Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5B
A ■ IP■ ■ (Annual Percentage Rate
Financing
Walnut Grove @ Jackson County, Fri, 7:30 p.m.
JCCHS hosts fledgling
Walnut Grove Friday
By Ben Munro
WALNUT GROVE will be
playing in only its seventh game
in school history Friday when
it takes on Jackson County,
but coach Billy Kirk said that
shouldn’t give Panther fans any
reason to relax.
“Don’t let it fool you,” Kirk
warned. “They’ve got a pret
ty good little group. They’re
very athletic ... (coach Harris
Rainbow) does a good job over
there. He’s got a good group of
kids.”
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at
Panther Stadium.
Walnut Grove started playing
football last year with a make
shift five-game schedule, going
2-3. The Warriors began then-
first full season this past Friday,
losing to Morgan County 26-12.
Kirk explains that the Warriors
execute their Wing-T offense
through a quality quarterback
and a collection of solid running
backs.
This marks the second consec
utive week the Panther defense
will see this offense after fac
ing Johnson’s Wing-T last week.
Jackson County also defended
the Wing-T in its Aug. 20 scrim
mage with Athens Christian.
Four of Jackson County’s first
five opponents operate out of the
wing-T.
“We’ll have to play assign
ment football,” Kirk said.
And Kirk is counting on his
defense.
Though his team rolled up
260 yards of total offense in its
two-quarter, lightning-shortened
win over Johnson-Gainesville
last week, Kirk said he’s relying
on the defense to set the tone in
the early going this season until
the offense fully arrives.
Jackson County’s defense
certainly did that in game one,
holding Johnson to under 100
yards in the one half of football
and no points. Johnson’s only
score came on special teams.
Offensively, Jackson County
moves forward with sophomore
Kyle Daniel as its no. 1 quar
terback after he enjoyed a solid
start Friday. Daniels accounted
for 100 yards of total offense
and threw a touchdown pass in
the first quarter.
“What Kyle does, is he man
ages the game,” Kirk said. “He
doesn’t put us in a bind in any
place.”
Kirk said Daniel “is as calm
as a cat” at the position.
“I was very impressed with
a sophomore to go in with that
kind of poise,” Kirk said. “He’s
really impressed us as coaches
with his play.”
Now, Jackson County tries to
move to 2-0 in its final warm
up before Region 8-AA play.
The Panthers’ region cross-over
game is Sept. 10 against Fannin
County.
While this Friday’s opponent
—Walnut Grove - may be plen
ty green, Jackson County is still
trying to build, too.
“We’re still trying to teach
kids how to win,” Kirk said.
“And we’re not there yet.”
ACROSS THE PLATE
Jackson County’s Victoria Woods slides safely into
home plate during recent action. Photo by Ben Munro
JCCHS softball cont’d from IB
The Panthers will then try to knock off North Oconee
five days later when they play the senior-laden Titans at
home at 5:55 p.m.
North Oconee is 8-3 overall on 4-0 in region play.
Jackson County remained unbeaten on the season and
moved to 2-0 in 8-AA play with a 2-1 victory over Elbert
County Thursday on the road.
Brooke Griggs led Jackson County offensively with
a 2-for-3 afternoon. Macey Latty, Haley Shinall and
Ashleigh Lance all went l-for-3. Shinall added an RBI.
Kelsey Turner had two stolen bases.
Though not stagnant, Jackson County’s offense lacked
timely hitting with runners in scoring position, coach
Lisa Robinson said.
“We hit the ball very well, but just couldn’t seem to
get our breakout hits to move runners around to score,”
Robinson said.
Defensively, Jackson County committed no errors.
Kortnee Satterfield pitched five innings and struck out
four before giving way to Shinall in the sixth. The junior
closed the game with three strikeouts.
JV NOTES: Jackson County’s junior varsity picked
up a 4-2 victory Thursday behind three RBIs from
Kaley Tanner and l-for-2 days at the plate from Kristin
Anderson and Jordan Evans.
“They played very well and pulled out a win in their
first game,” Robinson said.
Last Week’s Recap: Jackson County 14, Johnson 8
JCCHS gets lightning
shorted victory Fri.
OFFENSIVE GAME TOTALS
RUSHING
Player
att
yds.
TD
McDonald 13
97
1
Daniel
6
23
0
Scott
3
9
0
Stephens 1
0
0
Total
23
129
1
PASSING
Player
att/comp yds.
TD/INT
Daniel
13-25
92
1/1
Total
13-25
92
1/1
RECEIVING
Player
rec
yds.
TD
Brissey
4
41
0
McDonald 2
18
0
Ledford
1
14
1
Scott
1
10
0
Lewis
1
4
0
Harbin
1
3
0
Banks
3
2
0
Total
13
92
1
DEFENSIVE GAME TOTALS
Player
tackles
assists
total
Oney
4
3
7
Moates
1
4
5
Manis
1
3
4
Nanigan
1
2
3
Crawford
1
3
4
Pettyjohn 1
1
2
Van Allen
1
1
2
Holt
0
2
2
Washington 0
2
2
Guereca 0 1 0
Notes: Manis forced one fumble;
Moates recovered one fumble
GO-TO RECEIVER
Freshman Ben Brissey led
Jackson County in receiv
ing Friday with four catch
es for 41 yards in just one
half of football.
Photo by Ben Munro
By Ben Munro
JACKSON COUNTY
played two lights-out quar
ters of football Friday, which
turned out to be enough.
The Panthers (1-0) claimed
an abbreviated 14-8 victory
at home over Class AAA
Johnson-Gainesville after
the game was called after
halftime following a two-
hour lightning delay.
Down 8-7, Austin
McDonald sent Jackson
County into the locker room
with a 14-8 lead with a four-
yard touchdown in the final
seconds of the first half.
McDonald had a huge
night, running for 97 yards on
13 carries and the one touch
down. That score turned out
to be the game-winner after
the teams didn’t return for
the second half.
All this is familiar territory
for the Panthers.
Panther coach Billy Kirk
noted that he was plenty
upset in 2007 when Jackson
County lost a game in simi
lar fashion to Banks County,
falling 14-7 when the game
was called at halftime.
Three years later, the coach
said he certainly understands
how Johnson feels but also
understands why the state
enforces these rules regard
ing lightning.
“The GHSA has these
rules in place, and they’re to
protect kids,” Kirk said.
Jackson County was on
pace to put up some big-time
numbers.
Fixing the offense prob
lems that hindered them
in their scrimmage against
Athens Christian, the
Panthers totaled 221 yards in
the first half.
Kirk praised the work of
his offensive front.
“They were unreal,”
he said. “I could have run
through those holes.”
Kyle Daniel (13-of-25, 92
yards) and Davion Ledford
accounted for Jackson
SOPHOMORE STARTER
Jackson County sophomore quarterback Kyle Daniel
threw a touchdown pass Friday in his first career start
at quarterback. Photo by Ben Munro
County’s other score early in
the ball game.
Daniel, making his debut at
quarterback, connected with
Ledford for a 14-yard scoring
strike with four minutes left in
the first quarter to put Jackson
County up 7-0.
Daniel, who finished with
100 yards of total offense, was
named the Panthers’ starter
at the beginning of the week
after beating out junior Jalen
Banks.
“Kyle Daniel did a great job
managing the offense,” Kirk
said.
Ben Brissey led the Panthers
in receiving with four catches
for 41 yards.
Kirk also praised his defense,
which surrendered no points.
Johnson got its only score
with an 81-yard kickoff return
following the Panthers first
touchdown.
Kirk said the score “should
have been 14-0.”
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