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rM ll 4B ♦ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2007 ' r '~ 1 W •*,. ■■ ; i&~ irffii# -«sr «1 * •IB _ # ißHr^UiB * ><s #;y|isMl|™^p ~|p::, if , ijß ,>1W>111 " y W ENI <mr\ II >■■ ■ Perry’s Casey Hayward runs an interception back 85 yards for a score in the Panthers’ win over LaGrange Friday in Perry. Perry dominates LaGrange By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer All football season it seems like the Perry High School defense has taken its share of lumps, what with all of the high-scoring games and need for last-second come-from behind victories. But now that it’s the play offs, those Panther defenders are starting to stand tall and grab some notice for them selves. Until the last five minutes of Friday’s first-round home Class AAA contest against LaGrange High, the Panthers were riding towards a shut out. The Grangers did man age one score at 4:22 of the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as Perry advanced to the second round on the 27-7 final. “We had to finish the race,” said senior end Tony Davis, who broke up two toss sweep plays in the opening quarter. PANTHERS From page iA certainly wary of the kind of points Worth is putting up lately, not only the 43 against Burke but 57 in the regular-season finale against Westover High, which also made the playoffs from the 1-AAA regibn. “They have really played well as of late,” said Scott. Perry has played a 1-AAA foe already in 2007, and it was a heartbreaking 34-33 loss in week No. 2. Worth beat Daugherty 22-7, but also had some close non-region losses like a 10-8 decision to Spalding and a 14-6 score to Vidalia. The Rams also lost to the top two clubs in 1-AAA, 23-0 versus Cairo and 29-15 versus Monroe-Albany. Where is all of that Ram Vv J^^BBMfcWHF ; * «-<fl t 1 , I # i iA * * ~> ; ~‘- Jk- y -r» *~^ sv i /■& "' -' 'v» ■ *'* • , -•* "’•>. •• •••■’ " •• X-:-. ■ ■ ■&'»/*■ ;> « " !■■■■..- ■>■ ■ ■•■■ .-;• .-.. ' . • i rtfi* ■ ■>£— ■, •' ii■'■*'! Perry Head Coach Andy Scott debates a call with the offi cials. ENI/Gary Harmon “That’s been our motto the whole week: finish the race. We had it in our mind that we had to come out here and make a big stand on defense so the offense doesn’t just have to put up points. “I’ve been working on my technique a lot, trying to get better each and every week. We’re getting ready for a state championship. That’s what we’re focused on right now.” LaGrange had just 166 rushing yards for the game, and that’s with seven stops by the Perry defense behind the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Kanorris Davis was also all over the place with a forced fumble and a big tackle com ing after a bad Granger punt snap in the third quarter. In fact, LaGrange came into the game with a plus-16 turnover ratio for the season. But it was Perry winning that battle with three takeaways, "LaGrange was a north-south wing-T, but Worth is more o( east-west. They will try to get outside and run a lot more fullback trap." • -Perry Head Football Coach Andy Scott offense lately coming from? Scott said Worth uses a lot of formations out of the wing-T set and focus more times than not on running the football. Perry beat another wing-T offense from LaGrange High in the first round (27-7) last weekend at home, but Scott said it won’t be the same when his defense lines up against the Rams. “LaGrange was a north south wing-T, but Worth is more of east-west,” he said. “They will try to get outside and run a lot more fullback no giveaways. Casey Hayward would shine both as the quarter back and a free safety. He was responsible for touchdowns on both sides of the football, and both were plays of the eye-popping variety. On offense, it was in the second quarter when Perry, leading 3-0, was faced with 3rd-and-12 on the LaGrange 30-yard-line. Two Grangers had the scrambling Hayward in position for a sack but could not get a firm grip on the senior. Hayward got away from the trouble and made an on-target throw to an open Akeen Felder. The pass alone would have meant a first down, but Felder also broke free from a potential tackle and sped all the way for six points. Felder said one receiver had gone the wrong route on the play, but he kept his See PERRY, page ioB trap.” And no, Scott said Worth is not apt to throw the football. Since it is run-oriented, much of Worth’s success would be predicated on play from the offensive line. “They are big and a lot more physical than what we’ve seen the last couple of weeks,” said Scott about the Worth front. “We are just going to have to play our responsibilities. ” The coach gave the usual compliments on the See PANTHERS, page ioB HoCo volleyball standout Hollars signs with Belmont Abby College By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer One day, Morgan Hollars wants her life to revolve around pit stops and checkered flags. For now, though, she will stick to sets, digs and spikes. Hollars, the recently named Houston Home Journal Player of the Year for 2007 high school volleyball, plans on fol lowing her dream to attend Division II Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina on a volleyball scholarship. She signed her national letter-of-intent Friday at Houston County High School. “I’ve wanted to go to (Belmont Abbey) for a really long time,” said Hollars, who made her fame as a setter for Houston County’s state-tournament qualifying team the last two seasons. “It’s small, but feels so much like home. The campus is beautiful. Everybody makes you feel Mrnrnm,.. |SP P *lfF J A fWW W iT^ni ■-■" W ** a Emm^ ——-#% jg |& MBMR A J * 1 T Jjj A ‘ :. v ' •_- *;< s „ f ' ENI/Gary Harmon Houston County senior Morgan Hollars signs a volleyball Scholarship Friday with Belmont Abbey. Looking on pre Coach Maria Huelsman, Coach Tony Jones, Peggy and Charles Hollars. Bears' Morgan headed to Delta State By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer Joey Morgan of Houston County High School feels the Atlanta Braves got a good deal in getting back veteran pitcher Tom Glavine for the 2008 sea son. Morgan also feels he got a good deal on a swim ming scholarship to attend Delta State for the next four years, beginning with the fall of 2008. When his schooling and collegiate swimming are all done, he hopes to someday be mak ing the big deals for the Braves or another profes sional sports franchise. Morgan signed his letter of-intent with Delta State, located in Cleveland, Miss., Monday at Houston County High. “They have a really nice campus,” said Morgan. “ Everything is located in a centralized area. Their pool was built in 2000, a multi million dollar facility. That attracted me a lot. “As for the team, they are highly competitive. They finished fourth at their conference meet last year. In the latest Division II coach’s poll, they were No. 8 in the nation. Also, I went on a visit last Wiggins, Baggett 15th at 4-Ball tourney Special to the Journal The duo of Eddie Wiggins and Ron Baggett battled their way to a 15th-place finish at the 16th annual Georgia Senior Four-Ball Championship held this past Wednesday-Friday. Another local combo, David Smith of Warner Robins and Hal Baker of Bonaire like family.” Her major of choice is not one often heard with collegiate student-athletes: motorsports management. She said the focus isn’t on learning how to race a car competitively, but on the marketing and public relations side. “Someday I want to own my own team,” said Hollars. “My grandpa got me started (as a racing fan). I’ve liked it ever since, everything about it. The intensity, adren aline rush.” So why doesn’t Hollars try to follow in the footsteps of a Danica Patrick and try to get in the cars herself? “I’m in love with volleyball,” she said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.” And her high school coach, Tony Jones, at Houston County certainly was glad for that. Hollars, in her career, See HOLLARS, page $B % ||g jk : .Lx: ::i.:: Journal/Matthew Brown Joey Morgan sits while signing his swimming schol arship with Delta State. Behind him are father John Morgan Sr., brother Joshua Morgan and mother Cynthia Morgan. weekend, stayed for two me real well. The team nights and they treated See MORGAN, page ;B were 20th. They - the latter - actually started out in grand fashion. They shot a 68, four under par, the first day and were in sixth. Wiggins and Baggett, on the other hand, shot even at 72 and were way down in 27th. Day 2 was a different story, See TOURNEY, page $B HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL