About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2023)
Page 10 - Friday, April 7, 2023 The Jenkins County Times thejenkinscountytimes.com WA P By Brad Asbury, Sports Editor for 'I i 11 : Times pastorbradasbury@gmail.com Track and Field Under the Bleachers Baseball is in its first full week. The Atlanta Braves won their first Opening Day game since 2017. They also won the first series over division rival Washington Nationals. Now, as of writing, they are playing the St. Louis Cardinals and they won the first of three games. The first home games of the season will start Thursday night. Home games are nearly impossible to come by this year as tickets are selling out quickly! Only two teams remain without a loss, that is the Twins and the Rays. No one, of course, has won 162 games in a season; we will see how long the streak goes this season for one of these teams. Monday night concluded the NCAA Basketball season. There were many surprises in both the men’s and women’s tournaments this year. One might say, “Nothing went as expected.” On Friday night in the Final Four, the University of South Carolina women’s team was defeated for the first time since March 6th, 2022. This ended a 42-game winning streak. Eventually, in a lopsided game, LSU defeated the University of Iowa. There was much controversy concluding that game, we will discuss that next week. I observed it from “Under the Bleachers, (actually from the couch)” and it should be discussed. On the men’s side, not one “blue blood” team, as they are known, made it to the Final Four. The last four teams were FAU, San Diego St., Miami, and the University of Connecticut (UConn). Only UConn had won a national championship, and they would win again with what looked like ease defeating San Diego St. Most assumed the University of South Carolina women would win the tournament. They won it last year, and no one could beat them this year. They looked to be perfect. Perfection is rare in sports. No one pitches a perfect game every time, no one bats 1.00 for their career in playing for full seasons, teams rarely go undefeated for the entire season, and the examples could continue to prove my point. I say all the time, “Sports translates in numerous ways to live.” The idea of perfection, or shall we say the inability to reach perfection shows itself daily in us. More than imperfection is the term sin. Sun is the breaking of the law of God in any way and its consequence is death. While there is a chance someone will have a “perfect” game or a “perfect” season, there is only One who lived in complete perfection. This week we celebrate Him who died as a criminal, never having sinned Yet, His death was not in vain, it was in our place. Place your faith in Him and turn from your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This week “under the bleachers,” as you point out everyone’s imperfections (I know you would not do that!), remember to turn to Jesus daily for He is our only hope. Region Report The season is down to its final two weeks of play for local baseball teams. The position for the state tournament is starting to take shape as teams finish their last weeks of games against regional opponents. The War Eagles only have Montgomery County (this week) and McIntosh County Academy (Week of April 10) remaining on their regional schedule. The top team remains in the region, and unless they are defeated in every remaining game, ECI will hold the top spot in the region. Presently they are ranked second in the state in Class A Division 2. They did not have a regional matchup this previous week, but will play Portal in three games this week; already winning Monday’s matchup 11-0. Portal is in a close race with McIntosh County Academy in the region. They defeated Jenkins County in 2 out of the 3 games played last week. Montgomery County remains winless in the region and will take on Jenkins County this week in three games. McIntosh County Academy, the 10 th -ranked team in Class A Division 2 has the week off from regional play. If the War Eagles can get at least two wins against Montgomery County they will seal, at the least the 4 th spot and play in the state playoffs. Team Regional Record Overall Record ECI 7-0 15-6 Portal 6-4 7-10 McIntosh County Academy 5-4 15-7 Jenkins County 1-5 9-12 Montgomery County 0-6 3-14 Right Junior 2nd baseman Gauge Oglesby leads off second during a recent game. On Tuesday, April 4, Gauge hit a walk-off single to win the game for the War Eagles over Montgomery County 5-4. (photo by Anna Kate Hearn) Left Gavin Underwood is behind the plate for the War Eagles on Thursday afternoon against Portal. Gavin pitched against Montgomery County on Tuesday afternoon and threw 15 strikeouts out of the 27 batters he faced, (photo by Anna Kate Hearn) The Girls’ 4X800 Relay team finished 4 th place overall in the regional meet. The team consists of Top Row (Left to right) Isabel Bruno and Haley Newton Front Row (Left to Right) AhMiracle Mozee and RMonie Kent (photo submitted) The Boys’ 4X 800 Relay Team finished in 6 th place on Wednesday. The team is shown on the bus after the meet with their medals. From left to right Ananias Jimenez, Aiden Lovett, Leroy Mozee, and Kaizen Scott, (photo submitted) (From Left to Right) Head Coach Andrea Womack, Pierre Williams 2 ndplace in Triple Jump, Jaquavious Gilmore 1 st place Shotput and 2 nd place Discus, Shayla Stephens, (photo submitted) Regional Event On Wednesday, March 29 th the Jenkins County Middle School Track and Field teams began the Regional Meet. The week was hampered by rain and the threats of rain making the field events take place on Wednesday and the track events on Friday. The field teams fared well during the regional meet. Jaquavion Gilmore had the best showing for the War Eagles finishing in 1 st place in Shotput and 2 nd place in Discus. Pierre Williams also had a 2 nd place finish. He finished 2 nd in the Triple Jump event. The relay teams for the War Eagles also competed on Wednesday. The Boys’ 4 x800 team finished in 6 th place and the 4X200 team finished in 4 th . The Girls’ 4x800 had a 4 th place finish and the 4x200 team finished out in 5 th place. At press time, results for the track events had not been received and will be reported in the week ahead. The Girls’ 4x200 Relay Team finished in 5 th place at the regional meet. Team members are (From left to right) Briasia Gray, Braylen Davis, Chinara Tobie, and Lyric Jones (photo submitted) The Boys’ 4x200 Relay Team finished in 4 th place. Team members are as follows (From left to right) Rodriques Burke, Jayden White, Pierre Williams, and Jaquavious Reed (photo submitted) Baker Jenkins plays first base this past week for the War Eagles. The War Eagles lost to Portal 7-2, and 7-5; then they defeated Portal 3-2 and Montgomery County 5-4. (photo submitted) Jackson Lanier pitches for the War Eagles during a recent game. The War Eagles won 2 and lost 2 over the past week. They lost two games to Portal, defeated Portal in one game, and won against Montgomery County, (photo by Anna Kate Hearn) Reid Weathersby was on the mound on Thursday against Portal. Even though he got the loss, he threw a very good game, throwing some “nasty ” off-speed pitches, (photo by Anna Kate Hearn)
