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Inside: Peach State gets new name — page 4B
DECEMBER 31,
2008
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Section B
YEAR IN REVIEW
2008 was sporting year to remember
ON THE GO
Jefferson’s quarterback Darius Minor moves down the field in the Dragons’ season
opening victory against Commerce. Photo by Brandon Reed
STATE HOLD
Lucas Redd (top) works over an opponent during the
state championships. Photo by Al McLeod
LONG PASS
Quarterback, Alex Crawford (12) fires off a pass during
JCCHS’ season opening win on Aug. 29.
Photo by Justin Poole
By Brandon Reed
2008 WAS a significant
year in sports for the Jackson
County area.
Whether it was foot
ball triumphs or come from
behind victories, sports fans
in Jackson County had a lot
of different highlights to add
to their scrapbooks from
Jefferson, JCCHS and East
Jackson, as well as sever
al moments from Park and
Rec and other area sporting
events.
Here's a look at five of the
biggest sports stories of 2008.
in no particular order.
UNDEFEATED
DRAGONS WIN REGION
It was one of the best sea
sons in recent memory for the
Jefferson Dragons in football.
It started with a slew of region
wins, all of which ended with
Jefferson winning by at least
12 points.
There was a feeling of
impending history in the air
as the Dragons hit the field on
Oct. 24 to face the only team
that could cause trouble for
them in the region, the North
Oconee Titans.
The Titans almost proved
to be Jefferson’s undoing, as
they moved themselves into
position to tie a game that
could help decide the region
championship, and could sink
an undefeated season for the
Dragons.
But a missed extra point
by the Titans in the last few
seconds of the game paved
the way for Jefferson's first
region title since 1977 in their
first season of 8-AA play.
The Dragons would remain
undefeated through the first
round of playoff action.
Their season came to a pre
mature end on Nov. 21, when
Lovett sneaked an on-side
kick to turn the tide in what
had been a close game in the
fourth quarter. The Dragons
lost 34-24, but ignited a level
of excitement in the Dragon
Nation that will carry over for
seasons to come.
In all, Jefferson went 11-0,
and 9-0 in the region.
EJCHS GIRLS TAKE
BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
Despite losing several key
seniors, the East Jackson
Lady Eagles softball team
entered into the 2008 sea
son as the defending region
champs. They proved that
the first season was about
teamwork and not about luck,
as, under the direction of
coach Jason Rainey, the Lady
Eagles went out and became
the 2008 region champs.
The team had a 26-9-1
overall record, and went 10-2
in the region, losing only
to Union County and North
Oconee in region play. The
season also saw a six-game
winning streak that ran from
Sept. 20 to Sept. 30, with
wins over Appling County,
Elbert County, Lakeside,
Banks County, Fannin County
and Jefferson.
It was a 3-0 victory over
Jefferson on Oct. 11 that
sealed the deal for the Lady
Eagles as region champs.
They then traveled to
Dalton to take part in the
northern sectionals, hoping
to make their way to state
play in Columbus. But East
Jackson’s second strong
year in softball would end
in Dalton. After an initial
win over Coosa to start out
tournament play, the Lady
Eagles fell to Greater Atlanta
Christian and Adairsville.
MAT DRAGONS
WIN AGAIN!
It came as little surprise last
season when the Jefferson Mat
Dragons came out as the pow
erhouse team in Georgia high
school wrestling. In 2008.
Jefferson won their eighth tra
ditional state championship,
and their seventh dual state
championship, establishing a
legacy of 19 total state cham
pionships for the Jefferson
wrestling program.
Fourteen Jefferson grap-
plers went to state competi
tion in the traditionals last
year, with six winning, five
coming home as second place
finishers, and two in third
place.
The Dragons went 28-0 in
dual meets, and were also
undefeated in 12 tournament
appearances.
The win at state also broke
the state record for consecu
tive state championships with
eight.
PANTHERS BREAK
WIN DROUGHT
After going a full year with
out a win, the Jackson County
Panthers football team final
ly broke the drought with a
16-10 victory over Our Lady
of Mercy on Aug. 29.
The win was the first for
the Panthers since their sea
son finale in 2006, when they
defeated Heritage 21-16 on
Nov. 10.
While the season opener
was the only victory of the
year for the much-beleaguered
Panthers, it was not the only
close contest for the team.
Jackson County just missed
a second victory in their next
game, losing to Sonoraville
16-14. They next went on to
tie Prince Avenue Christian
12-12 on Sept. 19.
After suffering a series of
blowouts, the Panthers came
close to picking up win num
ber two at the Granite Bowl in
Elberton, losing by two points
to Elbert County, 25-23.
Regardless of how the sea
son ended, the Panthers were
able to break back into the win
column in 2008, and showed
that their program is begin
ning to move back towards a
winning path.
FLEEMAN BAGS
WORLD CROWN WIN
It proved to be one of the
wildest and most unpredict
able World Crown weekends
in the 25-year history of the
event.
First was the fact that driv
ers and teams had to face
the toughest tech inspector in
the southeast, Ricky Brooks.
Brooks, a no-nonsense, by
the book tech inspector made
drivers toe the line, and on
the Saturday night prior to
the World Crown, no less than
20 drivers were disqualified,
including the entire field of
sportsman and truck division
drivers, along with the second
place finisher in Saturday’s
100-lap Super Late model
event, and the pole sitter for
Sunday’s feature event.
On Sunday, it looked like
three-time and defending
World Crown champ Paul
Kelley would run away with
the win, as he dominated
much of the first part of the
event.
Meanwhile, 2008 GAS
series champ Russell Fleeman
suffered a cut tire, and found
himself fighting to get back
on the lead lap.
Fleeman not only regained
that lap, but also came back
through the field to take the
lead with 40 laps remain
ing. The Dacula racer would
hold off Commerce's Taylor
Satterfield and Kelley for his
first victory in the storied
short track event in several
years of trying.
But the drama wasn't over.
Brooks had Fleeman's engine
pulled and taken to a local
shop for closer examination.
Finally, word came down
around 3:30 p.m. the next day
that Fleeman's car was legal,
and he was the 2008 World
Crown champion.
HONORABLE
MENTIONS
•Jefferson baseball Region
8-A champs title - The
Dragons became the 2008
Region 8-A champions with
a win over Prince Avenue on
April 24, earning a place in
the state playoffs. The team
would end the season with
a 22-7 record overall, and a
17-1 region record.
•Mat Panthers place third at
state - Jackson County placed
six of the seven wrestlers at
the state wrestling tourna
ment to bring home a third
place finish. It was the second
finish for the Mat Panthers in
the top ten at state in as many
years. It was also the last
year for JCCHS to compete in
AAAA competition, as they
moved to AAA beginning this
season.
•Eagles football wins first
region game - East Jackson
wrote another page in their
history books with their first
region win in their second
game of region play, as they
defeated Oglethorpe County
38-7 on Sept. 12.
•Jefferson Red Dragons
make history - The Jefferson
Parks & Recreation
Department 12U Red
Dragons went down in history
as the first Jefferson squad
to bring home the NGYFA
Super Bowl Championship in
Dawsonville, winning 28-0
over Gilmer County Bobcats.
•Jackson County Park and
Rec to host Dizzy Dean World
Series - The department will
host the 11-year-old Baseball
World Series July 16-21 at
the Lamar Murphy Park in
Jefferson. The East Jackson
recreation park in Nicholson
will serve as an additional site
for games.
There are 35 to 50 teams
expected for the event with
an estimated 1,200 visitors
from Georgia and around
the Southeast expected in to
attend.
SHORT TRACK KING
Russell Fleeman came from a lap down to record his
first career win in the storied World Crown at Peach
State Speedway. Photo by Brandon Reed