The Oconee Leader

For hundreds of photos and constant updates about Oconee events and people, go to theoconeeleader.com

This Week:

Sports Issue 4

Volume 11

Thursday, January 28, 2016

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Basketball

PACS v ACAD Page 5

Schools

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

OCPS

100 Days Page 3

Oconee County and North Oconee met for the second time this season last Saturday. Just like the first time, the Lady Titans from North Oconee and Warriors from Oconee County came away with wins. The Lady Titans won 54-21 and the Warriors won 61-55. Pictured is Oconee County’s Rahul Das blocking a shot by North Oconee’s Canaan McCloud in the third quarter. For more pictures, see theoconeeleader.com. For the full story on the games, see page 4.

Library Friends hosting book sale in February

BY ROB PEECHER

Online

The Oconee Leader

Mark Twain said that good books are a component of the ideal life, and the first weekend in February, the Oconee County Library Friends will offer people an opportunity to get at least one portion of the ideal life.

February 4 through 6 the Library Friends will host the annual Winter Book Sale, a fundraiser designed to raise money for programs at the library. Edith Barnes, the president of the Library Friends, said the book sale will begin the evening of Thursday, Feb. 4, with a preview

night for Library Friends members.

“We’ll have a special offer for people to join at the door, so even if you’re not now a member you can come to the preview sale and join that night,” Barnes said.

The preview sale will run from 5 to 8 p.m. On Friday, the sale opens at 10 a.m. and runs to 6 p.m., and on Saturday, Feb. 6, the sale will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Saturday sale will feature all items at half price. The books sold during the book sale are donations from the community.

The money raised through the winter book

sale – and a larger fall book sale – goes back to the library to support programming and for other purposes, Barnes said.

“The money is donated back to the library for acquisitions for new books, this allows the library to keep things current. The money the library gets from the county goes to keep the lights on and the staff paid, and so this is money that helps to buy new books and also helps with programming,” Barnes explained. “The summer ‘Book sale’ Page 2

Please see

Academy hosts regional robotics competition

BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader

Photo Gallery

OCHS v NOHS

theoconeeleader.com

Online

Photo Gallery

Sparbots

theoconeeleader.com

Athens Academy hosted the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Super-Regional Qualifying Robotics Tournament January 16 and though the home team Sparbots White Team did not advance to the state tournament, they improved on their performance from the regional tournament and the event showcased collaboration and sportsmanship between competing teams.

The middle and elementary school robotics tournament featured 32 teams from around the state including the Athens Academy Sparbots White team. Winners of the December regional tournament competed in several team events for the opportunity to advance to the state tournament next month.

“The event was really great,” said Suzanne Edwards, a sixth grade science teacher at Athens Academy and the Middle School Robotics Coach. “It was a really high level of competition. You can tell the teams are getting more advance every year. This year, it was about recycling and the students had some really good ideas and innovations. They were really excited to share their ideas with each other and the judges.”

One of the two Athens Academy Sparbot teams, the White team, participated in the super-regional tournament and even improved over their regional performance, but it was not enough to advance.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Athens Academy seventh grader Alex Oh and sixth grader Henry Lanzilotta operate their robot. More photos at theoconeeleader.com.

“Athens Academy had one team advance to this level,” said Edwards. “It was the best they have ever done in the Robot Game and they had a great research project.

They did well in all of the events, but their greatest improvement was in the Robot Game.

“We’re not advancing to the state tournament, but they did well and I am super proud of them. It was a great tournament. These are middle

school kids and they are accomplishing amazing things.”

Among the highlights of the tournament were collaboration in the Robot Game between Team 4678 from Cumming, also known as “The Braille Boys & Annie,” and their “sister team” of visually-impaired students from Atlanta as well as the sportsmanship demonstrated by the other teams at that point in the competition.

Team 4678 finished second in the state tournament last year and received a $5,000 prize for their invention that helps visually-impaired students learn to read braille. The team used the prize money to apply for a patent and start another robotics team for visually-impaired students in innercity Atlanta. Both teams made it to the super-regional tournament where more than 300 spectators and teams enthusiastically cheered throughout each team’s performance in the Robot Game.

“The robotics competition is usually very loud and (the audience) had to be silent because the visually-impaired team did the Robot Game by sound cues,” Edwards said. “They programmed sounds into their robot and one of the ‘Braille Boys’ (Team 4678) would tell them if their mission was complete.

“There is usually music blasting, it’s loud and everyone is screaming, but the whole floor had to be silent so they could hear their robot and when their mission was complete. I wish I could describe it. It was very cool to watch. It was sweet and kind of amazing to see those middle schoolers leading them around and helping them.”

For Edwards, moments like that give FIRST LEGO League robotics tournaments tremendous value.

“Part of the LEGO competition is ‘Sparbots’ Page 2

Please see

Page 2

Thursday, January 28, 2016

‘Book sale’ reading program is pretty much funded by (the Library Friends).”

At the book sale, most books will be priced at $2 or less, Barnes said. There will also be DVDs and CDs at the sale.

“We need volunteers to help put up and take down,” Barnes said. “We’ve put in hundreds of volunteer hours. We do this literally throughout the year.”

Some years ago, a storage area was built behind the library to give the Library Friends space to store books. Now, book donations are accepted throughout the year and sorted and boxed in a small space inside the library and then put in the storage area.

The fall book sale is held at the Oconee County Civic Center and is a larger event than the winter sale. The winter sale is held at the library in the front meeting rooms.

Those who come to the book sale with the intention of buying and reselling books and want to use a scanner will

‘Sparbots’ about bettering the community and the world and being a good global citizen.

You see these fancy robots and they get more complicated every year, but for all these kids to see their core values at work, the strive for citizenship and cooperation, and to see it exemplified in such a profound way this year was really meaningful to the other teams there.

“I think the Braille Boys & Annie gave real world purpose and meaning to what we’re striving for. It’s not just about playing with LEGOs and solving problems.”

Edwards added that robotics is accessible to everyone and emphasized the dedication the Sparbot teams demonstrate.

PACS Academic team places first

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Continued from the Front have to pay $25 at the door to get an arm band to use the scanner, Barnes said.

Barnes said the book sale is worth checking out for book lovers of all genres.

“I can’t believe how fortunate we are with amazing donations,” Barnes said.

“We live in a very affluent county, and the book sale reflects that. We get weird and wacky titles in the same batch with Shakespeare. We have 20 categories, including some books in foreign languages. The library itself has a great variety of books that people check out.”

Barnes encouraged those interested in helping with the book sale or joining the Library Friends visit the group’s website at oconeelibraryfriends.org.

“Our volunteers are so dedicated and gung-ho, and they always help wherever you need help,” she said.

Rob Peecher is a reporter for the Oconee Leader.

Continued from the Front

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Prince Avenue Christian School Varsity Academic Team recently placed first at the Christian Quiz Bowl League Tournament at Providence Christian Academy.

Team members include (left to right) senior Wesley Wells and juniors Matthew Butt, Chase Deatrick, and Robert West.

PACS team qualifies for tournament

“I’d like to see more and more students give it a try. I think it is something that appeals to all different types of kids because it really can open doors to a lot of different things like some engineering fields and new creative outlets they haven’t explored before.

“Something I think people don’t realize is that their season starts the first week of school and it just finished. It is an after-school activity, they work super hard and are very committed. They put a lot of heart, soul and time into it.”

Mike Sprayberry is a reporter for The Oconee Leader.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Prince Avenue Middle School Academic Team recently qualified for the state Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Tournament. The team came in second by only five points behind Oglethorpe at the competition held at Hart County Middle School. The other competitors included Jefferson City, MalcomBridge, Hart County, Franklin County, Stephens County, and West Jackson. The team, pictured above (left to right), consists of: Maggie Holt, Logan Brown, Sammy Hodges, Jaden Drudge, Hunter Melton, Madison Sizemore, Hendley Jones, and team coach and English teacher Julie Evans.

UNG donates to OCAF studio

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Pictured at the check presentation are (back row, left to right):Amrey Harden, OCAF Chairman; Chris Barnes, UNG Assistant Dean of Arts and Letters; Mac McConnell, UNG Senior Vice President for Business and Finance; Eric Skipper, CEO of UNG’s Oconee Campus and Interim Vice President for University Affairs; Richard Oates, UNG Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; (front row, left to right):Stacy Koffman, UNG Professor of Visual Arts; Isabell Daniel, UNG Faculty Member in Visual Arts; Cindy Farley, OCAF Executive Director; Bonita C. Jacobs, UNG President; Jeff Tarnowski, UNG Vice President for Advancement; John Knowlton, Fund Development Specialist.

The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation recently received a $20,000 donation from the University of North Georgia.

The money, designated for OCAF’s Capital Campaign, is being used for upgrades to the pottery studio located in OCAF’s School Street Studios building. The improvements include a new heating and air system, insulation, improved lighting, increased shelving space and new paint.

The improved studio will benefit OCAF’s existing pottery programs as well as UNG’s new Ceramics 1 class which has started with the spring 2016 semester and will be held in the space.

“We’re excited and thankful for this generous gift from the University to our campaign,” said OCAF’s director Cindy Farley.

“In the Oconee area we have many talented potters and appreciators of their craft, and UNG’s Ceramics 1 program seems to be a natural addition to their existing class offerings. Professor Isabell Daniel of Farmington is among the most skilled potters and educators I know, and I’m looking forward to seeing the work her students create.”

OCAF, founded in 1994 by a group of local artists, is a non-profit arts organization that promotes the arts and artists in Oconee County and the Northeast Georgia region.

For more information about OCAF, visit www.ocaf.com. Office and gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10a.m. to 4p.m.

OCPS students mark 100 days

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Drivers need an invention to indicate their intentions to other motorists

Driving home from church Sunday morning we saw a woman in her car stopped in the middle of the street. She was in the oncoming traffic, facing toward us. There was a great caravan of cars parked in the street behind her. There were no cars in front of her. She was just stopped.

It was strange behavior, as most people do not just simply stop in the middle of the street, and my wife commented on it.

“Is she turning?” Jean asked. As I watched the non-movement happening in the middle of the street, I realized that perhaps Jean was correct. Maybe the reason this woman was stopped in the middle of the street was that she was attempting to make a left turn and was waiting for a break in the oncoming traffic so that she could make her turn.

“There is no way we can ever know what this woman’s intention is,” I said to Jean. We were in that long line of oncoming traffic. We passed the woman who was stopped in the street, drove past the long caravan of cars parked behind her, and as we rounded a bend, the halted woman left our view. If she had stopped all the traffic behind her because she intended to make a left turn, we will never know because we drove on and the woman was out of our lives, probably forever.

But that brief encounter got me to thinking.

“It’s too bad,” I said to my wife and sons, “that there is no mechanism in place by which drivers could indicate to other drivers what their intention is. Perhaps if there was some sort of notification device on the exterior of cars, a driver intending to make a turn might be able to utilize that device to indicate if they intend to turn. In that way, other drivers could be warned that the driver will be stopping in the middle of the road, or, as in our case, I might have realized in time that the woman back there was seeking to make a turn, and I might have slowed or stopped to allow her to make that turn and release all that traffic backed up behind her.”

“It’s too bad,” Jean said. “But a device such as that would be impossible to conceive of.”

I gave it a moment’s thought. “Perhaps auto manufacturers could put a light at the front of a car and another light at the rear of the car. As long as a driver is moving in a straight forward direction, the light at the front of the car could blink to indicate that the driver is going straight ahead.

“If the driver was going in reverse, perhaps the light at the front would cease blinking and the light at the rear could start to blink.

“And if the driver intends to make a left or right turn, perhaps there could be a button mounted on the steering column, and the driver could be required by law to press that button. The button could stop the lights from blinking. And

when other drivers see that neither the front nor rear light is blinking,” I suggested, “they would then know that the car is going to make a turn. They could prepare by slowing down because they will have received an indication of what the other driver is intending to do.”

My wife and sons listened intently to my musings.

“There may be some better way to do it than lights at the front and rear of the car, but I do not know what that could be,” I said.

“I doubt that anyone could come up with a better way to do it,” Jean said. “That plan sounds perfect.”

“Maybe every car should be required to have a sunroof. And every driver should be required by law to have a passenger. And anytime a driver intends to make a left or right turn, the passenger should be required by law to stick their head out the sunroof and yell, ‘We’re going to turn!’”

To demonstrate my proposal and underscore the potential success of it, I yelled in the car, “I’m going to turn!”

It turns out my 15-year-old, Nathan, was not actually listening intently to my proposals for the regulation of turning automobiles but instead had his earphones plugged into his head and was listening to some sort of terrible rap song. But when I yelled, Nate plucked one of the earphones out of his head and said, “Did someone forget to use their turn signal?”

“Yes,” Jean said. “A woman back there didn’t have her turn signal on, and your father has been suggesting ways that drivers could warn one another that they are making turns.”

“A turn signal?” I asked, my tone sopping in sarcasm, “that sounds like a genius proposal! Someone should invent one of those.”

“Yeah,” Nate said, ignoring me, “he made the exact same speech when he picked me up from school on Friday.”

At this point, Jean and Nathan worked together to explain to me that on the left side of the steering column of every car there is a little stick that, when activated by pushing it upwards or downwards, turns on indicator lights. These lights blink, and signal to other drivers you are planning to make a right or left turn.

“I am astounded,” I announced to my family as Nathan plugged his earphones back into his head and Jean looked out the window to ignore me, “that the engineers in Detroit have already developed a solution to this problem. Now, if only the government would require drivers to utilize these mythical devices you call ‘turn signals’ and give police the authority to ticket those who choose not to use them. In that way, we would all be safer and there would be no mystery as to why people randomly stop in the middle of the road.”

The passenger should be required by law to stick their head out the sunroof and yell, ‘We’re going to turn!’

Rob Peecher is a reporter for The Oconee Leader, and author of the book “Four Things My Wife Hates About Mornings” (available at amazon.com).

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Page 3

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Students at Oconee County Primary School recently celebrated 100 days of school so far this year. Kindergartners at OCPS held a 100 Parade, dressing up in colorful costumes. Meanwhile, first graders marked the occasion by dressing up as if they were 100 years old. Pictured above are first graders Nina Conte, Madeline Zalenski, Engil Shanks and William Resutek.

Girl Scouts collect coats for ACTS

CONTRIBUED PHOTO

Girl Scout Troop #12198 recently collected coats and blankets for the Area Churches Together Serving food bank located in Bogart. With the help of Oconee County Elementary School, Oconee County Primary School and Child’s Closet, these 4th graders collected nearly 250 coats, jackets, hats, and blankets for Oconee County residents in need. Pictured: Addie Denman, Anna Foster, Bailey Bowden, and Ella Baldwin. Not pictured: Kit Wilson, Claire Johnson, Keira Hallauer, Gracie Rowe, AdsilaRingdahl, Brileigh Baker, and Chloe Wallace.

For hundreds of photos and constant updates about Oconee events and people, go to theoconeeleader.com

This Week:

Wolverines

Rivalry week in OC results in sweeps WARRIORS TITANS SPARTANS WOLVERINES LIONS

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Warriors hold off late comeback by Titans, win 61-55 Basketball

Sweeps ACAD Page 5

Online

Photo gallery

NOHS-OCHS

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Online

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

The way the last couple of times Oconee County and North Oconee have faced off, the games mirrored each other.

The Warriors had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. The Titans battled back and took a late lead.

The Warriors hit a shot in the last few seconds to get the win.

Last Saturday’s game at OCHS nearly matched that script.

The Warriors had a 12point lead with 3:25 left in the game and then the Titans cut the lead to 58-55 with 38 seconds left on a 3pointer by Canaan McCloud that bounced around on the rim a couple of times before falling.

Three seconds later, George Allee hit one of two free throws and with 15 seconds left, Ben Huckaby hit both free throws to seal the Warriors’ 61-55 win to sweep the Titans for the second straight season.

“It feels good. Even though it’s not a region game, it always seems like it counts,” said Warriors head coach Richard Wehunt. “It’s nice to get a sweep. That’s two years in a row that we have gotten the sweep in the series. It’s fun to play in front of a full gym like that. I think the guys feed off of it. In the

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Oconee County’s Chance Peden (44) and George Allee react after winning against North Oconee last Saturday.

Peden had 20 points to lead the Warriors. Allee hit one of two free throws late in the game to give Oconee a 5955 lead. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

bigger picture is the fact is the team is playing good basketball right now going into the part of the season where you need to be playing good basketball.”

“This time we didn’t take the lead,” said Titans head coach Dave Gascho about

the similarities about recent games against Oconee. “It’s a typical rivalry game. Our kids aren’t going to quit and give up. The difference in the ball game was two things – the four-minute run they had in the second quarter where we got cold

and we didn’t do a good job boxing out and rebounding there. I got on the kids’ rear ends at halftime about rebounding and getting them to buy in, and we responded really well in the second half. We kept them off the boards better in the

second half.”

The Titans led 8-4 early but the Warriors ended the first quarter on a 12-2 run to lead 16-10.

The Warriors got back-toback 3-pointers by Ben Please see ‘OC-NO boys’ Page 6

Strong start by Lady Titans leads to 54-21 win over Oconee

Photo gallery

PACS-ACAD

theoconeeleader.com

Schedule:

Athens Academy Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 29 Basketball – 4 p.m., Jan. 30 Basketball – 6 p.m., Feb. 2 Soccer – 5:30 p.m., Feb. 5 Soccer – 5 p.m., Feb. 16 North Oconee Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 29 Soccer – 5:30 p.m., Feb. 5 Basketball – 7 p.m., Feb. 5 Soccer – 5:30 p.m., Feb. 12 Soccer – 5:30 p.m., Feb. 16 Baseball – 5:55 p.m., Feb. 16 Oconee County Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 22 Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 26 Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 29 Basketball – 6 p.m., Feb. 2 Tennis – 4 p.m., Feb. 11 Prince Avenue Christian Soccer – 4:30 p.m., Feb. 4 Soccer – 5:30 p.m., Feb. 11 Soccer – 5:30 p.m., Feb. 16 Westminster Christian Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 28 Basketball – 6 p.m., Feb. 1

Online:

theoconeeleader.com facebook.com/oconeeleadersports twitter.com/ocleadersports

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

The last time the North Oconee Lady Titans played down the road at Oconee County High School, they lost on a last-second shot.

Last Saturday, the Lady Titans returned to Oconee for the second of two meetings against the Lady Warriors this season.

In the latest meeting, the Lady Titans didn’t waste any time taking and holding onto the lead. They led 5-0 one minute into the game, 13-3 after the first quarter and 30-7 at halftime. They went on to defeat the Lady Warriors 54-21.

“I believe we were very motivated. It was a heartbreaking loss last time,” said Lesley Holbrook, who had 11 points for the Lady Titans. “I had just moved here so it was a new atmosphere for me and I didn’t fully get it like everyone else did. To come out and understand what it truly means, it motivated us and got us started from tip-off. “(The defense) was very intense,” Holbrook added.

“We didn’t give up on defense whether we were pressing or back in man. It set the tone of, ‘You guys aren’t going to score and if you are, you are going to have to earn it.’”

The Lady Titans hit five 3-pointers in the first half and the defense held the

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

North Oconee’s Keller Barks and Camryn Williams react after the Lady Titans’ 54-21 win at Oconee County last Saturday. Barks had six points and Williams had five points in the win. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

Lady Warriors to just one made field goal, which came with 20 seconds left in the second quarter.

“That is impressive for us. We work hard on that. I am not surprised by it but it’s nice,” said Lady Titans head coach Erick Willis about the defense holding

the Lady Warriors to one made field goal. “It’s good to see some of the hard work pay off on the defensive end. Our intensity and effort were great tonight.

We came out ready to play.

With so many distractions with the coaches vs. cancer and the pink uniforms and

the night off last night that we didn’t expect and the no practice yesterday that we didn’t expect, it could have been a big letdown but the girls hit the court ready to go. I was real pleased with them.”

Aubrey Monroe, who didn’t play in the first quar-

ter, scored 10 points in the second half. The Lady Titans 10 players score.

Makayla Nichols, Keller Barks and Emma Weynand each had six points. Camryn Williams had five ‘NO-OC girls’ Page 6

Please see

Page 5

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Thursday, January 28, 2016

North Oconee seniors

NOHS wins area title FROM STAFF REPORTS The Oconee Leader

In a true team effort, the North Oconee Swimming and Diving team capped their undefeated home schedule with a big win at the Area Championships last Saturday after honoring their seniors.

The NOHS girls team has now won the competition seven years in a row, while the boys team captured their second area win in back to back years.

The combined team scored a total of 385 points, outscoring Oconee County High School’s second-place finish of 289 points.

First-place for North Oconee finishers included Girls 200 Medley Relay (Caroline Allen, Megan Measel, Alexis Shirley, Anna Ash), Megan Measel (200 IM and 100 Fly), Kai Blankenship (50 Freestyle), Alexis Shirley (100

Freestyle), Girls 200 Freestyle Relay (Alexis Shirley, Megan Measel, Anna Ash, Caroline Allen).

New state qualifiers for North Oconee included Kai Blankenship (50 Freestyle) and Charlie Logan (100 Fly).

North Oconee High school honored five seniors: Caroline Allen, Allie Dominicali, Jessie McWhorter, Kayla Parker, Halee Wenzl The Titan Tide will continue on to the state championships at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center on February 4-6.

North Oconee’s state qualifiers are Caroline Allen, Anna Ash, Samuel Ash, Kai Blankenship, Keaton Coletti, JJ Ekeler, Colton Evans, Madison Holland, Riley Holland, Lyndsey Kalessa, Craig Kennedy, Charlie Logan, Kate Mattison, Megan Measel, David Mustard, Dhruv Prakash and Alexis Shirley.

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Abigail Weimer and Eli Searcy

Oconee JV places first, varsity finishes second FROM STAFF REPORTS The Oconee Leader

At the end of the high school swimming season, the Oconee County junior varsity swimming and diving team earned a chance to shine, bringing home the JV first-place trophy from the Clarke-Oconee Area Championship held at Ramsey Student Center last Saturday.

Just five JV swimmers, Jonna Taylor, Abigail Weimer, Matthew Blackburn, Eli Searcy and Hyatt Tripp, and one diver, Trist Williams, pulled out the win. Searcy and Weimer cruised to the touch pad first a substantial time ahead of the next finishers, Searcy in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke, Weimer in the 50-yard freestyle and 100yard backstroke. Blackburn won the 100-yard freestyle, while Tripp came second in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke.

Among the high school swimmers, several re-qualified for state, including Danielle Della Torre as she won the 100-yard breaststroke. She also touched first in the 500-yard freestyle with a new qualifying time. Erin Osborne sailed to a third place finish and a new state qualifying time in the 200-yard IM and also took third in the 100-yard butterfly.

A bronze for Oconee also

went to Emily Weimer in the 50-yard freestyle. Grace Williamson teamed with Della Torre, Osborne and Weimer for the 200-yard medley relay, earning second, and the 400-yard freestyle relay, earning first.

The 200-yard freestyle relay of Jennifer Sharma, Sarah Blankenship, Emery Martin and Lauren Szymanski took third.

The boys’ 200-yard medley relay of Tucker Schroer, Riley Olson, Aiden Brook and Robert Wylie finished second to Clarke Central.

With Tanner Schroer joining Schroer, Brook and Wylie, the 400-yard freestyle relay took the gold spot. Brook won the 200and 500-yard freestyle, while Wylie went first in the 200-yard IM and 100yard backstroke.In the 50yard freestyle, Tanner Schroer thundered to a first place finish, while Tucker Schroer sewed up third; the boys tied for third in the 100-yard freestyle. Olson glided to a third place finish in the 100-yard breastroke.

The OCHS State Team of divers Adam Brooks, Jack Edelen, Katie Knight and Ginny Deal and swimmers Danielle Della Torre, Erin Osborne, Emily Weimer, Grace Williamson, Aiden Brook, Riley Olson, Tanner Schroer, Tucker Schroer and Robert Wiley will compete at the state meet held at Georgia Tech on February 4-6.

Prince Avenue Christian’s Jake Johnson led the Wolverines with nine points in their win against Athens Academy last Thursday. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Prince Avenue Christian’s Riley Wilson had 10 points to lead the Lady Wolverines past Athens Academy last Thursday. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

Middle school basketball

PACS sweeps Athens Academy to close season

Prince Avenue Christian and Athens Academy middle school basketball teams closed out their seasons last Thursday at the Spartan Center, and it was the visiting PACS teams who came away with wins.

The Lady Wolverines closed out an undefeated season with a 27-14 win against the Lady Spartans. The Lady Wolverines went 10-0 this season.

Riley Wilson had 10 points to lead the Lady Wolverines. Ansley Hall had seven points. Maggie Campbell and Sybille Foucart both had three points.

Caroline Middlebrooks and Aleah Crane both had two points.

In their middle school careers, the

eighth graders on PACS never lost.

Their last loss together as a group came when they were in fifth grade in the NEGFL championship game.

The Lady Spartans finished 7-3 this season. Celeste Covington and Mary Palmer Roberts led the Lady Spartans with four points. Butler Adams and Meg Williams both had two points.

Amy Porter Kemp and Leila Rosenberg both had one point.

In the boys’ game, the Wolverines led 6-4 after one quarter but pulled away in the second quarter to earn a 31-24 win.

The Wolverines went 9-1 this season and won the regular season league

championship. Bad weather forced the cancellation of last weekend’s postseason tournament.

Jake Johnson led the Wolverines with nine points. Jalen Gary and Max Johnson both had eight points. Jacob Bennett had four points and Max Tumblin had two points.

The Spartans finished the season with a 6-4 overall record. Wyatt Smith had six points to lead the Spartans against PACS. LenNeth Whitehead had five points. Palmer Bush and Trey Willis both had four points. John Chester had three points. Jackson McKillip had two points.

-Matthew Caldwell

Thursday, January 28, 2016

‘OC-NO boys’

Huckaby and Corderius Paschal to build a 22-10 lead.

The Warriors’ lead later grew to 32-18 with 1:40 left in the half before the Titans went on a 6-0 run to go into the locker room with the Warriors up 32-24.

Back-to-back baskets by Jack Taylor, including a 3pointer, helped cut the Warriors’ lead to 32-29 with 5:30 left in the third quarter.

Chance Peden hit a lay-up and was fouled with 5:18 left, and he hit another shot with 5:02 left to open the Warriors’ lead back up to eight points.

“I thought we came out real well and strong at the beginning of the second half,” Gascho said. “We cut it to three right away. We got some good baskets.

Then they called timeout and pushed it right back to eight or 10. Our kids didn’t lay down. They kept playing hard.”

After a pair of baskets by Jack Chambers cut the lead to 39-35 with 2:16 left, the Warriors started to pull away. They led 41-36 at the end of the third quarter and took an 11-point lead with 5:17 left in the game.

After a free throw by Peden gave the Warriors a 54-42 lead, the Titans started to get hot from the 3-point line.

McCloud’s 3-pointer with 3:06 left cut the lead to 5445 and Saajan Patel’s 3pointer cut the lead to 54-48 with 2:20 left.

Patel hit one of two free throws with 2:01 left to cut the lead to 54-49 but Peden responded with a basket

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MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

North Oconee’s Jack Chambers had 15 points to lead the Titans in their game against Oconee County. He also had the game-winning basket in last Tuesday’s 47-45 win against Johnson.

with 1:43 left to take a 5649 lead.

Patel hit another 3-pointer with 58 seconds left to cut

the lead to 56-52, but Peden scored with 52 seconds left to give the Warriors a 58-52 lead.

“In the last couple of minutes, I am thinking we have to keep attacking,” Peden said. “We can’t let up on the lead because if we let up on the lead, as in many examples prior, they will come back and make it a last-possession game, so we have to keep attacking.”

After McCloud’s miracle shot cut the lead to 58-55, Patel fouled Allee with 33 seconds left. It was his fifth foul of the game. Allee hit the first free throw but missed the second.

Huckaby, who hit the game-winning basket against North Oconee and Elbert County earlier this season, was fouled with 15 seconds left and put the game out of reach.

“There was no worry. A lot of their shots seemed to be kind of throwing it up there and they would go in.

If you are making shots like that, eventually they are going to stop falling and in the last minute, they did,” Peden said. “It’s pretty big (to sweep North Oconee). I am not going to say it’s the biggest thing of the season because making the state tournament is. It is definitely one of the most important things you strive to accomplish is to sweep North Oconee.”

As the Titans began to come back in the fourth, Wehunt said he thought about the previous games against the Titans.

“It was a little bit here we go again, especially when

Oconee County has reunion of 1966 team

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

At halftime of the Oconee County-North Oconee girls’ basketball game last Saturday, the Class of 1966 basketball teams and cheerleaders were recognized.

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Continued from Page 4

you felt like the game was over when we got it to 5852,” Wehunt said. “I could tell that one shot was going to be short and all of a sudden it hits the front of the rim, bounces straight up, hits the front of the rim and I think it bounced one more time and then it went in.

Those types of shots tend to happen in rivalry games. I was proud of the guys for taking care of the basketball. We didn’t turn it over any in the last few minutes and we made our free throws for the most part.

That’s how we were able to hold them off even though they got really hot for about three or four minutes in the fourth quarter.”

Peden led the Warriors with 20 points. Paschal had 13 points and Huckaby had 10 points. As a team, the Warriors shot 15-for-24 from the free-throw line, something Wehunt hopes will help the team later in the season.

“It’s been the Achilles heel. We have been shooting them better the last couple of weeks. It’s really nice to make them in a close game, full gym and everything like that,” Wehunt said. “You hope that’s an experience that maybe on down the season in a very meaningful regular season game or maybe even into the region tournament, you are in that situation and that is something they can draw back on, the fact that they made those clutch free throws before in that type of environment.”

Chambers led the Titans with 15 points. Matthew

‘NO-OC girls’

Quint had 14. McCloud had nine. The Titans hope to get injured players Da’Marco Canty and Stacy Patman back soon, especially since Antonino Quintero left in the third quarter against Oconee because his lip split open after a collision with Paschal.

“He got his lip sliced up pretty good. I am sure he has stitches coming. We will see if we get him back.

If he is down, we are becoming a depleted roster but we will manage. Hopefully we will get Da’Marco and Stacy back,” Gascho said. Will (Cannon) is done for the season and Greg (Pottier) is done for the season. Hopefully they can get back in basketball shape.

They both go to a doctor this week. It’s up to them in getting released. These kids keep playing hard and keep fighting. They believe in themselves, which is great.

“We are getting there.

They have all of the reason in the world to quit as far as our record goes but they don’t. They come out everyday and practice hard.

Every ball game we have a chance to win in the end and that’s all we ask. We did that last Tuesday night against Johnson. We got down four or five with a couple of minutes to go and came back and won in the last seconds. We are sitting in a decent spot in the region. We are 1-2 in the region. We are in fifth place tied with a couple of others.

We are where we want to be. We are keeping our eyes set on our goal, which is getting to state.”

Continued from Page 4

points. Erin Foell and Shekya Watson both had three points. Kara Schleter and Mary Collins Pearson both had two points.

“That was a lot of fun.

The starters knew it was a night where if they played well, which they did, that we could get some girls in the game and they could enjoy this atmosphere, and what a great atmosphere,” Willis said.

Sara English led the Lady Warriors with 11 points.

She had two 3-pointers in the third quarter, where the Lady Warriors outscored the Lady Titans 9-8.

“She got the ball in better position to score. We ran our offense. We had better opportunities to score and we attacked their pressure,” said Lady Warriors head coach Jeanette Looney.

Kate McCurly had the

other three points of the third quarter for the Lady Warriors and she finished the game with five points. Ansley Hart had four points. Kay Mallett had one point.

“We are still going through growing pains. It’s a lot we have to work on,” Looney said. “They come every day to practice. It’s hard to hold teams to under 50 points, and 40 would be ideal. Even if we held them to 40, it would still be a tough time for us. We had our moments. The last time we played them, we struggled breaking their press.

We did a good job breaking the press so I can look at some positives with that. In the second half, we ran some offense and we did a better job scoring in the second half but once you put yourself in such a hole in the first half, it’s tough.”

Thursday, January 28, 2016

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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Logistics / Transportation

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Application Deadline – Until Filled

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