VALDOSTA —
Anthony Ethridge had a busy night for Lanier County’s football team on Friday.
He caught passes. He ran the ball. He forced fumbles. He returned a fumble for a touchdown. He sacked the quarterback. He scored half of his team’s 40 points. He stayed on the field continuously for three quarters, and helped lead his team to a dominant victory.
For his performance, Ethridge has been chosen The Valdosta Daily Times’ Player of the Week.
Ethridge, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior wide receiver and defensive end, led Lanier County to a 40-14 rout of Calhoun County on Friday night at Roquemore Field in Lakeland.
On offense, Ethridge caught five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns, had one carry for 23 yards and also caught a two-point conversion pass. On defense, he had a sack, two tackles for loss and also broke up a pass. He forced two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and picked up another fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
And he did all of that without taking a break. Like most small-school football teams, Lanier County has to play some of its players on both offense and defense, so Ethridge did not leave the field until the Bulldogs pulled their starters early in the fourth quarter.
“Anthony is an amazing football player,” Lanier head coach Wade Beale said after the game. “He has to play hard every game this season, and that is a good start.”
On one play in the third quarter, Ethridge hit the ball carrier, and forced a fumble. Teammate Junior Gnonkonde picked up the loose ball, and ran it back for a touchdown. Later in the same quarter, Gnonkonde forced a fumble, and Ethridge scooped it up and raced 30 yards for a touchdown.
Ethridge’s team had a great night, too. Lanier pounded Calhoun County for three quarters, building a 40-0 lead at one point, before the Cougars scored two late touchdowns on Lanier’s reserves.
The Bulldogs’ defense was especially dominant. When Lanier’s starters left the game early in the fourth quarter, the Cougars had minus-50 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs picked off two passes and forced five fumbles. Lanier’s defense set a school record with 15 tackles for loss and six quarterback sacks in the game.
Lanier’s new spread offense rolled up 368 yards of total offense. Quarterback Domenick Calhoun threw for 159 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Ethridge, and the Bulldogs also ran for 209 yards.
After the game, Ethridge said he really enjoys playing in Lanier’s new offense.
“I love this offense. If I get one-on-one, I’ll burn that quarterback every time,” he said.
Ethridge and the Bulldogs will host Berrien this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Lanier County wide receiver Anthony Ethridge (30) catches a pass against Pelham last season in Lakeland. Ethridge has been chosen The Valdosta Daily Times’ Player of the Week after having a big night in the Bulldogs’ 40-14 win over Calhoun County on Friday night. Paul Leavy | The Valdosta Daily Times
Discussion
Player of the Week: Lanier County’s Anthony Ethridge
- Local Sports
-
-
Big win for Lady Blazers
Receiving little respect around the conference, region and nation, the Valdosta State women’s basketball team made a statement Thursday night.
The Lady Blazers put together an impressive defensive performance, mixed in with effective offense, to defeat the Alabama-Huntsville Lady Chargers, who entered the night tied for first place in the Gulf South Conference, 65-55. -
No. 6 Chargers rout Valdosta State, 87-65
The season-long struggles for the Valdosta State men’s basketball team hit an all-time high Thursday night, as the Blazers were blown out by sixth-ranked Alabama-Huntsville, 87-65 at the P.E. Complex.
“It was just a knockout punch from the beginning,” Valdosta State head coach Mike Helfer said. “Give (Alabama-Huntsville) a lot of credit for where they are. They are in the hunt for the league lead and they are a great program. They did what they had to do from the start, which was take control of the game.” -
Lowndes’ Chapman, Talmage named to all-star team
Lowndes softball players Ashley Chapman and Maiah Talmage have been chosen to play in the GACA All-Star Softball Showcase in June.
The GACA All-Star Softball Showcase is an annual softball game between top senior players from South Georgia and North Georgia. The game will be played on June 13 at Alto Park in Rome, Ga. -
Berrien, Cook, Lanier announce 2012 schedules
The Valdosta Daily Times has recently received the upcoming 2012 football schedules for the Cook Hornets, Berrien Rebels and Lanier County Bulldogs.
Lanier County kicks off regular season play Aug. 24 with a visit from Atkinson County. Cook and Berrien begin play on Aug. 31, when the Hornets host Worth County and the Rebels visit Calhoun. -
VLPRA group participates in Special Olympics
On the weekend of Jan. 20-22, 21 Special Olympic athletes from the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority traveled to Marietta to compete in the 2012 Special Olympics Georgia Winter Games.
-
Lowndes, Valdosta close out regular season tonight
The Lowndes and Valdosta varsity basketball teams close out regular season play tonight.
Lowndes will host Coffee, while Valdosta hosts Tift County. The girls will tipoff at 6 and the boys at 7:30 p.m.
-
VSU's Harris suspended indefinitely
A shortened, diminished roster for the Valdosta State men's basketball team took another blow Thursday following the suspension of senior guard Sidney Harris.
-
Big weekend ahead for Lady Blazers
It might be an understatement to call this weekend’s two home games for the Valdosta State women’s basketball team a big deal, because that is exactly what they are.
-
Blazers fall to Albany State, 7-3
The Valdosta State baseball team was handed a third-straight loss Wednesday night, as the Blazers fell to in-state foe Albany State, 7-3.
The Blazers were held in check for much of the night, despite being aided by nine Golden Ram walks. With runners on base, the Blazers were unable to produce enough offense to score runs, leaving 12 runners stranded in the game. -
Wildcats rally for 50-40 win over Brooks
Valdosta’s boys basketball team came alive in the fourth quarter, and rallied for a 50-40 victory over Brooks County on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats outscored Brooks 24-9 in the fourth quarter, and turned a five-point deficit into a 10-point win. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
