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2B ♦ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2006 BEST From page iB She had a perfect field per centage (24-24)*. She was a three-year start er/three-year letterman, scored nine runs and drove in 17 others. She was a key member in helping Warner Robins qualify for the AAAAA state tournament (Elite Eight). “Sam did an outstanding job in the outfield for me,” said Arnett. • Kristin Graham School: Warner Robins Year: Junior Position: Pitcher/infield er Impact: Hit .444 with six doubles, two triples and two home runs. She had a .913 fielding percentage (63-69). On the mound she had a 13-4-1 record with 166 strikeouts. She was a key member in helping Warner Robins qualify for the AAAAA state tournament (Elite Eight). She was a three-year start er/three-year letterman, scored 16 runs and drove in 21 more. “(She did an) outstand ing job at the plate as well as on the mound,” said Demonettes head coach Brenda Arnett. • Allison Dickey School: Northside Year: Senior Position: Second base Impact: A four-year start er, she hit .240. She also had four doubles, seven RBI and a slugging percentage of .302. “She is an outstanding player with great knowl edge of the game,” said Lady Eagles head coach Mitch Horton. “More than that she was leader for us both on and off the field.” # Crystal Greer School: Perry Grade: Senior Position: Center field Impact: Hit .472 (42-for -89). Had nine doubles, one triple and five home runs. Also had an on-base percent age of .600, 31 RBI and 17 stolen bases. “Crystal is an unbeliev able player with tremendous talent and athleticism,” said head coach Jeff Sans. “She was the backbone to our defense and the leader by example and work ethic on our team this year.” Other: She was selected to the Region 4-AAA All- Region team and has signed a scholarship to go to South Georgia. RUN From page iB followed by Mclntosh and Woodward. On the boys’ side of the house, Northside finished 29th. Chapel Hill was first, followed by Marist and Dacula. And finally, in AAA Perry fin ished 19th. They were behind North Hall, which finished first, Westminster in second and Blessed Trinity in third. Results of the state cross country meet held Saturday in Carrollton: AAAAA girls Team scores Collins Hill - 70 South Forsyth - 161 Brookwood - 162 Grayson - 172 17. Houston County - 533 18. Warner Robins - 565 Individual results locally Warner Robins girls Brittney Stewart - seventh - 19:43 Danielle Atkins - 102nd - 22:23 Brittney hill - 141st - 23:55 Brandilyn Cook - 156th Becky Atkins - 169th - 25:03 Houston County girls Megan Breitbach - 57th - 21:11 Kiersten Wharton - 59th - 21:13 April Holloway - 120th - 23:04 Kali Korbas - 131 - 23:31 Alyssa Pegues - 175th - 25:18 AAAAA boys Parkview - 55 Walton - 70 Brookwood - 109 Lassiter - 141 20. Warner Robins - 710 31. Houston County - 827 Individual results locally Warner Robins Karl Burkhardt - 90th - 18:06 Marc Kushinka - 18:38 Cameron Luck - 174th - 19:42 • Ashton Jones School: Perry Grade: Junior Position: First base Impact: Hit .455 (40 for 88). Had 12 doubles, one triple and one home run. Also had an on-base percent age of .547, 37 RBI and four stolen bases. “Ashton is one of the best defensive first baseman I have seen,” said Sans. “She plays the position the way it is supposed to be played, with intensity and willing to get her ‘face in the dirt’. “Offensively she hit in the ‘four hole’ and protected Marla extremely well. She has a lot of power to the gaps and drove in a lot of runs for us this year. “Ashton is one of those types of people you just pull for - excellent in the class room, on the field, and in life.” Other: Was selected to the Region 4-AAA All-Region team. • Kelsey Gilliam School: Westfield Year: Sophomore Position: Pitcher Impact: She was the team’s clean-up hitter and scored 18 runs and had 11 RBI. On the mound, she com piled a record of 16-8 with 122 strikeouts. She went 6-2 - pitching every game - dur ing the state tournament to help lead the Lady Hornets to the championship. “Kelsey was one of the most dominating pitchers in the league,” Culverhouse said. “Kelsey had very good control as well, only having one wild pitch all season. Her pitching ERA is 1.35.” Other: She was the Region 3-AAA Player of the Year and named to the 3- AAA All-Region and AAA All-State teams. Coach’s corner: “Kelsey is the type player that will do anything the coach asks of her,” Culverhouse said. “After each game in the Final Four I would ask her how she felt. “Her response was always, ‘I feel fine and I am ready to go.’ What else could you ask for?” * Audrey Clearman School: Westfield Year: Sophomore Position: First base Impact: Hit .442. She scored 19 runs and drove in 15. She had a slugging per centage of .593. She hit .481, scored nine runs and drove in six more in leading the Lady Hornets to the AAA state crown. Jeffrey Nakayama - 184th - 19:47 Trevor Whelan - 187th - 19:50 Houston County Frankie Rios-Maldando - 105th - 18:28 Jordan Randall - 163rd - 19:33 Logan Cohenour - 198th - 20:13 Kyle Turcotte - 201 - 20:17 Shane Graham - 203rd - 20:20 AAAA girls Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe - 143 Mclntosh - 157 Woodward - 164 Marist - 166 21. Northside - 552 Individual results locally Northside Janay Wilson - 56th - 21:31 Sami Jacobs - 105th - 22:33 Demonica Banks - 122nd - 23:00 Kelly Mckinley - 123rd - 23:00 Brooke Bowen - 167th - 24:11 AAAA boys Chapel Hill - 86 Marist - 89 Dacula - 135 St. Pius X - 175 29. Northside - 858 Individual results locally Northside Steaman Grant - 136th - 18:56 Derek Uebel - 167th - 19:41 Markus Hartman - 167th - 20:01 Daniel Gazaway - 194th - 20:44 Kurt Dzwonkowski - 202nd - 20:44 Cameron South - 203rd - 21:10 AAA boys North Hall - 42 Westminster - 57 Blessed trinity - 93 Chamblee - 161 19. Perry - 539 Individual results locally Nicholas Felder - 80th - 18:46 Devin Simpson - 95th - 18:55 Alex Spears - 117th - 19:17 Matthew Philips - 133rd - 19:29 Geremy Skeen - 147th - 19:52 "Audrey was prob ably the most clutch hit ter on the team,” said Lady Hornets head coach Rodney Culverhouse. “She always stepped up in the pressure situations.” Other: She was named to the 3-AAA All-Region and AAA All-State teams. Coach’s corner: “Audrey was the player on the team that kept the girls ‘fired up,”’ said Culverhouse. “Audrey was going to get dirty in the game. That is how she plays. Audrey was one of the smartest base runners on the team, as well.” • Jennifer Wrye School: Westfield Year: Sophomore Position: Catcher Impact: Hit .361. She scored 13 runs and drove in 14 others. She hit .481 dur ing the AAA state tourna ment, scored three runs and had eight RBI while helping the Lady Hornets win the state title. “Jennifer was a force behind the plate,” Culverhouse said. “She allowed very few passed balls all season. “Jennifer is a very smart catcher as she calls every game form behind the plate.” Other: She was named to the 3-AAA All-Region and AAA All-State teams. Coach’s corner: “Jennifer always brought her best game,” Culverhouse said. “Jennifer caught five straight games in the play offs and you would have thought each game was the first of the day.” • Mason Moreland School: Westfield Year: Sophomore Position: Second base Impact: Hit .312. She scored 19 runs and drove in five others. She was 12-of-13 in the stolen base depart ment. “Defensively, (she was) probably the best second baseman in the state,” said Culverhouse. “Many teams thought they had hits in the hole or up the middle until Mason dove, stopped the ball and threw the player out.” Other: She was named to the 3-AAA All-Region and AAA All-State teams. Coach’s comer: “Mason was always motivat ing the team to step up,” Culverhouse said. “Mason did a good job of leading by example. She is another on that was going to leave the field with a dirty uniform.” Second team • Brianna Hancock PERRY From page iB had six tapes of Syrupmaker games this season, and perhaps the one of the most interest was that loss to Monroe. “They were up 12-0 with about four minutes to go, and Monroe did a great job,” said Scott. “They scored, forced Cairo to go three and out, got the ball back and scored and took it to overtime. It was a great ball game. It was the first region champion ship in the history of Monroe High School.” Scott was still more interested in learning what to expect from Cairo come this Friday. Perry (7-3) has already played Jackson and Peach County, twb schools that are placed among the elite of Class AAA. “They are very comparable to Peach, but they are not Peach County by any stretch,” said Scott. “We match up better with (Cairo) than we do Peach County. But they have a good football team other than that one slip-up against Monroe. “They have (talent) all over the field. They run a two-quarterback system that is very good. They have one, Chris Teal, who is more of a running quarterback, and then they have another kid who is a senior, Mike McGhee. Teal plays wide receiver and running back, a Mr. Everything.” Cameron Wade, another senior receiver, doesn’t want to travel to far to go to college. He committed to Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., a town almost due south of Cairo. “You name it, they do it,” said Scott about Cairo’s formations that go from single back to the I to the shotgun. “We just have to make sure we’re aligned correctly and do a good job of swarming the ball. “They have a great group of athletes on defense as well. They do a great job of stopping the run. They are very similar to what we are. Whichever team is able to run the ball and stop the run is going to win the game. When they throw, it’s off of play action. “Their head coach is a former offensive line coach. They are going to be well coached and very versa tile on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They are comparable to Northeast, Central-Macon and Spalding. Spalding probably had the best defense we’ve faced this year other than Peach. “We face a very tough region schedule. So when you get into the playoffs and you have to cross over against other regions, sometimes it’s difficult to see how good they are.” What is known about Cairo football is that it has SPORTS School: Houston County Year: Freshman Impact: Recorded a pitch ing record of 7-3 and had an earned run average of .097. She was a key member in helping Houston County qualify for the AAAAA state tournament (Elite Eight). “Brianna really came up ‘big’ for us in the state tour nament,” Griffin said. “She had to pitch four games in the sectional tournament. She won three of those games to help us get to the Elite 8.” • Kourtny Thomas School: Houston County Year: Freshman Position: Shortstop Impact: Hit .406. She had 41 hits in 101 at bats includ ing six doubles. Was a key member in help ing Houston County qualify for the AAAAA state tourna ment (Elite Eight). “Kourtny did a tremen dous job for us this year,” Griffin said. “She hit well and played defense well. She had two unbelievable plays that helped us in the region championship game. She is a hard worker and is extreme ly competitive.” • Sarah Ling School: Houston County Year: Freshman Position: Right field/third base Impact: Hit .385. She had 40 hits in 104 at bats includ ing 12 doubles. She also had an on-base percentage of .429. Batting in the lead-off spot, she scored 27 runs and was a key member in help ing Houston County qualify for the AAAAA state tourna ment (Elite Eight). She had a fielding percent age of .902 in the field. “She is always working to make her hitting better,” Griffin said. “She did an excellent job in right field. She has a very strong arm. She can also play third or second base.” • Cherie White School: Warner Robins Year: Senior Position: Outfield Impact: Hit .309 with one double. She had a fielding percentage of .952 (20-21). She was a four-year let terman, scored 11 runs and drove in nine others. Was a key member in help ing Warner Robins qualify for the AAAAA state tourna ment (Elite Eight). • Kittery Maine School: Warner Robins Year: Senior Position: First base Impact: Had a fielding percentage of .948 (73-77) She was a two-year letter man, scored four runs and drove in five others. Was a key member in help ing Warner Robins qualify for the AAAAA state tourna ment (Elite Eight). Of note: She hit a walk-off home run against Houston County in the state tourney. Other: Signed a scholar ship to play basketball at Liberty. • Katie Farinelli School: Warner Robins Year: Sophomore Position: Second base Impact: Hit .323. “We turned her around and she became our ‘slapper,’” Arnett said. Was a key member in help ing Warner Robins qualify for the AAAAA state tourna ment (Elite Eight). A two-year letterman, she scored 17 runs and drove in six others. “She had great coverage at second base,” Arnett said. • Jensen Barrett School: Warner Robins Year: Sophomore Position: Shortstop Impact: She had a .882 fielding percentage (60-68). On the mound she was 2-1 with 17 strikeouts. She was a key member in helping Warner Robins qualify for the AAAAA state tourna ment (Elite Eight). She was a two-year starter/ two-year letterman, scored five runs and drove in 11 others. “She was my shortstop and did a great job,” Arnett said. “She did a great job of plugging the middle.” • Taelor Bousman School: Northside Year: Junior Position: Leftfield Impact: Led the team in hitting with a .309 batting average. Was also RBI lead with 17, as well as in triples with two. “She was also a steady consistent outfielder for us,” Horton added. • Kristen Smith School: Northside Year: Junior Position: Centerfield Impact: Hit .232 and was the team leader in stolen bases with six. “Kristen developed into a great lead off hitter and slapper for us,” Horton said. “(She) did a great job covering ground in centerfield.” • Kim Dominy School: Northside Year: Junior Position: First base Impact: Hit .243 and had 10 RBI. She also had a .959 tasted state-championship success once before in AAA by winning the title in 1990. It’s in Grady County, which runs along the southern border of Georgia along with other powerful football areas like Thomasville and Valdosta. And it is the only high school in the county, which will make the play off game the No. 1 event in town for this weekend. “The biggest things for us is to make sure we stay away from the big play, that we have some success early and take their crowd, their band, that atmo sphere out of it,” said Scott. “We will have to walk into Cairo High School like we own the place. We are going to have to draw some energy off of that excitement. If we go out there, have some fun and understand that the home-field advantage goes to the team that plays the hardest and hits the hard est, we’ll be successful.” Perry had a lot of energy and intensity in last weekend’s win against Spalding, leading Scott to call it the best defensive game of the season so far. “I think our kids understood that we needed to win that game in order to keep playing,” he said. “I hope we as a coaching staff can continue to teach these kids that from here on out it’s either win or go home. We better play with some energy and some passion.” The coach also talked about how the players are growing in their positions, including Akeen Felder as a receiver split out wide and at tight end. He has three touchdown catches in his last three games. Also, quarterback Casey Hayward got help from the receivers as blockers in order to score a long touch down run against Spalding. Who else is growing? How about freshman kicker Ray Guin? Faced with a 34-yard PAT attempt, Guin powered it through with distance to spare. He also had two fourth-quarter field-goal opportunities to help pad the lead, and he made both (34- and 27- yards). “Like everything, you try as hard as you can to get better,” said Scott, who wasn’t as confident in the kicking game during a Sept. 22 one-point home loss to Jackson. “I think we’ve done that in just about every phase. (Guin’s) done a great job, no doubt. That’s huge.” Huge because the next time Scott sends him on the field, it could be asking him to give Perry a lead, maybe even win a game. He said nerves might have been a problem early, but not anymore. The winner between Perry and Cairo plays either at Washington County (a former Perry region rival) or at home against Troup High (LaGrange) the day after Thanksgiving. HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL fielding percentage while playing at first base. • Marla Patterson School: Perry Grade: Junior Position: Shortstop Impact: Hit .506 (42 for 83). Had nine doubles, two triples and five home runs. Also had an on-base per centage of .608, 44 RBI and three stolen bases. “Marla played shortstop out of necessity for us this year,” Sans said, “and did a great job in the middle. She directed the defense well and has a tremendous arm from the hole. “Offensively she was our ‘go to girl’ at the plate - natural power and can go opposite field with authority. “Marla came through for us in big situations all year and was a valuable part of our run production.” • Ashley Craddock School: Perry Grade: Sophomore Position: Second base Impact: Hit .436 (34 for 78). Had five doubles and four triples. Also had an on base percentage of .553, 26 RBI and 15 stolen bases. “Ashey hit in the ‘five hole’ for us and did a great job of moving runners and getting around the bases for us when she needed to. “She is ‘hard nosed’ at second and is willing to do what it takes to make the play. She’s a competitor and when you find someone who is willing to sell out you stick with them. “I look forward to the next two years of her playing at Perry ... Definitely a ‘tough out’.” • Daryl Ann Thompson School: Westfield Year: Sophomore Position: Right field Impact: Hit .286 in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. She was six-for-six in stolen bases, had six sacrifice bunts and scored 13 runs. She was a key member in the Lady Hornets’ state championship. “Daryl Ann is the complete outfielder,” Culverhouse said. “She made one error the entire season. She can play any of the outfield posi tions at any time.” Other: She was named to the 3-AAA All-Region and AAA All-State teams. Coach’s corner: “Daryl Ann always hustles,” Culverhouse said. “She gives you everything she has all the time.”