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The Commerce News
Sports
CONTACT US: Brandon Reed / brandon@mainstreetnews.com / (706) 367-5233 or (706) 335-2927
CHS Football
1B
THE COMMERCE (GA.) NEWS
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 21, 2007
Season Ends On Penalty-Induced Field Goal
Hail Mary Pass, Penalty Lift Gordon
Lee To An Improbable 16-14 Victory
The week before the Com
merce Tigers traveled to Chick-
amauga for the playoffs, Coach
Steve Savage commented that
his Tigers would have to elimi
nate turnovers and penalties to
win the game.
As it turned out, a pair of late
penalties — questionable calls
to somewhat prejudiced Tiger
fans — allowed the Gordon Lee
Trojans to kick a 31-yard field
goal with no time on the clock
to send the Tigers home 16-14
losers.
“They snatched victory from
the jaws of defeat,” Savage said
of the unusual circumstances
that led to a climatic finish.
Commerce, down 7-0 at the
half, had tied the game on an
80-yard drive on its first pos
session of the second half, then
Gordon Lee drove 63 yards on
its second position — aided by
a roughing--the-passer penalty
that was a harbinger of things to
come — to go up 13-7 with 10:30
left in the game. The extra point
kick sailed wide.
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Defensive coordinator Marvin Justice encourages his troops.
The Tiger defense stopped the Trojans four times on fourth
down.
Almost in: Quarterback Reuben Haynes is yard line. He scored on the next play for the
forced out of bounds at the Gordon Lee one- Tigers’ first touchdown of the evening.
Commerce responded with
its second TD, driving 80 yards
again on 11 plays before quar
terback Reuben Haynes tied the
game with a two-yard run and
Cameron Billings’ extra point
put Commerce ahead 14-13.
That should have been it.
The Trojans drove from their
own 34 down to the Tiger 25,
but the game-winning field goal
attempt sailed wide right from
32 yards.
The Tigers took over with 59
seconds left, but after manag
ing only eight yards on three
plays, had to punt with 13 sec
onds left.
That’s when things unraveled.
“That number seven came fly
ing up there and dove on the
ball,” said Savage. “That was a
heads-up play. If he hadn’t done
that, time would have run out.”
Gordon Lee had the ball at
midfield and time for one des
peration pass. Here’s how Sav
age saw it:
“They had a bad snap and the
kid threw it up for grabs, and
they threw a roughing-the-pass-
er flag on us. We tipped the ball
twice, it bounced off one of our
heads and into their hands. We
tackled them on the 28.”
The game should have been
over. But a Gordon Lee player
spiked the ball, some pushing
ensued and two more penalties
were called, one on each side,
for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Those penalties offset, and
the referees tacked the rough-
ing-the-passer penalty onto the
end of the play, putting the ball
on the Tiger 14 with no time on
the clock.
Gordon Lee’s kicker, who had
missed a point after, a 37-yard
attempt in the first half and the
32-yard attempt moments ear
lier, split the uprights, sending
the Trojans onto the field in cel
ebration.
“I was watching their kicker in
the pre-game warm-ups,” Savage
said. “He could kick the fool out
Linebacker Josh Streetman
had a big night with seven
tackles and 14 assists.
of it. It didn’t surprise me that
he made it.”
The comeback spoiled what
might have been the Tiger de
fense’s best game of the year.
While the offense struggled in
the first half (zero points), the
defense had three fourth-down
stops, including a goal-line
stand.
“The defense played well all
night. They played scrappy and
hard and came ready to play,”
Savage said .
None played better than line
backer Josh Streetman, who re
corded seven solo tackles and
14 assists.
“Streetman played a heck of
a game,” Savage noted. “Doug
Please Turn to Page 3B
From Eagle To Bearcat
Hayley Leissner Signs
Scholarship With Lander
By Brandon Reed
East Jackson Lady Eagles
pitching standout Hayley Leiss-
ner signed on Tuesday to a soft
ball scholarship with Lander
University in Greenwood, SC.
Leissner said a trip to the cam
pus helped her decide to be
come a Bearcat.
“I really like the atmosphere
up there,” she said. “I met some
of the girls and they were really
nice . It just seemed like a place I
would want to be at.”
Leissner says she feels Lander
has a good softball program.
“They have a new coach this
year,” she said. “I know before
they had a coach for 25 or so
years, so they’re starting fresh.
From what I’ve heard, they’re
supposed to have a good pro
gram.”
The Bearcats had a 15-41 over
all record last year, according to
the Lander web site.
Leissner says it’s amazing to
come off of a successful year
with the Lady Eagles and get
ready to move to a college pro
gram.
“I love it,” she said. “Start
ing off this year, nobody really
knew what was going to hap
pen. We ended up having a great
turnout, which was very excit
ing. Now, having the scholarship
also added onto it — it’s great.”
She ended the 2007 season
with a 0.25 ERA, striking out
over 300 batters on the way
to the AA-North sectionals in
Rome.
East Jackson head softball
coach Jason Rainey says Leiss-
ner defiantly understands how
to be a team leader.
“She’s a team player most of
all,” Rainey said. “Obviously,
she’s a real good player. But, as
far as being a teammate, and be
ing in a leadership role, I’d say
that’s where she excelled. That
separates her from a lot of other
good players.”
Rainey said Leissner was an
important part of the Lady Ea
gles’ successful first year.
“She was very important, not
only because of her talent, but
because we always could fall
back on her if we needed to,” he
said. “And always is a lot. She
was the only girl that we had
that had been to sectionals. So,
she offered a lot of experience
to our team. She was very im
portant.”
Leissner says the person that
helped her the most this past
year was a close member of her
family, her sister and teammate,
Keegan Leissner.
“She was always there for me,
and I could always count on her,”
Hayley said. “She played center-
field, so I could always just turn
around and see her there. I knew
I could count on her, as well as
everybody on my team. But, I
really depended on her as well,
I guess because she’s my little
sister.”
Leissner’s senior year certainly
has been a big one. Along with
her success on the mound and
the Lander scholarship, she was
named homecoming queen at
the East Jackson football game
Nov. 9.
“I love it,” she said. “I don’t
think it could get any better.
Maybe it could, but I love it so
much. I never would have ex
pected it at all.”
“I think she’ll do great,” Rain
ey predicted. “I had a good
feeling about her the whole
time. I think she’ll have an op
portunity to start up there. If
she doesn’t, I have no doubt
in my mind that she’ll find her
way in there somehow. That’s
just the way she is. I think she’ll
do a great job.”
Leissner says she plans to ma
jor in pre-physical therapy, or
sports medicine at Lander.
East Jackson senior Hayley Leissner signed standout completed her 2007 season with a
this week to a softball scholarship with Lander 0.25 ERA, recording over 300 strikeouts.
University in Greenwood, SC. The pitching