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About The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2016)
OCTOBER 26, 2016 The Commerce News The Banks County News Phone: 706-621-7204 Fax: 706-367-8056 charles@mainstreetnews.com Section B Showdown in Athens Tigers on the road against 8-0 Athens Academy BY KYLE FUNDERBURK AND CHARLES PHELPS The Commerce Tigers’ football team is coming off a 56-20 blowout win over Towns County. However, they trailed 20-14 after the first quarter but quickly corrected the mistakes to go ahead and not look back. The corrections will have to stick head ing into this Friday night’s matchup as the Tigers (6-2, 5-2 Region 8-A) play what could be their sternest region test this season, Athens Academy (8-0, 7-0). “There’s a reason they’re 8-0,” head coach Michael Brown said. “They’re an extremely well-coached team and are a well-disciplined team.” Athens Academy is coming off a 29-23 overtime win against George Walton Acad emy last Friday. “They do a lot more on offense and defense than anyone we’ve played all sea son,” Brown said. “Just the amount of looks that you have to prepare for is near impossible.” This Friday night’s matchup will be the 25th meeting between the two schools, with Commerce holding the edge in the overall record at 13-11. Commerce lost last year’s game by a touchdown, 14-7. Commerce has dropped four of the last six games to Athens Acad emy. “It is going to be a monumental task to get the kids prepared and for the coaches to have the right game plan, but that’s what we’re going to do,” Brown stated. The Tigers’ two losses this season came on the road at Athens Christian School and Prince Avenue Christian. Tigers top Towns Co. The Tigers trailed 20-14 after the first quarter, but a fumble return by Cole Chanc- ey and a second stop on defense gave them a 35-20 halftime lead and Commerce prevailed, 56-20. “My hat’s off to Towns County” Brown said. “They do a really good job coaching their kids. “They had a really good plan coming in. Their kids played hard and exe- See “Tigers” on 2B East Jackson softball Long throw East Jackson’s Becca Hill makes a toss from third base to first base during Game 1 last Wednesday against Appling County. Photo by Charles Phelps Columbus Bound Lady Eagles ready for a championship run BY CHARLES PHELPS The East Jackson Lady Eagles’ soft- ball team is Columbus bound for the second-straight year. After capturing the Region 8-AAA championship in thrilling fashion over Morgan County and blitzing past Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe in the first round, the Lady Eagles’ momentum kept building in the second round against Appling County. The Lady Eagles swept Appling, 5-1 and 10-1, and are through to the Elite Eight in Columbus. “We’re excited, excited for these girls and how hard they’ve worked,” head coach Donnie Byrom said, “and for them to learn that hard work does pay off and that buying into a team strategy does work.” Last year’s road to Columbus was “harder,” Byrom admits, because the Lady Eagles were a three seed and were on the road for both the first and second round vs. this year, where they were at home for both rounds. “Our seniors got to have many senior nights out here on their home field and that’s pretty cool,” Byrom said. In two seasons under Byrom, the Lady Eagles haven’t lost a game in the first or second rounds of the state playoffs. They’re a perfect 8-0. “I’m just proud of the fact that in the two-out-of-three series that they not only want to win but they want to get it done,” he said. “We’ve lost a game every year in the two out of three in the region tournament to kind of learn that experience, but that just shows a lot of building upon learning experiences that have happened.” In Columbus, the Lady Eagles play Crisp County in their first game at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Byrom said the accomplishment of making the trip in back-to-back seasons is “great” for the East Jackson community, school and for the girls themselves. “We want to win state. That’s the goal all school teams set out with from the get-go,” Byrom said. “But just getting there means so much. To be able to say that you were on a softball team that played in Columbus carries weight.” Jessie Marvin, the Lady Eagles’ senior pitcher, called it a “huge” accomplishment getting back to the Elite Eight, especially with the lows the team experienced throughout the season. “I feel like my senior year has been made,” she said. Marvin recorded 16 strikeouts in the two games against Appling County. For the season, Marvin has 248 strikeouts, a 1.55 ERA and has pitched 189.1 innings. “I feel great. I’m ready to go down to Columbus,” she said. Marvin credits Byrom for the team’s success, because he taught them to “grow together” instead of “separating” when things go bad during a game. “We’ve stepped up a lot,” she said. Senior shortstop Faith Grooms said See “softball” on 2B Leopards clinch first playoff spot since 2011 season BY CHARLES PHELPS For the first time since the 2011 season, the Banks County Leopards’ football team will be competing in the state playoffs. The Leopards (4-4, 3-1 Region 8-AA) clinched their playoff spot last Friday night with a 42-21 victory over Social Circle at home on Senior Night. The Leopards now play for seeding over their final two games. If they win both, they will be a No. 2 seed and would host a first-round playoff game in the Class AA state playoffs. The Leopards’ final two region games are on the road in Putnam and Elbert counties. They’ve won three of their last four games, including two in a row. Putnam County (1-7, 1-3) is on a two-game losing skid and has lost seven of its first eight games. This is the first-ever meet ing between the two schools. Banks County quarterback Griffin Goodwin has passed for 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns through eight games this season. He’s also rushed for two scores. Clayton Dykhouse has rushed for 721 yards and nine touchdowns. Bryce Bennett has been on the receiving end for seven of Goodwin’s 11 touchdown tosses this season. He has 580 yards on 29 receptions. Demetrious Walker leads the Leopards’ defense with 63 total tackles. Zac Lehotsky has 60 total tackles. Leopards top Redskins Head coach Josh Shoemaker said last Friday night’s victory See “Leopards” on 2B Defending the net East Jackson’s Desiree Green goes up to defend a shot by a North Hall player during the Lady Eagles’ second-round matchup against the Lady Trojans. Photo by Charles Phelps East Jackson eliminated BY CHARLES PHELPS After a dominating per formance against Windsor Forest High School in the first round of the Class AAA state volleyball tournament, the East Jackson Lady Eagles were carrying momentum into a second-round match against the North Hall Lady Trojans. This was the same position the Lady Eagles found them selves in last season. But it didn’t yield a different result, as the Lady Trojans eliminat ed the Lady Eagles in straight sets in Gainesville, 25-9, 25-12, 25-9. The Lady Eagles finished the season 14-12. It was the second-straight year the Lady Eagles made it to the Sweet 16. “They came out and they were everything that we expected them to be,” head coach Rob Allen said. “They were the competitors we expected them to be. They are a really really solid team. My hat’s off to them. They are very-well disciplined, very good at what they do.” Allen said the players didn’t have their “hearts” anticipat- See “volleyball” on 2B
