This story was written by Shane Thomas. The Valdosta State Blazers’ stifling defense forced 21 turnovers and defeated the Albany State Golden Rams (0-2) 90-77 Saturday night. Leading by as many as 23 points in the game, the Blazers (2-0) turned their defense into transition offense as the Blazers earned 24 free throws in the second half. The Blazers used ...

Blazer basketball begins its 60th season Friday night against the Lane College Dragons. With the preseason coming to a close, the Blazers are eager to see a different opponent than themselves. “It’s gotten to the point now where you’re tired of going against each other over and over again,” junior guard Blake Justice said. “It’s nice to see new guys ...

Written By: Shane Thomas This season, Blazer basketball has the keys to a German import. His name is Nils Dejworek, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward from Ulm, Germany. Dejworek spent last season at Furtah Prep in Acworth, Georgia, where he helped lead the Falcons to a Georgia Independent School Association Class AA state championship. With that success under his belt, Dejworek ...

Written By: Shane Thomas  The late Rodney Dangerfield said it best: “No respect, no respect at all.” On Monday, the Valdosta State Blazers men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Gulf South Conference in the league coaches’ poll, a spot lower than last season. The Blazers went 16-12 last season but finished strong, advancing to Gulf South ...

Written by: Shane Thomas Video of former Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice dragging his unconscious wife out of an Atlantic City, New Jersey elevator was good for a two-game suspension. The knockdown leading to the drag-out got him banned indefinitely. On Monday, the now-infamous video surfaced showing Rice knocking out his then-fiancée Janay Palmer in an elevator. In addition to ...

PRO- Written by: Austin Wells Paying student-athletes is difficult to argue, but we must hear the different opinions. However, money talks and when you look at the revenue that schools make from athletics, it’s hard to say that the student-athletes competing and helping to bring that money in shouldn’t be a part of that revenue. According to Forbes, the University of ...

Written By: Shane Thomas Despite stifling heat and weather dangers, fans braved the conditions to “Meet the Blazers” on Sunday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The VSU Blazers football team, the Red Hots dance team and cheerleading squad conducted clinics and signed autographs for fans. “Meet the Blazers goes back a long way—way before I got here,” Ric Sisler, VSU director of ...

Three years, two-time Gulf South Conference Player of the Year, 57 career home runs, and one national championship−Valdosta State softball sensation Courtney Albritton has put together quite the career. Only a junior, Albritton made history in the fifth inning of the Blazers’ 7-1 win over West Georgia. Her 21st blast of the season staked her claim as the new home-run ...

Written by: Shane Thomas A 16-12 season certainly will not be remembered as one of head coach Mike Helfer’s greatest seasons. Following another season of roster renovations, this season represents a transition period for the veteran head coach that may propel the Blazers back to prominence next season. On the surface, the Blazers were a Jekyll-and-Hyde bunch much of the ...

written by: Shane Thomas No. 7 Valdosta State (15-11) takes on No. 2 West Alabama (14-6) in Game A of the Gulf South Conference tournament Thursday. Reminiscent of last season, the Blazers enter the conference tournament having lost their last two regular season games. VSU lost to Christian Brothers 90-73 in the regular season finale. Thursday’s opening game will be ...