Newspaper Page Text
AUGUST 9, 2017
The Banks County News
Phone: 706-621-7204
Fax: 706-367-8056
charles@mainstreetnews.com
Section B
Football
Raiders topple Leopards in scrimmage action, 56-7
BY CHARLES PHELPS
Football returned last
Friday across the state.
A number of teams
decided to take advan
tage of the first week of
padded practice and play
a pre-season scrimmage
game in the process.
Banks County was one of
those teams who opted
to play.
Going into the scrim
mage game at Habersham
Central, head coach Josh
Shoemaker said he knew
the team was going to be
“rusty.”
The outcome showed
part of the rust on the
scoreboard as the Raid
ers pounced the Leop
ards for a 56-7 win.
Shoemaker called the
Raiders a “good” football
team.
The Leopards started
five new players up front
on offense and a new
quarterback in Trevor
Thomas.
“I felt like it took us
a quarter to realize to
get into the speed of the
game,” Shoemaker said.
“I had kids playing guard
and tackle that never
played guard and tackle
A NEW SEASON BEGINS
The Banks County High School football team burst through its banner last Friday night before the
team’s scrimmage game against Habersham Central High School. The regular season begins next Friday
when the Leopards travel to Jackson County. Photo by Charles Phelps
in a live varsity game, sham Central) line up front of us, so it took us a flow of things.”
and then they (Haber- a dang good defense in little while to get into the However, Shoemak
er added the Leopards
didn’t do some things to
help themselves through
out the course of the
game including missing
early opportunities in
the game and turnovers.
Even with those things,
the Leopards did turn out
some bright spots.
Some of the bright
spots included not many
busted assignments on
the offensive side of the
ball and pursuing the ball
“pretty well” on defense.
“We had a couple of
juniors that made a few
plays that surprised me
that did well,” Shoemak
er continued.
Another bright spot
included no “stupid”
penalties such as late
hits, unsportsmanlike
conduct and person
al fouls. They also got
every play snapped in
time to avoid a delay-of-
game penalty.
“It wasn’t that bad,”
he said. “Film is never
as bad as you think it is,
but it’s never as good as
you think it is.”
See “Football” on 2B
Parks and Recreation
Baseball
'Successful' season
Peyton Hart hired
as new head coach
BY CHARLES PHELPS
In two seasons as
the Banks County High
School head baseball
coach, Tom Kelley laid
a solid foundation down
for the program, amass
ing 25 wins and back-
to-back playoff appear
ances.
Kelley recently took a
new head-coaching job
at Luella High School.
With his departure, the
program looks to contin
ue to go forward under
the direction of its new
head coach, Peyton
Hart.
“I’m excited to be
here,” Hart said. “Thank
ful for the opportunity to
work with a great com
munity and great people.
“Just thankful that the
board and the admin
istration gave me the
opportunity to lead a
program.”
Being the head coach
at Banks County isn’t
far from home, Hart
explained. He played
high school baseball at
Franklin County High
School in Carnesville.
After high school, Hart
played college baseball
at Kennesaw State Uni
versity.
See “Hart” on 2B
Softball
BC starts fast to open season
HELPING CAMPERS
Banks County Parks and Recreation Department director, Brooke Whitmire, talks with campers at
the Banks County volleyball camp in July. Photo by Charles Phelps
BCPRD celebrates good spring and summer
BY CHARLES PHELPS
The Banks County Parks and Recre
ation Department has experienced a
good 2017 thus far, highlighted by the
opening of Windmill Park back in the
spring.
The new park brought with it the
opportunity to host the baseball and
softball Dizzy Dean district tourna
ments for the first time, director Brooke
Whitmire said.
“They were both successful,” she
stated. “Kids had a great time.
“It brought tons and tons of people
from all over northeast Georgia and
even one team from Clayton, N.C.”
It was also the largest baseball and
softball season leading up to the district
tournaments, Whitmire added.
“I had very high expectations for
it and I believe everyone else did, as
well,” Whitmire said in reference to
the success of Windmill Park. “I knew
that the potential was there to really do
something big.
“We just tried to step up to that. The
way that we did was to, obviously, have
a successful baseball-softball season in
house but also to bring in those district
tournaments, as well.”
Windmill Park also hosted a travel
tournament.
How do you capitalize on a great
spring season? You have an even better
summer season and the BCPRD was
able to accomplish that as well.
The BCPRD hosted 11 camps
throughout the summer: boys’ basket
ball, girls’ basketball, tennis, football,
soccer, cheerleading, volleyball, base
ball, baton, Zumba and fun camp. It
also welcomed adult-league sports for
the first time in nearly a decade, Whit
mire explained. Kickball was in the
spring and softball in the summer.
Several of the camps and adult leagues
utilized Windmill Park and its facilities.
“Part of our mission statement is
to provide activities and sports to the
entire community,” Whitmire said,
“and, our bread and butter, so to speak,
are the youth sports. We provide things
for our youth.
“But, it’s my philosophy that it’s also
our responsibility to provide numerous
things across all ages, that includes the
adults, that also includes seniors. One
of the things when I started was to bring
See“BCPRD”on 2B
The Banks County Lady Leopard softball team start
ed the 2017 season with two wins this past Saturday.
The Lady Leopards defeated Chestatee, 6-0, and
Gainesville, 11-2.
Jaycie Bowen led the team in the first win of the
season vs. Chestatee, smashing two RBI doubles in
the game. She also led the team on the mound, giving
up only six hits and striking out six Chestatee batters.
Jill Martinet also recorded an RBI double. Amelia
Lyons and Abby Bailey contributed at the plate also.
Against Gainesville, the Lady Leopards were tied
2-2 in the bottom of the fourth but busted the game
in their favor with a four-run inning. Abby Ledford
scored on a walk; Bailey drove in two runs with a dou
ble; and Kya Santiago scored on a wild pitch.
The Lady Leopards added their remaining five runs
in the bottom of the fifth. Lyons brought Chelsea
Lewallen home on a double; Madison Cronic scored
on a single by Makayla Benfield; a Santiago single
brought home Ledford; and Bailey brought home the
remaining two runs with a double.
Martinet pitched three innings, recording five strike
outs and gave up two runs.
The Lady Leopards’ season continues today at
Towns County.