The Oconee Leader

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This Week: Calendar

Daily Prayer Chapel: 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. through the week, St. Philothea Greek Orthodox Church, 3761 Mars Hill Road, Watkinsville.

Our church is open for personal prayer and meditation and to light a candle every morning from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.

Stop in for personal prayer and/or at 7 a.m. for the short prayer service. (770) 725-5035, saint.philothea@gmail. com, www.stphilothea. org.

TOPS weight loss: 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Government Annex Building, Highway 15, Watkinsville. Meetings are held each Thursday.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a nonprofit support group for weight loss. Members can share challenges, successes, or goals, hear a brief program and discuss plans for the week.

(800) 932-8677 or www. tops.org.

First Friday on Main: 6 p.m. Friday, Downtown Watkinsville, Main Street, Watkinsville.

Searching for fun and free entertainment for the whole family this Friday night? Look no further than Main Street.

Every first Friday from April through December, downtown Watkinsville rolls out the red carpet for families to come out and enjoy activities the whole family can participate in. From free tractor hay rides, inflatables, shows and popcorn for the kids, to outdoor music, great shopping and quality restaurants for Mom and Dad, there is something for everyone.

Free. www.watkinsvillefirstfriday.com/ Oconee Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oconee County Courthouse, 23 N. Main Street, Watkinsville. The market is open rain-or-shine on Saturdays through the last Saturday in November.

Located in front of the courthouse in downtown Watkinsville.

Pastor’s Appreciation: 3 p.m. Sunday, Walnut Grove Baptist Church, 6121 Greensboro Highway, Watkinsville.

Pastor’s Appreciation honoring Pastor Richard C. Moss. (706) 7699853.

Alanon: 7 to 8 p.m.

Sunday, Watkinsville 1st Methodist Church, 1331 New High Shoals Road, Watkinsville. 12step recovery for people affected by someone’s alcohol use. Meets daily in the area in various locations. http://www. ga-al-anon.org/.

Oconee Lions Club Annual Golf Tournament: Monday, Lane Creek Golf Course, 1201 Club Drive, Bishop.

Watercolor Painting, Values and Color, OCAF class: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, 34 School Street, Watkinsville. Explore or expand your knowledge of watercolor applications with Kie Johnson Please see EVENTS

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Contact us: Email editor@theoconeeleader. com Twitter @TheOconeeLeader

Issue 40

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Volume 11

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Picnic to honor law officers Sheriff’s Office and at Bank South.

The event includes lunch and live entertainment with the donations going to the Georgia Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors Inc., a nonprofit group supporting the families of law officers killed in the line of duty.

All law enforcement officers and their immediate families are admitted free.

The event will honor officers serving in Oconee County includ-

Staff Reports

TheOconeeLeader.com

BankSouth is hosting a picnic in November as a way to honor and support law enforcement officers in Oconee County.

The picnic is scheduled from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at BankSouth, 7911 Macon Highway, Watkinsville. Tickets are on sale now for a $10 donation. Tickets are available at the Oconee County

ing the sheriff’s office, Watkinsville Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and FBI. James Hunter and the Southern Pride Band, a country music group based in Oconee County, will provide live entertainment. There will be exhibits and lunch is provided

by Zaxby’s, which is also sponsoring the picnic.

“This is a great opportunity for the community to come together

and support those who are putting their lives on the line for citizens every day,” said Bob Slocum, Watkinsville market manager at BankSouth. “Their work often goes unrecognized, and this community picnic is just a small token of our appreciation.”

For more information or tickets, contact Lorie Petersen at lpetersen@banksouth.com or Bob Slocum at (706) 769-8200 or bslocum@banksouth.com.

North Oconee Titans put pink in play

Photo by SALLY GUSTAFSON The North Oconee Titans had a “Pink Out” game against Jefferson to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness month on Saturday.

Group serving BBQ, info on bypass Staff Reports

TheOconeeLeader.com

The group Positively Oconee is hosting a program called “The Bishop Bypass. The land and the Creek” on Oct. 12 at the Thomas Cotton Gin, 3783 Greensboro Highway.

The group is making available 100 plates of barbecue beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6 p.m.

The speakers include members of the local Oconee Rivers Audubon Society presenting information on the habitat of Greenbriar Creek, which lies in the corridor of

one possible route for the bypass.

Local leaders, elected officials and Georgia Department of Transportation representatives have been invited to the program to hear about the land, the creek, and the impacts of choosing a bypass corridor east or west of Greenbriar Creek, according to the group.

Handouts will include a GDOT produced map of previously proposed routes and their descriptions.

“The GDOT has stated in several public forums that they are starting over, in terms of a route, with this project. And the general

Wine Fest features local drink and food

Athens Academy

TheOconeeLeader.com

Please see ART

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In high spirits

School to display artworks Athens Academy will host a series of art exhibits during October.

An exhibit of works from Lisa Freeman, the Athens Fibercraft Guild and ceramic artists from the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation will show in the Bertelsmann Lobby Gallery from today through Dec. 16.

A reception to meet the artists will be held from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 12.

Freeman, born in 1965 in Toronto, Ontario, is a member of the Athens art community. She has had nine solo exhibits and works in her home studio.

Freeman’s artist statement includes: “Drawn to

Please see BYPASS

Staff Reports

TheOconeeLeader.com

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Guests will be able to sample wine from regional wineries and bottle shops, beer from local breweries and gourmet food from nearly 40 restaurants.

The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation will host the 17th annual Fall Wine Fest from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 9 at Ashford Manor on Harden Hill Road in Watkinsville.

Guests will be able to taste wine from regional wineries and bottle shops, beer from local breweries and gourmet food from nearly 40 restaurants.

“This year’s entertainment will be amazing and we have fabulous and unique auction items. Of course, the food and beverages are always outstanding, too.” Fall Wine Fest Please see WINE

Page 2

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Page 2

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Photo by WAYNE FORD

This scarecrow placed in a field in Greene County was made several years ago by an Oconee County resident.

Oconee chamber calling for scarecrows Staff Reports

TheOconeeLeader.com

The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring its first Scarecrow Decorating Contest.

The scarecrows will be displayed on Oct. 15 during the 42nd Annual

Events

From page 1

in six five-hour classes in watercolor painting at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation. Register at www.ocaf.com or call (706) 769-4565. $250 OCAF member, $260 nonmember.

Scream Free Parenting Class: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Grace Fellowship Church of God, 1120 Malcom Bridge Rd, Bogart. Grace Fellowship Church will offer a Scream Free Parenting Class from on Wednesdays beginning Aug.10 until Oct. 26 at 6:30-8 p.m. at Grace Fellowship, 1120 Malcom Bridge Road. The cost is $15 for required workbook and childcare is FREE. Are you a screamer? Or do you employ the “Silent Treatment”? Are you looking for ways to better connect with your children?

Join us for a 12 week study (DVD, discussion, exercises) designed to equip you for your most important job PARENTING! Led by Scream Free Parenting Certified Leader, Wendy FletcherClements. To register (required), visit http:// graceathens.com/connect/details/scream-freeparenting/ or for more info, call (706) 769-4001. $15., 706-769-4001, graceathens.com/connect/details/scream-freeparenting/.

Oconee Chamber Fall Festival.

The chamber has released the following rules regarding the contest opened to local businesses, schools, churches, service clubs and families.

The scarecrows must be at least 4 feet tall and will be judged on creativity, best use of materials

Bypass

inches and include the group’s name and name of the scarecrow.

The scarecrows must be presented to the chamber office no later than Oct. 12. They will be displayed at the chamber’s Scarecrow 5K road race on Oct. 15.

After the race, the creations will be placed throughout downtown

Watkinsville until Nov. 5.

There is no entry fee.

People can vote for their favorite scarecrow on the chamber’s Facebook page where they can ‘like’ a photo of the scarecrow.

The voting ends Oct. 31.

For more information, call the chamber at (706) 769-7947.

Continued from page 1

feeling among citizens of south Oconee, including many of the Positively Oconee group, is that a bypass will benefit the town of Bishop and thus we are for a bypass,” according to a statement from the group.

The challenge is to choose a route that conserves large tracts of land, has little to no impact on Greenbriar Creek, respects the county’s land use map and preserves

Wine

and overall appearance.

There should be no political, religious, sexual or violent scarecrows.

The scarecrows will be displayed outside so they must be durable enough to withstand the elements.

An accompanying sign should be no larger than 11 inches by 17

the agricultural character of south Oconee, the group maintains.

“The evening is about connecting with one another and connecting us all to the land. As citizens and neighbors we may hold different viewpoints and speak with different voices on the topics of land, roads, and development,” Positively Oconee member Lisa Douglas said.

Continued from page 1

Committee Chair Rosemary Stancil said.

In addition to wine and beer tasting, and food sampling, attendees will be able to participate in silent auctions for items ranging from baskets full of wines to original artwork and vacation/travel experiences.

“Food and wine in a beautiful setting. Add several hundred of your best friends. What’s not to love about that?” said Brian LaHaie, a member of the committee.

“In the five years I’ve been attending, I’ve never been disappointed,” LaHaie said. “Food, friends and fine wine — all in a magnificent setting. This is truly Oconee County’s premier fall event.”

Advance tickets are $45 for OCAF members and $50 for non-members and can be purchased at the OCAF office or ordered on-

“Food and wine in a beautiful setting.

Add several hundred of your best friends. What’s not to love about that?” line at www.ocaf.com.

Tickets, if still available the day of the event, can be purchased at the gate for $55. For more information, call OCAF at (706) 7694565.

Proceeds from the festival help fund OCAF’s mission to support art-related programs for artists and residents of Georgia.

A piece created by artist Lisa Freeman of Athens.

Art

Continued from page 1

discarded objects and photographs, I explore the mystery of the forgotten, allowing the objects to lead the narrative and inviting the viewer to participate in the mystery.

My art inspires you to focus on the uncomfortable, accept the undetermined, and embrace the unknown.”

The Athens Fibercraft Guild is home to a network of knitters, weavers, spinners, fabric design-

ers, quilters and other fiber artists. The group meets monthly at the Lyndon House Arts Center.

The ceramic artist exhibit includes pieces made by Louise Robertson, Janice Gunner, Phyllis Palmer, Aurora Alva, Madelon Dickerson and Steve Spencer .

In the Myers Gallery, the work of more than 90 artists who had work shown in the gallery will run through Oct. 28 in an exhibit called “Myers

Gallery: A Twelve-Year Retrospective.”

In the Harrison Center Foyer Gallery, the Seven Elements of Art sculpture installation features the work of Dr. Lawrence Stueck with Leonard Piha and Lorraine Thompson.

The exhibit explores “lines, colors, shapes, textures, form, value, and space.”

The galleries are open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Exhibit to show scaled-down art Two local artists will have exhibits of their work on display in conjunction with the annual Georgia Small Works Exhibit at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation.

The exhibit opens with a reception for the artists at 6 p.m. Friday at the OCAF Center.

Barbara Mann is presenting a “Time & Space” exhibit while Jean Westmacott is showcasing art called “Stance.”

Mann’s work features art portraying cellular biology to cosmic events shown in objects of metal and pieces of jewelry, while Westmacott’s work focuses on the human form using paper and cast bronze.

The Small Works exhibit features small pieces

A ring made by artist Barbara Mann.

of works from numerous artists. The exhibit is juried by Westmacott, who is a retired art professor and gallery director at Brenau University.

This exhibit will remain up through Nov. 11. The reception is open and free to the public. For more information, call (706) 7694565.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

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On the scene in Oconee County schools

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Seventh-grade Malcom Bridge Middle School student Matthew Cozine (center) started a letter-writing campaign at school to show local law enforcement officers how much they are appreciated. Letters were delivered during a school pep rally.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Johnny Appleseed came to visit students at High Shoals Elementary School.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Rocky Branch Elementary School students read a lesson about the true story of Henry Box Brown and his freedom box. They were able to get inside a box with the same dimensions as the one that Brown mailed himself to freedom in.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The North Oconee High School junior varsity and varsity academic teams recently swept Clarke Central to kick off the season.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Fifth-grade students at Colham Ferry Elementary School signed up for various jobs to support the school. Pictured is the new group of Safety Patrol members for this school year.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Members of the Malcom Bridge Middle School Humane Society Club hard at work at Butterfly Dreams.

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

This Week: Online

WARRIORS l TITANS l SPARTANS l WOLVERINES l LIONS

October 6, 2016

Wolverines win in final seconds Story, photo gallery

North Oconee, Oconee volleyball theoconeeleader.com

Online

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Prince Avenue Christian students shake hands with members of the football team following the Wolverines’ 21-14 win last Friday night. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

Story, photo gallery

PACS softball

Huff scores with 10 seconds left, PACS beats Commerce 21-14

By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

theoconeeleader.com

In a key Region 8-A game that came down to the final seconds, Prince Avenue Christian kept its undefeated season alive thanks to a big run by Grant Roland to set up Thomas Huff’s 1-yard touchdown run with 10 seconds left to give the Wolverines a 21-14 win over Commerce on Friday night at Brad Akins Field.

“That is what high school football is all about – those kinds of games,” said head coach Greg Vandagriff.

“Hopefully you are on the right side at the end of the night.”

In a battle of field position in the final quarter, a punt by Noah Campbell pinned Commerce deep

Online

Please see ‘PACS football’

Page 7

Photo gallery

PACS football theoconeeleader.com

Lady Warriors sweep Lady Titans to qualify for state tournament

Online The Oconee County Lady Warriors hosted North Oconee in the opening series of the Region 8-AAAA tournament last Friday. The winner of the best-ofthree series would punch their ticket to the Class AAAA state tournament.

The Lady Warriors won the first game 4-1 and then won the second game 3-0 to win the series, advance in the region tournament, qualify for the state tournament and end North Oconee’s season.

Photo gallery

UGA football theoconeeleader.com

MATTHEW CALDWELL/ Oconee Leader

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Thursday, October 6, 2016

North Oconee varsity, JV competition teams both finish first

Contributed photo

North Oconee’s latest competition was a success for both the varsity and junior varsity teams. The Lady Titans varsity team beat region opponent Jefferson in their firstplace finish last Saturday at Grayson. The junior varsity team beat four other teams in their first-place finish. Team members of the varsity team include Maggie Booz, Sydney Stricklin, Ava Sloan, Braelyn Whyte, Olivia Emerick, Bailey Ellis, Ashleigh Willis, Kaylee Frantz, McKinsey Haley, Julia Walker, Maitland Hood, Kendall Brown, Natalie Babin, Amelia Hamil, Kyler Hardigree and Baleigh Hancock. JV members include Tori Morgan, Campbell Hancock, Chapin White, Fiona Cashin, Payton Ryan, Nina Palamino, Jasmine Setchel, Ava-Cate Beasley, Claire Cobb, Anna Clausen, Anna Barnett, Mattie Scaffe, LeAnna Truluck, Mackenzie Chandler, Charlotte Hudson and Kerstin Kay. Next up for North Oconee is a competition at Johns Creek on Saturday.

Lady Lightning win AAMSVL tournament championship Malcom Bridge Middle School’s volleyball team entered last Saturday’s AAMSVL tournament as the No. 1 seed. When it was over, the Lady Lightning were posing with the championship trophy. The Lady Lightning beat St. Joe’s in the first round and advanced with a win against Morgan County in the second round. The Lady Lightning beat Athens Academy in the finals to advance to this week’s AAMSVL-GAMSVLWAMSVL championship.

Contributed photo

Block wins cross country race at Athens Academy, teams finish second

Athens Academy invades Riverside Military, comes out with 42-0 victory

Contributed photo by Jimmy Cobb

Anna Marian Block won the girls’ cross country race at Athens Academy last Thursday in a time of 19:28.

Emily Elder finished third (21:05), Sara Irvine finished seventh (22:34), Janie Williams finished 34 (25:32) and Eleanor Connolly finished 35 (25:33). Ryan Iyer led the Spartans with a fourth-place finish in a time of 17:56. Alex Branch finished eighth (18:20), Graham Blanks finished 17 (18:46), Severen Brown finished 27 (19:19) and Jay Bangle finished 30 (19:22). The Spartans finished with 81 points and the Lady Spartans finished with 70 points and finished second in their home meet on Thursday. th

th

th

th

th

Contributed photo by Sara Wilson

Athens Academy kept its undefeated season alive with a 42-0 win against Riverside Military Academy last Friday night. The Spartans improved to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the region with the win. Payton Bowles opened the scoring with a 1-yard run. Matt Moseley threw a 51-yard touchdown to Jackson Reynolds and a successful two-point conversion gave the Spartans a 15-0 lead. Moseley added a 7-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter for a 22-0 lead. Moseley had a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ed Ferguson with 7:15 left in the second quarter to take a 29-0 lead. Bowles had a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for a 36-0 lead. Drew Byus kicked a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 20-yard field goal. Next up for the Spartans is a road game at Hebron Christian on Friday night.

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Lady Wolverines enter week with region championship hopes still alive

Thursday, October 6, 2016

North Oconee teams win cross country race at Athens Academy

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Two region games last week for Prince Avenue Christian were against teams the Lady Wolverines lost to earlier this season. With no region tournament this season for Region 8-A, the Lady Wolverines needed to beat Providence Christian on Tuesday and George Walton on Thursday to keep their hopes alive to win their fifth straight region title. The Lady Wolverines, who lost to Providence Christian 4-0 on August 30, defeated Providence Christian 7-4 last Tuesday. After a non-region loss to Social Circle on Wednesday, the Lady Wolverines were back at it on Thursday against George Walton, a team they lost to 10-5 on September 1. Timely hits, strong pitching and a strong defense helped propel the Lady Wolverines to a 4-1 win against the Lady Bulldogs to improve to 8-2 in the region. They entered this week in second place in the region standings behind Athens Christian (9-1), a team PACS beat 6-3 on September 6. Those two teams faced each other earlier this week at PACS. The regular season wraps up October 6 against Hebron Christian.

A win in both games gives the Lady Wolverines a seventh region championship since 2009. For the full story and photo galleries, see theoconeeleader.com.

North Oconee tops Oconee, falls to St. Pius; Oconee beats Stephens County

Photos by MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Last Tuesday night saw North Oconee’s volleyball team beat a rival but fall to one of the top ranked teams in Class AAAA. The Lady Titans opened the evening with a match against Oconee County, topping the Lady Warriors 2-0 (25-13, 25-21). Then the Lady Titans played second-ranked St. Pius X, and they lost 2-0 (16-25, 16-25).

While the North Oconee-St. Pius match was going on, the Lady Warriors were on the next court playing against Stephens County. The Lady Warriors won that match 2-0 (25-7, 25-15). For the full story and a photo gallery from the night, see theoconeeleader.com.

Contributed photo by Jimmy Cobb

North Oconee made it back-to-back sweeps by taking both the boys’’ and girls’ team titles at Athens Academy on Thursday, one week after double wins at Crow’s Lake in Jefferson. The boys took the top spot with 33 points in the 15-team field.

The Lady Titans placed five runners in the top eight (field of 142) for an impressive 25-point total. Senior Titan Anthony Potts followed up his runner-up effort at Crow’s Lake with an individual top spot, outdistancing the field of 262 in 16:54.

Brady Kalessa was third in 17:35; Jacob Ash finished fifth in 18:04; Freshman Alex Thomas battled for ninth (18:23) and David Mustard was 19th in 18:58. Austin Joost and Acton Vogt rounded out top-seven scorers (25th in 19:18 and 51st in 19:58, respectively). Thomas Dowis, Colin McCormick, and Conar Jensen contributed top-10 team finishes. Kate Mattison was runner-up in the girls’ field (20:39).

A pack of Lady Titan runners finished 4-5-6: Hollis Brown (21:34), Gabby Huff-Streiter (21:36), and Melanie Bowden (21:56). Courtney Jones was eighth in 22:42.

Anna Cobb and Amy Gayer turned in top-seven team times (19th in 24:29 and 20th in 24:30, respectively). Anna Marie Garmon, Sophie Brown and Komal Parikh chipped in with top-10 team finishes. North Oconee races at Unicoi State Park on Thursday, October 6 in the Mountain Invitational.

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Thursday, October 6, 2016

‘PACS football’

Page 7

Continued from page 4

in its own territory on the 2-yard line with 4:07 left.

The Wolverine defense forced a three-and-out, and the Wolverines got the ball back with 1:51 left inside Commerce territory on the 40.

After an incomplete pass on first down, Roland dropped back to pass but saw an open field and ran 38 yards to set up first-andgoal from the 2.

“They knew it was a passing down and they knew we were trying to push the ball up the field,” Roland said. “They all dropped and the O-line did a great job of blocking and they gave me a great hole.”

After Huff was stopped on first and second downs, he got the ball again and made it into the end zone with 10 seconds left. Jared Pringle’s PAT gave the Wolverines a 21-14 lead.

“It was third down and we were getting hesitant.

My guards pulled through.

Carter Sexton pulled through and I followed him all the way to the end zone,” Huff said. “(Roland’s run) was amazing.

That run put us in position to score, no doubt.”

Commerce had one more chance on offense. The ensuing kickoff went into the end zone and the Tigers got the ball on their own 20 but the Wolverine defense came up with a sack to end the game.

“Our defense played phenomenal all night,” Roland

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Noah Campbell reacts after his successful fake punt that resulted in a first down.

said. “The first drive they had to get ready for the triple option like everybody has to do. They played fantastic. We have been working all week. Coach Vandagriff prepared us so well for this and our guys did a great job.”

The game was close throughout the brisk fall evening. Commerce got the ball to start the night and opened with a 67-yard touchdown drive. The PAT failed and the Tigers led 6-0 with 6:26 left in the first quarter.

The Wolverines offense went three-and-out and then had a 5-yard punt on their first drive but the defense stepped up and forced the Tigers to punt.

PACS got the ball on its own 3-yard line with 1:20 left in the first quarter. After a 2-yard rush by Huff and a 6-yard pass from

Roland to Noah Campbell, Huff gained five yards for a first down on the final play of the opening quarter.

On second-and-nine from their own 27, Roland found Christian Parrish for a 73-yard touchdown with 10:29 left in the half. Pringle’s PAT gave the Wolverines a 7-6 lead.

“It was one-on-one and I trusted Christian on the back side,” Roland said. “I put it somewhere where he could go get it and make a play.”

The Tigers offense put together a drive that lasted over eight minutes but it stalled and they had to punt with 2:12 left in the half.

The Wolverines led 7-6 at halftime and got the ball to start the third quarter. The Tigers defense forced the Wolverines to punt after just three plays. Campbell lined up to punt like nor-

mal, looked at the defense, ran up behind the center and then ran six yards to get the first down and keep the drive alive.

“Never doubted it. I wanted to see where a couple of their kids lined up. We wanted to run away from a couple of them. They didn’t come out on the right side and I said, ‘Hey, we are going,’” Vandagriff said. “You have to put it in (Campbell’s) hands enough times to give him a chance to make opportunities for us to win. Noah Campbell is a gamer. I said that from the beginning. We are fortunate enough to have that kid on our team.”

A 30-yard pass from Roland to Parrish helped set up first down from the 19.

Moments later from the 16, Roland found Campbell for a short pass completion on the near sideline. Camp-

bell made a defender miss and ran into the end zone to take a 14-6 lead following Pringle’s PAT with 9:41 left in the third.

“Noah is a great athlete,” Roland said. “He is a very important part of our team.

He is a leader. He gets us fired up. He gets us going.”

Commerce responded with a drive that lasted over seven minutes long and scored on a 13-yard rush with 2:07 left in the quarter. A successful twopoint conversion tied the game at 14-14.

When the Wolverines got the ball with 1:51 on what turned out to be the gamewinning drive, Vandagriff said they wanted to take as much time off the clock and reach field goal range for Pringle.

“We wanted to get in field goal range because we emphasized field goals this week and kicked a lot of them in practice,” Vandagriff said. “It was about 1:21 on the clock when he got down to about the 2 or 3 yard line, so we were milking the clock as much as we can, not wanting to get a delay of game. We had one time out. At the end, we were going to run that last play and we were going to go with a time out and kick a field goal if we didn’t get in.

Vandagriff said it was fitting Huff was the one who scored the game-winning touchdown.

“He just keeps making

plays,” Vandagriff said.

“He runs hard every week.

You never doubt his effort and his energy. He keeps toting the mail for us.”

The Wolverines improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the region with the win. Athens Academy is 4-0 in the region. Hebron Christian is 3-1 and George Walton is 2-1. The Wolverines have already defeated George Walton. Athens Christian and Commerce are both 2-2 with PACS beating both schools.

“We feel good about our situation,” Vandagriff said. “We felt like we have played some tough teams in the region and we have some tough ones to go.

Traditionally if we beat the people we have beat so far, we tend to come in first, second or third in the region. We like where we are sitting right now.”

Next up for the Wolverines is Lakeview (1-4 overall, 1-3 region) on Friday night at PACS. The Wolverines play at Hebron Christian on October 14, at Providence Christian (1-3 overall, 0-3 region) on October 28 and close out the regular season at home against Athens Academy.

“We can’t take any team for granted,” Roland said.

“We have some good teams in this region. We have to go one game at a time. We will enjoy this Saturday and Sunday and then we will be back ready to work.”

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Thursday, October 6, 2016

Dear Friends and Neighbors: Thank you for the warm welcome! We are thrilled to join Athens-Clarke and the surrounding communities by partnering with Athens Regional Health System – which includes an impressive network of physician offices, urgent care centers, home health and more – and making Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center the seventh Piedmont hospital. Over the last few months of planning for this integration, we’ve worked closely with your hospital’s leadership and felt the affirmation that this is a great collaboration for Piedmont, for Athens Regional and for the communities it serves.

Piedmont is a family of community hospitals and physician practices providing some of the most advanced clinical care of any community health system in the country. We’ve recruited and retained some of the best and brightest physicians and clinicians and offer advanced technologies with potentially life-saving clinical research, balanced with a true community approach and focus. Our hospitals and clinicians offer a full spectrum of services, including transplant services (liver, kidney, pancreas and heart transplant services), sophisticated neuroscience and orthopedic services, comprehensive cancer care, advanced cardiovascular services, and a wide range of women’s services.

As a result of this partnership, we are committed to reinforce the efforts already in place to provide highquality, patient-centered care. We will devote capital and resources to further develop Athens Regional as a hub within the Piedmont system, enhancing access and keeping a comprehensive set of services close to your home. The devoted team of physicians and healthcare professionals that walk our halls share a promise to provide a compassionate environment where our patients can thrive.

Our track record validates that commitment. In other hospitals that have joined the Piedmont family, we have seen significant improvements in quality measures and financial performance, patient, physician and employee satisfaction. The care delivered by our hospitals and physicians has garnered awards and recognitions for patient safety, clinical quality, service excellence and clinical information technologies. The fact that Athens Regional is financially stable and recognized for its high-quality, patient-centered care is evidence that our organizations are well-matched and poised for a great future together.

Also, as a not-for-profit organization, Piedmont takes seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of the resources our communities entrust to us. We reinvest hospital earnings back into the community through access to expanded healthcare services, incorporating new technologies, recruiting and retaining the best talent, and enhancing quality care.

On behalf of Piedmont, we look forward to sharing our 110-year legacy of superior healthcare and welcome the opportunity to work with you toward a common goal of providing the highest standard of care to AthensClarke and the surrounding communities.

The future of healthcare in our communities holds great opportunity and promise. Working together with Piedmont Athens Regional, we are confident we can realize that future.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brown President and CEO Piedmont Healthcare

Piedmont and Athens Regional.

Better together.

Piedmont Healthcare and Athens Regional have teamed up.

And together, we’re helping you get better.

piedmont.org/Athens