County is bursting with exciting news in sports

There was no shortage of big sports news in Columbia County this past week. It was a great time to be a Knights fan as Evans muscled in with a 1-2 punch on rival Greenbrier thanks to a 28-7 win in football last weekend and a 1-0 extra-inning victory in softball Tuesday.

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Greenbrier's volleyball team knocked off Lakeside for control of the region standings, while Harlem's softball team won a battle over Lakeside 9-0.

But there was more than just rivalry news. Take a look at these news items from around the county:

Panthers Pride

Former Lakeside football star Jermel Bennett is excelling at the college level. He's at Faulkner University, where the football program is in its first year. Bennett started on the defensive line in Faulkner's first football game. After the first three games of the year, he's tied for second on the team with 14 tackles, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss and has forced a fumble and recovered a fumble this season.

Also at Faulkner

Bennett isn't the only former Columbia County star at Faulkner this year. Former Evans volleyball standout Lauren Middleton is also an Eagle. Now a freshman, Middleton has seen regular playing time and has totaled 76 kills this season. She ranks third on the team in attack percentage and owns 52 blocks. Faulkner's volleyball team held a 12-5 record entering this weekend's play.

Blast from the past

Area soccer fans wishing for updates on past soccer stars need to look no further than Georgia Southern University. Check out who is on the Eagles' roster this fall. Do these names sound familiar?

GK Joey Ralph (Evans)

D Chad Strader (Evans)

MF David Knerr (Augusta Prep)

F/MF Luigi Clendening (Richmond Academy)

F/MF David Leonard (Aquinas)

GK Mike Gubosh (Aquinas)