Newspaper Page Text
July 2,2008
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
Remember to
be thankful
for each day
S hocking news arrived late
last week.
Union County High
School varsity girls basketball
coach Mike West was found dead
after going on a hiking trek in
the North Georgia mountains. It
was something West did numer
ous times as hiking was a hobby
of his. However, when he did
not return home family members
obviously became concerned and
West’s body was later found. He
was only 42.
No foul play is suspected
although results of an autopsy are
pending. It appears the coach may
have died as the result of a mas
sive heart attack. As I said, shock
ing. West leaves behind a family
who are dealing with pain I can
only begin to fathom.
I got to know West way back
during the 1996-97 basketball
season. West was hired as the
girls coach at Newton High
School and I was handling sports
coverage for a local paper at the
time. To say our working relation
ship was the best would not be
true. Looking back at it more than
a decade later, I chalk it up to
youth on both of our parts.
The previous coach had
resigned after not getting the
proper support from the school
administration. I was upset over
what had taken place with the
former coach and therefore had it
in for the new coach. It just hap
pened to be West.
Likewise, West was a young,
first-time varsity head coach
looking to make an impact in his
profession. I had heard stories of
how he had clashed with other
sports writers — even as an assis
tant coach — and made it known
I would not tolerate it. West, in
turn, made it clear he didn’t care
what I liked or what I would tol
erate.
As the season wore on, our icy
beginning began to thaw some
what. We learned we both went
to the same college and it was
obvious we both shared a com
mon bond in our love of high
school athletics. By the end of the
season. West and I had developed
what I termed a solid coach-
sports writer relationship.
As it turned out, that would be
the only season I got to work with
him as I left the following sum
mer for another job. West, how
ever, stayed at Newton for eight
seasons and made the Lady Rams
program into a state playoff one.
I followed the progress West’s
teams made after I left and was
always glad to see them do well
on the court.
See First and Ten on page 3B
Recreation All-Stars
Local teams battle on during postseason competition
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Postseason play is in full swing for All-Star
teams representing the Banks County Parks
and Recreation Department.
The 11-12-year-old softball All-Stars recent
ly won the Dizzy Dean tournament in Blue
Ridge. The Banks County team defeated
Jackson County 7-0 in the opening game
following by a 10-2 victory against Fannin
County. In the championship contest, the local
All-Stars posted a 7-1 victory against Lula to
capture the District 6 title.
The 11-12 All-Stars will now play in the
Dizzy Dean state touranment beginning Friday
in Rossville at 1 p.m. The tournament will
continue through Sunday.
Team members include Toni Mullins, Shelby
Coker, Savannah Denton, Alexis Denton,
Emily Gailey, Haley Warner, Leah Dowdy,
Grace Lunsford, Lindsey Elliot and Jennifer
Bennett. Nick Denton, Chad Warner and
Darren Parson are the coaches.
Also currently competing in postseason
action are the 9-10-year-old All-Star softball
team coached by David Kennedy, Rodney
Foster and Ricky Duncan.
The team will compete in the GRPA tour
nament in Jefferson July 11-12. Team mem
bers are Abby Baird, Kayla Berry, Mallory
Coker, Kaitlyn Duncan, Anslee Foster, Gabby
Kennedy, McKenzie Kennedy, Summer Lord,
Taylor Parson, Alex Pritchett, Riley Scroggs
and Bayleigh Watson.
The 13-14-year-old All-Star baseball team,
coached by Jeff Coen and Cranley Ward, are
currently competing in district play in Blue
Ridge. The Banks team won its first game
15-0 against Fannin County before posting
an 11-1 victory in game two. The teams in
the tournament have had to battle several rain
outs.
Team members of the local 13-14-year-old
team include Thomas Ward, Jay Coen, Taylor
Foster, Avery Chastain, Jamerson Flynn, Jared
Clark, Tayler Hewell, Tyler Hellmeister and
Blake Allen. See next week’s edition of The
Banks County News for an update on the prog
ress of the All-Star baseball team.
Show of Strength: Lineman Challenge
LEOPARD STRONGMEN
Members of the Banks County High School
football program traveled to Gilmer High
School recently to compete in the annual
Lineman Challenge. The event featured sev
eral displays of strength and speed. BCHS
finished second overall at the competition
which featured 18 teams. The event is part
of the summer work performed by the
Leopard players.
BCHS linemen
capture second
at competition
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
This was not your normal football
competition.
The winner was not the team who
scored the most touchdowns. The
goal was not to compile tons of
rushing yardage or to throw for five
touchdowns.
In this competition, players com
peted in events such as 40-yard dash,
the farmer's walk, bench press, tire
toss and the tug of war. It was the
third annual offensive-defensive
lineman challenge hosted by Gilmer
High School. When the day's events
were over. Banks County High
School had emerged with a second-
place showing behind only Class
AAAA Ringgold.
The Leopard players brought home
five trophies in addition to their sec
ond place overall finish. It was the
second year BCHS had competed.
The varsity players who traveled
to Gilmer included Thomas Baker,
Justin Bowen, Clint Caudell, Zack
Dale, Cody Gowder. Lyn Hester.
Tyler Hulsey. Justin Lewallan, Isaac
Mayfield, Tramaine Mayfield, Justen
Scott and Jeff Smith.
BCHS also was represented by
a junior varsity team comprised of
Eli Autry, Darrell Childress, Blake
Cotton, Joseph Denton, Bo Garrison,
Nathan Krumnow, Blake Cotton,
Dakoda McDuffie, Mitchell Reeves,
Josh Staats and Barry Whitfield.
Whitfield captured two bull pull
challenges. Accompanying the
players to the event were varsity
football players Chuck Hudson, Jeff
Ravencraft, Paul Hoch, Tony Bowen
and Jason Armstrong.
"The results from the tremedous
hard work these players have done
since this time last year was evi
dent,” said BCHS head coach Blair
Armstrong. "We drew numerous
compliments from coaches and
fans.”
See Challenge on page 2B
High School Baseball
Players enjoy
successful
summer
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Most coaches take a different
approach when it comes to summer
league baseball.
Banks County High School’s Joe
Lord is one such coach.
Lord has used this year’s summer
schedule as a way to get all players
on the roster plenty of game experi
ence as well as a time to get players
time at various positions on the field.
The result has been a positive month
of June for the Diamond Leopards.
"We’ve played some good compe
tition and got to work a lot of players
into various situations,” the coach
said. "You work around a lot of dif
ferent things during the summer and
you get as much as you can out of it.
A lot of times you don’t have a com
plete team but that just gives those
who are there more opportunities to
get work.”
Lord said any player who has
dedicated his time to being with the
team during the summer has shown
a great level of commitment and a
desire to learn and improve.
"I usually try to get everyone in
the games defensively and try to
get everyone an at-bat,” he said. "It
doesn't always happen, but it does
more times than not.”
BCHS will have to replace its
starting second baseman and cen-
terfielder for next spring as a result
of losses due to graduation. In addi
tion, graduation took away a starting
pitcher who threw 50 plus innings.
Bill Redmon has stepped up in the
leadoff role, Lord said.
"If he stays patient and doesn’t
try to muscle up, he could be a pro
totypical leadoff batter for us,” the
coach said.
Tyler McEntire has also stepped
in on the pitcher's mound. Redmon
has also shown improvement pitch
ing this summer. Other players who
have gotten plenty of work on the
hill have been Jeff Smith, Kasey
Hudgins and Wesley Angel. Each
will be counted on next season.
At the plate, Tyler Hulsey and
Zack Dale have had monsterous
summers and will be key players
to the Leopards’ success when the
2009 season rolls around.
"They can be game changers with
the bat,” Lord said.
See Baseball on page 2B
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