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 Top Stories

Coach Guthrie selected to speak at Georgia Athletic Coaches’ Association Clinic in June!

MMI WRESTLERS FINISH 5TH AT NCWA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The Marion Military Institute Wrestling team finished 5th overall recently at the NCWA National Tournament held in Lakeland, Florida.  Out of the 75 schools represented, Marion was able to climb into the top 5 for the second straight year.  MMI qualified 13 wrestlers for the national tournament, the largest number in the history of the MMI wrestling program.

Individual Wrestlers Earning Awards:

Cee-Jay Hamilton (125 lb) – NATIONAL CHAMPION (2-time NCWA National Champion;2-time NCWA All-American)

Ben Canning (133 lb) – National Runner-Up (lost 4-0 in finals); NCWA All-American

Derrick Lucas (157 lb) – 7^th place; NCWA All-American

Wallace State into the semis
By Bryan App,  Staff Writer

MUSCLE SHOALS - To coach Marcus Thomas, it's as simple as one, two, three.

His team was gypped.

It happened less than three minutes into the second half of Marion Military Institutes's 95-85 second-round loss to No. 1 Wallace State-Hanceville in the Alabama Community College Conference Tournament Tuesday. That's when the Tigers' second-leading scorer Maurice Bolden picked up what should have been his third foul. Instead, the official scorer tagged Bolden with his fourth, forcing Thomas to sit the standout for all but the closing minutes of the second half before Bolden fouled out with 53 seconds remaining.

"That changed the entire atmosphere of the game," Thomas said. "The scoreboard was messed up, and the refs didn't catch it. I caught it, but I was catching a lot of things they weren't. Wallace State played a solid game, but we played better."

Bolden sat the final 3:05 of the first half after being whistled for his second foul, but the scoreboard showed that he had three. He finished with eight points in 22-plus minutes.

Even without one of their top scorers, the Tigers kept it close. Jermaine Mallet knocked down a 3-pointer with 13:56 remaining, cutting MMI's deficit to 52-49. But fueled by Chris Goodwin's hot hand, Wallace State surged ahead. Goodwin sank consecutive treys to give the Lions a 65-54 lead with 10:21 to play, and he seemed to answer every MMI run, sinking five 3-pointers in the second half.

"We don't win that game if he doesn't show up to play," Wallace State coach Allen Sharpe said. "We can't give up 80 points a game and expect to remain in this tournament much longer."

Wallace State (31-0) came into the game with the nation's third-best team defense. Gary Redus scored 20 to pace MMI (19-12). Eric Allen added 16 points, and Mallett had 16.

Goodwin and Brandon Moore finished with 21 points apiece to lead five Lions scorers in double-digits, while Cory Cooperwood added 14.

Wallace State will face Chattahoochee Valley in the semifinals today at 8 p.m. at Northwest-Shoals.

"I'd rather it not be that close," Goodwin said. "(MMI) said they were going to give us all we could handle, and they did. We've got to play better defense."

MMI WRESTLERS TAKE 2^ND AT SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

Men's Basketball Improves to 15-9

Marion (2/14) - MMI's men's basketball team improved to 15-9 overall with a home win against 3rd ranked Snead State CC Tuesday night.  The win was Marion's second in a row against North Region teams and keeps the tigers in the hunt for post-season play.  The tigers spotted the Parsons a two-point lead to start the game but went on a 9-point run and really were never threatened again.  Midway through the first half the tigers had built an 11-point lead and took a 42-30 lead into half time.  Eric Allen, the ACCC scoring leader, came off the bench to lead Marion's offense. He finished with 33 points on five-of-eight from behind the arc and five rebounds.    

"That was probably the second most complete game for 20 minutes that we played all season," head coach Marcus Thomas said.  "I thought the guys did a great job of executing in the first half."                                                                                                                   

 Both teams started the second half slow but the momentum shifted to the home squad when the tigers went on an 18-6 run to take a 60-38 advantage . Snead was able to get back within nine points late in the game, but MMI was able to hold off the late rally and post the 91-82 victory.  James Bolden collected 7 rebounds for the tigers, along with 7 points in an impressive defensive stint.  Stetson Johnson scored 11 points with 4 rebounds. Gary Redus dished out 8 assists while scoring 8 and collecting 2 rebounds.  Maurice Bolden finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds while Jermaine Mallett had 10 points and 6 rebounds, K.T. Hardy had 4 points and 2 assists, and Willie McGinnis scored 3 points.

MMI'S FIRST TENNIS SIGNEE - TAYLOR MILLER

MARION (1/24) - Head tennis coach, Chuck Wright, signed his first recruit for the 2008-2009 season last week.  Taylor Miller, a senior at Sebastian River High School in Sebastian, Florida committed to Marion's tennis program with the hopes of putting MMI tennis on the map.  Currently Miller sports a 3.7 GPA while taking honors classes in Physics, Government, Economics, and Anatomy.  Her desired major is Veterinary Medicine.  During Taylor's sophomore year she played in the #3 singles and #1 doubles position; during her junior-year campaign she played in the #1 singles and #1 doubles slots.  In that two-year time span she compiled a 13-13 record in singles and a 16-10 record in doubles.  A three-time letterman, Taylor will the the team captain this year.

 WRESTLERS COMPETE AT CUMBERLAND TOURNAMENT

MARION (1/23) - Marion's wrestlers travelled to Lebanon, Tennessee last weekend to compete in the Phoenix Open at Cumberland University.  Fresh off their 3rd place finish at the National Duals, the tigers continued toward their goal of competing for a national championship.  Two champions were crowned: Cee-Jay Hamilton in the 125 lb weight class and Derrick Miller in the 174 lb weight class.  Quintilus Snow placed second in the 184 lb weight class while Ben Canning (141 lb weight class) and Ian Wrenn (165 lb weight class) each took 3rd place.  Kyler Kirkwood (174 lb weight class) and Shane Raymond (285 lb weight class) finished fourth for MMI.  Theteam travels to St. Louis, MO for the Meramec Duals this weekend in a tough junior college tournament.

MMI WRESTLERS TAKE 3^rd AT NWCA/CLIFF KLEEN NATIONAL DUALS

Marion, AL (1/15) - The Marion Military Institute wrestling team traveled to the University of Northern Iowa for the NWCA/Cliff Kleen National Duals Tournament this past weekend for the first time in school history.  With over 80 schools in attendance, brackets were set up for all categories represented: NCAA I, II, III, NAIA, NJCAA, and NCWA (MMI competes in the NCWA).  The first round of the tournament saw the #4 ranked tigers against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  The tigers easily advanced to the second round after a lop-sided 51-9 victory.  The second round wasn’t as easy as Marion faced the #1 ranked Grand Valley State University from Michigan.  With only two individual wrestlers earning victories the tigers fell 42-10 sending them into the consolation bracket against the University of Central Florida.  UCF lost their second round match with Newman University 22-17. 

The match between Marion and UCF saw a see-saw battle throughout with the tigers trailing early.  MMI trailed UCF 13 to 9 before Derrick Miller (174 WT CLASS) won his match in overtime.  The tigers proceeded to lose the next weight class. Tyler Barberi (197 WT CLASS) defeated Danny Fernandez, a wrestler he lost to first semester.   Marion still trailed before Jay Brenowitz (235 WT CLASS) came through and won his match by the score of 18 to 17.  The final match of the meet, the heavyweight class, was going to determine which team took third and which finished in fourth place.  MMI’s Shane Raymond was familiar with his opponent, Jesse Pinson, who defeated him first semester.  Halfway through the match with Raymond behind in points, he gets behind Pinson and does a side roll, lands on top and pins his opponent.  That win, with 4:39 on the clock secured 3^rd place for MMI and a 24-17 victory.

Marion will travel to Lebanon, TN next to compete in the Cumberland University tournament.

 MMI EXPLODES IN SECOND HALF TO DEFEAT WALLACE CC – SELMA

MARION (12/13) --The MMI men’s basketball team saw a see-saw battle throughout the first half in last night’s action at the Ireland Athletic Center on Marion’s campus.  Turnovers and missed shots by the Tigers along with a 15-point scoring half by Patriot’s freshman center Justin Williams allowed the Selma team to take a 38-36 lead into half time.

Coming out of the locker room for the second half, head coach Marcus Thomas had his squad fired up and ready to compete.  Freshman swingman Gary Redus II tied the game on the first play of scrimmage and from that point on the tigers never relinquished the lead. The trio of Redus, Eric Allen and Maurice Bolden helped Marion build a double-digit lead and take the air out of Wallace CC early in the second half.  The Patriot’s coaching staff called a time-out with 14 minutes still on the clock trying to slow down Marion’s momentum, but with the crowd behind the home team the lead grew from a 12 point lead to a 25 point lead in just a 3-minute span.  Behind the 3-point shooting of Willie McGinnis, Eric Allen and Maurice Bolden and easy lay-ups off steals by Stetson Johnson and Roman Tubner the tigers were able to build the lead to 30 late in the game. With the final score 102-73, MMI improved their record to 11-2. 

Eric Allen led MMI with 22 points, hitting 4 for 6 from behind the 3-point line.  Maurice Bolden added 21, Gary Redus and Willie McGinnis each collected 12, and Jermaine Mallett had 10.  Roman Tubner scored nine, Stetson Johnson five, Tyrell Hardy and Langston Williams each had four, and Richard Harper finished with two points.

Wallace CC was led by Justin Williams who led all scorers with 25 points.  Alfred Smith added 10 for the Patriots. Phillip Johnson scored nine, Chris Walker eight, Benjamin Burroughs five, Jeremy Russell and Michael Acoff four each, Deundre Hubbard and Billy Marcus Byrd each had three, and Sidney McNeary finished with two points.

Marion will travel to Muscle Shoals for their first Region match-up against Northwest Shoals CC Monday, December 17^th.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm. 

MEN'S BASKETBALL DEFEATS FAULKNER STATE CC

MARION (12/7) -- The MMI men's basketball team was able to hold off the Faulkner State Sun Chiefs who staged a late rally but fell just short 84-81 last Friday night in ACCC action.   Playing before a rowdy home crowd at the William R. Ireland Athletic Center, the tigers built an 11 point lead at the half.  The Sun Chiefs rallied and took a one point lead late in the second half before Marion's Gary Redus solidified the win, going 7 for 7 from the free throw line. This improves Marion' record to 10-2 on the season.

Eric Allen led MMI in scoring with 17 points. Richard Harper and Gary Redus each added 15 points for the home team. Jermaine Mallett had 10, Maurice Bolden and Roman Tubner eight apiece, Tyrell Hardy scored four, Langston Williams, Thomas Orr and James Bolden each contributed with two, and Willie McGinnis had one point.

Faulkner, coached by MMI alum Jack Robertson, was paced by Terrance Mitchell's 16 points, while David Johnson added 12 and Cedric Freeman had 10 for the Sun Chiefs.  Tubner had three steals for the tigers who were led in rebounding by Maurice Bolden who finished with nine. Faulkner outrebounded MMI in the contest 46-29.

Marion returns to action Wednesday, December 12th when they host Wallace State CC - Selma in the Ireland Athletic Center.  A 7:00pm tip is scheduled. 

 OTHER NEWS

Woodstock’s Gabby Arcuri commits to play softball at Marion Military Institute!

MARION (12/6) --  Gabby Arcuri, starting first baseman for Coach Tonya Sebring’s Woodstock High School softball team the past two seasons, has committed to play junior college softball at Marion Military Institute in Alabama.  With that move, Arcuri is making history.  Though the school has been in existence since 1842, this softball team will be MMI’s first.  Head coach Joe Guthrie on Gabby's commitment to his new program, “I want to immediately establish a championship program.  In order to accomplish this goal, it helps to have players who know how to win championships.  Gabby’s got excellent potential at the next level.  Her impact at MMI will be felt immediately.”  Arcuri was a starter on the 2006 AAAAA State Championship team at Woodstock.  She also played travel ball with the Rockdale Tomahawks last year.  

Faith Academy’s Lauren Lewis commits to play college softball at Marion Military Institute

MARION (12/6) --  ‘Being strong up the middle’ is a characteristic most softball coaches would agree all good teams possess.  Marion Military Institute’s softball team took a step closer to becoming such a team this week.  Faith Academy’s Shortstop Lauren Lewis verbally committed to MMI, becoming another charter member of MMI’s first softball team.  “We were very fortunate to have a quality individual like Lauren.  Her self-discipline and our school’s structure are a perfect match”, said MMI Head Coach Joe Guthrie.  Lewis participated in the AISA Softball All-Star game last year and recently won a volleyball State Championship at Faith Academy.  

Faith Academy’s Meagan Ladner commits to play college softball at Marion Military Institute

MARION, AL (12/5) --  Some things are just meant to be.  Marion Military Institute’s Head Softball Coach Joe Guthrie sure thinks so about Faith Academy’s Meagan Ladner.  “I think from the first time I spoke with Meagan until the moment she committed we had a great feeling about her future at Marion.”  Last week, Ladner committed to play Softball at MMI.  “It’s extremely exciting to start a new program.  We want to win championships.  To accomplish that task, we are going after the best players we can find.  Meagan is a testament to that belief.  She’s a winner and will help our program immediately”, Guthrie said.  Ladner was a 2007 All-State selection by the Birmingham News and also participated in the AISA All-Star game last Spring.  She is coached at Faith Academy by Woodie Head. Meagan also played for the prestigious West Florida Elite travel ball team run by Dennis Roesle.