Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
GUYTON — South Effingham’s wrestling team will participate in the Newberry Duals, which begins today on the campus of Newberry College and concludes Saturday.
Mustangs coach Christopher Bringer said the team will get 13 dual matches within the four days, including a much-anticipated rematch with Brunswick, which beat them 33-25 for the Region 2-AAAAAA championship last season.
SEHS will spend an entire week at Newberry, rooming in the campus dorms and eating in the campus cafeteria before competing in Eleazer Arena.
The Mustangs received instruction at the two-day Takedown Elite Camp and the two-day Tough on Top before competing in dual action.
BASEBALL
Region 2-AAAAAA coaches honor Rebels, Mustangs
Region 2-AAAAAA baseball coaches selected their all-region team recently and several Effingham County and South Effingham players were honored.
For the Rebels, pitcher Caden Kessler, catcher J.D. Coleman and outfielder Tyler Wells (picked as a designated hitter) earned first-team honors.
Pitcher Griffin Howe, middle infielder Chapman Bennett and outfielder Trent Newberry were second-teamers.
For the Mustangs, pitcher Kaleb Johnson, third baseman Noah Hollis and outfielder Hunter Walthour were all-region first-teamers.
Pitcher Nick Milbrandt, catcher Aaron Benton and utility player Zach Wert made the second team.
FOOTBALL
South’s Fields lands offer from Rinehardt University
South Effingham rising senior Jamari Fields, a big-play running back/wide receiver in football and top sprinter in track and field, landed an offer to play at Rinehardt University.
He made the announcement Thursday on Twitter.
Fields, a 5-foot-6, 150-pounder, averaged more than 14 yards a touch as a running back (19-153 yards), receiver (8-142), punt returner (5-81) and kick returner (12-242) last season.
During the track season, Fields had SEHS’ best times in the 100-meter dash (11.38 seconds) and 200-meter dash (23.24).
SOFTBALL
Ex-Rebel Dickerson stars at Coastal Georgia
Former Effingham County softball standout pitcher Hayley Dickerson had a big 2022 season at the College of Coastal Georgia, an NAIA school located in Brunswick.
The righthander earned first-team all-conference honors in The Sun Conference after compiling a 19-9 record, 136 strikeouts and a 2.21 earned run average.
Dickerson was tied for third in the conference in pitching victories and third in strikeouts.
At ECHS, Dickerson was the region Pitcher of the Year and captured second-team all-state honors from the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association in 2017.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Thompson named finalist for Gold Glove honor
Former South Effingham baseball star Austin Thompson, a shortstop, who just completed his fifth year at Georgia Southern, was among three finalists for ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove honors for Division I shortstops June 20.
Ryan Ritter of Kentucky eventually captured the prestigious defensive award.
Thompson made only five errors all season in 61 games (249 chances) while posting a .980 fielding percentage. He had an errorless stretch from April 14 to May 29 (25 games, 103 chances).
Led by Thompson’s strong defensive play, GS ranked eighth in Division I with a .982 fielding percentage.