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— www.MainStreetSports.com —
September 4, 2008
The Banks County News
Chris Bridges, Sports Editor
706-367-2745, direct line
706-367-9355, FAX
chris@mainstreetnews.com
Coaching duo
an asset for
BCHS sports
T he obvious common
link between Josh and
Joe Lord is they are
brothers. To be more precise,
they are twins.
They share a love of sports
and a love of coaching. It makes
them a strong team. When it
comes to fast-pitch softball and
baseball at Banks County High
School, thev have become the
faces of the
sports and have
helped build
their respective
a
programs into
winners.
I remember
three years
ago meeting
them for the
first time. To
chris
bridges
First & Ten
be honest, I
couldn’t tell
them apart at the time and while
I believe I can now, I still look
twice to be sure I now which one
I am talking to. (A quick look at
a jersey number also helps).
Josh coaches the Lady
Leopard softball team with
brother Joe as his assistant. Joe
is the Diamond Leopard head
coach with Josh serving as his
top assistant coach. Now, my
brother and I get along well
but we live an hour apart. Who
knows what the relationship
would be if we had to work this
closely on a daily basis?
Watching the Lords in action
is to see two young coaches who
truly enjoy athletics and who
enjoy teaching the fundamentals
of their games to today’s student
athletes. When sitting in the dug-
out at a BCHS softball or base
ball contest, you can see them
talking strategy and figuring out
what the best approach for the
situation at hand might be.
At a recent softball game.
Josh, the head coach, remained
in the dugout while the Lady
Leopards were batting. Brother
Joe stood at third base receiving
the signals from his brother and
then relaying them to the BCHS
batters at the plate. They did
it time and time again without
missing a beat. The end result
that day was another victory for
the Lady Leopards. It was an
impressive thing to watch unfold
inning after inning.
It has also been impressive to
see how much both programs
have grown and improved under
each coach’s guidance and
leadership. The baseball team
advanced to the state playoffs
this past spring posting impres
sive numbers in several catego
ries. This season’s softball team
has already recorded a number
of victories.
BCHS is fortunate to have
varsity coaches like Josh and
Joe Lord. They give countless
hours to their players and their
programs.
The work they put in during
the summer months and off
season often goes unnoticed by
those outside of the softball and
baseball programs but the long
term dividends are being seen on
the field.
Successful programs are not
made overnight. Anyone who
knows about coaching can tell
you that. I’ve seen first hand
what the Lords have done for
BCHS athletics. They work
well together and the fact they
coach as a team only benefits
their respective programs and
the school’s athletic program as
a whole.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of
The Banks County News. E-mail
comments about this column to
chris @ mainstreetnews. com.
FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL
Lady Leopards fall in region opener to Jefferson
PERFECT STRIKE
Banks County High School pitcher Kim Thomas
has performed well for the Lady Leopards
during the early portion of the 2008 season.
Photo by Lyn Sengupta
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County High School fast-pitch
team softball team ushered in its Region
8-AA schedule Tuesday afternoon but could
not overcome visiting Jefferson.
The Lady Dragons emerged with a 7-2
win as they took advantage of a couple of
big innings. Jefferson scored three runs in
the top of the third and four in the top of the
fifth to help secure the victory.
“I was proud of the way we battle out of
a few jams,” Lady Leopard coach Josh Lord
said. “We came back to swing the bats better
late in the game.”
Offensively for BCHS, Hayley Baird con
tinued her strong play with two hits and a
run scored. Brittany Cook also delivered two
hits and collected an RBI.
Also contributing were Madison Franklin
(hit, run) and Kim Thomas (hit, RBI.)
Jordan Rogers got the start for the Lady
Leopards Tuesday before giving way to Kim
Thomas who worked the final 2.1 innings.
Tuesday’s outing was the first time this
season an opponent has scored more than
three runs against BCHS. Prior to the
Jefferson contest the Lady Leopards had a
team earned run average of 1.53 with Rogers
at 1.34 and Thomas at 1.87.
At the plate, Baird led the team with a .351
mark followed by Denton at .343. Denton
also led the team with eight RBI.
The Lady Leopard coach expects the
majority of the region contests this fall to
be close.
“We look for them to shape up like most
of our other games so far — competetive
contests,” Lord said.
BCHS will travel to Rabun County today
(Thursday) for a 5:55 p.m. contest.
HOME DEBUT AWAITS
The Banks County High School
football team will make its home
debut this week when the Leopards
host Riverside Military Academy at
7:30 p.m. The contest is one of nine
Region 8-AA contests for BCHS.
Photo by Chris Bridges
SIGNAL CALLER
Senior quarterback Chris Porter will lead the Banks County High School
football team into its home opener Friday against Riverside Military
Academy. Photo by Chris Bridges
BCHS set
for 2008
home debut
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
After making the long
trek to play Washington-
Wilkes last Friday, the
Banks County High
School football team will
be able to compete in the
friendly confines of home
this week.
Riverside Military
Academy is a program
which also has a winning
tradition. The Eagles, who
are coming off a 21-20
victory over Class AAA
Elbert County last Friday,
also present a different
kind of challenge for the
Leopards and other mem
bers of Region 8-AA.
“They have kids from
all over the country,”
said BCHS coach Blair
Armstrong. “When you
look at their roster it’s
like looking at a roster
for a college team. I real
ize not all of their kids
go there to play college
football, but some prob
ably do.”
The Leopard coaches
watched Riverside during
its preseason scrimmage
and will have watched
the Eagles on tape against
Elbert. Armstrong said
Riverside is not as big
up front as Washington-
Wilkes but runs a “good
scheme.”
“Their kids stay on
campus and they have
unlimited time with
them,” The BCHS coach
said. “I
Coming up: believe
What: BCHS hosts the y are
Riverside Military going
Academy to be
When: Friday at one
7:30 p.m. of the
top three or four teams in
the region. We are going
to have our work cut out
for us. We are capable of
winning, but we are going
to have to play well.”
Riverside runs a spread
on offense, similar to
Washington-Wilkes and
will run a 4-4 defensive
look.
“Every game is impor
tant from now on,”
Armsrong said. “I believe
the region race will go
down to the last game
of the regular season. It
is going to be a battle
for the four state playoff
spots.”
The Leopards remained
a member of Region
8-AA this fall, but sev
eral new schools moved
in including Riverside.
The Eagles have already
proved in week one they
are going to be a force to
be dealt with by defeating
Class AAA Elbert County.
“We know this is going
to be a tough game,”
Armstrong said.
JV FOOTBALL
Schedule
begins for
Leopards
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County High
School junior varsity foot
ball team will begin its 2008
season this week playing
the first of seven scheduled
games.
The JV Leopards are sched
uled to travel to Oglethorpe
County today (Thursday) for
a 5 p.m. kickoff. The first
three scheduled games for
the BCHS JV are on the
road this season. Following
the opener this week, the
team will travel to Riverside
Sept. 11 (6:30 p.m.) and to
Franklin County Sept. 18
(5:30 p.m.)
An open week follows with
the team then competing at
home against Oglethorpe
County Oct. 2. A home con
test against Towns County is
set for Oct. 9 before a road
game agianst Jefferson Oct.
16 and a home game against
Athens Academy Oct. 23.
Fans should be reminded
that scheduled JV games
can be changed on a week-
to-week basis depending on
needs of the varsity squad.
CROSS COUNTRY
Teams set
for new
campaign
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County High
School cross country teams
are set to begin the 2008 sea
son when they travel to East
Jackson Tuesday for a 4:30
p.m. meet.
Veteran BCHS cross country
coach Kelly McDuffie said her
athletes have been dedicated
in preparing for the upcoming
year.
“Things are going great,” the
coach said. “Many of our run
ners are making great strides.
Our new home course (at the
high school) is tougher than
last year so many times prac
tices are better than meets.”
LOCAL RACING
Pollard records win, Earnest takes scary ride at Peach State
BY BRANDON REED
Only one driver this year had
recorded more than one victory on
the Georgia Asphalt Series tour.
Bubba Pollard, of Senoia, had twice
visited victory lane.
On Saturday night, he upped that
number to three with a victory at
Peach State Speedway.
It wasn’t an easy one to win,
either. Piloting the number 42 nor
mally driven by Tony Clark, Pollard
first had to chase down Commerce
racer Taylor Satterfield. Then he
had to duel longtime GAS series
rival Paul Kelley, of Pendergrass,
before pulling away for the win.
“This was possibly the most fun
I ever had racing,” said Pollard in
victory lane. “Paul (Kelley) raced
me clean and I’m thrilled to get
Tony’s (Clark) car in victory lane."
Kelley would finish second,
despite a late spin off the fender
of a lap car, and seemed equal
ly as happy with his race against
Pollard.
“Wow, that was a blast racing
with Bubba,” said Kelley. “I want to
congratulate Bubba on his win.”
See Racing on page 2B