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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Lady Eagles (all twice
But rebound to take down Jackson
From staff reports
Northside hosted Jonesboro,
ranked seventh in the state,
and Houston County Tuesday.
Scores for the Lady Bears were
unknown, although head coach
Tony Jones did say the girls
beat the Lady Eagles but fell to
Jonesboro, “we split when we did
not have (to),” he said, in regard
to the latter.
As far as Northside, it lost to
Jonesboro 2-0, falling 25-12 in
the first game and 25-15 in the
second.
Against Houston County, the
Lady Eagles also fell 2-0 but by
closer scores - at least in game
one. Northside fell 25-19 and 25-
14.
Thursday was a much better
story for the Lady Eagles as they
hosted Jackson in a best-three
out-of-five match and won a
thrilling 3-2 victory.
Northside took the first game
25-9 and the second 25-12. But
Jackson came back to win the
third 25-18 and the fourth 25-20.
That set up a showdown in Game
5, which the Lady Eagles won
25-14.
“Playing the No. 7th-ranked
JOHNSON
From page iB
University,” he said. “I
thought I was going there.
Coach Bobby Ross came into
The Citadel as a late hire.
He went around still recruit
ing and saw film on me and
came here and talked to me
and my dad. My dad was real
impressed with him. My dad
is a guy that when he said
something he meant it. He
said ‘I think we ought to go
over there.’
“I was talking at the
time about Troy and really
thought maybe I wanted to
go to Troy instead of The
Citadel because it’s military.
But it ended up being the
best thing for me. I had two
pretty good friends when I
got there, and that made it a
lot easier.”
Johnson even joined The
Citadel’s baseball team in
his senior year.
NOTHING BUT
COACHING
While in college, Johnson’s
heart stayed in Warner
Robins because of the peo
ple who influenced him as a
football player.
“I’ve been real lucky
because I’ve been around
a lot of good people,” said
Johnson. “Coach Gann
coached me. Coach Orgel
was the head coach then.
Coach Davis, who ends up
hiring me later, was assis
tant coach then. They were
all good people and I felt like
I wanted to be a part of that
if I could get a chance to.
“I’ve always loved athlet
ics. I’d played football and
baseball all my life. I knew
I wanted to be in coaching
and was lucky when I got
out (of college) to come home
and do it. I actually inter
viewed at a couple of other
spots when the Northside
job came open.”
Johnson followed his brief
stint with the Eagles with a
decade back on staff at his
alma mater. He was part
of the Demons staff that
won state championships in
1981 and 1988 under Robert
Davis. There was also a
finals appearance in 1985.
“We had a couple of others
that got to the semifinals
and got beat out in some
close games,” said Johnson.
“I remember the ’B2 year we
got beat out by Valdosta 14-
7 in the semifinals and they
ended up winning it. We were
real lucky as a coaching staff
to have a lot of really good
players. Coach Davis had a
good system in.
“Back then the coaching
fraternity was a lot differ
ent than it is now. When I
retired this year we ended up
with 39 coaches (at Houston
County High) total. When I
started coaching we had five
period that did everything.
There were no assistants or
anything like that (in other
sports). You coached it all.
was a real close-knit
group. It was like that for a
long time in coaching.
G
H
team in Jonesboro and a top 10
team in Houston County Tuesday
helped prepare and motivate us
for our game Thursday,” said
Northside head coach Jessica
White. “I was pleased how we
came out strong the first two
sets.
We came out focused and ready
to play and I could see that com
petitive drive in the girls’ eyes.
Playing strong competition only
make you strong and I saw the
benefits of that yesterday.”
The third and fourth sets, she
added, “we lost our focus and
had several unforced errors. We
bounced back in the last set to
win the match. We are improving
and building a program.”
“I saw a picture the other
day of the staff at Northside
with me and Danny
(Carpenter) on it, and I
counted five or six people
who were coaches.”
So Johnson held the moni
ker of ‘head coach’ long
before he took his last job
at Houston County High. At
Northside, he led track and
field and cross country. He
succeeded David Carpenter
as head baseball coach at
Warner Robins High after
serving as wrestling coach.
He was also Demons golf
coach.
BUILDING BEABS
ATHLETICS
Back in the early 19905,
the “controversial” decision
arrived to add a third high
school in Warner Robins
called Houston County High.
Johnson remembers the
resistance to a new school
from an athletic standpoint
even though it made sense
in terms of the high growth
in the community.
The real challenge, he
said, came from convincing
the aspiring student-ath
letes who maybe had visions
of being Eagles or Demons
to be a part of the new pro
gram.
“When they built this
school, Warner Robins and
Northside were having a lot
of success (in football),” said
Johnson. “Kids didn’t want
to leave there athletically.
Here we were starting out
here, and we were like a
nobody. Nobody knew who
we were. We were going to
be in a smaller classification.
Players didn’t want to come
here.”
It started with the first
group of sophomores, and it
was his job to sell the school
to them. He said it was a
good group that would later
advance to the state semifi
nals as seniors.
“That kind of put us over
the hump,” said Johnson.
“We are a new school, but
we can play good football. I
think if we got started and
had a bunch of losing sea
sons ...”
That got Johnson to think
ing about Lowndes High and
how it had to compete with
the powerful tradition of
Valdosta High. His research
came up with eight straight
losing years at Lowndes to
start off before it took off
into becoming a state power
itself.
There was another factor
working against Johnson at
Houston County and that
was the lack of alumni.
Johnson speculated that a
1 -800-DQNATE-CARS
HA Heritage
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Tuesday
Match 1 - Jonesboro 25,
Northside 12; Jonesboro
25, Northside 15
Match 2 - HoCo 25,
Northside 19; HoCo 25,
Northside 14
Thursday
Match 1 - Northside 25,
Jackson 9; Northside
25, Jackson 12; Jackson
25, NS 18; Jackson
25, Northside 20; Lady
Eagles 25, Jackson 14
today the oldest alumnus for
Houston is 30. He said the
school should start seeing
the benefits of its graduates
getting to the point where
they are running local busi
nesses and can give back.
It may have been hard to
convince the football play
ers to be a part of the new
school, but it wasn’t had for
the county to find interested
applicants for the new job.
Johnson said several people
from all over wanted to work
in Houston County with its
athletic tradition.
“I applied for it, went
through the interview pro
cess and (Ms. Neal) ended
up hiring me,” said Johnson.
“I hope I didn’t disappoint
her. I never dreamed that it
would be 16 years.
“Our record is pretty good.
We have a winning record,
and that’s important to me.
But we played tough people.
We played as tough a sched
ule as anyone around.”
Even in those early years,
Johnson said Houston
County played solid oppo
nents, more so than they
probably needed to. He said
it was all about bringing in
money to the program that
started about $120,000 in
debt.
“It took us four years just
to get even,” said Johnson.
“I had to play people that,
if I had money, I probably
wouldn’t have played them.
But I knew they would
bring in people to watch the
game.
“I had assistant coaches
getting on me all the time
about our schedules, But I
used to tell our kids that if
you play a good team and
play hard, that’s a lot better
than beating somebody 45-6,
because in those games most
kids don’t get fired up, and
I’m not sure you get better
when you do that.”
In the last decade, foot
ball players have gone
from Houston County High
to Southern California,
Purdue, Georgia, the Air
Force Academy and other
college programs of all lev
els.
But one of Johnson’s first
post-retirement calls came
from a former Bear who
went into the Marines.
“I’ve enjoyed all of them,”
said Johnson. “On the com
puter I checked all the kids
we have out there right now
- Brandon King at Purdue,
Kyle Moore at Southern Cal,
Gaines Burnette at Furman,
at Wofford Josh Collier had a
great weekend, Eric O’Neal
played at Coastal Carolina -
I checked every one of them,
tried to keep up with them.
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SPORTS
Museum plans for golf invitational
Special to the Journal
The 18th Annual Museum of
Aviation Foundation Georgia
Invitational Golf Tournament will
be held Sept. 27-28 at the Pine
Oaks Golf Club on Robins Air Force
Base.
The two-day tournament, accord
ing to a release, is the largest golf
outing in Middle Georgia each year
and is made up of three separate
rounds with separate prizes for
each round.
Since 1990, the Georgia Invitation
Golf Tournament has raised a total
of more than $3.6 million for the
Museum of Aviation - one of the
largest education-focused avia
tion museums in the country. The
value of this year’s Taylor-Made
golf equipment and other prizes
is more than $30,000. Foursomes
will compete in a “scramble” handi
capped format. Tee times are noon
on Thursday and 8 a.m. and 1:30
p.m. on Friday. Separate prizes are
given for each round.
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss is
the Honorary Chairman of this
year’s tournament. Honorary
Co-Chairmen are Sen. Johnny
Isakson and U.S. Congressmen
Jack Kingston and Jim Marshall.
Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, who
helped initiate the event, serves as
Nick Riley at Troy State.
That’s been fun, too.
“One of the things that’s
really helped me is that the
academics here have been
real good. So when a recruit
er comes here, normally our
grades are in good shape. All
they have to then is figure
out if he’s good enough to
play for us.”
MANY MOBE
THANKS
Johnson reiterated how
fortunate he felt to first
coach at Northside with
Nix and Danny Carpenter,
and then get the break at
Warner Robins under Davis.
He worked with Stan Gann
and Richard Fendley. He
would later work with the
current Demons head coach
Bryan Way.
Rewards of up to S I,OOO - Remain Anonymous!
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the Honorary National Chairman.
Eddie Wiggins is chairing the plan
ning committee which is soliciting
volunteer “ambassadors” to assist
golfers. Golfers receive a commem
orative golf shirt, a Thursday night
traditional “Plantation Supper,”
luncheon buffets, and a barbecue
awards dinner on Friday evening.
Additional surprises and gifts are
also planned.
More than 60 businesses and
individuals annually sign up as
sponsors for the fund-raiser. “The
overwhelming support for this
tournament from all over America
is outstanding,” said Pat Bartness,
President and Chief Operating
Officer of the Foundation. “These
efforts assure that the Museum of
Aviation will continue to be one
of the best aviation Museums in
America and an institution of excel
lence to honor the men and women
of our armed forces.” Sponsorship
rates and benefits are:
SIO,OOO Super Sponsor benefits:
■ Super Sponsor Reception open
only to Super Sponsors and guests.
■ Traditional Plantation Supper
for eight players plus eight guests.
■ Eight rounds of golf to be
played in any of the three rounds.
■ Georgia Invitational golf shirts
and golf balls.
JL MACON REGIONAL
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Help solve A Crime
742-2330 • 1-877-68 CRIME
(27463)
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Dennis Jay Scruggs
Wanted for bench
warrants from Supe
rior Court for failure
to appear on original
charges of aggra
vated assault and
false imprisonment
LKA; 110 block of
Blackberry Circle,
Kathleen
Regina L. Russ
Wanted for failure to ap
pear, forgery, attempt
ing to obtain dangerous
drugs by forgery LKA:
100 block of Eagle
Trace, Centerville
II
Derrick Lamorris
Tookes
Wanted for deposit
account fraud (3x),
forgery and violation
of probation from
Magistrate Court
LKA: 100 block of
Wilmington Drive,
Warner Robins
Randy Royce
Stokeling
Wanted for aggra
vated assault LKA;
1200 block of Lev
erette Road, Warner
Robins
Lisa Ann Bennett
Wanted for financial
transaction card fraud
LKA: 100 block of
Dora Lane, Bonaire
Jennifer Lynne
Wilson
Wanted for two bench
warrants from Supe
rior Court for failure
to appear LKA: 900
block of Chapel
Ridge Drive, Perry
IF YOU DON’T LIKE SEEING YOUR PICTURE ON THIS PAGE,
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2007 ♦
“Coach Waters was a big
help when we started (at
Houston),” said Johnson.
“He did a lot for me. Steve
Allen started here with me.
Kevin Wall, who is a defen
sive coach at Warner Robins,
started as my defensive
coordinator and did a tre
mendous job. And Tommy
Seward, I hired him from
Tifton and he worked six
years here. He was a really
good person for me to be
around.”
And then there’s the cur
rent staff, which was mostly
his staff for the last few years
on the job. That includes
Collins, a former head coach
at Perry High School, Denny
Maddox, Chip Stuart, Chris
McCook, Lee Pope, Heath
Burch and Bob Daughtry.
“Joe Sumrall started all of
this,” said Johnson. “Before
Daniel R. Shapley
Wanted for aggravat
ed assault LKA: 800
block of Hwy 247 S.,
Kathleen
Chiroy Benjamin
Washington
Wanted for theft by
taking LKA: 800
block of Oak Ave
nue, Warner Robins
King Edward
Cannon Jr.
Wanted for aggra
vated stalking, bench
warrant .LKA: 700
block of Loop Road,
Vidalia
■ Appropriate signage and recog- .
nition on the Super Sponsor board. I
■ Many other gifts included in 4
golfers’ “shopping bags”.
■ Traditional Plantation Supper
for four players plus four guests.
■ Four rounds of golf to be played
in any of the three rounds.
■ Georgia Invitational golf shirts -
and golf balls.
■ Appropriate signage and recog- j
nition on the Tournament Sponsor;
board.
■ Many other gifts included in -
golfers’ “shopping bags”.
win)n Hole Sponsor benefits:
■ Traditional Plantation Supper
for two players plus two guests.
■ Two rounds of golf to be played .
in any of the three rounds.
■ Georgia Invitational golf shirts
and golf balls.
■ Appropriate signage and recog- *
nition on the Hole Sponsor board.
■ Many other gifts included in
golfers’ “shopping bags”.
The single player fee is $250.
Sponsors, players and volun
teers can sign up by calling
478-923-6600 or emailing june.
lowe@museumofaviation.org or
marylynn.harrison@museumofavi
ation.org.
he got here I know Warner
Robins was pretty dismal.
When we moved here from
Mobile, (my dad) was look
ing to move in Perry because
the football was better down
there at the time. He felt
that at Warner Robins they
weren’t even trying. They
were 0-10 and 1-9.
“Instead, we moved here
because he heard they were
going to get a new coach,
and it ended up being coach
Sumrall. It’s been a real
good group of coaches. Plus
all the people in the commu
nity you get to know through
coaching is good, too. I have
a lot of close friends in this
community that have done
a lot of things for me, this
school, Warner Robins and
Northside. They support
athletes. It’s a great town
for young kids.”
James Earl Spann
Wanted for bench war
rant from Superior Court
LKA: 400 block of
Virginia Dare Drive,
Warner Robins
Charlotte Singletary
Wanted for violatioh
of probation from Su
perior Court LKA:
1200 block of Laura
Avenue, Warner
Robins
Jabre Antwan
Williams
Wanted for criminal
damage to property,
false report of crime
LKA: 1200 block of
Creekwood Drive,
Perry
Hugh Allen West 111
Wanted for theft by tak
ing, burglary and an ar
rest order from Superior
Court LKA: 100 block
of Sunset Drive,
Warner Robins
Lamar Andy
Chatfield
Wanted for violation
of probation from
Superior Court LKA:
100 block of Vicki
Drive, Warner Rob
ins
Korachee Dewaun
Chastain
Wanted for violation
of probation from
Superior Court LKA:
1000 block of King
Boulevard, Perry
3B
152763