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SPORTS
DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
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Nixon to compete at Special Olympics
North Hall graduate conquers barriers of autism, enters spotlight through love of basketball
By Sarah Woodall
DCN Regional Staff
Ask Nick Nixon’s coaches or fami
ly members, and they’ll tell you he
wields a passion unlike most for bas
ketball.
The 21-year-old North Hall High
grad and member of Special
Olympics Georgia’s Hall County
Traditional team feeds off those who
underestimate him on the court.
Basketball gave Nixon the tools to
conquer the many hurdles in his life
long management of autism spectrum
disorder. Now, it has guided him to an
opportunity of a lifetime.
Nixon will be one of 10 Hall
County players representing Team
Georgia in the upcoming 2018
Special Olympics USA Games from
July 1-6 in Seattle. Nixon’s teammate
Chris Payne is also from North Hall.
“I am just real excited and so happy
that the Lord put me in this position.
I’m loving it,” said Nixon, who was
diagnosed with autism spectrum dis
order in his early childhood. “That’s
never happened to me before in my
life. I’ve won five medals counting
high school and at Marietta (Special
Olympics).... I feel like I want to play
more competitive.”
He’ll certainly face some of the
best on this West Coast trip.
Every four years, 4,000 athletes
and coaches from all 50 states make
up the national competition covering
14 sports.
Since 1968, the global movement
of Special Olympics has aimed to
empower individuals with intellectual
disabilities through the joy of sport. It
aims to combat inactivity, injustice
and intolerance while promoting
acceptance and equality, according to
the Special Olympics website.
Venues include the University of
Washington, King County Aquatic
Center, Seattle University and
Celebration Park. The 70,000 expect
ed spectators should make these
Games the largest sporting event to
take place in the Seattle area in more
than 25 years, and this edition is on
the 50th anniversary of the Special
Olympics movement.
Hall County coach Teresa Young
See Nixon12B
David Barnes The Times
North Hall alumnus Nick Nixon, an athlete on the
Hall County Traditional basketball team, shoots
the ball during a scrimmage game in Gainesville
on June 22 as they prepare for the 2018 Special
Olympics USA Games.
Kids try new things at camp
Photos by Jessica Brown Dawson County News
The second All Sports Day Camp at Rock Creek Park saw
over 60 kids trying out new sports during the week of
June 18-22. From floor hockey to basketball to ultimate
Frisbee, kids had a chance to test out sports they have
never played before. On June 21, Coach Ty Carnes taught
the campers how to play baseball. In the morning they
began with workouts to limber up then practiced hitting
home runs off a practice tee in the gym for a Home Run
Derby. Later in the afternoon the kids went outside to the
fields to play baseball games.
Fishing report:
Crappie biting
best after dark
By Eric Aldrich
The CORPS has resumed water generation below
Buford Dam, and the lake is 1,072.34, or 1.34 feet
above the normal full pool of 1,071.
Lake surface temperatures are in the mid- to upper-
80s. I’m starting to see a thermocline on my elec
tronics at around 27 feet deep. The main-lake and
lower-lake creeks mouths are clear to stained. The
upper-lake creeks, pockets and the rivers are slightly
stained to very stained.
Check generation schedules before heading out to
the river below Buford Dam by calling 770-945-
1466. If the CORPS is pulling water, then fish else
where.
Bass fishing remains good for anglers who are
willing to move around until they find active schools
of fish.
Some are looking for inactive fish they can trigger
and make bite. The fish are schooled on main lake
humps, long points and steep banks that fall off
quickly into deep water. It pays to move around, but
once you locate a prime area, it will make up for all
the hard work.
Keep your favorite top-water plug ready at all
times. I like to come in on an area and make several
casts with a top-water plug or slow-sinking swim bait
to tempt the active fish into striking. A lot of anglers
have started throwing subsurface baits like the Realis
90 Spybait, SPRO Little John DD (deep-diving)
crank baits, SPRO BBZ1 4-inch or a Tim Parley
Pro-X Swim Bait.
The secret to fishing with these underwater lures is
to either make contact with or swim your lures
directly over or through brush piles, rock piles and
rocks on the ends of humps or points and other vital
cover.
The best brush piles seem to be the ones located at
around 25 to 30 feet deep that have brush that tops
out from 7 to 15 feet below the surface. The best
rock structure has been the shallow to deeper rock
shelves located just offshore from 5 to 20 feet deep.
Casting and retrieving a deep-diving crank bait
through the rocks can yield some big bites early and
later in the day, and again after dark.
Striper fishing has been hit-and-miss, and this is
the time of year when things have been changing and
the stripers are starting to set up for summer fishing.
Presently, with water temperatures in the mid-80s,
the thermocline is starting to set up in some areas,
but not everywhere.
See Fishing 12B
Player of
Nick Nixon
North Hall grad Nick Nixon,
an athlete on the Hall County
Traditional basketball team,
is part of the team ofio local
players that will be representing
Special Olympics Georgia in the
national competition.
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