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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS - WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 - PAGE 3B
Honors / Awards
East Jackson Cross Country
EUrott Inducted Into Wrestling HOF EJCHS Takes Third, Fourth In Eagle Run
Local runners had a good weekend as
East Jackson played host to 480 cross coun
try runners in the Eagle Run on Saturday in
the rain and mud.
East Jackson’s girls placed third out of 14
teams, with Sherri Blalock finishing fourth
with a 21:15.
The boys finished fourth out of 19 teams,
with Kevin Kesler finishing sixth with an
18:13.
Other runners for the girls included
Kassie Mull (23:06), Skyler Cozzens (23:20),
Amanda Anderson (25:13), Carly Caswell
(26:14), Dakota Chandler (26:32), Aubrey
Cozzens (26:44), Caroline Flynn (27:24),
Courtney Clarke (27:29), Corbi Williams
(27:54), Elizabeth Allred (30:18), Dana Van
Deventer (30:38), Susan Xiong (30:57) and
East Jackson Volleyball
Jasmine Motes (32:22).
For the boys, other runners included
Brandon Banks (18:13), Josh Kesler (18:54),
Blake Allbright (19:45), Cale Pirtle (20:33),
Stuart Robinett (20:36), Terry Miller (20:58),
Michael Adair (21:08), Arrian Woodruff
(21:18), Edward Stone (21:36), Tyler Cone
(21:35), Eric Van Deventer (21:38), Kyle
Wood (21:56), John Kesler (22:32), Cory
McClure (22:48), Connor Kolzosky (22:49),
Ryan DeGonia (23:01), Luke Derocher
(23:01), Stephen Bramlett (23:50), Dylan
Anderson (25:07), Anton Mejais (32:08)
and Sam Derocher (35:08).
Up next for the Eagles is a trip on
Saturday to Conyers to take part in the
Patriot Invite, while the JV Eagles are run
ning on Thursday at Madison County.
Lady Eagles Defeat Gainesville
By Mark Beardsley
Not many Commerce area
residents can claim mem
bership in a hall of fame.
Commerce Middle School
teacher and former wres
tling coach Darryl Ellrott is
one of the few who can.
Ellrott, 42, was inducted
into the National Wrestling
Hall of Fame Sunday night
by the Georgia chapter of the
organization. He received
the Medal of Courage after
three years of high school
wrestling and 23 years as
a middle school wrestling
coach.
Ellrott was taken com
pletely by surprise.
"Kendall Love probably
nominated me," Ellrott spec
ulated. "He had me fooled."
Love told Ellrott to be at
the reception Sunday at the
Hilton Northeast, Duluth,
because the Commerce
squad was up for a team
award. His mother, sister,
friend Todd Kelly (also for
merly from Commerce),
Love and Keith Massey
were there for the presenta
tion.
"I was quite grateful and
really stunned," Ellrott
recalled. "I'm just a poor old
middle school coach and
didn't think I had that many
accomplishments."
Ellrott wrestled for three
years at CHS under Coach
Steve Savage. He was always
at a disadvantage because of
"mild cerebral palsy," which
affected his balance.
"I didn't compensate all
that well," Ellrott recalls.
"My won-lost record is not
terribly impressive."
That, he pointed out, was
not the point.
"Winning and losing was
not what it was all about,"
he said. "It was one thing
that made my high school
years in Commerce special.
For the first time in my life,
Two local wrestling
coaches were inducted
Sunday night into the
National Wrestling Hall
of Fame. Shown are (left)
Doug Thurmond, coach
at Jefferson High School,
and Darryl Ellrott, for
mer coach at Commerce
Middle School.
I was able to fit in and find
a place. It made me want to
go into coaching and help
other kids."
He started coaching mid
dle school wrestlers at CMS
at age 19, while in college,
as a volunteer assistant to
Robert Ellis. After college, he
taught language arts and was
a middle school and junior
varsity wrestling coach at
Rockmart High School.
He taught and coached in
Lumpkin County for eight
years before returning to
Commerce in 2006. He is
now a language arts and
reading teacher, but he gave
up coaching wrestling as his
cerebral palsy worsened.
However, he will coach golf
this year at CMS, taking the
position because "if I hadn't,
there wouldn't have been a
team."
A former student at
Lumpkin County, David
Nichols, is taking over
the slot as CMS wrestling
coach.
"Pretty ironic, isn't it?"
quipped Ellrott.
According to the National
Wrestling Hall of fame,
"the Medal of Courage is
presented annually to a
wrestler or former wrestler
who has overcome what
appear to be insurmount
able challenges, which may
be physical, mental or other
handicaps that make their
achievement all the more
uplifting."
"It is not often that any
one has the honor of being
inducted not just into a
hall of fame, but a national
hall of fame," commented
CMS principal Chuck Bell.
“I think this is an amaz
ing achievement and one
that is certainly deserved.
As a wrestler, as wrestling
coach, Darryl epitomized
what comes through com
mitment and hard work. I'm
extremely proud; as a col
league, I can't say enough
about that recognition."
Ellrott is reportedly
the first person from the
Commerce School System
to be inducted into the
National Wrestling Hall of
Fame. Jefferson mat coach
Doug Thurmond was also
inducted Sunday for life
time service to wrestling.
The son of Jimmie Ellrott
and the late Don Ellrott,
he is a 1989 graduate of
the University of Georgia
with a degree in education.
Ten years later he got his
master's degree in English
education, also from UGA
"It's been a great honor
and privilege to come home
after all these years," Ellrott
said. "It was something that
was always a goal when I
left 20-something years ago.
I didn't think it was ever
going to happen, but then
an opportunity came up to
help Kendall build the pro
gram up."
The National Wrestling
Hall of Fame is headquar
tered in Stillwater, OK.
East Jackson’s Lady Eagles
volleyball team ended last
week on a high note, record
ing its fourth win of the
season with a victory over
Gainesville.
The Lady Eagles will host
Rabun County at 7 p.m.
Thursday
The Lady Eagles start
ed out last week by fac
ing Madison County and
Winder-Barrow on the road.
Against Madison County,
East Jackson was handed
a 2-0 loss, with set scores of
25- 18 and 25-19.
Next up was Winder-
Barrow. After losing the first
set 25-19, the Lady Eagles
evened things up with a
26- 24 win in the second set,
but the Lady Bulldoggs dom
inated the third set, winning
25-9 to take the match 2-1.
“We started against
Madison County and
Winder-Barrow much bet
ter than I'd expected," said
coach Tim Thomas. “I hon
estly didn't think we'd be that
close with Madison County,
but that core group that we
finally got healthy a couple
of weeks ago continued to
get more comfortable with
one another and their per
formance was much better.
“The one disappointing
thing was that our perfor
mance fell way off against
Winder in set three after
we'd won set two. We've
done that twice now, won
the second and just lost our
way in the third. That's just
a symptom of the inconsis
tency that's still bugging us,
but it is getting better, as we
saw Thursday."
Thursday saw the Lady
Eagles travel to Lakeview
Academy to face Lakeview
and Gainesville.
Against Lakeview, despite
improved play from East
Jackson overn an earlier
pairing with the Lady Lions,
the Lady Eagles fell 2-0,
with set scores of 25-14 and
25-12.
Next was a match
up against the Lady Red
Elephants of Gainesville,
a match East Jackson won
handily 2-0 with set scores
of 25-19 and 25-18, to record
their fourth win of the year.
Rebekah Poponi and Mikki
McGinnis both scored sev
eral kills, while setter Ansley
Brooks had nine assists.
“Our passing was very,
very good in this match
compared to what it had
been," Thomas said. “There
was a long stretch in the
second set where Ansley
didn't have to move an inch
to set the ball. Our girls
just kept passing it right to
her. That's a huge sign of
improvement."
The Lady Eagles were
slated to host Eastside
and Jefferson on Tuesday.
Results were unavailable at
press time.
Correction:
The photo in last week’s
The Commerce News of the
East Jackson volleyball
player was of Rebekah
Poponi, not Brittany
Smith as was printed. We
apologize for the error.
DNR Seek Donations For Hunters For The Hungry Program; Sealey's Participating
Sealey’s Deer Cooler, Jefferson,
will again participate in the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources’
Hunters for the Hungry Program.
Sealey’s, located on South
Apple Valley Road, will accept
deer through Jan. 15 during nor
mal business hours.
Hunters who donate a deer will
be entered into a drawing for a
rifle, sponsored by the Georgia
Wildlife Federation.
The DNR has added a new
wrinkle this year. Hunters may
also donate a portion of their pro
cessed venison to the program.
Last year’s program resulted
in the donation of nearly 30,000
pounds of venison to food banks
across the state. This meat pro
vided more than 150,000 meals
for needy Georgians. Since the
program’s inception in 1993, more
than 257,000 pounds of venison
have been donated.
We offer personal loans
from $150.00 to $500.00.*
Telephone Applications Welcome.
Call or Come Visit Us Today!
SECURITY
FINANCE
1816 N. Broad Street
Commerce, GA 30529
(706)335-3551
'More if you qualify. All loans are subject to our
liberal credit policy and credit limitations, if any.
Catholic Church Relocates
St. Catherine Lab our e
Catholic Church
would like to announce that we are
relocating to our new Church home!
Starting Sept. 26
The Catholic Church will be located at
180 Elrod Road (off Hwy. 15) in Jefferson, Ga.
Weekend Masses
Saturday Vigil - 4 p.m.
Sunday - 11 a.m.
Weekday Mass:
Thursday - 12:10 p.m.
For more information or questions
(706) 335-2622 • (706) 367-7220
www.stcatherinelabourega.org
AllAUmiHlO
Your news online, anytime at
www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com
FISH DAY
• 4-6” Catfish $39.00 per 100
• 6-8” Catfish $59.00 per 100
• 8-11” Catfish $95.00 per 100
To purchase 8-11 ” catfish, you must bring your own container and water (Too big to bag).
Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Hybrid Blue Gill, Red Ear Sun Perch, Minnows, Grass Carp
Thursday, Sept. 24 • 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Southern States • Winder, GA
770-867-3144
Thursday, Sept. 24 • 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Maddox Feed -1915 Winder Hwy., Jefferson, GA
706-367-9207
Friday, Sept. 25 • 11:00 a.m. -12:00 Noon
Southern Outdoors • 20519 Hwy. 441 l\l., Commerce, GA
706-336-8875
No Pre-Orders Necessary! Just show up!
Tommy’s Fish Truck • 501-796-6349 • www.tommysfishtruck.net
50% OFFre,ail prices
ALL CONTAINER PLANTS
and all Pre-dug* balled & burlapped
trees and shrubs
*they are already dug from the field and sitting ready for purchase
Lots of sasanquas and camellias left. Filled with
buds! Will be blooming soon. Japanese Maples
at incredible prices. Lots of them, all sizes.
OUR LIQUIDATION SALE CONTINUES
WE ARE RESUMING THE SALE NOW THAT THE WEATHER IS MORE
TOLERABLE FOR US AND THE PLANTS
NO CREDIT CARDS • NO CREDIT CARDS
We have TREES!!!! red maples, sugar maples, oaks,
cryptomeria, leyland cypress, hollies, dogwoods, elms, Japanese
maples, ginkgo, redbuds, magnolias, birches, cherries, arborvitae,
zelcova, etc. etc F RUIT TREES & BLUEBERRIES
Not part of the sale.
Northeast Georgia 's largest nursery open to the public
Growing Since 1981
www.PinebushNursery.com
3332 Hwy. 106 between Neese & lla • Madison County
Check our Web site for directions & limited hours
OPEN Sept 24 & 25, 9-6; Sept 26, 10-3 • 706-789-2344
Mar-Jac Chicken Cook-Off
At The 42nd Annual Autumn Leaf Festival
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Maysville, Georgia
Entries are due in the Mar-Jac booth at 12:00 noon
Any dish containing chicken may be submitted,
including casseroles, soups and salads. Fried,
barbecued or smoked chicken parts may not be
entered. A copy of the recipe used must be
included with the entry. By entering the cook-off,
contestants agree to allow recipes to be
published.
Entries will be judged based on taste, originality and appearance.
C 1 st Prize: $500
2nd Prize: $300 \
3rd Prize: $200
Prizes will be awarded following announcement of the winners.
All participants must register on or before Friday,
September 25, 2009. No entry will be allowed without
prior registration. Mar-Jac employees are not eligible to
enter.
To register, call Flo Becker
at (770) 531-5000 on weekdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
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