Clint Haggard, a Georgia boy turned Gamecock

Article published in The Madison County Journal December 27th issue.

Clint Haggard (middle) pictured with other members of
the South Carolina Gamecock athletic training staff

Feature on former Raider Athletes- Where are they now?

 By Dallas Bordon

Most people wish for a dream job. While growing up, most kids dream of what they will be when they grow up. Clint Haggard, a 1998 graduate of Madison County High School, might have dreamed of being a professional ball player one day; dreams that most kids in sports have. For Clint, a former Raider soccer player all four years at MCHS and football player for the Raiders in 1994 and 1996, he is living a different kind of dream. Not a dream of playing any type of sport, but a dream of being around the sport of football. Haggard is the youngest Division 1 head athletic trainer in the history of the modern NCAA and also the youngest head athletic trainer in the history of the Southeastern Conference. He is currently the Head Athletic Trainer for the South Carolina Gamecocks. “I’m very thankful to be one of fourteen head athletic trainers in the SEC. This year was my 13^th season of college football and I hope that I have at least 30 or more left in me,” Haggard said.

It was a knee injury suffered in high school that grabbed Clint’s interest in sports medicine. “I hurt my knee my junior year playing football and did not play my senior year. I reinjured my knee the spring of my senior year which sparked my interest in sports medicine,” said Haggard.

Haggard originally entered the University of Georgia as a pre-veterinary medicine major but quickly became interested in athletic training and sports medicine. After changing his major, Clint worked behind the scenes for many different UGA athletic events including football, baseball, soccer, and swimming & diving programs. “In the summer of 2001, I was also fortunate enough to work with the Indianapolis Colts during training camp where I got to meet many people with whom I still talk to today,” said Haggard.

Haggard’s road to South Carolina had many stops along the way. After graduating with a BSEd in Exercise Science from Georgia in 2002, Clint immediately went to the University of Alabama as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the football team. “One of my mentors at UGA, Ron Courson, was an assistant athletic trainer at Alabama and helped me get my foot in the door over there,” Haggard said. Clint was at Alabama from 2002-2006, first as a graduate assistant athletic trainer, and then was hired as an assistant athletic trainer. Haggard served at Alabama during the Franchione, Price, and Shula era.

Clint recalls a fond memory during his first two years with Alabama when the Tide faced the Georgia Bulldogs. “In 2002, we played Georgia in Tuscaloosa being one of the hottest games I have ever been part of. That was the year Billy Bennett kicked a last minute field goal to beat us,” Haggard said. “In 2003 in Athens, Thomas Davis blitzed off the end on consecutive plays and knocked two of our quarterbacks, Spencer Pennington and Brodie Croyle, out of the game.”

Clint with his family. Wife Erin and children
Brewer  and Reagan

Haggard graduated from Alabama in 2003 with a MA in Health Sciences and was promoted to assistant athletic trainer in 2004. Rice University in Texas would be where Haggard would land his first head athletic training position in 2006. “It was a great opportunity for my family and though it was much different being at a small highly academic institution, I cherish the time and the experience we had there,” said Haggard.

But for Haggard, a Georgia boy at heart, he longed to be close to home and back in the SEC. In 2009, that opportunity came for Haggard. “My mother had just passed away a couple of weeks earlier and I did not tell my father that I was coming to Columbia to interview. I had some other opportunities to go other places that didn’t work out and I didn’t want to get my dad’s hopes up that this would so I decided that if the interview went well and they offered me the job, I would go to Athens and see him and if not I would just go home to Houston and not say anything,” said Haggard. South Carolina didn’t offer the job to Haggard right at that time, but despite his plans to return to Houston, he surprised his dad with a visit anyway.

As most Georgia fans’ feelings aren’t pleasant ones of the head ball coach Steve Spurrier, Clint’s dislike towards the Gamecock coach were no different during Clint’s younger years. But then one day in 2009, that all changed. “Imagine my surprise when he (Spurrier) called me a few days after my interview to offer me the job!” Haggard said. “He opened the conversation by saying he heard I was a Georgia graduate and I told him not to hold it against me.” Haggard and Spurrier’s conversation continued and a relationship grew almost instantly. “I’ll have to say that he is one of the nicest people that I have ever met,” said Haggard. “He and his wife Jerri do so much for me and for the rest of the staff that many other football coaches and their wives do not do. He is a big family man and our families are around the complex often.”

Haggard’s duties at South Carolina as head athletic trainer include taking care of medical needs for the student-athletes and staff. He is the liaison between the physicians and the football program and coordinates the medical care for upwards of 200 people. Haggard interacts with Coach Spurrier on a daily basis and says that between the coach and the team’s physicians, he sometimes spends more time in conversation with them than he does with his wife.

Clint sees a different side of Coach Spurrier than most people see in the media. “I have been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time away from the office with him (Spurrier) and have gotten to know him very well,” Haggard said. “Times spent with coach gives me a different perspective of him from the one people see in the media.”

Haggard’s spends many hours as the Head Football Athletic Trainer. He is on call 24/7 and logs in anywhere from 70 to 100 hours a week depending on the time of the year.

Clint married his wife Erin in 2004 and they have two children Reagan; born in 2008 in Houston and Brewer; born in 2009 in Columbia. “My job requires many hours of work and my wife does a great job of keeping our house and me in order,” said Haggard. “I try as much as I can to have the kids around me at work and to leave as soon as I can to go home to see them, but there are many days that I leave before they get up and come home after they are asleep at night.”

As for Haggard’s loyalty to Madison County, he quickly stated in the Gamecock’s media guide that he is from Ila, Georgia and not Athens so that Madison County would get a bit of publicity. “I am very happy to be able to be close to home and do what I love doing on such a big stage,” said Haggard.

If you are a former Madison County athlete (five years ago or longer) and would like to be featured in The Madison County Journal, please contact Dallas Bordon at dallasb32@yahoo.com.

Senior Night and a realization that “it’s really over”

My column published in an October issue of The Madison County Journal

By Dallas Bordon

You can see it in their faces. Their eyes tell the stories; stories of years of determination, dedication, hard work, and most of all, fun and enjoyment of playing the sport. Senior night is time for the sport, fans and coaches to bid farewell to their student-athletes. A time for a final applause, one final pat on the back, one final tear and one final memory of times gone by are all of the emotions and thoughts of Senior Night. We begin to realize that it’s more than just an ending to four years of high school sports. It’s a final goodbye to a sport(s) that they have participated in since the early years back to a time when they could first grasp a ball by hand. Senior night brings it all together. It’s a time of reflection, a time to remember all of the years of memories made and a time to say goodbye to teammates and coaches. For those fortunate enough to move to the college level, nothing will compare to the years spent on the playing fields or courts on the recreation department, middle school, and high school levels. Senior night draws it all to a close. It’s time to say farewell to friendships made between the athletes who played sports together and against each other throughout different seasons of the year.

Entering the years of high school sports, Senior Night is embedded in the minds of parents and players knowing their own moment will come when it’s time to hang it up. They all live in the moment of that night at the end of each season when they see the recognition of teammates that have gone before them and then before we know it, their own night approaches. Even though it’s over a span of years that they play, our minds tend to echo thought of “what seems like yesterday” as we recall their years growing up from playing youth sports to the night it all comes to a close as seniors. Those years and this night come and go too quickly.

As for the athlete, these will always be days and experiences you’ll never forget and yet they are times you can never get back. You will look back one day as you’re dusting off that old letterman jacket or looking at old photos from your days on the fields or courts and you’ll come to realize that those days were the best of times. There will come a time when you’ll tell your own children the stories of your days as a student-athlete and your experiences playing the game and even how that game has changed.  

For the parents, it can be a brief gasp of relief that it’s finally over. All those years of living in fast-food restaurants, rolling those coolers around, carrying chairs to different places, and traveling; it’s over. But despite the hard work of the parents from season to season, for them the moment will begin to set in and they will realize how special those times were. Then the realization that “it’s really over” sets in and our student-athletes are no longer little leaguers, middle school, and high school athletes.

Whether it’s walking your student-athlete across the fifty yard line of a football field or across the basketball court or hearing the senior speeches read while the athlete stands on their jersey number painted in the grass behind home plate; it’s an emotional moment for everyone because those years and memories are all replayed in our mind on that one night. Senior night is a time we honor our student-athletes’ long careers and we share the memories; memories which will live long after this night is over.

Superstition, It’s all part of the game

My column published in an August issue of The Madison County Journal. www.mainstreetnews.com

By Dallas Bordon

As a big sports fan, I many goals that I would like to accomplish. One goal has always been touching Howard’s Rock in Clemson’s Death Valley before running down the hill like the players do before each home game. Another goal involved going inside of the Atlanta Braves locker room and dugout before a game. Both of those goals were accomplished several years ago. The meaning of touching a famous rock in Clemson's Death Valley or the 1995 World Champions baseball sign in the Braves clubhouse is what the players do for luck before their games.  Superstitions, like the ones I just mentioned, are all part of sports and the athlete’s rituals used with hopes of bringing good fortune. Playing sports growing up from Little League baseball to college intramural sports, I had my weird superstitions and ways of doing things before the game. Now I sit back and wonder if the dumb things I did like drawing in the dirt before batting or chewing the same flavor of gum in each game, actually gave me some special powers or good luck. No, it’s all just part of a mind game now that I look back on it because if drawing in the dirt with my bat and chewing the same flavor of gum was all that powerful, I would have eventually received a college baseball scholarship somewhere right? There were no special powers in that dirt or gum.

On one fall day, I touched Howard’s Rock in Clemson’s Death Valley, took a deep breath, and away I went down the hill. I really didn’t feel any special powers. What I did experience, was a near bone breaking experience as I tumbled halfway down. Thank God the stadium was empty and no one was around to see my version of “stop, drop, and roll.”

I got to walk down the tunnel at Turner Field and touch the 1995 World Champion sign like the Braves do before entering the field. I felt no special powers doing that either. What I almost got was a trip to the Braves first aid training facility after nearing getting hit in the head with a batting practice foul ball while walking through the Braves dugout. Thank God for a famous voice from legendary manager Bobby Cox and his “Heads up” yell to me, otherwise I would have received a “KO.”

While neither of my entrances into these two arenas was for playing purposes of course, I still somehow missed the magical feelings that many of the players feel after going those rituals. I was excited being there, but I experienced just the opposite. So I raise the question; do those superstitious powers really help in sports? We’ve all heard of the different rituals that players go through; some disgusting and some as simple as not stepping on the foul line when running onto the field.

For me in Little League, aside from drawing in the dirt and chewing the same flavor gum each time, wearing a batting glove with two of the fingers from the glove missing was a charm. For some major leaguers like Vladimir Guerrero, having players spit on his batting helmet and then rubbing extra pine tar on top gave him extra luck. Former Boston Red Sox Nomar Garciaparra, known as the human rain delay, would step out of the batters’ box after each pitch to adjust his sweatbands and batting gloves giving him an extra feeling of comfort or power. Major League pitcher Turk Wendell had several superstitions to help his psyche during games.  Wendell would brush his teeth between innings. I don’t know about power in teeth brushing but I’m sure he has very clean teeth. He even wore a necklace that consisted of teeth from animals he killed. Players put their uniforms on the same way each time hoping that superstition would bring luck. Caron Butler of the National Basketball Association always drinks Mountain Dew from a two liter bottle before each game. And then there was my favorite former Detroit Tiger Mark Fidrych who would talk to the baseball telling it where to cross the plate. He would also build mounds of dirt on the pitcher’s mound.

Superstitions and the hope that they bring luck is all part of sports.  So next time when at Raider Field, if you see softball coach Doug Kesler rubbing the head of a redheaded kid before games or you see football coach Chris Smith chewing blades of grass while coaching, remember that superstitions are all part of the game.    

Memories from a former little leaguer

My column published on this week's sports page of the Madison County Journal. www.mainstreetnews.com

By Dallas Bordon

Deep into the heart of baseball season and Little League All-Stars, I find myself drifting way back to my days of playing Little League baseball. I start to recall the way some things have changed such as the different types of bat bags, uniform pants that go all the way down to your cleats, high priced bats, the black-out worn under the eyes and many more things that seem to be popular now. I don’t remember putting so much emphasis on using a certain type of bat. If it felt good and we could swing it, we would use it every time. If we couldn't find a hit in a certain bat we would simply search the dugout until we found one that would. We didn't care about brand names or styles of cleats, sweatbands, or batting gloves; we used what felt comfortable and sometimes superstitions had a lot to do with what we used. I once used a batting glove for two seasons that had two fingers torn off just because I thought it gave me luck and no matter how stupid it looked, I didn't care. Back before the long style of baseball pants were introduced, we wore the elastic leg bottom pants that would go long enough to cover our knees. We also didn't wear the solid color socks or the socks that had the stirrup stripe made into the sock. We had the old fashion stirrup sock that was a separate sock we pulled over our white sock. They were aggravating at times because the stirrup part of the sock would come out of our shoe and would dangle behind our ankles at times. And eye blackout? Most of us never even knew what that was. The only black-out we sported under our eyes would come from getting hit in the eye by the ball. 

There are similarities today that exist from my days in little league. I remember what each game meant to us and how we would carry bragging rights with us to school each day after a win. Even though my coaches would try to instill in us that win or lose, it’s just a game and we should have fun playing the game. To us guys on the team, we found ways to disagree; to us it was more than just a game.  When I think about playing baseball growing up, my thoughts go back to those days away from little league. It was a league and a game played between the neighborhood kids where we would often find any open field or someone’s back yard to invade. We would choose teams the best we could and usually the worst players always were selected last. While living in South Carolina, my house was always the “home” stadium. We had the largest backyard and even had baselines drawn with white chalk-powder we purchased from the local sporting goods store down the street. We even played the old famous game of pickle, sometimes called “hot box” where we would lay out two of my dad’s old car mats, put a defensive person at each base and two runners on the two bases. The game was then played with the runners running between the two bases trying to avoid getting tagged out. The person tagged out became the defensive player. The games of “pickle” and those neighborhood backyard baseball games turned my parent’s yard into our neighborhood sandlot. It was a place where we mimicked baseball heroes and a place where bragging rights meant more to us than any kind of trophy. It was a place we grew to love the game of baseball and played every chance we had on that chalked base-lined backyard. It was a place that will hold memories never to be forgotten. It was our field, our time, and we played without parents getting mad at coaches or us for the mistakes we made on that field. And regardless of the styles of pants, cleats, and bats we used back then and the fact that not a one of us now recall who won what or when, we had fun and it was just a game.

Westbrook: from MC Little Leaguer to 100-game winner

Column posted in The Madison County Journal May 9th, issue

Jake Westbrook is pictured with
Grayson Hix following a team
practice.

By Dallas Bordon

Somewhere in the yard of Cauthen and Joan Westbrook, you might be able to find some sort of diamond. Not the kind that you see in a jewelry store and not even one of value — except to the Westbrook family.

On this homemade diamond some 26 years ago, a young fellow by the name of “Jake” was being taught different pitches as well as the fundamentals of the great American game of baseball. Whatever teaching tools the elder Westbrook used seemed to be successful in setting a foundation for the once Little League all-star player, Red Raider, and now a Major Leaguer Jake Westbrook.

At the age of 35, Jake Westbrook has reached his 100th career major league win. After 259 starts, 1,664.2 innings pitched, Westbrook reached the mark he has always wanted to reach.

“A hundred wins for me is a sign of longevity and kind of grinding it out year after year,” Westbrook said. “It’s definitely not 300, but for me it was a goal of mine. It’s something I’ll always have with me.” After two previous attempts this season at reaching win number 100, Westbrook got what he wanted. St. Louis jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers last week, giving Jake his 100th professional career win.

Jake is in his 17th year of professional baseball, four of which he played in the minors. He received the call to the show in 2000, sporting the pinstripes of the New York Yankees. His first stint in the majors was a bumpy visit with a 0-2 record and an earned run average of 13.50.

Four years later with the Cleveland Indians, Westbrook turned the tables and posted a 14-9 record with a 3.38 earned run average, earning him a spot on the American League all-star roster. His earned run average that season of 2004 poised him at number three in the American League with the lowest ERA. He ranked eighth in 2004 and 2005 in the American League with 14 wins in ’04 and 15 wins in ’05.

Perhaps his most memorable moment came in 2011 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals where he was the winning pitcher of game six in what is said to be one of the best World Series games ever. Needless to say, he now owns a World Series ring, quite an accomplishment for a kid who went from pitching in his parents’ yard with dad/coach Cauthen to a major leaguer and hometown star.

Westbrook’s time in the majors hasn’t been without rough times. Drafted with the 21st pick in the first round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies organization, Westbrook made his Major League debut with a short stint for the Yankees in 2000. He made only five starts in 2008 and 2009 following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow but returned from the injury that is known for some as a career ending injury. In two different seasons, he has been on the disabled list, with the most recent stint caused by a strained oblique muscle that ended his season early last year. He has battled the ups and downs of a major league baseball career and is on path to have what might be his best season to date. “One of the luxuries I have is that my ball still moves,” Westbrook said. “Lots of times, whether it goes where I want it to or not, it still runs down in the zone. It still can be good, and I can have some success.”

As for the youth recreation and Little League ball players in Madison County, he’s pretty much a hero. He never forgets the path that was paved for him to where he is today. He’s a humble person and enjoys working with the kids who are playing recreation department sports and little league ball players teaching them the things he once learned with his dad in the yard. Taylor Garrison Hix, whose son Grayson plays baseball in the Recreation Department’s program, appreciates Westbrook’s efforts with the kids.

“I love how Jake takes time out with all the kids at the recreation department, such a great guy,” said Hix.

Westbrook fondly remembers his days playing in Madison County.

“I just remember how fun it used to be playing sports growing up,” said Westbrook. “Whether it was football, baseball, or basketball, it just seemed like there was always something to play year round. And as a little boy what else would I rather be doing? Playing with and against my friends and cousins was a lot of fun.”

On March 28, 2008 Raider baseball coach Charlie Griffeth and Madison County High School retired Jake’s number 12 as a reward for the records he set as a Red Raider. A little leaguer turned professional, Westbrook has reached yet another goal: a 100th career win.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to get to 100, and it’s good to get it done,” Westbrook said.

As for the elder Westbrook, Cauthen, you can find him spending time in his yard with his grandchildren — probably teaching them those same fundamentals of baseball. 

Career Stats on Westbrook (as of May 4) 

Wins: 100 Losses: 96 

ERA: 4.23 Games played: 299 Games started: 259 Complete Games 15 Shutouts: 4 

Innings pitched; 1,664.2 Hits: 858 Earned runs: 783 Home runs allowed: 141 Hit batters: 59 

Walks 538 Stirkeouts 939 2013 Stats Wins: 2 

Losses: 1 

ERA: 1.07 Games: 5 

Games started: 5 

Innings pitched: 33.2 Hits allowed: 30 Runs: 5 

Earned: 4 

Home runs allowed: 0 

Walks: 17 

Strikeouts: 18 

 

Raider guys take second in state tennis tourney

Posted on the Madison County Journal website: www.mainstreetnews.com

Ben Strickland hits backhand in Saturday's state championshipmatch.
 Photo by Dallas Bordon

By Dallas Bordon

JONESBORO: The Madison County Red Raider tennis team made history this season by advancing to the state championship for the first time. 

They came up just short of the top prize Saturday as 5A-AAAA Columbus won the championship with a 3-1 win over Madison County. 

The expected rain that was due to the area held off just long enough to get the matches in at the Clayton International Tennis Park in Jonesboro.

A rain-out would have given number one seed Madison County home court advantage on Monday or Tuesday, but as it turned out, plenty of the Raider faithful made the trip to Jonesboro.

Trey Morris remained undefeated on the season, winning at the number one singles (2-0). Ben Strickland battled to a tie-breaker but came up on the short end of a 2-1 loss. With the number one doubles team of Zach Peneguy and Adam Sartain falling to Columbus 2-0 and the number two doubles Hank Sartain and Koti Nguyen also losing 2-0, all eyes were glued to Strickland's match. 

With Columbus leading overall 2-1 with Strickland and Tyler Terrell (number 3 singles) still playing, Columbus needed just one win to seal the championship. 

Columbus got the win after Strickland fell 6-4 in the tiebreaker. Terrell's singles match was halted at that point as Columbus got the needed 3 wins. 

The Raiders (22-4, 12-0) were able to reach the championship round by defeating Carrollton and S. Effingham in earlier post season play

Madison County's Westbrook wins 100th game

Madison County's Jake Westbrook, after three straight attempts, reaches his 100th career Major League Baseball win as the Cardinals defeated Milwaukee 6-5. Westbrook exited the game after six innings leading 6-1. His season earned run average is now 1.07.
Line On Westbrook: 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 run (earned), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts. Record 2-1.

Tennis Raiders advance to Final Four!

Raider Tennis (boys) defeated Carrollton 3-2 today at Carrollton in the Elite 8 of the State Tournament. Trey Morris won at number one singles 6-2, 7-5; Ben Strickland won at number two singles 6-1, 6-4 and Tyler Terrell won at number three singles 6-1, 6-4. Number one doubles of Adam Sartain and Zach Peneguy lost 5-7, 0-6 and number two doubles of Koti Nguyen and Hank Sartain fell 3-6, 2-6. With the win, Madison County advances to the Final Four of State play early next week. A time, date and opponent is yet to be determined.

Raider boys tennis claims their third straight region title

2013 Raider Varsity Region Champions

Following a championship win on Thursday, the Madison County Raider boys tennis team held up three fingers representing their third straight region title. The Red Raider boy's tennis team defeated Lanier 3-0 Thursday to claim their third straight region championship. Coach Keith Strickland's boys swept Lumpkin County in Wednesday's first round and followed up with a victory over Chestatee in round two before claiming the title with today's win. 

The Madison County girls team took second in the region after falling to Lanier 3-1. Lanier was the only team this season to defeat the Lady Raiders in a regular season match prior today's title match. Madison County's girls also defeated Lumpkin County in round one and picked up a round two win over Stephens County before falling to Lanier in the championship round. 

Madison County will be the host site for round one of the state tournament. The girls will face 5B-AAAA Carrollton while the boys will play 5A-AAAA Shaw. Times and dates are yet to be determined. 

Lady Raider Varsity Region Runners-up

The Freeman sisters

Kayla Freeman

Courtney Freeman

Madison County’s Freeman sisters are making an impact in college basketball. Younger sister Kayla is in her second season at UT Chattanooga while Courtney is in her final season at Appalachian State in North Carolina.
As a freshman, Kayla played in 15 games including a season high 12 minutes versus Baylor. She recorded 19 rebounds and averaged 1.3 points a game. Kayla was also named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and UTC’s Dean’s List and Athletics Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
This season Kayla has played in 9 games totaling 67 minutes. She is 10 of 19 on free throw attempts and has 9 offensive rebounds and 5 on defense and has scored a total of 14 points as of February 2.
While at Madison County, Kayla was a four-time All-Area First Team player and scored a total of 1,566 career points. She had 1,274 career rebounds averaging 11.2 a game in her senior season.
Older sister Courtney is a four-year letter winner and Athens Banner Herald Player of the Year her senior season at Madison County. She broke her 1,000 career point mark as a sophomore with the Lady Raiders and finished her high school career with a total of 2,414 points. She completed her career at Madison County with 1,043 rebounds.
Courtney’s career at Appalachian state has been outstanding. As a freshman she played in all 35 games including 16 starts in the 2009-10 season. Courtney ranked 14th in the SoCon in offensive rebounds averaging 1.9 per game. She scored her game high of 20 points her freshman year against Elon.
As a junior, Courtney was only one of two players to start in every game for Appalachian State. She finished second on the team and 10th in the Southern Conference in scoring (11.4 points per game) and earned second-team all SoCon honors. Her junior season game high of 23 points came against UNCG on January 9, 2012.
Her sophomore year consisted of 32 games played including 14 starts. Courtney ranked 15th in the conference in field goal percentage (.415) and led the team in scoring twice. She scored 10 or more points in 11 games during the season including a season high of 20 against Elon on November 29, 2010.
Courtney is now in her senior season with App State where she has started in all 18 games. She has connected on 93 of her 188 shoots. At the free throw line, Courtney is 60 of 77. She has a total of 38 offensive rebounds and 67 rebounds on the defensive side of the ball. As of February 2, she has scored a total of 247 points with her game high of 26 points coming against Gardner Webb.
Courtney has been named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll in each of her first three years at App State.
The two former Lady Raiders are the daughters of Sonja and Stanley Freeman. Stanley is a former college basketball player logging time on the court at both Emmanuel College and North Georgia College and State University.

Former Lady Raider begins career at UGA

Former Lady Raider softball player Sam LaZear will be starting her college softball career on Friday, February 8, when the Georgia Bulldogs open their 2013 campaign in Athens. LaZear, a 2010-11 National Fast pitch Coaches Association High School All-American Scholar Athlete, earned varsity letters 10 varsity letters while at Madison County. She has lettered in softball-4 years, 4 in tennis and 2 in basketball. She was also a Wendy’s High School Heisman award winner, National Merit Scholar and was ranked at the top of her class academically.

As for Georgia Coach Lu Harris-Champer, Sam’s addition the Lady Dawgs’ squad is a very welcomed one. “Sam is the fastest player we have brought in since Nicole Barber,” said coach LuHarris-Champer. “We are thrilled to have her speed, defense and toughness joining our program this season. Sam has incredible hand-eye coordination and rarely fails to make contact at the plate. She has the ability to bunt, slap and hit for power along with being a great student-athlete. We believe Sam is the best slapper in the 2012 class not only in Georgia, but in the country, and we look forward to seeing her develop in our program.”

Sam is one of 7 highly recruited players by the Georgia softball program. “We believe this class is the top recruiting class in the country,” said Lu Harris-Champer.

While at Madison County, Sam was a two-time All-State and three-time All-Region selection and helped Coach Doug Kesler’s squad win its region championship in 2009 and 2010. She was also part of a Lady Raider team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the AAAA division in the state tournament in 2009 and 2010.

As a senior, LaZear batted .407 with 46 runs, 18 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases. She also was part of the Southern Force travel softball team that finished in the Final Four at the ASA 16U National Championships in 2010. "Playing at Georgia has been an incredible experience. I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity and have learned so much in the short time I've been here," said LaZear. "It has been so nice to be on a team where all the players and coaches support you and want you to succeed. We just play ball-simple as that."

The Tigers and Dawgs should play every year

Column published in last week's issue of The Madison County Journal

Georgia and Clemson should play each other in football every year.

What am I saying?

This is the most nerve-racking game of any season for me. I live in the land of “Red & Black” and I proudly sport my orange and purple of the Clemson Tigers despite a hard time from my friends.

For that reason, I fear the meetings between the two. If the Tigers lose, I am forced to search for that “Ocean front property in Arizona” that George Strait speaks of in his song. In other words, I have to get out of Dodge. A Saturday afternoon loss to Georgia could take place in three hours of a four-quarter contest, but the repercussions could last for years. On the other hand, a win for the Tigers would allow me to live in peace at least for a few months in this land that bleeds red and black.

The love/hate relationship between Georgia and Clemson always brings out the best between me and my barking friends. It’s all in good fun when we taunt each other and brag about our loyalties of our home state teams.

Despite my nerve racking moments thinking about this long rivalry, I think the Georgia/ Clemson game should continue on a yearly basis. Forget all the year-opening games versus Georgia Southern, Wofford, Buffalo and Furman. This rival game should kick off each season for the Dawgs and Tigers. This rivalry series started in 1897 when Georgia defeated Clemson 24-0 and it came to a halt in 2003 when Georgia won again by a 30-0 score.

In the 62 meetings, which extends seven years longer than Georgia has played Florida, the Dawgs have won the last five meetings. Prior to that, Clemson won three in a row aided by last second field goals by David Treadwell in 1986 and 1987 followed by a 1990 game that the Tigers won 34-3. Clemson won seven in a row dating back to the years between 1900 and 1907. Georgia reeled off 10 straight wins between the years of 1920 and 1954.

Oddly enough, I don’t remember any of those years of course. But it’s all in the rivalry and the years of the past that make this meeting such a great one. Now with the expansion of conferences and the cut back on non-conference games, the rivals like the border wars with Clemson and Georgia have suffered. I can well remember this rivalry series during the 80s. I remember well the days of David Treadwell’s game winning-kicks and Herschel Walker’s big-time runs, but this series stretches long before these two guys. It was a coach name Charley Pell who led Clemson to a 7-6 win in 1977 that helped push Georgia to their only losing season in 25 years under legendary coach Vince Dooley’s reign.

Georgia posted a 10-1 record against Clemson since 1964, but from 1977 to 1990, the Tigers bounced back with a 6-5-1 mark against the Dawgs.

Clemson’s only regular season losses in 1978, 1982 and 1991 came at the paws of the Bulldogs. Georgia legend Herschel Walker’s only regularseason loss in three years came in Death Valley during Danny Ford and Clemson’s 1981 national championship season.

And I can remember the day when Kevin Butler launched a 60-plus yard field goal to defeat a number 3 ranked Tiger squad in 1984 between the hedges. That one hurt!

Many of the younger Tiger and Dawg fans of today won’t even understand the significance behind this battle. Many of the younger generation may not even know that these two teams used to meet annually and have been a hot ticket each time. There have been just six meetings between the Bulldogs and Tigers in 25 seasons between 1988 and 2012. Georgia will face Clemson in Death Valley this fall and in 2014 they will play in Athens in what might be the final meeting for a long time of this old rivalry.

But for now, it’s what Brent Musburger calls the typical neighbor-hood war between Georgia and Clemson. Two high-powered offenses led by returning seniors Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. Clemson’s highly touted core of wide receivers and what Dawg fans call “Gurshall” the duo of running backs Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley.

It’s “game on” on August 31 in Death Valley — two more years of the hated neighborhood war. A win for the Tigers to me would mean peace in my valley of Dawg friends; a loss would mean I’m signing my lease to my “Ocean front property in Arizona” and getting out of Dodge. 

Dallas Bordon writes for The Madison County Journal.

"Where Are They Now" Laura Baird

Published in the January 12 issue of The Madison County Journal

Laura and husband Will

By Dallas Bordon

Laura Baird Class of 2005

Laura Baird, class of 2005, gave up playing Junior Varsity basketball for the Lady Raiders after two years to concentrate on tennis and softball while at Madison County High School. Her decision paid off in the long run. In her senior season, Laura was named to the All-Northeast Georgia Tennis team. Along with her doubles partner Sarah Tippins, Baird was named to the number one doubles first team. Baird and Tippins held a 19-2 record and helped the Lady Raiders capture their fourth region championship in five years and held a perfect 12-0 record in region play. Laura played under current coach Keith Strickland. Strickland, who coaches both girls and boys teams at Madison County, has his Raiders in the state playoffs with one or both teams often.

Laura Baird recalls her favorite moment in high school sports occurring during her freshman year. Baird, a 2004 All-Northeast Georgia First Team selection for class AAAA in softball, remembers her Lady Raiders (at that time in class triple “A”) placing second in the state class AAA tournament. Upon their arrival back to the high school from the state tournament in Columbus, Baird recalls seeing the lights on at Raider field and much to her surprise, people in the community had gathered there to celebrate the team’s success, complete with roses and balloons. Under the direction of Coach Doug Kesler, Laura received class AAAA All-State Honorable Mention. Baird holds the school record for most career doubles (28) and singles season doubles (18). Laura credits coach Kesler for much of her success at the plate. “Coach Kesler instilled a confidence in me that I was going to get a hit and he often let me swing away in critical times in a game,” said Baird. Kesler, who continues to coach the Lady Raiders, led his girls to a second place finish in state quad “A” this past season.

Baird graduated from Valdosta State University and was actively involved with intramural sports. She is currently living in Fitzgerald, Georgia with her husband Will and Bailey their dog. Laura teaches kindergarten at Ben Hill Primary School and hopes to one day coach softball for the Fitzgerald High School Hurricanes. 

"Where Are They Now" Michael Youngblood

Published in January 12 issue of The Madison County Journal

By Dallas Bordon

Michael Youngblood Class of 98

Michael Youngblood graduated from Madison County High School in 1998. He now serves as Head Coach of the Oconee County boys’ varsity basketball team as well as Head Coach of the girls’ golf team (2010 State Champions). Michael currently teaches social studies; American Government and U.S. History. He has been at Oconee County High School for 5 years.

While at Madison County High School, Michael was a member of the Red Raider baseball team for one year, but his passion was being part of Raider basketball - playing all four years. After graduating from Madison County, Michael continued playing basketball for two years at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia.

Youngblood graduated for the University of Georgia in 2003 and in August of 2010 he earned his Master’s Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University.

Michael credits his parents as well as Allen McCannon, Mike Osborne, Brad Bolemon, and Benjie Wood for being positive influences in his life throughout high school. “They were positive influences that molded me into the person I am today,” said Youngblood. “Even though I’m not around MCHS much, I am very fortunate to have these men in my life and I feel as if I can reach out to these guys any time.”

Although Michael’s time at Madison County was filled with many great memories and friendships that he stills values today, he claims his junior year of playing basketball as his most exciting year. “In my junior year we won our region tournament and advanced to the state tournament. We were very talented and led by a large group of seniors. We lost in the state tournament to Rome High School,” said Youngblood.

Youngblood was also very involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Other great memories for Youngblood included Black Mountain Winter Recharge, summer basketball camps, and Friday night high school football games.

Michael is happily married to Jennifer Elizabeth Queen. Michael and Jennifer were married this past summer in Jekyl Island and are expecting a baby boy in the near future. Michael also has a step daughter, five year old Alexa Ryan.