|
|
|
Spartan Spam
Friday, March 03, 2006
>>SPARTAN BOOSTER #316 >>March 3, 2006 _____________________________________________________________________
TODAY! FRIDAY, MARCH 3 5:00pm Varsity baseball: Eagle's Landing at GACS; Spartan baseball field 5:30pm Varsity girls soccer: Gainesville at GACS; Spartan soccer field 7:30pm Varsity boys soccer: Gainesville at GACS; Spartan soccer field
SATURDAY, MARCH 4 Varsity boys golf at Apple Mountain Invitational; 901 Rockford Creek Road; Clarkesville GA 3:00pm Varsity girls basketball: GACS vs. Wesleyan; State AA Championship Game; Macon Coliseum ____________________________________________________________ >BASKETBALL
LADY SPARTANS PLAY FOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY!
Coach Mike Mitchell reports: The Lady Spartan basketball team reached the state finals for the 3rd time in the past 6 years with a 64-48 win yesterday over Dodge County. It was a very exciting game and it was great to see so many Spartan fans make the trip to Macon. Julio Stephens had an outstanding game for the Lady Spartans as she scored 23 points and had 13 rebounds. D'Nay Daniels scored 21 points and Bria Smith added 10. The girls now play for the state championship at 3:00 Saturday at the Macon Coliseum. Congratulate these girls on a great job and hope to see you there!
JULIO STEPHENS STEPS UP AND SCORES 23 POINTS; GAC 64, DODGE CO. 48 By CRAIG CUSTANCE Mar. 2 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Macon —For D'Nay Daniels, it was excruciating to watch. Her nervous energy kept her standing on the end of the Greater Atlanta Christian bench, her arms crossed — unfolding them only to chew her fingernails.
The big lead she helped build in the first half against Dodge County was dwindling, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. She was a casualty of foul trouble.
Teammate Julio Stephens said later that losing their team's leading scorer didn't worry her; it just meant everyone else had to play a little harder.
On Thursday, it was Stephens who helped fill the void, scoring 23 points while grabbing 12 rebounds in leading GAC to a 64-48 win over Dodge County in the Class AA girls semifinals. The win snaps a 15-game win streak for the Squaws, and keeps the Spartans (25-7) alive in their quest for an eighth state championship.
Daniels got things going early for the Spartans, scoring 12 points in the first half, as GAC opened a 12-point lead going into the third quarter. But then fouls struck the talented junior, who didn't find much sympathy from her coach, Mike Mitchell. After her fourth foul, an incredulous Mitchell pulled Daniels from the game, Mitchell's frustration showing as the fouls piled up.
"It's really hard, I know coach gets upset," Daniels said. "He said, 'If you want to stay in the game, you can't foul.' I'm like, 'Coach, I didn't mean to, the ball just hit my hand.' "
So as the Squaws rallied, behind strong third-quarter play from Kimberly Gay, (18 points, 11 rebounds), Daniels spent most of the second half cheering — the only GAC cheerleader averaging 19 points per game.
Stephens, though, wasn't sweating it. She'd played without Daniels earlier in the season when Daniels missed games because of an injury. That experience helped against Dodge County.
Behind Stephens' strong play, huge free throws from Bria Smith (10 points) and some stingy defense from Courtney Samuels, the Spartans pulled away at the end.
It marked another loss in the semifinals for the Dodge County girls (24-5), who were knocked out in the semis last year against Dade County.
"One of these days I'm going to get over the Final Four hurdle," said Dodge County coach Carol Smith. "One of these days."
CLASS AA: FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE & DIRECTIONS TO MACON COLISEUM
SATURDAY, MARCH 4: FINALS [All games broadcast live on Georgia Public Television] 11:00am Class A Girls State Championship Game: Atkinson Co. vs. Southwest Atlanta Christian 12:45pm Class A Boys State Championship Game: Whitefield Academy vs. SW Atlanta Christian 3:00pm Class AA Girls State Championship Game: GACS vs. Wesleyan 4:45pm Class AA Boys State Championship Game: Thomasville vs. Dublin 7:00pm Class AAA Girls State Championship Game 8:45pm Class AAA Boys State Championship Game
DIRECTIONS: The Macon Centreplex Coliseum and Convention Center 200 Coliseum Drive Macon, GA 31217
From Atlanta: Take I-75 South to downtown Macon; Take I-16 East and get off at Exit 2. Turn left onto Coliseum Drive and follow signs.
JULIO STEPHENS GUIDES GAC TO FINAL SHOWDOWN WITH RIVAL WESLEYANl By Brandon Brigman, Staff Writer Mar. 3 Gwinnett Daily Post
MACON — To make it to the state championship game, it takes some breaks along the way and players stepping up. In Thursday's semifinal game at the Macon Centerplex that player was Julio Stephens for Greater Atlanta Christian.
The junior led all scorers with 23 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and had two blocks to lead the Spartans to a 64-48 win over Dodge County in the Class AA semifinals.
"She stepped up big today," GAC girls coach Mike Mitchell said. "She's got a lot of ability and a real nice shot. She hit some big free throws for us at the end."
GAC (25-7) advances to the state finals on Saturday where it will meet defending champ Wesleyan at 3 p.m. in Macon.
The Spartans' return to the finals is their first since 2002 when they won the state title. Stephens was able to control the boards despite the efforts of Dodge County's 6-foot-2 center Kimberly Gay in the paint.
"We've been working on rebounding all week in practice," Stephens said. "I definitely think that was a key tonight. We were able to box out, grab rebounds and turn them into quick baskets."
GAC, which outrebounded Dodge County 30-22, opened the game with its full court press and forced three quick turnovers. A Courtney Samuels steal and pass to D'Nay Daniels put GAC up 8-0 and on the Spartans' next possession Samuels made a layup for a 10-0 margin.
The early lead set the tone for the game. GAC never trailed and it was not until the fourth quarter that Dodge County (24-5) threatened to get back in the game.
"You never know what to expect when you make it this far in the tournament," Stephens said. "I've never even heard of this team until this week, so you really don't know what to expect. You just have to go out and play hard early on."
It took three minutes for Dodge County to end its scoring drought. Gay hit a layup to make the game 10-2.
Dodge County finally got back in the ballgame and made it a 18-14 game to start the second quarter.
The Spartans went on a two-minute, 8-0 run and took their largest lead of the game at 33-19 after a Kiara Swanier pass to Stephens for a layup.
A Swanier 3-pointer at the buzzard gave the Spartans a 36-24 lead at the half. Gay scored eight of her team-leading 18 points in the third quarter to tried and get Dodge County going.
The Spartans were without their top scorer, Daniels, for most of the third quarter. Daniels picked up her third foul in that period after scoring 17 points in the first half and finished with 21.
"We've had to play without her a lot this year," Mitchell said. "There was no panic because we've had to do it before."
The Indians cut the lead to five with 5:08 left in the game, but that was the closest they ever got. Dodge County went cold from the field and Stephens and Bria Smith both went 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final two minutes to seal the win.
CLASS AA: WESLEYAN 55, SCREVEN COUNTY 45
WESLEYAN SENIORS LEAD THE WAY By Craig Custance Mar. 3 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Macon — Wesleyan didn't need any extra motivation. The girls are two-time defending state champions, and seniors like Carolyn Whitney, Lé Lé LeSeur, Alison Watt and Elise Whitney are determined to go out on top.
But when Greater Atlanta Christian won its semifinal game earlier on Thursday, to earn a spot in the Class AA finals, oh boy, did Wesleyan want to join them. The rival schools are 20 minutes apart, and now they'll travel all the way to Macon to settle a state championship.
With its 55-45 win over Screven County, Wesleyan earned a spot in the Class AA finals, and a chance to play region rival GAC, the 2002 state champion, for the fourth time this season.
"When GAC won, I said we have to win too," said LeSeur, who scored 16 points in the win over Screven County. "It's just going to be crazy on Saturday, I'm ready."
Wesleyan (29-3) survived a tough test against Screven County, a team that hadn't lost to a Class AA school yet this season. But the Gamecocks were playing in their first semifinals in school history, while this was a Wesleyan team headed for its third consecutive state finals. When Screven County rallied to cut Wesleyan's early lead to three points in the third quarter, the Wolves never blinked.
Sarah Delk took advantage of foul trouble to Screven County's 6-foot-1 center Kadedra Evans and attacked the boards, giving the Wolves multiple second efforts on offense. She had 12 points to go with 14 rebounds. LeSeur and Carolyn Whitney (14 points seven rebounds, four steals), meanwhile, provided the scoring.
"[Evans] was a beast, but Lé Lé and I realized it was our job to rebound," said Delk. Screven's Evans finished the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while teammate Gabrielle Simon led the Gamecocks with 14 points.
Wesleyan coach Jan Azar called the win ugly, because she wasn't happy with the turnovers. Screven's press was a challenge for the Wolves, and senior Kenyetta O'Neal had seven steals for the Gamecocks (29-3).
But Azar quickly realized that an ugly win in the semifinals still gets you a spot in the finals, and a long bus ride south to play the team across town.
"It's a great trip though," she said, smiling. "We like Macon."
LADY SPARTANS RECORD (25-7) -------------------------------------------- GACS 46-55 Marist GACS 74-30 Chestatee GACS 75-58 Shaw GACS 75-35 Lovett GACS 49-22 Paideia GACS 81-28 Banks County* GACS 57-51 Cartersville GACS 67-12 Union County* GACS 67-22 Rabun County* GACS 76-40 Jefferson GACS 57-39 Buford* GACS 57-28 Walton GACS 43-53 South Gwinnett GACS 55-63 Spartanburg SC GACS 40-38 East Hall* GACS 41-25 Dawson County* GACS 60-34 Chestatee GACS 43-61 Wesleyan* GACS 60-36 Providence Christian* GACS 62-38 Lumpkin County* GACS 44-45 East Hall* GACS 51-45 Cartersville GACS 48-57 Wesleyan* GACS 92-57 Providence Christian* GACS 60-57 Buford* *Region games (10-3)
REGION TOURNAMENT (2-1) GACS 64-37 Banks County GACS 59-50 Buford GACS 59-62 Wesleyan
STATE TOURNAMENT (4-0) GACS 75-41 Oglethorpe County GACS 54-40 Pace Academy GACS 57-39 East Hall GACS 64-48 Dodge County GACS vs. Wesleyan; Class AA Girls State Championship; Saturday, March 4; 3:00pm
>BASEBALL
5:00PM TODAY ON CAMPUS: SPARTANS VS. EAGLES LANDING
Holy Innocents' 8, GAC 7 NORCROSS — Despite a strong performance by Landon Bennett, Greater Atlanta Christian fell short to Holy Innocents' 8-7 on Thursday. Bennett went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs and teammate Dillon Geraghty went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. [Mar. 3 Gwinnett Daily Post]
Follow Spartan baseball at the team's website: http://eteamz.active.com/GACSpartanBaseball/
VARSITY BASEBALL SEASON RECORD (1-1) ------------------------------ GACS 9-5 St. Pius GACS 7-8 Holy Innocents
VARSITY BASEBALL ROSTER Brock Bennett - catcher Landon Bennett - pitcher, centerfield Louis Brooks - Brent Burrows Colton Chapple Lee Chapple - first base Mark Edwards - shortstop Dillon Geraghty Ian Graham Ryan Griffin - pitcher Hunter Montgomery Patrick Savage Brock Snead Taylor Wood - pitcher, first base John Wood - outfield
SPARTANS WILL PLAY AT TURNER FIELD ON MAY 10
Greater Atlanta Christian and Wesleyan will play at Turner Field on Wednesday, May 10 as part of the Spring Baseball Classic benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
The Spartans and Wolves will play at 4 p.m., followed by Georgia vs. Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. Seating is general admission. For information, call Joe Chapple at 404-663-9453 or e-mail him at Chapple@wpyba.org [Feb. 15 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Game Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2006. First game: GAC Spartans vs. Wesleyan Wolves at 4:00pm. Second game: Georgia vs. Georgia Tech at 7:00pm. Location: Turner Field. Tickets are $10 each. Seating is general admission.
For questions about this event, please contact Joe Chapple at 404-663-9453 or Chapple@wpyba.org
>GIRLS SOCCER >Head Coach: Troy Bendickson >Assistant Coach: Amanda Cost >Trainer: Chad Dybdahl
TODAY! GAC VS. GAINESVILLE 5:30 AT HOME
Lady Spartans take first win of their season The GAC Spartans won their first region match of the year Tuesday night 9-0 at East Hall. Sarah Brummett scored three goals. Sammy Abrahart had two goals. Whitney Adams also scored twice. Quincy Meyer and Sarah Gwyn each had one goal. GAC improved to 3-4, 1-0 in 8-AA. [Mar. 1 AJC]
GAC 9, East Hall 0 GAINESVILLE — Sarah Brummett scored three goals Tuesday night in leading Greater Atlanta Christian to a 9-0 blanking of East Hall. Sammy Abrahart and Whitney Adams each scored twice for GAC (3-4, 1-0) while Quincy Meyer and Sarah Gwyn scored once. Adams also had two assists. [Mar. 1 Gwinnett Daily Post]
GAC 2, North Hall 0 NORCROSS — Megan Klenke and Sammy Abrahart scored goals on Monday night as the Greater Atlanta Christian girls slipped past North Hall 2-0. Sara Lindsley assisted both goals for the Spartans (2-4). [Feb. 28 Gwinnett Daily Post]
Lady Spartans Soccer Record (3-4) ------------------------ GACS 1-2 Grady GACS 4-1 St. Vincent's Academy GACS 1-2 Evans GACS 0-1 Westminster GACS 2-10 Woodward GACS 2-0 North Hall GACS 9-0 East Hall
TOP TEN POLL AA/A GIRLS: 1. Lovett, 2. Providence Christian, 3. Decatur, 4. Pace Academy, 5. Walker, 6. Wesleyan, 7. Aquinas, 8. Paideia, 9. Holy Innocents, 10. Grady. [Source: Georgia HS Soccer Coaches Assn.]
>BOYS SOCCER >Head Coach: Thom Jacquet >Assistant Coach: Joe Aaron, Sean Wickham >Trainer: Chad Dybdahl
SPARTANS PLAY GAINESVILLE AT HOME TODAY
GAC 6, East Hall 1 GAINESVILLE — Greater Atlanta Christian opened its Region 8-AA schedule with a 6-1 win over East Hall on Tuesday. Sam Arthur scored four goals for GAC (2-4, 1-0) while Chris Thomas added two more. [Mar. 1 Gwinnett Daily Post]
SPARTAN BOYS SOCCER RECORD (2-4) ............................ GACS 2-0 Grady GACS 2-3 Savannah Country Day GACS 1-3 Aquinas GACS 1-4 Lovett GACS 2-5 Walker GACS 6-1 East Hall
AA/A Boys: 1. Aquinas, 2. Walker, 3. Savannah Country Day, 4. Buford, 5. Lovett, 6. Pace Academy, 7. Holy Innocents, 8. Providence Christian, 9. Paideia, 10. Greater Atlanta Christian
>TENNIS
GIRLS TENNIS: GAC girls remain undefeated
GAC 5, Parkview 0 LILBURN — Greater Atlanta Christian remained undefeated on the season as it swept Parkview 5-0 on Thursday. Chelsea Sanders won the No. 1 singles and Christy Couch won No. 2 singles 5-7, 6-1, 14-12 while Abbey Whitworth won No. 3 singles. Abby Rising and Caroline Greenwood won No. 1 doubles and Christie Howard and Brook Lewis completed the sweep. [Mar. 3 Gwinnett Daily Post]
VARSITY TENNIS SCHEDULE Day...Date...Opponent...Location
Thursday 3/9 Wesleyan; Boys at Home; Girls at Wesleyan Friday and Saturday 3/10-11 LaGrange Tournament at LaGrange GA Tuesday 3/14 Buford at GACS Thursday 3/16 Providence at GACS Monday 3/20 Lovett at GACS Thursday 3/23 East Hall at GACS Friday-Saturday 3/24-25 Buckhead Rotary Tournament Monday 3/27 Athens Academy at GACS Tuesday 4/11 Pace at GACS Monday 4/17 Region Tournament Begins at Buford
>GOLF >Head coach Gary Richey >Assistant coach Steve Tufts
GOLF SCHEDULE Day...Date...Opponent/Tournament...Location...Boys / Girls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sat. March 4 Apple Mountain Invitational Clarksville GA Yes No Tues. March 7 Wesleyan at Berkeley Hills CC; boys only Friday March 10 Gwinnett Co. Open Reunion Golf Club; boys & girls Monday March 13 Providence Christian BHCC; boys & girls Monday March 20 Providence Christian BHCC; girls only Thursday March 23 Dawson Co. BHCC; boys & girls Monday March 27 Carrollton Invitational Carrollton; girls only Tuesday March 28 Providence Christian Northwoods CC; boys & girls Monday April 3 Atlanta Athletic Club Invitational Atlanta Athletic Club; boys only Fri-Sat. April 7-8 Indian Classic Vidalia; boys only Friday April 14 Manington Tournament Calhoun; boys only Saturday April 15 Mannington Tournament Calhoun; boys & girls Tuesday April 18 Dawson Co. Gold Creek; boys & girls Sat. April 22 Maple Ridge Invitational Columbus; girls only Friday April 28 Region Tournament Gold Creek; boys & girls Monday May 8 State Golf Boys - Rocky Creek Golf Club, Vidalia GA Monday May 8 State Golf Girls - Vidalia Country Club, Vidalia GA
BOYS GOLF ROSTER Name / Class Blake Joiner - Senior Pavle Potparic - Senior Jonathan Hull - Senior Patrick Howard - Junior Brad Bartlett - Sophomore Mark Knauss - Freshman Nate Cho - Freshman CJ Williams - Freshman Justin Ernest - Freshman
GIRLS GOLF ROSTER Name / Class Katie Tufts - Senior Rebekah Osteen - Senior Lisa Licata - Sophomore Kim Moore - Sophomore Lauren Rogers - Freshman Lindsay Adams - 8th grade
>BOYS LACROSSE >Head coach Corbin Wilhelmi
GAC parent Doug Curd reports: The Boys Lacrosse Team suffered their first defeat on Monday when they played Centennial High School in Roswell. It was a very hard fought game by both teams. Centennial led at the half, 4 to 3. It was tied 5 to 5 going into the 4th quarter, but Centennial scored the last goal and won the game, 6 to 5. The team's record now is two wins and one loss.
The next game is March 6 at 5 PM against Kell before they return home to play Northview on March 10.
2006 Boys Roster Name / Grade ---------------- Thomas Bolton 12 McLaine Merrick 12 Ty Smith 11 William Shuford 11 Ryan Terrana 11 Alex Davis 10 Christian Fretz 10 Nate McCarter 10 David Paris 10 Robert Boccolucci 9 Tyler Boyd 9 Ryan Campbell 9 Nathaniel Einfeldt 9 Jay Jackson 9 Jeffrey Johnson 9 Micahel Kennedy 9 Banks Lee 9 Brett Shanley 9 Andrew Starcher 9 Drew Curd 8 Ryan Daughtery 8 Blake Guy 8 John Hattaway 8 Bryan Savage 8 Justin White 8 Cooper Wisted 8 [reprinted from www.greateratlantachristian.org]
>GIRLS LACROSSE >Head coach Gerry Hill
Coach Hill reports: The Lady Spartans Lacrosse team played their best game of the season [Monday] night as they dropped a heartbreaker, 8-7 to Decatur. Reagan Page recorded the team's first-ever hat trick with three goals. Jessica Coan netted two goals while Lauren Sgro and Savannah Lazarus each had single goals. Katie Bolton had a great game in goal for the Lady Spartans. The team will play again next Monday night at home against Alpharetta at 6:00pm.
2005-06 Roster Name / Grade ------------------- Katie Bolton 11 Stephanie Pendleton 10 Jessica Coan 10 Meredith Thomas 10 Paige Colgrove 10 Caroline Foster 10 Reagan Page 10 Margie Fisher 10 Austin Macenczak 10 Taylor Bauer 10 Laura Hobbs 10 Kelsey McDavid 10 Corbin Aiken 9 Whitney Deedy 9 Savannah Lazarus 9 Ellen Begley 9 Lauren Sgro 9 Megan Thomas 9 Head coach Gerry Hill [reprinted from www.greateratlantachristian.org]
TRACK & FIELD
Varsity/JV Schedule...Day...Date...Opponent...Location...Participants
Tuesday 3/7 Mill Creek JV Invitational at Mill Creek; Top 2: 9th & 10th Boys/Girls Saturday 3/11 Duluth Invitational at Duluth; Top 2 Boys and Girls Tuesday 3/14 Meadowcreek & Holy Innocents at GACS; All Boys and Girls Saturday 3/18 GACS Invitational at GACS; Top 2: Boys and Girls Tuesday 3/21 Galloway at GACS; All Boys and Girls Thursday 3/23 Parkview Invitational at Parkview; 9th Grade Boys and Girls Sat.& Monday 3/25 & 27 Gwinnett Co. Meet at Mill Creek; JV and Varsity Boys and Girls Saturday 4/1 Optional Meet; TBA; Selected Individuals Tuesday 4/11 Wesleyan at Wesleyan; All Boys and Girls Friday 4/14 Spartan Classic at GACS; Top 2 Boys and Girls Thursday 4/20 Buford at Buford; All Boys and Girls Monday-Tuesday 4/24-25 Girls Region at GACS; Qualifiers Monday-Tuesday 5/1-2 Boys Region at Buford; Qualifiers Thursday-Saturday 5/4-6 Girls State Meet at Albany; Qualifiers Thursday-Saturday 5/11-13 Boys State Meet at Jefferson; Qualifiers __________________________________________________________________________
THE BEST OF GAC ANNOUNCEMENTS [reprinted from www.greateratlantachristian.org]
PLANNING AHEAD: TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES WITH GACS NEXT YEAR
GACS will be traveling to London, Paris, and Rome during Spring Break next year: March 28-April 6, 2007. A deposit of $95 will reserve your place on the trip and save you $300, if you respond before March 31. The final payment is not due until December 1, 2006.
Additionally, GACS will be traveling to Madrid and Barcelona May 30-June 7, 2007. A deposit of $95 will reserve your place on the trip and save you $300, if you respond before March 31. The final payment is not due until February 1, 2007.
Who can participate? All GACS students*, families, and friends. For details call the Academic Office at 770-243-2258, or check the web at http://www.gacs.pvt.k12.ga.us/facstaff/sspiceland/. *Elementary and junior high students need to be accompanied by a parent or an adult chaperone.
>2006 SCHOOL CALENDAR March 23 & 25 Spartan Spectacular March 31 Grandparents' Day (noon dismissal) April 3-7 Spring break April 28 Junior/Senior Banquet May 5 Celebration Dinner May 25 Commencement August 10 GACS registration August 14 First day of school
See the school calendar online at http://63.243.64.130:84/default/d01/01/2006?display=M&style=B&positioning=A
________________________________________________________ | | KING'S GATE THEATRE | | Mar. 17-18............VISION SHOWCASE | May 11-13............COMEDY OF ERRORS |_______________________________________________________
>SPARTAN PHOTOS ONLINE Martin Photography link http://martinphotography.morephotos.com/mp_includes/index.asp Gwinnett Daily Post link http://gwinnettdailypost.mycapture.com/mycapture/index.asp?view=yes&groupingid=2649
----------------SPARTAN PHOTO GALLERY BELOW--------------------------- 1. Bria Smith brings ball up the court against Wesleyan in January. [photo by Vino Wong/AJC] 2. Senior Courtney Samuels drives against Buford earlier this season. [photo by Gwinnett Daily Post] 3. Head basketball coach Mike Mitchell [photo by Martin Photography] 4. D'Nay Daniels (21) drives through the Dodge County defensive players at State Tournament semifinals. [photo by Johnny Crawford/AJC] 5. Kiki Swanier against Buford earlier this season. [photo by Jason Getz/AJC]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sign In
|
|
|
Calendar
|
|
|
Online Surveys
|
|