Simmons continues success at University of North Georgia
By Russ Ragan
The journey has been a long one for Dodge High School Lady Indian Margaret Simmons, but it looks like she has found a home with NCAA division II power North Georgia. She was a four-year all region player for the Lady Indians. She was all state and all middle Georgia in 2013. She led the Lady Indians to a pair of trips to Columbus including a top three finish her senior year.
She continued her play at Middle Georgia College in Cochran. She burst on the scene, as she was 2018 freshman and player of the year. She was also all-conference in 2019 but then things changed.
Things would change after her sophomore season. Middle Georgia was in the middle of a coaching change. That’s when North Georgia and legendary head coach Mike Davenport stepped into the scene. She took a trip to the campus in Dahlonega and she was offered a scholarship and the rest is history. Simmons was looking forward to the challenge of playing for the powerhouse program and she got the jersey number 6, which she wears in honor of her stepsister Nikki Graham. It also didn’t hurt that North Georgia blue is her favorite color.
Simmons got off to a slow start in 2020. She was hitting just .245 with seven RBIs in early March when the sports world and mostly everything else shut down. I recently had the chance to talk to coach Davenport and he said, “It was a big adjustment for her to move to division II”.
Things changed in 2021 for the shortstop. She found her power stroke again. She was tied for the team lead with five homers and she leads the team with 18 RBI’s and a .420 batting average. Davenport said, “She has matured a lot from last season and she is settled now”.
This North Georgia team is a powerhouse. They are currently; 17-1 on the season and they are ranked number 1 in NCAA division II. They are currently 4-0 in the Peach Belt Conference going into a big double header on April 3 against Young Harris College on the road. Young Harris is ranked number 11 nationally. The games will be a big challenge.
Like almost everyone, the Night Hawks were affected by Covid. They were shutdown for a while after games on February 27. They didn’t get any games until March 22. Davenport said “We were just hitting our rhythm when Covid slowed us down”. Margaret was the Chic-Fil-A Night Hawk of the week for her play right at the shutdown.
This team has quality depth on both offense and defense. “We can run some good depth to the mound” said Davenport. They are led by senior Kylee Smith. She is 6-0 with a 0.74 ERA this season. She has 71 strikeouts in just 38 innings. The second pitcher is junior Laken Chambers. She is also 6-0 with a 0.00 ERA. She has had only two walks in 35 innings. “Kylee is my strikeout pitcher and Laken pitches more to contact and lets the defense work,” said Davenport. Recently in a conference double-header against Augusta College the two had a big day. Smith pitched a no hitter in game one with 18 strikeouts. In game two, Chambers pitched a three hitter over six innings. Smith pitched the seventh for the save. A fourth inning homer from Margaret in the fourth was the games only run.
The Night Hawks third pitcher should be familiar to Lady Indian fans. It’s Tylee Denton from Banks County. She faced Dodge twice in Columbus. “Tylee has pitched well for us”, said Davenport. She is 301 on the season with a 1.59 ERA. She has 32 strikeouts in 26 innings. “She pitched well enough to win in the 2-1 loss to Newberry College. “There were a few plays we should have made”, said Davenport.
The Night Hawks are strong offensively as well. Shelby Hamontree and Madison Simmons are tied with Margaret with five homers to lead the team. As a team, they are hitting .316 and have a strong .416 on base percentage. They are 44 for 48 in stolen bases. So, as you can tell, there aren’t many weaknesses on this team. They can also play defense. They have made only 11 errors in 18 games good for a .977 team fielding percentage.
Cody Davenport has put together a powerhouse during his 20 years at North Georgia. The coach won his 900th game in Wednesdays 12-1 win over Newberry College. They have won nine conference championships since becoming a full time member of NCAA division II in 2008. In 2010, the Night Hawks carried a 51 game winning streak to the World Series before coming up just short.
Coach Davenport and his Night Hawks put everything together in 2015. They beat Dixie State 5-0 to win the Division II National Championship. The team featured Laura Spivey that played at West Laurens. She is the daughter of Dodge County Recreation Department Director Spook Spivey.
Coach Davenport was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Softball Hall of Fame in January 2020. He has led his team with seven years with 50 or more wins. That is incredible. Margaret and her teammates will be in Milledgeville on Sunday, April 18, 2020 for a double header against Georgia College in Peach Belt Conference play. Game time is 1:00 p.m. for game one.
Sports
SPORTS
Dodge wins three behind strong pitching
By Joey Marchant
Dodge swept Lamar County and defeated Jasper County in Region 3AA play behind strong pitching performances from LandIn Crummey and Brendan O’Connor.
The Indians got started with a trip to Lamar County on March 30, 2021 where they came away with a five to one win despite leaving 15 runners on base. They stranded one in the first, two each in the second, third, fourth and sixth and left the bases loaded in both the fifth and seventh. Fortunately, Landin Crummey did not require much run support on this day.
Crummey started slow allowing a base hit and walking two in the first to load the bases before getting a ground ball out to end the inning.
After allowing an infield hit to start the second, Crummey struck out two and then threw behind the runner at first allowing Noah Cummings to throw him out at second to end the inning.
Dodge scratched out a run in the top of the third when O’Connor reached on an error and stole second. Crummey struck out but hustled toward first when the catcher couldn’t hold the third strike. The throw to first got Crummey but O’Connor was able to advance to third on the throw. As a result, he scored on a ground out by Garrett Durden. Davis Marchant and Cole Cranford would follow with consecutive base hits, but Dodge couldn’t drive them in. Dodge led one to nothing.
Crummey retired the Trojans in order in the bottom of the third striking out two. Crummey singled in the top of the fourth driving in Logan Slaughter who had reached on a base hit giving Dodge a 2-0 lead. Crummey allowed two base hits in the fourth but would have escaped unscathed were it not for a Dodge error leading to a Trojan run cutting the lead to 2-1 in favor of the Indians.
Dodge added two runs in the sixth when O’Connor led off with a walk and advanced to second on an infield hit by Crummey who was replaced by courtesy runner Gage Pittman. Garrett Durden laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Marchant walked to load the bases. Cranford was hit by a pitch driving in O’Connor. Braylon Mincey grounded out driving in Pittman, Dodge led four to nothing.
Meanwhile Crummey was cruising as he retired seven in a row at one point. Dodge would add an insurance run in the seventh when O’Connor was hit by a pitch with two outs. He stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on another passed ball.
Crummey appeared to run out of gas in the seventh when he hit the leadoff man and walked the next batter on four pitches. Tyler Shields came in to relieve Crummey and retired the next three batters to preserve the Dodge win. Statistical Leaders for Dodge County were as follows:
Landin Crummey was two for four with a walk and one RBI. Davis Marchant was two for three with two walks.
Cole Cranford was two for fourth with one RBI. Logan Slaughter was one for four with one run scored.
Landin Crummey pitched six innings giving up one unearned run on four hits while walking four and striking out six.
Tyler Shields pitched one inning allowing no runs and no hits striking out one.
Telfair cancelled a game with Dodge citing wet field conditions as the reason. This was already a rescheduled game after Telfair cited a busted water pipe early in the season. I do not look for this non-region game to be made up.
Dodge hosted Lamar on Friday April 2, 2021. Brendan O’Connor took the mound for Dodge and was dominant relying heavily on his curve ball to strike out 13 Trojan batters.
Dodge capitalized on five Trojan errors in route to an eight to four victory. After O’Connor induced three ground ball outs in the top of the first, he led off the bottom of the inning with a base hit. Landin Crummey followed him with a base hit. Garrett Durden got down a sacrifice bunt, and an errant throw allowed Seth Cosset who entered as a courtesy runner for O’Connor to score from second. Crummey stopped at third and Durden at first. An errant pickoff throw to first went into foul territory allowing Crummey to score and Durden to advance to third. Davis Marchant singled driving in Durden. Cole Cranford followed that with a double, but Dodge could not score again and led three to zero after one.
O’Connor allowed two hits but struck out three in a scoreless second. Dodge went in order in the bottom of the second.
Lamar County would score a run on two hits in the top of the third, but O’Connor registered three more strikeouts in the inning. Dodge came right back in the bottom of the third when Garrett Durden singled and stole second. Durden scored when Cole Cranford reached on an error. Gage Pittman entered as a courtesy runner for Cranford and scored when Noah Cummings reached on an error. Dodge led five to one.
O’Connor struck out the side in the fourth and two more in the fifth as well as two in the sixth before being pulled because of his pitch count. Tyler Shields came into get the last out of the top of the sixth on a strikeout.
After going quietly in the fourth and fifth, Dodge added three runs in the sixth. Kade Harpe got things started when he was hit by a pitch and stole second. O’Connor singled to drive in Harpe, and Landin Crummey walked. Garrett Durden singled driving in O’Connor. Davis Marchant drove in Crummey on a ground out. Dodge led 8-1.
Lamar was able to score three off Shields in the seventh on a bases clearing double, but he eventually shut the Trojans down ending the game with Dodge on top eight to four.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was two for four with one run and one RBI.
Landin Crummey was one for three with a walk and two runs.
Garrett Durden was two for four with two runs and one RBI.
Davis Marchant was one for four with two RBI.
Cole Cranford was one for three with a Double.
Brendan O’Connor pitched five and two third innings allowing one earned run on five hits while walking four and striking out 13.
Dodge traveled to Monticello on April 5, 2021 for a makeup game with the Jasper County Hurricanes. This was a pitching duel with Dodge coming away with a three to zero victory.
Landin Crummey got the start and pitched a complete game shutout. Crummey had some trouble in each of the first three innings as he walked the leadoff batter in each inning but battled back to escape trouble each time. He would not allow a hit until two outs in the fourth inning.
Dodge managed two hits through five innings. Those came off the bats of Kade Harpe and Cole Cranford. Dodge finally broke through in the sixth. O’Connor smoked a ball over the head of the left fielder which bounced over the fence for a ground rule double with one out. Crummey hit a blooper that fell between the shortstop and center fielder. O’Connor had to hold at second because it appeared the ball might be caught. Aron Barden entered as a courtesy runner for Crummey. Garret Durden hit a single over third base scoring O’Connor. With runners at first and second, Davis Marchant hit a ground ball to the right side to advance the runners to second and third. The pitcher was then called for a balk scoring Barden and advancing Durden to third. Cole Cranford reached on a throwing error allowing Durden to score. Braylon Mincey followed that up with his first varsity hit, but Dodge could not score again.
With Dodge leading three to zero, Crummey walked one in a scoreless bottom of the sixth and came back out to try and get through the seventh. Crummey got the first batter to ground out. He walked the next batter. That was followed by an error; Dodge’s first of the game, which brought the tying run to the plate. A line drive to centerfield was caught by Harpe for out two, and Harpe was able to double off the runner at second who could not get back in time giving Dodge a three to zero victory.
Statistical Leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was one for four with a Double and one run.
Landin Crummey was one for three with a walk.
Garrett Durden was one for four with one RBI and one run.
Cole Cranford was one for three.
Braylon Mincey was one for three.
Kade Harpe was one for three.
Crummey pitched seven scoreless innings allowing two hits walking four and striking out three.
The Indians improve to ten and four overall and four and two in region play.
Dodge was scheduled to host the Northeast Raiders for a doubleheader on April 6, 2021 but results of those games were not available at press time.
By Joey Marchant
Dodge swept Lamar County and defeated Jasper County in Region 3AA play behind strong pitching performances from LandIn Crummey and Brendan O’Connor.
The Indians got started with a trip to Lamar County on March 30, 2021 where they came away with a five to one win despite leaving 15 runners on base. They stranded one in the first, two each in the second, third, fourth and sixth and left the bases loaded in both the fifth and seventh. Fortunately, Landin Crummey did not require much run support on this day.
Crummey started slow allowing a base hit and walking two in the first to load the bases before getting a ground ball out to end the inning.
After allowing an infield hit to start the second, Crummey struck out two and then threw behind the runner at first allowing Noah Cummings to throw him out at second to end the inning.
Dodge scratched out a run in the top of the third when O’Connor reached on an error and stole second. Crummey struck out but hustled toward first when the catcher couldn’t hold the third strike. The throw to first got Crummey but O’Connor was able to advance to third on the throw. As a result, he scored on a ground out by Garrett Durden. Davis Marchant and Cole Cranford would follow with consecutive base hits, but Dodge couldn’t drive them in. Dodge led one to nothing.
Crummey retired the Trojans in order in the bottom of the third striking out two. Crummey singled in the top of the fourth driving in Logan Slaughter who had reached on a base hit giving Dodge a 2-0 lead. Crummey allowed two base hits in the fourth but would have escaped unscathed were it not for a Dodge error leading to a Trojan run cutting the lead to 2-1 in favor of the Indians.
Dodge added two runs in the sixth when O’Connor led off with a walk and advanced to second on an infield hit by Crummey who was replaced by courtesy runner Gage Pittman. Garrett Durden laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Marchant walked to load the bases. Cranford was hit by a pitch driving in O’Connor. Braylon Mincey grounded out driving in Pittman, Dodge led four to nothing.
Meanwhile Crummey was cruising as he retired seven in a row at one point. Dodge would add an insurance run in the seventh when O’Connor was hit by a pitch with two outs. He stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on another passed ball.
Crummey appeared to run out of gas in the seventh when he hit the leadoff man and walked the next batter on four pitches. Tyler Shields came in to relieve Crummey and retired the next three batters to preserve the Dodge win. Statistical Leaders for Dodge County were as follows:
Landin Crummey was two for four with a walk and one RBI. Davis Marchant was two for three with two walks.
Cole Cranford was two for fourth with one RBI. Logan Slaughter was one for four with one run scored.
Landin Crummey pitched six innings giving up one unearned run on four hits while walking four and striking out six.
Tyler Shields pitched one inning allowing no runs and no hits striking out one.
Telfair cancelled a game with Dodge citing wet field conditions as the reason. This was already a rescheduled game after Telfair cited a busted water pipe early in the season. I do not look for this non-region game to be made up.
Dodge hosted Lamar on Friday April 2, 2021. Brendan O’Connor took the mound for Dodge and was dominant relying heavily on his curve ball to strike out 13 Trojan batters.
Dodge capitalized on five Trojan errors in route to an eight to four victory. After O’Connor induced three ground ball outs in the top of the first, he led off the bottom of the inning with a base hit. Landin Crummey followed him with a base hit. Garrett Durden got down a sacrifice bunt, and an errant throw allowed Seth Cosset who entered as a courtesy runner for O’Connor to score from second. Crummey stopped at third and Durden at first. An errant pickoff throw to first went into foul territory allowing Crummey to score and Durden to advance to third. Davis Marchant singled driving in Durden. Cole Cranford followed that with a double, but Dodge could not score again and led three to zero after one.
O’Connor allowed two hits but struck out three in a scoreless second. Dodge went in order in the bottom of the second.
Lamar County would score a run on two hits in the top of the third, but O’Connor registered three more strikeouts in the inning. Dodge came right back in the bottom of the third when Garrett Durden singled and stole second. Durden scored when Cole Cranford reached on an error. Gage Pittman entered as a courtesy runner for Cranford and scored when Noah Cummings reached on an error. Dodge led five to one.
O’Connor struck out the side in the fourth and two more in the fifth as well as two in the sixth before being pulled because of his pitch count. Tyler Shields came into get the last out of the top of the sixth on a strikeout.
After going quietly in the fourth and fifth, Dodge added three runs in the sixth. Kade Harpe got things started when he was hit by a pitch and stole second. O’Connor singled to drive in Harpe, and Landin Crummey walked. Garrett Durden singled driving in O’Connor. Davis Marchant drove in Crummey on a ground out. Dodge led 8-1.
Lamar was able to score three off Shields in the seventh on a bases clearing double, but he eventually shut the Trojans down ending the game with Dodge on top eight to four.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was two for four with one run and one RBI.
Landin Crummey was one for three with a walk and two runs.
Garrett Durden was two for four with two runs and one RBI.
Davis Marchant was one for four with two RBI.
Cole Cranford was one for three with a Double.
Brendan O’Connor pitched five and two third innings allowing one earned run on five hits while walking four and striking out 13.
Dodge traveled to Monticello on April 5, 2021 for a makeup game with the Jasper County Hurricanes. This was a pitching duel with Dodge coming away with a three to zero victory.
Landin Crummey got the start and pitched a complete game shutout. Crummey had some trouble in each of the first three innings as he walked the leadoff batter in each inning but battled back to escape trouble each time. He would not allow a hit until two outs in the fourth inning.
Dodge managed two hits through five innings. Those came off the bats of Kade Harpe and Cole Cranford. Dodge finally broke through in the sixth. O’Connor smoked a ball over the head of the left fielder which bounced over the fence for a ground rule double with one out. Crummey hit a blooper that fell between the shortstop and center fielder. O’Connor had to hold at second because it appeared the ball might be caught. Aron Barden entered as a courtesy runner for Crummey. Garret Durden hit a single over third base scoring O’Connor. With runners at first and second, Davis Marchant hit a ground ball to the right side to advance the runners to second and third. The pitcher was then called for a balk scoring Barden and advancing Durden to third. Cole Cranford reached on a throwing error allowing Durden to score. Braylon Mincey followed that up with his first varsity hit, but Dodge could not score again.
With Dodge leading three to zero, Crummey walked one in a scoreless bottom of the sixth and came back out to try and get through the seventh. Crummey got the first batter to ground out. He walked the next batter. That was followed by an error; Dodge’s first of the game, which brought the tying run to the plate. A line drive to centerfield was caught by Harpe for out two, and Harpe was able to double off the runner at second who could not get back in time giving Dodge a three to zero victory.
Statistical Leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was one for four with a Double and one run.
Landin Crummey was one for three with a walk.
Garrett Durden was one for four with one RBI and one run.
Cole Cranford was one for three.
Braylon Mincey was one for three.
Kade Harpe was one for three.
Crummey pitched seven scoreless innings allowing two hits walking four and striking out three.
The Indians improve to ten and four overall and four and two in region play.
Dodge was scheduled to host the Northeast Raiders for a doubleheader on April 6, 2021 but results of those games were not available at press time.
SPORTS
Lady Indians win pair against Charlton County
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians continued their slow pitch season last Wednesday as they played Charlton County in Jeff Davis. Dodge rolled to a pair of big wins. The first game was the only game that went toward league standings as Dodge took a 16-8 game. Dodge rolled to an 18-4 win in game two. Dodge’s game against West Laurens for last Thursday was rained out.
Dodge trailed 3-0 as they came to bat in the bottom of the first. Doubles from Brooke Perdue and Logan White along with a two out single from Gracie Lewis gave the Lady Indians a 3-3 tie after the first.
Charlton scored a run in the top of the second to tie things up 4-4 but then Dodge took over in there half of the inning. Hits from Kyla Howell, Dylana Barton, Makiyah Roberson, Logan White, Brooke Perdue and Gracie Lewis plated six runs and the Dodge lead was 10-4.
Charlton stayed in the game with three runs in the third for a 10-7 Dodge lead. Dodge added a run as Kyla Howell drove home Linzy Bowen for an 11-7 Lady Indian lead.
The Dodge defense kept Charlton off the board in the fourth. A double play from Gracie Lewis and Logan White kept the Dodge lead at 11-7. Dodge added to the lead in there half of the fourth. Roberson led off with a single and then Logan White unloaded on a long two run homer for a 13-7 Dodge lead.
The lead was 13-8 going to the Dodge sixth. For a second time it would be White with a long homer giving Dodge a 16-8 lead. That would be the final.
Dodge would waste little time in game two. Barton and Roberson would have singles. For the third straight at bat it would White with a long homer and it’s 3-0 Dodge in the first.
The lead was still 3-0 going into the Dodge second. Lauren Slaughter, Dylana Barton and Jessica Joiner reached and loaded the bases. A single by Roberson and a walk to White plated three runs for a 6-0 Dodge lead.
It was 6-1 Dodge, going into the third. Reagan Graham doubled to lead off the inning. With one out, Carson Etheridge, Howell and Slaughter all reached home base successfully. Hits from Barton, Joiner, Roberson and White plated six runs for a 12-1 game.
Charlton put the first two runners on in there half of the third. Dodge then forced a ground ball to Brooke Perdue at second. She tagged the runner going to second and she threw to Gracie Lewis for the double play but the runner going to third Lewis threw to Logan White at third and yes a triple play! That’s a 1-2-3 inning the hard way.
Dodge wrapped up things in the fifth. Chloe Nece singled to lead off the inning. Makiyah Roberson then hit a long homer and a 14-2 Dodge lead. The Lady Indians then got singles from Perdue, Lewis, Halle, Wise and Meg Lewis and its 18-2 Dodge. Charlton added a couple of late runs for an 18-4 final.
Kyla Howell was the winning pitcher for Dodge in both games.
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians continued their slow pitch season last Wednesday as they played Charlton County in Jeff Davis. Dodge rolled to a pair of big wins. The first game was the only game that went toward league standings as Dodge took a 16-8 game. Dodge rolled to an 18-4 win in game two. Dodge’s game against West Laurens for last Thursday was rained out.
Dodge trailed 3-0 as they came to bat in the bottom of the first. Doubles from Brooke Perdue and Logan White along with a two out single from Gracie Lewis gave the Lady Indians a 3-3 tie after the first.
Charlton scored a run in the top of the second to tie things up 4-4 but then Dodge took over in there half of the inning. Hits from Kyla Howell, Dylana Barton, Makiyah Roberson, Logan White, Brooke Perdue and Gracie Lewis plated six runs and the Dodge lead was 10-4.
Charlton stayed in the game with three runs in the third for a 10-7 Dodge lead. Dodge added a run as Kyla Howell drove home Linzy Bowen for an 11-7 Lady Indian lead.
The Dodge defense kept Charlton off the board in the fourth. A double play from Gracie Lewis and Logan White kept the Dodge lead at 11-7. Dodge added to the lead in there half of the fourth. Roberson led off with a single and then Logan White unloaded on a long two run homer for a 13-7 Dodge lead.
The lead was 13-8 going to the Dodge sixth. For a second time it would be White with a long homer giving Dodge a 16-8 lead. That would be the final.
Dodge would waste little time in game two. Barton and Roberson would have singles. For the third straight at bat it would White with a long homer and it’s 3-0 Dodge in the first.
The lead was still 3-0 going into the Dodge second. Lauren Slaughter, Dylana Barton and Jessica Joiner reached and loaded the bases. A single by Roberson and a walk to White plated three runs for a 6-0 Dodge lead.
It was 6-1 Dodge, going into the third. Reagan Graham doubled to lead off the inning. With one out, Carson Etheridge, Howell and Slaughter all reached home base successfully. Hits from Barton, Joiner, Roberson and White plated six runs for a 12-1 game.
Charlton put the first two runners on in there half of the third. Dodge then forced a ground ball to Brooke Perdue at second. She tagged the runner going to second and she threw to Gracie Lewis for the double play but the runner going to third Lewis threw to Logan White at third and yes a triple play! That’s a 1-2-3 inning the hard way.
Dodge wrapped up things in the fifth. Chloe Nece singled to lead off the inning. Makiyah Roberson then hit a long homer and a 14-2 Dodge lead. The Lady Indians then got singles from Perdue, Lewis, Halle, Wise and Meg Lewis and its 18-2 Dodge. Charlton added a couple of late runs for an 18-4 final.
Kyla Howell was the winning pitcher for Dodge in both games.
SPORTS
Dodge drops two against Tiftarea Academy and Tattnall Square Academy
By Joey Marchant
Dodge continued to struggle with the gloves this week, and it led to two losses. Tiftarea Academy came to Eastman on Tuesday and defeated Dodge nine-two. Tiftarea sent Auburn Commit Hayden Murphy to the mound. The 6’3” Murphy, only a junior, was likely the best pitcher Dodge has seen this year.
Dodge would counter with Brendan O’Connor who would have some early struggles but would eventually settle in and turn in a solid performance. After striking out the first batter, O’Connor gave up a couple of base hits in the inning. However, he got a ground ball out and another strikeout to complete a scoreless first.
Landin Crummey reached on an error, and Garrett Durden walked in the bottom of the first giving Dodge runners at first and second with one out, but the Indians could not push a run across as the game remained scoreless.
O’Connor found himself in deep trouble in the second as a Dodge error, a hit batsman, and a base hit loaded the bases with one out. O’Connor then surrendered a double which cleared the bases. Tiftarea would score a total of five runs in the inning.
Griffin Durden was hit by a pitch, and Kade Harpe had a base hit to again give Dodge two on with one out in the bottom of the second, but again Dodge could not score.
Dodge had an even better opportunity in the third as Crummey led off being hit by a pitch and Garrett Durden singled. However, Dodge attempted a double steal and got Crummey thrown out at third. The Indians would not score.
Tiftarea elected to pull Murphy after only four innings, and this opened the door for Dodge. O’Connor doubled and Garrett Durden walked in the fifth, but Dodge still could not score.
Meanwhile O’Connor had settled in and retired eleven straight batters before Dodge committed another error with two outs in the top half of the sixth. O’Connor was unfazed as he threw behind the runner who strayed too far off second and was thrown out at third for the third out.
Finally Dodge broke through in the bottom of the sixth when Noah Cummings and Griffin Durden walked and were driven in by a Kade Harpe triple. Dodge could get no closer. Tiftarea led five-two going to the seventh.
O’Connor would allow a lead off walk to start the seventh. Tiftarea attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the ball was thrown away on another error by Dodge. O’Connor was then pulled in favor of Tyler Shields. Tiftarea would score five in the seventh with two of those charged to O’Connor, and would win nine-two.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Kade Harpe was two for three with a triple and two RBI.
Brendan O’Connor was one for three with a Walk and a double.
Garrett Durden was one for two with two Walks.
Davis Marchant was one for four.
Noah Cummings was one for three with a walk and a run.
Dodge traveled to Macon on Saturday to take on the Tattnall Square Academy Trojans. Tattnall is a baseball powerhouse having won State Championships in 2016, 2018 and 2019 while finishing as State Runner Up in 2017. The COVID 19 Pandemic stopped the Trojans from a potential three peat in 2020 as they were 13-four when play was halted. They came into this game seven-one in 2021.
Dodge would take an early lead as Brendan O’Connor led off with a single. He would advance to second on Landin Crummey’s sacrifice bunt and score on an infield hit by Davis Marchant. Dodge led one-zero.
Crummey took the mound for Dodge. He allowed a base hit to the leadoff man who stole second base. Crummey struck out the next two batters he faced. He then allowed an infield hit. A throwing error on the play allowed a run to score. Crummey struck out the next batter to end the inning with the score tied one-one.
Dodge would go in order in both the second and the third innings. Crummey pitched around a Dodge error and a walk for a scoreless second inning. However, the floodgates opened in the bottom of the third. Dodge made two consecutive errors to start the inning. Crummey then allowed a single, a double and another single. A sacrifice bunt was followed by two more Dodge errors. The Trojans scored six runs in all to take a seven-one lead.
Cole Cranford ripped a one out double that one hopped the fence in centerfield in the top of the fourth, but Dodge could not score.
Crummey was done, and Jason Lann and Tyler Shields would combine to finish the game for Dodge. Tattnall continued to take advantage of a barrage of Dodge miscues in the bottom of the fourth. Two walks, two hit batsmen, a balk and two errors helped lead to eight Tattnall runs giving Tattnall a 15-one lead.
Braylin Mincey reached on an error in the top of the fifth and came all the way around to score on an O’Connor double to make the final Tattnall Square 15 Dodge two.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was two for three with a double, one RBI and one run.
Davis Marchant was one for two with one RBI.
Cole Cranford was one for one with a double and a walk.
Dodge falls to six-four on the season. They will try to right the ship this week with two games against Region 3AA opponent Jasper County. Dodge was scheduled to host Jasper County on Tuesday March 23, but no results were available at press time. Dodge will travel to Monticello to face Jasper County on Friday March 26, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Come out and support Dodge Baseball.
By Joey Marchant
Dodge continued to struggle with the gloves this week, and it led to two losses. Tiftarea Academy came to Eastman on Tuesday and defeated Dodge nine-two. Tiftarea sent Auburn Commit Hayden Murphy to the mound. The 6’3” Murphy, only a junior, was likely the best pitcher Dodge has seen this year.
Dodge would counter with Brendan O’Connor who would have some early struggles but would eventually settle in and turn in a solid performance. After striking out the first batter, O’Connor gave up a couple of base hits in the inning. However, he got a ground ball out and another strikeout to complete a scoreless first.
Landin Crummey reached on an error, and Garrett Durden walked in the bottom of the first giving Dodge runners at first and second with one out, but the Indians could not push a run across as the game remained scoreless.
O’Connor found himself in deep trouble in the second as a Dodge error, a hit batsman, and a base hit loaded the bases with one out. O’Connor then surrendered a double which cleared the bases. Tiftarea would score a total of five runs in the inning.
Griffin Durden was hit by a pitch, and Kade Harpe had a base hit to again give Dodge two on with one out in the bottom of the second, but again Dodge could not score.
Dodge had an even better opportunity in the third as Crummey led off being hit by a pitch and Garrett Durden singled. However, Dodge attempted a double steal and got Crummey thrown out at third. The Indians would not score.
Tiftarea elected to pull Murphy after only four innings, and this opened the door for Dodge. O’Connor doubled and Garrett Durden walked in the fifth, but Dodge still could not score.
Meanwhile O’Connor had settled in and retired eleven straight batters before Dodge committed another error with two outs in the top half of the sixth. O’Connor was unfazed as he threw behind the runner who strayed too far off second and was thrown out at third for the third out.
Finally Dodge broke through in the bottom of the sixth when Noah Cummings and Griffin Durden walked and were driven in by a Kade Harpe triple. Dodge could get no closer. Tiftarea led five-two going to the seventh.
O’Connor would allow a lead off walk to start the seventh. Tiftarea attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the ball was thrown away on another error by Dodge. O’Connor was then pulled in favor of Tyler Shields. Tiftarea would score five in the seventh with two of those charged to O’Connor, and would win nine-two.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Kade Harpe was two for three with a triple and two RBI.
Brendan O’Connor was one for three with a Walk and a double.
Garrett Durden was one for two with two Walks.
Davis Marchant was one for four.
Noah Cummings was one for three with a walk and a run.
Dodge traveled to Macon on Saturday to take on the Tattnall Square Academy Trojans. Tattnall is a baseball powerhouse having won State Championships in 2016, 2018 and 2019 while finishing as State Runner Up in 2017. The COVID 19 Pandemic stopped the Trojans from a potential three peat in 2020 as they were 13-four when play was halted. They came into this game seven-one in 2021.
Dodge would take an early lead as Brendan O’Connor led off with a single. He would advance to second on Landin Crummey’s sacrifice bunt and score on an infield hit by Davis Marchant. Dodge led one-zero.
Crummey took the mound for Dodge. He allowed a base hit to the leadoff man who stole second base. Crummey struck out the next two batters he faced. He then allowed an infield hit. A throwing error on the play allowed a run to score. Crummey struck out the next batter to end the inning with the score tied one-one.
Dodge would go in order in both the second and the third innings. Crummey pitched around a Dodge error and a walk for a scoreless second inning. However, the floodgates opened in the bottom of the third. Dodge made two consecutive errors to start the inning. Crummey then allowed a single, a double and another single. A sacrifice bunt was followed by two more Dodge errors. The Trojans scored six runs in all to take a seven-one lead.
Cole Cranford ripped a one out double that one hopped the fence in centerfield in the top of the fourth, but Dodge could not score.
Crummey was done, and Jason Lann and Tyler Shields would combine to finish the game for Dodge. Tattnall continued to take advantage of a barrage of Dodge miscues in the bottom of the fourth. Two walks, two hit batsmen, a balk and two errors helped lead to eight Tattnall runs giving Tattnall a 15-one lead.
Braylin Mincey reached on an error in the top of the fifth and came all the way around to score on an O’Connor double to make the final Tattnall Square 15 Dodge two.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was two for three with a double, one RBI and one run.
Davis Marchant was one for two with one RBI.
Cole Cranford was one for one with a double and a walk.
Dodge falls to six-four on the season. They will try to right the ship this week with two games against Region 3AA opponent Jasper County. Dodge was scheduled to host Jasper County on Tuesday March 23, but no results were available at press time. Dodge will travel to Monticello to face Jasper County on Friday March 26, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Come out and support Dodge Baseball.
SPORTS
Dodge defeats Telfair, improves record to 5-0
By Joey Marchant
Dodge County improved to 5-0 with a 12-2 win over the Telfair Trojans. After finishing as A-Public State Runner Up a few years ago, Telfair has hit a rough patch as they only had two seniors in the starting lineup. In contrast, Dodge had nine seniors in the starting lineup.
Telfair got off to a good start against Dodge’s Landin Crummey who picked up his third win of the season. The Trojans took advantage of two singles and a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
Dodge wasted no time erasing the Trojan lead as Brendan O’Connor and Crummey led off for Dodge with back to back doubles tying the score at 1-1. Crummey was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Garrett Durden reached on an error, which allowed Moore to go to third. Durden would take second without a throw down from the catcher. Davis Marchant singled to center driving in Moore and Durden and giving Dodge a 3-1 lead.
Crummey sat the Trojans down in order in the second inning, and Dodge went back to work. Logan Slaughter hit a fly ball, which was dropped by the Trojan leftfielder. O’Connor drove Slaughter in with another double to left field, and he moved to third on a wild pitch. Crummey walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Another wild pitch allowed O’Connor to score and Moore to advance to second. Garrett Durden singled scoring Moore, and Durden advanced to second on the throw home. Marchant flew out to deep right allowing Durden to tag and advance to third. Seth Cossett would later drive in Durden with a base hit. Dodge led 7-1.
Both teams went in order in the third. Telfair cut the lead to 7-2 in the fourth with a double followed by a single. Dodge continued to pound the Trojans in the bottom of the fourth. Garrett Durden led off by reaching on an error and taking second base on the same play. Durden advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Marchant. Cranford walked and was replaced by Gage Pittman as a courtesy runner. Noah Cummings reached on an error, and Cossett walked to load the bases. A single by Slaughter drove in Pittman and Cummings. Dodge led 10-2.
Crummey sat down the Trojans down in order in the top of the fifth. Dodge put it away in the bottom of the fifth. Crummey reached on an error and was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Garrett Durden was hit by a pitch. Marchant walked to load the bases. Cole Cranford singled up the middle driving in Moore and Durden with the final runs of the game. The game ended by run rule with the score 12-2 after five innings.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was two for four with two doubles, two runs and one RBI.
Landin Crummey was one for three with a walk and one RBI.
Garrett Durden was one for three with four runs and one RBI.
Davis Marchant was one for three with a walk and three RBIs.
Cole Cranford was one for three with a walk and two RBIs.
Seth Cossett was one for two with a walk and one RBI.
Logan Slaughter was one for three with two RBIs.
Crummey went five innings allowing two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Dodge had scheduled games against West Laurens and Fitzgerald rained out last week. Dodge finds itself ranked Number 9 in the most recent AA poll published by Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine.
The schedule gets a lot tougher this week as Dodge was scheduled to travel to Cochran to face its arch rival the Bleckley County Royals on Tuesday, March 9, but no score was available at press time.
Dodge is also scheduled to host AAAAAA Northside on Thursday, March 11 at 6:00 p.m. and the Royals on Friday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m.
The Royals are 5-2, having dropped close games to #2 Vidalia and #5 Jeff Davis, and the games with the Royals could put one of the teams in the driver’s seat for the Region 3AA Championship. Come out and support the Indians.
Lady Indians sweep all three season opener games
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians started their 2021 season slow pitch season Thursday in Dublin. Dodge hosted Dooley County in game one. Dodge started slowly but rolled to a 19-1 win. Thomas County Central was game two and Dodge rolled to a 20-1 win. The third game of the day was against Baker County. The game was never in question in the 23-0 final. The season will feature “area” games and not region play. The opponents will be from other classifications and regions.
Dodge got things going first against Dooley. Jessica Joiner walked with one out. She would score on a double from Makiyah Roberson for a 1-0 lead. Roberson would score on an error for a 2-0 lead. Brooke Perdue would double home Carson Ethridge for a 3-0 Dodge lead.
It would be a 3-1 game when Dodge came to the plate in the second. Gracie Lewis would reach on an error, Kyla Howell would single and Lauren Slaughter would walk and load the bases with one out. A walk to Ava Maxwell would walk and that would score for 5-1 lead. Logan white would single scoring Slaughter and Maxwell for a 7-1 game. Roberson would single home Joiner and White for a 9-1 lead.
Dodge wrapped up this one in the third. Gracie Lewis singled to lead off the inning. Walks to Kyla Howell and Linzy Bowen loaded the bases. Slaughter drove in Lewis for a 10-1 game. A walk to Meg Lewis reloaded the bases with one out. Joiner walked scoring Bowen for an 11-1 game. Logan White singled home Howell and Lewis and its 13-1. Dylana Barton doubled to left scoring Halle Wise and White for a 15-1 game. A sacrifice fly from Brooke Perdue scored Barton for a 16-1 game. Gracie Lewis added an RBI single and Linzy Bowen singled home two more for a 19-1 lead. Kyla Howell was the winning pitcher as she had four strikeouts over three innings. Dodge wasted no time in putting away Thomas County Central in fame two. Ava Maxwell walked and she scored on a double from Jessica Joiner for a 1-0 game. Logan White doubled home Joiner for a 2-0 game. Carson Ethridge singled home White for a 3-0 game. Dodge would then use the long ball as Reagan Graham hit a long three run homer as Ethridge and Roberson scored for a 6-0 game. Gracie Lewis would follow with a deep drive to right and the senior would circle the bases for the inside the park homer on a 7-0 lead. Linzy Bowen and Kyla Howell would follow up with singles. Dylana Barton would single home Bowen and it’s 8-0. Jessica Joiner would single home Howell for a 9-0 lead. Logan White got her second double of the inning scoring Barton and Joiner for an 11-0 lead. Roberson would single home White to wrap up the inning with a 12-0 lead.
Dodge added to the lead in the second. Brooke Perdue hit a homer to left center and Dodge had a 13-0 lead. The lead was 13-1 going to the third. Chloe Nece reached on an error to lead off. Logan White got her third double of the game scoring Nece for a 14-1 lead. A single from Roberson put runners on the corners for Carson Ethridge. She singled to right scoring White for a 15-1 lead. A double from Perdue scored Ethridge and Roberson and it’s 17-1. Singles from Slaughter, Howell and Barton finished this one up for the 21-1 final. Howell was the winning pitcher allowing only one hit.
Baker County was the opponent for game three. Dodge wasted no time in the bottom of the first. Barton reached on an error and she scored on a hit by Joiner for a 1-0 game. White singled home Joiner and it’s 2-0. Linzy Bowen singled home White and Roberson and it’s 4-0. Reagan Graham hit a sacrifice fly scoring Carson Ethridge and it’s 5-0 as Graham reached on an error. Gracie Lewis singled home a run for a 6-0 game. Singles from Meg Lewis, Kyla Howell and Lauren Slaughter made it 7-0. Hits from Barton, Joiner and white made it 13-0 after the Dodge first. Dodge could have gotten plenty more but elected not to.
Kyla Harrell got the start on the mound for Dodge. She stranded the bases loaded in the first and second. Dodge goes back to the plate and hits for a while once more. Linzy Bowen walked to lead off and then Reagan Graham unloaded for another homer to right center for a 15-0 game. Gracie Lewis tripled to right and scored on an error for a 16-0 lead. Meg Lewis followed with a walk and Kyla Howell singled. Lauren Slaughter singled home Lewis for a 17-0 game. Dylana Barton would then hit a three run homer and its 20-0 Dodge. Halle Wise wrapped u the days scoring with a double scoring White, Nece, and Bowen and it’s 23-0 in the second. Dodge stepped off the base to finish the inning. Kyla Howell was the winning pitcher for the third game in a row. She had five strikeouts in the game.
By Joey Marchant
Dodge County improved to 5-0 with a 12-2 win over the Telfair Trojans. After finishing as A-Public State Runner Up a few years ago, Telfair has hit a rough patch as they only had two seniors in the starting lineup. In contrast, Dodge had nine seniors in the starting lineup.
Telfair got off to a good start against Dodge’s Landin Crummey who picked up his third win of the season. The Trojans took advantage of two singles and a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
Dodge wasted no time erasing the Trojan lead as Brendan O’Connor and Crummey led off for Dodge with back to back doubles tying the score at 1-1. Crummey was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Garrett Durden reached on an error, which allowed Moore to go to third. Durden would take second without a throw down from the catcher. Davis Marchant singled to center driving in Moore and Durden and giving Dodge a 3-1 lead.
Crummey sat the Trojans down in order in the second inning, and Dodge went back to work. Logan Slaughter hit a fly ball, which was dropped by the Trojan leftfielder. O’Connor drove Slaughter in with another double to left field, and he moved to third on a wild pitch. Crummey walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Another wild pitch allowed O’Connor to score and Moore to advance to second. Garrett Durden singled scoring Moore, and Durden advanced to second on the throw home. Marchant flew out to deep right allowing Durden to tag and advance to third. Seth Cossett would later drive in Durden with a base hit. Dodge led 7-1.
Both teams went in order in the third. Telfair cut the lead to 7-2 in the fourth with a double followed by a single. Dodge continued to pound the Trojans in the bottom of the fourth. Garrett Durden led off by reaching on an error and taking second base on the same play. Durden advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Marchant. Cranford walked and was replaced by Gage Pittman as a courtesy runner. Noah Cummings reached on an error, and Cossett walked to load the bases. A single by Slaughter drove in Pittman and Cummings. Dodge led 10-2.
Crummey sat down the Trojans down in order in the top of the fifth. Dodge put it away in the bottom of the fifth. Crummey reached on an error and was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Garrett Durden was hit by a pitch. Marchant walked to load the bases. Cole Cranford singled up the middle driving in Moore and Durden with the final runs of the game. The game ended by run rule with the score 12-2 after five innings.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Brendan O’Connor was two for four with two doubles, two runs and one RBI.
Landin Crummey was one for three with a walk and one RBI.
Garrett Durden was one for three with four runs and one RBI.
Davis Marchant was one for three with a walk and three RBIs.
Cole Cranford was one for three with a walk and two RBIs.
Seth Cossett was one for two with a walk and one RBI.
Logan Slaughter was one for three with two RBIs.
Crummey went five innings allowing two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Dodge had scheduled games against West Laurens and Fitzgerald rained out last week. Dodge finds itself ranked Number 9 in the most recent AA poll published by Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine.
The schedule gets a lot tougher this week as Dodge was scheduled to travel to Cochran to face its arch rival the Bleckley County Royals on Tuesday, March 9, but no score was available at press time.
Dodge is also scheduled to host AAAAAA Northside on Thursday, March 11 at 6:00 p.m. and the Royals on Friday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m.
The Royals are 5-2, having dropped close games to #2 Vidalia and #5 Jeff Davis, and the games with the Royals could put one of the teams in the driver’s seat for the Region 3AA Championship. Come out and support the Indians.
Lady Indians sweep all three season opener games
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians started their 2021 season slow pitch season Thursday in Dublin. Dodge hosted Dooley County in game one. Dodge started slowly but rolled to a 19-1 win. Thomas County Central was game two and Dodge rolled to a 20-1 win. The third game of the day was against Baker County. The game was never in question in the 23-0 final. The season will feature “area” games and not region play. The opponents will be from other classifications and regions.
Dodge got things going first against Dooley. Jessica Joiner walked with one out. She would score on a double from Makiyah Roberson for a 1-0 lead. Roberson would score on an error for a 2-0 lead. Brooke Perdue would double home Carson Ethridge for a 3-0 Dodge lead.
It would be a 3-1 game when Dodge came to the plate in the second. Gracie Lewis would reach on an error, Kyla Howell would single and Lauren Slaughter would walk and load the bases with one out. A walk to Ava Maxwell would walk and that would score for 5-1 lead. Logan white would single scoring Slaughter and Maxwell for a 7-1 game. Roberson would single home Joiner and White for a 9-1 lead.
Dodge wrapped up this one in the third. Gracie Lewis singled to lead off the inning. Walks to Kyla Howell and Linzy Bowen loaded the bases. Slaughter drove in Lewis for a 10-1 game. A walk to Meg Lewis reloaded the bases with one out. Joiner walked scoring Bowen for an 11-1 game. Logan White singled home Howell and Lewis and its 13-1. Dylana Barton doubled to left scoring Halle Wise and White for a 15-1 game. A sacrifice fly from Brooke Perdue scored Barton for a 16-1 game. Gracie Lewis added an RBI single and Linzy Bowen singled home two more for a 19-1 lead. Kyla Howell was the winning pitcher as she had four strikeouts over three innings. Dodge wasted no time in putting away Thomas County Central in fame two. Ava Maxwell walked and she scored on a double from Jessica Joiner for a 1-0 game. Logan White doubled home Joiner for a 2-0 game. Carson Ethridge singled home White for a 3-0 game. Dodge would then use the long ball as Reagan Graham hit a long three run homer as Ethridge and Roberson scored for a 6-0 game. Gracie Lewis would follow with a deep drive to right and the senior would circle the bases for the inside the park homer on a 7-0 lead. Linzy Bowen and Kyla Howell would follow up with singles. Dylana Barton would single home Bowen and it’s 8-0. Jessica Joiner would single home Howell for a 9-0 lead. Logan White got her second double of the inning scoring Barton and Joiner for an 11-0 lead. Roberson would single home White to wrap up the inning with a 12-0 lead.
Dodge added to the lead in the second. Brooke Perdue hit a homer to left center and Dodge had a 13-0 lead. The lead was 13-1 going to the third. Chloe Nece reached on an error to lead off. Logan White got her third double of the game scoring Nece for a 14-1 lead. A single from Roberson put runners on the corners for Carson Ethridge. She singled to right scoring White for a 15-1 lead. A double from Perdue scored Ethridge and Roberson and it’s 17-1. Singles from Slaughter, Howell and Barton finished this one up for the 21-1 final. Howell was the winning pitcher allowing only one hit.
Baker County was the opponent for game three. Dodge wasted no time in the bottom of the first. Barton reached on an error and she scored on a hit by Joiner for a 1-0 game. White singled home Joiner and it’s 2-0. Linzy Bowen singled home White and Roberson and it’s 4-0. Reagan Graham hit a sacrifice fly scoring Carson Ethridge and it’s 5-0 as Graham reached on an error. Gracie Lewis singled home a run for a 6-0 game. Singles from Meg Lewis, Kyla Howell and Lauren Slaughter made it 7-0. Hits from Barton, Joiner and white made it 13-0 after the Dodge first. Dodge could have gotten plenty more but elected not to.
Kyla Harrell got the start on the mound for Dodge. She stranded the bases loaded in the first and second. Dodge goes back to the plate and hits for a while once more. Linzy Bowen walked to lead off and then Reagan Graham unloaded for another homer to right center for a 15-0 game. Gracie Lewis tripled to right and scored on an error for a 16-0 lead. Meg Lewis followed with a walk and Kyla Howell singled. Lauren Slaughter singled home Lewis for a 17-0 game. Dylana Barton would then hit a three run homer and its 20-0 Dodge. Halle Wise wrapped u the days scoring with a double scoring White, Nece, and Bowen and it’s 23-0 in the second. Dodge stepped off the base to finish the inning. Kyla Howell was the winning pitcher for the third game in a row. She had five strikeouts in the game.
SPORTS
By Joey Marchant
Dodge hosted two games this week winning over East Laurens 16-1 and over Berrien County 4-1. Tyler Shields got the start for Dodge against East Laurens and struck out 5 of the first 6 batters he faced. Meanwhile the Dodge Offense jumped on the Falcons early. Landin Crummey reached on an error, and Garrett Durden walked. The runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Davis Marchant grounded out to second driving in Crummey with the game’s first run. Durden would go on to score on a passed ball. Dodge led 2-0 after one inning.
Dodge broke the game open in the bottom of the second. Griffin Durden got things started with a single. Kade Harpe hit into a fielder’s choice erasing Durden. Brendan O’Connor and Crummey were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Garrett Durden singled driving in Harpe and O’Connor. Marchant was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jason Lann cleared the bases with a three run double. Dodge led 7-0 after two innings.
East Laurens scored their
Dodge defeats East
Laurens and Berrienlone run in the top of the third when Shields gave up two consecutive one out base hits. He struck out the next batter for the second out. However, a Dodge error would allow the run to score. Dodge led 7-1.
Dodge continued to pile it on in the third. Harpe singled, and O’Connor was hit by a pitch. Harpe scored on a passed ball. Crummey singled to drive in O’Connor. Marchant singled to drive in Crummey. Dodge led 10-1.
Shields struck out three Falcons in the fourth giving him nine strikeouts in four innings. Dodge put this one away in the bottom of the fourth. Cameron Gooch walked. Brady Moore reached on a fielder’s choice erasing Gooch. Griffin Durden was hit by a pitch. Harpe singled to load the bases. O’Connor hit a ball to the shortstop, which was thrown into right field scoring Moore. Seth Cossett singled driving in Griffin Durden. Garrett Durden doubled driving in Harpe and O’Connor. Logan Slaughter walked to load the bases. Noah Cummings walked plating Cossett. Gooch batted for the second time in the inning hitting a chopper to third base. The third baseman fielded and threw home to get Durden at the plate. The catcher then tried to double up Gooch at first, but he threw the ball into right field. Slaughter scored the final run on the error as Dodge run ruled the Falcons.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Garrett Durden was two for three with a walk, a double, two runs, four runs batted in (RBIs) and a stolen base.
Kade Harpe was two for three with three runs.
Landin Crummey was one for two and was hit by a pitch with three runs and two RBIs.
Jason Lann was one for two with a walk, a double and three RBIs. for two and was hit by a pitch
with one run and two RBIs.
(Continued from Page 1B)
for two and was hit by a pitch with one run and two RBIs.
Griffin Durden was one for two and was hit by a pitch with one run.
Seth Cossett was one for one with one run and one RBI.
Brendan O’Connor was 0 for two and was hit by a pitch twice with 3 runs.
Tyler Shields pitched four innings allowing one unearned run on three hits with nine strikeouts. He walked one batter and hit two batters.
Berrien County traveled to Eastman looking to avenge a loss to the Indians a week earlier. Brendan O’Connor took the mound for Dodge, and he pitched very well. He struck out the first two batters he faced in the first, and he got the third to fly out to center.
Dodge missed an early opportunity in the bottom of the first. O’Connor led off with a walk. Landin Crummey singled advancing O’Connor to second. Garrett Durden attempted a sacrifice bunt but instead popped up to the first baseman in foul territory. Davis Marchant hit a chopper up the middle that was fielded by the second baseman who started a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning scoreless.
Controversy ensued in the second inning after O’Connor gave up a base hit to start the inning. Berrien attempted to sacrifice bunt. O’Connor fielded the bunt and threw to first base. The ball ended up in shallow right field having apparently glanced off the runner with Berrien ending up with runners on second and third with no outs. However, the umpire ruled that the batter ran inside the baseline and interfered with O’Connor’s throw. From my vantage point, it appeared the runner was running right where he should have been. Berrien’s head coach agreed with me and came out for a prolonged yet fairly calm discussion with the umpire. He was ejected three-fourths of the way through the discussion, which in high school baseball meant he was now relegated to the dugout. The call would stand, and the batter was out and the runner sent back to first base. O’Connor followed that up with a strikeout and a fly out to left field.
Dodge again missed an opportunity to score in the bottom of the second when Cole Cranford led off with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner Braylon Mincey. It appeared Dodge had the hit and run on as Hunter Kirkley swung through a high fastball and Mincey was thrown out at second.
O’Connor escaped trouble in the second when the first batter reached on an error and stole second. O’Connor then got a ground ball out and a strikeout. He attempted to pickoff the runner at second who was caught in a rundown and tagged out by Griffin Durden at third base for the third out.
Dodge wasted a Griffin Durden base hit and a Crummey walk in the third inning. The game remained scoreless.
O’Connor would have to work out of trouble again in the fourth as the first batter reached on an error and stole second. O’Connor got a strikeout but then hit a batter. The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball. O’Connor struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning unscathed.
Dodge went in order in the bottom of the fourth, and Crummey came in from right field to pitch the fifth. O’Connor moved to shortstop. Crummey retired the Rebels in order.
Dodge finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Griffin Durden drew a one out walk. With two outs, the Rebels attempted a pickoff at first base, but the ball sailed into foul territory. Durden started for second and never broke stride as he rounded second and reached third safely. He was then lifted for pinch runner Aron Barden. O’Connor reached on an error, and Barden scored on the play. O’Connor then stole second. Crummey doubled home O’Connor and was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Garrett Durden had an infield hit, and an errant throw by the shortstop allowed Moore to score giving Dodge a 3-0 lead.
Crummey allowed a lead off double in the top of the sixth, but he struck out the next three batters. Dodge would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Noah Cummings reached on an error. Tyler Shields bunted for a hit advancing Cummings to second. Griffin Durden grounded out to the right side to advance the runners. The first baseman threw behind Cummings at third. The throw was off target allowing Cummings to trot home giving Dodge a 4-0 lead.
Crummey had to labor to get through the seventh after giving up a walk and a base hit to start the inning. He recorded a strikeout but allowed another base hit to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Crummey induced a ground out to Garrett Durden at second base that allowed one run to score. Crummey struck out the next batter to preserve the 4-1 Dodge victory.
This game was a microcosm of the Indians’ season so far. They have not hit much. They have struggled to do the little things needed to produce runs. The defense has committed too many errors. However, they have taken advantage of the other teams’ mistakes. Most importantly, the pitching has been excellent, and the pitchers have worked out of many jams. You also cannot underestimate the value of senior leadership in close ball games. At the end of the day, Dodge is 4-0 on the young season.
Statistical Leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Landin Crummey was two for two with a walk, a double and one RBI.
Garrett Durden was one for three.
Cole Cranford was one for three.
Griffin Durden was one for two with a walk.
Brendan O’Connor pitched four scoreless innings striking out seven. He gave up one hit and walked none. He hit one batter.
Landin Crummey got the win pitching three innings striking out six. He gave up one earned run on three hits and walked one batter.
Dodge was scheduled to host West Laurens on March 2nd, but rain in the forecast had that one in jeopardy at press time.
The Indians are scheduled to travel to Fitzgerald to face the Purple Hurricanes on March 3rd at 6:00 pm and host the Telfair Trojans on March 4th at 5:30 pm. Come out and support the Indians, or listen on Wolf Country 97.5 FM.
By Chad W. Smith
The Dodge County High School (DCHS) Squaws basketball team traveled to Savannah on Tuesday, February 23 to play in the first round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) AA State Tournament. The DCHS Squaws (13-6) the number three seed from region 3AA faced the Woodville-Tompkins High School Lady Wolverines (15-4), who were the number two seed from region 2AA.
The Squaws trailed the Lady Wolverine 7-17 after a shaky first quarter. Sanaa Searles had a three-pointer in the first quarter to lead Dodge. Dodge tightened things up a little bit in the second quarter as they pulled to a 15-26 score at the half. Searles again led the Squaws with four points in the second quarter.
Ileisha Mitchell led the Squaws with two three-pointers in the third quarter but were outscored 10-17 and trailed 25-43. Freshman Jovanna Hamilton led Dodge with five points in the fourth quarter as the Squaws outscored the Lady Wolverines 11-5 to make the final score, 36-48.
Scoring for the Squaws was: Sanaa Searles 12 points; Jovanna Hamilton, seven points; Cheyenne Hunt, seven points; Ileisha Mitchell, six points; Altierra Gooch, two points; Jada Baxter, one point; Ambria Simmons, one point.
The Squaws finish the season with an overall record of 13-7.
Dodge hosted two games this week winning over East Laurens 16-1 and over Berrien County 4-1. Tyler Shields got the start for Dodge against East Laurens and struck out 5 of the first 6 batters he faced. Meanwhile the Dodge Offense jumped on the Falcons early. Landin Crummey reached on an error, and Garrett Durden walked. The runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Davis Marchant grounded out to second driving in Crummey with the game’s first run. Durden would go on to score on a passed ball. Dodge led 2-0 after one inning.
Dodge broke the game open in the bottom of the second. Griffin Durden got things started with a single. Kade Harpe hit into a fielder’s choice erasing Durden. Brendan O’Connor and Crummey were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Garrett Durden singled driving in Harpe and O’Connor. Marchant was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jason Lann cleared the bases with a three run double. Dodge led 7-0 after two innings.
East Laurens scored their
Dodge defeats East
Laurens and Berrienlone run in the top of the third when Shields gave up two consecutive one out base hits. He struck out the next batter for the second out. However, a Dodge error would allow the run to score. Dodge led 7-1.
Dodge continued to pile it on in the third. Harpe singled, and O’Connor was hit by a pitch. Harpe scored on a passed ball. Crummey singled to drive in O’Connor. Marchant singled to drive in Crummey. Dodge led 10-1.
Shields struck out three Falcons in the fourth giving him nine strikeouts in four innings. Dodge put this one away in the bottom of the fourth. Cameron Gooch walked. Brady Moore reached on a fielder’s choice erasing Gooch. Griffin Durden was hit by a pitch. Harpe singled to load the bases. O’Connor hit a ball to the shortstop, which was thrown into right field scoring Moore. Seth Cossett singled driving in Griffin Durden. Garrett Durden doubled driving in Harpe and O’Connor. Logan Slaughter walked to load the bases. Noah Cummings walked plating Cossett. Gooch batted for the second time in the inning hitting a chopper to third base. The third baseman fielded and threw home to get Durden at the plate. The catcher then tried to double up Gooch at first, but he threw the ball into right field. Slaughter scored the final run on the error as Dodge run ruled the Falcons.
Statistical leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Garrett Durden was two for three with a walk, a double, two runs, four runs batted in (RBIs) and a stolen base.
Kade Harpe was two for three with three runs.
Landin Crummey was one for two and was hit by a pitch with three runs and two RBIs.
Jason Lann was one for two with a walk, a double and three RBIs. for two and was hit by a pitch
with one run and two RBIs.
(Continued from Page 1B)
for two and was hit by a pitch with one run and two RBIs.
Griffin Durden was one for two and was hit by a pitch with one run.
Seth Cossett was one for one with one run and one RBI.
Brendan O’Connor was 0 for two and was hit by a pitch twice with 3 runs.
Tyler Shields pitched four innings allowing one unearned run on three hits with nine strikeouts. He walked one batter and hit two batters.
Berrien County traveled to Eastman looking to avenge a loss to the Indians a week earlier. Brendan O’Connor took the mound for Dodge, and he pitched very well. He struck out the first two batters he faced in the first, and he got the third to fly out to center.
Dodge missed an early opportunity in the bottom of the first. O’Connor led off with a walk. Landin Crummey singled advancing O’Connor to second. Garrett Durden attempted a sacrifice bunt but instead popped up to the first baseman in foul territory. Davis Marchant hit a chopper up the middle that was fielded by the second baseman who started a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning scoreless.
Controversy ensued in the second inning after O’Connor gave up a base hit to start the inning. Berrien attempted to sacrifice bunt. O’Connor fielded the bunt and threw to first base. The ball ended up in shallow right field having apparently glanced off the runner with Berrien ending up with runners on second and third with no outs. However, the umpire ruled that the batter ran inside the baseline and interfered with O’Connor’s throw. From my vantage point, it appeared the runner was running right where he should have been. Berrien’s head coach agreed with me and came out for a prolonged yet fairly calm discussion with the umpire. He was ejected three-fourths of the way through the discussion, which in high school baseball meant he was now relegated to the dugout. The call would stand, and the batter was out and the runner sent back to first base. O’Connor followed that up with a strikeout and a fly out to left field.
Dodge again missed an opportunity to score in the bottom of the second when Cole Cranford led off with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner Braylon Mincey. It appeared Dodge had the hit and run on as Hunter Kirkley swung through a high fastball and Mincey was thrown out at second.
O’Connor escaped trouble in the second when the first batter reached on an error and stole second. O’Connor then got a ground ball out and a strikeout. He attempted to pickoff the runner at second who was caught in a rundown and tagged out by Griffin Durden at third base for the third out.
Dodge wasted a Griffin Durden base hit and a Crummey walk in the third inning. The game remained scoreless.
O’Connor would have to work out of trouble again in the fourth as the first batter reached on an error and stole second. O’Connor got a strikeout but then hit a batter. The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball. O’Connor struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning unscathed.
Dodge went in order in the bottom of the fourth, and Crummey came in from right field to pitch the fifth. O’Connor moved to shortstop. Crummey retired the Rebels in order.
Dodge finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Griffin Durden drew a one out walk. With two outs, the Rebels attempted a pickoff at first base, but the ball sailed into foul territory. Durden started for second and never broke stride as he rounded second and reached third safely. He was then lifted for pinch runner Aron Barden. O’Connor reached on an error, and Barden scored on the play. O’Connor then stole second. Crummey doubled home O’Connor and was replaced by courtesy runner Trase Moore. Garrett Durden had an infield hit, and an errant throw by the shortstop allowed Moore to score giving Dodge a 3-0 lead.
Crummey allowed a lead off double in the top of the sixth, but he struck out the next three batters. Dodge would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Noah Cummings reached on an error. Tyler Shields bunted for a hit advancing Cummings to second. Griffin Durden grounded out to the right side to advance the runners. The first baseman threw behind Cummings at third. The throw was off target allowing Cummings to trot home giving Dodge a 4-0 lead.
Crummey had to labor to get through the seventh after giving up a walk and a base hit to start the inning. He recorded a strikeout but allowed another base hit to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Crummey induced a ground out to Garrett Durden at second base that allowed one run to score. Crummey struck out the next batter to preserve the 4-1 Dodge victory.
This game was a microcosm of the Indians’ season so far. They have not hit much. They have struggled to do the little things needed to produce runs. The defense has committed too many errors. However, they have taken advantage of the other teams’ mistakes. Most importantly, the pitching has been excellent, and the pitchers have worked out of many jams. You also cannot underestimate the value of senior leadership in close ball games. At the end of the day, Dodge is 4-0 on the young season.
Statistical Leaders for Dodge were as follows:
Landin Crummey was two for two with a walk, a double and one RBI.
Garrett Durden was one for three.
Cole Cranford was one for three.
Griffin Durden was one for two with a walk.
Brendan O’Connor pitched four scoreless innings striking out seven. He gave up one hit and walked none. He hit one batter.
Landin Crummey got the win pitching three innings striking out six. He gave up one earned run on three hits and walked one batter.
Dodge was scheduled to host West Laurens on March 2nd, but rain in the forecast had that one in jeopardy at press time.
The Indians are scheduled to travel to Fitzgerald to face the Purple Hurricanes on March 3rd at 6:00 pm and host the Telfair Trojans on March 4th at 5:30 pm. Come out and support the Indians, or listen on Wolf Country 97.5 FM.
By Chad W. Smith
The Dodge County High School (DCHS) Squaws basketball team traveled to Savannah on Tuesday, February 23 to play in the first round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) AA State Tournament. The DCHS Squaws (13-6) the number three seed from region 3AA faced the Woodville-Tompkins High School Lady Wolverines (15-4), who were the number two seed from region 2AA.
The Squaws trailed the Lady Wolverine 7-17 after a shaky first quarter. Sanaa Searles had a three-pointer in the first quarter to lead Dodge. Dodge tightened things up a little bit in the second quarter as they pulled to a 15-26 score at the half. Searles again led the Squaws with four points in the second quarter.
Ileisha Mitchell led the Squaws with two three-pointers in the third quarter but were outscored 10-17 and trailed 25-43. Freshman Jovanna Hamilton led Dodge with five points in the fourth quarter as the Squaws outscored the Lady Wolverines 11-5 to make the final score, 36-48.
Scoring for the Squaws was: Sanaa Searles 12 points; Jovanna Hamilton, seven points; Cheyenne Hunt, seven points; Ileisha Mitchell, six points; Altierra Gooch, two points; Jada Baxter, one point; Ambria Simmons, one point.
The Squaws finish the season with an overall record of 13-7.
SPORTS
BY RUSS RAGAN
Okay, here we go with another wild world of sports and yes some of it is wild! We have a sporting event for eight hours due to sun? This weekend was the opener for college football part two. In somewhat normal news, the Braves find potentially good bench help.
I haven’t paid much attention ever in my life and none since the Flames left Atlanta, but Saturday did get my attention. The National Hockey League usually plays a couple of outdoor games during the season. This year’s games were played at Lake Tahoe. Saturday’s game had a 2:00 p.m. local start. The game made it through one period before league officials suspended the game due to too much sun. Yes, the ice was melting! So the game was postponed until 9:00 p.m. local time. That is an all-time first for me.
Now it is time for some February football. Yes, college football part two started this weekend. The featured game you may ask? It’s Jackson State and Edwards Waters without question. Jackson State is now coached by the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) Deion Sanders. Yes, prime time is the head man and he lead his team to a 53-0 blowout win. It was obvious that the secondary was really good in the game. It looks like Deion is getting Jackson State ready to play in “Prime Time”.
The Braves bench was a known weakness coming into the season. Sunday things maybe went in the right direction. The team signed former Arizona Diamond Back third baseman Jake Lamb to a one year deal. He hit 30 homers in 2017 and he was an all-star. Injuries were a big problem in 2018 and 2019. He came off the bench for Oakland in 2020. He was pretty good in a limited role with three homes in 45 at bats. It would be great if he could be a strong left handed bat off the bench and play some third base.
He joins another former all-star in Jason Kipnis that hopefully will make the team. Kipnis played last year with the Cubs after spending nine years with Cleveland.
Don’t look now, but the first Spring training game is this Saturday. The regular season opener is April 1, no fooling!
Okay, here we go with another wild world of sports and yes some of it is wild! We have a sporting event for eight hours due to sun? This weekend was the opener for college football part two. In somewhat normal news, the Braves find potentially good bench help.
I haven’t paid much attention ever in my life and none since the Flames left Atlanta, but Saturday did get my attention. The National Hockey League usually plays a couple of outdoor games during the season. This year’s games were played at Lake Tahoe. Saturday’s game had a 2:00 p.m. local start. The game made it through one period before league officials suspended the game due to too much sun. Yes, the ice was melting! So the game was postponed until 9:00 p.m. local time. That is an all-time first for me.
Now it is time for some February football. Yes, college football part two started this weekend. The featured game you may ask? It’s Jackson State and Edwards Waters without question. Jackson State is now coached by the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) Deion Sanders. Yes, prime time is the head man and he lead his team to a 53-0 blowout win. It was obvious that the secondary was really good in the game. It looks like Deion is getting Jackson State ready to play in “Prime Time”.
The Braves bench was a known weakness coming into the season. Sunday things maybe went in the right direction. The team signed former Arizona Diamond Back third baseman Jake Lamb to a one year deal. He hit 30 homers in 2017 and he was an all-star. Injuries were a big problem in 2018 and 2019. He came off the bench for Oakland in 2020. He was pretty good in a limited role with three homes in 45 at bats. It would be great if he could be a strong left handed bat off the bench and play some third base.
He joins another former all-star in Jason Kipnis that hopefully will make the team. Kipnis played last year with the Cubs after spending nine years with Cleveland.
Don’t look now, but the first Spring training game is this Saturday. The regular season opener is April 1, no fooling!
SPORTS
Dodge County Wrestlers compete in tournament,
senior Joah Gay wins his third area championship
By coach JD Carter
The Dodge County High School wrestling team traveled to Adel this past Thursday to participate in the Area 1 AA Championship. The team brought eight wrestlers to the tournament, six of whom advanced to the area finals and two who advanced to the consolation finals.
Senior Joah Gay entered his final area tournament looking for his third title in three years. Gay won it at 182 pounds his sophomore year and 195 pounds his junior year. He entered the tournament as the number one seed and proved to everyone why he is a state contender as he separated himself from the rest of the competition by beating his semi-final opponent from Jeff Davis by pin in the second pin, after racking up a pile of points, and then beating Berrien's 182 pound wrestler by a major decision in the finals to win his third area championship.
At 113 pounds, Dayvion Huttoe, who was seated second at the tournament, defeated his opponent from Berrien in the semifinals 8-2 to earn him a chance at a second area title in two years. Huttoe fell behind early in the finals, and despite storming back at the end of the match, he fell short, losing by a score of 9-7.
In the 126-pound weight class, Blaine Pritchett earned the number 1 seed for the tournament. He faced a tough Cook County wrestler in the semi-finals but was able to mercy rule him (earning a 15-point advantage) before the match was over to advance to the finals. In the finals, Pritchett faced a wrestler from Jeff Davis. This was a rematch from the Sweet Onion tournament back in January, a match that Pritchett won. The match was even, until his opponent was able to get the upper hand to win the match, putting him into the area runner-up spot.
Senior Joseph White wrestled in the 160-pound weight class where his accomplishments this season earned him the number one seed for the tournament, and he lived up to the seeding by defeating a Bacon County 160-pound wrestler in the semifinals before dismantling a Cook County wrestler by pin in the finals. White has now finished as an area champion and area runner-up (2020).
Second year wrestler Jonathan Grayer filled the 170 pound weight class where his hard work paid off earning him the number two seed in the area tournament. Grayer pinned his opponent from Jeff Davis in the first period to earn the right to face number one seed from Cook County in the finals. He has lost three times this year to his final’s opponent. Grayer punished his opponent in the finals and beat him 15-7 earning bonus points for the team and an area championship for himself.
Heavyweight Landynn Powers entered the tournament as the number one seed and looked to continue his winning ways in his short career as a wrestler. Powers defeated a very tough Berrien heavyweight in the semi-finals before meeting up with the Cook heavyweight in the finals. He pinned the Cook wrestler in the second period to put an exclamation mark on his tournament to win his first area title in just his second year of wrestling.
Jansen Kilgore and Grant Roland both fought to the bitter end but fell short to qualify for state as they both finished fourth in their respective weight classes. The wrestlers finishing in the top three at area will advance to state tournament on Tuesday, February 9.
senior Joah Gay wins his third area championship
By coach JD Carter
The Dodge County High School wrestling team traveled to Adel this past Thursday to participate in the Area 1 AA Championship. The team brought eight wrestlers to the tournament, six of whom advanced to the area finals and two who advanced to the consolation finals.
Senior Joah Gay entered his final area tournament looking for his third title in three years. Gay won it at 182 pounds his sophomore year and 195 pounds his junior year. He entered the tournament as the number one seed and proved to everyone why he is a state contender as he separated himself from the rest of the competition by beating his semi-final opponent from Jeff Davis by pin in the second pin, after racking up a pile of points, and then beating Berrien's 182 pound wrestler by a major decision in the finals to win his third area championship.
At 113 pounds, Dayvion Huttoe, who was seated second at the tournament, defeated his opponent from Berrien in the semifinals 8-2 to earn him a chance at a second area title in two years. Huttoe fell behind early in the finals, and despite storming back at the end of the match, he fell short, losing by a score of 9-7.
In the 126-pound weight class, Blaine Pritchett earned the number 1 seed for the tournament. He faced a tough Cook County wrestler in the semi-finals but was able to mercy rule him (earning a 15-point advantage) before the match was over to advance to the finals. In the finals, Pritchett faced a wrestler from Jeff Davis. This was a rematch from the Sweet Onion tournament back in January, a match that Pritchett won. The match was even, until his opponent was able to get the upper hand to win the match, putting him into the area runner-up spot.
Senior Joseph White wrestled in the 160-pound weight class where his accomplishments this season earned him the number one seed for the tournament, and he lived up to the seeding by defeating a Bacon County 160-pound wrestler in the semifinals before dismantling a Cook County wrestler by pin in the finals. White has now finished as an area champion and area runner-up (2020).
Second year wrestler Jonathan Grayer filled the 170 pound weight class where his hard work paid off earning him the number two seed in the area tournament. Grayer pinned his opponent from Jeff Davis in the first period to earn the right to face number one seed from Cook County in the finals. He has lost three times this year to his final’s opponent. Grayer punished his opponent in the finals and beat him 15-7 earning bonus points for the team and an area championship for himself.
Heavyweight Landynn Powers entered the tournament as the number one seed and looked to continue his winning ways in his short career as a wrestler. Powers defeated a very tough Berrien heavyweight in the semi-finals before meeting up with the Cook heavyweight in the finals. He pinned the Cook wrestler in the second period to put an exclamation mark on his tournament to win his first area title in just his second year of wrestling.
Jansen Kilgore and Grant Roland both fought to the bitter end but fell short to qualify for state as they both finished fourth in their respective weight classes. The wrestlers finishing in the top three at area will advance to state tournament on Tuesday, February 9.
SPORTS
BY RUSS RAGAN
The last few years, the Super Bowl has lived up to the hype, this year, that didn’t happen. Brady won his 7th and the Chiefs looked horrible in every way. Since it’s almost time for Spring Training, the Braves made their big move. They brought back Marcell Ozuna with a four year 65 million dollar deal, which is a bargain for the Braves.
I have to admit; I was really looking forward to this years Super Bowl. It was a battle between Mahomes and the great offense and the old man 43 year old Tom Brady going for his seventh championship. I though the Chiefs would win a shutout but it never naturalized. The Chiefs self-destructed in the first half. They had 95 yards in penalties, a new super bowl record for any half. The turning point in this one came late in the first half. The Chiefs kicked a field goal with a minute to go in the half for a 14-6 game. Then, they made what I feel was their fatal mistake. They had to get the ball back to score. They started using timeouts, which forced Brady to throw. A 62-yard pass interference call set up a third Brady touchdown pass and that really finished up Kansas City. That made it 21-6 at the half. Mahomes ran for his life the second half. He was only sacked three times but he was scrambling throughout the game. For everyone, the Chiefs are favorites to win Super Bowl 56 with 11-2 odds, the Bucs are 11-1. The Falcons are 60-1 to win it all.
Finally, there is some news out of the Braves camp. It started Friday as word of Marcell Ozuna signing was surfacing. Late Friday it was a done deal as the heavy hitting right-hander agreed to a four year, 65 million dollar deal. It does have a team option for a fifth year. The only downside is Ozuna will probably have to play defense at least for this year. He is not good in the outfield and that may be an understatement. He was fabulous in the short 2020 season. He hit .338 with 18 homers and 60 RBI’s. Hopefully, the designated hitter will be back for the 2022 season. Either way, this was a must deal for the team. For what it’s worth, the Braves were in on Colorado Rockies third baseman, Nolan Arenodo. He eventually went to the Cardinals for prospects. There was Kris Bryant talks with the Braves. Depending on the prospects wanted, a deal may not be impossible. There is still clean up work for the 2021 season. They need some bullpen pieces. Greene and Melancon are both free agents and are both unsigned. They could also use a utility infielder, as Cubberson is gone. The next big move will be the re-signing of 2020 MVP Freddie Freeman. I expect the talks to be short. Everyone is projecting a new long-term deal before the end of Spring Training.
The last few years, the Super Bowl has lived up to the hype, this year, that didn’t happen. Brady won his 7th and the Chiefs looked horrible in every way. Since it’s almost time for Spring Training, the Braves made their big move. They brought back Marcell Ozuna with a four year 65 million dollar deal, which is a bargain for the Braves.
I have to admit; I was really looking forward to this years Super Bowl. It was a battle between Mahomes and the great offense and the old man 43 year old Tom Brady going for his seventh championship. I though the Chiefs would win a shutout but it never naturalized. The Chiefs self-destructed in the first half. They had 95 yards in penalties, a new super bowl record for any half. The turning point in this one came late in the first half. The Chiefs kicked a field goal with a minute to go in the half for a 14-6 game. Then, they made what I feel was their fatal mistake. They had to get the ball back to score. They started using timeouts, which forced Brady to throw. A 62-yard pass interference call set up a third Brady touchdown pass and that really finished up Kansas City. That made it 21-6 at the half. Mahomes ran for his life the second half. He was only sacked three times but he was scrambling throughout the game. For everyone, the Chiefs are favorites to win Super Bowl 56 with 11-2 odds, the Bucs are 11-1. The Falcons are 60-1 to win it all.
Finally, there is some news out of the Braves camp. It started Friday as word of Marcell Ozuna signing was surfacing. Late Friday it was a done deal as the heavy hitting right-hander agreed to a four year, 65 million dollar deal. It does have a team option for a fifth year. The only downside is Ozuna will probably have to play defense at least for this year. He is not good in the outfield and that may be an understatement. He was fabulous in the short 2020 season. He hit .338 with 18 homers and 60 RBI’s. Hopefully, the designated hitter will be back for the 2022 season. Either way, this was a must deal for the team. For what it’s worth, the Braves were in on Colorado Rockies third baseman, Nolan Arenodo. He eventually went to the Cardinals for prospects. There was Kris Bryant talks with the Braves. Depending on the prospects wanted, a deal may not be impossible. There is still clean up work for the 2021 season. They need some bullpen pieces. Greene and Melancon are both free agents and are both unsigned. They could also use a utility infielder, as Cubberson is gone. The next big move will be the re-signing of 2020 MVP Freddie Freeman. I expect the talks to be short. Everyone is projecting a new long-term deal before the end of Spring Training.
SPORTS
BY RUSS RAGAN
Okay, here we go folks, after a missed week. We have lots of things to go over. The bulldogs pick up a current five star quarterback. Is there reason to think there is too much talent? We are getting close to Spring training and the Braves are at least one bat away from being strong.
We start in Athens where on Wednesday; there was a shocking announcement. Class of 22 five star quarterback Gunner Stockton is going to be a bulldog! Instead of excitement, worry seems to set in as many said we have too many quarterbacks once more. Memories of the fields-from days are coming back. Many inside the Georgia program don't think this will happen and I agree. There is no question that J.T. Daniels is the quarterback this fall, period. If he has any kind of season, he is off to the NFL probably in the first round. That leaves Brock Vondergoff, Carson Beck and Stockton. I do think Beck will transfer so that leaves a probable red shirt freshman, Vandergoff and a true freshman in Stockton. Vandergoff should be the starter in 2022 and open the door after hopefully a pair of strong seasons. This season though should be the best bulldog offensive ever! It should be fun this fall!
Speaking of Georgia quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford was in a huge trade as he went from the Lions to the Rams for quarterback Jared Goff, a pair of number one draft picks and a third round pick. This will be Staffords first real good chance to win in the NFL.
I know the NFL draft is almost three months away but what will the Falcons do at number 4? Do they go quarterback? The rookie can learn under Matt Ryan for a year before taking control. If the team doesn’t go quarterback, they must, and I mean must trade down and get more picks. There will be a lot more talk on this topic in the days and weeks to come. Okay, now to baseball. Pitchers and catchers could be heading to spring training in a couple of weeks but it could be delayed a few weeks. It came out over the weekend that the owners and players union are in talks for spring training to start on March 22 and opening day on April 28. The season would be 154 games instead of 162. It would also have the extended playoffs, which the players don’t want and the DH in both leagues, which the players do want. I have to think the Covid situation has something to do with the proposal. If that deal doesn’t work out, everyone will go to spring training as usual in a couple weeks and we will see how things work out.
Speaking of the Braves things have been very quiet lately. Things started fine, as they have starting pitchers in Morton and Swigley, add then to Fried, Anderson and eventually Soroka things will be fine. The offense needs some work. The infield is fine. The outfield needs some work. Azuna is ready for another big year but what after that? Pache will start in center but his bat isn’t quite ready. They need to re-sign Ozuna whether there is a DH or not. I do feel like we will have one in 22 so give him a long-term deal. I expect a season decision this week.
We lost the legit homerun king last week, in Hank Aaron. Other that 755 honors, he has some other huge numbers. He is still the all time RBI leader, he has nearly 3800 hits and he had a .315 career average. He also finished his career with more walks than strikeouts. That makes 13 strong baseball hall of famers that have died in the past year. Aaron joins Niekro, Sutton, Morgan, Gibson, Breck, Kaline and Seaver among others.
Okay, here we go folks, after a missed week. We have lots of things to go over. The bulldogs pick up a current five star quarterback. Is there reason to think there is too much talent? We are getting close to Spring training and the Braves are at least one bat away from being strong.
We start in Athens where on Wednesday; there was a shocking announcement. Class of 22 five star quarterback Gunner Stockton is going to be a bulldog! Instead of excitement, worry seems to set in as many said we have too many quarterbacks once more. Memories of the fields-from days are coming back. Many inside the Georgia program don't think this will happen and I agree. There is no question that J.T. Daniels is the quarterback this fall, period. If he has any kind of season, he is off to the NFL probably in the first round. That leaves Brock Vondergoff, Carson Beck and Stockton. I do think Beck will transfer so that leaves a probable red shirt freshman, Vandergoff and a true freshman in Stockton. Vandergoff should be the starter in 2022 and open the door after hopefully a pair of strong seasons. This season though should be the best bulldog offensive ever! It should be fun this fall!
Speaking of Georgia quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford was in a huge trade as he went from the Lions to the Rams for quarterback Jared Goff, a pair of number one draft picks and a third round pick. This will be Staffords first real good chance to win in the NFL.
I know the NFL draft is almost three months away but what will the Falcons do at number 4? Do they go quarterback? The rookie can learn under Matt Ryan for a year before taking control. If the team doesn’t go quarterback, they must, and I mean must trade down and get more picks. There will be a lot more talk on this topic in the days and weeks to come. Okay, now to baseball. Pitchers and catchers could be heading to spring training in a couple of weeks but it could be delayed a few weeks. It came out over the weekend that the owners and players union are in talks for spring training to start on March 22 and opening day on April 28. The season would be 154 games instead of 162. It would also have the extended playoffs, which the players don’t want and the DH in both leagues, which the players do want. I have to think the Covid situation has something to do with the proposal. If that deal doesn’t work out, everyone will go to spring training as usual in a couple weeks and we will see how things work out.
Speaking of the Braves things have been very quiet lately. Things started fine, as they have starting pitchers in Morton and Swigley, add then to Fried, Anderson and eventually Soroka things will be fine. The offense needs some work. The infield is fine. The outfield needs some work. Azuna is ready for another big year but what after that? Pache will start in center but his bat isn’t quite ready. They need to re-sign Ozuna whether there is a DH or not. I do feel like we will have one in 22 so give him a long-term deal. I expect a season decision this week.
We lost the legit homerun king last week, in Hank Aaron. Other that 755 honors, he has some other huge numbers. He is still the all time RBI leader, he has nearly 3800 hits and he had a .315 career average. He also finished his career with more walks than strikeouts. That makes 13 strong baseball hall of famers that have died in the past year. Aaron joins Niekro, Sutton, Morgan, Gibson, Breck, Kaline and Seaver among others.
Sports
By Cris Grauberger
The Dodge County competition cheer team brought home a second place finish falling to their inter-region rival Bleckley County. The team traveled to Perry on Saturday, January 23, 2021 where they competed in the Panther Prowl Cheer Classic.
The team had dedicated much of their practices over the past week to “cleaning things up” which was apparent by their outstanding performance. The team displayed more synchronized tumbling and jumps. They received no deductions, but this wasn’t enough to overtake first place despite a less than perfect performance by the Royals.
The team will no doubt have some adjustments to do in order to increase the point value of the routine to help them to be more even more competitive.
The team will have a busy week traveling to Putnam County on Friday, January 29th and Cochran on Saturday, January 30, 2021. Come out and support our girls Saturday in Bleckley.
The Dodge County competition cheer team brought home a second place finish falling to their inter-region rival Bleckley County. The team traveled to Perry on Saturday, January 23, 2021 where they competed in the Panther Prowl Cheer Classic.
The team had dedicated much of their practices over the past week to “cleaning things up” which was apparent by their outstanding performance. The team displayed more synchronized tumbling and jumps. They received no deductions, but this wasn’t enough to overtake first place despite a less than perfect performance by the Royals.
The team will no doubt have some adjustments to do in order to increase the point value of the routine to help them to be more even more competitive.
The team will have a busy week traveling to Putnam County on Friday, January 29th and Cochran on Saturday, January 30, 2021. Come out and support our girls Saturday in Bleckley.
sports
By Chad W. Smith
The Dodge County High School (DCHS) Squaws & Indians basketball teams played games against Trinity Christian, Bleckley County and Metter this past week.
Dodge traveled to Trinity Christian on Tuesday, January 19 and then to region rival Bleckley County on Friday, January 22 and the Indians hosted Metter on Saturday, January 23 in a boys only game.
The Squaws split in their two games on the week as they defeated Trinity Christian 45-41 but lost to Bleckley County 35-48 in a region contest. The Squaws are now 10-4 and 4-3 in Region 3AA.
The Indians defeated Trinity Christian, 86-65 and Bleckley County, 54-47 before losing to Metter, 49-60.
The Indians are 7-10 and 3-4 in Region 3AA. Both teams are in 4th place in Region 3AA at this time, which is very important since there will be no region tournament this year and the top four teams from the season will advance to state.
Scoring for the Squaws against Trinity Christian was : Sanaa Searles, 15 points; Altierra Gooch, 12 points; Ambria Simmons, seven points; Carson Etheridge, six points; Jada Baxter, four points; Cheyenne Hunt, one point.
Scoring for the Squaws against Bleckley County was: Alterria Gooch, 11 points; Jada Baxter, seven points; Cheyenne Hunt, six points; Sanaa Searles, four points; Ileisha Mitchell, three points; Carson Etheridge, two points; Xavia Mann, two points.
Scoring for the Indians against Trinity Christian was: Jadeon McClendon, 14 points; Javan Smith, 12 points; Lamarie Mitchell, 10 points; Caleb Singletary 10 points; Keldrick Beck, nine points; My’Sean Williams, nine points; Mikhail Carr, eight points; Kevin Sykes, six points; Lamar Burns, three points; William Jordan, two points; Zy Williams, two points; Noah Cummings, one point.
Scoring for the Indians against Bleckley County was: My’Sean Williams 13 points; Keldrick Beck, 11 points; Mikhail Carr, six points; Javan Smith, six points; Kevin Sykes, six points; Jadeon McClendon, four points; Lamarie Mitchell, four points; Noah Cummings, two points; Caleb Singletary, two points.
Scoring for Dodge against Metter was: Keldrick Beck, 12 points; My’Sean Williams, nine points; Heaven Carson, eight points; Lamarie Mitchell, eight points; William Jordan, five points; Caleb Singletary, four points; Noah Cummings, three points; Keyshawn Mincey, two points.
Dodge was scheduled to host Lamar County on Tuesday, January 26 and then travel to Northeast Macon on Friday, January 29 and to Northside Warner Robins on Saturday, January 30. They will return home on Tuesday, February 2 against region foe Washington County. The Lamar County, Northeast Macon and Washington County games will begin with varsity girls at 6:00 p.m. and varsity boys follow at 7:30 p.m. At Northside Warner Robins on Saturday varsity girls will begin at 2:30 p.m. and varsity boys will follow at 4:00 p.m.
The Dodge County High School (DCHS) Squaws & Indians basketball teams played games against Trinity Christian, Bleckley County and Metter this past week.
Dodge traveled to Trinity Christian on Tuesday, January 19 and then to region rival Bleckley County on Friday, January 22 and the Indians hosted Metter on Saturday, January 23 in a boys only game.
The Squaws split in their two games on the week as they defeated Trinity Christian 45-41 but lost to Bleckley County 35-48 in a region contest. The Squaws are now 10-4 and 4-3 in Region 3AA.
The Indians defeated Trinity Christian, 86-65 and Bleckley County, 54-47 before losing to Metter, 49-60.
The Indians are 7-10 and 3-4 in Region 3AA. Both teams are in 4th place in Region 3AA at this time, which is very important since there will be no region tournament this year and the top four teams from the season will advance to state.
Scoring for the Squaws against Trinity Christian was : Sanaa Searles, 15 points; Altierra Gooch, 12 points; Ambria Simmons, seven points; Carson Etheridge, six points; Jada Baxter, four points; Cheyenne Hunt, one point.
Scoring for the Squaws against Bleckley County was: Alterria Gooch, 11 points; Jada Baxter, seven points; Cheyenne Hunt, six points; Sanaa Searles, four points; Ileisha Mitchell, three points; Carson Etheridge, two points; Xavia Mann, two points.
Scoring for the Indians against Trinity Christian was: Jadeon McClendon, 14 points; Javan Smith, 12 points; Lamarie Mitchell, 10 points; Caleb Singletary 10 points; Keldrick Beck, nine points; My’Sean Williams, nine points; Mikhail Carr, eight points; Kevin Sykes, six points; Lamar Burns, three points; William Jordan, two points; Zy Williams, two points; Noah Cummings, one point.
Scoring for the Indians against Bleckley County was: My’Sean Williams 13 points; Keldrick Beck, 11 points; Mikhail Carr, six points; Javan Smith, six points; Kevin Sykes, six points; Jadeon McClendon, four points; Lamarie Mitchell, four points; Noah Cummings, two points; Caleb Singletary, two points.
Scoring for Dodge against Metter was: Keldrick Beck, 12 points; My’Sean Williams, nine points; Heaven Carson, eight points; Lamarie Mitchell, eight points; William Jordan, five points; Caleb Singletary, four points; Noah Cummings, three points; Keyshawn Mincey, two points.
Dodge was scheduled to host Lamar County on Tuesday, January 26 and then travel to Northeast Macon on Friday, January 29 and to Northside Warner Robins on Saturday, January 30. They will return home on Tuesday, February 2 against region foe Washington County. The Lamar County, Northeast Macon and Washington County games will begin with varsity girls at 6:00 p.m. and varsity boys follow at 7:30 p.m. At Northside Warner Robins on Saturday varsity girls will begin at 2:30 p.m. and varsity boys will follow at 4:00 p.m.
SPORTS
BY RUSS RAGAN
It took a while, but the Falcons have finally got a new head coach and yes he is offensive minded and that’s a good thing. I think the Birds will contend more sooner than later in the NFC South. It is getting close to the scheduled start of Spring Training and the Browns still have some business to take care of.
Let’s start with the biggest news of the week. The Falcons have named Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as head coach. He has done a really good job as play caller, of course it doesn’t hurt having Derek Henry as a great back.
Another big piece is the possibility of hiring Dean Pars as defensive coordinator. He is known to be very apprehensive in play calling and he loves to blitz. He coached with Smith at Tennessee. He is currently retired but word is he is a chance to come.
The big challenge for Smith and staff is what to do with the fourth pick of the draft. If they stay at number four, they must take a quarterback. Zach Wilson from Brigham Young will be there and possibly Justin Fields as well. The second option is trading down to say number 19 to Washington and take Mac Jones from Alabama or Trey Lance from North Dakota State. The deal should include a second round pick and maybe a future number one. I also expect an early second round pick at running back. Travis Etienne from Clemson would be good with me and he catches a ball well out of the backfield.
The bottom line is this; Matt Ryan probably will be the quarterback in 2021. I think it’s time to draft his replacement for the 2022 season. I also think it’s time to draft a true workhorse running back. I think that is the way they should go in round two.
We have better than three months to discuss this one.
If you watched the Tampa-New Orleans game Sunday, you should have noticed one thing, the NFC South is getting old.
We probably saw Drew Brees in his final game and honestly he looked old.
Who will be the replacement? Jameis Winston doesn’t scare me at all. Then there is Tom Brady and Tampa Bay. He will be back in Tampa next year at 44 and honestly his best days are behind him. Will Tampa be the 2021 favorite? Without any questions. The Falcons can be right there in 2022 but this draft can’t be missed.
As I was writing this Sunday night, it looks like the search for the general manager is over.
Terry Fontenot, the assistant at New Orleans will be named the headman in Atlanta real soon.
Hopefully, Spring Training is close by as the 2020 baseball off-season is almost over. I wouldn’t be shocked if things got delayed a little but MLV is hoping for a 162 game season. There is still no word on the DH in the national league.
It doesn’t look like Ozuna will be a Brave as his price will be too high.
Names like Peterson, Brantley and a possible Kris Bryan trade should heat up soon as the Cubs are really moving payroll.
It took a while, but the Falcons have finally got a new head coach and yes he is offensive minded and that’s a good thing. I think the Birds will contend more sooner than later in the NFC South. It is getting close to the scheduled start of Spring Training and the Browns still have some business to take care of.
Let’s start with the biggest news of the week. The Falcons have named Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as head coach. He has done a really good job as play caller, of course it doesn’t hurt having Derek Henry as a great back.
Another big piece is the possibility of hiring Dean Pars as defensive coordinator. He is known to be very apprehensive in play calling and he loves to blitz. He coached with Smith at Tennessee. He is currently retired but word is he is a chance to come.
The big challenge for Smith and staff is what to do with the fourth pick of the draft. If they stay at number four, they must take a quarterback. Zach Wilson from Brigham Young will be there and possibly Justin Fields as well. The second option is trading down to say number 19 to Washington and take Mac Jones from Alabama or Trey Lance from North Dakota State. The deal should include a second round pick and maybe a future number one. I also expect an early second round pick at running back. Travis Etienne from Clemson would be good with me and he catches a ball well out of the backfield.
The bottom line is this; Matt Ryan probably will be the quarterback in 2021. I think it’s time to draft his replacement for the 2022 season. I also think it’s time to draft a true workhorse running back. I think that is the way they should go in round two.
We have better than three months to discuss this one.
If you watched the Tampa-New Orleans game Sunday, you should have noticed one thing, the NFC South is getting old.
We probably saw Drew Brees in his final game and honestly he looked old.
Who will be the replacement? Jameis Winston doesn’t scare me at all. Then there is Tom Brady and Tampa Bay. He will be back in Tampa next year at 44 and honestly his best days are behind him. Will Tampa be the 2021 favorite? Without any questions. The Falcons can be right there in 2022 but this draft can’t be missed.
As I was writing this Sunday night, it looks like the search for the general manager is over.
Terry Fontenot, the assistant at New Orleans will be named the headman in Atlanta real soon.
Hopefully, Spring Training is close by as the 2020 baseball off-season is almost over. I wouldn’t be shocked if things got delayed a little but MLV is hoping for a 162 game season. There is still no word on the DH in the national league.
It doesn’t look like Ozuna will be a Brave as his price will be too high.
Names like Peterson, Brantley and a possible Kris Bryan trade should heat up soon as the Cubs are really moving payroll.
SPORTS
BY RUSS RAGAN
Despite neither team playing, there was news on the Falcons and Bulldogs front. The Dogs have several key returners and the offense should be really good. The Falcons have the fourth overall pick in April’s draft plus they have a fourth place schedule which is nice. There are reports that there is a favorite for the head coaching job and it’s a surprise.
Nothing really to report on the Braves front but I have some ideas.
It was a good week on the Bulldog front. Players have until this Friday the 15th to announce if they are returning for another season by the NCAA. The defense got a boost as Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis are coming back. No word yet from Zamir “Zeus” White. I do think he will be back. Scoring points shouldn’t be a problem for the Dogs this fall.
There hasn’t been a whole lot of winning in Falcon land, but their losing has helped things out. We do have good news to report. The 2021 schedules are out and it’s doable for the Birds. They have the home games with the Saints, Bucs and Panthers. After that things get a lot easier. Of the remaining ten teams only two made the 2020 playoffs. Buffalo is very good, no question about it. The other is the Washington football team and they are very beatable.
The second part of good news is they have the fourth pick in April’s draft. The big question is do you draft a quarterback? Zach Wilson from BYU and Justin Fields will possibly be there. Personally, I don’t think the Birds leave Fields there at number four. They could trade down and add picks. We will talk more about that as time goes on.
There is even still more Falcons news and this one is about the next head coach. It looks like the early favorite is Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He was also in the same position in 2019 for the college national champion LSU. He is only 31, does that scare anybody out there?
The other big interior went to Kansas City Chief offensive coordinator Eric Bienieiz. He is the hot candidate across the league. Personally, I would take either one and it does excite me that both are offensive guys. The next three plus months should be interesting in Falcons land.
Let’s wrap up with the Braves. In the 2019 off season they picked up Cole Hanels, bad move, and Will Smith, improved as the year went along. In the 2020 off season, they picked up Charlie Morton. A move I liked, add Drew Smyley a move I don’t dislike just like last year things have gotten really quiet.
The Mets did make a real big deal as they got shortstop Francisco Lendor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco.
The Mets give up descent prospects in the deal but they are paying pretty much by contracts.
So, what will the Braves do? Well they could bring back Ozuna and hope the designated hitter comes back at least by 2022. They could trade for Kris Bryant from the Cubs as he will be a free agent at the end of the season, but you can’t overpay in prospects. Don’t rule out Michael Brantley or Joe Peterson for the last outfield spot. The Braves should do something soon for the offense.
Despite neither team playing, there was news on the Falcons and Bulldogs front. The Dogs have several key returners and the offense should be really good. The Falcons have the fourth overall pick in April’s draft plus they have a fourth place schedule which is nice. There are reports that there is a favorite for the head coaching job and it’s a surprise.
Nothing really to report on the Braves front but I have some ideas.
It was a good week on the Bulldog front. Players have until this Friday the 15th to announce if they are returning for another season by the NCAA. The defense got a boost as Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis are coming back. No word yet from Zamir “Zeus” White. I do think he will be back. Scoring points shouldn’t be a problem for the Dogs this fall.
There hasn’t been a whole lot of winning in Falcon land, but their losing has helped things out. We do have good news to report. The 2021 schedules are out and it’s doable for the Birds. They have the home games with the Saints, Bucs and Panthers. After that things get a lot easier. Of the remaining ten teams only two made the 2020 playoffs. Buffalo is very good, no question about it. The other is the Washington football team and they are very beatable.
The second part of good news is they have the fourth pick in April’s draft. The big question is do you draft a quarterback? Zach Wilson from BYU and Justin Fields will possibly be there. Personally, I don’t think the Birds leave Fields there at number four. They could trade down and add picks. We will talk more about that as time goes on.
There is even still more Falcons news and this one is about the next head coach. It looks like the early favorite is Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He was also in the same position in 2019 for the college national champion LSU. He is only 31, does that scare anybody out there?
The other big interior went to Kansas City Chief offensive coordinator Eric Bienieiz. He is the hot candidate across the league. Personally, I would take either one and it does excite me that both are offensive guys. The next three plus months should be interesting in Falcons land.
Let’s wrap up with the Braves. In the 2019 off season they picked up Cole Hanels, bad move, and Will Smith, improved as the year went along. In the 2020 off season, they picked up Charlie Morton. A move I liked, add Drew Smyley a move I don’t dislike just like last year things have gotten really quiet.
The Mets did make a real big deal as they got shortstop Francisco Lendor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco.
The Mets give up descent prospects in the deal but they are paying pretty much by contracts.
So, what will the Braves do? Well they could bring back Ozuna and hope the designated hitter comes back at least by 2022. They could trade for Kris Bryant from the Cubs as he will be a free agent at the end of the season, but you can’t overpay in prospects. Don’t rule out Michael Brantley or Joe Peterson for the last outfield spot. The Braves should do something soon for the offense.
SPORTS
BY RUSS RAGAN
There is a lot of football news to report and I am happy to say nearly all of it went really well. The Falcons “finished the drill” they made things interesting before losing 44-27 to Tampa Bay. It took all the Bulldogs had but they found a way in a 24-21 win over Cincinnati. Dodge County and former bulldog Leonard Floyd wrapped up a really good regular season with the Rams.
Let’s start with the bulldogs as they played undefeated Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl. Things didn’t look good as they trailed 21-10 going to the fourth quarter but things came together late in the 24-21 win. It was only an okay day for Daniels despite the numbers. He threw for 392 yards including a really good two-minute drill. George Pickens had 7 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
The big story was the Georgia defense and red shirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari. The defensive end had three sacks and a forced fumble in the win. He will go to the NFL draft and rightly so. He is currently projected to go in the first round.
Okay, back to the game. The dogs tailed 21-19 with 7 seconds to go. Sophomore kicker, Jack Podlesny lined up for a career long 53-yard field goal. He hit it flush with a nice little draw and dead down the middle for the 22-21 lead.
Ojulari got a sack in the end zone for the final points.
So, what’s next for the dogs? Well, they will finish in the top ten once again. Hopefully, Daniels, White and company will mostly come back for a really good chance for a special 2021 season.
Speaking of the bulldogs and Dodge County Indian, Leonard Floyd has had a really good year with the Rams. He picked up a sack and he had a quarterback hit in the Rams 18-7 must win over Arizona. He had 9 ½ sacks for the season for the layoff bound Rams.
Sunday’s missions were simple for the Falcons. Lose and they draft no worse than fourth in April’s draft. A win and they could fall as far as number 13. Things started good as Brady and Tampa Bay lead 23-10 at the half. Of course, the Falcons would make things close as it was 23-20 going into the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Brady got hot again in he fourth quarter for the 44-27 final.
So, what happens now? Well, they will pick fourth in April’s draft. Do you take a quarterback? Keep in mind, Matt Ryan will be the starter in 2021 because he has a massive 40 plus millions dollar cap hit. I do take the quarterback. Either Justin Fields, who looked good against Clemson or Zach Wilson from BYU will be there in the fourth spot. They can also trade down some and get maybe Mac Jones from Alabama? There are several ways they can do this.
The team made news Sunday night as they announced they will be interviewing Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for the job. He is top pick for job openings. Personally, I would love him or any high-powered offensive coordinator. I have had it with defensive coaches.
I am sure there will be plenty of rumors soon.
There is a lot of football news to report and I am happy to say nearly all of it went really well. The Falcons “finished the drill” they made things interesting before losing 44-27 to Tampa Bay. It took all the Bulldogs had but they found a way in a 24-21 win over Cincinnati. Dodge County and former bulldog Leonard Floyd wrapped up a really good regular season with the Rams.
Let’s start with the bulldogs as they played undefeated Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl. Things didn’t look good as they trailed 21-10 going to the fourth quarter but things came together late in the 24-21 win. It was only an okay day for Daniels despite the numbers. He threw for 392 yards including a really good two-minute drill. George Pickens had 7 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
The big story was the Georgia defense and red shirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari. The defensive end had three sacks and a forced fumble in the win. He will go to the NFL draft and rightly so. He is currently projected to go in the first round.
Okay, back to the game. The dogs tailed 21-19 with 7 seconds to go. Sophomore kicker, Jack Podlesny lined up for a career long 53-yard field goal. He hit it flush with a nice little draw and dead down the middle for the 22-21 lead.
Ojulari got a sack in the end zone for the final points.
So, what’s next for the dogs? Well, they will finish in the top ten once again. Hopefully, Daniels, White and company will mostly come back for a really good chance for a special 2021 season.
Speaking of the bulldogs and Dodge County Indian, Leonard Floyd has had a really good year with the Rams. He picked up a sack and he had a quarterback hit in the Rams 18-7 must win over Arizona. He had 9 ½ sacks for the season for the layoff bound Rams.
Sunday’s missions were simple for the Falcons. Lose and they draft no worse than fourth in April’s draft. A win and they could fall as far as number 13. Things started good as Brady and Tampa Bay lead 23-10 at the half. Of course, the Falcons would make things close as it was 23-20 going into the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Brady got hot again in he fourth quarter for the 44-27 final.
So, what happens now? Well, they will pick fourth in April’s draft. Do you take a quarterback? Keep in mind, Matt Ryan will be the starter in 2021 because he has a massive 40 plus millions dollar cap hit. I do take the quarterback. Either Justin Fields, who looked good against Clemson or Zach Wilson from BYU will be there in the fourth spot. They can also trade down some and get maybe Mac Jones from Alabama? There are several ways they can do this.
The team made news Sunday night as they announced they will be interviewing Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for the job. He is top pick for job openings. Personally, I would love him or any high-powered offensive coordinator. I have had it with defensive coaches.
I am sure there will be plenty of rumors soon.
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