About Upson beacon. (Thomaston, Ga.) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2021)
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.
