Page 4B November 14, 2018.-
mRgporter
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
W oen the
mperatures
ginto
p and the
woodlands don their multi-
colored cloak of yellow,
orange and red, I find myself
eagerly awaiting arrival of
birds that make the long trek
from the north
to winter in my
backyard. During
the first week in.
November, my
wait for the first
of these special
visitors to arrive
ended. The first
bird to show up
this year proved
to be a white- TERRY
throated sparrow.
Since white-
throated sparrows begin ar-
riving in Georgia in October,
I should have encountered
whitethroats weeks ear-
lier. However, it is possible
white-throated sparrows
have been here for weeks
and our paths did not cross.
Although I was not lucky
enough to see the bird, I
heard its clear, unmistakable
call. As far as I am con-
cemed, it is the sweetest bird
song we Georgians are likely
to hear each winter. Un-
derstandably Canadians
are convinced this sparrow
seems to be saying, "Pure
sweet Canada, Canada,
CanadaJ' However, here
in the United
States many
folks believe it
is repeating the
phrase, "Old Sam
Peabody, Pea-
body, Peabody"
Now that I
know white-
throated spar-
rows are here, I
W. JOHNSON hope I will soon
catch a glimpse of
this distinguished
member of the sparrow
family. The white-throated
sparrow is a cinch to iden-
ti . Like many sparrows, it
displays a gray breast as well
as black and white stripes
running down the length
of its head. Likewise, the
feathers on its wings, back,
and tail are splashed with
colored varying shades of
TEAM STATS
JM MP
First Downs 4 16
Rushing yds. 18 267
Passing yds. 35 322
Total yards 53 589
Att-Comp-'lnt 13-5-1 13 - 11 -O
Fumbles-Lost O-O 1 -O
Penalties 1-5 5-56
1 2 3 4 T
RA O O 0 O O
MP 24 28 O 7 59
First Quarter
Antoine Davis 47-yard reception (Rivera kick)
De'Adrek Alford 29-yard reception (Rivera kick)
Desmond VVilliams 80-yard reception (Rivera kick)
Alex Rlvera 26-yard field goal
Second Quarter
Rico Harden 40-yard run (Rivera kick)
De'Adrek Alford 20-
Antoine
kick)
INDIVIDUAL MP STATS
OFFENSE
RUSHING
Player Carries Yards
D.J. Martinez 9 94
73
53
Quen Wilson 4 23
Antoine Davis 2 12
William Stewart 1 9
Jay er High 6 3
Ladamian Sands 2 -1
Jaden Bankston 1 -5
Jimbo Finch 2 -6
PASSING
Camp. Aft. Yards
J.T. Hartage 12 10 305
Jimbo Finch 1 1 17
RECEIVING
Andre Jackson 1
134
80
72
17
11
8
Y
brown. There are, however,
a few field marks that set this
large sparrow apart from its
kin. Adult white-throated
sparrows have snow-white
throats. In addition, bright
yellow patches adam the
birds' lores (the areas located
just in front of the eye).
The vast majority of white-
throated sparrows breed
across Canada Here they
prefer to nest around the
brushy perimeters of beaver
ponds, woodland edges,
rocky outcrops and the like.
The birds that winter in
Georgia also like brushy
habitats located within cities,
suburban and rural areas
to sin
White-throated sparrows come from Canada
their sweet songs. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
to winter
in Georgia
alike. S,s such, quail hunt- leaves on a chilly winter looking for hidden seeds and
ers are apt to encounter morning are likely to hear or insects.
them while hunting along see this visitor from Canada. When they venture out
the edges of old fields, and In winter, white-throated into my yard, they prefer to
shrubby hedgerows along- sparrows often form small feed on seeds I scatter on the
side fields. Similarly, deer flocks and even travel about ground. They will also dine
hunters sitting in deer stands foraging food with other on canary and sunflower
at dawn and dusk often hear birds. Nevertheless, I most seeds, cornbread, and suet.
the white-throated sparrow's often see solitary birds at Banding studies have
clear, whistled call floating my feeders. Although from found that once whitethroats
across the crisp winter air. time to time, I will spot two winter in a yard, they are apt
While hunting wood ducks to three birds feeding at the to return to the same loca-
in beaver po.a~ I have often same time. tion the following year. This
stood motionless in the still, During the time I hostpropensity was first revealed
cold, dark water and listened these birds, they spend most a century ago, when a bird
to whitethroats calling from of the day on the ground bander placed a numbered
the thick bushes growing beneath the thick shrubs band on the leg of a white-
nearby. Likewise, people that border two sides of my throated sparrow captured
walking their dogs in a city yard. Here they use both near Thomasville. Remark-
park or a homeowner raking feet to scratch away leaves ably, five years later the bird
and fill the air with
was recaptured in the same "
location.
I hope that you will be
lucky enough to have a
white-throated sparrow or
two choose to visit in your
backyard this winter. If they
find your yard to their liking,+,
you will soon learn why I :
think they are so special.
Terry Johnson is retired . c
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan- +
gered Wildlife Program. He *
has written the informative
column 'Monroe Outdoors'
for the Reporter for many :
+
years. Email him at tjwood-
duck@bellsouth.net.
T
Continued from Front
margin.
The 59-point margin of victory was
the second-highest in program histor
trailing only MP's 63-0 win over Pike
County in 1996. The 59 points scored
was also the most ever in a playoff game
and fifth-most in program history. The
Bulldogs have now had four of their
top six all-time highest scoring single-
game outputs in 2018. Meanwhile, MP's
defense was equally dominant, pitching
its third shutout of the season while
allowing just 53 total yards.
Hartage said he never expected such
a blowout outcome in the first round of
the state playoffs.
"I really didn't;' Hartage said. "We're
just doing what we were coached to do.
Our coaches are like: 'Never be saris-
fled. Always be humble.' No matter who
we play, we're just going to be 1-0."
MP offensive coordinator Jason
Morrow said he never wants his offense
to be too dependent on Wilson and
was pleased that Hartage and others
stepped up to pick up the slack in his
star tailbacks absence.
"I've said all year long that I like an
offense that doesn't rely on one person,"
Morrow said. "So the more contribu-
tions we get from everybody, the better
we are offensivel)n lust because it's more
difficult to stop when you've got mul-
tiple people and you've got all these dif-
ferent threats. So I don't like one person
being the main person all the time."
Like many nights, the veteran Hartage
played a prime role in MP's offense on
Friday and his performance was made
all the more critical with Wilson out.
"J.T. is just a smart football player,"
Morrow said. "He's one of the smart-
est I% ever coached in terms of his
,a
football IQ being just offthe charts. ,
And then he's an accurate passer. Don't
get me wrong. He's got good weapons
around him, but it takes somebody that
can pull the trigger and run all those
things?
Nelson said he expects Wilson we be
ready to go when MP hosts Woodward
Academy in the second round at 7:30
p.m. on Friday at Dan Pitts Stadium
and said Wilson could have gone back "
in if needed against Richmond Acad-
em)
"We were probably trying to be a
little overcautious with Wilson" Nelson -'
said. "But J.T s been doing that for a
while now. And guys just stepped up
and played good. Antoine played good.
Rico played good. Alford had some
good catches. I'm just pleased with it
overall that we were able to do that, and
it wasn't too sloppy."
,J
Monroe '
Middle :"
area
runner-up
softball
uad
'+
honored
:l
Madi Cate McKinnon -- C- :
Team Coaches' Award, Blaklee '"
Shortt -- C-Team Best Often- "
sive Player Award, Riley Ounn +'~
-" C-Team Most Improved Player-'
Award, Anna Woodgeard -- " '
C-Team Best Defensive Player .v
Award, Makenzie Hicks -- C-
Team Academic Award ,
DEFENSE
AND SPECIAL TEAMS
Tackles Assists
Ladamian Sands 4 3
Ken&ell Watts 4 2
4 0
3 0
2 1
2 1
2 0
2 0
1 1
1 1
FUMBLE RETURNS
No. Yards Avg.
Antoine Davis 1 O O.O
INTERCEPTION RETURNS
No. Yards Avg.
Rico Harden 1 18 18;C)
KICKOFF RETURNS
No. Yards Avg.
Tra Jones 1 0 0.0
PUNT RETURNS
No. Yards
None
Avg.
PUNTING
No. Yards Avg.
Tripp Shipman 1 28 28.0
ATTEMPTS
Made Aft. Distance
1 2 26 (48)
premier team captures CI III division title:L
Two Monroe County boys were part of the Southern Alliance of Futbol (SAF) 2004 premier team that won its Class III "',
division in the fall. Wing Park Davis and defender Tripp Shipman, both of Forsyth, were members of the team that finished +~
its regular season 9-1, finishing the year on top of its division, which included teams from Fayetteville, Dublin, Springfield, "'
Richmond Hill and Columbus. Also on the team was Jake Keys, whose mother Heather Keys is an occupational therapist in
Monroe County schools.
