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Local Roundup: Portal MS looks to cap perfect season with region title today
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    PORTAL — The Portal Middle School boys basketball team will play for the middle school region championship this morning after defeating Claxton 48-47 Friday in the semifinals.
    The Panthers — who are a perfect 15-0 on the season — were led by Corey Walker (14 points), Corey Reese (10), Ricky Mobley (10), Hunter Oglesby (7) and Stacey Morgan (6).
    Reese hit the front end of a 1-and-1 to give Portal a late 3-point lead, and Claxon connected on a layup on the next possession to provide the final margin.
    Glennville beat Bryan County 56-30 to advance to the championship game, which will be held at Portal today. Claxton and Glennville will face off for the girls’ title at 10 a.m. with the boys game to follow.

Buchannon puts up 33 in Portal win
    SAVANNAH — David Buchannon scored 33 points for Portal Friday, leading the Panthers to a 88-70 win at Calvary.
    Shane Reese (17), TJ Busby (15) and Mario Farris (14) also reached double figures for Portal, which improved to 18-1 overall and 9-0 in Region 3-A play.
    The Panthers host Savannah Country Day tonight.

Screven County sweeps Swainsboro
    SYLVANIA — Symphony White scored 16 points and Ciera Anderson added 12 as the Screven County girls avenged a previous region loss to Swainsboro by downing the Tigers 46-37 Friday.
    White also recorded four steals and four assists for the Lady Gamecocks (15-5, 7-2), while Anderson had three steals and three assists. Bria Lonon had nine rebounds.
    Screven’s boys also won, downing the Tigers 68-60 to improve to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in Region 3-AA.
    Four Gamecocks reached double figures in scoring — Dajuwan Carter (15), Jamez Colbert (13), PJ Reason (11) and Antrjuan Albright (11).
    Reason and Albright added six rebounds each, Maurice Perry recorded 11 assists and Albright had four steals.
    Screven lead 28-29 at the half and was up by four points after three quarters. Swainsboro took a 53-52 edge with 6:57 to go, and the Gamecocks regained the lead for good 17 seconds later.
    Screven travels to Augusta to face Westside tonight.

SEB boys fall at Josey
    AUGUSTA — Chris Rogers scored 16 points and James Scott had 14 for Southeast Bulloch, which fell at Josey 64-50 Friday.
    The Yellow Jackets (8-11, 3-7) travel to Swainsboro today.

Westside tops Metter
    METTER — Devin Byrd’s 19 points led three Tigers in double figures Friday as Metter fell to Westside 76-63.
    Dillian Lawrence (17) and Jeffrey Thurman (15) also scored in double digits for Metter, which hosts Jefferson County tonight beginning at 6:30.

Claxton girls fall to Sav. Country Day
    SAVANNAH — Lacreasha Brewton scored a team-high 12 points for the Claxton girls, who fell at Savannah Country Day 56-24 Friday.
    The Lady Tigers were down 33-16 at the half and host Calvary tonight
    Katherine Dotson had 19 points to lead Savannah Country Day.

SoCon Academic
All-Conference teams
    SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Southern Conference Friday announced its Academic All-Conference teams for the 2007 fall season. A total of 261 student-athletes, representing all 11 Southern Conference institutions, were named to the team.
    The 261 student-athletes averaged a 3.56 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
    From Georgia Southern, football players Dan Jordan, Dusty Reddick, Jerry Barker, Pierce Giboney, Charlie Ciacomarro and Joe Haynie made the team.
    Georgia Southern’s Kim Kroken and Daniel Smith joined the team from men’s soccer.
    Bailey Coleman and Flavia Pereira, Eagle volleyball players joined the team.
    Abby Bloom and Laura Fuller joined the squad from women’s cross country. Holli Finneran and Heather Smith represented women’s soccer.
    To be eligible, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average entering the fall season and must have competed in at least one-half of their team’s competitions during the recently-concluded fall campaign.
    This is the sixth year that the Southern Conference has named an All-Academic Team by season.
    The league’s women’s soccer teams placed 65 student-athletes on the academic team, with football adding 58. Wofford had the most individuals selected with 40 honorees, followed by Furman with 30 and The Citadel with 28.
Hits and
Mrs. bowling results
    Results are in from the Hits and Mrs. Invitational Bowling League for the week of Jan. 22.
    In the women’s division, Genevieve Kirkland (198), Margit Annas and Louis Blitch (192), and Margie Jones (185) led the league in Scratch Games.
    In Scratch Series, Dot Wright bowled a 485, Kirkland bowled a 464 and Annas bowled a 458.
    In Handicap Games, Annas (256), Kirkland and Blitch (238), and Jones (237) posted high scores.
    In Handicap Series, Annas (650), Kirkland (584) and Jones (582) were tops in the league.
    In the men’s division, Ray Beasley (236), Jeffery Sheffield (212) and John Thigpen (209) posted top scores in Scratch Games.
    In Scratch Series, Thigpen (604), Beasley (575) and Bruce Jones (574) led the league.
    In Handicap Games Beasley (272), Sheffield (237) and Christian Kelley (227) bowled top games.
    In Handicap Series, Beasley (653), Jones (631) and Thigpen (624) posted high scores.
    The league standings are as follows: Circle R Turf Farm (10 games won); Portal Strikers (8); Pizza Hut (8); Ryan Family Chiropractic (7); The Splitters (7); Harvest Lanes (5); Larry Akins Insurance (5); Three Legged Dog (4); One Short (4) and Statesboro Tire (2).

Citadel AD formally announces retirement
    CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Citadel athletic director Les Robinson announced his retirement Friday, saying he’ll step down on June 30.
    However, Robinson said he will remain connected to the program he has led for nearly eight years as a consultant to the next AD and in other capacities at the military college.
    ‘‘It has been a wonderful time and a tremendous amount of fun,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘I have often pinched myself because I have lived a life that many dream about, but the best part of this ride has been the great number of people I’ve met along the way.’’
    Robinson, 65, returned to the Citadel in 2000 to lead its athletic department, a quarter-century after he served as the Bulldogs basketball coach.
    Robinson’s 1979 team went 20-7, the last time the Citadel won at least 20 games in a season.
    He was also head men’s basketball coach at East Tennessee State and at North Carolina State, Robinson’s alma mater. Robinson became athletic director at North Carolina State from 1996-2000 before returning to the Citadel to take over its athletic program.
    While serving as Bulldogs AD, Robinson oversaw renovations to several athletic structures, including upgrades to football’s Johnson-Hagood Stadium. He donated $100,000 the project.
    Robinson also hired Citadel’s first senior woman administrator as the program continues to blend women’s sports into the department.
    ‘‘It is impossible to measure the impact Les Robinson has had on our athletics program and on the entire Citadel family,’’ said Lt. Gen. John Rosa, president of the Citadel.


SEB Sporting
Clays Tourney
    The Southeast Bulloch Academic Booster Club will sponser a Sporting Clays Tournament on Feb. 2 at the Bay Golf and Sporting Clays Club in Garfield, Ga.
    Lunch will be provided and prizes for first, second and third will be given in two divisions, youth and adult.
    For more information, call (912) 842-2131.

PHS/SHS
game rescheduled
    The rematch between the Portal Panthers and the Statesboro Blue Devils has been moved from Jan. 22 in Portal to Feb. 9 in Southeast Bulloch’s new facility in Brooklet.
    Each school will be alotted 500 tickets, which will be available for advanced purchase only. The tickets will cost $7 and will go on sale on Feb. 5. They will be available at the front offices at each school. Nobody may enter the game without an advanced ticket.

GSU Men’s soccer tryouts
    The Georgia Southern men’s soccer team is holding walk-on tryouts from Monday, Feb. 4 to Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 at the Soccer Stadium.
    Start time for Feb. 4 is 4:30 p.m.  The next day’s event is slated to begin at 4 p.m.
    Potential student-athletes are expected to bring the following: cleats, running shoes, insurance card and a completed physical (Health Services can provide this documentation).
    Players arriving without an Insurance Card or Physical forms will not be allowed to participate. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
    If you have any questions, please contact the soccer office at (912) 871-1204.

Little Eagles
Baseball Clinic
    On Saturday, Feb. 16, the Georgia Southern baseball team will be conducting their first annual “Little Eagles Baseball clinic”.  
    Boys and girls from the ages 4-14 are encouraged to participate in this exciting opportunity.  Free food will be provided by Papa Johns pizza for everyone in attendance.  
    “This is something we hope will grow into a tradition here at Georgia Southern.  The football has success with this clinic and we are hoping it rolls over into baseball”, says Director of Sports Marketing Brent Jones.          All kids must provide their own bat and glove in order to participate.  Also during registration parents must sign a waiver form. Kids who register will receive a free goodie bag that will contain spirit bands, a ticket to the men’s basketball game later that night at 7:30 p.m., and other promotional items.
    Following the Saturday morning kid’s baseball clinic, there will be “Meet the Eagles” day.
    This is will be your first chance to get posters, schedule cards, and autographs from the eagles.  There will also be a tour of the stadium given by the Georgia Southern mascot GUS.      Following the tour of the Stadium an intra-squad scrimmage will take place between the 2008 baseball team.  
    “Meet the Eagles is a great way to get the fans to interact with the players, coaches, and other fans.  It also is a great opportunity for anyone who has not been out to J.I. Clements Stadium to see what a wonderful facility we have”, says Brent Jones Director of Sports Marketing.
    The scrimmage is going to last for about two-three hours.  During Saturday night’s basketball game between Georgia Southern and Elon, the baseball team will be on hand passing out more schedule cards and posters.  During halftime of the game the baseball team will be introduced.

    If you have a score to report, please call the Herald Sports Desk at (912) 489-9408.