By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
July 10, 2003
CHOCTAW In what may be the best game of the 2003 Choctaw Stickball World Series, defending champion Conehatta defeated the Warriors 2-1 Wednesday night as part of the 54th-annual Choctaw Indian Fair.
The game was a rematch of the 2002 championship game which Conehatta won 3-2 in the final 35 seconds. This year's quarterfinal meeting was simply the luck of the draw in making out the bracket.
Conehatta owns 19 of the 44 World Series championships, while the Warriors have six titles, all of which have come in the last 11 years. Conehatta, on the other hand, won 15 of the first 16 World Series from 1959-1974.
Neither team was able to score in the first half of Wednesday's battle.
All of the scoring came in the third quarter.
Wilburn Williams Jr. got Conehatta on the board with a shot from close range just 30 seconds into the third quarter.
Julian Dixon gave the Newton County team a 2-0 lead with a short-range goal with 3:43 showing in the third period.
Jerithan Willis scored the Warriors' only goal when he connected with 1:52 remaining in the third quarter.
The Warriors threatened on numerous occasions in the fourth quarter only to be denied each time by Conehatta.
Conehatta advances to a Friday 10 p.m. semifinal meeting with Beaver Dam.
In tonight's semifinal, Bok Cito faces Pearl River at 10 p.m.
The finals are set for Saturday at 10 p.m.
In earlier games:
Pearl River 7
Nanih Waiya 0
Pearl River got three goals from Chris Thomas and two from Earl Willis in beating Nanih Waiya on Tuesday.
Thomas staked Pearl River to a 1-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first quarter.
In the second period, Thomas scored at the 13:22 mark, Willis tallied with
6:21 showing, and Damian Jimmie scored with 1:02 to go before halftime.
Thomas scored in the third quarter with Willis and David Martin each scoring in the fourth period.
Beaver Dam 12
Unified 0
Beaver Dam broke open a 1-0 game with five goals in the second quarter of Tuesday's quarterfinal blowout over Unified.
Ted John had two goals in the second quarter with Rory Willis, Waylon Wilson, and Chris Isaac getting one apiece.
Kevin Solomon put Beaver Dam up 1-0 in the first quarter.
For the game, John had three goals and Isaac had two. Rory Willis, Tyler
Willis, Wilson, Solomon, Johnny Lewis, Anka Joe, and Kendall Williams each had one score.
Men's 35-over Division
South All-Stars 5
16 Pow-Wow All-Stars 0
The South All-Stars won their division with Monday's shutout of the 16 Pow-Wow All-Stars. The South had previously beaten the North 6-2.
After a scoreless first quarter, Cedric Williams put the South on the scoreboard at the 11:40 mark. Ricky Willis made it 2-0 less than two minutes later.
Williams and Randall Vaughn both scored in the third period for a 4-0 lead.
Eric Dixon got the final goal with 5:46 left in the fourth quarter.