Jeff Hart

Union County jumped out to a quick 26-8 lead in the first quarter and then cruised to a 57-27 win over Dawson County Friday night in Region 8-AA play.

The Chestatee girls basketball team rebounded from a tough loss to Pickens Tuesday with a solid 46-33 win over Class AAA ninth-ranked Creekview Friday at the Chestatee gym.

Riverside Military Academy remained perrfect in Region 8A-AA after taking a 56-47 road win over Fannin County Friday night.

It wasn’t the way Pickens girls basketball coach Kevin Jacobs drew up the final play but he was more than pleased with the improvisational skills of sophomore Jamie Waterman.

Johnson boys basketball coach Jeff Steele said he knows exactly when his team will break out of its now five-game losing streak. “When the kids decide they want to win more than the coaches do,” he said after watching his Knights fall 78-66 to Creekview Saturday night at the Johnson gym.

Gainesville held Flowery Branch to just 14 points in the second and third quarters combined en route to a dominating 53-31 win Friday night in Region 7B-AAA girls basketball action at the Gainesville gym.

In the first major skirmish for control of the Region 7B-AAA subregion, Gainesville put on a tremendous first quarter shooting exhibition to take a quick lead and then held on in the second half to beat Flowery Branch 76-71 Friday night at the Gainesville gym.

North Hall boys basketball coach Benjie Wood has been preaching defense to his young squad all season. And there is no doubt that they are listening...

As hot as the Chestatee girls basketball team is right now, it may not be hot enough. The Lady War Eagles, winners of 11 of their last 13 games after Tuesday’s 41-33 win over North Hall, realize there is virtually no margin for error if they have any chance of winning the Region 7A-AAA subregion.

After spending four days preparing for the 2009 SpeedFest at Lanier National Speedway, Kyle Busch did not leave empty-handed Sunday. The Sprint Cup regular assumed the lead on Lap 104 and never looked back in winning the 200-lap CRA Super Series event. In the first part of SpeedFest, Gainesville’s Greg Simpson survived a wild finish to win the 100-lap GAS Series race.