TODAY'S HEADLINES

Monday, September 18, 2023

By Mark Berryman

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Once again the Elbert County Blue Devil football team found themselves trailing after three quarters of play and once again Elbert County rallied to take the win. The Blue Devils topped Washington-Wilkes 36-27 to improve to 3-1 on the season this past Friday night in the Granite Bowl.

Washington-Wilkes scored first on a touchdown pass with 7:37 remaining in the first quarter. The PAT made it 7-0. The Tigers would score again with three minutes to go in the quarter, going up by two touchdowns.

After a sustained drive for Elbert, Jacari Barnett scored on a 3-yard run with less than a minute in the firs quarter. The Brandon Horne kick made it 14-7.

With seven minutes to go in the half, Horne booted a 36-yard field goal to pull a little close. The score at that point was 14-10.

After stopping Washington-Wilkes, the Blue Devils would take the ball to the five yard line where Barnett would finish the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the night. The PAT was missed and the score stood at 14-16 with less than a minute remaining in the half.

The Tigers quickly regained the lead on a quick strike through the air. The PAT was no good and Washington-Wilkes led 20-16 at the half.

Washington-Wilkes scored first in the second half, extending their lead to 27-16 with 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Elbert County replied with a touchdown pass from Braydon Scarborough to Brady Dickerson with two minutes left in the third quarter. The Horne PAT was good and the score stood at 27-23.

The Blue Devils would take the lead with 11 minutes left in the game as Barnett collects his third rushing touchdown on a 5-yard run. The PAT was missed and the score was 29-27 in favor of Elbert.

The Blue Devils would tack on another rushing touchdown and PAT to take the win 36-27.

Elbert County hosts Jefferson County this Friday night in the Granite Bowl for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Lady Devils softball team recovered from their first region loss of the season to Commerce on Thursday by knocking off the #2 team in AAA, Franklin County 7-5 and easily defeating Thomson 11-3 on Saturday at Wesley Field.

The two wins give Elbert a 13-4 record on the season and 3-1 in region play. The Lady Devils will host Athens Christian School on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Wesley King Field.

[email protected] – The Elbert County Board of Education will meet tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the Elbert County School District Offices located at 50 Laurel Drive in Elberton.

According to the agenda, the board will:

• Receive public comment
• Receive the financial report from CFO Keith Martin
• Hear the superintendent's report from Superintendent Robert Wheeler
• Approve the consent agenda, which includes:
• Purchase/sale agreement for Rutland Academy
• HVAC unit at Paul J. Blackwell Learning Center
• FY 24 local board governance training plan
• TCG advisors
• Rules of conduct for public participation
• Board members will also approve overnight field trip requests
• Consider any new business
• Hold an executive session, if needed.

[email protected] - It's Homecoming week for Elbert County Comprehensive High School and that means an entire week of fun and festivities for the entire community.

Of course, Homecoming Night will be Friday, Sept. 22 as the Elbert County Blue Devils take on Jefferson County. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Granite Bowl.

Prior to that, however, is a week of activities to get everyone in the homecoming spirit. This year's theme is Starlit Nights.

The schedule includes:

Monday - Starry Nights (Students and staff are encouraged to wear their pajamas.)

Tuesday - Stars & Stripes (Students and staff are encouraged to wear red, white & blue.)

Wednesday - Super Star (Students and staff dressed as a famous character.)

Thursday -Sun Lit (Students and staff dressed in Hawaiian/beach gear.)

Friday - Friday Night Stars (Students and Staff wear EC blue/white gear.)

The annual Homecoming Parade will be held on Thursday; the Homecoming game is on Friday and the Homecoming Dance is on Saturday.