiter

Lead videographer

videography Intern

Daniel joined the ITG Team as an intern in August of 2015, but due to his clear drive to better himself as a professional, he worked his way into a full time position by January 2016. Since then, he has used his passion and talents to lead our videography department; so when you see our ITG videos on TV, DVD, or social media, you can thank Daniel for that.

The Lee County alumnus and current Valdosta State Mass Media major joined our intern team back in the summer of 2016, and Vince has since proven himself to be a talented and trustworthy addition to the staff. As one of the most senior interns, he has become just as much a member of the ITG Team as any, despite the unfortunate fact that he is an avid LSU and Saints fan.

BE IN THE GAME

Brittany k. Wyche

In The Game | 11

It’s Finally Football, N

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ARE YOU In?

South Georgia

In the Game It’s not always about the championship trophy, it’s about the championship mentality.

Find your passion. Find your motivation. Find Your Game.

Cole Parker EDITOR-IN-CHIEF In The Game | 15

FAST BREAK

The Impact of the

2016 World Series Written by: Jacob Dennis | Photography courtesy of www.nytimes.com and Matt Slocum

It seemed like it might not happen. Their bats went silent early in the playoffs, and they faced a 3-1 deficit in the World Series. They blew a 6-3 eighth-inning lead in Game 7 because of a home run from the unlikeliest of sources. Then the rain came. It seemed like forever to wait, but when your franchise has waited 108 years for a World Series, a few more minutes really isn’t all that bad. For the first time since 1908, the Chicago Cubs are champions of the baseball world.

Some called the series between the Cubs and Indians one of the greatest seven-game sets in baseball history, but it was groundbreaking for more reasons than one.

First, the way that Cleveland manager Terry Francona managed his bullpen throughout the playoffs likely changed the way playoff series will be played for the foreseeable future. Closers and set-up men probably won’t have defined roles in big games like we have seen in years past. Most managers will only manage games one way; that is, most won’t bring in their closers unless a save situation presents itself, and most won’t call their set-up men into the game unless a save situation is on the horizon.

The baseball world saw the potential downside to this strategy early in this postseason when the Baltimore Orioles were eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays because of a questionable decision by O’s manager Buck Showalter. The game, which was being played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, was tied at two entering extra innings. Instead of bringing in undoubtedly his best pitcher, Zach Britton, who had just completed a historic regular season by posting a 0.54 ERA and who just recently was named the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year, Showalter decided to hold Britton back until a save situation presented itself. That never happened, and the Blue Jays walked off thanks to an Edwin Encarnacion home run while the AL’s best reliever, statistically speaking, sat and watched.

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Contrast that decision, which has been criticized far and wide since the beginning of October, with the way Francona used Andrew Miller and Cody Allen in important spots, regardless of inning, throughout the playoffs, and you more than likely have several managers re-thinking the way they traditionally deploy their bullpens. It will be interesting to see what adjustments are made in terms of in-game management moving forward.

Second, trade-deadline deals during the 2016 season, namely Cleveland’s acquisition of Andrew Miller and Chicago’s acquisition of Aroldis Chapman, further solidified the mantra that good pitching beats good hitting.

Oftentimes fans will hear about how their favorite team needs to land an impact bat at the deadline, and frequently those deals pay off, but not to the extent to which adding an impact arm in the bullpen did for the two World Series contenders in 2016. Both Miller and Chapman were deployed in high-leverage spots throughout the playoffs, and both were impressive, giving viewers a sort of this-gamemight-be-over feeling when either Cleveland or Chicago grabbed a lead, regardless of inning.

But the remarkable success that the Cubs and Indians experienced by grabbing relievers at the trade deadline will likely have non-contenders eager to sell in 2017 and beyond. The Yankees, who rostered both Miller and Chapman, received a substantial return for both players, including the addition of now 22-year-old Clint Frazier, a Loganville (Georgia) High School grad who is projected to be a future star. Teams are often hesitant to get rid of big-name players at any point in time, but the Yankees rapidly accelerated their rebuilding process by ridding themselves of Miller and Chapman, although New York has so much money they never truly rebuild, and other teams should be eager to do so in the coming years.

Finally, there was a purely historical element to the Cubs breaking the franchise’s 108-year run of futility. Much like pro football is just better when the Dallas Cowboys are good and like the NBA seems to be a little more fun when the LA Lakers have a good team, there’s just something special about the MLB when the north side of Chicago has a good team.

The Cubs (and Indians, too) did several remarkable things in breaking the curse that spanned over one century, but here are a few: • David Ross, born in Bainbridge, Georgia, became the oldest player in baseball history to hit a homer in Game 7 of the World Series.

• Chicago was the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pirates.

• Joe Maddon’s squad was just the third team in the Wild Card era to have the best regular-season record and also win the World Series.

• The Cubs won eight more games than any other team and had a +252 run differential, the highest since the 2001 Seattle Mariners.

• The Cubs and Indians both scored 27 runs in the 2016 World Series, the first time that has happened in a World Series since 1984, which was the last time Cleveland won a title.

• General manager Theo Epstein also broke another epic curse, as he worked for the Red Sox in 2004 when Boston won its first baseball championship in 86 years.

Maybe he should be the Indians’ general manager next?

Regardless of which aspect of the game you’re talking about, the 2016 World Series was groundbreaking for the sport of baseball, and its tales will be told for years to come.

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs, who are finally on top of the baseball world again.

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South Georgia’s Home Team At VSU, study abroad programs and real-world internships provide the kind of experiences students crave beyond the classroom. We offer serious, hands-on research opportunities as early as your sophomore year, something unheard of at larger institutions. Our small class sizes and expert faculty deliver one-on-one interaction, giving our Blazers the freedom to become who they want to be, as well as the experiences to get them there.

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For Colquitt County Quarterback Jay Saunders, The Time To Shine IS NOW Written by: Jacob Dennis | Photography by: Micki K Photography

Waiting patiently in the wings isn’t easy, but being prepared and ready for an opportunity to arise often leads to a grand entrance. For Jay Saunders, the 2016 starting quarterback for the back-to-back state champion Colquitt County Packers, that is exactly the case.

Saunders was the backup quarterback during the 2014 and 2015 seasons when the Packers reeled off 30 consecutive wins and won two state titles. Despite the fact that his playing time during those two seasons was often limited to second-half duty, Saunders learned valuable lessons from the older players in front of him.

In The Game | 19

“It was an amazing experience,” the Colquitt field general said of being on two state championship teams. “I met a lot of great players and even better people. I learned a ton about working hard and what you have to do to be a leader from guys like Bull Barge, Sihiem King, Chase Parrish, and Kiel Pollard. And knowing that last year we were getting everyone’s best shot each and every week and we still came out on top, it was that much sweeter. Having those memories and friendships will last a lifetime.”

Saunders learned a lot particularly from Chase Parrish, the starting QB for the two championship-winning seasons.

Oftentimes Saunders would watch Parrish, who is now at the Naval Academy, put up huge numbers in the first half before entering the game himself in the final two quarters to finish off games that the Packers would dominate.

“Chase was a great quarterback and an even better friend and mentor,” Saunders said. “We got along very well, and we still talk pretty regularly. He taught me a ton of stuff from the football side of things, as far as reading defenses and coverages and just learning the play book when I first got down here my freshman year. But Chase also taught me a lot about staying even keel no matter how good or bad something is going.”

Learning to stay even keel is perhaps one of the most

I met a lot of great players and even better people. I learned a ton about working hard and what you have to do to be a leader from guys like Bull Barge, Sihiem King, Chase Parrish, and Kiel Pollard. And knowing that last year we were getting everyone’s best shot each and every week and we still came out on top, it was that much sweeter. Having those memories and friendships will last a lifetime. important traits that Saunders learned, as the beginning of his tenure as starting quarterback didn’t go as planned.

Colquitt played arguably the most difficult schedule of any team in America through the season’s first month, resulting in four straight losses. Colquitt quickly figured things out, however, and rattled off five straight wins to get back into the Top 10 in the state.

“We started off a little rough, but my guys never got down on me, and I didn’t get down on myself or this team,” Colquitt’s quarterback said of the rough start. “We knew we could be special, and so we never stopped working hard in the weight room, the film room, or on the practice field. We kept getting better each and every week and learned from our mistakes in those early games and have worked hard to correct them and grow from them. I think starting with such a tough schedule didn’t do anything but make us better and prepare us for the tough road ahead during the playoffs.”

Saunders, who probably hasn’t received the media attention that he deserves outside of the South Georgia area due to the Packers losing some close, early-season games, is a great quarterback in his own right. He has the ability to improvise and beat opponents with his speed, but he is also a baseball player when football season is not happening and has more than enough arm strength to hit big throws down the field.

Like the quarterbacks before him, Saunders also seems to have a great working relationship with Rush Propst.

“He’s probably forgotten more about football than I’ll ever know,” Saunders said, joking of Propst. “But Coach and I have a great relationship, and he has taught me so much, not only about football but about life. He always talks to us about moving on and getting a degree and bettering our lives. He and his coaching staff work very hard to make that happen, and if I’m not mistaken we have had 95

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Injuries In The NFL NFL players have collectively sustained more than 1,300 injuries on the field. Below are just a few of the injuries sustained.

Head 96

Hand 63

Shoulder 116

Upper Leg 155

Ankle 206

Hip 47 Knee 300

Foot 93

This information is courtesy of Simple Therapy.

scholarships signed since (Coach Propst) has been here, and we had 25 players move to the next level last year alone.”

One reason that Colquitt has been so successful under Propst is the amount of preparation the Packers put in on a given week for an upcoming game. As the quarterback of the team, Saunders’ preparation starts on the weekends and is a week-long process.

“We come in on Sundays and watch film from the previous game and then watch opponent tape,” Saunders said of how the team gets ready for the next week’s game. “Then throughout the week we go through practice, workouts, and a lot more film watching and studying our opponent. Our coaching staff also makes sure we eat right and get plenty of rest.”

In addition to the responsibilities that come with being the quarterback of a storied program like Colquitt, Saunders also dedicates a large amount of his time to baseball. While most would struggle with the time commitment, Saunders believes it has made him better and more prepared for every challenge he faces, whether it be on the field or off.

“Being a multi-sport athlete is tough, but I think it makes me better because I have to balance my time between football and baseball and, the most important thing, school,” Saunders said. “The past few years it was tough during the spring to have to wake up and do football workouts in the morning and installing plays, then going to baseball practice at night and repeating that each day. But I think that has helped me and will help me as I prepare to move on to the next level.”

In addition to learning how to be even keel throughout various circumstances, Saunders has also learned how to be a leader, as evidenced by the fact that the Packers only got stronger through the adversity that was the beginning of the 2016 season. Now, over a month since the rough start, Colquitt looks ready to challenge for another state crown with Saunders leading the charge.

“To be a great leader you must be able to

gain followers and be someone people want to listen to,” Saunders said. “But you also have to be a person who people can get behind and trust to take care of them or the situation they’re in.”

In terms of future plans, Saunders has high hopes.

“I want to study business or finance and play either football or baseball, whichever one offers me an opportunity,” Saunders said of his collegiate plans. “If that doesn’t work out, I would like to attend UGA, Alabama, or Ole Miss.”

For the past few months, Saunders has only been focused on turning in another season to make the Packer faithful proud.

“Being the quarterback for this team has been a great experience and a dream come true,” Saunders said. “It is a great responsibility, but I think I have been up for the challenge. It is also a great honor coming behind some great ones, and I hope to leave my mark. I want people to remember me as a good person, hard worker, leader, and someone who left it all on the field every Friday night.”

But when you’re the leader of a team like Colquitt, not only are expectations sky high, but fans expect nothing short of greatness. As the Packers heat up down the home stretch and as the playoffs near, Saunders and the team he leads are only focused on one thing.

“To win a state championship this year would be a dream come true,” Saunders said. “After starting 0-4, to come back and win a third championship in a row would be the most satisfying and exciting experience of my life.”

To be a great leader you must be able to gain followers and be someone people want to listen to,” Saunders said. “But you also have to be a person who people can get behind and trust to take care of them or the situation they’re in.

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A League of Their Own Written by: Beth Welch | Photos by: George McDuffie

If a freshman plays basketball at a local public high school, chances are that athlete is in a league all their own.

For many years Muscogee County has been the location for high schools to have the opportunity to showcase freshman basketball athletes in a league just for ninth graders.

While most high schools have freshman, JV, and Varsity teams, a league solely for freshman basketball players gives incoming athletes a chance to develop and adjust to a higher level of play.

Patavious Sorrell is the head boys basketball coach at Harris County High School.

Prior to accepting the job at HCHS, Sorrell was a basketball coach at Shaw High School.

He started out as a community coach while attending college, then became a faculty member and coach in 2010. During his time at Shaw, Sorrell became involved in the MCSD Freshman Development League and took over the responsibilities of managing the boys league when the Raiders coach left the school for a position elsewhere.

It was during his time at Shaw that Sorrell recognized the benefits of placing local fresh-

man basketball teams in a separate league from upper classmen.

“When players come into the high school setting from a middle school program, the scheme is more in-depth,” Sorrell said. “The league gives them an opportunity to develop and to make mistakes. If they win, great.

If they lose or make a mistake, well, that is a chance to learn and improve.”

The boys league currently consist of 10 teams, eight from Muscogee County and two from outside the county: Carver, Hardaway, Kendrick, Spencer, Northside, Shaw, Jordan, Columbus, Manchester, and Harris County.

Teams play on Saturday mornings beginning in November. Games start at 9 a.m. at a designated participating school’s gym. Four games are played, and the cost is $5 to watch one or all four games. There is no fund-raising for the League, and expenditures (officials, etc.) are paid for with monies generated by ticket sales.

The highlight of the League’s season is the championship game that begins with a semi-finals series and ends with finals. The champs receive bragging rights and the

girls league There is also a girls league for freshman basketball athletes in the Columbus area.

Julee Fryer, head girls basketball coach at Shaw High School, is the coordinator of the program for the female athletes. The season for the girls league began Nov. 12 and ends Jan. 14.

The girls league has 11 participating teams: Spencer, Jordan, Kendrick, Hardaway, Northside, Carver, Columbus, Harris Co., Manchester, Shaw 1, and Shaw 2.

Like the boys league, athletes in the girls league play on Saturday mornings. Locations of the games rotate between Northside, Carver, Kendrick, and Columbus. Games start at 8 a.m. and admission is $3 for one or all games on a scheduled Saturday.

Fryer has been involved with the girls program for three years. She said the league currently does not have a playoff at the end of the season, but plans are being considered to either have a tournament to close out the season or some type of All-Star game.

“The league is most enjoyed by the players and coaches when it is both developmental and competitive,” Fryer said.

For more information about the girls league, contact fryer.julee.c@muscogee. k12.ga.us

In The Game | 23

The boys league currently consists of 10 teams. chance to keep the winner’s trophy at their school until the next season’s victors take over ownership.

“It’s like the Stanley Cup,” Sorrell said. “The trophy goes to whichever school wins the finals. The winner’s name is engraved on the trophy, and then that school displays it until another winner accepts it.”

The last two seasons saw a departure of the championship finals. Teams continued to participate, but the trophy remained with its last winners, Carver High School. This season the semi-finals will begin on Jan. 21 and the finals on Jan. 28. Carver will be host school for the championship series.

Girls Basketball Schedule

24 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Sorrell believes strongly in the value of a freshman league. He notes that many basketball athletes coming into the ninth grade may have years of experience playing the sport but might not have received instruction on technique.

“These guys have athleticism,” Sorrell said.

“They rank way up there in that because they usually have been playing basketball in some form for most of their lives. What this league helps the coaches do is to try to teach the game. How to play the game and develop the skillsets they will need going forward for every level they attempt.”

Basketball is obviously a passion for Sor-

Boys Basketball Schedule

rell. When he first came to Harris County High School, he coached all three boys teams. These days he has some help, but he still holds a lot of respect for the freshman league and how it fits into developing his other basketball teams.

“It’s my baby,” Sorrell said. “I have been involved with this ninth grade league for a while. I have seen the results with players who have come through it to the varsity.

They become leaders.”

The Harris County High School coach isn’t the only one who sings the praises of the program. The League’s coordinator is Stefan Lawrence, an assistant varsity coach at Carver High School and the head coach for the Tigers freshman team. Lawrence has been involved with the boys league since 2010 and became the coordinator in 2014.

In a recent interview, Lawrence, a former high school and collegiate basketball athlete, acknowledged the need to work with the young athletes for the good of the players and the school’s basketball system.

“The freshman group is the lifeline of your program,” said Lawrence, who actually played in the league as a freshman at Hardaway High School before moving to Northside High School as a senior.

“With the League, you get to see what you have in these athletes when they first come out to play.

This is when you need to start developing them to be responsible athletes on and off the court. It is also a chance to help them transition to playing with older, more experienced athletes.”

Two of Sorrell’s new HCHS basketball players who are part of the freshman program see the usefulness of the league. Kendrell Bray and Tailique Williams are playing on more than one team at their school but know they will get more time on the court with the league team as well as be able to check out the local talent.

“It will give us a chance to see what some of the other teams will have,” Williams said.

“We will all be on the same skill level,” Bray said.

Nodding his head in agreement, Sorrell said: “This league, It’s like a measuring stick for athletes and coaches.”

For more information about the league, contact Stefan Lawrence at Lawrence.kenneth.s@muscogee. k12.ga.us

In The Game | 25

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very day a star is born.

For James Graham, his day came when he led the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane to the Region 1-AA state championship game in 2015. Though Fitzgerald lost 42-21 to Pace Academy, Graham’s ability caught the eyes of Division-I schools already as a junior.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Graham is a dual-threat quarterback with the legs to outrun defenders and a knack for finding the end zone. Graham’s speed, athleticism, and versatility allow him to line up as a wide receiver in the slot and on the edges at corner back.

With his star on the rise and a little help from his teammates, Graham continues to work hard and remain humble as college interest mounts.

Graham credited seniors JD King, running back, and Lecitus Smith, tight end, for helping him deal with the attention he has received.

“Having JD King and Lecitus Smith with me has helped me deal with the notoriety,” Graham said. “All my life I’ve wanted to play in a state championship game. I’ve put in the work year-round and just want to stay humble and keep grinding forward.”

The Purple Hurricane (10-1 overall, 5-0 in region play) has one of the most prolific offenses in Region 1-AA, averaging 43.7 points per game while surrendering just 14.9 to opponents. The Purple Hurricane offense has scored 40 or more in nine of 11 games so far this season, including a season-high 70 in a win over Macon County Sept. 9.

According to MaxPreps, Graham, while still developing as a passer, has completed nearly 54 percent of his passes, albeit on just 76 attempts this season, and has thrown 12 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Graham’s value comes from the hurricane-like destruction he can render

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A three-star recruit, Graham currently has offers from 10 Division-I schools including Virginia Tech, Miami, Maryland, Arkansas, and Cincinnati among others.

With offers to play positions other than quarterback, Graham suggested he is most dangerous with the ball in his hands as a playmaker.

“Most of my offers are coming for running back and slot receiver,” Graham said. “I’ve got a couple offers to play quarterback. I see myself with the ball in my hands. I just need the ball.”

Winners always want the ball.

However, the attention that comes with that desire can often make players wilt under the weight of scrutiny. With offers mounting, Graham is focused on leading the Purple Hurricane and working as hard as he can to return to the state championship game.

“The attention hasn’t really affected me,” Graham said. “It just motivates me to go even harder so I can get offers from even bigger schools and more stars. I’m a three-star right now, so I’m trying to get to that five-star (ranking).”

Motivation comes easy for Graham, a player raised by a single mother working a desk job and spurred on by the memory of his late grandfather, Robert, to keep him going on and off the field.

“My granddad passed a few months ago, and he always just told me to push myself and stay focused,” Graham said. “I’d say him and my mother are my biggest motivators.”

The balancing act of being a student-athlete is another obstacle Graham hurdles from week to week.

With so much of his attention drawn to Completed football, he insisted his focus remains nearly in the classroom first and foremost. “(School) comes first,” Graham said.

“Coaches are always pushing me to put my grades first. I compete with my of his passes teammates, saying, ‘I bet I can score higher than you on this test,’ and things like that. My teachers push me because they know I’m a good athlete. They just attempts want me to be a good student-athlete.” this season Gaining the confidence and trust of his mentors has been a major key in Graham’s development. As his game continues to grow, coaches have given Graham more responsibility on the touchdowns field as a leader. When Graham was out with an injury, the coaching staff entrusted him with the freedom to call plays.

“When the guys are down and we’re having a bad practice, they expect me Interceptions to pick the guys up and lead them,” Graham said of his role. “They put me in situations where I can call plays, and (they) ask me, ‘What do you see out there?’ and give me input. When I got hurt, they let me call a whole quarter or a half. I know all of the different

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with his legs on opposing defenses.

With an ability to take off at any given moment and with King wreaking havoc between the tackles, the Purple Hurricane keeps defenses off balance on a game-to-game basis.

James Graham

Written by: Shane Thomas | Photography by: Micki K Photography

positions on the field. Being a leader, I have to know everything on the field.” “(That trust from coaches) put me up a lot,” Graham said. “Having a guy like JD King with me, Lecitus Smith, Montrell Harris – those guys also lead the team; it’s not just all me. Next year, (the leadership role) is going to be on me. Having three years under me playing varsity, playing in big games, and having adversity will prepare me for that role.”

Graham’s reputation as a runner makes him a focal point of opposing coaches’ defensive schemes. As more game plans devise ways to slow him down, Graham must make strides as a passer to take his game to the next level.

“I want to be more comfortable in the pocket,” Graham said. “As a quarterback, I need to learn to have faith in my offensive line instead of running a lot. I just have to relax in the pocket, let plays progress, and make the right reads – just feel the field.”

A two-sport athlete, Graham also competes in track and field in the 110 hurdles, the 200-meter, the triple jump, the long jump, the 4x100, and the 4x4 relay. When it comes to his NFL team of choice, Graham prefers the Atlanta Falcons but idolizes Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

For Graham, seeing how Newton carries himself on the field is something he wants

to emulate.

“Watching Cam, he plays with a lot of excitement,” Graham said. “He’s always happy, giving back to the kids, signing footballs, and leading his team, and I see myself that way. I try to push myself to be like that.”

The Purple Hurricane has been on the winning side of many blowout victories this season. For such a high-scoring offense, complacency inevitably creeps in. Leading 20-0 in the first quarter against Thomasville in the region championship game, the Purple Hurricane seemed primed to roll once again. Costly mistakes began to unravel them, punctuated by Graham throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The “pick-six” led to other miscues to get Thomasville back into the game.

Fortunately, the Purple Hurricane defense was able to stem the tide, and the offense was able to seal the win late in the game.

According to Graham, that kind of adversity is necessary for growth.

“We have to keep pushing and tell each other not to give up,” Graham said. “I try to keep everyone’s heads up when things like that happen. It was good to go through that because we had to buckle down and finish off the game.”

With his senior season still left to play, Graham is riding the wave of being a

student-athlete and reflected fondly on what being a Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane really means.

“We have this quote we go by: ‘Be above the line,’” Graham said. “It’s about showing character, being a leader, being respectful, being responsible, and giving back to the community. To us, being above the line is the biggest thing.”

In The Game | 27

Grage Set On Restoring ‘Pride In The Diamond T’ Written by: Jacob Dennis | Photography by: Micki K. Photography

"Football is definitely a family affair. It’s stressful and hard, but at the same time it's extremely rewarding and exciting. I get to be a mom and a team mom, and I’m cheering for every one of those kids like they are my own. I love it."

- Mandy Grage

28 | itgsportsnetwork.com

The varsity football program at Thomasville High School is among the proudest and winningest in the state. The team’s trajectory in the past several seasons, however, left much to be desired. The ‘Dogs limped their way to a one-win season in 2015, and things looked bleak – that is until Zach Grage was hired as the team’s new head coach. The experienced former Colquitt County assistant coach made an immediate impact upon his arrival on campus.

The well-traveled coach achieved success on several different coaching staffs and in several different areas of the country before coming to Thomasville. Hailing from the University of Evansville in Indiana, the ‘Dogs current head coach got his first experience on the Purple Aces’ staff. He then got a job at Richmond Hill High School near Savannah and spent three years on staff with the Wildcats before his move to Moultrie.

Grage’s time with Colquitt is well-documented: He teamed up with head coach Rush Propst and quarterback Chase Parrish to form the most lethal offense in the state of Georgia, ultimately resulting in a state title.

His success under Propst led to his first head coaching opportunity at Gilmer in Ellijay. A year later he resides in Thomasville, attempting to rebuild one of the most storied programs in Georgia high school football.

“The best thing that could have happened to me was taking the job at Gilmer,” Grage said of his transition from assistant coach to head coach and of the responsibility involved with such a position. “There’s much more involvement than people think. Everything from transportation to eligibility to insurance, you handle all of it, stuff you didn’t even know went on at Colquitt because of the size of the staff. So the best thing for me was taking the Gilmer job because it taught me what to expect.”

The Thomasville head coach was fortunate to have the opportunity to work under championship-winning head coach Rush Propst, and he took away several important things from that experience that he is using during his tenure with the Bulldogs.

“Delegation was something big that I learned from him,” Grage said of Propst. “He does the best job in the state of hiring great assistants. He has to replace coaches because they’re so successful. Everybody is always working in team meetings, in terms of who scripts practice and who breaks down plays.

What sets you apart is your willingness to grind, put in work, and also be efficient with it.

I’ve been fortunate to find guys at Thomasville who can do all of that.”

Despite the fact that Thomasville is clearly trending in the right direction, as evidenced by the team’s 3-0 start in region play, the Bulldogs have still had to battle through their fair share of adversity. Grage’s group came within seconds of a shocking upset win at home over archrival Thomas County Central, only to lose by two points.

“The Central game is where we sat at midfield and said ‘This is where you go back and ask yourself if you’re doing everything you’re supposed to be doing,’” Grage said. “‘Are you going the extra mile or doing the extra rep?’

Small things just bit us, but we had a great opportunity to win. We played well defensively, but we use that as motivation because we’re

so close. We played well, and we’re excited about where things are headed, but we aren’t there yet.”

While Grage’s debut season has seen the ‘Dogs post a 4-3 record through seven games, a significant improvement in a short amount of time since the one-win 2015 season, Thomasville has an even brighter future. Of all skill position players who have carried or caught a pass thus far this season, only Tori Sapp will graduate at the conclusion of the year. That means a significant amount of underclassmen are gaining experience, which is a sign that the rebuild is going well for Grage.

“You really just look at the kids and see if things are clicking,” Grage said of how he measures success. “Football success is great, but the biggest thing I try to judge right now is getting experience. Looking around and seeing the kids change is what you can base that success on.”

An early turning point in that rebuilding process occurred on Oct. 14, when Thomasville routed Early County 44-0. While the Bobcats don’t have the most impressive of records, the team played several quality opponents closely before getting blown out by the ‘Dogs.

Instead of being content with the win, though, Thomasville’s new head man, who won’t be happy until his program is back on top of the state, used the game as a teaching point.

“I don’t care who we’re playing, we expect to win every game we go into,” Grage said. “I wish we could play every team with a blank jersey and a blank helmet. It’s not like we’re preparing for one certain opponent on a given week; we’re practicing for everybody the entire year, and we want Sunday through Thursday (practices) to be as hard as possible.

The games are just to see how far you’ve come. I don’t want to say we’ve made any specific turn, but we’re headed in the right direction. The kids are becoming way more confident and think they can do it.”

It is often said that the most improvement in any player’s performance at a given level can be seen from year one to year two. Thomasville, which has already shown obvious progress this year, is hoping that this will be the case for the entire team under Grage.

“Our biggest thing during the offseason will be continuity,” Grage said. “Getting the coaches with the kids and hitting the weight room will be big. My job is to keep everybody together. My staff is learning just like the kids.

They’re young and exuberant, and they do a great job.”

Despite the improvement in total wins from a season ago to now, Grage believes the ‘Dogs can be better, and he won’t be happy until Thomasville is the best it can possibly be.

“The two words we push are tradition and complacency,” Grage said. “We’re doing our best to bring tradition back, but we can’t hang our hat on simply getting better. We want people to understand that when they come here, they’re playing Thomasville and they’re going to get hit. We also want to do things in a first class manner. When we knock you down, we’ll help you up; we’ll dress the right way and handle winning the right way.”

“When you hear ‘Thomasville,’ we want people to think ‘class’ and that they do things the right way,” Grage said. “I’m a big karma guy, and I believe that if you do things the right way, it’ll come back to you.”

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“When you hear ‘Thomasville,’ we want people to think ‘class’ and that they do things the right way. I’m a big karma guy, and I believe that if you do things the right way, it’ll come back to you.”

- Zach Grage

VHS CATS CRUISE TO REGION CHAMPIONSHIP Written by: Zack Pine

Valdosta High School has long been admired and praised for its athletic tradition. While most of that praise goes to the football team, the cross-country Cats have also established a winning tradition of their own. That tradition has been in a slump in recent years but this was a redemption year for the Cats as their boys’ team won region for the first time in six years! This banner year included the most wins in school history (5). The boys team also posted an overall record of 124-39 which also set a record for most teams ever beaten in a season. If that’s not enough to satisfy you, they also snapped a losing streak to Lowndes by winning four out of five meets.

Not to be outdone, the girls’ team had a great performance of their own as they finished fourth in the region and qualified for the state finals. Freshman Katie Lancaster won all-region honors and won a meet at Lanier County and won the Region 1-6A meet.

The boys’ team finished in the top 16 at this years’ state meet and the lone girls’ competitor, Katie, finished ahead of 40 other racers with a 5k time of 22:51:57.

While the cross-country Cats didn’t complete the goal of winning a state championship, they can hold their heads high and be proud of the accomplishments they did make.

The future is bright for the cross-country Cats as their feeder school, the VMS Cats, won a state championship this year as well. We are interested to see how these teams progress moving forward but we know one thing for sure; the future is bright for the VHS Wildcats.

In The Game | 29

30 | itgsportsnetwork.com

The Final Countdown:

A Local Legend Set to Leave the Field Written by: James A. Washington | Photography by the ITG team

Willis at one point served as a referee nearly yearround; he was working football, basketball, baseball, and softball.

Born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia, Bobby Willis has always been an avid sports enthusiast. A graduate of Lowndes High School, he participated in football, baseball, basketball, and track during his high school career.

Not long after graduating from college, he volunteered to coach a team at the Boys and Girls Club.

He was soon approached by some of the referees that officiated during his high school career about giving the craft a try. And for the majority of the last 45 years, he’s been engrossed in the art ever since.

“I was told that I shouldn’t expect to see varsity action until about three to four months down the line,” Willis said. “It took about a week and a half. I had just worked a ninth-grade game that Thursday.

The next day, I got the call, and before you know it, I was working as the umpire in my first varsity game.”

Players, coaches, and fans know that in the game of football, it only takes one major play to alter the outcome of the contest. However, in the case of Willis, it only took one play to alter the course of his life altogether. During a Friday night matchup between Thomas County Central and Lee County, he took a hit and went down after a tackle carried a player’s momentum into his body. Upon landing, it was apparent that something was gravely wrong.

Unbeknownst to anyone, including Willis himself, there was a preexisting bone spur in his neck.

When he went down, the spur punctured his spinal cord, effectively paralyzing him from the neck down.

“October of this year makes seven years since that night,” Willis said. “It’s something that I will never forget. It was truly the grace of God that got me through that time.”

After the injury, therapy was imminent in order to work his way back to recovery, and his accustomed lifestyle was obviously placed on reserve.

“I was in the hospital for seven weeks, and I was out of work for six months,” Willis said. “I had to learn how to do basic things again, like walk and button up shirts.”

An injury of this capacity is devastating, and it took quite the road for Willis to return to a level of self-sufficiency.

Abilities that are taken for granted on a daily basis became exhausting tasks, but through prayer and perseverance, he made a full recovery. In fact, not only did he regain his health, but Willis was also able to return to the field and resume referee duties the following fall with only minor issues.

“There’s really no known effects left from the injury; I run a little slower, but I was 62 when I got hurt, so that could just be old age,” Willis said with a laugh. “God truly blessed me. He brought me through. Through everything that happened, I can say this: The power of God is awesome.”

Not only has Willis been able to fully resume his duties as a referee, he is able to share the joy with two of his closest friends: His sons, Scott and Dereck, have been involved in refereeing for the last couple of decades as well. Scott has been refereeing for 22 years, and Dereck is not far behind with 20 years under his belt.

“We actually had the chance to work a basketball game together once,” Willis said. “That was unforgettable.

Knowing that we all enjoy what we do, it made it an honor to be out there with my sons.”

Willis at one point served as a referee nearly year-round; he was working football, basketball, baseball, and softball. About seven years ago, he decided to drop softball and baseball, but still remains active in the other two.

Serving as a referee for such an extended period of time presented various rewards to Willis. He truly

values working with children; he understands that children are the future of the community and that raising and leading them the right way, be it on or off the field or court, can change lives. Recently while having lunch, he was approached by an individual who eventually identified himself as a player that Willis had refereed for 37 years ago.

“Being able to work with kids is the ultimate reward,” Willia said. “It’s the best, by far.”

Having retired from his position as the Recreational Director at Valdosta State Prison three years ago, Willis is able to put all of his energy into refereeing and contributing to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And as the Area Director for the FCA, his plate is full quite regularly.

“Something that people underestimate is that coaches, during their respective seasons, are often around these young student-athletes more than their own parents,” Willis said.

“What we try to do through the FCA is make some of the burden easier on the coaches. While the coaches work with their players on fundamentals and game plans, we work to build the character of the children through Christ.

Coaches work with basics, and we work with Christian values.”

In 1972, he decided to take a chance on the opportunity. Now, in 2016, he prepares to hang up the whistle for the final time. After giving so much time and effort to various sports throughout South Georgia, Willis will be retiring from refereeing. He said that he will continue his work with the FCA for at least the next three years.

“It’s been a blessing to work with the kids and coaches all these years,” Willis said. “Some of the coaches have become great friends, and they even called when I was injured. Some coaches will call at the beginning of the year to ask questions about things like rule changes. It shows a certain level of respect. Even the fans have been great over the years. At the end of the day, I believe that God knew what he was doing when he placed me here, and I thank Him for everything that he has done for me.”

In a rare situation, Willis actually found himself in the position of having to stand in as a referee for one of his son’s baseball games. Because of the rivalry between the teams, finding referees was a difficulty.

Initially, he was hesitant (due to conflict of interest), but after some persuasion, he decided to take on the job.

“I’ll never forget it,” Willis said with a laugh. “It was a pretty

heated affair. At one point, my son (Dereck) was trying to tag up from second to third base on a fly out to left field. As the play unfolded, he tried to slide into third. I’ll never forget the look on his face when I called him out. He looked at me and shouted, ‘I’ll burn your house down!’ I thought quickly and shouted back, ‘Well, don’t forget your mom lives there, too!’ That exchange earned us quite a few laughs.”

In The Game | 31

Bouncing Back Better

The Tift County Blue Devils are not looking to rebuild, but to reclaim. The Blue Devils finished 26-3 last season and appeared poised to return to the GHSA state championship game. In the second round of the state playoffs, Tift led unranked Milton by nine points on its home floor in the fourth quarter but failed to hold the lead.

Head Coach Dr. Eric L. Holland

Written by: Shane Thomas | Photography by: Marque Milla Reese

In The Game | 33

Tift County Blue Devils In basketball, a team getting younger means the time for rebuilding has arrived. A heartbreaking loss in a playoff game is often the first falling domino to set an overhaul into motion.

Feeling galvanized, the Tift County Blue Devils are not looking to rebuild, but to reclaim. The Blue Devils finished 26-3 last season and appeared poised to return to the GHSA state championship game. In the second round of the state playoffs, Tift led unranked Milton by nine points on its home floor in the fourth quarter but failed to hold the lead.

Leading 54-53 in the waning seconds of regulation, the Blue Devils deflected a pass by Milton sophomore Justin Brown, who recovered the ball with enough daylight to launch a desperation three-pointer. The shot found the bottom of the net and sent the heavily-favored Blue Devils packing.

Returning five seniors, including three key starters – team captains P.J. Horne, Fred Lloyd, and Micah Johnson – the youthful Blue Devils still figure to be favorites to win the Region 1-7A crown.

According to head coach Eric Holland, the sour taste of falling short is still on his team's palate, serving as a painful motivator for the coming season.

“We got hit in the mouth,” Holland said of the last-second loss.

“We've got a nasty taste in our mouths. We blew an 11-point lead, and a guy hits a clutch three at the buzzer to send us home. That image is posted in our locker room; that taste is still in our mouths.

And every day we practice, we constantly remind ourselves of how bad that feels. This group has really been pushing each other, pushing themselves, pushing the coaches, and developing into a really good team.”

Returning five seniors, including three key starters – team captains P.J. Horne, Fred Lloyd, and Micah Johnson

“Our goal is still the same. We want to go undefeated in our region (and) win our region tournament, and we feel like we can hoist another Georgia high school trophy this year against anybody. We're excited, we're deep, we're hungry, we're focused, and we're ready to rock and roll.

Our expectations are through the roof, and we think we've really got a team to win it. We really do.”

- Eric Holland Despite a nearly pristine record last season, the Blue Devils were not without adversity. Horne, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. A host of other injuries and off-court issues nagged throughout the season. With an emphasis on a 'next man up' mentality, the potential roadblocks yielded necessary growth among the team's freshmen.

“We were injury-riddled last year,” Holland said. “Losing our best player for the season with a torn ACL, losing our big man to a broken rib, losing a guy off the bench with a popped hamstring, losing another player that got in trouble off-campus was tough.

Being able to play a lot of those younger guys was important.”

“We lost about four or five key guys, so (last year) really prepared us for this year,” Holland said. “Depth is going to be a real positive for us. We've got unbelievable leadership with PJ, Micah, and Fred Lloyd. We've got a good mix of young talent that stepped up last year and replaced a lot of guys we lost and played valuable minutes in our scrimmage.”

In terms of what the team would like to improve on this season, Horne points to the team's struggles to put games away when they have the opportunity.

“Game management,” Horne said flatly. “We have to be able to close out games in crucial moments. That playoff game last year, we were up 11, 12 points and couldn't close it out.”

An emphasis for Holland heading into the season has been honing in on the little things and building consistency on both ends of the floor.

“Our goal is to improve on the little things every day,” Holland said. “Once you do that, you'll have a really good team at the end.

We just want to have a balanced approach in everything we do and show gains in every essential area that can impact the game: loose balls, rebounds, free throw percentage. The biggest thing

34 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“Fast and furious is the Blue Devil tradition. Fast on offense, furious on defense – 94 feet of heat both ways. We’re going to attack baseline to baseline on both ends. That’s our kind of basketball.” - Eric Holland

for us is to be consistent in everything we do each and every night.”

Unsurprisingly, building consistency on a team must go farther than the head coach. In Horne, Johnson, and Lloyd, the Blue Devils have the unique luxury of having three team captains. The trio have been teammates since middle school, and their familiarity makes their partnership quite seamless.

“We communicate so well,” Lloyd said. “We have a good friendship, always hanging out together, so that helps us with the team and bringing leadership.

Me, Micah, and PJ have been together since middle school, so it's always been fun playing with them.”

According to Holland, having three captains gives the team a dynamic voice of reason that any coach would love to have on the roster.

Putting in the time is crucial for Lloyd as well. A standout wide receiver for the Blue Devils' football team, Lloyd has signed a football scholarship with the University of South Florida. On the court, Lloyd likens his game to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Green, despite being undersized, has become one of the most valuable role players in the NBA with his grit, guile, and ability to provide whatever the team needs to win.

Lloyd averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor.

“I'm a scorer and another rebounder up front,” Lloyd said of his role. “I have to be more aggressive.

Some teams we play against have guys a lot bigger than I am, so I have to be aggressive in the game.”

Horne, Lloyd's front-court mate, blossomed into one of the top forward prospects in Georgia. Despite being limited to just 10 games last season, Horne's 16.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game made for a noteworthy season statistically. Horne garnered enough attention to have a profile and his highlights posted on NBADraft.net as a potential pro prospect in the years to come.

Six months after tearing his ACL, Horne looks to be recovering nicely. During a recent preseason scrimmage, the 6-foot-6 forward went for 36 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks. Such a performance sums up what Holland thinks of his star.

“PJ is probably the most dynamic player in the state with really no high-major offers,” Holland said. “He was a center as a freshman, but now he can play all five positions on the floor. He's just transformed his game into being a versatile player that can help us in any area we need him. His growth and willingness to work on his game says a lot. For him to come back from an ACL in six months and be about 80 percent, he looked like he was back in old form – very active, very live. We feel good about his development and what he's going to bring every night. He's a walking double-double.”

Horne projects as a small forward at the college level, and his game is drawing lofty comparisons to two proven NBA commodities: Jae Crowder of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers veteran Luol Deng.

“I agree with Coach comparing me to those players,” Horne said. “What separates me from everyone else in the state is my age. I'm a lot younger than people think I am, and I feel I have a lot of potential to grow. From my freshman year to now, I've always come back with something different in my game.”

Going into the 2016-17 season, the Blue Devils envision sophomores such as guards Tyree Marshall and Marquavious Johnson having breakout performances.

“This year's team is very motivated, very young, and very skilled,” Horne said, comparing this year's team to last year. “To be very young, they have a lot of talent.”

“We've got three really good point guards,” Holland Office: versatile (229) 435-2212 said. “Tyree Marshall was an unbelievable player in Take on everything from livestock chores to property maintenance with Kubota’s MX Series ag utility middle school, played varsity last year, and played significant minutes.rugged Last year, he made young tractors — featuring Kubota dieselsome engines from 49.3–61.4 HP*, HST2815 or gearGillionville transmission Rd and more. kid's mistakes, but this year he's been the three Cs: Albany, Ga 31721 and efficiency.

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With their sights set on atoning for last season's crushing loss, the Blue Devils want to make their presence felt from the opening tip and re-introduce opponents to the true definition of Blue Devils basketball.

“Fast and furious is the Blue Devil tradition,” Holland said. “Fast on offense, furious on defense – 94 feet of heat both ways. We're going to attack baseline to baseline on both ends. That's our kind of basketball.”

Load up with power and Load up with power and efficiency.

Efficiency

“The beauty of this team is that all three captains are different,” Holland said. “PJ is a quiet leader – all work and no say. Micah is an all-work and a lot of say type of dude. He's our most vocal leader.

Fred is our emotional leader. He's going to be the one that brings the energy, takes the charges, gets on the floor, and tangles up with guys in the paint. These are the best three captains I've had in 16 years as a head coach. They're all different, but they've all got great leadership.”

Every Monday rather than practicing, the Blue Devils hold a team meeting, a worship session with the team chaplain, and participate in team-building activities to, as Holland put it, “put the basketball down and just work on brotherhood and bonding.”

Every second and fourth Sunday, the Blue Devils players and coaches attend church together. Every second and fourth Saturday, the team conducts a mentoring program known as G.E.N.T.S. (Guiding, Empowering, Nurturing, Transforming, and Strengthening) for youths.

Every year, the Blue Devils also have their annual shut-in, where the team reports on a Friday night at 11 and sleeps in the gym, eats dinner, prays, and practices together to build team chemistry.

“All of those things equal success for us,” Holland said.

Micah Johnson, the Blue Devils' senior point guard, averaged 8.6 points, a team-leading 5.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game last season.

Johnson, who recently committed to Alabama State, plans to major in physical therapy but has a passion for coaching. Holland has high hopes for his floor general as his career progresses.

“He's going to be an unbelievable coach,” Holland said. “He wants to be a college coach and probably will have a chance to coach in the NBA when he's done playing because he has a high basketball IQ, he knows the game, and he gets us into any set. His ability to play off the ball has been a plus for us. This year he's going to be able to come off the ball and play off screens, and that's been really good for us.

His leadership on and off the floor, the way he relates to the kids and the way he directs traffic, is special.

He's a gym rat. He stays in the gym and studies film a lot. He knows his opponent and knows the other team he's going against just as good as some of the coaches on the staff. He really puts a lot of time in.”

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In The Game | 35

Noelle Brena never set herself up to be the dive coach for Columbus High School, but here she is four years later, and she still feels it was a good decision.

Blue Devils Making Splash With Dive Team

Written by: Beth Welch | Photography by: George McDuffle

36 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“Each year gets better with the team, and it’s a lot of fun,” Brena said.

Under the direction of coach Karen Waters, Columbus High School has an established swim program with a reputation for producing good athletes and serious competitors. However, CHS did not have a separate dive team.

According to Brena, a student project brought the idea of a dive team to the forefront, where it was embraced as a possibility.

“There was a student, Lauren Duncan, who did her project on the topic of diving,” Brena said. “It was so well-received that the prospect of having a team was talked about. Coach Waters knew me through my daughter and kind of said, ‘Hey, you could be the coach,’ and here I am.”

The Columbus High School Dive Team members all watched the Summer Olympics in August and paid special attention to the dive competitions. They say the dive athletes inspired them, but one CHS diver had a more realistic viewpoint.

“It looks easy when Olympic divers do it,” Laney Edwards said. “It’s a lot harder than it looks.” dive board. If divers do not have all five dives in their skillsets, the divers may participate in exhibition dives.

Since the CHS program is still young, it hasn’t experienced a lot of growth in numbers but has seen athletes reach their personal goals. Just prior to this swim season, one of the three CHS divers achieved the five-dive plan. That diver is Emma Hatala, who is a senior and has been with the dive program since the first year it was offered.

Hatala made the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer’s All Bi-City Swim Team last year. She enjoys diving but is quick to point out it isn’t like the diving learned at the neighborhood pool.

“It is a lot harder mentally,” Hatala said. “So much of what you have to do is preparing for the dive on a

Columbus High School Dive Team

Now a resident of Columbus, Brena said she grew up all over the place. She began diving as a sport at the age of 10 and was an earnest competitor throughout high school and college. When the opportunity to coach a high school dive team came about, Brena jumped in with both feet. She possesses a vibrant, outgoing personality that is well-suited for encouraging young athletes.

Five athletes participated in the program the first year including its visionary, Duncan, who was a senior. The team is co-ed, and diving is considered a winter sport. A benefit for the Blue Devils swim program is that a dive team’s points during a competition are added to the swim team’s score, which boosts the overall points in a meet.

Athletes on the dive team must learn and be able to execute five different dives from the five categories in a competition: forward, backward, reverse, inward, and a twist. The dives are performed from a one-meter (the distance from the board to the water)

mental level. It is really different from any other sport.”

Her coach agrees. Brena thinks one of the biggest challenges to learning to dive competitively is to overcome fear.

“I’ve always said boys do well in this sport because they are the backyard barbecue divers,” Brena said, laughing.

She goes on to explain that guys sometimes are better at taking a risk, and beginning as a diver takes the mental ability to overcome the fear of being injured. Each dive requires skill and technique. According to Brena, those two aspects come with time and practice, but the fear element has to be worked on right from the start.

While no experience in diving is necessary to join the Columbus High dive team, Brena notes there are some backgrounds in other sports that lend to becoming successful divers.

Competitive swimmers already have a respect for water and the conditioning required to compete in water sports. Surprisingly, gymnastics is high on Brena’s list of activities that produce good divers.

“Gymnasts have learned to prepare mentally and are really good at taking risks,” Brena said.

“They also have a great command of their bodies’ movements, body

awareness, which is what divers have to learn. It’s all done by feel, and that is very similar to gymnastics.”

This season, Brena’s main goal is to have all of her divers be able to execute all five dives in a meet.

Laney Edwards, 16, is a junior at CHS and joined the dive team last year without any competitive swim experience. She has three of her five dives down and is looking to have the other two within a few weeks. Columbus High sophomore Olivia Hinton, 16, also joined the team last year and is working on adding three more dives to the first two she has learned.

Some coaches might have a more competitive attitude about their teams, and while Brena definitely has a competitive spirit, she really is just focused on two aspects going into her fourth season as the Blue Devils dive coach.

“Technique and safety,” Brena said. “I want them to learn the techniques and be safe. That’s the main things.”

Laughing, she shrugged her shoulders and added one more item to her agenda.

“Well, and to have fun,” Brena said. “They should be enjoying this because this is something they can do for practically forever.”

In The Game | 37

University of Georgia Bulldogs | #14 Junior Cornerback

Malkom Parrish 38 | itgsportsnetwork.com

The Fight in the Dawg: No Matter the Obstacle, Parrish Comes to Play Written by: James Washington | Photography courtesy of UGA athletics

Malkom Parrish from Brooks County was featured in the 2013 November issue of In the Game.

In the spring of 2014, Brooks County High School graduated easily one of the most dynamic gridiron threats to ever set foot in Quitman, Georgia. Young Malkom Parrish was a three-time member of the GHSA All-State Team for Class AA (Second Team in 2011 and 2012, First Team in 2013) and was named the Offensive Player of the Year at the conclusion of his senior campaign.

In just his freshman year, Parrish led Brooks County to the GHSA Class AA State Quarterfinals after amassing 1,019 yards and six touchdowns passing and 881 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

During his final three years, the Trojans completed back-to-back 12-win seasons (2012-13) and Region 1-AA Championships. In fact, the team only suffered a total of six losses combined during that span. Parrish was a dynamo under center. The 5’10”, 185-pound quarterback seemed nearly invincible anytime his cleats were planted on Trojan Field.

He passed for 2,600 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding 1,300 yards and 24 rushing as a senior. Followers of the young star also remember, however, that as a Trojan, Parrish also saw ample time on the opposite side of the ball; he was ranked as high as sixth in the nation at cornerback.

His talents definitely did not go unnoticed. He was heavily recruited and eventually made the decision to remain in-state, joining the University of Georgia in Athens. He joined the roster during a tremendous recruiting era for the Bulldogs; among the 2014 class that entered the school with him are roster standouts like running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, offensive lineman Dyshon Sims, and defensive back Dominick Sanders.

One of the first adjustments to be made was rather abrupt: The size of the move was not one to be taken lightly. After crossing the stage in Quitman, Parish left a town with a square-footage of just over four miles and settled into a school with a student population that alone outnumbered the total population in his hometown by a 10:1 ratio.

“When I first got here – I can’t lie – my focus was a little shaken,” Parrish said. “One of the benefits to being a football player is that you arrive in the summer when the campus isn’t so crowded. It gave me time to get used to class schedules, football routines, and the everyday life of the school. But on the flip side, there was a lot more temptation, a

lot more free time, and my focus drifted a little. But I had guys in my corner: Sony, Dominick, Chubb.

Those guys kept me grounded. We knew we were all in similar situations and what we would have to do.”

While he didn’t start any contests in his freshman campaign, he managed to set a then-career-high with five tackles and one forced fumble against Auburn University (which, at the time, was ranked ninth in the nation). After a sophomore year in which he started every game, Parrish is in the midst of a junior season where he has continued to make his name well-known as a lockdown defender in the SEC. However, many may look at his current comfort between the hedges in Sanford Stadium and underestimate just how much hard work it took to get to this level.

“The transition was a little difficult at first, to be honest,” Parrish said. “Playing quarterback in high school, I was used to being in control because the ball spent a majority of time in my hands. I was able to dictate the flow and direction of the game on offense. Now that it’s strictly defense for me, it took some getting used to. I had to learn to value every defensive stand so much more because I don’t have the ball as much as I did in the past. On defense, if I want the ball, I’ve got to go take it.”

As if location and position weren’t enough, after his first two years, another change presented itself, this time in the locker room. After 15 seasons in which he led the team to five SEC Eastern Division titles and two SEC Championships, two-time SEC Coach of the Year Mark Richt was dismissed by the Bulldogs program. His replacement came in the form of Kirby Smart, who had previously served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama from 2008 to 2015.

“Coach Smart is big on discipline,” Parrish said.

“He’s extremely strict when it comes to rules and discipline. But it’s all been positive for us. It’s helped us a lot. But I like him and what he’s done here so far. No matter who the coach is, I know that it ultimately falls on me. Playing time, roster spots, that’s on me. I have to work, and I have to want it every day.”

Upon entering UGA, Parrish had his mind set on a business degree. However, anyone who has spent time in a college classroom can easily relate: The In The Game | 39

“I feel like, being an older guy, I have to be an example. I have to do more than speak. I have to show. I have to show younger guys the importance and value of maturity and balancing their lifestyle as a collegiate student-athlete. I used to think it would be overwhelming, but in reality it’s actually quite humbling.”

Let’s face it: Quitman isn’t that big, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed if you’re coming up in that city. I want kids to look at me and always remember that they can be better than what anyone says. Never quit. No matter what you go through, there will be bumps.

But you’ve got to focus and fight to get what you want. And most importantly, stay humble. When you see your problems as opportunities that you can handle rather than obstacles, that alone can take you a long way.

40 | itgsportsnetwork.com

first decision is rarely ever the final. Again, he was left crafting adjustments to make the best of his obstacles. He is now working his way down a new path that will earn him a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2018.

“I was set on business, yeah,” Parrish said.

“But I can’t lie, those business classes were tough. I had some serious talks with my advisor, and I found out that he had been down a similar road to mine when he was in college.

Juggling that degree with a football career is not impossible, but it is tough. He advised me to change focus, and now I’m in a position where I feel more comfortable. I really appreciate everything that he did for me.”

Communication could be exactly what he needs to kick in the door to his future. He now finds himself a veteran of sorts. As a junior on the team, it is now his turn to pay it forward; Parrish has shifted responsibilities

and now assumes the role of a mentor rather than the mentee.

“I feel like, being an older guy, I have to be an example,” Parrish said. “I have to do more than speak. I have to show. I have to show younger guys the importance and value of maturity and balancing their lifestyle as a collegiate student-athlete. I used to think it would be overwhelming, but in reality it’s actually quite humbling.”

In fitting fashion, Parrish would like nothing more than to take his God-given talent and pass it on to future generations. Ideally, he sees himself coaching the game that has captivated his heart since he was a child, first on the high school level and eventually advancing as far as possible.

In a perfect world, the young student-athletes that he would like to guide would be in his own backyard. Parrish openly expresses

that he would like nothing more than to someday earn the opportunity to join the coaching staff of the Brooks County Trojans. He is a product of the community. He has left the nest to continue to make Quitman proud, and he would relish the chance to join a staff with one of the strongest mentors of his high school career: head football coach Maurice Freeman.

“Aww man, being able to stand on the sideline with Coach Freeman would be a dream come true,” Parrish said with a laugh. “Quitman, Brooks County, that’s home. That’s where it all started. It took a lot of perseverance and fighting to get to where I am now, and it would mean the world to me to be able to go home and help change lives. I know what goes on in that town, so when I tell those young guys that I can relate to them, I really mean it.”

Obstacles, no matter the scale, have presented themselves to Malkom Parrish. Whether it be adjusting to a new campus, fighting for a starting position, or juggling the rigors of academics and athletics at a Division I university, one thing has remained the same: He faces every challenge head-on. And in doing so, his primary purpose is front and center.

“Let’s face it: Quitman isn’t that big,” Parrish said. “But that doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed if you’re coming up in that city. I want kids to look at me and always remember that they can be better than what anyone says. Never quit. No matter what you go through, there will be bumps. But you’ve got to focus and fight to get what you want. And most importantly, stay humble. When you see your problems as opportunities that you can handle rather than obstacles, that alone can take you a long way.”

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

When college football fans think of Georgia Bulldogs players, one of the first names that comes to mind is this 1982 Heisman Trophy winner.

Who is this player who first played professional football with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL?

2.

In 1980, freshman running back Herschel Walker scored his first touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers in grand fashion. After running right through two men, what did Larry Munson say to describe Herschel?

3.

4.

Hired in 2001, who did Mark Richt replace as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs?

Although Georgia has been known for many years as the Bulldogs, their first mascot was which animal?

5.

How many times was a Georgia team declared national champion, by at least one poll recognized by the NCAA, during the 20th Century?

6.

Who caught the winning touchdown pass from Fran Tarkenton, clinching the SEC Title, during Georgia’s 14-13 victory over Auburn in the 1959 game?

7.

8.

9.

What Heisman Trophy winner began and ended his career playing against Georgia?

Georgia only played two teams in its first season. What were the two teams?

10.

This UGA football star was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1982 and was recruited to play in the offensive backfield. He later was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft but washed out of the NFL after injuries stifled his career. Who is this former Bulldog All-American?

1. Herschel Walker 2. ”My God, a freshman!” 3. Jim Donnan 4. Goat 5. Five 6. Bill Herron 7. Tony Dorsett 8. Theron Sapp 9. Auburn and Mercer 10. David Pollack This information is courtesy of www.funtrivia.com

Quitman, Brooks County, that’s home.

That’s where it all started. It took a lot of perseverance and fighting to get to where I am now, and it would mean the world to me to be able to go home and help change lives. I know what goes on in that town, so when I tell those young guys that I can relate to them, I really mean it.

What Georgia Bulldog was known as, “The Man Who Broke the Drought”?

In The Game | 41

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Porter-Wilson showed obvious respect when he spoke of his parents. He also appeared to have a good relationship with both of them and said his mom expects him to do his best. His dad was a high school and collegiate basketball athlete. Porter-Wilson said he can hear his mom and dad yelling in the stands over everyone else.

“My dad, he yells the loudest,” Porter-Wilson said. “You can hear him from the top of the stands. On the football field, I can hear him on the other side because he calls my name like 50 times. I listen to him because most of the time he is right.”

Laughing, the athlete said his dad didn’t stick with football in high school.

“I remind him of that pretty often,” he said with a smile.

Devan Porter-Wilson Senior at Shaw High School

Shaw Athlete Has a Feeling About This Season Written by: Beth Welch | Photos by: George McDuffie

It’s not uncommon for an athlete to be able to look back at their life and point to someone or some experience responsible for getting them started in sports. Usually, that shout-out goes to parents, a coach, or even a local recreation program. For Devan Porter-Wilson, a senior on Shaw High School’s varsity basketball team, that credit, however, goes to a very unlikely source.

“Chuck E. Cheese,” Porter-Wilson said with a laugh.

The story goes that as a youngster, Porter-Wilson was taken to the beloved kid-oriented eating establishment where he promptly began making baskets using the facility’s basketball goal. Tall for his age, the little guy was so good shooting the ball his parents recognized he might be ready for a more organized field of play.

A local YMCA recreational league for youth was his next step in that direction. Porter-Wilson developed such an intense love of the game that he literally bounced a basketball every chance he got.

“I played ball in the house and practiced dribbling everywhere,” Porter-Wilson said, smiling broadly. “I would go in the living room and bounce it on the wood floors. They had to take the ball out of my bedroom because I kept bouncing it in there.”

He attended one year of middle school at St. Anne Catholic School where he played basketball before moving to Fort Middle School. Under the direction of the coaching staff at Fort, Por-

ter-Wilson fine-tuned his basketball skills. Standing 6’4” today, Porter-Wilson acknowledged he has always been one of the tallest people, if not the tallest person, in his class. His height was a great advantage on the court in middle school, but he needed guidance to learn to use all of his natural talent to play the game.

When Porter-Wilson came to Shaw as a freshman, he played on three basketball teams that year. He saw most of his playing time on the freshman league and junior varsity teams. The intelligent and friendly athlete has been gifted with an incredible capacity to remember details. He only played in three varsity games as a freshman, but Porter-Wilson can recite exactly which games and what he did in each of them.

For his efforts on the court his first year as a Raider, Porter-Wilson was named the MVP for the Freshman team and also for the JV. He moved on as a sophomore to become a starter for the varsity and has been a valuable team member for the Shaw boys basketball program.

Last year the Shaw Raiders had a 19-10 season record and made it to the first round of the playoffs, where they lost by only three points. Coach White’s team had a load of talent in its ranks and has returned six players for this season. Porter-Wilson, a team captain, is one of six seniors on the team and is the starting power forward. His contributions to the team as a junior included

In The Game | 45

6.5 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game.

In order to improve his game for his senior year, Porter-Wilson attended a couple of summer camps including one at Mercer University. He sees his strengths show up in rebounds and passing, but because he wants to be better in every area, he is working on shooting from the 3-point range and dribbling moves.

Porter-Wilson is a two-sport athlete at Shaw. In addition to basketball, he plays football and just came off his final season as a defensive end for the Raiders. He didn’t get too excited about football until he played the sport at Fort Middle School.

Coaches there worked with him and gave him the idea that he could be as good at two sports as he was in just one.

“The coach made me catch the football every day,” Porter-Wilson said. “I kept dropping the ball, so every day he made me catch the ball over and over again. Basketball just came to me. I didn’t have to work at it, but with football I had to develop those skills over time. I loved football after that, and it was just fun to play it.”

Football became so enjoyable for him that Porter-Wilson attracted attention from a few colleges. He is weighing his options and wants to see how his basketball season goes, since some schools approached him for that sport as well.

“I don’t care which sport I play in college,” Porter-Wilson said. “They are both equal to me.”

While he loves sports, his priorities are in the right place, and Porter-Wilson said his greatest goal is to make his parents proud of him. His second goal is all about basketball.

“Our team to win region,” Porter-Wilson said. “We are going to win our region, then win state. We should have gone further last year. We can do it. We’ve got the talent and the coaching. It really is possible.”

Waiting a moment and breaking out a big grin, Porter-Wilson said, “I got that feeling.”

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FAST BREAK

Area Teams Exhibit Remarkable Balance In Regular Season Action Written by: Jacob Dennis

While South Georgia high school football didn’t produce a national juggernaut like we have seen from Colquitt County over the last two years, the 2016 regular season was one of the most enjoyable campaigns in recent memory because of the competitiveness and balance many teams have shown. There are still some familiar names atop the region standings as the regular season draws to a close, but South Georgia football has truly proven that, from AA all the way up to AAAAAAA, on any given Friday, any team can earn a victory.

Arguably the biggest surprise of the 2016 regular season was the turnaround that the Thomasville Bulldogs experienced. Not that coach Zach Grage wasn’t completely set on “restoring pride in the Diamond T” as he mentioned many times over the course of the season, but the speed at which the ‘Dogs righted the ship was incredible. After winning just one game a season ago

and seemingly hitting rock bottom as a program in 2015, Thomasville knocked off AA power Brooks County in blowout fashion to set up a region championship on the road versus Fitzgerald. Not only will the ‘Dogs make the playoffs, but they will host a home playoff game. Region 1-AA is one of the best examples of this aforementioned balance, as three area teams finished first through third in the region and first place was decided by just a single game.

One of the area’s lone AAAA representatives, the Cairo Syrupmakers, also experienced a resurgence during this year’s regular season. After dropping a thriller at home to rival Thomas County Central, the ‘Makers went on a two-month-long winning streak to capture the region 1-AAAA crown on the strength of a defense that allowed the fewest points of any region team. Cairo defeated Thomasville by 11, lost to TCC by six, and beat Bainbridge by three.

While region 1-AAAAA, which features area teams TCC and Bainbridge, wasn’t as strong as some predicted it might be at the beginning of the season, the race for the top seed and home field advantage in the state playoffs was still exciting. Three

teams entered the final week of the regular season at 2-1, and Thomas County Central, on the strength of beating Bainbridge 17-6 and Warner Robins 33-22, earned a potential region-championship-clinching game at home versus Harris County. South Georgia teams will likely have the top two seeds from region 1-AAAAA come state playoff time.

Region 1-AAAAAA was arguably the most competitive region in the state, regardless of classification, as five quality teams battled for four playoff spots throughout the regular season. This region epitomized “any given Friday,” as it seemed that any team was capable of seizing control of the standings at any given time. The Valdosta Wildcats won the region title for the first time since 2011, but Northside, Coffee, Lee County, and Houston County all entered the regular season’s final week within 0.5 games of each other in the standings. No matter what happens, a quality football team is going to be left at home when the playoffs roll around.

Colquitt County was up to its usual tricks in region 1-AAAAAAA, but not without a fight from Lowndes. The Packers

closed the regular season on a six-game winning streak after starting 0-4 but were forced to score a late touchdown to break a 35-35 tie with the Vikings to win the region. While Camden and Tift fell off the pace in terms of chances to advance deep in the state playoffs, the gap at the top between Propst’s Packers and McPherson’s Vikings closed considerably, at least for one season. Both Colquitt and Lowndes are capable of making deep runs in the 7A state playoffs.

While the balance shown by several South Georgia football teams has been nothing short of enjoyable to watch, the most talented and experienced squads will ultimately rise to the top as December nears. Expect a few South Georgia teams to bring home some hardware at the conclusion of what has been one of the most competitive and balanced seasons in recent memory.

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We Got Now: Lady Hoops Phenoms Take South Georgia to the House Written by: James A. Washington | Photography by: Brittany K. Wyche

It’s that time of year: As of the Thanksgiving holiday, high school basketball season is in full swing in the state of Georgia.

Many teams vie for the crown, and many players aim to leave their marks on the floors of gyms throughout the Peach State.

While the northern part of the state seems to have a lock on the top of the mountain, there are still faces that need to be recognized in South Georgia; perhaps the main reason is that if these players are overlooked, the guilty will be left to regret their decisions once these young ladies make them pay for their mistakes.

South Georgia presents a great deal of hoops talent, and for this issue we have the pleasure of shining the spotlight on two endlessly talented individuals who fit the bill quite well. Juniors Nadia Marshall and Za’Nautica Downs are two leaders in the southern area of the state who are quickly making their names known. And with two seasons left to add to their respective resumes, it is guaranteed that their lists of accomplishments will increase before graduation in 2018.

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South Georgia High School Basketball

I give it all to my determination, My drive, my passion for this game… that’s why I fight every day. That is what keeps me going.

Bainbridge High School Claim to Fame 2016 GHSA Class AAAA All-State Second Team Coach Kelvin Cochran on Nadia Marshall “Nadia is a terrific leader. She had a great season last year, and she is taking her role as a leader in stride. She is very vocal, and she is always communicating, whether she’s on the bench or in the game. She even takes the time to pick my brain about what she can be doing better or how she can be a better teammate. Bottom line: She’s a winner, and she’s a leader.”

Nadia Marshall Junior

5’9”, Forward

Pro Comparison

“It’s a little tricky. The first thing that I picked up on when I saw her play as a freshman was her energy, but I think it’s hard to put Nadia in the mold of any pro because she has an incredibly unique style. But I’ll tell you this: When she is in that paint and crashing boards, all I see is Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace. She is one of the most tenacious rebounders I’ve ever seen. She has the heart to play with anybody. But she’s definitely better offensively than them (laughs).” – Kelvin Cochran The path to stardom for Bainbridge High junior Nadia Marshall began at the age of 8; she joined her first basketball team, the Lady Tigers (AAU), and never looked back. After making her first school team in sixth grade in Lanier County, she knew that there was a future for her on the hardwood.

“I give it all to my determination,” Marshall said. “My drive, my passion for this game… that’s why I fight every day. That is what keeps me going.”

After moving back to Bainbridge in eighth grade, she was able to easily settle in with new teammates and get back on track with the game she loves. She had guidance of older players, but one obstacle that would soon come to pass would be that of losing veteran talent around her.

“When I took over this program, I had a couple of seniors,” said Kelvin Cochran, head coach of

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by the numbers

2014-15: 2015-16:

10.5

8.0

2.4

48.0%

3.8

48.0%

Points per game

Rebounds per game

Steals per game

Points per game

Rebounds per game

Steals per game

15.9

9.8

the Bainbridge High School Lady Cats. “But the next year, I started five sophomores, and I had three freshmen coming off the bench behind them. The program has had to grow along with my players, but one constant has been Nadia.

She is a leader for this program.”

Marshall fully shares the sentiment of her head coach. She voices the importance of paying attention to the players that came before her in order to learn the ropes of leadership for her own future.

“When I moved here, I had players that mentored me,” Marshall said. “I understand that it’s my turn to do that now. Last spring, Coach pulled me aside and told me I would have to step into more of a leadership role this season. I try to pull the younger players aside and talk to them because I’ve been in their shoes; I know how they feel.”

Though her junior season is just beginning,

Field goal

Field goal

Marshall has not forgotten to consider her future.

Currently also a member of AAU organization Essence Basketball (Tallahassee, Florida), she also travels for exposure that can hopefully lead to collegiate offers. She has not honed in on a school to attend after graduation, but a few of her favorites include Tennessee, Alabama State, and the University of Connecticut. Wherever she goes, she sees herself studying to become a physical therapist.

“I want to send a special ‘thank you’ to my mother, Sheila Marshall,” Marshall said. “She’s my number one fan and supporter; she’s been there through it all. I also want to thank Coach Cochran for his guidance, and all of my family, friends, and supporters. And definitely all of the community members that help with our fundraisers; their contributions make so many things possible for us.”

When I got here, the older girls took me under their wing. Now it’s my turn. I motivate my teammates.

Colquitt County High School Claim to Fame 2014-15 All-Region First Team (Region 1-AAAAAA) 2016 Region 1-AAAAAA Co-Player of the Year 2016 GHSA Class AAAA All-State Honorable Mention Coach Rondesha Williams on Za’Nautica Downs “Our motto this year is ‘Chasing Perfection.’ I understand that nobody can be perfect. But what I tell my team is that as long as your desire to be perfect remains, you will always be the best you can be. You have to want it every day; no matter what, you have to stay focused. And that, in a nutshell, is Za’Nautica. She hangs out with the younger players, and she makes them feel important.”

Za’Nautica Downs Junior

5’7”, Guard

Pro Comparison

2014-15: 2015-16:

14.2

2.8

by the numbers

3.3

Points per game

Rebounds per game

Steals per game

Points per game

Rebounds per game

Steals per game

18.0

Colquitt County High School junior Za’Nautica Downs should be a household name for anyone who follows South Georgia basketball. Over the last two years, the Lady Packers have reached the second round of the GHSA Class AAAAAA State Playoffs, and she is a major reason why.

“She’s very athletic, and she plays both sides of the floor; that’s rare nowadays.” Lady Packers head coach Rondesha Williams said.

Her resume is quite an impressive one. Just last season, Downs brought home recognition as Co-Player of the Year in Region 1-AAAAAA. Her talents have also earned her recognition at the state level; but what makes her accomplishments all the more amazing is that she has only been engrossed with the round ball since the age of 13.

“I got into the game around 13, yeah,” Downs said. “Some of my family members used to

4.3

4.6

play, and it got me interested. I just love being on the floor.”

Born and raised in Moultrie, she is now a junior for the Lady Packers and prides herself on her shooting and defense, primarily her ability to hone in on steals. Just last season alone, she brought in nearly five steals per game.

Outside of Colquitt ball, Downs also plays traveling basketball with Team Blazers Exposure (Columbus, Georgia) under the guidance of Tim Marshall. As with most student-athletes, she hopes that her talent and hard work can help her to reach her end goal: college.

“I see myself as a mid-major talent,” Downs said. “But wherever I go, I would like to major in engineering.”

Colquitt looks to break through that second-round wall this season; over the last two years, Parkview (Lilburn, Georgia) and Woodstock (Woodstock, Georgia) have been a thorn

“Maya Moore, no hesitation. Za’Nautica can pull up from anywhere on the floor; she can attack; and she can play hard defense. She’s the total package.”

– Rondesha Williams

in the side of the Lady Packers. Downs sees herself as a leader on this roster, and she uses her experience as a catalyst for the potential success of herself and her teammates.

“When I got here, the older girls took me under their wing,” Downs said. “Now it’s my turn. I motivate my teammates. I talk to them, and I do what I can to keep them going. I’m a dancer. I love to dance (laughs). I try to keep everyone’s spirits up because I know that’s my responsibility. I know that if we work hard and stay focused, we can do this. We can push forward in the postseason.”

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No Substitute for Hard Work Written by: James A. Washington Photography by: Micki K Photography

Earnest Carter Valwood School Hahira, Georgia

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Earnest Carter, Jr., became enamored with the game of football at an early age. The plummet into a love affair with the gridiron was a rather simple one: He comes from a family that loves the game, and many relatives suited up at various points throughout his life.

One family member in particular would help usher him into a new world that would prove to be just as welcoming as it was beneficial. One year his senior, Carter’s cousin, Terry, transferred to Valwood School to play for the Valiants.

Carter watched his games often, and he quickly became attached to the tight-knit community that the school offered. His family talked it over, and midway through his eighth-grade year, Carter made the transition to Valwood as well.

Moving from J.L. Newbern Middle School, part of the Valdosta City School System, to the private academic institution caused slight concern for him; however, with a family member already settled into the atmosphere, the conversion was seamless.

“Terry is like my brother, man,” Carter said. “I used to watch him at Valwood, and I just like what I saw. Having him at the school already made things very simple as far as transitioning to the school.”

Both cousins have since then left their marks on the Valiant program. Terry, a 2016 graduate, was named to the GISA Class AAA All-Region Team in 2014 and 2015 and was also a member of the AllState Team in 2015. Carter is following in his footsteps, having been named to the All-Region Team last season as well. But

there is a much more meaningful accolade that the cousins will share for the rest of their lives: They were both key members of a Valwood team that captured the 2015 GISA Class AAA State Championship.

“That moment was unforgettable,” Carter said.

“I remember the Region Championship against Deerfield-Windsor. We were pretty good last season, but we went into that game and lost 347. We got to work immediately. Memories push us. We made ourselves remember that, and after pushing ourselves, we saw them again…and we beat them, 28-26, to take home that state title. I love teamwork, and I value hard work. I’m proud to say I was a part of that team last year.”

The team is looking to repeat that feat this season. As of this writing, the Valiants are 6-2 in the season. Furthermore, they are still undefeated on the year; their most recent 26-7 win over Tiftarea Academy moved them to 4-0 in Region 3-AAA.

The consensus across campus is that Earnest Carter is the embodiment of hard work. On the field, he is a defensive tackle and guard who continues to make his school and teammates proud.

On the court, he does the same as a power forward and center. And in the classroom, he is a hardworking student who is also a member of Key Club and Interact Club.

Everyone has a role model. Everyone has someone that they look up to for leadership and guidance. In Carter’s case, the decision is a rather simple one.

“Ray Lewis,” Carter said. “First off, he went to (the University of) Miami; that’s my favorite team to watch. Then, when he went to play for the Ravens, I started watching them, too. I started researching him, and I learned a great deal. I just really like how he carried himself as a player.

And his performances on the field…he’s just a leader.”

While Ray Lewis provides motivation for the field, there are numerous other valuable role models in Carter’s life. His father, Earnest Carter, Sr., and his grandmother, Queen Carter, played an integral role in raising the driven young man. And throughout the halls of the Valwood campus, there is one major figure that helps push him to be the best possible student-athlete he can be: Valwood head football coach Ashley Henderson.

“Coach Henderson is awesome,” Carter said.

“He’s a good coach, but with him, it’s about so much more than football. He really cares about us and our well-being, both on and off the field.

He’s just honestly a great person.”

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. As the football season nears a conclusion, the reality set in that Carter will soon be departing the Valiant halls. He is currently drawing interest from Harvard, Columbia, Yale, and Stetson Universities. Although a decision hasn’t been made, he is debating a college path of pursuing a business degree.

Valwood crafts champions. No matter the aspect, this is one ideal that rings true. Whether it be on the football field or in the classroom, the school strives to present only the most determined and adamant individuals to the world after they earn their diplomas. From the way things are looking, Earnest Carter, Jr., will be the latest in a long line of intelligent and hard-working Valwood graduates.

“I think they’ll say that I was a leader,” Carter said. “I was humble, honest, and I cared about everyone. But most of all, I was a leader. It’s about more than just words…I led by example. I made sure that people knew I practiced what I preached.”

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Young Athlete Finds Her Lane With The Sport of Swimming Written by: Beth Welch Photos by: Jerry Christenson

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The Summer Olympic Games proved once again that American swim athletes are the best in the world. With that kind of success, the sport of swimming gains new recruits who aspire to be the next Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky. Several years ago Hannah Mattson was one of those youngsters who made role models out of gold medal winners.

“I’ve always admired Michael Phelps as an athlete,” Mattson said. “Seeing him compete in the breaststroke is kind of what made me decide to try the ‘fly.’”

The 15-year-old Brookstone School sophomore started swimming as a sport at the age of 6. She was born in Florida but moved to this area prior to the first grade. Looking for some sort of athletic activity, Mattson tried a few sports, but nothing really fit until her father suggested swimming.

“My dad was a swimmer in high school and at UNC,” Mattson said. “He asked if I might want to try swimming, so I thought, ‘Sure, why not?’

In my mind, I was thinking of something kind of like pool party swimming. That’s really all I knew about swimming.”

Shortly after joining the Columbus Hurricanes Swim Club at the D.A. Turner YMCA, Mattson got a real taste of the competitive sport of swimming. Even though she was young, Mattson could tell swimming was right for her, and she has loved it ever since.

The 5-foot-7 athlete credits her former ‘Canes coach, Mike McCardle, with instilling in her a true love of the sport and for making it fun. Mattson says McCardle emphasized team relays and working together as a team all while making swimming an activity to be enjoyed, not endured.

From that foundation Mattson continued to compete with the local swim club and gained a reputation as a talented competitive swimmer.

When she began attending Brookstone School last year as a freshman, it was only natural for her to sign up for the school’s swim team.

Established three years ago, the Brookstone swim program is maturing and has many athletes who are also members of the Hurricanes swim club or got their start in the sport through the club. Mattson continues to swim with the Hurricanes, which has created some juggling of schedules and a lot of attention to time management.

“Now I swim six days a week about two to three hours each day,” Mattson said with a smile.

“It requires dedication and hard work, but swimming is so important to me.”

That dedication and hard work is already paying off. Last year as a freshman at Brookstone, Mattson was named the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer’s Female Swimmer of Year. The rookie swimmer qualified for the GHSA state meet in a variety of events and had two top-11 finishes. She swims

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Mattson has personally met one of today’s giants in the sport of swimming. The Brookstone swimmer was able to spend a little time with Missy Franklin and came away inspired by the successful athlete’s humble nature as well as her dedication for promoting the sport for female swimmers.

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the 200-meter freestyle event and 100-meter fly (butterfly stroke) event as a member of the Cougar team.

In August, Mattson participated in a Southeast Regional meet that consisted of swimmers from 13 states. In her age group, Mattson won the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke events. It was unexpected but gratifying for her.

“I was very surprised,” Mattson said of her performance. “I dropped a lot of time. That felt good because it gave me the confidence to know I can improve, and when I improve, I can win.”

Going into her second season as a Brookstone teammate, Mattson has set a few goals. She wants to be in the top five at the state meet and help her team get higher point totals for all meets. Mattson believes the Brookstone team could be poised for greatness this season: Almost every swim athlete is returning, and several experienced freshmen joined the program.

Her future plans include becoming a student-athlete at a Division I swim program. Right now, the

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University of Georgia tops her list of potential schools. The medical field is her intended vocation, and at this point she is looking at the practice of obstetrics and gynecology.

Mattson feels swimming has so many benefits.

The sport is one she can participate in as a competitor or just for personal fitness and literally has no age limits. She speaks of swimming with such passion and appreciation, it seems it would be fitting for the athlete to be an ambassador of the sport if there was such a position.

“It takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice to be a competitive swimmer,” Mattson said. “You give up a lot of social interaction with friends because when they are socializing, we are practicing and going to meets. But if you are working hard and having fun, it is such a good thing. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be without swimming in my life. It teaches so much beyond the physical: time management, accountability, leadership, and team bonding.”

Thinking for a moment, Mattson smiled broadly and said, “I am still having fun in the water.”

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