Prep notebook: who's left chasing titles? Also, general postseason schedule, and Catching Up: GISA track

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com
 

            There is state championship fever in the air.

            In addition to nearly 300 athletes from Central Georgia who have qualified for the GHSA state track meets later this week, a few other area teams have qualified for state championship competition.

            Four tennis teams will vie for titles on Saturday at the Rome Tennis Center.

            Stratford’s boys were the latest to qualify, doing so on Monday with a 3-0 win over Athens Academy. They’ll take on Paideia, which beat FPD 3-0 to advance in Class A private.

            Taylor County’s boys advanced in Class A public with three straight 3-0 wins. The Vikings won the title in 2015.

            Bleckley County is headed to the Class AA finals in boys and girls. Again. The Royals swept the championships last year, the boys beating Model 3-2 and the girls topping Screven County 3-0.

            Soccer is in the semifinal stage, with Upson-Lee (Class 4A boys), Putnam County (2A boys), Lamar County and East Laurens (2A girls), FPD (Class A girls).

            Upson-Lee, Lamar County, and East Laurens are at home in the semifinal round.

            The lacrosse postseason starts this week, with FPD’s boys the lone area team involved.

            Baseball is in the quarterfinal round, although Class A public started the second round Monday. Taylor County is the only Class A public team alive.

Planning ahead

            State championships await, so here’s a look at the schedules:

            GHSA track, in Albany, Rome, and Carrollton, Thursday-Saturday

            GHSA soccer, TBA, Friday and Saturday

            GHSA tennis, at Berry College, Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.

            GHSA lacrosse, TBA, May 12 and 19

            GISA soccer semifinals and finals, Five Star Stadium, May 18-19

            GHSA golf, various courses, May 21-22

            GHSA baseball, various locations, May 21-23

            GISA baseball, OrthoGeorgia Park, May 25-26

Catching up: GISA track

            Trinity Christian’s boys and Brentwood’s boys GISA Class AA track titles recently, while the Brentwood girls finished second.

            TCS won the Class AAA title and Brentwood the AA championship.

            Trinity Christian’s Jacob McLeod was the 3A boys points champ with 32.5, while teammates Walker Payne and Quillian Holland were third and fourth, Ben Howard tied for eighth.

            In AA, Brentwood’s Caitlyn Cobb was fifth in the girls points and Thomas Michael Sims fifth and Chance Hancock seventh in boys.

            TCS got individual state titles from McLeod in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200, Howard in the discus, Payne in the 400, and the 4x400 relay team of McLeod, Holland, Payne and Gabe Meadows.

            Other Class AAA state champs from Central Georgia: DaLoria Boone of John Milledge in the girls long jump and Gatewood’s John Decker in the boys long jump.

            Brentwood’s boys got titles from CJ Daniel in the 400, Chance Hancock in the long jump, Sims in the shot put and discus, and the 4x100 team of Caleb Johns, Jay Musselwhite, CJ Daniel, and Jacob Horton.

            Brentwood girls state champs are Shelby Daniel in the 1,600, Peyton Prince in the high jump, Morgan Massengale in the discus, and the 4x400 relay team of Michael Ann Hood, Cobb, Mary Frances Miller, and Daniel.