JacksonHeraldTODAY

Mat Dragons prepare for Area Duals

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:31:00 -0500

Put another mark in the win category for the Mat Dragons of Jefferson, as they came away with a win in the Hooch Invitational at Chattahoochee High School in Alpharetta over the weekend.

Jefferson scored 189.5 points to beat Centennial, Union Grove, North Forsyth and Kell.

Thirteen Jefferson grapplers placed in the invitational, with two taking home top honors in their weight class.

Cam Thurmond won top honors in the 135 lb. category, while Jay Fowler took first in the 160 lb. class.

Other individual placers included Ben Knight taking second in the 152 lb. class; Zac Crosby placed second in the 171 lb. category; Zach Allen placed second in the 189 lb. class; Isaac Kelley finished third in the 103 lb. category; Cason Thurmond placed third in the 112 lb. class; Daniel Barber placed third in the 119 lb. category; Cutler Finch placed fourth in the 125 lb. category; Cain Finch placed fourth in the 130 lb. category; Wayne Elliott placed fourth in the 140 lb. class; Patrick Allen placed fourth in the 215 lb. category; Cole Hightower in the 285 lb. class.

Up next for the Mat Dragons in a trip to East Jackson to take part in the Area Duals tournament on Friday and Saturday.

For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.

Lady Panthers take Jingle Jam title

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:21:00 -0500

For the past few weeks, the Lady Panthers of Jackson County have been looking to swing momentum back in their favor.

After three losses in a row, Jackson County was hoping a Dec. 19 win over West Hall might be the turning point to get the team back on track.

That proved to be the case, as the Lady Panthers went undefeated in last weekend’s Jingle Jam to win their home tournament, and improve to 8-3 overall.

The wins couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Lady Panthers prepare to enter the heart of their region schedule on Friday traveling to Stephens County to face the Lady Indians.

Stephens County enters Friday’s contest undefeated in three region games this season, and also has an 8-3 overall record.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The JCCHS girls hit the court on day one of the Jingle Jam, held Dec. 29 hoping to keep the momentum from their Dec. 19 win over West Hall going.

It certainly seemed to carry over, as the Lady Panthers took control early, pulling out to a 13-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. As Jackson County continued to pull away, most members of the team were able to get time on the court. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Panthers had a resounding 62-41 victory to log in the win column.

Several players scored between seven and nine points. Jessica Stevens scored nine points and had nine rebounds.

“I thought she played a pretty complete game,” said coach Chad Pittman.

Pittman said he felt the team’s defense did a good job against Hebron.

“We caused them to turn the ball over several times,” he said. “We were able to score some in transition early on, which was productive. It got us off to a good start.”

One player who didn’t hit the court that night was Breanna Drew, who was still recovering from an ankle injury.

Drew did return to the court the next day, as the Lady Panthers faced off against Providence Christian in the championship game.

Things didn’t look as positive after the first quarter, when Jackson County found themselves trailing 16-11. But the team came out swinging in the second quarter, holding the Lady Stats scoreless as they put 19 points on the board to move ahead 30-16 at the half.

“That might be one of the best quarters we’ve had all year,” Pittman said.

From there on, the Lady Panthers stayed in control of the game, and came away with a 52-29 victory, and the tournament title.

Ashley Skelton led in scoring with 19 points, three steals and three assists. In her first game back, Drew had a double/double, scoring 17 points and getting 13 rebounds. She also went 9-10 from the free throw line.

For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald or The Braselton News.

NASCAR’s David Ragan to compete at Lanier

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:13:00 -0500

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan will be returning to the track where he won his first ARCA series event at a few years ago.

Ragan will take part in the second annual Ice Cold Shriner Bowl at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton on Saturday and Sunday, as he takes to the wheel of a Super Late Model racer.

“We are excited about going home to Georgia,” Ragan said. “I learned a whole lot running the ARCA cars at this speedway, and will always consider it one of my favorite tracks. We feel like this will be a great race, because I have logged so many laps here.”

Ragan has spent little time behind the wheel of a Super Late Model, but is confident in the crew working to prepare the car for his arrival.

“I’m driving Jamey Steven’s Super Late Model,” Ragan said. “He’s a friend of ours and former track champion here at Lanier National so we know the car will be a good piece. My cousin Brett is working with them on shocks and getting the chassis set-up in the car the way he knows I like it. They make my job easy because they do all the prep work. I just get to be the lucky one to drive it.”

Ragan said it’s always good for him to come back and race with his old friends at Lanier.

“The scheduling worked out for this weekend since we don’t have winter testing anymore with the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series cars,” he said. “I enjoy the fans’ reaction to seeing me race on the short tracks again. It’s a great way to get the word out about the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, plus it’s a relaxed atmosphere where I can hang out with the fans and talk about all the great things the Shriners do to help these kids.”

Practice and qualifying will be held on Saturday, with races set for Sunday in all local divisions, as well as the $2,000 to win Late Model event.

A portion of the proceeds from the weekend will benefit Shriners Charities.

“This will be a great event, and I hope the fans will come out to support the Shriners,” Ragan added.

For more information on the 2nd Annual Ice Cold Shiner Bowl, log on to www.lanierspeedway.com.

Jefferson wins Warrior Classic with last second shot

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:11:00 -0500

It took two close, come from behind games to do it, but the Jefferson Dragons came away from Oconee County last week as the champions of the 2008 Warrior Classic.

Now the focus turns to their upcoming region schedule. The Dragons will travel to Gainesville to face Riverside Military Academy on Friday.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

After a tournament opening victory over Sevier Co., Tenn., the Dragons moved on to face tournament host Oconee County on Dec. 29.

Jefferson had no idea, after making a come from behind charge on Sevier Co., that they would have to make the same charge twice more to win the tournament.

Jefferson found themselves trailing early, as Oconee came after them hard in the first quarter to lead 16-7. The Dragons came back in the second quarter to make up for lost ground, holding the Warriors to five points while they picked up 19 to take a 26-21 lead into the half.

The third quarter was pretty much a draw, with both teams scoring 10 each to make it 36-31 at the end of the quarter. In the fourth, Jefferson found themselves up by eight with four minutes left. Oconee began making a strong charge, and moved to within one point. The Warriors had the ball, and had a chance to win the game with eight seconds left. Jefferson was able to hold on to take the 45-44 win.

Darius Minor led the Dragons in scoring with 16 points and eight rebounds. J.J. Damons, off the bench for an ailing Chris Beck, scored 12 points and had eight rebounds.

Coach Bolling Dubose said he felt his team played well in the second quarter, while the third quarter was much like the first.

“For the last four minutes, I thought we played very tentative,” he said. “We just did some things that were not real smart. We had a couple of turnovers that we shouldn’t have had. We let them get some wide-open shots driving for the basket. We kind of helped them get back in the game. So I was a little disappointed in the way we finished the game, but they never got the lead. But it shouldn’t have been that close.

“Overall, I think we played okay, but we didn’t play consistently. We were real fortunate to win.”

Up next for the Dragons was the championship game against Apalachee on Dec. 30. Much like Monday’s game, Jefferson got off to a slow start, finding themselves down 17-1 with about 20 seconds left in the first quarter.

Minor hit a three-pointer with just seconds left to make it 17-4 at the end of the first.

Jefferson again rallied in the second quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 17-13 to move to within nine points, as Apalachee led 30-21 by the half.

Things didn’t go as well in the third quarter, as the Dragons fell behind 46-32, and with five minutes remaining in the game, Jefferson trailed by 15 points.

That’s when the Dragons came alive.

With several different players coming in off the bench, Jefferson made a charge.

“With five minutes left in the game, we played as good as we can play,” DuBose said.

The Dragons tied the game three times, but never could move ahead. With the clock running out, Jefferson rebounded an Oconee shot, and got the ball to Minor.

Minor sent a shot from about 70 feet out, with the buzzer sounding the end of the game. He made the shot, giving Jefferson the 57-56 victory.

“There was obviously luck involved, but he made a shot like that in every game over there,” DuBose said.

For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.

NJFD gets FEMA grant

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:37:35 -0500

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded the North Jackson Fire Department a $79,800 grant.
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Crossing guard to aid WJ students

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:35:25 -0500

Starting next Wednesday, a crossing guard will begin assisting students who need to cross Gum Springs Church Road to get and to from Gum Springs Elementary School and West Jackson Middle School.
Continue reading "Crossing guard to aid WJ students"

EJCHS hit region stride this week

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:59:22 -0500

After a solid start to tournament play in the Warrior Holiday Classic at Oconee County last week, the East Jackson Eagles found themselves on the short end of a losing score in their last two games of the tournament.

Now East Jackson looks to get the main part of their region schedule off to a strong start, as they travel to Dawson County to face the Tigers on Friday. In their last two meetings, Dawson has come away the winner, with both of those games coming in January of last year.

With a 6-3 overall record, Dawson County appears to hold the edge going into Friday’s game. While the Eagles have outscored the Tigers this season, recording 530 points to Dawson County’s 501, the Tigers have allowed less points to be scored against them, 381 to East Jackson’s 518.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

Coming off of a 68-60 victory over Athens Academy on Dec. 27 to open tournament play, the Eagles were hoping to build momentum towards the start of region play this week. Their first opponent last Monday came in the form of Apalachee. While the Eagles could hang onto the ball during the first half, they found themselves down 31-18 at the half. A change in strategy saw East Jackson cut that lead in the second half, causing several turnovers in the process. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Eagles had cut the lead down to only four points, and with a minute left on the clock, had tied the game 50-50.

But East Jackson missed some key free throws for the win, and Apalachee was able to take the lead and the 56-51 victory.

Kolby Gilbert led the Eagles in scoring with 18, while Brandon Garrett scored 11.

“We went to a 1-3-1 zone the second half and caused several turnovers,” said coach Brian Turner. “The key to the game was the free throw line as a whole. They were 16-22 while we went 5-14.”

The Eagles next moved to the consolation game to face host team Oconee County. The score stayed close in the first half, with East Jackson holding a 19-18 lead at the half. Oconee was able to get an edge in the second half, coming away with a 10-point lead and the 43-33 win.

Gilbert led in scoring for the Eagles with 14 points.

“We did not play with much effort on either end of the court but was somehow able to take the lead into half time,” Turner said. “In the second half we could never find our stride on defense, or offense as well, leading to a 10-point defeat.”

The Eagles were next scheduled to play host to Union County in region play on Tuesday. Results of that game were unavailable at press time.

Lady Eagles defeat Carver, Columbus

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:53:07 -0500

After a rough start to the DQ Classic tournament at Hart County that resulted in back-to-back losses, the Lady Eagles of East Jackson rebounded last Tuesday with a victory over Carver, Columbus to make them 4-7 overall.

Up next is a trip to Dawson County to face the Lady Tigers in region pairing on Friday. The two teams last met up in the first round of 8AA tournament play last season, where Dawson County won 51-44.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Lady Eagles started out play in the DQ Classic last Friday with an opening loss to host Hart County. The Lady Bulldogs took control of the game early, pulling out to a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. Hart County continued to hold East Jackson at bay, allowing only five points to be scored in the second quarter while they picked up 16, making the score 29-9 at the half.

East Jackson found some momentum in the third quarter, and was able to add more points on the board to make the score 58-23 by the end. Hart County continued to control the game, and pulled away to a 72-35 win.

Autumn Wilbanks led East Jackson in scoring with 13 points, while Dynelle Todman had seven and Mikki McGinnis had six.

Next up for the Lady Eagles was a pairing against Monroe Area, a team that has had its own struggles so far in the season.

East Jackson took control early, and held a one-point lead, 11-10, at the end of the first quarter. The game remained close through the second quarter, as the Lady Eagles maintained the lead going into the half, 25-20.

In the third quarter, the Lady Eagles continued to work to maintain their lead, and held Monroe Area at bay with a 36-30 score at the end of the quarter.

But the advantage slipped away in the fourth quarter as the Lady Bulldogs surged and came away with a 55-47 win.

Shelby Johnson, Callie Moore and Wilbanks led in scoring for East Jackson with nine points, while McGinnis scored eight against Monroe Area. McGinnis led in rebounds with 13, while Kaitlin Hill had seven. Moore also had three steals on the game.

“We are definitely in a slump right now but I saw some good things in the Monroe Area game,” coach Amy Larimer said after the loss. “We were aggressive both defensively and offensively and played with more intensity than we have the last few games. If we continue to play hard things will start to look up.”

Things finally did look up for East Jackson in their next game, as they closed out the tournament with a victory over Carver out of Columbus.

After trailing in the first quarter, 12-10, the Lady Eagles came back in the second quarter to take control of the game, and move out to a 33-23 lead at the half. East Jackson continued to pace the game, moving out to a 50-34 lead by the end of the third quarter. The Lady Eagles then had to hold off a late charge by the Carver team that saw them move to within five points, but kept them at bay to pick up the 61-56 victory.

Wilbanks led East Jackson in scoring with 28 points, while Johnson scored 13 and Bralee Griffin scored eight. Caroline Hicks led in rebounds with nine, while McGinnis had seven and Wilbanks and Griffin both had five. Johnson had three assists. Hicks had four steals, while Moore and Wilbanks both had three.

“That was a much needed and well deserved win,” Larimer said. “It was a great team effort with everyone contributing. We played hard the entire game and pulled out a gutsy performance. It was especially good to get this win going into region play. Hopefully we can keep the hard work going.”

Children OK after bus wreck; one adult still in hospital

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:54:02 -0500

Two adults and three students in Jackson County were transported to area hospitals after a school bus reportedly rolled over on Tuesday afternoon. The injuries were not life-threatening and all were released by Wednesday except for one of the adults.
Continue reading "Children OK after bus wreck; one adult still in hospital"

County gets water line easement

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:14:52 -0500

Call it a win-win-win situation. A West Jackson developer got his property in better shape for development, the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority got six-tenths of an acre it needs to serve potential commercial customers, and Jackson County would get the taxes off that new development.

Continue reading "County gets water line easement"

Peach State Speedway renamed

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:57:00 -0500

Dan Elliott named track General Manager

Peach State Speedway is now history, at least in name.

The track, which was recently purchased by a partnership comprised of Jim and Tony Gresham of Gresham Motorsports and Gene Roberts a former NASCAR Cup Series crew chief and current Gresham Motorsports’ late model crew chief for driver Max Gresham, will be re-christened Gresham Motorsports Park.

It will be the fourth name for the facility, which is touted as the fastest paved half-mile oval in the state.

The track opened as Jefco Speedway in July of 1967, hosting its first event, a NASCAR sanctioned Late Model Sportsman raced dubbed the “Tiger 200.”

That first event, fittingly, was won by “Tiger Tom” Pistone of Chicago, Ill.

The track was later renamed Georgia International Speedway in the early 1980s, then was rechristened Peach State Speedway after the track sold in the early 1990s.

According to a track press release, the owners agreed that the name change would fit the new facility because of the desire of the Gresham family to bring the most professional and exciting automobile racing to the facility.

The release said the partnership will make needed changes to bring to the 41-year old facility the best racing possible for fans and drivers.

Track General Manager Dan Elliott gets a look at the facility from the flag stand. Elliott says track officials plan an “extreme makeover” for the speedway

Track officials have also announced that Dan Elliott, brother of NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bill Elliott, has been named general manager of the facility.

He has been in racing almost all of his life, from short tracks to the highest ranks of NASCAR. Officials said Elliott plans to use every resource available to make this the best racetrack in the country.

”We plan to do an extreme makeover, race track edition,” Elliott said this week. “This track once hosted some of the most famous drivers that ever raced and if anyone can do that again I want to be the man to do it. I want this to be the track where new talent is discovered.

“I am excited and proud to be a part of the new Gresham Motorsports Park and highly praise the Greshams and Gene Roberts for this awesome opportunity.”

The track previously held events for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup events, which was then called the Grand National Series. In 1968, the series’ season finale was held at the track, with Cale Yarborough winning. The series would visit the track again in November of 1969, with Bobby Isaac taking the win.

In 1983, the track’s signature event, the World Crown 300, was held for the first time.

Fittingly, the sale of the track was official following the conclusion of the 25th running of the World Crown on Nov. 9 of this year.

The new track owners plan to unveil the facility’s future plans after the New Year.

For further information and to view the track’s current updates, you can visit the track’s website at www.greshammotorsportspark.com.

Jefferson USA Wrestling wins Classic

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:41:00 -0500

Jefferson USA Wrestling came out on top in the New Year’s Classic that was held this past Saturday at Jefferson High School. The Dragons beat out 50 other schools for the team title. The event was held Dec. 26 and 27, with over 400 kids competing from four different states.

Jefferson scored 84 points while Team Walton placed second with 60 points. Rounding out the top five were West Forsyth with 42 points, West Laurens Raider Storm with 32 points and Commerce with 28 points. Other local teams competing were Madison County who finished 8th, Banks County in 9th, Jackson County in 16th and East Jackson in 20th place with 9 points.

Area individual champions from Jefferson were Jacob Crumley, Ben Kelly, Cooper Young, Ethan Garner, Kyle Springer, Josh Harris, Caleb King, Ty Finch and Jace McColskey. East Jackson’s Avery Nelms also took home gold.

Jefferson splits first two tourney games

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:21:00 -0500

The Lady Dragons of Jefferson were hoping to start their weekend off by stopping a two-game losing streak on Saturday.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way, as Jefferson lost to Sevier County, Tenn. in the opening game of the Warrior Holiday Classic at Oconee County, falling 60-37.

“They shot the ball pretty well and jumped on us pretty early,” said coach Jason Gibson. “I think you could tell that we were rusty from the layover. They shot the ball really well, and we didn’t, and they ended up beating us.”

The loss meant Jefferson could hope for no better than fifth place in the tournament.

Gibson said it was a rusty game.

“We played hard at times, but not with the kind of intensity that you need against good teams to be successful,” he said. “When you play teams that are disciplined and manage to do the little things right, it hurts when you don’t do those same things right.”

Jefferson moved on to face Prince Avenue on Monday, coming away with a much better result, as the Lady Dragons defeated the Lady Wolverines 59-36.

Erin Knight led Jefferson in scoring with 13 points. Emily Jacobs scored 12, and had nine rebounds in what Gibson said was her best game of the year.

Stephanie Fincher scored nine points, and Callie Holloway scored eight.

Gibson pointed to Marcayla Hester’s work on the defensive end as a strong factor in the win, as Hester held Prince Avenue’s leading scorer to just eight points in the game.

Gibson said the win was a real team effort, with 10 players scoring in the game.

“It was the first time all year that we played what I would consider a complete game as far as effort, intensity and overall the right approach,” Gibson said. “We had very few mistakes on either end of the floor. When you play mistake free basketball, it shows. You end up with a better chance to come out on top. It was a good win for us.”

With the win, the Lady Dragons were scheduled to face Clarke Central on Tuesday to determine who would come home as the fifth place finisher in the tournament. Results of that game were unavailable at press time.

Following the Warrior Classic, the Lady Dragons will get a few days off before playing host to Fannin County on Jan. 6.

JHS defeats Sevier Co. to start tourney

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:15:00 -0500

The Jefferson Dragons made a good start on their efforts in the Warrior Holiday Classic on Saturday, as they picked up a win over the Smokey Bears of Sevier Co., Tenn., 61-56.

With the win the Dragons were slated to face Oconee County Monday night, with the winner moving on to the championship game on Tuesday.

Results were unavailable at press time.

Darius Minor led the Dragons in scoring with 27 points, and had 11 rebounds. Tab Martin scored 11 points against Sevier County.

Following the tournament, the Dragons will have some time off before hitting the court again on Jan. 6, when they’ll play host to Fannin County.

Tip-off in that game is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Nicholson hosts inaugural Year End Chase

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:33:22 -0500

Last Saturday, Dec. 27, over 140 runners gathered in Nicholson to run in the inaugural Year End Chase 5K and one mile Fun Run. The East Jackson Runners’ Club hosted the charity race at the Nicholson City Park.

All proceeds from the race go to support health and fitness in Jackson County.

Serving as one of the kickoff races for the 2009 Run and See Georgia Grand Prix Series, Saturday’s race welcomed runners from around the area, including a number of local high school student runners, former students runners and out of state participants.

Overall winner finishing in 16:30.20 was Jackson County High School cross country coach Joseph Brubaker.

Coming in second was John Van Steenbergh of Flowery Branch, who also took the Masters Male title.

Third place overall was East Jackson High School cross country runner Kevin Kesler followed by Jeff Lukich of Washington, Ga. Gareth Stride of Duluth rounded out the top five finishers.

Former JCCHS athlete Jeremiah Boozer finished in sixth place overall, followed by EJCHS runner Terry Miller. Jackson County High School runner Brittany Aikens finished eighth overall and was the overall fastest female. Chris

Ruth of Morgantown, W.V. finished ninth followed by Mitch Sosrow of Anderson, S.C. rounding out the top 10.

Taking the title of Masters Female was Rosie Laughlin of Springfield, Mo., who was just shy of the top 10 in the 11 place overall finish.

Several current and former student athletes were involved in the race. A complete list of finishers can be found at http://results.active.com.

One of the leading supporters of the club and the race is Arcade police chief Randy Williams. Club race coordinator Sue Kozlosky said that Williams was a leading factor in pushing the club past the Year End Chase and into a bigger community project. The proceeds from the 5K went to the East Jackson High School cross county program. Future race proceeds will be donated to other community health and fitness programs that benefit Jackson County.

The Dec. 27 race was the first event of the East Jackson Runners’ Club, which is planning another event on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Jackson County Courthouse. Those interested in participating can contact race club coordinator Sue Kozlosky by phone at 706-757-5263 or email at bluesheepinc@windstream.net.

The club is open to all members of the community and meet on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. Those interested in joining or volunteering can contact Kozlosky.

Panthers host Jingle Jam

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:24:24 -0500

After some time off for the holidays, the Jackson County Panthers will hit the court again this week, as they play host to the Jingle Jam at the Pit.

The Panthers are looking to snap a six game slide that culminated in an 85-48 loss on Dec. 19 to West Hall.

The Panthers were scheduled to start their tournament play off Monday night against Hebron, with the rest of the tournament schedule to be determined by Monday’s results.

Those results were unavailable at press time.

The Panthers’ next regular game is scheduled for Jan. 6, as they play host to Johnson beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Lady Panthers ready for tournament

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:12:52 -0500

It’s back to work this week for the Lady Panthers of Jackson County, as they host Commerce, Providence and Hebron Christian in the Jingle Jam tournament this week.

JCCHS enters the tournament fresh off a 38-25 victory over West Hall on Dec. 19. The win leaves the Lady Panthers 6-2 overall for the season, as they continue to search for their first region win.

Jackson County was scheduled to start their tournament play off Monday afternoon with a pairing against Hebron, with Tuesday’s schedule to be determined by Monday’s results.

Scores were unavailable at press time.

The Lady Panthers will next take to the court on Jan. 6, when they play host to Johnson beginning at 6 p.m.

EJCHS defeats Spartans at tourney

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:40:08 -0500

The East Jackson Eagles had hoped to come home from Philips Arena with a victory over the North Hall Trojans.

While they just missed that win, falling 66-63, it was still a unique opportunity to play at a major venue prior to an Atlanta Hawks game.

Up next for the Eagles is a home stand against region foe Union County. The Eagles have beaten Union County in all three games against them.

Going into tournament play on Saturday, both teams had 1-0 records in region play and 3-4 overall records.

Tip-off on Jan. 6 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Last week’s game against North Hall at Philips Arena was a close affair, with neither team able to pull more than eight points away from the other.

The key to the game was free throws. North Hall went 14-18, while the Eagles were 4-8.

“Getting outscored by 10 any night from the free throw line is going to be hard to overcome,” said coach Brian Turner.

The Eagles had a late opportunity to tie the game, but came up short. With four seconds left, North Hall hit one free throw, sealing the win.

Kolby Gilbert led the Eagles in scoring with 24 points, while Brandon Garrett scored 18 and Standrick Stephens scored 10.

“It was a great game and both teams played well for the most part,” Turner said. “It was a great experience for the kids against a very good and well-disciplined team.”

The Eagles next traveled to Oconee County to take part in the Warrior Classic tournament beginning Saturday. They started the tournament out against Athens Academy, and came away with their fourth win of the season, 68-60.

East Jackson carried a 10-point lead into the half, 37-27, but Athens Academy closed the gap in the third quarter to two points.

In the end, the Eagles made the most of its opportunities, making free throws and scoring against the Spartans to pick up the victory.

Kolby Gilbert led the Eagles with a double/double, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, as well as blocking six shots. Brandon Garrett scored 17 points, and Standrick Stephens had 14, and went 6-9 from the free throw line.

“Terry Cox and Kaharie Beasley gave a big lift from the bench on the boards and on defense,” Turner said.

The Eagles were slated to play in the semifinal round on Monday against Apalachee. Results were unavailable at press time.

Lady Eagles ready for DQ Classic

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:30:42 -0500

Following a 53-30 loss to North Hall at Phillips Arena last week, the East Jackson Lady Eagles hoped to rebound in the DQ Classic this week in Hart County.

Results of that tournament were unavailable at press time.

East Jackson will return to the court on Jan. 6 for a region match-up with Union County at home. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Lady Trojans took control of the game early, moving out to a 16-6 lead in the first quarter. They extended that lead while holding East Jackson to only six points in the second, carrying a 32-12 score into the half.

It was more of the same in the third quarter, with North Hall moving out to a 45-19 lead. The Lady Eagles mounted a late charge, adding 11 points while holding North Hall to eight, but the Lady Trojans coasted to a 53-30 win.

Caroline Hicks led East Jackson with eight points, while Shelby Johnson and Autumn Wilbanks both scored six.

Bralee Griffin, Dynelle Todman, Johnson, and Hicks had four rebounds each, and Callie Moore had four steals.

It was the second loss of the year to North Hall. The Lady Eagles faced them previously at the East Jackson Thanksgiving tournament, where the Lady Spartans won by two points in a buzzer-beater.

“I wish we could have made a better showing at Philips Arena, but we will move on and learn from that experience,” said coach Amy Larimer. “We have a very tough Christmas tournament in Hart County ahead of us, including three consecutive games. We have to be ready to play and perform at our highest level.”

Larimer said she hopes that playing the tough teams they’ve faced will benefit the Lady Eagles when region play begins next month.

“I think that we can be very competitive in region competition this year and I am anxious to see how we respond.”

Mat Dragons take Smokey Mtn. Duals

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:08:28 -0500

The Jefferson Mat Dragons picked up a big win in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., as they defeated defending champ LaFayette to win the Smokey Mountain Duals last week 35-28 in the championship match.

Jefferson took control of the match early, moving out to a 29-3 win, then continued on for the win.

Winners for Jefferson in the championship match included Isaac Kelley in the 103 lb. class; Jason Thurmond in the 112 lb. category; Cutler Finch in the 130 lb. category; Cam Thurmond in the 135 lb. category; Jay Fowler in the 160 lb. category; Zach Allen in the 189 lb category; Patrick Allen in the 215 lb. category; and Cole Hightower in the heavyweight category.

The Mat Dragons now get a few days off before returning to action this weekend. They’ll be traveling to Chattahoochee High School in Alpharetta for the Chattahoochee Invitational beginning on Friday, and running through Saturday.

2008 was sporting year to remember

nospam@example.com (MainStreetNewsSports) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:45:08 -0500

2008 was a significant year in sports for the Jackson County area.

Whether it was football triumphs or come from behind victories, sports fans in Jackson County had a lot of different highlights to add to their scrapbooks from Jefferson, JCCHS and East Jackson, as well as several moments from Park and Rec and other area sporting events.

Here’s a look at five of the biggest sports stories of 2008, in no particular order.

Undefeated Dragons win region

It was one of the best seasons in recent memory for the Jefferson Dragons in football. It started with a slew of region wins, all of which ended with Jefferson winning by at least 12 points.

There was a feeling of impending history in the air as the Dragons hit the field on Oct. 24 to face the only team that could cause trouble for them in the region, the North Oconee Titans.

The Titans almost proved to be Jefferson’s undoing, as they moved themselves into position to tie a game that could help decide the region championship, and could sink an undefeated season for the Dragons.

But a missed extra point by the Titans in the last few seconds of the game paved the way for Jefferson’s first region title since 1977 in their first season of 8-AA play.

The Dragons would remain undefeated through the first round of playoff action. Their season came to a premature end on Nov. 21, when Lovett sneaked an on-side kick to turn the tide in what had been a close game in the

fourth quarter. The Dragons lost 34-24, but ignited a level of excitement in the Dragon Nation that will carry over for seasons to come.

In all, Jefferson went 11-0, and 9-0 in the region.

Lady Eagles teammates confer on the mound. Photo by Brandon Reed

EJCHS girls take back-to-back titles

Despite losing several key seniors, the East Jackson Lady Eagles softball team entered into the 2008 season as the defending region champs. They proved that the first season was about teamwork and not about luck, as,

under the direction of coach Jason Rainey, the Lady Eagles went out and became the 2008 region champs.

The team had a 26-9-1 overall record, and went 10-2 in the region, losing only to Union County and North Oconee in region play. The season also saw a six-game winning streak that ran from Sept. 20 to Sept. 30, with wins over Appling County, Elbert County, Lakeside, Banks County, Fannin County and Jefferson.

It was a 3-0 victory over Jefferson on Oct. 11 that sealed the deal for the Lady Eagles as region champs.

They then traveled to Dalton to take part in the northern sectionals, hoping to make their way to state play in Columbus. But East Jackson’s second strong year in softball would end in Dalton. After an initial win over Coosa to start out tournament play, the Lady Eagles fell to Greater Atlanta Christian and Adairsville.

Quarterback, Alex Crawford (12) fires off a pass during JCCHS’ season opening win on Aug. 29. Photo by Justin Poole

Panthers break win drought

After going a full year without a win, the Jackson County Panthers football team finally broke the drought with a 16-10 victory over Our Lady of Mercy on Aug. 29.

The win was the first for the Panthers since their season finale in 2006, when they defeated Heritage 21-16 on Nov. 10.

While the season opener was the only victory of the year for the much-beleaguered Panthers, it was not the only close contest for the team. Jackson County just missed a second victory in their next game, losing to Sonoraville 16-14. They next went on to tie Prince Avenue Christian 12-12 on Sept. 19.

After suffering a series of blowouts, the Panthers came close to picking up win number two at the Granite Bowl in Elberton, losing by two points to Elbert County, 25-23.

Regardless of how the season ended, the Panthers were able to break back into the win column in 2008, and showed that their program is beginning to move back towards a winning path.

Russell Fleeman came from a lap down to record his first career win in the storied World Crown at Peach State Speedway. Photo by Brandon Reed

Fleeman bags World Crown win

It proved to be one of the wildest and most unpredictable World Crown weekends in the 25-year history of the event.

First was the fact that drivers and teams had to face the toughest tech inspector in the southeast, Ricky Brooks. Brooks, a no-nonsense, by the book tech inspector made drivers toe the line, and on the Saturday night prior to the World Crown, no less than 20 drivers were disqualified, including the entire field of sportsman and truck division drivers, along with the second place finisher in Saturday’s 100-lap Super Late model event, and the pole sitter for Sunday’s feature event.

On Sunday, it looked like three-time and defending World Crown champ Paul Kelley would run away with the win, as he dominated much of the first part of the event.

Meanwhile, 2008 GAS series champ Russell Fleeman suffered a cut tire, and found himself fighting to get back on the lead lap.

Fleeman not only regained that lap, but also came back through the field to take the lead with 40 laps remaining. The Dacula racer would hold off Commerce’s Taylor Satterfield and Kelley for his first victory in the storied short track event in several years of trying.

But the drama wasn’t over. Brooks had Fleeman’s engine pulled and taken to a local shop for closer examination. Finally, word came down around 3:30 p.m. the next day that Fleeman’s car was legal, and he was the 2008 World Crown champion.

For the rest of the top five stories of 2008, as well as honorable mentions for the year, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.

New Year's program set Thurs.

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:35:49 -0500

Two New Year’s Day programs are planned in Jackson County on January 1.
Continue reading "New Year's program set Thurs."

COLUMN: Pat Bell: A ‘doer’ bows out

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:32:46 -0500

With the “reported” retirement of county commission chairman Pat Bell, who the heck will I have to write about in 2009?
Continue reading "COLUMN: Pat Bell: A ‘doer’ bows out"

Shot fired in domestic dispute

nospam@example.com (Mike Buffington) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:29:40 -0500

A man said he was traveling on Archer Grove School Road when he stopped and got into a verbal dispute with a man who is now dating his wife, who he is separated from. He said the man shot at his truck during the altercation, according to the incident report filed at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.