Friday's Report: Bowden Course/Hickman, Stratford's Cephus, FPD's Trieste; HS player dies, Falcons/Penix, UGA arrests/Beck, Braves; Hogan, WNBA, MLB, CFB media days, NFL, golf, tennis
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⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Coastal Plain ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
Lexington County 8, Macon 6
Macon’s 4-2 lead turned into a deficit after Lexington County’s 6-run seventh, the Bacon managing 2 in the ninth only for the rally to fall short.
Macon hosts Florence on Friday.
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Around/About Central Georgia
Bowden Golf Course to dedicate Hickman pavilion
Trieste back with FPD soccer
A year and two months ago, FPD soccer underwent a major transformation with the resignation of Joshua Trieste, who coached the Vikings’ girls and boys in 749 matches since 2002.
That career move didn’t take.
FPD announced Thursday in an email to the school community that Trieste was returning to the school as head girls soccer coach and director of soccer operations, as well as athletics website administrator.
Seth Berkebile resigned recently after one season to be able to spend more time at his other jobs, athletics director and head soccer coach at Wesleyan College.
The Vikings’ girls went 17-2, losing 5-2 to eventual state champ St. Anne-Pacelli in the GIAA Class 4A semifinals.
Trieste will have the bulk of that team back, including all-staters Bowen Matthews, Katelyn Jackson, and Elcee Leslein, and all-region choices Alexa Economopoulos and Sophia Wrabel.
Trieste will be joined by Chris Wrabel, who will be girls’ director of training and player development.
Seth Semones was hired to replace Trieste last year on the boys team, and he’ll be back for his second season.
Two weeks after a release, Stratford’s Cephus signs again
A few weeks ago, one West Coast NFL team released Quintez Cephus after a minicamp.
He’s head back that way, San Francisco bolstering the wide receiver room by signing the former Stratford standout.
The 49ers became shorthanded when Jacob Cowling suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s first practice likely to keep him out for a notable period of time.
San Francisco released running back Israel Abanikanda to make room for Cephus, who worked out for the team on Monday.
The 27-year-old was drafted by Detroit in the fifth round in 2020 out of Wisconsin, starting a rocky and short pro career.
He caught 20 passes for 349 yards and two scores as a rookie, then 15 for 204 in 2021 before suffering a shoulder injury.
A lower a lower-body injury in 2022 training camp slowed him, but recovered enough to play early before a foot injury in week 4 ended his season.
Six months later, Cephus was suspended for a year for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, and was released. He was reinstated a year later, and has been signed and released by Buffalo, Houston, and the Rams since then.
Cephus may have a decent chance to hang on with the 49ers, whose wideout corps has been banged up, with Ricky Pearsall starting camp on the physically unable to perform list and Brandon Aiyuk, recovering from a torn ACL in 2024.
Cephus will be the second Central Georgian on the roster, at least for awhile. Peach County grad Demarcus Robinson is entering his 10th year in the league and first year in San Francisco after two seasons with the Rams.
He’s facing a three-game suspension to start the season after an off-season DUI charge for which he pled guilty recently.
Around/About Georgia
Arabian Mountain player dies after medical emergency at practice
Penix brings more confidence into 1st full season as Falcons starter following 3-game 2024 audition
Falcons release King, place 3 players – including Andersen - on Non-Football Injury list
Penix Jr. finding early chemistry with Kyle Pitts: 'There's going to be a lot of that'
Details released from arrest of Georgia offensive lineman on drug-related charges
Beck remembers ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ from his Georgia days
Alleged shooter in Chace Calicut arrest, shot and killed on Monday
Acuna praises hitting coach Hyers
Chavez, the often-traded reliever who pitched for 9 teams in 18 seasons, announces retirement
Braves old friend Charlie Morton garnering trade interest ahead of deadline
Boxing/UFC/MMA/WWE
Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
Death marks the end of an era that defined larger-than-life personalities of the 1980s
Youth Sports
New Jersey Little Leaguer cleared to play after being suspended for ‘unsportsmanlike’ bat flip
Baseball/MLB
Verlander finds bottle of his favorite wine waiting at his locker after elusive 1st win with Giants
Roundup: Orioles avert sweep, Tigers fall again
WNBA/Women’s Basketball
Opportunity in Washington helped Mystics rookies Citron and Iriafen become WNBA All-Stars
Indiana’s Cunningham fined $500 for a TikTok post criticizing referees
Clark still has no timetable for return following further medical evaluation this week
College Football/ACC Media Days
Clemson returns most experienced team in search of 3rd national title in 10 years
NC State's Doeren wants to 'beat the s---' out of ECU
Klubnik reveals how Swinney got his confidence back when fans wanted change
Pry on facing South Carolina, Vanderbilt: 'The standards and expectations are to beat those guys'
Belichick’s arrival at North Carolina headlines the NFL’s sideline influence in the ACC
Clemson vows to 'handle' Death Valley tiff vs. LSU
UNC players: Belichick personal life no distraction
'We have something to prove'; Hokies confident in strong bounce
Belichick notes biggest differences in coaching college vs. NFL players
Tuesday/Wednesday leftovers
Social media roasts Georgia Tech for creating rings for 7-6 season
Tech QB King takes shot at Georgia
Florida State is coming off a brutal year. Coach Mike Norvell is moving forward with exuberance
Narduzzi calls for Pitt-West Virginia to become annual tradition, avoids Penn State question
Brohm shares hilarious interaction with Miller Moss, girlfriend over past performance vs. Louisville
College Football/Big Ten Media Days
Ohio St.'s Smith: 'It doesn't matter' who starts at QB
Michigan’s Moore: Wolverines won't flag-plant again
'Curt Cignetti was dead on right.' Jab at SEC over scheduling backed by Big Ten coaches
Ferentz on the cusp of passing Hayes as the Big Ten's winningest football coach
Iamaleava reveals biggest misconception about departure from Tennessee, transfer to UCLA
Michigan DE slights Ohio St. title: 'Didn't beat us'
UCLA's Foster jokes about viral media days gaffe
Michigan not committing to Underwood as starting QB yet
Tuesday-Wednesday leftovers
New-look Buckeyes look to forge their own path
Penn State blocking out noise of big-game losses, has focus on another run to playoff
What did Franklin say about Allar, Penn State?
'We're in total control:' How Penn State's Allar is embracing lofty expectations
Day says CFP format, automatic bids impacting Ohio State's future schedule
College Football/Media Days
'Pirate mentality' guiding MAC commissioner through uncertain times in college football
Bowling Green coach Eddie George, son Eriq, grateful to continue careers together
Toledo unconcerned with being labeled team to beat
College Sports, the changing landscape
Trump signs order to clarify college athletes’ employment status amid NIL chaos
NIL promises made to recruits, now coaches wait for key decision to learn whether they can keep them
College Football/South
Another view of “Saban’s coming back, he is”
LSU’s Kelly calls Clemson football stadium 'Death Valley Junior'
Latest on Boo Carter being away from Tennessee
East Carolina suspends three players after gun arrest
Herbstreit disgusted by some of Iamaleava's dad and demands
Missouri extends Eli Drinkwitz’s contract through 2029, adds money to assistant salary pool
Texas A&M’s collie mascot Reveille X has eye removed after glaucoma diagnosis
Casagrande: The unmistakable moment facing DeBoer at Alabama
College Football
Arizona State is 'everybody's big game': New season, same mentality for Big 12 champs
USC-Notre Dame rivalry expires in ’26, with no sure bet it will go beyond that
NFL/USFL/UFL/Football
Commanders GM says non-football topics such as Trump’s comments don’t reach him
Bucs’ Watson, the NFL’s heaviest player, placed on non-football injury list due to weight
Raiders release Wilkins over recovery plan for broken foot
'An insane life that I live': T.J. Watt arrives at Steelers camp energized -- and well compensated
Pickens says he's 'excited to run better plays' with Cowboys
Jets unveil a renovated locker room that includes 92 new lockers and a barbershop
Browns thrive at creating offseason headlines and ugly helmets, just not wins
Packers: Received $432.6M in revenue sharing
Saints add veterans in DE Bullard and S Blackmon as camp opens
Jackson declines to comment on the arbitration case that stemmed in part from his free agency
Fields dislocates toe, team evaluating injury day-to-day
Golf
Scheffler comparisons might be closer to Jack Nicklaus than Tiger Woods
Svensson sets tournament record with opening-round 60, leads by 1 shot at 3M Open
Woad makes pro debut and is 1 shot behind in Women’s Scottish Open
Tennis
Stefanos Tsitsipas parts ways with tennis coach Goran Ivanisevic after brief stint
Raducanu beats Naomi Osaka at the DC Open to win their first matchup
College Basketball
Kansas’ Self has 2 stents inserted to treat blocked arteries
Florida point guard Fland sidelined for summer workouts following sports hernia surgery
NHL/Hockey
Judge acquits 5 former Canadian junior hockey players in sexual assault case that rattled the nation
Around the nation/world
Tour de France 2025: 5 most recognized and difficult stages of the race
Scoreboards