WCHS retires Sanders’ jersey, honors six on Senior Night
Ware County’s 10thranked Lady Gators closed their regular season with four wins to clinch the runner-up spot in the Region 1-AAAA standings.
The Lady Gators (21-4 overall, 6-2 region), winners of 20-plus games for the second straight year and fifth time under head coach Mandy Lingenfelter, scored the final six points in the last 31 seconds Tuesday, January 28 to rally past Wayne County (12-7, 2-3) 37-33 for a fifth win in six games. The victory gave Ware County the season sweep after notching a 54-37 decision January 14 in Jesup.
Ware County has won the last five matchups with the Lady Yellow Jackets, losers in three of their last five games, to take a 13-12 series lead dating to 2012-13.
The schol’s athletic department honored U.S. Army Sgt. Kennedy L. Sanders with the retirement of her jersey No. 10 at halftime of the game with Wayne County.
The ceremony took place exactly one year to the day after her tragic death while serving in Jordan. Sanders played point guard for the Lady Gators in 2013-17.
The Lady Gators followed the win over Wayne with a second season sweep beating New Hampstead (2-15, 0-7) 65-24 Wednesday, January 29 in Savannah. WCHS throttled the Lady Phoenix, losers of 12 straight, 81-2 in the January 7 meeting.
Ware County handed Woodville-Tompkins (317) a fourth loss in five games posting 61-22 victory Friday night, January 31, in Savannah in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
The Lady Gators finished the four-game slate Saturday, February 1 knocking off visiting Perry (12-10, 2-6) on Senior Night handing the Lady Panthers a fourth straight loss 65-48. The victory gave Ware County a sweep of the season series after posting a 57-41 road victory January 10.
The region tournament begins this week.
No. 10 Lady Gators.37 Wayne County........33 Rhianna Mateyka’s only basket of the game with 4.3 seconds to play broke a 33-all tie lifting Ware County past the Lady Yellow Jackets in a fierce defensive battle.
Mateyka (five points) drove baseline canning a 12-footer for a 35-33 lead. Following a Wayne County timeout, the Lady Gators stole the inbounds pass under the goal with Charlacia Jones (teamhigh 10 points) scoring at the buzzer for the final margin.
Ware County’s 37 points were a season low. The Lady Yellow Jackets have held opponents to 37 or fewer points 13 times this season while allowing 33.3 points a game.
The difference in the game was at the charity stripe. The Lady Gators made 15-of-22 including 12-of-15 in the second half. Wayne County was just 1-of-4.
The Lady Yellow Jackets outscored Ware County 20-16 inside the three-point line and 12-6 beyond the arc for a 10point margin (32-22).
Mimi Everette (teamhigh tying eight points) buried two 3-pointers in the opening period as Wayne County grabbed an 8-5 lead. The Lady Gators bounced back in the second period building a 1710 advantage. Wayne County scored just before half to trail 17-12 at intermission after being outscored 12-4 in the second stanza.
The Lady Yellow Jackets scored the first six points of the third quarter to take a short-lived 18-17 lead three minutes in. Ware County responded scoring 11 of the final 15 points to take a 28-22 advantage into the final eight minutes.
Wayne County answered the Lady Gators’ run with one of its own using a 9-1 run to take a 31-29 lead with 4:01 remaining. Two free throws by Bre’ Hill, her only points, on two separate trips down the floor evened the score at 31apiece with 1:42 on the clock.
The Lady Yellow Jackets grabbed their final lead at 33-31 inside a minute to play on a layup. Jones followed with two clutch free throws with 30.8 seconds to play evening the score at 33-all.
Mateyka’s basket came after a Wayne County turnover with 14 seconds on the clock. After each team called a timeout, Mateyka took the inbounds pass, dribbled in front of the Ware County bench towards the baseline, pulled up and hit her second game-winning shot of the year.
Bailey Denton (trey) and Shardell Vickers followed Jones with six points apiece. Lydia Munford (trey) and Alexis Mc-Neal added four points and three points respectively. Kyla McKelvin connected on a free throw.
No. 10 Lady Gators.65 New Hampstead.....24 SAVANNAH — Ware County pulled away from a two-point lead after one period outscoring the Lady Phoenix by 39 points over the final three quarters for the win.
The Lady Gators led just 15-13 after the opening stanza surrendering more points than in the first meeting. New Hampstead scored just 11 points over the final three quarters.
Ware County blew the game open in the second period outscoring the Lady Phoenix 23-5 with Vickers scoring 11 of her game-high 19 points. Denton (three treys) scored eight of her 11 points in the quarter as the Lady Gators stormed out to a 38-18 advantage.
The margin reached 31 points by the end of the third period after Ware County outpointed the Lady Phoenix 14-3 for a commanding 52-21 lead. The Lady Gators closed out the “mercy rule” fourth quarter with a 13-3 scoring advantage.
Hill and Jones were next in the scoring column with nine points and eight points, respectively. McKelvin (triple) finished with five points.
Molly Smith and Lanissa Revis each netted four points. McKelvin (trey) contributed three points with Nevaeh Norton adding two points.
No. 10 Lady Gators .61 W’ville-Tompkins...21 SAVANNAH — The Lady Gators built a 10point, first-quarter lead and steadily pulled away from Woodville-Tompkins for the victory.
Ware County built a 144 advantage in the opening stanza. The Lady Gators stretched the margin to 22 points by intermission with a 14-2 run in the second period for a 28-6 cushion.
With the game pretty much in hand, Ware County opened up a commanding 51-13 lead through three periods outscoring the Lady Wolverines 23-7. The Lady Gators clipped Woodville-Tompkins 10-8 in the “mercy rule” final quarter.
Hill led 11 Ware County players in the scoring column with 10 points. Jones netted eight points with Denton scoring seven.
A’Treasure White, Mc-Neal, Munford and Vickers each scored six points. McKelvin and Revis contributed four points each. Lauren Belle and Mateyka bagged two points apiece.
The Lady Wolverines were led by the 12 points of Cassidy Freeman.
No. 10 Lady Gators.65 Perry .....................48 Ware County drained five of its seven 3-pointers in the second period to take control of the game en route to beating Perry.
Vickers and Jones paced the Lady Gators’ attack with 15 points and 14 points respectively. Mc-Neal and Denton each hit three treys to bag nine points.
Hill chipped in six points while McKelvin and Mateyka (trey) netted four points each. Munford and Revis contributed two points apiece.
Family and friends gathered Tuesday, January 28 at Ware County High School for the Jersey Retirement Ceremony of former Lady Gator Sgt. Kennedy L. Sanders. The athletic department retired No. 10 in honor of Sanders, who was killed one year ago to the day of the ceremony while serving with the U.S. Army in Jordan. Photos By RICK HEAD
