St. Pius X Basketball Begins; Football Advances in Playoffs

By Kyle Snipes
St. Pius X Communications Coordinator

The winter sports season begins in earnest this week at St. Pius X while football continues to the second round of the state playoffs.  Both basketball teams open the regular season this week at home.  The boys’ team sits in the No. 4 spot in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution AAA poll, while the girls’ team opens the season in the top spot in the pre-season polls.  Wrestling and swimming and diving get underway this week as well. 

Football traveled to Region 8-AAA No. 2 seed Hart County and took a 31-21 decision to advance to the second round of the state playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.  Joey Connors rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns, while Dalton Wilson added 138 yards on the ground and a TD.  Ransom Klinger scored the only other TD for the Golden Lions (8-3).  Thomas O’Leary kicked a 40-yard FG and Garrett Gooden led all tacklers with six.  St. Pius X will travel to Region 5-AAA No. 1 seed Cartersville (11-0) on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Both basketball teams open at home Thursday night against AAAAA Forest Park.  The ladies will tip at 6 p.m. against the third-ranked Panthers.  The boys’ squad will follow at 7:30 p.m.  The lady cagers will travel to play Douglas County on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the first round of the Parkview Thanksgiving Classic, while the boys’ will play Jackson County at 11 a.m. Saturday in a tournament at Jefferson.

Wrestling will host a dual meet on Wednesday at 5 p.m., while Swimming and Diving will travel to take on Greater Atlanta Christian and Riverwood at GAC on Thursday at 5 p.m.