2023 Spring Sports Showcase Magazine Issue

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Volume 2

March 2023

WGW Sports: Spring Sports Showcase

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Spring Sports Showcase

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Red Devils Undergoing Learning Curve

served as a key weapon on the front attack this spring, while Skinner noted that freshman goalkeeper Gabe Propst has been another bright spot at a demanding position.

Bowdon boys focused on building foundation

There is a learning curve for all aspects of life as a teenager, and the Bowdon High School boys’ soccer team is undergoing just that over the course of the spring season.

The Red Devils don’t have the luxury of a feeder program or a long tradition in the sport, but what they do have is a group that is hungry to get better and have some fun along the way.

For Bowdon Assistant Coach Justin Skinner, focusing on the fundamentals of the game has been the priority for 2023, beginning with field awareness, first and foremost.

Bowdon Red Devils Roster

No. 0 Demarion Horton

No. 2 Javarious Glenn

No. 3 Aaron Rodgers

No. 5 Sam Hart

No. 7 Camden Bartlett

No. 8 Brandon Jones

No. 9 David Villareal

No. 10 Skylar Young

No. 11 Ja’Micheal Jones

No. 13 Gabe Propst

No. 15 Cameron Holloway

“That’s a point that’s the hardest to learn. Overall, the bulk of these players have only played at Bowdon – and maybe only one or two seasons, at that,” Skinner said. “So learning to see more than the ball and learning the movement, working together, that’s something where they’re putting the work in and they’re wanting to get to that next level.”

No. 17 Bryan Solis-Gonzalez

No. 21 Jeremy Olin

No. 24 Micheal Wentworth

Red Devil forward Cameron Holloway has

“Cameron is our top player. He plays attacking-mid or striker. He’s just a quality player and continues to improve,” Skinner said. “And then Gabe, he’s holding his own against some of these varsity teams that are really hammering away at us. He keeps us in the game.”

The win-loss numbers aren’t exactly where the Bowdon coaching staff wanted to see them this season, but once again it’s a matter of learning and establishing a foundation for bigger and better things in the future.

“We’re still a young team overall. They’ve got so much potential for the next two to three seasons,” Skinner said. “I expect a much different outcome within the next two to three seasons. So it’s a matter of getting them together and getting them working through their differences. We’re figuring that out and not letting it hold us down. This group is going to keep working. They’re willing to work. The kids work hard. We’re just missing that finer detail.” WGW

Red Devilettes focused on spring spark

as a source of versatility and keeper Carmen Garcia racking up nearly 70 saves in goal.

“Ally is one of those players that you can put anywhere and you can rely on her,” Skinner said. “She’s just quality wherever she goes.”

Skinner said the team’s most improved player, handsdown, has been Sherri-Grace Presnal.

“She is night and day from the beginning of the season. She has just absolutely grown so much,” Skinner said.

Bowdon girls eager to take next step

The Bowdon High School girls’ soccer program is working to build an identity and solid foundation.

Featuring a group of girls who are completely or relatively new to the sport, there are the expected growing pains that come with that upon competing at the varsity level.

But the Red Devilettes aren’t allowing that to deter them from doing all the little things that it takes to give themselves a chance to be successful when it comes to the big picture of the program.

“There’s a new spark of excitement about the game in general,” noted Red Devilette assistant coach Justin Skinner. “They see the potential and they’re really wanting to do better. There’s just an overall mindset. They’re looking and they’re asking questions. They’re looking for that next level. And that is something I’ve felt like they haven’t had before. It was kind of, ‘We are where we are and this is this.’ But this group sees its potential now, even among themselves. So it brings out a different level of competitiveness.”

The Red Devilettes have had several players step up this season, with Ally Bowen serving

Injuries have proven to be another storyline for the season, but the Red Devilettes have received a nice boost from Libbee McElwee and Stevie Ballenger getting back on the field, while Julie Morales-Cabrera has served as a fierce spirit after suffering her own setback.

“She’s not necessarily the top player, but she plays with the most heart. This kid loves it,” Skinner said. “She’s dealing with an injury now, and she cannot stand to be on the sideline. It breaks her heart not to be on the field. We need more players like her who just play with heart. She just loves it. She absolutely loves the game.”

Bowdon Red Devilettes Roster

No. 3 Jasmine Jones

And as the spring campaign wraps up, Skinner said it’s been encouraging to see the consistent improvement during the past few months with the potential for a bright future in ‘‘The Friendly City.’’

“There’s been huge improvement from last season. They’re just consistently getting better each game,” Skinner said. “Obviously, we’re not where we want to be yet. But we’re heading that way.” WGW

No. 4 Aniya Ponder

No. 5 Stevie Ballenger

No. 8 Carmen Garcia

No. 9 Sherri-Grace Presnal

No. 11 Mack Teate

No. 13 Makayla Prothro

No. 15 Julie Morales-Cabrera

No. 21 Reyna Henderson

No. 22 Ally Bowen

No. 24 Yosdel Ponce

No. 25 Libbee McElwee

No. 32 Presley Weaver

Red Devils Ready To Reap Rewards

Bowdon hopes to blossom young talent this spring

Following a spring where the Bowdon High School baseball program underwent a major youth movement, Brian Vance is hoping to see some of those growing pains reap rewards for 2023 and beyond.

The BHS head coach played seven to eight freshmen last season on the varsity roster, most of whom saw significant time on the field. Now, even though they are still only sophomores, that group has the potential to be special by the time it’s all said and done.

That year of experience, coupled with a handful of upperclassmen carrying the torch, gives Vance plenty of optimism for the spring season.

“We knew it would pay some dividends moving

forward into this year and, so far, those guys that played last year – and even some guys that didn’t get to play a lot last year – have developed in the offseason and gotten stronger in the weight room,” Vance said.

Among the elder statesmen in the clubhouse, senior Will Rainwater represents the graybeard of the bunch as an essential four-year starter. He will be joined by junior Jackson Truett, a move-in, and returning starter Bryson Adams as cornerstones of the ballclub.

“Those three guys are the guys with the most experience,” Vance said. “Truett didn’t play with us last year, but he comes with a lot of baseball experience.

“But our sophomore class is just stacked up with a lot of individuals that will be all over the field. We’ve got five to six pretty much everyday starters from that sophomore class.”

Rainwater was expected to primarily play at catcher this spring, although he can also play the outfield and pitch, while Truett was slotted in center field and may also see time in the infield and on the

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course of the campaign.

“In our level of single-A Division II, when you make a change on the mound, it changes the entire field sometimes,” Vance said. “To have multiple guys ready at each position is a big plus for our program.”

Bowdon was sitting at 3-3 through the first week of March, but the schedule really picks up over the second half of the season with three to four games per week – including six key contests that will decide the Region 7-A championship.

Playing in a three-team league with Mount Zion and Christian Heritage, everyone is already qualified for the Class A Division II state playoffs.

Bowdon Red Devils Roster

No. 0 Connor Cummings

No. 1 Jackson Truett

No. 2 Caison Duncan

No. 3 Dalton Ballenger

No. 4 Will Huggins

No. 5 Landon Evans

No. 6 Jacob Williams

No. 7 Luke Windom

No. 8 Mason Lovvorn

No. 9 C.J. Kidd

No. 10 Jordan Beasley

No. 11 Berkley Perkins

No. 12 Will Rainwater

No. 13 Ethan Kent

No. 14 Gareth Addison

No. 15 Sawyer Smith

No. 16 Bryson Adams

No. 18 Hayden Windom

No. 19 Blake Cole

No. 20 Micah Caldwell

No. 21 Andrew Adams

No. 22 Zander Langley

No. 24 Jaxon Ledbetter

No. 25 Phisher Perkins

No. 27 Jason Martinez

No. 30 Jayden Wilson

No. 31 Hunter Evans

bump.

The pitching staff features Adams, Truett, Will Huggins, Caison Duncan and Dalton Ballenger, while a cast of other arms will likely get an opportunity to toe the rubber.

“We really plan on using all those guys eventually in starting roles, depending on what we’ve got that particular week,” Vance said. “If you’ve got a four-game week, having a lot of guys ready to go is important.”

Vance noted that having versatility on the defensive side of the diamond is key for a Class A program, and it’s something that should definitely be a factor in their favor over the

No. 33 Nate Kovac

No. 34 Brayden Swofford

No. 41 Kaiden Prothro

No. 44 Carson Baughtman

No. 99 Asher Christopher

But Vance really wants to see this group earn the right to host at least the first round of the postseason, especially for the younger guys who haven’t experienced that environment yet at the varsity level.

“It’s one of those years you look at and with as many of those young guys who have experience from last year, we always want to make a deep run. But it would also be big to get to host that home playoff series. It would be big if we make sure we finish in the top two,” Vance said.

“To be able to host a playoff series with these young guys and be able to experience that and hopefully move a little further with a deep run this year would really be awesome for this group.” WGW

State

Blue Devils

Pushing Pedal To The Metal

Bremen banking on loaded junior class toward title contention

Buslin’ through the first half of the season ranked as a top-five competitor among the Class AAA contenders this spring, the Bremen High School boys’ soccer team wants to keep the pedal to the metal as the focus shifts toward the postseason.

The Blue Devils rattled off seven wins in their first eight matches – with the other being a tie – keyed by a 1-0 triumph over private school power Holy Innocents’.

The first two setbacks of the season came at the hands of Class AAAAAAA East Coweta and Region 6-AAA rival Coahulla Creek in a match where many elements didn’t bounce in the Blue Devils’ favor during the top-10 AAA state showdown.

Bremen head coach Jason Fields returned plenty of talent in 2023 from its state semifinalist squad a season ago, although only two were seniors.

Defenders Zach Burns and Matthew Luckey are the lone seniors competing on the field

this spring – Blake Underwood missed his senior campaign due to injury – but the Blue Devils are loaded with a strong junior class to ignite the charge.

Joining Burns and Luckey in the back are juniors Brady Price and Dylan Corso, as Fields labeled Price one of the best defenders he’s ever coached.

Sticking with the theme of talented juniors, midfielder Baden Derringer is back and stronger than ever after missing last season with a meniscus and MCL injury.

“Now that he’s back, it completely changes the dynamic of the midfield. He’s an amazing talent as a middle hold,” Fields said.

Derringer and fellow junior Jon Smith serve as captains of the midfield, while foreign-exchange student Gonzalo U’beda is playing out left.

“He offers a different dynamic than any of the players we’ve ever coached before. He’s really hard to take the ball away from,” Fields said of U’beda. “He manages to penetrate at times when it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to.”

The motor of the Blue Devil attack through the first half of the season came in the form of junior forward Wyatt Mathis, who is well on his way to breaking the single-season scoring record for Bremen soccer.

“He’s had multiple games where he’s scored a hat trick. We won 8-1 the other night, and he had seven of our goals,” Fields said. “He’s just really hard to deal with. His movements are incredible. His

work rate is really high. I’m just astonished to watch him. It’s a pleasure to watch a kid that’s so good on the ball and so hard to deal with. Defenses don’t really know what to do with him.”

Bremen Blue Devils Roster

Bremen and Coahulla Creek, which is also ranked in the top10 in Class AAA, are the runaway favorites in region play, while Adairsville will likely battle for the No. 3 seed.

Upon moving up to AAA during the latest round of reclassification, Fields said it doesn’t change much when it comes to the level of region competition, but there will be some new

Lady Blue Devils Peaking Toward Postseason

challenges in the postseason from soccer staples such as Columbus, Wesleyan and Oconee County.

“It looks like if we finish second in the region, we’ll be in the same bracket with (Columbus and Wesleyan),” Fields said. “I talked to the boys about it. In my opinion, if you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. I’m fine being in the region with two of those because it just means that if we can get through them, the speed of play in the finals will be a lot easier for us." WGW

It wasn’t a matter of if, but when for the Bremen High School girls’ soccer team this spring.

Facing a daunting early-season schedule and playing short-handed through that stretch, Jason Fields understood there would be some tough sledding through February and into early March.

The Lady Blue Devil head coach also knew it would make his ballclub much better by the time the big games officially arrived in April.

“We had five girls playing basketball, so we didn’t get them until about six or seven games in. I scheduled us to play some pretty difficult teams on the

Bremen Lady Blue Devils Roster

No. 0 Riley Foster

No. 1 Sydney Melillo

No. 2 Taylor Hasenfuss

No. 3 Elizabeth Steffey

No. 4 Mary House

No. 5 Cailey Allen

No. 6 Kaylyn Braun

No. 7 Gabby Worthy

No. 9 Janie Voyles

No. 10 Kathryn Christian

No. 11 Olivia Codner

No. 12 Kaylen White

No. 13 Bella Fields

No. 15 Mollie Moore

No. 19 Mattie Johnson

No. 23 Yujean Shin

No. 24 Kinsley Morgan

No. 27 Payton Terrell

No. 29 Danilyn Sheats

No. 44 Lily Keown

No. 66 Savannah Steffey

front end of our schedule to get us a little bit better for the playoffs this year,” Fields said. “Now that we’ve got the basketball girls back and we’re slowly getting some of the injured girls healthy, it’s starting to click.”

The Lady Blue Devils have no shortage of talent as the second half of the season kicks into full swing.

Bremen’s all-time leading scorer is back up front with senior forward Mary House adding to her programrecord tally, while fellow senior captain Danilyn Sheats also returns on the attack.

“Mary’s been playing a little bit of a different role this year. She’s been distributing a little bit more, but she’s a great finisher. I expect her to be the leading scorer for the fourth year in a row,” Fields said. “It’s just knocking off the rust from basketball and changing gears a little bit.”

Sophomore captain Bella Fields is a second-year

starter in the center as the Lady Blue Devil tablesetter, leading the team in assists and ranking second in scoring at the midway mark. She is joined by seniors Yujean Shin and Lily Keown, also a captain this spring, in the midfield.

Fields noted that there are new starters on the defensive side of the ball, but they’re experienced players who are now getting their opportunity to step into the forefront.

Riding a critical victory over Coahulla Creek at the start of league play, the Lady Blue Devils have already positioned themselves on solid footing heading toward the Class AAA state playoffs.

Following a playoff run to the AA final four in 2022, Bremen bumped up to AAA in the latest reclassification cycle.

Fields didn’t anticipate losing any matches in region play – a 5-1 victory over top threat Coahulla Creek confirmed that –and he was hopeful that a lateseason, non-region rumble with Rome would help get his girls energized for the postseason.

“Depending on how we get matched up in the brackets, I think this team can make a run all the way to the finals again like we did a couple of years ago,” Fields said. “My biggest worry is just not really getting a lot of competition in region where we start to get lax, lose focus a little bit and get complacent. So I’m hoping we can pick it up toward the end of the year and hit the playoffs strong.” WGW

Blue Devils Making Playoff Pitch

Bremen relying on strong pitching staff this spring

In high school baseball, if you can pitch, you’ve got a chance.

It’s a philosophy Chris Brown certainly believes in and one the Bremen High School head baseball coach will see tested this spring.

With only three seniors on the roster – the smallest senior class during Brown’s time at Bremen – and four returning starters back, the Blue Devils will feature plenty of new faces on the field and up and down the lineup.

The good news for Brown and the Blue Devils is three of those four returning starters are top arms in the pitching rotation.

The trio of juniors Jake Steed and Easton White, along with sophomore southpaw Aiden Price, will shoulder the load for Bremen in 2023 with defense and timely hitting serving as other key components to the Blue Devil blueprint.

“Those three guys are going to be our guys to rely on to keep us in the games,” Brown said.

The pitching staff, coupled with the battery complement of sophomore catcher Dylan Huey, makes for quite the 1-2 punch for Bremen.

“I think he may be the best catcher in the west Georgia area. Definitely in that sophomore class,” Brown said of Huey, who hits in the leadoff spot for Bremen offensively.

White will hit in the middle of the order and play shortstop when not pitching, with senior Mitchell Sauls taking over at second base to shore up the middle infield. Junior Caden Johnson is also expected to be a key asset in the lineup and at first base.

Brown noted how Sauls has been a utility player for the Blue Devils over the past few seasons and is looking forward to him taking advantage of the full-time opportunity during

Bremen Blue Devils Roster

No. 1 Mitchell Sauls

No. 2 Dylan Huey

No. 3 Owen Millians

No. 4 Caden Johnson

No. 5 Austin Robinson

No. 6 William Seale

No. 7 Micah Harper

No. 8 Easton White

No. 9 Cooper Mincy

No. 10 Aiden Price

No. 11 Jonah Hatchett

No. 12 Noah Walker

No. 13 Charlie Plummer

No. 14 Cole McKenzie

No. 15 Trent McPherson

No. 16 Sully Senft

No. 17 Camden Jones

No. 19 Jake Steed

No. 20 Brady Robinson

his senior campaign.

“He’s been a platoon player the last couple of years and I think he’s really going to have a big year being the guy,” Brown said. “Being able to go out and play second base every day and not have to look over your shoulder and worry about anything.”

The Blue Devils opened the season with five consecutive road games, something Brown did intentionally to allow both the coaches and players to “figure out who we are.”

Ideally, the Blue Devils want to compete in lowscoring affairs where they hang their hat on pitching and defense and execute some small ball offensively to manufacture runs.

“I think that’s the team we’re going to have. Our pitchers are going to keep us in games. If you can score four or five runs and beat us, OK. We want to keep the score low, play good defense, throw strikes and hopefully win some close games,” Brown said.

The Blue Devils bumped back up to Class AAA this spring and landed in Region 6-AAA, which includes Adairsville, Gordon Lee, Coahulla Creek, LaFayette, LFO, Ridgeland and Ringgold among the eight-team league, marking the second-largest region in AAA.

Brown noted

how it’s a tough year to move up a classification being as young as they are, but added they’ll deal with that as they go.

“It’s basically the northeast corner of Georgia, and that’s a really strong baseball area,” Brown said. “We could be really good and finish fourth or fifth in the region. Our goal is to make it to state. We feel that if we can make it to the playoffs, we can make a run because our region is so tough. It’ll prepare you for the state playoffs.” WGW

Lady Devils Spring into Action

Bremen girls lacrosse program continues to grow

Blue Devil Family Park has been enamored with action this spring. And a big part of that is Bremen High School girls’ lacrosse digging deeper roots upon taking the program to new heights.

Second-year head coach

Randi Trowell understands there’s still a ways to go to reach the potential they believe they can achieve, but she is confident 2023 will serve as another step in the right direction when all is said and done.

“It’s going really well. We have a lot more girls out this year. We have enough to

Leading the charge for this year’s squad is a group of returnees that includes defender Natalie Robinson, midfielder Abby Waldrop, forwards Ragan Whitaker and

Bremen Lady Blue

Devils Roster

No. 1 AnnaKayte Hawkins

No. 2 Katelyn Collins

No. 3 Morgan Smith

No. 4 Ella Bohannon

scrimmage one another, full field. So that’s really exciting,” Trowell said. “We have a lot of newcomers and a lot of freshmen. We’re a young team with only one senior. But I think we’re going to shock a few people this year.”

No. 5 Ragan Whitaker

No. 6 Ava Brooks

No. 7 Addy Wade

No. 8 Emma Blackwood

No. 9 Ella Pruitt

No. 10 Hadley Sparks

No. 11 Abby Waldrop

No. 12 Jayda Smith

No. 13 Shelby Underwood

No. 14 Kamryn Stance

No. 15 Chloe Wallis

No. 16 Alyssa Roe

No. 17 Sophia Hembree

No. 18 Savannah Johnson

No. 19 Aubri Hyatt

No. 21 Haylibeth Bush

No. 22 Marley Derringer

No. 23 Emma Holloman

No. 26 Cambree Wilson

No. 33 Natalie Robinson

No. 42 Gracie Daniel

“Those are going to be our two leaders we’re leaning on defensively, and on the offensive end,” Trowell said of Robinson and Waldrop. “I’m expecting a lot of good things from (Whitaker and Daniel) on the offensive end, and then Addy Wade. She was a freshman starter for us last year and she’ll start for us again this year on the defensive side. I’m excited to see them step up this spring.”

In goal, Alyssa Roe and Emma Holloman are splitting time this spring.

With lacrosse still being relatively new to Bremen, there’s been a learning curve for both the players and coaches over the past few years, something Trowell said can be challenging, but also very rewarding.

“Just figuring out all the rules was the hardest part. But once you learn, it’s not hard,” Trowell said. “It’s a real fun game, real fastpaced. It helps you stay engaged and helps the fans stay engaged.”

And having strong numbers certainly helps everyone stay engaged, as Trowell noted getting girls involved at a younger age will serve as another building block for the program.

“Last year, we barely had enough to play a game and maybe have one sub if it was a good day. This year we have enough for two teams, so we’ve had a lot more girls come out. It’s just really exciting for the community,” Trowell said. “Hopefully, we can get in some rec ball leagues and introduce the girls to the sport at a younger age.”

As for this spring, the Lady Blue Devil head coach wants to see her team continue to compete and learn what it takes to build a winning program.

“They love each other, they’re good teammates and that helps win ball games,” Trowell said. “They’re very helpful to one another and very grateful to one another. That’s what I’m most proud of.” WGW

Gracie Daniel and defender Addy Wade.

Photo provided by Veronika Photography and Design

Photo provided by Veronika Photography and Design

Devils Sticking to the Blueprint

Bremen boys’ lacrosse hopeful of building a buzz in community

As the sport of lacrosse continues to gain momentum across the west Georgia region, Sean Feeley is hopeful of building a big buzz in Bremen.

The second-year Bremen High School boys’ head lacrosse coach has promising numbers this spring with 21 players out, including a strong freshman class that is learning on the fly at the high school ranks.

The next step Feeley wants to see for

the future of Blue Devil lacrosse is getting the feeder program up and running at the recreation level.

“All the big sports have rec programs and teams. So once we get that youth interest level going, I think that’s going to be a big thing,” Feeley said. “Right now, they’re getting introduced to it at middle school and then they get thrown into high school, where we’re going straight varsity and no JV. We don’t have enough to field both right now. That being said, I think we do well.

“We’re in an area where we can be successful if we have the right athletes, and I definitely think we have the right athletes here.”

The Blue Devils return Brooks Costley and Davis Brock as two key weapons from the offensive arsenal,

while Avery Roberts will lead a young defensive unit, along with Jack Hicks in goal.

Feeley is also looking for quality contributions from Chase Sparks, Parr Folsom, Deese Miller and freshman Lincoln Clotfelter.

Bremen Blue Devils Roster

No. 0 Evan Brown

No. 1 Cade Costanzo

No. 2 Parr Folsom

No. 3 Davis Brock

The Blue Devils dove right into area action in the early weeks of the 2023 season, something Feeley was a bit concerned about, especially considering how many younger players he had in the fold.

No. 4 Brooks Costley

No. 5 Jamal Stevenson

No. 6 Bryce Waldo

No. 7 Elijah Strong

No. 9 Blake Cantrell

No. 10 Luke Clayton

No. 11 Jack Hicks

No. 12 Avery Roberts

No. 13 Chase Sparks

No. 14 Deese Miller

No. 15 Brady DeGenova

No. 17 Nolan Bell

No. 18 Tucker Denney

No. 20 Lincoln Clotfelter

No. 21 Liam Bennett

No. 24 Camden Akin

No. 26 Russell Tollefson

“I would have liked to have more practice before we hit the schedule, but I also feel like the best way to learn and the best way to grow is to see that full-speed game,” Feeley said.

Playing in the Class A-AAAAA division of the state, the competition will be fierce once again with several private school powers leading

the pack.

Even so, the spring campaign presents another opportunity for the Blue Devils to continue to grow the sport, further the foundation for the future and hopefully deliver plenty of ‘W’s along the way in 2023.

“We’ve got a lot of home games this year, so hopefully we can show up for the home fans,” Feeley said. “I think we should do pretty well this year. Our schedule is pretty favorable, and we’ve got enough guys to get some good looks in for these freshmen and some of these younger guys.” WGW

Trojans Launch Into New Competitive Landscape

Carrollton returns nearly entire roster upon moving up to state’s highest classification

The best thing about having a roster loaded with talented underclassmen is that eventually they get older. And with that age and experience comes an understanding of being wiser to the ways of the world.

In this instance, it's the development and maturation of the Carrollton High School boys’ soccer team from one spring to the next that has Trojan head coach Scott New looking forward to some intense action on the pitch in 2023.

“Last year was a learning experience, for sure. So going into this year, just from Day 1, the focus was higher, the energy was higher and the understanding of what we want to accomplish and do was much better,” New said. “All of those things were just night-and-day better.”

After graduating just one starter from last year’s squad, it’s nearly a return in full for the

Trojans, who make the climb to the state’s highest classification this season upon competing in Class AAAAAAA.

With only five seniors on this year’s ballclub – Austin Rader, Jacob Russell, Freddy Perez, Alejandro Gomez and Jack Barralaga – Carrollton is still a relatively young unit, but it is certainly more experienced this year.

Junior captain Isaac Cruz started the season on the sideline due to injury, while his twin brother, Josue Cruz, is returning following offseason knee surgery.

Anchoring the Trojan defense will be senior center back Freddy Perez, along with junior Ronald Reyes, while New noted that sophomore Carlos Hernandez and freshman Engels Gomez will serve as “quick and skillful” outside backs.

“Both of those guys are defenders, but they can get into the attack, as well,” New said.

Rounding out the midfielders are senior Alejandro Gomez and sophomores Eduardo Hernandez and Carlos Medrano, while the tandem of senior Austin Rader and sophomore Jefferson Hernandez will line up wide.

Once healthy, Isaac Cruz will lead the attack at forward with junior Ohuen Romero serving as

another key weapon in the offensive arsenal.

“We’ve got several forwards that we think can get into the mix,” New said. “It’s a deep group and a group that we have a lot of confidence in.”

In goal, the Trojans feature a pair of underclassmen in freshman A.J. Brown and sophomore Edelis Verela.

The Trojans traditionally schedule a tough nonregion slate, and this year was no different as the Black and Gold stepped between the lines against the likes of Columbus, Rome, Johns Creek and Starr’s Mill before kicking off league play in March.

“We’ve played some really good teams, and it’s always good to get tested early,” New said. “I think our maturity level is better and I think our players are now a year older, a year better and have played with each other for a year instead of last year where they hadn’t played together much.

“I think we’re going to get better as the year goes

on. We (went through) the beginning stages of playing hard, fighting hard and figuring out how to get the desired results, as well.”

Upon bumping up to Class AAAAAAA, the Trojans will encounter new faces and challenges –including last year’s state runner-up in Region 2 power Pebblebrook – but New doesn’t see it as anything his guys can’t handle.

After all, the Trojans competed in a region with perennial heavyweight Dalton last season in AAAAAA and have never shied away from welcoming bouts against the best of the best.

“Region-wise, we feel good about what we’re going to be,” New said. “I think we can stack up with all of those guys. When you look at the region we had (last year) with Dalton and Rome, two of the best teams in the state. I don’t know if Dalton wasn’t the best school across any classification the past couple of years. So it’s kind of a trade-in some and trade-out some, but I think overall we feel good competing against anyone in AAAAAAA. I don’t think that any program in Carrollton is scared of AAAAAAA. We all feel that we can compete at this level, and we’re excited about the opportunity.” WGW

Carrollton Trojans Roster

No. 0 Edelis Verela

No. 1 A.J. Brown

No. 2 Jacob Russell

No. 3 Carlos Hernandez

No. 4 Freddy Perez

No. 5 Carlos Medrano

No. 6 Austin Rader

No. 7 Jefferson Hernandez

No. 8 Eduardo Hernandez

No. 9 Garrett Hardesty

No. 10 Isaac Cruz

No. 11 Alejandro Gomez

No. 12 Ronald Reyes

No. 13 Enyll Barrios

No. 14 Josue Cruz

No. 15 Robert Wilson

No. 16 Kelvin Hernandez

No. 17 Owen Torres

No. 18 Ohuen Romero

No. 19 Jack Barralaga

No. 20 Davis Reeves

No. 21 Danny Jimenez

No. 22 Edduin Romero

No. 23 Engels Gomez

No. 24 Axel Medina

No. 25 Dubal Galvez

No. 26 Fernando Nunez

Lady Trojans Bloom into Spring

Carrollton girls hoping to build experience over course of campaign

Drew Ebensberger didn’t expect the way his ballclub looked in February to resemble anything similar to what it could potentially blossom into come late April.

Fielding a young and inexperienced squad in 2023, the Carrollton High School girls’ head soccer coach is realistic with his outlook for the spring season. In saying that, by no means does he

believe it can’t be a successful one if all the pieces of the puzzle come together over the course of the campaign.

“Early in the season, they were still kind of getting it, getting with the speed of the game and everything at the varsity level,” Ebensberger said. “It’s a big difference.”

The Lady Trojans will lean on the senior leadership of Yanet Gonzalez holding down the back of the defense and Kameron Ebensberger in goal.

Carrollton should also receive a major boost behind the return of Joelia Gonzalez and Sam Turcios, both of whom are returning to the field after going down with injuries last season.

“Gonzalez has really made a big difference, and Sam has really put a lot of energy back to us. She plays at a high rate and it’s been fun watching her back on the field,” Ebensberger said.

Gracey Whipple and Kate Slappey are two other key returnees that will be expected to play pivotal parts for Carrollton.

“Those are the key ones I’m really looking to hold the team down and be our foundation this year and keep us moving in the right direction,” Ebensberger said.

Unfortunately, the Lady Trojans will be without

Carrollton Lady Trojans Roster

the services of their top weapon, as junior Kylie Briscoe, a University of Oklahoma commit, is out this spring rehabbing from injury.

“We’re looking forward to her coming back next year and really making a big difference,” Ebensberger said. “Then we’ve got some young ones in the winds.”

The Lady Trojans are moving up in classification this year to AAAAAAA, the highest in the state, and the competition will be fierce in both Region 2 action and, hopefully, the postseason.

Of course, that’s nothing new to Carrollton, which always loads up its schedule with perennial heavyweights.

“We’re used to it. I’ve always been about playing

Bianco Back in Black and Gold

tougher teams. That’s the only way you’re going to get better and the way you’re going to win state is by playing those tough ones,” Ebensberger said.

Regardless of the outcomes, the Lady Trojan head coach knows one thing is certain – his girls will lay it all on the line every time they step on the turf in 2023.

“They come and they work hard, they put in the time. Typical Carrollton ready-to-work and ready-to-go-to it. No matter what the result, what the outcome is, they’re going to give everything they’ve got to the final whistle,” Ebensberger said. WGW

Former Trojan star enjoys diamond homecoming

Trent Bianco is back in Black and Gold. As a product of the Carrollton High School baseball program during his playing days, as well as a former assistant upon getting his coaching career launched, everything finally came full circle this past offseason when Bianco returned to his roots for a diamond homecoming as the new head coach of the Trojans.

Needless to say, there are a lot of emotions that go into a decision of this nature, but it’s been nothing short of a dream scenario for the lifelong Trojan.

“It means a lot. You get to come back to where you’re from, where you played and where I got a start in my coaching career,” Bianco said. “In terms of when we’re talking to our guys about what it

No. 0 Kameron Ebensberger

No. 1 Yesenia Barber

No. 2 Gracey Whipple

No. 3 Sherlyn Quinonez

No. 4 Yanet Gonzalez

No. 5 Katherine Tollerson

No. 6 Gabriela Gonzalez

No. 9 Kate Slappey

No. 10 Joelia Gonzalez

No. 11 Emily Colorado

No. 13 Kylie Briscoe

No. 14 Genesis Navas

No. 15 Emma Padilla

No. 16 Sachelin Rodriguez

No. 17 Sam Turcios

No. 18 Lilli Colquit

No. 20 Isabella Padilla

No. 21 Johana Mejia-Carias

means to be a Trojan or wear a jersey that says Carrollton across the chest, I did it. And I know exactly what it means.

“To be able to have the chance to live that every day and hopefully be the example for our guys, it means a great deal to me. It’s something I don’t take lightly.”

Along with getting his coaching staff in place, Bianco spent a good portion of the offseason running conditioning workouts with the team, which proved to serve as its own Q&A session in allowing the players to get to know their new coach and the coach to formally introduce himself and the standard he expects for Trojan baseball.

One thing he learned right away was this year’s senior class loves to compete.

“In the offseason workouts, it didn’t matter what we were doing – sprints, medball, volleyball – these guys were wanting to run through a brick wall to win a conditioning drill,” Bianco said. “It’s something you can’t coach, you can’t teach. They’re naturally competitive, and that’s awesome.”

Another point of emphasis dealt with depth, especially on the Trojan pitching staff and across the infield.

Carrollton returns senior all-state performer Cade Cosper, a Mercer commit, to anchor the staff,

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while senior Carson Sewell, junior Malik Kemp and sophomore John Cobb are also expected to be key arms in the rotation. Behind them, the bullpen is also deep with guys who can eat up innings. Of course, all eyes will be on Cosper come the big games, and Bianco couldn’t think of a better ace to have on staff.

“If you have to have a game, Cade’s been their guy for a couple of years,” Bianco said.

The middle infield is a doozy for Carrollton with sophomore shortstop Maddox Monsour, a University of Texas commit, and junior second baseman Andrew Albertus back in the fold.

At the corners, Cosper will suit up at third when not on the hill, while Cobb, junior Bryce Kingeter, sophomore Landon Eubanks and freshman Dylan

Bishop can pretty much play anywhere on the

Senior Myles Butler can play both first and third with junior Malachi Kemp also expected to see time at first with twin brother, Malik, being able to fill in at third base, as well.

“I think we can be pretty dang good,” Bianco said. “In terms of infield depth, I don’t know if Carrollton High School has had more depth in the program than they do right now. So, in terms of internal competition with those guys on the infield, that was just great. There were guys pushing everybody at all levels because we’re fortunate to have some very good infielders.”

The Trojan outfield also boasts plenty of talent with senior Seth Childers, who will also run track for the Trojans this spring, returning at center field, while fellow seniors Luke Turner and Cole Britton and juniors Carson

Carrollton Trojans Roster

No. 00 Carson Waldrop

No. 1 Malachi Kemp

No. 2 Seth Childers

No. 3 Malik Kemp

No. 4 Luke Turner

No. 5 Maddox Monsour

No. 6 Myles Butler

No. 7 Andrew Albertus

No. 8 Cole Britton

No. 9 Dylan Bishop

No. 10 John Cobb

No. 11 Landon Eubanks

No. 12 Cade Cosper

No. 14 Logan Turner

No. 15 Lane Bell

No. 16 C.J. Morris

No. 18 Caden Opperman

No. 23 Landon Clayton

No. 32 Evan Moody

No. 34 Bryce Kingeter

No. 44 Carson Sewell

Waldrop and Logan Turner all battling for playing time. Bianco also expects freshmen Evan Moody and C.J. Morris to push for playing time.

Behind the dish, where Bianco played during his heyday at Carrollton and later at Columbus State, the Trojans are turning the reins over to freshman Lane Bell.

“He doesn’t play like a ninth-grader. He’s very confident. He’s gained the confidence of our pitching staff. They love throwing to him. He’s not a big kid at all. But, man, he can receive and block and he can throw a little bit, too. I think he can turn out to be a really, really good player for

us,” Bianco said.

With the season now in full swing, the Trojans are in the midst of a spring campaign where they’re making the climb to the state’s highest classification in AAAAAAA, where the competition will be, understandably, fierce night-in and night-out.

Carrollton always beefs up its early season schedule to get battle-tested right away, and this year delivered another dose of that.

The Trojans opened the campaign with bouts against South Paulding, Dutchtown, Lowndes, South Forsyth, Harris County, Calhoun, Lambert, Cedartown and a pair of programs from the Sunshine State to ready themselves for Region 2-AAAAAAA. “We’re going to schedule good teams because we want to be prepared for our region, and we want to be talking about making a deep, deep playoff run come May,” Bianco said.

Once it reaches league play in late March, Carrollton will lay it all on the line with a trio of three-game series against Campbell, Westlake and East Coweta, respectively, leading up to the postseason.

“It’s going to be fun. Every team has a guy they can run out there and he throws it pretty well. East Coweta has the lefty that’s going to Alabama. Campbell has a lefty going to Georgia. I think Westlake is the same. They think they’ve got a guy,” Bianco said. “So it’ll be a competitive region. It’s a region where if you don’t show up, you’ll get your feelings hurt. The fun thing about our guys being competitors, I don’t think we’ll have that problem.”

WGW

Trojan Seniors Hungry For Success

Carrollton boys’ lacrosse seeking special send-off this spring

Zach Gordon may still be somewhat of a new face to the Carrollton High School boys’ lacrosse program, but he is – without a doubt –a Trojan through and through.

The former gridiron standout who played collegiately at Wake Forest returned to his Black and Gold roots last season as an assistant football coach and also took the reins of Trojan lacrosse, something he’s discovered to be both rewarding and refreshing due to the relentless hunger his players show for the sport.

“I’m really proud of the way the group has handled the coaching change. It was two years ago, but this senior class and the juniors, as well, they’ve played lacrosse for a long time,” Gordon said. “They played with each other growing up, playing on the Thrashers team out of Peachtree City. They’ve been traveling around every summer. It’s good they’ve been able to play together, but it’s always special when they’ve got a Trojan uniform on together.”

Carrollton didn’t waste any time letting the rest of the state know it meant business this spring.

In just the second match of the season, the Trojans upended Peach State heavyweight Harrison in an 11-9 road upset in Kennesaw, potentially

setting the stage for a special season in 2023. The quartet of seniors Liam Laney, Nate Grooms, Will Taylor and Jack Godwin were voted team captains this spring, while Gordon noted how fellow seniors Finny McClendon, Drew Robinson, Tucker Waldrop and Gunter Hamrick have also been

Roster

exceptional leaders on and off the field.

Godwin is committed to Montevallo with McClendon committed to Berry College.

“I’m excited to see the collective effort from all of them and watch their different skill sets come together,” Gordon said of the senior class, which also includes Jackson Clifton, Kaleb Ellison and Jaiden Hamilton.

Along with building some early-season momentum, Gordon also wanted to focus on developing the “small things” and seeing how his

guys handled a heavier load, schedule-wise, this season compared to years past.

“Lacrosse is a game of fundamentals and possessions. We’ve got a few games that are backto-back. So just seeing how we rebound physically from those types of games and making sure we’re taking care of ourselves,” Gordon said.

Carrollton remains in the AAAAAA-AAAAAAA classification of competition across the state, as the only change from the last round of reclassification was losing Newnan from its area slate.

As for the program as a whole, Gordon said it’s been really encouraging to see the growth of it in the short time he’s been back on his home turf.

“We had a youth clinic (before the season) and we had 40-plus third through eighth-graders out there. It was a great problem to have,” Gordon said. “One of the issues we’re facing right now is making sure we have enough equipment for the young guys who are interested in this sport.”

And as far as the immediate future goes, Gordon is hopeful of sending this year’s senior class of Trojans out on top.

“I think the sky’s the limit. We always talk about, ‘Sharpening the ax and just chop away,’” Gordon said. “No matter what circumstances you have on the field, or off the field, you never give up. We’ve got an 18-game schedule and it’s kind of easy to look at all the different opponents from different areas. But we’ve just got to take it a game at a time, a week at a time.” WGW

Carrollton Trojans

No. 1 Jack Godwin

No. 3 Luke Rhyne

No. 5 Tucker Waldrop

No. 6 Sean Wheeler

No. 7 Jabari Elder

No. 9 Drew Mills

No. 10 Gunter Hamrick

No. 11 Nate Grooms

No. 12 Kaleb Ellison

No. 13 Jonathan McGuire

No. 14 Jackson Clifton

No. 16 Andrew Blakemore

No. 17 Finny McClendon

No. 19 Drew Robinson

No. 22 Will Taylor

No. 23 Liam Laney

No. 25 Levi Able

No. 29 Reece Ellison

No. 34 Jaiden Hamilton

No. 36 Carson Ivey

No. 37 Hutch Jennings

The Rise Of Lady Trojan Lacrosse

Carrollton girls building toward playoff run this spring

Sometimes a loss can do more for a team than a win.

And that’s not just coach-speak. It’s been proven time and time again in the spectrum of sports – across all levels and dynamics.

And Rebecca Benefield can now offer her own testimonial following the performance her squad delivered during the early portion of the 2023 campaign.

The Carrollton High School girls’ head lacrosse coach already had high expectations entering the spring season, but an early season slugfest against one of the state’s premier powers lifted the Lady Trojans to a new level of confidence.

Stepping between the lines against traditional Class AAAAAAA title contender Hillgrove in early February, Carrollton more than held its own in an 11-7 setback, setting the tone for even bigger and better things to come this spring.

“We got it to 11-8 at one point, but we had a goal called back. To play such a great program so competitively, it really set the tone for our season,” Benefield said. “It really gave the girls a ton of confidence and made them realize that, ‘OK, we are trying to close the gap between us with 1,700 kids and some of these schools we play that have 3,700 kids.‘”

Benefield, now in her fifth season in charge of Lady Trojan lacrosse, credits her senior class – many of whom have been with her since she took over the

program – for the steady rise up the ranks in the state of Georgia.

“I have a super-strong senior class leading the

Photos: Brian Carmicheal/Carrollton City Schools

way, and my juniors are equally as great. Our varsity squad has started out really, really strong this season,” Benefield said. “We’re excited to see what we can do.”

The Lady Trojans are led by the senior quartet of captains Libby Hall, Molly Lanier, Caroline McDowell and Mattie Morris, while senior Olivia Mason is back in goal to anchor the Carrollton defense.

Hall recently made program history upon surpassing former Lady Trojan great Ansley Barge as the school’s all-time leading scorer in a victory over Fayette County on March 2, tallying more than 150 goals – and counting – during her storied career in Black and Gold.

Benefield noted how McDowell and Morris are also offensive catalysts and Lanier serves as an inspirational leader upon suffering an ACL tear against Hillgrove.

“She’s been a huge defensive powerhouse for us over the last few years,” Benefield said. “Even though she’s out with injury, she’s just important on the sideline as she was on the field.”

Outside of the narrow setback to Hillgrove, the Lady Trojans won the remaining six contests among their first seven matches of the season – five of which came by 10 goals or better through the first week of March.

Moving forward, the focus over the stretch run is not just qualifying for the Class AAAAAAA state playoffs, but making some noise once they get there.

Benefield is confident that her Lady Trojans can do just that come late April.

“Our goal this year is to win out the rest of our area games and be able to host a playoff game,” Benefield said.

“This group has hosted a playoff game, they’ve made the playoffs every year except for COVID when we didn’t get the opportunity. So their goal is to win a playoff game. Competing in that AAAAAAA

bracket is tough, but that’s the goal that we have for ourselves this year.”

As an advocate for girls’ sports, Benefield is appreciative of everything that Carrollton City Schools has done for the girls’ lacrosse program, noting how Superintendent Dr. Mark Albertus and CHS Athletic Director Paul Fitz-Simons have played instrumental roles in allowing for tremendous growth in the program.

Carrollton Lady Trojans Roster

No. 1 Molly Lanier

No. 2 Mattie Morris

No. 3 Libby Hall

No. 4 Caroline McDowell

No. 5 Kaylie Prater

No. 6 Hutton Green

No. 7 Kate Mills

No. 8 Collier Green

No. 9 Charli Colquitt

No. 10 Mary Kathryn Cole

No. 11 Ellis Underwood

No. 13 Lydia Smith

No. 14 Maggie Dudley

No. 15 Cadence Wilson

No. 16 Julia Wynn

No. 17 Madison Cooley

No. 19 Teagan Russell

No. 20 Anna Cate O’Neal

No. 21 Gabby Carnes

No. 22 Ciarrah McEwen

No. 24 Sophia Randolph

No. 25 Clara Pullen

No. 40 Amira Johnson

No. 41 Olivia Mason

“I think it’s really awesome how much our school system supports female sports,” Benefield said. “When we needed a younger team, the school was like, ‘Let’s get it going.’ We were able to start a junior high program last year. That program had between 24-28 girls last year and this year each season. So that growth is really what stands out to me. The amount of girls that want to participate in our program is really, really great. It has been so wonderful to see that over the last couple of years.”

WGW

Lady Lions TURN TO Young Talent

Central girls’ soccer focused on landing state playoff berth

Sporting a roster that features zero seniors, youth is the name of the game for the Central High School girls’ soccer program this spring. The lack of senior leadership and on-field experience is something Ashley Hart anticipated coming into the campaign, but the Lady Lion head coach has been pleased with the work ethic and progress from this group as it gets acclimated to the speed of varsity play at the Class AAAA level.

Central Lady Lions Roster

No. 0 Caitlin Faulk

No. 1 Natalie Wysner

No. 2 Harlow Rice

No. 3 Daniela Morales

No. 4 Litzy Gomez

No. 5 Ximena Nunez

No. 7/8 Abbey Morrow

No. 10 Mayte Mata

No. 11 Gabriella Baldassarri

No. 13 Annabelle Daugherty

No. 14 Kamry McEwen

No. 15 Itzel Martinez

No. 20 Courtney Carroll

No. 22 Michelle Diaz

No. 23 Elissa Robison

No. 24 Maggie Payton

No. 25 Bella Abernathy

No. 26/16 Braylin Little

No. 29 Brendy Morales

No. 33 AnnaClaire Daniel

No. 37 Julianna Garcia

“We’ve got a pretty new team, so we’ve been learning each other and how to play together,” Hart said. “We’re seeing improvement each game, so we’re excited about where we’ll end up this season.”

Although there aren’t any seniors, there is experience on the roster with Daniela Morales and Elissa Robison returning to hold down the defense in the back with midfielder Maggie

Payton and outside-mid Bella Abernathy serving as key components, as well.

Hart is also hopeful of seeing some seasoned sophomores emerge into more prominent roles as the spring grows deeper to help solidify the lineup.

“Gabriella Baldassarri is one of our sophomores we’re excited to see step up, both in the midfield

and as a forward for us. Ximena Nunez and AnnaClaire Daniel are both sophomores who are coming back as defenders,” Hart said.

Offensively, the Lady Lions received a spark from freshmen Harlow Rice and Braylin Little early in the year, with each finding the back of the net to kick off their Lady Lion careers.

“We’ve got a whole group of freshmen who are bringing in a lot of energy for us,” Hart said.

The Lady Lion head coach stressed that seeing her squad mature and learn to navigate through the season will serve as critical factors in 2023 being a successful one.

“Our goal is to always finish in a spot where we make it into the state playoffs. So that’s what we’re hoping to see at the end of the season. It’s a stepby-step process as we face each day,” she said.

The most recent round of reclassification didn’t

Lions Locked In For Playoff Pursuit

impact Central all that much, as it is basically in the same region as before with the addition of Sonoraville to the fray in Region 7-AAAA.

“The two Whitfield teams and Heritage are always strong in our region. Cedartown is always a tough rival, and we’re not really sure what to expect from Sonoraville,” Hart said. “We know it will be another tough battle, but we’re excited to face it and see what we’ve got.” WGW

Jackson takes reins of Central soccer program this spring

Bryan Jackson was ready to tackle a new challenge in 2023.

After serving as the junior-varsity head soccer coach at Central High School over the past few years, the coaching carousel created an opening for the varsity position during the offseason, and

Jackson felt like it was his calling to seek out the job.

As expected, there were things to learn upon taking on the added responsibilities, but the firstyear head coach feels right at home as the new Lion leader.

“We’re trying to rebuild our program. I’m a first-

year head coach here. This is my first varsity head coaching position anywhere. So we’re trying to rebuild the program and put a good product on the field, put a good gameday environment for the fans, get the community involved with sponsorships,” Jackson said. “We want to do the best job that we possibly can for all of those avenues.”

Central wrapped up its early-season stretch of non-region action at 4-3 overall heading into Region 7-AAAA play the second week of March.

Senior forward Javy Rodriguez served as the team’s top scorer during the first half of the season, while senior midfielder Cameron Cochran was battling injury early in the year, but Jackson is hopeful of getting him back onto the field and geared up for a strong finish to the spring campaign.

Central Lions Roster

The Lions were also looking for leadership from junior defender Spencer Knoll and senior goalkeeper Camden Jones.

Overall, the first-year Lion head man has been preaching balance across the field.

“I keep telling them it takes all 11 players working together in order for us to be successful,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to be able to move the ball from the back, through the middle, up to the front to score goals. I don’t consider us more

offensive or defensive. We just need to play together as a unit.”

That will really need to come into fruition now that the region slate is here – where Central steps in between the lines against some of the perennial powers in Class AAAA.

Southeast Whitfield and Northwest Whitfield have combined to win four of the past five state championships in AAAA, including back-to-back titles for Southeast, while Cedartown, Sonoraville and Heritage are also formidable opponents out of Region 7.

The goal for the Lions at the end of the regular season is to be one of the four teams still standing by securing a berth for the state playoffs.

“It would be the first time in several years that we’ve qualified for the state playoffs,” Jackson said. “I would love to host a game here at Central. You’ve got to be in the top-two for that, but that’s a goal that we have, that we’re working toward. It would be great if we could host a game. But if not, we’ll go on the road and play our best game.”

So as the Jackson era kicks into full swing in Lion Valley, he has emphasized to his players that he wants them to not only be successful on the field, even more so leaders of their school and community off the field, as well.

“We’re trying to put together a team of kids who realize you’re not a soccer player first. You’re a student, you’re a son. Soccer comes further down the line,” Jackson said. “We want to put kids on the field that are exemplary in the classroom. And I’m not just talking about their grades. Their attitude, their effort. Behavior is part of it, grades are part of it. But we’re looking more at attitude and effort in the classroom, on the field, off the field, over just pure soccer skills.” WGW

Lions Leaning On

New Leadership

Presnell takes over Central baseball program

There’s a new name leading the Central High School baseball program in 2023, but it isn’t necessarily a new face to Lion Valley.

First-year head coach Riley Presnell took the torch from his former boss, Wes Shiver, during the offseason following two years as a top assistant for the Lions.

And now with Presnell running the show, he noted that it’ll be a mix of the things he’s gathered along his coaching career, which includes a stint at Locust Grove, where he helped lead the Wildcats to a Class AAAAA final four appearance in 2019 prior to coming to Central.

“I’ve been able to take what I like from both programs and mold

it into my own. So that’s been nice. The kids have been incredibly bought-in,” Presnell said. “They’ve been willing to change some direction wherever I saw fit or wherever I felt we needed to work on. I created those relationships for the past two years, so it’s been a pretty easy transition.”

Central returns a roster that features talent at all four levels, with seniors Walker Altman and Sam Turner anchoring the pitching staff.

“Sam is one of those guys who goes about his business quietly. He leads more by example. Walker is more of the vocal team leader,” Presnell said. “Walker leads the guys every single day throughout stretching. He’s one of the first ones in the building. He does a really good job of taking ownership of how the players act, how we go about starting practice, ending practice and picking up the intensity in practice.”

Sophomore Tucker Lambert and freshman Rhett Nelson have combined as the No. 3 starter with senior Hayden Manson serving as a top arm out of the bullpen, along with being a spot starter when needed.

“He’s really coming on late. He’s played some outfield, first base. He started and got a win for us against Haralson County (early in the season),” Presnell said of Manson.

The Lions brought back the tandem of junior shortstop Brandon Musick and junior second baseman Maxx Williamson in the middle infield,

while a pair of sophomores have cemented the No. 3 and No. 4 holes offensively with first baseman/ pitcher Korbin Dietrich and catcher Davis Smith.

“I don’t see those two guys moving from those spots,” Presnell said. “They’ve done a really, really good job of protecting one another. They’ve done a good job of two-out hitting. They’re barrelling baseballs, they’re hitting it hard. It’s been really nice to see two sophomores step up in the three-four hole.”

The other mainstay in the lineup is senior center fielder Vicari Swain, who is ranked as one of the top athletes in the nation and has signed to play football at the University of South Carolina.

“He’s probably one of the best high school center fielders that I’ve ever seen,” Presnell said. “He can track down a baseball, he can go get it. Some of the stuff that he can do athletically is just unbelievable. He’s also dangerous on the base paths.”

Presnell and the Lion coaching staff have used the early stretch of the season to mix and match guys at the other positions to figure out who the best nine are to run out on the field when it really matters this spring.

“We’ve started four different left fielders, three different third baseman. Our lineup has not been

Best wishes to our Carroll County student athletes!

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Rebels Kicking For Culture Change

Haralson County looking to new leaders this spring

During his first season in charge of Haralson County High School boys’ soccer, Eric Gilley is focused on creating a culture change in and around the Rebel program.

Still very much a new face on the competitive scene in the west Georgia area, the Rebels are working to build numbers and interest in the program, and from there the HC coaching staff is hopeful that the players will begin to take ownership of the team.

And that starts with Haralson County’s three captains – Alex Atencio, Frankie Patino and Manuel Bernal-Patino.

“We’re trying to be more accountable with our games and take them more seriously,” Gilley said. “I’m also pushing for the captains to be leaders of the team and coach the attitudes of their teammates, as well as what they do on the field as leaders.”

Atencio, who hails from Venezuela, will have only one season with the Rebel program upon coming aboard as a senior this year, while Frankie Patino and Manuel Bernal-Patino also bring plenty of skill to the pitch this spring.

“Frankie didn’t play last year, but he was a kicker for football. He’s just got a really good head for soccer,” Gilley said. “He’s the captain that has taken the most leadership role. Then Manuel, he’s just a great all-around player and has a great attitude.”

With nearly 20 players out for soccer this spring, Gilley noted how a strong freshman class serves as a promising measuring stick for the future.

The Rebels began their Region 7-AA schedule early in the season with five of their first seven matches against league foes.

Haralson County will also get a heavy dose of local competition with matchups

Haralson County

Rebels Roster

No. 1 Nicholas Wright

No. 2 Kaleb Spain

No. 4 Daniel Ramirez

No. 5 Brock Brayton

No. 7 Alex Atencio

No. 8 Jacob Rodriguez

No. 9 Andrew Buchanan

No. 10 Manuel Bernal-Patino

No. 11 Juan Martinez

No. 12 Dayton Riege

No. 14 Nicholas Motes

No. 15 Caleb Lillard

No. 16 Ben Henckel

No. 17 Diwon Willis

No. 18 Dylan Moses

No. 19 Jon McCain

No. 20 Frankie Patino

against Mount Zion, Bowdon and Temple on the docket.

As the season unfolds, Gilley wanted to concentrate on developing more team-oriented skills as opposed to being 11 individuals out on the field.

And when it comes to the region picture and overall outlook for the season, Gilley stressed that his guys need to believe in themselves

and gain the confidence and camaraderie it takes to put a competitive product between the lines every time out.

“I’d be very proud of this team if we can get a few wins and just compete,” Gilley said. “We’re not a traditional soccer school and we’re in a tough region and play tough teams. So we just want to keep battling and improving every time we step out on the field.”

WGW

Lady

Rebels

Back on the Building Block

Haralson girls continue to put in the work under Ward

When you are in charge of a young program, it’s not necessarily about year-to-year improvement as much as it is seeing the day-to-day progression.

And for Kylie Leopard Ward, that’s what 2023 has been all about.

The second-year Haralson County High School girls’ head soccer coach understands her squad isn’t going to catch lightning in a bottle and all of a sudden rattle off a run for the ages.

But picking up positive vibes here and there, learning what it takes to win and simply enjoying the sport has served as priorities to instill in her Lady

Rebel rumblers this spring.

“We’re still building the program. We had a set of seniors leave last year that have been with us for all four years, and they were key players. We have a lot of new faces and a lot of first-time soccer players. We’re doing a lot of building and working to continue to build more interest in it,” Ward said.

“I love to win, of course, but my main thing this year is to see improvement. From where we start to where we finish, I want to see us improve in several areas of play.”

Ward’s players certainly took note of the message. Following five straight setbacks to start the season

two of which came in 1-0 decisions – the Lady Rebels flipped the switch and kicked off a four-game winning streak, marking the longest winning streak in HCHS history. The three region wins as of midMarch also established a new school record for Haralson County girls’ soccer.

The Lady Rebels are leaning on a handful of returnees –Kayde Muse, Lena-Grace Fisher, MaLeigh Baggett, Hailey White and Reagan Sharpe – to help bring the younger players up to speed and hopefully keep things on an upward climb.

“We saw a lot from them early in the year. So we’re looking for them to continue to step up and lead the others, especially the ones who have never played before,” Ward said.

Haralson County opened the season with a flurry of action, a mixture of non-region, local battles while also jumping right into league play in Region 7-AA.

Along with facing the likes of Paulding County, Mount Zion, Bowdon and Temple on the local front, the Lady Rebels had to prepare for a region that featured a slew of quality programs.

The seven-team region includes Model, Murray County, North Murray, Rockmart, Fannin County, Gordon Central and the Lady Rebels.

Every program has a different standard for success

based on what stage it is in, and for Haralson County a successful 2023 would entail picking up some victories and building confidence along the way.

“I’m not sitting here thinking that we’re about to go win a state title, but I do want to see them improve and get some wins that they deserve because they’ve been working so hard,” Ward said.

And that’s what Ward is most proud of, the effort and dedication they’ve delivered over the course of the campaign.

“They’ve really stepped up and they show up. We’re a four-day school, but we started practicing on Monday, too,” Ward said. “So they’re out there five days a week, even when they don’t have school that day. They’re out there working and trying to get better. It’s nice to see that. It’s nice to have people with passion out there. It’s nice to have people that want this program as much as I do.” WGW

Haralson County

Lady Rebels Roster

No. 1 Arianna Mozley

No. 2 Katrina Chandler

No. 3 Evelyn Hardin

No. 4 Lena-Grace Fisher

No. 5 Montana Moore

No. 6 Brooklynn Wright

No. 7 Reagan Sharpe

No. 8 MaLeigh Baggett

No. 9 Kaelin Peavey

No. 10 Shirley Rollins

No. 11 Ashley Maya-Cruz

No. 12 Emily Bruce

No. 13 Karina Covarrubias

No. 14 Jaycee Ayers

No. 15 Sarah Wallace

No. 16 Hailey White

No. 18 Ryann Gravett

No. 19 Jocelynn Echoles

No. 20 Ja-La Jackson

No. 22 Kayde Muse

“I’m not sitting here thinking that we’re about to go win a state title, but I do want to see them improve and get some wins that they deserve because they’ve been working so hard.”

Rebels Refresh for Region Rumble

Haralson County shifts gears to 7-AA competition this spring

Returning a roster that features seven starters from a season ago and a proven pitching staff has Patrick Syer rather optimistic for the spring campaign.

The Haralson County High School head baseball coach understands there are plenty of variables that play into making a run toward the region crown and state playoff push, but the veteran skipper is confident in the crew he’s delivering to the diamond in 2023.

“Playing hard and competing every single pitch is the biggest thing we’re trying to instill,” Syer said.

“They’ve bought in. That’s the good thing about this group. We have a lot of team energy, which is always fun and it makes the game fun.”

Leading the Rebel rumblers is a pitching staff that includes starters Holden Davis and Kael Whiddon, along with Carson Ray, Haldyn Williams, Tucker Wade and Logan Addison.

Davis and Whiddon are expected to serve as the top two arms, while Williams is a three-year starter at catcher who can also pitch and Ray is in his fourth year starting for the Rebels.

Syer is also looking for leadership and production from Evan Long, a three-year starter, and Champ Cash returning in the outfield this spring.

The Rebels’ early-season schedule consisted of several bouts against local rivals, including home-andhome dates with Heard County, Bowdon

and Central, as well as a trip to Bremen. HC also challenged itself with a border battle in a twin bill at Gadsden City (Ala.).

“We want to figure out our pitching rotation because that’s going to be huge for us,” Syer said of the early-season schedule. “Then just seeing how we’re going to swing it and who needs to be where. And overall, how we’re going to jell together.”

Syer also wanted to recognize his coaching staff for all the work they put in during the year, especially early this season when he was still coaching girls’ basketball through the month of February.

And as the season moves along, the Rebels are prepared to shift regions this spring, moving from 5-AA to 7-AA. Once that stretch of the schedule hits, they’ll suit up against perennial powers such as defending region champ Model, which reached the Class AA elite eight last season, while Rockmart is another perennial contender expected to be in the hunt.

“Those are going to be two really, really tough ones,” Syer said. “Then we’ve got to travel. Everybody through there has always been fairly solid. We jumped into a really good region.”

Haralson County still has a handful of players who were part of its own elite eight run two seasons ago, and Syer said the team isn’t shying away from lofty expectations again this year.

For starters, the Rebels are swinging for more history in 2023 with the goal of hosting a state playoff series.

“If we host a playoff game, that means we either finished first or second in the region,” Syer said. “We have not done that yet. So our goal is to host a playoff series. Of course, winning the region is No. 1, and hosting a playoff game is our second goal.” WGW

Haralson County Rebels Roster

No. 1 Holden Davis

No. 2 Haldyn Williams

No. 3 Carson Ray

No. 4 Champ Cash

No. 5 Kael Whiddon

No. 6 Tucker Wade

No. 7 Logan Hicks

No. 9 Tucker Durden

No. 10 Jakob Starling

No. 11 Logan Addison

No. 13 Evan Long

No. 16 Luke Johnson

No. 17 Brendan Figueroa

No. 18 Gaige Oaks-Vann

No. 19 Nate Buchanan

Feeling Right at Home in Heard

Spradlin takes the reins at alma mater as Braves new skipper

Heard County has always been home for Tyler Spradlin.

And now, he has the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream upon taking over the Heard County High School baseball program.

The 2011 HCHS graduate and former star player for the Braves spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach, but some offseason moves created a vacancy for a new head man to dial up the diamond dynamics at Alford Field.

“It’s been a whirlwind trying to step in and fill some big shoes with (former head coach) Trent (Bianco) heading to Carrollton. It’s been

an honor and a blessing to step into the program because this is home for me,” Spradlin said.

As a first-time head coach, Spradlin understands there are new responsibilities on his shoulders, but with a quality coaching staff in tow and a talented group taking the field, expectations haven’t changed for the traditional small school power.

“It’s new because there’s some things you don’t know until you don’t know. But with us this year, we’ve got a good group of older guys who know how to work hard, and they’ve been in the process for a while now,” Spradlin said. “We’ve got them, and then we’ve got some really, really talented young guys. It’s a cool little mix there.”

The Braves will hang their hat on pitching and defense this season with the return of two of their top arms in Connell White and Sammy Calhoun. White is a three-year starter on the mound and Calhoun earned honorable mention

Heard County Braves Roster

all-state accolades last season as a sophomore.

“Those are two guys we rely heavily on to throw some innings and get deep in ball games,” Spradlin said.

Senior shortstop Will Alford is another capable arm in the rotation, while senior reliever Jacob Watts serves as a key weapon out of the bullpen.

“He’s a side-armed guy, but he’s an inning-eater and a ground ball machine. He does a good job for us,” Spradlin said.

The pitching staff will have a steadying presence behind the plate in three-year starter Tyler Lasseter returning at backstop for his senior season to provide a veteran battery for the Braves in 2023.

“He’s good for us behind the plate and at the plate for us,” Spradlin said.

Spradlin noted that timely hitting is going to be key for Heard County this spring in being able to string hits together and manufacture runs for its pitching staff.

The Heard County head coach is excited to see first baseman John Paul Awbrey continue to develop as a top stick in the lineup.

“He’s been swinging it for us since he was a freshman. Consistency is going to be key for him. But, man, when he’s on, it looks like a beach ball to him,” Spradlin said. “He can drive a baseball pretty well.”

Along with a deep cast of upperclassmen, the Braves are also looking for contributions from sophomore Logan Cammon and freshman River White as the

season unfolds.

Per usual, the Braves challenged themselves early and often with a tough non-region schedule, opening the campaign against Callaway, Westminster and Bremen, while also getting tested with bouts against Bowdon, Haralson County, Valley (Ala.), Commerce, Model, Landmark Christian, Pepperell and Trion leading up to Region 4-A Division I play.

Although it’s only a four-team region, Spradlin expects every league series to be tightly contested upon stepping between the lines against Crawford County, Lamar County and Temple.

So now as Spradlin is able to put on that uniform every day sporting ‘Braves’ across his chest as the new face of Heard County baseball, he affirms it does mean more to be able to coach and work at a place he holds so dear to his heart.

“Having the community behind you and knowing Heard County is an awesome place to have a ton of support from anybody and everybody, it’s a blessing. It’s a small-town feeling, and it’s awesome. It’s just home. And it does mean more to have the opportunity,” Spradlin said. “I couldn’t be more excited and humbled and blessed. I thank the good Lord for putting me on this platform and being able to hopefully not only have good baseball teams, but generate good men as they graduate and move on in life.” WGW

No. 1 Gray Hester No. 2 Jacob Watts No. 4 Will Alford No. 5 Tyler Lasseter No. 6 Connell White No. 8 Trevor Hansford No. 9 Logan Cammon No. 10 Max Lasseter

No. 11 Sammy Calhoun

No. 12. Carter Coleman

No. 13. River White

No. 14. John Paul Awbrey

No. 16. Blake Oldham

No. 19. Sammy Holliday

Eagles Aim to Soar to State

Mount Zion boys have high hopes for spring season

Shaun Melson didn’t mince words upon outlining his blueprint for Mount Zion High School boys’ soccer this spring.

The second-year Eagle head coach is confident in his crew and fully believes the talent is there to do some special things in 2023.

“Anything not to the second round, we’re not making our potential,” Melson said. “I feel like we should be at least in the second round of the playoffs at this point in our program. I believe we’ve got the skill to get that far.”

Behind a strong quartet of returning talents –featuring Daniel Leon, William Garcia, Kevin Berrios and Chris Mata – and an influx of skilled players from the middle school level, numbers were as good as they’ve been in recent years this spring.

“That’s promising because

we’ve got a lot of skill coming up from those younger guys who I think we’re going to be able to utilize a lot this year,” Melson said.

Of course, something you can’t teach is experience, and Melson stressed that the core group of upperclassmen will need to lead on and off the field in order to achieve the goals they’ve set in front of them.

“Their experience on the field is big, but it’s also helpful every day when we’re practicing to show these guys how to do the things we’re doing,” Melson said. “The chemistry is good between the young guys and the old guys. It’s harder when you don’t have a JV program because you’ve got to mesh the old guys with the young guys. That doesn’t always go well, but this year they’ve meshed.”

Another area the second-year MZ head man wanted to address in the preseason and early into the campaign was developing more of an attacking

Mount Zion Eagles

Roster

No. 1 Daniel Leon

No. 2 Chris Mata

No. 3 Eli Barrino

No. 4 Jonatan Perez

No. 5 Tyler Hurston

No. 6 Jose Mendez

No. 7 Jose Deluna

No. 8 Brett Cook

No. 9 Alan Esquivel

No. 10 Cesar Velazquez

No. 11 Angel Cruz-Ortez

No. 12 Erlyn Morales

No. 13 Elmer Saborillo

No. 14 Cody Cook

No. 15 Dominic McDaniel

No. 16 Larry Acosta

No. 17 William Garcia

No. 18 Kevin Berrios

offense, noting how the coaching staff planned on implementing new formations this season.

“That’s partially due to the talent that we picked up from middle school. We’ve got a few more options, as far as how we’re going to pick up our attacks,” Melson said.

No. 19 Nick Samples

No. 20 Carlos Randall

The Eagles opened the season with five matches in a nine-day stretch, something that allowed Melson to gauge his squad’s cohesiveness and also see if the younger players were able to pick up the speed of varsity play.

As part of Class A’s Division II, MZ will compete in Region 7-A, which also includes Bowdon,

And with a handful of newcomers anticipated to be in the mix with MZ’s returnees, Melson reiterated that the springboard for a successful season will ultimately boil down to chemistry in 2023.

“I think every coach on this earth will tell you that chemistry trumps talent. You may be the most talented player on the field, but if you don’t play well with the team, soccer is the ultimate team sport. It’s about being in position and being able to move the ball with each other,” Melson said.

“Chemistry is the biggest issue that we always look at.”

Christian Heritage, Manchester and Georgia Fugees Academy.

Lady Eagles

Eager to Spring Forward

Mount Zion girls’ soccer continues upward kick

Two years removed from a winless campaign, the Mount Zion High School girls’ soccer program has come a long way in a relatively short time – and Adam Watts is eager to take another step forward this spring.

The third-year Lady Eagle head coach has been a first-hand witness to the growing pains, but he is also proud of the progress that each year presents.

He is hopeful that the 2023 version

of Mount Zion soccer will continue that upward kick.

“My goal two years ago was simply not to get mercy-ruled and play in the games. We’ve put in a lot of strategy where we play defense, we play really hard,” Watts said. “Last year, we won three games and tied two games. Starting this year, we have 18 girls out to play. So we’ve come from begging girls to fill the team to having 18 girls. I can shuffle them around and do a lot more.”

The Lady Eagles are eyeing senior Noelle Ledford and junior Aaliyah Collins as two key pieces to the puzzle this spring, while Athena Hammett and Jacqueline Rodriguez are expected to serve as the backbone of the defense.

The return of senior Kala Nance, who missed all of the 2022 season due to injury, will also provide a boost for MZ this year.

Offensively, Watts is looking to see freshmen Melissa Nunez and Gilda Perez emerge as spark plugs over the course of the spring, noting how the Lady Eagles have seven freshmen coming up the

ranks that should make an immediate impact at the varsity level.

“They’re going to be a really good group. They’ve just got to get experience on the field,” Watts said. “That’s the difference between being at a small school where soccer is not the predominant sport. We only get them during soccer season and they don’t play in their own leagues.”

Mount Zion Lady Eagles Roster

No. 1 Logan Malone

No. 2 Jenni Bade

No. 3 Gimena Mendoza

No. 4 Jacqueline Rodriguez

No. 5 Kala Nance

No. 6 Alexis Millan

No. 7 Bera Mendez

Mount Zion opened the season with a span of five matches in nine days, which created an opportunity for Watts to mix and match his personnel and determine where the best 11 fit as the season transitioned toward region play.

No. 8 Monica Coleman

No. 9 Melody Martinez

No. 10 Kenzie Canning

No. 11 Gilda Perez

No. 12 Melissa Nunez

No. 13 Andrea Velazquez

Morales

No. 14 Aaliyah Collins

No. 15 Faith Sanford

No. 16 Noelle Ledford

No. 17 Carlissa Randall

No. 18 Athena Hammett

“You’re going to find out that, ‘Hey, you’re definitely an offensive player. This girl is going to have to help us out on defense,’” Watts said.

“Of course, we want to get some victories out of that. But if we build and improve each match, the

victories will come through that process.”

The Lady Eagles also underwent a shift in strategy for the 2023 season, getting away from the traditional 4-4-2 formation.

“We wanted to figure out where these kids need to play and what’s going to make us the most successful. So we’re going to run different formations with the boys and girls and hopefully get the right one to stick and make a good run,” Watts said.

Mount Zion will compete in Region 7 of Division II in Class A this spring, taking on the likes of perennial power Atlanta Classical, along with Manchester, Bowdon, Christian Heritage and Georgia Fugees Academy.

Watts noted that outside of Atlanta Classical – a private school with a roster full of club players – the Lady Eagles can more than hold their own against anyone else in the region if they play up to their potential.

So as MZ marches deeper into the schedule this spring, the Lady Eagles will bank on team chemistry and fielding a roster that is predominately soccer athletes rather than a collection of talent across other areas of the athletic department.

“When you bring in different athletes to play your sports, they have to make an adjustment. We’re not going to have to deal with that as much this year,” Watts said.

“Most of these kids are soccer kids.” WGW

Eagles Eyeing Higher Elevation

In-house competition sparks Mount Zion spring campaign

Randall Wright’s message to his team at the start of the season was straight to the point: Nothing is guaranteed.

Despite having seven returning players who were either starters or significant contributors to last year’s ballclub, the Mount Zion High School head baseball coach didn’t allow for any assumptions that those jobs were locked up entering the spring campaign.

“So those seven guys aren’t just logged into a spot because they played it last year. They know they’ve got to battle for it,” Wright said. “Every day (was) just a competition for us, honestly, and that’s been really good for us.”

With a strong freshman class rising up the ranks, along with a pair of move-ins joining the program, the in-house competition was something the Eagles hadn’t been able to utilize in recent years due to a smaller roster.

It set the stage for what Wright hopes is a memorable 2023 season as the Eagles enter a new

region and format for the Class A state playoffs. “I’ve just been preaching to be better every day. Be better today than you were yesterday,” Wright said. “We had to wait for the basketball guys to

get in here and adjust. So it was a matter of getting everyone out there and jelling.”

MZ opened the month of March above the .500 mark, highlighted by a no-hitter from junior hurler Chase Butler in a victory over Creekside.

“He’s definitely going to be our main guy that we’re leaning on,” Wright said of Butler and the Eagle pitching rotation.

In addition to Butler, MZ features junior Stanley Cross, senior Eli Rivers and freshman Brison Alexander on the bump, along with newcomer Caleb Prior, who is one of four seniors on this year’s squad.

of the middle infield depending on who’s pitching that particular day.

“Last year, Jake was our defensive MVP. He started at second base every game and only had two errors,” Wright said. “He’ll be a key cog in the middle for us.”

Prior, Rivers and Butler can all play first base with Jakubiak returning behind the plate after starting every game last season as the Eagle backstop.

Mount Zion rumbles into a new region this season as part of Class A’s Division II, squaring off against Bowdon and Christian Heritage in the three-team league.

Although it is a small region, Wright notes how it makes every game all the more magnified.

“I like our chances if we show up and play the way we’re capable of playing. We have a shot for the region championship,” Wright said. “I don’t know a lot about Christian Heritage, but they’ve always been very competitive. So we’ll see how we go with them. And then with Bowdon, coach (Brian) Vance always does a great job. So I know they’ll be competitive.” WGW

Mount Zion Eagles

Roster

“I’m excited to see Caleb Prior. He’s one of our new ones. He hasn’t been in our system, and we got him late from basketball,” Wright said. “He’s been looking good in some bullpens and I think he’ll give us some meaningful innings.”

No. 1 Stanley Cross

No. 2 Jake Gordon

No. 3 Levi Spray

No. 5 Eli Rivers

No. 6 Ryder Head

No. 7 Chase Butler

No. 8 Hayden Young

No. 9 Edgeren Dobbs

No. 12 Noah Williamson

No. 14 Mason Jakubiak

No. 15 Tuff Banister

No. 20 Dylan Gable

No. 23 Brison Alexander

No. 25 Caleb Prior

Butler and Cross are expected to serve as two of the main sticks in the lineup, while junior Mason Jakubiak and senior Levi Spray will also be swinging for strong seasons.

Defensively, junior Jake Gordon returns as a twoyear starter at second base, while Butler or Alexander will handle the other side

Spring Is In Swing On The Mountain

A look back, look ahead for OMA athletics

Another banner year is winding down at Oak Mountain Academy, but there’s still plenty of business to be decided with spring sports getting into full swing this month.

Following strong showings across multiple sports in the fall and winter, OMA Athletic Director Steven Gillispie is excited about what lies ahead for the golf and tennis programs to cap off the athletic campaign for 2022-23.

Spring

The OMA varsity golf program features four boys and seven girls this season, where the Warriors will compete in co-ed matches, along with a new state offering from the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA) in 2023 with a girls’ division.

One of the unique aspects of the OMA golf program is that it doesn’t have to travel very far for

the players to sharpen up their skills.

In fact, it’s in their own backyard with the development of a driving range and putting green

Basketball

on the school campus.

“We might be the only school in the state that has their own practice facility,” Gillispie said. “It’s about 250 yards of open space where we’ve put flag sticks and ordered 600 golf balls. We’ve put in driving mats and several putting greens. We’re really proud of that and think it kind of sets us apart from a lot of other schools.”

Individually, Oak Mountain Academy junior Caz Kilgore is expected to serve as a top performer for the golf program this spring.

“We think he will lead us and he has a great

www.oakmountain.us

Volleyball

Photo provided by Oak Mountain Academy

opportunity to qualify for state the way he’s playing right now,” Gillispie said.

Tennis is locked and loaded for the spring, as well, with incredible numbers out across the board for OMA between the boys’ and girls’ varsity and middle school teams.

“Over 61% of our Middle and Upper School students are participating in tennis,” Gillispie said.

Winter

The varsity boys’ and middle school boys’ and girls’ basketball teams delivered a quality product on the hardwood this past winter, highlighted by the Warriors reaching the region tournament semifinals despite not having a senior on the squad.

“We had a very young team with three juniors, five freshmen and a sophomore,” Gillispie said. “So very young, and they finished 14th in the state. They only took the top 12, so we did not qualify for the state tournament. But being ranked in the top 15 in the state was good, considering the youth of the team.”

The middle school squads had strong participation with 11 to 12 players out for each team this past winter, which bodes well for down the road.

“We had some good moments and bad

moments. But the participation was up about a third from where it had been,” Gillespie said. “We’re looking at good things to come in the future.”

In the pool, the OMA swimmers had three state qualifiers – all freshmen – with Charlie Bartlett producing a pair of top-10 finishes at state to go along with two personal-best times, while Stasio Roehl had a top-10 and top-20 finish at state and two personal-best times and Maya Teyeb added a top-20 finish and two personal-best performances on the big stage.

“For three freshmen competing statewide, it was a really good showing,” Gillispie said.

Fall

For the fourth consecutive fall, the OMA volleyball program found itself competing for the state championship.

Although the Lady Warriors fell in a four-set heartbreaker in the finals, it proved to be somewhat of a surprise run for head coach Jessie Fuller and crew after being hit hard by graduation.

“You go back the last four years and there were two state championships and two state runner-ups,” Gillispie said. “It was a year where we graduated six seniors. So there weren’t huge expectations.”

The Lady Warriors had three all-state performers in senior Charlotte Milanese, junior Grace Meadors and sophomore Lauren Rooks with Milanese earning an invitation to the GIAA all-star game, which spans all three classifications across the state.

OMA didn’t have any varsity cross country runners this past fall, but it sported a strong turnout at the Middle and Lower school levels as the other fall athletic activity.

“We really saw a lot of growth in the young ones,” Gillispie said. “It was good to see there were that many interested in cross country in the fall.” WGW

Lady Tigers Poised For Playoff Pounce

Temple girls gunning for region crown this spring

Capping off the first stretch of the season sitting above the .500 mark, things are looking promising for the Temple High School girls’ soccer program this spring.

The Lady Tigers have been competitive in every match outside of one setback to Class AAAAA Villa Rica, but with a strong mix of young and old, Temple is poised for a state playoff pounce in 2023.

“The girls are going to be strong. I think they’ll hold themselves well against the competition we have

in the second half of the schedule,” noted Lady Tiger head coach Raol Calas.

Temple returns senior captain Delaney Akins at forward and junior captain Madeline Briscoe in the midfield to lead the girls on and off the field this spring, while freshman midfielder Addison Tull and freshman defender Emily Hicks are a pair of key newcomers.

if the Lady Tigers can put it all together, the opportunity is there to make a run at the league title and a little noise in the Class A Division I playoffs come mid-April.

Calas stressed that the attitude has been positive through the first half of the season, and he believes if that continues the Lady Tigers can make a

Temple Lady Tigers Roster

No. 1 Mia Lyle

No. 2 Delaney Akins

No. 3 Isabelle White

No. 4/99 Kiersten Long

No. 5/00 Griffin North

No. 6 Diamond Grise

No. 7 Kirra Hines

No. 8 Stacey Chosewood

No. 9 Emily Hicks

No. 10 Jaidyn Ralston

No. 11 Addison Tull

push for the Region 4-A championship in Class A’s Division I.

“It all stems from the attitude, behavior and all that comes with performance,” Calas said. “Right now it’s been very positive. The students have been very positive and keyed in on the season.”

No. 13 Madeline Briscoe

No. 15 Kemea Hines

No. 16 Kendall Stafford

No. 17/0 Haley McElhannon

No. 18 Ansleigh Garrett

No. 19 Joley Barnhart

Community coach Billy Viger has been handling all the onfield instructions this spring, and Calas said the Temple soccer program is lucky to have the veteran coach on its sideline.

“Billy is a certified and very experienced coach with over 40 years of experience. He’s retired and wanted to return to a school environment so he could go back to teaching soccer, which is what he loves to teach,” Calas said.

And if the Lady Tigers can put it all together, the opportunity is there to make a run at the league title and a little noise in the Class A Division I playoffs come mid-April.

“We’ve got an outstanding group of coaches and we’ve got some kids who are very positive and willing to put in the work to have a successful season,” Calas said. “We’ll see at the end what it entails.” WGW

Tigers Hunting Region Hardware

Temple boys embrace new challenges in Class A

The Temple High School boys’ soccer team is making the move to a new region and classification in 2023, and Raol Calas believes it will serve as a positive change for the Tiger program.

The veteran head coach, who has taken on more of an administrative role for Temple soccer in recent years, is confident in the capabilities of this group following a promising start to the campaign with a pair of home wins leading up to the winter break.

“We’re in a good region, and we should battle for the region title,” Calas said. “We’re working hard to get much better because of the competition within the region with Lamar County, although we

don’t know much about Crawford County.”

With only three teams in the region this year, all three are guaranteed a playoff spot. The focus, however, is to finish among the top two and earn the right to host at least the first round of the Class A Division I state playoffs. The Tigers return senior defender Daniel Long, senior goalkeeper Blake Hales and junior defender Chase Washington as team captains this season, while brothers Cayson and Hunter McAnallen are also back as key components.

Calas also noted that freshman Beckham Tull has provided a big boost in making the leap from the middle school level.

Temple Tigers Roster

No. 1 Chase Washington

No. 2 Dylan Whitmire

No. 3 Hunter McAnallen

No. 4 Jonathan Nunez

No. 5 Cayson McAnallen

No. 6 Fernando Chavarria

No. 7 Jackson Andrew

No. 8 Ivan Platero

No. 9 Daniel Long

No. 10 Eric Torres

No. 11 Ishan Patel

No. 12 Sebastian Ponce

No. 13 Heiden Garden

No. 14 Beckham Tull

No. 15 Johance Williams

No. 16 Blake Hales

No. 17 Jacob Page

No. 18 Ryan Self

No. 19 Taylor Akins

No. 20 Adam Schillinger

Leading the on-field instruction this spring is community coach Kenny Akins, who has known most of the Tiger players since they were earning their stripes at the youth level.

“Kenny has a lot of community experience in the Temple area. He’s coached a lot of these kids since they were small, so

he knows them very well,” Calas said. Overall, the Tigers are hopeful of finishing around .500 for the season with some stiff competition in non-region play. Beyond that, all eyes are on the Region 4-A prize.

“We’ll see how the season progresses after we get into our region matches,” Calas said.

“But our aim is to win the region.”WGW

New Prey In Class A

Hochstetler aims to take Temple baseball to new heights

Just a few weeks into his inaugural campaign in Tiger Town, and Evan Hochstetler has already seen his ballclub turn the corner.

The first-year Temple High School head baseball coach wasn’t necessarily a fan of how his Tigers started the 2023 season, but it didn’t take long to right the ship and start delivering some W’s on the diamond.

“We have greatly improved since Game 1. I wish we could have that first week back. I didn’t think we were quite ready to play as a team. But now some guys are fitting into their roles very nicely and we’re starting to come around,” Hochstetler said.

Hochstetler noted how the transition with a new staff coming on board proved to be an

adjustment for both the coaches and players, but he’s seen tremendous growth from this group in its pursuit of a run to a region crown this spring.

The Tiger head man credited former THS Head Coach Jamie Sexton and assistant Ryan Zaideman for leaving the program on a strong foundation, and now it’s up to his staff to keep building upward.

“Temple has a proud program. In its history, there’s been some really good Temple baseball teams competing deep in the playoffs. So they understand that tradition,” Hochstetler said. “Like I said, Coach Sexton and Coach Zaideman did a wonderful job. We’re definitely not starting from scratch.”

As far as this year’s squad, everything starts with senior catcher

Parker Andel.

“He’s definitely our cowbell. He’s also one of our main pitchers going into region play and he bats in the three hole. So he’s incredibly important from a defensive standpoint, pitching standpoint and an offensive standpoint,” Hochstetler said.

Along with Andel at the forefront, the Tigers are also looking for leadership and production from senior center fielder Roman Marron and senior shortstop/pitcher Isaiah Allen.

Hochstetler added how his outfield rotation was pretty much solidified early in the season with Marron in center and junior Reece Holloway in left field, while sophomore Ashton Eskew and freshman Jackson Gribben can play either of the corner spots.

The target area the Tigers wanted to shore up before region play was who would emerge as the everyday starter at second and third base.

The Tigers opened league play in Region 4 of Class A’s Division I on March 21 at home against Heard County, marking the first of nine key contests in deciding the region champion and state playoff seeding for the four programs.

Although it is a small region, there are no cupcakes as the Tigers will be challenged with a trio of three-game series against Heard, Crawford County and Lamar County from late March into midApril.

“Crawford County has a guy that plays shortstop and also pitches for them. He’s been in some

Perfect Game tournaments where he’s been clocked between 91 and 93. They’ve got a left-hander who is 85 to 86, which is pretty impressive for a high school left-hander,” Hochstetler said.

“Heard County has been a standard program, baseball-wise, since I can remember. They’ve been top-notch the last 15, 20 years. They’re going to be well-coached and fundamentally sound. Lamar County, they also play good baseball. So it’ll be a battle.”

And once the state playoffs get into swing, Hochstetler knows his ballclub will be battletested as it prepares to face some of the premier programs at the higher level of Class A.

“In our Division I, we deal a little bit more with private schools and there’s also some really good traditional baseball programs in the upper Class A,” Hochstetler said. “The upper Class A, if you’re talking about baseball, basketball and football, it’s pretty topnotch.” WGW

Temple Tigers Roster

No. 1 Reece Holloway

No. 2 Gage Andel

No. 3 Kade Brown

No. 4 Roman Marron

No. 5 Will Dorsey

No. 6 Ashton Eskew

No. 7 Isaiah Allen

No. 8 Darius Rogers

No. 9 Nehemiah Dorsey

No. 10 Laythen Bagwell

No. 11 Rylee Hollowood

No. 12 A.J. Black

No. 13 Thomas Evans

No. 14 Parker Andel

No. 15 Roman Lambert

No. 17 Preston Bott

No. 18 Ayden Connor

No. 19 Jack Jordon

No. 20 Jake Hales

No. 21 Nathen Brown

No. 22 Harrison Swanson

No. 23 Jackson Gribben

No. 24 Connor Mincey

No. 25 Jeremiah Allen

Wildcats Take To The Offensive

VR soccer anchored by strong attack this spring

The Villa Rica High School boys’ soccer team was on the attack early and often this spring.

The Wildcats lit up the scoreboard in several early-season matches en route to a 6-2-2 mark through the first 10 contests of the campaign.

Moving forward, VR head coach Kenny Thompson wants to see his squad put it together on both sides of the field in order to make a run toward a top spot in Region 5-AAAAA and stretch its state playoff streak to 10 years in a row.

“So far, I like where we’re at. Attacking-wise, we’ve been good. I wish we could improve our defense a little bit. But I’m excited,” Thompson said. “I didn’t expect us to be where we’re at (in the middle of the season) because we lost so much last year. Overall, I’m happy and it’s going well.”

Igniting the offensive fireworks is senior midfielder Micah Alba, who has been the team’s

Thompson believes his ballclub has what it takes to at least compete for the No. 2 seed and possibly better if things shake their way over the final stretch of the regular season.

leading scorer through the first half of the season.

“He’s our engine, our captain, our motor,” Thompson said. “If he’s going, everybody else is going. Micah is our go-to player in the middle.”

Sophomore midfielder Nolan Alba, Micah’s younger brother, is another key component in the middle and a scoring threat, while Kenneth Thompson III has served as the table-setter for the Wildcat attack.

“We get him the ball a lot and feed him. He’s been leading the team in assists,” Thompson said of his son. “He’s been finding a lot of different ways to attack.”

Defensively, senior Gavin Eddy has transitioned from goalkeeper to holding up the back line, which has been a key move to help the Villa Rica defense, as junior Eddy Hernandez has stepped up in goal this spring.

“He’s been helping us really big on the back. He’d been playing goalkeeper for years, but

I’ve asked him to step into that role to help us out in the back,” Thompson said.

The Wildcats dropped their region opener to Midtown – the defending region champs and an elite eight squad a season ago – but Thompson believes his ballclub has what it takes to at least compete for the No. 2 seed and possibly better if things shake their way over the final stretch of the regular season.

He pointed to the region finale against Chapel Hill on March 30 as a potential determining factor in where the top-four teams wind up when the dust finally settles.

“Our ability to score has helped us and their ability to defend has helped them,” Thompson said. “They don’t get scored on a lot, so I think playing them at the end of the region could be huge for

seeding.”

Thompson challenged his team at the start of region play to handle its business and make sure the postseason run doesn’t stop on its watch.

Villa Rica Wildcats Roster

No. 0 Eddy Hernandez

No. 2 Larry Roblero

No. 4 Zayden Montero

No. 6 Nolan Alba

No. 7 Kenneth Thompson III

No. 8 Micah Alba

No. 9 Gavin Eddy

No. 10 Luke Rafiq

No. 11 Ezra Miahnahri

No. 12 Manuel Garcia

No. 14 Jason Ponce

No. 15 Diego Benitez

No. 16 Cooper Easterwood

No. 17 Robert Scruggs

No. 19 Lovesson Placide

No. 23 Zyon McCoy

No. 24 Luke Rutledge

No. 27 Christopher Melendez

No. 28 Arturo Salinas

No. 29 Osvaldo Martinez

“I was somewhat joking with the guys after we lost the region opener against Midtown. I was like, ‘No pressure. But don’t be the group that ends this,’” Thompson said. “So maybe I amped it up for them a little bit. But for a school like Villa Rica where the spotlight isn’t on soccer so much, I do like the fact that as a program we’ve been consistent on our level of winning. I want to keep that going as long as we can.” WGW

No. 30 Jesse Whaley

Lady Cats Burst Onto Spring Scene

VR girls shooting to build off Sweet Sixteen run

Tracey Coslin’s squad burst onto the scene with some offensive fireworks this spring.

That attack, coupled with some dynamic defense, engineered a strong start for the Villa Rica High School girls’ soccer head coach and crew leading up to region play.

The Lady Wildcats outscored their opponents by a combined 48-1 margin in their seven nonregion wins with the lone setbacks of the early campaign coming against Rome and Bremen, a pair of perennial playoff powers in their respective classifications.

After losing a handful of seniors to graduation, VR replaced some of the outgoing talent with underclassmen, creating a new chemistry among the roster.

“Going into the season and those first games, we were kind of finding our feet,” Coslin said. “We wanted to establish and play the style of

play that we wanted, which is more of a possession style. The girls have responded well to the team and the new members. They’ve done a good job learning to work as a team.”

The Lady Wildcats returned both of their captains from last season with senior defender Autumn Hale and junior midfielder Mia Bonner prowling the pitch once again, and Coslin said both girls have been instrumental in the team’s success through the years.

“Once you’ve had girls in your system for three, four years, that really takes some of the burden off of me to get the message across,” Coslin said. “Both of them have really done a good job of stepping up as leaders and pointing out to these younger players, corrections that need to be made and handling it with maturity.”

Villa Rica also received a boost in getting center back Javonne Cook back to the field after missing

all of last season due to an ACL injury.

“I really didn’t get to see her much last year. But she’s really stepped in and has been a huge part of helping that back line get stable,” Coslin said.

Two newcomers to the program have proven to be bright spots with freshmen Chyenne Mayfield and Hayden Glover enjoying promising offensive starts to their prep career in Purple and Gold.

“That’s always a nice thing to see is that you can have players come in and play right away as freshmen and contribute in that fashion,” Coslin said. “They’re logging some pretty big minutes.”

Villa Rica kicked off the Region 5-AAAAA slate with a matchup against Midtown in early March, the defending state runner-up in Class AAAAA and one

of the favorites to win it all this spring.

Rounding out the region is Chapel Hill, Lithia Springs, Mays, Tri-Cities, Banneker, Creekside and Jackson.

The Lady Wildcats finished second in the region last year and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the Class AAAAA state playoffs, trailing only region champion Lady Knights in the league standings.

And with everyone chasing Midtown again in 2023, Coslin anticipates another rigorous region race to go down to the wire.

Villa Rica Lady Wildcats Roster

No. 2 Meagan Kox

No. 3 Naya Garcia

No. 4 Autumn Hale

No. 5 Hannah New

No. 6 Hayden Glover

No. 7 Roniya Elliot

No. 8 Justice Rogers

No. 9 N’Khia Zachery

No. 10 Javonne Cook

No. 11 Libby Hartley

No. 12 Bethany New

No. 13 Sam Schmidt

No. 14 Anna Bumgardner

No. 15 Mia Bonner

No. 17 Kendall Tosh

No. 18 Anslee Roberts

No. 21 Chyenne Mayfield

No. 22 Olivia Thompson

“You take an every-game-at-a-time mindset and do the work to be ready for that game,” Coslin said. “So we’re never looking ahead of us. But we definitely realize how important it is getting ready for what’s in our region.” WGW

Bailey Making Believers Out Of Cats

Former Villa Rica standout returns to his old stomping grounds

Wade Bailey is one of the all-time greats to ever don the Purple and Gold – and that’s across any sport.

The former Villa Rica High School and Georgia Tech baseball standout checked all the boxes in what you want out of a player, and now he’s proud to have the opportunity to give back to his alma mater as the new face of Wildcat baseball.

After serving as an assistant coach in the City of Gold over the past three seasons, Bailey took over the top spot during the offseason and is moving full-steam ahead as the Cat catalyst.

“I’ve always wanted to do something really cool here. When I played here, we were in a really tough region, so we only ended up making the playoffs one year,” said Bailey, who was an AllAmerican second baseman at Georgia Tech. “That’s something I still feel kind of guilty about as a player. So now being able to be the head coach at your alma mater and first-time head coach has been really, really cool. So hopefully we start to make a few more playoff appearances in the future.”

And the future is now for Villa Rica, which opened the season by rattling off eight victories in its first nine games, including four in a row to kick off Region 5-AAAAA action.

“So far the guys are playing really well. I think they’ve bought into how to play hard and play the game the right way and all the stuff we’ve been preaching,” Bailey said.

“As long as they keep doing that, I think we could have a pretty good year.”

The Wildcats are relatively young this season with several juniors in the starting lineup, but they still pack plenty of punch, powered by senior shortstop/pitcher Braden Jones, a Kennesaw State signee.

The Wildcats also expect big things out of third

baseman/pitcher

Mason Westmoreland and center fielder

James Hutter, along with Zach Pharr and Will Orr.

Joining Jones and Westmoreland in the rotation is Gavin Ponder, Wesley Wallace and Colin Wilson.

The Wildcats are part of a nine-team region that is top-heavy with quality programs such as Midtown, Chapel Hill and Jackson expected to be contenders for the league crown, along with VR, of course.

Bailey said if his ballclub continues to do all the little things right that merge into bigger things, a playoff berth and potential region title will be a byproduct of that effort.

“The thing that I’ve been preaching to these guys

is if they show up every single day and play hard and play the right way, when the season’s over I think we’ll be able to look back and be proud of what we were able to accomplish,” Bailey said.

Bailey credited his collegiate coach, legendary Georgia Tech skipper Danny Hall, for preparing him for this moment.

Villa Rica Wildcats Roster

No. 1 Ladorian Jordan

No. 2 Drew Coker

No. 3 Brady Perry

No. 4 Wesley Gaines

No. 5 Mason Westmoreland

No. 6 Matthew Green

No. 7 Braden Jones

No. 8 Will Orr

No. 9 Will Brookshire

No. 10 Zach Pharr

No. 12 Layton Hyneman

No. 14 Corey Hutter

No. 15 Connor Black

No. 16 Wesley Wallace

No. 18 Brody Blair

No. 19 Jasper Best

No. 20 Henry Brookshire

No. 21 James Hutter

No. 24 Gavin Ponder

No. 25 Cooper Robinson

No. 34 Colin Wilson

“He is one of the winningest coaches in college baseball, and getting to watch how he runs practices and what he works on, there’s nothing like it,” Bailey said. “Just being a part of that every day and seeing how he structures his practices to make sure it’s efficient and we’re doing all the things we need to do to get better. Playing under him and being able to do a lot of things he does here at the high school level, I’ve seen a huge difference in our guys already.”

And the fact that it’s all happening back where it started makes it all the more special.

“It’s just awesome. This program did so much for me. It’s incredible to be able to give back to the community and the program and impact the players here at Villa Rica High School,” Bailey said. WGW

Burton Era Begins For UWG Softball

New head coach launching Wolves into 2023 campaign

The Kristy Burton era is officially in full swing for the University of West Georgia softball program.

The first-year head coach came on board in May of 2022 and hit the ground running upon making the transition to the Carrollton campus. Of course, there’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes work over the past 10 months to reach this point, but Burton said it’s been a tremendous experience and she is really excited to finally be out on the field doing what she loves to do.

“A lot of it is just about the buy-in and changing the culture and I think as we do that, we’ll start to see more progress with results and how we’re playing and competing,” Burton said. “But it’s been an awesome transition. The University has been super supportive. The team has been amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls. It’s been nice to get here and start to lay a new foundation.”

Burton arrived at UWG following a run to the NAIA College World Series last spring as the head coach at Webber International University out of Babson Park, Florida.

But now she has her sights set on Division II competition, and, ultimately, the Gulf South Conference.

“That’s the reason this job was so appealing. This conference is like the SEC of Division II. Any team on any given day can give it to you. We’ve got about five teams that are going to be ranked nationally and competing at the end of the year,” Burton said. “It’s exciting to be a part of this, but it takes a lot. If we can clean up and play through every single out, we can be a team that competes and takes some wins. But we’ve got to be on our best of the best every day.”

The Wolves endured some bumps along the start of the 2023 campaign, but the silver lining for Burton is that her scrappy squad showed it is competitive, with five setbacks coming by two runs or less, including three one-run decisions against a quality non-conference slate.

Needless to say, it provided some early season teaching moments for the new face of UWG softball.

West Georgia Wolves Roster

No. 1 Isabella Pinto

No. 2 Bailey Christol

No. 3 Madi Cronic

No. 4 Zekylah Boyd

No. 5 Emma Bailey

“We haven’t had it easy. Our schedule has been pretty tough. I’m thankful that I did schedule it that way because this conference is one of the toughest in Division II,” Burton said.

The Wolves didn’t receive much fanfare in the Preseason GSC Coaches’ Poll, but it’s a mentality the team has embraced with the motivation of silencing the naysayers.

“We’re lucky to have that underdog mindset. A lot of teams are looking at us and seeing our record and saying, ‘Hey, this is a very beatable team,’” Burton said. “I don’t think we’re very beatable. They’re going to have to

No. 6 Emma Worley

No. 7 Marissa Thompson

No. 8 Caroline Redden

No. 9 Calli Hardison

No. 10 Sage Mickey

No. 11 Emerson Miller

No. 12 Madison Vandergriff

No. 13 Chandler Mevis

No. 14 Addison Sturdivant

No. 16 Camden Smith

No. 17 Nicole Couvertiere

No. 18 Rylee Green

No. 19 Macy Ann McKnight

No. 20 Emma Helton

No. 22 R.J. Janke

No. 23 Lauren McElhaney

No. 24 Hannah Hennessy

No. 25 Carlie Monsour

No. 26 Emma Nixon

No. 28 Emily Bodenheimer

No. 29 Ava Ramirez

No. 30 Katie Morris

No. 31 Emma Ann Howard

No. 32 Jacely Lahr

compete and play their best game with us. If they want to sleep a little bit, they’re going to get a rude awakening.”

The Wolves return Preseason All-GSC first baseman R.J. Janke, who finished second in the league in hitting last season with her .434 average to go along with nine home runs, while freshman leadoff hitter Emerson Miller and sophomore utility player Ava Ramirez are two more key sticks in the lineup.

“With those three and the mix of the rest of them, we have an offense that can attack just about anybody,” Burton said. “R.J. has been a power threat for us. She’s bought into being more of a team player and doesn’t rely so much on the home run ball. She’ll be one that’ll be a very hard out for us this season.”

In the circle, the Wolves received a pleasant surprise by the emergence of freshman hurler Katie Morris, who took the reins as a top-of-the-rotation starter early in the spring, while junior Macy Ann McKnight has been the veteran voice and a solid No. 2 for UWG.

“Every single pitcher in the circle definitely has that confidence. We’re really proud of Katie and her progress. But Macy has been the leader in our

bullpen, just helping our freshmen get on board and letting them understand that, hey, these college athletes can hit,” Burton said. “She’s been a big, big leader for our pitching staff.”

The Wolves feature some local talent on the roster in 2023, with a handful of former west Georgia prep standouts in the mix, including freshmen Zekylah Boyd and Emma Helton, who capped off their careers at Heard County High School

as state champions, while senior pitcher Hannah Hennessy (Villa Rica HS) and senior utility player Carlie Monsour (Carrollton HS) are also hometown products.

Along with generating an impact on the field, serving as an integral part of the campus and community is something that Burton is passionate about, setting a standard of achieving a “greater purpose” through the classroom, community and competition.

“We had a 3.5 team GPA this past semester and we’re almost at 600 hours as a team for community service. We’re getting things done,” Burton said. “We’ve just got to bring it to that competitive side and I’m hoping conference play will allow us to do that.”

And now that she represents the University of West Georgia, Burton is just like her players –completely buying into what it means to be a Wolf.

Wolves Slugging Into National Spotlight

“I love Carrollton. I think the university, the community and this team all line up to everything that we stand for. It feels like a big family. The community is very involved, the president is very involved. Everything really works together as one,” Burton said. “It’s a family-based, driven university. This team has 100% bought into the change and 100% bought into (Assistant) Coach (Ivey) Kane and myself. It’s going to be great to see them grow, not only as ballplayers, but individuals and proud student-athletes of West Georgia.” WGW

West Georgia baseball rising up the rankings this spring

The University of West Georgia baseball team shot out of the gates this spring and is now primed to hit the second half of the regular season as a nationally ranked program under head coach Jeff Smith.

The veteran UWG skipper felt the potential was there for a breakout campaign in 2023, and it was simply a matter of putting all the pieces in the right place – a process that was still undergoing through mid-March.

“I think we saw glimpses of it this fall and then

as we started playing, things really started coming together, especially offensively,” Smith said. “We’re still trying to figure a few things out on the mound.”

The 15th-ranked Wolves lit up the Gulf South Conference offensively through their first four series, taking two of three from Lee, Valdosta State and West Alabama, along with a three-game sweep of Union to be sitting at 16-4 overall and 9-3 in GSC play at the 20-game mark.

West Georgia, the No. 1 offense in the GSC through the first 12 games, proved to be a weekly

Photos provided by the University of West Georgia

West Georgia Wolves

Roster

No. 1 Jonathan Hickman

No. 2 Brady Simpson

No. 4 Jack Rasmussen

No. 5 Andrew Smith

No. 6 Cooper Prince

No. 7 Wyatt Castoe

No. 8 Joseph Glozier

No. 9 Jackson Webb

No. 10 Tyler Presnell

No. 11 Jared Emory

No. 12 Cade Hohl

No. 13 Dominic Murgo III

No. 14 Sam Ladner

No. 15 Logan Fink

No. 16 Edgar Cruz

No. 17 Ezra Brown

No. 18 Anthony Calabro

No. 19 Nick Morgan

No. 20 Peyton Berry

staple in the league’s awards, capturing GSC Player of the Week accolades four times between February and the first week of March, including junior standout Anthony Calabro being selected twice.

The UWG center fielder was joined by junior right fielder Logan Fink and junior first baseman Henry Daniels for the league superlatives.

The Wolves received quality performances from senior hurlers Peyton Berry, Bay Witcher and Jonathan Hickman, along with juniors Chase Townsend, Andrew Smith and Ryan Whitener early in the year, as Berry ranked No. 2 in the GSC with a 1.33 ERA.

The Wolves have mixed and matched between their starters and the bullpen, and Smith was hopeful of getting more of those questions answered in the coming weeks.

No. 21 Brycen Jones

No. 22 Jake Jordan

No. 23 Bay Witcher

No. 24 Mike Schicker

No. 25 Chase Townsend

No. 26 Keegan Moore

No. 27 Henry Daniels

No. 28 Jackson Hodnick

No. 29 Charlie Tull

No. 30 Carson Crossley

No. 31 Ryan Whitener

No. 32 Ronny Piepmeier

No. 33 Jenson Barker

No. 34 Parker Childress

No. 36 Connor Vansumeren

No. 39 Myles Cook

Trey Kaiser

“We had the Player of the Week every week and the one week we didn’t have it, we didn’t play that week,” Smith said. “These guys all come out and compete. It’s not one individual guy. Our lineup has power, speed and guys who can hit. We have guys who play within themselves and can move the baseball around to get guys in, and that’s huge.”

Calabro dominated at the dish during the first 20 games of the season, hitting a league-best .466 with nine home runs and 30 RBI. He led or ranked in the top three in several statistical categories in conference play, including slugging percentage, OPS, on-base percentage, runs, RBI and home runs.

Daniels (.416 avg., 6 2B, 5 HR, 23 RBI) and Fink (.368 avg., 9 2B, 4 HR, 31 RBI) also had impressive offensive numbers, while junior third baseman Jared Emory (.394 avg.) and junior left fielder Cooper Prince (.382 avg.) were pushing the .400 mark at the plate, as well.

The main area Smith and the UWG coaching staff wanted to finalize as they got deeper into the Gulf South schedule was figuring out who would emerge as the weekend starters on the mound.

“It’s going to be big. I think we’ve seen glimpses of it. We’ve got to get consistency with our ability to locate and command not necessarily the fastball, but the secondary pitches,” Smith said. “If we’re able to do that and make some pitches, we’re going to be able to keep the other team’s hitters off-balance. I have a lot of confidence in the guys we have. It’s just the consistency coming together with it.”

The Wolves had a brief break from league play before returning to the GSC slate with a three-game series at Alabama-Huntsville on March 24-25.

On the heels of their hot start, the Wolves are hopeful this is just the beginning of something even more special as the stretch run of 2023 unfolds over the next few months.

“Really, I don’t think we’ve played our best yet. We’ve played well. But I don’t think we’re playing to the level that this team is capable of playing when they get it clicking on all cylinders. So that’s exciting,” Smith said. WGW

Class In Session at West Georgia

Wolves get physical, focused on finishing this spring

David Dean delivered a little extra in-class tutorial for his students of the game this spring.

Following a season where the veteran University of West Georgia head football coach felt his squad let a few ‘W’s get away late in games, the 2023 regimen of spring practice focused on physicality, finishing the job and creating a model of mental toughness.

“We’re going to have a pretty physical spring and practice a little bit longer. It’s an emphasis on winning the fourth quarter type of practices,” Dean said at the start of practice in late February. “We’ve got to let those guys know that we’re going to be in a fight for the entire four quarters. I felt like a couple of times this past year, we didn’t play as well in the fourth quarter as we should have. Late in the year,

we did. But midway through the season, we didn’t play as well, especially in the two games we lost. We didn’t have a good fourth quarter, and that cost us a win.”

The Wolves responded to the challenge, as Dean noted he was proud of the way his ballclub entered spring practice with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm and finished with the spirit of a hungry squad following the allotted 15-day session that culminated with the Spring Game on March 15 at University Stadium.

Spring practice always marks a fresh start, and the Wolves will have several different faces in new places this fall – none bigger than at the quarterback position.

Following the departure of star signal-caller

Harrison Frost – who threw for 3,112 yards in 2022 and finished his UWG career with 6,730 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in just two seasons – the quarterback competition proved to be one of the main storylines of the spring.

The cupboard certainly isn’t bare upon replacing Frost, who signed with the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in January. Experience, however, is something that is lacking, as far as actually taking the field and running the show on Saturdays.

Ben Whitlock has seen the most action on the field for the Wolves among the quarterback candidates, playing in three games last fall during his redshirt freshman season, completing 6-of-12 attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown and also rushing for a touchdown.

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2022, but he was primarily used as the holder on PAT and field goal attempts. He attempted one pass last season, while freshman Cameran Brown was a redshirt last fall.

Additionally, UWG added Eli Gainey (South Alabama) and Jake Davis (Presbyterian) to the mix through the transfer portal.

“It’s going to be a room that’s got a lot of competition. That’s good for our football team. I’m really looking forward to seeing these guys develop some consistency day-in and day-out and be the leaders of the team,” Dean said. “We want to see who the team is going to get behind and rally behind every single week.”

Another key area of focus will be on the O-line, where two-time All-Gulf South Conference center

Photos provided by the University of West Georgia

Hogan

on the field in

Photos provided by the University of West Georgia

David Bodden returns to anchor that unit.

“We’re as deep at the offensive line as we’ve been in a long time, which is very, very good because those guys take a pounding throughout the year,” Dean said. “I’m looking to find five guys up front that can play together well, and then I’m looking for five guys who are one snap away from being a starter.”

On the other side of the ball, Dean wants to see his defense put more pressure on the quarterback and establish a more aggressive approach off the edge.

“There were games last year where we really did that well and then others that we struggled with. I would hope that we could put pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz a lot. If we can do that, it’ll make our defense a whole different level,” Dean said.

There will be some holes to fill on defense, as well, but the Wolves return plenty of firepower, led by the 1-2 punch of two-time All-GSC safety Deontae Overstreet and cornerback Camyen Feagins.

“Deontae was a great leader for us last year and you can tell he’s taken a great leadership role in everything that he does,” Dean said. “Camyen is a quiet leader. He’s a nononsense type of guy. Everybody knows that. He doesn’t speak a whole bunch unless somebody’s really doing something wrong.”

Along with spring practice, another key event of the offseason was National Signing Day on Feb. 1, where the Wolves inked a strong class of talent from the prep ranks.

“I feel really good about it. We recruited speed and we were able to get some speed, but also some size with that speed,” Dean said. “We signed six offensive linemen, so we’re getting a lot of depth at that position now. We signed three defensive linemen, one that’s an outstanding pass-rusher and

two guys who are very good run-stoppers in the middle.”

Dean also noted that running back Latrelle Murrell (Douglas County HS) was a big pickup offensively, along with getting some size at wide receiver through the additions of Keith Johnson (Rutland HS) and Thomas Propst (Piedmont HS, Ala.), who stand 6-3 and 6-2, respectively.

The Wolves were also excited to land a local talent, linebacker Eli Barrow out of Cedartown High School.

“He may be the most underrated guy and overlooked guy from our signing class,” Dean said. “People passed on him because he’s short, but he’s a heck of a player.”

Of course, everything is building toward the 2023 season, one where West Georgia will likely enter the campaign with a bit of a chip on its shoulder.

The end of 2022 left a bad taste in the mouth for those returning players upon an 8-2 finish with several top-25 wins, yet they still found themselves on the outside looking in come playoff time.

As a coaching staff, Dean said it hasn’t been brought up much and isn’t something the coaches wanted to dwell on moving forward.

That being said, the UWG head man knows his guys and understands what it means in the overall grand scheme of things.

“I know it hurt them and I know they were mad about it. They felt like they were slighted because they felt they deserved to be in the playoffs, especially the way we were playing at the end of the year,” Dean said.

“Just looking at them and the mentality of our team, I think they are taking that to heart. I think that has made them mad and it has been kind of a rallying call for them. They’re not going to put it in somebody else’s hands anymore. They’re going to take care of business themselves and not give somebody the opportunity to leave us out again.” WGW

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