THE February NORTH 8, GEORGIA 2017 THE NEWS NORTH February GEORGIA 8, 2017 NEWS Page 5BPage 5B Brown signs with Fort Valley State Turkey Calling Contest

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Union County High School’s All Region 7-AAA offensive tackle Blaine Brown signed a National Letter of Intent on Friday to play at Fort Valley State University, located about 20 miles southwest of Macon. For the complete story and interview with Brown, check next week’s edition of the North Georgia News. Photo/Todd Sponsored by: Forrest Coopers Creek Sportsmen for Kids Playoff Time... continued from 4B over, and a Lady Indians’ trey When: Saturday, February 11 suddenly made it a game once again when they cut the lead to 46-42 with 24 seconds left. Time: 11:30 AM Daniel hit 1-of-2, three seconds later, but Lumpkin scored on a put-back to claw within three. Where: Union County Civic Center With six seconds to play, Daniel hit 1-of-2 at the charity stripe to put the visitors away Age Groups: 10 & under, 11-16, 17 & up and pour in a game-high 20 points. McCarter finished with For more details: 8 points and 8 boards, Mary Wischmeyer added 7 points, call Tony Hughes 706-897-2032 Fair had 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals. Rogers chipped in 5 points and 7 boards, while Hill NASCAR 2017 scored 2 points. By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter Daniel scored 16 in the second half and 11 in the Patrick’s Team Sues Sponsor For $31-Million fourth to help Union break away from a 19-19 tie at Danica Patrick’s race stated that Nature’s Bakery had halftime when she opened the team says one of her sponsors agreed to pay $15-million dol- third with a 3-point play. Senior Ashley Fair puts Lumpkin away with a steal-and-score following has defaulted on past, present, lars for 20 races, which comes A pull-up jumper in the a trey on the previous possession. Photo/Todd Forrest and future obligations in ex- out to $750,000 per race. That paint by Daniel gave the Lady Lady Panthers back up by five It was all Union in the cess of $31-million dollars. amount is just for the primary Panthers a 24-20 lead, then a at 32-27 before another Lady early-going as a put-back by Stewart-Haas Racing sponsor. Tack on three or four McCarter put-back made it Indians trey made it 32-30 at Hill opened up an 11-3 lead at filed a breach of contract law- associate sponsors, and the 26-20. the 6:42 mark. the midway point of the second suit against Nature’s Bakery on team will receive over one mil- A Lady Indians trey Rogers hit 1-of-2 at the quarter. However, Lumpkin Friday, accusing the company lion per race. of refusing to pay millions of As the cost of funding cut the lead in half but Mary foul line for a three-point answered with a 16-2 run to dollars it owes the team. Wischmeyer connected from lead before Lumpkin tied the a team goes up, less and less take a 19-13 advantage before According to the fil- companies can afford to put her favorite spot at the elbow game with a 3-ball 10 seconds the Lady Panthers tied things up ing, Nature’s Bakery owes the their names or logo on a NA- to stretch the Union advan- later. with a 6-0 spurt over the final 29 team for two seasons; 2016 SCAR Cup or Xfinity team. tage back to five. However, Daniel drove base line seconds of the half. and 2017. SHR also accused Jeff Gluck reported that Lumpkin would close with a for two but the Lady Indians A Rogers lay-in fol- the company of concocting “a even before last season started, 4-0 spurt to pull within one regained the lead with their lowed by a lay-up by Daniel scheme to avoid further pay- Nature’s Bakery told SHR it after three. third straight trey. A Union pulled Union within two be- ments” by claiming Patrick was having cash flow issues A baseline jumper from turnover led to a 1-for-2 trip to fore McCarter tied the game had been endorsing competing and requested to modify the Daniel and an elbow jump shot the line by Lumpkin and a 37- with a jumper at the buzzer to products and was not using her payment due dates. So instead by McCarter quickly put the 35 deficit with 4:06 to play. even the score at 19-19. social media presence enough of big payments like $5 million to promote Nature’s Bakery. and $3.4 million, SHR spread Danica Patrick in 2016 The suit says Nature’s out the payments into smaller father is Kerry Earnhardt - a for- Bakery sent a letter to the team increments like $2.5 million mer driver himself, the eldest on Jan. 19 terminating the and $1 million. son of Dale Sr. and the half- sponsorship agreement, and SHR isn’t the only team brother of Junior. that the company has missed experiencing a lack of spon- His father Kerry Earnhardt several re-scheduled deadlines sors. one had seven Cup Series starts. to pay. of the stalwarts of NASCAR The pairing with Na- Jeffrey will be driving for racing, dropped one Cup team a new team (Circle Sport-TMG ture’s Bakery was touted as a at the end of the 2016 season natural fit for Patrick because No. 33 car) that was formed dur- for lack of sponsorship. Two ing the off season. Earnhardt she heavily promotes a healthy single-car operations have also lifestyle and clean eating. will have a guaranteed starting shut their doors. spot, because the team will be She has started a fitness pro- The sport’s popularity gram that will be turned into a using the charter of the No. 95 peaked in the mid 2000s, and car, which was owned last year book, has launched an active- since then, overall revenue wear clothing line and uses by Levine Family Racing. has plummeted. Sponsors like “This is really a dream her social media channels to Nature’s Bakery have walked encourage fans with recipes come true,” said Earnhardt. away. “We’ve been working every day and workouts. Patrick has also How fans consume live promoted Nature’s Bakery on for the past six years to get to the sports, has altered across all .” social media, and has claimed major sports, not just NA- she ate the fig bars before she Jeffrey has 24 Cup Series SCAR. With the major costs starts with a best finish of 26th was partnered with the com- that are now associated with pany. last October in Charlotte. He’s attending big sporting events, Freshman Kait McCarter drives to the basket at Dawson where she finished with 10 points. Photo/Todd Forrest According to the Asso- driven in the Rolex 24 twice, ciated Press, Nature’s Bakery such as tickets, lodging and competed in one Truck Series continued from 4B took issue with Patrick using transportation, fans are more race, run three Xfinity races and Panthers... Instagram to promote Six Star likely to watch from their competed in four Cup events. led to a break away lay-up Both teams split the be held at 6 p.m. on a neu- Pro Nutrition Protein Powder, homes on television. His best finish was a seventh- at the other end to seal the regular season meetings with tral court at East Hall High Purely Inspired Protein, home- But even television has place result in the 2011 Truck victory for the visitors. each team protecting home School. made energy balls, a homemade its problems. Ratings for the race. Candler Colwell led the court. The rubber match will spinach smoothie and various last Cup race of 2016 on NBC Cup teams tested at Phoe- way with 16 points, 7 boards, other homemade meals. SHR saw a 25 per cent dip over a nix last week, and for Toyota 3 assists, and 4 steals. maintains none of those prod- year ago despite the dramatic rookies and Daniel race won by Banton had 12 points, ucts is in competition with fig Suarez the tire test should have bars or brownies, and that Na- on the final lap. Johnson se- been a time to just get acclimat- 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. cured his record-tying seventh Crawford Colwell added 11 ture’s Bakery “liked” most of ed to their new rides. Joe Gibbs the Instagram posts. An exhibit Cup title in a story line that Racing (Suarez) and Furniture while posting team-highs played out over the closing Row Racing (Jones) opted to in rebounds (8) and assists filed with the suit includes nu- merous Patrick photos from weeks of the 36-race. have their new drivers get the (4). Instagram that show Nature’s “Stewart-Haas Racing seat time rather than have an ex- Allison also finished Bakery had “liked” the post. remains focused on its prepa- perienced driver give feedback in double-figures with 10 SHR claimed Nature’s Bakery ration for the 2017 NASCAR on the new Toyota body. points while recording a never complained about the season where it will again field Jones has three races of career-high 5 steals. Instagram posts until it began four entries ( No. Cup experience, in 2015 as a In his return, Baen- missing payments and accused 4, No. 41, Danica substitute for and ninger was steady with 8 Patrick to be in breach of con- Patrick No. 10 and , while Suarez has points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, tract. No. 14) in the Cup Series while none. and 2 steals. SHR released the fol- also introducing a full-time NA- “My experience in a Cup Wright had 2 points and lowing statement. SCAR Xfinity Series team. The car was totally different than 2 assists while Waller and “It is an unfortunate sit- litigation with Nature’s Bakery what they drive like now -- I uation, as the team has deliv- will not impact the organiza- don’t have a lot of [Cup] experi- Daniel each scored two. tion’s on-track efforts.” Up next is the region ered on all aspects of its con- ence to lean on,” Jones said. “I tract and was prepared to do While SHR can probably wouldn’t say they are looking tournament beginning on weather the loss of one major too much for feedback on the Wednesday when they face so again in 2017. Ultimately, this is a situation that will be sponsor, there have been ru- body from us because they do so Dawson County. resolved in a court of law,” mors that the No. 14, which was much in the wind tunnel now in the statement said, adding the driven by last year, the simulations, they can really BMT Hike team is moving forward with will also come up short on spon- learn what they need to know Hike: BMT Section 14 – plans to field four cars in the sorship money. Stewart said lack through that rather than through TN 68 to Unicoi Gap via Buck Cup Series while also expand- of a full-time sponsor would not driver feedback. Bald. 5.6 miles; moderate to ing to include a full-time Xfin- impact that team. “I’m trying to help with I’m guessing that a four- strenuous. The first 45 min. is ity Series team. “The litigation the handling aspects of the car in with Nature’s Bakery will not car organization like SHR can breaking down some of the data uphill, but your effort will be re- operate all four cars with the warded with lots of good views, impact the organization’s on- they get off the car and interpret- track efforts.” loss of a single, major sponsor, ing it a little better.” history, and culture. Lunch will but to lose two would be a major be at the Buck Bald picnic area, Patrick and Stewart- Racing Trivia Question: Haas Racing last year signed financial blow. Which Cup team will Greg Bif- where you’ll have a 360 degree In other racing news, Jef- view of the surrounding moun- a deal with Nature’s Bakery as fle drive for in 2017? frey Earnhardt, the grandson of Last Week’s Question: tains. Unicoi Gap is near the TN/ Patrick’s primary sponsor. The Sr. will make his How many points races are in NC state line and is a site on the company founded in 2010 by first Daytona 500 start on Feb. the 2017 Cup Series schedule? historic Unicoi Turnpike National the father-and-son duo of Dave and Sam Marson was new to 26. Answer. There are 36 points Historic Trail. Shuttle is involved; He is the 27-year-old races. the Coker Creek Visitors Center is NASCAR last season and was scheduled to sponsor more grandson of the late NASCAR You may contact the Rac- on the shuttle route. Register with Candler Colwell (21) looks on as Crawford Colwell (24) fires a jump shot than 20 races this year. Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt ing Reporter by e-mail at: hodg- hike leaders Clare and Ed Sullivan at Dawson County. Crawford had 12 points at Dawson County and 11 points vs Lumpkin County. Photo/Todd Forrest In their lawsuit, SHR and the nephew of Dale Jr. His [email protected]. at clare7982 @gmail.com.