If there is a noticeable drop in attendance at Trion High School next week, just blame the sports teams.
Six of them will be in action in GHSA Class A Division II playoff matchups — four of them in the Elite Eight state quarterfinals — as the spring postseason enters the stretch run in Georgia.
The most surprising of Trion’s group is the baseball team, which, as head coach Jason Lanham admits, was down and nearly out before pulling off an unlikely comeback in the second round. The Bulldogs were down to their last swing Wednesday before rallying for a 19-18 win in game two of the team’s best-of-three series at Miller County.
After losing the opener 7-5, Trion trailed 16-11 with two outs and a 1-2 count on No. 7 hitter Hayden Linam when the rally picked up steam.
“Hayden doubled down the line, and we just kept passing the bat,” Lanham said of what would be a six-run inning that sent the game into extra innings. “They helped us out some with mistakes, but we kept the pressure on them by putting the ball in play.”
Miller County scored twice in the top of the eighth, but the Bulldogs were not going to be denied. Christian Henderson led off the bottom half with a walk, Sam Mobbs doubled, Brantley Anderson singled in one run and Will Groce ended it with a two-run double.
“It’s just amazing; we truly witnessed something special,” Lanham said. “I look back at that game, and one of the things that stands out is Sam Mobbs and Christian Henderson combined to go 10-for-10 with four doubles, three triples, nine RBIs and seven stolen bases.
“I remember telling the kids that night that winning that game the way they did might become just a footnote in history, and the only way to make it really matter was to win game three, and they did.”
Trion’s 12-9 victory a day later secured a date at Emanuel County Institute for a 4 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday in another best-of-three series.
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Joining the baseball team on the road are both Trion soccer teams. The boys, after winning 10-1 over Macon County, travel to Atkinson County at 6 p.m. Tuesday, while the girls visit Georgia Military Prep at 5:30 p.m. Monday after a 2-0 win over Claxton.
Meanwhile, the girls’ tennis team hosts Johnson County with a state semifinal berth on the line Monday, and both golf teams will attempt to qualify for the state tournament this week.
“Looking at it, this is the first time in history we’ve had this many teams in the Elite Eight at one time,” said Lanham, who is also the school’s athletic director. “Trion is elite, and it’s definitely an exciting spring here. The main concept we have here is that we are a Bulldog family. We love one another, and we always root for one another, so this is really enjoyable.”
Dalton boys cruise to reach AAAA soccer quarters
Seven soccer teams in the Times Free Press coverage area have reached the GHSA quarterfinals after Dalton routed visiting Flowery Branch 9-3 in a Class AAAA boys’ second-round game Friday night at Harmon Field.
The Catamounts (18-1-1), who are ranked No. 1 in their classification, scored 30 seconds into the match on Joe Gonzalez’s goal. He was one of nine different scorers for Dalton, with the others Edwin Chavarria, Rigo Torres, Ruben Gongora, Elexis Plaza, Chris Romo, Frank Resendiz, Julian Villa and Ismael Plaza.
The Cats enjoyed scoring so much that two of Flowery Branch’s goals were own goals by Dalton.
Coach Matt Cheaves’ team will next host St. Pius X at 7 p.m. Tuesday. St. Pius defeated Blessed Trinity 3-1 in the second round and is one of three teams from powerful Region 5 still alive, with Clarkston and Marist the others.
In addition to Dalton and Trion, the other area boys’ team still alive is Calhoun in Class AAA. The 11th-seeded Yellow Jackets, who defeated sixth-seeded LaGrange 4-1 in the second round, travel to No. 3 West Laurens on Tuesday.
Two of the four area girls’ teams in the state quarterfinals will meet in a Class AA matchup at 6 p.m. Monday in Varnell as Coahulla Creek hosts Sonoraville. The second-seeded Lady Colts (17-4) edged No. 7 Sonoraville (15-3) in overtime in the regular season, winning 2-1.
The biggest soccer surprise locally has come from Heritage, whose Lady Generals are seeded 28th in Class AAA and travel to No. 20 Johnson-Gainesville on Monday.
Heritage has 2-1 road wins over No. 5 Peach County and No. 21 West Laurens, the latter coming off goals from Ali Varner and Ava Murdock and an assist from Kathy Alvarado. Coach Justin Butler praised the work of keeper Ellie Kennedy and the defensive performance of Avery Tabor for the Lady Generals.
Stiffer tests ahead for Gordon Lee, Calhoun on diamond
Two baseball state title favorites from the area, Class A Division I’s Gordon Lee and AAA’s Calhoun, host best-of-three quarterfinal series starting Wednesday after routing second-round opponents.
Gordon Lee’s top-seeded Trojans (32-2) host No. 8 Fitzgerald (24-10) after sweeping Toombs County 3-1 and 11-3. Senior ace Maddox Millard had another scoreless outing to improve to 10-0, while J.R. Zeimet and Garrett Ross combined for nine hits, two homers and seven RBIs.
(READ MORE: Gordon Lee ace Millard shuts down powerful Calhoun lineup).
Fitzgerald, like Gordon Lee, has swept its first two opponents, including 2-0 and 3-1 over ACE Charter. The Hurricanes were the Region 4 runner-up to Worth County, which is also alive.
Calhoun (29-5), after sweeping Sandy Creek 11-1 and 20-3, welcomes No. 10 Oconee County (22-12). Pitchers Rocco Baxter and Mason Peek combined for nine strong innings in the second-round series, with Matthew Zander belting three homers and driving in nine runs as Ryder Hood added seven RBIs for the second-seeded Yellow Jackets.
Oconee County comes in off a 2-1, 8-0 sweep of Dawson County. The Warriors are one of two Region 8 teams in the quarterfinals, joining No. 5 seed Jefferson.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.