DEMAND YOUR PREP FOOBALL SEE BACK PAGE OC 29 NOV 4, 2008 DEKALB S HIGH SCHOOL SPORS NEWSPAPER VOL 2 NO 7
02D I SCORE DEKALB SARING LINEUP Get In he Game! HE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF HE WEEK PUBLISHER/EDIOR I.J. Rosenberg MANAGING EDIOR ad Arapoglou AR/CREAIVE DIRECOR David Gaudio WEBMASER Alex Ewalt VIDEO MANAGER/PREP EDIOR Scott Janovitz BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES Brian Pruett, ravis Ball, Charles Rose OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington BEA WRIERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black (Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (hrashers), James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey (ech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) SAFF WRIERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Ricky Dimon, Rajesh Gupta, Brian Jones, Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Jessica Parker, Derek Wiley CONRIBUORS Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, ony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Chuck Oliver, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Matt Chernoff, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones SPECIAL CONRIBUORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom SCHOOL LISING CHEROKEE/FORSYH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, ucker FULON: Alpharetta, Blessed rinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, Riverwood, Roswell, ri-cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy GWINNE: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan RAJAAN BENNE McEACHERN HIGH Bennett put on an offensive display in the Indians 48-33 upset of No. 7 Harrison last Friday. he junior running back put up 174 yards rushing with three touchdowns on 15 carries, and also hauled in a 43-yard reception despite having missed playing time recently with a high ankle sprain. he 5-foot- 10, 200-pound back scored his final touchdown late in the game to quell a Hoya rally. KARLY FULLEM BUFORD HIGH his talented sophomore was the winning pitcher in the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday, pitching a complete game and holding Calhoun to just two hits in the 2-1 victory. Fullem had 13 strikeouts, and even put the Wolves on the board first with an RBI single in the fifth inning. With the win, Fullem finished the season with a 16-1 record and gave the team its second straight state title.
OC 29-NOV 4, 2008 SCORE DEKALB I 03D arist wins softball state title in Class 4A; St. Pius X comes close in 3A he softball season came to a close last week, and two teams from DeKalb County showed themselves to be serious contenders. One of those teams was St. Pius X, which was among the last four teams remaining in Class 3A after losing both of its games in the Elite Eight last season. And in Class 4A, it was Marist who brought home the state championship. MARIS WINS I Marist set high goals for itself when the season began. he expectations were not only to get close [to a state championship], said head coach Mike rapani, but to be there on the last day. he War Eagles run ended with a 2-0 win over Whitewater in the Class 4A state championship game. Getting there was anything but easy, but after losing to Eagle s Landing Christian Academy 2-0 on Sept. 29, they were unstoppable. After that defeat, rapani s team rattled off 13 wins in 14 games, culminating with a 2-0 win in the state title game. In the state tournament, Marist got help from multiple players thanks to a balanced lineup that caught fire, hitting.300 in the sectionals and getting game-winning hits from four different players in Columbus. Pitchers don t get an inning off, rapani said. here isn t an automatic out in our lineup. Lori Spingola threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Evans to open up the tournament. Senior esia Davis had the winning hit. Spingola, the Class 4A Pitcher of the Year in 2007, was a constant force for Marist during the tournament and all season long. We knew we had something special with [Spingola], rapani said. She battled through injuries this year and it made her a little tougher. After a 3-0 win over Northgate, the Lady War Eagles faced off against Whitewater, which had beaten them in the state sectionals a week earlier, with a state title berth on the line. Spingola was again brilliant, striking out eight batters and giving up just two hits. On offense, however, there was an unlikely hero. With the score tied 1-1, freshman Ashlyn Johns hit a clutch two-run single in the sixth inning to notch a 3-1 victory. he championship series against Whitewater was next, and Spingola was dominant again in a 2-0 victory to win the state championship. here have been many state championships at Marist, but this is the first for softball, rapani said. No one can ever take that from us. S. PIUS X LIONS St. Pius X had to fight through adversity by playing an extremely tough schedule that included some of the state s best teams and 18 games over the final 17 days of the regular season. Still, the Golden Lions persevered. We were tired and we were exhausted, said head coach Joe Winland, but we never let it affect our performance. Having already overcome plenty of obstacles, Pius entered the state tournament with confidence. he Lady Golden Lions continued their success by dominating in the North state sectionals. Pius beat Cedartown 6-1, Stephens Co. 9-2, and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 1-0 to qualify for the Elite Eight. While Pepper Gay, who struck out 18 in a regular-season contest against Northgate, kept opposing offenses at bay, shortstop Princess Krebs led the way for a dangerous offense. [Krebs] just caught fire in the middle of the season and continued to be a threat in the sectionals and state tournament, Winland said. he Lady Golden Lions opened up Day 1 of the Elite Eight with a 3-2 win over LaGrange, overcoming some early mistakes and advancing. But they lost a tough game to Oconee County after giving up both runs in the first inning. Pius opened up Day 2 not knowing when it would play, as rain delayed Friday s games. I think I did what every other coach did, Winland said. I sent the girls to the mall. hey returned to the diamond later in the day to face Columbus on their home field and didn t miss a beat in a 3-1 victory. hat set up a matchup against Lakeview- Fort Oglethorpe with a berth in the state championship on the line. his time, however, the results were different. A bunt single off of Gay was followed by a sacrifice and then a single to make it 1-0 in favor of Lakeview, and that would be the final score, ending Pius season. here were some tears, but I don t think it was because we lost, Winland said. It was because the softball season was over. As for the year as a whole, Winland was still proud of his team. We kept ourselves in every game we played this year, he said. We never gave up or quit. he cover photo of the Marist softball team is courtesy of Photographic Arts. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com. OP HA: he Marist softball team celebrates Saturday after defeating Whitewater 2-0 in the State Championship. Pitcher Lori Spingola was dominant again after striking out eight batters in the tournament's semifinal round. Photo courtesy of Photographic Arts.
04D I SCORE DEKALB Get In he Game! Wooten chooses Bulldogs, while Jackets receive commitment from homas lowly but surely, the Georgia Bulldogs are Sadding important puzzle pieces to an already impressive recruiting design. With 15 commitments at the time, including 10 from four-star athletes according to Rivals.com, the rich only got richer last Monday when four-star receiver Rantavious Wooten gave his verbal pledge to the Georgia Bulldogs. Wooten, a 5-foot-10, 158-pound athlete from Belle Glade, Fla., flirted early in the process with Louisiana State and even went so far as to commit to the igers in late August. In the end, however, Wooten chose the Dawgs over the igers and a whole hoard of others schools, including Miami, Florida, Michigan and Auburn. As for why the Dogs became Wooten s top choice, in a recent interview with Rivals analyst Chad Simmons the wideout explained it all. Everything at Georgia really blew my mind, Wooten explained. I loved it up there, I have a great opportunity there, and I felt it was the right place for me. I told [Mark Richt] that I felt very comfortable there and that I wanted to be a Bulldog. It is nothing against LSU, but Georgia is just the place for me. I had a great visit, the coaches are great, and I am definitely committed to Georgia now. In Wooten, the Dawgs are getting an absolutely dynamic athlete. On the field and with the ball in his hands, Wooten displays exceptional quickness, great speed, and the ability and moves to take it the distance at any time. Additionally, Wooten is a strong receiver downfield and, at only 5-foot-10, shows a surprising ability to win jump-ball battles and play physical. Considering the volatile nature of recruiting, some Bulldog fans may wonder just how committed Wooten is to Georgia. If his recent statements are any indication, though, Bulldog fans can take a break from worry. No, I am not going to be taking that visit to LSU now and I am definitely going to Georgia. Nobody can change my mind on that, he said. I don t even care if the team loses every game the rest of the year, Georgia is where I want to go. I am really excited about it and I am definitely staying a Georgia Bulldog. ECH ADDS O RANKS While ech may not have excelled on the field last week, the team certainly had reason to celebrate away from the gridiron, landing a commitment from Fitzgerald athlete Jemea homas. In what became a heated battle for his services, in the end, homas chose the Yellow Jackets over offers from Purdue, South Florida, Vanderbilt, roy and Clemson, among others. On the high school level, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound homas splits time between the safety and running back positions. On the field, homas is highly elusive, shows great quickness, and, while he lacks great speed, is deadly on punt and kickoff returns. In addition, from the safety position, homas is surprisingly aggressive for his size, possesses a great feel for the game and has a knack for coming up with the big play. As for what position he wants to play on the next level, homas has little preference: As a safety, I am good on my feet. I support the run well and play well in coverage. I feel comfortable back there. As a running back, I have surprising power and I do have a little speed. Last year I was our leading rusher and scored 15 touchdowns. Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
OC 29-NOV 4, 2008 SCORE DEKALB I 05D Blue Devils, Lions clash in Gwinnett rivalry winnett County is loaded with football Gtradition and two of its more recent powerhouses will meet Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Norcross. Peachtree Ridge (6-2, 6-0) will travel to Norcross (6-2, 5-1) in a battle that could have Region 7-AAAAA title ramifications. In just six seasons of playing football, Peachtree Ridge has a state title under its belt (2006), while the Blue Devils are 22-3 over the last two full seasons. Both schools have produced their share of major college prospects and this year is no different. Norcross has running back D.J. Adams (Maryland) and wide receiver/defensive back Prince Kent (Miami) he Lions counter with linebacker Kevin Minter (LSU) and cornerback Connor Norman, who has drawn interest from Georgia, Georgia ech and Ole Miss. Norcross quarterback Charles King (also a college prospect) and Peachtree Ridge sophomore signal-caller Nick Lombardo lead their respective offenses, but each unit will spend all game trying to score on a stout defense. he Blue Devils defense has shut out its last three opponents and has four shutouts on the season. Only top-five teams Camden County and North Gwinnett have scored more than 17 points on Norcross this year. he Lions defense has only allowed more than 16 points twice this year, which includes holding down a high-powered Lowndes offense in a 22-7 loss. Peachtree Ridge is undefeated in Region 7 and Norcross only region loss is to North Gwinnett (7-1, 6-0). he Lions still have North Gwinnett left to play, so a win would set up a Region 7 title game. Butler can be reached at jbutler@790thezone.com. Centennial looks to rebound against Lassiter riday s GPB Game of the Week features Ftwo of the more surprising teams from Region 6-AAAAA. Unfortunately for the Centennial Knights, their surprise is not a good thing. Last year, the Knights were a win over Roswell away from making a playoff appearance in head coach Jeff Measor s first year. With another offseason to prepare, most pundits had the Knights once again competing for a playoff spot this season. Unfortunately, after six losses, however, Centennial is all but eliminated from playoff contention, leaving only pride to play for at this point. Still, Lassiter should not take Centennial lightly, especially Euclid Cummings, the team s star defensive end. Cummings is still coming into his own as a football player, having previously used his athletic abilities on the basketball court instead of the gridiron. He is a tough matchup for any offensive tackle, forcing coaches to either add extra blockers or leave a running back to keep him from getting to the quarterback. his rotation can take teams out of what they want to do offensively, leaving Cummings to wreak havoc in the backfield. If there is one team that will be ready for the challenge, however, it s the Lassiter rojans. Last week, the rojans knocked off the previously unbeaten Walton Raiders, just the latest on the list of the team s surprising wins. he rojans are led by quarterback Hutson Mason while an abundance of other skill position players are featured in the rojan offense. Lassiter will use them throughout the game, whether it be on offense or on special teams. Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com.
06D I SCORE DEKALB CHAMBLEE BULLDOGS he football team (4-4, 3-4) lost to Region 6-AAAA rival ucker 20-13 on Oct. 17. Jared Clark booted two field goals, one that tied the game early in the fourth quarter. Chamblee s lone touchdown came on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Garret Williams. he Bulldogs losing streak extended to three games on Friday when they lost to Forsyth Central 7-3. he team will host Stone Mountain this Friday. he volleyball team went all the way to the Region 6-AAAA tournament final before falling to Marist on Oct. 18. he Lady Bulldogs then made it to the Elite Eight of the state tournament, defeating Allatoona and Starr s Mill before succumbing to Sprayberry in four close games. he boys cross country team finished 10th out of 26 teams while the girls finished 17th out of 21 at the Reebok Coach Wood Invitational in Gainesville on Oct. 18. At Carrollton s Last Chance Invitational on Saturday, the boys finished seventh while Lydia Morrow led the girls to a 10th-place showing in 23:39. Clay Williams and David Coble have been leading the way for the boys, and they both finished in 17:46 at the Gainesville meet. COLUMBIA EAGLES After suffering a 45-12 loss to Dunwoody, the football team got back into the win column with a 38-6 win over Clarkston. Nathaniel Anthony eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, as he ran or 206 yards and a touchdown. Brian Holloway added 178 yards rushing and two touchdowns, nd quarterback Willie Favors also rushed for two touchdowns. Against Dunwoody, a long olloway touchdown run and an Anthony touchdown reception accounted for the Eagles scoring. olumbia now stands at 4-2 in region play and 5-3 overall. he Eagles play McNair at Hallford tadium on Saturday, with the winner likely earning a spot in the Region 5A-AAA playoff playn game. he volleyball team finished fourth in the Area 5-AAA standings and earned a berth n the State Sectionals. Columbia took on state-ranked Ringgold and fell 3-0 (25-5, 25-7, 25-7). he Eagles finished the season 9-17 and were led by junior Janesa Frazier and seniors Iesha ackson, Carmen Durham and Alexandria Brown. Durham did not play against Ringgold. Most of he Eagles were first-year players and only four of their nine players were seniors. DECAUR BULLDOGS he football team has looked to improve this season, but turnovers have done the Bulldogs in during losses to tough competition in Region 6-AA. Quarterback rumon Jefferson and Co. were unable to find any consistency in a 43-6 loss to Westminster, which had lost just one ame and is one of the top teams in Class 2A. he Bulldogs got a win last Friday over winess Avondale, 47-21. he Bulldogs will have to spur an upset if they want to win again. A trong Blessed rinity teams awaits on Friday, and they face Lovett on Nov. 7. he girls ross country team clocked in at eighth place at the Wesleyan Invitational on Oct. 18. Alex echsler was 30th overall with a time of 22:33. he boys checked in with a 10th-place finsh. he volleyball team beat Our Lady of Mercy in the first round of the Class 2A State ournament, but couldn t get by Savannah Country Day in the second round, losing 3-1 (25-2, 21-25, 25-17, 25-16). DUNWOODY WILDCAS After handling Columbia by a 45-12 score on Oct. 17, the Wildcats faced a major challenge against an athletic McNair football team last Friday. heir Region 5-AAA opponent gave hem all they could handle in the first half, battling the Cats to a 7-7 tie after one half of play. ith its undefeated record on the line, Dunwoody took over behind running back reavor cales. Scales scored on runs of 42, 53 and 39 yards in the final two quarters to help lead his eam to a 34-13 win and an 8-0 record. he Wildcats face Druid Hills next week to close the eason; they have already clinched the 5A-AAA subregion title. Both cross country teams an at the Last Chance Invitational last Saturday. he boys finished third overall in Class 3A as lex Ausley finished sixth with a time of 17:08. he girls were sixth behind Charlotte Collins s eventh-place finish (21:08). he Wildcats now gear up for the Region 5-AAA Championships n Friday at Mercer University. he Class 3A State Meet is Nov. 8. DRUID HILLS RED DEVILS Get In he Game! he football team s offense has helped it become a formidable squad this season, but the defense has struggled. A 29-8 victory over owers on Oct. 17 gave the defense some momentum heading into the regular-season finale at Dunwoody. At 4-4, beating the undefeated Wildcats won t be easy, but scoring the upset would provide the icing on the cake for one of the Red Devils most successful seasons in years. hey have won four games just once in the past 14 seasons, and haven t finished over.500 since the 1993 season. he boys cross country team placed third at the DeKalb County Championships. Nabil Hamid and Machop Ngor finished first and second, respectively, at 17:07. he girls finished a narrow second to Lakeside. Senior Allie Brown paced the Lady Red Devils with a second-place finish of 21:22. Ngor stole the show at the Last Chance Invitational on Saturday, winning the race in 16:44. he boys finished sixth. he volleyball season ended in the first round of the state playoffs with a loss to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, which defeated the Lady Red Devils 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-22). LAKESIDE VIKINGS Both cross country teams continued to assert themselves as the best programs in DeKalb. he boys team took home the county title thanks to a 3-4-5 finish from John Ewing (17:23), Charlie Clark (17:24) and David Dixon (17:30). It was Lakeside s 14th straight county title. he girls also finished first behind freshman Meghan Wetterhall s first-place finish. he program faced a huge challenge with a team that starts more freshmen and sophomores than upperclassmen. hey race in the Region 6-AAAA Championships on Saturday and run in the GHSA State Championships on Nov. 8. he struggles continued for Jeff Joiner s football team, as it has still yet to win a game. he offense sputtered two weeks ago in a 22-0 loss to a surging Forsyth Central team on Oct. 18. he Vikings had a legitimate chance to beat Lithonia last Friday, but were defeated 12-6. Now they must beat Miller Grove or Marist over the next two weeks to avoid their first winless season since 1999, and just their second in school history. MARIS WAR EAGLES he football team won its seventh game in a row, beating a strong Southwest DeKalb team 27-21. A quick start was the key for Marist, as the War Eagles jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first half behind three touchdown runs from fullback Matt Connors. Sam McNearny recovered an onside kick with under two minutes to play to ice the game. If Marist beats Lithonia and Lakeside-DeKalb over the next two weeks, the War Eagles will be crowned region champs. he softball season concluded with the a state championship. he team hit.300 during sectionals and didn t lose a game in the Elite Eight en route to the title. he championship is the softball team s first in school history We certainly thought we d have a chance to get here, Marist head coach Mike rapani said about the season, but to be able to finish the deal is how I will remember it. he volleyball team didn t lose a game in the first three rounds of the state tournament, beating Hiram, Northwest Whitfield and Sandy Creek. he War Eagles begin Final Four play on hursday. M.L, KING LIONS he football team lost to Stephenson 27-7 on Oct. 17. he Lions allowed Stephenson to score a defensive touchdown in the first quarter and surrendered a long punt return that set up a second-quarter touchdown. It was 21-0 by halftime. hey got some breaks early, M.L. King head coach Corey Jarvis said. We didn t execute. We didn t block worth anything. We didn t adjust up front. We didn t make any tackles. hat s what lost the game for us. hat plethora of mistakes, however, was nonexistent on Saturday against Greenbrier. M.L. King dominated from start to finish for a convincing 42-14 win. he Lions (6-2, 4-1) will play Redan (2-5-1, 2-3) on Friday. he volleyball team ended a tough seven-game season winless and, like the softball team, failed to qualify for region tournament play. Softball concluded its year with a solid 8-5 win over Lakeside-DeKalb. he boys cross country team was represented by senior Elandis Kelly at the DeKalb County Championships hosted by Shamrock Middle School on Oct. 14. Kelly ran admirably all alone, finishing with a time of 24:38.
OC 29-NOV 4, 2008 MILLER GROVE WOLVERINES he football team shut out North Springs 46-0 last Friday to move its record to 4-3-1 overall and 4-3 in Region 6-AAAA play. Backup quarterback Mydrikus Ealey got the start, as starter Kendrick Ings was held out for most of the contest, and threw for four touchdowns. Miller Grove s defense held North Springs offense in check all game, limiting the Spartans to just four first downs. Ings, who has been nursing a knee injury all season, saw limited action because of the slick conditions caused by Friday s rain. he Wolverines were coming off of a 35-13 loss to Marist on Oct. 17. Against the War Eagles, Kenneth Gilstrap scored on a 72-yard touchdown run and Stephen Hill caught a 30-yard touchdown reception from Ings. With tiebreakers in their favor, the Wolverines now sit alone in the fourth and final playoff spot in Region 6-AAAA thanks to a Chamblee loss. he team, however, still realizes the importance of its next two games. Bottom line is, we still have to win to get in, Wolverine head coach Jasper Jewell said. hey play Lakeside-DeKalb on Friday, before ending the season versus Chamblee on Nov. 7. PAIDEIA PYHONS he boys cross country team placed 15th at the Wesleyan Invitational at the Wesleyan School on Oct. 18. Jack Scully led the way for the Pythons with a 76th-place finish and a final time of 19:42. Spencer Bledsoe was the next Python to cross the finish line in 90th with a time of 20:17. he Lady Pythons also raced, finishing 11th as a team with 273 points. Hannah Williams finished 53rd with a time of 24:16. Mallory West was next for Paideia in 68th place. Her final time was 25:08. Basketball season is also just around the corner. he boys recently opened up practice in preparation for the 2008 campaign. hey play their first game at home on Nov. 15 against Brookstone Academy. hey finished 11-14 last season, but were a very young team, relying on players such as freshman E. Victor Nickerson and juniors Hugh Hunter and Paul Lane. All of them return for this season. he girls team is also currently preparing for the 2008 season. he squad begins the season on Nov. 15 away at Westminster. N REDAN RAIDERS ot only did the football team get its first win of the season when it beat Douglass 18-12 on Oct. 17, but the Raiders followed that up this past Friday with their second consecutive win, an 18-13 triumph over Luella. Justin Sims rushed for a touchdown and Akil Dan-Fadio passed for two scores, including a 22-yard play to Detray Shivers in the victory over Luella. he Raiders defense also came up big, as Jacques Gholston and Co. pressured the Lions passing game and the secondary came up with the game-clinching interception. Against Douglass, Dan-Fadio threw a touchdown pass and Javoris Bryant hauled in three catches for 54 yards. Redan (2-5-1, 2-3) remains alive for a playoff spot out of Region 2-AAAAA, as the team takes on M.L. King on Friday. he volleyball eam was eliminated from the Area 2-AAAAA ournament after losing to Northside-Warner obins and Houston County. Redan (23-9) beat Stephenson, but played all three matches with a new ineup, as three of its starters were out of town taking college visits. Soyong Smith finished 11th t the girls DeKalb County Cross Country Championships with a time of 22:25.02. S. PIUS X GOLDEN LIONS he football team moved to 8-0 with a 28-7 win over Grady, all but guaranteeing the Golden Lions a No. 1 seed heading into the Region 5-AAA playoff in two weeks. Brendonn Jones scored on a 15-yard run to start the scoring, and Cole Moon barreled in for scores from 2 and 4 yards out to make it a three-touchdown game in the second quarter. Moon scored again in the fourth quarter on a 43-yard run to ice the game. He finished with 174 yards on 20 carries. Riverwood represents the final regular season test for Pius on Friday at 7:30 p.m. he softball team lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe at the Class 3A Elite Eight to end its season. he Golden Lions would have advanced to the state championship game if they had won. Pepper Gay gave up just two hits in the loss. We feel like making the Final Four was a tremendous accomplishment, head coach Joe Winland said afterwards. he volleyball team heads to the State Semifinals on hursday after sweeping through Mary Persons, Ringgold and Northside- Columbus in the first three rounds. he team has yet to lose a game in the state tourney. SOUHWES DEKALB PANHERS SCORE DEKALB I 07D he football team missed an opportunity to take sole possession of the Region 6-AAAA lead when it lost 27-21 to Marist last Friday. Kendrun Malcome scored all three touchdowns for the Panthers, who dropped their first region game. Southwest DeKalb (6-2, 6-1) outgained Marist, which remained undefeated in region play, but could not get the win. he Panthers were coming off of a 47-14 homecoming victory over Lithonia on Oct. 17. In that contest, SWD led 14-7 at halftime before second-half touchdown runs from Malcome, Michael Johnson and Marvis Gates broke the game open. errance Smith also scored off of his own blocked punt. he Panthers next play ucker on Saturday at Hallford Stadium. he softball team made the State Sectionals, falling to Whitewater 8-0 in the first game and to Sequoyah 10-2 in the second game. Elexica Simmons drove in both of the Panthers runs against Sequoyah, as the team only trailed 3-2 in the sixth inning. Imani Gayle pitched well and Imani Cabell (outfield) and Davynn Brown (catcher) provided good defense. Freshman Greciana Cooper (21:36.09) placed third for the girls and Jared Williams (17:50.71) finished 11th for the boys at the DeKalb County Cross Country Championships. SEPHENSON JAGUARS hanks to back-to-back wins over M.L. King and Union Grove, the football team now finds itself in control of its own destiny for a Region 2-AAAAA title. Stephenson (7-1, 4-1) blanked Union Grove 25-0 this past Friday. he Jaguar defense and special teams combined to contribute two safeties, as the units forced a fumble and blocked a punt, which Union Grove fell on in its own end zone. Also, Kerry Hartley had a 48-yard interception return, as Stephenson held Union Grove to just 89 yards of total offense. Union Grove, which came into the game averaging over 30 points a contest, only completed six passes for 27 yards. Offensively, Raymond Sanders added a 15-yard touchdown run and C.C. Gilbert connected with Richard Drake for a 36-yard touchdown pass. A week earlier, the Jaguars defeated M.L. King 27-7. he defense shined in that contest as well, as defensive end Joshua Williams scored on a 50-yard fumble recovery. Sanders rushed for two touchdowns and Gilbert rushed for a score. Stephenson plays at Greenbrier on Friday before ending the regular season at Douglass on Nov. 7. SONE MOUNAIN PIRAES Going into the game last Friday against ucker, the football team was on a three-game winning streak that saw the team improve to.500 in Region 6-AAAA play. Early on in the matchup, it looked as if the Pirates could possibly get their fourth consecutive win. Stone Mountain (3-5, 3-4) trailed 7-0 for much of the first half before going into halftime down 14-0, but gave up 23 third-quarter points, as they lost 37-6. Michael Gilbert was one of the bright spots for the Pirates, as the sophomore running back gained 125 yards on 14 carries and scored Stone Mountain s lone touchdown. he Pirates got their third consecutive win a week earlier, when they shut out North Springs 14-0. Jhyree Harris threw a touchdown pass to Octavious Andrews and Gilbert added a 60-yard touchdown run. Gilbert finished with 145 yards rushing on 15 carries. Stone Mountain plays at Chamblee on Friday and ends its season with a matchup against Southwest DeKalb on Nov. 7 at Hallford Stadium. Joshua Kelly finished 23rd at the DeKalb County Cross Country Championships. His time was 18:55.51. UCKER IGERS he football team beat region rival Chamblee 20-13 on Oct. 17. Drayton Allen-Calhoun, ucker s senior do-it-all running back, was up to his old tricks in scoring on a 60-yard pass play and a 70-yard run. Great game, said head coach Franklin Stephens. I thought the kids put forth a tremendous effort and found a way to win the football game. he igers next took their playoff hopes into a region showdown with Stone Mountain. We win, we re in, said Stephens prior to the game. His words rang true, as ucker cruised to a 37-6 triumph, clinching a postseason berth. Next up for the igers is Southwest DeKalb (7-1, 6-1), which is coming off its first loss of the season to Marist. Both the volleyball team and the softball team saw their seasons end at the hands of Marist in Area 6-AAAA tournament play. he boys cross country team finished fourth out of 19 teams at the DeKalb County Championships on Oct. 14. Seniors Bsrat Gide and Nolan Schnepf both placed in the individual top 10 with times of 17:36 and 17:41, respectively. Josh Bagriansky Dunwoody, Marist, St. Pius X, Decatur, Druid Hills, Lakeside, Paideia James Butler Miller Grove, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Columbia, Redan, Stone Mountain Ricky Dimon ucker, Chamblee, M.L. King