Near-perfect championship year will be remembered

There's little doubt the 2006 Greenbrier baseball team will be remembered.

The Wolfpack's charge to a Class AAAA state championship solidified the team as one of the best in Columbia County history.

The road to a state title started early in 2006 when the boys began the year ranked No. 1 in Division AAAA. An early season match-up pitted No. 1 Greenbrier at No. 3 Evans and ended in a 11-1 Greenbrier blowout.

The Wolfpack went a perfect 7-0 against Columbia County teams and held the best regular-season record (21-0) in school history.

With the arrival of postseason play came the chance for more Wolfpack heroics. Greenbrier claimed the Region 2-AAAA Championship with a 9-3 win over Jones County.

As a No. 1 seed in the Class AAAA state tournament, Greenbrier saw a sign of things to come in Game 1 of its first-round match-up against Bainbridge. Greenbrier sophomore Nolan Belcher struck out 18 of 22 batters in the seven-inning game, and senior Cal Morris ended the game with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 win.

The Wolfpack went on to take the series, then sweep Whitewater in the second round. The perfect record came to an end at 30-0 when North Forsyth upset Greenbrier in Game 2 of the state quarterfinals.

The Wolfpack responded by winning Game 3, then sweeping Etowah in the state semifinals.

Greenbrier took the state championship with a sweep over Marist in the state finals. Senior Chris "Fud" Johnson led the way with three home runs on the final day of the season to give Greenbrier its fourth state championship in 10 years.

With no more teams left to beat, many Wolfpack players will now go their separate ways.

Right fielder Rafael Parks was selected by the Houston Astros in the major league baseball draft.

Third baseman Rich Poythress signed with the University of Georgia, and Johnson will play at Middle Georgia.

Head coach Ed Williams will go out on top after announcing his retirement early in the season.

Though the 2006 team has played its last game together, the memories will live on.

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