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FOOTBALL, 4B
HALL OF FAME
INDUCTION
HAS LOCAL TIE
SCRIMMAGES, 3B
A RUN DOWN
OF THIS WEEK'S
FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGES
August 9, 2017
Phone: (706) 367-5233
Fax:(706)387-5417
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Section B
COMING THROUGH
Commerce’s Dylan
Deaton carries the
ball during practice on
Monday. Photo by Ben
Munro
Football
Commerce
to host Fri.
scrimmage
By Charles Phelps
When Commerce head
coach Michael Brown
sees the Madison County
Red Raider football team,
he sees a team that has tal
ented skill-position play
ers and linemen that play
sound on both the offen
sive and defensive side of
the ball.
With that. Brown
expects a “challenge” for
his Commerce Tiger foot
ball team this Friday at
home in the team’s pre
season scrimmage game.
The game starts at 7:30
p.m.
“We want to go against
good people early on,”
Brown said, “and so,
that’s why we set a scrim
mage with these guys, to
find out what we’re made of
continued on page 2B
Athlete profile: Colby Wood
A STAR RUNNING BACK AND MORE
Jefferson’s Colby Wood ran for 1,642 yards last year and 2,119 yards the year before but is also one of the Dragons’ most
well-rounded players, impacting the game in all three phases. Photo by Ben Munro
“I’ve never had a more productive player in every phase of the game than Colby (Wood). ’’—Jefferson coach Gene Cathead
Counting on Colby
Volleyball
Panther
volleyball
team off
to 2-1 start
Led by Jessica Streuer’s
29 kills. Jackson County
went 2-1 during Saturday’s
Queen of the Court tourna
ment at Apalachee.
The Panthers beat East
Hall and Providence Chris
tian and lost to Brookwood.
Taylor Roland added
23 kills on the day, while
Megan Milian finished with
12 and Alanna Dorsey with
nine. Anslee Stephens led
Jackson County with 26
digs, followed by Steuer
(24), Jenny Moua (23), Tori
Garrett (20) and Roland
(19).
The team finished with
a serving percentage of 95
percent.
Jackson County opened
up with a 26-24, 25-11 win
over East Hall but fell 25-18,
25-15 to Brookwood in the
second match. The Pan
thers then rebounded with a
23-25. 25-19, 16-14 victory
over Providence Christian.
“I thought we played our
best volleyball in the last
match against Providence,”
coach Ron Fowler said. “We
dropped the first set and
won the next two to win the
match. They were a quality
opponent. They are a team
we were very familiar with
having played them twice in
Barrow Bash ... Our coach
ing staff really challenged
our girls after the loss to
Brookwood and the team
responded.”
Jefferson senior the
definition of a great
football player says coach
By Ben Munro
hen you chum up
rushing yardage like
Colby Wood has, a
high school career
can pass in a flash.
As the Jefferson
star tailback gets
set for his senior season, he’s left a host of
highlights — and defenders — in his wake.
“It flew by, but it’s here, so I’m going to
enjoy every moment of it with my broth
ers,” Wood said. “And I’m just going to try
to do what we can to get another shot at the
state title, and just enjoy every bit of it.”
There’s been a lot for Jefferson fans to enjoy
over the past three seasons. He’s eclipsed 4,600
yards, including 3.761 in the last two years. Jef
ferson is 34-5 in Wood’s three varsity seasons.
Wood’s body of work, however, extends
beyond gaudy yardage statistics that have at
times bordered on video-game like totals.
“I’ve been blessed over my career to coach a
lot of great players, some of whom have ended
up in the NFL ... I’ve never had a more pro
ductive player in every phase of the game than
Colby,” Jefferson coach Gene Cathcart said.
For starters. Wood has excelled at the less
glorious duty of a running back: blocking.
The two-time all-state selection is extreme
ly underrated in that area, according to
Cathcart, and much more physical in that
phase of the game than credited for.
He’s also been a threat to catch the ball
throughout his career — and not just on
screens out of the backfield. Wood is a
skilled downfield receiver. He finished as
the Dragons’ leading receiver in 2016 (355
yards) and has 558 career receiving yards.
His offensive exploits are only part of his value
to the Dragons the past three years, however.
Wood, who said he loves playing defense,
consistently draws the toughest coverage
assignments among the defensive backs. His
three interceptions led the Dragons last year.
He also serves on most of the special teams
and is one of the top return men in the area.
Cathcart said Wood “is certain
ly worn out” at the end of a game.
continued on page 2B
Mountain biking
Taking it
off-road
New Jefferson mountain-biking team gets started
By Ben Munro
Bob Kerr had his own “if you
built it, they will come” moment
recently.
Kerr set out on his eight-acre lot
in Jefferson armed with a supply
of Round-Up. When he was fin
ished, he’d laid out a 1.25-mile
trail.
Kerr’s motivation for blazing
a path through his property? Jef
ferson’s upstart mountain biking
team.
Comprising students from Jef
ferson middle and high school
(the team has no formal affiliation
with either school), approximately
20 riders take to Kerr’s homemade
trail each afternoon as the team
prepares for its inaugural season.
“We didn’t have a team in Jef
ferson, so I thought I’d give it a
shot,” said Kerr, a mountain biker
for over 30 years and the team’s
coach.
The Jefferson squad is part
of the Georgia Interscholas
tic Cycling League, which falls
under the umbrella of the National
Interscholastic Cycling Associa
tion (NICA), an organization with
leagues in 18 states. Competitive
mountain biking allows an alter
native to the traditional stick-and-
ball sports offered by high schools
and middle schools.
Kerr explains the benefits.
“It’s a full-body, non-impact
continued on page 2B
ON THE TRAIL
Bobby Kerr, a 16-year-old junior at Jefferson High School, prac
tices last week on a trail built by his father, Bob, who coaches
Jefferson’s new mountain biking team. Photo by Ben Munro