Tonight at Coolray Field, the glass slipper fit the Newnan Cougars as they swept the HoCo Bears in the AAAAA State Final by winning 3-1 in Game One and winning Game Two 11-1 in five innings to claim the State Title in a double upset. The Bears started out flat in Game One and would later trail 2-0 through 3 innings.
Isaiah Galason led off the fourth inning with a solo jack to get the Black, Silver, and White on the board and trail 2-1 but would not get any closer as the Cougars would get the run back and ultimately go on to win 3-1 and take a 1-0 series lead. SP Will Allen went complete one final time and surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits, walking three, and striking out four in the process.
Game Two, the first two innings were tight as Newnan led 1-0 but would open the game up in inning three by plating three runs to lead 4-0 and HoCo would make a small rally in the last of the third when Vick Gann hit an rbi single to drive in Kendall Jackson to cut the gap down to 4-1 but that would be all they would get.
The fourth inning is where the pitching fell completely apart for the Bears as the Cougars would plate seven runs to blow the game wide open to lead 11-1 and would ultimately go on to win Game Two 11-1 in five innings to get the series sweep and win the AAAAA State Title (their first since 1991).
The pitching as previously stated fell completely apart in the fourth inning.. SP Max Wilhide pitched for only 2 2/3rds innings and surrendering four earned runs on five hits walking two, and striking out four. Reliever Tyson Ganas surrendered seven earned runs on four hits, walking three, and striking out none. Tucker Hale pitched for five pitches and walked one and hit a player by pitch and Weston Ard pitched the final inning and a third and walked one and struck out two.
Newnan ends 2025 as the GHSA AAAAA State Champions at 32-5 overall while HoCo ends as the 2025 AAAAA State runner-up at 33-7 overall. The Bears saw their 15-game win streak end in Game One and Game Two was the first time all season that the Black, Silver, and White gave up more than seven runs in a single game. HoCo hit 29 home runs in 2025.
HoCo Baseball says goodbye to #1 Kendall Jackson, #2 Ethan Buffone, #6 Logan Elble, #11 Vick Gann, #18 Max Wilhide, #23 Tucker Hale, and #27 Will Allen as they will graduate this upcoming weekend.
