SECTION Crossword....... 5B Classifieds .... 6-9B Comics ..........5B International..... 9B Inside Q vi Z. SPORTS Tigers tie with late surge BY DUSTIN KENT FLORIDAN SPORTS EDITOR "We floundered for a SNEADS - Freshman quar- terback Jacky Miles made a two- point conversion with 1:04 left to play to give the Graceville Tigers a 14-14 tie Friday night in a pre- season classic against Sneads. . Miles completed the pass to Jamal Miller in the comer of the endzone, after rolling out to his left and.finding the senior receiv- er alone for the conversion. The Pirates had one last chance to win the game with just under a minute to play. But their drive lasted just three plays and ended at the Graceville 43-yard line as tirmie expired, Both coaches agreed to leave the game at a tie, rather than go to overtime, due to it being a pre- season game. It was a game Sneads appeared to have control of for most of the way, leading 7-0 at halftime and 14-6 after three quarters. However, the Tigers were able to take advantage of an intercep- tion and a poor punt by the Pirates to cash in on their two scoring opportunities. "We had three turnovers and gave them a short field for anoth- er score, which is aggravating," Sneads coach Don Dowling said after the game. "But my kids played hard and that was the main thing I wanted to see. And nobody got hurt." Sneads got its two scores on a pair of explosive plays from sen- ior running back Mark Lawson, while, but I liked the way we responded at the end." -Todd Wertenberger, Graceville coach who had a 51-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter, and a 53-yard rushing touchdown in the third. Lawson finished with 137 total yards of offense, while quarter- back Terrance Green led the Pirates with 139 total yards. Green, however, did commit three turnovers on the night, including a pair of interceptions arid a fumble. , On the Pirates' first possession of the second half, Green was, picked off by Treyshaun White,- who returned it 27 yards to the Sneads 13-yard line. Five plays later, Leron Hoover found the endzone on a 2-yard run up the middle. But the two- point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Pirates. ahead 7-6 with 6:16 left in the third period. On Sneads' ensuing posses- sion, the Pirates marched into Graceville territory before Green was crunched by a pair of Tiger defenders on a scramble, and coughed up the football. Graceville recovered at its own 30-yard line, but this time the See TIE, Page 3B > Sneads' Mark Lawson (1) runs to the right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown run during the Pirates' preseason classic football game against Graceville Friday night in Sneads. - Mark Skinner/Floridan Hornets hope new stars lead the way BY DUSTIN KENT In Chris Obert's first year as the Cottondale Middle School head coach, he helped lead the Hornets to a xinmnng record of 3-2 in 2008. If Obert's Hornets are to put together another winning cam- paign in 2009, they'll have to find a way to replace many of their big guns from last year's team. Gone are starting quarterback CJ Smith, running back Sheldon Vann and wide receiver Jaquez Walker, leaving behind a great deal of expectations for their replacements. "We'll miss those guys,'.' Obert said. "But we still have some guys who gotsome expe- rience last year." The Hornets' most reliable returned could be running back/cornerback Prentiss Webb, an-eighth-grader who Obert said would have rto take on a greater workload for this year's team. "He's going to be asked to do a lot," the coach said. "He's our best, most-experienced player on the team right now." Cottondale al, -returns strong safety, Norris Calhoun, lineman Brian Slesser, and offensive lineman/linebacker Thomas Lipford. Jay Kernoshak will be tasked with replacing Smith as the Hornets' signal-caller. Obert said he had confidence Kernoshak could get the job done. "He's got a little bit of experi- ence for us," he said. "He's a tough kid and he does a good job. He's got a decent arm and has a good command of the, offense and what we're trying to do." Obert said even with the Hornets returning only four starters from last year, he and his staff are ahead of where they were at this time last year, due to having a season under their belts. "With the .kids being a little more familiar with us as a staff and us more familiar with them, things should be smoother this year," the coach said. "We should move a lot quicker See HORNETS, Page 3B > Bulldogs struggle in jamboree BY SHELIA MADER I" The Marianna Bulldogs got to preview their talents Friday -*'er,ninr: with six quarters of play divided into three halves. Each of the three teams played two halves. Marianna took the field minus * four starters due to illness o'r injury. Third-year center Brandon Hughes remains hospitalized from an abdominal condition, while Tre Long, Tre Jackson and Marjean Deau were all held out of the preseason game due to nagging injuries. In the first half of play, it was Marianna facing off against East Gadsden with the Bulldogs falling short by a score of 19-7. The Jaguars took the opening drive 80 yards for the first points of the game and the extra point made it a 7-0 game with seven minutes left in the first quarter.' The .Bulldogs started on offense on the next drive at their own 20-yard line. After failing to pick up a first down, 'thq Bulldogs were forced to punt, but a snap over kicker Zack Smith's head resulted in a second touchdown for East See BULLDOGS, Page 4B > Marianna's Charles Barnes (25) runs the ball in a preseason jam- boree against East Gadsden Friday night in Marianna. -Mark Skinner/Floridan k MHS beats Bozeman in preseason classic BY SHELIA MADE FLORIDAN CORRESPONDENT .The Marianna Bulldogs volleyball team ended their pre-season classic on a winning note with a 2-1 match win over Bozeman in Chipley Thursday evening. Marianna took ,the first game with ease at 25-12, but fell hard in game two 25-19. The Bulldogs rebounded to pick up the victory at 15-10. Leading the 'Dawgs in serving was Michelle Bassin with 13 saves and four aces, followed by .Ciara Ham with 13 serves and one ace. Eron.Milton recorded 10 saves and three aces, while Meghan Hinson had eight serves and one ace. In spikes, it was again Bassin with 23 spikes arid six kills, followed by Hinson with 11 spikes and four kills. Sharee Williams was on the board with seven spikes and one kill. Hinson led the team in assists with 34, while Bassin recorded 22 assists on the evening. The Bulldogs will open their regular season on Monday evening with all three teams in action against Sneads. The ninth-grade team will take the court at 4 p.m., with junior varsity at 5 p.m., and the varsity at 6 p.m. -7- The Sneads Pirates volleyball team racked up two wins in their preseason classic held at Blountstown Thursday night. In the first match, Sneads handed county rival Cottondale a 2-0 loss. Sneads picked up the game one win. with a 25-11 score, while game two' was a 25-10 victory. Leading the Pirates was Meagan Smith with 12 kills, followed by Kara Alford. with five kills and Ashley Smith with four. I The assist leader for Sneads was Tiffany Guerra with 22. Bridgett Dawson recorded five per- fect serve passes in the first match of the day * In match two, it was Sneads defeat- ing Liberty' County with a 2-1 margin in the three games. Game one was all Sneads at 25-15, but Liberty County bounced back to take game two 25-17. Sneads rebounded in game three with a 15-7 victory. Meagan Smith led the team with four ace serves and six kills, followed by Kara Alford with six kills. Tiffany Guerra was the leading Lady Pirate offensively with 17 assists. Jordan Jackson and Meagan Smith both had one block assist, with Jackson and Sierra Hewett tallying a block assist from the right side. Sneads will open their regular sea- son on the road at cross-county rival Marianna on' Monday with three games starting at 4 p.m., and conclud- ing with varsity at 6 p.m. Marianna's Meghan Hinson hits the ball during a preseason game in Blountstown Thursday. - Mark Skinner/Floridan Check out Bob Kornegay's latest column on page 4B I (CHIPOLA FOR) SJACKSON COUNTY'S I. : NEW to USEW TRUCK CENTR S,0 . ..- o - . ...I. * , iT, Rick Barnes . -- .- o . ..... . Sales Mgr. -, Billy Bryan Sales Team. 'Bama defense has makings of famed '92 group ,, \ -J CYDUSj 'I- Ronnie Coley Sales Team A MEDIA GINLRAI, NiiwsAi'wli I r ; ; ~nrur~.~c~Xla~,rab~Ui~~�UhUrr~~�aY~H~1~I~ :.i~li~iU~;-� -2B A m I