Sports

Ten Dodge County High School baseball players were named to the All-Middle Georgia Georgia High School Association (GHSA) baseball team recently.

Seniors Jordan Smith and Aron Chick; juniors Josh Perdue, Jonathon Perdue and Austin Clements and sophomore Cain Peterson were team members named to the All-Middle Georgia GHSA team.

Smith and Chick were named to the first team. Honorable mentions went to Josh Perdue, Jonathon Perdue, Austin Clements and Cain Peterson. [Full Story »] 

The 8 year old and under (8U) Eastman-Dodge County Recreation Department All-star girl’s softball team earned second place in the Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Recreation 2013 All-star Invitational which was held June 3 through June 8, 2013. Pictured (front row, l-r) Jayci Yawn, Skye Meadows, Brooke Perdue and Kate Jones; (middle row, l-r) JaiunaVae Pattillo, Dylana Barton, Dayla Faulk, Ava Roland, Riley Haley and Ashlyn Grauberger; (back row l-r) coaches Dylan Barton, Brian Perdue and Jessica Brown. Not pictured is Halle Wise.

The Eastman/Dodge County Recreation 12-year old and under (12U) girls all-star team won the 51st annual Lyons tournament last week. Dodge went five and zero during the tournament and out scored their opponents 49 to three in the five games. The girls played well together as a team combining great pitching, stellar defense and strong offensive efforts to go undefeated and win the largest all-star tournament in South Georgia. Pictured (first row, l-r) Lane Barrows, Allie Varnadoe, Julianna Bellflower, Jenna Hickman and Amber Maxwell; (second row, l-r) coach Jennifer Bellflower, Abby Christian Manning, Meredith Hutcheson, Jacey Dowdy, Jade Dowdy, coach Kenton Haley and Dodge County Recreation Director Travis Niblett; not pictured: coach Derek Hutcheson, Laralin Rogers and Jessie Thomas.

The Eastman-Dodge County Recreation Department 8-year old and under (8U) Girls All-star softball team went undefeated to win the Cochran-Bleckley Recreation 2013 All-star Invitational which was held June 11 through June 13, 2013. Pictured (front row, l-r) Ava Roland, Skye Meadows, Halle Wise, Kate Jones and Jayci Yawn; (middle row, l-r) Riley Haley, JaiunaVae Pattillo, Dylana Barton, Dayla Faulk, Ashlyn Grauberger and Brooke Perdue; (back row, l-r) coach, Jessica Brown; coach, Brian Perdue; Eastman-Dodge Recreation Department Director, Travis Niblett and coach Dylan Barton.

Madison Pritchett placed second place last week at the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) Junior Sectional Tournament. The tournament was held at Eagles Landing in McDonough, which was one of the stops for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour from 1992 through 2006 and is one of the most challenging courses in Georgia. Pritchett is also on the Dodge County High School Golf Team and wishes to encourage other girls to become involved in the sport. She will compete in three additional tournaments during the month of June, which are open to girls of all ages. Please visit www.gsga.org to find out more.

Once again, the crisp May morning and the participants eager to walk or run set the scene at the Dodge County Courthouse for the second annual “Out of The Darkness 1m/5k Walk/Run.”

The crowd of 200 plus people was there to speak out for those who “cannot speak for themselves” as is stated in Proverbs 31:8a.

The event, sponsored by the Dodge County Baptist Association and Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), was held to bring awareness to the issue of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). [Full Story »] 

The eight and under (8U) Lil Canes won first place in the 2013 Starz Softball Tournament in Alma on Saturday, May 18, 2013. The team went undefeated throughout the tournament securing wins against district rivals Berrien County and Pierce County. Pictured (first row, l-r) are Jayci Yawn, Bryn Yawn, Lauren Slaughter, Kate Jones and Riley Lancaster; (second row, l-r) Skye Meadows, Caitlynn Lancaster, Tannah Cobb, Halle Wise, Brooke Perdue and McKenzie Maddox; and (third row, l-r) coaches Brian Perdue, Ricky Maddox and Terry Cobb.

A local running group was recently sponsored by David Boyd of Rhine to participate in the second annual “Out of Darkness 5K” run held in Eastman. The Dodge Baptist Association sponsors the event to benefit children in Georgia who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The event raises money for Wellspring Living to support their vision to stop sexual exploitation of children. “I can help to stop these crimes against children and support the group of ladies my daughter runs with all at the same time,” Boyd explained. This is the second year that Boyd has sponsored this group of local runners in this event. Pictured (front row) Ina Grace Purvis; (back row, l-r) Anna Kate Hickman, Kathy Bohannon Brown, Amy Mullis, Trisha Connell, David Boyd, Nora Jean Reaves, Jennifer McDaniel, Sheena Orange, Donna Boyd Purvis and Kelly Bryant Burch Not pictured: Dana Niblett.

The Lady Bulldogs finished first in regular season play and won the championship at the Eastman-Dodge County Recreation Department 10-year old and under (10U) tournament. Pictured (middle row, l-r) are Carson Ethridge, Aniyah Black, Linzy Bowen, Clara Rossi, Jordan Hardy and Keke Montford; (back row, l-r) Kyla Howell, Gracie Lewis, Brianna Stickney, Skylar McAliley, Taylor Johnson and Kedejah Montford; (back row, l-r) coaches Wade Bowen, Al Lewis and Tavaris Black.

The 10-year old and under (10U) Dodge County Girls All Star team won the Soperton Tournament on Saturday, May 25, 2013. The girls went undefeated in the tournament. Pictured (front row, l-r) are Linzy Bowen, Madison Hardy, Sydney Powell and Annie Jones; (second row, l-r) bat girls, Meg Lewis and Kate Jones; (third row, l-r) Caroline Scarborough, Gracie Lewis, Mattie Grace Hutcheson, Aniyah Black and Rhesa Dotson; (fourth row, l-r) Bailey Harvey and Kaylee Mullis; (back row, l-r) coaches, Derek Hutcheson, Shawn Powell, Al Lewis and Wade Bowen and Eastman/Dodge Recreation Director Travis Niblett. Not pictured is Carsen Ethridge.

Hunter Rahn, son of Jim and Tammy Rahn, killed his first turkey on Saturday, May 4, 2013. The gobbler had a 10 ¼ inch beard and 3/4 spurs.

The eight year old and under (8U) Lil Canes finished second place in the fourth annual “Mother’s Day Classic” in Douglas on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pictured (front row, l-r) are Brooke Perdue, Lauren Slaughter, Tannah Cobb, Riley Lancaster and Jayci Yawn; (back row, l-r) Kate Jones, Caitlynn Lancaster, Skye Meadows, Bryn Yawn and McKenzie Maddox. Players not pictured are Alyssa Reed. Coaches not pictured are Brian Perdue, Terry Cobb and Ricky Maddox.

Thomas Knight, a senior at Dodge County High School (DCHS), recently signed a golf scholarship to attend Brewton Parker College. Knight has had an outstanding high school golf career. He received the golf team’s low medalist award all four years of high school. He was a 2012 all-state golfer and placed third in the 2012 AA state championship tournament. Knight has also been selected to compete in the sixth annual Georgia High School Golf Coaches Association (GHSGCA) Senior All-Star Golf Tournament from June 4 through June 6, 2013 at Sunset Country Club in Moultrie. Knight is the son of Dr. Mike and Dawn Knight and has a brother, Michael and a sister, Annie. Pictured (sitting, l-r) are Dawn Knight, Thomas Knight and grandfather James Knight; (standing, l-r) Michael Knight, Annie Knight, Judson Clark, the men’s golf coach at Brewton Parker College, Dr. Mike Knight and Clint Sanders, DCHS golf coach.

Dodge County High School (DCHS) senior tennis player Virginia Hargrove signed a tennis scholarship with Middle Georgia State College on Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Hargrove’s tennis career started when she was eight years old with lessons from her long time United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) certified instructor, Barry Boone. Her first tournament was the Gainesville Parks and Recreation Department state tennis tournament where she won the state championship in the 10 and under in doubles. [Full Story »]