December 2, 2009 THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD Page 9A T Towns County’s Leader In Sports ■ E-mail: [email protected] Sports Hiawassee, Georgia December 2, 2009 www.townscountyherald.net Tri-County Race Indians lose competitive game to Nantahala Track Awards Banquet Jordan Moss (11) 12 By Jerry Kendall Bradley Swanson con- Lady Indians (Grade) In last week’s edition Ali Bleckley (10) 11 Race Track Awards Ban- Towns County Herald tinued his scoring spree of the Melissa Conrad (12) 22 of Local Racing Action, night before, including eight Kerri Abernathy (12) 14 Brittany Walls (11) 11 quet mistakenly were omit- The Indians led Nan- photos of the Towns County ted. Congratulations to these tahala for most of the first ten treys this time in a sparkling 32 Gabby Arencibia (10) 11 Gabby Arencibia (10) 6 winners at the Tri-County drivers. T(Dec2,D1)TS minutes of the game but saw point performance for the Indi- Jordan Moss (11) 11 Lindsay Patton (10) 6 the visiting Hawks use a 27-8 ans. John Bleckley also used Ali Bleckley (10) 5 Sheena Kendall (12) 5 run the final 7:12 of the second the 3-point basket to advantage Sheena Kendall (12) 2 Heather Hamilton (12) 2 quarter in overcoming an 18-13 by including three among his 12 Indians (Grade) Indians (Grade) Indian lead for a commanding points for the game and Brandon Bradley Swanson (11) 27 Bradley Swanson (11) 32 40-26 advantage at intermis- Henderson took third honors in John Bleckley (12) 16 John Bleckley (12) 12 sion. The Hawks extended scoring with 8 points. Bleckley Brandon Henderson (10) 14 Brandon Henderson (10) 8 the advantage a bit in the third and Swanson also took the lead DJ Rogers (11) 4 Rylan Albach (10) 4 quarter for a 64-45 lead with in assists with 5 each according NANTAHALA Ethan Burch (12) 3 the Indians reducing the final to your reporter’s tally. Lady Indians (Grade) DJ Rogers (11) 3 Nantahala margin of victory to Basketball individual scoring Kerri Abernathy (12) 17 Dakota Barrett (10) 2 77-64 by game’s end. PISGAH Melissa Conrad (12) 16 Photos by Jim/Lisa Bryant Young Harris driver Terry Lundsford placed fourth in the Crate Late Model points. D.J. Rogers is hemmed in by three Nantahala Hawks in Tip-Off Classic. Bradley Swanson blows past a Nantahala Hawk in loss to the Birds. Hiawassee’s Steven Soffield won his second Street Stock Championship. and seven top-10 finishes. At NASCAR 2009 19 years of age, Logano is the By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter youngest driver to win Ray- bestos Rookie of the Year in Fix Junior, And You Help Fix Nascar the Cup Series. Logano is the third driver from Joe Gibbs Racing to win the title, join- As Jimmie Johnson was races for 146 laps (out of ing Tony Stewart (1999) and appearing in New York and on 10,625 run this season). Denny Hamlin (2006). several TV talk shows, many With interest in the sport fans were already looking for- clearly waning, TV ratings Bad Year For Roush Racing ward to next year. and attendance on a decline, While Johnson cel- it is drivers like Tony Stewart, Jack Roush is another ebrated his fourth consecutive and Dale Earnhardt Jr., two of team owner that needs to do championship, his teammate, the sport’s most popular driv- some fixing during the off sea- Dale Earnhardt struggled ers, and Kyle Busch, its most son. through a winless season. controversial and entertaining Out of his five Cup Many of his races were star, whom NASCAR needs teams, Greg Biffle’s seventh- Kevin Bradshaw had a popular fifth place finish for the Hiawassee sheer torture. most. place finish was the best. Carl driver in the Crate Late Model division. Rick Hendrick changed “My priority right now Edwards, winner of nine races Earnhardt’s crew chief mid- is the 88 team,” continued in 2008 went winless and fin- Veteran driver Bobby Panter takes way through the season, and Hendrick. “We’ve just got to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ished 11th in the standings. increased engineering support be better all the way around. I Matt Kenseth started off by end of season points Championship to the No. 88 team. Although think when we do that, when winning the first two races at his performance began to im- that he hopes to get a series Dale sees that we’ve stepped of legal issues resolved in the Daytona and California, and prove toward the end of the up in a lot of areas, it will then he fizzled. Jamie Mc- season, on track problems left coming weeks that may pave give him the confidence he the way for a return in some Murray did get one win, but Earnhardt with very little to needs.’” he won’t be with Roush next show for his efforts. capacity with a race team. Earnhardt Jr. has a zillion “Unfortunately for me, year. David Ragan, who re- “I’ve seen this happen fans who influence TV ratings, placed Mark Martin in the No. with Jeff Gordon ... you just go there are a lot of legal things attendance and souvenir sales. going on right now. And there 6, has not lived up to his ex- through these (slumps),” Hen- Their interest in the sport ebbs pectations. drick said in a telephone in- will be more legal things to and flows with Junior’s for- come,” said Evernham, who Roush has moved vet- terview last week. “We know tunes, and he has taken them eran crew chief Donnie Wingo we can make the team better remains a minority stockholder on a dizzying roller-coaster in what is now known as Rich- to the head of Ragan’s Cup and it’s frustrating. The driver ride the past two seasons. team, and Jimmy Fennig is begins to think that no matter ard Petty Motorsports. “I’m His struggles this season not 100 percent sure what I’ll moving to the R&D depart- what he does, something bad have shocked the entire NA- ment, which will likely be a is going to happen.” be doing next year. Right now SCAR world because of the I have a contract on the table very busy place during the NASCAR Chairman, enormous name recognition off-season, giving rival Rick Brian France said one reason from ESPN -- and I love work- and expectations he carries. ing for ESPN. I have a blast Hendrick’s dominance on the NASCAR has suffered this Evernham Might Return Driver Bobby Panter of Morganton, GA and car owner Kenny Gar- with what I do there. We’ll Sprint Cup tour this past sea- rett of Hiawassee, GA past year was because Dale To Old Job son. Earnhardt Jr. didn’t win a have to see. I’m not going to Is it possible Ray Evern- say that I’ll never be back over Ragan, after a promis- Veteran driver Bobby see, GA, BP at Cornerstone race. ham, Jeff Gordon’s crew chief ing rookie year, struggled dur- Panter takes end of season Points Hiawassee, Lakeview Store Earnhardt finished 25th here. I just don’t know in what might return to his former team? capacity.” ing his sophomore season and Championship at TCR Track for Hiawassee, GA, Vic Hill Rac- in the points this season with It’s not written in stone, but never quite caught fire. 2009 in Sportsman Division. ing Engines, and Texaco of only five top-10 finishes in 36 Evernham has made no Evernham is looking at return- secret of his desire to rid him- The easy-going Wingo Car owner Kenny Gar- Hiawassee. Thanks to Bobby races. He also failed to finish ing to Cup racing in some form. has been the boss of Jamie five races and led only seven self of his minority stake in rett would like to thank the for for a great job driving and NASCAR.com reports RPM, which previously was McMurray’s team, first with following sponsors for their taking the Season Champion- known as Gillett Evernham car owner Chip Ganassi, then support and another great sea- ship (as this was the first fill Motorsports -- and before that Roush. Wingo is perhaps best son and another champion- season driving the 33 GRT Car) was simply Evernham Motor- known for his years with team ship. Carl Patterson Flooring, Once again thanks to all spon- sports, in which he was found- owner Bud Moore and racer Hayesville, NC, Hiawassee sors and fans for your support er and majority owner. Jimmy Spencer. Discount Pharmacy, Brass- throughout the 2009 season. “I’ve got some meet- Wingo and McMur- town Valley Resort and Spa, Also a special thanks to David ray broke a long drought ings next week. There is a lot Hiawassee River Trout Lodge, Garrett for all the hard work at going on where we’ve got to with a win at Talladega three Citgo Ameriventure Hiawas- the track. T(Dec2,D2)TS get some clear communica- weeks ago, and they will be Andrews VFW Post tion on -- things that are going under the gun right from the on and where I fit in all that,” start in 2010. In fact, it’d be Watershed Coalition Board meeting Andrews, N.C. Evernham continued. “I own a nice if they had something to The Board of Directors meetings.htm The HRWC of- percentage of everything as a take into the Daytona 500, of the Hiwassee River Water- fice is located at 1853 NC Hwy (828) 321-3901 stockholder.