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PAGE 2B - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS - WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 20.2008
Chase Crawford looks for an opening in the fell to Social Circle in the Region 8-ATournament
Social Circle defense as the Commerce Tigers Wednesday night.
— Indians Too Much For Tigers To Handle
Cont. from Page IB
Region 8-A tournament, 51-24, by
Social Circle.
Lakeview Academy ended up
winning the tournament.
“We probably looked as bad as
they looked good," said Bridges,
whose Tigers ended the season
at 5-15. “We picked a bad time to
play our worst game."
In addition to not shooting well
— a season-long problem for Com
merce — the Tigers “didn’t do the
things we talked about doing" on
defense, giving up numerous sec
ond shots.
Taylor Gary’s nine points was
high for the Tigers. Jake Flint
added six, Torrence Wilcher four,
Brandon Romans and Matt Ad
ams two each and Cameron Bill
ings one.
Next Year
Bridges will return two starters,
Chase Crawford and T. Green,
next season. Also coming back
are Matt Adams, Drake Cash,
Cameron Billings and Wilcher,
who will all be seniors.
“Hopefully, all of the freshman
class will be back," Bridges add
ed.
The Tigers will get three and a
half weeks of practice in late May
and early June.
“We’re going to work on our de
fense. We’re going to change and
try to press more. I think we’ll
be a little quicker," the coach
said. “We will continue to try to
improve our execution. Basically,
I had to throw so much at them
because we changed so much
that they were still learning at the
end."
Top Gymnast
Skylar Arnston of Commerce
was judged the first place
all-around champion of the
Mardi Gras Invitational gym
nastics meet last weekend at
Life University, Marietta. She
placed first on the balance
beam and uneven bars (where
she scored a personal best of
9.70) and second on the vault.
Her overall score of 37.175
was also a personal best.
706-354-1539 • Epps Bridge Pkwy.
(Across from Super WalMart)
Cont. from Page IB
was a good feat for us."
Two Tigers won area champi
onships. They were Doug Mal-
och at 112 pounds and Phillip
Edwards at 145.
Jon Cash, wrestling at 135,
came close, losing 5-1 in the fi
nals to Elliott of Jefferson and
winning second place.
“That’s as close as he’s wrestled
him all year. He wrestled a great
match," Love observed.
Four other Tigers reached the
finals as well.
Thomas Sears, at 152, placed
second. He was pinned by Jef
ferson’s Jay Fowler, a return
ing state champ, in the finals.
Chase Bowen, 189, lost to a state
runner-up from Social Circle in
the finals to win second place.
Addison Davis, 103, fell in the
in a 10-6 decision to take second
place. Terrance Martin, at 160,
also won second.
Finishing third were Casey
Drinkard at 125 and Nick
Arostegui at 130.
Forth-place winners included
Tyler Austin, 171; and Andrew
Minish, 215.
Dillon Desean finished fifth at
119 and Baxter Barnes, wrestling
with a fractured foot, was fifth
at heavyweight. JV team mem
ber Cole Ledford filled in and
placed fifth. “He wrestled well,"
Love noted.
“Realistically, if we’d had every
body healthy, I feel like we could
have qualified 14," said Love.
“We went with what we had
and I couldn’t be more proud of
them."
— Sending 11 To State
Banks County
Sportsman’s
Banquet
at Banks County High School
Saturday, March 1, 6:30 p.m.
Free Bar-B-Que and stew meal
Door prizes plus
Grand Prize of One DeerHunting trip
to Illinois Donated by
Rut and Strut Outfitters
Guest Speaker outdoor professional
Joey Hancock
No charge for the event-Need ticket to attend
Tickets available at
Shuler’s at Banks Crossing
or Southern Outdoors
2 Miles north of Banks Crossing on Hwy. 441
—Even For 65 Minutes Against Hart Co.
Cont. from Page IB
ball to midfielder Abby Adams,
who nudged it into the net with
her left foot for the score.
Roller made some lineup chang
es after the first 15 minutes.
“Defensive guard Kayla Sipes
and sweeper Chelsa Kyst started
marking and blocking Hart’s
forwards from doing as they
pleased," he said. “Midfielder
Aubrey Cozzens dropped to de
fense to help her sister, keeper
Larisa Cozzens, on the back side
and used strong kicks to get us
out of trouble."
Roller noted that Hart had the
better team, but that the Eagles
hustled and had some chances
to score.
“We just couldn’t finish the
play," he said.
Roller praised the play of strik
er Brittany Blackwell and that
of Sarah Daftarian, and said
Katie McEver and Sadie Staples
played well on defense in the sec
ond half.
The Lady Eagles will play at
North Oconee Thursday at 5:00.
The boys’ game will follow imme
diately.
Lions 1-Eagles 0
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the
Eagles came out on the short end
of a 1-0 contest with Franklin
County.
“It was a very competitive
game," said coach Emily Guner-
son. “The wind was a factor for
both teams. It was a defensive
battle with Chelsea Kyst, Court
ney Wainwright, Brittany Black-
well, Katie McEver, Sadie Staples
and Kayla Sipes playing solidly
on defense."
Gunderson said keeper Larisa
Cozzens had 19 goal stops and
praised midfielders Aubrey Coz
zens, Abby Adams and Dakota
Chandler for aggressive play on
both offense and defense. For
wards Bre Standridge and Jazmin
Flores had several goal attempts.
— Strange Ending To Eagles' First Season
Cont. from Page IB
“There was a lot of disappoint
ment, and a lot of tears in the
dressing room," the coach con
tinued . “We felt like we were one
of the better teams, but we didn’t
get the job done."
Nonetheless, Turner said he
was proud of his team.
“They should be proud of those
18 wins," he said. “And the com
munity really stepped up behind
them. We had a huge crowd
Wednesday night, and I thank
them for supporting us.
“I’m extremely proud of what
we accomplished the first year,
and we’ve got a good core group
coming back, including our two
leading scorers, Kolby, Gilbert
and Brandon Garrett. Standrick
Stephens is also coming back.
I’m really pleased with the group
coming back. I hate to say good
bye to the seniors, but they start
ed this program, and that’s some
thing they can be proud of and
the community can be proud of
for years to come."
Garrett led the offense with
19 points; K. Gilbert added 12,
Stephens and Rucker scored 11
each, Evan Williamson and Zak
Pearson added four apiece, and
Zach Gilbert scored two.
Getting There
Half The Fun
Advancing to the second round
was just as exciting — and had a
better ending — as the Eagles out
lasted Union County Tuesday
night, Feb. 12, 63-60 in another
nail-biter. This time, it was Union
County’s three-pointer to tie that
missed the mark.
Union led 16-12 after one pe
riod, 31-29 at the half and 48-43
after three quarters.
The Eagles caught the Panthers
and went up by one with under a
minute left and Brandon Garrett
was at the foul line. He missed
the shot, but K. Gilbert got the
rebound and put it in to put the
Eagles up by three.
“They took a three, and we
fouled the shooter," said Turner.
“They missed the first foul shot
and made the next two, so it
was 61-60. They fouled Brandon
Rucker and he made both shots.
Then they come down, shoot a
three and miss, but the ball is out
on us. They shoot long again and
miss."
Game over.
Stephens scored 19 points,
including five three-pointers,
coming off the bench. Garrett
added 16, K. Gilbert 12, Rucker
eight, Pearson six and Z. Gil
bert two.
4 Lady Eagles Earn Subregion Honors
Four East Jackson Lady Eagles made the 8-AA North
All-Subregion team.
Dane Gaillard was named to the first team; Autumn Wil
banks, Marley Pullian and Dynelle Todman made honor
able mention.
Other first-team members included Sarah Fulghum, Kay
la Gowder and Leslie Bittenbinder, all of Union County;
Amber Satterfield and Holly Cochran of Fannin County;
Bristol Gibson, Rabun County; Katie Lebel and Amanda
Daley, both of Dawson County; and Andrea Hunter,
Banks County.
Others receiving honorable mention honors included
Kaley Sullivan, Union County; Rebekah Adams, Steph
anie Anderson and Kelly Lance, all of Fannin County;
Jamie Franklin, Jennifer Savage and Marina DeFoor, all
of Rabun County; Katelyn Westbrook and Rachel Biddy,
both of Dawson County; and Lauren Kennedy and Lacey
Saxon, both of Banks County.
Mike West of Union County was the “coach of the year"
and Candace Williams, Union County, was voted most
valuable player.
East Jackson’s Dane Gaillard was
named to the 8-AA North All Subregion
team.
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