Lakeside baseball kings truly upset Greenbrier

On April 4, Lakeside High School's baseball team upset Greenbrier to end an incredible streak for the Wolfpack.

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Normally, I do not use the word "upset" when discussing baseball, because in baseball any team can win on a given day. The very best teams each year lose a third of their games. This win, however, was, without question, an upset.

Lakeside struggled early this season. The Panthers dropped seven of their first nine games and stood at 4-9 after a loss to Evans on March 26. It seemed the Panthers were headed for the worst season in school history.

Somehow, someway, the Panthers have turned things around. Thanks in large part to great efforts on the mound by Harrison Brawley, the Panthers have reeled off four consecutive wins, including victories against Statesboro, Aquinas (No. 1 ranked Class A school in Georgia), and the stunner against Greenbrier.

Congratulations to the Panthers for not giving up on their season, and battling their way into the playoff picture.

The Panthers stand at 9-8 overall, but they are 4-2 in Region 3-AAAA and are playing about as solid as anyone in the area. Coach Jay Matthews and his team should be extremely proud.

As for Greenbrier ...

The loss to Lakeside ended an amazing run against Columbia County competition. The two-time defending state champs had not lost a game against a Columbia County team since April 19, 2005 -- a 2-0 loss to Lakeside. That's nearly three years of unblemished baseball in one of the top baseball counties in Georgia.

In all, Greenbrier won 16 consecutive county games over the course of the streak.