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May 20,
2021
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Inside this section: Reunions & Group meetings 8B • Want Ads 6-7B • Minister’s Column, Church News 2B
Seth White wins state
championship; Signs
with UGA
If you’ve driven on the
Pickens High School Cam
pus or around Roper Park
over the last four years
there’s a good chance
you’ve passed Seth White
as he was off on one of his
daily training sessions. The
miles he ran, the sacrifices
he made, and the time he
spent was all cashed in last
week as Seth won the state
title in the 800 meters for
AAAA. This accomplish
ment was hard earned and
well deserved.
At the state champi
onship meet, Seth ran a
1:53.68 and reset his own
school record for the third
time this season. While this
was not the first state cham
pionship for a PHS track
member, it was the first
time that a Dragon has won
a state championship in a
running event.
White was not only com
peting in the 800 meters, he
also qualified is the 1600
meter. In that event, he ran
a 4:19 and finished in third
place. This time was the
second fastest, only two
second behind a previous
time submitted by White
earlier in the season. In the
3200 meters, Seth ran a
time of 9:48. This was good
enough for 6th place over
all.
While White was the
only Pickens athlete quali
fied for the state meet, his
three performances won the
Dragons 19 points in the
team format. This was good
enough to put Pickens in
10th place in the overall
team format out of the 39
schools that sent competi
tors.
Seth is headed to the
University of Georgia next
year where he will continue
logging the miles for the
Track Dawgs.
FanDuel to open technology
campus in Midtown Atlanta
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Sports bet
ting hasn’t come to Georgia
yet, but the sports betting in
dustry is on its way.
FanDuel Group plans to
open a technology campus in
Atlanta, an investment of
more than $15 million that
will create more than 900
jobs during the next five
years, Gov. Brian Kemp an
nounced Tuesday.
The center will focus pri
marily on supporting the
New York-based company’s
product development and IT
operations.
“FanDnel’s decision to
open a tech hub in Georgia is
a testament to our world-
class universities and tech
training programs, as well as
the diverse ecosystem of
professional sports leagues
and teams we’ve cultivated
See FanDuel on Page 3B
Uncle
Ben
By O’Neill Williams
[Due to a popular re
sponse, O ’Neill s column
now appears twice a month,
appearing in first week and
third week of the month]
Until I was about 8-years
old, when visiting my cousin
in North Georgia, all I had to
use for fishing was a cane
pole. I didn't mind.
It had black nylon line, a
lead split sinker or two and a
small simple straight shank
hook. I kept it leaning up
against the comer of the back
porch next to the well.
My cousin, Winifred, and
I went fishing every day
when we finished his chores;
we drew water from the well
before and after breakfast so
anyone who wanted could
wash their hands and face.
This was before a bath
room on the mountainside.
We raked the hardpacked dirt
area around the back steps to
give it a fresh look, then fed
the chickens and dogs.
We 'slopped' the three
hogs - that is took what was
left over from breakfast
along, with a few ears of
com. The pigs were kept in
a pen out back beyond the
outhouse. The pen had a little
tin roof shed so that pigs
could get out of the sun.
I liked fishing with that
cane pole. My cousin had
one just like it. We would
catch a Bream or two, some
times a little Horneyhead,
and maybe a catfish from the
Tallulah River that ran out of
Lake Burton, then through
Lake Seed and Lake Rabun
and before it formed Tallulah
Lake.
There was no bridge
across the river getting to the
little dirt road to his house,
so if the river was low
enough and you were driving
in the old pickup, you simply
'forded' across the rocky bot
tom.
There was a 'foot log' with
a walled up little platform
full of big rocks in the mid
dle of the river, where the
two logs joined. My cousin
and his dad, Paul, had nailed
a 2 x 6 on top of the log to
give it a flat surface to make
the walk much easier. There
was a water snake that lived
in rocks.
We looked for him when
we walked the log. Some
times we copped a quick
glance before he darted
away. We'd walk along the
railroad tracks, that crossed
in front of his house for
about a mile, then over the
railroad trestle that still stood
above the river and fished in
the deep hole under the
tracks.
Our bait was red wigglers
and an occasional night
crawler we dug up from the
area around the bam. It was
easy for a couple of 9-year
old boys to dig up a few.
We'd put them in a Prince Al
bert tobacco can.
I went there for couple of
weeks every summer with
my grandparents. They were
both from the Clayton, Lake-
mont and Wiley, GA area so
the summer visits were a
kind of a going home of sorts
for them. For my cousin and
me, it was playtime every
day.
Back to the cane pole. My
cousin, Winifred, would
keep it handy and did not use
it until I returned the next
See O’Neill on Page 3B
Brand new lawn mower engine -
Honda Vertical OHC Engine —
160cc, GCV Series, 7/8in. x 3
5/32in. Shaft, Model#
GCV160LA1A1A-BLK. Still in box,
bought new but got wrong size
shaft. Should fit lawn mowers, not
wood splitters. Original cost $225
at Northern Tool plus shipping. Will
sell for $200 Or best offer.
770-894-1709
Spring game gives coaches first
glimpse at next season’s Dragons
The Dragon coaches got the chance to evaluate the squad for next year at a scrimmage
with Dawson Friday. They will begin summer workouts in June.
The Pickens Dragons wrapped up their
2021 spring football campaign Friday night
with a scrimmage against Dawson County.
Both teams came out and played a physi
cal and intense game. It was a great opportu
nity for the coaches to get film on their
players competing against another team. This
film will serve as a great evaluation tool as
the Dragons head into their summer work
outs.
The format of Friday’s scrimmage was
like most spring games: no live special teams,
most players working on the first team of
fense/defense only playing in the first half,
and making sure that every player got in the
scrimmage so that they could be evaluated.
Dawson received the ball to start the game
and drove to mid-field where they then
stalled out. Instead of punting on fourth down
both teams agreed to take the ball 30 yards
from the spot to begin the next series.
One difference between the two squads
was that Dawson’s QB was not live whereas
both QBs for Pickens were. The coaching
staff wanted to be able to see how they would
perform in a live game setting. All other play
ers were live.
On Pickens’ first offensive series Sam
Streicher threw a 79- yard TD pass to Devin
Hand up the See Football on Page 3B
0'N6ILL OUTDOORS
BY O'KIGLL WILLIAMS
You never forget the firstfishing rod. O ’Neill recalls receiving this Ted Williams ’ model
Shakespeare open face reel, a matching rod more than 66 years ago in this week’s col
umn.
Mew Patient Special 425.00 off
with this ad
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Sports
Fanatic
By
Tommy
Gartrell
Columnist
Georgia s
Best
When you think of our
great state, what comes to
mind? Could it be
peaches, peanuts, the sky
scrapers of Atlanta, the
mountains, southern farms
or the coastal islands?
In sports, which great
Georgians do you remem
ber most? There have been
so many magnificent ath
letes bom here that it’s
quite a chore to rank them.
Should we include college
stars or just the great pro
fessionals. Mine is ab
solutely not the definitive
list. Your group could and
should be different, but
here’s my list of the great
est native bom pro play
ers.
10. Frank Thomas
(MLB) is a native of
Columbus. He was one of
the most feared hitters in
the game during his hall of
fame career. The first
baseman who was nick
named “the Big Hurt” ac
cumulated American
League MVP awards, a
.301 lifetime average with
521 homers and 1,704
RBI.
9. Calvin Johnson
(NFL) was bom in New-
nan. As one of the best re
ceivers in the league
history, he totaled 731
catches for 11,619 yards
and 83 touchdowns in
only eight seasons (2007-
15) and retired in his
prime.
8. Dwight Howard
(NBA) was born in At
lanta. He bypassed college
and went straight from
high school to the pros and
has been a mainstay since.
Howard has won an NBA
championship, been a
eight time all-star and
three time defensive
player of the year.
7. Champ Bailey
(NFL) was bom in Folk-
ston. Through most of his
15 professional seasons,
he was considered one of
if not the best comerbacks
in football and one of the
greatest of all time. His ca
reer totals include 908
tackles, 203 passes de
fended, 52 interceptions
and seven forced fumbles.
6. Sugar Ray Robin
son (boxer) was born in
Ailey. He was the "Fighter
of the Decade” for the
1950s and compiled an in
credible 173-19-6 career
record in four different
weight classes including a
91-0 winning streak. For
context, Muhammad Ali
only participated in 61
professional fights. In ad
dition, Robinson amateur
record is reported as 85-0.
5. Walt “Clyde” Fra
zier (NBA) was bom in
Old Fourth Ward Atlanta.
During his 13-year career,
which included two NBA
titles in New York, he av
eraged 19 points, six re
bounds and six assists per
game. Considered one of
the best point guards in
league history for his lead
ership, offense and fero
cious defensive abilities,
Frazier remains legendary
among basketball circles.
4. Jackie Robinson
(MLB) was bom in Cairo.
He played for Brooklyn
See Gartrell on Page 3B