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The Madison County Journal
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Week 7 predictions are in
Check out the football picks for
week 7 of The Madison County
Journal Pigskin Picker
2B
IB
Thursday, October 15, 2009
www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS.com
Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567
Madison County defensive lineman Matt Dove (no. 66) chases Loganville
quarterback A. J. Schmidt in last week’s Raider loss. Ben Munro/stafF
Prep Football
Madison Co.’s goals still very much intact despite loss
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Granted, Friday's 37-22 loss to Loganville
hurt.
But Madison County’s playoff hopes are still
alive and well, though a five-game whining streak
is now over.
The Raiders' two preseason goals are to have a
winning record and qualify for the state playoffs,
and both objectives are still attainable.
But Madison County (5-2) needs a win Friday
at Fleritage to get back on track.
"Last week, we were dealing with a group that
was sky-high over a big win ... This week, we're
hurting, but we’ve got to quit licking wounds,”
coach Randell Owens said.
Madison County seeks its ever first victory over
MORE INSIDE:
•Friday rewind: Loganville runs
past Madison Co., PAGE 2B
Heritage.
The schools have met only three times. The
Patriots won 7-0 last year.
Heritage (1-5) has been victimized by some
close losses this year, dropping four games
by a touchdown or less. But the Patriots did
beat Rockdale County (14-10). which handled
Madison County 28-6 in the Raiders’ season-
opener.
Owens, who coached at Heritage from 2001-
2003. says to not pay too much attention to
— See Football on page 3B
FRIDAY’S OPPONENT
■ Who: Heritage
■ Where: Conyers
■ When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
■ Series: Heritage leads 3-0
■ Last year: Heritage 7,
Madison Co. 0
■ Last week: Loganville 37,
Madison Co. 22; Heritage was
off
■ Opponent’s coach: Chad
Frazier (third season, 9-17)
■ What else: Madison County
head coach Randell Owens
coached at Heritage from 2001-
2003 ... Madison County has
never beaten Heritage, coming
close in 2005 (28-22) and 2008
(7-0)... Heritage’s lone victory
this year came against Rockdale
County (14-10).
Glass AAAA Softball Tournament
Sequoyah @ Madison Co, DH, Fri, 3 p.m.
Katie Bolin applies a tag to Loganville’s Brooke Robinson last week during the region tournament. Madison County won the Region 8-AAAA title and
swept Sandy Creek in the first round of the playoffs Tuesday. Ben Munro/staff
On the cusp of Columbus?
Madison County two wins away from advancing to state quarterfinals
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
M adison County earned a no. 1 seed for the
state softball tournament and is playing
like it.
The Raiders (27-2) drilled no. 4 seed Sandy Creek 8-0
and 9-2 Tuesday for a first-round playoff sweep and are
now two victories away from advancing to the state quar
terfinals in Columbus.
"It gives me chill bumps thinking about it," coach Doug
Kesler said. “Not for myself, but for the kids.”
Madison County, which won the Region 8-AAAA
championship last week, plays Sequoyah Friday at home
in a double header that starts at 3 p.m. Admission is $5.
"They won the state championship a few years ago,”
Kesler said of Sequoyah. "They have a good program
and are well coached ... If we do what we do and play
like we’re supposed to play, we’ll take the results, what
ever they are.”
The Raiders hope the second round goes similarly to
the first round.
•A look back at region: mchs
has won its first region title since ‘01, PAGE 3B
Madison County run-ruled Sandy Creek in six innings
in game 1 and jumped out to a 7-0 lead in game two to
send the Atlanta-area school packing.
“It was a good day for us to say the least," Kesler said.
“The girls played hard. They were focused. They got
after it.”
Sandy Creek returned five starters from a team that fin
ished third in Class AAAA last year.
But Madison County dashed any upset hopes behind
timely bats and strong pitching.
Emily Mann went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove home
a ran in game one while Elizabeth Whieldon went 1-for-
3 with two RBIs. Haley Peeples also had a multi-hit day,
going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Others driving in runs were
Katie Bolin (l-for-4) and Erin Gibson (l-for-4).
Gibson pitched six innings for yet another victory,
— See ‘Softball’ on page 3B
Timia Skelton slides into third base Tuesday
in Madison County’s double header against
Sandy Creek. Ben Munro/staff
Middle School Sports
MCMS
stomps
Stephens
Madison County
Middle School finished
off a 4-2 football sea
son with a 27-8 victory
over Stephens County
Saturday.
“The players really
stepped up and finished
the season off strong,”
coach Tim Drake said.
Madison
COMING
UP
■ 9th scored the
grade, JV ® ls ^ “7
double Points of
header, the game,
today, 5 got two
p.m. i 0 ng sec-
ond-half
touch
down runs from Antonio
Walters of 44 and 62
yards in the lopsided
victory.
Also finding the
end zone were Wesley
Johnson, who ran in
from 10 yards out for
Madison County’s
first score, and Malik
Freeman, who caught a
23-yard touchdown pass
from Johnson on the
Mustangs’ second drive,
Cameron Haga kicked
three extra points.
Overall, Johnson fin
ished the season with
11 touchdown passes
to four different receiv
ers. Freeman led the
Mustangs with five
touchdown receptions,
but Walters finished with
seven total scores (five
rushing touchdowns and
two receiving).
Now, the Mustangs
look toward next year.
Drake said many sev
enth graders got a lot of
snaps under their belt
this season.
“The outgoing eighth
graders provided great
leadership and were a
great model for the sev
enth graders that will
take over leadership
next year,” Drake said.
“We had 10-12 seventh
graders see significant
time this year which will
be a huge advantage for
next year.”
Racing
Madison Co. driver wins Crate Late Model race
By Heather Rhoades
Correspondent
Steven “Showdog” Segars, a Madison
County native, looked like a dog with
a stolen bone as he led the field of 12
around the speedway during the 20-lap
Crate Late Model feature at Hartwell
Speedway.
While "Showdog” is no stranger to the
winner’s circle, this was his first victory
behind the wheel of Steve Pearson’s no.
45. And what a win it was, against all odds
Segars held off Brandon “Combread”
Haley, the driver with most overall wins
of the 2009 season with a total 20 between
COMING UP
■ Georgia State Championships,
Oct. 16-17, Lavonia Speedway
Hartwell and Lavonia alone.
“Combread" Haley rolled his new red
no. 51 Crate Late Model onto the speed
way, claiming the pole with a lap time of
17.724 seconds. “Showdog” not wanting
to be "showed up” cranked out a fast time
as well with a lap time of 17.930 seconds,
landing the outside pole. Like poetry in
motion, the field came screaming down
the front stretch to take the green flag. By
the time they had cleared turn one, Segars
had already gained a slight lead over
Haley. For the first half of the race mere
inches was all that separated the two, but
as the laps wore on, “Showdog” finally
managed to gain a car length on the no.
51, where he would stay for the remain
der of the race. "Combread would settle
for second followed by Scott Holmes in
third.
The action returns starting Friday night
at Lavonia Speedway with the Georgia
State Championships Oct 16-17. This
is the biggest event of the season, with
racing action from eight classes of racing
including Southern All Stars, Southeastern
Late Model Sportsman Series, FASTRAK
Crate Late Models, Enduro, Stock V-8,
Steven Segars, in the no. 45 car, runs neck-and-neck with Brandon
Haley over the weekend in Crate Late Model racing at Hartwell
Speedway. Submitted photo/Heather Rhoades