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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
THE GAME PLAN
Battle of Barrow:
What will happen this Friday night?
T he Battle of Barrow will be
hosted at Winder-Barrow
High School for the first time since
2008 this Friday.
The second matchup between
Shane Davis and David Wagner
will be contested during Winder-
Barrow’s senior night on a season
that has been frustrating to say the
least.
Winder-Barrow enters Friday
night 0-8 and on the heels of a 22-
game losing streak. A win for the
‘Doggs over their cross town rivals on senior
night would be monumental.
Apalachee has won the last three contests
between the bitter rivals.
The Wildcats come into the game 3-5,
clinging to playoff hopes, however minor.
What better time for Winder-Barrow to
pick up its first win under coach Wagner
than when playing the team that he used to
coach for?
The Bulldoggs’ only hope might be in
their running game. Jamonte Riden is the
feature back for the Bulldoggs which has
put out some great performances throughout
the season.
The Wildcats will have to focus on stop
ping Riden on Friday night.
Junior Chad Platt has come onto the scene
with big time runs in the last two games. He
is definitely one of the fastest players on the
field.
Apalachee has a pretty respectable rushing
game themselves.
Sophomore Stanley Williams will be look
ing to have a big night on the Bulldogg
defense that has had trouble containing the
run this season.
Williams verbally committed to the
University of Georgia in the sum
mer and has since become one of
the most exciting running backs to
watch in the state.
Apalachee also has juniors Zay
Henry and Eric Tanner in their
backfield. Henry brings the speed
and the ability to get to the outside
while Tanner provides the bruising
punch up the middle.
The Bulldoggs will have a tough
time keeping the Wildcat running
game in check. And if they are able
to find a way to do so, they will also have to
look out for the arm of junior Clint Ashe.
Apalachee has put the ball in Ashe’s hands
more this year than they did last season,
showing confidence in their quarterback.
The Wildcats have added different wrin
kles into their offensive scheme this season.
AHS is a predominantly Wing-T offense
that has tried some new things this year to
give some different looks.
Winder-Barrow will have their hands full
on Friday night as Apalachee brings an
explosive offense that might prove to be too
talented for the Bulldoggs.
WBHS will have to rely on the legs of
Riden on Friday and to beat the Wildcats
the Bulldoggs might simply have to outscore
them.
It will be a tough task for the host Bulldoggs
to overcome on Friday. Apalachee may very
well take this year’s Battle of Barrow and
extend the streak to four straight years.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High
School graduate and mass communications
major at the University of West Georgia. You
can e-mail comments about this column to
trollason @y ahoo. com.
Sports Roundup
•The Barrow County Saints Youth Football
Association is now accepting applications for
new coaches for next season.
Team registration begins in February, fol
lowed by spring training camps.
For more information, e-mail bcsaints@
gmail.com.
•The Bethlehem First United Methodist
Church is holding its second annual Wiseman
5K race Sunday, Dec. 18.
The fun run begins at 3:30 p.m. followed by
the race at 4 p.m.
Registration cost is $15 per person before
Dec. 10 and $20 after that date. A family of
four can register for $45.
Registration can be completed at www.
active.com. Pre-registered racers will receive
a T-shirt.
For more information, contact George
Roberson at 678-548-4879 or Carol Black at
706-680-7223 or e-mail classicraceservices@
gmail.com.
•Laser Baseball is holding tryouts for
its 10-and-Under team from 2-4 p.m. Nov.
20 on Field No. 5 at West Walton Park in
Loganville.
Baseball players bom after May 1, 2001
are eligible to try out. For more information,
contact Brent Butler at 678-446-2345 or e-mail
brentbutler@bellsouth.net.
•Entries are now being accepted for the
19th Georgia Team Championship, which is
scheduled for Oct. 29-30 at The Georgia Club
in Statham.
The event is open to four-man teams of
male amateur golfers who are selected by their
Georgia State Golf Association member club.
The field will consist of 30 teams.
The format is one round of four-ball stroke
play and one round of best three-of-four indi
vidual stroke play.
Qualified golfers must enter online at the
GSHA website at www.gsga.org by clicking
the online registration link.
•The process for selecting the members
of the next Winder-Barrow High School
Athletic Hall of Fame class is an ongoing
process.
Anyone who played sports at WBHS or has
made significant contributions to athletics at
the school is eligible for nomination.
Athletes are chosen on what he or she accom
plished at the high school level as well as in the
collegiate and professional ranks. Nominations
may be made at any time. The next selection
will be this fall. Nomination forms may be
obtained from the WBHS website or in person
at the school office. Those who have been pre
viously nominated remain on the list for three
years and are still eligible to be selected. Once
three years has passed without selection, they
may be re-nominated.
Jerrie Hulsey is the current chairperson of
the Hall of Fame committee. Other selection
members inlude Sonny Morris, Jason Austin,
Sammy Hale, John Mobley, Kay Turner, Elton
Lynn, Ben Arms, Kevin Black, Hal Miller, Phil
Bradberry, Justin Grant and A1 Darby.
Nomination forms may be obtained from the
Winder-Barrow High School website or at the
school office, located on North Fifth Avenue.
Contacting a member of the selection com
mittee is also a method of nominating someone
to the Wall of Fame. New classes are typically
announced to the public each winter during
basketball season.
•Send information for Sports Roundup to
cbridges@barrowjournal.com. Items can also
be faxed to 678-425-1435. Please include
a contact name and phone number with all
submitted information. Information will be
published on a space available basis.
Barrow Sports Calendar
Send any schedule changes to cbridges@barrowjournal.com
Friday, Oct. 28
•Winder-Barrow High School football
hosts Apalachee High School football,
7:30 p.m., Senior Night, Battle of Barrow
County, W. Clair Harris Stadium.
Saturday, Oct. 29
•Winder-Barrow High School and
Apalachee High School cross country
teams at Region 8-AAAA meet, Conyers,
Interntional Horse Park, 8 a.m.
•Winder-Barrow High School competi
tion cheerleading hosts Northeast Georgia
competition, 10 a.m., middle school and
varsity teams to compete, WBHS seniors
and alumni to be recognized.
•Apalachee High School competition
cheerleaders @ Winder-Barrow High
School Northeast Georgia Competition,
10 a.m.
Rivalry continued from IB
Wagner said he knows how badly his
team wants to win and to win this game
especially.
“I know it would mean a great deal for
our seniors,” Wagner said. “Knowing how
much they want to win, fuels my fire even
more to do everything I can to help them
win.”
Despite having worked with several
members of the AHS coaches staff, even
before they arrived to the Wildcat program,
Wagner said in cases like this you have to
put friendship aside.
“You do have to block that aspect out,”
the WBHS coach said. “It’s that way for
all coaches. You coach against people you
know, people you respect and people you
have worked with quite a bit. It’s just the
nature of the business. You just have to
think about your team.”
Bulldogg senior Tyler Pineda knows the
importance of the contest.
“The Battle of Barrow is a very important
game for both schools,” the senior standout
said. “It’s a great feeling to know that we’re
hosting the game my senior year. With the
game being on Senior night, it only makes
the stakes even higher. We will have to
maintain our composure, play to our full
potential and fight for 48 minutes.”
Apalachee High School quarterback Clint
Ashe said the Wildcats will in no way over
look WBHS.
“We have respect for them,” Ashe said.
“We can’t take them lightly.”
“It’s always fun playing your rival,” said
Ashe’s teammate Eric Tanner. “We know it
will be a tough game. It’s not going to be
easy. Winder is going to be ready to win the
game so we are going to have to be ready
as well.”
From a strategy standpoint, Wagner said
his team will need to control the line of
scrimmage.
“Offensively, we have to move the foot
ball and keep the chains moving,” Wagner
said. “The key for us will be to not let
Apalachee have the football.”
On the defensive side, the Bulldoggs will
need to control the Wildcat playmakers.
“When we have a chance to make a play,
we have to do it defensively,” Wagner said.
“Apalachee has some great offensive weap
ons in Ashe, Tanner, Stanley (Williams),
Zay (Henry) and Jermaine (Smith), who
seems to catch anything thrown his way. We
can’t allow them to get to the edge. We have
to make tackles on first contact. Apalachee
does a great job of making you miss.”
In breaking down WBHS and formulating
their games plans, AHS coodinators Joel
Miller and Matt Sorrells see several keys
for their team.
“Winder-Barrow has done multiple
things on offense throughout the year,” said
Sorrells. “ They like to be in shotgun and run
Wing-T type plays as well as spread you out
and throw it around some. Winder-Barrow
has two very talented running backs. Both
of these guys are capable of scoring on any
given play. Their quarterback has a good
arm and has a very good receiver that will
catch everything that is thrown his way. We
will have to be disciplined on our reads at
the linebacker position and in the secondary
to make sure that we are putting ourselves
in position to make plays.”
Miller, who coordinates the AHS offense,
said execution will be the key for both
teams.
“You are going to see teams that are very
familiar with each other,” Miller said. “They
know what they have to do slow down our
offense, so its going to come down to who
executes the best. Defensively, they will
base out of the 4-3 and play man cover
age in the secondary. They are very well
coached and are always in the right spot.
Moore knows both
sides of local rivalry
From 1994 until 2000, Brian Moore bled
“GG” red and black.
As an assistant coach at Winder-Barrow
High School, Moore worked countless
hours to make the Bulldogg program a
success.
By the time the 2000 season arrived,
Moore had been named the first head foot
ball coach in Apalachee High School his
tory. He continues to work within the Chee
Nation, now as athletic director.
Having been a part of both schools,
Moore has a unique insight into the rival
ry.
“There is no question it is a big game due
to the crosstown rivalry, but because we
have been in the hunt for the playoffs the
last several years, our coaches have taken
the approach of preparing just like you
do for every other game on the schedule,”
Moore said earlier this week.
And the No. 1 thing in terms of impor
tance this week for the Wildcats, Moore
said, is staying alive in the playoff chase.
“After the tough start we had, to be able
to say that we have a shot for postseason-
play as we prepare for week nine is a trib
ute to the coaches and the players,” Moore
said. “Having said that, like any other
rivalry, it does not matter what records the
teams have, it is going to be a real battle.
Early on in this rivalry when AHS was just
getting its feet wet, we were not as success
ful in this game as we would have liked
to have been, but our players played hard
and with great effort. Now with both teams
having players that are difference makers
on the field, it is even more intense.”
Many in the community, Moore said,
make the Battle of Barrow a week long
event.
“There are a wide variety of events which
spotlight our high school students which is
great for the schools,” Moore said. “There
is a lot of school pride at both high schools
and that is evident with the week long fes
tivities and the game on Friday night.”
— Chris Bridges
They play an aggressive style of defense
with a lot of defensive line movement and
linebacker blitzes. For us to be successful,
we have to control the line of scrimmage
and pick up some of the blitzes that they
will bring. Hopefully we can get our skill
kids past the initial surge of people and into
the second level and then its up to them
to hopefully make someone miss a tackle.
The game will be emotional and both teams
will play hard, so we need to contain our
emotions and execute on offense.”
Even with the teams and coaches being
familiar with the other’s schemes, Davis
said there is no reason to change things up
drastically at this point in the season.
“We feel we have a good idea of what
they may do just like they do with us,” the
AHS head coach said. “We use pretty simi
lar schemes. You can’t worry about if they
will throw something different at you. You
just have to prepare your team the best you
can. If you see something different, then
you have to adjust on the run.”
Said Wagner: “You always hope you
bring a certain level of battle to each game.
You want your team to play intense every
week. I don’t think that will change this
week. There’s no doubt our players will be
ready.”
Both teams have plenty at stake. AHS is
looking to keep its playoff hopes alive while
WBHS is looking to be on the winning side
of a regular season game for the first time
since the 2009 season. Both would love to
accomplish it at the other’s expense.
First & Ten continued from IB
WBHS coach David Wagner has said from
day one he is not someone who will cheer
for Apalachee to lose each week. The former
Wildcat defensive coordinator has long ties
with AHS head coach Shane Davis, even
before the two arrived in Barrow County.
A1 Darby, principal at WBHS, has plenty of
experience with rivalries from his days as a
coach and knows the importance of maintain
ing a competitive but civil relationship.
For my part, I have also tried to stress we
are one community and one school system.
It’s fine to be rivals on the playing field but
when you aren’t playing, there’s no reason not
to want the other teams to do well. It means
our county is being represented in a positive
light.
So cheer for your team Friday night. That’s
what high school football is all about. When
it’s over though, let’s all shake hands and go
back to being one community. Only through
working together will be become a better
place and a better school system. See you
there Friday night.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow
Journal. You can send comments about this
column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
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