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The Commerce News
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Lady Eagles Defeat Carver
EJCHS Lady Eagles rebounded last
Tuesday with a victory over Carver.
2B
THE COMMERCE (GA.) NEWS
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 7,2009
Commerce Wrestling
Tigers Win At Amicalola, Preps For Area Duals
•COMING UP:
- Region 8-AArea Duals @ Eagles Landing Christian Academy
- Friday and Saturday - match starts 5:30 p.m. - Fri., 9 a.m. - Sat.
Commerce grappler Doug Maloch, top, shown in a previous match, was
one of the Mat Tigers’ first place finishers at the Amicalola Classic.
Photo courtesy of Lynnly Drinkard
East Jackson Basketball
Eagles Hit Region Stride This Week
Commerce Basketball
CHS Looking
For Region Win
Tigers Host
Lakeview, Friday
By Justin Poole
Commerce High School’s boys’
basketball team is back in action.
After having some time off since
competing in the Jackson County
Christmas Tournament, the Tigers
returned to the court on Tuesday
night against Social Circle.
Results from Tuesday’s game were
unavailable at press time.
Friday. Commerce hosts Lakeview
Academy in the second region game
of the week.
Lakeview has won the last eight
contests between the two schools.
Coach Chad Bridges said the Tigers
will have to refocus after Tuesday’s
game and prepare mentally for
Lakeview. Bridges said it would be
nice to get a streak going as the team
gets into region competition.
“The biggest thing for us against
Lakeview is to play with confidence
and handle their pressure.” said
Bridges.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
Commerce split the Jackson County
Christmas Tournament on Dec.
29-30.
After dropping the first-round game
to tournament champion Providence
Christian, the Tigers regrouped to
defeat Hebron. Despite the third-
place finish for the team. Tiger Drake
Cash was named to the all-tourna
ment team.
In the first round. Commerce was
halted early on as Providence jumped
out to an early lead of 16-2 after one
quarter and 30-11 at the half.
In the third quarter. Commerce
pulled to within 10 points but
Providence responded and ended
the quarter leading 46-30 en route
to a 68-49 win over Commerce.
Providence went on to win the tour
ney.
Bridges said the Tigers played fair
ly well against a team he expects to
make it to the state tournament.
“It is a good measuring stick for
us,” said Bridges.
Drake Cash led the Tigers with
16 points. Cameron Billings picked
up 12 followed by T. Green and
Torrance Wilcher with six apiece.
Anthony Norris added three points
to Commerce’s effort followed by
Channing Anderson, Tyler Gamble
and Brandon Romans who scored
two apiece.
In the consolation round.
Commerce faced region opponent
Hebron Christian. Earlier in the sea
son, Commerce defeated Hebron and
will face the school again later in the
month.
Commerce defeated Hebron 62-51,
but Bridges said Commerce did not
play as well as it could have and
should have beaten Hebron by a lot
more.
Commerce jumped out early, taking
a 13-8 lead over Hebron by the end
of the first quarter. Hebron closed the
gap to six points at the half, shaving
the Tiger lead to 29-23.
In the third quarter. Commerce
regrouped and extended its lead
48-34, then coasted to the 62-51 win.
Green led the Tigers with 17 points
followed by Norris with 11. Cash
put up nine points and Romans six.
Gamble and Billings each scored five,
followed by Wilcher with four, Bubba
Bonds with three and Anderson con
tributed two points to the Tigers’
victory.
By Brandon Reed
After a solid start to tournament play
in the Warxior Holiday Classic at Oconee
County last week, the East Jackson
Eagles found themselves on the short end
of a losing score in their last two games
of the tournament.
Now East Jackson looks to get the
main part of their region schedule off
to a strong start, as the Eagles travel
to Dawson County to face the Tigers
on Friday. In their last two meetings,
Dawson has come away the winner, with
both of those games coming in January of
last year - . The Tigers are 6-3 this season.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
Coming off of a 68-60 victory over-
Athens Academy on Dec. 27 to open
tournament play, the Eagles were expect
ing better things. Their first opponent last
Monday came in the form of Apalachee.
The Eagles got off to a sluggish start
and trailed 31-18. They cut into that lead
during the second half, closing to within
four points at the start of the final period.
With a minute left in the contest, they’d
pulled even at 50.
But East Jackson missed some key free
throws, and Apalachee took the lead and
the 56-51 victory.
Kolby Gilbert led the Eagles in scoring
with 18, while Brandon Garrett scored
11.
“We went to a 1-3-1 zone the second
half and caused several turnovers,” said
coach Brian Turner. “The key to the game
was the free throw line as a whole. They
were 16-22 while we went 5-14.”
The Eagles moved to the consolation
game to face host team Oconee County.
The score stayed close in the first half,
with East Jackson holding a 19-18 lead
at the break. Oconee pulled away in the
second half, taking a 43-33 win.
Gilbert led the Eagles with 14 points.
“We did not play with much effort on
either end of the court but were some
how able to take the lead into half time,”
Turner said. “In the second half we
could never find our stride on defense,
or offense as well, leading to a 10-point
defeat.”
The Eagles were scheduled to play
host to Union County in region play
on Tuesday. Results of that game were
unavailable at press time.
By Justin Poole
Commerce High School’s wrestling
Tigers are in good shape and are pumped
for this weekend’s Area Duals.
Coming off of a first-place victory at the
Amicalola Classic, Jan. 2-3, Commerce
traveled to Dawson County on Tuesday
for a tri-meet against Riverside and
Dawson.
Results from Tuesday’s match were
unavailable at press time.
Commerce took first place at the
Amicalola Classic, defeating stiff com
petition from White County and Gilmer
County, among others.
Commerce coach Kendall Love said
that it was nice to finish ahead of White
and Gilmer.
"It was a good test for us and a good
tournament,” said Love, "We came out
of it healthy and that is another positive
thing at this point with Area Duals com
ing up this weekend.”
Commerce took first place followed by
Gilmer County, White County, Lumpkin
County and Pickens County rounding
out the top five.
First place finishes included Doug
Maloch, 119 lbs.; Nick Arostegui, 135;
and Jon Cash, 145. In the 130-pound
class, Casey Drinkard took second.
Third place finishes came from Addison
Davis, 112 lbs.; Phillip Edwards at 145 and
Thomas Sears at 152. In the 160-pound
class, Terrance Martin placed fourth.
"We are still improving,” said Love. "We
have a tough road ahead of us at the Area
Duals.”
Commerce has won its last four tourna
ments, but Love expects stiff competition
from Wesleyan, Social Circle and other
formidable teams in the Area Duals.
Community Activities
Nicholson Hosts Inaugural Year End Chase Race
Over 140 runners from local high schools and communities
participated in the inaugural race for the East Jackson Runners’
Club on Dec. 27. Photo courtesy of Ty Miller Photography
By Justin Poole
On Saturday, Dec. 27,
over 140 runners gathered
in Nicholson to run in the
inaugural Year End Chase
5K and one mile Fun Run.
The East Jackson Runners’
Club hosted the charity race
at the Nicholson City Park.
All proceeds from the race
go to support health and fit
ness in Jackson County.
Serving as one of the kick
off races for the 2009 Run
and See Georgia Grand
Prix Series, Saturday’s race
welcomed runners from
around the area, including a
number of local high school
student runners, former stu
dents runners and out of
state participants.
Overall winner finishing in
16:30.20 was Jackson County
High School cross country
coach Joseph Brubaker.
Coming in second was
John Van Steenbergh of
Flowery Branch, who also
took the Masters Male title.
Third place overall was
East Jackson High School
cross country runner Kevin
Kesler followed by Jeff
Lukich of Washington, Ga.
Gareth Stride of Duluth
rounded out the top five
finishers.
Continued on page 2B
East Jackson’s Brandon Garrett (23)
puts a shot up during a previous game
against North Hall at Philips Arena. Up next
for EJCHS is Dawson County on Friday.
Photo by Lyn Sengupta