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The Commerce News
Sports
CONTACT US: Brandon Reed / brandon@mainstreetnews.com / (706) 367-5233 or (706) 335-2927
EJCHS Football
Eagles Hit The Field For Spring Practice
By Brandon Reed
Spring football practice got
under way for the East Jackson
Eagles last week, as around
120 kids came out, according
to head football coach Frank
Caputo.
Caputo said of those, about 82
are returning from last year.
In their initial spring practice
last year, Caputo said 95 to 98
kids came out as the Eagles pre
pared for their inaugural foot
ball season.
With their sophomore season
ahead, the Eagles are working
to see what shape they will be
in when the summer months
roll around.
“We’re basically just looking
and working on fundamentals,
and trying to figure out who will
be where when summer starts,"
Caputo said. “But we’re working
on our fundamentals, our block
ing, our tackling, catching, run
ning, that kind of thing."
Caputo says he’s seen improve
ment over the past year.
“We’re moving along," he said.
“I’m not going to say we look
like world beaters or anything
East Jackson players worked on the funda
mentals of the game this past Wednesday as
spring football practice continued. Eagles coach
like that, but we’re definitely
improving. We’ve definitely
seen some improvement over
last year."
Frank Caputo says practice is scheduled to run
through this week. Photo by Brandon Reed
ers to step up in 2008, and try
to move the program forward.
Spring practice wraps up on
Friday.
The Eagles went 5-5 in their
first season. With the loss of
nine seniors, the team will be
looking towards its rising play-
EJCHS Baseball
Robertson Resigns As EJCHS Head Coach
Mrs. Norris, and my daughter
loves going to school there. We
came up here with the idea in
mind that this is a great place to
raise a family, and we still feel
that way. Just because things
didn’t work out for me does
not put any bad taste with us
for the Jackson County School
System. We love it here, and we
love what they’re doing here."
Robertson said his experienc
es at EJCHS have made him a
better teacher.
“I was struggling a little bit
because I came from a self con
tained autistic classroom down
in Henry County. Basically, I
really wasn’t teaching any aca
demics. It was more life skills
and daily living skills. So it
took me a bit to get into the
swing of things as far as being
in a regular classroom where
I have to teach an academic
content area. I struggled with
that early, but the principal of
instruction and Dr. Stueck were
very supportive of me, and got
me to where I knew what was
Eagles head baseball coach David Robertson smiles after a dis
cussion with an umpire during East Jackson’s final game of the
season against Rabun County. Robertson says neither the team’s
record or his players’ parents had anything to do with his desision
to resign from his position at the end of the year.
Photo by Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
East Jackson Comprehensive
High School will look for a new
baseball coach for next year.
David Robertson resigned as
head baseball coach for the
East Jackson Eagles earlier
this season. Robertson led the
first-year team to a 7-17 overall
record, and 6-13 in the region.
He is quick to point out that
it’s not the record that made
him make this decision.
“I’m not going to point fingers
at people, because I feel that’s
what cowards do," Robertson
said. “I’m not a coward. I’m
not going to sit here and say it
was this person’s fault or that
person’s fault. It was a decision
that I made based on some
things that had been happening
to me."
Robertson also wanted to
make it clear that it was not a
fault of the team parents.
“That seems to be the number
one thing I keep hearing, and
that’s not the case," he said. “I
had those parents’ full support
from the minute I walked onto
this campus last summer, and I
still have a lot of their support.
“It was solely a decision my
wife and I made. The parents
didn’t run me out, the record
didn’t run me out."
Robertson said he had a lot of
fun coaching the Eagles in their
inaugural season.
“I can’t even put into the words
how much fun I had," he said. “I
think that helped me bond with
these players. They know me
as someone who is hard but
fair. They know they can joke
around with me, as I do with
them, but they also know when
it’s time to go to work. I hate
that they only got to spend one
season with me, because we
did have a lot of fun, off and on
the field."
Despite his resignation from
EJCHS, Robertson said he
would still be around.
“My wife and my little girl
and I love this community," he
said. “My wife works at East
Jackson Elementary School for
going on in a learning focus
school. For that, I am very, very
grateful. It has made me a bet
ter teacher."
Through the adversity,
Robertson says the things that
have happened will make him a
better coach.
“That’s a big positive that came
out of this year. I told (the play
ers) from the beginning that
there’s something special going
on at this school. I just hate that
I can’t be a part of it."
Auto Racing
Atlanta Dragway Racer Grabs 'Pinks All Out' Prize
By Tim Glover
The popular Speed TV show, 'Pinks All Out,’ came to Atlanta
Dragway this past weekend to tape an episode of its series. Well
over 20,000 spectators (a one-day attendance figure rivaled only
by the NHRA Southern Nationals) packed the grandstands on
both sides of the track. Fans received their money’s worth dur
ing the event, which featured nearly 500 “little guy" racers vying
for a spot in the 16-car field that the show revolves around.
Event winner Paul Smith Jr., an Atlanta Dragway regular from
Alpharetta, said his first reaction after finding he had made the
16-car field was disbelief. His reaction times were key to his suc
cess. He needed every bit, as he squeaked out his first-round win
by a mere .0015 seconds against Commerce racer Jody Blalock’s
incredibly quick ’49 Hudson.
In the final round setup, Smith won the first two runs against
competitor “Wild" Bill Jones’ Lake City, FL-based ’71 Mustang,
making a third pass unnecessary.
Continued on Page 3B
Commerce’s Jody Blalock, pictured center, poses with friends
and family members with his hot rod 1949 Hudson. Blalock raced
his way into the 16-car field for “Pinks All Out,” which was taped at
the Atlanta Dragway last weekend. Photo by Tim Glover
IB
THE COMMERCE (GA.) NEWS
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 14, 2008
CHS Track and Field
Commerce’s Chase Keller fininished seventh in the long jump in
state competition in Jefferson over the weekend.
Photo by Brandon Reed
CHS Wraps Up Season
By Brandon Reed
The Commerce Tigers boys track team wrapped up their sea
son last week, as five Commerce athletes took part in the state
finals at Jefferson Thursday through Saturday.
Chase Keller did the best of the Tigers at state, as he placed
seventh in the long jump with a jump of 20’, 11.750", which is a
new personal record for him. The event winner, Theseus Jackson
of Wilkinson county, had a jump of 22’, 9.50".
Javon Womack placed eighth in the 200-meter dash with a time
of 22.98. Event winner Jonathan Lovett of Johnson, Augusta, ran
a 22.25.
Other Tigers taking part in the state finals were Torrance
Wilcher, Jon Cash and Jack Lowe, who, along with Womack,
were in the 4x100 relay.
The performance came two weeks after the Tigers placed
fourth in regional competition, with several athletes recording
personal best performances.
“I saw the boys improve a lot during the year," said coach Pam
Canup. “They worked hard and gave 100 percent."
CHS Golf
Lady Tigers Chelsey Cain, left C.J. Wilkes, center, and Callie
Adams.
Lady Tigers Take Tenth
In State Tourney Action
By Brandon Reed
The Commerce Lady Tigers
golf team wrapped up its sea
son last week with a tenth-place
finish in the state tournament.
The girls had a team score of
224, with Chelsey Cain shoot
ing a 109 and Callie Adams a
115. C.J. Wilkes and Katelyn
Nevil both shot 122s.
“I was very proud of the girls
this year," said coach David
Stephenson. “We made a lot of
improvement. I was also proud
of Camille Blair who just came
out this year as a senior and
was within four shots of quali
fying for the state. She really
improved. Also Anna Marie
Hooper improved this year and
should make the top four next
year."