Stakes get higher for area teams

Evans fought for its life Tuesday night.

The Lady Knights softball team was in a make-or-break predicament at the 2-AAAA Region Tournament in Statesboro, Ga. Win and go to the state sectionals in Dublin, Ga., next weekend. Lose and go home and wait until next year.

Evans responded in a big way, beating Statesboro 17-3.

Evans was placed in the win-or-go-home situation like many of the area teams in region tournaments taking place during the next couple of weeks.

The Knights, the third seed in the North subregion, beat second-seeded Wayne County, 2-0, to move into the winner's bracket. Evans fell out of the bracket quickly after a 2-0 loss to Greenbrier. But with an elimination-game victory against Statesboro, the Knights were assured a top-four finish and a trip to Dublin.

"Evans is playing good softball right now," Greenbrier coach Garrett Black said. "They have been down the stretch and are going to be dangerous in sectionals."

Lakeside came out on the other end of the elimination game scenario.

After falling 1-0 to the South sub-region's best team, Effingham County, the Lady Panthers lost to Statesboro, 4-3, in the elimination game.

Greenbrier, the No. 1 team in the state, beat Baldwin and Evans to set up a showdown with Effingham. Both teams have made the sectionals, as has Jones County.

Harlem and South Effingham met Friday night to see which team would win Region 3-AAA.

Although results were not available by press time, the Bulldogs could cap off an 11-1 region record with a region title. The Bulldogs will also make the sectionals, but in Class AAA.

The Area 2-AAAA volleyball tournament took place Saturday, with Greenbrier and Lakeside favored to make it to the state playoffs. The top two teams advance.

Greenbrier is undefeated in the region and Lakeside has lost only twice, both times to the Wolfpack.

The Harlem volleyball team won the Area 3-AAA regular-season championship after beating Glenn Hills and Butler on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs will enter the area tournament favored to make it to the state playoffs.

"We are just so excited right now," said Harlem captain Kelly Cheesborough. "We are in position to get to state, and we have to seize the opportunity."