Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6B
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017
Track and field
Panthers teams aim for more points at state track meet
By Ben Munro
Both the Jackson Coun
ty boys’ and girls’ track
and field teams will trav
el to Albany this week for
the state meet with higher
point totals than last year
in mind.
On the girls’ side Jenna
Robinson (pole vault) and
Destiny Gaudlock (triple
jump) enter state compe
tition having placed third
in their respective events
at sectionals. Karis Harbin
qualified in two events (dis
cus and shotput) for this
week’s meet, which runs
from Thursday to Satur
day. Morgan Davidson
will compete in the 3,200
meters after a seventh-place
finish at sectionals.
“We are working on
having more scorers than
last year and working on
scoring more points,” coach
Matt King said. “Karis,
Jenna, and Destiny all have
a good shot and Morgan is
working trying to get in the
mix. It should be a good
meet for us no matter the
location. We are shooting
for top-eight finishes and
for the younger athletes to
see what the state meet is
all about.”
For the boys. Seth Caylor
headlines the list of quali
fiers. having placed first at
sectionals in the pole vault,
while Brandon Damaska
took runner-up honors at
sectionals in the shot put.
“On the boys’ side we
are working to score,” King
said. “Last year we had a
very unlucky situation and
this year we are working on
getting the correct approach
for all our athletes. Brandon
and Seth are going to set the
tone for the team as they
compete first and both have
a good shot of finishing top
eight.”
Dawson Miller (1.600
meters) and Russell Hend-
ley (3,200 meters) will also
compete in distance events.
“Dawson and Russell are
working for PRs and to run
on the track with upperclass
man to see what they can
do,” King said.
Track and field
Spring football
Lady Dragons
seek personal-best
performances at state
By Ben Munro
The Jefferson girls’ track and field team will compete
at the state meet this Thursday through Saturday and the
objective going into the last meet of the year is no differ
ent than it was in the first.
“Our goal is the same as it’s been all year — go out
compete and try to get personal records,” coach Brandon
Vinson said. “We are looking forward to doing just that
and we will see where we will finish overall in Class
AAAA.”
Jefferson has qualified athletes in 10 events for the Class
AAAA state meet being held at Berry College this year.
The Lady Dragons will be led by Akera Benton, who
qualified in three events (triple jump, long jump and 400
meters), along with Taylor Love and Elbe Isaacs.
Love took second at sectionals in the 300-meter hurdles,
while Isaacs placed third in sectionals in the shotput.
“I believe both Isaacs and Benton, along with Love,
has a great chance of placing in the top eight in their field
events,” coach Brandon Vison said. “Benton and Love can
also get on the podium in their running events.”
Vinson warns about the competition that awaits at Berry
College.
“It’s going to be tough for us to place in the top three in
events, but I wouldn’t put it pass my girls that any of them
couldn’t do it, because of their tenacity and competitive
spirits,” he said.
Track and field
EJCHS teams look to
PASS DEFENSE
East Jackson’s
Noah Murphy
knocks the ball
away from team
mate Kobe Haley
last week during
an Eagle spring
practice ses
sion. The East
Jackson program
had 95 players
(including sev
enth graders) for
new coach Scott
Wilkins’ first
spring practice.
Photo by Ben
Munro
Spring football.... continued from page IB
against somebody else on
Friday night — having a
little competition,” Worley
said.
For a coach like Cathcart,
who is transitioning into a
head coaching role with Jef
ferson. a spring scrimmage
against another opponent
gives him and a few new
assistants on staff a chance
for a “dry run” in a game-
day routine.
He and his coaches talked
and felt “it was good for us
to get out there” for a spring
game.
“We can’t promise that
it’s going to look like a well-
oiled machine out there, but
we’ve got a bunch of things
we want to work on and get
on film,” Cathcart said.
The games will be run
much like August preseason
scrimmages.
Worley said his team’s
scrimmage will pretty much
resemble a real game with
the exception of special
teams, which will not be
live. The first three quarters
will be reserved for older
players, with sub-varsity
players taking the field in
the fourth quarter.
Likewise, Jefferson
and Lakeside will scrim
mage their varsity players
for three quarters, with
the fourth quarter being
reserved for junior varsity
players. Special teams will
be controlled.
Unlike regular season
games, there are no con
tracts between schools for
the spring scrimmages. Jef
ferson and Lakeside will
split Friday night’s gate.
Admission is $5 per person.
Cathcart noted that new
Jefferson boys’ basketball
coach Kevin Morris will
be the guest coach for the
scrimmage.
The coach said a scrim
mage like this gives the
players something to look
forward to as they work
through the spring.
“I think the morale of the
players is higher because
they get to finish out with
a little competition and not
the same daily grind that
each spring practice kind of
grows in to,” Cathcart said.
score in more events
at state this year
By Ben Munro
While the East Jackson track and field program hopes for
high finishes from its distance running stars, both the boys’ and
girls’ teams could pick up points elsewhere in their lineups.
For the boys, Chase Kennedy returns as the 3,200-meter
champion and 1,600 meter runner-up and Chandler Kennedy
hopes to get on the podium in both events. But the Eagles also
boast Hunter Cronier in the discus, who placed third in the
discus at sectionals.
“It’s a very strong field, but hopefully he can pick up a cou
ple points for us,” coach Tomy Sitton said of Cronier.
On the girls’ side. Sue Ann Morales is the two-time defend
ing champion in the 800 and 1,600 meters but is not ranked
No. 1 currently in either event. She did take the top spot in
sectionals in both races.
But beyond Morales, there are other competitors that look to
add to the Lady Eagles’ overall team score this year.
Shiquita Sturdivant picked up a second-place finish at sec
tionals in the triple jump. The Lady Eagles also boast a pair
of strong relays teams, finishing second at sectionals in the 4 x
400 meters and third at sectionals in the 4 x 100 meters.
“We’re hoping that our relays make it to the finals,” Sitton
said. “Our 4 x 100 (team) has run their best time this year ...
They’11 have to run really well in both relays to make it to the
finals.”
Bailey Stoud has qualified in both hurdle events.
“She’s really come on in both hurdles, particularly the 100-
meter hurdles,” Sitton said.
While his team might not be sending a lot of competitors
to state, Sitton believes they’re sending some quality athletes.
“That’s what all the coaches say,” Sitton said. “They say you
don’t have somebody in every event, but the ones you have,
you’ve done well with them.”
-Area golf tournaments-
Panthers shoot 360, | Dragon golf team misses
finish seventh at area
The Jackson County
boys golf team didn’t enjoy
its best round of golf on
Monday at the area tour
nament, falling 20 strokes
short of a state qualifying
score.
The Panthers shot a
combined 360 to finish
seventh at the area tour
nament. Jackson County’s
only hope to reach the state
meet is for enough teams
in other areas fail to shoot
a qualifying score.
Grant Richardson led
Jackson County with a
round of 85. followed by
Drew O’Steen’s season
low-round of 88. Other
scorers were Sam Holley
(93) and Jake Weatherly
(94) .
“We knew coming in
that 340, the cut off score,
would be tough to reach,”
coach A.J. Sibcy said.
Sibcy said that, as of
Monday, only two teams in
other areas shot under 340
in the first two area tourna
ments, which could open
the possibility that more
teams will be needed for
the state tournament.
“We are still holding out
a small bit of hope to reach
state,” Sibcy said. “It is
in the committee’s hands
now.”
Jackson County had
its struggles on Mon
day in falling short of
the qualifying score.
“I was not really pleased
obviously of how we com
peted at the top of our
lineup,” Sibcy said. “Grant
played hard as always but
just didn’t have it. Chad,
who was our number two
had a couple of bad holes
and that did him in. I am
very pleased at the fact that
the 3-6 players played hard
for us and put up respect
able scores. Drew with a
season low was big. and
so was Jake Weatherly and
also Sam Holley as well.”
Final Four.... continued from page IB
The Dragons held Marist
off the scoreboard until the
10th minute when Caroline
Chipman dribbled into the
box and placed a ball to the
right of LaMar and into the
back of the net.
But Maryanne Kilgore
equalized for Jefferson in the
14th minute, scoring on a
long set piece, to account for
the first goal scored against
Marist in the playoffs.
LaMar preserved the 1-1 tie
with a pair of saves in the 16th
and 21st minutes, but Eliza
beth Geeslin found the back
of the net in the 27th minute,
followed by a goal from Eva
Wirtz in the 29th minute.
“Once we got two more on
the board, I think we started
settling down,” Yount said.
'That second one really was
the key. But Jefferson came
to play. I told our girls, every
time we touch the ball, expect
to be challenged, 50-50
balls especially. They’re
well coached, and they were
ready.”
Allie Berk capped the first
half for Marist, scoring just
inside the far post with a
blast from well outside the 18
during the 33rd minute.
McCarty noted that two of
Marist’s four first-half goals
came off set pieces.
'Truly, two got through,”
she said. “We knew they were
coming. I knew they would be
sending the ball through.”
Chipman tallied her second
goal of the night just three
minutes into the second half
to increase Marist’s lead to
5-1.
LaMar recorded a diving
save in the 56th minute and
then another save in the 59th
minute to maintain the four-
goal deficit but Marist found
the back of the net again with
a goal from Katie Scarbor
ough in the 72nd minute.
Jefferson’s playoff run
included three shutout victo
ries on the road, including a
memorable victory in penal
ty kicks over LaGrange (see
page 4B for story). The Drag
ons also finished with 13 wins
and recorded a school-record
11 shutouts in their first sea
son as a Class AAAA pro
gram.
McCarty’s message to her
team afterwards: “It doesn’t
end here.”
“Our season ends, but it
doesn’t end here because next
year we’ve got to come back
better, bigger and stronger —
period,” she said.
When looking toward next
year, McCarty said she’s
enthused by the lineup that
will return and the younger
players who have bought into
the program.
“Taking Sommie and
Ashely and Maryanne out,
we’ve just got to find their
replacements,” McCarty
said of Jefferson’s departing
seniors. “I hope these fresh
men and sophomores see that
we came so far, but we can
continue this year after year.
We just have to keep working
for it.”
out on state tournament
The Jefferson boys’ golf team fell short of a trip to the state
tournament in its first year in Class AAAA, finishing fifth at
the Area 2 tournament last week.
Jefferson shot a 341 to finish behind St. Pius X (295).
Oconee County (305), North Oconee (312) and Richmond
Academy (336).
The top four teams shooting a qualifying score of 340
advanced to the state tournament.
“We are obviously disappointed in the outcome and not
advancing to state, but the guys played hard and we shot our
best 18-hole team score we have shot in the last two years,”
coach Matt Sims said. “They showed a tremendous amount
of improvement over the course of the year, and we are
excited about what we have coming back next year.”
Noah Mulvey led Jefferson with an 82, followed by Aaron
Gamer (83), Douglas Holloway (86). Blake Thompson (90)
and Charlie Jarrett (90). Mulvey’s round of 82 was a person
al-best in an 18-hole event.
“They battled all day, it was wet, windy, and it down-
poured for about 4-5 holes,” Sims said. “They fought
through the adversity, and we are really proud of them.”
McClure ....
continued from page IB
hosting an open gym session. Jackson County will attend an
FCA team camp in Chattanooga in early June 5-7. The summer
team will play in a two-day team camp hosted by both Wind
er-Barrow and Apalachee June 14-15.
McClure said his primary goal is to become involved in the
community.
"I want Jackson County players to come to Jackson County
High School,” he said.
McClure added: “I want to be champions like everyone else,
but it's not the most important thing, but we’re going to work
as though it is.”
Jackson County will host a meet-and-greet with McClure
tonight (Wednesday) at 6 p.m. in the new gym lobby.
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