From staff reports
As the calendar turned from
February to March on the local and state sports scenes the action reached a feverish pitch on the hardwood as the young baseball and soccer seasons picked up steam.
On March 2, Charles Corbin scored a game-high 20 points and Sidney Harris added 14 to lead the Griffin High boys basketball team past Statesboro 71-50 in the Sweet 16 round of the state playoffs at Mercer University in Macon on a stormy night. With the victory, Griffin advanced to an Elite 8 round the next day at the same venue against region rival North Clayton.
On the same night, Garrett Deason hit a three-run homer and Josh Tapley pitched five strong innings as the Spalding High baseball team won its home opener 6-3 against Lovejoy. Also on the same night, the Griffin High baseball team rallied from a 6-0 hole to beat visiting Fayette County 7-6 on Tim Beckham’s RBI triple to center field in the eighth inning.
On March 3, the Griffin High boys basketball team saw its season come to an end, 68-62, at the hands of North Clayton in the elite 8 round of the Class AAAA state playoffs at Mercer University in Macon. Senior Charles Corbin scored 26 points and classmate Sidney Harris added 13 to lead Griffin.
The same night the Spalding High baseball team improved to 3-0 with a 6-4 come-from-behind win at home against Upson-Lee.
On March 5, the Spalding High baseball team improved to 4-0 with an 8-3 win at home against Stockbridge.
The same day the Spalding High boys golf team improved to 5-0 with a 170, good enough to top Pike County (182) and Eagle’s Landing (188) in a three-way match at the Griffin City Golf Course. Also on the same day, the Griffin High girls tennis team improved to 4-0 with a 5-0 win against Mt. Zion-Jonesboro in the Region 4-AAAAA Div. A opener.
Also on the same day, former Spalding High basketball standout Sierra Evans was named Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year. Evans, the prep state Player of the Year in Class AAAA the year before, is now playing at East Tennessee State University.
On March 6, the Griffin High baseball team improved to 4-0 with a 14-4 non-region win against Eagle’s Landing in six innings.
The same day the SHS tennis teams swept visiting Jackson, the Jags winning 4-1 and Lady Jags winning 5-0. Also on the same day, Griffin High’s Jonathan Ramos scored his team-leading ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th goals of the season as the Griffin High boys soccer team (6-0-1) remained undefeated with a 4-2 win against visiting Lovejoy.
On March 7, Garrett Deason’s two-run homer and Cameron Scott’s grand slam was all the offense the Spalding High baseball team (5-0) needed as it defeated Mundy’s Mill 6-4 at Jaguar Field to remain undefeated on the year.
On the same day the No. 3-state ranked Spalding High girls soccer team (4-0) remained undefeated with an 8-0 win at Upson-Lee. In the nightcap, the SHS boys soccer team (2-0-2) battled to a 2-all tie to remain undefeated on the season.
On March 8, the SHS tennis teams swept Eagle’s Landing, the Lady Jags winning 5-0 and Jags rallying to win on freshman Cecil Spear’s match-deciding win at No. 3 singles. The same day the Spalding High boys golf team shot a season-low 158 to top Lamar County by 59 strokes at the Morgan Dairy Golf Course. Patrick Knowles shot a 38, Byron Kenny added another 38 and Curtis Hardwick shot a 39 to lead the way for the Jaguars.
On March 9, Josh Tapley fanned 10 and tossed a one-hitter as the Spalding High baseball team (6-0) upped its win streak to six to start the season with an 11-1 win against visiting Washington County. On the same day, the Griffin High baseball team fell to Stockbridge 10-5. It was Griffin’s first loss of the season against four wins.
Also on the same day, Ty Rawlings and Denny Jones each netted a goal and keeper Allen McConnell posted his first shutout of the year as the Spalding High boys soccer team (3-0-2) opened Region 4-AAA Div. A play with a 2-0 win at Eagle’s Landing High School to remain unbeaten. In the early game, the No. 3-state ranked Spalding High girls soccer team fell 2-0 to No. 6-state ranked Eagle’s Landing. Both teams were undefeated entering the match.
The same day the Griffin High boys soccer team (6-1-1) suffered its first loss of the season, 3-1, against Mt. Zion-Jonesboro in a match played at Lovejoy.
On March 10, Griffin High’s Anthony Hollis won his school’s first powerlifting title by 15 pounds in Perry. He competed in the 226-245 pound division.
On March 12, the Spalding High girls soccer team rebounded from its only loss of the season by earning a 1-0 win against Columbus at Memorial Stadium. Sara Nicholson scored the match’s only goal with 8:18 left to play.
On the same day the Spalding High baseball team improved to 7-0 on the season with a 7-4 win at Upson-Lee.
On March 13, the Griffin High boys basketball team finished the final Georgia Sportswriters Association Basketball Poll ranked No. 5 in Class AAAA.
On March 14, the Griffin High baseball team improved to 5-1 with a 9-8 win in eight inning at Fayette County. It was the second time this season GHS topped the Tigers in extra innings to sweep the season series between the two schools.
On March 15, both Spalding High soccer teams posted wins against Harris County in the East Coweta tournament, the Jags winning 2-1 and Lady Jags winning 6-1.
On March 16, Ryan Newman posted a top-speed of 193.124 mph to take the pole for Sunday’s Nextel Cup Series Kobal Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
On March 17, Bailey Stewart scored his team’s only goal and keeper Allen McConnell posted his third shutout of the season as the Spalding High boys soccer team downed No. 7-state ranked Carrollton to win the East Coweta Tournament. On the same day the No. 5-state ranked Spalding High girls team also closed out the same tournament with a 1-0 win against Carrollton.
Also on the same day, a seventh-inning rally came up short as the Spaldingg High baseball team (7-1) suffered its first loss of the year, 6-5, at Forest Park.
On March 18, defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johson won the Kobalt Tolls 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was Johnson’s second win in two weeks. He won the week before in Las Vegas.
On March 19, Garrett Deason hit a grand slam and went 3-for-3 with 6 RBIs as the Spalding High baseball team bounced back from its only loss of the season 48 hours earlier by winning 17-4 at Lovejoy in five innings. ON the same day, Griffin topped Upson-Lee 7-3 at The Bear’s Den.
On March 21, the Spalding High girls soccer team topped Mary Persons 10-0 in the early game and the newly No. 7-state ranked Spaldingg High boys soccer team (7-0-1) also topped Mary Persons by a 5-0 count.
On March 23, designated hitter Matt Jones drove in the first two runs of his varsity career to spearhead the Spalding High baseball team’s 5-2 win at Jackson. Also on that day, the Spalding High soccer teams swept Ola on the road, the Lady Jags winning 5-0 and jags winning 2-1. A day earlier, the Spalding High tennis team each won their sixth in a row, the Lady Jags winning 5-0 and Jags prevailing 4-1 against Jackson.
On March 24, Tim Beckham and Henteves Jester each clubbed a two-run homer as the Griffin High baseball team topped visiting Sandy Creek 8-7. On the same day, Jonathan Ramos scored a career-high five goals — all unassisted — and Hugo Jurado added another as the Griffin High boys soccer team defeated last-place Riverdale 6-1 to keep its playoff hopes alive. Also on the same day, Hannah Brown scored three goals and Kori Johnson added another as the Griffin High girls soccer team defeated Riverdale 4-2 to clinch a berth in the Region 4-AAAA playoffs.
On March 26, the Spalding High boys soccer team suffered its first loss of the season 3-0 at the hands of visiting Henry County. On the same day, the Spalding High girls soccer team topped Henry County 11-0 to win its fifth in a row. Also on the same day, the Spalding High baseball team (9-2) cracked the state’s top-10 poll at No. 10.
On March 27, longtime Griffin High head boys basketball coach Ferris Qualls announces his retirement after 32 years in coaching in the high school ranks. He coached at Griffin 14 seasons, amassing a 257-131 record along the way. The same day the Spalding High baseball team falls to Mary Persons 8-5 at Jaguar Field despite solo home runs by Blake Burrell and Garrett Deason.
Also on the same day, the Spalding High tennis teams each won their seventh in a row, the Lady Jags winning 5-0 and jags winning 3-2 at Eagle’s Landing. Also on the same day the Spalding High boys golf team (7-1) lost its first match of the season 178-181 at Peach County.
On March 28, Greg Fietsam hit a three-run, bases-clearing double in the top of the seventh to lift the Griffin High baseball team past Forest Park 4-3 in the Bears Region 4-AAAA Div. A opener. ON the same day, the Griffin High boys soccer team fell 3-2 to Class AAAAA Luella but learned they earned a berth in the Region 4-AAAA playoffs on the strength of North Clayton’s win over Lovejoy the same day.
Also on the same day, the Griffin High girls tennis team topped Lovejoy 5-0 to improve to 8-1 on the season. Three days earlier the Lady Bears topped North Clayton 4-1.
On March 29, the Spalding High tennis teams swept visiting Mary Persons, each winning 5-0, to improve to 8-0 in Region 4-AAA Div. A play and clinch the regular season subregion championship with two matches left to play.
On March 30, former Griffin High and University of Michigan standout Brent Petway finished runner-up in the 19th annual Slam Dunk Contest, held in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four, this year at Georgia State University in Atlanta. On the same day Xavier Randolph crushed a grand slam and Tim Beckham hit for the cycle as the Griffin High baseball team topped Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 10-2 on the road. Also on the same night, Travis Lee hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as Spalding topped Eagle’s Landing 11-1 in five innings.
Also on that day, senior Mark Miller scored the first goal of his varsity career and Ty Rawling added the game-winner as the Class AAA No. 4-state ranked Spalding High boys soccer team rallied to top Jackson 2-1. The same night the Spalding High girls soccer team won 7-0.
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