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SPORTS
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Making A
Friend At
The Park
I am writing this column as the story
actually happened. It concerns a local
baseball fan I happened to meet Thurs
day night at the Cumming City Park. I
am spending a lot of time with Little
League baseball since the major
leagues are on strike.
I was watching a game between the
Phillies and the Expos, of the 12-year
All-Star League. I had taken quite a few
pictures and took a seat on the
bleachers to watch the game.
Bubba Jackson, age 10, former sec
ond baseman with the Cumming Cubs
took a seat to my left. Bubba informed
me he had just turned 10.
Bubba asked me if I was a photogra
pher. I told him I took a few pictures
every now and then. Bubba asked me if
I worked for a newspaper. I told him
yes. Bubba then asked me if it was a
daily. I told him no, it was a weekly.
Bubba is a bright, young man, he un
derstood full-well what I was talking
about.
I asked Bubba if he played baseball.
He said he played second base for the
Cubs. He also said he was the best
second baseman the Cubs had. Bubba
said he didn’t make the all-stars, but he
was there to watch his brother play. His
brother plays for the Indians in the 12-
year league.
Bubba said he was taking in a lot of
baseball at the park because of the
strike. He said he wished the strike
would hurry and get over with because
he liked to go watch the Atlanta Braves
play.
I asked him who his favorite players
were. He told me Dale Murphy and Bob
Homer. But, he added, Homer had a
broken wrist and had not been able to
play much. I told him Homer was a
favorite player of mine, too.
Bubba said his favorite team was the
Braves, but he liked the Phillies, too.
He said he liked the Phillies because
they had a lot of good players. Then, the
topic turned to baseball collecting
cards.
Bubba said he had about 200 cards.
He told me he had the Phillies’ triple
threat card with Pete Rose, Mike
Schmidt and Larry Bowa on it. He also
said he had a card of the Dodgers’
Fernando Valenzuela.
I asked him if he liked Fernando. He
said he didn’t, but he would keep the
card because there weren’t many of
them. He told me he had two of Fer
nando, but traded one off with some of
his friends.
I told him I had collected baseball
cards when I was 10 years old and was
one of the last in my class to get 1,000.1
told him Stevie Mills had 1,000 cards
when I was just getting a shoebox filled
up.
We turned our attention back to the
baseball field where the Little League
game was going on. Bubba told me to
watch the batter who was coming to the
plate. His name was Travis Harbin.
Travis had hit a homerun in the first
inning of the game over the right-center
fence.
Bubba began yelling encouragement
to Travis, who had walked in his next
two trips to the plate. Travis flied out to
deep centerfield and Bubba sat back
down on the bleachers.
Bubba said he liked the Phillies Little
League team, but he had to like his
brother’s team the best. He said that
second to his brother, Travis was his
favorite player. I told him I thought
Travis was a good player, too.
Bubba then told me he was going to
the concession stand to get a candy bar.
“Twix” was the brand he chose.
I remember how important it was to
me, to be able to immortalize the great
baseball stars at the age of 10. I can
remember collecting countless base
ball cards, and trading doubles of the
great players.
Salaries, compensation, ticket prices
and free agents meant nothing to the
kid down at Big Creek. Just take me to
Atlanta Stadium and give me a seat
behind first base. Let me watch Henry
Aaron, Rico Carty, Orlando Cepeda,
Felipe Alou and Sonny Jackson. Let me
watch Johnny Bench, Ernie Banks and
Willie Mays come to play in Atlanta.
It is a crime that the great American
sport should be plagued by this kind of
strike. I must take the side of the fan
during this time of strike, because I am
a fan.
Above it all, thank Heavens for the 10-
year-old who keeps on collecting cards,
keeps on playing second base and takes
pride in those who play the game.
Note: Bubba Jackson is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. AI Jackson, Cumming.
Little League Teams
Head To District Plav
BY SCOTT VAUGHAN
Sports Writer
The Forsyth County Little League
AlLStar seasons finished their nine
game schedule Monday at the Cum
ming City Park and the Expos took first
place in the 10 and under, while the
Phillies continued a county-wide unde
feated streak and won the top 12-year
slot.
The Expos, coached by Douglas Ben
nett, took first place in the 10 and under
league with a 7-2 record. The Padres,
coached by Jimmy Barnett finished one
game under, with a 6-3 record. The
Indians, coached by Jerry Gilbert and
Leroy Coffee finished in third and the
Phillies, coached by Junior Strayhom
finished fourth in the four-team league.
According to the park and recreation
department, all four teams will be
participating in • post-season tourna
ments.
The Expos and Phillies will be com
peting in the AABC District Tourna
ment, to be held at the Cumming City
Park July 6-10. The Padres will be
traveling to Rabun County, Clayton
Ga., to participate in the district GRPS
Little League tournament July 17-20.
The Indians will be used by the park as
a traveling team to compete in the
AABC tournament at Riverdale.
The AABC tournament system can
advance a team as far as the national
tournament after winning in district
and in state competition. The GRPS
tournament system can advance a
team to state recreation and park
championship games should a team
win.
“The reason we send teams to va
rious tournaments is so we can expose
our good ballplayers to leagues where
Swimmers Take 100 Ribbons
The Cumming Swim Team traveled
to Gainesville Saturday for a four-team
ribbon invitational meet and came
away with more than 100 individual
swimming medals.
“We did really well,” swim team
coach Dave Horton said. “They didn’t
keep a score, but I’m sure if they had,
we would have done really good.”
The Best Tackle
Made At Home
It’s difficult to explain the satisfac
tion that comes from catching a fish on
a lure you made yourself. But that was
how many old timers learned how to
fish... by making their own equipment.
Years back, many a developing an
gler spent hours thumbing through cat
alogs and ordering pre-carved,
unpainted wooden plug blanks, dyed
hackle for flies and rod kits where the
guides had to be wound and the cork
handle sanded into shape. There was a
lot of pride that went along with cre
ating handcrafted fishing tackle. And
the pay-off came when the angler
hooked a lunker bass or pike on a plug
he had sanded and painted according to
his own preferences.
That feeling of self accomplishment
can still be experienced today. There
are those who advise that lure-making
kits are avilable, and that rod blanks
even those made of space-age materi
als such as graphite can be ordered
and custom built at home.
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LAURA MATTOX PREPARES FOR SATURDAY’S PEACHTREE
...Atlanta race will be her seventh in two months
they won’t likely knock each other out
of a tournament,” Byron Orr, of the
local park department said. “This way
our communities have a shot at double
championships in different tourna
ments.”
The All-Star batting champion, rec
ognized by the Louisville Slugger Cor
poration, was Clint Carper who finished
the special nine-game season with a
.553 average.
Those incredible Phillies, coached by
Leroy Harbin, finished the All-Star
season with an undefeated record and
have now went through two Forsyth
County Little League seasons this sum
mer without losing a single game.
In an 11-1 victory Monday night, the
Expos, coached by Larry Stancil and
Amos Fields took second place in the
season by one game, over the Padres.
The Padres are coached by Ronnie
Stevens.
The Indians, coached by Kent Sor
rells, wound up the four-team league in
fourth place.
The Phillies, controlling a 23-0 re
cord, will now advance with the Padres
to the AABC district tournament, to be
held at the park, July 15-19. The Expos,
who were undefeated during the regu
lar season, will travel to the district
GRPS tournament in Rabun County,
July 9-12.
The Forsyth County Little League
Board of Directors held a special meet
ing Monday at the park to decide what
course of post-season action the 14 and
under teams would take.
It was decided that the top three
teams in the six-team league would
advance to the AABC district tourna
ment, to be held at the park, July 14-17.
The first place spot is still open,
The meet was held at Brenau College
in an indoor pool facility. Participating
teams included Winder, Gainesville
AU, Gainesville Elks Club and the
Cumming team.
Horton took 35 swimmers to the meet
and they won 68 ribbons and then nine
relay ribbons, where each of four swim-
H And H Claims District Spot
H and H Auto Parts fought off a close
game Wednesday at the park and went
on to defeat A and H Glass, 11-5, clinch
ing a spot in the upcoming district
softball tournament. The loss dropped
A and H into a tie with Midway for
second place.
Each player for H and H got at least
one hit in. the victory.
Later in the night, Haw Creek pro
longed A and H chances for going to the
district tournament by defeating them,
and Mills rallied after being down nine
runs , to defeat Midway 21-19. This,
Cumming City League Softball Standings
Week of June 24
Men
H and H 9-2
Midway 7-5
A and H 7-5
Mills 6-5
Haw Creek 6-6
Misfits 3-8
Gilbert Motors 2-9
because Chestatee and Cumming fin
ished with a tie record after the regular
season. A special playoff game has
been set to decide first and second
place. The game will be held Wednes
day at 7 p.m. at Bennett Memorial
Park.
Friendship is the third place team in
14 and under action.
In a close batting title race in the 12-
year league, Brad Carver won the bat
ting championship with a batting aver
age of .468. At one point in the season,
Carver was hitting .700 for the Padres.
Tournaments End
For County
Baseball, Softball
Forsyth County Baseball and Softball
seasons are winding down, and post
season tournament results have been
announced by the Cumming Park and
Recreation Deparmtnet.
Oak Grove recently won the 8 and
under Little League tournament at Big
Creek ballfield.
Winning the 14 and under tourna
ment, at Midway ballfield, was Chesta
tee. Cumming finished second in the
tournament.
Chestatee and Cumming will be play
ing a special playoff game for first
place in the overall 14 and under league
Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Bennett Memo
rial Park.
In the girls softball 17 and under,
post-season tournament, Cumming
came from behind and defeated Oak
Grove twice to clinch the softball
championship.
mers received an individual ribbon.
Horton recognized several swimmers
for their excellent participation in the
meet. Those mentioned were Aubri
Armistead, Darin McGregor, Kathy
Adkins, Kevin Muir, Jill Kauke, Matt
Springer, Mark Simpson, Jimmy Muir,
Christine Pitts, Cameron McGregor
and Diana Patterson.
depending on the last week’s games,
could throw the league in a three-way
tie for second place.
The final week of city league action
will be Wednesday, July 8. No games
are scheduled for Wednesday, July 1.
In women’s action, Ingrams scored a
victory over Howells and then Village
Cinema defeated Howells, 3-2 in eight
innings.
There is a difference of only two
games between third and first place in
the women’s division of adult city
league action at the park.
Women
Ingrams 8-3
Howells 7-4
Village Cinema 6-5
CPI 4-8
Jones Trucking 3-8
Laura Mattox Will Run
In Big Peachtree Race
BY SCOTT VAUGHAN
Sports Writer
The Fourth of July, Saturday, will be
a big day for Laura Mattox, 12, of
Cumming. It is a day which will cap two
months of training and exercise.
On Saturday morning, Mattox will
join participants in the annual Peach
tree Road Race in downtown Atlanta. It
will be her seventh road race since she
began running on May 2 of this year.
The story begins during the recent
1980-61 school year when Mattox ran
track at Otwell Middle School. She set
school records in the half mile and mile
runs. She also participated in the
team’s relays.
“I would have run hurdles, too, but I
was too tired after all that long distance
running,” she said with a smile.
She became interested in running
when her physical education coach at
Big Creek Elementary, Don Tompkins,
kept her after school to run. She said
another inspiration came from a pic
ture of her older brother breaking a
finish line, with a look of relief on his
face.
She will be an eighth grader when
school resumes in the fall, but she looks
forward to getting to the high school
and running track again in a couple of
years.
“Right now I’m training for strength
THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS—WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1981
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FORSYTH COUNTY ENDS LITTLE LEAGUE PLAY SUNDAY
...last county games were held Monday at park
Coaching Positions
Are Being Named
BY SCOTT VAUGHAN
Sports Writer
Jim Cooper, head football coach at
Forsyth County High School, an
nounced this week the addition of Rob
ert Mills to the high school’s depleted
coaching staff.
Mills, a coach with the Warner Ro
bins Demons and a 10-year veteran
coach was unavailable for comment.
Cooper said the addition of Mills will
give the Bulldogs a coach who has been
involved with strong, winning pro
grams, like the one at Warner Robins.
Cooper said Ron Jackson, who was to
leave the Bulldogs coaching staff, will
return next year to coach the Bulldogs
in the same assistant capacity he has
worked in.
Jackson was scheduled to be the head
coach at South Junior High School, but
following the naming of Dennis Moore
as an assistant principal at the high
school, Jackson decided to return to the
high school.
“I’m glad we’re going to get Ronnie
back,” Cooper said. “He works well
with the players and is a very good
coach.”
The other coaching slot on the foot
ball coaching staff, left vacant by Ron
Simpson, has not been filled. The open
ing which now remains at South For
syth has not been filled. Cooper said
interviews are being conducted with
coaches in the Cumming area for the
job.
Allen Pritchett, who has coached b
team and ninth grade football for the
Bulldogs, has accepted the position of
assistant boys’ basketball coach at the
high school under head boys’ coach Phil
Meadows.
and endurance,” Mattox said. “The
speed should come along with time.”
Her first race, on May 2, was in
Pickneyville. She finished third in the
overall female competition. There were
about 30 women competing against her.
At Ball Ground, in her second race,
she finished first in the 16 and under age
division.
She has since competed in Decatur,
Buford and in Cumming. Mattox was
third overall in the women’s division
and second in the 35 and under age
division in the Bank of Cumming-spon
sored race.
Saturday, June 27, she traveled with
her parents to the Marigold Festival
Run in Winterville and finished second
in the 18 and under age division. That
race was a 10-K race, or 6.2 miles. The
Peachtree race is a 6.2 mile race.
“I have to drink a lot of water, stretch
New Jefferson Speedway
Holds Grand Opening July 10
Gene Pruitt, director of public rela
tions for the soon-to-be-opened Georgia
International Speedway in Jefferson
has confirmed that veteran driver Neil
Bonnett will join the field of distin
guished drivers at the grand opening of
Meadows said a girls’ varsity coach
is being interviewed, but no confirma
tion could be given.
“Allen may be coaching football
some, too,’’ Meadows said. “He will be
coaching football, basketball and base
ball then.”
Cooper said Pritchett will likely help
the football program next year in a b
team or scouting facility.
This gives the Bulldogs a six-man
coaching staff for the football team.
Bulldog Weight
Program Continues
The Forsyth County Bulldogs’ foot
ball team is showing a 60 percent turn
out of team members for the summer
weight lifting program, taking place
each week in the high school fieldhouse,
head coach Jim Cooper said.
“Some of the boys have to work
during the summer and can’t get by,
but we look at this turnout as a sign of
good things to come,” Cooper said.
The Bulldogs have tentatively agreed
to go to a football summer camp during
the second week in August. He said this
will be the first team camp the Bulldogs
have attended during the summer.
“This is a very tough league we’re
in,” Cooper said. “We have to do every
thing we can to be ready for it. You can
bet the other teams in this sub-region
will be ready when the season roils
around.”
Cooper add that players who have
moved in the Forsyth County area and
are interested in playing varsity foot
ball should contact him at the field
house, Monday through Friday.
before the race and get a lot of exer
cise,” Mattox said. “It takes a lot to run
that far.”
Her father, George Mattox, said one
reason for his daughter’s running abil
ity stems from her early involvement in
judo.
“We started her in judo when she was
five years old,” Mattox said. “I think
that has helped her athletically and it
gives her strenth for running.”
She was the Southeastern States Judo
Champion in 1976 and has won two state
championships in judo.
The Peachtree race begins at Lenox
Square at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 4. An
after the race celebration begins at 10
a.m. on the Colony Square mall.
“What time does the parade start
here?” Laura Mattox asks. She might
just try and run back in time to see it
the new speedway July 10th and 11th.
Already included in tht field are
David Pearson, Butch Lindley, David
Allison, Jody Ridley, and 17-year old
Miss Robin McCall.
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