Sports
’Neers begin first season with hope
Both North Murray High basketball teams appear excited about joining fall sports team in making history at the fist-year school.
“We want our players to know that they’re capable of playing varsity basketball,” Mountaineers coach Eric Bishop said. “We do have some good talent. The attitude has been great. There is always the thin line between confidence and cockiness.”
With only freshmen and sophomores this season, he boys and girls are competing at the junior varsity level before taking the leap to varsity competition in 2010-11.
“We are going to be playing about three varsity teams this season,” Bishop said. “That should give us a measuring stick.”
Angela Campbell is directing the Lady Mountaineers.
“We’ve already had a volleyball season,” she said. “Some of the same girls played on that team. They showed that they could win with a 16-7 record. The attitude is so good.”
Bishop, a 1994 Murray County High graduate, can provide first-hand evidence for players with outstanding leaping ability. He was a national high jump track champion at University of North Carolina (personal best of 7-foot-6 inches) while advancing to the 1996 Olympic Trials in Atlanta.
“Historically, this group coming up from middle school (Bagley) is offensive-oriented,” Bishop said. “We hope to have good balance inside and outside. On defense, they’re mediocre at best. We need to work a lot on defense.”
Likely starters — all sophomores — are Tyler Duckett (6-0), Jeremy Smith (6-0) and Gavin Ledford (5-7), guards, center Cody Malone (6-4) and forward Chad Stepp (6-1).
“Duckett is certainly a capable scorer as evidenced by a 30-point game last year as a freshman,” Bishop said. “Malone, with his size can rebound, and he has a mean hook. Smith is a good outside shooter. Stepp, who transferred from Dalton, certainly will help, as will Ledford.”
Bishop pointed to freshman Brady Swilling (6-1) as a player who “can jump out of the gym.” Two others from that class come highly touted — posts/forwardsAusten Horn (6-2) and Zach Vess (6-3).
Sophomore guard Austin Owen provides depth with freshmen guards Martin Contreras, Jacob Sexton, Jacob Sturgil, Zach Stanford and Drew Mosteller, along with forward/guard Dillion Cantrell, forward-guard.
Campbell expects to utilize a fast-paced game for the Lady Mountaineers
“When we went to camp (last summer at Berry College),” she said, “we scored 80 percent of our points off the fastbreak. But, we do have some size to go with the speed.”
A trio provide size in the projected starting lineup — sophomore center Alex Hedges (6-0), freshman center Meagan Spivey (6-0) and freshman guard Hannah Hensley (5-10). Freshmen guards Abigail Bradley and Lindsey Ray round out the starting lineup.
Sophomores ready to log time include forwards Justice Barber and Alex Campbell and guards Megan Bramblett and Anna Budden.
Freshmen depth comes from forwards Casey Chapman, Dayln Cochran and Andrea Dunn; guards Dara Dople, Tiffany Gardner, Taryn Thomas and Alex Westmoreland; and guard/forwards Aleshia Townsend and Paige Wilson.
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Cats' year had some 'feathers'
In a 15-team Region 7-4A that ran deep, Dalton High’s boys and girls basketball teams hung with the best squads throughout the season.
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Area Roundup: Cats on track for good year
Dalton High coach Scott Thomson wasn’t sure what he was working with as he began putting together this year’s Catamounts track and field team.
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Prep basketball: Northwest to host action on Saturday
The 12th Make-A-Wish All-Star basketball games continue to prosper as a top-notch charitable event.
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TNA needs changes — now
The bottom line? “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is still a ratings machine.
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Bruins' bats still too quiet
After scoring in double digits in four of its first five games, Northwest Whitfield’s baseball team finds itself in a sudden scoring slump with just five runs in the past three games.
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Rhodes is next stop for Northwest's Brown
Travel softball teams frequently play in “exposure” tournaments designed to give college coaches a first-hand look at top talent.
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The awakening bats
Blake Raber’s two-run homer in the fourth inning awoke Dalton High’s bats on Tuesday and the Catamounts went on to a 4-2 non-region baseball victory over visiting LaFayette.
The Cats (2-1) had done little against Ramblers pitching for three innings. After Raber’s homer, Mitch Townsend singled and stole second and scored on Alex Blackwell’s single to cap the inning.
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Ringgold’s Crownover holds off Northwest
A day after coming up with a 2-1 victory, Northwest Whitfield’s baseball team found itself on the losing end of that same score against Ringgold on Tuesday at Richard S. Chumley Field in Tunnel Hill.
With Region 7-4A play four days away for the Bruins, they’ll take the same thing from both of their past two games: The defense is solid and the pitching is coming along, but the hitting — scrappy as it has been — has to be a little better. -
Football managers get Valdosta grants
Kristen Smith wants to set the record straight about a certain myth regarding the duties of a football manager.
“First of all, it’s not all about just giving out water like people think,” said Smith, who along with Maryann Gutierrez has been a Bruins manager since her freshman year. “We’re fixing helmets and shoulder pads, cleaning and sterilizing the locker room, helping the trainer, taping up players and much more.” -
Cats down Raiders
Ricky Rodriguez thought he tied Dalton’s soccer game against Southeast Whitfield 14 minutes into the second half, but the goal was waved off. Undeterred, the Cats senior striker came back to tie the game with seven minutes left, sending it to overtime tied at 1.
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