Alex Mills Half Court Buzzer Beater!!

Video streaming by Ustream

Stallings Islands @ Evans (Boys)

Stallings Island @ Evans (Boys)

Stallings Island defeats Evans Middle 39-36. Second half highlights below.




Stallings Island leads Evans Middle 23-16. Watch first half highlights below.

Grovetown @ Greenbrier (Boys)

Grovetown @ Greenbrier (Boys)

Grovetown and Greenbrier are tied 10-10 at the end of the first half. Both teams scored only 2 points in the 2nd quarter. Stay tuned to see which offense will pick up in the second half. Watch first half highlights below. 

Columbia @ Lakeside (Boys)

Columbia @ Lakeside (Boys) 

Lakeside defeated Columbia 41-31.  Leading the way for Lakeside was Kordell Hudson(#12) with 15 points accompanied by Kresean Hall(#40) with 10 points. Second half highlights below.

At the half Columbia trails Lakeside 19-25. Lakeside's Cordell Hudson(12) is leading the Panthers with 12 points. 

Columbia @ Lakeside (Girls)

Friday, November 30, 2012

Columbia @ Lakeside (Girls) 

Columbia at Lakeside Middle School


Lakesides falls to Columbia 18-27. Highlights below.

Stallings Island @ Evans (Girls)

Friday, November 30, 2012

Stallings Island @ Evans (Girls)

Evans Middle defeated Stallings Island by a score of 34-10. Evans' girls team was able to take advantage by their play in the paint giving Stallings Island their 2nd loss of the season. Full game highlights below.

Grovetown @ Greenbrier (Girls)

Friday, November 30, 2012

Grovetown @ Greenbrier (Girls) 

At the end of the first half Greenbrier has 17 points and  Grovetown has 5. Greenbrier's play down low gave them control at the half. Check out the first half highlights below.

The video below shows first half highlights.

Friday Night's live Updates (11/30)

We will be live blogging updates here and live tweeting (@AugBball on twitter) four area middle school basketball games tonight. Check back for video highlights and scoring updates.

Avery Organizes a Family Affair

Will Avery, his family, and many close friends spent their Thanksgiving day at the Sand Hills Community Center preparing and serving food to those in need of a holiday meal.  Thursday's "Hoops4Hunger" food drive was the culmination of a nearly week long project organized by Avery.

The process began Saturday when Avery, Laney High assistant coach Buck Harris, former Augusta State star Keenan Mann, and several other volunteers conducted the Hoops4Hunger basketball clinic at Evans Middle School.  Boys and girls of all ages attended the four hour session and learned the fundamentals of basketball.  Each player donated 10 canned goods.

Avery, his wife Chasity, his mother Terry, Chasity's grandmother Claudine Williams, and family friend Robert Moss then saw to it that the canned goods, turkeys, and deserts were prepared before Thursday morning.  With the help of Sand Hills Community Center director Brandi Robertson and close to 20 volunteers, this family affair became a community affair.  Close to 60 meals were served at the center Thursday morning.

The Avery's and the other volunteers certainly performed the best kind of community service today. And the video footage (above) of the group serving the meals clearly shows the joy that comes from such an act.  And I suspect the experience was especially enjoyable because of the assistance of all of the young children.  They seemed to be happy to serve on the holiday.  And those children have wonderful role models!

Columbia County Rec League Championship 11-12 Year Old Game: Redskins vs Bears (1st half)

1st quarter: The 1st quarter started off with plenty of excitement as the Redskins drove the ball impressively down the field. Led by the powerful rushing of tailback Gregg Rodgers (#6), the Redskins found their way into the end zone in just the first two minutes of the game. Rodgers ran over two defenders as he lunged for the score. The Bears put together a nice drive but were forced to punt. 1st quarter score: Redskins 14 Bears 0

2nd Quarter: The 2nd quarter picked up right where the 1st quarter left off. After forcing a Bears turnover, Gregg Rodgers went 97 yards in just one carry for a touchdown. Rodgers showed incredible speed as he pulled away from Bears defenders. The Bears established a nice drive that unfortunately ended in an interception. Redskin rusher Cory Dryden (#4) ended the half with a 10 yard touchdown run. Score at half: Redskins 22 Bears 0.

1st Half Highlights

 

Posted with Blogsy

Columbia County Rec League Championship 11-12 Year Old Game: Redskins vs Bears (2nd half

3rd Quarter: The third quarter provided another touchdown for the Redskins. After a couple punts by both teams, the Redskin's Dryden ran 20 more yards for his second touchdown of the day. The Redskins also collected their second interception of the day. The Bears failed to record a first down in this quarter. End of 3rd quarter: Redskins 29 Bears 0

4th Quarter: The 4th quarter was all Redskins as Dryden took another carry 23 yards to the house for his 3rd rushing touchdown of the game. The Redskins dominated the game, holding the Bears to only a few first downs. Players of the game are Gregg Rodgers and Cory Dryden as they had their way with the Bear's defense all game combining for 5 touchdowns. Final Score: Redskins 39 Bears 0

2nd Half Highlights

Redskins celebrate their first place championship finish

 

Posted with Blogsy

Columbia County Rec League Championship 10 Year Old Game: Chargers vs Bengals (2nd half)

3rd Quarter: The Chargers opened the half up with a five minute drive, leaning heavily on the legs of Jordan Whitaker. The drive went 60 yards but again stalled at the four yard line after the Bengals forced the turnover on downs. The Chargers did get in the end zone once, but the touchdown was negated by a holding penalty. End of 3rd: Chargers 6 Bengals 0.

4th Quarter: The fourth quarter provided much excitement. Bengal quarterback Chase Thompson took the offense to the air, throwing for almost 60 yards. Brent Swalick (#9) led the Bengals in receiving catching all but 1 pass. The heroic comeback attempt by Thompson and Swalick fell just short as a Bengal fumble ended a possible scoring drive. The Bengal defense, led by leading tackler Drew Hallenback (#4), kept the Chargers out of the end zone in the 2nd half but could not put a score on the board. Bengals fall just short with the final score: Chargers 6 Bengals 0.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Columbia County Rec League Championship 10 Year Old Game: Chargers vs Bengals (1st half)

1st Quarter: The Chargers intercepted the 4th play of the Bengal's drive and took full advantage of the turnover. Charger's Jordan Whitaker (#24) took the handoff for a 25 yard touchdown. 1st quarter score: Chargers 6 Bengals 0.

 

2nd Quarter: The Bengals tightened up defensively and held the Charger's rushing attack to a minimum. The Bengal's Ethan Bush (#9) began to tear away at the Charger defense but was unable to get in the end zone when a drive was stalled at the 2 yard line before half. Half score: Chargers 6 Bengals 0

 

Posted with Blogsy

Columbia County Rec 9 Year Old Championship Game 2nd Half

3rd Quarter: The third quarter proved more of the same as the Colt's Braden Collett rushed in for a speedy six points. The Chiefs defense did record an interception but failed to take advantage of the takeaway. The Colts answered back with an interception of their own. The score at the end of the third quarter was: Colts 13 Chiefs 0.

4th Quarter: The fourth quarter was again dominated by the rushing attack of the Colts. The defense of the Colts smothered the Chief's offense and only allowed one second half fist down. Final score: Colts 13 Chiefs 0

 

Posted with Blogsy

Columbia County Rec League 9 Year Old Championship Game: Colts vs Chiefs

1st Quarter: The rushing attack of the Chiefs proved dangerous as the first five rushing plays of the game led them to the two yard line. The Colt's defense was up for the challenge as they forced four scoreless plays to get the turnover on downs. The quarter ended scoreless at 0-0.

2nd Quarter: The 2nd quarter started off with a bang as the Colt's Hunter Taylor broke away for a 75 yard touchdown run. The Chiefs have had their share of first downs but have failed to put the ball in the end zone so far.

1st half score: Colts 7 Chiefs 0

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Columbia County Recreation League Championship Saturday

It's a great day for football!

This afternoon in Grovetown there will be three games, each determining a champion for a different age group. Player360 will be live blogging every game with photo and video updates. Stay tuned for this exciting championship Saturday.

Here is the schedule:

10:00am 9 yr old championship

11:30am 10 yr old championship

1:00pm 11-12 yrs old championship

Posted with Blogsy

Riverside Nips Grovetown (Boys)

The Riverside boys defeated a tough Grovetown squad in a nail biter Tuesday.  Enjoy the highlights from the first and second halves.

First Half

Second Half

Riverside Girls Top Grovetown

Riverside defeated Grovetown 40-22 at home Tuesday evening.  Enjoy the first and second half highlights.


First Half


Second Half

Wardwell Leads Knights to Victory

Bobbi Wardwell scored 17 points to lead Evans girls team to a 31-29 victory over Lakeside Tuesday night.  Enjoy the highlights from the first and second halves.


First Half


Second Half

Lakeside Boys Win Again

The Lakeside boys remain undefeated after topping Evans 43-27 Tuesday to improve to 7-0.  The Panthers were led by Kre'sean Hall (14 points) and Cordell Hudson (12 points).  Enjoy the highlights (below) from both halves of play.


First Half


Second Half

Stallings Island Girls are on a Roll

After sweeping a pair of games against Hepzibah and Curtis Baptist in the Player360 Invitational, the Stallings Island girls defeated the Columbia Raiders 25-11 Tuesday.  Caitlyn Cox led the way with 9 points in the victory.  Enjoy the highlights below.

Brown Strikes again for Redhawks

Stallings Island center Harrison Brown has had some big scoring games this season.  Tuesday was one of those games, as the long, agile center with a nice shooting touch scored 24 points in a 64-39 Redhawk win over the Columbia Raiders.  See the highlights below.

Player360 Invitational Highlights and Results (Columbia Location)

Saturday's Player360 Invitational featured 16 middle school teams, including private schools and public schools from three counties.  Each team played two teams against schools not otherwise on its regular season schedule.  For most of the teams, Saturday's games were the first of the 2012-2013 season.

In addition to the competition, each player received a Player360 T-Shirt and an invitation to the Will Avery Christmas Camp (free of charge!).  In this post, we share the results and highlights from the games played at Columbia Middle School.  The "video playlist" below contains video highlights of every game played at CMS Saturday.  Enjoy!





Game by Game Results:

 9 A.M. - Pine Hill defeats Westminster (Girls)
10 A.M. - Pine Hill defeats Spirit Creek 2 (Boys)
11 A.M. - Louisville defeats Westminster (Girls)
Noon - Louisville defeats Spirit Creek 1 (Boys)
1 P.M. - Louisville defeats Pine Hill (Girls)
2 P.M. - Pine Hill defeats Heritage (Boys)
3 P.M. - Louisville defeats Spirit Creek 2 (Boys)
4 P.M. - Spirit Creek 1 defeats Heritage (Boys)

Player360 Invitational Highlights and Results (Lakeside Location)

Saturday's Player360 Invitational featured 16 middle school teams, including private schools and public schools from three counties.  Each team played two teams against schools not otherwise on its regular season schedule.  For most of the teams, Saturday's games were the first of the 2012-2013 season.

In addition to the competition, each player received a Player360 T-Shirt and an invitation to the Will Avery Christmas Camp (free of charge!).  In this post, we share the results and highlights from the games played at Lakeside Middle School.  The "video playlist" below contains video highlights of every game played at LMS Saturday.  Enjoy!




Game by Game Results:

 9 A.M. - Stallings Island defeats Curtis Baptist (Girls)
10 A.M. - Langford defeats Stallings Island (Boys)
11 A.M. - Hepzibah defeats Curtis Baptist (Girls)
Noon - Hepzibah defeats Curtis Baptist (Boys)
1 P.M. - Stallings Island defeats Hepzibah (Girls)
2 P.M. - Langford defeats Alleluia (Boys)
3 P.M. - Stallings Island defeats Curtis Baptist (Boys)
4 P.M. - Hepzibah defeats Alleluia (Boys)

Stay tuned for highlights and results from the Columbia Middle School location!

Player360 Highlights Coming Soon!

Sixteen teams competed in the Player360 Invitational Saturday, November 10.  We aim to provide highlight clips and information about the tournament within the next 24 hours.  Thank you to all involved.  And click on the link on the right hand side of the page to learn about our upcoming programs (Hoops for Hunger and the Will Avery Christmas Camps).

Lakeside Weathers the Storm and Improves to 5-0

Lakeside Panthers 38, Riverside Eagles 29 (Boys)
11-7-12



After falling behind 20-8 after one quarter and playing much of the first half without forward Artest Banks, Lakeside regrouped to defeat Riverside 38-29, establishing a county leading 5-0 record.

Coach Tom Widenaar Instructs the Panthers

The Panthers were led by Kre'sean Hall, a versatile wing player who can score from deep, attack the basket off the dribble, and create open shots for teammates.  Hall's 20 points were huge after sidekick Artest Banks spent much of the first half on the bench due to foul trouble.

And Hall got help from center Dylan Hammett, who dominated the boards, played good interior defense, and got into position to finish offensively when Hall and others penetrated into the paint and attracted his defender.

Austin Canaday led Riverside (3-2), scoring 14 points, including 4 three pointers, all in the first half.

Lakeside will host Greenbrier Friday.  Riverside will host Stallings Island.

Grovetown Improves to 4-1

Grovetown Patriots 50, Columbia Raiders 29 (Boys)
11-7-12



The Grovetown Patriots continued their winning ways, establishing a 26-17 halftime lead before sailing to a 50-29 victory over Columbia.  The Patriots' only loss has come on the road to the undefeated Lakeside Panthers.

The Patriots were led in scoring by guards Jaylen Harris-Gibson (12 points) and Jelani Shakir (10 points).  Columbia's Terrell Fallon scored 10 points to lead the Raiders.

Grovetown (4-1) will visit Evans Friday.  Columbia (1-4) travels to Harlem.

Stallings Island Defeats Greenbrier

Stallings Island Redhawks 41, Greenbrier Wolfpack 19 (Boys)
11-7-12



After a close first half, Stallings Island cruised to a 22 point road victory over Greenbrier.  Stallings Island improved to 3-2, while Greenbrier remains winless at 0-5.  The Redhawks travel to Riverside Friday.  Greenbrier will visit Lakeside.

Columbia Moves to 4-1

Columbia Raiders 24, Grovetown Patriots 17 (Girls)
11-7-12



The Columbia Raiders notched a 24-17 win against Grovetown.  The Raiders improve to 4-1 and keep a share of the lead in the county standings.  Elizabeth Metress led the Raiders with 9 points.

Grovetown falls to 1-4.  The Patriots will travel to Evans Friday, while Columbia will visit Harlem.

Lakeside Breaks into Win Column

Lakeside Panthers 19, Riverside Eagles 12 (Girls)
11-7-12
Milaka McKenzie scored 12 points to lead Lakeside to its first victory of the season, a 19-12 home win over Riverside.  The Panthers (1-4) will host Greenbrier Friday.  Riverside (1-4) will host Stallings Island.

Middle School Minute (11-6-12)

Enjoy the season's first "Middle School Minute" segment.  Co-hosts Will Avery and Chad Cook preview Wednesday's key match ups and speak about this Saturday's Player360 Invitational middle school tournament.  And Cook and Avery take a look at Coach Tom Widenaar's (Lakeside Middle School) philosophy in teaching young players how to attack the 1-3-1 zone.

Evans Takes Close Game at Columbia

Evans Knights 37, Columbia Raiders 35 (Boys)
11-2-12


After making two free throws to tie the game at 35 in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Evans' Choice Dorsey stole the ball and made a layup to give the Knights a 37-35 road victory against Columbia.

The Raiders Get Instructions

After the teams traded baskets and leads for much of the game, Columbia's Koby Nobles made a bank shot in the fourth quarter to give Columbia a 33-30 lead.  But Evans' Duvall Cardwell answered with a three point play to tie the game before a layup by Columbia's Josh Mackie with 55 seconds remaining set up Dorsey's late game heroics.

Dorsey has played well all season, and Friday's performance was no exception, as the sharp shooting guard scored in a variety of ways, leading the team with 14 points.

The Raiders got balanced scoring from the trio of Terrell Fallon, Josh Mackie, and Koby Nobles.

The Knights improved to 3-1 and stay within striking distance of Lakeside's 4-0 mark.  Evans will travel to Harlem Wednesday.  Columbia (1-3) will host Grovetown at Grovetown High School.

Grovetown Wins the Battle of the Back Courts

Grovetown Patriots 49, Harlem Bulldogs 39

11-2-12

In a game featuring what are possibly the county's two most exciting backcourts, the Grovetown Patriots, playing at home, were able to outgun the Harlem Bulldogs Friday. 

Watch the video highlights (above) to see Grovetown's sharpshooting guard duo of Jelani Shakir (#2) and Nick Murray (#1) square off against the Bulldogs' exciting tandem of Jonathan Worrell (#1) and Christian Harris (#3).

Shakir (13 points) and Murray (10 points) continued their scoring ways for Grovetown.  But the Patriots were led by forward Jelani Moore (#14), who scored 14 points in the victory.

Harlem's Harris (12 points) and Worrell (12 points) did much of the damage in the losing effort.

The Patriots (3-1) will play Columbia Wednesday at Grovetown High School.  The Bulldogs (0-4) will host Evans.

Panthers Stay Unbeaten

Lakeside Panthers 41, Stallings Island Redhawks 24 (Boys)
11-2-12


Lakeside won its second consecutive road game in decisive fashion Friday and improved to 4-0 on the season.  The Panthers led Stallings Island throughout the game, cruising to victory after taking a 27-9 halftime lead.

Lakside Prepares

Lakeside's Artest Banks played impressively again, scoring 12 points and rebounding well.  But Panther point guard Cordell Hudson was the game's top performer, scoring 15 points while distributing the ball effectively.

Stallings Island was led by Kole Richardson, whose 9 points came on 3 three pointers.

Lakeside will host Riverside Wednesday.  Stallings Island will travel to Greenbrier.

Middle School Update: Raiders Break Knights' Unbeaten Streak

Columbia Raiders 27, Evans Knights 21 (Girls)
11-2-12



The host Columbia Raiders topped the previously Evans Knights 27-21, moving into a four way tie at the top of the Columbia County regular season standings.  After leading the entire game, the Raiders withstood a late Evans run and now join the Knights, Stallings Island and Greenbrier with 3-1 records.

Point guard Elizabeth Metress led the Raiders with 18 points.  The standout guard scored in every way and forced Evans to employ a box and one defense in the second half.  The special defense slowed Metress slightly, but not enough to derail Columbia.

The Knights were led by the sharp shooting Bobbi Wardwell, who scored 9 points, including a pair of three pointers.

Columbia hosts Grovetown Wednesday.  The game will be played at Grovetown High School.  The Knights will travel to Harlem.

Marshall Strikes Again; Greebrier Improves to 3-1

Greenbrier Wolfpack 36, Riverside Eagles 29 (Girls)

11-2-12

Destiny Marshall torched another county rival Friday, scoring 23 of the Wolfpack's 36 points and leading Greenbrier to 7 point victory at Riverside.  Oliver has played impressively throughout the season, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

The Wolfpack, one of four Columbia County teams with a 3-1 record, will host Stallings Island Wednesday.  Riverside (1-3) will travel to Lakeside.

Redhawks Nip Panthers in Overtime

Stallings Island Redhawks 29, Lakeside Panthers 28 (Girls)

11-2-12

Stallings Island's Ella Hansen sank a free throw with 4 seconds remaining in overtime to secure the Redhawks' win Friday at home.  Stallings Island improved to 3-1.  The Redhawks are one of four Columbia County teams with only one loss this season.

The Redhawks were led in scoring by point guard Caitlyn Cox, who scored 19 points, making 5 of her 6 free throws.  And Meghan Cibak controlled the boards throughout the contest.

The Redhawks will travel to Greenbrier Wednesday.  The Panthers will host Riverside.

Riverside Improves to 3-1

Riverside Eagles 43, Greenbrier Wolfpack 27 (Boys)

11-2-12

Riverside stayed within one game of the lead in the Columbia County regular season standings with a 43-27 win at home against Greenbrier.  The Eagles shot the ball well from deep and forced turnovers with a full court press during the game's second half.

The win sets up a showdown at Lakeside Wednesday.  The winner will hold the top spot in the county.  Greenbrier (0-4) will host Stallings Island Wednesday.

Harlem Moves to 2-2

Harlem Bulldogs 27, Grovetown Patriots 21 (Boys)

11-2-12

Harlem picked up an important road win Friday, evening its record and staying within one game of the four teams currently in a tie for first place in the regular season standings.  

The Bulldogs (2-2) were led by Jesi "Juice" Cotton's 13 points.  Andrea Ferbee led the Patriots (1-3) with 13 points.  Harlem will host Evans Wednesday, while Grovetown will visit Columbia in a game at Grovetown High School.

Middle School Minute (Columbia County)

Three evenings of exciting Columbia County Middle School basketball has transpired.  Here we summarize the current records of the sixteen boys and girls teams and preview Friday's match ups.

Boys Records
1)  Lakeside:  3-0
2)  Grovetown:  2-1
2)  Stallings Island:  2-1
2)  Evans:  2-1
2)  Riverside:  2-1
6)  Columbia:  1-2
7)  Harlem:  0-3
7)  Greenbrier:  0-3

Friday's Matchups

Lakeside Panthers (3-0) at Stallings Island Redhawks (2-1)

Lakeside: Only Undefeated BoysTeam

The Lakeside boys  have consistently played well in early season play.  The Panthers have recorded comfortable wins over Harlem and Columbia and defeated an impressive Grovetown squad.

Kre'Sean Hall and Artest Banks have been especially impressive.  Both are averaging 10 or more points per game by attacking the basket in transition and in the half court offense.  And Hall has shown the ability to shoot from deep as well.

But coach Tom Widenaar is especially pleased with his team's rebounding.  "I didn't think we would rebound this well.  We've dominated the boards at times," the Panthers' coach shared.  Center Dylan Hammett has done a particularly impressive job on the boards.

Redhawk Harrison Brown Wins the Tip

After starting the season undefeated, the Panthers will need to guard against complacency Friday as they visit Stallings Island, a team with impressive interior players and strong momentum following a comeback overtime victory at Harlem and an impressive home victory Tuesday against the previously undefeated Evans Knights.

No team in the county has had better inside play than Stallings Island.  Center Harrison Brown is scoring an extraordinary 21 points per game, including a 35 point outburst against Harlem and a 19 point outing at Grovetown.  Brown is a skilled post player with a nice touch.  And Brown's front court mate, Baret Doss, a very dependable rebounder and scorer inside, has provided a great complement to Brown.  But Stallings Island's inside players also benefit from capable guard play.  Kole Richardson has distributed the ball nicely and made key shots during big moments.

Harlem Bulldogs (0-3) at Grovetown Patriots (2-1)
Grovetown has looked very good at times, and the Patriots' lone loss came on the road to undefeated Lakeside.  The team has been led by effective perimeter play.  Jelani Shakir, a sharp shooting guard who also uses his quickness to attack the basket, has been consistent throughout the young season.  And Nick Murray has shot well from deep at times.

Grovetown is 2-0 at Home

After rebounding from a tough loss at Lakeside with a convincing win against Greenbrier, it appears as if Friday's home game against the winless Harlem Bulldogs should be an easy win for the Patriots.  But looks can be deceiving.

Harlem's 0-3 record does not tell the entire story.  The combined records of the Bulldogs' first three opponents is 7-2.  And Harlem's guard play makes the team particularly dangerous if taken lightly.  Jonathan Worrell and Christian Harris are both capable shooters.  And Worrell has proven he can be a handful for opposing defenses, scoring 34 points against Stallings Island last Friday.

Evans Knights (2-1) at Columbia Raiders (1-2)
Evans looks to rebound after recording its first loss Tuesday at Stallings Island.  Friday's game, the Knights second straight on the road after opening with two straight home wins, gives Evans an opportunity to stay near the top of the standings.

Riverside Returns Home

Columbia can play spoiler and stay within striking distance with a win at home.  The Raiders are certainly capable of handing Evans its second straight road loss and proving there is a lot left to be proven before the teams that will finish at the top of the standings can be predicted.

Riverside Eagles (2-1) at Greenbrier Wolfpack (0-3)
Riverside will aim to improve to 3-1 and stay near the top of the regular season standings.  The Eagles sport road wins against Columbia and Harlem.  Their lone loss came on the road at Evans.  Riverside combines effective shooting with opportunistic, pressure defense.

The Eagles will need to defend the post and rebound well, as Greenbrier's inside play is effective.

Girls Records
1)  Evans:  3-0
2)  Greenbrier:  2-1
3)  Columbia:  2-1
4)  Stallings Island:  2-1
5)  Riverside:  1-2
6)  Harlem:  1-2
7)  Grovetown:  1-2
8)  Lakeside:  0-3

Friday's Matchups

Evans: The Only Undefeated Girls Team

Evans Knights (3-0) at Columbia Raiders (2-1)
The undefeated Knights face a tough road test against the Columbia Raiders.  Evans has been impressive early in the season.  The Knights are led by Bobbi Wardwell, a fundamentally sound player with a nice shooting touch, and Kiyana Nelson, who attacks the basket, runs the floor, and crashes the boards.

Columbia is led by the highly skilled and highly intelligent point guard play of Elizabeth Metress.  Metress can shoot from deep, find her own shot off the dribble, and handle the ball and finish with either hand.  But most impressive is her ability, and willingness, to set her teammates up for easy baskets.

Riverside Eagles (1-2) at Greenbrier Wolfpack (2-1)
The Wolfpack has been led throughout this young season by Destiny Marshall, who at times has scored the majority of her team's points, including a 19 point performance against Columbia and a 16 point outing at Grovetown.

Riverside is coming off its first victory, a road win at Harlem Tuesday evening.

Lakeside Panthers (0-3) at Stallings Island Redhawks (2-1)

Redhawks are at Home Friday

The Panthers are looking for their first victory of the season, and Stallings Island will aim to rebound after a home loss to Evans Tuesday.  The Redhawks benefited from the impressive play of point guard Caitlyn Cox in a road win versus Grovetown, and they won a close game at Harlem.

Harlem Bulldogs (1-2) at Grovetown Patriots (1-2)
One of these teams will improve to a .500 record with a win Friday night.  Grovetown has been led by the inside play of Andrea Ferbee.

Lakeside Stands Alone at Top of Boys Standings

Lakeside Panthers 40, Columbia Raiders 23
10-30-12


The Lakeside Panthers sprinted to an 18-6 halftime lead before defeating Columbia Middle School 40-23 Tuesday.  After Evans fell to Stallings Island, Lakeside became the only Columbia County boys team with an undefeated record of 3-0.

Lakeside Prepares

The Panthers were led in scoring by 7th grader Artest Banks, who had 10 points in the road victory.  Banks has been a consistent scorer in all three games this season.  This Friday, Lakeside will travel to Stallings Island, a team with strong momentum after a thrilling overtime victory Friday at Harlem and a home win Tuesday versus the previously undefeated Evans Knights.

Terrell Fallon led the Raiders in scoring.  Columbia Middle School (1-2) will host Evans Friday.

Evans Stays Undefeated

Evans Knights 21, Stallings Island Redhawks 6 (Girls)
10-30-12



In a battle of Columbia County's only unbeaten teams Evans benefited from balanced scoring and prevailed 21-6 on the road against Stallings Island.  Evans (3-0) will travel to Columbia Middle School Friday, while Stallings Island (2-1) will host Lakeside.

Grovetown Improves to 2-1

Grovetown Patriots 48, Greenbrier Wolfpack 25 (Boys)
10-30-12



The Grovetown Patriots rebounded quickly from Friday's road loss to Lakeside, cruising to victory at home versus Greenbrier Tuesday night.  After establishing an early 13-4 lead, the Patriots were never threatened and eventually built a 25 point lead late in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots (2-1) were led by strong guard play.  Jelani Shakir (14 points) and Nick Murray (16 points) combined for almost two-thirds of Grovetown's scoring output.  Grovetown will host Harlem Friday, while Greenbrier (1-2) will travel to Riverside.

Columbia Middle Cruises to Victory

Columbia Raiders 26, Lakeside Panthers 15 (Girls)
10-30-12


Columbia Middle School improved to 2-1 with an 11 point victory at home Tuesday versus the Lakeside Panthers.  The Raider win follows a loss road loss to Greenbrier Friday.  Columbia Middle led throughout and held a 16 point advantage at halftime.

The Raiders, led in victory again by guard Elizabeth Metress, will host the undefeated Evans Knights Friday.  Lakeside (0-3) will travel to Stallings Island.

Stallings Island Stays Hot

Stallings Island Redhawks 30, Evans Knights 25
10-30-12

Playing at home Tuesday, Stallings Island followed up Friday's roaring comeback road victory over Harlem by defeating one of two (previously) remaining undefeated teams, the Evans Knights.  Both teams now sport 2-1 records.  Stallings Island will host the county's lone remaining undefeated team, Lakeside, Friday.  Evans will travel to Columbia Middle School.

Greenbrier Improves to 2-1

Greenbrier 22, Grovetown 10 (Girls)
10-30-12



The Wolfpack got another strong performance from Destiny Marshall, who scored 16 points, leading Greenbrier to its second win in three games.  The Wolfpack will travel to Riverside Friday, while Grovetown (1-2) will host Harlem.

Stallings Island Defeats Harlem in Overtime

Stallings Island 71, Harlem 65 (OT)
Middle School Boys (10-26-12)


After observing the opening day (Thursday) of middle school hoops action, we concluded that Friday's most interesting match up would be between the Lakeside and Grovetown boys teams. But the crowd at Harlem Middle School was probably treated to the most exciting contest in the area Friday when the Stallings Island Redhawks and the Harlem Bulldogs battled into overtime before the Redhawks prevailed 71-65.

After trailing by as many as 15 points during the second half, Stallings Island mounted a furious comeback, fueled by back to back threes by guard Kole Richardson (#4), one from especially deep just before the third quarter buzzer sounded, and the other at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Redhawks' interior players, Harrison Brown (#50) and Baret Doss (#44), completed the comeback when during the final minute, Brown scored in the post and Doss converted an offensive rebound basket to give Stallings Island a one point lead, 54-53.

After a Bulldog free throw forced overtime, The Redhawks dominated the extra period behind 12 points from Harrison Brown alone. The 71-65 victory improves the Stallings Island record to 1-1. Harlem falls to 0-2.

The Bulldogs' record is misleading, as the team is very capable. After scoring 10 points Thursday versus Lakeside, Jonathan Worrell exploded with 34 against the Redhawks, using his quickness to score in the open court and attack the basket. And back court mate Christian Harris shot well from the perimeter for the second consecutive game, contributing 11 points, including 2 three pointers.

But Brown's 35 points, along with 14 from Doss and 11 from Richardson, was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome at home.

Early in the season, it is clear that with all eight Columbia County schools in action simultaneously on game days, picking the single game that will be most exciting will be no easy task.

Columbia Middle Bounces Back with Win over Greenbrier

Columbia MS 32, Greenbrier MS 25
10-26-12


After a season opening loss to Riverside, the Columbia Middle School Raiders bounced back to defeat Greenbrier Middle 32-25 Friday afternoon.  After trailing 17-11 at halftime, Koby Nobles and Terrell Fallon led a second half Raider comeback.

As the video highlights above show, the game was a contrast in styles.  Columbia Middle School's guards were active defensively, forcing turnovers and pushing the tempo.  And all three perimeter players - Nobles, Fallon, and Blake Teston - scored in a variety of ways.  Greenbrier used an inside attack, crashing the offensive glass and feeding the post for high percentage attempts.

Nobles led the Raiders in scoring with 12 points.  Columbia Middle School improves to 1-1.  Greenbrier falls to 0-2.

Middle School Girls Basketball: Evans Defeats Riverside

After falling behind 12-9 to Riverside at halftime, Bobbi Wardwell and Kiyana Nelson led the Evans Knights to a 30-17 comeback victory.  Wardwell led the Knights with 12 points.  Her sidekick, Kiyana Nelson, added 10 to help Evans win at home.

Riverside led early after Tya Oliver scored 6 of her team's 12 first half points.  Russell Aaliyah led the Eagles with 7 points in the losing effort.

The Knights travel to Stallings Island Middle School to face the Redhawks Tuesday.  The Eagles will play at Harlem.

Evans Improves to 2-0 with Win over Riverside

Evans Knights 30, Riverside Eagles 25 (Boys)

10-26-12

Riverside Prepares

Choice Dorsey scored 12 points Friday to lead Evans to its second win in as many outings, defeating Riverside 30-25.  The knights outscored the Eagles 20-4 during the second and third quarters after trailing 9-4 after the first period.

Riverside made a late run, sparked by the sharp shooting of Austin Canaday, who lead the Eagles in scoring with 12 points.  But the deficit was too great to overcome.

Evans (2-0) will travel Tuesday to Stallings Island, a team fresh off a dramatic overtime comeback victory at Harlem.  Riverside (1-1) will travel to Harlem Tuesday.

Greenbrier Defeats Columbia

Greenbrier Wolfpack 30, Columbia Raiders 20
10-26-12
The Wolfpack led throughout much of Friday's game before defeating the Raiders and improving to 1-1 on the season.  Columbia Middle School falls to 1-1.  The Wolfpack will travel to Grovetown Tuesday, while the Raiders will host Lakeside.

Middle School Boys Basketball: Lakeside Defeats Grovetown

Lakeside's versatility prevailed against Grovetown's perimeter attack in the second game in as many days for the Columbia County middle school teams.  After trailing early, Lakeside's consistent attacking of the basket wore the Patriots down.  The Panthers established a lead late in the second quarter and never relinquished it, winning 35-30 and improving to 2-0.  Grovetown falls to 1-1.

Lakeside's Artest Banks consistently attacked the basket throughout the game, and the 7th grader seemed to constantly be shooting free throws.  Banks scored 6 of the Panthers first 10 points and kept Lakeside within striking distance early.  Banks finished with 12 points after scoring 9 in Thursday's win over Harlem.

Jump Ball at Lakeside Middle School

But Kre'sean Hall's versatility broke the game open Friday.  Hall led the Panthers, scoring 13 points for the second consecutive game.  After doing most of his damage from three point land Thursday, Hall attacked the basket off the dribble and handled Grovetown's full court man to man pressure with ease Friday.

While Grovetown seemed content to shoot mostly three pointers against Lakeside's 2-3 zone, Lakeside used Grovetown's full court man to man defense to get Hall and Banks the ball in a position to attack, getting easy baskets and free throw opportunities. 

Jelani Shakir scored 12 points to lead Grovetown. Lakeside visits Columbia Middle School Tuesday, while Grovetown will host Greenbrier.

ABR TV: Pre-Season Preview

Enjoy the first of four "Pre-season Preview" episodes from ABR Live. Host Ashley Brown and analysts Will Avery and Chad Cook will present a comprehensive view of high school basketball in the greater Augusta area. The show features commentary, highlights, and opinions.

Columbia County Season Openers Set Up an Interesting Match Up

The middle school basketball season is underway in Columbia County.  Eight schools began their seasons today with hopes of beginning with a win.  Player360 caught most of the action.  Here we focus on two games, whose winners emerge from the opening day as possible County leaders, and who will face each other tomorrow!

Lakeside (1-0) will host Grovetown (1-0) Friday at 4 P.M.

Lakeside Panthers 41, Harlem Bulldogs 27
Coach Tom Widenaar's Lakeside squad looked impressive against a scrappy and well coached Harlem team.  The Panthers led throughout and benefited from a balanced scoring attack, good outside shooting, and solid rebounding.  The home win gives Lakeside momentum leading into tomorrow's home contest against Grovetown Middle School.

The Panthers started quickly as 8th grader Kre'sean Hall buried 2 three pointers and a long jumper in the opening half.  And Hall was aided by the active play of 7th grader Artest Banks, who ran the floor, attacked the basket, and scored consistently.  And both of these wing players showed the willingness to feed the Panthers' rugged center Dylan Hammett in the post for key baskets.  In addition to finishing plays, Hammett relentlessly crashed the boards and blocked shots, giving Lakeside an imposing presence in the paint.

But Harlem showed positive signs in the season's first outing.  The Bulldogs benefited from good guard play (Jonathan Worrel 10 points, Christian Harris 9 points) and only trailed by 4 at halftime.  Harlem remained within striking range through most of the third quarter before the Panthers pulled away.  Hall and Banks led Lakeside in scoring with 13 and 9 points respectively.

The Bulldogs host Stallings Island Friday.  Lakeside's performance today heightens the anticipation of tomorrow's matchup with  Grovetown, considered by some to be the team to beat in Columbia County. Speaking of the Warriors...

Grovetown Warriors (45) vs Stallings Island Redhawks (37)
Stallings Island's Harrison Brown played impressively early before finishing with 19 points.  But after trailing 12-6 at the end of one quarter, the Warriors, playing at home, took a 19-18 lead into halftime after forcing the Redhawks into making numerous turnovers.  And Grovetown continued to roll in the third quarter as Jelani Shakir and Jaylen Harris-Gibson led a 12-2 Warrior run, establishing a 31-20 advantage.

Stallings Island competed admirably throughout the game, eating into Grovetown's lead before running out of time.  Nick Murray led Grovetown in scoring with 19 points.
Tomorrow's Grovetown-Lakeside matchup should be an interesting contrast in styles.  Grovetown's speed and impressive guard play will confront Lakeside's impressive frontline play.  Game time is 4:00 P.M. and Lakeside is the host.

Guard Play Makes the Difference on Opening Night

Two Columbia County guards caught our attention during Thursday's season openers.  Columbia Middle School's Elizabeth Metress and Stallings Island's Caitlin Cox both led their teams to victory with inspiring play, scoring in many ways and assisting teammates nicely.  We'll start with Metress and her Raiders squad.

Columbia Middle Raiders 35, Riverside Eagles 12

Metress led the Raiders early, scoring 7 of her team's 8 points in the opening quarter.  The highly skilled guard showed her ability to shoot from the perimeter, penetrate and score in the paint, and create scoring opportunities for teammates.  And those teammates are capable of knocking down shots, as you can see in the highlights below.  Riverside's Tya Oliver led the Eagles in the losing effort.

The Raiders will travel to Greenbrier Middle School tomorrow.  The Eagles will face Evans.

Stallings Island Redhawks 33, Grovetown Warriors 14

While Mettress led with skill and poise, the Redhawks Caitlin Cox used quick hands and feet to force numerous Grovetown turnovers.  But she also proved capable of drilling the perimeter shot, scoring off the dribble, and finding teammates for easy baskets.  Cox led the Redhawks with 10 points.  Andrea Ferbee played impressively, scoring 12 points for Grovetown in the losing effort.  Enjoy the action from the game in the video below.  

Stallings Island will travel to Harlem Friday, while Grovetown visits Lakeside.

Harlem Advances to Second Round of State Playoffs

Harlem High School won its fifth and sixth consecutive post season contests Wednesday, defeating McIntosh County Academy 1-0 and 4-1 in the opening round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state playoffs.

After impressive pitching from both teams led to a 0-0 score in the bottom of the final inning of game one, Junior Lindsey Stokes' walk off single scored teammate Christian Mullis from second base.  Mullis was in scoring position after two successful bunts, one by Mullis to reach first base and another by Haley Mays to advance Mullis.

Video Highlights of the Dramatic Bottom of the 7th Inning

The game winning single was not the first dramatic moment for the Bulldogs' junior third baseman.  During Harlem's first region tournament sweep over East Laurens, Stokes blasted back to back home runs, including one with bases loaded, to start Harlem's post season run.

After a break between games, Stokes and Garrett combined again to provide the offensive and defensive firepower to complete the sweep with a 4-1 game two victory.  Watch all 21 of Garrett's strike outs, spanning two games, in this video package:

Introducing the Player360 K-Counter: Via Freshman Ace Amber Garrett

After Garrett held the Lady Buccaneers scoreless for most of the game, Stokes contributed back to back doubles in the fourth and fifth innings, producing three Bulldog runs.  But the first run, scored by Christian Mullis, was the result of a sacrifice bunt by Hayley Mays.

Harlem (26-7) will host region 4-AA runner up Bleckley County (16-14) Wednesday, October 17, in the second round of the class AA state playoffs.  The games will be broadcast live at NetCastSports.com.  Another series win will place the Lady Bulldogs into the elite eight round.

Will Avery Fall League Preview: Kentucky vs Michigan State

With 4-1 regular season records, Kentucky and Michigan State sit at the top of the Will Avery Fall League standings.  The teams meet today at 11:30 A.M. at Greenbrier High School.  Michigan State won the first matchup between the teams after Maurice Demmons' long three pointer in the final seconds of overtime.  Check back for details about this game and others during the day!

Lady Bulldogs Claim the Region Tournament Title

10/3/2012 

The Harlem High School girls softball team has done it again...

For the second consecutive week, the Lady Bulldogs won back to back games in a double header, taking the best of three game series against the Screven County Gamecocks and claiming the Region 3-AA tournament championship.

During game 1, Harlem grabbed an early lead and coasted to a 10-0 lead in the fifth inning due to the "mercy rule."  Game 2 was more difficult as the Screven County Gamecocks took an early 2 run lead. But Abbie Drake's 2 run triple ignited a Bulldog comeback and 4-2 victory.




Harlem coach Mike Leverett is thrilled about the region title and looking forward to a good week of practice preparing for the first round state tournament match up with McIntosh County Academy.  "We have been having good practices.  It's fun when everyone is excited about practice," coach Leverett explained Friday morning.

And Leverett stressed that his Lady Bulldogs need to continue their fine play to advance past the initial round of the state playoffs.  "McIntosh is 21-6, so we have a tough draw for our first round opponent.  We will need to be prepared," added Leverett.

The Lady Bulldogs will be recognized at halftime of tonight's Harlem-Westside football game.  The game begins at 7:30 P.M.

Tune into NetCastSports.com on wednesday (October 10) at 4:00 P.M. to watch the Lady Bulldogs take the field in first round state tournament action!

Saturday's Free Skill Sessions: A Special Opportunity

A look at the free skill sessions and a conversation with Avery

A Full Gym Early in the Morning

The fourth Saturday at the Will Avery Fall League started early with two skill development sessions.  With attendance approaching 100 total boys and girls, organizers have added an extra session to meet the demand.

Many involved are amazed at the turnout at such an early time.  "I can't believe this many kids are here at 8 A.M.!" remarked former Augusta State player and coach Buck Harris.

But according to organizer William Avery, the coaching contributions of Harris and his former Augusta State players Adam Miller, Keith Harrison, and Chad Cook help make the free sessions well worth attending, no matter the time.

Avery explained his reasoning to the young players gathered near half court after the first session: "How many of you have the goal of playing college basketball some day? One great thing about these sessions is that you are learning from people who all played at that level."

And the versatility of the staff showed as the high school boys took the court at 9:15 A.M. Working with more experienced and advanced players, Harris, Avery, and Cook challenged them with appropriately difficult work.

"I tried to show the group the way someone who wants to be a great high school, or even college, player approaches his time in the gym," said Cook, who also coaches a high school basketball team.

And the players met the challenge admirably. Over thirty young men, almost all of whom were scheduled to play in league games beginning at 11:30 A.M., practiced with great enthusiasm. And the weekend work is apparently not a burden to the youngsters.

"One of the guys who was here at 9:15 and later played in a 2 P.M. game shook my hand and thanked me as we were leaving the gym," Cook explained.

The boys and girls participating in the Will Avery Fall League free skill sessions and league play are apparently having a great time while learning a good bit.

Harlem Advances in Region Tournament Play

Birthday Girl “Stokes the Fire” as Lady Bulldogs Take Round 1

During the first round of the region 3-AA tournament, Harlem High School junior Lindsey Stokes belted a three-run home run and a grand slam in her first two plate appearances of the opening game, sparking a 22-0 Harlem victory over East Laurens.  And the Lady Bulldogs followed up the impressive game one rout with an 18-2 victory in the second half of Wednesday's double header.

The big start to the post season made a big day even more special for Harlem's slugger, who was celebrating her 17th birthday.  “It’s the best birthday present I could get,” said Stokes in reference to her offensive performance.

And the Bulldogs' pitching was impressive as well.  Freshman phenom Amber Garret shut out the Lady Falcons in game 1, and lefty Kristin Rawlins followed with an impressive game 2 performance, giving up only two runs.

East Laurens kept game 2 close after the first inning, scoring two runs in the bottom half to cut Harlem’s four-run lead to two.  But similar to game one, Harlem quickly pulled away and won the game in three innings due to the "mercy rule."

Harlem will host Screven County in the Region 3-AA Championship Wednesday at 4 P.M. in another best of three series.  Game 2 of the double header is scheduled for 6 P.M.  If necessary, game 3 is scheduled for Thursday at 5 P.M.

Wednesday's game will be broadcast live by Player360.  The game can be viewed at NetCastSports.com and Player360.org.

Harlem vs East Laurens Game 1 Highlights

Harlem vs East Laurens Game 2 Highlights