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♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST3I, 2007
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Contributed
Pictured are participants of the Bowl-a-thon put on by Leadership Warner Robins Aug.
11.
LEADERSHIP
From page iB
The Leadership Warner
Robins participants are
part of a rigorous series of
classes and assignments
that is based on the UGA
FOOTSTEPS
From page iB
responsibility there was
tight ends and wingbacks.
“I learned a good bit coach
ing when I was in college and
at Athens Academy,” said
Seward. “But being thrown
into the fire at a high school
program, you learn a lot. I
was always very apprecia
tive of the coaches up there
and the opportunity I had.
“And I was always appre
ciative of my dad. He’s
somebody good to have in
your corner when you won
der if you’re doing the right
thing and how to handle
situations. It’s good to have
somebody like that a phone
call away.”
From observing his father
at work, Seward said he
learned how to handle play
ers, demaning respect from
them while still finding a
way for them to like you as
a person.
“You walk a thin line now
more than ever with kids,”
he said. “You can demand
respect and really be hard
on them a lot of times. It’s
really hard to build a rela
tionship at the same time.
I found that happy medium
through watching (dad) and
how he was with his play
ers.
“ I’m getting better at that,
still trying to build on it. It’s
something I want to get bet
ter at.”
Seward now has the spot
on the Bears coaching staff
vacated by Andy Gentry
when Gentry took an assis
tant principal’s job at the
new Mossy Creek Middle
School. But Seward actu
ally applied for a teaching
position in the school’s new
engineering department in
March. His undergraduate
degree is in technology edu
cation.
Seward interviewed with
principal Sheila Beckham,
and he said it was Beckham
who went to Johnson about
bringing him onto the foot
ball staff.
“When he called, I was
very happy at Loganville, but
at the Bame time I have a lot
of respect for this program,”
said Seward. “It’s home to
me. I would go from being a
little over three hours from
my family to being about
an hour and 20 minutes. I
J.W. Fanning Institute’s
Community Leadership
Program and incorporates
best-practices of similar
programs being conducted
around the country.
Heart of Georgia DDM is
a non-profit organization
established in 2004, by vol-
realized the pros outweighed
the cons, and once I came
down here and interviewed I
knew it was where I needed
to be.”
When Seward joined the
staff, he - as every other
Houston County coach did
back in the spring - expected
to be working with Johnson,
someone he got to know well
during his high school days.
“I really have a lot of
respect for coach Johnson,”
said Seward. “He has a great
record. I’m grateful for the
opportunity he gave me to
be here.”
But it was in July that
Johnson announced his
retirement from coaching
due to health reasons.
“I was very shocked,” said
Seward. “A lot of people
were. I really hate that I’m
not going to get an oppor
tunity to coach with him
on the sidelines, but at the
same time I understand
when you get your time in,
you can enjoy your retire
ment. I think he understood
that, and I’m very happy for
him.”
Seward has had all sum
mer to get settled back into
Houston County and get a
feel for the kind of team
the Bears will field while
working for new head coach
DM we capture
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Click on the big blue
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unteers, to fill a need in our
community for developmen-
disabled adults. Their
goal is to raise funds to
build, furnish and maintain
two long-term care facilities
that will house four to six
residents, plus two live-in
house partners.
George Collins.
“It’s hard for me to gauge,”
he said. “I’m coming from a
school that wasn’t quite at
the same level athletically
as Houston is on a year
in, year-out basis. I’ve seen
some athletes and my eyes
light up a good bit. I grew
up around this region we’re
in and I know exactly what
we’re going up against, what
you need to win. It’s going to
take our kids going 100 per
cent the best they can.
“I watched a lot of game
tape (from 2006). I’ve seen
the backs they had, and it
would be great to have one
or two of them back. But I
feel confident with what we
have right now. I like the
kids I’m coaching. They give
it their all every day.”
Back to the subject of
retirement, Seward knows a
bit about that as his father
Tommy retired in 2005 after
four seasons as Tift County
High head coach. Tommy
still lives in Tifton, plays
golf often and has a new
grandchild as Tom’s sister
had a baby over the summer.
Tom said the family does
plan on being at McConnell-
Talbert Stadium tonight
when Houston County meets
defending Class AAAA state
champion Northside.
SPORTS
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The Buckshots hold up their trophy.
BUCKSHOTS
From page iB
with 10 runs scored followed
closely by Churchwell and
Powell with 8 each.
Defensively the boys from
Middle Georgia had a team
fielding percentage of .939.
The stellar on field perfor
mance held the opposing
teams to a net batting aver
age of .269.
Ammerman had 42 put
outs followed by Warren
with 10 unassisted put outs.
Crummey and Wood had 13
and 12 assists respectively.
Churchwell, Crummey, Gay,
Graham and Mathis were
CLEATS
(c) 2007 Bill ———
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Congratulations to the WRALL
WORLD CHAMPIONS
FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
www.midfcu.org
800-736-8407
(H } c Our Fric/u/lu Facts f
5j00440<2
This Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
flawless on the field with
perfect fielding percent
ages of 1.000.
The pitching by the
Buckshots was rated as the
best in the tournament by
the Kingsport sports writ
ers with a team ERA of
2.78.
Coty Graham led the
tournament with two com
plete game shutouts and a
perfect ERA of 0.00 with 12
strike outs (yes, zero-zero
zero, move over Cy Young).
Matthew Powell had an
ERA of 1.13 in his three
wins with 17 strike outs
and championship game
victory. Lane Crummey
recorded 2 wins and a save
MidSoutn
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
with Michael Santamaria
close behind with 1 win and
a save. Trevor Wood and
Wesley Ammerman were
strong in their appearanc
es with Wood recording a
save.
The many hours on the
practice field, at Burress
Baseball and with Brian
Mallett at The Bull Pin
solidified the Buckshots
chances to dominate the
mound and come home
World Series Champions.
As the boys dog-piled at the
conclusion of the champion
ship game, it was obvious
that all the fundamentally
correct hard work had paid
off.
Contributed
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