09.17 Ledger 01 - Index of - The Cherokee Ledger-News

20 THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS
LEDGER-NEWS
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: TODD CALLAHAN | 770-928-0706 x214 FAX: 770-928-3152 SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
Eagles stay unbeaten
TODD CALLAHAN LEDGER-NEWS
Woodstock’s Holly Mitchell, right, prepares to
block a shot, as Courtney O’Brien sets the ball over
the net during Saturday’s Georgia Challenge.
Lady Chiefs fall
in semifinals
Etowah captures
silver division title
BY TODD CALLAHAN
sports@ledgernews.com
Sequoyah won its
pool, but ran into Region
7-AAAA nemesis
Northwest Whitfield in
the semifinals of gold
division during Saturday’s
Georgia Challenge
Volleyball tournament.
Northwest Whitfield,
which defeated the Lady
Chiefs in two games
in a region match on
Sept. 10, defeated Sequoyah
(15-7) 25-21 in
the opening game and
erased four game
points before eliminating
the Lady Chiefs
with a 28-26 victory in
the second game.
The Lady Bruins advanced
to the finals
where they were beaten
25-17, 25-14 by
Northview, which is
ranked third in the
state in Class AAAAA.
“Northwest is just
better than we are right
now. They proved that
the other night,” said
Sequoyah head coach
Kelly Audia, whose
club went 3-1 over the
weekend. “We are getting
better every time
we step on the floor.”
Winning the silver division
was Etowah.
The Lady Eagles,
whose lone loss was to
Northwest Whitfield in
pool play, went 4-1 in
the tournament. They
rallied to beat Jonesboro
15-25, 25-23, 25-20
and knocked off
Grayson 25-16, 25-17.
After Northwest defeated
Etowah 25-23, 25-
17 to win the pool,
Etowah rallied to beat
Ringgold 16-25, 25-20,
25-18 in the semifinals
of the silver division
SEE CHIEFS, PAGE 22
Woodstock’s
Jessica
Carroll returns
a serve during
Saturday’s
game against
Sequoyah. The
Lady Chiefs
rallied to beat
the Lady
Wolverines in
three games to
win their pool.
■
TODD CALLAHAN
LEDGER-NEWS
BY BRANDON MICHEA
For the Cherokee Ledger-News
KENNESAW – Blowout? Not quite.
But after defeating Kennesaw Mountain
each of the past two seasons by a
combined five points, the Etowah Eagles
made a third straight victory over
the Mustangs look a little easier, escaping
with a 21-12 win Friday night in
Kennesaw.
“It wasn’t a cushion,” coach Bill
Stewart said of his Eagles nine-point
edge. “But this is just how it is against
(Kennesaw Mountain). Every time
we’ve played them it’s been an absolute,
down to the fourth quarter, last
minute kind of deal, and we knew
that’s what was going to happen (Friday).”
After an Etowah special teams miscue
set up KMHS for its lone offensive
score and cut the Eagles (3-0 overall, 2-
1 Region 5AAAAA) lead to 14-12 late in
the third quarter, the Etowah offense
responded by mounting a 15-play, 80yard
drive that finished with a James
Harris to Joey Gilkey seven-yard scoring
strike to cap the Eagles’ victory.
The pass to Gilkey, who was wideopen
in the back of the end zone, was
set up perfectly by the previous 14
plays – all runs, including 11 by Boykin
for 47 yards.
For the third straight game, Boykin
led Etowah with 159 yards on 24 carries,
including a 73-yard touchdown
run to open the third quarter. Harris,
Ishmael White and Max Thomas combined
for another 55 yards on the
ground.
“I felt like this was more of what we
could do (offensively),” said Stewart,
whose offense struggled in a week two
win over McEachern and managed just
59 yards in the first half against the
Mustangs. “The offense just wasn’t
clicking in the first half, but we finally
got something rolling in the second.”
The Etowah defense, meanwhile,
held a potent Mustangs (2-1, 1-1) rushing
attack to a mere 18 yards with
BRANDON MICHEA LEDGER-NEWS
Etowah defensive back Jordan Padgett (6) and linebacker Ishmael White put pressure
on Kennesaw Mountain quarterback T.J. Eifert in the first half of last Friday’s
21-12 Etowah victory.
KMHS gaining a yard or less on 18 of
its 25 carries, including having quarterback
T.J. Eifert sacked four times
for -36 yards – an effort Eagles senior
defensive back Jordan Padgett needs
little effort crediting the reasons for its
success.
“Intensity and relentlessness to the
ball,” he said. “We play as one. We’re
like a family out there on defense.”
Trailing 6-0 at intermission, Etowah
grabbed the lead just two plays into the
third, when the Mustangs defense bit
on Harris’ option right move while
Boykin broke through the left side of
the line for his 73-yard score.
Another heartbreak for Grizzlies
BY TODD CALLAHAN
sports@ledgernews.com
Creekview is gaining respect, but it is not translating in
the win column.
The Grizzlies earned respect from their backyard rival Sequoyah
two weeks ago in the double overtime and earned respect
in 7-AAA Friday in their home-opener against preseason
region favorite Flowery Branch.
However, Creekview remained winless in its first season
playing a varsity region schedule, as the Grizzlies suffered
a 20-18 loss at the Grizzly Den to the Falcons (2-1). The Grizzlies
(0-2) have lost their first two games by a combined three
points.
“Creekview’s got a good football team, and they’re going
to win a lot of games this year,” Flowery Branch head coach
Lee Shaw said. “I know they’ve been in two tough ones the
last two weeks, but they are coached up well, and their kids
play hard.”
Like the season-opener, mistakes on special teams proved
the difference.
The Grizzlies opened the game by giving up a 76-yard kickoff
return to Flowery Branch’s Greg Palmer for a touchdown.
They answered with a long kickoff return by Jon Husband
to get into Falcons’ territory. Creekview scored on a 1yard
plunge by Collins Wold, but the extra point attempt
struck the left upright and secured a 7-6 lead for the Falcons.
The Grizzlies remained behind the Falcons until the 1:57
mark of the fourth quarter when Creekview took advantage
of a Connor Shaw fumble and scored on a 1-yard touchdown
plunge by Chase Wideman on fourth-and-goal. Wideman finished
with two touchdowns and 55 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Creekview led 18-17 after an incomplete pass on the 2-point
conversion, but the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds at
the Flowery Branch 40-yard line.
With a short field, Shaw led the offense on the game-winning
drive. The junior quarterback carried the ball twice for
15 yards and completed four of six pass attempts before
SEE EAGLES, PAGE 22
TODD CALLAHAN LEDGER-NEWS
Creekview’s Josh Reyes fights for yardage, as Flowery Branch
linebacker Michael Young tries to make the tackle in Friday’s
game at the Grizzly Den. The Grizzlies lost, 20-18.
sophomore Will Monday booted a 20-yard field goal with 27
seconds left for a 20-18 lead.
SEE GRIZZLIES, PAGE 23