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SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2008
2B
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From page iB
a strikeout an inning.
“Tony had to pitch the
tough games,” he said.
Because of that, Sellers said
it may have affected his
overall record, but he always
took those challenges, again,
without hesitation. “He kept
us in games, doing what he
could do to give us a chance
to win.”
Albritton threw his only
high school no-hitter in
the recent GISA playoffs
at Westminster in Augusta.
Sellers pointed out anoth
er fine outing this year, a
two-hitter against Trinity
Christian when the Hornets
were the victims of one-hit
pitching in a 2-0 loss.
Thompson, meanwhile,
was looking at the end of
his baseball career dur
ing a summer tournament
last year in Atlanta. It was
on a slide into a base that
brought to him an unprec
edented amount of pain.
“It was real scary,” he said.
“I didn’t think I was going
to be able to play. Nobody
thought I was going to be
able to play because it was
such a severe injury. But I
wanted to play still, worked
really hard and got back to
where I needed to be.
“It was an open disloca
tion to my right ankle. I’ve
never felt that pain before
in my life.”
Thompson was unable to
put pressure on the ankle
for three months. He used
a walking boot and went
"We've been playing together since we
were real little. I'm real close to them.
They mean the world to me. That meant
a lot, that they did that lor me."
- Houston County High School baseball player Chris Thompson
DEMONS
From page iB
There’s a chance fans will
see some more throwing of
the football, provided the
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Demon players work on staying low while blocking during spring practice at the school Monday.
BETTER
From page iB
Junior Days at several major
universities. That doesn’t
include the pages of exposure
on college football recruiting
web sites.
“It’s fun, just fun,” said
Farms. “It’s a lot of travel
ing. I like traveling. I like
meeting coaches, players
and getting to know all the
schools and seeing what they
have to offer.
“Everywhere you go it’s
nice. It’s shiny and every
thing. Everybody has top of
the line stuff.”
Farms has yet to make a
verbal commitment, but he’s
pretty much narrowed his
focus down to schools in the
Southeastern Conference.
“Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee,
South Carolina, that’s my
top schools,” said Farms.
“LSU, too. I want to go help
(someone) win a national
championship.”
At spring practice for
Perry High and the upcom
through some tough ther
apy, some of which contin
ued through the spring high
school season.
There was even a setback
to his rehabilitation after
going to a showcase on Dec. 1
at South Georgia College. He
said he hurt the ankle again
fielding a ball, but managed
to make it back to play
ing status for opening day
of Houston County High’s
2008 season. He appeared in
every game as both a short
stop and a pitcher, hitting
.304 with three home runs
and 18 RBI.
One other bit of inspiration
for Thompson’s comeback
was how his teammates not
only bypassed the remaining
games of that Atlanta tour
nament to stay with him in
the hospital, but they wore
his No. 9 on their jerseys the
rest of the summer.
“We’ve been playing
together since we were real
little,” he said. “I’m real
close to them. They mean
the world to me. That meant
a lot, that they did that for
me.
Thompson’s goal now is to
earn the starting shortstop
job for the Tigers and take
one game and one season at
a time.
South Georgia had a 31-31
record in 2008, but as hosts
of the Region XVII tourna
ment and the No. 6 seed the
Tigers reached the champi
onship game. They lost to
Young Harris in 10 innings.
It was the third time in
the last seven years South
Georgia has played for the
state title.
team can find people to con
sistently make the catches.
The offense will be run on
a full-time basis for the first
season by W.J. McAllister,
who finished out last year
at quarterback with four
ing summer training season,
Farms is focused on playing
for a state championship.
But also, he doesn’t want to
leave the Panther program
high and dry for the future.
“I want to get these line
men ready, prepare them for
this year and teach them a
couple of things to get ready
for next year,” said Farms.
“So Perry High won’t stop.
It’ll keep going.”
In addition to Smith (a 6-4
target who is catching every
thing thrown his way), Scott
said Kirk is gaining some
attention as a line pros
pect for college ball. Scott
reported that Smith picked
up an offer from Western
Michigan, a school that had
a scout present at the first
day of spring.
“We’ve averaged at least
one or two a day,” said Scott.
“(Monday) was a low day. We
had one.”
And that one was from
Connecticut.
But for Scott it’s about all
the players and how they
will develop as Panthers.
See BETTERi, page ?B
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Houston County High School’s Chris Thompson signs a baseball scholarship Monday at the school with South
Georgia College in Douglas as his mother Mary and his sisters, Jennifer Sullivan and Elizabeth Thompson look on.
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Westfield School baseball player Tony Albritton signs a scholarship with South Georgia College in Douglas Monday
at the school as his parents Jamie and Tony and his sister Carly along with coaches look on.
touchdown passes and 533
yards through the air.
His backup, getting some
good spring work in accord
ing to Way, is Maurice
Dudley.
“It’s an adjustment to a
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Perry assistant coach Shawn Masters watches intently as to placers working on blocking Tuesday at the school.
SPORTS
lot of our kids, but we’re get
ting better at it,” said Way.
“That’s probably been the
major change, to get more
open offensively. Position
wise, no major changes.
“We still want to run the
football. We’re going to
base but of the wing, but
will spread out more often.
We’re not going to throw it
95 percent of the time. If
there was only one way to
be successful - one offense
im '
ENI/Gary Harmon
Defensive coach David Bruce “politely” explains how to
play the position of linebacker to one of the players.
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
and one defense - everybody
would do the same thing.
It all comes down to execu
tion.”
If there is one Warner
Robins player to put on
See DEMON Si, page ioB