Newspaper Page Text
Page 10 - Friday, March 17, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
thejenkinscountytimes.com
Under the Bleachers
The Jenkins County Middle School track team prepares for their track meet of the season on Thurs
day. (photo submitted)
Sabrina Dorrity, the Jenkins County High School tennis coach, gives pre
game instructions before the match against Savannah Early
College High School, (photo by Brad Asbury)
Middle School Baseball Wins One
and Starts
On Thursday of last week, the middle school War Eagles baseball team took the field
against Treutlen. The War Eagles took the lead early and by way of their defense,
were able to shut out Treutlen 10-0.
The first inning was scoreless, but the young War Eagles came back in the second
inning and were not going to be caught after that remaining scoreless for the
remainder of the game.
Harper Wilcox led off the 2 nd with a hard-hit line drive. Wild pitches, walks, and
solid hits led the War Eagles to score five mns. The War Eagles would score five
more runs to finally get to ten mns.
Harper Wilcox, Gatlin Oglesby, Bryer Clayton, and Chandler Cates all recorded a
hit for the War Eagles. Gray was on the mound for the War Eagles in this game. He
threw 5 completed innings, throwing very efficiently only having thrown 58 pitches.
Gray threw 14 first-pitch strikes in only facing 18 players and striking out 8 batters.
The second game of the week came on Monday of this week. One of the four
regional teams came to the Jenkins County Recreation Department. The War Eagles
faced off against a very talented opponent. The final score was 10 for Metter and
only 1 for the War Eagles. The War Eagles got the one ran on walks and wild pitches.
The War Eagles were not able to get a hit across the plate. Through the first 3 innings,
the game was quite close only down 5-1 when the inning ended in the third. Metter
would then score 1 in the sixth and then 4 in the sixth.
The War Eagles middle school team has games on Wednesday and Thursday of this
week.
High School Baseball Update
Jenkins County Baseball played three games this past week. They faced off against Bulloch
Academy and a doubleheader against Bryan County. The first game of the week for the War
Eagles took place on Wednesday as the War Eagles traveled to Bulloch Academy.
The game started on a single by War Eagle Tyler Williams, and eventually, Williams would be
moved around and score on a passed ball. The early 1 -0 lead would hold for the War Eagles
until the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Bulloch added three mns. With two
outs, Blake Aaron was on third and Tyler Williams was on second, Aaron would score on a
stolen base. This was followed by a single by Jackson Lanier scoring Williams.
Unfortunately, the bats got hot for Bulloch, and they were able to continue to drive the ran up.
They would score three in the 4 th . In the top of the 5 th , with one out and nobody on; Gavin
Underwood stepped to the plate and hit a homerun over the centerfield wall. This was his
second homerun of the season. The War Eagles were unable to get anything else going
offensively and drop the game 7-4.
Friday night featured a doubleheader against former regional foe Bryan County. The Redskins
had already defeated the War Eagles once this season and came ready to do the same again.
The Redskins bats came out hot in game 1. They would score three quick mns in the first and
three again in the second. The only inning that the Redskins did not score was in the third. In
the end, Bryan County scored 11 mns. However, the War Eagles scored 1 in the first and added
1 in the seventh. The final score for the War Eagles was 11-2.
The second game of the night featured a much more exciting game. Even though offensively,
the bats could not get going. The War Eagles would be held hitless through the sixth inning
when Tyler Williams drove a single into the outfield. Williams was also cmcial on defense the
whole game snagging several fly balls in deep centerfield.
The seventh inning saw the most excitement. The War Eagles were able to score a ran and were
able to get the bases loaded. However, the War Eagles were unable to push across any further
mns and the game ended 4-2.
This week the War Eagles play on Wednesday on the road at Swainsboro and Friday they host
Edmund Burke Academy. Tune in to Facebook Live at the Jenkins County Times page to watch
the War Eagles on Friday as Brad Asbury and James Gay will have your War Eagle action. The
game begins at 5:00 PM at the Jenkins County Recreation Department.
This past Sunday was Selection Sunday. During this day
and time, the bracket for the NCAA Tournament is set. The
tournament gets its start on Thursday and Friday with the
first rounds being played. Talk “Under the Bleachers” will
be all about who is going to upset whom and who will win
“The Big Dance.”
The next three weeks are considered, by many, to be the
best weeks in all of sports. With the NCAA men’s and
women’s basketball tournament starting this week and
spring training continuing, there are plenty of sports for
baseball and basketball fans alike. There is only one time
of the year that there will be more sports, and that will be
when the World Series, NBA, NFL, and college football
are all taking place. Enjoy the weeks of watching sports!
According to a statistic in 2021, employers lose approxi
mately 13.3 billion dollars in productivity during the
tournament!
Turning the talk to baseball, did you know that the first
baseball game took place on June 19, 1846? This year
baseball will celebrate 177 years of what is known as
“America’s Favorite pastime.” Will you be celebrating the
177-year anniversary this season by attending a game?
Send us your pictures of where you will watch from. There
are baseball stadiums all over America, each unique. Take
time and enjoy one this season as you enjoy your day at
the ballpark!
One key lesson all athletes and coaches alike should keep
at the forefront of their minds is found in Romans 12:3,
which says, “For by the grace given to me I say to every
one among you not to think of himself more highly than
he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each
according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Paul was writing to members of the church, yet it applies
to every area of our life. Humility and honesty concerning
who we are is necessary. We have all been gifted in many
ways, yet we should not think of ourselves more highly
than we are. We live in the grace that has first been given
to us.
In baseball, I can only imagine how foolish it would look
if the pitcher also tried to be the catcher. Can you imag
ine the pitcher throwing the ball towards home plate, yet
feeling like he must be the catcher too? Suddenly, he runs
behind home plate after throwing the ball trying to catch
his own ball. The reality is, that would be impossible. Yet,
in thinking about ourselves more highly than we ought, we
do the same in life. May we find our gifts and our talents
in life and use them. Let us humbly use them and work
alongside others as they use their gifts. Together, through
this life, we will do better!
As always, thanks for joining me “under the bleachers”
this week. You never know what you might see or hear un
der here but know there is always something new to learn
under the bleachers. Until next week, enjoy the remaining
days of Spring Training, get out and enjoy spring sports,
make sure to cheer on your War Eagles, and enjoy this
spring weather. These are the days God has given to us, let
us use them for His glory!
WA
P
By Brad Asbury, Sports Editor
for
'I i 11 : Times
pastorbradasbury@gmail.com
The Georgia Blaze 13U team which features four players from Jenkins County and
players from surrounding counties traveled to Rincon Saturday and returned home
victorious as the champions. Georgia Blaze is coached by two from Jenkins County,
Wes Lee (Head Coach) andDeWayne Purvis (Assistant Coach). The team is shown
celebrating after the win! (photo
submitted)
James Allen goes down to scoop up a ground
ball Friday night against Btyan County. The
War Eagles lost both games on Friday night to
Bryan County, (photo by Anna Kate Hearn)
Tyler Williams takes a big leadoff on Friday night
against Bryan County, (photo by Anna Kate
Hearn)
From left to right Harley Burke, Chandler Cates, Ryley James, and Bryer
Clayton celebrate with their rings after winning the March Mayhem 13U Tour
nament at Macomber Ballpark in Rincon, GA this past weekend. These four
boys play for Georgia Blaze 13U which is a travel team made up of kids from
around the surrounding area, (photo submitted)
