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DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, August 1,2018
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Tigers reflect on Haiti mission
‘Football is the backdrop that allows us to impact the community’
Dawson
County High
School foot
ball player
Jason
Browning in
Haiti.
For the Dawson County News
By Bob Christian
bchristian@dawsonnews.com
One of the underlying themes of
the sporting world is the concept that
the values and lessons imparted on
the field of friendly competition will
be used throughout an individual’s
life.
Learning the importance of team
effort and individual sacrifice in pur
suit of a common goal exceeds the
importance of the total score or the
wins and losses accumulated over a
career, and the ability to incorporate
these lessons is part of what it takes to
grow boys and girls into young men
and women of character.
“Football is the backdrop that
allows us to impact the community,”
said Tony Kijanko who, in addition to
his duties as the tight end and H-back
coach for the Dawson County High
School Tigers, serves as the team’s
community and character coach.
Coach Kijanko, along with his wife
Dee, have been involved with the
DCHS football program since 2017,
and along with their passion for foot
ball, the Kijanko’s brought a sense of
community service and faith that has
blossomed amongst the young men in
their care.
“Dee and I have led missions out
side of the United States for the last
five years through 410 Bridge,” Tony
Kijanko said. “This year we had the
opportunity to take several members
of the DCHS football team, as well as
other community athletes, along on
See Haiti 12B
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Photos by Bob Christian Dawson County News
Participants in the 2018 'Shine Pedalers Metric hosted by the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce
prepare to take off from the parking lot of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame July 28.
’Shine Pedalers roll through
Annual Dawsonville bicycle ride continues to grow
By Bob Christian
bchristian@dawsonnews.com
Over 250 cycling enthusiasts rolled
into Dawsonville on Saturday for the
sixth annual ‘Shine Pedalers Metric
bike ride.
Organized by the Dawson County
Chamber of Commerce, the ride
starts and finishes at the Georgia
Racing Hall of Fame. Featuring two
routes through the rolling hills of
Dawson County, the ride is a unique
way to see the countryside.
“This is one of our top ways to
showcase our community, to get peo
ple thinking about Dawsonville dif
ferently,” said Chamber President
Christie Moore. “The goal each year
is to add more riders, more [Supply
and Gear] stops and more community
sponsors.”
The full metric, measuring 62
miles, was recommended for
advanced riders not only due to the
extra distance, but because it features
a grueling climb up Burnt Mountain
in Jasper.
Ascending some 3,000 feet over
just a few miles, this portion of the
ride was not for the faint of heart,
although the view of the north
Georgia mountains that awaited riders
at the top was well worth the effort.
Taking an equally scenic route, the
half metric, a distance of around 31
miles, winds through Dawson County
and took cyclers over a much less
strenuous trek through Amicalola
Falls State Park.
This year’s ride started with a
breakfast sponsored by Northside
Memorial Hospital Forsyth at the hall
of fame. The first riders were then
escorted into the city by an officer
with the Dawson County Sheriff’s
Office.
“This year is the first year that we
have used an officer to escort riders,”
Moore said. “Due to construction
along the route we wanted to ensure
the safety of the participants.”
Safety is a prominent feature of the
ride this year, and every year. Supply
and Gear (SAG) stations are placed
approximately every 12 miles along
the route. Manned by volunteers and
stocked by the event sponsors, each
station features everything an
exhausted, hot and thirsty cyclist
could need to get back up to speed.
Volunteer Denise Ray has overseen
the King’s Hawaiian SAG stop, the
last stop before the top of Burnt
See Shine 12B
‘It’s tough, but
we’ll get there’
Softball team starts whirlwind
preparation for upcoming season
By Bob Christian
bchristian@dawsonnews.com
As the Dawson County High School Lady Tigers
round out their summer with a mixed scrimmage of
middle school, JV and Varsity players, all the hallmarks
of good softball make their appearance. The crunch of
cleats on clay, the seemingly endless chants and chatter
of the infield and the distinctive ring of aluminum
across the infield are telltale sounds of a team gearing
up for play.
Though this game doesn’t count towards stats or
standing, the stakes are just as high.
The losing team must “run the poles” for each run
scored by the winning team. When “running the poles,”
the team must sprint the distance of the outfield from
the first base line to the third base line and back again.
It makes for some stiff competition.
“Summer schedules and vacations make it so hard to
coordinate practices over the summer. The sessions are
voluntary, and we work with the girls that can be here,”
said Assistant Coach Logan Allen about summer prac
tice.
Mandatory practice sessions began July 31 for the
DCHS Lady Tigers softball team. With six returning
seniors, the team is in great shape for the beginning of
the season but there are still some final decisions to be
made for catcher, second base and left field.
“There’s only a week between the start of practice
and the first game of the season,” Allen said. “It’s
See Softball |2B
Photos by Bob Christian Dawson County News
DCHS senior Maggie Schandera practices her
pitch.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Maggie
Schandera
DCHS senior Maggie Schandera,
softball pitcher, is returning to
the mound in top form after fully
recovering from ACL surgery
during the off-season. Schandera
pitched 146.2 innings for the Tigers
last season, striking out 90 batters
while allowing only eight walks.
As a feature player for the school’s
basketball and track teams as well,
Schandera enters this year as a
three-letter athlete.
Sponsored by:
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Player of the Week!
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Zac Baloga
DCHS senior Zac Baloga, football
defensive end, had a fulfilling
summer spending a week in Haiti
on his first mission trip and being
named to the BlitzSportsGA.com
pre-season “player to watch” list.
Baloga is looking forward to the
upcoming season.
Sponsored by:
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IhOfiB
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