Newspaper Page Text
April 9, 2008
Section
b
The Banks County News
Sports Editor: Chris Bridges
Contact: 706-367-2745
www.mainstreetnews.com
First
&
Ten
★ ★ ★
chris@mainstreetnews.com
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Memorable
season shaping
up for BCHS
T he light at the end of the
regular season baseball
tunnel is slowly begin
ning to become visible.
While some important games
are still on the docket, the Banks
County High School Diamond
Leopards are inching their way
toward what just may be the most
memorable season in many a
moon.
Now coach Joe Lord would be
the last to look too far ahead. In
fact, the third-year head coach
constantly preaches taking one
game at a time. It’s an old coach
ing phrase, but one that certainly
applies to the Leopards in 2008.
BCHS has posted 10 wins over
all this season and is currently a
game out of first in the subregion
standings. The Leopards had
won five games in a row before
dropping a tough 6-4 road game
to Dawson County Monday,
an opponent the Leopards had
already defeated twice during this
campaign.
What has put the BCHS team
on the success track it is currently
riding? There are many factors
involved. First, don’t underes
timate the impact Lord and his
coaching staff have had on the
program. Now in year number
three, Lord has seen his building
and folding of the program begin
to pay dividends.
It’s something that is great to
see because it shows that if you
have a little patience good things
will happen. Sports fans, even at
the high school level, don’t have
the necessary amount of patience
at times and this baseball season
is a prime example of why it is so
vital to a program.
Of course, winning teams also
need quality players and the
Leopards have benefited from
strong play from several perform
ers this spring. Alex Gailey and
Kasy Hudgins have helped lead a
standout pitching effort.
Offensively, several players are
delivering at the plate including
Justin Gibbs, Zack Dale, Tyler
Hulsey, Bill Redmon, Chris Porter
and Jeff Smith to name just a few.
Overall, it has been a true team
effort with all players on the var
sity roster contributing in various
roles, all of which are important
and will continue to be so as the
team enters the home stretch of
the regular season.
BCHS got a taste of the post
season in 2007 when it advanced
to the Region 8-AA tournament,
which was played at North Ocone
High School. I still recall what
Lord told his players prior to their
first game of the region tourna
ment.
See First and Ten on page 3B
High School Athletics
Spring break: Rest for some, 'game on' for others
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The arrival of spring break ear
lier this week means a rest for some
Banks County High School student
athletes.
For others, it’s business as usual.
The Banks County High School
varsity baseball team will play on
this week as they were scheduled to
travel to Dawson County Monday
and are set to host Fannin County
Wednesday (today) at 5:30 p.m.
A trip to Union County for another
Region 8-AA North contest is also
on the slate for Friday for coach Joe
Lord’s Diamond Leopards.
In the past, Lord has said he does
not mind having games during
spring break. The coach said it actu
ally makes away games easier since
players will not have to worry about
getting up early the next morning
after a long road trip the previous
day.
The BCHS team is currently bat
tling for first place in the subregion.
Five games remain in the subre
gion schedule before the postseason
arrives.
While the baseball team is con
tinuing on somewhat of a normal
schedule this week, other BCHS
athletic teams are taking a break
from action. The Leopard and
Lady Leopard tennis teams are off
this week and will return to action
against East Jackson Monday and
Dawson County Tuesday. Both
matches will be on the road.
“We decided not to schedule any
matches during spring break,” said
long-time boys tennis coach Mike
Ruth. “It gives the players a break as
we prepare for the final stretch of the
regular season.”
The BCHS track teams are also
off this week. Coach Rob Moffett’s
squads will return to action later this
month when the Region 8-AA meets
are held. The Lady Leopards will
compete April 18 and April 21 with
the Leopards taking part in region
April 25 and April 28.
The Region 8-AA track meets will
be hosted by East Jackson High
School this year.
The BCHS golf teams are sched
uled to host Jefferson Thursday and
the Lady Leopards will also com
pete at a tournament Saturday.
The BCHS varsity soccer teams
have completed their regular seasons
and were awaiting word on whether
they qualified for the postseason,
which begins Monday.
Subregion Battles: BCHS Aims For First
Leopards look
to compile
more victories
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
With every game seemingly hav
ing more importance, the Banks
County High School varsity base
ball team remains in contention for
first in Region 8-AA North.
The Diamond Leopards posted
wins in two of their three most
recent subregion contests and are
currently one game out of first with
a 7-3 mark. BCHS will host Fannin
County Wednesday (today) in
another important subregion contest.
BCHS defeated Rabun County
(4-0) and East Jackson (5-1) last
week before having its five-game
winning streak snapped Monday on
the road against Dawson County
(6-4).
In the victory against Rabun
County on April 2, senior Alex
Gailey earned the complete game
win allowing just three hits while
striking out 11 Wildcat batters.
“It’s always a battle when we go
to Rabun,” BCHS coach Joe Lord
said. “They always play us tough.
“This game was no exception. They
threw their best pitcher and he does
a good job of changing speeds and
locating strikes.”
The Leopard coach said his team
was able to deliver enough offense
at the right moments. Tyler Hulsey
connected for two homeruns and
finished with four RBI. Jeff Smith
was 1-for-2 with two runs scored
and Bill Redmon had a double.
Justin Gibbs continued his solid
season at the plate with two singles.
“Alex threw his best game of the
season,” Lord said. “Our defense
was also solid.”
The winning ways continued the
following day against East Jackson
as Kasey Hudgins went the distance
allowing no earned runs and striking
out eight. Hudgins had great control
in the game not allowing a single
walk.
“Kasey threw a great game for
us,” Lord said. “He threw strikes
and changed speeds well. He
stepped up and we need him to con
tinue to do that for us as we head
down the home stretch of the regu
lar season.”
At the plate, Smith, Chris Porter,
and Hulsey all had two hits. Smith
also drove in two runs.
See Baseball on page 3B
SUBREGION
CONTENTION
The Banks County
High School var
sity baseball team
continues to battle
for the top of
the Region 8-AA
standings this
spring. Junior Zack
Dale (top) slides
safely into second
base during last
week's subregion
win against East
Jackson. (Left)
Kasey Hudgins,
making a defensive
putout, recorded
the win against
East Jackson which
was the fifth win
in a row for the
Leopards. BCHS
will return to action
Wednesday (today)
when it hosts
Fannin County High
School in another
8-AA contest.
Photo by
Lyn Sengupta
High School Tennis
Leopards
look to
qualify for
postseason
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Commerce High School has pro
vided little resistance on the ten
nis court against the Banks County
High School Leopards this spring.
Coach Mike Ruth’s team recorded
another win against the Tigers last
week posting a 4-1 mark in the non
region contest. It was the only match
of the first for BCHS, as two other
scheduled events were rained out.
Kyle Walker, who has been the No.
1 singles player throughout 2008
for the Leopards, posted an 8-1 win
against Commerce. Trey Martin won
8-2 at No. 2 singles while Garret
Hayes earned an 8-4 victory.
In doubles action, Nathan Ward
and Jacob Westmoreland rallied for
an 8-4 win after trailing 4-1 at one
point in the match.
“They’ve been able to come back
like that before,” Ruth said. “That
was an impressive win.”
BCHS narrowly fell at No. 2 dou
bles which prevented the sweep.
Commerce won that match in a
tiebreaker.
The Leopards, who are off this
week for spring break, will return to
action Monday against East Jackson
on the road. BCHS will then travel
to Dawson County Tuesday in a
match which will determine whether
the Leopards qualify for the post
season.
“If we win, we will go into the
region tournament as a No. 3 seed,”
Ruth said. “That would be a great
accomplishment considering how
young of a team we have this spring.
If we lose, it would create a three
way tie between us, East Jackson
and Dawson County and I’m not
sure exactly what tiebreaker would
be used. Regardless, we really need
to win the match Tuesday.”
Ruth’s team advanced to the sec
ond round of the Class AA state
tennis tournament last spring with a
senior-led squad.
Up Next:
•BCHS @ East Jackson, Monday
•BCHS @ Dawson County, Tuesday