Newspaper Page Text
thejenkinscountytimes.com
The Jenkins County Times
Friday, May 12, 2023- Page 9
BRAD ASBURY
WAR EAGLE
By Brad Asbury, Sports Editor
for
'l l 11 : Times
pastorbradasbury@gmail.com
Under the
Bleachers
Saturday, before a crowd of 150,335 fans. Mage won the
149 th running of the Kentucky Derby. Classified by many
as the “greatest two minutes in sports,” brings out a day
full of horse racing, big hats, mint juleps, and big-name
celebrities. At 13-1 odds. Mage was not the favored horse
of the day, but down the stretch, he pulled out the victory.
The owner of the horse is from South Florida, and the
trainer, and the jockey both come from Venezuela. The
second-place horse was Two Phils and he lost by 1 length,
approximately eight to nine feet.
While the best seats in Churchill Downs are in what
is known as Millionaires Row, many people file into the
area known as the infield. The infield of the derby will
host approximately 80,000 people. While these are not the
“fancy” seats, it is the place for a lot of fun. The infield has
been known to be a place where the “party is at,” but still
you will see lots of hats and fancy dresses.
The derby is the place of fancy dress and all the other
thrills of the derby, but it is also where a lot of money is
gambled. This year, for every $2 bet on Mage, bettors
would win $32.42 per every $2. Or, in easier-to-understand
terms, if a person put $10 on Mage to win, they would be
paid $162.
Some people were very lucky on Derby Day and picked
the correct horse. Some people have the luck and sometimes
they do not. Speaking of luck in 1957, a grandmother was
hit in the face by a foul ball during the Phillies and Giants
game. As she was being carried out of the stadium on a
stretcher, the very next pitch, another foul ball, hit her again.
Again, some people have all the luck, some cannot seem to
catch a break. In this situation, it would have been better to
be under the bleachers than in the bleachers. I would like to
know if she at least got to
keep one of the two foul balls she was hit with.
Now that the MLB season is nearly 14 of the way omplete,
top teams are starting to show their dominance. The Braves
are presently in first place in their division with a seven-
game lead, they also have the second-best record in MLB.
This is the time that people start coming out from
under the bleachers and looking for a “favorite” team,
and usually, it is the team that is winning. Many call these
types of fans, “bandwagon fans.” They come around just
when a team is winning.
There are a lot of areas where the “bandwagon” mentality
comes into play. There are many who will run to what is
popular and what seems to be gaining all the attention.
C.S. Lewis reminds us, “When the whole world is running
towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction
appears to have lost his mind.”
Being a follower of a team is okay. Yet, we better be
discerning when it comes to whom we follow in this life.
Who are you following? There are some people who will
lead you off the side of a cliff and laugh at your fall. Be
careful who you follow, and be careful who you run to.
Remember, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He will never
lead you wrong.
Until next week, examine whom you follow. Be careful
on the road of life, there are a lot of people in the “bleachers”
who will take you down a deadly road. Sometimes, it is best
to remain “under the bleachers” and guard ourselves! And
whether you are in the stands or under them, be faithful to
the Lord for He is good.
JCHS Baseball Eliminated from the Playoffs
Last week, the Jenkins County War Eagles baseball team
traveled to Charlton County for the Sweet 16 GHSA Class
A Division 2 Playoff games. The Thursday game was slated
as a doubleheader with an as-needed third game on Friday.
Charlton County entered the game as the number one team
in the state, and many would say they were the favorite to
win the state championship.
The War Eagles, in game one, could not get the bats
going. The first inning for the War Eagles was a three up,
three down inning, and unfortunately, Charlton would
strike quickly in the bottom of the first scoring four runs.
The offense for Charlton would continue through the next
innings as they scored two in the second, four in the third,
and five in the fourth. The lead at the end of the fourth
inning had swelled to fifteen and Charlton won based on
the run rule.
In game number two, the bats were better for the War
Eagles as they were able to get seven hits, but it was a ten-
run third inning for Charlton County that dashed the hopes
of the War Eagles. However, one bright note from the game
in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Jackson Lanier was
walked, and it brought up a longtime teammate of Lanier’s,
Gavin Underwood. Gavin with two balls and no strikes
found the perfect pitch and in his last at-bat hit his 10th
home run of the season. This hit brought Gavin to a 3 for 3
night and two RBIs.
Hitting for the War Eagles in the first game was Tyler
Williams 1, Gauge Oglesby 1, and Vance Garvin 1. Hitting
for the War Eagles in game two was Underwood with
3, Lanier 1, James Allen 1, Vance Garvin 1, and Gray
Amerson 1.
Even though the War Eagles lost in the Sweet 16, they
had an excellent season, a season to be proud of. Just a few
games before the season’s end, the War Eagles needed wins
to ensure even a playoff spot. They entered the Montgomery
County game tied with them, and after a first game that was
extremely close, the War Eagles would secure a playoff
spot over Montgomery with two more wins. Then the wins
kept coming, and by season’s end, the War Eagles earned
the regional runner-up.
Gavin Underwood was behind the plate for
the playoff games on Thursday. Gavin hit his
10th homerun of the season in his last at bat
as a War Eagle. Photo by Anna Kate Hearn.
right:
Jackson Lanier pitched his last
game as a War Eagle during the
playoffs. Photo by Anna Kate
Hearn
The seniors for Jenkins County War Eagles at the
conclusion of their season. Those seniors include from
left to right Baker Jenkins, Gavin Underwood, Jackson
Lanier, and Lane Waters. Photo Submitted.
Senior Lane Waters was
in rightfield for the War
Eagles. Photo by Anna
Kate Hearn.
below:
Senior Baker Jenkins
swings at a ball during
the War Eagles Sweet
16 game. Photo by Anna
Kate Hearn.
Old Fashioned Fun
Typically, the Jenkins County Times provides you with the latest sports news for Jenkins Countyand the surrounding
area sports. There are times that we will talk about wins and even losses, we keep you up to date on playoff races, and even
college and professional sports. Sometimes, we just need a reminder that kids can play and have fun with nothing on the
line except bragging rights.
As the end of the school year quickly approaches, testing has ended and students, teachers, and staff are counting down
the days until summer break begins. At Jenkins County Elementary this week students took to the football field for some
“old-fashioned” fun. The annual favorite event of students and teachers alike celebrates the end of the school year with
“Field Day.”
Field Day features many relay events including sack races and tug-of-war. Teams are divided up and the games begin. For
an entire morning, students play and cheer and laugh. Schoolwork is stopped, and kids can just be kids. Some participate for
the first time at a young age, and others will be competing in their final elementary school field day. Regardless of if they
are veterans of the games or first-time players, they get to have fun. This week, the middle school will participate in their
field day, followed by the high school the next week.
