FALL SPORTS RECAP
If the Greyhounds region handed out an all-sports trophy for fall sports, then the most recent one would easily rest at Jones County.
As the winter sports season arrives, the fall is in the fresh rear view, one in which three different Lady Greyhound or Greyhound teams captured region titles.
Softball
In need of new faces to step up in the pitcher’s circle to complement an experienced batting order, the Lady Greyhounds steadily improved during the season, with the three-pitcher combo of Ansley Pegg, Cate Downey and Ciara Stephens stepping up to take on the pitching mantle.
Despite having to go on the road, the Lady Hounds captured a region title for the second year in a row. That got them homefield for the postseason super regional, where an unlucky draw matched them up against a group of teams that included eventual AAAAA champion Northside Columbus. The loss ended the careers of a senior class whose accolades include three Elite 8s and a state title.
>> What’s Next?
JCHS will have to replace the left side of its infield with Aniya Canty and Taylor Nipper graduating as well as the versatile Shayla Pennington, Stephens and outfielder Stella Lacy. Key returners are expected to include Tranasia Parker and Kimber Kent as well as the pitching of Pegg and Downey.
Volleyball
The Volley Hounds achieved new heights in 2022, winning a region match for the first time and beating, if not being more competitive against teams that the past two seasons easily defeated them. That obviously raises the level of expectation going forward for JCHS, whose likely next step will be to earn the program’s first state tournament berth.
>> What’s Next?
Just four seniors graduated off this year’s group, and next year’s seniors will have a full four years of experience, giving them more court time than any other group of players has ever seen at Jones County.
Competition Cheerleading
The Cheer Hounds found measures of improvement as the season went on, and it paid off at the absolute best time. JCHS not only won a region title, but it also advanced to the GHSA state cheerleading championships where a ninth-place finish was earned.
With that success came a number gaining all-region recognition – Landry Fletcher, Hannah Hampton, Genesis Price, Kiersten Foreman, Faith Logue, Lake Avery, Miracle Williams and Autumn Clark.
>> What’s Next?
Half of this year’s all-region picks will return with Fletcher, Hampton, Price and Foreman graduating, so a good core is in the place to contend for another trip to state.
Cross Country
Expectations were present for the Greyhounds as the cross country season began. All Jones County did was meet and exceed them. With eyes on the region meet as the season went on, both the Hounds and Lady Hounds swept the region titles.
But the drive did not end there. In the state meet, the Greyhounds finished fourth with the Lady Hounds finishing seventh, helping to raise the standard of expectation for JCHS cross country.
Kyle Whipple, Joshua Barber, Gavin Robinson, Luke Thornton and Austin Sullivan placed within the state’s top 60 AAAAA runners.
In the girls state meet, Camryn Wommack and Lilly Palmer placed in the top 26 with Addison Robinson and Kaitlyn Malone carrying home top-70 finishes.
>> What’s Next?
While Whipple, Barber, Sullivan and Justus Boyd graduate, the return of Robinson, Thornton and Tyler Marshall plus JV runners that more than held their own this season should put the Greyhounds in position to contend for a repeat title.
For the Lady Hounds, Wommack, Palmer, Emily Patat and Addison Newby will return with expected new additions including current eighth-grader Isabella Sanchez.
Football
If there’s a full illustration of the ups and downs of the Greyhounds football season, it’s this.
While on one hand, a run of three region titles in a row came to a close and a first-round loss at Ware County was the earliest post-season exit for the Greyhounds since 2018, Jones County also stayed right with Warner Robins for three quarters and won at Dutchtown. Both of those teams are playing in this week’s state semifinals.
The Greyhounds started 2-0 with wins against Northside and Dacula before injuries and attrition started to take their course, and losses that included region setbacks to Ola and Warner Robins ended up making the season-finale at Union Grove a postseason play-in game, part of that would be a 6-5 season.
>> What’s Next?
While there will be gaps to fill with the graduation of running back Javious Bond, Omarion Tucker is among the expected returners while at receiver, Tyler Stewart, Zion Ragins and Geo Wade represent the top three this past season in terms of receiving yards, and all will return in an offense that saw Judd Anderson regain the starting quarterback job after Devin Edmonds saw time there a few games into the year. A key position of need figures to be the offensive line where Mac Adams, Lando Goolsby, Coulter Robinson and Khallid Muhammad, each of whom either started or played extensively, will graduate. Derrick Cleveland is the key returner in that position group.
On defense, Noah Barnes, Jamarion Parker and Ched Smith, the top three on the team in sacks, are primed to be back. Chandler Harris and Smith, the former also being a returner next year, were the team’s top two tacklers. In the defensive secondary, Javion Clark, Bond and Drew Jones graduate, but Tae Lattimore, Javion Butts and Stewart will return, giving JCHS a strong core to build off of.
