Upson beacon sports com Upson-Lee High School basketball kicked off a daunting stretch to end the season on Monday as the Knights bested the Trinity Christian Lions, 60-41, at The Castle. Myles competed with U-L in more than 40 games during summer and committed to South Georgia Technical College on a basketball scholarship on Nov. Let me share a few facts about Matthews Field: The stadium was constructed on a 32-acre plot of land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Lee in 1950. Upson Beacon’s Player of the Week this week is Upson-Lee Middle School quarterback Akeon Hall. North Hall sits at 9-2 on the season and posted a perfect 7-0 record in Region 6AAA. Thrice is just as nice for the Thomaston-Upson 8U Knights that bludgeoned their way to a third straight championship. Few can say they’ve opened the season for a sports team, and fewer still can say that they were the very first to play for a team. ” Now is the time! The voters of Upson County recently passed the E-SPLOST renewal to provide money to improve athletic facilities for Upson-Lee High School. He was named to the SC State Centennial football team in 2007. Matthews at the 75th anniversary of R. I looked through the entire book but, since this is a sports column, I will only mention the sports section. Upson-Lee Head Football Coach Justin Elder will have two new field generals entering the 2024-25 season as U-L announced Chris Kirksey and Bobby Rainey have been promoted to defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator, respectively. upsonbeacon. J. Read More. The softball and tennis venues came first and now Matthews Field awaits. He was inducted into the Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Majors returned to Upson-Lee in 1999 as the head football coach, a role he would keep until 2005. Brian Ventura scored his third goal of Upson-Lee’s baseball team lost a considerable amount of offensive production when the Class of 2021 graduated. The project calls for demolishing and rebuilding the U-L field house The Upson Beacon's Sports Editor, Jacob Stewart, takes to the mic to bring you inside reports, analysis, and updates of Upson-Lee sports and much, much more. Upson-Lee wrestling hosted Mary Persons and Rock Springs Christian Academy on senior night Monday. Editor’s Note: The following story, written by Drew Hubbard, was originally published by The Red & Black on Dec. Members of the classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023 will be inducted at the same time. That was also the last season that the Knights started with a 4-0 mark. However, the fact that the Knights even made it to the championship was Bentley is a class of 2024 running back for the Upson-Lee Knights and was the feature for the Knights in the 2022 season. With Searcy traveling to Florida, he becomes the latest in a line of Upson-Lee defensive players to make their way to the top division of college football. at the T-U Civic Center. Caldwell was a star player for the 1983-1985 seasons at Upson High School. From left are Coach Jay Strange, Drew Hickman, Upson-Lee Head Football Coach Justin Elder, Trey Kelly, and U-L Upson-Lee Boys Soccer defeated Griffin High School 2-1 on a windy Thursday evening to earn third place in the Jag Cup. The stadium opened in 1953 and has served as the home field for R. Tonight The Upson-Lee Running Knights last played a game on Dec. Five of his teams won eight games or more in his seven years of coaching. This week I’m going to share some interesting facts. ” Those 2022 accomplishments include winning the 2022 Little Gator Legends Cars Spring Championship which featured races at Citrus County Speedway and 417 Upson-Lee Middle School boys’ basketball locked in the number one seed heading into the Middle Georgia Middle School Athletic League Playoffs via a one-point victory against Jasper County Monday night. G. Upson-Lee Middle School basketball’s season came to an end last week with both teams making the championship games for the Middle Georgia Middle School Athletic League. U-L is scheduled to host Clifton Ridge. The Knights are coming off one of the best years in program history, with a 9-3 record and the Knights advancing into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in five years. Hickman Wins Macon Middle Georgia One of the most successful Upson-Lee track and field seasons in program history culminated at the GHSA State Championship Track Meet in Albany at Hugh Mills Stadium on Friday and Chaney, Colbert, Reviere, Skelton are State Champions | Sports | upsonbeacon. High 59F. 2023 will be the 32nd year of Upson-Lee football and the Knights have had nine head coaches in that time. The victory avenged a one-point loss to the Hurricanes earlier in the season in Monticello. Majors also served as assistant coach at Elbert County, Jackson, “We didn’t come to be competitive. U-L Golf Honors 2024 Seniors | Sports | upsonbeacon. com Upson-Lee basketball is off to a fast start as the running Knights resoundingly defeated Taylor County on Saturday at The Castle. “We’ve had children that have had needs that include autism, a child who is deaf but is an incredible athlete, and then we had a young man who is in a wheelchair and an adult with us who coaches who has some disabilities, as well. The Knights came into the Aug. Bentley finished the season with 1,404 yards on 207 carries. 29, during the board’s monthly meeting on Oct. ” David Marshall and Travon Walker come to mind as Upson-Lee Knights who made it big at the University of Georgia, and T. We came to win,” Upson-Lee Knights Wrestling Coach Logan Winkles told The Upson Beacon as he reflected on the regional duals on Saturday at Pike County. Upson-Lee volleyball Coach Randy Holliday has been preaching a new mindset for his Lady Knights volleyball team for two weeks, and the results are beginning to tell. Last week was opening week for several spring sports at Upson-Lee, with scrimmages held for soccer, baseball, and tennis. The 22nd annual Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, originally scheduled in March but postponed due to weather, went off without a hitch on April 5 with sunny skies at Raintree Golf Club. For the past few years, the head football coach at Gardner-Webb was Tre Lamb. Searcy is set to make an impact at Florida in the coming years. The night was a chance for the wrestling team to celebrate the seniors on the team. Upson-Lee running back Ja’Quan Bentley has had a banner season in his final year wearing purple and black. Upson-Lee senior running back Ja’Quan Bentley was recently named Region 2AAA Offensive Player of the Year. Lee Institute, Upson High, and Upson-Lee High School for those seven decades. Majors’ 54 wins makes him the winningest coach in Upson-Lee history, and five of his teams won eight games or more in his seven years of coaching. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Upson-Lee cross country, like all other fall sports, has a lot of question marks surrounding the season. 30, 2021. a serious interest in football in the fifth grade when he saw that he had talent and ability to take him far with the sport. ” The Upson Beacon spoke with B. com Marcellus “Ken” Myles had quite the off season leading to Upson-Lee basketball’s winter start. Holliday Tries to Instill Mindset for Lady Knights | Sports | upsonbeacon. com Skelton’s speed is renowned at Upson-Lee, as he holds speed records at both U-L Elementary and U-L Middle schools. On the line was the region runner-up spot behind Sandy Creek. The Knights were ranked 12th in AAA following a strong 7-3 season in which U-L finished second in 2AAA, including a thrilling 18-15 victory over LaGrange in the final game of the season to lock up home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs. I’m super excited to see him at the next level. Knights convincingly locked into the Central Georgia Youth Sports Association football championship games, slated this Saturday, Nov. Lori Smith was selected as vice president, with Ben Cochran as treasurer, and U-L High Soccer Coach Anna Winters as secretary. The 2001 2-AAAA Region Champion Upson-Lee Lady Knights soccer team is now a hall-of-famer as the Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame is set to induct the team as part of the 2024 class. Early November has been a successful time for members of Thomaston pickleball. Although both teams fell just shy of the championship, it was an impressive showing for U-L. com Power rankings and results are in for the regular season of Upson-Lee football. . 2024 was a special year for the organization, as it marked the 20th class to be inducted into the HOF. Results for those games will be posted in next week’s edition of the Upson Beacon. The Knights faced Meriwether for the championship and looked to avenge an earlier season loss on Sept. Bobby Rainey Joins U-L Football Coaching Staff | The team qualifies for the Youth Recreation World Series scheduled in Baton Rouge in July; however, in conversations with Kelley, the Upson Beacon learned that currently, the team does not plan to attend. U-L Athletic Director and Defensive Coordinator Chris Kirksey commented of Character, “The man from football IQ, tackle to tackle inside the box, to outside the box in coverage, is the best I have ever coached, absolute reckless abandon and love for the game. He played for the Bears for two seasons and then played for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe for a season before retiring. This week’s Thomaston-Upson Rec Corner looks at the Upson Soccer Association’s youth soccer program. com states that median income for athletic trainers is $55,423, as of the time of writing, but Robinson told the Upson Beacon that the local average is closer to $62,500, with Fort Valley State University offering a position with a starting salary of nearly $70,000. 3. The Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame has announced the 2022 inductees, who will be recognized at the organization’s banquet scheduled March 12 at the civic center. Allen spent the next month in hospital and came home on April 7, 2022. Having been associated with the Upson-Lee program since its inception in 1992, I have kept up closely with the team and its records. The Upson Beacon spoke with Greene. Following the race, Country Cupboard provided vegetable soup for runners. com, as well as Mikey Bount (great grandson of Nap Hammock), and Lasha Murphy, who allowed The Upson Beacon access to what remains of the speedway to this day. So, many additions have been made to the stadium over the years, but it has never been “renovated. Find full stories, local sports coverage, opinion columns, arrests, feature stories, and more in the this week’s edition of The Upson Beacon. com Upson-Lee staved off the best advances of a strong Long County Blue Tide team during Friday night’s opening round of the GHSA AAA playoffs. Allen’s father had just retired from the military and the family was set to move to Thomaston from South Carolina. The Knights are slimmer in numbers than they have been in recent years, so each member is more important than Upson County’s Drew Hickman picked up the prestigious Macon Middle Georgia Championship Trophy during the 2024 edition of the tournament held at Brickyard Golf Club in Macon. It was the culmination of three years of work by Head Coach Monica Perdue, who has commented that this championship is her last ride as a school team coach. 28. The Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce last week announced members of its Adult Leadership Upson Class of 2025. Tre’s father is Hal Lamb, who was the Upson-Lee head football coach in 1997 and 1998. Former NFL star and Griffin High legend Bobby Rainey will have a new home this fall as he is the newest member of the Upson-Lee high school football coaching staff. Character, a junior, possesses a rare combination of size, speed, strength, and smarts that make him a weapon for the U-L defense. And since this is a sports column, I am not even mentioning non-sports activities like band, chorus, drama, ROTC, FFA, literary, and others. But another current Division One athlete has his roots in Upson County. Knights Split Lopsided Doubleheader with Jackson | Sports | upsonbeacon. 23, in Butts County. Speaking to the Upson Beacon, Burns said, “[We’re] trying to finish out our remaining races at Marion County in hopes of adding a track championship to my 2022 accomplishments. The 10U Thomaston-Upson All-Star baseball team scored a huge tournament victory, winning the USSSA Sub State West American Championship to advance into the Elite Six State Championship, set June 22-23. ULHS Basketball Avenges LaGrange Loss | Sports | upsonbeacon. 9, as the Lady Knights host Crawford County and McIntosh at the new complex, followed with games against Jasper County and Taylor County on Saturday. Upson-Lee basketball teams For the third straight year, the Upson-Lee Knights made a Sweet 16 appearance, which was the end of the road for U-L in the GHSA AAA playoffs. Tony Martinez took home silver at the Georgia State Championships in Macon on Nov. Seven Upson-Lee Knights were named to the 2AAA basketball All According to officials within the department, numbers climbed well above levels seen in 2024. Running Knights Facing Eight Games in 12 Days | Sports | upsonbeacon. And lastly, our U-L Knights are off to their first 3-0 start since 2015 in Coach Tommy Parks’ second season at Upson-Lee. The rust showed in the first game of 2025 for U-L, as the Knights came out looking sluggish and flat against the Grangers enroute to a 57-48 loss at the hands of LaGrange, the second loss of the season for the Knights. The team still ranks as one of, if not the, best girls’ soccer teams to have ever walked the halls at U-L. For 16 girls at Upson-Lee Middle School, they can say that, as they played the first game ever for the ULMS volleyball team on Monday, Aug. Members include Abigail Ozley, Adain Lairsey, Ansley Tyssen, Miles Self, Jayla Smith, James Mayer, Zy'Kira Mitchell, Kayden Landers, Heather Michael, and Landon Barlow. U-L hosts the Lady Knight Invitational starting Friday, Aug. The Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction ceremony and banquet on Saturday, March 8, at 6 p. Christmas Lane 5K sponsors included Upson Orthopedics; Be in Health; DART; Upson EMC; Tidal Wave Auto Spa; Quad Graphics; The Wellness Center of URMC; Highline; Brightmoor Hospice; The Peoples Bank of Thomaston-Upson Recreation Director Bryan Kelley told members of the Thomaston-Upson Recreation Advisory Board that renovations to the softball and baseball fields at the civic center were set to break ground on Tuesday, Oct. Lee yearbook. 23. The project marks the final phase of athletic renovations that have been in progress since 2023 with the start of the Upson-Lee Softball and Tennis Complex. com 219 Thomas Street Thomaston, GA 30286 Phone: 706-646-2382 Email: lhaney@upsonbeacon. Upson-Lee Golf Coach Brian Oglesbee returned to Wadsworth, Ohio and Pine Valley Golf Club at the end of June to take part in the American Blind Golf Memorial Tournament, securing first place in the B1 sight category. To add to that, Character possesses an old school mentality that has raised the eyebrows of even the In just two years, the Upson-Lee Middle School volleyball team has gone from non-existent to Middle Georgia Middle School Athletic League Champion. 2 matchup with barely more than three fully padded practices under their belts, and it showed. The Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was officially inducted during the 18th annual banquet on March 16 at the civic center. A mix of clouds and sun. Hall reported to The Upson Beacon that registration for the upcoming basketball season has already surpassed a dozen. Upson-Lee took a long trip to Morrow High School and Steele Road Stadium for last Friday night’s scrimmage against the Lovejoy Wildcats. I also applaud the Thomaston-Upson Board of Education for beginning to The Thomaston-Upson 8U and 10U Jr. Thomaston-Upson Board of Education agreed earlier this month to set the guaranteed maximum price for phase III of athletic renovations for the Upson-Lee High School field house and track at $6. They work hard too. The 2024-25 Upson-Lee NJROTC sporter and precision rifle teams. Blakely, Jackson’s father, who commented, “It’s a dream. Sunny. The Upson-Lee golf team celebrated the Class of 2024 seniors last Thursday prior to the final regular season home match against Mary Persons and Taylor County. I have seen the pictures of the recently completed softball and tennis complex at Upson-Lee High School and am very impressed. For the 8U Knights, a stout defensive effort mixed with the expert level running of Lawson Brazer led the Knights past the Monroe County Bulldogs in the semifinal Trips to Forsyth for Upson-Lee football have generally been dreadful for the Knights, but the 2024 rendition of the Knights was unfazed and bent on facing Mary Persons and pulling Finally! | Sports | upsonbeacon. Daniel holds multiple records at Upson-Lee including fastest girls’ 400-meter run and is part of the team that holds the record for the fastest 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays. Albert T. 692 winning percentage, and Majors’ 54 wins makes him the winningest coach in Upson-Lee history. It’s a culmination of lots of hard work. m. Upson-Lee High School Baseball Coach Eddie Peyton commented that he was worried that a program like this could negatively impact the recreation department, but he was reassured by both Brawner and Kelley that the plans for the recreation department were to work together with Home Plate. As a freshman, Skelton came up just a few tenths short of setting the record for the 100-meter dash at Upson-Lee High. USA is headed by a board with Upson-Lee Middle School Soccer Coach Adam Greene as its president. Upson-Lee High School golf began last week with three matches (two at home), and the Knights started the season strong with two victories. 8 million. At the Upson Beacon, Lately, Thomaston has seen a few football stars make it to the “big time. 20 against Taylor County prior to the matchup with LaGrange on Jan. The first home game of the season opened to a packed gym and the Running Knights did not disappoint. com While I was researching some information on Ronnie Watts, who will enter the Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame in March, I thumbed through a 1968 R. Read More T-U Chamber Announces 2025 Adult Leadership Class +2 The Upson-Lee Middle School Knights football team will play its first official game at newly renovated Matthews Field today at 5 p. Winds light and variable. Upson-Lee Wrestling Celebrates 2025 Seniors | Sports | upsonbeacon. Other members of the board include Al Jenkins, Derek Green, and Wynn Trice. Upson-Lee is set to make the long trip to Gainesville Friday night to face the North Hall Trojans. I didn’t go to the official grand opening last week because 9 a. A win over a very good LaGrange team on Friday night would open the door for a good season for Coach Justin Elder’s crew. The Class of 2025 for the T-U Sports HOF is a jam-packed list of who’s who, including John Burks, John Hanson, Jack Sisterson, Andrew Tripp, Ronnie Watts, and the team of the year, 1975-76 Upson High boys’ Katie Allen, Bryson’s mother, told the Upson Beacon that doctors ran nearly every test imaginable before a spinal tap revealed the diagnosis. Special thanks to the Upson Archives and Martha Daniel, whose research in the late 2000s was invaluable, TheThirdTurn. com Thomaston, GA (30286) Today. Nash Austin, chair of the committee, stated he did not feel that adding an opt-out to prevent that situation from happening would help the recreation department, with both Upson-Lee High School baseball Head Coach Eddie Peyton and T-U Athletic Coordinator Jumaane Brawner agreeing that it should be a conversation for coaches. He joins David Marshall and Travon Walker as former Upson-Lee Knights on active rosters in the Southeastern Conference since 2015. The Christmas Lane 5K featured racers from six years old to 88. Upson-Lee basketball continues to fight, scratch, and claw for position in the Region 2AAA standings after a busy week for the Running Knights. To say Upson-Lee has a lot of pieces to replace would be an understatement heading into the 2024 football season. An Upson-Lee Wrestling state champion during his years at U-L, Winkles has been trying to instill that attitude into his team during the season. Amiya Cromer became the fifth Upson-Lee Lady Knight to join the 1,000-points club on Friday night when she put up a two-point layup in the fourth quarter against the Whitewater Athlete of the Week: Amiya Cromer | Sports | upsonbeacon. 11. Tre was one of our students when I was principal at Upson-Lee South Primary School. During last Wednesday’s matchup against Pike County, Hall had to become a threat in both rushing and passing in order to lead the Knights past the Pirates. E. Salary. The Grangers could win the region outright, should the Patriots slip against Troup County, but U-L did not give the Grangers a chance to consider that. T-U Sports HOF Induction Ceremony Scheduled March 8; Gary Culverhouse; School Board Opts Out of House Bill 581; REMINDER: Jeff Davis Bridge Closing March 4; DA: Two Plead Guilty to Child Molestation; Court of Drew Hickman and Trey Kelly show off the plaques commemorating their victory in the 2023 Kickoff Classic Golf Tournament. Upson-Lee posted a record of 54-24 for a . T-U Sports HOF Induction Ceremony Scheduled March 8; REMINDER: Jeff Davis Bridge Closing March 4; DA: Two Plead Guilty to Child Molestation; Court of Appeals Affirms Dismissal of Middlebrooks Suit Against Upson; Mayor Pro-Tem Doug Head Resigns After 21 Years; Pleas Accepted by Judge Sams The Upson-Lee Knights played host to the number six team in AAA in the state in the Grangers of LaGrange. com The Upson-Lee Middle School Knights basketball team made it back to the championship game and played for a chance at four-straight Middle Georgia Middle School Athletic League championships. Jeannette Browning Bodhe was the first to hear her name called. On May 28, Lindsay Norris stood on Matthews Field in Thomaston to deliver her valedictorian speech to her graduating class at Upson-Lee High School, a goal she had been working toward since she was in sixth grade. com The Thomaston-Upson Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be held on March 18 for the first time since 2020. With the win, Upson-Lee moved to 2-2 overall on the season. The Upson Beacon's Sports Editor, Jacob Stewart, takes to the mic to bring you inside reports, analysis, and updates of Upson-Lee sports and much, much more. Director Bryan Kelley told The Upson Beacon the department was “blown away” Last week was opening week for several spring sports at Upson-Lee, with scrimmages held for soccer, baseball, and tennis. The second home playoff game for the Knights in as many years, this year’s matchup came down to the fourth quarter, where the Knights outscored their opponent by double digits to advance. High 72F. is a bit early for me as I continue to enjoy my retirement. Coming into the season, a big question was who would step up to fill those roles and in the first week of the season, Seth Thomas was one of Payton commented, “He’s not only left his impact at Upson-Lee, but also on other teams, coaches, and players who he has played against. Upson-Lee Baseball Coach Eddie Peyton has remarked that baseball is a game of ups and downs and nowhere was that more apparent than Thursday’s doubleheader against Jackson at Silvertown. That was Ronnie’s senior year. The teams opened the season Monday, March 4 against Manchester. Upson-Lee track and field coaches had a lot to be proud of following the sectional track meet at Shaw High School’s Kinnett Stadium on May 6, as Upson-Lee had seven individuals qualify for the state finals in Albany this week. Tykendra Daniel officially signed her letter of intent to join the track and field team at the University of West Georgia on Tuesday, May 21. The Upson-Lee Middle School Knights basketball team capped its regular season with a 58-35 victory over Gray Station and celebrated the eighth-grade members, who are playing their last season with the team before moving on to high school. Sunshine and clouds mixed. The senior running back is on pace to eclipse his 2022 season, in which he rushed for 1,426 yards on 205 carries across 10 games. Although the Knights fought hard, they came just short against Monroe County. 14 against Rock Spring Christian Academy. The 2021 inductees are Tracy Caldwell, Steven Devoursney, Ben Lowe, and Stan Robinson. Thomaston, GA (30286) Today. The Knights only lost one senior last season, but seven contributors from last season will not be running for Upson-Lee this fall. qpgx dhndnfey aizsk xiehyau prv qvgag sje btif nee tlabf knhn cqddz msiger dtxpjf omcomg