Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4B
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
High School Tennis
Leopards record key subregion victory
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
T he Banks County High
School boys tennis team
moved one step closer to
the Region 8-AA tournament with
a victory against East Jackson last
week.
Coach Mike Ruth’s team posted a
4-1 win which moved the Leopards
to within one victory of the post
season.
“It was a big win for us,” Ruth
said. “If we can beat Dawson
County Thursday we will qualify
for region.”
Kyle Walker posted a 6-0, 6-0 win
at No. 1 singles with Trey Martin
winning 6-2, 6-2.
Jacob Westmoreland and Nathan
Ward won 4-6, 6-4 and 7-6 at
No. 1 doubles. The team won the
third set in a tiebreaker after trailing
4-1 at one point.
Chase Minish and Viet Pham also
earned a win at No. 2 doubles 6-2,
6-3.
The Leopards fell to Towns County
in a non-region match last Monday
3-2. Walker (8-1) and Martin (8-5)
earned the wins for BCHS.
“We had our chances but didn’t
take advantage of them,” Ruth said.
“We were pretty evenly matched.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
Trey Martin has been a key player for the Banks County High
School tennis team this spring. Photo by Randy Crump
We didn’t play our best overall.”
In recent action, Todd Parks, Clay
Carroll, C.J. Pilcher and Alex Banks
have posted wins in exhibition
matches for BCHS.
The Leopards fell to Rabun County
5-0 last Thursday. Despite the loss,
Ruth said Walker played well before
falling 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. Martin, who is
a freshman, also drew his coach’s
praise for his efforts before falling
at No. 2 singles.
Garret Hayes also played well at
No. 3 singles against Rabun County
falling 3-6, 6-4 and 6-7 (tiebreaker).
“We are young this season so we
are proud of what we have accom
plished,” Ruth said.
Lady Leopards avenge loss to Rabun Co.
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The second time around was the
charm for the Banks County High
School girls tennis team.
The Lady Leopards had fallen to
Rabun County earlier in the season
but managed a win against the Lady
Wildcats in the rematch 3-2.
“We really wanted to get this win
under our belt so it was exciting for
us,” said BCHS coach Lisa Hulsey.
In singles play, the Lady Leopards
got wins from Maria Enslen (6-2,
6-3) and Lezlee Bonnett (6-3, 6-1.)
Megan Whitey and Michelle
Crump won in three sets in doubles
play (4-6, 7-5, 6-0) after Rabun
County’s coach withdrew his team
in the final game.
The BCHS girls also defeated East
Jackson 5-0 in recent action.
Krista Dodd posted a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
win at No. 1 singles. Hulsey said it
was a tough match but noted Dodd
dug deep and pulled out a win.
Enslen won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2
singles while Bonnett took a 6-1,
6-1 victory at No. 3 singles.
In doubles play, Whitey and Crump
took a 6-2, 6-3 victory while Lauran
Taylor and Taylor Seabolt posted a
6-3, 6-1 decision.
BCHS fell to Towns County on
March 24 by a 4-1 count. Enslen
posted the lone win of the match for
the Lady Leopards with an 8-4 vic
tory at No. 2 singles.
Hulsey’s team also blanked East
Jackson 5-0 on March 20. The team
swept singles play led by Enslen
(6-4, 6-3), Dodd (6-0, 6-0) and
Tiffany Bray (6-2, 6-4).
Whitey and Crump posted a 6-2,
6-0 win at No. 1 doubles with Taylor
and Seabolt winning at No. 2 dou
bles 6-1, 6-0.
The Lady Leopards will travel to
Commerce High School Wednesday
for a make-up match and to Dawson
County Thursday.
The match with Dawson will be
the final subregion match of the
spring.
“Regardless of the outcome, we
are going to the region tournament,
but a win would possibly move us
up in the standings,” Hulsey said.
High School Soccer
Leopards preparing for postseason play
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County High School
varsity boys soccer team knows it
has qualified for the upcoming area
playoffs.
Before that begins, however, the
Leopards are taking care of some
final regular season business. Coach
Chris Cooley’s squad defeated White
County 3-2 last week although the
BCHS team had to rally for the
win.
“We were missing a couple of
starters, but we still played a good
game,” Cooley said.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the
Leopards regrouped and scored two
goals in the first four minutes of
the second half. Freshman Javier
Padron added one goal while Jon
Yang connected for the other from
25 yards out.
White County evened the score
on a penalty kick opportunity but
BCHS took the winning game when
Yang delivered a goal later in the
second half.
The Leopards are scheduled to
host Union County for senior night
Wednesday (today) with the boys
beginning at 4 p.m.
Cooley praised the efforts of Yang
in recent matches. Padron is the
team’s second leading scorer at this
point in the season. Andre Aguilar
and Oscar Aguilar have also con
tributed to the team’s success, along
with Marco Monreal, the coach
said.
Lady Leopards continue to show improvement
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
When the 2008 season began,
first-year Banks County High
School Lady Leopards soccer coach
Michael Boomer was looking for
improvement.
The program had not enjoyed
much success in recent seasons and
Boomer literally wanted the team
to simply post a win. That goal has
clearly been accomplished as well
as others even Boomer may not have
thought possible at the outset.
Going into this week’s action, the
Lady Leopards were tied for third
place in the area and was one win
away from qualfying for the post-
season.
“I am really proud of how the girls
have turned this season around from
recent years,” Boomer said.
BCHS defeated Lakeview 2-1
recently which pushed the Lady
Leopards into third place and helped
give them a chance at the postsea
son.
While the team fell 1-0 to White
County March 27 in a non-area
match, Boomer said the team used
that game as a final practice before
facing Athens Academy.
In the match against White County,
three goals by Banks County were
called back, an unusually high num-
ber for one match, but Boomer said
his players remained positive.
“Our senior leadership has been
strong this season,” he said.
Baseball... continued from page 1B
The homeruns were frequent for
the Leopards against Union County
last Friday.
Gailey, Gibbs and Dale each got
in the action going yard during the
road contest.
Dale’s was a grand slam as the
junior finished the day with four
FROM THIRD TO FiRST...
Banks County High School's Chris Porter makes a successful put
out on a grounder to third during a recent contest.
Photo by Randy Crump/Rudeseal Photography
RBI and two runs scored.
Kasey Hudgins earned the win
pitching in relief of starter Jeff
Smith. Hudgins worked the final 3.1
innings recording four strikeouts.
“It’s always tough to play in
Blairsville and win,” Lord said. “I’m
proud we battled and were able
to pull it out. It was a close game
through four innings.”
The BCHS coach said Jeff Smith
pitched well and despite not having
his “best stuff,” kept the game close.
Lord said Hudgins remains solid on
the mound this spring as well.
“I’m proud of how our pitchers are
throwing to contact and our defense
is doing a good job of backing them
up,” the coach said. “That has been
and will continue to be the key for
us. We’ve been taking a lot of cuts
and we’re swinging the bats alright
right now. Hopefully, we’ll continue
to have good at bats. Our philosophy
is ‘one game at a time.’ That’s what
we are focused on.”
Kyle Smith was also 2-for-3
against Union County with a single
and a double. Jeff Smith was 3-for-4
at the plate.
Subregion ... continued from page 1B
“We have to maintain patience at
the plate,” Lord said.
Several players have stood out for
the Diamond Leopards to this point
in 2008. Pitching-wise, Jeff Smith,
Alex Gailey and Kasey Hudgins
have been the workhorses in terms
of innings pitched.
Hudgins has made seven appear
ances and recorded four wins.
“Our pitching has shown signifi
cant progress,” Lord said. “As long
as we are locating strikes, which
we’ve been doing a good job of
lately, our defense can stay on their
toes and make plays behind us. That
will continue to be a key for us. It all
starts with pitching and defense. “
8-AA North Standings
Dawson County
6-2
Fannin County
6-2
Banks County
5-2
Union County
3-4
Rabun County
2-6
East Jackson
1-7
Standings through 3-31-08
Offensively, Gailey has shined
after moving into the leadoff role.
Lord said the senior has been very
patient and drawn several walks as
well as connecting for home runs.
Gailey is also a perfect 9-for-9 in the
stolen base department.
Zack Dale and Justin Gibbs are
providing power from the No. 2 and
No. 3 spots in the lineup with Jeff
Smith also providing consistency.
Tyler Hulsey has also been a key
offensive weapon.
“The bottom of our order has also
been contributing a lot lately and
that is huge,” Lord said of his team’s
success. “It’s so important to be solid
from top to bottom so the opposing
team can’t relax when they are in the
field. That way, you can’t count on
a 1-2-3 inning because the bottom
of the order is up. If we continue to
establish consistency 1-9, that will
allow our offense to continue to
produce.”
Track ... continued from page 1B
Parks completed the 1,600-meter
in 5:01 and ran an impressive
3,200-meter in 10:47, running away
from the field.
Lyn Hester was first in the shot put
(41-70 and discus (125-3.75).
The 4x100-meter relay team was
also first in 45.8.
Other top performers for the
Leopards included:
•Ivan Diaz, second, 3,200-meter
(11:32), third, 1,600-meter.
•Jorge Diaz, second, 1,600-meter
and third, 3,200-meter.
•An Pham, second, 800-meter
run.
•Nick Sosebee, third, 800-meter
run.
•Alex Shirley, third, 110-meter
hurdles and fourth, 300-meter hur
dles.
•Vishal Patel, fourth, 110-meter
hurdles, third, 300-meter hurdles.
•Adam Garcia, 400-meter dash,
fourth, 58.7, 110-meter hurdles, sec
ond, 19.3.
•Clint Caudell, third, 400-meter
dash, 56.2.
•Jeremy Greenway, fourth,
200-meter dash, 24.9.
•Jared Gregory, 100-meter dash,
11.8.
For the Lady Leopards, Dee Dee
Cannon won the 100-meter dash
in 13.6 and the 200-meter dash in
29.3.
Jessica Newell was first in the
100-meter hurdles (18.7) and third
in the 300-meter hurdles (57.3).
Vanessa Hurtado was runner-up in
the both the 1,600-meter run (6:46)
and the 3,200-meter run (14:57).
Dee Wiley was second in the
shot put (25-7.5) while Charledra
Jennings was second in the discus
(75-8.5).
Other top performances included:
•Kim Pass, second, 400-meter run,
1:09.
•Tiffany Sims, third, 800-meter
run, 2:56.
•Gabriele Foster, fourth, 100-meter
dash, 14.2; third, 200-meter dash,
31,0 and third, long jump, 12-5.5.
•Amber Garrison, third, discus,
59-5.5.
The BCHS teams also compet
ed at Franklin County last week
along with Hart County. Moffett was
impressed once again with how his
teams competed against the larger
schools.
Beasley won a first place for the
Leopards in the long jump (20-0)
as did Parks in the 3,200-meter run
(10:50). Foster took first in the long
jump for the Lady Leopards with a
mark of 12-7.
me.
339 Hwy. 82 South (Across from Subway)
10% " OFF All' Item's
with this coupon
L. ^ I
*We are also looking for good reusable items for our thrift store.
Ik All proceeds go to the Peace Place Shelter.
ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
Leslie M. Pitts, DMD
Pediatric Dentistry
706-335-7793
215 Mercer Place,
P. O. Box 1241
Commerce, GA 30529
Website: drlpitts.com
Email: drlpitts@drlpitts.com
^SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS^i
i