By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

Both the girls’ and the boys’ tennis teams from Morgan County High School were defeated last week during the state playoffs, ending Morgan County tennis’ 2013 postseason.
After sweeping Sonoraville in the first round of state playoffs, the MCHS boys’ tennis team fell in four matches to Buford High School last Thursday.
“We held our own against Buford's boys and I was very pleased with how we battled them,” said tennis coach Greg Thompson. “We were in every match and I couldn't have asked for a better performance out of them.”
The girls’ team lost to Cartersville in the first round of state play last Tuesday, also in four matches.
“Our girls battled all the way down to the last point to make it to the state tournament and I was very proud of them,” continued Coach Thompson. “Once we got to the state tournament, we came up against some very good teams and were simply overmatched with Cartersville's girls.”
Coach Thompson also described his feelings about the team’s performances this year.
“I felt like overall we had a really good year. We were very competitive in a much tougher region and I think for our first year playing against teams like Oconee and North Oconee we accomplished a great deal. We had a legitimate chance with our boys to win the region but we just came up a little short.”
“I just hope the kids enjoyed the season as much as I did. It's a real treat to get to watch the caliber of tennis that these kids play and I am just proud to be a part of the team. I hope we can continue to improve and I feel certain that we will be competing for a region championship next year.”

Printed in the May 2, 2013 edition.

By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

The Morgan County High School boys’ golf team placed sixth in the 8-AAA region golf tournament last Tuesday at the Traditions golf course.
Morgan County shot a 355 as a team, with Eamon Owen shooting a low score of 82.
Although Morgan County’s team score was not high enough to earn the team a spot in the sectionals, Owen’s score was low enough to grant him a spot at the state tournament as the low-score medalist from a non-advancing team.
Carson Womack, Gregory Pecore, Baylie Fowler, Levi Ewing, and Daniel Crowley shot scores of 90, 90, 91, 93, and 103, respectively.
Coach Thomas Duff spoke briefly about the team’s ability to contend during the season next year.
“All our players are 10th graders except for Levi, and he is a freshman,” said Coach Duff. “The outlook for next year is good, and all [of the athletes] will work hard all summer to get better so Morgan County will have a state contending team.”

Printed in the May 2, 2013 edition.

By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

The Diamond Dogs have gotten the chance to get a little extra game time in this week; both their game against North Oconee last Wednesday, which Morgan County won 4-3, and their 2-3 loss against Franklin County Monday night went beyond the regulation seven innings, leading to two exciting games late in the Dogs’ regular season.
Morgan County’s first bout against growing rival, the North Oconee Titans, remained scoreless through the first inning, but the Titans struck first in the bottom of the second inning, scoring two runs on an error and a sacrifice fly ball.
In the third, the Titans added their third and last run of the game before Morgan County was able to answer.
Brantley Frost was the first runner to make it around the bases for the Dogs. After hitting a double in the top of the fourth, Sam Couch drove him in with an RBI double.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the seventh when, faced with a do-or-die situation, Morgan County managed to get two runs across the plate on an error and a ground ball RBI by Cody Harper to tie the game.
In the top of the eighth inning, Brantley Frost hit an RBI single to push the go-ahead run across the plate, and Morgan County was able to retire three consecutive batters in the bottom of the eighth to hang onto the lead and win 4-3.
The Dogs were originally scheduled to face the Titans again on Friday at home, but that game was rained out and rescheduled for this past Tuesday.

This Friday, April 26, my grandfather, Earl Patterson Nunn, will turn 80, and, as has become tradition over the years, he will go swimming on his birthday, come rain or shine.
According to the forecast that I just saw, Friday will be a pleasant day with a low temperature in the high 50s and a high of 77.
Still, that’s going to be an icy blast of rejuvenation that Papa will give himself for his birthday.
However, all of this isn’t to say that he’ll be the first person in the water this season. I know of two great-grandchildren in particular – Claire and Mason Nunn – who will be hitting the pool as soon as it opens.
Newsflash: as of last night, Papa’s pool is open!
(Not kidding, I just found out.)
I can see Claire and Mason already, in bathing suits and standing, staring at the clear 67-degree water.
There’s nothing like an open pool to call someone’s bluff.
For weeks, they’ve been waiting for the day that swimming will be a possibility. Just a week ago, Mason was telling Papa that it wasn’t too early to swim, saying that Papa, “doesn’t know anything.”
For those of you who don’t know, Mason is a very precocious 6-year-old boy.
But today (Monday), they’ll stand at the edge. They’ll dip their toes in the water, realize that it is a little too cold (although they’d never admit it), and it will probably end with Claire pushing Mason in after she decides that he needs to go in first.
They’ll both get it, and, if they get through the shock of the first few seconds, they might even stay in until their hands, trembling and turning blue, reach out for the towel that they forgot inside, which Grandma is having to carry outside for them.

By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

In the March 28 edition, the Citizen ran an article announcing the coming of a program by Alumni Football USA, which organizes full-contact football games for high school alumni.
Following that announcement, Steve Cisson, athletic director for the Morgan County School System, stated that the Morgan County School System does not endorse and will not receive any benefits, financial or otherwise, from the Alumni Football USA program.
“We’re not in it,” began Cisson during a telephone interview. “If they have a plan, I haven’t heard anything.”
Although he noted that the Touchdown Club has held similar events in the past, Cisson repeated that the program will not benefit Morgan County schools, and that the school system does not have any kind of contract with Alumni Football USA.
That being said, Cisson indicated that he is not discouraging those interested in participating in the program; he only wants those interested to know that what they are signing up for will not be for the benefit of Morgan County schools.

Printed in the April 25, 2013 edition