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Football schedule
JEFFERSON DRAGONS
Region  8-A
Aug. 31 Athens Christian
Sept. 7 at Banks County
Sept. 14 at Johnson, Gaines.
Sept. 21 Madison County
Sept. 28 at Social Circle
Oct. 5 Oglethorpe County
Oct. 12 Landmark Christian
Oct. 19 OPEN
Oct. 26 at Buford
Nov. 2 Commerce
Nov. 9 at Wesleyan
 Roberts
brothers racing almost a family tradition
Mitchell and Keith Roberts weren't fortunate enough to have been
born into a racing family, so they have decided to build one
themselves.
Just like the car Keith first drove, they built it from scratch,
according to older brother Mitchell; this racing family started
from the ground up.
"I always liked racing. The man I was working for offered
to go halfers. First thing we did is find someone who had a car.
I bought the first car from Greg Pruit when he was moving up
to late models," recalled Roberts. That was four years ago
and it wasn't long after that Keith, the younger brother, decided
he would give racing a try too.
Mitchell is 37, seven years his brother's senior.
"Growing up there was no one around my age. I tried to run
with the older boys but always got hurt. That pretty much ended
when Mitchell turned 16," Keith said.
Keith, of course, is alluding to the American rite of passage
his brother entered: A drivers license and an automobile. For
a teenager with a nine-year-old brother on his heels the car
was the perfect escape. As adults it has been a hobby the brothers
share.
"The cars are basically the same. We do all the work together,"
said Mitchell. The brothers work in a garage behind Mitchell's
house in Homer on Highway 51. "We grew up hunting and fishing.
We used to go to Peach State Speedway and (the race track in)
Toccoa."
Mitchell's racing career started off bumpy but quickly became
a path worthy of following. "The first race I wrecked and
almost totaled the car. Then I won my fourth race ever, and won
the track championship that year."
The first race for Mitchell was 1998. That was the year that
he and Paul Hodges purchased the car. But even after the car
was purchased and the work ahead was to be done in the garage,
Mitchell still wasn't a race car driver. "We went out and
drove. Whoever got the best times (Mitchell or Paul) got to drive."
Mitchell ran the better times.
Soon Keith was helping Mitchell with his car. "I got to
where I was going to watch (Mitchell race) and enjoyed it, and
imagined how fun it would be to drive." That was in 1999
and three months after Keith decided he wanted to drive a car
he and his brother had built one "from scratch."
In 1999 Keith entered five races at Peach State and then raced
a full season in 2000.
"At the end of last season, I bought a modified class, the
Mustang I have now," Keith said.
Wanting to drive a race car and getting behind the wheel are
two different things. After Mitchell wrecked in his first race,
he had to work with other drivers and get their advice on driving
and building a better race car.
"It takes a lot of hands-on," said Mitchell. "Greg
Pruit and David Murphy can tell you a lot. Every race you learn.
Like any sport, the more you do it the better you are at it,"
"It is easier learning from him," Keith said, referring
to his brother's experience behind the wheel and under the hood.
"He has given me lots of pointers, lines to run, and he
knew how to work on some of the stuff."
"We keep nothing from each other. I may drive into turns
or get on the gas a lot sooner. One may try different size springs.
If something works on his car, it will help me," Mitchell
said.
Keith agreed. "If we can help each other we will. For
the rest of this story see this weeks Banks County News.
 Commerce Finishes Second
In District Tournament
The Commerce 16-and-under baseball team finished second in the
district for the second time in five years. The Commerce recreation
team made it into the finals of the weekend tournament against
Banks County after defeating Lumpkin County Monday, June 24.
The games were played in Homer.
In the double elimination tournament, the first game of the championship
began at 5:30 and was played between the two teams with one loss.
Those two teams were Commerce and Lumpkin County.
Commerce jumped out to a big lead early. The score rose to 13-1
before Commerce's offense slowed down and "coasted behind
starting pitcher Cole Butler," coach Gerald Jordan said.
Wes Prickett pitched the last two innings to complete the first
game. The final score was 13-6.
In the second game Commerce again looked impressive early, but
first had to climb out of a hole.
Banks County took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the second. Commerce's
bats then began to come alive. In the third inning, Commerce
scored seven runs. "Dennis Wilder had some big hits and
Casha Daniels had a two- run single. We hit the ball well,"
said Jordan.
Richard Daily had a two out single in the fourth and Commerce
led 8-5 after five innings.
"Then we ran out of gas. Two games was a lot," said
Jordan. The second game started at 8:00 and finished just before
11:30.
Banks County scored six in the top of the fifth to put them ahead
to stay.
The team finished 16-6 on the year.
"Cole Butler and Josh Haynes pitched well. Haynes had three
good games and Chad Jordan pitched nine innings with no runs
and two hits against Lumpkin County (during the season),"
Jordan said.
 Jackson
County all stars win state USSSA championship
JEFFERSON and Commerce High Schools may have combined for four
state championships during the 2000-01 school year, but a group
of softball players from Jackson County, Commerce and Banks County
claimed the USSSA Georgia All Star championship Saturday in Macon.
The 19-and-under girls' slow-pitch team downed the Macon Silver
Bullets 13-3 in the championship game of the Class A Open Division.
Former Commerce star Elizabeth Roller was named the tournament's
most valuable player after batting .750 and hitting three home
runs.
Roller was joined by former Jackson County standout April Cantrell
in homering during the final game. Jackson County's Jamie Keller
and Banks County's Ashley Freeman also homered in the win.
The Jackson County All Stars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead
in the second inning, and padded that lead with seven more runs
in the third and fourth. Four more in the sixth put the game
out of reach and set the final score at 13-3.
Cantrell and Roller were both 3-for-4 in the game, as were Keller
and Banks County's Amanda Justus.
Freeman gave a 2-for-2 performance, and Commerce's Heather Stockton
was 2-for-3.
Other team members included Commerce's Jennifer Seagraves and
Amanda Stevens, and Banks County's Brittany Holcomb, Janet Crutchfield
and Jessica Holcomb.
 Rec.
Dept. announces all star teams
The Madison County Recreation Department
recently announced its 2001 baseball and fast- and slow-pitch
softball squads.
The baseball and fast-pitch all star teams will kick into action
Sunday while the slow-pitch softball teams will start play toward
the end of July.
The Recreation. Department will be hosting both the Area 1 Little
League tournament and Area 2 Junior League tournament , giving
a home field advantage to Madison County's National League 11-
and 12-year-old team and the Junior American League team.
The Little League squad is set to play Habersham National Sunday,
July 1, at 4 p.m. while Junior League team is slated to take
on Habersham American the same day at 4:30 p.m.
This years baseball and softball all stars include:
7- and 8-year-old
National League all stars
The 7- and 8-year-old National League all stars include Daniel
Allen, Taylor Childers, Dalton Croya, Blayne Hall, Tanner Johnson,
Alex Jordan, Jordan Lee, Boomer Preston, Matt Savage, Zack Watson,
Ian Webster and Kegean Whittington. Coaching the team will be
manager Wesley Jordan along with Kenneth Lee and Randy Childers
are the coaches.
7- and 8- year old American League all stars
The 7- and 8-year-old American League all star team is made up
of Kyle Bates, Justin Bishop, Josh Dalton, Kyle Dean, A.J. Hayes,
Ryan Lindsey, Haden Martin, Alex Perry, Jarrett Seawright, Brad
Smith, Jordon Thomas and Daniel Townsend. Darrell Dean will manage
the team and will be assisted by Hershel Dalton and Doug Thomas.
9- and 10-year-old National League all stars
Members of the 9- and 10-year-old National League all star squad
include Tyler Alewine, Bo Dalton, Cody Esco, Seth Fleming, Chad
Griffeth, Matthew Kennison, Jack May, Ian McElroy, Ben Morris,
Kevin Oglesby, Blaine Seagraves and Jimmy Wages. Mike Morris
is the manager of the team and Dale Fleming and Howell Seagraves
are the coaches.
9- and 10-year-old American League all stars
The 9- and 10-year-old American League all star team is made
up of Tanner Bailey, Spencer Baird, Ian Drake, Jesse Fowler,
Edward Gilbert, John Gunnells, Daniel Jenkins, Dylan McCurley,
Jeremy Morse, Zach Nash, Jayson Pridgen and Ethan Seagraves.
Managing the team will be Jay Pridgen while the coaches will
be Robert Baird and Kevin Seagraves.
11- and 12-year-old National League all stars
Members of the 11- and 12-year-old National League all star squad
are William Anglin, Brandon Bird, Chad Boswell, Justin Cape,
Kyle Cooper, Kevin Fields, Michael Freeman, Joshua Hix, Matthew
Hix, Jeremy Jordan, Taylor Kellogg and Ben McCain. Coaching the
team will be manager Chris Boswell with coaches Casey Cooper
and Robert Freeman.
11- and 12-year-old American League all stars
The 11- and 12-year-old American League all star team is made
up of Tyler Berryman, Dustin Chandler, Chris Ford, Jacob Griffith,
Chris Gunnells, Levi Hanson, Keith Kincaid, Mitchell Lee, Kory
McAlphin, Nate Peeples, Joshua Swaim and Clay Wilson. Bill Sartain
will manage the squad while Jeff Griffiths and Allen Ford are
the coaches.
Junior National League all stars
The Junior National League all star squad includes Todd Baxter,
Adam Crowe, Matthew Freeman, Blake Haagen, Anthony Moody, Brad
Osborne, Kirk Patterson, Chaz Perry, Justin Pursley, Jamey Rice,
Michah Sales and Joshua Strickland. The team's manager is Rodney
Perry while Jeff Moody and Keith Black are the coaches.
Junior American League all stars
Members of the Junior American League all star team are Blake
Austin, Brent Bird, J.J. Brueshaber, John Davis III, Aquino Gant,
Jared Green, Garrett Hochstetler, Tyler Johnson, J.J. McCay,
Stephen Muniz, Caleb Williams and Jason Wynn. Ralph McCay is
the team's manager; John Brueshaber and Arlen Johnson are the
coaches.
Senior American League all stars
The Senior Amercian League all star squad includes Michael Allen,
Josh Berryman, Corey Boswell, Brent Burkhalter, Conrad Carey,
Dustin Craig, Joshua Fields, Dustin Hattaway, Cory Jordan, Trey
McCay, William Ryder and Michael Young Jr. Rick Ryder will manage
the team while David Fields and Mike Young are the coaches.
10-and-under slow pitch softball
The 10-and-under slow-pitch all star squad include Kayla Banks,
Jessica Blackmon, Ashley Bridges, Kristine Chambers, Nicole Cleghorne,
Kim Curry, Kristen Crumley, Juvonna Fleming, Courtney Freeman,
Alexis Hill, Brandy McKnight, Taylor Morgan, Amber Pass, Lauren
Smith and Josie Weaver.
12-and-under slow pitch softball
Members of the 12-and-under slow pitch all star softball slow
pitch softball team include Erica Fortson, Hannah Lord, Bryanne
Duncan, Leanne Gibby Angela Magrum, Andrea Bird, Lindy Cole,
Tiffany Robertson, Chelsea Damron, Kayla Farmer, Jennifer Smith,
Alex Spivey and Brittany Williams.
9- and10-year-old fast-pitch softball
The 9- and 10-year-old fast pitch softball team members include
Michelle Scott, Jennifer Brueshaber, Erin Gibson, Stephanie Hettrick,
James Amber, Megan Kessler, Stephanie Power, Priscilla Pruett,
Sarah Robertson, Molly Smith, Morgan Spearing and Kayla Tolbert.
Cathy Tolbert is the manager of the team and Brooke Kesler and
Darrell Hettrick are the coaches. The team is set to take on
Dubin July 19 in the Class B state slow-ptich softball tournament.
11- and 12-year-old American League fast-pitch
softball
11-and-12-year-old Amercian League fast-pitch all stars are Elizabeth
Austin, Kayla Baxter, Hannah Calloway, Rebecca Crumley, Jennifer
Ellisor, Harley Hanson, Kendra Martin, Lindsey Nash, Rebecca
Rhoden, Courtney Tolbert and Hannah Yankaukas. Stephen Rhoden
will manage the team while David Ellisor and Donna Calloway are
the coaches.
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