PAGE 2B - THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
Raiders gearing up for region play
-
=t.
Photos by Michael Lafountain
Slump continues
The Madison Coun
ty High School baseball
team is coming off an
other tough week, drop
ping two more games.
The Raiders lost a 5-2
game to East Jackson
on March 5, followed
by a 6-3 loss to Oconee
County on March 7.
Pitching continues
to be a struggle for the
Raiders, who have given
up 5.9 runs per game so
far this season. Mean
while, MCHS has scored
3.9 runs per game across
the same span.
The team currently sits
at 2-10, but a chance to
turn things around and
make a run for the play-
offs is still in front of
them: region play.
The next phase of the
season will see the Raid
ers face their region op
ponents in three-game
back-to-back stretches.
The span kicks off
against 9-3 North
Oconee on the road on
March 11, followed by a
home double-header on
March 14.
Next up is the 5-5
Flowery Branch Falcons.
MCHS will face them
once at home on March
18, followed by a road
double-header on March
21.
Raiders pitcher Jon DiNapoli slings a pitch during one of the team’s recent games.
.
1
%
.4
Madison Coun
ty baseball
players (left)
stand for the
national an
them before a
recent game.
A MCHS base-
ball player
(right) swings
at a pitch
during a recent
matchup.
A
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Georgia Rivers launches Fish Georgia Rivers
program with new staff and board members
Fish Georgia Rivers will expand access to
kayak fishing training and host fishing trips
Georgia Rivers is launching a new riv
er recreation program to expand access to
kayak fishing training and trips. Fish Geor
gia Rivers will debut this spring led by new
program coordinator Kendon Townsel with
support from new board President Isham
Colosetti and the entire Georgia Rivers
Board.
Georgia Rivers is already a leader in
the southeast for introducing paddlesports
skills and water safety training to the kay
ak angler community. This spring, Fish
Georgia Rivers will expand the number of
leaders across our region who hold nation
al certification as kayak fishing instructors
with the American Canoe Association.
Townsel will help build programming to
expand access to safety and skills training
for the public, increase access to fishing
trips and programming for beginners, and
represent anglers when Georgia Rivers ad
vocates for river recreation and conserva
tion at the State Capitol.
For Decatur, GA native Kendon Town
sel, kayak fishing took his fishing hobby
to the next level, and to competitive kayak
fishing. Sitting closer to the water led him
to success in the tournament scene in 2023
and 2024, where he won three tournaments
and placed top five in 12 of 17 events.
“I’m dedicated to bringing newcomers
to the water and to fishing,” Townsel said
of his particular passion for reaching be
ginners. He also aims to use Fish Georgia
Rivers to protect the freedom to float on
all Georgia rivers. “My goal is to educate
all anglers on their own right of passage to
float Georgia rivers — and ensure all rivers
and streams remain open for public pas
sage. If you can float it — you can boat it.”
Fish Georgia Rivers was developed by
the Georgia Rivers Board of Directors as
a way to integrate angler communities into
Georgia Rivers programming and advoca
cy. Board president Isham Colosetti is an
avid fisherman who saw an opportunity to
expand the work of Georgia Rivers to in
clude anglers and the rivers they love in the
Georgia Rivers scope of work.
“Programs like Paddle Georgia—and
soon Fish Georgia Rivers—are especially
close to my heart,” said Colosetti. “They
provide opportunities for people to experi
ence the beauty of wild places, understand
the challenges facing our rivers, and devel
op a personal connection that inspires their
own advocacy to protect Georgia rivers
and work class water trails like the Okefe-
nokee Wilderness Canoe Trail.
Georgia Rivers board members sup
porting these programming opportunities
include Delta corporate environmental
compliance manager Dika Kuoh as vice
president, retired Senior Director of Com
munity Relations at the Chattahoochee
Nature Center Lynn McIntyre as secretary,
and certified public accountant Terry Pate
as treasurer.
To celebrate the launch of this program,
Georgia Rivers is raffling a new Crescent
Kayaks Lite Tackle II fishing kayak. This
kayak is ideal for beginner anglers with
in-hull storage, rod holders, and a robust
high seating option. The Lite Tackle II is
just over 12 feet long making it a stable
platform for beginners to maintain direc
tion and carry their favorite equipment.
This kayak is donated to Georgia Rivers
by Carrollton based Crescent Kayaks, an
award-winning small business that was
named a Small Business Rock Star in 2023
by the Georgia Department of Econom
ic Development (GDEcD) and the Geor
gia Economic Developers Association
(GEDA).
Raffle tickets for a chance to win the Lite
Tackle II fishing kayak are just $5 each,
and all raffle proceeds support Georgia
water trails and river conservation. The
raffle drawing will take place on March
4 at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Rivers Mardi
Gras Benefit Party to Save the Swamp at
Fire Maker Brewing in Atlanta. Purchase
raffle tickets at https://rafflecreator.com/
pages/55174/crescent-kayaks-lite-tack-
le-ii-raffle-2025
Fish Georgia Rivers will expand the number of professionals across our region who hold na
tional certification as kayak fishing instructors with the American Canoe Association.
PUBLIC MEETINGS ... FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH
you can list your groups meetings!
Banks County News . Jackson Herald
Madison County Journal. Braselton News
Call 706-367-5233 to list your meetings!
tops weight loss group
Commerce Public Library
1 hr. meeting • Saturday 12 noon
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
Meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks County
Historical Courthouse at
105 U. S. Hwy 441 North in
Homer, GA
12619
• JEFFERSON
AMERICAN LEGION
Post 56 • Meets 3rd Tues., 6:30 p.m.
Joe Ruttar, Commander
Phone (860) 949-4037
309 Lee St., Jefferson, GA
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays 12:00 Noon
Jackson County
Historic Courthouse
85 Washington St., Jefferson
Holly McShane, President
706-768-0456 12626
St. Catherine Laboure
Catholic Church
Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m., Sun. 10:00 a.m., Tues. 12:10 p.m.
Mon.,, Wed, Thurs. & Fri. 10:00 a.m., Spanish Sun. 8:00 a.m.
Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org
706-367-7220
12972
ROCKWELL
LODGE F & A.M.
No. 191, Hoschton, GA
2nd Tues. at 7:30 p.m. • Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
www.rockwelllodge191.com
Two blocks behind Larry's Garage
West Broad at Hall Street
Tri-County
: Shrine Club
3rd Thurs, of each month
7:30 p.m.
Rockwell Lodge 191
KIWANIS
OF JEFFERSON
Meetings every 2 nd & 4 th
Monday at Noon
Cream & Shuga
Contact Darryl Gumz at
770-605-6656 for more info.
Call 706-367-5233
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