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— www.MainStreetNewsSports.com —
December 18, 2008
The Banks County News
Justin Poole, Sports Editor
706-367-2348, direct line
706-387-5418, FAX
justin@mainstreetnews.com
FOOTBALL
Pictured are the 2008 Gridiron Leopards named to the All
Region teams. Front row named to team one are Justin
Beasley, Tyler Husley and Zach Dale; back row on team two are
Billy Pinson and Justin Bowen. Photos by Justin Poole
Five Gridiron Leopards make All Region team
Out of the ten member schools
in region 8-AA, Banks County
contributed five players out
of the 46 football players that
have been named to the 2008
All Region football teams.
Banks County’s football
team had three members make
the cut for the first team and
two members make the second
team. The Leopards also had
nine players included as honor
able mentions.
Representing Banks County
on the first team is Justin
Beasley, Zach Dale and Tyler
Hulsey.
Beasely rushed for 2161
See Football on page 3B
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Nine Banks County football players were named as honor
able mentions for the 2008 8-AA All Region team. Pictured
are Kane Duncan, Clay Frink, Demetric Dempson, Matthew
Patton, Thomas Baker, Bill Redmon and Nathan Mathis.
Not pictured are Nick Sosebee and Lyn Hester.
08-09 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
BCHS 8-1 for the season, ready for Stephens Co. on Fri.
BY JUSTIN POOLE
Banks County High School’s
men team are giving a pause to
their opponents.
The Leopards picked up a tour
nament win last weekend, fol
lowed by an exciting game on
Tuesday.
The next challenger will be
Stephens County in the first
round of the Piedmont College
Christmas Tournament. Banks
heads to Demorest on Friday for
the tournament starting at 3 p.m.
with the Lady Leopards’ game
with the boys game to follow.
Habersham County and White
County will also compete in the
tourney.
Prince Avenue
In the first round of last week’s
tournament, Banks County
showed off its new uniforms and
took a 62-46 win.
Sporting black and blue jerseys
Banks County went up against
the Brookstone Cougars.
Banks won the tip-off and
took a 16-11 lead by the end of
the quarter. Brookstone did not
allow the Leopards to pull too far
ahead, remaining within catching
distance by the half. Heading into
the third quarter, the Leopards
were up 29-24 when Brookstone
made a run to tie and grab the
lead.
Banks responded and went
neck and neck to end the quarter
on a 40 tie. A strong Banks pres
ence from the free-throw line
in the fourth quarter and strong
defensive plays allowed Banks
to outscore Brookstone 22-6 for
a 62-46 win.
Kevin Daniel had a good game
from the foul line going 6:8, and
led the scoring with 16 points.
Following closely, Ryan Griffin
picked up 14 points including
nine off of three-pointers and
went 3:5 from the line. Chase
Armour picked up 12 while
shooting 3:6 free throws. Kasey
Hudgins netted 10 points and
shot 4:6 on the line.
Facing Oglethorpe for the
championship, the Leopards
played things close to the vest
with their five scorers all break
ing into double digits.
Banks led the game, but the
Patriots made it close as the
Leopards picked up another tour
nament win 67-63.
The Leopards were up 29-27
at the half and had picked up
20 points by the end of the third
quarter. Heading into the final
eight minutes, the Leopards led
49-43. Oglethorpe outscored
Banks 20-18 in the final quarter,
but it was too little too late for the
Patriots as the Leopards held onto
the advantage for the four-point
win.
Griffin picked up 18 points
to lead the Leopards just ahead
of Kane Duncan picking up 15.
Daniel scored 13 points followed
by C. Armour with 11 points and
Quintin Lovelace picking up 10.
From the free-throw line, the team
went 21:32.
Rabun County
After the tournament win at
Prince Ave., Banks prepared to
face Rabun County. The Leopards
hosted Rabun on Tuesday and put
on a show.
The contest was anyone’s ball-
game until the final minutes.
Rabun hit the board hard in
the first period taking an early
9-2 lead. Banks County rebounded
with a vengeance and tied the
game 11-11. For the rest of the
quarter the two schools swapped
baskets to end the quarter 21-21.
Coming into the second quar
ter hai'd and fast. Banks County
led 35-31 with three minutes
before the half. Rabun caught the
Leopards off a foul and a well shot
three-pointer. Banks surged to pull
ahead 42-40 to end the half.
The Wildcats were the first to
score in the third quarter with a
field goal to tie 42-42. The Rabun
press allowed the Wildcats to start
to gain momentum to take the
lead about halfway through the
quarter. At 2:14 remaining Banks
caught up to tie at 52 points. With
just under a minute and a half left
in the third quarter, the Leopards
went up 59-52. Rabun cut the
advantage down to four points to
end the quarter 59-55.
A number of fouls in the fourth
quarter ended the game for Rabun.
A holding foul coupled with a
technical for unsportsmanlike con
duct allowed Banks County to
leap ahead 64-55. Approaching the
final three minutes the Leopards
led by 10, 70-60. The Leopards
applied the pressure and were up
80-66 with a minute left in the
game. Rabun began fouling and
Banks stood on the line to take the
86-70 win.
The Leopards went 25:35 from
the line dui'ing Tuesday’s contest
and the boys played one of the
best games in high school basket
ball.
Chase Armour led the scor
ing with 28 points just ahead of
Ryan Griffin who scored 25. Kane
Duncan picked up nine, followed
by Kevin Daniel with seven points.
Brett Armour and Lyn Hester each
scored three field goals. Kasey
Hudgins and Quintin Lovelace
each picked up points from the
foul line.
BY JUSTIN POOLE
With a 4-6 record heading
into the final tournament before
Christmas, the Banks County
Lady Leopards would like a win
for Christmas.
If the Lady Leopards can win
the Piedmont College Christmas
Tournament this weekend, the
ladies will have a tied record for
the new year.
The girls play Stephens County
in the first round of the tourney
on Friday. Tip-off is at 3 p.m.
in Demorest at the Johnny Mize
Athletic Center.
Last weekend the ladies com
peted in the Prince Avenue tour
nament facing Brookstone and
Prince Avenue.
Brookstone
In the first round against
Brookstone, the Lady Leopards
had luck on their side as the girls
pushed the game into overtime
for a 36-31 win. Coach Jerry
King said Banks came out flat
early on.
“We have to learn to play a full
clock game,” said King.
By the half, Brookstone led the
Lady Leopards 12-8. Going into
the fourth quarter, Banks trailed
by three 20-17. With 50 seconds
left on the clock, Banks County
finally caught up to the Lady
Cougars to tie 31-31.
In overtime, Banks County won
the tip. Katlyn Parks drove in for
the field goal. Brookstone defeat
ed themselves by putting Lacey
Saxon and Lauren Kennedy on
the free-throw line. Saxon went
1:4 and L. Kennedy went 2:6.
Banks advanced to the champion
ship round on the 36-31 win.
Leading the charge for the Lady
Leopards was L. Kennedy scor
ing 10 points. Saxon totaled nine
points and three steals, while
Parks picked up eight points with
six rebounds and four blocks to
round out the top three scorers.
Jessica Grisham, Ashley Morris,
Deasha Beasley and Madison
Franklin each scored two points.
Prince Ave.
Advancing to the champion
ship round against Prince Avenue,
Banks County started weak.
See Lady Leopards on page 3B
Ryan Griffin (21) heads down the court during the first round
of the Prince Avenue Tournament. Griffin has proven to be
an asset for the team, especially in Tuesday’s game against
Rabun County. Photo by Justin Poole
Lady Leopards get lucky in Bogart, look ahead to Piedmont
Madison Franklin steals the ball from a Brookstone player
during the first round of the Prince Avenue Tournamnet last
Friday. Franklin added two points to the Lady Leopards’
36-31 win over Brookstone. Photo by Justin Poole