Athletics Announcements

Girls State Track: May 1-3

Golf State Championship: May 5

Boys State Track: May 8-10

Boys and Girls Tennis State Championships: May 9

1st Round of State Baseball: May 9

Spring Football Practice for rising 7th-8th: May 5-9

Spring Football Practice for rising 9th-12th: May 12-23

May 20: Career Senior and Spring Sports Senior Recognition Assembly-11:00 a.m.

May 22: Team Night for Fall Sports-Presentation Hall-7:00 p.m.
Football-rising 7th-12th
Cross Country-rising 9th-12th
Volleyball-rising 9th-12th

May 23: Pig Pickin' at Slaughter Field-6:00 p.m.

For the second consecutive year, Head Boys Basketball Coach James Banks has been named Region 8-A Coach of the Year. In addition Coach Banks has been named the the assistant coach for the North Squad in the North-South All-Star Game in Savannah on March 30. He will join long time friend and rival Bolling Dubose of Jefferson to make up quite a talented coaching staff.

Footnote: James Banks has the rare distinction of having played in the All-Star game as well as coaching in it.

Always a work in progress, below you will find the scheduled summer opportunities for 2008:

Weight Training: Football (8:00-10:00); Open (10:00-12:00)

Baseball: Upper School -- June 2-14

Upper School Basketball:
Boys: June 2-6 skill development-TBA. June 23-28: practice at the Spartan Center and games in the Jackson County Team Camp

Girls: practice June 4-6 and 9-12 from 5:30-7:30; girls camp at Clemson will be June 13-15

Cheerleading: Last week of July-early August, then the season begins.

Football: Throwing sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays (grades 9-12)

Note this change: Middle School Football will begin August 11. They will not attend the camp in Habersham County the week of August 4.

Soccer: Girls Upper School--June 17-27

Track and CC: Camps at UGA: June 18-21, Weekly CC runs TBA

Volleyball: Team Camp at Emory, July 21-24, rising 8th-12th

The 8-A Subregion Champion Spartans finished 3rd in the Region Tournament at Towns County and will advance to the first round of state at Excel Christian in Cartersville. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

Directions to Excel Christian Academy

From I-75 North take Exit 288 (Cartersville/ Main Street Exit). Follow Main Street to Hwy 41 (second light), turn left. Go to the second light (South Bridge Road) and turn right. Follow South Bridge Road to the first traffic light and turn right onto Old Mill Road and ECA will be approximately 1 mile on the right.

Pat Bassett, President of the National Association of Independent Schools, offers an insightful look at the role of athletics in the development of young people:

Independent Perspective: Sports at the Academy

See the links below for the Athens Banner Herald All-Northeast Georgia Teams for fall:

Girls Cross Country

Boys Cross Country

Volleyball

Football

Player of the Year-William Callaway

Coach of the Year-Michael Gunn

All-Northeast Georgia Teams

All-State Football

Much more later, but for now: Thanks Guys!

We come together at Athens Academy for many reasons--today we came for fun. What a season!

Wilcox County 32, Athens Academy 14

Athens Banner Herald Link 1
Athens Banner Herald Link 2
Athens Banner Herald Link 3
Athens Banner Herald Link 4
Athens Banner Herald Photo Album
Atlanta Journal/Constitution Photo Album

________________________________________________________
In a remarkable display of toughness and composure, the Spartans overcame a 13-7 fourth quarter deficit and scored with less than two minutes remaining to post a 14-13 victory over Brookstone School. The Spartans advance to the Georgia Dome for a semi-final matchup with Wilcox County. The game will be played on Friday, December 7 at 9:00 a.m. Click here for the Athens Banner Herald article on another exciting quarterfinal victory at Slaughter Field.

Photo Gallery from Athens Banner Herald

The show of support before the game and at the beginning of the second half was beyond description. It's Great to be an Athens Spartan!

Below, link to the various division options for attendance and support for next Friday's game. Data will be added to this site as it becomes available.

Upper School
Printable copy of Upper School Plans

Middle School
Printable copy of Middle School Plans

Preschool/Lower School
Printable Copy of PS/LS Plans

Tickets will be on sale Monday morning at the Spartan Center. Payment options: cash, checks made out to Athens Academy, or student billing. There are NO reserved seats for the GHSA Semi-finals at the Georgia Dome. Tickets will also be on sale at the Dome with gates opening at 8:00 a.m. All tickets are $15.00. Do not buy tickets outside of the Dome--could be a scam.

Long-sleeve T-shirts: Time will not allow us to preorder, so we will have a good, but limited supply of shirts by Thursday--another Jack Davis design. Shirts can be ordered and billed along with ticket sales at the Spartan Center or through Coach Petroski in the Upper School. Shirts are long-sleeved this year with Jack Davis design (see above).
The cost is $13.00.
AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP AT SPARTAN CENTER AT 8:00 ON THURSDAY MORNING

GHSA Website

Link to Georgia Dome

Basketball: Tuesday, games at Oconee and Saturday, home vs Aquinas will be played. (Girls JV v Oconee instead of boys).

The Friday game vs Commerce has been moved to Thursday with NO JV. Varsity doubleheader starts at 4:30.

The home MS contest with Commerce has been rescheduled to play AT Commerce--same date: Thursday, 4:30 and 5:30..

Athens Academy v Brookstone School
Slaughter Field-Athens
Friday, November 30
7:30

Strong first half leads Spartans to Elite Eight: Jeff Turner, Wright Shamp and James Colquitt each scored in the first half and the Spartan defense allowed but one touchdown to Whitefield's high-powered offense. The 21-7 victory sets up Athens Academy versus Brookstone with both being #1 Seeds. Athens Academy won the coin toss and will host the game at Slaughter Field. See AJC article on the coin toss.

Click HERE for the Class A Football Playoff Bracket

Senior guard/linebacker Evans Wellborn has been named the recipient of the Region 8-A Football Scholar-Athlete Scholarship sponsored by the Georgia High School Association and the Collegiate Football Hall of Fame. The honor is based on outstanding academic and football accomplishments. The statewide winner will be announced as part of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta in December.

View image

Evans' junior and senior years have resulted in a 24-2 football record to date and back to back region championships.

Because the Spartan Football Team will be hosting a quarterfinal state playoff game on November 30, the home opener for the basketball teams has been moved to Thursday, November 29. The girls will tip-off at 4:30 followed by the boys at 6:00. The JV girls contest will be rescheduled for a later date.

Both teams will play at Aquinas in Augusta on Tuesday, November 26.