Newspaper Page Text
AUGUST 2, 2017
The Banks County News
Phone: 706-621-7204
Fax: 706-367-8056
charles@mainstreetnews.com
Section B
Baseball
Kelley takes new head coach job
BACK HOME
Tom Kelley has taken the head-coach
ing job at Luella High School in Locust Grove.
Photo by Charles Phelps
BY CHARLES PHELPS
In two seasons as head
coach of the Banks Coun
ty High School baseball
team, Tom Kelley guided
the Leopards to back-to-
back playoff appearances
and recorded 25 wins.
In the three seasons
before Kelley became
head coach, the Leopards
had recorded 12 wins total.
Now, he looks to take his
experience at Banks Coun
ty and apply it to his new
position as head coach
of Luella High School in
Locust Grove.
Kelley, who’s from the
Locust Grove area, said
family circumstances
are bringing him back to
where he grew up.
“The opportunity just
kind of came to me this
summer,” Kelley said. “I
was contacted about it and
it was something at first
that I was intrigued by it,
but I was happy at Banks
County.
“Then, just circumstanc
es with a child and all of
that, back home, being
around family, it was kind
of important. The more we
(Kelley and his wife) talked
about it, the better off we
thought we would be at
home.”
Kelley informed the
team about his decision
three weeks ago, he added.
“I let them know
what was going on,” he
explained. “Everybody I
spoke to was very support
ive.
“The parents were sup
portive. The Booster Club
was supportive. The kids
understood. I was happy
to see that they weren’t
upset. It was a bittersweet
moment for me. It was
something that, you know,
you build a program and
then one day you leave
that program and you hate
to do that to the kids, you
really do,” Kelley contin
ued. “But, the kids under
stood it and they were OK
with it. I think they’re going
to be fine and I told them
they’re going to be fine.
They’re going to be great.”
When he arrived at
Banks County, Kelley said
he, the coaching staff, and
the players, had a lot of
work to do. Two years later,
the program has made
“tremendous” strides in
becoming a force for any
opponent.
“I was coming into a
program that needed
some guidance,” he said
reflecting on his time at
Banks. “I feel that I gave
them that.”
The strides gained in
the program is what made
it difficult to leave, he
added.
“It was extremely
rewarding to watch them
(the team) grow and
develop as players,” Kel
ley said. “I really do think
we laid a very good base
there in Banks County.
“The young guys are
talented that are coming
up and they’re going to
have an opportunity to
win as well as they get
older. The one thing that
I could feel good about
is I do feel that I left the
program better than the
way I found it. It wasn’t
a bad program, but your
goal is to improve any
(program). I think that
we’ve done that. I think
the kids are going to be
great. They’re going to
get a new coach in, who’s
going to do a great job. I
think it’s a good situation
for someone now.”
To the Banks County
community, Kelley want
ed to stress “thank you”
for all they had done
for the Leopard players
during his time and for
what the community did
to help throughout the
seasons.
“It wasn’t about me,
it was about the players,
about the team and it was
about the community that
supported it,” Kelley stated.
“They were tremendous
in everything that we did.
There was always someone
there to help. There were
volunteers. We had parents
and community members
that worked extremely hard
to make the program as
could as it could be.
“I couldn’t ask for more.
They really did feel like fam
ily. They really felt like fami
ly to me. I can’t say enough
about Banks County. I think
it’s a great community. I
think it’s a great school and
I know they’re going to do
great things in the future. I
can’t thank them enough.”
Volleyball Camp
Learning the game
PRACTICING THE SERVE
Jaden Hawkins practices her serve during the Banks County volleyball camp last week. The camp
hosted over 20-plus campers from youth to adults. Photo by Charles Phelps
Column
Football is back
School is nearly back in
session, and that means two
things: the start of
a new school year
and the start of a
new football sea
son.
All the 7-on-7
tournaments and all
the camps on the,
sometimes, scorch
ing summer days
throughout Georgia
in the summer are
the groundwork
that all high school teams
are built on.
This week, padded prac
tice returned. This week,
scrimmages can officially
take place for teams.
You will see lights from
a distance in some places.
The lights may be dim at first
glance but as you get closer,
the lights get brighter and
brighter and then you arrive
at the stadium.
You see a full parking lot.
You see the stands full. It’s
the community gathering to
support the local team. In
some places, it may be a
place straight out of “Friday
Night Lights.”
Walking into the stadium,
you’ll likely be able to hear
the atmosphere. Referees
whistles will echo across
the field. The sounds of
the school band playing
the fight song and covering
some of music’s best will
be heard.
The student sec
tion will also have
a voice. Some
come up with
clever chants for
opposing oppo
nents. Others may
take the standard
football chants
and make them
their own. And,
some student sec
tions are just loud. All three
are acceptable. It’s all part
of the experience.
Banks County is one
of the teams playing in a
scrimmage game this Fri
day, hosting Habersham
Central High School for
the second-straight season.
The tune-up game is a pre
cursor to the first game of
the season on Aug. 18 at
Jackson County.
With the success of last
season, I know the Leop
ard faithful will be out in
full force, chanting, smil
ing, having fellowship with
friends and classmates.
Even more, I know they
will be loud and proud that
their football team is back
on the field.
Charles Phelps is a
reporter for Mainstreet
Newspapers.
Fundraiser
Baseball
Fundraiser set for Kahmal Wiley
Banks County High School will host
the “We Are Family Kahmal Wiley Fund
raiser” on Saturday Aug. 5, starting at
10 a.m.
Activities includes a 5k, barbeque
plates for $8 (includes barbeque, beans,
chips, dessert; tickets will be on pre-sale
or walk-ups are welcome), car show
from 10 a.m. to noon, bounce houses,
dunking booth and more, 100 Stretch-
A-Ticket raffle items ($ 10/stretch; prizes
includes Katy Perry and/or Janet Jack-
son concert tickets, local pottery, YETI
cooler, gift cards baskets, lottery basket,
University of Georgia helmet signed by
head coach Kirby Smart, Banks Coun
ty personalized monogram basket and
more.
There will also be a “Camping For
Kahmal” kids’ basketball camp. The
camp is for kindergarten through
eighth grade. Cost is $20 and will
be two sessions, 10-11:30 a.m. and
1-2:30 p.m. Each camper will receive
a T-shirt. Registration forms available
at the Banks County Parks and Recre
ation Department and will be accept
ed through Aug. 4.
All proceeds will go to help with
Wiley’s ongoing medical expenses.
For more information, visit: www.face-
book.com and search “We Are Family
Kahmal Wiley Fundraiser.”
BC to host
alumni game
The Banks County High School baseball program will host
its first-ever alumni game on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.
The cost is $50 per player and each partcipant will receive
a T-shirt.
For more information, contact Peyton Hart at peyton.hart@
banks.kl2.ga.us.