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♦ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2006
Williams leads HoCo past West Laurens
By MA TTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
Tonia Williams, in her
third game of scoring 30 or
more points in 2006-2007,
had a career-high 32 points
to help Houston County
High’s girls basketball squad
hold off West Laurens 59-50
Monday in the first game of
the season held at the Bear
Den.
The Lady Bears, now 4-
2, avenged a season-open
ing loss to the Lady Raiders
on Nov. 21 in Dublin. They
won Monday despite shoot
ing just 10-for-26 at the free
throw line, 5-for-13 in the
fourth quarter.
Janesa Johnson added 11
points for victorious Houston
County.
After the Lady Bears built
FADES
From page iB
recover the basketball after
a bad miss from 3-point land
and build a 20-16 lead after
the first.
Nolton finished off a fast
break and Vic King hit a
3-pointer that both resulted
in tied scores in the second
quarter.
Stallings scored off a steal
to put the Bears on top at
PERRY
From page iB
Saturday.
Sarah Cossart finished
third in the 200 Freestyle
and 100 Backstroke to help
lead the Lady Panthers,
while Patrick Cossart was
first in the 200 Individual
Medley and first in the 500
Freestyle.
Even better, Ledger added,
SWIM
From page iB
finish, Hawkins said, in the
100 Fly.
In addition, the 200
Medley Relay teams placed
second and eighth. Members
of those squads are: Holly
Odom, Olivia Aungst, Katy
Borek, Rebecca Radle,
Shannon Seth, Sulik,
Sundry and Wharton.
The 200 Freestyle relays
also placed second and
eighth for 56 points. Team
members of that squad are:
Brandi Womack, Chelsea
Glance, Britney Marchbanks,
Aungst, Borek, Culpepper,
Odom and Sundry.
And, the 400 Freestyle
relays placed third and eighth
with members Lesley Haller,
Olivia Harris, Culpepper,
Marchbanks, Radle, Sulik,
Wharton and Womack.
Other swimmers earning
points in individual events
were: Olivia Aungst, 15;
Brandi Womack, 13; Holly
Odom, 11; Chelsea Clance,
7; Rebecca Radle, 6; Lesley
Haller,4; Alex Vinge, 4; and
Katy Borek, 3.
Also, Shannon Seth
improved her times by more
than 26 seconds while both
Olivia Harris and Brittany
Braves have no 'dire' needs as winter meetings begin
By Travis Haney
Morris News Service
Though preliminary talks
continue, the Atlanta Braves
weren’t on the verge of any
imminent deals as day one
of the winter meetings at
Disney World wound down.
Then again, as general
manager John Schuerholz
said Monday evening, there
are no “dire” needs for the
team as there were last year
when the Braves had vacan
cies at shortstop and closer.
“There’s no have-tos,”
Schuerholz said inside the
Dolphin Resort before head
ing to an organizational
meeting at a nearby steak
house. “We’re working
to manage payroll. That’s
challenging. It’s not daunt
ing. It’s not dire. ... We like
our club. Nothing dramatic
needs to happen.”
Schuerholz said his front
office crew arrived here pre-
a 17-9 lead
after the
first quar
ter, West
Laurens
found some
momentum
in the sec
ond. Using
a turnover
HRRRI
Houston County
gtrte»,Wwt
Laurens 50
underneath the Houston
basket, the Lady Raiders
pulled within two at 19-17.
About 40 seconds later
Johnson scored off a steal
for only the second Houston
field goal of the period
(4:15).
Bethany Crenshaw made
a steal at half-court leading
to a clear drive to the basket
for Brittany Torain.
West Laurens would then
tie the game on a pair of 3-
1:10 until halftime.
King had a steal, too, with
a behind-the-back assist to
Javoris Neal.
West Laurens, too, showed
an ability to run the floor
and pulled back even, 32-32,
at the break. In that first
half, the home team missed
eight shots from the foul
line.
In the first 3:20 of the sec
ond half, Nolton was post
ing up inside and breaking
towards the hoop uncontest
his time of 5:16.33 was 3.67
seconds faster than the state
qualifying time.
As a result: “He will be
representing Perry High
School at state in February,”
Ledger said, probably want
ing to add other Panthers
or Lady Panthers will join
him - also with state quali
fying times - at meets to
come.
Overall, Ledger said the
boys and girls relay teams
Marchbanks also lowered
their times.
Erik Hanson led the boy’s
team with 36 points. He won
the 100 Fly and placed third
in the 100 Free.
Jackson Smith followed
closely behind him with 34
points. He had two second
place finishes, one in the 200
IM and the other in the 100
Back.
Stephen Persson earned
30 points with a third place
in the 100 Back and a fifth
in the 100 Free.
“It was a hard-fought swim
between Smith and Persson
in the 100 Back,” Hawkins
said. “But both athletes
swam personal bests at the
meet.
“For Jackson, it came
down to a very impressive
finish to beat out Stephen.”
In the 200 Freestyle relay,
the boys’ team earned sec
ond and eighth for a total
of 56 points. Members of
that squad are: Olen Harris,
Skyler Holcomb, Stanley
Jackson, Mathew Kinsey,
Jamieson Jensen, Hanson,
Persson and Smith.
The 400 Freestyle Relay
team placed third and sixth
with swimmers Josh Bryant,
Tyler Harris, Paul Poorman,
Hanson, Holcomb, Kinsey,
Persson and Smith.
pared to talk with “nine or
10 teams” about possible
trades. Since, the close-to
the-vest GM said that num
ber has dwindled somewhat.
Ostensibly, one topic to
discuss with a few of those
teams is moving Marcus
Giles in exchange for relief
help. The second baseman is
entering his final year before
free agency, and the Braves
aren’t gung-ho to hold onto
a player whose numbers
have slowly declined as his
salary has increased.
Giles, who will command
about $5.5 million in 2007,
hit .316 in 2003, and his bat
ting average has sunk ever
since. He hit a career-low
.262 this past season.
Schuerholz wouldn’t
directly say that Giles was
up for bids, but he said the
Braves are working to find
options in case there’s a spot
to fill.
pointers, but with a patient
inside move by Williams, the
Lady Bears took back the
lead at halftime 29-27.
Williams concluded the
third quarter with two more
inside moves, then popped
in a long jumper. Houston
led 44-37 with eight minutes
left, but Williams ran her
streak up to five made shots
in a row early in the fourth
period.
Williams also had a steal,
made an assist, blocked a
shot and rebounded a missed
free throw all in the final
quarter.
West Laurens was able to
take advantage of Houston’s
foul shooting problems to
get as close as seven, but the
visitors failed to score on
four straight possessions.
ed to score eight points. The
Bears led by as much as six,
but it wouldn’t last long as
the visiting Raiders, using
solid half-court defense and
quick fast-breaks - not to
mention a dominance on
the offensive boards, surged
ahead by five.
Nelson had a late steal,
which he got to King for an
assist to Turner, but Houston
couldn’t stop West Laurens’
crisp ball movement in the
final quarter.
are much stronger this year
and would be a force to con
tend with at the Houston
County Championship (Jan.
23, 2007).
“Until then, we will con
tinue to work hard in prac
tice to better our times
across the board,” he said.
Up next for Perry will
be the Northside Eagles
Invitational. That meet is set
to begin at 9 a.m. Dec. 16 at
Fort Valley State University.
The 200 Medley Relay
team earned 40 points. That
was with teammates Devlin
Candelaria, Devin Waller,
Olen Harris, Tyler Harris,
Bryant, Jackson, Jensen and
Poorman.
Other swimmers placing
in their individual events
were: Josh Bryant, 20 points;
Skyler Holcomb, 12; Stanley
Jackson, 4; Paul Poorman, 4;
Tyler Harris, 2; and Devin
Candelaria, 2.
There were also, Hawkins
added, several significant
time drops by Jamieson
Jensen (26 seconds), Travis
Boggs and Eric Paradis (who
each dropped 18 seconds),
while both Olen Harris and
Devin Waller lowered their
overall times.
“It was a great meet,”
Hawkins said, “especially
to see the swimmers imple
ment techniques we have
really been working with at
practice.
“Many of their best swim
times were due to the execu
tion of their finishes.”
The team travels next
to the Bearcat Bash in
Bainbridge.
That is slated for this week
end. (Hawkins added that is
before traveling to the Dome
to watch the Demons in the
semifinals.)
Schuerholz then got back
to a point he’s been ham
mering since October - the
desire to get the Braves’
pitching staff back to “elite
status.”
And by bolstering the
pitching staff, Schuerholz
said he means something
more than Sunday’s signing
of free agent reliever Tanyon
Sturtze.
Schuerholz seemed pleased
with the Sturtze pickup,
assuming the 36-year-old is
able to nurse his surgically
repaired right shoulder to
full health.
Sturtze is still a calcu
lated gamble since his base
salary is $750,000 and he
could make up to $1 million
through vesting incentives.
“When he’s healthy, we like
what he can do,” Schuerholz
said of the 11-year vet who
has never posted anything
better than a 4.42 ERA.
SPORTS
Round 1
Warner Robins 48, Upson Lee 33
Troup 63, Westside 18
Pike County 45, Houston County 32
Baldwin County 43, Northside 31
Round 2
East Laurens 42, Baldwin 39
Houston County 45, Troup County
33
Jackson 48, Westside 24
Upson Lee 45, Northside 27
Round 3
East Laurens 54, Northside 24
Troup 54, Jackson 18
Pike County 61, Westside 12
Warner Robins 44, Baldwin 30
Round 4
Baldwin 46, Upson Lee 36
Pike 63, Jackson 0
Lost lesson of BCS: Play somebody
Dam that Southern
California.
USC’s upset
loss to UCLA on Saturday
let Florida back into the
national championship, and
college football fans missed
out on an overdue lesson:
Adam Van
Brimmer
Morris News Service
ence schedule.
I have nothing against
the Gators. They deserve to
face Ohio State in the Jan.
8 title game. I put Florida
at No. 2 on my Associated
Press poll ballot.
But USC figured out how
to beat the convoluted Bowl
Championship Series sys
tem. The Trojans just need
ed one more win to point
it out.
The BCS is about nation
al perception. And the
best way to influence folks
around the country is to
step outside the comfort
zone and schedule a tradi
tional power from another
major conference.
What Southeastern
Conference fans -- and
coaches for that matter
fail to understand is region
al opinions mean little to
the pollsters who make up
the voting panels.
They don’t care that
the ESPN-anoited experts
perceive the Southeastern
Conference superior to the
rest.
Right or wrong, those
are facts. A USC win would
have relegated Florida to
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Results of the Bear Duals,
held at Houston County High School Saturday
No. 3 in the BCS rankings
despite the Gators playing
in allegedly the nation’s
most competitive confer
ence. Just like Auburn two
years ago.
Most college football gurus
agree the Gators played
a tougher schedule than
Southern Cal. In fact, many
consider Florida’s schedule
the toughest in the coun
try, with wins against three
teams Arkansas, LSU
and Tennessee - ranked in
the top-10 at the time they
played them.
Yet USC would have
gotten the title game nod
because it played and beat
three traditional heavy
weights from outside its
league in Arkansas (SEC
runnerup), Nebraska (Big
12 runnerup) and Notre
Dame (BCS invitee).
Florida faced Southern
Miss, Central Florida and
Division I-AA Western
Carolina as well as rival
Florida State in its non-con
ference schedule. Throw in
SEC pushovers Vanderbilt
and Kentucky, and the
Gators posted five easy wins
to match USC’s victories
over Stanford, Washington,
Washington State, Arizona
and Arizona State.
Schools like Florida need
to realize the creation of
the BCS changed all the
rules. Today, it’s all or noth
ing:
You can risk losses by
playing tough non-confer
ence opponents and know if
you win you will be reward
ed; or you can risk noth
ing by playing the Western
Carolinas and pray the poll
sters and computers won’t
hold it against you.
And drop the tired excuse
of “... but our conference
is so tough we have a right
to beat up some non-con
If your
team
wants to
guaran
tee itself
a title
shot,
it bet
ter play
some
body in
the non
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THE HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Houston County 60, Westside 24
Warner Robins 42, East Laurens 40
Round 5
Warner Robins 42, Northside 37
Houston County 66, Jackson 15
Troup 39, Pike County 34
Upson-Lee 45, East Laurens 36
Championship Round
Pike County 42. Warner Robins 29
Houston County 51, Baldwin 27
Troup 44, Upson Lee 27
East Laurens 54, Jackson 24
Overall
First - Pike County
Second - Warner Robins
Third - Houston County
Fourth - Baldwin
Fifth - Troup
Sixth - Upson Lee
ference cupcakes.” With a
12-game schedule, you can
still play one or two games
against mid-major programs
not Division I-AAs - take
on a rival like Florida State
and still play another top
BCS-conference opponent.
Ohio State did it with
Texas. Michigan has Notre
Dame. Oklahoma played
Oregon.
Those games get major
publicity and are televised
nationally. Pollsters notice.
Florida fans were insuf
ferable this weekend, even
after they learned their
team got the championship
game bid.
I spent Saturday in
Jacksonville and split
Sunday and Monday
between Vero Beach and
Miami. Conversations on
the street and on talk radio
revolved around the Gators’
merits.
Perhaps the most telling
comment of the weekend
was made by a member of
Florida radio network’s
broadcast team. Minutes
after the Gators defeat
ed Arkansas in the SEC
title game, he rattled off
Florida’s accomplishments:
A 12-1 record, winning the
nation’s most competitive
conference, beating Florida
State on the road.
“What else does a team
have to do?” he asked rhe
torically.
Nothing, at least this
time. But to be safe in the
future, add one of these two
’ points to the resume:
Go undefeated.
Or play somebody.
Adam Van Brimmer is
an Atlanta-based writer
for Morris News Service.
E-mail him at adam.
vanbrimmer@morris.com
or telephone him at 404-
589-8424.
www gocornics.com e-mail Cleatsmailflftaol.corriJ
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