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Braves
Baseball at
Silvertown
By Jim Fowler
Baseball is changing rap
idly and one of the recent
changes is that the minor
leagues are now being con
trolled by major league
baseball. This has caused
the dissolving of many
minor leagues and the clos
ing of baseball in many
minor league cities.
The Braves have lost a
couple of franchises and
have relocated another. The
Braves lower class A fran
chise is now in Augusta and
called the Augusta Green
Jackets. The high A team
remains in Rome and their
AAA franchise can still be
found in Gwinnett, known
as the Gwinnett Stripers.
With all of that being
said, the Braves are seem
ingly searching for a way to
increase interest and atten
dance at these in-state
minor league cities. I have
been told that one of the
ways that they feel they can
create a stronger following
is to bring baseball to the
fans. This is a totally new
and intriguing concept, one
that most franchises would
never have thought of or
tried.
You see, the Braves are
trying to create excitement
about minor league baseball
in Georgia, especially since
the fan numbers at Truist
Park are limited because of
the covidi9 pandemic. What
better way than to bring
baseball to the fans’ back
yard?
I have gained knowledge
that local officials have been
working with the Braves on
bringing the AAA Gwinnett
Braves to Silvertown Ball
Park for a July weekend
series. Yes, I know it seems
incredible but its happen
ing!
The Braves are working
with other cities as well.
Carrollton, Americus, Cal
houn, and Macon are other
cities that the Braves are
working with. All of these
places have an old-fash
ioned ballpark similar to
Silvertown, so the Braves
would be playing in a sta
dium setting. Officials have
already visited Silvertown to
evaluate the playing field,
dugouts, grandstands, and
parking.
So, Silvertown and
Thomaston are going to
host AAA baseball. What a
great thrill that will be for
local fans. Where did I get
this information? Well, it
was by accident I guess. I
was scanning some interior
system press releases that I
got from spring training and
this information was in
cluded. The Braves and
local officials may be upset
with my revealing them
here, but I just had to let my
readers know first.
I am very excited and
I’m sure that all baseball
fans are also. Professional
baseball at Silvertown.
Some of the best players in
the Braves’ minor league
system. Wow, I can’t wait
until the actual dates are set
and tickets go on sale.
Oh yeah, and there is
one other thing you need to
know. APRIL FOOL!
33 Years Later, Stephany Raines Brought
More Than a Championship to Her Hometown
Photo by Luke Haney
Her drive to be a positive impact on her community has led to much success for Stephany Raines.
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
Years ago in Thurston Elemen
tary School, a third-grader heard
the bounce of a basketball for the
first time. An instant connection
was made and the great game of
basketball gained a new member
that would go on to do so much for
its game.
When Stephany Raines heard
the echo of bouncing basketballs in
the gym, she decided she had to
play. Rejected because other small
size, Raines chose cheerleading to
stay close to the game. The next
year she was allowed to come out
and play on the team. It was there
that she earned her nickname,
“Finger-roll Pete,” because she was
too small to shoot a regular layup.
Raines was always confident in
her abilities and that was assured
by her success at the low levels.
When she arrived at Upson High
School, her team knew they would
be hunting down a state title and
much like the Lady Knights of ‘21,
each year they got closer and
closer. In Raines’ senior season,
she helped lead the Yellow Jackets
to a perfect season that ended with
a state title in 1988.
The 1988 team was dominant.
The roster was rich with talent and
the chemistry was unmatched.
Raines was a part of the high-pow
ered starting-five, but she often
only played two quarters. Her team
would have a big enough lead after
those two quarters that there was
no need to keep the starters in.
Basketball was not the only
thing that Raines was involved in
during her high school days. She
was an active member of the one-
act plays, choir, and was an ex
tremely impressive student. She
ran track and played softball along
with basketball. In an interview
with The Upson Beacon, Raines
told stories of her bee-bop group of
the 80s. Raines and a few friends
had “show” outfits and performed
in local venues under the influence
of Motown R&B and Diana Ross.
Raines grew out of Finger-roll
Pete when she played in high
school. Her innate knowledge of
the game set her apart from others
and made her a true floor general.
All qualities that contributed to be
coming a great coach. The ‘88
Final Four matchup with West
Laurens was one of the toughest
games that Raines ever played in.
“That should have been the
championship game because that
game went back and forth down to
the buzzer,” said Raines.
The championship game was a
blowout over Cook County to com
plete their perfect season. Her
coach, Don Dale, commented on
Raines in the March 9, 1988
edition of The Thomaston Times:
“Stephany is the best student/ath
lete that I’ve ever coached.”
The state champion went on to
Mercer University to pursue her
pre-med aspirations and continue
her career on the court. She turned
down the University of Florida and
South Carolina to play with many
girls that she knew from AAU
teams. It was not until her playing
career was over that she ever con
sidered coaching. When her ex
coach at Mercer offered her an
opportunity to coach, she began
another journey.
Raines was interviewed by
someone during the start of her
coaching career, and the man
helped her realize the impact she
could have by coaching.
“I struggled with it for a long
time... I’ve always wanted to help
people. That’s just my niche, kinda
my calling, and he said, ‘What
better way to help young minds get
an education and help give them a
foundation to their next step’.”
From there she coached
Mercer, Georgia State University,
Savannah College of Art and De
sign, and a Virgin Island National
team. Raines loves that she was
able to return to coach at Upson
Lee: “I wanted to show them that if
I can do this coming from Thomas
ton, you can dream big and wha
tever you dream, you can reach it.
That was the biggest draw that I
want to help them see past Thom
aston.”
In Raines’s first season as head
coach at Upson Lee, she was faced
with a difficult decision after some
misconduct from many members
of her team. She chose to suspend
the majority of the varsity team
late in the season. The decision
cost the team a possible playoff run
but inevitably made the group
better people and players. When
the team came back for this season,
there was a clean slate and every
one enjoyed each other more.
Throughout the incredible run
that Upson Lee made this season,
one always wonders what the
thoughts are from the inside.
Raines said that the team did a
great job of blocking out the dis
tractions, but she often encouraged
them to stop and smell the roses.
Raines was a part of the only other
team to make such a historic run
and she understands how large of
a deal it is.
“I told them they needed to stay
humble throughout the process.
Hungry but humble and they did,
so they were hungry to win, but
humble throughout the process,”
said Raines.
When thinking about herself as
a player, Raines described herself
as a combination of Alonzea Mont
gomery and Ty’Keria Geiger:
“Gieger had that tenacity on de
fense that I played, so she was
quick and she had that. Then Lon-
zea had that point guard where
Lonzea was making passes where I
was like ‘Oh, I see you!’ so it kinda
is a combination of both of them.
Alonzea a little bit more with the
offense and the passing and Gieger
with the defense.”
Raines connected with Geiger’s
internal motor. She related to the
nonstop will to win that Geiger
brought to the floor each night.
Raines mentioned how the Upson
Lee wing was always ready to fight
if she needed to, but she brought
up a story about Geiger that she
will never forget. After a sequence
of poor possessions from Upson
Lee, Raines called a timeout and
was furious.
“I took the girls and we were
over at the foul line so that nobody
could hear what I was saying and
I’m like, ‘We’re not about this...’ I
hesitated, ‘B-S’ and one of my most
feisty players Ty Geiger, who will
fight you in a minute, looked at me
and said, ‘Coach, remember who
you are.’ and that stuck with me
forever.”
Raines said that she learned
that she had such an impact on the
players through those four words.
“That was a beautiful moment for
me,” said Raines.
The team never expected to go
undefeated, but they were con
fident in their ability to win every
game. It is so easy to make com
parisons between the 1988 team at
Upson High and the 2021 team of
Upson Lee. Raines is confident
that her ‘88 team would have been
able to take the squad from Upson
Lee. She believes the depth and
high-pressure defense would have
been too much for Upson Lee’s
girls.
She joked, but not so jokingly,
claimed that Montgomery would
not have been able to defend at
that point. If the two teams could
have matched up with each other,
both in their prime, it would have
been a game for the ages. When
asked how she would coach against
her ‘88 team, she would have em
phasized forcing her team into
running a halfcourt offense and
keeping the ball out of Raines’
hands.
The Lady Knights were check
ing boxes as they neared the finish
line that was a state championship.
Raines talked about what boxes are
left to check for her career: “The
Lord has orchestrated my steps,
He has truly done that. This was a
great box to check off. To be able to
come back home and have an im
pact on your hometown. I am so
proud of my hometown. I can’t say
what other box to check out be
cause God is still moving me and
still guiding me, so whatever He
puts in those places, I want to
check that box too.”
In honor of the incredible run,
Upson County proclaimed March
23 as the official “Lady Knights
Basketball Day.” Raines stated,
“Our basketball was a ministry to
this community because it gave us
something to look forward to. We
did what we needed to do. We did
n’t get that championship game,
but we did what God orchestrated
for us to do and that was to bring
this community together, get
people cheering, give them hope
about something. I love being part
of that more than anything.”
For Finger-Roll Pete, basket
ball was much more than just a
game. For Coach Raines, she used
that simple game to bring joy and
community back to her hometown
in a year that was dismantled by a
pandemic. She is still pushing to
win the last game of the season, but
more than anything she will
forever strive to help her com
munity and be a light for anyone
she can shine on.
Kelly Wins Low Medalist at Knights
Invitational, Thrasher Coaches Team Win
Photo Submitted
Trey Kelly stands with Alex Ogles bee, Brian Ogles bee, and Taylor English after winning the Knights Invitational.
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
The Upson Lee golf team
hosted the Knights Invitational
last Monday and welcomed six
teams to Raintree Golf Club. For
the first time all season, the
Knights played all 18 holes in the
round. The match was scored in
Stableford format, allotting points
in this order: one point for a
bogey, three points for a par, and
seven points for an eagle.
Trey Kelly provided a bright
spot for Upson Lee, collecting 60
points with four birdies and an
eagle. Kelly shot three-under-par
(69) to win low medalist. His
round was the lowest ever shot at
the Knights Invitational. The
Knights team had a rough go of
the course, but the young team
picked up a great experience.
Ben Thrasher’s LaGrange
squad came away with the team
victory. His Grangers totaled 155
collective points in their win.
Thrasher is a Thomaston native
and is crafting a strong program
west of his hometown.
The following week, top Upson
Lee golfers, Kelly and Skye Per
due, continued to impress with in
dividual wins over Harris County.
Kelly shot 38 to take low medalist
and Perdue shot 53 to win on the
girl’s side.
Both teams struggled on the
day as the inexperience has shown
its face over the past few rounds of
golf. Coaches Taylor English and
Brian Oglesbee explained that
short shots from around 50-yards
to the green and in are hurting the
Knights. The young golfers can
only improve on the situational
shots as they are presented to
them, but most of the team is
made up of sophomores and
freshmen, so they will see many
more shots for Upson Lee.
Looking ahead, the Knights
will compete with Taylor County
and Pike County on Thursday at
Raintree Golf Club. They will hold
senior night for the lone senior,
Kelly, on April 15 before heading
to the area at Forest Heights
Country Club on May 4.
