Counting down Southwest Georgia’s Top 10 sports stories of 2014; No. 4: Area high schools win state team titles

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Herald’s sports staff has chosen Southwest Georgia’s Top 10 sports stories from 2014. Today marks the seventh of the 10 we’ve picked as having a significant influence as we count down to No. 1, which will appear in the Jan. 1 edition. Look for No. 3 in Tuesday’s Herald.

ALBANY —It’s the goal every high school team dreams about when they start the season — a state championship.

There’s nothing like hoisting the state championship trophy and being able to call yourself a champion for an entire year.

And for a handful of Southwest Georgia high school sports teams, several were able to do just that.

A trio of high school girls basketball teams claimed titles last March — Westwood, Crisp Academy and Randolph-Clay.

The Deerfield-Windsor girls track & field team won the GISA Class AAA title in April.

Then Sherwood’s soccer team got in on the act, winning the school’s first state in any sport in May.

The Southland boys cross country team followed in October, then the Sherwood football team won the inaugural GICAA state title in November.

For the Randolph-Clay girls, it couldn’t have been any sweeter. After losing in the championship game a year earlier, the Red Devils beat region rival Mitchell County for the fourth time in the 2013-14 season to claim the GHSA Class A public school championship.

Meanwhile, Westwood and Crisp Academy claimed titles two days later. For Westwood, it was the Lady Wildcats’ second straight. For Crisp Academy, it was third third in a row.

“This team is so blessed,” Westwood coach Jenni Smith said. “Some teams never get here, much less play for a state championship for the fourth year in a row. That’s something most athletes don’t get to do. Winning two state basketball titles is just a gift.”

As for Crisp, a third title was the making of a dynasty, capturing their fourth consecutive GISA Class A state championship this past March. They thumped Thomas Jefferson 49-15 in the championship game at Mercer University’s Hawkins Arena.

Despite being accustomed to winning on the big stage, the Lady Wildcats couldn’t hold back the tears as they celebrated. Senior Madison Odum said it was overwhelming being a part of something that special.

“Each time we win one, it’s more and more special,” Odum said. “Being a senior, this one means more because it’s my last and this is a close team. I can’t believe it’s over. I’m going to remember this forever.”

Speedster Tarah Young helped Deeerfield-Windsor win the 4×400-meter relay and propelled them to the title.

“We wanted to finish strong,” Young said. “We only have one senior and that’s Mary Crisp, and she was literally in tears before the race. I knew how much she wanted to win this race, so I basically ran it for her.”

The Sherwood soccer team shut out Monsignor Donovan 3-0 in the GISA Class AA state soccer championship game last May at Frederica Academy on St. Simons Island, finishing the season on a 15-game winning streak.

Sherwood got rolling in the first half with a goal by then junior Katelyn Cuff at the 14:37 mark.

“It seemed like a million years the ball laid on the ground,” Cuff told the Herald. “I could have swore it bounced off the post before it went in. Then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just scored the first goal in the state championship game. I can’t believe it.’ “

The Lady Eagles used their stingy defense to shut down the Lady Rams, with goalie Hannah Thompson doing her part by making six saves.

The celebration started with about two minutes left in the game and spilled onto the field as the final horn sounded. Hannah King, who was a junior at the time, said it was a moment she’ll never forget.

“This is something I’ll never forget,” King said. “I’m going to be jumping up and down the rest of the week, remembering this right here. This is something God blessed us with, and we’re going to be grateful to him forever and ever.”

The Sherwood football team would follow their lead, claiming the inaugural GICAA Class AA championship. Earlier that day, the Eagles received a special pep talk from filmmaker Alex Kendrick, the man behind Facing the Giants. Then they rolled to a 21-13 victory over Calvary Christian, a team they had defeated earlier in the season.

Sherwood gave up a couple of long drives in the first half, but defensive coordinator Amos Ealy said his team stepped up and made the adjustments they needed to at the half.

“(We had to fix) some alignments, assignments and adjustments, just playing basic football,” he said. “Playing downhill, reading out keys and playing Sherwood football…they listened to the adjustments and played the way they should. They played like champions.”

The Southland Academy boys cross country team repeated as Class AAA champs this past October. The Raiders finished first with 58 points, edging second-place Trinity Christian of Dublin who had 61 points.

Southland’s Wright Calhoun led the way for the Raiders, finishing second overall with a time of 16:00.82.