About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2024)
SPORTS Bill MurphySports Editor I 770-718-3415 I sports@gainesvilletimes.com Sftncs gainesvilletimes.com Weekend Edition-March 22-23, 2024 HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL Photos by David Friedlander The Times Gainesville’s Smith McGarvey delivers a pitch during the Red Elephants’ Region 8-6A game against Lanier on March 20 at Ivey-Watson Field in Gainesville. Red Elephants struggle in 5-2 loss to Lanier in region BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com Wednesday's Region 8-4A contest against Lanier was just one of those days for the Gaines ville baseball team. But the way head coach Cris Carpenter sees it, the Red Ele phants' 5-2 loss to the Longhorns at Ivey-Watson field was just part of the continuing learning process for his still young team. “That's what's beautiful about the game,'' Carpenter said after Gainesville fell to 6-9 overall and 3-5 in region play just two days after beating the same Lanier team 8-0 in Sugar Hill. “It's part of baseball. We've just got to keep playing." There were bright spots for the Red Elephants, such as a 2-for-2 day, including a double and a walk, from Asher Stephens, RBI hits from Cooper Reid and Bax ter Wright, a solid start on the mound from Smith McGarvey, who allowed four hits and two unearned runs with four strike outs in four innings. However, there were also mis takes that proved costly, including defensive lapses in the top of the second and sixth innings which Lanier (8-11, 4-4) capitalized on for two runs in each frame. Gainesville also went just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position on the afternoon and stranded seven baserunners in all. “What we told the guys was that we got a little big and tried to do too much instead of focusing on hitting line drives,” Carpenter said. “The word is consistency. We're just continuing the first year of getting to know these guys and them getting to know us. Really, I don't think we've had the same line up (two games in a row) the whole year. We keep moving guys in, giving guys a chance and seeing what we've got. ... We've got to keep work ing. We've still got a chance to make a run.” The Red Elephants fell behind in the second when Lanier turned a pair of errors, one of which came on a throw to first follow ing a third strike in the dirt that See Baseball 12C Gainesville’s Smith McGarvey takes a swing during the Red Elephants’ Region 8-6A baseball game against Lanier on March 20 at Ivey-Watson Field in Gainesville. HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ‘I FELT AT HOME’ Chris Dunn for The Times Anna Claire Atha, pictured cheering on her Starr’s Mill team during the Class 4A state quar terfinals earlier this month, is set to become the new head girls basketball coach at North Hall, pending approval by Hall County Schools. Atha selected as new girls hoops coach at North Hall BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com After only about a week of searching, North Hall's varsity girls basketball program appar ently has a new head coach. The school announced via Twitter late Wednesday night that Anna Claire Atha, who has guided Starr's Mill to deep state tournament runs the past two seasons, has been chosen to lead the Lady Trojans program, pending approval from Hall County Schools. “I'm super excited,” Atha said when contacted Thursday morn ing. “I'm really looking forward to the opportunity.” Atha, 25, is a 2017 graduate of Darlington School and played college basketball on the Divi sion I level at Wofford, as well as the Division II level at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. She began her coaching career during the 2022-23 season, when she took over a Starr's Mill program that had won just 11 wins combined in the previ ous two seasons and guided it to a 19-10 record and berth in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs, earning her Coach of the Year honors form the Fay ette County News. The Panthers followed up with an even more success ful season in 2023-24 by going 22-8 and advancing to the state quarterfinals. As excited as Atha is to come to North Hall, the school's ath letics directory Sam Borg is equally excited to bring her into the program. “Anna Claire was someone we were excited to pursue, and when we brought her in (to interview), you could just feel that she was the perfect fit for us, and (that) she felt the same way about North Hall,” Borg said. “Her influence is going to push our whole athletic program forward as our players, coaches and community fall in love with basketball together. “She did a great job at Starr's Mill, and we're blessed that she and her fiance are ready to call North Hall home.” The North Hall program has enjoyed quite a bit of success over the past decade. That success includes a com bined 37-18 record, two straight runner-up finishes in the Lani- erland tournament and a berth in the 2023 Class 4A state tour nament over the past two sea son under outgoing coach Eric Herrick, who stepped down last week to accept a coaching job in another school system. Atha said that foundation - along with the return key play ers from this past season's 16-9 team, including full- or part-time starters like Athena Vachtseva- nos, Genesis Satterfield, Zara Gosse and Martha Vachtsevanos - made the opportunity at North Hall an appealing one. “I definitely think (that) when I took over the program at Starr's Mill, ... that was most definitely a (building job),” Atha said. “(But) I don't think North Hall is in that same situation. I think there are already pieces to be successful, which I'm really excited about. “The younger, middle school (feeder) group is a really good group. Coach Herrick is a good friend of mine, and I know he's done a good job and the program is in great shape. I'm excited to take over a program that has such a history of success and I think has the pieces in the years to come to be really successful.” As excited as she is about the See Atha 12C COLLEGE BASKETBALL LAKE LANIER FISHING REPORT UNG tops Lander, reaches Elite Eight in Division II BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com After dropping both regular season games to Peach Belt Conference rival Lander, the third time turned out to be the charm for North Georgia's men's basket ball team in the NCAA Division II South east Regional championship game. The result was a historic 70-67 victory Tuesday night before 3,767 fans at the Lynn Cottrell Arena at the UNG Convo cation Center. Sophomore Cayden Charles led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds to not only helped the 14th-ranked Night- hawks (28-6) capture their first regional title, but also send them to their first trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, which begins next Tuesday in Evansville, Ind. Three other players scored in double figure for UNG, with Cohn Turner (five rebounds) and Giancarlo Bastianoni each finishing with 15 points, while Frank Champion chipping in 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists. See UNG12C Photo courtesy UNG Media Relations University of North Georgia sopho more guard Cayden Charles slams home a dunk in the Nighthawks’ 86-70 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional semifinals victory against Catawba College on March 17 in Dahlonega. Fish biting as spring arrives BY ERIC ALDRICH For The Times Lake Lanier's water level is above full pool at 1071.59 which is almost 0.41 feet above the normal full pool of 1071. Main lake temperatures are in the upper 50s with some of the water in the pockets warming into the low 60s on sunny, warm afternoons. The main lake and creek mouths down lake are clear to slightly stained. The backs of the creeks as well as the lake going into the rivers are stained to very stained. The Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam is clear and the trout continue to bite well below Buford Dam. Bass: Spring has officially arrived! The flowers are blooming and the fish are bit ing up shallow where they're easy to target. Bass fishing overall has been very good this past week. Lots of meth ods will work as the fish move shallow into their spawning areas. Pick your favorite method and you'll probably catch a few on what you're throwing! If you read these reports regularly, it's no secret what my favorite weapon will be for catching bass of shallow. A1/8 oz Gamakatsu Alien Head rigged with a straight tail finesse Fruity Worm from Lanier Baits is all I need this week. Cast or skip these offer ings up around docks, rocky areas or shallow ditches. Also pay attention to any type of cover you see like trees laying in the water or even hard struc tures like dock cable blocks and bridge pilings. Finesse worms rigged on a shaky head is a great way for young and old people alike to catch fish. If fishing a worm is too slow for you, don't be afraid to try other methods. The SPRO RkCrawler crank bait is an excellent lure to use when the bass are moving into their spawning areas. Throw this crawfish colored lure up around the same areas as you would work a shaky head. Just crank this lure with a slow steady retrieve. These lures of surprisingly weedless and will crawl over rocks and even lay downs but you have to fish them slowly. When you crank bait stops, don't try to pull it too hard from the snag but instead give it some slack and usually the lure will float up and you can reel it over the obstruction. It may sound crazy but when water temperatures start to hover around the 60 degree mark, topwater lures may even come into play. Work a Georgia blade Premium Buzz Bait or a popper like a SPRO E-Pop 80 top water lure to ply the shallows and coax bites from aggressive fish. Top water lures will work well to catch the bigger fish that are both hungry and protecting their nests. Don’t fish these lures too fast. Fish the buzz See Lanier 12C
