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PAGE 2B
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017
SWIMMING THE MEDLEY
Commerce’s Ansley Ayers swims the back-
stroke of her 100-yard individual medley. She
won the 12U individual medley title with a time
of 1:08.49. Submitted photos
BACKSTROKE CHAMP
Tiger Shark coach Hayden McRee poses with
swimmer Austin Ackerman, who won the boys’
12U 50-yard backstroke state title.
Tiger Sharks...
continued from page IB
Ackerman won the boys’ 12U 50-yard backstroke (33.91).
Commerce also picked up a relay championship with
Massey. Lindsey. Madison Epps and Davidson winning
the girls' 18U 200-yard freestyle relay (1:48.52).
PREPARING FOR THE YEAR
Jackson County’s Kylee Zimmer serves during a scrimmage match against Lakeview Academy on
Monday. The Panthers are coming off a 19-win season and state Sweet 16 appearance.
Photo by Ben Munro
Jackson Co. volleyball ••• continued from page IB
CORRECTION
It was reported last week that Jefferson
swimmer Kate Dunagan won the 10U girls’
state title in the 25-yard freestyle with a time
of 14.55. Dunagan’s correct time was 14.25.
SEASON NEARING
Bri Gaba works the ball to teammates during
Jefferson’s volleyball practice on Monday. The
Dragons open play on Aug. 8.
Jefferson volleyball...
continued from page IB
on the team.
“She loves to swing at the ball and she has good control
off of it,” Lawrence said.
Senior setters Micayla Stopher and Lauryn Lockett (256
assists in 2016) will set up the team’s hitters, while the
Dragons return a pair of solid defenders in seniors Kaitlyn
Henderson and Bri Gaba. Senior Jay Standridge will play
middle hitter.
Lawrence is also encouraged by the play of Jefferson
juniors Hannah Faith Watson, Breanna Bingham and Mor
gan Tetzlaff
“Between those three, they’re making a huge imprint on
the team,” she said.
The team also welcomes freshman Jo-Jo Smith, who
Lawrence said is not letting her young age hold her back.
Lawrence is confident in her team’s passing ability and
said its defense has been phenomenal, pointing to the con
tributions of Davis in particular.
“Whenever we need someone to get that ball over the
net, she’s our go to hitter no matter what the situation is,”
Lawrence said.
Jefferson went 3-1 during a recent day of scrimmages at
Gainesville High School, having played those matches as
it was altering its rotations. Lawrence said those exhibition
matches revealed some kinks and communication issues
that need ironing out.
“All the weaknesses we do have, we need to make them
strengths,” Lawrence said. “All the strengths that we do
have, we need to make them bigger strengths.”
Jefferson’s schedule this year will include matches against
several Class 5A schools and more home matches compared
to the 2016-17 season. In area play, it will once again have to
contend with stalwarts Oconee County, North Oconee and
St. Pius X. Lawrence said Stephens County and Madison
County could also prove to be dangerous.
“No matter who we play I’m training these girls that it’s
not what happens on the other side of the net,” she said. “I
don’t care about the opponent. I care about how we function
on our side of the net.”
The aim is for the team to finish higher at area this year
than its fourth-place showing last year. But the overall objec
tive is to return to the state tournament.
“I want to make the state playoffs, and I know these
seniors want to make state playoffs as well,” Lawrence said.
“Basically, the whole team wants to get to that same level
that we made it to last year.”
right side and some time at
setter.
“She was a big fill-in for
us,” Fowler said. “Because,
obviously, we knew what
ninth graders we had coming
up but you never anticipate
someone moving in all the
way from California.”
Fowler pointed out that
more of the roster is playing
club ball now than ever and
the year-round experience
against elite competition has
improved the overall level of
play in the program. He said
the group is working better as
a team, and coaches haven’t
been forced to devote much
time going over fundamen
tals.
“Now, it’s more strategy
and advancing our drills to
the level of play of our girls.”
he said.
Fowler does, point out the
program still isn’t blessed
with a lot of height.
“We probably won’t play
many teams where we’re
taller than they are,” Fowl
er said. “But our girls have
come out and competed well.
Their mental toughness is a
lot better, I think, this year.”
Jackson County qualified
for last year’s state tourna
ment out of an Area 8-AAA
that put three teams in the
Sweet 16. To prepare his
team for the area grind this
year, Fowler purposely craft
ed a tough non-area schedule
that includes Johnson. Dacu-
la. Stephens County. Oconee
County, Chestatee. Lanier,
Apalachee, Winder-Barrow
and West Hall.
Jackson County’s aim this
year is to win the area title.
“One of the goals they set,
even back from tryouts, is
that they want to win the
region (area) this year,” he
said. “Obviously, there’s a lot
of work to do to make that
happen, but that’s their goal.”
As a new season approach
es, Fowler said the program is
building continuity through
out all stages. The middle
school team now practices
with the varsity and junior
Hayes
• •• continued from page IB
varsity while all middle
school home matches will
be played on the high school
campus at Panther Indoor
Stadium. Coaches have also
started a big sister-little sis
ter program for high school
players to provide mentoring
to the middle school players.
It’s all about building for
the future.
“It’s been really cool to
watch 43 girls from sixth
grade to 12 th grade all prac
tice in the same gym and
start forming those bonds
to really build a program,
which is ultimately our goal,
to build a program that can
last for years to come,” Fowl
er said.
came under the guidance of
athletic director Jason Dop-
son, who quickly became a
mentor to Hayes.
“He allowed me a lot of
access to how he did his
job because he knew that I
was eventually aspiring to do
this.” Hayes said.
Hayes and his family
eventually moved to Jackson
County while he still worked
at Collins Hill. Hayes told
his wife one day that Jack-
son County would be the
only school for which he’d
leave his Collins Hill job.
Two weeks later, boys’ bas
ketball coach Chuck Butler
— who’d met Hayes at the
Panthers’ youth basketball
camp — contacted Hayes
wanting to know if he was
interested in a job. Hayes
couldn’t believe the timing of
the situation.
“It was almost like, ‘Is this
seriously coming across my
desk?”’ Hayes said.
Jackson County won 18
games and advanced to the
Sweet 16 in Hayes’ first year
as an assistant in 2015-16.
When the athletic direc
tor’s job came open last
month. Hayes saw it as an
opportunity to serve the
school and community along
with fulfilling his own career
aspirations.
“Even though I never
knew at what point in my
career that I would go after
an athletic director’s job, I
felt like maybe this was the
sign that this was the time
that it needed to be done,”
Hayes said. “Because I’m
in love with the west side
community and the kids in
our school.”
But first, Hayes sought the
advice of his colleagues, who
in turn endorsed the idea.
“It was almost a unani
mous ‘yes, go for it.’” he
said. “That’s humbling when
you hear other people feeling
like you’d do a good job in
a role.”
Hayes said Lindsey, who
spent four seasons as Jack-
son County’s athletic direc
tor, “left us in a great situa
tion — he did a great job.”
Still, Hayes is looking for
ways the athletic program
can grow. He spent most
of his first week on the job
reaching out to coaches and
exploring opportunities to
improve.
“We’re set up well; let’s
see how far we can take it,”
he said.
Hayes said he can’t say
enough good things about
the coaches and athletes at
Jackson County and the cul
ture he believes they’ve built.
“We have an identity in
our building that we are the
hardest working people,” he
said.
Taking over as athletic
director will mean giving up
his duties as an assistant bas
ketball coach under Butler,
which Hayes said will be
difficult.
“It will be and we’ve had
that talk,” he said. “It’s going
to be hard... He’s very much
in control of his program and
does great things with our
kids as far as leadership, he’ll
be fine without me.”
One of Hayes’ objectives
is to highlight all the pos
itives within the Jackson
County athletic program. He
took up graphic design as
a side project a few years
ago and developed a pas
sion establishing brands for
high school teams and hopes
to continue that work as he
heads up the athletic depart
ment.
“I want to flood our com
munity with all of the good
that goes on at our school,”
Hayes said. “Not to say that
I think it gets overshadowed,
but I don’t think it gets
pushed out there enough.”
He added: “There is so
much good going on at Jack-
son County High School.”
Hayes said he still has to
learn some of the techni
cal aspects of mnning an
athletic program but won’t
lack for motivation in his
new job.
“I’m not the guy that
says I have all the answers,”
Hayes said. “I still have a lot
to learn as far as the logis
tical stuff. But one thing I
don’t need to learn is how
much passion I have for the
school that I’m serving ...
That’s the part people need
to know about me.”
Athlete of the Week!
sponsored by:
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE
AGENCY, INC.
SOUTHERN TRUST
INSURANCE
COMPANY
Xavier Harper
Kennesaw State
Former Jackson County football
player Xavier Harper returns for his
junior season at Kennesaw State after
ranking second in receiving yardage
for the Owls last year.
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
11 State Street • Commerce
(706) 335-3900