2012 SENIOR BASEBALL PLAYERS
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05/09/12

Congratulations on Allison's signing to LaGrange!
05/03/12

Diamond Devils Take 2nd Consecutive
Region Championship
Begin State Playoffs May 4th
Andy Hill- 4/30/12

If you see Head Coach Stephen McDuffie or Assistant Cote Jones with a huge smile on their faces, it is with good reason.  The Red Devils have captured the Region 4A championship for the second consecutive season, finishing with a stellar 15-1 region record and 20-4 overall.  It marks the first time since the 1990s that the Devils have put together back to back region crowns.

The Devils romped through the regular season and in the process also swept the games with arch rivals Wilcox County and Bleckley County in the process.  The only blemishes were to Veterans High, Fitzgerald, and First Presbyterian in non region games.  Brookstone defeated the Devils late in the season for their only region loss.  The Devils entered the final week of the season in a tie with Brookstone for the region lead.  Another region rival, Schley County, did the Devils a huge favor by defeating Brookstone to give the Cougars their second region loss.  Advantage Devils – but the Devils had to face that same Schley County team in Ellaville in a crucial game.  Just as they are now, the Devils came through like champs with a splendid 2-0 win.  They ended the season with wins over Dooly, Macon, and Chattahoochee County to clinch the championship.

Any time a team finished the regular season 20-4 with a region crown, there are obviously many players who have had good seasons.  As I have stated before, I will not get into statistics in a public forum until the season is over.  But the Devils have depended on the outstanding pitching of Earl Dupree and Tyler Keen in key games this season.  Offensively, the Devils have gotten strong performances by Daniel Mayo, Keen, Vince Fisler, and Chance Warnock.

The Devils now enter the state playoffs against perennial power Savannah Christian on Friday, May 4, 2012, at Red Devil field.  The Raiders are not your normal #4 seed out of a very strong Region 3. The Raiders come in with a 15-9 record and present a huge challenge for our Devils.  Come out to Red Devil field on Friday for a doubleheader to open the state playoffs.

I will have a complete wrap up after the season complete with statistics, new records that have been set and much more after the season is over – and I hope that is not for a while!

Go Big Red!!

 Get Your Region Shirts Now!

Diamond Devils Hold Onto First Place At Midseason
Andy Hill
03/30/12

The Red Devils came out of the gate this year with a thrilling 3-2 win over Bleckley County and have continued to put the ‘pedal to the metal’ in route to a 13-1 record so far in 2012. The one blemish on the record was a 4-0 loss to Fitzgerald. They lead Region 4A with an 8-0 region record followed closely by powerhouse Brookstone with an 8-1 record. The Devils defeated Brookstone by a score of 9-4 on March 16^thto take control of first place. The Devils have yet to play always strong Schley County who are at 4-2 in region play. The Devils have beaten every other team in the region.

The Devils returned a good nucleus of players from the 2011 season and have relied on the strong pitching seniors Earl Dupree and Tyler Keen. The Devils lost power hitters Mart McLeod and Dylan Folds to graduation and knew they would have to play sound defensively, have good pitching, and play ‘small ball’ to be successful. So far the formula has worked to near perfection.

I must give a shout out to Scott Fisler for keeping me updated on some of the team stats and outstanding performances by Devil players this year. I will not give out batting averages and the like in an article – the enemy may be looking! – but will recognize a few players. Tyler Keen struck out a school record 17 batters against Marion County early in the season. Keen’s 17Ks broke the record jointly held by former Devil Chad Campbell, currently the very successful Peach County head football coach, and current teammate Earl Dupree. Dupree tied Campbell’s record of 16Ks versus Taylor County in April, 2011. A review of the official statistics show the Devils only have one homerun the entire year but have several players with very good on base percentages.

The Devils face crucial games during the first week in April. On consecutive days they will face Taylor County, First Presbyterian Day School, and Schley County, with two of those being crucial region games. FPD is in Class A and very likely will be playoff bound later in the season. The Devils do have the advantage of facing these teams at home – so get your lawn chair and come out to Red Devil field to see the region leaders in action.

 Former Red Devil Plays On Despite Injuries
Shoulder Surgeries Can’t Stop James Hall
Andy Hill
03/18/12

Toughness. Desire. Preparation. Combine those traits with enthusiasm, an uncanny perseverance to play through times, and a positive attitude through it all, and I would say most coaches would yearn to have a roster full of those type players in any sport. Former Red Devil great James Hall has indeed persevered through some very serious injuries and has remained as positive as any player I have ever known.

My first encounter with James was as a middle school player. My wife, a middle school teacher at that time, wanted to see the middle school Red Devils play baseball against our rivals over in Bleckley County. I knew very few of the kids but kept noticing the hustle of a somewhat skinny kid who was playing shortstop. His form did not take on the appearance of the slick fielding and powerful arm of say a Derek Jeter, but he made nearly every play. When I asked who that kid was she replied that it was James Hall.

Hall graduated Hawkinsville High School in 2009. By that time, he had started for four seasons for the baseball team. Primarily used as a center fielder, he also played shortstop and pitched at different times. He was named the recipient of the Red Devil Hustle Award as a freshman in 2006. Additionally, he was named All Region as an outfielder in both 2008 and 2009. Hall was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2009. These awards provide excellent supporting evidence of being a complete baseball player – hustle, offensive ability, and defensive prowess. I will add one more trait I have noticed and that is he is a consummate team player. There is no “I” in James Hall. More on that later.

James signed with the Lagrange College Panthers of the Great South Athletic Conference. Hall, a 6’2” and 170 pound junior, has spent most of his career primarily as a left fielder at Lagrange. His career started admirably in 2010 as he appeared in eight games and had five starts. He batted 0.322 with a homerun and had a three RBI game. He also had a three hit game versus rival Emory University. Everything was looking up as he completed his freshman year.

Then it happened. While playing summer league ball in 2010, Hall swung and hit a rope for a base hit and he felt something pop. He had suffered a separation of his left shoulder on the swing. Nothing was thought to be seriously wrong and after a day or two off, he returned to the lineup. Once again, the shoulder separated on a swing. Hall visited a doctor who prescribed therapy which ultimately proved to be no help. The injury was more serious than anticipated.

Hall had shoulder surgery in Columbus during the summer of 2010 to repair a torn labrum. The orthopedist informed James that is was much worse than he had thought and that therapy would have never healed the condition. Months of painful rehabilitation followed. For two months it was simple stretching before even thinking of picking up a bat. After approximately five months, he was allowed to swing a bat at 50% at a ball on a tee. Luckily, the rigorous rehab worked and Hall returned at full speed for the 2011 season.

Yogi Berra famously used the phrase “déjà vu all over again”. James Hall had to live it in 2011. On April 26, 2011, one day after his birthday, Hall raced after a short pop up fly ball into left field. Like he always does, Hall exhibited maximum effort and ultimately dove for the popup. As he hit the ground, he landed on a straightened right arm. You guessed it, another torn labrum and a partially torn rotator cuff - this time in the right shoulder. Once again, surgery was required to stabilize the shoulder. To follow that would be another grueling six months of rehabilitation. As before, Hall’s rehab went on month after month in an attempt to get ready to be physically able to play the sport he loves.

While interviewing James for this article I asked him if he ever had thoughts of giving up baseball due to the injuries. Anyone with back to back surgeries of such a serious nature would naturally begin to feel sorry for himself at some point and certainly consider giving up a sport. Hall’s reply to the question was quick and firm. Absolutely, yes he replied, those thoughts did creep into his mind during the rehabilitation period. His next reply was telling. He said that every time he had those thoughts he would tell himself, “No, I cannot quit. I owe it to myself to play through the injuries. I am not going to let injuries keep me from playing my last few years of competitive baseball.” Let’s keep in mind here, this is college ball. There are no paychecks or huge bonuses given out at this level. One plays because he or she has the desire to play. Nothing more, nothing less.

Hall credits Rob Dicks, his athletic trainer, with helping him through those tough rehab days. Whenever Hall felt too much soreness or self pity, it was Dicks who would both mentally and physically recharge James’s battery and motivate him to keep fighting. James states that possibly the injuries have been a good thing. He says he got by on sheer ability in high school and that the injuries and subsequent rehab forced him to work hard and made him realize that not everything is easy. If you want it – you must work hard for it.

Fully recovered in late 2011, he prepared with much anticipation for the 2012 season. Unfortunately, during this current season, Hall has suffered another less serious injury on his shoulder and now has to wear a brace at every practice and during every game. He also has to wear ice packs on each shoulder for a period of time after games.

I asked James to reflect on playing days at Lagrange College for his first three years. He notes that the biggest difference in college and high school is the pitching. He says it is not so much the speed but that the pitchers have much greater command, control, and location of their pitches. He also says emphatically that pitchers are that level change speeds extremely well.

In describing his favorite college moment for Lagrange so far in his career, I naturally expected Hall to say either that first start or the first home run. The answer I got was once again very telling of Hall’s team player attitude. He quickly said it was helping his team break a long losing streak in one of his first starts. He did have a couple of key plate appearances that were critical in the win but dwelled more on breaking the losing streak than his personal performance.

Anecdotally, I asked Hall if had pitched any at the college level. That brought a quick chuckle. He said in fact he had. In a blow out game the coach was looking to save pitching arms and asked who might be able to finish the game. As you would expect, James volunteered. He says he quickly realized that pitching in college was slightly different than pitching in Class A!

We also took a few moments to discuss his former days as a Red Devil. Once again Hall voiced that team first attitude. Personally, I remember James hitting a lead off homerun on Senior Day in 2009. I was fortunate enough to be photographing that game and happened to catch the swing almost perfectly. I later gave the series of photos to his parents. I assumed James would say that may have been his favorite moment. Wrong again. Hall said his favorite moment was undoubtedly, the huge comeback win over Bacon County in the state playoffs. Down 8-0 and with nearly everyone having given up, the Devils mounted a comeback that to this day defies belief. They mustered nine runs in the last two innings. Hall vividly remembers Jacob Quick hitting a routine ground ball into center field for a hit that the centerfielder misplayed and the Devils cleared the bases to take the lead. You see the trend here – once again, it was a team event and not a personal accomplishment he mentioned as is favorite moment.

James is schedule to graduate on time in May, 2013. He is not sure what chosen career path he will take. He is majoring in history and is considering being a history professor or entering law school. Let me just say this, whoever hires James Hall after graduation will have a very good employee who will display tremendous effort, the ability to handle tough times, and will always keep what is best for the company in the fore front of his mind.

James is the son of Sara and Clay Hall. Both Mom and Dad attend some games and listen to others on the internet. Congratulations to them and to his high school coaches for coaching and teaching James how to be a team player.

Whenever you see James Hall around town, have a word with him about his college baseball career. Just don’t grab either of those shoulders too tight!

Good luck James!

2012 HHS Track Schedule
Andy Hill
03/01/12

Keen Breaks Strikeout Record
Andy Hill
2/29/12

Tyler Keen struck out 17 Marion County batters last night in route to a 6-1 Devil win.  The previous record* was 16 held by former Devil great and current Peach County head football coach Chad Campbell.  (* Record was established using Hawkinsville Dispatch archives and Macon Telegraph articles-if anyone has other information please contact me)

Devils Advance to Sweet 16
Andy Hill
2/26/12

 Devils in State Basketball Playoffs
Andy Hill
02/22/12

Diamond Devils Off to Good Start
Andy Hill
02/22/125

Pulaski County 2012 Tennis Schedule
Andy Hill
02/01/12

Pulaski County 2012 Golf Schedule
Andy Hill
01/30/12

Pulaski County 2012 Baseball Schedules
Andy Hill
01/30/12

Sumer Sloan signs Scholarship with GMC
Andy Hill
12/23/11

Monday, January 23^rdat 10 a.m. Sumer Sloan will sign an official Letter of Intent to play Softball for Georgia Military College Bulldogs in Milledgeville, GA for the upcoming 2012-2013 school term.  The signing will be held at Hawkinsville High School library at 24 Red Devil Drive, Hawkinsville, GA 31036 with GMC Head Coach Ashley Mayhue attending. 

Sumer Sloan is the 17 year old daughter of Robbie & Fanny Sloan. Her brother, Dakota Sloan (15), is a freshman at Hawkinsville High School.  And her sister, Nadia Sloan (10), is a 4^thgrader at Pulaski County Elementary School.  Being the oldest of three she has been an excellent role model and friend to both her younger brother and sister.  She is a member of Double Branch Free Will Baptist Church.  Sumer has excelled in her education at Hawkinsville High School by maintaining her honor roll status.

Sumer has enjoyed many extracurricular activities at HHS such as FBLA (3 years, Secretary 2010), Drill Team (3 years), Tennis (2 years) and Softball (4 years).  She is an avid softball player who has played since she was 6 years old.  She has been a team member of both Hawkinsville High School Softball and Georgia Khaos Travel Softball teams for the past 4 years. 

High School Softball Awards and Recognition:

Stats for 2011 High School Season:

Other Awards and Recognitions:

Sumer’s college aspirations are to major in Sports Medicine so that she can help other athletes maximize their experience and enjoyment of sports that she has through the years.        

Former Red Devil Moving On
Andy Hill
12/02/11

Jim Henry, a former Devil quarterback and Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, will be leaving his position at Butler Jr. College to move to Coffeyville Community College.   He will be responsible for coaching the receivers and will assist with coaching the quarterbacks.  He follows Aaron Flores, the Butler offensive coordinator who is taking the head coaching position at Coffeyville.  Coffeyville football alumni include New York Giant running back Brandon Jacobs and former Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier.

Good luck Jim!

What Happened?
Dwight Gatlin
11/5/11

Sports fans, I've been attending Friday night football since the mid 50s and have seen many unusual things, but I still can't figure out what happened in Butler, Georgia last Friday night. Hawkinsville was the un-contested winner of the battle of the bands and the Red Devil cheerleaders were heads and shoulders above those dressed in blue; however, the Devil fotball team made an average Taylor squad look like the Green Bay Packers. Bumbling and bungling turned into bewilderment for me and, I assume, most of those attending. NEVER forget, I support Red Devil Athletics to the fullest and don't mean to demean either our young men or coaches, but we left our "A" game in the 'ville. Many cliche' things could be said like "the wheels fell off", but the best has to be "Murphy's Law" took over.

Taylor put two quick scores on the board in the opening minutes of the game and never looked back while scoring a couple more prior to half time. All thought that the boys in Red would turn things around in the 2nd half but it was not to be. After a long drive by the Devils failed to put any points on the board, the Vikings continued their dominance. The final score was 46-0.

On a more positive note, those young players we've talked about all year continued to play well at times and gained more experience while the small number of seniors left it on the field in their final game...NO ONE quit! The only thing I know to do is reference Murphy's Law once more. Make sure you thank the Devils for their efforts this year when you see them around town and think positively about what's on the Horizon.

GO BIG RED!

 WATCH OUR CHEERLEADERS PERFORM - LIVE!

www.ustream.tv/columbusstateathletics

HHS Varsity Cheerleaders will perform between 1:30 and 1:50 (our scheduled performance time is 1:45, but times may vary depending on how fast the competition moves).

 Hawkinsville High 2011 Basketball Schedule
Andy Hill
10/27/11

Devils Win Wild Shootout on Senior Night
Andy Hill
10/22/11

Photos by Alana Holder

Perhaps the Red Devils should declare every Friday night “Senior Night”. The Red Devils were victorious over the Schley County Wildcats on Friday by a score of 40-34. Consider that in 2009 the Devils defeated Telfair 47-21 on Senior Night and last year took down the Taylor County Vikings by a 36-12 score. The last home regular season game at ‘The Gent’ has proven very successful to Devils in the last three years.

After the opening kickoff, the Devils got a taste of what they would face all night long. It was a Wildcat team that ran a no huddle, shotgun, ‘throw it all over the field’ offense that made everyone hold their collective breaths on ever play. If you have ever watched Oklahoma or Auburn on television, you know the style of offense I am speaking of – they are all similar in style.

The Wildcats got a good return on the opening kickoff all the way to the Devils 45 yard line. After losing a yard on first down, Wildcat quarterback Jack Peavy completed an 18 yard pass to the Devil 26 yard line. The Devils were in trouble immediately. In an early sign of things to come, the Devils defense stood tall. The first three plays of the series netted the Cats a mere three yards and forced a 4th and 7. Under heavy Devil pressure, Peavy threw an incompletion on fourth down and the Devils had dodged the first Cat threat.

The Devils were able to gain one first down before having to punt the ball away. The Cats went to work from their own 22 yard line. The Cats then marched methodically for 78 yards and a touchdown on twelve plays. After a successful two point conversion the Cats led 8-0 with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

The Devils would answer on the ensuing possession. Operating from their own 35 yard line the Devils marched 65 yards in eight plays – all on the ground. Key plays in the drive were a 13 yard gain on 3rd and 9 by Dakota Sloan to kick start the drive. Two plays later Coach David Daniell called Sloan’s number again and the freshman gained 42 yards to the five yard line. Dontavious Grace punched it in from one yard out for the touchdown. Gomez kicked the PAT to make it an 8-7 game very early in the second quarter.

The two teams then exchanged punts before the Cats got another drive going from their own 49 yard line. Mixing the run game well with the passing attack, the Cats scored eight plays later. The two point conversion failed and the Cats led 14-7 midway in the second quarter.

Sensing trouble, the Devils went answered the call. From their own 34 yard line the Devils quickly marched 66 yards for a touchdown. The key play in the drive was a Sloan to Earl Dupree pass for 28 yards to set the Devils up in the red zone at the Cat twenty yard line. Sammy West made a nifty 10 yard touchdown run and Gomez tied the game at 14-14 with the PAT.

Late in the second quarter the Devils took possession once again at their 34 yard line after a Wildcat punt. On first down, Sloan once again found Dupree streaking open for a 43 yard reception to give the Devils great field position. Unable to punch a touchdown in, the Devils set up for a 36 yard field goal with 20 seconds left, and Gustavo Gomez drilled it through the uprights and the Devils had a 17-14 halftime lead.

If you thought the first half was eventful, the fans in attendance had no idea what the second half would bring. The Devils took the kickoff and quickly drove into Wildcat territory. The drive would eventually stall and the Devils fourth down conversion attempt failed and the Cats took over.

The high octane Wildcat attack was guilty of holding on 2nd and 3 and the subsequent penalty backed them up to the 25 yard line. There were no apparent storms in the area, but lightning was about to strike in the form of Tyler Porter. Porter stepped in front of a Jack Peavy pass and sprinted 25 yards for a touchdown. Once again, Gomez was true on the PAT and the Devils suddenly led 24-14. The Devils held on the next drive and were in position to really put some distance between themselves and the Cats. However, they were unable to score a touchdown and called on Gomez once again. The junior cornerback and kicker responded with a 25 yard field goal to make it 27-14 in favor of the Devils. It was Gomez’s fifth field goal in two weeks.

Early in the fourth quarter the Cats offense struck back. A nine play drive, primarily on the ground, resulted in a touchdown. A two point conversion attempt failed and the Devils were now clinging to a 27-20 lead. The fireworks were just beginning.

After the ensuing kickoff, the Devils struck back – quickly! One first down ‘D-Train’ Grace gained four yards out to the 45 yard line. Another bolt of lightning then struck in the form of Sloan to Dupree. Running a perfectly executed play action pass, Dakota found Earl streaking wide open on a post route and the senior outran the Wildcat secondary for a 55 yard touchdown. The Devils two point conversion pass attempt failed leaving the score 33-20.

Fourth quarter. 33-20 lead. Seems safe, huh? Think again. The powder keg was about to blow. The never say die Wildcats completed a first down tunnel screen pass to Markendous Thornton. The speedster did the rest as he streaked 49 yards for a touchdown. Once again, the two point conversion attempt by the Wildcats was no good. The score was now 33-26 in favor of the Devils with 5:58 left to play but, no one on the home sidelines was feeling safe.

The Devils desperately needed a drive to milk the clock. On 2nd and 8 from their own 27 yard line, it was ‘Tyler’ time. Conjuring thoughts of his older brother and former Devil standout Fabian, junior Tyler Forrest ripped off a scintillating 53 yard gain to the Wildcat 20 yard line. With senior Wade Fegley lined up at fullback and clearing the way, the Devils went power-I and ran straight at the Wildcat defense. This was good old fashion ‘put a hat on a hat’ football as the coaches say. On third down Fegley and the left side of the offensive line cleared a hole as wide as ‘I-75’ and Forrest streaked in for the TD. Gomez was true with the PAT and the Devils now led 40-26 with a mere 2:12 remaining.

It is over – right? Wrong! The Cats got a good return and the Devils aided their cause with a personal foul penalty on the kickoff. Peavy completed a 30 yard pass on first down to the Devils’ nine yard line. Tra Minter then sprinted in for the touchdown. The two point conversion was good and the Devils now led 40-34 with still 1:33 left in the game. That didn’t take long – now did it?

The entire game came down to an onside kick by the Cats. All the Devils had to do was recover the kick and run out the clock as the Cats had used up their timeouts. The kick actually bounced off one of the front line Devil players but senior Earl Dupree gathered it in successfully and fell to the ground. Now the Devils could breathe a little easier. Three Dakota Sloan quarterback carries ran out the clock and the Devils had a 40-34 Senior Night win.

For the Devils, Earl Dupree had 4 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. Sloan had 19 carries for 101 yards rushing and was 7 of 12 passing for 164 yards and 1 TD. Grace added 56 yards on 10 carries and junior Tyler Forrest had 6 carries for 68 yards. Gustavo Gomez had two field goals and 4 PAT kicks. The Devils rolled up 421 yards in total offense.

Defensively, Tyler Forrest, Warren Singletary and Malik Holloman led the Devils in tackles. Final tackle numbers are not available at this time. Tyler Porter had an interception return for a TD.

It was great night for the Devils and particularly the departing seniors. Congrats guys – you will remember this for a long, long time.

Go Big Red!

Hawkinsville Girls ROCK today
10/15/11

PCMS Cheer Squad won 1st place AND Grand Champs at the Golden Hawk Invitational. Our Varsity HHS Competition Cheerleaders came in 1st place at their competition as well!!!

For Once Devils As Good As They Ever Were
Dwight Gatlin
10/14/11

(While being out of town for the Vanderbilt game, Andy Hill offered up the headline for this article-Nashville and country music evidently played a role.)
 
After a somewhat lackadaisical performance in their previous game, the Red Devils came out hitting on all cylinders Friday night. They played a solid 4 quarters enroute to a 30-0 whipping of the Macon County Bulldogs on Homecoming night at The Gent.
 
With 9:29 left in the first quarter, Dontavious Grace capped a 6-play 55 yard drive with an 8 yard TD scamper. Gustavo Gomez kicked the first of several up-right splitting balls for a 7-0 score. Then, at the 4:52 mark, Gomez added a 23 yard field goal giving Hawkinsville a 10-0 lead. In the second quarter, Tyrone Wright scored from 9 yards out after a 6-play 78 yard drive. Gomez and the PAT made the score 17-0. D-Man Grace scored again from 3 yards, finishing off a 63 yard drive, with 5:54 left in the first half. Another Gomez kick and the Devils had an impressive 24-0 lead. After another long drive and Gomez field goal, with only a couple seconds left on the clock, the Devils trotted up to the Hap Jones Field House with a 27-0 halftime advantage. It was one of the most impressive performances ever at Bobby Gentry Stadium.
 
Another field goal, from 39 yards, in the first couple of minutes of the 3rd quarter put Gustavo Gomez in the Hawkinsville record book for his 3 FGs in a game. The Devils continued to play well in the second half and, with a running clock in the 4th quarter, held on for their first shutout since the opening game of the 2010 season, a 28-0 win over Central Talbotton. Prior to that, you have to go back to a 22-0 victory over Telfair County in 2006.
 
Macon County only crossed midfield twice-once after a tipped-ball interception and after a roughing the punter penalty against the Devils. With the afore-mentioned Mr. Hill and his I-Pod thingee out of town, no statistical info is available, but these old eyes observed a lot by watching (as Yogi Berra said). It appeared that linebackers Tyler Forrest and Warren Singletary made bunches of tackles while all defensive players were swarming to the ball. Freshman DE Royce Owens also looked impressive as his playing time increased.

The offensive line opened holes I could have run thru and #10 contines to shine as a Freshman QB.
 
The Schley County Wildcats come to town this week. See you at the Gent.

Lady Devils Fall to Calvary Day
Andy Hill
10/12/11

The Lady Red Devil softball team put up a valiant effort but fell to Calvary Day this afternoon in Savannah in the state playoffs. The Lady Cavaliers swept both ends of the doubleheader by 4-0 and 7-1 scores.

The Lady Devils finished with 17 wins! Congrats to Coach Jones and all members of the team on a job well done.

The Lady Devils previously made the playoffs in 1993 in the slow pitch era and finished 6th in the state. The 2004 Red Devils also made the playoffs and made it to the Sweet 16.

Devils Break Scoring Drought - Still Fall Short
Andy Hill
10/09/11

High school football teams sometimes take on a “Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde” type personality. For opening arguments, I would submit that Central Talbotton stunned Brookstone this past Friday night in a 40-34 upset. Brookstone had defeated the Devils going away, and the Devils had defeated Central Talbotton in the opening week of the season. To corroborate that, Greenville defeated Chattahoochee County 34-0 and the Devils by only a 6-0 score. But on Friday night, Chattahoochee defeated our Devils by a 20-7 score. Go figure. Just one week off a very good performance – albeit in a losing cause – the Devils did not resemble the Red Devils that played the week before. But on a closer look, the Panthers of Chattahoochee County also lost to Dooly by less than the Devils and lost at the very end of the game to  Brookstone. We caught them on one of their good nights and contributed five turnovers to their cause.

After a scoreless first quarter in which both teams swapped two punts on their initial drives, the Panthers went to work from their own 49 yard line. Nine plays later Eric Zeigler scored on a short run to put the Panthers up with 10:00 left in the second quarter. The point after attempt was blocked by the entire middle of the Devil defensive line. The Devils would have a response.

Russell Fruittrail returned the ensuing kickoff out to the Devils 33 yard line. The Devils ground game then kicked into high gear. After being held to no gain on first down, freshman quarterback Dakota Sloan kept it on a bootleg for 13 yards out to the 46 yard line. Dontavious Grace the followed that up with a fine 33 yard gain down to the Panther 21 yard line. The Devils gained a mere yard on first down setting up a 2nd and 9. On second down, Grace ripped off a 20 yard touchdown run to even the score. Gustavo Gomez was true on the point after and suddenly the Devils had the lead 7-6 with 7:42 left in the second quarter. It broke a long scoring drought by the Devils that dated back to the Brookstone game.

What happened in the last seven minutes of the second quarter is the story of the game. With a 7-6 lead and new life, the Devils now had momentum. They stuffed the Panthers on a quick three and out and forced a punt. Disaster – bad luck – Murphy’s Law – whatever you wish to call it struck next. After fielding the punt, the Devils return man was scrambling for yards and a Panther defender stuck an arm out and ripped the ball from his hands and recovered at the Devils 37 yard line. This was undoubtedly the turning point of the game.

The Panthers wasted no time in going for the Devils’ jugular. On first down, Malcolm Anderson found Chris Askew streaking down the middle wide open on a play action pass for a 37 yard touchdown pass. A successful two point pass, again from Anderson to Askew, gave the Panthers a 14-7 lead and ultimately the points they would need to  secure the victory.

The Devils did not roll over however. Operating from their 31 yard line after the kickoff, Grace ripped off a nifty 45 yard gain on first down deep inside Panther territory. Sloan then ran a read option keeper for 11 more yards to put the ball at the Panther 13 yard line. Two plays would net seven yards before the Panthers once again invoked Murphy’s
Law when Grace fumbled as he struggled for the first down inside the five yard line with just over a minute to go in the first half. The game, for all practical purposes, was a deciding moment in the game along with the punt return turnover.

The third quarter was somewhat of a stalemate until the Devils fumbled the ball away once again at their own 29 yard line. The Panthers scored a few plays later to make the final score 20-7.

The Devils were almost completely stymied in the fourth quarter as they could not get the Panthers off the field. The Devils only ran five offensive plays in the fourth quarter that netted six yards. The Panthers gained 82 yards in the fourth quarter and held the ball the last 6:34 of the game.

The Devils were led by Dontavious Grace who gained 163 yards on 18 carries. Dakota Sloan had 5 rushes for 19 yards. Defensively, Warren Singletary had 10 total tackles and was closely by junior linebacker Tyler Forrest who had 9 total tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Gustavo Gomez saw his first significant playing time on
defense and responded nicely with 8 total tackles include one tackle for loss of five yards. Travon Batton also had 8 tackles for the Devils.

The Devil turnovers and the inability to control the line of scrimmage in the second half were the primary reasons the Devils went down to defeat. With youth all over the field, sometimes it is “one step forward – and one step back” and that pretty much sums up the night.

The Devils return home to take on Macon County on Friday night at Bobby Gentry Stadium. If the Devils can put together a mistake free and fundamentally sound four quarters of play, they have the ability to defeat the Bulldogs. Come out and support these young men.

Go Big Red!

Lady Devils Advance to State Playoffs
Andy Hill
10/07/11

The Lady Devils placed 3^rd in the region playoff tournament.  They lost a heart breaker to Schley County in the first game by a 7-6 score.  With a couple of hours to rest and get over the emotional defeat, the Lady Devils stormed back and pasted the Pacelli Lady Vikings by a 10-4 score.

The Lady Devils advance to the state playoffs as the third seed in our region.  They will travel to Savannah to take on Calvary Day on Wednesday, October 12^th.  The first game will begin at 1:30pm and the second game to start shortly after completion of the first.  This is a best of three series.

Congrats to the Lady Red Devils!

Go Big Red!

Lady Devils Softball Team Sweeps Region Preliminary
Andy Hill
10/04/11

The Lady Red Devil softball team traveled to Butler yesterday afternoon to take on the Taylor County Lady Vikings in a key region playoff preliminary game.  After losing to the Lady Vikings early this season, the Lady Devils came out on fire and swept both ends of the doubleheader.  The victory guarantees a place in the state softball tournament to be held later this month.

The Devils along with region foes Brookstone, Schley County, and Pacelli will now face off with each other on Thursday to decide seeding positions as the go into the state tournament.

Congratulations to Coach Dale Jones and the Lady Red Devil softball team!

Go Big Red!

Scoring Drought Continues for Devils
Andy Hill
09/25/11

It seems like a very long time ago that Earl Dupree connected with Vince Fisler for a 20 yard touchdown pass reception against Brookstone with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter. That occurred on September 9th and represents the last time the Devils have reached pay dirt. For the third consecutive week the Devils were shutout by the Greenville Patriots on Friday night at Bobby Gentry Stadium by a score of 6-0. Marion County, Dooly County, and Greenville, the Devils last three opponents, are a combined 13-3 and have recorded eight shutouts between them. I say that to emphasize the quality of the teams the Devils have played recently.

The Devils put up a valiant fight against the Patriots. I know it is never wise to compare scores but it is worth noting that Greenville defeated Dooly County earlier in the year. The Devils did a lot of things very well particularly defensively. In fact the game was in doubt until Dakota Sloan’s fourth down pass fell incomplete with under a minute to go deep in Patriot territory.

The game turned out to be an old fashion slobber knocker. Greenville was content to run off tackle and mix in a few sweep plays while only attempting six passes. The Devils were a little more balanced as they ran most of the night from a shotgun, spread formation. Both defenses dominated the game.

The entire game could be summed up in three different drives – two by Greenville and one by the Devils. After a first quarter that saw six punts combined by the teams, the Patriots began a drive at their own 15 yard line with 5:18 remaining in the second quarter. Using the ground game exclusively, the Patriots marched to a first down at the Devil 29 yard line with 1:01 left in the half. A perfectly thrown pass from Jamil McKee to Lavonia Slaton for a 26 yard game gave the Patriots a first and goal and the Devil three yard line. From here, the Devils rose up and put on one of the best goal line stands in recent memory. On first down, Tyler Forrest just completely blew up a sweep play and made the tackle for a two yard loss. On second down an off tackle run was stymied by Devin Wiggins and Warren Singletary for a short one yard gain. With the crowd on its feet roaring for the Devil defense, McKee dropped to pass and was sacked by Singletary for a six yard loss. After a timeout and with the Devil coaches shouting instructions and encouragement, a fourth and goal pass from the ten yard line was complete but Dontavious Grace tackled the receiver on the one yard line and the Devils had held. It was a tremendous goal line stand by the Devils.

The second drive of note occurred to start the second half. The Patriots received the kickoff and went to work from their own 35 yard line. They marched sixteen consecutive plays, all on the ground, and scored a touchdown with 3:30 to go in the third quarter. They converted two fourth down plays in the drive including the short touchdown run. The PAT was no good and the Patriots had all the points they would need.

The third drive of note was by the Red Devils. Forcing a Patriot punt, the Devils took over at their own eight yard line with just over eight minutes to play. Grace got the drive jump started with a nifty 14 yard gain on first down to give the Devils some room to operate. The Devils converted two fourth down plays during the drive. The first was a pass for the needed yards to Tyler Porter who caught the ball in heavy traffic. Later in the drive and facing a 4th and 3, Tyler Forrest swept right for eleven yards and a huge first down. At this point it appeared all the momentum was on the home sidelines. The players were excited and the fans on their feet. However, a holding call on another Forrest run down to the 11 yard line moved the ball back outside the twenty. Two rushing attempts and two pass attempts did not get the needed yardage and the Devils turned the ball over with a minute remaining. The drive had lasted 17 plays and consumed approximately 7:30 off the clock. Unfortunately, the Devils could not close the deal the game ended with a 6-0 loss.

The Devil defense forced four “three and outs” on the Patriots and did not give up a long scoring play. That will normally earn a team a victory but it was not to be. Individually, the Devils were led by Wade Fegley who had 16 total tackles and Tyler Forrest who contributed 13 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Warren Singletary had the Devils lone sack of the night. Offensively, Sammy West led the Devils with 44 yards on 4 carries. Dakota Sloan was 7 of 15 passing and no interceptions. Tyler Porter had three receptions while Russell Fruittrail hauled in two receptions.

The Devils travel next week to take on Chattahoochee County.

Tay Lawson Update
In the second half Tay Lawson jumped high and backwards in an attempt to catch a Dakota Sloan pass. There was little or no contact on the play. Lawson landed awkwardly on his upper back and he lay motionless on the field for a few moments. He was transported to Taylor Regional Hospital and then on to the Medical Center in Macon. As of Sunday morning, Tay has been up and walking at the Medical Center and if further tests check out positively, he could be home by Sunday night or Monday.

PCMS Region Champs
Tony Thompson
09/25/11

JUST IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS DID SOMETHING SATURDAY NO ONE BEFORE THEM HAS DONE.  THEY ARE NOW REGION CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THEY PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT SATURDAY TO BEAT WILCOX AND WORTH TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP! 

WAY TO GO GIRLS! 

CONGRATULATE THEM ALL!

HHS Competition Cheerleaders - FIRST PLACE
Alana Holder
09/25/11

HHS Competition Cheerleaders placed 1st in their first competiton of
the 2011 season held in Fitzgerald.  Go Devil Diva's.
Ain't is GREAT to be a RED DEVIL

 

Devils Fall to Bobcats
Andy Hill
09/25/11

Three Bobcat touchdowns in eight offensive snaps. I could stop this article right there for all practical purposes. You have all heard the sayings like “when the snowball starts going downhill it is hard to stop” and “when the toothpaste gets out of the tube it is hard to get back in”. Well all of that happened in an approximate three minute spurt in the first quarter in the Grove, the home of the Dooly County Bobcats.

Once again, the Devils were at a significant size and speed disadvantage. Throw into that Montravious Adams, a massive defensive lineman who is already getting looks by some D-1 school, and you can appreciate the uphill climb the Devils were trying to make. Now for the clincher, the Devils had two critical fumbles and three interceptions while only forcing the Bobcats into only one interception. That is a “minus 4” in the turnover ratio in football lingo. Certainly, not a formula for winning and especially against a team such as the Bobcats.

After forcing an early Bobcat punt, the Devils also came up just short of a first down and had to punt. From their own 27 yard line the Bobcats went to work. The key play on the drive came on a 3rd and 11. The Bobcats completed a 35 yard pass to set themselves up inside Devil territory at the 39 yard line. A few plays later the Bobcats completed a 21 yard touchdown pass to go up 6-0. The PAT was good and the Bobcats led 7-0 with 5:01 left in the first quarter. On first down after the kickoff, the Devils fumbled on first down and the Bobcats recovered at the Devil 12 yard line. Wasting no time, the Bobcats scored on a 12 yard TD pass on first down with 4:17 left – a mere 44 seconds had elapsed between scores. But the snowball was still gaining momentum.

The Devils went to work from their own 18 yard line after the kickoff. Three rushing attempts gained one net yard and the Devils’ Earl Dupree punted it away. On first down, Bobcat speedster Mark Clark swept left, avoided a couple of Devil defenders and went 54 yards to paydirt with 1:47 left in the quarter. As previously indicated, the Bobcats scored 3 touchdowns in only 8 snaps – excluding PAT and kickoff plays. The Bobcat extra point attempt was no good and the lead was 20-0.

For all practical purposes, short of the satellite that NASA was watching falling on the Bobcat sidelines, the game was firmly in control of the Cats. Their defense controlled the line of scrimmage all night long and limited the Devils to well under one hundred yards of total offense. They added a touchdown in the third quarter to make the final score 27-0. The Devils did have one eleven play drive just before half that resulted in one of the interceptions – though it was 4th and long with less than 30 seconds remaining.

While it appears the Devils may have taken a step backwards after several weeks of improvement, certainly they did some very positive things. First, the Devils started freshman quarterback Dakota Sloan for the first time. He displayed very good field presence and was very accurate on the underneath passing routes. He did have the interceptions as previously mentioned but all in all his performance was certainly encouraging and something to build upon. His favorite receiver for the night was none other than Earl Dupree – the starting quarterback for the last year and a half. Earl had three receptions on the night and looked very comfortable in his new role. Kudos to both those young men for handling that change with maturity. Another Devil player, Tay Lawson, had a beautiful interception in which he had to fight a much taller receiver for the ball. Tay then added a nice return to give the Devils decent field position.

The Devil defense, though giving up lots of yardage, three times held the Bobcats deep inside Devil territory without a score. On one occasion, the Bobcats attempted a field goal only to have it blocked and returned by the Devils for good yardage. I think they will all tell you they did not play as well as they had previously, they did not give up. They did not lose their composure and they did represent Hawkinsville well.

Statistically, Tyler Forrest and Wade Fegley led the Devils with 8 total tackles each followed closely by Brandon Lawson with 7. Sammy West led the Devil rushing attack with 10 carries for 39 yards.

I promise you that sometimes in the next couple of years; this young group is going to be pretty darn good. It may be next week or next year but it is going to happen. You should come out and give them your encouragement and support as they represent our community.

Now, if we can just figure out how to get that snowball to roll uphill…..

Go Big Red!

Eagles Worthy of #10 Ranking
Andy Hill
09/17/11

 Devils Fall to Brookstone
Andy Hill
09/09/11

Devils Dominate Vikings
Andy Hill
09/02/11

60 Year Old Record Tied
Andy Hill
08/29/11

Devils Win Thriller on the Road
Andy Hill
08/27/11

2011 - 2012 B-Team Schedule
8/19/11
Andy Hill

2011 - 2012 PCMS Football Schedule
8/19/11
Andy Hill

2011 - 2012 Softball Schedule
8/18/11
Andy Hill

Devils Scrimmage Bleckley
8/14/2011
Andy Hill

The Red Devils hosted the Bleckley County Royals at Bobby Gentry Stadium on Friday night for a preseason scrimmage.  A great crowd, considering the hot weather, was on hand to witness the first action of the 2011 season.Much discretion is given to the coaches to determine the format for the scrimmage; however Coach Cam Black and Coach Sam Barrs of Bleckley opted to go with full, live game conditions including kickoffs.

The first half proved one thing - turnovers are still the #1 enemy of any football team.The Royals fumbled an early possession inside Devil territory.Moments later the Devils fumbled it right back after a nifty 39 yard run.That seemed to open the flood gates and at the end of the first half the Devils had some 5-6 turnovers plus a blocked punt.The Royals also turned it over a couple of times.The score at half was 25-0 in favor of the Royals.

In the second half the Devils went to junior stalwart Tyler Forrest who ended up being the Devils leading rusher for the night. The second was played much closer and the Devils actually controlled the clock and ball for much of the third quarter.The junior varsity players played the fourth quarter and the final score was 32-0 Royals.

What do you take away from this game?I choose to take the optimistic approach.The Devils started some numerous freshmen and I am sure played several others.From experience, I can tell you the step from middle school to high school ball is quite a leap.The speed of the game for these youngsters will take some getting used to.One freshman, Dakota Sloan, came away with an interception in the second half.This game against a larger school opponent provided much needed game experience for all the Devils and especially the first time starters.I have not heard of any serious injuries from the game and that certainly is a plus.We learned that the young Devil players have to learn to protect the ball - fumbles and interceptions simply will cause you to get beat.Those are very correctable.We learned that we need to work on special teams.Most important we saw a young Devil squad play hard - and there is no substitute for that.

The Devils will get back to the practice field this week and work on the mistakes from Friday night.They open region play on August 26^thagainst Central-Talbotton in Talbotton.

Go Big Red!!

2011 - 2012 Football Schedule
7/30/11
Andy Hill

Download your BOOSTER CLUB Application
7/30/11
Andy Hill

 Booster Club Application

It's Finally Time to Tee It Up Once Again
7/25/11
Dwight Gatlin

After QB and Receiver camp and Offensive Lineman camp during the first half of June, this year’s edition of the Red Devil football team has continued to work hard all summer. In addition to normal workouts, there’s also been several passing drill competitions with other schools ( Perry, Peach County, Veterans ).

Workouts will end this week with camp and practice beginning next Monday, the 1^stof August. We will host those boys dressed in purple and yellar, from across the river, in the pre-season scrimmage game on Friday the 12^th. The Devils will open the season on the road at Central Talbotton on the 26^th.

Get your Friday night gear out and ready for another season….it’s close, sports fans.

GO BIG RED!

NEW MEMORIALS PAGE
02/02/2010
Andy Hill

We are now offering a memorials page. If you would like to donate money to the HHS Booster Club in memory of a former Red Devil, you may do so on this page

MEMORIAL PAGE

100% of all monies donated will go to the Red Devil Booster Club and your contribution will be noted on the page. What a great way to honor our Red Devils that have passed on

Brand New Email Subscription System
8/20/10
Shelly Berryhill

In addition to updating our website, we are in the process of updating our email subscription system. Please sign up (on the left) to receive updates on schedules, stats, alumni, and everything Red Devil Sports. You may even receive discounts on Red Devil Merchandise from our sponsors. Don't miss out on any news - sign up today. You will receive a confirmation email and don't worry - your information remains private with us!

Even if you were previously on our list, please sign up again. We have upgraded our software we want to be sure that you never miss a RED DEVIL EMAIL BLAST!