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The Madison County Journal INSIDE THIS WEEK Vipers strike in tourney The Vipers, a travel baseball team with several Madison County players, won a recent tournament 2B IB Thursday, August 13, 2009 www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567 Power ratings of disgust: How do the Bulldogs’ opponents rank? Much of college football fandom is devoted to visceral hate of rival schools. Outside international soc cer, there’s not another sport where there’s more ill will wished upon others. And I’m guilty as charged. These days, we use com puter ratings to rank college teams' ability. So could we rank level of disgust, too? Yes, we can — and I have. Collaborating with a team of top-flight Princeton mathemati cians, I've written a complex algorithm to rank Georgia’s 12 opponents from least offensive to most offensive, I listed our findings according to this ranking, not the order in which they fall on UGA’s schedule. Scores are based on a 1-100 scale. If you don’t like your team's rating, contact the guys at Princeton. •Tennessee Tech — If you’re a Georgia fan, you better hope there’s no reason to hate the Division I-AA Golden Eagles. Hate factor: 00.1. •Arizona State — Hard to get worked up over a team two time zones away Hate factor: 12.4. •Vanderbilt — The Commodore fans remain nice — even if Vandy wins. Hate factor: 21.7 •Kentucky — Vanderbilt's first cousin with a little more talent. Big Blue fans generally don’t trash talk — in football, that is. Hate factor: 31.6. •Oklahoma State — This is where it starts to get unpleasant. “Sir Rants-A- Lot,” aka coach Mike Gundy, offers a lot not to like. "He’s a man!,” and his team scored a 40 on our scale. Hate fac tor: 40.0 •Arkansas — Arkansas fans have the potential to get downright nasty if they win based on that God-awful call- the-Hogs cheer. Hate factor: 45.4. •South Carolina — No team takes more pride in fair-to-middling results. Annoying, but sufferable — until they beat you. Hate fac tor: 51.5. •LSU — This powerhouse with ill-tempered fans would have rated much higher if not for the whipping it put on Georgia Tech in the Chick- Fil-A Bowl. Hate factor: 79.6 •Tennessee — There’s that nine-game winning streak the Vols once held over Georgia. And then there’s Lane Kiffin. Hate factor: 88.4 •Auburn — The Tigers’ discord with UGA dates back to 1892, thus giving it a high score on our scale. But Auburn and Georgia should call a temporary truce since both have bigger fish to fry. Hate factor: 88.5. •Georgia Tech — Georgia Tech fans are too obsessed with the Bulldogs to even know what division in the ACC their team resides. Plus, this is the football program that gives its players rings for beating Georgia. Hate factor: 99.9 (Note: My dad went to Tech, so I respect the school, just not the Yellow Jacket sports and fans.) •Florida — Well, the Gators scored off the charts and melted down our com puter system. Hate factor: Incalculable. Ben Munro is a reporter for The Madison County Journal. Ben Munro From the sports desk The Madison County football team has just over two weeks to prepare for its Aug. 28 opener with Rockdale County. Ben Munro/staff Football First game full of unknowns Raiders prepare for season opener vs. Rockdale COMING UP By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Raider coach Randell Owens knows Rockdale County coach Michael Etheridge is partial to a Wing-T offense and a 3-5-3 defense. At least that's what he’s expect ing to see when Etheridge’s Bulldogs break the huddle Aug. 28 in Danielsville in the first game. ■ Madison Co. vs. Rockdale Co., Aug. 28, Danielsville, 7:30 p.m. "But will they do that?” Owens asked rhetorically. "Is this going to be the year he changes something?” Such is the mystery of prepar ing for the season opener: More time to practice, less known about your opponent. “There’s pros and cons either way,” Owens said. Madison County has just over two weeks left to prepare for the Bulldogs, who beat the Raiders 25-14 last year. While Owens has been studying Rockdale County film, it’s footage from last year, so it’s outdated. That makes it a bit harder to assess this year’s Rockdale — See ‘Football’ on page 2B 2009 Softball Preview Ready for another run? Raiders good, but must stay healthy By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Madison County might possess one of the best soft- ball teams in the region but will need to avoid the injury bug this year like it’s the swine flu. The Raiders, 24-11 in 2008, remain largely intact from last season, but dress just slightly over a dozen varsity players. That leaves little room for injury. “Our key, I guess more so this year than in the past, is just staying healthy,” 12 th - year coach Doug Kesler stressed. “We’re only going to dress 14 kids on the var sity.” Madison County opens up Monday against Heritage with many of last year’s faces taking the field. In the infield, four-year starter Katie Bohn (catcher) and second-year starter Olivia Duncan (second base) return to familiar ter ritory, but Brandi Osborne moves from first to third, Abby Atkinson shifts to shortstop and Elizabeth Whieldon takes over at first. Renee Ellisor is working as a back-up catcher. In the outfield, Sam LaZear is penciled in to start in center, but Timia Skelton, Haley Peeples and Ariel Bates are battling for the remaining two outfield slots. "We feel like we were going to be pretty good defensively,” Kesler said. “We ought to be strong up the middle. You always look to be strong up the middle.” Madison County should also be formidable from the mound where the Raiders return all pitchers, except for Megan Kesler. Erin Gibson, the likely opening-day starter, is joined by Sarah Smith, Madison County softball senior Erin Gibson zeros in on a pitch during batting prac tice. The Raiders enter the year following a 24-win season in 2008. Ben Munro/staff COMING UP ^ Softball season opener: Madison County @ Heritage, Aug. 17 ■ Tournament: Madison County hosts the annual Madison County Leadoff Classic at the Madison County Recreation Department. The Raiders start play Thursday, Aug. 20. Cortney Boggs and Emily Mann on the Raider staff. Offensively, Madison County welcomes back most of last year's lineup — one that produced 11 run-rule shortened victories — as it looks to contend for a division title. "It’s all about timely hit ting, being able to perform with a little pressure on you,” Kesler said. “That’s what it’s all about.” As for the competition, the Raiders finished second last year in 8A-AAAA and should find themselves in a three-way fight again this year with Apalachee and Habersham Central for the division crown. — See ‘Softball’ on page 2B RAIDER SOFTBALL ROSTER 1 Erin Gibson (Sr.) P 2 Abby Atkinson (Jr.) SS 3 Sam LaZear (So.) OF 4 Brandi Osborne (Jr.) INF 6 Katie Bolin (Sr.) C 7 Timia Skelton (Jr.) OF 8 Sarah Smith (Jr.) P-OF 9 Elizabeth Whieldon (Jr.) IB 11 Cortney Boggs (Jr.) P-INF 15 Haley Peeples (Jr.) OF 18 Ariel Bates (Sr.) INF 22 Emily Mann (Jr.) P-INF 32 Renee Ellisor (Jr.) C 33 Olivia Duncan (So.) INF-C Head coach: Doug Kesler Asst, coaches: Ken Morgan, Michael Thomas, Sarah Owen and Lee Anne Austin Student Assistant: Samantha Wyatt Former Raiders CALLOWAY Galloway continues career in Texas Madison County High School’s all-time hit leader has revived his baseball career in the Lone Star State, Calloway, who col lected 123 hits for the Raiders from 2001- 2004, is playing inde pendent league baseball for the San Angelo Colts, a member of United League Baseball. Independent league teams are professional organizations but not affiliated with Major League franchises. Calloway joined the Colts in July and was hitting .286 through his first 21 at-bats. That included his first profes sional homerun. He also has three RBIs. Calloway is one of three catchers on the Colts’ roster, starting in some games. Calloway played col- legiately for Southern Tech and Emmanuel, but went undrafted this spring. “He just thought it (his career) was over since he didn’t get in the draft,” Calloway’s mother, Donna Calloway, said. “But his agent called him and told him that he wanted him out there (in San Angelo).” Calloway seems to be making the most of the opportunity. Donna Calloway said she listens to her son’s game via the internet and announcers out there seem impressed with the rookie catcher. “The radio people are really talking about him,” she said. Old school softball Former Raider softball player Shelley Bates scores a run Saturday in Madison County’s alumni softball game. Twenty-six for mer Raiders attended the reunion, span ning all the way back to members of the original fastpitch softball team from 1998. Ben Munro/staff Middle School Softball Softball Mustangs off to fast start Madison County Middle School goes 3-1 to take tournament title The start of the Madison County Middle School soft- ball was as successful as it was eventful. The team picked up three wins and played in two extra inning games over the week end to win the Northeast Georgia Middle School Classic. Stephens County hosted the event. Madison County opened with a nine-inning, 4-3 win over West Jackson Friday and followed that with a 7-0 stomping of Franklin County Saturday to advance to the finals. There, the Mustangs again faced West Hall, which fought out of the losers’ bracket to earn the rematch. Madison County dropped the first finals contest, fall ing 4-3 in a 10-inning game. However, the Mustangs turned around and won the “if necessary” game 5-1 to clinch the title. "Strong pitching and timely hitting were the keys to the weekend success,” said coach Phillip Archer, who’s in his first year with the program.