Newspaper Page Text
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FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 20, 2006
The Home Journal’s
SANDLOT
-■ffF
SCOREBOARD
Golf
Wednesday
■ Lori Soles and Brenda Duke of
Perry, each paired with a different
teammate earned first-place fin
ishes at the 21st Annual Georgia
Women’s Team Championship.
For complete results for all of
Houston County's local golfers,
see Saturday’s Houston Daily
Journal.
ON DECK
High school
Softball
Saturday
■ GHSA state Sectionals at
Southern Pines Softball Complex
in Dublin: Houston County and
Warner Robins - to be deter
mined.
High school
Cross country
Saturday
■ Westfield at GISA state tour
nament at Georgia Children's
Home in Macon, 9 a.m.
High school
Football
Today
■ Westfield at Deerfield-Windsor.
8 p.m.
■ Peach County at Perry, 7:30
p.m.
■ Upson-Lee at Northside. 7:30
p.m.
Saturday
■ Coffee at Warner Robins, 7:30
p.m.
IN BRIEF
WR Rec to begin
basketball registration
The Warner Robins Recreation
Department will begin basketball
registration Saturday.
It will be held from 8 a.m.-1
p.m. at the department's office
off Watson Blvd. Participants
must be at least 5 by Dec. 31
in order to participate in the bas
ketball program. Fees are as fol
lows: $25 for city residents, SSO
for county residents and SBS for
out of county residents.
Registration will continue until
filled, during regular business
hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-
Friday. In addition, coaches are
also needed. Call 929-1916 for
more information.
Goggin to play 100 holes
of golf for charity
Landings Golf Club PGA
Professional Bill Goggin will be
playing 100 holes of golf in one
day Monday to benefit the new
women and children's homeless
shelter in Warner Robins.
Call 923-5222 Ext. 4 or e-mail
him at Bill@goggingolf.com to
make a pledge.
Habitat to hold softball
tourney fund-raiser
The Houston County Habitat
for Humanity will hold a softball
tournament Nov. 6,.proceeds
of which are to go toward the
Houston County Habitat for
Humanity. The cost is S3OO per
team - teams must have at least
nine people with a maximum of
15. Trophies will be awarded
and the first pitch is slated to be
thrown at 9 a.m. Call 218-5545
or e-mail kcripe@flintemc.coPi
for more information.
Landings offers several
golf opportunities
The Landings Golf Learning
Center is currently offer
ing Junior Supe r Saturdays:
October Group Lessons. The
cost is $lO per visit with no
signup neceseary. The course
is also making signups for its
Winter Golf Program.
The cost is $250 up front. The
program runs from November
througn February 2007. There is
a limited signup. Contact Goggin
at 923-5222 Ext. 4 for more.
Waterford to hold Junior
Golf Clinic
Waterford Golf Course will
hold a Junior Golf Clinic Nov.
20-21. Times are: 10-11:15 for
ages 5-10; 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. for
those ages 11 and up. The cost
is SSO which includes lunch for
both day, prizes and more. Visit
the course to sign up.
Peach versus Perry
'Biggest in school history'
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
It could have been said
back in December of 2005
that, on Oct.
20, 2006,
when Peach
County
High comes
to Perry
High for a
sub-region
football
4S&
Peach County at
Perry, today, 7:30
p.m.
game, it will be the big
gest one of the year for the
Panthers.
One man quite close to
each and every one of those
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Dayquwane Smith pushes a - you guessed it big ball during the Central Georgia Soccer Association s TOPSoccerama
held Wednesday. For more, see 28.
Jack and the giant killer
Instated Ms - Demons against t*ojans
By MA TTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
As much as no one would have fore
seen Valdosta High football wallowing
at the bottom of Region 1-AAAAA in
the middle of October,
not many experts could
have predicted that a
major giant-killer in
the league at this point
would be the Coffee
County High Trojans.
But Coffee County,
thanks to back-to
back wins against the
two schools that once
Coffee at
Warner Robins,
Saturday, 7:30
p.m.
shared the No. 1 state ranking, sits at
2-1 in the region and in the thick of the
playoff picture. The wins came against
Colquitt County and Tift County, both
right after a 7-0 loss to Lowndes.
Now the Trojans have the only unde
feated team in league play, 2-0 Warner
Robins High, in their sights when they
invade McConnell-Talbert Stadium for
a little Saturday evening action.
“They probably have the most tal
ented team in the region,” said Demons
head coach Bryan Way. “I haven’t seen
everybody in person, but I’ve seen
everybody on film. They have a lot of
good athletes, they’re extremely big,
great speed at the skill positions, well
coached and they are playing well right
now.
“They are very multiple (on offense).
They want to primarily run the ball in
the veer with the fullback, and they’ll
pitch it some and run some counters.
But they run a multitude of sets and
motions, and it makes it difficult to
prepare for them. If you don’t line up
right, you will give them something
easy. They throw the ball very well. It
will be a tough job for our defense to
stop them.
Sports
Perry players who will don
the maroon jerseys and
white helmets takes it a step
further. He said this contest
tonight on campus is by far
the biggest one on the grid
iron in school history.
That man would be Perry
High head coach Andy
Scott. What he sees in Peach
County is what he wants for
the Panthers: state champi
onship success. The Trojans
of Ft. Valley achieved that
elusive trophy for the first
time as Peach County
High last year with future
Division I players Antonio
Henton (quarterback) and
Having a ball a BIG ball
State of the (re)union
Saturday, Warner Robins High
School will celebrate two very special
occasions in Demon history. This year
is the 30th anniversary of the 1976
National Championship season, and
it is also the 25th anniversary of the
1981 National Championship season.
To that end, all coaches and players
from those two teams are invited to a
reception in the school cafeteria at 5
p.m. prior to the football game against
Coffee. According to a release, there
will be “food and fellowship for you to
enjoy.”
After the reception, the players and
coaches will be the Demons’ guests
at the game, where they will be intro
duced to the crowd at 7:15 p.m., and
from the sideline.
“They are very big up front and ath
letic (on defense). Their linebackers run
extremely well, and I’m very impressed
with their secondary. It may be the best
secondary we’ve played against. They’re
physical and cover well ... not many
holes there. We will have to execute and
be fundamentally sound. It’s going to be
a tough task.”
Coffee County might be feeling some
what relieved in not dealing with a
football offense that’s all shotgun and
a lot of throwing like Tift County and
certainly Colquitt County. But running
the football, which is a trademark for
the Demons, means winning at the line
of scrimmage, and Coffee’s interior has
a 6-2, 280 tackle and an end that’s 260
pounds.
“When you play in this league, it
will be a close game nine times out of
10,” said Way about Coffee’s experience
with tight contests like the Lowndes
game and the 23-20 win against Tift.
“They’ve played three close ones and
Chris Slaughter (receiver)
leading the way.
This year Peach County,
according to Scott, is still a
quality football team that
still sets the bar for which
all the other teams in the
classification must strive.
“We’re trying to get our
program to where they are,”
said Scott. “Coach (Ranee)
Gillespe’s done such a good
job there, and the coaches
prior to him. They have such
a nice tradition. They have a
program that’s used to win
ning, and they’ve prepared
those kids to be successful.”
See BIGGEST, page iB
Panthers to hold reunion
By JAMES TIDWELL
Journal Staff Writer
Fifty years ago found historic change sweeping the
country. The Cold War was well under way, rock and roll
was starting to take hold and professional football was
beginning its rise to prominence.
Every walk of life seemed to be touched by the sea of
change engulfing the nation.
Even in Perry, history was in the making, albeit on
a much smaller scale - on a 100 yard field scale to be
exact. In 1956, the Perry football team was midway
through a historic season. For the first time ever, the
Panthers captured a championship as Perry won the
GHSA 2B West sub-region title.
In recognition of its first gridiron crown, Perry will
honor that special squad this week.
On Friday, the school will play tribute to the squad
with a reunion on the same night night the football
stadium will be renamed in honor of the 1956 Perry
football coach, Herb St. John.
“Since we had such a great time together when
See REUNION, page iB
won two of them. I’m sure they’re feel
ing good about themselves and feeling
confident. It’s going to take a monu
mental effort on our kids’ part.”
Talk about monumental efforts,
though, then talk about Warner Robins’
win last weekend at Valdosta High. The
misery of the Wildcat season continued
when the Demons came back from a 10-
0 deficit to take a 21-17 victory.
“I think our kids showed a lot of
character,” said Way. “We’re down 10-0
there midway through the third quarter
and it wasn’t looking real good. Our
kids decided that we were going to get
it done and play better.
“It wasn’t anything that we did
scheme-wise. We just made up our
minds that we were going to play. The
offense came back and had three long
touchdown drives, and our defense
played great all game. We put them in
some bad situations with some turn
overs, but they played outstanding all
night long.”
Warner Robins also seems to have
its backfield issues straightened out as
Jeremy Grant at fullback had 133 yards
and Dewayne Jackson at tailback had
117 yards at Valdosta. Way said they
have overcome injuries to gain some
continuity, and Grant in particular
has turned into the main spark of the
offense. There are others on the Demon
roster emerging as impact players six
games into the campaign.
“Defensively, Josh Palmer has stepped
in at middle linebacker, and has done
well,” the coach said about the top tack
ier (13, four for a loss) in the Wildcat
game. “Brian Buford continues to be
a good player for us. Everybody on the
defense has played well. Up front (on
offense) Robbie Bailey has played well
the last couple of weeks. We feel like
we are making progress, and if we keep
doing that we have a chance.”
SECTION
B
HoCo forced
to settle for
No. 2 seed
Special to the Journal
Try as they may,
Houston County’s Lady
Bear volleyball players
just couldn’t get out of
their
teens.
Well,
they are
aged in
their
teens,
but as
it per
tained in
this case,
it was in
reference
to getting
by Union
Grove.
The
two met
Tuesday
at Union
Grove to
decide
the Area
cham
pion and
which
would
f
LM>yA£
*8
Area finals,
Tuesday at Union
Grove
Game 1 : Union
Grove 25,
Houston County
14: Game 2:
Union Grove 25,
Houston County
18: Game 3:
Union Grove 25,
Houston County
15
be the No. 1 seed head
ing into the AAAAAA
Sectional playoffs. That
is slated for Oct. 28 at
Berkmar with the first
serve set for 9 a.m.
Against the Lady
Wolverines, the Lady
Bears - in a best of five
series - fell 25-14, 25-18
and 25-15.
“The Lady Bears had
momentary glimpses of
brilliance but the hard
hitting Union Grove
ladies seemed to be every
where on the floor,” said
head coach Tony Jones.
His squad finished 4-1
in the first part of the
Area tournament Friday-
Saturday to reach the
finale. They are now 37-
10 overall while Union
Grove improved to 35-11.
“The luck was on their
side,” Jones said. “My hat
goes off to Coach (Laurie)
Sponsler and her team.
They are the best team
we have played all year.”
Houston County’s top
performers were Devon
Preston, who had nine
aces and one block,
Morgan Hollars with 10
assists and four digs and
Nicole Williams with one
ace and five blocks.
Catherine Goodman
also had one ace, one
kill and a block. Brittany
Pierce had four digs,
one ace and a block and
Adrienne Pate had two
blocks.
In addition, Dhwani
Patel had eight digs,
Samantha Moncada
had six and Jennifer
Doerbereiner had two
blocks.
She, along with Hollars
and Goodman were also
presented their All-Area
trophies at the contest.