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jenkinscountytimes.com
The Jenkins County Times
Wednesday, April 17, 2024- Page 9
pastorbradasbury@gmail.com
Under the
Bleachers
For the second time in three years, golf superstar Scotty Scheffler is wearing the
green jacket
again. On Sunday afternoon, on a beautiful afternoon at Augusta National,
Scheffler won the
Masters by strokes. He becomes the fourth-youngest golfer to win the Masters
twice, following
names such as Jack Nicklaus, Steve Ballesteros, and Tiger Woods. He joins
Nicklaus and Woods
as the only three players with the Players Championship wins and two green
jackets.
As with every sporting event, money is always involved. The total purse for the
2024 Masters is
20 million dollars, and tournament champion Scheffler took home a record 3.6
million dollars.
This is almost a million dollars more than what he won in 2022. Sports stars
continue to bring in
serious cash, what other profession will bring a one million-dollar pay raise in
just two years? I
guess I could gain such a raise on the field of play, but I was never good!
Before a massive crowd on Sunday afternoon, while all eyes were on the Masters
in our area, in
Lexington, KY crowds filled Rupp Arena. The crowd did not attend to watch a
sporting event
but to watch the first press conference of new Head Coach Mark Pope. It has
always been said
that Kentucky basketball fans are as crazy as Georgia football fans, and this was
proved on
Sunday. Mark Pope, the new head coach was part of the 1996 NCAA
championship team which
arguably was one of the best teams in Wildcat history.
The weeklong wait was finally over Saturday for Braves fans. Fans had eagerly
been waiting for
what was already known, which was Cy Young hopeful and pitching ace Spencer
Strider would
be out for the season. Fans jumped on Facebook and other social media outlets
crying out that
the season was over. Considered one of the greatest teams, if not the greatest
team in Braves
history, hope turned to hopeless as fans wondered if they could win another game.
What fans often forget in baseball is that the season is 162 games long. Pitchers
only pitch at
most every five games. Strider last year did have a 20-plus win season last year,
but hope is not
lost. Fans must remember that in 2022, Kyle Wright had a 21-win season and in
2023 went 1-3
before falling to injuries. In 2021, when the Braves won the World Series, they
were without
MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. who went down in July to a torn ACL. During the World
Series, the
Braves were down to two starting pitchers as injuries plagued the season.
Too often, we fail to see the light at the end of a tunnel or the light anywhere in
situations. We
get stuck under the bleachers and forget that hope is not all lost! Lamentations 3
promises us that
the mercies of the Lord are new every day. With that in mind, regardless of the
battle in life, hope
is not all lost.
Jenkins County Baseball
Regional Runner-Up
The Jenkins County War Eagles started the season with 11 straight losses. Then,
everything started clicking for the War Eagles. This year’s team has two seniors,
seven juniors, six sophomores, and six freshmen. Among those twenty-one
players on this year’s roster, the team was largely inexperienced with varsity play.
A young team, such as this War Eagles team can get down with a rough start, but
it seems a couple of wins set the team on fire to finish with 9 straight wins.
On Tuesday, the War Eagles needed one win heading into a three-game series
with McIntosh County Academy. If McIntosh County Academy (MCA) were to
take the series sweep, the War Eagles would finish the season in third place and
travel on the first day of state playoffs. MCA had won four games in the region
and six games overall heading into the matchup.
On Tuesday, at the Jenkins County Recreation Department, the MCA jumped
out on tip in the first inning by scoring two runs. The score remained 2-0 until
the third inning. With one out, Tyler Williams hit a double. With two outs and
Williams on second, James Allen reached first base on an error and Williams
scored. Allen could reach second base by stealing, reach third base on an error,
and score a run on an error.
MCA would break the tie in the fifth inning, and in the sixth, the War Eagles
would score after James Allen hit a double. In GHSA High School Baseball,
teams play 7 innings, and at the end of 7, the game was tied.
In the 8th inning, McIntosh County Academy scored three runs. However, the
War Eagles would not be stopped. They would add three runs to the scoreboard
as well. With the score tied 6-6, MCA came to bat and could not get a run
scored. In the bottom of the ninth, the War Eagles got on base with a single by
Reid Weathersby. This was followed by a hard hit by James Allen that moved
Weathersby to third. MCA then intentionally walked Grey Amerson. Jake
Bazemore, who recently hit a ball over the fence in a game two weeks ago, singled
on a line drive to left field that led to the War Eagles walk-off win, and with the
win they secured second place.
On Friday, the game would conclude nearly with the same kind of excitement.
The War Eagles scored quickly, taking the early 1-0 lead. MCA would then score
in the bottom of the first. By the time the teams arrived in the fourth inning, the
War Eagles were down 6-4. In the 5th, the War Eagles scored one run and were
still down by one ran. In the sixth inning, the War Eagles scored two runs. One
ran was scored after a Reid Weathersby single, and the lead was taken when Ian
Proctor reached on an error. The War Eagles held during the seventh inning and
took game two against MCA.
The last game of the week, and the final regional game on the schedule, the
War Eagles would play another tight game. This time, the War Eagles were
trailing in the top of the 7th inning 2-3. But, as is obvious in the last three weeks,
the War Eagles are not easily beaten. Tyler Williams walked to start of the the
7th, followed by two errors on a Reid Weathersby hit allowing the War Eagles to
tie the game. James Allen would break the tie with a triple to right field and an
insurance ran was added with a Grey Amerson RBI. The War Eagles would then
hold in the bottom of the 7th with three up and three down and secure the sweep.
This ran by the War Eagles, through the last nine games has been an amazing
feat. With a “no-quit” attitude, the War Eagles fought through adversity to
become Class A-Division 2, Region 3 Runner-Up.
The War Eagles have one more game this season, against Screven County at
Screven County on Thursday. After that, it appears the War Eagles will play
Region 2 third-place team, Atkinson County. Atkinson County is presently 8-9 in
their region and 14-12 overall. However, it is still a close race between Atkinson
County and Clinch County and it will all be decided this week.
Stay tuned for updates as the week progresses.
nrv*-p
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Ej
HI T
Reid Weathersby celebrated senior night this past
Tuesday night. Photo by Danielle M. Davis
Tyler Williams slides in safe at home as Jake
Bazemore celebrates in the background. The War
Eagles won the game and are now on a nine-game
win streak heading towards the playoffs. Photo by
Genie Boynton.
WAR
EAGLES
Jake Bazemore gets a hit on Tuesday. Jake would
eventually get the walk-off single leading the War
Eagles to a second-place finish in the region. The
final score was 7-6 in favor of the War Eagles and
they would defeat MCA two more times in the week
by scores of 7-6 and 5-3. Photo by Danielle M. Davis
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