Honor roll
Baseball
Dallas Deavers, Lakeview Academy: Went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in a win over East Hall on Tuesday.
Preston Graham, North Hall: Threw a no-hitter with four strikeouts while driving in two runs in a win over West Hall on Friday.
Hamilton Harper, North Hall: Hit a three-run home run and scored two runs in a win over White County on Wednesday.
Kyle Mills, White County: Hit a three-run home run in a loss to North Hall on Wednesday.
Logan Pethel, Johnson: Hit a three-run home run in a win over West Hall on Wednesday.
Mason Pope, Riverside Military: Hit a home run and drive in three RBIs in a loss to Pinecrest Academy on Thursday.
Spencer Sorrells, Lakeview Academy: Had three hits and two RBIs in a loss to Saint Francis on Wednesday.
David Sosebee, White County: Earned the win, throwing five innings with 13 strikeouts, against Gainesville on Friday.
Coleman Sullivan, Union County: Had three hits with a double and two RBIs in a win over Towns County on Wednesday.
Trey Thomas, Union County: Had three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Towns County on Wednesday.
Trae Wilson, Johnson: Hit a grand slam, a solo home run and a triple to drive in five runs in a win over West Hall on Wednesday.
Basketball
Andraya Carter, Buford: Scored 13 points in a win over Rabun County on Friday; scored 16 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and made four steals in a win over Heard County on Tuesday.
Kaela Davis, Buford: Scored 21 points in a win over Rabun County on Friday; scored 10 points in a win over Heard County on Tuesday.
J.C. Hampton, East Hall: Scored 20 points in a loss to Greater Atlanta Christian on Friday.
T.J. Shipes, Buford: Scored 20 points in a win over Kendrick on Wednesday; scored 10 points in a win over South Atlanta on Friday.
Shunquez Stephens, West Hall: Scored 10 points with 10 rebounds in a loss to Columbia on Tuesday.
Soccer
Nicole Ball, North Georgia Christian: Scored three goals with an assist in a win over Colonial Hills Christian on Tuesday.
Ceely Coker, Buford: Scored three goals in a win over West Hall on Tuesday.
Tara Dambach: Recorded three assists with one goal in a win over West Hall on Tuesday.
Kayla Everett, White County: Scored two goals in a win over Murray County on Saturday.
Kaitlyn Gearing, White County: Scored three goals in a win over Murray County on Saturday.
Cristian Gomez, Gainesville: Scored three goals in a win Tuesday.
Kaitlyn Hooper, White County: Scored two goals in a win over Murray County on Saturday. Scored two goals in a win over Gainesville on Tuesday.
Bethany Johnson, Johnson: Scored two goals in a win over West Hall on Friday.
Megan Kirk, Flowery Branch: Scored two goals in a win over Habersham Central on Friday.
Ariel Mejia, Johnson: Scored two goals in a win over North Hall on Tuesday.
Juan Morfin, Johnson: Scored two goals in a win Tuesday and one goal in a win Friday.
Edgar Ochoa, Johnson: Scored two goals in a win over West Hall on Friday.
Guillermo Santillian, Gainesville: Scored two goals in a win over Franklin County Friday.
Lindsey White, Buford: Scored two goals in a win over West Hall on Tuesday.
Track
Cody Barger, North Hall: Won the 1,600 and 3,200-meter races in a meet Tuesday.
Ansley Lawson: Won the 1,600-meter race and placed second in the 800-meter in a meet Tuesday.
Randy Olson, North Hall: Placed first in the high jump and the 200-meter dash in a meet Tuesday.
Victoria Rogers, North Hall: Won the 3,200-meter race and placed second in the 1,600-meter in a meet Tuesday.
Nate Simon, North Hall: Won the long and triple jump in a meet Tuesday.
Last season, the Gainesville High baseball team was anchored by four seniors and made the state quarterfinals before being eliminated by Thomson.
This season, the Red Elephants are again led by four seniors, but coach Jeremy Kemp believes that this team may be in better position to go further than the quarterfinals.
According to Kemp, the difference between this team and the 2010 version is the depth that youth offers.
"We've got six guys we feel like we can send to the mound, we have a lot of strong arms in the outfield and a lot of good hitting at the plate," Kemp said. "Our young guys are going to be big for us this season."
Leading that pack of new Gainesville talent last week was sophomore catcher Skyler Weber.
Tasked with replacing The Times All-Area first-team catcher Sloan Strickland, who is now at Georgia Perimeter College, Weber rose to the challenge by hitting two grand slams in the fourth inning of a 16-0 route of Lanier on Wednesday.
For his efforts, Weber is The Times Athlete of the Week.
"I'm not a power hitter," Weber said of the two home runs. "I'm always thinking opposite-field line drives, but it just sort of happened."
Both hits came on 2-2 counts, on pitches that had been left a little high and inside, and Weber said he just "got on top of them."
"Even after hitting the first, I still wasn't even thinking home run the second time I came up," Weber said. "I was still just trying to make contact."
The focus on making contact and getting on base is Weber's job as the No. 2 hitter in Kemp's lineup, and the sophomore has no plans to turn toward power hitting.
"Those were probably the 10th and 11th home runs I've ever hit," Weber said. "So I'll stick with what's worked so far."
The catcher said he has played baseball since he was four or five and that power has never been a big part of his game.
That's just fine with Kemp, who cautioned his catcher to "stay humble" after the big day Wednesday.
"He's a good kid, a hard worker, real steady," Kemp said. "He doesn't make any mistakes you expect from young guys, which is good because our team relies on the young guys."
With the nucleus of juniors Stephen Mason, David Gonzalez and Ryan Griffith and seniors Will Maddox and Michael Lorentz, Kemp believes his young pitching staff, led by sophomore Hunter Anglin, and his young hitters can propel Gainesville closer to its first state title since 2002.
"We've got the tools to do it," Kemp said. "The season is not a sprint and we have some issues to work out, but I think we can get there."
Gainesville visits Monroe Area at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday.