WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025
BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 5A
Sports
£RKEPOIT 7
RAVEL AND YOUTH SFENTS DESTINATION
1
The Banks County Lady Leopards are all smiles after winning their first game of their summer season at the GBCA Live Event.
Lady Leopards roar in summer
opener, go 3-1 at GBCA Live Event
By RENEE BRITT
The Banks County Lady
Leopards kicked off the
summer season with a
strong showing at the Geor
gia Basketball Coaches
Association (GBCA) Live
event, posting an impres
sive 3-1 record against for
midable opponents.
Head Coach Jason Gib
son’s squad showcased their
potential, securing key vic
tories and gaining valuable
experience for the upcom
ing season.
The action tipped off on
Thursday, June 12, with the
Lady Leopards dominating
ELCA (Eagle’s Landing
Christian School) in a stag
gering 52-25 victory.
Their momentum contin
ued later that day as they
edged out Forsyth Central
in a hard-fought 45-40 con
test, demonstrating their re
silience in a tight match-
up.
Friday brought the team’s
lone setback, a hard-fought
52-45 loss to a tough West
Forsyth squad.
However, the Lady Leop
ards refused to end on a
sour note.
In their final game of the
tournament, they dug deep
and secured a nail-biting
34-32 win over Mill Creek
High School, capping off a
successful weekend.
While individual sta
tistics weren’t the focus,
Coach Gibson emphasized
the importance of the tour
nament in shaping the
team’s future.
“We had a great time
playing in the GBCA Live
event,” Gibson stated.
He added, “Our goal for
summer basketball is to
evaluate where we are in
dividually and as a team
and zero in on what our
strengths and weaknesses
are. Using what we learn to
put together our game plan
for next season.”
Future Banks County Leopards shine at annual summer baseball camp
By RENEE BRITT
In a display of community
and love for the game, Head
Varsity Baseball Coach Jar
ed Jones and his Leopard
players welcomed the next
generation of baseball tal
ent to their annual summer
camp this week. From June
10th to 12th, twenty-eight
eager young athletes de
scended upon the Leopards’
home field for three morn
ings of skill-building, men
torship, and a firsthand look
at what it means to be part
of the storied program.
The camp, run by current
players, coaches, and even
former Leopard standouts,
provided a comprehensive
baseball education. Camp
ers had the unique opportu
nity to rotate through every
position on the diamond,
from the outfield grass to
the pitcher’s mound. A
highlight for many was to
get a feel for the demanding
position of catcher, com
plete with full gear.
For Coach Jones, the
camp is about more than
just fundamentals. It’s a
chance to build a bridge be
tween his current squad and
the future of the program.
“I love working with the
future Leopards and let-
ting my players teach and
coach,” Coach Jones shared.
“My players do a fantastic
job connecting and helping
the young kids. It’s a great
thing to see.”
That connection was
evident as varsity players
took on the role of mentors,
guiding the young campers
through drills and offering
encouragement. The expe
rience provided invaluable
leadership training for the
high schoolers while giving
the campers an authentic
taste of high-level baseball.
When asked about his
primary objective for the
three-day event, Coach
Jones emphasized a sense of
belonging over mere athlet
ic development.
“I wanted all campers to
feel a part of the team and
see what it’s like to be a
Leopard,” he stated.
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12
NEW TURF FIELD
Banks County High School has a new turf field that will be ready by football season.
