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The Jackson Herald
www.mamstreetnewssports.com
VOLLEYBALL, 6B
EAGLES WIN IN FIRST
ROUND AT STATE
October 18, 2017
Phone: (706) 367-5233
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Section B
INSIDE: Softball
Both the Jackson County
and Jefferson softball teams
coasted to first-round state
tournament victories, PAGE
3B
Football
Region test
awaits Dragons
Jefferson defense set to face St.
Pius’ vexing triple-option attack
By Ben Munro
Jefferson prepares for a battle
for sole possession of first place in
Region 8-AAAA against a brand
of offensive football known to give
opponents fits.
The fifth-ranked Dragons (6-1,
2-0) will face St. Pius X and its tri
ple-option attack
this Friday in
Atlanta as both
teams are tied
atop the region
with 2-0 records.
This is not a task
at the top of the wish list for defen
sive coaching staffs.
“No question,” Jefferson head
coach Gene Cathcart said. “I would
compare them very much to, say, a
Georgia Tech in what they do.”
Like the Yellow Jackets, perhaps
the premier option team in college
football, St. Pius X (2-5, 2-0) spe
cializes in a run-heavy scheme that
is less common than it once was at
the high school level.
With three different players who
might end up carrying the foot
ball on any given play, the triple
option forces defensives to play
disciplined, assignment football.
“Certainly, they do as good ajob
of executing as anybody around.”
Cathcart said.
Quarterback Connor Egan, the
trigger man for this offense, is a
very good option operator and ath
lete, according to Cathcart. He's
joined in the backfield by running
backs Jacob Pajer and D.J. Mitch
ell.
St. Pius X is coming off its best
offensive outing of the season in
a 41-13 rout over Oconee Coun
ty. The Golden Lions romped for
nearly 400 yards rushing in the
win.
Cathcart said the key to stopping
St. Pius’s offense is taking away its
first option — running its fullback
between the tackles.
continued on Page 2B
•What:
Jefferson at St.
PiusX
•When: Friday,
7:30 p.m.
WELCOME BACK
Jefferson’s Colby Wood ran for 107 yards and a touchdown
on Friday night against North Oconee in his return from an
ankle injury. He also caught a touchdown pass.
Photo by Clark Buffington
Football
Tigers to face much-improved Towns Co.
By Charles Phelps
Looking at the Towns County Indians on film. Com
merce head coach Michael Brown will tell you with no
doubt they are the “most-improved” team in Region 8-A.
The Indians (3-4, 2-4 Region 8-A) have already
•What:
Commerce at
Towns Co.
•When: Friday,
7:30 p.m.
matched last season's win total includ
ing a 28-27 win over Athens Christian
last Friday night. Commerce (6-1,5-1)
has never lost to the Indians. They are
21-0 in the overall series.
‘They’re very big,” Brown said.
“They’ve got size on both sides of the
lines of scrimmage.
“They've got better-than-average speed at the skill
positions. They run a version of the option, which has
given everybody they’ve faced problems.”
The Indians have scored in six of their seven games
and eclipsed the 30-point mark twice.
“They've moved the ball on everybody!’ Brown said.
“They had a big win last week against Athens Chris
tian, so they're playing really good football. And I hope
I've done a better job this week of getting across to our
kids that we’re going to have our hands full.”
Last week, the Tigers were in a one-possession game
entering the fourth quarter vs. Riverside Military Acad
emy. The Tigers were able to score three touchdowns in
the final frame and win 53-28.
"If we show up, and we’re not prepared mentally
and not prepared emotionally, we’ll have one of those
nights like last Friday that's really, really frustrating,”
Brown said.
Brown added last week came with the distractions
of being out of the school and being off a game-week
schedule, unlike this week, where school is back from
break and the schedule is back to normal.
"I was a little worried about that,” Brown said. “I
knew Riverside was a very athletic team.
"I knew they had a couple of
continued on Page 2B
QUARTERFINALS-BOUND
The Jackson County volleyball team celebrates after the winning point in its Sweet 16
victory over East Hall on Tuesday night. For more photos from the match, go to main-
streetnewssports.com. Photo by Ben Munro
Volleyball
Elite season
Panthers’ win over East Hall lands them in state quarterfinals
By Ben Munro
Add another milestone in what’s been a season
full of them for the Jackson County volleyball team.
The Panthers swept East Hall 3-0 in the second
round of the state tournament on Tuesday to tie a
school record with 33 wins and advance to the Elite
Eight on Saturday.
“It was so exciting,” senior libero Jenny Moua
said. “Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. We just made
history.”
This is Jackson County's first trip to the state
quarterfinals since 2001.
Having split a pair of regular-season matches with
East Hall, Jackson County picked up a straight-set
victory on Tuesday, winning three competitive sets,
25-19, 25-18. 25-21.
Jackson County (33-11) will await word on its
quarterfinals opponent as new seedings will be
assigned to the eight teams remaining in the Class
AAA tournament. Coach Ron Fowler said his squad
would likely be on the road for its next match. He
praised the team’s level of play in beating a 31-win
East Hall team to qualify for the Elite Eight.
“Our girls played phenomenal tonight,” Fowler
said. “(Assistant) coach Sarah (Fowler) made some
great adjustments, seeing some things here and
there, when they started making those runs, calling
the time outs. It was just a complete team victory
tonight.”
Jessica Streuer finished off the final two points
in the first set with a kill and then a tap at the net
continued on Page 6B
CAREER COMMEMORATED
Former Jefferson baseball play
er Chris Beck had his No. 3 jer
sey retired by the school during
its Friday night football game with
North Oconee. Beck has pitched
three seasons for the Chicago White
Sox. Photos by Ben Munro
Jersey retirement
Jefferson greats Beck, Mosley have jerseys retired
By Ben Munro
The careers of two Jef
ferson stars who went on
to become professional ath
letes were commemorated
Friday night with the retire
ment of their jerseys.
The school honored Chi
cago White Sox pitcher
Chris Beck with the retire
ment of his No. 3 jersey
and former New York Giant
offensive lineman Branson
Mosley with the retirement
of his No. 91 jersey during
the Dragons’ home football
game with North Oconee.
Beck, who holds school
records for career wins,
ERA, strikeouts and saves,
became the first Jefferson
baseball player to be draft
ed by a Major League club
when he was selected by
the Indians in 2009 (he
opted to pitch in college at
Georgia Southern). He later
became the first Jefferson
player to play in the Major
Leagues when he made
his debut for the Chicago
White Sox in 2015. He’s
now in his third year in the
Big Leagues.
Jefferson baseball coach
Tommy Knight said retir
ing Beck's jersey was based
on both his Jefferson and
post-Jefferson career.
“Oh yeah, it was a com-
continued on Page 2B
FOOTBALL PLAYER HONORED
Former Jefferson football player Brandon Mosley, who’s now
an assistant coach for the Dragons, had his No. 91 jersey
retired by the school. Mosley played three seasons in the NFL.