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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2008 THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS PAGE 3B Down The Stretch Final thoughts on Daytona '08 event FROn ONE SEASON TO THE NEXT Ryan Griffin will be one of several returning lettermen for Banks County High School basketball coach Mike Ruth. The Leopards dealt with youth and inexperience this season. Photo by Lyn Sengupta BCHS Boys Basketball ... continued from page 1B W ell, the 50th running of the Daytona 500 is now in the rear view mirror. Ryan Newman’s winning Dodge has been enshrined into the Daytona USA attraction just outside the speedway, where it will stay for one calendar year, and the teams are already en route to California for the next race. So here are a few thoughts as the ink dries in the Daytona record books from this year’s event: •It was great to get to see so many of the former Daytona 500 champions again. But why couldn’t we have had about 30 minutes less of the pre-race musi cal extravaganza, and maybe had more focus on those heroes from yesteryear? Why is it that NASCAR continues to try to ignore the people upon whose backs the sport was built, only bringing them out of mothballs when it suits the occasion? Every NASCAR event should have a moment during its pre race festivities that pays homage to the people that put this form of motorsports on the map. It’s a shame that people like “Fearless Freddy” Lorenzen, Pete Hamilton and Marvin Panch only get rec ognition once in a blue moon. We don’t have a whole lot of our living legends left. We need to recognize them, appreciate them and enjoy them while we can. •The new body style in NASCAR’s top series does not appear to be the dud that many felt it would be. The racing was pretty good, and the drivers showed a lot of restraint for most of the event. They appeared to have more control than we’ve seen drivers have in sev eral years at the big ger tracks. Plus, it’s the first time in a long time that we’ve seen a 500 without a big, multi-car pile up, or a car getting airborne. Add to that the return of the legendary “slingshot” pass, and you’ve got a good combination. •After failing to make the race last week, Dawsonville, Ga.’s favorite son, Bill Elliott, said in an interview that he would hang up his helmet for good as a cup driver after his commitments to the Wood Brothers were finished this year. Elliott won 44 cup events, 55 poles, two Daytona 500s, the 1988 championship, and became the first Georgian to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he won the Brickyard 400 in 2002. Add to that being a three time Southern 500 champion, includ ing a 1985 victory that made him the first winner of the Winston Million, and the mantle of fastest NASCAR driver in history, with a speed record of 212.809 miles an hour in qualifying at Talladega in 1987, and you have a genuine NASCAR legend. When he final ly hangs his helmet up, it will definitely be the end of an era. •Once again, the desire for pomp and circumstance took the place over speed and substance on Sunday. We started out with four hours of pre-race coverage (counting the programming on the Speed network), followed by a 30-minute music concert, and finally, a race. Funny, here I was thinking the race was the whole point of the event. I admit freely that I long for the days when CBS would come on the air at 12 o’clock, with Ken Squire welcoming us to the “World’s Center of Racing.” We would check in quickly with Mike Joy and Dave Despain, who would interview the front row starters, hear a few words from racing legend Ned Jarrett and commentator David Hobbs, get a quick prayer from the Rev. Hal Marchman (who always ended his prayers with “Shalom, and Amen,” which still puts a lump in my throat), and by 12:15 p.m., the race was on. All this gave you not only the time to watch a great race, but still have a life afterwards. Having the pre-race shows are nice, but enough of the Hollywood showbiz. What say we just watch a race for a change! •A lot of people have been talking about wanting to see genuine emotion out of drivers in NASCAR’s higher ranks. Wasn’t it nice to see that kind of emo tion come out Sunday, as Ryan Newman’s father rushed into victory lane, grabbed his son and hugged him? That’s the kind of emotion we could definitely use more of in the sport. And in the world. Brandon Reed is a reporter for MainStreet Newspapers. E-mail comments about this column to brandon@mainstreetnews.com. Ruth said it would have been nice to have stayed in the north half of 8-AA since several teams will be graduating numerous seniors. “The draw put us on the south side so we will go to work and do our best to compete,” Ruth said. Going into this most recent sea son, Ruth said he knew it was going to be a rebuilding campaign. “I felt if we were able to win 10 games it would be close to a mira cle,” he said. “We lost our swagger at the end of the season and were not able to get it back. That also goes back to youth and inexperience. If While Hanley admits his team’s area couldn’t have been much tough er this season, the BCHS coach believes it will become even tougher next year. While the area will lose teams such as Holy Innocents and Wesleyan, who are moving to Class A, the area will gain schools such we had been senior loaded and went through the type of season we just had then I would feel bad about our season. However, you have to look at things realistically and I know we will benefit from this down the road.” Ruth said he and his coaches took a patient approach with the younger players on the roster. “We did that because we were so young,” the coach said. “We tried to let them play through their mistakes. There is a time to get on players’ cases, but I didn’t feel that would serve a purpose, especially with us as Westminster, Blessed Trinity and wrestler powerhouse Jefferson. This week, Hanley has been work ing with his state qualifiers in prepa ration for the big weekend. Weigh- ins for Class AA will be Thursday from 6-8 p.m. Wrestling action begins Friday at 8 a.m. followed by the quarterfinals being so young. You want to encour age the players and help them learn from the mistakes they are making on the court.” The excitment for next season could be heard in Ruth’s voice as he talks about a new subregion setup and a team which returns a major ity of its lettermen. Only Dustin Worley, Chris McDuffie and Heath Jones will be lost to graduation. “The players and coaches are ready to go back to work and get things back on track to where Banks County basketball should be,” Ruth said. (11:45 a.m.), wrestlebacks (3:15 p.m.) and the semifinals (7 p.m.). Action resumes Saturday at 8 a.m. with the second round of wrestle- backs followed by the consolation quarterfinals (10:45 a.m.), consola tion semifinals (12:30 p.m.), conso lation finals (2:30 p.m.) and the state championship matches at 7 p.m. LOCAL NEWS AND SPORTS! WWW.MAINSTREETNEWS.COM brandon reed State Wrestling ... continued from page 1B KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL GET A HAIRCUT Commerce's Only Barber Shop Family Haircare Bill Wood, Owner /r? Walk-Ins Welcome Wood Barber Shop 581 Ila Road, Lot #1, Commerce (706) 335-5392 • Mon.-Fri. 8-6 Terrific Buy! Affordable Ranch Home! 115 Guston Street W & W METAL ROOFING Live within your means! You will love this lovely ranch home conveniently located near the 4-lane offering a close commute to Gainesville or the Cornelia area. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath is an incredible buy! Features an open floor plan, porch, deck and a 2-car garage. Lot is 1.63 acres with creek frontage and is located in a great neighborhood. Hurry, this super buy won't last long! MLS# 77921 Directions: From Cornelia go Hwy. 365 South to left on Alto-Mud Creek Road to left on Cornwall Place to left on Guston Street to home on left. For More Information Call Ruth Camp Coldwell Banker Shield Heritage 706-754-4982 or 706-754-3281 “We Got You Covered” Residential • Commercial • Agricultural • Ship Anywhere In The USA • We Stock Your Metal Needs • Visit Our Showroom www.wwmetalroofing.com 706-654-5836 30 Year Paint “4 Hwy. 60 / Candler Hwy. • Pendergrass, Ga. Warranty Sales Service Installation Town of Maysville Notice of Availability of Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 and Public Hearing A proposed budget for the Town of Maysville has been submitted and is available for public inspection at the Maysville City Hall. A public hearing regarding the budget will be held at the Maysville Public Library at 6:30 P.M. on March 24, 2008, at which time any persons wishing to appear and comment on the budget proposal will be heard. 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An Angel on Earth and in Heaven Janice Dalton Freeman 8-13-1954 2-22-2007 A year gone by without you here Heaven is a better place because of you my dear Our time together was way too short for many things But now you look down upon us, my angel with wings Even with sad hearts, we continue on because of you You taught us to enjoy life no matter what we do We miss you and love you, Shag, Sarah, Jessi, Nathan and Vera Banks County Sportsman’s Banquet at Banks County High School Saturday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. Free Bar-B-Que and stew meal Door prizes plus Grand Prize of One DeerHunting trip to Illinois Donated by Rut and Strut Outfitters Guest Speaker outdoor professional Joey Hancock No charge for the event-Need ticket to attend Tickets available at Shuler’s at Banks Crossing or Southern Outdoors 2 Miles north of Banks Crossing on Hwy. 441 H Ila Road BR