The Prep Sports Report Issue 2

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Your Source for Savannah Area Prep Sports • Issue 2 • 2011 FREE

Check Out Your FavoriteSchools Inside

Photo by Birkherrath.com

The Ladies On The Diamond Making a Hit!

Redskins HaveNo More TearsTo Shed

Mustangs RightWhere They Want To Be

Bryan CountySenior Tiffany Howard pitching her team to state playoffs.

And injuries determine who plays. Be careful out there. Here’s to a healthy and safe championship season.

EffortDetermines Outcome.

Our local prep fast-p i t c h s o f t b a l l

teams have come a long way since 1997 when the area went from slow-pitch softball. Each team strives to be the best they can be, and they are so close, but yet so far or should it be so far

and yet so close? Regardless, the “Ladies on the Diamonds” are all successful. Some have made the state playoffs, but most pack it all up at the end of the season. They still go out there between the foul lines and play all out and for that they are all winners. Besides winning, there is a personal side too. The girls from all prep softball teams form lifelong friendships from their team-work and sacrifice on getting better each day. They walk the walk when it comes to having each other’s backs and bats. The pur-suit of excellence continues whether it is in the classroom or on the playing field. That’s another point to note: Doing so does not get easier over time; it gets harder. Everyone is trying to be better than the next player. If you settle for where you are out, someone will pass you by. Every coach and team is trying to get their players to play year round. These young ladies are like diamonds in the rough. Once you find them, you don’t want to give them back. As I stated before, whether you have won a region title or finished out the season. Putting your reputation out there at practice or at a game makes you a winner in my book, and I like to say a great season was had by all!

In Health, Sports, and Happiness

Karl DeMasi


Issue 2 • 2011

Prep Sports Report is published monthly by Moesch Media, Inc., 3 Westcross Road, Savannah, Georgia 31411. Phone (912) 660-7382. Email: [email protected].

Story Ideas?Persons who have story ideas or a particular story about their school, or an idea of particular interest to the community and/or the magazine that is related to health, fitness and prep sports, please contact Dean Moesch, Jr., Publisher at (912) 660-7382 or by email at [email protected] or Karl DeMasi, Editor, Prep Sports Report, at (912) 507-9158 or by email at [email protected].

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CorrectionsIt is the policy of Moesch Media to make corrections whenever possible. It is the responsibility of advertisers to identify errors prior to the next publication cycle. For reprints of articles or photos, call Karl DeMasi at (912) 507-9158.

EditorKarl DeMasiMore “D” Productions, LLC(912) 507-9158 • [email protected]

PublisherDean Moesch, Jr.Moesch Media, LLC(912) 660-7382 • [email protected]

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All contents copyright 2011, Moesch Media, LLC

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the expressed written consent from the publisher. Mention of any product or service does not constitute endorsement from Prep Sports Report. The information contained in this publication is deemed reliable from third party sources, but not guaranteed. Moesch Media, LLC does not act as an agent for any of the advertisers in this publication.

editor’s letter

Karl DeMasi

2 • Prep Sports Report • Issue 2 • 2011

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contents ISSUE 2 • 2011

7 Chain Baseball Academy

8 Loco’s Athlete of The Month

10 Cadets Gridiron Future - Strong and Bright

12 Redskins Have No More Tears to Shed

14 Lady Cavaliers Earning Respect

16 Rebels Trying to Separate Themselves From The Rest

18 Rebels With A Cause

20 Island’’s Softball Program Young and Growing

22 Warriors Want to Finish the Deal This Year

24 Roundtree Hopes to Develop Young Atomsmashers

26 Lady Matador Softball Team Has a Lot of Heart & Soul

28 Wildcats Scratching Toward Playoffs

30 Saint Vincent’s Cross-Country Has High Aspirations

32 Arts Academy Girl’s Cross-Country Team Unbeatable

34 Hornets Softball Buzzing To Be Back

36 Softball Returns To Savannah High

38 New Coach Same Red Raider Attitude

40 Mustangs Right Where They Want To Be

42 Knights Trying To Get Better

44 Second Impact Syndrome: Concussion on Concussion

46 Timeline for College Athletic Scholarships

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Loco’s Grill & Pub Athlete of the Month - Tiffany Howard


In some ways, you can say that Bryan County senior pitching/hitting sensation Tiffany Howard is perfect. That is, she pitches perfect

no-hit softball games, while also hitting .677 from the plate. She has recorded 23 wins so far this season for her team, while her nearest competitor is a far second with 15 wins. Those local accolades caught the attention of Southeastern Conference powerhouse Auburn University resulting in Howard being offered a full-scholarship to take her skills to another level in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Trying to punctuate the current 2011 season and a possible state championship trophy, Howard added to her growing legacy by tossing another shutout in a 4-0 shutout performance to pick up her 24th win of the season. Howard then turned that effort around to lead her team to a 9-2 victory over Calvary Baptist enroute to the school’s first region championship which began the first week of October. In those two games, Howard struck out 26 batters and gave up only one earned run and hit. It was no wonder that Auburn Head Softball Coach Tina Deese jumped at the opportunity to grab someone of Howard’s ability to add to a team, which for the last two years have had the freshmen of the year in the SEC. SCHOOL: Bryan County, senior POSITION: Pitcher/shortstop HEIGHT: 5-foot-3 AWARDS: Class A state softball player of the year; Region 3-A player of the year. Last year she received the Savannah Morning News’ top softball player in 2010. BY THE NUMBERS: This year Howard leads the Redskins with 25 victories and leads her team to its first region championship with a win over Calvary Baptist in the championship game. She is batting .691 on the season while hitting two homeruns. Last year, in 40 games, she compiled a pitching record of 28-9, the most wins in Georgia. She struck out 307

Bryan County High SchoolRedskin’s Howard Headed to Auburn

By C. Edward Wilson

Tiffany Howard Bryan County High School


batters in 234 innings with a 1.38 ERA. The multi-sport athlete also excels at track and field and basketball. She is a point guard on the basketball team and finished third in the Class A state track and field meets last season in the triple jump, fourth in the 800 meters and seventh in the 1,600. WHAT’S NEXT? Howard has made an early verbal commitment to play softball at Auburn, where she plans to study veterinary medicine. **Information was courtesy of Savannah Morning News Sports Department.

PREP SPortscongratulations

athlete of the monthLocos is crazy excited about the 2011 sports season. With so much success last year, this season promises to be better than ever.

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tiffany howardBryan County High school

Benedictine

The Benedictine Junior Varsity Football lining up to run a play versus.

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Cadets Gridiron Future -Strong and Bright

By Benedictine Public Relations Department

The future is bright for the young Benedictine Cadets football teams! With players com-ing from several different schools around the

Coastal Empire, BC has definitely put together a win-ning combination in its young programs. Both the Junior Varsity team and the freshmen team are getting a lot of work thanks to a great practice schedule. The Benedictine coaching staff has worked their practice schedule in a way, which incorporates freshmen expe-riencing the same type of coaching as seniors. Their hard work is paying off! The JV and freshmen teams are off to a great start with undefeated seasons. In particular, the freshmen team defense led by Josh and Jacob Imholz. Matthew Voyles, Jack Muller, Joshua Williams, Parker Von Waldner, Phillip Burke, Daniel Mahoney, and Clark Simons have held both of its op-ponents scoreless so far this season. They have emerged

victorious over South Effingham by a score of 43-0 and Bluffton by a score of 41-0. The freshmen offensive team is led by quarterbacks Connor DeWitt and Stevie Powers, who are already making names for themselves by proving to be a pow-erful throwing threat. However, the quarterbacks have some great receivers such as Brad Stewart, Jon Gaines, and Stephen Sheehan. The young running game is not to be outdone with Warren Wright, Okeem Franklin, Casey Hughes, Brandon DeLoach, and Joseph Hol-guin all scoring touchdowns. So far, this year, the JV and freshmen teams have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 269-79 and are undefeated at 7-0. Both the JV and freshmen teams look forward to finishing strong this year in preparation for moving up next year!

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With nine seniors on the team this year, the Bryan County girl’s softball team started the season with only one objective on their collective minds ...

to win the Georgia High School Association’s Class-A state title. To achieve that goal, the team purposely scheduled games against some of the state’s best teams in preparation for what would be a tough ride to Columbus. The last time Bryan County was there was in 2010, where they finished in fourth place. Fourth-year coach Al Butler saw his team with streaming tears on their faces after that defeat, and at that moment decided to make this season’s slogan be, “No More Tears.” The team has overcome a season full of leg and ankle injuries enroute to posting a 20-7 record. The only losses have come at the hands of teams that perennially are in the upper

echelon in the state polls. “We definitely have the skills and talent to win it all,” said Butler, prior to tournament time. “We are a lot better offensively, and that is due to the dedication we spent throughout the year getting ready for this season. All the girls played with travel teams after the regular season ended last year,” added Butler. Senior pitcher Tiffany Howard is headed to Auburn University and is on the brink of breaking the state batting record for a season with a .691 average. The second-leading hitter is the coach’s daughter Taylor. The junior slugger is batting .476 with 34 runs batted in. Senior Sierra Newman recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Shorter College and would like nothing more than to end the season with a state crown.

Bryan County


Redskins Have No More Tears To Shed

By C. Edward Wilson

Bryan County Senior Softball Players 2011Standing: Sierra Cornell, Jenna Schuman, McKenzie Covington, Satashala Beasley, Stacy Turner, Amber Neagley.

Bottom row: Sierra Newman, Jerri Hines, Tiffany Howard, Rebecca Strickland

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SOCCER LACROSSE RUGBY VOLLEYBALL

Calvary Day School

Lady CavaliersEarning Respect

By The Prep Sports Report Staff

Calvary softball is the forgotten sport at Calvary Day School. It could be considered the Rod-ney Dangerfield of Calvary sports. They get no

respect. The volleyball and basketball programs are the freight trains in the female prep sports arena here in Sa-vannah. The last few years they have been running over-all opponents in their way. This year the softball program is gaining steam and is turning heads. Nobody expected this except for Head Coach Sherrie Griffin. She has been part of the program for the last ten seasons and nine of them as the head coach. “We have played a tough schedule. We added more tour-naments and it has gotten the girls prepared,” said Griffin. “Overall we struggled early but this has made us more solid. We got to play more games, which has helped us improve.” This year’s team was led by three seniors, Maggie Da-vis, Gabby Graham, and Catherine Kimball. Starting on the mound was pitcher Maggie Davis. She had a 1.81 earned run average, and struck out 170 batters. “She has been the main pitcher for our program the past three sea-sons. She is also a tough out when she is at bat. She is a great competitor and loves the game. She led by example,” said Coach Griffin. “Gabby and Catherine are players you dream of. They would play any position we asked and do anything for the team. Gabby set the table as our leadoff hitter and Catherine had to switch her position and has been a steady outfielder and hitter for us,” said Griffin. “Our juniors played enormous,” said Griffin. “Junior Miranda Gammond played steady at shortstop. Taylor Thomas made our infield solid up the middle and transfer Junior Jessica Hartzog played first base and pitched ex-tremely well. The underclassmen gained valuable experi-ence.” With key wins down the stretch, the Lady Cavaliers softball program has gained respect. They now have added another “Diamond” to their sports program and in the fast-pitch softball area of the prep sports arena. Just what opponents want is another top varsity sports program at Calvary Day School to compete with. Calvary 3rd Baseman Gabby Graham



Photo By: DouglasFoto.com

Loco’s - Prep Athletesof the Month & Coaches CornerCoach of the Month

Lady Braves Softball

Atomsmashers Getting A Taste of French Cuisine

Country Day StillAs Good As Ever

Stephanie Shearouse of St. Vincent’sGets a Kick Out of Winning

Prep SportsReportwww.prepsportsreport.com

Your Source for Savannah Area Prep Sports • Issue 1 • 2011 FREE

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Effingham County is known for the prolific softball teams located in that area. As strong and seasoned as the Effingham County girl’s softball team is, there

always seems to be a new flower blossoming on the horizon. This year, it is freshman pitcher Morgan Duff. “She has been a leader both on and off the field,” said Head Coach Matt Huntley. “She really played well recently when we beat Greenbriar this past weekend.” Along with Duff ’s pitching, senior pitcher Morgan Smith is in her fourth year as a player and has been a strong No. 2 hurler for the team. She is strong around the plate as the No 3 hitter on the team. Junior lead-off hitter Maddie Evans regularly gets on base and causes the opposing team to change their defensive philosophies. “We are in such a tough region and beating Greenbriar was important, because they are the No.1 seed in the area,” said Huntley. “”All these teams are about even, and we’re happy to be in a position to be one of the top four when the tournament starts.”Huntley came to Effingham County from Georgia Southern University and started teaching classes in 2006. He has found a comfort zone with the team, and it helps his players understand what he wants of them a lot better. “Our defense is pretty good right now, but we are a very young team,” said Huntley. “They (girls) are a lot of fun to be around, and I’ve learned a lot from them.The Rebels have always had a good foundation as most of the players do as their counterparts do, they play on travel teams in the off-season and by the time the following regular season begins, their skills from the previous year are even better. “It takes a lot of effort to be better than other teams in the area, because all of us are about even,” Huntley added.”

Effingham County High School

Rebels Trying to SeparateThemselves

From the Rest By C. Edward Wilson

Effingham’s Freshman Pitcher Morgan Duff



The word “if ” figures into most team’s descriptions. That word could spell the difference between a good season and a great season for the Robert W.

Groves girl’s softball team. If the players decide to put it together over the next few weeks, look for the Lady Rebels to beat back the ghosts of the season’s past. Head Coach and Athletic Director Kevin Brown has been coaching the team for the past 10 years. He is also the schools baseball coach, where he has been for the last 23 years. With all of that experience, he still finds it difficult to gauge his team come tournament time. “Mathematically, I don’t know if we can leap frog over Bradwell for the third spot in the region,” said Brown. “We still got a few games left with Islands and Windsor Forest, and I don’t want us feeling like we could have done better at the end of the season if things don’t fall our way.” The Rebels most versatile player is junior Sydney Ancrum. She led the team in homeruns last year with six, but has only two so far this season. Along with being the leading hitter with a .330 average, she is also one of the top

pitchers for the team. The team got a gift before the regular school year started because of a poor academic year rating from the state of Georgia. Those two extra weeks worked out well for the Rebels, who had a complete squad on opening day. Three juniors solidify this year’s squad. Lead-off batter Ashley Brown plays centerfield and is batting a .450. She also leads the area in stolen bases. Brown said he needs to work with her more to add to her game. Jada Haynes is hitting .460 and got off to a slow start after playing AAU basketball over the summer. Holding down the catching position is three-year starter Cassidy Stringer, while three-year starting senior Erin Sink plays the third-base position and hits at a .370 clip. “We have a lot of pieces in place, and if we get going, it’s no telling how far we can go,” said Brown. Over the last couple of years, the Rebels have fallen at the hands of Lowndes County out of Region 1-AAAAA in the first round.

Robert W. Groves High School SoftballFront Row: Sydney Ancrum, Natasha Obed

2nd Row: Hannah Wood, Ashley Brown, Shaneka Johnson, Jada Haynes, Cass Stringer3rd Row: Taylor Wood, Chelsea Sinclair, Morgan Crafford, Meagan Burke

4th Row: Harley Hughes, Briana Certo, Erin Fink

Robert W. Groves High School

Rebels With a CauseBy C. Edward Wilson

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Islands High School


Head softball coach and athletic director Dale Mock fields a team, which is in its second year of existence. The new Islands

High School doesn’t have a large student body enrollment, but that doesn’t discourage him in the least, although he plays in Class-AAAAA, the second largest classification in the state of Georgia. He is hoping for a realignment assignment soon and with that thought in mind, his team number of players keeps on growing. “We have 24 girls in our program right now, but the future is bright,” said Mock. “Our record is only 2-7, but our team is young and there is room for growth.”Islands High pulls its students from the Inner Coastal water ways to the surrounding beach islands such as: Talahi Island, Tybee Island, Wilmington Island and Whitemarsh Island. “We have a great group of kids over here in all sports, and the girl’s softball team is getting better every game,” said Mock. “My left-handed pitcher Sarah Fossett is a good player and with five freshmen and a number of sophomores on the team we’re getting there,” he added.

Island’s Softball

Program Young and

GrowingBy C. Edward Wilson

Photos by Birkherrath.com

Islands High School Outfielder Junior Hayley Goodman

Islands High School Shortstop SophomoreJordan Revenew

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Last year, the Jenkins’ girl softball team had unwritten rules that basically set the tone for the season. If a loss occurred, there

would be no excuses and no mercy in the eyes of defeat. This year, Head Coach Seth Gaskins, who is in his second-year as the softball coach came up with another rule. He said he wants to ‘Just finish the deal’ after the team lost in the round of 16 in 2010. With six seniors returning on the team this year, the Warriors enter the stretch of the season where things get tough. Currently, with a 12-7 record overall and 7-1 in Region 3-AAAAA, Jenkins has to take on top-seeded Camden County twice before the regular-season ends. The only blemish on the team’s region record came at the hands of Bradwell Institute, which the Warriors avenged in late September. “We’ve been in two big tournaments lately in Watkinsville and the Coca-Cola Classic in Augusta,” said Gaskins. “Most of the teams play small ball where they execute bunts and learn to get a lot of infield hits. All the teams do it to get some runs across the plate.” Gaskins has been the coach of the baseball team for more than six years and only took the job as softball coach, because his daughter entered high school, and he wanted to be there to coach her. The top hitters for Jenkins are Aigner Smith. The senior short-stop player is batting over .400. Adding assistance are outfielders Tricia DeFelice and lead-off batter Micalay Gammon gets the team going by getting on-base most of the time. The leading pitcher for Jenkins is Helen Keevy, who has posted a 12-7 record this year. Our biggest inspiration comes from senior Ashley Whitt added Gaskins. She was injured last year, and although she is not playing on the team this year, her presence around the other players inspires them to play better. HV Jenkins Pitcher Junior Helen Keevy

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H. V. Jenkins High School

Warriors Want toFinish the Deal This Year

By C. Edward Wilson


Sol Johnson Head Softball Coach Patty Roundtree has been a softball coach for close to 30 years, and next year (2012) may be her last. The former women’s league

professional player was also a standout performer at Armstrong Atlantic State University before deciding to coach in the high school ranks.Entering her 24th year at Johnson has been a challenge for Roundtree as she has had to mold a lot of first-year players, who in her words have improved a lot since the beginning of the year. “The population at Johnson has changed over the years,” said Roundtree. “This team can get better, but it depends on how hard they want to work. The ability to get better must come from within,” she added. The bright spots for the Atomsmasher this year came from

two top freshmen pitchers. Brittany Sanders and Timethy Brinson. The pitching tandem are learning the fast-pitch game and with the benefit of attending some pitching camps after the season concludes could help the team out a lot next year. Johnson has won only two games this season with Brinson winning both contests. “I always encourage my girls to play in the off-season, but it is up to them if they want to take advantage of it,” said Roundtree. Another freshman making an impression on Roundtree is Hanna Tinsley, who is one of the top hitters on the team. “Next year may be my last, because I think I’m suffering from burnout,” said Roundtree. “I’ll evaluate things after the season and go from there.”

Johnson Pitcher Brittany Sanders

Photos by Birkherrath.com

Sol C. Johnson High School

RoundtRee Hopes todevelop Young AtomsmAsHeRs

By C. Edward Wilson

Johnson Pitcher Timethy Brinson

Lady Matador Softball Team Has a Lot of Heart & Soul

By Matador Softball Staff


Practice for fast-pitch softball at Memorial Day School begins in July. Most of the girls are well into their summer break when they get the call that it is time to

prepare for the upcoming season. Half of the team is too young and can’t drive, so not only is it tough to come to summer workouts in 110 degree heat, but most of them are trying to find rides. Without a home field, the Lady Matadors are forced to use one of four possible practice fields that are “first-come come – first served.” Many times, they spend more time traveling to find a practice. Once a practice field is established, the team works out for almost two hours, and the summer heat can take its toll. The team must also do their own fund-raising in order to provide uniforms and equipment to compete with.

A small school environment often means that you have to share the talent pool with other activities. Most of the Lady Matador softball teams are involved with swimming or

cheering, which competes in the same season. Practice becomes a “balancing act”

of time and locations, but the veteran head coaches of the Lady Matadors,

Rick Quarles, is used to it. “It is a balancing act, but with a school as small as court, it is what we have to do. We are a close-knit group and my girls and I see each

other all through the year, not just during softball.” Quarles also

coaches the Varsity Girls Basketball team.

“Heart and soul are in everything we do at MDS, and I am 100% confident that despite the fact we are small in stature, we are strong in our belief that we are making a difference, and our MDS family will continue to grow.”

Lady Matador All Region PlayersL to R: Rachael Wallace, Haley Pierce , Megan Wallace ...not shown Taylor Allen

Memorial Day School

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During the past four years, the Richmond Hill girl’s softball team’s mission is to make the Georgia High School Association’s state post-season playoffs.

Although the team has struggled somewhat this year with an overall record of 7-13 at press time and 3-5 in region play, there is no doubt in the mind of third-year Head Coach Sean Strickland that the team won’t be there again this season. With six seniors and juniors on the roster, the Wildcats have a solid pitching core. Led by senior pitcher Lauren Simerly and juniors Mollie Burnsed and McKayla Perry, the team is hoping to improve on last year’s third-place finish. Richmond Hill got knocked out early in the playoffs in 2010 losing to North Columbus on the road. This year the team wants to finish in one of the

top two positions to play at home.Strickland took time to analyze his team and has a theory on

how and why his girls are so successful. “Girls have to be happy to play well, while

boys are happy when they win,” said Strickland. “Their emotions have

to on the front page of their minds and when that happens, they rise to the occasion.” The Wildcats make it a point to play in at least one

mid-season multiple team tour-naments and this year, before the

playoffs start the team headed down to the Wayne/Ware County tourna-

ment to play some of the state best teams.“We are always working to make our team better,” said

Strickland.


Richmond Hill High School Softball Team 2011Front Row: Cristy Davenport, Bailey Crawford, Amber Nixon, Cheyenne Marsh, Kaylee Vaughn,

Olivia Bascombe, Caitlin Alia, Sophia Lorimer, Caroline WilliamsBack Row: Coach Strickland, Makayla Peny, Erin Morrisey, Molly Burnsed, Amy Robben, Lauren Simerly,

Sydney Millek, Trisha Jennings, Ally Crum, Coach Hummeldorf

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Wildcats ScratchingToward Playoffs

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St. Vincent’s Academy

Saint Vincent’s Cross-Country Has High Aspirations

By Prep Sports Report Staff

The Saint Vincent’s Academy girls cross-country teams are the defending Class-AA region

champions and have been so for the past three years. That achievement in itself is amazing since the program started in 2007. Athletic Director Dawn Odom spoke on behalf of first-year coach Brooke Blanton, who was not avail-able at press deadline and gave a keen observation of why the team has become such a force in running long distances. “We had more than 20 girls’ come out this year,” said Odom. “We could only keep 12 on the varsity squad, while the others competed on the junior varsity team. With that, many young runners competing against each other all the time, it keeps all 20 ready to step in when needed if any injuries occur. The team is led by three sophomores. Heading that list is Juliet Salgueiro, who is followed closely by Emily Drawn and Erin Kelly.Although the teams ultimate goal is to win a state championship, that achievement has not manifested itself yet. “We have a chance to win a state championship, but the competition is tough,” said Odom. “In a re-cent meet at Bleckley County, we finished second. We have had girls in the past finish in the top 10 or 12, but you have to have them finish even higher when you get on that level,” she added. That daunting task has not deterred the efforts of the young Saints, who feel one day they will get the elusive state crown.


St. Vincent’s Cross Country Runner Juliet Salgueiro

St. Vincent’s Cross Country Runners Juliana Lupacchino and Lala McCarthy

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When Bob Priestly left Jenkins High a number of years ago, he taught mostly science and

biology classes. He has taken a scientific approach and applied it to his girl’s cross-country running team and the results have been nothing less than phenomenal. For five of the last six years, the Lady Panthers have won the region crown and this year’s senior class will be trying to win their fourth-straight for the Washington Avenue School. So prolific is the team, that they were invited to participate in a meet at Furman University where a couple of them were looked at as possible scholarship recipients from the Southern Conference participants. “We have a great group and they train very hard,” said Priestly. “We ask them to run on their own on the weekends and they all do it, because they are a tight-knit group,” he added. The top four runners are: Amy Buice, Jackie Britten, Dyer Bowers and Leana Mosely. Most of the runners’ clock out in times in the high 21’s and low 22’s over a 3.1 mile course. The toughest competition in the region comes from Camden County, which is why the team has to go out of town to get quality competition. “We have 13 girls on the team with 11 being on the varsity,” said Priestly. “They have a lot of quality to what they do and who runs depends on whose is peeking during that week of competition. Cross-country is a team sport and the girls feed off each other, which makes the competition that much more intense in practice,” he added.



Lady Panthers Cross Country Runners Lindsey Braden on left, Colleen Guertherman on the right.

Savannah Country Day

Hornets Softball Buzzing To Be BackBy Prep Sports Report Staff

After one of the greatest softball players in the history of Savannah Country Day School graduated in 2008, the softball program took a three-year hiatus.

Katherine Dotson, who currently plays for the University of Tennessee, was all region her senior year for the Hornets. For some unknown reason, the team didn’t field a team the following year nor the next two, but now that dilemma has passed, and the Lady Hornets are back. The Hornets are led by Head Coach Andrew Ienuso, who enters his first year at the helm of the softball program. “We are a very young team, still learning the game and how to play with one another. We are starting six freshmen in a tough region, but the kids are working hard and getting better every day.” Ienuso came to the Hornets from Holy Innocence out of Atlanta and is a Savannah Christian Preparatory School graduate. The coach stated that the boosters and a lot of the parents wanted the program back, and he took over the position along with coach junior varsity basketball and golf. “We had a struggle this year, but we have big

expectations for the future,” said Ienuso. “It was a great experience and although the kids lacked a lot of experience, they came a long way with the help of a great bunch of assistants. The Lady Hornets finished the season with a 1-11 record, but did beat Claxton High School 18-6 in an upset victory. Rachel Land made first-team all-region and finished second in the area with a batting average of .602. She was the winning pitcher in the victory over Claxton. Rachel plus headlined the offensive attack going to 2-3 with three runs scored. Freshmen Kianna Maynard, August Eswine, and Kirby Wheat, furthermore, turned in great performances at the plate, which pushed the Hornets to the home victory. “We are very excited about the future of this program. Our young players are gaining playing time and confidence this season, add that to a talented 8th grade class, and the future is looking very bright, said Head Coach Ienuso.


Savannah Country Day Softball Team 2011Bottom Row L to R: Rachel Land (Sr), Katy Von Kuhn (Sr.)

Middle Row L to R: Emma Gibbney (FR.) Kianna Maynard (Fr.) Allie Anderson (Fr.), Ashley Lee (Fr.), Christine Soukiassian (So.), Dottie Collins (Fr.), Hannah Leadem (Fr.)

Top Row L to R: Jennifer Pirkle (Manager), Kat Carter (Manager), Amanda Kort (Assistant Coach), Andrew Ienuso (Head Coach), Chloe Dunston (Jr.), Kirby Wheat (Fr.), Augusta Eswine (Fr.), Kari Marsico (Assistant Coach), Jamison Tuttle (Assistant Coach)

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When Jeff Graham, Jr. took his new job teaching at Savannah High, it didn’t include coaching softball. However, after a few weeks at the eastside campus

school, a group of freshmen girls approached him wondering why they didn’t have a softball team. With such an interest being shown by the young ladies, Graham did his part by putting up a sign-up sheet and 16 names showed up to what is now the varsity team at SHS. Because the team has been inactive for a number of years, they are play a junior varsity schedule. “We have a bunch of ninth-grade girls and one senior,” said Graham. “We haven’t had a softball team at Savannah High since 2005, and we’re just trying to get focused about how to play the game the right way. Only four the girls have played before and everything is a work in progress,” he added. This year’s team is built around two pitchers, who have

kept the Blue Jackets in most of their outings. Senior A’Keema Nesbitt and freshman Forresha Royal, according to Graham, have improved with every game. The team is playing only eight games this season, and a bit of success came early as Lady Blue Jackets defeated cross-town rival Beach High for its first win of the season in mid-September. The team had to scramble to get equipment this year and received some gloves from the SHS ROTC department. They also got donations from Richmond Hill High School, and Savannah State University’s Head Coach Carlos Gonzales showed some of the girls how to pitch properly. “The girls are getting hands-on treatment right now, and actually, we don’t look like a junior varsity squad,” said Graham. “Coach Craig Johnson and myself are coaching to win games, and we’re going to surprise some teams.”

Savannah High School Softball Team 2011L to R: Kadiesha Milton, Zakiyya Allen, Rondasha Butler, Sebria Douse, Coach Graham, Ashante Coles,

Forreshea Royal, Catherine Williams, Michelle Hunt, up front is Lauren Ragsdale

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Savannah High School

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Savannah Christian

New CoaCh Same Red RaideR attitude


The Savannah Christian softball team started the 2011 softball campaign with a new head coach in Toy Bird, but the returning players

had the same attitude of the teams of the past. The goal of Lady Red Raider’s softball program was to make it to the state playoffs. Last season the Red Raiders made it to the state semifinals and there was no question they wanted to take the path back to the state playoffs. Savannah Christian managed to qualify for the Class “A” state tournament by finishing third in the

region. They accomplish this by picking up a pair wins in the first round of the region playoffs over Emanuel County Institute. Sophomore Brooke Eichenlaub pitched both games to set up a semi-final game against Calvary Day school. The Red Raiders lost a heartbreaker, 7-5 to their arch rival, earned a state playoff game at Schley County High School. Coach Byrd credits a lot of the success to her three assistant coaches who have been fixtures in the Lady Red Raider’s softball program. “They are


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Picture on Left, L to R: Savannah Christian Coaching Staff Tom Turner, Mike Meador, Toy BrydPicture on right: Savannah Christian 3rd Baseman Veronica Woodberry

all lay coaches and love the pro-gram. They give up a lot of time to help the girls get better,” stated Byrd. “When I came in they asked me what I wanted to do, and I told them I’m willing to work with you guys, because you know the program better than anybody.” Three assis-tant coaches were Mike Me-ador, who has been with the pro-gram for over 12 years, Skippy Nelson, and Tom Turner. “The girls bonded all season long,” said Coach Byrd. “They came together and finished the season as sisters. We have a lot girls coming back and the future looks bright” This year’s Savannah Christian softball team was very young. The lone senior was

third baseman Veronica Wood-berry. “She was a great

leader for the young girls. She did a tre-

mendous job at the plate and in the field,” said Byrd. “She would do anything we’ve asked of

her, and I could not have asked for

anything more.”

Besides Brooke Eichenlaub who had 15 wins on the mound,

were two other girls who also gained a lot of ex-perience pitching were freshman Carson Stone and sophomore Brooke Waters. “They might have been young, but the girls worked extremely hard they play tough, and they never quit. It was a great sea-son, and I am glad I got the chance to coach them this year.”

Prep Sports Report • Issue 2 • 2011 • 39

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South Effingham High School head softball coach Chuck Smith has come a long way

since his days at Memorial Day School. In the late 90s and early 2000s his basketball team was feared state wide in the Georgia Independent Assocation ranks. He left the private school sec-tor to go to Groves High as a softball and basketball coach soon after, and then he transferred a couple of years ago to take over the Mustangs’ program in South Guyton. Now he finds himself right where he wants his team to be ... battling for one of the top spots in his sub-region. The Mustangs (17-9) overall and (6-4) are currently in third-place in a four-team field. The team has only two seniors on the squad, and both are getting offers from the collegiate level. Courtney Jenkins and Ashton Collins are the main pitchers. Those two wrap their knowledge around the three freshmen on this year’s squad, who are opening the eyes of all opponents this season. “We’ve got to get consistent and get on a roll,” said Smith. “In one game we might be good defen-sively and then in another game, we are good on the offensive side. We’ve got to have clear eyes to keep our focus and play with all of our hearts,” Smith added.The three freshmen are: Olivia Laverenz at third-base, Alexis Studier plays short-stop, while Naomi Sapp is the center-fielder. “We’re still a little sporadic, because of youth, but the 1-2-and 3 teams are all tight right now in our region,” said Smith.


South Effingham High School

Mustangs Right Where They Want To Be

By C. Edward Wilson

South Effingham’s Senior Pitcher Courtney Jenkins

Photo by birkherrath.com

www.wardsautopainting.net


On the southside of Savannah, the Windsor Forest girl’s softball program usually finds itself looking

up to the big four teams in Region 3-AAAAA. Every year the team finds Jenkins, Groves, Camden County and Bradwell standing in their way of making the Georgia High School Association’s post-season playoffs. With a daunting task of trying to break into one of those elite spots, the softball program at Windsor is trying to start over from scratch by building a youth program that may turn things around down the road. “We’re always trying to get better,” said John Sanders, in his sixth year in the position. “We obviously want to win a few more games. We win the games we are supposed to win, but we’ve got to get better to beat those other top teams.” The Knights (3-6) have only three seniors on this year’s squad. One of those seniors is Katie Holland. She plays first-base and is the best pitcher on the squad. Underclassmen Ty Reynolds, who is a junior, anchors the defense at the shortstop position, while sophomore pitcher Des’ree Groover leads the team in runs batted in.Most of the other schools have girls who play on other all-star softball teams after the regular-season ends, but according to Sanders, the Windsor girls play basketball, run track or get involved with other activities that take away from them obtaining additional softball skills in the off-season. “We definitely encourage them to play recreational softball during the year,” said Sanders.

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Windsor Forest High School

Knights TryingTo Get Better

By C. Edward Wilson

Windsor Forest’s Sophomore Pitcher Des’ree Groover

A concussion is an injury to the brain. A lot of players,

parents and coaches all say,“it’s just a headache”

o r “he got his bell rung for a minute.” With today’s research, concussions are much better understood and diagnosed. In the past 15 years, health care professionals have gone to returning players as soon

a s 20 minutes after initial concussion to now a new Texas state law that is a roughly 14-day symptom

free return. As healthcare professionals, parents and coaches we need to protect these athletes and the developing brain. Most brains do not develop until the age of 25. They are much more susceptible to damage the younger the individual. Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) is where a person receives a second concussion before symptoms of the first concussion have healed. This second impact cause even more damage to an already injured brain. The brain may swell fairly rapidly and catastrophically causing irreversible damage or even death. This SIS may occur days or weeks after the initial concussion. The first concussion does not have to be severe. The disability (morbidity) rate is almost 100% with SSI, and death occurs roughly 50% of the cases. We have had two reported cases in this area in the last seven years of Second Impact Syndrome. One was a local

high school wrestler and the other a football player. The SIS injury to the football player occurred 10 days after the original concussion. He returned to practice and at some point collapsed during the practice. That happened in the fall of 2005. As of 2011, the player has yet to fully recover from the SIS. All individuals around someone with a concussion (parents, friends, coaches) need to make sure they are honest and report any, and all symptoms associated with a concussion. When in doubt, an individual reporting any symptoms of a concussion should be pulled out of participation immediately. Before anyone with a concussion is allowed to play, they should be checked out thoroughly by a physician and cleared. No one should return to play before all symptoms of a concussion have subsided. I encourage anyone interested in SIS to look up second impact videos online and watch.

Barton L. http://www.momsteam.com/alpha/features/health_safety/second_impact_syndrome.shtml Second-impact syndrome: What is it? Momsteam.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.

Martineau C, Kingma JJ, Bank L, Valovich McLeod TC. “Guidelines for treatment of sport-related concussions: Proper recognition, initial management, and long-term clinical decision making are important aspects of treating concussive injury and allowing for a safe return to play” Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. http://jaapa.com/issues/j20070501/articles/concussion0507.htm.

From the Athletic Trainer’s Room


Second Impact

Syndrome: Concussion

on Concussion

By Brian Tuten, ATCSt. Joseph/Candler Sports Medicine,

Head Athletic Trainer Benedictine Military School

Brian Tuten, ATC

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Freshman Year

• Get settled in high school. Concentrate on a solid high school curriculum. • Talk to your coaches or Athlet-ic Director about local volleyball club teams. • Setup a workout schedule al-lowing comfortable time for aca-demics and sports. If you think you are interested in attending a college for a sport, send an introduction letter in your freshman year. Send an update at the end of the season, along with your club schedule. Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse (it’s never too early, but it can be too late). Prepare your athletic resume.

sophomore Year

• Continue striving for academic success. • Research NCAA academic requirements. • Make sure that you are “on target” for all core requirements. • Stay active in club volleyball and high school volleyball. • Visit your High School career center or counselor’s office and start investigating colleges and their admission requirements. • During the summer between the Sophomore and Junior years, prepare your athletic resume. • Prepare to send out your initial contact letters with re-sumes. Include high school and club volleyball playing schedules, if available. If schedules are not available, mail a follow-up letter and schedule as soon as they become avail-able, but still send out initial letters. Update academics with Clearinghouse. Monitor the ac-ademic requirements of the universities you want to attend. Send an update letter to the schools you are interested in, send club schedule in the winter. Refine and update your resume. Prepare a skills’ videotape (10-15 minutes in length with 6-7 minutes of basic skills and the est of game footage). During the fall season, go to the college matches (if they are local) and talk to some of the players, the coaches, etc... Or during the summer before your Junior year, make unofficial visits to the colleges.

Junior Year

• Send out athletic resumes now, if you have not already done so. • Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. • Request that ACT/SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Ini-tial Eligibility Clearinghouse. • Keep up with your studies, and once again review the NCAA requirements to make sure they have not changed. • Keep investigating other col-

leges and send out additional re-sumes. • Prepare video tape to be sent when requested. • Send out update as your season closes. Include your new stats and any special recognitions you may have earned. • Visit some of the campuses that you are interested in, if you can. • Try to watch some local college games in your sport, es-pecially if one of the schools you are interested in is playing close by. • In July, after completion of your Junior year, phone con-tact with college coaches is permissible. Begin heavy con-tact with the schools you are interested in, even making few phone calls (but remember that coaches cannot call you back until July 1 after you complete your Junior year). Up-date your academic information with the Clearinghouse. If your top choices of colleges have not panned out, send info to your second and third choices. Send out your club sched-ule ASAP. If coaches want to make home visits, they will do this after Nationals/Davis is finished. Make more unofficial visits to schools that interest you.

senior Year

• Do not let up on academics • Review your core requirements with your high school counselor. • Send out your Senior team schedule as soon as possible for high school and club volleyball. • Keep college coaches posted on any changes or updates to your team schedules.

Timeline for College

Athletic ScholarshipsBy Tom Fakehany


• Send out last of resumes, if new interest in other schools. • Find out Letter of Intent dates for Volleyball from NCAA. • Take advantage of no more than 5 college paid visits, if offered. • Ask a lot of questions and weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of the schools you are interested in. • Study hard and play hard, but remember you are a student athlete and the student comes first. If you are being seriously recruited by a school, they will invite you to make an official visit (where travel, room, and board are paid during one of their home weekends. Contin-ue phone contact with schools. Some schools ask their top recruits to verbally commit to attending during the spring or summer before their senior year. Most schools like to be finished recruiting by the end of the volleyball season. The thing to remember is that a commitment is not binding un-til a National Letter of Intent (NLI) and Offer of Financial Aid is signed by the recruit. The first official signing day for VB is typically in early February and extends into August. Recruits may change their mind about a school after they’ve made a verbal commitment, but not after signing the NLI. If they do not attend the school they sign with or transfer before one year is completed, they will lose at least a year of eligibility. Players must also understand that being brought to campus on an official visit does not constitute an offer of a scholarship. Do noT WaiT unTiL Your senior

Year To maKe FirsT ConTaCT or reGisTer For The CLearinGhouse. There are so many minor details for students to know about the recruiting process that thousands will never know. Recruiting classes are typically 200-300 players per year. Most recruiting is finished by April each year. Many coach-es attending USA Volleyball tournaments in April and later are looking at juniors and sophomores, as well as standout freshman. Coaches still looking at Seniors in the spring may have had some lack of continuity in their recruiting (maybe a coach left), had a player transfer out of school in the spring, may be an NAIA school or lower level NCAA program, or have some other circumstance. There are lots of questions I’m sure that you have regarding the recruiting process.

** Alex M. Postpischil, Assistant Coach - University of Mary-land, Former Assistant Coach - Creighton University provided help in the writing of this article.

Editors Note: Reprinted with permission from the editor of Vol-leyball 411, Tom Fakehany Tom Fakehany also has the second oldest volleyball site on the internet, Volleyball 411. Check it out for more information on high school volleyball and applying for college scholarships.

Prep Sports Report • Issue 1 • 2011 • 47

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