THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD December 16, 2015 Page 9A Towns County Sports Towns County’s Leader In Sports www.townscountyherald.net • E-mail: [email protected] Basketball: A look at team scoring difficulties in individual games By Jerry Kendall Baker completing a three point Towns County Herald play for a 33-33 tie instead Staff Writer of having her fourth foul and likely headed to the bench for awhile with the Lady Indians In view of the Lady In- still ahead by a 33-30 score. dians and Indians combining But the three point play for just 45 points in 64 minutes triggered a late rally by GAC, of playing time last Satur- with heavy involvement by day night at Athens Christian Baker, for a 53-38 victory. School in Athens and inter- There is much less in- est in the past in looks down formation available about the memory lane, your reporter Indians’ game of great scoring decided to address the likeli- difficulty being addressed dur- hood of one or both Towns ing the 1960 season but suf- teams facing such struggles ficient to see quite a contrast while showing a capability with similarities to last week’s of putting large numbers of game at Athens Christian. points on the scoreboard. The Indians of 1960 That capability has cer- were a potent offensive team tainly been present on at least Jerry Kendall which finished with a 15-6 one occasion for both teams record, including at least one this year with the Lady Indi- the Lady Indians to a Region win over every high school ans scoring sixty seven points 8-AA opponent. opponent they faced and the in an overtime loss to a quite That is no typo as this only exception of getting a win good Social Circle team and was the first of two years for over an opponent being a loss Coach Jim Melton and the Lady Indians at Commerce during the 2011-12 season when Coach Melton the Indians putting eighty the Lady Indians and Indians in their only game against the three points on the scoreboard was on the verge of breaking the Towns County coaching wins record. Since taking over as Head Coach to play “up” in Class AA to Young Harris College JV’s by in the late 1990’s, Coach Melton has been on the sidelines for the most successful Lady Indians teams in in an eighteen points win over maintain long time rivalries a 39-37 score. school history. One year earlier at Commerce, Towns’ Gabby Arencibia had no scoring difficulties as she a similarly capable Athens and avoid long trips to metro It is still hard to imag- hit 13 treys - breaking the state’s single game 3-point record. Academy team. Atlanta to face such schools ine how the Indians would The reality is that this in Class A as Buford and lose an early season 28-20 Bowling scores Tim McVay 214, Doug Rob- School Football Field), local is not a very common occur- Wesleyan although having erts 256, 236, Stanley Ty- decision at Hiwassee Dam Monday Night Men: Er- area FCA will be putting on rence and especially for both to accept the presence of two BETWEEN a 68-44 win over ler 265, Roy Johnson 217, an All-Star Game for 10 of teams to have such difficulty Class AA powers in the region nest Rice 245, Mickey What- Joe Chubberly 219, Bonnell Lumpkin County and a 65-34 ley 204, 230, Joe Teague 244, North Georgia’s high school the same day but one game in East Hall and GAC. win over Union County and it Thomas 211, 257, Bob Bis- teams. for each team comes to your Again, if memory serves Derrick Rice 253, 206, Mel choff 205, Bonnie Magar becomes even more curious White 206, Doug Tanner 231, The East-West Clas- reporter’s mind after having correctly, the Lady Indians when considering that the 170. N(Dec16,Z2)CA sic will feature a team from viewed one of the games and 203, 208, Ken Clark 227, won at Dawson County, East Indians followed up the low Jay Burrell 268, Ray Everett the East made up of seniors heard on several occasions of Hall, Lumpkin County, Rabun scoring loss at Hiwassee Dam from Union County, Towns the other. 209, Taz Matetzschk 225, BJ County, Union County, and on November 20 with a more Gilbert 247, 227, 258, Series County, Fannin County, Of course, there are White County that year with conventional 71-59 win over 732, Greg Whittenburg 218, Gilmer County, and Pickens varying circumstances present the Lady Indians using a 43- the Eagles in a rematch on 211. County against a team from during any such contest. 14 scoring run in propelling December 1. Monday Night Ladies: the West made up of seniors The Lady Indians game themselves past a 24-8 deficit Charles Nicholson, who Dee Tyler 200, Joyce Trenton from Lumpkin County, Ste- that comes to mind is an 85-22 early in the second quarter attends most Lady Indian and 188, Monita Rodgers 192, phens County, Rabun County, loss at Greater Atlanta Chris- with the significance being Inez Bergstrom 170. Rabun Gap, Habersham, and Indian home games, includ- White County. tian very early in the 2001 that the Lady Panthers reached ing the Union County game Young At Heart: Bruce season. the state championship game Burnett 203, Bart Rodgers There will be a $5 last Friday, was a starter on charge at the gate for tickets. With Candice Blythe that year, finishing second in the 1960 team and he doesn’t 202, 202, Stanley Tyler 213, On Saturday, Decem- and Brandy McNabb lost to the state to Greater Atlanta Bob Landis 203, 227, 215, ber 19, 2015 at 1 p.m. at For more information visit recall anything out of the ordi- 515fca.org and click the link graduation and playing at Tru- Christian. nary, such as missing players Ron Wingate 209. Mike Colwell Memorial Sta- ett McConnell College along for the East-West Classic. This brings us back to for some reason, and thinks Thursday Night Fun: dium (Union County High NT(Dec16,Z3)CA with their fellow senior Kan- a rematch with GAC in the they just had a difficult game dace Raymond being missing semi finals of the Region 8-AA as apparently did Hiwassee NASCAR 2015 from the previous year’s state Tournament held at White Dam in view of their scoring Class A Final Four team, the County. far fewer points than in the By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter Lady Indians weren’t quite The Lady Indians were rematch. ready for the full court pres- able by this time to more than Well, there are prob- Scott Replaces Hornish at RPM sure, size, and athleticism of hold their own against the ably a number of other games Brian Scott’s family has the Xfinity Championship and the GAC team. GAC full court press and they through the years when ca- The Lady Spartans quite bought him a Sprint Cup ride added to his list of accomplish- used a 1-3-1 defense to pretty pable teams struggled to put with Motor- ments that already included frankly ran the score up on much control the GAC front- points on the scoreboard but sports. becoming the youngest driver the Lady Indians in the fourth line players who stood 6’4”, these are two examples of Scott the former Truck to ever win an ARCA title in quarter, using full court pres- 6’2”, and 6’ with the Lady excellent teams having this and Xfinity Series driver will 2012. sure to advantage in outscor- Indians’ tallest player being difficulty as the Indians of replace Sam Hornish next year He scored his first NA- ing the Lady Indians 36-2 the 5’9” Olivia Swanson. 1960 wound up with a 15-6 in the No. 9 RPM Ford. SCAR win last season at Mid- in extending an already one In a stunning develop- Scott, 27, has competed Ohio and followed up his rook- record and the Lady Indians fulltime in the Xfinity Series ie-year performance with wins sided 49-20 lead entering the ment, the Lady Indians held of 2001 finished with an 18-9 quarter. a 33-28 lead over GAC after the past six seasons, the last at Iowa and Dover this season record and a trip to the state three with en route to the championship. Your reporter was ac- three quarters and if they had tournament. tually pretty skeptical when Racing. In 208 starts, Scott has Buescher never ranked lower gotten the call on what ap- So the games at Athens 20 top-five and 77 top-10 fin- than third in the driver champi- Lady Indians head coach Jim peared to have been a charg- Christian were just one each ishes and won five poles. His onship standings, and the Pros- Melton mentioned after the ing violation by future four Brian Scott at Texas Motor for the two TCHS teams and best finish in the series stand- per, Texas native completed the Speedway in 2015. game that he thought the Lady year University of Georgia ings was fourth in 2014. season with zero DNFs (Did they can look now to the the driver is truly the only thing Indians could beat GAC but and WNBA point guard star future for better results in He will join Aric Almi- Not Finish). He finished inside the remainder of the season Sherrill Baker early in the rola in the RPM Sprint Cup of the top-20 in all of the 33 there is to give when a car lands future games. And maybe a flat on the frame the way I did. made Melton’s comment seem fourth quarter, they may have look down memory lane at Series lineup. The 2016 season races on the season, completing more and more reasonable. will mark Scott’s first full-time 99.9 percent of the laps during I had every piece of equipment pulled off an upset of major these two outstanding Towns to the newest standards you can If memory serves cor- proportions. Sprint Cup Series schedule, the 2015 campaign, while lead- County teams of the past is of where he will have the opportu- ing a total of 263 laps. get. From a HANS device con- rectly, that GAC loss was GAC got the benefit of interest to readers. nected to the best Arai helmet the only one on the road for nity to compete for the Rookie UPDATE ON a blocking call, however, with of the Year. Scott will make his to a full containment Butler- debut at the Goodyear tire test Kevin Swindell talked built seat with an insert under at Homestead-Miami Speed- about his day-to-day physical me. I had everything. Yet one way Monday, December 14. therapy and progress while re- of the softest flips I’ve prob- “I am thrilled to go Sprint covering from a World of Out- ably ever taken is the only one Cup Series racing full time next laws sprint car crash at Knox- that’s ever hurt me.” year and to do it with such an ville, Iowa in Augsut, 2015. Swindell has competed iconic team,” said Scott. “When He has undergone several neck primarily in USAC and WoO you think NASCAR racing, you and spinal cord surgeries since competition. He has won 77 think Petty. I’m glad to now be then. races in various dirt racing se- a part of that legacy. I had a lot “You could say I’m ries including the Chili Bowl of fun competing in the Xfinity semi-paralyzed from the waist Nationals. But he has also run Series for the last seven years, down,” Swindell said. “I can 30 NASCAR races during the and I’m excited to take the next voluntarily kick both legs out- past five years. step. I ran some races in the ward to a straight position. I He made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series the last few can also lock out my knees Xfinity Sereies debut at New years and learned a lot. I feel enough to stand with a walker. Hampshire driving for Baker like we are in a good position I haven’t gotten any movement Curb Racing. He also ran two to compete for the Rookie of back in my ankles or feet to more events that year but had the Year next year and continue this point, but the doctors and DNF’s in those as well. the consistency that RPM built therapists say that the upper leg In 2011, Swindell drove over the last few years.” comes back before the lower. the No. 16 Ford for Roush It might be worth men- Right now I go to therapy for Fenway Racing in the Nation- tioning that Scott was able to two hours, three days a week. wide race at Dover filling in oust Hornish from his driving I also just added an extra hour for . He qualified position not because of supe- on Tuesdays and Thursdays to an impressive 5th and ran very rior driving skills, but because try and get as much as I can. I well until being taken out near- he brought a sponsor with him. spend 30 minutes or so stand- ly halfway in a controversial You see, Scott’s family ing with the help of my thera- incident with Alex Kennedy. owns a big share of Albertson’s pist.” After an accident, Kennedy grocery supermarket chain. In addition to the physi- pulled across the racetrack It’s something like a self- cal therapy the 26 year-old re- while attempting to rejoin the sponsorship deal. ceives electrical shock therapy. field, leaving Swindell with Not taking anything “They place electrode nowhere to go and triggering a away from Brian Scott’s driv- pads on each muscle group major accident. ing skills, but this is a perfect of my legs,” he continued. In 2012, he ran 8 ARCA example of the type money “This helps them contract to Racing Series events and won game that exists in NASCAR. strengthen them. It also serves his first career ARCA victory Big money sponsors are hard to as a method to try to activate at Chicagoland Speedway, come by. All the teams will tell the nerves, and encourage them leading every single lap from you, that if you’ve got a spon- to wake up. I can’t say this the pole. He finished a career sor or can bring the money, doesn’t suck, because it does. best 22nd in points that season. they’ll provide you with a ride. “Though with the help of He also ran two Xfinity Series The best driver does not my fiancé, family, and a lot of events with Biagi-DenBeste always get the best ride. great friends there hasn’t been Racing late in the season, fin- BUESCHER TO much that I haven’t been able to ishing ninth at Texas Motor DRIVE NO. 34 CUP CAR do just three and a half months Speedway, his first career top- after breaking my back in two ten finish, and finishing 21st in has announced an enhanced places and going through 16 the season finale at Homestead- technical alliance with Front hours of surgery. Miami Speedway. Row Motorsports that will in- “I’m really looking for- Racing Trivia Ques- clude engineering, equipment ward to heading to PRI in Indi- tion: Which Cup team does Ja- and driver support in 2016. As anapolis this week. I’m hoping mie McMurray drive for? a key part of the deal, Xfinity to spend some time meeting Last Week’s Question: Series Champion and Roush with people to discuss how we How many Cup championships Fenway driver can prevent what happened to did Richard Petty win? An- will drive the No. 34 Sprint me from happening to others. swer: Seven. Cup Ford. We’ve spent a lot of time wor- You may contact the Buescher, in only his rying about our necks in sprint Racing Reporter by e-mail second season of full-time cars. It’s time to think about at: [email protected]. NASCAR racing in 2015, won our lower back and realize that NT(Dec16,Z19)CA