Victory is in the air this fall at Bacon County High School in Alma. The softball team jumped out to a 12-3 record, the football team started 4-0 for the first time in school history, and the competition cheer team has been flipping and flying across Southeast Georgia.
After traveling to Savannah for choreography camp and stunt camp this summer, the Bacon County competition cheerleaders embarked upon their schedule of six invitational tournaments this year.
The first was in Lyons at Toombs County High School, where they placed second. Next, they placed third at a tournament at West Laurens High School in Dublin. Head cheer coach Tanya Bourdeau, along with Misty Rigdon and Crystal Moore, prepared the team.
“I am proud to have the opportunity to coach these young ladies,” Bourdeau said. “They are an awesome group of girls to work with.”
The Bacon County Competition Cheer team consists of 15 members, including five juniors, seven sophomores, two freshmen, and senior leader Cheyenne Taylor.
“Cheyenne is always encouraging these young ladies to strive to be the very best that they can be,” Bourdeau said. “Her enthusiasm, dedication, and caring attitude is contagious.”
The team is scheduled for more competitions including ones at Lowndes, Vidalia, and Swainsboro in October. They will travel back to West Laurens in November for the Region competition.
While the competition cheerleaders were in the gym, the Lady Raiders Softball team was out on the diamond representing Bacon County. First year head coach Kelli Poff had them heading in the right direction. They finished the regular season schedule at 14-8, but more importantly at 9-3 in Region 2-AA. It came down to a doubleheader against Metter, and the Lady Tigers took Game 1 to tie them in the region standings. The Lady Raiders pulled together and won 6-2 in the nightcap to pull ahead in Region 2-AA, and then a final 17-4 win over Toombs County sealed the No. 2 seed in the region playoffs.
“I feel we have a great group of girls and I am blessed with a great coaching staff, and together I expect our program to be all in and selfless,” Poff said at the beginning of the season.
Bacon County had to play the second half of the season without Breanna Booth at third due to a season-ending injury. Freshman Kamari Strozier stepped in to play third base, and in her first big play against Brunswick she tagged out a runner at third before firing to first to complete the double play.
The Lady Raiders are young this season and have only four seniors – Ashley Durante, Breanna Booth, Cameo Snell, and Taz Whitley – and no juniors, but plenty of sophomores and freshman for Poff in the coming years. The state playoffs are scheduled to begin Oct. 11 with the Elite Eight teams playing in the state tournament Oct. 26-28 in Columbus.
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Bacon page
By Rob Asbell
Photography by Carolyn Griffin
Bacon Ladies Flying High
