April 13, 2011 THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD Page 11 Towns County Sports Towns County’s Leader In Sports T www.townscountyherald.net • E-mail: [email protected] Town County High School Indians drop three games for the week By James Reese Towns County Herald Girls’ Tennis team advance to State [email protected] By James Reese Troubles continued for Towns County Herald the Diamond Indians as they [email protected] lost a heartbreaking game at Athens – The Towns Kimsey Field on Thursday and County Lady Indians’ tennis then lost a pair on the road last team is preparing for a return weekend. trip to the state tennis playoffs. On Thursday, the Indi- On Monday, the Lady In- ans took on the Athens Acad- dians wore down the Prince Av- emy Spartans with senior Alan enue Christian Lady Wolverines Turpin on the hill. A solid pitch- by a score of 3-1 to advance to ing performance by Turpin was the state playoffs for the second soured by a pair of home runs Taylor Denton gets the glad hand after chasing home a run on Thurs- consecutive year. by the Spartans’ Mark Sanders. day. Photo by James Reese The combined indi- The two-homer, four RBI vidual efforts of seniors Alexa performance by Sanders sealed Arencibia and Ginny Rhoades the Indians’ fate as they lost 6-3 led the way for the Lady Indi- to their Region 8-A rivals. ans. Rhoades, matched against The game started on a Prince Avenue’s top seeded solid note with Turpin easily re- player, took her match to the Towns County Lady Indians’ Ginny Rhoades smashes back a service tiring the side in the top of the wire, as the senior finished from her Prince Avenue Lady Wolverines’ opponent during Monday’s first inning. with a 7-6; 7-4 tie-breaker and tennis action. Rhoades won the match with a 7-6; 7-4 tie-breaker and Indians’ senior Billy a win. a win. Photo/Lowell Nicholson Meier got Towns County start- According to Towns senior Camille Guss and fresh- On Tuesday the Lady ed out on the right foot by slap- County Head Tennis Coach man Eryn Cochran did likewise, Indians were scheduled to re- ping a single up the middle to Shannon Floyd, Arencibia winning straight sets 6-2; 6-2. turn to the Classic City to face lead off the bottom of the first. played the best tennis in her en- Following their state the Athens Christian Lions in a Turpin followed with another tire four years at TCHS. tournament clinching perfor- battle for the third seed in the hit giving the Indians’ base run- Putting the Lady Indians mance, the Lady Indians took region. ners on first and third. over the top for a trip to state on the George Walton Academy Results were not avail- However, Athens Acade- competition, was the doubles Bulldogs. The Indians dropped able at press time. my starting pitcher John Brach- team of senior Jordan Moats three matches in three sets to The Indians boys' team er soon settled in as he recorded and junior Courtney Farmer. the Bulldogs marking the first drew a tough well-disciplined back-to-back strikeouts and Wesley Bloodworth is swinging the bat well for the Indians. Moats and Farmer defeated the match loss in 17 straight dating George Walton Academy squad forced Turpin at second on a Photo by James Reese Prince Avenue opposition in back to the first match of the and fell to the Bulldogs, finish- fielder’s choice to escape the in- straight sets 6-1; 6-4. The Lady year against Class AA Banks ing second overall in the Region ning unharmed and unscathed. Indians’ second doubles team of County. 8-A sub-region. The game remained scoreless until the top of the third when Sanders belted a solo shot, the first of two taters, NASCAR 2011 to break the deadlock and give By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter Athens Academy a 1-0 lead. The Spartans’ lead was short-lived however, as Turpin Kenseth leads led off the bottom of the third inning with single and a stolen Roush sweep of Texas base. Senior Taylor Denton, ever patient at the plate, drove came back 2. -247, 3. Kenseth-243, 4. Johnson-243, Turpin in with an infield hit ty- from a 76-race winless streak ing the game at 1-1. to take Saturday night’s Sam- 5. -240, 6. Earn- Leading off the fourth sung Mobile 500 at Texas Mo- hardt-235, 7. Newman-233, 8. inning, Senior Devin Hender- tor Speedway. Montoya-232, 9. Harvick-228, son was hit-by-pitch, and then Alan Turpin pitched perfect baseball in the early going against Ath- “Show me where to park 10. Stewart-213, 11. Me- quickly swiped second and ens Academy. Photo by James Reese this thing,” Kenseth radioed to nard-209, 12. Bowyer-201 third. Meier drove Henderson crew chief Jimmy Fennig after EDWARDS TAKES TEXAS in on a go ahead run-scoring beating race runner-up Clint NATIONWIDE RACE double giving the Indians a 2-1 Bowyer to the checkered flag started on advantage. by over 8- seconds. “It’s been the pole and never looked back, Turpin had trouble hold- leading 169 of 200 laps in a Matt Kenseth in Victory Lane at a while. TMS ing the lead. He ran into trouble “I’ve said it after every dominating victory in Friday in the top of the fifth inning giv- win, but especially after over night’s Nationwide Series race “We hope to get spon- ing up a pair of singles. With two years, I didn’t know if I’d at . sorship to keep running,” two on, Sanders drove Turpin’s ever have a chance to get here “That was big,” said Ed- Earnhardt said. “It’s tough. It’s offering over the left field fence, again. We had a packed house wards. “Just an unreal race; the not easy to find money. It’s not putting the Spartans up 4-2. tonight, and it probably wasn’t car was fast. It was a great ef- the best time with the econo- The Spartans would add the closest finish for them, but fort by this team. my right now and everything. a couple of more runs, padding we had great racing all night.” It was Edwards’ second We’re just going to try to keep their lead at 6-2. Clint Bowyer ran up consecutive victory in the NNS bringing money in, keep rac- The Indians scored late front for most of the race, but at Texas and Roush Fenway’s ing. in the bottom of the seventh in- was no match for Kenseth near sixth series win at the 1.5-mile Earnhardt was terminat- ning, following a Meier double, the end. track. ed after being accused of con- but were unable to mount a sig- Billy Meier had another big day at the plate for the Indians on Thurs- “We’ve come on, we’ve It was Edwards’ 30th tacting other teams and trying nificant rally afterwards -drop day. Photo by James Reese had solid runs and we’re click- career Nationwide Series win, to take the sponsor of the No. 1 ping the home game 6-3. ing now,” said Bowyer. “That’s making him just the fifth driver truck, Fuel Doctor with him. The Indians’ troubles Circle as they dropped a dou- scores of 3-0 and 10-0. It was a what it takes in this sport. ever to accomplish that feat. He said earlier in the continued on Saturday in Social ble-header to the Redskins by long ride back to Hiawassee. You’ve got to be able to get on The win was Roush Fenway’s week that he only did that a momentum swing, get some 14th overall NASCAR win at once he heard that Fuel Doctor confidence built back up, and Texas. wasn’t going to continue spon- Here comes Peter Cottontail! you have to start with that. Brad Keselowski crossed sorship on the No. 1 truck. Here comes Peter Cotton The hunt will be held activity is being planned for “I got in the lead there, stripe .482 seconds behind Earnhardt and team Tail, hoppin’ down the bunny on the recreation ball fields children 3 years and younger. and got away from him once, Edwards. came owner reconciled trail, hip-a-dy, hop-a-dy, Eas- located on Highway 76 just There will be Cash Prize but I was driving, you know, as home third, followed by Joey Wednesday and announced ter’s on its way! That’s right east of Hiawassee. Entrance Eggs, Toy Prize Eggs, and a hard as I possibly could to stay Logano, , Jus- that Earnhardt would drive and boys and girls! The Easter to the ball field complex will Grand Easter Basket to be giv- in front.” tin Allgaier, , they would continue to look Bunny is coming to the Towns be through the upper gate - lo- en away in both age divisions. For third-place finisher, Ricky Stenhouse, David Reuti- for funding. County Recreation Ball Fields cated near the Georgia Moun- There will also be a drawing Edwards, it was a good week- mann, and Brian Scott. “We’ve got a good team on Saturday, April 23, 2011, tain Fair office. The hunt will for a Mother’s prize. end. On Friday he won the Na- Kyle Busch, who was with Joe Lax as the crew chief, and Egg Hunt begins promptly begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. Make plans now to join tionwide race. gunning for his third consecu- all the crew guys – everybody at 10:30 a.m. and will last approximately 1 the Recreation Department and “Our car was really tive win and fourth of the sea- really works hard to make it as The Towns County Rec- hour. There will be over 3000 United Community Bank for all loose all night,” Edwards said. son, was chasing Edwards as good a program as they can,” reation Department, along eggs including prize eggs to be the fun on Saturday, April 23, “Man, we struggled. It seemed the two battled for the lead on Earnhardt said. “I don’t want to with United Community Bank found. 2011, at 10:30 a.m. For more like we put on a set of tires, Lap 88 when the No. 52 Chev- mess it up. We have something in Hiawassee, will be hosting The hunt is FREE to all information, call the Recreation made a small adjustment and rolet of Tim Schendel blew a good going and I want to keep its annual Easter Egg Hunt. boys and girls ages 4 through Department at (706) 896-2600 the car would be way different. tire and slid up into Busch’s it going, keep the relationship All boys and girls through age 9. There will be 2 age divisions or United Community Bank in I don’t know what adjustment path. With no room to ma- going and keep the friendship 9 are invited to come out and for the hunt: 4, 5 & 6 year olds; Hiawassee at (706) 896-4186. going. was making the car change so neuver and no time to react, join in on all the fun. 7, 8 and 9 year olds. A special T(Apr13,F1)SH much. Busch slammed into the back “We’re going to work “Third was about the best of Schendel’s car, knocking hard. We’re going to do what- we could hope for, and coming Busch’s No. 18 Toyota out of ever we can to keep racing. out of here with the points lead the race. “It’s been a real tough Dyer set for equestrian finals and a trip to Victory Lane is a “We started out a little week for everybody. It’s been Hannah Dyer is a se- national champions in their good trip to Texas for us.” bit tight, and the track was ac- one thing to another to an- nior co-captain on the Georgia chosen sport. Hannah has 3 The victory was tually coming our way a little other and it’s back to the start Equestrian team. The team will and is going for her fourth. Kenseth’s second at Texas bit,” Busch said. “It started where we’re racing again. It be competing in the equestrian Hannah is the daughter and the 19th of his NASCAR to free up a little bit that last was tough, and I guess that’s finals in Waco, TX, April 14 and of William Dyer of Hiawassee SprintCup career. Kenseth’s run right before we wrecked. what happens when there’s 15. and Debbie Akins of Blairs- teammate came We felt pretty good about it. not enough understanding and In 2010, she compiled ville and attends Pine Top home fourth, with Paul Menard We were just biding our time. communication between two a 5-8-1 record in Reining that Baptist Church. When here in completing the top-five. We were just running there— people.” included two winning rides at the mountains, she enjoys jet Marcos Ambrose ran we were running hard, but we The good thing for Earn- Nationals and another at the skiing on Lake Chatuge and sixth polesitter David Ra- were just running.” hardt and Ware is that they Southern EQ Championships. visiting family and friends - gan seventh, as Ford drivers Top-10 leaders after 5 have a week until the next race This year, however, she has a which are many. claimed five of the top seven of 34: 1. Stenhouse-218, 2. at Nashville Superspeedway 7-2 dual-meet record that was Graduating in May, positions. Jimmie Johnson, Leffler-204, 3. Allgaier-194, and then three more weeks un- highlighted by an MVP effort Dyer plans on working for a Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt 4. E. Sadler-188, 5. Soren- til the next race at Dover. against UT-Martin. year before going to graduate Busch completed the top-10. son-188, 6. Almirola-187, 7. Weekend Racing: The All Georgia Bulldogs school for a Master’s degree Edwards regained the se- Bayne-181, 8. Scott-173, 9. K. Cup and Nationwide teams are Hannah Dyer are given a ring when they are in Public Health. T(Apr13,J3)SH ries lead over Kyle Busch, who Wallace-164, 10. Bliss-150 at the 2.66-mile Talladega Su- finished 16th. Kenseth moved JR perspeedway, the largest of any Diabetes Foundation up six spots to third. Earnhardt MENDS FENCES NASCAR track. The Trucks do of Georgia, Inc. group Charity Golf Tournament climbed two positions to sixth Kerry Earnhardt, the not race again until April 22. in the standings, his highest grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sat., Apr. 15, Nation- and son of Kerry Earnhardt is wide Aaron’s 312, race 7 of to benefit Juvenile Diabetes ranking since he finished sec- Jerry (JR) Sheppard, betes that is characterized by ond in the 2010 season-open- back at his former employer, 36, Starting time: 3 pm; TV: Ware Racing, in the Camping ESPN2. a senior at Hayesville High dramatic and recurrent swings ing . The 169 laps School, hopes to inspire others in glucose levels, often occur- Kenseth led were 61 more than World Truck Series. Sun., Apr. 17, Sprint he led all last year. Cup Aaron’s 499, race 8 of 36, to become aware of the great ring for no apparent reason. Roush Fenway now Starting time: 1 pm; TV: FOX. The Diabetes Foundation need to find a cure for Juvenile Hayesville High School leads the points in both the ountain All times are Eastern. of Georgia Inc. has a support Diabetes. For his senior proj- and the Ridges Golf Course are M ect, Jerry is hosting a Charity hosting a four person scramble Nationwide (Ricky Stenhouse igh ikers Racing Trivia Ques- group in Blairsville. This group Jr.) and H H tion: Which Cup team does meets at the Old Nursing Home Golf Tournament on April 23rd to benefit JDRF on Saturday, Sprint Cup Series, which Hiking Club Martin Truex drive for? location on the second Tuesday at the Ridges Golf Course. April 23, 2011. There is an heads to Talladega Superspeed- Mountain High Hik- Last Week’s Ques- of every month at 6 p.m. We Jerry has been involved 8 a.m. shotgun start, $45 per way next weekend ers schedules two hikes each tion: How many NASCAR would like to invite everyone with the Chess Club, and the person, includes golf, lunch, Top-12 Chase contenders Tuesday, occasional specialty Cup championships has Dar- who is involved with diabe- Fellowship of Christian Ath- and prizes. Raffle tickets are after 7 of 36: 1. Edwards-256, hikes, and regular trail main- rell Waltrip won? Answer. He tes, or is interested in learning letes. He is planning on at- available, as well a a hole in taining trips - all in the beauti- was a three-time series cham- about diabetes, to attend the tending college to major in one chance for a new car! Color Copies 25¢ ful mountains of Georgia and pion (1981-82, ’85). All three meetings. Graphic Design. His theme for Sign-ups are now avail- . Check the crowns came while driving for We have different speak- a golf tournament to benefit able by contacting Jerry Shep- West Printing Co. website www.mountainhigh- Junior Johnson. ers each month. Come on out Juvenile Diabetes was inspired pard at 770-714-4196 or the hikers.org for schedule and You may contact the and get involved with Union by his brother-in-law, Bobby Ridges pro shop at 828-389- Racing Reporter at hodges@ County Diabetic Support Group. Anderson, who has Brittle Dis- 9000. NT(Apr13,Z13)CA 706-745-6343 meeting locations. N(Apr13,Z1)CA race500.com. NT(Apr13,C1)ac 706-781-1200. N(Apr6,Z1)CA ease, a form of Juvenile Dia-