Wednesday, March 23,2022
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3B
SOCCER
Boys secure fifth win of season, girls fall to region powerhouse
Rio White Dawson County News
Hector Tenorio Camacho sprints down the field
with the ball during the match against White
County.
By: Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
The Dawson County
High School boys and girls
soccer teams faced off
against White County on
Tuesday, March 15, with the
boys team winning 2-0 and
the girls team falling 10-0.
Each team faced very dif
ferent styles of play, with the
boys team finding success
by retaining possession
against a Warriors team that
was focused on defending at
all costs.
“We have been working
on passing a lot in practice
and I challenged the guys to
bring it into the game,” boys
team head coach Patrick
Muenchen said. “I was real
ly glad to see that...we had
everybody contributing on
the team.”
The Tigers set out aggres
sively to begin the match,
setting up scoring chances
early and allowing occasion
al counterattacks by White
County.
As the first half pro
gressed, Dawson County’s
defense settled in and
allowed the team to keep the
ball for long periods of time.
Fourteen minutes into the
match, Hector Tenorio
Camacho glided down the
right wing and took a shot
from 30 yards out that flew
over the goalkeeper’s head
and into the net.
After a host of close calls,
the score at halftime
remained 1-0.
The Tigers would increase
their offensive push in the
second half and had more
shots on goal, but could not
break through for another 26
minutes.
Once again, it was
Tenorio Camacho who
would score, curling in a
shot to secure the team’s
fifth win of the season.
Late in the game, the
Warriors attempted to mount
a comeback but were unable
to find consistent possession.
Their frustrations culminat
ed during a late-game inci
dent where two of their
players were shown a red
card and sent off.
“Part of [our success] was
that we moved the game up
to the other side and pres
sured high,” Muenchen said.
“When you pressure high, it
causes the other team to
unload it quick and turn the
ball over.”
With the win, the boys
team hold a record of five
wins, five losses and two
draws.
The girls team faced
much stiffer competition,
with the Lady Warriors
coming into Tuesday's
match with 10 wins out of
12 matches.
While goalkeeper Emma
Faircloth made several
saves during the match, the
White County team kept
the pressure on and convert
ed most of the chances they
created.
The Lady Tigers fell to a
record of three wins, five
losses and three draws after
the loss.
“White County is fast and
have the best shot we have
probably seen all year,” girls
head coach Chess Hamby
said. “We just gotta keep
getting better and we gotta
focus on ourselves, regard
less of who we play.”
The boys and girls soccer
teams play their next match
es at home against East Hall
on Friday, March 25.
FROM 1B
NASCAR
any one driver from
establishing a firm
lead.
Elliott lost his lead
during this final stretch
but remained in the top
10, avoiding the finish
line frenzy that resulted
in several more wrecks.
His Hendrick
Motorsports teammate
William Byron won the
race to secure his third
career NASCAR Cup
Series victory.
Elliott finished sixth
for his best finish of the
season so far and he has
accumulated 171 points
in the Cup Series stand
ings to lead the pack.
Imitation IS imitation
A decade
ago, I launched
a new book
with a tour
that, with three
exceptions,
took me to
large Southern
cities and three
small
Mississippi
towns.
The exhaustive, two-
week tour included Los
Angeles, New York City,
and the marvelous inde
pendent Rainy Day Books
in Kansas City.
After an early morning
show in New York, I
stopped to have breakfast
at a Jewish-owned delica
tessen, one of my favorite
places. Eyeing the menu, I
was jolted by an item.
“Grits!” I exclaimed to
the waiter. “You have
grits?”
He nodded. “People like
grits.”
“I’ll have a bowl. I want
to know how New York
City grits taste.”
“We’re sold out. Every
morning, he makes a big
pot of grits and they go
fast.”
It took four more trips
before I had a bowl of
New York City grits. They
were watery and half-
cooked. An imitation.
For truly perfect grits,
visit The Lodge or The
Cloister on Sea Island.
They make their grits with
real cream and they’re
purely scrumptious.
They’re also in Georgia.
The location where
Southern food is being
served makes a difference.
In Nashville, I stayed in
a nice hotel near
Vanderbilt. I returned to
my room after doing early
morning radio and televi
sion and ordered room ser
vice. Since the grits epi
sode in New York, I decid
ed to order Southern deli
cacies at every stop and
judge.
I ordered “Southern
Buttermilk” biscuits with
sausage gravy. It may have
been the worst Southern
food I ever tasted. The
gravy was pasty and tasted
close to the Elmer’s Glue
that I tried when I was
seven. The biscuits were
dry, dusty, and barely
chewable.
Down to the restaurant
manager, I called. “Sir,
these are the worst biscuits
and gravy I’ve ever had.”
He sighed. “I know.”
“Please, tell me that
there isn’t a Southern
woman in your kitchen
who makes buttermilk bis
cuits like this. It has to be
a man or a Yankee.”
He inhaled deeply. “It’s
a young man. From
Argentina. He’s trying his
best to go by a recipe.”
“Argentina??” I
exclaimed. “You
have one of the
top hotels in one
of the South’s
best cities and
you’re letting
someone from
Argentina make
your biscuits and
gravy? Let me
talk to him.”
The young man came to
the phone and, as best I
could, I gave him advice.
“You’re usin’ too much
flour in both the gravy and
the biscuits.” I told him
how to cut in the shorten
ing and to work the dough
quickly. He responded
gratefully. He had been
under fire.
The manager came back
to the phone and expressed
his appreciation. “We’ve
had so many complaints
that we were going to take
them off the menu.”
“What flour do you
use?”
“Something generic.”
“White Lily,” I said
firmly. “And it’s brand
born in Tennessee.”
In Birmingham, I found
impressive biscuits and
gravy at a family-owned
diner in Homewood,
which, sadly, has closed.
In Clarksdale,
Mississippi, at the blues
club, Ground Zero, co
founded by actor Morgan
Freeman, I discovered the
yummiest “sammich’
made with Southern
favorites: pimento cheese,
bacon, and fried green
tomatoes.
A delicious version of
this sandwich used to be
on the menu at EP’s Bar
and Grill at The Guest
House at Graceland (be
careful not to drop “The”
or “Graceland"or you will
get a note of chastisement
from Graceland’s
unpleasant public rela
tions company).
Several weeks ago, I
was in Memphis and crav
ing that sandwich. I made
a special trip to EP’s, only
to be told, “We have a
shortened menu now. I
don’t know why that was
taken off because a lot of
people ask for it.”
I think Elvis Presley
would be unhappy about
that. He believed in giv
ing the people what they
wanted —not what he
thought they should have
wanted.
As for the biscuits and
gravy in Nashville, I
learned this: Imitation is
not always the highest
form of flattery.
Sometimes, it’s just
imitation.
Ronda Rich is the best-selling
author of What Southern
Women Know (That Every
Woman Should). Visit www.
rondarich.com to sign up for
her free weekly newsletter.
RONDA RICH
Columnist
FROM 1B
Band
Rio White Dawson County News
The DCHS Symphonic Band warms up before their LGPE perfor
mance.
allowed the woodwinds to be as
prominent as the brass instruments
that typically anchor marches.
The next piece performed by the
band was “Russian Sailor’s Dance”,
an emphatic composition that
allowed the band to explore wide
variations of tempo and emotion
constructed around one central
melodic idea.
While the piece began simply and
slowly, the speed gradually
increased and the complexity of the
music grew with each added layer
of sound.
“For a piece this complex it takes
a heightened level of sensitivity and
awareness of what is going on at all
times,” Gattis said. “Lots of trial and
error went into rehearsing this piece
to get the volume balance just right.”
Though the music grew more fran
tic as the piece neared its climactic
end, the band maintained a focused
energy that allowed each section to
execute its role with accuracy.
The final performance of the day
by the band was “Psalm 46”, a piece
based on the chorale melody from
Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress
is our God”.
This final challenge required an
element of bitonality — where the
brass and woodwind sections
played in separate key signatures.
That was just one of many con
siderations that both Gattis and the
performers had to keep in mind
while playing a composition that
involved both melancholy and
serenity.
“We really had to study the com
poser's intent for this piece and dive
deep into how the harmonies were
constructed by analyzing the chord
structure,” Gattis said. “The band
had to learn how to perform this one
[with] confidence because of the
complex chord tuning, intricate
rhythms, and constantly changing
styles.”
The band was able to successfully
display the ideas of conflict and tri
umph in “Psalm 46” through the
shift from dissonance to resolution,
finishing with a resonance that
stood firm for several seconds.
For those three performances, the
band received a superior rating from
judges — the highest rating given to
bands at LGPE.
After that, the band performed the
sight-reading portion of LGPE adju
dication, where they had just min
utes to learn a composition and
show their abilities. By receiving a
superior score in that area as well,
the band showed its cohesion and
trust in one another.
Prior to the high school symphon
ic band playing on Wednesday, the
Dawson County Junior High School
Concert Band and the Dawson
County Middle School 7th Grade
Band performed.
Both bands received ratings of
excellent — the second-highest rat
ing given to bands.
Overall, Gattis was proud of his
band’s performance and how each
individual player performed.
“I thought the group’s perfor
mance was phenomenal,” Gattis
said. “Everyone is truly a valuable
member.”
FROM 1B
Golf
can do better.”
While the weather on that day
was pleasant, conditions were
affected by heavy rains from the
previous days.
Despite that, the boys team got
off to a strong start with Christian
Roper and Alex Roper leading the
way in a nine-hole competition.
With scores of 39 and 40, respec
tively, those two led the boys team
of four to an aggregate score of 164,
just eight strokes behind leaders
Cherokee Bluff.
On the girls team, sophomore
Samantha Dewendt has been the
leader of the team all season, post
ing a score of 42 at Thursday’s com
petition.
The former Forsyth Central play
er has been successful in her young
career, having qualified for the State
Tournament as a freshman and post
ing a T-17 finish there.
The girls team finished third at
Chestatee, just four strokes behind
Lumpkin County.
With the mix of experience on the
teams, Anglin has focused on the
importance of keeping low scores in
play by mitigating issues that arise
around the green.
“We have really been focused on
the short game lately,” Anglin said.
“Focusing on putting, chipping, and
minimizing the damage on bad
holes.”
For the rest of the season, the
teams will look to improve scores
and find ways to finish ahead of the
competition.
The teams play twice this week,
with a round at Chattahoochee Golf
Club on Tuesday, March 22, before
heading back to Chestatee on
Thursday.
Pasta dishes to get you through the weeknights
ADLEN ROBINSON
Columnist
When our children were young
and whatever the evening’s dinner
plan fell to pieces, it seemed like
pasta was always there to save the
day. First of all, who doesn’t like
pasta? Secondly, it cooks quickly
and you can usually find ingredients
to jazz it up in your pantry, refriger
ator and freezer—sometimes all
three. Here are some quick and deli
cious pasta dishes that can save din
ner from being take-out or delivered
pizza.
This dish might sound difficult,
but it is super simple and truly a
keeper for your dinner rotations.
Cacio e pepe is a famous Italian dish
which means, “cheese and pepper.”
The dish is so creamy, but guess
what? There is no cream in it at all. I
know, right? The secret to have all
of the ingredients ready to go and
make sure you have that salty and
starchy pasta water to add to make
the “creamless” sauce taste creamy.
If you don’t have pancetta, you can
totally use bacon.
Cacio e pepe with Pancetta
and Peas
• 1 pound short pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 pound pancetta, finely
diced (or use bacon)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 cups Parmesan, grated
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
Cook pasta in plenty of salty,
boiling water. Cook about 2 minutes
less than the package directions say
and reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the
starchy pasta water.
Heat the olive oil over medium-
high heat until the pancetta is crispy,
about 10 minutes. Add pepper and
cook a few seconds. Add 1/2 cup of
the reserved pasta water. Add the
hot pasta to the skillet and half of
the parmesan, stirring constantly.
Add 1/2 cup more of the pasta
water, the Pecorino Romano, and
the butter. Stir in the thawed peas
and if needed, more pasta water.
Top with remaining parmesan and
serve immediately.
Lemon and Pea Alfredo
• 1 pound short pasta
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups Parmesan, grated
• 1 cup cream cheese or mas-
carpone, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas,
thawed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Cook pasta a minute or so less
than the package directions say,
reserving 1 cup pasta water. Heat
skillet over medium heat and melt
butter. Cook garlic 1 minute. Add
1/2 cup pasta water and turn heat to
low. Add pasta and half of the par
mesan. Stir. Add cream cheese or
mascarpone, lemon zest and salt and
pepper. Toss well to combine. Add a
little more pasta water, lemon juice,
peas and remaining cheese.
The secret ingredient in this mac
aroni and cheese recipe is canned
pumpkin puree. Don’t worry,
nobody will know it is in there but it
adds great color and added nutrition,
so don’t leave it out.
Macaroni and Cheese
• 1 pound shell pasta
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 can pumpkin puree
(unsweetened)
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups Gruyere cheese,
grated
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese,
grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cook pasta in plenty of salted,
boiling water. In a saucepan,
whisk together milk and pumpkin
puree. Remove from heat. In
another saucepan, melt butter over
medium heat. Whisk in flour and
stir constantly until the mixture is
a light brown. Add nutmeg.
Remove from heat and whisk in
the pumpkin mixture, whisking
constantly. Return to heat and
whisk in the cheeses, salt and pep
per. Cook for 2 minutes and then
pour over the pasta, stirring to
combine.
