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The Braselton News
Contact the sports department:
Phone: 706-367-5233
Fax: 706-367-9355
brandon@mainstreetnews.com
Bicycling
Road Atlanta
to host Tour
de Georgia
The 2008 Tour de Georgia will
again pass through the Braselton
area, but this time it will make a sig
nificant stop. It was announced last
week that Road Atlanta will host the
Team Time Trial portion of the sixth
annual event on April 24. It will be
the fourth stage of the seven-stage
event, which starts at Tybee Island
on April 21, and ends in Atlanta on
April 27.
The Braselton raceway will host
the first Team Time Trial of the Tour
de Georgia. The individual time trial
discipline has been part of the tour
since 2004. The exciting and highly
anticipated Team Time Trial will
replace the ITT this year in Georgia.
It is incorporated into stage racing
occasionally, and was last part of the
Tour de France in 2005. This “race
of truth” for teams was reintroduced
on American soil in 2007 at the
International Tour de ‘Toona, and
had not been staged since the 1986
World Championships in Colorado
Springs, Colorado.
“The continued success of Tour
de Georgia generates positive value
for local communities and the state
and unparalleled enthusiasm for
hundreds of thousands of spectators
who travel to these communities
for this springtime sports tradition,”
said Elizabeth Dewberry, execu
tive director for the 2008 Tour de
Georgia. “We are proud that the
Tour de Georgia offers a prestigious
level of competition for world-class
athletes, and an opportunity for
many of our U.S.-based athletes to
perform on home soil.”
“The Tour de Georgia is a race I
love because of the amazing fans
and how well it fits in with my rac
ing schedule,” said 2007 Tour de
Georgia champion Janez Brajkovic,
who will be racing in 2008 for the
Astana Pro Cycling Team. “Being
the best young rider in 2006 was
great, but winning the whole race in
2007 was the highlight of my racing
career. I am always asking my direc
tors to do more races in the U.S. and
I plan to be back again in April.”
Since 2003 the Tour de Georgia
has attracted 2.8 million spectators
and generated over $148 million
in economic impact for the state
of Georgia. The event aligned with
the Georgia Cancer Coalition in its
first six years, to raise both aware
ness and revenue across the state.
In 2008, the official local benefi
ciary will be with the Aflac Cancer
Center and Blood Disorders Service
of Children’s.
“It is virtually impossible to
explain how important events like
Tour de Georgia are to the chil
dren of Atlanta and the surround
ing southeastern region,” stated Dr.
William G. Woods, Director of the
Aflac Cancer Center and Blood
Disorders Service of Children’s.
“Philanthropic events and organiza
tions make it possible for our staff
of physicians and nurses to fight
pediatric cancer and blood disorders
and get kids back to being kids.”
For more information on the Tour
de Georgia, vist www.tourdegeor-
gia.com.
IB
Wednesday,
December 12, 2007
Bovs’ Basketball
Hawks lose close game to North Gwinnett
Mill Creek to host Duluth Fri.
BY BRANDON REED
After picking up a first victory
of the season last week, the Mill
Creek Hawks hoped to see more
positive results Friday night, as the
team traveled to North Gwinnett.
It was a close game from begin
ning to end, but at the final buzzer,
it was the Bulldogs pulling out the
win, 54-52.
Both teams went back and forth
during the first half, staying within
a few points of each other the entire
time.
The Hawks found themselves
down 10-8 at the end of the first
quarter, but rallied back to take a
23-16 lead at the half.
Missed free throws plagued the
Hawks during the third, as Mill
Creek missed several
shots, allowing North
Gwinnett to close the
gap-
The teams continued to
go back and forth dur
ing the fourth quarter, but
the Bulldogs took the lead
with just over a minute left,
held it to the end.
“We played defensively pretty
well,” said head boys’ basketball
coach Phil Bollier. “We only lost
our game plan a couple of times.
The key, really, to the game, was
our free throw percentage. We
were up six or eight in the middle
of the third quarter, with a chance
to stretch that out, and just did not
make key free throws.”
Regardless, Bollier said, his team
stayed with the Bulldogs through
out the game.
Coming up:
WHAT: Mill Creek vs.
Duluth
WHERE: Mill Creek
High School
WHEN: Fri., 7:30 P.M
and
“Even in the third quarter, except
for not making our free throws, we
played pretty well. It was the same
with the fourth. When you shoot
the percentage from the free throw
line that we did in a close game, it’s
most crucial.”
Travis Bollier led the team in
scoring, with 17 points. Chris Avery
also hit double digits, scoring 12.
Chase Anderson scored nine points.
Manu Ogbuehi led the team in
rebounds with eight on Friday
night. Anderson led in assists with
four. Bollier and Anderson both
had three steals each.
Coach Bollier said the teams all
around accomplishments are what’s
important.
“We’re a team,” he said. “What
we want to do is make
this a team accom
plishment all the way
around. This is a team
sport, and we want
everyone contributing
and receiving acco
lades as a team.”
Bollier said this week his team
will work to make sure the mistakes
of last Friday night don’t resurface
in their next game.
“We’re working defensively to
become more solid, to do a better
job of rebounding,” he said. “We’ll
continue to work on the common
things that go on in basketball.
We’d like to be uncommon in the
way we play, not turn the ball over,
do a good job rebounding, make the
high percentage shots, and obvious
ly make our free throws. When you
do those common things uncom-
WATCHING CLOSE
Mill Creek’s Travis Bollier (4) defends against a North Gwinnett player during Friday night’s game.
Bollier scored 17 pointes against the Bulldogs. Photo by Brandon Reed
monly well, you become pretty
good. That’s what we’re trying to
do.”
Up next for the Hawks is their
final home game before Christmas
break, as they’ll play host to Duluth
Friday night. The Wildcats enter
the match up with a 2-4 overall
record, and 0-2 in the region.
Bollier says fans can look for
another strong Mill Creek perfor
mance.
“I expect that the Mill Creek
Hawks are going to be more solid
than they’ve been in any other game
this year,” he said. “(They) will not
turn the ball over as much, have
defensive intensity, and we’ll play
with an intensity that makes our
team just run the program that we
want to run.”
Girls' Basketball
Mill Creek continues streak, defeats North Gwinnett
~ '~1 Lady Hawks play host to Duluth Fri.
FAR REACH
Mill Creek’s Katie Palomba (12), reaches for the ball during a game earlier in the season. Palomba had
an assist during Friday night’s game against the North Gwinnett Bulldogs. Photo by Kristi Reed
BY BRANDON REED
The Mill Creek Fady Hawks continued their winning streak Friday
night, as they handed the Fady Bulldogs of North Gwinnett a 47-39
defeat.
The Fady Hawks moved out to an early lead in the first quarter, and
by the half, led 28-10. In the third, North Gwinnett began to make a
charge, pulling within 12 points as Mill Creek continued to lead 36-24.
The Bulldogs would pull closer in the fourth, closing the gap to 39-34,
but the Fady Hawks then pulled away for the victory.
“I thought we played a really good first half,” said head girls’ basket
ball coach Ashley Phillips. “The kids did a really good job defensively,
and really worked together well. Obviously,
holding them to ten points showed that we were
playing pretty good defense. We would have
like to have had a better second half, but you
have to give North Gwinnett credit for playing
better.”
Moneshia Simmons led the Fady Hawks in
scoring, picking up 19 points on the night.
Simmons also led in rebounds, with 11.
“She played really well,” Phillips said. “She’s really come on strong
lately, and has done a good job of finishing around the basket. I thought
our guards did an outstanding job of getting her the ball and the post to
allow her to get those shots.”
Porsha Porter scored eight points, as did Olivia Towers-Solis. Whitney
Smith scored five, Tia Williams scored three, while Monique Weathers
and Megan Basile scored two each. Porter had the most assists on the
See BASKETBALL on page 2B
Coming up:
WHAT: Mill Creek vs.
Duluth
WHERE: Mill Creek
High School
WHEN: Fri., 6 P.M.
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