Dustin Howell looks toward the goal.

by Jason Mehl Director of TFC Sports Information

Both Toccoa Falls College Soccer teams have replaced important personnel and are hoping their new rosters and new looks will help them improve upon last season’s records and make runs at a Region Championships.

The Women’s team, coming off a fourth-place finish in the National Tournament, will need to fill holes left by three departing seniors, one of whom (Jessica Khoury) was an All-American and set several offensive records. Head Coach Doug Howell acknowledges the value of those players, but is confident that a crop of new players, following the lead of the nine returning players is capable of winning the region championship. “Women’s Soccer is the only TFC team without a championship banner,” Howell said. “We want to change that. This team is full of girls who are very courageous and never quit. Our returners know how hard we had to fight to earn that at-large bid last year, and we know that bid is not an option for us this year. We need to win the region.”

Coach Doug Howell speaks to the Women's Soccer team.

In order to accomplish that goal, the Lady Eagles need to beat teams they struggled against last season: Clearwater Christian and Atlanta Christian College. Wrapped around those region games, they face several tests from bigger and stronger teams, that Howell hopes will strengthen the resolve of his already “courageous” team. The first of these bigger and stronger teams is Bryan College, who comes to Toccoa for the first home match Saturday, Aug. 28 at 6:00 pm.

Anna Long practices her kick during practice.

The most significant change for the Men’s Soccer team is on the sidelines. Over the summer, Rob Worsley replaced Jim Mattison as head coach of the Eagles. This is Worsley’s second head-coaching post at TFC. He coached the college’s first Women’s Soccer team from 1996-98 after completing his four-year career as a player on the TFC Men’s team.

The Eagles also have several new faces on the field—many of them freshmen. With only 9 players returning from last year’s squad, Worsley will need instant contributions from some of these new and young players. He says the most significant change in this year’s team will be a defensive one. “We’re going to play more zone defense. If we clog the middle and take away passing lanes, we’ll have a much better chance against some of the more skilled teams we see.”

Coach Rob Worsley talks to the Men's Soccer team.

There are plenty of tough teams on the Eagles schedule. Perennial region powerhouse Southeastern University (FL) has left the region to compete on the NCAA Div. II level, but defending National Champions, Clearwater Christian (who beat Southeastern for the title) are returning all but one of their players, and Atlanta Christian College is also returning many of their players. But Worsley is confident that, with offensive contributions from Peter Yang and Eric Bill, and continued reliable goal keeping from 2^nd-Team All-American Travis Julian, the Eagles will put together a team that is ready to challenge any team in the post-season.

After away matches with North Greenville University and Piedmont College, the Eagles host Emmanuel College Sept. 7 at 7:00 pm.

Dr. Wayne Gardner, president of Toccoa Falls College recently announced the appointment of Mr. Lee Yowell as vice president for Student Development. Mr. Yowell assumed his new position at TFC on July 1.

As vice president for Student Development, Yowell will oversee Student Development along with supervising a broad range of services, which include residence life, campus security, campus life, counseling services, retention, health services, judicial processes, and career services.

In making the announcement of Yowell’s appointment, Dr. Gardner said, “We’re looking forward to having Lee and his family with us at TFC. And we’re looking forward to the great things that God will do this next year in the lives of our students under Lee’s direction.”

Yowell comes to TFC with over ten years of student development experience having most recently served at Mount Vernon Nazarene University as associate dean of Student Development. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois and a master’s degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio.

“I am grateful for the privilege to serve in this role at TFC, and I am excited by both the challenges and opportunities of the position,” said Yowell. “We have a very strong student development team that is prepared to serve, and we believe that the best days are ahead of us at TFC.”

Also joining the TFC family are Mr. Yowell’s wife Bridget and their four children, Houston (8), Ashton (6), Grace (4) and Peyton (2).

Channel 2 (WSB TV in Atlanta) news anchor John Pruitt practices his lines as he prepares to tape a segment for Georgia's Hidden Treasures. The file crew is on the deck of Staley Cottage, better known as Forrest Guest House, which looks out over Toccoa Falls.

On June 9 at 8 p.m., John Pruitt, who anchors Channel 2 Action News at 5, 6 and 11 p.m, will spotlight Toccoa Falls on Georgia’s Hidden Treasures. Pruitt is a veteran news reporter and anchor. He also was one of the Atlanta area news reporters that covered the dam break at Toccoa Falls in 1977. He returned to the area in 1987 to cover the 10^th anniversary of the flood.

Two weeks ago, Pruitt was in Toccoa again, but this time he wasn’t covering a tragedy. He was preparing to report about one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the state of Georgia—Toccoa Falls located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College.

John takes a moment to pose for the camera. Toccoa Falls is visible in the background.

WSB TV (Channel 2) news anchor John Pruitt talks about the beauty of Toccoa Falls during the taping of a segment for the program Georgia's Hidden Treasures.

In a recent news release announcing the schedule for a program that he creatively directs, Pruitt wrote, “Falling in a thunderous roar from a sheer 186-foot rock wall, Toccoa Falls is one of Georgia’s most spectacular sights. But this natural wonder not only evokes in me awe at its beauty, but also dark memories of what happened here 33 years ago. Covering the aftermath [of the flood at Toccoa Falls], I was deeply affected by the scope of the disaster—the lives lost, the debris, the destroyed homes, the ruins of what was once a vibrant college campus. But where I expected to find shattered victims who had lost all hope, I found something else entirely. I found a Christian college community accepting what happened with an unquestioning faith and serenity and vowing to rebuild.

“In all my 47 years of reporting, I can recall few, if any, stories with the horror and impact of the Toccoa Falls dam disaster. Early on the morning of November 6, 1977 a dam above Toccoa Falls broke after heavy rains sending a wall of water crashing over the falls and onto the campus of Toccoa Falls College.

“Thirty-nine people—students, faculty members and their families, and others connected to the college—perished in the swirling torrent.

TFC alum Margaret Pinney explains how her first husband lost his life the night of the flood.

“Returning to Toccoa Falls and the beautifully restored campus for Georgia’s Hidden Treasures brought back all those memories. I’m glad we can share these lovely scenes and this story with our viewers. I hope all who visit this remarkable place will not only enjoy the beauty and serenity, but will also reflect on the unbreakable faith of those who survived one of Georgia’s worst disasters.”

Editor’s note: For those of you who do not live in this area or do not have cable, we’ll post the video of this program after it airs.

At a recent Ribbon Cutting ceremony sponsored by Toccoa Falls College and the Stephens County Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Wayne Gardner relived what it felt like to receive the early morning call saying that Gate Cottage was on fire and more than likely would be a total loss, “I felt like I had lost an old friend. I was away from the college and when I arrived back on campus the next day and saw the destruction, my eyes filled with tears. Memories came back to me of the days when my office was upstairs in Gate Cottage. I also realized that not just our alumni had lost an important historical structure, but so had the citizens of Stephens County.”

Within two days of the fire, so many notes containing memories had been received by the college concerning Gate Cottage that Gardner and the college’s trustees were prompted to make a promise: Gate would be rebuilt. Not only would it be done quickly, it would have a remarkable resemblance to the former one—the one that the National Youth Administration (N. Y. A.) group had built in 1938. This is the same Gate Cottage that often ends up on state brochures along with the falls, which remains one of Georgia’s most visited tourist attractions.

As soon as the rubble cooled, college work crews moved in and began removing as much of the original stone facade as could be salvaged to be reused for construction on the new building. Gate’s yellow-hued stone is iconic to the Toccoa Falls College campus. It is a building that everyone remembers—a place where wedding receptions were held as well as important board meetings. Its stone is native to the Toccoa area and a familiar site to all who have spent time at Toccoa Falls.

“While the loss was great last year, today we rejoice,” said Gardner, “because Gate Cottage has indeed been rebuilt.” A new cathedral ceiling will provide more natural light into the building. The gift shop reopened this week and will include regional gifts and the college’s bookstore.

by Jason Mehl Director of TFC Sports Information

In 2010, Toccoa Falls College fielded the second best NCCAA Div. II baseball team in America.  Atlanta Christian College fielded the best.  The two teams faced each other twice last week in the National Tournament in Cincinnati, first in the second round and again in the championship game and Atlanta was the better team both times winning 9-3 in game one and 12-1 in game two.

Obviously the Eagles would have preferred to return from the tournament with a second consecutive National Championship banner, but they are pleased with at least having a chance to defend their championship and to finish in second place behind a strong Atlanta team.  “It was a great week,” said an upbeat Head Coach Justin Pollock after a long drive from Cincinnati to Toccoa.  “We really played hard and played well, we just weren’t able to get the result we wanted.”

Atlanta sent Toccoa to the loser’s bracket May 13, and Toccoa beat Manhattan Christian College (Kansas) 7-2 the next day to earn the right to try to beat Atlanta twice.

Derek Brown got the start for the Eagles and kept Atlanta hitless through three innings.  In the bottom of the third TFC scored a run on back-to-back doubles from Brett Denney and Jody Hyde, and the Eagles were in good shape.  In the fourth inning Brown, pitching for the first time on two-days-rest, started tiring and Atlanta took advantage.  They stacked up four runs in the fourth

This morning TFC seniors practiced for tomorrow’s big event! Baccalaureate is tonight (May 14) at 7:30 in Grace Chapel.  A reception will be held in the Lois DeLany Gymnatorium immediately following the service. This annual event is hosted by Drs. Wayne and Donna Gardner. Commencement is tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. The group photo of the grads will be taken on the steps of LeTourneau Hall at 9:24 a.m.

College Registrar Kelly Vickers watches as TFC seniors practice marching into Grace Chapel in preparation for tomorrow’s service.

Associate vice president for academic affairs Dr. Brian Shelton stands in for TFC president Dr. Wayne Gardner, who will be the one handing grads their diplomas tomorrow.

Vice president of academic affairs Dr. Barbara Bellefeuille watched TFC seniors take their places during practice for Commencement.

Kathy Reibsome hands our the “cords” to senior honor students.

Practicing a grand exit. Check out all the photos on Flickr!

by Jason Mehl Director of TFC Sports Information

The Toccoa Falls College Baseball team won their first game of the 2010 NCCAA Div II World Series yesterday in Cincinnati. TFC, seeded #3 in the eight team tournament, beat #6 Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College (Oklahoma) 7-1. The Eagles provided solid and productive hitting and reliable defense to support masterful pitching from Derek Brown and turn in what Head Coach Justin Pollock called, “one of our best all-around games of the season.”

John Welborn set the offensive tone by leading off the game with a double, the first of TFC’s 11 hits. Ryan Kirby had three hits and two RBI, Jody Hyde had two hits and three RBI, Brett Denney and Welborn had two hits each and Cory Klassen and Josh Jordan each had one.

But the story of the game was Brown’s performance on the mound.  He pitched a complete game (all tournament games are seven innings), giving up only one run on three hits, while striking out eight batters.  The only trouble came in the second inning when Hillsdale had runners on first and second base with no outs.  The third batter bunted and the Eagles were able to get the lead runner out at third.  The next batter grounded out, and the next batter singled to score Hillsdale’s only run of the game.  After that, Brown stayed focused and the Eagle defense made plays and Hillsdale never threatened again.

TFC plays #2 Manhattan Christian College (Kansas) at 1:00 pm today.  If they win, they play again at 7:00 pm, if they lose they play again at 4:00 pm.

John Pruitt and the WSB TV (channel 2 in Atlanta) team drove up to the mountains and filmed at the falls last Friday. In June, Toccoa Falls will be featured along with other Georgia destinations on a WSB special called “Hidden Treasures in Georgia.” So for a day, guess who was a “rock star”? You got it: Toccoa Falls! We’ll keep everyone posted on the air date and time.

The producer told me John has been in the news business for around forty years. He was extremely kind and so comfortable to be around, and he really loves the Falls. Plus, he has a soft spot in his heart for the college. He covered the tragedy of the flood in 1977 and then was here again in 1987 and in 2001.

Lots of light: news people with cameras love light and they even bring their own light sources. One, not in this photo, was a portable light with a huge battery pack. It was solely for back lighting. In this photo John and Margaret Pinney talk about the beauty of the falls. For a few moments they stood silently looking at the tumbling water fall into the pool at the base.

Margaret explains to WSB-TV anchor John Pruitt what took place in the early morning hours on November 1977. Her husband lost his life during the flood. Later, she married a really wonderful guy, who is also a college alum.

A Classic shot. Everyone wants to climb around at the falls and John was no different. But the producer decided that some rocks were off limits. So they chose a small one that was flat and not as near the water for him to do his “standups.”

Even from this point the falls are still in the background. Most of you know how beautiful the area is—it’s a “natural” all the time.

Nancy Schaefer, President of Eagle Forum of Georgia, Inc., National Chairman for Parents’ Rights, and a former State Senator of Georgia died tragically at her home in Habersham County Friday, March 26, 2010. She had been a member of the Toccoa Falls College Board of Trustees since 2001.

Concerning the death of Mrs. Schaefer, TFC President Dr. Wayne Gardner said, “It goes without saying that I am shocked and saddened by the news of Nancy’s death. She and her husband Bruce were trusted friends of the college. She not only served the state of Georgia as a two-term senator with grace and dignity, she served Toccoa Falls College with a deep commitment and an abiding faithfulness. Rarely have I met a person more committed to saving the American family than Nancy Schaefer. Her tenacious spirit and godly presence will be greatly missed by all of us. I have asked the TFC family to pray for the Schaefer family at this very difficult time. My personal prayer is that God’s unending love and unshakeable strength will carry them through these very trying days.”

Mrs. Schaefer was also the founder and president of Family Concerns, Inc., which is a non-profit organization located in Georgia. Family Concerns was created for the purpose of strengthening and protecting the family through local, state, national and international policy, and through the education of citizens and leaders of the vital importance of obeying God’s moral law in our society and in our culture. Nancy Schaefer was the founder and president of two Pro-life Family Concerns Pregnancy Centers in Atlanta, Georgia from 1988-1998, which met the needs of over 5000 girls and women in Atlanta and beyond.

She was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor in 1994 and the first woman candidate for Governor of Georgia in 1998, and was elected to the Georgia State Senate from the 50th District in 2004.

As an eight-year trustee of the National Ethics and Religions Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Mrs. Schaefer represented Family Concerns and the SBC at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, at the U.N. Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul, Turkey, at the U.N. Conference on Food in Rome, Italy, and the U.N. follow up Conference to Beijing in New York. Recently she spoke at the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on “The Unlimited Power of Child Protective Services.” Mrs. Schaefer also carried the same message to the Nordic Community on Human Rights in Sweden. In the past, she hosted several radio shows in the Atlanta area and was the author of daily commentaries over WNIV in Atlanta, and WRAF, WEPC, and WTFH in Toccoa, Georgia.

She was chosen as a Gracious Lady of Georgia and was a member of the Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR). She also is a former First Vice President of the Georgia Baptist Convention, a frequent speaker to churches of all denominations, a speaker to civic and political organizations, and a frequent guest on radio and television programs. She and her husband were members of Ebenezer Baptist Church of Toccoa, Georgia, where the funeral will take place this Wednesday (March 31) at 1 p.m. They are parents of four sons and one daughter. They also have 13 grandchildren.

(Biographical information for this article was taken from the Eagle Forum of Georgia Web site. )

by Jason Mehl Sports Information Director

The Toccoa Falls College baseball team was busy over Spring Break. After dropping two games to Truett-McConnell College early last week, they traveled to Florida where they won two out of three games from Clearwater Christian College.

TFC lost both games of a double-header March 16 in Cleveland. The first game was a lop-sided 13-3, and Derek Brown took the pitching loss. The final score of the second game was 4-1 and all four of Truett’s runs came on a third inning grand slam. Head Coach Justin Pollock said, “We played well that second game and the guys pitched well. That just shows you what one bad pitch can do.” After Cory Klassen gave up the grand slam, Daniel Fowler came in and pitched three scoreless innings to add to his streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings as a relief pitcher.

On March 19 in Clearwater, the Eagle offense bounced back in record-breaking fashion. TFC set new records for hits (18) and at-bats (45) on the way to tying the record for runs scored as they beat Clearwater 24-18. Dave Brown recorded the pitching win and left after five innings with a very comfortable 13-7 lead. The Eagles piled on five more runs in the sixth inning, but the bullpen had some trouble finishing things off and walked several batters and gave up 11 more runs. TFC led 19-18 going in to the ninth inning, and exploded for its fourth five-run inning. The bullpen then shut Clearwater down in the bottom half to close out the game. All-American Jody Hyde put up All-American numbers going 3-5, scoring 4 runs, hitting two grand slams and tying a TFC record with nine RBI.  Brett Denney (2-5, 4 runs, 4 RBI), Ryan Kirby (3-6, 3 RBI) and Josh Jordan (3-4, 4 runs, 2 RBI) all made significant contributions to the offensive display.

Game one of the next day’s double-header was more of the same. Clearwater started their best pitcher, but the Eagles scored in every inning except the fifth, led 10-6 when he was relieved in the sixth inning, and won the game 13-6. Cory Klassen got the win for the Eagles and Daniel Fowler pitched enough relief innings to record the save. Brett Denney (3-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI) and Jody Hyde (3-5, 2B, 2 runs, RBI) picked up where they left off the day before and freshman JW Wilkerson (2-3, 3 runs, RBI) made his presence felt.

TFC lost the second game 9-8. However, it was not the offensive battle the previous games had been. The Eagles scored in the first inning, but trailed 8-1 going into the ninth.  “Clearwater pitched well, but we hit the ball hard and had some chances–we just couldn’t score,” said Pollock.  That is, until the seventh inning. The Eagles put up seven runs in the top of the seventh and were inches away from more. They hit three doubles off the wall and two sacrifice flies that were caught against the fence. Clearwater scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh off a wild pitch, but Pollock was quick to point out that the wild pitch did not cost the game. “We lost because we went five scoreless innings. We can’t expect to win if we don’t produce runs.”  The earlier games proved the obvious benefits of run production.

TFC is now 8-13 on the season, with a 4-1 conference record. Their next home game is against Southern Wesleyan University, 3:00 March 29.