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This Week:

Sports Issue 38

Volume 10

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Basketball

NOHS v OCHS Page 4

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ROB PEECHER/Oconee Leader

Julia Bailey (right), a North Oconee High School student volunteering to help at OCAF’s Mingle With Kringle this past Saturday, helps Ruthie Slide (left) and Ella Hudgens (center) make jewelry at the event. Ella and Ruthie are both 7-year-old students at High Shoals Elementary School.

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4-H

BY ROB PEECHER

The Oconee Leader

The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation Saturday held its annual Mingle WithKringle event, giving local kids an opportunity to create their own Christmas art, see a puppet show and meet Santa Claus. Whether they were making gingerbread houses or creating buildings for the “Peaceful Village” or making beaded necklaces, there were plenty of activities set up for children during the two sessions of Mingle With Kringle. Kids also had the chance to hear stories from Mrs. Claus while they waited to have their pic-

ture made with Santa, and professional puppeteer Hobey Ford. Tammy Gilland, who serves on the board at OCAF, was among the volunteers helping out during Mingle WithKringle. “This is one of my favorite events to volunteer for year after year,” Gilland said. This year, Gilland brought a group of Boy Scouts to volunteer at the event, but she said in past years she has organized students with Oconee Youth Leadership to volunteer at Mingle WithKringle. “It’s a lot of fun,” Gilland said. At this year’s Mingle WithKringle, North Car-

olina puppeteer Hobey Ford entertained kids with a puppet show featuring his hand-crafted animal puppets. Though Mingle WithKringle is the last of the holiday events at OCAF, the Artists Shoppe will remain open through this weekend, giving lastminute shoppers a final chance to swing by the downtown Watkinsville location to buy gifts of locally produced art. The Artists Shoppe features art from OCAF members and is open through Saturday, Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information about the Artists Shoppe or other upcoming OCAF events, visit ocaf.com.

Secret Santa proves to be a community event BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader

Rivers Alive

Clean Up Page 2

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Christmas Parade

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For more than two decades, Oconee County Schools have helped families in need provide gifts and fulfill needs for their children through the Secret Santa program. Led by the two public high schools, Secret Santa is a joint effort between the entire school system, various community organizations, churches and individuals. The program is expected to serve more than 600 children in more than 300 families this year. “Secret Santa began in the late 80s or early 90s at Oconee County High School,” said North Oconee High School Social Studies teacher Miriam Ledford-Lyle, helping with Secret Santa since 2004. “The program has grown so much that in 2006 or 2007, we had to split the program. It’s really still the same program, but there are so many families being served that just because of storage, we need two pickup locations.” According to Ledford-Lyle, Secret Santa is truly a collaborative community effort. “Funding comes from community organizations, churches and also through the school system,” said Ledford-Lyle. “Rotary Club is really involved as are other community organizations like Lions Club. Many churches: Grace Fellowship, Antioch Christian and Union Christian. A lot of donations come through the school system from various clubs, sports teams, individuals, families, teachers and counselors. It really is a joint effort between the community and the school system.” School counselors and social

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

NOHS 2014 graduate Hailey Clark helps to organize Secret Santa gifts from last year’s Secret Santa.

workers aid in identifying potential needs in the community and families seeking help fill out applications in advance. Once applications are submitted, a database is created to generate anonymous wishlists, only revealing the age and sex of children to be served. Oconee County High School Principal Ben Wiggins elaborated on how those wish lists are made available to Secret Santas at his school. “We have a Christmas tree out front that has these ornaments. Each ornament represents a child or family. It doesn’t have a name. It may say ‘boy, age 11’ and have examples of gifts or items that child might want for Christmas. Then teachers, students, parents or community members take an ornament and go shopping for that child or family. Once we have got all of

those gifts, we’ve got a group of teachers and students that divide and pair up gifts for each needy family or child.” Needs are also as diverse as the children themselves and anyone who wants to help can contact any Oconee County School for more specific ideas. “Every school has needs,” said Ledford-Lyle. “People really do like to buy for the younger kids, but when kids get into high school, a lot of times they want clothing. So, monetary gifts or gift cards to Old Navy, Academy, Dick’s or other clothing stores are good. Educational games that might be more expensive or bilingual are also great. “We also have kids asking for bedding or blankets and we are making sure kids have warm coats for the winter. Also, it is Christmas,

so hopefully we can get them something fun that they want too. Parents turn in a wish list and we try within reason to meet as many items on the list as we can so they are able to give their children something they need or want for Christmas.” Wiggins said the Secret Santa program is also a valuable experience for his students. “I think it embodies the spirit of the Christmas season. It’s about giving and not receiving. I think it helps our students that may be in more fortunate situations or environments open their eyes to needs locally that maybe they don’t always see. “They may come to school and think everybody has all of their ‘Secret Santa’ Page 3

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Decorating for Christmas

Page 2

Thursday, December 17, 2015

We will remember Christmas 2015 as the year that our oldest son saved Christmas. Neither Jean nor I will ever have a future in interior decorating. We like to call the decorating style in our home “lived in.” Someone not so generous might refer to it as “frat house.” We have two dogs and three teenage sons, so dog hair on the floor and book bags and soccer cleats and dirty socks all get incorporated into our interior decorating. “Oh, that’s a lovely shade of black Adidas cleats we’re using as a centerpiece on the dining room table,” is the sort of thing I might say to Jean. “Yes, and those dirty socks in the middle of the floor really bring out the color of the dirty dishes the boys left on the table in the family room,” she might respond. But come Christmastime, Jean turns into this devastatingly talented interior decorator, slinging lights and garland and Christmas knick-knacks into every nook and cranny. She drapes our home in red and green and Charles Dickens Christmas houses and white lights and colored lights and ceramic Santas and ceramic snowmen and wire metal trees. At Christmastime, our home looks like it could be the location of a photo shoot for Southern Living. I love what Jean does with our home at Christmas. It’s warm and inviting and colorful and very pleasing. The boys love it, too, and they do a good job of keeping their cleats and dirty underwear picked up as long as the decorations remain in place. But this year, Christmas sort of fell apart on us. Jean, who makes stained glass, has been crazy busy the last few weeks filling custom orders for customers giving stained glass for Christmas gifts. Honestly, she’s working all the time. I’m not complaining – she loves what she does and she’s thrilled to have a long list of customers who think enough of her work to give it away as gifts. But Jean being busy means that no Christmas decorations were going up around the house. Usually, right after Thanksgiving, the halls of our home are decked with boughs of holly and whatever else, but here we were nearly two weeks into December and nary a twinkling light was lit. Truthfully, I was okay with it. I knew Jean was busy, and not getting out the Christmas decorations would mean we would also not have to put them up. Sure, the house lacked some of the traditional Christmas cheer and there wasn’t much Christmas spirit going on, but I was not overly concerned about it. Christmas was going to come and go whether we hung a wreath or put up a tree. And, like I said, Jean was busy. When your wife is working late into the night making stained glass and her finger tips are all cut up from the glass and burned from the solder, you don’t stand around complaining because the Department 56 village hasn’t been set up. So I was willing to let Christmas slip by without a lot of decorating. I assumed we would eventually get a tree, but if we’d failed to do that, I wasn’t losing any sleep over it. And then the other night my 19-year-old

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son whispered to me, “Are we going to decorate the house for Christmas?” It was almost like a plea. In his voice I could hear that he was longing for Christmases past, for that warm and inviting Christmas feeling a decorated home can create. “I don’t know, Harrison,” I told him. “Maybe. Your mama’s been very busy. And putting out ceramic Santas isn’t really what I’m good at.” Harrison set his jaw in a very determined sort of way. “I’m spending the night at a friend’s house tonight,” Harrison told me, “but if I come home tomorrow morning and help you, can we decorate the house?” I was caught off guard. I did not expect Harrison – who is in college and has a fairly hectic social calendar that keeps him away from the house 23 hours a day – to care whether or not the house was decorated for the holidays. He only shows up at the house long enough to take a shower and tell us where he’s spending the night. What does he care if the house is decorated? “Sure, if you’ll help, we can decorate the house tomorrow,” I told him. I started texting Harrison at 10 a.m. the next day, but I did not hear back from him. So I pulled out all the Christmas decorations on my own. I tried to remember from previous years how Jean had decorated the house. I looked through old Christmas photos for clues, and I did the best I could. After I’d put out about half the decorations, Jean came in from her studio for lunch. Decorations were scattered haphazardly all over the place. Nick-knacks were in piles on tables, garland and lights were hanging everywhere, and I’d arranged the Charles Dickens village on the kitchen counters. Littering the floors were the cardboard boxes and Tupperware containers we keep the decorations in. Jean was very kind about the disaster I’d created. “I think it’s nice that you tried,” she said. She pointed out how I grouped all the ceramic snowmen in the wrong place. “That’s not how I would have put those out, but I like what you did,” she said, picking up the ceramic snowmen and moving them to different spots around the house. “I don’t think those are the lights we usually put on the banister,” she said. “But we can leave it like that. This year.” “I’ll rearrange the Dickens Christmas village later,” she said. What she had planned as a lunch break didn’t provide much in the way of food, but it ran long as Jean started moving decorations around and making the house look warm and inviting and filling it with the glow of red and green and blue Christmas lights. Just about the time she finished, Harrison wandered into the house. “Oh yeah,” he said, “I was going to help decorate the house. I’m going to take a shower and then I’m going over to Matt’s house. I’ll be home tomorrow.” So, thanks to Harrison, Christmas was saved. At his request, I decorated the house, and did such a poor job of it that Jean was forced to put down her glass and foil and soldering iron for a couple of hours and actually make the house look nice.

Rob Peecher, author of the book “Four Things My Wife Hates About Mornings,” is not much for decorating, but he’s capable of getting boxes out of a closet.

4-H’ers help clean river

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Oconee County 4-H members recently took part in Rivers Alive and cleaned up a very historic site below the dam on the Oconee River at Barnett Shoals. It is estimated that more than 300 pounds of garbage was cleaned up.Pictured (left to right): Grace Miller, Camille Stephenson, Emily Benson, Annie Stephenson, Luke Morneault, Matthew Benson, Thomas Morneault, Hawks Corbett, Clay Baer, Kalani Washington, Andrew Guthrie, Hayden Guthrie, Anna Grace Edmonds, David Han, Harrison Williams, Lora Nedza, Andrew Hunt, Grayson Yount and Caroline Duncan.

Robotics team advances

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Members of the Spartan White team (left to right): Katherine Woody, Henry Lanzilotta, Alex Oh, Henry Crowder, Daniel Huang, and Philip Doherty.

Athens Academy hosted nineteen middle school robotics teams for a FIRST Lego League (FLL) tournament on campus on Saturday, December 5. The school’s Spartan Green and White teams both competed, and the White Team will be advancing to the FLL Super-Regional tournament, also to be hosted by Athens Academy. “Our White Team scored the highest an Athens Academy middle school team has ever scored on their robotgame,” according to team coach and sixth grade science teacher Suzanne Edwards. “Placing second in the robot game portion of the tournament assured a high enough overall ranking to move on to the super-regional, so we’re very proud of them!”

Spartan White Team members includeHenry Crowder, Philip Doherty, Daniel Huang, Fardin Ibrahim, Henry Lanzilotta, Alex Oh, Elizabeth Walker, and Katherine Woody. The Green Team also competed and did well, but did not advance. Green Team members are Liam Abbott, Jonas Barnes, Townsend Gray, Taylor Muir, CyMunday, Kishan-Chintan Shah, Evan Smith, Will Snead, Blake Straehla, and Karan Tongia. The FLL Super-Regional tournament will be held at Athens Academy on Saturday, January 16. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Mike Callinan at mcallinan@athensacademy.org or call 706-549-9225.

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Lane shift forces weekend road closure

The Mars Hill Road widening project last weekend brought the closure of a segment of Mars Hill Road between Old Mars Hill Road and the intersection of Mars Hill Road, Oconee Connector and Daniells Bridge Road. The closure was necessary preparation for lane shifting as two lanes are added to the road as well as a new four-lane bridge nearby. Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis and Public Works Director Emil Beshara discussed the road closure and current state of the project. “What they are doing (with the closure of Old Mars Hill Road) is preparation to eventually have a changeover of lanes utilized there so that they can work on the other side of the road,” said Davis. “It will eventually happen on Oconee Connector and Mars Hill Road as well.” Old Mars Hill Road was closed at 9 p.m. Friday and reopened Monday morning. Detour signs routed traffic to GA-316 throughout the weekend. “If you were going from Butler’s Crossing toward 316 and wanted to turn left at QuickTrip, you could not do it,” Davis said. “You would have to go to 316, take a left and come back on Jimmy Daniel Road or Julian Drive to get to Mars Hill Road. If you were coming on Mars Hill Road towards that intersection at QuickTrip, you would have to turn left at Virgil Langford Road to connect back into 316.” Beshara elaborated on why the closure of that section of Mars Hill Road needed to happen for the four-laning of the rest of it and the Oconee Connector. “We have to do it because in the coming week or two, we will be diverting traffic onto the new road surface,” Beshara said.

“Essentially, at that location, we are moving the two travel lanes to the west. There is really no way to do it and keep traffic on it because (new construction) is crossing the road perpendicularly.” According to Beshara, the road closure last weekend would allow for the paving of a portion of what will eventually be the new southbound lanes when the road widening is complete. “Within the next week, we’ll do some paving on that leg of Mars Hill Road and through that intersection. We need to get traffic off the current road, tear up what’s there and put down new asphalt. Traffic will be shifted from where it is today to the west, to the new southbound lanes. This will allow the demolition of the existing roadway in segments and allow us to get that base prepared for paving as well. “At the same time, we’re going to shift traffic at the 316 end to the west, into the southbound lanes and close the northbound lanes. Traffic will continue to travel in the southbound lanes (both directions) until it crosses the existing Mars Hill Road just north of the bridge. We have got to get traffic shifted over to (the eventual northbound half of) the new bridge so that we can demolish the existing bridge and build the rest of the new one.” Beshara said despite extensive rain delays this year causing these lane shifts to be two or three weeks behind, the contractual completion date for the project is still May of 2017. Still, coordinating lane shifting in phases up and down the road for the next year and a half is a challenge. “It’s hard enough to design a road,” said Beshara. “It’s even more difficult and complicated to stage and plan how to build it and keep traffic on it at the same time. There’s definitely an art to that.”

needs met like they do at their home, but I think it is eye-opening for them to see that there are families in need here. I think it helps their service spirit and get the true meaning of Christmas.” Ledford-Lyle also sees positive impacts on the schools themselves. “Something I really like about the program is that it is an area in which the schools really work together. It is a com-

munity event and not a competition. We pool our resources to make sure kids get what they need. “I do think it is important for us to be aware that there are financial needs in our county. I think it’s also really important for children to have the right type of clothing to keep warm through the winter months. I would hope they would have a Christmas in which the feel really loved.”

BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader

‘Secret Santa’

Continued from the Front

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Page 3

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This Week:

Wolverines

North Oconee girls, Oconee boys top rivals WARRIORS TITANS SPARTANS WOLVERINES LIONS

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Softball

Soles signs Page 6

Lions

Basketball

Christmas break Page 6

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MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

North Oconee celebrates with their fellow students following their victory last Friday night at NOHS. For more pictures of the game, visit theoconeeleader.com.

Basketball

Photos of WCA’s win against Toccoa Cross

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North Oconee 47, Oconee County 21

Basketball

Photos of North Oconee vs. Oconee County

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Upcoming

Prince Avenue Christian’s Skylar Sparr and North Oconee’s Caroline Brown signed to play their respective sports in college. Their stories will be in an upcoming edition of The Oconee Leader.

Oconee County 65, North Oconee 60

Strong first half helps Lady Just like last time they met, Titans rout Lady Warriors Warriors edge Titans BY MATTHEW CALDWELL

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MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Oconee County’s Chance Peden hugs Ben Huckaby following the Warriors’ win against North Oconee last Friday at NOHS. Huckaby scored five of the Warriors’ final six points and had 23 points in the win. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

The Oconee Leader

North Oconee used a 19-0 run over the course of the final 4:35 of the first quarter and first 2:48 of the second quarter to defeat Highway 53 rival Oconee County 47-21 last Friday night at NOHS. It is the second straight win by the Lady Titans over the Lady Warriors dating back to last season. When North Oconee and Oconee County played last season, their two games were decided by a combined four points. The Lady Warriors won the first meeting 51-50 on a shot at the buzzer and the Lady Titans won 52-49 when a potential game-tying 3-pointer by the Lady Warriors didn’t fall. “We were trying really hard to do well,” said Camryn Williams, who led the Lady Titans with 11 points. “We had a lead but we wanted to get everybody to score. It was good to win because Oconee is our rival and last year we had a hard time beating them, and they beat us last year so we were glad to win.” Lesley Holbrook had 10 points for the Lady Titans. Emma Weynand had eight points, Aubrey Monroe had six points, Makayla Nichols and Holly Stroman both had five points, and Erin Foell had two points. “The bench came in and gave us

a great spark. That was real exciting to have some girls step up that have been ready to play,” said Lady Titans head coach Erick Willis. “Some of the girls are young but by January, I think we will be 12 or 13 deep.” It’s not unusual for high school girls’ basketball games to be played in front of sparse crowds. Last Friday night, it was hardly that. Students from both teams were already in their places by the time the girls were warming up. With the game being at North Oconee, the theme was a white out and they asked students and fans to wear white and wave white towels. “It was a lot of fun,” said Willis, who wore a white sports coat. “This was my first experience with this. This is what high school is all about. “It was great fan support tonight. That was awesome.” Also in the crowd was a hall of fame coach. Former University of Georgia women’s basketball coach Andy Landers was in attendance and he posed for a photo with the Lady Titans following the win. He also spoke with Oconee County head coach Jeanette Looney after the game. Please see

‘NOHS-OCHS girls’ Page 5

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

In a game very similar to January 24’s game between North Oconee and Oconee County, last Friday night’s outcome was the same as the January contest with the Warriors beating the Titans 65-60 for their first win of the season. In the January 24 game, the Warriors led by 12 with five minutes left. Last Friday, the Warriors led by 12 with 6:36 left. Last January, a free throw by Da’Marco Canty gave the Titans a one-point lead with 21 seconds left. Last Friday, a lay-up by Canty gave the Titans a 60-59 lead with 52 seconds left. Last January, Chance Peden hit a 3-pointer with under 10 seconds left to give the Warriors a 59-57 lead, a score they ultimately won by. Last Friday, it was Ben Huckaby who hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to give the Warriors a 62-60 lead. “I don’t even know what was going through my mind. I saw the shot and took it,” Huckaby said. “That was my best Chance Peden impression.” Huckaby hit two free throws with 27 seconds left and Peden hit one of two free throws with 12 seconds left for the final five-point margin

of victory. “The games were carbon copies of the game we played here last January. We had a double-figure lead with about four minutes to go. We lose the entire thing and then we find a way to pull it out in the end,” said Warriors head coach Richard Wehunt. “It feels so good to get that first one. I didn’t care who it was against, whether it was North Oconee or just name a school. You want to get that first one out of the way. With it being on your cross town rival’s home floor feels even better. That was a pretty special first one to get.” Prior to their 60-59 lead, the Titans only led one other time in the game – a 12-10 lead with 48 seconds left after a basket by Jack Chambers. That lead lasted just 25 seconds. A basket by Corderius Paschal tied the game at 12-12. The Warriors started the second quarter with a 6-0 run and built a 28-21 lead at halftime. The Titans cut the lead 35-29 with 4:42 left in the third quarter but a 3-pointer by Paschal with 4:32 left opened the lead back to nine points. “They responded real well to (a time out called by the Titans),” said Please see

‘NOHS-OCHS boys’ Page 5

Page 5

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‘NOHS-OCHS boys’

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Oconee County’s Emma Deal tries to block a shot by North Oconee’s Emma Weynand in the first half last Friday night.

‘NOHS-OCHS girls’

Continued from Page 4

“It was cool. I invited him to the game. He is a close friend of mine and I am glad he could come here and see us do well,” Williams said. “I love how our students are so involved with everything. I am glad Oconee and North Oconee showed out and did well for our county. It was awesome. A great experience.” The Lady Warriors scored first and led 2-0 and led 4-2 with 5:30 left in the first quarter. By the time they scored again with 5:25 left in the second quarter, the Lady Titans built a 21-4 lead. “We had to get the jitters out. We were getting used to the crowd,” Williams said. Willis said he was pleased with how the defense played during that 19-0 run that allowed the Lady Titans to take over the game. “They were very intense. We work hard on that in practice – get after each other hard and make each other better. They did a nice job on that tonight.” Sara English led the Lady Warriors with nine points. Kay Mallett had six points. Ansley Hart, Kate McCurley and Akira Haynes all had two points. “We struggled breaking the press. That is usually the death knell. We have to get better at passing and we have to be more efficient. North did a great job. We played right into what they wanted to do. That disrupts your offense. You rush shots and it gets you out of your rhythm in trying to run some offense. That is the strategy of the press. It’s not a turnover every time but you rush a shot or force a bad shot. They did a good job of that against us,” Looney said. “We have got a lot of young girls. We lost some girls so we have to give everybody some time to get experience. This will be a learning year for them, but I was proud of them in the second half. They haven’t quit in a game. They may struggle doing some fundamentals but they don’t quit. They work hard. They kept at it and we started playing better the second half. That left us on a positive trying to pull it back.”

Titans head coach Dave Gascho. “We were down by 11 and we cut it down to 6. They hit a couple of key baskets to push it back but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. They just made some baskets.” The Warriors built a 13point lead with 2:00 left in the third quarter after a 3pointer by George Allee gave them a 46-33 lead. A basket by Chambers and a 3-pointer by Matthew Quint, his first of the game, helped the Titans cut the lead to 46-38 with 1:37 left in the third, but the Warriors took a 49-38 lead into the fourth quarter. After a free throw by Huckaby gave the Warriors a 52-40 lead with 6:36 left, Quint hit a 3-pointer and Canty hit a shot to cut the lead to 52-45 with 4:11 left. Huckaby hit a 3-pointer with 3:26 left to take a 10point lead but 10 seconds later, Quint was fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He made all three free throws and then he had a basket with 2:37 left to cut the Warriors’ lead to 55-50. A shot by Paschal and two free throw by Huckaby gave the Warriors a 59-50 lead with 2:12 left in the game. Three-pointers by Quint and Canty cut the Warriors’ lead to 59-56 with 1:24 left. The Warriors turned the ball over on their next possession, which led to a quick lay-up by Canty to cut the lead to 59-58 with 1:17 left. “They came out in a fullcourt press that we haven’t seen. They trapped the corners and we made some turnovers and they made some shots,” Huckaby said. “Luckily we came back.” Peden missed two free throws with 1:02 left and another basket by Canty gave the Titans a 60-59 lead with 52 seconds left. “It shows a lot of character of these kids. They don’t hang their heads,” Gascho said. “We were down as many as 12 in the fourth quarter and we kept fighting. A lot of teams might hang their head and quit. That shows a lot of character about this group. I really like this group. We are a tight fairly and have each other’s backs.” Huckaby hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to go and on the next Titans possession, Canty missed a lay-up and Huckaby was there to grab the rebound. With North Oconee fans in the bleachers yelling and fans banging on the railing to make as much noise as possible to distract Huckaby,

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Continued from Page 4

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Da’Marco Canty’s strong second half helped keep the Titans in the game. He had 17 points in the second half, and scored seven points during a 10-0 run that turned a 59-50 deficit into a 60-59 lead late in the fourth quarter.

he made both free throws with 27 seconds left to built a 64-60 lead. “I had missed two early in the game. I bared down and focused and luckily they went in,” Huckaby said. “It’s an emotional roller coaster. There is nothing like it. I can’t really explain the feeling. It’s incredible.” On the next Titans’ possession, a 3-pointer by Canty didn’t fall. Peden grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He hit one of two free throws to take a five point lead. One more shot by the Titans failed and the Warriors grabbed the rebound, held it for the final few seconds and began to celebrate their win. “As huge as Ben’s 3pointer was, we made three of our last four free throws to close it out and the defense the last three possessions slowed them down,”

Wehunt said. “We switched defenses because they were attacking our man to man defense well. They were bringing it up with so much pace and we weren’t switching well. I decided to go to a zone and it slowed them down and got them out of the rhythm they had the last several minutes.” Free throws were a big difference in the ball game. The Warriors shot 17 of 28 and the Titans shot 9 of 26. “You shoot the ball 9 for 26 from the free-throw line, you are not going to beat many teams,” Gascho said. “To have an opportunity to win shooting that poorly from the free-throw line shows a lot about this group of kids.” “This is the first time this whole season where we have been on the good end of the free-throw differential. We shot 32 and they shot 26, which is compara-

ble, but we made a lot more of ours than they did theirs. Lord knows we have been on the wrong end of it. Against Madison County, we were 17 for 28 and against Jefferson we were 8 for 22 with several missed one-and-ones,” Wehunt said. “Free throws are important. I tell the guys all of the time there are three things in my mind that are key to the basketball game – 1) the rebounding margin, 2) the turnover margin and 3) the free-throw game. You need to be able to make 70 percent of your free throws.” Huckaby had a careerhigh 23 points, including what he called the biggest shot of his career. Paschal had a career-high 19 points. Allee and Roques Dowdy both had seven points. Peden had four points. Rahul Das had three points. Chris Johnson had two points. Quint had 18 points in the game with 14 of them coming in the second half and 11 in the fourth quarter. Canty was held scoreless in the first half but had 17 points in the second half (eight in the third quarter, nine in the fourth quarter). Chambers had 15 points. “Da’Marco got to the rim which allowed Matthew to get those 3s. When Da’Marco and Jack can get to the rim, it opens it up for Matthew a lot. He has been consistently scoring 15, 18, 20 points a game for us. He is doing a good job,” Gascho said. “Da’Marco played a good game tonight, probably his best game in his career here, especially that second half. That second half was outstanding by him. We called time out at the beginning of the third quarter and I let the kids have it and he responded. He sat there and nodded his head. He real quickly got two baskets at the rim. That kick started us in the third quarter.” As similar as the game in January and the game last Friday night was, so were the crowds of each game. Both were played in front of a standing-room only crowd with fans of both schools cheering as loud as they could both their teams. “It makes it a lot of fun. I wish it could be that way every night of the week,” Gascho said. “What a great game for these fans to see. I am sure they were thinking when we were down 12, why did I even bother coming, but it got loud and exciting so it made it a lot of fun.”

Thursday, December 17, 2015

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Westminster Christian Academy basketball

Page 6

Lions, Lady Lions heading into Christmas break on positive notes BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

Emily Soles with parents

Prince Avenue Christian softball

Soles makes it official, signs with Georgia State to pitch BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

She has known where she was going to play collegiate softball since the summer before her sophomore year at Prince Avenue Christian School. Last month on the early signing day, senior Emily Soles made it official by signing her letter of intent to attend Georgia State University. “It was really awesome because it was like I signed my life away. It’s what I have been waiting for. I am really excited to play at the next level. It should be fun,” Soles said. “(By committing early) I knew I needed to start working harder to try to get better for the college level. That will be my biggest thing now – to try and work harder. It took a lot of stress off not having to worry about what colleges to go to.” Soles knew she wanted to attend Georgia State as soon as she got there for the first

time. She said it has been a goal since she was a freshman to play at the Division I level. “I feel in love with it as soon as we pulled up. I knew this is where I wanted to go,” Soles said. “They wanted me to visit one more college to make sure so I visited South Carolina Upstate.” Soles knows some players already on the team and some who have committed to play there. She said the coaches were another reason she chose to attend GSU. “They make you feel like family,” Soles said. Soles has been a starting pitcher for the Lady Wolverines since she was a freshman. She helped the team win three region championships and advance to the Elite Eight all four years, finishing as state runner-up as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She had more than 1,000 career strikeouts and was named Region 8-A pitcher of

the year twice. “We have been able to accomplish a lot because our coaches pushed us to do our best every practice,” Soles said. “We knew coming out to practice it would be hard work to reach our goals. This year didn’t finish as well as we wanted it to but we still worked hard.” She was also selected to play in last month’s senior all-star game. “It was really cool getting to play with all of the other seniors that had worked hard to try to get to the game and got chosen,” Soles said. “They were all really good and it was good to play against good competition.” Soles plays travel ball with the Georgia Outlaws, an organization she has been with since the fifth grade. “It has helped a lot because school ball competition is sometimes not as good as travel ball,” Soles said. “Travel ball prepares me for the better competition.”

Westminster Christian’s basketball teams wrapped up the 2015 portion of the 2015-16 schedule last Thursday with a sweep of Nathanael Greene Academy in Siloam. The Lady Lions improved to 8-0 overall with their 5833 win. The Lions improved to 4-3 overall with their 56-31 win. Mary Ford Smith had 17 points to lead the Lady Lions. Sallie Schutz had 16 points. Madi McCullough had eight points. Every member of the Lady Lions contributed offensively. Xander Haymore hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished the game with a game-high 19 points for the Lions. Caleb Thomas had 16 points and Harrison Ricketts had 10 points. “We are trying to get to a healthy place. We have had a bunch of injuries. We had a guy break his ankle early in the season and he is recovering. I am trying to get to a spot where I’ve got all my guys on the floor,” said Lions head coach Nate Donatelli. “The good news is we are getting the younger guys some playing time. Early in the season, that will be helpful for us in the long run. Hopefully we can get to Christmas break, rest up and get healthy for January and February.” WCA doesn’t play again until January 5. The Lady Lions played last Tuesday and defeated Toccoa Cross 41-33. Schutz had 15 points, all in the first

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Sallie Schutz had 15 points last Tuesday and 16 points last Thursday for the Lady Lions. For more pictures of last Tuesday’s win, see theoconeeleader.com.

half. “Sallie is one of those players who is a leader, not just in the way that she acts but also when she is feeling good and getting hot, the other girls feel more confident,” said Lady Lions head coach Morgan Cogswell. “It’s always a plus when she is having a good game. But mostly, she makes really good shot choices. That first half she was getting a lot of looks. We had trouble in the game last night and they weren’t

falling as much, so she really focused on her shot today and I am really proud of how she performed.” Hadley Kirsche and McCullough both had seven points. Smith and Lauren McCullough both had six points. It was the second win against Toccoa Cross this month for the Lady Lions. They also won 47-27 against the Lady Knights on December 1. Please see ‘WCA hoops’ Page 7

Page 7

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‘WCA hoops’

In last week’s game, the Lady Lions took a 14-6 lead after one quarter thanks to a lay-up at the buzzer by Schutz, but the Lady Knights battled back and took an 18-16 lead. Down 20-19 as time was winding down, Schutz knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lady Lions a 22-20 lead at halftime. The two teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 28. The Lady Knights took a 31-28 lead early in the fourth quarter but the Lady Lions went on a 7-0 run and led 35-31 with three minutes to go. Lauren McCullough hit two free throws with 1:31 left to give

the Lady Lions a 37-33 lead, and Kirsche went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 28 seconds to help the Lady Lions pull away. “We played them last week and they gave us a run for our money as well,” Cogswell said. “I was a little nervous to face them again. They had definitely practiced a lot of our normal plays. They were ready for us. It was challenging. The girls came out in the second half really determined to play well and make smart passes and good choices, and they played as a team. I couldn’t ask for anything else.” As a team, the Lady Lions went 11-for-15 from the free-throw line. “Our free-throw shooting has

not been great this season. That has been something in practice we have been focusing on. They really came through when we needed to push our lead to more than one basket,” Cogswell said. “They came through with the free throws. I am really proud of them for how they showed up under pressure.” Cogswell said she is feeling good about how the team is playing heading into the Christmas break and said the outlook for the rest of the season is positive for the defending state runner-up. “I think we started our year stronger at the beginning of this year than where we finished last

year. I am looking ahead but not too far ahead to February,” Cogswell said. “The way they are playing, we have a lot of things we need to work on but it is the first stretch before Christmas, so I am feeling pretty good about where we look right now compared to last year and knowing where we got. Things are looking good for us.” Donatelli is also excited about the outlook for the season thanks to seven returning players, three of whom started, off of last year’s Final Four team and two region wins already under their belt. “(The returning players) has been really helpful. Leaning on

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Continued from Page 6

those guys and them helping the younger guys get better and help them be where they are supposed to be on the floor is huge for us,” Donatelli said. “We started our region pretty early. Our first game was a region game. It’s important to get our footing and not get behind the eight ball in the region. “I think we have got a good chance. We’ve got to keep getting better. Our one region loss was pretty bad. The other team played much better than us so we have to keep improving. But I like the mix of guys we’ve got – guards, big men. If we can keep getting better in all phases of the game, we will be alright.”

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thursdAy, decemBer 17, 2015

Thursday, December 17, 2015

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School days in Oconee County

Mr. Bill’s Colham Ferry Elementary School first-graders shared great inventions that showed awesome #STEAM connections.

High Shoals Elementary Legoneers competing in the Lego Robotics competition for the first time.

Rocky Branch Elementary School fourth-graders kick off “Hour of Code” week.

Table competition of High Shoals Elementary School.

Top: Oconee County Elementary School students in Mrs. Collier’s class sharing their holiday letters written to service members deployed around the world. Right: Malcom Bridge Elementary School third-, fourth- and fifth-graders enjoyed a holiday concert by the eighth-grade band.

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The Northeast Health District is looking for a Registered Nurse to assist with the coordination of the Infectious Disease Program. Under general supervision, this nurse will provide clinical expertise, training and leadership to public health nurses on STD’s, HIV, TB and other infectious diseases. This nurse will coordinate infectious disease prevention and educational programs within the community and will participate in the emergency preparedness program. The nurse will provide case management and advise clients on health maintenance and disease prevention. Opportunities for supervising support or lower level staff may arise. Minimum training & Experience: Current Georgia license to practice as a registered professional nurse AND one or more years in a managerial, supervisory or leadership role. Preferred Qualification: Professional experience in public health nursing, or experience with HIV/AIDS, STD, TB and other infectious diseases desirable. Generous benefits include 12 paid holidays, annual and sick leave, health insurance, and retirement plans. Salary ranges from $40,000 to $45,000 based on experience. To apply, go to https://www.governmentjobs.com/ jobs/1244568 and then follow instructions on the website to apply. Please apply ONLY through the DPH website. Deadline to apply is December 13, 2015.

Morgan Memorial Hospital Med-Surg RN – Full Time Nights – 2 Positions Available Seeking a Registered Nurse (RN) to work full time Nights in the Med-Surg Department. The candidate must hold current licensure in the State of Georgia and have CPR/BLS, ACLS certification. Must be willing to work weekends when needed. Apply online at www.mmh.org Or send resume to Sarah S. Phillips, HR Fax: 706-342-2742 e-mail: sarahp@mmh.org Morgan Memorial Hospital is a Drug Free Workplace/EEOC

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Morgan Memorial Hospital House Supervisor, RN – Full Time Nights Seeking a Nursing Supervisor to work full time Nights. Must hold current licensure in the State of Georgia as a Registered Nurse, BLS and ACLS certifications. Supervisory experience in a hospital or clinical setting required. Must be a self-starter, have good communication, organizational, and computer skills. Apply online at www.mmh.org Or send resume to Sarah S. Phillips, HR Fax: 706-342-2742 e-mail: sarahp@mmh.org Morgan Memorial Hospital is a Drug Free Workplace/EEOC PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT We are a well-established, progressive neurosurgical practice located in Athens, Georgia with six satellite offices. We currently have an immediate employment opportunity available for a physician assistant. Surgical experience preferred but not required. All applicants should have completed their medical training and have experience in patient care. Some travel required. We offer competitive salary and benefits package. Send resume with cover letter to: Melinda Batal Georgia Neurological Surgery 2142 W. Broad St Bldg 100, Suite 200 Athens, GA 30606 Or email to gns@georgianeuro.com

Let us help you find your new career today!

Thursday, December 17, 2015 Medical / Health

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Busy medical practice in need of the following positions: Certified Medical Assistants, Medical Lab Technicians, Emergency Medical Technicians. We offer competitive compensation and good benefit package. Please email resume to

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University Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has immediate openings for the following positions: Full Time RN/LPN: Weekend Baylor shifts 7a-7p Full Time RN/LPN All Shifts Mon-Friday Full Time Certified Nursing Assistants All Shifts with every other weekend Email resume to

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Northeast Sales Dist., Co. is accepting applications for local Route Delivery drivers. Route delivery experience is a plus. Class A CDL is required. A seven-year MVR and a background check must be provided with application. Good pay plus benefits. Benefits include 401k, health, life, disability, dental, paid vacation and more. Apply in person at Northeast Sales 840 Ronald Wood Rd., Winder, GA 30680. M-F 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. 678-963-7700. Email address meberling@nesdi.com. Installation / Maintenance / Repair

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PLUMBER Monday-Friday; 7:00am-3:30pm Athens Regional Health System, one of Northeast Georgia’s largest healthcare systems, serves 17 counties and is comprised of a medical center with 350-plus beds, three urgent care centers, a quality network of physicians, a health maintenance organization and a home health agency. Each Athens Regional employee plays a vital part in our commitment to quality service and care. We are dedicated to helping our employees realize their full potential as healthcare professionals. Individual will be responsible for installing, maintaining and operating various mechanical components of the Medical Center to ensure optimal safety compliance with state and local codes, JCAHO and NFPA requirements. Requires high school diploma or GED, state non-restricted license, a minimum of 5 years commercial/institutional plumbing/mechanical experience, familiarity with state plumbing and local building codes, basic math, reading and writing skills, and ability to read plans and shop drawings. As a leading healthcare employer, Athens Regional offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. For more information or to apply online, visit us at www.athenshealth.org/jobs We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and conduct pre-employment background checks and drug screens.

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Maintenance person wanted: Maintenance person/life safety director for small 40 suite assisted living community. Must have valid driver’s license, Good customer service skills, & Basic computer skills. Experience in apartment turnover and basic maintenance skills required. Please apply to Morningside of Athens 1291 Cedar Shoals Drive Athens Ga 30605 (706)227-0919

LPN needed to run 40 suite assisted living community. Needs excellent communication skills and customer service skills, & basic computer skills. Managing small staff of 20 nursing assistants/on call for emergencies. Please apply to Morningside of Athens 1291 Cedar Shoals Drive Athens Ga 30605 (706)227-0919

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Accounting / Finanance/Insurance

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Assistant CFO: Northridge Medical Center – Commerce, GA. The ACFO will provide support in all efforts to ensure the financial viability of the hospital by establishing and monitoring financial and budgeting affairs. This position will be a part of the senior management team. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting or related field. Minimum of 3 years’ sufficient management experience required in the area of hospital revenue cycle. We offer competitive salaries, PTO, 401(k), Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits! Please send resume to: jjones@northridgemc.org or tkubasta@northridgemc.org EOE/M/F/D/V Drug Free Workplace Surgery Center of Athens, LLC Fast paced surgery center is looking to fill the following positions: RN- Full Time position with two years of Pre-operative Nursing experience RN-Full Time Pre-Admissions coordinator with two years of Preoperative Nursing experience Surgical Technologist-Full Time with minimum two years experience in multi-specialty OR RN-PRN position with minimum two years experience in Pre-op, PACU, or OR Circulating Surgical Technologist-PRN position with minimum two years experience in multi-speciality OR Reliable, flexible, team players needed. If you are a people person looking for a rewarding job please apply. No holidays or weekends. Send resume to kmixon@surgerycenterofathens.com

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Micro-propagation Technician Georgia Seed Development (GSD) is a quasi-State, non-profit organization that produces Foundation seed of new varieties. We also work with the University of Georgia Research Foundation in the licensing of new varieties into the market place. Our mission is to serve as the bridge between plant breeders and commercial companies by providing genetically pure plant material of new varieties. We supply quality services and support for breeding and research. Position Summary: The GSD Micro-propagation Technician performs duties in all phases of producing tissue culture plant material of new horticultural plants developed by University of Georgia horticultural plant breeders. Duties / Responsibilities: I. Performs duties to receive and maintain newly developed plant cultivars and experimental lines into the laboratory to develop protocols that result in efficient and rapid micro-propagation II. Performs duties to develop tissue culture protocols to efficiently regenerate new cultivars and experimental lines III. Maintains laboratory, laboratory supplies, and current inventory status of plant material IV. Performs general duties as assigned Job Requirements: Education and/or Experience: B.S. degree in a plant science or related discipline (e.g., horticulture, plant science, botany, crop science, agronomy, or a related discipline) and experience in tissue culture and micro-propagation techniques. Other Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have experience and knowledge in tissue culture and micro-propagation techniques; database software; inventory software; spreadsheet software, and word processing software. Capable of lifting up to 30 lbs. Compensation: $30,000 - $32,000/year depending on experience. Benefits: Paid vacation and sick leave. Twelve paid holidays and benefits package. Please submit resume to: Mrs. Erin Montgomery, Georgia Seed Development Commission, 2420 Milledge Ave., Athens, GA 30605 or email to employment@gsdc.com. Legal

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MATERIAL SCIENTIST: Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science related with one year of experience in testing methods, Quality Control & material experiment and expertise in Semi & Super Conducting Materials, characterization of materials, composite materials, spectroscopy, Testing & quality control. Resumes to: SKAPS Industries, 571 Industrial Parkway, Commerce, GA 30529

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PR OFESSIONAL

A Guide to Professional Services in the Oconee County Area To Advertise: Phone 706.549.FAST Professional Services

Professional Services

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Home Services

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Home Services

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Home Services

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CHUCK HARDY & SONS LLC BRUSH, MULCHING & STUMP GRINDING

u Underbrush Removal u Stump Grinding u Lots Cleared u We grind brush around lakes u Concrete Removal u Demolition of Houses & Mobile Homes

METAL OR SHINGLES • We do ALL the work & repairs: soffit, cornice, fascia & painting

Insured Free Estimates! 706-201-4380 Home Services

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www.gbedellconstruction.com

The Professional Services Directory is Oconee County’s best source for finding painters, plumbers, landscapers, roofers, and other local service providers.

Plumber Pro Service and Drain

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706-769-7761

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STATE OF GEORGIA LICENSED CONTRACTOR

$25 First Time Customer Discount $30 Senior Citizen Discount UlmBrothers Tree Service

Local and experienced! We are fully insured and offer Tree removal,Trimming Pruning, Debris Removal, Insurance work, Right of way work, Lot clearing, and Stump Grinding. We pride our self on customer service and satisfaction. Call for a free estimate today. Office: 706-369-5300 Cell: 706-255-4941

BAT SEASON

“Resolving Conflicts Between People & Animals” WILDLIFE TRAPPING Wildlife Detection Removal & Prevention

LEAFPROOF

“Pest proof & leaf proof your gutters Free Estimates

Peyton Hopkins Call 706-546-7438 AthensExterminating.net PO Box 5772 7080 Smokey Rd. Athens GA 30604 Lic. Trapper #99993

Home Services

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Home Services

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Home Services

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EDT CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING

* Rotten Wood Repair *Carports & Garage *Additions *Renovations *Roofing Repairs *New Home Construction *Sun Rooms *Decks & Patios *Ceramic Tile *Home Maintenance *Painting (Int/Ext) *Kitchen & Bath Renovation *Window & Door Replacement

State Licensed & Insured

For ALL Your HOME IMPROVEMENTS, Large Or Small, Call Today For A FREE ESTIMATE

706-202-6066 Call Anytime & Ask for ET Visit our website at www.edtconstruction.com edtconstruction@yahoo.com Serving Athens since 1989

MARSHALL’S ROOFING

Shingles, metal, patchwork, any kind of wood repairs or home maintenance. We Do It All! Licensed & Insured 7 Days A Week Senior Citizen Discount Call Today: 706-207-0481

www.gbedellconstruction.com BRIAN’S TREE SERVICES HANDYMAN, ROOFING, PATCHWORK, GUTTER CLEANING,PRESSURE WASHING, & PAINTING, YARD & LEAF CLEANING, HEDGE TRIMMING & SHRUB REMOVAL, UNDERBRUSH CLEARING, STORM DRAINS, MULCH, GRAVEL, & PINE NEEDLE SPREADING & HAULING CALL BRIAN 706-247-5430 23 YRS EXP. LIC & INSURED 7 DAYS A WEEK. FREE EST. SR. CITIZEN DISC.WE DO IT ALL!

Bickley’s Tree Service f Tree Service f Lawn Maintenance f Stump Grinding f Brush Chipping f Bobcat f Dump Truck Insured

Lamar Adams 706-224-2079

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