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PAGE 12A
BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023
Football: Senior Leopards honored at Fellowship game
Senior Aaron Scott wards off defenders while he tries to run the ball down the field.
By HANNAH CAUDELL
The Banks County Leop
ards football team lost to the
Fellowship Christian Pala
dins on Friday with a final
score of 21-10.
The seniors from the foot
ball team, the cheer squad,
and the band were also rec
ognized for their dedication
to their teams during their
high school careers.
The Leopards have fin
ished their home game
schedule and will be play
ing against the Providence
Christian Storm in Lilbum
on Friday, November 3, at
7:30 p.m.
This will be the last re
gion game of the season.
SENIOR
NIGHT
Last Friday, the night
started off with a procession
of senior Leopards from
the football team, the cheer
squad, and the band walk
ing across the track amidst a
crowd of cheering support
ers. Banks County celebrat
ed Senior Night on Friday,
honoring the hard work and
dedication of the seniors
that have built up these pro
grams and their peers.
Amongst those recog
nized from the football
team include Emily May-
nor, Hunter Bonds, Cohn
Caudell, Zack Dickey, Ma
son Dodd, Jonathon Faulk
ner, Bret Griffin, Andrew
Humphries, Bhrett Kamins
ki, Iram Lopez, Jordan My
ers, Webb Samples, Aaron
Scott, John Shubert, Robert
Walker, Bray Williams, and
General Williams.
For the cheerleaders, Car-
lie Butler, Kylie Caudell,
Dayla Daniels, Aleah
Guynn, Alyssa Maxwell,
and Katelyn Wilburn were
recognized for their work
on the Lady Leopards Cheer
squad.
For the Marching Leop
ard Band, Carrigan Dills,
Kendall Dove, Taylor Jor
dan, Kylie Tench, Emma
Williams, Alex Anderson,
Marlow Barker, Randall
Barton, Hunter Boy ter,
Joesph Ferguson, Shelby
McIntyre, Daniel Rowley,
Atticus Spencer, and Sekani
Tory were honored during
the night’s procession for
their dedication to the band
and to their craft as musi
cians, dancers, and color
guard members.
GAME TIME
The game began soon af
ter, with the Leopard seniors
of the football team acting
as the team’s leadership for
the night.
In the first half, the Leop
ards were able to score a
touchdown thanks to Senior
kicker Iram Lopez, who
scored a field goal during
the second quarter, giving
the Leopards a lead of 3-0.
On offense, Seniors Aar
on Scott and Zack Dickey,
Aucy Jacobs, Lane Morris,
and Caden Watson also car
ried and downed the ball for
the Leopards.
On defense, Seniors Rob
ert Walker, Bray Williams,
and Webb Samples built the
defensive wall alongside
Cam Cooper, Lane Morris,
Judd Shoemaker, Caden
Watson, Levi Johnson, Kaz
Oliver, and Jacobs, all of
which were credited with
tackles for the game.
At the tail end of the first
half, the Paladins were able
to score a touchdown and
a point-after-touchdown to
gain a four-point lead on the
Leopards with 7-3.
At the beginning of the
second half, the Paladins
were able to score once
again with a touchdown and
PAT, bringing the score to
14-3.
However, the Leopards
weren’t ready to give up the
lead yet, though the odds
were against them.
Their hard work on the
field paid off when Jacobs
was able to make a touch
down at the beginning of
the fourth quarter, and with
a successful PAT by Lopez,
the score was 14-10 in favor
of the Paladins.
Many other offensive
plays were made during
the second half, with multi
ple carry efforts from Scott
and Dickey, who was able
to bring the Leopards back
from a fourth down in the
first quarter.
Caden Watson and Coo
per also made impressive
plays during the game. Ca
den Watson was able to in
tercept the ball in the third
quarter, leading to Jacobs’
touchdown later in the
fourth.
Cooper, who usually par
ticipates on the defensive
side, also carried for the
Leopards during the game.
However, the Paladins
were able to make a touch
down two minutes later, and
with a successful PAT on
their end, the Paladins end
ed up winning with a score
of 21-10.
But Leopards’ Head
Coach Jay Reid had some
thing different to say about
the scoreboard, especially in
relation to his seniors.
“This is a special group
of young men,” Coach Reid
said. “Their work ethic and
dedication is enough to
override any scoreboard in
my opinion. They are win
ning on the scoreboard of
life, and that’s what mat
ters.”
Reid also spoke on how
the team has impacted his
time at Banks County and
how their contribution to the
football program has mor
phed it into what it is today.
Photos by Hannah Caudell
“I’ve known a lot of these
guys for six years,” Reid
continued. “They’ve seen
struggle and they fought
through, staying committed
in the face of adversity over
and over again. It hasn’t
been easy on any of us, and
you hurt because they are
going to move on to another
phase in their life.”
He added, “They’ve defi
nitely left their mark on
this program. Our motto is
Family, Trust, Chop, and
man, they did that tonight
by playing for each other.
In my opinion, they won
tonight and they’re winning
every day, and I’m blessed
that I’ve gotten the oppor
tunity to coach them and to
watch them grow.”
The Leopards sprint through the banner with the seniors leading the pack and flags raised, ready to take to the field and play
Fellowship Christian.
Senior Atticus Spencer strikes a pose while being recognized
during Senior Night.
Softball: Lady
Leopards finish third
place in Class 2A
By HANNAH CAUDELL
The Lady Leopards softball team traveled to Columbus
this week to face off against the other teams in Class 2A
in the Georgia High School Association Fastpitch Softball
Championship. While there, they beat Toombs County and
Vidalia, but fell to Appling and Jeff Davis in the final two
games. The team finishes third in the state in Class 2A.
Against the Toombs County Bulldogs, the Lady Leop
ards played a close game with a 4-2 win, advancing in the
bracket against the Vidalia Indians. Against the Indians, the
Lady Leopards finished with a cool 8-0, propelling them
into the Final Four bracket.
“The most memorable game we played had to be against
Vidalia,” Coach Rhett Carroll said after the tournament.
“They’re a really good team with really good athletes.
Beating them pushed us to the Final Four, which was such
an incredible moment for the whole team.
Things began to heat up later in the week when the Lady
Leopards faced off against the Appling County Pirates. The
Pirates were able to slightly overwhelm the Lady Leopards
and gain the win with 2 -1.
The Lady Leopards, however, weren’t down for the
count yet as they were still in the bracket and scheduled to
face off against the Jeff Davis Yellowjackets.
“The most difficult team we faced this year was Jeff
Davis,” Coach Carroll continued. “The team was loaded
top to bottom offensively, and had a lot of arms they could
throw at you.”
In the end, the Yellowjackets won against the Lady
Leopards with a final score of 11-5. The Lady Leopards
finished the tournament in third place.
Coach Carroll reflected on the tournament and his time
with the team afterwards.
“I’ll remember the fight this team had, and the fun they
had,” he said. “We worked hard, but they made every day
at the ball field fun. I really love this team. They compete,
they never back down, and they’re never out of it.”
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