MarchTHE TOWNS24, 2021 COUNTY THE TOWNS HERALD COUNTY March HERALD 24, 2021 Page 3B Towns County Sports Towns County’s Leader In Sports ooolgofk[gmflq`]jYd\f]lÛÝÛ<¤eYad‘Ûl[`]jYd\³oaf\klj]Yef]l Soccer: Both TCHS teams in Top 10 NASCAR 2021 By Todd Forrest By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter Sports Editor [email protected] Blaney runs down Larson for Atlanta victory ran down and The undefeated Towns passed leader with County men’s soccer hold seven laps to go in Sunday’s Cup steady at No. 2 in the latest Series race, breaking a 28-race win- Eurosport Class A rankings less streak. following wins over Wash- “Yeah, we had a fast car,” ington-Wilkes and Social said Blaney. “It was real free all day. We made a really good change Circle. when I needed it. It looked like Kyle Meanwhile, the 3-3 was getting loose there at the end, Lady Indians checked in at and the changes we made worked No. 8 in the latest girls poll, in our favor. moving up one spot from last “We had a couple long runs week. near the end that allowed us to get In the guys’ 3-2 win at there. But this was just an awesome Social Circle, Peyton Barrett, race for us. Everything worked out Lane Lallement and Grant In- near the end. We were able to get the position we needed and the gram scored one goal each. team gave me what I needed.” Jensen Brown and Bar- Kyle Larson led 268 laps of Ryan Blaney enjoying his win. rett recorded one assist each. the 325 lap race. During the middle at Atlanta. It was Busch’s first vic- Speedway expects to operate at 30 Goalkeeper Luis Quijada stages of the race, he enjoyed over tory of the season, his sixth at the per cent capacity for NASCAR’s stopped 11 shots. a 6-second lead at one point, but he 1.54-mile track and the 60th of his next visit on the week of April Later in the week, had slightly older tires than Blaney, career. 8-10. Towns County hosted Wash- near the end, and that may have The remaining top-10 fin- Clay Campbell, Martinsville ington-Wilkes and took care been a factor. ishers were: 2. , 3. John President cited improving COVID- of business in a 10-0 mercy- “I don’t know what hap- Nemechek, 4. , 5. 19 data across the state and Gov. pened,” said Larson. “I think , 6. Zane Smith, 7. Ralph Northam’s earlier announce- rule shortened victory. (Blaney) just got a lot better there , 8. , 9. ment about possibly loosening Barrett recorded a hat that last stage and it kind of changed Brett Moffitt, 10. . crowd restrictions that had left the trick and Brown collected a up my flow of the race a little bit. I Top-10 leaders after 4 of 22: track with no fans for its resched- brace in the win. could get out to such a big lead and 1. Nemechek-204, 2. Rhodes-157, uled NASCAR race last June and Towns County will host I could take care of my stuff and 3. Creed-154, 4. Crafton-145, 5. then with only 1,000 allowed for Lincoln County in a Tuesday Towns County’s Reace Hampton during last week’s 10-0 victory over run the bottom, where it was maybe Friesen-122, 6. Hill-115, 7. Sauter- the three playoff races in October. fixture beginning with the Washington Wilkes. Photo/Lowell Nicholson slower but I could take care of my 103, 8. Smith-99, 9. Enfinger-97, “We feel confident it’s go- 10. Hocevar-93. ing to be more than that,” he said girls match at 5 p.m. No. 7 in the latest Eurosport Monday, March 29, begin- tires. Lake Oconee pays a Top 10. “I don’t know if we got that ALMIROLA TEAM NEEDS of the current 1,000-person limits,” ning at 5 p.m. The Rebel men much worse or if he just got way TO TIGHTEN UP Campbell said. “That’s the restric- visit to Hiawassee at 5 p.m. Towns County hosts currently sport a 2-4 record better. Like I said, it just changed In an interview last week tion Northam has had in place since Friday. Both LOA squads Class AAA Fannin County on the year. the flow of my race.” with the Charlotte Observer, Aric last summer, but last month he said enter the matchup ranked in a non-region match on In addition to leading the Almirola pulled no punches when that capacity could grow to 30 per most laps, Larson won both stages asked to evaluate the season so far cent by April 1, which Speedway continued from 2B of the race. for his No. 10 Ford team. officials at the time said left them Memory Lane... came in “Obviously, we got off to a “encouraged.” 6:00 pm without a need for a and the Lady Indians took an defeating Athens Academy by third. It was his first top-5 finish of horrendous start,” Almirola said. Meanwhile curfew. easy 51-20 victory over Geor- four points and Union County the season. “Not getting the points and bad announced his engagement to his The First TCHS State gia Military College high- by four for their fourth win “It was a good day to come finishes. The best thing that’s hap- girlfriend, drag racer Leah Pruett. Tournament and Elite Eight lighted by twenty three points of the year over Union before in third,” said Bowman. “Obvious- pened to us all year is we won the She is a well-known drag racer Teams – It would require by Cochran getting them into falling to Banks County in ly, we would have like to win. I feel Duel and got 10 points.” and is fairly successful. In 2019, she clinched the NHRA SAMTech seven years following the one the Elite Eight for the first the championship game at like everything was pretty good. Since winning the first Duel point miss against Oconee time for any TCHS team. And We were just a little off on the long at Daytona, Almirola has finished in Factory Stock Showdown champi- Gainesville Junior College. runs, but it was a day when nothing the bottom third in three of the five onship and is the only female cham- County for a TCHS team to yes that GMC team was who As one of 16 teams make it to the state tourna- bad happened, so we’re satisfied races completed this season. Before pion. this year’s Lady Indians faced making the state tournament, Racing Joke: ment with eight regions and with our run.” Phoenix, where Almirola finished During a in Milledgeville in second they got the Elite Eight birth was fourth, 11th, his best finish this year was break in practice, William and 16 teams now entered in the round state tournament play. by taking a four points vic- followed by , Austin 17th at Homestead. Christopher are sitting back relax- state tournament and one state The Lady Indians fell short of tory over Echols County in Dillon, , William It’s been his longest streak of ing. Christopher tells William, he tournament victory required victory 30-14 in a slowdown the first round before falling Byron, Martin Truex Jr., and Kevin finishes outside of the top 10 since is unable to choose between two to make the Elite Eight with game by Cave Spring High to Hogansville, a team on its Harvick. 2019. He’s ranked 26th in points girls. this happening for the Lady School in the second round way to a fourth state title in had his first and acknowledged that it’ll be tough Christopher: I’m devoted to DNF of the season. He had engine to make playoffs without a win this Kate but Edith is my dream girl, Indians and Indians in the of that 1973 state tournament five years. back to back years of 1973 and held in the Macon Centreplex, problems on lap 220 and finished year, but he said that doesn’t change she’s all I’ve ever wanted. Ricky Welch was a start- 38th. his team’s strategy. William: Then you should 1974 with both teams being the same facility with a differ- ing forward on that team and recognized here. was the first “Every once in a while you be with Edith. ent name at that time where he was the grandfather of the driver out of the race. He was can squeak something crazy out on Christopher: But I love Kate In 1973 there were eight the Indians recently won their aforementioned 2018 TCHS bumped from behind on a lap 113 strategy, but for the most part, you and could never leave her. regions with just two subre- state championship. graduate Zach Davenport who restart, and spun into the outside don’t really win races on wild strat- William: Then you should gions in each region in Class Holly Cunningham, the was a prime member of the wall. egy anymore unless you have a fast stay with Kate. B with the top two teams from great aunt of Indians freshman 2017 Indians state tournament After six races into the sea- race car,” Almirola continued. Christopher: But I also want each region making it to the Tanner Cunningham, was a son, there have been six different He explained that the forces to be with Edith, I can’t miss this team and held the verifiable working against better results this opportunity! state tournament. The Lady starting guard as a fresh- Indians career scoring record winners. Indians finished second be- man for that Lady Indians Top-10 leaders after 6 of year have been a combination of bad William: You can’t have until passed by Kolby Moss 33: 1. Hamlin-277, 2. Larson-234, luck, driver errors and slow equip- your Kate and Edith too. hind Union County at Union team. And fourteen years old this season. in the sub region North tour- 3. Logano-214, 4. Truex Jr.-212, 5. ment. He made an early exit from Weekend Racing: The sophomore Doris Moss, the Part two of Jerry Kend- Keselowski-206, 6. Harvick-203, 7. the after he was spun Cup and Xfinity teams will be at nament and with four teams grandmother of 2018 Indians all’s ‘Memory Lane’ article will Blaney-191, 8. Byron-188, 9. Bell- out by Christopher Bell to bring the for a from each sub region tourna- star Zach Davenport, was the continue in next week’s Towns 183, 10. Elliott-183. out the first caution of the race. At weekend of dirt racing. ment making it to the region top substitute on the 1973 County Herald. ALLGAIER HOLDS OFF the Daytona road course, Almirola Sat., Mar., 27; Xfinity Series tournament, the Lady Indians team and a top flight player TRUEX FOR XFINITY WIN also went for an early spin running race 7 of 33; Starting time: 8:00 pm needed two wins to be one of the following two years. Benton MacKaye Here are the top-10 finishers in the top 10 to lose track position ET; TV: FoxSports1. two Region 8B teams making It was then and now of of Saturdays Xfinity Series race at before clawing his way back to a Sun., Mar. 28; Cup Series it to the state tournament. And interest that the 1973 team was Trail Association Atlanta: .1 , 2. Mar- top-20 finish. Another mistake at race 7 of 36; Starting time: 3:30 pm ET; TV: Fox. make it they did with a 67-31 very unique in having three tin Truex Jr., 3. , 4. Homestead the following week, hikes for March , 5. AJ Allmendinger, when Almirola made contact with Racing Trivia Question: win over Athens Academy and senior four year starters— The following hikes are 6. , 7. , Ryan Blaney, sent him to a bottom Which Cup Series team does Mi- a 50-46 victory over Jackson Sara Cochran Rogers, Melba 8. Justin Haley, 9. , half finish. At Las Vegas, an “off” chael McDowell drive for? County. sponsored by the Benton Mac- Hunter Blythe, and Debbie Kaye Trail Association. The 10. . car combined with debris in the left Last Week’s Question: At They came oh so close McNabb Fain—along with Top-10 leaders after 6 of 33: front tire that eventually went flat which track did win then to winning the region current social distancing and put him in last place. his first Cup Series race? Answer. It three freshmen—Tammi Al- health rules are used by hike 1. Cindric-277, 2. Hemric-231, 3. tournament at Truett McCon- len, Holly Cunningham, and H. Burton-212, 4. Allmendinger- “I think a lot of it has been was Atlanta in 2001. He drove the nell College when a shot from Leaders. 194, 5. Haley-193, 6. J. Burton-187, bad luck and circumstances, but No. 29 Chevro- Carol Ina Peebles Ramsak— March 27 (Saturday) - mid court by Sara Cochran in the starting lineup under 7. Snider-179, 8. Allgaier-171, 9. there have also been mistakes on let. Rogers, the mother of Lady Tennessee Work Trip on Ben- Clements-165, 10. B. Jones-155. my part as well,” Almirola said. Gerald Hodges/the Racing rover rules of the day using ton MacKaye Trail is 4th Sat- Indians and Indians assistant “ROWDY” KYLE GETS “We’ve just gotta clean everything Reporter is a syndicated NASCAR six players. urday of the month. Volunteers up.” Almirola finished 20th at At- writer and author. You may e-mail basketball coach Alan Rogers, ATLANTA TRUCK RACE Just one year later in from youth groups to Seniors Kyle Busch led 102 of 130 lanta. him at: [email protected]. hit nothing but the bottom of 1974, the Indians joined the welcomed. Information con- laps in Saturday’s Truck Series race Meanwhile, Martinsville the net at either the end of Lady Indians in making their tact Boe Rudder boe.r.rudder@ regulation or at the end of first trip to state and also to the gmail.com the first overtime. It appeared Elite Eight round. March 30 (Tuesday) - to TCHS fans to be a region They defeated Union The Benton MacKaye Trail championship victory over County in two overtimes Association sponsors a moder- Union County but the shot and then East Fannin by two ate 4 mile hike on the BMT in was ruled too late and Union points to win the North sub Cherry Log Community from went on to take the win 35-33 region title at Union County Hwy 515 to Rock Shelter and in double overtime. and then had to win two games return. Hike leader Martha All Class B state tourna- in the Region 8B tournament Fowler. For more information ment games were played in the to make it to state. contact hikeleaderMF@bmta- Macon Coliseum at that time They did just that by mail.org. NT(Mar24,Z2)CA Friends of the Bears reminds you bears are emerging The Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears would like to remind the public that March marks the time for the Black Bears to emerge from den. The first to wake up are the adult males and Subadults in early to mid-March. Second to emerge are solitary females and Sows with Yearlings in late March-mid-April. Finally, are the Sows with Cubs of the Year in mid-April-early May. They will be out, about, and hungry. Attractants like bird- seed, hummingbird feed- ers, pet food, livestock food, greasy barbecues, smokers and fish cookers, and other wildlife foods can be accessed A hungry bear can create quite a mess. by black bears. Minimize at- Bear conflict. Studies in Cana- The Appalachia Georgia tractants and the availability da have shown that two-thirds Friends of the Bears mission is of food rewards throughout of Human-Bear conflict were to reduce Human-Bear conflict your yard and neighborhood. related to improperly stored through proactive educational Appalachia Georgia has ap- garbage. In addition, it de- outreach programs, increase proximately 3,000 black bears. stroys their teeth, digestive public awareness about coex- Help us save a bear’s life and tracts, and results in a slow and isting with black bears, the use remove the attractants. painful death. Store garbage of humane bear deterrents, and The intentional and un- in a sturdy building or place advocacy. intentional feeding of bears in an approved bear-resistant Visit BearWise.org and teaches them to approach trash receptacle and put it out agfriendsofthebears.com for homes and people for food on the day of pick up goes a more information on reducing which is a recipe for Human- long way. Human-Bear Conflict.T(Mar24,F3)SH