It is a jingle you can’t get out of your head and for football fanatics it isn’t one that you want to leave. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” plays over and over on ESPN to the backdrop of previews for 33 FBS college bowls that lead up to the Allstate BCS Championship Game pitting Alabama against LSU in a regular-season SEC rematch for the football title Jan. 9.
Schools are on hiatus for a couple of weeks, but things relevant to the Screven County Gamecocks continue to go on. There is wrestling in Metter this Dec. 29 afternoon. The basketball teams will be at the Harold Lee Scott Gymnasium Tuesday, Jan. 3. The search for a football coach and a football schedule for next fall continue. Of all the things going on, guess which dominates the Rooster athletic discussion?
After an extended absence from the Harold Lee Scott Gymnasium, the Screven County High School Lady Gamecock and Gamecock basketball teams return to their home Tuesday, Jan. 3, for an encounter with AAA Burke County. With a quick return of the Burke visit, the Red and White will visit Waynesboro Friday night, Jan. 7, before hosting Lucy Craft Laney in a 3AA-A contest Jan. 10.
The possibility has become a reality. SCHS wrestling coach Caleb White and the coach from Metter were in discussion earlier this season about the addition of another meet. Now it is official. The Gamecocks will travel to Metter to participate in a five-team tournament on the mats Dec. 29. After the last meet of the year 2011, SCHS will next be in action Jan. 6-7 at the area duals in Dublin. The team will be at Savannah Christian Jan. 10 and Southeast Bulloch Jan. 12. SCHS will host a home meet for “Senior Night” against Metter Jan. 18
Greg Manior foresees a positive upswing on the horizon for the Screven County football program. He, however, will not be a part of it which Manior said he will miss. In the final event of the football season that was 2011, the SCHS football Gamecocks received individual honors at their annual banquet Dec. 15. Presided over by outgoing head football coach Manior various team members were presented 95-100 percent summer attendance awards, participation certificates, varsity letter certificates and senior plaques.
Standing at 7-4 with the 2011 portion of their schedule done, the SCHS Lady Gamecocks will host the Burke County Lady Bears on January 3, 2012 with a five-game winning streak under their belt. On December 13 horrendous free throw shooting forced Roy Cooper’s team to hold off Jefferson County’s Lady Warriors when they could have put them away early in a 50-49 win while last Friday the team ran out to a 28-13 first quarter lead and a 35-13 intermission lead to rout Metter’s Lady Tigers 68-30.
Free throw woes cost the SCHS Gamecock basketball team of Brent Anderson a chance to take the opening game in the 3AA-A schedule on December 13 as they fell 56-54 to homestanding Jefferson County. Friday the Roosters finished their 2011 portion of the schedule with a 69-35 loss to Metter. The team does not return to action until January 3 when Burke County’s Bears, who may still be basking in the glow of their Class AAA state football championship, come to the Harold Lee Scott Gymnasium.
High school football in Georgia ended nearly two weeks ago. Unfortunately on the campus of Screven County High School the season ended nearly seven weeks ago. With the end of the season come all of the All American, All State, All Area, and All Region teams. Of course, one of those All Area teams is the Sylvania Telephone’s All Briar Creek (ABC) team.
With the Region 3AA duals tournament coming up in Dublin Jan 6-7, the SCHS Gamecock wrestlers of Caleb White concluded the 2011 portion of their schedule by participating in the Rebel Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The team also squared off with Wheeler County and Statesboro on the road Dec. 7. Unlike an inept Johnson-Savannah wrestling staff the previous weekend, the Gamecock’s entrance into Effingham went very smoothly.
By last week’s end, the home of the Screven County High School basketball teams, football dressing rooms, and athletic department for nearly 50 years (1951-1999) was little more than a pile of rubble. On the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day 2011 the roof, with its asbestos covering, came down atop what was left of the walls. By today, it is possible that the concrete stands may stand alone above the ground while the ancient dungeon (dressing rooms) still exists below the ground. Time is limited as well for that seating.
