Lady Paladins Down Atlanta Classical on Road in Basketball Action; Improve to 7-7 Overall

The Fellowship Christian School varsity girls basketball team reached the .500 mark with its second road victory in as many nights.

On Jan. 18 at Atlanta Jewish Academy in Atlanta, the Lady Paladins posted a 43-21 win over Atlanta Classical Academy in a non-Region game.

Fellowship (7-7 overall) won the scoring battle in all four quarters on Jan. 18 as eight of nine players scored at least one point.

Sophomore Cate Hardin led Fellowship with 17 points. Senior Eliza Guthrie netted seven points and sophomore Savannah Schulz added five.

"We started a bit sluggish the first two quarters, but still led at half, 18-9," head coach Troy Schulz said, who joked that his halftime speech may have helped his team. "The girls got a bit more fire under them after halftime and came out strong defensively that created layups off of turnovers."

FCS out scored Atlanta Classical 14-6 in the third quarter.

"In the fourth we kept our defensive intensity up and slowed down our offense moving the ball more to get layups or short jumpers," Schulz said. "The girls finished the game nicely and we won the quarter 11-6. It was a great job overall by the Lady Paladins."

Fellowship hosts senior night on Jan. 21 as the team hosts Pinecrest Academy at 6 p.m. The team's five seniors – Baylor Aycock, Eliza Guthrie, Cary Guthrie, Emma Jones and Rachel Rippen – will be honored.

FCS Boys Basketball Team Beats Atlanta Classical Academy on Road

The Fellowship Christian School varsity boys basketball squad has posted its fourth victory of the season.

The Paladins ended a four-game losing streak with a non-Region victory over Atlanta Classical Academy, 59-36, on Jan. 18. The contest was played at Atlanta Jewish Academy in Atlanta.

Freshman Zak Thomas and senior Braden Webb each netted 18 points to lead FCS to the victory. The team nailed four 3-point baskets, including three from Webb. Junior London Griggers netted the other one. He finished with 16 points.

Six different Paladins scored at least one point in the contest.

Fellowship held Atlanta Classical scoreless in the first quarter, and took a 13-0 advantage. Atlanta Classical cut the FCS lead to 12 points at halftime – 28-16 – with a 16-15 advantage in the second quarter.

But FCS went on an 18-5 third-quarter spurt to lead 46-21 after three. Atlanta Classical held a slight scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, 15-13.

Overall, the Fellowship squad is 4-15 this season with four regular-season games remaining before the Region tournament being held Feb. 1-8.

Appen Media Honors Six Paladin Football Players

A total of six members of the 2019 Fellowship Christian School football team were honored by Appen Media.

The newspaper selected freshman Jayven Hall (fullback), sophomore Josh Cole (defensive back), juniors Joey Archer (defensive line), Nathan Nardone (linebacker), Charlie Patterson (offensive line) and Murphy Reeves (running back) for the 2019 All North Fulton Football Team. Several GHSA classes were represented.

The Paladins finished the season with a 12-1 record and earned a trip to the GHSA Class A Private Football Championships semifinals.

Earlier this postseason, a total of 21 players from FCS and head coach Al Morrell received all Region honors. Patterson was later selected for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's All-State Class A Private Football Team, and Reeves earned honorable mention status for that team.

Offense and Defense Leads Lady Paladin Basketball Squad to Win at Whitefield

A total of nine players scored and the Fellowship Christian School varsity girls basketball team played tough defense in a road victory on Jan. 17.

The Lady Paladins notched a 57-13 win at Whitefield Academy in a Region contest to snap a two-game losing streak.

Sophomore Cate Hardin led the way with 15 points, while senior Emma Jones netted 11 points. Senior Rachel Rippen added nine points and sophomore Kaya Beard chipped in with eight.

"These young ladies moved the ball well and executed our offensive sets extremely well," head coach Troy Schulz said. "We had them down early and it was a great chance to play with humility and grace. That makes me very proud of these young ladies. Our motto for the next week and a half is 1-0."

Overall, Fellowship improved to 6-7 on the season. The team, 3-6 in Region games, has five regular-season games left.

Winters Posts 3-0 Record at Area Duals

The Fellowship Christian School varsity wrestling squad participated in the Area duals hosted by Saint Francis in Alpharetta on Jan. 10.

The Paladin wrestlers went 3-3 at the 1A dual tournament.

Senior Dawson Winters led the way with a 3-0 record and three pins.

Paladin Boys Basketball Team Notches Third Victory of Season

The Fellowship Christian School varsity boys basketball squad has posted its third victory of the season.

The Paladins downed Atlanta International School, 78-36, in Buckhead on Jan. 7. It was a non-Region contest.

FCS outscored AIS in every quarter, including a 14-0 advantage in the first. Fellowship took the second quarter, 12-9, and the third, 24-19. FCS closed the game on a 28-8 fourth-quarter run.

The Paladins had 10 players reach the score sheet, led by freshman Zak Thomas with 17. Sophomore Josh Cole netted 12 points, while junior London Griggers added 11 points.

Both freshman Kyle Elphick and senior Braden Webb scored nine points.

As a team, the Paladins scored seven 3-point baskets. Elphick and Webb scored two treys each, while freshman Henry Hays, Griggers and senior Zion Pleasant added one 3-pointer apiece.

"It was a great win for us," head coach Marvin Williams said. "The whole team played very well."

Big Victory: Lady Paladins Beat AIS on Road; Even Record at 5-5

The Fellowship Christian School varsity girls basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak with a road victory on Jan. 7.

FCS (5-5 overall) downed Atlanta International School, 43-31, in Buckhead. AIS entered the game with an 8-2 record. The Lady Paladins are now 3-2 in their last five contests.

"It was a huge Lady Paladin win tonight," head coach Troy Schulz said. "It was very big to bounce back after a disastrous weekend with this great win. AIS was 8-2 going into this game and had beaten Mount Vernon, who we lost to. The girls put four solid quarters of basketball together and executed extremely well. I am so proud of all of them as they battled and competed all night. As I have said before win quarters and you can win games."

At AIS, the Lady Paladins won all four quarters by scores of 5-3, 14-11, 12-8 and 12-9.

Sophomore Cate Hardin led all scorers with a massive scoring outburst with 30 of FCS' 43 points. Sophomore Kaya Beard scored eight points and senior Emma Jones added five.

"The best stat of the night for me was that we were 12-for-15 from the charity stripe," Schulz said. "When the game ended I went into the locker room and the girls said 'free-throws win games coach,' which just shows they are paying attention. I am proud of these young ladies. We limited the mistakes we made against Walker and Mount Pisgah and shot the ball much better tonight. We controlled the boards as well. Kaya, Emma, Cary, Eliza and Rachel were big for us on both ends of the floor. The guards handled their pressure extremely well. Baylor, Savannah and Cate did a great job of running the offense and getting to the spots we needed to be in. This is a big win for us seeing as our next two games will be a challenge to say the least as we play Saint Francis on Saturday and Mount Paran the following Tuesday, both on the road."

(Photo by Kevin Jones)

Lady Paladins Fall at Home in Region Contest; Fall at Walker

The Fellowship Christian School varsity girls basketball team lost the second of games played on back-to-back nights on Jan. 4.

The Lady Paladins (2-4 in Region games and 4-5 overall) dropped a 60-25 decision to Mount Pisgah Christian School at Paladin Gym in a Region contest.

Sophomore Cate Hardin led the Lady Paladins with 14 points. Sophomore Kaya Beard added eight points.

"We had a tough game," head coach Troy Schulz said. "We have not had a good return from the two-week break."

The Lady Paladins battled hard in a road loss at The Walker School on Jan. 3.

The Lady Paladins dropped the Region contest, 38-27, in Marietta.

Sophomore Savannah Schulz topped FCS with 14 points.

"We played very flat, and did not shoot well," coach Schulz said.

(Photos by Kevin Jones)

Patterson Named to All-State Football Team; Reeves Earned Honorable Mention

Fellowship Christian School's Charlie Patterson has been selected for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's All-State Class A Private Football Team.

The junior offensive lineman helped open the holes on the FCS offensive line that helped the Paladins out gain its opponents, 4,358 yards to 1,442, on the ground this season. Fellowship finished with 68 rushing touchdowns.

Patterson was among 21 Paladins named to the All Region Team for 6A in December. He was a first team selection as an offensive lineman.

Junior Murphy Reeves, selected as the Region 6A South Offensive Player of the Year last month, was named to the honorable mention list for the AJC's All-State squad.

Reeves led the Paladins with 176 rushes, 1,581 yards and 17 rush TDs in a career-high 13 games. His rush attempts matched a career high set as a sophomore. As a sophomore, he set career highs with 1,710 yards and 18 scores in 11 contests.

As a team, the Paladins finished with a 12-1 record this season, and made a trip to the GHSA Class A Private Football Championships semifinal. The Paladins have made four straight trips to the state playoffs, and have notched two Region titles and three sub-Region crowns in the past four seasons.

Read the AJC story for more information on the all-state team.

(Submitted Twitter Photos)

Paladin Boys Basketball Team Drops Decision at Walker in First Game of 2020

The Fellowship Christian School varsity boys basketball squad played its first game of 2020 on the road on Jan. 3.

The Paladins dropped a Region game at The Walker School in Marietta, 71-55.

FCS outscored the Wolverines, 12-10, in the second quarter. Fellowship netted 11 points in the first quarter, 14 in the third and 18 in the fourth. Walker scored 47 second-half points.

A total of eight Paladins scored at least two points in the contest. Freshman Zak Thomas and junior London Griggers each netted 13 points to lead the Paladins.

Thomas netted a team-best three 3-pointers, while both Griggers and freshman Kyle Elphick added a pair of 3-point buckets.

Senior Braden Webb scored eight points, while Elphick and junior Shane O'Neill added six points each for FCS.

The team hosts Mount Pisgah Christian School tonight (Jan. 4) at Paladin Gym. Tip off for the Region contest is 7 p.m. following the girls contest.

(Photo by Cheryl Wade)

Fellowship Wins Battle of Lady Paladins; Improves to 4-3 overall

The Fellowship Christian School varsity girls basketball team has posted its fourth victory of the season. It was the team's second straight win.

The Lady Paladins (2-2 in Region games and 4-3 overall) posted a 43-14 Region victory at Pinecrest Academy on Dec. 21.

"The ladies played great defense again, and were very active," head coach Troy Schulz said. "And we also ran the offense extremely well. I am very proud of them, as we were short two players today. But all the girls got minutes and played well together."

Sophomore Cate Hardin led Fellowship with 21 points. Sophomore Kaya Beard chipped in with 12 points, and senior Emma Jones added six points.

"It was a great game going into the break," Schulz said.

Paladins Compete in Last Wrestling Meet Before Christmas Break

The Fellowship Christian School varsity wrestling squad competed in its sixth tournament of the season on Dec. 20-21.

Three of the Paladin wrestlers were in action on Dec. 20-21 in the two-day Landmark Christian Invitational hosted by Landmark Christian Academy in Fairburn.

Senior Dawson Winters, who went 3-2 with three pins and brought home fourth place after losing a hard-fought battle in overtime.

Junior Griffin Robertson went 3-3 with two pins, while junior Owen Reedy had two wins with one pin.

Fellowship Falls at Pinecrest; Thomas Scores 17 for Varsity Boys Hoops Team

The Fellowship Christian School varsity boys basketball squad faced Pinecrest Academy in another Region contest on Dec. 21.

The Paladins dropped the decision, 68-46.

Freshman Zac Thomas topped Fellowship with 17 points.

Senior Zion Pleasant netted 13 points for FCS, which had 11 points in each of the first, second and third quarters. The team netted 13 points in the fourth.

Junior London Griggers netted two of FCS' five 3-point buckets. Pleasant, freshman Kyle Elphick and sophomore Josh Cole netted one trey apiece.

Former FCS Student Raychel Germaine Retires from Luge

Following a 10-year career, including many years on the United States national team, former Fellowship Christian School student Raychel Germaine has retired from luge.

Recently, she completed her last race at Lake Placid, N.Y., the site where her father Bob Germaine competed for Team USA in the 1980 Olympics.

Raychel Germaine was among 20 competitors at Lake Placid that recent day. Raychel was last off the handles, hit the wall at the start, but her dad called "the rest of her run great."

She ended up in 10^th place overall, which would have been good enough to qualify for the World Cup race but that was her last Team USA race.

"It's hard to explain the different feelings running through my head as a drove out to the Lake Placid track [for Raychel's last race]," Bob Germaine said. "It was a drive a made more than a hundred times over the last 35 years, but this trip was different than all the rest. This would be the last drive to watch Raychel race in a sport she devoted her life to for the past 10 years. Both good and bad memories flooded my head as I wrestled with competing emotions such as sadness, pride, appreciation, and relief.

"As I stood in the parent section of the finish area waiting for Raychel's Nations Cup race, a member of the USA Luge staff asked me to cross the track and watch from the coach and athlete section. I knew Raychel's teammates were going to engage in a celebration after she came down the track, but apparently the Luge Association was going to acknowledge her as well.

The elder Germaine, a former wrestling coach at FCS, described the scene following Raychel's final run.

"As she picked up her sled and walked out of the track, I saw tears in her eyes," he said. "I met her with a hug and added my own tears. The tears were not out of sadness, but out of appreciation for all the friends who participated in this special moment."

At dinner that evening, father and daughter reflected on her 10-year career that took her from Roswell to Lake Placid and many cities around the world for countless competitions at several levels.

"Her only negative issue was that she felt she could have had a better education if she had not participated in luge," Bob said. "She wanted to be in the medical field, and she felt the opportunity to follow that dream is probably now out of reach. Then she began to pour out the positives: all the friends she made in the sport, meeting her boyfriend Tucker [who won two Silver World Cup medals that weekend], the self-confidence and an inner strength she developed through all the challenges she faced, learning that she is a good athlete, traveling to and experiencing many countries and cultures, and strengthening her relationship with Christ. I was so proud listening to her rattle these off. It was wonderful seeing how my little girl developed into a strong woman by taking on these challenges head on and turning them into positive characteristics of her life."

The younger Germaine expects to have her nutrition degree in another year, and hopes to follow up with culinary school.

(Photos submitted by Bob Germaine)

All Region Football Honors: Morrell, Reeves and 20 other Paladins Honored by Region 6A

Al Morrell, the varsity football team from Fellowship Christian School, has been selected as Coach of The Year for Region 6A South, as voted on by the league's coaches.

Morrell, who led the Paladins to a 12-1 record and a trip to the GHSA Class A Private Football Championships semifinal, has won 104 games as a high school head coach. Morrell, who owns a 56-25 all-time record at Fellowship, has led the Paladins to four straight trips to the state playoffs, and two Region titles and three sub-Region crowns in the past four seasons.

A total of 21 players from FCS were honored, including Murphy Reeves. Coaches selected the junior running back as the Region 6A South Offensive Player of the Year. He led the Paladins with 176 rushes, 1,581 yards and 17 rush TDs in a career-high 13 games. His rush attempts matched a career high set as a sophomore. As a sophomore, he collected career highs with 1,710 yards and 18 scores in 11 contests.

A total of nine Paladins were chosen for first team honors, including: freshman Jayven Hall (full back), junior Brady Niblock (tight end), juniors Charlie Patterson and Reid Robinson (offensive line), junior Joey Archer (defensive line), freshman Kyle Elphick and junior Nathan Nathan Nardone (linebacker), sophomore Josh Cole (defensive back) and senior Bryce Paul (punter).

An additional seven Paladins were picked for the second team, including: junior Jordan Brewer (wide receiver), seniors Brett Eppinger and Andrew Jordan (offensive line), senior Ben Rogers (defensive line), seniors Trexton Lewis and Blake Scott (linebackers) and junior Garrett Hauenstein (defensive back).

Juniors Cole Chapman (defensive line), Lawson Haigler (linebacker), Eli Hildebrandt (quarterback) and Michael Washburne (defensive back) all earned honorable mention status.

Hall finished second on the Paladins with 113 carries, 867 yards and shared second with 15 touchdowns (Cole also had 15) in his first varsity season. He played in all 13 contests.

Niblock, who helped the offense finished with 5,185 total yards, grabbed two passes for 34 and one TD in 10 contests.

Patterson, Robinson, Eppinger and Jordan opened the holes on the offensive line that helped the Paladins out gain its opponents, 4,358 yards to 1,442, on the ground this season. Fellowship finished with 68 rushing touchdowns.

The FCS offense scored more than 30 points 11 times this season and topped 40 in a game nine times.

The Paladin defense posted three shutouts on the season. Cole topped the Paladins with 101 total tackles, 40 solo stops and 61 assists. He played in all 13 contests. Nardone was next with 79 stops, including 37 solo stops, in 12 games.

Elphick ranked fourth on the squad with 61 tackles (29 solo, 32 assists), and topped the team with four interceptions in 13 games. Archer was tied for fifth on the Paladins with 46 tackles (11 solo, 35 assists). Lewis finished with 45 tackles (10 solo, 35 assists) in 12 games, while Rodgers registered 32 tackles (nine solo, 23 assists) in 11 games. Scott played in all 13 contests and added 35 tackles (12 solo, 23 assists), while Hauenstein shared second on the team with two interceptions and added 24 tackles (17 solo, seven assists) in 12 games.

Paul punted 22 times for 764 yards, an average of 34.73 yards per boot. He only missed one game this season.

Brewer led the Paladins with 16 catches, two TD grabs and 274 yards. Injuries limited him to 11 games. Hildenbrandt led four FCS passers with 669 yards (36-for-75) and five TDs in 13 games.

Washburne, who was playing his first varsity season as a junior, finished with 37 tackles (20 solo, 17 assists) in just nine games. Chapman notched 34 tackles (13 solo, 21 assists) in 11 games, while Haigler finished with 46 tackles (13 solo, 33 assists) to share fifth on the team despite missing five games with an injury.

(File photos by Chip Cookston)