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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
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Journal/Don Moncrief
Northside’s Sarah Purvis delivers to the plate in the Lady Eagles’ region champion
ship win over Jones County Thursday in Milledgeville.
Lady Eagles win region
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
Moonpies and RC Cola.
Such was the case for
Northside’s fast-pitch soft
ball team as it beat Jones
County 5-0 Thursday
at Georgia College in
Milledgeville to win its first-
ever region
title.
At first it
didn’t reg
ister for the
girls - or
their head
coach - as
the assis
tant coach
es /1 ea m
NORTHSIDE
LADY EAGLES
Northside 5,
Jones County 0
mom passed around plastic
cups and began filling them
with RC Cola.
“Hey, where’s the cham
pagne,” one Lady Eagle
quipped. Eventually some
body asked the question:
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•Journal lion Moncrief
North side's seniors accept on behalf of the squad, then pose with the region tro
phy.
On the
web
M
■ From Tuesday - Northside
blasts North Clayton, edges
Dutchtown in region openers
■ From Wednesday - Lady
Eagles edge Jones County for
region finals berth
“Why are we having RC
Cola.”
After a pause for effect
- and to ensure he had
everyone’s attention - the
coach answered: “Region
Championship.”
Ah! Suddenly it all made
sense, just like the Lady
Eagles’ season. The win
over the Lady Greyhounds
marked the team’s 26th
against only six losses.
After finishing the region
schedule undefeated - 12-
0 - Northside then swept
through the region tour-
nament. Thursday also
marked the fourth time
this year the Lady Eagles
have beaten Jones County,
a squad Head Coach Mitch
Horton, called “a very good
team.”
“I have a lot of respect for
them,” he said, adding he
didn’t feel safe even after
Northside had put those
five runs on the board. “I’m
just glad the girls (the Lady
Eagles) were able to finish
it off (win the region).”
That’s where the moon
pies come in - sweet satisfac
tion, at any rate. Northside
put two runs on the board
in the bottom of the second.
The first of those came via
Sarah Purvis who reached
on an error. She was sac
rificed over to second by
Brooke Red. Cady Mcßight
then ripped a single to
See REGION, page 2B
Qlory days ...
Valdosta retupns to them;
now sets sights on Demons
By i»L4 TTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
They’re back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If there ever was a year
to beat
Valdosta
High School
on the foot
ball field,
2006 was
that year.
In fact, nine
schools did
that in 10
M.
Valdosta at
Warner Robins,
Saturday, 7:30
pm.
games last season, sending
the Wildcats to the worst
season ever (1-9) for the pro
gram that is up their among
the nation’s winningest.
Gayton wins world title
Special to the Journal
Warner Robins ophthalmologist, Dr.
Johnny Gayton, won his first world titles
Oct. 6.
Per a release, it was a lifelong dream come
true for Gayton, who had dreamed of becom
ing a world-class weightlifter, since he was a
child. This meet, sponsored by the SPF, was
held at the Ramada Convention Center in
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Senior Night
HC beats Alewton; enters Area tourney as No. 1 seed
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
Even with an adverse turn
of events that threatened to
throw a proverbial “mon
key wrench” into the plans
for the postseason, Houston
County High volleyball
surged to a No. 1 seed for
the first time ever going into
the Area tournament cham
pionships.
Senior Night, held
Thursday at the Bear Den,
provided a reminder of the
The web fills the gap, more on stat keeping
(Dear readers: The following is Part 2 of a
two-part series as Houston
Home Journal sports
writer/columnist Matthew
Brown commemorates 15
years in sports journalism.
No, it is not a retrospective
look at all the top moments
and stories of his writing
career. It’s just a few com
ments that built up over
all those years on topics he
wants to talk about. And,
no, it isn’t true there’s a
Matthew Brown
Journal Sport.s Writer
new blog on the horizon ... or is there?)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2007 ♦
’1 don't know it they ever len. They've
probably won more games than anybody
hi the history of high school football.
They're feeHng confident, and they're a
good team."
- Warner Robins Head Football Coach Bryan Way
But now, it’s 2007. Rick
Tomberlin is in his second
season as Valdosta head
coach, and the results from
the Wildcats are much
more typical. Valdosta in
fact improved to 5-1 overall
and 2-0 in Region 1-AAAAA
Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Gayton swept the 12 events he entered,
setting numerous records in the process. He
wore a Warner Robins Little League World
Championship T-shirt, he said to help moti
vate him to do his best.
“That group of kids became a motivating
force to me,” Gayton said. “Seeing them
See GAYTON,pagejB
Bears about what is miss
ing on the court. Catherine
“Cat” Goodman, a menacing
presence as a middle hit
ter and blocker, remains out
for the season with a bro
ken ankle suffered during a
practice two weeks ago.
“One of the girls came to
the net, and I landed on her
foot,” said Goodman about
the injury. “I can’t put pres
sure on it for four weeks, and
after that I’m not silre.”
Not only is high school
volleyball over for Goodman,
Thomas Edison. Sir Isaac Newton. I
now know how it must have been
for these great thinkers. World
changing ideas simply hit you like one of
Benjamin Franklin’s lightning bolts.
It all starts with a burning question about
a frightening dilemma. How can we con
tinue to provide the Home Journal reader
ship the best service we do and not be like
we are just now reporting the sinking of the
Titanic or the discovery of the wheel? It’s
football season in Houston County, and the
epic struggles that occur on our fields week
after week must be reported.
See BROWN, page iB
with last week’s 27-26 win
over then No. 8-ranked Tift
County High.
But there are those who
would argue that the 2006
version of the Wildcats
only had a 1-9 record
See DEMONS, page 4B
Houston
County
senior
Adrienne
Pate
slams
a ball
pasta
Newton
player in
the Lady
Bears’
Senior
Night
match
Thursday
at home.
ENI/Gary
Harmon
she’s had to consider the
ramifications towards any
future plans in the sport.
She said she’s stopped talk
ing to one college in particu
lar since no one will be able
to see her in action.
“I’m still going to be here
for my team,” said Goodman
on the upcoming playoffs. “I
love them to death. It’s'just
one of those steps in life you
have to take.”
The good news for the
Bears is that they did
See AREA, page 2B
1B