I love the movie Nacho Libre. While there isn’t technically any literary worthiness to it, there is a message. Jack Black plays the part of Nacho, a Monk, discouraged with his life and longing for some form of recognition that his job has meaning. He is the cook for the other Monks and the orphans in a small town in Mexico. When a beautiful Nun enters the scene as a new teacher for the orphans, things start to change. In secret, Nacho becomes a tag team wrestler and with the prize winnings from his fights, buys fresh ingredients to prepare better meals for the children. To gain more power and become the best wrestler in the world, Nacho climbs a cliff to a known eagle’s nest and drinks the yolk of the eagle’s eggs, so that he may gain eagle power.
Discouragement happens
Discouragement happens to us all at some point in our lives – to some more than others. It is a loss of hope. A feeling that surrender and defeat are the only answers. Discouragement highlights the word ‘quit’ when we want desperately to fight and stay the course. It chips away at our future and makes us believe we are weak, incapable, too old, too young, no-good, hang-it-up people.
Can you imagine the discouragement Noah from the Bible must have felt waiting for the rain and listening to the jeers and name-calling from his neighbors? Or Daniel as they lowered him into the lion’s den? Being swallowed by a whale and living in the belly had to have left Jonah a bit out of sorts…Esther facing the King…Moses dealing with the Israelites…Jesus as He prayed in the garden and His disciples slept. It leaves me to wonder, what separates “the men from the boys” or the “women from the girls”?
Steps to Combat Discouragement:
Tell yourself ‘Who’ is on your side. God is a God of encouragement and hope, not doubt and fear. His words are uplifting, not negative. God never says, “You can’t do it! I’m going to find someone else.” On the contrary, God says, “Despite your weakness, WE will do it and do it well!” Isaiah 40:29, “He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.”
Relieve yourself of the weight. Carrying burdens, harboring anxiety, and filling our worry tanks glorifies Satan. He is the instigator of all doubt and fear as he whispers in our ear, “Whatever gave you the idea things would work out! You are going under!” Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares (burdens) on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Tell yourself not to fear. Psalm 56:11, “…though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.” God spends a great deal of time in the Old and New Testament telling us not to fear. Not to worry. Not to let anxiety rule us. Why then do we?
Allow God to renew your strength. Pray for encouragement and that God will surround you with His people who will lift you and give you a renewed sense of hope. Isaiah 40:31, “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Don’t withdraw. Don’t stop praying. Don’t buy into the potential destruction. Praise God that He will renew and restore you!
Summon your Eagle Powers. You don’t have to drink eagle egg yolk like our friend Nacho. God renews our strength like the eagles. Isaiah 40:31, “You will soar on wings like eagles. You will run and not grow weary. You will walk and not be faint.”
Discouragement can have a hold on us that destroys and weakens our ability to function. The bigger the plan God has for your life, the tougher Satan will be on thwarting that plan. Just when we think we are almost there, something interrupts our progress and hurls us back a few feet. Stand up. Brush yourself off and face the challenge before you. Because God will win and that means you will win too.
Pauline Davis Underwood, age 89, of Mount Airy, Georgia, took her Heavenly flight home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
Born in Madison County, North Carolina, on September 10, 1934, she was a daughter of the late Dorsey & Georgia Hestelle Roberts Davis. Pauline worked for Carwood Manufacturing & Academy with over 42 years of dedicated service before retirement. She enjoyed traveling, gardening, canning vegetables, as well as cooking for her family, and helping others in her community. Pauline was known as “Granny” not only to her grandchildren, but to many others who were a part of her circle. Her passion was taking care of babies. She was a member of Hazel Creek Baptist Church and attended Community Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Loy Pantey Underwood; granddaughter, Keri Rose Shirley; brothers, Earl Davis & Perry Davis; sisters, Gladys Pitts, Ethel Owenby, Juanita Lovell, & Agnes Moore.
Survivors include her sons & daughters-in-law, Delmar & Janis Underwood of Cornelia, GA; Dale & Linda Underwood of Toccoa, GA; daughters & sons-in-law, Cathy & Jack Shirley of Hollywood, GA; Joann & Chris White, Kay & Mike Kelly all of Mount Airy, GA; brothers & sister-in-law, Glenn & Emma Lou Davis, Kermit Davis all of Mount Airy, GA; sisters, Annie Mae Quillian of Michigan; Elaine Echols of Lula, GA; & Mildred Stephens of Mount Airy, GA; grandchildren, Natasha Maney, Brandi Mixon, Stacie Tatum, Jamie Hughes, Shawna Hembree, Jeremy Underwood, & Zach Lowe; numerous great-grandchildren; other relatives, & friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at Hillside Memorial Chapel, with Rev. Chad Holbrooks & Rev. Austin Kelley officiating. Interment will follow in the Hazel Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. & from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
Speaker Jon Burns (left) and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones have both signaled an openness to an Arkansas-style Medicaid expansion, which purchases private insurance for individuals on the marketplace instead of adding more people to the state-run Medicaid program. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder)— The Gold Dome was aflutter during the first week of the legislative session over whether Georgia Republicans might move to fully expand Medicaid this year.
A high-ranking Republican leader elevated the issue further when he uttered the words “Medicaid expansion” during a prominent speech to Georgia’s business community Wednesday. House Speaker Jon Burns said House lawmakers “will continue to gather facts” about a “private option” for expanding Medicaid.
In particular, several GOP lawmakers have voiced interest in an Arkansas-style model, which purchases private insurance for individuals on the marketplace instead of adding more people to the state-run Medicaid program.
In a statement Friday, Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones sounded open to the concept. Jones has pressed for changes to the state’s business regulations for medical providers, and discussions about Medicaid expansion are happening alongside the debate over to what extent Georgia should remake its certificate of need rules.
“I have never wavered on my position that expanding access to health care, especially in rural parts of the state, should be a priority for all Georgians,” Jones said.
“The legislative process allows for different options to be presented on a variety of issues. I look forward to addressing this critical issue this upcoming session to help make access to quality health care a reality, regardless of someone’s zip code.”
Gov. Brian Kemp delivering his State of the State address Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
This all represents what appears to be a softening of the decade-long resistance in Georgia to Medicaid expansion, which is a central piece of former President Barack Obama’s legacy. But one of the big questions of the session will be this: Does that shift in thinking extend to the governor’s mansion?
Georgia Pathways to Coverage, the governor’s partial expansion program, has enrolled about 2,300 people since launching in July. About 345,000 are thought to be eligible for the Medicaid program, according to the state’s estimate.
Kemp’s spokesman, Garrison Douglas, said Wednesday that the governor “has championed and continues to support” Pathways and Georgia Access, which is a state-run exchange set to launch later this year.
The governor did not mention Pathways in his State of the State address Thursday even as he touted other elements of his signature health care plans, like a reinsurance program that has helped lower premiums.
Pathways has attracted national attention because it made Georgia the only state to have a work requirement as part of its Medicaid program, with it only applying to those who are newly eligible.
‘We say a rose by any other name is still a rose’
The low enrollment in Pathways has ratcheted up the pressure on Georgia Republicans to change course.
Georgia – which has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country – is now one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, with neighboring North Carolina recently expanding the health insurance program for the poor.
“This isn’t just a policy oversight; it is a moral failing,” state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, a Lawrenceville Democrat, said at a press conference Thursday. “Hundreds of thousands of our people are left without adequate health care.”
But other Democrats and long-time health care advocates have expressed optimism over the recent chatter, even if the conversation is not centered on traditional Medicaid expansion.
“I’m hearing the same thing that others are hearing – that this is the year that we’re going to have some sort of Medicaid expansion,” Rep. Billy Mitchell, a Stone Mountain Democrat who chairs House minority caucus, told a reporter Thursday. “It may not be called Medicaid expansion because it’s not politically palatable to certain groups. We say a rose by any other name is still a rose.”
Rep. Michelle Au is a Johns Creek Democrat and anesthesiologist who led Wednesday’s meeting on Medicaid expansion. (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder)
Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat who is an anesthesiologist, said she was encouraged that talk of any kind of Medicaid expansion is now happening in Georgia.
“Even having this conversation at all, and considering something in a serious way, is already way better than anything that we’ve seen for a decade,” Au said in an interview.
Au led a Democratic caucus-organized hearing on Medicaid expansion that filled a meeting room and had people standing in the hallways to hear health care experts, hospital representatives and others talk about the impact of Medicaid expansion on the state’s economy and the health of Georgians.
Au, who is a leading Democratic voice on health care issues in Georgia, has regularly held educational forums on Medicaid expansion. But this year’s event was different.
“There’s a feeling in the air: something has changed, and it’s like, we’re really talking about this. This might happen,” Au said. “And many of our holdout-state neighbors have recently changed – states that we have a lot in common with. So, it’s not unreasonable to go down this path to think that there is a chance this could happen.”
Scott Raynes was among the speakers at Au’s meeting. Raynes is president and CEO of Brunswick-based Southeast Georgia Health System and was a member of the House committee that looked at ways to modernize the state’s certificate of need regulations.
“Let’s not get hung up on the fact that we are one of the last 10 or 11 to even explore this,” Raynes said. “Let’s take advantage of the learnings of those states before us and make a good decision. A good economic decision, a decision that is really apolitical if you will, and do what’s right on behalf of the citizens of the state of Georgia, and frankly, help the industry of health care within it.”
Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, which advocates for Medicaid expansion, had this message for those who attended the organization’s Health Care Unscrambled event held Thursday: “I’m not going to count our chickens before they hatch – we don’t have expansion yet – but it’s coming.”
Georgia Pathways
The governor has proposed spending $1.7 million in this year’s budget to integrate Pathways into the state’s eligibility system for Medicaid and other public aid services, which is a move that is intended to increase enrollment in the program and improve the effectiveness of caseworkers who are processing applications, according to the governor’s Office of Budget and Planning.
The funding would also connect the state’s system to Georgia Access as Georgia moves toward a state-based exchange for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Sen. Ben Watson, a Savannah Republican who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, encouraged advocates to help enroll more people in Georgia Pathways. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
Pathways slightly expanded eligibility for Medicaid coverage in Georgia but also requires participants to complete 80 hours each month of work, school or other qualifying activity, and critics have long warned that the reporting requirements to show the hours were completed would create a paperwork burden.
The program was approved under the Trump administration and then delayed by the Biden administration. Georgia moved forward with launching the program in July after successfully challenging the federal government in court.
The program’s federally approved waiver expires in the fall of 2025.
During a conversation about Medicaid expansion at the Health Care Unscrambled event Thursday, Savannah Republican Sen. Ben Watson praised the state’s reinsurance program and urged health care advocates to help enroll people in Pathways.
“The one that’s been a bit of a challenge, and I would challenge you to help our patients to get enrolled, is that 100% on down,” said Watson, who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
As Pathways is being rolled out, an army of state workers is also in the process of checking the eligibility of all 2.8 million people covered by Medicaid after the end of a pandemic-era federal rule that protected coverage during the public health crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are expected to lose coverage as part of what’s known as the unwinding.
CLEVELAND, Ga. – A Dahlonega man has been indicted in White County on child sex abuse charges.
A grand jury indicted Austin Blake Ledford on four counts of child molestation and two counts of sexual battery against a child under the age of 16.
Authorities arrested the 21-year-old Ledford on September 13, 2023.
The grand jury reconvened Jan. 8 and 9 to consider Ledford’s case and several others. In all, jurors returned 37 true bills of indictment returned. To view the other indictments, click here.
White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner (Dean Dyer/WRHW.com)
The White County Board of Commissioners has approved some changes to the county’s short-term rental regulations. The new regulations limit the total number of short-term rentals to 650 and restrict new rental operations from certain areas.
The changes take effect on January 31, 2024. The county says it has issued 501 host licenses for short-term rentals, representing 546 units.
The county also approved an amendment to the land use regulation that would direct the planning commission staff to approve any new short-term rental applications in accordance with the county code. This change would also remove the public hearing process that has been used in the past.
Commissioner Craig Bryant voted no to giving short-term rental (STR) approval to administrative staff and doing away with public hearings.
“I think it should stay in the hands of the commissioners for approval,” said Commissioner Craig Bryant. He said neighbors want to be kept informed about rentals in their neighborhoods, and without a public hearing, “there will be no say. They will just find out. That’s just my personal opinion I would just like to know where they are going to be.”
Commissioners Travis Turner and Shanda Murphy discussed the issue and said that they would address any issues that arise.
“If there are any challenges, any issues, those matters will be brought to the board of commissioners and, like I said earlier, if we find some things that are not working the way we intended, we’ll look at correcting those,” Turner said.
Short-term rentals are a type of short-term property rental arrangement that can be booked for a few days or weeks.
Registration is scheduled to open Jan. 15 for the Hall County Government Scholars’ Academy. This ten-session course, held March 5 through May 14, will focus on the different aspects of Hall County Government and will include tours of many facilities.
“Government Scholars’ Academy is a great opportunity for anyone living in Hall County who is interested in learning more about the inner workings of their local government,” Hall County Administrator Zach Propes said. “Not only will participants get an opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes, but they will also be able to watch their tax dollars at work to serve citizens.”
There is no cost to participants; however, spots are limited and will fill up quickly. Registration will open Monday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. and will close Thursday, Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. The registration form and syllabus are available online.
For more information, contact Hall County Public Information Officer Joy Holmes at [email protected] or 770-533-7802.
Researchers have confirmed that the injured calf belongs to Juno (right whale catalog no. 1612). It was the first calf documented in the region this season, spotted by a Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute aerial survey team off the South Carolina coast Nov. 28. (Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #26919. Funded by United States Army Corps of Engineer)
Boaters off the coast of Georgia, South Carolina, and northeast Florida are being asked to report sightings of an injured North Atlantic right whale calf.
The calf, one of only nine documented in the Southeast so far this winter, has wounds on its head consistent with being hit by a boat propeller. Anglers fishing off South Carolina’s South Edisto River inlet saw the calf with its mother on Jan. 3. The calf approached the boat as it sat still, offering a close look.
Scientists are hopeful that the calf will be spotted again to enable them to more thoroughly assess its injuries. Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials say each calf is crucial. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered large whales in the world, with fewer than 350 left in the wild.
Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the leading causes of death for the species. The calf’s injuries are the latest in a series of attacks that have plagued the whale population.
In 2021, a calf was killed and its mother was injured when a boat struck it off the coast of St. Augustine, Florida. In 2020, a newborn calf was given antibiotics to treat severe injuries but died shortly after.
Wildlife officials are urging boaters to keep a lookout for the calf and other right whales. Sightings should be reported to 877-WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343) or through the U.S. Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16.
This article was written using assistive AI technology
DEMOREST, Ga. – In a game that came down to the final shot, the Piedmont men’s basketball team was unable to convert at the end in a tough 72-71 loss to Belhaven. Piedmont came back after trailing by as many as 12 in the second half but could not complete the comeback.
The Lions were able to keep it to a single-digit deficit until the 8:19 mark in the first half when Belhaven took a 10-point lead. Piedmont clawed back to within five in the first half but trailed by nine at the break, 39-30.
In the opening minutes of the second half, Piedmont used a 7-0 run to pull within one, 43-42. The Blazers kept the Lions at bay and stretched the lead back to 12 with 10:45 to play, and the deficit proved to be too much down the stretch.
A Griffin Neville fastbreak layup made it a one-point game at 65-64 with 5:28 to play, and Neville again got it to one at 70-69 with 3:23 remaining.
In the final 3:05, just two points were scored on either side, with a pair of free throws for the Blazers and one jumper for Ryan Jolly.
Up next, the Lions will host Covenant on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
–Piedmont was unable to convert inside the final 90 seconds after a made basket by Ryan Jolly to pull within one with 1:53 remaining.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
—Noah Reardon led Piedmont with 20 points as he made four 3-pointers in the game.
—Joe Helenbrook led the Lions in rebounds with seven while adding 14 points.
NEWS AND NOTES:
—Ryan Jolly was held to 10 points in the game, his lowest total of the season.
DEMOREST, Ga. – The Piedmont women’s basketball team won its third straight game, overtaking Belhaven with an 83-67 win on Saturday at Cave Arena.
Trailing by one at the break, the Lions used a dominant third quarter to take control and continued to pull away in the fourth for their second straight double-digit conference victory.
Senior forward Destiny Deetz delivered a career-high 16 points and a season-best 11 rebounds, marking her first career double-double as a Lion. The Tiger, Georgia native came off the bench and delivered key production in just 26 minutes of action.
Career-high 16 points AND her first career double-double!!
Two-sport standout Destiny Deetz with a big-time performance off the bench 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/i2uPz5Cbos
Fellow seniors Ashley Scott and Laken Stiles pitched in big-time performances as well, with Scott scoring a season-high 20 points on 5-of-11 from beyond the arc, while Stiles nearly pulled off a triple-double, with 15 points, seven rebounds and a team-high six assists.
The first half was back-and-forth the entire way, with the biggest lead by either side a five-point edge by Belhaven, which it held briefly midway through the opening quarter. The lead changed numerous times, including three times in the final minute of the first half.
However, Piedmont began to take control in the third quarter, making 13-of-15 free throws thanks to an attacking style off the dribble. The Lions reeled off a 9-0 run to go from a 42-42 tie to lead 51-42 at the 3:19 mark of the third quarter. The Blazers were able to briefly cut their deficit to five, but the Lions took their first double-digit lead of the game as Deetz knocked down back-to-back free throws with five seconds left in the third.
With all the momentum on their side, the Lions connected on jumpers from Stiles and Scott to open the fourth and give Piedmont a 67-52 advantage. That proved too much to overcome for Belhaven, which was unable to give Piedmont a scare down the stretch.
Up next, the Lions will remain at home, hosting CCS foe Covenant at Cave Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 5 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
– The Lions outscored the Blazers 46-29 in a dominant second-half performance.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Deetz delivered a career-high in points (16) and tacked on her first career double-double thanks to 11 rebounds.
– Scott totaled season highs in points (20) and three-pointers (five) in the win.
– Stiles did it all, filling up the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– The Lions were a rock solid 21-of-25 (84%) from the free throw line.
Georgia school districts could be getting new money to pay for pupil transportation under Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposed budget. (Pixabay)
(GA Recorder) — Every weekday morning and afternoon, a fleet of yellow buses rolls out all over the state, picking up and dropping off Georgia students.
Keeping all those wheels turning isn’t cheap – Georgia’s school districts combined spend more than $1.2 billion to safely shuttle kids between school and home – and costs are only getting higher as more students enroll and the costs of buses, fuel, and labor rise.
For more than two decades, local districts have been stuck footing those bills. According to the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, the amount of money the state pitches in for transportation has been basically stagnant since the early 2000s. Those state dollars used to fund over half of the districts’ transportation costs, but now only cover about 17%.
Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposed 2025 budget, which he unveiled Thursday, aims to pick up an additional $205 million of that, accounting for 40% of operational costs. The new spending is part of a planned $1.4 billion in new education spending, which also includes teacher raises and grants for school safety.
Gov. Brian Kemp delivers his 2024 State of the State Address. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
“Meeting our obligations as a fiscally conservative state means meeting our obligations to our local school systems,” Kemp wrote.
New money for yellow buses may not be as attention-grabbing as raises for teachers or a grant to hire school resource officers, but those dollars will go a long way, said Stephen Owens, director of education at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
“Unlike in the past where it’s been this one-time funding, this forever sets the baseline higher,” he said. “This is a huge step forward for these districts. And when you pair that with other formula changes like the $100 million for school security grants, for that to be a continued line item for schools, the impact is going to be amazing for districts.”
The amount is not set to change with inflation, Owens added, so if costs continue to rise in the years to come, a future governor and legislators will need to take action to keep funding at the same level. But for now, reducing the costs of buses will free up schools to pay for all the other things they need.
“They’re going to see a lot of these funds that come down from the state just as a whole pot of money because of the vast amount of flexibility we provide districts on how to spend dollars from the state,” Owens said. “So that will open up dollars for better pay for substitutes, up to date curriculum, maybe continuing some of the programs that they started during the pandemic with federal dollars now with local dollars.”
Federal pandemic relief funds are set to dry up in September for schools nationwide, and districts, especially those in lower-wealth areas, will likely face cuts to staff, programs and extracurriculars.
Habersham Central High School freshman Daytona Underwood (14) drives to the basket through a group of defenders against Apalachee High School on Friday, January 12, 2024. (Zack Myers/NowHabersham.com)
Both varsity basketball teams were flying high Friday night as Habersham Central High School downed Apalachee High School by margins of 17 and 33, respectively, in a home region matchup.
Girls: Habersham Central 50, Apalachee 33
The Lady Raiders (5-9, 2-1 Region 8-AAAAAA) were a tough bunch to deal with at Raider Gymnasium Friday.
The home squad turned a two-point first quarter lead into a 30-13 lead at the break.
“We had a great win,” Head Coach Bill Bradley said after the game. “Putting marks on the left side (in the win column) is always good, but we took steps forward today. I saw growth. I saw mental growth. To me, that’s as big as anything.”
The Lady Wildcats (8-9, 2-2) cut the HCHS lead down to 10 a few times down the stretch behind the play of Hannah Hollingsworth, but that’s as close as they would get when it mattered.
Kyia Barrett led the Lady Raiders with 22 points on the night, including hitting all nine of her free throws.
Daytona Underwood posted 18 points of her own.
Sophie Bramlett (7) and Karah Dean (3) poured in the other 10 points on the night for HCHS.
Underwood and Bramlett serve as the forwards for the Lady Raiders and were outsized against Apalachee, but stood their ground.
“Real proud of Sophie, real proud of Daytona,” Bradley said. “(Apalachee has) a huge inside game, but our two kids, that aren’t that big and dominant, really did a nice job on their posts.”
As is bound to happen, Bradley said he noticed mistakes – and players self-reported a few – but they didn’t bury the Lady Raiders. A few weeks ago, that might have been a different story.
“Mistakes didn’t cost us the ball game. Anytime you can make mistakes and it not cost you the ball game, you’ve got to be a little bit happy about it,” Bradley said.
HCHS turns around quickly to face North Forsyth in Cumming on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tip time.
Bradley said he hasn’t watched North Forsyth – also known by the Lady Raiders moniker – yet, but he knows the team will be good.
With that said, his team will go compete because that’s what competitors do. But he’s looking more at the execution of a game plan more than anything.
“Anytime you get a really, really good team on the road, what you want to do is you want to go and try to execute a game plan so you can learn from that game plan and try to use it to help you in the future,” Bradley said. “I think there will be a lot of things to learn.”
Boys: Habersham Central 78, Apalachee 45
Believe it or not, the Raiders (13-3, 2-1) actually trailed 10-9 at the end of the first quarter of this contest.
But stifling defense in the remainder of the game, especially the second quarter, saw them run the Wildcats (4-13, 0-4) off the court.
“The guys came out and did a really good job tonight playing defense,” Head Coach Tommy Yancey said. “That was able to get us a lot of turnovers that led to some easy offense for us. That’s key for us is to make sure we get some stops and try to turn it into some easy buckets.”
HCHS posted bigger numbers with the progression of each quarter.
In the second, it was 14. In the third, 26. Finally, 29 in the fourth.
Holding Apalachee scoreless in the second quarter gave the Raiders a 23-10 lead at the halftime break.
Yancey said the Wildcats “did a good job defensively of throwing a lot of things at us” which made the Raiders uncomfortable on offense.
“Then we were able to get some stops and get some things running. That allowed us to be a little bit more comfortable in the offensive end,” Yancey said. “Once we were able to do that, the guys were able to go out and dominate the situation. It was something we were looking to do, but we didn’t realize we were going to be able to turn them over this much.”
The Wildcats posted their biggest quarter (22 points) in the fourth quarter as the teams were subbing in players further and further down the bench. But those guys at the end of HCHS’s bench kept pushing the lead and didn’t slow down.
Josiah McCurry led the charge with 21 points in the game thanks to a 14-point third quarter, which ended with an alley-oop assist from Enzo Combs for a big exclamation point on the period.
Combs had a game himself with 13 points.
Caden Garrison scored 11 in the second half and Brannon Gaines had 10.
Overall, 12 of the 14 players dressed out on the Raiders’ bench put points on the board.
HCHS finished the night 16-of-19 from the foul line, good enough for 84 percent.
The Wildcats had one player in double digits as Aiden Pierce scored 15 in the second half.
The Raiders are in a stretch of playing 5-of-6 region games at home before doing the opposite on the back half of the schedule.
For Yancey, it doesn’t matter where the games are played. Region games matter.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s at home, away, if we play in a parking lot,” Yancey said. “Every game we’re going to play in-region has got to be important and we’ve got to put a lot of importance on it.”
The boys will tip off following the girls around 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Cumming against North Forsyth.
Lawmakers honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Day 5 of the legislative session.
After the brief floor sessions, lawmakers headed to the annual event under the Gold Dome featuring a performance from the Atlanta Boys’ Choir.
Gov. Brian Kemp spoke at the event and praised King’s accomplishments. Speaker of the House Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones also gave remarks.
“Today is not only a day to acknowledge the contributions he made to our state and nation, but also to reflect on how we can continue on with his legacy and the mission in our lives,” Kemp said. “Dr. King implored others, implored others to to strive for progress, to unity, and truly love our neighbors as ourselves.”
King’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King, urged lawmakers to act with compassion and respect in a tense political year.
“All Georgians can take pride that Martin Luther King Jr. called our state home, and that even with all of the racial segregation of our past, he was able to sow seeds of interracial brotherhood and sisterhood in the red clay of our state,” she said.
Later in the day, Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) shared her feelings on receiving the prestigious Legislator of the Year award from the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.
“I’m really honored because you work, work, work and you never think about awards,” she said. “So to receive one is really great.” James said she is grateful for her constituents who continue to elect her and keep her in the loop about problems in the community to address with legislation.
Lawmakers will not hold floor sessions next week. Instead, they will review Kemp’s proposed budget recommendations and hear budget requests from state agencies.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
