C2 THE OCONEE ENTERPRISE DECEMBER 19, 2013
Oconee County sophomore Chance Peden scored 15 points in the Warriors win
over Jackson County. [Photo by Ryne Dennis]
Big second half leads to
by Ryne Dennis
After getting picked apart in the
first half, the Oconee County Lady
Warriors decided to change up the
defense at halftime Friday against
visiting Jackson County.
The change in scheme made all
the difference in the world, as the
Lady Warriors got a crucial 46-38
region victory after holding the
Lady Panthers to just eight second
half points.
“I didn’t realize they didn’t score
that much in the second half, I was
just so focused on us and where we
were,” head coach Jeanette Looney
said. “We decided to stay in the zone
in the second half and that made the
difference.”
Trailing 20-18 in the second quar
ter, Jackson County began clicking
on offense, using flex cuts and
screens against the Oconee County
man-to-man defense to score easy
buckets while ending the first half
on a 12-2 run.
“We wanted to play some man
[defense] because we felt like their
post and their height, if we stayed
behind them, they didn’t have much
of a move,” Looney said. “Then
they started running that offense
where they would cut from the top
and we couldn’t stop it.”
The Lady Warriors would imple
ment the 2-3 zone for the rest of the
contest, eliminating the cuts that
were open through the lane in the
first half.
It led to turnovers from Jackson
County and scoring opportunities
for the Lady Warriors, who took
command of the game after outscor-
ing the Lady Panthers 17-2 in the
OCHS earns win at the free throw line
by Ryne Dennis
Free throw shooting hasn’t been
the Oconee County boys’ strong suit
this season, but the Warriors hit
them when they needed to Friday
night to pull out a 64-56 region win
over Jackson County.
The Warriors made 13 of 16 from
the foul line in the final quarter to
extend a two-point lead with just
under 2 minutes left, to the eight
point margin of victory.
“The free throw shooting, it’s
been no secret, since the first or sec
ond game of the year hasn’t been
good and it’s been especially bad in
the fourth quarter,” head coach
Richard Wehunt said. “In the fourth
quarter we bounced back and took
care of the basketball, took some
good shots and made our free
throws.”
Oconee County trailed 44-43
going into the final quarter, but took
the lead back for good with 5:19
remaining when James Howell hit a
jumper.
The Warriors continued to play
solid defense and were able to
extend the lead over the final two
minutes, as Jalen Bonds stepped to
the line to go 4-for-4 and Howell
knocked down 3 of 4 to give OCHS
a seven point lead with just 35 sec
onds left.
With the game in hand, Howell
stole a ball at half court and took it
in for the exclamation point dunk as
time expired.
Chance Peden led the Warriors
with 15 points, 11 of which came in
the first half. He was 3-for-3 at the
Lady Warriors’ victory
third quarter, sparked by three 3-
point baskets from Melissa Weiler.
“It looked like she cranked it up in
the third,” Looney said of Weiler. “I
talked to her at halftime and I told
her she was playing the best defense
she’d played all year. But we need
some offense now.”
With the lead, OCHS tried to stall
the game in the fourth quarter and it
looked like it could cost them as
they didn’t score until 1:32 remain
ing in the game on a Taylor
Andrews free throw.
But Jackson County could pull no
closer than four points and the Lady
Warriors knocked down enough free
throws down the stretch to pull out
the victory.
“That was probably our best team
win,” Looney said. “I think it was
better than that East Jackson win
because of the effort and the leader
ship we had out there, it’s all starting
to pick up.”
Overall the Lady Warriors con
nected on nine 3-pointers on the
night, with Weiler connecting for
five of the nine.
She led the team with 15 points,
all behind the 3-point arc. Alley
Howell and Maria Cololancia added
seven while Jenna Bradberry
pitched in six points off the bench.
The Lady Warriors picked up
region win No. 3 on the season
Saturday, as they blasted Hart
County 61-39, improving to 4-7 and
3-1 in region 8-AAA.
OCHS will host Jefferson tonight
with games beginning at 7 p.m. and
then will be off for the winter break
until they play again at Madison
County Jan. 4.
free throw line on the day.
“Chance is just a sophomore and
he’s great at driving the ball to the
basket and he’s a really capable
shooter,” Wehunt said. “He’s got a
pretty complete offensive game, and
he’s pretty good at taking the ball to
the basket and he got his confidence
back with his free throw shooting.”
The win improved the Warriors to
6-4 overall and 2-1 in the region at
the end of the day in a region that
Wehunt feels is up for grabs outside
of top 10 Morgan County.
“I’m quickly learning that there is
just not an easy region game
whether you’re home or away,”
Wehunt said.
“Outside of Morgan County,
there’s just not another top 10 team.
Two through eight, and ‘maybe
Elbert County has a little advantagi
on the rest of us, but you could prob
ably just pull a name out of the hat a
this point.”
That alone made Saturday night’
74-69 loss to Hart County seen
much more important, as th<
Warriors blew a nine point lead wit!
under 1:30 left to force overtime
The Bulldogs ran away with over
time, outscoring OCHS 9-4.
Peden led the Warriors with 21
points while Connor Johnson anc
Bonds each scored 14 points. Th(
Warriors will take their 6-5 recon
into a non-region game tonigh
against Jefferson, which is set to ti[
around 8:30 p.m.
Oconee County will then be of
for winter break until they fac<
Morgan County on the road Jan. 4.
Oconee County sophomore Jenna Bradberry scored six points off the bench ir
the Lady Warriors win over Jackson County Friday. [Photo by Ryne Dennis]
Prince Avenue sophomore Rob Kraeling scored 15 points against George
Walton Academy Saturday. [Photo by Ryne Dennis]
PACS takes
tough loss
to Bulldogs
by Ryne Dennis
At times Prince Avenue looks like
a team that could be hard to handle,
with solid shooting and a post game
that would be hard to match.
But with a youthful squad and lit
tle practice because of football sea
son, about all head coach Richard
Ricketts could say after a 60-35 loss
to George Walton Academy was
“We’ll get there.”'
“They played a great second half,”
Ricketts said of George Walton,
“and it was one of those things
where everything they did was right
and everything we did was wrong,
but we’ll get there.”
The Wolverines came out with a
plan in the first quarter and they exe
cuted well, leading the contest 13-11
while getting the ball in to Rob
Kraeling who had eight points after
the first period. •
But then the youthful nature of the
bunch took over as PACS scored
only seven second quarter points and
got away from what was working.
“In the first quarter we ran our
offense and did what we wanted to
do and then after that it’s like we
lose our minds,” Ricketts said.
“We’re a young and inexperienced
team and they’ve got to be able to
see what’s going to make us suc
cessful, but we’ll get there.”
Much of the same happened the
rest of the way, as GWA outscored
the Wolverines 13-8 in the third
quarter and 16-7 in the fourth quar
ter to pull out the decisive victory.
Kraeling led the Wolverines with
15 points, 11 of which came in the
first half.
Connor Sibley added 10 points
and Matt Allen pitched in six.
“My post kids are coming along
pretty good and I thought they
stopped working quite as hard in the
second half, but we’ve got to do a
better job of getting them in the
offense and not so wild and crazy,
but we’ll get there,” Ricketts said.
With the loss, PACS is now 1-3 on
the season, with the one victory
coming against Taliaferro County
47-44 two weeks ago.
The Wolverines will play in
Lincoln County’s Christmas
Tournament Friday and Saturday
and then will be off until Jan. 3 when
they travel to Athens Christian for
an 8:30 tipoff.
Titan Tide win swim meet at Ramsey
by Derek Wiley
Returning to the pool for the first
time in almost a month, North
Oconee placed first overall out of 13
teams Saturday at the Ramsey
Center.
The Titan Tide were led by their
girls squad, who took first. The boys
finished fifth.
Paced by its boys, who took first,
Oconee County placed second over
all behind NOHS.
The girls finished third for the
Water Warriors.
Competing for NOHS were Anna
Rose Moore, who swam a state qual
ifying time in the 200-yard freestyle,
which was good enough for second
place in the event.
Moore also took first in the 500
free and swam on the winning 200
medley relay team.
Also on that relay team were
Caroline Allen, who placed first in
the 50 free and second in the 100
free, Megan Measel, who was sec
ond in the 100 butterfly and second
in the 100 breaststroke, and Mae
McWhorter, who was second in the
200 IM.
Measel qualified in the 100 fly and
100 breaststroke for state.
McWhorter qualified in the 200 IM
and 100 backstroke.
Alexis Shirley, who qualified for
state in the 200 freestyle also placed
third in the 100 fly.
Emma Lowring finished third in
the 200 IM, Lyndsey Kalessa was
third in the 100 free and Eliza
Petersen placed third in the 500 free
for the Titan Tide.
Leading the boys, Dylan Kalessa
swam on the 200 medley relay team,
which took second, and finished
third in the 100 breaststroke, which
he also qualified in for state.
The Water Warriors won nine
individual events and placed second
in five others.
Annie Williamson took first in the
200 free and 100 backstroke.
Danielle Della Torre finished first in
the 200 IM and 100 fly.
Robert Wylie was first in the 200
IM and 500 free. Caroline
McElhannon placed first in the 100
breaststroke.
Britt Edelen and Katie Knight won
the 1-meter diving.
Evan Brock placed second in the
200 IM, Jon McGahee took second
in the 100 breaststroke and Aidan
Brook was second in the 500 free.
Jack Edelen and Jenny Deal came
in second in the 1-meter diving.
Oconee’s girls also won and qual
ified two relays for state, the 200
and 400 free.
The boys placed third in both the
200 and 400 free relay.
Wylie swam state qualifying times
in the 200 IM and 500 free. Mateme
qualified in the 200 IM, Aidan
Brook in the 500 free, Jon McGahee
in the 100 breastroke and Britt
Edelen in the 1-meter diving.
Williamson qualified for state in
the 200 free and 100 backstroke.
Della Torre qualified in the 100 but
terfly and 200 IM.
Both the Titan Tide and Water
Warriors will return to the Ramsey
Center this Saturday.
Talented GWA too much for Prince
by Ryne Dennis
Prince Avenue’s girls basketball
squad ran into a tough challenge
Saturday, - as George Walton
Academy’s stingy defense forced
the Lady Wolverines into numerous
turnovers en route to a 50-30 Lady
Bulldogs victory.
“I told our girls that they were
going to come with pressure,
they’re just a very veteran team and
they’ve got some great players,”
head coach Katie Gilbert said.
“We’ve struggled this year with
Anna Machovec, our senior point
guard being out.”
George Walton used a half court
trap to force the Lady Wolverines
into tough spots along the sidelines,
which led to easy baskets the other
way for GWA.
But with a senior like Machovec
out of the lineup for the time being,
it’s understandable why the Lady
Wolverines could struggle some
early in the season.
“We’re asking Peyton Howell to
play out of position and then bring
ing a freshman in off the bench to
run point, so we’re just a young
team,” Gilbert said.
“I told the girls I was happy with
their hustle, I was happy with their
effort, we’ve just got to get a little
PACS senior Bethany Campbell
scored nine points against George
Walton. [Photo by Ryne Dennis]
better competitive fire out there.”
PACS was only able to score
three points in the first quarter and
two more in the second quarter as
they trailed 24-5 at the half.
Trailing 40-13 after three quar
ters, the Lady Wolverines made a
little bit of a push late in the game,
led by Bethany Campbell’s eigh
fourth quarter points.
“I was proud of the way the girls
hung in there and never quit, bu;
we’ve got some things we have tc
iron out before we continue in the
region,” Gilbert said.
Campbell led PACS with nine
points and Jordyn Smith addec
eight.
Gilbert got the point across to he:
squad that the loss was not the enc
of the world for PACS, as they have
started out region play 2-1 and are
4-3 on the season.
Especially a loss to a team that is
favored to win the region and possi
bly compete for a state champi
onship.
“We’re 2-1 in the region anc
we’re beating the teams we set ou
to beat and today was kind of a eye
opening experience,” Gilbert said
“I told them that we were playing
against a senior-laden team with ;
couple Division I players on the
team and we’re young.”
Prince Avenue Christian will pla>
in the Lincoln County Christmas
Tournament this weekend and ther
will take Christmas break off before
returning to region play agains
Athens Christian on the road Jan. ;
to start the new year.
Patriots win football title
After earning the No. 2 seed in the 9 and 10 year old Lake Area Football League playoffs, the Patriots, representing the
Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department, advanced all the way to the title game where they defeated Morgan
County 13-6 to bring home the championship trophy. The Patriots won a nail biter by one point with a fourth quarter
stand over an undefeated Jasper County team in the semifinals. [Submitted photo]
