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jenkinscountytimes.com
The Jenkins County Times
Wednesday, January 10, 2024- Page 9
W,\U CAQLE
By Brad Asbury, Sports Editor
for
'I i 11 : Times
BRAD ASBURY pastorbradasbury@gmail.com
Under the
Bleachers
The new year has started! Tonight, as I write is the
National Championship football game between Michigan
and Washington. The NFL playoffs are now set. At times
there were clear favorites for the teams in the Super Bowl,
but the last weeks of the season provided a lot of excitement.
War Eagle and Lady War Eagle basketball are continuing
their season, and they are down to the last half of the season
as regional play starts this week. The War Eagles remain
ranked #9 in the state and are currently 9-2. The only losses
came at a recent holiday tournament against Hephzibah
and Laney. Both teams were in higher classes and the
War Eagles played them extremely close. As regional play
begins Portal will be the favorites heading into regional
play as they are ranked number one in the state. The Lady
War Eagles are currently 4-8 but will be looking to right the
season as regional play begins.
College basketball is now entering conference play.
While numerous games are remaining, March is just
around the comer and the exciting tournament play will
begin soon. In less than sixty days Major League Baseball
Spring Training will begin. We will be previewing the
season very soon.
The winter months are cold and slow, but sports never
really slow down. Regardless of what sport you enjoy,
something is always happening. The most exciting part
about the next three months is the number of championships
that will be taking place. Championships are fun as teams
seek to finish out on top. Some teams started terribly but
finished strong. Other teams will start strong, and not finish.
Who will win the Super Bowl, NCAA Championships, etc.
is yet to be determined, but tmly it is all about how a team
finishes.
This is the story of us all as we seek to find a lesson
from sports this week. Paul talked about mnning the race
and fighting the fight in the Scriptures. We are called
in Revelation 2 and 3 to conquer through this life. The
Scripture is filled with reminders that we are called to
finish. Many characters in Scripture started badly but
finished their race strong. Will we be those who finish the
race well in our life? My word to you this week is, “Get out
from Under the Bleachers” and finish strong!
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Hodges-Hite Win
USA Track and
Field Masters
Grand Prix
Joyce Hodges-Hite stands on
the first-place platform. She
defeated Tami Graf who was from
Maryland. Joyce stated she had
been chasing her since she was 53!
Photo Submitted.
The year 2023 was another exciting year
for local mnner Joyce Hodges-Hite. Hodges-
Hite, competing in the 85-89 year-old age
group, won the national championships in
seven races of various distances across the
country. She competed in Richmond, VA,
Atlanta, GA, Indianapolis, IN, Sacramento,
CA, Sandy Hook, NJ, and Boca Raton, FL.
Her times in all these events were very
impressive. In Richmond, she completed a
6K in 59:32 for a first-place finish, several
minutes ahead of second place. In Atlanta,
it was a time of 48:51 in a 5K. Indianapolis,
it was a one-mile run that finished in 15:25.
Sandy Hook was the longest race, which
was a 12K and she won the championship
with a time of 2:08:53. The last victory of
the season was a 5k in October in Boca
Raton, FL with a final time of 55:32.
In addition to all these personal
accomplishments, Hodges-Hite competed
with the Atlanta Track Club 70 & over
team, and they finished in second place in
the Grand Prix behind “The Red Lizard” a
team from Oregon.
On January 20th of this year, Hodges-
Hite will be back again as she competes in
Richmond, VA seeking another start on the
national championship circuit.
Joyce Hodges-Hite stands with her
first place plaque after winning the
USATH Masters Grand Prix in 2023.
Photo Submitted.
Local Sports in Review
If one phrase dominated the 2023
headlines for local sports since the
creation of The Jenkins County
Times it would be this, “War Eagles
Have Historic Season.” Regardless
of which sport it was, 2023 was
the “War Eagles’ Time.” Basketball,
baseball, tennis, track, cross country,
softball, and football all dominated
the headlines in 2023, and each in
their sport won big games and took
the top 1 or 2 spots in the region.
Jenkins County may be a small county
in Class A Division 2, but they have
been huge all season long.
The War Eagle basketball team
and Lady War Eagle basketball team
wrapped up their season in early
February of 2023. Both had the most
wins in many years, if not the most
wins in program history. The War
Eagles finished as regional mnner-up
and hosted the first round of the state
playoffs and finished with a record of
21-7. The girls finished with a final
record of 19-8, regional runner-up,
and also hosted the first round of the
state playoffs.
The War Eagle track team dominated
the scene. The boys’ runners finished
as regional champions and had an
unforgettable showing in the state
tournament. JT Moye was state runer-
up in the 300M, Rob Coney, Christian
Wilson, Marion Young, and Calvin
Adams finished as state runner-up in
the 4x200, Nevaeh Campbell finished
with a 6th place perfomiance, Javarius
Gilmore, Gemarion Newton, Marion
Young, and JT Moye finished 3rd in
the 4x400, Katari Badie finished 7th
in an event, and Christian Wilson had
a 7th place finish.
THE JCHS tennis team proved
to have a dominant season as well.
The boys’ and girls’ teams fished
regional runner-up, and both hosted
the playoffs. They dominated the first
round of playoffs before losing in the
second round.
The War Eagle baseball team was
making noise of their own during the
Spring. The baseball team finished
with a record of 17-15 overall. They
finished in second place in the region
and hosted the first round of state
playoffs. As the baseball season ended,
so did the 2022/2023 sports year. The
offseason was preparation for the fall
season that would come about quickly.
The most anticipated team that was
practicing was the football team. The
War Eagles were returning numerous
starters from the previous season and
were looking to make a lot of noise.
And noise they made! In the second
game of the season, the War Eagles
won on a last-second touchdown pass
from Christian Wilson to ZZ Wilson.
This win propelled the War Eagles to
the top ten in the state and got a lot of
attention from around the state.
The War Eagles would remain
undefeated, taking out rivals Screven
County, ECI, McIntosh County
Academy, and others. The War
Eagles had little trouble all along the
way and would face Portal for the
regional championship game. In a
thriller. Portal won in overtime. The
War Eagles would host the first round
of playoffs and take a big win over
Charlton County. The historic season
would end in Dooly County in the
second round of the playoffs by a final
score of 28-24. Numerous players
for the War Eagles were awarded
with all-regional awards and two of
the coaches (Coach Hil and Coach
Boynton) were also awarded for their
coaching this season.
During the football team's run, the
Lady War Eagles were making noise
of their own. The Lady War Eagles
won the most games in program
history 18, finished as regional
runner-up losing only 1 game in the
region, and would play in the Super
Regionals where they made a strong
run losing to Wilcox County. The
Lady War Eagles defeated rival ECI
in a walk-off before a huge crowd.
The season will never be forgotten as
all nine starters were named to the all
region teams.
Finally in the War Eagles'
dominance was the Cross Country
Team. JCHS Boys Cross Country
team won the Region 3-1A Division
II Region Championship. Ben Tyler
finished 1st overall at Region and
Rashad Allen finished 5th overall
at Region. The JCHS Boys & Girls
teams traveled back to Carrollton, GA
for the State Championship where
they performed very well.
Basketball has started for the
2023/2024 season and where the end
will be for this team is yet to be seen.
The teams of every sport competed at
the highest level and brought home
trophies in their respective sport. The
historic seasons will be forever written
in the books of Jenkins County sports
and will be etched into the memories
of all who participated and watched.
Top Moments in Sports
I recently asked what some of the top moments in Jenkins County area sports from 2023 were. I had various responses
from local fans, and I have some top moments of my own in watching these teams. The following moments in sports are
not in any order.
1. The War Eagles win the Boys’ Cross Country Regional. Ben Tyler finished first in the region individually. The
girls’ team finished 3rd overall in the region.
2. ZZ Wilson hits a last-second three to advance his War Eagles to the Regional Championship game.
3. Jenkins County Softball defeated ECI with a walk-off hit in extra innings.
4. Christian Wilson throws to ZZ Wilson in the last minutes of the game to defeat Johnson County. This win put the
War Eagles’ football team in the top 10 of GHSA state rankings.
5. The War Eagles football team defeated ECI for the second year in a row and for the 3rd time in four years.
6. EBA wins the state football championship for the GISA Class 2A.
7. Sha’nya Lake, now a senior guard for the Lady War Eagle basketball team entered the 1,000-point club for her
playing career at Jenkins County.
8. Track and field have several who medaled in the Class A Division 2 State Championship.
9. Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams finished as regional runners-up.
10. The overall dominance of War Eagle athletics.
The 2023 year was a fun season and the teams do not look like they are slowing down anytime soon!