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— www.MainStreetSports.com —
September 11, 2008
The Banks County News
Chris Bridges, Sports Editor
706-367-2745, direct line
706-367-9355, FAX
chris@mainstreetnews.com
FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL
Lady Leopards get back on winning track
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
For the Banks County High School Lady
Leopards, it was good to have some clear
skies.
With rain causing havoc with the sched
ule the previous week, the BCHS team was
able to return to the field last Wednesay and
record a 10-1 victory against East Hall. The
Lady Leopards needed just five innings to
complete their task.
“This was the best we've looked at the
plate all year,” coach Josh Lord said.
The BCHS offense compiled 13 hits while
pitcher Kim Thomas was two outs from
recording a perfect game.
“Hopefully, we can carry this momentum
for the rest of the season,” Lord said.
Several players contributed at the plate
including Ashley Denton (3-for-3, two
runs, RBI), Thomas (2-for-4, run, two RBI,
double), Catlyn Free (2-for-2), Madison
Franklin (2-for-4, two runs), Hayley Baird
(2-for-4, run, stolen base) and Jordan Rogers
(double, run and RBI).
Laura Rose Pickens and Brittany Cook
both contributed a single, run and RBI.
The Lady Leopards returned to region
play the following day with a 5-4 win in
nine innings at Rabun County. Lord noted
every game during the last three seasons
against the Lady Wildcats have been decid
ed by one run.
“We knew what to expect going in,” the
coach said. “We were able to carry over
some confidence at the plate from the
East Hall game and we looked pretty good
against a solid Rabun County pitcher. Being
able to execute sacrifice bunts and manu
facture runs in the tie breaker innings was
key.”
See Softball on page 3B
LINE OF DEFENSE
Laura Rose Pickens holds a runner on first during a
recent game for the Lady Leopards.
Photo by Lyn Sengupta
Dawson County @ Banks County, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
AIMING FOR A WIN
The Banks County High School football team, lead by players such as quarterback Chris Porter, run
ning back Justin Beasley and lineman Zach Dale (top) and receiver Kane Duncan (bottom) will look
to get in the win column this Friday as the Leopards host Dawson County in a Regon 8-AA contest.
Photos by Lyn Sengupta
Leopards seeking to
make adjustments
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
When the Banks County
High School football team
takes the field for its third
game of the 2008 season
Friday night, look for some
adjustments — especially
on the defensive side of the
football.
Coach Blair Armstrong
said with the Leopards fac
ing several more opponents
which run the spread attack
this season, the BCHS
coaching staff will look to
find ways to slow down the
attack which Riverside had
so much success using last
week in its 56-28 win.
“We are going to face
four more teams who run
the spread so we are going
to do some things differ
ently,” the Leopard coach
said.
This week's opponent
— Dawson County — also
runs a form of the spread
and Armstrong said the
Tigers will be a formidable
opponent, similar to last
fall.
“They may not be as
skilled in the backfield as
last year, but they are very
strong on special teams
with a Division I kicker,”
the coach said. “Their
quarterback throws the
football better although he
is not as good of a runner
as the one they had last
year.”
BCHS will likely go
away from using as much
of a two-platoon system
beginning this week.
“We were trying not to
play eight or nine play
ers both ways but we may
have to just line up and
‘gut it out’ to keep the
best ones on the field,”
Armstrong said.
JV FOOTBALL
Leopards
begin with
big victory
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County High
School junior varsity foot
ball team ushered in its new
season last week in impres
sive fashion posting a 28-8
victory on the road against
Oglethorpe County.
Sophomore quarterback
Alex Banks helped lead the
way for the JV Leopards
with 104 yards rushing and a
touchdown. Banks was also
4-of-6 through the air for 57
yards.
Fellow sophomore Dylan
Lackey also helped pace
the offensive attack with 64
yards on eight carrries with
two scores. Freshman Kyle
Smith had 49 yards on 11
attempts. Smith also caught
one pass for 13 yards.
Caleb McCoy hauled in a
26-yard reception with Cody
Evans and Brett Bowman
also having receptions.
Jameson Flynn and Bo
Garrison also helped BCHS
earn the win. Flynn rushed
for 10 yards while Garrison
carried for seven.
The JV Leopards will
look to make it two wins in
a row to begin the season
when they travel to Riverside
today (Thursday) for a 6:30
p.m. contest.
LOCAL STARS
Worley gets
season to
learn offense
Former Banks County
High School football stand
out Dustin Worley will get
a season to sit back and
learn the system at Catawba
College.
Worley will redshirt this
season, his father, Dwayne,
said last Friday. While quick
ly picking up the system at
Catawba, the coaches felt
Worley, a three-sport stand
out at BCHS, would benefit
from the extra season.
MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
BCMS squad begins new season with two victories
Falcons win,
but fans should
remain realistic
A Hollywood movie
writer couldn’t have
scripted a better start
to the new season for the Atlanta
Falcons last Sunday.
Before the Detroit Lions knew
what happened, the Falcons had
jumped to a three-touchdown
lead and then held on for a 34-21
lead. The eras of Mike Smith,
Matt Ryan and Michael Turner all
began in fine fashion.
While it was
certainly great
to begin the new
season with such
a victory — and
believe me I
was as excited
as anyone who
has followed this
team through
the years — we
must remember
not to go over
board. In fact,
I kept thinking back to the first
game of the 1990 season as the
2008 opener unfolded.
For those of you with long
memories, the first game of 1990
mirrored this past Sunday’s game
in many ways. The Falcons also
debuted a new head coach that
afternoon as Jerry “The Man in
Black” Glanville made his return
to Atlanta, this time as head
coach. There was a renewed sense
of enthusiasm in the air even
though the Falcons were coming
off a disastrous 1989 season in
which the head coach who began
the year was gone after 13 games.
In fact, comparing 1990 to 2008
really does have an eerie feel to it
doesn’t it?
The first game of the 1990
season was against the Houston
Oilers, a team many felt could
certainly defeat the Falcons that
day. It was the same way this past
Sunday with the Detroit Lions,
who were actually favored by the
oddsmakers.
Just like Atlanta did this past
Sunday, the Birds of 18 years ago
jumped out to such a fast start
their opponent didn’t have time
to react and fell behind by such a
large deficit they simply couldn't
catch up. The final score that early
fall day in 1990 was 47-27 with
the Falcons on top.
As the 1990 season played out,
however, the overall weaknesses
of the team began to show and the
end result was a 5-11 campaign.
While the team was exciting to
watch with Deion Sanders, Andre
Rison, Chris Miller, Glanville and
a host of celebrities on the side
lines, there would be no playoff
appearance.
I say this to give clear warning
that I just can’t see any scenario
in which Atlanta makes the play
offs this year. Remember, one
national publication predicted the
Falcons would record just one win
in 2008 with another forecasting
two victories.
Looking back, however, Atlanta
had begun to build the ground
work in 1990 for a playoff run
the following season. Perhaps that
is realistically what we are look
ing at in 2008.1 don't foresee the
playoffs in our future this year,
but who’s to say 2009 might not
be our year.
As Falcon fans, we should all
enjoy Sunday’s win against the
Lions, however, we would also
remember that it was only one
game out of 16. NFL seasons are
long and when a franchise is in
an ultimate rebuilding stage like
Atlanta is, it is important to keep
things in perspective.
Still, it was great seeing such
an inspired performance from the
team on opening day. Hopefully
it’s a sign of things to come.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of
The Banks County News. E-mail
comments about this column to
chris @ mainstreetnews. com.
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Dedication is a word which can
be used to describe the work ethic
of the Banks County Middle School
football players.
It’s something coach Vince
Lehotsky expects from his players.
That dedication includes practicing
on Friday afternoon when most mid
dle school teams are not doing so.
BCMS began the 2008 season 2-0
with wins against Madison County
(24-6) and Rabun County (40-14).
While the games were not league
contest, Lehotsky and his coaches
and players were pleased to begin the
season with victories.
“Since I have been at the middle
school we have always practiced on
Fridays,” Lehotsky said. “When you
only have four practices between
games, I don’t see how you can take
a day off and expect to do well.”
The keys to the wins in the first
two contests, the coach said, have
been no turnovers, no bad snaps
between the center and quarterbacks
and just a few penalties.
“We aren’t doing things to defeat
ourselves,” Lehotsky said. “That’s
why those first two games before
league play are important.”
OP
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