THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD April 1, 2015 Page 11 Towns County Sports Towns County’s Leader In Sports www.townscountyherald.net • E-mail: [email protected] Indians end five-game skid with 2-2 draw at unbeaten Union By Shawn Jarrard Towns County Herald Staff Writer

Blairsville - The Towns County Indians soccer team tied undefeated Union County 2-2 on Monday, March 23. In the last 25 seconds of the game, Union senior Kyle Hamby scored on a long ball, ending the Indians’ chance to beat their rival Panthers. “That was a heartbreaker at the end,” said Indians Head Coach Michael Huwe. “As a coach, there’s lots of times where it’s not a prevent defense like in football, but you start playing a little defensive. We had a couple of shots where we didn’t crash the net in the end because we were trying to stay back. Maybe it could have gotten us an extra goal, but their player had a beautiful strike from about 30 yards out that hit “But they are playing coach for the boys team, while and playing a little bit of soccer the upper corner. Really, there’s really well. They’re handling Coach Tucker Blackmon acts will help, too. not a lot you can do about that the basics – they’re trapping, as head coach of the girls team. “We’re a small school, when a player makes a shot they’re passing, they’re getting They are each other’s assistant the kids are great. They work that’s that good.” open. They’re covering for each coaches when the other is head hard, they’ve done everything Heading into the game, other defensively. We’ve got to coaching. we’ve asked of them, and it’s the Indians record was 0-5 and eliminate mistakes and we’ll be “The program just needs just a progression. We’re in the Panthers were undefeated, right there with teams.” to have a steady growth,” said stage one of a progression that sitting at 5-0. Coach Huwe Making the team are Coach Huwe. “We need to usually takes two or three years. said that in a game that close seniors Dallas Manus, Cory get the middle school more And throughout the season, I against a team as good as Union Ellis, Grayson Carver, Kyle involved, but where everyone mean every game, I can see County, a tie is much better Davis, Efren Figueroa; juniors is playing the same system and them grow a little bit, and I than a loss. Dalton Bradley, Shea Under- playing soccer more than just think Coach Blackmon would “We played as well as I wood, Austin Watson, Chaiz during the season – passing and say the same thing.” think we can play,” said Coach Davenport, Gavin Langelier; getting together on weekends Huwe. “We passed the ball, we sophomores Tyler Sisco, Tyler had good strikes on goal, we Grimsley, Marshall Ledford, Indians on the wrong finished, we played great defen- Owen Bouchard; and freshmen sively, limited them throughout Xavier Hogsed, Dawson Hog- end of no-hitter vs GWA the entire game, and we played sed and Trent Whidden. under control. So, it’s probably The boys played their By Shawn Jarrard The first game was an some of the best soccer I’ve first home game of the year Towns County Herald Indian defeat, 12-2, but the seen us play at Towns County on Friday, March 27, against Staff Writer second game saw the Indians so far. You’ve just got to be able Indians at Union County soccer photos by Lowell Nicholson Lakeview, losing 5-3. bouncing right back, winning to reproduce that over and over other high school and middle four, five good plays in a game. Heading into the half, the The Towns County Indi- 5-4 in a close and exciting and over again.” school programs. So, they’re starting to under- score sat at 2-0, Lakeview in the ans varsity baseball team lost contest. This is not Coach Huwe’s “Overall, the boys are re- stand how to play soccer and lead. Towns County went on to 11-1 at home against George Overall, the Indians, first time coaching soccer, ei- ally coming along,” said Coach how to play as a team. Right score three goals in the second Walton Academy on Tuesday, headed up by Coach Shannon ther. He played goalie in high Huwe. “We’re starting to be now, we just don’t have the half, aided by a brilliant header March 24. Floyd with Assistant Coaches school and has coached all able to pick out three, four, five skill to overcome mistakes very by a Lakeview player into his It just wasn’t in the cards Josh Rider and Scott Neal, are levels, from little kids all the mistakes during the course of a easily, so we almost have to be own goal. for the Indians that day, as the sitting right at a 6-8 record for way up to assistant coach of game instead of it being three, perfect to stay in games. Coach Huwe acts as head Bulldog pitcher threw a no- the season, with 2-4 in Region hitter, and George Walton’s play. offense supplied 14 hits, includ- The team has at least nine NASCAR 2015 ing a 3-run-homer in the second more games to play before the By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter inning. season is over, and certainly has three races this year when The Bulldogs scored 1 time to swing its record back to Hamlin holds off Keselowski Busch was suspended. run in the first, 5 in the second, the positive. MARTINSVILLE, Danica Patrick was Larson became the 4 in the fourth and 1 in the On Thursday, April 2, at Vir.— ended seventh, her highest finish third driver to miss a race seventh inning. 6:30 p.m., and Friday, April 3, a 31-race winless streak as of the season. this season with medical Towns County’s single at 5 p.m., the Indians will play he held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick, who problems. run came in the fifth inning to against Athens Christian, away Brad Keselowski to win came in eighth, saw his is side- avoid a shutout, when Adam and home. Sunday’s Sprint Cup race string of top-two finishes lined indefinitely after Barrett, who reached base on Nearly a week later dur- by less than two-tenths of end after eight. breaking his right leg and a walk, was able to steal home ing spring break, the Indians a second. Jeff Gordon came on left foot in the season open- as the Bulldogs attempted to will play Providence in a dou- The race was char- strong in the latter stages ing Xfinity Series race at catch Kobe Denton stealing bleheader at home, Thursday, acteristic Martinsville, be- of the race, even leading 21 Daytona on Feb. 21. second base. April 9, beginning at noon. cause of the bumping and laps. A pit road speeding , who Barrett came in to pitch at After that, Towns County shoving, but it was also the penalty during the race’s drives the No. 55 the top of the fifth, and was able heads to Commerce on Mon- best Cup race of the season last caution sent him to the for Michael Waltrip, is to get three strikeouts before the day, April 13, to play at 5 p.m., so far. tail-end of the field, but he out while being treated for game ended. only to come back home to face still managed a ninth-place Denny Hamlin celebrates his blood clots. He missed the Hamlin, who led 91 Martinsville Cup win Offensively, the Indians them again on Tuesday, April laps took the lead from finish. first two races, returned at were connecting with the ball 14, at 5:30 p.m. on lap 473 “We struggled early was second, followed by, Las Vegas and Phoenix, , , – just right at Bulldog defend- Hebron Christian will of the 500-lap race and in the race,” said Gordon. and then was pulled out of ers. be the next opponent for the held on for his first Cup “We finally got our car in Tyler Reddick, Daniel Su- the car last week prior to arez, James Buescher, John The Indians played three Indians, as they play home on win of the season, which a position to win, then-‘oh the California race. more games last week, losing Thursday, April 16, at 5:30 automatically assures him my gosh’-I really messed Wes Townley, Matt Tift, Meanwhile and Justin Boston. two and winning one. p.m., and away on Friday, April a Chase spot. up.” Racing announced that J.D. Against George Walton 17, at 5 p.m. “It was just a great Jamie McMurray was Top-10 leaders after Gibbs, president of Joe 3 of 23: 1. Crafton-128, 2. Academy away on Thursday, The last two games of the car the guys gave me to- the 10th-place driver. Gibbs Racing, is starting March 26, the Indians lost once year will be against Lakeview, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had Reddick-126, 3. Jones-122, treatment for symptoms day,” said Hamlin. “If I more to the bulldogs, but by a away on Tuesday, April 21, at 5 a rough day on the track. 4. Sauter-112, 5. J, Bue- impacting areas of brain hadn’t won, I would have slimmer margin, 9-5. p.m., and home on Friday, April been disappointed. I’ve First, his car developed scher-100, 6. Townley-90, function. Gibbs has under- a vibration, which broke 7. Black-89, 8. Hayley-84, gone a series of tests after Also away, the Indians 24, at 5:30 p.m. missed out on a lot of wins faced off against Mount Vernon Be sure to head to the here because of mechanical the gear shifter, and then 9. Gallagher-84, 10. Ken- experiencing a gradual on- he was involved in several nedy-83. set of symptoms that in- Presbyterian in a doubleheader games to support the Towns problems, but we weren’t County baseball program. to be denied today.” accidents, finally running LARSON OUT AT cludes speech and process- on Saturday, March 28. Brad Keselowski, into the back of Paul Me- MARTINSVILLE ing issues. Gibbs’ doctors winner of last week’s Cup nard. His team managed to Kyle Larson, driver believe the complications race in California caught patch up his damaged car of the No. 42 Ganassi Rac- he has experienced were up with Hamlin on lap and he returned to the track ing Chevrolet didn’t make triggered by head injuries 485. He remained on his to finish 36th. Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. likely suffered earlier in rear bumper for the last 15 Young Chase Elliott During an autograph life. laps, but was unable to get was finally able to realize session at his hauler on “As he goes through by. his dream of one day rac- Saturday, Larson fainted treatment, he will prob- “I really wanted to ing in the Sprint Cup series. and slipped to the pave- ably be doing less at the win,” said Keselowski. “I The 19-year-old driver was ment unconscious. He was race track because he has really wanted one of those caught up in several rac- first taken to a Martinsville a full week that demands clocks the winners get. ing skirmishes that made hospital, where he reported quite a bit from him as he We had the car but just his “dream” race appear that he was feeling fine. goes through treatment,” couldn’t quite make the “nightmarish”. He wound Later, he was transferred to said Joe Gibbs. “You will move we needed.” up 38th. Charlotte’s Carolina Medi- probably see less of him at Keselowski’s team- There were 16 cau- cal Center for further eval- the race track, but he’ll be mate and polesitter, Joey tion periods for 112 laps. uation by a neurologist. Af- there on a day-to-day basis Logano was third. Top-16 Chase con- ter the initial examination, with the race team and be “I was just watching tenders after 6 of 26: 1. Har- it was recommended that in all of our meetings and and trying to keep up there vick-263, 2. Logano-239, he stay over for additional all of the key decisions at the end,” he said. “Our 3. Truex-231, 4. Kesel- tests on Monday. that we make, J.D.’s going car went away during the owski-206, 5. Kahne-193, A team press release to have a huge impact on center of the race, and we 6. Newman-180, 7. Me- said all tests came back that.” negative and Larson feels Towns takes on George Walton Academy last week in Hiawassee. had to work our way back nard-173, 8. Hamlin-172, NOTE: There is no The Indians will be back home on Friday. Photo/Lowell Nicholson to the front.” 9. Earnhardt-172, 10. Alm- completely fine, but his NASCAR racing the week- Matt Kenseth was the irola-170, 11. Johnson-168, doctors felt like he should end of April 3-5. Teams leader when the race’s last 12. Kenseth-168, 13. Ra- be held for more testing, have the week off because Recreational Department caution for debris came gan-163, 14. Mears-161, and subsequently, was un- of the Easter Holiday. out on lap 462. On the re- 15. McMurray-154, 16. able to race at Martins- Racing Trivia Ques- annual Easter Egg Hunt start, he spun his tires, and Patrick-148. ville. tion: Where is Cup driver The Towns County be through the upper gate lo- Hamlin and several other LOGANO TAKES filled-in Paul Menard’s hometown? Recreation Department will cated near the Georgia Moun- drivers were able to get by TRUCK RACE for him and finished 16th. Last Week’s Ques- be hosting its annual Easter tain Fairground Office. We will him. With his win in Sat- Smith, who drives tion: The first NASCAR Egg Hunt on Saturday, April have over 2,500 eggs, including “I really thought we urday’s Truck race at Mar- full time in the Xfinity Se- race held at Martinsville 4, 2015. The hunt will begin special prize eggs to be found. had a shot to win,” said tinsville, has ries for JR Motorsports, has Speedway was in 1949. promptly at 10:30 a.m. All The hunt is free and for Kenseth. “We had a good now won at least one race 175 career Cup starts. He Who was the winner? boys and girls ages four thru all boys and girls ages four car, but that last restart in all three of NASCAR’s has nine career Cup starts Answer. It was Red By- nine are invited to come out through nine. Make plans now killed us.” major series’. at Martinsville, with a best ron, driving for Raymond and enjoy the hunt. to join The Recreation Depart- , who He led 150 laps of the of 13th in 2011. He has not Parks. The hunt will be held ment on Saturday, April 4, was substituting for the 258-lap race on the way to raced at Martinsville since You may contact the on the recreation ballfields 2015 at 10:30 a.m. For more injured Kyle Busch was his first Truck win. April 2013. Racing Reporter at: www. located on U.S. Hwy 76 just information contact The Rec- fifth, while Martin Truex , who Smith also filled in [email protected]. west of Hiawassee. Entrance reation Department at 706- for for the first was sixth. led six times for 100 laps, to the ballfield complex will 896-2600. T(Apr1,F3)SH