Newton @ Griffin
Griffin Rifle Team picking up speed
Joseph Mabry on Thursday became the fourth member of the Griffin High rifle team to qualify for the Georgia High School State Match April 15.
Mabry's match-high score of 286, one point higher than the 285 necessary to earn an invitation to state competition, led Griffin (6-1) to a 1130 - 1054 win over Newton at Griffin High School.
After posting a school record score of 1148, Feb 17, Griffin entered its match with Newton ranked third behind Creekside and East Coweta in Area V, the most competitive area in the state of Georgia, with a 1117.83 average.
Griffin's Timothy Bennett finished second overall, excelling in the prone category, where he is ranked No. 1 in Area V with a 98.83 average. Bennett's score of 99 in prone was a match high in all categories. With a score of 89 in standing and 97 in kneeling, Bennett finished with a 285.
Jeremy Moore scored a 283 and Jennifer Lewis 276 in the Griffin victory. Steve Richard led Newton with a score of 269. Moore, Lewis and Bennett will each be heading to state competition with Mabry having qualified earlier in the season.
Next up for the Griffin Rifle Team is an important match next Friday against East Coweta at Wolf Creek. Currently ranked No. 1 in Area V with a 1151.67 team average, East Coweta features the area's top two shooters in James Nash (292.83) and Amber Crist (288.33). In order to qualify for the state tournament as a team, Griffin must finish in the top two in the area, where they are currently third.
