Habersham Central High School

Welcome to
Habersham Central High School
Dear Supporters of Habersham Central High School
On behalf of the faculty and staff of Habersham Central High School, welcome to today’s
game. The baseball players and coaches have worked extremely hard and put in many hours
preparing for this season. Having coached for more than twenty years, I understand and
appreciate the hard work, commitment, and dedication of these students as well as the
parents and community members that have all worked to make this season a success.
We hope that you enjoy your experience at today’s game. We know that you will be proud of
our students as they strive for excellence in every endeavor just like they do in every aspect of
their lives from the classroom to the field. Let’s all show the visiting teams and their fans that
we support OUR TEAM. Thank you for your support and GO RAIDERS!
Sincerely,
Wesley McGee
Principal of the One Raider Nation
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Letter from the
Athletic Director
Dear Baseball Fans,
I’d like to take this opportunity as Athletic Director of the Habersham County School System to
welcome everyone to the baseball game today. Our baseball players have worked extremely
hard not only on the field but in the classroom as well to make this season a success. We all
need to support these young men and coaches in their efforts. There are many lessons in life
to be learned through athletics. Lets all work together to help our Raiders in this endeavor. In
closing I’d like to say “good luck” to our visitors and hope that your trip to Habersham County
today was a safe and enjoyable experience.
Coach Geep Cunningham
Athletic Director
Habersham County Schools
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Habersham Central
Raider Dugout Club
Officers
Ricky Taylor……….President
Ritch Wilbanks……….Vice President
Elaine Cook……….Secretary
Angie Anderson……….Treasurer
Team Moms & Dads
Varsity: Tonya Moore
JV: Sonya Hurt
Middle School: Tanya Tyler
Concessions
Tracy McGill
Fundraiser Chairs
Advertising Sales: Elaine Cook & Susan Stewart, Cliff Baird
Christmas Tree, Wreath, and Garland Fundraiser: Renee Dalton & Tracy McGill
Boston Butt Sale: Ritch Wilbanks, Jason & Angie Anderson
BBQ Plate Sale: Ricky & Sharon Taylor
Welcome to Raider Baseball
The purpose of the HCHS Dugout Club is to provide financial and moral support to all teams
associated with Habersham Central Baseball. The mission of Habersham Central Baseball is to
provide a first-class, consistently competitive program that produces quality baseball players
and quality young men.
Fundraising is a vital part of building and sustaining this type of program, therefore your
participation in Dugout Club activities is greatly appreciated. For specific information regarding
fundraisers, please visit our fundraisers page and important dates page. For membership
information, contact Coach Akridge ([email protected]) or a Dugout Club officer.
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Letter from the
Dugout Club President
Dear Guests,
On behalf of the Raider Dugout Club, welcome to Raider Park! Nothing beats sitting in your
favorite ballpark, watching your favorite team. The excitement of the baseball season will
always make it America’s pastime. Sit back and enjoy the game and join us for some great food
or drinks from the concession stand.
The Raider Dugout Club has worked diligently for the Raider Baseball Program’s financial
support. Our club supports Middle School, Junior Varsity, and Varsity with equipment, camps,
meals, and overall upgrades to the program. We operate from fundraisers, memberships, and
donations.
We would like to thank all the businesses, individuals, and parents who have made
contributions to our fundraisers. Without your generosity, this program would not exist. We
would also like to offer a special thank you to WCON radio 107.7 FM and 1450 AM for their
many years of commitment to the Raider baseball program. The professional broadcasting
from Michael Harvey and Len Dalton keep everyone informed from the birds eye view over
home plate. It is such a blessing for parents and grandparents to be able to follow the game on
the radio. Finally, the club would like to thank our coaching staff for their tireless hours of
work and dedication to our young men. We are blessed to have coaches that instill and invest
in our players.
I would like to personally thank everyone for all the time and effort that has been conveyed
upon this Club and Team. All the fundraisers are complete, so now we can relax and enjoy the
game. I know that you will be proud of our Raider team as they represent a team of
sportsmanship and character.
Thank you for your support and GO RAIDERS!
Sincerely,
Ricky Taylor
Ricky Taylor
President, Raider Dugout Club
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Thanks to Our
Dugout Club Members
Jason and Angie Anderson
Cliff and Misty Baird
Mark and Tammy Belback
Billy and Mary Bell
Rob and Candace Blackburn
Tim and Jamie Brown
Jim and Amy Butterworth
Jarvis and Elaine Cook
Len and Renee Dalton
Mike and Kelley Duncan
Michael and Lisa Harrup
Brady and Sonya Hurt
Rick and Lisa Hubley
Brian and Sheree Irvin
Steven and Caryl Loudermilk
Charlie and Tracy McGill
Brad and Tonya Moore
Scooter and Samantha Nix
Scott and Georgia Pitts
Larry Sheffield
Todd and Susan Stewart
Ricky and Sharon Taylor
Ritch and Michelle Wilbanks
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Letter from
Coach Akridge
Dear Raider Baseball Family,
It is an honor to serve as your head coach and to represent Habersham Central High School
and Habersham County. I’m grateful for all of the hard work and dedication that our parents
and boosters have shown leading up to this season. As I’ve said many times before, our
program is blessed to have such a supportive group of parents. I’m also extremely proud of
how hard our players have worked this off-season, and I’m excited to see this hard work pay
off during the 2014 season.
As we enter this season, I encourage everyone involved in our program to continue to work
selflessly toward our goal of establishing a first-class, consistently competitive program that
produces quality baseball players and quality young men. The only way that we can continue
to make strides toward this goal is by remaining unified as a program and ensuring that every
word and deed contributes to the cultivation of an unselfish, winning mentality within our
program. Just like any other season, there are sure to be times of adversity this spring.
However, I firmly believe that if we adhere to our core values as a program (Hard work,
Character, Heart, and Selflessness), we will achieve great success!
Sincerely,
Coach Chris Akridge
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Varsity Head Coach Chris Akridge
Coach Akridge is a native of Mobile, AL where he attended Faith
Academy and the University of South Alabama. Upon graduating
from high school, he decided to immediately begin pursuing a
career in coaching at his high school alma mater in 2001. Coach
Akridge coached football for four years at Faith Academy and had
the privilege of coaching baseball under Coach Lloyd Skoda for five
seasons. During this time, Coach Akridge served as the head JV
coach and a varsity assistant coach. He was a part of state
championship teams in 2001 and 2003 and state runner-up teams
in 2002 and 2005.
In 2005, Coach Akridge moved to Habersham County and began
coaching at Habersham Central High School. He served as the head
JV coach in 2006 and 2007, and as a varsity assistant during the
2008 and 2009 seasons. In the summer of 2009, he was named head coach at Habersham
Central and completed his first season as head coach in 2010.
Education/Personal
Coach Akridge received his B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of South Alabama
in 2005, received his M.A. in Special Education from North Georgia College and State
University in 2008, and received his Ed. S. in Teaching and Learning from Georgia Southern
University in 2011. He taught special education at South Habersham Middle School from 20052009, and is currently in his fifth year of teaching at Habersham Central. He and his wife April
have been married since 2005, and they have three sons, Eli (4), Ty (2), and Jack (1).
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Coaches
Coach Jeff McCall, Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach McCall brings a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience to
our program. He spent the last four seasons at Emmanuel College where
he served as an Assistant Coach and the Recruiting Coordinator. Prior to
coaching at Emmanuel, he served as an Assistant Coach at Cumberland
University in Lebanon, Tn. He also currently serves as an associate scout in
the Cleveland Indians organization and has previously been a part of the
Reds and Orioles organizations.
Coach Tate Gailey, Junior Varsity Head Coach, Varsity Assistant
Tate Gailey is a graduate of North Georgia College and State University
with a degree in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. He teaches Math at
HCHS. Tate is in his 7th year coaching in the baseball program. Tate has
coached football at the varsity level for 8 seasons. He attends Bethlehem
Baptist Church with his wife Amy, and their two sons
Coach Mitchell Thomas, JV Assistant Coach
Coach Mitchell Thomas graduated from Habersham Central in 1988.
Currently, he serves as a Community Coach for both the softball and
baseball programs for Habersham Central. Coach Thomas has been the
Varsity softball assistant and JV coach since 2004. He has worked with the
Varsity, JV and C-Team programs and now is coaching in the middle
school program. Before coaching at Habersham Central, Coach Thomas
served as a softball assistant coach at Franklin County Middle School for 4
years. He is married to Stephanie Cody Thomas, and they have 3 children,
Brady, Kilee and Cody.
Coach Caleb Cochran, Assistant Coach
Coach Cochran is from Americus, Georgia. He graduated from Americus
Sumter High School in 2008. He pitched on varsity for Piedmont College
from 2009 to 2012. He is currently working on his MBA at Piedmont and
will graduate in May.
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2014 Varsity Schedule
Date/Time
Thu, Feb 13
Wed, Feb 19
Sat, Feb 22
Mon, Feb 24
Wed, Feb 26
Fri, Feb 28
Mon, Mar 03
Wed, Mar 05
Fri, Mar 07
Mon, Mar 10
Thu, Mar 13
Mon, Mar 17
Wed, Mar 19
Fri, Mar 21
Mon, Mar 24
Wed, Mar 26
Mon, Mar 31
Wed, Apr 02
Fri, Apr 04
Mon, Apr 07
Wed, Apr 09
Fri, Apr 11
Mon, Apr 14
Wed, Apr 16
Mon, Apr 21
Wed, Apr 23
Fri, Apr 25
May 02-26
Time
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
1:00 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:30 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
6:30 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
6:30 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:55 PM
5:00 PM
TBA
Opponent
Madison County
Stephens County
Oconee County
Oconee County
Stephens County
Rabun County
Gainesville
Gainesville
Lanier
Chestatee
Rabun County
North Gwinnett
Mountain View
Meadowcreek
Duluth
Peachtree Ridge
Mill Creek
Collins Hill
Norcross
North Gwinnett
Mountain View
Meadowcreek
Duluth
Peachtree Ridge
Mill Creek
Collins Hill
Norcross
State Playoffs
Location
Away
Home
Home
Away
Away
Home
Home
Away
Home
Away
Away
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
TBA
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2014 Junior Varsity Schedule
Date/Time
Time
Mon, Feb 24
Thu, Feb 27
Sat, Mar 01
Thu, Mar 06
Sat, Mar 08
Tue, Mar 11
Thu, Mar 13
Sat, Mar 15
Tue, Mar 18
Thu, Mar 20
Tue, Mar 25
Tue, Apr 01
Thu, Apr 03
Tue, Apr 08
Thu, Apr 10
Apr 14-16
05:00 PM
05:30 PM
11:00 AM
05:00 PM
12:00 PM
05:30 PM
06:00 PM
11:00 AM
05:30 PM
06:00 PM
05:30 PM
05:00 PM
05:30 PM
06:00 PM
05:30 PM
TBA
Opponent
Location
Mountain View
North Gwinnett
Gainesville
Duluth
Mill Creek (DH)
Collins Hill
Norcross
Gainesville
Peachtree Ridge
Mountain View
North Gwinnett
Duluth
Collins Hill
Norcross
Peachtree Ridge
JV Tournament
Home
Away
Home
Home
Away (DH)
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Away
TBA
2014 Middle School Schedule
Date/Time
Time
Sat, Feb 15
Fri, Feb 21
Mon, Feb 24
Sat, Mar 01
12:00 PM
05:00 PM
04:30 PM
11:00 AM
Wed, Mar 05
Fri, Mar 07
Mon, Mar 10
Wed, Mar 12
Sat, Mar 15
Mon, Mar 17
Wed, Mar 19
Tue, Mar 25-28
05:00 PM
05:00 PM
04:30 PM
05:00 PM
11:00 AM
05:00 PM
05:30 PM
TBA
Opponent
Location
Rabun County (DH)
Jackson County (DH)
White County
Stephens County
(DH)
Jefferson
Jefferson
White County
East Jackson
East Jackson
Gainesville
Gainesville
League Tournament
Away (DH)
Home (DH)
Away
Away (DH)
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Home
Away
TBA
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VARSITY SEASON RECORDS
2006 to present
Season
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Overall Record
22-10 (.688)
9-13 (.409)
13-12 (.520)
7-18 (.280)
13-13 (.500)
11-14 (.440)
8-18 (.308)
8-18 (.308)
Region Record
11-7 (.611)
9-11 (.450)
12-11 (.522)
7-13 (.350)
9-11 (.450)
6-11 (.353)
4-13 (.235)
1-13 (.071)
Region 7-AAAAAA
Collins Hill
Duluth
Habersham Central
Norcross
North Gwinnett
Peachtree Ridge
Mill Creek
Mountain View
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SENIORS
2 Corey PEARSON
Achievements: Being selected on the 2nd team All Region Football
as Defensive Back and 3 year letterman in Baseball.
Favorite quote: “Athletes are born winners, they’re not born losers,
and the sooner you understand this, the faster you can take on a
winning attitude and become successful in life” – Charles R.
Sledge, JR
Nickname: Peterson
Most memorable moment: Riding the bus to and from games with
Kael, Nick, and Brandon.
Plans after graduation: United States Marine Corps
4 Patrick TAYLOR
Achievements: Academic Letterman, Baseball Letterman for 3
years, Honor Roll with Distinction- 9th-12th grade
Favorite quote: It is what it is.
Nickname: PT or Pat
Most memorable moment: Going 4 for 4 my sophomore year at
Rockdale
Plans after graduation: To attend the University of North Georgia
7 Brandon MOORE
Achievements: Three year Letterman in Baseball and Football
Favorite quote: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me”
Nickname: BMoore, Beamer
Most memorable moments: Bus rides, playing baseball with a great
group of guys! Coach Ak and the creek at the cabin
Plans after graduation: Go to college and continue playing baseball
10 Josh ANDERSON
Achievements: Raider Scholar Award, JV Most Valuable Player 2010,
3 year Varsity Letterman, accomplished hunter and
outdoorsman.
Favorite quote: 'Win or Lose as a Champion"
Nickname: The Kid
Most memorable moment: Comeback win against Oconee
Plans after graduation: Hunt and fish as much as I can while
pursuing a career in Wildlife Biology.
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SENIORS
12 Sloan AUSTIN
Achievements: Honor Roll (K-12), Member, National Society of High
School Scholars, Dual Enrollment @ Piedmont College – 20132014, Lettered in Baseball, Football, & Wrestling, Best Defensive
Player Award – JV 2012, Most stolen bases – Varsity 2013,
Member, Habersham Youth Leadership – 2012-2014, Raider
Reader – 2011-2014, Counselor, Camp Koinonia – 2010-2014,
Challenged HCHS Dress Code
Favorite Quote: Molón labé
Nickname: Froge, Father of time
Most Memorable Moment: Mine and Michael Long’s pizza box at
Berry Baseball Camp
Plans After Graduation: Obtain a college degree
14 Nick FOSTER
Achievements: Pitcher of the Year Award
Favorite quote: Hey boys
Nickname: Nikki Minaj
Most memorable moment: Cabin
Plans after graduation: Play College Baseball
18 Kael INGLE
Achievements: Making the baseball team in 9th grade after getting
cut in the 8th.
Favorite quote: The only thing fair in life is a ball between first and
third.
Nickname: Kael yeah
Most memorable moment: Pouring baby powder all over Fatback
with Nick, Corey, and Brandon at Berry Camp.
Plans after graduation: Attend college at North Greenville (SC)
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SENIOR FAMILIES
The family of Corey Pearson
The family of Patrick Taylor
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SENIOR FAMILIES
The family of Brandon Moore
The family of Josh Anderson
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SENIOR FAMILIES
The family of Sloan Austin
The family of Nick Foster
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SENIOR FAMILIES
The family of Kael Ingle
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Varsity
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Varsity
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Positions
Outfielders
Infielders
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Positions
Catchers
Pitchers
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Varsity
#
Name
Position
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
11
12
14
15
16
18
22
23
24
Corey Pearson
Jordan Stewart
Patrick Taylor
Zac Brown
Trevor Bell
Brandon Moore
Payton Dalton
Josh Anderson
Steven Loudermilk
Sloan Austin
Nick Foster
Chris Irvin
Colby Cook
Kael Ingle
Will Hubley
Decellis Outlaw
Jay Nix
INF/P
OF
INF/P
INF/P
INF/P
OF
OF/P
INF/P
INF
OF
OF/P
C
INF
C
INF/P
OF/INF
INF/P
Year
Head Coach
12
11
12
11
11
12
11
12
11
12
12
11
11
12
11
11
11
Chris Akridge
Assistant Coaches
Jeff McCall
Caleb Cochran
Tate Gailey
Manager
David Hubley
Mark Shelton
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Junior Varsity
32
Junior Varsity
#
Name
2
3
4
6
7
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
17
18
21
22
Zach Duncan
Dylan Cantrell
Trey Hurt
Grant Belback
Seth Blackburn
Maddox Lewallen
Cole Wilbanks
Dustin Sheffield
Brice Austin
Josh Baird
Jared Jones
Blake Butterworth
Adam Harrup
Eric McGill
Brandon Mitchell
Austin Disharoon
Head Coach
Tate Gailey
Assistant Coaches
Mitchell Thomas
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Middle School
#
Name
1
5
8
9
11
12
13
15
16
17
22
24
25
Peyton Irvin
Josh Pearson
Jess Wilbanks
Hunter Tyler
Carson Moore
Andre Cabbagestalk
Colby Jones
Dalton Munroe
Hogan Pitts
Peyton Lewallen
Hunter Ingle
Jacob Holcomb
Shandon Lee
Head Coach
Joe Heaton
Assistant Coaches
Bryan Black
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2013 Berry College Team Champions
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68