By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

Morgan County’s varsity baseball team lost to Eastside 5-8 last Wednesday at home, bringing their record to 4-4 so far this season.
The Dogs couldn’t get their bats started until the bottom of the third inning, when Brantley Frost was able to make it home on an RBI single by Sawyer Hill.
Frost, who pitched through the first four innings and allowed only two earned runs, was relieved by Eli Zimmerman in the fifth inning.
Unfortunately, a combination of errors allowed Eastside to get six runners across the plate during Eli Zimmerman’s two innings on the mound. None of Zimmerman’s runs were allowed
Morgan County also managed to score two more runs in the fifth inning. Carter Shultz hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, and then Sawyer Hill scored from third base on an out by Clark Owen.
The Dogs scored another two innings in the seventh, thanks to a two-RBI single by Andrew Couch with two outs.
Morgan County’s two runs in the seventh weren’t enough to catch up with Eastside, who won the game 5-8.
Tuesday, the varsity Diamond Dogs faced off against Eastside again, this time in Covington, hoping to break the 6-0 record that Eastside has compiled so far this season. Wednesday, the team played against Social Circle at home, with the game beginning at 5:55.
Monday, Morgan County will be traveling to Augusta to play the Aquinas Fightin’ Irish. The game will begin at 4 p.m.

Printed in the March 14, 2013 edition

By Nick Nunn   
Staff Writer

The JV Diamond Dogs extended their perfect season by two games last week with an 8-4 win over Oconee and a 10-4 win over Salem, bringing their record to 6-0.
Morgan County struck first against Oconee. Max Wadsworth hit an RBI double in the top of the first to give the Dogs an early 1-0 lead.
Oconee responded by scoring two runs in the second and then two more in the fourth inning, while holding Morgan County scoreless through the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, the Dogs began producing runs again. With two men on base, Sam Couch hit a two-RBI triple to make the score 3-4.
Oconee’s pitcher walked the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning and proceeded to walk Ross Gasque for a RBI base on balls.
Coming up with the bases still loaded, Sam Couch recorded two more RBIs for the night with a single to left field.
Still leading 6-4 in the seventh inning, Morgan County scored twice more on RBIs off the bats of Zach Howe and Maclane Zant. The final score of the game ended 8-4.
“I was proud of the way the boys battled back,” said JV coach Doug Connelly. “We hung with it.”
The game against Salem last Friday was a scheduled five-inning game.
Morgan County scored two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Ross Gasque, but Salem matched the Dogs’ output in the bottom of the inning, tying the score 2-2
In the second inning, however, Morgan County set a pace that Salem couldn’t keep up with. The Dogs scored one run in the second on a passed ball, before a combination of errors and an RBI double by Max Wadsworth brought an additional three runs home.
Salem kept the Dogs’ bats at bay until the fifth, when Morgan County came alive again, prompted by another run walked in by the opposing defense.

By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

During the last two days of February, the Morgan County Middle School tennis team competed against North Oconee and Jefferson City. Last week, the tennis squad played a rematch against North Oconee before having to cancel matches against Hart County directly before spring break.
The girls’ team won all three meets by large margins, but the boys did not far as well, losing all three matches to their opponents.
In the boys’ first meeting with North Oconee, Morgan County was swept in seven matches, but Will Owen managed an 8-3 singles victory in the rematch against North Oconee.
The boys’ team was also credited with a doubles victory against Jefferson City, but it was two female players, Avery Kirby and Caroline Rittenhouse, who defeated a boys’ doubles team from Jefferson City.
The Morgan County girls managed 5-1 wins over North Oconee in both of their competitions.
Avery Kirby, Caroline Rittenhouse, Lily Courchaine, Mariella Plumley, and Callie Arienzo picked up singles wins against North Oconee in their matches. Arienzo managed victories against North Oconee in the space of a week.
Kirby, Rittenhouse, Courchaine, Plumley, Arienzo, Chloe Cooper, Madison Gasque, and Carley Henry were all members of doubles teams that were able to beat their North Oconee opponents in the two events.
Against Jefferson City, Gasque, Cooper, and Arienzo scored victories in singles matches, while Kirby and Rittenhouse earned a doubles victory.
The MCMS tennis teams had matches scheduled against Hart County last Friday afternoon, but they were cancelled because of a large number of students leaving town early for spring break.
There will be no matches during spring break, but the tennis team will be back in action Tuesday, March 19 on the road at Jefferson.

By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

The Morgan County High School golf team competed together against Madison County on March 5 at Hard Labor Creek. The girls lost 139 to 166, but the boys came out on top 210 to 195. Then, the teams split up, with the girls taking on North Oconee last Wednesday, and the boys competing in an 18-hole tournament in Habersham County.
Although Madison County bested the Morgan County girls by a 27-point difference, the girls put up good scores. Mary Clark Ferguson, Hayden Massey, and Sam Maynard shot 54, 52, and 60 games, respectively.
Levi Ewing shot a low 48 for the boys’ team against Madison County, while Eamon Owen, Greg Pecore, and Baylie Fowler each managed a 49 during the round. Their scores allowed Morgan County to undercut Madison, winning 195-210.  
Last Wednesday, the girls traveled to the Georgia Club’s golf course to compete against North Oconee, but the Lady Trojans managed to outdo the Morgan County girls 134-182.
Against North Oconee, Hayden Massey shot a 52, Mary Clark Ferguson earned a 66, and Sam Maynard came out with a 64.
On Saturday, the boys’ team played at the Apple Mountain golf course in Habersham County in a 18-hole tournament.
Eamond Owen, Carson Womack, Levi Ewing, and Jacob Misuraca came out of the round with scores of 80, 94, 94, and 108, respectively, for a total of 376 points, which earned them a fourteenth place finish.
Next Thursday, the boys’ and girls’ teams will travel to play Jackson County for a region matchup. The following Saturday, the girls will compete in the GA Peach Tournament at Hard Labor Creek, while the boys will compete in the Madison County Tournament.

Printed in the March 14, 2013 edition

By Nick Nunn
Sports Writer

Last Thursday, the Morgan County High School’s varsity tennis team came out far ahead in their matches against Jackson County. The boys’ team swept Jackson 5-0, while the girls’ dropped only one match, winning 4-1.
Caleb Plumley, Sam Cooper, and Wolfgang Busenitz won their singles matches barely conceding any games to their Jackson County opponents.
The doubles teams’ wins, coming from Sutton Trulock and Chan Courchaine, as well as Drew McHugh and Garrett Gardner, completed the Dogs’ sweep of Jackson County.
Katherine Rittenhouse and Sarah Beth Taylor earned singles victories for the girls’ squad, while Alex Malone and Amelia Collier and then Anna Lindsey and Lily Arienzo won their doubles matches for Morgan County.
The MCHS JV teams competed against North Oconee on Monday, March 4, at home.
Lauren Buehning, Mason Devane, Brayden Hutcheson, and Matt Vill won their singles matches against North Oconee.
This Friday and Saturday, the varsity team will travel to LaGrange to compete in the Granger Invitational. The teams will be back home Monday and Tuesday to play Franklin County and East Jackson for matches on back-to-back days, beginning at 4:30.

Printed in the March 14, 2013 edition

By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

Legendary Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden had attendees to the Lake Oconee Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Home Team Banquet laughing Monday night at Madison First United Methodist Church.
The event, which included the now-retired coach – known for having the most career wins in Division I – as well as a panel of FCA coaches and a silent auction, raised money for local FCA ministries. 

FCA Area Director Bo Fowler said all money raised – over $27,000 – would stay in this area.
More than 260 people attended the dinner and had an opportunity to bid on approximately 30 different items: from football themed paintings and pictures to fishing and hunting trips.
Presenting sponsor Madison ChopHouse Grille prepared the food and served it with the assistance of FCA students from both Morgan and Jasper County middle schools.

Fowler noted athletes and coaches have influence because they are athletes and coaches.
He then introduced three local high school coaches: Robert Edwards of Greene County, Eddie Roberts of Jasper County, and Bill Malone of Morgan County.

The coaches talked about their role as father figures and shared how FCA has impacted them and their students.
University of Georgia Coach Mark Richt introduced Bowden via video. He said Bowden led Richt to the Lord in 1986 after first giving him an opportunity to coach.

“I really owe so much to Coach Bowden,” he shared.
Bowden then made his way to the podium where he proceeded to talk about his family, himself, his coaching career, and the FCA.
He said athletes need male figures and someone to discipline them.