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Inside: Eagles defeat Patriots — page 3B
APRIL 15,
2009
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Section B
JHS TRACK AND FIELD
JHS TENNIS
JHS takes second in Jefferson Relays
STRONG EFFORT
Jefferson’s Rana Davis takes part in the shot put during Saturday’s Jefferson Relays.
Davis placed sixth in the event. Photo by A! McLeod
By Brandon Reed
IT WAS a strong week
end for the Jefferson track
teams as they played host
to the 45th annual Jefferson
Relays.
Both boys and girls teams
placed second. The boys
amassed 89 points, trailing
only Westminster, who had
135.5. The girls had 92.5
points to winner Lovett’s
132.5.
For the boys, Tyler Porter
placed first in the pole vault.
Derrick Perkins took first in
the 110-meter hurdles and
fourth in the triple jump.
Jessie Damons placed third
in the long jump, eighth in
the high jump and fourth
in the 100-meter dash. Zac
Crosby placed fourth in the
long jump and seventh in the
shot put. Noah McCarthy
placed fifth in the high jump.
Madison Santiago placed sev
enth in the pole vault. Josh
Kies placed fourth in the shot
put and second in the discus.
Wesley Milton placed fourth
in the 300-meter hurdles.
The boys placed sixth in
the distance medley, sixth in
the 4x100, sixth in the 1600
sprint medley, fifth 4x200,
sixth in the 4x800, and fourth
in the 4x400.
For the girls, Rachel Goza
placed seventh in the long
jump. Daniella Watson
placed fifth in the high jump.
Devin Stanley placed sixth
in the high jump. Marcayla
Hester placed second in the
triple jump. Eden Starnes
placed third in the triple
jump. Missy Parks placed
sixth in the pole vault.
Rebecca Stoudenmire placed
seventh in the pole vault
and eighth in the 300-meter
hurdles. Kasey McDonald
placed fourth in the shot put
and sixth in the discus. Rana
Davis placed sixth in the
shot put. Brianna Caudell
placed second in the discus
and third in the 100-meter
hurdles. Iniki Allen placed
fourth in the 100-meter hur
dles. Missy Parks placed
fifth in the 100-meter dash.
Eden Starnes placed seventh
in the 100-meter dash.
The girls placed fifth in
the distance medley, fifth in
the 4x100, sixth in the 1600
sprint medley, fourth in the
4x200 and third in the 4x800,
and third in the 4x400.
The teams next play
host to Riverside Military
Academy and Banks County
this (Wednesday) afternoon
beginning at 4:30 p.m.
BACK AT YOU
Blair Buffington picked up a win Tuesday against
Athens Academy.
Jefferson netters start
region play Thursday
By Brandon Reed
THE JEFFERSON netters continued their winning ways this
week, as they swept Buford on Monday.
The boys won 4-1, with Zach Bost winning at number one
singles 6-3, 6-1. Blair Buffington won at number two singles
6-0, 6-0. Sky Porter won at number three singles 6-1, 6-2.
The number two doubles team of Trevor Castellaw and Cason
Thurmond also won 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
The girls won 4-1, with number one singles player Bell
Blankenship wining 5-7,6-1,6-3. Callie Holloway won at num
ber three singles 6-1, 6-3. Ashley Etchison and Colby Fowler
won at number one doubles 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Kristine Chambers
and Mariah Yates won at number two doubles 6-2, 6-3.
Things didn’t go as well on Tuesday, as Jefferson experienced
their losses of the season at the hands of Athens Academy.
The boys lost 1-4, with only Blair Buffington winning at num
ber two singles 6-3, 6-2. The girls lost 0-5.
Both teams are now 9-1 overall, but remain undefeated in
region play 3-0.
Both Jefferson teams will hit the court again on Thursday at
East Jackson for region tournament play.
AUTO RACING
JCCHS BASEBALL
JCCHS travels to Stephens County Thurs.
By Brandon Reed
AFTER SOME rough out
ings last week that saw loss
es to Oconee County and
Hart County, the Panthers
of Jackson County are hop
ing for a rebound this week
as they travel to Stephens
County on Thursday.
A win will be tall order for
the Panthers. The Indians
enter play undefeated in the
region, and with a 12-2 over
all record. In the last meet
ing of the two teams, on
March 30, Stephens County
came away with a 16-0 win.
First pitch Thursday is
scheduled for 5:55 p.m.
OCONEE COUNTY
Fresh off a region victory
over Eastside, the Panthers
were hoping to stay on a roll
when they traveled to Oconee
County last Wednesday
to face the Warriors, who
entered the game with a 3-2
record in the region.
While the Panthers didn’t
hit the ball that bad, getting
six hits and five runs in five
innings, they were out-paced
by the Warriors, who hit four
homers in a five inning game.
Oconee County would go on
to win 15-4.
Austin Robinson led the
team at the plate with a two
run homer in the top of the
second inning.
HART COUNTY
After being rained out on
Friday, the Panthers traveled
on Saturday to face Hart
County, and a game that
would decide fourth place in
the region heading into the
second half of region play.
Jackson County went to
work early, jumping out to a
2-0 lead on a Rob Williams
RBI single and a double
steal.
But things went bad for
the Panthers in the bottom of
the first, as they made three
errors on three of the first
five batters, allowing Hart to
score seven runs as a result.
John Florentine battled
back on the mound, hold
ing Hart scoreless through
the second and third innings
while, at the plate, the
Panthers scored a run in the
top of the fourth to cut the
lead to four runs.
But trouble reared its head
again in the bottom of the
fourth, as Hart scored three
runs to extend their lead.
See JCCHS on page 4B
THE WINDUP
Jackson County freshman Quinn Grogan took to the mound at a recent game.
Photo by Brandon Reed
DRIVING FORCE
Ashley Force-Hood, seen here from last year’s event,
will be looking for another victory this weekend as
the NHRA holds the Southern Nationals at the Atlanta
Dragway in Commerce. Force-Hood is the defending
Funny Car winner of the event. Photo by Wanda Glover
Southern Nationals hits
Commerce this weekend
By Tim Glover
THE HILLS of North
Georgia will be echoing
thunder coming from Atlanta
Dragway again April 16-19
when the 29th Annual Summit
Racing Equipment NHRA
Southern Nationals rolls into
its sixth stop of the season at
the Atlanta Dragway.
The Southern Nationals fea
tures the best drag racers from
all over the world, all compet
ing on the quarter mile surface
to claim the coveted winner’s
trophy.
The wildly popular Funny
Car racer Ashley Force-Hood
will be gunning for her third
win. Force-Hood beat her leg
endary dad, John Force (14-
time Funny Car champion)
to earn her first win at the
2008 Southern Nationals and
is hot off her O’Reilly Spring
Nationals win at Houston
Raceway Park.
Last year’s Southern
Nationals Top Fuel Dragster
winner, Antron Brown, is
doing well in his sophomore
season. Brown was leading
the points chase until six
time world champion Tony
Schumacher took yet another
win at Las Vegas.
This event is the third on the
schedule to feature the high-
revving 190-mph Pro Stock
Motorcycles. Local standout
Junior Pippin is entered, along
with his protege, first year
racer Douglas Horne, who fin
ished runner up at the O’Reilly
event.
Six-time Pro Stock cham
pion Warren Johnson from
nearby Sugar Hill is already
on the entry list, along with
his son Kurt Johnson.
Recognizing the tough
times currently faced by fans
across the country, NHRA has
announced several fan-relief
programs for the 2009 sea
son, including reduced-priced
general admission tickets, the
admittance of children 12 and
under for free, and a military
appreciation offer. For details,
please visit www.nhra.com or
www.atlantadragway.com.