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BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2023
Lady Leopaxds volleyball
finish week with 3-1 record
BY HANNAH CAUDELL
The Lady Leopards Vol
leyball team took on four
teams this week, conquer
ing three of them while only
succumbing to one.
Their first matches on
Aug. 8 was a night of cat
fights, first going up against
the Rabun County Lady
Wildcats, then the Lakev-
iew Academy Lady Lions.
Against the Wildcats, the
Lady Leopards took control
of both sets, winning the
first with 25-11 and the sec
ond with 25-12.
The match against the
Lady Lions was a clos
er call, but the Leopards
pounced and spiked for the
win with 25-18 to end both
sets.
On Aug. 10, the Lady
Leopards honored military
personnel, EMS service
members, and veterans
while they went up against
the Tallulah Falls Lady Indi
ans and the Madison County
Red Raiders.
The Lady Leopards
played a close game against
the Tallulah Falls Indians,
but the Indians ended up
dominating the court, tak
ing the first set after a long-
sought two point tie-break
er of 33-31. The Leopards
were making it clear that
they were not going to give
up the victory easily, but
they still succumbed in the
second set with a score of
25-21.
However, the Lady Leop
ards took the loss in stride
as they stepped onto the
court for the second time
that evening against the
Lady Red Raiders, ready to
gain another victory for the
season even though the Red
Raiders had beaten Tallulah
Falls moments before.
Their calm nature on the
court earned the Lady Leop
ards the first set of the match
with a score of 25-20. But
like the Lady Leopards, the
Lady Red Raiders were re
silient and weren’t going to
give the victory up so easily.
The Red Raiders took the
second set by a ten-point gap
of 25-15. Though the Leop
ards may have been disap
pointed that they couldn’t
finish the Red Raiders off
in the second set, they knew
they weren’t down for the
count yet.
In the third tie-breaker
set, the Red Raiders showed
the extent of their aggres
sion on the court, creating
a sizable gap for themselves
at the beginning of the set.
Though the odds were ever
against them, the Lady
Leopards kept digging, set
ting, and attacking the ball
over the net with renewed
vigor.
Their hard work paid off
when they had caught up in
score to the Red Raiders.
The score was now 15-15.
Whoever could get the next
two points would be the vic
tor of the evening. The Lady
Leopards steeled them
selves for the intense volley
match that was bound to test
them, but they persevered
and triumphed in the final
moments, winning the set
with 17-15.
Senior Lola Pruitt was
an overwhelming force on
offense this week with the
amount of successful kills
she made into her oppo
nents’ court, along with
Bryanna Hernandez, who
often took the Red Raiders
by surprise with her attacks.
Savannah Griffith and Shae
Britt were also forces to be
reckoned with in their ace
game, along with the team’s
service ace leader this week,
Emmie Chitwood. And Se
nior Bacey Ausburn con
tinues to be an all-around
player for the team who is
able to aid in both defensive
and offensive efforts on the
court.
On defense, Senior Addi
son Hoard shines as a team
leader on the court with her
agility in her digs and ser
vice receives. Seniors Bac
ey Ausburn. Lillee Parson,
and Pruitt also contributed
heavily to the defensive ef
fort, along with Hernandez.
With strong leadership
and a collective determina
tion contagious among the
team, it’s quite possible that
the Lady Leopard Volley
ball team will do just what
they set out to do and break
their previous records this
season.
Next week, the team will
be going up against Mad
ison County, Winder, and
Barrow County on Tuesday,
Aug. 15 in Madison.
On Thursday, Aug. 17,
the Lady Leopards will be
away at Habersham High
School going up against the
Habersham County Raiders
and the Lumpkin County
Indians. Both matches are
scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Addison Hoard uses quick thinking to send the ball back into the air after a quick return
from the Lady Red Raiders.
attack the ball into the op
posing Lady Red Raider’s
Bryanna Hernandez spikes the ball into the Red Raider’s side coul q
of the court for a Leopard advantage.
Aaron Scott tackles a Lumpkin County receiver before he can make a rush toward the goal
line.
Leopards take loss in
Lumpkin scrimmage
By HANNAH CAUDELL
The Leopard Football
team traveled to Lumpkin
County on Friday night to
face off against the Lump
kin County Indians and lost
their scrimmage game with
a score of 56-0.
It was a night filled with
camaraderie and cheer,
yet there was a hint of sol
emnness in the air. People
from both Lumpkin and
Banks Counties came out in
droves, but it wasn’t just to
see the two teams face off
against each other. Every
one seemed to have
some shade of pink on;
both sides of the stadium
were awash in hues of the
color, and almost every
shirt had the same name on
it: Rocky.
Abanner of pink hung just
inside of the gates where
volunteers were collecting
money for tickets. “Live
Like Rocky” was written in
big letters, coupled with a
drawing of a crown. Inside
the stadium, draped over
the the Lumpkin County
side of the front row, anoth
er pink banner read “Rocky
Rae’s Biggest Fans.”
The Lumpkin County
School community decided
to use the scrimmage night
against Banks County to
celebrate the life of Rocky
Rae Barron, a 3-year-old
girl who passed away earli
er last month. Her parents,
Cadie and Jay Dee Barron,
are both school teachers
at Lumpkin County High
School.
On this rare occasion,
both sides of the stands
were united by a desire to
honor the life of someone
precious while trying to
comfort a beloved family
in the community, leaving
their school pride gear at
home to don Rocky Rae’s
favorite color.
Meanwhile on the field,
Head Coach Jay Reid said
that it was a learning night
for the Leopards.
“I like to look at it as a
success for us,” Coach Reid
said. “We accomplished
what we needed to accom
plish, and we were there to
work on ourselves and get
better as a football team.
Our play, especially in the
first half, was not indicative
of who we are as a team. We
had to correct a lot of things,
but we also saw what could
work while making small
tweaks and adjustments to
our play. Overall, I was re
ally pleased with the way
our team battled and what
we were able to accom
plish.”
Many players led the fray
on both defense and of
fense. Seniors Aaron Scott,
Cohn Caudell, Bray Wil
liams, Zack Dickey, Jona
thon Faulkner, along with
Lane Morris led on defense
with pursuits and tackles on
the field.
On offense, Kolby Wat
son led as the team’s quar
terback for much of the
game, and enlisted the
help of receivers and run
ners like Dickey, Williams,
Aucy Jacobs, Davian Knox,
and Caden Watson.
By the end of the night,
Lumpkin had won with a
large gap of 56-0, to an up
roar of cheers from the In
dians fans. But Coach Reid,
nor his players, looked dis
appointed as they stepped
onto the field after the game
and knelt down before their
coach to hear what he had to
say while parents stood by
to collect their children.
To Reid, it was truly a
troubleshooting night for
the Leopards, which is why
he saw their loss on the
scoreboard as a success.
The Leopards will be
playing their first football
game of the season against
the Johnson Knights on
Friday, Aug. 18t,on the
Knight’s home field. The
game is scheduled to begin
at 7:30 p.m.
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