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IB - The Wiregrass Farmer, October 22, 2008
Rebels head to Vienna on Friday to face Bobcats
Turner, Wilcox tied for first in region
by Brad Christian
The Turner County Rebels
are back in action this week as
they travel to the Grove to face
the Dooly County Bobcats in
Vienna this Friday. The Rebels
enter this game with an overall
record of 6-1 and a region
record of 3-0. The Bobcats are
currently 3-4 overall and 1-2 in
region play.
The Rebels are well rested
after the bye last week.
“The bye came at a good
time. Some of the players
healed up a bit and we were
able to work on some little
things in practice,” said head
coach Erik Soliday.
Last Friday, the Bobcats
hosted Wilcox County and
hung with the high-powered
Patriots. The Patriots only led
13-12 early in the 4th quarter
before pulling away late and
winning 27-12.
The Bobcats have a lot of
speed at the skill positions and
have an elusive quarterback,
Kentez Williams, who will
pose a challenge for the Rebel
defense. Flowever, the Rebels
are well rested after the off-
week and should be up to the
challenge. It is, however, not a
game that should be taken
lightly.
“Their whole team is
mighty fast. Their quarterback
is very quick. We’re going to
have our hands full trying to
contain him,” said Soliday
The Rebels are currently
tied for first place in Region 2-
A with Wilcox County.
Both share region records
of 3-0. There is a logjam
behind those two teams, with
the other five teams separated
by just a game.
Each team in the region has
at least one region win.
Therefore, each team mathe
matically still has a shot at
reaching the playoffs.
A showdown between the
Rebels and Wilcox County
looms at the end of the month
in Rochelle in a game that will
probably decide the region
championship.
The playoffs begin Nov. 14,
with the top two teams hosting
a first round playoff game. In
the first round of the playoffs,
Region 2-A will match up with
Region 1-A, which is another
highly competitive region.
Region Standings
Team Region Overall
Wilcox Co.
3-0
7-0
Thrner Co.
3-0
6-1
Twiggs Co.
2-2
5-2
Dooly Co.
1-2
3-4
Hawkinsville
1-2
2-5
Telfair
1-3
3-4
Irwin Co.
1-3
2-6
Band Boosters working to cover TCHS Marching Band expenses
by Nancy Stevenson
Within any school system,
there are budgets that must be
kept, but as hard times have hit
the nation, so the Turner
County schools have likewise
been touched by the economic
strain.
Recent budget cuts within
the school system have put a
squeeze on nearly every facet
of education, this includes the
band program.
The funds which the educa
tional boards allows, goes
toward the general functions of
the band program.
If it were not for the gener
ous donations from caring citi
zens, the band would not be
able to perform at the away
games this football season due
to financial cuts.
So, in order for the band to
be involved in special activi
ties, the money must be raised
by the band members, and by
the Turner County Band
Booster’s Association.
The money that is raised is
not done as a matter of profit or
to sit in an account to watch
interest grow, it is used instead
to watch interest grow for the
band students to participate in
unique opportunities.
Many times in the past the
boosters account at the begin
ning of the school year is either
very low, or in the red. When
the year began for 06/07 the
account was in debt $1000 to a
gracious Booster member. With
the first two football games, the
concession stand brought in
enough funds in which to pay
the member back.
This year, with conservative
spending and fewer expenses
incurred, the boosters closed
out the 07/08 year with $300 in
the bank. Yet that $300 didn’t
cover the first concession stand
food and supplies. Another
generous booster member foot
ed the bill, until it could be
paid back.
Through this financial
gloom, there is much bright
ness within this system. Hard
work goes into each home
game’s football night.
There are a few dedicated
booster workers that come as
early as 4:45 on Friday after
noon in order to get the stand
open and the food to begin
cooking. With the anticipations
of making the most of each
Friday Night concession sales,
the food must be ready for the
early comers, which include
officials, coaches from the
other teams, ball and water
boys, the athletic trainers and a
few others.
There are many things that
needs to be accomplished
before the food is ready, and
for many of the volunteers,
their work doesn’t end until the
lights go out at the stadium and
most are gone except those few
remaining people washing
dishes, cleaning the grills,
wrapping everything up and
finally taking the garbage
away.
Some have made the com
ment that “I’ve never worked
as hard as I do at this stand.
This is hard work.”
Although there are those
who do not appreciate or
understand what goes on
behind the scenes, the volun
teers in the concession stand
know that their aching backs,
sore feet and feeling like death
warmed over, is not meaning
less.
In the past, most of their
efforts went toward giving the
students a unique experience of
places like New York, New
York, even visiting ground
zero, or last years historical and
educational, Williamsburg,
Virginia.
Expenses are many. For the
trips there are buses, the
motels, and a few of the meals
to pay for.
But that’s not all that the
band boosters strive to do for
the students.
There are other expenses,
such as the $1,000 scholarship
given to a single band student,
awards for accomplishments,
and many other items. This
year, instead of taking a trip,
new uniforms must be pur
chased, as the old uniforms
have been in use for ten years
now and are wearing out.
By the end of the school
year, the account is once again
depleted. No money sits in the
bank, but is used for an incom
parable opportunity that these
students will remember for a
life time.
This experience they get
comes from the Turner County
Middle/High School band pro
gram.
But, a music program goes
beyond any activity that a band
booster can supply financially.
Music is universal, and it is
right here in this county.
When music notes are
learned and accomplished, this
same system is used in China,
in Australia, in Sweden, all
over the world. A connection is
made where language becomes
a barrier, yet making this con
nection through an instrument
takes work.
There are many steps that
must be accomplished in order
to play an instrument without
sounding like a farm animal in
dire straights. Measures, staffs,
Treble and Bass clef, time sig
nature, and key signature, are
all necessary things that must
be learned. Motor, and focus
skills reach a new level and is
applied with each piece of
music.
On a clarinet, there are
approximately 31 different fin
ger placements and can be
played up to three and a half
octaves. Lip movement in
accordance to each note on the
scale must be applied.
If accelerando, mezzo-
forte’, crescendo, piano forte’
staccato, Da Capo, seems for
eign to you, a band student
should be able to tell you what
it is. These are dynamics of
music and are written mostly in
words of Italian.
Dynamics is a direction on
how notes that are placed with
in a measure are played.
In a band, you must also
accomplish balance of sound,
timing, listening to one anoth
er; there must be an ability to
do many things in one given
measure. In Marching band,
steps, music, dynamics, timing,
and patience must all be
applied, along with a good dose
of nerves.
Fitzgerald just recently
hosted a Marching Festival,
inviting the surrounding area to
march their half-time show.
Score is determined by an indi
vidual band’s marching, in
sync, and professional perfor
mance. Turner County’s
High/Middle School Marching
Band consist of a wide range of
age with grades 7th - 12th. The
judges gave the band a score of
good, the Drum Majors
received an excellent, and the
drum section marched away
with a superior.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL REBELS in action against Fizgerald last week.
Photo Trish Mathes
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