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INSIDE THIS WEEK The Madison County Journal Sports Sharp shooters Chamber sporting days tourney set for Aug. 21 2B IB Thursday, July 23, 2009 www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567 The title hunt Madison Co. Little League softball squad in the thick of state tourney battle By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com The Madison County Little League softball squad could have been called the "untouchables" until Tuesday. No opponent could even get close to the 11-12 year old girls from Danielsville. But Warner Robins topped Madison County 3-1 Tuesday in Warner Robins, giving the Madison County squad, which had dominated opponents by an astounding 71-1 margin prior to that night, their first taste of defeat. "They’re still heads up; they’re in a good mood,” said Madison County coach Jay Pridgen, who said the squad got back to the hotel and had a pizza party and spent time in the swimming pool after the loss. Pridgen said his team "crushed — See ‘State’ on 2B COACH JAY PRIDGEN FAST FACTS •Prior to Tuesday’s loss, the 11-12-year-old Madison County Little League all star team had outscored opponents 71-1. •The team pounded out 20 hits in Sunday’s state opener versus Harris County. Notable perfor mances included: Cheyenne Pridgen, 2-4,1RBI; Kristen Moran, 3-4, 1RBI; Brianne Carr, 3-4; Jordan Williams, 2-4, 1RBI; Alexis Damron, 2-4, 1RBI; Ivie Drake, 2- 4, 1RBI; Courtney Alexander, 3- 4,1RBI. •The softball team has its own website: http://www.eteamz.com/ mclll2u/ Learning the fundamentals (Top) Former Madison County High School standout catcher Travis Calloway offers hitting instruction Saturday at the Diamond Club Sports Academy off Hwy. 29 south of Danielsville. Twenty four kids from six counties attended the camp. (Left) Blake Taylor, 8, Hull, keeps his eye on the ball during a hitting drill. (Above) Camp participants listen to instruction from Jon Armitage, formerly of the University of Georgia and the San Francisco Giants. Zach Mitcham/Staff Local golf standout Madison County’s McCain captures another title Madison County’s Seth McCain notched his first big- time on the Georgia PGA cir cuit in June and didn’t waste any time getting back to the top of the leader board. McCain, a PGA apprentice at Jennings Mill Country Club, recently shot a four-under-par 68 on the second and final day SETH MCCAIN of Griffin Classic for another tournament win. He finished with a seven- under-par 137, beating out second- place Chris Dixon by one stroke. The former Raider was coming off a win at the Chicopee Woods Players Championship, bogeying just once in 54 holes and shoot ing 15-under-par in the June 22-23 tournament. McCain started the final round of the Griffin Classic three shots behind 1993 champion Stephen Keppler. He began and ended his round with bogeys, but made six birdies in between to capture his second win in the last three weeks. McCain, a 2005 Madison County High School graduate, is working toward "Class A status” as a PGA of America member. The Georgia PGA is one of the 41 Sections of the PGA of America. Passing the time with Phil Steele Some nights I sit down in the recliner with my Phil Steele college football maga zine and replace real-world worries with more pleasant gridiron anxieties. For instance, will the Georgia Bulldogs find a pass rush in 2009? The lack of production at defensive end was pretty obvious last year as the Bulldogs failed to pressure opposing quarterbacks. Still, it’s funny to me. all the guys who called in to postgame radio shows complaining that the Bulldogs didn’t blitz enough, as if the prob lem was so simple. Whenever I hear this, I think of how the ques- sports desk tion would sound if you phrased it another way, "Coach, why don’t you leave more of our opponents uncovered?” Blitzing is a calculated gamble. And any Bulldog fan who favors reckless gambling on defense doesn’t remember 1999 when the Dawgs repeatedly brought the heat and were busy chasing receivers from behind. No doubt, the defensive intensity was lacking in 2008. The third quarter of the Tech game was about the least-inspired performance I've ever witnessed in a Georgia game. Sadly, it was rivaled by several other moments in 2008. I recall the repeated walks across the Sanford Stadium bridge before the Alabama game, approaching scalpers who weren't budg ing from the $300 asking price. So, I was glad to have my money in my wallet as Georgia was blasted 31-0 in the first half, with both lines manhandled in the trench es. Yes, the preseason Georgia hype was trampled by elephant cleats in that game as the Bulldogs were exposed as less than championship caliber in 2008. But I take the long view. If you are in the national conversation enough, you might get lucky. And Georgia has been good enough twice this decade — 2002 and 2007 — to win a national title, had things broken right. The ’03, '04 and ’05 teams were pretty stout too at times. Georgia has two SEC championships under Mark Richt. And it’s going to take quite a few futile Saturdays before I sour on him. This guy is remarkably good. Nevertheless, if Richt drops five games or more this year, I expect hot seat talk in 2010. But this year's schedule is pretty ridicu lous. College football gum Phil Steele says Georgia's 2009 slate is easier than last year’s. But I beg to differ. The Dawgs open on the road at Oklahoma State and come home for a game against South Carolina. Last year, they opened with Georgia Southern and Central Michigan at home. Starting 2-0 in 2009 will be a much greater accomplishment than last year. Georgia has 11 games against solid competition. Here's the progres sion: Oklahoma State. South Carolina, at Arkansas, Arizona State, LSU, at Tennessee, at Vandy, off week, Florida (Jacksonville), Tennessee Tech, Auburn, Kentucky, at Georgia Tech. There’s no gimme until the ninth game. Notice that the "off week” comes before Florida. At least there’s that. Meanwhile, Florida has nine games against competitive foes — perhaps 10 if you count Troy as formidable. But the Gators kick off against Charleston Southern on the same day Georgia visits a nationally ranked Oklahoma State squad. Florida also hosts Florida International in November. All that said, the appropriate phrase for the '09 Gators is "scary good.” I think about the Gators as much as I do the Bulldogs right now. If you are a true Georgia fan, they are your nemesis. I felt no conference pride when they took the title again last year. And any Dawg fan who does the Gator chomp in January out of "conference pride” fails to understand healthy love and hate in college football. Do Duke fans cheer for North Carolina in the Final Four? Does Auburn cheer for Alabama out of conference pride? Of course not, they understand love and hate in sports. Anyway, if Tim Tebow leads the Gators to the national championship and grabs another Heisman, he will surely be remembered as the greatest college football player of all time. There should be no dispute. But perhaps Georgia could find that rush end by Halloween, bring Tebow down like they did in 2007 and soil the Gator hype of '09. Then again, maybe I’m just dreaming — slackjawed with the college football magazine cracked open on my chest. Zach Mitcham is editor of The Madison County Journal. P| Ss* From the