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Firearms ordinance approved May 21, 2013

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Manny Fils

Stories by Manny

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Errors cause Eastside to drop home playoff game

COVINGTON -- Alexander may not have been bigger or faster than Eastside's boys basketball team. But turnovers and fouls made it seem that way as the Cougars shut down the Eagles' offense ending Eastside's season with a 72-59 loss in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs on Wednesday

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Lady Tigers make it easily to second round of playoffs

COVINGTON -- Alcovy's defense came out and shut down East Coweta offense while the Lady Tigers put in basket after basket to win their opening round of the Class AAAAAA playoffs 59-23 on Tuesday.. Alcovy's Ashley Williams had a double-double with 10 rebounds and a game-leading 19 points

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Fighting like Tyler every day

COVINGTON -- Life for Newton wrestler Tyler Head came crashing down after a severe neck injury left him lying motionless on the mat.. But after a surgery to fuse his neck and six weeks of intense therapy at the Shepherd Spinal Center, Head is on the road to recovery as

Newton boys out; Eastside boys in

COVINGTON -- Newton's boys basketball team played good enough to win but at the end it could not top Morrow as it was eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Eastside boys, along with the Newton and Rockdale girls, were able to prevail.

Experienced players returning to Eastside baseball

COVINGTON -- Eastside's baseball team has a lot of experience coming back which should hopefully translate into enough wins to make it to the Class AAAA playoffs.. "I think we have the talent that we need to have success," Eastside head coach Jon Ayers said. "We're optimistic that we're

Lady Eagles punch ticket to state tournament

GAINESVILLE -- Eastside's Jazzmine Cook played one of her best games and helped lead the Lady Eagles past Lanier 61-51 in the Region 8-AAAA tournament play on Monday.. Cook paced all scorers with 21 points as well as nabbing eight steals.. "In our book, she is the player of

Tournament time begins for basketball

COVINGTON -- Now is the time that all the practice hopefully pays off with the start of region basketball tournaments as Region 2-AAAAAA will play all its games at Luella while Region 8-AAAA will base out of Johnson in Gainesville.. In girls play, Alcovy, led by Region 2

18 local wrestlers advance to state finals

COVINGTON -- The dream still lives for 18 local wrestlers to walk away with a state championship after competing in the sectionals, which concluded Saturday.. Eastside leads the group, sending six competitors to the Georgia High School Association traditional state wrestling tournament at the Macon Centreplex staring at 5:30 p.m

Newton closes out gym with split against Druid Hills

COVINGTON -- It was a bittersweet night for Newton's basketball team Friday as it split a doubleheader against Druid Hills.. The Lady Rams had no trouble securing the No. 2 seed for the Region 2-AAAAAA tournament starting on Tuesday with a 49-28 win while the boys let an eight

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Oaks Course's quality a big draw around area

COVINGTON -- It's apparent the staff at The Oaks Course not only loves the business of golf, but it also enjoys helping others.. Not only is The Oaks Course the home to two local high school golf teams, Newton and Alcovy. It also provides block off valuable tee times to

Bulldogs crush Alcovy by 32 points

COVINGTON -- The Rockdale boys basketball team continued its pattern of starting slow before upping the pace in a 32-point, 79-47 win over Alcovy on Tuesday.. The Bulldogs (14-9 overall, 7-3 Region 2-AAAAAA) forced Alcovy (7-16, 2-9) to hand the ball over to Rockdale to take an early

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Eighteen local players pick colleges on National Signing Day

COVINGTON -- It was a good day for several local football players Wednesday as 17 signed their letters on intent and another chose a walk-on destination on National Signing Day.. Heritage led the field with five players, including Region 8-AAAAA and Citizen Defensive Player of the Year Chase

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Alcovy girls roll again with win over Rockdale

Alcovy moves one game closer to perfect region record with 48-32 win over Rockdale.

Lady Eagles venture into a new area

The Lady Eagles are going to have to find a way to mature and grow really fast as they head into the unknowns of a new area without a lot of experienced players to rely on with 10 returning players and only six starters..

Lady Rams win in overtime, Rockdale boys control Newton

COVINGTON -- The Newton girls were able to keep the Lady Bulldogs from taking the momentum like the Rockdale boys did in their game on Friday.

Eastside boys soccer ready to build on last season's success

COVINGTON -- After making it to the second round of the state playoffs last year, Eastside's boys soccer team hopes to make it further this year.

Oxford loses game for No. 1

OXFORD -- Even though the Oxford men's basketball team outshot Middle Georgia Technical College, the ball just refused to go in as the Eagles lost 66-49 in the battle for first place in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association conference on Wednesday.

Alcovy girls hope area change helps playoff chances

COVINGTON -- After failing to make the state soccer playoffs the past few seasons, the Lady Tigers have a good chance to achieving that goal this season.. It's not that the Alcovy girls were bad, it's that they were usually paired with

Newton knocks off Luella

LUELLA -- Newton's boys basketball team made its mark toward ending the regular season as the No. 1 seed after handing the current Region 2-AAAAAA leader, Luella, its third loss of the season with a 55-44 victory on Tuesday.

Alcovy soccer gears up for new area

COVINGTON -- It could be a stellar year for Alcovy's soccer program. A new area means new challenges and hopefully a better opportunity to get beyond the area and into the Class AAAAAA playoffs.

Heritage takes second at Redskin Rumble

SOCIAL CIRCLE -- Heritage's wrestling team had a good showing with eight wrestlers medaling to finish second in the Redskin Rumble on Saturday.. Social Circle won the 12-team tournament with 166 points with Heritage taking second place with 147.5 points. Alcovy finished in the top half with 106 points

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Alcovy, Newton split doubleheader

COVINGTON -- The Alcovy girls took advantage of just about every Newton miscue while the Newton boys almost allowed the Tigers to win in dramatic fashion in front of a packed house on Friday.

Eastside grapplers win big on Senior Night

COVINGTON -- Eastside's senior wrestling night was special for its five seniors as well as the rest of the team as they beat George Walton Academy 75-6 and Jackson 57-15 for the sweep on Wednesday.. "I thought overall it was very good," Eastside coach Earl Larimer said. "I told

Balanced offense keeps Eastside boys perfect in region

COVINGTON -- Five players in double-figure scoring kept Stephens County from knowing who to double team as the Eastside boys easily defeated the Indians 71-58 in Tuesday's Region 8-AAAA game.. The win puts the Eagles (12-4, 5-0) in control of their playoff destiny with three region games left

Lady Eagles drop first region game to Stephens County

Stephens County handed Eastside's girls their first region loss Tuesday.

Eastside squads survive scare against Chestatee

COVINGTON -- It was a battle until the end but somehow both Eastside squads came back in the final minutes of the game to sweep Chestatee with a pair of wins in Region 8-AAAA action on Friday.. The Eastside boys made it a sweep with a 71-69 win while

Eastside's Thompson wins at East Metro

COVINGTON -- Eastside wrestler Kevin Thompson was the only local wrestler to win his weight class at the 20-team East Metro Wrestling Classic on Saturday.. Thompson, who wrestles at the 145-pound division, beat out Alcovy's Justin Howell in the bout.. The 145-pound champion made it to the

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Manny Fils: Manti Te'o, the jig is up

The other day I was thinking about writing something about Tim Tebow. But then the storm hit with Manti Te'o caught in it without protection. I mean seriously, what were you thinking?. For those that may not have heard, Notre Dame linebacker and Heisman runner-up Manti Te'o's "girlfriend,"

Eagles find a way to win against Walnut Grove

WALNUT GROVE -- Fouls, unforced turnovers and the lack of rebounding almost allowed Walnut Grove to come back on Eastside before the Eagles regrouped to remain unbeaten in Region 8-AAAA with a 73-60 win Tuesday.

Eastside girls dominate Walnut Grove to stay unbeaten in region play

WALNUT GROVE -- The Lady Eagles' high-pressure defense and running-style offense were too much for Walnut Grove to handle as Eastside cruised to an easy 77-48 road win on Tuesday.

Bulldogs,Tigers battle to top half in state wrestling duals

MACON -- Area 2-AAAAAA was well represented in the GHSA team dual wrestling state tournament with Rockdale's wrestling team finishing in the top five while Alcovy wasn't eliminated until ending in the top half of the Class AAAAAA division at the Macon Centreplex.. Rockdale never cruised past the competition

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Manny Fils: "Throw them all out" voting was not right

Seriously, what were the voters for the Baseball Hall of Fame thinking? There are some people who I feel should never be allowed to be in Cooperstown unless they pay an admission fee. A few of those include Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. Then there are

Russell's 29 points leads Eastside past Hurricanes

COVINGTON -- An explosive second quarter behind Quindarrious Russell's 15 points pushed the Eagles past Monroe Area to begin Region 8-AAAA play with a 77-48 win Tuesday.. While getting a win to start region play is motivation, the players were motivated for other reasons. When the two played in

Lady Eagles' start fast leads to win

COVINGTON -- The Eastside girls did a lot of things right in their 63-20 win over Monroe Area to start Region 8-AAAA play on Tuesday.. "We needed that," Eastside head coach Matthew Jackson said. "I'm really pleased with the way they played defense. That's been our hallmark all

Tigers win, lose big

COVINGTON -- Alcovy's basketball teams were on the giving and receiving end of lopsided wins as the Lady Tigers crushed Lovejoy 58-19 while the Wildcats downed the Alcovy boys 70-38 in Region 2-AAAAAA action on Friday.GirlsThe Lady Tigers (7-6, 4-0) jumped on Lovejoy (1-5, 1-2) early to take a

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Community rallies around Newton wrestler with broken neck

COVINGTON -- There is no question that a severe injury to 16-year-old Tyler Head's neck was bad. But at the same time it was a blessing by showing him and his family how loved and how many friends care about them.. "That's really restored our faith in humanity

Alcovy wins Area 2-AAAAAA wrestling tourney

COVINGTON -- Alcovy's Hunter Smith was in a tough match but was able to hold off his opponent, giving the Tigers enough points to secure a 36-29 win for the Area 2-AAAAAA Dual Championship on Saturday.. The Tigers grabbed an early 18-5 lead after the first five matches of

Former Covington resident giving back

COVINGTON -- Former Covington resident Sgt. John Evans went from the battle fields of the Iraq War to the battle field of the gridiron as a soldier-hero for the 12th presentation of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl which will be played on Saturday.. Even though the soldiers and

Individual, team titles mark 2012

Here are the top-10 local sports stories of the year.

Tough time for local teams in holiday tournaments

COVINGTON -- Several teams had were close to winning but could not pull it off during the various Thursday tournaments.. Girls. Eastside. The Lady Eagles did not have the start in the Antebellum Holiday Tournament in Milledgeville they wanted losing the first game to Cedar Shoals 50-34 on Thursday.. The

Ejike says yes to Georgia State

COVINGTON -- Newton defensive end Kingsley Ejike will be moving up to the play with the big boys after giving Georgia State a verbal commitment.. Pushing Georgia State over the top from schools that included South Carolina State and Appalachian State was the fact the Panthers, who finished the year

Prep Basketball Roundup: Too many missed shots doom Eastside

COVINGTON -- Eastside's boys basketball team had its chance to beat Rutland to start the holiday season but the Eagles sealed their fate losing a close 70-69 decision on Thursday.. Unfortunately, Eastside missed too many easy shots putting itself in a position where it had a 50-plus shot to

Local schools well represented in region football team

COVINGTON -- Alcovy, Newton and Rockdale had 21 players on the 2-AAAAAA All-Region team while powerhouse Lovejoy had the most players with 19 players total.. Lovejoy had a good season going 13-2 losing 21-14 to Norcross in the Class AAAAAA championship game. Rockdale, Alcovy and Newton, all of

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Alcovy Tigers come from behind to win the Newton Cup

Alcovy wrestler Parfait Fondseyuf's win at the 182-pound weight class started a string of wins resulting in the Tigers' come-from-behind victory to take the Newton Cup on Tuesday.

Eastside's Sims named defensive player of year

COVINGTON -- Despite missing two region games and missing the second half of the Monroe Area game with a high-ankle sprain, Eastside senior defensive end Antonius Sims had such an impact when he was on the field that he was named the Region 8-AAAA Defensive Player of the Year.

Eastside sweeps Monroe Area for region win

MONROE -- The Lady Eagles started slow but came back to crush Monroe Area while the Eastside boys waited until the final 2:30 of the game before topping the Hurricanes for the Region 8-AAAA sweep on Saturday.. The Eastside girls (3-3, 1-0) had a 26-point win, 61-35, over

Newton splits with Lovejoy with girls win

COVINGTON -- The Lady Rams started out strong and got stronger in its 58-24 win over Lovejoy while the Wildcats were able to hold off a Newton surge to hand the Rams their first loss of the season with a 43-38 decision on Tuesday.BoysNewton (4-1 overall, 1-1 Region 2-AAAAAA

Oaks Christmas tournament to benefit Miracle League

COVINGTON -- The Miracle League of Newton County will once again be the beneficiary of the 2012 Christmas Tournament at The Oaks Course on Dec. 15.. In keeping with a baseball theme to honor the Miracle League, many of the holes will have a baseball feel to them. On the

FILS: BCS wrong to penalize Bulldogs for SEC title loss

When the 2012-13 bowl schedule game out I thought about the chant that used to come out of student section at Eastside's basketball games when they did not agree with a call -- "nuts and bolts we got screwed.". As many of you could be aware, I am not

Newton stays unbeaten with win over Alcovy

COVINGTON -- It wasn't easy, but the Newton boys basketball team had to come from behind to go 4-0 for the season after beating Alcovy 47-43 on Saturday.. After their win over the Tigers (0-3, 0-1 Region 2-AAAAAA) the Rams (4-0, 1-0) are unbeaten in region play.. "We have