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PAGE 6B
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017
Fall sports round-up
UP THE HILL
Jefferson’s Derek Hildebrand (shown here in
recent action) finished second on Saturday in
Conyers to lead the Dragons to team victory.
Photo by Ben Munro
Cross country
Jefferson boys win
at Conyers meet
By Ben Mumo
Behind another strong
outing from Derek Hildeb
rand, the Jefferson boys'
cross country team collect
ed a first-place trophy over
the weekend.
The Dragons took first
in the small-school division
of the Aubrae Gunderson
Invitational on Saturday
in Conyers, led by a sec
ond-place finish from Hil
debrand, who ran a time of
17:14.40.
“Derek is having a great
year," coach Brady Sigler
said. “I wish we could run a
fast course but doesn’t look
like we will. He can get the
school record which was set
on a faster course than we
will run.”
The Dragons totaled 52
points in the meet, win
ning by 18 points over sec
ond-place Augusta Prep.
Among the teams Jefferson
beat were Pace Academy
and three other schools
ranked ahead of the Drag
ons in the power ratings.
Levi Holliday (seventh,
17:48.12) and Justice Ogbe
(eighth, 17:49.06) also
recorded top-10 finishes.
“Justice is getting better
each week,” Sigler said.
“Levi had an outstanding
race. We now have three
boys who can run mid 17’s.
We need to find at least two
more. I think we will soon.”
On the girls' side, Jeffer
son placed second in what
Sigler said was the team’s
best meet so far. The team
finished 24 points behind
meet winner Pace Acade
my.
Maggie Dyer paced the
Dragons with a sixth-place
finish (20:49.95), while
Caitlin Schroeder finished
seventh (21:05.51). Emily
Wilson, coming off an inju
ry, placed 12th (22:51.46).
“Our girls ran well,”
Sigler said. “Emily Wilson
ran for the first time in three
weeks. She ran under 23
and wasn't going hard.”
With the season at its
midpoint, Sigler said both
the boys’ and girls’ teams
are putting together solid
campaigns.
“Both of our teams are
ranked 8th in Class AAAA
and I think both are better
than their ranking,” Sigler
said.
NOTES: The Jefferson
JV boys’ team won again,
beating Lakeside, DeKalb
— a Class 7A power — by
2 points to remain unde
feated.
Cross country
Hendley, Ponce run top
times for JCCHS runners
Jackson County runners
Russell Hendley and Jaycie
Ponce both ran career-best
times in their respective races
at Saturday's Wingfoot Meet
in Cartersville.
Hendley finished 23 rd
overall in the boys’ race with
a time of 17:38.78. Ponce ran
a 22:11.20 in the girls’ race to
finish 39 th .
The Jackson County boys'
cross country team took 20 th
in the team standings. The
girls’ team did not enter
enough runners to earn a
team score.
“It was a good meet and
we accomplished most of
what we wanted to,” Jack-
son County coach Matt King
said. “Russell and Jaycie
both ran well and ran a PR
again.”
Rounding out the boys'
top five were Dawson Miller
(118 th . 19:09.85), CodyElllis
(122 nd , 19:15.06). Jon Gre
gor (179 th , 20:02.91) and Eli
Griffeth (196 th , 20:20.98).
“Cody Ellis got back to
what he should be running
and our younger runners ran
in a race with 49 teams,”
King said. “It was a good
learning experience getting
as close to seeing state with
out being in Carrollton. It
was a tough day. but we ran
well on tired legs.”
Softball
Eagles clinch two seed for region tourney
HITTING OVER .500
East Jackson’s Mattie Brooks is batting .506 this year in helping the Eagles
earn the No. 2 seed in the 8-AAA tournament. Photo by Charles Phelps
By Charles Phelps
The East Jackson Eagle
softball team wrapped-up a
bye in the first round of
the Region 8-AAA softball
tournament with its 5-4
come-from-behind win last
Thursday against region foe
Franklin County.
The Eagles are No. 2 in
the Region 8-AAA stand
ings. Jackson County is
the No. 1 seed. The two
teams played each other
on Tuesday to close region
play. Results weren’t known
before press time.
The Eagles also went 1-3
over the weekend at the
Ram Classic at Grayson
High School. The lone win
came against South Gwin
nett.
“I’m just happy at the
intensity they're bringing
night after night.” head
coach Donnie Byrom said
after last Thursday's win.
The Eagles played five
games in a six-day span
up until the Ram Classic.
Then, they played four more
games in two days.
“Our eight and nine-hole
hitters are batting right at
.400 and they’re really set
ting the table well for the
one, two, three, four (hit
ters),” Byrom explained.
“I’ll put my one. two. three,
four up against anybody.
“They really are produc
ing and they showed that
tonight in the seventh inning
when we came up. Eight
and nine got on and one,
two, three went bam, bam,
bam.”
In the bottom of the sev
enth inning vs. Franklin
County, Mary Hollis and
Ashlyn Trimble both sin
gled to set the stage for the
one, two. three hitters with
a 4-2 deficit. The one hit
ter, Hannah Poole, singled
and brought home Hollis to
cut the deficit to 4-3. Lau
ren Barrett followed with
her own single to load the
bases. Mattie Brooks fol
lowed with the game-win
ning double, plating Trimble
and Poole for the one-run
victory.
“That’s what we’re train
ing for,” Byrom said. “I’m
proud of these girls to bring
that intensity and energy
night alter night.”
The Lady Eagles also
overcame a controversial
third out in the bottom of
the third. The score was 2-0
in favor of Franklin.
“What I liked about that
was we didn’t overcome it
immediately,” Byrom said,
“but what we did was stay
consistent.
“The middle innings are
a lot about fundamentals.
After that ran was taken off
the board, we were funda
mentally sound. We didn't
let them have a big inning.
We kept it close enough
that a rally would matter.
That’s the key.”
Last Thursday was also
“Pink-Out Night” for East
Jackson and was a “huge
success” thanks in part to
Stephanie Poole. Byrom
said. The team held a cer
emony before the game.
“Those kinds of classy
things help make a soft-
ball team enjoy the experi
ence and learn a lot about
life,” Byrom said.
It was also the second
walkoff win for the Eagles
last week. The team over
came a three-run deficit
in the bottom of the sixth
to Hart County. Then won
the game 12-11 in the bot
tom of the eighth when
Poole scored on an error.
Byrom called the
walkoff wins “fun.”
“It's tough, because
we're living differently
than we have in the past.”
Byrom stated. “We're
really having to rely
on our hitting and hav
ing to really play strong
defense.”
The Eagles' final regu
lar-season game is today
(Wednesday) vs. East
Hall.
Softball
Tigers eye one seed for region
by Charles phelps
The Commerce Tiger softball
team continues its march towards
the No. 1 seed for the Region 8-A
tournament after splitting a pair
of games last week.
The Tigers (15-3, 8-1 Region
8-A) defeated Hebron Christian
11-3 and lost to George Walton
20-17. The loss to George Walton
was the first region loss for the
Tigers and first loss since Oct. 12,
the team’s opening day.
Head coach CJ Wilkes said
George Walton is one of the
strong teams in region. The two
teams split the season series.
The Tigers trailed 20-10 in the
seventh inning but rallied with
seven runs to lose 20-17.
Wilkes said the team didn’t
come out with as much intensity
against George Walton as they
did Hebron Christian.
“I talked to the girls and we just
talked about what is it that made
us that way.” Wilkes said. “I tried
to get them up in the dugout the
whole time.
“They said that they really got
scared that they were about to get
beat in five innings. That’s some
thing that they didn’t want to
happen, so they rallied together.”
Wilkes added she told the team
that getting beat isn’t always a
bad thing.
“We had some good conversa
tions about some ways we could
make it better for next time and
know whenever we’re down in a
hole," she said.
This week’s games will decide
the No. 1 seed for next week’s
region tournament. Commerce
currently sits first with Prince
Avenue in second and George
Walton and Towns County
in third. Commerce played at
Hebron on Tuesday with results
not known before press time.
They will host Towns County
today and play at Prince Avenue
on Thursday.
“Going into this week, (coach
es) tried to tell the girls we have
everything to lose and the rest of
the teams don’t really have any
thing to lose whenever they face
us," Wilkes said.
“There’s a lot of pressure on us
but it is awesome.”
The Tigers have defeated all
three teams already this season.
“It’s going to be tough, but
I think if we can just play our
best ball, we’ve beat those teams
before and we can do it again,”
Wilkes said.
Volleyball
Cross country
Massey leads Commerce
at Riverside meet
By Charles Phelps
The Commerce High
School cross country teams
competed last week at the
Riverside Military Acade
my Invitational in Gaines
ville.
The girls’ team finished
seventh out of 10 teams.
Kate Massey led the way
with a time of 21:10. Brit
tany Webb followed with a
time of 21:43. Kelia Oso
rio and Haley Horton fin
ished within 12 seconds of
each other. Osorio finished
with 26:07 and Horton with
26:19. Maggie Hill finished
fifth for the team with a
time of 27:01.
The boys’ team finished
12th of 14 teams. They were
led by Jose Manuel Verde’s
time of 17:33. Chase Bridg
es followed with a time of
18:37. JJ Morris finished in
19:22, while John Bradley
finished in 19:44. Brandon
Martin rounded out the
scoring with a time 19:59.
Eagles look to close season strong
by Charles phelps
The East Jackson Eagle volleyball team fell to
15- 11 on the season after going 1-3 last week.
The team’s lone win came against Hart County
(25-16, 25-12). The three losses were to Wind
er-Barrow (18-25, 20-25), Jackson County (15-25,
16- 25) and Morgan County (21-25, 22-25).
The Eagles sit at No. 3 in Region 8-AAA as a
berth in the Class 3A state playoffs looms. They
also sit at No. 15 in state.
Tuesday night’s matches from East Jackson
weren’t finished before press time. The Eagles play
at Madison County on Thursday for two matches
vs. Madison County and Clarke Central. On Sat
urday, the team plays at Monroe Area and next
Tuesday, the regular season ends with two matches
at Gainesville against Oconee County and the host,
Gainesville.
Stats vs. Hart County and Winder-Barrow
Aces: Desiree Green 6
Assists: Desiree Green 34
Blocks: Sydney Mathis 5
Digs: Erica Tyson 14
Kills: Sydney Mathis 17
Stats vs. Jackson County and Morgan
County
Aces: Sydney Mathis 4, Desiree Green 3, Erica Tyson 3
Assists: Desiree Green 24
Digs: Erica Tyson 12
Kills: Sydney Mathis 15