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Barrow’s only award-winning local sports section as judged by Georgia Press Association and Georgia Sports Writers Association INSIDE THIS SECTION •The Game Plan — 2B •Basketball Camp — 2B •Football Camp — BB •Local Stars — 12B July 27, 2016 Phone: 770-867-6397 Fax:706-621-4115 cbridges@barrowjournal. com Section B ★★★★ Region 8-AAAAAA Preseason Football Poll: Winder-Barrow forecast to finish fourth this fall Gainesville edges Lanier for first in poll The Winder-Barrow High School football team will finish fourth in the new 8-AAAAAA, according to a preseason poll of media members who follow the region. WBHS, which has made the state playoffs the past two sea sons, was narrowly edged for third place by Dacula High School. The Bulldoggs received 29 overall points, just two shy of the 31 received by the Dacula Falcons. Winder-Barrow was predict ed to finish as high as second on one ballot, third by three voters and fourth by four oth ers. Dacula meanwhile actual ly received one first place vote which helped the Falcons edge the Bulldoggs for third place overall. Dacula was voted third on four ballots and fourth on three others. Gainesville High School was the choice to win the region although it was by the slimmest of margins. The Red Elephants received three of eight first place votes and compiled 43 total votes. Lanier High School actually had more first place votes with four but its overall total was 41. Gainesville was first on three ballots and second on the remaining five. Lanier was voted first by four voters, second by two, third by one and fourth by another. Habersham Central finished fifth in the preseason poll and was forecast fifth on all but one ballot. Apalachee High School was sixth as the Wildcats were chosen fifth on one ballot and sixth on the others. WBHS and AHS will have five non-region games in 2016 as compared to one in recent seasons. The two teams will face each other in their respec tive 8-AAAAAA debuts in late September at R. Harold Harrison Stadium. Voters in the preseason poll conducted by the Barrow Journal include Tim Rose, WJBB Radio, David Willard, WJBB Radio. Charles Bellflower, WMOQ Radio. Ben Munro, MainStreet Newspapers, William Hess, The Northeast Georgian, David Brock, the Barrow Journal, David Freidlander, Gwinnett Daily Post and Chris Bridges, the Barrow Journal. Poll Results: 1. Gainesville (3) 43 2. Lanier (4) 41 3. Dacula (D 31 4 WBHS 29 5. Habersham 15 6. Apalachee 9 Region 8-AAAAAA preseason football media poll Gridiron Lessons: Apalachee Youth Football Camp 2016 FOOTBALL STATE OF MIND Apalahchee High School hosted its annual youth football camp earlier this month and once again had a quality turnout in the number of young players who attended to learn from Wildcat coaches and players. Photos by Jessica Brown High School Football Season opener just on horizon BCA hosts Piedmont Aug. 12 to start 2016 By Chris Bridges Journal Sports Editor Sixteen days. That’s all that’s left standing between the Bethlehem Christian Academy football team and the first game of the 2016 season. Playing what is believed to be the earliest date for a reg ular season game in Barrow County history, the Knights will usher in the new cam paign on Friday. Aug. 12. when they host Piedmont Academy at 8 p.m. It will be the second season for BCA competing in on-campus home games. Preseason summer work continues to “go well,” coach Lance Lendley said last week. “We still have a lot of work left to do but we are get ting there,” the Knights head coach said. “We are definitely on the clock now. The kids are giving great effort. They are flying around and getting after it. We are definitely get ting better each day.” With several holes to fill due to graduation and some other key players transferring out, BCA has plenty of work to do before the seson begins against perennial playoff power Piedmont. See Knights on Page 12B Coming Up: •Preseason scrimmage @ Briarwood, Friday, Aug. 5 •Hosts Piedmont Acade my, Friday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m. •Hosts Monsignor Don ovan, Friday, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m. Sports Opinion New region shaping up to be competitive race Judging by a preseason poll conducted by the Barrow Jour nal, there will be a fun battle to watch this fall in the newly formed Region 8-AAAAAA. The football region has some solid programs even though the overall number of teams is smaller than in previous sea sons when it comes to region foes for Winder-Barrow High School and Apalachee High By Chris Bridges School. In the poll, Gainesville edged Lanier by the smallest of margins to be the preseason pick to win 8-AAAAAA. The Red Elephants actually had less first place votes than the Longhorns but ended up with more overall points, which is the factor used to determine who is higher in a poll. In fact, the race wasn’t decided until the final voter returned his ballot assuring Gainesville would hold on to that No. 1 spot. It appeared WBHS would finish third in the poll until that final ballot made its way in via email. That voter’s predictions pushed Dacula into third place by two points over the Bull doggs. The Falcons received one first-place vote in the pre season voting. See Bridges on Page 12B AHS hires new baseball coach Apalachee High School has a new base ball coach as Allan Bailey was officially hired Tuesday night. Bailey was an assistant varsity baseball coach at Oconee County High School. He was also the athletic director at Oconee County Middle School where he was also the boys basketball coach. Bailey replaces Clint Harrison who recently resigned after two seasons.