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AUGUST 17, 2016
The Commerce News
The Banks County News
Phone: 706-621-7204
Fax: 706-367-8056
charles@mainstreetnews.com
Section B
High School Volleyball: Lady Eagles sweep in-county rival Jackson Co. for first win of 2016
Daishany Rakestraw hits the ball during last Thursday’s
volleyball matchup. Photos by Charles Phelps
BY CHARLES PHELPS
After being swept by
Clarke Central in the sea
son-opening match, the East
Jackson Lady Eagles’ volley
ball team looked in firm con
trol against in-county rival
Jackson County during the
second match of the team’s
tri-match last Thursday.
But as is the case in sports,
momentum can change at
any time, leaving players and
coaches frazzled while its
happening.
Luckily for the Lady
Eagles, this wasn’t the case
as the team held off two
hard-charging Lady Panther
rallies and won the match
in straight sets (25-20, 28-26).
The Lady Eagles held a
21-16 lead in the second set,
but watched as the Lady Pan
thers rattled off two kills, two
blocks and a put-away shot
to square the set at 21-21.
The Lady Panthers even
tually had the Lady Eagles to
set point (24-22), but a ball
out of bounds and a shot into
the net and hiting the floor
gave the Lady Eagles new life
and a tied set (24-24).
Another shot out of play
gave the Lady Eagles a one-
point edge and match point
(25-24). The Lady Panthers
stood firm and a shot toward
the back line landed inside
and squared the match back
at 25-25. After exchanging
points off of serves, the Lady
Eagles got the go-ahead
point on a cross-court shot
from Daishany Rakestraw.
The match ended when
a Lady Panthers’ shot failed
to get over the net, falling to
the floor on their side of the
court.
First-year East Jackson
head coach Rob Allen called
both sets against the Lady
Panthers a “little too exciting”
for his taste and had him
“working up a sweat.”
“They did great. They fight
just like they do in practice,”
Allen said about his team.
“They stick together. They
adjust to whatever is thrown
at them. That’s why this unit
is so good.”
Allen didn’t have any
X’s and O’s things to talk
them about during the Lady
Panthers’ comeback, he
explained.
“They were doing what I
needed them to do,” he said.
“They needed to tighten up a
little here and there, but for
the most part I asked them,
‘Who wanted it more?”’
The Lady Eagles jumped
out to an early lead in the first
set (9-6), but two hits and an
ace helped rally the Lady
Panthers to tie the set at 9-9.
The Lady Panthers seized
the lead and took it to three
points (13-10).
Then, it was the Lady
Eagles’ turn to erase a deficit
See “volleyball” on 3B
Season-opening preview
Banks County fullback Clayton Dykhouse runs through the Habersham Central defense during the Leopards’Aug.
5 scrimmage game. Photos by Charles Phelps
Banks Co. hosts Jackson Co. to open 2016 regular season
BY CHARLES PHELPS
It’s back. Yes, football
begins this Friday.
With all the scrimmages
complete, the games begin
to count for local teams.
The first team to take the
field is the Banks County
Leopards.
Led by first-year head
coach Josh Shoemaker, the
Leopards will host the Jack-
son County Panthers on Fri
day night.
This is the first time since
the 2007 season these two
teams have met. Banks
County won that meeting
14-0. Banks County has won
the last three meetings dat
ing back to the 2001 season
and five of the last seven
meetings have fallen the
Leopards’ way. Banks Coun
ty owns the overall series
record at 14-8.
“We are excited to finally
get into game week and be in
preparation mode for anoth
er football team,” Shoemak
er said.
Practice schedules
become easier during game
week because things are set
in place Monday through
Wednesday, Shoemaker said.
“It is good to come off a
scrimmage where we com
peted hard against a really
good football team in Haber
sham Central,” Shoemaker
added.
The Leopards lost the
scrimmage game 28-9, but
the offense started the game
with a 20-play drive, which
included three 15-yard pen
alties.
Senior quarterback Griffin
Goodwin completed nine
passes for 66 yards, one
touchdown and one inter
ception in the game.
Judd Roberts caught four
balls for 37 yards and one
score. Junior fullback Clay
ton Dykhouse mshed for 80
yards.
The Leopards’ defense
allowed the Raiders’ offense
to score two first-half touch
downs. But to open the third
quarter, the defense forced
and recovered a fumble off
a sack.
The starters exited the
game just trailing 14-9.
“When we turned on the
film after that game, we saw
we had made some mis-
See “Leopards” on 2B
Commerce running back Cole Chancey looks for a
hole against Madison County during the Tigers’ scim-
mage last Friday. Photos by Zach Mitcham
Commerce runs past Madison
Co. for easy scrimmage win
BY CHARLES PHELPS
If there was a formula the
Commerce High School foot
ball team abides by it is to be
ground-and-pound offense,
with an up-tempo rhythm.
The Tigers make their liv
ing by running the football.
During last Friday night’s
scrimmage game against
the Madison County Red
Raiders, the Tigers didn’t go
against formula.
Instead, they seemed to
perfect it, tallying up 442
yards on the ground in a
34-16 win. The Tigers ran a
total of 51 offensive plays and
gained 450 total yards. For
ty-eight plays were run plays.
The team only completed
one pass for eight yards.
All five Tiger touchdowns
came via the mnning game.
All 12 first downs came on
run plays as well.
The Tigers’ mn game was
led by senior mnning back
Cole Chancey’s 150 rushing
yards. He found the end
zone for three scores (two
in the first quarter, one in the
second quarter). Chancey’s
longest run was a 68-yard
scamper.
Chancey’s senior counter
part, Austin Brock, had a big
game on the ground as well,
rushing for 138 yards on only
five carries. He scored two
first-half touchdowns. His
longest mn of the game went
for 66 yards.
Quarterback Lane Sorrow
picked up 51 yards on five
carries.
The Tigers’ offense was 4
of 9 on third-down conver
sions and 2 of 2 on fourth-
down conversions.
The defense also shined
as junior linebacker Chase
Forrester snagged two sacks
and nine total tackles (seven
solo). Senior linebacker Will
Thomas recorded a sack as
well. The Tigers totaled six
sacks for the game.
Defensive back Dylan Dea
ton recorded an interception
for the Tigers’ secondary.
“Looking at the film, we
did some things very, very
well,” head coach Michael
See “scrimmage” on 2B
Cross Country: Tigers look to surpass 2015 success
BY CHARLES PHELPS
The Commerce High
School girls’ cross country
team finished second at the
Single-A Public state champi
onship meet in 2015.
To either repeat last year’s
success, or surpass it com
pletely and win the cham
pionship, head coach Mark
Hale says one must keep the
best mnners going.
“Right now, we just have
some talented girls,” Hale
said.
The Lady Tigers return
rising junior and reigning
area champion Kate Massey.
She finished fourth at state
in 2015.
Seniors Madison Rodri
guez and Kendall Moon are
both four-year letters for the
Lady Tigers. Rodriguez fin
ished 34th in state. Moon
placed 40th.
Junior Brittany Webb fin
ished 17th in state and is
expected to have a “great
year,” Hale said.
“Those four I know what
I’m getting,” he stated.
“We’ve got to have five. We
need seven that are pretty
good mnners, so we’re look
ing for two or three people to
help us out.”
The goal is to win area
and state, Hale added. Their
competition for both is the
same school — Towns Coun
ty.
Commerce won area by
two points over Towns Coun
ty, but Towns won the state
championship.
“We’re getting tired of los
ing to them,” Hale said. “We
had that discussion on the
first day of practice.”
Hale thinks Massey can
break 21 minutes during a
mn, and if she does that she
will be in contention for indi
vidual state championship,
he said.
He believes Rodriguez can
be under 25 minutes on a
consistent basis. Moon can
also hover around that same
time, Hale said.
Webb could be near the
24-minute mark. Moon will
be near 25 minutes.
“I would love five people
under 25 (minutes). I’m not
sure we can get there, but
I hope we get close,” Hale
said.
The boys’ squad has not
See “running” on 3B
Commerce runner Kate Massey finishes up at a recent cross country practice.
Massey finished fourth at state last season. Photos by Charles Phelps