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PAGE 2B — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 2, 2009
Sports shorts
MCYA football,
cheerleading camp,
sign-ups ahead July 11
The Madison County Youth
Association (MCYA) will hold
football and cheerleading signups
at its annual football camp July 11
from 8 a.m. to noon at the Madison
County Recreation Department.
The cost of the camp is $15,
which includes lunch and a T-shirt.
For more information on cheer
leading, call Wendy at 706-788-
3830. For more information on
football, call Sherry at 706-795-
3978.
Rec dept, offering
sports conditioning
camps in July
The Madison County Recreation
Department will offer a sports con
ditioning and speed development
camp for ages 7-and-up.
“Participants of all ages will per
form better in any sport they play
after participating in this camp,”
organizers said.
The camp is based on improv
ing one’s core strength and sprint
fundamentals. The instructor is
Aaron James, a former University
of Georgia track coach, who is the
speed development coach at Athens
Christian School. His coaching
experience includes work with
national champions, All-Americans
and Olympic medalists — includ
ing gold medalists Sheryl Swoopes
(basketball), and Michael Johnson
and Shawn Crawford (track).
The camp starts July 6 and will
be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at
the main park on Hwy. 98.
Additional camps will be held
at the same time during the weeks
of July 13 and July 20.
“To achieve the maximum ben
efits of this camp, participants
should attend all three weeks.”
organizers said.
The cost per week is $50 per
participant.
Registration is at the rec dept.,
Monday through Friday, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
For more information or to
obtain a registration packet, call
706-795-6270 or go to www.
madcorec.com.
Rec dept, offers
July tennis camp
The Madison County Recreation
Department is offering tennis camp
for 6-12-year-olds July 6-10 from
9 a.m. to noon at the recreation
department.
The camp is open to players of all
skill levels. The fee is $45, which
includes a camp T-shirt. Participants
must bring a tennis racquet.
Christina Fortson, Danielsville,
instructs the camp. She has played
USTA league tennis for seven years
on many county teams.
Campers learn fundamentals —
such as serving, ground strokes,
volleying and returns — through
“fun and challenging" games,
according to organizers.
Pre-registration and pre-payment
are required. For more information,
contact the recreation department at
706-795-6270.
Prince Ave. hosts
softball camp July 6-9
Prince Avenue Christian School
is hosting its youth softball camp
for rising first through sixth grade
girls July 6-9 from 9 a.m. to 12:30
p.m.
Varsity head coach Theresa
Bettis and assistant coaches and
former University of Georgia play
ers Charvi Greer and Sojourner
Moody direct the camp. The camp
fee is $110 and includes a camp
t-shirt and a daily snack and drink.
The camp provides training in the
fundamentals of the game “in a
manner that is safe, organized and
fun.” organizers say. The camp day
includes small group instruction
and contests. The camp registra
tion form is located online at http://
princeave.org/athletics/sports-
camps.html.
For more information or ques
tions, please call coach Bettis at
678-753-3017.
MCHS softball alumni
game ahead Aug. 8
The Madison County High
School softball program hosts its
third biannual alumni softball game
Aug. 8 at 4 p.m.
Any girl who played fast-pitch
softball her senior year is invited to
participate at no cost.
There is no admission charge.
Family members and friends are
invited to attend.
Those interested in playing need
to contact Raider softball coach
Doug Kesler at dkesler5@msn.
com.
Rec dept, soccer
registration starts Aug. 3
Madison County youth soccer
registration starts Monday, Aug. 3.
Signups run Monday through
Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in
the meeting room of Haggard Park
located at 1345 Highway 98 West.
Extended hours are Thursday,
Aug. 13, and Friday, Aug. 14, run
ning from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. An
additional signup date is Saturday,
Aug. 15, with hours from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
The soccer leagues are coed and
as follows:
•Pee-Wee Ixague, ages 5 and 6.
•Midget League, ages 7 and 8.
•Intermediate League, ages 9 and
10.
•Major League, ages 11-13.
•Senior Ixague, ages 14-16. This
league requires 48 participants reg
istered to be offered.
The age control date is Sept. 1,
2009. All players must turn 5 by
this date and no player can turn 17
before this date. A birth certificate is
required for all youth program reg
istration. The registration fee is $25
per child, with an additional $25 fee
for any out-of-county participants.
For more information, or to vol
unteer to coach a team, call the rec
reation department at 795-6270.
Baseball... continued from page IB
ter defense ,” Raider coach Charlie
Griffeth said, who noted that his
team might participate in a fall
league.
The Raiders, who went 21-7 this
past spring, run-ruled Apalachee
and Gainesville in their other two
victories.
Madison County’s only loss
came to Dacula, 5-4, in the sec
ond game.
The Raiders entered the tourna
ment with a 5-5 summer record,
beating Franklin County four
times, losing to Winder-Barrow
three times, falling twice to
Brookwood twice and beating
Elbert County once.
This was an important summer
in terms of transition.
The Raiders must rebuild their
pitching staff and offensive line
up after the graduation of seven
seniors. The summer schedule
provided those younger players
leaping from junior varsity to
varsity with much-needed expe
rience,
“They just kept getting reps
and figuring out the speed of
the game ... They got better and
better.”
That said, Griffeth said there’s
much work left to do on the
mound.
“It’s still got a long way to
go — throwing more strikes and
having command of more than
one pitch ... We’ve still got a
ways to go on the hill,” Griffeth
said.
Offensively, Griffeth noted that
Bracken Turner — who will take
over at catcher next year — car
ried a hot bat during the sum
mer season, hitting “four or five’’
homeruns.
“Bracken had a great summer,”
Griffeth said.
Hayden Martin, Kyle Dean and
J. Ben Hardman also hit the ball
well.
Madison County also fielded a
second-tier summer ball team that
consisted of younger players.
Griffeth said that team played
well, and some of its players
could push for varsity playing
time come spring.
“It’s wide open,” he said. “You
never know who might put on 20
lbs. (of muscle).
Even though summer ball is
over, some Raiders aren’t taking
summer off.
Griffeth noted four to five guys
hitting in cages two days after
summer ball ended.
“They’re hungry,” he said.
McCain ... continued from page IB
“Everything was working for me those few days,”
McCain said. "I hit the tee ball great. Iron play was
there, and I made some putts. There was nothing that
really stood out as just a real strong part of my game.
Just everything finally decided to come together for
a change.”
The June 22-23 tournament pitted McCain, 22,
against some of the top players in the Georgia sec
tion of the PGA (The PGA comprises 41 sections
throughout the nation). McCain sank a nine-foot
birdie putt on his final hole to clinch the tournament,
beating Sonny Skinner by one stroke.
The Players Championship certainly tested
McCain's endurance, as he and the rest of the field
played 27 holes each day — not the easiest task dur
ing the summer in Georgia.
“It was tough; it was brutal," McCain said, noting
95-degree temperatures.
Unlike a regular tournament, there was no feeling
of relief after nine holes.
“Because you've got 18 more holes left that day,”
McCain said. “It’s a lot different, but it’s a fun way
to play.”
McCain, who won Region 8-AAA low medalist
honors as a MCHS golfer back in 2002, is employed
at Jennings Mill Country Club as a PGA apprentice.
He's working toward “Class A status” as a PGA
of America member — golf’s version of a doctorate,
so to speak.
Though he won a PGA assistant’s tournament two
years ago, the Chicopee Woods victory stands as
McCain’s biggest win as a PGA club professional,
one which earned him a $2,600 payday.
What’s more, he finally bested of some of the
players he’s gone toe-to-toe with the last two to three
years.
“It was fun,” McCain said. “I was playing with
some really good players, some of the top pros in the
section. It was fun to finally be able to get a win and
get past some of them.”
McCain said his Chicopee Woods’ rounds were
probably the best of his career, although he did shoot
a 64 as a 16-year-old in a Georgia PGA junior golf
tournament.
Still, it was hard to argue with just one bogey in
54 holes.
“I can't say that I’ve ever done anything anywhere
close to that," McCain said.
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HOLDING UP AT THIRD
Anna Pilgram stops in her tracks in the Madison County 9-and-10-year-old all-star
team’s game against Franklin County Monday. Ben Munro/staff
REMEMBERING YESTERYEAR
Twenty-six former Madison County baseball players (23 of whom are pictured here)
participated in Madison County High School’s first old-timers baseball game Saturday.
TIGERS WIN
MINOR LEAGUE TITLE
The Tigers won the Madison County
Little League Minor League champi
onship recently. Team members were
(front row, L to R) Mitch Douglas, Dru
Moore, Cody Bond, Evan Drake, Cade
Beard, (middle row) Mason Bennett,
Keith Gantt, Blake Hanley, Justin
Lyon, Kevin Perez, (back row) manag
er, Daryll Bond, and assistant coaches
Chris Bennett and Brian Beard. Not
pictured are Colt Doster and Bricen
Bradberry
Summer softball... continued from page IB
their summer exhibition slate this
past Thursday.
“We got to look at several dif
ferent girls and hopefully answer
some questions here in the sum
mer so when we get (preseason
practice) started Aug. 1,” 12 th -year
coach Doug Kesler said.
Madison County lost just once
in the summer league schedule,
which included games against
North Oconee, Walnut Grove,
Oglethorpe. Franklin, Stephens
and Prince Avenue.
Madison County also played in
a tournament in Greenbrier, going
5-1. Among the highlights were
victories over Parkview, Cherokee
County and Lakeside-Evans.
One area Madison County
addressed this summer is short
stop. The team lost last year's start
er, Taylor Morgan, to graduation.
“We got to look at some dif
ferent girls at that position, so we
felt pretty good with what we
got accomplished this summer,”
Kesler said.
As far as pitching, Kesler said
Erin Gibson enjoyed a strong sum
mer.
‘ ‘I thought Erin Gibson threw the
ball well... I think she’s improved
from last year.” Kesler said.
Summer work wasn't limited to
just the softball diamond.
Madison County got stronger as
a team, literally, putting in time at
the weight room.
“So hopefully, they got a little bit
stronger, hopefully they gained a
little confidence through that."
Preseason practice starts Aug.
1. but Madison County will host a
series of exhibition games the final
week in July. North Oconee is the
only confirmed opponent.
All -Stars ... continued from page IB
JUNIOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL(AT
HABERSHAM COUNTY)
•Madison Co. 13, Habersham
National 5 (June 29)
•Toccoa 11. Madison Co. 1
(June 30)
•Madison Co. vs. Hart Co.
(July 1). results not available at
press time
SENIOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL (AT
HABERSHAM COUNTY)
•Madison Co. vs. Toccoa (July
1), results not available at press
time
9-AND-10-YEAR-OLD
SOFTBALL (AT MADISON
COUNTY)
•Rabun Co. 8, Madison Co. 7
(June 27)
•Franklin Co. 6, Madison Co.
2 (June 29)
LITTLE LEAGUE
SOFTBALL (AT
MADISON COUNTY)
•Madison Co. 22, Hart Co. 0
•Madison Co. 12, Franklin Co.
0
Notes: Madison County faced
Rabun County Wednesday in the
semifinals, but results weren't
available at press time.
JUNIOR LEAGUE
SOFTBALL (AT
MADISON COUNTY)
•Madison Co. 7. Rabun Co. 6
(June 29)
•Madison Co. 11, Rabun Co. 5
(June 30)
Notes: Madison County won a
best-of-three series against Rabun
County for the district title. The
team goes to state July 11 at
Rabun County.
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