By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Sports Editor

Student athletes at all of the local high schools have faced possibly their toughest competition of the young season this week: finals. Their weekend matches will most likely be less daunting, but no less interesting.

Starr's Mill will travel to face the Fayette County Tigers on Friday night. The Starr's Mill girls have a talented and athletic squad, while the Lady Tigers are a bit inexperienced. As for the boys, Fayette County has several quality players with lots of speed and athleticism, while Starr's Mill has size and good game plans. All logic is thrown out the window when two county schools play each other though.

The two teams met last week with the Lady Panthers defeating the Lady Tigers, 51-40 and the Fayette County boys triumphing over the Starr's Mill boys, 57-52. The Panthers rallied back from a 10 point deficit to close it to one with one minute left. They couldn't overtake the Tigers but will look for revenge this Friday.

McIntosh will host LaGrange on Friday night. The boys and girls have had almost 10 days off, to study for finals and rest up for Christmas tournaments and region play. The girls are led by Jessi Prahl, who has returned from an injury and could only benefit from more rest. The boys have produced some exciting victories and should gel more as the season goes along.

Next week will also be the beginning of Christmas basketball tournaments. East Coweta will travel to play in the Carrollton Christmas tournament, while Starr's Mill will participate in the North Georgia College tournament. The Indians may get a chance to meet their rivals the Newnan Cougars, while the Panthers will look to come together more as a team and gain some important experience against some good competition.

There will also be several wrestling events going on this weekend. Sandy Creek will travel to Northgate High School on Saturday to compete in the Caveman Duals, while Fayette County will compete in the Brookwood Tournament on both Friday and Saturday. Starr's Mill will host a two day Invitational tournament with action beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday. McIntosh will travel the furthest as they head to Chattanooga,TN to wrestle in the McCallie Invitational.

Perhaps Christmas will come early for our local teams, producing wins and positive strides for their athletic programs. The teams will also get a chance to relax without the pressures of school for a while.

Back to the Top of the PageBack to the Sports Home Page