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Tre Edge Cam Holden Dee Morton Rekia Weaver -- Honorable Desmond Williams -- Honorable
1st Team All-Region 2-AAAA 1st Team All-Region 2-AAAA 1st Team All-Region 2-AAAA Mention All-Region 2-AAAA Mention All-Region 2-AAAA
Aterla McDowell Kver Shannon
1st Team All-Region 2-AAAA 1 st Team All-Region 2-AAAA
(At right) Mary Persons teacher Art Jenkins and the MP Access De-
partment honored MP senior basketball star C~ameron Holden with a
special commemorative plaque celebrating his outstanding high school
career. Holden, who was a unanimous AAAA All-State selection in
2017-18, is believed to be the first MP boys player in program history
to score 2,000 points in his high school career. Holden was also se-
lected to play in the prestigious GHSA North-South All-Star Game. The
MP Access Department also gave framed team photos to all of the MP
boys basketball seniors and coach Greg Nix. The MP boys set a new
school record for victories in 20]7-]8 with 23. (Photos/Richard Dumas)
By Will Davis
pubhsher@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons boys soccer team is
unlikely to repeat as region champions
after falling to Upson-Lee last Tuesday for
the second time this season, once again
by just one goal.
But after a win over Jones County on
Thursday, the boys still have a solid 10-
3-1 record, 4-3 in region heading into a
Alex Rivera moves upfield against Upson-
Lee despite the Knight defender grab-
bing a hand-full of Rivera's abdomen on
Tuesday, March 27. (Photo/Will Davis)
12-day pause for spring break.
Last Tuesday the Bulldogs dropped a
2-1 game to No. 4-ranked Upson-Lee at
Lancaster Field in Forsyth. The Knights
led 1-0 at the half and added another goal
in the second half.
But then Dawson Daniel broke the ice
for the Bulldogs offan assist from Jacob
Anthony, and MP trailed just 2-1 with
plenty of time left. Alas the Bulldogs
couldn't punch through a tying goal, and
spent much of the half chasing the speedy
No. 7,last year's region Player of the
Year.
Keeper Brock Hulsey had six saves for
the Bulldogs as Upson outshot MP 12-6.
The Knights, who beat MP 4-3 in
Thomaston on Feb. 27, improved to 12-1
overall, 6-1 in region.
On Thursday in Gray, the Bulldogs
played a struggling Jones County team
and the teams stayed knotted at 0-0 for 75
minutes until MP had a. corner kick with
just five minutes left to go.
Senior Alex Rivera lofted the corner
ball to the middle and William Atkins
headed it home for what turned out to be
the game-winning shot. MP outshot the
Hounds 22-4 but only scored in the final
five minutes. The Greyhounds are now
3-9 on the year.
Offfor Spring Break, the Bulldogs
return to action on Tuesday, April 10
against Howard (3-6 overall, 0-6 region)
in Forsyth. Boys games start at 5:30 p.m.
Lawn Maintenence - Debris Removal
Bedding -Landscaping - Tractor Work
Licensed & Insured
Family-owned Monroe County business
By Will Davis
publisherOrnymcr.net
The Mary Persons gids
soccer team remained in
the race for a region title
by downing a surprisingly
feisty Upson-Lee team
3-2 last Tuesday, but then
dropped a non-region
contest at Jones County on
Thursday.
The Lady Bulldogs
(10-3-1, 6-1 region) had
trounced the Lady Knights
8-1 on Feb. 27 but found
themselves in a tough
re-match on Tuesday in
Forsyth. Sophomore Taylor
Buf gton gave the Lady
Knights fits with her strong
left foot and scored all
three goals for the hat trick.
But when Upson scored a
second goal in the second
half, the Lady Dogs found
themselves fighting to keep
a narrow 3-2 lead. The girls
succeeded, locking down
their. 10th win of the year.
"We didn't play very well
at all" said coach Dallas
Hall, noting that the girls
were rusty having been
off for 11 days prior to the
contest. "It's not the result
you want, but sometimes
you have to win ugly."
Upson-Lee fell to 3-10
overall azld 1-6 in region.
On Thursday, the Lady
Dogs lost to Jones County
in a non-region tilt in Gray.
Mary Persons scored first.
when Abbie Davis went
right, then left, then right
again before nailing a shot
into the back of the net.
Jones County star forward
Madison Mitchum tied it
1-1 with two minutes left in
the first half.
In the second half, Taylor
Bulfington struck for the
Lady Dogs to make it 2-1.
But the Lady Hounds
wouldn't go away. They
tied it at 2-2 and the game
remained deadlocked for
much of the second half
until Jones County struck
again with just five minutes
left for a 3-2 advantage.
The Bulldogs couldn't score
again and suffered the loss.
"We knew it was a dan-
gerous game with spring
break coming up" said
Hall. "When spring break
is that dose, it's usually
shutdown time for a couple
of people:'
Hall said his girls have
struggled the last couple of
games and wondered if the
team's limited depth was
catching up with them.
"Spring break comes at a
good time,' said Hall. "The
girls can rest their legs and
reboot their batteries:'
Hall said the girls actually
moved the ball pretty well
against Jones County but
said the Greyhounds style
of play rattled them.
"The biggest thing is
they were an ugly team
to play against,' said Hall.
"They just kicked the ball
in no direction, and it
was a super bouncy field
which played into how they
played."
Hall said Jones County
took advantage of a few
mistakes by MP to score
goals. "They didn't create
anything" said Hall. "Our
three mistakes -- they
capitalized on it. Soccer is
the only sport that you can't
click off, or they're going
the other way"
The Jones County girls
improved to 6-3.
Hall said The Bulldogs
will face a monster week
when they return from
spring break, hosting fellow
region leaders Howard and
Spalding.
MP retums to action on
Tuesday, April 10 against
Howard (7-3 overall, 4-2
region) in Forsyth and
then hosts No. 4-ranked
Spalding on Friday, April
13. Girls games start at 5:30
p.m.
