Football Signings Come Up Short

By C. Edward Wilson

Moving on and separating themselves

Unless there are multiple late signings of high school senior football players on Wednesday night, then the prospects of many athletes going off to college from the Savannah area have fallen real short. Wednesday, Feb. 1st, was the National Signing Day and not too many players from the area did so. After Camden County and Statesboro, the Division-I prospective signees looked really slim, while the I-AA looked pretty good for Georgia Southern and Savannah State.

At first glance, it looks like there were not enough talented athletes in the Chatham County area to warrant either a first or second look from college coaches. One of the main reasons wasn’t on the athletic field, but on the academic playing field.

With the increased scoring added to the SAT scores, many of the athletes couldn’t make the adjustment to the writing section of the test. What may improve the situation will be the two year wait for players to come from the Junior College ranks.

One of the best players in the area was running back Robert Thomas from Brunswick. He ran through, over and out-raced defenders from the past three years, but he couldn’t run from his responsibilities in the classroom.

Windsor Forest linebacker Freddie Green was heavily recruited by Coastal Carolina, but opted to go to perennial Division-II program Albany State University.

Groves High defensive back Quareeb Jenkins is headed to Savannah State University. He joins Jenkins High punter and wide receiver Jerome Temple.

Daniel Alexander of Groves will continue his career as a punter at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Gallaudet is a school for the hearing impaired. It is the school that originally started what today is called the “huddle.” Players would gather around one person and that individual would give the plays out in sign language. They would then break the huddle and  wait for a large drum to bang after 25 seconds and then the center would hike the football to the coach.

Basketball playoffs

The real basketball season begins this weekend as teams prepare for the sub-region Georgia High School Athletic Association end of season tournaments.

One of the surprise teams is Saint Vincent’s Academy. The Lady Saints head into the tournament on a seven game winning streak and the irony of it all is that they only have seven players. The rest of the players are either banged up or recovering from injuries.

Teams at the top of the division will get a bye and get an automatic seeding in the state playoffs the following weekend.

WINTERNATIONALS AT OGLETHORPE SPEEDWAY BEGINS THURSDAY

By Katherine Adams

The 5th Annual Winternationals at Oglethorpe Speedway Park is set to begin this Thursday night with an open practice.  Drivers from twenty-five states and one Canadian province are registered to compete during the three day competition.  Crate Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Championship Modified Tour, 440 Cars will compete on Friday and Saturday night while the weekend will culminate with the 2nd Annual Coca-Cola Young Guns Shoot-Out presented by Stock Car and Circle Track Magazines along with Sport Clips.  A total of 12 feature races will take place over the two nights of racing action.

A record one hundred and five drivers are currently registered for the 2nd Annual Coca-Cola Young Guns race.  Professional race team talent scouts and development program coordinators will have the opportunity to witness the young men and women in action during a pair of 25-lap feature races on Saturday night.  Drivers aged 23 and younger will compete in late model and open wheel modified feature events.  They may also participate in Friday afternoon's Young Guns seminars covering a number of topics that will help develop young careers in motorsports.