Teamwork Takes Everybody On And Off The Field  

                                                                         2009 AAAAA FINAL FOUR TEAM 

                                                             CONGRATULATIONS 2009 EAST PAULDING RAIDERS

             EP Banquet was held 6/8 and was a great night that ended a great season.

The following 2009 Awards were as follows.

                                           Varsity                                    JV

Offensive Player Of Year- Andy Almonte                     William Patrick

Defensive Player of Year-  Zack Gonosz                       Justin Batcher

Pitcher of the Year         -  Zack Wheeler                     Cody Gable

Most Valueble Player      -   Michael Goodman                 Hayden Pettita

Ronnie Green Award        -  Phillip Cochran                     Todd Crowe

     The Major League Draft was the next night and how exciting that was as Zack Was drafted in the 6th over all pick to the San Francisico Giants.   What A Year.  

     Summer Ball is in full swing and the Varsity Raiders won the Allatoona Tournament last weekend.  Great job guys.  

      Zack was the sixth player drafted in the  MLB draft by the  San Francsisco Giants.     Thanks to Barry and Elaine for hosting all Zack's Teamates, family and friends to this momentus event.  More photos to come.   Zack signed autographs for 1 hour after the pick.  Everyone is very excited about the future of one East Pauldings own.  WOW what a year 2009.   THANKS ZACK AND RAIDER BASEBALL PROGRAM  FOR THE MEMORIES.........GOOD LUCK ZACK....WE WILL BE WATCHING 

Check link with Zacks Friends and Family minutes after draft pick.

 http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090609&content_id=5228744&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf

SEE SFO GAINTS WEBISTE

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=sf

      Congratulations to Michael Goodman and Zack Wheeler for being selected to the 2009 400 Club.  John Shuerholz and the Atlanta Braves welcomed both of these players to the 755 Club Facility for this special presentation.  The Atlanta Braves honor top rated High School Baseball Players from all different regions.  In addition Zack Wheeler was selected and Georgia 400 Club Player Of The Year.   WAY TO GO GUYS.   

       Another great season comes to a official end Monday Night with the 2009 East Paulding Baseball Banquet held at Stars and Strikes in Hiram.  A great night is planned and we are all looking forward to it.  East  Paulding Graduation is tonight and The Raider Baseball Family would like to congratulate all the 2009 Senior ball players.   Below are the college  plans of the players  that we have heard from. If they are playing a sport it is listed beside the school.

#4 Trent Glover           Georgia Southern

#6 Steven Nix           LaGrange College       Football

#9 Andy Almonte         Gordon College          Baseball

#10 Stuart Young        Reinhardt College       Baseball

#18 Michael Goodman Wallace College           Baseball

#14 Phillip Cochran    (Has not sent Plans Yet) 

#15  Zack Gonosz        Kent State University Football

#19  Derek Ward        Penn State University

#22  Matt Cole           Berry College 

#23  Jacob Forrest     Shorter College     Baseball

#45   Zack Wheeler    Major Leagues

Mgr    Ryan Craven      Jacksonville State University

Mgr   Chris Furby        Georgia Southern

      Good luck to all of you and your futures.  

On Behalf of the East Paulding Players and Coaches I have been asked to say SAY THANK YOU

     The above picture is not of good quality but was taken in Lowndes County after Raiders just advanced to the Final Four.  Its was a ovation from the players and coaches thanking all the fans, students and parents that sat through nasty weather to cheer for EP.  The show of thanks meant a lot to all of us in the stands.  Many of the fans drove 4 hours to see the game and drove 4 hours back after the games.   After the game late that night at the team hotel several players ask me to pass along THANKS.

      On behalf of all the players, coaches and staff of the team we would like to say Thanks for all your support.   Every night whether our game was home or away we always had the stands packed.  At home it was full of students every night and always very loud and supportive.   We will  never forget that last out at home this year in the Mill Creek Playoff game or the ovation after the late inning win against Kennesaw Mt. .   It was awesome.  Thanks for all the Snack Bags and Candy Bags left in our hotel rooms on road trips.  This all took effort.  And Thanks Brigette for the awesome pictures that we got on Senior Night.    What a ride....We did the best we could  and although just short of a State Championship Game we far surpassed our goals and expectations.  Thanks for all your financial support and the many hours you spent making our baseball experience the best it could be.    

THANKS AGAIN FOR 2009 A MILESTONE YEAR FOR THE RAIDERS 

PLAYERS, COACHES, STAFF OF  2009 EAST PAULDING RAIDERS

(This conversation was with 3 or 4 players at the team Hotel in Valdosta and they ask me to pass along their thanks.  Also additional comments from guys after semi-Finals....  Pretty Cool from several 17 and 18 year olds) 

       Raiders win a pair of games by the score of 2-1 with outstanding pitching.  RAIDERS ARE GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR IN THE STATE.    This is the farthest the team has ever gone.  One series away from a State Championship Game.  1st game Wheeler outstatnding. A two hitter with 14 strikeouts and Bobby Rednour followed against Lowndes ace with a 1 hitter and 13 strikeouts.  28 K's in 2 games. Also a large crowd showed here for a game 4 hours away.  We had as many fans as Lowndes.   The Radio Station called it the best playoff tandum of pitching they had ever seen.  The Raiders hit the ball well just left a lot of stranded runners.   The night was ended at the team hotel with the guys seeing the local news headline the sports with the EP victory.

WOW......IF YOU WERE THERE YOU GOT YOUR $$$ WORTH..GO RAIDERS***

      I will not begin to try to report the highlights but Keith Nix is pretty godd on giving a quick and brief report.   THE RAIDERS BATS ARE UNREAL.  15 HITS AND 28 HITS BETWEEN BOTH TEAMS.  THE WHOLE LINE PRODUCES.   If you were part of huge crowd at the game you got your $7.00 worth.   RAIDERS ARE IN THE TOP 8 TEAMS IN THE STATE NOW.....CONGRATULATIONS.......

THANKS TO ALL THE STUDENTS,TEACHERS,PARENTS AND FRIENDS THAT SUPPORTED US ALL YEAR.  IN CONGRATS TO MILL CREEK FOR THEIR CLASS AND A GREAT SEASON.   WE HAVE FELT YOUR PAIN BEFORE.

HERE IS KEITHS REPORT...

 A BARN BURNER IF THERE EVER WAS ONE.  EP  ahead 3-1 early.  Mill Creek score 4 to take a 7-3 lead.  EP  makes it 7-5,then takes a 9-7 lead.but, Mill Creek  creek came back and tied it @ 9-9.with 2 outs in the top of the 7th,east scores 4 and goes ahead 13-9,but Mill Creek makes it 13-10 and loads the bases w/ one out.talk about a nail biter!!!!congrats to mill creek--they never quit and have some really good ballplayers!!!

                                             Congratulations to Stuart Young

               2009 Recipient of The Coach Ronnie Green Scholarship Award 

      Zack Wheeler and the raiders return for Round 2 TODAY....GAME 1 AT 4PM

AND GAME 2 AT 7PM........COME OUT AND SEE SOEM EXCTING BASEBALL.

WE NEED EVERYONES SUPPORT....GO RAIDER 

BASEBALL DRAMA AT ITS BEST  

Raiders Lose Game 1 5-4 in bottom of 7th .....Win Game 2 in Bottom of 8th

     RAIN-HAIL-FOG you name it it came.  So we moved the Coach Green Ceremony and the  large crowd indoors to the facility he wanted to build.   The Ceremony went on and was very nice.  Thanks to the many Alumni and Faculty that came out to honor our Former Coach.  Also thanks to Etowah for their  support also.  We will reschedule this game Saturday at 1PM.   Very Disapointing but thats the way it goes.    

     EP Vs. Kennesaw Mt....Rematch with the Mustangs will be Friday Night at KMHS.  After  the last game between the two teams this promises to be a hot contest.  Raiders need as many fans to support the effort  on the road as we can get.  Game time 5:55.

So Here is The Schedule for Next 2 Days

Friday Varsity at Kennesaw Mt.  5:55   VERY IMPORTANT GAME

Saturday JV Home 10:00AM Alexander  Last Game. Varsity Folks Come Out and support this team and congratulate them on a great season.

Saturday Varsity  1PM Vs. Etowah   JV stay and support Varsity as this could decide the Region lead depending on Fridays outcome.  See latest standings after Harrsion Loss Thur.

        What a pitchers dual tonight.  Zack Wheeler pitched his second shutout in a row with 14 strikeouts.  Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning after a Andy Almonte single and a Tyler Sims Sac Bunt.  Andy was driven in after Michael Goodman forced 3B into a error.  Raiders came close to scoring in the 5th 3 hits by Nix,Glover and Almonte but ended with a close play on Stuart Young at the plate.  Kent Emmanual of Woodstock also pitched a heck of a game also Striking Out 14 Raider batters.   A sea of scouts watching both these pitchers tonight.  Zack K the side in the 7th to take the win.  WOW.  

Raiders are now right with Harrsion and  Etowah at top of region each with 2 losses.   AWESOME.

     Varsity Raiders win 5-2 against North Cobb.  Zack Wheeler with the win with 15 strikeouts for the night.  Raider Bats had 11 hits.  The team is  now 3-1 in the Region and play Etowah on the road Thursday Night.    Great Win.  Raiders have won last 4 out of 5 games and are staying with the powerhouse teams in the region such as Kennesaw Mt., Harrison and Woodstock.     

JV Wins 10-8

     JV comes back from a 7-1 score to tie it 7-7 in the 7th.  This was helped by a Cody Divin 3 run homer.  JV Raiders score 3 in the 8th and win 10-8.  Team still undefeated.  

        East Paulding Raiders shutout Cherokee County in their 3rd region game 10-0 in Canton tonight.   Raiders bats were very strong.  Chase Carruth had 4 RBI's with a Sac Bunt and a extra base hit in the 5th inning.  Bobby Rednour pitched for EP and got the shutout.   Raiders played very good defense tonight.  Raiders finish the week winning 2 out of 3 Region Games and 6-5 on season.   The one loss this week was a one run loss to Harrison 8-7 on Thursday.  

**Correction**Mistake on last nights update.  Michael Goodman's HR against Harrison was a 3 Run Homer  not  a Grand Slam.   The blast did make the score 5-4 though. 

JV  Wins Again   10-8 against Cherokee JV ....Still Undefeated  Great Job Coach Roberts and Coach Moffet. 

VARSITY NEXT GAME -TUES AT EAST PAULDING VS. NORTH COBB 5:55PM

 The Raiders defeat South Paulding 12-0 in 5 innings last night.  Raiders entire line up contributed with singles and doubles and Jacob Forrest hit a home run to top things off offensively.   Bobby Redenour started and pitched 4 scoreless innings with Lance Gray finishing the 5th off successfully.  Raiders now start Region play next Tuesday against South Cobb with a record of 4-4 overall record.  Raiders have played well and with the exception of one game have been very competitive.  South Cobb will come into EP with a 5-1 record to date and playing well.   This will be a very big game.  Starting region play with a win will be crucial.  Great Crowd last night also...Lets keep the crowds up.   

JV   East Paulding vs. Paulding County   1PM  Sat 3/14 at EP Weather permitting

      The Raiders win first contest of the season 10-3 in the Pre-Season matchup at North Paulding.  A large  crowd showed up this game as it was the first ever played at North Paulding.  The Wolfpack kept the game close till the 6th inning.  With the game at 5-3 Raiders  got into  the Home Run mode.  Trent Glover hit a 3 run  homer, Michael Goodman and Jacob Forrest both with one run shots.  Pitching looked good for East Paulding.   North Paulding has a good future in AAAA and a very nice facility.  Next Game Friday Night.  It is the Home Opener against Pope High School.   It will be a real tough contest friday night.      

         One of the great things about being a part of East Paulding Baseball is the quality of the coaching staff.  The players at EP have a great relationship with the coaches and that makes for a very positive atmosphere in the clubhouse and on the field.  One of those coaches is our JV Head Coach Kevin Roberts.  Kevin is also on staff at Roberts Middle School.  Coach Roberts in his second year at EP has compiled a record of 34-2.  His first year he lead the team to a 18-0 undefeated season.   He has also coached at Woodland, and Cass HS both football and baseball.  Coach Roberts is married to wife Regina who during the season has to be very supportive in her own way due to the many hours a job like this can take up.  Coach Roberts and Regina have one daughter named Lauren.  He is a graduate of  Kennesaw State University and also attended Reinhardt College in Waleska.  When Coach Roberts is not tied up teaching or coaching he enjoys Deer Hunting and Golf.  When ask what he likes about EP he added " I enjoy the family atmosphere of the EP baseball program.  I also enjoy the dedication that the players and parents put into the program,  and lets not forget about the big screen TV in the clubhouse.  That is pretty sweet also. "

         WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A GUY LIKE KEVIN ROBERTS THAT ALL THE PLAYERS LOOK UP TO.    THANKS COACH AND KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO.

                                                                                   GO RAIDERS 2009 SEASON

         On August 8 our own Zack Wheeler was selected as one of the top 38 High School players nationwide to play in the AFLAC All-American game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles California.  Zack Started the game and pitched well.  The AFLAC East team won in a late surge 4-3.  FSN covered the game live on national TV.  2 weeks later Zack pitched at Wrigley Field in Chicago at the Under Armor All-Star event.  Congratulations to Zack for representing our school so well.      

Friday night the Raiders took two from Ridgeland behind great pitching and great hitting. Zach Wheeler shut the door on the Panthers in game 1 with a 4 inning perfect game, striking out 11 of the 12 batters he faced. The offense did the rest, piling up 15 runs on 11 hits. Andy Almonte went 3 for 3 with a home run, Matt Aultman went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's. Eric Gaylord had 2 hits and 3 RBI's, Stuart Young a triple and an RBI, Adam Brazenas a hit and an RBI, and Zach Gonosz also had a triple and an RBI. A great effort in Game 1.

In game 2, with Adam Hall on the hill to start, we piled up 4 in the second and never looked back. Another game with lots of hits (13) too. Adam Brazenas went 3 for 3 with an RBI and 3 runs scored. Eric Gaylord continued his torrid pace with 2 more hits and 2 RBI's, Matt Aultman had a triple, Trent Glover a double and a single, Andy Almonte had a double, Stuart Young a triple and 2 RBI's, Justin Griswell a single, Zach Gonosz a single and an RBI, and Jacob Forrest had a hit too. On the hill, Adam Hall went 5 innings for the win, allowing just 4 singles and 1 earned run.

The fans were great (albeit a bit rowdy), their coach got tossed in game 2, and we had a great turnout! Pretty much a little of everything last night. Next up is Salem at home on Wednesday. They will be a much more formidable foe. Lets keep the place rockin! Show up and cheer for the good guys. Man I felt sorry for their catcher though!

Cherokee and Alexander were eliminated last night and Sequoyah is playing their rubber game today. Let's pull for that other region 5 team, eh? See you soon!

On Wednesday night we will be celebrating our graduating seniors. This will be their last regualar season game suiting up in the home whites for the Raiders. We have a great night planned for the old geezers. Please make sure to get there by 5:30 as the seats will be filling up and the festivities will begin soon after, around 5:45PM. This is a great group of kids who have been a part of 2 consecutive region champioships and 4 straight years of making the playoffs. Let's give them a great sendoff! The graduating seniors are:

Matt Aultman 

Adam Brazenas

Will Brooks

Jake Field

Erick Gaylord

Justin Griswell

Austin Meek

Adam Hall

Geraldo Mancilla

Rudy Rodriguez

Chris Wilson

A huge win for the Raiders. Early in the game, we fell behind 4-0. In the process we kept leaving men on base as we just couldn't seem to get a hit when we needed it. In the 5th, still down 4-0, we finally pushed one across on a Zach Gonosz sac fly to make it 4-1. With coach Reed helping get the fans up and loud, we started off the 6th with a Rudy Rodriguez pinch single. Andy Almonte followed that up with an opposite field double, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. A base hit to right center by Stuart Young brought home 2 and it was suddenly 4-3. Our fans and bench were going wild. Matt Aultman then hit a line drive to right that their fielder muffed for a 2 base error, putting the tying and lead runs at 2nd and 3rd. After an out, they intentionally walked Adam Brazenas to load the bases, hoping for the double play ball by Jacob Forrest. But Jacob nailed the 2nd pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam, giving us a 7-4 lead that we wouldn't relinquish. Zach Wheeler pitched 6 innings with 14K's and no earned runs. Adam Hall closed the game by pitching the 7th inning. A great win by the Raiders and a huge comeback showed we just might have what it takes. A big thanks to Coach Reed and our fans for being so loud and positive. It definitely helped inspire the team.

Adam Brazenas, senior catcher and first baseman for the Raiders has agreed to a scholarship to attend Oglethorpe University and continue his playing career at the Buckhead (Ga) university next year. Adam has been a varsity starter at East since the end of his freshman season. He has also played for Team Georgia and was a pre season first team all state selection this year. His parents, Jeff and Lisa are very proud of him.  Go get em Adam!  Click on the underlined caption for the Oglethorpe writeup on Adam.

Adam's commitment makes a total of 3 Raiders (so far) who will be playing at the next level in 09!