Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2B
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
Erskine bound
Banks County’s Zezmon Steeple (bottom row, middle) recently signed an
athletic scholarship with Erskine College. Leopard senior point guard Steeple
will don crimson and gold next season with the Flying Fleet.
Joining the Fleet
Banks County senior Zac Orr (bottom row, middle) signed an ahtletic schol
arship with Erskine College in Due West, S.C., last week. Orr, a 6-foot-8 post
player will begin his college basketball career with the Flying Fleet next winter.
Dynamic Duo
Two Leopard basketball standouts sign with Erskine
Banks County High School
seniors Zezmon Steeple and Zac
Orr recently signed basketball
scholarships with Erksine Col
lege in Due West, S.C.
The Leopard duo will attend
Erksine in the fall and suit up for
the Flying Fleet basketball team
next winter.
Steeple, who ran the Banks
County offense as the Leop
ards’ point guard, averaged 22
points and four assists per game
last season. He was named the
7-AAA Player of the Year and was
a second-team All-State selection
by HoopSeen. Steeple scored
over 1,000 career points during
his four years at Banks County.
“It’s a great accomplishment
and a blessing,” Steeple said
regarding the chance to continue
his basketball career. “All the
time you put in, all the games you
play, you just can’t do it without
all the people around you. I’m
just very grateful for the oppor
tunity.”
Orr, who is graduating with a
4.0 GPA, also reached the 1,000-
point milestone this season, in
addition to racking up over 1,000
career rebounds. The 6-foot-8
post averaged 13 points and 13
rebounds per game in 2015-16,
and was a first-team All-Region
7-AAA selection.
“God has blessed me with this
opportunity and now I just want
to go up there and make the
most of it,” said Orr. “All this
hard work with my high school
teammates - I’ve loved these last
four years. I just can’t wait to get
the next chapter in my life.”
Both players helped lead the
Leopards to back-to-back Sweet
16 playoff appearances and two
straight 24-win seasons.
“They didn’t earn this just this
week, or last week or even last
month or last year,” said Banks
County head coach Mike Cleve
land. “These guys have been on
this path for years now. I remem
ber when these guys were in
eighth grade and I just started
working with them. ...I could tell
right off there was something spe
cial about these two guys. I can’t
tell you how much time behind
the scenes that they put into bas
ketball.”
Both players said they are
thrilled to continue their careers
as teammates.
“It means a lot,” said Orr.
“We’ve been playing together
since the sixth grade and it’s
just another opportunity to spend
more time together and make
another team better.”
“We did this together,” added
Steeple. “We’ve been best friends
since we were in the sixth grade.
We were just trying to make this
dream come true, and for us
to be able to play at the same
school is truly a blessing.”
Both players praised Erskine
College and its recruiting pro
cess.
“Immediately the coaches
were on us,” said Steeple. “From
the moment we met, they were
talking to us every day.”
After a campus visit earlier this
month, both soon-to-be gradu
ates said they are excited to settle
in their new home.
“Erskine is the type of place
that pulls you in,” added Orr. “It’s
a small college and the atmo
sphere there is quiet, calm and it
has a beautiful campus.”
Cleveland noted that the two
players’ combined scholarships
are valued at $85,000 per year,
covering tuition and fees at the
Division II private school.
King resigns as athletic
director and basketball coach
Triumphant
King on the court
Jerry King led the Lady Leopard basket
ball team to a 102-59 record in the last six
Banks County High
School athletic director
and head girls’ basket
ball coach Jerry King
announced his resigna
tion last week.
King led the Lady
Leopards to a 102-59
record in his six years
as head coach. Most
recently, his teams
earned back-to-back
state playoff berths in
2015 and 2016, and a
Sweet 16 tournament
appearance.
King is stepping down
to take a position as the
assistant principal at
Madison County Middle
School. He thanked the
Banks County commu
nity for the support he’s
received over his tenure
with the Leopards.
“I’ve had support
from great kids and
great parents during
my time here. I really
love Banks County and
I hate to leave, but it’s
years.
just an opportunity I
can’t pass up. The kids
I’ve coached (in Banks
County) have always
worked hard, the par
ents have been great,
and the community sup
port has been great.”
King said he expects
the BCHS girls’ basket
ball program to contin
ue be successful and
an annual contender
as the Leopards move
into Region 7-AA next
season.
The Banks Coun
ty School System and
board of education is
currently taking steps to
fill the positions left in
Kings’ stead.
... Continued from IB
bles. Jackson and Young won (6-0, 6-0) in No. 1 dou
bles to seal the title.
Commerce locked up a No. 1 seed and will host at
least the first two rounds of the state tournament. State
playoff dates and opponents are to be determined.
Hale said an experienced Tiger team has “made it
easy” on him in his first year of coaching tennis. And
he expects the undefeated squad to be competitive in
the state tournament rounds starting next week.
The Commerce girls will be forced to hit the road
for the state tournament after finishing third in the 4-A
tournament last week.
The Lady Tigers dropped their semifinal match
with Lincoln County 3-2. Morgan Partin won (6-2, 6-1)
at No. 1 singles, while the Sarah Amaya won at No. 3
singles.
Bethany Arnold fell (3-6, 6-7) at No. 2 singles, while
the duo of Zoe Walraven and Jeanece Smith lost (2-6,
3-6) at No. 1 doubles. Vanessa Hernadez and Alyssa
Griffin lost (6-7,1-6) at No. 2 doubles.
The Tigers won their consolation matchup with
Towns County 3-0, taking third place in the area tour
nament.
Partin won (6-3, 6-2) in No. 1 singles play. Amaya
won (6-0, 6-0) at No. 3 singles, while Smith and Wal
raven won (6-1, 6-0) in No. 1 doubles play.
The Lady Tigers’ state tournament location, time
and opponent are still to be determined.
Unblemished
Commerce’s Dalton Flint went
undefeated in No. 2 singles play at
the Area 4-A tournament last week
in Lincoln County.
38th Annual
NICHOLSON
DAISY FESTIVAL
May 6 & 7
Don’t miss out on all the funl
Parade, Beauty Pageant, Softball Tournament
Live Entertainment and Auction
Inflatables, Pony Rides, Mechanical Bull
Arts and Crafts
Food for all the family from sweets to meats!
East Jackson Park • 175 Lakeview Drive
For information call City Hall 706-757-3408
l ,
Athlete of the Week!
sponsored by:
HYMAN BROWN SOUTHERN TRUST
INSURANCE
AGENCY, INC.
INSURANCE
COMPANY
Dalton Flint
Junior
Commerce High School
Flint went unbeaten in No. 2 singles
in the Area 4-A tennis tournament
last week.
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
11 State Street • Commerce
(706)335-3900