Newspaper Page Text
Mousian TBzttig
SATURDAY,
JANUARY 6, 2007
The Home Journal s
SANDLOT
tiS'TifiT?” 1 NrW
ON DECK
High school
basketball
Today
■ Perry at Southwest. 6 p.m.
■ Valdosta at Houston County.
6 p.m.
High school
wrestling
Today
■ Wayne Morris Inviational at
Westfield. 9 a.m.
■ Eagle Classic at Northside.
9 a.m.
High school
swimming
Today
■ Warner Robins High School at
the Colquitt Invitational at Darton
College. 10:30 a.m.
Youth
basketball
Today
■ Elks Hoop Shoot contest
at Warner Robins Recreation
Department: 9 a.m. for ages 12
and 13; 10:30 a.m, for those
10 and 11; and noon for those
8 and 9.
IN BRIEF
YMCA extends
membership offer
The YMCA has extended its
membership sign-up offer until
Jan. 31. Typically, a family
membership consists of an SBS
joiner's fee plus the first month
of S4B. Under the promotion,
you pay SBS and the first month
is free.
The center offers: gymnas
tics, jiu-jitsu, fit kidz. dance and
much more.
Waterford to hold high
school golf conditioning
Waterford Golf Club will hold
high school golf conditioning in
January (Tuesday for Houston
County, Wednesday for Warner
Robins and Thursday for
Northside).
It is set to be held from 4-
5 p.m. For additional details,
ask your coach or e-mail PGA
Professional Krag Woodyard at
pgaprokrag@pga.com or call
him at 478-447-9399.
Red Cross to hold
inagural bowling tourney
The Houston-Middle Georgia
Chapter of the American Red
Cross will hold its inaugural
“Roll into the New Year" Bowling
Tournament Jan. 20.
The tournament will be held at
the Gold Cup Bowling Center on
Russell Parkway and will start at
10 a.m. and last until 1 p.m.
The entry fee is $l5O for
a six-person team. It includes
pizza and soda. Registration will
be available on the day of the
tournament. Visit www.middle
georgiaredcross.org for a regis
tration form or call 923-6332 to
sponsor the tournament.
Museum to host its
annual walk/runs
The 11th annual Museum of
Aviation Foundation marathon,
half marathon and 5K run/walk
will be held at the Museum of
Aviation Jan. 13. All three cours
es are USA Track and Field certi
fied and all threes are also run on
Robins Air Force Base.
Entry fees are SBO for a relay
team, S4O for the marathon, S3O
for the half marathon and $lB for
the 5K run/walk. The 5K run/walk
will start at 8:15 a.m. A $5 sur
charge applies.
A variety of trophies/awards
will be offered. The start time for
the marathon and half marathon
is 8 a.m. Each marathon and
half-marathon runner will receive
a medallion with ribbon as they
cross the finish line.
To register, call Race Director
John Hunter at 478-926-6686
(day) or 478-953-5335 (evening)
or email him at hunterjh@cox.
net. Or, contact June Lowe or
Mary Lynn Harrison at 478-923-
6600 or email MaryLynn.Harris
on@museumofaviation.org. On
line information can be found at
http://robinspacers.org or www.
museumofaviation.org.
Northside makes major jump in Dodge Cup standings
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Sports Editor
What a difference a state champi
onship makes.
That statement says tons in
regard to just about everything
and the Georgia Athletic Coaches
Association Dodge Directors Cup is
no exception.
A measure of the school’s overall
athletic program, Northside, prior
W • H§W ' W -“A
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Contributed
Herman Ragin Jr,, stands with family during an event he directed. The Perry-born coach/event director - and
more - was recently selected to the 2006 Triple Crown Colorado Hall of Fame.
Perry native earns Triple Crown honors
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Sports Editor
It was kind of a mixed bag for
Herman Ragin Jr.
On one hand, being selected to the
2006 Triple Crown Colorado Hall of
Fame recently was quite the honor.
On the other ... “I wasn’t quite
sure how to take it,” he said, a bit
amused with that particular situa
tion. “I always thought of someone
inducted into the Hall of Fame as
someone who’s made it, or is ‘on their
way out.’”
He’ll take the first, but it’s the lat
ter he’s not so sure about.
“I’m just learning how to play
golf,” he said, this time with a bit
of a chuckle starting. “My dad (who,
by the way, is Herman Ragin Sr.,
which the Houston County Board of
Education recently named the Perry
Elementary School Complex after)
Youth qualifies, competes in
National Bull Riders Finals
From Staff Reports
Caleb James Malone first
qualified and then competed
in the National Bull Riders
Finals in Shawnee, Qkla.,
recently.
He was one of 20 from
the Georgia Bull Riders
Association to do so.
The 15-year-old is the son
of Diana Simpson of Perry
and Gene Malone of Gordon,
and the grandson of Mr.
and Mrs. Jimmie Simpson
of Kathleen, Frank Shelton
of Perry and Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry Malone of Gordon.
He attends school at
Fullington Academy in
Pinehurst where he also
plays on the school’s football
and baseball teams.
Malone first began riding
steer when he was 8. He
Sports
to winning the state title, was tied
with 11 schools for 47th in the over
all standings.
With the AAAA state football
title, and the 100 points it offered,
Northside jumped all the way up
to 12th. The Eagles are currently
tied with Whitewater and Woodland.
Marist leads with 330 points.
In just the boys’ standings,
Northside - once again thanks to
the championship - went from 32nd
Hall ot Famer
plays golf all the time.
“I’m kind of looking forward to get
ting down there (one day) and play
ing golf with him.”
In other words: “I still like to think
there’s more for me to do. I’m not so
sure I like the thought of being ‘on
my way out.’”
It should be noted at this point that
if he did - feel he had accomplished
enough - it would be fully justified.
As it pertains to sports, he’s already
left a pretty hefty legacy.
Born Sept. 26, 1949, he grew up in
the Houston County school system.
While attending Houston High (not
the current Houston County High
School but the one prior in Perry)
- in addition to his schoolwork - he
played football, basketball, ran track
and was in the band.
“Everything students did in a
small town,” he described it, “to stay
won first place in the Middle
Georgia Junior Rodeo when
he was 12 and, according to
a release, has also placed
high in the standings the
years following.
His goal, he said, was to go
onto high school rodeo after
this year, and then, he said,
“hopefully onto the PBR.”
Malone wanted to single
out the following individuals
and businesses for helping
fund his trip to Oklahoma
(at a cost of approximately
$1,000): Carl Cummings
of Utilities Services Perry,
Roberts Timber in Gray, the
New Perry Hotel, Parrish
Construction in Perry, Total
Exhaust in Warner Robins,
Carter Matthew - Peach
Lawn Care, Lisa Shelton,
McCranie Tractor
See COMPETES, page iB
to third. It is only 50 points behind
Marist in that category and 10
behind St. Pius X.
As far as the girls, the Lady Eagles
remained at 43rd overall (same as
reported/written here approximate
ly two weeks earlier).
As far as Houston County and
Warner Robins, the first is at 11th
overall in the standings and the sec
ond tied with three other schools at
12th (also reported/written up ear
busy.”
He, a quarterback, received a
scholarship to play Fort Valley State
University following graduation in
1967. He majored in health and phys
ical education - he was also converted
to a defensive back in the last of three
years at the college. Following gradu
ation there, he “got a few looks” from
NFL teams before taking a job at
Warner Robins Junior High.
While there, “They let me leave
and attempt to fulfill my dream,” he
said.
That opportunity came via an invi
tation from the Montreal Alouettes
and to play in the Canadian Football
League.
Injuries, he said, cut into his chanc
es there, so he came back here and
went back to work at Warner Robins
Junior High.
See HALL, page iB
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Contributed
Caleb James Malone competes at an event. The 15-year-old recently qualified and
competed in the National Bull Riders Finals in Shawnee, Okla.
SECTION
B
lier). The Bears are currently tied
for ninth with Collins Hill (50 points
each), while the Demons are tied
with Tift County for sixth (70 points
apiece). The Lady Bears are tied
with Grayson for 15th (90 points)
and the Demonettes are 23rd (60).
Perry remained at 24th overall.
The Panthers are tied with 14 others
(20 points) and the Lady Panthers
are tied with four others for 19th
(50 points).
Gamblers, steroid users
and chair throwers ...
Is this supposed
to be a winning
combination?
A gambler, a sure-fire
steroid user and now
a chair abuser. These
are the kind of people we have
sitting on top (or soon will
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Pygp
Matthew Brown
Journal Sports Writer
Abdul-Jabbar, or a Walter
Payton, or a Dean Smith?
(Footnote placed usually where
the ears are: all of the afore
mentioned either currently or
at one time held the top spot on
an all-time career list.)
What exactly am I rant
ing about this time? Well, as
‘General’ Bob Knight made
his way past Dean Smith as
the all-time leader in coaching
victories for Division I men’s
basketball, I couldn’t help but
think how this chase compares
to the other one we’ve been fol
lowing for the past few years.
That would be Barry Bonds
and his pursuit of first Babe
Ruth and now Henry Aaron as
baseball’s all-time best home
run hitter.
See BROWN,page iB
“You can decide if
Knight is deserving
of such a record,
much like many are
already trying to
delete Bonds' name
from the baseball
record books."
be) of some of
the greatest
all-time lists
in sports his
tory?
Why can’t
everybody be
like a Bobby
Bowden, or a
Joe Paterno,
or a Henry
Aaron, or
a Kareem