June 15, 2016 THE NORTH GEORGIA NEWS Page 1C

SportsSee the Sports Section at nganews.com UCHS athletics 2015-16 year-in-review (part one) By Todd Forrest Bowdon. North Georgia News The guys would make [email protected] history of their own as they won their first State Tourna- ment game in 15 years when Union County High they went on the road to defeat School capped off the 2015-16 a familiar face in Bowdon. school year with one its most The victory was Union County successful athletic campaigns basketball’s first true State across the board with seven Tournament road victory in programs finishing in the top school history. Prior to this past 10 in their respective sport and February, all of Union’s State six different programs claim- wins were either at home or at ing back-to-back Region 8-AA a neutral site. titles. In the second round, the Union County finished Panthers would lose at Class 11th overall in the Directors AA’s No. 1 team Thomasville Cup standings which ranks and the Lady Panthers were schools based on their total edged at Putnam County, who athletic success. The Panthers’ went to reach the Final 4. 11th place finish was behind What’s even more re- six private schools. In the girls markable about the basketball Directors Cup standings, Union season is the amount of fire- County was 10th place behind power that both teams lost to six private schools and the boys graduation. The Lady Panthers were 17th overall behind eight replaced four starters – includ- private schools. ing Region Player of the Year Union did lose points for Brooke Maddox. Meanwhile, not offering as many sports as the guys lost four starters who other programs across the state, had all been contributors since as well as in 8-AA, where some their sophomore seasons. were able gain a headstart on Union County wres- UCHS for that very reason. tling’s Bryan Nelson placed In Region 8-AA alone, River- fifth at State Sectionals in the side, Social Circle, and Rabun 160-pound division to become County were able to accumulate the most successful wrestler points over Union in sports in the program’s short history. such as volleyball, boys and The 2015-16 Director’s Cup standings rank the schools in Class AA based on all sports. Each school is given a score based on reaching, and then advancing at state. A State Champion receives 100 points for that sport - the most you can receive per sport. The overall top 20 rankings are on Joining Nelson at sectionals girls tennis, swimming, and the far left. The boys top 20 are in the middle and the girls top 20 rankings are on the far right. Courtesy / www.gadaonline.com were Logan McClure (132 cheerleading. pounds) and heavyweight Josh Overall champion, Lovett team and softball team were on Gordon Lee in the opener. During the regular sea- out, with less than 15 seconds to Silvers. However, the highlight was able to take advantage of a their way to a runner-up finish After falling to Gordon son, Union defeated Lumpkin play to force overtime with the of the season was defeating pri- boys and girls lacrosse program in Region 8-AA with the soft- Lee on day one, Union was County and Fannin County game tied 48-48. vate school powerhouse Greater – a sport that this newspaper ball team reaching the Elite 8 in eliminated by Seminole County for the second consecutive In the extra session, Man- Atlanta Christian en route to a writer will not live to see played Columbus for the fourth time in the following morning. year, then knocked off Greene cuso and senior Knox Kiernan fourth place team finish at the at UCHS. 10 years. Union County football County for the third straight hooked up for a 3-yard scoring Area Tournament – the first The athletic dominance Following a regular sea- finished with its second con- time. In the season finale, the strike to put Union on top at time Union has placed at Area. began in the fall when Union son that saw Union County secutive 9-win season and just Panthers pulled away at Wash- 55-48. Bowdon would respond Overall, the Panthers County Cross Country swept softball set a new record for missed the State Sweet 16 by ington Wilkes to snatch the No. with a touchdown and a 2-point placed 10-of-14 wrestlers at the 8-AA Championships at regular season wins, Union one point during a 56-55 over- 2 seed from the Tigers for the conversion to steal the win from Area, and all were underclass- Riverside Military Academy County swept Bowdon at home time loss to Bowdon. The Union second year-in-a-row. the Panthers. men. The future is bright for back in October with individual in the first round of State before County football senior class Hosting Bowdon in the Union County sports Union County Wrestling Coach Region champs Emma Garrison traveling to Lamar County and graduated as the winningest opening round of state, Union would move indoors during Michael Smith-Foot. This up- and Lance Underwood leading taking two-of-two to advance class in the history of the pro- rallied from a 20-6 deficit to the winter months and the coming year, the Panthers will the way. to Columbus for the first time gram while senior quarterback tie the game at 27-27 early in Lady Panthers basketball team hit the mat with just one senior Both teams would fin- since 2010. Joseph Mancuso rewrote the the second half. The two teams would overcome an 0-3 start to on the roster, Zach Payton at ish in the Top 10 at the State Unfortunately, the injury Union County record books – would exchange scores for the finish at 17-10, place second 220 pounds. Championships in Carrollton, bug bit hard in the Elite 8 as setting school records in regular remainder of the game with in Region 8-AA, and earn the To be continued in next two weeks later. Union was matched up with season, postseason, and career Mancuso hitting sophomore re- program’s first trip to the Sweet week’s edition of the North Meanwhile, the football the defending State Champion offensive numbers. ceiver Cole Wright from 9 yards 16 since 2009 with a win over Georgia News. NASCAR 2016 Football and cheerleading By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter registration ends June 24 Logano Powers to Michigan Win Sign-ups at the Union County Recreation De- Brooklyn, MI - shame.” body had been on the race track partment are coming to an end on June 24th. got a jump on the rest of the field lost an engine with this package before. Ev- during the race’s last restart on lap in his car and was the first driver erybody is struggling to find out 192 and went on to score his first out of the race (40th). where the sensitive adjustments Football registration fee: $100 Sprint Cup win of the season, lead- ’s sixth-place are. The car has not been as loose ing 138 laps of the 200-lap race. finish was his best of the season. as we expected. We thought that Cheerleading registration fee: $105 Logano, the polesitter, along Top-10 leaders after 15 the problem would be flying out with all the other drivers had to of 36: 1. Harvick-526, 2. Kurt from underneath of you, loose on fight a new aerodynamics package, Busch-496, 3. Keselowski-480, exit and entry. The entry has been Please note that our website is currently down so NASCAR had instituted just for 4. Edwards-472, 5. Logano-455, a little bit of a problem, but the exit come by our office to register! (310 Wellborn St.) this race. The restarts were espe- 6. Elliott-453, 7. Johnson-441, 8. and center has not been a bigger cially difficult, with cars bunched Truex-433, 9. Kyle Busch-417, 10. problem than normal. up and sliding as they entered the Kenseth-409. “The cars have gone from **For more information call the Recreation office at turns. SUAREZ GETS FIRST 3,000 pounds of downforce in 2014 Logano was among the XFINITY CAREER WIN to 2,700 last season, then 2,000 for 706-439-6074 first to learn the handling of the Daniel Suárez won Satur- the 2016 season before yet another NASCAR-mandated smaller day’s Xfinity race at Michigan Joey Logano reduction to 1,500 for MIS. spoilers and splitters, along with International Speedway in Brook- 3. T. Dillon-416, 4. E. Jones-397, “It’s a big turn and it’s also Apply now for other items that had been changed. lyn, Michigan, to become the first 5. Allgaier-388, 6. B. Jones-388, disappointing to me that they de- Run Above the Clouds Scholarship All drivers had more slipping and Mexican-born driver to capture a 7. Gaughan-386, 8. Poole-373, 9. cided to pick one of the races that To Woody Gap 2016 sliding, which made for harder to NASCAR national series victory. Wallace-340, 10. Reed-301. I consider to be pivotal to my year handle driving conditions. With the victory, Suárez becomes BYRON GETS TEXAS and not make such a jump ball out graduates and those who are “I’ll remember that one only the fifth Latino driver to win TRUCK RACE of it. I wish they had left the rules currently in the ongoing schol- for sure,” Logano said in victory a NASCAR national series race, William Byron won Friday the same and give us a practice ses- arship process with The Run lane. “What a crazy race with the joining Frank Mundy, Juan Pablo night’s Texas truck race after tak- sion somewhere to really evaluate Above The Clouds: this is no- low downforce, more cautions and Montoya, and Nel- ing the lead from Matt Crafton them, or a test session, but they tification that applications are more chances to screw up. There son Piquet Jr. with five laps to go. decided to use the race to do it, now being accepted for the were times I wasn’t sure what the Suarez was determined “It’s huge,” said Byron, so we’ll have to see what we can 2016/2017 school year. car was going to do. The team kept that his teammate Kyle Busch who drives for Kyle Busch Mo- get.” Applications are available telling me how good we were do- was not going to win his fifth torsports. “For our race team to Roush’s three teams finished at the Suches Community Cen- tions, please contact Ruth Ann ing, but I wasn’t sure about wheth- series race of the year. He pulled get another win this year really 15th, 19th, and 29th at Michigan. ter which is normally open on Miner at (706)747-5434. er the car would do what I needed around Busch with two laps re- solidifies us. We didn’t leave any They did not lead any laps. Wednesday and Saturday morn- Please note that the it to.” maining in the 125-lap race to doubt out there that we deserved Weekend Racing: The Chase Elliott continues to win by .028-seconds. to win.” Trucks and Xfinity teams are at the ings from 10 AM till noon. deadline for providing com- push for his first Sprint Cup win. “Honestly, I was trying as Matt Crafton, who held on seven-eighths mile Newton, Iowa If you are unable to pick pleted applications is June 25, He led 38 laps on the way to a run- hard as possible,” Suarez said. for second, led 133 laps of the 167- facility. The Sprint Cup teams have up an application or have ques- 2016. N(Jun15.A1)SH ner-up finish. “I was driving a little more on lap race, but was unable to with- an off week. Kyle Larson was third, with the edge. Honestly, I was maybe stand the late charge by Byron. Sat., June 18; Truck Series TUCKERÕ S BASKETBALL CAMP , , risking a little more than I should was third, race 8 of 23; Starting time: 8:30 , Tony Stewart, Aus- have. Everything was about the and then Ben Kennedy, Tyler Red- p.m. ET; TV: Foxsports1. Union County High School tin Dillon, Jamie McMurray, and win so I was trying as hard as dick, , John Nem- Sun., June 19; Xfinity Se- June 20-23, 2016 finishing out the top- possible and it seemed like we echek, German Quiroga, Rico ries race 14 of 33; Starting time: 10. were good in points, but not very Abreu, and were 1:30 p.m. ET; TV: Foxsports1. David Tucker Jimmie Johnson, who fin- good in wins. I was just very hun- the remaining top-10 drivers. Racing Trivia Question: 106 Sherwood Ave. ished 16th slapped the outside wall gry and I know this team was at Top-10 leaders after 7 of What year did the Iowa Speedway Box 26 and blamed it on Trevor Bayne. the same spot, we were very hun- 23: 1. Crafton-194, 2. Peters-176, open? Calhoun, TN 37309 Jr. got tan- gry to win races and finally we 3. Byron-171, 4. Hemric-168, 5. Last Week’s Question? (423) 336-3045 gled up in a wreck that involved AJ got the first one.” Nemechek-153, 6. Reddick-153, The Wood Brothers team won the Allmendinger and When asked how it felt to 7. Sauter-151, 8. Gallagher-145, 9. first NASCAR race held at Michi- during lap 61, and could not con- pass Kyle Busch, his teammate, Kennedy-142, 10. R. Truex-129. gan in 1969. Who was the driver? Union County High School is hosting a basketball skills camp for boys and tinue. He was credited with a 39th Suarez replied, “Well, definitely MORE RULES CHANGES Answer. It was Cale Yarborough. girls K-12th grade. The camp will begin daily at 8:30 a.m. and end at 11:30 place finish. Kyle has been super helpful to There is an old saying You may contact the Racing a.m. Every camper will receive a camp T-shirt. There will be an awards Earnhardt was attempting me, not just in the XFINITY Se- among NASCAR teams, that if Reporter by e-mail at: hodges@ ceremony on Thursday at 11 a.m. The cost for each camper will be $60. to shoot the gap between the cars ries but as well in the NASCAR you don’t like the rules, just wait, race500.com. NT(JUN15,Z7)CA You may bring this form and money on June 20th, or mail this form and of Allmendinger on his outside and Camping World Truck Series. and there will be some new ones money to David Tucker at the address above. Chris Buescher on the inside when Since last year, he started to sup- next week. Bowling Scores Buescher appeared to slide up into port me a lot, to give me infor- That was exactly the case af- Young At Heart Seniors: Earnhardt’s No. 88. That was all mation, advice, so many different ter the Charlotte race on May 29. David Tucker - Union County Panthers Head Girls Coach it took to set off a chain reaction, kinds of information just to try to One week later, after the Ron Wingate 209, Dewey Al- Junior Tucker - Walker Valley High School as Earnhardt’s car immediately be a little bit more prepared. June 5th Pocono race weekend, len 199, 220, 202, 621 Series, Jon Tucker Ð Polk County High School got loose and into the No. 47 of “Last year I went to more NASCAR issued a second aero- Ken Thigpen 215, Stanley Ty- Mandy Hunter Ð Union County Panthers Allmendinger -- sending both cars than 80 per cent of the racetracks dynamic package to further reduce ler 231, Claudia Harrison 206, Ray Stone - Tennessee Wesleyan Basketball hard into the outside wall. for first time. He was super help- downforce and sideforce for this Bob Landis 237, 225, 223, 685 Lane Colwell Ð Union County High School Earnhardt then spun and ful. This year hasn’t been the ex- past weekend’s Michigan race. Series, Jim Kidder 233. slid down the track before taking ception. He been super helpful as The bad part about an abrupt Summer Solar Fun Activities will include: Ball handling drills, dribbling drills, shooting drills, his heavily-damaged car to the well. We share a lot of informa- rule change isn’t the rule itself, but Youth: Nick Love 132, Sabrina offense and defense instruction, contests, 5-on-5 play, 3-on-3 play, and one-on- garage. He blamed Buescher for tion. He’s just been a good friend. how quickly teams must make Willis 122, Michaela Caldwell one-play. the incident and was not too happy I can call him a good friend. adjustments. In the case of NA- 150, Kiley Hartness 60, Coo- about it. Busch finished second, SCAR’s two latest changes, teams per Boyle. CamperÕ s Name ______Grade______“We’ve got a responsibil- followed by , Erik had only three days to prepare. As a Thursday Night Sum- ity to take care of each other when Jones, , Joey Lo- result, several teams had problems Shirt Size_____Do you have health insurance on this child? Yes_____ No_____ we’re three-wide, so I’m disap- gano, , Justin All- getting their cars to pass qualifying mer Mixed: Stanley Tyler 200, pointed in that,” Earnhardt said. gaier, Darrell Wallace Jr., and prior to practice at Michigan. 202, Tony Lynch 214, 201, “We had a pretty good car and Brandon Jones. “It’s different from what it Jeb Plott 210, Michael White- Emergency Contact______Phone #______we were just kind of taking our Top-10 leaders after 13 of was, no doubt,” said Jack Roush, head 201, Tee Turner 218, Tim time. The car was great, so it’s a 33: 1. Suarez-452, 2. Sadler-434, who has three Cup teams. “No- McVay 213. N(Jun15,Z6)gg Parent Signature ______Date ______