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■*s.s*£ • • <% s*' . • ‘j& r£&< ; , . &> , " 'fe x <*> '■'■ss> * j?'a 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 iiiii pp, I <a f a am ■ n Bilik jsr NRPHRIPw ,1 ■ ' v; * ‘ -'I,-', ' - ENI/Gary Hannon 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