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The Madison County Journal INSIDE THIS WEEK Sporting clays tourney is Fri. The Madison County Chamber of Commerce’s sporting clays tourna ment is Friday at Brush Creek. 2B IB Thursday, August 20, 2009 www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567 Volleyball New coach has high hopes for volley Raiders By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com New Madison County High School volleyball coach Kristin Delay doesn’t waste words when asked if her team has any specific goals for 2009. “Of course!,’’ Delay said via email. "We want to be in the hunt for the region title this year.” After serving a two-year stint as Madison County's junior varsity coach. Delay brings plenty of optimism and on-court experience into her new job. She played six seasons of volleyball between the middle school and high school ranks in LaFayette. NEW COACH Name: Kristen Delay Job: New volleyball coach Experience: Two years as junior varsity head coach at MCHS Playing experience: Played four years at LaFayette High School, lettering for two years Delay, a varsity setter for two years, was part of a LaFayette High School team that won its region in 2001 and finished fourth in Class AAAA. She also played four seasons of — See Volleyball on page 2B Madison County High School volleyball senior Emily Burroughs gets set to serve during practice. Ben Munro/staff Preseason Scrimmage Franklin Co. @ Madison Co., Friday, Scrimmage, 7:30 p.m. Raider receiver Presly McKeever (left) holds the ball tenuously as he tries to juke linebacker Donavan Carey Monday. The team scrimmages Franklin County Friday and opens the season next Friday against Rockdale County. Ben Munro/staff Playing it close to the vest Raiders won’t divulge much in scrimmage By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com t’s the game of prep football intelli gence and counterintelligence. Madison County coaches will scru pulously study film from Rockdale County’s Friday night scrimmage to gather informa tion on their week one opponent. Meanwhile, Rockdale, no doubt, will have its eyes on Madison County's Friday exhibition with LOOKING AHEAD ■ Madison Co. vs. Rockdale Co., Aug. 28, Danielsville, 7:30 p.m. Franklin County looking for a competitive advantage. So how much free advertising will Madison County offer in its dress rehearsal? “That’s always an interesting debate ... How much do you want to give them?” Raider coach Randell Owens said. In the end, not much. Madison County will script a few plays for the 7:30 p.m. scrimmage, but will work with “less than half the menu” of a regular season playbook, Owens said. “You keep it kind of vanilla,” he said. Madison County starters will only appear in half of the game, too. Owens plans to pull his first-stringers after the first two quarters, inserting his second string in the third quarter. The junior varsity squad will take over in the fourth. Limited playbooks and playing time aside, the Raider players view lining up against someone else — even if it doesn’t count — as a welcome change from weeks of preseason — See Football on page 2B Former Raiders Jeffers nabs first professional save, Westbrook likely done for year Former Raider Ben Jeffers, a 2005 Madison County High School grad uate, picked up his first professional save Aug. 12. Jeffers, a reliever for Milwaukee Brewer Rookie League affiliate Helena (Mont.), pitched a third of an inning to close out Helena’s 3-2 win over Ogden (Utah). This is Jeffers’ second season in the minors. Elsewhere, in independent league baseball (whose teams aren’t affiliated with Major League franchises), Travis Calloway, a 2004 MCHS alum, is hitting .237 with one homer and four RBIs for the San Angelo Colts. In the Major Leagues, Madison County High School alum and Cleveland Indian pitcher Jake Westbrook suffered another setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, likely ending hopes he’ll return to a Major League mound this year, according to MLB.com. Westbrook, who last pitched for Cleveland in May 2008, has devel oped scar tissue in his elbow and flexor tendonitis, sidelining him for six more weeks. Westbrook, howev er, does not have any structural dam age in the elbow, the site reports. JEFFERS Middle School Softball MGMS blanks Jefferson 4-0 Die Madison County Middle School softball team (4-1) recorded its second shutout of the season, beating Jefferson 4-0 Tuesday to start its 10-game region schedule. “Steady defensive play and clutch two-out hitting were tire keys to the game,” MCMS coach Phillip Archer said. Madison County, which plays a 12-game regular season sched ule, hosts Prince Avenue today (Thursday) at ARCHER 4:30 p.m. It then moves on to an Aug. 25 rematch at Jefferson. All home games are played at the new middle school field on Hwy. 172. Madison County hosts the region tournament Sept. 25-26. This year's team comprises Casie Wade (outfield). Mallory Rogers (first base), Haley Gordon (pitcher, second base), Alexis Damron (pitch er, infield), Ansley Damron (outfield), Jorden Williams (outfield), Kayla Argo (pitcher, first base, outfield), Megan Boswell (outfield), Brianne Carr (shortstop), Kristen Moran (third base), Ivie Drake (catcher), Cheyenne Pridgen (pitcher, first base), D.J. Rucker (second, outfield), Brittany Smith (outfield, catcher) and Candice Hammond (outfield). Todd Powell is MCMS's assistant coach. Local Racing Comer’s ‘Hog Rocket’ edged in race of the season The race of the season at Hartwell Speedway came down to the photo finish between Brandon Haley and Comer’s Bubba Russell's over the weekend. Officials had to refer to not one, but two different references to determine Haley as the winner in the Limited Late Model class. “Hog Rocket” Russell and “Combread” Haley both started on the front row after qualifying. At the drop of the green flag, Russell moved into the lead, but nailed to his bumper was the no. 51 car of Haley. Lap after lap, Haley stuck his nose under the no. 32 of Russell trying, to The Limited Late Model race came down to a photo finish at Hartwell Speedway. Submitted photo power his way around with no suc cess. On several occasions Haley and Russell were nose-to-nose as they came off turn four, but Russell would always manage to pull ahead down the straightaways. This little cat- — See Racing on page 2B Softball Raiders two for two Haley Peeples (left) congratulates Abby Atkinson (right) after a big defensive play Tuesday. Ben Munro/staff MCHS moves to 2-0 with win over LoganviUe By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Dre Madison County High School softball team took down the defending region champions Tuesday to move to 2-0. Madison County built a 4-0 lead and held off Loganville late for a gripping 4-3 victory at home. Raider coach Doug Kesler said Ms team took advantage of opportunities at the plate and on the base paths in scoring a huge early-season win. “I’m proud of the girls,” he said. “I felt like we put a little pressure on them COMING UP ■ Leadoff Classic at Madison Co. Rec Dept, today (Thurs.) through Saturday. with our speed. I felt like we had some big Mts and some timely Mts.” Loganville hadn't lost a region game since 2007. Madison County scored once in the first inning and three more times in the second off MgMy touted Red Devil pitcher Katy Lewis after struggling against tire Loganville ace last year. “I thought we did a better job of put ting the ball in play and being selective at the plate,” Kesler said. Meanwhile, Raider starter Erin Gibson (2-0) earned a complete game — See softball on Page 2B