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Y-101 Radio Play-by-Play- The Toombs County Bulldog basketball team plays at Long County on Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. on Y-101 thanks to Primary Sponsor- Smith and Cannon Attorneys at Law. Also, Allcare Pharmacy in Lyons, Thriftway Galaxy Food Center in Lyons and Mt. Vernon, Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia, Zaxby's in Vidalia, TL Gold of Vidalia, Stephens Truck Center in Lyons, Community Hospice in Vidalia, Arlene's Fine Jewelry and Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Vidalia.

Games are streamed and archived on Ustream.com

Craig Campbell on Y-101- Craig appeared on Y-101 Radio to talk about his new single, the making of his new video and appearing on Fox News. Listen Ustream

GHSA State Duals- The Toombs County wrestling team won two matches and lost two in Macon. On Friday the Bulldogs beat Dublin 46-36 and then lost to Elbert County 46-24. On Saturday the Bulldogs defeated Fitzgerald 42-39 and Eric Hester ended the match with a pin. TCHS was eliminated from the consolation bracket by GAC 59-15.

Davis PR's in Douglas- TCHS Freshman swimmer Jake Davis posted personal best times in both the 50-yard freestyle, in which he placed first out of 61 swimmers, and the 100-yard freestyle, in which he was third out 55. Jake qualified for the state meet in the 50.

Music on Y-101- Cionni Butler, an eight grader at TCMS, sang three songs on Y-101 Video Tyler Lightsey made his third appearance on Y-101 Video 2nd appearance Emmanuel County's Ginny Wright, who sang a hit single with Jim Reeves, was a guest on Y-101 and she told some interesting stories about Reeves, Elvis and her career Audio

Arringtons are piling up the W's

Head coach Donnie Arrington and son Ryan (far right)

Former Toombs County Bulldog head basketball coach Donnie Arrington and his Effingham County Rebels are off to an amazing start this season. The Rebels won their first 11 straight and then they lost their only game of the season to Gonzaga Prep (51-31) in the championship game of the Piggly Wiggly Roundball Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. On the same night (January 21, 2112) the Rebels were roasting Evans 73-32 before a big home crowd in Springfield, Gonzaga was edging DeMatha 76-74 before 3,200 fans at American University in Washington, D.C. Gonzaga was ranked third nationally and DeMatha was number one in the land. Gonzaga is 17-0, while DeMatha drops to 16-2. That means the Rebels only loss, is perhaps, to the soon-to-be number one team in the country.

In Effingham's victory over Evans the Rebels turned a 20-17 lead in the first quarter in to a 45-21 lead at half. Leading the way in the 25-4 run was Jakeenan Gant (number 23), who scored 16 of his game high 19 in the first half. Gant, a 6-8 sophomore, is already being looked at by Division One schools. Gant dropped in a 3-pointer from the top of the key and also had two dunks. The Rebels had four double-digit scorers and shot 58% from the field and improved their current winning streak to six games and their record to 17-1 and 5-0 in Region 2B AAAA. Watch highlights You Tube

The Rebels win with defense first. They are yielding 39 points per game and only two teams have hit 50, Gonzaga and Jenkins (78-55 Rebel win). "We got off to a great start, they (Evans) shot the ball really well early and then our defensive pressure really got to them," said Arrington. We got out on the fast break and Jakeenan played great. The guards just did a great job defensively and it was a lot of fun." Arrington is assisted by former Toombs County assistant coach Jamie Clayton.

Number 14 on the Knights roster is son Ryan Arrington. Ryan grew up in Toombs County and played for the Bullpups prior to the family's move to Springfield. Ryan comes off the bench and handles the basketball, plays man-to-man defensive and shoots 3-pointers. The senior says, "We work really hard, I think we deserve everything we have gotten. We come in to practice everyday and work our tail off and it pays off."

Ryan's older brother Chase, who played two seasons at Toombs County High School, has decided to walk on at Armstrong Atlantic next season. Chase most recently played at East Georgia where he was a starter in his freshman season. "I'm really looking forward to it," said Chase. "I talked to coach (Jeremy) Luther and he really wants me to be a part of their team. I really think I can flourish there. They run an offense that I can thrive in and I am really looking forward to it."

Bullpups are wrestling champs

Justin Hall (top) adds to his five point advantage

The Toombs County Middle School Bullpups wrapped up their season by winning the MGMSAA Championship at the TCMS Gym. The Bullpups were dominant as they had 17 wrestlers finish in the top three in the 22 different weight classes. Watch Justin Hall wrestle Video

Toombs improves against Tattnall

Back in December when Toombs County played at Tattnall County, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs lost by a combined 71 points. In the rematch, in the Lyons, both games were much closer making the final margin just 13 points in favor of Tattnall.

Girls game- Tattnall 46, Toombs County 41- The Lady Bulldogs hung around in the first half and made a serious push in the second. Tattnall led 16-10 after the first quarter and 29-20 at half. In the third quarter Diamond Boyd scored a bucket and hit a free throw to complete a 3-point play and then Deavia Howard followed with 3-ball as the Lady Bulldogs pulled to within three points at 34-31 with a 1:07 to play in the third. Howard also scored an inside bucket and the Lady Dawgs were within two points of the lead. Tattnall took a 37-33 lead in to the fourth quarter. Howard topped Toombs with 13 points and she made three 3-pointers, two days prior to her sixteenth birthday. Jalisha Knight scored eight points, Courtney Wynn and Diamond Boyd each had six, Megan Medows four and Lanesha Furman and Jamilla Hopkins two. Watch highlights You Tube

"We preached all week just to take it to them in the first half instead of them taking it to us like they did over there," said head coach Brag Thompson. " We wanted to get off to a hot start and be in the game at half."

Boys game- Tattnall County 55, Toombs County 47- The Bulldogs, who were outscored by Tattnall 40-16 in the first half at Reidsville, were the better team in the first half of the rematch. Brandon Driggers scored seven of his nine points in the first half as the Bulldogs lead 16-10 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Dylan Ennis (13 points) hit three shots- two 3-pointers and a bucket as the Bulldogs matched Tattnall in an 18-18 second period giving Toombs a 34-28 half time lead. Y-101 Radio archived play-by-play Ustream

In the third quarter a rash of turnovers killed the Bulldogs offensive production. Toombs County only scored two points in that eight minute quarter. A free throw each by Nathan Roach and Tamond Hampton, who both finished with five points. Tattnall outscored the Bulldogs 12-2 in that ugly period and led 40-36 after three.

In the fourth quarter the Bulldogs took a one point lead, however, once again turnovers kept them from taking off on a run and then the Warriors threw a dagger at Toombs when Ty Steger drilled a late game 3-pointer. Dominique Hawkins scored nine points for Toombs, Gary Terrell had five and Anthony Britt two.

"We were playing good basketball, we were just letting the game come to us in the first half," said Ennis. "We were running through our set plays and getting really good looks at the basket and we were putting the ball through the hoop. Then in the second half we started to try and do too much and we were scrambling all over the place and just taking bad shots."

B-Team Boys- Toombs County 54, Tattnall County 46- Carlos Eason, who missed some early season games with an injury, led TCHS with 13 points and Kenny Goethe 12. The B-Team Dawgs are 4-2.

"We are really starting to play well right now," said coach Chuck Hill. "We are finally coming together and we have everybody healthy. One of our big guys (Carlos Eason) broke his ankle three days before the season started and we just got him back and he is finally getting in to shape and he helps us a lot on the boards."

Howard's bouncing 3-pointer gives Lady Dawgs a win

Deavia Howard shoots

and makes her big 3

It had been a month and a day- six straight losses- since the Toombs County Lady Bulldogs had won a basketball game. so, the Lady Dawgs were most definitely hungry for a victory against visiting St. Vincent's and they satisfied that craving when Deavia Howard clinched the win with a 3-pointer with 15 second to play.

However, this was no ordinary three. It wasn't a swish, it was an adventure. Howard took a pass from Courtney Wynn slightly to the right of the lane and then she elevated and shot a ball that seemed destined to go in. First the shot hit the back of the iron and then it jumped in to the air, next it bounced off the front of the iron and then it bounced back off the glass, then back to the front of the rim before settling in to the net for a 33-32 Lady Bulldog victory. "I was trying to rush to make the shot," said Howard who wasn't sure the shot was going to go in. "I thought it was going to fall out, that's why I ran to the goal to try and rebound it and shoot it back up." There was no need for that because the sophomore had hit a game-winner, "It's really exciting because we have been losing a lot of close games." Watch highlights video You Tube

At the start it seemed like this was not going to be a close game. Toombs opened up an 18-5 lead with 5:05 to play in the second quarter and the Lady Bulldogs led 20-9 at half. In the second half Toombs scoring pace began to slow. St. Vincent's took the third quarter 9-7 to make it 27-18 Lady Dawgs going to the fourth. The Saints slowly whittled down the advantage and then with 41 second to go they took their first lead of the game at 32-30.

Jalisha Knight and Courtney Wynn topped TCHS with nine points, Howard and Jamilla Hopkins scored five, Lanesha Furman three and Megan Meadows two. The Lady Bulldogs are 2-9 in Region 2 and 4-12 overall.

Too many buzzer beaters down the Dawgs

Brantley County hit three buzzer beater shots and a game-tying 3-pointer just four seconds before the end of regulation and then survived Toombs County's game-tying three at the buzzer, in overtime, as the Herons nipped the Bulldogs 60-57 in Nahunta. The night before Brantley lost an overtime game at Appling 59-55. Listen to archived Y-101 play-by-play Ustream

The Herons' heroics began with a 15-foot baseline jumper by Dalton Lairsey that beat the first quarter buzzer and gave Brantley a 12-11 lead. Then Zack Edwards hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Brantley to a 24-22 halftime lead. Lairsey came back and drilled a 3-ball at the end of the third quarter to put the Herons up 37-35 going to the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter of regulation it looked like the Bulldogs were going to pull away and win without anymore Brantley County drama. Dylan Ennis, who led TCHS with a season-high 16 points, swished three 3-pointers and made four straight free throws to give the Dawgs a seven point lead with 2:06 to play in regulation- the biggest advantage of the night for either team. However, Jamison Williams (14 points) retaliated with two free throws and two 3-balls. The final shot in the sequence was a three-pointer, four seconds prior to the end of regulation, that tied the game at 55 and sent it on to a four minute extra period.

In overtime Williams and Derrick Bradshaw (12 points) each hit an inside shot and E.J. Thomas dropped in a free throw for Brantley. Brandon Driggers (seven points) scored Toombs only OT points at the free throw line. Down three with three second remaining, the Bulldogs-after a timeout- went the length of the court and passed the ball to Gary Terrell. The junior guard made a difficult catch and then right before the buzzer got off an equally difficult shot from 22-feet that hit the glass and the front of the rim. However, the game-tying attempt did not fall in.

The Bulldogs were plagued all night by serious foul trouble. Leading scorer Tamond Hampton (17.2 points per game) had his minutes limited by the whistle and scored only six points. Like Hampton, both Nathan Roach and Terrell picked up four fouls. Roach scored six points and Terrell had five. Matthew Hall came of the bench and scored six points, Dominique Hawkins had four and Michael Sulton two.

"Down the stretch we played really well, but in overtime we kind of fell apart," said head coach Keary Brownlee. "Some of it was on me, coaches make mistakes. I think we played hard. There were a lot of difficult circumstances here. They beat us fair and square. That's just the way it goes sometimes."

The loss stopped the Bulldogs' win streak at three games and dropped their record to 7-7 and 5-4 in Region 2. The Herons are 5-9 and 4-5.

Girls game- The Lady Bulldogs, for the second straight game, got off to a good start. Jalisha Knight scored six of her 10 points in the first quarter and Deavia Howard (nine points) hit a 3-pointer as TCHS took a 9-3 lead and trailed 14-13 after the opening quarter. The Lady Herons built up a 29-21 halftime lead. Watch highlights You Tube

In the third quarter Megan Meadows (eight points) picked up her scoring pace until she was tagged with her fourth foul. The Lady Herons, typical for the night, sank a 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer that gave them a 44-32 lead. Brantley controlled the fourth quarter and won 58-41. Jamilla Hopkins scored all 10 of her points at the free throw line. She made 8-of-12 of shots including her last six straight. Courtney Wynn, Lanesha Furman, Diamond Boyd and Aryn McGowan each scored a point. TCHS is 3-11 and 1-9.

Dawgs ride 3rd quarter surge to 3rd straight win

In the new year, the Toombs County Bulldogs have been a third quarter team. For the third straight game the Dawgs used a third quarter surge to win a Region 2 match up. TCHS, which trailed Pierce County 28-27 at half, outscored the Bears 23-8 in the third quarter to secure a 61-54 victory in Blackshear. Head coach Keary Brownlee said, "We are just learning how to win and in the process of learning, we are winning games and that is just a bonus." The Bulldogs, who are on their second three game winning streak of the season, are 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the region. Toombs is tied for third place in the region. Y-101 play-by-play Ustream

Senior guard Dylan Ennis (nine points) opened the third period by nailing a 3-pointer and two regular buckets while Brandon Driggers contributed six of his season-high 18 points in the third as Toombs finished the quarter with a 50-36 lead. Nathan Roach scored five of his seven in the third, Gary Terrell, who finished with six points, hit a 3-ball and Tamond Hampton scored two of his 16 in the decisive eight minute segment.

Toombs opened the game with a run, however, Pierce County finished the first quarter with an offensive push that cut the Toombs advantage to 17-16 after one. In the second quarter Darius Foreman dropped in three 3-pointers as he scored 16 of his game-high 25 in the first half. That long range shooting put the Bears on top 28-27 at half.

TCHS turnovers allowed Pierce back in the game in the fourth quarter and the Bears won the period 18-11. The Bulldogs did hit some big free throws down the stretch to hold off the home team. Ennis and Driggers each made 2-of-2 at the line. Dominique Hawkins scored three points off the Bulldog bench and Anthony Britt 2.

Girls game- Courtney Wynn (13 points) hit two 3-pointers and scored another bucket as Toombs County raced to a 13-0 lead. Megan Meadows also contributed all four of her points to the first quarter run. The Lady Bulldogs led 25-16 at half and the held the lead until the final minute of the third quarter when Pierce County tied the game at 27. Pierce controlled the fourth quarter and won 47-40. Jalisha Knight scored 11 points, Deavia Howard and Jamilla Hopkins each had four, Lanesha Furman three and Diamond Boyd one. TCHS made 9-of-20 at the free throw line. The Lady Bulldogs drop to 3-10 and 1-8. Watch highlights You Tube

Bulldogs are Area 3 Dual champs

Despite being on his back a couple of times, Jamie Cruz avoided being pinned allowing the Toombs County Bulldogs to nip Appling County 36-35 in the championship match of the Area 3 Duals at Darian. Toombs also won the area title last year on the mats at McIntosh County Academy. The Bulldogs will be a number one seed at the GHSA State Duals, in Macon, on January 13 and 14. Toombs will meet Dublin in the first round on Friday.

Lance Joyner, a sophomore competing at 170 pounds, like Cruz also wrestled a match in which he could not be pinned. "I just fought through it, I decided I couldn't be pinned so we wouldn't lose the championship," said Joyner, who lost 6-4. "It was extremely hard, he was strong and a really good wrestler." J.D.Rogers, who dropped from 170 pounds to 160, won his match. "It went really good, it was so intense because we were down and we had to start getting sticks or we are going to be out of it because their lighter weights are really good and you just got to keep fighting through it."

The Bulldogs defeated Jeff Davis at 10 a.m. and then didn't wrestle again until 3 p.m. Head coach Travis Ellington said, "I can't say enough about how they wrestled against the competition. We had a couple of kids that just battled the whole time. Jamie Cruz was tremendous. In a dual meet there is a lot of strategy and we try to look for the best match ups to score the most points. Our leaders like Kalin Wilhite and Juan Alvarez, our seniors, and our underclassmen like J.D. Rogers and Xavier Horne and Jamar Smith, all had a great tournament. I just can't say enough about all the guys."

2nd half Dawgs storm back at JD

For the second straight game the Toombs County Bulldogs were sloppy and inefficient in the first half and dynamic and proficient in the second. The Bulldogs, who scored 27 points in the third quarter in a comeback home victory over Appling County on Tuesday, tallied 25 in the third period and 26 in the fourth in a 73-68 win at Jeff Davis on Friday. Turnovers and poor rebounding plagued Toombs in the first half and contributed to the Yellow Jackets 34-22 lead at half. In back-to-back games the Bulldogs, who in the past struggled to score in the 50's, averaged 70.5 points. "I guess they are trying to give me a heart attack," said head coach Keary Brownlee. "At least they are fighters and they will fight back to the end. That's what we preach in practice, when you get down don't hang your head, just fight, gut it out and that's what we did in the second half." TCHS is 6-6 overall and 4-3 in Region 2. Listen to Y-101 play-by-play Ustream

For the first time this season TCHS had four double-digit scorers. Gary Terrell and Tamond Hampton each tossed in 16 points. Terrell, who didn't score in the first quarter, tallied five points in the second, seven in the third and four in the fourth. The junior hit three buckets and made 8-of-10 at the free throw line. "After a few games that we lost, I didn't feel like I did much," said Terrell. "I felt like when we were down as a point guard I need to take over the game." Hampton scored 10 of his points in the second half and he dropped in four big buckets in the fourth quarter. He also hit the Bulldogs only first half 3-pointer.

Brandon Driggers, on his 18th birthday, scored 12 points and he made 6-of-9 attempts at the line including four straight in the third quarter when he was fouled and the Yellow Jackets were called for one of their three technical fouls. The fourth double-digit scorer was senior Dominique Hawkins, who was playing hist first game of the season. Hawkins made two shots in the second half that twice put the Bulldogs up by one. "I let my team down early in the season (by not being eligible to play) and I had to work hard to get back on the team and I had to do what it takes to win and that's what I came out here to do," said Hawkins.

Dylan Ennis scored all six of his points in the fourth quarter and he swished the Dawgs only second half 3-ball. Michael Sulton scored five points and hit 3-of-4 at the line. Nathan Roach fouled out with three points, 3-of-4 at the line, and Anthony Britt contributed two and was 2-for-2 at the stripe. Joe McNeely topped Jeff Davis (4-9 overall and 1-6 Region 2) with 20 points and Quay Black added 10.

This game was interrupted quite frequently by the toot of the whistle. The two teams shot a combined 69 free throws. The Bulldogs made 27-of-40 and shot 68% while the Yellow Jackets were 15-of-29 for 52%.

Girls game- Jeff Davis sprinted to an early and then made a late run to beat the Lady Bulldogs 36-28. TCHS didn't score a field goal until midway through the second quarter when Megan Meadows (four points) followed up a miss with a short shot to make it 12-4. Jeff Davis had a 16-12 lead at the half. The Lady Bulldogs made a serious run in the fourth quarter highlighted by Deavia Howard (eight points) hitting a 3-pointer and scoring a layup off a steal that cut the JD lead to 27-25 with 3:38 to go. Lanesha Furman (five points) also sank a 3-ball in the run. Jalisha Knight (five points) contributed to the comeback with two layups. Courtney Wynn scored four points and Diamond Boyd added one. Watch highlights You Tube

Third quarter dooms TCMS teams

Jordan Usher pulls up and sinks a short jumper

The third quarter was the tough quarter for the Toombs County Middle School basketball teams in their final home games of the season. The Bullpups, who stormed to a 20-5 lead with 2:30 remaining in the first half, were outscored 10-2 in the third quarter and 19-9 in the fourth as West Laurens rallied for a 41-35 win. Meanwhile, the Lady Bullpups were hanging around in their game trailing 6-4 in the first quarter and 11-5 at half. However, West Laurens outscored TCMS 13-0 in the third quarter and won 36-18.

Jordan Usher topped the Bullpups with 12 points, D.R. Meadows had 11, Andre Clark six, Landon Cowart four and Austin Williams two. Abby Lynn was the Lady Pups top scorer with six pionts, Breanne Stanley and Shakima Taylor each scored four, Demetria Jones three and Aisha Shipman one. Watch highlights You Tube

TCMS Bullpups beats Dublin

Brandon Chubbs applies the half nelson in his 8-3 win

The Toombs County Middle School wrestling team improved their record to 5-1 with a 34-21 win over visiting Dublin. Justin Bullock, Blaine Burkett, Thomas Hill, Tyrese Kent and Brandon Chubbs were all winners. Watch highlights You Tube

Bulldogs keep coming back and finally win

The Toombs County Bulldogs, losers of four straight, were determined not to make it five in a row in their first game of 2012. Their opponent, the visiting Appling County Pirates, had won five in a row, including three straight in the Brewton-Parker Christmas Tournament. Despite trailing most of the night the Bulldogs made several runs in the fourth quarter. Each time that they would tie the game or pull to within one they would make a turnover and the Pirates would run off four or more straight points. Finally, a late run and Tamond Hampton's last bucket in his 25 point game, with 31 seconds remaining, put TCHS up by one and the Dawgs held on to a 68-66 victory.

Hampton's game-winning hoop came off a nice feed by Brandon Driggers. The senior post player caught the ball in the center of the court and he quickly whipped it too Hampton near the bucket. The junior put up a shot that rolled around the front part of the rim before finally dropping in. Tamond was fouled on the play, however, he missed the free throw and later Driggers swished a shot from the line to give TCHS the two-point lead. Appling had two chances to tie or win the game. The Pirates missed a close shot before the Driggers free throw and then a long distance heave with two seconds remaining.

Hampton stepped up his offensive game in the second half. After scoring four points in both the first and second quarters, Tamond tossed in nine points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth. Nathan Roach recorded a double-double with 14 points and more than 10 rebounds. Roach scored six points in the final period and he followed up a miss with a banker that pulled TCHS to within a point with 1:01 to go. Driggers also hit double-digits contributing 12 points.

The Bulldogs took the early lead in the first quarter and then Appling took over leading 16-12 after a quarter and 28-21 at half. Toombs, after a challenging half time talk by head coach Keary Brownlee, scored 27 points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth. Gary Terrell scored all seven of his points in the second half, Dylan Ennis hit the Dawgs' only 3-pointer and scored five and Chris Mobley, Micheal Sulton and Matthew Hall each contributed two points off the bench.

The Bulldogs improve their record to 5-6 overall and 3-3 in Region 2. Appling is 7-4 and 2-4. Archived Y-101 play-by-play Ustream

Girls game- Appling opened up a 7-0 lead before Deavia Howard (four points) scored the first TCHS bucket with 2:14 to play in the first quarter. Megan Meadows (eight points) followed with back-to-back hoops to make it 9-6 and that was as close as the Lady Bulldogs would get. The Lady Pirates led 17-6 at half and won the region game 50-32. Jalisha Knight also scored eight points and Courtney Wynn, Lanesha Furman and Shaila Bacon tossed in four.

Bulldog Duals- Day 2

Erion Gaffney squashes a Jeff Davis Yellow Jacket with a pin

Juan Alvarez takes control by grabbing a leg and the midsection

On the second and final day of the Bulldog Christmas Duals at the Toombs County Middle School Gym the Toombs County Bulldogs went 3-1 and then advanced to the semifinals of the championship bracket. TCHS defeated Jeff Davis 41-27 in the quarterfinals before losing to Effingham County 48-27 in the semifinals. Earlier in the day, Toombs beat Appling County 48-22, Washington Wilkes 45-20 and Dublin by a forfeit. They lost to Effingham 42-33. Watch highlights of the Bulldogs semifinal match up with Effingham You Tube

Bulldog Duals- Day 1

Xavier Horne works Jackson opponent on the mat

and on his feet in 6-3 win

Jamie Cruz smothers his Fitzgerald opponent

and then pins him in the first round

On the first day of the second annual Bulldog Christmas Duals at the Toombs County Middle School Gym the Toombs County Bulldogs went 3-1 and are in fourth place. The Bulldogs defeated Telfair County, Jeff Davis and Fitzgerald and they lost to Jackson. Watch highlights You Tube

Santa stops by Y-101 before big night

Santa, at the request of R.A. Basher, stopped by Y-101 Radio on the eve of Christmas Eve to draw the winning names in the Basher's Christmas Gold Rush Cash Giveaway. Beginning November 28 young people 18 and under began qualifying for the drawing by answering questions prepared by the Basher. The winner of $250 in R.A. Basher Christmas Gold Rush Money was nine-year old Bryce.

Ten other qualifiers won $25 and they were- Calista, Chason, Chloe, Hank the 5th, Madison, Meredith, Robert, Snake Killer, Terrell and Zachery. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to R.A. Basher and Santa.

TCMS Bullpup Christmas Tourney

In it's third year, nine schools are participating in the 2011 Toombs County Middle School Bullpup Christmas Tourney,Day 2- For the first time this season both Toombs County Middle School teams won on the same day. In back-to-back consolation games the Lady Bullpups edged out Jeff Davis 38-37 in overtime and then the Bullpups defeated William James (Statesboro) 33-30.

Girls game- Breanne Stanley (nine points) hit two free throws with 1:04 to go in overtime to give the Lady Bullpups the win. Stanley made 7-of-11 at the stripe including sinking her final three in a row. Courtney Moore (five points) also was 2-for-2 at the line in OT. Ashia Shipman led TCMS with 11 points and Abby Lynn scored nine. The victory was the Lady Pups second in less than a week. Jeff Davis sent the game to overtime by hitting two free throws with 1.9 seconds left on the clock. Watch highlights (TCMS is in blue and is the guest on the scoreboard) You Tube

Boys game- In a close game Jalen Mobley (four points) came off the bench and hit two fourth quarter jump shots and Landon Cowart (five points) and Andre Clark (four points) each went 2-for-2 at the free throw line to lead the Bullpups to their second win of he season. Jordan Usher topped TCMS with 10 points and D.R. Meadows scored six in a short span at the end of the second quarter that tied the score at 16 at the break. Meadows nailed 3-of-4 free throws and swished a 23 foot 3-pointer right before the buzzer. Watch highlights (TCMS is in blue and is the guest on the scoreboard) You Tube

Day 1- Treutlen swept TCMS winning the girls game 47-31 and the boys game 36-25. Landon Cowart topped the Bullpups with 10 points, Jordan Usher had eight, D.R. Meadows four and Andre Clark swished a 3-ball for three. The leading scorer for the Lady Bullpups was Breanne Stanley with six and Taylor Thompson, Courtney Moore and Abby Lynn each had four points. Watch Highlights Video

Eason and the Cards win in OT

Nick Eason (#98) celebrates the Cards fumble recovery

While Tebow-mania took a pause for a week in Denver, there wasn't a halt to the Arizona Cardinals late season run as Nick Eason's new team beat one of his old teams, the Cleveland Browns, 20-17 in overtime. The Cardinals have won six out of their last seven games as they reached the .500 level (7-7) after a 1-6 start. The Cardinals, Seahawks and slumping Bears are all 7-7, two games behind the Falcons and the Lions, who are currently holding a wild card invitation to the playoffs with two regular season games remaining. Arizona's final two games are at Cincinnati and at home versus Seattle.

For the first time in three games Nick was not in the starting lineup, however, he was on the field late in regulation and made a tackle on a four-yard run with less than a minute to go before overtime.

Atkins shoots Indians to win

Devin Atkins may only be five feet six inches in height, however, the senior guard can score. He has added a cross-over dribble drive move to the hoop to go with his amazing accuracy outside the 3-ball line. In a 73-35 win over the Toombs County Bulldogs, at VHS, Atkins scored 31 points in three quarters of play, two points over his average and one more than he scored in just a half of shooting in a 100-44 win at Pierce County the night before.

The Bulldogs hung around with the Indians in the opening quarter until Atkins zipped off a couple of 3-balls and a two, in what seemed to be a blink of the eye, as Vidalia opened up a 11-7 lead after the opening quarter. Then in the second period he nailed three 3-pointers and 15 more points as the Indians outscored the Dawgs 28-8 to open up a 39-15 halftime lead. Atkins didn't make a three in the third quarter, but he did contribute eight points as the Indians won that period 19-9 and led 58-24 going to the fourth quarter.

Toombs County's leading scorer, Tamond Hampton at 16.9 per game, topped the Bulldogs with 11 points, Brandon Driggers and Dylan Ennis (two 3-pointers) each had six, Anthony Britt four and Nathan Roach, Gary Terrell and Michael Sulton two. The Dawgs are 4-5 overall and 2-3 in Region 2.Girls game- The Lady Bulldogs raced to a 5-0 and 12-5 lead over Vidalia as they had their most productive opening quarter of the season and lead 16-12 after one. Ironically, it would take TCHS the remaining three quarters to score their next 16 points in a 62-32 loss. Watch Highlights Video

Jalisha Knight scored nine of her team-high 15 points in the first quarter. Courtney Wynn swished a game-opening 3-pointer and scored eight points and Megan Meadows scored her four points in that first quarter run. Breanna Walker had two points and Deavia Howard, Diamond Boyd and Lanesha Furman scored one point a piece. The Lady Bulldogs are 3-7 and 1-5.B-Team Girls game- Despite struggling in the first half, the Lady Bulldogs made it a close game with a 7-1 run in a time-shortened fourth quarter as they lost 28-22. Toombs trailed 12-0 after the first quarter and 18-5 at half and then the Lady Dawgs started their second half comeback by outscoring Vidalia 10-9 in the third period. Shantel Taylor led TCHS with seven points, Darvean Lane, Shayla Bacon and Ladasha Jackson each had four, Talaya Toby two and Aryn McGowan one.

Lady Bulldogs get first region win

The Toombs County Lady Bulldogs, when they win, have been a second half team. The girls trailed Long County 21-20 at half and then as the pattern goes they outscored the visitors 24-9 in a 44-30 victory. Head coach Brag Thompson explains the Lady Bulldogs preference for the second half, "It just seems we just come out and play a lot better. I've been preaching to the girls we got to play the first half like we play in the second half and once we start doing that we will be a complete ball team." Thompson says not only was the offense better in the second half, but so was the defense, "We closed out on the shooters, in the first half. They were making their shots and with the pressure we were putting on them at the start of the second half it really helped us get some easy baskets and we got to pull away with the win."

Courtney Wynn kept the Lady Bulldogs close in the first half scoring 11 points and hitting three 3-pointers. In the second half the senior guard made another 3-ball and scored five more points in her 16 point effort. Wynn said a new scheme helped open up space for her long range shooting, "Coach put in a new offense and they gave me a new pass and I just shoot." Deavia Howard shot the ball well and scored 16 points. Jalisha Knight added five points, Jamila Hopkins four, Lanesha Furman three and Megan Meadows two. The Lady Bulldogs are 3-6 overall and 1-4 in Region 2.

Boys game- In a game plagued by turnovers, Long County defeated Toombs County 67-56. The Bulldogs, despite 30 turnovers, made a fourth quarter run and cut a double-digit lead down to six with five minutes to play. Long led 22-10 after the first quarter, 34-27 at half and 53-41 after three. Tamond Hampton led TCHS with 26 points, Brandon Driggers scored 11, Anthony Britt had 10, Gary Terrell five, Nathan Roach three and Michael Sulton 1. The Bulldogs are 4-4 and 2-2 in Region 2 games. Watch Highlights Video

Lady Bullpups finally prevail

Exact date unknown. It had been almost two years since the Toombs County Middle School girls basketball team had won a game. They weren't victorious last season and they lost their first six games of this season. However, that painful run is over after a 25-24 overtime win over Swainsboro in Lyons. Abby Lynn scored all six of her points in the second half. She swished a 14-foot shot with 2:39 to play in regulation to tie the game at 19. The in overtime Lynn nailed a 15-footer with 2:21 to go the put TCMS up 23-21 and then she followed up a missed shot with a four-footer that ended up being the winning bucket. That shot put the Lady Bullpups on top 25-22 with 1:55 left. Swainsboro scored 40 seconds later to make it a one-point game. Watch Highlights You Tube

Breanne Stanley, Demetria Jones and Shakima Taylor each scored four points, Ashia Shipman three and Taylor Thompson and Courtney Moore two.

Boys game- The Bullpups, who earlier in the week beat Bleckley County for their first win, lost to Swainsboro 45-37. D,R. Meadows got hot in a fourth quarter comeback as the Bullpups sliced a double-digit lead down to single digits. He nailed two 3-pointers and two regular shots as he scored 10 of his 15. Meadows also beat the first quarter buzzer with a high arcing 24-footer that swished through the net for three points. Landon Cowart hammered the glass and scored 11 points. Andre Clark contributed four points and Jordan Usher, Wayne Denson and H. Hayes had two. Watch Highlights You Tube

Tough night in Tattnall County

Toombs County High School's first Region 2 basketball road trip turned sour as the Tattnall County teams beat their visitors by a combined 71 points. Tattnall won the girls game 53-16 and the boys game 72-38.

Boys game- The Warriors shot lights out for the entire game and in the first quarter slender, 6-4 junior forward DeShon Nails scored 15 of his game-high 23. He nailed two 3-pointers in the first quarter and one in the second. The Warriors led 24-9 after the opening quarter, 40-16 at half and 58-27 after three. The Bulldogs were never able to find a group that could make a run and while they were missing shots the Warriors, no matter what group they had on the floor, kept making shots on in the inside and outside. Watch Highlights Video

Brandon Driggers led Toombs with 10 points, Tamond Hampton had eight, Anthony Britt six, Dylan Ennis five and Michael Sulton, Nathan Roach and Kenny Goethe two. The Bulldogs are 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the region.

Girls game- It took the Lady Bulldogs seven minutes to score their first bucket and 11:21 of game time to score their second. Lanesha Furman banked in a perimiter shot with a minute to play in the first quarter to make it 13-2 Tattnall after a quarter. The Dawgs were shut out in the second quarter and trailed 27-2 at half. Courtney Wynn's 3-pointer made it 29-5 with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter and that period ended with Tattnall leading 39-10.

Jalisha Knight led the Lady Bulldogs with six points, Wynn had three, Furman, Shantel Taylor and Diamond Boyd scored two and Deavia Howard one. The Lady Bulldogs are 2-6 and 0-4.

Bullpups win first roundball game

The Toombs County Middle School Bullpups started and finished strong as they defeated Bleckley County 40-35 for their first basketball victory of the season. The Pups scored 12 points in the first and fourth quarter. Jordan Usher led TCMS with 15 points. He scored 13 in the first half- seven in the first quarter and six in the second. Wayne Denson was the scoring force in he fourth quarter. He hit two perimeter shots and four free throws as he scored eight of his nine in the final period. Landon Cowart scored 10 points and D.R. Meadows six. Watch Highlights You Tube

Eason and the Cardinals sack the 49ers

Nick Eason (#98) pursues a 49er

and celebrates sack

Since becoming a starter at nose tackle, Nick Eason and the Arizona Cardinals have won three straight games. Their latest victory was a come-from-behind job against the already playoff bound San Francisco 49ers. Arizona trailed 19-7 in the third quarter, however, the Cardinals rallied and scored touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter and won their home game 21-19. The Cardinals, who are 6-7, have five out of their last six games.

Eason had his most active game of the season. He made back-to-back tackles for short rushing gains of one and two yards in the first quarter and then in the second he made a tackle on a pass play and then he sacked quarterback Alex Smith for a loss of eight yards- his sixth career sack. Nick has now started 16 games in his NFL career and has a total of 116 tackles- 75 solos and 41 assists.

Bulldogs win despite lapses, Lady Dawgs lose at buzzer

The Toombs County Bulldogs survived three offensive lapses as they won their third straight game 49-37 over visiting Brantley County. This is the Bulldogs first three game wining streak since the 2008-09 season and gives them a 4-2 record and a 2-0 mark in Region 2. Meanwhile, the Lady Herons nailed a 3-pointer at the Buzzer to beat the Lady Bulldogs 44-41. The Toombs Girls are 2-5 and 0-3.

Boys game- The Bulldogs first lapse came at the start of the game, two Tamond Hampton (12 points) buckets made it 4-0 and it didn't turn 6-zip until Michael Sulton scored his only two points on a layup after a steal with 2:30 to play in the first quarter. Despite the slow start the Bulldogs played a stifling brand of defense and led 15-5 after the first period. Brandon Driggers (11 points) ended the quarter scoring a bucket and hitting and an-one free throw with two seconds left. Watch Highlights You Tube

In the second quarter both Hampton and Driggers scored four points as Toombs took a 29-13 halftime lead. However, the Dawgs' second lapse allowed the Herons to cut the lead to single digits. Brantley outscored Toombs 10-2 to open the third quarter to make it 31-23. The Bulldogs finally stopped the run when Driggers scored inside with 2:50 left in the third to make it a 33-23 TCHS lead. Gary Terrell (13 points) followed with a left wing 3-pointer and a layup to push the Bulldogs lead to 15. Toombs led 38-25 after three. Terrell missed only one shot all night- a first half 3-pointer. He made four of his five shots from the field including one of two 3-pointers and he was four for four at the line.

The Bulldogs final lapse came in the the fourth quarter as the Herons cut the lead to 10. Toombs County's free throw shooting stopped the run and the Dawgs had a fine night at the stripe sinking 15-of-20 (75%). Nathan Roach added eight points (4-of-6 free throws) and Anthony Britt three.

Girls game- The Lady Bulldogs spent the first half trailing in their game 17-8 after a quarter and 23-14 at half. As has been the trend this season the Lady Bulldogs found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter and that carried over to the fourth. Toombs forced Brantley County out of its full court press when Jalisha Knight (11 points) used her state champion track speed to score a couple of easy layups. Meanwhile, the Lady Bulldogs turned on the pressure with their press and they forced turnovers. Courtney Wynn (11 points) swished a 3-pointer with 6:10 to play in the game to cut the lead to 33-32. Diamond Boyd (four points) finished a break with a layup to put TCHS up 37-36 with 4:20 left. Watch highlights You Tube

The lead switched sides several more times in the final period. A Knight layup put Toombs up 39-38. A Lady Heron free throw and a short banker lifted Brantley to 41-39 lead with 33 second to go. Boyd passed the ball to Wynn and she dribbled inside the arc and swished a 16-footer to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining. Brantley dribbled the ball down the court and then called a timeout with four seconds to play.

After the timeout, Summer Lee (14 points) inbounded and then took a return pass and right before the buzzer she fired up a left wing 3-pointers that caught a little iron before settling in to the bottom of the net for the game-winner.

Deavia Howard hit a Lady Bulldog 3-pointer and scored eight points, Megan Meadows had five and Lanesha Furman two. On Friday night lost a St. Vincent's 27-23. Howard scored seven points, Knight and Meadows four, and Shantel Taylor, Wynn and Furman each had two.

A full house for pro baseball in Vidalia

Clint Chafin, an expert on the Georgia State League, sent this picture of a sell out crowd at Vidalia's baseball field on Friday night, July 20, 1952. A record breaking, overflow crowd of 3,500 attended a game between Vidalia and Soperton, which was won by the home team 15-2. That year Vidalia finished the regular season with a 66-58 record as the Indians finished in third place, nine games out of first. However, Vidalia turned it on during the playoffs and beat Hazlehurst/Baxley four games to two in the GSL semifinals and then the Indians won the league championship by taking care of Douglas four games to two.

Soperton wasn't a member of the GSL so perhaps this was an exhibition game. Does anybody have any information on the Soperton team? e-mail

Dawgs win big, Girls drop close one

The Toombs County High School basketball teams opened up Region 2 play with a home split with Pierce County. The 3-2 Bulldogs won by a big margin, 60-37 while the 2-3 Lady Bulldogs lost a close one, 32-31.

Boys game- The Bulldogs opened up a 12-2 lead after the first quarter and then leading scorer Tamond Hampton was knocked out of the game for the rest of the night. Hampton was driving to the bucket and was hit in the head. Blood spewed out and Tamond had to leave the game with eight points. Athletic trainer Mary Bennett patched him up with seven staples.

With Hampton missing, senior Brandon stepped up his offensive game scoring on the inside and and outside to the tune of 18 points. Driggers was also at his creative best dishing to teammates for easy buckets. TCHS led 28-11 at half and 43-17 going to the fourth quarter. Nathan Roach banged the boards and scored nine points, Gary Terrell and Dylan Ennis each scored six, Angel Colmenares had three and Matthew Hall and Anthony Britt two. Watch highlights video You Tube

Girls game- In the first half of the girls game Toombs was missing shots and allowing Pierce too many offensive rebounds. The Lady Bears led 23-14 at the break. In the third quarter TCHS outscored Pierce 13-4 and tied the game at 27 going to the fourth quarter. Deavia Howard nailed a 3-ball and scored six of her eight in the the third.

The fourth quarter was close the whole way and Pierce took the lead for good on a free throw with 1:20 to play. Courtney Wynn, who scored eight points, tried to get off a game-winning shot in the final 10 seconds, but she couldn't get a clean look. Megan Meadows scored six points and Jalisha Knight and Diamond Boyd had four and O'mesha Singleton one. Watch highlights Video

Lyons Under 12's are GRPA Soccer State Champs

The Lyons Under 12 boys and girls soccer team were a dominant bunch in district and state tournament play. They took care of Thomson and Dublin by scores of 10-0 and 6-0 in the district in Dublin and then they continued their run with three wins at the GRPA State Tournament in Augusta. Lyons defeated Morgan and Wayne County by the same 6-2 score in the quarterfinals and semis and then they whipped Murray County 7-2 in the title game. Saul Tinoco scored five goals in the championship game and 16 in the state tournament. The Under 12's are coached by Dr. Heidi Zubeck and the players include: Gerry Tinoco, Rig Tinoco, Raul Tinoco, Carlos Ibarra, Juan Ibarra, Brodie Hardeman, Chris Scoggins, Divorian Gaffney, Cindy Vera, Damian Castro, and Julian.

The team was honored at Partin Park for their accomplishments. Watch the ceremony video Y-101 Story

Eason moves from special teams to starter

Nick Eason (#98) playing special teams against Pittsburgh

Nick Eason has always been on standby in his nine years in the NFL, ready to fill in as a starter when there is an injury. Nick got his chance to start the last two games with the Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis and on Sunday at home against the Dallas Cowboys and both were Cardinal victories. Starting nose tackle Dan Williams broke his arm and Eason moved from special teams and backup defensive lineman in to the starting lineup for the 14th and 15th time in his NFL career.

In the win at St. Louis, Jay Freely kicked a 22-yard field goal with 4:09 to play in the fourth quarter to give Arizona a 23-20 victory. Then on Sunday the Cardinals scored a game-tying touchdown with 13:08 to play in the fourth and won the game in overtime 19-13 on a 52-yard pass play. Eason made a tackle on the second play of the game stopping DeMarco Murray on a 3-yard run. Eason now has 112 total tackles in his career- 72 solo stops and 40 assists.

The Cardinals after a losing six straight games have won four out of their last five and are 5-7 on the season with four games remaining- San Francisco (home), Cleveland (home), Cincinnati (away) and Seattle (home). The Cardinals are tied with Seattle for second place in the NFC West behind the 10-2 49ers.

TCHS beats Metter twice

Hampton rises for first Dawg dunk in years

Tamond Hampton rises

and then dunks for the first time in his career

For the first time in recent memory Toombs County High School swept Metter in a basketball doubleheader in Lyons. The Lady Bulldogs outscored Metter 16-0 in the third quarter in their 41-23 victory. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs hit enough shots in the fourth quarter and got some key defensive stops including a blocked shot and a drawn charge from leading scorer Tamond Hampton (18 points) in their 47-43 win.

Girls game- The two girls teams struggled offensively in the first half. The score was 6-6 after the first quarter and 16-all at half. Courtney Wynn, who scored four points late in the first half, banked in a 3-pointer and hit a layup in the third quarter to spark the Lady Bulldogs amazing run. Wynn scored in every quarter and finished with 13 points. The senior guard said, "Coach (Bragg) Thompson told us play like we practiced yesterday, we had a really good practice, and in the first half we played like we practiced on Monday and Tuesday. They played a 2-3 zone which opened up the 3-ball so I just took it."

O'mesha Singleton scored four of her eight points in the third quarter and Lanesha Furman four of her five as TCHS scored 15 straight points in the first four minutes of the third period. Deavia Howard contributed four points, Diamond Boyd three and Megan Meadows two for the 2-2 Lady Bulldogs. Watch highlights You Tube

Boys game- Hampton scored 13 of the Bulldogs 24 first half points as Toombs built up a 24-18 half time lead. Tamond also excited the crowd with the Bulldogs first dunk since the 2006-07 season. The junior, who dunked in a summer game in Tifton, took a quick, long accurate pass from Gary Terrell and he took three steps and dunked the ball with his right hand, "I have been working on my verticle game, i just saw the break that I had and I made it. The crowd was in it and I got hyped off of it and played my game." Watch highlights You Tube video

TCHS turnovers allowed Metter to take a two-point advantage late in the third quarter. However, a Tiger turnover sent Brandon Driggers (nine points) coast-to-coast to tie the game at 35 with nine seconds left in the third.

In the final quarter Toombs outscored Metter 12-8. It was 39-all with 4:14 to play and then Driggers and Nathan Roach (10 points and 13 rebounds) each hit a free throw. Gary Terrell sank a second quarter 3-pointer and scored six points and Dylan Ennis swished a first quarter 3-ball and hit a fourth quarter free throw for his four points.

The Bulldogs allowed and average of 54 points (70 versus Claxton) in their first three games which prompted head coach Keary Brownlee to emphasize defense in practice, "I have made an effort in practice the last 10 days to going in and trying to stop them defensively because championship teams win on defense. "

The Bulldogs are also 2-2 heading in to their first Region 2 game on Tuesday, December 6 (6 and 7:30 p.m.) in Lyons.

Big R Remembered

Big R

By Robert George

This past week the Toombs County School system lost one of its biggest and most lovable supporters. Ronnie Yawn, who was known around the community as "Big R", passed away on November 16, 2011 due to heart failure at Meadows Regional Medical Center. He had been a loyal Bulldog for over 65 years.

Ronnie moved from Americus to Lyons in the early 1950's, with his parents, his brother Glynn and his sister Jackie. Big R was employed by the Toombs County School System for 37 years, where he was, in my opinion, the biggest and most loyal fan to watch the Bulldogs. At every home football, basketball or baseball game, he was always there, wearing his cap, with his fellow Bulldog fans, cheering for the Dogs, no matter what the score. Other than supporting the Lyons/Toombs Bulldogs, he was also a huge Georgia Bulldog and Atlanta Brave fanatic. He loved to watch movies and television shows and he would often imitate the famous personalities for fun. He had a special routine conversation that he enjoyed with each of his friends. These routines involved bantering and teasing, but they were always done in love and respect.

Former Lyons Buldogs coach Bill Schofill spoke at Ronnie's funeral and told of what a good person Ronnie was and how he had been a loyal friend who encouraged others. Coach Schofill was emotional as he explained that God had called the Big R to love the Bulldog community by just being the Big R. After Schofill moved away, his son Pat continued that friendship as he often took Big R fishing and enjoyed eating breakfast together as they sometimes ate with coach Schofill, who Ronnie respectfully called "The Big Man".

Kevin Hill, Jimmy and Doug Alexander were great friends of R, taking him to Braves gamed and exchanging baseball signals with Ronnie down the school hallways. Coach Mike Lothridge would give signals to R before he came down from the choir loft at Lyons Methodist Church. Ronnie would give signals back while the pastor was talking, unaware. Ronnie faithfully attended this where he served as an usher for many years. He remained an usher until FFA teacher Mark Montfort encouraged him to join the choir. Montfort said the Big R inspired him to read the Bible more each day.

When coach Anson Callaway came to Lyons in 1961, he tells of being awakened that first morning by a young teenage boy doing the "Tarzan yell" outside his window. He soon learned that this was his neighbor, Ronnie Yawn. They became great friends when R worked with Callaway at Lyons Junior High School. He lovingly referred to Coach as the "Chief". Coach Callaway loved Big R and worked with Ronnie's sister and caretaker, Jackie, to make sure that R did right. Jackie did a great job of helping her brother to be a good citizen, respected by many people in the community. This past Thanksgiving my family sat around the table and heard Coach tell Big R stories for over an hour as we laughed and reflected on Big R and what he meant to many families.

What makes a community? Is it big buildings or successful businesses? Or is it the people and the relationships that we have with others? The Lyons/Toombs County community had a unique relationship with a special man for over 65 years. Many people were impacted by this relationship. Ronnie Yawn had special needs that were met through his interactions with others, especially coaches. He was a good person and a loyal friend. We all miss Big R, but will never forget what he did and what he meant to us. "Book 'em Danno"

Listen to a tribute to the Big R featuring memories from coaches who were quite fond of Ronnie. Audio
Coach Greg James writes- I did my student teaching under Coach Calloway in the Spring of 1976. Ronnie really made me feel at ease and was a big help to me. I always enjoyed his friendship and it was a joy when I would see him at games and when we would see him and Ms. Jackie out eating. Ronnie put a smile on many people's faces and he will be missed. The Big R, a Real Good Dawg!

The Real Squeal grows in 2nd year

Anson Callaway, who runs Partin Park, estimated that attendance grew by an estimated 40% in the second year of The Real Squeal- Lyons Barbeque and Music Festival. So there were more people who enjoyed more events. A favorite new event was chain saw carving featuring artists from all over Georgia and Luree Magee who traveled all the way from Idaho. The Indian Artifacts Show and the Squeal-in Cruise-in car Show returned along with the professional and amateur barbeque cooking contest. Myron Mixon, a three-time world barbeque cooking champion who appears on BBQ Pitmasters on TLC, made his first appearance in Lyons.

Music in the park was provided by Mandy Gawley, a featured performer on Friday night at the Blue Marquee Theatre, and other acts. Watch the sights and sounds from the second The Real Squeal

Craig Campbell visits Y-101 on eve of big concert

Craig Campbell dropped by Y-101 Radio and spent an hour talking about his surging country music singing career while taking phone calls from many of his local fans. Craig was back in town in advance of his concert at the Macon Centreplex with Alan Jackson. Craig's self titled album hit number 14 on the charts and his first two singles- Family Man (#14) and Fish (#23 and still rising) have perfomed quite well on the charts. Craig was joined in studio by his mother Bertha and his wife Mindy, who is also a country music singer. For more info check out both of their websites: Craig Cambell and Mindy Ellis Campbell Craig answers some question about his career Video

Courtney's Dream lives on

Courtney's parents with the rebuilt 1952 Ford Tractor

Bible Baptist Youth Group finished Courtney's Dream

Courtney Wilkes was many things at Toombs County High School. A fine student, everybody's friend and an excellent soccer player. But, Courtney was also heavily involved in the FFA. Prior to her tragic death in June, Courtney was working on a FFA project. She and her father were rebuilding a 1952 Ford Tractor. Courtney never got to finish the project. However, her friends in the Youth Group at Bible Baptist Church did in an effort called Courtney's Dream. On Saturday, at the Toombs County Ag Center Courtney's Dream was unveiled. After a video tribute to Courtney, the tractor was driven in to the Ag Center to a standing ovation. Sam NeSmith, an eleventh grade student at TCHS, tells the story of Courtney's Dream Video also watch a Slideshow

Bulldogs end summer with win over the Indians

The catcher can pitch- Berry Aldridge started against Vidalia

The Toombs County Bulldogs wrapped up a successful summer of baseball with an 8-6 home win over Vidalia. Leadoff hitter Hunter Braddy stroked three hits and Berry Aldridge, Jeremy Beasley and Brandon Driggers each pitched in the victory. Despite losing eight starters, the Bulldogs finished the summer with a 13-6-1 record. Watch highlights of the Vidalia game Video

Bulldogs swing wooden bats

Jeremy Beasley pitched seven solid innings in the heat

Brandon Driggers swings wood and hits a sacrifice fly

A season after college baseball made the switch from metal to composite bats, high school baseball will be doing the same in 2012. So this summer the Toombs County Bulldogs are getting plenty of swings with the old fashioned wooden bats. The Bulldogs played in a wood bat tourney at Clinch County and split four games and now this week and weekend they are playing host to their own multi-team wood bat event.

The Bulldogs won their first of five games by defeating Bryan County 7-1. Jeremy Beasley pitched a complete game with plenty of strikeouts and very few good swings by the Redskins. James Ethredge led the offense with two run scoring base hits. Watch Highlights Video