Plenty of good pitching around Middle Georgia

A pair of Middle Georgia pitchers did some serious work during the week … pretty much perfect work.

Bleckley County’s Carter Raffield and Veterans’ Derek Wylie threw perfect games. On Tuesday, Raffield showed why he’s getting some attention with a perfect game in the Royals’ 9-0 win over East Laurens. Raffield struck out 12 of the 21 batters he faced and needed 80 pitches to do so. He also went 1-for-2 at the plate from the fifth spot.

Teammate Shayne Cannon followed up on Friday with a no-hitter in the 15-0 win over Southwest to clinch the GHSA Region 3-2A title.

On Friday, with the Warhawks in must-win situations to stay alive for the Region 1-5A title, Wylie struck out 10 Warner Robins batters in the Warhawks’ five-inning 15-0 win. He added a 2-for-4 game with three RBI and a homer at the plate. The win, combined with Thomas County Central losses, delivered the regular-season region title to Veterans.

Signings update

▪ Dublin is sending a pair of football players to the next level. Lineman Lavonta Walden signed Friday to play at Thomas More College, while quarterback/running back Ramon Pittman will play at Carson-Newman.

Pittman was Region 3-2A’s offensive player of the year in 2016, and Walden was a second-team all-region pick at tight end in 2015.

Carson-Newman, which went 4-7 in 2016, had three of underclassmen from Middle Georgia on last year’s roster: quarterback Derrick Evans, place-kicker Temia Flint of Central and linebacker Thomas Brown of Warner Robins.

▪ Bleckley County’s Faith Harris has signed to play softball at Albany State after hitting .345 with 21 RBI as a senior.

Nice honors

▪ The resume of Westside’s Khavon Moore has grown with another honor as Moore made Maxpreps’ All-America junior basketball team at honorable mention.

Maxpreps picked three teams of five and a list of honorable mention. Moore is one of three players from Georgia on the team, with Langston Hughes’s Landers Nolley and Liberty County’s Will Richardson.

▪ A pair of area players has been named to Maxpreps’ list of the top 50 junior baseball players in the nation. Tattnall Square’s Logan Simmons is No. 11, while Bleckley County’s Raffield is No. 43. There are seven players from Georgia, including No. 1 Kumar Rocker of North Oconee.

▪ Macon County offensive lineman Christian Meadows and Peach County wideout Kearis Jackson are the latest area players to get an invite to a national all-star football game as both have committed to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-American game.

Houston County offensive lineman Trey Hill was invited in November to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, although he also has been invited to the Under Armour game. Hill is the second Houston County player to earn an invite to Nike’s The Opening Finals, joining former teammate Jake Fromm. The Opening Finals will be this summer in Beaverton, Oregon.