Published Friday, May 30, 2008
Finalists ready to vie for GISA state baseball crown
The Newnan Times-Herald
In the rain Wednesday, The Heritage School baseball team found a way to keep working. Even prior to Thursday's graduation, there was time for one final practice for a team that has been at it since late February.
So say one thing about the Hawks, heading into this weekend's GISA Class AA best-of-three state championship series against Trinity Christian, of Dublin which opens with a single game today at home. The series resumes on Saturday, with a third game, if necessary, to be played directly after game two.
They're as ready as they'll ever be.
"I think since day one, we knew we wanted a state championship," said Heritage senior Phillip Mansour. "I think one of the reasons we haven't made it as far the last few years is a lack of leadership, but we have that this year."
The Crusaders, at 22-6, may be even more focused after losing last year's Class AA state championship series to Windsor Academy, while gunning for the school's third baseball title. The others came in 1989 and 2000. The school will make the jump to GISA's largest classification, Class AAA, next year.
Trinity Christian hasn't skipped a beat under first-year head coach Chuck Grooms, who won a NCSAA 3-A state title with Grace Christian in Sanford, N.C. last year. Grooms was quick to key on his new team's hunger. The Crusaders began the season with T-shirts reading "Unfinished Business" on the backs.
Meanwhile, Heritage's staff of head coach Lynn Huffstickler and assistants Bobby Totten (outfield), Donald Dixon (infield) and Carl Brown (pitching coach) refused to let a rain shower impede their preparation during Wednesday's practice. The Hawks, instead, sat out thundershowers in the dugout while going over scouting reports on Trinity.
There was much to learn. The Crusaders come into the championship series having outscored their opponents 50-14 in the postseason. The road to the finals for the Dublin school included two-game sweeps over Brentwood and Tiftarea while needing three games to eliminate Piedmont Academy in last weekend's Class AA semifinals.
Trinity lost the opening game to Piedmont, 7-5, before rallying for consecutive victories. The Crusaders relied heavily on senior James Hobbs, who went the distance in a 3-1 victory in game two, before striking out his final four batters during two innings of relief in a 8-0, five-hit shutout to clinch the series.
Heritage has been just as impressive, out pacing their opponents 79-11 in the playoffs. The Hawks expect to have a senior ace on the mound in game one. James Kimsey is 10-0, including three straight game-one playoff victories. While Huffstickler wouldn't confirm Kimsey as today's starter, it'd be a surprise to Heritage players.
"I don't think we would want anyone else on the mound in Game One," said Mansour of Kimsey. "He's been great for us."
