Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2B ♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2007 Demons beat Panthers in OT; Warner Robins girls roll By MATTHEW BROWN Journal Sports Writer Nate Clay had seven points in overtime, including two baskets in an 8-0 run for Warner Robins High, which held off Perry High 73-62 for a home-court win in a thrill ing 2007-2008 season opener Tuesday for both basketball squads. Clay and Johnny Enos each scored on stick-backs in that deciding run for the Demons, looking towards a season of youth after the graduation losses of the likes of Pierre Miller and Kenny Willis. Enos had nine points, but the big scoring bulk came from Jared Fluellen’s 27 points. Perry High, meanwhile, isn’t short on basketball vet erans like Kameron Felder and Roderick Jones in a time with a few key players still taking the Panther football team deep into the state play offs. Felder and Jones each scored 15 points while fellow veteran Antonio Hubbard had 11. Chase Russell, one of the guards trying to keep things together in place of football quarterback Casey Hayward, banked in a 3- point shot with four seconds left in regulation. The Panthers led the game 42-36 going into the fourth period and gained a seven point edge, 48-41, as Jones nailed a 3-ball off a spread offense. It was Warner Robins’ Kenny Fluellen who had 14 second-half points with eight WhUk JBBpg ■ H&, : . ij| "il VB| ill e£.- ll;v ~* •“■—- x j?* dki .--dfc. 'Bs ENI/Gary Harmon Perry’s Antonio Hubbard goes behind Warner Robins’ Ricky Ritter for the score. SEASON’S From page iB The Lady Hornets upend ed George Walton Academy - usually a regular in the semifinals - in the first round. “And they had a, lot of height,” said Eubanks. “So that was a major upset for us. We’d always like to have height, but we’re not going to have that. I think we have potential to be very good and you can tell them that, but until they believe it and have confidence in their game and come away with some big victories ... you have to wait until that happens.” In fact, the new season already began for Westfield in terms of girls basket ball with two games in the Tattnall Square Tip-Off Tournament Nov. 19-20. The first game was against Stratford, a school Westfield hasn’t beaten in about four years. Eubanks said they handled the Stratford press well in the first quarter, but didn’t handle a 1-3-1 trap in the second quarter. The next game was against Mt. de Sales. The coach said they missed some good scor ing chances early resulting in an eight- to nine-point deficit for most of the game. But, Westfield made a charge late and had a chance for the win at the end. “But we didn’t capitalize,” said Eubanks. “If you come away with some wins like that, you start believing. To me, we are that close. “We have the quickness. We have 10 or 11 players who can play, all about even. The one thing we are looking in a row on a charge that had the Demons back in front 49- 48 with 3:48 remaining. Two more lead changes later, J. Fluellen hit a 3-pointer from a comer with 27 seconds left for a 55-52 lead. The Demons needed just one make in a two-shot trip to the line, but couldn’t get any. That gave Russell the opportunity to make his tying shot off the backboard. Warner Robins never trailed in overtime as it start ed the extra four minutes of play with four made shots at the line. Both the Demons and the Panthers made up for a sloppy first quarter full of turnovers and offensive fouls. Hubbard scored a three-point play after a steal for a five-point Perry lead. Near the end, Clay passed off the Enos in transition, but for the visitors it was an 8-6 edge through those eight minutes. J. Fluellen opened the second quarter with a 3- pointer at a comer. Hubbard answered with another scor ing drive to the basket with a foul shot. The teams set tled their play down with the Demons getting big play from another new varsity face, Stephen Edwards. He had seven points in the final five minutes of the half with a 3-pointer and a stick-back. Felder scored from 3-point land in the quarter, but it was Enos ending the half with a trey and 25-21 lead for Warner Robins. for (this year) is one of those springboard games.” So what will be the key for Westfield getting that ‘springboard’ win? While the tallest player on the roster is 5-8, Eubanks is hoping that the speed and hustle edges will be on his side. “You can wear your oppo nent down because you are in better shape, you’re causing a lot of havoc on the defen sive end,” said Eubanks. “I think we’ve gotten better defensively in our presses. In the past we didn’t (cause a lot of problems) because we made mistakes with our youth. “Offensively, we have a lot of shooters. With that quick ness, you can beat people off the dribble. If they play a zone, we have enough shoot ers to go to and score. But because of the lack of height, you only get one opportunity because you can’t get a lot of offensive rebounds. We have to make our opportunities count.” The coach is also aware that with a young team can come great plays for one stretch of a game, and then stretches of mental lapses in the same contest. So, if nothing else, he’s always telling his players, “Don’t hurt yourself.” On Westfield’s sched ule, First Presbyterian and Deerfield-Windsor each has a player 6-1. Eubanks said both these teams along with Stratford, MDS and Pinewood are all capable of winning the title. “We want to have a win ning season,” he said. “In my 21 years this is the tough est schedule I’ve ever played. There are no weak teams on , i s.- if '% ju mmm h ■. . •#s*■ aairlpi y ■ BSL iffl mm V * \ ■ ■., • .sj&ffl' Wm ’VJ r . Eg* ' ■ a I xmSL m ~ Jf '■ j' "*— 1 ENI/Gary Harmon Warner Robins’ Symone Wilkerson gets a little too up-close-and-personal with the basketball while battling for a rebound in the Demonettes’ win over Perry Tuesday in Warner Robins. In the third period, Jones tied the game on a trey while Hubbard put Perry back ahead with an end-to-end ran. Felder took over with eight points (two 3s) leading Perry to the six-point edge our schedule.” Jake Walls knows there’s a difference between bas ketball played in the sum mer and in the winter. He saw some great things from his Westfield boys basket ball squad when the Hornets played in 2007 summer camp games. He said if that’s an indication of things to come, then the Hornets are on their way to closing the gap with the top contenders in GISA AAA. Walls took the Hornets to the Mercer camp in Macon for two weekends of competi tion against both GISA and GHSA competition. “We competed and got a lot of wins,” said Walls, whose team begins its high school season at home today (Saturday) against Mt. de Sales. “We executed all the things I wanted to execute. I was very pleased with the summer. “We have a very tough schedule through Christmas. Obviously our region is good. I think the outlook is good, and I’m proud of the way we’ve worked.” That Mercer camp com petition included Jackson High, Mclntosh High from Atlanta, Houston County High (a win for the Hornets) and Perry High. One key component of competitive basketball Walls is trying to build at Westfield is depth. He brought up some of the great college programs, like the back-to back NCAA champions from Florida and the winnings teams at Kentucky, and the one thing they had in com mon was depth. “I have confidence in SPORTS heading into the final quar ter. WILKERSON PACES DEMONETTES Symone Wilkerson had 26 points to lead Warner Robins’ girls to a convincing 65-35 win against the Perry High Lady Panthers that opened the new season on Tuesday. Warner Robins blew open what was a 10-point half fir Jpr a Hi JK ! p H i ENI/Gary Harmon Lady Panther Kim Burgess grabs a rebound. everybody on that roster,” said Walls. “There are prob ably nine guys who right now are going to play a lot of minutes. Our mentality is going to be attack the ball defensively. That’s our iden tity, what we do best. When you play a system like that, you want to have depth.” Walls expects the identi ty for Westfield on offense to change dramatically this season. He had one of the state’s top centers in Nash Murph as a senior, and that led to a methodical pace with the basketball. “We’re still growing offen sively,” said Walls, who will have experience in the back court from Casey Young and Keenan Malone. “I’m anx ious as anybody to see what happens Saturday. What we’re trying to preach is, ‘attack the basket.’ We have guys we’re still developing as shooters ... but we have some slashers, guys who are aggressive. “We still have a lot of con fidence in Matt Amrit (6-4 junior), who I think can do a lot of the things Murph did. We’ll try to get him the ball inside some. But I do think we are going to be more attacking on offense. There could be five or six guys who average seven to 10 points a game. That means we are attacking the way we want to.” Walls also acknowledged that there is still a gap to be filled in Westfield’s classifi cation in terms of the com petition. He said Deerfield- Windsor is a club that was so impressive in that same Mercer camp that the Knights should be consid ered one of the best high time game, 31-21, with a defensive shutout of Perry in the third period. Wilkerson had 11 of the 17 Demonette points to go with three steals, one of which turned into an offensive rebound basket for teammate Shanerica Parks. Tiandra Billings added a steal and assist to Stephanie Duncan in that quarter. Perry’s Kim Burgess had school teams in Georgia ... period. “Their point guard led his AAU team to the final eight in a national tournament this summer,” said Walls. “Deerfield-Windsor can play with anybody. “We’re not trying to cap ture the moon this year. We do want to close that gap. We are increasing our potential to pull off an upset, where as last year I didn’t think it was possible. Our expec tation this year is to beat Southland. One of our team goals is to be in the region championship game. C/ f tfiicrei isomer Where Framing Is An Art 918 Carroll Street • Perry, GA 478-987-4079 DAVID OVERTON /EWELERS ‘Jewelry Repair & Cleaning / \ ‘Watch Repair / •••> 'Engraving Mon.-Fri. ‘Appraisals 9:3oam-s;3opm / ‘Estate Jewelry Sat \ # 9:3oam-2pm N/ ‘Class Rings We Buy Gold Scrap!! Bring It In And Let Us Weigh It. PAY SANTA WITH SCRAP GOLD! 905 Downtown Carroll St. • Perry 478-987-1392 HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL five points in a row for her team to start the fourth quar ter. The visitors got as close as 18, 53-35. Shay Newberry led Perry with 14 points while Burgess finished with 11 and Brianna Brown eight. Warner Robins’ Quinshay Williams had a nine-point first quarter, 11 for the game. Lakeisha Colbert added eight. “Obviously we want to move to the point where we are the team to beat. That takes a lot of effort and intensity.” pownus! Get Yours At Three Sizes Available in Red, White & Pink Call Tim Lewis at 478-954-1507 - Delivery Available On Large Orders - I 56852 56848