Jackson 3-0 start takes team's mind off losing decade

The grand total of Jackson County's playoff tradition is three trophies in the fieldhouse, all for sub-region runner-up finishes.

The Panthers' trophy case could get a little more crowded this season. Jackson County is 3-0 for the first time since 1981 and it begins region play with more confidence than the program has had since going a school-record 8-2-1 in 1992.

"It feels amazing to be part of the class that's changing how this team has been going," Jackson County senior running back Rob Williams said. "We're setting how this team will be for the future. It feels good to know that you're the ones who're sparking it."

Jackson County begins Region 8-AAA play at 7:30 p.m. today when it travels to Morgan County.

The confidence that comes with consistent winning has rarely stayed with Jackson County. The Panthers have five winning records since their first varsity season in 1980 and three of those came in a three-year span from 1990-92.

"There's so much adversity that you have to overcome," Williams said. "We've had a losing mentality around here. We've had a lack of leadership, last year especially. It was hard to dig ourselves out of that rut of losing so much."

Jackson County's three wins to start the season are the program's most in a single season since the Panthers went 4-6 in 1997. Jackson County totaled 10 wins from 1998-2008 and went 0-10 four times in that span.

"It seems like we've had seniors around here before who thought that losing was OK," Jackson County senior linebacker Ryan Howe said. "I thought that too for a while before I realized that it wasn't OK.

"It's not OK for other people to be laughing at us and making jokes about us. Us seniors and the underclassmen right now decided that enough was enough. The talent has come through, along with the senior class, to make that possible."

With no traditions to speak of, senior captains Howe and Williams invented their own.

Williams invited the team to a preseason dinner at his

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Home Site Map Subscribe to our Monthly Email Newsletter	Rutherford County Jackson 3-0 start takes team's mind off losing decade The grand total of Jackson County's playoff tradition is three trophies in the fieldhouse, all for sub-region runner-up finishes. The Panthers' trophy case could get a little more crowded this season. Jackson County is 3-0 for the first time since 1981 and it begins region play with more confidence than the program has had since going a school-record 8-2-1 in 1992. "It feels amazing to be part of the class that's changing how this team has been going," Jackson County senior running back Rob Williams said. "We're setting how this team will be for the future. It feels good to know that you're the ones who're sparking it." Jackson County begins Region 8-AAA play at 7:30 p.m. today when it travels to Morgan County. The confidence that comes with consistent winning has rarely stayed with Jackson County. The Panthers have five winning records since their first varsity season in 1980 and three of those came in a three-year span from 1990-92. "There's so much adversity that you have to overcome," Williams said. "We've had a losing mentality around here. We've had a lack of leadership, last year especially. It was hard to dig ourselves out of that rut of losing so much." Jackson County's three wins to start the season are the program's most in a single season since the Panthers went 4-6 in 1997. Jackson County totaled 10 wins from 1998-2008 and went 0-10 four times in that span. "It seems like we've had seniors around here before who thought that losing was OK," Jackson County senior linebacker Ryan Howe said. "I thought that too for a while before I realized that it wasn't OK. "It's not OK for other people to be laughing at us and making jokes about us. Us seniors and the underclassmen right now decided that enough was enough. The talent has come through, along with the senior class, to make that possible." With no traditions to speak of, senior captains Howe and Williams invented their own. Williams invited the team to a preseason dinner at his Continue reading the rest of "Jackson 3-0 start takes team's mind off losing decade" by Athens Banner-Herald © 2009 http://onlineathens.com - Athens Banner-Herald - All rights reserved. Rate This Article: Comment on "Jackson 3-0 start takes team's mind off losing decade" Your Name Your Comments Verification Code: BRNUPX Enter Code: Oconee County at Franklin County When and where: 7:30 p.m. tonight at Ed Bryant Stadium Progress on Jackson County Courthouse restoration JEFFERSON - The old Jackson County Courthouse in the center of downtown Jefferson won't be completely free of its cocoon of scaffolding and blue tarps for a few months, but renovation volunteers are planning a party for its debut nonetheless. Jackson County settles suit with landowner More than four years ago, Jackson County officials decided they needed about .07 acres of J.B. Alexander's property on Maysville Road to build Steve Reynolds Industrial Parkway, an access road into a Jackson County Industrial Development Authority industrial park. Little splash for SPLOST in Jackson County Jackson County and its nine city governments are finalizing the list of projects to give voters before they go to the polls Nov. 2 to renew the county's 1 percent sales tax. Jackson county conservation options discussed JEFFERSON - A satellite photo of Millard Braswell's farm off Jefferson River Road shows it best: residential developments creeping from U.S. Highway 129 to the edge of the Braswell Cattle Co.'s 500 acres of pasture, fence and cattle.