Sports

Gatewood freshmen Luca Ciaccio (left) and Hunter Pierce (right) pose for a photo with their medals at a tournament earlier this season. CONTRIBUTED

Gatewood freshmen Luca Ciaccio (left) and Hunter Pierce (right) pose for a photo with their medals at a tournament earlier this season. CONTRIBUTED

Gators wrestle with tight roster

Lance McCurley
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
The Gatewood wrestling team has had a successful season so far despite a depleted roster. The Mat Gators have only three grapplers this year — Luca Ciaccio, Hunter Pierce, and Bo Wooten — but head coach Tyler VanDusen thinks highly of this group after seeing them grow and improve together.
Loran Smith/File Photo

Loran Smith/File Photo

Smith: The coach

Loran Smith
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Kirby Smart entered the Sugar Bowl with an 85 percent winning percentage, meaning his teams are likely to win many games and championships. But as everyone understands, you can’t win ‘em all.
The Putnam County girls wrestling team poses for a photo after winning the area duals tournament earlier this month. KIM CASH/Contributed

The Putnam County girls wrestling team poses for a photo after winning the area duals tournament earlier this month. KIM CASH/Contributed

Putnam girls wrestling makes history

Lance McCurley
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
The Putnam County girls wrestling team recently made program history by winning its first area duals title.The Lady War Eagles have 22 teams in their area but came out on top at the tournament on Jan. 10, defeating defending champion Oglethorpe County in the finals.
Putnam County junior Journey Waller has been one of the team's top scorers so far this season. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff

Putnam County junior Journey Waller has been one of the team's top scorers so far this season. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff

Lady War Eagles open region play with two Ws

Lance McCurley
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
The Putnam County girls basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2025-26 season to Jones County on Jan. 3 but rebounded with two commanding road wins last week over Towers and McNair to begin region play.
Middle schooler Bennett Haley continues to impress with both his shooting skills and playmaking abilities. IAN TOCHER/Staff

Middle schooler Bennett Haley continues to impress with both his shooting skills and playmaking abilities. IAN TOCHER/Staff

Gatewood boys coach looks beyond results

Ian Tocher
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Gatewood basketball coach Don Keiser is playing for the future. After 13 games so far this season, his Gators are 2-11 and 0-2 in region play.Still, the veteran coach sees promise in his young team.
Gatewood junior Lauren Paxson is among Farley’s “go-to” players on the Lady Gators this season.

Gatewood junior Lauren Paxson is among Farley’s “go-to” players on the Lady Gators this season.

Defense key to Lady Gators’ success

Story And Photos By Ian Tocher
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
After opening the 2025-26 season with seven-straight wins, the Gatewood girls basketball team now boasts a 12-3 overall record with a 1-1 mark in GIAA Region 2-AA.The team opened the 2026 portion of its season with a tight 49-42 loss on Jan.
Putnam’s leading scorer against Commerce, Tamaud Woodson, tries to advance the ball in the paint past a defender and take a shot. LANCE McCURLEY/Staff

Putnam’s leading scorer against Commerce, Tamaud Woodson, tries to advance the ball in the paint past a defender and take a shot. LANCE McCURLEY/Staff

Tigers pound Putnam in top-five game

Lance McCurley
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
In a highly competitive matchup between a pair of top teams in Class A Division I, No. 2 Commerce used a strong second-half effort to beat No. 1 Putnam County 83-60 at the SandySpiel Shootout Jan. 10.
LANCE MCCURLEY/File Photo

LANCE MCCURLEY/File Photo

McCurley: Let me break my silence about NOLA …

Lance
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Now that we’re two weeks out, I’ll break my silence on my trip to New Orleans and thoughts on the Sugar Bowl.First of all, I love New Orleans, but I was hesitant about returning after last year’s terrorist attack. I was literally right in the middle of all of it, if you remember.
Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro connected on a 47-yard field goal to help seal the game for the Rebels. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff

Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro connected on a 47-yard field goal to help seal the game for the Rebels. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff

Rebels get redemption over Dawgs in Sugar Bowl

Lance McCurley
Thursday, January 8, 2026
NEW ORLEANS – The Allstate Sugar Bowl wasn’t sweet to Georgia for a second consecutive year, as the No. 3 Bulldogs lost to No. 6 Ole Miss 39-34 in the CFP quarterfinal matchup Jan. 1 at the Caesars Superdome.
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