TRACK &FIELD

No one event makes or breaks an entire season for a program, yet it does encapsulate the hard work and dedication put in. The girls 4x400 relay team won the GHSA State Championship in Rome, marking the first relay group in TFS history to do so. That was part of the stellar effort the track and field teams had this season.

The Lady Indians placed fifth at the Region Championships, and followed it up with a 10th-place finished at the state meet, their best finish since a 5th-place finish in 2018. The Indians, meanwhile, were third at Region and finished 25th at state.

In the process of the season, TFS broke school records in the boys discus (Sam Ketch), boys 4x200 relay, girls 800 (Molly Mitchell), girls high jump (Julianne Shirley), and girls 4x400 relay. Ketch broke a 10-yearold record with a 151-6 throw in the discus at state, placing him 3rd overall. Shirley’s 5’1 broke the high jump mark, and Mitchell’s 2:30.14 set a new record in the 800. The boys relay record-breaking group broke their own record from the previous season - Nana Amankwah, Blair Moore, Nnamdi Ezunu, and Tyler Brown. That quartet set the mark in the region meet. The girls 4x4 relay set the record

4x400 State Champions

in their state championship run and consisted of Dani Prince, Sofia Rueda, Molly Mitchell, and Julianne Shirley.

At region, Ketch (discus), Ade Akisanya (shot put), Shirley (400), and the girls 4x400 relay all earned region titles. Those who earned runner-up honors included Walker Bailey (3200), Brown (300 MH), Shirley (200), and Mitchell (400). In total, Tallulah Falls qualified for sectionals in 18 events. Of those, 15 events qualified for state. Ketch (discus) and Shirley (400), as well as that girls 4x4 all won their sectional events.

At state, those who placed top-10 included Ketch (3rd in discus), Shirley (3rd in 400; 5th in high jump), Jace Ibemere (5th in triple jump), girls 4x800 relay (7th), Walker Bailey (9th in 1600), and the girls 4x400 championship relay. Sara Bailey was instrumental in the championship relay team, as she stepped in for Mitchell in the prelims run, and put up a great time, in order to give Mitchell a break after running the 400 and 800 prelims in the same day.

With nearly all of the state qualifiers back for another run in 2024, the future remains bright for this program.

The Indians took a step forward in 2023. Tallulah Falls (12-17) made the state playoffs for the second time ever and the 3rd-place finish in regions is a program-best.

Among the notable achievements of this team includes a win over #1-ranked Elbert County, and nearly topping #1 Prince Avenue Christian and Elbert a separate time. The offense, meanwhile, combined for 171 runs, second in program history.

This season featured a trio of underclassmen Andrew Skvarka (2 wins, 2.66 ERA, 25 K), Chase Pollock (6 wins, 3.85 ERA, 30 K), and Cole Bonitatibus (three wins, 4.20 ERA, 50 K) with solid seasons on the mound. Frankey Moree had three saves (TFS record) and he and Rohajae Pinder (42 K) were used often.

Moree set several records in a season that saw him earn Region Player of the Year honors. He hit .449 (4th-best in school history), with records in hits (44) and homeruns (7). He had 21 RBI and 32 runs. Moree has the top spot in TFS history in hits (86), HR (9), and runs (66), and is second in RBI (56), doubles (14), triples (5), stolen bases (23), and walks (28), while finishing third in career batting average (.354).

Beyond Moree, Caden Walker (.347, 1 HR, 12 RBI), Danny Grant (.321, 17 RBI), Zaiden Cox (.316, 15 RBI), and Pinder (.294, 1 HR, 21 RBI) were anchors in the lineup.

TFS took on Darlington in the opening round of the state playoffs and fell in consecutive games to end its season. Moree and Pinder earned 1st Team All-Region accolades, while Walker, Pollock, and Bonitatibus were 2nd Team members. BJ Carver and Grant were Honorable Mentions.

The JV Indians dominated for most of 2023 and showed perseverance by finishing strong. In total, the boys were 10-3 under coach Kyle Dampier.

Throughout the first several games of the season, the Indians won with relative ease. Starting with a season opening 11-1 win over Commerce, TFS rattled off eight consecutive victories, including a pair of 1-run wins over Barrow Arts & Sciences Academy and Franklin County. TFS scored 10-plus runs in five of the first eight wins, and had seven such games overall.

Adversity came by way of Buford, who handed TFS a double-header sweep. The losing streak hit three with a close loss to West Oak (SC). Breaking out of the funk, the Indians poured on 13 runs in a win over West Oak in the doubleheader finale, and polished off the campaign with an 11-1 win over rival Rabun Gap.

The Indians scored 101 runs overall, averaging 7.8 per game. Opponents crossed the plate a mere 43 times (3.3/game). Several players were consistently among the leaders, including Gregory Mendez, Diego Gonzalez, Wyatt Dorsey, Chris Waldron, and others. Mendez and Griffin Harkness were also among those who pitched very well throughout the season.