SPORTS - SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

A Portrait Of Courage
Despite Accident Woolums Rolls On

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

When Garrard County runs onto the football field on Friday nights there is a special person that comes rolling on with the team.

Senior Cody Woolums may be confined to a wheelchair after a terrible construction accident in May of 2007 but he is every bit an important part of the Golden Lions.

Garrard football coach Mark Scenters got to know Woolums the summer of 2008 after he was hired as Garrard County coach and after learning about what  happened to him. It was obvious that he had a really strong interest in football and a bond was formed between the two.

“I just came to understand that this was a kid who had something he dearly loved taken away from him through no fault of his own,” Scenters said.

Near the end of his freshman year, just a week or so after completing Spring football practice, Woolums was helping his grandfather on a construction job. There was a cave in that left him almost completely buried.

Woolums broke all the ribs on his right side and most of the ones on his left. He had a   broken shoulder blade and jaw plus a dislocated back.

Everything went black. He was still awake and could talk but couldn’t feel anything from his head down. Everything was tingly except for his legs where he felt nothing.

“I knew I was pretty bad hurt,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t good.”

Next came surgery, 24 days in ICU and countless hours of therapy. He was in and out of hospitals all of the summer of 2007 but was able to return to school for his sophomore year although in a wheelchair.

That led to the relationship with Scenters.

Woolums attends Lion practices and dresses out for games. The only thing he can’t do and the one thing he wants to, is get on the field.

It’s fun doing it and being part of the team” he said. “I love that they consider me part of the team and still a player and treat me with respect.”

Woolums has grown especially close to his fellow seniors and says they will do anything they can for him.

One of those seniors is lineman Ramsey Peek who has known Woolums since they were little league baseball teammates. Peek knows how badly Woolums wants to play football and be on the field but says he really is a part of the team.

“I take for granted what I can do on Friday nights and then to see him and know that he can’t,” Peek said.

Scenters echoes those sentiments. “It is so sad when you think about it but it is so cool if you look at the way Cody has handled it, how strong he has been. Handling something like that at his age is remarkable.”

Virgil Brown is the Garrard team chaplain and a youth leader at Forks of Dix River Baptist Church. He has grown close to Woolums.

He says Woolums is the type of kid Scenters or any other coach would want for a football player. “To have gone through the things he has and still have the attitude  and desire he has. He is an inspirational kid.”

Before last season’s playoff game at Breathitt County Woolums asked to speak to the team and Scenters allowed it. All the coach would say was that it was short. However the Lions played probably their best game of the year before losing 28-13 to the eventual state runner up Bobcats.

Woolums is getting more and more feeling in his legs as time goes by and can feel when he scratches. He can also now wiggle his toes.

He gets discouraged every now and then because things aren’t happening as fast as he would like.

“A doctor told me I didn't have a chance at getting out of this chair,” he said. “I looked at him and I told him. it’s not if I walk, it’s when I walk.”

Brown says that before the opening game of the 2009 season Woolums said. “You know I almost feel whole for the first time in a long time. I almost feel right.”

The 17-year-old is the son of Chris and Julie Peters.

Postscript - Woolums might not make it onto the field in 2009 but his jersey did. When running back Cory Wilson tore his jersey number 24 in the second half of Garrard’s game at Estill County, Woolums literally gave him the shirt off his back and Wilson scored a fourth period touchdown wearing his number 29.

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Lions Lose To Lincoln 5-3

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

After a tough 11-1 loss at Taylor County on Monday and a 9-2 home loss to Southwestern on Tuesday Garrard turned in it best offensive game of the season Friday at home but still lost to Lincoln County 5-3

Lincoln’s Oscar Cummins scored less than a minute into the game and added two more goals to send the Patriots into intermission with a 3-0 lead for the Lions to overcome.

“We have a tendency to get down early and dig ourselves a hole,” said Garrard coach Larry Ebert Jr. “We dug too much of one tonight. We couldn’t get out of it.”

The effort was there as the Lions staged a second half comeback. After Garrard had missed a great opportunity to score on a penalty kick David Poynter found the net for the Lions 13 minutes into the second half to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Kody Mullins scored for Lincoln five minutes later before Tyler Miniard, who  along with Hayden Hall had the Garrard goals in the loss to Southwestern, answered for the Lions just a minute later.

A Blake Hester goal with 11 minutes to play got Garrard within a point of the Pats at 4-3 but Cummins scored once more for Lincoln with 2:30 to play in the game.

Garrard was outshot 24-18 in the contest.

“We came out ready to play tonight, Ebert said. I’m proud of them, they played hard.”

Garrard players Hayden Hall (L) and Matt Hounshell (R) close in on the ball in the Lions’ loss to Lincoln County.

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Johnson Posts Low Score In Conference Tourney
Garrard Boys Finish Fourth Overall

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Garrard County sophomore Jonah Johnson shot a 35 to earn medalist honors in the KBC Conference Tournament last Thursday at Highpoint in Jessamine County

The Garrard County team shot a score of 160 to finish in fourth place.

Boyle County won the tournament with a 153 followed by West Jessamine with 154 and Danville with 155.

West Jessamine won the regular season title, going 7-0.

In addition to Johnson’s 35 other Garrard scores were Coty Cantrell 39, Drew Moore 39, Lincoln Gay 47 and Jesse Cantrell 50. The top four scores went to the team total.

Sophomore Jonah Johnson shot a 35 to win the KBC Tournament.

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Lions Host Wayne In District Opener

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

A new season starts Friday night at Dyehouse Stadium when Garrard County plays host to Wayne County in the district opener for both teams.

Both Garrard and Wayne have struggled in the early going, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Coach Shawn Thompson’s Cardinals are 0-4 and coming off a 50-34 loss at Russell County while the Golden Lions are 1-3 and coming off an open week after a 42-21 loss at Estill County.

Senior Tyler Ray has emerged as a big play guy for Garrard. He is a dangerous kick returner and has rushed for 311 yards and caught 12 passes for 256 yards. Sophomore Cory Wilson has rushed for 252 yards and leads Garrard in carries with 51.

Freshman quarterback Billy Abney has thrown for 149 yards and one touchdown.

Coach Mark Scenters’ Lions have rushed for 852 yards but have given up 1,325 yards on the ground.

Senior running back D.J. Hall leads the Cards and like Ray is a dangerous kick returner.

Senior Zach Stephenson and sophomore Shawn Dishman have shared  the quarterbacking duties for the Cards with senior Eric Rhule being their favorite target.

The series has been an interesting one. The two teams have played 18 time with each winning nine. Garrard lost last season 33-12 in Monticello.

It is almost like the team favored to win usually doesn’t. For those who pay attention to such things Wayne is a three point favorite according to the Cantrell Ratings in the Lexington paper.

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Lions Blanked At Home By Anderson

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Senior Seth Beasley scored five goals including the hat trick in the first 11 minutes of play as a very good Anderson County team handed Garrard County a 10-0 mercy rule loss Saturday night.

After Beasley's first three goals the Bearcats Lyndon Stocker added  a  pair and Steven Pulcifur and Austin Smallwood  each found the net before Beasley scored again for an 8-0 Bearcat lead at the half.

Beasley picked up his fifth goal just over five minutes into the second half and Jared Stephens scored to end the game a minute later.

Garrard County’s Will DeMarcus (L) advances the ball as teammate Tyler Miniard (6) and Anderson County’s Matthew Lacefield (16) move in.

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Lady Lions Sweep Danville

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Garrard County swept Danville by identical 25-15 scores last Tuesday on the Lady Ads home court in an important 44th District battle.

The win moved the Lady Lions (7-12-3 and 2-1) into a first place district tie with Mercer County. While Danville (7-9 and 2-2) dropped a game back.

The Garrard junior varsity also won both games from Danville 21-10, 21-7.

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Lady Lions Lose Three At Bath

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Garrard County had a tough time Saturday in the Bath County Invitational Tournament.

The Lady Lions lost two matches in pool play, falling 21-17, 21-17 to Clark County and 21-9, 21-17 to Bryan Station and tied East Jessamine 21-23, 21-17.

In the tournament draw Garrard fell to Powell County 25-12, 25-17.

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Lady Lions Lose To Pulaski

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Visiting Pulaski County, the 12th Region’s fourth ranked team, scored the first nine points and opened up a 20-1 lead on the way to a 25-6 first game win over Garrard County last Thursday night. The Lady Maroons completed the sweep with a 25-16 second game win.

The Garrard junior varsity also lost to Pulaski, 21-19, 21-17 and the Lady Lion freshmen were beaten 15-7, 15-6.

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Lions 14th At Marion

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Senior Coty Cantrell shot an 80 on eighteen holes to lead Garrard County but the Lions finished 14th overall with a 346 in the Marion County Invitational Tournament last week at Rosewood Golf Club in Lebanon.

Jonah Johnson posted an 84, followed by Drew Moore, 86, Jesse Cantrell 96, and Lincoln Gay 107.

Louisville Manuel won the tournament with a score of 312.

Medalist honors went to Louisville Ballard’s Parker Page with a 73.

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Garrard Cross Country Results

The Garrard County cross country team competed in the Boyle County Invitational last Thursday at Millennium Park in Danville.

Faith Ayres was the top Garrard girl finisher with a time of 28:48. Devin Napier and Ryan Cain each ran well and continue to improve.

Eighth grader Cole Grecco did not run in the middle school race, opting for the high school event and ran a personal best 19:51 good for a 30th place finish.

Freshman Ethan Smith also posted a personal best 23:57.

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Lady Lions Lose To Taylor 6-1

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Visiting Taylor County jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the half on the way to a 6-1 win over Garrard County last Thursday night.

Taylor’s Brittany Goode scored 12 minutes into the game and three minutes later a Garrard defender knocked the ball into the Lady Lion goal for the Lady Cards’ second score.

Chelsea Nicholas scored on a direct kick with 11 minutes left in the half for the third score.

It could have been a little worse. At the nine minute mark Garrard was called for a handball in the box but Lady Lion backup keeper Kendra Rich turned away Kelsi Richerson's penalty kick.

The second half started with a bang when McCall Turpin scored for Taylor just 30 seconds into the period and Brooke Ballew got Garrard on the board less than a minute later.

Richerson scored the Lady Cardinals’ final two goals.

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Lady Lions Drop Two

By Danny Elam
delam@garrardcentralrecord.com

Garrard County dropped a pair of girls’ soccer games last week, falling 1-0 at Taylor County on Monday and losing 6-0 to Berea Tuesday at home.

Katie Dargavell, Tonya Renzenbrink and Sydney Sandefur each scored a pair of goals for the Lady Pirates in the Berea.