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Goldwire named to all-SoCon first teams
0906 seth goldwire mug
Seth Goldwire
Patrick Donahue
Updated: Dec 18, 2007, 10:00 AM
Published: Nov 26, 2007, 4:03 PM

Wofford junior linebacker Seth Goldwire was named to the Southern Conference Sports Media Association  and the conference coaches’ all-Southern Conference teams earlier this week.

Goldwire, an Effingham County High School graduate, led the SoCon champs in tackles and was seventh in the league with 90 stops. The Guyton native also had 3.5 tackles for a loss, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Georgia Southern senior quarterback Jayson Foster was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches and media. Foster helped the Eagles post a 7-4 record in 2007. The native of Canton is ranked second in the nation in rushing (167.6 yards per game) and third in scoring (13.5 points per game).

Coaches and writers also agreed that Appalachian State defensive back Corey Lynch was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. The senior recorded 83 tackles in 2007 and helped lead the Mountaineers to a 9-2 record and a berth in the FCS Playoffs. The Cape Coral, Fla., native tied for the conference lead with four interceptions and finished sixth in the SoCon in passes defended with 10.

Elon quarterback Scott Riddle was a unanimous choice for Freshman of the Year. The native of Ramseur, N.C. leads the nation in passing yards (347.0 yards per game) and pass completions (31.5 completions per game). He is third nationally in total offense with 339.8 yards per game.

Elon’s Pete Lembo, who led surprising the surprising Phoenix to a 7-4 mark in 2007, was named Coach of the Year by the media and Wofford coach Mike Ayers was honored by his colleagues as coach of the year.

Southern Conference regular season co-champion and two-time defending national champion Appalachian State placed 11 players on the all-conference team with four players on offense, six on defense and one specialist.

Furman landed eight players on the all-conference squad including three on offense and five on defense. Southern Conference co-champion Wofford and The Citadel had seven players recognized. Wofford had five players on offense and two on defense recognized while The Citadel placed three on offense, three on defense and one specialist on the squad.

Elon and Georgia Southern had six players each honored. The Phoenix had three players on offense, one on defense and two specialists earn all-conference honors.

Georgia Southern had three offensive players, two defensive and one specialist named to the team. Western Carolina had four players, one on offense, two on defense and one specialist, make the team while Chattanooga landed one defensive player honored.

Southern Conference Sports Media Association

All-Southern Conference Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Jayson Foster, GSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Corey Lynch, ASU
Freshman of the Year: Scott Riddle, Elon*
Coach of the Year: Pete Lembo, Elon

Offense - First Team
QB- Jayson Foster, GSU
RB- Kevin Richardson, ASU
RB- Kevious Johnson, WOF
OL- Scott Suttle, ASU
OL- Kerry Brown, ASU
OL- Russell Orr, GSU
OL- Joel Bell, FUR
OL- Chris McDowell, CIT
TE- Larry Hedden, FUR
WR- Terrell Hudgins, Elon
WR- Eddie Cohen, WCU
PK- Julian Rauch, ASU
RS- Michael Mayers, Elon

Defense - First Team
DL- Wallace Artis, FUR
DL- Gary Tharrington, ASU
DL- Trevar Broughton, CIT
DL- Larry Beard, GSU
LB- Pierre Banks, ASU
LB- Seth Goldwire, WOF
LB- Quinton Phillips, WCU
DB- Corey Lynch, ASU
DB- Chris Camacho, UTC
DB- Chris Covington, GSU
DB- Josh Lawson, CIT
P- Brandon Lane, Elon

Offense - Second Team
QB- Scott Riddle, Elon
RB- Jerome Felton, FUR
RB- Tory Cooper, CIT
OL- Ben Quick, WOF
OL- Corey McKenna, WOF
OL- Derek Wooten, WOF
OL- Marcelo Estrada, GSU
OL- John Holt, ASU
TE- Fenn Allen, WOF
WR- Michael Mayers, Elon
WR- Andre Roberts, CIT
PK- Jesse Hartley, GSU
RS- Mike Malone, WCU

Defense - Second Team
DL- Justin Brown, FUR
DL- Anthony Williams, ASU
DL- Jeff Bradley, WCU
DL- Tony Robertson, ASU
LB- Corey Weaver, Elon
LB- Andrew Rowell, CIT
LB- Andrew Jones, FUR
DB- Thomas Twitty, FUR
DB- Dan Tavani, WOF
DB- Andrew Thacker, FUR
DB- Jerome Touchstone, ASU
P- Mark Kaspar, CIT
Effingham County Softball Wins 6-5 vs Seckinger, Heads to Columbus
Senior Shelby Zeigler Clutch at the Plate and in the Field as Rebels Eye Oct. 29 Elite Eight
Effingham County Softball
Effingham County players and coaches celebrate a thrilling 6-5 win over Seckinger on Tuesday, punching their ticket to the Class 5A Elite Eight in Columbus. (Gilbert Miller / Effingham Herald)
Donald Heath
Updated: Oct 21, 2025, 9:18 PM
Published: Oct 21, 2025, 9:10 PM

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. – Effingham County’s softball team is heading back to Columbus for the fourth consecutive year after a dramatic win over Seckinger.

Senior Shelby Zeigler broke a 5-5 tie with a two-out, sixth-inning single. She also ended the game defensively, catching a line drive at third base and tagging out Milan Torres for a game-ending double play.

“I knew something had to be done by somebody. I just had to do it,” Zeigler said. “We knew this game was going to go back and forth, but we thought we’d win because we had the better team. It was a great feeling, especially since it’s my last game on this field.”

Effingham County Softball
Senior Shelby Zeigler came through in the clutch, delivering a two-out, sixth-inning single to break a 5-5 tie and making a sensational game-ending play to send Effingham County to the Class 5A Elite Eight. (Gilbert Miller / Effingham Herald)

Momentum swings back and forth
The Rebels (27-7), ranked No. 3 in ScoreAtlanta’s Class 5A pre-playoff top 10, lost the first game of the series 10-6 after leading 3-1 in the seventh but bounced back with a 6-3 win in the second game.

In the decisive third game, Seckinger jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but ECHS responded with three runs. They added a run in the second and extended the lead to 5-2 in the fifth on Mady Reagan’s RBI single.

The Jaguars (19-11) rallied in the sixth inning, driving in two runs. Shortstop Cheyenne Hart’s relay throw cut down McKenzie Prince at the plate, preserving the lead.

“When (Prince) slid, her legs were off the ground and I tagged her on the shoulder before she touched the plate,” catcher Gracie LaFleur said. “She was definitely out. I was just hoping the umpire saw that.”

In the bottom of the sixth, LaFleur doubled, setting the stage for Zeigler’s clutch hit. Seckinger had one last chance in the seventh, but Zeigler made a game-ending play to seal the victory.

Looking ahead to Columbus
The Rebels will open the Elite Eight double-elimination tournament on Oct. 29.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this group,” Thompson said. “We replaced a whole infield. We needed innings from Ava (Wiley, pitcher) to complement Ansleigh (Giordano), and we got it. We had good players who did more than expected — and that’s the definition of Rebel pride.”