SPORTS SECTION
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MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. SPORTS SECTION |
| SPORTS SECTION - DECEMBER 29, 1999 |
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Tiger Teams
Home For Holiday Tourney
Four Teams To Vie In WJJC Classic Wed.,
Thurs.
Even though Christmas is over, the holidays
will last for a few more days. What better way to celebrate than
with a little basketball.
Commerce will serve as the host team for the WJJC Holiday Classic
this Wednesday and Thursday.
Banks County's girls will kick off the tournament when they face
Oglethorpe County at 4 p.m.
The BCHS boys will play Oglethorpe County immediately following
the girls' game.
Commerce and Lakeview pair up in the second games with the girls
set to start at approximately 7 p.m. The boys will follow the
girls' game.
Consolation and championship games will be played Thursday, starting
at 4 p.m.
The tournament features several teams that will or have played
each other this season outside of the two-day event.
Commerce's girls opened their season on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving
with a win over Lakeview Academy. The Lady Tigers will meet Lakeview
again Jan. 15 in Commerce.
Banks County opened its regular season with a sweep of Oglethorpe
County. Banks County is also in the same subregion as Lakeview.
Those two teams will kick off the 2000 season Jan. 4 in Homer.
Commerce and Banks County would have met Dec. 3 in Homer, but
the Tigers' success in the football playoffs postponed the game
until Jan. 29. The teams will meet in Commerce Jan. 22.
EARLY PRESENT
Commerce's boys' team picked up an early present for the holidays
last week with a 45-43 win over Athens Academy in the Spartan
Invitational championship game.
Commerce continued to be plagued with five players sidelined and
out of uniform.
Daniel Carder helped propel the Tigers to the victory with 22
points.
Michael Collins added 11 points for Commerce.
The Tigers improved to 3-0 on the season with the win over the
host Spartans.
Commerce advanced to the championship game by downing Prince Avenue
78-69 in the first-round game.
Madison County's boys took third place by beating Prince Avenue
70-45 in the consolation game.
GIRLS
The Lady Tigers claimed third place by also beating host Athens
Academy 43-36.
The Lady Spartans held an 18-17 edge at halftime, but Commerce
outscored Athens Academy 26-18 in the final two quarters to take
the win.
Three Commerce girls finished the game with double figures in
scoring. Monique Diamond led the way with 15 points. Shemika Reed
had 13 points, while Charlene Gaither had 10 points.
Sheka Wheeler led the team with 10 rebounds. Reed also had seven
rebounds and five assists.
Commerce dropped its first game of the season 47-36 in the first-round
game.
Oconee County outscored the Lady Tigers 24-14 in the second half
to win the game.
Madison County's girls beat Oconee County for the second time
this season in the championship game 37-32.
Ashley Myers led the Red Raiders with 11 points.
CHS Wrestlers Open
With Team Tournaments
Commerce High School's wrestling team scored
95 points in its first team tournament of the season.
Competing in the Duckhead Invitational at Winder-Barrow High School,
the Mat Tigers were led by two second-place finishes.
John Martin (275 pounds) and Wes Smith (145) were each runners-up
in their respective weight classes.
Lee Sorrow (135) took fourth place.
Blake Milford (119) and Adam Perry (160) each claimed fifth place
in their weight divisions.
Commerce High School's wrestling team competed in the Keen Classic
at Jefferson High School this week.
The event opened with five dual matches on Tuesday.
A traditional individual tournament followed on Tuesday.
Eight Class A teams competed in the event: Adairsville, Armuchee,
Buford, Calhoun, Commerce, Dawson County, Jefferson and Oglethorpe
County.
Results from the first day of action were not available by presstime.
This is the third annual Keen Classic tournament.
Four Leopards
named to All-Area Team
After posting an 0-10 season in 1998, the
Banks County High School football team rebounded with a 4-6 mark
and a 3-5 record in Region 8-A.
The Leopards opened the season at home with an overtime victory
over Jackson County. Banks County ended the season with another
overtime victory at Jefferson and a season-ending win at Union
County.
The team's success this year bodes well for new things to come
from first-year head coach Rance Gillespie.
Four Leopard players earned spots on the MainStreet Newspapers'
All-Area team as well.
Senior Blakley Crumley and juniors Mike Ivey, Drew Gowder and
Hank Jones were all tapped for the honor.
Course, BCHS team
lay down seeds for future
BY DREW BRANTLEY
The best sports Banks County had to offer featured open skies,
rolling hills, flowing water and plenty of birdies.
Golf led the way this year, with the opening of Scales Creek Country
club and the second region championship in a row for the Banks
County High School golf team.
With Scales Creek's grand opening and the team's performance in
the state tournament coming on the same day, it is easier to link
their success.
The golf team earned sixth place at the state meet in Donalsonville.
Jason Sparks and Brandon Brown led the way for Banks County. Each
shot a 74. Michael Brown added an 82. John Rylee rounded out the
best BCHS scores with an 84. Kenny Wilson also shot an 89. Freshman
Drew Sparks wore a brace on the wrist he broke during spring break
to play at state. He shot a 94.
Only five teams had a better score than Banks County's 314. Savannah
Christian won the match with a team score of one-under par 287.
Savannah Country Day was second with a 306. Brookstone was third
with a 309. Calhoun and Lovett tied for fourth with a score of
311. Savannah Christian's Tripp Coggins had the low round with
a 67, shooting a 31 on the back nine.
Banks County's boys closed out the season with another trip to
state after consecutive Region 8-A titles. Last year the Leopards
tied for eighth place at state.
"To win region two years in a row is something," Banks
County coach Bobby Morris said. "That's a good way for our
seniors (Michael Brown, John Rylee and Kenny Wilson) to finish
up."
The Sparkses and B. Brown will all return for next year.
The Scales Creek Country Club course, which was designed by PGA
golfer Mark McCumber's golf course architectural group, held its
grand opening that same Monday to officially usher in the transformation
of the land.
Family members were joined by those who created the new look of
the land and those who were eager to test out the newest bounty.
The 18-hole course makes the most of the way the land formed,
McCumber said.
"Great courses are not built by architects," McCumber
said. "Well, they are. They're just built by the greatest
architect. Nature did a wonderful job before we ever started.
This course has the three things that a course needs. It's got
topographical relief with rolling hills, natural water streams
and beautiful trees."
McCumber and the Scaleses were careful to keep some evidence on
the course of the history of the land. The 10th fairway, which
follows the road leading to the country club, bears the chimney
of a family house that burned several years ago.
"I think that (the history) adds to this course," McCumber
said. "We try to keep some things about that. As far as the
chimney on number 10, we situated the tee on that hole so that
its an aiming point. I think that kind of thing adds to what makes
this course special."
The course opened for business for Thanksgiving 1998 and has steadily
picked up business, primarily from the surrounding counties.
"Right now, we're getting players from the counties that
touch Banks County," course pro Chris Black said. "We're
about to start some marketing to get some players in from Gwinnett
County and north Fulton. We're easy to get to right up I-85."
The course also has plans to have some residential development
with several already under way. A new clubhouse is also on the
drawing board for a hill above the present one.
While the course is in playing shape, it will take some time to
be in optimum condition.
"Every course takes some time to mature," McCumber said.
"But I think this one may get there a little faster than
others. Just the way it has come along in just six months is incredible."
Scales Creek is located about two miles outside of Homer on U.S.
441. The course has memberships and is open daily to the public.
USA Wrestling
kicks off big week at JHS
Dragons limp out of Duckhead ninth
BY TIM THOMAS
JEFFERSON'S USA Wrestling Club kicked off three days filled with
action Monday by hosting a USA tournament. Individual re-sults
were not available at press time, but it was estimated that more
than 200 wrestlers participated, including several national medal-winners.
The Keen Classic got under way Tuesday, as the host Dragons won
day one of the competition. Jefferson earned 196 points in the
dual-match portion, but rival Commerce was hot on their tail with
163. The Tigers have only been practicing for about a week, due
to football playoffs. As of Wednesday morning, both teams had
several wrestlers in the semifinals of the individual tournament,
with Jefferson having a slight edge. The final outcome may not
be decided until the final round.
After day one, Social Circle stood in third at 120, followed by
ninth-ranked Armuchee, sixth-ranked Dawson County, Ogle-thorpe
County, Adairsville and Buford.
WILLIAMSON HONORED
At Monday's USA tournament, Pepsico CEO Pat Williamson was honored
for his support of the Jefferson wrestling program. Williamson
donated a substantial amount of money for the renovation of Jefferson's
wrestling room, and annually gives $5,000 to fund the Keen Classic.
Williamson was on both the wrestling and track teams at Jefferson
during the first three years of coach Jack Keen's tenure at the
school.
KEEN RECOGNIZED
Keen was surprised with a banquet in his honor Tuesday evening,
during which he was presented with the Crystal Eagle, an award
that is very meaningful in the Pepsico organization. A letter
of appreciation from Williamson was read, and several speakers
took their turns at the microphone, including wrestling guru and
family friend Dr. John Raber, JHS alumni Gary Glenn and Doug Thurmond,
and school superintendent Dr. John Jackson.
A large number of former students and athletes were on hand to
wish Keen well in his retirement from coaching, as well as to
show their appreciation for his work.
DUCKHEAD RESULTS
Dragon wrestlers overcame serious hardship last week to finish
a respectable ninth in the Duckhead Southeast Invitational at
Winder-Barrow High School.
Eight of Jefferson's 14 starters were missing for various reasons,
and three of those eight weight classes could not be filled. Still,
Keen's Dragons managed 99.5 points. Finishing ahead of Jefferson
were several wrestling powerhouses - Grissom, Wood-ward Academy
and Westminster to name a few.
Steve Green continued to dominate the 171-pound weight class,
scoring 30 team points while earning his third gold medal of the
season. Jeremy Smith finished fourth at 130, Eric Wilburn fifth
at 135 and Hunter Garner fifth at 140.
Jeremiah Wilson, Brian Ferguson, Zach Evans and Brendon Kemp all
won matches and scored points for the Dragons.
Also participating in the tournament for Jefferson were Joel Thrasher,
Ricky Waters and David Boring.
The Dragons will travel to Dawsonville to participate in the Amicalola
Classic this weekend.
Dragons to resume
with stiff competition
BY TIM THOMAS
Jefferson basketball teams will resume their season next week
with key sub-region matchups against Buford and Commerce. Buford's
second-ranked girls feature University of Georgia signee Christi
Thomas, regarded as the top center in the state. The Commerce
boys, with Michael Collins, are considered to be among the top
10 teams in class A.
The Lady Dragons have established themselves as a contender in
the sub-region race, with a 3-0 record against sub-region opponents.
Kevin Jacobs' team has lost only twice this season, both times
in tournaments and both times to AAAA teams. Thomas and her Buford
team will likely present the greatest class A challenge to the
Lady Dragons this season, followed by region 7-A Paideia a week
later.
The road will not get any easier for the Lady Dragons after that,
as they play five sub-region games in a two-week stretch.
Since region 8-A was split into sub-regions earlier in the year,
the top two finishers in February's sub-region tournaments will
move on to the state playoffs. Regular-season sub-region records
are used to determine the tournament seeds.
The situation is a bit different for coach Bolling DuBose's boys.
The Dragons started with convincing wins over Wesleyan and Banks
County, but ran into some tough competition against Providence
and fifth-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian. The team has struggled
to maintain leads late, though they seemed to rebound a bit in
the Gold City Shootout two weeks ago, where they finished third.
Commerce will come to Jefferson next Friday, having had a month
to recover from football season. The game looks to be a fast-paced,
high-scoring affair, with the Dragons trying to slow down the
highly touted Collins.
Panthers to
see familiar faces after tournament
BY TIM THOMAS
Three weeks is not a long time, but in high school sports, three
weeks can determine the outcome of a season. Such is the case
for the Jackson County Panthers. Beginning next Friday, the Panthers
will play nine games in 22 days.
Jackson County is currently participating in the Dairy Queen Classic
at Hart County High School. The Lady Panthers defeated McBee,
S.C. 61-50 Tuesday to move into the semifinals. The outcome of
the boys' game was unavailable at press time. The tournament finals
will be held Thursday, with fifth-place games beginning at noon,
third-place games at 3 p.m., and the championship games will be
held at 6 and 7:30 p.m.
Next week, the Panthers will be targets for revenge, with Dacula,
Athens Academy and Oconee County all looking to turn the tables
after being swept by Jackson County earlier. New opponent Stephens
County is also in the mix.
Beyond that, the Panthers face a tough road with North Hall, North
Gwinnett, Habersham Central and Hart County. All of Jackson County's
four losses thus far have been to those teams.
The matchup at North Gwinnett should prove to be the toughest.
The Bulldogs are among the top 10 AAA teams in the state, and
the Lady Bulldogs are ranked second. North Gwinnett's boys beat
Jackson County 78-57 in the season opener, but the Lady Panthers
were close to an upset in their 61-58 loss.
Win over McBee
In the tournament opener against McBee, a small but vocal contingent
of fans cheered the Lady Panthers to victory. Annette Watts' girls
jumped out to a 10-2 lead early, with Monic Stewart pulling in
a number of defensive rebounds. McBee fought back to within one
after the first period.
The second was close all the way, as McBee got several second
and third chances at the basket. Jackson County led 31-26 at the
half.
The Lady Panthers took control in the third, as McBee struggled
from the field. Jackson County took a 10-point lead going in to
the fourth.
Krystal Britt ripped the ball right out of an opponent's hands
early in the fourth, and rushed to the Jackson County basket before
dishing off to a teammate at the last minute for an easy layup.
Stewart was hot again under the defensive boards, and Carly Parr
took a steal the distance of the court for an easy two points.
After missing a free throw late in the game, Britt made a nice
move, circling the players who were fighting for the rebound.
After April Cantrell made a tough shot from the crowd, Britt grabbed
the ball and scored an easy basket.
Williams, Parr soared
above the crowd
BY TIM THOMAS
Jackson County's Carly Parr and Commerce's Monté Williams
have been chosen as The Jackson Herald athletes of the year.
Williams, a three-sport star, was named the best football player
in the state by Georgia sportswriters. During an extremely successful
season for the Tigers, Williams rushed for 2,301 yards and 30
touchdowns. The Commerce junior needs just over 1,500 yards to
tie the state career rushing mark.
In addition to his football exploits, Williams was the region
8-A long-jump champion, and finished sixth in the state. He is
also a member of the CHS basketball team.
Parr is a four-sport star. She earned Jackson County's first state
championship in two years, sprinting the backstretch to win the
3200-meter title in class AAA. Parr likely would have won the
1600-meter championship as well, but the two races were scheduled
on the same day due to bad weather. She finished third, behind
two runners who had not competed in the earlier race. Parr's times
in both races were new personal bests, as well as new school records.
Parr finished third in the region 8-AAA cross country meet, after
participating for only a portion of the season due to softball
commitments. Parr handled most of the pitching duties for the
Lady Panthers as they finished with the best regular-season record
in region 8-AAA.
Ryan Hybl captures state title, plays in pro
event
Madison County's Ryan Hybl, one of the world's top young golfers,
continued to rack up the trophy hardware this year, firing a 69
at Dalton Country Club in May to win the Class AAA state title,
helping lead his team to a 322 seventh-place finish. A junior
during last season's play, Hybl also fired a 71 to help his squad
qualify for the state tournament with a second-place team finish
with a 315 in the Region 8-AAA tournament.
Hybl, who will attend Georgia on a golf scholarship, also participated
in the Greater Hartford Open in Connecticut in July, posting a
141 (72-69) total, missing the cut by just two strokes. The Madison
County standout earned a chance to play in that tournament by
being named the "Co-player of the Year" by the American
Junior Golf Association last year.
Softball team posts 24-8 mark
The Madison County fast-pitch softball team posted a 24-8 mark
this year but was unable to advance to the state tournament after
losses to Dacula and North Gwinnett in the area tournament. Tawana
Moon was named the team's Most Valuable Player, earning a spot
on the all-state first team. Renee Mathews, who had the highest
batting average on the team, was named to the all-state second
team.
Baseball team finishes at 18-9
The Madison County baseball team, the state runner-up in 1998,
finished its 1999 season at 18-9 after being knocked out of the
region tournament with losses to Newton and Central Gwinnett.
Raiders finish 2-8, move to non-region schedule
Madison County finished its football season with its second straight
2-8 mark, winning games over Jackson County and North Hall. After
the season, coach Tom Hybl announced that the Raiders will play
a non-region schedule next year, a move aimed at making Madison
County more competitive and encouraging more guys to try out for
the team. The 2000 schedule must be finalized by Jan. 15.
Mathews, Beard capture second straight region
title
Renee Mathews and Stacie Beard captured their second straight
Region 8-AAA doubles title in girls' tennis. The Lady Raiders
advanced to their second straight state tournament with a second-place
finish in the region tournament. The squad lost 5-0 in the first
round of the state tournament to Class AAA powerhouse Marist.
The boys' tennis team posted a 7-3 regular season record but failed
to advance to the state tournament, losing to Central Gwinnett
in the region tournament.
Girls' basketball team finishes at 13-12
The Lady Raider basketball team finished its 1998-99 season at
13-12, losing to Newton in the second round of the Region 8-AAA
tournament. This year's team started the season on a strong note,
posting a 10-2 mark before Christmas break. Team standout Tawana
Moon also scored her 1,000th career point in a Christmas tournament
in Athens.
Three Raider wrestlers qualify for state tourney
Three Madison County wrestlers - Gary Evans, Adam Thompson and
Justin Shanken - qualified for the state tournament with top four
finishes in the 11-team area tournament.
Shanken finished third in the 135-lb. weight class, while Evans,
160 lbs., and Thompson, 130 lbs., finished fourth in their weight
classes.
Wood named new Raider coach
Benjie Wood was named the new Madison County varsity boys' basketball
coach this year after Kenny Walker resigned following a 6-18 season.
Boys' soccer team posts winning record
The Madison County boys' soccer team overcame a late 2-0 deficit
against Dacula to grab a 3-2 double-overtime win, a season-ending
victory that secured a winning 8-7 record for the Raiders. The
varsity girls' soccer team ended the season with a 5-8-1 record.
Hunter qualifies for state
Aiyana Hunter qualified for the state track tournament with a
second-place finish in the Region 8-AAA 800-meter race. Tawana
Moon placed third in the region in the shot put. Lauren Adams
was fourth in the region in the 300-meter hurdles. On the boys'
side, Jamie Sims placed fourth in the region in the shotput.
Volleyball team wins 12 matchES
The Madison County volleyball team finished its 1999 season with
a 12-14 record.
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