Seniors Jesi Garrett, Sarah Margaret Poundstone, and Payton Traff represented Macon East’s volleyball team in the AISA All-Star game Saturday, October 31 at the Montgomery Multiplex. The Lady Knights and the East team easily defeated the West in 3 sets. Jesi Garrett was named MVP of the East squad.
Jesi Garrett has been named as a state finalist for the prestigious Wendy’s High School Heisman program. Jesi is an exceptional student athlete and exemplifies the ideals of a Heisman. She was selected based on her success in volleyball, basketball and softball as well as her outstanding academic achievements in the classroom. Each state finalist receives a bronze medal and a Wendy’s gift card. The Wendy’s High School Heisman program has recognized exceptional student athletes for more than two decades. The program continues to provide a platform where students are acknowledged and rewarded for their hard work and also inspired to continue their success. Finalists are eligible to be selected as State winners and National winners.
The Macon East Academy chapter of the National Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony on Thursday, October 29. Thirteen new members were inducted into the society for the 2015-2016 school year. New members receiving their certificate of accomplishment and pledging to uphold the standards of NHS were Parker Agnew, Drew Baker, Savannah Clemens, Jaycee Cook-McColllum, Katie Jo Dickey, Austin Gault, Karli Hawkins, Hannah Johnson, Susie Johnson, Amber McGuff, Travis Moody, Bryson O’Malley, and Trent Watson. Qualifications for membership in NHS include a GPA of 3.5 or higher as well as upholding the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Serving as officers for the national honor society are seniors, Grace Allen – President, Ally Slaton – Vice President, Bailey Blaze – Secretary, and Sarah Margaret Poundstone – Treasurer.
The varsity volleyball team did it again this season winning their 5th consecutive AISA AA State Championship defeating Kingwood Christian in the final game (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) at Faulkner University. The Lady Knights were undefeated all season with a record of 29-0 and 76 straight match victories. In the semi-final game against Coosa Valley, Macon East came back from a two set loss to advance to the final match. The loss to Coosa Valley ended a 199 consecutive game winning streak by the Lady Knights, but they did what they had to do to battle back and get the match win. Lexi Brantley and Payton Traff were named to the all-tournament team, and Jesi Garrett with 33 kills and 28 digs was named tournament MVP. Jesi also reached a 1,000 kill career milestone in the first game of the state tournament. Brantley who had achieved 500 career aces and 2,000 career kills earlier in the season finished the tournament with 7 aces, 31 kills, 5 digs, and 29 assists, along with Traff’s 50 assists, 12 kills, 5 aces, and 4 digs and Sami Nesbitt’s 15 kills, 10 aces, 14 digs, and 5 blocks. Both Brantley and Garrett will continue their volleyball careers next year at the collegiate level playing for Bellhaven University and College of Coastal Georgia. The Lady Knights will lose 5 seniors who lead this team on and off the court, but they will come back strong and ready for the challenge in 2016.
Mrs. York’s class had a great time planting their fall garden. The first graders chose the plants they wanted to plant, dug the holes, planted, and watered. The students planted broccoli, red cabbage, kale, lettuce, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts, and radish seeds. This activity was in conjunction with the study of plants in science. The first grade loves going to the Outdoor Classroom.
Coach Erica Hammonds and the Student Government Association organized a school-wide Pantene Challenge event on Friday, October 23. Pantene Beautiful Lengths, in partnership with HairUWear and the American Cancer Society, encourages people to cut and donate their healthy hair to create wigs for cancer patients. The SGA and each grade has been raising money for this event throughout the month of October in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month. Overall Macon East collected 8 ponytails and over $600 in donations. Kaiden Byrom, Anna Watson, Ally Matthews, Jennifer Campbell, Emily Kyser, Kirksey Jones and Coach Erica Hammonds each had their hair cut in front of a crowd of cheering fans at the Pink Out Pep Rally. Sixth grader Brantley Main also donated her ponytail earlier in the school year. With a goal of $500, the SGA is excited to have raised over $600 in monetary donations to further the efforts of Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths initiative. The 4th grade class raised the most with $151 given in honor of MEA parent and breast cancer survivor, Brittny Hemphill.
We would like to thank everyone who supported the Pantene Challenge in its mission to help women battling cancer. A special thank you to the four amazing stylists who donated their time and talents to the cause. Tammi Fett (360 Salon), Maegan Humphries (Viola’ Salon), Vanessa Krasnowiecki (Suite 140), and Ellen Kyser (2’s Company) provided not only the ponytail cut but a new hairstyle for each of our brave participants at the Pep Rally.
Macon East celebrated Homecoming the week of October 12-16. Events included themed dress up days, homeroom door decorating contest, the annual Junior/Senior powder puff game, a pep rally, tailgating on campus, and a parade. Homecoming Court attendants selected by their classmates were Katherine Kirk (7th grade), Kayla Boroff (8th grade), Sydney Weverink (9th grade), Calley Bocchino & Katie Jo Dickey (10th grade), Sami Nesbitt, Rai Pritchett & Sommer Sears (11th grade), Lexi Brantley, Kelsey Granger, Emily Kyser & Paxton Searle (12th grade). At halftime of the football game, Lexi Brantley was crowned as the 2015 Homecoming Queen. Macon East defeated Lakeside Academy 35-20 in a game that clenched the Knights a spot in the playoffs. The upper school students celebrated the win at the annual Homecoming dance.
Senior volleyball standout, Lexi Brantley, has played varsity volleyball at Macon East since 7th grade and has helped lead the team to four state championships since 2011. This year the Lady Knights continue on a winning streak with an undefeated season headed into the playoffs. In 2015, Lexi has achieved two major milestones racking up 2,000 career assists and 500 aces. She was honored by her coaches, teammates, and the student body for these accomplishments at a recent pep rally. Lexi was also nominated as the Alabama high school volleyball player of the week. Lexi is more than a leader on the volleyball court, she is an outstanding student, president of the Student Government Association, representative in the Homecoming court, and all around positive role model at MEA. Lexi will continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. The Lady Knights will continue to strive for five in the coming weeks leading up to the October 22nd AISA state championship.
Congratulations to the following 7th grade students selected to participate in the 2015 Duke University Talent Identification Program—Will Desmarais, Barrett Hammond, Jordan Hicks, Jonathan Mathis, Tanner Moore, Emily Nickles, Justin Reynolds, and Max Taylor. Selection as a Duke TIP honoree is based on student accomplishment in the 95th percentile on national standardized testing completed in the spring of the sixth grade year. Since 1980, more than 2.5 million high ability students have participated in Duke TIP’s talent searches. As part of the talent search enrollment, Duke TIP registers eligible seventh graders to take either the ACT or SAT as an above-level test. This allows students to have greater insight into their abilities and it gives them the opportunity to preview a college entrance exam. The faculty and staff of Macon East are proud to recognize this group of students on their excellent academic achievement.
Macon East Academy athletic director, Jim Brantley was inducted into the Huntingdon College Athletic Hall of Fame at a ceremony held Saturday, October 3, 2015. A 1996 graduate of Huntingdon College, Brantley was an ace pitcher for the Hawks baseball program. A native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, he compiled a career record of 23-16 on the mound with 5 saves and a 3.44 ERA in 295.2 innings pitched in his sophomore year. Brantley’s junior season ended with a 10-3 record and a 1.61 ERA in 95 innings pitched, as well as a 16-inning complete game shutout against Birmingham-Southern. After his senior season, Jim continued his baseball career with summer stops in Joliet, Illinois (North Central League), and Portsmouth, Illinois (Frontier League). He returned to Huntingdon for the 1996 season to finish his degree and serve as a pitching coach for the Hawks. Upon graduation, Brantley headed north to Springfield, Illinois, to help the Springfield Capitals win the 1996 Frontier League Championship, and ended that season with a 4-3 record and a 2.97 ERA.
Jim began his teaching career in 1999 as a teacher and head baseball coach at Fort Dale Academy. He returned to the professional baseball circuit in 2001 as a closer for the Montgomery Wings and in 2002 as a player/pitching coach for the Selma Cloverleafs. Coach Brantley joined the staff at Macon East in 2002 as a teacher and coach for the Knights baseball, basketball, and football programs. He was named Athletic Director in 2012. Congratulations to Coach Jim Brantley on his outstanding career and induction into Huntingdon Hall of Fame.
