Newspaper Page Text
8B
♦ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2007
All-Houston County
softball
Coach(es) of the Year
B Angela Crawford, Houston
County
B Brenda Arnett, Warner Robins
B Mitch Horton, Northside
B Rodney Culverhouse, Westfield
Player of the Year
B Kristen Graham, Warner Robins
First team
B Daniel Burkett, Houston County
B Ashlee Burkett, Houston County
B Kaitlyn Carriker, Houston
County
B Jensen Barrett, Warner Robins
B Lauren Graham, Warner Robins
B Sierra Love, Warner Robins
B Sarah Purvis, Northside
R Kristen Smith, Northside
B Marla Patterson, Perry
B Ashton Jones, Perry
B Jamie Marshall, Westfield
B Kelsey Gilliam, Westfield
B Mason Moreland, Westfield
Second team
B Kourtny Thomas, Houston
County
B Brianna Hancock, Houston
County
B Sarah Ling, Houston County
B Katie Farinelli, Warner Robins
B Maci Brown, Warner Robins
B Kim Burgess, Warner Robins
B Kiley Barrett, Warner Robins
B Heather Langston, Northside
B Hollie Langston, Northside
B Brooke Red, Northside
B Erica Smith, Perry
B Ashley Craddock, Perry
B Jenna Clark, Perry
B Audrey Clearman, Westfield
Player of the Year
Kristen Graham
School: Warner Robins
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Impact: Helped lead the
Demonettes to the Elite Eight in
the GHSA Class AAAAA softball
championship and runner-up in
Region 1-AAAAA. She hit .419
with 44 hits - including seven
doubles and three home runs. She
also had 21 RBIs, scored 22 runs,
walked 15 times and had an on
base percentage of .504 and a
slugging percentage of .574. She
was also two-for-four in the stolen
base department. On the mound,
she was 16-9. She pitched 161
innings and had an ERA of 0.82.
She also struck out 241 while
walking 65.
Other: Named the Region 1-
AAAAA Player of the Year.
First team
Danielle Burkett
School: Houston County
Year: Senior
Position: Second base
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the Region 1-AAAAA champion
ship and into the state Sectionals.
She hit .352 as the team's leadoff
hitter. That included 31 singles,
five double and a triple. Her on
base percentage was .424 and
slugging percentage was .419. He
also had six stolen bases. In the
field, she had a fielding percent
age of .941 with 46 put outs and
49 assists.
“In the region tournament,” said
Houston County softball Head
Coach Angela Crawford, “Danielle
went nine-for-16 and was a major
reason for our success in the
region tournament and throughout
the year. She will be very difficult
to replace next year both on the
offensive and defensive side of
the ball.”
Other: Was a team co-cap
tain and two-year letterman. She
was also named to the Region
1 -AAAAA softball team.
Per Crawford she had also been
talking with “many" schools and
was looking to go to Manatee
Community College in Florida.
Coach’s Corner: "Danielle came
to practice everyday and always
worked hard. Her leadership on an
off the field will be greatly missed
next year."
Ashlee Burkett
School: Houston County
Year: Junior
Position: Catcher/outfield
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the Region 1-AAAAA champion
ship and into the state Sectionals.
She hit .407. That included 25
singles, two doubles, six triples
and four home runs. She also had
36 RBIs, scored 26 runs and had
an on base percentage of .462
and slugging percentage of .692.
In addition, she stole three bases.
Fielding-wise, she had a .987 field
ing percentage with nine assists.
“Ashlee was the offensive force
on the softball team this year,”
Crawford said. “She always made
solid contact with ball and was a
threat to opposing pitchers and
defenses. “Defensively she is a
true utility player. We were able
to utilize her as a catcher, second
baseman, first baseman and out
fielder. Ashlee made rriany game/
run saving defensive plays both
in the region tournament and sec-
Compiled by
DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
tional tournament."
Other: Received the team's
Player of the Year award and was
named to the Region 1-AAAAA
softball team.
Coach’s Corner: “Ashlee is a
game time player that knows and
understands the game of softball.
She has something that you can't
coach which is instinct. Defensively
she made some outstanding plays
that kept us in ball games through
out the region and sectional tour
nament."
Kaitlyn Carriker
School: Houston County
Year: Senior
Position: Third base
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the Region 1-AAAAA champion
ship and into the state Sectionals.
She hit .242. That included 21
singles and eight doubles. She
also had eight RBIs and scored
20 runs while posting a .300 on
base percentage and .273 slug
ging percentage. She also had
two stolen bases. At third she had
a .908 fielding percentage with 25
put outs and 54 assists.
“Kaitlyn is a solid third baseman
that makes very few mistakes,”
said Crawford. “She has excellent
arm strength and moves well right
to left.
“This year in the region tourna
ment Kaitlyn pitched game three of
our five games in a row and shut
down Tift for a very important win
into the championship bracket.”
Other: She was a team co-cap
tain and was ranked in the top 10
in her senior class. She was also
a Region 1-AAAAA softball team
Honorable Mention.
Coach’s Corner: “Kaitlyn will
be a very difficult player to replace
next year. What she brings to the
team in playing ability, leadership
and experience will be hard to
find. Kaitjyn is a smart young lady
that will be successful in whatever
she does."
Jensen Barrett
School: Warner Robins
Year: Junior
Position: Shortstop
Impact: Helped lead the
Demonettes to the Elite Eight in
the GHSA Class AAAAA softball
championship and runner-up in
Region 1-AAAAA. She hit .293
with 34 hits - including four dou
bles and one triple. She also had
14 RBIs, scored 21 runs, walked
seven times and had ah on base
percentage of .339 and a slug
ging percentage of .375. She was
also two-for-two in the stolen base
department.
Other: Named to the Region 1-
AAAAA softball team.
Lauren Graham
School: Warner Robins
Year: Senior
Position: Center field
Impact: Helped lead the
Demonettes to the Elite Eight in
the GHSA Class AAAAA softball
championship and runner-up in
Region 1-AAAAA. She hit .301
with 32 hits - including five dou
bles and one triple. She also had
19 RBIs, scored 18 runs, walked
nine times and had an on base
percentage of .387 and slugging
percentage of .367. She was also
successful three out of eight times
stealing.
Other: Named to the Region 1-
AAAAA softball team.
Sierra Love
School: Warner Robins
Year: Senior
Position: Right field
Impact: Helped lead the
Demonettes to the Elite Eight in
the GHSA Class AAAAA softball
championship and runner-up in
Region 1-AAAAA. She hit .228
with 19 hits - including one double
and one triple. She also had 11
RBIs, scored 12 runs, walked 10
times and had an on base percent
age of .313 and slugging percent
age of .294.
Sarah Purvis
School: Northside
Year: Sophomore
Position: Pitcher/third base
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the most wins in school history (30
- with eight losses), as well as a
perfect region record while win
ning the division title. Also, was the
team's second leading hitter with
a .290 batting average. She had
seven doubles, three home runs
and 18 RBIs. As a pitcher she was
18-6 with a 0.52 earned run aver
age and in 161.2 innings she had
241 strikeouts and only 26 walks.
In addition, she had 11 shutouts
and three two no hitters.
Coach’s Corner: “Sarah was so
consistent on the mound and she
always gave us a chance to win
every game she pitched.”
Kristen Smith
School: Northside
Year: Senior
Position: Center field
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the most wins in school history (30
- with eight losses), as well as a
perfect region record while win
ning the division title. The team's
leadoff hitter, she hit .263. She
also had 13 RBIs and was 9-for
-11 in stolen bases. She broke the
school record for most at bats in a
season with 118.
Other: She is a three-year let
terman.
Coach’s Corner: “Kristen was
a great leader both on and off the
field for us. The most memorable
moment was when she threw out
a Jones County runner a) home to
help preserve a win for us.”
Marla Patterson
School: Perry
Year: Senior
Position: Third base
Impact: Hit in the clean-up spot
with an average of .481. She fin
ished the year with 19 RBIs, with
four doubles.
“She has been our 'go-to' hitter
for the last two years,” said Perry
softball Head Coach Jeff Sans.
Other: Named to the Region
4AAA All-Region first team.
Coach’s Corner: “Marla has a
great swing and can hit for aver
age as well as power."
Ashton Jones
School: Perry
Year: Senior
Position: First base
Impact: Hit .375 and had 12
RBIs and four doubles.
“But beyond that,” Sans said,
“she is a tremendous first base
man that has the ability to dig balls
from any location and any depth.
She has great hands and bailed us
out of a lot of situation throughout
the year with great defense."
Coach’s Corner: “Ashton is the
hardest working player that I have
seen in a long time. Not only on
the field but off, being involved in
several extra curricular activities. I
wish I could have 15 girls like her
every year."
Jamie Marshall
School: Westfield
Year: Senior
Position: Center field
Impact: Hit .310 - third high
est on the team - with 14 RBIs
- second on the team - and had a
slugging percentage of .507. She
struck out only three times.
“Jamie earned a starting spot
her senior year," said Westfield
softball Head Coach Rodney
Culverhouse. “Jamie got her game
in order and came ready to play
this year."
Other: Named to the All-Region
team.
Coach’s Corner: “Jamie
stepped up as a senior leader
this year. There wasn't a game
she did not give it her all, and her
uniform was an indicator of that.
Jamie made the most of her senior
year.”
Kelsey Gilliam
.School: Westfield
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher/third base
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the Region 3-AAA championship
and the GISA AAA Final Four. Hit
.308 with nine doubles and a .423
slugging average. On the mound,
she was 12-6 with an undefeated
region record. She had 109 strike
outs and a 1.04 ERA.
“Kelsey was the backbone of
the team," Culverhouse said. “The
players on the team play best
when Kelsey is on the mound.
“She is an instant confidence
booster for the club. Kelsey had
an early season injury, and when
she came back the team went on a
12-2 run with an undefeated region
record.”
Fielding-wise, she had a 1.000
fielding percentage.
Other: Named to the All-Region
and All-State teams and was
selected the GISA Region 3-AAA
Player of the Year.
Coach’s Corner: “Kelsey is one
of the most competitive player’s I
have'coached. She is harder on
herself than any coach could ever
be. Any coach would not have a
problem giving her the ball in any
situation, whether it is a regular
season game or the fifth game in
one day, Kelsey doesn’t quit. You
always get her best."
Mason Moreland
School: Westfield
Year: Junior
Position: Second base
Impact: Helped lead the team to
the Region 3-AAA championship
and the GISA AAA Final Four.
She hit .325. She was also suc
cessful in 30 out of 31 stolen base
attempts and had an on base per
centage of .545. She only struck
out four times in 99 plate appear
ances.
“The team went the way Mason
went offensively," said Culverhouse
said, adding she was the pre
mier lead-off hitter. “In other words
when Mason lead off by getting on,
most of the time that was a run.
Mason scored 20 percent of the
team's runs."
Other: Was named to the All-
Region and All-State teams.
Coach’s Corner: “Mason
learned to slap really well this
See SOFTBALL, page 9B
SPORTS
HOCO begins AD search
Advertises applications being taken; Collins: He’ll apply
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
It’s official. Actually it’s
always been official. Official
in the mind of Houston
County Principal Sheila
Beckham and official in the
mind of interim Athletic
Director George Collins.
“It wouldn’t have mat
tered if we were 10-0 or
what,” said Collins in regard
to the word “interim” at the
beginning of his title, along
with the fact the Houston
County Board of Education
posted availability of the AD
position on its website - and
circulated it at least locally
- Monday. “I knew from day
one from the summer,” he
said. “That’s the word they
said when we sat down ...
Lady Panthers unable to break into
win column; Perry boys sweep two
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Sports Writer
Even an 11-0 run to start
the game couldn’t assure
the Perry High girls bas
ketball squad of its first win
in the new season. Another
set of Lady Panthers from
Americus-Sumter County
High dominated the second
half of play Saturday and
took a 59-43 non-region
win at the newly renovated
Panther Den.
Everything that worked
well for the Perry Lady
Panthers for a majority of
the first half -from 3-point
shootingto the turnover ratio
- went the way of Americus-
Sumter in the second half.
The home team opened the
contest scoring 11 straight,
but ended it with nary a
point in the fourth quarter.
Americus-Sumter’s point
guard Abril Peeples led all
scorers with 28 points. For
Perry, Brianna Brown made
three first-half 3-point shots
and finished with 18 points.
Kim Burgess scored 11 and
Shay Newberry eight.
Perry’s 11-0 run had steals
by Burgess and Lay Lay
Rountree. Burgess threw her
steal for an assist to Kenisha
Wilson while Brown scored
on a pass from Rountree.
Brown sank a 3-pointer over
the Americus-Sumter zone
defense and canned one
other when the visiting Lady
Panthers finally got on the
scoreboard.
In the first quarter,
Perry had five total steals.
Americus-Sumter made two
3-pointers late in the period,
but Perry still stood on top
20-13 after eight minutes
of play.
The home ladies caused
more turnovers in the sec
ond quarter, with Rountree
turning one into a score for
Newberry and Newberry
scoring another when taking
away a rebound. Brown had
five points in a row with one
full-speed steal, and Burgess
blocked two shots in a row.
Americus-Sumter, though,
turned a double-digit defi
cit to six, 31-25, with two
minutes to go scoring on
two Perry turnovers. Coach
Katherine Bradley called for
a variation of the four-cor
ner spread, and Burgess hit
a jumper from the high post.
But with three more take
aways, the visitors ended
the half with five in row to
cut Perry’s lead at the break
to two, 34-32.
Brown scored off both a
Rountree steal and a Burgess
block to keep her team up
two in the third quarter, 40-
38. But Americus-Sumter
scored six points off of turn
overs in the period to take
the lead for good. Newberry
followed in an offensive
board in the paint for what
would be Perry’s final points
of the night.
Down four going into the
fourth, 47-43, Perry missed
four foul shots in the period
and didn’t make a 3-point
er all second half. Burgess
had two more blocks in
the fourth, but Americus-
Sumter continued to score
off turnovers and win the
That they would open it up
and we would move forward
from there.”
Now, that isn’t to say
Collins, whose Bears fin
ished 1-9 - which is also sort
of misleading as one, they
were young and two, they
were in plenty of ballgames
- won’t remain the AD.
After all, he said he would
apply for the position - and
“probably” try to stay with
the staff as an assistant if he
isn’t selected.
“He stepped up and did a
great job,” said Beckham,
who added Collins had as
much a shot as anyone in
retaining the job. “I really
do appreciate him stepping
in and taking not only our
football but all of our ath
letic program forward.”
battle for loose basketballs.
PERRY BOYS 67, A-SC 47
Perry High 6-4 forward
Trey Smith actually found
a defender about an inch
taller than him when the
Americus-Sumter County
High Panthers came to town
Saturday. But that didn’t
stop Smith, still coming off
the bench just over a week
removed from the end of
football season, from scor
ing a team-high 20 points
in leading Brett Hardy’s
Panthers to a non-region
victory and a 3-1 record.
Perhaps a Perry basket
ball game really doesn’t
begin until Smith, point
guard Casey Hayward and
forward Akeen Felder (all
football players) check into
the action. It was Smith
on Saturday who made the
most significant impact with
seven quick points in his
reserve roll.
Smith’s first shot attempt
went through from 3-point
land. He later posted up
Americus-Sumter’s 6-5
Colby Perry (also a reserve)
several steps away from the
block and hit a turnaround
jumper off the glass.
Hayward also came off the
bench and blocked a shot
in transition. Felder made
his first attempt off the
backboard. Starter Antonio
Hubbard took the ball right
at Perry and gave the home
Panthers a 13-11 lead.
The Perry Panther lead
was 15-11 after one quar
ter as Michael Walker had a
steal that Hayward turned
into two.
Chase Daniel, another
starting guard, followed
Hardy’s instructions to
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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
The date listed for the
application deadline is Jan.
11, 2008, with the starting
date listed as “negotiable.”
Among the education
and/or experience require
ment listed is the applicant
must have, as a minimum,
a Bachelor’s degree in
Education, with an advance
degree “a plus.”
Also, according to the web
site announcement the appli
cant must have had, among
other things - there are 26
“essential duties and respon
sibilities” listed - five years
of professional teaching and
five years high school coach
ing and must have served as
a head football coach and/or
have experience as an offen
sive/defensive coordinator
for one year.
move without the ball in the
second quarter. His team
mates found Daniel cutting
to the hole, and he made the
double-clutch shot.
Hubbard had two offen
sive rebounds he turned into
three points, and with a slam
by Hayward Perry High led
30-23 at the half.
The second half for
the home club was about
defense, offensive boards
and the dunk. Walker had
two steals in the third quar
ter, and Hubbard scored off
his own steal for 37-27.
Smith stood all by himself
under the goal, and when the
ball came his way it was an
easy slam. Hayward threw
a bullet pass for a Roderick
Jones dunk and later made
an inbound assist to Smith.
Jones blocked two shots and
had an assist to Hubbard
in the quarter, which ended
with a 52-34 Perry lead.
Kameron Felder sank con
secutive 3-point attempts
in the fourth, and Walker
added one more from out
side the arc.
Hubbard had 11 total
points, K. Felder eight and
Hayward seven.
PERRY-WARNER ROBINS
RESULTS
The Perry boys avenged
an overtime loss at Warner
Robins High on opening
night by winning another
tightly contested affair with
the Demons 45-43 Friday at
Perry High. Warner Robins
led 18-15 at halftime, but
Perry turned the game in its
favor with a 14-7 edge in the
third quarter.
Kameron Felder made
four 3-pointers for a
See WIN, page 9B
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