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About The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 2016)
NOVEMBER 9, 2016 The Commerce News The Banks County News Phone: 706-621-7204 Fax: 706-367-8056 charles@mainstreetnews.com Section B Tigers roll into playoffs KYLE FUNDERBURK The Commerce Tigers’ football team dominated the game, but Lane Sorrow and Cole Chancey stole the show in the Tigers’ trouncing of George Walton Academy last Friday night. Sorrow rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 71 yards and one score, while Chancey added 192 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to lead Commerce to a dominating 42-6 victory over the Bulldogs. The victory clinched Commerce’s spot in the Public Sin- gle-A state playoffs. Commerce is seeded sixth after winning an appeal with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). Commerce was originally seeded eighth. The sixth-seeded Tigers have a bye for the first round and a home playoff game next Friday night. Commerce’s opponent is to be determined, with the out come not yet known. “I was pleased with the way Cole ran the ball, especially in the fourth quarter,” head coach Michael Brown said after Friday night’s win. “It was kind of a struggle to get the fullback going early on. Fatigue set in and we lined up in our power game. Eventually those 3-yard mns turned into long mns. He has an incredible motor. He’s one of those kids that doesn’t know any other way to play or practice but at full speed. He has conditioned his body to play that way.” Chancey deflected that attention to his offensive line. “Like I say every week, it goes to the guys up front; their job is tough,” he said. “People don’t know about that. Our names are the ones being called, but it wouldn’t be like that without them doing the tough work.” This was Sorrow’s only year starting for Commerce. He transferred before the season began and picked up an entirely new offense. “He’s picked up the system. He’s more comfortable with it now,” Brown said. “He’s executing the calls. You never know going in on a Friday night which of the three options is going to be the one that you have to rely on. You just have to take what the defense gives you. Last two weeks, Lane has been a bigger part of our offense.” Fellow seniors Austin Brock and Will Thomas added 55 and 47 yards, respectively, in their final home regular-season game at Ray Lamb Stadium. Commerce (8-2, 6-2 Region 8-A) began the game with a 50-yard touchdown mn by Sorrow just 1:13 into the game. Sor- See “Commerce” on 2B Leopards clinch No. 2 seed Behind the convoy Running back Clayton Dykhouse gets behind his blockers during a run against the Elbert County Blue Devils. The Leopards defeated the Blue Devils, 43-29, and will host a first-round playoff game when they play KIPP Atlanta Collegiate. Photo by Charles Phelps Banks Co. readies for KIPP BY CHARLES PHELPS For the first time since the 2011 season, the Banks County football team is in the state playoffs. And not only is it in the playoffs, but the Leopards will also host a playoff game Friday night against KIPP Atlanta Colle giate. The Leopards (6-4, 5-1 Region 8-AA) are coming off one of the biggest wins in program history, a 43-29 victory in the Granite Bowl against region foe Elbert County. It was the first meet ing between the two schools. The victory not only secured the No. 2 seed heading into this Friday’s Class AA state playoff first- round matchup, but it gave the Leopards their first win ning record since that 2011 season. The Leopards have gone 5- 5 the past two seasons. This is also the first-ever meeting between Banks County and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate. “I see that they are a very athletic team and a very fast team,” head coach Josh Shoemaker said about KIPP. KIPP (7-3, 4-2 Region 6- AA) is currently on a two- game slide with losses to Douglass, 41-0, and Hape- ville Charter, 57-6. Quarterback Griffin Good win leads the Banks Coun ty offense against a KIPP defense that is giving up 15.4 points per game. Goodwin has passed 1,814 yards had 18 touchdowns. Goodwin also has two rushing touch downs. Clayton Dykhouse leads the Leopards’ mnning attack, rushing for 1,026 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bryce Bennett has quiet ly put together a strong 10 weeks as the leader of the Leopards’ receiving corps. Bennett has 46 receptions for 908 yards and 11 touch downs. He also has three rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown. The Leopard defense is spearheaded by Demetrius Walker and Zach Lehotsky. Walker leads the defense in tackles with 85, but Lehotsky is right on his heels with 80. Walker also has two fumble recoveries and Lehotsky has one interception. CJ Thomas had a game to remember against Elbert County, intercepting three Blue Devil passes. He has eight for the season, which puts him second in the state, regardless of classification, Shoemaker said. “I told the team in July they were a playoff team,” Shoemaker said about his group. “They realized last Friday they don’t have to be emotional, just they need to make tackles and execute on offense. This is free foot ball. Nobody had any expec tations for us this season. We were underdogs going to Elbert County. The kids weren’t satisfied with just making the playoffs. They wanted a home game in the playoffs. I’m excited for the community and the kids to have this opportunity. We get to go out and just enjoy it. We just have to play our game and we’ll be fine. We have everything to gain. That’s a great place to be.” KIPP is in its fourth sea son. The program won only three games in its first three seasons. KIPP comes to Homer led by quarterback Octavious See “Leopards” on 5B Eagles win cross country state title Chase Kennedy claims individual title BY CHARLES PHELPS Two years ago at the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Class AAA state cross country championships, the East Jackson boys’ cross country team came as close as a team could to winning a state championship. They lost on a tiebreaker. The defeat left the team hungry to get the state championship, especially the Kennedy brothers, Chase and Chandler, and the rest of the seniors on the squad. After last Saturday’s Class AAA state meet at Carrollton High School, the brothers and their teammates left no doubt as to who is the best team in Class AAA as the Eagles brought home a state championship. It is the second-straight state title for the school (softball on Oct. 29). Chase Kennedy blitzed through the Carrollton course in 16:01, the fastest time of the week for any classification, taking home first place. Even in a state-championship run, Chase was aiming for 15:50, but he came out of the start “a little conservative,” he said, and forgot to start his watch. So, he didn’t know when he needed to pick up time. “When I got to 300 meters to go, I really took off there,” he said. “I took another gear up the hill, then, like 10 more coming down the hill, but I just missed it. We were supposed to win state as a team. It was a good day for racing. We were really working hard and we wanted to end our senior year on a state championship and get our coach (Tomy Sitton) one more.” Chase dedicated the race to a former teammate, Jose Tovar, who was shot and killed last Friday night. Chandler Kennedy finished third overall at 16:44. He was narrowly edged out by Jacob Poston of Dawson County for second place. Chandler said the team normally makes plans before each race. “I think I ran my plan pretty well,” he said. He went out conservatively for the first mile, he explained. “I’m really proud of how the team ran,” he added. “We’ve been through some arguments throughout the years, espe cially this year, we’ve been at each other’s necks. I think the reason why is we would see someone have a bad race and we can’t let them go on knowing that it was okay We needed them to get better. We were there for each other when we needed to be.” Chandler called Tovar a “special” person to the team. “We know it was for a reason,” he said. “God has put us here today. He’s given us an incredible coach, incredible teammates, a great family and atmosphere to be around. “I think it was a matter of time before we were standing in this position. ...Sophomore year, we lost it. I was real close with some of those guys, but I’ve had plenty of years to get to know these people and I wouldn’t have lost this championship with anybody else. They are just a great group of guys to be with. To be here, on top of the podium, and to win it all, it means a lot to me. There was a lot of pressure on everyone, and for us to overcome that pressure and all the circumstances we’ve been through, it has been an emotional day, and we are defi- See “Eagles” on 2B Taking first place East Jackson’s Chase Kennedy heads to the fin ish line at the Class AAA state championship meet last Saturday in Carrollton. Kennedy finished first with a time of 16:01. The EJCHS boys’ team won the state title. Photo by Charles Phelps o
