Another high school athletics season is in the books and it was what some would call a ‘real corker,’ which is a good thing.

One could even argue that it was one of the best this area has seen. There were state champion teams in cross country, track and soccer, more region champions than you could shake a stick at and local teams were competitive in just about every sport across the board.

Let’s take a quick trip in the wayback machine of our minds and reflect on what we have seen in the last nine months.

Fall 2005

The big story was McIntosh’s girls cross country team winning the AAAA state title and perhaps the most significant part of that story was the team’s top runner Emily Borsare collapsing just short of the finish line. She’ll be back this fall, as will a majority of the team, and they will once again contend for a title. The girls were also county champions and region champions, while Our Lady of Mercy’s boys won the county meet on a tie-breaker. In region meets, Fayette County’s boys and Starr’s Mill’s girls won the region 4-AAAA crowns, while Landmark’s boys and girls won the region 5-A titles. Landmark Christian’s girls captured their third straight Class A cross country championship.

The football season saw Starr’s Mill and Landmark win their region championships and Sandy Creek joined those teams in making the state playoffs. Starr’s Mill won in the first two rounds of the playoffs, while the War Eagles and the Patriots were knocked out in the first round. East Coweta made the final 16.

Starr’s Mill’s Lady Panther varsity softball team won the region title and made the state softball playoffs, as did Whitewater, Our Lady of Mercy and Fayette County. The Lady Panthers made the Elite Eight in Columbus, while the others were knocked out in the first weekend of play. East Coweta made the state playoffs and was knocked out before the Elite Eight by Newnan. Northgate won region 4-AAAA and made the playoffs as well.

In volleyball, Starr’s Mill won another region title, as did Landmark Christian, but it was the McIntosh Lady Chiefs, runners-up in region 4-AAAA, who made the state final four.

Winter 2005-2006

The big story in basketball was Fayette County’s varsity boys team, which went 24-3, and made the state playoffs. The team won two tournaments during the year and was incredibly strong and balanced. They lost a chance to win a region title when Starr’s Mill defeated them in the semi-final game of the region tournament. The Sandy Creek and Landmark Christian School girls also had good seasons, both teams made the sweet 16 of their respective classifications in the state tournament and Landmark won the region title in Coach Jim Waller’s first season at the school.

In wrestling, Starr’s Mill’s Bradley Conner, East Coweta’s Tim Johnson and Whitewater’s Jordan Strain won state titles. The Starr’s Mill boys and girls swim teams won the county championships again this year. Starr’s Mill’s Lauren Cartwright picked up two individual state titles, one in the 200 individual medley and one in the 100 butterfly.

Spring 2006

Of course, Starr’s Mill’s girls winning the AAAAA state soccer title is the biggest news, along with Our Lady of Mercy’s girls winning the Class A state track title, but the spring also saw Starr’s Mill’s varsity baseball team win 28 games in a row before being knocked out of the state playoffs and Whitewater’s varsity baseball team make the state playoffs for the first time.
East Coweta and Northgate made the state quarterfinals before getting knocked out. Northgate won the region 4-AAAA baseball title.
In soccer, Starr’s Mill’s boys and girls won region titles yet again, while McIntosh’s girls and Whitewater’s boys also won region titles. East Coweta’s girls made the state playoffs and fell just short of a trip to the semi-finals. East Coweta and Northgate’s boys were elimnated in the first round of the state playoffs.

In track, Mercy’s Leigh Burton won two state titles in long jump and 100 meter intermediate hurdles, while Hannah Allen won a title in discus, Raven Moore won titles in 100 and 200 meter dash and Sarah Hohenberger won titles in the 800 meter and 1,600 meter run. Landmark’s state champions were Heather Hayes in the 300 meter low hurdles and the 1,600 meter relay team. On the boys’ side, Jake Lethbridge won the 1,600 meter and 800 meter run, while the 400 meter and 1,600 meter relay teams also won state titles. Landmark’s Chad Thames won the 3,200 meter run.

The Starr’s Mill girls track team won the region title, as did the boys and girls tennis teams, while McIntosh’s girls tennis team won a region title as well. The Lady Chiefs and Lady Panthers each made the final four of their classification’s state tennis tournament.

The Starr’s Mill’s Lady Panther lacrosse team made the state tournament in their first year of play.

East Coweta and Starr’s Mill boys golf team were neck in neck for the season and both made the state tournament.

That’s a fairly impressive list, isn’t it?
It also doesn’t show the tremendous effort and outstanding sportsmanship exemplified by our local teams. These athletes represent their school and their communities very well.
As always, I commend them on their accomplishments this year.

I am also looking forward to what should be an incredible 2006-2007 athletic season, one that will be significantly different from this year, as Starr’s Mill and Fayette County drop down to Class AAAA and will battle their counterparts at McIntosh, Northgate and Whitewater in every sport.

It’s going to be a great year for sports.

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