When the Apalachee High School boys soccer team took a 2-0 lead with less than 10 minutes to play against Lanier on Friday night, it seemed all the momentum was in favor of the Wildcats.
By the time the match was over, however, the momentum as well as the outcome had been torn away, and it was the visiting Longhorns who left R. Harold Harrison Stadium with a 3-2 overtime win after a shootout.
The loss left Apalachee (4-5 overall, 0-4 in GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA) still in search of its first region win of 2018 and wondering how this match had gotten away.
The defeat left veteran Wildcat coach Chad Hooper struggling to find the words to describe it.
“There’s really not much I can say in a positive manner right now,” Hooper said. “We let this one get away. There’s really nothing else that can be said.”
Neither team managed to get on the board until Apalachee’s Alejandro Mina broke the scoreless deadlock with 14:05 remaining to put the Wildcats on top.
Nestor Perla then found the back of the net with 9:27 left to give the Wildcats some breathing room. The goal was Perla’s 11th of the 2018 season.
With Lanier struggling for offense, it appeared those goals might be enough to secure the win for AHS.
However, Lanier finally broke the ice and got on the board with 7:02 remaining and then tied the match with 3:18 left.
Defense was the name of the game in the first half as neither team managed to get on the scoreboard.
Johnny Navarro was a standout in goal for AHS keeping Lanier scoreless for almost the first 73 minutes.
Neither team scored in the two five-minute overtime periods, causing a shootout. Jorge Bazan, Mina, JJ Escobar, Perla and Chris Godinez each scored for the Wildcats before AHS misfired on its sixth attempt, leaving Lanier (5-3-1, 2-1) with the 3-2 victory.
Apalachee dropped its fifth straight match Tuesday, 2-0 to Habersham Central, and will host Winder-Barrow in region play Friday at 7:30 p.m.
AHS Sports
Soccer: Lady Wildcats use strong second half for region win over Lanier
The Apalachee High School Lady Wildcats soccer team returned to the field Friday night looking to get back on track in GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA.
Sophomore Erin Allen’s goal with 3:48 remaining proved to be the difference as the Lady Wildcats rallied to defeat visiting Lanier High School.
“We didn’t look very good in the first half,” said AHS coach Scott Bates. “Part of that was us and part of it was them. We did play better in the second half after adjusting our game plan.”
Bates credited Lady Wildcat assistant coach Paul Thornton for helping with the second half adjustments.
Trailing 1-0, Apalachee (6-1-1 overall, 3-1 in region play) evened the score on a goal by Keiry Bonilla with just over 30 minutes remaining.
Bonilla successfully converted a tough opportunity against what had been a solid Lady Longhorn defense.
Bonilla just missed giving the Lady Wildcats the lead with 22:42 remaining as her attempt on goal sailed over the net.
AHS played more on Lanier’s end of the field in the second half than it did in the first.
“All region matches are so important,” Bates said. “Most of our remaining games are against region teams. We will see Lanier again so it was important to get this game. We know it will be tough when we see them again.
“Lanier was undefeated in region coming into tonight so getting this win was really big for us.”
Lanier (6-2-1 overall, 2-1 in region) broke the scoreless tie by getting on the board with a breakaway goal with 14:14 mark of the first half. That lead held up until halftime.
Apalachee’s Emily Brooks helped keep the match close in the first 40 minutes with strong defensive play in goal, including five saves.
Brooks continued to play well in the second half blanking the Lady Longhorns.
Prior to Friday, the Lady Wildcats lost a close region match to Dacula 1-0 on March 6. Apalachee also beat Habersham Central, 1-0, Tuesday and will host county and region rival Winder-Barrow High School on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Sophomore Erin Allen’s goal with 3:48 remaining proved to be the difference as the Lady Wildcats rallied to defeat visiting Lanier High School.
“We didn’t look very good in the first half,” said AHS coach Scott Bates. “Part of that was us and part of it was them. We did play better in the second half after adjusting our game plan.”
Bates credited Lady Wildcat assistant coach Paul Thornton for helping with the second half adjustments.
Trailing 1-0, Apalachee (6-1-1 overall, 3-1 in region play) evened the score on a goal by Keiry Bonilla with just over 30 minutes remaining.
Bonilla successfully converted a tough opportunity against what had been a solid Lady Longhorn defense.
Bonilla just missed giving the Lady Wildcats the lead with 22:42 remaining as her attempt on goal sailed over the net.
AHS played more on Lanier’s end of the field in the second half than it did in the first.
“All region matches are so important,” Bates said. “Most of our remaining games are against region teams. We will see Lanier again so it was important to get this game. We know it will be tough when we see them again.
“Lanier was undefeated in region coming into tonight so getting this win was really big for us.”
Lanier (6-2-1 overall, 2-1 in region) broke the scoreless tie by getting on the board with a breakaway goal with 14:14 mark of the first half. That lead held up until halftime.
Apalachee’s Emily Brooks helped keep the match close in the first 40 minutes with strong defensive play in goal, including five saves.
Brooks continued to play well in the second half blanking the Lady Longhorns.
Prior to Friday, the Lady Wildcats lost a close region match to Dacula 1-0 on March 6. Apalachee also beat Habersham Central, 1-0, Tuesday and will host county and region rival Winder-Barrow High School on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Track and Field: Apalachee teams win home tri-meet over Johnson, Walnut Grove
The Apalachee girls track and field team won 12 of 16 events and the Wildcat boys won nine events, as both teams easily won a home tri-meet March 8 against Walnut Grove and Johnson on a cold and blustery afternoon.
On the girls side, Tahlia Ferguson won or had a hand in winning three events, finishing first in the 100-meter dash (13.14 seconds), 200-meter dash (27.73 seconds) and taking the first leg in Apalachee’s winning time in the 4x100-meter relay along with Kelsey Knox, Samira Barnett and Sierra Barnett (51.98 seconds).
Destiny Gibbs picked up a win in the 400-meter run (1:05.48), followed by Samira Barnett, while Knox finished second in both the 100- and 200-meter runs.
Dayshabel Bello-Cabrera won the 800-meter run (2:46.67), while Chelsea Nunez-Paredes finished third in the event and Dasia Mason finished third in the 200-meter run.
Joanna Gross picked up wins in both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles (19.76 seconds and 53.02 seconds), while Sierra Barnett finished second in the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay team of Samira Barnett, Gibbs, Sierra Barnett and Gross finished second.
Also in distance running, Molly Silva was second in the 1,600-meter run (6:18.29) while Jade Pinella took second in the 3,200-meter run (14:45.25).
In field events, Nakia Hooks won both the shot put (34 feet, 7 inches) and discus (73 feet, 8 inches).
Maya Mason took first in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches), followed by Samira Barnett; Cassidy Hunter won the pole vault (7 feet, 6 inches), followed by Amelia Hendricks (7 feet); and Aniah Wooten won the triple jump (31 feet, 1 inch), followed by Morgan Turner and Kat Braner.
Gross finished second in the long jump while Sierra Barnett took third.
Apalachee finished with 100.5 points, ahead of Walnut Grove (33.5) and Johnson (22).
That was also the order of finish on the boys side as the Wildcats scored 82 points, followed by Walnut Grove (62.5) and Johnson (20.5).
AJ Millbrooks won the 200-meter dash (24.32 seconds) and took second in the 100-meter dash (11.86), while Kevin Haley, Jr. won the 400-meter dash (54.42), followed by Tauheed Ferguson and Adarius Andrews. Ferguson also finished second in the 200-meter dash while Haley took third in the event. The 4x100-meter relay team of Millbrooks, Ferguson, Haley and Leshon Richardson won with a time of 45.46 seconds, while the 4x400-meter relay team of Ferguson, Haley, Justin Williford and Andrews finished second.
Nick Rodriguez also had a strong day, finishing first in the 110-meter hurdles (17.91 seconds) and second in the 300-meter hurdles (47.88).
The Wildcats had strong showings in the field events. Harry Malik Wiggins picked up another win in the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches), followed by Adarius Andrews (5 feet, 6 inches).
Brock Keadle won the pole vault (10 feet, 6 inches), followed by Will Garland.
Shaan Cook triumphed in the long jump (19 feet, 5.5 inches), followed by Tyrik Sims, while Andrews won the triple jump (39 feet, 4.5 inches) and was followed by Peyton Ferro and Jerred Wyrick.
Kenny Tobiasz took first in the discus (116 feet, 11 inches) and was followed by Diego Bandeira, while Donovan Culp took second in the shot put (39 feet, 5.5 inches) and Cody Tobiasz placed third.
Apalachee returns to action 4 p.m. Thursday for a quad-meet at Jackson County.
On the girls side, Tahlia Ferguson won or had a hand in winning three events, finishing first in the 100-meter dash (13.14 seconds), 200-meter dash (27.73 seconds) and taking the first leg in Apalachee’s winning time in the 4x100-meter relay along with Kelsey Knox, Samira Barnett and Sierra Barnett (51.98 seconds).
Destiny Gibbs picked up a win in the 400-meter run (1:05.48), followed by Samira Barnett, while Knox finished second in both the 100- and 200-meter runs.
Dayshabel Bello-Cabrera won the 800-meter run (2:46.67), while Chelsea Nunez-Paredes finished third in the event and Dasia Mason finished third in the 200-meter run.
Joanna Gross picked up wins in both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles (19.76 seconds and 53.02 seconds), while Sierra Barnett finished second in the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay team of Samira Barnett, Gibbs, Sierra Barnett and Gross finished second.
Also in distance running, Molly Silva was second in the 1,600-meter run (6:18.29) while Jade Pinella took second in the 3,200-meter run (14:45.25).
In field events, Nakia Hooks won both the shot put (34 feet, 7 inches) and discus (73 feet, 8 inches).
Maya Mason took first in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches), followed by Samira Barnett; Cassidy Hunter won the pole vault (7 feet, 6 inches), followed by Amelia Hendricks (7 feet); and Aniah Wooten won the triple jump (31 feet, 1 inch), followed by Morgan Turner and Kat Braner.
Gross finished second in the long jump while Sierra Barnett took third.
Apalachee finished with 100.5 points, ahead of Walnut Grove (33.5) and Johnson (22).
That was also the order of finish on the boys side as the Wildcats scored 82 points, followed by Walnut Grove (62.5) and Johnson (20.5).
AJ Millbrooks won the 200-meter dash (24.32 seconds) and took second in the 100-meter dash (11.86), while Kevin Haley, Jr. won the 400-meter dash (54.42), followed by Tauheed Ferguson and Adarius Andrews. Ferguson also finished second in the 200-meter dash while Haley took third in the event. The 4x100-meter relay team of Millbrooks, Ferguson, Haley and Leshon Richardson won with a time of 45.46 seconds, while the 4x400-meter relay team of Ferguson, Haley, Justin Williford and Andrews finished second.
Nick Rodriguez also had a strong day, finishing first in the 110-meter hurdles (17.91 seconds) and second in the 300-meter hurdles (47.88).
The Wildcats had strong showings in the field events. Harry Malik Wiggins picked up another win in the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches), followed by Adarius Andrews (5 feet, 6 inches).
Brock Keadle won the pole vault (10 feet, 6 inches), followed by Will Garland.
Shaan Cook triumphed in the long jump (19 feet, 5.5 inches), followed by Tyrik Sims, while Andrews won the triple jump (39 feet, 4.5 inches) and was followed by Peyton Ferro and Jerred Wyrick.
Kenny Tobiasz took first in the discus (116 feet, 11 inches) and was followed by Diego Bandeira, while Donovan Culp took second in the shot put (39 feet, 5.5 inches) and Cody Tobiasz placed third.
Apalachee returns to action 4 p.m. Thursday for a quad-meet at Jackson County.
Baseball: Apalachee sweeps East Jackson, moves to 8-1
Almost everything is continuing to go right for the Apalachee baseball team.
The Wildcats ran their winning streak to seven games and improved on an all-time best start Saturday with a home doubleheader sweep of East Jackson, 6-3 and 11-4.
“We’re hitting the ball well right now. That was a big offseason goal of ours, to get stronger and work on scoring runs,” Apalachee coach Allan Bailey said. “So far, we’re getting big-time, clutch hits when we need them and we’re making good pitches and big defensive plays when we need them. That’s really what’s separating this team from last year’s team at this point.”
In the opener, Apalachee (8-1) overcame an early 2-0 deficit to claim the 6-3 victory. After giving up a pair of runs to the Eagles in the top of the second inning, the Wildcats cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Alex Cook and then took the lead for good with a four-run bottom of the fourth. DJ Smith’s hit a two-run double that played courtesy runners AJ Forbing and Joey Salvaggio, and a two-run triple by Hunter Linhart later in the inning plated Smith and Jarrett Wallace.
The Wildcats added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Cook.
Wallace led the Wildcats at the plate with three hits and a double, while Smith and Linhart had two hits apiece.
Dawson Matherly picked up the win on the mound for the Wildcats, pitching three scoreless innings in relief of Parker Miller, surrendering just two hits and a walk while striking out three. Nate Hodnett closed it out for the Wildcats, pitching the top of the seventh and allowing one run.
The Wildcats’ pitching success continued in the second game in an 11-4 win. Hunter Parks and Alecsi Lopez threw three innings each and Jake Hopkins worked a scoreless seventh.
Apalachee kept the bats going, pounding out 13 hits to finish the day with 23. Salvaggio led the way with two hits, a double and four RBIs. Matherly had a pair of doubles and an RBI, Cook went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Smith drove in a pair of runs.
The Wildcats exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second to break a scoreless tie and grab a commanding lead. Matherly hit an RBI double to get his team on the board and Salvaggio followed with a two-run single. Back-to-back RBI singles by Linhart and Cook made it 5-0, and Chase Chancey padded the cushion with a sacrifice fly.
Apalachee was scheduled to visit White County, the only team to beat the Wildcats so far this season, on Tuesday afternoon, but that game was rained out and no makeup date had been scheduled as of press time.
The Wildcats will return to action Saturday against Johnson at Cool Ray Field, home of the Gwinnett Stripers minor-league team.
The Wildcats ran their winning streak to seven games and improved on an all-time best start Saturday with a home doubleheader sweep of East Jackson, 6-3 and 11-4.
“We’re hitting the ball well right now. That was a big offseason goal of ours, to get stronger and work on scoring runs,” Apalachee coach Allan Bailey said. “So far, we’re getting big-time, clutch hits when we need them and we’re making good pitches and big defensive plays when we need them. That’s really what’s separating this team from last year’s team at this point.”
In the opener, Apalachee (8-1) overcame an early 2-0 deficit to claim the 6-3 victory. After giving up a pair of runs to the Eagles in the top of the second inning, the Wildcats cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Alex Cook and then took the lead for good with a four-run bottom of the fourth. DJ Smith’s hit a two-run double that played courtesy runners AJ Forbing and Joey Salvaggio, and a two-run triple by Hunter Linhart later in the inning plated Smith and Jarrett Wallace.
The Wildcats added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Cook.
Wallace led the Wildcats at the plate with three hits and a double, while Smith and Linhart had two hits apiece.
Dawson Matherly picked up the win on the mound for the Wildcats, pitching three scoreless innings in relief of Parker Miller, surrendering just two hits and a walk while striking out three. Nate Hodnett closed it out for the Wildcats, pitching the top of the seventh and allowing one run.
The Wildcats’ pitching success continued in the second game in an 11-4 win. Hunter Parks and Alecsi Lopez threw three innings each and Jake Hopkins worked a scoreless seventh.
Apalachee kept the bats going, pounding out 13 hits to finish the day with 23. Salvaggio led the way with two hits, a double and four RBIs. Matherly had a pair of doubles and an RBI, Cook went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Smith drove in a pair of runs.
The Wildcats exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second to break a scoreless tie and grab a commanding lead. Matherly hit an RBI double to get his team on the board and Salvaggio followed with a two-run single. Back-to-back RBI singles by Linhart and Cook made it 5-0, and Chase Chancey padded the cushion with a sacrifice fly.
Apalachee was scheduled to visit White County, the only team to beat the Wildcats so far this season, on Tuesday afternoon, but that game was rained out and no makeup date had been scheduled as of press time.
The Wildcats will return to action Saturday against Johnson at Cool Ray Field, home of the Gwinnett Stripers minor-league team.
Soccer Roundup: Apalachee swept by Dacula; Winder-Barrow games postponed
The Apalachee soccer teams were swept by Dacula in GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA contests Tuesday night.
The Lady Wildcats lost their first match of the season, 1-0, to the defending region champs while the Apalachee boys dropped their third straight match, 6-4.
The Apalachee girls (4-1-1, 1-1 region) had opened up their region slate last Friday with a 9-3 win over Gainesville on the strength of a six-goal performance by Keiry Bonilla. The Apalachee boys (4-3, 0-2) lost 4-0 to Gainesville, the defending region champs and last year's state runner-up.
Apalachee's teams return to action Friday when they will host Lanier in another region contest. The girls will kick off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Winder-Barrow's region matches scheduled for Tuesday at Lanier were postponed due to weather. The Lady Bulldoggs (3-3, 0-1) and the Bulldoggs (3-2-1, 0-1) both lost their region openers to Dacula last Friday, 5-1 and 4-2 respectively.
Winder-Barrow is scheduled to host region foe Habersham Central on Friday with the girls kicking off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
For more on last Friday's games, see the March 7 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
The Lady Wildcats lost their first match of the season, 1-0, to the defending region champs while the Apalachee boys dropped their third straight match, 6-4.
The Apalachee girls (4-1-1, 1-1 region) had opened up their region slate last Friday with a 9-3 win over Gainesville on the strength of a six-goal performance by Keiry Bonilla. The Apalachee boys (4-3, 0-2) lost 4-0 to Gainesville, the defending region champs and last year's state runner-up.
Apalachee's teams return to action Friday when they will host Lanier in another region contest. The girls will kick off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Winder-Barrow's region matches scheduled for Tuesday at Lanier were postponed due to weather. The Lady Bulldoggs (3-3, 0-1) and the Bulldoggs (3-2-1, 0-1) both lost their region openers to Dacula last Friday, 5-1 and 4-2 respectively.
Winder-Barrow is scheduled to host region foe Habersham Central on Friday with the girls kicking off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
For more on last Friday's games, see the March 7 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Baseball: Wildcats run win streak to five, move to 6-1
Through the first couple weeks of the season, the Apalachee High School baseball team is doing all the little things right, and it’s showing on the scoreboard.
The Wildcats picked up another pair of wins Saturday at Hebron Christian — 3-2 over Chattahoochee in eight innings and 7-3 over Hebron as part of the Gwinnett County Invitational — to move to 6-1 on the year, the best start in program history.
“It’s a great way to start the season and we’re just building off positive momentum and getting results from the hard work the kids put in during the offseason,” said second-year Apalachee coach Allan Bailey, whose team was riding a five-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s game at Duluth. “They’ve got the system in place now and are thriving and getting better every day.”
The Wildcats’ win over Chattahoochee came via a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth by Jarrett Wallace, who went 3-for-5 at the plate.
Joey Salvaggio reached with a one-out single, and then, with two outs, Salvaggio took off for second base on a hit-and-run play, and Wallace drove it into an outfield gap to bring Salavaggio home.
Dawson Matherly picked up the win on the mound, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out four batters in relief of Alex Cook. Hunter Linhart had a pair of hits, and Chase Chancey and Nate Hodnett both had RBIs for the Wildcats.
In the game against Hebron, the Wildcats scored five runs in the top of the seventh to rally for the 7-3 victory.
Chancey led off with a double and then scored on an RBI single by Parker Miller.
After Cook and Ryan Crocker were both hit by pitches to load the bases, Salvaggio hit a sacrifice fly to center that plated courtesy runner Breckyn Moss and gave the Wildcats the lead for good.
Apalachee plated three more runs on an RBI single by DJ Smith, an RBI groundout by Wallace and a double by Linhart. The Wildcats totaled 13 hits for the game and were led by Miller and Smith with four hits each, while Linhart had three hits.
Miller picked up the win on the mound, pitching the final 1 2/3 innings and surrendering no runs or hits.
Bailey said Miller, who rejoined the team last week after the Apalachee basketball team’s season ended, has been a key piece in the early going.
Bailey pointed to several other players who are off to hot starts at the plate and Cook, who has been a dominant force on the mound so far.
“We’re getting great offensive production from a lot of guys, and our defense and pitching has been great, but really the difference we’re seeing is the confidence level,” said Bailey of the Wildcats, who won just four games all of last season in his first year at the helm. “We’re finding ways to win games. We’re making plays when they matter. We’re getting big clutch hits when we need them. I’m just really proud of how hard our guys have been working and for believing in the process and trusting their teammates.
“Fortunately, we’ve been able to see some good results.”
After Wednesday’s game against Duluth, the Wildcats will return to action Saturday with a home doubleheader against East Jackson, beginning at 3 p.m.
The Wildcats picked up another pair of wins Saturday at Hebron Christian — 3-2 over Chattahoochee in eight innings and 7-3 over Hebron as part of the Gwinnett County Invitational — to move to 6-1 on the year, the best start in program history.
“It’s a great way to start the season and we’re just building off positive momentum and getting results from the hard work the kids put in during the offseason,” said second-year Apalachee coach Allan Bailey, whose team was riding a five-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s game at Duluth. “They’ve got the system in place now and are thriving and getting better every day.”
The Wildcats’ win over Chattahoochee came via a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth by Jarrett Wallace, who went 3-for-5 at the plate.
Joey Salvaggio reached with a one-out single, and then, with two outs, Salvaggio took off for second base on a hit-and-run play, and Wallace drove it into an outfield gap to bring Salavaggio home.
Dawson Matherly picked up the win on the mound, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out four batters in relief of Alex Cook. Hunter Linhart had a pair of hits, and Chase Chancey and Nate Hodnett both had RBIs for the Wildcats.
In the game against Hebron, the Wildcats scored five runs in the top of the seventh to rally for the 7-3 victory.
Chancey led off with a double and then scored on an RBI single by Parker Miller.
After Cook and Ryan Crocker were both hit by pitches to load the bases, Salvaggio hit a sacrifice fly to center that plated courtesy runner Breckyn Moss and gave the Wildcats the lead for good.
Apalachee plated three more runs on an RBI single by DJ Smith, an RBI groundout by Wallace and a double by Linhart. The Wildcats totaled 13 hits for the game and were led by Miller and Smith with four hits each, while Linhart had three hits.
Miller picked up the win on the mound, pitching the final 1 2/3 innings and surrendering no runs or hits.
Bailey said Miller, who rejoined the team last week after the Apalachee basketball team’s season ended, has been a key piece in the early going.
Bailey pointed to several other players who are off to hot starts at the plate and Cook, who has been a dominant force on the mound so far.
“We’re getting great offensive production from a lot of guys, and our defense and pitching has been great, but really the difference we’re seeing is the confidence level,” said Bailey of the Wildcats, who won just four games all of last season in his first year at the helm. “We’re finding ways to win games. We’re making plays when they matter. We’re getting big clutch hits when we need them. I’m just really proud of how hard our guys have been working and for believing in the process and trusting their teammates.
“Fortunately, we’ve been able to see some good results.”
After Wednesday’s game against Duluth, the Wildcats will return to action Saturday with a home doubleheader against East Jackson, beginning at 3 p.m.
Football: Apalachee RB Stephenson signs on to play with Jacksonville University
Apalachee High School senior football player Lorenzo Stephenson, pictured with his family, signed with Jacksonville University on Feb. 21.
Stephenson, a running back, rushed for 900 yards on 197 carries and scored 10 touchdowns in 10 games last fall, earning an all-GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA selection.
Jacksonville competes in the Pioneer Football League of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Div. I-AA). The Dolphins went 7-4 in 2017.
Now former Apalachee coach Steve Sims, who coached Stephenson throughout his high school career, said Stephenson had “come as far as anyone” he’d coached.
“He grew a lot in terms of how he practiced and prepared,” Sims said. He added that Stephenson got stronger in the weight room, went out for track and field to improve his speed and was solid in the classroom with a grade-point average above 3.0.
“He took it upon himself. He wanted a chance to play college football. He worked his way into that opportunity, and he did it the right way,” Sims said of Stephenson.
“I’m glad we found him somewhere he can go play.”
Stephenson should be a good fit at Jacksonville, Sims said.
“They run the ball a good bit down there,” Sims said. “He had some other offers as well, but he took a visit down there and really liked what he saw. I’m proud that he has the opportunity to keep playing and to play for a D-1 school. He’s not the biggest or tallest guy in the world, but he obviously had a good year and was bell cow offensively for us.
“I think he’s going to do well down there.”
Stephenson, a running back, rushed for 900 yards on 197 carries and scored 10 touchdowns in 10 games last fall, earning an all-GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA selection.
Jacksonville competes in the Pioneer Football League of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Div. I-AA). The Dolphins went 7-4 in 2017.
Now former Apalachee coach Steve Sims, who coached Stephenson throughout his high school career, said Stephenson had “come as far as anyone” he’d coached.
“He grew a lot in terms of how he practiced and prepared,” Sims said. He added that Stephenson got stronger in the weight room, went out for track and field to improve his speed and was solid in the classroom with a grade-point average above 3.0.
“He took it upon himself. He wanted a chance to play college football. He worked his way into that opportunity, and he did it the right way,” Sims said of Stephenson.
“I’m glad we found him somewhere he can go play.”
Stephenson should be a good fit at Jacksonville, Sims said.
“They run the ball a good bit down there,” Sims said. “He had some other offers as well, but he took a visit down there and really liked what he saw. I’m proud that he has the opportunity to keep playing and to play for a D-1 school. He’s not the biggest or tallest guy in the world, but he obviously had a good year and was bell cow offensively for us.
“I think he’s going to do well down there.”
Track and Field: Apalachee’s Barnett, Wiggins win events, WBHS teams also compete at Parkview High School meet
Apalachee’s Samira Barnett and Malik Wiggins won events as the Wildcat track and field teams competed at the Parkview High School Invitational on Saturday.
Barnett tied for first in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and was part of the 4x100-meter relay (joined by Sierra Barnett, Kelsey Knox and Joanna Gross) and 4x400-meter relay (Sierra Barnett, Gross and Destiny Gibbs) that finished second.
Gibbs took third place in the 400-meter dash (1:02.40), while Nakia Hooks finished second in the shot put (35 feet, 6 inches).
On the boys side, Wiggins tied for first in the high jump (6 feet), while Tucker Keadle took second in the pole vault (13 feet, 1 inch), and Kevin Haley broke his own school record in the 400-meter dash, finishing third with a time of 49.49 seconds.
The Lady Wildcats finished third out of 15 teams, while the boys were seventh out of 14. Parkview and St. Pius tied for the girls win, while Parkview won the boys meet.
Winder-Barrow’s girls and boys teams also competed in the meet, finishing 10th and 11th respectively.
Breanna McNamara was Winder-Barrow’s lone top-three finisher, placing third in the pole vault (10 feet, 1 inch).
Apalachee’s teams will host a tri-meet at 3 p.m. Thursday against Loganville and Flowery Branch.
Winder-Barrow returns to action March 10 for the Tiger Creek Classic at Archer High School.
Barnett tied for first in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and was part of the 4x100-meter relay (joined by Sierra Barnett, Kelsey Knox and Joanna Gross) and 4x400-meter relay (Sierra Barnett, Gross and Destiny Gibbs) that finished second.
Gibbs took third place in the 400-meter dash (1:02.40), while Nakia Hooks finished second in the shot put (35 feet, 6 inches).
On the boys side, Wiggins tied for first in the high jump (6 feet), while Tucker Keadle took second in the pole vault (13 feet, 1 inch), and Kevin Haley broke his own school record in the 400-meter dash, finishing third with a time of 49.49 seconds.
The Lady Wildcats finished third out of 15 teams, while the boys were seventh out of 14. Parkview and St. Pius tied for the girls win, while Parkview won the boys meet.
Winder-Barrow’s girls and boys teams also competed in the meet, finishing 10th and 11th respectively.
Breanna McNamara was Winder-Barrow’s lone top-three finisher, placing third in the pole vault (10 feet, 1 inch).
Apalachee’s teams will host a tri-meet at 3 p.m. Thursday against Loganville and Flowery Branch.
Winder-Barrow returns to action March 10 for the Tiger Creek Classic at Archer High School.
Baseball: Wildcats off to 3-1 start
After winning just four games all of last season, Apalachee’s baseball has already notched three wins in a little over a week to start the 2018 campaign.
The Wildcats routed Johnson High School of Gainesville 15-0 in a run rule-shortened, non-region home game Tuesday, a victory that followed an 11-1 drubbing of Berkmar at home Friday in five innings.
Against Berkmar, Apalachee (3-1) scored six runs in the bottom of the second, mostly on the strength of small ball. With one out, Jake Hopkins and Joey Salvaggio hit back-to-back singles, Alecsi Lopez was walked to load the bases, and DJ Smith was hit by a pitch to bring the first run home. Salvaggio then scored on a passed ball, and Alex Cook’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0. The big blow came when Nate Hodnett ripped a bases-clearing double to make it 6-0. Hodnett added an RBI single in the bottom of the third that capped a three-run frame.
Jarrett Wallace went the distance on the mound for the Wildcats, giving up just the one run on four hits in five innings of work. He struggled at times with control, walking six batters, but finished with 10 strikeouts.
Apalachee was scheduled to host Duluth at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and will resume action Saturday with a pair of games at Hebron Christian in Dacula. The Wildcats will take on Hebron and Shiloh, beginning at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats routed Johnson High School of Gainesville 15-0 in a run rule-shortened, non-region home game Tuesday, a victory that followed an 11-1 drubbing of Berkmar at home Friday in five innings.
Against Berkmar, Apalachee (3-1) scored six runs in the bottom of the second, mostly on the strength of small ball. With one out, Jake Hopkins and Joey Salvaggio hit back-to-back singles, Alecsi Lopez was walked to load the bases, and DJ Smith was hit by a pitch to bring the first run home. Salvaggio then scored on a passed ball, and Alex Cook’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0. The big blow came when Nate Hodnett ripped a bases-clearing double to make it 6-0. Hodnett added an RBI single in the bottom of the third that capped a three-run frame.
Jarrett Wallace went the distance on the mound for the Wildcats, giving up just the one run on four hits in five innings of work. He struggled at times with control, walking six batters, but finished with 10 strikeouts.
Apalachee was scheduled to host Duluth at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and will resume action Saturday with a pair of games at Hebron Christian in Dacula. The Wildcats will take on Hebron and Shiloh, beginning at 1 p.m.
Soccer: Apalachee boys defeat perennially strong Buford, 6-1, move to 3-0 on season
The Apalachee High School boys soccer team remained undefeated during the early portion of the 2018 season after a 6-1 victory against visiting Buford on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (3-0) received their toughest test this month but eventually survived and made even made it seem somewhat one-sided thanks to a strong defensive effort and some timely offensive output in the non-region contest.
“This was a tough match even though when you hear the final score you might not think so,” Apalachee coach Chad Hooper said. “I am proud of the players. We played well, especially in the second half.”
Back-to-back goals from Chris Godinez and Nestor Perla in a span of 30 seconds gave AHS a two-goal cushion not long after Buford had managed to tie the score.
The Wolves (2-3) had just missed tying the score with 35:12 remaining when an attempt sailed just high of the net. Buford did manage to finally even the score with 26:10 left.
Corbin Cutter’s goals with 13:57 and 5:14 in the second half officially closed the door on the Wolves. Fernando Galavez made the final goal with 26 seconds left.
AHS earlier had several attempts on goal in the first 12 minutes of the second half but could not increase its lead.
The first 19 minutes of the match were scoreless until AHS managed to get on the scoreboard. The Wildcats had various scoring opportunities in the first half but could not cash in until Jorge Bazan found the back of the net at the 20:42 mark.
AHS continued to play solid defense limiting Buford to few attempts in the first half as the Wildcats led 1-0 at the break. Ronald Galindo had four saves in the first half before Johnny Navarro played in net in the second 40 minutes.
Tuesday’s matchup was the first meeting between the AHS boys and Buford since 2013 when the Wolves took a 3-2 win. The Wildcats now hold a 4-2 series advantage.
Prior to Tuesday’s match the Wildcats defeated both Oglethorpe County and North Oconee by identical 6-1 scores.
“We are playing well at this point in the season,” Hooper said. “We lost several key players from last year’s team but we have already had several players step up big for us.
“We have some things we still have to work on but each win gives us more confidence.”
AHS will travel to Loganville High School Friday for a 7:30 p.m. non-region contest.
The Wildcats (3-0) received their toughest test this month but eventually survived and made even made it seem somewhat one-sided thanks to a strong defensive effort and some timely offensive output in the non-region contest.
“This was a tough match even though when you hear the final score you might not think so,” Apalachee coach Chad Hooper said. “I am proud of the players. We played well, especially in the second half.”
Back-to-back goals from Chris Godinez and Nestor Perla in a span of 30 seconds gave AHS a two-goal cushion not long after Buford had managed to tie the score.
The Wolves (2-3) had just missed tying the score with 35:12 remaining when an attempt sailed just high of the net. Buford did manage to finally even the score with 26:10 left.
Corbin Cutter’s goals with 13:57 and 5:14 in the second half officially closed the door on the Wolves. Fernando Galavez made the final goal with 26 seconds left.
AHS earlier had several attempts on goal in the first 12 minutes of the second half but could not increase its lead.
The first 19 minutes of the match were scoreless until AHS managed to get on the scoreboard. The Wildcats had various scoring opportunities in the first half but could not cash in until Jorge Bazan found the back of the net at the 20:42 mark.
AHS continued to play solid defense limiting Buford to few attempts in the first half as the Wildcats led 1-0 at the break. Ronald Galindo had four saves in the first half before Johnny Navarro played in net in the second 40 minutes.
Tuesday’s matchup was the first meeting between the AHS boys and Buford since 2013 when the Wolves took a 3-2 win. The Wildcats now hold a 4-2 series advantage.
Prior to Tuesday’s match the Wildcats defeated both Oglethorpe County and North Oconee by identical 6-1 scores.
“We are playing well at this point in the season,” Hooper said. “We lost several key players from last year’s team but we have already had several players step up big for us.
“We have some things we still have to work on but each win gives us more confidence.”
AHS will travel to Loganville High School Friday for a 7:30 p.m. non-region contest.
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