Wednesday, August 1, 2001

Fall sports scheduled to start soon

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Another season of high school athletics is upon us and one wonders what the intriguing stories will be this fall.

Will there be another state champion cross country team? Will one of our football teams make another serious run at a state title? Can one of our volleyball teams push further in the state tournament? All of these questions will soon be answered as the students return to the classrooms and to the playing fields.

Football gets off to a rousing start when East Coweta and Starr's Mill meet in the Corky Kell Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome Aug. 25. The season starts off for the rest of the area the following week with Fayette County hosting McIntosh, Sandy Creek playing at Shaw, Landmark hosting Wesleyan and Our Lady of Mercy hosting Walker in the kickoff to the school's inaugural varsity season.

Volleyball starts with a jamboree Aug. 11 at Starr's Mill High School. The Sandy Creek Lady Patriots will try to return to the state tournament, while the other teams try to start their season off right and hold off their county rivals. The season officially begins the following week as Sandy Creek hosts Newnan and Banneker Aug. 16. Fayette County is scheduled to host a tournament Aug. 18 and 19 and will host Forest park and Jonesboro Aug. 22.

The softball in Fayette County is always among some of the best around and many of the top players from the county schools play on traveling teams together. Their friendships don't get in the way when the season begins, though, as each county school is annually in the hunt for the region championship and a bid to the state tournament. The season begins with a great regional match-up with Fayette County at East Coweta Aug. 16 at 4:30. The Lady Tigers are scheduled to host McIntosh in their home opener Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.

Cross country is another strong sport for the schools and one team is looking to capture one more state title before its top runners graduate. The McIntosh Lady Chiefs cross country team won a state championship three years ago as several girls bolstered the program in their freshman year. Now the girls are seniors and, if they can stay healthy, should be the team to beat in the state. Of course, Fayette County and Starr's Mill always field tough teams for both boys and girls and Landmark Christian has had a number of solid squads over the past few years as well.

The first big meet is Sept. 9 at the Darlington/Berry invitational. Several weeks later most of the county schools will participate in the Sandy Creek Invitational, Sept. 23. The course at Sandy creek is the sight of the county meet Oct. 10 and the region meet Oct. 21 and the coaches want their teams to be very comfortable with the course.

All in all it promises to be an exciting season and a perfect way to go from summer into autumn.