Sports

West Chatham Middle School Wins 2007 County Volleyball Championship

On December 20th, WCMS defeated DeRenne Middle School by the scores
of 25-11 and 25-20 to win the Savannah-Chatham County Middle School
Volleyball Championship.
In the first game of the championship match, Captain Grace Darling
served 17 consecutive points to give the team a commanding 18-1 lead.
In the second game, WCMS trailed by the score of 12-16, but came back
with some solid all around play and serving to clinch the championship.
This is the first year that SCCPSS has had an all girls volleyball
league. Prior to this season, the sport was coed. However, last year,
WCMS as well as a few other schools decided to go with girls only.
This year, WCMS returned 7 experienced players from last year’s
squad. With new guidelines in place for roster limits, 21 players
made the squad after nearly 60 girls tried out. Of the 21 girls who
made the roster, 18 made Honor Roll the first marking period.
This year’s team finished with an overall 16-1 record. The team only
went to a third game in their matches one time and had a combined
32-3 record in all games played.
Members of the Wildcats team were: Candice Blue, Taylor Bozin,
Elizabeth Brower, Morgan Chance, Carol Colon, Grace Darling, Tricia
DeFelice, Camila Donoso, Erin Fink, Cayla Harley
Darian Henry, Harley Hughes, Jessica Huguley, Aundrea Lee, Taylor
Pate, Arianna Rodriguez, Abby Rodriquez, Loandys Roman, Maya Scott,
Jessica Smith, and Darby Statz.

High School Sports
By C. Edward Wilson

Girl’s basketball coach suspended
Effingham County head girls' basketball coach Nate Hayes was a no
show for his team’s game against Hardeeville Tuesday evening. The
reason behind the coach’s absence met with resistance from the
school’s principal and athletic director.
There was an incident between one of the Effingham players and the
coach after a cross-town match against South Effingham over the weekend.
Assistant boys’ basketball coach Curtis Stevens filled in for Hayes
in the game against Hardeeville on Tuesday.
The Effingham County Board of Education is handling the matter
according to sources.
Hayes has coached seven years at Effingham County High School. This
year, his team is sporting a 7-4 record.

St. Vincent's 53, Richmond Hill 25
St. Vincent’s basketball coach Kim Godbee-Glisson is a petite, but
fiery redheaded coach, who has coached on the collegiate level. She
also played the point guard position for Armstrong Atlantic State
University a few years ago.
Her personality has rubbed off on her current group of players at
St. Vincent’s Academy and the Richmond Hill girl’s team will vouch
for that after suffering through a 53-25 loss on Tuesday night in a
Region 3-AAA contest.
The Saints aggressively attacked the basket and in the course wound
up shooting a whole lot more free throws that the guests before the
buzzer sounded at halftime.
The Saints shot more than 13 more free throws and it left a question
mark in the mind of first year Wildcat Coach Elizabeth Bennett.
Trying not to be critical, the coach did suggest that the officiating
could have been a lot better for the game. She commented that she had
been an official for years and never realized that officials could
change the course of a game so dramatically.
Mallory Morin led the Saints with 13 points, who now post an overall
record of 7-9, and 2-1 in Region 3-AAA play.
In other Westside games, the Groves Lady Rebels knocked off Jenkins
in a thriller 40-37, while the men’s team did likewise … defeating
the Warriors 66-52 on Tuesday night.
Westside basketball schedule
for Friday, Jan. 11
Groves at Beach, Savannah, 6 p.m.
Bryan County vs. Claxton, Pembroke, 6 p.m.
Sav’h Christian vs. Pierce Co. , Savannah, 6 p.m.
Richmond Hill at Burke Co., Waynesboro, 6 p.m.
South Effingham vs. Hephzibah, Guyton, 6 p.m.
Statesboro vs. Richmond Academy, Statesboro, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008
Groves vs. Brunswick, Garden City, 6 p.m.
Bryan County vs. South Effingham, Pembroke, 6 p.m.
Sav’h Christian at Appling County, Baxley, 6 p.m.
Richmond Hill vs. Windsor Forest, Richmond Hill, 6 p.m.
Southeast Bulloch at Jefferson Co., Louisville, 6 p.m.
Effingham Co. vs. Calvary, Springfield, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008
Groves vs. Johnson, Savannah, 6 p.m.
Bryan County vs. Screven Co., Pembroke, 6 p.m.
Sav’h Christian vs. Sav’h County Day, Savannah, 6 p.m.
Richmond Hill at Claxton, Claxton, 6 p.m.
So. Effingham at Liberty County, Hinesville, 6 p.m.

OUTDOOR TRUTHS
(Editor’s Note: Outdoor Truths is a weekly sportsman's article that
appears in newspapers and regional magazines across 13 states in the
South, and Midwest. It is a blend of observations and experiences
that have come over time from being in God's great outdoors. We’re
proud to offer this column for the outdoor sportsmen in our area.)

As a boy, I was drawn to the outdoors. Whether it was a hunting or
fishing trip, or just an excursion to some new area, I always felt a
special contentment when I was outside.
I can remember, many nights, lying on the ground on a warm summer’s
night, and watching the stars. I was always in awe of their placement.
I also felt like I was fulfilling some part of the purpose of my
manhood when I was hunting or fishing. I only had to look at the
desires of my own two sisters to understand that God made man and
woman different.
It’s funny that I feel this same special purpose right now. It’s one
o’clock and I’m hunting in Alabama. This morning the thermometer read
11 degrees with a wind that’s blowing at about seven miles per hour.
I’ve been in the woods all morning, and plan on staying all day. I
moved from the top of the ridge, to the hollow, to get away from the
wind. It’s been brutal.
I am in the midst of several scrapes, but I’m also surrounded by
thousands of acres. I don’t know exactly where I am, but once again,
I feel like I’m where I belong.
I’m cold, but content. I’m disappointed that I’ve not taken a deer
in the four days that I’ve been here, but I fell blessed.
I’ve overcome some unbearable weather conditions. I’ve endured long
walks. I’ve conquered steep hills and maneuvered through large
thickets. And if I kill a deer, the trip will not have been any better.
What makes all of this worthwhile? Somewhere within all of these
circumstances, is a sense of fulfilled purpose. Obstacles become
stepping stones when our purpose lies on the other side. We all are
willing to put ourselves in difficult situations, if we know that we
are fulfilling our purpose.
I just quit my job after 18 years. It was an honorable position of
ministry to some wonderful people. My family and I had become
accustomed to a paycheck each week and to the surety of what the next
day held. But for sometime now, God has been calling me to another
purpose; one that allows me to spend more time with people like you,
my hunting and fishing friends.
The obstacles are pretty big. The wind is blowing. I’m not really,
exactly sure where I am. But within all of these circumstances, I
stand with a peace that comes from purpose. And I had rather have
that, than the safety and security of a life without it.
Gary Miller
www.outdoortruths.org

Bean Spouts

As much as you’d all probably like me to participate in the writer’s
strike, it’s not gonna happen.
     I mentioned last week that I’d spent most of New Year’s Eve and
New Year’s Day flipping back and forth between “Twilight Zone” and
“Law And Order” episodes because they’re superior to most of the
stuff on the tube now, but there are a few shows that I watch regularly.
     So far, “my” shows have been unaffected by the strike. At least,
the networks’ running of new episodes has been untouched. “ER” did
its normal Christmas hiatus, but started running new shows last week.
The same for “Desperate Housewives.” And “Supernatural” always has a
mid-season set of reruns.
     The cartoons I watch (“American Dad,” “Family Guy” and “The
Simpsons”) are a different breed since they take so much longer to
produce. That means first run episodes are always staggered through
the season.
     The show I’m really wondering about is “24.” It’s the only show
I actually block out time to watch, and I’ve yet to figure out if
it’s going to start airing the week after the Super Bowl or not.
Since the show airs uninterrupted for 24 weeks I’m hoping that either
the strike will end, or they’ll just hold off on running the show
until the contract problems between the writes and producers have
been solved.
     What about you, though? Is the strike bothering you? Has it
changed your TV watching habits? Any shows you just don’t think you
can do without?

     I was checking out a story in the AJC Thursday about the winter
weather that was blowing across the country and there’s a picture of
a guy in South Bend, Indiana taking refuge from the snow there.
Nothing particularly unusual about it, except that the guy’s in a
phone booth.
     I didn’t know phone booth’s were even around any more. I mean, I
can’t recall seeing a phone booth in years. It seems to me that many,
many moons ago- when there was actually a vending machine on Skidaway
near 52nd Street that you could buy fresh milk from- that there was a
phone booth near it. Oh yeah, and one at that bar that used to be
across the street from Myers, as well as ones all across Savannah-
but I can’t recall seeing an honest to goodness booth anywhere but in
a movie in years.
     In fact, here in Atlanta, I couldn’t tell you where a pay phone
might be- and I live downtown. With just about everyone having a cell
phone, pay phones are becoming a thing of the past (one of the
reasons AT&T announced last year that they were getting out of the
pay phone business).
     Are there any phone booths left? Drop me a line and let me know
if you see one…

     After a couple of mornings last week when the temperature was in
the low teens, it’s supposed to hit the 70’s here Monday and I could
feel my sinuses preparing for the rollercoaster temperatures by
clogging up. I can’t wait for spring…

     I was right on three out for four games this weekend. I don’t
know what happened to the ‘Skins, but they sure didn’t look like the
team I watched the week before.
     This weekend’s games kick off Saturday with the Seahawks
visiting the Packers- a game which sees the teams pretty evenly
matched despite the Packers’ better winning percentage. Whereas I
figured Washington would win on emotion, though, I see that old
geezer Brett Favre taking the Packers to the NFC Championship next
weekend.
     The late game Saturday features the Jaguars visiting the
Patriots in New England’s first game under pressure- as I said last
week, that perfect season means zip if the Patriots don’t win the
Super Bowl.
     Jacksonville actually matches up pretty well with the Patriots
and- if not for their seeming inability to beat the Colts- would be
perceived by others as a tougher test for Tom Brady and company. As
for me, I’m picking the upset. Jaguars win a close one, and Patriots’
fans are left crying in their beers.
     Sunday, the spotlight is on the defending Super Bowl champion
Colts, who should have little trouble putting away the Chargers early
and preparing for round three against the Jaguars.
     The late game sees another round three, as the Giants visit
Texas stadium to take on the Cowboys. Dallas has topped New York by a
combined 76-55. Can the Giants gear up for a third straight must-win?
Can the Cowboys overcome the vacuum of stupid that Jessica Simpson
has seemed create around Tony Romo and get past the late season slide
where they dropped two of three? Man, I hope so- I’ve always hated
the Cowboys (except Marshal Matt Dillon- he was cool).
     As much as it pains me to do this for a second straight week,
I’m picking the Giants to win a ninth straight road game…

     Mark sends in this note about holiday depression and
outsourcing. “I was depressed last night so I called Lifeline. I got
a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal.
     They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck…”

     Yahoo! Sports reported last Friday that Michael Vick may be
getting out of federal prison much earlier than anticipated after
applying for, and being accepted to, a drug rehabilitation program.
     An official with the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that
Vick was being transported to Leavenworth- where the program is run.
     Under the program, Vick may get out after serving just 12 months
of the 23 months he was sentenced to. Part of the reason he was given
the 23 month sentence was that he failed a drug test for marijuana
after pleading guilty to the charges relating to dog fighting.
     Humane Society investigator John Goodwin said the news was “just
another example of big money allowing someone to get away with
something the rest of society couldn't…”

     I was leafing through the AJC Sunday and came across an item
about Honor Flights. If you haven’t heard of them, Honor Flight is a
non profit organization that provides free flights to Washington, DC
for American veterans to visit the memorials there.
     According to the group’s sight (www.honoflight.org), top
priority is given to older veterans (WW II survivors) and veterans
that may be terminally ill.
     The group made its inaugural journey in May 2005 with six small
planes flying 12 WW II veterans from Springfield, Ohio to the
nation‘s capital. With the rapid expansion of their waiting list the
following year, the group moved to commercial airlines.
     Vets are flown on a first come, first served basis. WWII
Veterans are given top priority, as are veterans with terminal
illnesses. After that, the group’s second priority is Korean War
Veterans and then Vietnam Veterans.
     Visit the website for more information…

     I don’t plan on watching the “national championship” game Monday
night. It’s two teams I could care less about. In fact, I have about
as much interest in the game as I would Yankees-Mets World Series
(just without the deep seated loathing for the teams involved).
     If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’m in favor of a
playoff system for determining the championship. Every other sport in
the NCAA has a championship tournament. Even the “lower” divisions of
football do, too. Until Division I gets such a system, their
“champions” will almost always be suspect. Still, I figure LSU should
be able to handle OSU…

     Speaking of bowls, while the SEC placed the most teams (nine) in
bowls, the Sun Belt Conference ended up undefeated in bowls this
year. Of course, they only placed one team in a bowl. The Mountain
West ended up with the best winning percentage among teams with five
or more bowl teams (no matter how Monday’s game plays out) with four
wins and just one loss.
     The conference records: SEC 6-2; Big 12 5-3; Mountain West 4-1;
Pacific 10 4-2; Big East 3-2; Big Ten 3-4; Conference USA 2-4;
Atlantic Coast 2-6 (wow- it’s not just Tech, the whole conference
sucks!); Sun Belt 1-0; Western Athletic 1-3; Independent 0-1; Mid-
American 0-3...

     Can I have that in singles? 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000- the
estimated number of stars in the visible universe…

     So that’s about all for this week, boys and girls. I have to go
so I can find the thug who’s been parked outside for the last half
hour with their thumpy-thumpy noise going and convince them that
their health would be better served by their leaving. Here's wishing
you a joyful, peaceful Christmas. As always, send your questions,
praises, or gripes to BeanSpouts@gmail.com, or via snail mail to:
     Bean Spouts
     c/o Spirit Newspapers
     P.O. Box 33
     Pooler, GA 31322.

God, bless America.