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Forsyth trio to play in Championship
From staff reports
When the Seventh Annual Georgia Women’s
Match Play Championship gets under way this
morning in Carrollton, three Forsyth County
golfers will among the field vying for a shot at the
title.
Patti Huxford. Lori Whitaker and Jackie Sexton
will each be on the links, with Sexton teeing off at
9:26 a.m., Whitaker at 10:14 a.m. and Huxford at
10:22 a.m.
The tournament takes place at Sunset Hills
Country Club and runs through Friday. The field
Bennett
a winner
at Lanier
National
By Jeff Hood
For the Forsyth County News
Tony Bennett of Gainesville is
proving to be the model of consis
tency at Lanier National Speed
way in 2004 following his win
Saturday night in the NASCAR
Dodge Weekly Series Pro Late
Model 50-lap feature.
The 2000 track champion’s
one-car length victory over
Richey Etheridge, last year’s
track champ, comes on the heel
of two consecutive second-place
finishes at the historic ,375-mile
bullring.
“There’s a lot of tough guys
out here right now.” said Bennett,
referring to Saturday night’s 20-
car starting field. "And. 50 laps
seemed like a long time to me
tonight.”
Bennett credited his early sea
son success to off-season prepara
tion on the No. 42 Dodge he
pilots.
"We've got top-notch equip
ment." Bennett said “[Dwayne]
Buggay's got good equipment,
and so do a lot of other people.
Right now we're happy with a win
and two seconds.”
Cornelia’s Curt Britt passed
Larry Jordan on lap six then
cruised to his second consecutive
victory in the Team Ford of
Marietta Pro Truck Series. Britt
started eighth but moved up to
second by lap three.
Darrell Bryson of Lilburn
was flagged the winner of the
Simpson’s Trucking and Grading
Sportsman 25-lap feature, but
was later disqualified in post
race technical inspection. Mike
Bruce of Hoschton was awarded
the win.
Thomas Ross appeared to be
on his way to victory with six laps
remaining in the Billy Howell
Ford Modified Mini feature until
his No. 20 Ford's engine expired
with leading with six laps remain
ing.
Homer’s Keith Roberts capital
ized on Ross’ misfortune after he
inherited the lead then held off Ty
See LANIER, Page 2B
Drivers prep for big races at Dragway
By Tim Glover
For the Forsyth County News
Three husband-and-wife teams
came to Atlanta Dragway this past
weekend preparing for future races in
three different categories.
Fram Top Fuel racers John and
Rhonda Hartman Smith brought their
Top Fuel dragsters to prepare for an
upcoming NHRA National event in
Texas and the Southern Nationals at
Atlanta Dragway in Commerce,
which will be held May 13-16.
The Hartman-Smith team made
single passes in each car. After dark,
they thrilled the spectators with a
side-by-side pass, with Rhonda going
4.621 seconds at 320.97 mph to beat
John's early shutoff 4.830, 262.69
mph blast.
Carole and Gary Parker brought
their Mtjdular Motor Mustangs to the
Sports
of 64 is divided into seven flights by handicap
index. There are 16 competitors in the Champ
ionship flight, with eight in each of the other
flights.
The overall champion will come from the
Championship flight, which will play their open
ing round Wednesday, April 14, with both the
quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday and the
Championship Match Friday morning. Players
defeated in the opening match will compete in
their flight's consolation bracket.
Entries were open to the low 64 female ama-
Fighting, Southern style
■' |Sr- ■ R
■ .Ml I H
Photo/David McGregor
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors David Henson, left, and Chuck West display medals won recently at the
North American Grappling Association Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They hope to one day com
pete in competitions similar to those in the Ultimate Fighting Challenge.
School trains
Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu fighters
By Morgan Lee
Sports Writer
Surely you've seen it the big
yellow sign above Buford Dam Road
that blazes “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu” and
“400 Fight School," is almost impos
sible to miss for northbound drivers
on Ga. 400.
Once beheld, it's hard not to start
wondering exactly what Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu and the Fight School, nestled on
the hillside, reveal.
Dawson County High graduate
David Henson found himself harbor
ing the same questions back in the
summer of 2002, just after the 400
Fight School opened for business.
“My friend was riding down 400
and saw the sign, so we went to
check it out," said Henson. “I joined
the next night."
What Henson quickly learned is
that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu combines a
mix of grappling with kicks and
punches, and like any other mar
tial art is based on discipline,
respect and skill.
track to get ready for this week’s Fun
Ford Show, and Atlanta Dragway
regulars Gerry and Cindy Williams
brought their pair of '73 and '74
Chargers to race in the bracket race,
with Cindy in Super Pro and Gerry in
Sportsman.
Pat Musi’s Pro Modified '57
Chevy made some six-second, 210-
mph-plus passes in preparation of the
upcoming NSCA Hot Rod Nationals
on April 30-May 2.
A father-and-son team also had a
good evening, with father Ray
LaCount winning Super Pro and son
Preston LaCount making it to the
semifinals in 8-12 Junior Dragster.
Mel Abney, the 2003 Trophy
Street track champion, overcame
engine and transmission problems
that have been plaguing his
Cumming-based '67 Camaro this
year and took home the winner’s tro-
He also learned that he really
liked it. So much so, that now
almost two years later Henson can
call himself one of the best amateur
middleweights in America.
Henson recently won a silver (in
Gi) and a bronze medal (in No-Gi) at
the North American Grappling
Association (NAGA) Nationals in
Fort Lauderdale. Fla. the nation's
second-biggest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
tournament, second only to the Pan
American Games.
Yet one of the most astounding
facts about the fledgling school is
that Henson is not the only pupil in
Cumming to rise to the top. In fact,
under the guidance of head trainer
John Henderson, the school also
boasts one of the nation’s top heavy
weights.
Chuck West —a North Gwinnett
graduate joined the program at
400 just eight months ago and is
already on the fast track to the pinna
cle of the Jiu Jitsu world.
Winning gold in the Gi and silver
in the No-Gi (Gi refers to the white
uniform familiar with all martial arts.
No-Gi means a competition in street
clothes.) division of the NAGA
Nationals. West hopes to go on to
fight in No Holds Barred (NHB)
competitions like those seen in
the Ultimate Fighting Challenge.
“He will be one of the top in the
world in the next three of four years."
phy after defeating Mike Newby
from Marietta.
Newby finished in the finals for
the third time in four races with his
show quality '69 Chevelle. Although
both racers actually had a red light.
Newby was the first one to go red
(leaving the starting line before the
timer starts), which cost him the
race. Abney’s car was great, turning
in a 13.49, 104.44 mph pass (13.48
dial). Newby’s car was close, run
ning 13.78,97.01 mph (13.80 target).
Rob Hogue (’B4 Monte Carlo SS;
Loganville) and Josh Harris (’9B
Mustang; Toccoa) were the semifinal
finishers.
Abney said he was still chasing a
fuel problem, but added that at least
the problem was consistent.
Although Joshua Sisson has been
See DRACWAY, Page 2B
*
teur golfers who are members of a GSGA Member
Club and Georgia residents.
The par-71 layout will play to about 5,751
yards for the Championship flight, while the first
through sixth flights will play to approximately
5,349 yards.
Laura Coble of Augusta returns to this year’s
competition as the event’s three-time defending
champion, the reigning Georgia Women’s Amateur
Champion and the 2003 GSGA Women's Player of
See TRIO, Page 2B
said Henderson, who himself was a
champion after training for “five to
six years" in Alliance Jiu Jitsu under
noted Brazilian master Jacare.
"He's a prodigy." said Henderson
of West. “He will be very well-recog
nized pretty soon.”
For West, who was a high school
wrestler, the grappling and physical
nature of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu came
naturally.
“I was just looking for something
to get back in shape." noted West,
who decided to give the sport a try
after watching the Ultimate Fighting
Challenge. “It's got a faster pace than
wrestling, but you have to have about
the same amount of stamina. They're
both grueling, but Jiu Jitsu is more of
an art form ”
Henderson describes Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu as a chess match.
“It's based on science and lever
age," said Henderson. “It’s a scientif
ic art. more intellectual than physi
cal."
But don’t let that fool you. Jiu
Jitsu athletes must be in top physical
condition to deal with the fast-paced,
five-minute rounds that start in a
fighting stance and usually end in a
heap on the floor.
Competitors at NAGA tourna
ments must force their opponents to
submit, meaning that joint locks.
See FIGHTING, Page 2B
| U |
11 il.vl i ****!■. ' ** •
MM— i
Pboto/Submitted
Pat Musi’s Pro Modified '57 Chevy made some six-second, 210-
mph-ptys passes this past weekend at Dragway.
OUTDOORS
F ir >
___ i'
Photo/Bill Vanderford
Spotted bass have already
begun their spawning cycle
and are becoming more
aggressive every day.
April is
a time of
rebirth
By Bill Vanderford
For the Forsyth County News
Spring has finally come to
Lake Lanier, and the shorelines
will soon be ablaze with colors
from the dogwoods, mountain
laurel, rhododendron and wild
azaleas. Sediments deposited
from rains mix with the constant
ly falling pollen to give the lake
water a greener color. Surface
temperatures are rising above 60
degrees Fahrenheit for the first
time, and the spotted bass popula
tion has turned its interest to food
and mating.
Spotted bass have already
begun their spawning cycle and
are becoming more aggressive
every day.
One "sure-fire” method to
catch big numbers of these one
to five-pound bass during this
period requires the use of a tiny
lure that closely resembles small
er shad minnows.
This is accomplished by
employing a small, inline spinner
known as the “Swirleybird.” The
perfect Swirleybird size for spot
ted bass is one-eighth ounce.
Though one may catch bass
just by casting and reeling with
the Swirleybird, learning the
proper method will guarantee
success throughout the next two
months. However, one must learn
to go against conventional bass
wisdom, especially in respect to
the hook set. In fact, if the reac
tion to a strike is treated with a
hard, upward jerk to set the hook,
most spotted bass will be missed.
Success will come when one
learns to tease the spotted bass by
winding the reel handle one quick
revolution, followed by a contin
ued slow retrieve.
This action pulls the bait away
just enough to incite the fish into
taking in more of the tiny lure on
its next pass. This sequence could
See REBIRTH, Page 2B
B