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The Madison County Journal INSIDE THIS WEEK Camps come to a close The Madison County Recreation Department summer day campers are pictured. 2B IB Thursday, August 6, 2009 www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567 Softball: station to station Madison County High School softball players work out at dif ferent hitting stations Monday as the team continued preseason practice. The Raiders open the season Aug. 17. Ben Munro/staff Softball Raiders reunite Alumni softball game ahead Sat. By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com Apparently, former Madison County High School softball players take their reunions seriously. Coach Doug Kesler got word that one former pupil plans on driving all night from Alabama in order to suit up for Saturday's biennial Raider alumni game. Meanwhile, one of Kesler's daughters will miss a wedding to take part in the event. — See ‘Softball’ on page 2B COMING UP ■ Madison Co. alumni softball game, Sat., 4 p.m. Members of the 2001 Madison County softball team celebrate. Zach Miteham/staff Picture Day Fall picture day ahead this weekend Madison County High School will hold is fall picture day Saturday, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the foot ball field. The schedule is as follows: •7:30-8 a.m. — set up. •8-8:20 a.m. — soft- ball. •8:20-9:40 a.m. — football. •9:40-10 a.m. — cheerleading. •10-10:15 a.m. — all-sports senior pic ture. •10:15-10:30 a.m. — cross country. •10:30-11:30 a.m. — band. •11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. — volleyball. In the event of rain, all photo sessions will move to the MCHS gym. WESTBROOK Local Pro Athletes Former Raider makes another rehab start Former Madison County High School baseball standout Jake Westbrook made his third rehab start as the Cleveland Indian pitcher tries to return from Tommy John surgery. Westbrook pitched two innings Tuesday for the AA Akron Aeros, allowing four hits and two runs (both earned) as he took the loss against the Connecticut Defenders. He walked none and struck out two. Westbrook threw two rehab assign ments for Akron back in June, pitch ing three scoreless innings June 6 and four scoreless innings June 12. The 1996 MCHS graduate underwent elbow reconstruction in June 2008. Prep football Getting started Raider running back Kendrick Butler works out with the first-team offense Monday during the first day of preseason football practice. Ben Munro/staff Madison County assistant coach Chris Smith (left) stands next to Jeremiah NeSmith and calls out instruc tions Monday afternoon as the Raider football team hit the practice field. Madison County, coming off a 2-8 campaign, opens the sea son Aug. 28 at home against Rockdale County. Ben Munro/staff Raiders start practice after ‘excellent’ camp By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com T he Madison County football team hopes preseason practice goes as swimmingly as a recent out-of-town trip did. The Raiders, who started practice Monday, enjoyed a successful stint at West Georgia camp last week, with sixth-year coach Randell Owens calling the trip “excellent." For what it's worth, the Raiders went 9-1 in seven- on-seven, non-tackling, passing scrimmages at West Georgia. The vic tories included one over state power Buford, which hasn’t lost a real football game since 2006. Owens said Madison County beat the Class AA champs “by a few scores.” “We handled them fairly well, and you could tell they didn’t appreciate it," Owens said. “You could tell they had an attitude like this ain’t supposed to be happening.” For the second week in a row, the coach praised the improved chemistry of this year’s team and how it seemed to build at camp. “We didn’t have to do any counseling or any thing," Owens said of the trip. All those good vibes seemed to transfer to the first day of preseason practice Monday when Madison County took to the field in helmets and shorts. “Overall, the kids were excited to be out there," Owens said. Madison County, which — See ‘Football’ on 2B COMING UP ■ Madison Co. vs. Rockdale Co., Aug. 28, Danielsville, 7:30 p.m. Comer’s Jimmy Little won in the Stock Four Cylinder class Saturday at Hartwell. Little is pictured with his wife, Christy. Submitted photo/Heather Rhoades Racing No ‘little’ feat: Comer driver wins at Hartwell Comer’s Jimmy Little extended his point lead Saturday with a win in the Stock Four Cylinder race at Hartwell Speedway. The race featured 19 drivers. Another Comer racer, Chuck Finch, finished third in the Modified Street class, running sec ond for most of the race, Colbert’s Cody Segars was second in the Young Guns division. Other Madison County driv ers enjoying top-10 finishes were Colbert's Robin Collins (fourth. Limited Late Model), Comer’s Ricky Chamberlain (fourth. Stock V-8), Comer’s Bubba Russell (fifth, Limited Late Model) and Colbert’s Kenny Collins (seventh. Crate Late Model). The competition will stay at Hartwell Speedway this Saturday, where Enduro class drivers will compete for a $500 payday. C*S. iL Ben Munro From the sports desk Remembering some tough Raider losses Either I or Journal editor Zach Mitcham has covered every Madison County High School football game since 1998. That’s 112 nights of football. And in that span, we’ve seen it all from the Raiders. In a November 2007 column I recounted some of Madison County’s top wins. Now — with football sea son at our doorstep — I drought I’d recall those heart-wrenching losses since they’re very much a part of football, too. Here they are. Enjoy — well actually, don’t. 10. Habersham Central 7, Madison Co. 0 (1999): Madison County drove inside the Habersham Central 10 in the closing seconds in Mt. Airy, but the Raiders from Danielsville were thwarted by an interception near the goal line. This time Habersham picked it clean, with no contro versy (see no. 2 on the list), to dash Madison County’s hopes. 9. Commerce 22, Madison Co. 16 (1999): Madison County scored late and recovered an onside kick to position it for the upset. But the Tigers (ranked no. 1 in Class A), turned back the driving Raiders with a fourth-down conversion stop for yet another win in the series. 8. Franklin Co. 7, Madison Co. 6 (2002): Tlie Raiders turned the ball over five times that night, including an interception on their last drive, in an excruciating one-point loss. 7. Salem 28, Madison Co. 24 (2005): Madison County recovered a fumble on its own two-yard line with 3:11 left and valiantly drove for a potential game-winning score. But a Jan'od Owens to pass the end zone with 3.8 seconds left was batted away, denying a miraculous win. 6. Loganviile 13, Madison Co. 10 (2008): This game could infamously be dubbed, “The Drive.” Madison County led 10-6 with just 1:59 left, but Loganviile executed a perfect 85-yard drive to crush Madison County’s upset hopes. To their credit, the Raiders rushed down the field in the waning seconds, but missed a 38-yard field goal as time expired. 5. Heritage 28, Madison Co. 22 (2005): Madison County led 22-20 before Heritage's Bo Harris scored from a yard out with just 15 seconds left. The loss, marred by six Raider turnovers, denied Madison County a 4-0 start in 2005. 4. Commerce 31, Madison Co. 22 (1998): Following a win less campaign in 1997, tire Raiders nearly upended a Monte Williams-led Commerce team in the 1998 opener. Madison County led 22-18 with less than seven minutes remaining, but Williams (tire state’s all-time leading rusher) broke loose for a 77-yard kickoff return that turned the tide. 3. Commerce 29, Madison Co. 28 (2002): Plenty of drama in this one. The Raiders led 28-21 very late, but Commerce produced a 65-yard drive in the last 2:47 to stun the Raiders. 2. Habersham 14, Madison Co. 8 (1998): The "simultane ous catch” game on Homecoming night. Looking to snap the school's 14-game losing streak, Madison County drove to the five-yard line in the closing moments. Quarterback Steve Sanders threw to the end zone where his pass was caught by both a Madison County receiver and Habersham Central defensive back. A simultaneous catch is supposed to be awarded to the offensive player, but the play was ruled an interception and Madison County’s woes continued. 1. Rome 31, Madison Co. 28 (2005): Rome was burning for most of the night in Madison County’s first playoff appearance in 22 years as the underdog Raiders held leads of 14-0 and 21-10 over the no. 1 seed Wolves. Madison County even led 28-24 late before falling to Rome. So Madison County's finest hour in the last two decades was also its most gut-wrenching. Ben Munro is a reporter for The Madison County Journal.