Honor roll
Baseball
A.J. Benefield, Johnson: Hit two home runs and a double to finish with six RBIs in a win Monday.
Scott Chewning, Chestatee: Threw 6 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts to earn the win Friday, while hitting a two-run home run and scoring two runs.
Sam Clay, Buford: Earned the win on the mound with 10 strikeouts and hit a double in a win Thursday.
Mason Gentry, Buford: Hit three solo home runs with four RBIs in a win Monday.
Troy Herterick, Buford: Went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBIs in a win Monday.
Brian Malone, Buford: Went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and six RBIs in a win Wednesday.
Zach Odom, Union County: Went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, a triple and three RBIs in a win Wednesday and went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in a win Monday.
Alec Ruppenthal, Riverside Military Academy: Went 5-for-5 with a home run, four runs scored and two RBIs in a win Friday.
Skyler Weber, Gainesville: Hit a three-run home run in a win Friday, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored in a loss Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a win Monday.
Chris White, Johnson: Hit a grand slam, a solo home run and totaled four hits and five RBIs in a win Monday.
Golf
Andy Bracewell, North Hall: Fired a 75 to win low-medalist honors in the Hall County Golf Championship on Tuesday.
Malorie Smith, West Hall: Carded a 93 to win low-medalist honors in the Hall County Golf Championship on Tuesday.
Soccer
Nicole Ball, North Georgia Christian: Scored two goals in a win Thursday.
Danielle Berry, North Hall: Scored two goals in a win Wednesday.
Gladys Campos, Gainesville: Scored three goals in a win Tuesday.
Hartley Carter, Gainesville: Scored two goals with an assist in a win Tuesday.
Kalyn Dumanowsky, Johnson: Scored two goals in a win Wednesday.
Bethany Johnson, Johnson: Scored a hat trick in a win Wednesday.
Alex Lawson, North Hall: Recorded a hat trick in a win Wednesday.
Chadler Ligas, West Hall: Scored two goals with one assist in a win Friday and scored two goals with an assist in a win Wednesday.
Kayla Madsen, Johnson: Scored two goals in a win Wednesday.
Kelsey Neukum, Chestatee: Scored two goals in a win Thursday.
Katie Phillips, Chestatee: Scored two goals with one assist in a win Thursday.
Alexis Rebollar, Chestatee: Scored four goals in a win Saturday, scored a goal with an assist in a win Thursday and scored two goals in a win Tuesday.
Ali Souther, North Hall: Scored two goals in a win Friday.
Tennis
Issac Black, Flowery Branch: Won three doubles matches last week.
Jonathan Cook, Chestatee: Won three singles matches last week.
Christopher Hedden, Flowery Branch: Won three doubles matches last week.
Elizabeth Mallory, Flowery Branch: Won three singles matches last week.
A.J. Morris, Flowery Branch: Won three singles matches in straight sets last week.
Durden Smith, Flowery Branch: Won three doubles matches last week.
Dani Taylor, Flowery Branch: Won three doubles matches last week.
Track
Dallas Defoor, Gainesville: Placed first in the 100 and 200-meter dash in the Habersham Invitational on Saturday.
Desmond Hamilton, Gainesville: Placed first in the long jump, triple jump and high jump in the Habersham Invitational on Saturday.
Tierra Hill, Gainesville: Placed first in the high jump and 100-meter dash in the Habersham Invitational on Saturday.
After a disappointing 2010 season in which it missed the postseason, the North Hall baseball team seems determined to ensure that it at least gets a shot at the state tournament in 2011.
The Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Region 8-AAA) are led by five seniors, including Chris Stevens, who had a career day on March 14 against Lumpkin County in Dahlonega.
The utility player-Stevens has pitched and played first, third and in the outfield through the first 11 games of the season-hit a grand slam, a two-run home run and drove in seven runs as the Trojans rolled to the 13-2 win.
For his efforts, Stevens is The Times Athlete of the Week.
"Those were the first two home runs I've hit in high school," Stevens said. "And they felt really good."
The senior, who bats fourth in coach Trent Mongero's lineup, said he is usually a contact hitter who focuses on advancing runners.
"But both times the pitcher left a fastball right in the heart of the plate and I drove them," Stevens said. "I turned on the first one and put it over the left-center fence and the second one was almost to dead-away center."
Abundant offensive output has been typical of North Hall this season. Through nine games the team has averaged a double-digit run total, a statistic that shows the team's desire to improve on an 14-11, 11-8 record last season.
"Hitting is all about practice and desire," Stevens said.
He believes that several extra hours of work put in the week before led to his big game against Lumpkin County.
"I spent some extra time working on my swing and hitting," Stevens said. "And it definitely helped."
The rest of the Trojans have been putting in solid effort too, according Stevens, in an effort to make the postseason.
"We want to make the playoffs," Stevens said. "We were right in the middle of it until the last week of the season last year, and then fell out."
Stevens said that the team has improved all four years he has been on the varsity squad and that this season's team is the best he's played on.
"We're capable of not only getting to the state playoffs, but winning a series," Stevens said. "But first we've got to get out of the region and that's always tough.
"With teams like Gainesville and White County to get by, winning our region is a hard thing to do."
North Hall will continue its postseason quest with a visit to Loganville to face Walnut Grove at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday.