Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 3, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3B
Playoffs continued from page IB
happen now the pressure is on.
“They kind of scare me. We score fast and then kind of
relax," Armstrong said. “It makes me nervous. I have the
feeling that it will be a little different against this next
opponent."
Armstrong also said that he is immensely proud of the
hard work and effort that the team has shown this season
and for doing something that Banks County has not done
in a long time.
The .600 season is the first winning season since 1997
which is also the last time the Leopards made it to the
playoffs under coach Dennis Marlow.
Marlow said that the Leopards have a great coaching
staff that genuinely cares for the players.
“I am excited about the Leopards going to Calhoun,” said
Marlow. “The players from Calhoun will put their pants on
one leg at a time just like we do... I think [Banks] has a
great chance at winning the game.”
Runners continued from page IB
Coach Kellie McDuffie
said that the preparation
was more of a mental thing
and consisted of switch
ing the boys to practice in
the morning instead of the
afternoon.
“The coach and team
decided that they needed
to practice in the morning
since the state race would
be run in the morning and
that they needed to make
sure their bodies were
healthy and ready for the
race,” said McDuffie. “The
team practiced Tuesday and
Thursday morning. In one
week the guys were not
going to change the time
that their bodies were capa
ble of doing...it was going
to be a mental thing.”
The team went down on
Friday to preview the course
after a lunch treat sendoff
from Longhorn’s Steak
House.
On Saturday, Banks took
their place among the elite
runners of the state with a
well-earned 15th place fin
ish out of 32 teams.
“It has been an awesome
season and I am proud of the
boys and girls cross country
teams," McDuffie said.
Results
Jorge Diaz and Ivan Diaz
were named to the first team
All Region 8-AA and Amy
Sims and Maggie McCoy
were named to the third
team All Region 8-AA.
Placing inside the top 25
runners, Jorge Diaz finished
the state course with 23
points running a 17:57.33
race.
Still inside of the top 50
runners, Ivan Diaz ran the
race in 18:10.90 picking
up 38 points for the Banks
team.
The third Banks runner
to cross the line was Simon
Hurtado at 19:56.19 fol
lowed by Kieffer Hellmeister
at 20:10.54.
Avery Chastain finished
his state run at 20:19.01. A
little later, Viet Pham crossed
the line at 20:42.68 with
Nathan Holloway rounding
out the Banks runners at
21:24.39. The team aver
aged a 19:18.80 run with a
total time of 1:36:33.97.
BANKS COUNTY LEOPARD FOOTBALL 2008
Banks County going to state after 34-13 win
Leopards find victory on the hill
BY JUSTIN POOLE
Friday night, November 7, is a date that
is going to be a part of Banks County High
School history.
For the first time in 11 years, Banks County
is making the trip to post-season play, after a
34-13 victory over Union County.
There were moments during Friday’s game
against Union County where Leopard fans
were holding their breath every time Banks
County had possession, but the players and
coaches knew that for Banks to have a shot at
the playoffs, it had to just flat out win.
Big Blue did its job and secured a victory
while others made calls to check on the North
Oconee game against Fannin County. North
Oconee defeated Fannin 21-14 and allowed
Banks to move into the number four seed for
the playoffs.
Union County
Banks County’s players were ready as they
took the field Friday night in Blairsville. The
visitor stands were packed with blue and on
again, off again drizzle did little to dampen
the crowd.
Banks County received the ball first and
within the first three minutes of the game Jus
tin Beasley had scored the first touchdown of
the game setting a precedent for later in the
contest.
The Union County defense picked up the
pace and kept Banks off the board, while the
Justin Beasley broke 2,000 yards
Friday.
rushing during the Union County game last
Photo by Justin Poole
Union offense slipped through to tie the score
with under a minute left in the quarter.
Going into the second quarter. Union again
got past the Leopards to move ahead 13-7.
This scoring followed by intense pressure on
Banks quarterback Chris Porter had specta
tors a little nervous as the time on the half
started dwindling down.
Then with 1:06 left on the clock, Nick Sose-
bee pulled down a Union County pass for an
interception. Banks County took the opening.
Porter got the ball to Beasley for the touch
down. Ending the first half leading 14-13.
In the third quarter, another Banks intercep
tion by Chase Armour brought about the first
touchdown of the third quarter and extending
the Leopard lead. Further ex
tending the lead, Beasley scored
his final touchdown of the night
setting Banks ahead 28-13. Clay
Frink stepped up in the fourth and
provided Banks with two more
interceptions and a touchdown
with five minutes left in the game,
sealing Union’s fate 34-13.
By the numbers
Chris Porter completed three
passes for a gain of 14-yards.
Porter’s passes to Kane Duncan,
six yards. Bill Redmon, one yard,
and Riley Nicholson, seven yards,
helped shake up Banks County’s
heavy rushing game.
Justin Beasley rushed 321
yards at Union County, breaking
over the 2,000-yard record for a
season total of 2,031 yards, and
added three touchdown notches
to his belt. Demetric Dempson
carried nine for a gain of 29 yards
and a season total of 605 yards.
Holding the Union County
Panthers at bay, the Big Blue
defense was lead by Matthew
Patton with 13 tackles followed
by Billy Pinson with 12 tackles;
Kane Duncan, 11 tackles; Tyler
Hulsey, eight tackles including a
sack; Clay Frink, six tackles and
two interceptions; and Chase Ar
mour, three tackles and two inter
ceptions.
GRAND OPENING
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