Girls Varsity Soccer Updates

Girls Varsity Soccer From Coach Rindone - The girls have had an excellent two weeks at practice. They seemed to get back into the swing of things quickly and I was very impressed. Their touch, communication, and movement both on and off of the ball have improved from last year, and you can tell that the bulk of them were playing this fall. How they turn on the ball and the looks that they are making to their teammates have really stood out in the past two weeks

We are working on developing our speed both on and off of the ball. This is key to taking control of any game, and we need to make sure that we are on it for all 80 minutes of every game. Our defense has been working well with shifting together in the formation that they will be playing in this season. In addition, our outside wings in the midfield, Bailey Pledger and Alexis Miller, have been making some excellent looks to get to our targets, Katie Pilson and Laura Abney, up top.

The camaraderie of our team has really shown through in the past two weeks. You can tell that the girls have been playing together for a while based on attitudes, levels of commitment, support, and encouragement to one another.

The older girls have welcomed in the freshmen with open arms, and have been very, very encouraging to them during practice. I’m feeling a great sense of unity amongst the girls as we get ready to start the season, which is very encouraging. Our leaders for this year have emerged over the past two weeks. Senior Fabiola Rojas and juniors Heather Helmreich and Laura Abney will serve as captains for the team this season as chosen by their teammates and coaches.

We always have things that we can work on and improve, but Coach Gibbs and I have really seen a lot of talent come out in the past two weeks. These girls know the game, know how to play, and they do it well. Keeping our confidence levels up is a must as we head into the season. They know they have a lot of work ahead of them, and if they want to get somewhere they haven’t been, then they need to work like they never have before.

OCMS Wrestling Wrap-Up

Middle School Wrestling – The last wrestling match of the season for the OCMS wrestlers was at George Walton Academy in Monroe.  This tournament was the season finale for the Peach State Wrestling League of which Oglethorpe County is a part.   

        Social Circle proved to be the king of the hill during the tournament coming in first; OC came in fifth with four wrestlers winning medals.  “It was a very tough tournament,” OCMS wrestling Coach Sam Simpson said.  “Social Circle came in first, Morgan Co came in second Madison Co and Athens Christian tied for third and we came in fifth, and I was pleased with that.”  

        In the final tournament medalist for the Patriots included Trent Smith (75), fourth place; Trent Ashworth (147), fourth place; Cade Overstreet (171), fourth place and Dustin Todd (190) third place.  Coach Simpson said that since Todd is a seventh grader he is looking for great things from him next year, especially considering Todd has been wrestling “up”, that is, wrestling heavier competitors than him. 

        Another wrestler Coach Simpson was impressed with is sixth grader Trent Smith.  “Trent only weighs 61 pounds soaking wet.  The smallest class we have in the 75lb class so Trent was giving up 15 pounds in most of his matches.  I was proud of him winning fourth overall at the tournament,” Coach Simpson said. 

        Coach Simpson has been competing with 23 wrestlers all season five of which were eight graders.  He has twelve returning seventh graders and the remaining wrestlers are returning sixth graders.  So he’ll have a predominately eight grade wrestling team next year.  “You know, in wrestling you wrestle in a weight class, that means that a sixth grader may be wrestling an eighth grader, it just depends on who is in the weight class,” explains Coach Simpson.  “Social Circle had a mostly eight grade team so most of our guys were wrestling eighth graders; some of our sixth graders, too.  Since we’ll have a mostly eighth grade team next year I’m looking for good things from them.”

        Of the eight graders this year Coach Simpson said that Tyler Sharp, Trent Ashworth, Garrett McCormack and Tyler Hooper will probably go on to wrestle at the high school level.  They will be a good addition to Coach Cordell’s team if they do.  “Coach Cordell has a young team and has holes in several weight classes that these guy could fill, said Coach Simpson.  “So they might get to wrestle next year in these weight classes.”

        Coach Simpson works closely with Coach Cordell in planning what to teach the newcomers.  Coach Simpson said that Coach Cordell gives him about 15 things he wants the middle school guys to learn and that’s what Coach Simpson teaches.  On the other end, the younger end, Coach Simpson said they don’t actually go to the elementary school to recruit.  But they do have a USA wrestling program going in the county with about 25 wrestlers, many of which are younger than middle school. 

        In order to be competitive many sports now have club teams, summer workouts, etc. and middle school wrestling is no exception.  Although the dates are not yet finalized, Coach Simpson says there will be summer workout session for middle school wrestlers.  Usually it’s four weeks in durations, three or four days per week and they send out flyers to the elementary school and as young a first graders. 

        Another aspect of OC wrestling is the USA program, which is not affiliated with the school, starts kids much younger than middle school age.  Coach Simpson said he has several kids that not only wrestle or him but the USA program as well; Trent Smith who started wrestling two years ago and is a returning sixth grader along with Trent Ashworth among others.  USA wrestling meets two nights a week under Coach Cordell’s tutelage at the wrestling room at the high school.  They have meets on Sundays and it goes on all year long.  Coach Simpson says it’s a good place to get started in wrestling.  

        OCMS wrestling has always had a pretty good crowd of boys on the team.  Many of them are new and inexperienced.  But when they get their first win, which may take most of the season, there is a new sense of dedication on their part to work harder so they can win again.  Coach Simpson is looking forward to next year and so are many of the wrestlers.  The middle school Patriots should do well. 

       

         

Varsity Soccer

Varsity Soccer Report From Coach Norton - We’ve had a good 2 weeks of practice. Overall, there’s a good vibe amongst the players. We’ve been working a lot on playing with width and also basic defending.

We’re pretty good up the center of the field, but the outside positions are still being evaluated. We get Cody Flores back from wrestling this week so it will be our first time to have the whole team at practice together.

One of the concerns I have with the team is our depth. One injury or sickness to a couple players and we’re a lot weaker than we could be. We scrimmaged the girls’ team Friday and looked okay, but have got to play with more balance and width, using both sides of the field.

We also need to work on getting our forwards on the same page up top. Eli Johnson had a good week of practice learning defense and will see a lot of time there this season.

Our first real test is this Friday at home against Madison. I’ve heard they have a lot of experienced seniors, so it will definitely be a challenge, but give us a good idea of where we are before our real games start.

Both boys and girls teams play against Madison County Friday, February 10^th at home.  The girls start at 5:30pm and the boys start at 7:30pm.

OCMS Girls Basketball

OCMS Girls Basketball Team

Post Season Girls Basketball – Last year the middle school girl’s basketball team was extremely successful.  If memory serves they only lost one game and that was to St. Joseph’s in the tournament championship game at the end of the season.  Several of those girls moved on to play for the girl’s varsity basketball team this year, which meant that there was considerable pressure on both the remaining middle school girls and their coach, Keith Goodwin. 

        Coach Goodwin is not only the girls basketball coach he is also one of the assistant principal at the middle school, a position not known for providing a lot of time to coach.  "Beverly [Levine, OCMS Principal] knew that the basketball team meant a lot to the girls,” said Goodwin.  “So when we needed a girl’s basketball coach we notched out the time so I could do it.  I’ve been able to spend time with my daughter, Elizabeth, which I would otherwise not been able to do and I have built some good relationships with the kids, too.” 

        “When last season ended I made it known that on Monday’s I’d meet with anyone who wanted to play basketball,” Coach Goodwin remarked, concerning the end of the girl’s phenomenal season last year.  “That started from about March.  I didn’t want the kids to have to choose between something like track and basketball.  But we did that through the summer.  Sometimes we'd only have a couple of kids, other times maybe five or six. We had a basketball camp in the summer and once the softball teams were picked we started again in the fall.”      

OCMS Basketball Cheerleaders

        “I was pretty comfortable with where the girls were on progressing with their skills,” Coach Goodwin continues.  “The girls last year had a better understanding of basketball from a conceptual point of view, but I felt pretty good going into the season.  Then we were 9-1 and we got smoked by Athens Christian.  It was after that game that I realized just how well we were doing because we only had three girls coming back from last year that had any real basketball experience; and that was Kiah Bazzell, Amber Turner and Elizabeth Goodwin.”  Most of the other players that returned from last year didn’t have much floor experience Coach Goodwin said. 

        “The record is not as important as how they look on the court; how they look as a team, how they play as a team.  Do they have a good chemistry,” comment’s Goodwin.  “Athens Christian wasn’t particularly athletic but they were great as a team.  But one of the reasons we did so well was because of our girl’s hustle.  I never had a problem with their hustle, and that’s one of the reasons we won so many of those close games is because our girls out hustled them.”  This will bode well for those who want to play high school basketball.

        Coach Goodwin said that both Turner and Bazzell will certainly step up for high school.  “Both of them just love the game,” Goodwin said.  “I think Shondra Dewberry, Ashley Waller and Sierra Taylor will go up and give it a shot.  Waller didn’t get to play that much because this was her first year playing basketball but she is an exceptional athlete.  If she sticks with it she’ll make a big contribution.”  Coach Goodwin thinks that all of these girls will be good for the high school team.  He feels like they have the desire; they are coachable; they are willing to listen and learn and have the skills. 

        “As far as those coming back next year I think we have a strong group.  There will be nine players returning and all of them played.  Destinie Taylor and Tory Wiggins both had surgeries during the season so that slowed them up but they should be back strong next year.  Cori Rollings is going to be a top flight player, Gina Mattox played well, Bahria Jones is a good athlete who started a game for us,  Shermiah Baughns, who played as a sixth grader will be strong,  Alexis Wymbs played point guard.  She and Turner shared time at point guard, which is a high pressure position and because of the experience she got this year she’ll be better next year.  Brittany Harland, who is also a softball player, came a long way this season and by the end of the season was seeing a good bit of playing time. 

        “We should have a good core group going into next year,” said Coach Goodwin. 

        Coach Goodwin said they will probably play a similar schedule against similar teams next year as they did this year.  With the age and experience of the returning ball players next year should provide the rest of us with some exciting basketball.

   

       

Varsity Wrestling



OC wrestlers at the 8-AA Area Tournament.

Elberton – The Patriot varsity wrestlers concluded two days of competition in Elberton at the 8-AA Area Wrestling Tournament.  Out of the eight OC wrestlers four of them will move on to the sectionals next week.

Cody Flores

Justin Whitman

        To put things in a nutshell:  Justin Whitman went three rounds with a wrestler from Dawson County and won the match 14-6.  Whitman will wrestle in the section tournament.  Tee Hull came in fourth against a Banks County wrestler.  Hull will also wrestle in the sectional tournament.  Both Flores brothers, Matt and Cody, earned fifth place in their respective weight classes.  Matt Flores pinned his opponent with 29 seconds remaining in the second period. 

Fifth place wrestlers will go to the sectionals as alternates to wrestle in case one of the first through fourth place wrestlers in their weight class cannot compete.

Tee Hull

Congratulations go out to the OC wrestlers who made the tournament. 

       

Matt Flores

8-AA Wrestling Tournament

Cody Flores wins this match with a pin.

Elberton – The wrestling Patriots are in Elberton today taking part in the Area 8-AA wrestling tournament.  The entire region is there, Jefferson, North Oconee, East Jackson, Elbert, Dawson, etc. 

        The tournament started at 4:30pm with three mats in action.  Oglethorpe had eight wrestlers on hand to take part.  Up first was Dustin Morton who was defeated and went to the consolation bracket.  Kaden Conway was up next and pinned his opponent, which allowed him to advance to the second round in the championship bracket.  Cody Flores, in the 120lb class, made pretty quick work of his opponent with a second period pin.  Justin Whitman, too, pinned his opponent and moved on to the second round.

Justin Whitman manhandling his opponent. 

        Perhaps the most drama involving an OC wrestler was Andrew Maro’s match against a North Oconee wrestler.  Maro, within the first minute of the first period, jumped out to 5-0 and nearly pinned his opponent.  Through the middle of the period both wrestlers could not gain any advantage on the other.  It was at the end of the period that North Oconee quickly scored 5 points and then nearly pinned Maro, who was saved by the clock.

        In the second period the North Oconee wrestler scored points on Maro but Maro kept up a good defense until the end of the period when Maro was almost pined again.

        Going into the third period the match was still up in the air with both wrestlers working hard to gain an advantage.  However, Maro was tiring and the North Oconee wrestler  finally managed to pin Maro at 1:04 left in the match.  Maro moved on to the second round in the consolation bracket.

        Tee Hull, OC’s last wrestler at the meet received a bye in the first round.

        The tournament continues tomorrow at 9:00am at The Inferno in Elberton.

         

Varsity Football

Varsity Football – Published in the Oglethorpe Echo today is the varsity football schedule for next fall, which is listed below.  All games are on Friday night at 7:30pm.

August 17 – Georgia Military (Scrimmage), Home, 2011 – 7-3

August 31 – Johnson of Gainesville, Away, 2011 – 0-10

Sept 7 – Harlem HS, Home, 2011 – 0-10

Sept 14 – Open

Sept 21 – Fellowship Christian, Away (Roswell), 2011 – 5-5

Sept 28 – Riverside Military (Homecoming), Home, 2011 – 1-9

Oct 5 – Union Co., Home, 2011 – 3-7

Oct 12 – Social Circle, Away, 2011 – 1-9

Oct 19 – Jefferson, Away, 2011 – 8-3

Oct 26 – Greene Co, (Rec. Nite), Home, 2011 – 2-8

Nov 2 – Washington – Wilkes, (Senior Night), Home, 2011 – 5-6

Nov 9 – Rabun Co, Away, 2011 – 3-7

        Please note there are new teams on the schedule than from the past several years.  Also note that at the end of each date is the team result from last season, so keep in mind that previous success is no indication of future results.