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c Lake Oconee News Friday, September 29,2017 GREENE COUNTY Justin Hubbard Where there’s a Will there’s a win McCommons steers Patriots past Hurricanes Justin Hubbard justin@lakeoconeenews.us If you talk to Will McCommons in person, he sometimes appears nervous. When he plays quarter back for the NGA football team, though, he’s as cool as cucumber. McCommons, a junior on the Patriots football team, started the season at tight end. Senior Ash Gabriel was named the starting quarterback during the preseason and, for NGA’s first four games, that’s where the two players were stationed. Patriots head coach Edward Bradley decided to make a change, though. For last week’s game against Coastal Home School, Mc Commons was given the reins of the offense. The quarterback change worked and the Patriots won, 40-6. “After seeing Ash run a couple plays last week running the ball, some of his ability and quickness and speed (was impressive), and then we decided to make a change,” said NGA head coach Edward Bradley. “In practice, we’ve been switching them out here and there. Will seems to throw a more consis tent ball, not that Ash did anything wrong. It was just, [McCommons] throws a better ball, Ash has got a little more speed and he can catch it, so we’re just thinking that dynamic would be a little bit more explosive.” Last Friday was certainly an explosive game for the Patriots’ offense. McCommons, ironically, threw two touchdown passes to Gabriel. Senior Joseph Crumbley had two rushing scores and racked up 118 yards on the ground. It was the most complete effort so far for NGA’s offensive unit. Crumbley was a huge factor in moving the ball, but McCommons’ reads and passes made a differ ence, too. McCommons went 6-of-12 with 71 yards passing. Afterward, Mc Commons assessed his perfor mance. “I guess I was all right for my first start of the year,” McCom mons said. “I overthrew some balls but my receivers did good catching SEE PATRIOTS » C8 Justin Hubbard/Staff NGA junior quarterback Will McCommons rushes to the left side of the field to pick up a first down for the Patriots. Sports Editor Make America United Again I feel a lot of sadness as I type these words. My Tuesday’s going pretty well. We’ve produced what I think is another strong sports section. The Georgia football team won big last week and, last night, my Dallas Cowboys snapped out of their funk and won on Monday Night Football. People ask me all the time, “How are you?” And I typically respond with, “I can’t complain.” But, today, I’d like to complain. I want to complain about the state of our country. Nobody can say or do anything without offend ing someone else. This past weekend, the big issue of debate was NFL players’ protests during the national anthem. Notice the wording of that sentence: It says “during” the anthem, not “of’ it. No one is protest ing against “The Star Spangled Banner” or the United States flag or even the troops. I think that’s gotten lost in the hoopla of the Colin Kaepernick controversy and certainly the contro versy produced Sunday during the NFL slate of games. No, the #TakeAK- nee movement, started by Kaepernick, began as a means to bring awareness to the brutality and racism faced by our nation’s black people. I am a very fortunate person. I was born into a great family and raised among great friends. I attended the predom inantly black Greene County School System and learned more than just a thing or two about understanding people of different color than my own. That upbringing is why I choose to support those who kneel during the national anthem. I can’t relate to the prej udice faced by my black brothers and sisters, but I full well am aware of it. We can’t go six months in this country without SEE HUBBARD » C6 Morgan senior Mary Trent Chandler winds up to throw a pitch Monday against LOA. Chandler started the game at pitcher but wound up playing all nine positions as part of her senior night festivities. Morgan senior first baseman Sadie Worth digs in at the plate for one of her at-bats against LOA this past Monday. Katee Finney, a senior for the Lady Dogs, delivers a pitch in the first inning of Monday's game against LOA. Lady Dogs have a night to remember Justin Hubbard justin@lakeoconeenews.us Before taking the field with their families for senior night festivities, the Morgan County softball team’s three seniors took the field and won one more regular season home game before the end of their high school careers. Sadie Worth, Mary Trent Chandler and Katee Finney each turned in strong performances during the Lady Dogs’ 9-0 mercy-rule victory this past Monday over Lake Oconee Academy. It was the two programs’ first-ever meeting on the softball field. Chandler started the game in the pitch er’s circle, then made her way around the field, playing every position by the end of the game. Finney replaced her at pitcher and turned in arguably her best perfor mance of the season, allowing no hits and striking out seven batters. Worth contin ued to shine at the plate, recording two hits and a stolen base. Despite each of the senior’s reliable work on the field, though, Morgan head coach Jason McBay said the Lady Dogs will miss Worth, Chandler and Finney because of their off-field influence, too. “Leaders come in a lot of different shapes and sizes,” McBay said. “And the way that they lead is probably more impactful for longevity’s sake than a leader that’s just getting you pumped up for a season. They really do a great job of pouring into the lives of their teammates and they SEE SOFTBALL » C6 ILD CHEVY.COM* CHILD CHEVY.COM • CHI J32H i ’ jMis te 1 - 2?10jN!K:olumbiaTStfl iMilledgeville O I F o 50 m o i m < o o 3
