Parkview senior left-handed pitcher Mac Marshall can complete what is perhaps the best regular season in state history Friday.
Marshall, a potential first-round draft pick, has not allowed an earned run. He’s 7-0 with 56 strikeouts through 39 2/3 innings. He has allowed only 15 hits. He allowed one unearned run in a 2-1 victory against Archer on March 7.
Marshall’s next start will come Friday against Grayson (16-8, 12-2), the second-place team in Region 8-AAAAA. Parkview leads the region at 20-3, 14-0.
Parkview coach Chan Brown said Marshall doesn’t seem to feel any pressure with the streak.
“It’s not a worry, just a challenge for him,’’ Brown said. “He’s one of the biggest competitors I’ve ever coached. He’s competing against a team and himself to keep it alive.’’
Marshall could be Parkview’s third consecutive first-rounder and fourth overall behind Josh Hart (2013), Matt Olson (2012) and Jeff Francoeur (2002).
GACA Hall of Fame to induct six: Football coaches T. McFerrin, Buck Godfrey and Rodney Walker were selected for induction into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Also to be inducted May 31 in Dalton are Johnny Farmer of Fannin County (basketball), Jimmy Hires of Richmond Hill (basketball) and Lee Gower of Walton and McEachern (track and field and cross country).
McFerrin, who retired after the 2012 season, had a record of 340-102-4. He won state championships at Jefferson (2012) and Elbert County (1995). He coached four different schools to the state finals, five to the semifinals and seven to the quarterfinals, all state records.
Godfrey also retired after the 2012 season and spent his 30 seasons as a head coach at Southwest DeKalb. His record was 273-89-1. He won a state title in 1995.
Walker, whose final season came in 2011 at his alma mater Mary Persons, won 300 games in Georgia, 302 overall, while coaching at eight Georgia schools. His 1984 West Rome won a state championship, and his 1998 team from Peach County and 1988 team at Stephens County were state runners-up.
Pastrick out at South Cobb after month on the job: Cobb County Schools last week rescinded its job offer to South Cobb football coach Geoff Pastrick, whose hiring was announced a month ago. Pastrick, formerly head coach at Chapel Hill, had been setting up offseason conditioning and planning for spring practice. School officials would say only that human resources did not follow hiring procedures. Pastrick was replaced by assistant coach Sherrod Rainge, an offensive line coach for the past two seasons.
There were several other coaching changes reported in the past week:
- Roger Gentry, who led Sonoraville to its first state-playoff berth in 2013, resigned after three seasons to become offensive coordinator at Stephens County under new coach Frank Barden.
- Dexter Dawson was approved as the football coach at Americus-Sumter this week. Dawson is an assistant principal at the school and has been an Americus-Sumter assistant coach and Twiggs County coach. Dawson replaces Reggie Mitchell, who resigned earlier this month.
- Miller County approved Mary Persons offensive coordinator Jeremy Rayburn as head coach Monday. Rayburn has been on Mary Persons' staff since 2007 and was part of seven consecutive winning seasons and the school's first 10-win seasons (2012, 2013) since 1998. Rayburn is a Thomasville native.
- Craig Chatman, Lovejoy's offensive coordinator since 2002 and an alumnus of the school, is moving to Lithia Springs, where he'll be a head coach for the first time. But Chatman has unfinished business at Lovejoy. He has been the team's baseball coach since 2002. Chatman said he would start spring football practice May 5.
About the Author
