Coed Softball Champs

Mt. View 2 is the 2011 Coed Softball Champions.

They defeated Mt. Olive 11-10 in 10 innings last night at New Harmony field.  

Church League Championship Rescheduled

The Church League Coed Softball Championship scheduled for Tuesday night was rained out, it has been rescheduled for Thursday night at New Harmony Baptist Church on New Harmony Church Road at 7:30 pm.

Church League Championship Tonight

The Church League Coed Softball Championship is tonight at New Harmony Baptist Church on New Harmony Church Road at 7:30 pm.

Admission is free and the competition is fierce, Haley Smiley has the shiner to prove it.

 

 

 

 

Fall Baseball Registration

Thomaston-Upson Civic Center will hold registration for Fall Baseball on July 28th from 4 pm to 7 pm, July 30th from 10 am to 2 pm and August 6th from 10 am to 2 pm.

Practices are conducted in August-September. Games are played September through October or November. Intra League Tournament held at conclusion of season. FALL BASEBALL IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE.

For more information, contact the Civic Center at 706-647-9691.

Local Golfer Cards Second Ace

Bill Kelly (on left) has played golf for 22 years and like most of us, dreamed in those early years of what the feeling would be like to walk up to the green after hitting what you knew was a solid shot and not seeing your ball, only to finally look in the cup and see it lying at the bottom.

It happened to Bill about a year ago on hole number 12 at the Cedars, he hit his 6 iron into the wind and aced the 128 yard par 3.

Today at Raintree Country Club it happened again, with the same club. On hole number 15, Bill struck his 6 iron in the sweet spot and 151 yards later, it dropped to bottom of the cup.

Two aces and playing Pebble Beach for his 60th birthday gives Bill plenty to smile about these days.

Upson-Lee Golf Tournament

The annual Upson-Lee Athletic Association golf tournament saw one hundred two golfers participate over the weekend at the Raintree Country Club in Thomaston.

Bo Abney and Clay Stephenson (right) from Calhoun, Georgia won the championship flight with a low score of 127. Lee Gerdes and Gerald Pearce finished second with a 129. The team of John Carson and Casen DeVane tied with Sonny Trammel and Al Jernigan at 130.

Billy Peyton and Johnny McElroy carded the lowest score of the tournament at 126 to win the first flight. Mark and Ken Gaskins tied with Scott Alder and Scott Boatwright for second at 134.

Steve Long and Charles McDaniel won the second flight with a 131. Bill Gardner and Brad Brown finished a stroke back at 132. The teams of Kenny and Laddie Fulcher and Kevin Woodruff and Jonathan Broadnax both shot a 137 to take third.

Sam Smith and Ryan Willis won the third flight with a 139. Tony and Ricky Nicholson shot a 140 to take second and Todd Davis and Jay Strange finished third with a 145.

Soccer Camp

The 4th annual Upson-Lee soccer camp will be held July 25th - July 27th from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm. The camp is for boys and girls ages 8-14 and will be located at the Thomaston-Upson Civic Center Soccer Complex. Cost is $40. It is not too late to register! Contact mbentley@upson.k12.ga.us or the Civic Center at 706-647-9691 for more information.

Youth Cheerleading

Thomaston-Upson Recreation Department is holding registration for youth cheerleading, July 27th thru July 29th, from 4 pm to 6 pm.

The cheerleading program supports both Flag and Tackle Football teams.

Cheerleading is offered for youngsters ages 4-15. Mascots are ages 4-6. Cheerleaders are ages 7-12. Squad Leaders are ages 13-15. Cheerleaders must purchase their cheerleading uniforms, this is not included in the registration fee.

Practices are held during August, usually at Weaver Park. Cheerleaders cheer for youth football teams whose games are usually held on Saturday evenings August-November. Youth Football games are conducted at Mathews Field.

For more information, contact the Civic Center at 706-647-9691.

Church League Playoff Schedule

Monday, July 25, 6:30 pm Mt. View 2 vs Mt. Olive
                       7:30 pm Mt. View 1 vs First Baptist
                       8:30 pm to be announced

Tuesday, July 26, 7:30 pm Championship Game

Games are played at New Harmony Baptist Church,
163 New Harmony Church Road.

Thomaston-Upson All Stars Finish 2nd In State

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars battled Troup National in LaGrange Saturday morning for the state championship. Troup shut down the T-U bats and claimed the state title 10-0.

The All Stars finish the season as runner-up in the state, members of the team are pictured below, left to right, front row: Jalen Martin, Zach Gooden, Zach Davis, Nash Franklin, Dalton Richmond, Will Barfield and Kody Wall.

Second Row: Coach Steve Ward, Justin Ward, Rodney Raines, Coach Ron Pollard, Nathan Pollard, Dupri Carter, Clark Daniel, Peyton Butterfield and Coach Jeff Franklin.

All Stars Lose To Troup

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars lost to Troup National 6-2 in the opening game of the best of three state championship.

Peyton Butterfield (right) watches the ball leave the park for one of his two hits, Rodney Raines had two hits and Cody Wall one as the Troup pitching staff held the All Stars to five on the day.

Zach Gooden struck out 5 in his four innings on the mound, Nathan Pollard pitched the final inning and struck out one batter.

Defensively the T-U All Stars played well, Pollard (left)played shortstop the first four innings and made an unassisted double play after catching a line drive to his left.

Troup National is undefeated in the tournament and Friday’s game was only the second time that they were forced to go the full six innings, it was also their lowest scoring game although they did hit four home runs. The two teams will decide the state champion Saturday in LaGrange, the first game is at 10 am and if necessary, the second game will be at 12:30 pm at the George H . Harris Baseball Complex, 131 Ragland Street.

Local Baseball Player Injured In Auto Accident

Dalton Richmond is a member of the Thomaston-Upson Dixie Youth All Star 11-12 year old team that is playing for the state championship Friday and Saturday in LaGrange.

Dalton will put on his uniform just like all his teammates but he won’t see any action due to a broken left arm he suffered in an auto accident while on his way to LaGrange for Monday evening’s game.

Dalton and his family approached the intersection of Highway 18 and Cedar Rock Road in Meriwether County and met a vehicle with it’s right turn signal on. Instead of making the right turn as the driver indicated, the oncoming car made a left turn forcing the Richmond’s to leave the road to avoid a collision.

There were no other injuries in the accident and Dalton is the new owner of a cast that is already covered in autographs.

To show their support, the team posed for a picture following Thursday nights game with everyone holding up their left arm.

All Stars Play For Championship

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars defeated Wrens 5-3 Thursday to advance to the state championship series in the Dixie Youth 11-12 year old tournament.

The championship series is a best two out of three beginning Friday evening at 6 pm at the George H . Harris Baseball Complex, 131 Ragland Street in LaGrange.

Zach Gooden started for the T-U All Stars and pitched two innings, he struck out 4 of the 6 batters he faced. Rodney Raines pitched the final four frames, recorded 7 strikeouts and gave up three unearned runs.

Gooden picked up a couple of hits, Nash Franklin, Dupri Carter and Jaylen Martin each added a hit. Wrens rallied in the 6th inning and had the tying runs on base but Raines was able to put the fire out and preserve the win.

The trip over to LaGrange is about 50 minutes, the drive is easy, the facility where the games are held is easy to find and there is no excuse for Thomaston and Upson County not to turn out and support their team. Take 74 west to Woodbury, straight under the light to Greenville, stay on 109 under I-85, go about 2.5 miles and turn left at the first light past the Kia dealership, on Ragland turn left at the stop sign and your looking at the parking lot.

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars will play Friday at 6 pm and again at 10 am on Saturday morning, the third game if necessary will be played at 12;30 pm Saturday. The next team to win two games will advance to the Dixie Youth World Series in Carthage, North Carolina.

Thomaston-Upson All Stars In Elimination Game

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars dropped their first game of the state tournament Wednesday evening, losing to Wrens 8-1.

Each team now has one loss and will play again Thursday at 6 pm in LaGrange at the George H . Harris Baseball Complex, 131 Ragland Street.

Thomaston-Upson All Stars Win

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars defeated Donalsonville 10-8 Tuesday night in LaGrange and are now one win away from playing for the state championship.

Nathan Pollard homered for the second game in a row, Clark Daniel, Dupri Carter and Peyton Butterfield all saw action on the mound. The T-U All Stars overcame a 6-0 lead by Donalsonville in the bottom of the 4th inning to win.

The All Stars will play Wrens at 6 pm Wednesday evening at the George H . Harris Baseball Complex, 131 Ragland Street in LaGrange. (About 1.5 miles west of I-85, turn left off of Hwy 109 onto Ragland).

Thomaston Duo Attend Auburn Baseball Camp

Jake Spraggins and Brody Peoples attended the Auburn Baseball Camp held at Plainsman Park in Auburn last weekend. The 3 day overnight camp for ages 7-12 packed instruction, drills, and games into a fun-filled and exciting baseball weekend!

All areas of offense, defense, and positional play was covered giving players the best opportunity to improve on the most important aspects of the game. The drills taught were many of the same ones used by the Auburn Tigers. Campers also played in one or more games each day.

Jake and Brody checked into their dorm Friday. There were about 300 boys (ages 7-12) in the camp. They had to be up each morning at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and they didn't return to the dorm until 9:00 p.m. each night. The days were very organized, learning many batting & fielding drills, various position play, and great teamwork skills.

Auburn's head baseball coach John Pawlowski headed up the camp, but was assisted with many Auburn players and other assistant coaches.

Jake and Brody competed in 3 games while there, winning the first 2 games and losing their last game by one run.

They met many new friends, got an early glimpse of what college dorm life is like, and are both already looking forward to going back next year!

Football Registration

Football registration is July 20th thru July 22nd at the Civic Center from 4 to 6 pm.

Youth Football is open to ages 4-10. Flag football is offered for youngsters 4-6. Tackle Football is offered ages 7-10.

Games begin in August and continue through November. Flag football games are played on field #3 at the Civic Center. Tackle football games are played at Mathews Field. Practices are held at Weaver Park, the Track, field #1 and #3.

The Football Association provides all needed equipment for tackle football (helmet, pads, pants) with the Recreation Department providing game jerseys for flag and tackle players.

For more information, contact the Civic Center at 706-647-9691.

Thomaston-Upson All Stars Roar Into Third Round

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars defeated Newton County 16-1 in the second round of the Dixie Youth State Baseball Tournament Sunday afternoon.

Coach Steve Ward took advantage of the big lead by using four pitchers, Zach Gooden started the game then turned it over to Peyton Butterfield, Rodney Raines and Justin Ward to finish up the blowout.

The T-U All Stars will play Mountain Park at 8 pm in LaGrange Monday evening at the George H . Harris Baseball Complex 131 Ragland Street. (About 1.5 miles west of I-85, turn left off of Hwy 109 onto Ragland).

All Stars In Dixie Youth State Tournament

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars begin their quest for the Dixie Youth State Baseball championship for 11 and 12 year olds Saturday. The team is coached by Steve Ward, Jeff Franklin and Ron Pollard.

The T-U All Stars will play Albany at noon, the winner will play again at 4:00 pm on Sunday, the loser will play at 2:00 pm.

The state tournament will be held in LaGrange at the George H . Harris Baseball Complex 131 Ragland Street. (About 1.5 miles west of I-85, turn left off of Hwy 109 onto Ragland.)

Thomaston-Upson All Stars Win

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars defeated Pike County Friday evening 9-3 to win the Dixie Youth District Baseball tournament for 11 and 12 year olds. They advance to the state tournament and will play in LaGrange at noon on Saturday, July 16th.

The All Stars scored 5 runs in the first inning on four hits and two Pike County errors, Zach Gooden and Dupri Carter both doubled and scored in the inning. T-U added runs in the 3rd and 4th before putting the game away with 2 in the 6th.

Gooden was 2 for 2 with a pair of doubles and 2 runs scored, Clark Daniel went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, Payton Butterfield was 1 for 3 and scored twice.

Carter, Justin Ward and Nathan Pollard each had a hit and a run scored.

Daniel pickup up the win going 4.1 innings, he was charged with the three Pike runs while giving up 4 hits and striking out 3. Butterfield came on in relief with one out in the 5th and shut down Pike County, he gave up 1 hit and struck out 1.

MVP Softball Camp

Former Upson-Lee softball standout and current University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Lady Mocs All-Conference 2nd baseman Sara Poteat will conduct an MVP softball camp beginning Monday, July 11th.

The camp is for ages 8 through 12 and will be held at the Thomaston-Upson Civic Center on field one from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday through Friday.

A second camp for ages 13 though 18 will run from July 25th to July 29th, same times & location.

Poteat led the Mocs to the Division I Southern Conference Championship for the 4th consecutive year in 2010 and then claimed number 5 in a row this year. She was named the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament MVP and selected to the All-Tournament Team as well as the All-Region Team.

Sara was named the Thomaston Times 2008/2009 Student Athlete of the Year as a senior at Upson-Lee.

The cost of the camp is $65.00 and participants are asked to bring a water bottle.

A snack and drink will be provided.

The camp is co-sponsored by the Civic Center, Sara Poteat may be contacted at 706-975-2310 or by email at pbx798@mocs.utc.edu

Pike County Wins

Pike County defeated the Thomaston-Upson All Stars 5-1 to force a deciding game Friday.

Pike County held a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the 4th and took advantage of an error to plate three unearned runs. A bases loaded opportunity for the All Stars was lost in the top of the 5th inning when Pike County was able to turn a double play thanks to a shoestring catch of a fly ball in right field and a quick throw behind the runner at first.

Nathan Pollard, Clark Daniel, Payton Butterfield, Dalton Richmond and Zack Davis had the only hits of the game for the All Stars. Zach Gooden pitched five innings and took the loss, he will not be available to pitch in Friday’s game.

The game will start at 7 pm at the Little League field across from Upson EMC.

Thomaston-Upson All Stars Win

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars defeated Pike County Tuesday evening 8-6 to advance to the championship game of the Dixie Youth District Baseball tournament for 11 and 12 year olds.

Zach Gooden pitched 5 strong innings for the win, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits, he struck out 11 and walked 3. Clark Daniel pitched the final inning and gave up 4 unearned runs when Pike County mounted a rally thanks to a couple of errors, a hit, a walk and a passed ball.

The park would not hold Nathan Pollard’s only hit of the night, he homered with Gooden on base in the first inning. Gooden and Kody Wall were both 2 for 2 and scored a run. Nash Franklin, Dupri Carter and Zach Davis each singled. Carter, Daniel, Justin Ward and Brody Peoples each scored a run.

Ward made the defensive play of the game with an over the shoulder catch of a popup in the bottom of the second inning.

Kody Fulghum started for Pike County and took the loss.

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars will play Thursday evening at 7 pm against the winner of Wednesday night’s game between Troup American and Pike County, that game will start at 7 pm also. The games are played at the Little League Field across from Upson EMC.

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for ages 6-15. 6 & Under no charge.

Fireworks

The Upson-Lee Athletic Boosters fireworks fundraiser continues in the Walmart parking lot.

The golf team will benefit from the efforts and are helping staff the location.

Kevin Strom won $200 worth of fireworks in the drawing held Monday afternoon.

Receive $10 off of any purchase of $50.00 or more (limit one per customer). Sale continues until noon Tuesday.

Thomaston Gymnasts Competes Nationally

Eight year old Daisy Rogers traveled to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando over the weekend to compete in a national gymnastic competition.

Daisy scored a 9.350 on the balance beam and finished as the 11th all around champion in the level 2 competition.

This is her first year of gymnastics, she attends Legions of All Stars in Griffin and is training under the tutelage of Jodi Matthews.

Daisy qualified for nationals by winning the first meet she entered and has received awards from 10 different events throughout the state.

Team Georgia had over 100 girls competing against teams from Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, the Cayman Islands as well as areas in New England and the South Pacific. Two of Daisy’s teammates, Kaylan Andrews and Maya Harding won National Championships.

Thomaston-Upson All Stars Win

The Thomaston-Upson All Stars defeated Troup American 9-2 Saturday in the opening round of the Dixie Youth Baseball District Tournament for 11 and 12 year olds.

Zack Gooden (right) led the All Stars with a pair of home runs going 2 for 3 at the plate and pitching 3 innings, he struck out 8 of the 9 batters he faced.

Clark Daniel had a couple of singles and a double in three at bats, he pitched 2 innings, striking out 2 and giving up a walk.

Brody Peoples pitched the final inning, striking out 2 and hitting 1.

Most of the lineup, Nash Franklin, Nathan Pollard, Dupi Carter, Justin Ward and Kody Wall all singled and scored a run. Dalton Richmond also had a single while Jaylen Martin and Zach Davis both reached base on a walk.

Payton Butterfield (left) lofted a triple off the right field fence, singled and scored a run, he was 2 for 3 on the day.

Pike County defeated Manchester 13-0 in the second game.

There will be no games on Monday the 4th, the tournament will resume play on Tuesday with Troup American playing Manchester at 6:00 and the Thomaston-Upson All Stars taking on Pike County at 8:00 pm, the games are being played at the Little League Field across from Upson EMC.

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for ages 6-15. 6 & Under no charge.

Click pictures to enlarge, click HERE for more.

Dixie Youth Baseball Tournament

The Dixie Youth Baseball District Tournament for 11 and 12 year olds gets underway in Thomaston on Saturday, July 2.

The games will be played at the Little League Field across from Upson EMC.

The first game is at 10:00 am, the Thomaston-Upson All Stars will play Troup American. Game 2 is at noon with Pike County playing Manchester.

There will be no games on Monday the 4th, the tournament will resume play on Tuesday with  games at 6:00 and 8:00 pm.  Semi-final will be Wednesday and the Championship game is scheduled for Thursday.  In the event of a rain-out, teams may play on Friday.

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for ages 6-15.  6 & Under no charge.