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
