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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3B
JUNIOR CLUB
CHAMPIONSHIP
Commerce Lady Tiger golfers
Autumn Mathis (left) and McKenzie
McRee (right) competed in the
junior club championship at
Double Oaks Golf Course on
Sunday. McRee won the club
championship for the girls, firing
an 87. Mathis won the 14-18 age
group with a 100. Submitted photo
Baseball
Adair signs with Emmanuel
EMMANUEL BOUND
East Jackson’s Josh Adair chose to play baseball at Emmanuel College
next season after being offered several opportunities to play collegiate
football. Photo by Ben Munro
By Ben Munro
East Jackson’s Josh Adair
had several options to play
college athletics, but many
of those offers came from
schools far away that want
ed him to play football.
So when an opportuni
ty to play baseball near
by arose, he didn’t let it
pass. Adair has signed with
Emmanuel College, a Divi
sion II school located a
half-hour away in Franklin
Springs.
“Out of nowhere,
Emmanuel called, and I
tried out and I made it, and
I just figured it would be
best and it’s closest to home
and my parents can come
watch me,” Adair said.
Adair’s football offers
ranged from as far away
as a junior college in Cali
fornia, a Division II school
in Pennsylvania and Avila
University in Missouri.
“They were just a good
bit away,” Adair said.
He’ll play catcher pri
marily for Emmanuel, but
is versatile. The Lions have
a junior varsity team, which
could allow him playing
time as a freshman if his
innings at the varsity level
are limited.
Adair, who is set to move
in Thursday, already knows
several players on the ros
ter through playing high
school baseball and travel
ball.
“I’m tickled to death for
Josh,” East Jackson coach
Tedd Sims said. “I think it’s
great. He worked his tail
off all year. I expect great
things from him ... When
you help a kid out and try
to get him somewhere to
go play college, they’re a
direct reflection of you. I
feel very confident that he’s
going to go up there and do
a great job at Emmanuel.”
Sims said Adair has sev
eral intangibles that could
help him succeed at the
collegiate level.
“He’s a utility guy —
plays all the positions,
works hard,” he said. “He’s
got good speed. He’s just
got to develop his baseball
game a little bit more.”
Volleyball
East Jackson set to start
season under new coach
By Charles Phelps
Last season, the East Jackson vol
leyball team made history by making it
to the second round of the Class AAA
state playoffs.
Fast-forward to the coming season
and the Lady Eagles could find them
selves in the same position or possibly
going further into the playoffs under
new head coach Kortney Kurtz.
Kurtz, along with new assistant
coach Milan Juliano, wanted to “trans
fer” their love of the sport to the team
by working “with” and “next” to the
players. The two implemented a new
conditioning program before summer
workouts began, which Kurtz and Julia
no “value” strength and conditioning in
order for the team to play to the best of
its ability.
“When the girls are in shape, they
do not have to worry about losing their
breath, or not being strong enough to
jump or serve,” Kurtz said.
“We will be strong enough, so then
we can focus on strategy during game
time.”
The two are also asking the team
to do more reflecting during different
parts of practice. They are also imple
menting more team-bonding activities.
“As coaches we strongly believe that
without creating a unified program, we
are nothing,” Kurtz explained. “As a
program we have to understand who
each girl is, what their goals are in life,
what they enjoy doing, and how we can
communicate with each other in order
to play a game in which we depend on
each other.
“We have to create trust, be able to
be honest with each other, learn how to
communicate with each other, etc., in
order to work cohesively and to bring
home wins.”
The team returns players like Desiree
Green. Sydney Mathis, Erica Tyson and
more. Kurtz looks at them as “young
assistant coaches.” Kurtz will look to
those players as tools during practices
and games.
“We hold them to a higher stan
dard and expect them to help teach the
younger girls as well as push them to
be better athletes,” Kurtz said. “We see
the future of a growing program and it
can only be done with the help of these
girls.
“We need them to be present at all
program activities, working hard 100
percent of the time, teaching the young
er girls the basics, along with being an
extra pair of eyes when it comes to
game time in terms of offensive chang
es and defensive changes.”
The coaches have yet to talk to the
team about its goals and expectations
for the season, but they, as coaches, have
“high” expectations for the team. Kurtz
knows though achieving higher expecta
tions will not come overnight.
“Of course it is great to win and we
want to win, but we also want to see
these girls play with heart, play smart,
and have meaning behind why they
play and how they play,” Kurtz said.
“This type of training will take years to
accomplish, which is why we always
say we are starting from the bottom.
“But, we have a fantastic group of
girls who are learning quickly and have
the passion and drive to be the region
champions along with state champions.”
If the team wants to get back or
surpass last season’s accomplishments,
Kurtz said it will take more heart, more
work ethic and more learning of the
game.
“Everyone has room to grow, even us
as coaches,” she said.
The team’s first matches take place
Tuesday, Aug. 8, at home vs. Prince
Avenue and Clarke Central.
Football camp photos
POWER RUNNING
Ben Musser drives forward with his shoulder
during a drill while participating in Jefferson’s
recent football camp. Photos by Clark Buffington
LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS
Trip Moore (right) hits a blocking pad during
Jefferson’s recent youth football camp.
RUNNING AND JUMPING
Avery Lynch shows off his skills while running
through a drill during Jefferson’s recent youth
football camp held at the Jefferson Recreation
Department.
East Jackson softball ••• continued from IB
Commerce
continued from IB
One of the things the team is
still learning is that even though
it graduated five, East Jackson
returns to the field as a team,
Byrom added, and that each
opponent will step on the field
and say, “We’ve got a shot to
knock off the defending state
champs.”
“No one is going to bring their
‘B’ game,” he stated. “We’re
going to see everybody’s ‘A’
game. I kind of felt like that last
year, to be honest.
“We never saw somebody’s
off night. We always seem to
catch teams when they were
really, really ready. But, that’s
the neat thing about being in our
region is that all the teams are
good.”
East Jackson’s region includes
Morgan County, who made it
to Columbus last season, and
Jackson County. The Eagles lost
to every team in the region one
time.
One of the key pieces lost
from the championship team
is pitcher Jesse Marvin. She
pitched in 34 games, tossing 277
strikeouts and recording a 1.528
ERA (earned run average). Who
is going to fill that role? Byrom
admits that’s the “biggest chal
lenge” for him entering this sea
son.
“I’ve been doing this since
1997 and I’ve always had a
workhorse.” Byrom said. “I’ve
been at multiple schools and
there has always been that one
girls that says, ‘Hey, give me
the ball.’”
This season, Byrom will send
three girls out on the mound:
Poole, Wilber and Ashlyn Trim
ble.
Poole gained some pitching
experience the past two seasons.
Wilber also has pitched some
varsity the past two seasons.
Trimble was the lone freshman
on the varsity squad last season
and pitched for the junior varsity
team.
“We won’t look to be as domi
nant as you could be with Jesse,
but the most dominant pitch you
can throw is a strike.” Byrom
said. “If you hit the mit and
throw strikes, your defense can
work behind you and we (will)
put a really good defense out
there.”
Being able to put three players
on the mound does show the
team’s depth, Byrom eluded to.
“When these girls leave their
primary positions to go pitch,
we have someone that can step
in and take that spot,” he said.
If there’s one thing that could
separate this team from years
past, it’s hitting the ball.
“When we work on hitting
in practice, we have some girls
that can crush it,” Byrom said.
“That’s a lot of fun and will be
new for me.
“I’ve always had to win 1-0,
2-1. Well, we may be the kind of
team that can put up more than
that. Again, we’ll have to wait
and see.”
Poole returns witg the most
hits from last season, 47. Wood-
all returns with 42 hits, five of
which were home runs.
And, when visitors come to
East Jackson, they will notice
a few things that are different.
Fundraising, Byrom said, has
been something the team worked
hard on during the offseason,
and it’s paying off. A bullpen is
in the works at the field as well
as a new advertising board to go
along with the state champion
ship banners.
“Em very thankful for the
community’s outreach and sup
port and helping us raise funds
to begin to improve our facility,”
day, so a finalized roster was
not set.
Commerce opens the sea
son next Tuesday vs. Gaines
ville. The game opens a slate
of tough non-region play
for the Lady Tigers, which
includes West Hall. Forsyth
Central, Duluth, Peachtree
Ridge and others.
“Em really optimistic,”
Wilkes said. “I know that
we’re definitely going to
give them a run for their
money.
“We’re going to come out
strong. We’re prepared and I
feel that we definitely have a
chance against them (bigger
schools). So, Em hopeful.
I tried scheduling us some
tough teams. Eve scheduled
some competition. That’s
what makes you better.
We definitely stand a good
chance.”