SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The 2008 Southern Conference football schedule was announced by Commissioner John Iamarino. Samford joins the league for the 2008 season, bringing league membership to nine for football. Each team will play eight conference contests over a 13-week span.
Three-time defending Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) champion Appalachian State defeated No. 5-ranked Michigan, 34-32, in the season-opener a year ago. The Mountaineers face an even bigger challenge this season when coach Jerry Moore’s team faces defending national champion LSU on Aug. 30 in Baton Rouge, La.
In all, Southern Conference teams will face 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams including games against LSU, Virginia Tech, Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida State (twice).
Southern Conference teams posted a 24-14 (.632) record in non-conference games a year ago.
The season opens on Thursday, Aug. 28 when West Georgia plays at Samford and Western Carolina hosts Shorter. The first conference tilt is slated for Sept. 20 when Elon plays at Georgia Southern.
The NCAA FCS Playoffs begin on Nov. 29 with the championship game scheduled for Friday, Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn. at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field.
Devils clinch state berth
JESUP — The Statesboro boys soccer team sprung the upset on Tuesday night, beating Wayne County 5-3 on penalty kicks in the first round of the Region 3-AAAA tournament.
The Blue Devils, the No. 4 seed out of the region’s North Division, earned a berth to the state tournament with the victory.
Graden Bozeman got SHS (8-7) on the board in the first half with a header. Yaeger Sadler then scored on a breakaway in the second to give the Devils a 2-1 lead.
Wayne County would eventually tie the game and the two sides remained scoreless the rest of the way and through extra time.
Bozeman scored on the first PK, followed by Brett Reichard. Keeper Matt Campbell then came up with a big save to give SHS the advantage.
Trent Doty and David Ball added a score each. Lindsey Martin scored the winner to send Statesboro to state.
The Blue Devils will play on the road again Friday, facing the winner of Evans-Brunswick.
Rosier fuels comeback over SEB
SYLVANIA — Screven County’s Jeremy Rosier had a two-run double, and RBI single and a game-tying home run as the Gamecocks came from behind to nip Southeast Bulloch 5-4 on Tuesday.
Rosier’s shot came with SCHS (8-6, 5-2 Region 3-AA) trailing 4-3 in the fifth. Jon Rash added an RBI single in the inning to give Screven a 5-4 lead they never relinquished.
Cameron Haydon pitched 5+ for SC, allowing six hits and striking out four. Jack Frankhouser held SEB (7-8, 3-4) to one hit over the final two frames.
Justin Daniels was 1-for-3 with a double, Casey Woorum was 2-for-4 with a double, Joe Wilson was 1-for-2 with a double and Matt Conner was 1-for-3 with a double for SEB.
Andrew Reddick was 2-for-3 for Screven County.
The Gamecocks host Cross Creek today at 5:30 p.m. while SEB will host Swainsboro on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Lady Devils drop heartbreaker
BRUNSWICK — The Statesboro girls’ soccer team dropped a heartbreaker to Glynn Academy, 1-0 Tuesday in the first round of the Region 3-AAAA tournament.
Glynn scored just before halftime, then held off numerous SHS rallies to advance to the state tournament. Lauren Thomas clanged a potential equalizer off the crossbar with five minutes left.
Keeper Whitney Lucas had 14 saves for SHS which ends its season at 3-10-2.
EBA rallies past BA
WAYNESBORO — Edmund Burke rallied from a 6-0 deficit, only to hold on for a 12-9 win over visiting Bulloch Academy on Tuesday.
The Gators led 6-1 and had allowed just one hit to EBA into the fifth, but Edmund rallied for seven runs on seven hits to take an 8-6 lead.
The Spartans added four more in the sixth before BA (7-4, 2-2 GISA Region 2-AA) put up three of its own in the seventh. The Gators had the tying run up when the game ended.
Matthew Sapp was 4-for-4, Walker Blitch was 2-for-4 and Matt Simmons was 2-for-4 for BA who travels to Pinewood Christian on Friday for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
SEB sweeps Swainsboro
SWAINSBORO — Both Southeast Bulloch tennis teams defeated Swainsboro on Tuesday.
The boys (8-3, 4-1 Region 3-AA) won 5-0. Aaron Groover (6-2, 6-3), Sam Dickerson (6-1, 6-1) and Brandon Sellers (3-6, 6-1, 10-7) all won in singles play. Brooks Edenfield and Will Jones (6-0, 6-2) and William Groover and Sean Brannen (7-5, 1-6, 6-4) won in their doubles matches.
The Lady Yellow Jackets (6-5, 4-1) got singles wins from Shelby Forehand (6-4, 6-3), Victoria Herndon (6-1, 6-1) and got doubles wins from Sarah Burkhart and Kaitlin Brannen (7-5, 6-2) and Amanda Carden and Sarah Waters (6-2, 6-1) to win 4-1.
Southeast will be at Screven County on Thursday at 4 p.m.
BA sweeps Pinewood
The Bulloch Academy tennis teams swept rival Pinewood Christian Academy on Tuesday.
The girls (7-1) won 4-1 getting singles wins from Kate Anna Akins (6-3, 6-1), Erin Sullivan (6-2, 6-1) and McKenzie Webb (6-0, 6-0). Mary C. Spigener and Betsy Woodrum won in doubles play, 6-4, 6-3.
The boys (7-1) also won by a 4-1 score. Paul Son (6-4, 6-1), Brandon Walker (6-3, 6-0) and Casey Webb (6-0, 6-0) won in singles matches. Rob Mallard and Matt Williamson won their doubles match 6-2, 6-1.
The Gators will host Frederica on Thursday and then host the GISA Region 2-AA Tournament on Friday at 9 a.m. at the Hanner Fieldhouse courts at Georgia Southern.
SEB, Metter split golf matches
The Southeast Bulloch and Metter golf teams battled each other on Tuesday.
Jordan Smith shot a 43 to help the SEB boys (4-1) to a 192-208 win.
Tess Fordham led Metter to a 95-112 win over the Lady Yellow Jackets (2-2), shooting a 38.
Southeast will be at Bryan County on Thursday for a 4 p.m. start.
Tattnall out slugs SEB
BROOKLET — Southeast Bulloch walked 15 batters and used seven different pitchers in a 17-12 loss to Tattnall County on Monday.
Justin Daniels went 3-for-4, Corey Ward was 2-for-3 and Dustin Stall was 2-for-4 for the Yellow Jackets.
SEB Hall of Fame ceremony
The Southeast Bulloch Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be Saturday, April 19. at Southeast Bulloch Middle.
Call (912) 842-2131 for details and ticket information.
Three-time defending Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) champion Appalachian State defeated No. 5-ranked Michigan, 34-32, in the season-opener a year ago. The Mountaineers face an even bigger challenge this season when coach Jerry Moore’s team faces defending national champion LSU on Aug. 30 in Baton Rouge, La.
In all, Southern Conference teams will face 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams including games against LSU, Virginia Tech, Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida State (twice).
Southern Conference teams posted a 24-14 (.632) record in non-conference games a year ago.
The season opens on Thursday, Aug. 28 when West Georgia plays at Samford and Western Carolina hosts Shorter. The first conference tilt is slated for Sept. 20 when Elon plays at Georgia Southern.
The NCAA FCS Playoffs begin on Nov. 29 with the championship game scheduled for Friday, Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn. at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field.
Devils clinch state berth
JESUP — The Statesboro boys soccer team sprung the upset on Tuesday night, beating Wayne County 5-3 on penalty kicks in the first round of the Region 3-AAAA tournament.
The Blue Devils, the No. 4 seed out of the region’s North Division, earned a berth to the state tournament with the victory.
Graden Bozeman got SHS (8-7) on the board in the first half with a header. Yaeger Sadler then scored on a breakaway in the second to give the Devils a 2-1 lead.
Wayne County would eventually tie the game and the two sides remained scoreless the rest of the way and through extra time.
Bozeman scored on the first PK, followed by Brett Reichard. Keeper Matt Campbell then came up with a big save to give SHS the advantage.
Trent Doty and David Ball added a score each. Lindsey Martin scored the winner to send Statesboro to state.
The Blue Devils will play on the road again Friday, facing the winner of Evans-Brunswick.
Rosier fuels comeback over SEB
SYLVANIA — Screven County’s Jeremy Rosier had a two-run double, and RBI single and a game-tying home run as the Gamecocks came from behind to nip Southeast Bulloch 5-4 on Tuesday.
Rosier’s shot came with SCHS (8-6, 5-2 Region 3-AA) trailing 4-3 in the fifth. Jon Rash added an RBI single in the inning to give Screven a 5-4 lead they never relinquished.
Cameron Haydon pitched 5+ for SC, allowing six hits and striking out four. Jack Frankhouser held SEB (7-8, 3-4) to one hit over the final two frames.
Justin Daniels was 1-for-3 with a double, Casey Woorum was 2-for-4 with a double, Joe Wilson was 1-for-2 with a double and Matt Conner was 1-for-3 with a double for SEB.
Andrew Reddick was 2-for-3 for Screven County.
The Gamecocks host Cross Creek today at 5:30 p.m. while SEB will host Swainsboro on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Lady Devils drop heartbreaker
BRUNSWICK — The Statesboro girls’ soccer team dropped a heartbreaker to Glynn Academy, 1-0 Tuesday in the first round of the Region 3-AAAA tournament.
Glynn scored just before halftime, then held off numerous SHS rallies to advance to the state tournament. Lauren Thomas clanged a potential equalizer off the crossbar with five minutes left.
Keeper Whitney Lucas had 14 saves for SHS which ends its season at 3-10-2.
EBA rallies past BA
WAYNESBORO — Edmund Burke rallied from a 6-0 deficit, only to hold on for a 12-9 win over visiting Bulloch Academy on Tuesday.
The Gators led 6-1 and had allowed just one hit to EBA into the fifth, but Edmund rallied for seven runs on seven hits to take an 8-6 lead.
The Spartans added four more in the sixth before BA (7-4, 2-2 GISA Region 2-AA) put up three of its own in the seventh. The Gators had the tying run up when the game ended.
Matthew Sapp was 4-for-4, Walker Blitch was 2-for-4 and Matt Simmons was 2-for-4 for BA who travels to Pinewood Christian on Friday for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
SEB sweeps Swainsboro
SWAINSBORO — Both Southeast Bulloch tennis teams defeated Swainsboro on Tuesday.
The boys (8-3, 4-1 Region 3-AA) won 5-0. Aaron Groover (6-2, 6-3), Sam Dickerson (6-1, 6-1) and Brandon Sellers (3-6, 6-1, 10-7) all won in singles play. Brooks Edenfield and Will Jones (6-0, 6-2) and William Groover and Sean Brannen (7-5, 1-6, 6-4) won in their doubles matches.
The Lady Yellow Jackets (6-5, 4-1) got singles wins from Shelby Forehand (6-4, 6-3), Victoria Herndon (6-1, 6-1) and got doubles wins from Sarah Burkhart and Kaitlin Brannen (7-5, 6-2) and Amanda Carden and Sarah Waters (6-2, 6-1) to win 4-1.
Southeast will be at Screven County on Thursday at 4 p.m.
BA sweeps Pinewood
The Bulloch Academy tennis teams swept rival Pinewood Christian Academy on Tuesday.
The girls (7-1) won 4-1 getting singles wins from Kate Anna Akins (6-3, 6-1), Erin Sullivan (6-2, 6-1) and McKenzie Webb (6-0, 6-0). Mary C. Spigener and Betsy Woodrum won in doubles play, 6-4, 6-3.
The boys (7-1) also won by a 4-1 score. Paul Son (6-4, 6-1), Brandon Walker (6-3, 6-0) and Casey Webb (6-0, 6-0) won in singles matches. Rob Mallard and Matt Williamson won their doubles match 6-2, 6-1.
The Gators will host Frederica on Thursday and then host the GISA Region 2-AA Tournament on Friday at 9 a.m. at the Hanner Fieldhouse courts at Georgia Southern.
SEB, Metter split golf matches
The Southeast Bulloch and Metter golf teams battled each other on Tuesday.
Jordan Smith shot a 43 to help the SEB boys (4-1) to a 192-208 win.
Tess Fordham led Metter to a 95-112 win over the Lady Yellow Jackets (2-2), shooting a 38.
Southeast will be at Bryan County on Thursday for a 4 p.m. start.
Tattnall out slugs SEB
BROOKLET — Southeast Bulloch walked 15 batters and used seven different pitchers in a 17-12 loss to Tattnall County on Monday.
Justin Daniels went 3-for-4, Corey Ward was 2-for-3 and Dustin Stall was 2-for-4 for the Yellow Jackets.
SEB Hall of Fame ceremony
The Southeast Bulloch Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be Saturday, April 19. at Southeast Bulloch Middle.
Call (912) 842-2131 for details and ticket information.
