Newspaper Page Text
The Jackson Herald
www.mamstreetnewssports.com
Football
Panthers continue
By Ben Munro
Jackson County is using
its summer months to tran
sition to an offense with
which coach Brandon
Worley is quite familiar.
The Panthers will oper
ate out of the Wing-T this
year, a scheme Worley
employed at both Banks
County and North Forsyth
as a coordinator.
"Most of my career, I’ve
been Wing-T.” said Wor
ley, who is in his fourth
year as a head coach at
Jackson County.
The Panthers will oper
ate their version of the
Wing-T out of the pistol
HONORS, 4B
MAINSTREET
ALL-AREA TENNIS
TEAM ANNOUNCED
NEW COACHES, 3B
JCCHS HAS MADE
TWO COACHING
HIRES
jUNE 13, 2018
Phone: (706) 367-5233
Fax:(706)387-5417
sports@mainstreetnews. com
Section B
offensive transition during summer
formation and may incor
porate some use of the tri
ple option.
“We’ll see where it takes
us,” Worley said.
Worley said multiple
players will have a chance
to get their hands on the
ball in this scheme and put
more stress on a defense.
“It’s a great team-ori
ented offense,” said Wor
ley, who noted that he’s
always included some
components of the Wing-T
in his offenses at Jackson
County. “I just think it fits
us well.”
Jackson County broke
in the new offense during
spring football, and Worley
has been pleased with how
much of the new playbook
his players have retained.
The coach said mastering
this offense will require a
lot of repetition.
"What we’re doing now
requires a lot of reps and
a lot of practice to get
timing down and get kids
on the same page, but it’s a
team-oriented approach, so
they’re definitely buying
into that,” Worley said.
Though Jackson County
will employ a run-heavy
offense, summer 7-on-7
continued on page 3B
TAKING ON A SECOND ROLE
East Jackson’s Donnie Byrom has served as the Eagles’ softball coach for three seasons and
will take on an additional job title as East Jackson’s new girls’ basketball coach. Byrom is a
longtime, successful girls’ basketball coach with 332 wins in 19 seasons. Photo by Ben Munro
Girls’ basketball
Double duty
EJCHS softball coach Donnie Byrom to take over
girls’ basketball program, will coach both sports
By Ben Munro
East Jackson had a luxury most
other schools in the state don’t.
When girls’ basketball coach
Matt Gibbs resigned, the school
had to look only to the assistant
coach’s chair — and Donnie
Byrom’s 332 coaching wins — to
find a top-flight replacement.
Byrom was named Gibbs’ suc
cessor this past Thursday after
Gibbs took a job at Hart County.
“God opens doors when he
wants you to go through them,
and presents you challenges at the
times in your life that you’re ready
to take those on,” Byrom said of
taking over as head coach.
Byrom has served as East Jack
son’s softball coach the past three
seasons, having delivered that pro
gram its greatest heights with a
2016 state title. Now, he brings a
lengthy track record of winning to
the basketball program as he takes
on a second head-coaching role at
East Jackson.
“I came to East Jackson to help
get the softball program to the next
level, but I’ve been a basketball
coach my entire career, so that’s
why I stayed involved (as an assis
tant basketball coach),” Byrom
said.
Byrom served as Gibbs’ assis
tant coach for three seasons.
"Coach Gibbs is one of a hand
ful of coaches in the state of Geor
gia that I would be willing to assist,
because I’ve been a head coach for
a long time,” Byrom said. “He’s a
great man. and I enjoyed working
with him.”
Byrom said his familiarity with
the program makes this a good fit.
"I’m familiar with the girls and
I know what systems and things
they already know, and I know
what it takes to be successful in
continued on page 3B
Baseball
JCCHS alum Matt Bolt
‘humbled’ by head
coaching opportunity
By Ben Munro
When Matt Bolt set out for
a beach trip, he had no idea
he’d be a head baseball coach
shortly after his return.
The Jackson County base
ball assistant was promoted to
the role of head coach last
Tuesday, just days after hear
ing about the departure of for
mer coach Jonathan Gastley
while on vacation. Bolt said his
desire to apply for the opening
was immediate.
“It happened all so very fast,
but once I knew he was leav
ing, I absolutely knew that I
wanted to take the position,”
Bolt said.
While he said becoming a
head coach is a bit “nerve-rack
ing” due to high expectations.
Bolt expressed his appreciation
for the support from his fian
ce, family, coaching colleagues
and the community in taking
this next step in his career.
“It’s surreal,” Bolt said. “I’m
just so humbled and I’m so
blessed. I didn’t realize that I
had so much support behind
me. This community has sup
ported me in a very high fash
ion.”
He pointed to the return
ing players, their families, the
coaches and administrators as
the factors that drove his inter
est in the position after having
served as an assistant since
2011.
“I knew that it was definitely
something that I wanted to pur
sue,” he said.
Bolt, who interviewed for
the position after returning
from his trip and was quickly
given the job, takes over the
program after eight seasons as
an assistant coach. This is the
first head coaching job for the
27-year-old, who began work
ing with the Panther program
as a community coach when he
was still attending college.
“He’s a very well-respected
and liked coach and teacher in
our building,” Jackson County
athletic director Brad Hayes
said. "He was Teacher of the
Year this year. I couldn’t think
of a better guy to give his first
head-coaching opportunity to.”
continued on page 3B
NEW HEAD COACH
Jackson County’s Matt Bolt was promoted to head coach
of the Panther baseball team after spending eight seasons
as an assistant. Bolt is a Jackson County product, having
played for the Panthers from 2005-2008. Submitted photo
Football
Eagles putting summer
7-on-7 work to good use
By Ben Munro
East Jackson football
coach Scott Wilkins said
7-on-7 passing competi
tions are “not real football,”
but the longtime coach also
finds them quite useful.
While there’s no pass
rush and running attacks,
it provides something of a
summer work-study for the
quarterbacks, receivers and
secondary.
“It’s good for your sec
ondary to see routes,” said
Wilkins, who enters his
second year at East Jack-
son and 18 th overall as a
head coach. "It’s good
defensively for you to
work on your coverages.
It’s good for your quar
terbacks and receivers to
understand defenses and
running routes where the
holes are and where the
holes aren’t.”
East Jackson compet
ed in a 7-on-7 scrimmage
this past Thursday at Ath
ens Christian and against
Social Circle this Tuesday
at home. The Eagles will
take on Athens Christian
this coming Thursday at
home.
East Jackson will also
throw against Social Cir
cle again this upcoming
Tuesday. The Eagles then
will take part in the Ath
ens Christian lineman
challenge at the end of
the month as part of
continued on page 2B
Buy Like A Local. 4 Counties, 4 Zip Codes...
Esthetician.ViickieiweiiDorni
BUY LOCAL. BE LOCAL
o-fx-
Buy Local Braselton
t
Naava Skincare Therapy
7400 Spout Springs Rd„ Sfe 110 • 30542
Only In Braselton.