TIGER — Rotary Club of Clayton met with Rabun County’s new head football coach and athletic director Jaybo Shaw and toured the school’s athletic facilities during their meeting last Thursday. Shaw, who coaches his first regular-season game as the Wildcats’ leader in Statesboro on Saturday night, talked about his playing and coaching background. From playing quarterback in high school at Flowery Branch to playing collegiately at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern, Shaw has always been around sports. He knew what career he wanted to pursue when he graduated high school.

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee has expanded its sports medicine staff and space to enhance services for the growing number of student-athletes on campus. Jackson Roper will begin as assistant athletic trainer this year alongside Head athletic trainer Mark Green. A native of Franklin, N.C., Roper graduated this spring with his master’s degree in exercise science from Liberty University and earned a Bachelor of Science in athletic training from Western Carolina University. He has been a certified athletic trainer since 2017, and completed internships that placed him in the college and high school athletic settings, as well as performance centers and industrial settings.

TIGER — Destiny Deetz and Gracie Deetz were on the attack in the Rabun County volleyball team’s final match Tuesday night. The duo helped lift the Wildcats past Stephens County 2-1 (20-25, 25-21, 15-12), following an opening match 2-0 (18-25, 25-21) loss against Lumpkin County at Ken Byrd Court. Destiny Deetz had five kills, four blocks and an ace in Rabun’s win against Stephens, and Gracie Deetz finished with five kills, four blocks and an assist. Lexi crump added two aces and two assists, while teammate Ali Ramey dished out four assists with two kills.

TIGER — For first-year head coach Jaybo Shaw, the Rabun County football team’s scrimmage with Franklin (N.C.) has been a part of the program’s preseason since he was hired as an assistant in 2015. The tradition continues. The Wildcats host Franklin for their annual preseason game at Frank Snyder Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday, with the biggest question on Shaw’s mind being: How will the team compete against another opponent in a live setting?

TIGER — With 10 runners returning, the Rabun County cross country team starts its season Thursday. The Wildcats visit Tallulah Falls for their first meet, beginning at 4 p.m. “We are excited to see where this team will go for the girls and boys,” fifth-year coach April Adcock said. “It will be a competitive year from top to bottom on who the top seven will be.”

Alyssa Fair pitched a no-hitter through 7 innings and the Rabun County softball team defeated the Dawson County Tigers 8-1 in its home opener in Tiger on Thursday night. Fair recorded 13 strikeouts in the circle, while offering a hit and two RBIs at the plate. Rabun’s Caylin Dickerson finished with an RBI and scored a run. Birdie Jordan had two hits, an RBI and scored a run. Krissa Cannon had two hits with an RBI and a run scored, Isabella Green added an RBI and scored a run and Courtney Stewart had two hits and scored a run.

Inspired by the movie “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” ESPN8: The Ocho made its annual return to ESPN2 last Wednesday, shining light on all of those activities that live on the edge of the sports world. ESPN2 turned into ESPN8 and aired a full day of programming devoted to those fringe sports, like axe throwing, arm wrestling, lawn mower racing, putt putt and, of course, dodgeball. Most of the games on The Ocho can be played in the backyard.

We found ourselves in the same place we’d been dozens of times before. But this time was different. My dad and I set up camp, got ourselves some cold beverages and found a shallow spot to sit in the river. 

TIGER — In the final set of Match 1, Rabun County’s first-year volleyball coach Reggie Rider called a timeout and asked his team for seven straight points. The Wildcats obliged, defeating the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines 2-1 (25-21, 19-25, 15-11), before forcing a third set against the East Hall Vikings in a 2-1 (18-25, 25-23, 15-7) loss at Ken Byrd Court on Tuesday night. “We have to learn to finish,’” Rider said during the timeout against the Wolverines. “We’ve learned to play, now we have to learn to finish.”