September 7 is an important day on the calendar of Monroe County hunters as it marks the opening of the 2024-25 Dove Hunting Season.  However, this year it is EXTRA special because it also marks the opening of the first phase of the Canada goose and Early Teal Seasons as well as the Falconry…

Mary Persons’ students chanted “USA, USA!” at Dan Pitts Stadium on Friday night as the Bulldogs easily won their first international game in school history 43-6.

Mary Persons Cross Country teams competed in the AT&T Starr’s Mill Panther Meet hosted by Starr’s Mill High School in Fayetteville on Saturday, Aug. 31. The meet had 22 elite performances by MileSplit Georgia standards, ranging from 15:04-16:25 times in the 5000-meter runs in boys events…

The MCMS Football team moved to 2-0 on the season this week with a 7-0 win over Henderson Middle from Jackson. The team defeated the Jones County 8th grade team 15-0 on Aug 21st. Against Jones County, the defenses of both teams were on full display. However, it was the 4 forced turnovers by …

The Mary Persons Cross Country team will be looking to build on recent success in 2024, and for a change the boys team may be more competitive than the girls.

The Mary Persons Volleyball team welcomes two new coaches this season. The new head coach is Charles Rice and the assistant varsity coach is Julia Watson. Both are new to the area and new to volleyball.  The varsity and jv teams have experienced quite a few injuries and the teams have been p…

Chris Dunn covers Fayette County High and other schools for the Fayette County News, and has for 15 years. Over that span, he has covered state champions in nearly every sport, along with future pros and Olympians. He agreed to answer a few questions about the Tigers as they prepare to visit…

At halftime, things seemed grim for the Tattnall Square Trojans. The George Walton Bulldogs had seized a 14-6 lead just before the break, but a determined second-half rally ignited the Trojans. They responded with a thrilling comeback, securing a hard-fought 20-14 victory.

Stratford Academy has been a great fit for new Head Coach Paul Carroll. The Eagles improved to 3-0 after they overwhelmed the Pinewood Christian Patriots early Friday night. Stratford took a 34-0 lead at halftime and went on to win 48-7. 

It has been a rough start to the season for Head Coach Mario East and the Jefferson County Warriors. They have lost all three games and have yet to score a point. The ACE Gryphons went to Louisville, Ga., on Friday and exerted their will in a 45-0 win over the Warriors. 

Mary Persons (1-0, 0-0 region) has shut out rival Jackson in back to back seasons for the first time since 1986-87 after a 23-0 rout on Friday at Red Devil Hill.

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The Mary Persons Lady Dogs beat LaGrange 6-4 last Thursday, Aug. 22 to improve to 6-2 overall and 4-1 and in second place in Region 2-AAA.

The Mary Persons Cross Country teams competed on Saturday, Aug. 24  at the 9th Annual Bulldog Distance Classic, their only home meet this season. There were 34 teams, including high schools and middle schools, that registered runners for the meet. The Mary Person Varsity girls finished 1st o…

It has been twenty years since the Stratford Eagles last won a football state championship. Maybe first-year head coach Paul Caroll is working some magic to bring another one. The Eagles cruised in their home opener 56-0 over the Calvary Christian Knights to improve to 2-0 for the season. 

LAST SEASON – Finished 8-3 and lost to Pierce County in the first round of the GHSA state playoffs. 

It was a great night before and after Friday’s ACE Gryphons 2024 season opener. In the pregame ceremonies, the school dedicated its new turf field to ACE founder and former principal Laura Perkins. After the game, the Gryphon faithful celebrated their 38-6 win over Central Macon. 

Former Mary Persons and Tennessee Vols’ star Des Williams has made the 53-man roster for the Seattle Seahawks. The deadline passed on Tuesday. The national media has begun to do profiles of Williams’ amazing rise from small-town kid to NFL player. He and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Malik Herring…

For the second week in a row, the Tattnall Square Trojans hosted a team from Columbus, but unlike last week, the Trojans left their home field as winners. The Trojans shut out the St. Anne Pacelli Vikings 27-0. 

Kevin Norwood lives in Monroe County, but is the Voice of the Red Devils for Jackson High. This is his 5th season calling games on 92.1 FM WJGA. Kevin and his wife of 25 years live in Monroe County and have 7 children, ages 23 to 7. For the last 13 years he has worked for John Deere in McDon…

Mary Persons fans will get their first look at the 2024 Bulldogs on Friday night as they kick off the season with their biggest rival at the Backyard Brawl in Jackson.

One of the rarest moths seen in Georgia is the black witch. It is so rare that even many of those folks that enjoy watching and photographing moths in the Peach State never have or will ever spot one. 

Mary Persons Lady Dogs softball team improved to 5-1, 3-0 region on Thursday with a 15-0 throttling of the Upson-Lee Knights thanks in part to 10 runs in the third inning. 

Zack Grizzard, a 2024 Mary Persons graduate, got at hole in one at the Forsyth Golf Club on Aug. 14th.  He used a 9 iron on Hole #10 to get the sink.

After starting the past 3 years, Mary Persons’ All-Region senior nose guard Gevone “Von” Sands should be preparing for a dominant final season for the Bulldogs. 

 The 2024-25 fishing season is approaching and Mary Persons Bass fishing team is getting ready to compete against other high schools for across the state. We are in need of fishermen who are willing to share their love of fishing with the next generation to join our team of boat captains. Ma…

The 2023 State Champion First Presbyterian (FPD) Vikings took the field Friday night as defending champions and reminded everyone that they are still very good. The Vikings ventured to Henry County to play the Eagles Landing Christian Academy (ELCA) Chargers, a long-time standout GHSA progra…

You always want to win your first one, and that is what Head Coach Paul Carroll and the Stratford Eagles did Friday night. Eight months after being named the ninth head coach in school history, his Eagles defeated the St. Anne-Pacelli Vikings 27-13 in Columbus on Friday night. 

The Tattnall Square Trojans had the unenviable task of opening their 2024 football season against the 2024 Class 4A state runner-up, the Brookstone Cougars. Despite scoring on their first drive of the season, the Trojans fell behind before halftime and eventually lost 26-15.

The Tattnall Square Lady Trojans traveled to South Atlanta over the weekend and played three games in the Georgia Dugout Club Tournament in Senoia, Georgia. They took no prisoners and swept all three to remain undefeated (8-0) in the 2024 season. 

Mary Persons scored a touchdown and gave up two in an abbreviated scrimmage against Class AAAA Jones County on Friday in Dan Pitts Stadium.

The 2024 Great Southeast Pollinator Census will take place August 23-24. In 2018 scientists at the University of Georgia launched a statewide survey of insect pollinators. The project was called the Great Georgia Pollinator Survey.  In 2022, when Florida and both North and South Carolina joi…

The MP softball team improved to 4-0 on the season on Saturday by beating both Bryan County and Jackson.

The Mercer Bear-A-Van was greeted by a big crowd of Mercer fans at The Pickled Okra in Forsyth on Monday, Aug. 12. 

LAST SEASON – Finished 1-9, did not make the playoffs

LAST SEASON – Finished 5-7, defeated Bethlehem Christian 34-20 in the first round of the playoffs and lost to First Presbyterian 33-27 in the quarterfinals. 

LAST SEASON – Finished 5-6 and lost to Strong Rock Christian 21-12 in the first round of the GIAA Class 4A state playoffs.

LAST SEASON – Finished 9-3-1 and won the GIAA Class 4A State Championship 44-24 over Brookstone.

The First Presbyterian Vikings won their state championship since 1985 last fall. Each season has its ups and downs, and the Vikings year was no different. But when the season ended at Mercer's Five State Stadium, the Bears won it all. 

Mary Persons fans will get their first look at the 2024 Bulldogs when they scrimmage their old neighbors from Jones County at Dan Pitts Stadium on Friday night.

As I said last week, I love the Olympics and watch as much as possible. Also, I always cheer for USA athletes and teams. Let me clarify, I cheer for them as long as they don’t disrespect the USA. When they disrespect the USA, as the women’s soccer and basketball teams have done in the past, …

Now that August has arrived it is time to begin turning our thoughts to hunting. That’s right, I said hunting. If you are like most Monroe County hunters, you probably have not given hunting a passing thought since the Wild Turkey Season ended in May.

History was made last week when the Chicago White Sox called former Macon Bacon Fraser Ellard up to the big leagues. Ellard pitched at Luther Williams in 2020 and was the first former Bacon to make it to major league baseball. 

When the Mercer Bear-A-Van comes to the Pickled Okra in Forsyth at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, they'll have more preseason accolades to celebrate.