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AA Region 3 Championship and came home with the Region Championship for the boys and girls teams.
According to the Milesplit rankings, the girls were projected to win, but the boys were the underdogs and had their work cut out for themselves. At the end of the day, they outperformed Appling County clinching the team championships and advancing 35 athletes to the Sectional meet.
For the girls, the Indians came away with 202 points to take 1st place over Appling in 2nd with 143 points. Pierce County took 3rd with 126 points. In the boys' meet the Indians took the top spot with 159.5 points over 2nd place Appling with 143 points. Tattnall County took the 3rd place spot with 105 points.
Passing of Anson Callaway Dream Big, Work Hard, & Good Things Will Happen!
Coach Anson Callaway, or just Coach, was a man known throughout our area for all of the above. For his love of family, friends, and his grand accomplishments and the impact through those that he left on his community.
Anson Stanley “Coach” Callaway, passed away on May 10, 2024. Coach Callaway was one of the most recognizable members of this community. He continued to come out to sporting events until his final days. The man always had a smile on his face, was always genuinely friendly with everyone that stopped him to say hello, and left his mark on thousands of people around the state. He truly was a 'larger than life' type of person whose impact will be forever etched on this community.
From his work through the school system to his beloved Partin Park, Anson took on a lifelong dream of bettering his community, and he more than accomplished that. From the opening of Partin Park in 1975 to hosting, at one point, the largest youth baseball and softball tournament in the country, he did always dream big, and good through him, good things did happen in Toombs County.
VHA Baseball Three-Peat
It was a Three-Peat for the Vidalia Heritage Academy Eagles baseball team as they claimed the GAPPS State A Baseball Championship in May. After a storm rolled through Vidalia the week of the finals, with a confirmed tornado in the area, damage was done to the fence at the VHA baseball field. The VHA staff along with GAPPS and their opponent, Victory Baptist, found a place to play the Championship, and the games were moved to the Southern Pines Recreation Department in Dublin. The best-of-three series kicked off on Saturday, and it was all Heritage as they rolled to a sweep and a third State Championship in a row.
Heritage took the first game of the series 5-0, with Greer Posey and Dalton Price combining to strikeout 8 batters.
In the second game of the series, it was a big second inning that blew the game open and secured the State Championship for Heritage. They put 11 runs on the board in the second inning on the way to a 12-1 win. JT Cofield threw a great game on the mound even after being hit with a line drive in his trowing arm in the first inning.
VHA Head Coach Seth Sitzman said, "I'm so proud of our seniors and what they have done for us over the past several years. Three in a row is something special, and not a lot of players or coaches ever get to say they got to experience that. I love every one of them, but I have to say it is a heck of a way to go out.”
TCHS Soccer State Champs
It was a historic night in Macon at Mercer University in May as the Toombs County boys’ soccer team won their first-ever GHSA State Championship. The boys defeated the Blue Devils of Model by a score of 2-0 to finish the season with a 20-3 record.
The match started slowly for the Bulldogs as Model came out on the attack, and Toombs spent much of the first 10-15 minutes defending. The field at 5-Star Stadium at Mercer University is larger than what the Bulldogs are used to playing on at The Pit, and it took them much of the first half of the game to figure out the different spacing and to get a feel for the larger field.
Toombs took the lead in the 27th minute with Miguel Granados stealing a Model pass and then working with Yovanny Zamorano to move the ball down the field with Zamorano capping off the play with the first goal of the game.
Less than five minutes later, Zamorano was fouled in the penalty area, and Braylen Dietrich converted the penalty kick to give the Bulldogs a commanding 2-0 lead.
In the second half, the Bulldogs were unable to add to their lead, but that did not matter. The defense, as they had done all season and throughout the State Tournament, stifled their opponents and shut out a very good Model offense to secure the 2-0 victory and the program's first-ever State Championship.
Head Coach Jeremy Moore said, "It was our night. These young men made up their minds several weeks ago that no one was going to beat them in the playoffs. They have believed for a long time that they were the best team in AA, and they went out and proved it each and every round of the tournament.
“Throughout the playoffs, we scored 27 goals and only conceded one. I think that speaks volumes about the level at which we played every match. The joy and emotion you saw from these players after the final whistle blew tells you all you need to know about how much it means to them. You see the fans, the community, their families cheering their hearts out the entire match and getting behind this team; it feels surreal. I think every coach dreams of making that run and winning a State
VHA Varsity Archery – (L to R): Josey Harrell, Lydia Horne, Reese Neal, Mallory Johnson, Riley Sanders, Owen Belcher, Logan Belcher, Cole Johns, and Joel Gilliam.
Photo by Mike Branch
Coach Anson Callaway – Anson and his wife have two daughters, Kim and Cathy, who have since grown their own families. Here, he and his wife stand with their daughters and sons-in-law,. L to R: Kim George, Bobby George, Virginia Calloway, Anson Calloway, Mark Adams, and Cathy Adams.
VHA Eagles Are State Champions – The Vidalia Heritage Academy Eagles are the 2024 GAPPS State A Champions.
Photo by Mike Branch
TCHS Bulldogs Are State Champions – The Toombs County High School soccer team won their first ever GHSA State AA Championship last week in Macon.
Photo by Mike Branch continued from page
Title, and this night was the fulfillment of many years of dedication and commitment from everyone involved.”
RTCA Baseball State Champs
The Crusaders baseball team of Robert Toombs Christian Academy are GIAA State A Champions.
They fought through the playoffs to take the title in three games over the Wildcats of Flint River Academy out of Woodbury.
The first two games of the best-of-three se- ries were played in Ma con at Luther Williams Field, home of the Ma con Bacon. After weather moved through the area over the weekend, the final game, which was scheduled for Saturday, was moved to Monday at Tattnall Square Academy. RTCA pulled the upset as they defeated the #1 team in the state. RTCA went into the playoffs as the #2 seed, but took Game 1 of the Championship Series, fell in the second game, but bounced back in a thrilling Game 3 that went down to the wire to claim the title. RTCA was up to the challenge as they went in knowing that Flint River had several good pitchers, but RTCA did what they needed to come away with the win.
RTCA won the first game of the series 4-1, with Brittan Tabor getting the win while allowing just 4 hits. In the second game, Flint River bounced back with the victory as they rolled to a 10-0 win to force a Game 3.
After the weather moved the game to a new venue, the two teams battled in a close game to decide the winner. Banks Hopkins got the start on the mound and did just enough, pitching a solid game to help RTCA get the win.
RTCA was trailing 6-4 in the sixth inning, RTCA loaded the bases.
A single brought in two runs to tie the game at 6-6. Then Gage Brantley came through with a sacrifice fly that put RTCA on top 7-6. RTCA held in the bottom of the sixth inning, and in the seventh Flint River had two runners in scoring position, but a line out, and two strikeouts by Tripp Durden ended the game with RTCA claiming the title.
Head Coach Brian Fitzgerald said, "What a game, just look at the score, 7-6. Nobody ex pected us to be here, but these kids just came to play. We had some great individual efforts out there today, I mean look at Banks pitching like he did. We just survived some tough situations, and came through with some clutch hits when we needed them. Phenomenal season, just so proud of our guys, and thankful to all the players, the coaches, the parents, and everyone involved. It is just great to say that we are State Champions.”
Summer Ball
The local recreation departments had several teams that placed well in the GRPA State Tournaments.
Vidalia won two State Championships.
Their 8u boys team had to battle through the losers' bracket and then defeat Wayne County two times in the Championship to win their title. VRD won the first game in the finals 13-9 to force a Game 2, and in the final game VRD cruised to a 16-7 win to earn their State Title.
The VRD 12U boys also had to battle through the losers' bracket and beat Wayne County twice to win their championship.
After losing to Wayne in the semifinals of the winners' bracket, VRD beat Summerville to get to the finals. In the finals they beat Wayne in the first game 9-8 to force a Game 2. In the second game Vidalia rolled to a 9-1 win to earn their State Championship.
Lyons Recreation Department also had two teams that had good showings at State. The Lyons 10U boys also took on Wayne County in the finals, and needed to win twice to get the title. Lyons won the first game 7-0 to force a Game 2. But in the second game, Wayne rallied to take a 5-2 win over Lyons, giving LRD second place in State.
The Lyons 10U girls made it through the losers' bracket to meet up with Coffee County in the Championship. Lyons needed to win two games to take the title, but they came up just short in the first game, 10-8, to take second place in State.
TCHS Softball Runner-Ups
The Toombs County High School softball team had a historic season as they came away as the State Runner- Ups. It was the first time that they had ever played for the Championship.
As a whole, this season was one for the record books for the Bulldogs. This group of seniors had a total of 77 wins in their four years at TCHS, capping it off this year with a record of 28-4. Star pitcher Shay Stringer set the single season record for strikeouts this year with 274, and holds the career record with 620. Both Nora Grace Mercer and Casey Cantwell both have over 100 hits for their careers at TCHS with Cantwell setting the season record with 45 this year. Cantwell also set the season record with 38 RBI's this year. They also set a record as a team with 16 home runs this season.
The Bulldogs went undefeated through the months of September and October this year and their run to the State Championship Game.
And three of their four losses this year came to teams who won their respective State Championships.
What a week it was for the Lady Bulldogs softball team of Toombs County High School!
It was another historic week for Toombs County athletics as the Lady Dawgs came home from the GHSA State Elite 8 Tournament as State Runners-up.
They fought their way through four games to get to the State Championship but could not get past Gordon Lee in their bid for the title.
In the tournament in Columbus, Toombs had wins over ACE Charter 14-0, and Banks County 8-2. They lost to Gordon Lee in the semi- finals of the winners' bracket 8-0. Toombs bounced back with a win over Bremen 5-2, but then lost in the finals to Gor don Lee 11-1.
Head Coach Hayne Brant said, “When I look back at the 2024 season, I'll think about overcoming adversity at the beginning of the year. I had to miss a few games due to the passing of my mother, and my players and my coaches stepped up and continued to work hard in my absence. Then, of course, we had Hurricane Helene. After that terrible storm went through, we had a few weeks off, but when we came back, the girls really focused, and overall I think it made us stronger as a group going through that together.
“Our seniors have meant so much to this team and also the tombs County Softball program as a whole. As coaches, we always talk about having great teams with the seniors having helped build a culture, and this group has done just that. They have given this program a shot of energy, and we can see the respect that we have garnered across the state. We will definitely miss all of our seniors and wish them well in their future endeavors.”
VHS XC Region Champs
The Vidalia High School Cross Country teams claimed the Region Championships in both girls and boys events held at Toombs County High School.
The traditional Region meets were replaced, sending all teams to a Sectional event featuring schools from four different Regions across the state.
In this new setup, teams had to finish in the top 12 to qualify for the State Meet in Carroll ton this weekend. The GHSA also determined Region winners based on Sectional results, adding an extra layer of competition to the day.
The boys continued their dominance in the Region winning their third straight Region Championship. The
RTCA Crusaders Baseball State Chapions – The Robert Toombs Crusaders are the 2024 GIAA State A Champions.
Photo by RTCA
TCHS Lady Bulldogs State Runner-Ups – (L to R, Front): Elly Haygood, Mackenzie Coursey, Rayne Sears, Taylor Bland, Saige White, Natalie Quintero, Autumn Jarriel, Alina Diaz, Mishi Smith, Aniston Powell; (Middle): Presley NeeSmith, Ava Martin, Kylie Carrol, TaNaya Simpson, Cyleigh Ennis, Nora Grace Mercer, Brinley Miller, Emerson Powell; (Back): Coach Brad Lane, Coach Dirk Brantley, Coach Haley Stone, Leighton Williams, Casey Cantwell, Madalyn Poole, Shaylin Stringer, Giana Hamlin, Coach Hayne Brant, Coach Mackenzie Tripp, and Coach Derek James.
State
Photo by TCHS
RTCA Crusaders State Runner-Ups – RTCA’s Jayden Toole finds some open running room for RTCA during the first half of their State Championship Game against Edmund Burke.
Photo by Mike Branch continued from page
girl’s team won their first Region Champion ship since 1998. Geor- gia Meredith was the girl’s individual Region Champion.
RTCA Football State Runner-Ups
The Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusader football team was at Georgia Southern University on Friday, November 22, to play in the GIAA Class A State Championship against Edmund Burke Academy. It was a thrilling game that came down to the wire with RTCA falling just short, 20-17. This is the second year in a row that RTCA has been State Runnerup. EBA was the State Champion in AA last season.
It was a defensive first half as both teams struggled to put together sustained drives. RTCA had some good runs on their first drive by Jayden Toole and Drew Edwards, but they had to kick the ball away after being stopped.
EBA scored the first points of the game with a touchdown with just over two minutes to go in the first half. But RTCA tied the game on an 18-yard run by Christian Mixon with just 18 seconds to play in the first half.
In the second half, EBA went back on top in the third quarter, 13-7. RTCA's Hayden Meeks added a field goal with 52 seconds in the third to make it 1310.
In the fourth quarter, EBA extended their lead to 20-10 with 4:38 left to play in the game. RTCA was not done, though, as Mixon con nected with Jayden Toole for a 78-yard touchdown pass to close it to 20-17 with 4:19 left to play.
RTCA was not able to get anything else going as EBA took the win, 20-17.
TCHS Cheer State Runner-Ups
The Toombs County High School Game Day Cheerleaders competed in the GHSA Game Day Cheerleading Championship for the third time in program history. The competition was held at the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, GA.
Out of the 21 teams in Class A, Toombs County placed 2nd and came home as State Runner-Up!
Coach Tilly Christian said, “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the Toombs County Cheerleading Program! We are proud of these young ladies and our coaches and the work they have been putting in throughout the year.”
TCHS Football State Champs
History has been made in Toombs County as the Toombs County High School Bulldogs football team has claimed the GHSA Class A Division 1 State Championship. This is the first title in the 38 year history of Toombs County High School. They had previously won a title as Lyons High School back in 1975. Toombs finished the season with a 13-1 record.
The Bulldogs travelled up to Atlanta to take on Northeast of Macon in the State Championship in Mer – cedes Benz Stadium last Tuesday. The Raiders of Northeast were a tough team, but the TCHS defense did their job in holding their star run- ning back, Nick Wood ford, to just 106 yards. He had combined over the previous two playoff games for over 700 yards, and had rushed for over 2,400 this season. The TCHS offense faced a tough and fast defense from the Raiders, but they were able to get the job done with TJ Stanley going 11-12 in the first half and then capping off the game with a nice run for the final score. Mike Polke was the
MVP of the game with an outstanding performance on all side of the ball. On offense he caught six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, on defense he had an interception at a crucial time in the game, and he also ran a kickoff back 92 yards for a touchdown to take the momentum away from Northeast. Northeast put the first points on the board to take 6-0 lead, but Toombs came back to go on top, 7-0, on a 29yard pass from TJ Stan- ley to Lagonza Hay ward. Alex Otero added the extra point.
Toombs pushed their lead to 14-6 after a 47-yard touchdown pass from Stanley to Polke. With just over eight minutes left in the first half. Northeast closed the lead to 14-12 with 6:50 left in the half, but on the ensuing kickoff Polke went 92 yards on the kickoff return for another Toombs County tourchdown. That took the momentum away from Northeast and put Toombs on top, 21-12.
TCHS added a 25– yard field goal from Otero just before the end of the first half for a 24-12 lead.
Northeast added a touchdown in the third quarter to close the lead to 24-18, but the TCHS defense held firm from there and didn't allow another point.
In the fourth quarter Justin Powell went in from 12 yard out with 5:21 left in the game to extend the lead to 3118, and then Stanley capped the game off with a 28-yard rush for a touchdown with just 1:04 on the clock. With the extra points from Otero, the Bulldogs took the win, and the title, 38-18.
Stanley went 1423 in the game for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 83 yards on the ground. Hayden Roy led the way on defense with 10 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss.
Congratulations to the Bulldogs on their historic achievement, and to the Toombs County community for their unwavering support. This is more than a championship—it’s a legacy for the ages.
Conclusion
As you can see, it was a big year for local athletics as they claimed several State, Region, and Area Titles. With the dedication to sports seen throughout our communities, we look forward to the next year in sports and many more titles to come.
TCHS Bulldogs State Champions – The Toombs County High School Bulldogs up on stage accepting their trophy in Mercedes Benz Stadium after winning the GHSA State Championship over Northeast of Macon 38-18.
Photo by TCHS
TCHS Cheer State Runner-Ups (L to R, Front): Karah Marsh, Kinsley Monroe, Janee Johnson, Kensley Davis, Jaycie Willett, Jada Thompson; (Middle): Coach Nikki Larsen, Anzley Bryant, Abby McLendon, Madison Stewart, Lynzie Dasher, Harley Landrum, Ella Kate Adams, Kayla Ruan, Sophie Tillman, Randi Rollins, JezLyiana Odom, Coach Tilly Christian; (Back): Maddie Slater, Nathalie Pittman, Aubrey Gay, Gracie Bratton, Charleigh McCoy, Bentlee Beasley, and Dannah Morris.
Photo by TCHS
