Honor roll
Adam Hiten, Banks County: Had 17 points in a win against Hebron Christian on Wednesday.
Taylor Foster, Banks County: Scored 15 points in a win against Hebron Christian on Wednesday.
T.J. Shipes, Buford: Scored 19 points in a win against West Anchorage (Ak.) on Tuesday.
Isaiah Williams, Buford: Scored 17 points in a win against Harrison on Thursday. Had 15 points in a loss to Norland (Fla.) on Friday.
Kaela Davis, Buford: Scored 22 points in a loss to Riverdale (Tenn.) on Wednesday.
Payton Wehunt, Buford: Had 17 points in a win against Eagles Landing on Wednesday
Emily Crain, Chestatee: Scored 20 points in a victory against South Paulding on Thursday.
Erin Clifford, Chestatee: Finished with 16 points in a win against South Paulding on Thursday.
Maegan Kenimer, Chestatee: Had 16 points and nine rebounds in a win against North Paulding on Thursday.
Tyler Dominy, Dawson County: Scored 14 points in a win against Murphy (N.C.) on Tuesday. Had 22 points in a loss to Southside (Ala.) on Wednesday.
Carly Gilreath, Dawson County: Scored 16 points with three steals in a win against Murphy (N.C.) on Wednesday.
Sheyenne Seabolt, Dawson County: Had 16 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Towns County on Thursday.
Holly Lester, East Hall: Scored 13 points in a win against Franklin County on Wednesday.
Morgan Jackson, East Hall: Scored 27 points in a win against Hart County on Friday. Scored 22 points and was named McDonald’s Shootout Tournament MVP in a win against Elbert County on Friday in the tournament championship.
Audrianna Lindsey, East Hall: Scored 13 points in a win against Hart County on Friday.
Montrell McKenzie, Johnson: Had 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots in a win against North Forsyth on Wednesday.
Drew Dunham, Johnson: Scored 13 points in a win against North Forsyth on Wednesday.
Lyndsey Pethel, Johnson: Scored 12 points in a loss to North Forsyth on Wednesday.
Carlie Doster, Johnson: Scored 18 points in a loss against Forsyth Central on Thursday.
Mary Kate Rushton, North Hall: Had 21 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Forsyth Central on Wednesday.
McKenna Rushton, North Hall: Scored 14 points in a win against West Hall on Friday.
Sarah Paschall, North Hall: Finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds in a win against Forsyth Central on Wednesday.
Griffin Olson, North Hall: Scored 14 points in a win against Forsyth Central on Wednesday.
Adam Kelly, North Hall: Scored 14 points in a win against West Hall on Friday.
Angie Hughes, Union County: Scored 13 points with 10 rebounds in a win against Hokes Bluff (Ala.) on Tuesday. Finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Dawson County on Wednesday.
Rhett McCombs, Union County: Scored 23 points in a loss to Southside (Ala.) on Tuesday. Scored 15 points in a win against Murphy (N.C.) on Wednesday.
Rebecka Merritt, Union County: Scored 30 points in a win against Dawson County on Wednesday.
Rico Jones, West Hall: Had a game-high 21 points in a loss to North Hall on Friday.
Rand Rowland, White County: Scored 16 points with six rebounds in a loss to Lakeview Academy on Friday.
Wrestling
Bart Valazquez, Chestatee: Won two matches by pins at 113 pounds on Thursday against Stephens County and Robbinsville, N.C.
Kyle Wesley, Chestatee: Won matches against by pins at 152 against Stephens County and Robbinsville, N.C. on Thursday.
North Hall basketball coach Benjie Wood holds his junior point guard, Ebo Smith, in very high regard.
Smith, a devout member of his church and avid drummer, is also putting up big numbers on the court this season for the Trojans (10-3).
"Ebo's a fine young man and the kind of kid you'd want your daughter to date," said Wood. "And he's just as good of a basketball player."
Last week, Smith was in double-figures scoring in wins against Forsyth Central, North Forsyth and West Hall.
His best outing was a game-high 24 points against the Bulldogs to open the Holiday Shootout last Wednesday at Johnson. For his efforts, he's The Times Athlete of the Week.
"And I don't think that it's any coincidence that he was playing his best offensively when he was at his best on defense," Wood added.
Smith agrees 100 percent with that assertion that defense is the name of the game.
"It doesn't matter as much how you're playing on offense as long as you're playing great defense," Smith said.
"Even if your own shots aren't falling, if you're playing good on defense, that means you're keeping the other team from scoring."
Smith is also only focused on the bottom line. Individual stats don't do much for North Hall's leading scorer if it isn't accompanied by a victory.
"It's great to be able to score 24 points, but if we don't win, it doesn't really mean anything," Smith said. "I'd rather only score two and have the team win than 24 without a win."
With his role at point guard, Smith knows that much is expected.
Not only is he the man in charge of the offense and making good passing decisions, but he's also got to be able to turn right around and lead defensively.
Wood decided during the offseason that Smith was going to run the point, a change from his shooting guard role in 2011.
"Ebo's naturally a shooter," Wood said. "He's done a really good job adjusting to the transition."
He says that a lot of the edge the team has created comes from practice where the team works just as heavily on preparing schematically as physically.
"We have very mentally hard practices," Smith said. "It's a lot of stuff with walk throughs and learning what the other team we are going to face is going to do against us."
Smith believes that all signs right now for North Hall point to a successful run in Region 8-AAA North subregion play, which begins Friday night at Chestatee.
He believes the team was dealt a wake-up call with a last-minute loss against Flowery Branch in the third-place game in the recent Lanierland tournament, which was the main catalyst to North Hall's current three-game winning streak.
He also knows the man in charge, Wood, has a track record of taking programs deep in the state tournament, including just two years ago taking North Hall to the state semifinals in Macon.
Wood also guided the Johnson girls to the state semifinals in 2005, prior to taking over at North Hall before the 2007 season.
"I feel like we have the best coaching staff in the state of Georgia," Smith said. "And I've really seen our team mature, so I think we can make a run at the region title and then in the playoffs eventually."