Hello everyone, Jack Patterson again. I have been doing journalism for a good five years now and everyone gets to see what I do now via this blog. But I thought it would be a great idea to show you where and what I came from. So this page is dedicated to the past, when the "Jack Attack" was just catching on as my nickname, and people still mostly called me by my real name, Jacquez. As you will see, all of these are not sports-related (oh, yes, I can report real news too.) and a couple are editorials. So have fun on this look back from my time working with the Shaw High Silver Star, In The Game Magazine: Columbus Valley and a couple of stints at the University of Georgia Journalism Camp!
A Raider’s
Revelation: The Memoirs
“Moving on is
simple. It’s what we leave behind that’s hard”- Anonymous
Four years ago,
while at East Columbus Magnet Academy, I made one of the toughest
decisions of my life. Instead of going to Kendrick or the Early
College Academy, where most of my friends were going, I decided to
attend SHS. I thought that I would play baseball in high
school and I wanted to play here.
But it is funny how
people say that the goals we set are one thing, yet they change
before we ever achieve it. It happens to everybody. I thought that I
would be playing baseball but instead I have played tennis for four
years. I had 11 wins this year in tennis and I’ve made the playoffs
both my junior and senior season. I never thought about being a
journalist, but I am the editor of an award-winning journalism staff
and the journalism Page One nominee for the school.
I thought that
leaving all of my friends would be the biggest mistake in my life. In
some cases, I do regret it. I still miss the people I was close to at
East Columbus. At the same time, I was blessed to meet people and
develop relationships that have taken me to new heights. I would not
trade the experiences I have had at SHS for anything.
The memories that I
leave behind as a senior are countless. They extend further than your
average senior. My first memory as a freshman was walking on the
field at the Georgia Dome prior to the “Final Four” game against
Carver. For me, it was almost like a dream come true. Being an
Atlanta sports fan all my life, my dream was to play on the same
field as the 1999 Atlanta Falcons …better known as the “Dirty
Birds.” The view from the field looking up towards the dome gave me
goosebumps. It is just a feeling I cannot explain.
The summer of my
sophomore year, I traveled to the University of Georgia for a
journalism camp. It was my first time away from home, and to say I
had a heck of a time is an understatement. I got to have my work
published in a paper for the first time and met people from all over
the state. I still talk to some of them today. The experience was
unbelievable. The most fun at camp was playing laser tag, which was
awesome because my team dominated the counselors, while we were
running around Grady College. I also hit a homerun that accidently
hit a police officer on a bike (my fault, I was just playing
baseball). At the end of the week was awards night (and karaoke party
that ensued afterwards) held in the skybox of Sanford Stadium. That
trip was crazy, yet fun.
My junior year was
a year of change as far as athletics goes. The football team went
5-7. The tennis team made state for the first time in 12 years.
Girl's volleyball went to the Elite Eight and the cross country team
won the region. I covered these teams and learned a lot. The
volleyball team shocked many people in the state; nobody thought that
they would be in the playoffs. The same goes for cross country. The
tennis team had to completely rebuild their team and in one year,
made the playoffs. The football team beat Peach County for the second
year in a row in the playoffs. In one year, there was a changing of
the guard in sports teams here. Teams that were once strong and
dominant, were now rebuilding, while teams that no one even cared
about stepped up to carry the banner for SHS.
Then, came the
senior year. So many things happened. The pep rallies were
absolutely crazy and so was the homecoming dance and prom. The
feeling of never doing something again hits me. Any senior athlete
will tell you, when it comes time for your last game, everything goes
out the window. If you gave 110 percent during the season, you gave
130 percent for that last game. When that last game ends, the
emotions flow, no matter how tough you are. The one thing I will
always remember in that last match vs. West Laurens is how I played
with Zack Moss, a sophomore. We lost that game. He came up to me and
told me, "I'm sorry man. I tried my hardest out there." Two
years ago, that was me, just a sophomore finally getting a shot to
play on the big stage. I was playing with a senior, in what turned
out to be his final game. I told him the same thing Zack told me. It
did not mean anything to him when I said it, but then again, it was
his last game. Those words that he told me is what I will remember
the most about my senior season.
It almost feels
like a movie when the crazy adventure ends, and everybody is sitting
around and a song starts to play as the movie ends and the credits
start to roll. This adventure may be over, but the sequel… will be
even better.
For
the Love of the Game
There
is one thing about being a Raider athlete that bothers me. When I
walk through the halls of SHS, this is what most students say about
our athletic teams. “You play (name of sport)? I heard you guys
_____ suck!” How do you expect teams to play without the support of
our OWN school! As evidence, during the school year, I have seen some
of our students wear apparel from other schools. This makes a
statement: their heart is somewhere else.
Every
time I step on the tennis court, I am proud to put on the silver and
black and red that represents our school. I am proud of the 30 plus
years of tradition that those colors represent. So it’s truly a
sickening sight when our own student body, who should support our
athletic programs, make life miserable for our athletes.
And
as far as team success goes, SHS has had most of its teams make the
state playoffs in the last five years. Not many schools in Muscogee
County can say that. Here are some stats to think about. Both
basketball teams made the state playoffs this year. Both of the
tennis teams made the playoffs last year, for the first time in over
a decade. The softball team has continued their winning ways, while
playing in one of the toughest regions in the state. Raider wrestling
constantly produces state championship contenders (including Gregg
Goosby, who finished second in state this year) on a regular basis
and our track teams are perennial state powerhouses (the girls’
team has won eight region titles in a row). Cross Country won the
2008 region 2-AAA title and finished tenth in state. Volleyball has
finished second in the region the last two years, going to the state
“Elite Eight” in 2008. Our baseball team, who won the 2001 AAAA
state title, have been the runner-up twice since 2000 (‘02, ‘05),
returned to the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. Also, the soccer team has
shown that they are ready to make their run to the playoffs. My point
is that every one of those teams are, or have been, state playoff
contenders. We should be proud of these accomplishments.
Oh,
by the way, do not get off the football team bandwagon over one bad
season. Every team, no matter what sport, what school, has a bad year
or years. The definition of a true fan is when you stick by your team
when times are good AND bad. Honestly, before any of us came to SHS,
the team struggled (ask any teacher, and there are plenty, who went
to SHS) back in the day. And to those of you, who think marching band
and color guard is not a sport, go out and watch them practice and
then tell me you can say that. They work just as hard as any other
athlete, so that when the lights shine bright on Friday nights in the
fall, they can rock the house. The same argument can be made for all
of our cheerleaders. Do not forget about swimming and golf. Yes, we
do have those teams, they practice and play just like everybody else.
Just what makes those people lame? Nothing does. They are just like
any athlete, and just like any athlete, deserve respect.
I
am not saying that athletes should be treated like royalty, nor am I
suggesting that students should forfeit their social life to watch
the Raider teams. There is no greater feeling for an athlete (besides
winning a championship) than being recognized for their hard work,
determination and dedication. My advice: go to some of the games and
wish all of our Raider athletes good luck. If you are a sports fan,
athlete, or both, then you will appreciate the love of the game.
Raider Football: A State of Shock
This
is definitely not what anyone from the Shaw Raiders expected. Nobody
thought the Raider football team, who started the season ranked third
in Region AAA, would be 0-4 at this point in the season. Granted, the
losses were against teams in higher classifications, but still
shockwaves were felt throughout the Chattahoochee Valley.
The
Raiders began their season “across the river” in Phenix City, AL
against interstate rival Central in what one sportscaster dubbed “The
Battle of J.R. Allen” (named after the highway that connects the
two schools). The game was exactly what the name said, a battle. From
the Kyle Griswould touchdown on the second play of the game to the
Toriano Holt interception return for a touchdown, both teams fought
back and forth. In the end, the Red Devils punched in the
game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds left. The score was 33-32.
The
next week, the Raiders headed north to Tyrone, GA to play the Sandy
Creek Patriots. This game featured the ninth ranked teams from
Regions AAA (Shaw) and AAAA (Sandy Creek). This game was a defensive
battle all the way through, with the score at halftime 10-8 Patriots.
The Raider offense came alive when Tarvarus Lewis led a drive late in
the fourth quarter to score the go-ahead touchdown. With 1:15 left in
the game, the Patriots took over inside their own 20, needing a
touchdown to win the game. The Patriots used their running game to
move quickly and with the help of a 15 yard late hit penalty, Sandy
Creek had the ball at the Raiders 35 yard line with five seconds
left. The Patriots then threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass as the clock
expired for a 17-16 win. The Raiders suffered their second one-point
loss as in many weeks.
Looking
to rebound from two tough losses, the Raiders traveled to Douglas, GA
to take on Region AAAAA powerhouse Coffee. This game started off as a
defensive battle as Shaw’s offense, led by backup quarterback
DaMario McFadgen, could not manage any points and Coffee could only
get a field goal for a 3-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter,
the Trojans’ running game scored three touchdowns to take the win
24-0.
After
three road games, the Raiders returned to Kinnett Stadium to take on
Alabama 6A power Stanhope Elmore from Montgomery. The Mustangs got
off to a fast start by going deep for an early touchdown. Lewis and
Griswould would lead the Raiders down field for a touchdown to make
it 7-7 at the half. The Raider defense took over with a fumble return
for a touchdown midway through the third quarter. Shaw would hold the
14-7 lead until late in the fourth quarter, when the Mustangs finally
broke through for the game-tying touchdown, sending the game to
overtime. After both teams scored in the first overtime, the Mustangs
capitalized on a Raider turnover and kicked the game-winning field
goal. The Mustangs won 24-21 in double overtime, sending Shaw to
their fourth straight loss and the third loss this season by less
than three points.
In
a region highly affected by realignment, each region matchup is more
important than ever. The Raiders start region play on Sept. 26 at
Callaway Stadium to take on the seventh ranked LaGrange Grangers in a
key Region 2-AAA matchup. After games against Northside and Columbus,
SHS will take on the defending AAA State Champion Carver Tigers in a
highly anticipated Homecoming game on Oct. 17. After a game at Troup
and an off week, Shaw will celebrate Senior Night at Kinnett Stadium
against the Kendrick Cherokees on Nov. 7.
Raider Spotlight: The "Jun"-ious
Choice
Power + agility+ speed = a high school
running back. For the Raider football team, that running back is
senior Alex Junious. The first year starter had big shoes to fill,
with the departure of many of the Raiders’ offensive weapons from
the 2008 season. Not to mention facing a tough schedule that included
Central (Phenix City, AL) and the AAAA state championship team from
Sandy Creek. To say he was facing pressure, is an understatement. Yet
Alex fought tough throughout the season and was a bright spot in a
lackluster season for the Raiders.
One of SHS' top athletes, Alex started
playing football when he was eight, on the Northeast Packers little
league team. He continued to play in middle school before coming to
the Raider nation in 2006. However, when he arrived, he was at the
bottom of a very talented and deep depth chart at running back. With
players such as Arsenio Williams and Bryan Willis, who ran over teams
in AAA and led Raiders to a state runner-up finish in 2006 with
consecutive playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008, in front of him,
Alex had to be patient. He paid his dues to get his shot in his
senior season.
One of the top athletes at SHS, Alex
admits that his game has improved while playing for the Raiders.
“Even though I switched positions, it seemed like I would learn the
position quickly and excel at that position,” says Alex. His
workout efforts do not just include school, but also works out on his
personal time as well. “I work out about three or four times a
week, just to stay in shape for the season….” Alex gets a lot of
his motivation on and off the field from his father, a military
veteran. “I follow what he does, he is a good influence towards me
and I try to be like him. He fought in Somalia in 1993, so I have a
lot of respect for him.”
During his time as
a backup, he was allowed to play only when the game was out of reach
for the opposing team. Alex says this is when his an important moment
in his career happened. “I can’t remember who it was against, but
I had I major touchdown run. For me, it was a milestone…it felt
like I was (finally) stepping up.”
As for the future, Junious has
received attention from many schools, such as the new program at
Georgia State, Auburn, along with Middle Tennessee State, and
Division 2 powerhouse, Valdosta State. However, the University of
Miami has been looking at him for his academics as well as his
athletics. Wherever Alex attends college, he says that he wants to
pursue a psychology major. As far as his first year in college goes,
his goals are simple. “My freshman year I just want to make good
grades, make the honor roll. Just continue to work hard.”
Spring Sports Preview
As we turn into the new
year, Shaw sports are getting ready for the long haul. Coach Tammy
Taylor hopes to lead the SHS swim team to new heights this season.
Both basketball teams are heading into the playoff stretch. Coach
Terry White and Coach Lindsay Dunton have led their teams to good
records for the year at time of print.
January also means practice
starts for the soccer team, under first year head coach Mikal
Underwood. Tennis practice also starts, led by seniors Jack Patterson
(boys) and Ikeya Carter (girls), both the Raider and Lady Raider
tennis teams look to make the state playoffs in back to back years
for the first time in over a decade.
The eight time and defending
region champion girls track team looks to make it number nine under
coach Edgar Johnson. Coach Pablo Sanchez leads the boys track team
against region 2-AAA to regain the region playoff spot from years
past. Also the golf team starts practice in North Columbus.
With all these teams’
seasons getting started in February, Raider Nation will definitely be
abuzz, as teams make their playoff push into the spring.
Raider Spotlight: Determination On and Off the Field
On the field, he is one of the top
players in the southeast. In the classroom, he is one of the best in
the senior class. Put them together and you have Shaw’s starting
varsity linebacker and defensive end, Marcus Stetzer.
Stetzer has a 3.9 GPA and is President
of the National Honor Society. He is also a member of the Raider
Report (Shaw’s school news program), Beta Club, Spanish Honor
Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Skills USA and Leadership Council. Marcus’
GPA is among the top 10 in the senior class. He was also named Mr.
SHS by the faculty of Shaw.
In athletics, he was a three year
varsity starter for the Raider Football team and a two year varsity
starter in soccer. Marcus is a highly recruited student, as he has
received the attention of Auburn, Vanderbilt, Wofford, Georgia State,
Valdosta State and Princeton. Stetzer was also named in Schuman’s
Top 100 recruits in the Southeast.
Marcus’ most fond memory of his
athletic career at Shaw came in the winter of 2006, his freshman
year, when the Raider Football team played Carver in the State
Semi-Finals at the Georgia Dome and later at the State Championship
game against Peach County. “I was actually dressed out in full pads
for those games; it was an experience I still remember to this day.”
His future looks bright. His goal is
to be in the NFL one day, but he has a backup plan. Marcus hopes to
major in physical therapy in college.
Re-writing the History Books
Four
years ago, the Shaw Raider Boys’ tennis team was an afterthought in
Region 2-AAA. There were five freshmen on the team, only three
experienced players on the team and the expectations were low. Then,
the tide changed.
In late 2007, Laurie
McInroy, who at the time was assistant softball coach, was announced
as the new head coach of Raider Tennis, hoping to turn the program
around. It did not take long for the Raiders to send a message to the
region: times were about to change. The team went from a non region
threat to beating teams such as Hardaway, Harris County and
Northside. The team finished fourth in the region during the regular
season and earned a rematch with Harris County for the right to go to
the state playoffs. The good luck ran out. Seniors Marcos Rivera and
Bobby Means closed out their careers with wins and solidified their
All Bi-City status, but the doubles teams could not hang on and a
poor performance from singles #3 sent the Raiders into the long
summer, thinking about what could have been.
However, the team was
already looking forward to next year. Thinking that they were only
going to lose three seniors to graduation was huge motivation. Also,
Harris County, the team that eliminated them two years in a row,
moved to AAAA. The boys thought it was their year. That is when the
bottom fell out. In addition to the three seniors graduating, two
players transferred to Columbus. Two players moved, two quit and one
was injured and out for the season. With the season only two months
away, the only athlete that the Raiders had left from the previous
season was Jack Patterson, a junior who had only six varsity wins in
two years.
The team rebuilded, with
players like Ryne Hauck and Mitchell Thornton, who started at singles
and the additions of Jake Elkins, Denver Robles, Faisal Khan and Zack
Moss, along with Patterson made the Raiders’ doubles teams better.
The season came, and many had Troup County taking the all important
fourth spot in the region.
The team used that as
motivation for the season. When the Raiders went to Troup County, it
showed. The Tigers were shutout by the Raiders for the first time. It
was a bright spot in a season who many thought the team was in a
rebuilding year. In the beginning of the season the team goal was to
qualify for state. In the region tournament, that goal became reality
as the team shutout Troup again, this time clinching a spot in the
state playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Although the
Raiders were eliminated in the first round by Crisp County, they
finally silenced the critics.
Heading into the 2010
season, the team was on a mission. Make the top four in the region,
qualify for state and aim for the “Sweet 16” for the first time
in school history. At the beginning of the season, they made that
known. After a opening day loss to Marion County, the Raiders started
rolling. The singles consisting of Hauck, Thornton and freshman Aaron
Broom dominated their matches as Shaw would go on to shutout
Hardaway, beat Carver and Central-Phenix City twice and shutout Troup
for the third straight time. It was in the second Central match that
the team gained one of its power players back in the return of junior
Larry Watkins. He would team up with Patterson, now a senior, for the
first time in two years. The duo, nicknamed “Team Franchise”
would live up to the name and dominate their match against the Red
Devils, while Perry Valentine would step up and seal the 5-4 win over
Central in #6 singles and in the process, sweep the season series.
In March, the Raiders
took their show on the road and proved that they could beat teams
outside the Chattahoochee Valley. The JV team would go on to win the
LaGrange JV Invitational by defeating Northside, Central-Carrollton
and Carrollton. The next week, the varsity boys played in the 19th
annual Granger Invitational. They would lose to McIntosh in a match
that had three games end in tiebreak, then proceed to beat Eagles’
Landing and Heard County 4-1. The two wins in the Granger
Invitational pushed the Raiders record to 9-4, breaking the school
record for wins in a season.
The Raiders hope to
continue to develop in the final two region matches of the season
with LaGrange and Columbus. The boys will end the season on the road
at Marion County on April 1 before the Region 2-AAA tournament on
April 13-14. Tennis is alive at Shaw and the expectations have
reached new heights.
Swinging
for the Fences
Lady
Raider softball has been a region 2-AAA powerhouse for several years.
The team has been to the Elite Eight five times since 2000, eight
times since 1996. This year may be number nine, under the guidance of
second year head coach Laurie McInroy.
Coach Mac attributes the foundation of the team to former Athletic Director and softball coach, Dr. Debbie Ball, who dedicated 30 years to Shaw athletics. Ball believed in the mottos, “Tradition never graduates” and “Hard work beats athletes that don’t work hard.” Coach Mac and her assistant coaches, Cindy Preston and Rebecca Duncan, work to instill that mentality in their players.
Watch
your back. . .
Your
parents say they trust you . . . do they really?
It
is late at night. Mike is getting out of his car without making a
noise. He walks inside his house, trying hard not to make a sound and
wake his sleeping parents. Suddenly the lights in the living room
click on. His parents demand in a stern tone, “Where have you
been?” Mike tries to use an excuse but his mom cuts him off. She
explains that they installed a GPS (global positioning system)
tracker in his car. Mike was shocked because he knew he had been
places he was not allowed. Mike’s dad took his car keys and license
from him; along with his freedom.
Although
this is not based on a true story, many high school students have
experienced a situation similar to this. With the availability of GPS
tracking, SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) readers and car
cameras at parents’ fingertips, teens need to be aware there is a
good chance… someone may be watching.
Big
Brother GPS Locator/Tracker from Securacom GPS
This
product has become popular. “Big Brother” can track cars and teen
drivers. None of the settings of the GPS tracker can be changed once
they are set. Another feature is an E-mail or text messaging system,
which tells the parents when the driver is going over certain speeds
or leaves a certain area. The tracker also allows the automobile to
be remotely locked and unlocked. Go to http://www.teentracking.com
for more information.
Cell
Phone SIM Card Spy
People
with “significant others” should pay close attention to this
product. With the Cell Phone SIM Card Spy, any
text message that is sent can be viewed on a computer. Some phones do
not have SIM cards, but those that do, the Cell Phone SIM Card Spy
can access all text messages, even those that are erased. Some of the
phones that can NOT be used with this product are the Verizon phones,
smart phones (such as Blackberry, iPhone, and the Sidekick), Alltel
(CDMA) phones, some Nextel/Sprint 2-way devices and some prepaid
phones. A word to the wise, do not send an inappropriate text message
with a phone that has a SIM card.
Rear
View Mirror Car Camera Recorder Pro
This
camera can actually attach to a rear view mirror. It automatically
starts to record when the engine starts and it provides real-time
audio and video playback. It records onto a 1 GB memory card, the
mobile DVR (Digital Video Recorder) will show the date and time of
the recording and the device has a video output which allows the
footage to be shown on virtually any TV. In addition to the video and
audio, the device allows the driver to see behind. For informative
videos on this product check out http://www.brickhousesecurity.com.
Times
have changed since our parents’ high school days. “Back in the
day”, they could do what they want and not get caught. With new spy
innovations, high school students definitely have to watch their
back. –Barbara Casebolt , Staff Reporter and Jack Patterson,
Sports and Website Editor
Sexting
101
Texting
gone wrong...
Since
January, there have been many reported "sexting" instances.
Most teens think it is harmless but law enforcement has a different
view. Recently, students across the nation have been arrested on
child pornography charges. "Sexting" is a felony.
"Sexting"
can be defined as a regular text message with slight sexual language
or any picture with nudity. Whatever the case may be, the
consequences are still the same. "It's a bad idea. Once the
message is sent, you can never get it back." said Mrs. Bridget
Marshall, Media Productions teacher at SHS.
Many
experts say that this trend is on the rise. According to an article
in the Buffalo (NY)
News, more than one in
five teen girls have sent some sort of nude picture and nearly 20
percent of teen boys have done so as well. Dr. James Arnold,
principal commented, "If the best you can do is to love by
telephone, then your social life is sad."
Some
school officials say that one-half to two-thirds of their students
are sexting according to the Cincinnati
Enquirer. Mrs. Stephanie Fuerte, English
teacher had this to say, "One should have enough self-respect to
keep something that is supposed to be private, private."
Be
careful, whether it is a picture or a text, because a “sexting”
offense may come back to haunt you.
Juniors,
the time is now
Our
time to be the leaders of the school is almost here.
Some
people dread this day. Some embrace it. In only a couple short weeks,
the seniors will “pass the torch” to the class of 2010. It is a
huge responsibility for us, SHS juniors, to represent the school with
pride, tradition and respect. Also, we must set a good example for
future Shaw Raiders.
However,
it is not the time to "goof off" in class or undermine
authority figures of our school, nor is it the time to act the fool
and do things that do not make sense. It is time to apply for
college, take the SATs but also to have fun. Being a senior is not
just a title, it is a lifestyle that changes the way we view things
and the way other people view us.
Being
a senior is building on the past while planning for the future and
working in the present. You cannot play around the first three years
of high school and then step up your senior year. By then, it may be
too late for your GPA, it may be too late for the SAT and it is
definitely too late for the HOPE Scholarship. While an senior student
has to live with the past and take care of the present, you have to
plan for the future. Take trips to look at colleges, registering for
the armed forces or getting your high school diploma is just the
first step of the rest of your life. With all of that aside, you
still have to work for the present. You still have to get 28 credits
to graduate; you still need to pass the graduation test (if you have
not already) and you still need to work hard in class.
Granted,
time seems to move slower than a turtle, but May 21, 2009, the last
day of school, will be here sooner than we think. Every second and
everything we do matters, because recommendations will be needed and
teachers will remember the legacy we left in their class. So enjoy
the ride, because just like they say, “You can’t script October,”
you cannot script your senior year.
When
we walk through the doors of SHS on August 6, 2009, it will be a
brand new story. . . (to be continued)
Freedom Is Not
Always a Good Thing
No
child left behind? More like no child left behind, but let the
schools in your district tank. You may ask, “Why do you say that?”
I can say that because I am living it.
In my hometown
of Columbus, there are eight public high schools under the
jurisdiction of the Muscogee County School District. In 2008, four of
the eight did not make Adequate Yearly Progress, AYP for short. AYP
consists of three standards: test participation, academic performance
and a second indicator (in the high schools, it is the graduation
rate.)
By law, a parent
can transfer their student from a school that does not make AYP in
two consecutive years. In Muscogee County, you can ride the
district’s shuttle bus service (usually reserved for magnet program
students) for free. However, students have taken advantage of this
opportunity to further their education. Students are transferring to
AYP passing schools just to hang out with their friends who may be
there to get a better education or it may be their home school. It’s
dropped some of Columbus’ best schools to mediocre levels and it’s
a crying shame.
Students
transferring from a school with a 56.1% graduation rate and who have
not made AYP since inception of the program to a school with a 79.8%
graduation rate and have made AYP since inception. What do you think
is going to happen? The teachers said it was not going to be pretty
and look what happened two years later. The school with the 79.8%
graduation rate still has that rate, but has not made AYP for two
years straight.
Something has
got to be done about this. Before letting people transfer, interview
them to see if they would actually benefit from transferring. It
would alleviate a lot of problems and would bring some of the
Muscogee County high schools back to prominence, like it was four
years ago.
Call it a
revelation, call it what you want, but three years of this bull is
enough. Fix the problem and save the district.
Diamond Dogs head
back to Omaha
After
winning the NCAA Athens Super Regional, the Georgia Bulldogs baseball
team, led by top-20 draft picks Gordon Beckham and Josh Fields, are
poised to make a national championship run. The Bulldogs improved to
41-23-1 and clinched a spot in the NCAA College World Series in
Omaha, Neb. This will be the sixth time in school history and the
fourth time this decade that the Diamond Dogs will head to Omaha.
The
Southeastern Conference regular season champions are 4-2 so far in
the NCAA playoffs, outscoring their opponents 90-49 in six games.
With wins over Lipscomb, Louisville and Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs
won the Atlanta Regional, and advanced to the Athens Super Regional,
where they eliminated No. 15 North Carolina State, winning in a
best-of–three-game series.
The
opening game of the College World Series will not be easy for UGA, as
they will take on the Miami Hurricanes, the No. 1 ranked team in the
nation. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN on Saturday,
June 14 at 6 p.m. The Hurricanes (52-9) are the Atlantic Coast
Conference regular season and tournament champions and defeated the
Arizona Wildcats in the Miami Super Regional to make it to Omaha. “We
are in a special place. This team has been around and been through it
all. Look at last season when we were 23-33 and we come back and are
SEC Champions and going back to Omaha.” said UGA coach David Perno
to a reporter. “We have great kids here and they are champions. We
have great leadership and we just showed that we were not going to be
denied.”
And speaking of leadership, two Diamond Dogs
were taken in the top 20 in the MLB Draft. Shortstop Gordon Beckham
was drafted eighth overall by the Chicago White Sox and relief
pitcher Josh Fields was drafted 20th
overall by the Seattle Mariners. , “I wouldn't be surprised to see
both of them contributing on the big-league level by 2010.”
ESPN.com editor James Quintong said in an email. “The one thing
with college players, especially those taken very high in the draft,
is that they could reach the majors pretty quickly.”
Right now, Beckham seems to have the edge for
having a long-term career in the MLB over Fields. Quintong said,
“He'll find a place in the middle of the White Sox infield, either
at second or short, and he's got a good bat that should make him a
mainstay at the top of the lineup for a numbers of years.” Quintong
said. “The White Sox are a bit lacking in prospects in their
system, but especially in the middle infield, so Beckham fills that
hole nicely.”
The White Sox currently lead the American
League Central Division by 6 ½ games over Minnesota.
As
for Fields, Quintong said that he may come through the Mariners farm
system fairly quickly. “Fields lands with a Mariners team that has
had some issues in the bullpen this year, and with their overall
struggles, might even give him a shot near the end of the season,”
Quintong said. “Early on, he might not do much more than be a setup
man, but he could earn his share of saves with [in] a couple of
years, depending on what happens with their current closer J.J.
Putz.”
The
Mariners are currently in last place in the American League Western
Division, 16 ½ games behind the Los Angeles Angels.
After
the season concludes, the Diamond Dogs will not only lose Beckham and
Fields, but also infielder Ryan Peisel and starting pitcher Nick
Montgomery to graduation. But look for guys like pitcher Justin Grimm
and infielder David Thoms to fill the holes left in the roster.
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