Newspaper Page Text
Houston ißaUti
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 19, 2006
The Home Journal’s
SANDLOT
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ON DECK
High school
Basketball
Today
■ Tattnall at Westfield, 6 p.m.
Chlck-fil-A Bear Brawl at
Houston County
Wednesday
■ Warner Robins girls versus
Hawkinsville, 4 p.m.
■ Houston County girls versus
Peach County, 7 p.m.
■ Hawkinsville boys versus
Northside, 5:30 p.m.
■ Peach County boys versus
Houston County, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday
■ Campbell girls versus Perry,
7 p.m.
■ North Clayton girls (bye in
first round) versus winner Peach
County versus Houston County,
4 p.m.
■ Hiram boys versus Perry, 5:30
p.m.
■ Westside boys versus Warner
Robins, 8:30 p.m.
■ Boys losers game 1 and 2
versus each other, 2:30 p.m.
Friday
■ Winner between Hawkinsville
versus Warner Robins girls ver
sus winner Campbell versus
Perry, 7 p.m.
■ Girls losers game 1 and 2
versus each other, 1 p.m.
■ Girls losers game 3 and 4
versus each other, 4 p.m.
■ Winner between Hiram ver
sus Perry boys versus winner
Westside versus Warner Robins,
5:30 p.m.
■ Winner between Hawkinsville
versus Northside boys versus
winner Peach County versus
Houston County, 8:30 p.m.
■ Boys losers game 4 and 5
versus each other, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday
■ Girls final, teams to be deter
mined, 7 p.m.
■ Girls loser game 7 versus win
ner of game 5 (for third place),
4 p.m.
■ Girls loser game 5 versus
winner game 6 (for fifth place),
1 p.m.
■ Boys final, teams to be deter
mined, 8:30 p.m.
■ Boys game 11, teams to be
determined (for third place), 5:30
p.m.
■ Boys game 3 winner versus
game 6 winner (for fifth place),
2:30 p.m.
■ Boys game 3 loser versus
game 6 loser (for seventh place),
11:30 a.m.
Note: Look for full
bracket in Wednesday’s
Houston Daily Journal
IN BRIEF
YMCA offers special
sign-up promotion
The YMCA is currently offer
ing a special promotion where
they are giving away one free
month of gym membership to
all new members. The center
offers: gymnastics, jiu-jitsu, fit
kidz, dance and much more.
A family membership consists
of an SBS joiner’s fee plus the
first month of S4B. Under the
promotion, you pay SBS arid the
first month is free. The offer will
expire Dec. 31.
Winter Players Pass
available for golfers
A Winter Players Pass is
now available for purchase at
three northern state park golf
locations. It’s valid for play
at Arrowhead Pointe at Lake
Richard B. Russell in Elberton,
The Creek at Hard Labor in
Rutledge and Highland Walk at
Victoria Bryant in Royston. The
card provides the holder with
unlimited green fees at the three
courses for three months and
costs SIOO. The pass is avail
able in limited quantities and
for a limited time. It’s valid from
December until February 2007.
The pass can be purchased at
any of the participating courses,
online at www.GeorgiaGolf.com
or by calling 1-800-982-3691.
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ENI Gary Harmon
Houston County and Perry players wait for the outcome of a shot and the potential for
a rebound, Saturday at Houston County.
Lady Beans edge Lady Panthers
By JOE SERSET
Journal Correspondent
“We just toughed it out,”
said Houston County head
coach Sid Baxley of his
team’s 58-53 win over visit
ing Perry Saturday night.
“We played through a hor
rible night of shooting free
throws and did enough other
things to win the game.”
The Lady Bears shot 33
percent from the charity
HoCo boys rally past Perry
By JOE SERSEY
Journal Correspondent
After a 4-0 start, Perry has
lost its last two games, but
that second loss at the hands
of Houston County Saturday
night, 70-57, looked like a
victory at half time, as Perry
held a 31-27 lead.
“We just didn’t play very
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ENI Gary Harmon
Perry and Houston County players battle underneath.
Sports
stripe, hitting only eight of
33 free throws.
“We played all right early,”
Baxley said. “We could have
put them away if we hit
some free throws in the first
half.”
Houston County (5-2)
made only one of eight in
the first half and missed all
six attempts in the second
quarter as Perry (2-4) over
came a seven point deficit
(16-9) in the first quarter
hard,” Perry head coach
Brett Hardy said. “When
you don’t give a whole lot of
effort, you don’t get a lot of
rewards.”
The Panthers trailed early
in the first quarter, but took
advantage of the Bears’
press to come back and take
a 20-14 lead after the first
quarter.
to take a 28-22 lead at the
half.
Perry head coach
Katherine Bradley lamented
the same thing.
“We didn’t make free
throws,” she said. “I don’t
feel good about this loss
tonight. I feel like we should
have won.”
Perry shot 44 percent
from the line going 12 for
27, but it was turnovers
See EDGE, page jB
Houston County continued
to press and while Perry still
held its lead, the Bears, led
by Lydel Jones’ 10 points,
outscored the Panthers 13-
11 to get within four at the
half, 31-27.
“We got out of our press
and went to a 2-3 zone,”
said Houston County coach
See RALLY, page jB
Third time does
it for Northside
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
The third time is the
charm.
All those seasons and
all of those games in the
history of Northside High
School football in Warner
Robins, and only three are
state championship games.
In 2001 it was a loss to
Parkview. Last year it was
the memorable heartbreak
er to Statesboro High.
But in 2006, with Marist
School in McConnell-
Talbert Stadium, somebody
had to say it, and leave it to
senior linebacker Deonta
Jordan to provide it. The
monkey is off their backs.
Northside 30, Marist 6.
It ends the Eagles’ first
state title campaign in
school history with a per
fect 15-0 record. So several
can argue that this is the
greatest team in Northside
history, but none can argue
that Dec. 15 was the great
est night for the program.
“It’s probably the best
moment,” said Conrad Nix,
a high school football head
coach for 32 years, 20 at
Northside. “We won’t say
the best team and that
kind of stuff, but certainly
they’re the team that won
the state championship. I
just praise God and thank
Him for the athletes, for
the way they went about
doing their business this
year. Nobody anticipated
the success we’ve had.
It’s a credit to them. Our
coaches did a tremendous
job. I’m so pleased with ‘the
Hornets beat Windsor
By JOE SERSEY
Journal Correspondent
Westfield’s football play
ers finally joined the bas
ketball team only to fall
victim of the flu.
Last week, seven players
missed basketball practice
during the week, but the
walking wounded kept it
together long enough to
stagger away with a 60-42
win over visiting Windsor
Friday night.
“This is something a lot
of people don’t know,” said
Westfield head coach Jake
Walls. “Some of the play
ers were (suffering) from
dehydration. I could see it
in their eyes that they were
tired.”
With the football players
joining the varsity squad,
Westfield fields when of the
tallest teams in the region.
“We have a chance to be
pretty good,” Walls said.
Lady Eagles snap Warner Robins'
win streak; Demons dominate
From staff reports
Northside’s girls hand
ed Warner Robins its first
defeat of the year with a
53-35 win Saturday at the
home of the Demonettes.
The Lady Eagles
improved to 5-1 with the
win while Warner Robins
is now 7-1.
Two big keys for
Northside, which led 29-
20 at the break, were
Janay Wilson and Brittany
Holder. The first scored
19 points while the second
had 14.
Symone Wilkerson
was the leader for the
Demonettes with 10. Cherie
SECTION
B
whole thing.”
“It really hasn’t hit me
yet,” said Jordan only
moments after the clock
ran out of time. “But by
(Saturday) it will.”
And for all of those who
have worn the blue and
white uniforms, who tried
and tried to get this team
to this level but couldn’t
quite make it, this was a
night for all to celebrate.
“I’ve seen a lot of my
old buddies right here who
played with me in 1975,”
said offensive line coach
and former Northside play
er Mark Stewart during
the post-game celebration.
“We about had a chance to
win then, but it’s to finally
win one for coach Nix and
all of us.”
Nix himself made it a
point to say this was not
just a win for him, but
for all of Northside High.
Not to worry though, for
there were plenty of other
people, not just Stewart,
who would say that Eagle
football wouldn’t be what
it is today without Nix.
“We’re thankful * and
proud for coach Nix,” said
Jason Respert, also an
offensive assistant and
former Northside player
speaking on behalf of all
alumni. “We were just lit
tle small blocks, but he’s
been the constant through
the years. He’s the reason
Northside is Northside.
You think of Northside
football, you think of coach
Nix. He’s definitely estab
lished the standard around
here.
See TIME, page 2 B
Inside 1
Lady Hornets
beat Lady
Knights;
Westfield
squads fall
to Central
Fellowship
- page 3B
“We have
one senior,
five juniors
and six
sopho
mores on
the team.”
Thanks
to the flu,
two play
ers missed
the game.
Had they been there,
they would have seen the
Hornets survive a seesaw
first quarter to take a one
point lead into the second
eight minutes.
Nash Murph scored
eleven of his game-high 19
points in the first half to
lead the Hornets to a 30-22
lead at the midpoint.
“The key was getting the
ball to Nash Murph,” Walls
said. “We were trying to
take advantage of a mis
match. He had a five or
See HORNETS, page 3B
White was next in fine. She
had eight.
Over on the boys’ side,
the Demons made short
work of the Eagles 75-32.
Kenny Fluellan with 15
points and 12 rebounds had
the double-double to lead
the squad, while Pierre
Miller had 11 and Braxton
Dugger 10.
Northside’s girls will next
be in action at the Jones
County tournament. That
started Monday. Warner
Robins’ girls, Northside
and Warner Robins’ boys
will compete in the Houston
County-hosted Bear Brawl
that begins Wednesday.