About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2008)
June 4, 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 Watching the calendar slowly creep by to kickoff Random thoughts from my sports notebook as we move into the summer months: •The calendar now reads June and that means we are inching our way closer to a new football season. In fact, this is the second edi tion of this paper I have used our “Countdown to Kickoff” box. Yes, die-hards like myself are already well into countdown mode. •I recently had the chance to watch the 1985 Monday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants. If this game doesn’t ring a bell on the surface, it was the contest where Joe Theismann had his leg broken when he was sacked by Lawrence Taylor. Is was easily the most gruesome injury I have seen in all my years as a football fan. Perhaps seeing it shown in slow motion added to the gut-wrenching element of it, but it was an injury that reminds us just how violent a game foot ball can be. Even Taylor, who was as old-school as anyone, was vis ibly upset by it, as he frantically waved for the Redskin medical staff to get onto the field. As a sidenote to the game itself, the announcers for the contest were Frank Gifford, Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson. •While some are trying to push Georgia as the preseason favorite to win a national championship this fall, I present some reasons the Bulldogs will not host the tro phy at season’s end: 1. The schedule is too tough. Even without the usual rigors of the SEC, UGA travels to Arizona State and has a trip-up home game against Central Michigan. 2. USC. The Trojans have stockpiled more talent than any one in college football in recent years and have the best coach in the game in Pete Carroll. If UGA should advance to the national title game (and that’s a big if) they would not match up with USC. The talent gap is too wide. 3. Tim Tebow. Had Tebow been healthy last fall, Florida would have defeated Georgia. Assuming the Heisman Trophy winner is 100 percent when the teams meet again in 2008, the Gators will have revenge on their minds and will cash in on it. •Many college football rivalries have some sort of prize or trophy awarded to the winner each year. A new tradition could be unveiled when Arkansas hosts Alabama on Sept. 20. Perhaps the winning coach of this game could be presented with the “Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire” trophy as Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino aren’t exactly known for their honesty. Of course, the trophy probably won’t be awarded for many years because you can count on one of these two, or both, leaving for another job in the near future, despite all their denials. •June Prediction: Look for Vanderbilt to break its long bowl drought this fall. The Commodores play sound foot ball for coach Bobby Johnson (remember they had UGA beat in ‘07) and are due some good fortune. Chris Bridges is sports editor of The Banks County News. Contact him at 706-367-2745 or by e-mail at chris@mainstreetnews.com. BCHS Wrestling Mat Leopards recognized for another historic season BY CHRIS BRIDGES An Pham earned one final award for his accomplishments as a Banks County High School Mat Leopard as the recently graduated senior was named the Most Valuable Wrestler for the 2007-08 season. Pham received the recognition from coach Kasey Hanley during the team’s annual ban quet held last month. Pham earned 52 wins this past season and finished third in the state for his weight class. For his career, Pham finished as the wrestler with the most wins in BCHS history and also has more pins than any Mat Leopard competi- tor with 87. Showing he was an overall student-athlete, Pham also took home the Scholar Athlete Award compiling a 95 grade point average. Junior Demetric Dempson was presented with the Most Improved Wrestler for 2007-08. Dempson went from 25 wins during his soph omore season to 50 wins and a fifth place fin ish in state this past year. Bobbie Hewell, Nathan Ward and Pham each earned Captain Awards from Hanley. Several BCHS grapplers also earned at least 15 wins and received a medal for that accomplishent. Reaching that milestone dur- ing 2007-08 were Nathan Holloway, Pham, Jeremy Greenway, Wesley Angel, Paul Newell, Dempson, Jared Gregory, Hewell and Tramaine Mayfield. The Mat Leopards continued to progress as a program under Hanley’s direction during the 2007-08 season. This was the coach’s third season directing the BCHS wrestling team. For this summer, the Alex Tucker Foothills Wrestling Camp will be held June 16-18 from 8-10 a.m. and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. This camp is designed to improve the ability and intensity of wrestlers at the middle school and high school levels with intense drilling and live wrestling. The camp will be at the old Banks County High School Leopards’ Den gym in Homer. The cost is $80. Wrestlers should wear shorts and a T-shirt. Those attending should also bring wrestling shoes and may also bring headgear and a towel. A snack lunch and drink should also be brought. Tucker was Kennesaw State University’s first head wrestling coach. For more information on the camp, contact Kasey Hanley at 706-215-4322 or khanley@ banks.k12.ga.us. Leopards Play On: Boys of Summer SUMMER LEAGUE COMPETITION Numerous returning players for the Banks County High School baseball program are competing on a summer league squad this month. Leopard coach Joe Lord said he views the summer sched ule as a preparation for the 2009 season. All returning players in the varsity and junior varsity programs were invited to compete this sum mer. (Right) Bill Redmon, who will be a junior next season, gets some work on the pitcher's mound against Morgan County last week. (Bottom) Rising senior Tyler McEntire takes a swing dur ing a contest with the visit ing Morgan County Bulldogs. Photos by Randy Crump/ Rudeseal Photography BCHS ushers in summer schedule, looks to 2009 BY CHRIS BRIDGES The Banks County High School baseball team shook off a little rust in a doubleheader last week against Morgan County. The end result was a win for both teams. BCHS won the opener 3-2 while Morgan County took the nightcap 6-5. The name of the game during summer league play is to gain experience and Leopard coach Joe Lord believes his players were able to do just that. “We got a lot of out of both games,” the coach said. “All of our players got game experience that will benefit us down the road.” Tyler McEntire, Bill Redmon and Kasey Hudgins handled the pitching duties in the opener and Lord said each did a solid job of locating stikes. At the plate, BCHS is working out some of the kinks caused by the layoff in action but Redmon, Zack Dale, Jeff Smith and Justin Bowen swung the bats well in the opener, Lord said. Jeff Smith started the second game and was relieved by Wesley Angel and Chris Porter. Smith allowed just one run in three innings of work. Redmon, Porter, Dale, Bowen and McEntire each delivered offensively for the Leopards. High School Softball BCHS begins working for new season BY CHRIS BRIDGES The Banks County High School fast-pitch softball is back together again. Working together for the first time since October, the Lady Leopards are now competing in a summer league as preparations begin for the upcoming 2008 season. Coach Josh Lord said his team is working out the kinks and adjustments are being made. “We have already learned a good bit,” Lord said. “We look forward to getting more quality work in this month. Several girls have been play ing on travel teams, but I can tell they are excited to be representing the Banks County Leopards once again.” BCHS has several young players competing this summer and Lord will use the schedule to allow play ers to compete at different positions on the field. “The number one objective of summer ball is to learn and improve as a team,” the coach said. “I have to see who can do what. Any time the scoreboard is on, we want to win. However, summer games are glori fied practice and in practice you are more concerned with getting players opportunities.” Summer league games are played with a 75-minute time limit. Substitutions are often made in the third inning. Lord said games are managed differently than during the regular season. BCHS played North Oconee last week and benefited from a key two- out hit by Brittany Cook which sent the game to an extra inning tied at four before North Oconee eventually earned the win. Kim Thomas and Jordan Rogers pitched for the Lady Leopards. BCHS led Stephens County 3-0 in the second game before seeing its opponent rally for a 4-3 win. Brooke Harris pitched well in that contest, Lord said. Ashley Denton and Madison Franklin were stand outs at the plate. High School Football Coaches have to use balancing act between summer work, time off BY CHRIS BRIDGES Blair Armstrong remembers when he was coaching in the 1970s sum mer workouts consisted primarily of lifting weights. “We would award T-shirts for players who lifted a certain amount of times,” the Banks County High School head football coach said. “That was the extent of what we did during the summer.” Approximately three decades later sees much has changed in how foot ball players, and high school ath letes in general, spend their summer months. Gone are the so-called lazy days of summer. In their place are workouts and summer league play. “There’s real ly not much of a summer now,” Armstrong said. “I think that’s why the state mandates a week in July where nothing can be done and coach es can have no contact with players. At some places parents felt their kids were being pressured to always be there with no vacation time.” The Leopard coach said he is care ful to balance the needs of his play ers. Armstrong realizes there must be a balancing act between preparing for the next season and allowing kids to be kids and enjoy their summer. “If you don’t work during the sum mer then you aren’t going to be able to compete,” he said. “We work our schedule out where our football play ers can actually miss three weeks and still meet our summer goals.” As athletic director, Armstrong also encourages his players to participate in other sports. Therefore, he plans weight lifting sessions for the morn ing so players can have the rest of the day for basketball camps or summer league baseball games. See Summer on page 2B Countdown to kickoff: 86 DAYS BALANCING ACT Banks County High School foot ball coach Blair Armstrong real izes the need to allow players the chance to enjoy summer as well as prepare for the upcoming fall season. Photo by Randy Crump
