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w. , X. mt * |M| », / OM MM i ■ - 4. '• -V, _ ; EE ball HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Gayton lifts to first, second at world championships From staff reports After seemingly rolling to one tourney win after another, setting one record after another this year, local ophthalmologist/weightlifter phenom Johnny Gayton finally ran up against a bit of a roadblock. Or, for a man who has never settled for second best, it was just short of what he’s grown accus tomed to. It came at the WDFPF world championships at Grangemouth Stadium in Scotland the weekend of Nov. 17. The first hurdle was getting past Central Georgia Volleyball Association Organization helps prepare players of tomorrow By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer How will Houston County high schools develop success ful girls volleyball programs? The same way the athletes of all other sports get bet ter, by continued training and learning long after the school season is over. Volleyball players locally have that outlet to work on their skills and take on high level competition through out the state through the Central Georgia Volleyball Association. This non-prof it, all-volunteer organiza tion, which formed prior to volleyball’s adoption by the Houston County schools as a varsity sport, ie a Junior National level pfbgraiji anpl, carries players to tourna ments not only in Georgia, but Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. Jeff Hotchkiss is president of the CGVA and Carolyn Marshall is vice-president. CGVA held tryouts for the upcoming season recently See PREPARE, page 2B Dean takes over for Bears; not many mysteries surrounding HoCo girls By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer Just as the 2007-2008 school year was about to begin, Jody Dean found himself with a new job title at Houston County High School. It was more of a pro motion, really, from assis tant coach to the head boys varsity basketball coaching position. This isn’t Dean’s first time leading a high school pro- ’lt came so quick. Coach (Greg) Nix told me he was leaving one day, and I had the job the next. It didn't get thrown on me. I thought it was a good opportunity For the next two weeks it was non-stop trying to get things organized, talking to the team. It was crazy for a while.” - Houston County boys head basketball coach Jody Dean SCHEDULE High school basketball Tuesday ■ Houston County at Jones County, 6 p.m. ■ Perry at Warner Robins, 6 p.m. High school wrestling Tuesday ■ Houston County and Academy for the Blind at Warner Robins (Rumble gym), 5 p.m. IN BRIEF the event’s organization/particulars itself, as Gayton said it was “poorly organized” - “We were still com peting at 10 p.m. Saturday,” he said. That, plus it had the worst equipment of any meet he had participated in, he added. In fact: “Several of my lifts were delayed because of equipment issues,” he said. “This makes max imum lifting very difficult and actually contributed to me injur ing my left shoulder. “Of course,” he added, “it was my fault that I was tired from having competed in the WNPF worlds (meet) eight days previ pjf gjgpj mgjgWfStagmZZ- :* JiMK Ipil* * \ f Tmi*"'"* l * r ' I / £-— H —I yum \ M . m . Attendees for a tryout recently for the Central Georgia Volleyball Association warm up. Preview ■ ■ gram as he spent one season as Rutland High’s boys bas ketball team in Macon. That was in-between his current assignment at Houston County High and his first basketball coaching job as an assistant to Chip Malone at Warner Robins High. Dean was an assistant to WR Rec to hold ‘team’ signups The Warner Robins Recreation Department will hold team registration for its 2008 adult basketball league Dec. 3 and 4. Divisions will include Men’s Open (five-on-five) 18 years and older and Men’s Open (three-on-three) 45 years and older. The entry fee for the five-on-five league is $395 per team and the three-on-three league is $270 oer team. Both leagues will play a 10-game season. The season will run Jan. 14-Feb. 29, 2008. The entry fee is due at the time of registration. Team registration will be taken between the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the athletic office, which is located at 800 Watson Blvd. ously. I probably should have also gotten there a couple of days ahead of time to adjust to the time change.” In the competition, Gayton was the only 165-pound lifter to com pete “unequipped” on Saturday and “equipped” Sunday. “I wanted to do both because of traveling so far to compete in this event,” he said. “Needless to say fatigue entered into the equation on Sunday, and Saturday was com plicated by a 24-hour GI problem. I actually totaled less this week end than in any meet this year.” Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Greg Nix at Houston County High for three seasons. Nix left the Bears program dur ing the summer for a high school coaching job near his hometown in Boaz, Ala. “From (Malone and Nix), I learned how to run a pro gram,” said Dean while pre paring for his debut season running the Bears. “It’s a lot more than just coaching bas ketball and what goes on at practice. You have to worry about scheduling, ordering stuff, eligibility. I learned how to run that efficiently.” Dean started at Warner Robins High in 1999 and stayed for four seasons. He admits he had no clue at all he would be a head coach again in 2007 when the year began because he wasn’t actively seeking that kind of job. “It came so quick,” he said about getting the See BEARS, page jB him from grabbing a share of the title on Saturday. He weighed in at 73.7 kg both days. Then, he and British champion Peter Roberts battled to a draw in the 165-pound Masters 111 cham pionship. “Technically he won by weigh ing less than 1 kg less than me,” Gayton said, “but they awarded both of us first place trophies at around 11 p.m.” Early Sunday morning Gayton said he returned to the stadium to face a whole new group of competi tors. Seventeen different countries were represented in all, he said, ■wr***' Houston County senior Tonia Williams looks for an open teammate during a scrimmage between the Lady Bears and Bears this past Thursday at the school. Needed will be: Entry fee (payable to WRRD), team name and coach(es) name, address and phone numbers for contact. For more info call 929-1916. Soccer referee course offered There will be a soccer entry level referee course held Jan. 18-19 at Tabor Academy in Warner Robins. The cost for the course is $55. You can register on-line at www.gareferees.com or contact Russ Grant at russ. grant@cox,net or 478-396-0727 for more information. HoCo baseball coaches to offer camps The Houston County High School coaching staff will SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2007 ♦ with his chief competitor the sec ond day being the Irish champion. “We battled down to the last event, but on this day he was the better lifter,” Gayton, who extended a warm thank you to all that have supported him in this “long, arduous journey,” said. “I placed second in the battle for the 165-pound Masters 111 equipped championship. “When it was finally over this fatigued, famished lifter gorged himself on lamb, fish and chips and Yorkshire pudding. After eat ing I weighed in at a rather rotund 169 pounds (77 kgs).” be conducting a one-day hitting camp for players ages 7-14 Dec. 8 at HCHS. Morning and afternoon sessions are available. Signups are limited. The cost is $35, which includes a season pass for all Bears games. For more information, contact Stacey Gay at 954-9399 or sgay@drs-tsi.com. Also, the coaching staff will be conducting a one-day camp for pitchers and catchers players ages 7-14 Dec. 15 at HCHS. Morning and afternoon sessions are avail able for it as well and signups are also limited. The cost is also $35, which includes a season pass for HCHS games. Contact Gay for more. 1B ENI/Gary Harmon ENI/Gary Harmon