Addie Higbie eclipsed a pair of school records on Thursday night at Elbert County, helping guide the No. 8-ranked Tallulah Falls girls soccer team to an 8-1 win.
The region win was a second in a row for TFS. Higbie had a six-goal game, setting a new single-game record. In the process, she set the single-season goals record. She had held both previous marks, and thus passed herself on the lists.
Taking on Elbert County in the Granite Bowl in Elberton, the Lady Indians raced out to a 5-1 lead at the half. Higbie scored three times in the first half, Gemma Farris added one, and Lily Desta on a header off a corner kick.
The girls didn’t let up in the second half, as Higbie scored 3 more goals in the second half. Assists were aplenty in the match, with Higbie, Farris, and Bailey Crumley all notching 2 assists apiece. Maddie Mullis and Sarah Lundy had assists as well.
“The girls played their best match of the year this evening,” TFS girls coach Travis Mullis said. “The possession percentage, number of consecutive passes in a row, goal-keeping, and scoring was exceptional. Very proud of how our team has come out so strong and dedicated after the break. And though they didn’t have a goal or assist attached to their names, Kyndal Anderson, Tessa Foor, Leah Desta, and Miracle Bain anchored the defense while Elsa Sanchez, Stasa Beratovic, Meredith Morris, Maddi LeBlanc, and Rebecca Heyl managed the transition.”
Higbie’s 6 goals gave her 22 for the season, beating her 21 from last season. The Lady Indians are now 7-2 overall and 4-1 in region play.
Boys still rolling
Newly-named No. 1-ranked Tallulah Falls for a second straight game conceded the first goal, but once again stormed back for a win. This time, TFS scored seven goals unanswered to claim the 7-1 victory.
Austin Ball secured another hat trick with a 3-goal effort, and Jake Hall, Landon Hall, Luis Varona Pastor, and Jacob Mitchell all scored in the win. Assists came from Clay Kafsky (2), Jackson Pollock, Koen Eller, Jackson Cording, and Austin Ball.
Ball’s 3 goals give him 24 for the season, which ties the single-season goals record at TFS with Max Farris in 2021.
“Very physical and very hard played by both sides,” Indians coach Jeremy Stille said.
The Indians are 9-0, 5-0 in region play.
Both teams played at Commerce after press time Tuesday. They return home Thursday night to take on Elbert County in a rematch and celebrate the team’s seniors.
Indians’ baseball splits No. 1 Elbert
Tallulah Falls earned a double-header split on Friday night at home against No. 1 Elbert County, losing the first game 9-1 before erasing a 6-run deficit and winning 11-8 in the finale.
Game one saw the Indians lead 1-0 until the fourth, when the visiting Blue Devils scored 3 runs. Elbert then scored 3 in the fifth and 3 in the sixth to nail down the 9-1 win. TFS garnered 8 hits in the loss, led by Chase Pollock and Ashton Roache with 2 hits apiece.
In the second game, Tallulah Falls quickly fell down 6-0 as Elbert took advantage of an error and several walks against Pollock. However, TFS battled all the way back. In the second, RBI singles by Devante Brown and Zaiden Cox cut into the deficit to 6-2. A costly error moments later brought it to 6-4.
In the third, Cox brought home a pair on another clutch hit to tie the game. Frankey Moree singled in Cox in the next at-bat for the go-ahead run. In the fourth, Danny Grant stole third and scampered home on a throwing error. Caden Walker then singled in Roache. The 2-run frame made it a 9-6 TFS lead.
Elbert surged back with a 2-run double in the fifth to make it a 9-8 ballgame. Tallulah got the runs back on a 2-run homer to center by Frankey Moree in the bottom half to pad the lead back to 11-8. The home run was Moree’s third of the season and fifth of his career.
The win over Elbert County marks the first Tallulah Falls win over a top-ranked opponent in school history. The Indians ended a four-game losing streak with the win, and are now 4-6 overall, 1-2 in region play.
TFS golf sweeps Stephens County
Make it two straight sweeps for Tallulah Falls golf, as both the Lady Indians and Indians earned wins in a 7-hole event against Stephens County on Thursday.
The Indians secured an 11-stroke win, carding 148 against Stephens’ 159. Canon Brooks, who narrowly missed being the top golfer in each previous meet, broke through with his first low medalist honors of the season. He shot a 32 to lead the boys. Tate Turpin and Will Greene both posted a 38, Kalvin Ngov scored 40, Henry Bowman 41, Hunter Bell 42, and Jack Thomson and Jedd Thomas both at 43.
The Lady Indians (4-0) meanwhile won 74-85. Hannah Lundy finished as the low medalist with a 36. Mallory Higgins (38), Raegan Duncan (43), and Madeline Martin (46) rounded out the scoring.
– Brian Carter