Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current, March 30, 2022, Image 13

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Dawson County news., March 30, 2022, Image 13

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Newspaper Page TextWednesday, March 30,2022 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3B Tennis teams prepare for region tournament By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com The Dawson County boys and girls tennis teams finished their regular seasons with matches against North Forsyth on Thursday, March 24, and will be moving on to the Region 7-AAA tournament. For the girls team, sopho more Marlee Gaddis and junior Kayleigh Moon got off to strong starts, blanking their opponents with 6-0, 6-0 wins. A much tighter match occurred during the first dou bles bout, with Dawson County duo Amber Horton and Wendy Castro battling in three sets. While they took the first set, the Lady Tigers duo eventually had their serve broken in the second set. Despite that, they looked to have worn out their opponents in the third set and finished with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win. Later on, junior Avery Beaty would break her normal dou bles routine and compete in singles against North Forsyth. She had little trouble adjusting to playing on her own, defeat ing her opponent 6-2, 6-1. The lone loss for the Lady Tigers came on the No. 2 dou bles team, with senior Kelci Photos by Rio White Dawson County News Left, Sophomore Grant Ledbetter prepares to return the ball during his doubles match victory with Connor Woody. Right, Sophomore Marlee Gaddis pursues the ball during her win against her North Forsyth opponent. Folsom and Bella Hunt falling 2-6, 2-6. On the boys side, the Tigers would face a fierce Raiders squad who would win three of the five matches to hand Dawson County an overall loss. The strongest performances from the Tigers would come from the two doubles teams. Another consistent perfor mance from Ben Swafford and Connor Scroggins would earn the team an important point. The first set was one of the longest all night, with the two teams going back and forth until the Tigers duo eventually won 6-4. Swafford and Scroggins would close out the second set 6-2. Sophomores Grant Ledbetter and Connor Woody would use their contrasting styles to defeat their opponents both at the net and in the back court. Their teamwork would result in a 6-3, 6-2 win. In singles, sophomore Chase Cofield went up against one of the hardest hitters on either team, falling 0-6, 1-6. Senior Zach Friday kept a tight first set before falling behind in a 3-6, 1-6 loss while senior Lane Perry had the clos est singles match in a 3-6, 4-6 defeat. With the regular season fin ished, the tennis teams will begin the region tournament as the fourth seed on Tuesday, March 29 and possibly into Wednesday. The girls team will play at 9 a.m. on Tuesday against White County at Lumpkin County High School. A win against the Lady Warriors would allow the Lady Tigers to play at 3 p.m. later that afternoon in the semi finals. The region champion ship game and third-place game will be held Wednesday morn ing. The boys team will play at 10 a.m. against West Hall at Yahoola Creek Park. A poten tial semifinal appearance would be at 2 p.m. back at Lumpkin County, as will the champion ship match and third-place match on Wednesday. Since the region tournament will fall after the deadline for this week’s print edition, please check dawsonnews.com for updates. Gift of splendid storytellers As the years scatter behind me like a box of spilled Cheerios, I reflect on the blessings of the storytellers I have known. When I was five, Aunt Ozelle kept me so Mama could work in a sewing plant. At five minutes to 12 every day, she called me to lunch. She was a woman of admirable mountain disci pline. A small radio hung per ilously on the back of her stove so when she was in the kitchen, the radio was always playing. At the tiny kitchen table pushed against the wall, covered in red and white check oil cloth, cluttered with salt and pepper shakers, ketchup and napkins, she set a plate before me. Sometimes, it was fresh vegetables or soup or a sandwich. But always as I ate, I listened to the melodious voice of commentator Paul Harvey as he delivered news of the day in a captivating manner that even a child could understand. At 5 p.m., Aunt Ozelle turned the radio back on for Mr. Harvey’s stunning delivery of “The Rest of The Story.” Whether I was in the cool mustiness of the root cellar or stomping through the woods behind their little white frame house with the screened-in front porch, I always knew, instinctively, when to head back for the after noon’s storytelling. Enthralled, I sat on the straight lad der-back chair and listened intently as he built the story then paused for a commercial, intoning alluringly, “We’ll be right back with the REST of the Story.” I clung to the seconds until he returned to the air waves and delivered an impactful final minute with a twist that left me wide-eyed and fully satisfied with what I heard. My first lessons in the power of stories began at our own kitchen table. Usually on Sunday nights, after church, when Mama and Daddy invited friends to the house for homemade cake and coffee. With no one to play with, I sat at the table and listened as the adults spilled forth with experiences, memories and history. Though little, I felt the emotions whether humorous, mournful or matter-of-fact. Mountain people were intrigued by the real life mur der of Little Mary Phagan in a pencil factory in Atlanta in 1913. Fiddling John Carson, in 1915, had immortal ized the 11-year-old girl in a shuddering ballad that, for many years, hung over the Appalachians like the cloak ing mist that shrouds the Great Smokies. From time to time, Daddy would hold court with the telling of that story in a haunting, genuine voice that belongs only to those bom in hard times and raised in desperation. My sense of dramatic storytelling was probably jumpstarted with that legend. As a teenager, in midst of a clattering news room, I sat at an ancient gray metal desk, pounding out obituar ies and listening, with one ear, to the seasoned reporters who dragged in stories of murder, political deceit or moonshiners who had faced down the law with shot guns. Spellbinding. I recall all their names and see them clearly as the guys leaned casually against desks, armed folded against their chests, shirt sleeves rolled up and ties askew. When the phone rang with a breaking story, they’d grab tattered sports jackets from the back of their chairs and ran for the door. It was exciting. Theatrical. In the Appalachians, history, for centuries, was passed down through oral storytelling. It was a tradition brought from Scotland. Old men and women would teach children how to pass down history and legends by making them recite, word for word, the stories they had been taught by their grandparents. They practiced it until it was word and sentence perfect. In this day when video reigns and attention spans are short, intense storytelling is becoming a lost art. This, though, I have learned in business and personal life: great power lies in emotional storytelling. It makes both friends and money. Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of Let Me Tell You Something. Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. RONDA RICH Columnist Chicken tender recipes When raising our four children, I cannot begin to tell you how many times chicken tenders came to the rescue for getting dinner on the table. Once I had three or four different recipes for these kid and adult favor ites, I never again bought the frozen kind. Once you make these, you will see how quickly they come together —almost as quick as opening the package and throwing those frozen chicken tenders on the bak ing sheet. In addition, the homemade kind are infi nitely better and are much better for you. No additives or chemicals necessary— just wholesome real food ingredients. If you don’t have chicken tenders, just take a boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut into strips to simulate tenders. Flatten slightly for even cooking. While these potato chip chicken tenders definitely appeal to kids, I have to tell you, adults will love them too. I like to use plain kettle chips for this, but any pota to chip will work. You can also experiment with differ ent flavored potato chips. Potato Chip Chicken Tenders • 8 ounces potato chips • 1 cup flour • 2 teaspoons onion powder • 2 teaspoons garlic powder • 14 teaspoon cayenne • 2 y 2 teaspoons salt, ADLEN ROBINSON Columnist divided • 1 Vi teaspoons pep per, divided • 3 eggs, lightly beat en • 1 'A pounds chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips, slightly flat tened) Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Put potato chips in a plastic zipper bag and use a rolling pin (or a drinking glass) crush chips. Place crushed chips in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together flour, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and half of the salt and pepper. In a third bowl, whisk together eggs and remaining salt and pepper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, then the eggs, then the potato chips, pressing the chips into the chicken. Place a rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place coated chick en on rack and then spray the chicken with more non-stick cooking spray. Bake chicken for 10 min utes and then rotate pan and bake another 10 min utes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Almond-Crusted Tenders with Honey Mustard • ¥i cup Dijon mus tard • Vi cup mayonnaise • Vi cup honey • 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 1 Vi pounds chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into strips and flattened slightly • 1 Vi cups whole roasted almonds • Vi teaspoon salt • 14 teaspoon pepper Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Put almonds in a food processor and process until you have a coarse meal. Line a bak ing sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together mustard, mayon naise, honey and apple cider vinegar. Pour half of this mixture into a small bowl for serving with the chicken tenders. Place ground almonds, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dredge the chicken in the honey mustard mixture and then add to the ground almond meal, pressing the meal onto the chicken. Spray the parchment paper with non-stick cooking oil, and then add the chicken and spray the chicken with the oil. Bake for 20-22 min utes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the reserved honey mustard sauce. Lemon Parmesan Chicken Tenders • 1 egg, lightly beaten • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 Vi tablespoons parsley, minced • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced • Vi teaspoon salt • 14 teaspoon pepper • 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, or chicken breast cut into strips and slightly flattened • 1 cup panko bread crumbs • 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs • 1 teaspoon paprika • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/3 cup Parmesan, finely grated Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Spray a bak ing sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together egg, oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chick en and if time allows, cover with plastic and refrigerate for an hour. In another bowl, whisk together panko, bread crumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and parmesan. Dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture, pressing the mixture onto the chicken. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip chicken over and bake another 10 min utes. Broil for a minute. Rio White Dawson County News Luke Mulberry celebrates with the team following his solo home run during the team's win against East Forsyth. FROM 1B Baseball “It felt great,” Mulberry said. “I haven’t been hitting too good recently, [so] I just calmed down, swung and it went out.” Despite dropping the first two games of the series, the Tigers began Thursday’s game with a con fident mindset that worked to their advantage early on. The offense used a strong hitting day combined with their strength at drawing walks to build baserunners consistently throughout the game. While Mulberry led the way with three hits in the game, three other batters had three RBIs each. The team combined for six walks. Not only was the offense firing on all cylinders, but starting pitcher Nick Mullinax put in a complete- game performance with six strike outs and three earned runs. His steady pitching was only interrupted with occasional defen sive mistakes that allowed runners on base. In the seven innings, he would give up just five hits. “[My pitching] today was pretty good,” Mullinax said “Some calls didn’t go our way, but all I had to do was keep my head on straight so I could keep throwing strikes and help the team win.” In the first two games of the series against East Forsyth, the Tigers fell 4-2 and 9-4. In the first game, Trey Harvey threw six strikeouts over five innings. Elijah Odom had both RBI in the opener. The second game saw Davis Glass and Jacob Pass split pitching duties as the Broncos had their strongest game of the series. Andrew Burt had a pair of hits in that game. The win in the third game gives Dawson County a dozen wins on the season and puts them at a 7-2 record in Region 7-AAA, just behind next week’s opponent Cherokee Bluff. “It gives us momentum going into a big series against Bluff next week,” Mullinax said. “If we can just keep this momentum, I think we should be good.”