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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
GHSA sets new regions
Perry still plays Peach but heads south for other contests
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
Perry High will maintain
its neighboring rivalry with
Peach County as a region
game for the next two years,
but both the Panthers and
the Trojans will be looking
south instead of north for the
rest of its important league
competition.
The Georgia High School
Association on Friday released
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Perry’s Chase Russell goes up for a shot in the team’s game against Houston County
Tuesday at Houston County.
Perry, HoCo split matchups
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
Though Casey Hayward, Akeen Felder and
Trey Smith were hoping to still be working
out on the grass this week, they didn’t waste
any time in starting the next chapter in their
Perry High athletic careers.
Panther boys basketball coach Brett Hardy
had his full squad intact for the first time in
the new hoops season Tuesday, and the result
was a 62-50 win at Houston County High.
Perry only had one regular season basketball
game with football season still in play, and
If not for Demons, it's 'sweeps' week
From staff reports
Northside’s girls took to
the gym at home Tuesday
against Westside with the lat
est Georgia Athletic Coaches
Association poll hitting the
streets earlier.
SCHEDULE
High school wrestling
Today
■ Warner Robins at Sequoyah tourney, time to be deter
mined *
■ Northside at Baldwin tourney, time to be determined
Monday
■ Monroe, Tiftarea and Sherwood Christian at Westfield,
7 p.m.
Tuesday
"ITs an opportunity
for our program to
play some quality
opponents."
- Perry Head Coach Andy
Scott
the 2008-2010 regions based
on the new reclassification
that was an overtime loss at Warner Robins
High on Nov. 27.
Michael Walker led the victorious Panthers
with 13 points. Two others had double figures
in points as Antonio Hubbard had 11 and
Roderick Jones 10. Felder came off the bench
to score nine while guard Kameron Felder
added seven.
Jody Dean, a winner in his first game as
Houston County head boys coach at Jones
County on Nov. 27, got 16 points from
Geo Stotts and eight from Roger Stanton
See SPLIT, page pB
sUNDUP
In it, the Lady Eagles are
ranked sixth in AAAA. That
may not be the case in the
next poll as Northside’s girls
■ Dublin and Warner Robins at Northside (Tabor gym),
5 p.m.
High school basketball
Today
■ Americus at Perry, 6 p.m.
■ Houston County at Westside, 4 p.m.
Tuesday
■ Perry at Northeast, 6 p.m.
■ FPD at Westfield, 4 p.m.
■ Northside at Houston County, 6 p.m.
■ Warner Robins at Peach County, 6 p.m.
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numbers. Perry High and
Peach County, both currently
in Region 4-AAA, are moving
to Region 1-AAA.
Where now the Panthers
are vying for region cham
pionships against schools
from Macon, Dublin and as
far north as Henry County,
the bulk of the 1-AAA
schools are in and around
Albany. Those schools include
See REGIONS, page pB
took on a bit of an upset in
unranked Westside - always
a tough game regardless. The
Lady Eagles fell 50-46.
The Lady Seminoles
took the lead early - 15-10
after a quarter - and led at
See DEMONS, page pJ 9
All-Houston County
cross country
Coach of the Year
to David Erpelding, Warner
Robins
Runner of the Year - boys
II Karl Burkhardt, Warner Robins
Runner of the Year - girls
II Danielle Atkins, Warner
Robins
First team - boys
R Matthew Drapeau, Warner
Robins
R Jacob Grubb, Warner Robins
■ Ryan Dimes, Warner Robins
to Jose Segarra, Houston
County
■I Adrian Delestre, Northside
■ Michael Gonzales, Northside
R Geremy Skeen, Perry
R Matt Phillips, Perry
II Hunter Wojohn, Westfield
R Jacob Parnell, Westfield
Second team - boys
II Stephen Bassett, Warner
Robins
■ Jesse Yeomans, Perry
■ Evan Grantham, Westfield
II Will Walton, Westfield
First team - girls
II Caroline Mauldin, Warner
Robins
R Emily Bailey, Warner Robins
■ Brittney Hill, Warner Robins
R Megan Breitbach, Houston
County
R Kiersten Wharton, Houston
County
to Elizabeth Lambert, Northside
II Sami Jacobs, Northside
If Bethany Loggins, Perry
H Kim Campbell, Westfield
If Leigh James, Westfield
R Mallory Eubanks, Westfield
Runner of the Year - boys
Karl Burkhardt
School: Warner Robins
Year: Sophomore
Position: Team’s number
one runner
Impact: Helped lead to the
team to back-to-back Region 1-
AAAAA championships and qual
ify for the GHSA AAAAA state
tournament. He also finished 10
times in the top 10 and won the
county and region championship.
His best time of the year came at
Mercer with a time of 17:10.
Other: A team captain, he
broke four school records. He
also made the All-County and All-
Region teams and was named to
the Warner Robins Wall of Fame
for the second straight year. He
was the Houston County Runner
of the year and the Region Runner
of the year. He also ran in the
regional USATF Cross Country
meet at Clinton Farms in Winston
and qualified for - and will run - in
the USATF national champion
ships in Kansas Saturday. He ran
a 16:51 and finished 12th.
Coach’s Corner: “Karl had a
great sophomore year and contin
ues to improve,” said cross coun
try Head Coach David Erpelding.
“He works hard at running and
runs to win but also wants the
team to be successful.”
First team - boys
Matthew Drapeau
School: Warner Robins
Year: Senior
Position: Team's number
four runner
Impact: Helped lead to the
team to back-to-back Region 1-
AAAAA championships and qual
ify for the GHSA AAAAA state
tournament. Also had four top 20
finishes this year. His best time of
the year came at Upson-Lee with
a time of 18:15.-
Coach’s Corner: Matthew
had a great senior season. He
has been on the Warner Robins
cross country team for three
years and has improved every
High school swimming
Today
■ Warner Robins at Pace Academy, 10:15 a.m.
■ Houston County at Bainbridge, 9 a.m.
IN BRIEF
Perry wrestle club gets under way
The Perry Youth Wrestling Club has begun and will
practice Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. The cost
is S4O which includes a club T-shirt, hoodie. Also, each
wrestler will be required to purchase a USA wrestling
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2007
Compiled by
DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
year. He will be sorely missed.”
Jacob Grubb
School: Warner Robins
Yean Sophomore
Position: Team's number
two runner
Impact: Helped lead to the
team to back-to-back Region
1-AAAAA championships and
qualify for the GHSA AAAAA
state tournament. Had six top
10 finishes. His best time of the
year came at region with a time
of 17:42.
Other: He made the All-
County and All-Region teams,
and he also made the Warner
Robins Wall of Fame.
Coach’s Corner: "This was
Jacob’s first year running and he
had a great season. He has a
good work ethic and has a great
future in cross country.”
Ryan Dimes
School: Warner Robins
Year: Sophomore
Position: Team’s number
three runner
Impact: Helped lead to the
team to back-to-back Region 1-
AAAAA championships and qual
ify for the GHSA AAAAA state
tournament. Also had nine top 20
finishes this year. His best time
of the year came at region with a
time of 17:51.
Other: He made All-Region
team and the Warner Robins Wall
of Fame.
Coach’ Corner “Ryan had
a great second year and con
tinues to improve his times. He
works hard at practice and goes
the extra mile.”
Joss Segarra
School: Houston County
Year: Sophomore
Impact: Lead the team
through tedious paths and over
rough inclined hills of competi
tion, said cross country Head
Coach Pat Rouse. “He set the
pace and tempo for our run
ners. Jose ran with his heart that
is large enough for the ‘strong
beats' to influence his teammates
to do the same.”
Rouse added his pace
increased as his times declined
throughout the season. His top
time of 18:05 was recorded from
the Jones County meet. That was
six seconds less than the time of
18:11 scored at the Lee County
meet the week before.
“His leadership ability soars
above all as wings of the team,"
said Rouse. “These wings
engulfed his teammates and
were always covered with love,
care, concern and encourage
ment."
Other: “Unanimously and
respectfully” named Most
Valuable Runner by his team
mates, said Rouse. He is a “faith
ful” member of Fellow Christian
Athletes organization at Houston
County High School. “His dedi
cation to the youth program of
Sacred Heart is truly reflected in
his daily walk,” Rouse said. As
a fifth year member of the Boy
Scouts, he should earn the award
of an Eagle Scout (highest rank)
in 2008, she added.
Coach’s Corner: “Jose is
truly a family oriented young
man. He embraces those around
him, and reaches out to those
that are distant. My concept for
team success is ‘A family unit'
and Jose has been that connect
ing link between the boys and
girls teams.
“Our motto is ‘Run with your
Heart'. Jose is a young man that
has a heart of gold enhanced
by respect, loyalty, and dedica
tion. With coaching experience
in fields of basketball, track and
cross country, I feel that God's
blessings are upon him."
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card on-line prior to the first practice. The USA Wrestling
Card is $35. Cards can be purchased at Team Georgia
Wrestling (www.themat.com). All students ages 5-14 are
eligible. For further information, call Coach Randy Moss
at 988-6291.
Soccer referee course offered
There will be a soccer entry level referee course held
Jan. 18-19, 2008 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.
Adrian Delestre
School: Northside
Year: Senior
Position: Team's number
one runner
Impact: An exchange stu
dent from France, cross country
Head Coach Glenda Byrd said
he brought leadership, dedication
and determination to the pro
gram.
“He led the team by giving
more than 100 percent at prac
tice and at the meets,” she said.
“He was determined to place in
the top 10 at every meet if he
could. His demonstration of hard
work inspired the team to work
hard and never give up.”
He placed fifth in the Region 4-
AAAA tournament. His best time
was 17:55.
Other: He was name to the
All-Region team.
Coach’s Corner: “I have
never coached anyone like
Adrian. He brought Heart to the
program. If he was hurt or sick he
would still give his best. He would
say ‘Coach, I must finish.’ I wish
that all my runners had the heart
for the sport like Adrian.”
Michael Gonzales
School: Northside
Year: Senior
Position: Team’s number two
runner
Impact: In his first year, “he
came in with a desire to win,” Byrd
said. “He demonstrated leader
ship throughout the season. He
was like the coach when I wasn’t
there.” For example, she said,
“at the meets, he would make
sure that the boys stretched and
warmed up because I was busy
coaching the girls to the finish.
His leadership and hard work
inspired the team to work hard
and never give up.”
His best time was 18:27 and
he medaled at two invitational
events.
Coach’s Corner: "It was a
blessing to coach Michael for his
first time running cross country. I
only wish that he ran four years
instead of one. I enjoyed coach
ing him because he wanted to
win.”
Geremy Skeen
School: Perry
Year: Senior:
Impact: Helped the team
qualify for the AAA state tour
nament. (He is) a “very seri
ous and dedicated runner,” said
cross country Head Coach Bretty
Hardy. “His consistency gave
younger, inexperienced runners
a person to model themselves
after. Our team lost three good
runners to graduation. Geremy’s
strength and will to succeed
helped us develop younger run
ners that were able to compete
well against tough competition."
Other: Was a four-year com
petitor and team captain.
Coach’s Corner: “As a
first year coach, I had much to
learn about the sport. Geremy
was extremely helpful. His input
allowed me to design and cre
ate workouts beneficial to the
team. I knew if he was ready
to go, everyone else would be
as well. He has a bright future
ahead of him in whatever field he
chooses.”
Matt Phillips
School: Perry
Year: Junior
Impact: Helped the team
qualify for the AAA state tour
nament. (He) "always,” finished
second or third, Hardy said, say
ing Phillips’ goal for next season
was under 18:00, and adding he
worked too hard not to get there.
“I could always count on him to
run a consistent time and pull his
points. He gave those behind him
a pace to shoot at while push
ing those ahead to ruh faster.
His time continued to go down
throughout the season."
Coach’s Corner: “Matt is
See TEAM, page iB
1B