Sports

McKenzie Coan of Clarkesville will compete in her third Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan beginning Aug. 24.

McKenzie Coan of Clarkesville will compete in her third Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan beginning Aug. 24.

Coan returns to Paralympics for a third time

   McKenzie Coan of Clarkesville is headed to the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.    This will be her third trip to the Paralympic Games as part of Team USA.    Coan and 33 other members of the team were named Sunday after national qualifying was held in Minnesota.
Tallulah Falls’ Scott Neal was named Athletic Director of the Year for Region 8-A Private by the Georgia Athletic Director’s Association. RANDY CRUMP/ Submitted

Tallulah Falls’ Scott Neal was named Athletic Director of the Year for Region 8-A Private by the Georgia Athletic Director’s Association. RANDY CRUMP/ Submitted

TFS earns sportsmanship award, Neal picked as AD of the Year

Georgia High School Association recently named Tallulah Falls School winners of the GHSA/Georgia’s Electric Membership Cooperatives (EMC) Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award for the 2020-21 school year. This marks the second-consecutive year TFS has won the award.
The Velo Factory’s 13U travel baseball team won the 2021 Perfect Game World Series Championship last week. The team competed at the Majors Level, which is the highest possible. Team members are (from left) Kenny Foudy, coach Tate Gailey, Kreed Barrett, coach Chris Chitwood, Maverick Chitwood, Kaleb Sexton, Cash Unruh, Lane Haney, Ty Kemp, Philip Williams, Blayne Gunter, Hudson Gailey, Marcus Sims and coach Joe Kemp. CHRIS CHITWOOD/Submitted

The Velo Factory’s 13U travel baseball team won the 2021 Perfect Game World Series Championship last week. The team competed at the Majors Level, which is the highest possible. Team members are (from left) Kenny Foudy, coach Tate Gailey, Kreed Barrett, coach Chris Chitwood, Maverick Chitwood, Kaleb Sexton, Cash Unruh, Lane Haney, Ty Kemp, Philip Williams, Blayne Gunter, Hudson Gailey, Marcus Sims and coach Joe Kemp. CHRIS CHITWOOD/Submitted

Velo Factory closes out strong year

Over the past year, the Velo Factory’s travel baseball and softball teams have found a lot of success on a regional and national stage.  Last weekend, the 13U baseball team closed out its season with a Perfect Game (PG) World Series Championship in Nashville.
Piedmont’s Carter Ballstadt stands at the plate during a game earlier this season. KARL MOORE/Special

Piedmont’s Carter Ballstadt stands at the plate during a game earlier this season. KARL MOORE/Special

Ballstadt earns Gold Glove award

Though Piedmont’s baseball season has ended, the awards keep rolling in for Lions’ players. Wednesday, the school announced Carter Ballstadt was named a recipient of a 2021 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award. He was one of three outfielders selected to receive the award across all of Division III.
Piedmont rising junior Peyton Irvin has caught the eye of many in the sport as an emerging prospect. KARL MOORE/Special

Piedmont rising junior Peyton Irvin has caught the eye of many in the sport as an emerging prospect. KARL MOORE/Special

Irvin chopping wood this summer

As one of Georgia’s best kept summertime secrets, the Sunbelt Baseball League hosts a bevy of collegiate baseball talent from all levels across the country to compete over seven weeks.
Capitol Beat

Capitol Beat

Pay-for-play era about to hit college sports

ATLANTA - The landscape of college sports in Georgia is about to change forever. Legislation taking effect July 1 will let student-athletes at Georgia colleges, universities and technical colleges receive compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL).

10U All-Stars fall at state tourney

After rolling through the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association’s (GRPA) District 7 Tournament, Habersham County’s 10U All-Stars saw their season come to an end at the state tournament in Bainbridge.  The Raiders fell Wednesday 18-0 in their first game against Pooler.
Raiders’ head coach Benji Harrison signals in the play call to his offense between plays at Habersham Central football camp Wednesday. ISAIAH SMITH/Staff

Raiders’ head coach Benji Harrison signals in the play call to his offense between plays at Habersham Central football camp Wednesday. ISAIAH SMITH/Staff

Tallulah Falls golfers Brinson Hall (left) and Maggie Jackson had a stellar senior season. RANDY CRUMP/Special

Tallulah Falls golfers Brinson Hall (left) and Maggie Jackson had a stellar senior season. RANDY CRUMP/Special

Seven athletes from Habersham County make Blitz Hall of Fame

Blitz announced its sixth Hall of Fame class last week, with seven of the 44 inductees being from Habersham County.  After Blitz nominates a certain number of well-known athletes for induction, it then allows the public to nominate other athletes they feel deserving of Hall of Fame recognition.