Local Sports Notebook: Tricks and treats from the local sports scene

Published 2:32 pm Monday, October 30, 2017

Ah Halloween. The only time of year you could be driving down the road and see Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar and Marilyn Monroe standing together on a street corner.

Well, I suppose there could’ve been some time-traveling vortex thing going on. But Halloween is the more likely situation.

This is always a fun time of year. It’s hard not to have fun when your wearing a costume.

Plus you get tons of candy. Although, candy corn can go either way. Some love it, some are disgusted by it.

Personally, I don’t mind it. I won’t go out of my way to eat it, but when I’m getting something out of our printer, I’ll always steal a few pieces from Miss Norma’s desk.

Here’s a look at some of the tricks and treats from the past week.

RIVALRY WIN

Southeast Whitfield’s history against cross-county rivals Northwest Whitfield has been checkered at best. After 18 straight losses, the Raiders made it two out of three over the Bruins with Friday’s win.

Southeast was fighting for its playoff lives and came out looking like it, especially defensively, as they led 12-0 into the second half.

Northwest mounted a rally with its freshman quarterback Matthew Redmond and junior back Dominique Sistrunk leading the charge, and took a 13-12 lead.

But where other Raider teams in the past might have accepted the inevitability of defeat, this year’s group rose to the challenge showing heart to fight back and win the game. A big night was had by Oscar Gonzalez with two touchdowns and the final pass break-up in the end zone to seal the win.

Southeast can clinch a playoff spot this week, but they’d have to beat one of the state’s top-ranked teams in Ridgeland to do so.

If the Raiders don’t pull the upset, we are likely looking at a mini-game between Northwest, Southeast and Pickens to decide two playoff spots in Region 6-4A.

I love mini-games, but more on that next week if it comes to pass.

A TIP OF THE CAP

Northwest was the final softball team standing from the area this season, the only team to make it to the state tournament in Columbus.

The Lady Bruins’ trip came up short of the ultimate goal of a state title. They went 1-2 in Columbus and finished tied for fifth in Class 4A.

Their first loss was to eventual state champs Northside-Columbus, then the Bruins were eliminated by Madison County after a Herculean-feat.

Madison County freshman Emma Strickland hit two grand slams in the game to knock out Northwest. It had never before happened in the state tournament. Not bad for the No. 9 hitter in the lineup. Sometimes all you can do is tip your cap to a performance like that.

The loss shouldn’t take away from a phenomenal season for the Lady Bruins. They finished 30-7 as region runners-up. Before the year, not a lot were pointing to Northwest as a potential state contender, but it proved to be one over the year.

While Northwest has some great individual players, the season was put together built more on the strength of the group rather than relying on one superstar. The Lady Bruins outlasted all their region rivals in the playoffs and with a solid underclass core returning, this year could just be the start of another great run.

EVERY RUNNER COUNTS

The rules of cross county are simple. You run seven varsity runners, top five determine your team score. But every once in a while, that sixth is needed to determine a championship.

Such was the case in the Region 6-3A girls race between Coahulla Creek and Calhoun. The teams were tied after each’s top five were calculated, which meant whichever team’s sixth runner finished first would determine the region champion.

Grace Prince for the Lady Colts outkicked a Calhoun runner toward the finish line to hold on for what was the championship-determining finish.

The Lady Colts were one of three area teams winning region championships last week. Southeast’s boys and Northwest’s girls also claimed Region 6-4A titles.

For Northwest, it was the first region championship this millenium. For Southeast, it was the first ever.

Another congratuations goes out to Murray County High School’s Jesse Martinez who won the Region 6-4A individual title running away from the rest of the field.

Next up for all the champions and a host of other local runners is the state championship meet next Saturday.