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♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2006
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ENI Gary Harmon
Brandon Buford lines up against a teammate, Thursday during practice.
TWIN
From page iB
Brandon’s treatments
were in the form of chemo
therapy. He was unable to
play football in the seventh
grade, instead working with
his school’s team as a man
ager. Brandon finally got to
put the uniform on in the
eighth grade.
“I was in remission in four
weeks after I got diagnosed,”
he said. “They got all the
cancer out of my body, but
there was a chance that it
could come back. That’s
why you get chemotherapy,
to make sure it doesn’t come
back.”
So the worst is behind
Brandon, but he does go
back for check-ups about
every six months, and every
one so far has been positive.
“I’ve always loved foot
ball,” he said. “I wasn’t going
to let one small thing keep
me down from doing what I
love to do. It took me a long
time to get in shape. When
I had leukemia, I gained a
whole lot of weight. I would
get tired real easily from the
chemotherapy. But I turned
DEMONS
From page iB
very good, athletic, good
tacklers, and they don’t give
up a lot of big plays.”
The Demon staff has stud
ied eight Peachtree Ridge
games. From an offensive
standpoint, Way said in
some games the Lions do
the I formation and run
the ball, but in others they
spread people out and throw
it everywhere.
“I think they run the ball
better than they throw it,”
he said. “They can certainly
move the football through
the air if they decide to do
that. I don’t really know
what they’re thinking is.
They are basically an I for
mation football team run
ning the sweeps and the
powers and the fullback on
the trap, then mix in play
action off of that.”
So it looks like a “wait
and-see,” especially in terms
of who will control the line
of scrimmage or who will be
able to out-run the other.
“We’re generally the small
est team on the field,” said
Way. “We will be again this
week. I think we match up
pretty well speed-wise. It’s
going to be an even game.
They remind me a lot of
Norcross in their athleticism
and how they play.”
Warner Robins beat
Norcross, ranked No. 1 in SA,
14-3 last Friday. Peachtree
Ridge’s forte has been to
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Brandon had his own
determination to become a
football player as motivation
to recover, but he also had
strong family support. He
said the prayers and well
wishes came from friends,
his church and other church
es.
“Being that young, I really
didn’t understand what was
going on,” said Brian about
his perspective on what his
brother was going through.
“I just knew he was sick.
I only had one breakdown
where I was like, ‘He ain’t
coming home.’ We shared a
room together, and he wasn’t
there for a while. It hit me
that one night, but the other
times I was pretty good.”
Last year, Brandon saw
his first significant playing
time on varsity for Warner
Robins High, and most of
that was on special teams.
Now he is one of those
who battles in the trench
es snap after snap, and in
the Demons’ offense, there
are no breaks but plenty of
rewards.
“The season’s going great,”
said Brandon. “I just want
to get this state champion-
keep scores low, holding
Wheeler to three and also
squeaking out a two-point
second round win, 16-14,
against Campbell.
Is this game today going
to be devoid of offensive pro
duction?
“It maybe one of those
games where both offenses
play great, the defenses play
horrible and it’s 40-38,” said
Way. “I think our chances
are better if it is a low-scor
ing game. I would anticipate
it being a relatively low-scor
ing game.”
In the Norcross game, the
Demons held a 7-0 lead for
the longest time, but Way
said Norcross had more
chances in the second half
while his team struggled to
move the football. But the
Warner Robins defense only
yielded a field goal while
picking up an interception
to stall another long drive.
“That was a big boost
to us,” said Way. “As we
got into the fourth quarter
we started moving the ball
again and had an outstand
ing drive that chewed up a
lot of time and put it out of
reach.”
Not only do some Warner
Robins players already have
the experience of playing in
the Georgia Dome from the
2004 season against Ware
County, but all of the ros
ter knows what it’s like to
suit up in this stadium this
year. The Demons dominat
ed Parkview on Sept. 2, and
Way said that might be the
ship. A lot of people didn’t
expect us to get this far, but
we surprised everybody.
“Coming off the ball, I’m
not afraid to hit anybody.
I come off the ball with no
fear and do what I have to do
to get the block. My reward
is seeing those points on
the board and winning the
game. I understand that the
running backs get the credit,
but when you go to the side
lines, the coaches and play
ers know what you’ve done.
“I want (the champion
ship) so bad, I don’t know
how to describe it.”
For Brandon and other
Warner Robins players
who’s time has only come
the past two years, the
Georgia Dome still won’t be
a new experience since the
Demons played - and beat
- Parkview in the opening
game back on Sept. 2.
“My first start in the
Georgia Dome ... I’m not
going to lie. I was a little
nervous,” said Brandon.
“Once that first snap goes,
you can’t be nervous any
more. It was nerve-racking,
but it was a great experi
ence. Of course we won, so it
was a better experience.”
only advantage his team has
going in today.
“If you don’t watch your
self, you end up looking
around the whole time,” said
Way about what being in the
Dome for the first time does
to a high school player. “I
don’t think the Dome part
of it is going to affect us a
whole lot.
“The kids are very excit
ed. Everybody’s excited in
the school. Four weeks ago
not many people gave us
a chance to be here, and
understandably so. We hope
we can play this and one
more.”
And before anyone forgets,
Demon quarterback Mark
Wright Jr. is a perfect 8-0
in career playoff starts. He
made news last year with his
season-ending knee injury
after his championship run
as a sophomore starter, and
that was still the main topic
of discussion as he came
back for this, his senior
year. Wright’s not a 2,000-
yard passer or anything like
that, but when healthy does
what he knows to do in big
games.
“He makes outstand
ing decisions,” said Way.
“Against Camden he played
as well as anybody could
play at quarterback. His
stats didn’t knock you down
- I think 5-of-9 for a little
over 100 yards - but he ran
the offense like we wanted
it run. That’s his ability. We
look for him to play his nor
mal great game.”
SPORTS
Adding Soriano puls Bravns a
By TRAVIS HANEY
Morris News Service
The Atlanta Braves left
last year’s winter meetings
without a single proven
entity in their bullpen. And
then they paid for it for the
first three-quarters of the
woe-ridden 2006 season.
The Braves blew 20 of
their first 40 save chances
and rode a wave of late
inning uncertainty through
most of the year.
With that principle driv
ing their recent activity, the
Braves will leave Disney
World today with two legit
imate relief forces - re
signed closer Bob Wickman
and new setup man Rafael
Soriano.
Atlanta locked down
Wickman in September.
After some medical reports
were examined and approved
Thursday morning, the
Braves finalized their deal
for Soriano, sending oft
injured starter Horacio
Ramirez to Seattle.
“It’s a huge piece,” Braves
manager Bobby Cox said.
In one of the few deals
league-wide this week, the
Braves achieved their pri
mary goal of the meetings
- bolstering the bullpen.
“If nothing else, we want
ed a bullpen guy, a legiti
mate bullpen guy. And we
got that,” Cox said. “We
already signed Wickman, so
we have two that we didn’t
start with last year.
“We’re way ahead of the
game.”
Coming off elbow surgery
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Matthew William Berg
Wanted for violation of probation (for
failure to report and to pay as instructed)
LKA: 100 block of Hickory
Hill Lane. Warner Robins
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Terrance Lemont Brown
Wanted for failure to appear/amtempt of court, driving
with suspended or resxtked license, unlawful use of driver's
license or IP. weaving/failure to maintain lane, giving false
name/hirthdate/address to officer
LKA: 900 block of CrestwotKl
Terrace, Warner Robins
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King Edward Cannon Jr.
Wanted for aggravated stalking,
bench warrant
LKA: 700 block of Loop Road,
Vidalia
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Cesar Cervantes
Wanted for violation of probation (DUII
LKA: 100 block of Creek Cove TraU,
* Warner Robins
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that wiped out his 2004 and
2006 seasons, Soriano, 27,
rebounded to post a 2.26
ERA in 60 innings.
He would have pitched
more, but he missed the
final month after suffering
a concussion.
Soriano was hit by a
Vladimir Guerrero line
drive Aug. 29 and experi
enced dizziness and concus
sions thereafter. But he has
been pitching this fall in
the Dominican Republic, his
home country, and Braves
scouts assured the team
that his head and arm are
just fine.
The right-hander, who has
a 93 mph fastball and sev
eral other breaking pitch
es, has a 2.89 ERA in 116
appearances over pieces of
five seasons.
“To have a five-year career
in the American League and
come out with a 2.8 ERA,
that’s saying something,”
Cox said. “One of our objec
tives in coming here, ini
tially, was to strengthen the
bullpen. We were able to do
that, so we’re happy.”
The Braves might groom
Soriano to one day take
Wickman’s place as closer.
Cox said, too, that Soriano
has the pitches to perhaps
become a starter down the
road.
Without being asked about
Ramirez, Cox said it was
very difficult to part with
the left-hander, who never
seemed to fulfill promise
because of injuries and gen
eral inconsistency.
'lt__
Altaveus Devon Branch
Wanted for violation of probation
State Court (simple battery)
LKA: 100 block of Brandywine
Court, Warner Robins
Christopher Dale Bruner
Wanted for violation of probation (for failure to
report and to pay as instructed)
LKA: Haynesville, Jefferson,
Warner Robins
I
David Carrillo
Wanted for violation of probation
(for DVD
LKA: 100 block of Sandy Run,
Bonaire
Hee Jin Chough
Wanted for violation of probation
State Court Ispeeding)
LKA: 100 block of Cherokee Forest
Trail, Warner Robins
THE HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
“(Atlanta pitching coach)
Roger McDowell thinks lv
can win 15 to 20, he really
does,” Cox said. “He’s sin
cere about that."
Ramirez said he knew
leaving Atlanta was a possi
bility, but there was no real
way to be ready for the news
of the trade.
“As much as you prepare
yourself, there’s nothing
like the real thing,” Ramirez
said. “I was a little stunned,
but I’ve had time to think
about it and get settled and
excited for the opportunity
ahead of me in Seattle.”
GM John Schuerholz
talked about the amount
of work that went into the
deal, lauding his staff before
and during the meetings.
Interestingly, he left
Orlando infuriated with one
club and with another team
infuriated with him, sources
said Thursday.
Schuerholz was miffed
with Orioles owner Peter
Angelos for quashing a deal
at the last minute that would
have sent first baseman
Adam Laßoche and second
baseman Marcus Giles to
Baltimore for second base
man Brian Roberts and
pitching prospect Hayden
Penn.
Even after the Orioles’
front office had signed off
on the deal Monday, Angelos
weighed in and said he didn’t
want to part with Roberts, a
fan favorite.
Schuerholz told someone
he’d been working on the
deal for a month.
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www gocomics com e-mail Cleatsmail@aol com
Jjr .
Ricky Lynn Branch Jr.
Wanted for DUI
I.KA: 2000 block of Collins Avenue,
Centerville
Juan Cabrera, aka Romeo Sontay
Wanted for violation of probation
from State Court
LKA: 100 block of Wall Street,
Warner Robins
Morses Carrillo, aka Moises
Patistan DeDois
Wanted for violation of probation (for
drinking underage)
LKA: 100 block of Sandy Run,
Bonaire
Hector Conego
Wanted for bench warrant
from Superior Court
LKA: 100 block of Dixie Trail,
W'arner Robins
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