Are Braves World Series Worthy?Published 1-23-2020
by Jim Fowler The Braves have stated numerous times that they think their time has come to make the World Series. Embarrassing losses to the Dodgers and Cardinals in the last two division playoffs have put them in a difficult position. They need to win, and win now.
With a few clever off-season moves the Braves appeared to have put themselves in a position to win another regular season division championship and advance through the playoffs into the Series. All they needed to do was resign their third baseman, Josh Donaldson. This is the guy who batted fourth in the order and gave protection to Freddie Freeman. Pitchers couldn’t pitch around Freeman with Donaldson waiting in the on-deck circle. He is a southern boy and enjoyed his season with the Braves so resigning him didn’t seem to be a big problem. Well, it was a serious problem! Donaldson broke the hearts of Braves’ fans when he signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Minnesota Twins. That’s a bunch of money but not as much as had been reported leading up to his signing. Everyone though that the Braves may have offered $100 million but undoubtedly they didn’t. The Braves seemingly didn’t like the idea of offering a four-year deal. So, now to Plan B. Who is going to play third base and bat cleanup on a team that fashions itself as a World Series contender. Take your choice. Johann Camargo, Austin Riley, or maybe someone from a blockbuster trade? Who knows? A trade seems somewhat unlikely because it would cost Atlanta some of its prized prospects and considerable money. Maybe Camargo or Riley will put together a surprisingly strong season. Riley has been the “third baseman of the future” for the Braves for sometime, and a break-out season from him would solve the Braves’ problem and quiet the fans’ criticism concerning Donaldson. The failure to resign Donaldson may be a good move for the Braves over the long haul. Giving four years to a 34 year-old may be taking a big chance. The thinking is that you want to get a couple of good years from him and then eat the rest of his contract. The Braves didn’t want to do that. So, Atlanta goes to spring training in a few weeks with a big question mark hanging over their lineup. Their plans for another championship trek through the National League East are now questionable with the Mets, Phillies, and Mets all improving their teams. The World Series seems to be a real stretch. All Braves’ fans are anxious. No Donaldson! No doubt he’ll be hard to replace. We’ll just have to wait and see. CLICK HERE OR
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Upson County Recreational Basketball
Find more photos at from the 1-23-2020 edition of the Upson Beacon and at https://lukehaney.smugmug.com/Sports/T-U-Recreation-Basketball-1-16-2020
Runnin’ Knights Take Commanding Region Lead Multi-sport athlete and senior Demeke Colbert gets a steal and a breakaway for an easy two points in a recent game.
Published 1-23-2020
By Austin Franklin Upson Lee won all three of its games last week, including two region wins over Howard (74-68) and West Laurens (60-56) which catapulted them to 6-1 in the region, which is two and a half games better than the second-place teams with only four games remaining in the regular season. The Knights are well on their way to winning a fifth straight regular season region title, though this season has been a little different than that of the last four. The Knights are next to last in the region in points allowed in region play but hold the lead in points scored and in point differential. The Knights aren’t easily winning games as they have in the past, and every game is a dog fight. Upson Lee is outscoring region opponents on average by 3.8 points this season through seven games, but still find themselves in a commanding region lead with only one loss, and three of their six wins coming by four points or less. Their only loss was a two-point loss to Perry at home earlier in the season. The Knights had their chance to travel to Perry Tuesday night and avenge their only region loss of the season, results were not available at press time. Upson Lee will be on the road tomorrow night to face off with Mary Persons. Next week will conclude the regular season for the Knights as they will travel to play Spalding Tuesday night and return home Friday night for senior night to host West Laurens. All games will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. following the Lady Knights. Lady Knights Bounce Back from Tough Loss
 Senior Zykira Atwater finds a teammate on the perimeter for an assist in the Lady Knights’ recent win over Mary Persons.
Published 1-23-2020
By Austin Franklin After a tough road loss to West Laurens the Lady Knights returned home to win two games over Howard and Taylor County by scores of 68-37 and 60-21. With the loss to West Laurens the Lady Knights fell to third place in the region with a region record of 4-2 with four games remaining. Upson Lee holds a three-game lead over the third-place team and has a matchup with each of the two teams ahead of them in the final two weeks of the season. The Lady Knights were on the road at Perry Tuesday night; results were not available at press time. Tomorrow night they will be on the road once again in Forsyth to take on Mary Persons. The final week of the season will begin Tuesday on the road at Spalding and will end at home Friday night with West Laurens on senior night. All games will begin at 6 p.m. Wilder Places Second
Published 1-23-2020
Upson County Commissioner Lorenzo Wilder, Sr. took second place in his age group at the Museum of Aviation Marathon, Half Marathon, 5k Run for
Aviation.
knights pick up two region wins Milique Smith gets over the top of a Mary Persons defender in the Knights win last week.
Published January 16, 2020
by Austin Franklin The Knights picked up two big region wins last week over Mary Persons and Spalding to move their region record to 3-1 and their overall record to 10-7 on the season. Upson Lee easily defeated Mary Persons 71-60 on last Tuesday night, and squeaked out a nail biter over Spalding 57-55 Friday night to win their second consecutive region matchup. The two wins vaulted the Knights to first place in region standings with six region games remaining. The Knights were on the road at West Laurens Tuesday in the two teams first bout against each other this season. Upson Lee will return home Friday and Saturday as they will host Howard and Taylor County, both games will begin at 7:30 pm. Howard shocked the Knights 78-77 earlier in the season to give Upson Lee their lone region loss. lady knights maintain region positioning Junior Ja'Khia Parker has her eyes on the rim as she attacks to extend the Lady Knights' lead over Mary Persons.
Published January 16, 2020
by Austin Franklin Upson Lee entered last week in second place in region standings only trailing Spalding, and after two region games they exited the week in the same position. The Lady Knights handled Mary Persons at home last Tuesday with a 74-18 win, and on Friday night surrendered their first region loss of the season to first place team Spalding, who is one of the best teams in all of AAAA. Upson Lee now holds a 12-5 record on the season and a 3-1 region record. The Lady Knights were on the road Tuesday night at West Laurens in a big region contest, with the winner gaining sole possession of second place in the region. Results were not available at press time. Upson Lee will host Howard and Taylor County Friday and Saturday with both games set to begin at 6:00 pm. youth soccer registration jan. 21Published 1-16-2020
Youth soccer registration for age 3 and above will be held Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 5-7 p.m. both days at the Thomaston-Upson Civic Center, according to recreation department officials. For more information, please contact the Civic Center at 706-6479691. Track & field registration Jan. 22-24Published 1-16-2020
The Thomaston-Upson County Recreation Department will hold registration for the 2020 Track & Field season on Jan. 22-24 from 5-7 p.m. at the Civic Center. This is the inaugural season for the Track & Field program at the Civic Center. For ages 7-14 with a control date of Dec. 31, 2020: Meaning whatever age you are on Dec. 31, 2020 is the age in which you will participate. (Ex: A child turns 11 on Nov. 22, 2020, he or she will participate as an 11-year-old in the Spring of 2020. In essence, almost every athlete will play up.) On date of registration you must have the following: 1. Birth certificate(unless Rec. Dept. already has a copy on file) 2. Proof of insurance 3. Registration Fee: $50 A $25 late fee will be charged per individual in addition to registration fee after the last scheduled day of registration. A $5 discount will be given for each sibling living in the same household. A $20 charge will apply to those living outside of Upson County. Track & Field participants will receive a uniform top, but participants must provide the uniform shorts. There will also be an online team store available to purchase warm ups and other accessories. All meets this season will be on the the road and take place on Saturdays. Cities traveled to could include LaGrange, Hamilton, Carrollton, Villa Rica, etc. Parents are responsible for transporting athletes to and from all track meets. For any additional information call Wes McCard at the Civic Center at (706) 647-9691 from 2-10 p.m. Monday - Friday. Upson Lee Basketball Teams Participate in Christmas Tournaments
Alonzea Montgomery collects a steal for a breakaway and the easy layup in a Lady Knights recent win.
Published 1-9-2020
The Upson Lee Lady Knights continued their great season with two wins in the Mary Persons Christmas tournament over Northeast Macon 51-44 and Mary Persons 74-18, with their lone loss coming to class AAAAA Veterans by a score of 54-30. This boosts the Lady Knights record to 11-4 entering region play. The Knights participated in the Jones County Christmas Tournament and went 2-1, with wins over North Cobb Christian 73-57, and Fitzgerald 78-62. Their loss came to class AAAAA Jones County 59-55 bringing the Knights record to 8-7 on the season. Both teams opened region play Tuesday night, hosting Mary Persons; results were not available at press time. Region play will resume Friday night at home as both teams host Spalding, the girls will begin at 6:00 pm and the boys will follow at 7:30 pm. FRA christmas review
Published 1-9-2020
Flint River Academy Basketball finished 2019 with significant wins and predictable losses as the variety of opponents gave the team much needed court time during the holiday break. Before the holidays FRA was on the road against a stout Solid Rock team and came away with a close 81-80 win in a game with back and forth lead changes at the end. FRA traveled to Jeffersonville to play Twiggs Academy and came out on top with the ladies finishing 46-44 in overtime. The boys were down 28-41 at the half having to play without top scorer Luka Marinic. Playing in the second half, Marinic led the Cats who would win 79-66. The Wildcats played in the Toyota Classic holiday tournament in LaGrange and faced AAAAA Spalding County in the first game. The score was close at the end of the first quarter, but the Cats couldn’t maintain the pace against the taller team and lost 65-31. The Cats’ shooting was flat but then the taller team had definite rebound and shot blocking advantages, but the Cats press worked well and to their advantage and kept the game lively. Youth soccer registrationPublished 1-9-2020
Youth soccer registration for ages 3 and above will be held Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 5-7 p.m. both days at the Thomaston-Upson Civic Center, according to recreation department officials. For more information, please contact the Civic Center at 706-647-9691. Middle School Wrestling Knights Rack Up Medals
Published 12-26-2019
By Austin Franklin The Upson Lee Middle School wrestling team participated in “Friday Night Fights,” a tournament hosted by Lamar County Middle School on Friday night, and had 17 wrestlers finish in the top four of their respective weight classes. Six of the 17 wrestlers that placed finished in first place, including Zach White, Caiden White, Nytraveon Jones, Campbell Hinson, Demari Kennan, and Jamir Stewart. Second place finishers included Kaden Goins, Cutter Bowen, Burnsten Gilbert, and Jackson Wells. Conner Walker, Walker Stevens, Rylie Raybon and Bryan Ventura all finished third in their weight classes. Cooper White, Trent Peaden, Jackson Blakely, and Ty Gresham all placed fourth in their classes. The Knights will be back in action Jan. 8 at the high school gym starting at 5 p.m. Knights Participate in “King of the County”
Published 12-26-2019
The high school wrestling team participated in the “King of the County” tournament last weekend in Harris County and had four wrestlers compete well, including two medalists. The two medalists were juniors Trent Manning and Colton Greene, who both finished with a 4-1 record and third-place finishes. Freshman Kody Adams finished with a 3-2 record, and freshman Scotty Nix with a 2-2 record. Davidson Catch Nears State Record
Published 12-19-2019
Rod Davidson of Thomaston recently caught a 9-inch 10-ounce Shadow Bass in 15 feet of water off the bank of the Flint River, nearing the state record of 9.25 inches for the species. The specimen was submitted to Flint River Quarium in Albany, Ga. for further evaluation by curator Aaron Giffin. Lady Knights Extend Winning Streak
Published 12-19-2019
By Austin Franklin The Lady Knights, coming off of three straight wins, hosted both Warner Robins and FItzgerald this past weekend. Upson Lee collected two more wins at home and extended their winning streak to five straight games, moving their record to 8-2. Upson Lee defeated Warner Robins 62-58, and Fitzgerald 65-44. The Lady Knights were on the road Tuesday night to take on Wilkinson County; results were not available at press time. Wilkinson County will return the favor and come to Thomaston Saturday night to take on the Lady Knights at 6 p.m. The Lady Knights are in for a region battle this season, as Spalding and West Laurens join Upson lee with eight wins and a 2-0 region record to lead the region; and the other three teams of Perry, Howard, and Mary Persons have only six wins combined. Knights Split Pair of Non-Region Contests Senior Derrius Hayes beats defenders to the rim for a layup.
Published 12-19-2019
By Austin Franklin Upson Lee hosted a pair of non-region opponents last week on Thursday and Saturday in Warner Robins and Fitzgerald, winning one game and losing one game. Both games were decided by double digits. The Knights’ first game of the week was against 7-1 Warner Robins, a ranked AAAAA team that contends for state championships seemingly every season. Warner Robins got out to an early 21-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, and the Knights could never catch up as the Demons went on to win every quarter of the game. At conclusion, the Knights fell 74-55 to the higher classified, and higher ranked Warner Robins Demons. The Knights would then host Fitzgerald Saturday night, who are led by Hamilcar Kelly, former Upson Lee assistant coach who was part of the Knights’ historic winning streak and two state championships. The winless AA Purple Hurricanes were outmanned from the start, as the Knights would cruise to a 78-53 win to get their record back to a 6-4 clip. Upson Lee traveled to take on Wilkinson County Tuesday night; results were not available at press time. The Knights will host Wilkinson County Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in their last game before Christmas break, and their annual holiday tournament. Hometown Dawg Named All-SEC Photo by Jeff Sentrel of DawgNation
Published 12-19-2019
By Austin Franklin Upson Lee alumnus and University of Georgia freshman Travon Walker recently earned prestigious honors as he, along with fellow Georgia freshman George Pickens, were both named to the All-SEC freshman team. This is a team comprised of the top performing freshmen at each position group all season long in the conference. Walker, along with Christian Barmore of Alabama, Zacch Pickens of South Carolina, and Nathan Pickering of Mississippi State, were the four named to the freshman All-SEC defensive line grouping. Walker, in his first year as a Bulldog, played in 12 games, recording 12 tackles, and 1.5 sacks. Knights’ Season Comes to an End Senior Demeke Colbert fields a punt in a recent game. Colbert, who played in his final game as a Knight Friday night, found the end zone in the second half for his last score of his great career at Upson Lee.
Published 11-21-2019
By Austin Franklin Upson Lee’s 2019 football season came to an end Friday night as the Knights traveled to College Park to take on the third-ranked team in the AAAA classification. Woodward Academy outpowered the Knights in the first half and built a lead too large for the Knights to erase. The War Eagles built a 40-0 lead in the first half and held the Knights from gaining any momentum on either side of the ball. The Knights though, wouldn’t lay down, as they would shut Woodward’s offense down in the second half and manage to score twice to make the final score 40-14 to bring an end to the season with a record of 4-7. Senior Demeke Colbert scored in his last game as a Knight on a touchdown run in the second half, and junior Milique Smith scored on a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jake Davis in the half as well. Davis and Smith will be focal points of the offense for the Knights next year as Upson Lee will lose seniors Thad Webb and Demeke Colbert to graduation. Knights Clinch State Playoffs with Big Win Milique Smith takes the handoff from Jake Davis and tries to find a lane to hit.
Published 11-14-2019
By Austin Franklin With a playoff spot on the line and their destiny under their control, the Knights traveled to Griffin Friday night and defeated Spalding 43-31 in a shootout with the state playoffs up for grabs. The Knights controlled the momentum in the game from start to finish and did what they wanted to do offensively with little resistance from the Jaguars. Going into the game the Knights knew they were going to be able to put points on the board, they were just going to make a few more defensive plays than Spalding did to win the game, and that’s exactly what they did. With the win the Knights grabbed the fourth and final playoff seed in region 2-AAAA which matches them up with a one seed in Woodward Academy. Woodward comes into this Friday’s game with a perfect record of 10-0, and one of the top defenses in the state. Woodward is allowing under seven points allowed per game this season at 6.9 per game, and they average 38 a game. The War Eagles are ranked in the top five in all of Class AAAA in almost every poll. This will be a rematch of the 2016 first round, as the Knights then traveled to College Park to take on the one seeded War Eagles and were beaten 42-0 to eliminate them from postseason play and end their season. The Knights will have to play their best all-around game of the season tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. if their season is to continue. Pasley Finishes Top Five
Published 11-14-2019
The Georgia Independent School Association AA Cross Country State Meet was held last week and Flint River Academy’s Reece Pasley finished 5th with a time of 18:07 which was a PR for the season. It was a great race in perfect weather. Other schools participating were the Cottage School, Monsignor Donovan, First Presbyterian Christian, Fugees Academy, Brentwood School, Oak Mountain, the Howard School, St. Andrew's School and Twiggs Academy. Congratulations to Reece, right, standing with his coach Jay Hanlon. Knights Shut Out by First Place Raiders Jake Davis hands the ball off to senior Demeke Colbert in a recent game for the Knights.
Published 11-7-2019 By Austin Franklin Upson Lee traveled to Dublin last Friday night to take on the first-place region team of West Laurens, who so far had been dismantling teams in the region and continued to do so against the Knights by a score of 30-0. Through four games in the region now the Raiders are averaging five points allowed per game. The Raiders will play Perry Friday night, in what is essentially a region championship game, as the winner wins Region 2-AAAA in 2019. The Knights defense began the game playing well as they only allowed nine points in the first half to West Laurens. The Knights went into halftime down 9-0, a deficit they could never recover from. The Knights offense never could get any momentum going against a very stout West Laurens defense. The loss sets up a “win and you’re in” scenario for Coach Justin Elder and his Knights. With a win over Spalding Friday night the Knights will advance to the state playoffs as the fourth seed in Region 2-AAAA. With a loss Upson Lee would likely be in a three-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday night in Griffin. Upson Lee Sets Sights Toward Playoffs Quarterback Jake Davis keeps the ball and puts his foot in the ground to get upfield for a few yards in Upson Lee’s 13-7 win over Howard.
Published 10-31-2019
By Austin Franklin Going into Friday night with a region record of 0-2 the Knights faced a must win matchup with the Howard Huskies if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive. Upson Lee was greeted by a night of bad weather as it rained for the better part of the game, eliminating most of the Knights’ ability to throw the football, as the Knights turned to their running back, Demeke Colbert to carry the load for them, and he did not disappoint. In Upson Lee’s 13-7 win over Howard, Colbert carried the ball 28 times for 148 yards and a touchdown. The Knights started the game strong as they drove down the field twice and got inside the Howard 10-yard line twice and failed to come away with points both times, setting themselves up for a close game once the rain started and Howard found its whereabouts on defense. Both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm in the first two quarters after Upson Lee’s first two drives until quarterback Jake Davis found Malik Smith in the corner of the endzone on a 46 yard Hail Mary attempt in the last seconds of the first half to take a 7-0 lead into halftime. Howard would find the endzone once in the third quarter to tie the game at 7-7 until the workhorse of the game, Colbert, for the Knights would finally find the endzone in the fourth quarter to give the Knights a 13-7 lead, one that the Upson Lee defense would protect to end the game. Senior defensive back Derrius Hayes picked up an interception for the Knights in the first quarter, his fourth of the season for a Knights defense that has gradually improved over the season. With the win, the Knights can seal a state playoff berth with a win over 1-7 Spalding next week and have a chance to improve their seeding with a win over West Laurens tomorrow night. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at West Laurens. Upson Lee XC Qualifies for State Meet
Upson Lee Girls Cross Country Team.
 Upson Lee Boys Cross Country Team.
Published 10-31-2019
By Austin Franklin Both the Knights and Lady Knights cross country teams qualified for state competition with their performances last weekend at the region meet in Macon at Howard High School. Both teams will travel to Carrollton tomorrow morning for the state meet with the boys starting at 9 a.m. and the girls starting at 9:45 a.m. The Knights were led by sophomore Jacob Stewart, who finished in third individually in the region with an impressive time of 17:08. Knox Miller, Grady Stewart, Colton Day, and Dylan Boutwell all also had times under the 20-minute mark for the Knights. The Knights finished fourth in the region behind Mary Persons, West Laurens and Howard with a team average of 19:05. The Lady Knights were led by the young freshmen and sophomore trio of Juliana Carmona, Monse Mata and Janie Kilby with times of 23:46, 23:53, and 24:01, respectively. The Lady Knights finished fourth in the region behind West Laurens, Mary Persons and Perry, but the gap was close, as the Lady Knights averaged a time of 24:22 with region champions West Laurens only averaging a time of 23:21, the young Lady Knights have a lot to look forward to the next few years. Knights Set to Return to Action
Published 10-24-2019
By Austin Franklin After a much-needed week off the Knights have prepared for two weeks to get ready to host Howard tomorrow night in a must-win matchup to keep their playoff hopes alive. With wins over Howard and Spalding two out of the next three weeks, Upson Lee will put themselves in a very favorable position to still clinch a state playoff berth. The Knights and Coach Justin Elder are aware of this must-win situation and will come out ready to play after losing their first two region games to teams that were not as talented, and that are now both 2-0 in region play after squeaking by the Knights. The Knights have played some very close games with Howard over the past five years, with a record of 4-1 over the Huskies. The Knights’ only loss to Howard came by a score of 22-21 in 2017, the Knights also won a battle with Howard 41-40 in double overtime in 2015. The two teams last met in 2018, with Upson Lee traveling to Macon to visit Howard and coming out with a win 34-24. The Huskies come into this region matchup with a 4-3 record, with an 0-2 region record as they’ve lost their last two games to Perry and West Laurens by combines scores of 83-21. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night in a must-win scenario for the Knights at Matthews Field. Lady Knights’ Magical Season Comes to an End
Published 10-24-2019
By Austin Franklin After a very impressive season with a record of 24-5 and a region championship under first-year head coach Christopher Owens, the Lady Knights fell in round one of the state playoffs to a very good Luella team that played way above its four seeded ranking. Luella came into the match with an even record of 20-20 on the season, playing 11 more matches than the Lady Knights in 2019. Upson Lee battled in the best three out of five sets after dropping set one by a score of 25-21. The Lady Knights would rebound and win set two 25-13, and Luella would win set three 25-18 to force a must win set four for the Lady Knights for the match to continue. With their backs against the wall the Lady Knights won the fourth set by a score of 26-24 to set up a winner-take-all set five, which was shortened to 15 points instead of the regular 25. Luella would win the shortened fifth set 15-13 to win the match and upset the first seeded Lady Knights. Recreation Department To Start Track & Field ProgramPublished 10-24-2019
The Thomaston-Upson Recreation Department will be starting a Track & Field program next year, for boys and girls ages 7-14. Prior to the season, beginning in 2020, there will be a free track meet for any boy or girl to participate in on Nov. 9. Registration for this track meet will be on Oct. 25-27 at the Civic Center from 5-7 p.m. Please bring a copy of the athlete’s birth certificate (unless the recreation department already has one on file). Registration is free, and each athlete will be able to participate up to one field event and two running events. The events are listed below. This registration is NOT for the track and field season, but just for the track meet on Nov. 9 at the Civic Center. Registration for the upcoming 2020 Track & Field season will be Jan. 22-24. Here are the events which will be available at the track meet on Nov. 9: Field Events Softball Throw • Standing Broad Jump Long Jump Running Events 50 Meters (Ages 7-10 Only) 100 Meters • 200 Meters • 400 Meters 800 Meters 1600 Meters (Ages 10-14 Only) Eagles Remain Undefeated
Published 10-24-2019
Rock Springs Christian Academy junior Bo Pasley (4) makes a tackle in the win over Peachtree Academy. The Eagles defeated Peachtree in overtime 22-20 and improved to 8-0. The Eagles will travel to New Creation in McDonough on Friday, Oct. 25. Knights’ Lose Close One to Mary Persons Senior, Demeke Colbert runs through a tackle in the Knights’ loss to Mary Persons.
Published 10-17-2019
By Austin Franklin The Knights traveled to Mary Persons Friday night following their heartbreaking loss to Perry on homecoming in their first region game of the season looking to gain a region win and snap a three-game losing streak but came up just short against the Bulldogs 37-28. The Knights’ record against Mary Persons is now 0-6. Upson Lee started strong in the game, scoring the first points on a 10-yard Demeke Colbert touchdown run, and converting the two-point attempt on a Thad Webb run to take an early 8-0 lead early in the second quarter, which would be the first of six scores in the quarter. It would take Mary Persons less than a minute to get on the board with a 56-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 8-7. Mary Persons would kick a field goal later in the quarter and score a touchdown on a 31-yard touchdown pass on the next possession to take a 17-8 lead with three minutes left to play in the half. The scoring would stop for about 30 seconds as Webb received the kickoff for the Knights and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown to cut the Mary Persons lead to 17-15. The Bulldogs would drive down the field and complete a 20-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the half to take a 24-15 lead into halftime. Mary Persons started the scoring in the second half with a 25-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter to take a 30-15 lead after the failed extra point. The Knights though, didn’t lay down and would end up making a game of it. Jake Davis scored on the last play of the third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run to get the Knights within eight points at 30-22 to start the fourth quarter. After several defensive stops for the Knights, Webb would catch a 55-yard bomb from Davis to give the Knights a chance to tie the game with a successful two-point conversion, which resulted in an incomplete pass. The Upson Lee defense would again stand tall forcing a punt by the Bulldogs, down two points with three minutes left in the ball game. The Knights would muff a punt inside their own five-yard line, resulting in a turnover, giving the ball back to Mary Persons on the three-yard line in which they would eventually score on third down putting the game out of reach, 37-29. The Knights move to 0-2 in region play and 2-5 overall. With a bye week this week the Knights have two weeks to prepare for Howard who currently has a 4-2 record. The Knights will host the Huskies next week at 7:30 p.m. in a must-win game for the Knights. Lady Knights Win Region in Big Way
Published 10-17-2019
By Austin Franklin In the Lady Knights’ first season under new head coach Christopher Owens, the team battled through 15 sets of volleyball last Saturday to win Region 2-AAAA and clinch the number one seed in the state playoffs. Upson Lee entered Saturday’s region tournament with a 20-4 record, and their only region loss coming against Perry earlier in the season. The Lady Knights avenged that loss later in the season and would put an exclamation point on it late Saturday afternoon. The day started with a match against West Laurens which the Lady Knights would win 2-1, which would set up a match with Perry, one which Upson Lee would fall by a score of 2-1, putting them in the losers bracket in which a loss would end their hopes of winning a region championship. Upson Lee would draw West Laurens again in the elimination match and breeze through them by a score of 2-0 setting up a rematch with Perry, one which the Lady Knights would have to beat Perry two matches in a row to win region, in best three out of five sets. The Lady Knights, exhausted, dropped the first game to Perry to go down 1-0, and with their backs against the wall would rattle off three straight wins to win the match 3-1 and force a winner-take-all match for the region championship. After playing 12 games in the day the Lady Knights played their best volleyball of the year and won three straight games to win the region championship 3-0, winning six straight games over Perry to end the day and the tournament. The Lady Knights will host their first round matchup in the state playoffs with Luella this Saturday, time TBD. Volleyball Set to Play Region Tournament Senior Joiee Stansell rises for a point in a recent match for the Lady Knights.
Published 10-10-2019
By Austin Franklin The Lady Knights volleyball team continues their fantastic season under first year head coach Christopher Owens, as they improved their record to 20-4 on the season with wins over Luella, Mary Persons, and FPDHS in their last week of the regular season, including a 2-1 win over Perry, the first seeded team in the region. With the wins last week, the Lady Knights secured the two seed in the region going into the region playoffs with a 10-1 region record, with their only loss coming against Perry earlier in the season. The region tournament will begin Saturday at Mary Persons High School to determine the final seedings for the region heading into the state playoffs that start next week. The Lady Knights will play their first match at 10 a.m. Saturday. Knights Fall in First Region Game of Season Sophomore receiver KJ Rockemore braces to hit the ground as he jumped up to make a reception for the Knights in
their homecoming game against Perry. Rockemore also had a receiving touchdown in the game.
Published 10-10-2019
By Austin Franklin The Knights hosted Perry in their first region game of the season, which was also homecoming for Upson Lee, and lost a close one by a score of 22-15 to the Panthers. Turnovers and failure to finish long drives haunted the Knights in the game, as they turned the ball over five times, twice on interceptions inside the 20-yard line in the game. The Knights’ defense played a great game, with only a few miscues that led to long plays and scores for Perry. The Knights’ only two scores came on a touchdown pass from Jake Davis to KJ Rockemore, and a Milique Smith touchdown run. The Knights converted a two-point attempt in the game on a Demeke Colbert run to get them to 15 points. Upson Lee will look to get their region record back to even on the season Friday night when they travel to Forsyth to take on the Mary Persons Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Knights to Begin Region Play
Published 10-3-2019
By Austin Franklin After a much needed bye week at the midway point of the season, the Knights will return to action tomorrow night at home as they host the Perry Panthers for homecoming, and for their first region game of the season. Perry has an identical record to that of Upson Lee’s at 2-3 on the season. Perry picked up wins over Northeast and Monroe, and fell to Houston County, Westside, and Veterans, all three quality teams. The Knights have dominated Perry in the past, beating them five straight games since the two teams were put in the same region together in 2014, including last year by a score of 48-31 in Perry. Perry returns their running back and quarterback from last season in Lane Rucker and Makeil Kendrick, who are the two that are the catalysts for the Panthers on the offensive side of the ball. Kendrick is averaging over 100 yards per game rushing this season and Rucker is averaging over 150 yards per game. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm Friday night at Matthews Field. Lady Knights Win Three Games in Final Week of Regular Season, host senior night
Published 10-3-2019
By Austin Franklin The Lady Knights’ softball team had a full schedule in the last week of the season, playing four games in four days, and picking up three wins to close out the regular season with a record of 14-7. Wins over Kendrick, Howard, and Troup County will give the Lady Knights a little momentum going into region playoffs that began Monday with a best two out of three series with West Laurens. Results were not available at press time, but the winner of the series moved on to play the winner of the Perry vs. Spalding series in a two out of three series for the number one and two seeds in the state playoffs. The losers will match up to play for the three and four seeds of the state playoffs. State playoffs will begin next week. A Tale of Two Halves Milique Smith takes the handoff from Jake Davis and tries to find a lane to hit.
Published 9-26-2019
By Austin Franklin The Knights, looking to beat Griffin in consecutive seasons, played two completely different halves of football against the Bears Friday night at Matthews Field. The first half defense displayed by the Knights was very impressive, and the best defense they’ve played all season as they looked very fast, swarmed to the ball, and shut down running lanes for the first 24 minutes of the game. The Knights went into halftime trailing Griffin by a score of 6-0 in what was shaping up to be a very fun second half, but the tables turned in the second half. The Bears came out looking like a different team in the second half offensively as they would score a touchdown on all six possessions in the last 24 minutes, excluding their last possession in which they would kneel to run the game clock down to finish the game. The Knights had no answers defensively and continued to struggle offensively against a very big and talented Griffin defense. Upson Lee’s lone bright spot was a touchdown drive which featured Jake Davis throwing the ball up to Demeke Colbert on two different plays totaling about 50 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown completion. That would be the only time the Knights would be able to find the endzone in their 47-7 loss. Now it’s time for the Knights to go to work, as this week is a bye week for the team, and next week will begin region play, which is the only thing that matters when trying to reach the post season. The first five games of the season have zero effect on the last five games, or with the Knights’ chances of winning the region and going to the state playoffs. The Knights will have two weeks of practice to get ready for to host Perry next week for homecoming at 7:30 p.m. at Matthews Field. Lady Knights Clinch Playoff Berth Julia Walden makes a play at the hot corner for the Lady Knights in a recent win
Published 9-26-2019
By Austin Franklin The Upson Lee softball team had a big week last week as they got three wins, including two region wins, and clinched a state playoff berth for this season. The Lady Knights went on the road to defeat Kendrick last Monday by a score of 16-0. Both region wins were also on the road against Mary Persons and Spalding by scores of 8-6 and 6-4. This week the Lady Knights will play four games in their last week of the regular season. Monday the Knights hosted Kendrick, Tuesday they traveled to West Laurens in potentially their biggest game of the regular season, and Wednesday went on the road to face Troup County; results were not available at press time. With their two region wins last week Upson Lee clinched a top four seed in the region, which guarantees a state playoff spot, now the Lady Knights are just fighting for seeding for the region tournament. Upson Lee and West Laurens were separated by one game to begin the week for second place, and they played each other on Tuesday night. A Lady Knights’ win by four runs or more would get them the second seed in the region, and home field advantage in the first round of region playoffs starting next week. Lady Knights’ Volleyball Suffers First Region Loss Sage Rhodes throws up a serve in the Lady Knights’ recent win over Pike County.
Published 9-26-2019
By Austin Franklin It took Upson Lee seven region matches to finally suffer its first loss, which came against Perry last week by a score of 2-0. With the loss the Lady Knights fell to second place in the area with a 6-1 record, trailing only Perry who has a record of 3-0. However, the Lady Knights did pick up a big win 2-1 over Pike County at home on senior night and defeated West Laurens 2-0 for their sixth area win. Upson Lee was on the road Tuesday night to take on Kendrick in Columbus; results were not available at press time. The Lady Knights will again be on the road tonight to take on Spalding and Howard in two important region matches. The Lady Knights will wrap up their regular season next week with a double header against First Presbyterian Day Tuesday night on the road, and will make one last road trip Thursday to West Laurens to take on Mary Persons and Perry in their final two matches of the regular season before area tournament. Upson Lee Falls to Fitzgerald in Last Seconds Running back Milique Smith cuts back to hit the hole opened by the Knights’ offensive linemen in their loss to Fitzgerald.
Published 9-19-2019
By Austin Franklin The Knights, coming off a big 27-14 win over Harris County their last contest, went into Friday night looking to pick up their third win in a row and positioned themselves to do just that for the first 47 minutes of Friday night’s dog fight with Fitzgerald. The Knights defense played arguably their best game of the year as they pressured Fitzgerald all night long and got the scoring started on a Savion Giddens interception that he would return for a touchdown in the first quarter to give the Knights a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point. Fitzgerald, and former Upson Lee multi-sport athlete Chance Gamble, would respond when Gamble took an end around into the endzone to give the Purple Hurricanes a 7-6 lead going into halftime. Fitzgerald would also score in the third quarter to take a 14-6 lead into the fourth quarter, where things would get hectic for both teams. The first eight minutes of the fourth quarter saw a defensive battle as neither team was able to score, until the Knights and Milique Smith punched in a short yardage touchdown to cut the lead to 14-12 before Upson Lee would try for the two-point conversion. After a handoff to Thad Webb on the conversion and a completed pass to Davis in the endzone the Knights were called for an illegal man downfield and the two-point conversion was nullified, and they were backed up five yards for the re-attempt. A pass to Smith on the re-attempt from the seven-yard line was sniffed out by the Purple Hurricanes as they made a huge stop on the one-yard line to maintain their 14-12 lead with under four minutes left. The Knights defense would once again come up huge, forcing Fitzgerald to a three and out and getting the Knights’ offense back on the field with under three minutes left in the game. Once again, the Knights would mount a drive down the field, orchestrated by Davis and Webb, as the two would complete a 35-yard prayer pass to get the Knights into the red zone. Davis would eventually take the quarterback keeper into the endzone to give the Knights an 18-14 lead after the failed two-point conversion with under 50 seconds remaining in the game. Several plays into the Hurricane’s last effort drive and with under 15 seconds remaining in the game and no timeouts remaining, the Hurricanes would throw up a 50-plus yard pass to Gamble who had a step on the Knights’ defense and he would make an incredible catch to erase the Knights’ fourth quarter comeback and give the Purple Hurricanes a 21-18 win. The Knights will look to get back on the winning side of things as they host powerhouse rival Griffin, who is undefeated, tomorrow night at Matthews’ Field at 7:30 p.m. Lady Knights Earn Another Big Region Win
Published 9-19-2019
The Upson Lee softball team played two region games last week, winning one over Howard, and losing to Perry. With the win and the loss, the Lady Knights moved to 3-3 in the region, which keeps them steady in the third place slot in the region with four region games remaining. The Lady Knights defeated Howard 9-5 with Zaria Childs picking up the win on the mound. Upson Lee was led offensively by Skye Perdue, who was 2-3 at the plate with a walk and a run scored. Rebecca Graham, Gracie Shetler, Hannah VanHouten and Gracie Self each added a hit in the win. Upson Lee fell to Perry by a score of 9-1 later in the week. The offense never found a rhythm as Perry was clicking on all cylinders as a team. Graham led the team offensively with two hits and a stolen base. Self, Jess Fernandez, Julia Walden, Madison Murphy, and Sydney Knight all had a hit in the loss. The Lady Knights traveled to Columbus to face off with Kendrick Monday and traveled to Forsyth Tuesday to take on Mary Persons; results were not available at press time. They will travel to Griffin today to take on Spalding at 5:55 p.m. in a rematch of the Lady Knights’ 3-1 win earlier in the season. Flag Football Season Kicks Off
Published 9-19-2019
Youth Recreation League Flag Football season opened locally Saturday with action at the fields adjacent to the Upson Lee Pre-K school building. Ducks ball carrier Jay’Ceon Johnson gets a block from teammate Keyon Jones during a long run, pursued by Gators defenders Thomas Hobbs (background left) and Ny’Kalan Fuentes (far right). Johnson and Hobbs both scored touchdowns in the contest. Photo by Ian Shales. Knights Handle Tigers for Second Consecutive Win
Published 9-12-2019
By Austin Franklin Coming off their first win of the season over East Paulding, the Knights came out strong once again and took down their second Class AAAAA opponent in a row as they knocked off the 2-0 Harris County Tigers by a score of 27-14 on the road. The Knights, for the most part, shut down the highly touted Tigers offense which had scored 76 points combined in its two previous wins. The Tigers received the first half kickoff and drove down the field on the Knights, scoring on a fourth down pass in the back of the end zone to take the early 7-0 lead. After a few stale offensive possessions from both teams, the next few series the Knights would break through for a score on a touchdown run by Milique Smith to knot the game at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Knights’ defense would ramp up their intensity and not allow Harris County to score again until midway through the fourth quarter, when the game was almost out of reach for the Tigers. Upson Lee took a 10-7 lead into halftime after a Brady Puckett field goal in the second quarter. The Knights’ best offensive possession of the game came on their first drive to start the second half when they would drive down the field and score on a Jake Davis quarterback keeper to take a 17-7 lead. The Knights defense remained strong through the third quarter to take the 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter. The Knights would score again on a Smith touchdown run, and another Puckett field goal. Harris County managed to score in the fourth, making the final score 27-14. Smith had his best game of the young season as he rushed 27 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns and added three receptions for 34 yards. Davis went 14 for 23 passing for 175 yards and a touchdown; he also rushed one in for a touchdown. The Knights defense had its best showing of the year, holding Harris County to only 14 points while forcing three turnovers in the game. Upson Lee will return home tomorrow night to host Fitzgerald at 7:30 p.m. Lady Knights Pick Up Second Region Win Second baseman Gracie Self makes a play and throws out a runner
at first in a recent win over Mary Persons.
Published 9-12-2019
By Austin Franklin The Upson Lee softball team played two region games last week, winning one over Spalding, and losing to West Laurens. With the win and the loss, the Lady Knights moved to 2-2 in the region, which puts them in third place almost halfway through region play for the season. The Lady Knights defeated Spalding 3-1 behind a phenomenal pitching performance by Zaria Childs. Upson Lee was led offensively by Rebecca Graham who was 3-3 at the plate with two stolen bases and an RBI. Madison Murphy and Hannah VanHouten each added a hit in the win. Julia Walden also had an RBI in the game. Upson Lee fell to West Laurens by a score of 5-2 later in the week, as they couldn’t get timely hits to score with runners in scoring position. Graham, VanHouten, Walden, Sydney Knight, and Sydney Perdue all had a hit in the loss. The Lady Knights traveled to Macon to face off with Howard Tuesday; results were not available at press time. They will host Perry today at 5:55 p.m. in a rematch of the extra-inning, heartbreaking loss the Lady Knights suffered earlier in the year. Knights Offense Leads to Win Over East Paulding Senior Demeke Colbert fields a punt for the Knights in a recent game.
Colbert scored three touchdowns in last week’s win over East Paulding.
Published 9-5-2019
By Austin Franklin The Knights returned home Friday night to host the AAAAA East Paulding Raiders after their opening season loss to Veterans and looked like a different football team. After not being able to get any offensive momentum in the game against Veterans, Demeke Colbert and company came out firing on all cylinders to get the Knights their first win of the season in a back and forth battle with the Raiders. Colbert got the scoring started for the Knights as he checked into the quarterback position on the one-yard line for starting quarterback Jake Davis and scored on a quarterback draw. After a stop by the Knights defense Colbert was at it again, as he would catch a 66-yard touchdown pass from Davis to put Upson Lee ahead by a score of 14-7. An East Paulding touchdown knotted the game at 14 all, but it wouldn’t take long for the Colbert-Davis duo to connect again in the back of the endzone to give the Knights a lead once again at 21-14. The Knights would stretch the game out a little after another touchdown pass by Davis, a 50 yarder to running back Malik Smith, to take a 28-14 lead in the game. East Paulding would go on to quickly score twice to get the game to 28-27 after a missed extra point, and had the ball again on the Knights’ one yard line late in the fourth quarter to win the game, but the Knights defense stood tall and forced a fumble to seal the victory for the second year in a row over East Paulding. The Knights will be on the road this Friday to take on Harris County at 7:30 p.m. in Hamilton. The Knights beat the Tigers 33-28 last season. Lady Knights Get First Region Win in a Big Way Sydney Knight takes a hack for the Lady Knights in their 12-4 win over Mary Persons. Knight recorded a hit in the win.
Published 9-4-2019
By Austin Franklin After losing their first region game to Perry by a score of 11-8 on a heartbreaking walk off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning earlier last week, the Lady Knights returned home to host region rival Mary Persons and would go on to win by a score of 12-4. Upson Lee had a big week offensively, scoring 20 runs combined in the first two region games of the season. Rebecca Graham led the way with six hits, including a double and a triple. Madison Murphy added three hits during the week, as Gracie Self, Gracie Shetler, and Sydney Knight all added a hit each in the games. Zaria Childs was on the mound both games for the Lady Knights. The Lady Knights hosted region opponent Spalding last night; results were not available at press time. Upson Lee will host West Laurens tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in a region matchup. Knights Fall to Veterans Quarterback Jake Davis tries to escape pressure for Veterans and find an open receiver. Davis threw a touchdown in the Knights’ loss.
Published 8-28-2019
By Austin Franklin Upson Lee opened its football season Friday night on the road against a good AAAAA Veterans team from Warner Robins and lost 48-13 to the team they fell to last year by a score of 31-0. The Knights got off to a rough start as they trailed 22-0 at the end of the first quarter and struggled to move the ball or stop Veterans from moving the ball. The Knights kept fighting though, and gave Veterans a scare in the second quarter as they scored two touchdowns and had a chance to cut the Veterans lead to only two scores before a fumble inside their own 20 yard line that led to a Veterans score to make the game 38-13 going into halftime. “We got down early in the first quarter, made some mental mistakes, and didn’t execute like we have been in practice, but we never quit competing. The guys didn’t hang their heads after being down three scores in the first quarter, they continued to fight,” said Head Coach Justin Elder. The Knights would fail to score in the second half but would hold Veterans to only 10 points as the defense play improved and the mental mistakes were limited. “We made adjustments in the game and got better from the first half to the second half. The biggest jump in improvement will be from week one to week four, that’s really where ball teams improve. We want to improve mentally and get healthy before region,” said Elder. Upson Lee’s touchdowns came on a Thad Webb kickoff return and a short touchdown pass from Jake Davis to Demeke Colbert. The Knights will open their home schedule this Friday as they host East Paulding at 7:30 p.m. at Matthews Field. Lady Knights’ Offense Stays Hot Versus Hardaway Madison Murphy makes a throw across the diamond for an out in the Lady Knights recent win over Troup County.
Published 8-28-2019
By Austin Franklin Coming off a 15-1 victory and offensive explosion against Troup County the Lady Knights turned around to host Hardaway and kept the bats alive as they went on to win by a score of 16-1. The Knights were led offensively by Julia Walden, Rebecca Graham and Taylor Shetler who all recorded two hits each in the win. Hannah VanHouten, Logan Brannon, and Y’Twanese Underwood all added a hit for Upson Lee. Upson Lee began region play last night with a game on the road with Perry; results were not available at press time. The Lady Knights will play their first home region game when they host Mary Persons tomorrow at 5:55 p.m. Lady Knights Dominate in First Home Game Zaria Childs throws a pitch for the Lady Knights in their recent win over Troup County. Childs has been excellent on the mound this season for Upson Lee.
Published 8-21-2019
By Austin Franklin Upson Lee’s softball team hosted Troup County last week in its first home game of the season and did not disappoint. The Lady Knights walked away with a dominating 15-1 win over the Tigers. The Lady Knights were led on the mound by Zaria Childs, who held the Tigers to just one run over the span of the game. Offensively Upson Lee was led by Gracie Self, who went 3-3 in the game with three RBI. Rebecca Graham, Julia Walden, Madison Murphy, and Hannah VanHouten all collected two hits each in the game. Jessica Fernandez also recorded a pinch hit for the Lady Knights in the game. Upson Lee hosted Hardaway Monday; results were not available at press time. Spring Football Game Recap Milique Smith bounces to the outside in the Knights’ scrimmage game last Friday against Jones County. Smith will see the majority of the carries for Upson Lee this year with the departure of last season’s senior running back Daymon Thomas.
Published 8-14-2019
By Austin Franklin Last Friday the Knights hosted Jones County for their annual scrimmage game to get ready for the upcoming season. Score of the game was not kept as the game is meant for the teams to have a chance to work on things, and to get a lot of players playing time to measure where they are with their first game being two weeks away. The Knights didn’t play particularly well in the first half, as they were up against one of the top teams in the higher classification of AAAAA. Jones County is a very good team, and it showed in the first half. All wasn’t bad for the Knights though. Head Coach Justin Elder and the Knights got to start 14 new starters and got eight underclassmen more reps in the game than they had ever had. “We played seven sophomores and one freshman more than they had ever played. We got to see what we have going forward with some of the young guys that will need to step up during the season” said Elder. Upson Lee was missing a handful of starters in the game as they were being very cautious with injuries players were dealing with as this was only a scrimmage game. The majority of the players that missed are expected to return for week one against Veterans on Aug. 23 in Warner Robins. When asked about how the Knights have gotten better since the spring game and over the summer, Elder was very pleased with the “play recognition” gains his team has made since the spring game. This will continue to improve throughout the season as guys get more reps and play more real time snaps. Upson Lee will begin its season on the road at Veterans on Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The Knights will return home on Aug. 30 to host East Paulding at 7:30 p.m. Lady Diamond Knights Destroy Stratford Academy
Published 8-14-2019
By Austin Franklin The Lady Knights participated in the Border Battle last weekend and opened the weekend with a game against Stratford Academy with a 15-0 run rule win. Zaria Childs was on the mound for the Knights in the game as she pitched three innings in the shortened game, allowing only three hits in the win for the Lady Knights. Upson Lee would also play Pike County and Lamar County last weekend, who are both very strong teams in their respective classifications. The Lady Knights fell to Pike County 9-2 and fell to Lamar County 5-4 in a hard-fought game. Rebecca Graham led the team on the weekend with six hits, as Madison Murphy added five hits for Upson Lee. Upson Lee will host Troup County tomorrow for its first home game of the season. The JV team will begin at 4:30 p.m., and varsity will follow at 5:55 p.m. The Lady Knights will also host Hardaway Monday with JV beginning at 5 p.m., and varsity following at 6 p.m. Lady Diamond Knights Begin Season Madison Murphy throws a runner out in a game last season. Murphy will look to take over at shortstop this season with the departure of last year’s senior Madison Wilder.
Published 8-7-2019
By Austin Franklin The Lady Knights began their 2019 season last weekend under new head coach Taylor English as they took on Taylor County, Strong Rock Christian, and Woodland, all at Woodland High School. The Lady Knights defeated Taylor County 11-2 and Woodland 7-0. The Lady Knights fell to Strong Rock by a score of 4-3 in a tough loss. Rebecca Graham led Upson Lee with seven hits; Sydney Knight added six hits, including a home run; as Hannah Van Houten chipped in five hits on the weekend. The Lady Knights will participate in the Border Battle this weekend as they take on Lamar County, Pike County and Stratford Academy. Upson Lee’s first home game will be Aug. 15 as they host Troup County. JV will begin at 4:30 pm and varsity will follow at 5:55 pm. Knights Kick Off Season Returning receiver Thad Webb will look to continue his success from last
season and be a big part of this year’s high-powered offense.
Published 8-7-2019
By Austin Franklin The Knights will kick off their 2019 season this Friday night at home as they host Jones County in their preseason scrimmage game at 7:30 p.m. at Matthews Field. Following the game, the Knights will have two weeks to prepare for their season opener when they travel to Veterans to take on the AAAAA school on August 23. Poteat Competes for Women’s National Futures Team Sara Poteat with her large fan crowd that followed to watch her play in the Border Battle with the USA Women’s National Futures team.
Published 7-31-2019 By Austin Franklin A few months ago, Thomaston native Sara Poteat was selected to the USA National Women’s Futures team, and this past weekend Poteat played with the team at Border Battle 11 in Midland, Mich. The team played four games, winning its first three before being edged by the Women’s National Team in the championship game by a score of 7-6. The Futures team won its first three games by scores of 11-6, 15-5, and 12-10. Poteat had a very good tournament, leading the team in at-bats with 15, singles with eight, and runs scored with 11. Poteat finished the tournament with a .600 batting average, going 9-15 in her four games played. Sprewell Bluff July 4th Contest Winners
Published 7-24-2019
Sprewell Bluff Park celebrated a fantastic 4th of July week. Campers were encouraged to decorate their cabin or RV site during their visit to the Bluff during the 4th of July week. Gary Archibald won the best decorated cabin, and Brandon Gut won the best decorated RV site. Each winner received a gift certificate to the Sprewell Bluff Trading Post. Local Teen Excels at Boys State
American Legion Post 75 of LaGrange sponsored Ian Shales to attend the 79th Session of Georgia Boys State held on the campus of Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, May 27 – June 1. Ian, who is an upcoming senior at Overcomers’ Academy in Thomaston and a member of Thomaston Toastmasters, did so well that Dean Bob Beauchamp said, “I have invited him to return in 2020 to be a part of the staff. As a former Boys State participant and member of the Sons of the American Legion, he has much to offer and share with the young men who will attend.”
Boys State, founded in 1935 to counter the socialism-inspired Young Pioneer Camps, is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high school students. When American Legion posts select high school juniors to attend Boys State, they consider only those who illustrate leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty, and service in their schools and communities. Boys State participants learn the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and focuses on the structure of city, county and state governments. Activities include: Legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses, and recreational programs—all conducted by students elected to various offices. Ian’s peers elected him as superior court judge. Ian also competed in the oratorical contest, speaking about the 27th Amendment. Bob Brown, national executive committeeman for the Detachment of Georgia and an inductee in the Sons of the American Legion Hall of Fame, said, “After winning the county level oratorical contest, Ian and the state level winner, were by far the best two in the contest and the only ones who did not use notes.” Participation in the oratorical contest was completely voluntary and was in addition to other assigned classes and activities. Ian also volunteered to lead devotions in front of the 400 young men attending Boys State. He challenged them to live extraordinary lives for God and reminded them that they are a chosen generation. Brown continued to praise 17-year-old Ian by saying, “When it was time to form up as a city to head to classes, flag raising or lowering, meals or general sessions, Ian was one of the leaders I could count on to get everybody there on time. Not just on time but always forming first and seeing that our city and county led the way by arriving first. Ian was always ready to volunteer in any way to help out whenever asked.” “Ian also helped our city excel in athletics and win 14 out of 16 games in various sports with the other cities. Not only was our city good at sports, but our rooms (scrub report) were also neat and clean at all times. The garbage was carried out, laundry dropped off and picked up, and in every manner the greatest city at Boys State. There were absolutely no problems at all and arguably the best city I have had over my years as a counselor.” Graduating with honors that week, Ian ranked in the top 10 percent of the entire program when he took the honors program test. The test assesses how well the student paid attention in classes and activities and remembered what was taught about citizenship, government, and the American Legion. “Ian was a joy to be around. His infectious smile was noticeable every time I saw him in the theater, dorm, or cafeteria. He has a pleasant personality that captures and holds your attention. With young men like Ian—the future of Georgia and the nation is in good hands,” reminisces Dean Beachamp. Ian commented that his time at Boys State was a week of a lifetime where he enjoyed working with such quality young leaders of Georgia and got incredible hands-on experience executing government. Any club, civic group, school, church, or youth group that would like to hear Ian speak passionately about various educational and Christian spiritual topics may invite him to do so by calling 706-741-0094. FRA Middle School Cheer Attend Camp
Published 6-26-2019
The Flint River Middle School Cheer team recently traveled to Griffin and spent two days at Legion of Allstars learning their new choreography and routines for their upcoming cheer season. They learned new sideline cheers, new dances and routines. The girls are now ready to show off their new moves this upcoming season. The Bluff Scoop: Busy Bee’s at the Bluff
Published 6-26-2019
By Laura Adams, Bluff Coordinator The Lamar County Sheriff’s Champs Program visits the Bluff for a second summer. The weather was perfect, with a nice breeze and plenty of sunshine, making for an all-around great day the park. Laura Adams, the park coordinator, the 26 champs and three of its counselors traveled the one-mile hike along the Natural Dam and Widow Maker Trail. While on this hike they learned of park wildlife, animal tracks, plant life and navigating trails with a map. They wrapped there visit up with some rock skipping, a picnic lunch and a visit to the Overlook and Trading Post. We love teaching the youth about how special the bluff is and what makes it unique. We always look forward to hosting the Lamar County Champs Program for their annual summer trips to the park. We are look forward to hosting another group of Lamar County Champs children again next month. The Bluff heads to “Georgia On My Mind Day” in Columbus. It is an Explore Georgia event at the Georgia Visitors Center. Kim Holmes, park clerk, made sure that Sprewell Bluff Park and Upson County had a presence and was well represented again this year. There were 30-40 of our tourism partners, from the Presidential Pathways with booths set up to promote businesses and hundreds of visitors that came through the Visitors Center they made their way from into Georgia. Kim raffled off promotional items, gave out park brochures, chatted it up with visitors and learned more about the Presidential Pathways and our tourism partners in surrounding counties. She said people seemed to be amazed by how Sprewell Bluff Park has transformed and the boost in tourism that we have seen at the park and throughout the community. We really look forward to attending again next year and hope to be working closer with Explore Georgia in the future. 7&8 Thomaston-Upson All Stars
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