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Section
March 9,
2023
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CRIMINAL DEFENSE *DUI
ACCIDENTS ‘INJURY
thi: law
OFFICE OF
NICOLE L.
McArthur
PHS Track and Field sets new records
Relay team shatters 1600 sprint medley relay record
by 17 seconds. Pictured left to right are Hayden Jones,
Noah Jones, Nolyn Weaver, and Will Earl, who each ran
a leg of the record-setting race.
The PHS Track & Field
team competed at the Milton
Showcase Invitational over
the weekend and new school
records were set. The boys’
1600m Sprint Medley Relay
record was shattered by 17
seconds. Hayden Jones,
Noah Jones, Nolyn Weaver,
and Will Earl ran each leg of
the record setting race.
Brylee Deering broke her
own PHS 800m record with a
2:25.02. This is a top 50 time
in the state in all classifica
tions. Brylee finished 3rd
overall in the 800m at the
Milton meet.
The PHS Track & Field
season is just getting warmed
Brylee Deering set PHS’s
800m school record.
up as PHS athletes work
daily to improve their times
and distances in multiple
events. The season will
slowly build towards the re
gion, sectional, then state
level competitions for those
athletes that are able to ad
vance.
PHS Baseball:
Dragons victorious in last
three contests
James Tilley on the mound
vs. North Murray. Tilley
had nine strikeouts and al
lowed only one hit.
Tyler Payne scoring a run
against North Murray.
The Pickens baseball team
continued its early-season
success last week with three
victories to improve to 7-2 on
the year with region play
now set to begin. The Drag
ons continued to display out
standing pitching and timely
hitting while outscoring their
opponents 17-3 on the week.
Pickens started the week
by posting a 3-1 in over Cass
in a well-played contest. The
Dragons banged out seven
hits and played an errorless
game in the field. Freshman
A.J. Rice pitched 5.0 innings
and allowed only two hits
while striking out nine
Colonels to earn the win on
the mound. Junior Connor
Shouse had two hits, scored
two runs and knocked in the
other run to pace the offense.
The Dragons then traveled
to Fannin County for the
week’s second contest and
defeated the Rebels, 7-2.
Shouse started the game on
the mound and pitched 5.0
innings and struck out nine
while allowing only one hit.
Sophomore Cade Sutton
paced the offense with two
hits and two runs scored
while junior catcher Tyler
Payne knocked in a run and
scored another.
Pickens finished off the
week with a 10-0 victory
over visiting North Murray.
The Dragons scored two runs
in the second inning before
blowing the game open with
an eight-run third inning.
Junior James Tilley con
tinued his impressive early-
season work on the mound
by tossing 4.0 innings with
nine strikeouts and only one
hit allowed. Junior J.P. Nunn
pitched the final inning and
struck out three.
Shouse paced the offense
again with two hits and a run
scored while also driving in
three runs.
The region season is now
in full-swing as the Dragons
opened region play earlier
this week with a three-game
set against defending state
champion, Wesleyan. Pick
ens will continue region play
next week with three games
versus White County. The
Dragons will travel to Cleve
land on Tuesday (March 14)
and Friday (March 17) while
hosting the Warriors on
Thursday (March 16) for a
5:55 p.m. first pitch.
PHS Dragons Basketball head
coach stepping down after
five seasons
Mike Duffle, head coach
of the PHS Dragons Basket
ball program is stepping
down in retirement after 3 8
seasons as a basketball
coach, 34 as a head coach.
Coach Duffle amassed 523
wins in his career and led
several programs from
around the state and in Ten
nessee.
Coach Duffle led the
Dragons for five seasons
with a 63-76 overall record.
Coach Duffle’s 2019-2020
season proved to gamer the
most wins with a solid 18-
11 season. The last Dragons
team to reach 18 wins in a
season was the 2010-11
Dragons with a record of
19-10. Coach Duffle also
led the Dragons to a record
four straight state tourna
ment appearances during
his tenure. Coach Duffle
announced his decision to
his team last week. After 38
years courtside, Coach
Duffle will surely hear the
bounce of the ball on the
hardwood come October
whether he is coaching or
not. Congratulations on a
long and impactful career as
a coach.
PHS Junior Wrestling
Dragons
Wrestling related events
for Pickens County wrapped
up with the Junior Dragons
Wrestling team competing in
the Kids State Championship
at Perry over the weekend.
The Junior Dragons had a
great showing and capped off
an exceptional season for
wrestling in Pickens County.
The following wrestlers
placed: STATE CHAMP - Ja
coby Stanley 14u 125; 2nd -
Silas Stanley 1 Ou 80; Novice
3rd - Carleigh Rau 14u 85;
Novice 4th - Dawson Rau
lOu 80; Novice 4th - Grayson
Stewart 8u 68.
State Junior Wrestling
Champ Jacoby Stanley atop
the podium.
Carleigh Rau, left, placed third in her category at the
championship in Perry, Georgia. Dawson Rau, right,
placed fourth.
Wrestling family powerhouse - Brothers Jacoby Stanley,
state champ at left, and Silas Stanley, right, who placed
second at the Kids State Championship in the lOu 85
pound category.
North Georgia Christian Academy basketball teams
triumph at state tournament
Girls’ team L-R: Emmy Beaver, Addison
Nealey, Caroline Walker, Addie Jones, Kylie
Squarini, Julianne Walker, Payton Beaver,
Alaina Murphy, Madison Race, Jaci Hyde.
Boys’ team L-R: Coach Brian Nealey, Walt
Elder, Sawyer Wishon, Gavin Armour, Hemi
Holt, Jonas Proffitt, Marcus Micallef, Jay
Moulton, London Roland, Luke Beaver, Josh
Drennan, Damon Swisher, Coach Jamie
Swisher.
The North Georgia Christian
Academy Varsity Basketball
teams competed at the GCAA
state tournament at Victory
Christian School in Loganville
on February 16-18th.
After a first round by the var
sity Lady Knights took a com
manding lead over the Eastgate
Lady Lions and never looked
back. With the win over Eastgate,
NGCA stamped their ticket to the
state championship game. In the
GCAA single A state champi
onship game the Lady Knights
jumped out to a quick lead over
Bible Baptist. NGCA was able to
control the game throughout and
held on to win the GCAA state
championship. Securing the win
in the state championship game
was the first state title in school
history for NGCA.
The NGCA varsity boys took
to the court in a first round match
up with Peoples Baptist Acad
emy. The Knights jumped out to
an early lead and never looked
back and secured the first round
win. In the semi final game the
Knights faced the Eastgate Lions.
NGCA had an impressive game
and displayed true teamwork on
the court. With the win against
Eastgate the Knights moved on to
the state championship game.
The boys battled hard in the state
championship game and never
gave up but came up just a little
short and finished Runner Up in
the GCAA Single A champi
onship game.
Named to the all tournament
team for NGCA were Luke
Beaver, Payton Beaver, Walt
Elder and Madison Race. Emmy
Beaver was named tournament
MVP for the NGCA Lady
Knights.
Congratulations to these
teams on such a successful sea
son. The future is bright for the
NGCA Basketball program.
Racing Across America
Race Recap - Pennzoil 400
By Alex Korowotny
Racing Sports
Correspondent
Last years’ races at Vegas
were both amazing, so was last
weekend’s race just as exciting
as last year or really boring in
stead?
The race started at 3:52 p.m.
with Logano on pole. Byron
would overtake Logano for the
lead on lap 10. Byron and his
team showed they had the best
car in the race by leading over
half the race. Stages 1 and 2
would also be fairly uneventful
as not only did Byron dominate
both stages, but there was no
caution for incidents for all of
Stage 1 and 2. So for the first
two stages of the race, it was
pretty straightforward. Byron
held the lead after passing
Logano, there was green flag pit
stops, and Byron still held the
lead after pit stops to win the
stage. Stage 2 played out the
same with Byron keeping the
lead off pit road at the end of
Stage 1, and leading all of Stage
2 with Stage 2 going caution-
f r e e
Continued on Page 3B
Sports
Fanatic
By
Tommy
Gartrell
Columnist
“New Rules”
For the 2023 season,
Major League Baseball
made extensive rules
changes which are de
signed to increase the pace
of play and shorten
games.
These new rules, while
not perfect by any means,
have dramatically short
ened spring training base
ball games too. In a league
that has rapidly evolved
into an all (home run) or
nothing (strikeout) situa
tion offensively, the
changes could hasten back
the days of my youth.
Revived nuances of the
sport such as stolen bases,
bunts/sacrifices, hit and
run plays look more likely
now. I should rejoice as an
old school fan, but per
haps an unintended conse
quence is games ending
on umpires’ calls rather
than pitches or traditional
plays.
Many friends have
asked me about these new
rules, so let us look at
them.
No more shift: At the
start of each pitch, teams
must have at least two in
fielders on either side of
second base, with all four
positioned on the infield
dirt. Infielders may not
switch positions unless
there is a substitution.
Less wasted time: There
is a 30-second timer be
tween batters and a time
limit between pitches.
After receiving the ball
from the catcher or um
pire, pitchers are required
to begin their motion
within 15 seconds with the
bases empty or within 20
seconds with runners on
base. If they don't, they're
charged with an automatic
ball.
Hitters also share the re
sponsibility to keep the
game moving. They must
be in the batter's box and
ready for the pitch by the
time the clock reaches 8
seconds. If not, they're
charged with an automatic
strike. A batter can call
time out only once per
plate appearance.
Larger bases: The bases
are now 18 inches square
(previously 15 inches).
That decreases the dis
tance between first, sec
ond and third base by 4.5
inches. (Home plate -
which stays the same size
- to first base is 3 inches
shorter.)
Fewer pickoff attempts:
Pitchers are limited to a
maximum of two pickoff
attempts per plate appear
ance. If a pitcher attempts
a third pickoff throw and
doesn't get the runner out,
it's an automatic balk and
all runners move up one
base.
Permanent “Ghost Run
ner”: While it's not new in
2023, MLB did say this
past offseason it was per
manently implementing a
provision in use since
2020 that every half in
ning after the ninth begins
with a runner on second
base.
While I agree with the
need for many of the
changes, there are a few
which rub me wrong.
Oh well...