The AFC Lightning '92 White ( U-14 ) girls soccer team, coached by Technical Director and Hall of Fame Coach, Dave “Chaddy” Chadwick continues its quest to become one of the top U-14 teams in the Country.

Students who are looking for a shot at the pros, scholarship opportunities, a healthier lifestyle or success in their sport can reach their goals at the Oscar Dillard All Sports Academy. Not your sister’s boring basketball camp or a week at brother Billy’s summer football ritual this is continuous training for young athletes in any sport who want to get that added edge. The Oscar Dillard All Sports Academy has year round clinics slated to begin Jan. 22 for kids ages 7 – 18 at the Soccer Centre, 215 Robinson Drive in Fayetteville.

Sandy Creek is wrestling in the Area 4-AAAA duals at Lithia Springs High School today, while Landmark Christian is competing in the Area 5-A duals at Social Circle High School today. The top two teams from the area duals will meet at the State Dual Meets in Macon next weekend.

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) will be running five coaching courses in Newnan during February. The NSCAA, which is the largest Association of Coaches in the World, with over 18,000 members, will be running a variety of courses out of the Whitlock Soccer Complex in Newnan off Georgia Highway 34. Starting with the NSCAA State Diploma on Feb. 6 and 7, which is aimed at coaches, the courses will conclude with the NSCAA National GK Diploma. The courses being held are the NSCAA State Diploma, Advanced Regional Diploma and three GK courses, the State, Regional and National Diplomas. Some of the courses include membership to the NSCAA with benefits ranging from free coach’s insurance, continuing education through the NSCAA Website and conventions, to invoice priced cars.

The Atlanta Hawks are once again celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a special 2 p.m. game against the Houston Rockets on Monday, Jan. 16.

These days, there seem to be almost as many game-improving strategies for golfers as there are fad diets. And just like fad diets, they promise quick results with minimal effort, although ultimately you’ll just end up back where you started, a few pounds heavier, a few strokes over par.

Starr’s Mill’s varsity wrestling team defeated Carrollton 64-6 and Sandy Creek 70-5 on Tuesday night. Among the Panther wrestlers who went 3-0 on the night were Bradley Connor, Brandon Ferguson, Joseph Hoyt, Jeff Partlow, Cory Radcliffe, Chris Sudduth and Brandon Witta.

The local boys and girls varsity basketball teams met on Tuesday night in region matchups and there were numerous sweeps. Starr’s Mill’s boys and girls both fell to Newnan, while Creekside’s boys and girls handed McIntosh losses, Sandy Creek swept Woodward Academy, Landmark Christian swept Our Lady of Mercy and Fayette County’s boys and girls teams both defeated Lovejoy.

Joe Chaudoin, a senior at Starr’s Mill High School, was one of 30 Georgia High School Football players to receive the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholarship Award honoring scholar / leader athletes. The award is co-sponsored by Texaco Havoline, Gallagher Electric and Engineering, The Georgia High School Foundation, and The Atlanta Falcon Youth Foundation. Based on excellence in academics and football, Chaudoin had been nominated by Starr’s Mill High School Football Coach Mike Earwood and was presented with the award at a ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Atlanta on Dec. 29.

It was a weekend full of big games for the local basketball teams, each with an impact on either the region or overall record.

The local high school wrestling teams traveled far and wide to a variety of tournaments last weekend and they represented themselves well against some top notch competition.

Fayette County swim teams traveled to take on Evans County in a large swim meet last weekend and the locals represented the area well. McIntosh’s boys placed first and the girls placed third, giving McIntosh the overall win, while Starr’s Mill placed second overall, Whitewater placed fourth overall and Fayette County placed seventh.

• Starr’s Mill’s Kelley O’Hara has been named to the U.S. Under 20 Women’s National Team CONCACAF qualifying roster. The team will play Jamaica on Jan. 19, Surinam on Jan. 21 and El Salvador on Jan. 23. All three games will take place in Cordoba, Mexico. The semi-finals and finals will take place in Veracruz. O’Hara was the leading scorer on the U.S. U-17 National Team last year. She will attend Stanford next year.

The Landmark Christian School War Eagles varsity basketball team played in the Deep South Classic over Christmas break. In the first round of play, Landmark fell in a close game to East Anchorage Alaska High School (alma mater of Duke University Player of the Year and All-American Trajden Langden). In the second round, Landmark defeated Northridge High School of Tuscaloosa, Ala, scoring a season high 60 points and holding Northridge to a season low 46. In the final game, Landmark played Spruce Creek High School from south Florida and lost by 13 after cutting the margin to three points going into the fourth quarter. Stoney Hill averaged 15 points per contest and had a double-double in all three games.

The basketball season got back in full swing on Tuesday night and several local teams started the new year with some key region wins.

Northgate and East Coweta’s varsity wrestling teams competed in the Fayette County Christmas Classic last week and both teams placed in the top 10.

Branden Lewis is one of 500 athletes who will compete at the prestigious 2006 U.S. Army National Combine presented by Reebok. Lewis has been identified as one of the nation’s top underclassmen by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee. The Starr's Mill standout from Peachtree City will participate in the country’s only national combine on January 6-8, 2005 at the Alamodome in San Antonio at the cornerback position. This event will be the largest and most elite gathering of prep football underclassmen of the year.

The Knights of Columbus Council #11458 of Fayetteville will hold its annual free throw competition on Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Hood Avenue Primary School gymnasium at 7 p.m. The competition is for boys and girls ages 10-14.

Fayette County hosted the Fayette County Christmas Classic last week and the Tigers placed sixth, while Whitewater placed 14th and Sandy Creek placed 29th.

Over the break, the Fayette County Tigers and Lady Tigers played in the Henry County Christmas tournament. The boys went 3-0 and won the tournament, while the girls went 1-2.

• Darrell Burston, a Starr’s Mill graduate and defensive end for Florida State University, faced Penn State in the Orange Bowl last night after the paper went to press. Visit www.thecitizen.com today for updates.

Creekside football (above) went 10-0 in the regular season and won the region title and Sandy Creek’s boys basketball team (below with coach Darrell Evans) played in the AAAA final four and came oh-so close to making the championship game.

Residents and non-residents born on or after January 1, 1961 must successfully complete a hunter education course prior to purchasing a season hunting license. However, a hunter education course is not required to purchase a one day or seven day hunting license. Hunter education courses certified or mandated by any state wildlife agency or Canadian province are accepted. Hunter education is not required to hunt on one's own land or land of a parent or guardian.

The Starr’s Mill Panthers varsity boys basketball team have made the semi-finals of the Ft. Walton Beach Blast basketball tournament. They won their first two games and made the semi-final game on Thursday evening after the paper went to press.

The McIntosh High School wrestling team traveled to Dacula High School on the Thursday before Christmas to compete in the Falcon Duals and finished with two wins and three losses on the day. The Chiefs earned wins against Forest Park and a tough Salem squad after falling to Jefferson, and then losing two close matches to Flowery Branch and host Dacula.

The McIntosh High School Chiefettes dance team began the competition season with an impressive start at the Roswell City Dance Challenge, held on Dec.

What better way to reflect on a year gone by than with a “Best of” list. This wasn’t easy as a case could be made for a lot of players on many of the teams that get covered in this paper. In case you’re wondering, it’s seven schools for this poll (all five Fayette County schools, plus Our Lady of Mercy and Landmark Christian) and a total of 19 varsity athletic teams per school. That comes out to 133 teams full of great student athletes, all representing their school to the best of their abilitites, to sort through. Undoubtedly, there will be much debate, but please, be kind in your responses.

January

• Starr’s Mill’s varsity wrestlers won the county duals ahead of Fayette County and placed third in their Invitational tournament, while the Tigers placed fourth in their annual Christmas tournament.

January

• Starr’s Mill’s varsity wrestlers won the county duals ahead of Fayette County and placed third in their Invitational tournament, while the Tigers placed fourth in their annual Christmas tournament.

The determined Fayette Shooting Stars have a lot to smile about. The team won the U-10 Bronze girls division of the Kohl’s American Cup at McCurry Park on Nov. 12-13. The Shooting Stars had one loss in the regular season, in which they defeated themselves by scoring for the opponent, but they were undefeated at the tournament.