Sports

The track at Oglethorpe County High School, which had bubbled and ripped in places, has been removed and will be replaced. The track was under warranty, which means the replacement track won’t cost the school system. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

The track at Oglethorpe County High School, which had bubbled and ripped in places, has been removed and will be replaced. The track was under warranty, which means the replacement track won’t cost the school system. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Track replacement underway at OCHS

Owen Warden
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
The Oglethorpe County High School track is getting a facelift.   Repairs have started on the track, which had cracked, formed holes and had bubbled up in places, making it impossible to use several lanes for practice and meets.
Abby Jones, the only senior on the Oglethorpe County softball team, throws the ball home during practice on Monday. Jones is only one of four upperclassmen on a team dominated by freshmen. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Abby Jones, the only senior on the Oglethorpe County softball team, throws the ball home during practice on Monday. Jones is only one of four upperclassmen on a team dominated by freshmen. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Freshmen surround lone senior

Owen Warden
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
The Oglethorpe County softball team is back for another season under head coach Brianna Dickens.   The team is coming off of a 15-14 regular season and finished third in Region 5-A Division I with a 2-7 mark, in contrast to a 19-7-1 record and Region 4-AA title in 2022.
Oglethorpe County baseball players move and place the sod during work at the OCHS baseball field on July 12. The infield was leveled and the pitching mound was raised to regulation height. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Oglethorpe County baseball players move and place the sod during work at the OCHS baseball field on July 12. The infield was leveled and the pitching mound was raised to regulation height. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

OCHS baseball infield leveled, mound raised

Owen Warden
Thursday, July 20, 2023
The Oglethorpe County High School baseball field just received a makeover.    The field was leveled to raise the pitching mound to its proper height and new sod was placed on July 12.
The Oglethorpe County Junior League All-Stars lost in the district championship game on Monday night. Toccoa defeated them 13-2. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

The Oglethorpe County Junior League All-Stars lost in the district championship game on Monday night. Toccoa defeated them 13-2. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Junior All-Stars are second in tourney

News Staff
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Toccoa defeated the Oglethorpe County Junior League All-Stars 13-2 in the district championship game on Monday night.
Oglethorpe County High School girls basketball and softball coach Brianna Dickens has had a busy summer running youth camps for both sports.(SUBMITTED PHOTOS)

Oglethorpe County High School girls basketball and softball coach Brianna Dickens has had a busy summer running youth camps for both sports.(SUBMITTED PHOTOS)

No rest for Dickens with softball, basketball camps

Owen Warden
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Oglethorpe County High School volleyball and girls basketball coach Brianna Dickens has kept herself and her teams busy this offseason.
Sydnie Henderson, a junior at OCHS, is one of the top track and cross country athletes in Oglethorpe County. (CARSON REYNOLDS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Sydnie Henderson, a junior at OCHS, is one of the top track and cross country athletes in Oglethorpe County. (CARSON REYNOLDS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Junior Olympic team builds on county’s track tradition

Owen Warden
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Oglethorpe County’s strength in track and field continues.   Seven youth — aged 18 and younger — from Oglethorpe County were selected to participate in the AAU Junior Olympics.
Ty Burgess (left) and Jordan Johnson wait during a break in the action to check into a summer league game. Johnson has displayed “defensive intensity and effort,” OCHS coach Larry Brown said. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Ty Burgess (left) and Jordan Johnson wait during a break in the action to check into a summer league game. Johnson has displayed “defensive intensity and effort,” OCHS coach Larry Brown said. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Pittard, Johnson continue impressive summer performances

Owen Warden
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Oglethorpe County’s boys basketball team’s eventful summer continued as the Patriots won the summer league tournament it hosted.   OCHS won the league with a 10-2 record after the title game planned for July 1 was canceled due to scheduling conflicts.
The OCHS boys soccer team played a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Chestatee High School last month, part of a busy summer for the Patriots. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

The OCHS boys soccer team played a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Chestatee High School last month, part of a busy summer for the Patriots. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Unorthodox games among soccer teams’ summer training

Owen Warden
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Oglethorpe County boys head soccer coach Erich Forschler focused heavily on two areas this offseason for the boys and girls teams: speed and agility.   Throughout June and continuing into this month, Forschler has held speed and agility training sessions about three times a week.

Holland ‘encouraged’ with passing game

News Staff
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Don’t get Mike Holland wrong.    Oglethorpe County is a run-first football team, but the head coach said he was excited about quarterback Jayden Wallace’s throwing performance at camps last week.
OCHS boys basketball coach Larry Brown leads a youth basketball camp last week at the school’s gym. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

OCHS boys basketball coach Larry Brown leads a youth basketball camp last week at the school’s gym. (LANDEN TODD/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Brown’s summer camp focuses on improvement

Owen Warden
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Campers weren’t the only ones who felt they improved at coach Larry Brown’s basketball camp last week at Oglethorpe County High School.   Isaac Johnson, a OCHS player and camp counselor, said benefitted from the extra time on the court.   “I got better myself, honestly,” he said.