SPORTS BRIEFS: Colton Phillips signs with ABAC

Phillips signs tennis scholarship with Abraham Baldwin

Albany native Colton Phillips, who will graduate from Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek as an honor student in May, recently signed a tennis scholarship with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. His late grandfather, Thomas Hall Pritchett, instilled in his grandson a love of tennis.

ABAC was founded by Henry Harding Tift, who was a nephew of Nelson Tift, founder of Albany.

Colton is the great great great great nephew of Henry Harding Tift, the son of Council Phillips and Dinah Pritchett Phillips, and the grandson of Patricia Williams Pritchett.

Joiner IV scores double eagle

Wilson Joiner IV achieved a rare accomplishment on Friday, scoring a double eagle on the 538-yard No. 4 hole at Doublegate Country Club. Joiner holed a 3-wood from 270 yards.

Darton baseball beats South Georgia

The Darton State College baseball team won its fourth straight game, edging South Georgia State 6-5 on Tuesday. Rabon Martin earned the victory to improve to 3-1 on the season. He went seven innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits and fanned three. Taylor Ferringer earned his first save, striking out four and allowing just a hit in two innings of work.

Offensively, the Cavaliers were led by Colton Thomas who went 2 for 5. His triple in the fourth inning down the right field line scored a pair of runs and tied the game 2. Tavin Thompson went 3 for 5 with an RBI, while John Cable finished 2 for 5, helping ignite a 3-run sixth inning with an RBI double.

The Cavaliers (20-9, 7-2 conference) will play at South Georgia on Thursday.

Lee County drops first region game

Lee County dropped its first Region 1-AAAAAA contest Tuesday night, falling 2-0 at Tift County. Michael Reddick took his first loss of the season after getting very little offensive support. Reddick allowed just three hits and struck out four in a game lasted just 70 minutes.

Lee County managed just four hits off Tift County starter Conner Thomas. Landon Cooper went 1 for 2 with a triple, while Jordan Reep, Garet Morrell and Josh Hatcher had the other hits.

The Trojans fell to 10-2 overall and 3-1 in region play. They will play at Mountain View on Friday, then visit North Gwinnett on Saturday.

Crisp Co. baseball beats Worth Co.

Crisp County’s Stewart Tyler worked six innings to pick up the victory on the mound as the Cougars topped Worth County 9-3 in a Region 1-AAAA baseball game late Monday night.

Tyler allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight.

The Cougars were led offensively by Bradley Hough, who finished 1 for 3 with three RBIs. Will Carter and Austin Walls each went 1 for 3 with a pair of RBIs. Walls had a double, while Carter hit a two-run homer. Tyler and Chris Pollock each had RBIs.

Worth County mustered just six hits off Tyler. Shelby Cox led the way, going 2 for 4 with a double and pair of RBIs. Tyler Moore was 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Borland’s early retirement stokes NFL debate over concussions

The decision by San Francisco 49ers’ budding star Chris Borland to walk away from the National Football League over head trauma concerns drew shock and a dose of admiration from fellow players on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old linebacker called it quits after just one season in the NFL, saying his four-year, $2 million contract was not worth exposure to brain injury.

“WOW. I loved Chris Borland’s game but I can’t fault him for calling it quits,” St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long tweeted. “His concerns are real. Still it takes a man to do the logical.”

Donte Stallworth, who had a 10-year NFL career before retiring in 2012, said on Twitter: “Players today are more concerned now than ever before regarding brain trauma and health issues. It’s scary!”

The NFL has been grappling with the issue of concussions, changing the rules of the game and enlisting new protocols to ensure injured players do not return to the field prematurely.

“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health,” Borland told ESPN. “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

A class action over concussions by retired players is awaiting judicial approval and could cost the NFL, the nation’s most popular sport, $1 billion in damages.

An attorney for players in that lawsuit said Borland’s decision follows a trend.