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Inside: Panther wrestlers sign scholarships — page 3B
JUNE 2,
2010
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Section B
Anticipation for
fall season will
build during
summer months
GRANTED. THE paint
hasn’t even dried on this
year’s prep sports season.
But we can’t start putting the first
coat on next season soon enough.
There should be plenty to write
about when school returns in
the fall, starting with football.
The term “rivalry Friday” will
apply to several dates on the sched
ule since three of the four schools in
Jackson County — Jackson County
Comprehensive High School, East
Jackson Comprehensive High
School and Jefferson High School
— now reside in the same region
(8-AA).
These
summer
months will
only build
the anticipa
tion for what
should be
a fun time
for The
Herald to
cover sports
and for you,
the local
sports fans,
to watch.
Of course, there’s already
one well-known backyard brou-
ha-ha. As everyone knows, the
Jefferson-Commerce rivalry
dates back to the 1940s.
But there will be battle fines
anew in 2010, with four intra
county games on the schedule,
three of which will be Region 8-AA
affairs (the Jefferson-Commerce
game being the lone exception).
If last year’s East Jackson-
Jefferson clash is any indication,
there should be no shortage of spir
ited debate regarding local suprem
acy in these new intra-county wars.
The Dragons and the Eagles
met for the second time in
2009, both unbeaten, both seek
ing the Region 8-AA title in
the regular season finale.
During the week leading up to
that contest, not-so-subtle opin
ions from both sides about this
much-anticipated meeting filled
our comments pages online.
The Dragons won that game and
went on to finish 11-1 and reach
the second round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, East Jackson went 10-2
in only its third year of existence
as it also made it into round two.
Now, added to the fold
is Jackson County.
The Panthers drop down to Class
AA this year, meaning they’ll
get a shot at both their neigh
bors. Jackson County has never
played East Jackson in football
and hasn’t faced Jefferson since
1985. In fact, these two schools
separated by just 2.5 miles — their
stadiums are closer than that, of
course — have only played twice.
The reunion should be fun.
Speaking of Jackson County, it
improved from a one-win outfit in
2008 to a four-win team in 2009
and had 91 Panthers on the practice
field for spring ball as it gets ready
for fife in Region 8-AA this fall.
All this intra-county fun won’t
be limited to the football field,
of course. Jackson County. East
Jackson and Jefferson will be
squaring off against each other
all over the sports calendar in
2010-2011. So we’ll have a vari
ety of battles to keep an eye on.
As for football, we’ll get
started with all this “rivalry
Friday” stuff soon enough.
After all, Jefferson does
play Commerce — for the
63rd time to be exact — open
ing night (Aug. 27).
Hopefully, this will be the
first of many spirited encounters
between our local schools.
Is it August yet?
Ben Munro is a reporter
for The Jackson Herald
MOVING FORWARD
The Jackson County Panthers, shown here in
spring practice, will keep busy over the sum
mer with a weightlifting regimen and a passing
league schedule. Photo by Brandon Reed
Prep Football
Energized Panthers turn
attention toward summer
By Ben Munro
THE JACKSON COUNTY
Panther football team finished
the spring with 91 players on
the field and 1,000 fans in the
stands — two signs that indi
cate there’s a buzz surround
ing coach Billy Kirk’s squad.
“The place was packed,”
said Kirk of the Panthers’
May 15 scrimmage game.
“There’s a lot of excitement
... It’s very exciting to be a
part of this.”
The countdown to kick
off begins now as the sea-
Panthers at a glance
•2009 Record: 4-6
(1-6 in region)
•Enjoyed highest win
total in 12 years
•Moving down to Class
AA this year
•Had 91 players partici
pate in spring drills
son opens Aug. 27 at home
against Johnson, which went
3-7 in 2009.
See JCCHS on page 3B
Lexie Evans, 12, (right) takes aim at the hoop Tuesday morning at Jefferson High School’s Future
Stars Basketball Camp while University of Georgia women’s basketball player Candace Williams
(left) looks on. Photo by Ben Munro
Prep Football
Not just ‘passing’ the time
JHS Dragons hosting
Tuesday summer
passing league
By Ben Munro
THE FRIDAY night fights will
have to wait. For now, it’s “Tuesday
evening dusk.”
Jefferson High School is hosting
a series of seven-on-seven passing
league games against other schools
on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. as the
Dragons bide their time over the
summer.
“They get tired of going against
their own people every day,” said
Jefferson coach T. McFerrin, who’s
entering his second season on the
sidelines for the Dragons and 36th
overall. “I think it’s fun for players
to see how they stack up against
someone else.”
Dragons at a glance
•2009 record: 11-1 (9-0 in region)
•Won their second-consecutive
region title in 2009, and the
fifth in school history
•Maintain a 20-game regular sea
son winning streak and an 18-game
winning streak in region play.
The Dragons, who went 11-1 last
year and won their second-straight
region title, will host West Hall, East
Hall and Madison County this month.
Gainesville will then be added to the
mix next month.
These non-contact, pitch-and-catch
sessions will run into July.
The Dragons, who are 22-2 over
the last two seasons, will also travel
to Flowery Branch High School in
July for a seven-on-seven passing
league camp.
See JHS on page 2B
THE MAN IN CHARGE
Jefferson coach T. McFerrin will
guide his team through summer
preparation over the next couple
of months as the Dragons look to
defend their region title in 2010.
Photo by Brandon Reed
THE SCENE
FROM LAST YEAR
A team from Kentucky
won last year’s 11-year-
old Dizzy Dean World
Series played in Jackson
County. Photo by Brandon
Reed
Youth Baseball
Jackson Co.
to host Dizzy
Dean World
Series tourney
TEAMS FROM throughout
the Southeastern United States
will invade Jefferson for the
Dizzy Dean 13-year-old base
ball World Series July 15-20.
The tournament—organized
and presented by the Jackson
County Parks and Recreation
Department — will be held
at Lamar
Dizzy
Dean W.S.
•What: Dizzy
Dean World
Series
When: July
15-10
•Where:
Lamar Murphy
Park
Murphy Park.
“We expect
anywhere
from 16-24
teams from
as many as
six states
to be here,”
said Ricky
Sanders,
director of
the Jackson
County Parks
and Recreation Department, in
a press release. “Last year, we
hosted the 11-year-old Dizzy
Dean World Series and this
year the tournament will fea
ture 13-year-old players. A lot
of these players are entering
high school this fall, so we’ll
see a very high level of baseball
at this tournament. These are
boys, but they are becoming
men. so the level of baseball
is like what you would see at a
high school tournament. We’ll
have a lot of skilled, top players
in this tournament.”
The Dizzy Dean Baseball
Diamond Classic will get
under way with a gala opening
ceremonies event at Gresham
Motorsports Park on Thursday,
July 15, at 7 p.m. Admission
to the event - which features
a parade of teams, dignitary
speakers, a racing exhibition
and a fireworks display set
to music with a patriotic and
baseball theme - is free.
The first pitch of the 2010
Dizzy Dean Baseball World
Series will be tossed on Friday,
July 16. Tournament pool play
begins that day and will contin
ue with the double-elimination
round beginning Sunday, July
17. The championship rounds
will be held Tuesday, July 20.
Meanwhile, the tourna
ment will tie into Gresham
Motorsports Park’s racing
action on Saturday, July 17.
“We’re going to tie in our
baseball tournament with the
Saturday, July 17 ‘World Series
of Speed’ racing event at
See Dizzy Dean on page 2B