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South Effingham's Easterling will hit again
Natalie Easterling is all smiles after signing with Middle Georgia State University on Monday.
- photo by Mark Lastinger/staff
Mark Lastinger
Effingham Herald
Published: Mar 10, 2020, 11:19 AM
GUYTON — South Effingham’s Natalie Easterling is enduring the longest hitless streak of her softball career.
Fortunately, the slump was created by the absence of opportunity and not a shortage of ability.
Easterling, in the process of rehabbing an injured knee, will eventually return to her hitting ways at Middle Georgia State University. On Monday, she signed a national letter of intent to attend the NAIA school this fall.
“It can’t get here soon enough,” Easterling said about the chance to swing a bat again. “I haven’t been able to do it for too long.”
Easterling tore an ACL in early November while playing in a travel ball tournament. Ironically, she was playing football between games when her knee buckled.
“It’s still painful,” she said a few minutes before signing with the Lady Knights.
Despite undergoing numerous gruelling physical therapy sessions over the past several months, Easterling’s activities are still limited. Softball practice of any kind is off limits.
“Whatever you do, it puts stress on your knee,” she said.
Easterling expects to be ready when the Middle Georgia State starts the 2021 season. She will play in the outfield after spending much of her time with the Lady Mustangs behind the plate.
“She’s got speed and she’s athletic,” said Jeff Faith, South Effingham’s athletic director. “(Former South Effingham head softball) Coach (Todd) Eubanks said she was naturally athletic from birth.”
Easterling will offer the Lady Knight’s more than just physical skill, however. She is a gritty, emotional sparkplug.
Eubanks, according to Faith, said Easterling was a delight to have on the team because of her attitude and the leadership she displayed.
Effingham County Falls 34-33 to Clarke Central in Playoffs
Jmere Doe-Davis rushed 194 yards on 26 carries, but Effingham County fell 34-33 to Clarke Central, marking the Rebels’ fifth straight first-round playoff loss. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)
Donald Heath
Updated: Nov 15, 2025, 4:54 AM
Published: Nov 15, 2025, 4:35 AM
SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — Effingham County watched a 16-point second-half lead disintegrate in a heartbreaking 34-33 loss to Clarke Central in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament Friday night at The Griff.
The Gladiators’ Tristan Thomas hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass with 3:04 remaining, and quarterback Kamron Lawrence followed with a two-point conversion run to end the Rebels’ season.
It marked the fifth straight first-round playoff exit for ECHS in the last five seasons.
But this one hurt more than most.
“It’s terrible. You don’t get this time in your life back,” senior linebacker Duff Davis said. “I didn’t know tonight would be the last time taking off the pads, but you have to cherish it and enjoy every moment you get a chance to play.”
The Rebels (8-3), the No. 2 seed from Region 1, had every reason to believe another game awaited them. Even after Clarke Central rallied to tie the game in the fourth quarter, ECHS surged back in front, 33-26, on Jmere Doe-Davis’ 9-yard touchdown run with 3:41 left.
Doe-Davis finished with 194 yards on 26 carries. He handled the ball 11 times on the Rebels’ 12-play, 89-yard go-ahead drive.
But 37 seconds later, ECHS was behind for good.
“It’s a team loss. We played our hearts out. We just didn’t get the outcome we wanted,” Doe-Davis said. “We just didn’t execute at the same level we did at the beginning of the game. We came out flat in the second half.”
Effingham County’s Duff Davis (27) and Marshawn Monroe (95) chase Clarke Central quarterback Kamron Lawrence during the Rebels’ 34-33 first-round playoff loss Friday. “It’s terrible. You don’t get this time in your life back,” Davis said after the game. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)
Rebels dominate late first half
After taking a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter, the game quickly slipped away from the Gladiators. Doe-Davis and the Rebels pounded Clarke Central’s three-man front for 78 rushing yards on the next possession — all but one yard from Doe-Davis — setting up Jackson Wilhoite’s second field goal, a 29-yarder, to cut the deficit to 7-6.
ECHS appeared to force a punt from the Gladiators’ 23 with less than three minutes left in the half. Central showed a fake but called timeout.
The Gladiators returned with the same fake — and this time were stopped. Collin McIntosh was dropped for a three-yard loss, giving the Rebels the ball at the 20.
Two plays later, quarterback Tucker Perkins found Noah Reese for a 14-yard touchdown, and Wilhoite’s PAT pushed ECHS ahead 13-7.
Things only worsened for Clarke Central. Lawrence fumbled on the next possession, and linebacker John Baker recovered at the Central 29.
Six plays later, Jernard Albright scored on a 2-yard run out of the wildcat with eight seconds left in the half, giving the Rebels a 19-7 lead.
Jernard Albright (7) scores on a 2-yard run out of the wildcat formation, capping a key drive that showcased Effingham County’s balanced rushing attack against Clarke Central. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)
Clarke Central mounts a furious comeback
Clarke Central opened the second-half scoring with a field goal, but ECHS responded with Perkins’ 19-yard touchdown pass to Malik Letman to build a 26-10 advantage.
Perkins completed 20 of 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
But the Gladiators kept swinging. Two touchdown runs by Nuhsi Valenti and a pair of two-point conversions pulled Clarke Central even. The second conversion came on a halfback reverse and throwback to Lawrence to tie the game at 26.
“They made adjustments. We were ready for it, but we didn’t execute like we should have,” Davis said.
Noah Reese dives into the end zone for a touchdown, finishing off a 14-yard connection from quarterback Tucker Perkins. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)
