Page 2B April 18, 2018
i porter
By Will Davis region blemish in the last two
pubhsher@mymc~net seasons. MP only lost 2-0 the first
time the teams met. But Spalding
The Mary Persons girls soccer was just too strong and too deep.
team suffered a rough week with The Lady Jags scored just 10 min-
losses to Howard and Spalding, utes into the first half. The Lady
but nevertheless appears poised to Dogs hdd them for the rest of the
hold onto a second-place finish in half so trailed just 1-0 at the break
region and the right to host Cairo and would have the gusty breeze
in Round 1 of the state playoffs on behind them in the second half.
Thursday, April 26. While the Lady Dogs did play
The Lady Dogs (10-5-1, 6- 3 in more aggressively in the second
region) were set to finish their half, they were not able to strike
the back of the net, and
the Lady lags added two
REGION 2-AAAA STANDINGS late goals for the 3-0
SCHOOL OVERALL REGION win.
Spalding High. 14-2-0 10-0 "I was just glad to get
Mary Persons 10-5-1 6-3 out of that game with no
injuries" said coach Dal-
Howard High 10-4 5-3 las Hall, noting that the
Perry High 3-12 3-5 Howard loss on Tuesday
Upson-Lee 4- 11 2-7 meant MP couldn't win
region. "Hopefully we
West Laurens 2-9 O-8 can get them next year"
Then on Tuesday;
season by hosting Perry on Senior April 10, the MP girls
Night Tuesday. MP beat the Lady suffered a tough loss to rival How-
Panthers 7-0 during their first ard 2-1.
meeting. The Lady Dogs scored first in
On Friday, the Lady Dogs took the first half when Abbie Davis
on region power Spalding, hoping fed the ball to Taylor Buffmgton,
to hand the Lady Jags their only who went left and then blasted
a shot into the upper left hand
corner of the net to give MP a 1-0
lead.
Howard sophomore Elizabeth
Rodenroth Ued the game in the
second half on a long left-footed
shot.
Later, Rodenroth knocked a free
kick from beyond the box off the
cross bar and it bounded in front
of the net. When the Lady Dogs
failed to clear the ball, a Husky
punched it in for a 2-1 lead.
Despite frantic scoring efforts the
Bulldogs couldn't tie it up, and for
the second year in a row Howard
and MP split their two regular
season games. Howard improved
to 10-4, 5-3 in region.
Hall said he knew it would be a
tough game with his girls coming
offspring break. He had hoped
not to play the game then but
Howard had to re-schedule after
failing to get referees for an earlier
date.
"That's why I didn't schedule
them on that day" said Hall. "But
it's how it had to go. And overall,
disregarding the score, it was the
best game we played possession-
wise. We passed very well and did
exactly what we wanted to do. But
MP senior goalkeeper Lori Smith held region champ Spalding to just a
single goal until there were fewer than six minutes left on the clock on
Friday. (Photo/Will Davis)
Howard just loaded the box on region ahead of Howard by beat-
defense. It's not fun to play against ing Perry on Tuesda) April 17 at
teams when they're just kicking . home. That would also clinch a
the ball." home Round 1 playoffgame on
Despite the loss, the Lady Dogs Thursday; April 26.
can still clinch second place in the
HALL OF FAMEall-time leading scorer,
Continued from Front having led the Lady Dogs
to the state playoffs three
straight years from 1998-
10 by the Hall of Fame's 2000. Davis went on to play
11 -member committee, for legendary head coach
The eight members sdected Pat Summitt at the Univer-
include in alphabetical or- sity of Tennessee, where
der: LaToya Davis, Charles Davis played on three Final
Dumas, Rhonda Griffin Four teams, including two
Hardy, Thomas "Sonny" national runner-up squads
Marsh, Steve Melton, An- in 2003 and 2004, respec-
nie Ree Brantley Summers,
Rodney Walker and Peppi tively.
Dumas, a former Mary
ZeUner. Persons football star, was
Davis, a former Mary one of the first backfield
Persons girls basketball standouts under head
standout, is the program's
ClassiC Soul Hits at 100.1FM
1 of Mid-die Georgial
coach Dan Pitts, being
recognized as an all-state
selection by the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution in
1959 and 1960. Dumas
went on to play college
football at Clemson before
coming back to Forsyth
and eventually serving
more than 20 years as
Monroe County Schools
superintendent.
Hardy, a former Monroe
Academy all-sports star,
was perhaps Monroe's
finest ever female athlete,
having excelled at numer-
ous sports, including as the
star of Monroe's back-
to-back girls basketball
titles in 1984 and 1985,
respectively. Hardy went
on to Mercer University,
where she lettered in four
different sports: softball,
basketball, soccer and cross
country; before embarking
on a distinguished teaching
career at Tattnall Square.
Marsh, a former Mary
Persons football star, was
arguably the greatest foot-
ball player of the pre-Dan
Pitts era of MP football.
Marsh, an all-state running
back, was the centerpiece of
a 9-2 season under former
coach Bill Meeks in 1955,
being recognized as the
Middle Georgia Player
of the Year by the Macon
Telegraph.
Melton, a former Mary
Persons basketball stand-
out, was one of the top
hardwood talents in pro-
gram history. Melton was
a leader of some of the top
boys squads in MP history
in the late 1960s, including
the 1968 team that remains
the lone Bulldogs' squad to
reach the state Final Four.
Summers, a former
Hubbard High School
standout, competed in
several sports at Hubbard,
including basketball, and
is widely considered one of
the school's finest athletes.
Summers, who now lives
in Maryland, has numer-
ous successful children and
grandchildren.
Walker, a former Mary
Persons head football
coach, was one of the most
successful football coaches
in Georgia High School
Association (GHSA) his-
tory. Walker, who captured
his lone state title at West
BOYS TRACK
Continued from Front
really pleased with the way
this team competed, and I
believe this team saw how
dose they came to a region
championship. They now
realize what it will take to
bring the first place trophy
home next year:'
In its final tuneup before
the Region 2-AAAA cham-
pionship meet, the MP
boys placed second with
107.5 points in a six-team
competition at FPD on
Wednesday.
Home FPD was the boys
champion with a total of
141 points, followed by MP.
John. Milledge placed third
with 84.5 points. Other
teams participating in
MONROE COUNR BOARD OF EDUCATION
SCHEDULE OF APPROVED LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX PROJECTS
YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2017
Ape~I 201~9
Rome in 1984, won ex-
actly 300 games in Georgia,
making him one of just 13
head coaches who have
achieved the feat. A former
MP letterman, Walker
returned to his alma mater
as athletic director in 2005
and served as head coach
from 2006-11.
Zellner, a former Mary
Persons football star, was
the top player on MP's state
runner-up 1993 squad.
ZeUner, who went on to
star in college at Fort Valley
State, is one of just four MP
alums to reach the NFL.
A member of the Dallas
Cowboys, Washington
Redskins and Arizona
Cardinals, respectively,
ZeUner played 89 games
in the NFL as a defensive
lineman, registering 107
tackles and 9 sacks.
Tickets for the June 16 in-
duction ceremony are cur-
rently on sale to the public
at Persons Bank, United
Bank, the Reporter and
Alderman Hall. The cost of
a ticket is $35 per person,
which will indude a seated
dinner. Team members,
coaches, cheerleaders and
order of highest to lowest
finish included: Stratford
Academy, Tattnall Square
and Mount de Sales.
MP's lone individual
champion at the FPD meet
was junior Daniel LaveUe,
who captured the discus
with a throw of 124 feet, 2
inches. MP's 4 x 100-meter
relay team was also victori-
ous with a time of 44.55
seconds.
Other MP boys athletes
who scored points atthe
FPD meet included: Caileb
Ussery, who placed second
in the 100 meters with
a time of 11.62 seconds,
Ladamian Sands, who
placed third in the 100
meters with a time of 11.66
seconds, Adrian Hughley,
who placed sixth in the
200 meters with a time of
24.5 seconds, Ty Brown,
who placed fourth in the
800 meters with a time
of 2 minutes, 31 seconds,
Logan O'Neil, who placed
second in the 1,600 meters
with a time of 5 minutes,
24 seconds and second
in the 3,200 meters with
atime ofll minutes, 13
Seconds, Holden Haworth,
who placed sixth in the
1,600 meters with a time of
5 minutes, 43 seconds and
fifth in the 3,200 meters
with a time of 12 minutes,
18 seconds, Jamar Fagan,
who placed second in the
managers of Mary Per-
sons football teams that
pre-date 1960 will also be
recognized at the banquet.
An annual Hall of Fame :
banquet tradition also in- ;
dudes the honoring of one
male and one female Mary
Persons senior scholar-
athlete. This year's honor- '
ees include: MP football/
soccer star Dawson Daniel
and MP softball/soccer star
Lori Smith, who are also
among the top scholastic
performers in the 2018 MP
senior class,
For more information
about the Forsyth-Monroe
County Sports Hall of
Fame induction ceremony,!
contact one of the Hall of "
Fame committee member
Mary Frances Chambliss,
Gaylyn Cole, Richard
Dumas, Keith Edge, Her-
bert Gantt, Chairman Jim
Hardin, Bob Harris, Nolen
Howard, Vice Chairman
Bobby Melton, Secretary/
Treasurer Penny Pitts or
Marcus Whitehead. Inter-
ested persons can also visi
the Hall of Fames website
at forsyth-monroecountys :
portshalloffame
.com.
~
110-meter hurdles with
a time of 16.20 seconds,
Condarius Alford, who
placed second in the high
jump with a leap of 6 feet, :
I inch, Jaquez Watkins, :
Who placed third in the :
high jump with a leap of 6:
feet, third in the long jump;
with a leap of 20 feet, 1
inch and third in the triple,
jump with a leap of 40 feet;
6 inches, Bralen Harvey,
who placed fifth in the pole
vault with a vault of 8 feet, il
6 inches, Brycen Young,
who placed sixth in the
pole vault with a vault of ,o
8 feet, 6 inches, Deadrek
Alford, who placed sixth h't
the triple jump with a leap
of 38 feet, 4 inches, and
Lavelle, who placed third in
the shot put with a heave of
39 feet, I inch. Also, MP's :
4 x 400-meter relay team ':
placed third with a time of:.
3 minutes, 40 secdnds, :
The Mary Persons
varsity boys track team ,"
will next compete at 10 ",
a.m. on Saturday, April ;
28 in the GHSA AAAA
state sectional competi-
tion at Kinnett Stadium
in Columbus. Athletes
from Regions 1-AAAA,
2-AAAA, 5-AAA and
6-AAAA will square off for
spots in the AAAA state
finals to be contested at
Valhalla Stadium in Rome
from May 10-12.
)
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