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Inside: Scenes from the World Series — page 3B
JULY 22,
2009
WORLD SERIES
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Section B
Jackson County just misses title shot at World Series
DOWN THE MIDDLE
Jase Latty sends one to the plate during Monday’s game against North West. The
Jackson County Force would make it to Tuesday’s play, but fell to the North Point
Nationals to finish fourth. Photo by Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
PLAY GOT underway
Friday at the Dizzy Dean
11-year-old World Series,
being held at East Jackson
Park in Nicholson.
Thirty-five teams took to
the field in a round robin for
mat, with eight teams winning
pool play to advance to a dou
ble elimination tournament to
play for the championship.
The Jackson County Force
was the only local team to
make the championship tour
nament. Other pool winners
were the North Port Nationals
from Alabama, North West
from St. Petersburg, Florida,
the Tallahassee Capitals
from Florida, Jeffersontown,
Kentucky, Fossil Park from
Florida, Fulton, Mississippi
and the Blast from Panama
City Beach, Florida.
The other pool play
ers, including the Jefferson
Dragons and the Jackson
County Bullets, went to a
single elimination consolation
bracket.
On Sunday, the double
eliminations started among
the pool winners, with the
Jackson County Force falling
to Tallahassee, the North Port
Nationals defeating North
West, Jeffersontown defeat
ing Fossil Park and Fulton
defeating Panama City.
Play continued on Monday,
with Tallahassee defeating
North Port and Jeffersontown
defeating Panama City.
Meanwhile, needing a win to
keep their title hopes alive,
the Jackson County Force
defeated North West, then
moved on to defeat Panama
City to move to Tuesday play.
That leaves Jackson County
as the only Georgia team in
the running for the title.
Meanwhile, Fossil Park
defeated Fulton, and then fell
to North Port late Monday.
The Jackson County Force
started Tuesday by facing the
defending title champs, the
North Point Nationals. The
Nationals ended the Force's
title hopes with a 4-3 win.
That meant either
Tallahassee or North Point
would face Jeffersontown
for the title on Wednesday.
Results were unavailable at
press time.
Meanwhile, in the consola
tion brackets, the Jefferson
Dragons found themselves
out of the running early, as
they fell to Acworth Monday
morning. The Jackson
County Bullets defeated New
Hope Monday morning, then
defeated Snow Hill to move
to Tuesday play against East
Brainerd.
The Bullets started Tuesday
off with a victory over East
Brainerd, moving them for
ward in the consolation
bracket. But their tournament
play came to an end with a
loss to the Rohobeth Rays on
Tuesday.
That leaves the Jackson
County, Alabama team to
face off against Rohobeth
Wednesday. Results were
unavailable at press time.
Jackson County Parks and
Recreation director Rick
Sanders said so far, the World
Series has been a competitive
contest.
“We've had probably
50 home runs hit,” he said
“We’ve had great crowds. A
lot of local folks have come
out to support us. We had a
lot of folks on Saturday and
Sunday. There is a lot of local
flavor out here.”
Play continues through
today, with the title game
scheduled for 10 a.m.
JHS WRESTLING
Dragons, Garner to be recognized by Hall of Fame
AS FAR as impressive streaks are concerned,
no athletic program in Northeast Georgia has
been on a run like the Jefferson High School
wrestling team.
Since 2001, the Dragons have reeled off nine
consecutive traditional state titles and eight
straight duals championships, giving the pro
gram 17 state titles in a nine-year span.
The nearly decade-long dominance has not
gone unnoticed, and the Northeast Georgia
Sports Hall of Fame has named the Dragons
“Northeast Georgia’s Most Dominating
Team.”
“It’s pretty awesome,” Jefferson coach Doug
Thurmond said of the honor. “It's a real good
thing for our program. I'm proud of the guys
that put in a lot of time and a lot of effort. It’s
nice for them to be recognized.”
It's especially rewarding since it's the pro
gram getting honored and not just one group of
wrestlers. Thurmond said that there is no way
to separate one champion from the next, and
that the program's success is because of the
dedication his wrestlers have for the sport.
“A lot of it has to do with hard work,” he
said “They work hard in the off-season and
compete all summer.
“We really don't treat wrestling as a second
ary sport,” he added. “It's something that they
SOFTBALL
take serious and we take serious.”
And it all starts at a young age.
With four wrestling sons, Thurmond made
a point to start a USA Wrestling program in
Jefferson and those successful youth wrestlers
keep winning once they reach high school.
“We started the USA youth program 12 years
ago and that helps a lot,” Thurmond said.
So does the fact that Jefferson continues to
win state titles, even after moving up from
Class A to Class AA prior to the start of the
2008-09 school year.
Year after year, as champions graduate,
future champions take to the mat, and accord
ing to Thurmond, they all share the same
mentality.
“They don't want to be the team that breaks
the streak,” he said. “We try to remind them to
not live on your past teams’ success.”
Those messages are often displayed on
T-shirts and the coaching staff at Jefferson
never lets the wrestlers forget that ideology.
“We tell them, if you have a chance to win,
then you need to do everything that you can to
get there,” Thurmond said.
For the past nine years, the Dragons have
done just that.
Along with the entire time, a standout team
See Dragons on page 2B
BANDITS WIN CAMSPORTS 18U SUMMER SLAM
The 16U North Georgia Bandits won the CSA 18U Summer Slam Tournament in
Fayetteville on Saturday, July 11th. The Bandits won the championship shoot
out against the 18U Georgia Prowlers. The Bandits are 55-12-3 for the fall-spring
season with 9 championship titles. Pictured are, left to right, front row, Courtney
Poole, Stephanie Satterfield, Bralee Griffin, middle row, Jordin Ellingson, Kaitlyn
Seabolt, Karly Thompson, Kylee Martin, Natalie McLaughlin, Kim Garrett, Kelsie
Gray, Laura Rose Pickens, back row, Jeff Pickens, head coach Jimmy Martin and
Greg Satterfield.
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DRAGONS HONORED
The Jefferson Mat Dragons, pictured here from State Competiton earlier this year,
have been named “Northeast Georgia’s Most Dominating Team” by the Notheast
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Photo by A! McLeod
IS FINALLY HERE!
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