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Mousimt BailtJ .IJoimuil 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 I 1 | i mt ff ■jJpPr. ‘ I ' '"' ut.aAMaEL Mum,a■ I rri£Wßßm«iiN \t i ENI/Gary Harmon 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.