Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3B
BANKS COUNTY LEOPARD FOOTBALL 2008
2008 Schedule
Aug. 29
@Wash.-Wilkes
L14-39
Sept. 5
Riverside*
L 28-56
Sept. 12
Dawson County
W 48-27
Sept. 19
@ Rabun County
W35-6
Sept. 26
North Oconee*
L7-12
Oct. 3
@ East Jackson*
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10
OPEN
Oct. 17
Jefferson*
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 24
Fannin County
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 31
@ Oglethorpe Co.*
7:30 p.m.
Nov. 7
@ Union County*
7:30 p.m.
•denotes Region 8-AA game
Region Roundup
8-AA Standings
Team
Reoion
Overall
Jefferson
4-0
5-0
Union County
3-1
4-1
North Oconee
3-1
4-1
Riverside
3-1
4-1
Fannin County
3-1
4-1
Banks County
2-2
2-3
Rabun County
1-3
1-4
East Jackson
1-3
1-4
Dawson County
0-4
1-4
Oglethorpe County
0-4
1-4
Last Week's
Scores
Rabun County 26, Dawson County 18; North
Oconee 12, Banks County 7; Fannin County
55, Oglethorpe County 17; Riverside 44, East
Jackson 6; Jefferson 50, Union County 14
This Week's Games
Banks County @ East Jackson; Jefferson
@ Riverside; Union County @ Fannin County,
Dawson County @ Oglethorpe County;
Rabun County @ North Oconee.
Class AA Top 10
1. Buford
2. Westminster
3. Fitzgerald
4. Jefferson County
5. Appling County
6. Pepperell
7. Blessed Trinity
8. Charlton County
9. Flenry County
10. Brooks County
8-AA battle: Leopards fall in defensive slugfest
RUNNING FOR DAYLIGHT
Banks County High School’s Brandon Law runs upfield during a kickoff
return last Friday against North Oconee. Law had a solid night on returns
but was injured later in the contest. The Leopards will return to action this
week at East Jackson. Photo by Randy Crump/Rudeseal Photo
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
ike two proud box
ers who refused to
yield an inch, the
Banks County High School
and North Oconee High
School football teams went
toe-to-toe in an old fashioned
defensive struggle last Friday
night in Homer.
After slugging it out for
four quarters, both teams
had only 129 yards of of
fense. BCHS scored its
lone touchdown following
a special teams miscue by
North Oconee. The Titans,
meanwhile scored one of its
touchdowns on an intercep
tion return.
The difference turned
out to be a 50-yard run in
the fourth quarter by North
Oconee when its quarterback
managed to break several
tackles and scamper into the
endzone.
The end result: a 12-7 vic
tory for the visiting Titans. It
was a gutwrenching Region
8-AA defeat for the BCHS
Leopards who had played
their hearts out defensively.
“It's the hardest we've
played since we've been
here,” BCHS coach Blair
Armstrong said trying to
cope with the tough setback.
“We have to work on ex
ecution. We have reached the
level of effort I want but we
can’t have turnovers in close
games and win.”
It was easily the best defen
sive effort by the Leopards in
2008. Defensive coordina
tor Paul Hoch’s troops drew
a line in the sand and would
not back down from North
Oconee.
Armstrong said the key to
the strong defensive effort
was playing fast.
“We have not been playing
full speed,” the head coach
said. “We played at a different
level and different tempo. We
figured out you can do more
when you play that way. We
didn’t play tentatively. Our
defensive coaches did a great
job. They had a great game
plan for North Oconee.”
The Leopards took the
game’s opening kickoff and
appeared set to cash in early.
BCHS set up shop at the Ti
tan 39-yard line following a
strong return from Brandon
Law.
After moving to the North
Oconee 8-yard line, the drive
stalled and the Leopards
turned the football over on
downs after being unable to
convert on a fourth and three
play.
Neither team was able to
move the football and the
only score of the first game
came when the Titans re
turned an interception for
18 yards for a touchdown at
the 10:15 mark of the second
quarter. The extra point at
tempt failed leaving the score
at 6-0.
A special teams play
helped BCHS take the lead
with 3:02 remaining in the
third quarter. Justin Bowen
recovered a mishandled punt
by North Oconee at the Titan
6-yard line.
One play later, Justin Bea
sley cashed in for the score.
Defensive staff:
•Paul Hoch, defensive
coordinator
•Tony Bowen, line
•Jerry Williams, ends
•Tyson Baxter, backs
•Shane Wilburn, LBs
Tyler Husky’s point after
kick made the score 7-6.
The Leopard defense con
tinued to make plays as an
interception by Matthew Pat
ton stopped a North Oconee
scoring threat on the last play
of the third quarter. The Ti
tans were in BCHS territory
after recovering a mishan
dled punt.
The turning point of the
contest game with 6:39 left
when the Titans managed to
score on a quarterback keeper
from midfield. The two-point
conversion failed leaving the
score at 12-7. Remaining at
tempts by the Leopards to
score were unsuccessful.
“We had a couple of
missed tackles and they were
able to score their second
touchdown,” Armstrong said.
“Offensively, we should have
been able to score. We have
been productive all season
against tougher defenses
than that. We didn't just ex
ecute well.”
The team will try to re
group this week and get back
on track in region play.
“It was a well fought game
on both sides,” Armstrong
said. “Good sportsmanship
was displayed by both teams.
It was a great game to watch
as a fan. It was horrible to
go through as a coach and a
player.”
The game was the second
annual Shawn Smith Bowl
named in honor of the former
BCHS standout athlete and
former Leopard and Titan
coach who died in an auto
mobile accident in 2007.
Yards continue piling up for Beasley in 2008
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Through five games this
season. Banks County High
School senior running back
Justin Beasley continues to
show why he is considered
one of the top running backs
in the Northeast Georgia area.
Beasley has rushed for 876
yards and 10 touchdowns
through the first half of the
2008 season. His yard per
carry average is an impressive
7.88 mark.
Senior Demetric Dempson
is the second leading rusher
on the team with 317 yards.
Dempson has rushed for two
scores this fall.
BCHS also has been effec
tive in the passing department.
Quarterback Chris Porter has
thrown for 489 yards with
his favorite target being Kane
Duncan. With 12 receptions
for 200 yards, Duncan has
scored five touchdowns.
Beasley is the team's second
leading receiver with eight
catches for 103 yards fol
lowed by Jeff Smith with five
catches for 96 yards. Demp
son had hauled in three passes
for 47 yards.
Leopard offensive coordina
tor Chuck Hudson has been in
charge of spreading the wealth
to several players in 2008.
On the defensive side of the
football, Billy Pinson is the
team’s leading tackier at the
mid-way point of the regular
season with 54 tackles, includ
ing one for negative yardage.
Tyler Hulsey has 33 tackles
and three quarterback hurries.
Duncan has 31 tackles and
two interceptions while Lyn
Football
Notebook
Hester has 30 tackles includ
ing two for negative yards,
three sacks and two hurries.
Bill Redmon has three in
terceptions, including one re
turned for a score.
• ••
Captains for the North
Oconee game were Chris Por
ter, Jeff Smith and Justin Bea
sley.
• ••
Region 8-AA is not getting
much respect out of Atlanta.
Jefferson, which is a new
comer to the region this fall,
is 5-0 overall and a perfect
4-0 in 8-AA play. The Drag
ons have pretty much steam-
rolled through its competi
tion to this point including a
50-14 thumping of previously
unbeaten Union County last
week.
Yet in the most recent rank
ings released by The Atlanta
Journal-Constitition, listed
at left, Jefferson remains no
where to be found.
BCHS will play Jefferson
on Oct. 17.
• ••
Currently, five teams are
ahead of BCHS in the region
standings. With only four
schools making the state play
offs from 8-AA, this Friday’s
contest at East Jackson has a
high level of significance.
The Eagles are coached by
Frank Caputo, who was at
Jackson County High School
for the 2006 season before
leaving for East Jackson.
Preview continued from page IB
“We are going to have to not
make mistakes and cut out the
turnovers and penalties at the
wrong time,” the BCHS coach
said. “We can't go from first
and ten to first and 15.”
With the Leopards now at
2-2 in Region 8-AA, a win this
week is almost a must to keep
postseason hopes alive.
www.BanksNewsT0DAY.com
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Pitchers clinic set locally for Oct. 11
A baseball clinic for pitchers ages 14-19 will
be held Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Banks County
Parks and Recreation Department Complex in
Homer.
The ProThrow event will be offered in two
sessions at a cost of $75 per session. The first
session will be from 9 a.m. until noon with the
second being from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. Registra
tion will be held 30 minutes before the camp.
The staff camp will include Jeremy Loft-
ice, a Major League Baseball scout and certi
fied strength and conditioning specialist; Jason
Johnson, a former Division I pitching coach
and recruiting coordinator and Trey Hodges, a
former Atlanta Brave now pitching in the Texas
Rangers organization.
For additional information on the event, call
770-316-4110.
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