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Barrow News-Journal
INSIDE THIS SECTION
Award-winning local sports coverage
•The Game Plan
•Photo scene
— 2B
— 2B
•Football Contest winner
— 5B
•AHS Football
— 7B
September 7, 2016
Phone: 770-867-6397
Fax:706-621-4115
cbridges@barrowjournal. com
Section B
★★★★
High School Softball: Apalachee High School
Lady Cats enjoy successful start to region slate
By Chris Bridges
Sports Editor
Entering this week, the Apalachee
High School softball team is viewing
the scenery from on top of the Region
8-AAAAAA mountain.
The Lady Wildcats are the lone unde
feated team in region play with a 5-0
mark. AHS is 9-3 overall and playing
solid softball.
“We’ve had some quality performances
from several players,” said coach Matt
Allen. “This team believes it can win and
we hope to continue the level of play we
have been competing at.”
A 9-8 win against Lanier High School
on Aug. 30 is still fresh on every player’s
On Deck:
•AHS @ Monroe Area, Wednesday,
5:30 p.m.
•AHS @ Gainesville, Thursday, 5:30
p.m.*
*Region 8-AAAAAA game
mind. The Lady Wildcats trailed 8-3 going
into the bottom of the seventh inning but
rallied for what seemed like an improba
ble victory.
That rally was symbolic of the team
effort AHS has benefited from in 2016.
Alexis Wheeler had a three-run homer in
the bottom of the seventh before freshman
Madyson Coe delivered the game-win
ning RBI, scoring Alexis Griffith, another
freshman.
Grace Hedges had a big contest with
a solo homer in the Lanier game and
Kayla Brown pitched 4.1 innings in relief,
including three scoreless frames.
Even with that game still on their minds,
the Lady Wildcats returned to the field on
Sept. 1 and defeated Dacula High School
2-1.
Savannah Butler is the team’s top pitch
er and has been solid in most of her out
ings in the pitcher’s circle.
Going into this week, AHS was 5-0 in
region play followed by Lanier at 4-1.
Those two teams will meet again on Sept.
20. Dacula and Winder-Barrow are both
2-2. The Lady Bulldoggs were upset by
Habersham Central 11-10 last week.
See Lady Wildcats on Page 3B
SIGNALING THE WAY
Apalachee High School softball
coach Matt Allen has his Lady
Wildcats in first place in the region.
Photo by Jessica Brown
THURSDAY
ACTION
The Winder-Barrow
High School and
Apalachee High
School junior var
sity football teams
clashed at W. Clair
Harris Stadium last
week with the JV
Bulldoggs earn
ing a 41-14 victory.
Quarterback Sam
Darling (above),
prepares to fire a
pass while teammate
Anthony Cardova
(right) rushes for
yardage in the win.
Meanwhile, over at
R. Harold Harrison
Stadium, the AHS
freshman team
defeated WBHS 22-18.
See more photos on
page 6B in
today’s edition.
Photos by
Jessica Brown
Battle of Barrow: Junior Varsity Football
High School Football
Bulldoggs
playing well,
to have this
Friday off
By Cliris Bridges
Sports Editor
The Winder-Barrow High School
football team has rebounded quite
well from a disappointing season
opener.
The Bulldoggs improved to 2-1
last Lriday with an impressive per
formance against Northview High
School on the road, resulting in
a 35-20 victory. Javonne Hughes
rushed for 243 yards and three
touchdowns on 34 carries while
Brock Landis passed for 235 yards
on an 11-of-19 night with two
touchdowns.
WBHS is now in bye week and
will be off this Friday.
“We played well on both lines of
scrimmage,” Winder-Barrow High
School coach Heath Webb said.
“Our offensive line played really
well. It was the best offensive out
put we’ve had since I’ve been at
Winder-Barrow.”
Hughes’ effort was certainly
noticed by coaches and fans alike.
“For a kid who’s 5-5, 135 pounds,
you wouldn’t think you could give
it to him 34 times,” his coach said.
“However, most of his runs are
between the tackles. He runs with
power, speed and agility. His heart
is just so big."
Landis, in addition to his effec
tiveness through the air, also rushed
for 107 yards on 11 attempts.
“Our defense also played well up
front,” Webb said. “Our lines chose
to be tough and physical. Our play-
makers were making plays.”
Webb also praised the effort of
Deon Williams (three catches for 82
yards and a score) at wide receiver.
Jecory Young, despite only having
worked at wide receiver for two
weeks, is delivering sound perfor
mances and caught a 61-yard pass
in Friday’s win.
“It was a combination of our ath
letes making plays with the football
while our offensive and defensive
linemen were winning at the line of
scrimmage,” Webb said.
See Bulldoggs on Page 8B
Cross Country: Winder-Barrow High School
WBHS runners begin season, to host annual invitational Saturday
By Cliris B ridges
Sports Editor
Kacie Wilson and Jake Marti
nez helped pace the Winder-Bar
row High School runners in the
cross country debut for 2016 last
week.
Wilson, who enjoyed a strong
cross country season last fall,
was ninth overall for the Lady
Bulldoggs in 21:22.69 at a meet
hosted by North Oconee High
School.
Martinez was ninth for the
WBHS boys with a time of
18:34.10.
Other top runners for the
WBHS Lady Bulldoggs includ
ed:
•Sarah-Grace Weatherford,
25:01.04
•Jennifer Quintana, 26:43.37
•Katie Bussa, 28:02.76
•Britany Jaimes, 28:05.56
•Mary Stemp, 29:11.40
•Lauren-Grace Ballenger,
29:40.71
•Annabel Suplita, 30:22.23
Other top performers for the
WBHS boys were:
•Tyler Dennis, 19:49.24
•Cody Boles, 20:02.07
•Alex Velasco, 20:48.33
•Mason Ayer, 21:44.35
•Kevin Martinez, 22:49.59
•Jacob Pursell, 25:36.35
•Matthew Whiddon, 26:34.01
•Arturo Aguirre, 26:38.59
Coming up:
•Winder-Barrow High School
cross country invitational, Sat
urday, varsity races begin at 8
a.m., course at Bramlett Ele
mentary School
UP NEXT
WBHS will hosts its annual
Invitational on Saturday. High
school and middle school run
ners will compete.
Teams, in addition to WBHS,
varsity teams set to run include
Apalachee High School, Archer
High School, Athens Chris
tian School, Cartersville High
School, Central Gwinnett High
School, Clarke Central High
School, Dacula High School,
Discovery High School, East-
side High School, George Wal
ton Academy and Habersham
Central.
See Run on Page 2B