Central Georgia Sports ReportMay 16, 2025Comment

Friday's Report: HS playoffs, Mercer, Middle Georgia State, Henley; Falcons, Braves/moves/Furcal, UGA/Tech; NBA, PGA Championship, MLB, NASCAR, NFL, college FB/BKB/NCAA, WNBA, NHL

Central Georgia Sports ReportMay 16, 2025Comment

📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D
High Schools
⚽ ⚽ ⚽ Soccer ⚽ ⚽ ⚽

GIAA Playoffs
Girls
Class AAAA
Stratford 4, Strong Rock 0 Click here for full story
Eighth-grader Hadley Stewart led the way for the Eagles with two goals, freshman Annie Garner and junior Campbell McIntyre rounding out the scoring. Stratford improved to 15-1 in ending Strong Rock’s season at 12-6. Up next in Macon next Friday in the semifinals is the winner of this Friday’s Brookstone-King’s Academy matchup. Garner drilled a shot from about 30 yards out, and it scooted through traffic and into the left side of the net, putting Stratford up with 15:10 left in the first half. McIntyre set up for a free kick just about even with the edge of the circle in the middle of the field. It was more than on target, whizzing past the keeper for an eyebrow-raising goal a little more than seven minutes after Garner broke the shutout. Stratford pretty much put it away when Hadley made the keeper pay for a missed gamble, coming out from the net but not making it to the ball in time, making for a somewhat easy goal with 15:14 left, adding another goal about five minutes later.

Class AAA
John Milledge 2, Deerfield-Windsor 1

⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

GIAA Playoffs
Class AAA
John Milledge 7, Brookwood 5; John Milledge 13, Brookwood 1, 5 inn.
The Trojans overcame a 4-run deficit after 2 in the opener with 4 in the third, then took the lead for good with 2 in the fifth. David Todd, Graysen Paradise, and Asa Wall each collected two hits for John Milledge, Bradyn Harrison with 2 RBI. John Milledge eliminated suspense early in the nightcap with 3 in the second and 9 in the third, aided by 5 Brookwood errors. Remi Weaver had 3 hits and 3 RBI, Kolt McMichael with 2 hits and 2 RBI. McMichael got the win.

Dominion Christian 5, Piedmont 4; Dominion Christian 6, Piedmont 5

Class AA
Gatewood 9, Brentwood 0, 6 inn.; Gatewood 10, Brentwood 0, 5 inn.
The bottom of the lineup led Gatewood in the opener, with Drew Love, John Wallace Thompson, and Brady Haley combining for 7 hits. Wilson Moore fanned 14 in 6 innings, giving up 2 hits. Walker Roberts drove in 5 runs on 3 hits in the nightcap, including a 3-run homer. He also whiffed 10 batters in the 2-hitter.

Trinity Christian 6, Georgia Christian 4; Trinity Christian 9, Georgia Christian 2

🏫🏫🏫College🏫🏫🏫

⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Mercer 2, Samford 1

🎾 🎾 🎾Tennis 🎾 🎾 🎾

Georgia Gwinnett 4, Middle Georgia State 0, NAIA Tournament, MGSU eliminated

Pro

⚾ ⚾ ⚾ MLB⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Atlanta 5, Washington 2

📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰

Around/About Central Georgia

Struggles continue for Henley

Russell Henley’s career in the PGA Championship has been up and down.

His 12th try is off to a very down start.

A 4-over 4-hole stretch on the front nine sent Henley sailing down the leaderboard at Quail Hollow, and he’ll start Friday tied for 135th at 6 over.

He’s the only top-10 player outside of the first 98 players. Granted, Rory McIlroy is among those tied for 98th at 3 over.

Four shots better than Henley.

During the fall, he crumbled into a tie for 125th in a 156-player field, with the likes of Brooks Koepka – who was done - Justin Thomas – who was three holes ahead.

Koepka is tied for 112th at 4 over and Thomas is tied for 73rd at 2 over.

Henley was even after four holes, then suffered something of an implosion with two bogeys and a double bogey in the next four holes to crash into 4 over.

Henley continued to fall, two bogeys ending a run of six pars, his back nine one shot better than the front.

But it added up to a 77, his second-worst round of the season, two better than the 79 to open the Masters, in which Henley didn’t make the cut.

The cut is the top 70 golfers, including ties. Last year, it was 1 under. Henley will have to just about reverse Thursday’s round. After one, 72 players are at 1 over or better.

Other top-10 players off to rough starts of 2-over or worse: No. 2 Sepp Straka, No. 9/8 Shane Lowry, No. 7 Corey Conners, No. 3 Thomas, and McIlroy.

Henley tees off at 8:33 a.m., with Sergio Garcia (4 over) and Daniel Berger (even).

BSB-Good start from Cosper, walk-off from Frye for Mercer

Signings

Howard’s Conner Smith has signed to play football at Nebraska Wesleyan.

Bleckley County’s Nykez Farrow is headed to Valdosta State for football.

Around/About Georgia

Column: No reason for Falcons to force Kirk Cousins move

Falcons' plan for Jalon Walker: 'Master playing on the edge' in Year 1

Smith-Shawver adds to stellar month in Braves' series win

Ex-Brave All-Star Furcal accused of throwing 'deadly missile' into vehicle

Elder optioned to make room for Strider