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EJCHS Football
East Jackson Picks Up Second Win of 2008
Eagles Travel to North Oconee Friday
East Jackson quarterback Evan Williamson, pictured here from an earlier game,
had six completions on seven pass attempts Friday night against Rabun County.
Photo by Randy Crump/Rudeseal Photography
By Brandon Reed
It was a squeaker, but in
the end, the East Jackson
Eagles picked up their sec
ond region victory of the
year, as well as the second
in school history, with a
24-20 win over the Rabun
County Wildcats last
Friday night in Tiger.
They’ll travel to North
Oconee to face the Titans
Friday night.
The Titans are in the
midst of a four-game win
streak after knocking
off Dawson County 16-7
Friday. They are tied with
Fannin County for second
place in 8-AA, while the
Eagles are mired back in
seventh after Friday night’s
win.
On paper, the task for
East Jackson looks even
more daunting. North
Oconee has scored 169
points this season, an aver
age of 24.1 per game, to the
Eagles’ 115 points, a 16.4
per game average.
East Jackson has allowed
196 points, an average of
28 per game, while North
Oconee has allowed only
116, a per game average of
16.6.
The Titans are 5-1 in
the region and 6-1 over
all, while the Eagles’ win
Friday night moved them
to 2-4 in the region, and 2-5
overall.
Kickoff Friday night is
scheduled for 7:30.
Rabun Challenge
Last Friday’s game wasn’t
settled until the clock ran
out. Eagle quarterback
Evan had six completions
on seven attempts for 99
and Zach Gilbert rushed
for touchdowns of nine, six
and two yards.
Rabun County was down
by just one, 21-20, late in
the fourth quarter.
But East Jackson’s offense
went to work, and drove
down inside the 10 before
freshman kicker Nick
Alvarado nailed a 25-yard
field goal with three min
utes left on the clock to put
the Eagles up 24-20.
With a last-minute field
goal out of the question,
Rabun County went to
work, but with five seconds
left, East Jackson junior
Wade Mize intercepted
a Rabun County pass,
slamming the door on the
Wildcats, and giving East
Jackson its second victory
of the year.
Numbers Game
Gilbert led the Eagles’
offense, carrying 27 times
for 155 yards, and record
ing two receptions for 23
yards. Gilbert also ran in a
two-point conversion.
Standrick Stevens had 12
carries for 63 yards, with
three receptions for 68
yards; C.J. Allen had three
carries for three yards and
one reception for eight
yards; and Robbie King had
one carry for one yard.
Williamson rushed six
times for 19 yards. In all,
the Eagles rushed for 241
yards, and had 99 yards
through the air.
Defensively, Willie
Sanders had nine tackles,
Yardstick
Score
Rush yards
Passing yards
Interceptions
Fumble recov.
EJCHS
24
241
99
1
1
RABUN
20
66
101
Rushing
att.
yd:
5 ID
Williamson
6
19
0
Stevens
12
63
0
Allen
3
3
0
Gilbert
27
155 3
King
1
1
0
Defense
lac.
asst.
sacks
Sanders
7
2
0
Fulks
2
0
1
Verduzco
5
3
0
King
4
6
0
Receiving
rec.
yds
TD
Allen
1
8
0
Gilbert
2
23
0
Stevens
3
68
0
including seven solo and
two assists; Robbie King
had 10 tackles, including
four solo and six assists;
Luis Verduzco had eight
tackles, with five solo and
three assists; and Nick
Fulks had four tackles,
with two solos for a loss
and one sack.
The Eagle defense held
Rabun to 66 rushing yards,
and 101 passing yards. It
also recovered a fumble
and intercepted a pass.
CHS Football
Tigers Hope To Regroup At Lakeview Friday Night
Commerce Falls To Wesleyan, 33-7
By Justin Poole
After a 33-7 loss last Friday, Commerce only has
three games left to secure a playoff spot.
This Friday, Commerce heads to Gainesville look
ing to pick up a second region win over the Lakeview
Academy Lions. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Jock
Hornor Field.
Lakeview is still in the infancy of its football pro
gram, 1-4 overall; 0-3 region. Stacked against a peren
nial powerhouse like Commerce, the numbers are in
the Tigers’ favor. Commerce has amassed 122 points,
averaging 17.4 per game, compared to Lakeview’s 58
points and 11.6 average. The Tigers have allowed 192
points in seven games while Lakeview has allowed 137
points in five games a 27.4-point average apiece.
Wolves In Control
Commerce fell behind early on Friday.
Wesleyan took the lead late in the first quarter. Six
minutes into the second quarter, Deon Orsborne
scampered 51 yards for a touchdown, which, followed
by a PAT kick from Cameron Billings, tied the score at
7. That was as close as the Tigers would get.
Continued on Page 3B
Yardstick
CHS
WESLEYAN
Score
7
33
First downs
4
19
Rush yards
121
216
Passing yards
24
188
Total offense
145
404
Passing att.
4
22
Passes comp
1
16
Interceptions
0
1
Fumbles/lost
2/1
0/0
Penalties/yds.
1/5
6/51
Rushing
att.
yd:
s TD
Orsborne
9
59
1
Edwards
12
37
0
Bowen
2
16
0
Defense
tac.
asst.
sacks
Sears
2
0
1
Maloch
9
1
0
Glasper
6
4
0
Streetman
7
1
0
Drinkard
6
1
0
Minish
5
1
0
Savage
4
1
0
Billings
3
1
0
Receiving
rec.
yds
TD
Orsborne
1
24
0
Commerce quarterback Phillip Edwards makes tracks to evade four Wesleyan
defenders. Photo by Justin Poole
EJCHS Softball
CHS Softball
Lady Eagles Defeated At Sectionals
Lady Tigers wrap season at Dalton
By Brandon Reed
A week after repeating as
Region 8AA champs, the
East Jackson Lady Eagle
softball team entered the
sectional tournament hop
ing to make their way into
the elite eight for the first
time in school history.
But it didn’t happen. After
an initial win over Coosa on
Friday, East Jackson dropped
games to Greater Atlanta
Christian and Adairsville
and was eliminated, ending
the 2008 season.
Coosa
The Eagles got off to a
good start Friday despite
wet and chilly weather in
Dalton. Behind the one-hit
pitching of Kaitlin Hill, East
Jackson stormed past Coosa
7-0.
“We came out aggressive,
East Jackson pitcher Kaitlin Hill tells coach Jason
Rainey she’s fine during a meeting late in Friday’s tour
nament opener. Hill would go on to finish the game,
which the Lady Eagles won 7-0. Photo by Brandon Reed
By Justin Poole
The Lady Tigers ended their 2008 season
at the Class A North Sectionals in Dalton
with a 1-0 loss to Hebron Christian.
Commerce got six hits and played well
according to Coach Pam Canup.
“We played very, very well,’’ Canup said.
“In the bottom of the seventh [Hebron] had
Continued on Page 3B
and ran the bases aggressive
ly,’’ said coach Jason Rainey.
“We got some hits early, and
our defense played well.’’
Continued on Page 3B
In the tournamnet opener on Friday, Commerce faced Wesleyan. The Lady Tigers
held off Wesleyan until the sixth inning. A Wesleyan runner is tagged at second late
in Friday’s game. Photo by Brandon Reed