Newspaper Page Text
— www.MainStreetNewsSports.com —
October 16, 2008
The Banks County News
Chris Bridges, Sports Editor
706-367-2745, direct line
706-367-9355, FAX
chris@mainstreetnews.com
Saying goodbye
has never been
an easy thing
“Don’t be dismayed at good
byes, a farewell is necessary
before you can meet again and
meeting again, after moments or
lifetimes, is certain for those who
are friends.”
•••
I admit I haven't been looking
forward to writing this column.
On one hand I have good per
sonal news. In fact, in can be
termed great. On the other hand,
it comes at a
price, as all good
things do.
I soon will
be helping
direct a new
project which
MainStreet
Newspapers, the
parent company
of The Banks
County News
is launching.
While I am
excited about this opportunity, it
also means I will be giving up my
duties in Banks County. As I said,
there is no great gain without
some amount of loss.
It’s hard to believe so much
time has elapsed since I arrived
in June 2005. A great deal has
changed on the BCHS sports
scene since then. It has been great
to see the improvements made on
the sports fields in that time.
The baseball, softball and ten
nis programs all have much better
facilities to call home now. The
football stadium has also taken
a major turn for the better and
some improvements were also
made to the cross country course.
Hopefully, improvements will
arrive soon for the high school
track.
The coaches in the county have
also been great to work this. Blair
Armstrong as athletic director
at BCHS has been ideal to work
with allowing me complete and
open access to his football pro
gram as well as anything associ
ated with Leopard athletics. I
realize it is not this way at all
high schools.
It has also been a please work
ing with Josh Lord and Joe Lord
who have beyond helpful in
getting me information on their
softball and baseball programs.
It’s a little easier covering foot
ball when you have just one
game a week, but the softball and
baseball teams play two or three
games every seven days. With my
additional duties of covering news
for the paper, Josh and Joe real
ized I couldn’t be at every game
and always went the extra mile to
help me provide coverage every
issue of their team and players.
I couldn’t have done it without
them.
I will also miss working with
long-time Leopard basketball
coach Mike Ruth. I can’t recall
the number of Sunday night talks
we had. They weren’t just about
his basketball team but about any
thing and everything. If I needed
to vent, Coach Ruth was there to
listen. If he needed to talk, I was
there as well. Coach Ruth has
dedicated many years to BCHS
and he deserved praise for what
he has meant to the school and its
varsity boys basketball program.
When you have been around as
long as he has, however, some
people start to take coaches like
him for granted and that is a
shame. Coach Ruth is a true asset
to BCHS.
I have been impressed with
what Jerry King has done in
his first season with the Lady
Leopard basketball program and
will miss getting to see what the
future holds for them. King and
his family are heroes of mine
and I have the highest amount of
respect for them.
See First and Ten on page 2B
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Lady Leopards fall just short of state tourney
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
When the Region 8-AA tournament was
over for the Banks County High School
softball team, the Lady Leopards were one
game shy of state play.
To be more exact, BCHS was two runs
away.
The Lady Leopards fell to Dawson
County 3-1 in a game they needed to win
to guarantee themselves a spot at the next
level. BCHS entered the contest off a 18-1
thrashing of Oglethorpe County, but could
not manage to get past the Lady Tigers.
“We had a good bit of momentum and
confidence going into the Dawson County
game,” coach Josh Lord said. “However, we
could never really mount a major offensive
threat as Dawson’s pitcher located well and
mixed up her pitched. It was a tough game
to lose.”
The Lady Tigers scored three unearned
runs in the fifth inning with two outs.
“We finished the season one win agway
from state,” Lord said. “I was proud of
the strong showing we had at region. We
definitely had a lot to be proud of with our
effort.”
Kim Thomas worked the first 4.2 innings
against Dawson County recording three
strikeouts. Jordan Rogers pitched the final
1.1 innings.
Hayley Baird had two hits including a
triple. Madison Franklin, Ashley Denton
and Laura Rose Pickens each had a single.
Thomas drove in Banks’ lone run.
In the previous game against Oglethorpe
County, the Lady Leopards pushed 18 runs
against. The Lady Patriots were without
their top pitcher who was injuried and not
available.
See Softball on page 2B
FIRING IT
HOME
Junior pitcher
Kim Thomas
delivers a strike
during a con
test for Banks
County High
School this fall.
Thomas will be
one of the key
returning play
ers next season
for the Lady
Leopards.
Photo by
Lyn Sengupta
Jefferson @ BCHS, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
KEY REGION GAME
The Banks County High School Leopards will hope to have its offense in high gear against Jefferson
this Friday led by Demetric Dempson (top) and Chris Porter (bottom). The game will be key for the
Leopards’ postseason chances. Photos by Randy Crump/Rudeseal Photo
Leopards face tall order in Dragons
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
anks County High
School football coach
Blair Armstrong doesn’t
hide the fact this week's Region
8-AA game against Jefferson is
important for his Leopards.
“It’s really like a playoff game
for us,” Armstrong said. “It is
extremely important for us. We
are between a rock and hard place
in terms of
needing region
wins. We have
to win some
games in order
to get in posi
tion to chal
lenge for a playoff spot.”
A big roadblock will be in the
way for BCHS for Friday, how
ever, as the undefeated Jefferson
Dragons will venture into Homer
for a 7:30 p.m. region showdown.
The Dragons have been perhaps
the surprise team in 8-AA this
fall steamrolling through all of its
competition en route to a perfect
At A Glance:
Jefferson (6-0,
5-0) @ BCHS (3-3,
3-2), Friday,
7:30 p.m.
6-0 overall record and perfect 5-0
region mark.
“They are very physical,”
Armstrong said. “They have sev
eral skill players who can deliver
and make plays. They make their
own good fortune. We have start
ed to do that.”
BCHS, who now stands 3-3
overall and 3-2 in 8-AA, has
played better in recent weeks,
especially on the defensive side
of the football. The Leopards
allowed just 12 points against
North Oconee (six of which came
on on interception return) and
blanked East Jackson two weeks
ago.
“If we had started the sea
son playing that way we would
have a couple more wins now,”
Armstrong said. “Jefferson came
out of the gate playing well. We
may now just be peaking while
they were doing so from the
beginning of the season. It should
be a competitive game.”
See Preview on page 2B
JV FOOTBALL
Leopards
defeat
Rabun Co.
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County High
School junior varsity football
team continued its impressive
performance in 2008 with a
40-20 victory against Rabun
County last week.
Things started slowly for the
JV Leopards as they fumbled
the opening kickoff, but BCHS
managed to turn things around
shortly after that.
Dylan Lackley led the JV
team with 143 yards and three
touchdowns on just 14 car
ries, all in
Rabun 20 the first half.
Lackey also
BCHS 40 successfully
completed
a two-point
conversion attempt.
Alex Banks had another
standout performance with 83
yards on seven carries and a
score. Banks completed one
pass to Eli Autry for nine
yards.
Dean Ewing also contrib
uted to the win with a 65-yard
touchdown run. Jacob Blalock
rushed for another 20 yards on
seven attempts.
Jordan Smith, Jeremy
Greenway, Kyle Smith,
Jameson Flyn and Kyle
Diehl helped carry the mail
in the second half for the JV
Leopards.
Also helping the offense in
the win were Brian Mathis,
Hunter McLane, Joe Denton,
Parker Watson, Blake Cotton,
Brannon Scales and Caleb
McCoy.
BCHS led 32-20 at half
time.
The defense held Rabun
scoreless in the second half to
help record the win.
Travis Betts, Brad Anderson,
Dean Ewin and Jeremy
Greenway helped the defense
limited Rabun to just five first
downs the entire contest.
See JV football on page 2B
CROSS COUNTRY
Hurtado, Diaz lead BCHS
teams at recent Unicoi run
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Vanessa Hurtado and
Jorge Diaz led the Banks
County High School cross
country teams at the recent
Unicoi meet.
Hurtado ran a personal
best of 23:51 while Diaz
had a season best time of
18:29.
Amy Sims also had a per
sonal best mark of 24:28
for the Lady Leopards fol
lowed by Maggie McCoy
(24:55) and Tiffany Smins
(26:29). Jessica Grisham
also ran a personal best of
26:31.
Ivan Diaz ran a 19:07
for the Leopards followed
by Avery Chastain in
20:17. Simon Hurtado ran
a 20:37 followed by Viet
Pham in 21:12.
RUNNING
SUCCESS
The Banks
County High
School cross
country teams
have already
posted wins
this fall under
the direction
of coach Kelly
McDuffie.
Photo by
Justin Poole