Dave Gary, the Peachtree City Tennis Center manager, has received two USPTA awards in recent months. The awards, a USPTA National Top Ten Continuing Education Award was given at the USPTA World Conference in Marco Island, Fla. in September and a USPTA Georgia Higher Education Award was given at the USPTA Georgia Workshop held in Duluth, Ga. on Dec. 2. The awards are given for continuing education efforts including workshops, seminars and conferences that Gary has participated in for the year 2004/2005. The national award puts him in the top 10 of USPTA Professionals across the country that received this distinguished accomplishment which is the second time in his career he has received this National honor.

When Fayette County traveled up the road last year to take on Mundy’s Mill in the regular season, the games were epic. They were both barn burners that came down to the last shot and the large crowds that had amassed to watch the two teams tangle were energized.

Fayette Co. competed in the Raider Rumble at Alpharetta High School over the weekend. The Tigers came in sixth out of 16 teams participating. Placing for the Tigers were: Joel Carnow, Ben Loeffler, Alex Parsons, Patrick Blankenbeker and Jonathan Baeale. All of those wrestlers had third place finishes.

In the Carrollton BlueFin Invitational, Whitewater High School had several swimmers with great finishes.

David Menchinger placed first in the 200 yard free and the 100 yard backstroke, qualifying for the state meet in both events and bringing his season total up to four. Cassandra Heimann placed third in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 breast, improving on her state qualifying time. Jared Toro placed third in the 50 freestyle while Peter Menke placed eighth. Toro also placed second in the 100 freestyle.

The Precor Company has invited 14 of Fayette County’s top cross country runners and their coaches to participate in an internationally based training session.

The Level 5 Gym South gymnastics team traveled to the Cobb Parks and Recreation Center for the Cobb Candy Cane Gymnastics Meet on Nov. 12. The girls took third place out of 13 teams, hanging tough with some of the best teams in the state.

• Kedric Golston, a Sandy Creek graduate, had four tackles, one assist, half a sack and three quarterback hurries in the University of Georgia’s 34-14 win over LSU.

Gift Certificates and a special $99 Three-Play Card are now available for purchase online at www.GeorgiaGolf.com. Gift certificates are available in increments of $50, $75 and $100. With golf rounds well under $50 statewide, this is a great way to treat a golfer to a great golfing experience.

Former Sandy Creek teammates Kedric Golston (97) and Andrew Gardner (64) faced off last Saturday when the University of Georgia took on Georgia tech.

Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson was named a first-team all-America by the American Football Coaches Association, which announced its 25-man all-America squad Thursday.

Sandy Creek’s varsity wrestling team had a tough test last Tuesday. The team traveled to Union Grove and took on the Wolverines, as well as Marist and Woodward Academy. All three of those teams are ranked in the pre-season GaSports.com poll. Union Grove is ranked ninth in AAAAA, while Woodward is ranked fifth and Marist is ranked seventh in AAAA.

Landmark Christian School wrestling coach Fred Gilkeson has a fairly young team competing this year. There are two seniors, Tim Creamer and David White, and one junior, Sam Brown. The rest of the team is made up of six freshmen and five sophomores. Wrestling in area 2-A, the War Eagles will face four teams ranked in the top 10 of the GaSports.com pre-season coaches poll; Jefferson (2), Washington-Wilkes (3), Truetlen (5) and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (7).

The McIntosh High School swim team captured first place overall in its opening event this season at the Brenau University High School Invitational. The McIntosh men and women each finished first among seven teams competing in the event.

Starr’s Mill finished first in their meet against Salem, Fayette County, and Whitewater High held at Washington Park on Nov. 17.

Tuesday night was a big night for basketball as all of the local teams were playing. There were a lot of close games and several of the locals came out on top.

The McIntosh Chiefs varsity wrestling team swept their Quad Meet at McIntosh on Tuesday night by beating Cross Keys 58 – 23, Columbia 62 – 18 and Our Lady of Mercy 84 – 0. Coach Nick Bellantoni was pleased with the team’s performance.

Sharpsburg resident Natalie Pluskota placed second in the Southern Junior Indoor Open tennis tournament in Louisville, KY over Thanskgiving. She played in six matches and her only loss came in the finals. In a three hour battle in the championship match, Pluskota lost the first set, went down 5-3 in the second set and rallied to win 7-5 before losing the final set 6-1.

The Thanksgiving holiday wasn’t a turkey for several local hoops teams as both Fayette County and Whitewater’s boys won the holiday tournaments they were participating in.

The Fayette County 105 Blue Devils faced off against a familiar foe, the Tucker Lions, in the UYFC Championship Game at Stockbridge High School. Though the Blue Devils trailed the Lions 13-0 early and 19-6 at the half, after a touchdown run by Keante Green, the Blue Devils fought back with a stout defense and a determined offense to win 20-19.

• Darrell Burston, a Starr’s Mill graduate playing for Florida State, had one assist in their 34-7 loss to Florida.

While other teams were participating in holiday tournaments, Sandy Creek was hosting a team from the other sub-region of region 4-AAAA. The game would serve as an indication of where the Sandy Creek boys and girls basketball teams were and how far they had to go to improve.

Generous Georgia hunters donated 240 deer to the Hunters for the Hungry (HFTH) program during the first collection weekend, Oct. 30-31, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). The venison from the deer will help provide warm, nutritious meals for hundreds of less fortunate Georgians. WRD would like to encourage all hunters to donate a deer (or two, or three . . .) during the next collection weekend, Nov. 26-27, at seven drop-off locations around the state or to bring a harvested deer to any of the five available processor sites that are collecting deer all month.

On Saturday, November 12, Quail Ridge Farm and the Classic Show Series played host to the final horse show in the 2005 season, a benefit for the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.

Football coaches rarely want to see their seasons end. This might be because unless you are lucky enough to end your season with a win in the championship game, your season ends with a loss.

At the Collins Hill Invitational on Saturday Nov. 19, the East Coweta High School varsity cheerleaders earned first place

McIntosh senior setter Megan Cheatham capped her high school volleyball career with an incredible final season.

The McIntosh Chiefs Wrestling Team opened the season strongly with a fifth place finish at the 16 team South Gwinnett Comet Classic. The team had wins against Mt. Zion (72 – 9), Berkmar (78 – 6) and Starr’s Mill (65 – 18) while suffering losses against Grayson, Eastside and Norcross.

The USTA Peachtree City Junior Fall Classsic was recently held at the Peachtree City Tennis Center. Over 125 players participated in the event. Local results are as follows:

The Whitewater boys basketball team opened the 2005-06 basketball season last weekend with two wins. The Wildcats defeated Haralson County 66-60 and followed it with a 70-36 win over Our Lady of Mercy on Saturday.

The Starr’s Mill Panthers hosted the Brookwood Broncos last Friday night and the winner would earn a trip to the Georgia Dome this Saturday. Though Brookwood had a 6-0 lead at the half, the game was up in the air until the fourth quarter. When all was said and done though, Brookwood would emerge victorious, allowed to continue their season, for at least one more week.