DecemberTHE NORTH 11, 2013 GEORGIA THE NORTH NEWS GEORGIADecember 11, NEWS 2013 PagePage 13A 13A Union County Wrestling continues to build momentum at KOTM By Todd Forrest als and finally the Gwinnett North Georgia News Center for State beginning on [email protected] Feb. 13th. “We’ve got several kids Union County Wrestling who are still out, several kids Coaches Michael Smith-Foot, who haven’t made weight Bob Williams, Justin By- yet,” Coach Smith-Foot said. ers, and Art McCann clearly “We still have about five kids have things going in the right that need to make one more direction following Towns drop to get to the weight County’s two-day wrestling classes they’re supposed to extravaganza known as the be at. King of the Mountain. “Right now, we are bet- “If you want to be the ter than we were at this time best someday, you’ve got last year. Last year we had to wrestle the best,” Coach to forfeit five or six weight Smith-Foot said. “It was great classes. This year we’re only to see some of the teams here forfeiting two. I’m hoping to like Banks County. They are have everyone at the weight a State Champion. Dacula, Tulsa Queen picked up two wins in the 195-pound weight class. class they should be at with Dawson, are top tier competi- Justin Eigel scores a pin. He would go on to take fourth at 170 pounds the lowest body fat.” tion. Towns County is always “He dropped down from to make mistakes, I’d rather The potential of Union’s solid in (Class) A. So it’s nice 182 and will probably wrestle make them now.” program has even caught the to have a tournament like this at 170 the rest of the season,” On Friday, the Panthers eye of Towns County Head where you don’t have to drive Coach Smith-Foot said. will be back in Hiawassee Wrestling Coach Jeff Stow- far to see stiff competition.” Union County’s Orlando for the Towns County Duals ers. The Panthers finished Lara won his first four matches Tournament. “Coach Foot and Coach 14th place after having to before falling to the eventual Next Tuesday, Union Williams have done a great forfeit the 120 and 106-pound runner-up in the 220-pound will challenge the mighty job at Union County,” Coach weight classes. division. Gilmer County from Class Stowers said. “They have got- Despite not reaching its Lara finished the tourna- AAAA. ten that program going in the goal of placing at least three ment with a 4-2 record. “They are a multi-time right direction with tons of wrestlers in the Top 4, Coach Payton Tumey competed State Champion and most kids coming out. They have Smith-Foot’s squad is still in two matches at 113 pounds, schools don’t even want to go done a heck of a job over young. Kyle English at 120, Chase over there, but we’re going there.” “We were going into it Stancil at 138, Nick White at over there just to get better,” As for next year, Coach with the idea that we would 152, and Dylan Byers won a Coach Smith-Foot said. Stowers is looking to expand have three, maybe four plac- match by fall at 160. The postseason will the tournament from 21 to 32 ers so only having one is a Chase Barnett picked open for Panther wrestling in teams. little disappointing,” Coach up a win in the 182-pound January. On Jan. 3rd and 4th “It’s all about helping Smith-Foot said. “We had Orlando Cara had a strong showing at the King of the Mountain. division, Tulsa Queen had two Union County will compete in wrestling grow in this area,” some really tough draws at the point mistakes. They are three The highlight of the wins at 195 pounds. the team Area Tournament. he said. “I want to see Towns beginning. and four point mistakes. But tournament for the Panthers “Everything we do up In February, the indi- County successful. Obvi- “We’re still young. And considering how young our was sophomore Justin Ei- until Area and Sectionals is vidual Area Tournament will ously. But I also want to see when we make mistakes, they team is, I think we did excep- gel’s fourth place finish in the just practice,” Coach Smith- take place before the ultimate wrestling be successful in are big ones. They aren’t one tionally well.” 170-pound weight class. Foot said. “So if we’re going goal of reaching Section- this area.” Lady Panthers rout Andrews, Lumpkin Union holds off Andrews, fall to Lumpkin By Todd Forrest By Todd Forrest North Georgia News North Georgia News [email protected] [email protected] The Union County Lady Panthers easily picked up wins With football season over number two and three last for Andrews, NC, the Panthers week. had their handsful with the First they disposed of An- Wildcats on Tuesday. drews, NC for the second time by The Panthers would even- a score of 47-12. tually escape with the 50-45 On Friday they took on victory after trailing 10-7 and Lumpkin County who is under 26-25 at the breaks. the leadership of new Head “They are a physical Coach Matthew Youngblood, team and one of the best An- who played for Towns County drews squads that I’ve seen in from 1993-97. a while,” Union Head Coach However, there wasn’t Casey Jones said. much he could do to stop the Kyle Hamby led the Pan- Union onslaught. thers with 16 points with a Lisa Nalaschi led the Lady 6-for-6 performance from the Panthers in scoring with 16 points line in the fourth quarter. Dylan to go along with 6 boards. Coyne had 12, Tyler Odom had Kaitlyn Day connected eight before fouling out, Lake four times from long distance en Arnick scored seven, Hunter route to a 14 point performance. Lisa Nalaschi (11) blocks a Lumpkin shot attempt. Photo/Todd Forrest Hughes had six, and Ralston Drake added a free throw. Hunter Hughes takes a charge against Lumpkin. Photo/Todd Forrest The junior sharpshooter added 5 with 5 blocks, 4 assists, and Dahlonega on Tuesday and goes On Friday, the Panthers mand with a 32-14 lead at the 6 boards. Arnick scored 7 points, boards and 4 steals. 3 steals. Madison Rich had 3 to White on Friday. On Saturday fell to the unbeaten Lumpkin intermission and never looked Hughes and Matthew Wasko Layne Colwell had 6 points and 3 assists, and Allie the Lady Panthers aim for six County Indians. back in a 59-40 game. had 6 points. Hamby added 2 points, Brooke Maddox had six, Stroman had 2 points. straight over rival Fannin County The Indians took com- Coyne had 10 points and points and 4 assists. Ariel Maurer scored 3 points Union faces Lumpkin in at 4:30 p.m. Barringer hits 7 treys; JV teams sweep Towns NASCAR 2013 By Todd Forrest By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter North Georgia News Car number 3 returns in 2014 [email protected] The black No. 3 will return NASCAR Chairman Brian Hiawassee - Freshman to the Sprint Cup Series after an France said one of the organiza- Lawson Barringer scored 31 absence of 13 years, with Austin tion’s 2014 goals is to improve the points on 7 threes to lead Union Dillon behind the wheel. quality of racing. to a 65-28 win over Towns The last time it was driven “We’re after some inter- County. His 7 treys are believed was during the 2001 Daytona 500. esting changes to the rules pack- to possibly be a Union County Sr. was the ages,” he said. “You’ve heard me boys JV record. driver. say this for a while now, and we’ll Chase Shook chipped in It was his last race, and the be validating some of our beliefs, 14 points for the Panthers. last time the number was used dur- a prior test and other things, and The shooting performance ing a Cup race. I’m liking what I’m seeing. It’s Car No. 3 returns to Cup Series Earnhardt won six of his tightening up competition, and with as driver. even brought Union County Var- seven championships and got 67 of that’s hallmark. We wake up every it for what it is.” sity Coach Casey Jones out of his 76 career Cup victories in No. day and try to do that. The two seasons away the locker rooms early to check 3. He was racing it when he died “The 43 teams probably from the head table provided some out his future star. on the last lap of the 500. Since do just the opposite. They try to of the impetus for what Johnson The Lady Panthers’ JV then, RCR has retained rights to get up in the morning, look at our calls “a kick-butt year” in which unit held off Towns County 38- the number but hasn’t used it in rules package and want to lead ev- he won six races. Two victories 33 in the 3 p.m. game. Sprint Cup. ery lap and gain the system. That’s during the Chase were keys to Kim Coyne led the Lady how it works, right? So we’re try- Millions of NASCAR fans Johnson emerging victorious from Panthers with 15 points. still respect that number. ing to figure that out in a bigger, a dramatic and tension-filled battle Double and triple teams couldn’t slow Barringer. Photo/Todd Forrest The number had a long his- smarter way, and hopefully we with 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup tory even before Earnhardt got it at will accomplish that.” champion . RCR in 1984. Hall of Fame driver/ This past season marked Johnson is one champi- owner Junior Johnson used it dur- the Gen-6 car’s debut. France not- onship away from matching the ing parts of 1962, 1963 and 1964; ed at the beginning of the season seven NASCAR Sprint Cup titles Childress used it between 1976 that officials would measure the won by NASCAR Hall of Famers and mid-1981, the final years of car’s success on a variety of ar- Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. his Cup career. eas, including lead changes, how was honored Earnhardt first ran the num- well it races and how drivers feel by the National Motor Sports Press ber at Michigan in August of 1981, about it. Association (NMPA) as a fierce soon after Childress quit driving to Lead changes were up competitor, championship team concentrate on running his team. slightly in 2013 from 2012. There owner and race track promoter used the number in were 700 lead changes this past The NMPA Myers Brothers 1982 and 1983, giving RCR its season and 679 in 2012. That’s Award is presented in the names first two victories, before Earn- less than one more lead change of pioneer NASCAR competitors hardt returned to RCR from Bud per race in 2013. Billy and Bobby Myers. Past re- Moore Engineering in 1984. “The number one thing we cipients are a virtual who’s-who Dillon drove No. 3 to a had to judge in the Gen-6 car was of the industry – drivers, own- dozen Truck Series poles and five acceptance by the manufacturers, ers, track operators, sponsors and victories in 55 career starts. He the teams and the drivers,’’ France members of the media – and in- was the 2010 Rookie of the Year, continued. “That’s the number clude nearly every current member the 2011 Most Popular Driver and one thing. And then obviously we of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. the 2011 series champion. RCR want to get more lead changes and Stewart was cited for a gave him No. 3 for the Nationwide we want to get closer, tighter com- longtime body of work – and Series, where he was the 2012 petition.” specifically for his role in taking Rookie of the Year and the 2013 JOHNSON HONORED FOR NASCAR back to its roots. He champion, winning 10 poles and SIXTH and his staff at Eldora Speedway two races in 77 starts. CHAMPIONSHIP in Rossburg, Ohio, produced the Jimmie Johnson was hon- NASCAR Camping World Truck GETS SECOND ored for his sixth NASCAR Sprint Series “Mudsummer Classic,” the SNOWBALL WIN Cup Series championship celebra- first national points race on a dirt Chase Elliott, who started tion last Friday night in Las Ve- surface in more than four decades. on the pole won Sunday’s 300- gas. Stewart’s 2013 season was lap at Five Flags Johnson and the No. 48 cut short by a broken leg suf- Speedway. He also won Saturday Lowe’s fered in a sprint car accident in night’s Snowflake 100, becom- team’s streak of five ti- early August. He crossed the stage ing the first driver to sweep both tles ended in 2011 and they missed on Thursday without the aid of races. the title a year ago. crutches to accept his award and Unofficial top-10: Erik “The streak, when it was should be ready to battle for his Jones finished second, followed alive, I didn’t realize how much fourth Cup title when the 2014 by , Austin Theri- pressure we were carrying on our season opens with February’s ault, Hunter Robbins, John Hunter shoulders. We almost didn’t get to Daytona 500. Nemechek, David Rogers, Kyle enjoy the moment,” he said. “We “It was hard sitting on the Benjamin, , and were looking ahead to see what sidelines watching,” he said. “It’s Derek Thorn. the next year would be. given me a different perspective.” TIGHTER COMPETITION IN “This (year) is almost a NASCAR RACES starting over. We’re just enjoying