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VOLLEYBALL, 3B
JCCHS
SCRIMMAGE
PHOTOS
OPINION, 3B
CHARLES PHELPS
TALKS JORDAN
SPIETH'S BRITISH
OPEN WIN
july 26, 2017
Phone: (706) 367-5233
Fax:(706)387-5417
sports@mainstreetnews. com
Section B
Swimming
Commerce swimmers bring home nine state titles
MULTIPLE
TITLES
Commerce’s
Lauren Massey,
shown here earli
er this year, won
two individual
state titles and
was a part of one
state champion
ship relay team.
Photo by Ben
Munro
Commerce collected nine first-place
medals at the July 14-15 state meet in Tif-
ton to close its swimming season.
The Tiger Sharks finished 10 th in the
overall standings in the 22-team meet with
200 points. Commerce placed sixth in the
women’s standings (118 points) and 13 th in
the men’s standings (46 points).
Samantha Davidson and Lauren Massey
were both two-time winners for the Tiger
Sharks.
Davidson won both the girls’ 18U
50-yard freestyle (25.58) and 50-yard
backstroke (28.90), while Massey won the
girls’ 14U 50-yard breaststroke (33.02) and
100-yard individual medley (1:05.98).
Several others won single state titles.
Lauren Lindsey, who finished as run
ner-up in the girls’ 14U 50-yard breastroke,
took the gold in the girls’ 14U 50-yard but
terfly (29.81); Will Harden won the boys’
10U 25-yard backstroke (17.65); Ansley
Ayers took first in the girls’ 12U 100-yard
individual medley (1:08.49); and Austin
continued on page 2B
Volleyball
Jackson County
volleyball team
expects to build
on 2016 success
By Ben Munro
Jackson County volleyball coaches haven’t had to
spend a lot of time convincing this year’s team that it
can be successful.
That happens when all but one player returns from
a team that won 19 matches and reached the Sweet 16
last year.
“The biggest difference I’ve seen from last year is that
their confidence is up,’’ second-year coach Ron Fowl
er said. “They’re setting their goals high — realistic
(goals), of course.’’
If the offseason is any indication, the Panthers aren’t
resting on last year’s success. Voluntary practices and
weight room sessions have been well-attended. With
the exception of the July dead week, the team has been
working four days a week all summer.
“We’ve really put in a lot of extra work this off season,
and a lot of it was that the girls wanted to,’’ Fowler said.
Jackson County lost one senior off last year’s team,
though it was a major loss with the graduation of
Delanie Smith, who was a force in the middle for the
Panthers.
“We’ll be pretty much the same team everybody saw
last year minus Delanie,” Fowler said.
The coach said one of the main focuses of the offsea
son has been how to shore up the middle.
Ansley Robinson, who at 5-10 is the tallest player on
the team, has been promoted from the junior varsity and
will play in the middle, while Megan Milian will move
from the outside to middle hitter to help fill in the void.
Taylor Roland, who played right side last year, will
shift to the outside. Jenny Moua is back at libero, as are
defensive specialists Ansley Stephens and Tori Garrett.
Alana Dorsey returns at setter, and Kylee Zimmer
also will be in the rotation. Jessica Streuer, a trans
fer from California who is committed to Niagra,
will see action in a multitude of spots — the middle,
continued on page 2B
Volleyball
Dragon seniors look
to follow in previous
class’s footsteps
By Ben Munro
Brittani Lawrence couldn’t have asked for a better
rookie season as a head coach or a better final year for
her seniors last fall.
The Jefferson volleyball team went 32-24 and
advanced to the Elite Eight a year ago as the program
made the jump to Class 4A.
“It was a blast,” Lawrence said. “It was something
that’s always going to go down in the lifetime history
for me as a coach and as a former player and definitely
for those girls who graduated who definitely left an
imprint on this program.”
Lawrence said she and this year’s team still talk
about that senior group every day and the legacy it
left. The hope is to find players on the current year’s
roster that can fill the specific roles last year’s seniors
left behind.
And she believes she has that with this year’s
six-member senior class.
Lawrence said those seniors have led a group
that’s consistently showed up for 6:30 a.m. practices
throughout July.
“With those six who are returning, they still have
that same court chemistry,” Lawrence said. “They still
have that same team chemistry. So, the ones who we’re
adding on to our roster, they’re building that chemistry
with them.”
The senior class includes Savannah Davis, “who’s
ready to roll out grumbling like a grinch,” Lawrence
said. Davis tallied 239 kills last year, ranking second
continued on page 2B
LEADING AN ATHLETIC PROGRAM
Jackson County boys’ assistant basketball coach Brad Hayes has been named the school’s new athlet
ic director. He is pictured with his son, Luke, a rising fifth grader at West Jackson Elementary School.
Submitted photo
Dream j ob
Hayes talks about taking over as
Jackson County athletic director
By Ben Munro
Brad Hayes always wanted to be an
athletic director, and he’ll get to do it
without changing his work address.
The Jackson County boys’ assis
tant basketball coach was named the
school’s new athletic director last
week, taking over for Adam Lindsey,
who accepted the same position at
Gainesville.
“I’m ecstatic and honestly hum
bled that they would even consider
me,” Hayes said. “It’s something that
I’ve wanted to do professionally for
a while.”
Hayes, who came to Jackson Coun
ty in 2015. said his passion to serve the
athletes, school and community makes
this an ideal job.
“This opportunity is almost dream
like to me,” Hayes said. “Because I’ve
always wanted to this, and I’m getting
to do it in the only place I want to be.”
A graduate of South Gwinnett High
School and Georgia Southwestern.
Hayes has spent 19 years in coaching.
He started out at Americus, where
he took on three head coaching jobs
during his second year there (girls’
basketball, volleyball and girls’ soc
cer). After three years at Americus,
he moved on to Meadow Creek as an
assistant basketball coach, assistant
soccer coach and head tennis coach.
“I think I’ve seen enough from dif
ferent sports and just been around it
that it’s helped me develop my mind
set of how should an athletic director
work.” Hayes said.
Hayes then took a job at Collins
Hill, where he worked as an assistant
basketball for 12 years and also assist
ed with soccer. It was there that he
continued on page 2B
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