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The Madison County Journal INSIDE THIS WEEK Final picker standings Journal editor Zach Mitcham has claimed this year’s Pigskin Picker championship. 2B IB Thursday, December 10, 2009 www.MainstreetnewsSPORTS. com Ben Munro/ ben@mainstreetnews.com (706) 795-2567 The Madison County High School football team will again play a straight-region schedule in 2010. Ben Mumo/staff Region Realignment 8-AAAA won’t play subdivided football schedule INSIDE: MCHS likely to open 2010 with Flowery Branch, PAGE 2B By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com The new-look Region 8-AAAA may be subdi vided, but its member schools won’t play a subdi vided football schedule. By maintaining 11 teams — 8-AAAA lost Monroe Area but picked up Flowery Branch — the region will again play a straight-region football INSIDE THE NUMBERS •Region 8-AAAA voted 6-5 to play another straight-region football schedule. Madison County voted schedule as it has the past two seasons. The region approved that move Wednesday with a 6-5 vote. Madison County head football coach Randell — See Realignment on 2B NEW REGION 8-AAAA Subregion A Apalachee Clarke Central Flowery Branch Hab. Central Madison Co. Winder-Barrow Subregion B Cedar Shoals Heritage Loganville Rockdale Co. Salem Softball Girls’ Basketbal MCHS boasts five all-state selections Madison County softball players continue to rack up the awards following a 27-4 season. Five Red Raiders earned all-state honors, with Katie Bolin and Samantha LaZear both being named to the first team, while Erin Gibson and Haley Peeples were second-team selec tions. Olivia Duncan was an all-state honorable mention pick. Coach Doug Kesler said he put that into con text for his players. "You're compet ing against all of the Class A A A A players in the state... It’s really a big honor for them,’’ Kesler said. With five Red Raiders making the all- state list, this is likely the most selections Madison County has enjoyed in a single year. "We haven’t had that many in one year, I don’t think,” Kesler said. Madison County also held its team awards ban quet last week. Those tak ing home awards were Bolin (co-MVP), Gibson (co-MVP), Duncan (offen sive MVP), LaZear (defen sive MVP), Ariel Bates (Most Improved). There was no coaches' award winner this year, "because everybody on the team would have probably deserved that,” Kesler said. Madison County also boasted 12 National Fastpitch Coaches' Association All-American academic selections. They include Abby Atkinson, LaZear, Brandi Osborne, Bolin, Timia Skelton, Elizabeth Whieldon, Cortney Boggs, Peeples, Bates, Emily Mann, Renee Ellisor and Duncan. LAZEAR Prep Basketball Bradley Raines, shown here in Madison County’s game with Monroe Area Friday, scored 21 points in the Red Raiders’ Tuesday victory over Heritage. Ben Munro/staff MCHS 6-1 after two close victories By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetne ws .com T hough its last two wins came with no style points attached, the Madison County boys' bas ketball team is off to its first-ever 6-1 start under coach Steve Crouse. Madison County rallied to beat Brookwood, 62-59, Saturday in Danielsville and then outlasted Heritage Tuesday, 62-57, in another tight affair at home. “I want the guys to be encouraged,” Crouse said of his team’s start. “We just don’t need to get complacent.” Madison County’s 6-1 start will be put to the test Friday when the Red Raiders take on a 6-0 Rockdale County known for suffocating man-to-man defense and full-court pressure. ‘They’ll pressure us as soon as we get off the bus,” Crouse said. Madison County moves on to a non region rivalry game at Franklin County Saturday and returns home for another region matchup with Loganville Tuesday for alumni night. Bradley Raines led Madison County with 21 points Tuesday, hitting four three- pointers against Heritage, as the Red Raiders moved to 2-1 in subregion play. Patrick McCrary, who's been battling back problems, chipped in 14 points and 12 boards one game after reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career. Dominique Parrish added nine points with three three-pointers. The team was 8-of-20 behind the arc on the night. Madison County led 46-45 at the end of three quarters but fell behind by three points twice in the fourth quarter. The Red Raider defense, however, sur rendered only three points in the last 3:44, while Madison County took over offensively. Raines drilled a three-pointer with 3:35 left to tie the contest at 54, and Madison County closed the game by hitting six of its last seven free throw attempts. ‘That was big for us late in the game,” said Crouse, whose team was 18-for-26 on the night from the charity stripe. Madison County survived a prolific shooting night from Heritage’s Jelani Archer, who hit seven three-point — See Boys’ basketball on 3B COMING UP •@Rockdale Co., Fri., 8:30 p.m.; @Franklin Co., Sat., 7:30 p.m.; vs. Loganville, Tues., 7:30 p.m. Lady Raider coach still trying to gauge team By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Despite a 5-2 record and a quality win over Salem, Madison County girls’ basket ball coach Dan Lampe is still trying to size up his squad seven games into the sea son. The Lady Raiders recorded a lopsided vic tory Tuesday — beating Heritage 60-41 — but Lampe didn’t get many answers in a victory over a struggling foe. “It’s hard to get a good gauge of this team,” Lampe said. “There’s definitely a lot we need to work on.” He might have a better under standing after this next three- game stretch. After a Friday matchup with an improved Rockdale County team, Madison County faces Franklin County Saturday and Loganville Tuesday. Both the Lady Lions (4-1) and Lady Red Devils (3-3) went to the state tournament last year. The Loganville game could be very telling, in particular, as the Lady Red Devils are one of the best teams on the other side of Region 8-AAAA, along with Salem. “That will be a great indicator game,” Lampe said. As for this past Tuesday, — See Girls’ basketball on 3B COMING UP •@Rockdale Co., 7 p.m.; @Franklin Co., 6 p.m.; vs. Loganville, Tues., 6 p.m. KeKe Chappell fights for a rebound Friday in Madison Couty’s win over Monroe Area. Ben Munro/staff Madison County wrestler Matt Dove picks up a victory during Saturday action at the Panther Invitational. Ben Munro/staff Wrestling Raiders finish 15th at Panther Inv. INSIDE: MCMS wrestling team hosting tourney, PAGE 3B Madison County finished 15 th out of 25 teams over the weekend at Jackson County’s Panther Invitational in its first big tournament of the young season. The Red Raiders, who wrestle this week end in the Morgan County Invitational, finished with 55 points. Both Kyle Bates (152-lb.) and Kyle Gordon (215-lb.) advanced to the semifi nals of their respective weight classes but COMING UP •@Morgan Co. Invitational, Sat.; vs. Washington-Wilkes, Tues. lost. Bates went 2-2 in the tournament, as did Gordon. Cody Phillips went 2-0 in the 119-lb. class but wasn’t able to finish the tourna ment. Madison County returned to action Tuesday night against Banks County, but results weren't available. As for the Panther Invitational, three wrestlers — including Cody Phillips — finished with winning records. Colton Phillips went 3-2 in the 125-lb. class, while Matt Dove was 3-2 in the 285-lb. division. Madison County's other participants included Caleb McCain (1-2 in 135-lb. class), Jesse Truelove (0-2 in 140-lb. class), Kyle Himsl (0-2 in 145-lb. class), Steven Resby (1-2 in 171-lb. class) and — See Wrestling on Page 3B