It was another banner year for athletics in schools all across the Chattahoochee Valley. Fall and winter sports brought about some exciting seasons for some schools, and many of the area’s athletes were recognized for their exceptional talents.
With so many high schools in the Chattahoochee Valley, trying to get a complete list of accomplishments is quite a task. In order to highlight the 2015-16 school year in sports, In The Game Sports asked athletic directors to submit information on their respective schools’ programs with regard to successful seasons or athletes who had significant accomplishments in fall and winter sports. Here is a breakdown by sport of what was received:
Football
No area football team ended the season with a state title, but several had winning seasons. Among those teams was the Central High School Red Devils in Phenix City, Alabama. Under the direction of coach Jamey Dubose, the Red Devils were Region Champs for 7A-R2. The team posted a 9-4 season, 5-1 in region play.
Carver High School in Columbus also claimed a Region title in football. The Tigers, 8-1 and 6-0 in the region, had been under the direction of head football coach Joe Kegler for the past three seasons. Kegler stepped down after the Tigers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. He had a 28-7 record. A bit of drama in the naming of a successor ensued when Reggie Barlow was originally touted to take over the position but was never hired. Dre’Mail King, who worked with the wide receivers at Carver, was tapped to be the head of the Carver football program.
Just a few years into a football program, Calvary Christian School reached a milestone in the 2015 football season as the Knights began playing home games on the school’s newly constructed football field. Coach Brian Osbourne’s team posted a 9-2 record, 5-1 in regional play. Anthony Santiago broke two school records, rushing for 4,409 yards in his career and scoring 61 career touchdowns. Kasen Andrews, Bryce Andrews, and Jacquez Green all broke season records.
Scott Pethtel’s first season at Brookstone School in Columbus saw a 6-5 record. Prather Hudson, one of the Cougars’ standout athletes, was named All Region 2 Way Player of the Year and AFLAC Student Athlete of the Year.
Chattahoochee County High School had four football players named as 1st Team All-Region players: Cory Dixon, CJ Afoa, Isaiah Carter, and Trey Mafnas. Carter was named the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer’s All Bi-City Defensive Player of the Year, and Dixon and Afoa were named 1st Team All Bi-City for football.
The Patriots of Northside High School had a 6-4 season and 5-1 in the region, which earned head football coach Morgan Ingram Ledger-Enquirer’s All Bi-City Co-Coach of the Year honors. David Apiag, Kalan Watts, Christian Johnson, Mitevious Lusk, and Nathan Robertson were named L-E 1st Team All-Bi City football honors. Robertson also was named 2nd Team All-State Kicker.
Girls Cross Country
Columbus High School’s girls cross country team was the Region 5A-1 Champ for the 2015 season. That accomplishment led to Danielle McCoy being named the L-E All Bi-City Coach of the Year and to Alina Salgado being named All Bi-City Runner of the Year.
Boys Cross Country
Jordan High School claimed the Region 3A-2 cross country title for the boys team. Red Jackets cross country runner Jontavious Geddis was the Region 3A-2 Champ (Individual).
Northside High School’s boys cross country team won the Region Champs title for the 5A-1. The Patriots’ Austin Kidd was named L-E All Bi-City Cross Country Runner of the Year.
William Jenkins of Brookstone School was part of the Elite 15 for All State Cross Country.
Softball
In Georgia, softball is a fall sport; Alabama schools play softball in the spring. Only one school in the area had a region title in the sport. Northside High School’s Lady Patriots were the 5A-1 Region Champs for the 2015 season. Hannah George was named to the 1st Team All State and also was the All West Georgia Player of the Year. Her teammates Allison Sievers, Mary Horne, Jada Chadwick, and Gabi Apiag were named to the 1st Team All West Georgia as well.
Brookstone School had a good year with softball, too. The Lady Cougars head softball coach Nate McConnell was named the Region 4-A and All-West Georgia Coach of the Year. One of McConnell’s seniors, Helen Snavely, was named the Region 4-A and All-West Georgia Pitcher of the Year.
Competition Cheerleading
Northside scored another region title for an athletic program in 2015 when the Patriots Competition Cheerleading team won the Region 5A-1 under the direction of coach Jessica Smart.
Volleyball
Volleyball teams across the Columbus Valley area had a banner year. Two local high schools, Columbus High School and Calvary Christian School, had State Championships in the sport.
Columbus High, coached by Donna Fleming, won the state title for Class AAAAA. It was the Lady Blue Devils’ second volleyball championship in three years. Fleming was named the All Bi-City Coach of the Year, and CHS volleyball athlete Shardonee Hayes was named All Bi-City Player of the Year.
Calvary Christian’s Lady Knights won the GICAA Division I Volleyball State Championship under the direction of coach Cassia Roper. The Calvary team defeated Community Christian School for the title win.
Harris County High School’s volleyball team was the Area Runner-Up in Region 5A-1 and had a record of 46-15, the most wins in the program’s history. Faith Pearson, a member of the Lady Tigers team, was named All Area, All Bi-City, and Max Preps/American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Week for the state, Oct. 12-18, 2015.
Wrestling
Alabama’s Central High School took the top prize in the sport of wrestling when sophomore Tony Morales won the Class 7A State Wrestling Championship. Morales had an unbelievable season, 63-4, while also coming in first at Auburn’s Swede Umbach, the Hardaway Invitational, the Cleburne, CO Invitational, the Bi-City Championship, and at the AHSAA Sectional Tournament. Central’s wrestling team, under the coaching of Robert Morales, placed fifth in the state tournament. It is the second time coach Morales’ program has produced a state champ; back in 2012, Luke Wilson won the title.
In Georgia, at least three local schools had notable accomplishments in wrestling. Chattahoochee County’s CJ Afoa placed fourth at the state tournament. He was also named the Region’s Sportsman of the Year. Carver High School’s Alfred Brooks was a state runner-up. Brooks and two teammates, Javon Walker and Tuquoy Carter, were all Nationals Qualifiers with Walker making the season as a sixth-place state finisher. The wrestling team at Jordan High School was the area runner-up at state duals.
Girls Basketball
Region winners and runners-up along with several athletes who shined in the spotlight were the stories for girls basketball this year.
Columbus High School was a Region winner in the sport for 5A-1. The Lady Blue Devils’ coach, Joe Cherrone, was named the Region1-AAAAA Coach of the Year. Tatianna Wyatt, one of his star players on the team, was named the L-E All Bi-City Player of the Year.
Carver High School’s Lady Tigers were the regular season Region Champions. Their coach, Anson Hundley, was named the L-E All Bi-City Coach of the Year, and Alexis Burns made the All Bi-City team.
Central’s girls basketball team went to the Sweet Sixteen and was the 7A Area 4 Runner-Up in the Alabama high school association. Tiyah Johnson was named to the All-Tournament Team and the L-E 1st Team All Bi-City. Kayla Vance was named to the All-Tournament team for the 7A Area 4 Tournament.
Other notable accomplishments about girls basketball athletes include Shaw High School’s Kayla Bonilla being named the Region 1- AAAAA Girls Player of the Year as well as the L-E 1st Team All Bi-City and 2nd Team All-State. Brookstone School athlete Naeisha McClain broke the school record for highest points scored during high school with 1,105 point. The record of 1,104 points was previously held by Margaret McCormick, who is Brookstone alum and McClain’s assistant coach at the school. And, Harris County High School’s Lady Tigers clinched a State Spot for the first time in 15 years with Jessika Carter named to the 1st Team All-Region, L-E 1st Team All Bi-City, and Jones County State Bank Holiday Classic All-Tournament team. Her teammate, Taziaha Fanning, made the 2nd Team All-Region, 1st Team All Bi-City, and was the Jones County State Bank Holiday MVP, while Taylor Keith was named to the Jones County State Bank Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team and Honorable Mention All-Region.
Boys Basketball
Central High School got so close to the 7A Area 4 State Championship title but came away the State Runner-Up. It was an exciting season for coach Bobby Wright and his talented Red Devils team. Among the many accolades and honors accumulated by the team for the run, which included Area Champ title and Regional Champ title, was Wright being named the L-E Coach of the Year. Tre Todd was named Player of the Year by the Auburn-Opelika News and the Ledger-Enquirer. Tionne Williams made the 1st Team A-O News and All Bi-City 1st Team. Fellow teammate Demarcus Lampley was the MVP Regional Tournament.
Athletes who received honors from other local high schools include Chattahoochee County’s Cory Dixon, 1st Team All Region; Shaw High School’s Cameron Paulding, All Region and 1st Team All Bi-City, and Dakeen Diaz, All Region and 1st Team L-E All Bi-City; and Harris County’s Jaylyn Richardson and DJ Johnson, both named to the 2nd Team All-Region1-5A.
Girls Swimming
Swimming is growing in popularity as a high school sport in the Columbus area. The program with the longest history of success is Columbus High School’s. The Blue Devils were the Region (Area) winners for Swimming in 2015-16. Coach Karen Waters was named L-E All Bi-City Coach of the Year.
Brookstone School recently added swimming to its list of athletic programs and already has gained respect in producing serious swimming athletes. Cougars swim athlete Hannah Mattson was named Female Swimmer of the Year by the Ledger-Enquirer.
Northside High School’s swim program had some notable accomplishments this season, too. Hope Wiley was named to the L-E 1st Team All Bi-City Girls Swim Team and was the first female swimmer from Northside to make state meet.
Harris County’s swim program saw Hollie Porter place as a region runner-up in 100 fly and 100 back. She qualified for state meet in four events and was named to the L-E 1st Team All Bi-City.
Calvary Christian has one of the newest local swim programs in the Columbus Valley area, too. Mary Howard placed in two events at GICAA State Swim.
Boys Swimming
Columbus High won the Region (Area), and Chase Parker was named L-E All Bi-City Male Swimmer of the Year at the same time his coach was named Coach of the Year.
Region champ in the 50 free was Harris County’s Jaxon Kite, who was also the region runner-up for 100 fly. Teammate Jared Johnson was the Region champ in the 200 IM and region runner-up in the 500 free. Both were named to the L-E 1st Team All Bi-City.
Northside had five male swimmers to make the All B-City 1st Team: Taylor Nielsen, Shae Grover, Jacob Abeyta, Gage Brown, and Christian Fontanez.
Two Calvary swimmers placed in the GICAA State Swim. Matthew Prescott placed in three events, and Andrew Dailey placed in one event.
Rifle
Northside has made its mark in the state with its rifle program. The team once again was region (area) champs.
Another well-known program, Columbus High, saw one of its premier marksmen Veronica Leggett named GHSA All-State Rifle Team.
Archery
New to the sports scene are archery programs. Calvary Christian School’s program is new but very successful. The school’s team won the GICAA State Champions in the sport. Ashley Snipes, Annika Ryan, and Emily Ballesteros placed first, second, and third, respectively. Game Jones, Steven Fowler, and Kipp Morris placed first, second, and sixth in the state, respectively.
Region1-AAAAA Athletic Director of the Year
Chad Mathis of Columbus High School received the honor for the 2015-16 school year.
Columbus Valley/June 2016
Chattahoochee Valley Year in Review
By Beth Welch
