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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Retirement rewind
Johnson looks back on his 30 years of coaching
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
Playing some golf.
Going to the super
market. Trying out
a new grill. Actually getting
to enjoy televised college
football without the previ
ous night’s high school game
still on his mind.
Retirement is suiting Doug
Johnson just fine.
The former Houston
County High School head
football coach and athlet
ics director received one
accolade after another from
his former teachers and co
workers Tuesday when the
Bears booster club hosted
a special reception in his
honor. Afterwards he looked
back on his 30 years of
coaching at all three schools
in Warner Robins plus his
own playing experiences in
high school and college.
Johnson made the sur
prise announcement in late
June that, due to issues with
his own health, it was best
for him and his family to
step down from the day-to
day grind of running a Class
AAAAA athletic program, a
duty that* included person
ally running the school’s
biggest sport, Bears football.
He said the days since his
announcement have been
relaxing and “stress-free.”
The most important benefit
of retirement for Johnson
is spending more time with
the family, especially in the
upcoming fall months.
“I’m looking forward
to this fall, not being in
the hectic Friday night,
Saturday meeting, Sunday
meeting,” he said. “It was
good to sit down this last
Saturday and watch football
games and relax. Sometimes
you’d be sitting there watch
ing a game and you couldn’t
watch it because you were
thinking about what hap
pened on Friday night.”
MOVING TO
WARNER ROBINS
Johnson is originally
from Mobile, Ala. His fam
ily moved to Warner Robins
when he was in the fifth
grade. He attended Rumble
Middle School and Warner
Robins High School. Other
than those first few years
of his life, the only time
Johnson was away from
Warner Robins was when he
attended The Citadel.
“Warner Robins has
been real good to me,” said
Johnson.
He remembered Joe
I HI
CALENDAR
High school softball
Today
■ Westfield at George Walton, 1 p.rti.
■ Houston County at Crisp tourney, teams and times to be
determined
■ Warner Robins at Evans tourney, teams and times to be
determined
■ Perry at Watermelon Invitational, teams and times to be
determined
Monday
■ Tift County at Houston County, 5:45 p.m.
■ Westfield at Central Fellowship, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday
■ Houston County at Colquitt County, 5:30 p.m.
■ Northside at Jones County, 5:45 p.m.
■ Southland at Westfield, 5:30 p.m.
■ Peach County at Perry, 6:30 p.m.
High school volleyball
Today
■ Ho iton County, Warner Robins, Union Grove, Mundy’s
Mill at Luella, 10 a.m.
Tuesday
■ East Paulding, Coffee County at Houston County, 5
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Former Houston County athletics director Doug Johnson is recognized by current AD
George Collins during a ceremony in Johnson’s honor Tuesday.
Sumrall Sr. as the coach
who really brought Warner
Robins High football to
prominence when he arrived
from Thomasville in 1966.
Those at the hated on-the
field rival of the Demons
also influenced him.
“Most of us coaches owe
him a lot,” said Johnson.
“Mr. Matt Arthur was the
head coach at Northside.
He was my first boss at
Northside. He was the prin
cipal at Northside, then
coach (Conrad) Nix was the
head coach who hired me
there.
“I was real lucky to play
at Warner Robins during a
time period where I feel like
tilings changed. The groups
before us really brought a
winning tradition there.
Northside was doing real
well then, and we were doing
well. I was able to play with
a lot of good football play
ers.”
One of his former high
school teammates is now his
successor as Houston County
p.m.
■ Northside, Lee County, Americus at Dutchtown, 5 p.m.
High school cross country
Today
■ Westfield, Deerfield-Windsor at Dickey, time to be deter
mined
■ Houston County, Warner Robins at Bleckley County
Invite, 8 a.m.
Monday
■ Westfield at Stratford, time to be determined
Tuesday
■ Houston County, Perry, Northside, others at Warner
Robins Invitational, 5 p.m.
High school football
Today
■ Windsor Forest at Houston County, 7:30 p.m.
IN BRIEF
WR Rec to host Punt, Pass and Kick
The Warner Robins Recreation Department will be
sponsoring the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition Sept.
15 at 9 a.m. (check in at 8:30 a.m.) on Perkins Field.
The competition is free and it is for boys and girls ages
8-15. The age control date is Dc-c. 31. A birth certificate
is required. Tennis shoes are required to be worn for the
High head coach, George
Collins. Johnson also played
alongside Joe Sumrall Jr.
both in high school and in
college, and Ralph Ferguson,
a good friend who played
at Northside, joined him at
The Citadel.
“This is where to come
because I felt like things
were going well for both
schools,” said Johnson about
returning home to coach.
COLLEGE RECORD
HOLDER
Johnson put his name in
The Citadel football record
books while playing for
former Georgia Tech and
National Football League
head coach Bobby Ross. He
cracked the starting lineup
as a freshman and enjoyed
a four-year career. At one
time, as a slotback in a
wishbone offense, he held
the school record for career
receptions.
“These days it gets passed
pretty easy,” said Johnson
about no longer holding that
record. “Back when I played
we didn’t throw that much.
We were running the wish
bone when I played there,
and in the broken bone I
was the slotback. Then we
changed out of that to a
wing type formation. Most
of the teams then were pre
dominantly run.
“I ended up with over 100
catches in four years. Joe
got to play quarterback and
threw me my 100th career
reception against Furman.
That was a good experience
for me and Joe. I was able
to come back here and Little
Joe went to dental school
and came back here. I’ve
been able to keep in touch
with people that I’ve been
close to all my life.”
Johnson didn’t go to The
Citadel - a military school
- with the aim of entering
the military.
“I actually signed a schol
arship with Troy State
See JOHNSON, page 3B
competition.
Each child will punt, pass and kick the football. The
child who comes in first place in each age group will move
on to the sectionals.
Applications can be picked up at the Warner Robins
Recreation Department located on Watson Blvd., and
must be turned back in to their office by Sept. 12 at 5
p.m.
Perry cheer squad to hold clinic
Perry High School's cheerleaders will host a one-day
cheer clinic Sept. 15 in the school’s multipurpose gym. it
is open to children from 4 years old to sixth grade.
The cost is $35 which includes an event T-shirt, drinks
and a snack. A $5 discount will be given for additional
family members. Participants, according to a release, will
learn a number of cheerleading skills. They will present
those at a parent performance before the football game
Sept. 28.
For more information, e-mail MSloan@hcbe.net.
PJL undergoing Fall registration
Perry Junior League Fall Ball registration has begun
and will continue until Oct. 5. You can register on line at
www.perryjuniorleaue.com or at the park under the pavil
ion on these dates: Sept. 22 and Sept. 29 from 9 a.m.-1
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2007 ♦
Westfield blanks
Deerfield-Windsor
Sherwood opts not to field team
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
According to Westfield
softball coach Rodney
Culverhouse, the Hornets
did not play its scheduled
varsity game at Sherwood
Christian Thursday
because Sherwood is not
fielding a varsity club.
Sherwood is a part of
Westfield’s GISA softball
region, 3-AAA, but without
a varsity club that league
is now down to three
teams: Westfield, Deerfield-
Windsor and Southland.
Culverhouse added that
Sherwood will not be par
ticipating in the upcoming
girls basketball varsity sea
son, but still has its varsity
football program intact.
[ins.de: LftPY Bears beat Coffee
Perry posts shutouts of
Contpal, Amepicus-Sumtep
By JOESERSEY
Journal Correspondent
Perry head fast-pitch
coach Jeff Sans isn’t about
to get cocky. But, on the
other hand, he has to be
enjoying the moment.
In two games, the Lady
Panthers have scored 43
runs. In three it’s been:
“55-or-something,” he said,
or to put it more succinctly:
“A lot to a little.”
The last of those two wins
came Thursday at Central
where the Lady Panthers
blanked the Lady Chargers
15-0 in four innings. The
Northside takes 2
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Sports Editor
Northside made it two
for-two this week in softball
action. The Lady Eagles
hosted Baldwin Wednesday
and came away 7-0 win
ners, then traveled to
Dutchtown Thursday and
returned with a 6-0 win.
In the first of those two
games - against the Lady
Braves - Northside did all
of its damage in the first
three innings. It scored two
in the first, three in the
'/ tic dawn and dirty "
p.m. Fall ball fees are $45 and the organization is offering
a special for Fall/Spring Combo for $125.
For more information, Kelly Tucker at
pjlpresident@windstream.net or via phone at 988-2618.
PJL undergoing Fall registration
The Landings is preparing for its Fall After School
Program, a six-week program billed as “fun and fundamen
tals." Ages 5-7 will attend Tuesdays; 8-10 Wednesdays
and 11-up Thursdays. All classes will be from 4:30-5:30
p.m. The first session runs from Sept: 20, the second
Sept. 25-Nov. 8. The cost is SIOO for non-members and
S9O for members - with a $lO discount if signing up for
both sessions.
For more information, contact PGA Professional Bill
Goggin by phone at 923-5222, Ext. 4 or e-mail him at
bill@goggingolf.com. Or visit the course's website at www.
goggingolf.com/.
YMCA to start cheer program
The Houston County YMCA, according to a release, is
currently looking to start a program for competitive cheer
leading. To that end, they need experienced cheerleader
coaches. Contact Shannon Cobb, gymnastic coordinator
the Houston County YMCA at 478-922-2566 or stop by
their office.
Westfield
is still active
in varsity
softball and
currently
has a streak
of seven
region
champion
ship seasons
in a row.
*
WESTFIELD
wwn
Westfield 3,
Deerfield-
Windsor 0
The quest for No. 8 began
Tuesday at home with a
shutout win, 3-0, against
Deerfield-Windsor.
Kelsey Gilliam made her
first pitching start in about
a month and limited the
Knights to two hits with no
walks and nine strikeouts
over sevencomplete innings.
The Hornet defense
See WESTFIELD, page 2B
Ski
mm
local club
scored fdur
in the first
and second,
six in the
third and
their final
• -gffj
PERRY
iwf rwnraßo
Perry 15, Central
0; Lady Panthers
28, Americus-
Sumter Co. 0
run in the
last of those
innings.
“ W e
hit pret-
ty well,” Sans said. “We
played well ... We did what
we needed to do. It was a
good win for us.”
And a perfect day at
the plate for Blake Ford,
See PERRY, page zB
second and
its final
two in the
third.
Brooke
Red also
went all
seven
innings on
the mound.
She gave
up two hits
NORTHSIDE
LADY KAGIfS
Northside 7,
Baldwin 0; Lady
Eagles 6, Lady
Braves 0
while stretching her score
less inning streak to 19.
Kristen Smith
See NORTHSIDE, page zB
1B