Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2B ♦ 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 CLEATS f 6REAT SAME, ABBY. \ % [ MOW ABOUT 6IVIMG ME \ - j lAH EXCLUSIVE IMTERVIEW I • \FOR THE SCHOOL PAPER?/ « — * * "^ f MOHPO, THIS INTERVIEW 'N J WITH ABBY ABOUT SOCCER } JZX (\ MAS PROBLEMS., y Play Better Golf with JACK NICKLAUS ISLj V «flooN k| GOLFER TO UTN i)!# --■'■'y oMenFIRST IBT.*AMRaIIpT:~ % . ---- popuLfißiZEr '>t£. OVERLAPPING Jr GRIP flfeouT m- ‘ ::Wm A HUMORED 11— years ago. . o '"'"^hoic^or 4 ' H§L' : 'M MOST FINE MbBR U ,mk i TTV;-.;; PLAYER 5 f ii-u jf Vr 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 confer- OKAY, MOLiPO lET's\ / i GO SIT CH THAT BEMOI ) ( ALOH~ ) I BY THE LAKE SO WE I J (c) 2006 Bill Hinds. Dist by Universal Press Syndicate SWMOA, I zEP TO PIVE J A THESAURUS.^; iA Pi T.vjraJEys?J(/ [ (c) 2 Jo6BtirHinds, Distby^Unive^al^^^Syndicate 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 ■ T f -NU6LYX PLX HYA ) / TMAT ’ k sue IMCK.. . y / THE FIRST r THAT'S. IM Yyou MEEP TO PO A 1.5 THE FIRST REVERSE SOMERSAULT r www gocom ics com e-mail CleatsmaJ@aol com j