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PAGE 2C PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 29. 2004
Continued from 1C
PHS Baseball
our-style of game. Each team com
mitted four errors in the field, so
clearly the bats were the focal point
of the game. And to talk about hit
ting, I must return to two names
from the Monday match-up. John
son and Patterson each slammed
home runs in the second and third
innings respectively. The East Hall
team had also homered in the first,
so by the end of the third the score
was tight at 3-2 in favor of the
Vikings. But then came the fourth
inning just like the third against
Johnson. The dynamic Dragon bats
were bopping as our guys slugged
five singles and two doubles and
enjoyed two miscues by the
freaked-out East Hall team to score
six runs. By the way, the doubles
were courtesy of the two heroes of
the day — Johnson and Patterson.
But there were others who got into
the act. Kevin Buchanan, our
injured yet regular designated hitter,
had two hits as did Jeremy Hel-
muth, Andy Golden, Green and Mr.
Consistency, Alex Williams. But the
home team was awakened as the
game progressed and scored three
in the sixth to pull to within two at
10-8, our favor. Coach Nunn made
a pitching change in that inning to
try to squelch the uprising, and who
should he select. It was none other
than one of the slugging stars of the
game -- Johnson. Jason had not
appeared in a pitching role this year
but certainly can pitch when called.
In two innings of work he struck
out five Vikings in a feast or famine
appearance. But the Dragon bats
had one last hurrah left as Tony
Popadics singled home what turned
out to be the winning 11th run in
the game in the final at-bat for the
visiting team. And so the drama
built for a last inning hold for the
Pickens crew. Johnson took the
mound and pitched no nonsense
“see if you can hit it” baseball. The
Vikings greeted the seventh with
back-to-back home runs and came
to within one. A few more nails bit
ten and a few more swallows later,
Johnson struck out the last two bat
ters and the 11-10 victory was
secure. What a wonderful, gut-
wrenching conclusion, if you know
what I mean.
Friday night brought the Drag
ons an opportunity they had not
seen this season. That chance was
to sweep a week’s worth of games.
The White County Warriors, who
By Robbie Mills
4- year-old T-Ball
Mountainside Pediatrics Braves - 2-
0
James C. Boling & Assoc. Cardi
nals - 2-0
Pickens County Progress Marlins -
2-0
Burnt Mtn. Auto Wash Rangers - 1-
0
Woodhaven Realty Angels - 1-0
5- 6 Girls T-Ball
Moore Furniture Co. Inc. Marlins -
2-0
Dairy Queen Diamondbacks - 2-0
Jasper Banking Co. Angels - 2-0
Roland Tire Braves - 2-0
Jr. Mite Girls
Sharp Mtn. Graphic Diamondbacks
- 1-0
ETC Cubs - 1-0
Pueblo Grill Angels - 1-1
Garner Ace Hardware Athletics - 1-
1
Jones Oil Cardinals - 0-2
Mite Girls
Regions Bank Indians - 1-0
Eric S. Pryor, DMD Tigers - 1-0
M&M Meats Diamondbacks -0-1
Buhl Orthodontics Rangers - 0-1
Midget Girls
Woodhaven Realty Twins - 2-0
Crescent Bank Angels - 1-1
Turner Tire Mets - 0-2
Jr. Girls
Jasper Forestry & Chipping Angels
-2-0
Collins/Cotton States Ins. Marlins -
have stepped up their program this
season, came to town to battle the
hot Dragons. ETC was on hand and
so the excitement was heightened
as well as the usual Friday night
buzz in the crowd. Lester was again
on the mound for the Pickens team
and this game turned out to be as
close to a pitchers’ duel as we get in
high school baseball. Lester limited
White to five total hits and three
walks and struck out four batters as
well. The Dragon bats were
silenced as well or maybe just tired
from all of the action they received
this week. A victory in this game
would secure the third place for
now for Nunn’s crew, but would
greatly enhance White’s position in
the post season as well. So, need
less to say, the stakes were high and
the teams felt it. But this team
knows how to play as I have said
before and tonight it was defense
that stepped up to play. Several out
standing plays in the infield from
Helmuth, Golden, Popadics and
Sean McDonald helped to fluster
the Warrior team and support Lester
in his pitching performance. Josh
Green continued his hot bat with a
run-scoring single in the fourth to
tie the game at one. But the fifth
brought the opportunity of a season
and the joy of a parent to bear.
Kevin Buchanan opened the inning
with a shot to left field that landed
him on second base. Next, Mark
Patterson singled and Jeremy Hel
muth worked the White pitcher for
a walk to load the bases. Alex
Williams showed he apparently is
human as he grounded into a field
er’s choice and the runner was
gunned down at the plate. But then
Golden steps up to the plate with a
slightly cooler bat these last couple
of games and makes a father’s
weekend and team’s day as he rips
a bases clearing double to the left
field gap. Sorry, but I’ve been wait
ing for this.
Anyway, PHS moves into the
top of the seventh with a 4-1 lead.
Lester returns and bends a little and
gives a little as White scores two to
close the gap. But the comeback
was not to be as the final out in the
form of a fly out to center is gloved
by Williams. Another complete
game for the irascible Lester, anoth
er season series swept by the good
buys and a step closer to post-sea
son play for this gutsy team. I can’t
wait ‘til next week. See ya.
0-2
5-6 Boys T-Ball
Mullinax Building Syst. Dodgers -
2-0
Nightingale Sitting Service Tigers -
2-0
Jasper Tire Co. Yankees - 2-0
Williams Hardwood Floors Cardi
nals - 2-0
Animal Medical Clinic Cubs - 2-0
Ralph Fitts Const. Braves - 2-0
Quizno’s Subs Royals - 2-0
Jr. Mite Boys
N. Ga. Cell/Cingular Wire Braves -
1-0
Collins/Cotton States Ins. Cardinals
- 1-0
Lawson Chevrolet Marlins - 0-0-1
Alfa Ins. Pirates - 0-0-1
ETE Enterprises Indians - 1-1
M&M Meats Athletics - 0-2
Mite Boys
Carl McCurdy, MD Braves - 2-0
M. Kown & Century 21 Rangers -
1-0
Watkins & Carver Memorials Red
Sox-0-0-1
Jasper Family Steakhouse Yankees -
0-0-1
Jasper Computer Services Cubs - 0-
1
Bank of North Ga. Reds - 0-2
Midget Boys
Community Bank Twins - 1-1
Mtn. City Auto Parts Rangers - 1-1
Jr. Boys
Coca-Cola Bottling Yankees - 1-1
Stephens Grading & Hauling - 1-1
Rec. Dept. Update
For Sale By Owners
Call #770-735-7588 for showing.
Pre-qualified buyers only please
141 Timberline Dr, Jasper, GA 30143
Ivy Ridge, right off of 1-575
Price: $161,900.00
4 Bedrooms, 2 Full baths with basement, drive in garage. Area of
Jasper, Pickens County. This immaculate home is 5 years old.
Situated on a wooded, large fenced in back yard, great for kids
and pets! Large deck. Light, bright floor plan. Separate dining
and eat-in kitchen. Finished bedroom/office in basement. Nice
flowing layout. Laundry on main floor. No smokers in home.
Home Warranty.
Racing Views
Race Fans Are Hard to Figure Out
Continued from 1C
The Ultimate Price
By Jumper Cable Man
Race fans are just about the
hardest animal alive to figure out.
When you expect them to get excit
ed they are as quite as church mice.
When you think they would not
ever show up to a race that they
knew was not going to have a lot of
cars they appear by the hundreds.
When you think they would pull for
the underdog, they root for the
favorite.
Is there anything about a race fan
that you can predict? Yes! We can
predict with almost 100 per cent
accuracy that a television race fan
will soon find that he, or she, can
only fulfill their need for speed by
seeing the real thing. I believe that
watching races on television these
fans acquire an appetite for real rac
ing. If they have been watching
NASCAR Cup Series racing, they
will want to see a Cup race in per
son. If the fan has been watching
Super Late Model Dirt race cars,
then the thing he has to have is a
real Super Late Model Dirt Car
race. If he has only watched asphalt
Late Models, for his next move he
will have to take in an asphalt Late
Model race. If open-wheel racing
has been the fare on television, the
only answer will be to take in an
open-wheel show.
Think about yourself. In the
past, when you have been watching
a race on the tube have you not had
the urge to buy a ticket and experi
ence the excitement up close and
personal? The only senses you are
satisfying are those of sight and to
some small degree, sound when
watching on the television. You do
not really hear the real sound of the
screaming engines when you hear it
on television because the audio
equipment filters out certain levels
of the sound spectrum. And the
sight you see on the television? It's
not what you want to see but what
the producers of the show want you
to see. How many times has the
camera person kept the camera on
the leader, or the highest racer in
the points, and does not show you
the side-by-side race going on for
the sixth position? Again, you only
see what the producer or the camera
person wants you to see when
watching on television.
Live compared to broadcast also
allows you to watch anything you
want to watch, anywhere on or off
the track. You also get to taste the
dust, if it is a dirt track race, or the
little mist of rubber dust if you are
at an asphalt race. The smell of the
burning fuel and rubber are also
another sense that is stimulated by
going to race in person. And if you
really want your sense of smell to
go into orbit, go to a Sprint Car race
and smell the methanol alcohol fuel
being burned by those bad cats!
Now in the name of fairness we
need to give credit to the television
folks who provide us with the
opportunity to watch these races on
the tube. You can turn off the TV if
they show something, or someone,
that you do not like. You can go to
the refrigerator and get a sandwich
and a beverage without it costing
you half of next week's pay. That
just about covers the advantages of
watching on TV versus live racing.
Some of the best racing any
where can be found in the areas
right nearby. Local short tracks
allow you to see the races without
having to drive a long way and at
the same time you see many of your
friends and neighbors. These folks
are either in the grandstands with
you or in the pits racing the cars or
working on a pit crew. You may
find that many of your friends and
neighbors are as passionate about
racing as you are!
By attending races close to home
you may find that you have talents
that can be used by race teams that
are close to you. It's always easier
to help a team that is close by as
opposed to one that is three or four
hours away. As you meet and
come to know the people in racing,
you may want to get more and more
involved. This could go as far as
driving a car or owning a team,
although most start by using the
wrenches, doing the publicity for
the team, or just being a handy per
son for anything needed. Racing is
a sport that has no age or size lim
its. You can be young, old, or in
between, large, small, short or tall
and there still no limits on what you
can do in racing.
You may want to use your talent
in the big leagues of racing such as
NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch
Grand National, or Craftsman
Trucks. Most of these teams are
looking for people who have proved
themselves at the lower levels of
racing and have shown enough tal
ent to be an asset to a team in the
big leagues. Sometimes these
teams spot the talent early, or they
see from the education and training
that a person has, that he or she can
contribute to the success of the race
team.
So it you want to enjoy a race,
enjoy it to the fullest by going to a
race in person this weekend. And
here are a few suggestions if you
need them. Sugar Creek Raceway
in Blue Ridge, GA will be racing a
full racing program this Friday
night. On Saturday night it will be
North Georgia Speedway in
Chatsworth, GA and Cleveland
Speedway in Cleveland, TN stirring
up the clay. If asphalt is your pas
sion try Lanier National Speedway
in Gainesville, GA for your tar and
gravel fix.
If you have a question or com
ment you can reach us P.O. Box
1522, Woodstock, GA 30188 or by
e-mail at Jcableman@aol.com.
I just pray that all our service
people will come home safely, but
unfortunately when there is con
flict, there are deaths, and last week
Pat Tillman became one of them.
Though I never served our country
in battle, my father was a pilot in
WWII who was shot down over
Italy behind enemy lines and had
crew members die as a result. He
bailed out and survived and made it
safely back to the good guys with
the help of Resistance fighters, but
it was a tragedy that affected him
the rest of his life.
There are many of you out there
who weren’t so lucky with friends
The Pickens High Baseball Dia
mond Club is hosting a sports ban
quet/auction on Saturday, May 1.
Proceeds will go toward an indoor
batting facility. The fun begins at 5
p.m. in the cafeteria.
Activities kick off with a silent
auction followed by a steak dinner.
The evening will continue with
many auction items (fishing, hunt
ing, camping equipment, sports
memorabilia, etc.) and various raf-
and loved ones from other conflicts
our country has been involved in,
and know that I and everyone else
who loves the United States are
grateful for the sacrifice those peo
ple made. Unfortunately, as Toby
Keith says, “Freedom don’t come
free.”
I don’t know that anyone relish
es the thought of war, or putting
their life on the line in dangerous
situations. What Pat Tillman did
was to truly show immense courage
and really go to battle because he
felt a sense of duty to those who
had given their lives before him to
protect what we enjoy in America.
ties. There will be door prizes and
plenty of good food, good music
and lots of fun. Don’t miss out.
Ticket prices are $50 and covers
steak dinner for two. Our $2,000
raffle will be a 5-ticket drawn raffle
with only 100 chances sold; tickets
are $50. For ticket information,
please contact Barry Cheshire at
692-6373, stop by any home varsi
ty baseball game or contact one of
your favorite baseball Dragons.
Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN took the win at Oglethorpe Speedway
Park but not without plenty of pressure from another United
Sprint Car Series veteran, Kenny Adams of Malabar, FL.
Lanier Football Officials Association is now accepting applica
tions. Ever thought about becoming a football official? Football
officiating allows you to be a Mentor to the players because
you're enforcing the Rules and upholding the Integrity of the
game. The Lanier Football Officials Association is now taking
applications for the 2004 season. No experience necessary, all
training is provided. LFOA is a member of the Georgia High
School Association. For more information or to apply, visit
www.lanierofficials.org or call Tim Tipton at (770) 967-3197 ext.
239. Officiating is not for everyone,but it could be for you!
SECOND ANNUAL
K&K SASKETSALL-FEST!
Sign up today for an oxciting weekend
with former Dragonottoo and current
Division 1 Players
Karen Hickman and Katie Frye.
Fundamentals~Competitions~Games
Dates: Friday May 7, 3:30-5:30 pm
Saturday May 3, 9:00am-4:00pm
(Sring a sack lunch)
Place: Pickens High School gymnasium
Cost: $75
Small Group instruction
limited space available
Ages 10 and Up
Name: Age:
Phone #
Mail from with payment to:
K&K Basketball Fest
98 Rachel Dr.
Jasper, GA 30143
Questions call 692-6085
Sports Banquet & Auction
NEW HOME COMMUNITIES
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A
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1
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For information on this great community 24/7
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Cherokee Office
1431 Riverstone Pkwy, Suite 110
Canton, GA 30114
lb Prudential
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Now Interviewing new &
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